Forget celebrating Christmas in July — when the middle of the year hits, it's time to start working yourself up to the best occasion of the year. If you like scary movies, candy and dressing up in costumes, then you know the occasion. And in 2022, Halloween is almost here in more than a few ways. In just a few months, the spooky celebration itself will indeed arrive. Also hitting in October: the latest film in the Halloween franchise. A sequel to last year's Halloween Kills, as well as the third film in the trilogy within the broader saga that started with 2018's Halloween, it's been dubbed Halloween Ends. To that, we have two questions: will it really, and do we want it to? The just-dropped trailer for the new film certainly wants audiences to believe that this will be the last time that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once) and mask-wearing villain Michael Myers do battle. If the movie is a box office blockbuster, though, that might prove otherwise. Nothing ever truly dies these days in the pop-culture realm, especially successful big-screen series — and, since debuting back in 1978 with John Carpenter's OG masterpiece, the Halloween franchise has come back 11 other times before now. Story-wise, Halloween Ends will pick up four years after Halloween Kills, and see Laurie still processing the fallout — and living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak, Foxhole) while writing her memoir. She wants to move on from Michael Myers, who hasn't been seen since the events of the last movie. Then, a young man (Rohan Campbell, The Hardy Boys) is accused of killing a boy he's babysitting. As well as Curtis and Matichak, Will Patton (Outer Range) will return as Officer Frank Hawkins, and Kyle Richards does the same as Lindsey Wallace — a part she also played back in the very first film. David Gordon Green (Stronger) is still in the director's chair for the third Jason Blum-produced Halloween entry in a row (and his third, too), and co-wrote the screenplay with Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones), Paul Brad Logan (Manglehorn) and Chris Bernier (The Driver). If the Halloween saga really does end here after 44 years, it'll wrap up one of horror's best franchises — albeit a series that also varies wildly from movie to movie. Again, the first flick is an absolute masterpiece, as well as one of the best horror films ever made. Since then, the slasher saga has delivered excellent and terrible sequels, veered into remake territory, both killed off and brought back its heroine, and completely erased parts of its own past several times. Check out the Halloween Ends trailer below: Halloween Kills will release in cinemas Down Under on October 13.
If you dote over your vinyl collection with obsessive passion — or even if you just casually collect whichever albums you happen to come across whenever you're in your local record store — then you probably have one Saturday in April permanently marked on your calendar. That'd be Record Store Day, the annual celebration of ace music, a beloved format and the shops that trade in both. As happened last year, RSD has been postponed in 2021. Instead of its usual timeslot, the huge vinyl event will now take place in June. But that doesn't mean that your record pile has to remain static for the next couple of months, with record companies banding together for a huge vinyl sell-off: The Great Australian Warehouse Sale. Across the weekend of Saturday, April 17–Sunday, April 18, music aficionados will be able to snap up vinyl galore via indie record stores. Record companies such as Universal, Sony, MGM, Warner and more will be diving into their vaults, clearing out their warehouses and making as much stock available as possible, while individual shops will also be adding their own spin to the fun. Different stores will have different items on offer, so going crate-digging at your favourite shops is highly recommended. For further details — including which places are taking part — head to The Great Australian Warehouse Sale website.
Usually when September rolls around, the AFL finals take over Melbourne. But 2021 isn't a normal year, just as 2020 wasn't before it. With Melbourne currently under its sixth lockdown, all of the footy finals have been played elsewhere — in Tasmania, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth — with the grand final also heading out of town for the second year in a row. On Saturday, September 25, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs will battle it out at Perth's Optus Stadium, with whoever emerges victorious taking home the 2021 AFL premiership cup. Yes, two Victorian teams will face off in Western Australia in the decider, just like two Vic teams did at the Gabba in Brisbane last year. Thankfully for Victorians, one thing about the grand final is staying the same this year: the annual public holiday on the Friday beforehand. Last year, it moved dates when the game shifted to October. This year, it'll remain in September — on Friday, September 24, in fact. So, you'll still be able to celebrate the pinnacle of this year's footy season, and get excited about watching the Dees take on the Dogs. That said, Melbourne will still be under lockdown, so the city's residents will be doing so at home — and without a grand final parade, obviously. [caption id="attachment_823646" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Optus Stadium, Government of Western Australia[/caption] Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed last month that the public holiday was gazetted, and would go ahead as planned. "I think it might be a 'go and get vaccinated' day. Yes, it's a gazetted public holiday, as we've committed," he said. "What I want is to get all of us vaccinated and get to the other side of this so that certainly next year's grand final Friday, we can be at a parade. I think that'd be a fantastic thing — and then go to a packed MCG," the Premier continued. Not into AFL? You can still look forward to a long weekend. Victoria's AFL Grand Final public holiday will still go ahead on Friday, September 24. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria and how to protect yourself, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
If there's one thing Aussies love, it's taking the day off work and catching up with mates over a couple of beers, a bottle of wine, or a cocktail jug in celebration of not being in the office. So, there's absolutely no chance we Melburnians will let a public holiday such as Melbourne Cup Day pass by without some good celebration. As always, the problem isn't finding somewhere that's open on a public holiday, it's picking the best place on offer out of the many venues in our vibrant city. Ahead of the big one on Tuesday, November 5, we've put together a cheeky list of ways to get down on the day without blowing big bucks. Think bottomless brunches, high tea packages, three-course meals, a party hosted by drag queens and endless grazing stations. Make sure to get your best frocks out, as there are plenty of prizes up for grabs across the city for best (and worst) dressed.
If you know no other Shakespeare, you probably know A Midsummer Night's Dream. It’s the one with fairies, often seen being put on in parks and botanic gardens. Expect no prancing or wing-and-tutu ensembles from this latest version by Bell Shakespeare, however. So determined is this production to separate itself from the usual woodland fantasia aesthetic that it is being presented simply as The Dream. It aims to be a darker version of the play, the focus more on the dramatic elements of a script usually played as a fluffy comedy. It has also been economised and the cast streamlined, with actors switching roles as scenes jump abruptly from one story thread to another. One moment, they’ll clown about as the amateur actors preparing a play for the king, then they’ll throw on robes and thunder as outraged nobility and star-crossed lovers, then the lights go dim and a sinister soundtrack indicates it’s fairy time. The fairies are played as creatures of the night, wearing leather jackets and moving animalistically, heightening the sinister nature of a myth usually painted in gloss. It’s bold in concept and fast-moving in execution, certainly different from any Botanic Gardens Dream you’ve seen, but it does rely on you having some familiarity with the play. If you don’t already know who the characters are, the fast pace is likely to confuse the fairy dust out of you, especially at the beginning. There is also a tendency to rush over some of the gentler moments. The scenes which work best are those involving conflict or madcap comedy but romance scenes, so central to the story, are lacking tenderness. The romantic leads, eloping lovebirds Hermia (Lucy Honigman) and Lysander (Gareth Reeves) and unlucky in love Helena (Nikki Shiels) and Demetrius (Johnny Carr), are never quite believable as couples. The constant bluster between them, combined with the inexplicably ocker accents used for these characters, makes their relationships seem more like ones you'd see unravelling on Swanston Street at 2am rather than coming together in a fairy-haunted forest. Oberon (Ray Chong Nee) and Titania (Janine Watson) are delightful though, the thunderous and manipulative nature of their relationship perhaps more more forgivable in a fairy king and queen. Julie Forsyth is memorable as Puck and Richard Piper gives the role of Bottom both its comic dues and some character nuance. All the cast deserve credit for the energy and physicality of their performances, which sees them on stage constantly, often clambering over the set or executing whirlwind scene changes. Despite all the energy, it kind of fizzles out at the end. This is partly due to the reduced cast. In the original, the performance of the peasants’ play prompts an all-cast-on-stage moment with the nobles watching the peasants and the fairies watching the nobles, a classic Shakespeare performance-within-performance moment. With only one set of actors to represent all three groups, this isn’t possible and the performance of the peasants’ play after the plot has been resolved and the romantic leads have all left feels unnecessary. Ah well, if you want to see a classic take on this play, one’s sure to pop up in a park near you soon enough. The Dream, while perhaps overshooting its mark in going dark and dramatic with a story about fairies and love potions, certainly offers some new perspectives on a work more complex than it is often given credit for.
Attention all video game nerds (it's okay, nerds are cool now) and music lovers, this is one event you might want to free up your Friday night for. Indie Symphony is a one-night-only performance that will bring together the best of both worlds, with a live orchestral rendition of beloved soundtracks hailing from some of the most popular indie video games ever created. Presented by Orchestra Victoria, the concert will feature music from Australia's own top-selling worldwide hit Hollow Knight, Grammy-nominated Journey, and Game of the Year winner Hades. The evening will also feature scores from Stray Gods, Celeste, Necrobarista, and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. The night promises to be a feast for the eyes as well as the ears, as gameplay from all titles will be projected onto a giant screen. It's like watching your favourite gamer's Twitch stream, only heaps better. The night will be hosted by ABC's Game Show host, Meena Shamaly, and will feature a Q&A session with some of the composers and musicians post-performance. Names to look forward to include Simon Hall, Steven Gates, and Austin Wintory, the latter of which is the mastermind behind the 2012 emotional rollercoaster Journey — the first video game title to be nominated for a Grammy. If you've ever wondered what goes into making video games, this is a rare opportunity to hear directly from the people who create these beloved titles and the music that brings them to life.
When Anchovy co-owners Jia-Yen Lee and Thi Le first started slinging khao jee pâté — the Lao cousin of the Vietnamese banh mi — during last year's lockdown, it was never meant to become a permanent venture. But as lockdowns and restrictions continued, and the duo's street food offering earned itself a loyal following, it became clear the Ca Com pop-up was here to stay. Now, it's spawned its own standalone shopfront next door. Named after the Vietnamese words for 'anchovy', Ca Com first made an appearance at the front window of Anchovy in May 2020. The restaurateurs were keen to keep busy while Anchovy was closed to dine-ins, and a rotating menu of banh mi was exactly the kind of accessible, lockdown-friendly fare the neighbourhood needed. The pair have been running the pop-up on and off ever since, using a hibachi on the window sill to barbecue proteins and ramping up opening hours whenever Melbourne goes into a snap lockdown. The concise banh mi menu changes regularly depending on the availability of meat cuts and other ingredients, giving the team a chance to flex their creativity and test out new flavour combinations for its dedicated Melbourne fans.
It's back, it's big and it's heading around Australia in February 2023: St Jerome's Laneway Festival and its impressive lineup, that is. Returning for the first time since 2020 — since celebrating 15 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio first decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes — the beloved fest boasts a phenomenal list of talent taking to its stages for its huge and eagerly awaited comeback tour. Here are three names to get you started: HAIM, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers. Laneway has been teasing its 2023 return since early 2021, then locked in dates and venues — and come Saturday, February 11, 2023, it'll hit up The Park at Flemington in Melbourne. Also on the bill: Finneas, Fontaines DC, Fred again..., Girl in Red, slowthai and Turnstile, as well as 100 Gecs, Chaos in the CBD, Knucks and Mallrat. Yes, the lineup goes on from there. Clearly, there's a whole heap of reasons to be excited — from HAIM's first Australian tour since 2017 (and definitely the first since Alana killed it on the big screen in Licorice Pizza) to Bridgers' return after a huge few years, just to name a couple. Also on the list: just Laneway being back and livening up late summer in general. General ticket sales start at 9am on Thursday, September 29 via the festival's website. ST JEROME'S LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP: Haim Joii Phoebe Bridgers Finneas Fontaines DC Fred again... Girl in Red slowthai Turnstile 100 Gecs Chaos in the CBD Knucks Mallrat Ross From Friends The Beths Yard Act Adam Newling The Backseat Lovers Harvey Sutherland Jacoténe Jamesjamesjames Logic1000 Sycco Tasman Keith The Lazy Eyes Top image: RC Stills.
Located on the first floor of the original Fitzroy Post Office is Cream Melbourne — an absolute hair institution. Owners Lee Scott and Richard Tucker have been serving the eclectic Fitzroy community for the past 20 years, remaining always relevant with their simple yet effective ethos: 'Let's make it work'. Scott and Tucker, with their team of experts, strive to create a welcoming space in which clients are able to achieve their hair goals. Cream is all about passion and diversity while continuing to be at the forefront of technical skill and innovation. Blow-dries start from $72, while more complicated dos are $108 and up.
If it's true that the things that don't kill you only serve to make you stronger, we can all expect Melbourne's Rising festival to come out fighting fit for its long-awaited premiere run this year. After COVID-19 unravelled its planned 2020 debut, then returned to cancel all but opening night of its 2021 program, the blockbuster citywide multi-arts festival will this year, finally, get its moment. As announced today, Rising is set to descend on Melbourne from Wednesday, June 1–Sunday, June 12. Determined to make this third time a charm, the festival is delivering a hefty, carefully-honed program of art, music and performance. "Overall, we're expecting one million people to experience Rising across 225 events, with over 800 artists involved," festival co-director Gideon Obarzanek tells Concrete Playground. Over 12 days and nights, those artists will transform the streets and spaces of Melbourne into their canvases and stages, serving up a diverse, supersized culture fix to kickstart winter. With borders reopened, a stack more international names have been able to join the bill, too. [caption id="attachment_846653" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Wilds, 2021[/caption] While the program has evolved and morphed since last year, some of its key experiences are built on return concepts. "The Wilds and Golden Square are the two big pillar pieces," explains co-director Hannah Fox. "But a lot of the content within those projects is new." The Wilds will return to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, this time dishing up a fluorescent-tinged fusion of art, sound and flavour courtesy of renowned New York-based Aussie artists Tin & Ed. It'll play host to performances, quirky large-scale structures, and an ice-skating rink beating to the sound of 80s and 90s bangers. Exceptional eats here include snacks from the likes of 1800 Lasagne and Smith & Daughters, and a 'glowing glasshouse bistro' manned by celebrated chefs David Moyle, Jo Barrett and Matt Stone. [caption id="attachment_846649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Yore's 2018 work 'It's All Wrong But It's Alright'. Credit Rémi Chauvin.[/caption] Golden Square will again transform a multi-storey Chinatown carpark into a vibrant, sensorial art park, featuring parades, rooftop bars and a compelling site-wide exhibition from artists like Paul Yore, Scotty So, Atong Atem and Jason Phu. Patricia Piccinini's otherworldy exhibition A Miracle Constantly Repeated will continue its popular run, gracing the Flinders Street Ballroom until the festival's end on June 12. Leading audio-visual artist Robin Fox is also creating a mesmerising laser and sound work, Monochord, that will beam one kilometre along the Yarra each night. And, thanks to Keith Courtney, one of the folks behind House of Mirrors and 1000 Doors, a 20-metre-long kaleidoscopic labyrinth will invite attendees to immerse themselves in a playground of mazes and light. [caption id="attachment_846648" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robin Fox's work MONOCHORD[/caption] Gig-starved music-lovers can expect a smorgasbord of sonic delights throughout the fest, as international names like Moses Sumney, Welsh electro star Kelly Lee Owens and the multi-talented Andy Shauf join homegrown talent including renowned drummer Jim White, Tkay Maidza, Harvey Sutherland and the legendary Sampa the Great. Meanwhile, a diverse program of dance performances will share stories from around the world, with unmissable works from the likes of Stephanie Lake Company, Denmark's Mette Ingvartsen, Indonesian choreographer Rianto and Uruguay's Tamara Cubas. Legendary text-based artist Jenny Holzer will transform a 19th-century building facade with her six-storey projection work I CONJURE, too — and for The Invisible Opera, the constant buzz of Federation Square will be mapped in real-time, creating an immersive multi-disciplinary performance piece. [caption id="attachment_846654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tkay Maidza[/caption] Jurrungu ngan-ga (meaning 'straight talk') explores refugee detention and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in custody via a captivating, culture-bridging dance performance by the Marrugeku crew. Plus, the return of the famed Melbourne Art Trams will showcase six trams emblazoned with designs by First Peoples artists, alongside a reproduction of the 1991 tram work by acclaimed artist, painter and sculptor Lin Onus. And, nodding to one of the city's greatest sporting loves, there's the work that has Hannah Fox most excited, Still Lives. "It's a performance we commissioned back in 2020, which is now going to take place in the NGV, in the Great Hall," the festival director explains. "It's essentially two artists, Luke George and Daniel Kok, who are working with five retired AFL players to suspend them in rope bondage from the ceiling… in the form of an iconic mark from the AFL's history. Yeah, I'm very excited for that." Rising will run from Wednesday, June 1–Sunday, June 12 at venues and public spaces across Melbourne. Presale tickets are available from 12pm on Monday, March 21, with regular tickets selling from 12pm on Friday, March 25.
If you were walking along the street, going about your normal day and happened to spot Timothée Chalamet, you'd likely stop on the spot in astonishment. First, the bad news: the real Little Women, Lady Bird and Call Me By Your Name probably isn't moseying around Melbourne at the moment. Now, the good news: if you head to the corner of Caledonian Lane and Lonsdale Street, you will spy a towering mural of him instead. You won't miss it, actually. You're not meant to — it's part of an eight-building piece that covers 615 square metres, all to mark the release of sci-fi epic Dune in Australian cinemas. The film was initially slated to release in 2020, but has been delayed multiple times due to the pandemic. Come Thursday, December 2, it's finally sending its sandworms and spice wars our way (and, yes, it's completely worth the wait). As Melbourne's new artwork is all about the movie, it also features other cast Dune members — Oscar Isaac (Scenes From a Marriage), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows) and Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame) all included. This massive laneway piece took six weeks to create, with six Melbourne artists putting in more than 2000 hours of work and using nearly 1000 litres of paint. Sure, Sydney got a giant Squid Game Red Light, Green Light doll back in October — but who wouldn't rather a huge Timothée Chalamet? Melbourne's Dune murals are currently on display on the corner of Caledonian Lane and Lonsdale Street. Dune opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday, December 2.
"It's actually a western" is a fairly common call these days, directed towards everything from superhero films to horror flicks. In the case of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the comparison really sticks. In the latest biting black comedy from writer-director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths), a horrific tragedy inspires a determined crusade, as a lone hero commits to doing whatever it takes to see justice done and a small town gets caught up in the chaos. Shots are fired, in the form of controversial signs, scuffles with dentists, cursing at priests, and hurling both people and Molotov cocktails through windows. Clad in faded boilersuit rather than cowboy hat and holster, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) leads the charge. After spotting a trio of weathered billboards on the rarely used Drinkwater Road outside of the titular locale, she hires them out with the purpose of sending one hell of a message. Still mourning the death of her teenage daughter seven months earlier, and equally furious and frustrated about the lack of progress in the local police investigation, Mildred arranges for the signs to bear three statements. "Raped while dying," reads the first. "And still no arrests?", asks the second. "How come, Chief Willoughby?", pleads the third. The origins of the film's fantastic title might be immediately apparent, but the directions that Three Billboards heads in from there are far from predictable. The movie wears its rage as prominently as Mildred wears her wilt-inducing glare, while at the same time chronicling her grief with empathy and understanding. It's a delicate balance, never downplaying either her ire or her pain, and it's one that McDonagh gets just right. It also proves essential as Mildred crosses paths with other townsfolk, such as the well-respected Chief (Woody Harrelson) named on her signs, and the easily angered Officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell), who's known for his brutal racism more than his law-enforcement prowess. Packed with dark, hilarious, nigh-unprintable dialogue, McDonagh's script mightn't be subtle, but it is teeming with complexity — much more than some of its seemingly simplistic takes on race and gender might initially indicate. Taking his cues from gunslinging revenge tales gone by, the filmmaker crafts a complicated rumination on humanity's contradictions, including the way that the right intentions can still lead to murky outcomes, and vice versa. His storytelling approach demonstrates a similarly stark contrast in action, convincingly flitting from scathing to thoughtful to loud, foul-mouthed and attention-seeking, and back again, in an instant. From the second that McDormand's Mildred locks eyes on the billboards, there's no doubting the movie's other big standout. It's hardly surprising given the actress' track record, but it bears highlighting all the same. While Harrelson and Rockwell are in terrific form, they've got nothing on McDormand, who seems certain to pick up another Academy Award nomination more than 20 years after scoring her first playing the polar opposite type of role in Fargo. She's in total command of the movie from beginning to end, though in true western style it's the small gestures, more than the witty speeches, that really leave a lasting impression. The range that she shows — whether in a momentarily faltering gaze, an unthinking act of kindness in a confrontational situation, or a look of troubled realisation — many actors can only dream of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aZ3r-84EQc
Bluesfest has done it again. The annual event up in Byron Bay looks to have another stellar lineup on its hands, featuring artists from around the world across a diverse range of genres. There's truly something for everyone but if you're unable to schlep up the coast for the Easter weekend then there's no need to fret. Some of the biggest names on the bill are making the most of their trip Down Under by putting on gigs in Sydney and Melbourne, too, meaning April promises to be a bumper live music month across the country. With over 19 artists set to do sideshows this year, we've teamed up with Bluesfest Touring to help you decide what not to miss. Read on to discover seven sideshows that you should nab tickets to, then check out the rest of the sideshow lineup — Buffy Sainte-Marie, John Mayall, The Marcus King Band, Walter Trout, The War & Treaty, The Allman Betts Band, Amadou & Mariam, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles and Tal Wilkenfeld — on the Bluesfest website. DWEEZIL ZAPPA Sunday, April 12 at Enmore Theatre, Sydney and Monday, April 13 at The Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne Since 2006, Dweezil Zappa has been the driving force behind the touring band whose main aim is to breathe life into the work of his father — avant-garde virtuoso Frank Zappa. Hot Rats, Frank Zappa's 1969 jazz-progressive rock-fusion album, is arguably his best-known work, and Dweezil Zappa is honouring his legacy by touring the record in its entirety. Hot Rats hit the shelves the same year that Zappa was born, so it holds a special place in his heart, and he's said that this is the best version of his touring band that he's ever had. Given previous iterations of his group are Grammy winners, that's some claim. PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16 at Enmore Theatre, Sydney and Tuesday, April 21–Thursday, April 23 at Forum Melbourne, Melbourne "I really thought that I wouldn't be able to come back, so I'm delighted that I was wrong," Patti Smith told Bluesfest Touring on her impending return to these shores. Smith — poet, author, singer, icon and 'godmother of punk' — has been an inspiration to millions since the release of her debut classic album Horses in 1975 and, despite now being in her 70s, shows no signs of slowing down. Her touring band includes both Lenny Kaye and Jay Dee Daugherty, who have been with her since day dot, plus her son Jackson on guitar. EAGLES OF DEATH METAL Thursday, April 16 at Metro Theatre, Sydney and Sunday, April 19 at The Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne Californian singer-songwriter Jesse Hughes and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme have been recording as Eagles of Death Metal since 1998. The name comes from a literal imagining of what country-rock stalwarts The Eagles would sound like were they a death metal band. In mid-2019, the band released a record of covers featuring classics from artists as diverse as Guns N' Roses, George Michael and Mary J Blige, all played in EODM's own inimitable style. Their live shows have always been known for their raucous, OTT behaviour, and their Bluesfest sideshow promises to be no different. LARKIN POE Wednesday, April 15 at The Factory Theatre, Sydney and Thursday, April 16 at Corner Hotel, Melbourne Sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell celebrate a decade of performing psychedelic blues rock under their Larkin Poe moniker in 2020. Originally hailing from Georgia but now based in Nashville, as any self-respecting Americana outfit would be, Larkin Poe's close harmony take on roots music has earned plaudits from the likes of Elvis Costello and Keith Urban. Oh, and Russell Crowe, apparently. Dragging blues rock into the 21st century, the duo isn't afraid to throw horns and electronics at a genre steeped in tradition and, in doing so, breathe life into it, while simultaneously creating something vibrant and exciting. Be sure to catch them as soon as Bluesfest draws to a close. MORCHEEBA Tuesday, April 7 at 170 Russell, Melbourne and Thursday, April 9 at Enmore Theatre, Sydney Next year marks quarter of a century of Morcheeba, the downtempo duo who were instrumental in bringing trip-hop to the masses in the 1990s. Led by the sweet vocals of Skye Edwards, the London-based band have released nine albums in their career, cracking the Top 20 twice at the start of the century. Morcheeba must love playing over here — they played Bluesfest and a bunch of sideshows back in 2018. Clearly, we love them playing here, too, because those sideshows completely sold out. If you want an evening of warm, enveloping sounds to set your mind at ease, nab tickets to the show in your city. BRANDI CARLILE Monday, April 6 at Hamer Hall, Melbourne and Wednesday, April 8 at Enmore Theatre, Sydney Alt-country vocalist Brandi Carlile is certainly an artist on the up. She was the most nominated woman at the 2019 Grammy Awards taking home three gongs, including Best Americana Album for her latest record, By the Way, I Forgive You. It's been over ten years since she played in Australia, and she's certainly a bigger draw now than she was then. She's also part of The Highwomen, the country supergroup that features Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires, so there's every chance that some tracks from their self-titled debut could also make their way into Carlile's set. [caption id="attachment_753622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Austin Hargrave[/caption] GEORGE BENSON Sunday, April 5 at State Theatre, Sydney and Thursday, April 9 at Palais Theatre, Melbourne Perhaps best known for the 1980 soft disco hit album, Give Me the Night, soul man George Benson is still going strong after more than 65 years in the business. He can still command a crowd, too — he's had to add a second date to his Sydney and Melbourne sojourns to accommodate public demand. His most recent record, Walking to New Orleans, is a tribute to the music of Fats Domino and Chuck Berry, but surely Benson has now earned the right to be listed among such greats. After all, it's not just anyone who gets their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. To book tickets to these sideshows, and many more — including Buffy Sainte-Marie, John Mayall, The Marcus King Band, Walter Trout, The War & Treaty, The Allman Betts Band, Amadou & Mariam, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles and Tal Wilkenfeld — visit the Bluesfest website.
Wherever your suitcases are currently stashed, dig them out: spring is almost here, Jetstar has dropped an end-of-winter flight sale, and a range of Australian and international destinations await. There's no better motivation for a getaway than cheap fares, whether you're keen to soak up the sunshine away from home, book your next big overseas trip, lock in a pre-Christmas vacation or plan your first holiday of 2025. All of the above scenarios are covered by the Australian carrier's latest batch of discounted flights, which start at $34. As always, that price spans trips from Sydney to Byron Bay. From there, the Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Uluru, Bali, Tokyo, Hawaii, Bangkok, Seoul and Vanuatu are among the options, and the list goes on from there. Some specific highlights include Sydney to Hamilton Island from $79 and Melbourne to Hamilton Island from $109, Brisbane to Cairns from $69 and Brisbane to Tokyo from $335 — plus Honolulu flights from $280 out of Sydney, $285 from Melbourne and $359 departing from Brisbane. Domestically, other destinations span Newcastle, Darwin, Mackay, Busselton, Sunshine Coast, Whitsunday Coast, Hobart, Launceston and Hervey Bay. And from the overseas bargains, you also have Osaka, Queenstown, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Fiji, Singapore, Manila, Phuket, Krabi and Ho Chi Minh City to pick from. Travel periods vary, starting as early as September 2024 and ranging as late as July 2025, if that helps you to decide where — and when — to go. You've got until 11.59pm AEST on Monday, August 26, 2024 to nab your flights, or until sold out if they're snapped up by other travellers before then. There are a few rules, as is always the case. All sale fares are one-way, and they don't include checked baggage — so you'll need to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. Jetstar's Just Plane Good Sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Monday, August 26, 2024 — or until sold out, if snapped up earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Whatever holiday plans you already have for 2023, you might want to change them — or add another getaway to your itinerary. As part of its efforts to kickstart its pandemic-era tourism industry, Hong Kong has announced a massive airfare giveaway to entice visitors to make the trip. You know what to do: clear your calendar, check your annual leave balance and dust off your suitcase. From March–May, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Airport Authority Hong Kong will team up with three local airlines — Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines — to hand out 500,000 free airline tickets. While many of the specifics are still to be revealed, the giveaway is being called 'World of Winners' and will focus on tickets from southeast Asia in March, then from mainland China in April, and finally from northeast Asia and the rest of the world in May. That's when the fares will be up for grabs. When you'll need to travel is still to be confirmed. To nab tickets, you'll need to hop over to either the World of Winners website or each airline's designated page — and each carrier might do their giveaways differently. So, some free tickets might be available via a lucky draw and others on a first-come-first-served basis, or a buy-one-get-one-free arrangement could apply. [caption id="attachment_887782" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hong Kong Tourism Board[/caption] Free flights are just one aspect of an overall global promotional campaign named 'Hello Hong Kong'. Another: free drink, dining, shopping and transport vouchers, with at least a million up for grabs from 16,000-plus outlets. Dubbed 'Hong Kong Goodies', these freebies will be available to folks visiting Hong Kong for 90 days or less — and you'll have to pick just one offer. So, you can choose between a welcome drink valued at more than HK$100 at one of more than 100 bars, restaurants and hotels; a HK$100 cash voucher to use at 140-plus restaurants, shops or attractions; or a gift worth more than HK$100 at a heap of Hong Kong attractions and museums. With the current exchange rate, whichever of these three goodies you pick equates to around AU$18 / NZ$20 — but it's still a freebie. [caption id="attachment_887783" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hong Kong Tourism Board[/caption] There are caveats for these vouchers, of course. First, you have have to have a non-Hong Kong mobile number to obtain them — and, at the moment, they have to be collected from a Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Centre once you're there. That said, more redemption methods are set to be added. Visitors to Hong Kong have until December 31, 2023 to collect their goodies — and once you have chosen your coupon, you can't swap it. "Hong Kong is back on the map for global travellers, with more excitement to offer than ever before. We are extending a biggest welcome to the world through the 'Hello Hong Kong' campaign, inviting friends from everywhere as they return to one of the world's greatest tourism destinations," said Hong Kong Tourism Board Chairman Dr Pang Yiu-ka. "I am confident that Hong Kong's vibrant east-meets-west culture, together with our iconic and brand-new attractions and immersive experiences will attract travellers back for an epic, unforgettable journey." For folks living in Hong Kong, the Tourism Board's new promo scheme will also include additional free flights to locals holidaying outside of the country, but not until July. In total, more than 700,000 airfares will be handed out to overseas visitors and Hong Kong residents. For more information about Hong Kong's World of Winners flights giveaway, head to the initiative's website. For more information about the 'Hong Kong Goodies' vouchers, head to that scheme's website. Top image: Hong Kong Tourism Board. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
The National Gallery of Victoria has your summer art fix sorted, showcasing works from over 100 artists as part of its ambitious NGV Triennial exhibition. And now the fun is set to continue after hours, too, with the ultimate supporting act — a month-long series of tunes, performances, eats and drinks, dubbed Triennial Extra. Taking over the NGV International precinct nightly from Friday, January 15–Sunday, February 14, this free festival will be making the most of those balmy summer evenings to come. As well as late-night access to the NGV Triennial from 5-9pm, visitors can tuck into an exclusive menu of modern Indian eats, with a pop-up restaurant from Adam D'Sylva's acclaimed Tonka descending on the NGV's Garden Restaurant. Elsewhere, you'll find pop-up bars from the likes of Asahi and Yering Station, and bespoke Triennial-inspired pastries from the famed Lune Croissanterie. [caption id="attachment_796275" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tonka's modern Indian fare, by Tim Grey[/caption] Meanwhile, Melbourne Music Week has jumped on board to help curate a lineup of DJ sets, gracing the Triennial Summer Stage in the fairy-lit Grollo Equiset Garden each night. Across the month, you'll catch sounds from the likes of Andee Frost, Pjenné, Sui Zhen, Claire Knight, IN2STELLAR, Edd Fisher and many more. And that's just a taste of what's on offer, with the full Triennial Extra program dropping on Monday, January 11.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've been under the weather. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are eight that you can watch right now at home. JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 Almost a quarter-century has passed since Keanu Reeves uttered four iconic words: "I know kung fu". The Matrix's famous phrase was also the entire movie-going world's gain, because watching Reeves unleash martial-arts mayhem is one of cinema's purest pleasures. Notching up their fourth instalment with the obviously titled John Wick: Chapter 4, the John Wick flicks understand this. They couldn't do so better, harder, or in a bloodier fashion, in fact. Directed by Keanu's former stunt double Chad Stahelski, who helped him look like he did indeed know wushu back in the 90s, this assassin saga is built around the thrill of its star doing his violent but stylish best. Of course, The Matrix's Neo didn't just know kung fu, but gun fu — and Jonathan, as The Continental proprietor Winston (Ian McShane, Deadwood: The Movie) still likes to call him, helps turn bullet ballet into one helluva delight again and again (and again and again). Picking up where 2019's John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum left off, and once again so expertly and inventively executed that it's mesmerising, John Wick: Chapter 4 saddles its namesake with a new adversary: the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård, Barbarian), emissary of the death-for-hire business' powers-that-be, aka the High Table. After Wick puts the assassin realm's head honchos on notice during an early trip to the Middle East, the series' latest nefarious figure wants rid of him forever, wasting no time laying waste to the few things left that John loves. The Marquis has company, too — seeking a big payday in the case of the mercenary known as Tracker (Shamier Anderson, Son of the South), who has his own devoted dog; and due to a familiar deal with Caine (Donnie Yen, Mulan), a martial-arts whiz who is blind, and an old friend of John. That said, Wick has pals in this clash between the hitman establishment and its workers, which doubles as an eat-the-rich skirmish, including Winston, the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne, All the Old Knives), and the Osaka Continental's Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada, Bullet Train) and Akira (Rina Sawayama, Turn Up Charlie). John Wick: Chapter 4 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BEAU IS AFRAID Beau is afraid. Beau is anxious. Beau is alone. Beau is alive. Any of these three-word sentences would make a fitting name for Ari Aster's third feature, which sees its titular middle-aged figure not just worry about anything and everything, but watch his fears come true, concerns amplify and alienation grow — and then some. And, in the Hereditary and Midsommar filmmaker's reliably dread-inducing hands, no matter whether Beau (Joaquin Phoenix, C'mon C'mon) is wallowing in his apartment solo, being welcomed into someone else's family or stumbling upon a travelling theatre troupe in the woods, he knows that he's truly on his own in this strange, sad, surreal and savage world, too. More than that, he's well-aware that this is what life is inescapably like for all of us, regardless of how routine, chaotic or grand our individual journeys from emerging out of our mother's womb to sinking into death's eternal waters happen to prove. Aster has opted for Beau Is Afraid as a moniker, with this horror-meets-tragicomedy mind-bender a filmic ode to existential alarm — and, more than that, a picture that turns catastrophising into a feature. Psychiatrists will have a field day; however, experiencing the latest in the writer/director's growing line of guilt-dripping celluloid nightmares, so should viewers in general. Even with Chilean The Wolf House helmers Cristóbal León and Joaquin Cosiña lending their help to the three-hour movie's midsection, where animation adds another dreamlike dimension to a picture book-style play within an already fantastical-leaning flick frequently running on dream logic, Aster embraces his favourite deranged terrain again. He makes bold choices, doesn't think twice about challenging himself and his audience, elicits a stunning lead performance and dances with retina-searing imagery, all while pondering inherited trauma, the emotional ties that bind and the malevolence that comes with dependence. Beau Is Afraid is available to stream via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BROKER No matter how Hirokazu Kore-eda's on-screen families come to be, if there's any actual blood between them, whether they're grifting in some way or where in the world they're located, the Japanese writer/director and Shoplifters Palme d'Or winner's work has become so beloved — so magnificent, too — due to his care and sincerity. A Kore-eda film is a film of immense empathy and, like Like Father, Like Son, Our Little Sister, After the Storm and The Third Murder also in the prolific talent's past decade, Broker is no different. The setup here is one of the filmmaker's murkiest, with the feature's name referring to the baby trade. But showing compassion and humanity isn't up for debate in Kore-eda's approach. He judges the reality of modern-day life that leads his characters to their actions, but doesn't judge his central figures. In the process, he makes poignant melodramas that are also deep and thoughtful character studies, and that get to the heart of the globe's ills like the most cutting slices of social realism. It isn't just to make a buck that debt-ridden laundromat owner Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho, Parasite) and orphanage-raised Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won, Peninsula) take infants abandoned to the Busan Family Church's 'baby box' — a chute that's exactly what it sounds like, available to mothers who know they can't embrace that part for whatever reason — then find good families to sell them to. There's a cash component, of course, but they're convinced that their gambit is better than letting children languish in the state system. In Kore-eda's usual kindhearted manner, Broker sees them with sensitivity. Even if blue hues didn't wash through the film's frames, nothing is ever black and white in the director's movies. The same understanding and tenderness flows towards mothers like So-young (Lee Ji-eun, Hotel Del Luna, aka K-Pop star IU), whose decision to leave Woo-sung (debutant Park Ji-yong) isn't easily made but puts Broker on its course. Broker is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. PEARL 70s-era porn, but make it a slasher flick: when Ti West's X marked the big-screen spot in 2022, that's one of the tricks it pulled. The playful, smart and gory horror standout also arrived with an extra spurt of good news, with West debuting it as part of a trilogy. 30s- and 40s-period technicolour, plus 50s musicals and melodramas, but splatter them with kills, genre thrills and ample blood spills: that's what the filmmaker behind cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers now serves up with X prequel Pearl. Shot back to back with its predecessor, sharing mesmerising star Mia Goth (Emma), and co-written by her and West — penned during their two-week COVID-19 quarantine period getting into New Zealand to make the initial movie, in fact — it's a gleaming companion piece. It's also a savvy deepening and recontextualising of a must-see scary-movie franchise that's as much about desire, dreams and determination as notching up deaths. In one of her X roles, Goth was magnetic as aspiring adult-film actor Maxine Minx, a part she'll reprise in the trilogy's upcoming third instalment MaXXXine. As she proved first up and does again in Pearl, she plays nascent, yearning, shrewd and resolute with not just potency, but with a pivotal clash between fortitude and vulnerability; when one of Goth's youthful X Universe characters says that they're special or have the X factor, they do so with an astute blend of certainty, good ol' fashioned wishing and hoping, and naked self-convincing. This second effort's namesake, who Goth also brought to the screen in her elder years in X, wants to make it in the pictures, too. Looking to dance on her feet instead of horizontally, stardom is an escape (again), but Pearl's cruel mother Ruth (Tandi Wright, Creamerie), a religiously devout immigrant from Germany turned bitter from looking after her ailing husband (Mathew Sunderland, The Stranger), laughs at the idea. Pearl is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. POLITE SOCIETY Fists fly in Polite Society. Feet as well. When the latter aren't suspended in mid-air attempting to execute stunning kung-fu stunts, they just might be busting out their best Bollywood dance moves. Words are screamed and shouted, often between sisters Ria (Priya Kansara, Bridgerton) and Lena Khan (Ritu Arya, The Umbrella Academy), who are thick as thieves until they suddenly aren't. Schoolyard fights rumble like they've spilled straight out an action movie, which budding stuntperson Ria dreams of being in. Showdowns with Lena's future mother-in-law Raheela Shah (Nimra Bucha, Ms Marvel) could've burst from a Quentin Tarantino film. Espionage missions are undertaken by high schoolers, as are heists at a spectacular Muslim wedding in a lavish London mansion. Lena scoffs down a whole roast chicken on a public footpath like it's the only thing she's ever eaten. Ria and Lena free themselves from their angst by letting loose in their living room to The Chemical Brothers' dance-floor filler 'Free Yourself'. And being a dutiful member of her community is the absolute worst fate that could await an ass-kicking British Pakistani teenage girl. In other words, a little bit of everything happens in Polite Society, the anarchic and eye-popping debut feature from We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor. That includes nods to Jackie Chan movies and The Matrix, plus Bond-style antics and Ennio Morricone-esque music drops. Add in riffs on Get Out, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-inspired wuxia, video-game flourishes, musical dance numbers, and nudges in Jane Austen and Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan's directions. Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Kill Bill leave imprints. When it examines intergenerational pressure, so do Everything Everywhere All At Once and Turning Red. Whatever this high-energy charmer throws at the screen, it always serves the narrative. It also showcases Manzoor's lively and bold filmmaking eye. But more importantly, Polite Society is the spin-kicking whirlwind it is because that's what it feels like to be a schoolgirl training in martial arts, yearning to pack a literal punch, desperate to become anything but what society demands and tired of being dictated to — and saddled with cultural expectations but determined to propel along one's own path in general, too. Polite Society is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. OF AN AGE You Won't Be Alone isn't just the name of Macedonian Australian writer/director Goran Stolevski's debut feature, which hit cinemas in 2022. It's also a phrase that applies now that his second film is here. Of an Age initially premiered in the same year as well, bowing in Melbourne International Film Festival's opening-night slot — and, while it tells of growing up queer in 90s Melbourne, falling in love for the first time, then sifting through the aftermath a decade later, it's a glorious companion piece to its predecessor. No one is chosen by a sorceress here. The place isn't Macedonia, the period isn't the 19th century and supernatural shapeshifting isn't part of the narrative. But even just a mere duo of movies into his helming career, Stolevski makes pictures that profoundly ruminate upon two of life's purest truths: that absolutely everything changes and, consequently, nothing completely lasts forever. 1999 is inching towards becoming Y2K when Of an Age begins, and 17-year-old Nikola aka Kol (Elias Anton, Australia Day) is only hours from taking to the floor at a Melbourne dance championship. That's how his day is meant to pan out, at least, and what he's preparing for when the film meets him practising his smooth ballroom moves in his suburban garage — conjuring up visions of John Travolta in a flick made famous two decades prior, in fact. Kol's ordinary morning fever breaks, however, thanks to friend and dance partner Ebony (Hattie Hook, Savage River) and her bender of an evening. She's awoken on the beach in Altona with no idea where she is, scrounging up change for the payphone call to say she thinks she'll miss the recital unless Kol can pick her up. To attempt to make his big performance, he has to convince Ebony's older brother Adam (Thom Green, Eden) to play taxi — and he's still all aflutter with anxiety, and just the inertia of being so keyed up from endeavouring to sort things out, when he slides into the twentysomething's brown car and feels sparks fly instantly. Of an Age is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. EVIL DEAD RISE There will be blood in Evil Dead Rise, the latest addition to the Evil Dead fold, and not just inking The Book of the Dead's pages. There's gallons of it, in fact, with assistance from an elevator overflowing with crimson liquid. Writer/director Lee Cronin is clearly happy to jump from his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground to this beloved horror franchise while giving The Shining some love as well. And yet, nods to past Evil Dead films and scary fare in general aren't the main point of Evil Dead Rise, even though they're still there — loudly when "dead by dawn", words that are also part of Evil Dead II's title, is yelled. It shouldn't feel so rare to see a feature that isn't solely kept beating by gobbling up as many pieces of its predecessors as possible, but that's these nothing-must-die times. (When intellectual property is revived repeatedly by Hollywood's intonations, bringing back Evil Dead over and over couldn't be more appropriate.) Familiar swooping and whooshing camerawork kicks Evil Dead Rise into gear, though, knowingly so. In a clever touch, it stems from a is doing the shooting, not due to supernatural nefariousness. There's a remote abode in the woods — an A-frame shack this time, levelled up to match 2023's travel aesthetic — and unsettling things afoot; however, the bulk of the film takes place a day earlier. That's when guitar technician Beth (Lily Sullivan, Picnic at Hanging Rock) cuts out a the worldwide tour to surprise her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland, New Gold Mountain). The latter is a tattoo artist and mother of three who has recently been left parenting solo, and is interrupted dying her hair 'cool mum' red when her sibling arrives. There's baggage between the pair, but there'll soon be viscera as well when Ellie's teenage son Danny (Morgan Davies, Blaze) finds a certain text — and, because he's a budding DJ, some dusty vinyl sporting words that no one in an Evil Dead movie should be saying or hearing. Evil Dead Rise is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE SUPER MARIO BROS MOVIE It took 30 years, plus a warp pipe from live-action to animation, but Super Mario Bros finally gained a cinematic mushroom. While these are peak product-to-screen times — see also: The Last of Us, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, Tetris and Air, plus the upcoming Barbie, BlackBerry and latest Transformers flick — Nintendo's plumber siblings were long flushed out of movies thanks to their underperforming first outing. 1993's Bob Hoskins (Snow White and the Huntsman) and John Leguizamo (Violent Night)-starring film, the first-ever live-action video game film, isn't terrible. It followed its own dark path and hit its own wild blocks, something that stands out even more now that slavish obsession to intellectual property and franchise-building is king. If 2023's The Super Mario Bros Movie is a response to its predecessor, it's a happily dutiful one, doing its utmost to copy the video game. The strongest feeling it inspires: making viewers want to bust out their old NES or SNES or Game Boy, or emulators of any of them, or Nintendo's current Switch, and mash buttons as the red-capped, moustachioed, overalls-wearing Mario. In images that look like they've been ported straight from consoles, Italian Americans Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt, Thor: Love and Thunder) and Luigi (Charlie Day, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) essentially find themselves in the Super Mario Bros version of The Wizard of Oz. Like the 90s flick, they're also transported to another realm where a villainous creature lusts for power— Bowser (Jack Black, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) here, with an army of the turtle-like koopas doing his bidding. A sewer flood whisks Mario and Luigi out of their own world, after they try to fix it to drum up customers for their plumbing business. On the other side of the tunnel, Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom and Luigi ends up Bowser's prisoner. Cue a quest, including along the rainbow road, to reunite the brothers, stop Bowser and keep him away from Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu) — who definitely isn't a damsel in distress, but the target of Bowser's obsessive affections. The Super Mario Bros Movie is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March, April and May, too. You can also peruse our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies, plus movies you might've missed and television standouts of 2022 you mightn't have gotten to.
If you love meat, smoke and maybe a bit of hot sauce and kimchi, then you're in the right city. In Melbourne, there's no shortage of quality barbecue, whether you're looking for American-style brisket in Brunswick or Korean cuts in the CBD. Our barbecue is so sophisticated that, these days, barbecue had infiltrated fine dining and, at some spots, even vegetarians are fully catered for. One place even has a karaoke room. As luck would have it, these joints have also perfected the art of barbecue drinking — crack a tinnie just like you're in your mate's backyard, order a glass of funky orange riesling or go for soju in every variety available. Here are some of our top picks for all things barbecue (and booze) in Melbourne. Recommended reads: The Best Steak in Melbourne The Best Hot Pots in Melbourne The Best Pubs in Melbourne The Best Restaurants in Melbourne
Founded by husband and wife duo Bec and Chris Lutz in 2006, Design A Space is where you'll find creative works by many of Australia's most admired independent designers. It as a rotating selection of artists each month, and more than 150 notable designers who have set about creating fashion and accessories for the entire family. Many of the works uncovered at Design A Space are limited edition pieces that you won't find anywhere else. Add something bright to your wardrobe this winter, while supporting some of Australia's most respected emerging and established artists. Design A Space is also located at 20 Manchester Lane, Melbourne and 212 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Images: Mark Lobo/Visit Victoria.
It’s that time of year. The sun is beating down, the heat has sapped everyone’s energy and you’d do something other than watch endless hours of cricket on the telly except it all seems too hard. What you need is a holiday – ideally, one by the beach, so that you can get in to the endless summer. We have teamed up with boutique travel experts Mr & Mrs Smith to bring you ten of the best local beach breaks – no passport required. 1. Pinctada Cable Beach Where: Broome, WA If your beachy dreams encompass sailing on pearl luggers, splashing with manta rays and riding camels along the shore, you might want to contemplate a trip to Pinctada Cable Beach boutique hotel in Broome, WA, where you can do all these things and more. Its 72 spacious rooms feature breezy decks, plantation shutters and Aboriginal art. Chill out at the Brizo Pool Bar before heading for Selene Brasserie with its blend of North African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours. 2. Saffire Where: Freycinet Peninsula, TAS Set on one of the most beautiful beaches you’ll ever lay your peepers on is luxury Freycinet Peninsula retreat Saffire, on Tasmania’s east coast. From your uber-swank and super-spacious suite – all minimalist Scandi styling and full-length windows – you can eye off pristine Coles Bay below. You’ll want to linger at Palate, the contemporary restaurant featuring local produce, and intimate Spa Saffire, but do tear yourself away. The water may be a little chilly for splashing, but you can don waders to explore an oyster farm, walk along the beach or observe it from the water either on a kayak or a luxury speedboat. Iconic Wineglass Bay is also just a hop away. 3. Annalilli Where: Byron Bay, NSW Byron Bay: it’s the preferred destination of surfers, city types who don’t like to go without decent coffee and faux hippies. Rustic Byron Bay self-catering stay Annalilli is tucked away in a quiet nature reserve five minutes’ drive from the town’s famous beaches, eateries and boutiques. With three bedrooms (it sleeps up to seven), a light-flooded living room and mod kitchen this restored Queenslander is great for a group. Be aware, however, there’s a noise curfew of 10pm, so it’s no party pad. 4. Palazzo Versace Where: Gold Coast, QLD Surfers Paradise can be a little unruly at times, but Gold Coast boutique resort Palazzo Versace, on marina-strewn Main Beach, is an exercise in refinement. It cost $300 million to build and you can see it in its finishes – richly textured and vibrantly coloured Versace fabrics and homewares, acres of marble, a string of lagoons making up the pool and a swathe of upmarket restaurants. When the luxury starts to blow your mind, you can go hang out at nearby Main Beach or scuba with the sharks at Sea World. 5. Port Elliot Beach House Where: Fleurieu Peninsula, SA If you’re feeling kinda lazy, you don’t even need to leave the living room at South Australian self-catering stay Port Elliot Beach House, a modern architectural gem on the Fleurieu Peninsula’s Boomer Beach. A huge window wall faces the ocean, as does a patch of lawn at the front of the house. Sleeping eight in four bedrooms – nab the downstairs master bedroom for sea and sky views from atop the vast expanse of linen – it’s a super-chic hideaway featuring polished concrete, Tasmanian oak, glass and stainless steel, as well as a sheltered deck with a gas barbecue. Top surfing beckons for active types. 6. Wilson Island Where: Great Barrier Reef, QLD The annual summer holiday in the tent with mum and dad was never like this. Just six luxurious canvas structures make up Great Barrier Reef glamping getaway Wilson Island. You’ll definitely get that Robinson Crusoe feeling as you nap in your hammock just outside your digs and metres from the ocean. Days are spent snoozing, snorkelling, playing bocce and chilling. An astonishing array of delicious meals is cooked on the barbecue at the communal Longhouse, where you can also help yourself to a cocktail. Watch out for cute baby turtles hatching from mid-January to April. 7. Zealandia Where: Mornington Peninsula, VIC It’s like stepping back into another era when you open the door to Portsea beach house Zealandia on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. This restored Fifties house, just a short stroll from Portsea village and its two beaches, is completely decked out in mid-century furniture, making it one stylish surfside getaway. There’s three double bedrooms, a smart kitchen, an expansive deck with a table for eight and a cool pool for groovy group getaways. 8. QT Port Douglas Where: Port Douglas, QLD The Far North gets a Miami makeover at QT Port Douglas boutique hotel, where pastel Hawaiian prints and surf memorabilia are de rigueur. Bask on the island in the centre of the pool, sip on coconut coladas – served in a scooped-out pineapple, natch – on the deck at Estilo bar, and book a table at Bazaar, a market-inspired buffet piled high with tasty local produce, including fresh seafood. Stunning Four Mile Beach is a five-minute walk away and Port Douglas’s main street is accessible by shuttle bus or the hotel’s cute retro bicycles. 9. Bells at Killcare Where: Central Coast, NSW Sometimes you want to be by the beach but you don’t want to have to eat fish and chips for three meals a day. For those breaks there’s Hardys Bay boutique hotel Bells at Killcare on the NSW Central Coast, part hotel, part chef’s-hatted-restaurant, part private retreat. Acclaimed Italian chef Stefano Manfredi is in charge of the kitchen, the 25 rooms have a chic country vibe and the entire estate is surrounding by English manor-style gardens. Go for a wander around Bouddi National Park, then head to Killcare Beach for a surf – you’ll definitely need to build up your appetite for that multi-course feast come dinnertime. 10. Alinghi Where: Great Barrier Reef, QLD It’s a bit of a hidden gem, the unlikely sounding town of Agnes Waters, 50 kilometres north of Bundaberg. Just five minutes away is Great Barrier Reef holiday house Alinghi, clinging to the cliff of Queensland’s Capricorn Coast. You’ll be blown away by the master bedroom – there are five in all, sleeping up to 14 – separated from the main house by an expansive travertine terrace. Every luxury and high-tech gadget is provided in this cutting-edge cedar, glass and steel property, allowing you to stock up on supplies before cutting yourself off from the real world. Spend time soaking up sea views or lolling about on Honeymoon Bay and Springs Beach, both a stroll from Alinghi.
Ichi, ni, san — SAKE BOMB! Remember how that night ended? Me neither. Or maybe you prefer some kind of lychee-infused-sake cosmo situation. But the elusive Japanese speciality of sake is more than capable of standing alone, as Black Market Sake co-owner Matt Young explains to Concrete Playground. Young and co-owner Linda Wiss started the groundwork for Black Market Sake some five years ago while they both worked at Sydney's Aria. Today they import from about 16 Japanese producers and have a standout reputation. And Australia's having a burgeoning love affair with sake; we are now the second largest sake importer, behind the United States, and can boast an impressive annual growth rate of 12 percent in the market. But let's set the figures aside and get you brushed up ahead of Melbourne's next drinking trend. What is sake? C'est simple! It is a Japanese alcohol brewed from specifically grown rice, water, yeast and koji-kin. But, in the great tradition of Peking duck and Mumbai vs. Bombay, we have a few things to clear up. Firstly, sake just means booze in Japanese, and while that was once near-exclusively what we call sake, in the modern era of Japanese whisky, beer and wine the locals call it Nippon shu, meaning Japanese drink. Our next erroneous assumption is rice wine — this Western shorthand ignores that being brewed from a grain not from fruit makes sake closer to beer than wine, and its booze content puts both to shame, with most sakes coming in just under the 20 percent mark. Wait, koji-kin? Koji-kin is the magical ingredient, which is very unique to Japan and it is what helps break the starch in the rice down into sugar — so the sugar is then fermented into alcohol. It is also used in the production of many other products, notably soy, mirin miso and so on. It is a kind of mould, but the good kind, Young is quick to explain, "like the kind you find in cheese". He even likens the glossy texture koji-kin gives the rice to Camembert cheese. Is it big in Japan? Sake consumption within Japan has steadily decreased over the last hundred years; the number of breweries has halved since the 1970s to about 1500 today, and it did the same from the 1930s to the '70s. "The consumption in Japan has been on the slide for a long time. The younger generation got into beer and whisky and gave up on sake as an old man’s drink." Does sake exist outside of Japan? Production of rice-wine started in China and — along with Korea — it is still made today. However, in both instances large quantities of additives and distilled alcohol go into the product. “So, Japan has the most refined drink — although you can trace it back to the Chinese.” What's in a name? Sake menus have an anxiety causing reputation amongst even the most seasoned diners, and a lot of that is due to their lengthy naming system, but the truth is all the information you need is right there in front of you. "The more words that are on the label the less has been done to the product — so no charcoal filteration (muroka); not-pasteurised (namazake) that sort of stuff is always on the label, but if they do it than there won't be anything on the label,” says Young. Here are a few keywords to help you unlock a sake list, first up: junmai. This is your producer telling you that they have made a pure sake, i.e. no distilled alcohol or flavour additives went into the brewing process. Some 80 percent of sake made in Japan fail this first test and are categorised as futsu-shu, which is essentially an inferior, cheaper drink. The next consideration is how much they polished the rice, in layman terms: as you remove more of the grain; the more expensive the sake becomes. “The more you polish away the more aromatic it will be, the less you polish away the more kind of palate weight (it will have) and (the more) textural it will be.” The most polished sake is called daiginjo, where at least 50% of the rice has been removed and then ginjo comes in at least 60%. (For a full list of common sake terms check out the glossary on the Black Market Sake website.) How do I spot a good sake? "Quality for me in sake is balance and complexity on the palate," says Young. "Often you'll see sake that is quite fragrant and elegant and pretty, but it doesn't have a lot of texture or weight on the palate, and coming from a wine background I prefer that more textural sake. So something that has lovely balance a little bit sweetness and something that finishes dry — evenness when you taste it.” Characteristics he finds more dependent on the skill of the toji (master-brewer) and the quality of the ingredients than whether 70% or 60% of the grain has been removed. Hiroshima, Kyoto and Chiba are all top sake-producing regions. Which cuisines match well with sake? Other than the obvious, "French techniques have a lot in common with sake," says Young. So, consommes and broths are easily matched, while more robust sakes (ask for spice and high levels of acidity) stand up to heavier dishes like braised pork. But, if you want to hear Young wax a little lyrical, mention the marriage of cheese and sake. To spite the well-worn tradition of cheese and wine, this sommelier pairs Swiss mountain cheeses, parmesan and other hard cheeses with the Japanese beverage (to apparently elating effect). Also, try a dark chocolate match, as per Young's suggestion. Hot or cold? “The Japanese believe that every sake has a sweet spot, and that could be chilled, room temperature or warmed," says Young. "And when we say warmed, we mean gently warmed, 'cause you don't want to boil it but heat it to body temperature, essentially.” That being said, there are two reasons heating sake became popular. Quick warning: it is embarrassing if you never guessed reason A. Japan is a cold country, and sake breweries are generally about 4-5°C (brewing often takes place in winter — fun fact), so sake brewers would heat up their knock-off sake to heat them up. Similarly, when sakes have had alcohol, sugars and enzymes added to them (remember that is 80% of sakes), there's nothing like a bit of gentle heat to mask the inferiority of the product. For those playing at home, that means futsuu sakes are likely best served warm, while unpasteurized sakes are almost always best chilled. When is sake traditionally drunk? The short answer is all the time, but Young notes that in Western culture it has garnered a reputation as an aperitif (that's before the meal, guys). Where to enjoy sake in Melbourne? The best thing about sake is that it's made to enjoy with good Japanese food — and we have a lot of that. Toshi Maeda has curated a stellar sake list at Smith Street's Pabu Grill & Sake, Misuzu's in Albert Park still has over 40 varieties to choose from, and old favourites Hihou and Izakaya Den have you covered too. If you're looking to buy a bottle (or two) of the stuff, Chef's Armoury Sakeshop lets you choose you kind of sake based on complexity, intensity, umami and even chuggability. You can shop online or get educated at their Richmond store. Top image, What is sake image, Koji-kin image, How do I spot good sake? image and What's in a name image courtesy of Black Market Sake.
UPDATE, July 24, 2020: Vox Lux is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Fame's sharp edges have punctured the cinema screen several times of late. They cut deep in A Star Is Born's moving pop star epic, which tracked the ups and downs of celebrity with wrenching emotion and heightened drama. And they sliced superficially in Bohemian Rhapsody, as it neatly and cleanly explored Freddie Mercury's quest to remain true to himself as he stepped into the spotlight. In Vox Lux, the difficulties and complexities of success slash savagely and hack furiously, with Brady Corbet writing and directing a blunt yet brilliant onslaught of a movie. As he did in The Childhood of a Leader, the actor-turned-filmmaker relentlessly charts the ascension of an influential fictional figure who owes their rise to struggle and trauma. Perhaps unexpectedly, the difference between a troubled kid becoming a fascist ringleader in the former film and a shooting victim becoming a superstar singer in the latter is paper-thin. Celeste is that singer and, as Willem Dafoe's all-knowing, somewhat ominous narration explains, her story is significant. Initially just an ordinary American girl, she grows up to be a victim, then a symbol — and then a star and a pariah. As a teenager (Raffey Cassidy) in 1999, she escapes a Staten Island school shooting with a bullet lodged in her spine and disturbing memories embedded in her brain. Savvy even in her darkest hours, the 13-year-old parlays her distress into a heartfelt ballad with her sister Ellie (Stacy Martin), sparking global attention and a prosperous music career under the guidance of an opportunistic manager (Jude Law). As a long-established public figure (Natalie Portman) in 2017, Celeste has since endured the rollercoaster ride that is fame, and is worse for wear for the experience. She's now a largely absent mother to her own teen (also played by Cassidy), and a target for the tabloids, especially after a terrorist attack is carried out by perpetrators wearing costumes from one of her early music videos. Three acts of violence punctuate Vox Lux: the two mentioned above as well as 9/11. A classroom erupts with gunfire, ending Celeste's childhood. A plane hits the World Trade Centre, just as the rising star is farewelling her adolescence. A beach resort becomes the site of the world's latest massacre, all on the eve of Celeste's big comeback tour. Each incident proves the narrative equivalent to the sparing bursts of silence deployed by composer Scott Walker, punctuating his booming, needling orchestral score. They find further parallels in the soulful instances when cinematographer Lol Crawley peers closely at Celeste, lingers and truly sees her, rather than presenting the character as a product of her surroundings via mid and long shots. They're the moments when everything stops and changes, however Vox Lux is primarily concerned with the exact opposite. Tragedy strikes, and people are lost again and again, but life, pop music and celebrity worship all adapt, evolve and continue. A tale of multiple chapters, periods and sources of pain, all operatically building to a huge pop concert finale, Vox Lux knows that the show will go on. It also knows that everything comes at a cost, especially the type of whirlwind that transforms Celeste from a mousy slip of a girl to a strutting, spiky, leotard-clad adult with a chip on her shoulder as broad as her newly adopted accent. Penetrating insight is baked into the movie's frames, as its protagonist turns trauma into success, then sees her success defined by, reactive to and almost reliant upon the world's seemingly never-ending cycle of trauma. When tragedy and popular culture have become irreversibly intertwined, there's no alternative. There's no reprieve, either. As a result, when Portman's version of Celeste sings "I'm a private girl in a public world" during Vox Lux's third act (crooning bangers composed by Sia, who's responsible for all of the film's original pop tracks), it's the movie's most obvious observation. Still, it's also a powerful statement, recognising how hurt, despair, and humanity's darkest moments have become grist for the entertainment and escapism-driven mill that is our 21st-century existence. Corbet eschews subtlety for force, but he's smartly mirroring his subject matter. Everything that his film says about fame, celebrity, success, myth-making, trauma and public spectacle shouldn't come as a surprise. Yet there's knowing something, and then there's revelling in the crash, rush and mess that arises when a movie dissects its topic in such a provocative and piercing way. For a filmmaker whose visuals demonstrate a love of control — with every inch of Vox Lux proving as slick and stylish as a music clip, and as enamoured with its own style as well — Corbet also clearly loves chaos. He loves making a splash, engineering a reaction, then waiting for the fallout he knows will eventuate. When bullets intrude upon a classroom and later a beach resort, it's jarring. When the film flits from near-stilted scenes of violence to glossy concerts — and from staring up at New York City buildings to watching the younger Celeste grapple with her injury — it bathes in the evident contrasts. And when Cassidy's shy portrayal of Celeste gives way to Portman's larger-than-life vision, it's similarly grating by design. Indeed, the movie's two versions of its fractured protagonist, as played to perfection by its lead actors, couldn't better encapsulate Corbet's overall approach. For better and for worse, Celeste shines in the space where the fragile meets the gleefully in-your-face, and so does everything else about the exceptional, memorable Vox Lux. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMCYE9hKP68
This humble family-run bakery has quietly become a powerful player on the Melbourne bakery scene, with five shopfronts now pumping out some of the best bread and pastries in town. Little Sister lives by a simple philosophy: time-honoured recipes, executed with contemporary precision, to create beautiful bread for sharing. Little Sister focuses on classic French baking traditions and locally sourced natural ingredients — combined with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours — to create their signature loaves, rolls, focaccias and sweet and savoury goodies. You can taste the care and time that has been put into each and every product at Little Sister. Whether it's 72-hour fermented sourdough or focaccia baked fresh every day, the proof really is in the pudding (or the bread) at Little Sister, with the consistent and excellent quality of the product proving no corners are cut in this kitchen. While everything at Little Sister tastes as good as it looks, signature items include the seeded focaccia, with an irresistible salty and crunchy exterior, and the Sofia loaf, which is a dark, dense and nutty bread made with wholemeal flour, mixed grains, seeds, fibre and a hint of honey. The bakery is renowned for its loaded savoury pastries and breads. Focaccias are topped with an array of moreish combinations such as cheese, mushroom and onion, zucchini and feta, and tomato and pesto. You can also find shakshuka or sabich (a traditional fried eggplant sandwich) stuffed inside doughy pockets, as well as cheese and za'atar twists, or thick and crusty slices of pizza. On the sweet front, Little Sister excels in everything from croissants to scrolls to cookies. The cinnamon scrolls often sell out before midday, the Portuguese egg tarts are some of the best in town, and the chocolate challah is a favourite weekly special. The bottom line is that while it may be hard to decide, you simply can't go wrong with any choice at Little Sister. Images: Supplied.
Thornbury locals will know Pastificio Sandro well. The Italian grocer fills its cabinets with its own handmade pasta and ready-made meals, along with stacks of local and imported produce. To enjoy Sandro's cooking prowess in its full glory, you used to have to buy its pasta and sauces separately (or its excellent meat lasagne) and cook it all up at home. But there's now another way. Every Friday and Saturday night, diners who book a seat online can head around the back alleyway and find the entrance to its new secret restaurant p r o v a. Here, you'll either sit at the large table where they make the very pasta you'll be eating or at one of the smaller tables by the pasta cabinet, and tuck into a six-course feast ($125). Head Chef Adrian Bressanutti (ex-Stokehouse and Tipo 00) has created a menu of contemporary Italian eats — featuring plenty of pasta, of course. You can also add a wine pairing to the whole experience, curated by Andrew Barry (ex-Gingerboy and Anchovy), or just order as y0u please from the tidy selection of wine and beer. And don't worry too much if you can't get one of the 14 seats. You can always take home one of Pastificio Sandro's fresh pastas, sauces or desserts while you wait for availability.
It has been an immensely tough few weeks for southeast Queensland's Binna Burra Lodge, with the beloved Gold Coast hinterland site devastated by bushfires at the beginning of September. While the heritage-listed venue is currently planning its reconstruction process, including when it'll welcome patrons back through the doors, the iconic spot has announced a piece of good news — a new climbing attraction that'll open in 2020. While a specific launch date is yet to be revealed — unsurprisingly, given that the 86-year-old site is in rebuild and fundraising mode — Binna Burra Lodge will become home to Australia's first commercial via ferrata. The Italian term translates to "iron path", and is used to describe cliff-face climbing routes that use steel cables, fixed metal rungs, bridges and ladders to let folks of all skill levels to make the journey. Receiving $1.48 million in funding from the Queensland Government, the via ferrata will open up a section of cliff that's usually only accessible to highly experienced rock climbers (and even then, only by using special equipment). When it launches, anyone will be able to scale the track safely, enjoying its adventurous thrills and impressive views, with 30 people at a time able to use the system. Binna Burra Lodge expects that its new addition will be popular, anticipating that more than 50,000 Australian and international visitors will flock to the region as a result. The via ferrata will join the site's range of existing outdoor activities, which — when the venue becomes operational again — include bushwalking, abseiling, flying fox, archery, camping and trekking through the hinterland. [caption id="attachment_742692" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Binna Burra Lodge's sky lodges, before September's bushfires. Via Binna Burra Lodge.[/caption] Via ferratas are common in Europe, especially through the Alps — and particularly in the Dolomites in Italy, as well as throughout Austria, Germany and Switzerland. If you're wondering how they work, they typically rely upon a length of steel rope, which is affixed to the rock at certain intervals. Climbers then attach themselves to the cable, while also stepping on metal pegs and rungs, and using ladders and bridges, to make their way through the course. Binna Burra Lodge's via ferrata is expected to open in 2020. For more information, visit the site's website. To donate to the venue's reconstruction fundraising campaign, visit the GoFundMe page. Top image: Binna Burra Lodge.
Plenty of sun. A little shade. Icy, refreshing beverages. Proximity to a body of water. On a hot summer's day, that's exactly what you want from a bar. Thankfully, Melbourne currently has seven bars that tick all of those boxes — and, they're only around for a short time. Yep, they've only popped up for the hotter months. You'll find an Amalfi-themed oasis on a CBD rooftop, a vodka-fuelled pop-up in St Kilda, a games-filled garden at Fed Square and even one right on the sand at Port Melbourne Beach. Check BOM, round up your mates, head out for an arvo at one of these extremely summery pop-up bars before they disappear
Life is a bit of a rollercoaster ride at the moment. Yes, that's an understatement. Lockdowns, restrictions, new community cases, growing exposure sites lists — they're all providing quite the ups and downs, and have been throughout the pandemic. Prefer to ride the peaks and troughs on actual theme park attractions? We all do, and now Disney+ has a new series about just that. Across ten episodes — the first five of which will drop on the streaming platform on Wednesday, July 21 — Behind the Attraction covers exactly what's on the label. It heads to the Mouse House's sprawling theme parks, checks out some of the popular rides found within them and tells their tales. Disney loves an origin story, after all, and it has the Marvel and Star Wars movies to prove it, so of course it's now giving its real-life attractions the same treatment. Viewers can find out more about Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction and Space Mountain ride, as well as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Star Tours that form part of the recently launched Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. And, Jungle Cruise also earns some attention, complete with Dwayne Johnson lending a hand — with the movie of the same name, starring Johnson, due in cinemas from Thursday, July 29 and on Disney+ on Friday, July 30. As well as talking heads expressing their enthusiasm for these attractions and explaining how they work, the series features archival and never-before-seen footage and photographs that step through the rides' histories. Explaining how they've evolved, and how technology has assisted, is a part of the show as well. Clearly, Behind the Attraction is basically an advertisement for Disney's theme parks. Physically hopping on a rollercoaster hasn't been high on most folks' to-do lists during the last year or so — and definitely isn't right now if you're a Sydneysider or Melburnian currently in lockdown — so consider this a way to scratch that itch from home. Check out the trailer below: The first five episodes of Behind the Attraction will be available to view via Disney+ from Wednesday, July 21.
Planning a trip to the High Country? There's a good chance you'll pass through the heritage town of Euroa — about 1.5 hours north of Melbourne. While there's no shortage of places to stop along the Hume, the community is now even more inviting with the launch of The Wine List. Featuring an all-Australian lineup of products, this brand-new wine bar and bottle shop has got you covered, whether you're taking a break, staying the night or stocking up on fancy provisions. Launched by Toni Sayers and her mum Lisa, the family has no shortage of experience when it comes to operating landmark venues. Back in the day, Lisa and her late husband once owned iconic Melbourne pubs like The Rising Sun, The Vine and The Imperial. Now, the daughter-mother duo have teamed up, turning their attention to celebrating their favourite independent producers through an easygoing venue. Those who swing by will discover wine served by the glass or bottle (with corkage), as well as a rotating tap of local craft beer. There's also a small seasonal menu designed to pair with quality vino. For instance, the house-made focaccia with stracciatella and chilli honey couples with the Scion Blonde, while the tinned fish and sourdough with pickles is recommended to munch down with a glass of Harvest Moon Pinot Grigio. "The space is very much a family affair," says Sayers, who wanted to share her parents' hospitality legacy in the new space. "We've honoured that history inside the bar with framed photos and a rare 1870 map of Melbourne hotels. I designed the fit-out myself with the help of my husband, an architectural builder, blending old-world touches with a relaxed, contemporary feel." Also featured in the new design is a sunny outdoor space in the venue's rear. Perfect for families travelling through the region, this kid-friendly area is complete with a cubby house and toys, excellent for keeping the little ones occupied as you sip down a glass. Meanwhile, you might just spark up a conversation with locals and other travellers who share The Wine List's appreciation for a good drop. In the lead up to the venue's grand opening, Toni and Lisa spent months building relationships with many of Australia's best independent wineries. Bringing together an impressive menu that celebrates the makers and regions they admire most, visitors can expect a fascinating mix of acclaimed producers, cult favourites and little-known spots, from Billy Button and Mitchell Harris to Nomads Garden. The Wine List is open Thursday–Monday from 12pm–late at 43–45 Binney Street, Euroa. Head to the website for more information.
In North Melbourne, a 1950s bakery is the new home of Mörk's newest venture — their very own chocolate brew house. Ladies and gentlemen wait anxiously with hands held behind backs, poised and eager to absorb the story behind each handcrafted treat. What you're going to do though, is back away from the cabinet (we repeat: back away from the cabinet) and find yourself a seat. Mörk founders, Kiril Shaginov and Josefin Zernell, have converted the old bakery into a chocolate workshop and cafe. While chocolatier Josefin handcrafts their artisan chocolate powders and marshmallows out back, Kiril manages the storefront. On the bar, abandoned parts of a deconstructed coffee machine sit front and centre; as a store that doesn't serve coffee (and heck, why would they need to when they're fuelling our other addiction?), all they needed was the steaming wand and hot water dispenser. It may feel a little naughty, but Mörk's minimalist interior really is too nice to leave you feeling guilty for too long. Designed by their friend Danielle Oehrman, they’ve managed to retain Josefin's Swedish background with a very Scandinavian fit out. The roller door may be all that remains of the bakery’s former garage, and in its reincarnation, the space boasts a communal table, several smaller ones, and walls lined with artisan chocolate powder. Once seated, you're given a taste of vanilla bean-infused sparkling water to cleanse (and tease) the palate. This is just the beginning of a sensory overload. The menu is a selection of their handcrafted signature hot chocolates, some available only as dine-in specials. These specials are out of control and it's what you came here for. First, we tried their Chocolate Soda ($7). This comes as a rotating single origin and is served by staff whose role is similar to that of an apothecary. A tall glass, half-full of soda water is spritzed with a citrus mix before a vial of liquid chocolate is poured over. The contents bubble and combine into a volcano of light and refreshing liquid. The Chocolate Bar ($8) is a heart-warmer and gives you the choice of pouring house-made caramel sauce over your hot chocolate, or simply grabbing a spoon and eating the components separately. Either way is a delight, so who are we to fudge? We merely gazed, wantonly, upon crowd favourite, the Campfire Chocolate ($8), as another diner's glass was removed to release the smoking contents before she tipped and dipped the chocolate and skewered her marshmallow in. And when you leave this chocolate wonderland, you can take part of the show home. Choose a house made vanilla or lemon myrtle marshmallow ($10) or, our cabinet pick, the chocolate brownie ball rolled in peanut brittle ($6). The only thing that could leave you feeling bitter is if you don't grab one of these babies for later.
If your favourite way to dine involves artfully plated dishes swanning past your place setting on a conveyor belt, then QT Melbourne's newest culinary offering is sure to fire up those tastebuds. Making its home in the hotel's new event space Premiere until Monday, May 1 is The Singleton's Delicious Discoveries: an interactive dining experience by celebrated MasterChef alum Poh Ling Yeow and whisky label The Singleton. Marking Poh's first-ever in-restaurant residency, the pop-up diner is here to celebrate a fresh way of sipping and snacking once aperitivo hour rolls around. The space itself is splashed with plenty of the single malt brand's signature teal, with a central high-top sporting an in-built conveyor belt that showcases Poh's eight-strong menu of sweet and savoury plates. Designed to accentuate the nutty, fruity flavours of drinks list's star single malt, the lineup includes dishes like fries with anchovy cream sauce; fluffy bao cradling fried chicken, kewpie mayo and kimchi; and apple miso caramel turnovers matched with vanilla crème fraîche. "I ignored the sensible and embraced the playful," Poh says of her approach, labelling the end result "a dining experience that is bursting with colour and taste". Meanwhile, The Singleton is showcasing the approachability of its whisky with eight paired cocktails, each working to the label's Plus Two formula — blending single malt with a still mixer and a sparkling mixer in three equal parts. Expect crowd-pleasing tipples like the Mediterranean — made on The Singleton 12 Year Old, lemon tonic and apricot nectar — and the Tropical, which boasts a fusion of guava juice and grapefruit soda. If you're feeling creative, you can even get bartenders to whip you up an off-menu Plus Two, customised with your choice of mixers. Find The Singleton's Delicious Discoveries at Premiere, QT Melbourne, 133 Russell Street, Melbourne, until Monday, May 1. It's running Thursday to Sunday each week, with sittings at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm, and bookings available online. Images: Griffin Simm.
Picture this: you're having a lazy evening at home in front of Netflix, and you promise yourself you'll power through just one — and only one — more episode before tapping out for the night. How many times have you broken that promise? Let's face it, you'd probably prefer not to count. And if you're like us, you probably also reach for the Ben & Jerry's for a quick sugar fix to keep you going. Convenient it may be, but healthy? Not so much. Next time you're planning a lazy night in, level up your snack game with something more wholesome (and equally delicious). We've teamed up with Yumi's to compile a collection of quick, easy and delicious alternatives to your favourite couch-time snacks. Here's what to dig into next time you're doing Netflix and chow. INSTEAD OF CHARCUTERIE...ASSEMBLE A GRAZING PLATTER Look, there's nothing wrong with a well-prepared charcuterie board — piles of delicious deli meats, indulgent cheeses, pâté and preserves, salty crackers, and the odd smattering of fruit. Add some variety with crunchy crudites — and, of course, dip. Yumi's have a huge range of dips that are all dairy and gluten free, and packed with real ingredients. We love the classic sweet potato and cashew dip, while the classic hommus is also excellent — variations like the rocket and almond pesto are also winners. They're great paired with fresh veggies (think carrots and cucumber), but perhaps even better with Yumi's selection of preservative-free and ready-to-eat falafel or veggie bites. We recommend zapping them in the microwave for a minute. INSTEAD OF ICE CREAM...MAKE SORBET Real talk: telling yourself that you're having just one more scoop of ice cream is the same as telling yourself you'll only watch one more episode before heading to bed. Before you know it, it's an ungodly hour and you're staring at the bottom of an empty tub. Lessen the lactose by making a swap for an easy, refreshing homemade sorbet — no churning required. You'll need to dice and prefreeze your favourite fruit — mango, cherries, pineapple or banana always work a treat, while store-bought, prefrozen berries are great for a quick win. Then, pop a cup (or two) in a blender with three to four tablespoons of sugar or maple syrup, and blitz until smooth. You can balance out the sweetness with a hint of lemon or lime juice, too. [caption id="attachment_815090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Margarita Zueva (Unspalsh)[/caption] INSTEAD OF PIZZA...MAKE BRUSCHETTA An evening on the couch with a juicy series lined up and a big, cheesy pizza — is there a better way to Netflix? Perhaps not — but there are healthier ways (that also don't rely on Uber Eats). Making your own pie is simple as can be, especially with so many types of premade bases available in just about any supermarket, including ones that cater for just about every dietary requirement. Crank up the oven and lather your base with tomato paste (you can even make your own, should you wish), cheese and your choice of toppings. Feel like something more refreshing? It's hard to go wrong when you make your own bruschetta. Pick up a crusty baguette, whack it under the grill, give it a rub with some olive oil, garlic and salt, and then load it up with fresh diced veggies, herbs or deli meats. It's an easy — and delicious — way to make sure you get in your five a day. [caption id="attachment_815095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charles Deluvio (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF SALTY CHIPS...MAKE VEGGIE CHIPS Love the salty crunch of potato chips? Us too — so we also know how hard it is to know when to stop. For a healthier alternative, leave the prepackaged morsels in the supermarket aisle and pick up some sweet potato or kale instead. It couldn't be more simple to get snacking, either. Just slice up your veg, toss it in some olive oil and pop it in the oven until crispy. Kale is full of good things, from beta-carotene to help eyesight, and Vitamins C, K and E. As for sweet potato, it's loaded with antioxidants, fibre and Vitamin A — it's also lower GI than a regular potato. Want some extra flavour? Kale chips are even better when tossed in a bit of za'atar, while sweet potato and paprika is a spicy match made in heaven. Dip liberally in some hummus and you've got yourself a serious snack. [caption id="attachment_815092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anshu A (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF BIKKIES...MAKE OATMEAL COOKIES We stan a Tim Tam as much as the next sweet tooth. And don't get us started on our ongoing love affair with an Iced Vovo. But of course, they're not the healthiest treats to snack on. If you too have trouble keeping your mitts out of the bikkie tin, try your hand at making your own oatmeal cookies. They're surprisingly easy to put together and will easily satisfying any sweet cravings. The benefits of trading sugar for oatmeal are plentiful — oats are higher in fibre, can stabilise blood sugars and are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. There's also the added benefit of the warm aroma of freshly baked goods waiting through your house. [caption id="attachment_815093" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Abbie Whiddett (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF CAKE...MAKE CACAO BALLS There's a better way to get your gooey chocolate fix. Enter date and cacao balls. They're ridiculously easy to make, and they last longer than cake does, too (though if they disappear from the fridge quickly, we won't blame you). There are a heap of health benefits, too — dates are high in antioxidants and fibre, and can also improve bone health, while cacao has been shown to help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. For more wholesome snacking, check out the full range of Yumi's falafels, veggie bites and dips.
At first glance, The Hamptons Bakery looks like your regular, friendly, neighbourhood bakery. But this humble spot on Hampton Street supplies some of Melbourne's top restaurants and cafes with artisan baked goods, including St Kilda's Stokehouse and Lûmé. Grab yourself a taste from the front counter, which is packed with the likes of pain au raisin pastries, almond croissants, Portuguese tarts and cinnamon knots. That's alongside the seven different types of bread on offer, made daily, ranging from pumpkin and soy loaves to milk buns. The Hamptons Bakery also doubles up as a café, which is an excellent spot in the beachside suburb for families (there is plenty of room for prams), groups of friends, or just a chilled Sunday brunch. You'll find classics including soft omelettes ($18.50), corn fritters with free-range bacon and avo ($22) or eggs benedict with a spiced 12-hour slow-cooked pork ($24). Lunch options run to the likes of handmade gnocchi ($25), Ruben sandwiches ($24) and grilled chicken salads ($22.50). Ewert Leaf designed the 100-seat space, which is freshly furnished with light timbers, pastel green finishes and suspended plants.
Looking for something to fill your time (that's not live streaming koalas or re-watching Tiger King over and over again)? TAFE Victoria is offering a heap of courses — for free. There are currently 42 free 'priority' courses on offer at Victorian TAFE institutions, running from a Diploma of Nursing to an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and a Certificate IV in Cyber Security. Exactly what courses are available at what time varies with what jobs are currently in demand in Victoria. The free TAFE for priority courses initiative isn't new — with the first free courses on offer from January 1, 2019 — but is particularly important right now. Today, Friday, April 17, Premier Daniel Andrews announced $260.8 million worth of emergency funding to help support the state's TAFE and training systems, saying "we need a skilled, adaptable workforce to get through this crisis and rebuild". Part of that money will be used by the higher education facilities to deliver more online and remote learning, with free TAFE courses in fields like infection control and first aid set to come online in the coming week. According to the State Government, "685 people have already completed free short courses in food hygiene and cleaning" and free TAFE has been providing a 'pipeline' of nurses and other health care workers essential during the COVID-19 crisis. To be eligible for a free priority TAFE course, you'll have to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent Australian resident and fit one of the extra criteria. This may be you if you're under 20 years old, if you will be upskilling (that is, enrolling in a higher qualification than you've previously attained), or you're a Victorian who requires additional support — i.e., you're unemployed or have recently been retrenched. If you're looking to change careers, you may also be considered for one of the free places. To find out more about the free TAFE courses and enrol, head to the Victorian Government website. Alternatively, you can apply directly to a Victorian TAFE institution.
If you love movies and the magic that goes into making them, it's easy to get spirited away when you head to the cinema. Come late August, however, that will definitely prove the case, because Studio Ghibli's moving castles, cat buses and cute balls of fluff are taking over screens around Australia. From August 24, the acclaimed and adored Japanese animation house will be floating across movie theatres thanks to a month-long Celebrate Studio Ghibli showcase. The jam-packed program spans all 22 of their gorgeous flicks plus a behind-the-scenes documentary. Yes, that means devouring everything from Hayao Miyazaki's early efforts such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Laputa: Castle in the Sky, to perennial crowd-pleasers My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away, to later efforts like Ponyo and The Wind Rises. Of course, while Miyazaki might've become synonymous with the studio he helped build, he's not their only filmmaking force — as doco The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness demonstrates. Ghibli's other stars also get their time to shine, with the likes of Isao Takahata' Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Tomomi Mochizuki's Ocean Waves, Hiroyuki Morita's The Cat Returns, and Gorō Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill also on the bill. Basically, whichever Ghibli movie is your favourite, you'll get the chance to revisit it on the big screen. Plus, Melburnian Ghibli fans can also catch 15 titles on 35mm during the showcase's stint at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, doing justice to their eye-catching artistry. Celebrate! Studio Ghibli screens at various cinemas around Australia from August 24 to September 25. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the showcase website.
If you’ve been on Instagram, food blogs, Twitter, Facebook or the internet in general lately, you've probably heard the term 'clean eating’. What on Earth does it mean, you ask? Is it washing your hands really, really well? Well it's time to find out. We chat to Melbourne clean eating and nutrition queen Lola Berry about what clean eating is, how we do it and where she goes to get her fix. We even tried a few of the recipes out ourselves. All in the name of research, of course. 1. What is 'Clean Eating'? Clean eating essentially means eating foods that haven't been processed and are as close to their natural state as possible. Think vegetables, fruits, legumes and lean meats. "It's about eating foods that nourish your body, forget all the packet stuff. Our bodies aren't designed to thrive of chemicals, additives and numbers, we thrive of real, wholesome food," says Lola Berry. Now, don't think it has to be raw. That's a whole other can of worms (which, as a clean eater, would be a no-no). Cooked wholegrain wheat breads, brown rice dishes, chia bread and all sorts of other weird and wonderful concoctions are clean. 2. Why should we eat clean? What is the point of going to the trouble of eating clean when it seems like a little bit of hard work? "You become the best version of yourself," Berry told us. "It's that simple. Don't knock it it'll you've tried it, proof is in the pudding. Eat clean for two weeks and watch the dramatic changes that take place in every single aspect of your life. I promise being healthy will change everything." When it comes down to it, 'clean' foods have more of the good stuff that your body wants and needs and less of the bad stuff. Some of the benefits that can come from clean eating include blood sugar control, cholesterol control, more energy, better immune system, better sleep, better mood and an overall increased health. 3. How is 'clean eating' different from 'healthy eating'? Okay, so this all seems like a good idea right? Eating fruit and vegetables and making your body happy? But how is it different to healthy eating? One thing we run into here is the philosophy of everything in moderation — even moderation. While healthy eating allows you a chocolate brownie covered in chocolate sauce and ice cream for dessert, as long as you don't have it every day, clean eating suggests you start making you desserts and 'treats' out of clean ingredients. This introduces some troubling issues like obsession and rigidity in diet. While we're not experts, this idea, in a society fixed on body and image may run the risk of hurting not helping. Strictly clean eating doesn't allow for flexibility, which can bring guilt to meals — not ideal. It can also run the risk monopolising one's time and brain power. No one wants to go out for dinner and listen to someone talk all about why they can't eat the bread or drink the wine. Most health professionals will tell you that if you eat 'healthy' foods 80 percent of the time, you can indulge 20 percent of the time. The cheese loving, chocolate munching side of us loves this idea. 4. How to eat clean "Think simple," says Berry. "Try not to complicate things. Real food is so simple, easy to prep and most importantly, so tasty!" These are the principle foods in healthy eating: Fresh fruit and vegetable are a free for all. Go hard people. When it comes to protein, stick to the lean cuts of beef, pork, most fish, chicken, turkey and eggs. We didn't say bacon, we know, it’s depressing. Whole grains including oats, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, barley and the like. This is the same for flours. Stick to the wholewheat flours, coconut flours and almond flours where you can. Nuts! All of them. Raw is the way to go. Seeds. Now these bad boys are your best friends. Quinoa, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chia seeds. What about flavouring up your meals? Again stick to natural things like spices and herbs, honey and pure maple syrup. Now dairy can get confusing. Raw milk is hard to find, so the easiest bet is organic. Plain unsweetened yoghurt is a star, as are your substitutes like almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk. 4. Buzz words 101 So if you do want to introduce some principles of healthy eating, you might stumble upon ingredients you've never heard of. Here are some goodies: Quinoa: This seed looks a little like couscous and a little like rice. What you might not know is it's a close relative to beets, spinach and tumbleweeds. Great for breakfasts and salads. Chia seeds: This ancient superfood from Paraguay is pretty much just a sprinkling of goodness. These are tiny black and white seeds packed with manganese, calcium and potassium. Goji berries: These little suckers have been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years and are said to boost one's life force of ‘chi’ — oh so yogi. They're a little sour and are great sprinkled on your breakfast. Raw cacao: This is like the chocolate of the clean eating family. Take the raw cacao product — what chocolate looks like before the Cadburys of the world get to it — and don't touch it. It's packed with antioxidants and has a bitter strong chocolate flavour. Agave Syrup: This is a naturally occurring sweetener found in the agave plant in Mexico. This plant is also used to make tequila (Margaritas anyone?). 5. Recipes to try Breakfasts and snacks are often filled with processed ingredients. A great clean breakfast can look like this: oats cooked in almond milk, just like normal porridge, topped with fresh fruit, chopped dates, walnuts, agave syrup and a sprinkling of chia seeds. This can be played around with, adding any fruits and nuts you like. It also works well with quinoa flakes. When it comes to snacks. There are some great brands out there making clean sweets like Loving Earth and Emma & Tom's, but if you're in the mood for whipping something up, give Lola Berry's chewy almond truffles a go. Dates, walnuts, almonds, coconut oil, goji berries and raw cacoa nibs blended together and rolled in coconut. 6. Best spots in Melbourne to buy and try clean products We turned this one over to Lola Berry: "I eat out lots and there's always something yummy for me to try. I love St.Ali south and north, and I'm lucky enough to write a few recipes which are featured on the menu, and they're all super healthy. I also love the raw foodie spots like Yong Green Food, Shokuiku and Monk Bodhi Dhama and, of course, Cumulus Inc for that amazing fine dining experience. "I love local farmers markets … Prahran market, and there are some awesome health stores around. Prahran Health Foods, The Staple Store, Pure Organics, The Fruit Peddler are all pretty amazing, such inspiring places to visit!" Berry told us. Well folks, at the end of the day it seems that all the fuss around clean eating is about taking things back to simplicity. We will propbably still be found eating Mars bars and drinking cocktails, but you never know, next time we're feeling the healthy vibe, we might whip up something clean. It's not for everyone, but hey, next time someone asks you at a dinner party, "So how do you feel on the clean eating front?", at least you'll be able to tell your chia from quinoa. Images courtesy of Lola Berry and Amy Collins.
For almost two decades, 2005 film Mr & Mrs Smith has been best remembered as the movie that started Brad Pitt (Babylon) and Angelina Jolie's (Eternals) time as a couple. The action-comedy cast the pair as a bored married duo who didn't know that they were actually both assassins, let alone that they'd each been tasked with killing the other. The flick wasn't particularly memorable, but Brangelina clearly was. In 2024, Mr & Mrs Smith will also become a TV series, because the path from the big to the small screens just keeps proving popular (see also: Dead Ringers, Irma Vep, A League of Their Own and Interview with the Vampire, to name a mere few recent examples). This time, Donald Glover (Atlanta) and Maya Erskine (PEN15) are strangers who have to pretend to be married as part of their job. So, that's how Glover becomes John Smith and Erskine becomes Jane Smith — and how the two embark upon a high-risk espionage life together. The tradeoff for faking a romance: the lucrative gig, money, travelling the world, a dream Manhattan brownstone and, in this take on the premise, these strangers actually falling for each other. Pretending to be a couple but seeing sparks fly is one of Hollywood's current obsessions, with rom-com Anyone But You taking the idea to the big screen — without spies or anything to do with Mr & Mrs Smith, however. Adding another TV show to his resume, Glover co-created the new Mr & Mrs Smith with Francesca Sloane (also Atlanta), with the end result set to drop all eight episodes at once on Prime Video on Friday, February 2, 2024. And if you have vague memories of Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) being involved, she was initially slated to play Jane until Erskine took over her role. There's no trailer yet for the Mr & Mrs Smith TV series, but here's the trailer for the film instead: Mr & Mrs Smith will stream via Prime Video from Friday, February 2, 2024.
He might hail from the UK, but internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro is leaving quite the impression Down Under. He's the creative mind behind Uluru's stunning Field of Light installation – which has pulled over 450,000 visitors and been extended three times since launching in mid-2016 – and, more recently, he illuminated Albany's tree-lined Avenue of Honour for ANZAC-inspired work Field of Light: Avenue of Honour. Now, the artist has taken on the Top End for Bruce Munro: Tropical Light, his third Australian installation and first-ever city-wide exhibition, which opened in Darwin last week. Free to visit and running until April 2020, the Northern Territory installation features eight large-scale illuminated sculptural works, inspired by Munro's own travels across the region. Peppered through the CBD and Darwin's waterfront precincts, they make up a self-guided 2.5-kilometre sculpture trail audiences can enjoy at their leisure. Bruce Munro, Pukul Lima Expect to find plenty of pieces referencing the Top End's vivid sunsets and native creatures, along with many an ode to Mother Nature, all showcasing Munro's strong affinity for light. There's Light Shower, Wave Lagoon Canopies, which features 3000 drops of light; the spherical Green Flash in the Old Town Hall Ruins; and Time and Again, Palm Tree Grove — a waterfront piece made up of 37 radiant, stainless steel lilies. Munro's sculpture trail is accompanied by works from five local artists, including acclaimed aerial photographer Paul Arnold and a series of solar jellyfish lights by Bev Garside. Bruce Munro: Tropical Light runs until April 30, 2020, across Darwin. It's illuminate from 7–10.30pm every night.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Disney has announced a new release date for Mulan, with the film now hitting cinemas on July 23, 2020. UPDATE, MARCH 13: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Disney has announced that Mulan will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, March 26, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. In Chinese history, the legend of Hua Mulan dates back to the sixth century. At the movies, the formidable female warrior first fought her way across the big screen in a 1927 silent film. The character is no stranger to the page, stage or cinema, but many folks know the tale thanks to Disney's 1998 animated musical. Now, as it has done with everything from Alice in Wonderland to The Jungle Book to Aladdin, the Mouse House is turning the story into its latest live-action remake. Once again, Mulan (played by Chinese American actor Liu Yifei) will evolve from dutiful daughter to kick-ass combatant, all to protect her family in a time of war. She's originally due to be married off to a husband chosen by a matchmaker, until the Emperor of China issues a decree stating that one man per household must serve the Imperial Army as it endeavours to fend off northern invaders. To save her ailing ex-soldier father from having to fight, Mulan disguises herself as a man, takes on the name Hua Jun and becomes an icon. Forget rousing tunes and talking dragons voiced by Eddie Murphy — this time, the tale hits the screen without the singing and smart-talking sidekicks, but with plenty of sword-swinging, arrow-flinging antics. In New Zealand director Niki Caro's (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife) hands, this version of the story goes heavy on the action and empowerment, as seen in the spectacularly choreographed scenes in the just-released first trailer. As well as Liu (whose resume includes The Forbidden Kingdom and The Assassins), the new Mulan features Jet Li as the Chinese Emperor, Gong Li as a witch, Donnie Yen as the protagonist's mentor, Jason Scott Lee as a villainous army leader, and Yoson An (The Meg, Mortal Engines) as her fellow fighter and love interest. The film hits cinemas next year — check out the teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ON04GCwKs After being delayed from its original release date of March 28, 2020, Mulan will now open in Australian cinemas on July 23, 2020.
For those whose bloodshot eyes lit up at the name of this venue, we're sorry to inform you that this restaurant does not serve actual bhang. The good news, though, is that if you've got a case of the munchies, then this buzzy Mitchell Street spot is an excellent place to fuel up, thanks to its menu of pan-Indian street food-inspired plates. As well as excellent curries and a wide selection of vegetarian dishes, the stars here are the sharing dishes from the charcoal oven — highlights include a Kerala-style barramundi biryani; Hyderabad charcoal chicken with almond and pistachio curry sauce; and Old Monk rum-soaked beef ribs. Pair your dishes with a selection from the mostly Australian wine list, or a tipple from the clever cocktail list that showcases Indian spirits and flavours. Images: Kate Shanasy
Melbourne's annual winter festival RISING is back, taking over public spaces, theatres and galleries all around the city from Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16. All up, 105 events are running throughout the two weeks, featuring 480-plus artists. It's massive. And while it is great to have so much going on, it can easily be overwhelming. Where do you begin? That's where we come in. We've rounded up a bunch of the best Melbourne RISING events you can still book a spot at — or that you can simply rock up to enjoy at your leisure. Most of these are very reasonably priced, and plenty are totally free to enjoy. There's no excuse for missing out on RISING. Recommended reads: The Best Things to Do in Melbourne This Weekend The Best Things to Do in Melbourne This Week The best Things to Do in Melbourne This Month The Best Restaurants in Melbourne's CBD
Stories involving someone's testicles (especially engorged ones like this) usually aren't very heartwarming. But 31-year-old Thomas Cantley is currently proving that assumption wrong. Over the course of this month, Cantley has been rolling a giant inflatable testicle across the USA to raise awareness of testicular cancer. Relying on people's kindness and support, he is currently travelling from California to New York and has been raising a lot of eyebrows along the way. Diagnosed with a stage three testicular cancer in 2009, Cantley started his ballsy mission in order to break some of the taboo surrounding the topic. "It's a 96 per cent survival rate if caught early," he told KSBW. "I want to prove you don't need billions of dollars or the promise of a cure to make a difference in the fight against cancer." His mission is instead about creating conversation. With his own cancer currently in remission, he's travelled more than 750 kilometres over the course of the month. People are inviting him to stay with them, buying him meals, and writing their own cancer-related stories on his giant testicle as he goes. With the Ball Push project now nearing its end, he's even earned himself the nickname of Mr Ballsy. Ever since Forrest Gump began running for the sake of running, we've had a fascination with these novel acts of endurance. Frankly, we're personally fascinated whenever anyone completes a regular marathon. What would compel someone to do that to themselves? But in the case of Thomas Cantley, the reason is very clear. Taking advantage of the humour all young men seem to find in their balls, Cantley is tactfully asking guys between 15 and 35 to "go check their nuts". And hey, if a cancer survivor can trek all the way across the USA dragging a very annoying inflatable ball, you can probably muster a quick fondle or trip to the doctor. Follow the rest of the journey via the Ball Push website or Facebook page. For more on the issue, check out the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation. Via A Plus and KSPW.
One of a growing collection of cult Korean fried chicken joints to venture Down Under, Bonchon opened the doors to its first Aussie eatery in Craigieburn Central in early 2022. Born in the buzzing southern city of Busan in 2002, Bonchon — meaning 'my hometown' — is now an international name in the chicken game, boasting over 370 global outposts. Now, Aussies are getting their first taste of the brand's signature sauces — spicy and soy garlic — and its original recipe double-fried chook. Bonchon's menu famously extends to a range of pan-Asian dishes and other Korean specialties, which are also making an appearance here — you can balance your fried chicken fix with the likes of loaded kimchi fries ($14.90), kimchi coleslaw ($8.90), prawn and ginger potstickers ($12.90), and popcorn cauliflower bao ($15.90). There's a classic beef bulgogi with rice and sweet soy ($16.90), an assortment of mix-and-match 'k-bowls' ($15.90), and a lineup of Korean-inspired burgers, too. And don't forget to match your feed with one of the soju-infused house cocktails, including a soju margarita ($16.90) and a strawberry cosmo ($16.90). Meanwhile, that signature chook comes battered, double-fried and hand-brushed with sauce to order, available across a whole range of bone-in and boneless combination packs (from $12.90).
Taylor Swift has already played Australia in 2024, as the entire country knows. Billie Eilish will hit the country's stages in 2025. Arriving in-between: Olivia Rodrigo, with the former Disney talent — see: Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series — bringing her huge GUTS world tour Down Under in October 2024. When we say huge, we mean it. With the addition of four Aussie dates alongside new gigs in Bangkok, Thailand, Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore, the tour now spans 82 concerts around the globe. In Australia, Rodrigo has a two-night date with Melbourne and then another two with Sydney. Fans elsewhere, you'll be needing to travel. Touring in support of her second studio album that's also called GUTS, three-time Grammy-winner Rodrigo is hitting Rod Laver Arena Wednesday, October 9–Thursday, October 10 to start her Aussie visit. The next week, from Thursday, October 17–Friday, October 18, she'll play Qudos Bank Arena. In both Sydney and Melbourne, New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee will also take to the stage in support This is 'Drivers License', 'Good 4 U' and 'Vampire' singer Rodrigo's first arena tour, as well as her first tour Down Under — and she'll have her debut album SOUR to work through as well. The GUTS tour started in Palm Springs in February, saw Rodrigo do four shows at Madison Square Garden in April, and is currently making its way around the UK before heading to Europe, back to the US, then to Asia and Australia. Olivia Rodrigo GUTS World Tour 2024 Australian Dates: Wednesday, October 9–Thursday, October 10 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Thursday, October 17–Friday, October 18 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olivia Rodrigo is touring Australia in October 2024. Ticket presales start at 1pm on Wednesday, May 15, and general sales at 1pm on Thursday, May 16 — head to the tour website for further details. Images: Chris Polk, Polk Imaging.
Planes are not the first mode of transportation you associate with relaxation. Sure, Qantas plaster their lounges with posters about gourmet dining at 30,000 feet and if you're in first class you can settle into the flight with a warm lavender scented towel on your face (I assume). But for most of us, flying is a literal rollercoaster of anxiety and frustration. On every trip, I have the same devastating thought: Is this how I die? "She went peacefully," the eulogy will read. "The air hostess plied her with a $10 plastic cup of wine and she seemed mildly entertained by the rerun of Modern Family." Anyway. Apparently, it's not all that bad. When planes are stationary, closer to the ground and filled with handcrafted luxury items, they're okay by me. Enter Costa Rica's Costa Verde resort — the world's premier destination for finery and fuselage. Crafted from the airframe of an abandoned 1965 Boeing 727, Costa Verde's Phoenix Suite is understandably the hotel's 'most exclusive' accommodation. The two-bedroom luxury suite is entirely fitted out with Costa Rican teak panelling and hand-crafted Indonesian furniture, and it also a large deck on what was once the plane's right wing. Nestled at the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park, this suite offers amazing access to the nation's wildlife too. Sloths, iguanas, birds and butterflies roam freely around the area, but most famously the grounds are home to a large variety of monkeys — squirrel, howler, and white-faced. As you might expect, it's somewhat exxy ($250-750 per night without taxes). Perhaps you could write it off as a medical expense — an entirely necessary measure to cure your fear of flying. Regardless, in the land where money is no object and all the animal kingdom are at one with us, we would like to be taken there immediately. Via Lost At E Minor.
If you Google 'Michael Jackson's legacy', you'll find the following pearls of pop culture wisdom: he made R&B the sound of pop, he made music videos an 'event', he made dancing a prerequisite to any occasion, he was instrumental (no pun intended) in developing the celebrity charitable-industrial complex, and his 1977 book The World Guide to Beer created the modern concept of beer styles that underpins the craft beer movement to this day. That last fact may come as a surprise to devoted fans of the King of Pop, but probably not to craft beer aficionados who are well aware that there's more than one Michael Jackson in the firmament. When it comes to craft beer, the 'real' Michael Jackson was an English writer, journalist and TV presenter, and not a moonwalking, anti-gravity-leaning, crotch-grabbing singer. Although it's easy to see how confusion could arise. The book explored the wide and wonderful world of craft beer styles — from porter to pilsener and everything in between. It elucidated their history, discerned their characteristics and uncovered unique (and decidedly roguish) facts about each type. Almost 40 years on, thanks to the work of Michael Jackson and other craft beer evangelists like James Smith, more people are aware of the beer varieties available to them. But what do the different styles mean and how does sampling them introduce you to a whole world full of flavour? Let us explain. Porter Brewed from brown and dark coloured malts, this moderately hopped beer became popular in 18th century London. Sharing similarities with stout, it descended from brown ale. Expect a complex, interesting beer with flavours of chocolate and coffee. Many tall tales have been told about the origins of this style of beer. No one can be certain which is true, which only adds to the porter's mystique and appeal. India Pale Ale (IPA) Also originating in the 18th century, this strong, hoppy (yet also light, bright and sparkling) beer was brewed specifically to last the journey from England to India in the days of the British Raj, so that the thousands of ex-pats living there could still enjoy their creature comforts. On arrival in India, IPA was said to be watered down before being given to the rank and file British troops, meaning only the officers got to enjoy it in all its glory. American-style Pale Ale Typified by strong citrus and fruity hop aromas, American pale ales were developed in the 1980s and take their name from the use of American hops such as Cascade. The style has since been adapted to embrace hops from around the world, while retaining the key taste characteristics and a good balance of malt and hops. Anchor Liberty Ale is regarded as the first modern American pale ale. It was first brewed in 1975 to mark the start of the American War of Independence, when the US colonies effectively said 'up yours' to their British overlords. Golden Ale Combining elements of pilsners and wheat beers, golden ales are technically part of the broader pale ale family. Noted for their alluring colour, golden ales are light, refreshing and highly drinkable, with a restrained bitterness and dry finish. Often called 'summer ales', this is the fastest-growing style of beer in the UK, charming drinkers away from the heavily promoted lager brands. Pale Ale Originating in northern England (Burton upon Trent, to be precise, a town blessed with plenty of rich, hard water, which helps with clarity and enhancing the hop bitterness), the term stems from the practice of using coke to dry-roast malts, resulting in a lighter-coloured beer. Pale ales tend to be fruity and hoppy, and can vary in colour from amber to golden. Craft beer fans around the world have innovative chemist CW Vincent to thank for identifying the calcium sulphate content in the Burton water that first allowed for hoppy beers to be brewed. The act of adding gypsum to water is now known as 'Burtonisation' and now allows the likes of the Malt Shovel Brewery (home to the James Squire craft beer range) to bring out the flavours of the hops. Copper Ale Named after their distinctive colour (which perhaps isn't the most creative approach, but at least you know what you're getting), copper ales can vary in taste from mild to bitter. In the US, copper ales are classed as American amber ales and originated on the West Coast, home to various counter culture movements and alternative, individualistic approaches. Amber Ale Another member of the pale ale family, and another named after its colour, amber ales tend to be balanced, rich and effortlessly flavoursome. Coloured malts such as Crystal are used to create the rich amber colour. Amber ale was the first craft beer brewed in the James Squire range. Now known as Nine Tales Amber Ale, it tells James Squire's remarkable life story in a toffee-caramel nutshell. Pilsner Also (and more correctly) spelt pilsener, this pale lager takes its name from the Bohemian city of Plzen (or Pilsen) where it was first brewed. There are now three main styles of pilsner: Czech — golden, earthy and bitter; German — colourful, light and foamy, European (mainly Dutch and Belgian) — sweeter. Josef Groll, the brewer who invented pilsner, was a Bohemian in every sense of the word, from his revolutionary approach to brewing to the manner of his death — of natural causes while happily telling stories at the regulars' table in his favourite pub. Australian lager Synonymous with Australian beer, lagers are European in origin (the word comes from lagern, meaning 'to store' in German). The fundamental difference to ales comes from the type of yeast used (bottom-fermenting as opposed to top). Lagers tend to be clean and crisp, and often have grassy characteristics. In the US, lagers brewed before Prohibition were often crafted with a high percentage of corn. Coincidentally, James Squire also brewed beer from corn in Australia's earliest days — which perhaps makes 'necessity is the mother of invention' the rogue's motto. Photo credits: Daveybot, Jaryl Cabuco | Fitted.Life, Keithius, Claudio Brisighello, Speed-Light, Matthew Black, blondinrikard, and martingarri via photopin cc.
New York's Museum of Modern Art isn't the only major international gallery bringing its wares to our shores this year, with an exhibition from London's Tate Britain gallery heading to Australia from December. Entitled Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate and displaying from December 14, 2018 until April 28, 2019, it'll bring more than 40 of the Tate's beloved works to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, in an exhibition that'll focus on the artistic movement that started in 1848. Iconic pieces such as John Everett Millais' Ophelia and John William Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott will be making the journey as part of the showcase. Part ode to early Renaissance efforts, part protest against the prevailing creative traditions of the mid-19th century, pre-Raphaelite art was sparked by a group of rebellious artists eager to create something different to the art of the time — and their preferred style, featuring detailed, colourful compositions painted in thin layers with small brushes, certainly managed that. In addition to the pieces from the Tate, the exhibition will also feature an additional 40 works loaned from other British and Australian collections. Each will help highlight the themes of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, examine the different styles adopted by the various artists adhering to its principles, stress the importance of draughtsmanship and emphasise the movement's fondness for collaboration. "This exhibition includes some of the most loved and visited paintings at Tate — some of which have never before been seen in Australia," said NGA director Nick Mitzevich. Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate will be the NGA's major summer exhibition, although it's not the gallery's only new addition come the end of the year, with Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin-filled infinity room The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens set to join its permanent collection in December. Love & Desire: Pre-Raphaelite Masterpieces from the Tate exhibits at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes, Canberra between December 14, 2018 and April 28, 2019. Images: John Everett Millais, Ophelia 1851-2. Oil paint on canvas. Tate collection presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894. © Tate. / John William Waterhouse, The Lady of Shalott 1888. Oil on canvas. Tate. © Tate.
UPDATE: April 27, 2020: The Biggest Little Farm is available to stream via Google Play and YouTube. Say goodbye to your inner-city digs, pack up your belongings and head to the country — it's time to swap your concrete playground for a grassy, tree-lined, animal-filled one. That's how you might be feeling after watching The Biggest Little Farm, the warm and informative documentary that charts a just-married Californian couple's quest to follow all of the above steps in the name of a better life. John and Molly Chester's dream is simple, at least on paper. They want to run their own farm, relying on traditional methods and doing so in harmony with nature. One-crop spreads, soulless egg factories and the general type of commerce-driven farming that has become common today aren't for them. Instead, their rural utopia boasts a broad array of creatures and hundreds of different types of edible plants, creating a mini-ecosystem that supplies everything the pair eats — and everything that Molly, a private chef and food blogger, could ever need to cook with. The fact that a film exists about their efforts, and that it's helmed by John himself — a cinematographer and Emmy award-winning director when he's not working the land — signals the obvious: that the Chesters turned their vision into a reality. Spanning most of the past decade, The Biggest Little Farm chronicles the ups and downs of attempting to transform an unwelcoming 200-acre patch of soil into a thriving natural farming haven, all by following the advice of biodynamic farming guru Alan York. Taking over an abandoned farm, they strip away most of the existing crops, replacing them with new ones. They wait as the greenery grows, and as their newly acquired menagerie of chickens, pigs, ducks, sheep, dogs and other diverse critters all play their part. (Of paramount importance: the animals' poop, of which there's plenty.) First laughed at by their friends and family, the Chesters' support system expands, as does the farm they call home and the business side of the equation. Bookended by wildfires, with flames threatening to encroach upon the property an hour outside of Los Angeles, The Biggest Little Farm bubbles with timeliness — and not just because of Australia's current catastrophic blazes. The documentary actually first started screening at international film festivals back in 2018, coming in third in the audience choice award in Toronto that year, but the attitude it celebrates is a clear reflection of the growing recognition that much about humanity's current existence is harming the planet. Accordingly, as proved the case with Aussie doco 2040, watching the Chesters' plight proves educational, inspirational and aspirational. Their passion is infectious, whether they're helping birth calves, tending to an ailing pig or endeavouring to save their chickens from coyotes. The movie doesn't aim to take viewers through their feats step-by-step or teach audiences exactly how to follow the same path, but it does show what's possible for anyone willing to try. When the film leans into the adorable, heartwarming side of such an idealistic venture, cuteness abounds. An outcast rooster befriends a sow, oinking piglets run riot, and dogs lick lambs as if they were cleaning their own offspring. John doesn't shy away from the tougher realities of farm life, though — including wildlife predators, birds pecking through most of their fruit, a tricky snail infestation and serious animal health issues. First and foremost, however, he's viewing his experiences through a firmly upbeat, affectionate, resilient and persistent lens. This is a true tale that starts with a promise to a just-adopted dog, which John saves from an animal hoarder with more 200 critters and pledges to give a loving home, after all. When that pup barked so much that the couple got evicted, that's when John and Molly decided to chase their farming dreams. The movie's positive spin lends itself to lively animated sequences, bringing Molly's fantasies to the screen a suitably colourful, affable way. Still, as engaging as this rich, gentle documentary is — and as likely as it is to make you wish you could take the Chesters' lead — that jovial mood also results in a few overtly cliched touches. The film's music drips with sentiment, as if it doesn't quite trust that the on-screen critters are enough by themselves. The brightly coloured hues do more than just capture the farm's sights, literally painting a vibrant, sun-dappled picture. And, when it comes to the difficult reality of actually funding this sizeable venture (and making an independent doco about it at the same time), concrete details are glaringly absent. Plus, the personal voiceover sometimes verges on cloying. Worse: the reaction to someone's ill health and its impact on the farm plays as selfish, as if this parcel of land is more important than another person. These are all minor issues, but they do stop a valuable movie about eco-conscious living from being truly great rather than just very good. You'll still want to pack your bags and leave the rat race far behind, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcQKWkpPB3U
