Aussie icons like the Big Banana, the Big Crab and the Big Pineapple will forever loom large in your childhood memories. But they might be soon overshadowed by the country's next giant side-of-the-highway landmark: the Big Milo Tin. After a social media callout last month saw 80,000 Milo fans scramble to throw their support behind the idea, the proposition has snowballed, and Australia is actually going to get its own super-sized homage to the homegrown choccy malt powder. If you're thinking, 'we don't need that' — well, of course we don't. The whole thing is a big publicity stunt to celebrate Milo's upcoming 85th birthday. The structure is set to be erected by Nestlé itself somewhere in and around Smithtown on the mid-north NSW coast, where Nestlé's factory is located. Milo has the go-ahead from the local area, and is currently taking suggestions for the structure's location. The town is just off the Pacific Highway between Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour — it's no doubt hoping to become a prime road trip pit-stop on the way up the coast. Although both Milo and Big Things are both integral to understanding Australian culture, we're not too sure about how we feel about having a big commercial product taking up space on the side of the highway. At least the Big Banana has a water park. If you really, really care about the Big Milo Tin's future, you can jump on Milo's Facebook page to throw your own suggestions into the ring. It's slated for completion in 2019, to coincide with the brand's 85th birthday.
Fans of smoked meats, solid harmonica solos and all things Americana will love this; Melbourne just landed its very own specialised twang-fuelled shindig. Dubbed 'a celebration of Americana music, great food and fine booze' at Seaworks, Williamstown, brand new event Out On the Weekend promises to be one laidback folky affair by the water. A shiny new project developed from Love Police founder Brian 'BT' Taranto's fond country music memories and unfaltering love for Neil Young, the all-day, family-friendly October event hinges around a penchant for the dark desert highways of the US. "Ever since my first concert at the Wandong Country Music Festival in the mid '70s, I have had a fascination with the country sounds, the roots of it all, let's just call it Americana music," says BT. "I've lately wondered at staging an event that celebrates these sounds. One that offers great food with alcoholic drops of liquid gold at a cool space. Not a huge festival, just somewhere to get into it for a day with friends and likeminded folks." Just a few months ago, BT found a space for the event on the Williamstown shore and named the whole thing after his number one guy, Neil Young (quietly nicking his Harvest cover for the event logo). "Hey, I'm a giant Neil Young fan, and I reckon the one thing that will connect everyone at this event will be that they have all heard Harvest in it's entirety, and probably own that 1972 classic from which we take the name of track one." A hearty combination of music, food and top notch booze, Out On the Weekend fronts up a solid lineup of country, folk and roots (all undeniably tainted b a love for 'Muuurica. Right at the top sits acclaimed American singer/songwriter Justin Townes Earle (son of the legendary Steve Earle), who's just announced his brand new album White Gardenias set for release in September. Melbourne's own Henry Wagons and Friends are a natural addition to the Americana-inspired lineup, with Wagons having spent the majority of his time of late touring across the desert-dwelling watering holes of the States. Californian-based Texan Ryan Bingham, Bon Iver-meets-Jackson Browne singer Robert Ellis, smoky-voiced alt-country Canadian Lindi Ortega, Wanda Jackson-like wunderkind Nikki Lane, dreamy, gravelly duo The Delines, formerly-known-as-Johnny-Corndawg funster Johnny Fritz, Sydney folk darling Emma Swift, SA-raised multi-instrumentalist Chris Altmann, Melbourne alt-country foursome Raised By Eagles and raucous six-piece bluegrass band The Morrisons are also set to take things porchside on the day. But we promised food. With Melbourne's love for American cuisine in no danger of faltering any time soon, OOTW's nom lineup is quite the star-spangled menu. Sydney's leading renegade chefs Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz of Porteño/Bodega fame will be setting up a pop-up version of their acclaimed establishment, serving up all the smoked meats and potato salads you can fit in y'gob. Melburnians won't be outdone by a sizzling Sydneysider though, with street food legends Beatbox Kitchen, Taco Truck and All Day Donuts driving on in to satisfy every last taste bud. Further nosh and bevvy announcements are yet to come for OOTW, stay tuned for more lip-smacking, exclamation point-inducing news. Out On the Weekend will take place Saturday, October 18 at Seaworks, Williamstown from 11:30am — 10:30pm. Early bird tickets are $79 (inc. all fees) and on sale Friday 25th July from outontheweekend.com.au or phone 1300 724 867. Free entry for kids under 12 years old. Very limited Cripple Creek Ferry Packages available for $199 (inc. all fees) including return ferry transfer from Dockland to the event with live entertainment aboard, entry to Out on the Weekend, 2 x meal vouchers (for main dishes), 4 x beverage vouchers, limited edition 'Cripple Creek Ferry Package' screen printed poster (distributed to you on the return ferry ride after the event). https://youtube.com/watch?v=UCElUItrLZc
Imagine carrying home five grocery bags heaving with fresh, shiny fruits and vegetables, then picking up one bag, walking to the bin, and throwing it in. Startling isn't it? That's exactly what the average Aussie household discards on a regular basis — one out of every five bags of grocery we buy — and it's contributing to the 800,000 tonnes of food thrown out by Australian householders each year. So why are we doing it? One of the main culprits cited by food conservationists is our urban, time-poor lifestyle. We go grocery shopping on a Monday with dreams of becoming the next Nigella but by Friday we morph into Matt Prestons, wanting to eat our way through an array of diners regardless of what's fermenting in the fridge. Think our favourite restaurants are doing a better job at conserving food? Think again. With our fickle appetite for food trends, our local eateries have been known to toss out an estimated 340,000 tonnes of food annually. But swearing off your favourite nosh pit for life isn't only improbable — can you really go without your favourite pad thai or your sticky pork-rib Friday night food staple? — it might not necessarily be the answer. A sustainable table movement has been quietly sweeping the state, with some organisations — from food rescue groups like OzHarvest to restaurants that specialise in using seasonal, local produce like Sydney's Cornersmith — showing that today's funnily shaped fruit and veg could be tomorrow's gourmet offering. According to Cornersmith's owner and 'chief pickler' Alex Elliott-Howery, fruit and veg that's gone past its official use by date, or that doesn't always match an aesthetic ideal, is often best for cooking. "We have a very close relationship with imperfect fruit and vegetables at Cornersmith," he says. "By imperfect I don't mean rotten. So many vegetables and fruits that don't look like they come from a plastic mould get thrown away when in fact they are delicious and there are millions of ways to use them. "[For example] we make pickles out of bendy cucumbers; chutney, sauces, and compotes for our milk shakes out of very ripe fruits; pesto out of basil leaves that may be slightly affected by weather conditions or insects." In fact, Cornersmith takes food wastage so seriously there's a zero-tolerance approach that underpins every aspect of the business. From the small, seasonally oriented menu, which ensures key ingredients are used across several dishes, to the on-site food composting, rooftop beehive, and Monday 'preserving day', food wastage loathers can take a leaf out Cornersmith's book. "We just got a whole lot of lemons that are too 'ugly' for the grower to sell at the markets but are delicious, so we're using them for juicing, jam making, and dressings," says Alex. Similarly, Glebe diner Two Peas, launched by former Jamie's Italian alumni Nick Johnson and Tom Stoneham, has a "through-the-line" approach to sustainable and ethical dining with the goal of not only minimising food wastage but also decreasing the resource intensive paddock-to-plate process. "People don't often think about where their food comes from and the resources involved in getting it to their plate," says Tom. "Take something as simple as the wine you're drinking, people from NSW love wines from other regions. Although there's nothing wrong with that, there are often hidden costs involved in transporting it from cellar to tabletop. We're very conscious of that at Two Peas; in fact, everything we use is grown in Australian and sourced from local suppliers wherever possible." But where other eateries may stop at the produce, Two Peas goes even further in its holistic approach to sustainable dining. "Our tablecloths, napkins, and takeaway containers are made from recycled materials, whilst our menus, which we print ourselves, are made from post-consumer recycled material." With our love affair with food showing no signs of abating (just look at the recent glut of prime-time cooking shows), how can savvy diners get on the sustainable food train? According to Tom, education and awareness are the key, as well as an open mind. "Start by looking at what produce is in season and seeing if this is reflected in what's being offered at the restaurants you visit. For example, if you see asparagus on the menu and it's not in season, you can be sure it's been sourced from overseas. It's also a good idea to try something new, rather than sticking with your favourite dish, because it's a great way of showing support for seasonally designed menus." With a menu based around reusing excess food, the Cornersmith chefs don't just practice what they preach; they take an active role in educating the community as well. "We are starting our pickling and preserving classes and sustainable food workshops in April of this year," says Alex. "We figure that teaching people how to deal with their excess produce will help to stop food waste in the community." All images (except top) from Cornersmith's Instagram.
In the future we'll surely be able to buy things off the internet (or Google Glass, or whatever) and they'll materialise in our teleportation box as soon as the transaction is approved. But until then we still have to deal with the traversing of physical space (such a drag), which unfortunately takes time, money and human resources. But delivery companies have done pretty well with coming up with new ways of getting us our stuff so far — just last week 7-Eleven delivered their first Slurpee by drone, and Japanese postal service Yamato Transport have just announced that they'll start driverless delivery as of next year. Yamato have partnered with Tokyo-based tech company DeNA to develop and launch the delivery by self-driving car service. In what might be the only name that a Japanese tech delivery service could possibly be called, it's been dubbed the RoboNeko Yamato, which translates to "robo cat". RoboNeko has been described as an "on-demand delivery service" because customers will place an order in way that's similar to requesting an Uber. It's of course designed to be used as an e-commerce platform, but customers can also use the app to request a car to deliver bulky things like luggage or a bulk IKEA haul. Customers will be able to track the car, and when it arrives, they'll simply unload their delivery and the car will drive off into the sunset. The service will be trialled for one year, starting March 2017. During that time drivers will accompany some cars to make sure nothing goes wrong, but they hope for the service to be fully autonomous by the end of the trial. Self-driving cars are something that are being tested extensively for human transport — Uber has started testing them, as has US ridesharing service Lyft and Washington D.C. has an adorable self-driving bus — but this is the first time they'll be used for delivery purposes. Via PSFK.
Kicking off a new side hustle or small biz idea can be a challenging quest, but with the right connections and resources it doesn't have to be. In partnership with Fiverr, we're spotlighting budding entrepreneurs who are getting their businesses off the ground in style. Like most of us, Amy Silver vowed to use her time in lockdown productively. But unlike most of us, Amy actually followed through, launching The Dough Co with her dad, Mark. The pair's successful side hustle serves up ready-to-bake cookie dough to people living in and around Melbourne and, after numerous on-again off-again lockdowns, the business is one sweet win that's come out of the pandemic. Amy is in her sixth year of a double degree — Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts — at Monash University, and works as a paralegal one day a week. Mark, on the other hand, runs a corporate catering company that services businesses located in Melbourne's inner suburbs. When the pair suddenly found themselves with more time on their hands, they passed long days at home devouring books and podcasts about successful entrepreneurs and startups. The idea for The Dough Co was sparked when Amy, inspired by the home baking craze that swept the globe (and social media), found her local supermarket shelves devoid of packet bread and DIY cookie mixes. "I came home and said to my dad, 'I've got it! Let's make cookie dough," Amy told Concrete Playground. [caption id="attachment_817446" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark and Amy Silver. Photo: Melanie Desa[/caption] While it's no Betty Crocker (yet), Amy and Mark had all the right ingredients to put this half-baked idea into action — the business concept, a captive audience in locked-down Melburnians and, as it happens, a commercial kitchen staffed with chefs. It was a rare opportunity, and one they used to funnel their time and resources into developing their chocolate chip cookie dough recipe. "The chefs started experimenting with the cookie dough and, every night, Dad and I would bring it home… We'd all stand around — me, my dad, my mum and my brother — and taste the cookies, then circle back the next day with our feedback," Amy told CP. "By the time we came out of [lockdown], we had everything ready to go for the launch." Amy's foray into baked goods is rather ironic, describing her own baking abilities as "quite hopeless". But, making a fresh batch of baked deliciousness from packet-mix brands — and having that sweet scent wafting through the house — was something she enjoyed between online classes and exams. She figured other people were probably seeking the same kind of pastime — and comfort food. She figured right. Launched just three months ago, The Dough Co already has hundreds of Melburnians placing orders for ready-to-bake dough through its e-commerce platform, or purchasing in-person at farmers markets around Melbourne. And, after "a lot of really good feedback [and] a lot of return customers", The Dough Co is, much like a perfect soufflé, on the rise. [caption id="attachment_817445" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melanie Desa[/caption] It's fortunate, then, that The Dough Co is supported by a $5000 grant from Fiverr as part of a competition run by Monash University, which Amy won through her participation in The Validator program run via Monash University's central startup hub, The Generator. Hold up, Fiverr? For those not yet in the know, Fiverr is a freelance marketplace that connects experts from a range of disciplines with businesses requiring their services. Its user-friendly design and global database of freelancers makes it simple-as to get started and give your side hustle a leg up. Thanks to the grant, Amy scored thousands to put towards her and her dad's biz. When The Dough Co was still baking in the proverbial oven, Amy did all the marketing herself. "I have next to no business experience… and obviously my degree is very different to business — and cooking," says Amy. Now, the business plans to use Fiverr's grant — and its network of freelancers — to "completely overhaul" its website and merchandise offering, as well as improve discoverability and attract even more cookie-loving customers. "A big problem we had when we first started was that we were on the third page of Google, so we had to pay to advertise at the top. Getting an SEO specialist will definitely help." On top of that, Amy and Mark have got a freelance videographer/animator working on an animated, step-by-step video of how to make The Dough Co cookies, and, in the future, hope to get someone designing some sweet merch. [caption id="attachment_817435" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melanie Desa[/caption] Currently, The Dough Co has four flavours: classic choc chip, chocolate orange, choc mint, and white chocolate and raspberry. The OG is the fan favourite but, if you're struggling to pick just one, you can opt for The Dough Co's bundle pack and taste 'em all. And, with the more nitty gritty side of things now covered thanks to Fiverr, Amy and Mark are busy developing new cookie dough flavours, along with vegan and gluten-free options. Sure, many Aussies share Amy's affinity for fresh-baked cookies. But there aren't many people her age with a law degree and a burgeoning small business under their belts. With her dad's support, she plans to defer her degree to focus on The Dough Co full-time for the first half of 2022, although still has ambitions to get qualified and work as a lawyer in the future. Her long-term plan? Establish The Dough Co as a self-sufficient business so she can focus on the most important part: "I'd like to stick to being the taste-tester." Have your own booming side hustle — or need a hand getting it off the ground? Check out the Fiverr website and connect with freelancers around the world, all just a click away. Images: Melanie Desa
In an area saturated with choice, it's all polish and sophistication at Two Birds One Stone. If you've been to sister cafes Three Bags Full or Top Paddock — and, let's face it, if you're a true Melburnian you must've by now — be prepared to expect the same levels of effortless service that always make for a thoroughly pleasant experience. With a fit-out that features just the right amount of Scandinavian acumen, Two Birds One Stone blends seamlessly into its southside habitat. Placed at the bottom of an apartment block designed by Elenberg Fraser, it was always destined to be somewhat of a tasteful secret. Panelled wall features juxtapose intimate booths, providing literal light and shade — you'll feel airy and light upon entering, but turn a corner and you'll find yourself in a cosy corner instead. Accents of green succulents and on-trend hanging plants finish off a space that matches sleekness with just the right amount of personality. Five Senses provides the majority of beans of offer. Divided into white and black, in our city it's a good sign when a cafe is happy to offer quality, milky flat whites against more showy cold drips and pour overs. For this, Two Birds One Stone's menu contains a satisfying array of reliable breakfast fare and interesting lunchtime combinations, including a genuine housemade Bircher with poached pears, pistachio and cranberries ($11.50). If you're feeling more adventurous, the charred polenta, shiitake mushrooms, gorgonzola cream and asparagus ($17.50) brings pizazz to your midday meal. If you're looking for a quiet place for breakfast, Two Birds One Stone isn't the place to do it. Staff are skilled at weaving through the buzz with prompt friendliness and, come the weekend, be prepared for your name to hit the waiting list. Rest assured the wait is worthwhile; before you know it there'll be a coffee in your hand to sip and occupy your time. Now that's hitting two birds.
If your days spent working from home and social distancing could do with a few more adorable animals, you'll be happy to know the internet is filled with many. Melbourne's zoos are live streaming their penguins, leopard cubs and giraffes, Sydney's aquarium brought us playtime with Pig the dugong and the Wild Life zoo is prepping for cuddles with quokkas. At a Queensland wildlife sanctuary, however, one of Australia's cutest native marsupials is the star of the show: the koala. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it does have 15 webcams running. Yes, 15. And eight of them are dedicated to observing the sanctuary's 130 koalas, 24/7. So, you can watch them eating, climbing, hanging out with each other and, mostly, sleeping. Koalas sleep for about 18-20 hours a day, so you will see many many sleeping furry boys and girls. https://youtu.be/6TYHWQt1YV0 While they are sleeping, though, you can tune into some of the other live-streams, which follow the sanctuary's dingo puppies (awww), reptiles, platypus and birds. There are also a few highlight reels if all the residents are particularly quiet. As the koala cams are running all day, every day, we can't promise this won't put a slight dent in your productivity, but we can promise that it'll help brighten up your day every so slightly. Check out Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary's webcams over here.
In a year already filled with huge tour news Down Under, Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye dropping plans to hit both Australia and New Zealand before 2023 is out is up there with the biggest — and concertgoers clearly agree. The Canadian singer-songwriter and The Idol star only announced his Aussie and Aotearoa dates on Tuesday, August 22, and general tickets aren't due to go on sale until Friday, September 1, but he's already doubled the number of shows that he'll be playing in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. This arena spectacular will now play two nights apiece in each of the four cities across November and December, with the second dates immediately after the first in every spot. The extra gigs will join a tour that's been notching up soldout shows far and wide. In the UK, The Weekend saw 160,000 folks head to London Stadium across two nights, smashing the venue's attendance record. And in Milan, he became the first artist to sell out the Ippodromo La Maura for two nights. Those feats are just the beginning. In Paris, he scored Stade de France's biggest sales this year — and in Nice, the 70,000 tickets sold across his two shows are the most in the city's history. Will his Down Under dates add to his record-breaking run? Australia in particular has been loving the return of huge international tours. See: the Taylor Swift frenzy. And, if more shows are already being added to the 'Starboy', 'I Feel It Coming', 'Can't Feel My Face', 'The Hills' and 'Blinding Lights' artist's visit before the general on-sale date, fans are obviously mighty excited. The reason for the extra Aussie and Aotearoa gigs is the massive demand during the Vodafone pre-sale. And the reason for the whole tour, other than just because, is to celebrate The Weeknd's 2020 record After Hours and its 2022 followup Dawn FM. Obviously, he'll be playing tracks from 2013's Kiss Land, 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness and 2016's Starboy as well. In support across The Weeknd's four Down Under shows: Mike Dean and Chxrry22. The tour will help a good cause, too, other than your need to see The Weeknd live. The artist has been contributing funds for his shows to the United Nations World Food Programme's XO Humanitarian Fund, as one of the organisation's Goodwill Ambassador, raising over $1 million from his Europe run alone. THE WEEKND'S 'AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN TOUR' 2023: Monday, November 20–Tuesday, November 21 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Friday, November 24–Saturday, November 25 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Friday, December 1–Saturday, December 2 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Thursday, December 7–Friday, December 8 — Eden Park, Auckland The Weeknd is touring Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2023. For more information, and for pre-sale tickets for the second shows on Thursday, August 31, then general tickets from Friday, September 1 — all at staggered times depending on the city — head to the tour website.
Have you heard? There's a great, wide world waiting for you out west. A place where the sun sets over crystal blue oceans, rivers cut through hills and valleys are stocked full of agricultural abundance, vineyards and gourmet artisan goods. A place of fascinating early convict history and an even deeper Aboriginal presence running through millennia right up to the vibrant culture of the present day. A place of unfamiliar flavours and exhilarating experiences, where you can get away from it all on an island paradise or immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of beachside locales. For the foodies and wine-lovers, seasiders and surfers, adrenaline junkies and wildlife-seekers — together with Western Australia, we've curated a definitive guide to an exceptional trip to Boorloo (Perth). There's a list of standout activities plus some standout dining digs and a few luxe accommodation options. Pack your bags and book your tickets: we've curated your next holiday. And it's a big one. [caption id="attachment_896158" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Duncan Wright[/caption] DINE DELICIOUSLY First things first, all your adventuring is sure to work up an appetite — so it's lucky that Perth is a top foodie destination. Before you plan how to spend your time, plan where you're going to eat. Teeter Bakery, run by pastry wizard Natasha Brownfield, is brand-spanking new but already making waves, with the spot dishing out hand-crafted specialty cakes — like a light-as-air grapefruit and olive oil chiffon or scorched-top basque cheesecake. Swing by on a Friday or Saturday when the pastry-shop door is open for all your viennoiserie and gourmet sandwich needs. Chubby Boy is a Japanese-influenced cafe and bar. Think sandos, matcha lattes and sweet and savoury shokupan toppings like garlic and cheesy corn or salted caramel. In the middle of traditional wine country, Nieuw Ruin is boldly "packed to the rafters with weird wine". Fun, unusual, rare and just damn delicious drops are paired with the seasonal wine-bar fare, alongside classic and house cocktails. Lucy Luu brings Asian fusion to the Perth scene. Here, you can expect local produce and playful twists, like a kinilaw-topped tostada bite, a spicy tiger-prawn toast on brioche, truffle fried rice and the umami-sweet bite of miso parfait. Plus, of course, more cocktails. If you're a craft beer fan, make the trip to Gage Roads Brew Co in Freo. Open seven days a week for all your frothy desires, the brewpub's got a solid menu of fresh seafood, tacos, empanadas and pizzas — essentially, everything you'd want alongside good beer by the water. For a menu that taps into a Mediterranean summer, go to Bathers Beach House. White sands, white walls, blue sky, blue sea — the backdrop to olives, oysters, seafood platters and pasta. Perfect. [caption id="attachment_893737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DISCOVER ROTTNEST ISLAND One word: quokkas. If that's somehow not enough to convince you to book flights immediately, Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) has plenty of other wildlife-adjacent attractions making a visit worth your while. Just a short ferry ride (or an air charter, if you're feeling particularly flush with cash) brings you to this renowned island paradise. A nature-soaked haven, it's also home to some of the most pristine crystal-clear waters in the west. Snorkel, swim, scuba, surf or hire a boat and take to the seas on your own adventure, getting up close to marine life. Alternatively, you can get around the island by bike, peddling from art exhibitions to clothing boutiques, restaurants and enviable spots for epic views. Stay at the campgrounds, and cottages or opt for something swanky with beachside accommodation at Samphire. The next morning? Start with breakfast at Dôme or old-school baked goods at Rottnest Bakery, and finish your day's explorations with sunset cocktails at Pinky's. [caption id="attachment_893738" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] TAKE A CRUISE DOWN THE SWAN RIVER What's better than food and wine? A curated tour of both on a Swan Valley river cruise. Opting for this stellar package will see you depart Perth on a gastronomic cruise with an award-winning tour operator as your host. You'll see the beautiful Swan Valley by boat, disembarking to visit some of the area's most exciting wineries. Learn about everything from vine to grape to glass as you sip your way through a guided tasting — with snacks, of course — before lunch at Homestead Brewery. No gourmet foodie tour would be complete without dessert, so expect to stop in at The Margaret River Chocolate Co for sugar-sweet tastings and the chance to grab a few treats on the way out (might we suggest Chokka the Quokka?). On the ride back, settle in for a leisurely journey serenaded by live music. [caption id="attachment_893730" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] EXPLORE THE HISTORIC STREETS OF FREMANTLE Once an industrial centre, Fremantle (Walyalup) or 'Freo' as the locals affectionately call it, is now a delightful little port city, just 30 minutes from Perth. You'll find street food, microbreweries and buskers throughout this bustling spot. As well as exquisite fresh produce and artisan goods at Fremantle Markets (established in 1897; pictured above) and an entirely caffeinated zone known as Cappuccino Strip. While you're here, why don't you book a tour of Running with Thieves on South Beach — the largest operational independent brewery and distillery in WA? It might be big, but it still crafts everything on-site and by hand: that's beers, gins, cocktails and seltzers. Discover convict history at the World Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison, with day tours, night tours and journeys into the winding tunnels below. We'll admit, that barely scratches the surface of Freo — there are all kinds of excursions on offer, from a shipwreck museum to a working fish market and even a place to flex your cocktail-making muscles. Can't decide where to start? Trust a knowledgeable local on the Two Feet & A Heartbeat tours. [caption id="attachment_893735" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] GET UP CLOSE WITH LOCAL WILDLIFE Want to dive into an award-winning dolphin swim? Absolutely. Perth Wildlife Encounters is the biz that's been giving people the opportunity to swim with wild dolphins in their natural habitat since 1989, spending years building a relationship with this pod, and promoting ethical, respectful eco-tourism. Just 45 minutes from Perth, you'll be hopping off your boat on an underwater adventure to encounter a community of more than 200 wild dolphins. During the three-to-six-hour swim, you'll be immersed in the salty environment of these truly special creatures — they might even come up close and play, tumbling and twirling under the water. No snorkel? No worries. Take a lesson beforehand and borrow the gear. Itching for more close contact with the wild? There are penguin encounters and sea kayak tours, too. DISCOVER THE AREA WITH AN ABORIGINAL GUIDE Discover the oldest living culture and the true flavours of Australia. A proud Wardandi Bibbulmun woman, Dale Tilbrook (pictured above) leads on-Country cultural experiences in bush tucker, art and spirituality. The bushfood experience is more than just ingredients: you'll learn about the six seasons of nature plus the unique qualities and medicinal properties of native fruits, seeds, nuts and herbs — like quandong, sandalwood nuts and greens foraged from the coast nearby. Touch and sniff the fresh produce from the onsite garden and taste fresh bushtucker dishes. Warrang-Bridil — meaning 'enlighten to acknowledge' in the Nyoongar language — is the tour business helmed by Mervyn (Nick) Abraham. With connections to the Whadjuk, Yued, Ballardong, Wilmen, Wardandi and Binjerup peoples, he aims to close gaps in Australia's knowledge of First Nations culture and bring people closer to the Nyoongar way of life. On a 60-minute walking tour through the traditional country along the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River), you'll learn about pre-colonial ways of living, traditional language and present-day cultural survival. [caption id="attachment_893733" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] CLIMB HIGH ABOVE THE CITY See the Swan River differently — perhaps from 72 metres above? Matagarup Zip+Climb is not for the faint of heart, but well worth the effort of scaling a bridge. Yep, it's a proper climb up Matagarup Bridge to reach the Skyview platform. Not just steps and ladder — climbing gear, grappling, shimmying, the whole shebang. Reach Skyview for, well, a true sky view looking out over the sprawling expanse of Perth and the shimmering river through the glass floor below. All that before jumping on a 400-metre-long zipline that can see you reach speeds of up to 75 kilometres per hour. Epic. The full experience takes two hours and includes free pics of your adventure. There are three ways to complete the climb: Zip and Climb (you climb 314 steps up to the 72m high SkyView glass viewing platform and then zipline back to the start from the 35m high zipline launch and viewing platform), Express Zip (you climb 150 steps up to the 35m zipline launch and viewing platform and zip back), or the Bridge Climb where you forget the zipline and climb. up to the 72m SkyView glass platform and walk down the other side (and watch as others speed down the zipline). Want an extra challenge? Go by night instead and climb through the darkness. [caption id="attachment_893727" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] HEAD TO THE BEACH Perth's beaches are legendary, some of Australia's most pristine. Check out the white sands and clear blue waters of Cottesloe — or 'Cott', as it's known — just a 15-minute drive from the city. Spend the whole day swimming and snorkelling, taking pine-shaded walks and stopping in at cafes along the strip for coffee and brunch (or for an evening bev at a stellar bar or restaurant). If you're out Fremantle way, visit Bathers Beach in the West End. It's a gentle little protected swimming bay perfect for a day of relaxation — and the on-sand cocktail service from Bathers Beach House definitely adds to that. Leighton Beach is famous for its dog-friendly north side if you find yourself with a pup in tow. Here, you can snorkel or kitesurf the glassy waves, or hang out with a picnic. Fifteen minutes from Perth's streets you'll find City Beach, which owes its calm, idyllic waters to the fact that it's sheltered by two purpose-built groynes. Play volleyball, splash around, hit the beachside restaurants then watch the sun go down over the glistening sea. STAY SOMEWHERE LUSH A stay at QT Perth (pictured above) offers a boutique, designer base for your getaway that's perfect for those who love to travel in style. Luxe design features, elegant furnishings, warm tones and plush fabrics, all with a sleek mid-century aesthetic. For another gorgeous view, head to the Rooftop Bar to gaze over the city, cocktail in hand. For something with a bit more history, stay in the limestone cottages of Warders Hotel. As the name suggests, these were built in 1851 for prison warders. Now, they're the epitome of cottage comfort, with a modern minimalist fit-out and rustic original timbers. It's also smack bang in Freo's cultural district — just moments to all the galleries, cafes and bars you could want. Or, you could head to Gimlet — the spot's bar, or the courtyard of Emily Taylor — the onsite restaurant. If you'd rather be in wine country, and only half an hour from the city, The Colony is the luxury accommodation overlooking the 19th century vines of Mandoon Estate. Staying right near the cellar door, you'll find it easy to live the good life. Whichever part of Western Australia beckons you over, Concrete Playground Trips is the ideal place to start planning. Ready to go? Head to the website. Top images: Tourism Western Australia, Little Salmon Bay; QT Perth; Duncan Wright, Teeter Bakery; Tourism Western Australia, Quokka; Tourism Western Australia, Fremantle Prison (fifth, last); Tourism Western Australia, Perth Wildlife Encounters.
Almost three decades ago, Spiderbait made Australian music history when they won Triple J's 1996 Hottest 100 with 'Buy Me a Pony'. They were the first local act to top the countdown. Now, that catchy track has a chance to again notch up a huge feat: taking out Triple J's new Hottest 100 of Australian Songs. Aussie tunes have emerged victorious in the station's annual countdown plenty of times since, of course. So, it isn't just 'Buy Me a Pony' that's in the running to be a two-time winner. That feat mightn't be achieved at all anyway — because there's no shortage of excellent Australian tracks that haven't topped a Hottest 100 before but might just come out in the number-one spot in the Aussie-only poll. Whichever song that you're certain should be named Australia's best, voting is open as at 8am AEST on Tuesday, June 17. You've got a month to pick your favourites — until 5pm AEST on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The results will then be broadcast from 10am AEST on Saturday, July 26, 2025 on not only Triple J, but also Double J, Triple J Unearthed and its dedicated Triple J Hottest station. Although no one needs a reason to celebrate Aussie music, Triple J has one: 2025 marks its 50th birthday. That fact ties into one big caveat when you're voting, you do need to choose a track that was released before the station hit that milestone on Sunday, January 19, 2025. [caption id="attachment_854346" align="alignnone" width="1920"] M Drummond[/caption] The Triple J and Double J voices that'll be counting down your picks include Ash McGregor, Dave Woodhead, Dylan Lewis, Yumi Stynes, Abby Butler, Tyrone Pynor, Concetta Caristo, Luka Muller, Zan Rowe and Lucy Smith. And if you're curious about which other tunes, aside from 'Buy Me a Pony', could score the double win, 'No Aphrodisiac' by The Whitlams, 'These Days' and 'My Happiness' from Powderfinger, 'Amazing' by Alex Lloyd, 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl?' from Jet, 'Wish You Well' by Bernard Fanning, 'One Crowded Hour' from Augie March, and 'Big Jet Plane' by Angus and Julia Stone are also in the running, for starters. Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used to Know', Vance Joy's 'Riptide', Chet Faker's 'Talk Is Cheap', The Rubens' 'Hoops', Flume's 'Never Be Like You' and 'Say Nothing', Ocean Alley's 'Confidence' and The Wiggles' 'Elephant' have also all topped the yearly poll before. Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' won the 2010s-centric countdown, while DMA's 'Believe' did the same for the Like a Version poll. Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs will broadcast from 10am AEST on Saturday, July 26, 2025 — with voting open between 8am AEST on Tuesday, June 17–5pm AEST on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Head to the Triple J website for further details. Top image: Ocean Alley, Neegzistuoja via Wikimedia Commons.
It might seem like Melbourne's inner north has become overrun with breweries in recent years, but the beer-making traditions of Richmond, Abbotsford and Collingwood actually date back to the 1800s. But, it's safe to say, the beers have improved a lot, with innovative beer purveyors setting up shop in various ramshackle warehouses scattered over town. Strap on your walking shoes and plunge into Melbourne's immense beer culture. Visiting these five brewhouses is a beer lover's adventure so good you won't be going back to the standard swill anytime soon. FIRST, A FEW SIMPLE TIPS Start early —It's easy to lose track of time in a house full of beer. To fit all of these in, you'll need to get to the first brewery early. Go with a group — Sharing a beer with friends doesn't just spread the love for local craft brews but will also make the walking in-between go by far faster. Take advantage of tasting paddles — The most bang-for-your-buck option, paddles allow you to taste the brewery's range without going overboard. Schedule a brewery tour — There are few occasions in life when you get to see exactly where the product you're consuming is made. Take advantage of this moment. Pace yourself — Don't be a hero, you have a whole day of drinking ahead of you. This isn't a pub crawl for rowdy uni kids all wearing the same t-shirt. The breweries are community hangouts where friends gather to chill and grab a beer, best to keep that in mind. Eat, eat, eat — Drinking on an empty stomach leads to nothing but inevitable sadness; luckily, some of the breweries have food trucks parked outside or you can grab a bite to eat inside. Now, let's get walking. STARTING POINT: MOUNTAIN GOAT BREWERY & BAR The original brewery. The Mountain Goat Brewery is a fitting place to start this boozy walking tour as these guys have been around since 1997 — right back near the start of Australian craft beer. Emerging from Dave Bonighton and Cam Hines' backyard, it's now one of the industry's largest players and its dedication to the craft has stayed the same over the last 22 years. Featuring many old-favourite drops, the large-scale brick warehouse also has a novel selection on tap that you can only test out here. The North Street IPA is a fine choice with its fruity aroma and earthy hints, while the Fancy Pants Amber Ale makes for an easy-going drink — a good one to kick off the day's festivities. 80 North Street, Richmond. Open 5–10pm Wednesday, 5–11pm Friday, and 12–6pm Sunday. SECOND STOP: MOON DOG CRAFT BREWERY (15 MIN WALK) The casual brewery. Moon Dog may have recently announced some brand spanking new digs to open in Preston later in 2019, but for now its home remains on Duke Street, Abbotsford. Sink into the thrift store couches and get comfortable because there are a lot of great drinks to sample. The brewery might take on a pretty lo-fi appearance, but don't mistake it for a small-time operation. Moon Dog is already pumping out millions of litres of beer each year with more soon to come. There are ten taps on offer, pouring classics like Old Mate and Love Tap plus some seriously flavourful single kegs. Meanwhile, there's always free popcorn and a van serving woodfired pizza out the front. 17 Duke Street, Abbotsford. Open 4–11pm Wednesday to Friday, 12–11pm Saturday, and 12–8pm Sunday. [caption id="attachment_717784" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Hyde Photography[/caption] THIRD STOP: STOMPING GROUND BREWING & BEER HALL (20 MIN WALK) The next-big-thing brewery. If Mountain Goat is responsible for helping launch craft brewing in Victoria, Stomping Ground is the crew pushing it forward. Having opened its massive Collingwood brewery and bar back in 2016, it's not uncommon to see the sprawling, 30-tap converted warehouse teeming every weekend. If the sun's shining, the beer garden is perfect with its semi-retractable roof, while there's a huge fireplace for those wintery Melbourne days. With so many beers on offer here, now is your chance to give a tasting paddle a try, with the Cicerone Selection ($26) featuring everything from tart goses to the smoky Hanging Rauch — a German-style smoked larger. 100 Gipps Street, Collingwood. Open 11.30am–late Sunday to Thursday and 11.30am–1am Friday and Saturday. FOURTH STOP: THE MILL BREWERY (15 MIN WALK) The relaxed brewery. Leave behind the powerhouse that is Stomping Ground and get yourself to a more intimate space at The Mill Brewery. This formerly dilapidated mechanic's workshop is one of the local residents' favourite haunts thanks to its chilled out atmosphere. Founder Mirek Aldridge is still very much a part of the everyday activities here and is always keen for a chat. Find yourself a spot at the solid red gum tables and sip a Jack D-licious — a golden ale with a slightly floral flavour at a very reasonable 4.8 per cent ABV. If you can still find a way to focus, there's also table tennis to test your hand-eye coordination. 40 Sackville Street, Collingwood. Open 4–10pm Wednesday to Thursday, 4–11pm Friday, 1–11pm Saturday, and 1–9pm Sunday. LAST STOP: FIXATION BREWING CO – THE INCUBATOR (5 MIN WALK) The obsessed brewery. If there's one thing that Fixation Brewing Co knows, it's IPA. That's because the entire brand is dedicated to making this specific type of beer as fresh and flavourful as possible. Fronted by experienced hop-head Tom Delmont, this place is Australia's only brewery bar that's dedicated to IPA so you can be sure that it delivers some serious quality. The namesake brew offers a hazy orange colour that comes loaded with fruity notes, while The Fix takes things up a notch with its punchy double IPA strength. Being the last stop on your potent brewery walking tour, let's hope you don't feel it too much tomorrow. 414 Smith Street, Collingwood. Open 4–10pm Wednesday to Thursday, 3–10pm Friday, 12–10pm Saturday, 1–7pm Sunday. Want more inner north breweries? Pace these six out. Top image: Stomping Ground
It has been more than six months since the Australian Government introduced an effective ban on international travel in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 within the country. And, over that time, there has been plenty of speculation about when jetting overseas might resume — including predictions that the entire global travel industry mightn't return to normal until 2023, and that Australia's borders could remain closed until 2021. When it comes to Australia's prolonged border closure, an exception has been floated, however. Receiving ample chatter over the past few months is the concept of a travel bubble with New Zealand, which would allow international travel between the two countries, even as they potentially remain closed to other nations. Now, the first stage of the bubble has been announced — but, sadly for some, it's only one way. In a media appearance today, Friday, October 2, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack announced that New Zealanders will be allowed to visit New South Wales and the Northern Territory, without having to quarantine on arrival, from 12.01am on Friday, October 16. "This will allow New Zealanders and other residents in New Zealand who have not been in an area designated as a COVID-19 hot spot in New Zealand in the preceding 14 days to travel quarantine free to Australia," McCormack said today. [caption id="attachment_773731" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NT by Tourism Australia[/caption] The Deputy PM also said he hopes this is just the start of the two-country travel bubble, hinting to it expanding to further parts of Australia in the near future. "This is the first stage in what we hope to see as a trans-Tasman bubble between the two countries, not just that state and that territory," he said. Responding to the announcement, a spokesperson for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said the travel arrangements have not changed for New Zealanders. Which means, travellers to Australia would need to enter 14 days of managed isolation on return to NZ — and pay for it. Unfortunately, as mentioned, this is currently a one-way travel bubble, so Aussies shouldn't rush to book a holiday across the ditch — just yet. The ABC reported earlier in the week that Ardern had mentioned that travel from Australia to NZ might be possible on a state-by-state basis before Christmas. Here's hoping. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
Every season, a new cocktail trend rolls into town. Often brightly coloured and served in a frou-frou glass, the excitement of a new-to-you cocktail is enough to whip any of us into a frenzy. But among the cocktails that come and go is one classic that never goes out of style: the highball. The classic whisky-based cocktail is one that everyone should have in their repertoire, and not just because of its simplicity. So, we've partnered with popular premium mixer brand Fever-Tree to give you a a proper rundown on the simple-yet-versatile drink. Better yet, to celebrate Fever-Tree's A-class dry ginger ale, we're spicing things up with a ginger highball recipe, too, so you can whip up one at home, then get reading. [caption id="attachment_743897" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HIGHBALL The exact origin of the highball is hotly contested. However, what we do know is that during the late-19th century, there was a phylloxera (a common insect pest of grapevines) epidemic that wiped out vineyards in Europe. So, wine and spirits like brandy and cognac became less readily available than they had been. This lead the wealthier classes, who used to mix brandy and cognac with carbonated water, to opt for blended scotch whisky with soda instead. And so, most would argue, the highball was born — although the name was yet to come. So, from where does the term 'highball' stem? One story goes that English actor EJ Ratcliffe brought the concept to America in 1894, where a bartender at the Adams House in Boston dubbed it a highball, due to the vessel in which it was served. Others have sworn the name is a throwback to an old American railroad signal. It is also thought that the name's origin could be Irish or British, with the term 'ball' being common for a glass of the amber liquor in Ireland and, more specifically, it served in a tall glass in English golf clubs throughout the late-19th century. As we said, this tasty tipple's history is anything but linear. [caption id="attachment_743100" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] FUN FACTS TO IMPRESS YOUR MATES WITH Two versions of the highball appeared in an American cocktail book called The Mixicologist in 1895. One under the name Splificator, which calls for whisky and naturally sparkling water in a 'medium thin glass'. According to lauded drinks writer David Wondrich, 'splificated' was Irish slang for drunk. The other drink was dubbed the High Ball, made with whisky or brandy and carbonated water. But over the years, the name highball stuck — and the rules for making one vary as much as the story of its invention. To make a highball, some say the whisky and ice needs to be stirred 13.5 times and soda water poured down the arm of the spoon. Others tell you to keep that spoon the hell away from it. Whisky highballs are so popular in Japan that it's become a top choice for punters. It's hardly surprising since Japan is known for its top-shelf whiskies. Plus, the drink's popularity is thought to be due to many Japanese people enjoying a drink with their meal, and sipping straight whisky doesn't have the same appeal as an ice-cold mixed bevvy. HOW TO MAKE A FEVER-TREE GINGER HIGHBALL Half the fun of mixing cocktails is putting your own spin on them. If you'd like to make your highball a bit more zingy, swap soda for ginger ale, which has become a common mixer for the tipple. By doing so you not only complement the whisky, but also add a more refreshing flavour into the mix. You can also look to shake things up by making yourself one of the many riffs on the ginger highball, such as the Whisky Buck and Mamie Taylor — both of which add lime juice into the equation. Whatever you decide, there are two ingredients that remain constant: whisky and ginger ale. Fever-Tree believes if three-quarters of your drink is mixer, you should only use the best. So, this recipe calls for one-part whisky to three-parts Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale. However, if you like your firewater more front-of-palate, simply use less mixer. Want to get even more creative? You can trial different garnishes, which means more taste-testing opportunities. INGREDIENTS 45ml Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky (or the whisky of your choosing) 135ml Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale Plenty of ice Slice of grapefruit METHOD Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Pour in whisky, then slowly pour in Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale. With a bar spoon (or any long-handled spoon), gently stir the concoction. For a bit of extra zing, garnish with a fresh slice of grapefruit. Want to hear top Aussie whisky producers talk about their secrets to mixing up a good tipple? See Fever-Tree's video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itnMTytOJmM Keen to whip up a highball at home? Purchase Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale via the Woolworths website and get mixing. Top image: Trent van der Jagt
Lavish locations just screaming to fill Instagram feeds, wealthy clientele whiling away their hours in luxury, a significant chasm between the haves and the have nots: that's the setup behind two star-studded new miniseries that've hit streaming queues in the past month. Indeed, with The White Lotus just wrapping up its first season, Nine Perfect Strangers' arrival couldn't be better timed. TV fans can farewell the former's Hawaii-set dramas — and its biting sense of humour, savage insights into class disparities and spot-on dissection of societal inequities — and then step into this Byron Bay-shot thriller on Amazon Prime Video. Saying goodbye to the familiar and welcoming all things new sits at the heart of Nine Perfect Strangers, actually. That's because the same notions linger at the core of the wellness industry, too. In a field that's all about helping people find their bliss, any hard-earned sense of contentment tends to stem from letting go of baggage, moving past previous traumas and appreciating yourself for who you are — and often doing so in the types of spaces that'll make you forget the real world exists anyway. That's why Masha Dmitrichenko (Nicole Kidman, The Prom) has established Tranquillum House, and why the eponymous group of newcomers have sought its sprawling expanse. Each of the latter wants to break free of their troubles, and the former and her offsiders Delilah (Tiffany Boone, Hunters) and Yao (Manny Jacinto, The Good Place) are eager to assist. But there's a reason that this eight-part series keeps gazing at brightly coloured smoothies quite often, and it isn't just because that's what's on Masha's menu. Tranquillum House carefully curates each intake of paradise-seeking customers. In the case of school teacher Napoleon Marconi (Michael Shannon, Knives Out), his wife Heather (Asher Keddie, Rams) and their 20-year-old daughter Zoe (Grace Van Patten, Under the Silver Lake), Masha is even willing to drastically reduce the fee. She's mixing in the right ingredients — people who arrive broken and ready to be swirled around — and trying to perfect the recipe for everyone. Also arriving with this cohort: best-selling novelist Frances Welty (Melissa McCarthy, Thunder Force), who is having both personal and professional crises; Tony Hogburn (Bobby Cannavale, Superintelligence), who doesn't like having his pills taken away from him; and influencer Jessica Chandler (Samara Weaving, Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins) and her husband Ben (Melvin Gregg, The United States vs Billie Holiday), whose marriage could use a new start. Then there's the newly divorced and still bitter Carmel Schneider (Regina Hall, Breaking News in Yuba County), plus exposé-courting journalist Lars Lee (Luke Evans, Crisis). Masha has brought all of these strangers together to talk out their problems, laze by the pool and soak in the natural splendour — with Byron Bay doubling for California — but it's immediately obvious that her intentions aren't quite that straightforward. Nine Perfect Strangers draws out its mysteries; however, it also lets its audience start guessing from the outset. Casting Kidman as a Russian-accented wellness guru who wades in and out of her clients' days at random, and also happens to be getting death threats via text messages, will do that. Complete with ice-blonde locks, it's a part she inhabits well, in her latest TV performance following Big Little Lies and The Undoing, and her third project after those two fellow miniseries with writer/showrunner David E Kelley. Playing a character first penned on the page by Liane Moriarty, the author behind Big Little Lies as well, it's a showcase performance — and here, her reliably inscrutable expression conveys magnetism, power and a succeed-at-all costs level of determination. Nine Perfect Strangers is an ensemble piece, however — and, when it comes to the narrative, thankfully so. It's the time spent with its full suite of characters that makes the series gripping, even though it's the thriller elements that keep viewers instantly wanting to press play on each new episode. As the show keeps teasing what Masha is really up to, who's after her and what's in her past, it finds just as many questions within Tranquillum's other residents, because that's just how humans tick. Everyone has their subplots, and their pasts, and the script by Kelley and John-Henry Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari) is all the more compelling when it's unpacking as many stories as possible stories. Everyone seeks bliss, too, even when they're not paying through the teeth to do so, and everyone has struggles and secrets holding them back. Kidman perfects her central role, but three of her big-name co-stars are just as impressive — and often more so. Shannon's usually forceful energy jostles behind an everyman exterior, giving Napoleon's affable air an always-perceptible edge. It's a stellar stroke of casting, especially given that the Marconis have sought Tranquillum's services to help cope with heartbreaking grief. McCarthy turns in her best work since her Oscar-nominated performance in the phenomenal Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and layers the distress of someone whose life keeps taking unwanted turns over Frances' flowing wardrobe. She's at her strongest opposite the impeccably haunted Cannavale, unsurprisingly. Now working on their fourth collaboration following the aforementioned Thunder Force and Superintelligence, and also Spy, the pair cycle from antagonism and comfort via everything in-between, and give Nine Perfect Strangers its most compelling double act. Directing every episode, filmmaker Jonathan Levine (Long Shot, Snatched, The Night Before) lets his stars play to their strengths, and it works. As lensed by cinematographer Yves Bélanger (another Big Little Lies alum), he also sees the show's glitzy setting with the eye of someone who appreciates how it glimmers, and how brightly, but isn't willing to lose themselves to that shine shine. That's Nine Perfect Strangers' approach overall — it doesn't sink its teeth in as firmly as The White Lotus, but it isn't here to just to play along with its chosen world either. And, in the process, it knows how to lure its audience in and keep them watching. Check out the trailer below: The first three episodes of Nine Perfect Strangers are available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, August 20, with new episodes dropping weekly afterwards. Images: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.
Though one of the smallest, Brother Baba Budan has to be one of the most frequented coffee shops in the CBD. The Little Bourke Street cafe has just 15 seats inside, so if you're heading in at coffee peak hour, you'll have to be lucky to snag a spot. Even getting a take away cup tends to be a cosy experience. But it's worth it for an expertly made Seven Seeds brew, either as an espresso, filter or nitro brew. A small selection of pastries and cakes are available on the counter as well. Appears in: The Best Coffee Shops in Melbourne's CBD
We're teaming up with Intrepid for a season of adventure throughout 2024, and we need your help to put it all together. If you've got a craving for a food-fuelled adventure and are pretty savvy with a camera and video tools, you could secure your place on a ten-day tour of Vietnam with Intrepid Travel as our newly-appointed roving reporter, capturing every moment of the experience and helping us share the wonders that travel has to offer. This adventure will take you from one end of the country to another, seeing famous sights like Ha Long Bay and the Mekong River Delta. Along the way, you'll sample the specialty cuisines the country is known for, seeing the sights fly by on an overnight train ride, explore quiet fishing villages and the busy streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City alike. Just remember, keep that camera charged and ready for the money shots and the little snippets you can't see coming. We'll need your footage and creative skills to put together a video to showcase the trip and others like it. To enter, you just need to fill out the form below and submit an original video entry to prove you've got what it takes to get behind the camera and shoot a video as a roving reporter for Concrete Playground. It doesn't need to be a travel video, just as long as it shows you've got an eye for good content and have the practical skills to film and edit footage. Good luck, winners will be contacted by midnight on Friday, August 30. [competition]965314[/competition] Images courtesy of Intrepid Travel
Can logic and science co-exist with the metaphysical and supernatural? "I think that's what I'm exploring in all of my work," says Robert Eggers. A decade on from making his first feature, and marking himself as one of horror's spectacular new voices at the time, the acclaimed writer/director has the filmography — The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman and now Nosferatu — to prove it, of course. "And I think that the difficulty with this stuff is if you believe it, it's true. So I think that's why I explore it in the safety of cinema rather than diving into the deep end and ending up in the madhouse." Whenever Nosferatu sinks its teeth into the silver screen, be it in FW Murnau's 1922 original, or when the inimitable Werner Herzog (The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft) followed in his compatriot's footsteps with 1979's Nosferatu the Vampyre, or now that Eggers has crafted his own take, it unfurls a tale of gothic obsession. Fixation and passion also sits at the heart of how this icon of horror cinema keeps flickering through picture palaces. It all started with an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, which is why the narrative is so similar but the names have been changed. When Herzog gave it a spin, it was because he considered the first movie to be "the greatest German film". Eggers himself has been drawn to Nosferatu since childhood, even directing an iteration of it as a play in high school. (He also appreciates that for the generation that grew up with SpongeBob SquarePants, so kids from 1999 onwards, that might now be commonplace given that discovering Nosferatu can spring via the animated show.) As Dracula clearly is as well, Nosferatu is easy to be passionate about. The OG film is a masterpiece — of silent cinema, of German Expressionism, of horror and just in general. Count Orlok, as initially played by Max Schreck, is a hauntingly unforgettable screen presence. There's no missing the fervour that Eggers has for all things Nosferatu in his movie, or how lovingly that he regards the original. But while there's a packed coffin full of nods backwards in his feature, an Eggers film always feels distinctively like an Eggers film. He's been embracing period-set horror from the get-go anyway, and he repeatedly demonstrates again and again that he's only ever interested in realising his own meticulous — and stunning — celluloid visions. Willem Dafoe (Saturday Night), a veteran of The Lighthouse and The Northman before becoming Nosferatu's Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, knows all about Eggers' way of working. Asked to describe the director's work, the actor who earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for portraying Schreck in 2000's Shadow of the Vampire — a riff on the making of Murnau's Nosferatu — notes that the filmmakers' oeuvre is "contact with stories from another time that have a relevance to now. Beautiful shots. Very detailed, not-conventional cutting. Great art direction. Great shooting. Hopefully good actors. That's kind of the checklist." Dafoe continues: "obviously I've worked with Robert three times and I want to work with him some more. I enjoy it so much, because for an actor it's a dream. He gives you fun things to do, and you're sent to a world that is so rich that it's far easier to pretend and entertain a new set of conditions, thoughts, feelings. And for me, as an actor that's always what I'm interested in — to make contact with stuff that's beyond my experience." There's absolutely no 'hopefully' about Nosferatu's excellent cast. After playing Pennywise in IT and IT: Chapter Two, Bill Skarsgård (Boy Kills World) is Eggers' Orlok — and he's a force to behold. The object of his obsession: Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol ) in a physically committed and entrancing performance as Ellen Hutter, who is newly married to real-estate agent Thomas (Nicholas Hoult, Renfield). The latter is dispatched from the couple's home in Wisborg to Transylvania to assist Orlok with purchasing a property. As Ellen remains in Germany — and as her connection to Orlok begins to fester and torment — she stays with Thomas' old pal Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The Fall Guy), his pregnant wife Anna (Emma Corrin, A Murder at the End of the World) and their children. Taylor-Johnson couldn't have been more eager to be involved. "Sometimes I feel like when you get a filmmaker like Robert — firstly I admired his work and was like 'I'll do anything to be a Robert Eggers movie'. And then all of a sudden, you get this this invitation, this letter and a call saying he's doing something and would like you to be a part of it. You can't quite believe that's happening. You can go 'great, I don't even need to read a script — whatever you want me to do'," he advises. Corrin shares enthusiasm for the experience, and for jumping into horror. "I guess it's fun because it's a unique set of challenges. I've certainly found it interesting, how you craft a scene — I think it's a very specific way that you obviously approach shooting scenes to make them have that suspense, and especially if there's a jump-scare onboard." For them specifically, however, a particular gauntlet awaited: rats. "I remember reading that in the script early on, and texting Rob and being like 'hey, man, wondering if the rats are going to be CGI or are they going to be real? Just curious'. He was like 'definitely real, no CGI'. And yeah, it was intense. I had about 20–30 rats on me. I was also topless, which was interesting. It was bleak, if I'm honest. I tried to be quite brave about it." Why Nosferatu fascinates Eggers, what excited Dafoe about collaborating with the filmmaker, digging into tested beliefs and internal conflict, acting opposite Depp's can't-look-away portrayal: all of that also spanned Concrete Playground's chat with Eggers, Dafoe, Corrin and Taylor-Johnson. So did Count Orlok's look, Dafoe's own history with Nosferatu, Eggers' exacting way of working, giving a century-old film a modern lens and more. On Why Nosferatu Has Fascinated Eggers Since Childhood, Including Turning It Into a Play When He Was a Teenager Robert: "It's very hard to say. I think certainly the Murnau film had a major impact on me, and initially it was Max Schreck's performance and just the power of the simple fairy-tale adaptation that Murnau made of the Dracula story. But as I have grown older and learn more about the occult, and vampire folklore from Eastern Europe — and hysteria and 19th-century medicine — the more that I found that it was a story that I was able to really embrace and put many of my interests in, and to use the framework to explore the things that were exciting to me creatively." On What Excites Dafoe About Working with Eggers After Collaborating on The Lighthouse, The Northman and Now Nosferatu Willem: "Just the personal nature of what he does. The detailed nature of what he does. The kind of investment. It's not work, you know. He's playing to his pleasure and his interests. And then I just like being around him. He inspires me, gives fun things to do. I get a little self-conscious — he's sitting right here. Number one, obviously I'm all in. But check the boxes. He's everywhere on the set. The thing that's really impressive, and I know other people that do this, but it's really impressive that on the set there's such detail, that nothing is there for decoration. It's all function. It's all functional. It has a place. It has a history. And when you can feel the origins of things and where they're placed in the world, that really gives you a reality that's easy to enter. It's a reality that you're not covering anything — you're living in it. And it's very easy with a little willfulness to say that our world drops away and you're in that world. It's an exercise in pretending, and he makes it very simple by giving you a very rich world to exist in." On What Corrin Was Keen to Dig Into in the Film, Including Tested Beliefs and Internal Conflict Emma: "I think Anna has an interesting journey, because she is constantly fighting between her love of Ellen and her own beliefs. And there's a lot of conflict between those two things, because she's very devoutly religious and doesn't believe in a spiritual world — especially a spiritual world based on the occult and folklore — and obviously all of everything Ellen's experiencing points to the existence of that world, which would remove the very foundation of her worldview, everything about how she's been raised, and all of her beliefs. And yet she really loves her friend and wants to be there for her. So I think that experience of Anna, of being with Ellen in such close proximity and witnessing this, it gets to the point where she can't — I think for both Anna Friedrich, actually, they can't not see it anymore. It becomes so obvious what's happening, and then it's so confronting. And you see all of their own beliefs and whatever sort of falling away before their eyes, which is a very scary and vulnerable place for them to be in, especially with kids. I think that I, as an actor, I guess I enjoy complexity and internal conflict in a person. It's very interesting to portray." On How You React When Such a Physical Performance, as Lily-Rose Depp Turns in as Ellen, Sits at the Heart of a Film Emma: "You can't help have a really quite visceral reaction to watching someone who, as you say, who's doing such a committed physical piece of acting. It constantly, I think, blew our minds how she was contorting her body, and the choreography and the stamina that she needed to have as a performer to do that take after take after take — and offer so much. It was incredible. It was a real gift to act opposite because we didn't have to — there no acting required. It was very easy to imagine what these two people, how they would react to what they were seeing." Aaron: "It's definitely extraordinary. I feel very privileged to have been in the room witnessing a performance like that, that felt very raw and with no vanity, and it just felt it was disturbing in real life — and I knew it was going to be shocking on film." On Finding the Right Aesthetic for Bill Skarsgård as Nosferatu's Count Orlok Robert: "Bill is playing a folk vampire. He's an animated corpse, and not Frank Langella in a tuxedo. And that was very enjoyable to create. The look of a dead Transylvanian nobleman, we have certain nods, certain details that remind the audience of Max Schreck, because we have to also be respectful of that. But it was really nice. And while the look was completed by myself and David White [who also worked on The Northman], the prosthetics designer, we also had a Transylvanian folklore expert, Florin Lazarescu [Aferim!], who reminded me 'you know, Robert, a lot of times they talk about the strigoi being a red face'. And so if you'll notice, there are moments when you can see blood pooling under the skin after he's been feeding and stuff like that, which are some fun details." On Returning to the World of Nosferatu After Being Nominated for an Oscar for Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire Willem: "They're so different, the films, the intentions, what kinds of films they are. That was very important to me. First of all, I love the Murnau film. I had known it before working on Shadow of the Vampire. Shadow of the Vampire was basically a comic performance. And it leaned heavily on the Murnau because, basically, to find the character I copied a lot of what I saw in the Murnau. That was the starting point. So it was a great lesson in working with a mask, because I had extreme makeup, and that's the first time that it really — maybe not the first time, but it reminded me that if you look different, you move different, you start to feel different and you really have a possibility that becomes a trigger for pretending that's very potent. And you can even do things that you couldn't imagine before because you're drawing on something that's intuitive. It's not shaped, it's not indicated, it's not something you control, it's in your imagination. So that was very important. So then when Rob talks about doing Nosferatu, of course he's not talking to me about playing Nosferatu, but he tells me about this fantastic character that I always felt like is the role he would play if he were in the cast of this movie. So I've been working with him before, knowing his interests and having him give me all this rich material to research, to prepare for the role, that was the connection. It all connected to that other experience, but at the same time, you can't force a relationship between those two films because they're so different and when you finish one, you make room for the next." On the Meticulous Detail and Structure — and No Room for Improvisation — That Comes with Working with Eggers Emma: "I think we were lucky because our characters aren't explored very much in the original. But Rob definitely brought them to life in a certain way — in a very particular way — that was important for this film, because they represent this beacon of light against this darkness that envelops everyone. And in that way, we had a bit of carte blanche, I suppose. But then Rob is so specific in the way he creates characters and the backstory — he's very meticulously thought-out back story for everyone, which I think I find really helpful. I don't know if I'm a big fan of freedom. I think I like specific notes and specific ideas." Aaron: "Structure." Emma: "Yeah, structure." Aaron: "Honestly, I agree. He was so thought-out on everything. I mean, the only thing I probably could have brought was that I was allowed to like [ask] 'can I have mutton chops and some a great big moustache'. And I think that was it. That was allowed." Emma: "Was that you?" Aaron: "Well I wanted some kind of facial hair. I think he wanted something distinctive because they'd already started working with Nic, and he wanted me to have a big twizzly moustache, so that grew and grew. I think there's a little bit of conversation about that. I wanted to improv and he was like 'absolutely not'. So I was like 'okay, well I'll just do what you say'." On How Eggers' Nosferatu Brings a Modern Lens to a Century-Old Classic Aaron: "This story is 100 years old, but yet it's still very relevant today. And I think originally that movie came out, came off the back of the Spanish flu, and it became this metaphorical piece of art reflecting, mirroring reality. And being that we've just come through a global pandemic and we've all been through this feeling of this wave of fear that comes through a city and disrupts everybody in such a panic and a way, it felt very much — I remember reading it and being 'whoa, this seems like, it feels like this'. And then Robert goes 'well, that's originally what it was for 1921'. But then at the fundamental core of it, there's a theme throughout that's about love and battling with your demons, and having shame with this deepest, deepest darkest secret that you've carried from a childhood into your adult life — and how it's going to affect your relationship, and all this sort of stuff. So it's very powerful. I think for our characters, when you're saying this modern element, it's like it was the missing piece to the puzzle. So the original one, our characters aren't involved in that, and so Robert created this next three-dimensional world — this family that lives in Wisborg, and Ellen is staying in this household that is very much this beacon of light, and they're a loving family. They've got children. They've got everything that Nicholas' character aspires to be. And so it's just Robert building upon that world and making it more contemporary, and making it more relatable. They're a very grounded family and arguably they are far more loving than you probably would find in that kind of period. They're very passionate. There's a lot of eroticism throughout the movie, and Emma's character is pregnant with their third child. It's interesting." On the Allure of Period-Set Horror for Eggers Robert: "I just enjoy learning about the past. That's how I like to understand who we are and where we're going — by where we came from. It's what has always excited me, even as a kid. And if I wasn't a filmmaker, maybe I would be an archaeologist. This is just what I enjoy, but also, for making these genre films, I think it's easier to tell — like if you're talking about witches and vampires and things like that, it's easier to make them scary if you are in a period where everybody believed in them, more or less. And obviously in this film, in Wisborg, that's not quite the case, but you get my point." On Dafoe's Experience Working with the Rest of the Cast Willem: "I enjoyed it so much because they're so turned on. Sometimes with older actors, they're comparing their experience that they're having to something in the past. While I find younger actors — now, keep in mind someone like Nic and Aaron, actually many of the actors, are very experienced, so let's not get crazy here; they aren't so young and inexperienced, to tell you the truth — but there's just an excitement. There was an excitement that you could feel for them working with Rob. You're just there. You don't make those distinctions. You're playing characters. You're all on the same footing. You're all trying to fold into the story and help each other, and disappear into the story. So I was looking today, we were shooting pictures, and it's a very special group to a person. Really, there's not a stinker in the group. So the simple answer is: I was very happy to work with this cast, because seldom do you have a cast that's so uniformly strong, not only in performing, but also I remember we took portraits in the costumes and everybody had a look that was very believable and very credible. There was no flourish. The look was very rooted. Robert cast them very well, not only for their look, but also for their talent." Nosferatu releases in cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Images: © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
St Kilda's pubs and clubs have a long history of staging some of the best local and international gigs. Yet since its debut edition at the start of 2025, the Palace Foreshore has become a thriving outdoor live music venue. Seasonal in nature, this openair destination turns up the tunes from February to March, with the first instalment featuring the likes of Honey Dijon, Fontaines D.C. and Denzel Curry. Now the seaside precinct is back for round two, having just announced a stellar lineup of headline acts descending on St Kilda in early 2026. Securing its growing reputation as a premier summertime port of call for live music, the forthcoming season is marked by hip hop legends, pop icons, electronic superstars and trailblazing art rock acts from around the globe. First up on Thursday, February 26, is Black Country, New Road, an acclaimed British band renowned for their distinctive blend of baroque-infused chamber pop and experimental post-punk. Arriving on our shores for the first time since the release of their most recent album, Forever Howlong, expect free-wheeling crescendoes that resonate with community spirit and feel-good friendship. Next, on Friday, February 27, the Palace Foreshore hosts Droppin' Science, a deep dive into all things hip hop. Topping the bill, essential New York hip hop trio De La Soul perform on the back of a long-awaited album release, Cabin in the Sky, showcasing their credentials as one of jazz rap's most influential names. On support, independent Brooklyn-based Oddisee & Good Compny and fast-rising Aboriginal R&B artist Miss Kaninna ramp up the conscious lyrical content. You've also got MARINA to look forward to on Saturday, February 28, making her first return to Australian soil since 2011. Following the release of her new album, Princess of Power, the Welsh star will deliver a euphoric disco-lit experience, filled with electro pop anthems. Next, on Sunday, March 1, Aussie legends King Stingray continue their huge wave of national momentum, bringing their unmistakable Yolŋu surf-rock energy to Palace Foreshore for what's bound to be an explosive set. The following night on Monday, March 2, it's time for a true global icon to take the stage — the one and only Grace Jones. Back in Melbourne for the first time since 2018, this is a rare chance to experience Jones' magnetic presence and genre-bending performance. A boundary-breaker and cultural disruptor like few others, her almost unparalleled career has seen her reshape music, fashion and performance, all with incredible glamour and emotional depth. Looking ahead to Thursday, March 5, one of the UK's most original voices in The Streets brings the sound of post-industrial Britain to St Kilda. Performing his landmark album, A Grand Don't Come For Free, in its entirety for the first time on Thursday, March 5, vocalist Mike Skinner delivers raw honesty and wit in droves. Then, it's time for Pendulum on Friday, March 6, as the Perth-born drum and bass pioneers light up the stage with their electrifying live show. Returning home following sold-out dates around the globe, Australian pop sensation Peach PRC elevates the evening atmosphere with her magnetic personality on Thursday, March 12. Featuring special guests Maude, Latour and Salty, expect an explosive stage presence and mesmerising live concept. With more attention-grabbing names announced in the near future, Palace Foreshore's 2026 lineup is stacked with musical talent ripe for making the most of the sun and sea this summer. Palace Foreshow's 2026 season is taking place across various dates in February and March. Head to the website for more information.
You don't know what you've got till it's gone. That saying has never felt more poignant than right now as we look for ways to keep living our best city-dwelling lifestyles within the confines of our homes. We're missing impromptu after-work drinks with colleagues and big birthday bashes at a flashy restaurant with our crew. We're missing the thrill of seeing our favourite band perform live or shaking off the shackles of the workweek with some kidulting fun. These things will return in good time. Until then, we're going to be spending a bit more time at home than usual, so we may as well make it a place we actually like hanging out. To celebrate the return of the Miller Design Lab, we've come up with five ways to customise your home and bring the best aspects of your city's nightlife into the fold. Miller Design Lab has built their own online home of creativity and self-expression with Australia's leading minds in design, art, technology and fashion. Together, we're celebrating our nightlife and its impact on culture by bringing you ways to create exceptional moments in your own home. [caption id="attachment_503345" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Le Bon Ton[/caption] TRANSFORM YOUR BALCONY OR GARDEN INTO A ROOFTOP BAR It's no secret that we love a rooftop bar — there's just something about the fresh air and epic sunset views (and perhaps the altitude) that make our drinks even tastier. If you're lucky enough to have a balcony or garden space attached to your home, you better be making the most of that prime piece of real estate. Take some cues from some of your favourite sky-high bars around the city and transform those few square metres into a mini oasis that you can kick back in with a drink in hand. Once you've got the furniture sorted — whether that's the full setup from an outdoors warehouse or an eclectic mix of chairs and tables from Gumtree — focus on injecting some colour and personality into the space. Start with some greenery: you can get hanging planters, quirky pot plants and all kinds of foliage delivered to your door via The Plant Society in Sydney and Melbourne or The Plant Lounge in Brisbane. Next, set the mood with some lighting — go with some traditional fairy lights for an ethereal feel or festoon lights if you're aiming for something a little more rustic. TURN YOUR LIVING ROOM INTO A LIVE MUSIC VENUE Working from home has its perks, but it can actually be really hard to switch off at the end of the day when you've got nowhere to rush off to. To mark 'tools down', set a date with yourself and your roommates or partner to go to a gig — in your own living room. Live music venues may be closed for now, but there are a bunch of playlists that you can stream (check out some of our favourites here), plus many artists are bringing the gigs to you via the wonders of the internet. There's the daily LGBTQIA+ Zoom party Club Quarantine, Defected Records' Defected Virtual Festival (featuring sets from Calvin Harris, Sam Divine and more), and Room 2 Radio, the Sydney-based virtual dance party which kicks off every Friday night at 8pm. Plus, the likes of Hayden James and Major Lazer are doing weekly streams, while Radiohead and Metallica are uploading footage from old concerts every week on Youtube. Sunset is the signal for you to the shut the laptop, get the live-stream up on your TV and reshuffle the furniture (or just haphazardly push it to once side — either works) so you can have enough room to throw shapes. If you really want to get into the spirit, treat yourself and the room to a funky disco ball, neon sign or strobe light machine, too. MAKE NIGHTTIME PLAYTIME If there were ever a time you wished you could wind back the clock and be a little kid again, it's probably right now. Unless you have a Delorean in your possession (if you do, can we borrow it?), it's not a possibility. So, we've found other ways to get our kidult kicks across the city — think arcade bars, indoor trampoline centres and escape rooms. And you can bring some of those into your own home, too. Set up a mini golf tournament in your backyard, dig out those classic board games from the cupboard or stock up on puzzles — even our PM agrees the latter is essential. You can also try your hand at a virtual escape room — our pick is this Harry Potter one. Or, crowdfund with all your housemates to purchase a traditional arcade game. CONVERT YOUR DINING AREA INTO AN INTIMATE BAR Finding a dimly lit nook in a small bar and splitting a bottle with someone is one of our favourite winter pastimes — it suits when on a first date, catching up with an old friend and bonding with a new colleague. To bring some of those cosy vibes into your apartment, set mood lighting with those candles you've been hoarding, grab a couple of premium beers, then order in some cocktails from a local bar for 'happy hour' or crack open that vino you've been saving for a special occasion. Oh, and don't forget the snacks. Get some top-notch cheese delivered from Formaggi Ocello in Sydney, Milk the Cow in Melbourne or Le Fromage Yard in Brisbane and build your own grazing board. [caption id="attachment_709879" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] REVAMP YOUR BEDROOM TO BE LIKE AN ART GALLERY You may only think of it as the place you go to sleep, but your bedroom is pretty important, particularly when you live with other people. It's where you retreat to after all that partying around your pad. It's also where you have free rein to express your personality and interests through your art and styling choices — from your bed linen to funky furniture choices. A wall mural decal will transform a blank wall into a big statement that emanates an inner-city laneway. For something a little less permanent, create your own mural with old photos, posters or magazine clippings (yes, just like you did in high school), or support a local artist and buy one of their pieces — sites like Cream Town are a good place to start with artworks starting at just $100. For more ways to celebrate your city's nightlife and recreate its energy in your own space, head this way.
SXSW Sydney is back for 2024 in a big way — and even if you're only planning to hit up its Screen Festival across Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20, a stacked program awaits. When the event kicks off for this year, it's doing so with a movie that bowed at its Austin counterpart, heads back to the 90s, sports a Saturday Night Live alum behind the lens and boasts plenty of well-known faces on-screen, including the Harbour City event's music keynote speaker for 2024. The film: A24's Y2K, the directorial debut of Kyle Mooney (No Hard Feelings), with Rachel Zegler (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), Julian Dennison (Uproar), Jaeden Martell (Arcadian) and The Kid LAROI starring. The storyline: it's New Year's Eve in 1999, a heap of folks are at a high-school party and the Y2K bug strikes. The fest's small-screen highlights span debuting and returning fare, as well as a new show that's the latest version of a popular hit that just keeps being remade. Plum, which stars Brendan Cowell (The Twelve) as a footballer who learns that his concussions have led to a brain disorder, and also features Asher Keddie (Fake) and Jemaine Clement (Time Bandits), is premiering at SXSW Sydney before airing on ABC. Apple TV+ delight Shrinking with Jason Segel (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) is showing a sneak peek of its second season, and the new Australian take on The Office joins the program via a panel discussion featuring lead Felicity Ward (Time Bandits) with executive producers and writers Jackie van Beek (Nude Tuesday) and Julie De Fina (Aftertaste). Back on movies, Matt Damon (The Instigators)- and Ben Affleck (The Flash)-produced sports drama Unstoppable will enjoy its Australian premiere. Telling Anthony Robles' true tale, it stars Jharrel Jerome (I'm a Virgo) as the wrestler born with one leg — plus Bobby Cannavale (MaXXXine), Michael Peña (A Million Miles Away), Don Cheadle (Fight Night) and Jennifer Lopez (Atlas). Also on the film list: the world premiere of the Chicago-set Pools, which features Odessa A'zion (Ghosts) as a college sophomore at summer school; Messy, another summer-set flick, this time featuring Alexi Wasser (Poker Face), Ione Skye (Beef) Adam Goldberg (The Exorcism); First Nations coming-of-age tale Jazzy, with Lily Gladstone (Fancy Dance) as a star and executive producer; and They're Here, a documentary about UFO fanatics. Or, from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Before We Vanish) comes both Cloud and Serpent's Path — the first of which is Japan's submission for 2025's Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars, with the second remaking the director's own 1998 revenge film in French. There's also headliners Saturday Night, Smile 2, Nightbitch, The Front Room and Pavements — and everything from cults, cat-loving animation and Christmas carnage thanks to Azrael, Ghost Cat Anzu and Carnage for Christmas. Movie buffs can also look forward to Ilana Glazer (The Afterparty)-led mom-com Babes; the maximum-security prison-set Sing Sing with Colman Domingo (Drive-Away Dolls); and Inside, which features Guy Pearce (The Clearing), Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun) and Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders). Documentary Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird spends time with At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala; Teaches of Peaches goes on tour with its namesake; the Lucy Lawless (My Life Is Murder)-directed doco Never Look Away is about CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth; Peter Dinklage (Unfrosted) and Juliette Lewis (Yellowjackets) lead western-thriller The Thicket; and Aussie doco Like My Brother is about four aspiring AFLW players from the Tiwi Islands. The list goes on, with The Most Australian Band Ever! about the Hard-Ons, That Sugar Film and 2040 filmmaker Damon Gameau's Future Council, and Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts from Barbecue and We Don't Deserve Dogs' Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker also screening.
There's no one way to choose which airline to fly with, or what time to take to the skies. Pure and simple necessity might leave you without options anyway. But if you're the kind of traveller who loves saying cheers to your flight with a wine or beer in your hand, Qantas has poured out some great news just as the holidays are about to hit. That free drink that everyone usually scores from 4pm in economy on the carrier's routes? It's now kicking in at midday. So, effective immediately, travellers flying with Qantas on all domestic and regional flights from 12pm onwards will be offered a complimentary beverage. Your options: a red or white wine, with Aussie drops getting the nod, or a One Fifty Lashes Premium Pale Ale. This is the first time that the Australian airline is bringing forward the opening time for its onboard economy wine bar — which, of course, isn't a part of the plane where everyone hangs out with a drink in their hand, but the name that Qantas has given its vino-slinging offering. Your drink will come with either lunch or snacks, depending on the time that you're flying — or even dinner, because the free beverage still applies after 4pm. Fancy a quiet sip by yourself? Remember that Qantas also now lets you pay for neighbour-free seating, purchasing the middle seat so you have a gap between you and the next person. For more information about Qantas' onboard dining options, head to the airline's website.
In self-portrait after self-portrait, Frida Kahlo was no stranger to giving the world a window into what made the artist tick. The Mexican painter didn't just create art — she bared her soul, especially in pieces where she stares back at audiences. Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image has a similar intimate aim in mind, as aided by some of the icon's depictions of herself, as well as a treasure trove of her personal belongings. When it arrives Down Under in 2025, this will be Australia's latest celebration of Kahlo after the Art Gallery of South Australia's 150-work Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution showcase of Mexican modernism in 2023, and also Sydney Festival's multi-sensory Frida Kahlo: Life of an Icon the same year. That's quite the spread of places around the country that've been dedicating walls and halls to the artist, with Bendigo now joining them. Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image will display at the Bendigo Art Gallery from Saturday, March 15–Sunday, July 13. [caption id="attachment_966475" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frida Kahlo in blue satin blouse, 1939, photograph by Nickolas Muray © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.[/caption] Many of the artworks and items that'll feature have never been seen in Australia before. In fact, some were sealed for 50 years in her family home when Diego Rivera ensured that the site would become a museum after Kahlo passed away in 1954, and that her most-personal items were stored in the bathrooms away from public eyes. Objects such as clothes and makeup will make the trip to regional Victoria, as will mementoes and photographs. Accordingly, attendees will be peering at traditional Mexican garments, including a headdress from the Oaxaca region, that were worn by Kahlo; Revlon cosmetics, such as lipstick, nail polish and an eyebrow pencil; and hand-painted medical corsets that she donned following spinal surgeries. Appearances Can Be Deceiving, a self-portrait drawing that provides a view through her clothing to her corset x-ray style, is also a highlight. [caption id="attachment_966474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] La Casa Azul. Photograph by Sebastián Monsalve. © Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera Archives. Bank of Mexico, Fiduciary in the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Museum Trust.[/caption] Arriving direct from the Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico, Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image is exclusive to the Bendigo institution, so you'll need to make the trip if you're keen to explore what the artist's belongings and style says about her art. "This remarkable collection rarely travels outside Mexico, and has never before been seen in Australia. Kahlo's much-loved home, Casa Azul, now the Museo Frida Kahlo, was the embodiment of her art, philosophies and design influences," explains Jessica Bridgfoot, Director of Bendigo Art Gallery. "Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image will shed a light on Kahlo's carefully crafted appearance in the world, and how her vibrant clothing, poetic use of makeup and adornment constructed her captivating public image, and also addressed global political issues, cultural identity and how her physical disabilities both defied and defined her." [caption id="attachment_966476" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cotton blouse embroidered with glass beads; satin skirt with chain stitch and floral motif embroidery; holán (ruffle) and guatemalan waist-sash. Photo: © Museo Frida Kahlo - Casa Azul Collection - Javier Hinojosa, 2017.[/caption] "Frida Kahlo: In her own image originates from the extensive investigation of Frida Kahlo's personal objects, found in trunks, wardrobes, drawers, bathrooms and cellars of the Casa Azul," adds Perla Labarthe Alvarez, Museo Frida Kahlo's Director. "The exhibition is a unique opportunity to learn about the Kahlo's life in a classical Mexican house which encompassed not only her personal world but so much of Mexican life and culture. These endearing objects help us understand the story of this complex artist with all her humanity, resilience and creative power." [caption id="attachment_966477" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frida Kahlo, by Guillermo Kahlo, 1932 © Frida Kahlo Museum[/caption] [caption id="attachment_966478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Revlon compact and powderpuff with blusher in 'Clear Red'; Seal-fast nail varnish top coat; Lastron nail varnishes in 'Frosted Snow Pink' and 'Frosted Pink Lightening'; lipstick in 'Everything's Rosy'. Before 1954. Photo: © Museo Frida Kahlo - Casa Azul Collection - Javier Hinojosa, 2017.[/caption] Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image will display at Bendigo Art Gallery, 42 View Street, Bendigo from Saturday, March 15–Sunday, July 13, 2025. Head to the gallery's website for further details. Top image: Frida Kahlo in blue satin blouse, 1939, photograph by Nickolas Muray © NickolasMuray Photo Archives.
Solar power. Who needs it? Well, we do — and pretty desperately. To generate it though, we need those pesky black solar panels to be fitted to people's roofs and properties and anywhere we can find a space for them. This can be a little hard without overtaking natural environments and farmland. But France have found thousands of kilometres of space perfect for solar panels: their roads. After researching and testing the idea in carparks over the past year, the country has unveiled its first solar-powered road — and the world's. Stretching over a one kilometre expanse in Tourouvre-au-Perche in Normandy, the trial site features 2,880 panels and will be used by 2,000 motorists a day, generating 280 megawatts of energy per year. Ideally, that'll be enough to keep the town's street lights glowing during the two-year test run. The road is made from a silicon-coated surface called the Wattway system, which is comprised of 7mm photovoltaic panels stuck on top of existing road surfaces. Both its thinness and ease of application to existing roads make it the best option of its type, with the idea of paving roads with solar panels first floated by Scott and Julie Brusaw via a crowdfunding campaign to pave American parking lots with the things in 2014. The French project is a collaboration between transport infrastructure company Colas and France's National Institute for Solar Energy, as sanctioned by France's Agency of Environment and Energy Management. If the Normandy installation goes to plan, they're hoping to bring solar power to 1000-kilometres of roads in the country over the next five years. They're also promising to try out the idea around the world, with other trials planned inNorth America, Europe, Africa, and Japan. Here's hoping they're all successful, and that the project makes its way over here. As anyone who's stood barefoot on asphalt on a hot day knows, that stuff stores a lethal amount of heat. Via: Mental Floss. Image: COLAS – Joachim Bertrand. By Lauren Vadnjal and Sarah Ward.
For loved ones that prefer their flowers edible, Gelato Messina is once again happy to oblige. It has created a new frozen floral creation, dubbed Feeling Thorny, a limited-edition gelato rose, which will be released exclusively for Valentine's Day this year. The glittering red rose is complex inside and out — in true Messina fashion. Petals are made from salted caramel chantilly, laced with strawberry compote and dulce de leche, and the rose is set atop a white chocolate-lined waffle cone filled with dulce de leche and earl grey gelato (and more strawberry compote for good measure). It's then placed in a 'flower pot' made from choc-hazelnut praline mousse and chocolate brownie crumble, sitting on an edible chocolate disk. Yes, it's as decadent as it sounds. To serve, the dessert needs to be removed from the freezer to the fridge ten minutes before you're ready to indulge, then cut down the middle (using a hot, sharp knife) to reveal the cross-sections of gelato inside. The treat can only be out of the freezer for 30 minutes, so plan accordingly. The rose will cost you $40 — likely less than a dozen (non-edible) V-day roses — with one rose serving two. Orders are only available for pickup on February 13 or 14 from noon–10pm and quantities are limited. Feeling Thorny is available at seven Sydney locations — Rosebery, Darlinghurst, Tramsheds, Bondi, Parramatta, Miranda and Penrith — as well as at South Brisbane, Melbourne's Fitzroy and Canberra's Braddon outposts.
Forget long-haul flights and lengthy stopovers — our closest neighbours are brimming with idyllic islands, gorgeous beaches and scenic regions just waiting to be enjoyed. It's never too late or too early to start planning your next holiday — and New Zealand has plenty to offer if you're looking for an unforgettable travel adventure in the middle of the year. Between geothermal phenomena and snow-capped peaks, the country is home to first-class skifields, dramatic volcanic landscapes, practically untouched coastal tracks and foodie paradises. While it can be tempting to curl up and stay in come cooler temperatures, nature's most fun playground emerges during winter and an escape to New Zealand is the only way to make the most of the season. To help you get planning for your mid-year break, here are ten places worth working your 2025 travels around. Wānaka Just a one-hour drive from Queenstown over the dramatic Crown Range and through Cardrona Valley is Wānaka, a lakeside village offering an equal level of heart-stirring beauty as its larger sibling. Boasting its own microclimate, Wānaka comes to life in the winter. The waters become icy and the surrounding peaks, which become cloaked in snow, reflect off the lake. The arrival of winter also marks the start of ski season and Wānaka is home to not one, but four ski resorts — each with distinct terrain. There's the world-class Cardrona Alpine Resort, straddling Queenstown and Wānaka, where the southern hemisphere's most extensive terrain park proudly sits alongside a mix of groomed runs and backcountry options. Conquering Roys Peak — one of the South Island's signature hikes — on foot is weather dependent during winter and you might need confident hiking skills, but Treble Cone Ski Area offers breathtaking views of the peak and Lake Wānaka regardless of whether you hit the resort's steep slopes. Rounding out Wānaka's resorts are Snow Farm and Soho Basin by Amisfield, both offering one-of-a-kind experiences. The former is where you'll find New Zealand's only cross-country facility while the latter is home to a guided catskiing experience that will take you deep into the backcountry beyond resort boundaries with catering by Queenstown's lauded wine producer and restaurant Amisfield. Back on solid ground, the family-owned Maude Wines is highly recommended for wine lovers, while beer fans are spoiled for choice with everything from tasting rooms to open-plan breweries and garden bars. [caption id="attachment_986162" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Trafford[/caption] Wellington New Zealand's capital is brimming with more restaurants, cafes and craft breweries than you can poke a wizard's staff at. It's no secret that the city has more cafes, bars and restaurants per capita than New York City — meaning you'd have to try pretty hard to have a horrible meal or bevvy in the city. (Here are five spots to get you started at any rate.) Your weekend on the waterfront might also include wandering through street art-filled laneways, copping postcard-worthy views from the top of Mount Vic, taking in some culture at our national museum or getting up close and personal with native birdlife at the world's first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary. The relatively small Wellington CBD also makes hopping around the city, and between eateries, a breeze. [caption id="attachment_986165" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Miles Holden[/caption] Abel Tasman National Park The Abel Tasman National Park is best known for its coastal track which bypasses stunning shoreline and lush native bush that's accessible year-round. A 60-kilometre one-way journey might seem like a long way to trek, but when you can set your pack down and rest on secluded golden sand beaches, it's well worth it. On the way you'll discover Cleopatra's Pool — a natural rock pool with a moss-lined waterslide — negotiate tidal crossings, walk across a suspension bridge and encounter a seal colony. If you'd prefer a more relaxing adventure, you can take a water taxi or kayak between different locations. Top beaches worthy of a visit include Anchorage Bay, which is home to the track's first large camping spot, Torrent Bay, Kaiteriteri and Awaroa. [caption id="attachment_986166" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Miles Holden[/caption] The Poor Knights Islands Northland's Poor Knights Islands and its underwater network of caves, cliffs and tunnels are renowned for their diving and snorkelling. Jacques Cousteau once rated the area as one of the top ten dives in the world. The sea surrounding the islands has been a marine reserve since 1981, and offers a great variety of underwater habitats to explore, from kelp forest and sponge gardens inhabited by a multitude of exotic fish — many of which aren't found anywhere else in New Zealand, to black coral found in deeper waters and the steep cliffs that plunge up to 100 metres below sea level. If you're willing to brave the colder winter water temperatures, you'll be rewarded with exceptional visibility in the water that's still rich with sealife to observe. Aoraki/Mount Cook Standing at 3724 metres, Aoraki/Mount Cook is New Zealand's tallest mountain. With its sharp peak and plummeting crevasses, the sheer sight is enough to keep you on edge, but the company of the mountain is oddly comforting. Ngai Tahu, the main iwi of the region, consider Aoraki as the most sacred of the ancestors that they had descended from. The name is believed to mean cloud piercer. Ascending the steep peak is no easy feat and should be reserved for the most experienced climbers, or those safely tucked inside a helicopter. Winter transforms the mountain and unleashes its full natural beauty. From Hooker Lake, south of the mountain, the modern explorer can indulge in the ever-inspiring lake and mountain. As you drive into the region, past the electric blue Lake Pukaki, and catch the first glimpse of the mountain in the background, you know you're in for a vision of a lifetime. [caption id="attachment_791440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Glen Sinclair.[/caption] Wharariki This windswept beach at the top of the South Island has to be one of the country's most photographed sections of coastline. Wharariki is only accessible via a 20-minute track from the end of Wharariki Road, which travels over farmland and through coastal forest. With particularly big seas, sightseeing is the number one attraction here — and the Archway Islands will certainly serve up the goods. The group of four rock formations rising from the tide provide an exception photo opp, especially if you decide to tour the region on horseback. The beach is popular year-round, but winter is the best time to walk the flat shores if you prefer your vistas less busy. [caption id="attachment_610026" align="alignnone" width="1282"] Rob Tucker.[/caption] New Plymouth Sitting on the western knob of the North Island, halfway between Auckland and Wellington, is New Plymouth — one of the country's best-kept secrets and a town bored of being thrown into the same basket as Palmerston North. At the heels of the mighty Mount Taranaki, or mini-Mount Fuji, you'll find a blossoming foodie paradise, a thriving arts scene and world-class festivals like WOMAD. The 13-kilometre coastal walkway is a must when visiting the region — head along the winding trail past the rugged coast and popular surf beaches. Elsewhere, the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre is the first gallery in New Zealand dedicated entirely to a single artist. The structure's undulating stainless steel exterior is a major landmark in the CBD, a work of art in itself, and gives great insight into the groundbreaking artist and his obsession with 'art of movement'. [caption id="attachment_791436" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trevor Klatko.[/caption] Ninety Mile Beach This epic 88-kilometre-long stretch of sand has to be seen to be believed. The famed northland beach starts near Kaitaia and makes its way up to Cape Reinga. At low tide, the beach is officially a public highway, but don't even think about bringing your rental hatchback here — several have been swallowed by the unforgiving seas. The dunes at Te Paki in the north are famously used for bodyboarding — just expect to take home pockets full of sand. Whether you're sliding on down when the weather dips or in full sunshine, bring water and sunscreen. [caption id="attachment_986368" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Miles Holden[/caption] Waipoua Forest The walking track to Tāne Mahuta, the largest known living kauri tree in Aotearoa, in Waipoua Forest only just re-opened at the end of 2024, which makes exploring this pocket of New Zealand even more special. Nearby is Te Matua Ngahere, which just might be the oldest tree in New Zealand. While it's not possible to test the tree to confirm, Waipoua Forest on the whole is incredibly lush, verdant and well worth exploring. Fiordland At the heart of Fiordland sits Milford Sound. A spot that hardly needs an introduction, visiting Milford Sound during the winter months is a chance to experience a completely different side to one of New Zealand's best-known and most-visited landmarks. Famously one of the wettest places not just in New Zealand, but the world, winter is one of the few times in the year when Fiordland dries up just a touch, revealing crystal clear skies and unobstructed views. Although it's still best to be prepared for wet weather, this is the season to try your luck. Just as we retreat inwards during the winter, so too do marine wildlife — during the winter, seals, penguins and dolphins tend to head inwards into the Sound, which makes spotting them in one of New Zealand's most breathtaking vistas a very real possibility. Find your very own Aotearoa New Zealand here. Top image: Miles Holden.
UPDATE, July 16, 2021: Blade Runner 2049 is available to stream via Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Do sci-fi fans dream of immersive future worlds, neon visuals scored by dark synth notes, and existential musings on what it means to be human? Yes, and they dream of Blade Runner 2049. The sequel to Ridley Scott's influential 1982 film comes to cinemas with a task that's harder than spotting a replicant — or, more accurately, a task that's quite comparable. Directed by Arrival's Denis Villeneuve, and written by the original's Hampton Fancher with Logan's Michael Green, can this follow-up deliver the real deal, or just a convincing copy? The answer, in fitting Blade Runner style, isn't as simple as that. Audiences won't spend decades arguing about it; rather, they'll lap up a movie that's every bit as spectacular as its predecessor, largely because it's built from similar pieces. Taking its cues from the other Harrison Ford behemoth that recently received a long-awaited next instalment — aka Star Wars — Blade Runner 2049 finds the right balance between venturing forward and nodding to the past. With a noir-ish, detective-focused narrative, and plenty of time spent pondering the difference between artificial and flesh-and-blood life, the film proves both a bold second chapter and a loving pseudo-remake. Set 30 years after the events of the first feature, Blade Runner 2049 follows Los Angeles cop K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner charged with finding and "retiring" old androids. In the intervening period, replicants have fallen out of favour, then come to the fore again in newer, more compliant models, and ultimately found something of an equilibrium with humanity, with tech tycoon Niander Wallace (an ill-placed Jared Leto) leading the charge. Alas, K's latest case threatens the fragile harmony between man and machine, while also leading him to someone who once had his job: an older but far-from-friendlier Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). That description might seem sparse on details, but the 164-minute film itself is anything but. In soaring overhead shots of crumbling urban sprawl, grey-hued storage facilities, and orange-tinted landscapes, cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall) serves up a masterclass in making every image look like it belongs in an art gallery. In each thrum and drone of the score from Benjamin Wallfisch (It) and Hans Zimmer (Dunkirk), moodiness and mystery intertwine with a rollercoaster of emotion. And, in Gosling's stoic turn at the centre of it all, a look over the top of an upturned collar, and a pause during a slow walk, say much more than the dialogue. Playing a hologram that embodies the next technologically assisted step in the quest for connection, Ana de Armas (War Dogs) proves similarly effective. For a film that overwhelms with its extraordinary sights and echoing sounds, Blade Runner 2049 revels in the little things, and in the potent cumulative toll that they can have. Accordingly, it paints a broad, bleak picture of the past dictating the future that's vivid and convincing because it takes the time to soak in the minutiae — be it the glow of a busy street, the texture of a dead tree or the sorrow in a grizzled face. Again, it's apt — as adapted from Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the franchise's dystopian vision started with Deckard checking for incriminating glimmers in replicants' eyes, with a tiny flash telling a much bigger tale. Villeneuve achieves the cinematic equivalent, making each moment resound with meaning while honouring the legacy of the original. Oh, and if you thought that every sci-fi flick over the past 35 years took its cues from Blade Runner — and they did — prepare for three further decades of new movies doing the same with Blade Runner 2049. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGa3M0hfTCo
For the past few months, Australia's pandemic-era rules and restrictions around travelling have been easing — covering both heading interstate and venturing abroad. If spending more time at home over the last two years has left you with a hefty case of wanderlust, you've likely noticed another big trend, too: flight sales aiming to make your next getaway far more affordable. Just after New Zealand announced that it'd be letting Aussies head across the Tasman for holidays earlier than expected, Virgin has started a sale that'll help you scratch that ditch-crossing itch. Actually, with 1.5 million fares up for grabs to both Aussie and international destinations, it'll help you get flying to wherever your next vacation spot may be. So, whether you're keen to see your mates interstate or head overseas for some rest and relaxation, you've got options. Among the domestic routes, one-way fares start at $45, which'll get you from Sydney to Ballina. Other sale flights include Melbourne–Hobart from $55, Brisbane–Whitsunday Coast from $59, Sydney–Sunshine Coast from $65 and Melbourne–Adelaide from $89. And if you're wondering when you'll need to travel, you can book trips between July 27–December 14, 2022. Internationally, one-way fares cover getaways to Bali, Fiji and Queenstown — including from Sydney (from $269 to Bali, $229 to Fiji and $289 to Queenstown), Melbourne ($269 / $259 / $279) and Brisbane ($239 / $249 / $309). Again, that means you've got choices, including if multiple getaways to different spots are in your ideal future. As always when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's discounted fares are now on offer until midnight AEST on Monday, April 4 or sold out, whichever arrives first. In a bonus for anyone travelling with kids, Virgin is also taking an extra 25 percent off sale fares booked for children between the ages of 2 and 11. Across all of its sale flights, only some fares cover seat selection and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing last year that it is now splitting its economy range into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. Also, depending on where you're travelling to internationally, you'll obviously need to check border restrictions and any entry requirements. Virgin's Back to Holidays sale runs from until Monday, April 4 — or until sold out. Find out more about current Australian border rules via the Australian Government's Health Direct website and its Smart Traveller website.
It's the film that first made the world fall in love with Hugh Grant, screenwriter Richard Curtis and their brand of British rom-coms — and, just like everything else with a well-known name in the entertainment game, Four Weddings and a Funeral has made a return. This time around, the hit flick has been remade as an American TV miniseries. If you're unsurprisingly a little skeptical, the news that Mindy Kaling is one of the show's creators and writers should change that. Kaling's six-season sitcom The Mindy Project was basically a long-running ode to the romantic comedy genre, complete with plenty of references to plenty of classic flicks. As a result, reworking one of the huge rom-com successes of the past quarter-century really does feel like the logical next step. Across a ten-episode series made for US streaming service Hulu, the latest version of Four Weddings and a Funeral follows four American friends who meet up in London for a wedding. Clearly, given the title, three more ceremonies are in their future, as is a tearful farewell to someone they know. The show tracks a year in their lives, their romantic escapades and even political scandals — all with a cast that includes Game of Thrones' Nathalie Emmanuel as Maya, plus Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Mindy Project), Brandon Mychal Smith (You're the Worst) and John Reynolds (Search Party) as her best buddies. Nikesh Patel (Doctor Who) also features as Maya's potential love interest, who she first encounters in an airport meet cute, naturally. And while Hugh Grant doesn't show up — sorry, 90s obsessives — original Four Weddings star Andie MacDowell does. Because Kaling isn't averse to nodding to other rom-com favourites of the era, My Best Friend's Wedding's Dermot Mulroney also makes an appearance. The series actually dropped in America in 2019, but it's now making its way to Australian viewers via streaming platform Stan. If you're looking for something to watch over your summer break, it'll be available in full from Friday, December 18. Watch the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe8trFdvJPU Four Weddings and a Funeral drops on Stan on Friday, December 18.
When you think about getting some culture, your first thought might be to dust off the ol' passport and hop on an eyeball-drying flight across the globe. But with tens of thousands of years of rich and complex Indigenous history in Central Australia, it's high time we appreciate the culture present in our own country. We've teamed up with Tourism Central Australia to highlight ten of the most soulful experiences the majestic Red Centre has to offer, from dot-painting against a backdrop of sheer red cliffs to candid conversations with First Nations artists. Want to plan your very own adventure to the Red Centre? Take a look at our handy trip builder to start building your custom itinerary now.
"Justin Bieber is the future of rock music." Iggy Pop It may sound like the start of a Tui billboard is actually part of a new Amnesty International Belgium anti-torturing campaign featuring Karl Lagerfield, the Dalai Lama and Iggy Pop. Stop Torture quotes these celebrities saying the unlikeliest statements of their careers while looking like they've just been 240/242d pretty badly. Amnesty International Belgium director Philippe Hensmans explains, "For us it was a quirky but not sloppy way to attract public attention to [the] tragic reality [of torture], which often happens in the greatest secrecy." In addition to being inhumane, torture is also ineffective. "The history has shown that tortured people are often willing to say anything for the pain to stop – the whole truth, only a part or its opposite... Torture a man and you can get him to say anything." The UN adopted the Convention Against Torture in 1984, but many governments like the US, Mexico, North Korea, Philippines and Nigeria are still torturing today. "Governments around the world are two-faced on torture - prohibiting it in law, but facilitating it in practice" says Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General. Check out the campaign posters below. "The summit of elegance is a hawaiian shirt with jandals." Karl Lagerfield "The future of rock and roll is Justin Bieber." Iggy Pop "A man who doesn't own a Rolex watch by the time he's 50 has failed in life." Dalai Lama Article via The Independent
It's the season of must-see TV we've known was coming since way back in 2020, and it finally has a release date. That'd be The Handmaid's Tale's fifth batch of episodes, which'll return this spring. The words you're looking for: praise be. With this hit series, blessed be the dystopian dramas, which is exactly what The Handmaid's Tale has been serving up since 2017 now. Of course, on the page, this bleak look at a potential oppressive existence has been drawing in fans since the 1985, when Margaret Atwood's book first hit shelves. A film followed in 1990, and opera in 2000 — plus a sequel novel in 2019, too. Yes, there have been many ways to dive into The Handmaid's Tale over the years, but only one keeps winning small-screen awards and stars a phenomenal Elisabeth Moss (Shining Girls). Thankfully, the wait between the show's fourth and fifth seasons is shorter than the gap between its third and fourth — a year rather than two. The date to mark in your diary: September 15, given that the show will return in the US on September 14. Down Under, episodes usually air weekly on SBS in Australia, and stream via SBS On Demand — and hit Neon in New Zealand — at the same time as in America. There's no trailer just yet, but The Handmaid's Tale's fifth season will arrive with two episodes to start with, then drop new instalments weekly afterwards. And, story-wise, it'll step back into June's (Moss) life after season four's climactic events. Accordingly, that also means watching Serena (Yvonne Strahovski, Stateless) try to raise her profile in Toronto, with season five seeing Gilead's influence creeps into Canada. Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford, Tick, Tick... Boom!) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, Rebecca) endeavour to reform Gilead, too. And June, Luke (O-T Fagbenle, Black Widow) and Moira (Samira Wiley, Breaking News in Yuba County) will keep fighting the totalitarian regime. Also returning among the cast: Max Minghella (Spiral: From the Book of Saw), Madeline Brewer (Hustlers), Amanda Brugel (Snowpiercer) and Sam Jaeger (The Eyes of Tammy Faye). The fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale will hit start airing in Australia and New Zealand in September — on SBS TV, and to stream via SBS On Demand and Neon, with new episodes arriving weekly.
Prepare to exclaim "yeah, science!" like Jesse Pinkman — and to see a whole lot more of Aaron Paul's Breaking Bad character. The acclaimed series is making a comeback, cooking up a movie that'll serve as a sequel to the show's finale. In the spotlight: Walter White's former student and protege, who might just be in a spot of trouble. While this follow-up will span a single two-hour package, rather than span multiple episodes, it is still coming to a small screen near you. As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, it's heading to Netflix before screening in the US on AMC, the network behind the original show. Just when it'll hit the platform hasn't been announced. First revealed last year, the film has a working title of Greenbriar, and begin shooting back in November. Plot details are scarce; however it'll reportedly focus on Pinkman and chart a kidnapped man's escape. It hasn't been confirmed if the former and the latter are one and the same, but it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to put them together. As Better Call Saul diehards are well aware, Breaking Bad has never completely gone away since the OG show wrapped up in 2013; however fans eager to look forward in the show's chronology, not backwards at the early life of Bob Odenkirk's shady lawyer Saul Goodman, have something to add to their must-watch list. There's no word yet on who else will feature in the film — and although Bryan Cranston confirmed the news of the movie, but whether he's in it or what it's about is still the subject of rumour. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
Did you wake up this morning with a pounding headache, a few Instagram selfies of you and a beardy blur that looks like Zach Galifianakis, and a strange number in your phone? Good news! Your horrible life decisions are actually not your fault at all — it's science! Or at least that's what we'll tactfully choose to deduct from the latest research out of Spain. Researchers at the University of Granada have recently published a study that scientifically proves the existence of beer goggles. Proving that the eye actually suffers a significant deterioration in optical quality after alcohol consumption, these boozing brainiacs figured out that ethanol from the alcohol you consume makes its way into your tear ducts and clouds the outermost layer of your tear film. This affects the quality of the image you see and, when drinking at night, it increases the perception of luminous circles — halos — around the objects you view. Giving an entirely new meaning to a certain Beyonce song, this new phenomenon manifests itself best at night and ends up looking a little something like this: Pouring various quantities of prize-winning Spanish wine into their 67 subjects — who knew science was so glamourous? — the researchers deducted that these halos were most prevalent in the volunteers whose breath alcohol limit exceeded the legal driving range of 0.25mg/litre. As if we needed more evidence that you shouldn't drive under the influence, this gives some physical proof to why drunk drivers are dangerous behind the wheel. But it also has important implications for your romantic life. Picture this: you're in a dim-lit underground bar with romantic candles perched around some snug booths and a dance floor. You've partaken in a certain 2-for-1 cocktail special and followed it up with a selection of shots named after 1950s movie stars (because, what can you say, you're classy like that). A man approaches, all bearded and stylish with an effortless Joaquin Phoenix-style strut. The music's too loud and you can't really hear what he says, but you feel somewhat compelled to mush your lips on his face, slip him your number, or some smooth combination of the two. With scientific fact in hand, maybe now you can think twice before trusting your Grey Goose-laden eyes. Via Science Daily. Photo credits: katie coleslaw via photopin cc and Juan Castro/University of Granada.
Does a cocktail, meal or cup of coffee taste better when it's served up in stunning surroundings? It shouldn't, but interior design is still a pivotal part of the hospitality experience. So recognises the Australian Interior Design Awards, which also highlights spectacular decor in shops, workplaces, homes and public settings — and the annual gongs have just revealed 2024's shortlisted venues. Now in its 21st year, AIDA has found more than a few bars, restaurants, cafes, houses, offices, retailers and the like that it considers supremely stylish. This year's shortlist includes 222 projects from around the country (plus a few overseas that spring from local talent), which is a record for the awards. Not all of them are hospo joints, of course; however, the next time that you're keen to hang out in chic digs while you get sipping and eating, you'll have more than a few choices. And, the same goes for whenever the urge to browse and buy strikes, too. [caption id="attachment_949107" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Wolf Dining and Bar, Brock Beazley[/caption] Hospitality design contenders include Capella, Longshore, Bar Besuto and Hanasuki in Sydney; Reine and La Rue, The Ritz-Carlton, The Lyall, Antara 128, Enoteca Boccaccio and Purple Pit in Melbourne; and The Wolf Dining and Bar and the revamped Gerard's in Brisbane. South Australia's Pinco Deli, Fugazzi Basement and Evergreen Cafe also made the cut, as did Ember Bath House, Lawson Flats, Canteen Pizza and Yiamas in Western Australia. In the retail design category, Dissh Bondi, Sydney's LeTAO and Gelato Messina Newtown are up against Melbourne's Pidapipó Laboratorio and G McBean Family Butcher, to name just a few places on the shortlist. And, the public design field includes UQ Brisbane City, Art Gallery of New South Wales' library and members lounge, and stage three of Geelong Arts Centre. [caption id="attachment_929402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Capella Sydney, Timothy Kaye[/caption] The rundown goes on in all fields, which means that — as proves the case every year — there's no shortage of strikingly designed new, revamped and refurbished places demanding your attention around around the country. This year's winners will be announced in-person at a dinner the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney on Friday, June 14. [caption id="attachment_922655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Antara 128, Haydn Cattach[/caption] [caption id="attachment_905603" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Longshore, Jason Loucas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_927271" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Enoteca Boccaccio, Peter Clarke[/caption] [caption id="attachment_928198" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LeTAO[/caption] [caption id="attachment_949111" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gelato Messina Newtown, Jack Fenby[/caption] For the full Australian Interior Design Awards 2024 shortlist, head to the AIDA website. Top image: Como Restaurant by Cieran Murphy.
Hong Kong is almost close enough (an eight-hour plane trip) to justify a long weekend away. Doing it cheap isn't easy, and what would particularly be the point? As one of the world's most expensive cities, especially for hotels, it's all about bling. Eating out can be more affordable than the top end of Australian restaurants, with obviously superior Cantonese dining options, but drinking in the hipper bars will set you back $10 a beer. If you want cheap, go to Thailand. If you want style, go to Hong Kong. The main socialising districts are Hong Kong Island, traditionally where it's all happening, and Kowloon across the harbour, its less glamorous cousin, although that's changing. Italian and French dining is in vogue at the moment, with Caprice and Pierre the top-dollar and high-rise favourites. Further down the cheap food chain are the Canto picks. The Chairman and Fook Lam Moon offer traditional Chinese cooking with a modern flair, rejecting the MSG of the local diners. The owner of The Chairman, Danny Yip, owns three Chairman restaurants in Canberra and prides himself on an organic approach to crab and dumpling feasts. Spring Moon is an upmarket 1920s-style teahouse bang in the middle of a five-star hotel, with ornate surroundings. If you want more exclusive surroundings, Yard Bird does take bookings and is the hot new place to be seen by local celebrities. Drinking is synonymous with views of the harbour, with most bars perched on top of swish hotels. Among the most popular are Hutong, which is a faux traditional restaurant with an indoor mezzanine bar above the private dining rooms and red lanterns overlooking the skyscapers of Hong Kong Island. For outdoor boozing, head to Eyebar (level 30, 63 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon) for a vertigo-inducing vista, Ozone, apparently the highest bar in the world, or Sugar in the East hotel. More down-to-earth reveling can be found at the Kee Club, a members-only den with private rooms decorated like libraries and it hosts open club nights on the weekend. It's near Lan Kwai Fong, the main drinking area for visiting drunkards, which is open to the early hours and home to all-night clubs. It's not particularly cheap, but Hong Kong does offer expensive memories.
It's been home to David Lynch's eerie filmscapes, Yayoi Kusama's infinity and obliteration rooms, Gary Carsley's projected jacarandas and Patricia Piccinini's forest of flowers that aren't quite flowers. Soon, it'll welcome a riverbed, a snowman and a suspended installation that visitors can climb through, too. Yes, Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art loves an immersive installation — and it has more in store for 2020. Fancy wandering through a labyrinth of red and black wool? That's on next year's agenda. As part of its just-announced 2020 lineup, GOMA revealed it'll host Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles, a showcase focusing on the Berlin-based Japanese artist and her work over the past quarter-century. In an Australian exclusive, the exhibition comes to Brisbane after recently premiering in Tokyo — and while it won't sit 53 storeys up or come with panoramic views of the city, like it did in Japan, Shiota's string-heavy installations are certain to garner more than a little attention. Fashioned from millions of strands, they resemble weaved, maze-like webs and take up entire rooms. The Soul Trembles is the largest-ever solo exhibition by the artist — and although GOMA hasn't revealed just how much of the Tokyo lineup is coming to Brisbane, art lovers can expect an array of sprawling installations, sculptures and video footage of Shiota's performances, as well as photographs and drawings. Highlighting her fascination with intangible concepts, such as memory, anxiety, dreams and silence, the ticketed display will run from June 27–October 5, 2020. [caption id="attachment_750700" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Chiharu Shiota. b.1972, Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Uncertain Journey (2016/2019). Courtesy: Blain | Southern, London/Berlin/New York. Installation view: Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles, Mori. Art Museum, Tokyo, 2019. Image courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. Photograph: Sunhi Mang.[/caption] After the already-announced Water, which launches this December, The Soul Trembles is the second huge exhibition set to deck GOMA's walls next year — but, as always, there's more to come. In tandem with the Shiota showcase, the gallery will also pay tribute to pioneering Queensland artist Gordon Bennett, hosting the first large-scale display of his work since 2007. And, just a stone's throw away, sibling venue Queensland Art Gallery has two big exhibitions slated for 2020. First, it'll feature a four-month showcase of Mavis Ngallametta's work, highlighting large-scale paintings by the Putch clan Elder. Then, spanning from late 2020 to early 2021, QAG will exhibit an almost five-month survey of documentary photography by acclaimed Queensland-born, Sydney-based photographer William Yang. QAGOMA 2020 PROGRAM: Water at GOMA — December 7, 2019–April 26, 2020. Mavis Ngallametta: Show Me the Way to Go Home at QAG — March 21–August 2, 2020. Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles at GOMA — June 27–October 5, 2020. Unfinished Business: The Art of Gordon Bennett at GOMA — June 27–October 5, 2020. William Yang at QAG — September 19, 2020—February 7, 2021. Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles displays at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane from June 27–October 5, 2020. For further details — or to find out more about the gallery's full 2020 slate — visit its website. Top image: Chiharu Shiota b.1972, Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In Silence (2002/2019). Production support: Alcantara S.p.A. Installation view: Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2019. Courtesy: Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya/Tokyo. Image courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. Photograph: Sunhi Mang.
First, Black Mirror's Twitter account broke a four-year silence back in April. Next, Charlie Brooker's dystopian sci-fi hit dropped a sneak peek at its next batch of technological nightmares — aka the first trailer for the show's long-awaited sixth season — and confirmed that the show would return sometime in June. Now, the Netflix series has unveiled more details about what's in store, including which new technological nightmares it'll be spinning. It might be a streaming smash, but that doesn't mean that satirising streaming is off the agenda. Indeed, one of season six's five episodes, Joan Is Awful, will focus on an average woman who discovers that a global streaming platform has adapted her life into a prestige TV drama. Playing her on-screen? Salma Hayek Pinault (Magic Mike's Last Dance). This instalment will be packed with familiar faces, too, including Annie Murphy (Kevin Can F**k Himself), Michael Cera (Life & Beth), Himesh Patel (Station Eleven), Rob Delaney (The Power) and Ben Barnes (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities). Also on its way: Netflix seeing the darker side of nature documentaries — which, like biographical dramas, it's mighty fond of making itself. In upcoming Black Mirror instalment Loch Henry, a sleepy Scottish town welcomes in a young couple, who are keen to follow in David Attenborough's footsteps. Then they learn of a shocking local story, in an episode with Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin), Myha'la Herrold (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Daniel Portman (Game of Thrones), John Hannah (The Last of Us) and Monica Dolan (Empire of Light) in its cast. Viewers looking forward to Aaron Paul's (Westworld) return to Black Mirror after first being involved in 2017 will been keen on Beyond the Sea, where it's an alternative 1969, two men are on a high-tech mission and dealing with a tragedy's big consequences, and Josh Hartnett (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Kate Mara (Call Jane), Auden Thornton (This Is Us) and Rory Culkin (Swarm) co-star. In Mazey Day, the paparazzi hounds a troubled starlet who is coping with the aftermath of a hit-and-run, with Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Clara Rugaard (I Am Mother) and Danny Ramirez (Stars at Noon) featuring. And in Demon 79, it's 1979 and a sales assistant in Northern England is informed that she has to commit terrible acts or a disaster will occur — with Anjana Vasan (Killing Eve), Paapa Essiedu (Men), Katherine Rose Morley (The Syndicate) and David Shields (Benediction) starring. Brooker has penned all five new chapters, co-writing Demon 79 with Bisha K Ali (Ms Marvel). This season is being teased as "the most unpredictable, unclassifiable and unexpected season yet", which is saying something given everything that Black Mirror has thrown at the screen in past seasons (and in choose-your-own-adventure-style movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch). And yes, Brooker does have quite the challenge this time around: making something that manages to be even more dispiriting than reality over the past few years. That's increasingly been one of the show's dilemmas — and noting that something IRL feels just like Black Mirror has become one of the cliches of our times — but this'll be the mind-bending effort's first round of episodes following the pandemic. Check out the first trailer and latest teaser for Black Mirror's sixth season below: Black Mirror season six will stream via Netflix some time in June. We'll update you when an exact release date is announced. Images: Nick Wall/Daniel Escale, Netflix.
What is it about treehouses that fire up even the most uninspired of imaginations? The promise of adventure, escape or retreat? Nobody ever really grows out of wanting a treehouse. The team at American based O2 Sustainabilty certainly haven't. They have dedicated their lives to designing and building some of the world's most innovative, beautiful and liveable treehouses — turning childhood dreams into adult spaces for work, rest and play. Based on geodesic design principles, these treehouses are both aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound, not to mention environmentally sensitive. Not only does the design of each treehouse take into account the growth and health of the 'host' tree, but they also insist on using only sustainable materials. And 5 percent of O2's profits from commercial builds are donated to local community and environmental groups. As part of their dedication to sustainable design, the 02 team have also built a series of luxury treehouse in eco-minded resorts around the world. So even if having your treehouse is out of the realm of possibility at the moment, you may want to think staying in one on your next holiday.
Chic, sleek and stylish alert: Australia's most stunning places to drink, eat, grab a coffee and spend a night away from home have just been named for 2023. Each year, the Eat Drink Design Awards shower some love — aka its annual hospitality design accolades — on Australia's most stunning bars, eateries and hotels. On this year's list are a heap of Sydney venues, plus spots in Melbourne and Adelaide as well. If soaking in gorgeous surroundings while you sip, snack and slumber is your ideal way of heading out of the house, then consider the awards' yearly picks a must-visit guide. At these spots — all of which were completed between July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023 — chefs, signature dishes, creative cocktails, stellar coffee and comfortable beds aren't the only attractions. [caption id="attachment_929397" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Beau and Dough, Romello Pereira[/caption] For restaurants, cafes and hotels, Sydney emerged victorious. In fact, the Harbour City is so stacked with beautiful and innovative places for a meal that two shared the restaurant category: Beau and Dough in Surry Hills and Kiln at Ace Hotel Sydney. The first was praised for "designing for two separate yet interconnected venues", while the second earned compliments because its "design plugs into current conversations about sustainability, collaboration and community". In the cafe field, S'wich Bondi in Bondi Beach got the nod. "This little gem is a brave circuit breaker; it's not your average pitstop cafe-sandwich bar. A beautifully crafted bespoke space that aesthetically delivers in spades, it manages to weave together urban chic and Bondi's laid-back, fashionable culture," said the 2023 Eat Drink Design Awards jury, which consisted of Good Food journalist Emma Breheny, Akin Atelier director Kevin Ho, Hassell associate Di Ritter, The Bentley Restaurant Group chef and owner Brent Savage, and Artichoke acting editor Amy Woodroffe. [caption id="attachment_929398" align="alignnone" width="1920"] S'wich Bondi, Claudia Smith[/caption] Over in the hotel category, Capella Sydney was singled out. "The jury members were all impressed by this example of adaptive reuse. What used to be a government building has been painstakingly restored such that the original property, once inaccessible to most people, has been given new life and opened up to the public," the statement about this pick noted. For the best bar design, lock in drinks in the South Australian capital, with Adelaide's Dolly in Unley winning the gong. This is a "tactile wine bar" and "boasts a distinctive and timeless ambiance", said the jury, which also called out the fact that "the project's creative vision revolved around transforming the existing space into an experiential haven for locals". Victorian venues took out the retail deign and identity design fields, with the former going to LeTAO in Melbourne and the latter to Kōri Ice Cream in Hawthorn. [caption id="attachment_929400" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kōri Ice Cream, Architects EAT, Saville Coble[/caption] For the 2023 Hall of Fame Award, Sydney French restaurant Bistro Moncur in Woolhara, as designed by Tzannes, received recognition. As it does every year, this year's Eat Drink Design Awards also named commendations in various categories. Among the venues also getting some praise: Babylon Brisbane, the now-shuttered Butler in South Brisbane, Glory Days Bondi, Convoy in Moonee Ponds, Sydney's Hotel Morris and Bar Morris, Fitzroy's Pidapipó Laboratorio and Glenside's Kin Seafood. [caption id="attachment_929401" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bistro Moncur[/caption] "There was a diverse aesthetic in this year's winners expressing a lot of individuality, suggesting clients have allowed their design teams to lean into strong concepts and narratives. Plenty of examples of ambitious interiors offer complete sensory experiences, drama and bespoke craftsmanship," said the jury. "The very high level of design execution and attention to detail deserves extra praise this year, given the social and economic climate these works have occurred within. The judges applauded those designs that took risks and tried something innovative; yet at the same time, they praised designs that spoke softly and will likely retain relevance for decades in an industry with a proclivity for impermanence." [caption id="attachment_929402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Capella Sydney, Timothy Kaye[/caption] [caption id="attachment_924664" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kiln, Anson Smart[/caption] [caption id="attachment_929403" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dolly, Jonathan VDK[/caption] 2024 EAT DRINK DESIGN AWARDS WINNERS: Best Restaurant Design: Beau and Dough by Smart Design Studio (Surry Hills, NSW) and Kiln, Ace Hotel Sydney by Fiona Lynch Interior Design (Sydney, NSW) Best Cafe Design: S'wich Bondi by Studio Shand (Bondi Beach, NSW) Best Bar Design: Dolly by Genesin Studio (Unley, SA) Best Hotel Design: Capella Sydney by Bar Studio (Sydney, NSW) Best Retail Design: LeTAO by K Holland Architectural Interiors (Melbourne, VIC) Best Identity Design: Kōri Ice Cream by Principle Design (Hawthorn, VIC) For the full list of winners and commendations, head to the Eat Drink Design website. Top image: Kiln, Anson Smart.
Just like that, the sun is shining, and the spring school holidays are here. Wondering how you'll keep the minis busy while you're still working, cooking, shopping and the rest? We've come to your rescue — with ten irresistible activities happening in and around Melbourne. Head to Werribee Park to meet more than 30 walking, talking, roaring dinosaurs. Then, make tracks to Werribee Open Range Zoo to go behind-the-scenes on the elephant trail. Plus, there's the NBA's first-ever visit to Australia, pizza-making classes for future chefs, free ferry rides across Port Phillip Bay, and loads more. Your house is now officially a whine-free zone. [caption id="attachment_1010802" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Supplied[/caption] Get Up Close and Personal with the Prehistoric at Dinofest at Werribee Park Whether you missed Dinofest (Melbourne East) last school holidays, or loved it so much you want to do it all again, you're in luck. The prehistoric event is happening again, and this time, in the delightful grounds of Werribee Park Mansion — with more than 30 roaring, walking, life-sized dinosaurs. This is your chance to meet a Stegosaurus up close, and give it a pat or a bite to eat. Other dinos that'll be keeping you company include a Triceratops, Spinosaurus, Pachycephalosaurs, Ankylosaur and the mighty Brachiosaurus. In between encounters, learn about the history of the Tyrannosaurus, go on a dino dig, feel a real dinosaur bone, and get into some dino-themed art and crafts. Dinofest is on daily throughout the holidays, and on Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12. [caption id="attachment_1027610" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Supplied[/caption] Learn to Make Australia's Best Pizza at Shop 225 Got the next Curtis Stone or Emma Dawson on your hands? Help them accelerate their culinary skills at Shop 225. The Pascoe Vale-based restaurant was named Australia's best pizzeria in 2025, and it's running two pizza-making classes for budding minis this spring school holiday — on Thursday, September 25, and Thursday, October 2. For $60 a pop, participants will learn to make pizzas from scratch, from stretching and tossing the dough, to designing their own toppings, to baking their creations in a woodfired pizza oven. [caption id="attachment_1027583" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Supplied[/caption] Let Loose at Luna Park's School Holiday Events Luna Park is embracing the spring school holidays with a bunch of activities. A petting farm is open daily from 11am-4pm, bringing cuddles and cuteness from baby goats, bunnies, sheep and more. Entry is included with your ticket. After that, whisk the little ones away (if you can) to the face painting station, where they'll be transformed into the magical creature of their dreams. Then, it'll be time to feast on hot jam doughnuts, churros, hot chocolate and more, before hitting the rides. Luna Park is open every day of the school holidays, plus on Monday, October 6. [caption id="attachment_1027613" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Visit Victoria website[/caption] Hit the Court at the NBA x NBL Melbourne Series This school holiday might be forever remembered for one thing: the very first time the National Basketball Association (NBA) made its way from the States Down Under. More specifically, the New Orleans Pelicans are getting ready to play two preseason games against NBL teams at the Rod Laver Arena. Catch them up against Melbourne United on Thursday, October 2, then in competition with South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday, October 5. On top of that, there's a family-friendly fan night on Saturday, October 4, featuring skills challenges, a three-point contest and live performances. Plus, on Thursday, October 2, you can watch the Pelicans in action at an open training session. [caption id="attachment_1011753" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Supplied[/caption] Meet Friendly Giants at Werribee Open Range Zoo's Elephant Experience Is your little one the next Doctor Dolittle? Nurture their love of animals at Werribee Open Range Zoo these school holidays. Two new elephant experiences are on the program. The first is the Elephant Experience, which gives you 75 minutes behind the scenes of the zoo's new, 21-hectare Elephant Trail. You'll visit an elephant barn, watch a training session and learn what it takes to look after a herd of four-tonne creatures. The Elephant Experience is available on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, and costs $171 per person. The second is the Elephant Wellbeing Walking Tour, a 60-minute guided stroll that brings you insights into elephants, their behaviour and their environment. It happens at 1.30pm every Saturday and Sunday. [caption id="attachment_1027618" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Supplied[/caption] Hop Aboard Port Phillip Ferries' Free Rides Port Phillip Ferries are celebrating the school holidays with a host of watery adventures. On Tuesday, September 30, climb aboard a Magical Movie Singalong Cruise to spend an hour or two singing along to all your favourite cinematic hits. Listen out for tunes from Frozen, the Lion King, Moana, Toy Story, Grease, the Little Mermaid and loads of others. Then swap music for art on an overwater trip to the Archibald Prize, currently showing at Geelong Gallery. Port Phillip Ferries has partnered with the gallery to offer ferry + exhibition tickets at a steal. Last but not least, any time you catch a regular service during the holidays, kids aged 4-16 can travel free. Just enter the code PPFKidsFree when booking. [caption id="attachment_1027625" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Supplied[/caption] Meet Thomas the Tank Engine on the Bellarine Railway Thomas the Tank Engine and his array of friends have been adored by kids for 80 years. To celebrate, the Bellarine Railway at Queenscliff is hosting a Day out with Thomas on Saturday, October 4, and Sunday, October 5. Over two days, enjoy unlimited rides on Thomas, a meet-and-greet with Sir Topham Hatt, fire engines, bubble blowers, mini golf and prize packs. Family tickets (from $110 for two adults and two children) include a 45-minute ride along the Bellarine. All the action will take place at Queenscliff Station, and you can book via the Bellarine Railway website. [caption id="attachment_1027841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: The Playground Project webpage[/caption] Climb Through Art at The Playground Project Keen to take your kid to an art exhibition, but not so keen on having to make sure they don't touch anything? The Playground Project is the answer. Unlike hands-off art shows, this one lets visitors climb, crawl and fall. That's because it's a celebration of the history of the mighty playground, explored through photos, videos, archival materials and texts from all over the world. And there are three installations where the little ones can put this history into practice. See The Playground Project at the Incinerator Gallery in Aberfeldie between now and Sunday, October 12. Have Tonnes of Fun at The Melbourne Royal Show The biggest event on the spring school holiday calendar is the Melbourne Royal Show. Whatever your kid's into — from rides and show bags to food and animals — they can lap it all up from Thursday, September 25-Sunday, October 5, at the Melbourne Showgrounds. In one day, watch them meet a 1,000kg bull, shear a sheep, wander around a LEGO play land, and ride the Beast (for over 16s) or the Circus Train (for 0-5s). After that, catch a Blue Ribbon Competition or two — from the battle for best dog, starring more than 3,000 dogs, to the Royal Horses in Action contest. [caption id="attachment_1027983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Visit Bendigo website[/caption] Snack, Sip and Frolick at Bendigo Bloom From now till the end of November, Bendigo is celebrating spring with its annual Bloom festival. Nearly 100 activations are on the program, across wine, food, art, history, comedy and, of course, the great outdoors. Take the kids along Bloom After Dark, a free illuminated trail of giant flower displays and interactive installations. Visit the Village of Gnomes in Canterbury Park Gardens. Stroll through hundreds of acres of canola fields on the Cornella Canola Walk in the Heathcote region. And, from Friday, October 3-Sunday, October 5, check out the Loddon Valley Arts Festival. You'll find the rest of the epic program on the Bendigo Bloom website.
As both The Dry and Force of Nature: The Dry 2 demonstrated, Jane Harper's mysteries feel right at home on-screen. After the Australian author's first two Aaron Falk books made the leap to cinemas starring Eric Bana (Memoir of a Snail), and proved hits, of course more adaptations of her work were set to follow. The Survivors is next — first announced between The Dry and Force of Nature reaching picture palaces, heading to Netflix as a six-part limited series, and now officially joining your streaming queue at the beginning of June. The Survivors isn't linked to either Falk tale, so he isn't part of the narrative. Instead, the Tasmanian-set story follows families still coping with the loss caused by a massive storm in their seaside town 15 years earlier. Filmed in Tassie, too, it follows the aftermath of two people drowning and a girl going missing in Evelyn Bay, as the just-dropped trailer teases — and as viewers can watch in full from Friday, June 6, 2025. Tragedy isn't just in this coastal town's past, however. An incident like that is never forgotten. So, when a young woman's body is found on the beach, old wounds are unsurprisingly reopened. The series is pitched as both a murder-mystery and a family drama, and the sneak peek features elements of both. Cast-wise, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's Charlie Vickers and Bridgerton season four's Yerin Ha play couple Kieran Elliott and Mia Chang, who return to their hometown. Also featuring: Damien Garvey (Nugget Is Dead?: A Christmas Story), Catherine McClements (Apple Cider Vinegar), Martin Sacks (Darby and Joan) and Robyn Malcolm (After the Party), plus Jessica De Gouw (The Union), Thom Green (Exposure), George Mason (Black Snow) and Shannon Berry (Fake). Filmmaker Tony Ayres is behind The Survivors' streaming adaptation, adding to fellow TV series Nowhere Boys, Glitch, Stateless, Clickbait and Fires on his resume — and Cherie Nowlan (The Irrational) both directs and executive produces, Ben C Lucas (Nautilus) also does the former and Harper the latter. The Survivors joins Netflix's slowly growing slate of Australian shows, which it has been growing since Tidelands became the first local production three years after the streaming service officially launched Down Under. Among the others: Heartbreak High, Wellmania, Boy Swallows Universe, Territory and Apple Cider Vinegar. Check out the trailer for The Survivors below: The Survivors streams via Netflix from Friday, June 6.
For its latest celebration of both movies and music, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is going back ... to one of the best films of the 80s and one of the best time travel films in general. Hop on your skateboard or in your DeLorean, then head to Hamer Hall (at less than 88 miles per hour, of course). For three days in October, the venue is hosting another classic flick brought back to the big screen while the feature's score gets MSO's live orchestral treatment: Back to the Future. It's enough to make you exclaim "great Scott!", which is actually something you'll probably be doing once you're there — especially given that the 1985 film's original score by Alan Silvestri (Pinocchio) is gaining some extra music. Around 20 minutes of new tunes by Silvestri himself have been added to the lineup only for these shows. So, no matter how many puffy vest and self-lacing shoes you own (or wish you did), you'll be experience something that you haven't while previously watching the Michael J Fox (The Good Fight)-starring hit. MSO is busting out the flux capacitor for three gigs across Wednesday, October 23–Friday, October 25, 2024, each starting at 7.30pm, with Benjamin Northey conducting. The Back to the Future in Concert screenings join the orchestra's lineup alongside already-announced sessions of The Man From Snowy River in August, Home Alone in December and Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens in May 2025. If you've been living in 1955 or 1855 and are somehow new to all things Back to the Future, the Oscar-winning film — for Best Sound Effects Editing — follows high-schooler Marty McFly (Fox) when he hops back 30 years from the mid-80s to the mid-50s. His journey into the past comes courtesy of a time-travelling version of the most-famous gull-winged vehicle that now exists in pop culture, which is the creation of scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd, Hacks). But returning home to his own time, and doing so without causing chaos with the space-time continuum — including with younger versions of his parents — isn't straightforward. Fox was already a star when the OG Back to the Future initially hit cinemas thanks to Family Ties but, as 2023 documentary Still: A Michael J Fox Movie stepped through, the Robert Zemeckis (The Witches)-directed movie took his fame up a level. Then 1989's Back to the Future Part II and 1990's Back to the Future Part III swiftly followed. Silvestri mightn't have nabbed an Academy Award nomination or win for his Back to the Future score; however, he picked up two for a couple of other Zemeckis-helmed features: Forrest Gump and The Polar Express. Check out the trailer for Back to the Future below: Back to the Future in Concert will take place between Wednesday, October 23–Friday, October 25, 2024 at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Southbank. Tickets are on sale from 10am on Thursday, July 4 — head to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra website for more details.
As a generation, we've watched the internet emerge from its fledgling beginnings to its modern state, where nearly a third of Earth's population is logged on. In mere decades, the internet has gone from nonexistent to a necessity. We are a population obsessed. And then came Facebook. The ever-expanding social network debuted in 2004, turning us all into Facebook-stalkers and using up any free time we had left. It's hard to remember the internet before Facebook, let alone any of the computer technology of yesteryear. Squirrel Monkey's video tutorial, which imagines Facebook if it had been designed in the 1990s, will bring you right back to the horrendous colour graphics and primitive Windows versions of the technology's start. The video, a humourous how-to, takes a new user through the nuances of "the Facebook". The concept of Facebook, set against the simplistic '90s graphics, suddenly seems very ridiculous. And perhaps that is just the point. The subsequent videos, which imagine Twitter in the '80s and Draw Something as an old PC game, similarly put social media into perspective, reminding us not to take our status updates and tweets all too seriously. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xrYRH3PYYT0 [via Flavorwire]
When the Victorian Government last year announced a huge new citywide arts festival was set to launch in winter 2020, they didn't expect it to fall in the middle of a global pandemic. As that is what happened, though, the new annual festival — merging Melbourne International Arts Festival and arts all-nighter White Night — will not go ahead this year, with the inaugural festival now set to take over Melbourne in 2021. Called Rising, it'll kick off on the May 26 full moon and run until June 6, 2021, encouraging the audience to "celebrate the night with a surge of art, music and ceremony in the heart of the city". Pulling the strings are co-Artistic Directors Gideon Obarzanek and Hannah Fox, who are both practising artists and former Artistic Associates of Melbourne Festival. Fox was also the Creative Director at Tasmania's winter festival Dark Mofo, while Obarzanek founded dance company Chunky Move and was a resident artist at the Sydney Theatre Company. [caption id="attachment_770990" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chinatown at night courtesy of the City of Melbourne[/caption] As this year's festival cannot go ahead, Fox and Obarzanek have instead announced a $2 million fund for local artists to create shows, exhibitions and events for 2021's program. And the duo are encouraging ideas that are as boundary-pushing as possible. "Rather than prescribing specific outcomes, we are seeking ideas that are ambitious, unusual and that could only happen in a festival context," explained Obarzanek in a statement. "Whether these respond to the times or reach beyond them, we invite ideas that are radical and critical; ideas that are absurd and bombastic; ideas that are contemplative and philosophical; and ideas that are celebratory and unifying." Victorian artists have until Monday, June 8 to submit their idea and bid for a piece of the $2 million pie, via a 300-word or two-minute video proposal. While details about this year's festival — and next year's program — are fairly under wraps for now, The Age reported leaks suggesting the 2020 lineup would've included transforming Chinatown "into a 'sensory wonderland' of lighting, video art and music, open late into the night" and a 400-metre light installation on the Yarra River. Rising is set to support Victoria's tourism and hospitality industries in the quieter months and, no doubt, provide a Melbourne equivalent to Sydney's popular Vivid festival, Rising will take place in Melbourne from May 26–June 6 2021. Top image: 'A Purple Poem for Miami' by Judy Chicago.
Maybe you lived through the 90s rave scene. Perhaps you spent every weekend enjoying club life in the 00s. Or, you might just wish you were old enough to have ticked both boxes. Ministry of Sound was around to see both, and now it's revisiting the experience — bringing back its massive Testament parties for another year, this time touring them around Australia over two weekends. If cutting loose like you've travelled back in time is your ideal way to mark absolutely anything, then you'll want to make a date with Testament when it hits up six Australian cities. For two nights each in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, plus one-day-only stops in Adelaide and the Gold Coast, the event will have you making shapes to 90s and 00s bangers. [caption id="attachment_799510" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Jones[/caption] More than 90 DJs will be hitting the decks between Friday, August 4–Sunday, August 13 across the tour. It's a choose-your-own-adventure type of affair, so fans of old-school tunes can hit up the session dedicated to 90s house, rave, trance and garage tracks, and lovers of 00s electro and breaks get their own shindig. Leading the bill at the 90s parties are Barbara Tucker, Inner City, Phil Hartnoll and Tall Paul, while The Bloody Beetroots, Digitalism, Freq Nasty and Stanton Warriors are their 00s counterparts. The roster of local DJs varies per show and per city, too, including everyone from Alan Thompson, Jason Digby, Barking Boy, Mark Dynamix and Jen E on the 90s bill, plus Groove Terminator, Goodwill, Kid Kenobi, Bang Gang Deejays and Andee Van Damage on the 00s lineup. MINISTRY OF SOUND: TESTAMENT 2023 DATES: Saturday, August 5 — 90s session at Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney Sunday, August 6 — 00s session at Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney Saturday, August 12 — 00s session at The Timber Yard, Melbourne Sunday, August 13 — 90s session at The Timber Yard, Melbourne Friday, August 4 — 00s session at Warner Laneway, Brisbane Saturday, August 12 — 90s session at Warner Laneway, Brisbane Saturday, August 5 — 00s session at Metro City, Perth Sunday, August 6 — 90s session at Metro City, Perth Friday, August 4 — 00s session at Unibar Adelaide, Adelaide Sunday, August 13 — 00s session at Miami Marketta, Gold Coast MINISTRY OF SOUND: TESTAMENT 2023 LINEUP: Barbara Tucker Inner City Phil Hartnoll [Orbital] Tall Paul The Bloody Beetroots Digitalism FreQ Nasty Stanton Warriors + 85 local DJs around the country Ministry of Sound: Testament 2023 will tour Australia in August. For further details, and to buy tickets — with pre-sale registrations until midnight on Monday, May 29, pre-sales from 8am on Tuesday, May 30 and general sales from 8am on Wednesday, May 31 — head to the event's website.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0UbkJD2KDY FRENCH EXIT "My plan was to die before the money ran out, but I kept and keep not dying — and here I am." When asked about her strategy as she faces financial ruin, that's Manhattan socialite Frances Price's (Michelle Pfeiffer, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) frank response. Her fortune has dwindled, the banks are about to repossess everything she owns and she doesn't know what her now-precarious future holds; however, she's most annoyed about having to answer her financial advisor's exasperated questions. Conveying Frances' reply with little else but spikiness otherwise, Pfeiffer turns this early French Exit scene into a deadpan masterclass. The character's candour, irritation and sharp edges are all personality traits, rather than specific reactions to her current predicament, and Pfeiffer makes it clear that she'd still be spitting out acerbic retorts with the same poker face if Frances had been queried about absolutely anything else. She frequently does just that afterwards, in fact, and she's a caustic delight in this wry exploration of a familiar topic: weathering life's many disappointments. Widowed for a decade, and happy to keep cultivating an eccentric reputation as the years go on, Frances hasn't dedicated even a second to tangibly preparing for her present lack of funds. That said, she soon has another plan. Surreptitiously selling off her belongings as her accountant advises — and viciously haggling over commission rates in the process — she rustles up what cash she can and absconds to Paris, where a friend's empty apartment awaits rent-free. There, she reverts to her old approach. Once her remaining money has been frittered away on wine, coffee, and oversized tips to anyone and everyone, she doesn't see the point of going on. But her dysfunctionally codependent relationship with her twentysomething son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges, Waves), his on-and-off romance with his secret fiancée Susan (Imogen Poots, Black Christmas), and a new friendship with the lonely and besotted Madame Reynard (Valerie Mahaffey, Dead to Me) all add unexpected chaos to Frances' scheme, as does a cruise ship fortune teller (Danielle Macdonald, Unbelievable) and a runaway cat who just might be her reincarnated husband. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP2MlPwflX4 SAINT MAUD If humanity ever managed to cure or circumvent death — or even just stop being despairingly afraid of our own mortality — the horror genre would immediately feel the difference. Lives are frequently in peril in films that are meant to spook and frighten. Fears of dying underscore everything from serial killer thrillers and body horror flicks to stories of zombies, ghosts and vampires, too. Indeed, if a scary movie isn't pondering the fact that our days are inescapably finite, it's often contemplating our easily damaged and destroyed anatomy. Or, it's recognising that our species' darkest urges can bring about brutal and fatal repercussions, or noting that the desperation to avoid our expiration dates can even spark our demise. Accordingly, Saint Maud's obsession with death isn't a rarity in an ever-growing genre that routinely serves it up, muses on it and makes audiences do the same whether they always realise it or not. In an immensely crowded realm, this striking, instantly unsettling feature debut by British writer/director Rose Glass definitely stands out, though. Bumps, jumps, shocks and scares come in all manner of shapes and sizes, as do worries and anxieties about the end that awaits us all. In Saint Maud, they're a matter of faith. The eponymous in-home nurse (Dracula and His Dark Materials' Morfydd Clark) has it. She has enough to share, actually, which she's keen to do daily. Maud is devoted to three things: Christianity, helping those in her care physically and saving them spiritually. Alas, her latest cancer-stricken patient doesn't hold the same convictions, or appreciate them. Amanda (Jennifer Ehle, Vox Lux) isn't fond of Maud's fixation on her salvation or her strict judgements about her lifestyle. She knows her time is waning, her body is failing and that she needs Maud's help, but the celebrated ex-dancer and choreographer does not want to go gently or faithfully in that good night. Instead, she'd much prefer the solace that sex and alcohol brings over her palliative care nurse's intensely devout zeal. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=794vlC_wKJQ WHITE RIOT In 2020, as the world faced a crisis unlike any other in living memory, Gal Gadot led a bunch of fellow celebrities in an Instagram sing-along to John Lennon's 'Imagine'. The aim: to inspire a planet full of people grappling with suddenly living under lockdown. As no one could avoid (especially when we all had so little else to do and spent so much time glued to the news), the result was actually awkward and cringe-inducing. Perhaps punk rockers should've been trying to lift our spirits instead. Or, they could've used their talents and instruments to draw attention to a plethora of worthy causes — as Rock Against Racism did in the mid-to-late 70s. When right-wing views began to spread across Britain, a group of music lovers including Red Saunders, Roger Huddle, Jo Wreford and Pete Bruno decided to take action, waging a campaign to battle prejudice and discrimination. They didn't just choose to fight back via their favourite art form as an excuse to host gigs, though. From Eric Clapton to Rod Stewart, many of the country's music megastars of the era had all offered support to extremist views, and publicly. So, corralling a lineup of bands to help counter anti-immigration rhetoric became RAR's number one task, with the aim of bringing music fans together and discouraging them from adopting racist attitudes. Combining contemporary interviews, archival chats, a lively soundtrack, and a wealth of footage and photographs of its efforts in action nearly half a century ago, documentary White Riot chronicles RAR from its formation through to its 100,000-attendee 1978 national carnival — where The Clash, Tom Robinson Band, X-Ray Spex and Steel Pulse all played. Despite the movement's name, everything from reggae and soul to jazz and funk was also welcome. Britain's music lovers responded in a big way, travelling across the country to attend its gatherings and show their support for RAR's inclusive anti-hate message. Fluidly directed by first-time feature helmer Rubika Shah, White Riot steps through the grim reality of life in Britain at the time, to provide context to RAR's emphatic response. The film shows the abhorrent viewpoints uttered by politicians and their proponents, and the way in which Nazi imagery was worked into the far-right National Front party. Dense with detail, it also demonstrates how standing up to fascism was an almost-revolutionary act. If the footage had allowed it, Shah and co-writer Ed Gibbs could've made an entire docuseries about RAR and would've kept viewers glued to every second. In just 80 minutes, however, White Riot delivers a vital history lesson on a crucial piece of activism — as well as a reminder that inflammatory rhetoric always demands a response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQaIf-Erj94 CRISIS Crisis examines America's opioid epidemic by piecing together three individual, occasionally overlapping tales. It also hits cinemas two decades to the month that the film it strongly resembles took home four Oscars. At the turn of the 21st century, Steven Soderbergh's Traffic focused on illegal narcotics rather than prescription pills, but the similarities between it and this pensive thriller from Arbitrage director Nicholas Jarecki are both striking and inescapable. Here, undercover DEA agent Jake Kelly (Armie Hammer, Rebecca) has been working to bring down a fentanyl smuggling operation. His sister Emmie (Lily-Rose Depp, The King) is an addict, so yes, it's personal. Also struggling is architect Claire Reimann (Evangeline Lilly, Avengers: Endgame), who has been hooked on oxycodone since an accident, attends support meetings but finds herself tested when her teenage son goes missing. Then there's Dr Tyrone Brower (Gary Oldman, Mank), a university professor who funds his research by testing new products for pharmaceutical companies. After his colleagues let his lab's trial of a new, supposedly non-addictive painkiller run a few days longer than asked, they discover that it can be fatal in mice — which company employee Dr Bill Simons (Luke Evans, Angel of Mine) is eager to keep quiet. Michelle Rodriguez (She Dies Tomorrow) also plays Jake's boss, Greg Kinnear (Misbehaviour) gives Tyrone a hard time as his disapproving college dean and Kid Cudi (Bill & Ted Face the Music) pops up an FDA employee on the latter's side — with Crisis lacking in neither stars nor good intentions. Writer/director Jarecki can't shake the familiar feeling that lingers throughout the film, though. Viewers have seen everything peddled here before, and with far more surprises and subtlety. If you've paid any attention to news headlines over the past few decades, you'll already know how insidious opioid use has become, and how ruthless and destructive the industry behind it is, too. Still, as well as evoking a been-there, seen-that sensation, Crisis often hits its emotional marks. A movie can connect easy-to-spot dots, hit obvious points vehemently and repetitively, and follow a predictable narrative — or narratives, in this case — and still offer up stirring moments and engaging performances. No one will be mentioning Crisis in another 20 years if another crime-thriller attempts to follow in Traffic's footsteps, but as 2021's take on the topic, it's watchable albeit unshakeably generic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hfUomtqljs THE GRIZZLIES When newly graduated teacher Russ Shepherd (Ben Schnetzer, Saint Judy) is sent to Kugluktuk, in the frosty Nunavut in Canada's north, he has two self-serving aims. By working in a remote area as part of a program that rewards anyone willing to take such postings, he's able to to pay back his school tuition fees. He's also hoping to use his time to secure a permanent spot at a prestigious private school down south. But Russ is still unsettled when he realises how few of his students are eager to engage in his lessons. Principal Janace (Tantoo Cardinal, Stumptown) doesn't enforce attendance, in fact, knowing that the school's pupils have chores to complete at home, families to provide for and traditional ways to uphold. She doesn't like to push the teens out of their comfort zones either, with the town's youth suicide rate the highest in North America, and dealing with intergenerational trauma also part of life in the community. Already a lacrosse devotee, Russ decides to try to start a school club to get his students motivated — a task he's instantly told will fail. But while the popular Zach (Paul Nutarariaq, Iqaluit) is initially apprehensive, as is hunter Adam (feature first-timer Ricky Marty-Pahtaykan) and the reserved Kyle (Booboo Stewart, Let Him Go), their involvement in the sport has an impact. Directed by feature debutant Miranda de Pencier, and scripted by Moira Walley-Beckett (Anne with an E) and Graham Yost (Justified), The Grizzlies draws upon the the true story of the team that gives the film its name. While steeped in reality, it also leans heavily upon the inspirational sports underdog playbook — but this rousing movie is never weighed down by its tropes or predictability. Strong, complicated performances from Nutarariaq, Marty-Pahtaykanv, Stewart and Emerald MacDonald, who plays the school's most conscientious student, all help immensely. Their characters wade through familiar beats, but they're never one-note. Indeed, The Grizzlies doesn't shy away from complexity on multiple levels, including in depicting the lack of hope blighting Kugluktuk's teenagers, as well as the path their lacrosse journey takes. And, while the role of Russ could've played into white saviour cliches, the film stresses his naiveté, his mistakes and the fact that he has as much to learn, if not more, from his students and the broader community. Icily scenic cinematography that roves over the area's arresting but harsh terrain, and a sensitive yet never mawkish approach also add texture to feature that earns its heart, spirit and warmth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c85aXHth_uQ&feature=youtu.be UNSOUND In Unsound, Finn (feature first-timer Yiana Pandelis) and Noah (Reece Noi, When They See Us) meet by chance. When the latter wanders into the club for Sydneysiders with hearing impairments that the former runs in the city's northern beaches, a connection springs, although both enter the relationship with other things on their mind. Attendance at the neighbourhood centre has been waning, and the locals complain about Finn's weekly dance parties. Tucking his long hair up under a cap while he stands behind the DJ decks by night and helps children learn Auslan by day, Finn is also slowly taking steps to cement his identity as a transgender man. As for the British-accented Noah, he's just arrived in Australia after touring the UK with his pop singer mentor Moniqua (Christine Anu), and his mother Angela (Paula Duncan, Neighbours) has hardly given him a warm welcome. So, Unsound follows Finn and Noah's romance, but that's just one of the things the film is interested in. While both lead characters receive ample screen time, Finn's experiences as a person who is deaf and with his transition are frequently thrust to the fore. That's a welcome move — not because Noah's efforts to step out of his absent father's shadow, take his career seriously and cope with his often-dismissive mum don't deserve attention, but because inclusive movies about trans men and people who are hearing impaired are rarely this thoughtful (and rarely exist at all, really). Directed by TV veteran Ian Watson (Heartbreak High, Home and Away) and penned by Ally Burnham (Nice Package), Unsound might bring both 52 Tuesdays and Sound of Metal to mind, which are excellent movies to even remotely resemble; however, this small feature with big ambitions and a heartfelt impact is always its own film. Absent touristy Sydney shots that constantly remind you where it's set, and favouring a low-key, lived-in aesthetic instead, it dedicates its running time to plunging into Finn's life and portraying it authentically, a task that it doesn't lose sight of even for a minute. The texture and detail in Burnham's script, especially in fleshing out the movie's characters, isn't just admirable but essential. It's little wonder, then, that Pandelis always makes Finn feel as if he could walk off the screen — although the performer also deserves ample credit. Noi also more than does his part justice, in a well-cast film all-round (see also: scene-stealer Olivia Beasley as one of Finn's colleagues, and a grounded turn from The Boy From Oz star Todd McKenney as Finn's father). And, the use of sound to convey the joy that Finn and his friends feel at their Saturday night dance parties is one of the picture's many astutely calibrated touches. Unsound opened in Sydney and Brisbane cinemas on March 18, after screening in Melbourne from February 11. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; and March 4. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah and Girls Can't Surf.
When word arrived that a new version of Scott Pilgrim was on its way, it felt as inevitable as the person of your dreams having a complicated romantic past. That nothing ever truly dies in pop culture is old news. So is the fact that nothing fades into memory, especially when respawning can capitalise upon a fanbase. Turning Scott Pilgrim into a TV show is the latest example on an ever-growing list of leaps from the big screen to the small; however, sight unseen, making a Scott Pilgrim anime series felt more fitting than most similar jumps. Thanks to manga-style aesthetic that filled Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels, the video game-esque plot about battling seven evil exes and the cartoon vibe that Edgar Wright brought so engagingly to his 2010 big-screen live-action adaptation, imagining how O'Malley and co-writer/co-producer BenDavid Grabinski (Are You Afraid of the Dark?) — plus Wright (Last Night in Soho) again as an executive producer — could bring that to an eight-part animation was instantly easy. Called Scott Pilgrim Takes Off rather than Scott Pilgrim vs the World, the Netflix series that streams from Friday, November 17 begins as a straightforward Scott Pilgrim anime, introducing the same tale that's been spread across pages and cinemas — and played through via a video game, too — right down to repeated shots and dialogue. Meet Scott Pilgrim again, then. The Michael Cera (Barbie)-voiced twentysomething bassist is once more fated to fall in love with literal dream girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ahsoka), who first appears to him as he slumbers, then fight the seven folks who dated her before him. When sparks fly, he also has his own amorous mess to deal with, including that he's dating high-schooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong, Best Sellers) and remains heartbroken over being dumped by now-superstar singer Envy Adams (Brie Larson, The Marvels). Scott Pilgrim Takes Off's debut episode still has its namesake living with Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin, Succession) in a one-room Toronto flat, and regularly having the ins and outs of his life recounted by his roommate to his sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick, Alice, Darling). Scott is reliably one third of Sex Bob-Omb! alongside his friend Stephen Stills (Mark Webber, SMILF) and ex Kim Pine (Alison Pill, Hello Tomorrow!), with Stephen's housemate Young Neil (Johnny Simmons, Girlboss) always watching on. And, when he first talks to Ramona IRL, it's at a party thrown by the acerbic Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre). Then, the band plays a gig that Scott invites Ramona to, and the first of her evil former paramours interrupts Sex Bob-Omb!'s set to throw down — with Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha, Sense8) still hung up on the girl he dated for a week and a half in seventh grade. Beating Matthew will mean needing to vanquish the rest of Ramona's past loves next: movie star Lucas Lee (Chris Evans, Pain Hustlers), vegan fellow bassist Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh, The Flash), Ramona's college roommate Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman, Good Girls), twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi (Julian Cihi, Only Murders in the Building), and record-label head Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes). Accordingly, just like Kim shouting "we are Sex Bob-Omb!" at the beginning of a set, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off starts with comfortable familiarity. But at the end of the initial instalment, after every detail looks like the graphic novels and film given the anime treatment to the point of feeling uncanny, in drops the first twist. There's reimaginings, and then there's this playful take that adores the comics and movie, pays homage to them, riffs on and even openly references them, but charmingly shirks the idea of being a remake. So, what if that narrative didn't follow the path that viewers have seen before? What if there's a reason that this series' moniker mentions Scott not being around? What if that's just the kick-off point for a brand-new, gorgeously dreamy, wildly inventive and infectiously heartfelt Scott Pilgrim remix? This is still a story spun from a slacker fantasy while bubbling with sincerity and intensity about navigating love and life when you're working out who you are, but every new turn in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off deepens its tale, emotions and delights. It still dwells in a world where Scott orders a delivery from the rollerskating Ramona on a boxy computer (she slings Netflix DVDs, aptly), yet it feels even more divorced from time. Although still abounds with pop culture nods and throwback vibes as well — albeit without zero sounds from The Legend of Zelda, but with added lines of dialogue straight out of 90s tunes — this isn't the exact same Scott Pilgrim. Prepare to get meta, and also for an angle that Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs the World didn't have, putting the focus on Ramona not as the object of eight people's affections but as Scott Pilgrim Takes Off's protagonist. As she endeavours to work out what's going on, she's the audience's guide in a whodunnit (because alongside slotting into the film-to-TV trend like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, this series embraces its mystery angle as A Murder at the End of the World has also been doing of late, plus plenty of other shows before it). As Ramona's other exes still need confronting, it's her rather than someone she's casually seeing that's wading and soul-searching through her history. If O'Malley, Grabinski and Wright had chosen to call their Netflix effort Ramona Flowers vs the World, it would've fit; that said, not only Ramona but the full slate of characters beyond Scott all benefit from the big shift. Accordingly, while the ex-by-ex structure stays — plus the fight scenes bursting with on-screen onomatopoeia — each episode builds upon Ramona, Wallace, Knives, Kim, Young Neil, Stephen, Julie, Stacey and Envy, as well as Matthew, Lucas, Todd, Roxy, the Katayanagi and Gideon. If re-enlisting the movie's massive supporting cast seemed like a mammoth achievement, expanding their characters' place in the story must've been a prime way to entice everyone back. What makes Ramona's exes tick, hopes and neuroses alike, cannily and cathartically helps shapes the show's sleuthing. More than that, unresolved emotions and struggles colour every battle. Bouncing ingeniously through an array of film genres in a video store-set fray is a particularly memorable and meaningful move. As brought to the screen with Science Saru's now-expectedly beguiling animation (see also: the big screen's Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, Lu Over the Wall, Ride Your Wave and Inu-Oh, all from filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa), different instalments also take their tone and approach from different sources. A Lucas-centric chapter that turns Liam Lynch's 2002 track 'United States of Whatever' into its anthem is a treat, for instance, and another episode is a self-referential marvel. Where Scott Pilgrim vs the World looked outward to dive into its characters, using its gaming and pop-culture nods as shorthand to explain who they are, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off peers inwards to get its mood, themes, intricacies and slant. Like Scott with Ramona, this series is something to tumble head over heels for, and one of the best examples yet of pressing play again on a beloved treasure. Check out the full trailer for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off below: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off streams via Netflix on Friday, November 17.
No, it's not a crazy quilt stitched by a mad granny. These are bird's eye views of Holland's tulip fields, blooming into life just in time for the annual Tulip Time festival. Throughout winter, tulip bulbs lie dormant in the freezing ground. When the first few blooms poke their coloured heads through the earth for a breath of sunshine, everyone knows that spring has very much sprung. The festival runs from May 7-14 and celebrates Dutch heritage, culture and hundreds of varieties of the tulip. Over one billion tulips are exported internationally from Holland every year, so you can see what the fuss is all about. Plus these rainbow flower formations are pretty damn gorgeous to boot. [Via Lost At E-Minor]
A man, his family and a firearm: all three sit at the heart of The Seed of the Sacred Fig. A girl and a gun might've been late, great French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard's perfect formula for a movie, but Iranian writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof now adapts that setup around his own cinematic passion: fighting back against the Iranian regime. IRL, over the course of more than two decades, he's faced the wrath of his homeland's censorship, seen his work banned, been prohibited from making movies and from leaving the country, and endured multiple prison sentences. When Rasoulof's eighth and latest masterful and moving feature debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, he was in attendance after fleeing Iran, where a new eight-year jail term had just been handed down. The first shoots of the idea for The Seed of the Sacred Fig came to the filmmaker while the now-exiled talent was incarcerated. Imprisoned during the 2022–23 Women, Life, Freedom protests that sprang from the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, he saw the movement from inside Evin Prison in Tehran. Upon his release, it became part of his new big-screen narrative, with the picture even incorporating real on-the-ground footage. Also guiding The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a question that Rasoulof has long contemplated from his dealings with the regime — and that flowed through in his prior film, 2020 Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear-winner There Is No Evil — also: "how do people who work with the system function internally?". As the protests about the loss of a woman arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly also were, Rasoulof's Best International Feature Oscar-nominee is a snapshot of generational clashes and change, too. The man: Iman (Missagh Zareh, Homeless), who has just been promoted to investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court. The family: his wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani, Two Dogs), college-aged daughter Rezvan (debutant Mahsa Rostami) and younger offspring Sana (Setareh Maleki, Cafe). The gun: Imam's service piece, freshly bestowed upon him for his new role. When the weapon goes missing, he starts pointing fingers, already paranoid about the public fallout from his job and now suspecting those closest to him — the youngest of which are only just learning what he does for a living. Adding to the powder-keg situation: the nationwide political uprising, which has Imam signing death sentences, comes to his home courtesy of Rezvan's friend Sadaf (Niousha Akhshi, The Lion Skin) and puts the family matriarch at odds with his horrified daughters. At Cannes — where Rasoulof's 2013 film Manuscripts Don't Burn won the FIPRESCI Prize and his 2017 feature A Man of Integrity emerged victorious in the Un Certain Regard section — The Seed of the Sacred Fig collected five different accolades from its berth in the main competition, a Special Jury Prize among them. Other film festival audience awards have also come its way, including in Sydney, plus nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. To get the movie to viewers, though, and to make it to begin with, involved shooting in secret with Rasoulof largely unable to be on set. Then came the 28-day journey out of Iran to Germany, the country that The Seed of the Sacred Fig represents at the 2025 Academy Awards. What does the global response to the film — the festival slots, popping up at Locarno, Melbourne, New Zealand, Telluride, Toronto, New York, Busan, London, Adelaide and Brisbane events as well, and many others; the nominations and prizes, right through to the Oscars — mean to Rasoulof given what he went through to bring the movie to fruition and ensure that audiences could see it? "I'm very happy that a film that half of which had not yet been shot exactly one year ago, while we were shooting, is being seen by worldwide audiences and doing so well," he tells Concrete Playground. "And I think it's not just me. I think everyone involved in its making is very happy, because what brought us together really was fighting for artistic freedom — and all we dreamt of was managing to complete the shoot without being arrested." How does Rasoulof navigate the scrutiny, oppression and attempted censorship that comes his way each time that he makes a film? How did The Seed of the Sacred Fig evolve from seeing how Iranian women were protesting to following a family of three women and an investigating judge impacted by the uprising? What does the reality of directing a movie in secret entail — and what impact does it have on the finished product, given how much energy is expended just to avoid the authorities' attention? Digging into a powerful picture that's designed to inspire questions with the man behind it, we also asked Rasoulof about all of the above. On Navigating the Scrutiny, Oppression and Attempted Censorship That Rasoulof Faces Whenever He Makes a Film "Well, I think the biggest difference, if I think about one year ago and now, is hope. Of course, I did have hope one year ago, but the hope I have now is much greater. It was really like a small crack through which the lights came in that I could see in the distance. And it's grown, and this gives me greater energy to continue working and to continue living. And I don't think it's just me. I think again, all my cast and crew feel exactly the same way or similarly." On How The Seed of the Sacred Fig Evolved From Seeing How Iranian Women Were Protesting to Following a Family of Three Women and an Investigating Judge Impacted by the Uprising "For many years, I was very curious about the people who work in the regime, in the different parts of the regime that I had dealings with — the security operators, the censorship operators, the judiciary. And I was really concerned with trying to understand, on the one hand, how they think, but also while they interrogated me, I'd be wondering 'how do we differ? Why are they unable to understand me and why am I unable to understand them?'. And so this curiosity stayed for me, and I was always hoping I could find an opportunity to explore it in a film. In 2022, I was arrested a few months before the Woman, Life, Freedom movement began. And after the movement began — at its height, in fact — I had a chance encounter with a senior prison official, who told me how he'd come to hate himself and even thought about taking his life because of his job and his collaboration with the regime, and how fiercely he got criticised and pressurised all the time by his children because of his job. And at that point I thought it would be really interesting to tell a story about a family where such a big divide had arisen, but which would also, at the same time, allow me to pursue that question that had stayed with me for all these years about how do people who work with the system function internally." On the Parallels Between the Film Being Made Clandestinely and the Secrets Being Kept Among the Family in the Movie "The limitations move along with you from the moment you start writing the script. They always accompany you when, of course, you're working in a repressive regime. And so you've got to find new ways ahead to make your film, but that also leads to a very strong awareness of the choices you're making — because if you make the wrong choice, you might not be able to continue. So we go to sets on the basis of decisions we've made early on to suit in a very precise way. And yet, during the shoot, there will always be unpredicted variables, things, problems, unexpected scenarios whereby you've got to make a different choice to what you were expecting in the moment. So you can plan as much as you want, but it's only when it comes to executing the work that you realise 'if I can't shoot, if I can't do that as planned, how can I proceed?'. And limitations really force you to find new paths forward." On Directing a Feature When You're Not Able to Be On Set "I started shooting and making films and 35mms during the analogue periods, when you didn't know what you'd see, really — what you were filming until later when it was developed in in a lab. And so you had a general impression and general image, but you didn't have a precise image or impression. And then later on, the video assist was introduced, where you could sort of control the set and watch the monitor at the same time — which became very fascinating for me and for lots of other filmmakers, because we were able to focus on the monitor. And in a way, [that's how] we made this film — we had a monitor that I had access to online while directing remotely. And then I had a secure sound connection to the set, mediated by a number of assistants. Of course, it was very slow. There were interruptions. There were moments when the connection was lost, and so I'd lose the control of the set for various minutes and then we had to reestablish it — so it was very laborious and difficult. But what mattered the most was that I was able to maintain, the priority was for me to maintain my concentration, but also to make do with the slowness and the inevitable delays. Wherever possible, of course, I would come as close as possible to set or actually appeared a few times, and that was much more fun and much better." On the Approach to Casting — and to Building an On-Screen Family — When You're Making a Movie in Secret "It's always difficult to compose a family in any film, because the members of the family have to look similar in a convincing way to the audience. So of course, if you're making a film underground, it becomes much more difficult to compose a believable family, because you're choosing from a much smaller pool of actors. But we spent a lot of time on this with my close collaborators, examining all the possibilities. And once we selected the father and the younger daughter, we then managed to find the mother and the older daughter. But yes, it was very difficult. It was extremely time-consuming. But I think in the end we were very successful." On How Having to Work in Secret, and the Energy That Goes Into It, Impacts a Finished Film "Well, when you're working with this kind of pressure, you always do have this feeling that you may manage to escape the system, and to ignore it and to defy it, but it doesn't mean you're escaping limitations. You're simply working with a different set of limitations. What is paramount to me is that the audience, when it watches the film, should not feel that the film was made with this sort of limitation. Of course, there are lots of aspects that I would have liked to play more with under different circumstances, but let's say the priority is really for the audience to feel that they're watching something that wasn't shot under this kind of duress." The Seed of the Sacred Fig opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
"We were just saying, we love an Aussie." When you're My Old Ass writer/director Megan Park and Australia's own Margot Robbie has produced your latest film, it's easy to understand why. Gleaning why she greets Concrete Playground that way isn't hard, either. "We do," adds Maisy Stella, the movie's star. "Yeah, we really, really do," Park chimes back in. Robbie's production company LuckyChap Entertainment, which has I, Tonya, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and Barbie to its name as well — and, among flicks that don't boast its co-founder on-screen, Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, too — is also onboard for Park's next release after this marvel of a coming-of-age tale. Viewers of My Old Ass have more from Park to look forward to, then. Right now, though, they already have a must-see to enjoy courtesy of her second feature as a filmmaker. Actually, that also applies to her debut. An actor herself, Park initially jumped behind the lens on 2021's excellent Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)-led The Fallout, which plunged into the aftermath of a school tragedy. Now, the former The Secret Life of the American Teenager star has penned and helmed a picture set as its protagonist gets ready to leave her small-town home behind for college. [caption id="attachment_974458" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages[/caption] For her second movie about teens making sense of their world, too, Park embraces a high-concept setup — and one that heads down a universal path that resonates with viewers of all ages. Have you ever wanted to get life advice from your future self? Or, conversely, to give your younger self some words of wisdom, whether about what not to worry about or who to avoid? Focusing on Nashville's Stella as the just-turned-18 Elliott — and featuring Parks and Recreation, The White Lotus and Agatha All Along favourite Aubrey Plaza as the older version — that's My Old Ass' storyline. If you're wondering how the two Elliotts come to meet, the film uses a mushroom trip to head into magical-realism territory. When they come face to face, Plaza's 39-year-old Elliott has a specific piece of advice for the girl that she once was: stay away from Chad (Wednesday's Percy Hynes White). We all know what happens when you tell someone not to do something, especially a carefree teenager, so of course Stella's Elliott doesn't heed that warning. This is a film, however, that understands the urge to want to send your former self in a certain direction, because it understands what it's like to live with the ups and downs that life takes us on just as firmly. It equally appreciates that it's those ebbs and flows — and joys and hurts as well, so our course for better and for worse — that make us who we are. [caption id="attachment_974462" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marion Curtis / Starpix for Amazon MGM Studios[/caption] What would Stella do if the Sundance Film Festival-premiering movie's premise became an IRL possibility for her? It depends on which way the advice was flowing. Park is of the same opinion. They'd each be keen to talk to their younger selves, but not their older guises. "I've decided that I reject it. I really reject it. I've been asked this and every time I try to think of something, and I think the reason that I don't have anything is because I would not take the opportunity. I would take the opportunity to meet younger self. But the older, it just feels a little scary to me," Stella tells us. "It gets dicey. See, it goes dark quick. I mean, it really takes a turn," she continues. "Yeah, it's a it's a scary one," agrees Park. "I think I'm going to hard pass on it too, probably. I'd want to go back and meet my younger self." Thinking about these questions is unavoidable after watching My Old Ass, no matter whether you decide that you'd seize or shirk the chance that Elliott is given. Also part of the viewing experience: wishing that Plaza could pop up in your life either way. We also chatted with Park and Stella about where the idea for the film sprang from, what Park was interested in exploring with it, Stella's excitement about playing Elliott, how she approached the character, and working with both Plaza and Robbie. On What Inspired My Old Ass, and What Park Was Interested in Exploring Megan: "I think the themes that I really wanted to explore were grief and time passing, and nostalgia — and motherhood, truthfully, was a big one that I wanted. I was a new mum when I wrote this script, so it was those feelings that were really the entry point into this idea that's so universal, I think, of wanting to talk to your older or younger self. Or regrets. Regret is another big one. I think I'm such an emotionally driven writer that I'm not thinking about necessarily the structure of the story, and what's going to happen and what are people going to take from the movie — I'm just driven from that emotional place, at least I have been so far in the two movies I've written. It's all I really know how to do it. So those were the themes I wanted to explore. And then as I didn't know where it was going, as soon as Elliott came to me, and older Elliott, I just followed that lead and figured out the story as I went." On Stella's Initial Reaction to the Script, and What She Thought That She Could Bring to the Younger Elliott Maisy: "My first reaction to it was just beaming with excitement. It was funny, because I had been auditioning for so long and I really enjoy auditioning, and I really enjoy reading scripts and I read a lot of scripts at that time, and it was just my favourite thing I'd read in forever. And I was immediately met with anxiety. The second I started reading it, the thought of it being taken from me, I was like 'no!'. And it wasn't even mine at all. But the thought of not getting to be a part of this amazing project was so scary to me. So yeah, my initial reaction to it was deeply, deeply moved; really excited and inspired by it; and would have just been so grateful and lucky to have been a part of it. And it worked out for me. I'm very grateful and lucky." [caption id="attachment_974461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marion Curtis / Starpix for Amazon MGM Studios[/caption] On the Journey to Realising That Aubrey Plaza Was the Ideal Older Elliott Megan: "Truthfully, I'd written the role for somebody to be much older, like in their late 40s, early 50s. And we cast the film around Maisy, and so we were really stuck on who looks the most like her, who's in that age range and who's available to come to Canada to film the movie. And there just was never anybody that came up that was the right match for the tone of the movie, for energetically with Maisy, for the comedy. It wasn't until there was a list of names that somebody had suggested, and Aubrey was on there. It was like 'wait a second, I'm such a fan of hers' — and I knew Maisy was a fan of hers. She was not even 40 and doesn't look anything like Maisy really, but we were like 'wait a second', and for some reason the energy and the chemistry was just such a connection. And it just made the whole movie make sense in a whole new way for me. I'm close to age to Aubrey and I thought 'wow, I've actually never felt older than hanging out with all the 18 year olds'. And there was something so funny to me about this idea that she thinks she's so old and she's not even 40. And even the title became funnier when it was Aubrey." Maisy: "Yes!" Megan: "So then, luckily we sent it to her, and only her, and she read it and loved it and wanted to be a part of it. So once we got it to her, the stars really aligned quickly, but it was kind of me getting out of my own way and being like 'wait, instead of worrying about who looks the most like Maisy, who fits into the movie?'." Maisy: "Instead of worrying about who's blonde?" Megan: "Yeah, exactly." On Collaboration When You're Playing the Younger Version of a Character While Sharing Scenes with the Older Version Maisy: "It was quick. What happened, I was filming for like two weeks when Aubrey was officially attached. So my younger Elliott was already kind of established. On anything else, if this was any other situation, I would have been meeting Aubrey — and she kind of had to meet me because I was filming. So it was a quick thing, she came for like a week and we just went for it." [caption id="attachment_974460" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marion Curtis / Starpix for Amazon MGM Studios[/caption] Megan: "She'd been watching dailies and studying Maisy a bit before." Maisy: "And then when we met, I felt Aubrey staring and filming me with her eyes, and getting the mannerisms and physicality. I think that was probably more what we focused on. And also just creating a friendship and a nice connection was probably the most important part, rather than mimicking each other. It felt more enjoyable." Megan: "I remember Aubrey asking me 'do you want me to mimic her? How deep do you want me to go with this?' And I was like 'I feel like that's not the most important part of it. I'd rather we just build the chemistry and the rapport'. And that was totally what I think was the main thing. We just spent the weekend together, talked through stuff." Maisy: "100 percent." Megan: "And it was just about building that chemistry — which, they're both genius actors, they can build chemistry so quickly. That's a skill that I think the best actors can do. And the two of them together were just able to connect so quickly." [caption id="attachment_974459" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages[/caption] On Having Margot Robbie as a Producer, and How That Helped Shape the Film Megan: "As we were saying, we love an Aussie. Our other producer, Bronte Payne at LuckyChap, is also Australian. It happened really organically. I had a general meeting with the company, with Bronte, who had seen The Fallout — and she really loved the film, and she just wanted to sit and chat. And she was the one, honestly, who was like 'do you have any other ideas?'. And I was like 'I mean, there's this one thing I'm thinking about'. And she was like 'we'd love to hear more about that. We think that's a great idea'. Then she introduced me to the rest of people at the company, Tom [Ackerley, also one of LuckyChap's founders] and Margot and Josey [McNamara, another LuckyChap founder]. And they are just so — it's really hard to find good people in this industry who are really honest and smart and hardworking, and treat everybody, no matter if it's the star of the movie or the PA, they're just so consistent. And they're so grounded and down to earth, and there's a reason why they get so much repeat business with their directors. It's because it's genuine, and they're obviously very smart. So they were incredibly helpful, not only helping me build the script, but every step of the way — they've just been so invaluable and so easygoing. And just lovely, lovely human beings. I'm doing my next film with them, and I hope to work with them over and over again. They're incredible." On Balancing Playing a Carefree 18-Year-Old with Their Whole Life Ahead of Them with Elliott Getting to Take Stock of Her Existence Decades Before Anyone Usually Expects To Maisy: "Preparing-wise, I honestly read the script so many times. That was really my prep, just reading it. I didn't do too much, I didn't practice the deliveries." Megan: "We just talked through the scenes." Maisy: "We'd just talk it through. And on my own time, I had months before I went to film — but after I booked it, I enjoyed reading it so I would obsessively just read it and think about it a lot. I really lived with the concept and with the message. I thought about it a lot. I think was my preparation." [caption id="attachment_974457" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages[/caption] Megan: "And you believed in it." Maisy: "And I believed in it and I meant it. I really meant it. Everything that Elliott says, I ended up meaning on the day. Even if I was learning from her and trying to mean it, I did end up meaning it." Megan: "Yeah." Maisy: "And with an indie, with the director like you [talks to Megan], where you really like things to feel like you press record and you're just like watching people exist, there's only so much you can do for prep to keep it feeling natural and real and sparky." My Old Ass opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, September 26, 2024. My Old Ass images: Marni Grossman © Amazon Content Services LLC.
