'Jackie-O' Pascal and her twin brother, Marty, have been re-enacting the moment of JFK's assassination since they were teenagers. They have also been having a long-running affair. When Marty brings his fiancee, Lesly, to the family's Thanksgiving celebrations, a disturbing battle between the slightly deranged Jackie-O and Marty's oppressively normal fiancee ensues. Add a hurricane, a puppyish younger brother who takes a liking to Lesly and a slightly depressed matriarch, and you have all the ingredients for a seriously black comedy. Wendy Macleod's The House of Yes is taken to a new level of hilarity in this fresh adaptation of her cult classic about incest, mental illness and a family's inexplicable obsession with JFK. Brought to you by Little Ones Theatre, the guys that treated Melbourne audiences to Psycho Beach Party in 2013, this show promises to be a disturbing but hilarious theatrical treat. The House of Yes is on from November 27 to December 13 at Theatre Works. Thanks to Little Ones Theatre, we have three double passes for the show on Saturday, November 29, at 8pm to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address at win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au.
In North Melbourne, a 1950s bakery is the new home of Mörk's newest venture — their very own chocolate brew house. Ladies and gentlemen wait anxiously with hands held behind backs, poised and eager to absorb the story behind each handcrafted treat. What you're going to do though, is back away from the cabinet (we repeat: back away from the cabinet) and find yourself a seat. Mörk founders, Kiril Shaginov and Josefin Zernell, have converted the old bakery into a chocolate workshop and cafe. While chocolatier Josefin handcrafts their artisan chocolate powders and marshmallows out back, Kiril manages the storefront. On the bar, abandoned parts of a deconstructed coffee machine sit front and centre; as a store that doesn't serve coffee (and heck, why would they need to when they're fuelling our other addiction?), all they needed was the steaming wand and hot water dispenser. It may feel a little naughty, but Mörk's minimalist interior really is too nice to leave you feeling guilty for too long. Designed by their friend Danielle Oehrman, they’ve managed to retain Josefin's Swedish background with a very Scandinavian fit out. The roller door may be all that remains of the bakery’s former garage, and in its reincarnation, the space boasts a communal table, several smaller ones, and walls lined with artisan chocolate powder. Once seated, you're given a taste of vanilla bean-infused sparkling water to cleanse (and tease) the palate. This is just the beginning of a sensory overload. The menu is a selection of their handcrafted signature hot chocolates, some available only as dine-in specials. These specials are out of control and it's what you came here for. First, we tried their Chocolate Soda ($7). This comes as a rotating single origin and is served by staff whose role is similar to that of an apothecary. A tall glass, half-full of soda water is spritzed with a citrus mix before a vial of liquid chocolate is poured over. The contents bubble and combine into a volcano of light and refreshing liquid. The Chocolate Bar ($8) is a heart-warmer and gives you the choice of pouring house-made caramel sauce over your hot chocolate, or simply grabbing a spoon and eating the components separately. Either way is a delight, so who are we to fudge? We merely gazed, wantonly, upon crowd favourite, the Campfire Chocolate ($8), as another diner's glass was removed to release the smoking contents before she tipped and dipped the chocolate and skewered her marshmallow in. And when you leave this chocolate wonderland, you can take part of the show home. Choose a house made vanilla or lemon myrtle marshmallow ($10) or, our cabinet pick, the chocolate brownie ball rolled in peanut brittle ($6). The only thing that could leave you feeling bitter is if you don't grab one of these babies for later.
In 2023, Australia's east coast joined New York, Hawaii, Mexico and Croatia as a host of Palm Tree Music Festival, the fest filled with folks hitting the decks that was co-founded by Kygo. With one of the event's guiding forces himself leading the lineup — and Tiësto also on the bill — the Down Under debut went down well, so much so that a second spin is on its way. Mark your calendars for December 2024, then, because the festival is returning for round two. 'Stole the Show', 'Here for You', 'Stay' and 'It Ain't Me' talent Kygo isn't on the lineup this time, but The Chainsmokers happily lead the charge instead, ready to bust out 'Closer', 'Something Just Like This' and more. The Grammy-winners' spot on the bill marks Drew Taggart and Alex Pall's first trip to Australia in five years — and get excited about the festival's rendition of 'Don't Let Me Down' because Daya is also on the Palm Tree Music Festival roster. For company, Swedish DJ and producer Alesso, the San Francisco-born Gryffin and Harlem's Austin Millz round out the first announcement of acts. Accordingly, everything from 'Words', 'Remedy' and 'If I Lose Myself' to 'Woke Up in Love', 'You Were Loved' and 'Cry' — and also 'Lovely Day', 'Inside Out' and 'Bad Behaviour' — could echo through Palm Tree Music Festival's three 2024 Aussie stops. Just as with its premiere run in Australia, the festival has a date with Melbourne, hitting up Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Sunday, December 8. With its holiday-friendly name, it should come as no surprise that Palm Tree Music Festival takes inspiration from Kygo's stints touring the world. Expect a cruisy vibe set to EDM's greatest and latest, too — this time with the bonus of a summer berth. Palm Tree Music Festival 2024 Australian Lineup: The Chainsmokers Alesso Gryffin Austin Millz Daya Images: Jared Leibowitz.
Star Wars fans, prepare to punch it on down to Sydney's Powerhouse Museum in November — and prepare to come face to face with 200 original objects from the popular sci-fi franchise at Star Wars Identities: The Exhibition. You might have to wait more than 12 months until Star Wars: Episode IX reaches cinemas late next year, but you can spend your days from November 16, 2018 until June 10, 2019 perusing the items that helped make space opera movie magic happen. Coming to Australia for the first time, that includes costumes, props, models and artworks from the Lucasfilm archives, complete with a galaxy's worth of favourites — think BB-8, R2-D2 and the Millennium Falcon just for starters. Get a glimpse of Yoda, you will, circa Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back. You'll also feel the power-hungry menace radiate from Darth Vader's suit from Star Wars: Episode VII — Return of the Jedi. Star Wars Identities is also an interactive exhibition, with creating your own unique character also part of the experience. If you've ever felt as though you should be hanging out in a cantina somewhere on a remote planet, here's your chance to answer a heap of questions, work through a series of stations and find your inner Star Wars hero. You won't need to use the force — rather, you'll receive a smart technology bracelet and a headset to use while you're in the exhibition (but if you want to say that you're using the force or even want to give midi-chlorians some credit, no one will stop you). The Powerhouse Museum is no stranger to Star Wars shenanigans, having hosted a weekend's worth of May the Fourth fun earlier this year. For those already planning their costumes for this 90-minute experience, you're welcome to attend as Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker or whichever other character you'd like — but helmets and masks will need to be left in the cloak room, and you'll also need to leave your lightsabers at home.
There's been a flurry of Mornington Peninsula haunts scoring top-to-toe makeovers as the balmy summer season draws close; from the multi-faceted Continental Sorrento, to nearby all-day eatery Stringers. And another to join the club is Mornington's Bay Hotel, now sporting a major refurb courtesy of new owner Liam Ganley (Ganley Group's Angus & Bon, Freddie Wimpole's). Housed in a 133-year-old former bank building on Main Street, the historic pub has been smartly reimagined at the hands of Studio Y, its new look even nabbing a couple of spots on this year's Eat Drink Design Awards shortlist. [caption id="attachment_869364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Geer Architectural[/caption] The interiors are fitted out in a nod to the Aussie pubs of yesteryear, with an added splash of Irish charm thanks to Ganley's own heritage. There's chequered floors surrounding the bar, exposed brick and old-school timber panelling on the walls, and a private dining room nestled within the old bank vault, complete with bar access via a secret hatch. With this latest project, Ganley set out to deliver an 'every person' kind of pub; one where you can catch a gig, grab a feed and sip pints in front of the footy, too. [caption id="attachment_869365" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] Executive Chef and Texan native Jeremy Sutphin (Angus & Bon) is heading up the food offering, mingling Aussie pub favourites with the classics of his homeland. Down the snacky end, you'll find bites like Mount Martha mussels with prosciutto and a lemon butter sauce, southern fried chicken with fermented chilli and garlic aioli, and kingfish sashimi elevated with oyster cream, karkalla (pigface) and saltbush. A chicken parma and signature cheeseburger sit alongside the likes of crispy-skinned barramundi with Japanese-style slaw; blue swimmer crab linguine; and the bangers and mash, featuring caramelised onion, potato purée and beef jus. Hop in on Sunday to check out the rotating weekend roast special. [caption id="attachment_869366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] The Bay's tap-list showcases drops from locals like St Andrews Beach Brewery, Jetty Road and Banks Brewing; similarly, Mornington Peninsula pours headline the wine offering, including goodies from Quealy, Kerri Greens and Trofeo Estate. And if you're in the mood for sipping cocktails, you'll find a roll-call of classics, from an old fashioned crafted on Aussie whisky, to an espresso martini made with salted caramel and coffee from nearby Commonfolk. Venture upstairs to catch sport on the big screens, and hit the bandroom for live gigs to soundtrack your weekend — you'll find upcoming shows listed on the website. [caption id="attachment_869372" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_869362" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Geer Architectural[/caption] Find The Bay Hotel at 62 Main St, Mornington, Victoria. It's open 12pm–late Wednesday to Sunday. Top Images: James Geer Architectural and Eugene Hyland
For animal-lovers, one silver lining of the pandemic-era cloud was all the adorable live-streams that made their way into our feeds. Watching cute critters all day, everyday, became a favourite pastime, thanks to various zoos and aquariums around Australia and beyond. After all, what better way to brighten your mood than to lose a few minutes, hours or days to some adorable creatures on screen? Fast-forward to now and Melburnians — or anyone interested in the city's birdlife, really — again have something special to watch. This live-stream isn't actually new, but it's particularly relevant at this time of year. Thanks to a camera on 367 Collins Street in the CBD, you can train your peepers on two rare peregrine falcons nesting on a high-up ledge outside the building. You're able to give them a squizz any time you like, but from August onwards each year (aka now) is when you'll see them lay and hatch their chicks. At the moment, the eggs are already there, so you'll spy a whole lot of sitting atop them as the feathered couple waits for their progeny to hatch into the world. Once they've arrived, you'll also see vision of the parents bringing food back to the nest for their little ones to eat. For a peek at all the action, head to the Mirvac building's website. For those visiting the high-rise itself, the CCTV footage of the falcons is also on display in the foyer. This particular nest comes with quite the history, too, as peregrine falcons have been nesting at 367 Collins Street since way back in 1991. This is actually the only known peregrine falcon nesting site within the Melbourne CBD, which obviously makes it extra special. Check out the live-stream below: For more information about 367 Collins Street's peregrine falcons and their nest, head to the 367 Collins website and the 367 Collins Falcon Watchers Facebook page.
If you grew up in Melbourne, chances are you took a school excursion or two to CERES to learn about sustainability and the environment. But the public park isn't just for kids — it's a space for people of all ages to help people reconnect to the planet. First opened in 1982 with a simple mission to give members of the local community to grow their own vegetables and make compost, the 4.5-hectare space is now home to a not-for-profit, sustainability centre and urban farm. As well as its vast educational program, CERES also offers social enterprises, training, employment and community engagement, as well as a year-round program of events and workshops encomapsses everything from cooking to beekeeping. In its native bush setting, CERES is also home to an organic farm with several community gardens, nursery, a zero-waste grocery and market garden. Image: Nicolás Boullosa, Flickr
Prolific Melbourne artist Ronald Greenaway has been making a splash in the Australian art scene since the 1950s. Known for his bold use of colours and humour, Greenaway’s work is often considered surrealistic, while at the same time transcending genres to carve out a place of his own. To celebrate an excellent career to which he continues to contribute to every day, the Town Hall Gallery in Hawthorn are putting on a retrospective of his works. As well as featuring numerous artistic creations by Greenaway himself, the retrospective will include three new works by contemporary artists in various mediums. Justine Siedle pays tribute to Greenaway through her ceramic sculptures, Nicholas Ives has contributed a painting, and visual artist and filmmaker Ian Paradine has created a moving image piece which will be projected onto a light-box and be accompanied by a guitar piece by Pete Swanson.
After an impressive 12-year stint as Trunk Bar & Restaurant, the site at 275 Exhibition Street has had a big makeover. Off the back of a month-long research trip to the Big Apple, Owner Nick Kutcher has brought some long-held ambitions to fruition and transformed the space into Italo-American hot-spot, Pepe's Italian & Liquor. Taking its cues from New York in the 1930s and 1940s (think, The Godfather), the reimagined venue has burgundy banquettes, red-and-white chequered floors and a sprawling 13-metre zinc-topped bar. A mural splashed across the back wall comes courtesy of Belgian artist Jan Van Der Veken. Pull up a seat and trip back in time, digging into time-honoured favourites prepared by Head Chef Orazio Cutuli. Expect baked buffalo ricotta matched with a pesto crostino, pork and veal polpette in napoli sauce, and Casino Clams done with garlic butter, guanciale and pangrattato. A solid spread of pasta features the likes of a mushroom fettuccini with parmesan, garlic and thyme, and a spicy vodka rigatoni, as well as a cheesy baked gnocchi. [caption id="attachment_742024" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Sobey[/caption] There's also a lineup of pizza (of course) — with pies topped with the likes of meatballs, eggplant, 'nduja and prosciutto — along with a veal parmigiana and a 12-hour lamb shoulder. For dessert, we suggest the extravagant two-person sundae, toped with Nutella, nougat, black cherry wafer and chocolate fudge. Classics reign supreme at the bar, too, including an entire page of martinis. Plenty of Italian flavours feature across sips like the American Rose, starring gin from Melbourne Gin Company, eau de rose and grapefruit. And if it's vino you're after, the wine list heroes Australian and Italian varietals, always with 80 labels clocking in at under $100. And it's business as usual next door at Trunk Diner, which continues to serve up burgers, fries and doughnuts. Find Pepe's Italian & Liquor at 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It's open from Monday– Friday midday–midnight and Saturday–Sunday 3pm–midnight. Images: Gareth Sobey
Architecture and design lovers, take note — Melbourne Design Week's inaugural program launches this week. Held at the National Gallery of Victoria and selected venues across Melbourne, the ten-day creative extravaganza runs from March 16–26 and features talks from leading local and international designers, as well as a slew of tours, exhibitions, workshops and industry events. Broadly exploring the theme of 'design values', the 2017 event will investigate the question: What does design value and how do we value design? With dozens of events to choose from, we've picked out ten of the best to help get you out and explore what's on offer at Melbourne Design Week. [caption id="attachment_613273" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Porky Hefer: Fiona Blackfish (2015)[/caption] GAPE AT THIS KILLER WHALE CHAIR While chairs are often overlooked as ordinary objects in our homes, Creating the Contemporary Chair argues the chair is a focal point for the evolution of design vernacular — and that it even symbolises an object's ability to express ideas. Having fixated designers for decades, the exhibition will present 35 provocative designs from 1980 to 2016. The exhibition has been in development for two years and includes several prominent international designers such as Jacopo Foggini, Helen Kontouris, gt2p and Porky Hefer, who designed this killer whale piece. It will be on show at NGV International from Friday, March 17. CREATE YOUR OWN CITY SOUNDSCAPE Global engineering firm Arup work with soundscapes to improve the melodies resonating inside theatres and concert halls, as well as to reduce the noise that emanates from infrastructure such as airports and stadiums. The Design a City Soundscape event for Melbourne Design Week will see the Arup acoustic design team host a soundscaping workshop in their SoundLab, which is a dedicated space in their East Melbourne office for listening to 'auralisations' (that is, sound simulations of real-world places). Participants will be able to use Arup's own library of sounds and recordings to produce soundscapes, which will later form the basis of discussion on the importance of acoustic design. Multiple free sessions will be held on Sunday, March 19. Make a booking for this one. [caption id="attachment_602904" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Haven't You Always Wanted..? 2016 NGV Architecture Commission, shot by Sean Fennessey[/caption] DESIGN YOUR OWN PAVILION WITH VIRTUAL REALITY Redesign the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission by M@STUDIO Architects with the help of virtual reality. Situated in the NGV's Grollo Equiset Garden, the acclaimed pavilion takes the form of a light-hearted reinterpretation of the humble carwash. A collaboration by RMIT's Centre for Game Design Research, M@STUDIO Architects and d__Lab RMIT, If Only… allows you to give the pavilion a fresh coat of paint, while also letting you remodel the surfaces and materials used throughout the original design. The pavilion (which you can visit until April 17) is an exact replica of a 23-metre car wash in the eastern suburb of Blackburn and was designed to highlight the banality of suburban architecture. ATTEND A FREE HIGH FASHION PARTY High Risk Dressing / Critical Fashion explores the latest concepts by RMIT fashion designers with their reimaginations of the evolving industry. Utilising archive material on the former Fashion Design Council (1983–93), an organisation dedicated to promoting experimentation fashion design in Australia, the exhibition will transform RMIT Design Hub with a program of presentations, performances, film screenings and exhibitions. The closing party is when you want to be there though. Taking place on Thursday, March 16 from 6pm, the free party will feature D&K's All Or Nothing — a performance that evolves over several hours — alongside sets by local DJs Andras & Lewis Fidock. [caption id="attachment_613315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Theodore Treehouse, shot by Peter Bennetts[/caption] LEARN ABOUT QUEER SPACES IN ARCHITECTURE How can workplaces become friendlier for LGBTQIA people? This designer talk sees panellists Simona Castricum, Sophie Drying and Nicole Kalms discuss what represents queer architecture and how it contributes to professional identities and practices. Moderated by academic Naomi Stead, the panel will also discuss what architecture can gain as a profession from valuing the influence of diversity, and how might queerness bring about new design principals and considerations. The event takes place at NGV on Sunday, March 26 from 3pm. [caption id="attachment_613289" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hugh Altschwager: REPLICATE THIS[/caption] SEE A BUNCH OF (VERY GOOD) FAKES How do designed objects become valued? 26 Original Fakes explores issues of authenticity, creative practice and the commercial market as 26 contemporary Australian designers reinterpret and create their own 'fake' of a replica Jasper Morrison HAL Wood Chair. Curated by Friends & Associates (a collaboration between designers Dale Hardiman and Tom Skeehan to bring local designers closer together through partnerships), the exhibition features prominent designers such as Studio Edwards, Adam Goodrum, Jon Goulder and Fiona Lynch. The exhibition takes place at Watchmaker, Melbourne Design Week's off-site venue on Smith Street by Piccolina Gelateria, and is open daily from 1–7pm. TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GUSH ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPHS Hear from some of the very best photographers as the Centre for Contemporary Photography presents What Makes A Great Photograph? The event's five panellists will each be given five minutes to discuss a chosen favourite photograph and explain why it holds significance with them. As part of the NGV's Melbourne Art Book Fair, audience opinion and discussion is highly encouraged. The speakers include leading architecture photographer and artist John Gollings AM, director of prominent photography organisation M.33 Helen Frajman, and curator of the Centre for Contemporary Photography Pippa Milne. What Makes A Great Photograph? will go down at NGV International on Sunday, March 19 at 2pm. [caption id="attachment_613327" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Wong[/caption] LEARN MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIA'S MOST INNOVATIVE DESIGNS Wi-Fi, ultrasound technology, the legendary Hills Hoist — Australians have been responsible for a long list of revolutionary designs, many of which have impacted the entire globe. Innovators: Australian Design and Innovation celebrates this rich history with 16 digital archives of Australian inventions in an immersive exhibition. Featuring designs such as the bionic ear and polymer bank notes, the exhibition also commemorates iconic designers such as Marc Newson, Susan Cohn, Michael Simcoe and Denton Corker Marshall. The exhibition is being held at Monash University's Clayton campus from March 16–24. [caption id="attachment_613335" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RMIT's Ngarara Place, shot by Peter Casamento[/caption] LEARN ABOUT INDIGENOUS ARCHITECTURE With many significant Indigenous landmarks dotted throughout the city, this Melbourne Design Week panel discusses Indigenous-led projects and how designers can move further away from collaborative or consultative models. Exploring several high-profile design practices headed by Indigenous Australians, the diverse panel will consider how Indigenous design can be defined and how it might be promoted within the Australian architecture, interior design, town planning and product design communities. The talk takes place at NGV on Friday, March, 24 at 6.30pm. EXPLORE TOKYO'S ARCHITECTURE OVER COCKTAILS Just as the NGV is putting on the first ever Melbourne Design Week, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art is presenting Cities of Architecture for the first time this year. The series of talks — which will run monthly until October — will explore the world's most fascinating and beautiful cities. For Melbourne Design Week, director of Fitzroy's NMBW Architecture Studio Marika Neustupny will present a lecture on Tokyo on Monday, March 20. Tickets cost $35 and include a custom-made cocktail to suit the city, designed by the people at the Melbourne Gin Company and Starward Whisky. Melbourne Design Week kicks off on Thursday, March 16 and runs until Sunday, March 26. For the full program, visit their website.
Chapel Street has another burger joint, and this time it's the internationally loved RocoMamas. The Windsor restaurant marks the South African group's Australian debut, with the space boasting an edgy combination of neon lighting, polished concrete and street art by Sabine Kahwati. Here, RocoMamas is treating locals to their first taste of its signature 'smashed burgers', where each meat patty is rolled into a ball and then squashed flat onto the grill to lock in the juices. Choose yours crafted from beef, chicken or a meat-free ensemble. House iterations include the Rock Star, with swiss cheese, barbecue relish and RocoMamas' own mayo, the Old Skool combination of tomato, onion and special sauce, and the no-holds-barred Chilli Cheez Bomb, loaded with bacon, cheddar, mozzarella, fresh chilli and a house-made cheese croquette. Otherwise, go the DIY route and customise your ultimate smash creation from a sprawling list of burger additions. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find all the usual suspects — flame-grilled pork, beef and lamb ribs, loaded fries, onion rings, and chicken wings in varying degrees of mouth-burn. To match, there's a full bar offering — with local beers, wine and cocktails — as well as a line of decadent custard shakes.
The humble roast chook has plenty of fans across the country, but if you consider yourself a die-hard chicken aficionado, you'll feel like a winner (winner) when ordering your chicken dinner at this St Kilda eatery. Korr Jee Chicken is a casual dining venture from Will Tang (Vue de Monde, Bar Lourinha), a chef formerly specialising in fine dining fare. But at his lively and brightly coloured spot, Tang has set out to transform the picture conjured with the words "chicken shop" — instead showing that casual, quick dining doesn't have to compromise on freshness or care. Actually, the chickens whipped up here may have undergone as much prep than some of the world's finest steaks. According to the restaurant, every roast chicken goes through a 26-hour preparation process where it's brined in a selection of species, before being dry-aged and finally slow-roasted. The end result is a juicy, succulent chook — a far cry from the supermarket bagged chickens mum used to serve at home (which still have their place, of course). You can get your chicken in half ($18) or quarter ($11) servings, or share a whole one ($30) among a group. Or, sure, tackle it yourself. We're not here to judge. Alongside this crowning jewel of the table, diners can order a number of elevated sides, including a coleslaw constructed from freshly sliced cabbage, sauerkraut and charred corn in a house-made dressing ($11), oven-baked crusty garlic loaf ($8) or triple cooked hand-cut chips with house-made aioli ($9). They've even got their own peri peri sauce — a delicious twist on a well-known classic. The eatery may be casual but there's still an extensive beer and wine list, or you can opt for one of their speciality cocktails ($20) like their suze negroni, peach margarita, or a hot toddy to protect from winter's chill. Wednesdays see them slinging $1 wings, and on Fridays, $25 cocktail jugs see in the weekend in style.
Maybe you jumped on the Saltburn bandwagon early, catching Promising Young Woman filmmaker Emerald Fennell's second feature when it was in cinemas. Perhaps you saw the Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)- and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria)-starring thriller when it hit streaming over Christmas. Either way, once you watched the movie, you were probably as obsessed as Oliver Quick is about Felix Catton — and after you've ordered your Jacob Elordi's bathwater candle, you can hit up a party that's all about paying tribute to the instant cult-favourite flick. A series of shindigs is touring Australia, including to Melbourne. Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 3, when you'll be heading to Ballers Clubhouse from 10pm. What does celebrating one of 2023's best movies at a boozy party entail? Dressing like it's Oliver's birthday party, for starters. From there, you'll enjoy a 'Murder on the Dancefloor' sing-along — even though you won't be dancing naked around a mansion — as well as crooning karaoke and hearing 'Mr Brightside', all while sipping Bathtub Brew, Grave Grinding Gulp and Felix's Fangirl Fizz drink specials. If you're keen to add some sparkle to your look while you're there, there'll be a free glitter bar. And the best-dressed attendee at each shindig will win a prize. Tickets start at $26.74.
By this point in 2020, you probably feel like you've spent most of your year at home — and either watching or cooking something while you've been there. Thanks to both country-wide stay-at-home requirements and city-specific lockdowns, that's how the past six months have played out. And, as a result, you likely feel as if you've seen every cooking show and made every recipe there is, too. Enter Raph's Mean Cuisine, the YouTube culinary series hosted by Melbourne restaurateur Raph Rashid, who the city's residents will know from Beatbox Kitchen, All Day Donuts and Juanita Peaches. In bite-sized episodes clocking in at under 12 minutes, the show adopts a very nostalgic approach to helping you up your kitchen game — because if there's one thing we're all experiencing this year, it's a yearning for a time before the pandemic. Specifically, Rashid is focusing on 80s cooking classics, with each instalment of his seven-part first season showcasing a dish that's bound to bring back memories. They're simple, easy recipes, too, which you'll be able to recreate at home without any trouble. As Rashid explains, "I just wanted to inspire people to cook in real kitchens, in sharehouses. And I just love cooking with friends. It's kinda what life's all about". Accordingly, he teams up with a different guest in each episode, and together they whip up the cuisine in the spotlight in Rashid's home kitchen. And, as well as recipes, every episode includes tips and hacks as well. On the menu: apricot chicken made with sommelier Matt Skinner, chow mein made with artist Esther Olsson's help and curried sausages with assistance from 1800-Lasagne's Joey Kellock. Six episodes are available at present, also covering Mars bar slice, chicken kievs and tacos, as cooked with florist Hattie Molloy, chef Mike Hoyle and artist Nadia Hernandez. Fancy trying your hand at a lamb roast as well? In the show's finale, that's on offer. Dropping at 6pm on Tuesday, September 8, it'll see Rashid join forces with pro skater Nick Boserio and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Creative Director Pat Nourse to revive an 80s (and Sunday) staple. Check out Raph's Mean Cuisine's first episode, focusing on apricot chicken, below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVHsUwQAlhk The first six episodes of Raph's Mean Cuisine are available to view on YouTube, with the seventh — the season finale — dropping at 6pm on Tuesday, September 8.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures will do that, and so will plenty of people staying home because they aren't well — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Perhaps you've been under the weather. Given the hefty amount of titles now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are 11 that you can watch right now at home. SALTBURN Sharp, savage and skewering, plus twisted in narrative and the incisive use of genre tropes alike: as a filmmaker, Emerald Fennell certainly has a type. With the Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman and now Saltburn, the Barbie and The Crown actor-turned-writer/director takes aim, blazes away giddily and blasts apart everything that she can. When she made a blisteringly memorable feature debut behind the lens — giving audiences one of 2021's's best Down Under releases, in fact, and deservingly earning a place among the Academy Awards' rare female Best Director nominees in the process — she honed in on the absolute worst that a patriarchal society affords women. Now, after also pointing out the protection provided to the wealthy in that first effort as a helmer, Fennell has class warfare so firmly in her gaze that Saltburn is named after a sprawling English manor. With both flicks, the end result is daringly unforgettable. This pair of pictures would make a killer double, too, although they enjoy neighbouring estates rather than frolic across the same exact turf. On her leaps from one side of the camera to the other, Fennell also keeps filling her features with such spectacular casts that other filmmakers might hope to fall into her good graces to bask in their glow — a fate that sits at the heart of Saltburn, albeit beyond the movie world. Fresh from nabbing his own Oscar nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin, Barry Keoghan adds yet another beguiling and astonishing performance to a resume that's virtually collecting them (see also: The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Dunkirk, American Animals, The Green Knight and Calm with Horses), proving mesmerisingly slippery as scholarship student Oliver Quick. Usually standing in his sights, Euphoria's Jacob Elordi perfects the part of Felix Catton, aka that effortlessly charismatic friend that everyone wishes they could spend all of their time with. And as Felix's mother Elspeth, father Sir James and "poor dear" family pal Pamela, Rosamund Pike (The Wheel of Time), Richard E Grant (Persuasion) and Carey Mulligan (Fennell's Promising Young Woman star, also an Academy Award nominee for her work) couldn't give more delicious line readings or portraits of the insular but shambolic well-to-do. Saltburn streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon quickly. Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon often. While Martin Scorsese will later briefly fill the film's frames with a fiery orange vision — with what almost appears to be a lake of flames deep in oil country, as dotted with silhouettes of men — death blazes through his 26th feature from the moment that the picture starts rolling. Adapted from journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, with the filmmaker himself and Dune's Eric Roth penning the screenplay, this is a masterpiece of a movie about a heartbreakingly horrible spate of deaths sparked by pure and unapologetic greed and persecution a century back. Scorsese's two favourite actors in Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up) and Robert De Niro (Amsterdam) are its stars, alongside hopefully his next go-to in Lily Gladstone (Reservation Dogs), but murder and genocide are as much at this bold and brilliant, epic yet intimate, ambitious and absorbing film's centre — all in a tale that's devastatingly true. As Mollie Kyle, a member of the Osage Nation in Grey Horse, Oklahoma, incomparable Certain Women standout Gladstone talks through some of the movie's homicides early. Before her character meets DiCaprio's World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart — nephew to De Niro's cattle rancher and self-proclaimed 'king of the Osage' William King Hale — she notes that several Indigenous Americans that have been killed, with Mollie mentioning a mere few to meet untimely ends. There's nothing easy about this list, nor is there meant to be. Some are found dead, others seen laid out for their eternal rest, and each one delivers a difficult image. But a gun fired at a young mother pushing a pram inspires a shock befitting a horror film. The genre fits here, in its way, as do many others as Killers of the Flower Moon follows Burkhart's arrival in town, his deeds under his uncle's guidance, his romance with Mollie and the tragedies that keep springing: American crime saga, aka the realm that Scorsese has virtually made his own, as well as romance, relationship drama, western, true crime and crime procedural. Killers of the Flower Moon streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Martin Scorsese. THE ROYAL HOTEL Anyone who has spent time in an outback Australian pub will recognise The Royal Hotel's namesake watering hole, even if they've never seen this particular bar before. The filming location itself doesn't matter. Neither do the IRL details of the actual establishment that stands in for the movie's fictional boozer. What scorches itself into memory like the blistering sun beating down on the middle-of-nowhere saloon's surroundings, then, is the look and the feel of this quintessentially Aussie beer haven. From the dim lighting inside and weather-beaten facade outside to the almost exclusively male swarm of barflies that can't wait to getting sipping come quittin' time, this feature's setting could be any tavern. It could be all of them. That fact is meant to linger as filmmaker Kitty Green crafts another masterclass in tension, microagressions and the ever-looming threats that women live with daily — swapping The Assistant's Hollywood backdrop and Harvey Weinstein shadow for a remote mining town and toxic testosterone-fuelled treatment of female bartenders. Making her second fictional feature after that 2019 standout, and her fourth film overall thanks to 2013 documentary Ukraine Is Not a Brothel and 2017's Casting JonBenet before that, Green has kept as much as she's substituted between her two most recent movies. Julia Garner stars in both, albeit without breaking out an Inventing Anna-style drawl in either — although comically parroting the Aussie accent does earn a brief workout. Green's focus remains living while female. Her preferred tone is still as unsettling as any scary movie. The Royal Hotel is another of her horror films, but an inescapable villain here, as it was in The Assistant, is a world that makes existing as a woman this innately unnerving. This taut and deeply intelligent picture's sources of anxiety and danger aren't simply society; however, what it means to weather the constant possibility of peril for nothing more than your sex chromosomes is this flick's far-as-the-eye-can-see burnt earth. The Royal Hotel streams via Binge. Read our full review, and our interview with Kitty Green. MAESTRO When a composer pens music, it's the tune that they want the world to enjoy, not the marks on a page scribbling it into existence. When a conductor oversees an orchestra, the performance echoing rather than their own with baton in hand and arms waving is their gift. In Maestro, Bradley Cooper (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) is seen as Leonard Bernstein in both modes. His portrayal, especially in an unbroken take as the American great conducts Mahler's Resurrection Symphony at England's Ely Cathedral in 1973, is so richly textured and deeply complex that it's the career-best kind of astonishing. But Cooper as this movie's helmer, co-writer and one of its producers wants Maestro's audience to revel in the end result, not just in his exceptional on-screen contribution to bringing this virtuoso feature to fruition. And if he wants the love showered anyone's way first, it's towards Carey Mulligan (Saltburn), who the second-time director (and second-time director of a music-fuelled film, since his debut behind the lens was A Star Is Born) gives top billing for stepping so astoundingly into Felicia Montealegre Bernstein's shoes. Symphonies should erupt for Mulligan's awards-worthy turn, which deserves to claim her third Oscar nomination (after 2010's for An Education and 2021's for Promising Young Woman) at a minimum. As the Costa Rican actor — a talent herself, of the stage and small screen — hers is similarly a never-better performance. It's a chalk-and-cheese partner to Cooper's, too; his is all about playing someone whose entire reason for earning a biopic is his effort and what it wrought, while she makes everything from the screwball-esque early sparks of connection to soul-aching pain feel natural. When she says "you don't even know how much you need me, do you?", the words melt, and the moment with it. When she beams by Cooper's side during a TV interview about Leonard's achievements, the practicalities of spending your life with someone have rarely felt as giddying. When Maestro's main pair quarrel on Thanksgiving, away from their family and as the parade trots along outside the window, each word is a cut. Every scene with Mulligan lays its emotions bare so thoroughly, yet never forcefully or showily, that she virtually spirits the audience into Felicia's footwear with her. Maestro streams via Netflix. Read our full review. LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND Call it the one with Julia Roberts playing the mother of a Friends-obsessed 13-year-old girl who hasn't clocked that someone closely resembling her mum pops up in the sitcom's second season. Call it writer/director Sam Esmail still ruing humanity's technological reliance and seeing only dystopian outcomes after Mr Robot became such a small-screen success. Call Leave the World Behind an effectively unnerving psychological thriller about a mysterious communications blackout striking while one New York family holidays at another's palatial Long Island vacation home, too. Down Under, badging it the horror version of Australia's November 2023 Optus outage also fits — just with a home-invasion angle that can be read two ways; Hitchcockian suspense, sharp writing and baked-in bleakness; Barack and Michelle Obama as executive producers; and Roberts (Ticket to Paradise) starring alongside Ethan Hawke (Reservation Dogs), Mahershala Ali (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Myha'la Herrold (Dumb Money) and Kevin Bacon (The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special). In her second chaotic getaway in two successive movies, Roberts plays Amanda Sandford, an advertising executive who prides herself on being able to read people and situations. But her professor husband Clay (Hawke) is surprised to awaken one morning to news that their brood is going away for a few days, thanks to a humanity-escaping misanthropic urge and a last-minute online booking. He and the couple's kids — the older Archie (Charlie Evans, Everything's Gonna Be Okay) and younger Rose (Farrah Mackenzie, United States of Al) — aren't complaining about the break, though. Then problems after eerie problems occur. First, an oil tanker runs ashore on the beach. Next comes the late-night knock at the door from their holiday home's owner GH Scott (Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Herrold), who've driven in all dressed up from a night at the symphony. In a movie that isn't afraid of M Night Shyamalan-esque setups on its route to potential societal collapse, a power, phone and internet outage follows, plus oddly behaving wildlife and disquieting developments from above. Leave the World Behind streams via Netflix. Read our full review. TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR Just like a great music documentary, an excellent concert film isn't solely about existing fans. That's still true when a movie arrives in a sea of friendship bracelets, focuses on one of the biggest current singers in the world, and perhaps the largest and most devoted fandom there is can be seen screaming, dancing and crying joyfully in its frames in a 70,000-plus drove. As the shows that it lenses were, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was a financial success before any Swifties experienced their version of heaven. Swift's onstage journey through 17 years of tunes sparked ticketing mayhem both as a concert and a cinema release that captures close to every moment. The Eras tour is a billion-dollar entity, with the self-produced film that's spreading it further than packed stadiums a box-office bonanza since it was announced. The 169-minute-long movie is also a dazzling spectacle that neither dedicated Swifties nor casual viewers will be able to easily shake off. When Swift told the world that she never misses a beat and she's lightning on her feet in possibly her best-known pop song, everyone should've believed her. Long before 2014 earworm 'Shake It Off' gets a spin in the 1989 segment of The Eras Tour, she's proven those words true in an indefatigable onstage effort. "Can't stop, won't stop moving" describes her efforts and the film, which is as energetically directed by Sam Wrench (Billie Eilish Live at the O2) and edited by a six-person team (with Max Richter's Sleep's Dom Whitworth as its lead) as it is performed. And, for anyone that's sat through Valentine's Day and Cats and found them hardly purring, it gives Swift the screen presence that she's been trying to amass here and there — The Giver and Amsterdam are also on her resume — for over than a decade. Watching The Eras Tour doesn't just feel like watching a concert, but a musical spectacular in its vast grandeur, complete with the lead to match. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. DUMB MONEY It couldn't have been hard to cast Pete Davidson as a stoner in Dumb Money, but getting the Bupkis star playing a part that barely feels like a part on paper is perfect in this ripped-from-the-headlines film. He doesn't give the movie's top performance, which goes to lead Paul Dano (The Fabelmans), but he's satisfyingly great as the DoorDash driver who's often trolling his brother online and in-person. He's also an example in Cruella and I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie's entertaining feature of one of the ideas that this true tale heartily disproves. Viewers know what they're going to get from Davidson, and he delivers. Wall Street thought it knew what it was in for when small-time investors splashed their cash on stock for US video-game store chain GameStop, too, but the frenzy that resulted demonstrated otherwise. It was in 2019 IRL when DeepFuckingValue aka Roaring Kitty aka Keith Gill first posted on subreddit r/wallstreetbets that he'd bought stock in GameStop, the Texas-born brand that had been struggling but he thought was undervalued. Dumb Money tells this story from Keith's digital enthusiasm through to the impact upon the financial markets, plus the worldwide attention that followed. In 2021, the GameStop situation wasn't just news. It was a phenomenon, and one of the great modern-day David-versus-Goliath scenarios. There's a reason that this recent chapter of history been turned into a movie, and not just because it's an easy candidate to try to emulate The Big Short: the big end of town kept pulling its usual strings, the 99 percent played their own game instead and the status quo was upended — temporarily. Dumb Money streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. THEATER CAMP If you've ever wanted to turn your childhood into a movie, Theater Camp is the latest film that understands. It's also happy to laugh. Unlike Minari, Belfast, The Fabelmans, Aftersun and Past Lives, this isn't a drama, with Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin and Nick Lieberman making a sidesplittingly funny mockumentary about a place that's near and dear to them. What happens when four friends reflect upon their formative years, when they all fell in love with putting on a show? Theater Camp is the pitch-perfect answer. Looking backwards can be earnest and nostalgic, as Gordon and company know and embrace. Going for Wet Hot American Summer meets Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind, they're just as aware that it can be utterly hilarious. Watching Theater Camp means stepping into Gordon, Platt, Galvin and Lieberman's reality. None are currently camp counsellors, but the realm that they parody genuinely is personal. The film's core quartet initially came into each other's lives via youth theatre. With Gordon and Platt, the picture even boasts the receipts — aka IRL footage of the pair performing as kids — from a time when they were appearing together in Fiddler on the Roof at age four and in How to Succeed in Business at five. This team was first driven to bring their shared experiences to the screen in an improvised 2020 short also called Theater Camp. Now, they flesh out that bite-sized flick to full length as enthusiastically as any wannabe actor has ever monologued. All four co-write, while Booksmart and The Bear star Gordon directs with fellow first-time feature helmer Lieberman. Gordon, Dear Evan Hansen stage and screen lead Platt, plus Galvin — who similarly portrayed that Broadway hit's title role — act as well, playing three of the adults at AdirondACTS. Theater Camp streams via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES When children from Panem's first 12 districts are chosen to fight to the death, each year's unlucky kids conscripted into the bloodthirsty fray that gives The Hunger Games franchise its title, they aren't simply battling for survival. In this dystopian saga stemming from Suzanne Collins' novels, they're brawling to entertain the wealthy residents of the ruling Capitol — they're forced to submit to a display of power and control, too, and to demonstrate humanity's innate cruelty — all while waging war against perishing into nothingness. Arriving eight years after the series' last page-to-screen adaptation, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a swung sword, flung spear, hurled hatchet and jabbed knife in the same type of skirmish. This is a blockbuster franchise, but 2012's The Hunger Games, 2013's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 2014's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 and 2015's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2 have long faded from the big screen, which virtually means no longer existing to Tinseltown, other than as fuel to relight the flame. So kicks in the "sequels, prequels, spinoffs, continuations, TV shows, remakes, reboots, reimaginings or perish" motto that may as well be etched onto the Hollywood sign. Why The Hunger Games' battle royales exist, and what their purpose and substance are, prove topics of conversation more than once in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. A tale that features the person who created the games and the mind overseeing them — that'd be Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage, Cyrano) and Dr Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis, Air) — ought to ponder such notions. A jump back in time in a now five-entry franchise, and a chapter that runs for 157 minutes at that, couldn't leave it out. But a sense of nothingness still swirls around this Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid)- and Rachel Zegler (Shazam! Fury of the Gods)-led picture about Coriolanus Snow's origin story, even if Collins did actually write a novel with a plot that justifies the movie's existence (unlike comparable shenanigans over in the Wizarding World, aka the Fantastic Beasts films). There's an insignificant air to this return trip to YA bleakness, as smacking of chasing cash and keeping IP bubbling in the popular consciousness was bound to inspire; this doesn't feel like a return or a bonus, but an optional extra. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S Nicolas Cage is sorely missed in Five Nights at Freddy's, not that he was ever on the film's cast list. He starred in 2021's Willy's Wonderland, however, which clearly took its cues from the video-game franchise that this attempt to start a corresponding movie series now officially adapts. Willy's Wonderland wasn't great, but a near-silent Cage battling demonic animatronics was always going to be worth seeing. Unsurprisingly, he's mesmerising. In comparison, the actual Five Nights at Freddy's feature stars Josh Hutcherson (Futureman) deep in his older brother phase, bringing weary charm to a by-the-numbers horror flick that's as routine as they come no matter whether you've ever mashed buttons along with its inspiration — which first dropped in 2014 and now spans nine main games, a tenth on the way and five spinoffs — or seen everyone's favourite Renfield, Pig and Color Out of Space actor give an unlicensed take a go. Writer/director Emma Tammi (The Wind), the game's creator Scott Cawthon (Scooby Doo, Where Are You? In... SPRINGTRAPPED!) and co-screenwriter Seth Cuddeback's (Mateo) movie iteration of Five Nights at Freddy's doesn't just arrive after a Cage film got there first; it hits after season 16 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia wreaked havoc on a comparable setting already in 2023. If you're looking for a pitch-black comedic skewering of eateries in the style of Chuck E Cheese, the IRL pizzeria-meets-arcade chain that Freddy Fazbear's Pizza is patently based on, that's the best of the year. So, the Five Nights at Freddy film lingers in multiple shadows. There's symmetry on- and off-screen as result: shining a torchlight around in the movie uncovers sights that its characters would rather not see, and peering even just slightly through recent pop culture shows that this picture isn't alone, either. Five Nights at Freddy's streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. THANKSGIVING Edgar Wright's Don't and Rob Zombie's Werewolf Women of the SS must be on their way to the big screen soon. With Thanksgiving's arrival, three of the five films teased as trailers in 2007's Grindhouse — and at the time only conceived to exist as those faux trailers — have come to full-length feature fruition. So, the double of Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof didn't just give the world biochemical zombies and a murdering stuntman, but Machete, Hobo with a Shotgun and now Eli Roth's turkey-holiday slasher horror. In this first stint behind the lens since 2021 documentary Fin, plus 2018's vastly dissimilar Death Wish and The House with a Clock in Its Walls before that, the Cabin Fever and Hostel filmmaker knows the right mood: when you're plating up a film that began as a gag ad, leaning into both tropes and a knowing vibe is the best choice for carving a path forward. There's a downside to the joke beginning and happy winking now, though: Thanksgiving sure does love sticking to a tried-and-tested recipe. Roth and screenwriter Jeff Rendell, both returning from 16 years back and sharing a story credit, have taken to the whole "Halloween but Thanksgiving" approach with the utmost dedication — because it's as plain as a roasted bird centrepiece that that's what they've purposely cooked up. The mood, the nods, the derivation: they don't add up to a new masterpiece, however, genre-defining, cult or otherwise. But there's something to be said for a film that commits to its bit with this much relish, so bluntly and openly, and with the tongue-in-cheek attitude that was baked into the Grindhouse package slathered on thick. And yes, the image that no one has forgotten for almost two decades returns, alongside other signature shots from Thanksgiving's proof-of-concept sneak peek. Thanksgiving streams via Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November, too. We've kept a running list of must-stream TV from across the year, complete with full reviews. We also rounded up 2023's 15 best films, 15 best straight-to-streaming movies, 15 top flicks hardly anyone saw, 15 best new TV series of 2023, another 15 excellent new TV shows that you might've missed and 15 best returning shows as well.
To live in the US right now must be to live with a constant question: am I in a Nathan Fielder show? There are more pressing queries troubling America, but viewers of the Canadian comedian's The Rehearsal can be forgiven for wondering if he or his disciples are lurking over their shoulder. In this brilliant HBO doco-comedy, studying ordinary folks is a key part of the premise — as much as rehearsing life, the promise that's right there in the series' name. One goes with the other; how do you prepare for every outcome that might occur in a tricky IRL situation if you don't also examine the people who play into it, and their traits? Forget simulation theory, which has caused plenty to wonder if life is a computer program (especially after The Matrix franchise's popularity; see also: documentary A Glitch in the Matrix). Instead, The Rehearsal gives rise to Fielder theory. That needs both unpacking and working up to, but never quite knowing if anything could be one of Fielder's scenarios is a side effect of watching. Early in The Rehearsal's first episode — with season one available to stream in full via Binge in Australia now, and via Neon in New Zealand from Saturday, August 27 — Fielder meets Kor Skeete. A Jeopardy!-watching, trivia-loving New Yorker, he has an issue he's seeking help with, answering an ad asking "is there something you're avoiding?". Skeete has been lying to his bar trivia team about his educational history, claiming he has a master's degree, and wants assistance in coming clean. His biggest worry: how his pal Tricia might react, and if it'll end their friendship. That's The Rehearsal's opening problem-of-the-week setup, because Fielder is a problem solver — or that's the persona he portrays in his on-screen guise. Puppet master; a Wizard of Oz-type impresario; investigator of the human condition; Willy Wonka, which Skeete calls him: they all fit as well. Before he assists Skeete, Fielder asks if he's ever seen his past work. Skeete says no, despite saying television is his favourite trivia subject — and his response to what Fielder explains next will likely mirror anyone who comes to this with the same fresh eyes. First, some background: until now, Fielder was best known for Nathan for You, in which he helped companies and people using his business school studies. Fielder played a version of himself, and the result is a reality comedy. It's something that has to be seen to be truly believed and understood, and it's both genius and absurd. In The Rehearsal, Fielder is back as himself using his skills to help others. He's also starring in/writing/directing a reality comedy, this time letting his subjects rehearse big moments. Skeete wants to bare all to a pal, Angela is keen to explore parenthood and Pat is trying to resolve a family feud over an inheritance, for instance. The show's crew even build elaborate sets, recreating the spots where these pivotal incidents will take place, such as the bar where Skeete will meet Tricia. Fielder hires actors to assist, too. And, adding yet another layer, Fielder also steps through the same routine himself, including rehearsing his initial encounter with Skeete with an actor. So when he's asking Skeete if he's seen his work, he's already done so in a replica of Skeete's apartment, with someone else playing the man he's now talking to — and he's cycled through every possible reaction. If you've ever thought life was a big performance, and every single thing about interacting with others — and even just being yourself — involves playing a role, you'll find much to think about in this gripping, funny, often unsettling, quickly addictive series. There's reality TV, and then there's the way that the deadpan Fielder plays with and probes reality. While both can induce cringing, nothing compares to this. But in a true Fielder touch, rehearsals like Skeete's are rehearsals themselves. You could call the first season a rehearsal for the already-greenlit second season of The Rehearsal, but Fielder also uses his time with Skeete and Pat as trial runs for the big trial run that runs through five of the season's six episodes. That parental pondering? It's too big a social experiment to conduct in just one chapter, and there's too much to it for Fielder to simply orchestrate the whole experience. The Rehearsal's faux family scenario comes courtesy of Angela, who wants to give motherhood a test. Her biological clock is ticking, so she's keen to see if she should pursue being a mum. Staunchly Christian and conservative, she'd want to be married. She also only sees herself living the homesteader life and being self-sufficient in the country. Fielder sets her up in a farmhouse in rural Oregon. To condense 18 years of parenthood down into mere weeks, he has Angela's fake child age in three-year increments, jumping from a baby to a toddler and so on. And to make the process seamless, he hires a lineup of child actors to play the part, swapping them out in shifts as required by labour laws. Later, after a failed attempt to locate a co-parent, he steps in himself. At its entry level, seeing the extremes that Fielder and his crew go to in arranging each rehearsal is mesmerising (a hefty HBO budget assists). So is spying the detail on display, the flowcharts plotting out every potential response, and the rehearsals behind each rehearsal — and watching how the show's subjects react. But it swiftly becomes apparent that The Rehearsal isn't even primarily about the people Fielder is helping and interacting with, including actors he puts through his own acting school (dubbed 'The Fielder Method') and a child who takes the pretend parenthood situation to heart. Fielder's series is always concerned with human nature, how it can be constructed and interpreted, and the role that screens play in telling and manipulating stories; however, it's also about Fielder himself, and the way everyone interacts with the world. Fielder is an awkward presence, but also both candid and calming (has unease ever been this easy?). He's frank about not really feeling emotions the way he thinks he should, and that others don't respond to him the way he'd like. ("I'm not good at meeting people for the first time. I've been told my personality can make people uncomfortable," he offers early on, like a self-aware Larry David who's intrigued to do better.) He's pulling his own strings, in what he himself describes as "puzzles of my own devising" — and he's determined to test his own assumptions, the character he plays as himself, and the way that others see him. He unpacks reality TV in the process, especially by laying bare the process. He tests and probes social conventions, questioning what's real and what we happily manufacture. He makes viewers query what they do themselves, and why, along with him. The Rehearsal is all of that and more, and unfurling its layers, games and insights is one of 2022's finest television experiences. Check out the trailer for The Rehearsal below: The Rehearsal streams via Binge in Australia now, and via Neon in New Zealand from Saturday, August 27. Images: courtesy of HBO.
In every generation, there might be a chosen one — vampire slayer, that is — but in the Australian outback, there's now Indigenous bloodhunters. That's the premise behind one of the most promising new local shows of the year, Firebite, which brings undead battles to the South Australian desert with a huge list of top-notch Aussie talent. You know you're watching an Aussie vampire series — or even simply viewing the just-dropped trailer for it — when the words "take that you bloodsucking bastards" are uttered. That's just one of the highlights of Firebite's first sneak peek, though. Also worth getting excited about: the stacked cast, which includes Rob Collins (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) and Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Total Control) as the show's Indigenous Australian vampire killers, plus Callan Mulvey (Shadow in the Cloud) as the king vamp of the last undead colony in SA, and also Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black) as well. Behind the lens, Firebite hails from one of Australia's finest filmmakers — Samson and Delilah, Sweet Country and The Beach director Warwick Thornton, who returns to the small screen after helming and starring in the latter, and also working on the second season of Mystery Road. Fellow Aussie directors Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) and Tony Krawitz (The Tall Man, Dead Europe) are also involved, giving the Firebite three exceptional local helmers in one show. The trailer serves up more than a bit of a Mad Max vibe, but with vampires and Indigenous Aussies fighting back — and how it'll unfurl will be revealed come Thursday, December 16. The show is headed to AMC+, the new streaming bundle that just launched Down Under in November, and will drop new episodes every week. And yes, it's going to be a big few months for watching Australia's parched landscape on the screen, following the Jamie Dornan-starring mystery series The Tourist and the Zac Efron-led thriller flick Gold. But again, because it can't be celebrated enough, this is the only Aussie Indigenous vampire horror-fantasy show you'll be adding to your streaming queue. Check out the Firebite trailer below: Firebite starts streaming via AMC+ on Thursday, December 16. Images: Ian Routledge/AMC+.
Melbourne's Il Mercato Centrale is finally here. This huge Italian food hall and market — the first of its kind in Australia — was first announced back in 2022 and was expected to open late in he same year. Unfortunately, the highly ambitious venture encountered a heap of issues that pushed the opening back a couple of years. But all those woes are now in the past, as the team officially opened the 546 Collins Street site at 4pm on Thursday, September 19. First off, the 3500-square-metre space, spread across three stories, truly is enormous. The first floor has a market feel but with more flash, fun and tech. Each of the vendors is slinging their own specialty goods, with none competing with the other. Here, you can find fresh produce to take home or have them cook it up for you on the spot. Then, up one floor, you'll find a fine-diner, gelateria, distillery, wine bar, cocktail bar, and a smattering of other food vendors. Head up another staircase to then find a multi-purpose space for holding big events and regular workshops and masterclasses — hosted by Il Mercato Centrale's vendors. There's a lot going on, and it's best to explore in person, but to help you start planning your visit, we've put together this quick guide to all the vendors who've set up shop on Collins Street's huge new drinking and dining destination. What's more, you won't need to spend all your time running around from stall to stall when dining here — simply scan a QR code and order from a selection of these spots in one transaction, and have them ready to pick up or be delivered to your table (wherever that may be in the food hall) within a few minutes. Il Forno Damian Malone's Il Forno bakery sits right at the entrance of Il Mercato Centrale, showing just how important good bread is to Italians. The team here is milling its own flour, making it into handmade loaves of bread and pastries. Quickly pop in before work for a cheeky croissant, or stop by after a day in the office to take some fresh bread home. Il Caffe No Italian food and drink destination is complete without standout coffee. And Il Mercato Centrale has enlisted the help of Jerry Lee to bring it to life on the ground floor. Locally roasted Mosaic by Lavazza coffee is being used in espresso shots, and it's served in quintessentially Italian in style. That means you're not going to find your bougie filter coffees or Melbourne magics here. It is simple and to the point. But for fun, the team is selling its playful coffee caviar. Before you get turned off, there's no fish product in it — simply espresso that's had a little science intervention that transforms it into tiny balls that pop in your mouth. La Pasta Fresca It's almost impossible to find fresh pasta in the CBD that you can take home. That is until right now, thanks to Angelo Sperlinga, who is running this spot. He's been selling pasta for over 27 years now and has absolutely nailed the art. You'll find a stack of different kinds of pasta here, varying in shape, size and regional origins. Stop by to take these away, or order them with your choice of sauces for lunch or dinner at the new Il Mercato Centrale in Melbourne. La Pasticceria Neapolitan pastries are championed at this pastry stall, run by Alessandro Grillo and Vincenzo Marino. Yes, that means you'll be filling up on sfogliatella, baba, zeppole, and all sorts of cakes and biscotti. Grab a few with your coffee when dining in, or box up a bunch of your faves to take back to the office. La Pizza al Taglio Traditional Roman pizza al taglio is championed at this stall, which is run by Nicoló Conenna who — like many of the traders here — hails from Italy. Here, you'll find thick-ish crust pizza, fat foccacia sandwiches loaded with meat, veg and cheese, plus some morish arancini — some of which come stuffed with different kinds of pasta rather than rice. Cheese is heavily used here, so be sure to pop a Lactese tablet if you and dairy aren't the best of friends. La Frutta e la Verdura Bivano & Sons is running the fruit and veg tall at Il Mercat Centrale, selling locally grown produce as well as fresh juices. Even though this is sitting in the back corner of the ground floor, you won't miss it thanks to the brightly coloured fruit draped all over the front of the stall. La Carne e i Salumi This butcher and steakhouse has one of the sexiest stalls in the market — that is, if you're a meat eater. There's a large glass display right out front with large cuts of meat slowly spinning around on hooks. Drop by for legendary eats like capocollo di calabria and bistecca alla fiorentina, cooked over the grill to order. Prefer to take some of the raw steaks home? Too easy. They'll wrap them up, give you cooking tips and send you on your way. I Calamari Fritti Out of all the stalls at Melbourne's Il Mercato Centrale, this one is the most specialised. Here, Paula and Gary Harding are almost exclusively selling freshly fried calamari. Yeah, there are a few little salads also up for grabs, but it is all about the salt and pepper calamari, and Italian crumbed calamari — a recipe passed down from their Sicilian nonna. If we can nab a seat outside on Collins Street, this is what we'll be ordering to go with our many rounds of Aperol spritz. La Mozzarella Like it says in the name, La Mozarella (run by the That's Amore crew) is where you get your cheese — specifically, buffalo mozzarella. Traditional Italian methods and recipes are at the heart of the team's practices, preserving the ancient art of cheese-making with patience, dedication and love. But mozzarella isn't the only cheese sold here. You've also got fresh ricotta, burrata, caciovalla and provolone, among many others — either served to eat there or taken home for cooking. We'll likely be ordering a few burrata balls while sipping on Italian wines upstairs at the Enoteca. Il Pesce Wild-caught and farmed seafood seafood can be found down the back of the ground floor market section, run by George Milonas. His diverse range includes a variety of Australian seafood such as fish, shellfish, mollusks, and oysters, which can all be cooked onsite or taken away. Strangely, the team is even selling sushi here — clearly, they know just how much Melburnians love their lunchtime sushi rolls. Il Cioccolato This isn't your average chocolate shop. Alessandro Luppolo has brought some next-level bean-to-bar creations to Il Mercato Centrale that look just as good as they taste. Its collection includes single-origin dark and milk chocolates, plus a smattering of innovatively crafted bonbons — the flavours of which change semi-regularly. L'Enoteca Just as coffee is an Italian essential in the morning, wine is just as important from the afternoon onward. Nailing the vino was always going to be important at Il Mercato Centrale, and they've done a bang-up job by getting Marco and Michelle Singarella to run the wine bar. You'll find an impressive range of artisanal wines from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and France, plus a few tap wines from local and Italian producers. Sit at the bar and order some drops by the glass, or run in to take some bottles home. We highly recommend nabbing a table up here, ordering some fresh oysters and arancini to go with your sip-and-snack session. I Connoli La Canolleria is another well-known artistan setting up shop in Melbourne's Il Mercato Centrale. These guys can already be found at Queen Vic Market, South Melbourne Market and their bricks-and-mortar shop on Lygon Street, where they make some of the city's finest cannoli. These are made the traditional way, with fresh ricotta, and come with a heap of different classic flavours. Il Bar Centrale This ground-floor bar is pumping out all your usual suspects, from local and Italian beers and wines to simple cocktails and mixed drinks. Order these from your table or with the team themselves, drinking late into the night. La Distilleria Yes, Melbourne's Il Mercato Centrale has its own gin distillery. Because, why not? Australian Distilling Co. is in charge here, making and serving its wide range of gins, which the team will help you pair with whatever food you've ordered from the other vendors. You'll soon be able to participate in gin masterclasses here as well, making and bottling up your own gin to take home. Il Gelato Rovena Xeba is serving up brilliant artisanal gelato, gelato cakes, waffles and crepes from her small stall upstairs. She uses organic milk, fresh fruits, vanilla beans, organic eggs and butter to create a range of products that embody the quality and tradition of Italian gelato making. A particular highlight has got to be her signature Spaghetti Ice Cream — a playful twist on classic gelato. First off, the gelato is made with organic milk and vanilla beans, which is pressed through machinery to resemble spaghetti. It's topped with homemade strawberry coulis — simulating tomato sauce — and finished with white chocolate shavings as grated cheese. It's fun, but far from being naff. It still tastes damn good. I Cocktail The food hall and market's own bar has taken up prime position on the second floor, right in front of the stunning windows overlooking Collins Street. Here, bartenders are mixing up all your usual Italian cocktails, plus a few signature sips with plenty of flair. Sit up here and watch the theatrical cocktail-making, or simply have the bevs delivered to whatever part of Il Mercato Centrale you've set yourselves up at. La Pizza Napoletana This is one of the stalls we were most looking forward to visiting, for Valerio Violetti is running the show. He's known for creating some of the best pizza in Australia — and has plenty of awards to prove it — and the pizzas he's making here are no joke. Il Mercato Centrale worked hard to get him here, and we are all too grateful for their perseverance. Here, he and his team are plating up sensational Napoletana pizza, cooked up in one of the two huge puma-shaped pizza ovens. This is a must-visit spot at the new CBD food hall. La Pasta Fatta in Casa Annapaola D'Alessio's pasta stall — located right next to La Pizza Napoletana — is yet another standout spot. Here, D'Alessio and her team are making handmade pasta for the masses, without losing out on quality. You can take this home, but it would be an absolute shame not to try their cooked pasta dishes. They'll change seasonally, so be sure to pop by regularly for some of Melbourne's best pasta. Lo Smash Burger For us, this is one of the more surprising stalls. We never knew smash burgers were particularly Italian, but we certainly aren't upset to find them at Il Mercato Centrale. Its signature smash burger features a patty made from a blend of angus brisket and chuck beef, smashed onto a hot griddle to create a crispy crust and juicy interior. Topped with melted cheddar, lettuce, and pickles, this burger will satisfy even the fussiest eaters out there. Il Riso Restaurants get risotto wrong all the time. It is a true labour of love that needs to be precisely prepared and cooked. And risotteria crushes it. The risotto is super creamy but still has just the right amount of bite. The team also plates up a bunch of other rice-based eats— perfect for the coeliacs out there. You'll be surprised with just how good the crew's rice-based pasta tastes, while the arancini are beyond perfect. Il Ristorante Chef Jerry Kim is running the fine-dining restaurant here at Il Mercato Centrale, which is currently still under works. Sadly, a lot of its furniture wasn't delivered in time, so this space feels a little underwhelming right now. Still, once it is done, you'll be visiting Il Ristorante for contemporary takes on classic Italian cuisine — served in a more formal setting. La Piadina Piadina, a traditional Italian flatbread, is heroed at this small stall up on the second level. These come stuffed with all kinds of classic fillings like ham and cheese, salmon or — our fave — eggplant parmigiana. These bites really transport you to Europe, as the seemingly simple ingredients are so damn good that not much needs to be done to them. Biting into these will make you feel like you've gone to your mate's nonna's place for lunch. Il Mercato Centrale Melbourne can be found at 546 Collins Street, Melbourne. The Italian market and food hub is open 7am–10pm from Sunday–Thursday, and 7am–midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. For more details, you can visit the venue's website.
Come with us on now, on a journey through time and space, to the world of Behind The Boosh. You may not hear those words spoken aloud when you walk into the exhibition celebrating British comedy troupe The Mighty Boosh, but fans will think them. When you're peering at behind-the-scenes peeks into Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding's hilarious and surreal creation, as snapped by fellow group member Dave Brown, that's the very first thing that should come to mind. A part of all things Boosh since the troupe was first formed in the 90s, Brown played Bollo the Gorilla, Naan bread, Black Frost and Australian zookeeper Joey Moose. He's also taken care of tour posters, DVDs, set graphics and merchandise; compiled and designed The Mighty Book of Boosh; and had a hand in Boosh music and choreography. And, he's been snapping away with his camera — the results of which are gracing this photography showcase. There aren't enough elbow patches in the world for this exhibition, or shoes filled with Baileys. Whether or nor you can find either — or the black hair dye and strong hairspray needed to get Vince Noir-style locks, green Old Gregg-esque body paint or 60s-era suits that look like they've been taken straight from Howard Moon's wardrobe — heading to Sydney's M2 Gallery and Melbourne's North Gallery this August means getting a glimpse into the minds behind The Mighty Boosh's stage shows and radio series, and obviously the three-season TV gem also called The Mighty Boosh. Brown's two decades of images traverse a history that saw The Boosh become a live smash at the Edinburgh and Melbourne Comedy Festivals, then a 00s cult hit on the small screen. These days, Fielding might co-present The Great British Bake Off and do team captain duties on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, while Barratt has been playing a part in The Great, but they'll always been known for The Boosh. "These images are like children to me, badly behaved children with no manners but also beautifully funny, insanely dressed up children that are two dimensional and don't move," explained Brown of his Behind The Boosh photos. "I love these pics, incredible memories of a special time with my Boosh band of brothers and sharing them with our beautiful Aussie Boosh fans is long overdue." "The love The Mighty Boosh still has to this day is comparable to legendary acts such as Monty Python and continues to draw in people of all ages. It was such a bonus to have a great photographer who was part of the show; Dave never missed anything! I almost find it difficult to look at them because it takes me back immediately to that time, and because Dave was always taking photos, the snaps are genuine; they're not posed," said Fielding. "Dave is a lens with legs! Ever since I have known him, he's had a camera strapped to his face. I have a terrible memory which is why Dave is my saviour, if we are our memories then without Dave Brown I simply would not exist," added Barratt. Brown is also in Australia with the exhibition, which runs from Wednesday, August 2–Sunday, August 6 in Sydney and Wednesday, August 16–Sunday, August 20 in Melbourne. In both cities, on the Saturdays in each, he's doing an artist talk to chat through his work — and being part of a troupe, plus their various onstage and on-screen shows, where anything could happen. In Sydney as well, Brown will hit the decks at Redfern Surf Club's Surfapolooza festival on Saturday, August 5. BEHIND THE BOOSH AUSTRALIAN DATES: Wednesday, August 2–Sunday, August 6 — M2 Gallery, 4/450 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, Sydney Wednesday, August 16–Sunday, August 20 — North Gallery, Level 1/55-57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne Behind the Boosh displays in Sydney and Melbourne in August 2023 — head to the exhibition website for further details. Images: Dave Brown.
If you've ever said "XOXO" aloud, you've obviously seen Gossip Girl, the glossy, quickly addictive drama about Manhattan teens, their hectic lives and their glam outfits that initially aired between 2007–2012. It's the show that introduced the world to Blake Lively, Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley, and made everyone want to sit on the steps of The Met. It also demonstrated that you can never have too many headbands, and had us all wishing that Kristen Bell could narrate our every move, too. Gossip Girl is getting a follow-up series with a brand new cast that's also heading to Binge, because nothing says goodbye forever these days — and because all that drama was never going to subside for too long. But there's still nothing quite like the original, which starts with the return of Serena van der Woodsen (Lively) to the Upper East Side and the fallout within her inner circle, as constantly chronicled by an all-knowing blogger.
They're taking the hobbits to Isengard at Palace Cinemas Balwyn this spring, with one movie marathon to rule them all. Round up the Fellowship, stock up on lembas bread for sustenance and hide your finest pipe-weed from the Southfarthing for one sitting of all three of Peter Jackson's beloved OG Tolkien film adaptations on Sunday, September 8. Kicking off with The Fellowship of the Ring and ending with The Return of the King, this cave troll of a marathon clocks in at 686 minutes plus breaks, starting the journey at 10am and including short breaks between each (for breakfast and second breakfast, if you will). If you make it to the final handful of endings, you can pat yourself on the back and smash a ringwraith screech at the nearest Balwyn resident on your way home (note: do not actually screech at the residents). Without a ticket, expect at least one overenthusiastic cinema staff member to make an example of you, thundering "you shall not pass!" to raucous applause. So buy a ticket, precious, for $25 (or $20 if you're a Palace movie club member). CORRECTION: AUGUST 27, 2019 — Palace Cinemas has announced that it'll be screening the extended versions of all three Lord of the Rings flicks, so the movie marathon will be going for 686 minutes plus breaks, not 558. The above article has been updated to reflect this.
When Netflix first revived The Addams Family via Wednesday back in 2022, it did so with help from a familiar face that knows more than a little about pop culture's creepiest, kookiest, most mysterious and spookiest family: Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets). She doesn't play the show's namesake, of course — enter: Jenna Ortega (Scream VI) with the black attire and bleak attitude — but her presence was both felt and welcome. And when season two hits, she won't be the only cast member from the 90s films that's been a part of this series. Wednesday was renewed for a second season in early 2023 — Netflix is so keen on the show that there's talk of an Uncle Fester-focused spinoff, too — and now, post-last year's strikes, production has commenced. Along with that development, the streaming platform has announced which actors will be joining the series this time around. One of them, as a guest star: Christopher Lloyd. [caption id="attachment_954276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Helen Sloan/Netflix © 2024[/caption] Adding to a recent resume that includes Hacks, Knuckles, Self Reliance and The Mandalorian, Lloyd won't be reprising his work as Uncle Fester from The Addams Family and Addams Family Values given that Fred Armisen (Fallout) is Wednesday's take on the character. Still, the Tim Burton (Dumbo)-executive produced series continues to throw love at past iterations of the residents of Cemetery Lane. Season two of Wednesday doesn't have a release date as yet, but it will also feature more of Catherine Zeta-Jones (National Treasure: Edge of History) as Morticia, Luis Guzmán (Justified: City Primeval) as Gomez, Isaac Ordonez (Color Box) as Pugsley and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (How to Date Billy Walsh) as Deputy Ritchie Santiago, all getting meatier parts than in season one. New to the cast are Steve Buscemi (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Billie Piper (Scoop), Evie Templeton (Criminal Record), Owen Painter (Tiny Beautiful Things) and Noah Taylor (Foundation), as well as Joanna Lumley (Fool Me Once), Thandiwe Newton (Big Mouth), Frances O'Connor (Erotic Stories), Haley Joel Osment (What We Do in the Shadows), Heather Matarazzo (Wish) and Joonas Suotamo (Willow) joining Lloyd as special guests. In season one, Wednesday's titular figure had been terrorising her way through various educational facilities, hopping through eight of them in five years. That's how she ended up at Nevermore Academy, where her mother introduced her with an apology: "please excuse Wednesday, she's allergic to colour". Morticia actually met Gomez at the school, and thought that their eldest would love it there as they did, but Wednesday's storyline was never going to be that straightforward. With Burton behind the scenes, and also sitting in the director's chair for the first four episodes — in the job the Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands filmmaker was clearly born to have — cue high-school chaos, a monstrous murder spree to stop and a supernatural mystery linked to Wednesday's parents a quarter-century ago to solve. Oh, and a killer goth wardrobe, naturally. Wednesday unsurprisingly proved a smash, breaking the Netflix record for most hours viewed in a single week, then doing so again — notching up 341.23-million hours viewed in its first week, then 411.29-million hours viewed in its second. All things Addams Family have always found an audience, with the Ricci-led 90s films beloved for decades for good reason, and the 1960s TV show and 1930s The New Yorker comics before that. Check out the season two cast announcement video for Wednesday below: Wednesday streams via Netflix, with season one available now and season two arriving at a yet-to-be-announced date. We'll update you with further details about season two when they're revealed. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Netflix.
Blessed be your streaming queue one last time, or at least until a TV version of The Testaments arrives. The Handmaid's Tale is finishing in 2025, concluding with the page-to-screen hit's sixth season. As both the first teaser trailer and the just-dropped full sneak peek at the award-winning series' last run illustrate, June (Elisabeth Moss, The Veil) is again up for a fight. Since 2017, watching The Handmaid's Tale has meant wishing for one thing: the end of Gilead, the totalitarian, male-dominated society that rules the show's dystopian version of the United States. In the award-winning series adapted from Margaret Atwood's 1985 book, that outcome is finally coming in a way, at least for viewers for now. When June says that "this is the beginning of the end" in the new trailer, ideally she means for the way of life that she's been forced to endure — but whatever happens, this specific Gilead story will wrap up. "Now it's time for them to be afraid of us," June also states. For the show's protagonist and her fellow red-wearing women, revolution is coming. Rallying against the oppressive status quo however possible has sat at the heart of this series since day one — and in its last season, June is back waging war. As the initial teaser trailer for season six had June note, outlining the ways that the regime has tried to push her and her fellow women down, including via their restrictive attire, "the dress became a uniform — and we became an army". If you haven't read The Testaments, and therefore have no idea where Atwood has guided her franchise on the page from here, it's set 15 years after the events of its predecessor and also includes familiar characters. How that'll play into the end of The Handmaid's Tale on-screen obviously hasn't been revealed. Season six's plot will chart June's battle to take down Gilead, though, plus Luke (O-T Fagbenle, No Good Deed) and Moira (Samira Wiley, Breaking News in Yuba County) joining the resistance, Serena's (Yvonne Strahovski, Teacup) efforts to change Gilead, tests for Nick (Max Minghella, Maximum Truth), and reckonings for Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford, The Madness) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, The Friend). The sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale debuts on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Down Under, it streams via SBS On Demand and Neon. Praise be for what looks like one helluva last hurrah for the show. Madeline Brewer (Space Oddity), Amanda Brugel (Dark Matter), Sam Jaeger (Wolf Man) and Ever Carradine (The Neighbourhood) also all return among the cast, with Josh Charles (Moss' The Veil co-star) a new addition. Check out the full trailer for The Handmaid's Tale season six below: The Handmaid's Tale season six debuts on Tuesday, April 8, streaming Down Under via SBS On Demand and Neon.
They played a couple in Drive opposite Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy). They bickered their way through New York's 60s-era folk scene in Inside Llewyn Davis, too. Now, after teaming up for acclaimed filmmakers Nicolas Winding Refn and the Coen brothers, Oscar Isaac (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) and Carey Mulligan (Spaceman) are reuniting on-screen again, this time to lead the cast in Netflix's feuding anthology series Beef. A second season of the acclaimed show is officially on the way, so get ready for more grievances. This time, the new eight-episode run will focus on a young couple who sees a fight between their boss and his wife, and the aftermath, which takes the drama into a country club as well. Everyone has petty feuds. That's one of the truths behind the the Golden Globe-, Emmy-, Gotham, Screen Actors Guild Award-, Independent Spirit Award and Producers Guild Award-winning series, which brought squabbling strangers into everyone's streaming queues in 2023 and became one of the best new shows of the year in the process. Beef was initially meant to be a once-off, but plenty more people could always disagree, argue and hold grudges on-screen — and, soon, some more will. Earlier in 2024, Jake Gyllenhaal (Presumed Innocent) and Anne Hathaway (The Idea of You) were rumoured to be starring in Beef's second season, which would've been a reunion for them as well — see: Love & Other Drugs and Brokeback Mountain — but Isaac and Mulligan are doing the honours instead. Back then, it was also reported that Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) and Charles Melton (May December) could be among the cast that's taking over from Steven Yeun (Nope) and Ali Wong (Paper Girls), with that part still happening. If you missed season one of the Lee Sung Jin (Dave)-created Beef, it followed Danny Cho (Yeun) and Amy Lau (Wong) after they got in a fender bender, then neither handled it well. Cue a feud that they can't shake, infiltrating their lives and relationships. If their quest for revenge each other just fizzled out, there obviously wouldn't be a series. Part of Beef's ongoing beef in season one stemmed from a comedy staple: putting opposites together and seeing what springs. Danny is struggling as a contractor and isn't happy about it, while Amy lives a seemingly idyllic life thanks to her success as an entrepreneur. They both share a need to get back at each other, though — and to see through their clash to the end. Lee is back for season two as the show's creator, while Yeun and Wong are onboard as well as executive producers. There's obviously no trailer yet for the second season, but check out a clip from Beef season one below: Beef season two doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when more details are locked in. Beef season streams via Netflix — read our review. Top image: The Card Counter, courtesy of Focus Features / ©2021 Focus Features, LLC.
If a certain pandemic has had you holed up at home getting very well acquainted with the inside of your living room, chances are you've rediscovered that indoor plant obsession. Or at the very least, been inspired to add to your current collection of green stuff. Handy then, that there's a new kid on the plant-slinging block: Prahran's sprawling greenery-filled warehouse, Botanicah. The work of best mates Harris Mashood and Bowen Walker, this plastic bag factory-turned-retail space clocks in at 350 square metres and is stocked to the brim with a hefty assortment of plants, pots and accessories. Everything is carefully chosen by the owners from local nurseries, with new pieces added regularly. And you'll even find a growing selection of locally-made pots and planters in the lineup. [caption id="attachment_775192" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption] The duo's selection of greenery has a little something to suit just about every condition and watering habit imaginable, from those sun-loving outdoor plants to cute cacti and hard-to-kill indoor varieties. Fancy a foxtail fern for your bedroom? Maybe a melanthera to brighten up that balcony? Whatever you're vibing, a wander through this soothing green oasis is likely to unearth it. And as well as a wide-ranging selection offering buckets of inspiration, the team's also got your back with expert advice on how to help those new plant babies thrive. There are also plans for the venue to eventually moonlight as a lush events space — stay tuned for that to happen later this year. Under the current stay-at-home orders for metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, some retail stores are allowed to open if they have appropriate hygiene and social-distancing measures in place. Visiting an open retail store to obtain 'necessary goods or services' is considered one of the accepted reasons to leave your home during lockdown. Botanicah will continue to open from 10am–6pm daily, but if you'd prefer to avoid going out for now, you can also virtually plan your indoor garden by scrolling through its stunning Instagram. Find Botanicah at 44 Porter Street, Prahran. It's open from 10am–6pm daily, with only a handful of people allowed inside at a time. Images: Arianna Leggiero
Tim Flach has captured wild animals in a way you may never have seen before. Studio-lit and beautiful, these animals create gorgeous subjects (although we're pretty sure they prefer their natural habitat to a black back drop and spotlight). Having spent years studying our bond with animals, Flach is known for his conceptual portraits of animals and the unique way in which he differs from a classic wildlife photographer. He has been awarded the Professional Photographer of the Year at the International Photography Awards and has published books, including Equus and Dogs Gods. He recently published More Than Human which features these photos and many more. His photographs challenge us to think of these animals and view them in ways in which we haven't before. He uses the defamiliarisation technique by placing familiar things, in this case animals, in an unfamiliar place to provoke questions and curiosity from the viewer. You can visit his website to view the entire More Than Human series.
We all know that Melbourne is the place to be if you love music; this week's the time to prove it. Melbourne Music Week is back for another year with 250 artists taking part in 110 events over 10 days of festivities in 40 locations. While your usual bars and bandrooms are all accounted for, this year you'll also be seeing music in laneways and trams, at Rooftop Cinema, the NGV, MPavilion, and power stations. It'll even be in elevators. No kidding — elevators. This enormous reach comes in an effort to showcase not only Melbourne's music, but the city itself. "Melbourne is one of the world's greatest music cities," says Councillor Beverley Pinder Mortimer from the City of Melbourne."[In this festival] the city becomes the stage." Kind of like in that film with Kiera Knightly and Mark Ruffalo... but better. Here are a few things to pencil in your diaries to make the most of it. Opening Night with Architecture in Helsinki There's no better to kick off your Melbourne Music Week celebrations than with an opening night extravaganza, and there's no one better to lead the charge than Architecture in Helsinki. These local kids done good have been putting the pep in your summer house parties for just over a decade now. After the release of their fifth album NOW + 4 EVA they're back to christen the new festival hub at Queen Vic Markets. After supporting Client Liaison earlier this year and recently being signed to Two Bright Lakes, local boogie kids Total Giovanni will also be on the bill with Rainbow Connection DJs. Get ready for some magic. November 14, 7pm-1am, Queen Vitoria Market, $35. Morning Ritual There's a reason this event is a regular at MMW. While the rest of the program favours night owls and those up for a bit of a bender, this is a rare opportunity to get some tunes in the sunlight. This year's Morning Ritual will see five bands including The Harpoons, Klo and Lowtide playing a bunch of free sets at Queen Vic from 10.30am. It's an amazing way to wake up, a decent substitute for coffee and, quite frankly, a freebie you should definitely take advantage of. November 15-22, 10.30-11.30am, Queen Victoria Market, FREE. Love in an Elevator Does corny elevator music get you down? Local folk-pop duo The Twoks have concocted an ingenious morning pick-me-up for those Melbourne nine-to-fivers with better taste. Setting up in undisclosed elevators around the CBD, the boppy electronic duo will be hosting impromptu performances starting from 8am, riding up and down with unsuspecting members of the public as they make their way to work. Not the easiest of gigs to find, but if you're in the city this early, it'd definitely be worth searching out. Fair warning: venues may hit capacity pretty quickly. November 17-19, 8-9am, Elevators across the city, FREE. The Roller Jam Presumably inspired by the plot of Xanadu, Foreign Brothers are transforming 1000 £ Bend into a full blown, '80s style roller disco. A collection of DJs and live artists including Northside Records, The Mondo Freaks, ALTA and Jimmy James & DJ Jnett will keep your wheels turning late into the night, and surely someone will have the good sense to crank some Olivia Newton John. Skates will be available for hire. If there's not a smoke machine and mirror ball, we'll be very disappointed. November 20-22, 6pm-1.30am, 1000 £ Bend, $25. Hunt. Tram. Party. No Myki? No worries. Hop on board a moving Melbourne icon, for a one-of-a-kind tram party without a single mouth-breathing ticket inspector in sight. Clues around the CBD will reveal the hidden starting point where your musical transportation will be waiting. Suffice it to say, moshing is probably out. After rattling around the city to the tunes of a secret artist, the party will terminate right outside Ding Dong Longue, where a live performance by totally charming poppy hip hoppers Jakubi will see the good times continue long into the night. November 20, 7pm-1am, Trams across the city, FREE. Mixed Doubles Artist-run record label Air Punch Collective has pitted the stars of the Melbourne indie music scene against one another for a collaborative song tournament that looks set to be a grand slam. Hosted at the North Melbourne Rec Centre and umpired by the audience, competitors in the musical tennis showdown include Milk Teddy vocalist Thomas Mendelovits, as well as Helena Plazzer, Ellen Sorensen, David Carlin and Mark Mannone. We're not saying things could get violent out there on the court. Then again, we're not not saying it, either. November 15, 1pm-4pm, Bella Union, $10. Free Screenings at Rooftop Cinema Relax under the stars with a cold beer and a bucket of popcorn, and enjoy a trio of free, music-themed screenings at Melbourne's favourite outdoor cinema. Sort-of documentary 20,000 Days on Earth provides a weirdly meta look into the life and creative process of enigmatic artist Nick Cave, while Mistaken For Strangers chronicles the 2010 tour of your favourite sad rockers The National through the eyes of its lead singer's younger brother, who tagged along for the ride. The third screening remains cloaked in an air of mystery. Is it too much to hope for a bit of Bjork? November 18-20, 8pm-11pm, Rooftop Cinema, FREE. The Church Plays The Blood of a Poet One of the all-time great examples of avant-garde filmmaking, Jean Cocteau's The Blood of a Poet is getting a brand-spanking new musical score, courtesy of legendary Australian rock group The Church. First released in 1932, the film follows an artist through an unsettling parallel dimension; its impenetrable imagery a perfect fit for the band's evocative alt-rock sound. Whether you're a film buff or a music lover, this live performance/screening absolutely shouldn't be missed. Alternatively, if French surrealism isn't your thing, check out William Friedkin's 1977 thriller Sorcerer, accompanied by visiting German electro pioneers Tangerine Dream. November 21, 7.30-8.30pm, ACMI, $30-38. Swell Just when you thought you'd figured your way around the giraffes in jewellery, watchful elephant heads and tree-lined rooftop spaces, they throw another thing in the mix. For six nights in November, the Carlton will be opening up an abandoned space that lies above the main bar but below Hasti Bala. Through labyrinthine corridors and hidden little rooms, you'll be treated to an array of secret gigs and intimate "plastic-coated" raves featuring a load of surprise acts. I know that's a whole load of craziness to hear with little to no context, but it's all we've got at this point. This very hush hush event is mysteriously titled Swell. November 14-23, Friday-Sunday, Various times, $25-39. Live Music Safari Without a doubt the highlight of the whole MMW program, the Live Music Safari brings the entire city to life. Fourteen of Melbourne's best venues including Boney, Section 8, The Toff and The Hi-Fi are hosting some of the city's most exciting bands and they're doing so for the ever-so-tasty price of free. Running for nearly 12 hours of sonic bliss, the Safari wants you to pop in and out of shows from 4pm-5am. Ideal route: chill out in Ferdydurke as City Calm Down and Milwaukee Banks turn Tattersalls Lane into an all-out laneway party, head along to Queen Vic to catch a set from Kingswood, cruise down to the Toff to catch The Harpoons, get a load of newbies Japanese Wallpaper at the Kelvin Club and, as always, finish it all off at Boney. There's no judgment here, friends. November 20, 4pm-5am, Various locations, FREE. Photo credits: jaded on and flattop341 via photopin cc. Written by Tom Clift and Meg Watson.
It has been more than two decades since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone first brought its magic into our lives, and muggles still share one particular dream: to attend Hogwarts. Yes, it's a fictional setting. Yes, we all know that. But that still hasn't stopped all manner of places trying to make the school an enchanting reality, from HP-inspired wizarding schools to huge brunches held in Great Hall-like spaces to activewear decked out in house colours. London's Warner Brothers Studio Tour is going one step further as part of its The Making of Harry Potter exhibit: it's letting visitors try on authentic Hogwarts robes. Short of casting a spell to go back in time and star in one of the eight Harry Potter films — or somehow finding your way onto the Fantastic Beasts' set — that's as close as you're going to get to some actual Hogwarts action. The specific tour wizard obsessives will want to take is the Behind the Seams experience, which dives into the costumes created for the movie franchise — all 25,000 of them. Sketches, finished outfits and stories about their creation are all part of this wander through a workshop-like environment, with threads worn by Cedric Diggory, Professor Sprout and even Voldemort on display. That's all great and bewitching, but the main attraction is the chance to pick your house colours and pop on a robe that featured in one of the movies. We'd tell you to BYO wand, but you've probably already thought about that. Anyone finding themselves in London over the next few months can take the Behind the Seams tour between May 23 and July 22, with sessions running daily until June 2 and then every weekend afterwards. Tickets cost £65, which includes the one-hour costume frenzy — but no, you can't wear your Hogwarts garb for the whole hour, sorry — as well as the standard studio tour, complete with a walk through the Forbidden Forest and a wait on Platform 9¾. For more information, visit the Behind the Seams website.
Melbourne knows how to start off winter well. Its answer: RISING. It is almost an Australian tradition to fill the coldest part of the year with an arts festival — see also: Vivid Sydney, Illuminate Adelaide and Dark Mofo, including its events in its off year — and the Victorian capital takes the custom seriously. So, while RISING already announced its lineup for Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16 back in March (and also a few event details earlier, such as Counting and Cracking and Communitas), it isn't done packing its program yet. As the fest gets closer, it's adding everything from late-night DJs at Night Trade Stage Door — aka RISING's after-hours club — through to a third Dirty Three gig, two more Hear My Eyes sessions of Hellraiser, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra doing a secret pop-up show and a party in ACMI's Beings exhibition. Festival-within-the-festival Day Tripper, the block party that'll use Melbourne Town Hall as a hub and span to the Capitol Theatre and Max Watt's as well, has also unveiled its full lineup. [caption id="attachment_945439" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Damien Raggatt[/caption] The new additions boost RISING's 16-night lineup to 116 events and 651 artists, up from 105 events featuring 480 artists back in March. "With only a few weeks to go till opening, we're excited to reveal a whole new layer to the 2024 program" said RISING co-artistic directors Hannah Fox and Gideon Obarzanek. "The full Day Tripper lineup is super dynamic and brings in some of our local idols and more international gems. The festival's social heart, Night Trade, now includes psychic readings, karaoke, art and dance classes, and a full club program ranging from classical to R&B and techno. The beginning of winter in Melbourne can feel like standing at the bottom of a grim mountain and RISING is here to shake that feeling right off." Night Trade Stage Door will feature Shannon Michael Cane: Someone Great — A Celebration as its opening-night shindig, complete with Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, Gerard Frank Long (aka Sugar Plump Fairy), Andee Frost and Stereogamous (Paul Mac and Johnny Seymour) on the decks. Also on the venue's overall lineup: Grumble Boogie from Betty Grumble and DJ HipHopHoe, Evian Christ with jjjacob and DJ ALI, and Crown Ruler presenting club nights. Night Trade as RISING's social club will also get a sip-and-paint session, LA artist John Kilduff doing a version of TV show Let's Paint TV live, karaoke with Mummy's Plastic and exhibition In the Future Everybody Will Be Cancelled for 15 Minutes by Jeremy Deller. [caption id="attachment_954467" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laura Pemberton[/caption] New highlights at Day Tripper include Surprise Chef, Alastair Galbraith, Richard Youngs, Sarah Mary Chadwick, The Tubs, WET KISS, Scott & Charlene's Wedding, POSSESHOT and Polito. And, for HTRK's 21st birthday, Astrid Sonne, Still House Plants, CS + Kreme, James Rushford, Pandora's Jukebox, YL Hooi and DJ Emelyne, too. RISING's latest additions join a program that already includes Yasiin Bey, who was formerly known as Mos Def, leading the Day Tripper bill with a tribute to MF Doom; The Blak Infinite, a showcase of First Peoples' art and politics, taking over Federation Square; 24 Hour Rock Show, which will play rock documentaries back to back for a whole day and night, and for free; and tunes from ONEFOUR, Fever Ray, Sky Ferreira, Tirzah, Blonde Redhead, Snoh Aalegra and Moktar and more. The list goes on, for what's set to be a glorious full start to June 2024. [caption id="attachment_950694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Searcy 2010.[/caption] RISING 2024 runs from Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16 across Melbourne. Head to the festival's website for further information and tickets. Night Trade images: A Caygill.
As if the Grampians aren't already the most beautiful corner of Victoria, the first weekend of May they're also flooded with wine and food. The Grampians Grape Escape (a very punny name indeed) is on from May 6 - 7, and it's Australia's longest running food festival. Over the weekend, see cooking demonstrations by ex-Masterchef contestant and thriving TV chef Adam Liaw, and Kate Ferguson, winner of Adriana Zumbo's television show Just Desserts. There will also be over 100 stalls dedicated to the best artisanal food and wine from the region for you to wander through, while being serenaded by a lineup of local artists. Prepare for taste tests a-plenty amongst the glorious splendour of the Grampians sandstone ridges and rolling bushland.
After snagging their second ARIA for Best Heavy/Hard Rock Release, DZ Deathrays are doing a victory lap of Australia this February and March in celebration of their second album, Black Rat. Big, loud and in-face, the lads' second offering demonstrated DZ Deathray’s versatility, from their classic DZ sound on 'Reflective Skull', to the wonderfully frantic 'Gina Works at Hearts', to the moodier 'Northern Lights'. It’s all there and it’s all good. The Get Rich or Drunk Tryin’ tour will see the boys reunited with past touring pals, and good mates in general, Bass Drum Of Death (USA) and Hockey Dad. After an absolutely massive 2014 filled with international touring, it's nice to have the Brisbane lads home. Catch them while you can.
Sometimes the grimmest of subjects can inspire the most profound and important works of art. Certainly that's the case with the films featured in this year’s Holocaust Film Series. Returning in 2015 after its positive reception last year, this offshoot of the Jewish International Film Festival will showcase 35 features, documentaries and shorts from around the world; shining a light on stories of life, courage and resilience. This year's program consists entirely of Australian premieres, and boasts several significant titles worthy of special attention. Lessons of Survival: Conversations with Simon Wiesenthal takes audiences inside the life story of its eponymous Nazi-hunting subject, while Forbidden Films uncovers the history of propaganda cinema under the Nazi regime. Another standout is Farewell Herr Schwarz, which won the documentary prize at the Haifa International Film Festival, and tells the story of a granddaughter looking to uncover what happened to her deceased grandfather during WWII.
It's time to head south and embrace the height of summer; the St Kilda Festival is back for another year. With the festival running for nine days from January 31, the foreshore will be packed with a huge array of music, dance, comedy and general good times at your favourite southside venues like Big Mouth and Prince Bandroom. But, as always, the main attraction will be Festival Sunday on February 8 with more than 60 bands taking over five stages scattered around the sunny suburb all for the ever-appealing price of free. This year, the lineup for the main event includes big names like The Church, Hot Dub Time Machine, and The Basics as well as quality local acts like San Cisco, Remi, The Delta Riggs, and Japanese Wallpaper. Festivities will be kicking off from 8am with wholesome events like volleyball and discoyoga (it's a thing), but be sure to pace yourself. With Hot Dub Time Machine closing out the festival at 10pm this ain't no ordinary school night. Check out the full lineup for Festival Sunday here.
The Supernatural Amphitheatre may have banned Native American headdresses, but they'll soon have to make an unexpected exception — Golden Plains 2015 will feature the Village People. That's right, it's been nearly 40 years since the height of their fame, but the Village People are still coercing you to stay at the YMCA. Get ready to raise your cowboy boot. The full lineup is nothing if not diverse. The Village People are proving disco isn't dead, your emotional teenage heartthrob Conor Oberst will be there bringing the indie rock, classic local tunes will be had with Something For Kate, even seminal Australian punk legends Radio Birdman will be in attendance. As always, the local lineup is strong. Off the back of her first national headline tour, Courtney Barnett will be the perfect soundtrack to your afternoon chill session. You can expect some unsavoury antics while watching The Bennies, and local favourites like Twerps, Banoffee, and Milwaukee Banks will also be hitting the stage. Aside from your Bright Eyed boyfriend and the Village People, other international acts include Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit and Pavement follow-up project Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks. As always, you'll have to enter the ballot if you want in on this glorious gathering. The festival will run from March 7-9 and tickets will be $328.80+bf. It's the same festival you know and love — no dickheads, no need to hide your goon sacks, no problems. The second-draw ballot closes on 9pm on Tuesday, October 21. Welcome to the sounds of your summer. Full lineup: Aldous Harding Banoffee Black Vanilla Bombino Conor Oberst Courtney Barnett Dj Shadow & Cut Chemist Felice Brothers First Aid Kit Graveyard Hits La Pocock Milwaukee Banks Neneh Cherry With Rocketnumbernine+ Nick Waterhouse Oblivions Parquet Courts Radio Birdman (featuring Rob Younger, Deniz Tek, Pip Hoyle, Jim Dickson, Dave Kettley, Nik Rieth) Sharon Van Etten Sleep D Soil & “Pimp” Sessions Something For Kate Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks The Bennies The Meanies Theo Parrish Total Giovanni Twerps Village People Golden Plains is currently sold out, and the re-sale facility has now closed. Applications to join Aunty’s Golden Waitlist are still open. Please keep in mind that you need to be a current subscriber and you are only able to apply for one ticket. Join the waitlist here.
Anita Sarkeesian is one of the world’s bravest women. One of the key players taking aim at misogyny in the world of video games, Sarkeesian has been both applauded and attacked worldwide for her outspokenness about the gaming industry — she even explained #Gamergate to Stephen Colbert. Her blog Feminist Frequency and video series' Tropes vs. Women and Tropes vs. Women in Video Games have seen anti-feminist trolls sending serious threats her way — Sarkeesian even had to cancel a speaking appearance at Utah State University after terrorist threats. But haters be damned, the feminist critic at the forefront of gaming debates is finally coming to Melbourne. Presented off the back of her appearance at Sydney Opera House's All About Women festival, Sarkeesian will discuss the Gamergate firestorm, Feminist Frequency and her award-winning work within technology, art and pop culture. In conversation at RMIT Storey Hall Auditorium with Private Media editor in chief Sophie Black, Sarkeesian will speak at the Wheeler Centre's new series, The F Word. The new series of talks and events looks at where feminism is at right now, focusing on changing perceptions and speaking directly to the people in the centre of these developments. Needless to say, Sarkeesian is a perfect billing. Image: Alex Lazara.
It's time to air out the tent and throw those novelty gumboots in your backpack, Bluesfest is here for another music-filled Easter long weekend. While The Black Keys, Ben Howard and Lenny Kravitz are no longer heading to Byron this year, Bluesfesters can placate their blues (ugh) with Alabama Shakes, Jurassic 5, the Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Sticky Fingers, Boy and Bear, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Paolo Nutini, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Angus and Julia Stone, Steve Smyth, The Black Keys' replacement British India and more. There’s more of an emphasis than usual on young blood and recent charttoppers this year. That said, the legendary George Clinton with his Parliament/Funkadelic will be delivering an ample dose of '70s psychedelic, roller-skating-worthy funk and Paul Kelly (who seems perpetually both classic and contemporary) will be serving up some Merri Soul Sessions, in the star-studded company of Dan Sultan, Kira Puru and Vika and Linda Bull. Then there’s Train, Xavier Rudd and the United Nations, Trombone Shorty and New Orleans Avenue, Rebelution, Soja, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beth Hart, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Mariachi El Bronx, G. Love and Special Sauce, Pokey Lafarge, Band of Skulls and Rockwiz Live. The only difficult news in all of this is that ticket prices have crept up (you can’t say you weren’t warned!). BYRON BAY BLUESFEST 2015 LINEUP: The Black Keys Angus & Julia Stone Boy & Bear Sticky Fingers Frank Yamma Delta Rae Wagons Skipping Girl Vinegar Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders Kristy Lee Genevieve Chadwick Dewayne Everettsmith The Bella Reunion Luluc James T. Matt Andersen Shaun Kirk Eddie Boyd & The Phatapillars Hozier The Waterboys Switchfoot Hunter Hayes Fly My Pretties Music Maker Presents Super Chikan And Vasti Jackson Diesel Jeff Lang Phil Wiggins & Dom Turner Watussi (Final Performances) Nikki Hill The Rumjacks Lenny Kravitz The Gipsy Kings (feat. Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo) Rodrigo Y Gabriela Jurassic 5 (Now also performing on Thursday night) John Mayall Keb Mo Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin with the Guilty Ones JJ Grey & Mofro Tony Joe White Jon Cleary Trevor Hal Serena Ryder Jake Shimabukuro Music Maker Foundation (feat. Cool John Ferguson, Little Freddie King, Alabama Slim, George Stancell) Michael Franti's Soulshine Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals Paolo Nutini David Gray Ben Howard Counting Crows Jimmy Cliff Mavis Staples Gary Clark Jr Dispatch Ruthie Foster The Beat Keziah Jones Playing For Change The Black Keys Zac Brown Band Alabama Shakes Train Michael Franti & Spearhead George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions feat Dan Sultan, Kira Puru, & Vika And Linda Bull Xavier Rudd and The United Nations Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Rebelution Soja The Chris Robinson Brotherhood Beth Hart Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls Mariachi El Bronx G. Love & Special Sauce Pokey Lafarge Band Of Skulls Rockwiz Live Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires Augie March Donavon Frankenreiter Melbourne Ska Orchestra Justin Townes Earle Declan Kelly Presents Diesel n’Dub (Featuring Emma Donovan, Alex Lloyd, Pat Powell, Radical Son, Tony Hughes) Ash Grunwald Blue King Brown The Beautiful Girls Steve Smyth Karl S. Williams British India Bluesfest 2015 will run April 2 – 6 2015 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here. Image: Bluesfest.
Get the bacon and whisky ready, and prepare your ears for some high-pitched laughter. They're the only things you can do — other than start making your own canoe, and generally squealing with glee — upon hearing the news that Nick Offerman is coming to Australia this week. Although initially slated to appear with partner in crime Megan Mullally to perform their Summer of 69: No Apostrophe, an unforeseen scheduling conflict has seen the show replaced with Offerman's solo show Full Bush. Mullally is no longer able to tour early next year as she starts a major film production overlapping directly with her Australian dates — but, luckily, Offerman is still able to make it. Just take a moment to let that sink in. Ron effing Swanson will be in the country. Described as a veritable smorgasbord of cautionary tales, tunes, and tips for prosperity, Full Bush looks set to make all your dreams come true: you'll get to sing a tune with Offerman while taking in his natural beefy musk. He'll be up on stage at Hamer Hall for two shows on Sunday, January 31 (at 8pm and 10.15pm), and an extra show on Tuesday, February 9. NICK OFFERMAN: FULL BUSH DATES January 28-29 — State Theatre, Sydney January 30 — Theatre Royal, Hobart January 31 & February 9 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne February 2-3 — Astor Theatre, Perth February 4 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide February 5-6 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
Melbourne’s favourite bake sale is on once again, providing you with expertly-made sweet and savoury treats for all budgets. The lineup alone for Melbourne’s 5th Flour Market is worth salivating over, including old favourites such as 5 & Dime Bagel, Agathe Patisserie, All Day Donuts, Bakewell & Co., Dr Marty's Crumpets, Citizen Cacao, Cobb Lane, Everyday Coffee, GF Precinct, Moonbeam Kitchen, Nora, Pierogi Pierogi, Pure Pie and Shop Ramen. If that epic lineup of baked goodness wasn’t enough, new stallholders Beatrix, Butterbing, Candied Bakery, Jo Barrett, Linh Dang, Loafer Bread, Pop Up Scroll, Raw Trader and Waffee have added their names to the list, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. In the past the Flour Market has drawn huge crowds lining up halfway around the block to get their mitts on some cream-filled, jam-glazed, artisan patisserie, so to make crowds more manageable they've offered early riser tickets for $10 a pop. While these have sold out, hopefully the battle for the best bombolone won’t be so horrendous, but we still advise you to arrive early. Entry is a sweet $2 donation, and doors open at 9am.
Drop everything you're doing right freaking now. Amy Schumer has just announced a one-off Australian stand-up show at Hamer Hall in Melbourne on Wednesday July 22. Tickets go on sale at 10am sharp on Friday July 17, but we're guessing they won't be available for long. Here's the ticketing page. Set your watch. You do not want to miss out. If you're not sure who Schumer is then wow, where have you been? Go here for a bunch of clips from her TV sketch show Inside Amy Schumer, which is easily one of the funniest, smartest and most subversive comedies on television today. Be warned though, once you click, you will spend the next three hours cackling like an idiot. Which, come to think of it, is a pretty excellent use of your time. Those of you who don't have quick enough fingers to nab yourself a ticket, take solace in the fact that you can see Schumer in just a couple of weeks, when her new movie Trainwreck hits the big screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM2RUVnTlvs
Celebrate the end of the working week in style, with the Bowie Late Nights program at ACMI. Part of the hotly anticipated David Bowie is exhibition, these free Bowie-inspired parties will invade the Federation Square gallery space every Thursday and Friday evening until the beginning of November – showcasing killer local DJs and bands with music inspired by the Thin White Duke himself. The artists tapped to perform in the program are a fittingly eclectic bunch. Highlights include The Bombay Royale, DJ Manchild, Mojo Juju and Total Giovanni, as well as audio-visual performers Cumbia Cosmonauts and theatrical mixologist Geraldine Quinn. A bar will be serving up drinks all evening long, so punters can enjoy a tipple with the show. Entry into Bowie Late Nights is free, although due to the limited capacity of the venue, priority entry will be given to that day's exhibition ticket holders. For more information visit the ACMI website.
The Bell Shakespeare Company is celebrating 25 years of momentous performances all in the name of The Great Bard. While they have performed Hamlet in that time, they’ve never sent it on a national tour, which is not really that surprising – it’s a big, complex play that is incredibly demanding of its cast and crew. But when you have Damien Ryan (fresh of a killer season with Henry V) directing and Josh McConville (MTC’s Sublime, 2014) in the lead role, anything is possible. Hamlet is often described as the modern man; an existential anti-hero who asks the big questions and is paralysed with inaction when much is asked of him. The play contains madness, revenge, betrayal, and a whole lot of murder, all of which helps explain why it is one of Shakespeare’s most well known plays. The show will only run in Melbourne for a week and a half – so if you’re keen to see a Shakespearian classic brought to life by some of Australia’s finest theatrical talent, get on board.
Take the rocky road down to the Yarra Valley and get ready to stuff your face. Yes, the fiends behind the recent hot chocolate and ice cream festivals have concocted another month-long sugar extravaganza. This time, it's all about sweet, nutty, marshmallowy rocky road. By the way, to any dentists who are reading, go ahead and put down a deposit on that beach house you were looking at. We have a feeling your financial situation is going to be juuuuuuuuust fine. The Yarra Valley Rocky Road Festival will run through the entire month of May. That's 31 days, which means 31 different flavours. And it doesn't just stop at blocks and bars, either. There'll also be rocky road hot chocolate, rocky road ice cream, and even rocky road waffles. The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery will also be hosting Rock Around the Block tasting sessions three times a day, which can be booked via their website.
Have a tipple with Miss Fisher at the Old Melbourne Gaol. For one night only, the historical penitentiary turned unlikely function space will be transformed into a Murder Mystery Pop-Up Speakeasy inspired by the popular ABC TV series, complete with live entertainment and roaring twenties flair. Kicking off at 6pm sharp this Friday, June 12, entry for the event will cost you $40, and comes with two free Miss Fisher themed beverages as well as total unbridled access to the gaol. There will also be food available for purchase — although we’re not sure that the Mr. Burger Truck counts as period authentic. The Murder Mystery Pop-Up Speakeasy ties in with the Miss Fisher Costume Exhibition, which will be at the historical Rippon Lea House & Gardens until the end of September. For more information on either event, go here.
Chapel Street's Tokyo Tina popular boozy brunch sessions matched with a fun side of bingo can now be enjoyed at home. Running every Sunday at 2pm, from Sunday, September 20, the food, drink and bingo sessions are sure to help liven up your lockdown weekends. So, how exactly does it work? Like this: you order the bingo pack from Tokyo Tina via Providoor for $150. Yes, it seems steep, but it includes quite a lot — and it's enough for two. You'll get eight Aperol spritzes, bingo cards, bingo pens, a QR code linking you to a playlist and access to the one-hour bingo live stream with drag superstar Valerie Hex. Plus, you'll get a selection of Tokyo Tina favourites. You'll be swapping your standard smashed avo for more exciting brunch plates like okonomiyaki, karaage chicken, beef brisket and kimchi fried rice, cured kingfish and edamame. You do need to pick up the pack from Tokyo Tina on Saturday, which, sadly means only those within five kilometres of the Windsor store. The bingo itself promises a bit of raucous fun, especially those crowned bingo king or queen. Who knows — you could end this Sunday session with a sweet prize and serious bragging rights to your name. Either way, this is not the kind your nan plays. Just be sure to book online to make sure you can get a table.
Piccolina Gelateria is ditching its waffle cones and paper cups in favour of beautiful, handmade ceramic bowls at a Collingwood event this Saturday, February 1. And it's doing so to help raise money for the Australian Conservation Foundation — an environmental non-profit currently fighting for clean energy. The Potters in Protest fundraiser event will be held at Piccolina's Collingwood shop and here's how it works: purchase a handmade ceramic bowl for $30 and it'll be filled — for free — with gelato (vegan options available). It's a fairly simple idea but noble nonetheless, with 100 percent of the profits going towards the cause. [caption id="attachment_759175" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lillie Thompson[/caption] Over 300 bowls will be available, donated by some of Australia's most talented potters, including Mud Australia, Clay by Tina, Oh Hey Grace, Leaf and Thread, Mountain Clay, Clae Studio, Kirsten Perry, Peta Armstrong and many more. Potters in Protest will run from noon to 3pm, unless sold out prior. We suggest you go early and scoop it out. Images: Lillie Thompson
Get up close and personal with Melbourne's Harts this week, at an intimate gig at the John Curtin Hotel. Presented by GiggedIn, the new live music subscription service that gets you unlimited access to gigs around Melbourne, this exclusive show on Saturday, May 28 will feature the homegrown multi-instrumentalist who received a personal invitation from the late, great Prince for a casual jam session at Paisley Park Studios in Minneapolis. Known for his Hendrix-like guitar solos and his debut album Daydreamer (with singles 'Leavn It All Behind' and 'Lovers In Bloom,' landing radio play worldwide), Harts is one of Australia's most successful new artists — he's just about to embark upon his first UK tour. Before he goes, let's remind him what a raucous home audience looks like. Tickets to the gig are free for GiggedIn members, one of the perks of having an all-access monthly pass to live music in Melbourne. If you're not a member, we've ten double passes to give away thanks to GiggedIn. And on top of that, they're giving you 30 percent off your first month if you sign up for a membership before June 28. Just enter the code CPFRIENDS at checkout. [competition]573941[/competition] By Tom Clift with Shannon Connellan.
Add another name to your list of must-try Melbourne burger joints. Opening February in Ascot Vale, Motorhome Majestic is the latest tasty project from restaurateur Josh Lefers. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he's the same guy behind Truck Stop Deluxe in Werribee and the Grand Trailer Park Taverna in the CBD. In other words, he really knows his burgers. Set to begin service on Thursday February 10, this new spot continues the automotive theme of Lefer's other restaurants, with booths and benches installed inside converted caravans and trailers. An outdoor dining area comes fitted with a retractable roof, so you can enjoy your food no matter the Melbourne weather. Speaking of food, the menu at Motorhome Majestic bears the mark of Dani Zeini, co-owner at the Grand Trailer Park Taverna and owner of the newly opened Royal Stacks. There are burgers, of course, as well as ribs and fried chicken, plus a dessert station with doughnuts, waffles, ice cream and an array of toppings. Their drinks menu includes beers, wines and cocktails – including margaritas and espresso martinis – on tap, as well as a selection of Grand Taverna-style spiked milkshakes. Motorhome Majestic will open on February 10 at 238 Union Road, Ascot Vale. For more information and opening hours, visit www.motorhomemajestic.com.au or check them out on Facebook. Via Beat. Image: Grand Trailer Park Taverna.
Are you the kind of person who thinks the most important meal of the day is actually dessert? In that case, sink your sweet tooth into this. This Saturday, December 12, dessert designer Caroline Khoo of Nectar + Stone is hosting her first ever pop-up shop at Williams-Sonoma Chadstone. The Nectar + Stone pop-up will be selling the same sorts of bespoke sugary treats that are available on Choo's websites. These may include chocolates, macaroons, tarts and cupcakes as well as her signature creation: a cookie-filled chocolate pyramid. A chocolate pyramid. Filled with cookies. She'll also create a number of limited edition desserts using Williams-Sonoma's Original Peppermint Bark. Khoo has risen to prominence in the dessert world recently, having amassed close to 280,000 followers on Instagram alone – and you only have to have a quick browse through her photos to understand why that is. Something tells me you're going to have a good day. ( choc fudge, mousse, Nutella, cotton candy ) ????????? A photo posted by nectar & stone (@nectarandstone) on Dec 4, 2015 at 12:57pm PST Happy days ?????? - blush blush @neueblvd ottoman, mugs @aurahome & tray by @residentgp_homewares ?? A photo posted by nectar & stone (@nectarandstone) on Dec 2, 2015 at 3:52pm PST Happy Birthday Decem'bites' - we are eating cake for you this month and icecream too ????? A photo posted by nectar & stone (@nectarandstone) on Nov 30, 2015 at 12:44pm PST Daaaaaamn. And that's just from the past two weeks. The pop-up will be open for business starting at 10am, and will keep operating until all the sweetness as been gobbled up. Fair warning though... that may not take very long. Williams-Sonoma Chadstone is located near David Jones on the lower level of Chadstone Shopping Centre, at 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone.
There's a new face on Lygon Street that we can't wait to get to know. Now trading on the former site of pizza joint Jimmi Jamz, Lady Carolina is Brunswick's new Latin kitchen and rum bar, promising good food, communal vibes and a social conscience to match. Opening on Friday at 175-177 Lygon Street, Lady Carolina is owned by Alby Tomassi (Feast of Merit), who has recruited creative director Paul Wilson (Newmarket Hotel) to oversee the kitchen with the aid of Blair Williams (Bluebonnet BBQ) and Cameron Denning (Acland Street Cantina). The menu has been inspired by the flavours of Latin America and the Caribbean, with soft shell tacos, tapas and plenty of grilled seafood, as well as suckling pig and a modern take on traditional Peruvian ceviche. They'll also be making use of Australia's first ever crop of purple corn. The restaurant sits 160 people in total, and is split into two main sections. Indoors you'll find the dining room and pisco bar with a view into the kitchen, while the outdoor portion, opening September 25, consists of a beer garden complete with communal tables, cactus garden and its own separate kitchen and bar. There, you'll be able to snack on alpaca burgers, while knocking back rum, beer and tropical cocktails under the stars. We can certainly think of worst ways to spend an evening. Best of all, Lady Carolina has partnered with grassroots charity Pay a Sack Forward, and will donate a percentage of its profits to help feed and clothe Melbourne's homeless. Good call. Find Lady Carolina at 175-177 Lygon Street, Brunswick. For more information and trading hours, head to www.ladycarolina.com.au. Via Good Food.
