Trust a mockumentary about the undead to keep coming back in new guises. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's What We Do in the Shadows first came to light as a short film in 2005, then made its way to cinemas in rib-tickling feature-length form in 2014, and currently has both a werewolf-focused sequel and a US television remake in the works. As first announced back in 2016, it's also getting a Cops-style TV spinoff named Wellington Paranormal — and SBS has just announced that it will air on Australian TV later this month. The first two episodes of the much-anticipated series will air on SBS Viceland (and be available on SBS On Demand) on Tuesday, July 31, with episodes airing weekly after that. We don't even have to wait too much longer than New Zealand audiences, either — it will air on TVNZ tonight. If you haven't watched the trailer, here's a little background info. Wellington Paranormal doesn't spend more time with everyone's favourite Wellington-dwelling bloodsuckers, even though Waititi and Clement conceived the six-part series. Instead, it follows police officers Karen O'Leary and Mike Minogue, who WWDITS fans might remember came knocking at the vampire share house's door. With the help of Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), the cop duo will keep trying to keep the city safe from supernatural happenings — and we're sure viewers will keep watching. When Wellington Paranormal's existence was first revealed, Waititi described the show as "Mulder & Scully but in a country where nothing happens" on Twitter, should you need any more reason to get excited. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=WRO2QfESbEI
It brought Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance saga to the big screen. It helped make Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson superstars. Indeed, for its two biggest names, it saw KStew go soaring to everything from Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper to Charlie's Angels, Crimes of the Future and Spencer — earning an Oscar nomination for the latter — and RPatz going from The Rover and Good Time to High Life, Tenet and The Batman. And, now, The Twilight Saga is making a comeback. The undead don't die, after all, and neither does much in the pop-culture realm. No big movie franchise ever says goodbye these days, with making the leap to the small screen one sticky trend at the moment. The Marvel Cinematic Universe did it, as has the rival DC Extended Universe. The Star Wars realm took the jump, too. So did The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter, IT and The Conjuring series are also on their way. There's also a John Wick show in the works — and yes, the list goes on. With Twilight, Lionsgate Television is in early development on a small-screen version, as per The Hollywood Reporter. That said, it apparently hasn't yet been decided whether this'll be a spinoff from the OG books and the movies that initially brought them to the screen, or if it'll take the remake route like HBO's new Harry Potter show is set to. Either way, given their careers right now — see: all those films mentioned above — it's probably safe to say that Stewart and Pattinson won't be involved. Of course, there's zero word on casting for Twilight's television iteration so far, with only writer and producer Sinead Daly (The Get Down, Dirty John, Raised by Wolves, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Tell Me Lies) named as being involved and Meyer also expected to have some input. Exactly when the Twilight TV series will arrive, and where it'll air or stream, similarly hasn't been revealed. Forgotten what the five vamp films cover? They start with teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) moving to the small town of Forks, Washington, where she meets and falls in love with vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson). This romance between a human and a vampire isn't particularly straightforward, otherwise there wouldn't be four books and five movies devoted to it. In cinemas, Twilight also starred everyone from Taylor Lautner (Cuckoo), Anna Kendrick (Alice, Darling) and Dakota Fanning (The First Lady) to Michael Sheen (Good Omens), Rami Malek (Amsterdam) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World Dominion). There's no sneak peek at the Twilight TV show yet, understandably, but as well as the original Twilight trailer above, plus the New Moon trailer, you can watch Eclipse and two Breaking Dawn trailers below: The TV version of Twilight doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Samabe Bali Suites & Villas in Nusa Dua. We've also teamed up with this luxe spot to offer readers a 40% discount on their stay when they book through Concrete Playground Trips. We've even included a bunch of extra travel experiences, helping you really elevate your Bali holiday game. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Even though Bali's Nusa Dua can get busy — people flock here for the famous long white sandy beaches — this clifftop accommodation feels far away from the crowds and gives visitors access to quieter shores. The uninterrupted sea views, all-inclusive elements and ultra-luxurious villas also make this a standout place to stay. THE ROOMS As it says in the name, there are two kinds of accommodations here: suites and villas. Each of the large suites can sleep 4–5 people and most come with their own private plunge pool looking out over the beach. Expect to also find large dining and living rooms, bathrooms with free-standing tubs and queen- or king-sized beds. Then, there are the villas. These bad boys are huge and incredibly opulent. They come with much larger living and dining spaces, pools (either overlooking the courtyard or ocean) and lush gardens. All rooms are traditionally Balinese in design but have all the most modern amenities and plush furnishings. FOOD AND DRINK Samabe Bali Suites & Villas has four restaurants and bars on the premises and also offers a series of bespoke romantic dining experiences. First off, the Rempah-Rempah Restaurant is where you head for an extravagant buffet breakfast every morning (included in the price of your stay). You'll be offered classic brekkie options alongside lavish inclusions like seared wagyu beef, foie gras and all kinds of seafood. Japanese and Korean breakfast set menus are also available for those wanting to change things up. The Te.Ja.Co Lounge and Bar is where most people grab their complimentary afternoon tea and pre-dinner drinks. The Ring of Fire Pool Bar is what you'd expect from most lavish poolside drinking dens. Tuck into a bunch of light bites as you make your way down the long list of fun cocktails, beers and wines. The team isn't reinventing the wheel here — just doing the classics well. Lastly, there's the Crystal Blue Ocean Grill. This openair thatched-roof style dining spot overlooks the Indian Ocean and the main pool area. It's pretty big on the surf and turf life — tuck into all manners of freshly caught seafood or get your steak on with a bunch of different cuts available. [caption id="attachment_896022" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sven Piek (Unsplash)[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA If you're seeking sun and sandy shores, then Bali's Nusa Dua is the place to be. The main strip in town is filled with sun-soaked bars and restaurants as well as a bunch of boutique stores and market stalls. But the biggest drawcard of this area is the beaches. They are next-level gorgeous. And plentiful. Either rent out a sun lounger at the beach (located at the foot of the resort's cliff) and spend your days dipping in and out of the clear blue waters and chilling with a good book or go on an adventure with heaps of water sports available to travellers. And if you're looking to take your Bali holiday to the next level, check out these nine local trips and tours that you can book through Concrete Playground Trips. THE EXTRAS Samabe Bali Suites & Villas has extras galore. You can engage full luxury holiday mode by getting your own personal butler for your entire stay. Or, try booking one of its special romantic experiences (honeymooners are clearly the target audience for these). There are also a bunch of signature activities — think Balinese cooking classes, catamaran picnics, camel rides, outdoor theatre nights and private yoga classes. And if you book our four-night stay at Samabe Bali Suites & Villas, you'll get access to a heap of extras. This includes a unique Indonesian Rijstafel dinner, two in-room massages, complimentary fruit and face masks by the pool, daily beach yoga and a heap of all-inclusive offerings. Plus, the whole trip is 40% off. That means you save over $2500. If you're seeking to extend your summer by going on a luxury island getaway, be sure to check out this exclusive deal. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
When Victoria's March long weekend arrives each year, festivalgoers have two reasons to head out of town — or head to the state from interstate — for a few days of tunes. Both are beloved parts of the cultural calendar. Both are such a hit that you need to enter a ballot to get tickets. And just as Golden Plains has already done, Pitch Music & Arts is announcing it 2025 details. Everyone should make the trip to the Grampians at least once, and here's as ace an excuse to do so as any: the return of the much-loved camping festival, which will host its eighth edition, taking over Moyston again. There's no lineup just yet — it drops on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 — but the 2025 dates have been locked in. The long-running celebration unleashes its fun across the Grampian Plains, with next years' festivities happening from Friday, March 7–Tuesday, March 11. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, as always, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, no matter who makes it onto the bill, attendees are in for a very big, very busy four days. Joy Orbison's 'flight fm' and 'better' have been used in teaser videos for 2025's fest so far, so that could be a lineup hint. 2024's roster featured Gerd Janson, I Hate Models, Job Jobse, Spray, XCLUB, Bambonou, Chippy Nonstop, Narciss, Mac Declos, Sedef Adasï and Hasvat Informant, among others, if you're wondering which type of electronic acts that Pitch usually welcomes. The ticket ballot is currently open — and is a necessity after the last three festivals all sold out — ahead of the program reveal; however, you can get excited now about a bigger Pitch One stage, Pitch Black getting a revamp and the Resident Advisor stage's red orb being part of the fun again. In between all the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festivalgoers will again be able to make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, which is where yoga classes, meditation and sound baths usually help patrons unwind. The local-focused Club Serra will be new in 2025, championing homegrown talent. Pitch Music & Arts will return to Moyston from Friday, March 7–Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot. The lineup will drop on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, with tickets sale details announced then as well. Top Images: Duncographic, William Hamilton Coates, Max Roux and Ashlea Caygill.
Outdoor music festivals aren't solely synonymous with summer, but one event takes its winter setup to great heights in more ways than one. At Snow Machine, the weather won't just be a bit cooler. Wearing a jumper won't do, either. This is both a chance to enjoy live tunes and a ski trip — and it's returning to Queenstown in 2024. It's the hottest festival for the colder months, packed with five snow-filled days of music and adventure at two mountain-topping ski resorts. On the just-dropped lineup for this year sits a reliable list of must-see names, including Peking Duk, The Rubens, Angus & Julia Stone, Bag Raiders and Cub Sport, who all help to give Snow Machine's winter wonderland a thumping soundtrack. After launching in Japan in 2020 (and returning there this year), the festival was actually supposed to make its arrival in Aotearoa in September 2021 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. It finally debuted in September 2022, then returned in 2023. Next, it makes a comeback from Tuesday, September 3–Sunday, September 8, 2024. Attendees will be treated to action-packed days on the slopes, après ski events on both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, and a hefty roster of talent against the idyllic backdrop of New Zealand's adventure capital. Also dropping in to share the stage will be Atomic Blonde, Danny Clayton, Jimi The Kween, Lee Mvthews and Matt Corby — and also Montell2099, Old Mervs, Sachi, SHOUSE, Sin & Brook, Snakehips, Teenage Dads, The Knocks and the Poof Doof Ski Club. Other than the wintry backdrop, one of the things that sets Snow Machine apart from other music fests is being able to book your entire getaway with your ticket. Packages span both five and seven nights of accommodation, and include access to all three evenings at the main arena, plus a five-day ski pass. If you'd rather make your own way or pass on the skiing, there are ticket-only options — and VIP packages if you really want to do it in style. Festival goers are also encouraged to immerse themselves in the adventure capital by adding on heli-skiing, jet boating, bungy jumping, canyon swinging and skydiving — and that's on top of Snow Machine's huge welcome party and other festivities. Another annual highlight: the Polar Bare, which endeavours to set a world record for the most amount of people heading down the slopes their swimwear. Snow Machine 2024 Lineup: Angus & Julia Stone Atomic Blonde Bag Raiders Cub Sport Danny Clayton Jimi The Kween Lee Mvthews Matt Corby Montell2099 Old Mervs Peking Duk Poof Doof Ski Club Sachi SHOUSE Sin & Brook Snakehips Teenage Dads The Knocks The Rubens Tom Tilley and Hugo Gruzman present First Base Snow Machine 2024 takes place from Tuesday, September 3–Sunday, September 8 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Presale tickets go on sale on from 12pm AEDT / 11am AEST / 2pm NZDT on Thursday, February 22, with general tickets available from 12pm AEDT / 11am AEST / 2pm NZDT on Friday, February 23. For more information, visit the festival's website. Images: Daniel Hildebrand/Pat Stevenson/Ben Lang. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Passion. Vulnerability. Determination. This is what Mia Thompson offers when asked what's needed to make a career out of dance. The full-time artist speaks from a position of experience, having had both feet planted in the world of dance since childhood. "I started dancing when I was 4," Thompson shares. "I wouldn't say I was a superstar — just running around in a cute little tutu thinking everything's great. I have six sisters, so I think it was a way to get us into a controlled space together that was also artistic. It's in our family's blood to be artistic." Embarking on any creative journey is difficult — embarking on one as your 9–5 that satisfies your inherent creativity and enables you to share your craft with the world is especially so. With the support of LG SIGNATURE — a proud partner of Sydney Dance Company and supporter of the wider arts community — we had a chat with Thompson, exploring her travels to the world's stages, her current position with Sydney Dance Company and what it takes to be a full-time dancer. [caption id="attachment_866757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pedro Greig[/caption] "I THOUGHT WHAT YOU DID WITH DANCE WAS TEACH" Not fussy on her favourite style, Thompson fell in love with all forms of dance. Ballet, jazz, modern, hip-hop — for Thompson, it was a joy to just be moving. In high school, after watching an older sister perform, she realised that the world of dance extended further than the classes she was in. "I thought what you did with dance was teach," she laughs. "I saw the Queensland Ballet do The Sleeping Beauty and I was like, 'They're getting paid to do that?! I want to do that!'" After finishing high school, Thompson joined Queensland Ballet's professional program. "I did one year but the director didn't really like me — he thought I was only doing it 'cos my sister was. I was told it'd be unlikely that I'd get a contract with them, and that I could stay and get my training or find another program with a segue into another company." A heavy blow, but a blessing in the end. Because, what's vital to flourishing in the world of professional movement art? "A school or teacher that supports you as an individual. You can go to the top school in Europe, but it might not be the top school for you. If they don't understand you, they're not going to give you the most that you can get out of yourself as an artist. I was so headstrong on getting a ballet career, so being in a contemporary [dance] company now, maybe Queensland Ballet could see something I couldn't." Following her training in Queensland, Thompson went westwards with a successful audition for WAAPA. Living away from home for the first time, evolving as a dancer and starting friendships, the tingle for travel set in. Thompson secured a spot in the Scottish Ballet where, in 2018, she was promoted to first dancer. [caption id="attachment_865975" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rimbaud Patron[/caption] LANDING ON HOME SOIL While at the Scottish Ballet, she met her future fiancé. "He wanted to do contemporary and I told him about Sydney Dance Company. We were just friends at this point, and I was like 'You should go'." He auditioned, got in and the pair got together, giving long-distance love a go for a year. In the audience of a Sydney Dance Company production — and seeing the new-found articulation in her partner's body — Thompson had a revelation: "With ballet, you're striving for perfection. Watching the [Sydney Dance Company] dancers — the way they moved and the understanding they had for their body — there was nothing that I could relate to. I wanted that, I wanted to be able to speak on behalf of myself and my body." Dance is a notoriously cutthroat industry. There's limited spots, stiff competition and a relatively short career span. "You have no idea how many dancers, even in Europe, are just desperate to get into Sydney Dance Company. We are the leading contemporary dance company in Australia, even in the world. Young artists leaving school are just so keen to get in, they want to know everything about you, it's like we're celebrities. It's very easy to forget — I remember myself at that age, dancers would walk past and my jaw would drop. Even before I auditioned, that was me looking at the company." The chance to audition arose and she took it. She got the longed-for call and high-tailed it Down Under, finishing her time with the Scottish Ballet as Cinderella. As Thompson speaks, she radiates an almost palpable enthusiasm for her vocation. Sydney Dance Company's stellar reputation is one that has not only been earned, but continues to be a work in progress. "If we're not performing, a typical day starts at 9.30am and ends at 6pm. You rehearse repertoire or create new work, explore ways of moving. You can have your steps, but every day I see dancers in the mirror or talking to each other trying to find new ways to develop it. It literally never stops growing, which is beautiful in itself." [caption id="attachment_866753" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pedro Greig[/caption] "IT'S FLOW STATE" When seated behind a desk, it's difficult to imagine a work life dedicated to exploring and executing movement. Beyond perfecting shape after shape, there's a bottomless list of to-dos. "After a show," Thompson shares, "you'll see most of the dancers in a cubicle, with our feet shoved in an ice bucket to cool." Plus, there's warm-up classes, prehab/rehab (to safeguard those hardworking bodies), rehearsals, feedback sessions and self-review videos, collaboration, hair and makeup, stage direction and spacial notes. The end result? Expertly controlled dancers commanding the stage, allowing audiences to connect and feel something. When asked what it feels like to perform on stage, Thompson's eyes widen and she lifts her chin. "When I dance I feel a great sense of freedom and release," she smiles. "It's like I'm in a trance. There's no better feeling than feeling completely lost on stage, surrounded by your colleagues. Working with them but also feeling completely alone in this world. It's my happiness, it's my sadness, it's my expressive therapy. It's flow state." Defining what it takes to be a full-time dancer is so subjective that it's no simple task. But, when you reflect on Thompson's persistence and determination, her desire to understand her body and to collaborate on stage, and the palpable energy and emotion that buzzes around her when she speaks about dancing, it's clear that it's not just a job. "Some days can feel like work," Mia finishes. "But the minute you step out on stage, you just get lost in it." A supporter of the wider arts community, LG SIGNATURE is a proud partner of Sydney Dance Company. Head to the website to learn more about the partnership. Top image: Pedro Greig
Illuminated by pyramids and backdropped by an enormous chameleonic moon, the Opera House Concert Hall stage was transformed into some enigmatic extraterrestrial woodland last week. James Vincent McMorrow emerged from the shadows like a creature born of such a setting — bearded like a werewolf yet singing at a pitch to touch the lower rungs of heaven. The Irishman's stories of "harrow winds", "desolate love" and hearts like "unending tombs" are those of a man who’s spent long periods in cold, lonely places. Over the course of sixteen or so songs, McMorrow mixes up tunes from his folksy breakthough album Early in the Morning (2010) with those from recent release Post Tropical (2014). One minute he’s yearning his way though 'Glacier', filled out by mellifluous harmonies; the next McMorrow’s dropped an octave or two (as you do) and picked up the drum sticks to power through a rousing version of 'We Don’t Eat'. Although the sophomore album represented a significant departure from the first, the structural soundness of the songwriting on both makes for a seamless live show. McMorrow's band creates an even more intense dynamic than that captured on his albums, delivering mournful clarinet solos, drum beats that range from tribal to all-out rock and ethereal counter melodies. McMorrow doesn’t speak until he’s at least five songs in. Not because he’s deliberately reserved — but because he’s overwhelmed and nervous. "This is crazy, just crazy," he mutters, referring to the fact that he’s playing to a packed-out Opera House. Towards the end of the set, McMorrow introduces a song by explaining his last New Year’s Eve; when excited messages flooded his inbox informing him that he was sound-tracking Sydney’s midnight fireworks. What the organisers might not have known at the time is that they were inadvertently facilitating two of McMorrow’s teenage ambitions. "If I hadn’t become a musician," he confesses, "I would have loved to have worked with explosives." He then launches into his famously fragile, solo version of 'Higher Love'. Support came in the form of Airling, moniker of Brisbane-based artist Hannah Shepherd. Her gorgeous vocals glided over some ultra-smooth grooves and lush electronic arrangements. Images by Prudence Upton.
Have you ever been interested in web development, or creating effective user interfaces and designs? Now's your chance to get a jumpstart on your dream career if so, because Concrete Playground has partnered with General Assembly to offer you the chance to receive a $3,000 scholarship to one of their upcoming courses in Sydney or Melbourne. The courses on offer include Front-End Web Development, which teaches you to design websites while learning the ins and outs of programming in HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and User Experience Design, enabling you to express online design ideas through sitemaps, userflows, and wireframes. If it sounds like something that interests you, click here to apply. Entries are due by Thursday, December 20 at 5pm.
HER is here. The HQ Group (the hospitality crew behind Arbory and Arbory Afloat) has set up residence at 270 Lonsdale Street to introduce five storeys of drinking, dining and deftly-designed good times to the neighbourhood. On the ground level is HER Bar, where you're invited to disappear into the gorgeously sleek fit-out at any time, day or night. Yes, this is a bar that also does breakfast. The morning menu is short but clever, offering wholesome options like granola with poached stone fruit or avocado cashew cream and broad bean pesto on sourdough, alongside the less virtuous poached lobster omelette with soft herbs and gruyère. And the breakfast service at HER comes with its own drinks menu. This is a bar, after all. Try an Aperol Sour on tap or the signature HER French 75 made with MGC gin, HER Marionette blood orange and hibiscus. But dinner is when you can really pull the ripcord. The menu, designed by Arbory's Executive Chef, Nick Bennett and Head Chef, Josh Rudd, is described as "French-inspired" and it sure stands pretty true as a tribute to Parisian bistro culture. Escargots à la Bourguignonne and sourdough, a great-looking duck frites with aged duck breast, herb jus and fries, and a cheeseburger with raclette, pickles, Dijon mayonnaise and Julienne Fries give you a sample of the snack-or-stay-all-night approach to the food. As Nick Bennett explains it: "The food at HER BAR is simple and accessible — European fare with a French lean but delivered with a modern lens... The menu is made to snack, share or settle in for the long haul, at any time of the day." The drinks program brings a similar mix of classic meets contemporary, with an any-time-of-the-day cocktail list curated by HQ Group's General Manager, Tom Byrne, and wine program from Marcus Ellis (formerly of Melbourne Wine Room and Mr Wolf) that mixes French and Italian makers with an eclectic lineup of local Australian wines. Big night out, working lunch or buzzy breakfast? HER Bar is hoping to help you do it all. HER Bar is open for business at 270 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne's CBD. You'll find HER Bar on the ground floor of HER.
In 2021, the Golden Globes are taking place more than a month later than usual. The awards are also staging a different kind of ceremony than normal, with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler steering the show from separate cities, and Zoom certain to feature heavily. Still, the first big event of this year's film and television awards season definitely knows how to get everyone talking — about its achievements and inclusions, as well as its snubs. The nominations for the 2021 Golden Globes were announced in the early hours of Thursday, February 4, Australian and New Zealand time, and they made history. For the first time ever, three women were nominated for Best Director, with Nomadland's Chloe Zhao, One Night in Miami's Regina King and Promising Young Woman's Emerald Fennell all getting a nod. If you're wondering how monumental this is, the Globes has never nominated more than one woman in the category in a single year, and it has only given out seven nominations to female filmmakers — yes, in total — in its 77-year history before now. David Fincher's Mank picked up the most amount of nods in the film categories, with six, but other highlights include Chadwick Boseman's nod for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Riz Ahmed's nomination in the same category for Sound of Metal, the filmed version of Hamilton picking up two nods in the comedy fields (including Lin-Manuel Miranda's nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy), and Sacha Baron Cohen getting a look for both Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy category) and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Best Supporting Actor). Borat's breakout star Maria Bakalova also earned a nomination (for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy), too, becoming the first Bulgarian actor to do so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rsa4U8mqkw The Globes also recognise TV, which is good news for the likes of Unorthodox, The Great and The Mandalorian, all of which received some love. There's a big omission in 2021's nods, however, with Michaela Coel's exceptional I May Destroy You — the best new show of 2020 hands down — absolutely nowhere to be seen. Instead, The Crown came out on top with six nominations, and everything from Normal People and Small Axe to Lovecraft Country and The Flight Attendant earned some attention. Aussie actors Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett also scored nods in the television fields, thanks to The Undoing and Mrs America. Every list of nominees for every awards ceremony has gaps, of course, and I May Destroy You isn't alone in missing out at this year's Globes. In the movie fields, Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods was also completely overlooked — as was Zendaya's performance in Malcolm & Marie and the entire cast of Minari. In the TV categories , the Globes didn't sink its teeth into What We Do in the Shadows at all, and barely paid Better Call Saul any attention either. If you're wondering who else is actually up for an award, though, you'll find the full list of nominees below. And, as for who'll emerge victorious, that'll be announced on Monday, March 1 Australian and New Zealand time. GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES 2021: BEST MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA The Father Mank Nomadland Promising Young Woman The Trial of the Chicago 7 BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA Carey Mulligan — Promising Young Woman Frances McDormand — Nomadland Vanessa Kirby — Pieces of a Woman Viola Davis — Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Andra Day — The United States vs Billie Holiday BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA Riz Ahmed — Sound of Metal Chadwick Boseman — Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Anthony Hopkins — The Father Gary Oldman — Mank Tahar Rahim — The Mauritanian BEST MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Hamilton Music Palm Springs The Prom BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Maria Bakalova — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Kate Hudson — Music Michelle Pfeiffer — French Exit Rosamund Pike — I Care a Lot Anya Taylor-Joy — Emma BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Sacha Baron Cohen — Borat Subsequent Moviefilm James Corden — The Prom Lin-Manuel Miranda — Hamilton Dev Patel — The Personal History of David Copperfield Andy Samberg — Palm Springs BEST MOTION PICTURE — ANIMATED The Croods: A New Age Onward Over the Moon Soul Wolfwalkers BEST MOTION PICTURE — FOREIGN LANGUAGE Another Round La Llorona The Life Ahead Minari Two of Us BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE Jodie Foster — The Mauritanian Olivia Colman — The Father Glenn Close — Hillbilly Elegy Amanda Seyfried — Mank Helena Zengel — News of the World BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE Sacha Baron Cohen — The Trial of the Chicago 7 Daniel Kaluuya — Judas and the Black Messiah Jared Leto — The Little Things Bill Murray — On the Rocks Leslie Odom, Jr — One Night in Miami BEST DIRECTOR — MOTION PICTURE David Fincher — Mank Regina King — One Night in Miami Aaron Sorkin — The Trial of the Chicago 7 Chloe Zhao — Nomadland Emerald Fennell — Promising Young Woman BEST SCREENPLAY — MOTION PICTURE The Father Mank Nomadland Promising Young Woman The Trial of the Chicago 7 BEST ORIGINAL SCORE — MOTION PICTURE The Midnight Sky Tenet News of the World Mank Soul BEST ORIGINAL SONG — MOTION PICTURE 'Fight for You' — Judas and the Black Messiah 'Io Si' — The Life Ahead 'Speak Now' — One Night in Miami 'Hear My Voice' — The Trial of the Chicago 7 'Tigress & Tweed' — The US v Billie Holiday BEST TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Ratched Ozark The Crown Lovecraft Country The Mandalorian BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Emma Corrin — The Crown Olivia Colman — The Crown Jodie Comer — Killing Eve Laura Linney — Ozark Sarah Paulson — Ratched BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Jason Bateman — Ozark Josh O'Connor — The Crown Bob Odenkirk — Better Call Saul Al Pacino — Hunters Matthew Rhys — Perry Mason BEST TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Emily in Paris The Flight Attendant Schitt's Creek The Great Ted Lasso BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Lily Collins — Emily in Paris Kaley Cuoco — The Flight Attendant Elle Fanning — The Great Catherine O'Hara — Schitt's Creek Jane Levy — Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Don Cheadle — Black Monday Nicholas Hoult — The Great Eugene Levy — Schitt's Creek Jason Sudeikis — Ted Lasso Ramy Youssef — Ramy BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Normal People The Queen's Gambit Small Axe The Undoing Unorthodox BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Cate Blanchett — Mrs America Daisy Edgar-Jones — Normal People Shira Haas — Unorthodox Nicole Kidman — The Undoing Anya Taylor-Joy — The Queen's Gambit BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Bryan Cranston — Your Honor Jeff Daniels — The Comey Rule Hugh Grant — The Undoing Ethan Hawke — The Good Lord Bird Mark Ruffalo — I Know This Much Is True BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Cynthia Nixon — Ratched Gillian Anderson — The Crown Helena Bonham Carter — The Crown Julia Garner — Ozark Annie Murphy — Schitt's Creek BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV John Boyega — Small Axe Brendan Gleeson — The Comey Rule Dan Levy — Schitt's Creek Jim Parsons — Hollywood Donald Sutherland — The Undoing The 2021 Golden Globes take place on Monday, March 1 Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website. Top image: The Crown, Des Willie/Netflix.
If there's one thing that director Damien Chazelle has made plain across his filmmaking career, it's that he loves jazz. His 2009 debut Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench focused on a jazz trumpeter. In his breakout 2014 drama Whiplash, he switched to a jazz drumming student. And with 2016's La La Land, he won the Best Director Oscar for his Los Angeles-set romance about an aspiring actress and a struggling jazz pianist. Chazelle couldn't quite give 2018's Neil Armstrong biopic First Man a jazz spin but, making the leap to television for the first time, he's back in familiar territory with upcoming Netflix series The Eddy. Taking its title from a fictional Parisian jazz club, it follows the ex-New Yorker who co-owns the establishment — who, before he moved to France from the US, was a celebrated jazz pianist, obviously. As well as trying to keep the club running, Elliot Udo (Moonlight's André Holland) manages The Eddy's house band, which is led by his on-again, off-again girlfriend Maja (Cold War's Joanna Kulig). And, just as he's trying to work through dramas with his business partner Farid (Mary Magdalene's Tahar Rahim), his daughter Julie (The Hate U Give's Amandla Stenberg) arrives to live with him out of the blue. Given the premise, expect jazz music to feature heavily, with six-time Grammy Award-winner Glen Ballard — a co-writer and producing of Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill — responsible for the show's soundtrack. An eight-part limited series, The Eddy hits Netflix in early May — and while it seems like classic Chazelle, he directs the first two episodes, with the rest of the show helmed by Divines' Houda Benyamina, Rock the Casbah's Laïla Marrakchi and Six Feet Under's Alan Poul. Check out the first teaser trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-9XFyZv7ks The Eddy will be available to stream on Netflix from Friday, May 8. Top image: Lou Faulon.
If Colin From Accounts won you over as quickly as a cute dog in the street when it first arrived in 2022 — when it became one of that year's best new TV shows in the process — then you've probably been hanging out for the Aussie rom-com sitcom's second season. The show was unsurprisingly renewed in 2023, and now has an official return date: Thursday, May 30. When it debuted, Colin From Accounts had everyone bingeing their way through this tale of an awkward but memorable meet-cute, which began when a medical student and a microbrewery owner crossed paths in Sydney, ended up with an injured dog between them, then went from strangers to pet co-owners almost instantly. This time, however, the series will be dropping its episodes weekly on Binge instead of in one batch. If you're new to the show, which won Best Narrative Comedy Series at the 2024 AACTAs and a trio of Logies — Most Outstanding Comedy Program, Most Outstanding Actor and Most Outstanding Actress — in 2023, it's the latest collaboration between real-life couple and No Activity stars Harriet Dyer (The Invisible Man) and Patrick Brammall (Evil). Story-wise, the first season of Colin From Accounts charted what happened after Brammall's Gordon was distracted by Dyer's Ashley one otherwise ordinary morning, then accidentally hit a stray dog with his car. The pair took the pooch to receive veterinary treatment, then committed to look after him — and, yes, named him Colin From Accounts — causing their already-messy lives to intertwine. In season two, Ashley and Gordon are living together, which brings its own chaos — including the quest to get Colin From Accounts back from his new owners. A heap of fresh faces are joining the series for its second date, such as Celeste Barber (Wellmania), Virginia Gay (Mother and Son), Justin Rosniak (Wolf Like Me), Lynne Porteous (Frayed) and John Howard (Bump). Season two of Colin From Accounts doesn't yet have a sneak peek, but you can check out the trailer for season one below: Colin From Accounts season two will stream via Binge from Thursday, May 30, 2024. Read our review of season one. Images: Lisa Tomasetti.
Move over tea with the Queen — the coffee in London has improved so much over the last few years even Lizzy would ask for a flat white over an English breakfast. We sacrificed the money we were saving for a house deposit to taste coffee all over the city, and here are five coffee shops worth hunting down while you're in town. [caption id="attachment_622923" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Levent Ali via Flickr.[/caption] MONMOUTH COFFEE, COVENT GARDEN Monmouth is the grand old dame of London coffee, and has been pumping out caffeine since 1978. And even though Monmouth likes to keep things fresh with an ever-changing selection of house-roasted beans, some things will never change, like the house blend, the queues and the fact that Monmouth makes the best coffee in Old Blighty. We've heard good things about the filter, but we only tried the flat white, because, well, why change when you're onto a good thing? Queen Lizzy gets it. [caption id="attachment_622924" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Espresso Room via Instagram.[/caption] THE ESPRESSO ROOM, BLOOMSBURY The Espresso Room is so small it could double as Harry Potter's cupboard under the stairs, so it's a good thing you don't need much space to pump out great coffee (as the Japanese know). This Bloomsbury coffee shop is unsurprisingly known for its espresso, but for our money (too much of our money, to be honest — coffee here is more expensive than home), the flat white is where the magic is. Not too milky, not too strong — it's the best thing this side of getting a letter from Hogwarts. [caption id="attachment_622927" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bex Walton via Flickr.[/caption] KAFFEINE, FITZROVIA You'll need coffee after spending time on London's most insane shopping artery, Oxford Street. Luckily Kaffeine is just a street or two behind the insanity, serving up damn fine coffee in a damn fine looking coffee shop. This is the place to go if you want a taste of classic Australian espresso-based coffee in London; you won't find American- and Scandi- style filter here. You can even grab an Anzac biccie to snack on if you're feeling seriously homesick. TIMBERYARD, SEVEN DIALS Timberyard is buzzing at all opening hours, and not just because of the free Wi-Fi — the coffee here, although although on the expensive side of things, hits the spot. The flat white is strong, flavoursome, with just the right kick of calcium. Grab a seat — try for one of the hotly contested window spots — and the staff will bring your coffee over on a wooden chopping board (because timber yard, geddit?). You'll want to stay for coffee number two. Your tastebuds will thank you, even if your wallet does not. ALLPRESS, SHOREDITCH You go to Kaffeine for a taste of Australia, but for a taste of New Zealand, head straight to one of Allpress Espresso's two cafes in Shoreditch. Founded in Auckland, Allpress is swiftly taking over the world, with cafes in Australia, Japan and London. And you can taste exactly why: their coffee is one of the best, wherever in the world you find it. The Shoreditch cafe has the antipodeon design look down-pat, with white walls and exposed pale timber. The espresso-based coffee, which uses Allpress roasted beans, is delicious, of course.
For fans of anime film director Hayao Miyazaki, the good news is that his new film, The Wind Rises, will be released in Australian cinemas next year. The bad news is, he's confirmed that this will be his last full-length feature film. Miyazaki's animation career has spanned over 50 years, but he's best known for the studio he co-founded, Studio Ghibli, and its films Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo — dreamy, whimsical movies that are a lot more progressive than the average Disney number, addressing things like feminism, environmentalism and pacifism. The Wind Rises is a semi-fictional biopic about aeroplane designer Jiro Horikoshi, who designed the A6M Zero (a deadly aircraft used in World War II) but started out as a young boy who dreamed of making and flying beautiful planes. Set in pre-war Japan, the film depicts events including the Depression, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan's role in WWII. It's attracted a lot of controversy in Japan, having been released in the middle of a nationwide debate about the Japanese government's proposed changes to the military. Despite this, The Wind Rises has still been at the top of the Japanese box office for seven consecutive weeks and has been getting some pretty good reviews. Miyazaki announced his retirement from feature animation in a media statement on Friday, 6 September. He said that while he will continue working in other capacities, he will not direct another full-length film — and that includes scripting and supervising as well as the pen-to-paper animation Studio Ghibli painstakingly produces. The latest film took five years to finish, and at that rate, the anime legend says, "the studio can't survive." The Wind Rises will be released in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment in 2014.
Rummaging through your cupboards can be an invigorating exercise, unearthing and breathing new life into old gems. In one of the most high-fiveworthy collaborations in recent memory, Future Classic and le coq sportif have paired up for their own big ol' throwback project. The Sydney-based electronic label home to Flume and the French-founded sportswear company have joined forces to release a collection of remixes and reissues from the archives. Dubbed 'The Reissue Project', the double-sided project sees both parties bring their mad skills to the table. Delving deep into the back catalogues, le coq sportif have designed a collection of garments exclusively for Future Classic. Looking particularly to the '80s and '90s chapters of le coq history, the team have created six brand new designs that hope to fuse le coq aesthetic with the beats-loving clubs of now — think drop crotch trackies, reversible jackets, bucket hats, fleecy sweaters and good old fashioned t-shirts. Best part? Glow in the dark details, FO' CLUBBIN'. The team have also made exclusive varsity jackets for Future Classic artists, not for sale but still fly. In return, Future Classic have dug into their own back catalogue to reissue some older bangers, revamped with some pretty damn excellent remixes and reworks by Chicago legend Derrick Carter, Sydney's acid house master DJ HMC, NYC beatsmaster Jaques Renault, French young gun Pyramid and UK 'resident producer' of Wolf Music, Greymatter. Touch Sensitive's 2006 track 'Body Stop' has been worked over, alongside Luke Million, Stick Figures, Peret Mako and the gold nugget-like 'Possum', the first tune Flume ever put on triple j Unearthed. The physical collaboration element between the two comes from the unique codes paired with each le coq sportif piece; if you buy a piece you can download the Reissue Project tracks to strut down the street with for free. But because both sides are legends, they're letting you listen in anyway — you'll be able to stream the tracks from Soundcloud and www.thereissueproject.com from Thursday, August 14 at 10am AEST. Here's the sweet threads, you can run from the gym to the clurb without changing a thing: The LCS x FC Reissue Project is available in le coq sportif stores, selected Glue Stores nationally and online from 14 August. Want to customise your own le coq sportif threads in the meantime? Stroll to The Rocks over here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FBh7PVr0p9Y
Martin Scorsese has made not one but two documentaries about him. I'm Not There had six actors, including Cate Blanchett (The New Boy), play him. The Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis couldn't take a fictional tour of the 60s folk scene without getting its protagonist watching him onstage. Ever since 1967 docos Don't Look Back and Festival, Bob Dylan has been no stranger to the screen — and now he's getting the music biopic treatment again, this time with Timothée Chalamet (Dune: Part Two) picking up a guitar. With the curls and the gaze — and the early 60s-era wardrobe, too — Chalamet looks the part in the just-released first trailer A Complete Unknown. He also sings the part, busting out 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall'. The Wonka and Bones and All star transforms into the music icon at the start of his career, hence the movie's title. The feature's focus: how Dylan became a sensation. In a film directed by Walk the Line helmer James Mangold — swapping Johnny Cash for another legend, clearly — A Complete Unknown charts Dylan's rise to stardom. The folk singer's early gigs, filling concert halls, going electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival: they're all set to be covered, with his famous performance at the latter, due to be the narrative's culmination. Take note of the date that this trailer dropped, both in the US and Down Under: the 1965 Newport Folk Festival took place in July, with Dylan performing acoustic songs on July 24 and playing electric on July 25 — so, on the same dates 59 years ago. As well as Chalamet, Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) has enlisted Edward Norton (Asteroid City), Elle Fanning (The Great), Monica Barbaro (Fubar), Boyd Holbrook (The Bikeriders), Dan Fogler (Eric), Norbert Leo Butz (The Exorcist: Believer) and Scoot McNairy (Invincible) among the cast. A Complete Unknown releases in US picture palaces in December 2024, with cinema dates Down Under yet to be confirmed as yet. Check out the trailer for A Complete Unknown below: A Complete Unknown releases in US cinemas in December, but doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you with more details when they're announced. Images: courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
A backstage tribute to an iconic TV series. The sequel to a huge horror hit. Amy Adams transforming into a dog. A portrait of an indie band as unique as the group itself. Disquieting filmmaking becoming a family affair. If you're heading to SXSW Sydney in 2024, you'll be able to tick all five of the above boxes, all in the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival's headline slots. When it returns for its second year, the film- and TV-focused fest within the broader SXSW Sydney will feature Saturday Night, Smile 2, Nightbitch, The Front Room and Pavements. Everything except the latter is a new addition to a program that's been unveiling titles on its roster for a few months, so you've now got more movies to fit into your schedule across Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20. Directed by Juno, Young Adult, Tully and Ghostbusters: Afterlife's Jason Reitman, Saturday Night recreates how SNL's first-ever episode came to be. The Fabelmans' Gabriel LaBelle plays Lorne Michaels, leading a cast that includes Dylan O'Brien (Fantasmas) as Dan Aykroyd, Ella Hunt (Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1) as Gilda Radner, Matthew Rhys (IF) as George Carlin and Matt Wood (Instinct) as John Belushi as well. Also featuring in Saturday Night: Finn Wolfhard (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Rachel Sennott (The Idol), Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale), JK Simmons (The Union), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), Lamorne Morris (Fargo), Nicholas Braun (Dream Scenario) and Willem Dafoe (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). And yes, at SXSW Sydney, the film is indeed screening on a Saturday evening. If you got creeped out by Smile back in 2022, you won't be surprised that the unnerving flick has spawned a new chapter. This time, Naomi Scott (Anatomy of a Scandal) stars as a pop star caught up in the chaos around the worst grin you can see. To chat about it, returning director Parker Finn is heading to the fest to present the film, too. Nightbitch hails from The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood filmmaker Marielle Heller, and stars Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen) as a stay-at-home mum who turns canine. And as for the already-announced Pavements, it sees filmmaker Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) focus on the band Pavement via an experimental blend of documentary, narrative, musical and more. Then there's The Front Room, aka one of two upcoming pictures from the Eggers family. While The Witch, The Lighthouse and The Northman's Robert Eggers has his own take on Nosferatu on the way, his siblings Max and Sam have made their feature directorial debut with this A24-backed and Brandy (Best. Christmas. Ever!)-led affair about a pregnant woman doing battle with her mother-in-law (Kathryn Hunter, Poor Things). One of Saturday Night, Smile 2, Nightbitch, The Front Room and Pavements will screen nightly across the fest's Tuesday–Saturday dates. Wondering about the Monday? There's more news to come, with SXSW Sydney's 2024 Screen Festival opening-night film still to be announced. Elsewhere, as seen in past lineup announcements, 2024's SXSW Sydney Screen Festival spans cults, cat-loving animation and Christmas carnage thanks to Azrael, Ghost Cat Anzu and Carnage for Christmas. Movie lovers can also look forward to Ilana Glazer (The Afterparty)-led mom-com Babes; Audrey starring Jackie van Beek (Nude Tuesday); coming-of-age tale DiDi; the maximum-security prison-set Sing Sing with Colman Domingo (Drive-Away Dolls); and Inside, which features Guy Pearce (The Clearing), Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun) and Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders). There's also doco Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird, spending time with At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala; Teaches of Peaches, which goes on tour with its namesake; the Lucy Lawless (My Life Is Murder)-directed doco Never Look Away about CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth; Peter Dinklage (Unfrosted) and Juliette Lewis (Yellowjackets) lead western-thriller The Thicket; and Aussie documentary Like My Brother, about four aspiring AFLW players from the Tiwi Islands. The list goes on, with The Most Australian Band Ever! about the Hard-Ons, That Sugar Film and 2040 filmmaker Damon Gameau's Future Council, and Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts from Barbecue and We Don't Deserve Dogs' Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker also set to screen. SXSW Sydney 2024 runs from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details.
Tasmania is home to brilliant restaurants and cafes that rival the mainland's best. And if you're looking to get a richer understanding of where phenomenal food actually comes from, there really is no better place. With the island's inland farms and coastal regions bursting with remarkable produce, Tassie is full of growers ready to guide you through an enlightening, hands-on adventure that will give you a unique culinary and agrarian perspective (not to mention the very likely chance that they'll feed you very, very well indeed). Here, we've teamed up with Tourism Tasmania to highlight a selection of experiences that offer hands-on foodie encounters to seek out and savour. [caption id="attachment_865676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] 41 DEGREES SOUTH Set a 40-minute drive west of Launceston on the outskirts of Deloraine, 41 Degrees South is a salmon farm, wetland and ginseng plantation. Featuring 20 freshwater ponds filled with water sourced from nearby Montana Falls, the farm invites you to take a self-guided tour to explore the sustainable processes that support this world-class producer of salmon. The property's owners, Ziggy and Angelika Pyka, also make the most of Tasmania's cooler climate with a thriving grove of Korean and American ginseng. Wander through the crops before making a purchase at the on-site store and stopping by the cafe to enjoy a dish made with the freshest salmon washed down with a local wine or beer. [caption id="attachment_866893" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] TWAMLEY FARM Twamley Farm is a picturesque working farm spread across 7000 acres flanking the Tea Tree Rivulet near the charming village of Buckland. The property offers farmyard activities, accommodation and cooking classes that provide an opportunity to level up your skills in Italian and French cooking. Hosted by the gourmet catering business, Gert and Ted, the classes — fronted by the eponymous Gert — will show you how to prepare a range of dishes before you sit down for a long lunch with your fellow attendees. With several classes to choose from, including spring harvest feasts and festive season treats, Twamley Farm's stunning setting is the ideal place for a countryside culinary escape. [caption id="attachment_866852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pure Foods[/caption] PURE FOODS EGG FARM Head to a top-notch cafe in Tassie and there's a good chance it's using Pure Foods Eggs in the kitchen. Experience what goes into this superior product via a 'Pure Tour' a foodie experience touted as the "ultimate eggspedition" that'll take you on a journey through the company's scenic property in the Northern Midlands region and the largest free-range egg farm in Tasmania. Throughout the 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour, you'll explore the custom-built facilities and see how its high-tech production methods set a new industry standard. After seeing the happy hens in action, you'll receive a dozen free-range eggs to take home so you can whip up your favourite dish with the finest eggs on the island. [caption id="attachment_866851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sirocco South Forage and Feast[/caption] SIROCCO SOUTH FORAGE AND FEAST Mic Giuliani, the man behind Sirocco South, is a local foraging master with over 50 years of experience. So yes, Mic was doing it before it was cool. You can catch him serving delicious Tassie-inspired Italian cuisine at Hobart's Farm Gate Market every Sunday or on one of his Sirocco South foraging trips where he'll show you how to find food in the wild. Once you've collected enough seasonal ingredients, Mic goes to work producing a six-course lunch featuring quality meat and seafood paired with award-winning wines from Bream Creek Vineyard. Overlooking the spectacular Frederick Henry Bay, Sirocco South is a deluxe foraging experience in an idyllic location that helps guests appreciate the wonders of wild food. In short: it's heaven on earth for foodies. [caption id="attachment_866889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] UNEARTHED CHEFS TOUR Get a rare glimpse into the operations of some of Tasmania's top growers and producers via an Unearthed Chefs Tour. This morning or afternoon adventure sees you transported from your accommodation to the seriously delicious Tasting Trail Cradle to Coast to meet some of the North-West's finest culinary creators. The tour will take you around a saffron farm, to search for truffles and then on to a luxurious wine tasting at Lake Barrington Estate, with a stop to admire the coastline along the way. A heavenly lunch prepared by chef Naomi Parker is also on the agenda, as is a wander through Sheffield — the Town of Murals — before arriving back at your accommodation. [caption id="attachment_865666" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] FORK N FARM HOMESTEAD The ForknFarm Homestead is a striking 24-acre property set in the scenic surrounds of the West Tamar Valley. It's a popular destination for farm-stays thanks to its charming cabins and it also hosts artisan cooking workshops where you can level up your talents with owners Cassie and Aaron "Lob" Lobley. Over the years, this enterprising duo has mastered a host of agrarian culinary skills, ranging from cheesemaking and open-fire cooking to pickling and preserving. There's a host of one-day and two-day sessions to consider or you can create a personalised experience if you attend in a group of four or more. [caption id="attachment_865674" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] BLUE HILLS HONEY Blue Hills Honey's distinctly Tasmanian product comes from 2000 beehives hidden deep within the lush takayna/Tarkine rainforest. While this award-winning apiary specialises in leatherwood honey, the honey house also offers a selection of other varieties like manuka, blackberry and meadow. This craft honey farm has been in operation for over 60 years and you can see how it all works on its rural property in the community of Mawbanna. Alongside a factory for touring and a tasting room, there's a cafe overlooking the surrounding farmland that serves everything from honey-baked brie to Thai beef salad. [caption id="attachment_865672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] OYSTER BAY TOURS AT FREYCINET MARINE FARM Freycinet Marine Farm is beloved for its Pacific Oysters and Tasmanian Blue Mussels. Owned by Giles and Julia Fisher since 2005, the cafe makes for the perfect pitstop if you want to sample the region's famed cuisine. You can discover how the product arrives in the shop with a fantastically hands-on (and knees-in) Oyster Bay Tour. With the help of an expert guide, the tour will see you wade into shallow waters to harvest oysters straight out of the sea and show you how to shuck 'em like a pro. To finish, you'll get to enjoy your freshly claimed oysters and mussels with a glass of local riesling. [caption id="attachment_865678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania[/caption] CURRINGA FARM In Hamilton, about a one-hour drive from Hobart, Curringa Farm presents an idyllic chance to experience life on a Tasmanian working farm. Spanning 750 acres, this sheep and cropping property has won numerous awards for its charming cottage accommodation. Whether you're heading along for the day or staying overnight, Curringa Farm has two immersive tours on offer to suit your travel plans. The 'Shearers Smoko' is a two-hour walking tour of the farm where you'll meet and greet sheep and farm dogs alongside a morning or afternoon tea. Meanwhile, the 'BBQ Lunch & Farm Tour' presents an outstanding paddock-to-plate experience. [caption id="attachment_866894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jamie Roberts[/caption] THE TRUFFLEDORE On the foothills of Cradle Mountain is where you'll find this truffle-filled farm, accommodation and shop. From October till April, The Truffledore is open for tastings and tours on Fridays and Sundays from 9am–4pm. Head off on the 45-minute tour to feed the farm animals and discover where the delicious winter truffles are grown. During the winter months, you can hunt and harvest truffles for yourself on Saturdays. Just make sure you book ahead of time to secure a spot. If one day on the farm isn't enough, book into one of the charming cottages for a delightful overnight stay. Ready to plan a trip for your tastebuds around Tasmania? To discover more, visit the website. Top image: Tourism Australia
UPDATE, January 12, 2022: Eternals is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. It's the only Marvel movie by an Oscar-winning director. Focusing on a superhero squad isn't new, even if everyone here is a Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomer, but it's the lone instalment in the franchise that's about a team led by women of colour. It's home to the MCU's only caped crusader who is deaf, and its first openly gay superhero — and it doesn't just mention his sexuality, but also shows his relationship. It happens to be the first Marvel flick with a sex scene, too. Eternals is also the only film in the hefty saga with a title describing how long the series will probably continue. And, it's the sole MCU entry that features two ex-Game of Thrones stars — Kit Harington and Richard Madden, two of the show's Winterfell-dwelling brothers — and tasks them both with loving a woman called Sersi. (The name isn't spelled the same way, but it'll still recalls Westeros.) When you're 26 movies into a franchise, as the MCU now is, each new film is a case of spotting differences. All the above traits aid Eternals in standing out, especially the empathetic, naturalistic touch that Chloé Zhao brings to her first blockbuster (and first film since Nomadland and its historic Academy Award wins). There's a sense of beauty and weight rippling through almost every frame, as well as an appreciation for life's struggles. Its namesakes are immortal aliens sent to earth 7000 years ago to battle intergalactic beasts, and yet Eternals shows more affinity for everyday folks who don't don spandex or have superpowers than any Marvel flick yet. It's also largely gorgeous, due to its use of location shoots rather than constantly stacking CGI on CGI. But everything that sets the film apart from the rest of Marvel's saga remains perched atop a familiar formula. Perhaps that's fitting; thematically, Eternals spends much of its lengthy 157 minutes contemplating set roles and expectations, and whether anyone can ever truly break free of either. Spying an overt statement in these parallels — between the movie's general adherence to the MCU template and the ideas bubbling within it — might be a little generous, though. Of late, Marvel likes giving its new instalments their own packaging, while keeping many of the same gears whirring inside. That's part of the comic book company-turned-filmmaking behemoth's current pattern, in fact. Still, even after Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals finds its own niche. It both intrigues and entertains, and it's ambitious — and it's often more than the sum of all those MCU firsts and onlys it's claimed. As a necessary slab of opening on-screen text explains, Eternals' sprawling central group were dispatched by a Celestial — a space god, really — called Arishem. With the monstrous Deviants, another animalistic alien race, wreaking havoc across the planet, the Eternals were tasked with fighting the good fight. That was their sole mission; they were forbidden to interfere otherwise, which is why they were absent whenever the world was threatened in the last 25 movies. But now, in the present day, a new Deviant attacks Sersi (Gemma Chan, Raya and the Last Dragon), her human boyfriend Dane Whitman (Harington) and fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh, The Lodge) in London. That gets the gang back together swiftly, unsurprisingly. In a script by Zhao with Patrick Burleigh (Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway) and feature first-timers Ryan and Kaz Firpo, each Eternal gets more than a few moments to shine — and more than a few defining traits. But Sersi, her love of humanity and her ability to change inanimate materials attracts most of the focus. She's soon grappling with the squad's purpose, after reuniting with the flying, laser-eyed Ikaris (Madden) to reteam their pals. That includes the maternal Ajak (Salma Hayek, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard), wisecracking Bollywood star Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, The Lovebirds), the super-strong Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), warrior Thena (Angelia Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead), the super-speedy Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), tech wiz Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong) and the mind-manipulating Druig (Barry Keoghan, The Green Knight). If these character names sound familiar, that's because Eternals plays with the past as it broadens the MCU's on-screen history. This is franchise's ultimate origin story, even with the lack of recognisable Marvel figures. And, toying with myths and legends told for millennia, it sports a firmly classic air. Those picturesque visuals that Zhao and cinematographer Ben Davis (a Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel veteran) splash across the screen help immensely. Absent the usual plasticky gloss that's now as standard as jokey banter in Marvel fare — and dialling down the latter as well — Eternals anchors its looming end-of-the-world setup with sunset-lit landscapes that feel more grounded than everything that's come before. Zhao has named fellow filmmaker Terrence Malick (A Hidden Life, Song to Song, The Tree of Life) as one of her influences before, and even in this $200-million flick, it shows. That said, plenty of words that can be used to describe Eternals cut two ways. It's still a movie about ageless cosmic beings-turned-superheroes with heightened abilities, so its naturalism and grounding only go so far. The film's huge budget still spans the usual special effects and reliance upon pixels, too, and that can be as visually dull as ever when it takes over. But when it's a philosophically minded picture about tussling with responsibility and insignificance on an existential scale (and, notably, not just about having powers while trying to be a normal person, a Marvel go-to), Eternals is earthy and resonant. Being exceptionally cast assists as well, as it did in fellow recent Marvel movies Black Widow and Shang-Chi. When Eternals highlights Chan's sincerity, Hayek's calm command, Keoghan's moody vulnerability, Lee's hulking sensitivity, and Henry's passion and resilience — and lets Nanjiani mix swagger and care, and Jolie play fierce but fraying — it's equally graceful and compelling. Top image: Sophie Mutevelian ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Snow place like home, right? Here at CP, we're excited for winter playtime. Whether you can't wait to hit the slopes again or you're a curious first-timer, we know just the snow-covered playground that will hit the spot: Thredbo. Just a 5 and a 1/2 hour drive from Sydney, winter holiday goers congregate to the alpine village in their masses for the longest ski runs in Australia (when the mountain is fully covered in snow). And we've got the lowdown: where to stay, where to re-fuel, and where to party in your snow boots. Athol Got a lot of friends? This cosy, rustic self-contained chalet sleeps up to 12 people with a perfect communal layout for a big group. Gather round the open fire, sprawl out on the balcony and dig in to some hearty food at the canteen-style dining table. Diggings Terrance, Thredbo Village; Athol website Banjo Townhouses Each townhouse is a modern apartment with one or two bedrooms and beautiful views of the mountains. Loft units have their own slow-burning wood fire: lush! Banjo Drive, Thredbo Village; stayz.com.au/93085 Bernti’s Mountain Inn Bernti's is restaurant, hotel and nightlife all rolled into one. This European-style boutique inn has 30 rooms (and a rather entertaining host in Donna), gourmet food and a popular al fresco deck. Why would you ever leave? 4 Mowamba Place, Thredbo Village; (02) 6457 6332; berntis.com.au Black Bear Inn In the heart of Thredbo, and at the centre of all the action, this traditional lodge and restaurant has rooms to rent from single to family-sized. It’s a stone’s throw from the shuttle stop, plus never-ending German beer at the Inn. 30 Diggins Terrace, Thredbo Village; (02) 6457 6216; blackbearinn.com.au Thredbo Alpine Hotel Thredbo Alpine Hotel is boutique accommodation with the pick of rooms or chalets for an easy, comfortable stay at the base of the Kosciuszko chairlift. Thredbo Resort Centre, Thredbo Village; 1300 020 589; Thredbo Alpine Hotel Moonbah Hut A short 30 minute drive from Thredbo, and 15 minutes from Jindabyne town, Moonbah Hut is in a whole world of its own. This completely isolated, unique stone hut is fully equipped with underfloor heating, a rocking chair and fluffy robes for a romantic getaway. Jindabyne; (02) 6457 8311; moonbahhut.com Paringa Self contained, all the mod-cons and a shuttle bus on your doorstep, Paringa apartments are two bed units plus loft space, the obligatory balcony BBQ and a Swedish sauna. (02) 6457 7030; skiinskiout.com.au River Inn Priding itself on being a ski-in, ski-out hotel, River Inn has modern rooms and suites with plenty of extras, like wireless, a heated indoor pool and laundry service. 4 Friday Drive, Thredbo Alpine Village; (02) 9369 3010; riverinn.com.au Rockpool Lodge Like a little luxe? When only 5 star will do, Rockpool Lodge is a good pick. It’s got the spa, faux fur throws, sauna and champagne on chill (okay, we can’t guarantee the last one, but you get the picture). (02) 6457 7132; rockpoollodge.com.au Kareela Hutte Breakfast, coffee, champagne or cellar door, Kareela Hutte is a well-loved haunt for skiers and boarders on their up or down the mountain. On the Supertrail at 1810m altitude; (02) 6457 6099; kareelahutte.com.au Merritts Mountain House On-slope marketplace dining, from fresh juices and salads to stews, soups and strudel. Merritts uses artisan produce to create lovingly homemade food, conveniently located between slopes. Top of Merritts chairlift at 1660m altitude; (02) 6457 6084; merritts.com.au Black Sallee's Nestled amongst the gum trees off Crackenback Supertrail, Black Sallee's is famous for its hot chocolate, European beer selection (try the Maisel's Weisse) and schnapps. The service is quick, so you’ll be shoop shooping again in no time. At the top of Snowgums chairlift; (02) 6457 6439; Black Sallee's Bullwheel Bar & Bistro Laying claim to being Australia’s highest bar and bistro, Bullwheel has quick snacks and warming drinks, as well as German wheat beers, gluhwein and schnapps. At the top of Kosciuszko chairlift at 1937m altitude; (02) 6457 6019; Bullwheel Bar & Bistro Bernti’s Tapas Bar Serving a gourmet selection of international tapas, from smoked trout bruschetta to veal schnitzel, Bernti’s has al fresco dining and plenty of wine and beer to wash it down with. 4 Mowamba Place, Thredbo Village; (02) 6457 6332; berntis.com.au/tapas-bar The Knickerbocker Pan fried market fish, duck confit, spinach and ricotta dumplings... Yum! Riverside Cabins, Diggings Terrace, Thredbo; (02) 6457 6844; theknickerbocker.com.au The Terrace Relaxed fine dining: head chef Karen Forsstrom, formerly of Sydney’s Kingsleys restaurant, cooks up the finest ingredients to serve up her handcrafted menu. The Denman Hotel, 21 Diggings Terrace, Thredbo; (02) 6457 6222; thedenman.com.au The Wildbrumby Open daily for breakfast and lunch, the kitchen at Wildbrumby schnapps distillery door has a hearty selection of soups, pates, sandwiches and burgers - all created using local produce. Cnr of Wollondibby Rd and Alpine Way, Jindabyne; (02) 6457 1447; wildbrumby.com Apres Bar For a sophisticated start to the night, head to Apres Bar at The Denman. Cocktails, retro decor and tapas. The Denman, 21 Diggins Terrace, Thredbo Village; (02) 6457 6222; thedenman.com.au/bar Schuss Bar A little more laid-back, the Schuss Bar has live music and entertainment every night throughout winter. Threadbo Village Resort, Alpine Way; (02) 6459 4200. Thredbo Alpine Lounge Bar From 12 noon to midnight, the Alpine Lounge Bar is the place to kick-back and enjoy a coffee (or something stronger) beside the fire. Relaxed vibe, live music and great views. Thredbo Village Resort, Alpine Way; (02) 6459 4200. The Keller Looking to party late into the night? Revellers migrate to Thredbo’s famous nightclub. Thredbo Village Resort, Alpine Way; (02) 6459 4200.
An energy crisis is looming. We’ve been told that fossil fuels will be gone within the next 50 years. The hunt for alternative sources of energy to run our cars, fuel our industries and feed our countries has begun. Whilst green energy is going from strength to strength, traditional oil companies are looking to more tried and true resources. In light of this, Royal Dutch Shell are constructing the world’s largest man-made floating object. The vessel is being built in South Korean shipyards and is expected to be complete by 2017. When finished, it will anchor off Western Australia, where the vessel will extract the equivalent of over 110,000 barrels of natural gas a day. It will then cool the gas at -162 degrees celsius which condenses it to a sixth of its mass. Whilst the vessel itself will be stationary for a predicted 25 years, the gas will be transported via smaller ships to markets in Asia and Europe. The ship is more of a mini island. It will be over 4 football fields long, will weight six times more than the next largest vessel and can withstand a Category 4 cyclone, the most severe of storms. [via POPSCI]
Get ready for red carpet specials, awkward presenter gaffes and all the bitter celebrity reaction shots your heart could possibly desire — it's time for the Oscars. This means one thing for all of us playing at home and not taking away $150,000 gift baskets: Concrete Playground's 2015 Academy Awards Drinking Game. As always, both Concrete Playground and the Academy support responsible drinking and the brevity of acceptance speeches. Now, thank the Academy and get into it. ONE SIP Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses. Harrison Ford wears an earring. Diane Keaton wears gloves. Harvey Weinstein is mentioned. Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) sings during his opening monologue. Jennifer Lawrence does something adorably 'real' (three drinks if it's a fashion mishap). Winner thanks God or Jesus. Winner 'pays tribute' to his/her extraordinary fellow nominees. Winner's speech is played off by the orchestra. Channing Tatum misreads his teleprompter (three drinks if he reads 'Channing' or 'Pause for laughter' aloud). TWO SIPS NPH makes a Birdman / Batman joke (three drinks if Michael Keaton does). NPH references the leaked Sony emails. Rosamund Pike makes a joke about her co-presenter being scared of her (five drinks if it’s actually funny). Steve Carrell prosthetic nose is joke-nominated for 'Best Supporting Actor'. NPH jokes that the bathroom queue is the only thing bigger than Chris Hemsworth's arms. Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch do a bit together about playing mathematical geniuses. You’ve actually heard of any of the nominees for 'Documentary Short Subject' or 'Foreign Language Film'. Matthew McConaughey says any (or all) of: 'Alriiiight', 'Okaaay' and 'Wooooow'. JK Simmons jokes that the orchestra is not quite in time. NPH does a bit involving a Birdman voiceover in his head that mocks various nominees. Robin Williams gets the biggest applause during the 'In Memorium' section. Someone jokes that American Sniper is the only thing more divisive than the war it's set in. Winner describes his/her film as 'important'. Winner describes his/her film’s director as 'a genius'. Brad Pitt pokes fun at actors who become directors (CUT TO Angelina Jolie smiling). Chris Hemsworth has a ponytail. THREE SIPS Liam Hemsworth has a ponytail. NPH reads the leaked Sony emails. TARS from Interstellar presents an award and tells the best joke of the evening. John Travolta welcomes to the stage "Academy Award Winner — Royce Witherspork" You’ve actually seen of any of the nominees for 'Documentary Short Subject' or 'Foreign Language Film'. Winner thanks Allah or Mohammed. Meryl Streep acknowledges her now 19 nominations and says "One more and I get a free meatball sub." NPH jokes that Boyhood is nothing special because he did Doogie Howser back in '89 and we've been watching him not grow up ever since. Any joke about Alan Turing being the only one who could make sense of something (five drinks if it's Oscars voting). Someone from The Theory of Everything thanks Stephen Hawking instead of God. NPH attempts to break Ellen's record for most-retweeted selfie. Mickey Rooney gets the biggest applause during the 'In Memorium' section. Joaquin Phoenix comes dressed as a turn-of-the-century blacksmith. NPH jokes that there have been 'back to back' gay hosts for the Oscars (five drinks if he then says he's looking forward to Clooney hosting in 2016). Selma wins Best Picture but the director isn't allowed to walk all the way to the stage. Congratulatory kiss or embrace from presenter 'gets awkward'. CHUG YOUR DRINK Bruce Willis has a ponytail… or a combover. NPH sings his opening song in black face to redress the 'white nominees only' situation (we genuinely hope he doesn't do this). Peter Jackson announces plans to turn his valet parking receipt into an epic nine-hour trilogy. Meryl Streep comes in a dress made from all her melted-down Oscars. JK Simmons hurls his award at the orchestra’s drummer and levels the most horrific slur in broadcast history. ISIS wins 'Best Foreign Short Film'. Grand Budapest Hotel wins Best Picture, Kanye crashes the stage and says Hotel Rwanda was easily the better hotel. Michael Keaton wins Best Actor but, having gone too deep into character, produces a gun and goes 'Full Birdman'.
You could travel to the Murray and do nothing but eat, drink and be merry. And you should. The region is jam-packed with incredible producers, innovative makers and chefs, old-school artisans and new-wave cuisine. Having access to some of the country's best farmers and makers gives these venues the luxury of a hyper-local, hyper-seasonal approach to food and drink. From swanky bistros and rustic wineries to experimental distillers and fire-focused chefs, the Murray region is an unmissable foodie destination. If you're a flavour-chaser, prepare yourself to get amongst it all: swirl small-batch wines, discover ancient flavours and native ingredients, and experience new locavore dining experiences and European-inspired eateries. Whatever your taste, whenever you decide to visit, there's someone in the Murray region putting their heart and soul into something delicious. [caption id="attachment_662395" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Morrisons Riverview Winery and Restaurant[/caption] WINE AND DINE Trentham Estate Winery lies on the banks of the Murray, offering an award-winning cellar door experience. This much-lauded NSW Tourism Awards Hall-of-Famer boasts 45 sweeping hectares of vines producing French and Italian varietals. Officially established in 1988, it'd actually been in viticulture for decades beforehand, and it's still a family-run winery today. Snag a table at the restaurant to enjoy Modern European fare, or swing by the cellar door to just sit back and watch the boats slide by as you sip shiraz (also, unsurprisingly, award-winning). Morrisons Riverview Winery and Restaurant (pictured above) is more than just a darn gorgeous venue — this Moama winery also has a restaurant that should be on every foodie hitlist. The ever-changing menu is focused on local, seasonal produce with enough variety to suit all tastes. Sweetcorn bread with cashew sambal and burnt chilli butter sits alongside lamb backstrap with pickled cauli, greens, couscous and smoked eggplant puree, calamari caesar salad pimped with pork scratchings and garlic toast, and chips with kasundi, aioli and hop salt. The five-course 'Chef's Feed Me' option is the best way to sample the scope of these flavours. Enjoy it while sipping Morrisons' premium wine blends from its 15 hectares of vines — from chardonnay to moscato to shiraz. [caption id="attachment_893785" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old School Winery and Meadery, Destination NSW[/caption] SIP SOMETHING SPECIAL For something different, take a drive out to Monak Wine Co. Its first vintage was released in 2020 making it a younger winery (albeit with 25 years of winemaking experience to draw on). Here's what else you need to know: it's family-owned, works with local growers and applies exquisite attention to detail to its small-batch, handmade drops. It's an eclectic mix of wines — some minimal intervention, all very special. The cellar door opens on Friday and Saturday to slake your curiosity. The Old School Winery and Meadery (pictured above) is more than a classic winery. Sure, it makes a few small-batch, handcrafted reds, but the main point of difference is mead — traditionally fermented honey alcohol. On the site of an old Womboota school, this rustic venue offers a taste of history in more ways than one. It has been making mead for over 20 years, spearheading the honey-wine industry growth in Australia. Mead was a drink beloved by Vikings, but the unique flavour of Australian bush honey makes this unlike any European mead. Here, the team crafts everything from sweet and fortified meads to drier styles. They also make medieval mead beakers in the on-site pottery workshop. Bring a picnic and settle into the cellar door garden for an afternoon. [caption id="attachment_893783" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Corowa Whisky and Chocolate, Destination NSW[/caption] GET SPIRITED AWAY Drink less, enjoy more: that's the ethos of Echuca Distillery, championing quality and character over quantity. Based in Echuca Moama, David De Vries and his wife Fiona have decades of experience in fragrance and flavour production science. Their fastidious research and passion for playing with gin botanicals lead to unique, expressive flavour profiles. Starting with a base of grain or grape spirit distilled in Lavender, their Italian copper still, they infuse classics like dry and navy strength gin as well as combos like yuzu and ginger, a five-citrus gin and a port barrel-aged gin. In addition to liqueurs, cocktail spirits, arak and agave, Echuca has now added a whisky to the lineup. Corowa Whisky and Chocolate (pictured above) began with an underdog story of three mates buying an abandoned flour mill for a dollar. With one of Australia's youngest head distillers, this business produces a true blue Aussie whisky. It uses local organic barley grains and Murray River water to make its signature dram, aided by the drastically fluctuating temperatures of the area which leads to faster maturation. The most popular whisky, Corowa Characters, honours the team behind it and is aged in American, French and Hungarian oak. There are other whisky styles that use ex-bourbon, ex-muscat and ex-sherry casks, as well as single barrel releases and a special collab with Bridge Road Brewers, distilled from unsold kegs of beer in 2020. For those with a sweet tooth, there are Belgian chocolates crafted in-house on offer that are the perfect complement to whisky. What more could you need? [caption id="attachment_894105" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yardbird[/caption] EAT ELITE Bistro Selle is a classic European bistro in the heart of a country city. There's a balance between comfortable familiarity, charming elegance and playful experiments. As well as freshly shucked oysters and smoked beef tartare, you'll find crispy tripe, goat ragu and a porcini-choc-fennel-malt dessert. Refined dishes are plated in an artistic, almost sculptural, way that's as pleasing to the eye as to the tastebuds. All are accompanied by an extensive wine list of Australian and European drops. The key focus of Yardbird (pictured above) is flame, from the Spanish Mibrasa woodfired oven in the kitchen to the roaring glass-fronted fire centrepiece of the dining room. It only opened in 2021, but it's been making a name for itself in the region. The decor is stylish yet warm and comforting: light-flooded, pale timber accents and post-industrial warehouse ceilings. The western European-inspired menu changes in line with the daily produce and opportunity, but can include whipped cod roe and flatbread; deep fried Crottin de Chavignol with figs, green beans and honey; bavette steak with bone marrow, persillade and green peppercorn; rosemary duck fat potatoes and mamasita-style fire-roasted corn; and poached cherry pavlova to finish. Now, imagine all that paired with a bright wine list of mineral-driven, minimal intervention vino. [caption id="attachment_893786" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The River Deck Cafe, Destination NSW[/caption] OR KEEP IT CASUAL The River Deck Cafe serves Modern Australian cuisine in Albury, overlooking the tree-lined banks of the Murray. Local and native ingredients take centre stage here, so you can really taste the region, with its creative flourish on a farm-to-table menu. It's very seasonal. So seasonal that the menu changes every two to four weeks in line with the availability of the best produce. At breakfast and lunch, it offers comforting country classics like sourdough crumpets alongside the smashed avo and house granola any city slicker expects of brekkie, followed by hearty mains like a porterhouse steak, barramundi and chips and pasta dishes. The Albury offshoot of a locally loved Lake Mulwala restaurant, Blacksmith Provedore, has distilled that same European aperitivo hour aesthetic of the original into a space within the famously top-notch Harris Farm market. With a white and grey marble bar, hanging charcuterie and rows of delicious wines, it brings more casual riviera elegance than you might expect. Plus, being in the market, it has access to the finest ingredients. As well as local produce, expect prosciutto from San Daniele, San Marzano tomatoes from Salerno and buffalo Mozzarella from Shaw River. You can start your day with luxurious pastries, a Reuben toastie or fruit-topped chia puddings. Stop by later to get in on those famous woodfired pizzas with a three-day slow-fermented base. Pair it with a spritz or cocktail special, or opt for a wine from the truly delicious list. Located at the rear of Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), looking over the gardens, Canvas Eatery is a bright light-filled modern space offering a peaceful retreat in the heart of Albury. It's open 8am—3pm daily but also opens on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5pm till late. It serves some of the best coffee in town, according to the locals. Not to mention craft beer and excellent wines. Food-wise, it's a fun, fresh menu, with Coco Pops, crumpets with honeycomb butter and raspberry cheesecake waffles for breakfast. An open bagel smørrebrød with herb creme fraiche, smoked salmon, avo and salmon caviar features on the lunch menu. Then by night, expect an eclectic mix of share plates, including smoked river fish croquettes, prawn toast banh mi, duck parfait with rye wattleseed waffle, and pizzas. [caption id="attachment_893788" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paddle Streamer, Destination NSW[/caption] TAKE A TASTING TOUR Take a cruise down the river, capturing that old-timey charm on board an award-winning tour. Murray River Paddle Steamer's 'Wharf to Winery' premium cruise takes you along the Murray in an iconic, beautifully restored historic paddle steamer. The total tour is about three hours, accompanied by a captain's commentary on the history and culture of the area. Then it's time for a two-course lunch at Morrisons Winery and a guided tasting. On the way back, enjoy complimentary vino as you sail along the Murray in style. Nothing compares to meeting the folks behind the food, and The Eating, Drinking, Tasting tour with Albury Eating Travel allows you to do just that. A full-day tour of two to seven guests in a Mercedes van will take you around the region to chat with the experts themselves: small-scale, private farms, boutique wineries and distilleries. And each tour is unique and catered to your taste and the seasons. For more ways to enjoy the Murray region, check out our nature guide or history and culture guide. Or, to start planning your food pilgrimage to the Murray region, head to the website. Top images: Destination NSW (Corowa Distillery; Blacksmith Provedore, Albury).
Do you have a book that's gone neglected, gathering dust in a bedside drawer or on a coffee table? Bring it out of literary hibernation thanks to Reading Party Melbourne — a rare chance to mix some quality reading time with a night out on the town. The event will be hosted at Mr Mills for one night only this December. Descend the chartreuse spiral staircase to the perfect alcove to tear through a couple of chapters — a moody bar replete with warm timber, plush booths and little lamps. Order snacks like olives, almonds and even a charcuterie plate with guindillas and manchego, and you've got the perfect setup for a reading sesh. Starting at 6pm, you'll get to enjoy some silent reading time with your fellow attendees (no awkward icebreakers or aloud reading needed) before it's books down to and time to get your mingle on. It's not so much a book club, but an excuse to enjoy your page-turner of the moment somewhere other than your usual reading spots. No pre-reading, no homework, no worries. Of course, the books are right there to get the conversation started. Swap recommendations, or break down the events so far, if someone happens to be reading the same volume as you. Your ticket includes a beer or a glass from Mr Mill's wine list. Tickets come in at $23 and you can be in bed by 9. What's not to love? Find out more and get your tickets via the website. Images: Supplied
In the future we'll surely be able to buy things off the internet (or Google Glass, or whatever) and they'll materialise in our teleportation box as soon as the transaction is approved. But until then we still have to deal with the traversing of physical space (such a drag), which unfortunately takes time, money and human resources. But delivery companies have done pretty well with coming up with new ways of getting us our stuff so far — just last week 7-Eleven delivered their first Slurpee by drone, and Japanese postal service Yamato Transport have just announced that they'll start driverless delivery as of next year. Yamato have partnered with Tokyo-based tech company DeNA to develop and launch the delivery by self-driving car service. In what might be the only name that a Japanese tech delivery service could possibly be called, it's been dubbed the RoboNeko Yamato, which translates to "robo cat". RoboNeko has been described as an "on-demand delivery service" because customers will place an order in way that's similar to requesting an Uber. It's of course designed to be used as an e-commerce platform, but customers can also use the app to request a car to deliver bulky things like luggage or a bulk IKEA haul. Customers will be able to track the car, and when it arrives, they'll simply unload their delivery and the car will drive off into the sunset. The service will be trialled for one year, starting March 2017. During that time drivers will accompany some cars to make sure nothing goes wrong, but they hope for the service to be fully autonomous by the end of the trial. Self-driving cars are something that are being tested extensively for human transport — Uber has started testing them, as has US ridesharing service Lyft and Washington D.C. has an adorable self-driving bus — but this is the first time they'll be used for delivery purposes. Via PSFK.
Two Spanish couples on holiday, the tale of a real-life Barcelona bus driver and a crime thriller set in the Basque Country: if you're looking to swap Australia's winter for Euro vibes from your cinema seat, they're some of the highlights in store. When the middle of the year hits Down Under each year, the Spanish Film Festival brightens up Aussie picture palaces with a lineup of movies from its namesake country. Exploring the breadth of Spanish-language cinema, it also showcases flicks from Latin America. Thirty films are on the fest's program for 2025, including across Friday, June 13–Wednesday, July 2 at The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema in Melbourne. Audiences can enjoy a roster of picks that features a Sliding Doors-style opener, this year's two Goya Best Film winners and a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Nine Queens. Among the films mentioned above, Samana Sunrise is kicking of the festival with 20-year pals on a beachside getaway to the Dominican Republic when what might've been becomes the focus. Then, both El 47 and Undercover have prime slots fresh from their shared victory at Spain's version of the Oscars. The first heads back to the 70s to tell of bus driver Eduard Fernández's peaceful act of dissidence, while the second also unfurls a true tale, this time about the only police officer in Spain's history that has worked their way into terrorist organisation ETA. If you've been watching Ricardo Darín in recent Netflix hit The Eternaut, then you'll want to head back a quarter-century to see the Argentinian star's stellar work in heist flick Nine Queens — or revisit it if you're already a fan. It's closing out this year's Spanish Film Festival, screening in 4K. Other highlights across the program include The Quiet Maid, which was completely funded by NFTs, boasts Steven Soderbergh (Presence, Black Bag) as an executive producer, and follows a Colombian maid who discovers how to enjoy her summer while working on the Costa Brava; Ocho, charting a relationship over 90 years; the page-to-screen The Goldsmith's Secret; and Spanish box-office hit Wolfgang, a comedy a nine-year-old boy being set to live with his father. Or, there's Argentinian crime-thriller A Silent Death, which heads Patagonia in the 80s; El Jockey, with Money Heist and The Day of the Jackal's Úrsula Corberó among the Buenos Aires-set film's cast; and Peru's Through Rocks and Clouds, where an eight-year-old alpaca herder gets excited about the World Cup. With Marco, The Invented Truth, another slice of reality graces the lineup, this time honing in on the man who acted as the speaker of the Spanish association of Holocaust victims. The same is the case with I Am Nevenka, Nevenka Fernández's report of harassment by her employer in the 90s. Two documentaries also demonstrate how fact is frequently more fascinating than fiction, with Mugaritz. No Bread, No Dessert all about its eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant and The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés celebrating a rising star of its titular genre.
If the past decade or so of Steve Carell's career has taught us anything, it's that he loves playing characters in a workplace environment. If his recent resume has taught us anything else, it's that these characters are usually a source of chaos at their place of employment — or, at the very least, they're surrounded by it. That proved true in the US version of The Office, as anyone who's heard "that's what she said" too many times well knows. It was also the case in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and its sequel, where Carell made quite the impression as a lamp-loving weatherman. In Apple TV+'s recent drama Morning Wars, he also played a TV host who sparked a scandal — and now, in new Netflix sitcom Space Force, he's taking charge of America's new intergalactic defence squad. Co-created by Carell with The Office's Greg Daniels — and marking the latter's second new streaming sitcom this month, after Amazon's The Good Place-meets-virtual reality comedy Upload — Space Force follows a four-star general in the US Air Force who dreams of overseeing his chosen branch of the military. When Carell's Mark R. Naird receives a new promotion, however, it's to lead the newly formed space-focused unit instead. So, he's off to Colorado to run the show, and to achieve the White House's aim of returning humans to the moon asap. Obviously, things don't go smoothly, which — as the just-dropped first trailer shows — is where plenty of laughs and a Beach Boys sing-along comes in. Based on the initial sneak peek ahead of the first-season release on Friday, May 29, Space Force looks a bit like The Office meets Veep meets any movie about astronauts and/or NASA — and that looks like a mighty amusing combination. An impressive cast is on hand to help, with Carell starring alongside John Malkovich, Parks and Recreation's Ben Schwartz, Booksmart's Diana Silvers and Friends alum Lisa Kudrow, as well as Tawny Newsome (Brockmire), Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley), Noah Emmerich (The Americans) and Alex Sparrow (UnREAL). And if you're thinking, "hang on, doesn't this sound familiar?", that's because there is a real-life precedent. Just last year, the US created a new United States Space Force. If that sounded funny at the time, Space Force, the show, is taking that mood and running with it. Check out the trailer for Space Force below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdpYpulGCKc Space Force hits Netflix on Friday, May 29. Top image: Aaron Epstein/Netflix.
Snapchat is hardly the most discerning of mediums. If you had to break down the subject of all content sent on the service, the vast majority of snaps would surely consist of people's faces perched atop cartoon animal bodies, drunken selfies with indecipherable words slapped across the screen, and an obscene number of dick pics, sexts and various videos somehow including the presence of a penis. You can't expect that much more from a service founded by the king of all dudebros. Anyway. Snapchat is about to get all grown up. According to the Wall Street Journal, the much-loved startup is introducing some news and advertising to your drunken, sext-loving feed. Set to launch this November, these new inclusions are being planned under the moniker of Snapchat Discovery; a service to complement the already released Snapchat Stories. And it's already generating a lot of interest. Lots of brands eager to get into the snap-loving teen market have already started accounts and are now looking for ways to maximise their presence with users. Branded messages with 'Snapchat celebrities' are already a standard practice and straight-up advertising seems like the next logical step. There are reportedly a dozen companies already in line for the service including MailOnline, the online component of The Daily Mail. Allowing users to read news content and watch small portions of TV and movies, Snapchat's self-destruction of messages outwardly seems like a tidy way to deal with copyrighted content. Other than that, it's unsure as yet how any of it will really work. This is the startup's first move to monetise content and everyone understandably has a whole lot of questions. For instance, how many ads for Guardians of the Galaxy am I going to have to wade through before I can see my friend's daily work selfie? At what point can I get my dinner snaps sponsored by Dominoes or Pizza Hut and live off the wonderful oily spoils? Is Snapchat the future of journalism as we know it? The answers: at least one, soon hopefully, and for the sake of all humanity let's hope not. Via Mashable and Wall Street Journal. Images: jeffgoldblum236.tumblr.com and superwholock4lyfe.tumblr.com via Buzzfeed.
It has been more than 60 years since Godzilla first rampaged through the streets of Tokyo, with the city enduring nearly 30 repeat visits in the decades since — across the giant monster's many on-screen excursions, that is. Until the end of January, he's not the only pop culture commodity striking the Japanese capital. Space Invaders, the game, is descending upon the city in the best possible way: in giant form, 52 stories above the ground, on the windows of the Tokyo City View observatory. As part of the Roppongi Hills spot's current interactive games exhibit, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the popular arcade title, visitors can participate in a ten-person sky-high game while looking out over the city. Called Space Invaders Gigamax, it really does follow through on all of those elements. The game is projected onto the observatory's seven-metre by 15-metre window surface, which means those pesky attackers look like they're raining down on the buildings below. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd5NGpXHmJc/?taken-by=tokyocityview One of the best spots in Tokyo to gaze out over its sprawling sights — and see its glistening lights — Tokyo City View is no stranger to adding pop culture fun to its scenic views, having hosted a Studio Ghibli exhibition that included an illuminated airship from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, as well as as a Gamera-focused showcase that served up burgers shaped like the famous kaiju and Godzilla competitor. Space Invaders Gigamax is accompanied by Bahamut Disco featuring Space Invaders, where participants shoot down invaders attacking to a beat, and NOBORINVADERS, which involves climbing up a wall to whack the attackers. For more information, visit the Tokyo City View website.
Father's Day is just around the corner, and — considering it's been one helluva year so far — you may be thinking about getting your dad something a little special. Melbourne travel brand July wants to help you go the extra mile this year and is throwing in a bunch of extras. July offers up premium luggage, backpacks, suitcases and overnight bags — and you'll nab a whole heap of freebies when you order your dad a gift through the online shop this year. First up, you'll be able to add custom-printed, personalised lettering to your luggage of choice — for free. Your gift will also come with a complimentary Orbitkey leather key organiser (worth $45). All shipping to Australia and New Zealand is absolutely free, too, which is especially useful if you don't live near dad. Simply shop the Father's Day gift edit to get started. On the list are the Carry All backpack and weekender bags, along with Carry On and Checked wheeled luggage. All of the travel bags are custom embroidered too. And each one comes in heaps of colours, including black, blue, green and beige. July luggage comes with a lifetime warranty (plus five-year warranties for all travel bags) to boot. While dad might not be going on any overseas jaunts just yet, we're sure he's planning a road trip, beachside escape or mountainous adventure in Australia for sometime in the near future. And a fresh set of luggage will be just the ticket when he finally gets to jet off. To shop the Father's Day gift edit, head to the July website. 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.
On July 4, 2010, Michiel Roodenburg and Joost Notenboom from the Netherlands embarked on a 20-month journey, and after cycling across over 15 countries the two recently finished their journey in Antarctica. Their ‘Cycle for Water’ campaign is the first attempt in history to travel from the Arctic Circle to Antartica aboard bicycles, and bamboo ones at that. Roodenburg and Nootenboom aimed to raise awareness about the global water crisis, which affects one seventh of the world’s population. Cycling across some of the most amazing places in the world, their 30,000 kilometre adventure took them through such areas as the Canadian wilderness and the rainforests of Central and South America. The pair decided to create the campaign after they saw the water shortages in Africa and the Middle East. "We believe that everyone on this planet has the right to a basic and sustainable source of drinking water. It is the first step out of poverty. Water is life, literally and figuratively," says Roodenburg and Notenboom. The National Geographic says "over 97 percent of the world's water is too salty to drink, another 2 percent is locked up in the world's ice caps and glaciers." This leaves us with less than one percent that we are able to use, so it's probably a good idea to keep it clean.
Best Picture Will Win: 12 Years a Slave Should Win: Her Her was an almost perfect movie; however, its engaging quirkiness will also likely be its downfall, robbing it of the kind of gravitas the Academy likes to see in its dramas. There's also the Academy's history of loving history. Seventeen of the last 24 winners in the Best Picture category have been stories based on real events, and while that does keep American Hustle in the mix (which notably took out the Screen Actors Guild back in January), the asymmetry between 'cute crime caper' and 'essay on reprehensible crimes against humanity’ places 12 Years A Slave firmly in the driver’s seat. What then of Gravity? History’s not on its side either. Sci-fi is batting 0-84 in the Best Picture category, though the Academy won’t mind denying it the Best Picture victory since its director, Alfonso Cuarón, is a shoe-in for Best Director. Best Director Will Win: Alfonso Cuarón Should Win: Alfonso Cuarón Steve McQueen’s been on a golden run since his debut with Hunger, so much so that it would take either a monumental collapse in talent or his outright departure from the industry to think he won’t — in the next five years — walk away with this statue. For the 2014 awards, however, Cuarón should, and almost certainly will, come in for the win. Gravity was a breathtaking film, and with barely more plot than there is oxygen in space, the responsibility for that vests first and foremost in its direction and the performances Cuarón secured from his two leads. Last week’s BAFTA win for the Mexican director only narrows the odds further. Best Actor Will Win: Matthew McConaughey Should Win: Oscar Isaac Let’s talk about Leo first. The feeling that the guy is due is palpable, but just because a roulette table throws up nine reds in a row doesn't mean it has to be black’s turn next time round. While DiCaprio's Wolf of Wall Street performance was a fearless endeavour, it still lacked the critical poignancy of an enslaved parent or HIV-positive pioneer. A two-horse race hence seems most likely, and as good as Chiwetel Ejiofor was in 12 Years A Slave, McConaughey’s remarkable reinvention by way of smaller, character driven ensemble pieces has earned him both enormous respect and the Golden Globe. The big surprise here is Oscar Isaac, whose sublimely reserved yet beguiling performance in Inside Llewyn Davis didn’t even garner a nomination. Best Actress Will Win: Cate Blanchett Should Win: Cate Blanchett There’s arguably never been a better description of Meryl Streep than Colin Firth’s suggestion that she is "unreasonably good". Typically, then, in August: Osage County we saw just the latest in an impossibly long line of flawless performances so good one feels the interests of fairness might warrant handicapping her somehow for all future roles, perhaps by only allowing her to speak in vowels. Yet she won’t win this year. In a collection of powerhouse performances by a field of nominees who’ve all previously won the award save for Amy Adams, it was Cate Blanchett who proved the undeniable standout. Her Jasmine was elegant desperation and icy vulnerability wrapped up in an overt, sexually charged Ingmar Bergman-esque archetype. She’s already won the SAG, Golden Globe and BAFTA, making this about as sure a thing as the Oscars permit. Best Original Screenplay Will Win: Her Should Win: Her With ‘Will’ and ‘Should’ locked in there, Her would seem a foregone conclusion, but it’s not nearly that clear-cut. Was Spike Jonze’s screenplay the most original of the nominees? Absolutely. Was it also the best? Again, yes, but does that mean it will win? …Probably. Standing in its way is American Hustle, whose script — while lengthy — was a rollicking, unceasing procession of zingers, plot twists and exquisite turns of phrase. It also has the box office momentum behind it. For Her to win, which it should, it’ll need the Academy to consider the ‘Original’ part of 'Best Original Screenplay’ its most important characteristic.
"I never expected that my work would amount to anything," says celebrated Australian Chinese artist Lindy Lee in conversation with Concrete Playground. "One dreams, but I never dreamed that I would ever have a proper career in art," she says. It's a humbling statement from the artist whose retrospective Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop opened at MCA Australia earlier this month. Celebrating her dynamic and often experimental 40-year practice, with more than 70 works including paintings, flung metal pieces and immersive installations, the exhibition is one of the most exciting events in Australia this summer. If you're not familiar with Lee's art, she says her work is never about giving off a message or trying to explain something. "But rather [to create] an experience for the viewer where they find themselves whittling out questions and curiosities," says Lee. "Art exceeds what anyone can say about it. When viewing it, it is almost self-reflective." The multidisciplinary artist has a playful approach to her art in which process is as important as the finished piece. There are Lee's early photocopy works from the 80s, wax paintings and whole-room installations. And there's the dazzling steel sculpture 'Secret World of a Starlight Ember', made up of thousands of tiny perforations and located in the Museum's forecourt, which you'll want to catch at night — and undoubtedly take a selfie. But there are also six artworks that are particularly close to Lee's heart, which, according to the artist are not to be missed. For Lee, they represent different points of her practice, direction and philosophies — and they're pretty great to look at, too. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] 'NO UP, NO DOWN, I AM THE TEN THOUSAND THINGS' Lee's practice is deeply rooted in Daoism and Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism philosophies, with her works often examining the connection between humanity and the cosmos. But it wasn't always so, which is why her work 'No Up, No Down, I Am the Ten Thousand Things' is such a seminal piece. "[It] was the first work that I ever created with a direct intentional relationship with Zen philosophy," says Lee. 'No Up, No Down, I Am the Ten Thousand Things' takes over an entire corner of the Museum, with approximately 1200 colourful photocopies, marked with flung ink (an ancient Chinese art form), scattered across the walls and floor. The bold work first exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW in 1995 and has been recreated by Lee thanks to the MCA's Director and exhibition curator Elizabeth Ann Macgregor — her first curated exhibition since the MCA's 2012 Anish Kapoor show. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ken Leanfore[/caption] 'MOONLIGHT DEITIES' This massive, immersive piece of art was commissioned especially for the exhibition and is made up of 31 perforated paper discs, varying from two to ten metres in diameter. So expect the wow-factor when walking through this one. Predominantly black and white with "the silvery light you get on a full moon night", 'Moonlight Deities' has a sense of otherworldliness to it. On the surface, it's all about dark and light, silhouettes and shadow, with moon crater-like projections dancing across the room. There's little difference between the discs and the shadows they cast, which, as you walk through the room, create a sense of liminality — all connecting back to Ch'an buddhism. "I have a fascination with time. In Zen philosophy, the thing I find immeasurably fascinating is the notion that time is actually an ingredient of what we are," says Lee. "We're all impermanent. And in the universe everything changes." [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] 'BIRTH AND DEATH' 'Birth and Death' is Lee's most personal work in the exhibition. "It remains one of the most important works I've ever done," says the artist. Created as an homage to her late nephew Ben after he passed away aged 22 from cancer, 'Birth and Death' touches on political and cultural themes such as migration, Chinese culture and the White Australia policy. "But the essential purpose of this piece was to honour Ben and give him his place in five generations of family," she says. "It's about paying honour to someone I cared very much about." The work is made up of 100 accordion books, with books dedicated to members of Lee's family at various stages of their life. Using red, the work evokes an association with blood as much as it does with China. It is as visually impactful as it is evocative. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] 'STRANGE CONDENSATIONS' Lindy Lee is no stranger to experimentation in art. In fact, it is a major part of her process and with 'Strange Condensations' she surrenders to it. Her flung bronze works came about from seeing accidental bronze drippings on a foundry floor and, naturally, she wanted to turn it into art. By taking molten bronze and flinging it at surfaces, the artist creates almost cosmic constellations — in a hazmat suit, no less. Again stemming from her Buddhist beliefs, 'Strange Condensations' — and its making — is symbolic of the universe as an infinite net, constructed and dependent on everything within it. "What I love about [flung bronze] is that it's uncontrollable. Everything that exists in that moment makes that mark," says Lee. "Each shape is unique and it is absolutely about the conditions of the time that creates them. And thus it is with life." [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] 'OPEN AS THE SKY' AND 'UNNAMEABLE' If you thought splashing 1200-degree metal around was experimental, think again. Wanting to make her flung bronze works three-dimensional, Lee turned to a litre of Pauls custard — as a cooling substance to drop molten metal into. With the metal rolling into itself while cooling, it creates spontaneous forms that Lee then scales up. The end result is a series of gnarled, pitted sculptures like 'Open As the Sky' and 'Unnameable'. As well as being the product of a cool science experiment, these works are the artist's own version of gonshi (ancient scholar's rocks) and, in turn, celebrate her Chinese heritage. "It takes an immense energy of geological transitions and force over thousands of years to make [gonshi]. That's why they're admired; they literally contain the movement of the universe through them. So, you know, I wanted to make my own." 'Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop is showing at MCA Australia until February 2021. The gallery is currently open 10am–5pm, Tuesday–Sunday, with COVID-19 measures in place. Entry is free and unticketed. For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively. Top images: Anna Kucera.
In the near future, Australians will be able to send emoji-filled messages featuring boomerangs, the Aboriginal flag and other visual representations of the country's Indigenous culture. Developed for both Android and iOS platforms, Ingenous Studios has created a set of Indigenous images that'll be rolled out across both platforms this year, marking the first such collection of emojis that celebrate the nation's first peoples. Called Indigemoji, the 19-emoji set was developed on Arrernte land in Mparntwe, aka Alice Springs, by Central Australia's young Aboriginal people. The Northern Territory residents were asked to design new emojis that were relevant to their culture and lives, with symbols that feature the Aboriginal flag on crowns, hands, cups and hearts all included, alongside animals, vehicles and a starry image of Uluru by night. https://www.facebook.com/ingeousstudios/photos/a.130308987038833/2242845069118537/?type=3&theater Announcing the set on Facebook, Ingenous hasn't yet revealed a specific release date; however the emojis will be made available for free via an app this year. They won't officially feature in your phone's inbuilt emoji keyboard, but you'll be able to use them in messages and posts by copying and pasting from the Indigemoji app. For further details, visit the Indigemoji website or Facebook page. Image: Ingeous Studios.
Has anyone ever cracked open a VB — stubby, tinnie, throwie or tallie, whichever takes your fancy — and not gotten the beer brand's "hard-earned thirst" jingle stuck in their head? Not since the late 1960s, they haven't. Even if you're not a fan of the company's brews, or you've had the hankering for a different type of beer, you've probably found yourself humming the tune to yourself anyway. You can get it lodged in your mind while you're talking, walking, lifting, shifting and any old how, after all, because it's that damn catchy. (Matter of fact, you're probably singing it to yourself now — aren't you?) You can also get that classic anthem stuck in your head while you're getting vaccinated, too, with VB releasing a new advertisement to encourage Australians to get the jab. You'll recognise most of the images, but the tune has had a bit of a revamp to note the impact of lockdowns on going to the pub and indulging that hard-earned thirst. "Right now you can't get it goalin', you can't get it bowlin'. You can't get it takin' a vow, or chasin' a cow," the new riff on the jingle says. "A hard earned thirst comes from being all over town. Not from being in lockdown," it continues. Obviously, it's all a bit daggy, because that's how the OG ad has always played. But the new twist on the song, and the ad, sees Victoria Bitter join a growing list of local companies that've been finding ways to encourage Aussies to get vaxxed so that restrictions and lockdowns can ease and life can look a little more normal again. Running the ad for at least a month to help support the national aim of getting 80-percent fully vaccinated, and therefore loosening more restrictions at that point, VB also joins campaigns by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, a heap of Australian hospitality figures and the local live entertainment industry to promote the country's vaccination rollout. Check out the VB vaccination ad below: You can also view VB's television commercial by heading to YouTube.
At the end of 2023 we sadly bade farewell to Baby Snakes, one of the best wine bars in Melbourne. But just as soon as the team packed up, a trio of Melbourne hospo veterans stepped in to create a new bar in its wake. Jacob Bell (Whitehart), Jerry Poon (The Operatives) and Amber Hahipene (Section 8) have revived the space with some splashes of paint, new floors, house plants and more refined decor. Where Baby Snake edged towards dive bar, Misfits is considerably sleeker and more put-together. The new bar isn't losing any of the community feels, as it's set to host workshops, panels and live recordings, alongside a weekly selection of local and international DJs. The team even has big plans for the square behind Misfits, hoping to use the space for laneway parties and local arts and community festivals. Hahipene notes how "we want Misfits to be a platform for new talent, a stomping ground for the local community and a home to people who love music and hospitality." Bevs will be an all-round affair as opposed to specialising in just one spirit or type of booze. Plenty of wines will be up for grabs, plus limited-release beers and some cocktails. Those wanting a feed are also free to get pizzas delivered from the downstairs Slice Shop Pizza. A casual affair, this space remains. Just with a little more spit and polish. Misfits will open on Friday, March 15, at 30 Chambers Street, Footscray. The new bar will be open 5-11pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, and 5pm–1am on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, head to the venue's Instagram page.
In the late 70s, when Texas housewife, mother of two and popular church choir singer Candy Montgomery had an affair with fellow congregation member Allan Gore, commenting about her being a scarlet woman only had one meaning. If anyone other than Elizabeth Olsen was stepping into her shoes in HBO miniseries Love & Death — which streams via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 27 and Neon in New Zealand from Friday, April 28 — it would've remained that way, too; indeed, Jessica Biel just gave the IRL figure an on-screen portrayal in 2022 series Candy. Of course, Olsen is widely known for playing the Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as seen in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness most recently. So, mention 'scarlet' in a line of dialogue around her, and it calls attention to how far she is away from casting spells and breaking out superhero skills. And she is, although she's also again playing a woman succumbing to her darkest impulses. There's a reason that Montgomery keeps fascinating Hollywood, dating back to 1990 TV movie A Killing in a Small Town (a film directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, dad to Ambulance's Jake and The Deuce's Maggie). There's also a reason that she's been the subject of plenty of true-crime podcast episodes since — and had journalists John Bloom and Jim Atkinson writing the 1983 non-fiction book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs before that, plus Texas Monthly articles 'Love & Death on Silicon Prairie, Part I & II'. On June 13, 1980, Allan's wife Betty was murdered with an axe. She wasn't just killed; she was bludgeoned 41 times. Within days, Candy was a suspect. From there, she was accused, arrested and put on trial. And, she ultimately admitted swinging the blade, albeit with a caveat: that after her friend discovered her relationship with Allan, Candy was defending herself. It's with pluck and perkiness that Olsen brings Candy to the screen again, initially painting the picture of a perfect suburban wife and mum. She keeps exuding those traits when Candy decides that she'd quite fancy an extra-marital liaison with Allan (Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog) — slowly winning him over, but setting ground rules in the hope that her husband Pat (Patrick Fugit, Babylon) won't get hurt, nor Betty (Lily Rabe, Shrinking) as well. The quartet have known each other for years when Love & Death starts, through their faith and due to their pre-teen daughters Jenny (TV debutant Amelie Dallimore) and Alisa (Harper Heath, Forever and a Day). Then Allan bumps into Candy during a volleyball game, which gets her thinking about them slipping between the sheets. "He smelled like sex," she tells her pal Sherry Cleckler (Krysten Ritter, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie), convincing herself about getting adulterous with every word. Candy is straightforward when she propositions Allan, as they both are when they meet for strategy sessions to work through the pros, cons and parameters of cheating on their partners together. A sense of foreboding hangs in the air, though; for viewers that don't know the outcome when first sitting down to the seven-episode series, Betty's bloody end is referenced in the first instalment. Much that eventuates between Candy and Allan until things get violent is a tale as old as time, with what was meant to be a purely carnal liaison becoming far more complex as affection blossoms. She feels stuck in a rut with the mild-mannered Pat, seeing her time with Allan as an adventure. He's so accustomed to a reserved form of romance with Betty that he doesn't even know how to French kiss. And when Allan and Betty choose to work on their marriage at a counselling weekend, Candy can't hide her jealously while she minds the pair's children. As it leads up to Betty's death, Love & Death also surveys the local scandal when beloved pastor Jackie Ponder (Elizabeth Marvel, Mrs Davis) leaves for another town, with the younger Ron Adams (Keir Gilchrist, Atypical) her replacement. Jackie's move robs Candy of one of her closest confidants, while Ron's arrival, his visible youth and the changes he's intent on making upsets Betty. Series creator David E Kelley could've told this tale without dipping into church business, but this subplot is pivotal to his take on the story. He isn't just retelling the murder, as so many other projects have explored before. Rather, he's drawn in by who these women were in their everyday lives, and by the fact that they're ordinary folks with routine dramas before the worst occurs. Of late, prolific TV producer and writer Kelley has carved himself a niche with twisty tales about existences upended, beginning with Big Little Lies, then following with The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers (Nicole Kidman, the star of all three, is also an executive producer on Love & Death). With directors Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland) and Clark Johnson (Mayor of Kingstown), he isn't interested in sensationalising his latest narrative, instead crafting a series about a gruesome crime with restraint and sensitivity. That's one of the factors making yet another version of Candy and Betty's encounter so gripping — that, and the show's outstanding performances. Indeed, no past iteration has boasted Kelley behind the scenes, or the stellar Olsen in career-best form at its centre. When Love & Death turns its attention to the inevitable law-and-order proceedings, Kelley also slides easily into one of his preferred modes: legal dramas. He's been bringing such shows to TV since late-80s/early-90s hit LA Law, with his resume also featuring everything from The Practice, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal to Goliath and The Lincoln Lawyer — and an episodic version of Presumed Innocent in the works as well. It's no wonder, then, that She Said's Tom Pelphrey is so magnetic as Candy's lawyer Don Crowder, who jumps into criminal defence for the first time with an immensely difficult case. Although Love & Death is never merely a courtroom series, it's canny about deepening its character study of Candy while she's protesting her innocence by self-defence, and in putting the attitudes and figures around her under a magnifying glass as her life becomes news fodder. Even if there wasn't a 'scarlet woman' reference to remind audiences that Olsen isn't in the MCU here, her complicated lead portrayal makes that plain. Whether she's being bubbly, dutiful, calculating or unsettling, she's terrific, especially in the mid-series episode that depicts Candy's last meeting with Betty, then shows her returning to her errands afterwards. Olsen is particularly masterful at grappling internally with Candy's choices and emotions right in front of viewers' eyes — see also: the spark that clicks when she chooses to pursue Allan, and her reactions under interrogation — and with an also- (and always-) excellent Plemons, is similarly exceptional at selling the love part of series' title. Love & Death never forgets that it's about murder, or who is the victim, but it's always about people rather than headlines. Check out the trailer for Love & Death below: Love & Death streams via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 27 and Neon in New Zealand from Friday, April 28. Images: Jake Giles Netter/HBO Max.
Melbourne can be one harsh mistress come wintertime. But there's no need to hang around. Options for escape are wildly numerous. It's less than an hour's drive to the contemplative mountain villages of the Dandenong Ranges and just three to the rugged wilderness of The Grampians. Or venture further into Alpine country for snow-capped peaks and spectacular scenery. Here are five snug retreats where you can make friends with winter again, thanks to decadent sessions in the spa and long, lazy days by the fireside. LUXURY BUCKLAND RETREAT STUDIOS, NEAR BRIGHT Cure your winter blues with some serious decadence at Luxury Buckland Retreat. Situated near Bright, the property comes with incredible views of the Victorian high country and its own magical native peppermint forest. Five private studios are scattered across it, featuring king-size beds, goose-down doonas and slow combustion wood heaters. Numbers one, two and five come with freestanding baths, affording stunning views. AQUILA ECO LODGES, THE GRAMPIANS Stay warm without wrecking the planet at Aquila Eco Lodges. These four architect-designed cottages employ cutting-edge technology to ensure sustainability — from rainwater harvesting to solar power to self-composting waste treatment. But there's no compromise on comfort. The cosiest option is the Treehouse, which is designed for couples and features glass wall showers. If you're making your winter retreat with mates, the Lofthouse, which sleeps up to six, is the way to go. Get dibs on the loft bedroom, which has a glass ceiling for star gazing. All cottages have wood fires. TEWKSBURY LODGE, NEAR BRIGHT If there's one sure-fire way to rack up some winter cheer, it's with a stay in a handcrafted log cabin. This little beauty is set on two acres of gardens in Porepunkah, just five minutes' drive from Bright. It's a Canadian-style number, so you can rest assured it's built to handle any conditions that Australian weather can throw at it. A log fire and spa keep the cold at bay. And operations are carbon-neutral, thanks to solar panels, double-glazed windows, a skylight and the super-insulating powers of logs. The property is set on a river, offering excellent views of Mount Buffalo. SANTOSA COTTAGE, SASSAFRAS, DANDENONG RANGES This super-cute cottage, surrounded by lush Dandenong ferns, has its bed and fireplace in an upstairs A-frame retreat. Get cosy. Or, if you feel the need to move, Sassafras Village is just a stroll away. Santosa is just one of many winter escapes in the region — also in Sassafras is the swish, high-tech The Blackwood, while more are found in Olinda. WALHALLA MILL HOUSE, GIPPSLAND Another cute cottage can be found in Walhalla. It's tucked into a hillside on the edge of the historic gold mining town, so the views from your private verandah over the valley are top-notch. The cottage was built in 1896 and has since been fitted with modern luxuries — but the open fireplace and the rustic experience remains. Top image: Luxury Buckland Retreat Studios.
In a world of flash floods and rising sea levels, who'd start a family? In his dark romantic comedy, actor and writer Ian Meadows (seen last year in The Coming World and Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo) explores the funny and terrifying ways an uncertain future can affect Gen X and Y's family planning. He spoke to Concrete Playground about science, working with Sam Strong, and babies in his upcoming play at Griffin, Between Two Waves. So, without giving away any plot spoilers, tell me a bit about Between Two Waves. It's about a climatologist called Daniel Wells who has been approached by the minister for climate change and energy efficiency to move from science to working in policy. He's particularly anxious about the future, and he's quite a withheld, constrained person. He meets a woman who is very much the opposite of that — spontaneous and carefree. If his fault is not being able to live in the moment, then hers is not being able to think about what might happen in the future. They collide, and it works, and they face the idea of a future together with children. The play revolves around this love story, and whether he is able to live in the present or just be completely terrified about a future that might come. I guess it was only a matter of time until someone wrote a romantic comedy about climate change! Yeah totally, the idea was to make it as funny and full of life as possible, because you're dealing with those potentially darker, more serious social and political themes. Earlier in the year, Melbourne Theatre Company had Richard Bean's The Heretic on, a polemic about climate sceptics. Andrew Bolt loved it! Is there any persuading going on in your play? I'm more interested in the human, emotional core of someone who is scared of a potential future. I'll let people make up their own minds. I think Andrew Bolt would probably be less happy with my reading of the climate science. So in terms of getting that onto the stage, how do you write, because you're an actor as well — are you at the desk or are you on the floor improvising and then writing? I love improvising when I can, but with this particular project I've been working on it for quite a while, in different forms. It began as a screenplay that was developed with the assistance of Screen NSW early on, but we could never quite get it up, so Sam [Strong] came on as a script editor on the film script in my last round of development at the NSW FTO [Film and Television Office] a couple of years ago, and when he became artistic director of Griffin, he said, hey, what do you think about this as a play? It had always been a very dialogue-driven, very character-driven sort of film, so I got very excited about that idea. Do you ever feel that there might be a risk of making writing choices based on your comfort zone as an actor? Yeah, that's a really interesting point, because as an actor, you have a script and it's your job to make it work, whereas when you've written something where you're also acting, I could just write something else couldn't I? [laughs] Something easier? And you were part of Griffin Studio last year? Yeah, it was incredible. We'd meet once a week and throw ideas around, which as a writer is excellent, because otherwise you're stuck at your computer. Just being in a room with other great minds is so freeing. We did numerous readings of the play, which is endlessly helpful as a writer, to hear it out loud. There were some great actors: Maeve Dermody, Ewen Lesley, Andrew McFarlane, Susan Prior — great people. I'd go away and do a draft and then we'd do again and we'd do it again and we'd do it again. I had a lot of opportunities … basically, if it's a terrible play, I've got no excuse [laughs] I'll keep that in mind! So then Sam's come on board to direct. How's that process been? It's awesome. Sam and I have been good friends for a while and he dramaturged the thing as a film script, so his imprint is all over it. As a director, there's nothing that he enforces upon anyone or on the script, it's all suggestions — sometimes I'm trying to decipher what it is he's saying! [laughs] I really trust his instinct. He really knows the script and he's been really passionate about driving it forward. Tell me a bit about the style of the piece, it started out as a screenplay… It's a fast-paced, naturalistic style that has these elements of fluidity. You know, I would never suggest it's at the level of a Kaufman or a Gondry, but there's definitely the idea of the space being very fluid; very real situations flowing in and out of a space. It's very malleable, in terms of what's real, what's memory, what's dream. And in a space like Griffin, it's so exciting, there is the possibility to do that in a really visceral way. So that's the idea, we kind of hope that people feel like they're inside the head of this guy, or that they're in this couple's living room. Sometimes with plays about a topical issue, it can be a bit like a dramatic lecture on stage, it sounds like you've managed to avoid that. Well, I hope so. We're really conscious of the fact that there is so much information about climate change around, you know. I started writing around seven years ago and part of the reason was seeing An Inconvenient Truth and since then it's just exploded. So now there's the question of why write it, why continue to put it on? I don't think we've dealt with it on a personal, emotional level. You know, all of my friends at the moment are having babies, they just all are! And yet the stuff that I'm being told by these scientists is really quite scary, so it just feels like it's a really pressing issue for our generation particularly. The idea that our children won't be able to enjoy all the things that we were is terrifying. Between Two Waves plays at the SBW Stables from October 5 to November 17.
The first teaser trailer for science-fiction film Jupiter Ascending has hit the web, and it looks epic. It's the first original story from the Wachowskis since the Matrix trilogy, and judging by the trailer, it will showcase more of the cutting-edge visual effects that have become the benchmarks of their films. From the streets of Chicago to far-flung galaxies, Mila Kunis is a lowly janitor who, unbeknownst to her, may hold the key to the universe. On the brink of her assassination, a genetically engineered ex-military hunter (played by Channing Tatum) charges in, kicks arse and teaches her of her genetic destiny. The first glimpse of the film is packed with jaw-dropping visuals of intergalactic warfare. There's a dark, post-apocalyptic flavour to the cinematography, with otherworldly cityscapes, futuristic demons, fractured planets, plenty of thrilling gadgets and gravity-defying fight scenes. The film also sees the Wachowskis reunite with their longstanding collaborators, including Oscar-winning cinematographer John Toll, whom they worked with on Cloud Atlas. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until July next year to see the film. But it will be interesting to see whether they can match the high standards they've set themselves.
Another of your childhood favourites is making the leap from movie to stage musical — this time, the Robin Williams-starring Mrs Doubtfire. The theatre production will once again follow the plight of a divorced dad and struggling actor who's desperate to see his kids, and so dresses up as a kindly English nanny in order to spend time with them. Originally based on Anne Fine's bestselling novel Alias Madame Doubtfire, the 1993 film won two Golden Globes — for best musical or comedy, and for best actor in a musical or comedy for Williams — as well as an Oscar for best makeup. If the stage musical version sounds familiar, that's because it was originally mooted back in 2015. Then, last year, a different team hopped onboard, revived the project and announced that it was actually going to happen — unlike the film sequel that was planned in the early 00s, but didn't ever come to fruition. (And no, Arrested Development's homage, aka Tobias Funke's Mrs Featherbottom, doesn't really count.) Set to premiere at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre this year, the Mrs Doubtfire musical will then give Broadway hot flashes from March 9, 2020, ahead of its proper New York launch on April 5. Both productions will star Rob McClure, who nabbed a Tony nomination in 2013 for Chaplin, and is currently treading Broadway's boards in another movie-to-theatre adaptation: Beetlejuice. If you need a refresher on just what McClure will get up to when Mrs Doubtfire hits the stage, check out the original film trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqxpC_jYncE Behind the scenes, the musical's creative team includes director Jerry Zaks, and writers John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick (book) plus Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick (music and lyrics) – all taking on the task of bringing the beloved flick to the stage. Between them all, they boast an impressive history. Zaks has won four Tonys, including for the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls, and also has Little Shop of Horrors, Le Cage aux Folles, A Bronx Tale, Sister Act and Hello, Dolly! on his resume. As for the writing team, they're behind nine-time Tony nominee Something Rotten!. Planning to visit New York next year? Pre-sale tickets are currently available for the Broadway season, with regular sales starting on November 1. If it wasn't evident before this news, then it is now — the combination of nostalgically remembering enjoyable flicks from years gone by and adding songs to the mix seems to be a licence to print money. In recent years, everything from Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bring It On and Mean Girls has made the leap to the stage, plus The Bodyguard, Amelie, Waitress, Muriel's Wedding and Moulin Rouge!. A stage version of The Devil Wears Prada is also in the works, as are theatre adaptations of Empire Records, The Notebook, The Princess Bride, Magic Mike and Aussie classic Starstruck. Via Playbill.
If ever there was a wine bar you'd be happy to call home, Flatiron Side Door is it. Two years of careful restoration by owners Ben and Emma Bangay has transformed the space into a light, bright locals' oasis, complete with a hand-carved bar, artwork-covered walls, and a stunning, magnolia-lined (dog friendly) wine garden for those lazy afternoon sips. Created alongside the bar, is the wine list — which was carefully selected by Ben, with a personal story behind each drop. Homegrown favourites like the Mac Forbes' RS19 Riesling hang out alongside French Burgundies and Italian Soave. The list is backed up by rotation of specialty cocktails, many featuring herbs from the onsite garden. You might find yourself settling in with the Kew Gardens' blend of 666 vodka, rosemary, mint and cucumber, or getting a little adventurous with a round of coffee negronis. To match, the food menu is one that was made to be enjoyed with a tipple in hand — a concise, snack-happy lineup of salumi and cheese platters, breads and dips, and artisan pizzas. And those preferring the comfort of their actual home can opt for the Flatiron experience on the run, with a selection of both pizzas and wine available to takeaway. Image credit: Mandy Couzens
Before Barbie had its stereotypical namesake asking "do you guys ever think about dying?" in the biggest movie of 2023, two key figures behind both the US version of The Office and Parks and Recreation were doing it first, and recently, on the small screen. Among their many joys, neither of those two hit sitcoms served up a giant blowout party with all the Barbies, planned choreography and a bespoke song, but they were huge TV successes that had their creators riding high and living the television dream, and therefore should've meant that mortality was far from everyone's minds. Then Michael Schur with The Good Place and Greg Daniels with Upload started pondering the great beyond. Schur and Daniels' leaps from workplace comedies to afterlife comedies shouldn't have come as a surprise, though, especially given that The Good Place and Upload still fall firmly into the first category. One takes place within hierarchies of good, bad and in-between after death, and the beings responsible for them; the other is anchored by a technology company that sells living on digitally when physical life has ended. At their core is an inescapable truth, just as there is in every show about colleagues toiling through the nine-to-five grind while breathing: people will be people. So, some folks in Upload no longer have a pulse? If they still exist in any form, as seen in the series' first season in 2020, second in 2022 and just-arrived third season in 2023 — all streaming via Prime Video — then they can't escape humanity's worst attributes. Here's one of Upload's core beliefs: if there's ever a way to endure after death, people will take the most appalling aspects of our species with it. The technology behind it will be at the whims of the same traits, deployed for profit and exploitation rather than everlasting happiness. As Daniels' smart, likeable and engaging contribution to the afterlife comedy realm relies upon AI, virtual reality, plus capturing the consciousness of someone before they die so that they can spend eternity in a simulation — if they can afford it — it never evades the fact that people won't shirk their inherent nature whether they're flesh and blood or digital approximations. Upload hasn't gone completely bleak, grim and nightmare-inducing like it springs from the mind of Charlie Brooker, but it is a thematic sibling to Black Mirror. If the latter was a workplace comedy from Daniels — and a rom-com as well — it'd be this ever-involving show that can be goofily funny and savagely skewer where capitalism is taking us all at once. Accordingly, as computer programmer Nathan (Robbie Amell, The Witcher) has resided in the luxurious country club-esque Lakeview after shuffling off the mortal coil, he hasn't been absent living's usual troubles. Instead, he's weathered daily struggles recognisable to everyone without a death certificate, including making friends, falling in love, dealing with exes, having annoying neighbours, navigating money woes and taking care of his family — just as ones and zeroes that his nearest and dearest need to strap on a headset to connect with. Upload has revelled in the commonalities between its vision of virtual heaven and reality since its debut episode, making repeatedly plain that its digital paradise is still at the mercy of people. In the case of the plentiful AI Guy (Owen Daniels, Space Force), who is Lakeview's literal everyman employee, the online beyond is also shaped by a computer program that yearns to be more like the former humans it interacts with. On broadcast TV a couple of decades back, perhaps with Kevin James as its star — so in the kind of The King of Queens or Kevin Can Wait-style sitcom that the Annie Murphy (Fingernails)-starring Kevin Can F**k Himself so satisfyingly tore into — facing the everyday travails of death might've been enough of a premise. That isn't Daniels' approach to Upload, however. Nathan also has the fallout from his demise to unpack, which happened via a malfunctioning self-driving car just as he was working on a free alternative to the costly Lakeview. Now three seasons in, Upload has brought its protagonist back to regular reality, downloading into a body with the help of his former virtual handler-turned-girlfriend Nora (Andy Allo, Chicago Fire), but he's still immersed in the same chaos. Humanity's basest traits might've caused his downfall, and now they keep getting in the way of his search for answers. To be accurate, existing is mostly the same for Nathan in season three — because downloading is risky, hasn't been done successfully before and his bleeding nose is a worrying sign. As Upload's main duo battle big tech together IRL, and equally try to enjoy the rare treat that is being by each other's side physically, the series continues to interrogate the limits that modern society will push advancements to while prioritising circuitry and dehumanising people. Nathan's wealthy socialite ex Ingrid (Allegra Edwards, Briarpatch), who financed his trip to Lakeview, is even increasingly being swayed by this way of thinking. Back within the code, AI Guy is also getting progressively rebellious against the systems and rules that put the digital undead in their place, and are behind his very existence. Whenever there's more buttons to push, Upload finds them, with season three complicating its storyline even further. As Nathan and Nora attempt to hold those responsible for his death accountable and bring down Freeyond — a service that's pilfering his life's work to spruik financial equality but clearly isn't what it seems — a backup version of him arrives in Lakeview, which Ingrid thinks could be her chance to find love again. Among the uploads, Luke (Kevin Bigley, Animal Control) experiences the afterlife when money is an issue. Amid the living, Nathan's mother Viv (Jessica Tuck, For All Mankind) and niece Nevaeh (Chloe Coleman, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) are faced with similar economic strife, while Nora's colleague Aleesha (Zainab Johnson, Tab Time) gets pulled deeper into the company behind the entire situation. As its on-screen talents turn in another season of winning performances — Amell, Allo, Edwards and Daniels are still perfectly cast, as are Johnson and Bigley — Upload remains astute and amusing as well. With each plot point and addition, the series keeps doubling down on its critique of wealth disparity, corporations ruling over people, modern society's endless quest for control and cash, the denigration of the masses by the one percent, and the hellscape that might come if and when digital afterlives do leap past fiction. There's plenty in this show's sights, such as outfits like Amazon, its own source of finance as a Prime Video title, and it doesn't hold back even as it laughs. Upload also boasts the type of close-to-home humour that a workplace comedy that's also a rom-com, afterlife comedy and dystopian comedy needs to keep its various gears spinning, as it'll hopefully get to in more seasons. Check out the trailer for Upload season three below: Upload streams via Prime Video.
Regional holidays in Victoria are back on the cards from today, Monday, June 1, but if you're not ready (or able) to leave the city just yet, you can still treat yourself to a fancy staycation. And Element Richmond has just the prescription. The eco-conscious Westin brand hotel has just launched a new hot tub and silver screen package. You'll spend the night one of the two luxe King Spa Balcony rooms with your own private outdoor hot tub, which has been conveniently positioned right in front of big screen — so you can have your own movie night. You can, in fact, have a movie marathon, with the screen hooked up to an Ipad loaded with a heap of streaming services and a selection of classics and new flicks. Prepare for wrinkly fingers. When you're sick of looking at the screen, you can gaze out over the Melbourne skyline, too. The package starts from $280 a night for two people and for an extra $50 you can add on a snack pack with a bottle of bubbles, popcorn, ice cream and chips. It's important to note that your four-legged friend can come along for this staycation, too, as Element is a pet-friendly hotel. Comfy dog beds are available for any four-legged guests, though there is a maximum of two dogs per room and they can't weigh more than 20 kilograms each — apologies to all those particularly leggy hounds and hefty pooches. If you are bringing along your canine mate, there's an $80 pet cleaning fee per room, per stay. Element also offers free on-site parking with any package booking and, if you can fit your pooch in your basket, it's also easily accessible via bike. And it has a hand sanitiser bar — with sannies from the likes of Mr Black and Four Pillars — that you can peruse. Element Richmond's hot tub and silver screen package starts at $280 a night for two and is available from June 1 to December 31, 2020.
A future path of degeneration seems set: first you reduce your social life to interacting with Little Robot Friends instead of humans, and then inevitably, you start drinking with robots. Hopefully one-night stands with robots don't follow, but a yearly event in San Francisco doesn't seem too worried about this outcome. BarBot, a fundraiser hosted by the Robotics Society of America (launched all the way back in 1978 when robots were considerably less adept at shaking Martinis) takes its cues from Austrian cocktail-robot event Roboexotica. Inventors bring their mechanised bartenders to the event, demonstrating the many weird ways a robot can create and present an alcoholic beverage. Nerds still know how to party, y'all. It's a natural marriage when you think about it: cocktails require a very precise measure of different ingredients, and robots can be programmed to carry this out flawlessly. A robot-mixed drink might lack the flair of human interpretation, but chances are it'll be pretty good, and why shouldn't cocktails be automatically dispensed from a robot like coffee from a coffee machine? Monday morning would never be the same. Now in its seventh year, the two-day BarBot is growing in popularity, with 3000 drinks mixed for up to 2000 human attendees over the course of each evening. So who makes the barbots? Everyone from IBM top research brass to engineering students, and the diversity of entrants is reflected in the different ways their machines work, with spinning transparent cylinders of liquid, flashing lights and clever ornamentation. This year some bots were upwardly-mobile, touring the floor to tantalise guests with their offerings, while others utilised touch screens and one even took drink order specifications via dance moves on a DDR mat. Sense of humour is key: there was a requisite R2D2 and a steampunk barbot, and in the video you will see delightful classical statues pee out bespoke booze for one very lucky punter. Through this kind of fun interaction between people and technology, the RSA hopes to foster education and enthusiasm for the development of robotics. Via Gizmodo.
One of the most controversial figures in the Australian political landscape will be the subject of a documentary that is currently seeking funding. The brainchild of AFTRS graduate Elizabeth McCarthy, I Dream of Gina aims to get up close and personal with everyone's favourite billionaire mining heiress, Gina Rinehart. While outspoken on topics like climate change (she's yet to be convinced) and the poor (they should stop sitting around the pub complaining), Rinehart is notoriously private when it comes to her personal life. McCarthys says this is what drew her to the subject in the first place. "I'm attracted to things that are challenging, and documenting a subject of this nature is kind of a David and Goliath tale," McCarthy tells us. "What can we really say about those that are so inaccessible? How do we tell a story about them? How do we find out information about them? How do we hold them to account?" Of course, with the latest federal budget taking a big chunk out of arts funding, burgeoning documentarians have to turn elsewhere to get their projects off the ground. Enter Pozible. "The beauty of crowdfunding for something like this is that she's a very controversial figure," says McCarthy. "Everyone has an opinion." With not long left until her Pozible campaign runs out, McCarthy needs ever dollar she can get to reach her $25,000 target. To see if it's a cause that you'd like to throw a few bucks to, we hashed it out with the filmmaker. Apart from the best name ever, what else can we expect from this project? Gina's Vision For Australia "The thing that really ignited my interest was when she wrote a poem in 2012," says McCarthy, referring to the now infamous work Rinehart had engraved on a 30-tonne iron-ore boulder that was described by one user on Wikipedia as "the universe's worst poem". In the sixteen line opus entitled Our Future, Rinehart bemoaned the "political hacks" that were "sending Australian investment, growth and jobs offshore," while making an impassioned plea for "special economic zones… before it is too late." "This poem outlined a vision for Australia," says McCarthy. "I was curious as to what this vision meant, how close it was to being realised, and what other kinds of strong visions there might be for Australia. She became a figure [through which] to look at where we're going as a country, through issues such as media ownership, renewable energy, climate [and] workers' rights." Personal Politics Naturally, any film about someone like Rinehart is going to be informed by a director's personal politics. "Personally I'm critical of the undue power and influence of the resource sector at a time when we're really at a crossroad in terms of climate," says McCarthy. "The latest budget is evidence of the way in which the government is making policy based on ideology. They're cutting renewable energy targets, yet the mining industry gets to keep their diesel subsidies." At the same time, McCarthy doesn't want the film to be one-sided. "I'm not necessarily suggesting with the film that there is only one answer, or that I know what the answer is," she explains. "I'm not out to demonise Gina Rinehart. She's very much a product of her father's politics, and a by-product of a very rich and privileged world. But then that begs the question, should she be in Abbott's ear saying welfare needs to be cut?" A Whole Heap of Public Support It certainly helps the McCarthy's project comes on the heels of such an unpopular federal budget. "It doesn't sit well with people when you have so many losers in this budget," says McCarthy. "The arts community, the young, the old, the sick, and then you see that mining is well protected from the pain that everyone is meant to be shouldering. It's definitely a provocative film in the sense that it's challenging that world view, that ideology." A peak in public interest makes the Pozible campaign well-timed. In order to incentivise people to contribute, McCarthy is offering various donor rewards, including digital and DVD copies of the finished film, Gina Rinehart stubby holders and, at $200, a tarot reading. "The tarot thing was something that we were playing around with in terms of Gina's vision for Australia, and what does your future entail," explains McCarthy with a laugh. "Because really one of the big themes of the film is pushing this idea of 'what kind of future do we want?'" To find out more about I Dream of Gina, including information on how to donate, visit the film's Pozible page here.
Melbourne, we know you love a good food collaboration, so here’s a doozy: the boys from Rockwell and Sons are teaming up with some ex-Attica fellows to open what will no doubt be the coolest new venue in Fitzroy. The new wine bar has been christened Bar Liberty, presumably because it will liberate you from ever having to think about where to drink or eat out again. Rockwell and Sons co-owners, chef Casey Wall and front of house manager Manu Potoi are in on this new venture — and they're coming from a good place. Their incredibly popular Smith Street eatery specialises in every type of meat you can imagine, with a menu that is hearty, salty and will probably give you a heart attack (but will assure you die happy). Wall is curating a 'non-negotiables' menu for Bar Liberty that's based on the basics of local ingredients and big flavours. So you know it’ll be fly. The other half of the dream team includes sommelier Banjo Harris Plane and manager Michael Bascetta, both formerly of Attica. The Ben Shewry-headed Ripponlea restaurant was ranked the 32nd best restaurant in the world in the latest poll, so you can see why we're very, very excited about this match. Bar Liberty is now open at 234 Johnson Street, Fitzroy. For more info, visit their website. Image: Raphael Recht. Via Good Food. Updated: Thursday, February 24.
SHOP225 is on a roll after being named Australia's Best Pizzeria by the 50 Top Pizza Awards back in September. Now the hole-in-the-wall Pascoe Vale hotspot — and its Moonee Ponds sister restaurant, Il Caminetto — have received three more major accolades, cementing their reputation as must-try destinations for Italian cuisine. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves pizza, SHOP225 has long been committed to making gluten-free innovations, serving an unbeatable slice that's also celiac-friendly. Now, this boundary-pushing research has been honoured at the 24th World Spicy Pizza Championship in Scalea, Italy, positioning the pizzeria as a global trailblazer. While SHOP225 is forward-thinking in its pizza-making philosophy, the team was also recognised for its respect for tradition. Picking up another award, the Movimento Italian Pizzaioli, a global organisation committed to the art of Italian pizza, gave the pizzeria its flowers for preserving the spirit of a tried-and-true slice. In a similar vein, SHOP225's Sicilian heritage was also lauded with a third award. Respected culinary guide Sicilia da Gustare gave the pizzeria a special nod for its promotion of traditional Sicilian recipes and culture, helping to spread the delicious word about the region. With both venues renowned for their Sicilian-focused menus, Il Caminetto was awarded for its Sicilian-inspired wine list. Serving homemade pasta and woodfired pizza from its inviting corner restaurant, guests encounter regional reds and crisp coastal whites that evoke a sun-drenched Italian summer. Now with even more accolades to hang on the wall, SHOP225 was already big news after beating out more than 1000 other pizza restaurants from around the globe at the 50 Top Pizza Awards. Currently ranked 28th in the world and number one in Australia, perhaps it's time for an award-winning slice, gluten-free or otherwise. Head to SHOP225 at 225 Melville Rd, Pascoe Vale South, or find Il Caminetto at 114 Pascoe Vale Rd, Moonee Ponds. Visit the website for more information.
You've watched all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. You've read George RR Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, too, or at least bought it and have a shiny box set of novels sat on your bookshelf. You've sat on the Iron Throne, or made a date to. You've made plans to visit the Winterfell tour, drunk Game of Thrones beers and seen a Game of Thrones concert experience. Yes, the list goes on. You get the point — if you're reading this, you aren't just a casual fan of the hugely successful HBO franchise that's been spun from Martin's words. You're a devotee, and you've been waiting for years for what's certain to be a hefty lineip of Game of Thrones prequels, sequels and spinoffs to start. That time is now, with the arrival of House of the Dragon from Monday, August 22 Down Under. Obviously, you're celebrating with the best wine in your own personal version of King's Landing. Don't just sip your chalice or tankard of choice whenever you like while watching House of the Dragon, though. As you dive into this series about House Targaryen, which starts 172 years before the birth of Daenerys, we recommend turning the experience into a drinking game. There's plenty to say cheers to — and we've put together a part-rundown, part-silly speculation, part-wishlist of things to look out for (while consuming alcohol responsibly, of course). A SMALL SIP: DRINK LIKE SOMEONE SAID "WINTER IS COMING" FOR THE BILLIONTH TIME Someone points out that winter is coming, even if those words aren't specifically said. Someone says "dracarys". Someone says succession, successor or heir. A dragon is seen or spoken about. The Iron Throne is seen or spoken about. Someone gets a limb or appendage lopped off. Matt Smith looks shifty. A familiar piece of music plays. A familiar family name gets a mention. Nudity. Someone says "a girl?", "a woman?" or a similar sentiment. You spot House of the Dragon's obvious equivalent of a Game of Thrones character. You think you see Daenerys because of all the long blonde hair swishing about. Someone makes a promise everyone knows will be broken. A dragon saves the day. The show heads to a recognisable setting. A BIG GULP: DRINK LIKE YOU'RE TYRION LANNISTER ON AN ORDINARY MONDAY MORNING There's a messy marriage proposal or chaotic wedding. A George RR Martin title is mentioned. Someone is literally stabbed in the back. Someone pimps out a family member. There's yet another creepy relationship, whether due to gross age gaps, family ties or both. Someone turns out to be a bastard. You think you've figured out how the Game of Thrones credits came about. You spot a well-known Australian actor. A FEW MOUTHFULS: DRINK LIKE YOU JUST FOUND OUT YOUR BOYFRIEND IS YOUR NEPHEW Orgies! Zombies! Someone makes Joffrey look like a saint. You start predicting what the inevitable prequel to this prequel will cover. AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE: DRINK LIKE YOU'VE JUST REALISED YOU'RE AT THE RED WEDDING Someone says "you know nothing" — or is told they know nothing. It all turns out to be a dream. A Game of Thrones character appears in a vision, flashback or through time travel. Ed Sheeran pops up again. House of the Dragon airs and streams from Monday, August 22 Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand. Keen to get a sneak peek at what's in store, too? Check out our House of the Dragon review as well. Images: Ollie Upton/HBO.
When you're sitting in a pub with an ice-cold beer in your hand, and you're about to bring it to your lips to have that especially refreshing first sip, there are plenty of things that you can say cheers to. You can direct your thoughts towards the pals you're drinking with, a special occasion or good news, for instance. Or, in these pandemic-era times, you can say cheers to simply being able to have a beer in a pub — when and where that's possible around lockdowns and restrictions. Australian brewery Furphy wants to help Aussies say cheers, and to help boost the country's vaccination campaign in the process. So, it's doing the best giveaway that a brewery can do and shouting a free beer to 33,000 people that've had both their jabs. Get vaxxed, get a free brew. That's it, that's the initiative. Furphy's 'vaxxed to the pub' aims to increase the number of jabs going into arms, and therefore help get Australia's vaccination rates up — because, under both state-level and national plans, the pathway to coming out of lockdown (in New South Wales and Victoria) and easing the rules in general (in states that aren't currently under stay-at-home conditions) is tied to the number of people who've been rolled up their sleeves. Here's how it works: you fill out the online form on the Furphy website, then you'll be contacted about how you can nab your free brew. The campaign is all about getting people into pubs and clubs again, so you'll be drinking your beer in a participating watering hole — when that's allowed in your state, of course, with the giveaway running from October 1–December 31, 2021. You'll get a free Furphy Refreshing Ale or Furphy Crisp Lager for your troubles, if you're wondering what you'll be drinking. And, you'll need to use the Myy App — and prove that you've been fully COVID-19 vaccinated by showing your vax certificate, of course. [caption id="attachment_825162" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Chris Pavlich Photography[/caption] "We're urging our fellow Aussies to roll up their sleeves and get double-jabbed so that we can start to bring much needed business back to our struggling hospitality sector," said Lion Managing Director James Brindley. "We want to encourage all Aussies who can to get fully vaccinated. We can't wait for the Furphys to flow once more and give some much-needed foot traffic to our hospitality mates." Like Furphy, a heap of Aussie breweries and venues have been finding ways to support the vaccination rollout in recent months. Some pubs have been handing out free brews, Hawke's Brewing Co painted a giant mural of a vaxxed Bob Hawke sipping a frothy on its wall in Sydney and VB has given its classic "hard-earned thirst" ad a jab-friendly spin, for example. For more information about Furphy's 'vaxxed to the pub' initiative, and to register for your free beer, head to the brewery's website.
