As far as summer food/drink combos go, beer with guac and chips is definitely up there. But one brewery's just found a way to combine the two in one unusual but very intriguing beverage. The LA-based Angel City Brewery recently introduced Avocado Ale as part of their inaugural Avocado Festival on August 24, which celebrated the beginning of avocado season in California. The beer contains avocados harvested straight from brewmaster Dieter Foerstner's grandmother's farm, as well as other ingredients you'd normally find in guacamole, like crushed red pepper, garlic, lime and coriander. Angel City is no stranger to experimental brews — their previous creations include the Pickle Weiss and the less weird-sounding White Nite, a golden, chocolate- and espresso-flavoured ale. It looks like Avocado Ale's just a one-off local thing, but they're not the first brewers to take the 'Why can't we have both?' approach to beer and food. Sydney's own 4 Pines Brewery recently held a series of Beer Mimics Food events, featuring beer infused with HP sauce, apple and blackcurrant crumble and, even more bizarrely, a bento box lager. Foerstner, the man behind Avocado Ale, described it to LAist as a "love or hate kind of thing. It's not what traditionalists would expect a beer to taste like. It does have a well-pronounced avocado flavour, so people who don't care for the fruit to begin with might not enjoy it. But being an avocado lover, I love it." Via PSFK.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. Cider is having something of a renaissance, one that's not just limited to pub courtyards and picnics. The fruity beverage du jour is gaining a connoisseur-type following in culinary circles, appearing in pairings with food that would put your average sommelier or brewer to shame. Think light apple ciders with pork to conjure up memories of your Nan's Sunday roast with applesauce, or a richer, bolder variety to cut through the spice and cream of a dhal or mutter paneer. Testament to everyone's love of alcohol-fuelled food (and because everyone knows the alcohol content totally evaporates while cooking, right?), it's also being used in recipes. These chicken pistachio meatballs with Rekorderlig cider chutney prove how well cider lends itself to hearty, wintry meals of the kind you might expect to be served on a blizzardy night in a mountain log cabin in front of a crackling fire. In fact, these meatballs are straight out of the Thredbo Alpine Hotel, where Rekorderlig have a poolside lounge. This dish is boozy, fruity, nutty and gamey, and the perfect adieu to these final frosty nights of winter '14. Chicken Pistachio Meatballs with Rekorderlig Cider Chutney Meatballs (makes 50) 1kg chicken mince 500ml Rekorderlig Strawberry-Lime Cider 100g cranberries 100g sour cherries 50g pistachio nuts 10g salt 10g parsley 1 egg pinch of white pepper Soak the cranberries in Rekorderlig Strawberry-Lime Cider for 30 minutes. Place all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix by hand. Work the mixture till all the ingredients are combined. Place in the fridge at least one hour. Roll into desired size balls. Lightly coat balls in flour and saute very quickly. Sauce 1L chicken stock 1L white wine 500ml cream Reduce stock and white wine by half and then stir through 500ml of cream. Place the meatballs in a baking dish and cover them with the sauce. Bake in a medium oven for one hour. Chutney 60ml olive oil 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 200g sultanas 100g raisins 100g sugar 400ml Rekorderlig Pear Cider 100g ginger grated 800g pears, cored and finely diced dash of nutmeg 2 heaped tsp of ground all spice 1 pinch of cinnamon Saute the rosemary, sultanas and raisins. After one minute add the sugar and then fry the fruit until it starts to caramelise. Pour in the vinegar and bring to the boil. Boil for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Continuously stir so the pear doesn't stick to the bottom. Serve with a warm Rekorderlig Winter cider.
If you missed Gelato Messina's degustation bar the last two times, you're in luck because they're coming back to Melbourne for two weeks this August — and this time it will be all about truffles. In conjunction with Madame Truffles, Messina's Creative Department is returning to the secret room behind their Windsor store, this time with a seven-course gelato-meets-gourmet mushrooms degustation. So what kind of truffle-gelato goodness have the masterminds come up with? There's a pine and eucalyptus gelato that's a mix of 67 percent chocolate and black truffle cremeux, salted caramel, Jerusalem artichoke crisp and caramelised honey served with a ginger and lemon myrtle infusion. Using ingredients from the Dominican Republic, Japan, Tonga and NSW, Messina will take your tastebuds on a sweet and savoury journey. There are also two kinds of sorbet on the special Truffle Week menu: apple and nasturtium sorbet, and black truffle oil and vanilla oil sorbet. Sorbets are paired with a finger lime tonic and a spiced chai latte. Tickets are $130 per person and, with just eight seats available at each of the three sittings each night, you can book for groups of two, four, six or eight of your gelato-loving mates. And based off of previous events, you'll want to grab your tickets ASAP before Melburnians book out the event (most probably in record time again). Head to the Messina Creative Department page to nab a seat. If you miss out, a limited editing truffle flavour will be available to buy at the Fitzroy store. Seats at the truffle takeover are now sold out, but, look at that — you can win a double pass by completing our reader survey.
Since premiering on Broadway in 2015, winning 11 Tony Awards and nabbing the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Hamilton has become a pop culture phenomenon. As a result, it was always going to make the leap to the screen in some shape or form. So, it's no wonder that Disney has jumped at the opportunity, albeit via a filmed version of the stage production rather than a traditional theatre-to-film adaptation. An actual Hamilton movie might still happen — creator, writer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda has talked about it, and apparently the first draft of a script has been written — but that's not the case just yet. Originally, the Mouse House intended to bring this recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda's historical hip hop musical to cinemas in late 2021. Then, as we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic came along. Doing everyone a solid, the company has instead fast-tracked Hamilton to its streaming platform — with this vibrant, whip-smart and immediately dazzling tale of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton available from today, Friday, July 3, on Disney+. If you haven't been lucky enough to catch the popular all-singing, all-dancing production in New York, as it toured the US or on London's West End, this "live capture" version is here to fill the gap. Now, everyone who missed out on the opportunity to see the musical's initial run live can experience the next best thing. Shot at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway back in 2016, the recording features the show's original Broadway performers, including Miranda in the eponymous role. Also seen on-screen as part of the production's colour-blind approach to casting (including enlisting actors of colour to play white historical figures): Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer) as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, Leslie Odom Jr (Murder on the Orient Express) as Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (When They See Us) as George Washington, Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) as King George III, Renee Elise Goldsberry (The House with a Clock in Its Walls) as Angelica Schuyler and Phillipa Soo (the Broadway version of Amelie) as Eliza Hamilton. The story, for those who aren't intimately acquainted with US revolutionary history, chronicles the Caribbean-born "bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman" from his arrival in New York in the early 1770s. As the musical's informative opening number explains, Alexander Hamilton will go on to become "the ten-dollar Founding Father without a father", with the production charting how he "got a lot farther by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter and by being a self-starter". It's a tale that, unlike those of US Presidents Washington and Jefferson, you mightn't have heard before — which is one of the themes that the musical addresses. Just who is charged with recalling and immortalising the past, and who is remembered in the process, is a significant factor in shaping a nation's vision of itself. Hamilton isn't the first stage show to release a filmed version, of course; however it arrives on streaming after half a decade of buzz, chatter, acclaim, awards and cultural obsessiveness — and instantly demonstrates why it's been the most talked-about production of the past five years. Infectiously exuberant from its first moments, and not only lively but frequently funny, Miranda's rich, dense but always accessible words and songs interrogate US history with passion, intelligence and energy. Via an array of tunes that prove as clever as they are catchy, Hamilton ponders America's battle for independence from the British, the situation the fledgling country finds itself in afterwards, and what it truly means to start a new nation. Along the way, it also casts a light on political wheeling and dealing, the framing of the American Constitution, as well as Hamilton's complicated personal life. When the musical isn't turning discussions about debt into rap battles, for example, it's letting Groff's scene-stealing King George III sing absolute show-stoppers about imperialism, then breaking up the politics with yearning ballads sung by Goldsberry and Soo that also unpack the plight of women at the time. By now, the fact that Hamilton is excellent really isn't news — but, if you haven't already seen it for yourself, prepare to be wowed. Miranda, Groff, and Tony-winners Diggs and Odom Jr couldn't turn in better performances and, as directed for the screen by the stage production's helmer Thomas Kail, this filmed version gets up close to their potent and compelling portrayals. Visually, viewers always know they're watching a recording of a live theatre show, too. Pretending otherwise just wouldn't do the production justice. That said, this on-screen presentation of Hamilton is also engagingly shot and edited, not only cutting between different angles, but successfully capturing the rhythm of the choreography, actors and moving set. Getting swept up by Hamilton's wonders is easy. Recognising its added weight, importance and resonance now, as Black Lives Matter protests continue to take place across the globe and America finds itself at another crossroads, is just as straightforward, too. Once you've watched the small-screen version, Australians can also get excited about seeing the stage production, as it's finally set to arrive Down Under in March 2021. Under present circumstances, though — and with international travel still banned for the foreseeable future — it's possible that this could be delayed. Check out Disney+'s Hamilton trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSCKfXpAGHc The filmed version of Hamilton is available to stream worldwide from Friday, July 3, via Disney+. Images: Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.
Last week, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews unveiled how metropolitan Melbourne area will gradually ease out of its current stage four COVID-19 lockdowns. On the cards is a five-step removal of restrictions, with the first step taking place from 11.59pm on Sunday, September 13 — but life isn't going to be returning to normal any time soon. When it was first implemented, metro Melbourne's stage four lockdown was initially set to end on the aforementioned mid-September date; however, Premier Andrews has now advised that that isn't able to happen based on current coronavirus case numbers. Instead, some limits will be rolled back, with more to follow on September 28, October 26, November 23 and whenever the powers-that-be decide that a 'COVID normal' scenario — with absolutely no restrictions on gatherings, visitors, hospitality or sport — will be possible. That said, the loosening of limits at each is also dependent on health advice and hitting specific numbers of cases. So, from 11.59pm on Sunday, September 13, a few restrictions will be eased as part of step one of the roadmap. Here, we've broken down just what you can and can't do. This information is correct as of Friday, September 11. Is there still a curfew? Yes, there is still a curfew in place for metropolitan Melbourne. But, the good news is, it's been extended by an hour — starting at 9pm, instead of 8pm, and running through till 5am. For what reasons am I allowed to leave the house? Remember those four reasons first announced way back in March? Yep, it's still those. You can leave home to purchase groceries and other essentials, for care and caregiving, for outdoor exercise and recreation, and for permitted work. You can find out more about what industries are allowed on-site workers over here. [caption id="attachment_776562" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heroes mask[/caption] Do I still have to wear a mask? Yes, masks or face coverings are still compulsory whenever you leave home. You can find out all the nitty-gritty over here. How long am I allowed to be out of the house for? You can now head outdoors for up to two hours, which is double the previously allowed one hour. You can use these two hours to exercise or to see a friend or family member (and you can split these into two one-hour sessions, but no more), but we'll get to social interactions in a second. How far can I travel? You can still only travel up to five kilometres from your home. We're sure you're very, very familiar with that patch of dirt by now, but if you want to have another look at what's around, check out this website. Can I see friends and family? Yes, but there are quite a few caveats, so bear with us. You can catch up with one other person not in your household — or all of your household members — outside of your home for up to two hours. You can exercise with them or have a picnic (socially distanced, of course), but you cannot travel more than five kilometres from your home. Inside your home, the rules are a little different. The government has introduced a "single social bubble", which allows a single person living alone or a single parent with children under 18 to nominate one person to be in their bubble. You are allowed to have this nominated person over to your home and you can go to their home — and you can travel more than five kilometres to visit them, but you must stay within metropolitan Melbourne. You can stay overnight, but you can't travel outside of curfew hours (9pm–5am). Premier Daniel Andrews has posted a little more about the bubbles here and there are more FAQs over here, too. https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/photos/pcb.3398375080227004/3401290863268759/?type=3&theater Can I drive to a park to exercise? As long as it's within five kilometres of your home, yes. While it was initially banned at the start of stage four, the government changed the rules after backlash on social media. Can I have a picnic in a park? Yes, as long as it's with one other person or the members of your household. Can I go to the beach? Yes, if there is a beach within five kilometres of your home. But you can go for a maximum of two hours and with one other person or the members of your household. How about a dog park? If it's within five kilometres of your home, yes. Here are some of our favourites. Can I visit a regional town? If you work in regional Victoria, you can travel there (but you'll need a permit), otherwise no. You can travel more than five kilometres from your home to see someone in your "social bubble", but you cannot enter regional Victoria for this reason. Can I go shopping? For groceries and other essentials, yes. But, not all shops are open and some have altered hours, so check before you head off. And do make sure you stay within five kilometres from your home. How about to a restaurant or cafe? You can pick up takeaway from a hospitality venue located within five kilometres of your home, but dine-in service is off the cards for now. Or a gym? Indoor gyms are currently closed, but outdoors playgrounds will be open from 11.59pm on Sunday, September 13. When will more restrictions be eased? For metropolitan Melbourne, the next step of eased restrictions is set to take place on Monday, September 28 — but only if the average daily cases is between 30–50 over the previous 14 days. If you have more questions, the Victorian Government has an extensive list of FAQs on its website. Top image: Edinburgh Park via Visit Victoria
Sometimes, you just have to take advice from a pop-culture phenomenon — and if you're wondering whether to see Lin-Manuel Miranda's game-changing musical Hamilton, you need to listen to the show itself. Melburnians, you don't want to throw away your shot to see the biggest show of the past seven years and the most talked-about musical of the decade right here at home while you can. After premiering in Sydney in early 2021, Hamilton has been dazzling Melbourne since March this year; however, its time at Her Majesty's Theatre is limited. The show will officially close on Sunday, January 15, 2023, ready to make the move to Brisbane, letting the Sunshine State be in the room where it happens. That's the sad news — and news that means that you'll need to get as passionate about getting a ticket as Alexander Hamilton was about America if you haven't caught Hamilton's Melbourne run yet. Here's some great news to go with it, though: you can still nab yourself a cheap ticket to see this musical take on US politics in the 18th century. As happened with The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a ticket lottery is being held for Hamilton's Melbourne season — and, while it started when the show did, it's still going strong. Plus, this one is cheap. Very cheap, in fact. Via TodayTix, you can sign up for your chance to score a ticket for just $10. Yes, that figure is accurate. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the TodayTix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each Friday. The lottery goes live at 12.01am every Friday morning and closes at 1pm the next Thursday, with winners drawn between 1–6pm on that Thursday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. And, if you need a reminder, you'll also be able to sign up for lottery alerts via Today Tix, too. Hamilton isn't the kind of musical you miss while it's in town. After hitting Broadway in 2015, it has won 11 Tony Awards and become one of the Obamas' favourite musicals, too. The critically acclaimed hip hop show, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of its eponymous Founding Father, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America — and in addition to its those Tonys, which include Best Musical, it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. While you wait for your lottery shot, you can still watch the filmed version of Hamilton with the original Broadway cast on Disney+ — yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard. Hamilton's Melbourne season runs until Sunday, January 15, 2023 at Her Majesty's Theatre. Visit the musical's website for further details. To enter the Today Tix $10 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Images: Daniel Boud, Destination NSW.
If your kind of heaven features soft, pillowy lobster rolls and floating clouds of peanut butter parfait, then you'll be happy to know that Andrew McConnell's long-awaited Supernormal (aka the only version of the afterlife we want to know about) is finally here. After the success of the restaurant's three month-long Fitzroy pop-up, Supernormal opens early next week at its brand new Flinders Lane site. A follow-up to McConnell's Golden Fields, which recently closed up shop in St Kilda to make way for the CBD venture, Supernormal will see a whole new McConnell-esque modern Asian fusion menu while keeping a few cult Golden Fields dishes (PB parfait included, phew). According to Good Food, you can expect to be chowing down on all the important (and on-trend) food groups, including pork belly, kimchi and steaming bowls of ramen. Supernormal makes it restaurant number five for McConnell, who already operates Cumulus Inc, Cutler & Co, The Builders Arms Hotel and the soon-to-be Luxembourg, which will take the place of Golden Fields on Fitzroy Street. Opening today in the dining epicentre of Flinders Lane, the restaurant looks decidedly more fun (and a little cheeky) with the use of super kawaii Pacman-like figures in their branding and the inclusion of karaoke — I repeat, karaoke — in their private dining room. Lobster rolls with a rendition of 'Wannabe'? Yes please. Meanwhile, the pre-opening pop-up seems to be a trend such among hyped venues. Chris Lucas's Kong has popped up at the city's Rue & Co ahead of its actual opening. Update 1 May: This article originally stated that Supernormal was opening April 30. That occasion has now been pushed back to early next week.
While some interstate travel could be back on the cards for Australians by next month and trans-Tasman travel by July (according to the Federal Government's three-step plan for a COVIDSafe Australia), it looks like other international travel could still be a while off. Australia and New Zealand's borders are currently closed and all international travel is banned, and Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has said he can't see this changing any time in the foreseeable future. Murphy told a Senate inquiry into COVID-19 as much yesterday,Wednesday, May 13: "I cannot see border measures materially changing for some time." Murphy also said that two-thirds of Australia's COVID-19 cases had been overseas-acquired and he had "no vision" of when strong borders could be relaxed. An analysis released earlier this week by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for the world's airlines, and Tourism Economics has an equally dire outlook — for international travel, not so much for domestic. According to the report, the best case scenario is that air travel will be back to normal (2019 levels) by 2023. While it's expected international air travel will take four years to recover, the report predicts domestic travel will bounce back faster. "The impacts of the crisis on long-haul travel will be much more severe and of a longer duration than what is expected in domestic markets," said IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac in the report. The average length of flights will drop — as shown by the below graph — as people preference exploring their own backyard, over international jaunts. So, while European adventures and could still be a while off, exploring Australia could be a possibility in the not-so-distant future. Many states and territories have closed borders at the moment, though — including Queensland, Tasmania, WA, SA and NT — and regional travel is still off-limits, but we'll let you know when that changes. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and what travel is and isn't allowed, head to the Department of Health's website. Domestic travel is now allowed in New Zealand — read more about COVID-19 Alert Level 2 here.
Five decades after it was first released, Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' is still a perfect song. It rarely bodes well when it pops up in movies, TV shows or trailers for either, though. Take the just-dropped first sneak peek at Westworld's fourth season, for instance — where the words "you're going to reap just what you sow" feel especially eerie. Since it first hit HBO back in 2016 — and channels/streaming services such as Foxtel, Binge and Neon Down Under that bring the US network's series our way, too — Westworld has been unnerving from the get-go. It's all there in the concept, which first unfurled on-screen back in 1973 thanks to the Michael Crichton-directed movie of the same name. Here, in the eponymous android amusement park, humans pay to live out their fantasies while surrounded by supremely realistic-looking androids. What could go wrong? Everything, obviously. Across its second season in 2018 and third batch of episodes in 2020, the TV version of Westworld has built upon this premise, twisting in wild, strange, violent and surreal directions. Naturally, with season four set to start arriving from Monday, June 27, that's only going to continue. The first teaser trailer isn't big on plot, but it does set a huge mood — or reinforce the tone that Westworld fans already know and love, to be more precise. While narrative details are scarce, the show is bound to keep wading through the fallout that's been shaping its story from day one, after some of the robot theme park's electronic hosts started to break their programming, make their own decisions and question their creators. What it lacks in plot specifics, Westworld's first look at season four makes up for in atmosphere and recognisable faces, including Evan Rachel Wood (Kajillionaire), Thandiwe Newton (All the Old Knives), Ed Harris (The Lost Daughter), Jeffrey Wright (The Batman), Tessa Thompson (Passing), Luke Hemsworth (Young Rock), Aaron Paul (Truth Be Told) and Angela Sarafyan (Reminiscence). Joining them as a newcomer this season: newly minted West Side Story Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose. If you feel like you've been hanging out for new Westworld for years, that's because the show always seems to bring its android dramas back in two-year intervals. Still, it's worth remembering that the first season of the show arrived 43 years after the Michael Crichton-directed movie that it's based on, and 40 years after the film's sequel Futureworld. If you haven't done so already, both are worth viewing while you're waiting for the TV series to return. Check out the teaser trailer for Westworld's fourth season below: Westworld's fourth season will start streaming via Binge in Australia from Monday, June 27 — and via Neon in New Zealand.
Imagine a room filled with pinot noir, with red drops after red drops from wineries around the country poured for your sipping pleasure for hours. If that's your preferred type of vino, it likely sounds like your idea of boozy heaven. There's no need to just dream up the concept, however. Thanks to Pinot Palooza, it already exists, has been doing the rounds in Australia for more than a decade, and has locked in its return for 2024. A guiding principle here: that being spoilt for choice can be overrated when it comes to deciding which wine varieties you feel like at any given moment. So, let this event do the picking for you. Pinot Palooza celebrates exactly the type of vino that's in its name, and makes the sound of a light- to medium-bodied red wine sloshing around a glass its standard soundtrack, including in Melbourne in spring. Expect to hear that noise a whole heap — before the pandemic, the local-born wine-tasting festival had notched up an estimated 65,000 tickets sold globally. In 2024, Pinot Palooza is hitting up the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton for a two-day stint across Friday, November 22–Saturday, November 23. The Pinot Palooza team has also revealed that up to 100 wineries will be taking part in 2024, up from more than 50 winemakers last year, and surveying everything from organic and vegan to biodynamic and low-intervention drops. The full list of producers hasn't been unveiled, but Tasmania's Meadowbank, Oakdene from Geelong, Murdoch Hill and Vinteloper from the Adelaide Hills and New South Wales' M&J Becker are among the names that'll be involved from Australia. New Zealand tipples will be showcased by Two Paddocks, Burn Cottage, Mt Difficulty, Te Whare Ra, Greystone and others. As always, attendees will spend their session swirling and sampling that huge array of pinot noir, and making the most of up pop-up bars and food stalls between drinks.
Australia's film festival calendar is about to kick into gear for 2022, with fests dedicated to documentaries, European cinema, queer flicks and Japanese movies all among the events that've already announced their upcoming lineups. Another ace excuse to stare at the big screen in a darkened room that Aussie movie lovers can look forward to in the very near future: the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, which is returning across March and April for its 33rd year. It's still a tad too early for AFFFF to reveal its full program, but it has confirmed a few details to get you in the French film-watching mood. First up, there's the fest's dates, with the event making its usual capital city stops. So, cinephiles in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart — and in Byron Bay and Parramatta, too — you can now start blocking out time in your diaries. Also unveiled early: AFFFF's first ten films from its 2022 lineup, including opening night's 19th-century Paris-set Lost Illusions. Starring an impressive cast that includes Benjamin Voisin (Summer of 85), Cécile de France (The French Dispatch), Vincent Lacoste (Sorry Angel) and Xavier Dolan (Matthias & Maxime) — the latter acting rather than directing — it follows a lower-class poet who falls in love with the baroness Louise de Bargeton. Other highlights span two movies that premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival, with rom-com Love Songs for Tough Guys featuring Vanessa Paradis (Knife+Heart), set in Dunkirk and taking its cues from Cyrano de Bergerac, and La Traviata, My Brothers and I focusing on a 14-year-old who wants to become the new Luciano Pavarotti. There's also The Young Lovers, also led by the aforementioned Cécile de France; Waiting for Bojangles, a page-to-screen adaptation starring Virginie Efira (Bye Bye Morons) and Romain Duris (Eiffel); The Kitchen Brigade, which is set in the world of French gastronomy; Hear Me Out, a rom-com directed by and starring Pascal Elbé (The Swallows of Kabul); and the 60s-set Happening. Or, you can look forward to documentary The Velvet Queen, where photographer Vincent Munier and writer Sylvain Tesson head to the Tibetan highlands on a quest to find the snow leopard — or, from the retro program showcasing the work of actor and filmmaker Alain Delon, Purple Noon, which adapts Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley. The full festival lineup will be revealed on Thursday, February 3 — and you can check out the festival trailer below in the interim: ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: March 1–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema and Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Sydney March 2–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Electric, Canberra March 3–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Como. Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema, The Kino and The Astor Theatre , Melbourne March 9–20: State Cinema, Hobart March 9–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Camelot Outdoor Cinema, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX, Palace Raine Square and Windsor Cinema, Perth March 16–April 13, with encore screenings from April 14–18: Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane March 24–April 24, with encore screenings from April 25–26: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide, plus Victa Cinemas, Victor Harbor March 30–April 14, with encore screenings from April 15–16: Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay April 7–10: Parramatta Riverside Theatres, Parramatta The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, March 1–Tuesday, April 26. For more information, visit the AFFFF website.
You've seen the movies countless times and maybe even scored tickets to the stage production, but even diehard fans won't have experienced Harry Potter quite like this. Imagery inspired by hit play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will take on an energy of its own, as it's splashed, larger than life, across the facade of the Old Treasury Building during White Night Reimagined. You'll spy captivating designs by English artist and illustrator Peter Strain, nodding to that famed fictional Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum!). So expect to see ethereal stags, does, otters and even Jack Russells float across the historic building. The DAE White Night creative team has teamed up with large-scale projection experts The Electric Canvas to capture the movie-inspired magic for this one-night event. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will run from 7pm–2am.
Ask just about any international visitor and they'll tell you how it is: Australia is packed full of creepy crawlies that are all dangerous and mostly deadly. We locals know the situation's not quite as sketchy as all that, but that there are plenty of native snakes, spiders and insects you probably wouldn't want jumping on your face. Well soon, you'll be able to determine the nasty ones from the nice ones with just a quick snap on your smartphone camera, thanks to new app Critterpedia. Currently in the beta testing phase with an artificial intelligence training platform being developed with CSIRO, Critterpedia is the brainchild of a regular Aussie mum and dad, Nic and Murray Scarce. The idea was spawned after fielding continuous questions from visiting British friends and family regarding our scary local wildlife population. So, how does this creature-identification app work? You simply use your device to take a photo of any snake or spider, then Critterpedia will call on its trained algorithm system to classify the beast, also offering details on its family, genus or species. It's designed to educate and raise awareness about our much-maligned Aussie creatures, while removing some of that fear factor. While Australia is home to more than 2000 species of spiders of 170 species, many of them don't pose a serious threat. As you can imagine, there's been a stack of AI work behind Critterpedia's hefty catalogue of info, with hundreds of thousands of images fed to the platform to help train its speedy identification function. CSIRO's digital specialist arm Data61 is collaborating on a special machine-learning engine that can sort through the masses of data to accurately classify species in just moments. While the app is in this development stage, users can do their bit to help train up the algorithm by submitting their own photos of local snakes and spiders. The extra imagery will assist in fine-tuning the platform's recognition systems in the lead-up to its launch. The Critterpedia app is currently in development. You can sign up here to become a tester and contribute photos to help train its algorithm.
With pubs, restaurants and cafes closing around the country forced to close comes the loss of many hospitality jobs — and it's all happened very, very quickly. According to website I Lost My Hospo Shift, at last count, 2294 Aussie hospo workers had lost their jobs and 11,709 shifts had been cut, which equates to around $2 million in lost wages this week alone. To help those impacted by the sudden changes, Pernod Ricard is offering $100,00 worth of free meals via Deliveroo to out-of-work hospo workers, including bar staff, waiters, managers, suppliers, cleaners, owners and chefs. From 12pm today, the new initiative called Meals for Mates will see thousands of free meals delivered across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. There'll be a total of 4000 $25 meal voucher codes available via Deliveroo for hospo workers now out of a job or just getting by on reduced hours. As an added benefit, when the hospo workers use the vouchers, they'll also be helping those venues still open for takeaway and delivery. Basically, it's a small win-win situation in what is an incredibly tough time for the industry. While there's a whole host of eateries where workers can spend their vouchers, some of them include cult-favourite burger joint Mary's (Sydney), Italian restaurant Salt Meats Cheese (Sydney, Brisbane), Sydney's retro-Aussie pub The Unicorn and St Kilda's PB's Bar & Eatery. Out-of-work hospitality workers can snag their voucher by emailing a copy of their RSA and the venue they last worked at to MealsForMates@pernod-ricard.com. Then, you'll receive a Deliveroo code, which can be redeemed anytime over the next three months. [caption id="attachment_766230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mary's Newtown by Maclay Heriot[/caption]
Start making Easter plans now: Bluesfest has just announced the first acts on its 2023 lineup. From Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10, the iconic annual festival will return to Byron Events Farm at Tyagarah for its 34th event — with Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples and Gang of Youths leading the bill. Also heading to northern New South Wales as part of the five-day lineup: Jackson Browne, Tash Sultana, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jimmy Barnes with The Barnestormers, and Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia as special guests of The Soul Rebels. As usual, Bluesfest's roster of talent spans a hefty array of music genres — blues and roots, obviously, but also soul, rock, hip hop, R&B and more — with Beth Hart, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and The Dukes, The Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd also set to take to the stage. Rockwiz Live will be doing its thing, too, in the perfect setting. And, would it be a Bluesfest without Michael Franti & Spearhead? In 2023, you won't need to find out. [caption id="attachment_867502" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mavis Staples by Myriam Santos[/caption] In total, 41 acts have been announced so far — with more to come, for what organisers are calling "the first original style Bluesfest since the world's borders re-opened". While the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. With the return of international travel, Bluesfest can welcome top-notch acts from around the globe again. Season tickets are on sale now, alongside VIP tickets, with prices remaining at 2022 levels for the 2023 fest. Day and three-day tickets will follow in the near future, at a yet-to-be-announced date, along with more lineup announcements, plus news of sideshows and two special satellite Bluesfest events in Melbourne and Perth. BLUESFEST 2023 LINEUP — FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: 19-Twenty The Barnestormers Beth Hart The Black Sorrows Bonnie Raitt Buddy Guy The Cat Empire Chain Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Elvis Costello & The Imposters Eric Gales Femi Kuti & The Positive Force Gang of Youths Greensky Bluegrass Jackson Brown Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Joe Bonamassa Joe Camilleri Presents: A Star-Studded Tribute to the Greats of the Blues Jon Stevens Kaleo Keb' Mo' Band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Lachy Doley and The Horns Of Conviction Larkin Poe Lp Lucinda Williams Marcus King Mavis Staple Michael Franti & Spearhead Nikki Hill Robert Glasper Rockwiz Live The Soul Rebels & Friends with Special Guests Talib Kweli, GZA and Big Freedia Southern Avenue Spinifex Gum featuring Marliya Steve Earle & The Duke Tash Sultana Xavier Rudd Bluesfest 2023 will run from Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Season passes are on sale now. For further information, head to the Bluesfest website.
If a pizza delivery guy was to accidentally wander into a cryogenic chamber back in July 2013, get stuck frozen inside for ten years, then wake up in July 2023, plenty that he knows about the world will have changed. But one thing would remain a constant: Futurama. Back then, the Matt Groening-created show about life in the 31st century was still on-screen — and this winter, it'll finally be defrosted after a decade off the air. Good news, everyone! — it's back, baby, after US streaming platform Hulu first announced plans to go back to the future in 2022. When that welcome revelation hit, Futurama was renewed for a 20-episode run. Now, the platform has revealed that the first ten new instalments will arrive from Monday, July 24 in the US. Down Under, Disney+ will be reteaming with the 20th-century's Philip J Fry (voiced by Billy West), distant uncle to Planet Express cargo company Professor Hubert J Farnsworth (also voiced by West), plus the rest of the outfit's crew. Yes, that means more antics with one-eyed ship captain Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal); fellow employees Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr), Amy Wong (Lauren Tom) and Zoidberg (also West); and everyone from self-obsessed starship captain Zapp Brannigan (West again) and his amphibious 4th Lieutenant Kif Kroker (Maurice LaMarche) through to scheming corporation owner Mom (Tress MacNeille). And, yes, it Bender Bending Rodríguez will be causing chaos, with John DiMaggio also back with the cast. When the revival was first announced, that wasn't the case — but it wouldn't be Futurama without its constantly sauced robot exclaiming "bite my shiny metal ass!". You can put a beloved animated series into stasis, but someone is going to thaw it out one day — and more than once. Initially airing from 1999–2003, the futuristic animated series then returned from 2008–2013, before now being given another run. Hulu is calling this comeback season 11, even though Futurama spans a past seven seasons and four direct-to-DVD movies so far. As for what it'll be about, other than satirising life in the year 3000 and beyond, the streaming service is promising more about Fry and Leela's love story, what's in Nibbler's litter box, evil Robot Santa's secret history, and Kif and Amy's tadpoles. That, and a pandemic, plus gags about the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture and streaming TV. Check out the first teaser trailer below: Futurama's latest season will return on Hulu on Monday, July 24 Down Under — we'll update you with Australian and New Zealand specifics via Disney+ when they're announced.
The pastry masterminds at Black Star have long proven their talents when it comes to working to a theme. Last year, they gave us the intricate sushi platter-inspired Ari-Gâteaux for International Sushi Day, and then there was the snow-dusted, multi-layered Christmas cake that popped up for the festive season. Now, for its latest trick, the cult-fave dessert brand behind the famed Strawberry Watermelon Cake is getting into the Lunar New Year spirit. Black Star Pastry has dreamed up a limited edition range of shortbread cookies to honour the Year of the Rabbit. The selection of hand-crafted shortbread spells out the letters 'BLKSTR', with one cookie shaped like a rabbit holding a chocolate coin flavoured with strawberry and raspberry. Each cookie is coated with a layer of white chocolate then finished with a coconut crumb to mimic a fluffy bunny exterior. You can buy the rabbit-shaped cookies individually for $6 or grab a seven-pack for $35 from all Black Star stores in Sydney and Melbourne between Friday, January 13–Sunday, January 22. Or you can pre-order online from January 11. The sweet treats are ideal if you're hunting for a Lunar New Year gift to bestow good fortune on friends or family, especially since food is a traditional gifting option for the holiday. Find the Lunar New Year cookies at all of Black Star's Aussie stores (Newtown, Sydney CBD, Rosebery, Moore Park, Chadstone and St Kilda) from January 13–22, with pre-orders open from January 11.
He's played a shimmering vampire in the Twilight films, a circus newcomer in Water for Elephants, a photographer friend of James Dean in Life and a desperate small-time criminal in Good Time. Also on his resume: battling in the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, stepping into Salvador Dali's shoes in Little Ashes, roaming around the Australian outback in The Rover, heading to space in High Life and enduring a nightmarish seaside ordeal in The Lighthouse. Yes, we're talking about Robert Pattinson, who'll also add Batman to his hefty list of roles next year — but, before then, he's playing a creepy man of faith in Netflix's new thriller The Devil All the Time. Since leaving terrible supernatural teen romance franchises behind, Pattinson has chosen many an impressive, interesting part. Indeed, add the David Cronenberg-directed Cosmopolis and Maps to the Stars, the unnerving The Childhood of a Leader, biographical drama The Lost City of Z and Shakespeare adaptation The King to the above lineup, too. So, playing an unholy and unsettling preacher in a small Ohio town between World War II and the Vietnam war seems right up his alley. That said, as The Devil All the Time's just-dropped first trailer shows, Pattinson is just one of the film's many stars. Tom Holland leads the charge as Arvin Russell, who finds himself surrounded by sinister figures — including not only Pattinson as Reverend Preston Teagardin, but Jason Clarke and Riley Keough as a twisted couple, plus Sebastian Stan as a corrupt sheriff. In a movie adapted Donald Ray Pollock's novel of the same name, IT's Bill Skarsgård also pops up, as do Aussie actors Mia Wasikowska and Eliza Scanlen. If it all sounds rather disquieting, that's the point, in a tense feature that promises a fight between the just and the crooked. It certainly looks the part and, hitting Netflix on September 16, The Devil All the Time also boasts Simon Killer and Christine's Antonio Campos behind the lens as well. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIzazUv2gtI The Devil All the Time hits Netflix on September 16. Top images: Glen Wilson/Netflix.
Melbourne's small-but-mighty Kappo has closed it doors for good, though the owners, who also run fellow Japanese hot-spots Izakaya Den and Hihou, aren't done with the Flinders Lane space just yet. Today, they've announced plans for the site's next calling, Master Den's Poppu Uppu — a Japanese-style hot pot pop-up. Opening on Wednesday, June 20, for a limited time, the eatery is set to gift Melburnians with a truly winter-worthy dining experience, riffing on Japan's traditional 'nabemono' comfort food. Each hot pot arrives at the table, is filled with aromatic broth and left to simmer, before proteins and veggies are added gradually to cook, right there in front of you. The DIY bowls are finished with handmade noodles, crafted by udon specialist — and Izakaya Den head chef — Yosuke Furukawa. And the Master Den's Poppu Uppu team has created signature versions of classic Japanese hot pot varieties to cosy up to this winter. A Hokkaido-style 'seafood nabe' features a light miso broth, to be loaded with local mussels, Tasmanian salmon and perhaps a few Harvey Bay scallops; while the shabu shabu might see you adding succulent pieces of wagyu rump, topside and sirloin to a rich, konbu-flavoured broth. You'll also spy a clever range of snacks, including coffee-cured salmon sashimi and sansho pepper edamame, plus a cameo appearance by sister restaurant Hihou's famed fried chicken. Of course, that Hihou connection also translates to a pretty standout drinks offering. There'll be crafty cocktails — including a negroni-style number dubbed the KITANO Beat — a tight, but on-trend selection of wines curated by award-winning sommelier Raffaele Mastrovincenzo, sake and craft beers, all chosen to complement the various hot pot broths. Find Master Den's Poppu Uppu at 1 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, from Wednesday, June 20.
Remember the name Deniz Gamze Ergüven. The Turkish-French filmmaker may have only directed one feature to date, but it's a movie audiences won't forget in a hurry. In focusing on the troubled plight of five sisters confined to their home, Mustang might bring The Virgin Suicides to mind. Yet there's much more to the film than the comparison might indicate. Setting her film in a conservative seaside village in northern Turkey, Ergüven probes the complicated reality that siblings Lale (Günes Sensoy), Nur (Doga Zeynep Doguslu), Ece (Elit Iscan), Selma (Tugba Sunguroglu) and Sonay (Ilayda Akdogan) face on a daily basis. Stuck in a patriarchal society — and in a house overseen by a strict uncle (Ayberk Pekcan) and dutiful grandmother (Nihal G. Koldas) — their teenage lives are not their own. They're not allowed to just be girls who want to have fun; they're future wives, mothers and caregivers, destined to be defined by their husbands rather than themselves. Indeed, when Lale characterises their existence as "a wife factory", her choice of words couldn't be more fitting. As the youngest child as well as the film's narrator, it's through her eyes that viewers experience both the harsh limitations that dictate the sisters' days, and the need they feel to break free. It all starts when school winds up for the summer, with the quintet heading to the beach to splash around with a group of boys. By the time they get home, news of their apparently inappropriate behaviour has already reached their relatives' ears, inspiring a regime of virginity tests, locked doors, barred windows, cooking lessons and desperate attempts to marry them off. Being trapped in such a restrictive situation is as devastating as it sounds. And yet, thanks to the sisters' different personalities and Lale's undying defiant streak, the narrative is also laced with amusing moments and ample tenderness, as well as the spirit of female empowerment and camaraderie. As co-written by Ergüven with Augustine filmmaker Alice Winocour, the Academy Award-nominated effort proves as much a celebration of young women refusing to simply do what they're told as it is an indictment of the male-controlled status quo. It's also a film that's immersed in blossoming femininity from start to finish. While Sensoy steals every scene she's in with her naturalistic charm, her four main co-stars are no less effective. Cinematographers David Chizallet and Ersin Gok shoot the movie to stress intimacy even amidst rampant oppression, while the score by Warren Ellis evokes both tension and yearning. Accordingly, though Mustang is undoubtedly concerned with domination and escape, it's not a tale of victims, but rather a testament to resilience.
"I will find you. No matter what it takes." So promises Squid Game protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, Deliver Us From Evil) in the clip that fans of the Netflix sensation have been waiting for for years: the first proper glimpse at what's in store when the series finally returns for its second season. One of the best new TV programs of 2021, Squid Game was such a huge smash that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also dropped a teaser trailer for it the same year — but, it didn't include any footage of what's to come. The platform then announced new cast members in 2023, which came with a video; however, again, it wasn't a real sneak peek. To help start 2024, the service has finally unveiled a scene from the show's upcoming return, which it has already confirmed will stream sometime this year. The snippet of Squid Game season two is brief, arriving in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for the year — as it releases every 12 months. In the footage, Seong Gi-hun, aka player 456, answers a phone call while at the airport with his newly crimson locks. He's soon told "you're going to regret the choice you've made". Cue his statement of vengeance; Squid Game meets John Wick, anyone? There's no other new information on season two right now — including no exact release date — but Netflix has also dropped a few images from the forthcoming episodes, complete with neon hues, those pivotal red outfits and familiar symbols. As already revealed, Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) is also back as the masked Front Man. With Lee Jung-jae, he's joined by Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, plus Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two. Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) have all joined the series. New photos from Squid Game Season 2 -- coming this year. Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), Recruiter (Gong Yoo) and Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), and a new character played by Park Gyu-young. pic.twitter.com/8xRC1EvQPr — Netflix (@netflix) February 1, 2024 If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out Netflix's teaser for Squid Game season below: Introducing the very first look at SQUID GAME SEASON 2. Coming this year. pic.twitter.com/fzRzdtHRDY — Netflix (@netflix) February 1, 2024 Squid Game season two will stream via Netflix sometime in 2024. We'll update you when an exact release date is announced. Images: Netflix.
Co-ordinating your outfit for the Blue Light Disco. Feeling so nervous about slow dancing at the formal you could hurl. These are iconic experiences of youth, shared whether you were cool or a dork. School Dance finally brings these experiences to the stage, with emphasis on the undervalued dork. "Darwin's theory of evolution at its cruellest," the omniscient narrator reminds us. Windmill Theatre, who produced the show, are actually a children's theatre company, but with School Dance they expand their remit to include adults who like an excuse to get a bit silly. Director of both company and show Rosemary Myers decided to prod the seeds of an idea that had been planted in an earlier collaboration with writer Matthew Whittet, sound designer Luke Smiles and set and costume designer Jonathon Oxlade, who reminisced on their teenage nerdom while working on the show Fugitive. The men play Matthew, Luke, and Jonathon, three fictionalised versions of themselves at an earlier, unaware age. Best of all, the now mid-30-year-olds grew up in the 1980s, so references to Gremlins, E.T. and acid wash denim abound, wrapped up in a high-energy, Scott Pilgrim-esque package. Was music ever finer than in the '80s? The answer is clearly no, because each track played tonight is better and more rapturously received than the last (although Bonnie Tyler and Spandau Ballet are undeniably climatic points in the mix). The action veers onto course when Matthew literally starts to disappear, shortly after being ignored by the popular girl Hannah Ellis (Amber McMahon, who adroitly handles all the female roles). His legs go first, followed promptly by his torso and head. On stage, this is shown through the wearing of a black, slightly sparkling body stocking — one of the many creative, smoothly plausible tricks of staging going on. The set, lighting, and foley provide constant wonder. To rescue Matthew from the 'land of invisible teenagers' (a tentative title), the teens will need to call on Jonathan's knowing older sister, He-Man, a unicorn, and a massive act of bravery. The experience of watching this show is one filled with laughter, cheering, applause and squeals of recognition. It's ecstatic and triumphant, bonkers yet homey. It's not highfalutin — there's hand farting, an extended, glorious passage of it, causing the kid behind me to lose his head — but School Dance reaches special heights all of its own. It's obvious a lot of love went into it and the audience can't help but reciprocate. This review was written in January 2013 based on the Sydney run of School Dance. Image: Jonathon Oxlade, Luke Smiles, and Matthew Whittet by Lisa Tomasetti.
Look, it was only a matter of time before this happened. Following on from the success of similar places in New York and Amsterdam, Australia's first avocado pop-up cafe is coming to Sydney. And it'll be avocado everything, seven days a week. Don't act surprised — we created this monster. The pop-up — named Good Fat, because everyone knows that's the best health benefit/justification for eating copious amounts of avo smash — will opens its doors on November 2 in Surry Hills with about 20 items on the menu that incorporate avocado. Sydneysiders will be able to indulge in creations such as the avocado breakfast skin (an avocado smoothie bowl served in its own skin) and a Cornetto-inspired avo ice cream cone. If you haven't already twigged, the whole thing is a promo for Australian Avocados, a non-profit representative body for the Australian avocado industry. But even so, avocados are a brand we're happy to support with our love and money. If you feel the same, the pop-up will be open will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner until November 30 and all dishes will be under $20. Good Fat will be open from November 2–30, from 7am to 9pm on Monday through Saturday and 8pm to 5pm on Sundays, at 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills.
The splish-splash of water isn't something you'd usually expect to find much of inside the walls of a gallery, but that's all set to change as NGV Australia pays homage to one of our great Australian icons: the swimming pool. Opening on August 18, The Pool: Architecture, Culture and Identity will explore this cultural symbol in all its glory, with the help of a multi-sensory, 11-metre pool installation, set up within the gallery's Design Studio. The free interactive exhibition will play with water, sound, light and scent to highlight the connection between culture, landscape and architecture. It'll look the real deal, too, complete with wooden decking and sun lounges — and visitors will even be allowed to dip their feet in for a refreshing paddle. This is the first time the installation has come to Australia after showing at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale. Further emphasising the swimming pool's link to our national identity, eight pool 'lanes' will each feature an audio excerpt from a high-profile Aussie figure, sharing their own nostalgia-tinged, pool-inspired stories. This will include The Slap and Barracuda (good pre-exhibition pool-related reading, by the way) author Christos Tsiolkas and Aussie rock god Paul Kelly, through to Olympic gold medalists Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, many Australians have turned to home baking for comfort. Scroll through your Instagram feed and you're sure to see an overexcited jar of sourdough starter, a misshapen loaf or a #squishvid. Head on over to your local supermarket, though, and you're likely to find empty shelves where the flour once sat. This isn't just the scenario in Australia, either. According to Miller Magazine, flour demand has doubled in the UK and French supermarket sales have tripled, and in an episode of Samin Nosrat's new podcast Home Cooking a desperate Angelean asks how to make their wife white cake without the hard-to-find white flour (hint: you can't). But, if you're keen to begin your own baking adventures, not all hope is lost. You might actually find the elusive powder hiding at your local restaurant or cafe. As restaurants have been forced to adapt during the closure of non-essential indoor venues, many have pivoted to providing their local communities with grocery essentials and produce boxes. And one of the essential products they're selling is — you guessed it — flour. [caption id="attachment_768410" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emma Joyce[/caption] Many Sydney cafes, including Marrickville's Cherry Moon, Brickfields in Chippendale, St Peters' Sample Coffee and Surry Hills' Reuben Hills and Single O, now have flour on their shelves, available to pick up or (in some cases) deliver. If you're looking for the gluten-free version, Waverley's Wholegreen Bakery has you covered. Two pubs, The Tudor Hotel and The Royal Hotel, are now convenience stores, stocking toilet paper, hand sanitiser and, yes, flour. Some restaurants are also selling produce boxes, including Fratelli Fresh, which are filled with a heap of pantry staples. In Melbourne, non-profit cafe Sibling has its own online store with baking ingredients, including flour and yeast, while St Kilda East's Grosvenor Hotel and Lamaro's Hotel in South Melbourne both have their own a bottle-o and shop. Ted's Grocer — formerly all-day diner Theodore's — also has produce boxes and essentials. If you've already jumped on the baking trend and are looking at other quarantine cooking projects to start, we're rounded up six fun, tasty and time-consuming recipes you can try out here. If and when you do decide to head out to get groceries, remember to follow the Australian Government Department of Health's social distancing guidelines. Top image: Cherry Moon by Kitti Gould
The last bastion of the phone-free two hours, the theatre, might be about to crumble. Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre this week announced that they'll be trialling special seating for social media users, internationally dubbed 'tweet seats', at select shows. Carlton indie theatre La Mama is already all over it, having set aside four tweet seats per show for their upcoming work RAT, and they're even free. Considering we've been live tweeting everything else — from films to talks, concerts and dinners — is the distinction around theatre an artificial one that's been destined to fall away? And is there any benefit to be gained from allowing us to whip out our phones mid-show? The Malthouse announcement has met with some backlash, even on Twitter. Popular opinion is, if you're live tweeting a performance, you're living the kind of hollowed-out half-life that means you may as well stay home and plug into the Matrix. But this is a personal value judgement and not a reason, practically or conceptually, against allowing others to make Twitter a part of their theatre experience. I struggle to express coherent thoughts for half an hour after a film or movie, let alone have any desire to do so while it unfolds and trade away the sense of immersion that comes with live performance. But that's just me, and that's just the shows I've seen. How about a small show built to feed off real-time responses? How about a big, bombastic opera that can't count on the nosebleed section being highly engaged? The LA Times technology blog attributes the first instance of live theatre tweeting to a 2009 staging of Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore in Kansas — and it was a more constructive affair than you might assume. Audience members in the 100 special seats of the final performance could access tweets from the show's artistic director about the production, scenery and story unfurling on stage while tweeting their own questions and comments. It was an aid to their enjoyment of the piece, not unlike an audio tour of an art exhibit. Or the special features on a DVD. Or a post-show Q&A, during the show. It's since become common in the US and UK, mainly for ballets, operas and symphony concerts. With conditions tightly controlled — you don't want to distract the real-life cast and crew who need darkness to do their jobs properly — and the agreement of the individual creative team, theatre might continue to become a road more tweeted. But then there's this argument from Alex Roe, artistic director of New York's Metropolitan Playhouse, perhaps the most focused takedown of how your tweeting might affect other people's enjoyment: "Part of the whole theatrical experience is the thought of being present in the company of the rest of the audience and the actors," Roe said to NPR. "To me, the thought of encouraging people to tweet during a performance is necessarily a violation of that agreement." That might just be the tweet-seat deal-breaker.
Finally we have proof that Hogwarts exists, and it is in the shape of 400,000 Lego blocks. Alice Finch, a mother of two from Seattle who became a Lego aficionado after building blocks with her son, has unveiled her completed scale rendition of Hogwarts, and it is arguably the largest Lego structure built by a single person, measuring 4m in length. This is impressive enough, but when you look inside and uncover the magic of intricately detailed rooms and scenes from the world of Harry Potter, you can see that no block has been left untouched. Finch’s masterpiece took a painstaking 12 months of building, but that time let her perfect her Hogwarts by allowing her to research the books, films, and sets of the magical series to record the finest detail, from moving staircases right down to the old-fashioned slide projector in Lupin's Defence Against the Dark Arts class. This effort has not gone unrecognised either, with Finch taking home both the People's Choice and Best in Show Awards at Brick-Con 2012 — two awards much deserved for continuing the magic that J.K. Rowling first started more than 15 years ago. And why did she do it? "I wanted my kids to be able to play in all the spaces where the story takes place," she told Brick Brothers. You may not be able to play with your own giant Hogwarts, but you can visit Alice's by looking through the Mirror of Erised (your computer screen) at her photoset here. We've picked out a few of the best pictures below. Hogwarts exterior Feasting in the Great Hall. Durmstrang students enter Hogwarts Potions class Gryffindor noticeboard Gryffindor common room The greenhouses Astronomy towers and Ravenclaw
Andy Bull is the definition of a one-man show. The two outstanding singles he has released this year, Keep On Running and Baby I Am Nobody Now, are entirely self-written, self-performed and self-produced. How he is going to pull this off live is uncertain, but we know that we want to be there to see it. Andy Bull’s alt-pop stylings and intriguing vocals create songs that tread a fine line between hope and despair. With a little help from an analogue synthesiser and some catchy choruses, the results are almost cinematic in the dreamscape we get lost in. Think of a David Lynch film in musical form: dark and mysterious, but undeniably beautiful. He has been enjoying radio play on both commercial radio and Triple J this year, and has recently signed to record label Republic Records in the US (who have also signed acts such as Gotye and Lorde). In other words, he’s blowing up. Check him out at the Northcote Social Club while you still can.
Anyone who's been in Sydney over the last few weeks will have noticed that it's been unseasonably warm. Winter's usual chill has been swapped for mild temperatures and, instead of regular downpours, the city has seen a stream of clear sunny days — during the day, you barely even need a light jacket. And this weird weather all came to a head this weekend, with Sydney copping one of the hottest winter days it's ever had. Earlier in the week, Weatherzone has predicted that yesterday — Sunday, July 30 — would come pretty close to topping the highest temperature on record for July: 25.9 degrees (which was set back in 1990). And they were right. At 2.10pm, the mercury hit 26.5 degrees — making it Sydney's warmest July day ever. #Sydney sets new July heat record, 26.0 degrees. Last year it took until October to get this warm https://t.co/sbzHtvvHzG — Weatherzone (@weatherzone) July 30, 2017 It's pretty insane. But while Sydneysiders reaped the benefits of the warm day — and all the warm weather has been undeniably delightful — it doesn't bode well for us in the long run. In fact, if only adds to our ever-present anxiety about global warming, an increase in extreme El Niño events and what that might mean for Australia and the world.
This year hasn't involved wearing as much smart casual and business attire as we imagined — come on, we all wore PJs out of frame in at least one Zoom meeting. Right? But with society starting to open back up at different rates across the country, our neglected wardrobes are going to be back in rotation very soon. And, if you've realised that you didn't really miss your 'nice' clothes during lockdown, it may be a sign you need to do a little outfit rejig. Big fan of signs? Here's another one: menswear label M.J. Bale is hosting a huge two-week sale. The Australian fashion house focuses on producing timeless pieces that'll last beyond the seasonal trends, and this month you can get your hands on some high-quality, suave styles for an absolute steal. We're talking suits for just $399 (for one week only, between September 14–20), plus casual attire like jackets for under $199, trousers for under $99 and shirts for under $69 — it's all up to a whopping 50 percent off. The sale is running from Monday, September 14 to Sunday, September 27. You can jump online here to check out what's on offer. If you live in NSW or Queensland, you can also go to your closest M.J. Bale store. The M.J. Bale Spring Bale Sale is running between September 14–27, both online and at its stores (besides Victoria).
A glimpse and a whiff of Clover Flower's vibrant, considered designs, and it's hard not to feel instantly buoyed. Margaret Ransfield's CBD store has become a go-to for its expertly-curated arrangements and colourful bouquets, ranging from the bold and romantic, to the petite and whimsical. Here, you'll find statement pieces destined to wow — just check out the aptly named Heartbreaker — along with timeless posies of seasonal blooms that are perfect for imparting some instant warm and fuzzy feels. And, if you're shopping the online store, you can pimp out your order with a swag of extras including vases, chocolates and other sweet gifts.
Forget the "find someone who looks at you like…" meme. That's great advice in general, and absolutely mandatory if you've ever seen a Céline Sciamma film. No one peers at on-screen characters with as much affection, attention, emotion and empathy as the French director. Few filmmakers even come close, and most don't ever even try. That's been bewitchingly on display in her past features Water Lillies, Tomboy, Girlhood and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, any of which another helmer would kill to have on their resume. It's just as apparent in Petite Maman, her entrancing latest release, as well. Now 15 years into her directorial career, Sciamma's talent for truly seeing into hearts and minds is unshakeable, unparalleled and such a lovely wonder to watch — especially when it shines as sublimely and touchingly as it does here. In Sciamma's new delicate and exquisite masterpiece, the filmmaker follows eight-year-old Nelly (debutant Joséphine Sanz) on a trip to her mother's (Nina Meurisse, Camille) childhood home. The girl's maternal grandmother (Margot Abascal, The Sower) has died, the house needs packing up, and the trip is loaded with feelings on all sides. Her mum wades between sorrow and attending to the task. With melancholy, she pushes back against her daughter's attempts to help, too. Nelly's laidback father (Stéphane Varupenne, Monsieur Chocolat) assists as well, but with a sense of distance; going through the lifelong belongings of someone else's mother, even your spouse's, isn't the same as sifting through your own mum's items for the last time. While her parents work, the curious Nelly roves around the surrounding woods — picture-perfect and oh-so-enticing as they are — and discovers Marion (fellow newcomer Gabrielle Sanz), a girl who could be her twin. The Sanz sisters are identical twins IRL, and why they've been cast is right there in Petite Maman's name. Spelling out anything further would be saying more than is needed going in; flitting through the story's intricacies alongside Nelly is one of its many marvels. Like all kids, she's naturally inquisitive about her parents' upbringings. "You never tell me about when you were children," she complains to her dad, who counters that, actually, he and her mother do. Like all kids, she's also keenly aware of the special alchemy that comes with following in your mother and father's youthful footsteps, all just by being in the house and roaming around the woods where her mum grew up. There's nothing as immersive in helping to understand why one of the people that brought you into the world became who they are. Indeed, it's no surprise that Sciamma and her cinematographer Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Spencer) shoot the film in golden and glowing autumnal hues. Nelly has questions for Marion, too, and vice versa; however, spending time in each other's company, watching the connection that springs and embracing every emotion it evokes is Sciamma's plan for the quickly thick-as-thieves pair. Explanations about what's happening are unnecessary; only the experience itself, the mood and the resonance it all holds are what matters. So, the girls do what kids do, whether amid all that ethereal greenery or inside Marion's home, decked out in vintage decor as it is, where Nelly meets her new pal's mother. The two girls play, including in a teepee-like hut made out of branches. They write and perform their own play, costumes and all. They share secrets, talk about their dreams for the future, make pancakes, bust out boardgames, and also float through their new friendship as if they're the only people who matter — in that intimate, serious and earnest way that children do with their friends. Sciamma is exceptionally skilled at many things, creating richly detailed and textured cinematic worlds high among them. She doesn't build franchises or big fantasy realms, but surveys faces, spaces, thoughts and feelings — exploring them like the entire universes they are. The Sanz duo's pint-sized features whisper and bellow about the world whenever Mathon's lens looks in their direction, as Sciamma is well-aware. The young actors welcome Petite Maman's audience into their own insular zone, in fact, and it's a revealing place to inhabit. The landscape that surrounds them is just as laden with meaning and mood, brimming with possibilities as it is to Nelly and Marion. It's a playground, as all forests are to young hearts, minds and limbs. It's also the place that brings them together. That it never appears anything short of magical is hardly astonishing, even for a filmmaker as acutely attuned to her characters' relationship with their scenery as Sciamma has always been. That love for observing, soaking in the minutiae and letting what's seen speak louder than what's said — and doing all of the above with sensitivity and matter-of-fact naturalism — pulsates through every frame of Petite Maman like a heartbeat. The film resembles a gentle but soul-replenishing breeze in its rustic look and serene pacing, but it thrums with feeling and insight about forging one's sense of self and navigating generational angst at every moment. It's a modern-day fairy tale, too, complete with its glorious twist, musing deeply on mothers, daughters and the ties that bind in the process. It predates them on the festival circuit, but it'd make a heartfelt triple bill with Turning Red and Everything Everywhere All At Once. With Sciamma returning to the adventures and emotions of childhood again after dancing with adult longing in her breathtaking last movie, Petite Maman is as radiant, affecting, smart and perceptive a reminder there is that the links between parents and kids are their own unique realms. With French cinema's abundant array of coming-of-age tales — from François Truffaut's French New Wave masterpiece The 400 Blows through to Sciamma's pre-Portrait of a Lady on Fire films — Petite Maman springs from a rich history. It's a movie about history, in its own manner, but it also never treads in anything else's footsteps. That's one of its filmmakers many gifts, because no story she's brought to the screen yet has ever felt like it's been told this way before (and if Petite Maman had to be compared to another director's work, it'd by the enchanting and spellbinding visions of youth that Hayao Miyazaki has committed to animation). Here, Sciamma is clearly working in miniature. Her protagonists are petite, as the title makes plain. Her choice of locations is condensed, and her style and storytelling is modest. The movie itself only runs for a concise 72 minutes, not that it ever feels rushed. There's nothing tiny about a film that's as potent and wondrous as this, though, or as deeply moving.
Huxtaburger's first Sydney store hasn't even received its final lick of paint, but the company has already announced plans to open 10 new stores across NSW in the next four years. The decision is part of the company's plans to enter into a franchise model, which will see it open 20 new stores across Victoria, WA, ACT and NSW, with future plans to expand into Asia, too. Huxtaburger has teamed up with franchising consulting agency DC Strategy — which has previously worked with Ben & Jerry's, Zeus Street Greek and Turkish ice cream vendors Hakiki — to facilitate the expansion, with the first franchise store already open in Melbourne's Footscray. In NSW, Huxtaburger is working alongside investment group Yesdac to rapidly expand. The now cult favourite American-style burger joint first launched back in 2011, and has since opened six stores (five in Vic and one in Perth) with its seventh store, and first NSW store, which is launching with $1 burgers in Redfern this weekend. Construction has already begun on its second WA store, in Fremantle, too. The company's has international expansion plans in the pipeline, too, and hopes to roll out stores across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and China. If you'd like to get your own slice of Huxtaburger, you can sign up for your own franchise in Vic and WA. You'll have to have some cash handy, though, as it will set you back a cool $550,000. While rapid expansion may be a good thing for burger lovers, let us not forget the story of Doughnut Time.
If you've ever wished for your own personal sommelier, you're in some serious luck. The Wine Gallery is an Australian-based, online wine store that delivers wine curated by one of the best wine sommeliers in Australia right to your front door. And when The Wine Gallery say "one of the best wine sommeliers", they mean it — for this project, Australian entrepreneur Tom Walenkamp has teamed up with three-time Sommelier of the Year Banjo Harris Plane, whose resume also boasts former head sommelier at Attica and co-owner of Fitzroy's Bar Liberty. The idea originated when Walenkamp was studying abroad in France. "My European classmates already knew so much about wine from their culture and I thought the Australian market would really benefit from this type of knowledge," says Walenkamp. "I love drinking wine but always felt a bit on the outside — I call it playing wine roulette because you never know what you're going to get." Not so with The Wine Gallery. The deal is simple: subscribers take a palate quiz and receive three recommend bottles each month based on personal preferences. The bottles on offer are hand-selected by Plane's wine team and each bottle comes with tasting notes, detailed information on the grapes and stories behind the wine makers, along with recipes and food pairings. If you aren't happy with a bottle they'll replace it without a fuss and there's also no lock-in so you can pause, skip or cancel your membership whenever you like. "It's a fully interactive site, with ratings and feedback systems, so after two months no two people will have the same recommendations," says Walenkamp. "You don't have to go with our recommendations, either — you can always swap bottles, add more, or decide to go with all reds for colder months, for example." They've also just rolled out a new, 'state of the art' rewards program — thanks to third co-founder and expert coder Humberto Moreira — which keeps track of the different wine types, production methods and wine regions of each bottle you receive. This allows members to log in and track their wine journey in a visual way, with a few free bottles of plonk as you earn 'badges'. The three bottles are reasonably priced at a uniform $69 and The Wine Gallery will ship anywhere in Australia for a flat rate of $9 (they offer complimentary shipping for orders over $150). Morning orders will even be dispatched same day, so you don't have to wait long to crack one open. "The site is an access point for people that don't really know where to start exploring, and being an independent, online store mean can share our love and knowledge of wine with a much broader part of the Australian population," says Walenkamp. The Wine Gallery will ship anywhere in Australia. To sign up or for more info, visit thewinegallery.com.au.
The annual Improv Everywhere mp3 experiment proves we've come a long way since the Napster debacle of the early noughties. Interestingly, the New York-based prank collective started in 2001, around the same time Napster was given a court injunction to stop the distribution of copyrighted music on its network. But the eighth installment of the annual prank has made good use of mp3 downloads, casting aside any former copyright stigmas for the convergence of thousands of people in one picturesque setting. This year's prank took place along New York's Hudson River with over 3,500 participants downloading two types of mp3s, each with instructions that culminated in a mass 'silent disco' at Nelson Rockefeller Park during sundown. The participants of this year's prank began as two groups and were asked to wear two different coloured shirts, representing the theme of two tribes coming together. Once the two groups were instructed to meet at Nelson Rockefeller Park, on-the-spot jumping, indiscriminate high-fives to random passers-by, handshaking, slow dancing and linking of the arms took place. The Improv Everywhere prank collective has orchestrated over 100 pranks since 2001, and are behind the now iconic Frozen Grand Central flashmob which has been viewed by 27,513,992 people since 2008. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lrCnh9sT_mc
68 feature films from 19 different countries make up the program at this year's Jewish International Film Festival. Screening at select cinemas around Australia — and in Auckland, too! — the 27th annual edition of this celebrated festival will showcase films that explore every angle of Jewish history and identity through critically acclaimed dramas, side-splitting comedies, mind-blowing documentaries and more. JIFF 2016 will be bookended by a pair of films about one of the darkest moments in human history. Opening night film Denial stars Rachel Weisz as Professor Deborah Lipstadt, who in 1996 was sued for defamation by English holocaust denier David Irving (Timothy Spall). Closing night, meanwhile, will screen the provocative documentary The Last Laugh, featuring the likes of Sarah Silverman, Mel Brooks and Louis C.K. as they ponder how far comedy can go when tackling such a sensitive topic. Other standout titles include a new German adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank that premiered to critical acclaim at this year's Berlin Film Festival, as well as Jerry Lewis: The Man Behind the Clown, a documentary about the titular comedian's remarkable decades-long career. The Melbourne leg of the festival will run from October 27 until November 23 at Elsternwick's Classic Cinemas and Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn. For the full JIFF 2016 program, go here.
It's about to get a whole lot harder for any NSW driver to get away with using their mobile phone while driving — and it's thanks to a world-first move by the NSW Government, which has agreed to adopt speed camera-style technology to detect the illegal behaviour. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the legislation giving the tech the go-ahead was passed in NSW parliament this week. It's hoped the decision to use the cameras will have a huge positive impact on the number of road fatalities — much like when breath testing was introduced back in 1982 and slashed fatal accidents by almost 50 percent. "The community wants safer roads and better driver behaviour," NSW Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey told The Sydney Morning Herald. "Three quarters of those surveyed supported the use of cameras to enforce illegal mobile phone use." But the technology doesn't actually exist yet. The government will now put the call-out to companies who are interested in providing the technology. Whatever that technology may be. Most drivers will probably see this as a cash grab — fully licensed drivers are looking at a $330 fine and four demerit points if caught — but Mrs Pavey said that money raised from the camera fines will go back into a Community Road Safety Fund. And considering that the dangerous use of phones involved in 184 crashes between 2012 and 2017, it's not hard to see why the decision's got so much backing. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
There are plenty of things to do in Federation Square, whether staring at the big screen, visiting ACMI, sitting in a bar or just enjoying a stint of people-watching is your kind of thing. Or, on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21, you could simply climb a very tall wall. We're not recommending that you attempt to scale any of the buildings onsite, obviously. And if you're not fond of heights, we're not recommending that you day any climbing. But if you're keen for a scamper, you will be able to hoist yourself up a rock wall thanks to YoPro. Between 10am–4pm each day, just head to the Swanston Street Forecourt to start literally moving up in the world. As well as nabbing a few yoghurt samples to fuel your fun, you can also pick up a number of prizes.
Dracula's castle is the place that nightmares are made of, as anyone who has read Bram Stoker's iconic 1897 gothic novel or seen a vampire flick knows. Nestled in the Carpathian mountains in the heart of Transylvania, it's also a place you can actually spend a night in. Well, it's a 14th century mountain-top manor that served as the inspiration for the creepy dwelling in the book, but you get the picture. Close enough, right? No, the fictional master of the undead isn't pulling his own What We Do in the Shadows-style caper; it's not a share house, and there won't be a doco crew there filming everything. And no, you don't have to willingly get lured in by a charismatic recluse who can turn into a bat, or turn up to help him with legal matters (but hey, if you want to pretend that you're Keanu Reeves in the 1992 movie, go for it). Instead, it's as simple as hitting up Airbnb to win a chance to stay at Bran Castle in Romania. The accommodation-sharing service has offered up shark tanks, van Gogh's bedroom, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' secret lair and an Abbey Road slumber party with Mark Ronson before, so you shouldn't be surprised. Now that's how you celebrate halloween. Plus, the evening will be hosted by the great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker himself, Dacre Stoker, who actually wrote a sequel to the bloodsucking classic in 2009. After riding in a horse-drawn carriage at sunset, probably seeing swooping bats and hearing howling wolves, he'll answer your knock at the door — and once he does, you're trapped until dawn. As an expert on Transylvanian lore, he'll guide you through lamp-lit corridors, creepy nooks, squeaky staircases and secret passages. There's 57 rooms in total, including lofty tower lookouts, deep dark crypts, a grand dining room perfect for an intimate candlelit dinner, and luxurious velvet-trimmed coffins to sleep in. Entrants must be 18 and over, and it goes without saying that anyone who is easily frightened shouldn't bother. For more information, visit the castle's listing on Airbnb.
Dance music has a pretty iffy reputation. Though it may give you one of the best nights of your life, it's always hidden in dark city hideyholes — the kind of rank, sticky-floored joints that you accidentally find yourself in at 4am. If that's the case, chances are that you won't even remember the tunes. But trust us, it deserves a whole lot more. To celebrate this thriving scene in a whole new way, dance collective and party specialists Innocuous are dragging this music into the daylight as part of Melbourne Music Week. On Friday, November 21 these Melbourne locals will be hosting a huge laneway party at Somerset Place kicking off at 4pm. The space will be decked out with palm trees, packed full of likeminded music lovers, and boasting an independent record fair in Gallery One Three. Mokumo, Loose Joints, Move Your Feet and Out of Focus will be sharing the decks all afternoon, and then PWD, Baker St, Bacon Booty Disco and 6am at the Garage will be leading the afterparty from 11pm. Kick on from Thursday's Live Music Safari and grab your tickets here. For more events from this year's Melbourne Music Week, check out our top ten picks.
Slinging fast-paced rhymes with a feisty attitude to match, Patricia Dombrowski (Danielle Macdonald) isn't naively chasing fame in Patti Cake$. With "mylifesfuckinawesome" one of her spirited rap anthems penned under the stage name of Killa P, she's certain that her music dreams will come true. The fact that she's stuck in New Jersey stringing together dead-end jobs to take care of her boozing mother (Bridget Everett) and ailing grandmother (Cathy Moriarty) might make it seem like her confidence is misplaced. But Patti's determination is as big as her smile. As quick as you can say "gender-swapped 8 Mile", Patti Cake$ takes its eager protagonist down the expected path, with her working-class background and plus-size shape thrown in as roadblocks. She's also got the requisite support from her old pal Jheri (Siddharth Dhananjay), as well as a new friend and collaborator in anti-establishment punk Basterd (Mamoudou Athie). They're soon laying down tunes, fighting for attention and eventually catching a few lucky breaks. It's all a bit predictable, but what this first feature from writer-director Geremy Jasper lacks in surprises, it makes up for in detail, heart and a stellar lead performance. With Jasper himself a Jersey native chasing dreams of his own, Patti Cake$ is filled with the kind of specificity that can only be plucked from real life. As a result, it has more than a few tricks up its sleeves. Audiences may be tempted to judge the movie prematurely due to its familiar narrative and slick-meets-gritty aesthetic. And yet, as the characters who underestimate Patti discover, there's a difference between appearances and reality. Just as there's more to Macdonald's protagonist than cruel nicknames like "Dumbo" and "white Precious", there's more to the film as well. Lurking within this standard underdog story is a clear-eyed portrait of small-town existence — from the sense of restlessness evident at every turn, to the need to seek escape by belting out tunes or taking to the bottle, to the distinct blend of hip hop and white working-class subcultures. Whenever the formula kicks in, the sights and sounds of Patti's mundane life don't quite counteract the obviousness of the plot, but they do give the film's feel-good trajectory weight and authenticity. There's bleak truth and an almost documentary-like spirit that accompanies every convenient twist and turn. Accordingly, when the big, crowd-pleasing moments come, the emotion that swells with them feels well and truly earned. The same can be said of Macdonald's efforts, with the Aussie actress dazzling in a way that would make her on-screen alter ego both proud and jealous. In her hands, Patti relishes the highs she has toiled for with the knowing smile of someone who has weathered the lows, and remains well aware that fantasies don't really come true overnight. It's a star-making turn in a movie that's all about chasing star-making chances, and it comes with excellent support from Everett and Moriarty. All that plus a catchy soundtrack will have your toes tapping even if Killa P's beats aren't your usual jam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLUqLITumZA
For most people, waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee is one of life's simple pleasures. Soon, waking up in bedding made from coffee grounds might be as well. Forget using caffeinated leftovers in the garden or around the house — Australian outfit Ettitude wants to reuse the parts that don't make it into your cuppa, infusing them into their new sheets range. It seems that they're not the only ones keen on the idea, with their Kickstarter campaign fully funded, and the first sheets due to ship in November. Their range includes the whole bedding kit and caboodle — aka flat and fitted sheets, quilt covers and pillow cases — in double, queen and king sizes, as available in a range of packs of combinations. And while they don't actually smell like everyone's favourite hot beverage, they do supposedly reap plenty of rewards. So, how does it work? The company's bamboo coffee bedding collection uses coffee yarns sourced from S.Cafe, who repurpose coffee grounds from cafes around the world, blend them with a polymer made from recycled plastic drink bottles, and turn the mix into fabric. At Ettitude, the yarns are then woven through their own sustainable bamboo lyocell textiles, ready to bring some coffee goodness to bedrooms everywhere. It's not just the environmentally friendly aspect of their new creation that Ettitude is getting all frothed up about, either; their sheets apparently offer a range of other benefits. It's unsurprising that material made out of something as heavy-scented as coffee grounds can block out other odours, but it can also wick away moisture faster, ensuring that bedding stays fresher for longer. Ettitude also state that hypoallergenic, thermoregulating bamboo-based linen doesn't irritate hair and skin as much as other fabrics, helping you wake up feeling refreshed — before you even roll out of bed and grab a coffee. For more information about Ettitude's bamboo coffee sheets, head to their Kickstarter campaign.
Grey Ghost, The Herd’s Jane Tyrrell, and the good people of Hip Hop Karaoke will be getting your weekend off to an excellent start at Howler this Friday. Grey Ghost is currently working away on his debut album, but wants to come out of the recording studio and play. He’s put together a sweet little mixtape and not only will he be playing it live, he'll be giving away free copies on the door. Hip Hop Karaoke will open the night. If you’ve done HHK before, you clearly know that it’s the bizness, but things will be running slightly different this time around. You’ll need to sign up before the night, so shoot them an inbox message via theirFacebook page and lock in your spot. On top of that, Jane Tyrrell has been working on her debut solo album Echoes In The Aviary and she’s pretty damn excited to test out her new material. What a coincidence — we're pretty damn excited to have a listen!
It's pretty clear the good folk behind Top Paddock, Three Bags Full and Two Birds One Stone are completely unable to sit still; they're opening a brand new cafe dubbed Kettle Black this month. Nathan Toleman, Ben Clark and Diamond Rozakeas are setting up their latest venture on Albert Road in South Melbourne, in a rather odd-looking building that fuses a Victorian terrace house with a modern apartment building. With the new cafe's fitout at the hands of South Yarra design firm Studio You Me, we’re expecting to see something pretty bold (the only sneak peaks we've seen on Twitter so far are wooden parquetry wall detailing and hexagonal tile-meets-concrete flooring). Just last year, Top Paddock won Best Cafe Design in the Eat Drink Design Awards and Best New Cafe in The Age Good Cafe Guide awards, so there's some relatively big shoes to fill right there. While the menu direction hasn't been hinted at yet, if Toleman, Rozakeas and Clark's other ventures are anything to go by you can expect top-notch service, Five Senses coffee pumping all day and a foolproof, freshly housemade smorgasbord of nosh options. Kettle Black opens at 7am on Thursday, July 24. Find the new digs at 50 Albert Road, South Melbourne. Via Good Food.
Hope you're feeling hungry, because Taste of Melbourne is back. One of the biggest, tastiest gastronomic events in town, this four-day foodie festival — which starts cooking on Thursday, November 30 — will once again welcome some of the biggest boffins in culinary culture to a brand new home: Yarra Park, right outside the MCG. The year's program is positively bursting – just like you'll be by the time the final day of the festival rolls around. For starters, they're marking their tenth anniversary with a birthday bash featuring some notable culinary collabs and fine wine. There'll also be an after dark party in the park featuring sets by local bands and DJs. Other standouts on the program include a make-your-own gin class with the team from Sydney's Archie Rose Distillery, and a series of Table Talks featuring a wide range of speakers from the food and beverage industry. Punters will also get the chance to attend live demonstrations by some of Melbourne's top chefs, take part in hands-on cooking classes, and peruse what's on offer in the marketplace, featuring wares from dozens of local producers. Taste of Melbourne 2017 will run from November 30 to December 3. If you're an American Express Card Member you'll get a sneaky 15 percent off tickets (to all events except the tenth birthday bash), express entry into the festival and a ten percent discount on a select dish at participating restaurants. Plus, Card Members have the chance to win a super special Taste of Melbourne experience, which includes a gin-making masterclass, private dining experience and tickets to the After Dark party — you can enter that one over here. The comp closes on November 2 and T&Cs apply.
Break out the martinis and prepare for a shaken but not stirred Boxing Day — Bond, James Bond, is coming to your lounge room. On Wednesday, December 26, Stan will become home to all 24 official films in the espionage franchise, which means one massive movie marathon is on the cards. Sean Connery smouldering his way through everything from Dr. No to Diamonds Are Forever, Roger Moore stepping into 007's shoes between Live and Let Die and A View to A Kill, Timothy Dalton's two-film run in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill — they're all included. So is Pierce Brosnan's stint as the secret agent between GoldenEye and Die Another Day, and Daniel Craig's four contributions to date since Casino Royale. Aussie actor George Lazenby's one-movie appearance as Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service is also on the bill. A 25th movie, Never Say Never Again, will also hit Stan on the same date. Made in 1983, it stars Connery as the suave spy. But, because it was made by a different company from the rest of the Bond movies, it's not considered part of the official franchise. If you're particularly keen to rove your eyes over every single detail — and every villain, Bond girl, gadget and opening credits sequence too — Stan is streaming the flicks in 4K. And even if you're not wowed by revisiting the franchise in an impressive resolution, this marks the first time the entire franchise has made its way to an Aussie streaming platform. Find the Bond franchise on Stan from Wednesday, December 26,.
You know a show is a big deal when you have to Google whether the musician is still alive or not. Thankfully for us, the legendary tambourine man is still very much alive and kicking. And, to celebrate his 73rd birthday yesterday, Bob Dylan has announced a month-long run of Australian and New Zealand tour dates to kick off in August. Though this birthday would signify the age of retirement for many, this world-renowned singer-songwriter is showing no signs of slowing down. Having last toured the country with his 2012 album Tempest, Dylan has recently been leaking new content on his website. After releasing a cover of Frank Sinatra's 'Full Moon and Empty Arms', some have suggested the prolific musician's next album — number 36 — could be a compilation of covers. Either way, it'll be a treat to see this living legend perform live. But be sure to get in early! With an iconic sound that has spanned generations, these all ages shows are bound to sell out quick. Tour dates: Saturday, August 9 - Claudelands Arena, Hamilton. Wednesday, August 13 - Riverside Theatre, Perth. Thursday, August 14 - Riverside Theatre, Perth. Monday, August 18 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne. Tuesday, August 19 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne. Monday, August 25 - Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane. Friday, August 28 - Royal Theatre, Canberra. Sunday, August 31 - Entertainment Centre, Adelaide. Wednesday, August 3 - State Theatre, Sydney. Thursday, September 4 - State Theatre, Sydney. Wednesday, September 10 - CBS Canterbury Arena, Christchurch. Tickets for the Australian shows go on sale Tuesday, June 3 at 9am via Ticketek and Ticketmaster.
During this summer's catastrophic bushfire season, flames encroached on Bundanon and Riversdale, the 1100-hectare properties that were gifted to the Australian public by by artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne Boyd back in 1993. Located in the Shoalhaven region on the New South Wales south coast, the heritage-listed sites were thankfully saved, as was the art collection within them — and now work is underway on their huge new bushland gallery. While the new addition to Riversdale was first announced back in 2018, this week marked the start of construction, with the gallery due for completion by the end of 2021 in time for an early 2022 opening. Well aware of its location and the climate conditions it faces, it'll welcome a purpose-built, 380-square-metre 'environmentally prepared gallery-of-the-future' — which'll be designed to ramp up the site's fire defenses, complete with a safe storage facility. With work underway — and new renders revealed, providing another glimpse of what the scenic spot will look like in two years — the Federal Government announced that it's also providing additional funding to help improve the properties' resilience. Specifically, it has earmarked $300,000 for the installation of an ember suppression system to protect the location's significant heritage-listed buildings. They include the Arthur Boyd Homestead, studio, artists-in-residence and musician cottages, and the art collection store. Costing $33 million in total, with $22 million supplied by the Australian Government and $8.6 million coming the NSW Government, the new site will house a huge art collection valued at $43 million. That hefty range spans around 4000 items, including more than 1300 works by Arthur Boyd himself. Pieces by Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya and Brett Whiteley are also part of the collection — items that, at present, are on display in the existing Bundanon Homestead and in Arthur Boyd's studio, When the Boyds gave the rural site to the Australian public back more than a quarter-century ago, Bundanon and Riversdale became a haven for creativity, arts and education, as well as remaining a working farm. That's all remaining the same — just with the new addition built into the hillside. That said, although the new gallery is the main attraction — boasting windows that frame the artwork with glimpses of the natural splendour outside, it promises to provide quite the sight — that's not all that's being added to the property. Also under construction is a 140-metre-long by nine-metre-wide structure that'll branch out of the gallery, into a bridge spanning across the bushland and parkland, and across to 34 bedrooms, a teaching and dining space, and a public cafe. Stepped terraces, an openair arrival hall and an outdoor learning space are also planned. The Bundanon Trust's new gallery is due to open in early 2022 in Illaroo, New South Wales. For further information, visit the Bundanon Trust website. Images: Kerstin Thompson Architects.
Marvel's first Muslim superhero is coming to your streaming queue, but she'll have to conquer high school along the way. Come Wednesday, June 8, the ever-sprawling and always-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe will add its seventh new TV series in 18 months to streaming platform Disney+, and it's all about Pakistani American teenager Kamala Khan — better known to comic-book readers since 2013 as Ms Marvel. Arriving three years after Captain Marvel, the series that shares Ms Marvel's name focuses on a Carol Danvers superfan — who happens to discover that she has superpowers, too. Kamala (debutant Iman Vellani) doesn't feel like she fits in her hometown of Jersey City, and often escapes into gaming, writing fan fiction and her extremely active imagination; however, everything changes when she learns that she has more in common with her idol than she ever realised. As Ms Marvel's just-dropped first trailer shows, viewers can expect teen dreams and high-school hijinks aplenty — but with a superhero twist. How Kamala will handle living out her fantasy life will fuel the show's six-episode first season, in the leadup to 2023 big-screen release The Marvels, which'll feature Brie Larson as Carol, Vellani as Kamala, and also WandaVision's Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. Yes, while the MCU's slate of Disney+ series is taking a different approach in 2022 — focusing on bringing characters previously unseen on-screen into the fold, rather than giving existing franchise players their own shows (see: WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye) — it's still linking in with the bigger Marvel Cinematic Universe picture. Ms Marvel also gives the MCU a first — that aforementioned first Muslim superhero — after a decade and a half of hardly presenting diversity on-screen. Across the 28 films that will have hit cinemas before Ms Marvel drops, it took the MCU 18 movies to solely focus on a Black superhero, and 21 features across 11 years to do the same with a female superhero. It also didn't hand the directorial reins to a solo female filmmaker until its 24th movie, either —and, when Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals both released in 2021, they visibly and welcomely stood out from the bulk of the franchise in terms of representation. As well as newcomer Vellani, Ms Marvel's cast includes Aramis Knight (Into the Badlands), Saagar Shaikh (Unfair & Ugly), Rish Shah (India Sweets and Spices), Zenobia Shroff (The Affair), Mohan Kapur (Bullets), Matt Lintz (The Walking Dead), Yasmeen Fletcher (Let Us In) and Laith Nakli (Ramy). And, it'll hit your streaming queue following the MCU's other announced show for 2022 so far — the Oscar Isaac-starring Moon Knight, which arrives on Wednesday, March 30. Check out the trailer for Ms Marvel below: Ms Marvel will start streaming via Disney+ on Wednesday, June 8. Images: ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
