Reward yourself this autumn at Lillian Brasserie, with its new unlimited oyster special. Running every Tuesday to Sunday between 12pm–3pm, this Chris Lucas favourite is serving up bottomless salty molluscs for a bargain $44 per person. Slurp your way into the weekend by digging into as many Pacific oysters as you can handle, all freshly shucked to order. After you've treated yourself to some of the ocean's finest, you can look towards one of Lillian's daily specials, all spiked with European influences and priced at an easy $29.50. There's a confit duck leg with bacon, lentils and crispy kale, or a lighter option that pairs pumpkin, zucchini and ricotta with linguine. A classic sirloin steak sandwich marries smoked cheddar, tomato, bearnaise and beetroot slaw, while a smoked trout salad is elevated with a herb emulsion, potatoes and radish. Lillian sits alongside Society, at 80 Collins Street, Melbourne.
If Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar get teamed up again on-screen after Drop, don't be surprised. In a film set in a swanky sky-high Chicago restaurant, the two make a dream first-date pair. The importance of that shrewd casting move shouldn't be underestimated, because this thriller relies on its stars perfecting a number of complex tasks that are crucial to the feature's vibe. Viewers should feel the sparks between them, even when things get awkward. They need to want to like them as a couple, too. A layer of suspicion also has to float over Sklenar's Henry — but when Fahy's Violet is told by anonymous airdrops to kill him or there'll be grave consequences, no one should hope for that to happen. Directed by the Happy Death Day franchise and Freaky's Christopher Landon, Drop turns the initial in-person encounter been two people who've been connecting online into a fight for survival, and a puzzle. Inspired by IRL unrecognised messages coming producer Cameron Fuller (The Astronaut) and executive producer Sam Lerner's (The Goldbergs) ways on a holiday, the flick boasts a "what would you do?" scenario as well. In actuality, no one was told to get homicidal, of course, but that's what awaits Violet in a largely one-setting mystery where almost everybody is a suspect, tech surveillance and safety are also in focus, and the relatable fears that bubble up about the difference between how we present ourselves online and reality also drive the narrative. Landon's aim: to make a film with a modern Hitchcock feel that also takes inspiration from 90s thrillers, both things that audiences don't see every day in cinemas of late. That mix, that mission, that mood that Landon was looking for — and achieves — stood out to both The Bold Type, The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple's Fahy and 1923 and It Ends with Us' Sklenar. "It had a very clear point of view, which is part of what I found so attractive about the idea of it. I think it really knew what it wanted to do and knew what it was," Fahy tells Concrete Playground. Adds Sklenar: "it's a decisive film". Drop's villain is equally resolute: if Violet doesn't do what she's told or informs anyone about the instructions that she's being sent, this nightmare will impact her young son (debutant Jacob Robinson) and sister (Violett Beane, Death and Other Details). She can see on her home security cameras that someone has already broken into her house while she's out, waiting to harm her loved ones, all as she's attempting to be charismatic with Henry and uncover who is behind her hellish ordeal. Landon is purposeful himself, especially about plunging viewers into an immersive setup. The same applied with his cast and crew: to help those on the filmmaking journey with him, the production built a fully functioning restaurant to shoot in, right down to a real chef creating the menu. [caption id="attachment_1000353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.[/caption] Do real-life awkward date moments — including the highly relatable type when unease simmers, even if just to you, because small things have gone wrong but they feel huge inside your head — assist when that's what you're enlisted to navigate? "We've all had those kinds of experiences," Fahy advises. "Definitely," chimes in Sklenar, noting that he "can't do mouth noises". The duo riff about it. "Like chewing and stuff," says Fahy. "That would be a thing for me," stresses Sklenar. "Makes you twitch. I get that. Noted," responds Fahy again. As the two bounce back and forth while speaking with us, they're in the same bantering mode that Violent and Henry are early in the movie, and charmingly, before the picture's date is saddled with life-and-death stakes. Drop places Fahy in another twisty mystery, as The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple both have in the last few years. With survivors of abuse also factoring into the storyline, as was the case in It Ends with Us, Sklenar is similarly in familiar territory. Symmetry also echoes in the two talents' paths to here, after starting out as actors at around the same time — onstage in the late 00s for Fahy, and in 2011 film Cornered for Sklenar — then working their way through the likes of One Life to Live, Political Animals, Miss Sloane, Mapplethorpe, Vice and Emily the Criminal between them to their recent respective TV successes. Amid jokes from the pair about their parallels, plus also potential other genres that Drop could've taken its thriller-slash-relationship drama into, we chatted with Fahy and Sklenar about the latest standout addition to their resumes. How pivotal it was for the movie to be as invested in the date as in the unnerving airdrops, shooting in the film's very own restaurant, Violet's survival story, approaching the picture as a long play: they all came up as well. On How Crucial It Is That the Film Is Invested in the Date, and in the Relationship at Its Centre, as Much as Its Horror-Thriller Setup Brandon: "It was important." Meghann: "I think it's part of what totally is so fun about the movie, because it has a romantic component to it, it is sort of a date movie, but it is also kind of a thriller. You get both. It's very much a hybrid." Brandon: "There was a sci-fi element early on, but we took that out — we just thought it was too genre-bending." Meghann: "But I think ultimately the story is about this relationship, and these two people who really are connecting in a way that is important and new for both of them. And it would be a great date if she didn't have to kill him." Brandon: "Yeah, it would be." Meghann: "It would be great." Brandon: "And in the end, it ends up being a good thing, I think. I think that it's not all bad." Meghann: "Nope." On Shooting in a Fully Functioning Restaurant That Was Created Just for the Film, Right Down to a Real Chef Whipping Up the Menu Meghann: "It was hugely helpful. I mean, you're in the environment, and it's so real that there's not even a big weird movie light in your face. It's just the lighting on the table and in the ceiling, so you really genuinely walk onto that set and you think 'I'm in a restaurant right now'. Which is incredible. It was very realistic." Brandon: "Yeah, it was." On Fahy's Task Digging Into Violet's Survival Story, and What It Takes to for Her to Keep Enduring Meghann: "I think that the way that we meet Violet is so violent and disturbing, and it has so much to do with her journey as a woman after that — and how she interacts with him, and why she's so nervous to go on the date in the first place. And so it's hugely informative, and was something that Chris and I talked about a lot, because it was so important that we honour her journey into moving on and having a healthy relationship — and being happy and feeling brave, and getting outside of herself and trusting herself. And I think that's what feels so good about this film, is the audience really gets to see her kind of become her own superhero. And it's just so wonderful to see that happen." On How Sklenar Approached Portraying Someone That Viewers Have to Remain on Edge with and Suspicious of, But Also Still Want to Like Brandon: "I think that there's a small degree of being aware of the plot and where it's moving, and trying to mislead the audience consciously in a certain way — and how you look at somebody or how you speak a line, or maybe a moment that you do that isn't scripted necessarily to misdirect the audience. And other than that, I think that it's on the page, mostly. And then, in just finding a rhythm with Meghann, and doing these scenes — it's essentially one giant scene, because it's in real time as soon as we get to the restaurant. So it's one 70-something-page scene." Meghann: "Yeah." Brandon: "And I prepared it like that. I memorised it like a play. And then you just show up and do it, and it just requires a great deal of presence and being present, as it is really like an acting exercise. And just being as present as you possibly can be." Meghann: "I don't think he gives himself enough credit for how interesting he made that character and how many tiny, nuanced things he layered into Henry, but it was really impressive." On Whether Fahy's Run of Twisty Mysteries, Including The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple, Is an Active Choice or How Great Parts Have Come Her Way Meghann: "I guess it's a little bit of both, to be honest with you. It is a genre that I really enjoy myself when I'm watching stuff, and it's super fun to make. So yeah, I think it's kind of — it was never consciously something I was chasing. I think it's just how things worked out. But yeah, there's definitely a mixture of both of those things for sure." On Fahy and Sklenar's Similar Journeys to Drop, After Starting Acting Around the Same Time and Enjoying Recent Small-Screen Successes (Including in 1923 for Sklenar) Brandon: "I guess we kind of do have paralleled situations. Same age. Kind of hitting it at the same time." Meghann: "Same hair." Brandon: "Same hair? Yeah, both Irish. I think that it's cool. I mean, I wouldn't have it any other way." Meghann:"Yeah, me either." Brandon: "I think there's something, there's a certain appreciation you have for the journey when you're not, I think, in your early 20s and you reach a certain level of success, and you've sort of worked at it for a really long time and tried to improve yourself personally along the way — because I'm a firm believer that the external is just a reflection of the internal. And neither of us would be sitting here at this table had we not grown as human beings outside of this crazy thing we decided to do with our lives. So that's imperative. And I think they're one and the same, and it's just a testament to keeping at it." [caption id="attachment_1000366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages[/caption] Meghann: "Yeah, taking it as it comes." Brandon: "And trying to do the best you can." Meghann: "Yeah, day by day. 100 percent. I completely agree." Drop opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Is the Avatar franchise set to win its third Academy Award for Best Visual Effects? With its characteristically rich and stunning visuals, the just-dropped first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash makes that case. The latest film in the sci-fi saga is set to arrive three years after Avatar: The Way of Water, and 13 years after all things Avatar initially hit cinemas with what's still the world's biggest box-office blockbuster. Get ready to return to Pandora: come December 2025, James Cameron will usher viewers back to the Na'vi-inhabited moon, and into the middle chapter in the director's planned five-film series. In past entries, forests and reefs have proven home to the franchise's blue-hued residents, but volcanic plains join in this time around. So, meet: the Ash People. Oona Chaplin (Treason) portrays Varang, the new clan's leader. Her message in the sneak peek: "your goddess has no dominion here". When Avatar: Fire and Ash plays in picture palaces Down Under from Thursday, December 18, viewers will also see Michelle Yeoh (Star Trek: Section 31) and David Thewlis (Sherlock & Daughter) among the cast. Leading the ensemble, Sam Worthington (Relay) and Emilia Pérez Oscar-winner Zoe Saldana (Elio) are back as Jake Sully and his warrior wife Neytiri, alongside fellow returnees Sigourney Weaver (The Gorge), Stephen Lang (House of David), Cliff Curtis (Invincible), Britain Dalton (Dark Harvest), Trinity Bliss (The Life of Chuck), Jack Champion (Everything's Going to Be Great), Bailey Bass (Interview with the Vampire) and Kate Winslet (Lee). Cameron once again directs, and co-wrote the screenplay with the also-returning Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Mulan). Since the first Avatar in 2009, the filmmaker behind it has only helmed movies in the franchise. If getting excited about one new Avatar film isn't enough, the two final flicks that are set to follow Avatar: Fire and Ash are slated for release in 2029 and 2031, respectively. Check out the Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer below: Avatar: Fire and Ash releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 18, 2025 Images: courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
"The grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see. And then one day, I got in." If you've watched 1982's TRON and its 28-years-later sequel TRON: Legacy in 2010, or listened to the latter's sublime Daft Punk-scored soundtrack, then you've heard those words. But what if everything that Jeff Bridges (The Old Man) describes as Kevin Flynn wasn't relegated to the virtual realm? In TRON: Ares, viewers will watch what happens when the program that shares the movie's moniker makes the jump from the digital space to the real world, giving humanity its first encounter with AI beings. Indeed, amid its heavy lashings of laser-red hues, the just-dropped first trailer for the feature has a monster-movie vibe when worlds start to collide. Flesh-and-blood folks such as Greta Lee (The Studio) stare up, then start fleeing. While things happen quickly in the digital realm, films about it clearly don't always earn the same description, given that it has now been over four decades since the first TRON film made its way to cinemas, and 15 years since its first sequel. A third movie was announced the very same year that TRON: Legacy released, in fact, but TRON: Ares has taken time to return cinemagoers to the grid. For much of the past decade and a half, it's been one of those pictures in the "I'll believe it when I'm actually sitting in a theatre watching it with my own eyes" category, until Disney not only announced that the feature had a date with picture palaces in 2025, but also dropped a first image from it. The date that you can see the next TRON on the big screen: Thursday, October 9, 2025 Down Under. Cast-wise, Jared Leto (Haunted Mansion) plays Ares, aka the threatening face of AI. Bridges is also back as the software-company employee who first found himself in the digital world in the initial flick. Evan Peters (Agatha All Along), Hasan Minhaj (It Ends with Us), Jodie Turner-Smith (The Agency), Arturo Castro (The Vince Staples Show), Cameron Monaghan (Shameless) and Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) co-star in TRON: Ares, while Joachim Rønning (Young Woman and the Sea) directs. Following on from Daft Punk's masterpiece of a score for TRON: Legacy was always going to be a tough feat, but TRON: Ares isn't skimping on musical talent. Doing the honours, as heard in the feature's first trailer: Nine Inch Nails, adding to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' run of film work (see also: Soul, Mank, Bones and All, Empire of Light, The Killer, Challengers, Queer and The Franchise just in the 2020s alone). Check out the first trailer for TRON: Ares below: TRON: Ares releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Images: courtesy of DIsney. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Taking up the space beneath the century-old bones of Invicta House, II.II.VI (that's 'two two six', for those playing along at home) is a subterranean dining room built on serious firepower. Named for its Flinders Lane address in Roman numerals — itself a nod to ancient wood- and charcoal-fuelled cooking traditions — this moody, 115-seat dining room draws on cross-cultural fire-cooking rituals, reimagined through a produce-driven, modern Australian lens. The vibe is, in a word, dramatic — with custom art deco-inspired lighting, plush oxblood leather banquettes, deep blue accents and a glowing stone bar setting the tone. The dining room is anchored by an open kitchen, where a parrilla grill, robata and charcoal ovens bring the fire. [caption id="attachment_1008097" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Sonmez Photography[/caption] The menu by Executive Chef Kerry Lam (Koko at Crown, Calia Group) and Head Chef Haitham Richani (Gradi Group, Barmah Park Restaurant & Cellar Door, Hopetoun Tea Rooms) borrows from Japanese, South American and Basque grilling traditions, all while spotlighting premium Australian produce. You can choose between a two- or three-course menu that might feature the likes of Abrolhos Island scallops and dry-aged Mayura MB9+ wagyu, while a dedicated bar menu features bites like charred skewers, blistered cast iron bread and prime cuts of steak. II.II.VI is by the same team behind Sri Lankan import Ministry of Crab, which is also located in Invicta House. Much like its stablemate, II.II.VI is showcasing a sense of sophistication worthy of its address. [caption id="attachment_1008094" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Sonmez Photography[/caption] Top images: Tim Sonmez Photography.
They're called The Kindred, not The Family. Adrienne Beaufort is their leader, not Anne Hamilton-Byrne. But there's no mistaking the inspiration for JP Pomare's book In the Clearing and its new eight-part Disney+ adaptation The Clearing, which streams from Wednesday, May 24. Exploring the inner workings of an Australian cult based in rural Victoria, spouting New Age sentiments mixed with doomsday thinking, fixated upon blonde-haired children and led by a charismatic woman — a rare female cult leader — this tale fictionalises the real-life details documented in countless newspaper headlines since the 80s, and also in Rosie Jones' 2016 documentary The Family and 2019 series The Cult of the Family. Amid their so-wild-they-can-only-be-true stories, both of Jones' projects showed viewers the eerie image of children with platinum locks in severe bobs and dressed in matching blue attire. That distinctive look is similarly at the heart of Disney+'s first original scripted Aussie drama. In the earlier of its timelines, Amy (Julia Savage, Blaze) dons the tresses and uniform as one of the older children at Adrienne's (Miranda Otto, Wellmania) Blackmarsh bush compound — one being prepared to be her heir, and made an accomplice in the group's quest to add more kids to its ranks. Initially dutiful, the teenager is soon questioning the only existence she's ever known, with its harsh rules, strict aunties keeping everyone in line between Adrienne's sporadic visits, weekend services attended by well-to-do acolytes and, sharing the show's title, its LSD-fuelled confessional sessions. The catalyst for Amy's growing unease: assisting The Kindred to kidnap schoolgirl Sara (Lily LaTorre, Run Rabbit Run). Even before her hair is bleached, the eight-year-old that's rechristened Asha rejects her new home. So, as Aunty Tamsin (Kate Mulvany, Hunters) and Aunty Hannah (Anna Lise Phillips, Irreverent) struggle with the brood's latest addition, Amy is charged with helping her new sister assimilate. Creators and writers Elise McCredie (Stateless) and Matt Cameron (Jack Irish), co-scripting with Osamah Sami (Ali's Wedding), aren't solely interested in the rituals and restrictions at the heart of the cult, however, although they find much to mine in its routines, power games and warped dynamics. As it jumps between the past and present, The Clearing is even more concerned with the interplay between control and choice — and the trauma that springs both from a life enforced upon someone and from the decisions they willingly make. "They are as pure and untainted as it is possible to be," Adrienne tells her followers of Amy and her so-called siblings. "A generation raised away from the suffocating rules of society, nurtured under the most perfect conditions," she continues. Even if The Clearing didn't dart forward, then return to The Kindred's heyday, the twisted reality behind those words couldn't be more apparent. There's nothing idyllic about Amy's upbringing, where Tamsin plays cruel disciplinarian, Hannah's exasperation hangs in the air, Adrienne's conditional love and fleeting presence are dangled as carrots, and only Henrik Wilczek (Erroll Shand, The Justice of Bunny King) offers a reliable source of kindness. There's nothing caring about The Kindred co-founder Dr Bryce Latham (Guy Pearce, Mare of Easttown), either, who reinforces just how calculating this sect is about its operations. When The Clearing dwells in the now, still in Victoria at its leafiest, nothing evades the smear of heartbreak and damage as well. Indeed, when single mother Freya Heywood (Teresa Palmer, Ride Like a Girl) hears about a girl being abducted, she can't shake the feeling that history is repeating. She dotes over her primary school-aged son Billy (debutant Flynn Wandin), but she's also visibly nervous and anxious. When she keeps spotting a white van, she's a portrait of panic. In an apt opening image — the show's very first scene — Freya is initially introduced in a lake, submerged up to her shoulders before disappearing below. The Clearing's directors Jeffrey Walker (Lambs of God) and Gracie Otto (Seriously Red) bring this sight to mind often, including what happens next: the surface is still, Freya is lost to the water and her descent into its depths goes unnoticed by the surrounding world. How the show's timelines connect is one of its original mysteries, but the series brings 2011 movie Martha Marcy May Marlene to mind, too. Also a tautly made and atmospheric psychological thriller, the film flits between life within a cult and the difficulties coming out the other side; Love & Death's Elizabeth Olsen plays its many-monikered namesake, while Deadwood alum John Hawkes throws around his menace. The Endless, 2017's brain-bender about two adults returning to the UFO death cult they were a part of as kids, likewise bobs up — and, thanks to Freya's impressive remote home and a throughline about the sway that parents hold over their offspring, Hereditary does as well. As it ponders people forever changed and frayed by an inescapable influence, and how that shapes their paths as adults, The Clearing is clearly in exceptional company. With Savage, Palmer and Otto at its centre, The Clearing also fills its frames with impressive talent. In Blaze and now this, Savage continues to excel as young women dealt tragic hands by fate, and never paints her characters as victims first and foremost; complicated teens feeling every possible emotion in response to complex situations are becoming the rising talent's speciality. Palmer wears Freya's pain and agitation like a second skin, bearing the shattering weight of being unable to clean a murky past out of her head and heart, too. And Otto is transfixing as Adrienne, splashing around a brand of charisma that can keep a congregation in her thrall, and mistreated children, but can't patch over the imposing figure's dangerous sense of self-importance, her masterful scheming and the lengths she's willing to go to to have her flock in her sway. Brandishing its ties to The Family so overtly, and starring a who's who of Aussie film and TV — Claudia Karvan (Bump), Mark Coles-Smith (Mystery Road: Origin), Hazem Shammas (The Twelve), Xavier Samuel (Elvis), Harry Greenwood (Wakefield), Matt Okine (The Other Guy) and Doris Younane (Five Bedrooms) also feature — The Clearing was always going to intrigue, and has since being announced by Disney in mid-2022. That's why viewers will initially press play, but it isn't what makes the series so riveting. It's one thing to dramatise a notorious cult that drugged adults and kids with psychedelics, and to examine the woman pulling the strings. It's another to convey such a range of swirling mindsets, motivations, impacts and coping mechanisms, and so comprehensively and probingly. Chillingly and gripping from the outset, The Clearing haunts far more than just its on-screen characters. Check out the trailer for The Clearing below: The Clearing streams via Disney+ from Wednesday, May 24.
It's safe to say the husband-and-wife duo behind Yulongfu take their dumplings seriously. Located on Bourke Street, this Shanghainese-style steamed bun restaurant is a celebration of tradition and craftsmanship, its menu of signature dim sum morsels expertly handmade to long-held family recipes — some dating back as far as 1904. The 130-seat space is an inviting one, lit warmly and decorated with ornamental birds. It even boasts a dumpling stage where you can catch the chefs in action as you dine on their carefully folded creations. Xiao long bao are the specialty stars of this show, each dumpling featuring the requisite 16 perfect pleats and plump with a hot, soupy filling. Right now, you'll even find a dramatic (and oh-so-Melbourne) black variety, teaming the rich flavours of a black truffle casing with an aromatic pork broth centre. Beyond the many styles of steamed dumplings, pan-fried buns and juicy wontons, there's a wealth of other Shanghainese delights begging to be shared with your crew — an elaborate sweet and sour barramundi dish, drunken chicken marinated in Chinese wine, claypots and sizzling black pepper beef, to name just a few. Images: Griffin Simm
Nestled down the quiet end of Brunswick Street since mid-2017, Fitzroy bar Amarillo sports a sunny disposition. Its name is Spanish for yellow, so the upbeat mood fits. Before evening arrives, it also boasts a light-filled space that's perfect for leisurely drinks — which is perfect for making the most of golden hour in a cosy, welcoming neighbourhood bar with a classic and timeless feel. Owner Adam Sime (Long Play) and his partner Adele del Signore have drawn upon Brunswick Street's European influence, decking the venue out with mid-century furniture and cultivating a relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere to match. Here, in the venue's two rooms, you'll pair salted cod, cuttlefish with chickpeas, manchego croquetas and crispy quail with spritzes, brews, and a curated selection of wines. Signature cocktails like the Momoko Spritz and the mezcal-infused Smokey Negroni — one made with Japanese whisky, peach liqueur, and lemon juice, then topped with soda and spiked with housemade Earl Grey syrup and orange blossom; the other pairing Vida Mezcal, Dolin Rouge and Campari — are well worth a look-in, too. Top image: Nicholas Wilkins.
The city has scored itself a bumper new year-round floating bar, with Yarra Botanica making its permanent home atop the Yarra River beside Sandridge Bridge. The brainchild of Australian Venue Co (Fargo & Co, State of Grace, Kewpie, The Smith), the two-storey pontoon bar and eatery is much more than just a pretty face and multimillion-dollar drinking destination. Yarra Botanica has made it a mission to champion Victorian produce and booze, its entire drinks list sourced from within the state and a good 90 percent of the food menu following suit. The bar boasts space for almost 700 across two open levels, decked out with planter boxes, herb gardens and climbing vines amongst the oversized umbrellas and lattice pergolas. That bountiful locally-focused drinks offering boasts plenty of exciting sips no matter your booze preference. A 12-strong tap list runs from Stomping Ground's Big Sky park ale ($11.50–15) to the Hawkers I Go Sour ($10.50–14), while Moon Dog and Wolf of the Willows headline the seltzer selection. A carefully curated vino lineup tours the state's leading wine regions, while botanically-charged cocktails and spritzes hero native ingredients, as well as makers like Grainshaker and Brogan's Way. Try a ginger and mango spritz made with lemon myrtle ($18 glass, $54 carafe), or opt for a wattleseed-infused espresso martini ($23). The matching menu is primed for snacking and sharing, starring smalls like crispy mushrooms with koji mayo ($17), savoury doughnuts stuffed with rainbow trout and caviar ($9), and a pork terrine with wattle crackers ($22). Sourdough pizzas ($24–29) showcase local ingredients like Murray cod belly and Warrigal greens pesto and there's a trio of loaded grazing boards to order by the metre ($55–69).
Sibling to King & Godfree Deli and Espresso Bar below, Johnny's Green Room is a sunny, relaxed rooftop bar with stunning views across Melbourne. Open from noon til late, daily, it's serving up a Euro-centric cocktail lineup courtesy of drinks guru Matthew Bax (formerly Bar Americano). He's crafting the cocktail list as an ode to Italian outdoor drinking — think sophisticated yet cool sips with a side of people-watching. The wine program then comes from sommelier George McCullough and features mostly Italian drops from both established and emerging winemakers. Celebrity chef and author Karen Martini, who has taken on the role of Culinary Director, has whipped up an Italian-inspired menu that's all about sharing — think 48-hour slow-fermented dough pizzas and stacks of cicchetti — which is great because food tastes better when it's pinched from someone else's plate. Expect a culinary journey from Carlton to the coasts of Italy, minus the jet lag. Owners Jamie Valmorbida and Luca Sbardella also joined forces with architect Dion Hall (known for his work at Music Room, Supernormal, Pidapipo Laboratorio and Rare Hare) to give the place a snazzy makeover at the end of 2023. They've even thrown in a semi-retractable roof, because Melbourne weather. While this venue doesn't have the pool tables and gangsters of the eponymous Johnny's, it does have something of a stylish Italian nightclub vibe, with a varied lineup of resident DJs — as chosen by non-profit Hope St Radio — taking to the decks regularly. What's more, you can expect plenty of high-energy rooftop parties happening throughout the year.
From South Melbourne Market to Coventry Street and Albert Park, South Melbourne offers visitors some remarkable destinations when it comes to appreciating great design, homewares and fashion. Undoubtedly one of the most refined hubs around Melbourne, the area's leafy green streets are a wonderful place to explore before dipping into some of the grungier backstreets to rest up alongside a coffee or two. We've teamed up with American Express to create a guide to the best local boutiques and hidden away shopfronts to shop small at — so that you know precisely where to look when you want to support the businesses in your community. These ten independent stores are a must-visit when you're next in the area — and they all accept your American Express Card.
Once those temperatures drop and the icy snows of winter set in, Victoria's alpine resorts have skiers and snowboarders flocking from all over, keen to make the most of their powder-topped slopes and crisp mountain air. But just because those classic snow sports aren't your jam, doesn't mean you can't still embrace the wintery white magic of it all. Whether you fancy swapping the skis for a soak in a Japanese-style onsen, or taking a break from the board in favour of a mountain-top glamping adventure, there are plenty of alternative ways to embrace the snow season, alpine-style. Rug up and check out these eight Victorian snow experiences that aren't just skiing or snowboarding. In keeping with current COVID-19 restrictions, the Victorian snow season is set to kick off a little later than usual, on June 22. Stricter social distancing and hygiene requirements will mean this year's season will look a little different to others, with reduced staff numbers and restrictions on venue capacity. The ski industry is currently working with the government on a new set of snow season guidelines designed to help minimise the spread of COVID-19. [caption id="attachment_771542" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toshi Pander[/caption] GLAMP ATOP A SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAIN If there's one way to really level-up your snow game, it's a unique mountain sleepover, which will see you sleeping under the stars and surrounded by pristine, snow-dusted bushland. And yes, that's a thing. Located at Mt Hotham, Alpine Nature Experience's sustainably-built 'snowdome' tents are available to book for an overnight stay on top of its regular snowshoe, fondue and dinner package. The Igloo to Skidoo experience will see you spend a cosy night glamping on snow in the wilderness, enjoying the creature comforts of plush bedding and a private wood fire heater while those stars twinkle through the tent's see-through roof. A hearty mountain-top breakfast kicks things off the next morning, before a scenic snowmobile ride back to the car park. It'll set you back about $289 for the whole shebang, depending how many people you book for. [caption id="attachment_771551" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Howling Huskies Tour[/caption] TRAVEL THE SLOPES BY SLED DOG Swap those skis for some propulsion of the furry, four-legged variety, whipping across the slopes on a sled dog tour. One of these scenic snow adventures will see you travelling in style, pulled by a team of very good boys (and girls). The Howling Huskies crew offers a range of dog-powered tours out of Dinner Plain, Mt Baw Baw and Mt Hotham, all with plenty of opportunity for post-ride pats and selfies. These tours start from $185 for a 30-minute ride for two and go up to $1250 for a five-hour adventure. Meanwhile, the long-running Australian Sleddog Tours is based at Mt Buller, hosting daily rides, starting from $120 a person, through the winter season with its team of mostly rescued huskies. If you're lucky, you could score a visit with legendary crew member Dusty, the Australian Kelpie. HIT THE SNOW ON A FAT BIKE Thought mountain biking was just a summer thing? Grab that helmet and think again — cycling through powder might be your new winter calling. Fat bikes are specialised off-road cruisers with extra wide tires that are primed for handling snow-covered trails. And you can take one for a spin across a whole network of fat bike tracks winding through the slopes of Falls Creek. The groomed trails are rideable whenever the temperature's below 0 degrees, though your muscles will thank you for sticking to the areas of hard-packed snow. If you're without a fat bike of your own, you can hire a suitable whip from Snowrider Rentals, located within Falls Creek Hotel. SNOWSHOE THROUGH THE ALPINE WILDERNESS If hiking is your preferred method of mountain appreciation, you can opt to keep both feet firmly on the ground with a rugged snowshoeing adventure. Ditch the skis or board in favour of a budget-friendly pair of rental snowshoes and trek your way across those slopes instead. Mt Buller's guided one-hour Yeti Snowshoe Tours run daily, clocking in at just $35 per person with shoe hire included. They can even be tailored to suit different skill levels, ranging from a newbie-friendly stroll around the village, through to a more strenuous summit climb. The stunning wintery surrounds of Mt Stirling can also be enjoyed on foot, either on a self-led snowshoe mission, or with a guided Saturday afternoon tour. There are two signposted trails to explore here, weaving through dense mountain ash forest and offering some top-notch views while you wander. WHIP AROUND THE MOUNTAIN ON A SNOWMOBILE To soak up maximum snow-covered mountain views, for minimal effort, rug up and jump aboard a snowmobile tour. You'll get to zip across the slopes taking in the best of all that winter scenery, while enjoying the advantages of a cushioned seat and some horsepower. Mt Hotham's Back Country Sled Tours runs a range of bush-bashing alpine jaunts on a custom-built, four-person sled pulled behind a long-tracked snowmobile. They vary from quick ten-minute treks ($90 for four), through to half-day overland adventures with lunch included (for $350). Or, if you prefer to take the reins, try a guided snowmobile tour of the rugged Bogong High Plains, running out of Falls Creek. You can drive yourself, or kick back and play passenger, as your group whizzes through mountain terrain overlooking Mt McKay, The Summit and more. [caption id="attachment_771557" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob Blackburn for Visit Victoria[/caption] APRES-SKI, AUSSIE-STYLE Australia might not have the level of apres-ski scene made famous overseas, but you'll still find plenty of ways to keep the snow party going long after the final chair lift is closed for the day. At Mt Hotham, Euro-style Zirky's Bar proves a popular choice for live tunes and warming serves of Austrian glühwein, while the always buzzy Bird is slinging crafty brews and snack specials, just metres from the Summit Chair Lift. Over in Mt Buller, you'll find classic pub grub and a wide-ranging drinks list at the newly revamped Kooroora Hotel. And at Falls Creek, punters can luxe up their night with a visit to intimate cocktail bar Apartment 3, where boutique gin reigns supreme. GET PAMPERED AT AN ONSEN Whether you're battling achy post-ski legs or not, a little on-snow pampering is always a good idea. And handily, Onsen Retreat and Spa boasts a luxurious set-up in the heart of Dinner Plain, where you can experience some alpine magic without having to brave the elements or chair lift queues. Here, you can soak away your stress levels in a Japanese-style outdoor onsen that's heated to a toasty 38 degrees. Or, perhaps, settle into a soothing sauna session, back-ended with a volcanic hot stone massage and herbal exfoliation. Whatever your spa vibe, you're sure to find something to suit among this venue's extensive menu of facial therapies, body treatments and packages. Post mountain glow, sorted. [caption id="attachment_771555" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Watson for Visit Victoria[/caption] TAKE TO THE SLOPES IN A GIANT TUBE If there's an acceptable method of descending the slopes on your butt, then you can bet we're here for it. And, with the added bonus of requiring minimal coordination, snow tubing ticks plenty of boxes. Victoria's got many spots where you can take a downhill snow slide in an inflated tube, including Falls Creek's ever-popular dedicated snow tubing park. This one's aimed at big and little kids alike, open daily from 2–6pm down in the Village Bowl. Meanwhile, Lake Mountain has its own 100-metre-long tube run kicking all year-round, and the Snow Park at Dinner Plain offers hours of easygoing snow play for lo-fi types. Top image: Howling Huskies
Being a Barbie girl in a Barbie world wasn't just a 2023 trend, back when Greta Gerwig's (Little Women) Margot Robbie (Asteroid City)-starring — and Oscar-nominated — film became one of the biggest and pinkest movies to ever hit cinemas. The 2025 way to get your Barbiecore fix Down Under from late June through till summer 2026: by enjoying ice cream floats served in a pink Barbie convertible car at the Malibu Barbie Cafe, plus sipping fairy floss-topped cocktails at the Ken Kabana bar, all at The Social Quarter at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne. The Malibu Barbie Cafe has been popping up across the US, with New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Miami, Austin and Houston all welcoming the venue. From Friday, June 27, 2025, it'll next make its first-ever appearance in Australia. This is also the cafe's debut stop beyond America — as well as Melbourne's second temporary big-name pop culture-themed addition in the same month, after Melbourne Museum's Star Wars Galactic Cafe opened its doors in early June. Pink hues? Beachy decor? Kicking it back to the 1970s, when Malibu Barbie initially debuted, at the onsite watering hole? A rollerskating rink lined by artwork of palm trees? A life-sized Barbie box? An installation that celebrates how Barbie as a brand has changed over the years? That's all on offer at the Malibu Barbie Cafe. So is merchandise that you won't find anywhere else, if you need a memento from your visit — although, with that in mind, we're sure that you'll fill your phone with plenty of photos. Ken's job isn't just beach here, given that his name adorns the cocktail-slinging upstairs bar in the two-storey site. On the drinks menu: that gin and lemonade concoction with spun sugar on top; themed takes on mojitos, margaritas, cosmopolitans, espresso martinis and old fashioneds; and more. If you're keen on a booze-free version, some of the tipples are available as mocktails. There's also a snack range, including fries with pink mayo, prawn cocktails, sushi and baked brie. Does putting your skates on appeal? You'll find that on the second level, too. Downstairs, Malibu Barbie Cafe's menu is an all-ages-friendly affair, with that ice cream float just one option. Sticking with sweets means choosing from doughnuts, pink cookies, cupcakes, ice cream sundaes, fruit and marshmallows. If you can't decide, the dessert sampler dishes up a mix of picks on a Barbie boat for between four and eight people. Savoury dishes span the same small bites as at the Ken Kabana, plus burgers, poke, garlic prawn linguine, beer-battered fish tacos, club sandwiches, grilled cheese, mac 'n' cheese and salads. Or, tuck into avocado toast, açai bowls, bacon and eggs, parfait or pancakes from the all-day brunch selection. Then, to drink, milkshakes, pink lemonade and pink lattes are among the options. If you're thinking "come on Barbie, let's go party", party packages are indeed a feature — including three-hour adults-only private-dining experiences from 6.30pm Thursday–Sunday. "We're delighted to partner with Bucket Listers and Chadstone, in collaboration with Mattel, to bring the Malibu Barbie Cafe to Melbourne," said Matt Gudinski, Chief Executive of The Mushroom Group, which is helping to share the Barbie fun with Australia. "At The Mushroom Group, we're always exploring new immersive live experiences and working with the world's biggest brands — few are as iconic as Barbie." Find Mattel's Malibu Barbie Cafe at The Social Quarter at Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, Melbourne, from Friday, June 27, 2025–summer 2026. Head to the cafe's website for more details.
Australians are devastated after the Bondi terror attack that killed 16 people and injured dozens on Sunday night. As emergency services continue to treat victims, authorities are urging those who can to donate blood and offer support to the affected communities. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns praised frontline healthcare workers, referencing "extraordinary scenes" in hospitals overnight. "[healthcare workers] did an incredible job, but they need your help. They need blood, and if you're thinking about doing an act of public service in the coming 24 hours, I urge you to contact the Red Cross and do that piece of public-mindedness," Minns said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chris Minns (@chrisminnsmp) The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood confirmed it issued several life-threatening orders for blood products following the attack and has begun transferring supplies from other states to meet demand. A spokesperson said the need is ongoing, particularly for O-negative donors, whose blood can be used in any emergency case. "Fewer than seven percent of the population are O-negative, making it a challenge," Lifeblood said. "In the event of a serious trauma or emergency, up to 100 blood donations may be needed to save just one life." Cath Stone, Executive Director of Donor Experience at Lifeblood, said donating blood is one of the most practical ways Australians can help right now. "When tragic events occur, donating blood is a good way to help people," she said. "To donate blood or plasma, visit lifeblood.com.au, call 13 14 95 or download the Lifeblood app." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Australian Red Cross (@redcrossau) Across Sydney, hospitals continue to operate at a trauma level, and queues have formed outside donor centres. Blood from interstate is also being sent to New South Wales to meet urgent demand. Local and faith leaders have urged Australians to stand with Sydney's Jewish community and others directly affected. Organisations including Lifeline Bondi, Headspace Bondi Junction and The Junction Neighbourhood Centre are offering free mental health and counselling support. Where to donate Major Lifeblood centres in Sydney include Town Hall, York Street and Parramatta, with extended hours this week. Temporary collection sites have also opened in Bondi Junction and Coogee. Appointments can be made at lifeblood.com.au through the Lifeblood app, or by calling 13 14 95. If you need help If you are struggling with your mental health in the wake of the attack, help is available 24/7. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14, NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. Images: iStock
Christmas is arriving early at QV Melbourne. Until Tuesday, January 6, QV Square will transform into a festive destination built around a towering 11-metre industrial-inspired Christmas sculpture. The installation features neon lights, oversized baubles and a statement-making design that is guaranteed to become one of the city's most photographed holiday spots. Alongside the sculpture, QV will play host to the Qris Qringle gifting activation; from 4pm each day (Friday, December 12–Sunday, December 21), visitors who spend $100 or more at participating QV retailers can show their receipts, join the QV E-List and select a mystery gift box from the Qringle hub. With 80 prizes to be revealed on QV Melbourne's Instagram, expect plenty of anticipation among shoppers and content creators. Forming the substantial prize pool are a host of QV retailers. That includes sneakers from Hype DC, featuring brands such as Salomon, Puma, adidas, New Balance, and Nike. High-end accessories from Incu, A.P.C., and Anine Bing, Jacquemus bucket hats from Marais, Foot Locker gift cards, beauty tools from Hairhouse, July luggage and family passes to Strike Bowling. A wide range of additional surprise gifts will also be available throughout the activation period. Beyond the giveaways, QV Square will be filled with a festive atmosphere throughout the season. The neon-lit sculpture, the bustling gifting hub and the crowds moving through the vicinity offer a mix of colour, movement and celebratory energy. Together, it's expected to be one of Melbourne's most popular locations for end-of-year social content, especially for those looking to capture the height of the season in the CBD.
If you're after the real deal when it comes to a Sichuan hot pot feast, you'll find yourself in expert hands with a visit to much-loved CBD restaurant, David's Hot Pot. Originating in hot pot's heartland of Chengdu, the brand made its way to Melbourne in 2017 and has since spawned three local outposts (plus one in Brisbane), which see the crowds flocking for big, fresh flavours and traditional Sichuan-style broths. It's buzzy, colourful and primed for group feeds, with a rainbow of lanterns strung from the ceiling and steam wafting from the fragrant pots atop each table. The kitchen's boldly flavoured soup bases marry classic ingredients with top-quality Australian beef tallow, with options ranging from the fiery Signature Spicy Character broth ($36), to a laksa-style number ($29.80), to a dried fish maw and chicken soup ($48.80). There are four levels of heat to choose from, and a vast array of add-ins to pimp your hot pot — including beef slices, house-made lobster balls, enoki, pork belly, braised short rib and sweet potato noodles. Plus, a slew of things to suit more adventurous diners, too. Round out your feast with some classic snacks — maybe some fried rice cakes or prawn dumplings — and a few crisp Tsingtao brews ($8.80) or local wines to calm any lingering spice. Appears in: The Best Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
This pristine expanse of beaches, national parks and picturesque villages on the New South Wales Central Coast make for one excellent trip, whether you're just driving up from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne. On top of all the nature, there's a growing foodie scene, driven by down-to-earth experts wanting to do their thing without the burden of city rent prices. Ever sipped on a Six String brew? You've already begun your acquaintance with the Central Coast's creations. Now it's time to go deeper with a visit to Patonga, Pearl Beach and Killcare — and, lucky for you, we've partnered with Destination NSW to uncover some the area's dining gems, top-notch activities and luxe waterside accommodation, too. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19. [caption id="attachment_697582" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Boathouse Hotel Patonga[/caption] EAT In the teeny-tiny, 200-person settlement of Patonga is where you'll find seafood feasts at The Boathouse Hotel Patonga. Nab a spot in its sunny courtyard or inside the restaurant's luxury yacht-like interior, either way you'll have expansive water views. The seafood platter of tiger prawns, oysters, baked scallops, battered fish and salt and pepper squid is a must. Otherwise, you can opt for the likes of burgers, steak, pasta, pizza and a bunch of share-style plates. If you'd rather take your feed even closer to the water, you can grab fish and chips from the takeaway shop next door. For your next meal, make your way to Pearl Beach. It's the first town east of Patonga — a swathe of national park cuts between the two — with Pearl facing Broken Bay. For a fine diner, head to the aptly named Pearls on the Beach, headed up by chef Scott Fox and his partner Melissa for the past 20 years. Housed in a beach cottage just a few steps from the sand, the restaurant is clean and uncluttered, with pastel colours and white tablecloths. The menu is seasonal, but you can expect dishes like marlin carpaccio served with a burnt shallot, jalapeño and coriander salsa, blood orange marmalade and cashew cream; carrot katsu topped with gochujang ketchup, wasabi mayo, wakame oil and pickled shitake; and pomegranate-glazed quail served with beetroot labneh and pickled radicchio. If you're after something more casual, drop into Pearl Beach General Store and Cafe for hearty, healthy breakfasts and laidback lunches. Travelling north from Pearl Beach, the national park withdraws west to make room for the bigger, more connected towns of Umina, Ettalong and Woy Woy. Located on the redeveloped Ettalong Beach foreshore, The BOX on the Water is one of the go-to spots around. The sleek building capitalises on its absolute waterfront position, with floor-to-ceiling windows that disappear during warm weather. Here, you'll find an assortment of share-style plates, with an emphasis on seafood — think chilli garlic prawns, lemon zest-dusted baby squid, barramundi with a side of coastal greens and seafood paella. Now, we're going to jump across Brisbane Water to Killcare, one of the southernmost villages on the Bouddi Peninsula. It's here that boutique hotel Bells at Killcare stretches across 8.5 acres of gardens, housing its rebooted restaurant Wild Flower Bar & Dining. Famed chef Sean Connolly is behind the menu, which makes as much use of the 500-square-metre kitchen garden as possible. Tuck into whole-grilled fish, rigatoni with king prawns, eggplant moussaka, seafood bouillabaisse or Berkshire pork chop with salsa verde. Or, go for the $120 chef's tasting menu, with the option to add paired wines, too. Drive over the hill and you're back beside still water in Hardys Bay. Here you'll find fun-loving Southeast Asian eatery The Lucky Bee, located right on the water, as well as The Fat Goose Bakery, Deli and Cafe, which dishes up a mean bacon and egg roll, plus pastries and other breakfast fare. [caption id="attachment_789513" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Distillery Botanica, Destination NSW[/caption] DRINK Your first port of call for a drink should be the award-winning Distillery Botanica in Erina for an afternoon G&T. The stunning garden distillery is from Philip Moore who just so happens to be the man behind Mr Black cold drip coffee liqueur — which you can sample and purchase here, too. The distillery's gins are made using botanicals grown in the garden, including murraya, jasmine, orange blossom and coriander. You can either stop in for a gin tasting, or head to the on-site Bar Botanica for a gin-based drink. If you need a pick-me-up after you imbibe, it also does a great cup of joe. Or, you can grab an ice cream from the Mr Goaty gelato bar, also located within the gardens. Just down the road, old mates Chris Benson and Adam Klasterka have been revolutionising the Central Coast's craft beer scene with their Six String Brewing Company. According to the guys, when they first started back in 2012, people on the Central Coast only wanted to drink Carlton Dry. And that wasn't the only challenge — the duo grappled with three years worth of red tape before setting up for good at the current site. Fast forward to 2020 and their brewery and taproom is buzzing almost anytime of day. Plus, the venue's small kitchen is whipping up southern US-style snacks like buffalo wings, nachos, brisket and burgers. On weekends, live music is a nice addition to the good brews and grub. If you're after a refreshing spritz or bottle of minimum-intervention vino, Young Barons in Woy Woy is sure to satisfy. And, while you're sipping away, it'd be remiss not to try some of its freshly made pasta. [caption id="attachment_790154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bouddi National Park, Destination NSW[/caption] DO Between all that feasting and carousing, you might want to consider doing some moving. If you're keen to give surfing a crack, then book a lesson with the Central Coast Surf Academy at one of NSW's top surfing beaches, Umina. While dragging your board through the whitewash, instructor Peter Hayes will give plenty of tips for novices and intermediate surfers alike. On land, there are walks and bike rides aplenty. For the best trails in Bouddi National Park, visit our guide over here. Meanwhile, Ettalong's shared path gives you 7.5-kilometres of waterfront bike riding, walking or running. Or, if you don't mind sharing the road with traffic (and tackling a few hills), the epic, 14-kilometre Putt Putt to Putty ride carries you from Wagstaffe's Mulhall Street Wharf all the way to Ettalong Wharf. Alternatively, should your ultimate weekender mean laying horizontal and doing absolutely nothing, check into the Central Coast Day Spa at Bells. Don a bathrobe and sip on complimentary tea before being led into a candle-lit room. There's a range of spa treatments available, but we recommend you book in for the signature Kodo massage, which comes with Australian essential oils and a smoking ceremony. It's inspired by Indigenous techniques and based on rhythms aimed at balancing the body and the mind, too. If you can muster enough energy for a post-massage wander in Killcare, the handful of shops are worth exploring. Among them are the Central Coast's only Aboriginal art gallery, Bouddi Gallery. Most of the paintings, jewellery, carvings, ceramics, weaving and glassware you see come from non-profit, Aboriginal-owned art centres in the Kimberley, Central and Western deserts, Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land. [caption id="attachment_789509" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bells at Killcare, Destination NSW[/caption] STAY If you want to kick back in quiet, Patonga is your best bet — and you'll want to check into the aforementioned The Boathouse Hotel Patonga. After a massive revamp, the hotel's accommodation now includes three one-to-three bedroom apartments, each with waterfront balcony views. The trio of rooms sit on the structure's upper level, and also feature separate living and dining areas, marble bathrooms, and either a kitchenette or kitchen. Unsurprisingly, each room is coastal-themed, complete with timber and terrazzo flooring, nautical-inspired fabrics, handmade shell mirrors, and rope and cane pieces. And, should you need to swim immediately, Patonga Beach is across the road. Be warned, though, a night here will set you back a cool $550–1200. Pearl Beach is pretty relaxed, too. Protected by the National Trust, it's reached its maximum capacity, at 600 dwellings. So, while other parts of the Central Coast battle with sprawl, this village, with its sheltered beach and ocean pool, is sitting pretty. Plus, it offers a heap of quaint accommodation options, including this secluded retreat, nestled among the trees and perched just a quick hop from Pearl Beach and a contemporary six-person beach cottage rocking a bright and elegant coastal style, with a primo outdoor entertaining area and a pool to yourself. Or, you could stay right above the water at the luxurious two-level Seabreeze apartment, offering breathtaking panoramic views. If you want to be able to access more northern parts of the coast — and their dining and drinking gems — Killcare is where you want to be. As already mentioned, Bells at Killcare is a bit of an institution and is definitely worth staying at if you have a spare $504 (minimum) lying around. Inspired by the chic designs of The Hamptons, Bells offers a range of accommodation options, from king suits to villas and one- and two-bedroom cottages. Whichever you choose, expect it to be decked out with Ralph Lauren-style furnishings, swish bathrooms and luxe linens. If you'd rather be a bit closer to the beach, both The Nest and Beachviews sleep up to eight people and offer sweeping ocean views. Now that interstate border restrictions have started to ease, start planning a trip to this stunning stretch of NSW coastline. For more details, visit Destination NSW's website. Top image: Pearl Beach, Destination NSW 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.
Planes are not the first mode of transportation you associate with relaxation. Sure, Qantas plaster their lounges with posters about gourmet dining at 30,000 feet and if you're in first class you can settle into the flight with a warm lavender scented towel on your face (I assume). But for most of us, flying is a literal rollercoaster of anxiety and frustration. On every trip, I have the same devastating thought: Is this how I die? "She went peacefully," the eulogy will read. "The air hostess plied her with a $10 plastic cup of wine and she seemed mildly entertained by the rerun of Modern Family." Anyway. Apparently, it's not all that bad. When planes are stationary, closer to the ground and filled with handcrafted luxury items, they're okay by me. Enter Costa Rica's Costa Verde resort — the world's premier destination for finery and fuselage. Crafted from the airframe of an abandoned 1965 Boeing 727, Costa Verde's Phoenix Suite is understandably the hotel's 'most exclusive' accommodation. The two-bedroom luxury suite is entirely fitted out with Costa Rican teak panelling and hand-crafted Indonesian furniture, and it also a large deck on what was once the plane's right wing. Nestled at the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park, this suite offers amazing access to the nation's wildlife too. Sloths, iguanas, birds and butterflies roam freely around the area, but most famously the grounds are home to a large variety of monkeys — squirrel, howler, and white-faced. As you might expect, it's somewhat exxy ($250-750 per night without taxes). Perhaps you could write it off as a medical expense — an entirely necessary measure to cure your fear of flying. Regardless, in the land where money is no object and all the animal kingdom are at one with us, we would like to be taken there immediately. Via Lost At E Minor.
The thought of taking a dip in the Yarra's not-so-clear waters is more appalling that appealing. But a blissful splash in an infinity-edge pool sitting atop the river? That, we can definitely get around. And it's exactly the situation that now awaits you aboard Arbory Afloat's latest incarnation, after the floating bar today launched its final offering — a new pool nestled up the venue's western end, flanked by towering palms and cabanas. Inset into Arbory Afloat's lower deck with views across the river and the city, the pool is laid with imported Italian tiles and comes complete with a hydraulic floor allowing lifeguards to adjust the water depth as required. The surrounding pool deck area is also kitted out with day beds and cabanas, primed for those post-dip cocktails and snack sessions. And of course, it's all rocking a similar Balearic Islands-themed look to the rest of the over-water bar. The new swimming spot will be open every day, but with visiting times varying throughout the week — you can keep track of opening hours via Arbory Afloat's Instagram page. A towel concierge service is also running if you'd like to travel light, and essentials like hats and sunscreen are available to buy onboard. Arbory Afloat's 2022 design pulls inspiration from the free-spirited energy of Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca and Mallorca, dishing up holiday vibes in abundance to match a Spanish-accented food and drink offering. Find Arbory Afloat and its new pool at 2 Flinders Walk, Melbourne. For pool opening hours, see Instagram. Images: Arianna Leggiero
Head south of Sydney or north of Victoria and you're sure to find quaint towns complete with awe-inspiring national parks and world-class wineries. The NSW south coast and southern highlands provide just this, plus an idyllic mix of rolling hillsides and romantic beachside homes perfect for you and your partner's next getaway. If you're looking to get out of the big city, there is an abundance of secluded stays scattered across southern NSW ready to serve as your landing pad to unwind and explore some of the most beautiful landscapes the state has to offer. We've done the hard work for you and found these one-bedroom (or more — in case you wanted to bring your favourite couple, too) cabins, lakeside stays and bushland cottages so that you can live out all your rom-com fantasies surrounded by rustling trees and ocean breezes. Recommended reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in NSW The Best Tiny Houses You Can Book Around NSW The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains The Bower, Mount Kembla This two-story bungalow allows you to live among the trees for the period of your stay. Just fifteen minutes outside Wollongong, you can experience the slow-moving small-town lifestyle with the nearby comforts of the city. From $350 a night, sleeps five. Bawley Point Cottage, Bawley Point Combining the best of both worlds, this south coast stay is part bushy cottage, part beach house. You can use the provided kayaks and head on an action-packed trip or just sit and read among the trees. From $220 a night, sleeps four. Soul Wood, Termeil Wake up to views of the bushland from this wooden tiny house. The dreamy outdoor bathtub is surrounded by tall native trees that will have you feeling completely immersed in the natural surroundings. From $300 a night, sleeps two. Beachfront Glamping, Bawley Point To say you're going glamping is an insult to this luxury beachfront tent. Soak up the great outdoors from the tent-style bedroom while enjoying the luxuries of a private kitchen and bathroom from the attached unit. From $320 a night, sleeps two. The Lakeside Barn, Wildes Meadow An architectural gem on the south coast, this waterfront barn was created in the 90s from the wood of old Darling Harbour wharf buildings. The barn contains a modern bathroom and kitchen, spacious living areas and a top-floor bedroom that looks out onto the lake. From $333 a night, sleeps two. Creekside Tiny House, Foxground Wake to the sounds of the gurgling creek at this modern tiny house. Located just outside of Kiama and Gerringong, the quaint stay places you nearby a variety of local hiking trails and beaches. From $298 a night, sleeps two. Studio Barn, Nowra This transformed barn somehow packs in a spacious living and kitchen area, a bedroom, a newly fitted bathroom and a private garden out back. It's a cute and affordable spot for those looking to explore the natural wonders of Kangaroo Valley. From $300 a night, sleeps two. Fig Tree Cabin, Moruya This pet-friendly cabin welcomes all of your non-human friends with open arms. From the pugs to great danes and even horses, the property will save you paying any expensive kennel fees while on your romantic adventure. From $140 a night, sleeps two. Lyra, Kangaroo Valley Relax in style with this lush Kangaroo Valley house, overlooking the Barrengarry Mountain range. The house is built from locally sourced timber and rocks and is flooded with light thanks to the large front windows and glass roof panels, bringing as much of the surrounding rainforest into your stay as possible. From $690 a night, sleeps six. Buru, Pebbly Beach Buru is more of a group couples retreat than a solo getaway — so find a couple of other lovebirds and book out this stunning, secluded stay. The renovated 1960s house backs onto a idyllic white sand beach and contains both an indoor and outdoor fireplaces perfect for cosy nights after a day of swimming, surfing and exploring. From $1164 a night, sleeps eight. New Atlas, Meroo Meadow Gaze out onto Cambewarra Mountain from the back porch of this bright beachy home just outside of Berry and less than 20 minutes drive from Seven Mile Beach. From $309 a night, sleeps four. The Old Schoolhouse, Milton This sun-drenched one bedroom loft sits on farm land just a couple minutes outside of the rural town of Milton. Sip coffee from the balcony overlooking the farm or pay a little extra and take your relaxation up a notch by sending a masseuse to the loft thanks to the accommodation's Indulgence Package. From $316 a night, sleeps two. The Lazy Curl, Woodburn This minimalist cabin will provide you with a simple and serene stay in the heart of the south coast. Its eco-friendly design generates energy through solar and collects rainwater and its indoor fireplace will keep you feeling toasty even on cold winter nights. From $245 a night, sleeps four. Monga Mountain Retreat, Reidsdale Stay in Monga National Park while living out your cottage-core dreams at this lovely bushland cabin. Comfy chairs sit on a patterned rug and quaint appliances are scattered around the wood-laden kitchen. From $155 a night, sleeps two. Tawillah Luxury Retreat, Milton This countryside couples retreat has serene views of the Milton countryside and the nearby Budawang Range. Just a two minute drive from town, enjoy a seclude getaway with a beautiful deck, sun lounges and a fire pit. From $460 a night, sleeps two. All photos courtesy of Airbnb. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
In the age of streaming, DVD commentary tracks are no longer as much a part of the home-viewing process. If you're keen to hear insider details about the making of Sydney-shot 1999 sci-fi great The Matrix and 2025's Melbourne-made horror hit Together, however, SXSW Sydney has you covered. 2025's event has unveiled more details of its Screen Festival program for this year, with the return of its Screen Commentary sessions among the highlights. Costume designer Kym Barrett, who has also worked on everything from Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, The Nice Guys, The Shallows, Aquaman and Us to Charlie's Angels, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Three Thousand Years of Longing — and on The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, plus the Wachowskis' Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending — will talk through her efforts on The Matrix as the film plays. For Together, writer/director Michael Shanks will dig into his debut feature, which also opened 2025's Sydney Film Festival. SXSW Sydney has also announced Screen conference sessions as part of its roster of seminars, workshops and more, with Whitney Fuller, the Development Executive of Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, one of the big names. Fittingly, Fuller will be part of the festival's Women in Genre panel. Also, producer Liz Watts (The Royal Hotel) and filmmaker Tony Ayres (The Survivors) are teaming up for the What Is an Australian Story? session, while Fantastic Festival Director Lisa Dreyer, Rachel Watt from Watt Social, Yellow Veil Pictures' Joe Yanick and Oscilloscope's Alexandra Fredericks are set to get chatting as well. The panel lineup also spans Jill Kingston from Pacific Shadow Pictures, Enzo Tedeschi and Helen Tuck from Deadhouse Films, and Lake Martin Films' Kate Separovich unpacking all things indie horror from a filmmaking perspective, as well as Invention Studios' Carmen Knox and actor Remy Hii (Arcane) on deciding whether to make the leap to LA. SXSW Sydney's latest screen-centric additions join Paul Feig (Another Simple Favour) hitting the Harbour City as the Screen Festival keynote speaker and its first recipient of the new SXSW Sydney Screen Pioneer Award — and also a 14-hour Freaks and Geeks marathon, plus sessions of Bridesmaids and The Heat, to go along with his time at the fest. There's more to come; however, as similarly announced earlier, viewers will also be able to catch By Design, $POSITIONS, Dead Lover, Zodiac Killer Project, The Last Sacrifice and Bokshi. Among that group, body-swap effort By Design features Juliette Lewis (The Thicket), Mamoudou Athie (Kinds of Kindness) and Robin Tunney (Dear Edward); horror-comedy Dead Lover is a SXSW Austin award-winner; Charlie Shackleton (The Afterlight) digs into a famed serial killer; and everything from comedy to folk horror features. [caption id="attachment_967878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] SXSW Sydney 2025, including the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival, runs from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details and tickets. The Matrix image: Ronald Siemoneit/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images. Together image: Ben King, Neon.
Just like you, your four-legged friend enjoys escaping the daily grind. Only their version of that looks like running laps of the backyard or living room, frolicking after balls and embarking on open-air adventures. They want to feel the earth under their paws, sniff out all the smells and — hopefully — score some playtime with a few other friendly doggos. And there's nowhere better for your pooch to experience this kind of freedom in the city than a glorious off-leash area or big, long walking trail. Luckily, there are a plethora of dog parks, beaches and walking tracks in Melbourne that will welcome you and your fur-baby with open arms. And if you're dog-less but down for pats, that's okay too. These spots offer up some prime pup-watching opportunities, even if you're flying solo. Recommended reads: The Best Dog-Friendly Cafes in Melbourne The Best Dog-Friendly Accommodation in Victoria The Best Coastal Walks Near Melbourne The Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Australia Merri Creek Trail For an inner-city walk that feels worlds away from the CBD's hustle and bustle, the Merri Creek Trail offers up 21 kilometres of leafy, openair goodness, from Dights Falls up to the Western Ring Road. And, with access to plenty of designated off-leash areas along its length, it's a surefire hit with visitors of the wet-nosed, four-legged variety. Leads are required while you're using the shared trail (for protection of the native wildlife) but there's loads to see and sniff along the way. Plus your pooch should be pretty chuffed with the many other doggos they encounter en route. This walk is also close to countless boutique shops, cafes and nurseries — so be sure to take a peak inside some of the top pit stops along the Merri Creek Trail. Albert Park Not just a popular destination for outdoor fitness fiends and joggers, Albert Park is also a paradise for furry locals keen to stretch their legs. An easy three kilometres from the CBD, the spacious precinct is packed with walking trails, picnic areas, open spaces, drinking fountains and of course, that iconic namesake lake. Most of the park is dog-friendly and you'll find a mix of on and off-leash areas to explore with your furry mate by your side. What's more, both the city skyline and tree-lined lake make for a pretty majestic backdrop. Elwood Beach Outside of the summer months, Elwood Beach proves a popular playground for four-legged mates, with dogs allowed to roam and explore off-leash, 24 hours a day. They've got free rein of the sandy stretch between the beach access ramp by Normandy Road and the rock groyne south of Point Ormond, from April through to the end of October. From November to March, part of the beach is off-limits to pooches completely, while the northern section allows off-leash roaming from 5.30–9.30am each day. Clayton Reserve, North Melbourne Ideally located for northsiders, Clayton Reserve is a small but welcoming fenced-in dog park where furry friends can run, play and socialise to their heart's content. It's known for its strong community feel, so both you and Rufus can bank on meeting some new mates whenever you visit. And of course, a wide variety of friendly visitors means there are always stacks of pats. Other bonus features include a dog fountain, lots of bins and poo bags, and some handily placed seats — ideal for owners of extra energetic pups. Jells Park, Wheelers Hill While it's an on-leash area only, Jells Park in the Dandenong Creek Valley offers up 127 hectares of sniffing and exploring for local dog owners and their pawed pals. Sporting a hefty nine kilometres of winding paths and trails, and a central lake with wildlife galore, this popular spot promises a scenic adventure with plenty to keep the most curious of pups entertained. You'll also find lots of picnic sites dotted throughout, if you and your pooch fancy making a day of it. Just be sure to avoid the dedicated conservation areas when fur-kid is in tow. Sandown Street Beach, Brighton A favourite off-leash area among Bayside dog owners, this fenced patch of beach between Bay and Sandown streets is the perfect combination of surf, sand and pure, unadulterated doggy delight. Free of the restrictions of other nearby spots, pooches are allowed to roam off-leash here, all year round. Exploring opportunities include barrelling over sand dunes, sniffing shrubs and paddling up a frenzy in the water. Owners don't lose out either — it's a lovely stroll along the marina and you'll enjoy a primo view of the CBD skyline in the distance. Caulfield Park. Caulfield North Not just chock full of park amenities and perks for us humans — we're talking BBQs, sheltered picnic spots and stacks of sports facilities — Caulfield Park also has plenty of lush, well-maintained ground suitable for dogs to roam off-leash at their leisure. For a more structured stroll, there's a scenic walking track where you can observe birdlife, sniff out smells and feed some ducks, although you'll need to put Rover back on his lead for this stretch. Leashes are also a must within the Hawthorn Road and Park Crescent ends of the precinct, and whenever you're within 20 metres of a sporting activity. Citizens Park, Richmond Ask any Richmond pooch and they'll tell you Citizens Park is the place to be, running wild and free at the sports grounds just off Bridge Road. Whenever the footy oval isn't being used for training or a match, doggos are allowed to make it their own and you'll likely find the field packed with furry creatures interpreting the green turf as dog paradise. Having a less than fab day? A visit here — and a few hundred pats — is sure to cheer you up. Sir Zelman Cowen Park, Kooyong Well deserving of a five-paw rating, Sir Zelman Cowen Park (formerly Kooyong Park) boasts a smorgasbord of stuff that'll please furry pals. Not only does the park feature stacks of sprawling, manicured green grounds and the picturesque Gardiners Creek running through its heart, but your doggo can be sure of loads of off-leash freedom and handy doggy drinking taps aplenty. Meanwhile, owners are sure to enjoy the many green bag dispensers and free parking. It's a win-win. Port Melbourne Dog Beach For waterfront walkies that are still nice and close to the city, take your pup for a cruise along the coastal strip of Port Melbourne, joining Station and Lagoon piers. The southern half is a designated off-leash zone all year round, with the northern section open to off-leash dogs from April through October (but off-limits through the summer). The beach offers a great vantage point to watch the Spirit of Tasmania setting sail, and ain't a bad spot for a swim. Mentone Dog Beach After a successful year-long trial in 2015, the sandy stretch between Charman and Plummer Roads in Mentone is now officially a 24-hour off-leash dog beach. While it can get busy with furry bodies during peak times, it's a picturesque spot for catching up with other dogs, rolling in sand and chasing the odd seagull. You'll find plenty of bins for disposing of your pup's stinky gifts and there's access to the Bay Trail if you're keen to clock up a few post-beach steps. Just remember to keep your dog on a leash until you hit the sand. Top image: Bianca Ackermann via Unsplash
The minds behind Terror Twilight, Convoy, Tinker and Hi-Fi — Ben Argentino, Bec Moore and Kieran Spiteri — know how to cafe. They've figured out the magic algorithm to make a successful breakfast and lunch spot, and are now taking it one step further with Ophelia. Here, right on the Westgarth end of Northcote's High Street, the team runs Ophelia as a somewhat classic cafe in the morning before switching things up as the day goes on — becoming more of a long lunch destination and, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, a cosy neighbourhood wine bar. [caption id="attachment_976026" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Green[/caption] On the seasonally evolving, all-day menu, you'll find Euro-leaning dishes like the savoury buckwheat galette layered with roast pumpkin, buffalo milk ricotta, rocket pepita pesto, aleppo pepper and nigella seeds; a caramelised onion jam, ash brie, tarragon, and radish omelette; and a sticky date porridge with poached pears, butterscotch dates and macadamia granola. You can also take your pick of grab-and-go options like breakfast sandwiches and freshly baked goods — including a selection from Coburg's Back Alley Bakes — from the bountiful cabinet. After 10am, the menu expands with hefty sandwiches and freshly made salads. The team describes the menu as not quite a classic breakfast nor your usual lunch, but instead filling the space between these mealtimes. Whatever you're in the mood for, you can pair your meal with coffee, house sodas, cocktails, mocktails or wine. [caption id="attachment_976016" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Green[/caption] Much like its siblings, Ophelia also has a strong focus on vinyl. Music is chosen from the floor-to-ceiling record wall, and is played from open to close. The venue will lean even further into those wine bar vibes from Tuesday, June 17, when it opens after dark on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Swing by on a Tuesday night for weekly rotating $20 pasta specials, or snacks and sips soundtracked by vinyl-spinning DJs on Friday and Saturday evenings. Top images: Dave Green.
Tucked away in Flinders Lane is one of the most striking dining rooms in all of Melbourne. Think black granite, dim lighting, sleek leather furniture and a dazzling, illuminated red ribbon streaking through the room from the ceiling. The thread has significance in Japanese mythology around the idea of two people meeting — and we'd agree there's probably nowhere better in the city to bring a cute date. They'll be thoroughly impressed. Akaiito offers an a la carte menu as well as the option for omakase. Omakase translates to "I'll leave it to you," with the idea being you trust the chef to decide and prepare your multi-course meal. With that in mind, it isn't possible to guide you through what you will be having, as it changes on a whim with whatever is freshest at the moment. But that being said, we can speak to some past creations at Akaiito. Its omakase dishes may include something like smoked Spanish mackerel with wasabi, daikon and truffle ponzu; spanner crab chawanmushi with aged pork dashi, foie gras and truffle and appellation oysters with watermelon and native sea herbs. Heavier options might include seven-day dry-aged duck with caramelised fig, oyster mushrooms and smoked butter or MB9+ wagyu striploin with baked turnip and truffle jus. For dessert, imagine something like a guava sorbet with lacto-fermented strawberry, quince, native liquor, honey palm and raspberry meringue. If you're vegetarian, don't fret. Akaiito also offers an entirely vegetarian omakase menu with plenty of tempura on offer. Compared to some of the more elaborate omakase experiences in Melbourne, Akaiito's is on the smaller end. You can choose from either a five or a seven-course experience rather than the 20-plus courses found elsewhere. This makes it a cheaper and more approachable experience for those of us on a budget. But if you book the private dining room, you can go full decadence. The Tsukiyo Dining Room is equipped with projectors that shine down scenes of nature onto the table and surrounding walls. The visuals are made to work with the dishes served, so you can start off by eating under the moonlight and end in a field of flowers. It is one of the most unique private dining rooms in Melbourne and fits from six to 12 people. Do consider this space in Akaiito if you want to pair your Japanese eats with some theatrics.
With Groovin the Moo announcing its dates then cancelling, and Splendour in the Grass sadly doing the same, your plans for 2024 might be missing a few music festivals. News for the industry hasn't been great Down Under in recent years, especially in Australia this year. But Listen Out is aiming to buck the trend, locking in its return for spring, as well as its dates and venues — and all of the above for Listen In as well. "It's been a very tough time for the Australian music festival industry and we are thrilled to be back in 2024, welcoming returning and first-time attendees through the gates," said Listen Out's promoters, confirming that the event will get everyone dancing for the third time in the pandemic era after 2022 and 2023 runs. [caption id="attachment_957218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Last years' fest was Listen Out's most successful in terms of ticket sales ever, and the crew behind it are hoping to continue that trajectory. Something that might help: turning the fest into a 16-plus event, age-wise, which is a first for 2024. The festival's focus is staying true to its niche, filling its stages on electronic and hip hop artists — both international and local talents, too. The lineup hasn't been revealed as yet, but watch this space to see who follows in Skrillex, Four Tet, Lil Uzi Vert, Ice Spice and company's footsteps from 2023's bill. [caption id="attachment_957232" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] This is Listen Out's 11th year, with four stops on the agenda: Caribbean Gardens in Melbourne, HBF Arena in Perth, RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane and Centennial Park in Sydney. Listen In, the condensed version of the fest with a smaller lineup, is headed to Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in Auckland, and also Ellis Park in Adelaide. [caption id="attachment_957226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In 2024 Dates: Friday, September 27 — Listen Out Melbourne, Caribbean Gardens, Wurundjeri Land / Melbourne Saturday, September 28 — Listen Out Perth, HBF Arena, Mooro Country / Joondalup Sunday, September 29 — Listen In Adelaide, Ellis Park / Tampawardli (Park 24), Kaurna Country / Adelaide Friday, October 4 — Listen In Auckland, Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, Auckland / Te Ipu Kura A Maki Saturday, October 5 — Listen Out Brisbane, Brisbane Showgrounds, Meanjin / Brisbane Sunday, October 6 — Listen Out Sydney, Centennial Park, Gadigal Country [caption id="attachment_957230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samm Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zennieshia Butts[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In's 2024 season tours Australia and New Zealand in spring 2024. For more information, head to the festival website — and we'll update you when lineup details are announced. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 — You can now get Bodega Underground's gluten-free Mexican snacks, as well as margaritas, bottles of wine and Mexican beers for either pick up or delivery. Just head here to order. This CBD taqueria should be on your list for a number of reasons. First, it's affordable, with tacos coming in cheap. Second, it will meet all dietary requirements as the whole menu is gluten-free and there are heaps of vegan options. And third, it's open seven days a week right through until midnight. The black bean, zucchini and sweet potato tacos all come with vegan cream, while the chorizo, fish and pork options will satiate meat eaters. On top of that, you can opt to add on chilaquiles (chicken or vegan), Mexi chicken wings, lamb ribs or spicy fried potatoes. Each of the drinks on offer have their own Mexican twist. We're talking spicy, beer-infused micheladas, piñata conladas, tequila-based palomas and even something called a Mexican Toreador. Bodega also dishes up a well-priced bottomless Mexi brunch from midday every Saturday and Sunday. With 90 minutes of unlimited cocktails, you can pretend like you're day-drinking somewhere between Cabo and Cancun as you dig into a hearty, five-course spread of tacos, chilaquiles and ceviche. If you're GF or vegan, the team can accommodate. Images: Jean-Louis Carvalho Appears in: The Best Bottomless Brunches in Melbourne for 2023
Pellegrini's has, and always will be, a cornerstone in Melbourne's patchwork-like eatery scene. One of our city's great gifts, this Italian classic remains stubbornly untouched as the years slide by. Steaming with soul food, raw character and some of the best coffee in Melbourne since 1954, Pellegrini's really doesn't have any reason to change. From generous bowls of warm al dente spaghetti topped with hearty Bolognese to tall lasagnes layered with hot cheese, Pellegrini's unpretentious Italian fare is comfort food at its very best. Any Nonna-style plate from this homely restaurant come cafe will make a bad day instantly better. The menu is displayed on a board in the centre of the dining room. Pair an honest classic meal with a summer-time watermelon granita, and you'll be flying on what co-owner Sisto Malaspina describes as "nourishment for the soul". "Everyone from princes to paupers pass through Pellegrini's everyday," Sisto said. "We serve simple, fresh good food from good local produce." If, for whatever reason, you're not that into Italian food, this distinguished restaurant still has plenty to offer. With its red leather vintage stools, worn checkerboard floor and communal kitchen table, stepping into the warm, bustling ecosystem of Pellegrini's is an experience in itself. The white-collared waiters can vary from calmly dismissive to charmingly charismatic, but everything here fits just the way it should. Take it all in while sipping a creamy coffee, or treat yourself to one of its scrumptious cakes. Sitting near the top end of Bourke Street, Pellegrini's is Melbourne's rock. Safe, comforting and familiar, some might argue change at Pellegrini's would be a good thing. But to that, we disagree. Images: Brook James Updated May, 2023. Appears in: The 13 Best Cafes in Melbourne for 2023 Where to Find the Best Pasta in Melbourne for 2023
Alphonse Gangitano must have left abruptly when he abandoned his underground casino in the early 90s. The Melburnian crime boss — now immortalised as a character in Underbelly — may have met a grisly demise, but he left behind some sweet real estate on an unassuming Fitzroy North side street. Untouched for 20-odd years, it was only in 2013 that a trio of hospitality entrepreneurs stumbled across the venue and went about returning it to its former glory. But this time without the gambling. The original venue was so well preserved that there wasn't a lot to do in terms of renovation, other than wipe off the dust and restock the wine racks. The interior — with its rich textural palate of blood-red surfaces, antique wood finishes and brocade wall features — is rather lush. Rather than coming across as intimidating, however, it manages to create an atmosphere of intimacy and homeliness. "What we didn't want was a very stiff and formal wine bar," says owner Almay Jordaan. "So we tried to create to a place that feels like your local watering hole. Something family-friendly, but with a focus on wonderful wine and seasonal food." French trained, Jordaan says she draws inspiration from European peasant food, and has created a daily changing menu that's responsive to the seasons and to Melbourne's notoriously bi-polar weather. In the cooler months, expect dishes such as pork shoulder, prune and hazelnut terrine, caper mayonnaise and toast, or slow roast jumbuck, broad beans, watercress and hazelnut dressing. Your only challenge will be choosing a wine to match from the expansive offering; with a collection of over 300 bottles, and new additions each week, the neighbourhood Wine owners might need to start investing in some IKEA storage solutions. But don't fear if you're no professional sommelier — the slick, approachable staff are more than happy to talk you through the wine list and suggest an ideal match. For those going by the glass, there are six whites and six reds on offer, as well as a small selection of sparkling, rose, sherry and fortified. As the crowds bloom on a Friday night, things become even cosier at Neighbourhood Wine. Couples playing footsie over a glass of sherry happily coexist with a group of boisterous blokes who hog the enormous snooker table in one room; a table of Mum and Dad diners sit amongst the debris of half-empty wine bottles and plates of cured meats in the next (all indicators of a meal thoroughly enjoyed). The noise level's high, but so are spirits — and if you listen closely, you might just hear the clinking of cash and casino chips ... remnants of the gangster ghouls who once ran the neighbourhood. Appears in: The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne for 2023
You may bear the daily grind of 9-5 working life and deal with the responsibilities that come with being a fully-fledged adult, but your inner-child, however hidden, still remains inside you. They're always in there, just waiting for a jumping castle or an ice cream cake or a big green hill to roll down. So let them out for a while. Reunite with that childish enthusiasm and joy of life by treating yourself to the awesomeness of theme parks, novelty games and creative curiosity — this time without Mum and Dad in tow to limit your sugar consumption. Now, who said being an adult doesn't have its perks? DO SWEET FLIPS AT BOUNCE Remember the hours and hours spent jumping on the backyard trampoline doing sweet flips and tricks? Bounce sure hasn't forgotten, and offers a colourful urban playground to reunite with the joy of anti-gravity and the rush of being airborne. With over 100 springy trampolines, enjoy aerial manoeuvres, slam dunking, wall-running, jumping into a foam pit and dodgeball — and create enough static electricity to zap your nearest and dearest and create an '80s electrified up-do. You'll find Bounce in Blackburn North, Glen Iris and Essendon Fields. DO SOME COLOURING AT CRAFTERNOON CAFE Lose yourself in your own world without teachers telling you to colour within the lines at Carlton North's Crafternoon Cafe — with the added bonus of treating yourself to coffee and cake. For only $10, you can get your hands stuck into some play dough, pasting or finger painting and create to your little heart's content. CUDDLE LAMBIES AT COLLINGWOOD CHILDREN'S FARM Set on seven hectares of lush green paddocks and gardens, escape the city surrounds and reconnect with the rustic joy of simple farm life at this urban farm. For $10 entry you can play farmer for a few hours by taking part in milking the cows, feeding chooks, bottle-feeding lambs, stroking guinea pigs, donkeys and horses. For fresh farm-grown goodies, check out the farmers' market on every second Saturday of the month, and make sure you stop by The Farm Cafe for lunch. GO ROCK CLIMBING AT HARDROCK While some climb Everest, others conquer the tough vertical wall at Hardrock. Challenge your upper body strength and test your Spidey talents by tackling the six- or 16-metre climb. Donning safety harnesses and climbing shoes, grip and twist your body like a pretzel to get to the top. Your reward will be bragging rights and abs of steel. Hardrock have locations in the city and Nunawading. LEARN A THING OR TWO AT SCIENCEWORKS Who said museums were boring? Sure, it's an educational activity — but with a planetarium, a lightning room and a race against Cathy Freeman, it's a lot of good, clean fun. You may not have paid the Spotswood museum a visit since you were in primary school, but it's well worth a re-visit. The culturally rich experience will be good for your brain — and useful for excelling at pub trivia. GO ICE SKATING IN DOCKLANDS Find bliss while gliding in this Olympic-sized rink while singing "ice, ice, baby" — or attempt to beat your mates in a skate-off without comically slipping over. Docklands' Medibank Icehouse is now the O'Brien Group Arena, and free lessons are offered most days to help skating novices transform from stumbling Bambi into the next Bradbury. It's a chilly environment at 16 degrees, so rugging up is highly advised. GO NUTS ON THE FAIRY FLOSS AT LUNA PARK The big-toothed giant of St Kilda has been freakishly smiling since 1912 — and while many things have changed over the century, the love of sticky pink fairy floss and the thrilling obsession with rollercoasters remains strong. Thrill seekers should aboard Pharaoh's Curse or the Great Scenic Railway while classics like the dodgem cars and the mighty Ferris wheel are still going strong as theme park favourites. PLAY LASER SKIRMISH AT TECH ASSAULT Is there anything more enjoyable than hunting down your friends with a laser gun? It's humans vs. humans in this urban battleground, where the only thing that can save you is skill, your plastic laser gun and good eyesight. Located in Thornbury, Tech Assault offers a perfect indoor-outdoor landscape for shooting your mates (and strangers) with lasers and saving the world. Plus, the experience has been designed by gamers — so you know it's going to be legit. WATERSLIDES! AT FUNFIELDS Ah, this is where childhood dreams truly come true. More than just a water park, Funfields, located 40-minutes out of Melbourne, has alpine tobogganing, go karting and more amusement rides than you can poke a stick at. Once you've had enough of being on dry land, try the Blackout, with its 120m drop into darkness, and the Wipeout, a mix of rapids which may or may not result in losing your togs. Or just go up and down the good old-fashioned waterslides. Top image: Dollar Photo Club
It's about time Torquay got a luxe day spa. The Great Ocean Road town does have a few wellness spaces that you can drop by for massages and skin treatments, but there's nothing quite like the bathhouses and natural hot springs found across the bay at Mornington Peninsula. But finally, on Thursday, December 26, About Time will open and Torquay will get the day spa it deserves. It comes from the people who created Little Company (champions of slow, pared-back facials and LED lightroom therapy) and STILL Beauty (massage experts), so you're sure to get some damn good wellness treatments here. The Torquay spa is also fully equipped for all your luxury bathing needs within its brutalist building. Inside, it will have a magnesium pool, cold plunge pool, traditional sauna, steam room, and private infrared saunas and ice baths that can be booked for groups of up to eight people. Step outside, and you'll find hot and cold magnesium pools that are tailor-made for social bathing with mates. You're free to chat out here, but it seems like the indoor bathhouse is more about quiet self-care. With so little competition out this way, About Time is set to be incredibly popular with locals and day-trippers alike. About Time is slated to open on Boxing Day, and will be found at 27 Baines Crescent, Torquay. For more information and to book a spot at the spa, check out the venue's website.
Twenty years. Twelve seasons, plus a round of revival specials. Oh-so-many music and comedy guests. As at 2025, that's the Spicks and Specks story. This year marks two decades since the series first debuted on the ABC — and through cancellations, new hosts, bringing back its OG talents and more, the music quiz show has become a firm Australian favourite. To celebrate that longevity, its latest run will arrive in June. The ABC announced back in 2024 that Spicks and Specks would return this year. Now there's an exact date: Sunday, June 15. Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough are all back — this time joined by Megan Washington, Marcia Hines, Kram, Lucy Durack and Robert Forster among the musicians, plus comedians Julia Morris, Tom Ballard, Dave O'Neil and Sara Pascoe. Hands on buzzers, again. Get ready to bust out all that music knowledge, and also to play along with one of the nation's most-beloved television shows once more, too. Among everything that the ABC has ever broadcast, be it news, entertainment, after-school kids shows, oh-so-much Doctor Who and late-night music videos to keep you occupied after a few drinks all included, Spicks and Specks is among the all-time highlights. 2025's season will also feature performances by Spiderbait, Montaigne, Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Pseudo Echo, Barry Morgan and The Living End. In the mid-00s, when the ABC decided to take a few cues from Britain's music quiz and comedy panel TV series Never Mind the Buzzcocks by creating Spicks and Specks, Australia's national broadcaster likely knew that it had a hit on its hands — but it mightn't have realised just how popular that the show would become. Here's how it works, if you need a refresher: the contestants answer questions, compete for points and just generally prove funny, too, all while the series puts Aussie musos and comedians against each other. Spicks and Specks was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it keeps being resurrected. In fact, it has enjoyed more comebacks than John Farnham, although that has meant different things over the years. When the program was initially revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Hills, Warhurst and Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback became the ABC's most-watched show of that year. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. In 2022, ten new episodes hit — and then the show returned again in 2024. To tide you over until the 2025 episodes arrive, here's a clip from 2024's Spicks and Specks run: Spicks and Specks returns to ABC TV and ABC iView from Sunday, June 15, 2025.
Jed Kurzel boasts one of the most-enviable recent resumes in Australia's film industry. It was back in 2011 that the founding member of The Mess Hall added a haunting layer to Snowtown, the first feature directed by his elder brother Justin, via its score. The pair have worked together on every one of Justin's films since. But Jed doesn't just have the sounds of stunning Shakespeare adaptation Macbeth, game-to-screen flick Assassin's Creed, the dark-but-playful True History of the Kelly Gang, the complicated Nitram and the upcoming The Order to his name. Jennifer Kent's The Babadook and The Nightingale, Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant, Dev Patel's feature directorial debut Monkey Man: he has scored them all as well. With a filmography that also hops from The Turning, All This Mayhem and Slow West to Overlord, Seberg and Encounter — plus Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities on the small screen — it might seem an impossible task to pick favourites. Even whittling down what to talk about at Kurzel's Screen Commentary session at SXSW Sydney 2024, where he's chatting through his work, might sound difficult. But ask him which of his projects stand out, as Concrete Playground did, and he has answers, even if he notes that his responses differ over time. "There's a few. But then they start to change as I go on, because I guess you learn more things, and some films follow a particular style that you might have gotten onto, or a particular thing that I've discovered and I will push that through a few films," he explains. "Snowtown for me is the one that that really stands out, I think because it's the first one and I still get offered films today that have put Snowtown in their temp music, which is the music they put in while they're editing — it's kind of crazy that's it's still being used. So that one particularly, it still pops up. Macbeth as well, I think just because it was the first real string score I've done, orchestral score, and I did it all over in the UK, so I met a lot of people that I'm still collaborating with then and I felt like we were all jumping into this thing together," Kurzel advises. "I think those two stand out for me, and The Babadook." His fruitful career composing for the screen might've come about as one could expect when your brother is a filmmaker — Justin asked him to have a go at scoring Snowtown — but working together and taking this path wasn't a long-held childhood plan. "Never. No, I don't think that we have ever spoken about it. It was just how it worked out," Kurzel notes. "We'd been working together before that, in that he'd been doing the video clips for us and all that kind of stuff. We were always doing things together. So it wasn't like it felt like an 'oh, here we go' kind of thing. It was really just one of those things where we're always a part of what the other was doing." Viewers can be thankful for sibling bonds and the route it has taken Jed down. As brilliant as everything they each splash across the screen is, Snowtown, Macbeth, Nitram, The Babadook, The Nightingale and more wouldn't be the films they are without Kurzel's scores. Ahead of his session at SXSW Sydney, we also chatted to the composer about what sparked his contributions to some of the above films, how collaborating with Justin is different to working with other filmmakers, ensuring that his music isn't commenting on the content of the movies, the influence of genre, challenges he'd like to take on and plenty more. On How Kurzel Began Composing for the Screen "I was touring around with The Mess Hall and I had some time at home. Then Justin, my brother, was doing his first film Snowtown, and he asked me if I'd like to have a go at scoring it because, outside of the things I was doing with the band, I was always messing around with stuff at home. I guess it was more in the film soundtrack kind of land, but I was just doing it for my own enjoyment. And he said 'oh, you know, some of that stuff could work well, all that kind of thing could work well'. And I said 'I've never done that before, so'. And he said 'look, it's fine if it doesn't work, I'll get someone else. But you have a go with it'. So I did and then that was kind of it, it just it snowballed from there. It wasn't something that I had set out to do really. At that point, I was really happy playing music — and playing, actually. But I was missing just being in the room and making music. We were out playing a lot, and it's very hard to make music when you're doing that. So I was missing that at that time — so it came at a perfect time, I think." On Collaborating with Justin on All of His Features So Far — and How It's Different to Working with Other Filmmakers "It is different now, because I think we've developed — I mean, we always had a shorthand, but it feels like it's become even shorter now. We almost hardly ever discuss it while we're doing it. It just happens, in a way, now. We used to take a long time. I'd start really early on his films and it would be this drawn-out process, and sometimes the process could get quite difficult as the edit changed and things like that. I think just through experience, we've started to work out an efficient way to work that is still as creatively rewarding. And the last couple of things I've done with him, like The Order, it was all very free-flowing and it came quite quickly, and it wasn't something that we laboured over. I think we've discovered that the more we labour over things, it doesn't help anything." On What Sparked the Score for a Film as Complicated as Snowtown "With that one, we always talked about that hitting the bullseye was a very slim chance in some ways, because we found that with most music that we put on it, it felt like it was commenting on it. So immediately it was like 'well, we don't want to do that' because that just wasn't what the film was doing — and it didn't want it anyway. So it became a really instinctive thing about what it wanted, and there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing of changing the edits to suit where we were taking it. So a lot of back and forth between us. And then, I always feel like if you just listen to the film, it'll eventually tell you what it wants. You throw things on it and just sort of shrug it off, and then there'll be something that starts to stick. And as soon as it starts sticking, you're on your way." On Whether Working on Films Like Snowtown, Nitram and The Nightingale Brings a Sense of Responsibility Given the Historical Details They're Diving Into — and How to Avoid a Score That Comments "I think so. But, I mean, I think with those projects, you're well-aware of that before you've even started them. There is a certain responsibility, I think, not to — I guess what it is musically, I'm always aware of not commenting, and that you're adding. I feel like you're just adding another layer and energy to the film, rather than going 'this character comes on and they've got a theme' or anything like that. It's just different, it's adding a feeling. It's what the film wants — and if you start commenting with some of these films, it just doesn't work. It just feels wrong. But on other films, you can go into those areas and the film absolutely wants to have that. I think it just depends on what you're working on. I always love to look at the film itself, and how it feels and what it looks like, and where it's set and those kind of things, because I think with music, you can actually add to that even more so. Even cinematography, I think, is really a big one for music, too, that maybe gets overlooked a little bit, because we are responding to images, so that's the first thing you're looking at." On Adding Playfulness to a Score That's Also Quite Dark, Such as True History of the Kelly Gang "That one, I'm glad you said that, because actually that's what I wanted to achieve with that score — that there was a playful quality to it. I always really loved the Sidney Nolan paintings, and I was sort of taking a cue from that. And also I love the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons and things like that. So for me, they were the influences that I was grabbing. I guess if you've got a concept or an idea that you want to launch things off of, that's always helpful." On How to Find the Score for a Shakespearean Adaptation Like Macbeth When There's So Many Past Big-Screen Versions —Including Initially Skewing Electronic "I remember doing that and both of us [Jed and Justin] feeling a lot of pressure because it's been done. There's not many times when you do a film that's like 'well, this has been actually been done before word for word'. When films are made, I think there's some directors who've got it all in their head and then they go out and make it, and what happens in the edit is the film just wants to be something else — and if you fight against that, usually you'll end up with something that's probably nowhere near your vision, and that frustrates you. Whereas if you follow what the film wants and then listen to it, and just go with where it wants rather than trying to hold onto your initial idea, then I think you can end up in really interesting places. In that case, yeah, it started out as an electronic score, that's what we wanted to do, but the film just, again, didn't want it. So we had to change tact a little bit, and we got something completely different, but I think it's the same sort of idea that we started out with. We had an initial idea, and then we just followed our gut while we were doing the edit." On How Working on Something Smaller, or More Character- or Mood-Driven, Differs From a Big-Budget Sci-Fi Sequel Like Alien: Covenant "I think there's similar pressures with both. On a smaller film, even though it's a smaller budget, there's almost more at stake because a lot of the times that might be someone's first film that they've directed. So they're kind of like someone's baby. Whereas the big-budget films, there's so many people involved, and they keep changing and they tend to have a lot more time to sit with things. The smaller budgets, the smaller films, they don't, they have to finish by a particular time because they don't have the money to keep editing or keep doing things. So I think there's different pressures with both. But in terms of scoring them, I just I think they just different hills to climb." On the Way That Genre Has an Impact on How Kurzel Approaches Scoring a Movie "We all grow up watching films, so we've all got that language. So whether you like it or not, you're aware of genres, and what those genres are and what's come before you, which I think is great because it can set benchmarks for you. If you're looking at something and going 'I want to do a horror film' and 'what are the films that I really like in this sort of genre?', you can go back and have a look, and just see the way they've been approached — which may make you go 'well, I don't want to approach it like that, I want to approach it like this'." On What Drives an Unnerving Score Such as The Babadook "That's a good question because that score, the inspiration for that — I think I wrote this in the sleeve of the vinyl — when I was scoring that, I was living in Erskineville and there was a possum on my roof or in the tree above me. And it was knocking things down through the night, and it would jump off the tree onto the roof. So I was always listening to what sounded like people throwing bodies on my roof. On top of that, it would make these strange noises, or there'd be strange noises outside. So a lot of the time, I was keeping the door open and making music, and just letting those sounds come in as well — and going 'okay, that's interesting. I could kind of do something'. So I think what I'm listening for is what's unnerving me — and particularly late at night, if I'm doing something, you can hear things. The world really is making music all the time. So the environment's always really great, if you've got your ear out, you can always hear really interesting stuff. But in terms of horror, I like to be unnerved. I'm not that much into the jump scares and things like that. I like an eerie, unnerving kind of feeling." On the Response to The Babadook — Then and Now "Even internationally, you mention it and everyone knows it, and the characters. It's pretty amazing. I'm really proud of the work we all did on that and how much Jen stuck to her guns with the film. I think it's just been re-released on screens in the US, it's doing a tour of America at the moment, which is amazing. And that was a film that if you told us that's what was happening, and most of the things that happened with that film, we would have laughed at the time because it just was not on anyone's radar. Even when it was released here, it had such a tiny release, I don't think anyone even knew it'd come out." On Being in Action Mode with Monkey Man, But Using the Score to Build an Emotional World "That was really different, because Dev already had, for a lot of the action scenes, there was already a lot of source music placed in there as music that already existed. And he had a definite thing for me, which was 'I want the film to be the emotional underground of the character'. So a lot of it, we talked a lot about memory, and the music was representing his memory of his mother. And so it was really strange, I was doing an action film but I wasn't really doing the action side. There's a few chase scenes and things like that. But in terms of that being the focus, it really wasn't, it was this whole other world that Dev was after which I found really appealing and exciting when we first spoke about the film." On the Most-Important Task for a Film Score to Achieve "I always feel like I'm there to add a layer that's almost not even music — it's another layer to the film that wasn't previously there, that if you took out, you would really notice it. A lot of people talk about watching films and not noticing the music. But I feel the other way. I want to notice it. And I want it to give me another layer on there that I know wouldn't exist otherwise — the performances wouldn't get it, the editing, it's adding something that's unique and almost impossible to describe, which is what to me that music is. It feels like some sort of magical language." On the Ultimate Challenge in Composing for the Screen That Kurzel Hasn't Taken on Yet — But Would Like To "I really don't know, because I find everything that I do, there's a new challenge and it usually rears its head pretty quickly. You get into something and you think 'oh yeah, I know how to do this' — and suddenly the film, like I said, the film starts to move into a direction and that tilts everything. Being aware of those things, I think that's the exciting part about it. If you're living in the moment and scoring things for the moment, listening out for really happy mistakes — which I call those things that you kind of go 'ohh, I'm going to try this' but something else happens that was a mistake, and you think 'that's actually better than what I was going to do. I'm going to go down that path for a while'. They're the things that I love about composing. In terms of feeling like there's something I haven't done yet, I haven't really done any romantic comedies. But I just, for some reason, I don't think I'm the go-to guy for those." [caption id="attachment_875685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Netflix © 2022[/caption] Concrete Playground: "I chatted with Justin about Snowtown and he told me at the time that the next film he had in mind was a tennis rom-com." Jed: "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Concrete Playground: "So maybe if he does end up doing one, you'll get one." Jed: "I keep saying to him, because he's very funny, so I keep saying 'you need to do a comedy. That has to be your next one'." Screen Commentary: Jed Kurzel takes place at SXSW Sydney from 11am–12pm AEDT on Friday, October 18, 2024 at Fortress Sydney. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for more details.
Melbourne is unrepentantly tricksy about its hidden bars — poking them down alleys, up flights of stairs and through fake doors. You'll find Melbourne underground bars scattered all over the place too. The city wants you to work for your liquor. But hey, where's the fun in a well-lit, obvious bar that everyone knows about? No matter how many hoops Melbourne makes punters jump through, there's no denying it's home to some pretty beaut bars. The word "underground" certainly echoes around the traps when it comes to the coolest places to check out — with a swag of venues embracing the secretive speakeasy culture. And a lot of these bars speak to that second meaning of "underground", too: they are literally located under the ground. Good for impressing a date, taking someone from out of town or just for a well-deserved after-work tipple, these are the best basement bars in Melbourne. Recommended reads: The Best Bars in Melbourne Melbourne's Best Pubs and Bars with Fireplaces The Best Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Sunday Roasts in Melbourne State of Grace When State of Grace served its last drinks on Collins Street in 2017 — shutting up shop along with its secret cellar bar Fall From Grace — it wasn't gone for long. In 2018, the city hot-spot made a triumphant return. Resurrected in style on King Street, the well-loved venue made one hell of a comeback. At its new digs, old-world decor meets contemporary flair, finished with a touch of the experimental. Mirrors, marble and chandeliers abound through both the European-style restaurant at street level and the hidden drinking den tucked below. As with the original, the latter is accessed through a bookshelf, though here it's swapped the soaring ceilings for a more intimate space that's scattered with lounges and vintage knick-knacks. Beneath Driver Lane Beneath Driver Lane has a tonne of atmosphere, even before you get inside: there's a velvet rope ushering you in, and a door that opens automatically. That's a whole lot of fanfare, but it'll make you feel pretty special. The Melbourne basement bar pulls its influence from New Orleans — all blues and rum, moody lighting, and black and white photos on the walls. There's a raclette sourdough toastie, which, obviously, would be worth trekking across several cities for, along with jamón croquettes and dijon chicken wings with spicy aioli. Add to that the over 400 different spirits, plus the sweet touches like refreshment mints in the bathrooms (in case you're on a date and it's going well) and stacks of live music, and Beneath Driver Lane makes for a very worthy underground jaunt. Juliet Punch Lane's downstairs sibling Juliet has a bunch of cool stuff going on — including the fact that its modus operandi is to support and represent female winemakers, distillers and cheese producers. For a dose of girl power and, really, just a great night with nice vibes, head down to the basement bar on Little Bourke Street — it's all pink neon, concrete and hand-blown glass down here. The venue offers a swag of signature cocktails, alongside cheese, charcuterie and snacks; think: salt cod croquettes, freshly shucked oysters and anchovies on toast. Settle in with a tasty bite and a mandarin martini or two, and you'll never want to come up from underground. [caption id="attachment_747858" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jana Langhorst[/caption] Dessous As the name — which means 'underneath' in French — suggests, this cosy wine bar and eatery is of the subterranean variety. Sibling to restaurant Hazel above, Dessous boasts a charming space deep within the heritage-listed T&G Building, featuring interiors by award-winning design firm The Stella Collective. Hop on down to this underground bar in Melbourne, nabbing a plush banquette seat and tucking into the likes of pork jowl skewers, dry-aged duck, spanner crab doughnuts and red curry corn fritters. To match, expect a globe-trotting wine list and plenty of chic cocktails — the rhubarb- and cacao-infused Manhattan feels especially well suited to an underground sipping session. Bar Margaux Old-world Parisian style meets New York chic at this underground haunt from the crew behind The Everleigh and Heartbreaker. Step down into its vision of chequered floors, marble-topped tables and rich burgundy banquettes, and you'll feel like you're escaping to another time and place. Bar Margaux's food is French and effortlessly sophisticated, running to classics like tartare, escargot, steak frites and a daily-changing souffle. An expansive drinks program heroes top-notch Aussie and French wines, and plenty of Champagne, along with revamped classic cocktails for any time of day. This one's partial to a late-night underground session, too, given that it's open till 3am on Saturday nights. Trinket Flinders Lane bar Trinket is well-known for its sourdough pizzas, chic cocktails and the roaring open fire that graces its elegant front bar. But dig a little deeper — namely, through the back of a secret wardrobe — and you'll also discover a hidden Melbourne basement bar tucked away downstairs. Much like its upstairs counterpart, the space is a plush, velvet-filled hideaway — just with the addition of heavy curtains and moody lighting to transport you far from that street-level buzz. Steal away down here for a quiet tipple or two; perhaps a classic bramble, a spicy riff on a margarita, or the spiced rum- and coffee-infused Vintage Charm might tempt your tastebuds. Castlerose Glen Bagnara knows a thing or two about opening a treasured neighbourhood bar, as one of the minds behind Hemingway's Wine Room and Prahran's Bar Bianco. For this next trick, he transformed the basement beneath his daytime diner Clementine to create a moodier and altogether more playful old-world bar: Castlerose. Fine champagne is served in vintage-style coupes. Classic European cocktails come in intricate stemware. An old-school cheese cart is wheeled around for anyone who wants to handpick wedges of local and imported cheeses that regularly change. But the most playful aspects of the dining experience are those with supper club touches. At this Melbourne basement bar, the confit duck comes wrapped up like a cigar, served in a wooden cigar box with an ashtray of olive dust. And the duck rillettes come in a sealed tin, ready to be peeled open and enjoyed with fig jam, cornichons and slices of toasted baguette. It's delicious and fun. Bar Clara Located in a basement space in Chinatown, under the arch near Exhibition Street, this watering hole slings a custom, frequently changing cocktail list that blends fresh ingredients with modern techniques. Bar Clara's neat selection of beer, cider and wine is also a winner, as is the kitchen's tasty range of bites — such as a baked brie served with cranberry sauce and mini toasts, mushroom and miso toasties, and panna cotta that comes with a seasonal coulis and white chocolate lattice. Decor-wise, prepare to sip and snack in a dimly-lit space decked out with plants, concrete beams, a copper bar top and green velvet couches. The George on Collins Designed by Hecker Guthrie, this sprawling basement space features a collection of revamped private rooms geared towards upscale celebrations with the crew. Make yourself at home in The Attic, tucked upstairs and behind a curtain; enjoy an intimate celebration in The Den; or settle into a feast in new-look private dining room The Rumpus. The glass-fronted Cellar, with views across the rest of the venue, has room for up to 220. The George's most recent menu overhaul sees the kitchen plating up vibrant, Asian-fusion fare for lunch, dinner and late-night sessions alike. Head in for plates of prawn toast, soft shell crab, a selection of stuffed bao buns, miso glazed octopus and tuna tartare. The $89 bottomless brunch every Saturday is also a big win, which includes three sharing dishes, rice and baos, plus free-flowing wine, beer and cocktails for two hours. The Moat The Moat is a step away from the Swanston Street rush, and a step down from the Wheeler Centre entrance on Little Lonsdale Street. Nestled beneath the State Library of Victoria, the bar is located in the basement of the 19th-century bluestone building. Set yourself up with a wine or three while considering the weight of the literature that sits directly above you, and perhaps toasting to Jack Kerouac or Oscar Wilde. Happy hour (4–6pm Tuesday–Saturday) brings with it a whole menu of happy times — i.e. Spanish anchovy crostini with whipped ricotta, handmade pastas and mixed antipasto bites to accompany your wine. It's most definitely worth going underground for. Bodega Underground If you have a big crush on tequila shots, have been giving mezcal some side-eye, or just have an achin' for a margarita, Bodega Underground in Melbourne's CBD might be the place to descend to. The Mexican-themed mezcal bar is located in some pretty cool digs. Hidden up the Parliament end of Little Bourke Street, it boasts scores of vintage Mexican posters as decor and serves up some serious tacos to go along with its extensive tequila selection. There are many – the mezcal and tequila options take up pages and pages of the menu – so you know you're in good hands. Food-wise, try the brisket tacos, slow-cooked lamb ribs or perhaps some Mexican fried chicken. They're all good alone, but they switch to another level when paired with some agave options from the bar or when included within it's bottomless brunch offering. Valhalla A moody underground oasis for the after-work crowd, Valhalla is a Nordic-inspired drinking den nestled within the Olderfleet building on Collins Street. The brainchild of international coworking space company Work Club, the bar is decked out in dramatic dark tones, with leather booth seating, metallic finishes and lots of statement furniture pieces. From the bar comes a playful and inventive cocktail lineup that changes seasonally. Knock off and pop down to this Melbourne underground bar to enjoy a top-notch cheese platter and a memorable tipple or two. We're all about the reworked negroni crafted on a Davidson Plum aperitivo by Autonomy Distillers. Gin Palace Renowned for its martinis, late night snacks and popularity with both insomniacs and Melbourne's hospitality crowd, Gin Palace a great location to bag a bartender after a long shift. Rich, luxurious and flush with cushioned surfaces and secretive enclaves, it almost begs for a sneaky pash on a dim corner lounge. Ever better, escape with your date to the hidden, fairy-light-lit den that links the venue to Bar Ampere next door — which is open until 3am every night of the week.
Catching a blockbuster or indie flick beneath the stars is already pretty special. Yet part of the reason so many people love Moonlight Cinema is that you can bring your dog along for the ride. Good luck finding a conventional cinema with that perk — unless Yarraville's Sun Theatre and their doggy day sessions are within reach. Now the experience for your pooch is getting even better, as Moonlight Cinemas across the country (except Perth) are adding exclusive Lyka doggie bag meals to the menu for the first time. So, when it's time to hit up the kitchen and bar for your movie night snacks, pet parents can also grab some dog-friendly goodies to keep their pup occupied. While you get stuck into the popcorn and perhaps a wine or two, your dog could be munching on a tasty kangaroo meal. Served as part of a goodie bag for $17, it comes with a handy DOG by Dr Lisa Lick Mat and a Turkey Dental Jerky Treat, perfect for times when your dog grows a little restless. And with everything handed over inside a convenient Lyka cooler bag, it's easy to keep the doggy snacks chilled on a warm evening. Ready for a night out with the fam — pets and all? Moonlight Cinema's 30th season kicks off on Friday, November 21, in Sydney, with Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne soon to follow.
Known for its minimalist design, Japanese home goods giant MUJI made a sizeable leap back in 2015, adding houses to its range. As well as selling items to fill your home with, it started selling prefabricated homes as well. Compact but functional — and, perhaps most importantly, affordable — the new additions understandably garnered plenty of attention. But, while the company also released a tiny hut in 2017, it hasn't expanded its house lineup since. Until now, that is. And while MUJI's first three flat-pack houses were all multi-storey abodes made for city living, it has just designed its first one-storey version. Called Yano-no-ie, it's a response to customer demand — and its designed to adapt to different living requirements. Thanks to sliding doors that open out onto a deck, it's also the result of a concerted effort to combine indoor and outdoor living. https://www.instagram.com/p/B2atw0eHEUu/ Taking over 73 square metres of floor space, with a total construction area of 91.50 square metres, Yano-no-ie's standard configuration features a bedroom, living area, combined kitchen and dining room, bathroom and outdoor area — so, as you'd expect, it keeps things simple. That said, its spaces are meant to be multifunctional. The bedroom features furniture that can be used throughout the day as well, for example, with the company suggesting that you can deploy it as a place for reading or using a computer throughout the day, and to have a drink in of an evening. Designed in a box shape, Yano-no-ie is fashioned out of wooden siding made from Japanese cedar. Linking in with MUJI's existing products, it's made to accommodate the brand's storage range in its kitchen — and, in the bathroom, it features the same type of wash basin used in MUJI's hotels. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3wNEt9HMkc/ Like MUJI's existing prefab homes, it's also far more economical than your average house, starting at 15.98 million yen or around AU$211,000. Alas, although the company has stores in Sydney and Melbourne — including its first Australian MUJI concept store — the houses aren't available to buy outside of Japan as yet. Via: MUJI.
Melbourne is obsessed with Japanese food and has been for many decades. The city is absolutely packed with sushi joints, omakase fine-diners, ramen dens and izakayas, as well as more contemporary Japanese fusion eateries. You'll find them in the CBD and scattered all over the burbs. We're spoilt for choice. But that makes finding the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne a mighty hard task. Thankfully, our crew of writers and editors has spent many years eating and drinking around town to uncover the 25 greatest. Find them all here, ranked. Recommended reads: The Best Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Thai Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Italian Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Restaurants in Melbourne's CBD
As the creator and host of This American Life, one of modern radio's truly great story hours, Ira Glass needs little introduction. But now Ira is trying his hand as a film producer. Marcus Costello caught up with him ahead of the Australian release of Sleepwalk with Me, a comedy based on the life of, directed by and starring Ira's longtime friend and collaborator Mike Birbiglia. There's a sequence in Sleepwalk when Matt (Birbiglia) stays overnight in a hotel. For a guy who moonlights in a bar to support himself, this is the sign of making it — so he orders room service and dances on the bed. You also had a day job when you first started making radio: temping as a secretary. Was there a jump-on-the-bed-moment when it dawned on you that radio was going to work out? There were a few moments, but they were not early in my career! I took longer to figure out how to make a living making radio than anyone I've ever met. I was always a very good editor but all the other parts of making a radio story — being a solid interviewer, writer, knowing how to write something that could be read out loud — I was just so bad at these things. And I don't say that with false modesty. If you poke around you can find examples of my early stuff. I have. And, yeah, well, you only got better and better. [laughs] All through my twenties my parents kept telling me "you've got to get out of radio, you've got to get out of radio!" and I always thought they were being so unsupportive. But when I go back and listen to what I was producing, I completely understand where they were coming from. Did you ever turn to them and say, "look at me now"? Yes. Well, not in so many words. When they saw me on The David Letterman Show they stopped telling me I should go to medical school. Nice. Staying with the hotel experience, I have you as saying, "Just when did I get to the point when staying at a hotel wasn't fun?" I have a cousin who's a composer, Philip Glass, and when he was starting out his mother said to him, "You're just going to be travelling around staying in hotels", and he said, "Yeah, exactly!" But, you know, the novelty comes and goes. These days, I've come back around to embracing the escapism of hotels. In that scene, Matt looks around the hotel room sort of awestruck and I remember seeing it in the script and thinking "Well, that's going to look stupid" but it worked! It's a perfect example of something that's utterly convincing on film but if you think about it, 100 percent BS. And that was one of the key things I've learnt about filmmaking. And what about bumping into famous people at fancy hotels and thinking "I'm famous too, I can talk to them!" Is there still novelty in that? I mean, This American Life is a show about ordinary people's stories. Tell me, who's the most memorable person you've met? I can definitely answer this question but it's hard because if an interview is going well I fall in love with that person a little bit... Are you falling in love me with, Ira? Exactly. And after this interview, where are you taking me, Marcus? [laughs] I guess, be it with a man, woman or child, any age, I know an interview's going well, that we're both feeling good about it, when I start talking honestly about myself with them. Okay, here's something that really stands out in my memory. We did a show about babysitting and I interviewed a guy called Myron Jones. It was one of those stories that starts out light-hearted and funny but gets darker and sours. The deeper into it we went, I realised the story wasn't about what we thought it was about but actually about his mum; she was kind of crazy. At one point she actually followed through with her threats to send him away to an orphanage, like, who does that? It was the kind of complicated, emotional story that is so hard to come by. I mean, he was from another generation, another part of the world, there's no other way I would have had access to a story like his. And he really opened up to me. But the thing that touched me most was how graceful he was about his past. I mean, his mum did some terrible things, some really terrible things, and yet he had no bitterness about it. He was beyond bitterness and almost onside with his mum. I remember thinking to myself after that interview, when I get old I want to be like Myron. It's so touching and telling that people open up to you. I wonder, if you're asking someone who you've just met to talk about a traumatic period of their life, have you ever felt you've pushed too hard, gone too far? Hmm. Well, there have certainly been times when people have told me too much without having to push for it. I remember when I was a producer for the daily news back in the '80s when AIDS first hit, I was interviewing this couple and I asked them, "Do people still have sex when they have HIV?" And then they gave the most graphic, like, graphic, account of how they do it. I thought, wow, you are just so much less inhibited than I am. Well, journalists are compelled to get the truth out there in all its graphic detail. On the other hand, artists are compelled to create truths. As a sort of hybrid of these two, what compels you? Truthfully, I feel that my interests are really basic. I'm looking for something that is exciting or amusing. I like to be entertained. Balancing funny moments with emotional moments in the one story is always powerful. I like being told stories about people I don't know or places I haven't been but told in a way that I can relate to. I certainly relate to This American Life, and I'm an Australian. Have you ever thought about selling the concept to other countries? Say, This Russian Life? [laughs] The name of the show goes to show just how shortsighted we were! Back in the early '90s when we started out, we honestly never thought anyone outside of America would ever hear us. I don't know how we'd go in Russia, but we're on in Canada and they're such chauvinists up there we actually thought about inserting a little snippet into the intro so it's like, 'This North American Life'. I often reflect on what you have to say about starting out, "For the first couple of years you make stuff and it's just not that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. You gotta know it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work." (Read the full quote here.) I loved This American Life the TV series, but it was abandoned so early on! Yeah. Basically, for things to work in the This American Life format things have to unfold, somebody has to learn something, somebody to change. On radio, we get people to tell us what happened to them but on TV you want the cameras to be there rolling as the events transpire. So it becomes a really tall order to find something worth filming before it's happened. Look, I'm proud of what we produced and we even won some awards for it, but it was just so hard, like, really hard, and we had trouble meeting our deadlines. And it's so much more expensive to experiment with stories in TV than it is to run with something in radio then let it go if it's not working out. We asked to be taken off television and very graciously Showtime let us out of our contract. You seem to have a love-hate relationship with hard work. Speaking about your first time producing a film, you said, "It was a shocking amount of work — the despair-making sort of work where you aren't really sure if it's ever going to work." And yet your team is ploughing ahead with six more films. Something tells me it's all going to work out just fine. [laughs] Thank you. Ira's Sleepwalk with Me collaborator Mike Birbiglia is currently in Australia with his show My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, on at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 4 and at the Sydney Opera House on April 6. He'll also be appearing at a special Q&A session and Sleepwalk with Me screening at the Dendy Newtown on April 5. Read our review of Sleepwalk with Me here.
Can't be stuffed hitting the kitchen on Christmas Day? Or maybe you're hunting a spot to enjoy some post-lunch cocktails with the crew? Luckily Melbourne's got no shortage of cafes, restaurants and bars that are dishing up the goods — even on December 25. Here are a few spots that are open and ready to whet your whistle and fill your belly on Christmas Day, 2021. [caption id="attachment_755831" align="alignnone" width="1920"] St Ali[/caption] CAFES Tall Timber, Prahran: 7.30am–3pm Friends of Mine, Richmond: 7.30am–3pm Commonplace Coffee Brewers, CBD: 7am–4.30pm Juliette Coffee & Bread, Malvern East: 7am–12pm Glovers Station, Elsternwick: 7am–12pm Bentwood, Fitzroy: 7am–12pm BAWA Cafe, Hawthorn: 7.30am–3pm Auction Rooms, North Melbourne: 7.30am–4pm St Ali, South Melbourne: 7am–5pm [caption id="attachment_702888" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prince Dining, by Gareth Sobey[/caption] RESTAURANTS Panda Hot Pot, Carlton: 11.30am–2pm and 5–11pm (performances at dinner) JiYu Thai Hotpot, CBD: 5.30–10pm Hofbrauhaus, CBD: 12–3pm Prince Dining Room, St Kilda: three-course lunch, sittings from 12pm Mamak, CBD: 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30–10pm David's Master Pot, CBD: 11.30am–5pm Chef David, CBD: 5.30pm–12am Cappo Sociale, Fitzroy: from 12pm (lunch only) Ichi Ni Nana Izakaya, Fitzroy: 5pm–late Da Long Yi Hotpot, CBD: 11am–2.30pm, 5–10pm Tim Ho Wan, CBD: 10am–8.30pm (walk-ins only) The Smith, Prahran: three-course lunch menu, sittings at 11am and 2.30pm Mr Joe, Richmond: set lunch banquet, 1–3pm Taxi Kitchen, CBD: 12–4pm (five-course banquet) The Station Hotel, Footscray: three-course lunch menu, sittings at 11am and 2.30pm Bistro Guillaume, Southbank: four-course lunch menu, sitting at 12pm; four-course dinner menu, sittings at 5pm and 8pm The Imperial, CBD: three-course lunch menu, sittings at 11.30am and 2pm Bang Pop, South Wharf: Thai lunch banquet, sittings from 12pm O'Connell's Hotel, South Melbourne: three-course lunch menu, sittings at 11am and 2.30pm Newmarket Hotel, St Kilda: three-course lunch menu, sittings at 11am and 2.30pm [caption id="attachment_650668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Section 8[/caption] BARS Arbory, CBD: 12pm–late (banquet available) Arbory Afloat, CBD: 12–10pm (various banquets available) Prince Public Bar, St Kilda: three-course lunch, sittings from 12pm State of Grace, CBD: three-course lunch menu, sittings at 11.30am and 2pm Section 8, CBD: 12pm–1am (annual Orphans Xmas) The Espy, St Kilda: noon–late New Guernica, Collingwood: 9pm–4am (Eat the Beat Christmas Party) Colour, Carlton: from 10pm (Technoir's 17th Annual Christmas Party) Top image: Panda Hot Pot.
As the mercury rises, Australian cities come to life. Rooftop bars transform under the summer sun, the streets feel alive, and you start feeling that itch to explore. Call it a sign, but Vibe Hotels have decided to bring their Black Friday sale forward to match that exact feeling. From now until Tuesday, December 2 you can score 20 percent off at each of their hotels. Plus, sign up to the e-Club to receive an additional discount and instant reward every time you stay. From waterside gems to sun-drenched rooftop bars, these cities make for the perfect summer breaks. Adelaide [caption id="attachment_1043290" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Adelaide[/caption] Adelaide is often overlooked as a summer getaway thanks to its reputation as a city of churches. But, in reality, it's a foodie mecca, fringed with endless beaches. Base yourself at Vibe Hotel Adelaide, naturally. Start your day with a leafy walk to breakfast at sacred local spot Exchange Coffee as you plan which of Adelaide's beaches you'll spend the day lazing at: Glenelg, Henley, or slightly further out Port Noarlunga. Take a day trip to Kangaroo Island for more ridiculous beaches and wild life spotting. Or, you'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to wineries: Barossa, McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills, and the Clare Valley are all easy day trips. After a long day exploring, head back to your hotel for dinner at Storehouse Flinders East. Hobart Thanks to Dark Mofo, Hobart has earned a reputation as a winter city. But ask any local and they'll tell you it's a city made for summer. Vibe Hotel Hobart has a location perfect for exploring everything the city has to offer with onsite restaurant Belvedere showcasing the Apple Isle's bountiful produce. For more local-approved bites, head to hole in the wall wine bar Sonny or, for a sun-dappled beer garden, try Preachers in historic Battery Point. Hobart is the best place to make the most of Tasmania's wilderness with countless day trips at your fingertips. Spot wombats and dip in crystal clear waters at Maria Island, stand at the edge of the world in the Tasman National Park, or take a foodie tour of Bruny Island. If the Tasmanian summer isn't quite summering, thaw out in the heated swimming pool at your hotel. Subiaco [caption id="attachment_1041855" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rottnest Island, Fabian Kühne[/caption] Subiaco—known affectionately as Subi to locals—is an ultra-sleek pocket of inner city Perth. You'll find excellent coffee, fine dining, and of course, Vibe Hotel Subiaco right in the thick of it. And, one of the city's favourite restaurants, Storehouse Subiaco is perched right on the roof with unparalleled views of the city skyline. Rokeby Road cuts through the heart of Subi and is lined with chic boutiques, galleries and some of Perth's best dining. Yiamas, Shui, Lulu La Delizia are some of the suburb's best eats. If you're taking a weekend break, stop by the Subiaco Station Markets to sample the local produce. You'll also find the Regal Theatre, one of the last live theatres in Perth within walking distance from your hotel. If you're craving beaches, you're conveniently staying on the train line to Fremantle. Fremantle is not only home to some of Perth's best beaches, but is also the departure point to access Rottnest Island. Melbourne [caption id="attachment_1043679" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Melbourne[/caption] Finding a reason to spend a weekend in Melbourne is one of life's easier tasks. When you add Vibe Hotel's 20 percent off Black Friday discount, its almost like you have to go. Fleet Rooftop sits 68 metres high above the Vibe Hotel Melbourne. Start your trip here with cocktails, artfully served small plates and a stellar view of the Melbourne skyline. You'll be staying right in the centre of the city so you can spend your trip weaving through laneways and arcades as you discover the cafes, bars and vintage boutiques. Catch a show at the nearby historic East End Theatre District. Or, back at your hotel, unwind in the pool before heading back to the rooftop for sunset. Vibe Melbourne Docklands also offers amazing views of the city and Yarra River with leisure facilities including a 28-metre heated rooftop pool (one of Melbourne's largest), a steam room and well-equipped gym. On the edge of the free city circle tram, you'll be in the heart of the city within 15 minutes while enjoying the more laidback atmosphere of the Docklands waterfront precinct. Darling Harbour [caption id="attachment_1043678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Darling Harbour[/caption] Sometimes you just need a getaway to take a moment to enjoy Sydney's summer from a rooftop pool. Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour is the perfect place to do just that. Spend a weekend soaking up the sun from a poolside cabana with views out across the city. Then, as the sun begins to set, head over to Above 319, the hotel's rooftop bar for cocktails before enjoying a night out in Sydney. Try Pakistani food at Lal Qila, treat yourself to Japanese fine dining at nearby Nobu's or nab a reservation at Sydney institution, Bennelong. Make the most of summer and while away a weekend taking advantage of Sydney's beaches before you head back home to reality. Catch a ferry from Darling Harbour to locally loved beaches like Milk Beach or Camp Cove. Darwin Ask what people love about Darwin and two things come to mind. First, it's the city's technicolour sunsets (best viewed from the Darwin Sailing Club). Second, it's the quality of the laksa available thanks to Darwin's proximity to South East Asia. You'll find some of the best at Mary's Laksa at the weekly Parap Village Markets alongside satay and fresh tropical fruits. Head inland and visit Litchfield National Park for wild swimming in shaded outback lagoons. Then, to escape the tropical heat, duck into the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory for one of the country's best displays of Indigenous art. Vibe Hotel Darwin drops you in the heart of it all with its prime position by the waterfront precinct and Darwin Lagoon. Canberra Canberra is criminally underrated as a weekend getaway, and Vibe Hotel Canberra makes for the perfect base to see it all. The sprawling grounds of Parliament House sit at its heart. Just outside the grassy knolls of our political centre, you'll find the National Portrait Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia. Don't miss the Sculpture Garden's 26 outdoor pieces, including Within Without (2010) by James Turrell. After exploring, dive into Canberra's food scene. For cocktails, a kitschy styled space and small plates stop by Such and Such. For lunch, Sanducci does a daily rotation of—not to be dramatic—life changing sandwiches. It's worth slipping beyond the city limits to visit Canberra's vineyards, like Mount Majura, and Australia's tallest peak, Mt Kosciusko. The trails are unburdened by snow in the summer making it a perfect time to visit. Book your summer getaway now with 20 percent off stays at the Vibe Hotels website. Plus sign up to their eClub and receive an additional discount and instant reward every time you stay.
If you're looking to spend a night belting out some hits, shimmy on over to Kono Karaoke, Melbourne's first coin-booth-operated karaoke joint. Located on Little Lonsdale Street, this unsuspecting two-level location is filled with several disco-lit booths that each come stocked with two microphones and a range of songs to choose from. Each song will cost you $2, but of course there are packages available if you decide you want (or need) to sing more. There are props you can use, and if you don't want to stay contained in a booth take over the 'stage' area with other happy musos. With enough space for a small group, songs in a variety of languages and a $2-drink vending machine, you're set to have a ripper night out on a budget.
Since Friday, September 17, Melburnians have been able to venture ten kilometres from home under the city's current lockdown, doubling the five-kilometre rule that had been in place since the beginning of August. That change only happened just over a week ago, when 70 percent of eligible Victorians had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. But, when the state hits the 80-percent single-jabbed threshold, the travel radius is being amended again as per the new roadmap out of lockdown — so you'll soon be able to head 15 kilometres away from your house instead. Shopping for essentials? Exercising? Going outside for social interaction with your mates? From 11.59pm on Tuesday, September 28, you'll have another five kilometres to play with. That covers when you're moseying out to meet with someone you don't live with for a picnic, a walk or some other outdoor activity — including, in another just-announced change, 'contactless' pastimes such as golf and tennis. Or, if you and your friends are fully vaxxed with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, then up to five adults from two households, plus their dependents, are allowed to gather outdoors. So, if you're currently scrambling to find quick ways to map out your 15-kilometre zone, that's completely understandable. While you're probably quite familiar with the five-kilometre and ten-kilometre patches of land surrounding your house thanks to more than a few lockdowns over the past 18 months or so, there are a few easy ways to check out your household's government-approved travel radius now that you have more room to venture. But none have proved quite as popular as KM From Home — a website that originally launched in Ireland back in March, when that country introduced its own travel restrictions — and was jumped on by Melburnians back in August 2020. The online map is free and easy to use — simply centre it to your address, select a 15-kilometre radius and you'll see a big red or blue bubble encompassing the zone you're free to travel in under the Victorian Government's new rules. You'll find other radius apps out there as well, including the likes of Map Developers and The Age's tool. Alternatively, if you've got a Garmin watch, you can download this range warning and it'll alert you when you're closing in on a certain distance from your run's starting point. Want to check a specific cafe or shopping centre to see if it falls in your 15-kilometre zone? There's a function on the Google Maps app that allows you to measure a distance as the crow flies. On desktop, simply right click on a location on the map, select 'measure distance' and then click anywhere else on the map and it'll show you exactly how far the address is from your starting point. Under the existing rules, you can head out to exercise or for outdoor social gatherings for a maximum of four hours per day. That time limit isn't changing — but, from Tuesday, September 28, it can be done within 15 kilometres of your home. You can leave your bubble for permitted work, or if you're shopping for essentials and there are no shops in your radius. Lockdown rules in metropolitan Melbourne will ease slightly from 11.59pm on Tuesday, September 28, with exercising, shopping for essentials and outdoor gatherings within 15 kilometres of your house permitted from that point. For more information about the rules, head to the Victorian Department of Health website. Images: Km From Home
A slasher premise. A script by Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson. A cast member of Party of Five being terrorised. That setup worked well twice in the 90s, first with Scream and then with I Know What You Did Last Summer. Indeed, when they each initially released, sequels followed in both instances. Here's the latest part of the trend: both franchises have made or are making 2020s-era returns after jumps to TV with flicks sharing the same name as the original movies in each saga and featuring OG cast members. First came 2022's Scream. Next arrives 2025's I Know What You Did Last Summer. Once again, Jennifer Love Hewitt (9-1-1) follows in Neve Campbell's (The Lincoln Lawyer) footsteps — and as Scream did, I Know What You Did Last Summer picks up with a mix of familiar and new faces. As the just-dropped trailer for cinema's return to Southport illustrates, Freddie Prinze Jr (The Girl in the Pool) is also back. Being stalked for their past misdeeds this time: Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio), Jonah Hauer-King (The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Tyriq Withers (Me) and Sarah Pidgeon (The Friend). If you're a fan of 90s horror getting a new lease on life, we know what you're doing this winter Down Under, then, with the new I Know What You Did Last Summer hitting the big screen on Thursday, July 17, 2025. You'll also already be well-aware of the basic setup: a group of friends are involved in a car accident, someone dies, but they cover it up and vow not to tell anyone. A year later, of course that secret haunts them, as does a vengeance-seeking killer. The new film layers in the fact that this has all happened in the past, with the quintet in focus needing help from two survivors of the Southport Massacre of 1997. Enter Hewitt and Prinze Jr, as part of a cast that also includes Billy Campbell (Mr & Mrs Smith), Gabbriette Bechtel (Idiotka) and Austin Nichols (The Six Triple Eight). Starting as a 1973 novel, which Williamson adapted into the first 1997 film, I Know What You Did Last Summer initially spawned two sequels: 1998's I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and 2006's I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer. In 2021, an I Know What You Did Last Summer TV series ran for one season. On the franchise's return to the big screen, Do Revenge filmmaker Jennifer Kaytin Robinson directs — and continues her connection with the OG I Know What You Did Last Summer cast, given that Sarah Michelle Gellar (Dexter: Original Sin) featured in that 2022 movie. Check out the trailer for I Know What You Did Last Summer below: I Know What You Did Last Summer releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
If you grew up in Melbourne over the last few decades, there's a near-certain chance you spent at least a few scorching hot days at Funfields Themepark. Opened in 1985 as the Alpine Toboggan Park, this family-owned business is now ready to celebrate its 40th birthday, having just reopened with a host of exciting new rides and activities. Foremost among these is the Lava Lagoon Lazy River, a relaxing experience made for seeing out the hottest of hot days. Taking about 18 months to complete, more than 5000 tonnes of earth and two million litres of water were shifted to make way for this massive project. Now up and running, this summer retreat is primed for both relaxation and adventure. Floating along a scenic, heated lazy river, wave generators shipped in from Scotland transform the final stretch of peaceful waters into undulating rapids, punctuated with overhead bridges and dormant volcanoes. Plus, the surrounding beach area — lined with 3500 plants and 12 towering palm trees — features VIP cabanas and sun loungers designed for soaking up the sun. "Our Lava Lagoon Lazy River has been something families have been asking about for years," says Funfields General Manager of Operations Flynn Simsek "It's designed for everyone, parents can unwind, kids can play, and friends can float together. It's relaxing, heated and makes you feel like you've been transported to a tropical resort." Also forming part of this expansive $10 million upgrade, visitors will encounter another brand-new activity — Cyber Drift Bumper Cars. Bringing a supercharged twist to the action, smash and crash your way around the rink before slinging yourself down all 137 metres of the Typhoon Water Slide or tackling Victoria's first outdoor heated wave pool. "This year is about celebrating 40 years of memories," says Simsek. "So many Victorians grew up coming to Funfields, and we're proud that it's become a place where families continue to make memories together." Funfields Themepark is open Saturday–Sunday from 10am–5pm at 2365 Plenty Rd, Whittlesea. Head to the website for more information.
For the tapped-in and savvy foodie, $20 will get you pretty far in Melbourne. So says Lisa Lorenz, one such foodie who has turned finding the city's best drinking and dining deals into a full-time job. Lisa and her husband Cam Suttie created their tongue-in-cheek Instagram account @tightarsesofmelbourne in 2022 when they realised there wasn't a singular hub of the city's happy hours and menu specials available anywhere. "We are tightarses — plain and simple," says Lisa of their intial inspiration for the platform. "We loved going out, but noticed prices across Melbourne slowly creeping up. Now [Tightarses of Melbourne] has grown into this big, fun community where we share our finds, spotlight local venues — and prove you can still have a bloody good time in Melbourne without breaking the bank." [caption id="attachment_1019101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lisa, Cam and their dog Taco.[/caption] Lisa and Cam have spent years researching to create their now cult cheap eats platform. "We go boots on the ground, literally walking up and down the street in different suburbs — searching online, chatting to people," she says. As a result, their newly established online directory is 750-plus venues strong, with Lisa recently leaving her full-time job in the music industry to focus on Tightarses of Melbourne full-time. "Being a tightarse doesn't mean eating bad food, or being super cheap, it just means being smart about where and when you go." We asked Lisa for ten of her favourite meals under $20 in Melbourne right now. Pasta and Gnocchi Night at The Tippler & Co What's the deal: $16 pasta and gnocchi — Wednesdays, East Melbourne. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Tippler & Co (@tipplerandco) Schnitzel Sanga at Rooster Bar What's the deal: $10.50 'behemoth' chicken schnitzel sandwich — all week, Fairfield. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tightarses of Melbourne🤘🏽 (@tightarsesofmelbourne) Parma at The Birmingham Hotel What's the deal: $19 parmas — Tuesday and Wednesday, Fitzroy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Birmy (@the_birmy) Bánh Mì at Luke's Bánh Mì What's the deal: $11 Luke's Pork 'n Pork Bánh Mì— all week, South Melbourne. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jess | Food, Travel & Things to do 🎀🤍🕯️🥂 (@dishh.out) Handpulled Lanzhou Noodles at Bowltiful What's the deal: (From) $15.80 handpulled Halal Lanzhou noodle soups — all week, CBD. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Femna Nazer (@femna__nazer) Good Burger at Good Good Burger What's the deal: $13 beef burgers with Good Good sauce — Monday to Saturday, Maidstone. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Good Good Burgers - Melbourne (@goodgoodburgers) Happy Hour Tacos at Yellow Bird Cafe What's the deal: $4 tacos and $8 pints — 4pm—7pm Tuesday to Friday, Windsor. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tightarses of Melbourne🤘🏽 (@tightarsesofmelbourne) Ramen and Karaoke at Izakaya by Tamaru What's the deal: $15 ramen — Saturdays until 11pm, Fitzroy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Izakaya by Tamura (@izakayabytamura) Half-Price Slice at Slice Shop Pizza What's the deal: half-price pizza and $9 pints — Tuesdays, Footscray. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Slice Shop (@slice_shop_pizza) Steak Day at Peacock Inn Hotel What's the deal: $17 for a 250-gram porterhouse steak — Tuesday all day, Northcote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Peacock Inn Hotel (@peacockinnhotel) Still hungry? Here are some of our favourite snacks in Melbourne right now. Images: Peter Tarasiuk
A short meander from Richmond station, Lenny's was started by four friends — former AFL player Angus Brayshaw, hospitality maven Kirra Pemberton, and their two friends Jack Munro and Danielle Frawley. The wine list is over 130 bottles-strong, and can be enjoyed either while you're at Lenny's or taken away to be drunk in the comfort of your own home. There's a short list of snacks that range from olives and cheese plates to focaccia, but for something more substantial, order pizza from the adjacent Homeslice — a tradition adopted from our favourite Melbourne wine bars like Joe's Shoe Store and the like. Themed days are the go at this quaint wine bar. Sunday Spritz features all-day $10 spritzes. Monday is Vinyl Mondays with records spinning all night, $12 negronis and no corkage on all bottles of wine purchased in-house. Between the witching hours of 4 and 4pm, it's aperitivo hour with $10 spritzes, $12 negronis and $11 wines. In warmer months, avail yourself of the 25-person, leaf-lined courtyard out the back, or sit inside in the sun-filled interiors on the custom-made wooden benches for a chance to enjoy local artist Luke Tarlinton's murals. Like any of Melbourne's best wining and dining destinations, Lenny's is good year-round.
When the Sydney Film Festival last happened in-person back in 2019, it awarded its annual prize to the movie that everyone had been talking about since its Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or win a few weeks earlier: Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. Returning to Sydney's cinemas after a year's gap — longer, actually, after a few delays this year — SFF 2021 has declared another international festival favourite its latest Official Competition winner: Iranian drama There Is No Evil, which also nabbed Berlinale's Golden Bear in 2020. Receiving SFF's annual $60,000 award, the anthology film explores capital punishment and its impacts, with writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof examining the ripples that state-sanctioned killing has upon Iranian society. Pondering the threats and freedoms of life under an oppressive regime, it steps through the stories of a stressed husband and father (Ehsan Mirhosseini), a conscript (Kaveh Ahangar) who can't fathom ending someone's life, a soldier (Mohammad Valizadegan) whose compliance causes personal issues and a physician (Mohammad Seddighimehr) unable to practise his trade. Headed by Animal Kingdom, The Rover and The King filmmaker David Michôd, and also including actor Simon Baker (High Ground), NITV Head of Commissioning and Programming Kyas Hepworth, director and producer Maya Newell (Gayby Baby, In My Blood It Runs) and filmmaker Clara Law (Floating Life), the 2021 SFF Official Competition jury selected There Is No Evil "for its moving, multi-angled exploration of a singular theme, about the ways in which an entire culture can carry the burden of institutional cruelty." "Picking a winner from a collection of films as diverse as this one is never easy," said Michôd in a statement. "It's a movie adventurous with form and genre, beautifully performed and realised with a deft touch for simple, elegant filmmaking craft." Rasoulof has actually been banned from filmmaking in Iran, all for examining the reality of his homeland — and, after 2013's Manuscripts Don't Burn and 2017's A Man of Integrity, There Is No Evil continues the trend. "I want to thank the jury. I am really happy there is something more than a simple appreciation in this prize," the filmmaker said, accepting the award virtually from Tehran. "Being heard and understood is what keeps hope alive." In winning the Sydney Film Prize, Rasoulof's film follows in the footsteps of not only Parasite, but of other past winners The Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008). SFF announced There Is No Evil's win at its closing night ceremony, as well as a Special Mention to fellow Official Competition title Limbo — and a number of other awards spanning the rest of the 2021 program. The $10,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary went to I'm Wanita, a portrait of the self-described 'Australian queen of honky tonk', while producer and director Karina Holden received the $10,000 Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award. In the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films, Sophie Somerville's Peeps won the Dendy Live Action Short Award, Taylor Ferguson received the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director for tough and Olivia Martin-McGuire's Freedom Swimmer nabbed the Yoram Gross Animation Award. As previously announced before and during the festival, filmmaker Darlene Johnson received the 2021 Deutsche Bank Fellowship for First Nations Film Creatives, while Australian documentary Burning, directed by Eva Orner, scored the first-ever Sustainable Future Award. The 2021 Sydney Film Festival ran in-person from November 3–14, with the festival's online program SFF On Demand now streaming until November 21.
Whatever chatter and controversy surrounds them — whoever hosts, whichever wild moves the Academy makes before the ceremony even arrives, and no matter how much it tries to reinvent the broadcast to appeal to more people — the Oscars are always about ace films and the people who craft them. A sizeable list of flicks vie for recognition, a smaller number win and a heap of talented folks earn their time in the spotlight. That's it, that's the heart and soul of these coveted accolades. Whether everything you wanted to win actually managed the feat or not, and despite one instance of the kind of behaviour that only belongs in films, the 94th Academy Awards still delivered upon its basic aim. It celebrated the hard work that goes into making movie magic, and the features and shorts that result. And across the night's speeches, exactly how much that means to some winners truly resonated. "There is indeed a place for us," West Side Story's Best Supporting Actress winner Ariana DeBose exclaimed. "You see a queer, openly queer woman of colour, an Afro Latina who found her strength in life through art. And that's what I believe we're here to celebrate," she continued. Winning Best Supporting Actor for CODA, Troy Kotsur's signed speech was equally as moving. When he paid tribute to the power of communication while becoming the first male actor who is deaf to win an Oscar — and in a movie about a family with three members who are deaf that won Best Picture as well — it was a potent and important moment. They're just some of the highlights of this year's Academy Awards — and the best way to champion DeBose and Kotsur's efforts, the films they won for, and all of the other flicks that also picked up gleaming trophies, is to see those very movies. That's the best way to celebrate Jane Campion making history as just the third female filmmaker to win Best Director as well, and Dune's swag of technical gongs. With that in mind, here are 11 newly minted Oscar-winners that you should watch right now. (And if you're after a full list of recipients, we've put that together, too.) CODA When CODA screened at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2021, it made history. Film distributors always clamour to snap up the event's big hits, and this four-time award-winner — which received the fest's US Grand Jury Prize, US Dramatic Audience Award, a Special Jury Ensemble Cast Award and Best Director — was picked up by Apple TV+ for US$25 million. Even though the sophomore feature from writer/director Sian Heder (Tallulah) remakes 2014 French hit La Famille Bélier, that's still a significant amount of money; however, thanks to its warmth, engaging performances and a welcome lack of cheesiness, it's easy to see why the streaming platform opened its wallet. Fans of the earlier movie will recognise the storyline, which sees 17-year-old Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones, Locke & Key) struggle to balance her family commitments with her dreams of attending music school. She's a talented singer, but she's only just discovered just how skilled she is because she's also the child of deaf adults (hence the film's title). At home, she also plays a key part in keeping the family's fishing business afloat, including by spending mornings before class out on the trawler wither her dad Frank (Troy Kotsur, No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant, Switched at Birth). Heder helms this still sweet and moving feature with a distinct lack of over-exaggeration, which plagued its predecessor. The fact that Kotsur, Durant and Marlee Matlin (Entangled), the latter as the Rossi matriarch, are all actors who are deaf playing characters who are deaf really couldn't be more important. Their portrayals are naturalistic and lived-in, as is much about this rousing but gentle crowd-pleaser — including tomboy Ruby's blossoming romance with fellow wannabe musician Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Sing Street). OSCARS: Won: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur), Best Adapted Screenplay Where to watch: CODA is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. THE POWER OF THE DOG Don't call it a comeback: Jane Campion's films have been absent from cinemas for 12 years but, due to miniseries Top of the Lake, she hasn't been biding her time in that gap. And don't call it simply returning to familiar territory, even if the New Zealand director's new movie features an ivory-tinkling woman caught between cruel and sensitive men, as her Cannes Palme d'Or-winner The Piano did three decades ago. Campion isn't rallying after a dip, just as she isn't repeating herself. She's never helmed anything less than stellar, and she's immensely capable of unearthing rich new pastures in well-ploughed terrain. With The Power of the Dog, Campion is at the height of her skills trotting into her latest mesmerising musing on strength, desire and isolation — this time via a venomous western that's as perilously bewitching as its mountainous backdrop. That setting is Montana, circa 1925. Campion's homeland stands in for America nearly a century ago, making a magnificent sight — with cinematographer Ari Wegner (Zola, True History of the Kelly Gang) perceptively spying danger in its craggy peaks and dusty plains even before the film introduces Rose and Peter Gordon (On Becoming a God in Central Florida's Kirsten Dunst and 2067's Kodi Smit-McPhee). When the widowed innkeeper and her teenage son serve rancher brothers Phil and George Burbank (Spider-Man: No Way Home's Benedict Cumberbatch a career-best, awards-worthy, downright phenomenal turn, plus Antlers' Jesse Plemons) during a cattle-run stop, the encounter seesaws from callousness to kindness, a dynamic that continues after Rose marries George and decamps to the Burbank mansion against that stunning backdrop. Brutal to the lanky, lisping Peter from the outset, Phil responds to the nuptials with malice. He isn't fond of change, and won't accommodate anything that fails his bristling definition of masculinity and power, either. OSCARS: Won: Best Director (Jane Campion) Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Best Supporting Actor (Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee), Best Supporting Actress (Kirsten Dunst), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Where to watch: The Power of the Dog is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. DUNE A spice-war space opera about feuding houses on far-flung planets, Dune has long been a pop-culture building block. Before Frank Herbert's 1965 novel was adapted into a wrongly reviled David Lynch-directed film — a gloriously 80s epic led by Kyle MacLachlan and laced with surreal touches — it unmistakably inspired Star Wars, and also cast a shadow over Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Game of Thrones has since taken cues from it. The Riddick franchise owes it a debt, too. The list goes on and, thanks to the new version bringing its sandy deserts to cinemas, will only keep growing. As he did with Blade Runner 2049, writer/director Denis Villeneuve has once again grasped something already enormously influential, peered at it with astute eyes and built it anew — and created an instant sci-fi classic. This time, Villeneuve isn't asking viewers to ponder whether androids dream of electric sheep, but if humanity can ever overcome one of our worst urges and all that it brings. With an exceptional cast that spans Timothée Chalamet (The French Dispatch), Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and more, Dune tells of birthrights, prophesied messiahs, secret sisterhood sects that underpin the galaxy and phallic-looking giant sandworms, and of the primal lust for power that's as old as time — and, in Herbert's story, echoes well into the future's future. Its unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, like it is building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness — plus those spectacularly shot visuals and Hans Zimmer's throbbing score — it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. OSCARS: Won: Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Nominations: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design Where to watch: Dune is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. WEST SIDE STORY Tonight, tonight, there's only Steven Spielberg's lavish and dynamic version of West Side Story tonight — not to detract from or forget the 1961 movie of the same name. Six decades ago, an all-singing, all-dancing, New York City-set, gang war-focused spin on Romeo and Juliet leapt from stage to screen, becoming one of cinema's all-time classic musicals; however, remaking that hit is a task that Spielberg dazzlingly proves up to. It's his first sashay into the genre, despite making his initial amateur feature just three years after the original West Side Story debuted. It's also his first film since 2018's obnoxiously awful Ready Player One, which doubled as a how-to guide to crafting one of the worst, flimsiest and most bloated pieces of soulless pop-culture worship possible. But with this swooning, socially aware story of star-crossed lovers, Spielberg pirouettes back from his atrocious last flick by embracing something he clearly adores, and being unafraid to give it rhythmic swirls and thematic twirls. Shakespeare's own tale of tempestuous romance still looms large over West Side Story, as it always has — in fair NYC and its rubble-strewn titular neighbourhood where it lays its 1950s-era scene. The Jets and the Sharks aren't quite two households both alike in dignity, though. Led by the swaggering and dogged Riff (Mike Faist, a Tony-nominee for the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen), the Jets are young, scrappy, angry and full of resentment for anyone they fear is encroaching on their terrain. Meanwhile, with boxer Bernardo (David Alvarez, a Tony-winner for Billy Elliot) at the helm, the Sharks have tried to establish new lives outside of their native Puerto Rico through study, jobs and their own businesses. Both gangs refuse to coexist peacefully in the only part of New York where either feels at home — but it's a night at a dance, and the love-at-first-sight connection that blooms between Riff's best friend Tony (Ansel Elgort, The Goldfinch) and Bernardo's younger sister María (feature debutant Rachel Zegler), that sparks a showdown. OSCARS: Won: Best Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose) Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Where to watch: West Side Story is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. DRIVE MY CAR Inspired by Haruki Murakami's short story of the same name, Drive My Car's setup couldn't be simpler. Still recovering from a personal tragedy, actor and director Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima, Silent Tokyo) agrees to helm a stage version of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima — but the company behind it insists on giving him a chauffeur for the duration of his stay. He declines, yet they contend it is mandatory for insurance and liability reasons, so Misaki (Toko Miura, Spaghetti Code Love) becomes a regular part of his working stint in the city. Friendship springs, slowly and gradually, but Murakami's name is one of the first signs that this won't follow a standard road. The other: Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, who makes layered, thoughtful and probing reflections upon connection, as seen in his previous efforts Happy Hour and Asako I & II. Drive My Car doesn't hurry to its narrative destination, clocking in at a minute shy of three hours, but it's a patient, engrossing and rewarding trip. It's a gorgeously shot and affectingly performed one, too, whether taking to the road, spending time with its central pair, or chronicling Yusuke's involving auditions and rehearsals. Another thing that Hamaguchi does disarmingly well: ponder possibilities and acceptance, two notions that echo through both Yusuke and Misaki's tales, and resonate with that always-winning combination of specificity and universality. Drive My Car is intimate and detailed about every element of its on-screen voyage and its character studies, and also a road map to soulful, relatable truths. OSCARS: Won: Best International Feature Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), Best Adapted Screenplay Where to watch: Drive My Car is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE Not for the first time, the eyes have it, but then they always have with Tammy Faye Bakker. Not one but two films called The Eyes of Tammy Faye have told the 70s and 80s televangelist's tale — first a 2000 documentary and now this new Jessica Chastain-starring dramatisation — and both take their monikers from one of the real-life American figure's best-known attributes. In the opening to the latest movie, the spidery eyelashes that adorn Tammy Faye's peepers are dubbed her trademark by the woman herself. They're given ample focus in this biopic, as OTT and instantly eye-grabbing as they they are, but their prominence isn't just about aesthetics and recognition. This version of The Eyes of Tammy Faye hones in on perspective, resolutely sticking to its namesake's, even when it'd be a better film if it pondered what she truly saw, or didn't. In the path leading to her celebrity heyday and the time she was a TV mainstay, Tammy Faye's life saw plenty. It began with an unhappy childhood stained by her stern mother Rachel's (Cherry Jones, Succession) refusal to be linked to her at church, lest it remind their god-fearing Minnesotan townsfolk about the latter's sinful divorce. But young Tammy Faye (Chandler Head, The Right Stuff) still finds solace in religion, the attention that speaking in tongues mid-service brings and also the puppets she starts using as a girl. Come 1960, at bible college, her fervour and quirkiness attract fellow student Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick… Boom!), with the pair soon married even though it gets them kicked out of school. Unperturbed, she keeps seeing their calling to the lord as their way forward, first with a travelling ministry — puppets included — and then with television shows and their own Praise the Lord network. OSCARS: Won: Best Actress (Jessica Chastain), Best Makeup and Hairstyling Where to watch: The Eyes of Tammy Faye is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. ENCANTO Five years after Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney first teamed up on an animated musical with the catchiest of tunes, aka Moana, they're back at it again with Encanto. To viewers eager for another colourful, thoughtful and engaging film — and another that embraces a particular culture with the heartiest of hugs, and is all the better for it — what can the past decade's most influential composer and biggest entertainment behemoth say except you're welcome? Both the Hamilton mastermind and the Mouse House do what they do best here. The songs are infectious, as well as diverse in style; the storyline follows a spirited heroine challenging the status quo; and the imagery sparkles. Miranda and Disney are both in comfortable territory, in fact — formulaic, sometimes — but Encanto never feels like they're monotonously beating the same old drum. Instruments are struck, shaken and otherwise played in the film's soundtrack, of course, which resounds with energetic earworms; the salsa beats of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' are especially irresistible, and the Miranda-penned hip hop wordplay that peppers the movie's tunes is impossible to mentally let go. Spanning pop, ballads and more, all those songs help tell the tale of the Madrigals, a close-knit Colombian family who've turned generational trauma into magic. This is still an all-ages-friendly Disney flick, so there are limits to how dark it's willing to get; however, that Encanto fills its frames with a joyous celebration of Latin America and simultaneously recognises its setting's history of conflict is hugely significant. It also marks Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature — dating back to 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — but its cultural specificity (depictions of Indigenous, Afro Latino and Colombian characters of other ethnicities included) is its bigger achievement. OSCARS: Won: Best Animated Feature Nominations: Best Original Score, Best Song Where to watch: Encanto is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream via Disney+,Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) Much of Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) involves stunning archival footage, as recorded more than five decades ago, capturing live performances by an astonishing lineup of musicians. At the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a free series of gigs that rolled out across six weekend and saw around 300,000 people head along, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, BB King, Sly and the Family Stone, the Staples Singers, Mahalia Jackson and Gladys Knight & the Pips all took to the stage — and the newly unearthed reels that immortalised their efforts are the stuff that music documentary dreams are made of. For his filmmaking debut, Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson could've simply stitched together different songs from various sets across the festival, and let those music superstars lead the show. He could've taken the immersive, observational approach and jettisoned context, too. But The Roots frontman and drummer doesn't make that choice, and he ensures that two words echo strongly throughout the film as a result: "Black Woodstock". Also in New York — upstate in the town of Bethel, 100 miles north of Harlem — Woodstock itself took place in the summer of 1969 as well. The Harlem Cultural Festival kicked off before and kept playing after its better-known counterpart ended, but comparing the two events makes quite the statement. Why has one endured in public consciousness and proven pervasive in popular culture, but not the other? Why did footage of one quickly get turned into a film, with the Woodstock documentary first reaching cinemas in 1970, but recordings of the other largely sat in a basement for half a century? Why did television veteran Hal Tulchin, who shot the entire Harlem Cultural Festival from start to finish on four cameras loaded up with two-inch videotape, get told that there was little interest in releasing much from a "Black Woodstock"? (One New York TV station aired two hour-long specials at the time, but that's all that eventuated until now.) These questions and the US' historical treatment of people in colour go hand in hand, and whenever the words "Black Woodstock" are uttered, that truth flutters through Summer of Soul. OSCARS: Won: Best Documentary Feature Where to watch: Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. NO TIME TO DIE James Bond might famously prefer his martinis shaken, not stirred, but No Time to Die doesn't quite take that advice. While the enterprising spy hasn't changed his drink order, the latest film he's in — the 25th official feature in the franchise across six decades, and the fifth and last that'll star Daniel Craig — gives its regular ingredients both a mix and a jiggle. The action is dazzlingly choreographed, a menacing criminal has an evil scheme and the world is in peril, naturally. Still, there's more weight in Craig's performance, more emotion all round, and a greater willingness to contemplate the stakes and repercussions that come with Bond's globe-trotting, bed-hopping, villain-dispensing existence. There's also an eagerness to shake up parts of the character and Bond template that rarely get a nudge. Together, even following a 19-month pandemic delay, it all makes for a satisfying blockbuster cocktail. For Craig, the actor who first gave Bond a 21st-century flavour back in 2006's Casino Royale (something Pierce Brosnan couldn't manage in 2002's Die Another Day), No Time to Die also provides a fulfilling swansong. That wasn't assured; as much as he's made the tuxedo, gadgets and espionage intrigue his own, the Knives Out and Logan Lucky actor's tenure has charted a seesawing trajectory. His first stint in the role was stellar and franchise-redefining, but 2008's Quantum of Solace made it look like a one-off. Then Skyfall triumphed spectacularly in 2012, before Spectre proved all too standard in 2015. Ups and downs have long been part of this franchise, depending on who's in the suit, who's behind the lens, the era and how far the tone skews towards comedy — but at its best, Craig's run has felt like it's building new levels rather than traipsing through the same old framework. OSCARS: Won: Best Original Song Nominations: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Where to watch: No Time to Die is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BELFAST Warm, cosy, rosy, charming, feel-good: typically when a film spins its story during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, none of these words apply. But with Belfast, Kenneth Branagh has made a movie set in its eponymous city when the Protestant-versus-Catholic violence was a constant sight, and also helmed a feature that's about a childhood spent with that conflict as a backdrop. It's an approach that only works because Branagh draws from his own experiences — the film isn't a play-by-play memoir, but it's also clearly personal. Here, it's 1969, when the actor-turned-filmmaker would've been nine years old. The movie's protagonist, Buddy (first-timer Jude Hill), is that exact age, in fact. And with the beginnings of a three-decade-long sectarian fracas bubbling and boiling around him, he navigates the usual age-appropriate antics, such as school, crushes, doting grandparents with ailing health and a potential big move. The Troubles are a constant sight in the largely monochrome-hued film, too, and the reason Buddy's that parents are contemplating relocating to England, something they wouldn't have dreamed of otherwise. Pa (Jamie Dornan, The Tourist) already spends most of his time working there as a joiner, leaving Ma (Caitríona Balfe, Outlander) at home with Buddy and his elder brother Will (Lewis McAskie, Here Before) — with assistance from the boys' Granny (Judi Dench, Six Minutes to Midnight) and Pop (Ciarán Hinds, The Man in the Hat) — and he's been offered a new job that comes with a house. The violence swirling through Belfast has already made it to the family's street, to their hounded Catholic neighbours and, when Pa refuses to join the fray, put them on their fellow Protestants' hit list. Shifting to London (or perhaps further, to Sydney or Vancouver) would provide a new start and a safer future, but leaving all they've ever known isn't a simple decision. OSCARS: Won: Best Original Screenplay Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Kenneth Branagh), Best Supporting Actor (Ciarán Hinds), Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), Best Sound Where to watch: Belfast is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. CRUELLA A killer dress, a statement jacket, a devastating head-to-toe ensemble: if they truly match their descriptions, they stand the test of time. Set in 70s London as punk takes over the aesthetic, live-action 101 Dalmatians prequel Cruella is full of such outfits — plus a white-and-black fur coat that's suspected of being made from slaughtered dogs. If the film itself was a fashion item, though, it'd be a knockoff. It'd be a piece that appears fabulous from afar, but can't hide its seams. That's hardly surprising given this origin tale stitches together pieces from The Devil Wears Prada, The Favourite, Superman, Star Wars and Dickens, and doesn't give two yaps if anyone notices. The Emmas — Stone, playing the dalmatian-hating future villain; Thompson, doing her best Miranda Priestly impression as a ruthless designer — have a ball. Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan is chief among the movie's MVPs. But for a film placed amid the punk-rock revolution, it's happy to merely look the part, not live and breathe it. And, in aiming to explain away its anti-heroine's wicked ways, it's really not sure what it wants to say about her. Before she becomes the puppy-skinning fashionista that remains among Glenn Close's best-known roles, and before she's both a wannabe designer and the revenge-seeking talk of the town played by Stone (Zombieland: Double Tap), Cruella is actually 12-year-old girl Estella (Tipper Seifert-Cleveland, Game of Thrones). She sports two-toned hair and a cruel that streak her mother (Emily Beecham, Little Joe) tries to tame with kindness — and she's also a target for bullies, but has the gumption to handle them. Then tragedy strikes, an orphan is born, loss haunts her every move and, after falling in with a couple of likeable London thieves, those black-and-white locks get a scarlet dye job. By the time that Estella is in her twenties, she's well-versed in pulling quick heists but loves sewing the costumes required more than anything else. And, thanks to the Baroness (Thompson, Last Christmas), she eventually gets her chance — for fashion domination, as well as vengeance. OSCARS: Won: Best Costume Design Nominations: Best Makeup and Hairstyling Where to watch: Cruella is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more Oscar-nominees to watch? You can also check out our full rundown of where almost all of this year's contenders are screening or streaming in Australia.
