In George Orwell’s Confessions of a Book Reviewer essay, the Nineteen Eighty-Four author describes the job as a thankless task, saying: “The prolonged, indiscriminate reviewing of books is a quite exceptionally thankless, irritating and exhausting job.” Thankless as it may be, reviewers have the power to introduce new books into the world in passionate praise or downright scathing criticism. And, as with most reviews, it really can be a matter of taste - as we’ll see here - in this list of ten early, negative reviews of literature we now consider sacred. 1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (represented here with the baby-faced Elijah Wood from the 1993 film) was banned by the Concord public library on the year of its release, slamming the novel as “trashy and vicious”. In full support of the ban, The Springfield Republican (published again in The New York Times in 1885), said: “[The book is] no better in tone than the dime novels which flood the blood-and-thunder reading population… his literary skill is, of course, superior, but their moral level is low, and their perusal cannot be anything less than harmful.” 2. American Psycho “Numbingly boring, and [for much of the book] deeply and extremely disgusting,” said Andrew Motion in 1991, printed in The Observer. He went on to criticise Bret Easton Ellis’ most controversial novel by saying: “Not interesting-disgusting: sickening, cheaply sensationalist, pointless except as a way of earning its author some money and notoriety.” 3. Catch-22 The common idiom "catch 22" came from Joseph Heller’s famous satire and today the book is regarded as one of the best in modern times. But, for Richard G. Stern, it was “an emotional hodgepodge”. The critic said, in The New York Times Book Review in 1961, “no mood is sustained long enough to register for more than a chapter.” He does, however, go on to compliment Heller (sort of): “Its author... is like a brilliant painter who decides to throw all the ideas in his sketchbooks onto one canvas, relying on their charm and shock to compensate for the lack of design…” 4. The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger’s praised coming-of-age novel didn’t sit well with James Stern, who, in The New York Times (1951) said: “This Salinger, he’s a short story guy. And he knows how to write about kids. This book though, it’s too long. Gets kind of monotonous. And he should’ve cut out a lot about these jerks and all that crumby school. They depress me.” 5. The Great Gatsby Baz Luhrmann’s movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby (pictured) is looking like 2013’s most anticipated film. However, not all first readers of the book were won over by Gatsby and Daisy. Published in The Saturday Review in 1925, L.P Hartley said: “Mr. Scott Fitzgerald deserves a good shaking. Here is an unmistakable talent unashamed of making itself a motley to the view. The Great Gatsby is an absurd story, whether considered as romance, melodrama, or plain record of New York high life.” 6. Lolita “[Lolita] is undeniably news in the world of books. Unfortunately, it is bad news,” announced Orville Prescott in The New York Times in 1958. Vladimir Nabokov’s novel about a middle-aged literary professor who retells his semi-incestural relationship with a 12-year-old neighbour, still provokes strong feelings from readers today. Prescott went on to say: “There are two equally serious reasons why it isn’t worth any adult reader’s attention. The first is that it is dull, dull, dull in a pretentious, florid and archly fatuous fashion. The second is that it is repulsive.” 7. Moby Dick In 1852, the New York United States Magazine and Democratic Review, stated: “If there are any of our readers who wish to find examples of bad rhetoric, involved syntax, stilted sentiment and incoherent English, we will take the liberty of recommending to them this precious volume of Mr. Melville’s". Ouch! 8. Ulysses Though a painful 265,000-odd words long, Ulysses has been hailed as one of the most important works in Modernist literature. James Joyce’s experimental stream of consciousness techniques, though popular with Ms. Monroe (above), were not popular with the writer at The Sporting Times in 1922. It said: “[Ulysses] appears to have been written by a perverted lunatic who has made a speciality of the literature of the latrine... there are whole chapters of it without punctuation or other guide to what the writer is really getting at.” And in a sense, quite true. 9. Where the Wild Things Are Where the Wild Things Are is a classic children’s bedtime read, written by Maurice Sendak in 1963. Generations later, Spike Jonze directed a movie version in 2009. However, in an issue of Publisher’s Weekly in the year of its release, a reviewer says: “The plan and technique of the illustrations are superb. … But they may well prove frightening, accompanied as they are by a pointless and confusing story.” 10. Wuthering Heights “How a human being could have attempted such a book as the present without committing suicide before he had finished a dozen chapters, is a mystery,” said the Graham’s Lady’s Magazine in 1848. The reviewer was clearly not as taken by Emily Brontë’s depiction of a bleak and cruel life on the Yorkshire moors as most. Suicidal or not, the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff still resonates today as is evident from the popularity of contemporary adaptations like Andrea Arnold's 2009 movie (pictured).
Stephen King's literary output contains multitudes. Horror, which the author has been best-known for since his 1974 debut Carrie, is just one genre on his bibliography. Accordingly, a life-affirming tale about the fact that we all also contain multitudes — Walt Whitman's poem Song of Myself is naturally quoted — isn't a surprise from the writer. Filmmaker Mike Flanagan bringing King's novella The Life of Chuck to the big screen might've been less expected, though, if the director behind recent TV must-sees The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher wasn't again exploring characters not initially appreciating, then slowly dawning upon the fact, that the choices they're making aren't necessarily ones that are making them happy. Flanagan has adapted King's work before, first with 2017 film Gerald's Game, then with 2019 The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep. Neither was a fantasy/drama that celebrates life's wonders and small joys — and just relishing existing for the time that we each have in general — however. That's The Life of Chuck through and through, with Flanagan's characteristically perceptive version of the King story that was first published in 2020 compilation If It Bleeds proving one of the most-heartwarming viewing experiences of 2025. Consider the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival's People's Choice Award-winner if not an antidote then a helpful reminder whenever minor annoyances blight your days: this picture understands that revelling in the delights, not the dramas, is a more-fulfilling mindset. Being a part of the film's cast was an instant yes for Karen Gillan (Douglas Is Cancelled), who initially starred in Oculus for Flanagan. The 2013 horror movie brought the Scottish actor to the US before playing Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and rolling the dice in the Jumanji franchise joined her resume. And yes, The Life of Chuck immediately stood out, she tells Concrete Playground. More than that, the picture's thoughtful examination of relishing tiny, everyday wins and treasures, and discovering what and who truly light up your life, is "such an interesting thing to dive into just as a human being," Gillan advises. "It's a great question to ask yourself." "I found myself asking myself this in preparation for the film, and after having watched the whole film. I asked myself 'how am I spending my precious time on this planet in the way that I want to?' and 'am I doing the things that make me truly happy?'. And 'if it were to all end tomorrow, what would I go and do that I've been too scared to do?'. And it was such an interesting way to reflect on how I'm living my life. So I just found it really moving on just a human level." [caption id="attachment_1017401" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amy Sussman/Getty Images[/caption] In The Life of Chuck, Tom Hiddleston (Loki) portrays the titular character, as do Jacob Tremblay (Queen of Bones), Benjamin Pajak (Honeypot KK) and debutant Cody Flanagan at various stages, all as the flick steps through its namesake's existence in reverse. The movie begins as the end of days approaches, with society crumbling with it. Think: the internet disappearing forever, the sea enveloping cities, ordinary routines proving pointless and the hospital where Felicia Gordon, Gillan's character, works being inundated with those unsurprisingly unable to face the fast-ticking clock put on everything they know. Confusion reigns, including about a particular new development that Felicia's schoolteacher ex Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy) also notices: TV and billboard advertisements filled with Charles Katz's image and thanking him for his "39 years of service", and radio ads as well. While there's nothing like being forced to confront your mortality to spark a reassessment of what's important in life, who matters, and how you want to spend the time that you have and direct your energy towards, that idea echoes in The Life of Chuck's following chapters, where nothing apocalyptic lingers in the narrative's timeline. And, it buzzes and hums in a movie that is anything but standard in digging into a concept that is no stranger to the screen. Spontaneously answering the call to dance, developing and embracing your passions, carving out time for life's pleasures where you can, treasuring your loved ones: in a picture also featuring Mark Hamill (The Sandman) as Chuck's grandmother and giving Ferris Bueller's Day Off great Mia Sara (Dorothy and the Witches of Oz) a rare screen part as his grandmother, these moments and realisations are essential. Everyone from Annalise Basso (Blind River), David Dastmalchian (Murderbot), Harvey Guillén (Companion) and Matthew Lillard (Five Nights at Freddy's) to experienced Flanagan cast members such as Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, Samantha Sloyan and Carl Lumbly (all most recently in his The Fall of the House of Usher), plus also Violet McGraw (Doctor Sleep), similarly get their time to shine in The Life of Chuck. Gillan receiving hers also added to her parts beyond Guardians of the Galaxy and MCU fare — to a filmography already overflowing with them, of course, going back to her first on-screen role in Rebus; then to The Kevin Bishop Show, The Well, playing Amy Pond on Doctor Who and more in the UK; and also the Jumanji films, NTSF:SD:SUV, Selfie, 7 Days in Hell, In a Valley of Violence, Gunpowder Milkshake, Dual, Late Bloomers, her feature directorial debut The Party's Just Beginning and other titles since. It is indeed refreshing when Gillian isn't donning the Nebula makeup for a role. "I would say that the biggest difference is that I just kind of feel like I'm at the spa every morning when I'm not in the Nebula makeup. Because the Nebula makeup is intense. And it's so cool and it's so worth it, but they've got the scalpels and stuff. It's not one of those spa-like experiences. And then any other job, it just feels so luxurious in comparison," she shares. "So I love playing Nebula, but it is really nice to just have a normal face." We also spoke with Gillian about reteaming with Flanagan, playing someone trying to look after everyone else as the world disintegrates, fleshing out a complicated relationship alongside Ejiofor in their brief screentime together and The Life of Chuck as a source of inspiration — and also being a King fan starring in a King movie, swinging from big franchises to more-intimate projects and the film's feeling of quiet urgency, among other topics. On the Unique Prospect of a Film That Celebrates Life and Its Wonders, the Multitudes That We All Contain and Treasuring the Small Moments "The script completely stood out to me. So I've worked with Mike Flanagan before, on a movie called Oculus. He's actually the whole reason that I moved from Scotland to America. And so it was one of my first roles in Hollywood. So when I got the call for this project, I was ready to sign up having not even read the script because I was so excited about working with him again. And I love all the Stephen King adaptations that I've seen. So it was a bit of a no-brainer. But when I actually read this script, it was like 'this is like nothing else I've ever read before'. It's so unique — even just the structure of it. It's told in reverse and the whole first chapter is the end of everything, and then you learn that that's all a metaphor for one man's life, Chuck. And it was just such a beautiful exploration into an ordinary man's life, and really focusing on those smaller moments that don't usually get screentime in movies — and showing the beauty of those moments." On What Excited Gillan About Stepping Into Felicia's Shoes "There were so many things about the character that I thought was really interesting. I really was intrigued by the fact that she had taken on this caretaker position in everyone's lives around her. And I kind of filled in a whole backstory as to why that would be the case — because it's not really explored so much in the short story or the film. But it was a really interesting character to dive into, because she's this real caretaker-type, and you can see that in her relationship with her ex-husband Marty. But then we throw her into the end of the universe, the end of everything, and you can just see how much she's still trying to fulfil that position and keep everybody going — and maintain optimism when everyone is just giving up around her. And I thought that was such a beautiful character trait." On Fleshing Out a Complicated Relationship Alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor in Their Brief Amount of Screentime Together "We didn't actually do so much reading the scenes with each other or anything like that. We just spoke and had conversations, and we did that both separately with Mike Flanagan to really flesh out characters and backstories, and then talked together. But the first thing that we ever shot together was the long phone call scene, and it was his side of the phone. So we made sure that we were present for each other — and so I hid in a bedroom upstairs and would just call him on the phone, and then we would film his side of the scene. So I was just in some random person's bed in the house, no one else was there in the house that we were in, just kind of talking to him on the phone. And that brought such a sense of authenticity to the whole thing. And then he did the same thing for me when I filmed my side of the conversation. What was nice about that was having not done it over and over again prior to that — like, the first time he properly heard that scene would have been through the telephone." On If a Film About Life's Quiet Wonders and Being the Centre of Your Own Universe Gets You Thinking About Those Ideas in Your Own Life "Yeah, it's so true. And this film really reminded me of that. And I found myself being really filled with gratitude for all the little things that sometimes you can take for granted. And yeah, I think honestly, it was just such an existential experience watching the film when it was all finished. I came away from it crying, but they were happy tears. And I just think that's so rare that film does that to its audience." On the Film's Tonal Balance — Proving Heartfelt and Sweet, But Also Clear-Eyed About the Truth That Life Is Fragile and We're All Only Here for a Short Amount of Time "I think you just have to trust Mike. He has it. And all I really tend to do is just try to approach each scene from the most-truthful place possible — and ask myself the question 'how would I genuinely feel if this was happening?'. And then what I do is I think of a time when I genuinely felt that emotion, and try to access it so that I don't really have to act — if that makes any sense — because I'm generally feeling something. And that's all I'm focused on. I'm not necessarily like 'how does this fit into the bigger picture?'. I think that, for me, is the director's job, and I'm just there to bring some authenticity and to genuinely feel things." On Starring in a Stephen King Adaptation When The Shining Is One of Your Favourite Films "I know — a non-horror one, which feels even more rare and unique. It was just mindbending. I'm like 'what? I'm in a Stephen King thing?'. That just seems like, to me, as big as it gets. And actually he loved the film, which was so cool — because I know that he wasn't a fan of The Shining, and he loved The Life of Chuck. And I got to meet him, and he came and supported the film, and came to the premiere at the Toronto Film Festival — and I met him and I was pregnant, and he told me to have a good one, and I'm never going to forget that." On the History Among the Cast and Crew of The Life of Chuck — and Not Just Gillan and Mike Flanagan's History Together "So I had such a good time on Oculus. Really, that's one of the best experiences I've ever had on a film. And then I found myself really wanting to have that experience again. Because I visited set, I visited Mike when he was filming The Haunting of Hill House, the series. And I was looking around and I saw all the same crew members as Oculus, and I was like 'I want to do this again'. And I was like 'put me in something'. And then he did. And it's The Life of Chuck. And it was just so great to reteam with him and see how he's evolved, and actually how he's exactly the same — which is mainly how I experienced it. He hasn't changed that much, even though his career has gone into the stratosphere. He's still the same old Mike. But he has evolved in ways as a filmmaker, and that's really cool to see. I just loved it. I had the best time." On the Ease That Comes with Repeat Director Collaborations "Definitely. It's just like any person that works with a new colleague or one that they've got a shorthand with. It's exactly that. You sort of have to feel each other, figure out each other's rhythms a little bit, get on the same frequency — and it's just so nice when you don't have to do that introductory period every single time. You can just dive back in. Some of the directors I've worked with have very distinctive ways of working, and sometimes you have to recalibrate and be like 'okay, so this director likes to give notes over a giant megaphone thing. This one is going to want me to improvise. This one's going to want me to stick to the script'. And so it's nice to just know what you're getting into again. And also they know how you work and can get the best out of you — because the best directors, in my opinion, are different directors to each actor, because each person needs something slightly different. And so it's nice when they really understand how I work as an actor." On the Impact That Working with Flanagan the First Time on Oculus Had on Gillan's Career "It really did bring me over to the States. It literally got me a visa to be able to stay in the States, which meant I was available for auditions and that's how I managed to have a career over in the States. So it just kickstarted everything for me. And it was a massive challenge for me as an actor to lead a film. I was young at the time and it was quite a demanding role. And so that made me have to level up and up my game. And so for my development as an actor, it really helped me get a lot better." [caption id="attachment_888782" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.[/caption] On Being Able to Swing Between Big Franchises Such as Guardians of the Galaxy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Plus the Jumanji Films, and More-Intimate Projects "That just feels like such a treat as an actress. I'm like 'that's so great to not be completely pigeonholed, and to get to do projects of all different sizes and genres'. I mean, that's my dream. I would hate to be bound by typecasting or anything like that. [caption id="attachment_756013" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jumanji: The Next Level[/caption] I think I'm just looking for great characters and great stories, and it truly doesn't matter if it's a $200-million film or $200,000 film. It's like 'I don't care'. It's about making good cinema at the end of the day, and I just feel really lucky that I've had a variety of experiences." On If You Tap Into Something in Particular to Bring The Life of Chuck's Feeling of Quiet Urgency — That Life Needs to Be Lived Urgently to Be Lived Fully — to the Screen "I would say so. I was definitely asking myself questions about how I'm living my life. And I started to have these visuals — like, 'imagine if I just had an hourglass with the sand falling through it for my whole life, what level of the sand would it be at?'. And it's something so wild to think that it's constantly dwindling away. And you kind of forget that as you go about your day to day, and you think 'oh, that's not going to happen to me' and 'that's never coming' — but it is. None of us are getting out of this. And so, yeah, I think it's first of all really important to remember from time to time in your life. And I really had to think about that in terms of the character and what she would do in the moments where she knew that those were her last. Who does she want to reach out to? And I think what I learned is so much of the stuff that we focus on in our lives would just fall away in those final moments. Like, we think we focus on accolades, achievements, money — and none of that matters at the end of it all. What matters is being around the people that you love and love you. And that's definitely what I've found in the character." The Life of Chuck opened in Australia cinemas on Thursday, August 14, 2025 and in New Zealand cinemas from Thursday, July 31, 2025.
Melbourne scored its first Five Guys outpost back in 2022, with the cult-favourite US burger chain making Southbank its home. And now, on Monday, October 14, it's set to open its second Melbourne venue, bringing its famed burger combos to the CBD. Setting up shop at 228 Lonsdale Street, the new store will sit on the perimeter of the CBD's QV shopping centre, seat 68 burger lovers and — unsurprisingly — sport Five Guys' red-and-white colour scheme. On the menu: burgers, fries, hotdogs, sandwiches and shakes, aka Five Guys' usual range. If you're wondering why the brand has built up such a following across the world, the fact that its made-to-order burgers skew in the classic direction is one good reason. These burgs come with two hand-formed patties on toasted buns, with your choice of free toppings (including pickles, grilled mushrooms and jalapeños). Five Guys also does bacon cheeseburgers that add two strips of bacon and two slices of Kraft American cheese. It's simple and incredibly effective. Prefer hotdogs, sandwiches (in veggie, cheese or BLT varieties), hand-cut fries (with or without Cajun spices) and vanilla milkshakes? They're all on the menu as well. Don't go thinking that the latter are boring, though — you can add bacon, bananas, peanut butter, salted caramel and even Biscoff pieces to your design-your-own beverage. As anyone with allergies should note, though, Five Guys only cooks its fries in peanut oil. The popular chain already has more than 1900 stores to its name across America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia since starting back in 1986 in the Washington, DC area — and has amassed quite the reputation in the process. Even given the number of big-name US burger chains with hefty followings, such as Shake Shack and In-N-Out, it stands out. Consider yourself a die-hard Five Guys fan, and are keen to try some of the new venue's first burgers? Be sure to get down at (or before) 10.30am on Monday, October 14, to be one of the first 100 customers — for the Five Guys team is giving away a stack of limited-edition merchandise to the first 100 punters. Find Five Guys' second Melbourne store at QV Melbourne, 228 Lonsdale Street, from Monday, October 14 — open from 11am–10pm daily. For more details, you can visit the venue's website.
IKEA's blue-and-yellow Frakta bag has been a shop staple for more than three decades. It has helped carry your purchases of (too many) tea light candles, and proven an integral part of moving house. It's been used to make everything from masks and boots to bucket hats and even outfits for dogs, and has inspired a $2000 Balenciaga knockoff as well. And now, it's getting a new colour — so get ready to add a different hue to that pile of bags stuffed in one of your cupboards. Back in 2019, the Swedish retailer dropped a limited-edition rainbow version of the instantly recognisable, and super versatile bag; however, it was only available for short time. From November this year, IKEA will release a vibrant pink iteration as well, this time as part of a new collaboration with designer Zandra Rhodes. The vivid Karismatisk bag falls under the Rhodes-designed, 26-piece collection of the same name and, obviously, it's pink. The colour is bright, and there's another design flourish you won't find on the regular blue Frakta, too: side frills. "It is playful and functional — and the colour pop of pink adds an extra Zandra accent," said the designer. The Karismatisk bag will be available to purchase at IKEA stores n Richmond, Rhodes and Logan from November for $3. It'll also be available online at the same time. Across the rest of Rhodes' collection, you can also pick up cushions with eye-catching prints, both blue and pink vases, gold lampshades, and a range of rugs — plus mirrors, LED lighting, and candlestick and tea light candle holders. The Karismatisk bag will be available to purchase at IKEAs stores in Richmond, Rhodes and Logan from November for $3, and online via the retailer's website at the same time.
Red Hill Brewery doesn't just invite you to stop on by for a beer, it invites you to stay the night too. The Brewer's Cottage is a three-bedroom house located on the grounds, the self-contained unit features an open fire, barbecue area and even a trampoline. You can join the brewers for Friday arvo brews and really get the full Red Hill experience. The brewery focuses on European styles and the farmhouse-like cellar door has the entire range, including the Wee Heavy scotch ale and Belgian Blonde that we especially recommend. If you're hungry, you can also tuck into some great bar snacks and burgers from the kitchen. Images: Peter Tarasiuk/Visit Victoria.
IMAX devotees aren't just big-screen obsessives. Rather, they're massive-screen obsessives. When a film is available in the largest possible format, only that will do. Everyone has a movie-loving friend that wouldn't see Oppenheimer anywhere else, or David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick before that. IMAX Melbourne's returning film festival is obviously for them — and everyone else as well. If you didn't head along in 2024, meet the Biggest Best IMAX Film Festival, an event dedicated to the biggest and best titles that the venue can possibly play on its 32-metre-wide by 23-metre-tall screen. It's the world's largest 1.43:1 cinema screen, and it's getting flickering with some of those aforementioned pictures and a heap more on various dates until the beginning of March 2025. Iconic Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense is one must-see movie on the lineup, but it has plenty of impressive company. Animated masterpiece Akira, Titanic in 3D, Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One and Top Gun: Maverick, Australia's own Mad Max: Fury Road, sci-fi great The Matrix, the iconic Apocalypse Now: they're all on the program. So are a stack of Christopher Nolan films, such as Inception, Interstellar and Tenet, plus the full Dark Knight trilogy, all in IMAX 1570 (the highest resolution available, going up to 16K, with Melbourne the only place in the country that can show it). Or, catch a double of Dune and Dune: Part Two, then go blue with Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. Of course 2001: A Space Odyssey is on the list as well — it has to be.
For half a century, no trip to the Sunshine Coast has been complete without visiting a 16-metre-high pineapple. In 1983, even Princess Diana and the then-Prince Charles went there, as throngs of tourists have before and since. Stop by now and you'll still see a giant piece of tropical fruit, but one that's had a revamp, with the Queensland big thing officially reopening after undergoing renovations. Plenty of changes have been floated for The Big Pineapple and its 165-hectare site over the years, with a craft brewery, water park, and places to stay via an RV park, an eco resort and a hotel all among the ideas under the attraction's master plan. For now, however, owner Peter Kendall and his company CMC Property have focused on repairing and restoring the main highlight itself, as well giving the location's train the same treatment. The Big Pineapple has also scored a new cafe, new viewing platform and new children's playground. If the towering sight looks extra shiny — and ready to gleam in the obligatory snaps that everyone takes while they're in its presence — that's thanks to sandblasting, repairs and marine paint by the hundreds of litres. To get a good glimpse, that's where the new viewing platform comes in. Dating back to the 50s, the train now has a similar sheen after a restoration process, including to its carriages and track. "We are awaiting some final certification for the train and hope to start public train rides soon, providing rides across the property including access to Wildlife HQ," said Kendall, also mentioning the zoo with 200-plus species of animals that's been onsite since 2014. Stopping by The Big Pineapple hasn't just been about its fibreglass namesake for some time, given that TreeTop Challenge Sunshine Coast and its high-ropes courses and ziplines also calls it home. So does coconut foods producer COYO, as well as Sunshine & Sons distillery. Come October, The Big Pineapple Festival — the locale's music festival — will return for the first time since 2021. The fest started in 2013, then ran annually surrounded by pineapple fields until its present three-year break. Getting a ticket isn't just about seeing live tunes in the location's natural amphitheatres in such close proximity to The Big Pineapple, but also pitching a tent at event's 4000-person campground. [caption id="attachment_944026" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Big Pineapple, Alpha via Flickr[/caption] "The Big Pineapple is undoubtedly the most-recognisable tourism icon of the Sunshine Coast and so I am very proud of the team's work to restore the pineapple to its original glory," said Kendall. "This is just the first stage of the regeneration project. Our number-one priority was to reopen the main pineapple structure and cafe, and to get the train running again." "Our next priority is to complete the renovations to the inside of the pineapple structure itself and we hope to reopen it for tours later on." [caption id="attachment_698027" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anne and David via Flickr[/caption] Find The Big Pineapple at 76 Nambour Connection Road, Woombye, Queensland — open 8.30am–4pm daily. For more information, visit the attraction's website.
If you've always had a fondness for the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky, the idea of spending an evening stepping into anything Addams Family-related probably sounds like a dream. Whether you first discovered pop culture's eeriest family via the 90s films, through old episodes of the 60s TV show, in various animated guises over the years — including on the big screen — or thanks to Netflix's Wednesday, that fantasy can now become an IRL reality if you score admission to Wednesday Island. When the streaming platform dropped the full trailer for Wednesday's second season on Thursday, July 10, 2025 Down Under (it was still Wednesday in the US, fittingly), it announced that it was creating a Wednesday experience in Australia. So, on Saturday, August 16, the platform is transforming Cockatoo Island / Wareamah in Sydney Harbour into a fan festival-hosting haven to the show. Now, just a day later, applications are now open to attend — and to be part of a setup that'll make you feel like you're at Nevermore Academy, complete with other activations, performances and more The details remain vague even now that the timer on the pop-up's website has ended its countdown — it was whiling away the seconds until 12am on Friday, July 11, 2025 — but Cockatoo Island will celebrate all things Wednesday for a macabre winter evening. You need to be over 16 to head along. You'll also have to dress the part, too, so you'd best dust off your black-hued and gothic-looking outfits. At present, applications are open for VIP double passes until Sunday, July 20, 2025. Thirty competition winners will score attendance, a merchandise pack, access to an exclusive viewing area, food and drink vouchers to use while they're there, and transport to and from Wednesday Island — via boat from Sydney, and also return economy flights to the Harbour City, and/or one night's accomodation, if you're located outside of metropolitan Sydney. You'll also be able to head along to a pre-festival event. To enter for VIP tickets, you're asked to record a video of up to 30 seconds showing why you need to be hitting up Wednesday Island — and why, like Wednesday, you're an outcast. After that, Wednesday fans will be able to go in the running for general admission tickets between Wednesday, July 23–Sunday, August 3, 2025. What that entails hasn't yet been revealed, but boat transport to and from the island, plus one food and one beverage token, will be included if you're selected. Netflix is also bringing the Wednesday cast to Australia as part of a worldwide promotional tour, but how that will factor into Wednesday Island also hasn't been announced as yet. As for watching the Jenna Ortega (Death of a Unicorn)-led and Tim Burton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)-executive produced series when it returns for its second season, you'll be doing that in two batches. Part one arrives on Wednesday, August 6, then part two on Wednesday, September 3. Check out the full trailer for Wednesday season two below: Wednesday Island is taking over Cockatoo Island in Sydney on Saturday, August 16. Head to the pop-up's website to apply for VIP double passes until Sunday, July 20, 2025, or to go in the running for general admission between Wednesday, July 23–Sunday, August 3, 2025 — or just for further information. Wednesday season two arrives in two parts, with part one dropping on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 and part two on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, both via Netflix. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Bernard Walsh, Helen Sloan and Jonathan Hession/Netflix © 2025.
Kensington's beloved Doutta Galla Hotel has finally reopened, almost a year after it closed for major renovations. The Doot, as locals and regulars affectionately refer to it, has new owners, a fresh look and big plans ahead for the future. The Doot first opened its doors back in 1889, just down the road from Flemington Racecourse, and has remained a vital community spot for the Inner North — for families, footy fans, and racegoers alike — for over a century. During its time, it has held various names, including the Flemington Inn and the Geebung Polo Club, but at its heart, and for locals, it has always been known as The Doot. Now, The Doot reopens under the stewardship of the Kickon Group and a team of dedicated investors. Run by Craig Shearer and newly appointed Pub Partner Ben Lougoon, the Kickon Group operate lively venues such as The Terminus Hotel, The Continental and Pincho Disco. The group of passionate investors includes former AFL players Luke Hodge and Andrew Walker, and Vikings actor Travis Fimmel. Craig Shearer, CEO of Kickon Group, says, "The Doutta Galla has always been about more than beer and food. It's about connection, celebration, and the energy of the community. This relaunch isn't just about reopening a pub, it's about bringing a Melbourne icon back to life." The various levels of the pub have undergone a significant facelift as part of the renovation. On the ground level, a bar is located alongside a restaurant serving classic pub fare with a focus on steak. The upper levels have been transformed from hotel rooms to a series of event spaces. Whether you pop in for happy hour (from 4 to 7pm, Monday to Friday) for $7 wines and handles, and $12 cocktails, settle in for $20 parma day on Wednesdays, get a group together for trivia, stop by to watch the game or catch some live music, you're in for an easy-going, good time at The Doot. While many things have changed, much remains the same. The recognisable red doors remain as a nod to the pub's legacy. And most importantly, The Doot continues to serve as a hive of the community, providing a meeting place for connection, celebration, and late-night good times (the pub boasts a 3am licence). Images: Supplied.
In these days of ubiquitous mass production, unique pieces of gear are usually rare and often rather costly. However, Canada's reCycledride is changing all that. At least for cyclists, that is. By combining stylish vintage frames with contemporary parts, the Toronto-based company creates bicycles that are guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind. Their "first-ever art-on-wheels" was completed in September 2012. Featuring a 49cm racing frame, double wall wheels, coaster brakes, front brakes, a single gear system and a 52cm raised handle bar, it went up for sale for $500 Canadian Dollars. Nine months and a few 'artworks' later, Dolce & Gabbana's online magazine, Swide, selected reCycledride's 'Pennington' as one of 2013's 'Best Fixie Bikes', justifying their decision with lavish praise. "The beautiful Pennington takes a '70s Miele frame that is powdercoated in Opel Green, pairs it with a brown saddle and handle setup and completes it all with an unexpected gold-chain laced through the heart of it," Swide's description goes. "It gets its name from the fact that they wanted it to be worth every penny that the owner spent on it, in terms of style, safety and substance." 'From Paris, with Love' is the company's latest. According to their blog, the designer felt compelled to make it immediately after laying eyes upon its Raleigh frame, a 1980s relic that belonged to a Parisian businessman. To this was added a Brooks B17 Champion standard saddle, new wheels, a new handlebar grip, a cog and Continental tyres. The bike, pictured here, is currently on sale for $2000 CDN. [via PSFK]
Pubs are set to be in strong demand from here on out, as Melbourne revels in its newfound freedom. And the inner-north just scored itself a brand new one for the radar, with the freshly revamped Hotel Collingwood set to swing open its doors for the first time this Friday, October 22. The Smith Street corner site, once home to the Robert Burns Hotel, has been taken over by Only Hospitality Group, which is behind fan favourites including Bentwood, Glovers Station and Juliette Coffee & Bread. In a classic case of COVID timing, the team spent Lockdown 5.0 hustling to complete the site's revamp, only to sail straight into an even lengthier Lockdown 6.0. The pub's been finished and ready for customers for the better part of three months. "We had a really strong brief of what we wanted the pub to look like," Only Hospitality Group director Julien Moussi tells Concrete Playground. "It had great existing bones so we didn't want to take away from that — just to give it a more contemporary feel." The space has been given an impressive refresh with help from local practice Pierce Widera. A colour palette of fresh white and olive green has lightened things up inside the pub, played against native blackbutt timber and a splash more white for the exposed brick walls. Two fireplaces have been restored to their natural wood-fired glory and the beer garden's transformation into an all-weather oasis is almost complete. [caption id="attachment_829526" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bobby's[/caption] A stylish upstairs space will be used mostly as an extension of the dining room, as well as playing host to private dinners and events. "We've called that Bobby's, to pay homage to the old Robert Burns Hotel," explains Moussi. The food offering is the work of Lucas Group alumni John Woo and Allan Hwang, plating up a subtle reworking of honest pub grub with a smattering of Asian influence. In the bar snack corner, you'll find bites like fried chicken bao with spicy house-made mayo, two styles of dumpling and a kingfish sashimi, alongside grazing boards and jamon croquettes. The classic parma is done with panko crumbs, a fennel salad features edamame and a yuzu dressing, and there are three different cuts of beef to tempt steak lovers. At the bar, cocktails lean to the classic, while both the 14 beer taps and the 100-strong wine list will be mostly heroing home-grown drops. You'll be able to sip a pint of The Mill Brewery's Mosaic IPA or a Molly Rose Hug Replacement just metres from where they were made. Other regular pub happenings such as trivia nights and live music sessions are also in the works; but for now, the team's just ready to finally show off their new creation and welcome their new locals. Find Hotel Collingwood at 376 Smith Street, Collingwood. It'll open from 12pm–late daily.
It's hard not to be impressed when you visit Laura. Sweeping vistas, thoughtful food and matched wines, and front-row seats to the world-class, 16-acre sculpture park that attracts locals, out-of-towners and art fanatics from even further abroad. When you drive from the city, it's an overland route. Even driving into Pt Leo Estate, you are surrounded by vines, with the view of the sea well kept secret. So the effect of entering the front doors of the cellar door and restaurant, seeing the verdant sculpture park running off down towards Western Port Bay and Phillip Island, is nothing less than breathtaking. "From the moment guests arrive, we want them to feel a sense of calmness and connection to the art and landscape, allowing the food and wine to be the focus," shares General Manager, Roger Lancia. In its founding years, Laura was in the experienced hands of Phil Wood, who then passed the baton to charismatic, widely successful, yet humble, Josep Espuga. Espuga's resume spans Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, including Mugaritz in Spain and Nahm in Thailand. His ethos of cultivating authentic relationships with suppliers and producers aligns seamlessly with Laura's unwavering commitment to heroing local produce and putting premium Peninsula produce on a platform. Here, the dedication to sustainability and bridging the gap between grower and table is evident in a kitchen garden that supplies the kitchen with many of its fresh ingredients. The eight-course seasonal menu, or the four-course signature menu, is peppered with impeccable produce grown on the property, and where possible, supplemented with premium ingredients found along the pristine Mornington Peninsula, or further afield in Victoria. Perennial favourites on Laura's signature menu include the likes of Tuerong farm bread with Cape Schanck Estate olive butter, sea urchin mousse with Carnaroli rice and quince, cod with Mt. Zero chickpeas and Pt. Leo Estate garden rocket, savoury wakame doughnuts with Yarra Valley salmon roe. The second breathtaking moment of the experience is the arrival of the flambéed Southern Rock Lobster, accompanied by white asparagus and sauce Pauline. The matched wines are taken just as seriously, with Director of Beverage, Amy Oliver, at the helm. In 2025, Laura received the highest rating, Three Glasses Status, from the Australian Wine List of the Year Awards, recognising it as "a masterpiece for which Amy Oliver should be congratulated. It covers all bases with value wines spliced alongside regional benchmarks and icons. One of the highlights is the incredible diversity of regions, styles and varieties with many, many cult and rare wines adding panache. The 'by the glass' list is to be applauded as too the thoughtful wine pairings matched to the degustation menu. A strong list of spirits and other drinks rounds out this astonishing list." At any point in your journey, your waiter will happily pour whichever wine you are drinking into a less precious glass so that you can take a digestive stroll around the sculpture park, which is home to sculptures by renowned artists including Yayoi Kusama, KAWS, Reko Rennie, and Deborah Halpern. Make sure to take a 360-degree walk around Laura, the restaurant's namesake and a monumental cast-iron head by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa. Laura has been a prominent member of Relais & Châteaux for seven years, which aptly sums up the experience. "Laura at Point Leo Estate is a bit like paradise for foodies who love art and fine wines. All three are combined here to perfection." Images: Chris McConville.
Fancy an art experience that extends beyond looking at works on a wall? Then prepare to be impressed by Melbourne's new 3000-square-metre, 11-metre-high immersive digital art gallery. Originally set to open in late 2020, then in autumn this year, and then in September, The Lume will finally open its doors on Monday, November 1. The big drawcard: projections of some of the world's most celebrated artworks, which will be splashed across various surfaces at the site's permanent home at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Those luminous displays will be backed by powerful musical soundtracks, too, and even complemented by aromas. So yes, the idea is to engage multiple senses — and build the kind of art experience that surrounds you in multiple ways. When it opens its doors, The Lume's inaugural exhibition at will celebrate the works and life of Vincent van Gogh — so, you'll be able to walk through artworks like The Starry Night and Sunflowers while listening to a classical music score. For the latter, there'll be a dedicated mirror infinity room filled with sunflowers. Elsewhere, expect a reimagined Café Terrace 1888, and a life-size recreation of Van Gogh's Bedroom. If you were lucky enough to make it up to Sydney last year for Van Gogh Alive, you'll know what you're in for. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Experiences, which, for the past 15 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 130 cities across the world — and is taking Van Gogh Alive around Australia this year, too. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. Abiding by Victoria's reopening roadmap, The Lume will only be welcoming in double-vaccinated patrons upon opening. The Lume will open at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday, November 1 — operating Monday–Thursday from 10am–9pm, Friday from 10am–10pm, Saturday from 9am–10pm and Sunday from 9am–9pm. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the venue's website.
Despite primarily being a craft beer destination — Kooinda from West Heidelberg, Hawthorn Pale Ale, Thunder Road from Brunswick and their own Raccoon brew have all been seen on the rotating taps — the Raccoon Club won't be pigeonholed. A largely Victorian wine list, regular rum and whiskey tastings, specialty local spirits and more make this a bar for anyone who likes to drink well. And, with a strict 'no dickheads' policy (that they take very seriously), it really is about drinking better, not more. The atmosphere here is particularly un-pretentious. Run by husband-and-wife team Robert and Helen (who ran the Alphabet City Cafe in Northcote many years ago), the pair are enthusiastic about their offering and work at cultivating the local spirit by learning people's names, chatting to the bar-sitters and protecting everyone's enjoyment by enforcing their aforementioned patronage policy. A beer garden out the front, pool table up the back and plenty of booths, bottles and board games in-between, there really can't be much more you need to have a good time. Oh, perhaps some food to balance all the liquids? No problem. Pick from the local takeaway spots and order in. If you fancy a burger, Chew Burgers is right next door and delivers straight to your table. So, if you've decided to give the Raccoon Club your patronage for the first time, just beware of one thing: it sits very much in isolation. While you may wander happily up High Street, Thornbury, peering into the windows of some interesting shops and cafes, once you hit the junction and veer off up Plenty Road you'll notice a distinct shift in the landscape — you might even need to Google your location just to check you're heading in the right direction. There's really nothing here, save for a Woolworths that's lit up like a beacon, the Junction Hotel (a 'pokies pub') and a few showrooms and apartments. Keep walking still, and you'll be tempted to turn right around. But as you see the lights of Bell Street approaching — and your proximity to Kansas is feeling further out of reach — just walk on, adventurous buddy. For soon you will be rewarded with the sight of The Raccoon Club and its humble, warm embrace.
With international travel still limited, jetting off to wherever you'd like around the globe isn't currently on anyone's agenda. But if you'd like to while away a few days or weeks at the best beach in the world, you can — because it's right here in Australia. In Tripadvisor's just-announced 2021 lineup of the planet's best beaches, which ranks 25 idyllic locations, two Aussie spots made the cut. In news that will come as no surprise to anyone, the Whitsundays' Whitehaven Beach took first place. It's the latest accolade for the picturesque Queensland favourite, which has placed second twice in Flight Network's list on the same topic, and was also named Tripadvisor's best Australian beach for travellers back in 2017. Turquoise Bay in Exmouth, Western Australia made the list as well, coming in at number six. And if you're wondering which overseas spots you should think about visiting when global travel begins to return to normal, Cuba's Santa Maria Beach placed second, Brazil's Baia do Sancho came in third, Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands placed fourth, and Florida's Saint Pete Beach in the US was named the fifth best beach. Also in the top ten: Eagle Beach, Aruba; Spiaggia dei Conigli in Lampedusa, Italy; Ka'anapali Beach in Hawaii; and Baía dos Golfinhos in Brazil. Alongside the best beaches in the world, Tripadvisor also released a list of the ten best beaches in the South Pacific — with Whitehaven and Turquoise Bay in first and second spots. Places three, four and five all went to WA locations, with Cape Le Grand National Park in Esperance sitting at third, Greens Pool in the town of Denmark at fourth and Cable Beach in Broome coming fifth. After sweeping up the top half of the list, Australia gave way to Bora Bora's Matira Beach, Piscine Naturelle in New Caledonia, and Ohope Beach, Kaiteriteri Beach and Mt Maunganui Main Beach in New Zealand for spots six through to ten. [caption id="attachment_648438" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Damien Dempsey via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on reviews and ratings left on the online platform — as well as the number of saves (where users bookmark places they like, or they'd like to visit) — across 2020. To check out the full list of top beaches for 2021, head to Tripadvisor. Thinking about taking your own trip to Whitehaven Beach? Check out our Outside Guide to the Whitsundays.
Over the past decade, streaming has become a firm part of every film and TV fan's life — providing more viewing choices, more places to find movies and television shows, and more excuses to spend hours and hours on the couch. But, it has also sparked a familiar dilemma. Too often, thanks to all of the options available, it's easy to while more time deciding what to check out next than actually watching something. Netflix is planning to release a solution to this problem in 2021, via a new feature. Due to rollout globally across the platform in the first half of the year, it's basically a shuffle function — and will automatically pick something for you to watch, rather than letting you keep scrolling and scrolling (and scrolling) trying to make a decision. The streaming platform revealed the news as part of its latest update to investors about its 2020 earnings, noting that the feature "gives members the ability to choose to instantly watch a title chosen just for them". Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer Greg Peters said that the function would allow Netflix subscribers to indicate "that they just want to skip browsing entirely, click one button and we'll pick a title for them just to instantly play". Obviously, it seems that Netflix will be drawing upon its algorithm — as aided by your past viewing choices — to take your viewing choices out of your hands. It won't be called "I'm feeling lucky", Peters also noted, but that's the approach it'll be asking subscribers to go with in terms of finding something to watch next. The company has been testing this type of functionality in various forms over the past few years — and the concept is hardly new, as users of music streaming services know. In France at the end of 2020, Netflix also trialled a linear channel, which just played films and shows one after the other in the way that broadcast television does; however, Peters said that it is currently "unclear how that's going to work out". The idea behind these new features — whether they're just being trialled, or they're due to become permanent — is to keep people watching and encourage more folks to join up as subscribers, of course. More and more new streaming services pop up all the time, all vying for your eyeballs, or so it feels at least. That's also the reason that Netflix introduced its Top Ten lists in 2020, if you've been wondering why the platform started telling you that everyone was watching Tiger King, The Queen's Gambit and The Midnight Sky. Netflix's new shuffle feature is due to launch sometime in the first half of 2021 — we'll update you when more details are announced.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. ZOLA It wasn't just a Twitter thread — it was the Twitter thread. Whether you read Aziah 'Zola' King's viral 148-post stripper saga live as it happened back in October 2015, stumbled across the details afterwards as the internet lost its mind or only heard about it via Zola's buzzy trailer, calling this stranger-than-fiction tale a wild ride will always be an understatement. Its instantly gripping opening words, as also used in Janicza Bravo's (Lemon) savvy, sharp, candy-hued tweet-to-screen adaptation, happen to capture the whole OMG, WTF and OTT vibe perfectly: "you wanna hear a story about how me and this bitch fell out? It's kind of long, but it's full of suspense." In the film, that phrase is uttered aloud by Zola's eponymous Detroit waitress (Taylour Paige, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom). Still, the movie firmly embraces its origins. For those wondering how a filmmaker turns a series of tweets into a feature, Bravo handles the task with flair, energy, enthusiasm and a clear understanding of social media's role in our lives. Much of the phrasing that the real-life Zola used has made its way into the conversational script, which was co-written by playwright Jeremy O Harris. Each time that occurs, the film echoes with tell-tale swooshes, whistles and dings. But those words and alerts are just the starting point; as Zola's chaotic narrative unfurls, it comes to life with a mix of the hyperreal, the loose and the dreamy. It doesn't merely tell a tale taken from the tweetstorm to end all tweetstorms, but also uses every aesthetic choice it can to mirror the always-on, always-posing, always-sharing online realm. The other person that Zola refers to in her initial statement is the cornrow-wearing, blaccent-sporting Stefani (Riley Keough, The Lodge), who she serves at work, then joins on a jaunt to Florida. They immediately hit it off, which is what inspires the invite to head south — a "hoe trip" is how Zola describes it — however, what's meant to be a girls' getaway for a stint of lucrative exotic dancing in Tampa soon gets messy. The drive is long, and Stefani's boyfriend Derreck (Nicholas Braun, Succession) quickly dampens the mood with his awkward, try-hard schtick. Then there's X (Colman Domingo, Candyman), who, while introduced as Stefani's roommate, is actually her pimp. Trafficking Zola into sex work is the real plan of this working holiday, she discovers, but she's ferociously adamant that she won't be "poppin' pussy for pennies". As the woman both relaying and riding Zola's rollercoaster of a story, Paige is fierce and finessed. It's a tricky part; making the dialogue sound authentic, and also like it could've just been rattled off on social media with a mix of emojis and all caps, requires a precise tonal balance, for starters. So does ensuring that Zola always feels like a real person, especially given the tale's ups and downs. That said, Paige is guided by Bravo at every turn, with recognising how things play online and how they pan out in reality — and the frequent disconnection between the two — one of the filmmaker's biggest masterstrokes. That's exactly what a flick that's based on a Twitter thread should offer, rather than just mining posts for punchy content that's already proven popular. Using the platform as source material definitely doesn't equal an endorsement here. Instead, it sparks a brash and bouncy feature that interrogates its inspiration and the mechanism that turned it into a whirlwind, rather than serves up a cinematic retweet. Read our full review. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Edgar Wright must own a killer record collection. Weaving the perfect playlists into his films has ranked high among the British writer/director's trademarks ever since he made such a horror-comedy splash with Shaun of the Dead, and his own love of music is frequently mirrored by his protagonists, too. This is the filmmaker who set a zombie-killing scene to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now', and had characters wield vinyl as weapons. He made zoning out the world via iPod — and teeing up exactly the right track for the right moment — a key trait of Baby Driver's eponymous getaway driver. Earlier in 2021, Wright also turned his avid fandom for Sparks into his delightful first documentary The Sparks Brothers, because wearing his love for his favourite songs on his sleeves infiltrates everything he makes. So, the fact that his second film of this year is about a giddy devotee of 60s tunes really doesn't come as the slightest surprise. Last Night in Soho takes its name from an era-appropriate song that gets a spin in the film, naturally. It boasts a cleverly compiled soundtrack teeming with hits from the period, and has one of its central figures — called Sandie, like singer Sandie Shaw, who croons '(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me' on that very soundtrack — seek chanteuse stardom. As Wright is known to do, his latest movie also sports sequences that could double as music videos, and possesses a supple sense of rhythm that makes his picture virtually dance across the screen. It's a feature shaped by music, made better by music, and that recognises that music can make anyone feel like they can do anything. A partly swinging 60s-set thriller that adores the giallo films of the time with equal passion, it also flits between a cinematic banger on par with the glorious tracks it peppers throughout and the movie equivalent of a routine needle drop. Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield: these are the kind of talents that Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie, The Power of the Dog) can't get enough of, even though she's a Gen Z aspiring fashion designer; they're also the type of stars that aforementioned blonde bombshell Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit) wants to follow onto London's stages. Last Night in Soho starts with its wannabe fashionista, who's first seen donning her own 60s-inspired designs in her Cornwall bedroom that's plastered with posters and pictures from the period, and also dancing to 'Peter & Gordon's 1964 track 'A World Without Love'. Soon, Eloise is off to college in the big and, hopefully, working towards the fashion world. Then she meets Sandie, but only in her dreams. Actually, as she slumbers, she becomes Sandie — and navigates her chiffon-adorned quest for stardom, her breathy 'Downtown' covers and her thorny relationship with slippery bar manager Jack (Matt Smith, Official Secrets). Some of Last Night in Soho's most dazzling scenes play with these doppelgänger characters, and with the time-travelling dreamscape where they both exist, as if Wright is helming a musical. The choreography — both by McKenzie and Taylor-Joy, playing chalk-and-cheese roles, and by the film's lithe and glossy cinematography — is stunning. The effect is mesmerising, as well as whip-smart in tapping into the feature's ongoing musing on identity. This is also a horror movie and a mystery, however, so exploring what's behind these nocturnal visions is the primary focus. As a mousy girl bullied by her roommate (Synnøve Karlsen, Medici) to the point of leaping into the too-good-to-be-true Soho attic studio leased by the cranky but obliging Ms Collins (Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones), it's easy to see why Eloise flees into her dreams. But the who, what, why and how of it all — when and were clearly being answered already — isn't as simple as pure retro escapism. Read our full review. BLUE BAYOU Blue Bayou isn't Justin Chon's first film as an actor, writer, director or producer, but it's a fantastic showcase for his many talents nonetheless. It's also a deeply moving feature about a topical subject: America's immigration laws, which are complicated at best and draconian at worst. Worlds away from his time in all five Twilight flicks — because Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Anna Kendrick aren't the franchise's only breakout stars — Chon plays Antonio LeBlanc. While the Korean American tattoo artist has lived in Louisiana since being adopted as child, the name he was given upon his arrival in the US still sparks cognitive dissonance, as the job interview that opens the movie illustrates. It also doesn't stop both the casual and overt racism frequently directed his way, or the deportation proceedings that spring after he's accosted in a supermarket by New Orleans police officers. Helming and scripting as well as starring, Chon layers Antonio's situation with complexity from the outset. He's getting by, just, but his criminal record makes it difficult to secure more work — which he needs given his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander, The Green Knight) is pregnant. He's a doting stepdad to her daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske, Doom Patrol), but her birth father Ace (Mark O'Brien, Marriage Story) is one of those aforementioned cops. Also, Ace has a bigoted partner, Denny (Emory Cohen, Flashback), who makes antagonising Antonio his daily mission. And, after that grocery store run-in, the latter discovers that his adoptive parents didn't ever complete the paperwork required to naturalise him as a US citizen. His life, his wife, his kids, that he has no ties to Korea: sadly, it all means nothing to the immigration system. Based on the plot description, it'd be simple to accuse Blue Bayou of throwing too much at its protagonist, dialling up his hardships and wallowing in his misery, all to tug at heartstrings. The film inspires a strong emotional reaction; however, this isn't just a case of calculating narrative machinations manipulating viewers to feel everything — or even something. There's a sense of inevitability to Chon's feature, his fourth after Man Up, Gook and Ms Purple, and it's all by design. The path that Antonio's life is forced down isn't surprising, complete with tough truths and heartbreaking realities, but it's filled with authenticity. Piling on misfortune after misfortune isn't merely a ploy when all of Blue Bayou's dramas can easily accumulate as they do here, and when no one's struggles are ever limited to just one or two troubles. There's no contrivance in sight, but rather a firm understanding of snowballing sorrows and their overwhelming impact. Still, Chon walks a delicate tightrope. He could've veered into tear-wringing movie of the week-style melodrama, clogged it up with cliches and failed to evoke even a single genuine feeling — or, alternatively, he could've deployed too much restraint and crafted a clinical, procedural film that saw Antonio as a mere cog in a system. The space he's carved out in-between is both masterful and organically messy; finding the right balance is a mammoth task, and embracing the whirlwind that sweeps along Antonio, Kathy and Jessie is inherently chaotic. The result is a stirring and empathetic film that's also precise and intricate, especially when it comes to the emotional deluge weathered by its central trio. At every moment, Blue Bayou plunges viewers into their turbulent existence, sees their plight with clear eyes and acknowledges all that that encompasses. Read our full review. THE RESCUE It isn't the first movie about the Tham Luang Nang Non cave incident to reach screens, thanks to the underwhelming The Cave. It won't be the last project to focus on the 12 Thai schoolboys and their soccer coach who were trapped in the Chiang Rai Province spot for 18 days back in 2018, either. Ron Howard (Hillbilly Elegy)-directed dramatisation Thirteen Lives hits cinemas next year, a Netflix limited series executive produced by In the Heights filmmaker John M Chu is also set to debut in 2022 and, to the surprise of no one, more are bound to follow. Still, The Rescue earns another worthy honour. The documentary isn't just an inspirational recounting of a miraculous effort that thwarted a potential tragedy, as told by the brave people who pulled off the feat, although it's certainly that. In addition, this gripping film falls into a genre that always needs more entries: celebrations of skilled people doing difficult things with precision, passion, persistence and prowess. If documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have a niche, it's this. As co-directors, the married couple has now made three films, all valuing hard work, expertise and when the former leads not only to the latter, but to extraordinary achievements. With 2015 Sundance award-winner Meru, they documented Chin's efforts with two other climbers to scale Meru Peak in the Indian Himalayas. Then came Oscar-winner Free Solo, the exceptional doco about Alex Honnold's quest to free-climb Yosemite National Park's El Capitan. The Rescue swaps clambering up for diving deep, and hones in on an event that captured international headlines as it happened, but still belongs in the same company as the duo's past two releases. Here, viewers start the film with an understanding of what happened thanks to all that non-stop news coverage, but finish it in profound awe of the talent, smarts, dedication and unflinching competence involved. Vasarhelyi and Chin spotlight the divers who extricated Tham Luang's 13 unwilling inhabitants, aka the Wild Boars soccer team — and did so as the world watched, as hours became days and then weeks, and as monsoonal waters flooded the cave despite a desperate pumping initiative. Thai Navy SEALs initially attempted the task, yet struggled in the ten kilometres of sprawling and narrow tunnels. In fact, due to the murky water and the constant deluge from the fast-falling rain, they weren't able to get far. To assist, civilian hobbyists including Brits Rick Stanton and John Volanthen were brought in — experts in their field, and volunteers for the biggest diving quest of their lives. When their crew found the boys and their coach almost four kilometres from the mouth of the cave, they then faced another dilemma: how to get them back out alive. With its ending already well-known, The Rescue starts at the beginning, letting those who were there talk through each step, and also weaving in footage from the rescue mission itself. No re-enactments — not the small amount The Rescue uses, as noted in its credits; not The Cave's awful docodrama approach; and not all the future dramatisations set to flow from Hollywood — can ever be as nerve-wracking as seeing this remarkable feat actually happen. That said, the film's interviews are also significant. While the on-the-ground and in-the-water clips show the immense level of skill at work and the enormous dangers faced, the accompanying discussions offer keen insights into the thought processes involved. And, they draw out Stanton, Volanthen and their team's distinctive personalities, ensuring that these heroes are always flesh and blood. Read our full review. PHIL LYNOTT: SONGS FOR WHILE I'M AWAY One of the most astute things that a music documentary can do is lead with its subject, whether they're a household name the world over, deserving of more fame and acclaim, or fall somewhere in the middle. With Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away, that's a tricky task, as it is of any film that looks back at a figure who is no longer around — and who didn't leave a treasure trove of candid and personal materials behind, as docos such as Amy, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and Zappa all benefited from. Accordingly, editor-turned-director Emer Reynolds (The Farthest) undertakes a careful juggling act, pushing Thin Lizzy singer Lynott to the fore whenever and however she can. Songs for While I'm Away is still filled with talking heads that aren't Ireland's Black, working-class rockstar — his family members, friends, colleagues and peers alike — but it's at its best when it lets its namesake's songs echo and his on-stage presence take centre stage. "You'll never see a bad photo of Phil Lynott," Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham offers in a to-camera chat, a sentiment that the film bakes into its frames. Bearing witness to a great talent always casts a spell that merely listening to other people talk about them can never match, no matter how insightful and affectionate those discussions prove. Early in Songs for While I'm Away, Reynolds lingers on footage of Lynott singing and strumming, his piercing eyes instantly demanding attention — and that clip is the doco's hook, even for first-timers to his story. The soulfulness of his lyrics, many of which are placed into context by the film's interviewees, is just as entrancing. Sometimes the documentary resembles a listening party, pairing snippets of songs with stock visuals, then dissecting the tunes; however, in diving well beyond 'The Boys Are Back in Town' and 'Jailbreak' — the two songs that Thin Lizzy, and therefore Lynott, will always be best known for — it's a canny move. Still, Songs for While I'm Away has much to unpack: Lynott's upbringing, after being born in England to a mother from Ireland and a father from Guyana, then spending his childhood with his grandparents in Dublin; his path to music stardom, with Thin Lizzy's rock cover of 'Whiskey in the Jar' giving the group their first top-ten hit; and everything that sprang from that success personally and professionally. Early in the doco, Lynott's daughters Sarah and Cathleen stress how they wish people didn't focus so much on their father's death — in 1986, at the age of 36, from pneumonia and heart failure due to septicaemia after a struggle with heroin — and Reynolds takes their words to heart, too. This is a movie that's eager to soak up as much of Lynott, and what made him the star he was, as it possibly can. Indeed, with his addiction, it's positively shy; don't expect to even hear the word 'heroin'. That's another balancing act, and one that Reynolds doesn't quite perfect, opting for skirting around the obvious instead. A film can enjoy triumphs and recognise flaws at the same time — including when it comes to someone as pivotal in the history of Irish rock 'n' roll as Lynott — but Songs for While I'm Away eventually feels a tad safe and sanitised. It's celebratory from its first moment till its last, including when its smattering of equally famous faces, such as U2's Adam Clayton, Metallica's James Hetfield, Huey Lewis of Huey Lewis and the News, and singer Suzi Quatro — who supported Thin Lizzy when they supported Slade on a 1972 UK tour — deliver anecdotes and admiration. This is a heartfelt ode, undoubtedly, and both an entertaining and engaging one, but it also dons rose-coloured glasses that feel at odds with Lynott himself. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; and November 4 and November 11. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog and Tick, Tick... Boom!.
In the near future, Australians will be able to send emoji-filled messages featuring boomerangs, the Aboriginal flag and other visual representations of the country's Indigenous culture. Developed for both Android and iOS platforms, Ingenous Studios has created a set of Indigenous images that'll be rolled out across both platforms this year, marking the first such collection of emojis that celebrate the nation's first peoples. Called Indigemoji, the 19-emoji set was developed on Arrernte land in Mparntwe, aka Alice Springs, by Central Australia's young Aboriginal people. The Northern Territory residents were asked to design new emojis that were relevant to their culture and lives, with symbols that feature the Aboriginal flag on crowns, hands, cups and hearts all included, alongside animals, vehicles and a starry image of Uluru by night. https://www.facebook.com/ingeousstudios/photos/a.130308987038833/2242845069118537/?type=3&theater Announcing the set on Facebook, Ingenous hasn't yet revealed a specific release date; however the emojis will be made available for free via an app this year. They won't officially feature in your phone's inbuilt emoji keyboard, but you'll be able to use them in messages and posts by copying and pasting from the Indigemoji app. For further details, visit the Indigemoji website or Facebook page. Image: Ingeous Studios.
A tasty new go-to for the hungry and time poor has arrived on Elizabeth Street. Chunky Town is a hole-in-the-wall serving up a cheesy Korean street food favourite inspired by carnivals and childhood memories. The 'Chunky' (as it's called) is a little like the Australian dagwood dog, but cheesier. It's made using a crisp batter and hunks of gooey cheese — and comes in seven different flavours. In Korea, it's served at one of the 200 Chung Chun stores around the country (the chain opened its OG store in Seoul's Gangnam district). In Australia, you'll find it at Chunky Town in Melbourne's CBD. How it works is simple: you pick your Chunky and your cheese filling, sprinkle it with sugar and load it with sauce at the counter. The bestsellers are the original Sausage Chunky with cheddar ($5.50) and the upgraded OG with stretchy mozzarella ($6.50). Other flavours include the Potato Chunky, the Noodle Chunky (which is dipped in crushed noodles), the black Squid Ink Chunky (all $7.50) and a vegetarian version with no sausage and lots of cheese. We suggest adding a side of crunchy waffle fries to your order for a salty hit, too. To drink, pick up one of the Korean bubble teas. The Thai-style milk tea and mango green tea are our top picks, but there are 21 different flavours to choose from. In the future, it's rumoured that Korean doughnuts (called Chunky Balls) will be added to the menu, too. The doughnuts are drizzled with maple syrup, condensed milk and seeds. It was Adam Ong, one of the four owners — alongside Adam Wang, Charles Park and Derek Lo — who wanted to bring the Korean treat to the Australian market. And, according to the group, there are big plans to expand across the city and country. So, keep an eye on this space for future openings. Images: Julia Sansone.
From hungover Sunday mornings to midweek lunch outings, burgers are a solid all-rounder when it comes to a tasty, hearty, hangover-healing meal. And the great thing about a city like Melbourne is that everyone is taken care of in this department — including the vegans. In fact, Melbourne vegan burger offerings can be overwhelming with all the choices out there. To help, we've pulled together a list of the best meat-free burgers, so you can take the research out of the feasting. Make sure you head out hungry — there are mock chicken burgers, pulled jackfruit numbers and plant-based patties to sink your chompers into. Recommended reads: The Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Melbourne Eight Melbourne Cafes Where You Can Get a Great Plant-Based Brunch The Best Banh Mi in Melbourne Where to Find Melbourne's Best Curry Laksa
Melbourne's northern suburb of Reservoir is now home to a brand new craft brewery — and it's doing things a little differently. Future Mountain Brewing and Blending is focused on creating farmhouse-style brews, inspired by the old world taprooms of Europe and a growing trend in the States. Expect wild fermentation ales and barrel-aged sours on offer in small batches here. Co-owners Ian Jones and Shane Ferguson have five years' experience in the field, having met at Boatrocker Brews — which is also known for its wild and sour ales. Their partners Elisa Jones and Kara Rasmanis (respectively) have joined them in this new venture, too. Apart from using wild yeast and bacterial strains, the team has also partnered with local Yarra Valley fruit growers, wineries and coffee roasters to create truly seasonal brews. At the moment, the venue's 12 taps are pouring apricot, cherry and peach sour beers, along with a white ale, a golden sour blend, two German-style pilsners and two farmhouse ales. Upcoming beers include a hoppy saison, raspberry barrel-aged sour and a bourbon barrel-aged oatmeal stout for the winter months. The taproom is set amid stainless steal tanks and oak barrels. For food, there are pides, flatbreads and pies available in house, along with delivery from neighbouring pizza joint Unique Gourmet Pizza Bar and all the Uber Eats you fancy. Wild ales and European-style farmhouse brews are becoming increasingly popular in Australia, with Sydney also home to Wildflower Brewing and Blending and plenty of breweries starting up barrel-aged programs around the country. Future Mountain Brewing and Blending is now open at 703–707 Plenty Road, Reservoir. Opening hours are Friday 4–11pm, Saturday noon–11pm and Sunday noon–8pm.
Have you got a spare $1200 burning in your pocket each month? For a lot of us, the answer is a big fat "no". But there's an increasing number of very wealthy folks out there who are looking to spend big bucks on private members' wellness clubs in Melbourne — like the hugely popular SAINT and Saint Haven clubs, which are expanding across the city at a rapid pace. The Ritz Carlton, located at the west end of the CBD, is the latest spot to capitalise on this lavish trend, launching long-term memberships to its existing spa and fitness facilities. Located up on the 64th floor — boasting incredible views across the city and bay — you'll find a 20-metre heated infinity pool, fully decked-out gym, hydrotherapy spa, hammam-style steam room and traditional sauna. Usually, you'd need to book a room at the hotel to enjoy all these spaces, but now you can purchase memberships that give you year-round access. The Access Member Tier costs $1,167 per month (with a minimum 12-month term) and a one-off $500 sign-up fee. Yeah, this ain't cheap, but if you can afford it, you'll be getting access to one of Melbourne's greatest wellness spots all year long. Membership also gets you a locker with a towel, slippers and robe, plus invitations to members-only events. Your mates can also join you at the Ritz's wellness club by paying $90 for daily guest passes. For a short time, the crew is also offering a Founding Member Tier, which gets you all of the above perks, as well as six bespoke 60-minute spa treatments, and preferential pricing on retail products, spa services and dining at The Ritz-Carlton. This will set you back a mean $1500 a month (also with a minimum 12-month term) as well as a one-off $500 joining fee. Spa Manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne Says Kati O'Nagy shared, "The Ritz-Carlton Spa is an oasis where wellness and luxury converge, and the Wellness Membership provides exclusive daily access, for the first time, to our iconic infinity pool overlooking the city, rejuvenating vitality pool, state-of-the-art gym, invigorating steam room and traditional sauna. "It also unlocks wonderful privileges such as bonus spa treatments, valet parking and preferential pricing on retail products and spa services. We can't wait to welcome members to our sanctuary in the sky." If you can't afford this luxe membership, think about convincing your rich mate to get one — then you just have to get a guest pass whenever you want to join them. You'll find The Ritz-Carlton Spa at Level 64, 650 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, open every day from 6am–11pm. For more details, you can visit the hotel's website or email the team directly.
For the next three months, the Sydney Opera House will not be home to any operas, Vivid Live performances, thought-provoking talks or podcast recordings, with all public performances suspended until at least June 17. But you will be able to relive many of the highlights from its 47-year history when the Sydney icon launches its digital program tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1. The latest cultural institution — around Australia and the world — to launch an online platform, the Opera House has today unveiled 'From our House to yours', which will see full-length performances, talks, long-form articles, podcasts and behind-the-scenes content brought to your screens. As well as a heap of footage that's never been seen by the public before. Kicking things off is award-winning Aussie musician Missy Higgins with a recording from her 2019 forecourt concert at 6pm (AEDT) on Wednesday, April 1. You'll also catch a conversation from this year's All About Women with writer Chanel Miller about her new memoir Know My Name on Thursday, April 2 at 6pm (AEDT); footage of last year's Dance Rites — Australia's annual First Nations dance competition — on Friday, April 3 at 6pm (AEDT); Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven's sublime Symphony No. 9 on Saturday, April 4 at 6pm (AEDT); and a recording of The Writers Room with Celia Pacqoula (Rosehaven), Josh Thomas (Please Like Me), Luke McGregor (Rosehaven) and Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community) at 6pm (AEST) on Sunday, April 5, where the writers discuss characters, plots and dealing with deadlines. [caption id="attachment_752071" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dance Rites by Anna Kucera[/caption] You'll also be able to access a bunch of free content on demand, plus new videos, recordings and articles will be released daily every Wednesday through Sunday, with each week's schedule announced on the Tuesday. The launch comes after the Opera House's exclusive broadcast event for Piano Day 2020 last Saturday, which featured performances by Andrea Lam, Margaret Leng Tan and Simon Tedeschi; unreleased recordings of Jon Hopkins and Joep Beving; and an interview with composer Nils Frahm. If you want a sneak peek into what you can expect from the new digital initiative, check out the broadcast here. From our House to yours launches at 6pm on Wednesday, April 1 on the Sydney Opera House website and will run until at least mid-June. Each week's schedule will be announced on Tuesday.
The reformer pilates wave isn't slowing down in Melbourne. Ever-new spins in the flexible exercise practice are always arriving, like disco-themed sessions with eucalyptus-scented cool-down towels. Or classes at ultra-luxe wellness clubs that grant access to futuristic recovery facilities. Amidst the high-end hype, a different trend is on the come up — affordable movement. Coming to Richmond on October 5, Reformer Space is shaking up the scene with classes as low as $5. At first glance, the studio looks bright and airy like the rest, except for one key difference: crystal-clear cues and demos are delivered from a screen mounted on the studio's brick walls. The fitness industry has been moving towards tech-driven solutions for years now — with instructor-led workouts at home taking off during the pandemic era, now coalescing into a space dedicated to virtual workouts, complete with all the equipment you need (and don't want cluttering up your living room). These virtual instructions are best for seasoned pilates goers who don't need their form corrected — but don't think that it's easier than a regular class. The physical absence of the pilates instructor doesn't mean that someone isn't counting down your holds excruciatingly slowly (and far too cheerily), if Guardian writer Michael Sun's encounter with the screen-led format is anything to go by. There are over 20 classes at Reformer Space daily (including lunchtime sessions), all accessible via four membership plans. Intense hobbyists can opt for the $118 unlimited monthly plan, which works out to five bucks a pop even if you pace yourself. The priciest (and least frequent) caps off at $14 per class — still a steal from the $25–35 you'd usually pay. And plans run month-to-month, so you can take a break when life gets busy. With a focus on flexibility and affordability, Reformer Space looks like a genuine cost-of-living win. Reformer Space will open on Sunday, October 5th. For more information or to sign up for a membership, visit the website.
There's nothing like a free beachside music party to get you in the mood for summer, even if Melbourne's weather isn't quite playing ball itself just yet. So grab your dancing shoes and prepare for a big day of belters and brews, when Northeast Party House takes over St Kilda's Republica for a tune-filled shindig on Sunday, November 20 as part of the Smiles All Round Balter Tour. The legendary electro six-piece is headlining the nighttime portion of the festivities, set to hit the stage from 8pm for a couple of high-energy hours. They'll be joined on the bill by a live gig from Soltribe kicking things off from 2pm, and an early evening set by DJ Cliftonia from 5pm. [caption id="attachment_878083" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Northeast Party House[/caption] Of course, all that dance floor action sounds like thirsty work, but your fine co-hosts at Balter Brewing will have punters sorted with a solid range of beers, both on tap and in tins. You'll find options like the Hazy, the XPA and the Lager, as well as limited-edition Balter x Republica t-shirts to take home. Entry to the party is free, with limited table bookings available online.
Maybe you love nothing more than telling simulated people what to do. Perhaps a fantasy universe is your favourite place to escape to when you're mashing buttons. More than a quarter-century back, virtual critters might've been your go-to pastime. The Sims, World of Warcraft and Neopets have all made an impact on the gaming world, and on audiences. All three are also scoring plenty of love when Game Worlds takes over the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. For five months from mid-September 2025 till February 2026, this video-game exhibition will shine a spotlight on 30 iconic titles — and make attendees feel like they're stepping inside some of them, too. Expect everything from original concept art and never-before-seen designs to rare objects to fill the Federation Square site's Gallery 4. Expect to be able to get playing, rather than just peering, as well. [caption id="attachment_997869" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] Although the full lineup of games featured hasn't been revealed as yet, they'll span from the 70s until now, and 20 of them will be playable. Demos, games from years gone by, trying to break speed records: they're all part of the setup, which will include international hits, new Australian releases and everything in-between. "As the home of videogames in Australia, Game Worlds celebrates the continuous evolution of this century's defining artform. It builds on ACMI's multi-decade experience in making video-game exhibitions, and our long-term support of the Australian video-game sector through preservation, education, industry partnerships and our dedicated Games Lab," said ACMI Director & CEO Seb Chan, announcing the exhibition. "Whether you love games as much as we do or have never picked up a controller, Game Worlds gives fresh insight into video games and their cultural impact." [caption id="attachment_997868" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World of Neopia[/caption] As Chan referrenced, ACMI has staged major video-game showcases before. This is its third, in fact, following 2008's Game On and 2012's Game Masters. Since the latter, the venue has also hosted smaller gaming exhibitions, such as 2017's Code Breakers — where women in the industry were the focus — and 2024's Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition. Earlier in 2025, it celebrated 25 years of The Sims across one nostalgic weekend. As it regularly does with its showcases, the gallery will pair Game Worlds with talks, film screenings and other events, family-friendly activities among them. [caption id="attachment_997870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] [caption id="attachment_997871" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] Game Worlds displays at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Thursday, September 18, 2025–Sunday, February 8, 2026. Head to the venue's website for more details. Top image: Electronic Arts.
Something completely new is set to join Australia's skyline: a Skystand overlooking the Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka the Gabba. Located atop 20-storey development Silk One in Woolloongabba's Trafalgar Street, it's exactly what it sounds like: a rooftop terrace that peers over the stadium, allowing residents to see whatever might be happening on the ground — namely Brisbane Lions AFL matches during winter and cricket games over summer. A handful of concerts also take place at the Gabba, with Adele playing there in 2017 and Taylor Swift slated for later in 2018. The idea is that people who live one of the complex's 178 apartments (or people who are friends with people who live in the apartments) will get access to these events without really leaving home, all while hanging out on a sky-high timber deck, underneath a pergola, with a big screen TV and a dining and barbecue area at their fingertips. The rooftop will also include a gym, pool, spa and sun lounges, in case whatever's on in the stadium doesn't pique your interest. Of course, an obvious question has to be asked: how much will you really be able to see from 20 levels up? Sure, there'll be a television on hand so that you can watch all of the ins and outs of the game in detail, and you'll save yourself the cost of a ticket. But the Gabba is more likely to provide a glossy backdrop as you hang out in the Skystand, rather than letting you actually enjoy the game or concert. Still, we're guessing the sound of the crowd, or whoever is on stage crooning, will echo up that far. Given that the area around the Gabba is currently filled with both new high-rises and construction sites in the process of erecting new high-rises, it wouldn't be surprising if other buildings follow suit. That said, the folks behind Silk One say their Skystand has been "strategically designed to maximise the birds-eye views of the Gabba stadium". Silk One in Woolloongabba and its Skystand are slated for completion in mid-2020.
It's bingo, but not as you know it. On the first Wednesday of every month, Wingo Bingo spectacularly takes over The Beast's CBD spot on Swanston Street. Hosted by the fabulous Gloss, you are in for raunchy laughs, shimmering costumes and, of course, people shouting "Bingo!" To sweeten the deal — even though it's pretty sweet already — there's food, too. At just $25 per person (with a two-person minimum), you'll be feasting on the spot's popular Dorito-crusted chicken wings — and yes, there's a vegan option — plus chippies and a booze-free bev. There are prizes to be won as well, party people — so grab your gang, wear something glittery and strap on those heels for a night out where the name of the game is shameless fun.
By now, you're hopefully well into the swing of National Margarita Month, with venues all over the city offering drink deals to celebrate the classic tequila tipple. Sure, we may have hit a little five-day bump in the road. Thankfully, Hotel Esplanade is planning to ramp things up post-lockdown and bring the month of margs home with a bang. St Kilda's legendary seaside pub is bringing a little taste of Mexico to our shores with a lineup of Mexican-inspired food, mariachi band performances and, of course, plenty of tasty margaritas. Make tracks to any of the venue's bars between Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 27 to try a range of margaritas, all made with Herradura tequila. In addition to The Espy's signature Double Barrel Margarita and Mya Tiger's makrut lime version, the bartenders will also be shaking up three fruity twists on the classic: watermelon, yuzu and pineapple. To pair with these tropical concoctions is a selection of tasty bites from chef Ashly Hicks — think coal-grilled corn with smoked paprika sour cream, cauliflower tacos with avocado and jalapeño and al pastor tacos with roast pineapple and coriander salsa. Plus, if you want to check out the mariachi band, they'll be performing between 7–9pm on Friday, February 19 and 5–7pm on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21. Bookings are recommended during peak times, which you can do via The Espy's website. Images: Alex Drewnik
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken us from New York skyscrapers to the far reaches of space, but for one weekend this year, it's landing right here in Sydney. Under the direction of Conductor Benjamin Northey, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is bringing Marvel's Infinity Saga to life at the Sydney Opera House with a brand-new film concert experience featuring the biggest moments from 23 movies, with every heroic (and villainous) note performed live to screen. You will hear a selection of heart-pounding themes live at the Sydney Opera House, including Academy Award-winning scores by Ramin Djawadi, Alan Silvestri, Ludwig Göransson, Danny Elfman and a taste of the Guardians of the Galaxy mixtape. To celebrate hearing the soundtracks of MCU's biggest personalities in our own backyard, we've rounded up the ultimate Marvel-inspired list of places to visit in the city. From rooftop cocktails fit for a billionaire inventor to Viking-worthy feasts, here's where you can hit up to feel like you're the main character of your own movie. Iron Man If Tony Stark is your vibe, you don't just book any old dinner reservation; you expect sky-high views, sleek interiors and a drinks list as inventive as your tech. At O Bar and Dining, you could sip a martini while surveying the city from its revolving perch. For something moodier, Joji offers the kind of minimalist design and premium whisky selection Stark would absolutely approve of. And for sunset cocktails with harbour views? Zephyr ticks all the boxes: luxury rooftop elegance with a modern feel. Thor Sydney may not have Asgard's golden towers, but it can still offer a feast worthy of the God of Thunder. Mjolner is an obvious choice — not only for its Viking-inspired decor and meat-heavy menu, but for its weekly 'ThorsDay' all-you-can-eat night. In between bites, you can burn off some energy at Throw Axe Penrith, showing off your hammer-throwing skills. And since Thor's not one to shy away from mingling with other gods, dinner at Olympus Dining would be a fitting nod to his Greek counterparts. Captain America Steve Rogers is a man out of time, but luckily, Sydney has spots that speak to his 1940s nostalgia and all-American charm. Kittyhawk (named after a US fighter jet) is a perfect choice for its vintage wartime and aviation theme. For something more casual, Surly's American Tavern serves up classic barbecue and cold beer that would feel like home for Captain America. But before a feed, you can make like Rogers by doing sets at One Playground Gym, keeping your superhero conditioning in check. Hulk Bruce Banner might prefer the quiet life, but when the Other Guy takes over, it's all about big energy and bigger portions. At Smash Room City, you can release some Hulk-sized tension — no collateral damage to Sydney's buildings required. Wings and Tins might be next, where the beer-can smashers at each table would make for a very on-brand dinner ritual. And for a calmer Sunday, The Lord Dudley offers a classic roast feast in a cosy pub. Bonus points for the building's green facade that gives a subtle nod to his alter ego. Captain Marvel Carol Danvers may have been born on Earth, but her powers deserve a Sydney itinerary that's a little… otherworldly. Bar Planet is the aptly named Newtown favourite where even a soldier of the Kree might feel at home. The 81st-floor Infinity Bar gives you panoramic views of the city (and perhaps a moment to check in on other galaxies). And for a rush without leaving the atmosphere, Indoor Skydiving Sydney offers the pure adrenaline hit of flight powers. Whether you're team hero or villain, the Marvel's Infinity Saga Concert Experience is your chance to relive the best moments of the MCU in an entirely new way. Relive the most iconic moments from these beloved films in this unforgettable concert experience live at the Sydney Opera House. Book tickets now. Presentation Licensed by Disney Concerts © Disney
Renowned chef and restaurateur Matt Moran has announced the launch of his new burger brand, Proper Burgers. Reflecting his cooking philosophy of 'simple food, done properly,' the elevated burgers will make their debut this summer. Matt Moran says, "I have been cooking my whole life, and one thing I have learnt is that simple food, done properly, is hard to beat. That's what Proper Burgers is all about. For me, that means starting with grass-fed beef, seasoned properly and cooked with care. It means soft milk buns, sharp cheese and sauces we make ourselves. It's the kind of burger you remember — simple, satisfying, and bloody delicious. Big flavour. Nothing fancy, just damn good burgers." On the menu, classic burgers, snacks and sides are all designed to reflect Moran's commitment to top-quality produce. The Original Proper Burger features grass-fed beef and a tangy Proper Sauce, whereas the Proper Chook showcases southern crumbed chicken with a cabbage and herb slaw. On the side, you're not limited to ordinary, soggy take-out fries. Instead, go for popcorn prawns, corn ribs with parmesan and chipotle mayo, or crunchy salt and vinegar onion rings. While the first shopfront will open at Optus Stadium, it will form the foundation of a broader national vision. Moran plans to expand the brand to reach audiences who value high-quality food that is not overly complicated for its own sake. Images: SoCo Studios. Proper Burgers will open at Optus Stadium over the summer. If you're looking for a great feed now, check out this iconic Melbourne burger, which was crowned the 14th best burger in the world, or this Sydney number, previously ranked ninth best burger globally.
Australians really love prawns — and Ballina Prawn Festival knows it. They've dedicated an entire day in honour of everyone's favourite crustacean, and that day is November 11. Set in Ballina's Missingham Park on the banks of the Richmond River, the day will be marked by parades, music, rides and all the prawns you can eat. The festival stalls will be sizzling prawns of all sizes while events happen in every direction, including a prawn shelling competition and a signature dish competition. There will also be a boat parade celebrating the prawn industry, fireworks, amusement rides, live music and sand castle building. Yeah, it'll be the truest form of an Aussie-as day.
Even Polyphemus the Cyclops needs sunglasses. Just because Polyphemus doesn't exist shouldn't stop us from dreaming up eyewear for him. That's what Italian artist Giuseppe Colarusso appears to be suggesting in one of the images from his ongoing series of reality-defying Improbabilita. The uniting theme of all the 50+ whacky visual concepts in this project? Unlikelihood. Sourced entirely from Colarusso's skewed yet strangely logical imagination, his bizarre inventions aim to draw a double-take from the viewer. At first glance these might be real things — until your improbability reflex kicks in. How about a set of cutlery with limp rope handles that totally negate their functionality? A sink without a plughole? Dice denuded of their dots? A hieroglyphics computer keyboard? A mix of real-life construction and Photoshopping, there are over 50 such concepts live on Colarusso's very entertaining website. Each item is easily worthy of the International Chindogu Society — chindogu being, of course, the Japanese art of the 'un-useless invention', a tradition which over the years has brought us such hilarious ingenuities as the butter gluestick. Funnily enough, like chindogu, Colarusso's surreal images more often than not raise the question of "Why doesn't this exist?" If you stop and think of the physical logistics of such a thing — for example, spaghetti in an ice cream cone — during that whimsical moment of pause before you realise why the object's existence is totally unlikely, for the briefest fraction of a second there, it's likely. Via Colossal.
Almost three decades ago, before he had the world saying "thank you, thank you very much" to Elvis, before he explored the birth of American hiphop in Netflix's The Get Down, and before gave The Great Gatsby a spin and made Moulin Rouge! spectacular (spectacular), too, Baz Luhrmann achieved two not-too-insignificant things with his film version of Romeo + Juliet. Not only did the Australian director's vibrant take on the classic tragedy completely change the way everyone thinks about Shakespeare adaptations — it also delivered one of the killer soundtracks of the 90s, and one that many a movie has tried and failed to top since. The track list speaks for itself, really, featuring everything Garbage's '#1 Crush' to The Cardigans' 'Lovefool' to Radiohead's 'Talk Show Host'. Everclear, Butthole Surfers, Des'ree and Quindon Tarver's 'Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)' also pop up, with Luhrmann turning the greatest love story ever told into the greatest soundtrack ever sold. If you were around and of a certain age back in 1996, you definitely owned a copy. You probably still do. Even if you weren't loving it before the turn of the century, you should now as well. It's no wonder, then, that not just the picture but the tunes keep being celebrated as Romeo + Juliet nears its 30th anniversary in 2026. In London for more than a decade, concert screenings of the movie with a live choir and band have been wowing audiences and selling out. More than half-a-million filmgoers have attended. Now, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet: A Cinematic Experience is finally coming to Australia. Young hearts run free to The Astor Theatre in Melbourne, which is playing host to the Australian debut of this live experience from Tuesday, September 23–Sunday, September 28, 2025. New sessions have already been added due to demand. Images: Andrew Ogilvy Photography.
Moon Dog may have some brand spanking new digs in Preston, but its OG home is still welcoming punters on Duke Street, Abbotsford. The Brewery Bar might take on a pretty lo-fi appearance — it looks a little like the hard rubbish-filled shed out the back of your mate's Reservoir share house — but don't mistake it for a small-time operation. Moon Dog is already pumping out millions of litres of beer each year, and it's constantly growing. Sink into the thrift store couches and get comfortable because there are a lot of great drinks to sample. There are ten taps on offer, pouring classics like Old Mate pale ale and Love Tap double lager, and seasonal favourites like Cake Hole black forest stout, Splice of Heaven pine-lime ice cream IPA and Thunder Lips yuzu red IPA. Not to mention a wide-ranging, and ever-changing, selection of specialty brews and single kegs, plus cider, wine, spirits and cocktails for those after something that's not beer. Meanwhile, there's always free popcorn, a van serving (really good) woodfired pizza out the front, and regular free events like bingo nights and brewery tours. If this is the exact vibe you're after for a little shindig, the bar also has a Ballroom Oasis right next door that's available to be booked out for functions — to make all your hipster warehouse wedding dreams come true.
What's huge, oval-shaped, usually confined to the realms of fiction, belongs to a creature that's played a key part in the biggest TV series of the past decade, and currently sitting in Melbourne this very instant? A dragon egg, of course. What can you mosey over to Federation Square to see for the next two days in all of its four-metre-tall glory? What's surrounded by dragon eyes and the flying, fire-breathing critters' silhouettes across buildings around the Victorian capital? That very egg — to the joy of wannabe Targaryens, naturally. Always felt like you belong in the Game of Thrones House with an affinity for scaly beasts? Keen to live out your George RR Martin fandom in any way you can? Need something to do before the Iron Throne visits Melbourne in September? Just so excited about GoT prequel House of the Dragon that you don't know how to cope until it starts airing on Monday, August 22?Here's your answer. If you live elsewhere in the country, though, you'll want to do one of two things: plan an impromptu trip this weekend, or get one of your mates to go along so you can live vicariously through their photos. Either way, the towering egg is only on display at Fed Square from 10am–7pm on Friday, August 19 and 8am–7pm on Saturday, August 20. And, as well as seeing it, taking snaps next to it and peering upwards to spy signs of dragons around Melbourne, you'll want to keep your ears pricked as well — there's a soundscape filled with the calls and noises of dragons echoing around the place, too. The reason for this ovoid pop-up? Promoting House of the Dragon, of course. The series is finally coming after years of speculation, development and announcements about various spinoffs are under consideration (including a Jon Snow-focused sequel) — and this egg is here to prove it. If you've somehow missed all the House of the Dragon news, the show is set 200 years before the events of GoT, and focuses on House Targaryen. Yes, that means that dragons are obviously part of the series — again, hence this giant egg. Also pivotal: a Succession-style battle over who should sit on the Iron Throne, because it wouldn't be a Game of Thrones prequel without it. Anyone in the vicinity of Fed Square can head over to see the egg for free, and get a taste of Australia's latest pop culture-themed installation — after a barber giving out The Gray Man-style goatees and moustaches also did the honours in Melbourne recently, and an Everything Everywhere All At Once-inspired multidimensional laundromat before that. Cinema Nova also decked itself out The French Dispatch-style last summer, while Sydney has seen the giant 'Red Light, Green Light' doll from Squid Game made an appearance by the harbour, and a Stranger Things rift open up on Bondi Beach. This isn't the dragon egg's first local stop, actually. It first arrived at Anglesea, on the beach, on Thursday, August 18 — which clearly would've made quite the sight. Then, it travelled along the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne, ready for two days of GoT devotees in Fed Square. Check out the full House of the Dragon trailer below: Find the House of the Dragon dragon egg at Federation Square, the corner of Swanston and Flinders streets, Melbourne, from 10am–7pm on Friday, August 19 and 8am–7pm on Saturday, August 20. House of the Dragon will start airing on Monday, August 22 Down Under via Foxtel and Binge. Images: Aaron Walker Photography.
In the year 2024, some of the most fun to be had with your fellow humans is via the medium of video games, where just about any experience can be found and shared with friends in worlds well beyond our imagination. With the current generation of gaming consoles, we've also got access to technical and creative wonders, many of which offer some truly memorable gameplay experiences to be found alone or with others. We're here to discuss the latter today, so let's talk about six of the most entertaining multiplayer games on the market today. Deep Rock Galactic What do you get when you combine Dwarves, a deep space mining company with heavy quotas, thousands of angry alien bugs and robots, and a deep lack of respect for workplace safety standards? You get Deep Rock Galactic. Created by Danish studio Ghost Ship Games, this first-person cooperative shooter puts you and up to three of your friends in the boots of Dwarven miners, fired deep into the caves of Hoxxes IV — the most valuable (and dangerous) planet in the galaxy. DRG follows an extremely replayable format: pick one of the four playable classes, pick a contract in one of the planet's seven procedurally-generated biomes and do your best to survive. The objectives range from simple ore mining to cleaning up plague-infested meteors and advanced industrial sabotage. The rewards? Money, gear upgrades, stylish clothing for your dwarves and most importantly, beer. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series S/X, PlayStation 4/5 Party Animals Sometimes in games we just really want something silly. That is exactly what Party Animals is: a silly game to be played with silly people. Released in 2023 by Chinese studio Recreate Games, Party Animals echoes the couch-coop beat-'em-up games of old but with a next-gen flair and fresh takes on the genre. In Party Animals, you and up to seven friends step into the shoes of adorable cartoon animals and play games in one of three modes: in Last Stand teams of two punch, kick and fight to be the last team standing; in Team Score two teams compete to achieve the highest score on the same challenge; finally Arcade combines a variety of unique maps and challenges to make things messy for everyone. Every map drops in weapons to help you disarm and knock out enemies. Once dead, you can fight on by periodically throwing in small objects that distract and knock out anyone they hit, friend or foe. Play online against other players or create a private lobby (online or local) for just your friends. The choices are endlessly silly and all yours. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S Helldivers 2 If you've been paying attention to video games in 2024 in any way at all, there's a good chance you've heard of Helldivers 2. A sequel to the 2015 top-down shooter Helldivers, this third-person shooter comes from Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment. You and up to three friends are Helldivers, elite soldiers of Super Earth who are tasked with spreading democracy to the planets of the insectoid Terminids and Terminator-esque Automatons. You'll do so via orbital insertion, heavy firepower and a whole lot of panicked screaming. Mission objectives range from destroying Terminid eggs to rescuing scientists and detonating nuclear weapons, all in the name of freedom. Every mission contributes to a shared community goal. Players work together to liberate planets — and enemies work to prevent them. Once you or your enemies win enough battles, the fight moves to a new planet for every single player. At the time of writing, the developers are working to increase server capacities. Be warned: you may encounter issues. Available on PC, PlayStation 5 Sea of Thieves Your first thought may be, hold on, Sea of Thieves... that came out a while ago, didn't it? It's true, Sea of Thieves was originally released in March 2018 by UK studio Rare, but it's been receiving a steady stream of updates ever since, and this writer, who's played since its release, can personally confirm the game has never been in a better state. Sea of Thieves is an online first-person adventure game, where you and up to three of your friends can crew a pirate ship in a vast playground of ocean dotted by over 70 handcrafted islands. You can sail one of three ships (built for crews of two, three and four) exploring the seas and completing voyages for several trading companies. Each offers different objectives (find buried treasure, track a missing merchant shipment, hunt a crew of undead pirates) and different cosmetic rewards. Since launch, the developers have added new islands, boss fights, voyage types, ship customisation options, weapons, enemies, narrative voyages (some original, some tying in with properties like Pirates of the Caribbean) and much more. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, releasing on PlayStation 5 on April 30. Moving Out 2 If only moving home was as entertaining as this 2023 game from Sydney developers SMG Studios and Swedish developers DevM Games. Moving Out 2 is the sequel to 2020's Moving Out, a hit coop game that puts players in the shoes of a moving business, entrusting you to carry, drag, pivot, throw and otherwise shift the furniture and belongings of its customers. In each level, you must move a certain number of objects from the home into the van under a time limit while being sure not to break too many things. Some objects, like a picture frame or cardboard box, can be carried alone, but larger items require two or more players to be successfully moved. Moving Out 2 improves on the original title in a few ways, adding singleplayer gameplay and online coop of up to four players (the first only supported local coop), and extra complexities to levels like one-way doors, teleporters and time-limited passages to hinder your efforts. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch Dying Light 2: Stay Human Originally released in 2022 by Polish developer Techland, Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a sequel to 2014's Dying Light and picks up over 20 years after the events of the first game, with a deadly zombie virus having wiped out civilisation as we know it. The game can be played start to finish in singleplayer or online with up to three other players and is built around two core systems. Firstly, parkour. Dying Light 2: Stay Human is set in a city overrun by zombies and dangerous humans, and you'll need to use every surface and structure to your advantage as you run, jump, dive, roll under, flip over, swing, glide and stunt your way all over town. Secondly, a day-night cycle. The danger exists 24/7, but night sees deadly nocturnal zombie variants take to the streets, making some areas deadlier and others safer than they are during the day. The campaign is layered with choices that literally shape the world, so the city in your friends' games may look very different to your own. Dying Light 2: Stay Human has seen many updates since launch, with various technical improvements made alongside new systems and playable content added. Grab your three bravest friends for this one. Good night and good luck. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5 If you're after more gaming recommendations, check out our most anticipated indie games due for release this year.
Victoria's annual competition for the best vanilla slice — the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph — began in 1998, reportedly because the then-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett claimed the vanilla slice from Ouyen's town bakery was the best he had ever tasted. It's not surprising then, that the tradition has lived on, with Victorians rallying in staunch defence of their local bakery's version of this sweet and flakey Australian icon. The origins of the enigmatic vanilla slice are hazy. The French would argue it's derived from their beloved mille-feuille, meaning one thousand sheets — a much more sophisticated title than its Australian counterpart, where we affectionately nickname said slices "snot-blocks". Mille-feuille, snot-blocks, slices of heaven — whatever you want to call them, here's the list of the best vanilla slices Victoria has to offer, whether you're in Melbourne's inner suburbs or out in a small regional town. Recommended reads: The Best Bakeries in Melbourne The Best Cafes in Melbourne The Best Coffee in Melbourne The Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Melbourne THE FRENCH LETTUCE, CARLTON & BULLEEN The French Lettuce is a classic French-Aussie patisserie, with fresh raspberry tarts and beef and burgundy pies filling its glass cabinets. Its shop window also states it's been voted the number one vanilla slice in Melbourne — and we can think of a few reasons why. The French Lettuce's award-winning dessert (or indulgent snack) has made a name for itself through a thick slab of custard, perfectly flaky pastry and a decent dusting of icing sugar. And if that's not enough for the vanilla slice addicts out there: you can also get it in cake form. That's right, an actual cake with double-layered puff pastry and classic vanilla slice custard filling, with some strawberries and almonds on top, for good measure. The French Lettuce also has a stall at Richmond Gleadell Street Market Bakery, so be sure to check it out next time you're in the area. BRIDGEWATER BAKEHOUSE, BRIDGEWATER Number one on many-a vanilla slice lover's list, Bridgewater Bakehouse is a must-try. Using fresh vanilla beans instead of vanilla essence like many slices, these perfectly square numbers can be found in the tiny town of Bridgewater near the Loddon River in central Victoria. Bridgewater Bakehouse has an old-fashioned country charm about it, but that's not the only reason people flock there. It has won the aforementioned Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumphs in both 2018 and 2019. The wins have put the Bridgewater Bakehouse on the map, making the small town a gastronomic destination, selling over 500 pastries every day. BOURKIE'S BAKEHOUSE, WOODEND Bourkie's Bakehouse has been in business in the small, picturesque country town of Woodend for 32 years. They've reeled in numerous trophies for their vanilla slices, including a tie for first place, three second places, and six third place in the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Competition. With three permanent slices residing in its cabinets: iced vanilla, strawberry and passionfruit, Bourkie's is worth the pilgrimage. And if you catch them on a day when they're offering a special, you'll be cheering. On occasion, they have vanilla slice specials which include raspberry mousse, mocha (choc mousse with coffee icing), apple crumble and sticky date pudding. Bourkie's vanilla slices will set you back $4.5. VANILLA SLICE CAFE, SORRENTO It would be a crime against the vanilla slice community of Victoria to not mention the Vanilla Slice Cafe in Sorrento. Nestled on the main road in a quaint, homely shop with a limestone facade, on some days, you'll find lines outside The Vanilla Slice Cafe made up of both tourists and locals waiting to buy one of its famous slices. These guys will set you back $8.90, but they're well worth the price. They're on the thicker side, so while you'll be tempted to share one between two people, we urge you to get your own — trust us. MISTER NICE GUY'S BAKESHOP, ASCOT VALE Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop is Melbourne's first 100% plant-based bakery and home to one of Melbourne's only vegan slices. But, to our non-vegan readers, don't be worried if your plant-based friend begs you to come along to get some vegan vanilla slices, donuts or scrolls — you'll probably end up leaving with a box of treats too. With custard so silky and pastry so flakey, you might be jumping on the vegan sweet train for good. MOUNT MARTHA FINE FOODS, MOUNT MARTHA If you're the kind of slice aficionado that likes their custard to be around thirty times as thick as the pastry it's sandwiched between, then Mount Martha Fine Foods is your next foodie destination. These creamy vanilla bricks are a sight for sore eyes, as is the stunning beach they are baked next to. Eating a mammoth slab of custard before a swim at one of Victoria's most beautiful beaches? Don't mind if we do. GUSTO BAKERY, FAIRFIELD & STRATHMORE Gusto Bakery is a family-run institution. With seven children between them, four of which have worked at the bakery, owners Simon and Carly's homestyle bakery is certainly a labour of love. Gusto Bakery offers two types of vanilla slices: one is a classic french-style slice with an impossibly creamy vanilla custard sandwiched between two layers of light puff pastry and a thin dusting of icing sugar. The other slice of vanilla heaven is more inventive than its traditional counterpart: this award-winning slice is smothered with apricot jam and fondant. Yes, please! Top image: The French Lettuce
Attention BLACKPINK fans around Australasia — the good news just keeps on coming. After the announcement of their new single release this month and their Born Pink album dropping in September, the world's most successful female K-Pop group have another announcement on their hands — a world tour which just happens to include us here in Australia and New Zealand. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BLΛƆKPIИK (@blackpinkofficial) The dates for the Born Pink World Tour were unveiled in a post on Instagram this week, revealing the tour kicks off in Seoul before moving through the US and Europe. Then come June 2023, BLACKPINK will spend the final leg of the tour performing over two nights in Melbourne (June 10-11), two nights in Sydney (June 16-17), and one night in Auckland (June 21). So far no ensues or ticketing information has been released, but we'll keep all those stans up to date with more news as it comes to hand. BLACKPINK's Australasian tour dates: 10 June: Melbourne, Australia 11 June: Melbourne, Australia 16 June: Sydney, Australia 17 June: Sydney, Australia 21 June: Auckland, New Zealand BLACKPINK's world tour will be headed to Australia and New Zealand in June 2023. Top image: Jiya & Arcam
Whether you're devoted to the inner north or firmly believe that west is best, it's easy to get stuck in either bubble. But with the opening of the Metro Tunnel and new stations like Parkville and Ardern, commuting between Carlton and Footscray is more convenient than ever. And with free travel available until the end of January, it's also cheaper. Celebrating this newfound link, much-loved bar and bottle shop Mr West has fizzed up Northwest Connect — a self-guided beer-soaked safari that invites guests to travel between four standout venues across the two precincts. Held every weekend until the month rounds out, transport nerds and beer lovers will find themselves in heaven. Plus, if you collect a stamp from every spot, you'll get into the running to win awesome prizes. [caption id="attachment_902357" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Georgia Verrells[/caption] So, who's getting involved? Participating venues include Good Measure and The Lincoln in Carlton, while Mr West and Bar Thyme represent Footscray. What's more, each venue will serve a Metro Tunnel food and drink special, thanks to the support of Never Never Distilling Co. and Hop Nation Brewing Co. For instance, Mr West will serve the Never Say Never cocktail, featuring ginache gin, Italian bitters and fermented rhubarb, alongside loaded chips — think Chappy's Pickled Onion chips, smoked chorizo, pickled beetroot and guindillas. Meanwhile, Hop Nation has created the limited-edition Met-Pale just for the occasion, a hazy pale ale with a nostalgic Melbourne transport-inspired design. Time to catch the train? We think so.
In the heart of Chapel Street, Imperial South Yarra is a modern and vibrant spot to enjoy a couple of drinks after a day of shopping or a long week at the office. The sleek bistro fit-out is paired with street-side tables so you can take in all the area has to offer. The menu covers contemporary global fare, from small dishes to designed share, to hearty pub meals, pizzas and burgers. A classic drinks list is bumped up with specialty cocktails and huge fishbowls to share — or not to share. The Imperial has a bunch of weekly specials and events, including bottomless brunches, leisurely lunches, Sunday recovery sessions and a $5 happy hour, Monday–Friday, 4–7pm. Image: Giulia Morlando.
Before anywhere else in Australia, Melbourne became home to a major annual celebration of movies. That was more than seven decades ago, when the Melbourne International Film Festival first kicked off — and the event is still going strong. Back in 1991, the Victorian capital made flick-watching history again, this time in the queer cinema space. Now, Melbourne Queer Film Festival is the nation's oldest such fest, and it too keeps delighting audiences. A documentary about Jackie Shane, a portrait of a Drag Race star, Elliot Page's first leading role as a trans man, the Village People: they're all on the 42-feature, 90-short program when MQFF returns for 2024 from Thursday, November 14–Sunday, November 24 at ACMI, The Capitol, Palace Cinema Como and Cinema Nova. Also a highlight in the event's 34th year: the festival's dedicated hangout space making a comeback. The theme for this year is "formative sound and vision". If you now have a certain David Bowie song stuck in your head, that's understandable — and Darryl W Bullock, who wrote David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music, is the fest's keynote speaker. He'll be chatting at the event's one-day free symposium dedicated to music videos, which will dive into the role that such clips have played in helping members of the LGBTQIA+ community form their identities. Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story is MQFF's opening-night pick, telling its namesake's tale from her 50s Nashville success through to disappearing from the public for four decades. In the middle of the fest, the dialogue-free Gondola, which is about female cable-car conductors expressing their emotions in the sky, gets the centrepiece slot. Then, when it all comes to an end for 2024, the festival will close with Duino, a semi-autobiographical effort about an Argentinian filmmaker working on a movie about his first love. Rex Wheeler, aka Drag Race's Lady Camden, pops up in-between via Lady Like. As for the band that ensured no one can say YMCA without singing, they're featured thanks to a retrospective screening of Can't Stop the Music — and if you want to dress up to attend the screening, that's up to you. With 2024 marking seven years since Page (The Umbrella Academy) last appeared on the big screen Down Under, Close to You brings that absence from local cinemas to an end. The film boasts the actor's first male movie role, as a trans man heading home to his family for the first time since transitioning. Attendees can also look forward to Evan Rachel Wood (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) as a cheerleading coach in Backspot, with Devery Jacobs (Echo) as the squad's newcomer; Strange Creatures, which heads on a road trip to Narrabri with fighting siblings; Baby, about the connection between a São Paolo sex worker and an 18-year-old man just out of juvenile detention; and Hong Kong's All Shall Be Well, the recipient of this year's Berlinale Teddy Award and Frameline Audience Award for Narrative. Or, there's also The Visitor from Bruce La Bruce (Saint-Narcisse), which pays tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini's Teorema — and docu-musical Reas, where former prisoners play both themselves and their jailers. Glue's former lead singer gets the spotlight in The Life of Sean DeLear, while Linda Perry does the same in Let It Die Here (complete with Brandi Carlile, Christina Aguilera, Dolly Parton and Sara Gilbert as interviewees). And courtesy of Life Is Not a Competition, But I'm Winning, get ready for a cine-essay about gender and bodies in sport. "We're taking over Melbourne with a dazzling lineup of films for the 2024 MQFF program. We've gathered the most-extraordinary new and historical LGBTQIA+ stories from around the globe that shape, form, pay homage to and celebrate queer music culture," said MQFF CEO David Martin Harris, announcing the lineup. "Plus, by popular demand, we're delighted to bring back the MQFF Festival Lounge at ACMI for the entire season. This will be a vibrant space for LGBTQIA+ community connection, featuring fascinating public programs, DJs, karaoke and delicious food in a mirror ball-lit setting. In other words, pure queer joy!" The 2024 Melbourne Queer Film Festival runs from Thursday, November 14–Sunday, November 24 at venues around Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image might be all about celebrating screen art — peering at films and TV shows, stepping into virtual reality and showcasing the talents that've made such a huge impact, for instance — but that doesn't mean that the Melbourne-based venue doesn't appreciate nature. The world around us can look stunning projected as large as a cinema can allow. David Attenborough has turned his documentaries about the planet into their own spectacular genre, too. And the natural realm can provide experimental artists with quite the playground to ponder, as Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature is set to unveil. This just-announced world-premiere exhibition will see art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast unveil a showcase of works that muse on trees, black holes, cells, breathing, space, science and more. Hitting ACMI from Thursday November 23, 2023–Sunday, April 14, 2024, Works of Nature spans five major pieces that aim to deeply contemplate and appreciate humanity's role in nature, and just nature overall. And, these aren't tiny pieces — all digital, they're aiming to inspire awe in both their size and content. [caption id="attachment_917015" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marshmallow Laser Feast, 'Distortions in Spacetime', 2018, courtesy of the artists[/caption] This is the London-based MLF's first major showcase in Australia, adding a stint Down Under to appearances at the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals, the Istanbul Design Biennial, Lisbon Triennial and the V&A and Design Museum in their hometown. That impressive history is matched by a significant lineup of names involved with MLF's immersive Works of Nature pieces. Cate Blanchett (The New Boy) lends her narration, director Terrence Malick (A Hidden Life) executive produces, while Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood (Licorice Pizza) and fellow acclaimed composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (Last and First Men) are among the talents providing music — the latter's work continuing to entrance after his passing in 2018. Daisy Lafarge provides poetry, while Jon Hopkins, Meredith Monk and Howard Skempton also contribute tunes. [caption id="attachment_917016" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marshmallow Laser Feast, 'Evolver', 2023, courtesy of the artists and Wave Museum.[/caption] Whether you're a Melburnian or have a trip to the Victoria capital in your future, you'll be able to see the meditative Evolver, which uses Blanchett's voice to journey through the human body, breath, the origins of cells and the cosmos — and Distortions in Spacetime, which heads to a black hole's edge. Or, there's the large-scale Sanctuary of the Unseen Forest, a video installation about the Amazon's kapok trees. Thanks to The Tides Within Us, oxygen is in focus again via six static pictures. And with We Live in an Ocean of Air, MLF explore how that last word in the piece's moniker connects life on earth. [caption id="attachment_917019" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marshmallow Laser Feast, 'Sanctuary of the Unseen Forest', courtesy of the artists and Sandra Ciampone.[/caption] "ACMI is thrilled to bring the work of Marshmallow Laser Feast to Australia for the first time. This exhibition reflects the power of large-scale moving image works and creative use of projection technologies to produce immersive experiences that demonstrate how our bodies and the natural world are so intrinsically connected. Works of Nature is an unforgettable experience that can inspire us to work towards a better future," said ACMI Director and CEO Seb Chan, announcing the exhibition. "Our artistic practice is a constant journey of discovery into the world beyond the limits of human senses. Our passion for ecology, astronomy, and technology has driven us to collect tree data in the Amazon, explore the sound of black holes and scan the entirety of the human body in microscopic detail, then transforming these explorations into transcendent, immersive experiences," added Ersin Han Ersin, MLF Partner and Director. "We are excited to share our work with ACMI's audiences and to engage in a conversation about the beauty of the natural world and the wonders of the universe." [caption id="attachment_917012" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature, 2023, photo by Eugene Hyland.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_917018" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marshmallow Laser Feast, 'We Live in an Ocean of Air', courtesy of the artists.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_917013" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature, 2023, photo by Eugene Hyland.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_917017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marshmallow Laser Feast, 'Sanctuary of the Unseen Forest', courtesy of the artists and Sandra Ciampone.[/caption] Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature will display at ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Thursday November 23, 2023–Sunday, April 14, 2024 — head to the ACMI website for further details or to get tickets. Top image: Marshmallow Laser Feast, 'Distortions in Spacetime', 2018, courtesy of the artists.
Shusai Mijo is a little oasis of luxury on the much-loved Johnston Street strip‚ best known for its underground arts scene, small bars, cheap eats and smattering of local designer shops. Here, it almost seems strange to find a high-end omakase restaurant where you fork out $250 for an extravagant degustation. But it is a sign of the area's gentrification, with plenty of locals now on the hunt for fine-dining haunts. And those folks are in for a real treat. Chef Jun Oya (ex-Warabi) is running the show with Sous Chef Takuro Abe (ex-Warabi) for a different kind of omakase experience than you might be used to. At Shusai Mijo, Oya is championing a Kappo-style omakase, which includes more cooked dishes than you'll find at other Melbourne omakase spots. The menu changes seasonally, mostly depending on what fish is available both from Australia and Japan, but it does tend to follow a particular pattern of courses. A somewhat complex appetiser starts off the proceedings — we had the mixed seafood dish made with pufferfish, scallops, snow crab and tiny firefly squid. There's a lot going on here, but the delicate combination of flavours is handled with a master's touch. This is reflected throughout Oya's menu, where you won't be hit in the face with big flavours, but instead invited to explore a more understated and subtle cooking style, where the top-grade seafood is the champion of each dish. Everything else is but a stellar support act. The second course is a steamed dish, followed by some sashimi, then a deep-fried dish, two separate rounds of sushi, a grilled plate, and finally a dessert. Some of these courses include one large plate of food, while others include a selection of smaller one-bite options. Each is sublime — especially the melt-in-your-mouth wagyu nigiri that's cooked with hot coals right in front of you. When it comes to drinks, Matthew Ng (also ex-Warabi) has curated a tight but truly impressive list of wines and sakes from all over, many of which won't be found anywhere else in Melbourne. Whether you're drinking wine, sake, cocktails or beers, he'll pair them up with whatever creation is being plated up next. The trio of Warabi alums struck out on their own and have created a damn good fine-diner in Fitzroy. If you're in the area and can afford such a luxurious experience, do check to see if they can fit you at the eight-seater omakase bar. You'll find Shusai Mijo at 256 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, open 6–10pm from Tuesday to Saturday. For more information, head to the restaurant's website.
Yarra Valley wine country is set to score a bold new addition in June 2025, when Levantine Hill Estate opens its ambitious onsite hotel designed by acclaimed architecture firm — and Mona designers — FK (formerly Fender Katsalidis). Once completed, the award-winning winery's boutique accommodation Levantine Hill Hotel will be home to 33 luxury suites overlooking the rolling vineyards Conceptualised to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, the new hotel will be set across two levels, decked out in natural materials and raw finishes to complement the property's existing spaces. That includes the cellar door, fine-dining restaurant and winemaking facilities, which are also the work of FK founder Karl Fender. Suites are set to feature their own living rooms, studies and private balconies, plus eight of them will feature expansive circular baths. Expect lots of polished concrete, rich leather and untreated silvertop ash used throughout. Catering to the wedding crowd, there'll also be a sumptuous bridal suite — named the Optume Suite — complete with its own cellar, bar, open fireplace and dressing room. And if you fancy arriving in style, the hotel will be located just a quick stroll from the estate's helicopter landing area. Guests will also have access to the indoor gym, an outdoor exercise area and a 1.5km walking sculpture track, which winds through the sculpture-filled gardens brimming with over 30 pieces of internationally created sculptures. Complimentary continental breakfast and a fully-stocked mini-bar are also included in every Levantine Hill Hotel stay. But this luxe accommodation isn't the only grand thing in the works for Levantine Hill, with plans for an additional 47-room hotel still in the works. That project will also be brought to life by architects FK, and we will be sure to share further details once they roll in. Levantine Hill Estate's new hotel is set to open in June 2025, at 882 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream. For more information, you can check out the winery's website. Images: FK Architects.
Rooftop at QT will re-emerge from its chrysalis in mid-October. With it will come new drinks, a new vibe and a Mediterranean menu with a fresh coat of inspiration — and the same skyline vistas. First off, the drinks. Chris Stock, the man who helped Dandelyan in London strut to the number one spot on the World's 50 Best Bars list back in 2018, is overseeing the beverage program. He's mixing classics with a twist that promises to be more than your average G&T. On the food front, Nic Wood has returned to the QT chain after a stint in LA to take the helm of Executive Chef. Expect a Mediterranean menu encompassing everything from snacky delights to grand sharing platters that will, for better or worse, end up in a lot of your mates' Instagram stories. For those keen on ambience and vibe, designer Nic Graham is handling the interior facelift of the joint. He's serving up private booths, an intimate lounge, an outdoor bar, high banquet seating, a brand new private dining room and tabletops with custom tiling. "It's an exciting time for QT Melbourne as we embark on the first phase of our culinary evolution with the appointment of Nic Wood," says QT Melbourne's General Manager Kristen Foat. "We look forward to welcoming back our loyal Melbourne food and beverage aficionados, along with visitors in need of Melbourne's most extraordinary views, service, hospitality and nightlife experience." Rooftop at QT will reopen in mid-October 2023 at QT Melbourne, 133 Russell Street, Melbourne — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. QT images: Rooftop at QT pre-renovations, Kate Shanasy.
There's no shortage of great Lebanese joints around Melbourne, but probably the most well-known is Abla's, which has been around since 1979. Its namesake and mastermind, Abla Amad, moved from Lebanon in 1954 at the age of 19. Influences from all over Lebanon mean her menu is packed with flavours from many regions and recipes passed down from one generation to the next. Load up on dips, makaneek (spiced lamb sausages), falafel, tabouleh and skewers of succulent grilled meats, then finish up with baklava and turkish delight. You can BYO wine for $10 per bottle from Monday to Thursday. Abla's offers BYO wine. Images: Tracey Ah-kee
Eye-catching and thought-provoking art has once again descended upon Sydney's coastline, with the 23rd Sculpture by the Sea exhibition kicking off today. Stretching along two kilometres from Bondi to Tamarama Beach, you'll find 111 sculptures from 19 countries. The exhibition is free, and you can catch it from October 24 through November 10. This year, you'll find sculptures by ten Czech and Slovak artists marking the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, a series of protests that led to the fall of communism in what was then Czechoslovakia, and the collaborative Succah by the Sea, which sets out to re-imagine the Jewish Festival of Succot. You'll also be able to hear directly from the artists every Saturday and Sunday. Among the 100-plus incredible installations, and the 450,000 people expected to visit the spectacle over the 18-day exhibition, it can be tricky to know where to look. And, considering this might be the last year Sculpture by the Sea is held in Bondi, it would be tragic if you missed any of the best pieces. Here are our pick for this year's highlights. [caption id="attachment_747672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] WANG KAIFANG: THE STATUE OF MAD LIBERTY Made of 24-karat gold (and copper and stainless steel, but that's not quite as fancy), Chinese artist Wang Kaifang's The Statue of Mad Liberty reflects the chaotic nature of the modern world. The distorted figure represents the way freedom fills us with joy, before the panic sets in. It is meant to encompass all that goes into society, humanity, science and art. The swirling gold piece sits well among the artist's numerous previous works — Kaifang is considered one of China's most influential cross-disciplinary artists, and while his portfolio covers everything from architecture and fashion, through to painting and photography, shimmering metallics and abstract shapes are recurring motifs. [caption id="attachment_747796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] ANGELA FEMIA, CAROLYN HUNTER, PAULINE PLUMB AND CRISTINA HARRIS: OUT OF REACH This is an artwork you could easily miss or dismiss as part of the scenery on a particularly bright day, but we think it's one you should keep an eye out for. A team of four local artists — all graduates of the Sydney College of the Arts and regular collaborators — is responsible for these quaint ceramic houses, nestled among the rocks alongside the trail. The tiny white homes of all different shapes and sizes were inspired by the current nationwide angst about the unattainability of the Australian Dream — something a lot of millennials can certainly relate to. Artists Angela Femia, Carolyn Hunter, Pauline Plumb and Cristina Harris created Out of Reach as a playful take on the pursuit of that white picket fence. [caption id="attachment_747676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] JOEL ADLER: VIEWFINDER Emerging Sydney designer Joel Adler wants you to look a little closer at the undercurrents and the impacts of constantly demanding more. From its spot on a cliff by Marks Park, Viewfinder reflects the whirling waves below using a toughened double-sided glass mirror, like a periscope. The weighted sculpture is made from weathered steel, creating a rather aesthetically pleasing contrast between the rust orange of the structure and the ocean blue beyond. The sculpture allows you to see parts of the waves below that you can't usually see from the path, which the artist hopes will make you consider the possibilities created by new perspectives and how we view our relationship with the land. [caption id="attachment_747679" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] JIAO XINGTAO: YELLOW AND GREEN Another installation that hits close to home is Jiao Xingtao's two-piece Yellow (2015) and Green (2012). While these sculptures are made from painted fibreglass, its easy to see why his work is known for being hyperrealistic — the tears, scrunches and ripples of discarded packaging are carefully replicated. Even for art novices, the screwed up packets of Wrigley's Doublemint and Juicy Fruit gum are a clear commentary on waste and consumerism. If you want to check out more of his work, Xingtao is currently exhibiting as part of White Rabbit Gallery's tenth birthday retrospective Then — here are our picks for that one, too. [caption id="attachment_747680" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] LUKÁŠ RITTSTEIN AND BARBORA SLAPETOVA: BIRD OF PARADISE A large steel bird, bright and vibrant, emerges from a car in a symbol of purity and an optimistic outlook for the future, from Czech artists Lukáš Rittstein and Barbora Slapetova. A melding of the technological and the natural world, Bird of Paradise and its brights colours are meant to make you want to dance, love and search for something new. This striking piece is part of a showcase of ten Czech and Slovak artists exhibiting at this year's event, in honour of the 30 years that have passed since the Velvet Revolution (known as the Gentle Revolution to the Slovaks), which saw the end of more than four decades of totalitarian communist oppression of Czechoslovakia. [caption id="attachment_747764" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Clyde Yee[/caption] MORGAN JONES: THE SUN ALSO RISES New Zealand sculptor Morgan Jones is the recipient of the $70,000 Aqualand Sculpture Award for his piece The Sun Also Rises — so it's kind of a big deal. Made from weathering steel, the work is representative of the circular inevitability of our existence, designed to restate its rhythms. In that vein, Jones has referenced a quote from the book of Ecclesiastes, one of the books of the Old Testament, for the sculpture's title: "The sun also rises, and the sun goes down. And hastens to the place where it arose." It seems fitting to take it all in as the sun rises over the sea. Sculpture by the Sea runs until November 10. For more info, visit sculpturebythesea.com. Top images: Trent van der Jagt.
