No two neighbourhoods are the same in Singapore. From swanky Marina Bay to lively Little India, buzzing Orchard Road and idyllic Sentosa, each area of the Lion City has its own distinct character and offers unparalleled adventures. Katong-Joo Chiat is no exception. The vibrant region has roots tracing back to the early 19th century, gradually evolving from coconut and cotton plantations to an affluent coastal retreat in the 1920s, which drew a strong community of Straits–born Chinese and Malay descendants — otherwise known as the Peranakan community. Now, the neighbourhood is a colourful cultural hub that still upholds remnants of Singapore's Peranakan culture. With the help of Singapore Tourism, we're showcasing some of the top experiences around Katong-Joo Chiat, so you can dive into the area's rich and diverse history. What to See Wandering through Katong-Joo Chiat will take you on a journey through time. Here, you'll find heritage landmarks interspersed with contemporary boutiques and eateries that pay homage to the area's Peranakan history and culture. Discover Peranakan architecture at the pastel-hued shophouses on Koon Seng Road. Built in the 1920s, these restored dwellings interweave traditional Peranakan design with European and Chinese influences, such as floral tiles, ornate frames and intricate motifs. You're welcome to take photos, but keep in mind that these are occupied residences. Want to see it all but don't know where to start? Hop on a Vespa sidecar to see the area from a different vantage point. Singapore Sidecars runs tours throughout the city on vintage Vespas, while you take it in from the comfort of a sidecar. The Katong-Joo Chiat tour takes you along hidden laneways to see Koon Seng Road, Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple, street murals and local coffee houses. If you're still keen for more, add on an extra hour and you'll get to explore a pre-war school and an old residential area, and enjoy a meal at a hawker centre or shophouse eatery. [caption id="attachment_980366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danny Santos[/caption] What to Do Continue your exploration of Peranakan culture at Rumah Kim Choo and Rumah Bebe, where you'll be able to venture inside old shophouses. Rumah Kim Choo is a two-storey shophouse with a gallery and Kim Choo Kueh Chang eatery. Head upstairs to join a beading workshop or private tour, before sampling traditional Peranakan snacks downstairs, including savoury rice dumplings and sweet Nyonya kueh, which the family-owned business has been making since 1945. [caption id="attachment_980370" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yik Keat[/caption] Similarly, Rumah Bebe sells Peranakan collectibles and clothing in a vivid blue shophouse, with classes and tours upstairs. After you've learnt about beading techniques and tried on some Nyonya garments like sarongs and kebayas, round out the experience with some Peranakan cuisine at the restaurant downstairs. The menu includes small bites, curries, a traditional ayam buah keluak (chicken or pork ribs cooked in tamarind gravy) and a selection of sweet kuehs. [caption id="attachment_982044" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danny Santos[/caption] For shopping and souvenirs — that will bring you back to the present era — make a beeline for Cat Socrates and The WYLD Shop. Cat Socrates has a selection of homewares, books, decor, lifestyle goods and gifts by Singaporean designers. You'll even find knickknacks inspired by the neighbourhood, including a linen wall calendar of Joo Chiat Road, glass mugs with Peranakan tiles, sandals with shophouses and Southeast Asian fruits, and art prints of local scenes. The WYLD Shop also carries a range of local brands across clothing, accessories, beauty, homewares, lifestyle goods and gifts. Get some mementos of your trip to bring home, such as a tea towel with the shophouses of Koon Seng Road, a candle inspired by the tropical scent of Singapore, facial oils by a locally made brand, and brightly printed kimono jackets. What to Eat Your Katong-Joo Chiat visit wouldn't be complete without some treats to reward your day of exploration. Established in 1925, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is a neighbourhood institution that has withstood the test of time. First opened as a coffee shop, the bakery and eatery evolved with the times and is still managed by some of the original family to this day. Be sure to have a taste of the signature kaya toast, sugee cake and kaya swiss roll when you're there. [caption id="attachment_983639" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Birds of Paradise Facebook[/caption] Get some respite from the humidity at Birds of Paradise. The store serves heaping scoops of creamy gelato, but you won't get any traditional flavours here. Instead, expect flavours derived from natural botanicals (without any artificial additives) and inspired by Southeast Asian tastes and aromas. Options range from the delicate white chrysanthemum and fruity lychee raspberry to the rich pandan coconut caramel and nuanced macadamia butterfly pea. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre. All images courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board.
To text, post, like, swipe, chat and livestream, or not to? In today's always-online times, that truly is the question. For wannabe influencer Lucy (Charlotte Nicdao), the answer is simple, much to her friend and housemate Daisy's (Gemma Bird Matheson) growing dismay. The perky, impulsive and attention-seeking Brisbanite isn't going to become famous for living the best version of her life if no one's watching, after all. No, for her dream of internet stardom to come true, she'll need to have her fingers constantly glued to her smartphone's buttons. Welcome to the world of Content, the ABC's new short-form web series, which is dropping episodes on ABC iView and YouTube weekly. With the show playing out on Lucy and Daisy's smartphone screens, that title does double duty. Firstly, it recognises that pumping out an endless stream of texts, DMs, Facebook posts, Instagram pics, Tinder swipes, video chats and other online content is just part and parcel of modern-day living. We're all smartphone addicts, and we might as well admit it, really. But the show unpacks the flipside as well, realising that continually negotiating our existence via an always-connected rectangle might not be the best path to lasting happiness. Lucy and Daisy are each accustomed to a ceaseless sea of notifications lighting up their screens. Working, dating, driving, bushwalking, graduating from uni — regardless of what they happen to be doing at any given moment, their smartphones are in their hands. Lucy takes that notion to another level, however, with her determined quest for glory knowing no bounds. When she hops behind the wheel, she livestreams it. When she crashes, she keeps filming. When the cops arrive at the scene, she's more interested in chatting to her followers than being taken to hospital. And when the video of her accident goes viral and becomes a meme, giving Lucy the moniker '#Flipgirl', it's the best moment of her life. If the above story sounds familiar, that's because it has been splashed across news headlines over the past week. After Content's first episode dropped, footage of Lucy's fictional fender bender hit Reddit, was mistaken for the real thing, and the reaction spread quickly. Art imitated life, then life imitated art, with a show about a millennial going viral almost instantly going viral itself. Created by Ludo Studios, directed by Daley Pearson and Walter Woodman, and written by Anna Barnes, the seven-part series proves equally hilarious, insightful and — as the Reddit incident demonstrates — authentic. It's both a sign of the times and a window into our 21st-century souls. Looking over someone's shoulder to steal a peek at their smartphone screen has become today's ultimate casual act of voyeurism, because the pocket-sized computers are just that integral to our lives. So, with that in mind, Content lets us watch. The end result isn't just equally perceptive and entertaining, although both terms apply. Framed vertically — aka designed to be watched on your own smartphone, naturally — Content is part of a growing trend called 'screenlife'. Relaying narratives purely through computer and phone displays, the technique has driven films such as Unfriended, Profile and Searching. And, as long as we all keep living our lives through our screens like Lucy, that list will only keep growing. Check out the first episode of Content below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALEdgJj1iQI&feature=youtu.be New episodes of Content drop weekly on ABC iView and YouTube.
If you've looked at a television lately or headed in search of the golden arches to get a feed, then you've probably already realised that 2021 marks 50 years since McDonald's first started serving burgs in Australia. To celebrate, the fast food chain has been splashing advertisements all around the place, and whipping up specials — including 50-cent cheeseburgers and new McFlurrys so far. Up next: Macca's PJs. Obviously, you'll be lovin' them. Teaming up with Peter Alexander, McDonald's has launched a collection of sleepwear that features burgers, fries, golden arches, the chain's red and yellow colour scheme, and its famous figures such as Ronald, Grimace, Birdie and the Hamburglar. Do people wearing burger-covered pyjamas dream of Big Macs? That's the question you can now put to the test. You can clearly expect a big dose of nostalgia as well and, thanks to Ronald and company's presence, to have a fierce hankering for happy meals. Given that McDonald's opened here in the 70s, there's a huge retro feel to the entire range. If, while wearing them, you wake up and start watching cartoons, that's understandable. Ten different items are available now at Peter Alexander stores and via the sleepwear brand's website until stocks last — including PJ pants and sweaters for men and women, and four different matching sets for the latter. Prices start at $69.95 for kids, and span up to $129.95 for long-sleeved women's flannelette pyjamas covered in Macca's well-known characters. The McDonald's x Peter Alexander sleepwear collection is on sale now via Peter Alexander stores and the sleepwear brand's website.
Just when we thought we had enough yoga joints to never run out of free two-week introductory trials, a new studio has opened in Melbourne. Marketed as "bringing the essence of LA to Melbourne", r.a.w. studios (an acronym for 'ready and willing', for those who were wondering) is the CBD's new luxury wellness centre focused on both exercising the body and the mind. r.a.w. studios is something of a one-stop health and wellbeing shop, providing fitness classes, nutrition, education and even beauty services. The space consists of three yoga, barre movement and mobility studios in addition to a members' lounge where you can sip on a smoothie (complimentary for members), grab a book from the in-house library (yes, they have a library) and enjoy a nutritious meal once you've completed your workout. You can order in some sashimi from nearby Izakaya Den and in the coming weeks you'll even be able to grab a bite from their in-house kitchen. The concept and design of the studio is the result of a collaboration between hotel development group the Like Minded Group and Melbourne designer Travis Walton Architecture. Members will have access to a "360-degree multi-platform space", including international health experts, a range of fitness instructors conducting both group and one-on-one fitness classes, educational workshops (on topics like business and current affairs) and beauty amenities. Both meditation and philosophy classes will also be offered, meaning you can relax and question the meaning of life simultaneously. The studio has even developed its own signature scent to make your workout that extra bit memorable and tranquil — how's that for thinking of everything? There are only 500 spots available — so if you're keen, you best get in quick. Day passes start at $49, while a membership will set you back $79 per week. The studio will happily give prospective members a tour without charge, which is a good way to check out the place if you're broke but really want to know what the place smells like. r.a.w. studios is located at Basement, 118 Russell Street, Melbourne. For more info, visit raw-studios.com.au.
When Sydney Sweeney was in Sydney at a Sydney Swans game earlier in 2023, it wasn't just because she was playing the Sydney version of Pokémon and catching them all. Rather, the Euphoria and The White Lotus star was filming a romantic comedy. And when Boxing Day hits this year, cinemagoers will be able to see the end result. Right now, you can watch a sneak peek at rom-com Anyone But You, too, thanks to the movie's just-dropped first teaser trailer. The setup: Sweeney plays Bea, who had a great first date with Ben (Glen Powell, Top Gun: Maverick), then suggests that they pretend to be a couple when things don't quite work out otherwise. There's more to the story, but that isn't what teaser trailers are for — so why the pair's spark fizzled after their first date hasn't been revealed so far. As for that pretence, it comes while they're at a destination wedding. The location: Australia, obviously. From the first look, this clearly falls into a specific category of Aussie-made movies, aka flicks shot Down Under that can't stop reminding viewers that they're set Down Under. So, the trailer includes multiple shots of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. The latter even features in the background as Bea and Ben are having a Titanic moment on a boat. Anyone But You is directed and co-written by Will Gluck, who has both Easy A and Friends with Benefits on his resume, then the vastly dissimilar Annie and the two Peter Rabbit movies. On-screen, as well as Sweeney, Powell and a whole lot of Sydney — the city — Alexandra Shipp (Barbie), GaTa (Dave), Dermot Mulroney (Secret Invasion), Bryan Brown (C*A*U*G*H*T) and Rachel Griffiths (Total Control) also feature. Check out the trailer for Anyone But You below: Anyone But You opens in cinemas Down Under on December 26, 2023.
Talk about a big hook: while shark movies and serial-killer films comprise their own unnerving genres, each swimming with ample must-see viewing, Dangerous Animals combines the pair into an entertaining thriller mashup. The Gold Coast-made and -set picture boasts marine predators aplenty. The real monster in the hierarchy, however, lives on land and is very much human. Indeed, in a post-Jaws world — June 2025 marks five decades since Steven Spielberg's blockbuster sparked many a permanent case of galeophobia — one of The Loved Ones and The Devil's Candy filmmaker Sean Byrne's aims with his third feature, and first in ten years, is to do justice to rather than villainise the feared toothy fish. His new antagonist: Tucker, Dangerous Animals' shark-obsessed murderer. The victim of an attack in his younger days, he's now in the cage-diving business. As viewers learn early on, tourists frequenting his boat to swim with the ocean's creatures get more than they bargained for. From Jai Courtney (American Primeval) in the part, the movie receives exactly what it needs, though: an unforgettably terrifying performance, bringing to life a figure that's charismatic from the outset, while equally unsettling from the get-go as well. Tucker charms his customers, but there's aways an edge to him. He's menacing and obsessive, and also believable and fleshed out — and a little vulnerable, too. When Dangerous Animals introduces American-in-Australia Zephyr (Hassie Harrison, Yellowstone), everyone watching knows that the dedicated surfer is bound to paddle into Tucker's orbit, even as the solo traveller is making a rare connection with local real-estate agent Moses (Josh Heuston, Heartbreak High). The screenplay by first-timer Nick Lepard obliges — but this isn't the type of film where foreseeing such a turn of events kills the tension and suspense. Although Tucker abducts Zephyr to indulge his sadistic shark-feeding ritual, she knows the true threat and isn't afraid to sink her own teeth into fighting back. An engaging big-screen experience results, as does a movie that earned a rare endorsement on its way to cinemas Down Under. At 2025's Cannes Film Festival, Dangerous Animals became the first shark film to ever grace the event's program. "To be the first shark film to be officially selected for Cannes was kind of mindblowing," Byrne tells Concrete Playground. "And to be in Directors' Fortnight as well, which traditionally is a very film-literate sidebar — but it was a great vote of confidence that, I think, the selection committee saw this as a subversion of the traditional shark film." [caption id="attachment_1009141" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belinda Rolland © 2025.[/caption] "What I loved the most was, the Cannes experience, that was the first time that an audience had seen the finished film," Byrne continues. "So I was terrified. And because it is a very film-literate audience over there, I was thinking 'how are they going to perceive this?'. But they absolutely understood that this is just a fun, unhinged night at the movies, and really responded to that, and laughed and gasped. And we got a ten-minute standing ovation. So, yeah, it was incredibly gratifying. But to begin with I was petrified, because it was the first time that an audience had seen the finished film and on quite a big stage, so the stakes felt high." Playing Tucker, the stakes are raised for Courtney, too. It's a complex role — and one that Byrne has likened to Kathy Bates in Misery, Jack Nicholson in The Shining and Christian Bale in American Psycho. The Australian actor, making his second homegrown flick in succession after the immensely different, family-friendly Runt, hasn't shied away from playing the bad guy across his career so far. Here, the IRL true-crime fan was excited about the many layers to his Dangerous Animals part, as he adds to an on-screen resume that began two decades back in short Boys Grammar — and has spanned the likes of Jack Reacher, A Good Day to Die Hard, Terminator Genisys, the Divergent movies and two Suicide Squad entries in Hollywood. Is a willingness to get dark behind the range of antagonistic parts to Courtney's name? "I think it's just something that's started to happen. You find things that are in your wheelhouse," he advises. "And I'm not afraid of that or necessarily in search of it, either. It's just that, I guess, things that tend to be the stuff that come my way, that meet up with where my interests are, happen to be that way. But the goal for me is just to try and shake it up whenever I can. And fortunately films like Runt come along and I get to play a loving father of two, and completely depart from this world whatsoever. As long as I pepper a few of those in here and there, hopefully I'm not pigeonholed too heavily." A premise like Dangerous Animals' is a rarity, no matter how common both shark and serial-killer fare are separately. Yes, for both Byrne and Courtney, that's a drawcard. Respecting the film's sea-dwelling creatures, complete with using real animal footage as much as possible, was another key element for its director. So was the fact that this is as much a movie about the importance of love, and the power that someone believing in you can give. For its star, Tucker's dance sequence to Steve Wright's 'Evie' wasn't a motivating factor — but it's one of the film's most-memorable moments in a flick filled with them. We also chatted with Byrne and Courtney about the above, unpacking Australian larrikins and ideas around Aussie masculinity, how starring in a shark picture leaves you feeling about them and their career journeys as well, among other subjects. On the First Reaction When a Horror Movie About a Shark-Obsessed Serial Killer Stalking the Gold Coast — and About Man Being the Real Monster, Too — Comes Your Way Jai: "I think I read something that felt really original. It was a great story and had really strong characters at the centre of it, which is a sort of immediate way in — because I think with something like this, you get a loose logline before you're about to crack it open and it's like 'okay, it could go either way'. But Nick Lepard, who wrote our script, had really done a lot of work in giving these characters maybe a bit more depth than you'd come to expect from a film of this nature. And I think that's what made it a bit of a unique experience, and certainly made it appealing to me to want to get involved with. I think Tucker, he's so much more than the shark-obsessed serial killer. And we don't get to explore tons of his backstory, but there is a lot of colour to him, and I think seeing a chance to bring all that to life with this undertone of his morally ambiguous intentions was what really attracted me to it. And then, just speaking to Sean and kind of getting on common ground as far as what we thought was necessary for him. I didn't want this character to feel like a broad-strokes-washed-over-evil-intentions guy. If that was the movie he was trying to make, I don't think I would have been there. But I think we both wanted him to feel like there was a sort of deception there. And it had to feel fun. I wanted it to feel familiar and uniquely Australian, but also the genre speaks to the world, and we play into all the classic tropes that you might expect. It also does a good job of not taking yourself too seriously. There's a few winks to the audience in this film, where I think if you get onboard — it's why it's so important to see it with an audience, too, I really believe, because there's an energy to it that when you're sharing the space with others who are on the same ride, it becomes really palpable." Sean: "I tend to write my own scripts, much to the frustration of my agent and manager. And then this crossed my desk, and immediately I was just struck by the high-concept of serial killer film meets shark film. And I thought 'why hasn't anyone done this?', especially when you had the fact that this is the first shark film where the sharks aren't really the antagonist — man is. So I felt like Nick Lepard had actually kind of cracked the code. Because, Jaws masterpiece though it is, has done such a disservice to the sharks, where the same formula has been followed over and over again to the point that sharks are beginning to become an endangered species — because it was so culturally seismic. And so to get this shark film that was unlike any other shark film, but also had a conservation angle — but on top of that, was just a wild, fun night at the movies — it was just irresistible.' On Exploring Tucker's Layers — Including His Childhood Shark Attack and the Physical Scars It Left, Plus the Trauma, Vulnerability and Emotional Damage — All While He Remains a Shark-Obsessed Serial Killer Jai: "You just have to find the quiet moments and allow them to be there without trying to sell it too hard. The camera is an interesting thing, because it sees things that are saved for the audience for later. It's not like on set — you can't kind of like sell it all for the people that are in the room. And I think Tucker, there's an opportunity with him sometimes — where even just his response to certain comments made by Zephyr, or questions he's asked by Heather [Ella Newton, Girl at the Window] in the start of the film, there's things that can be quite potent. I just wanted to find opportunities with him to reveal a bit of his tenderness. And I think that's the thing that, for me, was like the gateway into figuring out who he was — is like this wound. We don't get to hear a lot about it in the film. There's one moment that sort of touches on it. But there's a bit of arrested development. He's stuck in a place where he was abandoned as a kid, and this somewhat otherworldly encounter touched him, and that's by way of being victim of an attack. But it almost made him feel chosen in a way. And so a lot of that is really just figuring out the path for yourself, where you're going 'alright, here's this bloke who's got this gaping wound in him, this trauma, but feels this immense connection to the animal'. All of that is just sort of say that he's found a crusade for himself that feels real. And it might be misguided, but he has a true belief in it. And so there you have the building blocks of who he might be, and then the fun part is stacking on the colourful bits on top. Even just costume and makeup and finding his look, finding the shape of his body — I mean, that for me, it's all part of building who Tucker is, and I wanted him to feel like a real salty, kind of born-out-of-the-marina, familiar Australian figure." On Courtney's Chance to Turn in a Horror Performance That Aims to Be as Memorable as Kathy Bates in Misery and Jack Nicholson in The Shining Jai: "Oh no, I didn't really approach it with any of that in mind. I just approached it with a goal to just do something that was dynamic and big, and get to explore all the corners of this human, really. And I think Sean and I were onboard with each other, and there was an immediate trust. And I think he let me — I was kind of like 'you help me with the temperature, and the volume of where we're pulling moments up and down and in and out, and I'll take care of sending it as hard as I think it needs to'. I mean, the material is there. But that stuff is a blueprint, it's not prescriptive. Every actor is going to come and do that with their own instincts. I saw a version of it in my head when I first read it, and I felt like that was the version that would work for the film. And fortunately I was given the chance to do it, and I'm proud with what we came up with." Sean: "I think any kind of horror film that stands the test of time, the antagonist haunts the audience's nightmares well after they've left the cinema. But I wanted it to be a great time as well. You think of Hannibal Lecter, and as disturbing as he is, he's fun. And Kathy Bates in particular, that character is just so wonderfully goofy, and she doesn't swear. And there's a certain theatricality to antagonists in commercial horror films, and we really wanted to aim for that and keep it fun. But also, the great thing about Jai is he's such a great character actor. I knew he would bring emotional nuance to the character where it was required — and capture the broken child inside the man, and point to this shark attack that he'd had as a child and capture all that. But also, he was also Captain Boomerang. He's got this wild charisma that reminded me of kind of Eric Bana in Chopper. And that's how the spider catches the fly, with charisma and letting tourists, they let their guard down. And finally, he's physically really intimidating and genuine — he could kill you with one punch. So I just thought combining the charisma with the kind of character actor that he is and the physical intimidation would be a really electric mix, to the point that I thought that this was the role that he was born to play. And so I was so thankful that we got him." On What Goes Into a Good Dance Sequence for Courtney, Given That He's in Quite the Unforgettable One in Dangerous Animals Jai: "God, I couldn't even tell you. I was daunted by that whole thing, because I'm by no means a dancer and it should never be filmed when I'm dancing. But we knew what it wanted to feel like. It's completely unchoreographed and just improvised. Tucker's kind of having this wrap party for his own little film that he's made, and it's a private look at this person in a light that we don't really get to spend a lot of time with them outside of that moment in the film. That needle drop of 'Evie' was written into the script. I know that song very well. I could already see it and hear and feel it. And I didn't plan any of it. I just had to go in, get in that mindset that he's in that night and just go for it. I think we did it in two takes. We did one, and we just ran it again from a different angle, and it was just me and Shelly [Farthing-Dawe, In Vitro], our cinematographer, with a handheld camera in the space. It was kind of like 'what we get is what we get'. And fortunately it turned out to be something really fun." On Unpacking Australian Larrikins and Ideas Around Aussie Masculinity Through Tucker Sean: "I think we've all had that kind of tour-guide experience. It doesn't necessarily need to be a shark-diving boat, but we're always in the hands of the tour guide. So yeah, there was that, but also he's almost an outdated representation of the kind of masculinity or toxic masculinity that I think the film works as a Trojan horse to say that this is something that needs to be kind of defeated. And Moses, in many ways, is the anti-Tucker. But I think it's inherent in the title. It's called Dangerous Animals. He is definitely more dangerous than what's in the water. But ultimately, I think Zephyr is the most-dangerous animal — and the allegory is she needs to defeat this. This is something that needs to be defeated. His philosophy needs to be destroyed." On Whether Being a True-Crime Fan Helps When You're Portraying a Serial Killer Jai: "I think so. I think I leant on my curiosity for people that are capable of things that we can't quite understand. And yeah, I do just have a fascination with it. It's one of those things where I think it's easy to judge that and feel like for some reason you're excusing these behaviours, or we're glorifying it or whatever — but I don't know, I've just always been fascinated by how close we might get to people that are capable of these crazy things without even knowing it. And that's interesting to me. You know, you don't really know who you're sitting next to on the bus or in a pub or whatever, and for some reason that doesn't terrify me — it intrigues me. There's not a story you could tell me that's too dark. I'm kind of here for it in a strange way. So yeah, I guess it led me in a little bit. But even with Tucker, the experience of shooting it, there were moments that hit a limit. There's a night we had where Ella Newton, who plays Heather, is strung up in the harness over the open water in the middle of the night, screaming for her life — and everyone was squirming, honestly, after a few minutes. We were all kind of, the whole crew, myself included, we're just like 'can we make this stop? This is too much'. And it's a testament to her performance and what she was giving it. But yeah, when your disbelief is suspended somewhat, even as a performer, you know you're stepping into wild territory." On the Importance of This Being Not Just a Killer Shark Flick and a Serial-Killer Movie, But Also a Survivalist Thriller, Plus a Film About Love and Finding Someone Who Helps You Believe in Yourself Sean: "Oh absolutely. I'm so glad you said that, because I think that's almost a central theme — that it's about love, or the difference that love can make in a life, and what an absence of love can do to a person as well. And I think it's this collision course between these two broken people that have had to learn to survive on their own, which actually sharks do. They're birthed in the shallows, and then they're left on their own to survive. So in many ways, Zephyr and Tucker know each other better than anyone else on the planet does — in a similar way to De Niro and Pacino doing Heat. Even though they're opposites and they're trying to kill each other, it's like, well, they actually understand each other as well. I think ultimately, Zephyr uses the ocean to ease her loneliness, and she uses it in a way that's about solace — whereas Tucker takes advantage of the ocean, ultimately, and it comes back to bite him." On How Making a Film About Sharks — Even When They're Not the Villain of the Movie — Leaves You Feeling About Them Afterwards Jai: "Sharks are scary. Let's get one thing straight, right: I don't think anyone's not scared of sharks. Maybe there are people out there that have a completely different affinity with them, but I don't need to come closer than anyone should. I would love to cage dive with whites. I've been in a tank, in a cage with some sharks, but they weren't exactly maneaters, so, you know, I wasn't in fear of my life. But there's something so incredible and mythical about giant beasts that could consume humans, that I think it's rare — that's sort of a rare quality on this earth. You think of big cats and maybe bears, and other than that, there's things that will kind of poison you. But sharks are a very unique threat, and they live in a world that we really can't get too close to or understand. So I think there's always going to be this quality to that that keeps people in fear. But they're beautiful. And nature is beautiful. And it's just the nature things. There's a line in the movie about it not being the shark's fault, Tucker references his own, being the victim of his own attack, and yeah, that is the case — it isn't." On How Crucial It Was to Use Real Shark Footage, Including to Dispel the Notion That They're Villainous Creatures Sean: "I feel like shark films recently have become so reliant on CGI, just because you can have lots of them in the shot. And they tend to be super sleek and more like a video game. But since Jaws, there's been so much overfishing of sharks. And they carry scars the same way that we do. And so I wanted to present them in a kind of documentary, real light — because our scars as humans are a big part of our personality. So I wanted to depict that with the sharks and show them as the majestic creatures that they truly are. And the only way to do that is treat them with the respect and show them for real. So 80 percent of the sharks that you see are real. Everything underwater is real. It's all taken from 4K footage that our shark researcher sourced to match storyboards and photographic references. The only CG is the fins above the water, because it's pretty much impossible to cover the intricate shark blocking with real shark fins. And all the shark photography really happens underwater because no one ever captures fins. So that was a necessity. But yeah, it just felt like I hadn't seen that in a shark film for such a long time, just real sharks in their element and appreciating them in all their beauty." [caption id="attachment_804997" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Suicide Squad[/caption] On How Courtney's Franchise Experience in Everything From Die Hard and Terminator Flicks to the Divergent Series, Jack Reacher and Suicide Squad Helps on a Film Like Dangerous Animals Jai: "Filmmaking is weirdly all the same. Your experience of it might change because the budget is different, but that's really not — you're just telling different stories. It doesn't really get better or worse. Maybe some people wouldn't like to work on a film of this size and give up a few basic luxuries, but that doesn't really — having more money to spend on screen doesn't make something more fulfilling to make. Sometimes it's just the bare-bones stuff where the story is as good as it gets and the character's really well rounded out and you're working with a phenomenal director, and it can be a really contained drama, but it's just as alive to shoot because of what we do as storytellers, as people that play dress ups. And it's all make believe. It's nice to put a big costume on sometimes and jump around on huge stunt rigs, and get to be involved with epic crash sequences or whatever. It's a lot of fun. But I enjoy the intimate, small stuff just as much. I guess I'm fortunate to be able to shake it up and operate in many different spaces." On What It Means to Courtney to Be Able to Come Home and Make Films That Are as Diverse as Runt and Dangerous Animals Jai: "It's everything. I hope that never ever ends. Australia's such a great place to work. I love the crews there. I've been fortunate to be part of some really special films — and I don't think it'll ever change. As long as we keep telling stories, I'll keep wanting to be involved." On Byrne's Journey From The Loved Ones Through The Devil's Candy to Dangerous Animals Sean: "I think it's probably a perception out there that if you do something that a lot of people end up seeing and gets some kind of cult status, that there's going to be money on tap. And the unfortunate reality is if you write original films about humans hunting other humans, they're not that easy to get off the ground. That's why there's more supernatural films than there are serial-killer films, because it's easier to blame the devil. In fact, I kind of had to do that in The Devil's Candy to get the money. So I've written constantly in the years between The Loved Ones and The Devil's Candy, and The Devil's Candy and Dangerous Animals, and optioned all of my scripts. But then Hollywood is so risk-averse, that that's why they want something that can mitigate the risk and justify their decision. Hence it's got to be either IP-driven or a sequel, or kind of supernatural — and that's why I was so thrilled when this crossed my desk. I had another film that was a lower budget that actually got the money at the same time as Dangerous Animals. So after all that time, it was like an embarrassment of riches. But Dangerous Animals felt the most-commercial choice, just because it's a shark film that has a very loyal following, plus it's a serial- killer film. And I was really happy to have that safety net that I could explore the extreme nature of man, but have the loyal shark fans to hold it up." On How Courtney Sees His Path From His First Screen Acting Role Two Decades Back, Through Huge Hollywood Franchises, Comedies, Local Fare and Much In-Between Jai: "I don't know. I'm still figuring it out, I think. Just trying to stay engaged with the material that I'm choosing nowadays. I'm a big believer in it all being part of the story, and there's some elements of that that you can control and a lot you have none over. So, I don't know, man. It gets tough out there. I'm just really grateful to get to do this for a living. There's nothing else I would be doing or ever will. [caption id="attachment_884171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaleidoscope. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.[/caption] And I really am in touch with that gratitude when I'm working. It's a real pleasure to get to do this. So I'm just trucking along, trying to keep growing as an artist — and try to hopefully do stuff that I'm thrilled to roll out of bed and get to involve myself in." Dangerous Animals opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Two excellent TV comedies about show business hardly makes a trend, let alone heralds a golden age, but it's currently a fantastic time for smart, astute and extremely funny series about standing behind microphones. In 2021, Girls5eva and Hacks premiered in America within a week of each other, deservedly winning fans immediately. In 2022, they've both returned for their second seasons in the US and Down Under (via Stan and TVNZ On Demand) with the same timing. Accordingly, if you only want to watch shows about talented ladies chasing their starry dreams right now, that's firmly on the cards. If you're keen to dive deep into what makes something funny — how comedy evolves, shifts and swings; the differences between easy and well-earned laughs; the courage it takes to truly lay yourself bare during a standup set; and how comedy is received when it's coming from women rather than men, too — that's Hacks' remit. As the goofier and sillier but still wonderfully savvy Girls5eva does, it carves into the entertainment industry's treatment of women, and doesn't hold back from depicting the bleak reality. It's scathing, in fact. This Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner's specific target, though: the world of comedy. In season one, Hacks pushed Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) together. The former is a veteran comic with a long-running Las Vegas residency, while the twentysomething latter reluctantly took a job as Deborah's assistant after thinking she was going to make it big in Los Angeles, then getting herself into trouble via an ill-thought-out tweet. The end result could've been cliched from start to finish. The series does indeed focus on a chalk-and-cheese pair who don't get along, slowly discover that they have more in common than either will admit, and try to navigate the unwelcoming realm that is comedy for women with each other's help. But, crucially, that whole concept is the premise, not the joke. Hacks doesn't laugh at its mismatched, wittily spiky central duo, but at everything they're stuck facing. The series' first season quickly cemented itself as one of 2021's best new TV shows — one of two knockout newbies starring Jean Smart last year, thanks to the aforementioned Mare of Easttown — and it's just as ace the second time around. It's still searingly funny, nailing that often-elusive blend of insight, intelligence and hilarity. It retains its observational, wry tone, and remains devastatingly relatable even if you've never been a woman trying to make it in comedy. And it's happy to linger where it needs to to truly understand its characters, but never simply dwells in the same place as its last batch of episodes. Season two is literally about hitting the road, so covering fresh territory is baked into the story; however, Hacks' trio of key behind-the-scenes creatives aren't content to merely repeat themselves with a different backdrop. Those guiding hands — writer Jen Statsky (The Good Place), writer/director Lucia Aniello (Rough Night) and writer/director/co-star Paul W Downs (The Other Two) — started Hacks after helping to make Broad City a hit. Clearly, they all know a thing or two about moving on from the past. That's the decision both Deborah and Ava had to make themselves in season one, with the show's second season now charting the fallout. So, Deborah has farewelled her residency and the dependable gags that kept pulling in crowds, opting to test out new and far-more-personal material on a cross-country tour instead. Ava has accepted her role by Deborah's side, and is willing to see it as a valid career move rather than an embarrassing stopgap. That said, last year's episodes also left the series with a potential wrecking ball: an email Ava wrote about Deborah while drunk, high, and upset about being slapped and insulted. Penned in anger and filled with extremely personal details about the comedian, it was sent to LA producers who wanted to hire Ava to mine Deborah's life for a new show about an insufferable woman in power. That destructive stream of text isn't season two's entire focus, but it's also inescapable, as much as Ava wants it to just disappear — as does Jimmy (Downs), Ava and Deborah's shared manager. But Hacks has always been willing to see that actions have consequences, not only for an industry that repeatedly marginalises women, but for its imperfect leading ladies. The brilliantly biting Smart continues to turn in awards-worthy work in Hacks' second season, and Einbinder still wears Ava's entitled chaos like a second skin. But there's one added bonus: now Deborah and Ava are lived-in characters, rather than newcomers to audiences. It's a pleasure to see both actors dive deep into what makes their on-screen alter egos tick, clash and occasionally get along; indeed, many of season two's best moments explore the whirlwind that ensues when Deborah and Ava fight but still clearly care about each other. Also upping the ante: being stuck on a tour bus on the road, decked out with a luxe bedroom for Deborah but condensing Ava's bunk to the tiny space above the onboard tanning bed. There, with fellow assistant Damien (Mark Indelicato, With Love) and new tour manager Weed (Laurie Metcalf, The Dropout) in tow, everyone's feelings bubble and boil in the resulting pressure cooker. Those supporting players — Deborah's daughter DJ (Katlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), business manager Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Candyman) and personal blackjack dealer Kiki (Poppy Liu, The Afterparty) included, as well as Jimmy and his high-maintenance assistant Kayla (Megan Salter) — don't get as much time to shine this time, though. That's the one difficulty that Hacks' sophomore batch of episodes have, but it's also the best kind of problem. There's still so much depth to Deborah and Ava's stories and their dynamic, and so much to unpack about them separately, together and in the world of comedy, that pushing the spotlight elsewhere is always going to prove tricky. The only solution: renewing Hacks for a third season, and hopefully more beyond that. Check out the trailer for Hacks season two below: Hacks' second season starts streaming via Stan in Australia from Friday, May 13, beginning with two episodes, then dropping further instalments weekly — and on TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one. Images: Karen Ballard/HBO Max.
Strap in, Melbourne; it's time to finally control the weather. That's right, Rain Room is back in town for its third season. Once a resident of renowned international art institutions like New York's MoMA, London's Barbican and the YUZ Foundation in Shanghai, the ever-raining-but-you-never-get-wet installation is not to be missed. It's basically a dark, rainy room you can stroll through without needing that umbrella you always leave at bars. Housed in the Jackalope Pavilion in St Kilda, Rain Room covers a 100-square-metre space, and merges art, technology and nature into a single immersive experience. As you move, so does the rain. How neat? The whole experience isn't just a stroll in the rain; it's designed to provoke thought, to make us reflect on our relationship with nature and the environment. Thinking of diving in? The Rain Room runs from November 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024. It's open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am till late, with specific child-friendly slots in the mornings (10am–11.30am) and afternoons (3pm–4pm) for little rain dancers. Adult tickets go for $29, kids and concessions at $19, and families at $89. If you're after a fun group adventure, a cute date, or some introspective solo time, this is the spot. Go on, enjoy yourself, go make it rain. Find Rain Room at the Jackalope Pavilion, corner of Acland and Jackson streets, St Kilda.
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 nine that you can watch right now at home. THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN In The Banshees of Inisherin, the rolling hills and clifftop fields look like they could stretch on forever, even on a fictional small island perched off the Irish mainland. For years, conversation between Padraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell, After Yang) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson, The Tragedy of Macbeth) has been similarly sprawling — and leisurely, too — especially during the pair's daily sojourn to the village pub for chats over pints. But when the latter calls time on their camaraderie suddenly, his demeanour turns brusque and his explanation, only given after much pestering, is curt. Uttered beneath a stern, no-nonsense stare by Gleeson to his In Bruges co-star Farrell, both reuniting with that darkly comic gem's writer/director Martin McDonagh for another black, contemplative and cracking comedy, Colm is as blunt as can be: "I just don't like you no more." In the elder character's defence, he wanted to ghost his pal without hurtful words. Making an Irish exit from a lifelong friendship is a wee bit difficult on a tiny isle, though, as Colm quickly realises. It's even trickier when the mate he's trying to put behind him is understandably upset and confused, there's been no signs of feud or fray beforehand, and anything beyond the norm echoes through the town faster than a folk ballad. So springs McDonagh's smallest-scale and tightest feature since initially leaping from the stage to the screen, and a wonderful companion piece to that first effort. Following the hitman-focused In Bruges, he's gone broader with Seven Psychopaths, then guided Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell to Oscars with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but he's at his best when his lens is trained at Farrell and Gleeson as they bicker in close confines. The Banshees of Inisherin is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE FABELMANS "Movies are dreams that you never forget," says Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) early in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. Have truer words ever been spoken in any of the director's flicks? Uttered to her eight-year-old son Sammy (feature debutant Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord), Mitzi's statement lingers, providing the film's beating heart even when the coming-of-age tale it spins isn't always idyllic. Individual pictures can come and go, of course. Only some — only some on the Jaws, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and West Side Story filmmaker's own resume, in fact — truly stand the test of time. But as former concert pianist Mitzi understands, and imparts to her wide-eyed on-screen Spielberg boyhood surrogate, movies as an art form are a dream that keeps shining in our heads. We return to theatres again and again for more. We glue our eyes to films at home, too. We lap up the worlds they visit, stories they relay and fantasies they inspire, and we also add our own. To everyone that's ever stared at the silver screen in awe, The Fabelmans pays tribute far more than it basks in the glow of its director. Because everyone is crafting cinematic memoirs of late, Spielberg adds this tender yet clear-eyed look at his childhood to a growing list of self-reflective flicks; however, he's as fascinated with cinema as a dream-sparking and -making force as is he with fictionalising his own tale. Slot The Fabelmans in alongside James Gray's Armageddon Time, Kenneth Branagh's Belfast, Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths from the past year or so, then, but don't merely consider it Spielberg jumping on a trend. Focusing on Sammy's film fixation, including as a teen (played by Gabriel LaBelle, The Predator) and as his fragile family hops around the US following his computer-engineer dad Burt's (Paul Dano, The Batman) work, this is a heartfelt, perceptive and potent movie about how movies act as a mirror — a vividly shot and engagingly performed one, too, complete with a pitch-perfect late cameo — whether we're watching or creating them. The Fabelmans is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON Every couple has in-jokes, a valuable currency in all relationships, but only Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp have turned a cute private gag into Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. The Parks and Recreation actor and the Fraud director are no longer together romantically, marrying and divorcing in the 13 years since they first gave the world the cutest talking shell anyone could've imagined; however, they've now reteamed professionally for an adorable film based on their 2010, 2011 and 2014 shorts. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On also gave rise to two best-selling children's picture books, unsurprisingly, following a familiar internet-stardom path from online sensation to print and now the big screen. Neither Slate and Fleischer-Camp's faded love nor their joint project's history are ignored by their footwear-sporting seashell's cinematic debut, either; in fact, acknowledging both, whether subtly or overtly, is one of the things that makes this sweet, endearing, happily silly, often hilarious and deeply insightful movie such an all-round gem. That inside jest? A voice put on by Slate, which became the one-inch-high anthropomorphic Marcel's charming vocals. In Marcel the Shell with Shoes On's three initial mockumentary clips, the tiny critter chats to an unseen filmmaker chronicling his life, with earnestness dripping from every word. ("My name is Marcel and I'm partially a shell, as you can see on my body, but I also have shoes and a face. So I like that about myself, and I like myself and I have a lot of other great qualities as well," he advises in his self-introduction.) The same approach, tone and voice sits at the heart of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On's feature-length leap, of course, but so does a touching meditation upon loss, change and valuing what's truly important. Fleischer-Camp plays the movie's documentarian, mostly off-camera, who meets Marcel and his grandmother Connie (voiced by Isabella Rossellini, Julia) after moving into an Airbnb following a relationship breakup — and, yes, their work together becomes a viral phenomenon. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BABYLON Exclaiming "I'm already a star. You don't become a star: you either are one or you aren't. I am!" to get into the hottest party in Los Angeles, aspiring 1920s actor Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie, Amsterdam) has ambition. Gracing the same Golden Age soirée after ending his latest marriage with an overplayed joke that could've sprung from Inglourious Basterds, veteran leading man Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt, Bullet Train) wouldn't have gotten where he is without the same drive and determination. And, helping the shindig be the only place to be, including wrangling an elephant for the night's entertainment (a pachyderm that empties its bowels on everyone pushing it up a hill no less), Manny Torres (Diego Calva, Narcos: Mexico) has the eagerness to do something — anything — in show business. Meet Babylon's zeal-dripping on-screen threesome, a trio matched only in their quest to rocket sky-high as the man conjuring them up: jazz-loving, La La Land Oscar-winning, Tinseltown-adoring writer/director Damien Chazelle. As Babylon unfurls across its hefty 189-minute running time, it takes a colossal heap of ambition — perhaps as immense as the pile of cocaine that Nellie gravitates towards inside the party — to make it or even fake it in the film industry. For his fifth feature, and first since 2018's First Man, Chazelle waves around his own as enthusiastically as he possibly can. Even just considering his hefty list of conspicuous influences makes that clear, with the filmmaker unshackling his inner Baz Luhrmann, Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson and David Lynch, to name a mere few overt nods. The Great Gatsby, Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Mulholland Drive: swirl them together with Kenneth Anger's 1959 publication Hollywood Babylon, plus everything from Sunset Boulevard to Hail, Caesar!, and that's just the beginning of Chazelle's plans. The end result also makes for a relentless and ravenous movie that's always a lot, not just in length, but is dazzling (and also very funny) when it clicks. Babylon is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. TRIANGLE OF SADNESS Ruben Östlund isn't interested in keeping his viewers comfortable, no matter how cushy their cinema chair. To watch the Swedish filmmaker's features is to feel yourself reacting — emotionally, always, and sometimes physically as well. It was true of 2014's phenomenal Force Majeure, aka as clever and cringe-inducing a portrait of marriage and masculinity as the 21st century has provided. With dropped jaws over a divisive piece of art within a divisive piece of art, it was true of 2018's The Square, the writer/director's first Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner, too. And, earning him that same prestigious prize again in 2022, it's also wholly accurate of Triangle of Sadness. Make a movie with a shape in its title, score one of the biggest filmmaking awards there is: that's been a nifty formula for Östlund of late. But even if he directs a flick called something like Hexagonal Dreaming soon, or anything else with a geometrical bent, and it too nabs that Cannes gong, beating Triangle of Sadness' vomit sequence is highly unlikely. To remind audiences that responding to films and life alike is an involuntary reflex, Östlund shows plenty of his characters doing just that — to existence, and to a choppy luxury cruise. It makes for simply unforgettable cinema, but it's also just one part of Triangle of Sadness and its sublimely shot unpacking of wealth, privilege and social hierarchies. Appearing to be coasting through perfection is an ongoing quest for Carl (Harris Dickinson, See How They Run) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean, Black Lightning), well-known models-slash-influencers, and the movie's focal point. When they take to the sea among the uber rich, they're still working the requisite angles (and snapping everything for Instagram from every angle). But then, under the captain's (Woody Harrelson, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) watch, being stranded on an island becomes their fate — and the way that Östlund satirically carves into the resulting chaos is equally hilarious and and astute, even when his film is both obvious and hardly subtle. Triangle of Sadness is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. M3GAN Book in a date with 2 M3GAN 2 Furious now: even if it doesn't take that name, which it won't, a sequel to 2023's first guaranteed horror hit will come. Said follow-up also won't be called M3GAN 2: Electric Boogaloo, but that title would fit based on the first flick's TikTok-worthy dance sequence alone. Meme-starting fancy footwork is just one of the titular doll's skills. Earnestly singing 'Titanium' like this is Pitch Perfect, tickling the ivories with 80s classic 'Toy Soldiers', making these moments some of M3GAN's funniest: they're feats the robot achieves like it's designed to, too. Although unafraid to take wild tonal swings, and mining the established comedy-horror talents of New Zealand filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) and screenwriter Akela Cooper (Malignant) as well, this killer-plaything flick does feel highly programmed itself, however. It's winking, knowing, silly, satirical, slick and highly engineered all at once, overtly pushing buttons and demanding a response — and, thankfully, mostly earning it. Those Child's Play-meets-Annabelle-meets-The Terminator-meets-HAL 9000 thoughts that M3GAN's basic concept instantly brings to mind? They all prove true. The eponymous droid — a Model 3 Generative Android, to be specific — is a four-foot-tall artificially intelligent doll that takes the task of protecting pre-teen Cady (Violet McGraw, Black Widow) from emotional and physical harm deadly seriously, creeping out and/or causing carnage against everyone who gets in its way. Those Frankenstein-esque sparks, exploring what happens when humanity (or Girls and Get Out's Allison Williams here, as Cady's roboticist aunt Gemma) plays god by creating life? They're just as evident, as relevant to the digital age Ex Machina-style. M3GAN is more formulaic than it should be, though, and also never as thoughtful as it wants to be, but prolific horror figures Jason Blum and James Wan produce a film that's almost always entertaining. M3GAN is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MAGIC MIKE'S LAST DANCE Ted Lasso fans, rejoice — the Magic Mike franchise is taking its lead from the hit sitcom now. Swap soccer for stripping, obviously. From there, the sports-themed favourite and Magic Mike's Last Dance both transport their namesakes to London, then give them jobs under wealthy women managing publicly beloved assets after bitter marriage breakdowns, all as those ladies try to spite their exes while also finding themselves and sorting out their lives. In the third film in the Channing Tatum (Bullet Train)-starring series, there's a team to oversee featuring players from around the globe, too, plus a gruff butler doing his best not-AI Roy Kent impression. And, it all climaxes with a showcase event demanding dedicated training. That said, only this exceptionally choreographed but never earth-shattering flick fills its final quarter with wall-to-wall gyrating, including a male-revue number soundtracked by 1998 Dandy Warhols' single 'Boys Better' that has to be seen to be believed. New Magic Mike movie splashing glistening chiselled abs across the screen, same Magic Mike, though. Tatum and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Kimi) — the prolific creative force who helmed, shot and spliced the first instalment; then just lensed and cut the second with his regular assistant Gregory Jacobs (Wind Chill) directing; and now returns to his trio of OG roles (still credited as Peter Andrews for his cinematography and Mary Ann Bernard for his editing) — have Mike Lane living his own Groundhog Day in a way. The more things change, the more that plenty stays the same for the saga's hero. This series started out not just putting its star's ripped physique and knack for erotic dancing to eye-catching use, but drawing upon his own story thanks to Tatum's past onstage Florida. He isn't currently getting by stripping while striving to follow his passion, of course. Before Magic Mike was scorching the screen, he'd already made it big. But these films, all three of which are penned by Reid Carolin (Dog), understand that Tatum's reality isn't the way that this tale usually goes. Magic Mike's Last Dance is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE LOST KING When King Richard III was killed in battle in the 15th century, did anyone wonder about a public holiday? Given the era and its working conditions, likely not. There's also the hardly minor fact that the monarch was slain by the forces of Henry Tudor, who promptly became England's ruler, so downing tools for a day of mourning probably wasn't a priority. The world has a frame of reference for grieving a British sovereign, though, and recently. When Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, pomp and ceremony reigned supreme. Dramatising the discovery of Richard III's remains, The Lost King wasn't made with the queen's passing in mind. Actually, it world-premiered a day afterwards. But the Stephen Frears (Victoria & Abdul)-directed, Steve Coogan- and Jeff Pope (Philomena)-scripted drama benefits from audiences knowing what's done now when whoever wears the crown is farewelled. The Lost King isn't about chasing a parade, pageantry, and a day off work for the masses in Britain and further afield. Charting the true tale of Richard III's location and exhumation 527 years after he breathed his last breath, it follows a quest for recognition and respect. When the film opens, Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins, The Phantom of the Open) wants it for herself, as a woman over 40 overlooked for a promotion at work in favour of a younger, less-experienced colleague — and as someone with a medical condition, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, who's too easily dismissed due to her health. She's also newly separated from her husband John (Coogan, This Time with Alan Partridge), adding to her unappreciated feelings. It's no wonder that Richard III's plight catches her interest thanks to a production of Shakespeare's Richard III, aka one of the reasons that the king was long seen as a hunchbacked villain. More surprising: that the film about all of this, while engaging enough and featuring stellar work by Hawkins, doesn't seem to trust that its real-life story can hold its own. The Lost King is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. A MAN CALLED OTTO In reality, cantankerous curmudgeons don't routinely possess hearts of gold. Genuine intentions don't always gleam behind petty folks with grudges spouting insults, either. Movies like A Man Called Otto keep claiming otherwise, though, because cinema is an empathy machine — and placing viewers in the shoes of characters different to them, whether in background, behaviour, situation or temperament, remains key among its functions. Tom Hanks, the silver screen's beloved everyman of more than four decades, knows this. Veteran filmmaker Marc Forster does as well. After getting villainous in Elvis and sweet with Christopher Robin, respectively, the actor and director join forces for a feature advocating for understanding, kindness and acceptance. Behind that cranky nitpicker, local annoyance or rude aggressor might just lurk a story worth appreciating and a person worth knowing, it sentimentally posits. This Americanisation of A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman's Swedish 2012 novel that first hit the screen in its native language in 2015, did indeed come about exactly as expected. Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson saw the Oscar-nominated OG movie, contacted its producer Fredrik Wikström Nicastro (Borg vs McEnroe), then went about making a US-set, Hanks-starring iteration. Wilson is now also one of A Man Called Otto's producers. Truman Hanks, Tom's youngest son with Wilson, co-stars as the young Otto (nabbing just his second on-screen credit after popping up in his dad's News of the World). This flick's smooth path to cinemas and the easy family ties behind it speak volumes about the film that results; despite focusing on a man repeatedly trying to take his own life, attempts at which are constantly interrupted by his rule-breaking neighbours, openly and breezily warming hearts and pleasing crowds is this remake's aim. A Man Called Otto 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 and February, 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.
A couple of weeks ago I awoke to find my bike with two flat tyres, one pedal snapped off and a wheel bent so far out of shape that it would no longer rotate. Like The Hangover I had no memory of the night before, only the foggy recollection of a decision to ride to the nearest house party. The ensuing days saw me scramble around the city trying to find the best deals possible to repair my poor ride, with the resulting list of the best and brightest of the local cycle scene the one beacon of hope to come out of my negligent behaviour. Melbourne is one of the road's most ridable cities and the cycling scene is now at the point where it's difficult not to find a bike shop within 20 metres of wherever you break down. But if proximity isn't a factor, how do you choose? Well, it depends what you're after. Budget, time-frame, professionalism — what do you value? Somewhere in this vast, fantastically flat city of ours there lurks a store that will be just right. 1.Bicycle Recycle, Moorabbin If you need a solid ride at a flexible price, second-hand is the way to go. Buying old bikes off Gumtree can seem like a good way to keep your pockets from getting too empty, but when you cop a roadie for $70 off a dude on Brunswick St you're begging for your chain to snap mid-pedal and a tasty mouthful of gravel — I speak from experience. Instead, hit up these guys down in the south (it's worth the trip if you're a north sider) whose used bikes are fully serviced and guaranteed to keep your face out of the gutter for a really good price. The best road bike owned by any of my friends came from here and was far cheaper than I'd ever thought feasible. They've got new bikes too — over 300 of them — if you want to shell out for that shiny paint job. 2.Pedal Cyclery, Coburg A truly boutique store, this one-room shack nestled in an otherwise totally business-devoid strip in Coburg is the most personal and intimate bike repair experience you'll have in Melbourne, guaranteed. This one-man-show is owned by Chris, an affable bloke who'll build you a beautiful bike from scratch if you want that truly unique ride — check out their ridiculously well-designed website for a plethora of beautiful examples. Though these custom rides will run you a few bucks, Chris' repairs/parts prices are extremely reasonable and outdo many of the superstores. The biggest bonus is that he's the kind of guy who'll show you how to change your own tyres, because he's just that cool. Drop in for a chat and learn a whole bunch about your bike. 3. Reid Cycles, Melbourne Everyone seems to be riding a Reid bike these days. I do. They're just so damn cheap. The Aldi of bike stores, the bikes at Reid's are all home-brand and cheap as chips, whilst the service is quick and efficient. The most affordable new bikes in town come with predictable pitfalls — these aren't the kind of rides that will last a lifetime. But if you want something new that will get you from A to B at a decent clip (plus free servicing) you won't find anything cheaper than this home-grown establishment. 4. Cecil Walker, Melbourne/Fitzroy Somewhere in between the tiny boutique and the conveyor-belt superstore lies this quirky shop. Adopting an attitude of artisanship, this place prides itself on customer service, promising the highest quality of repairs and etiquette, as well as an online store that will never frustrate by being out of stock or jerking you around on price. They've even got their own sock range, showing serious attention to detail! 5. Samson Cycles, Brunswick This place's claim to fame is that they have longest opening hours of any bike shop in Australia. From 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, owner/mechanic Ryan knock out repairs at highly competitive prices. Throw in private one-on-one classes after closing time and the occasional after-hours service and you have a picture of possibly the hardest working bike mechanic in the Southern Hemisphere. Being small, in Brunswick and of high reputation, these guys can get a little swamped and take an extra day or two to turn out your repair, but the friendly faces and maximum affordability make it worth it for locals. They also stock super kawaii baby balance bikes, as above. 6. Avanti Plus, Collingwood/Preston/Croydon/Fitzroy/Brunswick and more If Reid is Aldi, Avanti is Woolworths. A chain of independent stores, each individually owned, this is really your one stop shop for any kind of bike or accessory. Featuring a huge range of products supplemented by a crazy big online section, this cycling juggernaut will definitely get it done for you. If your repair-guy giving you not much more attention than the checkout staff at your local supermarket bothers you, this probably isn't the place for you, but if you're after an in-and-out, comprehensive service/repair/purchase then Avanti is boss. 7. Brighton Cycles, Brighton They mean business. Seriously. The bikes here are terrifying. This is the kind of bike shop that literally sells Cadel Evans' ride. If you're a cycling nut — I mean the kind of nut who only gets through the working week by thinking about how much closer you'll be to buying that new bike — this is your joint. These guys specialise in both racing bikes and Melbourne's classic Malvern Star. We're talking serious money for serious bikes, serious professionals catering to serious cyclists. Not for the faint-hearted. 8. The Bike Shed, CERES A little anomaly hiding in CERES environmental park, The Bike Shed “is not a bike shop” according to its website. What it is is a place where you go and learn to repair your own bike. Score an eye-poppingly cheap second hander for around 50 bucks, then hang out with the grizzling old timers who'll point you in the direction of the tools and (cheap) parts you'll need to make it roadworthy. Don't come here expecting them to fix your bike because it won't happen (also don't come if you're adverse to gruff responses — read the website for a perfect example of this place's attitude) but come expecting to learn how to become self-sufficient. Teaching cyclists how to fish, not giving them fish, is this place's mission, so if you're enterprising or so broke that you'll put your own bike together to save cash, then this is the place to hit up. Image credit: hanneli.com, www.bicyclerecycle.com.au, pedalcyclery.com.au, reidcycles.com.au, cecilwalker.com.au, samsoncycles.com.au, brightoncycles.com.au, thebikeshed.org.au
Seven First Nations artists have been celebrated at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards on Friday, August 7. Held for the first time in a special live-streamed virtual ceremony, this year's Telstra NATSIAA was presented by journalist and Gamilaroi woman Brooke Boney, who announced the winners across several categories, each with a cash prize. The artists were chosen from a suite of 65 finalists by this year's judging panel: Director of Injalak Arts Donna Nadjamerrek, Darwin-based visual artist Karen Mills, and Curator of Araluen Arts Centre Stephen Williamson. Each artist represents a different community, and they've shared stories of their land, the sea, their history, creation and healing through a variety of styles and mediums, highlighting the enormous and diverse talent of Indigenous artists from across the nation. You can see all the finalists' works in this year's Telstra NATSIAA via the virtual exhibition, and you can also sling a vote for your favourite artwork online in the Telstra People's Choice Award. Check out the seven winners from this year's awards, below. NGARRALJA TOMMY MAY Winner of the Telstra Art Award 2020 — prize $50,000 Wangkajunga/Walmajarri man Ngarralja Tommy May has been awarded this year's major prize in the Telstra NATSIAA. The piece, titled 'Wirrkanja' (2020), depicts flood time on the artist's country in the Great Sandy Desert. The now Fitzroy Crossing-based artist has been pioneering his unique style in a career spanning three decades; this year's judging panel noted 'Wirrkanja' shows May at his peak with a work that displays "exquisite beauty and power". May says his work shows a place significant to him; "It's the country where I lost my brother, it's jilji (sand dune) and flat country. There's a jila (living spring waterhole). It's not far from Kurtal, over two sand dunes. In flood time, the water runs down the jilji (sand dunes). This is my country and my family's country. This is my job, it's a good job." JENNA LEE Winner of the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award (sponsored by Telstra) — prize $5,000 Larrakia/Wardaman/Karajarri artist Jenna Lee lives in Brisbane. Her entry artwork was created in response to the 250-year anniversary of Lieutenant James Cook's arrival at Botany Bay, marked this year. 'HIStory Vessels' is a reconstruction of the cover of a Ladybird History Book, The Adventures of Captain Cook. The interdisciplinary artist was inspired to create the artwork during an artist residency in the UK, to reclaim the omnipresent, white, patriarchal narrative of Cook and its impact on First Nations stories. She says, "I aim to take this narrative and reconstruct it as a story of personal and cultural resilience, beauty and strength." CECILIA UMBAGAI Winner of the Telstra Emerging Artist Award — prize $5,000 Painting on bark that was harvested from her country in the West Kimberley region, young Worrorra woman Cecilia Umbagai says she likes to use traditional materials to create her contemporary depictions of Wandjina Wunggund law, the dreaming stories of her people. The artist usually works across several mediums including acrylic on canvas and photography, and she only started working with bark in 2019. The artist says she loves the texture of the bark with its "curves and irregularities". Using earth pigments on stringybark, Umbagai's winning entry 'Yoogu' is based on traditional cave drawings of the Wandjina spirit of the boab tree, a story she remembers being told as a child. SIENA MAYUTU WURMARRI STUBBS Winner of the Telstra Multimedia Award — prize $5,000 The youngest finalist in this year's Telstra NATSIAA is 18-year-old artist Siena Mayutu Wurmarri Stubbs. The winning artwork is a poem and film inspired by a school trip in 2019. Shinkansen was made on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Nagoya to Kyoto in Japan. The Yolŋu Matha woman has grown up surrounded by her culture, family and Yolŋu lore, which she explores in all of her artistic endeavours. In such a short career the artist and filmmaker has already won multiple awards for her non-fiction, and curators remark that her work conveys a maturity beyond her years. ADRIAN JANGALA ROBERTSON Winner of the Telstra General Painting Award — prize $5,000 In his artworks, Alice Springs-based Warlpiri artist Adrian Jangala Robertson often refers to his mother's country, Yalpirakinu. Revering the ridges, trees and desert mountains that make up the landscape, Robertson's painting style is described as being loaded with energy and drama. Born in Papunya in 1962, Robertson witnessed the emergence of the Western Desert painting movement, which informs his style to this day. Typically using a minimal range of colour, the widely respected landscape artist injects character and movement into his work with brushstrokes that he says are his connection to his country and "loaded with memories". His winning artwork is a synthetic polymer paint on canvas titled 'Yalpirakinu' (2020). MARRNYULA MUNUŊGURR Winner of the Telstra Bark Painting Award — prize $5,000 Coming from a lineage of prolific and award-winning bark painters, Yirrkala-based Munuŋgurr, of Djapu and Balamumu clans, has carried on the tradition of her family in her creation of ground-breaking bark installations. The artist grew up assisting both of her parents with their own bark work, and in particular her father Djutjadjutja with his sacred Djapu paintings that also won him the Bark Painting Award in the 1997 NATSIAA. For this year's award, Marrnyula created a cross hatching grid pattern — a sacred design for the freshwaters of the Djapu clan at the clan's homeland of Waṉḏawuy. Unlike her other well known artworks in which the artist creates large-scale installations using hundreds of small pieces of bark, this time the artist has chosen to create the same effect on just one piece of bark. The winning stringybark is titled 'Muṉguymirri' (2020), which means 'in small pieces'. ILUWANTI KEN Winner of the Telstra Works on Paper Award — prize $5,000 Pitjantjatjara artist Iluwanti Ken, who is from Watarru and now based in Rocket Bore community in the NT, says birds have lessons for Anangu women about how to hunt and how to care for one's children. A highly respected ngangkari (traditional healer) and a skilled tjanpi (grass sculpture) weaver, Ken is mostly known for depictions of hunting eagles. Ken's winning ink on paper entry, 'Walawulu ngunytju kukaku ananyi (Mother eagles going hunting)', tells the story of female adult eagles hunting for food and bringing it back to feed their babies. The artist says birds are like Anangu mothers in that they protect their babies from outside dangers. Take a look at the virtual gallery and vote for your favourite artwork in the 2020 Telstra NATSIAA People's Choice Award. Top image: Njarralja Tommy May by Damian Kelly.
The next email you receive from Netflix mightn't be telling you what to watch. Instead, beginning Wednesday, May 24, the streaming platform is contacting all of its Australian customers about its new password sharing rules. Promised for a few years now, and originally expected to kick in by the end of March this year, the service is cracking down on letting people from different households use the same account — effective immediately. Accordingly, if you've been enjoying someone else's Netflix subscription to get your Stranger Things, Squid Game and Wednesday fix or work your way through its hefty slate of movies — or letting your mates or siblings use your logins — your current streaming situation is changing. The password-sharing functionality will still exist; however, it'll come at an extra cost, involving paying $7.99 per month to add an extra member to your account. Netflix now advises that "a Netflix account is meant to be shared by people living together in one household" — and you can set up and define your household in the platform's settings. If you don't set one yourself, it'll do so for you based on your IP address, device IDs and account activity, which is what it'll also use to monitor if someone is using your details from elsewhere. That said, for folks who don't actually watch Netflix via a TV, you won't need to worry about the household requirement, but the password-sharing change still applies. To add people outside your household to your account, you'll buy an extra member slot. The caveats: they have to be activated in the same country where the account owner created their account, and you can't add them to ad-supported plans (or Netflix-included packages or third-party billed accounts). So, if you've opted for the service's cheaper option since it rolled out in late 2022, your pals won't be able to share — but they can transfer their profile on your account to their own new account. That transferring functionality applies to everyone who decides to sign up themselves after sharing someone's password, and will port over recommendations, viewing history, My List, saved games and settings. Clearly, the main motivation is to increase subscriptions. The new password-sharing block was called "paid sharing" by Netflix in a letter to shareholders, after all. "Today's widespread account sharing (to 100 million-plus households) undermines our long-term ability to invest in and improve Netflix, as well as build our business," the company states in that shareholder letter, which is dated January 19, 2023. "While our terms of use limit use of Netflix to a household, we recognise this is a change for members who share their account more broadly. So we've worked hard to build additional new features that improve the Netflix experience, including the ability for members to review which devices are using their account and to transfer a profile to a new account. As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don't live with." Of course, logging into your Netflix account from a place outside of your own household doesn't automatically mean you're sharing your password. You might be travelling and still want to get your streaming fix. Initially, needing a temporary access code was floated — but at the time of writing, the platform simply says that you can still "use Netflix as usual to watch on your portable devices — like a tablet, laptop, or mobile phone — or sign into a new TV, like at a hotel or a holiday rental" without explaining if or how the new password rules will have an impact. The company does specify that if you have a second home or frequently travel to the same location, you'll need to connect to the internet and open the Netflix app on your mobile device in both the main spot you watch the service and in the second location Netflix's password-sharing crackdown is coming into effect in Australia from Wednesday, May 24. Head to Netflix for more details.
Game, set, match, music: the 2024 Australian Open might be jam-packed with Grand Slam tennis action, but it's also serving up a few aces for fans of live tunes. In 2023, the annual Melbourne sports event launched the AO Finals Festival, which gets a heap of talents taking to the stage. Unsurprisingly proving a hit, the fest returns this year. Attendees will be treated to a program of live acts on three of the event's final four days, all in John Cain Arena. 2024's AO Finals Fest will start on Thursday, January 25, on AO Pride Day. Then, it's back for both the women's final on Saturday, January 27 and the men's equivalent on Sunday, January 28. A stellar lineup awaits, including Tash Sultana, Peach PRC and Yaeji on the Thursday; DMA's, Ruel and The Jungle Giants on the Saturday; and Groove Armada, Rudimental and Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir on the Sunday. Just like in 2023, the stacked bill doesn't come as too much of a surprise, given that it has again been curated with help from the respected music heads at Untitled Group — the brains behind Pitch Music & Arts, For The Love, Grapevine Gathering and more. Expect plenty of company, with the 2023 event selling out. Accordingly, 2024's AO Finals Festival has moved venues, shifting to John Cain Arena to take advantage of its 10,000-person capacity. Tickets can be bought individually per day, or matchgoers can upgrade their tennis tickets to head to the festival. As always, there'll be scores of food and drink pop-ups scattered throughout Melbourne Park, as well as big screens showing all the on-court action. AO FINALS FESTIVAL 2024 LINEUP: Thursday, January 25: AO Pride Day Tash Sultana Peach PRC Yaeji Anesu Djanaba DJ Luv You Saturday, January 27: Women's final DMA's Ruel The Jungle Giants Tia Gostelow Mell Hall Sunday, January 28: Men's final Groove Armada Rudimental Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir Latifa Tee Cooper Smith Images: Ash Caygill.
Chadstone's new luxury hotel wouldn't be complete without an equally opulent restaurant for guests (and locals) to dine in. Rising to the occasion is highly lauded Melbourne restaurateur Scott Pickett. The chef is behind some of our city's favourite restaurants, including Lupo, Estelle, Pickett's Deli, Matilda. Now, Pickett has opened Pastore, an all-day Italian diner set within the new Hotel Chadstone. In the kitchen, Head Chef Mirco Speri (Thirty Eight Chairs) is serving up woodfired small plates and handmade pastas. Some of the smaller dishes on the menu at the moment include house-cured duck prosciutto with davidson plum, wood-roasted king prawns with 'nduja, and grilled asparagus with cured egg yolk. On the pasta menu, you'll find spaghetti in an ubriachi red wine sauce and pici — a type of thick, hand-rolled spaghetti — served in sausage ragu and topped with salted ricotta. And, for extra-hungry diners, there's an 1.2-kilogram, dry-aged bistecca alla Fiorentina on offer. [caption id="attachment_749486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bistecca alla Fiorentina by Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] Alongside the food, you can enjoy bottles of locally produced wines that use Italian grape varieties — and some fancy drops by the glass, available thanks to the restaurant's Coravin system. The cocktail menu also follows this theme, using Italian spirits and Aussie botanicals in drinks like the Native Negroni, made with Applewood Okar amaro, Maidenii vermouth and (the owner's namesake) Pickett & Co gin. The dining room and bar each seat 50, and you can expect a luxe vibe with high ceilings, hanging greenery and brass and timber finishes. We reckon the restaurant alone is reason enough to book a stay into the hotel — or to make the trip to Chadstone at the very least. Pastore is now open at Hotel Chadstone, 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone. The restaurant is open Monday–Saturday from 6.30–10.30am, 12–2.30pm and 6–9pm, and Sunday 6.30–10.30am and 12–5pm. Images: Kristoffer Paulsen
Good news, everyone: TV networks and streaming services keep thawing out Futurama. The small screen's powers that be love pressing defrost on the animated sci-fi series, and viewers should love watching the always-funny results. Not once but twice in the past quarter-century, Matt Groening's other big sitcom has been cancelled then respawned years later, with Disney-owned platform Hulu the latest doing the reviving. It was true back in 2007 when the show was first reanimated, and it's true again from Monday, July 24 on Disney+: whenever Futurama flies across the screen after a stint in stasis, it feels like no time has passed. Groening first spread his talents beyond The Simpsons back in 1999, riffing on Y2K excitement and apprehension, and also leaping forward in time. Futurama's 20th-century pizza delivery guy Philip J Fry (voiced by Billy West, Spitting Image) didn't welcome the 21st century, however; he stumbled into a cryogenic chamber, then awoke 1000 years later to greet the 31st. After tracking down Professor Hubert J Farnsworth (also voiced by West), his only living relative, he was soon in the delivery game again — but for intergalactic cargo company Planet Express, in a show that that satirises every vision of the future previously committed to fiction, and with one-eyed ship captain Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal, Dead to Me) and shiny-metal-assed robot Bender Bending Rodríguez (John DiMaggio, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) by his side. Futurama's initial run lasted four seasons, four years and 78 episodes. Before every pop culture title imaginable started coming back from the dead, this one reappeared in 2007 as a direct-to-DVD movie, followed by three more, which were then turned into episodes for the show's fifth season. Alas, another trio of seasons later, Futurama said goodbye again. Thankfully, when a series not only peers at and parodies the next millennia, but takes an anything-goes approach that's brought everything from robot Santas and soap operas to human-hating alien news anchors and talking celebrity heads in jars, there's always room for a new spin — with Hulu committing to 20 new episodes, calling this comeback season 11. Getting the Planet Express soaring yet again does pose one difficulty from the outset: how do you undo a perfect finale? When the prior season ended in 2013, it wrapped up Fry and Leela's on-again, off-again romance in a smart, sweet and widely loved bow. The new instalments pick up exactly where that swansong left off, then unleash a "massive disruption in the flow of time" to move everyone to 3023, then restore the usual status quo. So, Fry, Leela, Bender, the Professor, Jamaican accountant Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr, Craig of the Creek), Martian intern Amy Wong (Lauren Tom, Dragons: The Nine Realms) and lobster-esque alien doctor Zoidberg (also West) resume their workplace sitcom antics, although Fry gives himself a time-wasting goal first: trying to watch every show that's ever been made. The latest season's opening instalment dives into the streaming era, and digs in. "It feels like we got rebooted," Hermes notes, with the show itself unfurling a flurry of jokes about the topic. The timing is likely purely coincidental and the statement unintentional but, amid the gags about extreme binge-watching and having more TV than anyone could view in several lifetimes available at the press of a button, comes commentary on television talents being replaced by machines. Skewered with clear purpose in later episodes: the bitcoin mining rush, NFTs, plus ever-expanding corporations that exploit their workers (and listen in on people's houses) yet still seem to control everything. Futurama has always excelled not just at the specific, but the general. Sometimes, the show's laughs are intricately linked to events and trends; sometimes, it chuckles at life's recurring patterns. The new season's second episode does the latter astutely well, while also nodding to season four's opening instalment. Twenty years back in 2003 when Futurama's 55th chapter overall aired, Amy's boyfriend Kif Kroker (Maurice LaMarche, Rick and Morty), the amphibious 4th Lieutenant to self-obsessed starship captain Zapp Brannigan (West again), got pregnant and gave birth. Amy wasn't ready for motherhood, but didn't need to be, because Kif's tadpole-style spawn required two decades in a swamp to mature. The show's writers now make good on that promise, all while finding multiple ways to spoof attitudes to parenting. Robot Santa (also DiMaggio), Zapp, Kif, scheming company owner Mom (Tress MacNeille, The Simpsons), the pet-like Nibbler (Frank Welker, Animaniacs), melodramatic acting robot Calculon (also LaMarche): to the delight of long-running fans, they're all back. So are newsreaders Morbo and Linda van Schoonhoven (LaMarche and MacNeille), Planet Express janitor Scruffy (David Herman, The Bob's Burgers Movie), the head of Richard Nixon (West), the Professor's clone Cubert (Kath Soucie, Rugrats), Hypnotoad and more. Indeed, Futurama circa 2023 doesn't just feel like it never left, but acts like it, jam-packing in scene-stealing supporting characters, whip-smart and gleefully silly jokes alike, and zany setups. A Dune sendup? Shooting lasers in the Old West? Waging war on Christmas? That all happens, too. "We're back, baby" isn't merely something that the ever-sidesplitting Bender says, clearly. Perhaps the greatest compliment that can be directed at the new Futurama is that this new run slides in so easily with past episodes, and so comfortably, that future binges will feel seamless. Not every comeback manages such a feat. Some, like David Lynch's phenomenal Twin Peaks revival, actively and gloriously don't want to. This one joins Party Down and That '90s Show in 2023 as returns that hit the bullseye, getting the rest of the dominoes falling like a house of cards — checkmate! Time may make fools of us all, and milk, but it's been keeping Futurama in vintage form. Check out the trailer for Futurama's new season below: Futurama season 11 streams via Disney+ Down Under from Monday, July 24.
December is here, which means end-of-year work parties, packed schedules, and, of course, thinking about where you'll be ringing in the new year. Loyalty program, The Pass, is hosting a number of New Year's Eve celebrations around Melbourne's CBD. From rooftop parties to riverside revelry, here's where you and your mates can farewell 2025. [caption id="attachment_908542" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Morris House[/caption] Morris House You can't get more central than Morris House. Located on the corner of Exhibition and Little Collins Street, this CBD institution invites you to celebrate the end of the year against the backdrop of the city skyline. For $120 per person, you'll receive a four-hour bottomless drinks package as well as roaming canapés and tunes to help set the mood on Morris House's city rooftop. Doors open from 7pm with the party package beginning at 8pm. Secure your spot on the rooftop at the Morris House website. [caption id="attachment_931188" align="alignleft" width="1920"] The Wharf Hotel[/caption] The Wharf Hotel See out 2025 on Melbourne's famous riverfront. The Wharf Hotel has two sessions to help you ring in the new year. Session one starts from $75 per person with a three-course riverside dinner (including a welcome drink) from 5–8pm. There's also a VIP New Year's Eve experience on offer at The Wharf Hotel. From 8–11pm you can enjoy house wines, beers, and spirits plus roaming canapes and live entertainment. From $99 per person you can enjoy all of this and limited-edition festive cocktails. Tickets are limited for both sessions, so book your spot now. [caption id="attachment_1015156" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hickens Hotel[/caption] Hickens Hotel It's Hickens Hotel's first New Year's Eve celebrations, and they're starting with a bang. The Russel Street pub, which only opened its doors in winter, is hosting a party to remember. For $149 per person, you'll be treated to a four-hour beverage package including house spirits and roving canapés. Doors open from 7pm with the party going on 'til late into the night. Book a spot at the Hickens Hotel website. [caption id="attachment_983101" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Yarra Botanica[/caption] Yarra Botanica Another riverside spot that's planning to party the night away is Yarra Botanica. There are two packages to choose from with non-stop entertainment across both floors of the riverfront bar. Plus, you'll be in a prime location to witness the city's fireworks display. General admission starts from $110 per person and includes a two-hour beverage package and roaming canapes. Want to upgrade your night to VIP status? For $250 per person, you'll receive a four-hour beverage package (that includes unlimited spritzes, house spirits, wines, and tap beers) as well as roaming canapés and exclusive access to Yarra Botanica's upper deck. Reserve your spot now. [caption id="attachment_987585" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Garden State[/caption] Garden State You know you've had a good night out in Melbourne if it ends up at Garden State. To farewell 2025, the Melbourne venue is throwing a free-entry New Year's Eve party in the CBD. Featuring great drinks and a DJ lineup (that's dropping soon), this ticket-free party is one to send around the group chat, ASAP. You can book a table in advance if you want to guarantee your spot, but walk-ins are highly encouraged. [caption id="attachment_1048658" align="alignleft" width="1920"] State of Grace[/caption] State of Grace State of Grace might be famous for its hidden bar, but on New Year's Eve, the rooftop is where it'll all be happening. Enjoy a four-hour beverage package, including an hour of roaming spritzes, plus a complimentary canapés package to keep you fueled all night. Early bird tickets are now live from $185 per person, with the second release selling for $210. With city skyline views of the fireworks display, you won't want to miss out on this quintessentially Melbourne rooftop party. Book your tickets at State of Grace's website now. [caption id="attachment_1048657" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Quarterhouse[/caption] Quarterhouse Quarterhouse is rounding out its first year of opening with a New Year's Eve Party that's anything but shy. They're taking over the rooftop with four hours of bottomless drinks, roaming canapés, and DJs pumping the tunes right through to midnight. To dial up the spectacle, they're bringing fire and magic to the rooftop with a fire-spinning circus performer and a roaming magician creating high-energy celebratory chaos on the night. It'll promise big views, big atmosphere, and a "go all-in" attitude. For a city-side countdown, grab a ticket for $180 per person on their website or make a general booking in the Public Bar. [caption id="attachment_1050212" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hopscotch[/caption] Hopscotch Situated on the Southbank promenade, Hopscotch is going big this New Year's Eve. The party starts early in the day with doors opening at 11am. There'll be $20 spritzes all day long and from 1pm live music will get the party started. From 8pm, it's all about the three-hour NYE package, which starts from $149 per person and includes selected beers, house wines and roaming canapés plus DJs keeping the dance floor going long past midnight. Hopscotch has released 50 $99 tickets for those who make their bookings ASAP. Non-drinkers are also sorted, with a $99 per person option. If you want to use Hopscotch as a midnight countdown spot only, you can access the bar's general admission for $29 per person from 10pm, helping you stay right in the Melbourne CBD's action. Buy your tickets at the Hopscotch website. [caption id="attachment_1003844" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Duke of Wellington[/caption] Duke of Wellington Melbourne's oldest licensed pub is ready to welcome in the New Year. For $79 per person, you can enjoy a two-course set menu and bubbles on arrival in the heart of the city. If you're looking for a serious boogie, head upstairs. Celebrations kick off from 8pm with rooftop DJs, or you can keep it more laidback in the public Bar with live music, pub food, and cold beverages. In good news, the venue is offering free entry all night with the party going until 2am. Book a table here. Imperial Hotel Party the last night of 2025 away on the rooftop of Bourke Street's Imperial Hotel. There's a four-hour drinks package featuring beer, wine, and spirits, plus roaming canapés from 8pm–midnight. Live music will set the party mood from 7–10pm followed by a DJ to ring in the New Year and keep the energy high until 1am. First release tickets are $179 with second release coming in at $199. This party is apparently one that's likely to sell out so book your tickets to avoid disappointment. For more information on The Pass and other venues, head to the website. Lead image: Yarra Botanica
Saving your loved ones from medical emergencies, reuniting with school friends, using AI in filmmaking, revisiting memories: whether or not you've ever wondered how these situations could turn into technological nightmares, you're about to find out how Charlie Brooker thinks that they can. When the seventh season of Black Mirror arrives, all of the above scenarios will feature across its six episodes, which viewers can check out from Thursday, April 10, 2025. Also included: sequels to season four's Star Trek-riffing USS Callister and choose-your-own-adventure movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Grabbing everyone's attention with one shiny promise, then delivering something else as well: if you've ever watched the dystopian franchise, then you've seen that exact situation play out several times. Soon, you're about to again. And yes, that does apply to the fact that following up USS Callister has long been promised, but doing the same with Black Mirror: Bandersnatch only started being teased in March when the first glimpse at season seven dropped. Netflix has now unveiled another trailer, which also includes episode titles. If you need more information on what's ahead, the streaming platform has revealed more details about each chapter in the new season as well. 'Common People' with Rashida Jones (Sunny), Chris O'Dowd (The Big Door Prize) and Tracee Ellis Ross (Candy Cane Lane) is where that life-saving storyline comes in, for starters, while 'Bête Noire' features Siena Kelly (Domino Day) and Rosy McEwen (Apartment 7A) in a tale of an unnerving reunion. To dive into the impact of artificial intelligence of making movies, you'll be watching Issa Rae (American Fiction), Awkwafina (Jackpot!), Emma Corrin (Nosferatu) and Harriet Walter (Silo) in 'Hotel Reverie'. Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Patsy Ferran (Mickey 17) star in 'Eulogy', about a man looking back with photorealistic detail. Then there's 'Plaything', where Bandersnatch's Will Poulter (The Bear) and Asim Chaudhry (Industry) return — this time joined by Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record) and Michele Austin (Hard Truths). In USS Callister sequel USS Callister: Into Infinity, Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Jimmi Simpson (Pachinko), Billy Magnussen (The Franchise), Milanka Brooks (The Windsors), Osy Ikhile (All American) and Paul G Raymond (Deadpool & Wolverine) are all back and stuck dealing with another problem. The latest episodes in Brooker's can't-look-away take on how humanity's use of gadgets and innovations can go devastatingly awry are hitting two years after 2023's sixth season, which is a short gap in Black Mirror terms given that there was a four-year wait after season five. Season seven's batch of Black Mirror episodes is also bigger than the past two seasons, thanks to its six instalments — which only season three and four have done in the past. Check out the latest trailer for Black Mirror season seven below: Black Mirror season seven will stream via Netflix from Thursday, April 10, 2025. Read our review of season six, and our interview with Charlie Brooker.
In Osaka and Hollywood, it's now possible to live out your wildest Super Mario Bros dreams, all thanks to Super Nintendo theme parks that look like the plumber-filled games come to life — and even include IRL Mario Kart. Without heading out of Australia, you can also slip into pop culture's favourite speedy vehicles, albeit just for a few days at 2023's Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. With The Super Mario Bros Movie about to hit cinemas, the flick has teamed up with the racing event to display a life-sized — and very real — Mario Kart in the F1's family zone. That area is named after the film, too, so setting up the only actual Mario Kart in the country was always going to be as pivotal as avoiding banana peels on any track. We believe that Mario said it best: let's go! [caption id="attachment_895402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mario Kart at the Grand Prix Albert Park Melbourne. Wednesday, March 29, 2023.[/caption] On display from Thursday, March 30–Sunday, April 2, ready for Mario Kart lovers to sit in and take snaps in aplenty, the vehicle does come with one big caveat: it doesn't race. So, you won't be putting pedal to the metal while you're in it. And no, there's no rainbow road to slide along. But everyone who has ever played the racing game in its many guises — on the many various Nintendo devices that the game has popped up on over the years, not to mention Google Maps, mobile phones and reality elsewhere — is well-versed at pretending. The retro-fitted kart is for kidults and kids alike, and part of the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit's feast of family-friendly activities alongside a ferris wheel, bungee trampolines, Assistance Dogs Australia's puppy races and pooch belly rubs, and an AFL Auskick clinic. Live tunes, food trucks and screens showing the F1 action are also on offer within the precinct. [caption id="attachment_895404" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mario Kart at the Grand Prix Albert Park Melbourne. Wednesday, March 29, 2023.[/caption] The Super Mario Bros Movie Family Zone is ticketed, and scoring a park pass is recommended as the best way to head along. If you choose to wear overalls, or don a red or green cap, that's entirely up to you As for The Super Mario Bros Movie itself, it hits cinemas on Wednesday, April 5. Chris Pratt (The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special) voices the Italian plumber, Jack Black (Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) does the same with Bowser, while Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) plays Luigi — alongside Anya Taylor-Joy (The Menu) as Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu), Seth Rogen (The Fabelmans) as Donkey Kong, Keegan- Michael Key (Wendell & Wild) as Toad, plus Fred Armisen (Wednesday) as Cranky Kong. Check out the trailer for The Super Mario Bros Movie below: Find the IRL Mario Kart at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, in The Super Mario Bros Movie Family Zone, from Thursday, March 30–Sunday, April 2. Top image: © 2023 Nintendo and Universal Studios.
Break out the cocoa and firelight as QVM's long-running Winter Night Market returns for another 13-week schedule loaded with heartwarming highlights. Taking place from 5pm every Wednesday between Wednesday, June 4–Wednesday, August 27, this after-dark fiesta comes to life with Melbourne's standout street food, warming beverages, specialty retail shopping, live music and free entertainment. Spread across Queen Victoria Market's labyrinth of laneways and sheds, the sensory overload on display is an easy way to breathe a little more fun into your mid-week schedule. Wander the space searching for the most tantalising aromas, then catch an array of lively musicians and roving street performers as they produce magic by the moonlight. Plus, roaring fires mean keeping the brisk at bay is made simple. So, what sumptuous bites await? Spanning returning favourites and new offerings, one of the first-timers for this year is Cannoleria, with Sicilian-style treats featuring flavours from tiramisu to pistachio and Nutella. Keeping the Italian theme going, La Trafila will serve up its artisan pasta dishes, while The Little Paris offers crowd-pleasing French cuisine, like raclette and garlic butter snails. As for faves from past years, the Churro Kitchen is back with their famous churro bowls, served warm with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Plus, Smashville will flip juicy burgers and Southern fried chicken, while the Soup Factory ladles soothing options like king crab chowder into bread rolls. ReWine will also pour its signature spiced mulled wine, while visitors can maximise the cosy vibe with a spiced milo cocktail or a warm butter beer. Good food and drink are essential to any winter night market, but this extravaganza also presents over 60 specialty stores and stalls. Roam for a vintage fashion bargain or add some handmade jewellery to your collection. For something a little more mystic, sit for a tarot card reading or dance like nobody's watching as the Guru Dudu Silent Disco returns with its 20-minute walking tours. Though the chilly season is about to descend on Melbourne, there's no reason to stay on the couch when Wednesday comes around. Instead, let yourself get swept up by QVM's Winter Night Market's toasty treats, upbeat entertainment and community spirit. The Winter Night Market returns to Queen Victoria Market from Wednesday, June 4–Wednesday, August 27. Head to the website for more information.
When children from Panem's first 12 districts are chosen to fight to the death, each year's unlucky kids conscripted into the bloodthirsty fray that gives The Hunger Games franchise its title, they aren't simply battling for survival. In this dystopian saga stemming from Suzanne Collins' novels, they're brawling to entertain the wealthy residents of the ruling Capitol — they're forced to submit to a display of power and control, too, and to demonstrate humanity's innate cruelty — all while waging war against perishing into nothingness. Arriving eight years after the series' last page-to-screen adaptation, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a swung sword, flung spear, hurled hatchet and jabbed knife in the same type of skirmish. This is a blockbuster franchise, but 2012's The Hunger Games, 2013's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 2014's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 and 2015's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 have long faded from the big screen, which virtually means no longer existing to Tinseltown, other than as fuel to relight the flame. So kicks in the "sequels, prequels, spinoffs, continuations, TV shows, remakes, reboots, reimaginings or perish" motto that may as well be etched onto the Hollywood sign. Why The Hunger Games' battle royales exist, and what their purpose and substance are, prove topics of conversation more than once in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. A tale that features the person who created the games and the mind overseeing them — that'd be Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage, Cyrano) and Dr Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis, Air) — ought to ponder such notions. A jump back in time in a now five-entry franchise, and a chapter that runs for 157 minutes at that, couldn't leave it out. But a sense of nothingness still swirls around this picture, even if Collins did actually write a novel with a plot that justifies the movie's existence (unlike comparable shenanigans over in the Wizarding World, aka the Fantastic Beasts films). There's an insignificant air to this return trip to YA bleakness, as smacking of chasing cash and keeping IP bubbling in the popular consciousness was bound to inspire; this doesn't feel like a return or a bonus, but an optional extra. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is largely engaging as it's flickering. To spin its origin story for President Coriolanus Snow, who Donald Sutherland (Lawman: Bass Reeves) portrayed with such gleeful menace in the initial movies and Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid) plays now as a young man 64 years earlier, it enlists a compelling cast. And, although nowhere near as meticulously, smartly and affectingly, it convincingly enough attempts the Better Call Saul feat of getting its audience hoping for a different path for someone with a murky future already inescapably established thanks to its lead performance. In the dialogue, riffs on Corio's surname spark retorts like "snow lands on top" — bad puns and heavy-handed nudges towards past films don't serve The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes well — yet "snow dissolves" is the prevailing vibe. Coriolanus himself doesn't here and there's four past pictures to prove it, but for all his longevity and this feature's length, the picture dedicated to him isn't the lingering kind. There's a prologue to this prequel, where a pint-sized Corio (Dexter Sol Ansell, Emmerdale Farm) and his cousin Tigris (debutant Rosa Gotzler) experience the horrors of Panem's nation-changing conflict firsthand, leaving only their grandma'am (Fionnula Flanagan, Smother) to be their guardian. When he's 18 and attending the Capitol's prestigious Academy, times are still tough for the remaining Snows, including the still-doting Tigris (Hunter Schafer, Euphoria); however, Coriolanus is a clever, savvy and determined fake-it-till-you-make-it type. As he dresses the part around his mostly snobby classmates, his hopes for college and security are all pinned on the scholarship-style Plinth Prize, which is usually awarded for academic excellence. But Highbottom and Gaul come bearing unforeseen news: in the tenth year of the country's kill-or-be-killed fights, with interest from the viewing masses lagging, the top students will be tasked with mentoring the games' tributes. Their assigned competitor winning won't guarantee them the prize, either; boosting the contest's status is just as important. Having seen other Hunger Games entries, or read them, isn't a prerequisite for following The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Those who have will know the setup for the movie's first two thirds. Folks in that category will also spot the over-emphasised nods throughout the entire film to its Jennifer Lawrence (No Hard Feelings)-starring predecessors, to the point of wishing that you didn't. So, the reaping singles out the year's batch of doomed contenders, Corio is allocated District 12's Appalachian-accented underdog female recruit Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) and, of course, she proves more than the Capitol bargained for. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes makes good on its title by giving Lucy Gray a voice that can and frequently does carry a tune, which enamours her to everyone watching on. Her fellow gladiatorial competitors aren't impressed, especially with her public popularity. Also in the been-there-done-that category: romantic sparks flying amid the life-or-death games, with The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes happy to enter Romeo and Juliet's arena. Betrayal, duplicity, political scheming, autocratic barbarism, an indictment of entertainment at its most sensational and a savaging of the constant push to attract eyeballs pop up expectedly, too, the latter with zero self-awareness about how The Hunger Games movies are now in that domain. Returning director Francis Lawrence, who helmed Catching Fire and both Mockingjay instalments, is workmanlike. Screenwriters Michael Lesslie (The Little Drummer Girl) and Michael Arndt (also returning from Catching Fire) draw upon Collins' source material in the same way. Accordingly, along with production design that looks the part, it's Blyth and company that make the most of the film. As it tells its tale in three sections entitled 'The Mentor', 'The Prize' and 'The Peacekeeper' The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is never big on surprises, even when it heads to District 12 in its last chapter — but its stars are all in. If Blyth couldn't make Corio's vulnerability and kindness so resonant before it gives way to steeliness and ruthlessness, the film would suffer a fatal blow. If Zegler didn't shimmer with verve regardless of whether she's singing (chops already established in West Side Story), this Hunger Games entry's Hunger Games wouldn't muster up a second of tension. Tyrion Lannister might cast a shadow over Dinklage's Highbottom, but the Game of Thrones star has already demonstrated why that's a can't-look-away prospect. Davis is having a ball as the villainous head gamemaker, relish that's matched by Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City) as always-on TV host Lucky Flickerman. Although the same can't always be said for the film around them — and definitely doesn't apply to bringing back the saga from nothingness — the odds are at least in this excellent cast's favour.
Melbourne's Butterfly Club has entertained the public since way back in 1999. At one point, it was Melbourne's only full-time cabaret venue, with cabarets still regularly performed today. The venue itself, located on Carson Place, is small and full of hundreds of brightly coloured kitsch items to get you in the mood for a night of frivolity. Think fairy lights, old-school dolls, mismatched furniture and artworks from every era. The place screams fun and whacky, where the weird and wonderful are both invited to perform and spectate while drinking awesome cocktails and rolling around in laughter. There are shows on almost every day at The Butterfly Club, with sometimes two or even three a day. There is a weekly burlesque drawing show with feathers, fans, fishnets, and pens and paper. You'll be invited to watch and draw along with circus, drag, burlesque and sideshow performances. Every Friday, you'll find the Big HOO-HAA!, Melbourne's longest-running import comedy show. Two teams, the Hearts and the Bones, battle it out for improv supremacy while the audience is invited into the show by offering up suggestions. On Saturday nights, the regular gig is Laugh Later, a night of top-tier comedians, while there are regular one-off shows from visiting comedians who want to test out new material. As well as comedy, there is plenty of live music at The Butterfly Club, with piano nights, tribute shows, and the famous cabaret. As for drinks, the bar has received two "cocktail glasses", the equivalent of a Chef's Hat in the bar world, thanks to The Age Good Bars Guide. It's also a very queer-friendly space, with the team going to great lengths to ensure everyone feels safe and celebrated.
The Royal Melbourne Show might be over 175 years old, but there's still plenty of reason to discover the fun. Everyone has their go-to attraction — petting the farm animals, taking to the skies on carny rides or catching the high-flying stunt shows — but one experience we all love is delving into the sprawling Showbag Pavilion. With that in mind, this massive event has just revealed its showbag lineup for 2025, with over 400 options ensuring there's something special for every age, interest and budget. As one of the Royal Melbourne Show's oldest traditions, dating back to the early 1900s, this beloved pastime combines nostalgia and novelty in equal measure. At this year's event, 70 showbags are priced at $10 or less, with confectionery icons like Bertie Beetle and Wizz Fizz available at the most budget-friendly end of the spectrum at $5 each. Then you've got cherished Cadbury chocolate showbags, from Crunchie and Caramello Koala to Curly Wurly and Chupa Chupas for a dollar more. Of course, shopping the showbags is about more than just a sweet bite. At higher price tiers, you'll find options jam-packed with merch for cherished TV characters, video games and sports teams. Think Spider-Man, The Simpsons, Minecraft, and the Los Angeles Lakers, meaning there's a stellar showbag for just about every child (or adult, for that matter). "Wandering through the largest Showbag Pavilion in the southern hemisphere is great fun and brings much joy, whether you are very young or young at heart. There's showbags for all tastes, budgets and ages with more than 400 different varieties from traditional confectionery and snack food favourites to the newest and most sought-after novelty and lifestyle bags," says Melbourne Royal CEO Brad Jenkins. Beyond stocking up on showbags, the Royal Melbourne Show is ready to debut several new attractions. The LEGO Playland Farm to City experience is the most attention-grabbing of all, with kids and grown-ups discovering four free encounters stacked with building block fun. Meanwhile, the Little Farmers Field invites little ones to get immersed in an agricultural activation, digging for veggies and riding ride-on mowers. The Royal Melbourne Show is happening from Thursday, September 25–Sunday, October 5 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Head to the website for more information.
For 22 years, BIGSOUND has highlighted Australia's music industry, getting power players sharing their experience and advice, championing up-and-coming talents, fostering crucial connections, and celebrating live tunes and the folks that make them happen in general. Here's a few other handy numbers for the music conference-slash-festival's upcoming 2023 run: four days, 18 venues, 141 artists and 300-plus showcases. Brisbanites and music obsessives, take note: the Sunshine State capital will be Australia's music haven between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8. Earlier this year, BIGSOUND announced its first speakers, headlined ROC Nation's Omar Grant — who was once the road manager for Destiny's Child and now shares the President role at Jay-Z's entertainment agency. Now, it has dropped the full list of musicians that'll be getting behind a microphone. More than 1300 applications to hit BIGSOUND's stages were received for the 2023 event, but it's the festival team's job to whittle them down to the standouts. Among those making the bill: Brisbane's own Full Flower Moon Band, Zheani, Felivand and Baby Prince; Sydney's Moss and Little Green; Melbourne's PANIA, Moaning Lisa and The Slingers; Perth's DICE and Siobhan Cotchin; and Adelaide's Aleksiah and The Empty Threats. From New Zealand comes Reb Fountain and SWIDT, while Casey Mowry and MF Tomlinson are heading to Queensland from the UK. [caption id="attachment_861894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] The list goes on, complete with a significant focus on representation. Among 2023's talents, 27 percent identify as LGBTQIA+, 50 percent are female or gender non-conforming, and First Nations acts comprise 18 percent of the lineup. Indeed, 27 showcases will be devoted to Australia's Indigenous artists, including Miss Kaninna, Loren Ryan, Brady, The Merindas, J-MILLA, CLOE TERARE, Tjaka and Kobie Dee. Fancy checking out the most isolated heavy metal band in the world? That'd be Southeast Desert Metal, and they're also on the roster. [caption id="attachment_907800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simone Gorman-Clark[/caption] Top image: Jess Gleeson.
What better way to launch yourself into summer than by ripping up an openair dance floor at a day party celebrating one of the past decade's big summer tunes? It's never too early to start plotting your warm weather debut, especially now that music collective Untitled Group (Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts Festival) and tour company Thick as Thieves have unveiled details of their huge first party of the summer season. Descending on St Kilda's Riva on Saturday, November 23, the beachside day party will celebrate ten years of 'In The Shadows' — the enduring summer soundtrack from Hamburg's Lovebirds, aka Sebastian 'Basti' Doering. The German artist is set to throw down a memorable set packed with his signature dance-floor fillers, and he'll be joined on the stage by UK DJ and producer Cristoph. Riva Day Party will run from 2–10pm.
More than most video games, Until Dawn always felt destined for the big screen from the moment that it first had players pressing buttons. The premise of the 2015 hit is straight out of a horror movie, with a group of eight friends attempting to make it through a trip to Blackwood Mountain — the place where one character's two sisters disappeared a year prior, and where everyone is now looking for answers — alive. The cast boasted star power, including a pre-Oscar Rami Malek (The Amateur), plus Hayden Panettiere (Scream VI) and Peter Stormare (So Long, Marianne). Visually, there's also its pivotal third-person perspective. Something that Until Dawn featured as a game, however, that was unlikely to make the leap to cinemas: the choose-your-adventure approach to play. Interactive films exist, but the two best-known recent examples are each streaming releases: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend, both on Netflix. In adapting Until Dawn into a movie destined for the silver screen, so lurked the dilemma — aka how to nod to the butterfly effect-style element, where player decisions dictate the storyline. The answer came by still focusing on choice, and also nodding to the fact hundreds of endings are possible in the game, making selecting an option a move that requires careful consideration about where any path might lead. Enter the mechanism that's fuelled everything from Groundhog Day and the Happy Death Day films to Edge of Tomorrow and so much more: time loops. In the movie directed by David F Sandberg (Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods), and penned by Gary Dauberman (Salem's Lot) and Blair Butler (The Invitation), there's still a group of friends, a missing sibling and a remote setting. That said, neither its helmer nor one of its writers, both of whom first collaborated on Annabelle: Creation, set out to make a direct adaptation of the game, Sandberg and Dauberman tell Concrete Playground. "It's more like a new chapter of Until Dawn," advises Sandberg, who first made the leap to full-length flicks in horror courtesy of the short-to-feature Lights Out. "The game is so cinematic, we just didn't want to try to replicate that experience," notes Dauberman, a mainstay behind the scenes on The Conjuring Universe films, including Annabelle and its sequels — he directed as well as penned Annabelle Comes Home — and The Nun, alongside scripting IT and IT: Chapter Two. [caption id="attachment_1000992" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images[/caption] Here, then, the characters are different, and the absent sister as well. The cast fighting to survive has changed, too. As a film, Until Dawn steps into a new scenario also, although Stormare remains the link among the actors to its gaming beginnings. This time, it's Clover (Ella Rubin, Anora) who is in search of Melanie (Maia Mitchell, The Artful Dodger) a year since she was last seen. The rest of her travelling group — Max (Michael Cimino, Never Have I Ever), Megan (Ji-young Yoo, Expats), Abe (Belmont Cameli, The Alto Knights) and Nina (Odessa A'zion, Am I OK?) — have helping Clover as their main aim rather than finding Melanie, though. She's determined to look for her sister. They're eager to assist her with facing her trauma and moving on. Of course, no one expects that following Melanie's path to an abandoned visitor centre in a secluded valley will lead them to being stuck battling an array of killers in a time loop, and dreading an hourglass flipping again and again. When they all die, Until Dawn's latest figures just find themselves in the same place, yet caught in another scenario. Sometimes that plunges the movie into slasher-film territory. Sometimes it skews more supernatural. Sometimes, Clover and her friends are caught in a creature feature — and the list goes on. The only way for them to be free of the nightmare, and from an experience that hops between horror subgenres, is right there in the feature's title. Make it until dawn and the hellish ordeal ends. What excited Sandberg and Dauberman, other than being gamers themselves, about taking on the task of bringing Until Dawn to cinemas? That's where our chat with the pair started. From there, we dug into selecting the different subgenres, basically making multiple horror flicks in one, Stormare's return, and how you enlist a cast when their gig is to get murdered over and over — plus interrogating choice via time loops, calling out other films using temporal repeats, the current wave of successful video game-to-screen adaptations (think: The Last of Us, Fallout, The Super Mario Bros Movie and A Minecraft Movie) and more. On What Excited Sandberg and Dauberman About Adapting Until Dawn Into a Movie Gary: "I think the thing that excited us the most — I'll speak for me — but was really being able to do a couple different subgenres of horror within one movie. The game is really this cinematic experience that's a true love letter to the genre. We wanted to make sure that was captured in the movie, and do that ourselves with the movie. And so that was really exciting. So then it just became about, 'well, how are we going to do that?'. Because it's not going to be a direct adaptation of the game — because, as I said, the game is so cinematic, we just didn't want to try to replicate that experience. So it was really about, 'okay, how can we stay true to the game, the world and all that, but also be able to do our own thing as well within the genre?'." David: "And what excited me was that Gary and Blair, they didn't try to just recreate the game — which was already so much like a movie and already cinematic. It's more like a new chapter of Until Dawn. And the fact that we have all these different horror genres in one movie. So I got to try out all these different things, including genres I'd never done before — like slasher or found footage. It was just a dream come true." On Deciding Which Horror Subgenres to Jump Between in the Film Gary: "It's interesting — Blair and I always had slasher first, and I think a large part of that's just because, I mean I know that's because of the game itself and the psycho mask and all that. And then I think it was just what could be different from slasher? We leaned into supernatural because that felt so different and a stark contrast to just the visceral kills of the slasher. So you just try to think of what's going to give that sharp contrast to whatever came before. Then you go supernatural, then you go right into body horror — which is super real and gross, whereas supernatural generally isn't that. That's the thought behind how it's laid out in sequential order, I guess." On Feeling Like This Movie Meant Making Not Just One Horror Film, But Multiple Horror Films David: "For sure, because it also, like schedule-wise and time wise, felt like we were trying to do six or seven movies in one. It was a challenge. It's a very ambitious movie for the time we had, so we had to do a lot of planning — and sometimes adapting on the day, where it's like 'okay, we're not going to have time to do all of these things, so we'll focus on what's most important to get'. So it was a challenge, but it was also the reason why I signed up for the movie — to get to do all of this. So I happily did it." On Making Dr Hill (and Peter Stormare in the Role) One of the Key Connections Between the Game and the Movie Gary: "Dr Hill, to me, was always the character I was most curious about in the game, and felt like he could be a great link, connective tissue, between the game and the movie. And he could really be the steward of the franchise, of these stories. He always felt like he's got more going on. And I think talking with the game developers and what they had intended with Dr Hill as well, it was a constant dialogue and conversation, so he just made the most sense organically to what they had in mind and what we had in mind to use. And plus, it's Peter Stormare. If you've got Peter Stormare, you want to use him every chance you get. So that was also a part of the decision. But from a storytelling aspect, I saw him as a great face of the franchise." On How You Build a Cast When the Gig Is to Get Killed Over and Over Again David: "We did a lot of auditions to try to find the right people. Michael, who plays Max, came recommended — he's worked with Gary before. But otherwise, it's just doing a lot of auditions and finding the right people who are not just good actors, but who are willing to go there, to these places. Because I had to warn the cast that this is going to be a challenging movie, like physically challenging and mentally challenging, because you're going to have to be wet and bloody and dirty and crawl through mud, and all of these things. And work nights and work in uncomfortable locations and all these things. But they were really up for it. And once we'd done all this extensive casting, they just worked as a team right away, just became instant friends and were just a pleasure to work with. And I know they really appreciated getting to do — like Maia was saying that in most movies and TV shows, she has to look pretty and perfect, and all these things. In this movie, you don't need to look perfect. You need to look like you've gone through hell. And you get to scream and let it all out. So they were more than up for it." On Calling Out How Popular Time-Loop Flicks Are in the Film — and Knowing How This Addition to the Genre Needed to Stand Out Gary: "We knew we didn't want to do the Groundhog Day-esque time loop. Happy Death Day does that so, so well and effectively. If we were going to do it, we needed to own it for us and make it different. So in a way, the knowledge of those made us just work against that — like going 'okay, we know that's out there, so we've got to do something different'. So that's kind of how we went. And then in terms of the subgenres themselves, it really was about the tropes within the subgenres that we were using as elements to each sequence — but not any specific movie per se." David: "Yeah, you don't want to shy away from some of these tropes, because you want people to feel like 'okay, now we're in this kind of film'." Gary: "Yeah, exactly." David: "But you try to subvert it so you don't know exactly what's coming, but you just need to feel familiar enough." Gary: "That's right." On Still Interrogating Choice, Even If the Film Can't Mirror the Game's Player-Shaped Storylines and Hundreds of Endings, in a Movie That's Also About Trauma Gary: "It was a really important element from the character standpoint of like, 'okay, the terror is new, but we're still here, we're still a part of this group'. And as the group starts to fracture a bit because they have different ways of how they want to go about solving this puzzle of how they're going to survive until dawn, I think it's about, one of the things is sticking together and surviving through trauma and leaning on each other to get through something — as opposed to just being off in a corner by yourself, because that's not going to get you through it, much like Clover was at the start of the movie. For Clover, for instance, she's someone who had to die over and over again in order to know how to live again. So that's kind of how we saw the character choices affecting the character arcs in the movie." David: "Yeah. And I thought it was so brilliant to have this restarting in the movie, because it does make it feel so much like the game — where you can play it several times and make different choices and see different deaths and different kills and stuff. And this was a way to get that in movie form." On the Film's Commitment to Practical, In-Camera Effects as Much as Possible David: "It's something I've always wanted to do. Since I was a little kid watching horror movies, reading all these books about effects done with latex and silicone — and makeup effects and all these things, something I've wanted to do forever, and this was a chance to do that. And I like when horror movies, in particular, do that. I'm not opposed to visual effects in any way, and there's visual effects in this movie, too, but we wanted to try to take practical as far as we could — and have things there for our actors to see and feel and react to, because it just makes it more fun for us. But I think the audience can feel that coming through as well." On How Sandberg and Dauberman's Working Relationship Has Evolved in the Eight Years Since Annabelle: Creation David: "Gary produced this movie as well. It all started with him, the project. So I guess you were more involved now. I mean, you were involved in all of Annabelle: Creation as well. So it's very similar." Gary: "I think it was similar, but I think we just got more comfortable with each other." David: "Yeah." Gary: "So I think it's evolved from that standpoint. But I think I just have a confidence in him that I don't have in a lot of people, so he's like a safe place for me. I just know that he's going to elevate whatever material I hand over to him. And so, yeah, I think it's just the familiarity and the comfortability that you oftentimes don't get in this business, because it's so transactional and it's new faces every time you go somewhere. So it's nice to have somebody who's consistent and constant." On Why Adaptations of Video Games Are Such a Focus at the Moment — and Striking Such a Chord with Audiences David: "I think it's because people who grew up with video games are now in positions to make to make and write these types of movies. And I think that really helps — because I think back in the 80s, making that Super Mario Bros movie, I don't think those people were gamers. Maybe they were, I don't know. So I think it's just like, for this generation or for us now, it's like 'well, of course video games are just as important as comic books or other movies or whatever'. So it's gotten to the respect that it deserves." [caption id="attachment_1000993" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images[/caption] Gary: "Yeah, and I think from a business standpoint, it's such an IP-driven business that comic books feels a little probably picked over. And so it feels like now the attention has turned to video games — and that IP, it's just been kind of sitting there. But as gamers, we've always known it's been — it's right there. You go do this stuff, give it the money and the time it deserves, and the talent. So I'm happy and excited to see that that's coming to fruition." David: "And games, of course, have become more and more cinematic, closer to movies as well." Gary: "Yeah, yeah, which becomes part of a challenge." Until Dawn released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. THE BATMAN When The Batman begins (not to be confused with Batman Begins), it's with the slaying of a powerful Gotham figure. A shocking crime that scandalises the city, it leaves a traumatised boy behind, and couldn't be more influential in the detective-style tale of blood and vengeance that follows. But viewers haven't seen this story before, despite appearances. It isn't the start of pop culture's lonesome billionaire orphan's usual plight, although he's there, all dressed in black, and has an instant affinity for the sorrowful kid. Behold the first standout feat achieved by this excellent latest take on the Dark Knight (not to be confused with The Dark Knight): realising that no one needs to see Bruce Wayne's parents meet their end for what'd feel like the millionth time. The elder Waynes are still dead, and have been for two decades. Bruce (Robert Pattinson, Tenet) still festers with pain over their loss. And the prince of Gotham still turns vigilante by night, cleaning up the lawless streets one no-good punk at a time with only trusty butler Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis, Long Shot) in on his secret. As directed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes' Matt Reeves, and co-scripted with The Unforgivable's Peter Craig, The Batman clocks something crucial about its namesake and the audiences that watch him, however. The caped crusader's every move stems from his inescapable grief as always, but no one has to witness its origins yet again to glean why he's become the conflicted protector of his anarchic city. Instead, here he's overtly anguished, upset, broken, broiling with hurt and working his way through those feelings in each affray — a suave, smooth and slick one-percenter playboy in his downtime, he isn't — and it's a more absorbing version of the character than seen in many of the past Bat flicks that've fluttered through cinemas. Why so serious? That question is answered quickly. Also, badging Pattinson's turn in the cape and cowl 'emo Batman' is 100-percent accurate. It's meant to be, because violence isn't just about experiencing or inflicting pain, but also about processing the emotions stirred up. Apply the label to The Batman's unrelentingly dark and rainy aesthetic as well and, once again, it suits. Lensed with such an eye for the absence of light by Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser (a Dune Oscar-nominee) that he's painting with the shadowiest of shadows, this is a grimmer Batman than Christopher Nolan's trilogy, moodier than Ben Affleck's stint, and gloomier than the Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney-starring movies (not to mention the upbeat and campy 60s TV series that gave us the Batusi). Like teen shows, the tone of any given Batman entry reflects the surrounding times, and the tenor here is bleak, bruised and battered. Call the prevailing batmosphere cinema's own bat-signal and that's oh-so-fitting, too. Batman is bruised and battered himself in The Batman. He flinches when jumping from skyscrapers in his winged batsuit, grimaces upon impact and sports contusions beneath his mask before that. In spurts of Taxi Driver-style narration — where he could be one of screenwriter Paul Schrader's lonely men wrestling with the world (see also: The Card Counter) — he seethes about his self-appointed task, past and the state of Gotham, exposing his psychological scars as well. That doesn't change when a serial killer who dubs himself The Riddler (Paul Dano, Okja) and must love David Fincher movies (Seven and Zodiac especially) commits The Batman's opening murder, the first in a chain targeting the city's elite. This other angry mask-wearing vigilante is also waging a war on Gotham's corruption, and leaving puzzles to be solved along the way — with Batman assisting police lieutenant Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright, The French Dispatch), and being aided by nightclub waiter-cum-cat burglar Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz, Kimi) in turn. Read our full review. BLIND AMBITION When Dolly Parton sang about pouring herself a cup of ambition in the giddily catchy 80s hit '9 to 5' — the song that accompanied a film of the same name four decades back, now echoes in a stage musical as well and will never, ever get old — she wasn't talking about wine. But Zimbabwean quartet Joseph Dhafana, Tinashe Nyamudoka, Marlvin Gwese and Pardon Taguzu have lived up to those lyrics one glass of top-notch vino at a time, despite not drinking alcohol as Pentecostal Christians. Clearly, these men have quite the story to tell. It starts with fleeing their homeland under Robert Mugabe's rule, and then sees them each make new homes at considerable risk in South Africa, where they all also eventually found themselves working with the grape. In the process, they discovered a knack for an industry they mightn't have ever even dreamed of contemplating entering otherwise — and, in 2017, they took Zimbabwe's first-ever team to the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships in Burgundy, France. In the words of the always-great and ever-quotable Parton again, Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon waited for their ship to come in, and for the tide to turn and all roll their way. '9 to 5' doesn't actually have a single thing to do with Blind Ambition, the film that splashes through the Zimbabwean sommeliers' story, but their against-the-odds journey is equally infectious and uplifting. The Australian-made documentary about the foursome has also been likened to another on-screen underdog tale, this time about Black men seeking glory in a field that isn't typically associated with their country of birth. Blind Ambition isn't the wine version of Cool Runnings for numerous reasons — it hasn't been fictionalised (although it likely will be at some point) and it isn't a comedy, for starters — but the comparison still pithily sums up just how rousing this true story proves. The reality is far more profound than a Disney flick, of course. Making their second wine-focused doco of the past decade, Warwick Ross and Rob Coe — the former the co-director of 2013's Red Obsession, the latter its executive producer, and both sharing helming credits here — decant emotion aplenty from the moving and inspiring Blind Ambition. It flows freely from Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's plights, which the film begins to drip out individually, harking back to before the quartet had even met, then blends together. Getting across the border was especially harrowing for Joseph, for instance, while ensuring that his new life honours his parents back home is particularly important for Pardon. Overcoming poverty and adversity echoes through their stories, as does the hope that their newfound affinity for wine brings — including via Tinashe's desire to plant vines on his grandfather's land one day. From those histories grows a keen eagerness to turn vino into their futures, and amid those dreams sits the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships. The activity that gives the competition its name is serious business; the first word isn't slang for getting black-out drunk or even just knocking back drinks to the thoroughly sozzled stage of inebriation, but describes how teams sample an array of wines without knowing what's rolling over their palates. Every national squad, all with four people apiece, is given 12 drops. From the six red and six white varieties, they must pick everything they can just by sipping — the grape, country, name, producer and vintage — to earn points. And, they also need to spit out the answers quickly, within two minutes of taking a taste. Yes, it's an event that you need to train for. No, it doesn't involve getting sloshed. Read our full review. MISS MARX Daughter of Karl Marx, a socialist activist in her own right, a translator of Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary, and first seen in Miss Marx giving her father's eulogy in 1883, Eleanor Marx was many things — but she wasn't a fan of punk music. She simply couldn't have been, thanks to the gap between the timing of her life and the genre's arrival, with seven decades separating them. Still, that doesn't stop filmmaker Susanna Nicchiarelli (Nico, 1988) from soundtracking her biopic about the youngest Marx with rollicking punk tracks courtesy of current rockers by Downtown Boys, including a cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark'. Such a decision is anachronistic in fact but not in spirit, Miss Marx contends, and it's a savvy observation. In much about her life — her willingness to break free of her father's and society's expectations, her anti-establishment activism, and her rejection of mainstream norms among them — Eleanor fits the tunes. If only Miss Marx moshed into cinemas with more than that smart idea layered over an otherwise by-the-numbers period drama — one that, despite its namesake's progressive quest for women's wrights, better working conditions for the masses and education across both genders, focuses on her ties to men, too. It boasts two particularly marvellous and playful scenes, one involving that punk soundtrack and an opium-fuelled dance by star Romola Garai (Suffragette) for the ages, the other toying with the dynamic between Eleanor and her paramour Edward Aveling (Patrick Kennedy, The Queen's Gambit), but a willingness to break the mould, thrash outside the lines and upset the status quo is rarely part of the movie. Eleanor's existence was defined by her dad since birth, of course. It was then linked to the already-married Edward when she decided to live with him as wife in all but the paperwork. But bringing her tale to the screen with such a focus feels not only much too straightforward, but also reductive. There's method and meaning in this choice, too; writing as well as directing, Nicchiarelli hones in on Eleanor's bonds with the two pivotal men in her life on purpose. The aim: to examine how someone who toiled for such pioneering causes still routinely put herself second to her father and her partner, and to being a caregiver in general. It's a juxtaposition that Eleanor sees herself, and more than once. She's dismissive when her friend, acclaimed South African writer Olive Schreiner (Karina Fernandez, Killing Eve), offers a word of warning about Edward, but both Nicchiarelli's script and Garai's portrayal convey that Eleanor spies the contrast between her rhetoric and her behaviour. Alas, the answer is as simple as it always is, and treated as such: her love for her dad, for the fellow Marxist activist she tried to spend her life with, and for everyone else she lends her time to. Out of them all, only her young nephew Jean (debutant Célestin Ryelandt) seems to understand her, proving accommodating about her need to travel, research, spread the word and follow her work. As Eleanor, Garai gives a deeply committed and thoughtful performance that makes viewers wish that the movie itself matched her, mirroring the same sentiments that Miss Marx's punk soundtrack inspires. She's the spark that keeps the romantic and domestic dramas as alight as they can be, and the politics-heavy sections of the film that explore her ideas and deeds as well — whether Eleanor is opening by farewelling Karl with her words ("he died in harness, his intellect untouched," she shares), arguing with Edward as they perform The Wild Duck or weathering the fallout from her unhappy relationship. In a feature that's always handsomely shot, far less engaging is the subplot involving the relationships surrounding Friedrich Engels (John Gordon Sinclair, Traces), her father's The Communist Manifesto co-author. It helps add extra strokes to the overall portrait of how women and family members around lauded men are treated, but it too is a stock-standard inclusion in a movie that openly pines to be otherwise. RUBY'S CHOICE When The Father tackled dementia, it won Anthony Hopkins an Oscar. When Still Alice had Julianne Moore grapple with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, it earned her an Academy Award, too. Led by Live and Let Die and Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman star Jane Seymour, Ruby's Choice follows in their footsteps thematically; however, it won't nab its lead actor the same shiny trophy. The Australian drama's high-profile star turns in a committed performance as the movie's eponymous figure, whose memory has begun to recede without anyone realising, but it's also a portrayal that ticks every expected box. The feature she's in garners the same description as well; getting a famous face to explore an illness on-screen is a formula that spreads well beyond on-screen depictions of neurodegenerative conditions, of course, but Ruby's Choice sticks to a template that's been trotted out so many times that it'll always be recognisable. Following Ruby and her family as they wade through the consequences of her faltering mental faculties, this is also a film designed to raise attention, with 50 percent of its profits set to be donated to dementia research. Clearly, it champions a worthy and important cause, and also takes the job of conveying the experience of both suffering from dementia and having a loved one afflicted with it as seriously as it can. But unlike The Father and Still Alice, Ruby's Choice peers on rather than plunges in. It presents how dementia looks from the outside rather than diving deep enough to express how it truly feels. It still makes it plain that this is a condition no one wants, and that dealing with it is immensely difficult — and, in its on-screen postscript about donating funds, that more cash for more research is needed — but it's a case of telling far more than showing. The titular Ruby (Seymour, The War with Grandpa) has spent five years living alone since the death of her husband and, attitude-wise, remains fiercely independent — but she also thinks that her deceased partner is just perennially away on a business trip. Her daughter Sharon (Jacqueline McKenzie, Malignant) plays along with the pretence because it is kinder than seeing her mum mourn her dad anew again and again, and also thinks it's harmless. Then Ruby forgets that she's driven her car to the library, starts a fire at home after forgetting she's cooking lamb chops and, after temporarily moving in with Sharon, her husband Doug (Stephen Hunter, The Tourist) and teenage daughter Tash (Coco Jack Gillies, Mad Max: Fury Road), forgets what she's doing several times over when left in charge of feeding pets and other household tasks for a day. Soon, Ruby's family can't deny that she needs help, but doing what's best — caring for her 24/7, contemplating whether finding a nursing facility is the better solution and affording either option — is hardly straightforward. From Never Too Late and June Again to A Stitch in Time and now Ruby's Choice, Australian cinema has turned its attention towards ageing protagonists and the reality that comes with their advancing years with frequency of late. And, excluding the first flick on that list, it has done so with sensitivity. Director Michael Budd (Life of the Party) and screenwriters Paul Mahoney (Mainland Tonight) and Ellen Shanley (a feature first-timer) are compassionate here, but also schematic. Layering on complications — including the arrival of Doug's brother Ken (Brendan Donoghue, June Again) and his teen son Ned (Rory Porter, The Dressmaker), fresh from their own troubles at home; issues with Tash, Ned and bullies at school; and family secrets let slip as Ruby increasingly thinks she's stepped back decades — they too bluntly try to tug harder at heartstrings that are already given a workout. Ruby's Choice still tackles an important subject with empathy, but also with as much force and formula as care. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; and February 3, February 10, February 17 and February 24. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted, Quo Vadis, Aida?, Cyrano, Hive and Studio 666.
With headliners like Addison Rae, Dom Dolla and Kid Cudi, Beyond the Valley's tenth birthday lineup has been a hit so far — tickets sold out in under an hour. Now, the camping festival has announced a run club with Salomon — and a chance to win a pair of much-coveted tickets and return flights to Melbourne. There will be two rounds of run clubs — one at Albert Park on 6 and 13 December, and one at Beyond the Valley's Barunah Plains site during the festival, which runs from 28–31 December. In the lead up to the festival, Solomon is hosting two special runs at Albert Park. Participants will set off at Albert Park, accompanied by tunes from one of BTV's resident DJs, snacks and bevvies. Runners will get the chance to try out shoes from the Gravel running line — but they're limited, so first in best dressed. For the first time in BTV history, Salomon will also host a daily run club during the festival at Barunah Plains. If you need a wholesome way to shake the night before the music starts again, gather at 9.30am in The Lounge Room for an early jog. To celebrate the partnership, Salomon is giving away an all-inclusive pair of four-day BTV entries with every full price purchase from the store. The tickets comes with premium camping passes, vehicle passes and return flights to Melbourne. They've also thrown in four pairs of Salomon shoes to keep you moving on the dance floor. For more information, visit Salomon's official website.
Decking out your house with budget-friendly homewares and furnishing your abode with meaningful items aren't mutually exclusive. A case in point: Kmart's First Nations program. The retailer highlights Indigenous talents by creating collections in collaboration with artists — and, crucially, making their work accessible en masse. The latest creative teaming up with the brand: Dharug and Darkinjung artist Kyralee Shields. As Wiradjuri artist Judith Young did in 2023, Shields has overseen her own range with the department store, which hits shelves — and online — on Thursday, April 4. Called Mudyin Ngurrawa, it takes its name from the Dharug term for "family on Country". As featured on bedding, candles, servingware, candles, wall art and more, the theme comes through in the designs, the use of colour and the tales told via her art. One pink-, green- and brown-heavy pattern spans bottlebrush and gum leaves, native flowers and yam daisies, and representations of the tides and mountains. Another splashes a pale pink hue around prominently, using circles, arcs, dots and drawings of message sticks to link to Shields' ancestors, her maternal grandmother in particular, her mother and her three children, and also represent the space between Shields and The Dreaming. Clearly, when Shields makes art, she's taking her cues from her Indigenous heritage while conveying her own identity, and also aiming to both express and inspire cultural pride. Her pieces tell a story, then, including about her family and her mother's experience as part of the Stolen Generations, with Shields working closely with Kmart's design team in Melbourne to ensure that it came through authentically and accurately in the Mudyin Ngurrawa collection. To witness the results, and fill your home with them, you can shop the range's 13 items, with prices starting at $5. For that amount, you can get a four-pack of napkins. From there, a two-pack of Mudyin Ngurrawa mugs costs $10, while $12 gets you a three-pack of tea towels, a plant pot or a serving board. A tablecloth costs $14 — as do two types of candle, a mountains and a wildflowers version, as sold separately. Or, opt for the enamel bowl for $18 or enamel tray for $25. The quilt set comes in two sizes, queen and king, for $20 and $24, respectively. And, a canvas to hang is priced at $29. "Collaborating with Kmart is a dream come true. It's allowed me to work with a brand I grew up with who provide quality, on-trend products that are accessible to a wide demographic. It has enabled me to share my art with a wider audience while working with a forward-thinking chain," said Shields about the range. "Having a brand like Kmart support First Nations artists provides broad exposure to our culture and heritage through art and storylines within the evolving contemporary style, which is important to me," she continued. "It's been so gratifying to work on this project with such a wonderful team of people. It's also been enlightening to see all the different aspects that took my original painting through to the completion of this incredible range that now line Kmart's shelves." Kmart and Kyralee Shields' Mudyin Ngurrawa collection is on sale online and in-store from Thursday, April 4, 2024.
Much-loved for its waterfront beer garden and sweeping views across the bay, the Portsea Hotel is once again taking on the live music scene this summer — bringing festival vibes down to Mornington Peninsula. Their Summer Music Series kicks off on Monday, December 23, with Jesse James and Carter Walsh supporting Darley who takes to the stage for an early evening performance. New Year's Eve sees Jake Webb hit the Portsea Hotel's stage — helping partygoers dance their way into 2025 — with the help of Ventura and Alex Jozza. Beyond that, you'll find DJ Levi performing on Saturday, January 4, and Jon Stevens and Band on Saturday, March 9. But we are most stoked about The Presets hitting the Portsea Hotel on Saturday, January 25 (on the long weekend). Tickets for this one are expected to sell out fast. Each of the shows will run from around 5pm and kicks on until the sun sets. It's not a bad way to end a big summer's day by the beach.
If there's anyone in Sydney who knows where to find the best street art, the smartest galleries and the most fun art gatherings, it's Scott Marsh. Even if you don't know his name, chances are, you know his work. His most famous piece is undoubtedly Kanye Loves Kanye, a seven-metre-tall mural of two Kanyes kissing one another, which appeared in Teggs Lane, Chippendale, in April 2016. Within a month, someone paid Marsh $100,000 to buff (graffiti-speak for paint over) it. Also among his international headline-grabbing works are Casino Mike, a satirical portrait of former NSW premier Mike Baird painted as a protest against the lockout laws, and Tony Loves Tony, an image of Tony Abbott marrying himself. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Sydney, we've called in Scott, whose favourite spots range from Wendy Whiteley's dreamy harbourside garden to the best shops for premium spray paint. A stay in one of Pullman's two locations in central Sydney — Hyde Park and Quay Grand Sydney Harbour (there's also two more at Sydney Airport and Sydney Olympic Park) — will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you contemplate all you've seen in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Scott's perspective on Sydney's artistic hot spots, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. SUNDAY WALLS AT THE LORD GLADSTONE Since June 2015, artists and musicians have been gathering once a month at the Lord Gladstone in Chippendale for Sunday Walls. From 2 until 10pm, an emerging or established graffiti artist works on a temporary mural with a stack of spray cans, while live hip hop DJs provide a soundtrack. Punters hang around to watch, eat $10 fried chicken and share $15 jugs of Frank Strongs. The Lord Gladstone attracts a pretty laidback, eclectic crowd, and watching a new art work appear before your eyes can't not be fun. GOODSPACE GALLERY OPENINGS Goodspace Gallery gives Chippendale a weekly art fix with exhibition openings on Wednesday evenings from 6pm–9pm. Artists score a good deal because the space doesn't charge rent or take commissions. Plus, both local and international talent features. In early November, Sydney-based photographer James Simpson exhibited Endless Summer, a collection of photos influenced by French and Italian cinema of the '60s and '70s. The week before, photographer Joshua Valageorgiou, who splits his time between Sydney and Athens, took over the space with Cluster, a black-and-white analogue series. [caption id="attachment_644404" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Luke Shirlaw[/caption] IRONLAK ART AND DESIGN About a year ago, this graffiti-dedicated retail space opened on the ground floor of Central Park, Broadway. It's the Sydney flagship of Ironlak, a premium spray-paint brand founded in the early 2000s by Australian graffiti artist Luke Shirlaw, in collaboration with brothers Levi and Heath Ramsay, and now sold internationally. Not only is Ironlak Art and Design a great place to check out quality products and meet artists, the walls are covered in street art. Plus, it's open until 8pm 363 days a year, so even if you're in a full-time job, you can drop by and get what you need to start your next project. REDFERN AND NEWTOWN GRAFFITI AND STREET ART There's a few great street art spots around Redfern and Newtown that I check out whenever I can. More often than not, I find something new to see. In Redfern, expect to catch me around The Block or Phillip Lane, where there's a lot of Indigenous street art, including works by Reko Rennie and Hego, telling stories of history, identity and resistance. When I'm in Newtown, I take a wander down Wilford and Gladstone Streets. Young Henrys is nearby, which means it's pretty tempting to stop for a beer sample or two. FINTAN MAGEE'S HOUSING BUBBLE MURAL This is my favourite mural in Sydney. It's called The Housing Bubble and it's on the side of the Urban hotel, on the corner of Enmore and Station Streets. Fintan Magee, an artist who was born in Lismore and grew up in Brisbane, painted it over the course of four days during Marrickville Council's Perfect Match street art festival in July 2015. Every year, the event brings a bunch of new works to Sydney, by providing artists with spaces and encouraging crowds to watch as they sketch, paint and spray. [caption id="attachment_644637" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Newtown Graffiti[/caption] SYDNEY STEEL ROAD, MARRICKVILLE Found just a short walk from Sydenham Station, Sydney Steel Road puts a whole lot of excellent art, colour and vibrancy into an otherwise industrial area. There's everything from realistic portraits to political statements to giant, surrealist murals. When you're done here, wander across Camdenville Park to May Lane, which gives you a stack more work to see. A shopkeeper started a graffiti wall there more than 15 years ago because he wanted to create a space where artists could work legally. May Lane is a fixture on the Perfect Match program, so major new works are added each year. 567 KING Newtown's graffiti writers have been stocking up here since August 2005, and these days, artists of all kinds drop by. Whether you want spray paint, pencils, paints or paper, you can get it. Plus, if listening to a bit of hip hop on vinyl or CD while you're working is your thing, you can make your picks in the shop and ask the crew to deliver them to your door. There's also a handy commissioning service: get in touch with a request for an artwork and 567King will hook you up with the right artist for the job. BRETT WHITELEY STUDIO When Brett Whiteley died in Thirroul in 1992, he left behind this studio in Surry Hills, where he'd worked and lived since 1985. Walking in here is a bit like stepping back in time, into Whiteley's private and artistic life. There are paintings he started but never finished, piles of books that gave him inspiration and quotes scrawled across the wall. In the adjoining gallery, temporary exhibitions showcase works owned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Whiteley Estate and private collectors, so there's always a new reason to visit. WENDY'S SECRET GARDEN Across the harbour, in Lavender Bay, is the creative work of the other half of the legendary Whiteley partnership: Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden. From 1970, for the best part of 20 years, the Whiteleys lived in a house nearby. When Brett passed away, Wendy coped with her grief by setting to work on the land, which back then, was disused railway property, covered in rubbish and weeds. Now, it's a haven of blood leaf, ginger, angel's trumpets, palms, fig trees and sandstone walls overhung with rambling vines, where I come to escape, sketch and drink coffee. MCA ARTBAR MCA ARTBAR combines art with music and live performance to create something entirely new. The happening takes over various parts of the gallery on the last Friday of every month, and even if you've checked out the program, you never can tell quite what you're in for. In July 2017, Latai Taumoepeau curated Archipela_GO ....this is not a drill, a mix of live performances and interactive works exploring climate change. Before that, in May, Vivid 2017 artist Julia Gorman brought together samba dancers, DJs, artists and a pop-up jewellery stall for a night of colour and light. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
Forget Emily in Paris — the best Netflix series set in the French capital focuses on a light-fingered smooth mover who is as adept at stealing hearts as he is at pilfering jewels and art. The streaming service's Lupin isn't the first screen outing based on the Maurice Leblanc-penned master of disguise, with the author's famous character first popping up on the big screen over a century ago, then appearing in both movies and TV not just in his homeland but also in the US and Japan since. Centred on a gentleman thief who takes his cues from the fictional figure, however, Netflix's take on all things Arsène Lupin is equally creative, riveting, twisty and entertaining. With the charismatic Omar Sy (Jurassic World Dominion) as its lead, it also couldn't be better cast. Viewers initially discovered this Lupin's delights in January 2021, when Sy's Arsène superfan Assane Diop started showing off his larceny skills in the series' instantly engaging five-episode first part. The angle proved savvy. The central casting is sparkling. Creators George Kay (who has since made the Idris Elba-led Hijack) and François Uzan (Family Business) perfected the rollicking vibe, while director Louis Leterrier (Fast X) turned in some of his best work helming the debut three instalments. It's no wonder that the show became the most-watched series in a language other than English on Netflix at the pre-Squid Game time. A second five-chapter part arrived in June the same year, but audiences have had to wait until now for a third. Streaming its seven new entries from Thursday, October 5, Lupin's third part dazzles again. Crime capers don't much more charming — and bingeable — than this page-to-screen heist affair. Leblanc introduced the world to Lupin in short stories in 1905, with 17 novels and 39 novellas following. In some, Herlock Sholmes pops up — and yes, the reference to Arthur Conan Doyle's detective is clearly on purpose. Although Sherlock Holmes isn't quite Arsène Lupin's English equivalent, the two characters give readers and viewers alike the same thrills. If spending time with smart figures with silky skills in can't-put-down and can't-look-away mysteries is what you're after, both deliver. Netflix's Lupin gives the French favourite a modern-day Sherlock-esque spin, but with another pivot to put the suave Senegal-born Diop and his various quests in the spotlight. When Diop first sashayed across streaming queues, he was on a mission to avenge the incarceration and death of his father Babakar (Fargass Assandé, Represent), who was imprisoned back when Assane was a kid for stealing a diamond necklace once owned by Marie Antoinette. Lupin's striking debut heist involved burgling the jewellery again — and from the Louvre no less — as Diop kept trying to establish his dad's innocence. In season two as well, Babakar's wealthy former boss Hubert Pellegrini (Hervé Pierre, Benedetta), who owned the necklace it was initially taken, is chief among Diop's targets. Just like everything from Squid Game to Succession, there's an eat-the-rich angle to Lupin; perhaps more than Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood comes to mind. Season three tasks the ever-resourceful Diop with coping with becoming headline fodder for his efforts with Pellegrini. He's long been in hiding since, which is having an impact upon his childhood sweetheart-turned-estranged wife Claire (Ludivine Sagnier, The Serpent Queen) and their teenage son Raoul (Etan Simon, Jeune et golri). Cue a new big scheme — with trusty assistance from his gadget-making best friend Benjamin Feel (Antoine Gouy, Gold Brick), another mainstay from his school days — to abscond with a priceless black pearl, fund a new life and start afresh with his family. But it isn't just police detectives Youssef Guédira (Soufiane Guerrab, Visions) and Sofia Belkacem (Shirine Boutella, Christmas Flow), one a massive Lupin aficionado himself and the other slowly being convinced of the books' relevance, who boast a keen interest in anything that possibly involves Assane. Flashbacks to the 90s, to Diop (Mamadou Haidara, La vie de ma mère) and Claire (Ludmilla Makowski, Bardot) as high schoolers, remain in Lupin's return, with the series as concerned as ever with cause, effect and actions having consequences. Kay and his writing team not only adore layering in references to their source material as heftily as their protagonist, who bases his exploits around his inspiration, but piling in multiple mysteries. This is a show to sleuth along with, including puzzling through the same whodunnits that catch Assane's attention and pondering any heist series' main question: how'd they do it? Lupin always eventually explains the steps behind Diop's trickery, whether he's donning a luxe purple suit and ageing himself up to blend in by standing out or rushing through Paris' catacombs — and the reveals never disappoint. As tautly scripted and stylishly shot as Lupin is, and as enjoyably OTT as many of its robberies prove, there's no doubting that this wouldn't be the gem it is without the perfectly cast Sy. While it was his César Best Actor Award-winning role in 2011's The Intouchables that first brought him to worldwide fame, leading to parts in X-Men: Days of Future Past and Jurassic World, it's Lupin that has cemented the Micmacs, Mood Indigo, Monsieur Chocolat and Night Shift actor as a global star. Enlisting him as Diop is a Daniel Craig-in-Bond, Tom Cruise-in-Mission: Impossible stroke of genius — and he's just as debonair, and adept at donning disguises. There are plenty of reasons that Assane has become a hero to the French masses in Lupin's latest go-around, but Sy's magnetic performance couldn't be more essential for at-home audiences. Also pivotal: that Lupin isn't merely sleek action fodder with an excellent lead, plus gripping ups and downs. Emotional stakes have always been crucial to the show, as has unpacking traumas both now and across generations, the chasm between the one percent and everyone else, and interrogating racial divides as well as class clashes. It works as a Parisian travelogue, too, upping the thrills by getting Diop sneaking around — and often flatout waltzing into — well-known sights. John Wick: Chapter 4 isn't the only 2023 must-see to make excellent use of the Arc de Triomphe, for instance. In Lupin part three, the Place Vendôme, Père Lachaise Cemetery and Château de Thoiry also feature prominently. Lupin tours already exist, of course, but now they have a few more stops. Check out the trailer for Lupin part three below: Lupin part three streams via Netflix from Thursday, October 5.
Feeling peeved about the rising cost of your morning latte? Give your bank account a break without quitting the caffeine when ALDI opens the doors to its new corner store concept in the CBD today. Melbourne's first ALDI Corner Store hits Swanston Street from Thursday, September 8 and, to kick things off, it's welcoming punters with cups of barista-brewed Lazzio coffee for just 37 cents each — the same price it'd cost if you bought the beans and made it at home yourself. You can nab your blisteringly cheap cuppa from the store's pop-up coffee cart, only on September 8 and 9, with all profits donated to Camp Quality. While the coffee cart is temporary, the Corner Store will be sticking around for the foreseeable future, stocked with a range of grab-and-go meals, artisan baked goods and even the odd ALDI Special Buy. City workers — you're about to get a whole lot more bang for your buck when it comes to that weekly lunchbreak budget. On the shelves, you'll find bites ranging from wraps and sandwiches (maybe cheese and tomato chutney or a chicken BLT), to rice paper rolls and sushi (think, tuna avocado maki rolls and mixed seafood nigiri). There are danishes both sweet and savoury, plus goodies like almond croissants, cinnamon buns and pain au chocolat. The in-store bakery will also be slinging an exclusive, locally-baked Grain + Stone artisan sourdough bread, along with loaves ranging from olive and basil to a seedy wholewheat. The store itself has been designed with time-poor lunchbreak shoppers in mind, boasting easy navigation and self-serve checkouts. It's even decked out with a commissioned mural by local artist George Rose for an extra splash of Melbourne flavour. ALDI has had a few new tricks up its sleeve of late — in July, Sydney scored an ALDI pop-up bar with budget-friendly wine and cheese, while the supermarket brand's pop-up dumpling truck was slinging hot gyoza to the people of Bankstown just last month. Find the ALDI Corner Store at 501 Swanston Street, Melbourne CBD, from September 8. It's open from 8.30am on weekdays and from 8am on weekends. The Lazzio coffee cart will be slinging 37-cent coffees on September 8 and 9, with proceeds donated to Camp Quality. BYO reusable cup and Aldi will double the donation.
Last year the State Government announced some ambitious (and unprecedented) plans to expand Melbourne's rail network — ones that we were, admittedly, unsure whether to get too excited about. But it's happening. The long-debated $11 billion Metro Tunnel project has been funded and the Andrews Government has just revealed who will design and build the project, along with a first look at what it will all look like. Just to catch you up, the Metro Tunnel will see two new nine-kilometre twin tunnels and five underground train stations added to Melbourne's inner city. These new stations will be located in Parkville, North Melbourne, CBD North, CBD South and the Domain, and create a new path into the city that doesn't rely on (but connects to) the City Loop. The idea is that it will ease congestion in the City Loop and allow more trains to be getting in and out of the city. In a media release published yesterday, the Andrews Government announced that, after an extensive tender process, they've created the Cross Yarra Partnership to build and design the tunnel and stations. This partnership will involve a number of companies, led by Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital. Along with the announcement, the first station designs have been been revealed too. They look a hell of a lot different to the inside of Melbourne Central, with first renders showing a preference for arches and what most underground stations lack: natural light. At street level, some of the new stations will also add public space. Here's a quick look at the five stations. ARDEN If you're travelling via Footscray, you'll bypass North Melbourne to get onto the Metro Tunnel, and this will be your first stop. This new station will be located in the largely industrial area of North Melbourne on Laurens Street and will service the growing residential population there. Plans for Arden show lots of natural light and bike parking at street level. PARKVILLE This station will provide an easy connection to the Royal Melbourne, Children's and Women's Hospitals, as well the University of Melbourne — at present, people looking to get here either have to get a bus from North Melbourne Station or a tram from the CBD. Parkville Station will sit on Grattan Street. CBD NORTH Located at the north-end of Latrobe Street, this new station will provide an alternative for Melbourne Central, but will still be linked via underground walkways if you do need to change lines. The new entrance at Franklin Street will also include this new green space. CBD SOUTH CBD South Station will be located just near Flinders Street Station, and you'll be able to access it from City Square, Federation Square, Swanston Street and the Degraves Street underpass. If you need to access Flinders Street Station, you'll apparently be able to do so through an underground connection. Lots of white arches planned for this one DOMAIN This station will be a gamechanger for anyone who currently has to deal with the mayhem that is changing trams at Domain Interchange. And all with a floating timber canopy on top of it. Trains from here will continue to Pakenham and Cranbourne. Construction on all this is expected to begin next year and the target completion date is 2026. We'll keep you updated on any new plans for the Metro Tunnel. Images: Metro Tunnel.
Near the 24-hour florist and the steeply priced milk bar, North Carlton Canteen is the sort of place everybody wishes they had as their local. The coffee is good, the menu is inviting, and there is a balsa wood moose head on the wall. The staff aren't bored, ironic hipsters and the service is thoughtful without being smarmy. Lounging at the window overlooking Lygon Street, you can watch trams whiffle past as you tap away on your laptop (free wi-fi!) and play footsies with your companion (or someone else's). There's a long communal table, small wooden tables which can be pushed together to accommodate larger groups, and a friendly buzz not just generated by caffeine. Raw sugar resides in old jam jars, fresh flowers and herbs adorn the tables, and a yellow wire rack of magazines and newspapers hangs next to the moose head. The NCC's food ranges from upgraded counter classics — a waygu burger on toasted brioche ($12) — to rejigged brunch staples like banana bread pancakes with whipped cream yoghurt ($13). The tasty, messy egg 'n' bacon roll comes with house-made BBQ sauce, avocado and rocket ($9.50), and the house specials currently include gooey, cheese-stuffed jalapenos. A side order of hand-cut fries and mustardy aioli is practically compulsory ($6.50). For vegans and gluten-free warriors, there are plenty of options to accommodate allergies, preferences and principles. The bacon is free-range, the muesli slice is made with agave nectar, and the walls are made from recycled wood. North Carlton Canteen is relatively new but fast becoming a reason to visit the floral end of Lygon Street. They even offer portable picnics to eat in the parks nearby. You score two paninis, two sweet treats and two bottled drinks of your choice ($30). You can get enough for four people with a wink of your ravenous eye ($56). Gabi, the lovely owner, plans to add wine to these picnic boxes. Voila! Go grab a bunch of carnations from the open-all-hours florist three doors down, and you've got yourself a perfect lunch date. Just don't bump into the customers enjoying homemade Monte Carlo biscuits in the footpath seating area — this isn't a school canteen, after all, and there's no excuse for shoving. No excuse for not supporting your local NCC, either.
Gelato probably isn't your regular first meal of the day, but it's not unheard of either. For instance, Sicilians stuff sweet ice cream inside warm bread to create brioche con gelato. But despite Messina's Italian roots, the team is ready to reveal a more Aussie-inspired anytime treat, where gelato meets muesli as part of a limited-edition scoop. Created in collaboration with regenerative macadamia farmers, Brookfarm, a brand-new breakfast gelato flavour — Good Morning, Honey — is about to hit Messina stores nationwide for one week only. Combining creamy honey gelato made with Australian rainforest honey, each bite is packed with chewy clusters of Brookfarm's Toasted Macadamia Muesli, coated with churned coconut butter for even more crunch. "This is the first time Messina has ever used muesli in a flavour, and what an innovation it has been. As soon as the team tasted Brookfarm's muesli, we knew it would make a great addition to a gelato flavour," said Donato Toce, head creative chef and co-owner of Gelato Messina. Yet this breakfast-inspired ice cream is celebrating more than just a timeless morning meal. Brookfarm is marking its 25th birthday with this first-of-its-kind collab, growing from a rundown dairy farm in the Byron Bay hinterland to a thriving macadamia orchard responsible for top-notch muesli, granola, porridge and more. "Whether you're a breakfast lover, a gelato lover, or a bit of both, we're confident people are going to fall in love with this flavour," says Brookfarm CEO Will Brook. "Messina has married the flavours of Brookfarm's Toasted Macadamia Muesli and local Rainforest honey perfectly with their creamy gelato base." Available from Thursday, November 27–Thursday, December 4, or until sold out, a scoop of Good Morning, Honey is your chance to enjoy guilt-free cereal for dinner or gelato for breakfast. Just swing by your nearest Gelato Messina store to discover whether ice cream goes hand in hand with the first meal of the day. Gelato Messina and Brookfarm's Good Morning, Honey gelato is available in Gelato Messina locations nationwide from Thursday, November 27–Thursday, December 4, or until sold out. Head to the website for more information.
The humble Australian mud crab will soon be getting all the glory at Crown Towers thanks to the international fine-diner Ministry of Crab. Following a soldout run in 2022, the global seafood legends are returning to Crown's Evergreen events space overlooking the Yarra to serve up an exclusive five-course set menu for one month only. This is a rare opportunity for Aussies to try some of the best crab dishes in the world, made by Dharshan Munidasa, one of Sri Lanka's most celebrated chefs. He opened Ministry of Crab over a decade ago in Colombo and now has outposts in Bangkok, the Maldives, Shanghai, Mumbai and Chengdu. His spots also regularly rank in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, so it's fair to say he cooks a mean crab. From Thursday, March 28–Saturday, April 27, sustainably sourced Northern Australian Mud Crab (flown in live) will be used in the recreation of some of Munidasa's signature dishes: his pepper crab, garlic chilli crab and crab avocado salad. Mooloolaba king prawns will also feature in the set menu, which ends with a coconut creme brûlée. You'll be paying $155 for your feast — and for Melbourne seafood stans, this is a meal that's not to be missed. Find Ministry of Crab at the Evergreen event space at Crown Towers, open for dinner Wednesday–Saturday and lunch on Sundays, from Thursday, March 28–Saturday, April 27. For more information and to book a seat, head to the venue's website.
With Geelong and Brisbane set to battle it out in Saturdays AFL Grand Final, the MCG is once again the centre of the Australian sporting world — and now talk has turned to how the stadium might evolve in the years ahead. As reported by the Herald Sun, Premier Jacinta Allan has launched a new business case to explore redevelopment options for the' G, aiming to ensure it continues to lure global events well beyond footy season. Ideas on the table include expanding the Shane Warne Stand to squeeze in another 5,000 fans. One more obvious option, however, might be more costly than expected — a roof. MCC chief executive Stuart Fox revealed that covering the venue could carry a staggering price tag of up to $6 billion. "We're here to make sure this asset doesn't become old and redundant, and if we sit on our hands and do nothing people will grab more events from us," he said. The comments come off the back of the stadium's latest Social and Economic Value Study, which found more than four million people came through the gates last year across 69 events. Those visitors delivered $720 million to Victoria's economy — with Taylor Swift's three sold-out shows alone contributing a quarter of that figure. Sports and Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos compared the impact to "12 Taylor Swift concerts," underscoring just how valuable the stadium is to the state. While the roof may be out of reach, the conversation is another reminder of the MCG's status as both the heart of the AFL and one of the most important event spaces in the country. And as the Cats and Lions run out this weekend, more than 100,000 fans will get a taste of why the' G remains one of the world's great sporting stages — roof or no roof. Read the original reportage via The Herald Sun. Images: iStock
Whatever your plans are on Thursday, April 20, 2023, it won't just be an ordinary day. No matter where you are across Australia, a solar eclipse will be making its presence known in the sky. Just like the song that you probably have stuck in your head, there'll be a total eclipse in one part of the country, in the Ningaloo region in Western Australia — and also a partial eclipse elsewhere. This eclipse isn't any ordinary eclipse, not that the moon passing between the sun and the earth, casting its shadow on the planet we call home and blocking out our source of natural light ever is. This one is a hybrid solar eclipse, which means that it switches between a ring-shaped or annual eclipse and a total solar eclipse according to Space.com — and the last time that happened was in 2013. After this, it won't occur again until 2031 and then 2164. Wondering what else you need to know? When it'll be happening, where and what to do? We've run through all the details below. WHAT IS IT? As we noted above, a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, casting its shadow on the latter and blocking out the former. When it's a total solar eclipse, the moon completely blocks the sun. During a partial eclipse, that only partly occurs, as the term suggests. During a total eclipse, there's a period of totality, which is the amount of time that the sun is completely obscured. It can only last for up to seven minutes — and it only happens on the path that the moon's shadow takes as the planet's natural satellite moves over the earth's surface. That's known as the path of totality. There's also two types of shadows: the umbra, which is the dark space in the centre; and the penumbra, which is partially illuminated. WHAT KIND OF SOLAR ECLIPSE IS THIS? This is both a total and a partial eclipse, depending on where you're located in Australia. If you're in the Ningaloo region, including in Exmouth, you'll witness a total eclipse, with the path of totality passing over. According to the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA), that will last will last around a minute, and the eclipsed sun will be 54 degrees above the horizon. For the rest of the country, it's a partial eclipse. As also explained above, this is a hybrid solar eclipse, too. So, it switches between a ring-shaped or annual eclipse and a total solar eclipse — which will only happen one more time this century. WHEN IS IT HAPPENING? In Exmouth, totality will start at 11.29am AWST — 50 seconds past that exact minute, to be exact — and will last about one minute, according to the ASA. Still in WA, in Perth, the partial eclipse will start at 10am, peak at 11.20am and finish at 12.47pm. Sydney's times for all of the above are 1.37pm AEST, 2.29pm and 3.19pm. In Melbourne, it's 1.15pm, 2.09pm and 3.01pm. For Brisbane, take note of 1.44pm, 2.45pm and 3.42pm. And in Adelaide, it's 12.24pm, 1.30pm and 2.35pm. WHERE IS IT HAPPENING? The short answer: everywhere across Australia. That said, do not look directly at the solar eclipse — see more details below. So, you might want to hit the livestream, which Perth Observatory will be doing with TimeAndDate.com. Hop online from 11.30am AEST. CAN I LOOK UP AT THE SOLAR ECLIPSE? Again, the short answer: not directly. We repeat: do not look directly at the solar eclipse. As the ASA advises, "it is never safe to look directly at a partial solar eclipse or the partial phases of a total solar eclipse without the proper equipment and techniques". Dr Hessom Razavi of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) and the Lions Eye Institute explains: "never look directly at the sun. It can cause serious and permanent eye damage, and that's true even during a solar eclipse." So, the ASA notes that best ways to observe an eclipse are by using eclipse glasses, which are special-purpose spectacles for the occasion and meet the ISO 12312 2 standard; hand-held solar viewers that have solar filters up to the international standard; and pinhole projection using a large card with a two-millimetre hole in the middle, which then projects an image of the sun onto a different surface around a metre away. Accordingly, definitely do not just look up with your naked eyes, or even just while wearing your normal glasses of sunglasses. The ASA has more details on its website. If you're wondering why you can't peer directly at a solar eclipse, that's because exposing your retinas to intense light will damage the eye's rod and cone cells, which are extremely light-sensitive. In fact, RANZCO says that even the special eclipse glasses come with some risks, and advises that "the only way to guarantee the prevention of solar retinopathy is to avoid all forms of direct sun viewing". It has also put together further details. WHEN WILL A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OCCUR IN AUSTRALIA AGAIN? Australia is about to become a haven for total solar eclipses, with five taking place in our skies in a 15-year period. The first is this one on Thursday, April 20, but then more will follow in 2028, 2030, 2037 and 2038. On July 22, 2028, it'll cross the Kimberley in Western Australia, as well as the Northern Territory, southwest Queensland and New South Wales, including passing over Sydney. Then, on November 25, 2030, it'll cross South Australia, northwest NSW and southern Queensland — and end at sunset in southeast Queensland. Come July 13, 2037, the eclipse will pass over southern WA, southern NT and western Queensland, including over Brisbane and the Gold Coast. And, on Boxing Day in 2038, it'll go over central WA, SA, and also along the NSW/Victorian border. The solar eclipse will take place on Thursday, April 20, 2023. For further information, head to the Astronomical Society of Australia website. Images: Terry Cuttle.
Evie's Disco Diner is a queer-friendly, bottomless brunch-serving, drag-bingo-playing bar that's loved by Fitzroy's late-night revellers. It's big, brash and doesn't take itself too seriously. This has been a winning combo for the team running the Gertrude Street haunt — one of our picks for Melbourne's best bars for dancing. But when they decided to open a spot in the CBD in mid-2024, they didn't want to replicate this formula exactly. Instead, Champagne Problems is like Evie's grown-up sister. She still likes to party and have a big night out, but now prefers to do so while sipping on signature cocktails, and snacking on shared plates and cheese fondue. The crew running the show describes the aesthetic and vibe as "elevated camp". Where Evie's accents are all bright pink, Champagne Problems is fully embracing lime green, from the neon sign out front, to the chairs, painted walls and cocktails like its appletini and Japanese slipper — and yes, we are as confused as you are by Midori's unexpected return to so many Melbourne bars. There's also plenty of room inside for when long drinking and dining sessions lead into dancing around the bar late at night. A regular lineup of DJs will help set the party mood as well. But before the party gets going, plenty of food is up for grabs. Small plates dominate the menu, like devilled eggs, prawn cocktails, seared scallops with beets and roasted garlic puree, oysters with champagne granita, and cheese and meat boards. A few bigger dishes also feature, like the lobster roll, beef burger, steak frites and duck a l'orange. Late at night, the kitchen serves decadent truffle gruyere jaffles and caviar bumps. And cheese fondue is also on the cards for winter, great for big group hangs. You can pair these eats with beer and wine, but Champagne Problems is more about cocktails — surprisingly, not champagne. When the sun is shining, you can sit on the outdoor tables with limoncello and yuzu spritzes and margaritas. Those wanting the harder stuff can try the cherry negroni or coconut old fashioned. Classics can also be whipped up without fuss if the signatures don't do it for you. If you loved drinking and dancing at Evie's but now feel a little too old for it, consider a trip to its older sibling in the CBD. Images: Luke Robinson, Drop Media.
It's no secret we love a swimming hole. From Sydney to Melbourne to Brisbane and even over to Perth, we spend our spare January days driving in search of a swimmable body of water, and the other seasons eagerly awaiting the ripeness of summer. And the best part is that this country is full of swimming spots unique to our sunburnt landscape, both on rugged coast and hidden inland among bush and desert rocks. Caroline Clements and Dillion Seitchick-Reardon visited a whole heap of them as 'research' for their book, Places We Swim. While the book collates handy information about 60 pools, lakes, beaches and gorges across the country, here, they detail five of the stunning spots that you should most definitely plan a road trip around before summer ends. Recommended reads: The Best Australian Beaches The Best Australian Islands to Visit Anytime of the Year The Best Glamping Spots in Australia The Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Australia Clarence Dam, Blue Mountains, NSW Dressed in native gumtrees, the landscape here feels like true blue Australiana. Around Christmas time, the tea tree near the waterline turns white, like it's somehow snow-covered in the middle of summer. The reserve is home to two disused railway dams (that feel like lakes) built to supply water for steam engines, and is still bordered at the north side by a functioning western railway corridor. But the Crown Land area is now used mostly for public recreation such as bushwalking, rock climbing, canyoning and swimming. Swimmers are in for a treat. Huge pieces of ironstone protrude out of the water in soft shapes of all sizes, like artful, abstract sculptures. It's not the water that makes this swimming hole great, it's the rock. Some have an architectural quality, which starts to make a lot of sense when we remember we were brought here by an architect. The water is cool and deep, and we swim from a low entry point over to a large ten-metre-high wall. The drop is sheer; it's also a rite of passage for local teenagers. We're about 20 years older than most, but we take the deep plunge into the cool freshwater below, slapping the water with our feet first. In other sections there are rope swings tied to tree branches at different heights, but this is no amateur set-up. There are various jumps that range from your standard rope swing to full-on carnival trapeze, none of which should be taken lightly. If jumping isn't your thing, floating down the river in an inflatable ring might be. How far? The dam is located in the Blue Mountains, close to Lithgow — about a two-hour drive from Sydney. Little Blue Lake, Mount Gambier, South Australia The pool sits in an unassuming paddock about 15 kilometres south of Mount Gambier, looking a little lonely and out of place. It makes more sense when you learn that Baby Blue is a sinkhole, formed by the gradual collapse of an underground cave. The pool has an average depth of about 35 metres and it isn't unusual (but it is a little creepy) to see the odd diver suddenly emerge from below. In fact, this area is one of the best inland diving destinations in the world, with a Swiss-cheese network of 500 underground caves and 50 sinkholes to explore. For our purposes, however, surface swimming is just about the right speed. Sheer 10-metre limestone walls make this an iconic South Australian jump and a rite of passage among locals. Like many places, signs forbid jumping here and there are murmurs of council-enforced fines, though nobody seems too concerned. Jump at your own discretion. Alternatively, take the steps down from the carpark side of the pool to a shiny new pontoon. This makes for a more gentle entry and is an easy introduction to the cool water. A few natural terraces extend back towards the road, providing a great vantage to sit and watch, like a swimming amphitheatre. How far? The lake is located just south of Mount Gambier — about a five-hour drive from both Melbourne and Adelaide. Josephine Falls, Wooroonooran National Park, Queensland It could only be described as lust when we laid eyes on this series of tiered granite rock pools and waterfalls just south of Cairns in Wooroonooran National Park. This lush mountainous land, right on the coast, covers 75,000 hectares of the Bellenden Ker Range and forms part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage area. The range includes Mt Bartle Frere, Queensland's highest mountain (1622 metres). Josephine Falls sits at the base, with a constant flow from streams that cascade down the mountain, creating some of the cleanest waterways in the world. There are three spots to stop along this boardwalk. The first is where you get in to swim. We find people sitting and chatting in crystal clear shallow pools, while others laze on big boulders in the dappled light. The biggest rock pool has a sandy bottom and is bordered by a giant piece of slippery granite that people are queueing up at to slide down, some wearing inflatable iced strawberry doughnuts. Scrambling further up takes you to more rocky slides into smaller pools, and families splashing about and fishing for yabbies. The second stop is a deck that looks over the rock pools onto swimmers below. Continuing along the rainforest walk takes you to the third stop, a large viewing platform looking up to a flowing waterfall with a deep plunge pool. It's probably the most impressive of them all but, unfortunately, is not open to public swimming. How far? The falls are located in Tropical North Queensland — about an hour south of Cairns. Bushrangers Bay, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria This basalt coastline is quite unlike anywhere else in the area, or even the state. Volcanic black rocks emerge from clear blue water. Deep pools are filled at high tide and slowly warm throughout the day. It has a distinct look and feel, so you can imagine how our eyes popped out of our heads when we saw this secret spot featured in the 2009 film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. Indeed, it seems like a natural place for a wild rumpus, and you will see lots of kangaroos if you arrive early in the morning. Don't be surprised to see waves exploding onto the beach, as it is exposed to a constant barrage of swells from the south. We prefer the safety and beauty of the nearby tidal rock pools. Follow the beach east towards the rocky headlands. The most prominent feature is Elephant Rock and the best pools are distributed around its base, on the left-hand side. Water is always clear here and often a few degrees warmer than the ocean – Victoria's version of a spa bath. Remember, this is a low-tide-only spot, so take a moment to make sure that rogue waves aren't crashing into the pools before jumping in. Otherwise you may suddenly find yourself inside a washing machine or heading out to sea. How far? The bay is located on the Mornington Peninsula — about an hour and a half from Melbourne. Emma Gorge, The Kimberley, Western Australia The dramatic Emma Gorge falls pour over a 65-metre-high cliff into a large plunge pool, punctuating the end of the 1.6-kilometre hike in. The track begins at Emma Gorge Resort, and winds past the deep Turquoise Pool (also a great spot to swim, which we take note of for later) before arriving at the falls. The water is refreshingly cool, shaded by the looming cliffs for most of the day. Tourists dribble in and out, dropping piles of clothes on rocks as they stare up at the falls in awe before shocking their hot, sweaty bodies with the water's cool, pristine touch. The plunge pool is deep and wide with a rocky bottom, but the water is so clear and fresh, you could drink it. We bliss out for a few hours before making out way back along the track past Turquoise Pool, where we take another plunge. The surface water here is lit up by the sun, giving it the turquoise colours it's named for, while people gather at the fringes to cool off. A rock jump begs us to plunge from a height rather than scramble over a slippery entry. Emma Gorge is one of the most incredible places we've been, even late in the season when the water isn't flowing at its best. How far? The gorge is located just west of Kununurra — about halfway between Broome and Darwin. This is an edited extract from Places We Swim by Caroline Clements and Dillion Seitchick-Reardon, published by Hardie Grant Travel. Images: Dillon Seitchick-Reardon.
Melbourne treasure hunters — there might not be many of you but we know you're out there — how would you like to track down some actual treasure for once? A step up from the usual weekend scavenger hunt, this Saturday, December 6, TMC Fine Jewellers is hosting a citywide scavenger hunt for a very shiny and valuable prize. TMC is opening their first Melbourne showroom and inviting Melburnians to peer 'Through the Looking Glass' and take part in a hunt that hides clues in plain sight. And what better prize to offer up to eager hunters than a bespoke ring studded with lab-grown diamonds and valued at $10,000? The hunt begins at 6am sharp, with the first clue (the showroom's location) posted on TMC's social media pages and sent to registered participants via EDM slightly earlier. The hunt official begins at 8am and from there, you'll have to follow four printed riddle clues within a 5km radius of the store. If you get confused, TMC will be posting hints on its TikTok page. Collect all four, and you'll go into the running to win the prize ring. "Melbourne has always been a city of creativity and curiosity, so it felt only fitting to celebrate our first flagship store with an experience that brings those values to life," said Makayla Donovan, co-founder of TMC Fine Jewellers. TMC Fine Jewellers, founded by young couple Makayla and Tom Donovan, strives to deliver affordable, bespoke and ethically responsible engagement and wedding rings. Part of the growing industry shift away from mined diamonds to lab-grown, TMC has gone from a passion project to an established jeweller in just four years — now we can all get involved with the celebrations and win some jewellery of our own. For more information on TMC Fine Jewellers, visit the website.
Australia's surf park obsession knows no bounds. Urbnsurf Melbourne launched in 2020 as the first Aussie surf park, Urbnsurf Sydney will open in mid-May 2024, the same team behind both has earmarked Brisbane and Perth as future locations, and the latter is set to get the country's largest surf park from a separate outfit. Next on the list is The Break Surf & Stay, which has been approved as an addition to the seaside town of Aldinga in South Australia — but will be set back from the coast when it starts pumping out waves in mid-2026. The venture, which will give everyone another reason to head to the Fleurieu Peninsula, has just been given planning consent by the City of Onkaparinga Council assessment panel. Clearly, it isn't enough for Australia to be girt by sea; the nation is also determined to fill plenty of its land with man-made wave pools, so that hitting the beach isn't the only way to hang ten. The Break Surf & Stay will sprawl across a a 7.1-hectare site, with the $100-million facility boasting a 11,700-square-metre surf lagoon. And, for visitors from out of town, it'll also double as accommodation, featuring 35 short-stay villas. Who says that you need to slumber beachside to wave up to waves? The park's surf technology from Endless Surf will create waves up to 2.1-metres high, which folks will be able to hit for 18 seconds on a single peak and nine for a split peak. The team behind the venture advises that its wave system will be a first for the southern hemisphere Don't know how to live the Point Break life already? A surf academy will be onsite to teach newcomers to the sport the skills. Also set to be included: a wellness studio, plus a store selling and renting boards and wetsuits. A craft brewhouse, licensed restaurant, skating area and nature play spot are all in The Break Surf & Stay's plans, all set among native vegetation, with 300 new trees to be planted. 'Barefoot luxury' is the vibe, with architects Studio Gram taking their design cues from the obvious: the coast. Construction will start in 2025, with The Tuit Road facility just 40 minutes out of Adelaide. It's also aiming to host surfing competitions, including attracting international waves to unleash their skills in The Break's lagoon. "The Break has been an absolute passion project for everyone involved," said Richard Sheppard, one of the surfing enthusiasts-turned-founding partners alongside Ben McCarthy, Leigh Gapp and Dwight Stuchbery. "There is a significant market for health and wellness, active and surf tourism that is largely untapped in South Australia, and we believe this transformational project will help to unlock that opportunity for the region and the state. And that's to say nothing of the benefits of attracting new visitors to this region's world class vineyards, beaches, eateries, trails and landscapes." "Our vision is to see The Break become a destination for families and surf lovers from around the country and the world, while also using the facilities to teach every South Australian kid to surf in safe, inclusive, controlled conditions," added McCarthy. [caption id="attachment_953676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] No Swan No Fine via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The Break Surf & Stay's first waves are expected in 2026 on Tuit Road, Aldinga, South Australia — keep an eye on the venue's website for further details in the interim.
How many times can James Cameron break his own record? How many shades of blue can shimmer across the screen in one movie? Will Avatar's 13-years-later first sequel also dazzle the Oscars, as its predecessor did? Will Avatar: The Way of Water influence everything that comes after it, special effects-wise, also as the initial flick did, too? They're just some of the questions that the mere existence of this Avatar follow-up sparks. Here's another: will you get Eiffel 65's 1998 hit 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)' stuck in your head, even though it surely isn't in the film? Audiences will start finding out the answers to these queries in mid-December, when Avatar: The Way of Water hits cinemas worldwide — and Cameron has dropped a full trailer for the movie in the interim. This is Avatar: The Way of Water's second sneak peek, following an earlier look back in May — but this is one of those films that you might only truly believe exists once you're sat in a theatre watching it, because it has been in the works for that long. If you saw Cameron's initial entry in this sci-fi franchise back in 2009, you'll undoubtedly be buying a ticket. Indeed, given that the original Avatar quickly became the highest-grossing picture of all time — a record this one will try to break — it's highly likely that you did and will. Amid blue-hued CGI-filled waters and skies, and surrounded by the franchise's blue-toned Na'vi people, Avatar: The Way of Water steps back into the story of the Sully family, aka Jake (Sam Worthington, Fires), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, The Adam Project) and their children, on the habitable moon Pandora. This time around, staying safe and alive remains a focus, as trouble keeps finding the Sullys, battles mount and striving to keep together also requires their focus. Also set to feature: Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Stephen Lang (Don't Breathe 2), Cliff Curtis (Reminiscence), Joel David Moore (Bones), CCH Pounder (Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown) and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement. If the two sneak peeks so far have you excited about re-entering Avatar's blue-heavy world, get ready for more where that came from. A third movie is due in 2024, a fourth in 2026 and a fifth in 2028. Check out the latest Avatar: The Way of Water trailer below: Avatar: The Way of Water releases in cinemas Down Under on December 15. Images: Photos courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
It's impossible to fit Gippsland on a plate, but every year, Victoria's chefs, brewers and cheesemakers give it a red hot crack. Yep, it's that time of year again. The East Gippsland Winter Festival is back for 2024, running from Friday, June 21–Sunday, July 21 with more artisanal plates than anyone could consume in an average human lifetime. If you haven't attended before, bring your appetite. It's an incredible celebration of everything Gippsland — the people, food, produce and communities that make this place special. The event runs for a full month, with activations, dining experiences and live music popping up all over the region. Some of this year's highlights include the Guy Grossi x Sodafish collaboration lunch at Lakes Entrance, sword fighting and fireside dining at a Medieval Fire Festival in Bruthen, a sunrise bathe and breakfast (in old wine barrels, no less) at Metung Hot Springs, and a special high country lunch at Moscow Villa Hut. We recommend basing yourself somewhere central, like Bairnsdale or Bruthen, and then strategically filling your diary with delicious events and winery activations. You can browse the full program and book your spot at the website.
Deadly Ponies is a permanent fixture in the fashion landscape, and it's clear to see why — boundary-pushing designs, carbon-zero certification from Toitū Environcare and a commitment to both creativity and transparency. With over 15 years in the market, the Aotearoan leather accessories label — fronted by designer Liam Bowden — has seen success the world over, regularly held in the crook of a celebrity or fashion-stalwart's arm, including their homegrown talent Lorde. A classic crossbody in a fashion-forward colourway (like 'coconut ice')? Maybe an impossibly soft yet chic shearling tote? If you're looking for luxe mixed with an unwillingness to compromise on sustainability, Deadly Ponies delivers in troves. Now, dear Melburnians, it's time to peruse in person, with the addition of a bricks and mortar standalone on Armadale's High Street, as well as a dedicated Deadly Ponies Concept Space on Little Bourke Street in the CBD. Both stores were conceptualised by long-time collaborator and celebrated interior designer Katie Lockhart. The delivered spaces are natural extensions of the creatives behind the brand, with pared-back tones and textures, and carefully scattered trinkets and treasures. It's a clever pairing of new and vintage, reminiscent of homely, lived-in comfort — though not lacking a lick in design-centric styling, with the flagship's staggering window display and soft metallic accents catching eyes, and the concept space (which is within Myer) delivering yellow and blue hues via a rug hailing from 1940s France. Taking the stance of innovation when faced with the social and environmental cost of its wares is just one of the core practices that makes Deadly Ponies — and its coveted bags — so worthy of the attention and accolades it's afforded. With the annual Recycle collection, crafted completely from offcuts, and an in-store amnesty program for returning your Deadly Ponies once they're all loved out, circularity is never an afterthought. Consciously created high fashion accessories — what's not to love? Head in-store to discover the Deadly Ponies experience for yourself.
With summer finally approaching, it's time to do some serious defrosting. Although you may not exactly jet off overseas to warm up on some European beach, you can spend a few days soaking up the balmy temperatures and idyllic coastline of Queensland's aptly named Sunshine Coast. Just two and a half hours north of Brisbane, the world-famous destination of Noosa and its surrounds are brimming with gorgeous beach houses and coastal retreats for those seeking sun and surf. Beach sessions, rainforest treks and breezy holiday vibes await. We've done the hard work for you and rounded up a list of the most beautiful coastal stays you can book in Noosa right now. Pick a favourite, pack those bathers and get ready to launch into summer with a blissful beach adventure. Recommended reads: The Best Dog-Friendly Stays in Queensland The Best Hotels in Brisbane The Best Glamping Sites in Queensland The Best Island Stays in Queensland Newly Furnished Apartment, Noosa Heads This breezy light-filled apartment sits just minutes from the heart of Noosa, and features a chic white colour palette and downstairs pool. From $300 a night, sleeps six. Kamala Villa, Noosa Heads Rocking a fresh, playful aesthetic and featuring a spacious entertainer's deck, this modern villa is an ideal setting for your next beachside escape. From $450 a night, sleeps six. Lush Noosa Heads Retreat, Noosa Heads Just a quick stroll off the beach, this luxury resort apartment makes for a chic couples' hideaway. Enjoy sundowners on the patio, overlooking lush rainforest. From $500 a night, sleeps two. Chic Coastal Escape, Noosa Heads A retro-inspired beach escape with loads of natural light and a sun-drenched patio for lounging — all just minutes from Hastings Street. From $250 a night, sleeps four. Fairshore Apartment 38, Noosa Heads Want to stay smack bang on Noosa beach? This freshly renovated apartment boasts close-up ocean views and an incredible beachfront pool. From $668 a night, sleeps two. Spectacular Penthouse, Noosa Heads You'll love this luxury holiday villa's sunny pool and deck area; however, nothing beats the rooftop terrace featuring panoramic ocean views. From $904 a night, sleeps six. Noosa Escape, Noosa Heads Soak up sparkling ocean views from this light-filled Noosa Heads apartment, while enjoying a primo balcony and an enviable location just a short walk from the beach. From $693 a night, sleeps four. Little Cove Family Beach House, Noosa Heads Spacious and stylish, this pet-friendly holiday home backs right onto a lush national park — and it's just a quick hop from Little Cove Beach. From $950 a night, sleeps eight. The Beach House, Noosa Heads Featuring a gorgeous pool, private tennis court and crisp coastal aesthetic, this leafy beach retreat was simply made for vacationing. From $1178 a night, sleeps eight. Little Cove Magic, Noosa Heads This light-flooded holiday apartment overlooks the ocean, while being handily located close to all the action — so you can split your days between beach, balcony and pool. From $788 a night, sleeps four. Acacia Villa, Noosa Heads Located just beyond the buzz of Hastings Street, this breezy townhouse makes for a supreme coastal retreat. Expect chic styling and tranquil leafy surrounds. From $580 a night, sleeps six. Poinciana House, Noosa Heads Between the beautifully appointed interiors, covetable location, and sun-drenched pool and deck, this blissful beach retreat is bound to impress. From $1093 a night, sleeps ten. Images: Courtesy of Airbnb FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Got a thing for gorgeous gardens? If so, you'll find yourself in horticultural heaven this month as Open Gardens Victoria unveils a fresh series of lush outdoor spaces for you to explore and swoon over. The non-profit organisation is back with the next instalments of its signature events, which see some of Melbourne's most beautiful private gardens temporarily opened to the public. It's your chance to admire some stunning botanical sites and landscaping works, while loading up on inspiration for your own patch of turf. February 19 and 20 is when you can wander the grounds of Cecilia's Garden in Brighton — a tranquil artist-designed space guided by Feng Shui principles — as well as Hampton's aptly titled Sanctuary, which incorporates Indigenous and drought resistant plants to create a sustainable yet sophisticated oasis. On February 25 and 26, Portsea's historic property Delgany opens its gates for you to browse its manicured gardens, limestone castle and sweeping views. And on March 5 and 6, you can pop out to Emerald for a visit to Brookdale Farm, which sports an expansive veggie garden, loads of colourful blooms, and a clever use of recycled and repurposed materials throughout. [caption id="attachment_842230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Sanctuary'[/caption] Top Image: Cecilia's Garden
When it comes to art exhibitions, second chances aren't common. A big-name showcase may display at several places around the world, but it doesn't often hit the same venue twice. French Impressionism is an exception, then, returning to the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in 2025 after initially gracing the institution's walls in 2021. When it was first announced for that debut Australian run, French Impressionism was set to be a blockbuster exhibition — and with 100-plus works featuring, including by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt and more, it's easy to understand why. But 2021 wasn't an ordinary year, like 2020 before it. Accordingly, when this showcase of masterpieces on loan from Boston's renowned Museum of Fine Arts opened Down Under, it was forced to close shortly afterwards due to the pandemic. Cue another season in this part of the world four years later, thankfully, with French Impressionism back at NGV International from Friday, June 6–Sunday, October 5, 2025. This is one of the largest collections of the eponymous art movement to ever make its way to Australia, complete with works that've never been seen here before. [caption id="attachment_977042" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claude Monet, French, 1840–1926, Water lilies, 1905, oil on canvas, 89.5 x 100.3 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Gift of Edward Jackson Holmes Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] Again part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition series, French Impressionism isn't short on gems, especially given the array of artists with pieces on display, which also includes Camille Pissarro and Berthe Morisot. But one certain must-see is the presentation of 16 Monet pieces in one gallery, all in a curved display to close out the showcase — and focusing of his scenes of nature in Argenteuil, the Normandy coast and the Mediterranean coast, as well as his Giverny garden. In total, there's 19 Monet works in French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts' collection (Water Lilies among them), and that still leaves the US gallery almost as many to display in Boston. Another section digs into early works by Monet and his predecessors, such as Eugène Boudin — and Renoir and Pissarro's careers also get the in-depth treatment. As the exhibition charts French impressionism's path across the late-19th century, visitors will enjoy three never-before-seen-in-Australia pieces, with Victorine Meurent's Self-portrait one of them. Ten-plus Degas works, as well as two pieces that were part of the very first exhibition of French Impressionism that took place in 1874, also feature. If you made it along to the showcase's first trip Down Under, you will notice changes, with the exhibition design reimagined for its latest presentation. [caption id="attachment_977038" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Camille Pissarro, French (born in the Danish West Indies), 1830–1903, Spring pasture, 1889, oil on canvas, 60 x 73.7 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Deposited by the Trustees of the White Fund, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] Top image: excerpt of Camille Pissarro, French (born in the Danish West Indies), 1830–1903, Spring pasture, 1889, oil on canvas, 60 x 73.7 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Deposited by the Trustees of the White Fund, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Photography © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved.
Eating out in Melbourne is arguably a Melburnian's favourite thing to do. Even those on a budget should be able to eat at nice places. And you can! Plan your days correctly and you won't pay more than $15 for a meal again; play the system right and you can still eat like a king (oysters included). With our guide to the best culinary bargains around town, you can eat cheap (but not poorly) seven days of the week. Monday BURGERS AND SLIDERS - THE RAINBOW HOTEL, FITZROY Apparently this 140-year old pub — sitting slightly out of the Brunswick street spotlight — exists in a tiny pocket of Fitzroy that inflation forgot. A fact that, on Monday nights, is reflected in the form of $12 burgers and $7 slider specials. $29 BUFFET - CHINA BAR, CITY China Bar buffet: it's not the height of class, but it's what I imagine heaven might look like. The $29 weekday lunch session (Monday to Thursday from 11.30am - 3pm) might not seem that cheap to the untrained eye, but to the savvy student it's an opportunity to consume one's own body weight in roast meats, seasonal stir-frys and weird Asian desserts — eliminating the need to eat for several days afterwards. $15 BURGER AND A PINT - THE MERRYWELL, SOUTHBANK While it may be a little too close to the Crown Complex for comfort, Merrywell's $15 burger and pint happy hour between 4-6pm provides down-on-luck punters an affordable feed — particularly after an unfortunate turn in the casino arena. $1 PINXTOS - NAKED FOR SATAN, FITZROY Diners pluck their own pinxtos (delicate morsels like jamon, pickled octopus or arancini balls which sit atop slices of crusty bread) from the glass cabinets at the bar, and count the number consumed at the end of the night. Somehow, the serve-yourself honesty system works surprisingly well — but then, who's seriously going to cheat when it's only $1 a serve? FANCY LUNCH BOX - CAFE VUE, CITY The three-piece lunch box ($18) serves up a starter, savoury and sweet, all packed up and ready for you to take back to your desk in lieu of the full Vue de Monde experience. Also available in vegetarian and gluten free lunch packs, expect prettily packaged treats like chow mein salad, broccoli with crispy garlic, chilli and yuzu, pulled pork bun, and chocolate and passionfruit sundae. Tuesday $10 BURGER APOCALYPSE MEAL DEAL - ZOMBIE BURGER, ST KILDA Sure the branding might be a little aggressive, but if the zombie apocalypse ever hits, there will no doubt be time aplenty to down a couple of $10 burgers (served with fries and drink) while you watch the undead slowly converge from down the street. $9 BURGERS - 1000 POUND BEND, CITY People pack in to this loosely assembled warehouse space — which looks suspiciously like the lounge room of a student sharehouse — for $9 burgers and happy hour drinks every Tuesday from 4 - 11pm. Stay for the free wifi and stream a few episodes of House of Cards while you’re at it. $15 BURGER DEAL - MARKOV, CARLTON Burger, chips and a Brunswick Bitter will only set you back $15 on Tuesday nights at Markov. If you tend to buck the brioche trend — favouring something a bit more old school — it's here that you'll reach meaty, savoury nirvana. $3 TACOS - THE REVERENCE, FOOTSCRAY There is not a lot more that needs analysis here. When tacos are offered at such an inoffensive price, one accepts, whether hungry or not. It’s simply the right thing to do. Top up the Myki and make the trip to the Footscray badlands. $5 PIZZAS - WHOLE LOTTA LOVE, EAST BRUNSWICK It's all about the music at Whole Lotta Love. But as luck would have it, they dish up a mean pizza as well — keeping you drinking and enjoying tunes until the early hours. $5 every single day of the week. Wednesday $1 WINGS - TRANSPORT BAR, CITY From 5-9pm, load up on chicken for only $1 a bird-bite. This is the kind of thing that makes hump-day a little more manageable. $17 ALL YOU CAN EAT WINGS - FATHER'S OFFICE, CITY Father's Office has flown under the radar for too long, written off by many as a thinly-guised booze barn. But look past the suits and student specials — this venue is a lot of fun. On Wednesdays, don a bib and tuck into All You Can Eat chicken wings for $17. $29.50 ALL YOU CAN EAT TAPAS - THE LONG ROOM, CITY From Tuesday to Thursday, Longroom turn their al a carte menu into an unlimited tapas feast. Order two dishes at a time, as many times as you like, until you've worked your way through the entire menu — for less than $30. $10 STEAK SANDWICH - GLORIA SWANSTON'S KITCHEN, CITY Lounge is known to get a little loose on the late night shift, but at lunchtime their kitchen knocks out a killer student feed. Specials vary each day;, but on Wednesdays it's the steak sandwich for a tenner. $5 PIZZAS - CUSHION LOUNGE, ST KILDA Partied too hard last night, forgot to eat and now your body is being uncooperative? Rookie mistake. Head to Cushion midweek, where you can down those cheeky beers with a wad of discount pizza to absorb the blow. Thursday $12 PUB LUNCH - CAPTAIN MELVILLE, CITY Pub classics like parmas, fish and chips and burgers are most generously plated between 11.20am and 3pm, Monday to Thursday. For an extra $3 you can add a sneaky lunchbreak beer. $1 OYSTERS - PANAMA DINING ROOM, FITZROY Mother Shucker's Oyster Hour happens every night of the week between 6-7pm, where you can gorge on freshly shucked oysters for $1 per piece, and ultimately leave the restaurant both satisfied and highly aroused. $12.50 LUNCH SPECIAL - BONEY, CITY Between 12-2pm, duck into this revamped dive bar to dine on their daily special. On Thursdays it's a vego-friendly barley risotto with eggplant, tomato and feta. $4 PIZZAS, DOGS AND SALADS - LUCKY COQ, WINDSOR The Coq has been a saviour to Melbourne's financially-struggling students, artists and musicians for many years, but they've now taken things to the next level. Deals are on every day, but on Sunday you can get any pizza, hotdog or salad you fancy for just $4 from open 'til close. $4 PIZZAS & $12 BURGERS - THE PENNY BLACK, BRUNSWICK What better way to relax than with an afternoon sess in the courtyard on the ciders, some live music, and a few rounds of pizza with mates? At $4 a pop with free entry, you may as well skip work and make a day of it. $1 TACOS - THE DAN O'CONNELL HOTEL, CARLTON Making all our taco dreams come true, every Thursday The Dan churns out $1 tacos all night. Charging a super cheap price, probably in line with these little corn tortillas are worth, it's a good excuse to inhale as many tacos as you like without breaking the bank (we're looking at you Mamasita). Friday DIRT CHEAP SPRING ROLLS AND DUMPLINGS - HAPPY PALACE, CITY The staff name badges may be unbelievably politically incorrect (they all say 'Nigel'), but those with a sense of humour will consider this a selling point. For everybody else, at least come for the $2 dumplings (5-6pm) and $5 boxes of spring rolls. $3 HOTDOGS - FERDYDURKE, CITY The happiest hours for hotdogs at this alleyway bar are between 12 and 5pm, where for $3, you can throw back classics such as the Dirty Furke (frank with cheese and chilli beans), or the Charles Bronson (frank with cider, caramelised onions, gherkins and cheese). $7 PIZZAS - POLLY, FITZROY For those decadent, cocktail drenched evenings when a street-corner souvlaki seems inappropriate, a gourmet pizza at Polly (like gorgonzola, fig and pancetta) should fit the bill — and from 5-11pm, that bill will only come to $7. $1 OYSTERS - ALBERT PARK HOTEL, ALBERT PARK Just because a venue is known for finer dining doesn't mean it's above putting on a budget oyster hour. The seafood soiree is available all day Friday, at $1 a shucked treat. $7.50 LUNCH DEAL - YIM YAM, COLLINGWOOD Having set up shop in four locations throughout Melbourne so far, this Thai restaurant group most recently opened up in Collingwood, where they’re offering $7.50 lunch specials every day of the working week. Saturday $5 FRIED CHICKEN PO BOYS - HORSE BAZAAR, CITY Firing up the fryer from 8pm on Saturday nights, Horse Bazaar complements the live music and art projection by pumping out po boys for only $5 a serve. DIRT CHEAP DUMPLINGS - CAMY SHANGHAI, CITY Revel in the charmingly rude service as you devour mountains of steamed pork parcels — best enjoyed with a group of mates and bottle of BYO. No matter how hard to try or how much you order, somehow it never costs more than $15. PAY AS YOU FEEL - LENTIL AS ANYTHING, ABBOTSFORD Often mistaken for a hippy hang-out, this socially-conscious restaurant has been providing visitors with wholesome vegetarian meals for over 13 years on a pay-as-you-feel basis. Now spread across three venues (Abottsford convent, St Kilda and Footscray), as testament to the strengths of the social enterprise industry. $2.99 BREAKFAST - IKEA, RICHMOND There's something terribly sterile about canteen dining, but at Ikea they at least know how to do it with maximum efficiency for the lowest possible price. Until 11am every day you can get a full hot breakfast — including scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and hash brown — from only $2.99, no home assembly required. $5.50 ALL YOU CAN EAT - CROSSWAYS, CITY An inner-city Hare Krishna temple providing vegetarian lunches for only $5.50 ($7.50 without a concession), where you'll be welcomed with open arms and flowing sarongs. Saturday lunch is Special Subji and rice with pappadum, lassi, date halva and custard. Sunday $10 BREAKFAST CHEESESTEAK - SPARROW'S PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS, FITZROY For the uninitiated, a philly cheesesteak is an American steak sandwich combining thinly sliced beef and melted cheese in a bread roll. Of the various incarnations available, Sparrow's $10 special 'breakfast' cheesesteak — of beef, cheese, egg and hash brown — is a clear market leader. HOURLY PARMA SPECIALS - ROCHESTER CASTLE HOTEL, FITZROY Pay-by-the-hour parma deals ($6 at 6pm, $7 at 7pm and $8 at 8pm) are in dwindling supply in these modern times. Fortunately, the Rochester pays blatant disregard to such progression and does it anyway; in keeping with their penchant for playing 90s indie rock. FREE BBQ - WORKSHOP, CITY Workshop is not just that bar you find yourself in at 1am, gyrating on the dance-floor against a Columbian backpacker. It's also the place of a cheap daytime feed — and few meals are cheaper than a free BBQ (6-7pm Sundays). LOCALS CURRY NIGHT - HORN PLEASE, FITZROY NORTH North Fitzroy locals have been onto it for years; the local curry night buffet ($20) on Sundays allows punters to enjoy favourites from Horn’s menu, served fast and friendly and in an unlimited manner — allowing you to spend your savings on craft beer. $3 FISH AND CHIPS - 29TH APARTMENT, ST KILDA This is not a joke; it only costs $3 to score a fish'n'chip combo at 29th Apartment. It's only available with a drink purchase, but let’s be honest — the best time to immerse yourself in fried goods is after a session on the ciders.
