Oh, the swinging '60s. Skirts were short and life was groovy, baby. At least, that's what a dapper man called Austin Powers once said. But one person personified the '60s even more than Austin did, and they didn't even need a last name to do it. Twiggy was a fashion model with an androgynous figure and a Bambi-eyed stare who went from teen ingénue to cultural icon. Showing at ACMI from Saturday, 31 August, Philip Priestly's 2012 documentary, Twiggy: The Face of '66, retraces the steps of her enduring stardom including those infamous guest appearances on The Muppets as well as the many many mod-y clothes. Next weekend will be the Australian premiere, and Twiggy's skinny, blonde, mop-topped story is screening for a limited four sessions. Make sure you get along because this is a woman whose likeness was encased in a time capsule and blasted into space — she took the fashion world by storm and is still frickin' around. Just like Dr Evil. Kind of.
Summer holidays might be over for most, but there's still plenty more sunshine and good vibes in store for Melbourne's balmiest season. And a bunch of those are coming at you courtesy of iconic LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural celebration Midsumma Festival, which returns this month for its biggest edition yet. Back for its 34th year, Midsumma is set to deliver a truly enormous program of 195 dazzling events as it descends on venues across the state from Sunday, January 23–Sunday, February 13. With live music, performances, exhibitions, theatre, visual arts, cabaret, film screenings, parties, forums and more in the mix — all championing queer arts and culture — this is set to be one crowd-pleasing affair. It all kicks off in a blaze of colour on January 23, with 11-hour-long al fresco party Midsumma Carnival at Alexandra Gardens. Then, on February 6, the Midsumma Pride March will transform Fitzroy Street with a roving celebration featuring over 8000 marchers — and the full-day Melbourne Pride fiesta will wrap things up on February 13, marking the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Victoria. In between, you'll catch a diverse array of happenings and events, headlined by Midsumma Presents — a specially curated program championing the unheard voices of this era's queer intersectional communities. Expect everything from a whimsical cabaret about composting to a comedy exploring the complexities of coming out, as well as a Galentine's Day screening under the stars. [caption id="attachment_599516" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Coal Photography[/caption] Midsumma's major project for 2022, AND/OR, is dedicated to showcasing disability-led works, inviting audiences to experience a range of new perspectives through its own broad-ranging program. Here, a collection of LGBTIQA+ artists share their lived experience of mental health challenges in the Queer My Head exhibition, one-on-one performance Benched examines the portrayals of bodies with disability, and a panel discussion explores the complex realm of intersectional identities. Also on the bill, you'll find Friday night drag showcases headlined by three legendary First Nations artists, a rollicking queer day party hosted by Poof Doof, a glittery glammed-up gala celebrating the iconic David Bowie, and an interactive fashion show dedicated to the art of upcycling. Elsewhere, catch thought-provoking theatre shows, side-splitting stand-up and a whole swag of drag, plus exhibitions, markets, illuminating talks and parties galore. Midsumma Festival 2022 will run from Sunday, January 23–Sunday, February 13, hosting a program of events at venues across the city. For the full lineup and to book tickets, visit the festival's website. Images: Dean Arcuri and Midsumma.
When Australia's international border reopens and holidaying overseas resumes, a long list of experiences we've all been missing will be back on the agenda. Some of those are great, such as being somewhere other than our own backyard. Some just come with the territory, like spending all that time in the air. And others will probably seem more exciting than they really are after such a long period without them, such as hanging out in airports, sipping drinks at the bar before your flight and browsing through gift shops. We all have our own balance when it comes to all of the above elements, how we handle tham and what we prefer. But if you're the kind of traveller who likes fewer stopovers and can cope with spending almost a whole day on a plane non-stop, you're probably a fan of — or dreamed of hopping on — Qantas' direct Perth-to-London route. It launched back in 2018, and it takes around 17 hours each way. It's certainly an experience, from the layover time you'll spend in the Perth airport if you're starting out from another city, through to what it feels like to sit on a plane (or get up and walk the aisles every now and then, for exercise) for that very lengthy spell. That flight won't be on the itinerary when Qantas restarts its international trips, however, with the airline opting not to resume the leg straight away due to Western Australia's strict border rules. Instead, the carrier is aiming to recommence the Perth-to-London route from April 2022 — and, if you think that means more stopovers in the interim, it's also looking into doing non-stop flights from Darwin to London over that gap period. "At this stage, WA doesn't intend to open to international travel until sometime next year, so we'll unfortunately have to temporarily move our Perth-London service until at least April 2022," said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce in a statement. "Instead of operating from Melbourne to Perth and then on to London as it usually does, this flight will operate from Melbourne to London via either Darwin or Singapore, depending on conversations we're having with the NT in the coming weeks. We look forward to operating this flight via Perth again when circumstances allow." So, only needing to hop on one plane to get to the UK from Australia will ideally remain a reality. But, for that super-long flight, there'll be a different starting point. If you're currently thinking about your travel plans — when that's possible, of course — the Northern Territory is doing discounts of up to $1000 on trips if you're fully vaccinated and coming from an area of Australia that isn't considered a hotspot. Yes, that means that starting with a NT holiday and then heading overseas could be an option if your budget allows it. You might remember that, pre-pandemic, Qantas was contemplating starting non-stop routes from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to both London and New York, too. In fact, it had even run two trial journeys, and was poised to announce whether it was feasible in March 2020. We all know what happened to international travel then, though, so clearly the topic hasn't been a priority since. For more information about Qantas's plans for non-stop flights from Australia to London when Australia's international borders reopen, head to the Qantas website. Images: Qantas
Maybe hitting the ski fields just isn't your thing. Perhaps, after a few days spent snowboarding, you'd like to see the slopes from a different angle. You could just like climbing up to lofty peaks and peering down on everything underneath. Or, maybe walking over suspension bridges is your preferred adrenaline-fuelled activity. If some of the above apply to you, then add Whistler's newly opened Cloudraker Skybridge to your travel bucket list. A word of warning, however: spanning 130 metres from Whistler Peak across to the viewing platform at West Ridge lookout, it's also 2000 metres above the Whistler Bowl. Acrophobics, you might want to sit this one out — but for everyone that's fine with heights, it's the next reason to head to the famed Canadian region. The cantilevered walkway extends 12.5 metres out from the West Ridge, giving visitors a stunning view — and while that includes a bird's-eye vantage over those skiing below during winter, the skybridge is open all-year-round. Those eager to make the trip will need to buy a PEAK 2 PEAK 360 Experience ticket, which cost between AU$75–81. That also includes a heap of other activities, such as rides on the site's open-air chairlifts and gondolas, walking along its lengthy walking trails, and catching a video or an expert talk at the Alpine Theatre 1860 metres above sea level. Image: Mitch Winton via Whistler Blackcomb.
UPDATE, December 16, 2022: Top Gun: Maverick will be available to stream via Paramount+ from Thursday, December 22. As dripping with jingoism, machismo, militarism and sweat as cinema gets — and there really was oh-so-much sweat — 1986's Top Gun was a dream of a recruitment ad. The US Navy's aviation program couldn't have whipped up a stronger enlistment campaign in its wildest fantasies. Even if it had, getting Hollywood's gloss, a star who'd still be box-office catnip four decades later and Kenny Loggins' second-best movie tune (slipping in behind Footloose, of course) probably would've felt like a one-in-a-billion longshot. But all of the above, plus a lurid sheen and homoerotic gaze, didn't make Top Gun a good film. Loggins' 'Danger Zone' remains an earworm of a delight, but the feature it's synonymous with took a highway to the cheesy, cringey, puffed up, perpetually moist and aggressively toxic zone. The one exception: whenever Tony Scott's camera was focused on all that flying, rather than a smirking, reckless and arrogant Tom Cruise as a portrait of 80s bluster and vanity. Gliding into cinemas 36 years after its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick is still at its best when its jets are soaring. The initial flick had the perfect song to describe exactly what these phenomenally well-executed and -choreographed action scenes feel like to view; yes, they'll take your breath away. Peppered throughout the movie, actually shot in real US Navy aircraft without a trace of digital effects, and as tense and spectacular as filmmaking can be in the feature's climactic sequences, they truly do make it seem as if you're watchin' in slow motion. Thankfully, this time that adrenaline kick is accompanied by a smarter and far more self-aware film, as directed by TRON: Legacy and Oblivion's Joseph Kosinski. Top Gun in the 80s was exactly what Top Gun in the 80s was always going to be — but Top Gun in the 2020s doesn't dare believe that nothing has changed, that Cruise's still-smug Maverick can't evolve, and that the world the movie releases into hasn't either. Early in the film — after Harold Faltermeyer's famous Top Gun anthem plays, text on-screen explains what the titular elite pilot training program is all about, a montage of fighter planes kicks in and then 'Danger Zone' sets an upbeat tone; that is, after the flick begins exactly as the first did — Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell (Cruise, Mission: Impossible — Fallout) is given a dressing-down. Still as rebellious as his call sign makes plain, he's just wantonly disobeyed orders, flown a ridiculously expensive hypersonic test plane when he's not supposed to and caused quite the fallout. "The future is coming and you're not in it," he's told, and Top Gun: Maverick doesn't shy away from that notion. As its opening moments show, along with a touch too many other nostalgia-steeped touches elsewhere this sequel hasn't wholly flown on from the past; however, it actively reckons with it as well. Still hardly the navy's favourite despite his swagger, megawatt smile, gleaming aviators and unfailing self-confidence — well, really despite his need for speed and exceptional dogfighting skills in the air — Maverick is given one last assignment. His destination: Fightertown USA, the California-based Top Gun program he strutted his way through all those years ago. There's an enemy nation with a secret weapons base that needs destroying, and his talents are crucial. But, to his dismay, Maverick is only asked to teach. Given a squad lorded over by the brash Hangman (Glen Powell, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood), and also including Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis, Grey's Anatomy), Payback (Jay Ellis, Insecure), Fanboy (Danny Ramirez, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro, Stumptown), Bob (Lewis Pullman, Outer Range) and the frosty Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw (Miles Teller, The Offer), he's tasked with training them to fly like he does, navigate a Star Wars-style impossible path that zips speedily at perilously low altitudes and, ideally, still survive the supremely dangerous mission. Yes, Bradley Bradshaw is a real name this franchise has given one of its characters. And, he's the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards, Inventing Anna), Maverick's beloved wingman in the original movie, whose death he hasn't come to terms with. Also, stressing that chip-off-the-ol'-block link via Hawaiian shirts, a moustache and a barroom 'Great Balls of Fire' singalong is among Top Gun: Maverick's clumsiest and most needlessly wistful moves — second only to its shirtless team-building beach football scene. Luckily, it's easy to excuse some such blatant nods backwards when interrogating why Maverick is like he is, what cost that's extracted from him and those in his orbit, and how he might climb beyond it is one of the film's main concerns. Plus, one of the feature's other blasts from the past, Maverick's reunion with his ex-adversary Iceman (Val Kilmer, The Snowman), couldn't be more movingly handled. Again, recognising that Maverick's heyday, and everything it instilled in him, has long been and gone proves as crucial in this sequel as those sensationally balletic jets swooping and spiralling above. Cruise's heyday as a mega movie superstar isn't yet behind him, though, and Top Gun: Maverick is also better for knowing that his hyper-committed showmanship is now rare. So, Kosinkski leans heavily on the Tom Cruise of it all — aka the spectacle that's a given when he's in action mode — while unpacking the Maverick of it all. That's how the film zooms deeper than the initial flick, especially into its protagonist, with screenwriters Ehren Kruger (Dumbo), Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle) and Christopher McQuarrie (the last two and upcoming two Mission: Impossible movies) imparting a convincing sense of human drama. Top Gun: Maverick still sports patriotism and militarism so thick it'd show up on radar. It's still sweaty, albeit not as much as the Fast and Furious franchise these days. And it still has a thin but charismatic romance, this time with Jennifer Connelly (who gets a winning music moment if you know what she was starring in back in 1986). And yet, it also faces the fact that flag-waving patriotism and testosterone-fuelled bravado are relics. Even better: while Top Gun: Maverick's exploration of loyalty, duty, camaraderie, bromance and facing your mistakes to be a better person comes second to its stunning aerial scenes, none of those themes completely fade from mind when the movie hits the sky. They're meant to up the stakes, and genuinely do. Indeed, Gun: Maverick's underlying emotions feel as authentic as the astonishing visuals that repeatedly defy gravity. With the latter, it comes as no surprise that Kosinkski's TRON: Legacy cinematographer Claudio Miranda does the honours, again delivering an astounding sight. Similarly, that such edge-of-your-seat sequences are stitched together by McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible editor Eddie Hamilton won't raise an eyebrow. Action cinema rarely gets more thrilling than this — and an action movie that's this visibly wondrous and entertaining, knows it's walking in familiar footsteps but puts in a bold effort to make this return trip mean something is electrifying and, yes, breathtaking.
As if Aesop didn't already lure us in with their disarmingly aromatic street samples, they've gone and fitted out their newest store with rich, glorious cedarwood. Teaming up with Japanese design and architecture firm Torafu Architects, Melbourne skincare and all-the-nice-things brand Aesop has unveiled the interiors for their latest chapter in Osaka. Snuggled in the Grand Front Osaka Mall, the seven square metre space is a delightfully minimal celebration of cedarwood, with shelves, islands and counters all super sleek blocks of once-baked pillars. Pairing down their interior design to match the stripped back branding of the products, Aesop worked closely with Torafu to be the prettiest kids on the block. "We wanted to create a natural feeling against the cold glass and stone materials decking the promenade. Looking for local materials, we found the once-baked Japanese cedar wood pillars," said Wei Ting of Torafu Architects. "When we presented the material choices to Aesop, they suggested using the pink colour for the walls. "While the rough veneer of the Japanese cedar creates a contrast with the homogenising effect of its surroundings, the top surface of the squared logs of varying length are punctuated by aptly placed sinks, thereby bringing about a soothing sense of rhythm to the store." Gotta love an aptly placed sink. Started in Melbourne in 1987 and seeing its first in-store customers in 2004 at a former underground carpark ramp space in St Kilda, Aesop are slowly infiltrating the world skincare market one unique store at a time, from Berlin to London's Covent Garden, the Hamptons to Shibuya, Tokyo. The makers of mindblowing moisturiser opened a rustic, oak and copper-clad store in Hong in February 2014, covered the roof of their December 2013 Chelsea, NYC store with one thousand different covers of literary journal The Paris Review and just months earlier used fruit picking ladders to quaintify their Marylebone, London store. Not to mention the myriad of pop-ups they've cranked out over the years, Aesop has realised over 25 instalments worldwide now. Founder Dennis Paphitis told Dezeen he was "horrified of the thought of a soulless chain," and aimed to invest time and significant funds toward unique design for each store. "There's a direct correlation between interesting, captivating store spaces and customer traffic within a store," he said. "I’ve always imagined what we do as the equivalent of a weighty, gold charm bracelet on the tanned wrist of a glamorous, well-read European woman who has travelled and collected interesting experiences. I felt and still do that it should be possible to grow in a lateral way without prostituting the essence of what the company is about." Now for some solid design porn. Here's Aesop's new cedarwood-clad, super sleek Osaka joint: Via Dezeen. Images by Takumi Ota.
First in Sydney, then in Melbourne and now in Brisbane, the biggest show in musical theatre this century has finally been sharing its Tony-winning take on 18th-century American politics with Australian audiences. Since 2021, being in the room where it happens hasn't required a trip to the US — but you will need to be in Brisbane in March to be in the room where Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda himself will be in attendance in-person for a Hamilton fan event. For the first time during the blockbuster musical's Australian time — and likely the only time, given that the show will leave the country for a New Zealand run when it finishes its Sunshine State season at QPAC's Lyric Theatre on Sunday, April 23 — Miranda is heading Down Under. The exact date hasn't been revealed, but he'll hit the River City to meet the local company of the production, and also to take part in that event for Hamilton obsessives. [caption id="attachment_773737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] "I have been waiting such a long time to come to Australia and I can't wait to be with the company down under in-person for the first time," Miranda said, announcing his visit. "I have heard such great things from friends and fans in Australia, it is going to be fantastic to be able to meet them and watch them perform." Just like exactly when in March Miranda will be in Brisbane, where the fan event will happen and what it will entail — and how folks will be able to attend — is yet to be revealed, with further details to come. Still, Brisbanites and Australians keen on a trip to the Queensland capital won't want to throw away the shot to see the man who made the game-changing, award-winning, rightly raved-about Hamilton what it is "Australian fans have been so patient waiting for Lin-Manuel Miranda's visit to Australia and we have something very special in store for them when he gets here," added Australian Hamilton producer Michael Cassel AM. [caption id="attachment_774807" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] The Broadway hit's Aussie production features a cast that currently includes Jason Arrow as Alexander Hamilton, Martha Berhane as Eliza Hamilton, Callan Purcell as Aaron Burr, Akina Edmonds as Angelica Schuyler, Matu Ngaropo as George Washington, and Victory Ndukwe as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. Sami Afuni plays Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, Wern Mak does double duty as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, Elandrah Eramiha plays Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, and Brent Hill steps into King George III's robes. Haven't become a Hamilton obsessive yet? Not quite sure why it has been the most-talked about theatre show of the past six years? The critically acclaimed hip hop musical, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. In addition to its swag of Tony Awards — 11 in fact, which includes Best Musical — it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. Until now, Brisbanites eager to see the show had to be content with trips south or watching the filmed version of its Broadway production, which started streaming via Disney+ in 2020 (and yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard). And yes, the $10 ticket lottery has also hit the River City, offering Hamilton tickets for less than the cost of lunch. [caption id="attachment_870525" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Australian production of Hamilton by Daniel Boud[/caption] Hamilton's Brisbane season runs until Sunday, April 23 at QPAC's Lyric Theatre, South Bank, with tickets available via the musical's website. Details of Lin-Manuel Miranda's fan event are yet to be announced — we'll update you when more information comes to hand. Top image: Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.
Moon Dog announced its plans to transform Footscray's iconic Franco Cozzo building into a huge drinking and dining venue at the end of 2022, and broke ground on the new Moon Dog Wild West site towards the end of last year. The crew has also confirmed that it still plans to open the new three-storey 800-person Wild West-themed mega venue (that's twice the size of Moon Dog World in Preston) at the end of March this year. Guests will enter the bar and restaurant through swinging saloon doors on Hopkins Street, and immediately be met with a huge mechanical bucking bull surrounded by horseshoe-shaped booths, an old western-inspired arcade and a barrel-ageing room. But the Moon Dog crew isn't just popping a bucking bull in the bar and calling it a day. The team does nothing by half measures. They're taking it one step further by starting up the Western Bull Riders Club, a bucking bull riding league for regulars who want to compete to be the best bull riders in Melbourne. Those who sign up for the Western Bull Riders Club will get a $100 voucher to Moon Dog Wild West, a team pin and T-shirt, plus an invite to the venue's pre-opening event. They'll also get their name up on the 'Bull Riders' board and be invited to competition nights, including the annual Western Bull Riders Championship. We didn't think Melbourne needed a fake bull-riding league, but here we are, living for Moon Dog's. The team has also shared its menu ahead of the March opening, showing off the Tex-Mex and Western-inspired eats. These will include classic jalapeño poppers, buffalo chicken ribs, a Mexi prawn cocktail and its Western barbecue bacon burger. They'll be served across all floors, including the huge rooftop space. On the bevs front, you can expect all the usual Moon Dog beers and seltzers to be pumping out of the 100+ taps across the venue, as well as plenty of seasonal brews. They even got three-time Australian Bartender of the Year Chris Hysted-Adams to design the cocktail list and shots menu. This will include an old-school pickleback shot, a regularly changing Old Fashioned that'll' be served in a barrel for four people, and a layered tequila sunrise slushie. Everything at the new Moon Dog Wild West in Footscray just screams unabashed fun. We have high expectations for this new opening, as well as Moon Dogs' upcoming Docklands and Frankston sites. Moon Dog Wild West will be located at 54 Hopkins Street, Footscray and is set to open in late March, operating from 11am–11pm Sunday–Thursday and 11am–1am Friday–Saturday. For more information, head to the venue's website.
It was back in March 2022 that the world first learned of Mrs Davis, who would star in it and which creatives were behind it. Apart from its central faith-versus-technology battle, the show's concept was kept under wraps, but the series itself was announced to the world. The key involvement of three-time GLOW Emmy-nominee Betty Gilpin, Lost and The Leftovers creator Damon Lindelof, and The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon writer and executive producer Tara Hernandez was championed, plus the fact that Black Mirror: San Junipero director Owen Harris would helm multiple episodes. Accordingly, although no one knew exactly what it was about, Mrs Davis existed months before ChatGPT was released. A puzzle-box drama that's equally a sci-fi thriller, zany comedy and action-adventure odyssey, Mrs Davis now follows ChatGPT in reaching audiences — hitting screens, including via Binge in Australia, from Friday, April 21. Don't even bother trying not to think about the artificial intelligence-driven chatbot, or pondering the growing number of programs just like it, as you're viewing this delightfully wild and gleefully ridiculous series, however. There's no point dismissing any musings that slip into your head about social media, ever-present tech, digital surveillance and the many ways that algorithms dictate our lives, either. Mrs Davis accepts that such innovations are a mere fact of life in 2023, then imagines what might happen if AI promised to solve the worlds ills and make everyone's existence better and happier. It explores how users could go a-flocking, eager to obey every instruction and even sacrifice themselves to the cause. In other words, it's about ChatGPT-like technology starting a religion in everything but name. That premise isn't particularly outlandish, and nor is speculating where artificial intelligence might lead humanity; on the page, science fiction has been theorising about playing god and creations going rogue since Mary Shelley penned Frankenstein. In those footsteps has sprung everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and the Alien, The Terminator and The Matrix franchises to the TRON movies, WALL-E, Ex Machina and Her on the big screen, plus Alita: Battle Angel, After Yang, M3GAN and more. Indeed, endeavouring not to think about the latter — the unhinged horror-comedy that proved a box-office hit earlier in 2023 — is futile while watching Mrs Davis, too. It isn't just the prominence of AI that binds the pair, but the willingness to go all-in on OTT leaps, detours, and jumps in tone and genre. In fact, Mrs Davis thrusts that somersaulting to a gleefully berserk yet magnificent extreme. The titular Mrs Davis isn't actually married — not to anything but amassing users, then keeping them plugged in — and certainly isn't a person with a surname. In some countries, the AI is called mum or Madonna, such is the loving light that it's seen in by its devotees. But Simone (Gilpin, Gaslit) doesn't subscribe. A nun raised by magicians (The Dropout's Elizabeth Marvel and Scream's David Arquette), she enjoys sabbaticals from her convent to do whatever is necessary to bring down folks who practise her parents' vocation and the show's central technology alike. She also enjoys quite the literal nuptials to Jesus Christ, is divinely bestowed names to chase in her quest and has an ex-boyfriend, Wiley (Jake McDorman, Dopesick), who's a former bullrider-turned-Fight Club-style resistance leader. And, she's tasked with a mission by the algorithm itself: hunting down the Holy Grail. No summary of Mrs Davis can do its plot justice, or the rollercoaster ride it takes from the get-go. In its opening episode alone, the show throws in the Knights Templar sacking Paris for the fabled treasure to end all fabled treasures, Simone zipping about on a motorcycle in her habit, surreal diner chats between the nun and her husband Jay (Andy McQueen, Station Eleven), a car crash staged by magicians, a shipwrecked man called Schrödinger Ben Chaplin, The Dig) with a cat, Nazis, big Kill Bill vibes — well, it is about a blonde in a distinctive outfit kicking ass and seeking revenge, often while placed against western-esque backdrops — and a factory pumping out hippopotamus meat. There's more in that debut instalment, as there is in each that follows, so much so that any chapter feels as if anything can occur at any time. Battling an algorithm is firmly in Mrs Davis' circuitry, but it never seems like it was spat out by one. There's a scene approaching halfway through Mrs Davis' eight-episode run where Simone watches a screen, just as everyone streaming the series is doing. When she exclaims "what the fuck?", it isn't the first time that the show inspires that reaction. When this mind-bender isn't nodding to everything that's ever grappled with AI in pop culture, winking at Lost and obviously elbowing Indiana Jones, it's also skewering commercials, bringing Arrested Development to mind and hopping on The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou's boat. It has heists and Arthurian legend, details out of Dan Brown and Robinson Crusoe, secret societies and Hands on a Hardbody-inspired endurance contests, the great Margot Martindale (Cocaine Bear) as Simone's Mother Superior and a comically exaggerated Australian (Daisy Jones & The Six's Chris Diamantopoulos, who definitely isn't an Aussie) as well — and it never stops ramping up its absurdity, its excitement to veer anywhere and everywhere all at once, and those what-the-fuck moments. Spin all of the above together and out comes infectious, addictive, must-watch-more fun — constantly surprising viewing, too, especially in these commissioned-by-algorithm times. Mrs Davies does genuinely contemplate what technology's constant advancements may mean for humankind; however, it wants to be rollicking entertainment as it does so. To that end, it helps that the show's three helmers each sport experience in twisty on-screen tales that often aren't afraid to take big steps into the unexpected. They direct a series now that's glossily made but always anarchic with its slickness, its pinballing from one out-there development to the next and its pacing, benefiting from Harris' time on The Twilight Zone and Brave New World, Alethea Jones' background on Made for Love and Dispatches From Elsewhere, and Frederick Toye being a Watchmen and Westworld alum. When Mrs Davies begins, going with the flow is the only response. Although a new burst of idiosyncratic madness is rarely far away, there's always meaning in whatever is happening, with the series examining not just AI and its influence but also parent-child bonds, plus also our species' undying need for both storytelling and something to believe in (and frequently the two at once). And, crucially, at the show's core is the always-phenomenal Gilpin. No matter how eccentric and ambitious Mrs Davies gets, she's its anchor, including while navigating everything that it catapults Simone's way. She's in excellent company — even Diamantopoulos ensures that what could've been a lazy Aussie caricature earns its comedic beats — and she has everyone on- and off-screen along for the ride with her. Check out the trailer for Mrs Davis below: Mrs Davis screens in Australia via Binge from Friday, April 21. Images: Binge/Peacock.
For ten years, Royale Brothers has been known as the spot to go for burgers in Brighton. This hole-in-the-wall burger joint was started by the owners of The Pantry — more or less a local institution — who know a thing or two about running a cafe. And so, following such success, have decided to transform Royale Brothers into Royale, a contemporary cafe inspired by old-school Australian diners (not to be mistaken with American diners). Thankfully, most of its burgers remain on the menu. But the team is now also slinging breakfast dishes and classic Aussie diner fare. Kick things off with waffles or pancakes with a bunch of toppings; a brekkie bun, brekkie burger and brekkie sandwich; avocado on toast; and a big breakfast platter with bacon, hash browns and guacamole. For lunch, you've then got spaghetti bolognese, a range of different chicken schnitzels with chips, caesar salad, seafood basket and nachos. It's a really playful menu full of crowd-pleasing dishes. Thickshakes, coffee, juice and sodas round out the offerings here, all served up within newly designed digs. And we do hope booze will eventually make it to the menu, as it would make a stellar boozy brunch spot. You'll find the newly revamped Royale at 1 Church Street, Brighton, open 10am–8.30pm from Sunday–Thursday, and 10am–9pm on Friday and Saturday. For more details, you can check out the venue's website.
As anyone who's seen the doco Amy knows, during Amy Winehouse's troubled final years, the media was excruciatingly obsessed with her drug and alcohol issues. But, a new exhibition, arriving in Melbourne later this year, is bringing us another perspective. Titled Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait, the show covers four concepts: faith, fashion, music and London life. Expect to see loads of never-before-seen-in-public objects, such as family photos, dresses (including the dazzling Luella Bartley number that Winehouse wore at Glastonbury 2008), cookbooks, stories, records and musical instruments. Acting as soundtrack will be a mixtape Winehouse put together at the age of 13. The exhibition was conceived and curated by Amy's brother, Alex, and sister-in-law, Riva, in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of London. Since premiering in London in 2013, it's travelled to San Francisco, Vienna, Tel Aviv and Amsterdam, and, right now, it's at the London museum, Camden. Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait arrives at the Jewish Museum of Australia, St Kilda, on October 22 and will show until March 22, 2018. Image: Rama via Wikimedia Commons.
It's the first Cirque du Soleil show that uses a central stage, placing its action in the middle of the arena, meaning that patrons face each other while they watch. It focuses, fittingly for a circus troupe, on a clown. Corteo is the production in question, and is also already proving a hit in Australia ahead of its 2025 season's arrival — with an extra 25 performances freshly locked in due to demand. When a clown ponders its final farewell, what does it see? This show has the answer. When Corteo initially made its way to the stage in Montreal in 2005, it won over audiences by setting its acrobatic feats within a funeral procession imagined by a jester — a carnival-like parade that muses on humanity's strengths and vulnerabilities — in a space between heaven and earth. Two decades later, it's one of the troupe's most-beloved performances. Cirque du Soleil announced earlier in 2025 that it would celebrating that Corteo milestone Down Under this year — and now that a five-city tour of Australia has just gotten bigger. The production's stints at Perth Arena, Melbourne's John Cain Arena, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney and Brisbane Entertainment Centre have all been extended by a week, albeit with shows focused around the weekend. Accordingly, Perth will now enjoy Corteo from Friday, August 8–Sunday, August 17; Melbourne between Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 31; Sydney from Thursday, September 4–Sunday, September 14; and Brisbane across Thursday, September 18–Sunday, September 28. Adelaide's dates at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre from Thursday, October 2–Sunday, October 5 remain unchanged. Over its 20 years of life so far Corteo has proven a smash, with over 12-million audience members in 30 countries on four continents seeing it so far. As its clown protagonist conjures up the festive parade that ushers him from this world, attendees witness a poetic yet playful performance — one where the acrobatics are unique, too, and where angels watch over. The show hits Australia after LUZIA was the last Cirque du Soleil production that bounded this way, kicking off in 2024 — and notching up another first, as the Montreal-based company company's debut touring show to feature rain in its acrobatic and artistic scenes. Before that, 2023 saw Cirque du Soleil bring CRYSTAL, its first-ever ice production on ice, Down Under. Cirque du Soleil's Corteo — Australia and New Zealand Tour 2025 Friday, August 8–Sunday, August 17 — Perth Arena, Perth Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 31 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne Thursday, September 4–Sunday, September 14 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Thursday, September 18–Sunday, September 28 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Thursday, October 2–Sunday, October 5 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Cirque du Soleil's Corteo tours Australia from August 2025. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the show's website. Images: Maja Prgomet, Johan Persson and Aldo Arguello.
Some Pixar movies bring childhood obsessions to big screen, as seen in the Toy Story and Cars films. If you loved monsters as a kid, the Monsters, Inc flicks definitely also count. Other features made by the beloved animation studio explore exactly what it feels like to be a child — as seen in the wonderful Inside Out, of course, and now in the company's upcoming release Turning Red. We say 'upcoming', and that is indeed accurate — but after both Soul and Luca hit streaming over the past six months, the studio's next movie won't release until March 2022. So, you'll be waiting a while to get another dose of heartwarming animated cuteness. Based on its just-dropped first trailer, Turning Red looks like it'll be worth it, though. Marking the first feature from writer/director Domee Shi, who won an Oscar for her delightful 2018 short Bao, Turning Red takes its moniker literally. Many Pixar flicks do, of course (see also: Finding Nemo, Up, Brave and Onward, for instance). Here, 13-year-old Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang, also making her movie debut) is an ordinary teen who gets embarrassed by her mum Ming (Sandra Oh, Killing Eve) fairly often, and can find adolescent life a bit overwhelming. So far, so relatable — but when she's overexcited by all of the above, Mei Lee also happens to turn into a fluffy red panda. If you're thinking about the Hulk but red, female, younger and more adorable, that's the kind of vibe the trailer gives. Disney does own both Pixar and Marvel, so that isn't a big leap. Just how Mei Lee copes with her sudden transformations is exactly what the flick will cover, obviously — and, at this stage, viewers will be able to see the end result in cinemas next year rather than on streaming. Check out the trailer below: Turning Red is slated to release in Australian cinemas on March 31, 2022. Top image: © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
If you've been making plans to revamp your style, but haven't been able to rustle up the coin, here's your chance. For five days, Hugo Boss will be hosting a mega sale at its outlet stores. You'll be able to score a further 50 percent off a massive range of premium clothing — from comfy t-shirts and soft sweaters to suave suits and women's dresses. Whether you're after a suit for a special occasion or looking to level-up your wardrobe, Hugo Boss's end-of-year outlet sale will have you sorted for a fraction of the fashion label's usual prices. You'll have to get in quick to score though, with the sale only running from Wednesday, December 11 to Sunday, December 15. In Melbourne, you can head to the BOSS Outlet in Preston and DFO Essendon to get these quality threads for such a steal. Opening hours at the Preston outlet are Wednesday–Friday, 10am–6pm; Saturday, 10am–5pm; and Sunday, 11am–5pm. At DFO Essendon, the Hugo Boss outlet is open from 10am–6pm daily. Hugo Boss end-of-year outlet sale will run from Wednesday, December 11 to Sunday, December 15. To find your closest outlet, visit the website.
It's a war that's been waged for decades among regional bakeries the country over: who's dishing up Australia's best pie? Whose pastry comes closest to perfection? Which filling reigns supreme? Well, this year's top dog has officially been named, with Kyneton's Country Cob Bakery taking out top honours at the 2019 edition of Australia's Best Pie and Pastie Competition. While you might have your own thoughts about which pie makes the best road trip accompaniment, this nationally recognised contest is run by the experts at the Baking Association of Australia. The 2019 competition saw 12 professional judges sample a whopping 1760 pies from 345 bakeries, across three days. And for the third year in a row, Country Cob claimed the top title, this time winning over tastebuds with a caramelised pork and pepper pie creation loaded with local ingredients. It's an impressive run for baker brothers Ryan and Chan Khun, who've owned and operated the bakery for the past three years. [caption id="attachment_726906" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The award-winning pie.[/caption] The two backed up their big win with 11 other gold medals, including taking out the title of Best Seafood Pie for their curry scallop number, and scoring Best Gourmet Pie with that same champion pork round. Other winners included Gusto Bakery's curried pumpkin, feta and spinach number for Best Vegetarian Pie (which you can find in Fairfield and Moonee Ponds), and Whittlesea Bakehouse claimed the title of Best Plain Chunky Beef Pie. Further afield, JoJo's Gluten Free in the Bass Coast Shire took out Best Gluten-Free Pie as well as Best Pastie overall. Coeliacs might want to lock in a road trip ASAP. And if you fancy sampling Country Cob's primo pie for yourself, Kyneton sits about an hour north of Melbourne just off the Calder, making the perfect pit-stop on a trip to Bendigo. The champion pastry will be sticking on the menu for the foreseeable future. Find Country Cob Bakery at 130-132 Mollison Street, Kyneton, Victoria — it's open from 6am–4.30pm on weekdays and 6am–3pm on weekends.
There's never a bad time for ice cream, the sweet treat fiend that lurks inside of us all often whispers. It's certainly one of the main thoughts running through your mind when you're heading to a gelato parlour at 9.30am on a Saturday morning. Of course, Gelato Messina isn't any old purveyor of frosty goodness — and their Gelato Appreciation Classes aren't any old excuse to eat dessert for breakfast or brunch. If you've ever stood in front of the counter at one of their 15 Australian stores — or their sole venture in Las Vegas — and wondered just which flavour you could possibly choose because they all look so delicious, then their Gelato Appreciation Class will be your idea of a damn good time and then some. In short, you can taste them all. Messina lets customers do that anyway, but no one really tries 40 or so types in one visit. After you've spent a morning finding out how the magic is made and eating the kinds of dishes they don't scoop up everyday, however, you'll feel compelled to sample every single variety on offer. When you sit down in the Messina classroom, as well as being greeted by your own Messina recipe book, you'll discover that there's more than 5000 flavours in their catalogue thanks to the ever-changing array of experimental specials that pop up each weekday. That's just one of the insider titbits Messina's chefs share over the two to two-and-a-half hour session. There's definitely more where that came from. On an autumn morning, a cosy room of 16 ice cream-loving folks sat in Brisbane's brand new Gelato Messina store in South Brisbane to watch and learn how fior di latte gelato, strawberry sorbet and the famous Dr Evil's Magic Mushroom cake are made — and try them all, and even more. Held as part of their array of events alongside hands-on gelato-making workshops and their seven-course Creative Department dinners, Messina pitch the classes as part degustation, part look behind the scenes, and it's a description that fits. At one moment, you'll be watching a Messina staffer make gelato and talk you through the process — and then you'll be scooping and devouring small bites of the fresh-churned goodness. The next, you'll be finding out that the machine in Messina's Sydney headquarters pumps out a massive one-and-a-half tonnes of gelato per hour, and your stomach will grumble on cue. Then, you'll be tucking into one of several desserts. Perhaps you'll get one that comes in a tuna-like tin, and features smoked brown butter gelato, milk chocolate namelaka (aka a Japanese ganache-like substance), compressed apple and flourless chocolate sponge, for example. Over a fun, relaxed session, you'll keep eating, listening and learning — and hearing amusing anecdotes, including one that involves their Fitzroy digs being mistaken for a nightclub thanks to its hefty line down Smith Street. Prepare for stories about Messina's new dairy farm, the ratio of air that's whipped into their gelato, and even their future plans. Indeed, if you're a big fan, that's almost as ace as all of the gelato you'll be munching on. And, as well as the recipe book and a Lister Messina tote, attendees get a takeaway pack stuffed with gelato to take home. Arrive hungry, but don't expect to leave that way. Gelato Messina hold their Gelato Appreciation Classes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane throughout the year, with tickets available via their website. Bookings are now open for their first Brisbane sessions, which will be held on July 15, August 19 and September 23.
Once, Ned Kelly and Mark "Chopper" Read called it home. Soon, a microbrewery, pub, 15-screen cinema and apartments will do just that instead. Yes, the times are certainly a-changin' at Coburg's Pentridge Prison, with 2017 marking 20 years since the site stopped its incarceration operations — and also marking the first time they're throwing a two-day festival. What was formerly Victoria's longest running gaol will host an all-ages fest filled live music, market stalls and food trucks on April 8 and 9, in what is hoped will become a yearly event. Attendees keen to get a dose of the facility's past can break up the eating and tunes with hourly tours of the prison's B Division, exercise yards and solitary confinement cells. Music-wise, the lineup features local acts such as Big Words, Cumbia Massive, Billy Davis and Funkalleros, while meals on wheels will be served up by Mr Burger, Beatbox Kitchen, Pasta Face, White Guy Cooks Thai and Billy Van Creamy, among others. Indeed, the fest has lured the likes of Zero 95 and Fancy Hanks to turn into food truck vendors for the event, treating visitors to their tasty fare beyond their usual four walls. It wouldn't be an outdoor food festival without picnic rugs aplenty — with everyone in the vicinity encouraged to hang out on the grass in the Pentridge piazza — or a beer garden bringing some booze to the celebration. Best of all, the event is free. Unlike the site's residents from times gone by, you won't want to leave. Pentridge Festival takes place at Pentridge Prison, Coburg on April 8 and 9. For more information, visit pentridgecoburg.com.au.
No one alive today was living and breathing during Leonardo da Vinci's lifetime in the 15th and 16th centuries; however, Melbourne's The Lume is doing its best to help its patrons experience the Italian Renaissance-era great's existence. Opening on Saturday, March 16, Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius sees the venue — which is Australia's first permanent digital-only art gallery — devote its surfaces to stepping into the artist and inventor's tale. His paintings grace the walls. His machines are dotted around its halls. Even original sheets from his notebooks, that boast his writing and sketches, are on display. Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius was first announced in 2023, and is understandably The Lume's major 2024 exhibition, alongside a massive reason for folks living outside of Melbourne to head to the Victorian capital this year. Back in February, the venue also revealed that pages from da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus feature, displaying in Australia for the first time ever. Add them to the must-see list next to the world's most-famous enigmatic smile, The Last Supper, the artist's anatomical drawings and more. Attendees at the Grande Experiences-run Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre site can see what The Lume is calling its "most ambitious, immersive and breathtaking yet". That's quite the claim for a collection that follows a van Gogh celebration, a focus on Monet and his contemporaries and the First Nations-centric Connection. Given everything that's a part of Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius, though, that statement also isn't surprising. No one will forget the Mona Lisa after heading to the exhibition. The artwork is almost everywhere within the 3000-square-metre space, and in a larger-than-life fashion — because that's how Grande Experiences' whole setup works. The iconic piece also links in with the segment of the showcase that's all about French optical engineer Pascal Cotte, who invented a multispectral camera and has peeled back the artwork's layers using his research. So, get excited about Mona Lisa Revealed, which includes an exact 360-degree replica — the only one in the world — as created thanks to Cotte's 240,000,000-pixel multispectral camera. The Last Supper also enjoys the spotlight in a big way, with emphasis on the 'big'. Similarly among Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius' highlights: 40 of da Vinci's machine inventions, which are on loan from the Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Rome. Leonardo is just as well-known for his flying machine concepts, with his 15th-century vision of human flight scoring The Lume's attention. This part of the exhibition heroes recreations made in Italy from the artist and inventor's sketches, and also uses the materials and techniques that he would've at the time. Letting visitors check out pages from Codex Atlanticus is a huge coup. The 12-volume set is filled with da Vinci's drawings and writings, detailing his thoughts and featuring his sketches on a wide array of topics. It's priceless. It includes entries from its author from between 1478–1519, dating up to the year of his death. Since 1637, it has called Milan's Biblioteca Ambrosiana home — and it's thanks to a relationship between it and Grande Experiences, which is also behind Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci, that some of its sheets can display Down Under. Stepping through da Vinci's journey at Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius also spans recreations of Florence's streets, Venice's canals and Milan — as brought to life via sight, sound, scent, touch and taste. Flying over Florence using virtual reality, dining at a Renaissance-themed experience where The Last Supper provides the backdrop, being turned into a da Vinci sketch thanks to AI, seeing how you align with the artist's Vitruvian Man drawing: that's all on offer, too. That said, Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius isn't solely about its namesake's well-known works, with the 3000-square-metre multi-sensory gallery also exploring his inspirations and those creating their own masterpieces at the same time. Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and works by Caravaggio can all be sighted, for instance. In Queensland, at HOTA, Home of the Arts, Grande Experiences's Italian Renaissance Alive will also take a broader look at the Italian Renaissance period from late March — but anyone wanting to be steeped in da Vinci's works in particular will need to head to Melbourne. Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius opens at The Lume, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 5 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne, from Saturday, March 16, 2024 — head to the venue's website for tickets and further information. Images: Alicia Taylor.
Live every week like it's scam week: on streaming platforms throughout 2022 so far, that's basically been the motto. Indeed, a line from one of the year's big swindle hits so far, Netflix's Inventing Anna, sums up this current spate of con artist-obsessed viewing perfectly: scam culture is here to stay. Dramatising the Theranos scandal, eight-part miniseries The Dropout is the third high-profile release in a month to relive a wild true-crime tale — following not only the Anna Delvey-focused Inventing Anna, about the fake German heiress who conned her way through New York City's elite, but also documentary The Tinder Swindler, which steps through defrauding via dating app at the hands of Israeli imposter Simon Leviev. Made by Hulu in the US and streaming on Disney+ via its Star expansion Down Under, as fellow reality-to-screen 2022 release Pam & Tommy did as well, it also dives into the horror-inducing Dr Death-esque realm. When a grift doesn't just mess with money and hearts, but with health and lives, it's pure nightmare fuel. To tell the story of Theranos, The Dropout has to tell the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the Silicon Valley biotech outfit's founder and CEO from the age of 19. Played by a captivating, career-best Amanda Seyfried — on par with her Oscar-nominated work in Mank, but clearly in a vastly dissimilar role — the Steve Jobs-worshipping Holmes is seen explaining her company's name early in its first episode. It's derived from the words "therapy" and "diagnosis", she stresses, although history already dictates that it offered little of either. Spawned from Holmes' idea to make taking blood simpler and easier, using just one drop from a small finger prick, it failed to deliver, lied about it copiously and still launched to everyday consumers, putting important medical test results in jeopardy. That's the quick version of Theranos' gambit for the uninitiated, but The Dropout takes its time unfurling the full roster of ups and downs (including the fact that it was valued at $10 billion in 2013 and 2014). Created by showrunner and co-writer Elizabeth Merriwether — who was also behind TV sitcom New Girl — it draws its details from the American ABC News podcast of the same name, and doesn't skimp on the infuriating and complicated minutiae. In the beginning, Holmes is the kind of teen who listens to pop tunes to pump herself up and convince herself that she can do anything. She's studious and serious, and also desperate to be known for something. Then, as the series jumps between key years in Theranos' lifespan, she adopts an all-black, turtleneck-heavy wardrobe and deepens her vocal tones to get backers to invest their cash in an idea that doesn't work. A veil of secrecy surrounds the company, including for employees — and to say that questions aren't aren't welcomed is an understatement. Female fraudsters are doing it for themselves, screwing over everyone else and speaking in distinctive voices: that's another theme pumping through both Inventing Anna and The Dropout. But where the former is gleefully glossy and never overly interested in the why of it all, the latter knows that, for the people who relied upon Theranos for crucial health results, it's in potential life-or-death territory. It plays this tale straight and grim, and is also well-aware that it needn't be subtle about getting its point across. Of course, there's an inherent statement lurking in the reality of Holmes' life and lies, and the fact that they so easily tick all of the expected boxes. Hailing from a wealthy family, getting into Stanford, convincing her parents to invest her tuition money into Theranos when she dropped out (hence the title), boasting the connections to stump up other funders: it all follows a familiar path, which is a glaring indictment upon a society that gives rise to these types of scams over and over. When Seyfried's version of Holmes is seen talking to the camera, another recent account of a woman and a swindle springs to mind: The Eyes of Tammy Faye, for which Jessica Chastain is nominated for Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards. That film and the first four episodes of The Dropout share a director in Michael Showalter, who has a thematic niche at present, and also keeps working with talented actors putting in phenomenal lead performances. The skill on Seyfried's part to convey all of Holmes' personality quirks without coming across as cartoonish or a caricature can't be underestimated; it's impossible to stop watching her Holmes, even as every move she makes is exasperating. She's surrounded by an impressive lineup of fellow cast members — Lost's Naveen Andrews as Holmes' boyfriend and Theranos' Chief Operating Officer Sunny Balwani chief among them, plus everyone from Stephen Fry and Succession's Alan Ruck to Law & Order mainstay Sam Waterston and Inventing Anna's Kate Burton — but Seyfried is mesmerisingly exceptional, without ever really earning sympathy for Holmes in the process. We may just be living in peak scandal-to-screen times, with new examples dropping faster than almost anyone can reasonably watch them. Joe vs Carole, featuring original The Dropout star Kate McKinnon, is just new to streaming queues, too; WeCrashed, the Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway-starring WeWork drama, also arrives in March; and Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the company's former CEO Travis Kalanick, has premiered in the US ahead of arriving Down Under. Still, while The Dropout has plenty of company, it's easily one of the genre's standouts. The complex tale it relays, the performance it brings with it, the message it screams and the fact that, at every turn, it fleshes out the who, what and why: they're all pivotal and potent. Scam culture might be here to stay, but it isn't enough to just gawk its way — and The Dropout and its powerful take truly understands this. Check out the trailer for The Dropout below: The first four episodes episodes of The Dropout are available to stream via Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly. Images: Beth Dubber/Hulu.
If you've ever felt unsafe in an Uber, because of a predatory driver, other riders or something going on outside the car, this new in-app feature might help ease your mind — a 'panic button' that lets riders contact emergency services directly through the Uber app. It's part of a new Safety Toolkit, trialled in the USA earlier this year and currently being rolling out in Aus, which is designed to help both riders and drivers stay protected and connected during a trip. According to the Uber website, you'll soon be able to access the new Safety Toolkit by clicking on a small shield icon located at the bottom right of the map. It'll allow you to connect instantly to 000 — with the app showing your location and address in real time, so you can pass it on to an operator if required. Drivers will be able to access the same emergency assistance feature on the left side of their own driver app. Another new function allows both riders and drivers to keep their loved ones in the loop, by adding up to five people as 'Trusted Contacts' — you can then arrange to share your whereabouts and trip status with them at any time, with just a subtle tap of a button. The Safety Toolkit also features a new SafetyCentre — a sort of hub, where you can learn all about insurance details, driver background checks and information of how to access Uber's 24/7 support. The launch of the new Safety Toolkit follows two alleged sexual assaults on female Sydney Uber passengers in recent weeks and an investigation by CNN into the prevalence of sexual assaults by Uber drivers in the US. After CNN released its report, Uber published a statement saying it had committed to making trips safer by rolling out new technology and screening drivers more thoroughly (and frequently). The new Safety Toolkit is expected to appear in Aussie apps over the upcoming weeks.
More than a quarter-century ago, a TV sitcom about six New Yorkers made audiences a promise: that it'd be there for us. And, as well as making stars out of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow, Friends has done just that. Sure, the hit series wrapped up its ten-season run in 2004, but the show has lived on — on streaming platforms, by sending an orange couch around Australia, by screening anniversary marathons in cinemas and in boozy brunch parties, for example. In news that was bound to happen someday — no pop culture entity truly comes to an end in these reboot, remake, revival and spinoff-heavy times — Friends is living on in a much more literal sense, too. First hinted at in 2019, officially confirmed in 2020 and just releasing its first teaser trailer (and announcing a US air date), the show is coming back for a reunion special on HBO's streaming platform HBO Max. Naturally, the whole gang is involved. Yep, it's 'The One Where They Get Back Together' — which is exactly how the trailer for Friends: The Reunion describes the special. That said, it's worth noting that the special is unscripted, which means that Aniston and company aren't literally stepping back into Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Ross and Phoebe's and shoes. Instead, the actors behind the characters will chat about their experiences on the show — all on the same soundstage where Friends was originally shot. And, let's face it, the fact that they'll all be on-screen at the same time in the same place celebrating the series that so many folks love is probably enough for fans. Aniston, Cox and the gang will have a few other famous faces for company. More than a few, in fact. The guest list is hefty, and spans folks with connections to the show and others that must just love it — including David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin and Mindy Kaling, as well as Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai. Initially slated to air last May — with those plans delayed due to the pandemic — the special will now stream via HBO Max in the US on Thursday, May 27. For folks Down Under, just when and where it'll surface hasn't yet been revealed; however, it's bound to be here for us sooner or later. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MedRN92V6lE Friends: The Reunion will be available to stream in the US via HBO Max on Thursday, May 27. It doesn't currently have an air date or streaming date Down Under — we'll update you when one is announced.
Is the Avatar franchise set to win its third Academy Award for Best Visual Effects? With its characteristically rich and stunning visuals, the just-dropped first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash makes that case. The latest film in the sci-fi saga is set to arrive three years after Avatar: The Way of Water, and 13 years after all things Avatar initially hit cinemas with what's still the world's biggest box-office blockbuster. Get ready to return to Pandora: come December 2025, James Cameron will usher viewers back to the Na'vi-inhabited moon, and into the middle chapter in the director's planned five-film series. In past entries, forests and reefs have proven home to the franchise's blue-hued residents, but volcanic plains join in this time around. So, meet: the Ash People. Oona Chaplin (Treason) portrays Varang, the new clan's leader. Her message in the sneak peek: "your goddess has no dominion here". When Avatar: Fire and Ash plays in picture palaces Down Under from Thursday, December 18, viewers will also see Michelle Yeoh (Star Trek: Section 31) and David Thewlis (Sherlock & Daughter) among the cast. Leading the ensemble, Sam Worthington (Relay) and Emilia Pérez Oscar-winner Zoe Saldana (Elio) are back as Jake Sully and his warrior wife Neytiri, alongside fellow returnees Sigourney Weaver (The Gorge), Stephen Lang (House of David), Cliff Curtis (Invincible), Britain Dalton (Dark Harvest), Trinity Bliss (The Life of Chuck), Jack Champion (Everything's Going to Be Great), Bailey Bass (Interview with the Vampire) and Kate Winslet (Lee). Cameron once again directs, and co-wrote the screenplay with the also-returning Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Mulan). Since the first Avatar in 2009, the filmmaker behind it has only helmed movies in the franchise. If getting excited about one new Avatar film isn't enough, the two final flicks that are set to follow Avatar: Fire and Ash are slated for release in 2029 and 2031, respectively. Check out the Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer below: Avatar: Fire and Ash releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 18, 2025 Images: courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Melbourne has added another independent cinema to its collection, with the Thornbury Picture House opening its doors. Making its home within a former garage on High Street, the art nouveau theatre and adjoining bar are the brainchild of Gus Berger, whose name you might remember as the one behind St Kilda's George Revival Cinema back in 2013 and 2014. For his latest project, Berger has created a moviegoer's dream: a 57-seat cinema rocking a big six-metre screen, a top-notch Krix 5.1 sound system and an expertly curated program of big screen gems. Open from Wednesday to Sunday each week, the venue's aims to showcase an impressive mix of documentaries, cult classics, festival favourites and international titles, with the first fortnight's lineup featuring Ai Weiwei's doco Human Flow, Oscar winner The Shape of Water, Aussie classic Death in Brunswick, New Zealand comedy What We Do in the Shadows and a session of iconic silent film The General with a live score. In addition, Thornbury Picture House will be giving plenty of screen-time to local filmmakers — it's the new home of Berger's long-running Red Hot Shorts event, and there are plans for it to host a new northside film festival in the not so distant future. Meanwhile, the site's interiors pay homage to the building's art nouveau origins, sprinkled with historic film gear and classic movie posters. The bar, too, is a nod to the good old days, with the original garage features brought to life alongside recycled wooden furniture and pops of green foliage. Here, you can chase a film with Aussie spirits, local beers from the likes of Stomping Ground and Hawkers, a tidy selection of independent wines and batch brew coffee by Padre. Of course, there's plenty of homemade popcorn to round out the moviegoing experience. Find Thornbury Picture House at 802 High Street, Thornbury, or visit thornburypicturehouse.com.au for session times and further details. Images: Tinny Tang.
Comings and goings are part of every soap opera, especially any series that's notched up decade after decade on the small screen. With Neighbours marking its 40th anniversary in 2025, plenty of faces have arrived and departed the show since 1985. Now the Aussie staple itself is saying farewell — again. The long-running series initially wrapped up in 2022, then was resurrected by Amazon in 2023, but has now been cancelled for a second time. "We are sad to announce that Neighbours will be resting from December 2025. New episodes from the 40th-anniversary season will continue to air on Prime Video and Ten four times a week until the end of the year, with all the big soapie twists and turns that our viewers love," announced the team behind the series on social media. "Audiences all around the world have loved and embraced Neighbours for four decades and we are very proud of the huge success over the last two years, including often appearing as one of the Top 10 titles in the UK and the show's first ever Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Daytime Series in 2024. As this chapter closes, we appreciate and thank Amazon MGM Studios for all that they have done for Neighbours — bringing this iconic and much-loved series to new audiences globally," said Neighbours Executive Producer Jason Herbison. "We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future." Herbison's statement leaves the door open for a continuation, if another TV network or streaming platform were to decide that everybody needs more Neighbours. When the show first said goodbye in 2022 — when it was originally cancelled after being dropped by its UK network, Channel 5, leaving local backer Network Ten without enough funding to continue the series — it did so with help from some of its big-name past stars. Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Barbie star Margot Robbie and The Brutalist Oscar-nominee Guy Pearce all returned for its initial sendoff, before the series made a comeback in 2023. Since its mid-80s debut, Neighbours has aired more than 9000 episodes, all charting the lives of characters either living in or connected to the show's cul-de-sac in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. As well as Minogue, Donovan and Pearce, 80s-era Neighbours boasted a four-episode stint from Russell Crowe (Kraven the Hunter). In the 90s, Natalie Imbruglia got her start there. Liam Hemsworth (Lonely Planet) was a regular in the 00s, as was Robbie, and Chris Hemsworth (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) popped up in one 2002 episode before moving over to rival Aussie soap Home and Away. Also just as sizeable: the show's four decades of twists, amnesia spells, shock returns from the dead, and Ramsay and Robinson family dramas. Neighbours will continue to air until December 2025 via Network Ten and Prime Video in Australia, Prime Video in New Zealand, and Amazon Freevee in the UK and US — then say farewell. Images: Fremantle / Prime Video.
Musician, actor, cook book author, wrestling MC, wine brand owner, 2024 Paris Olympics correspondent and performer: these labels all describe Snoop Dogg. Here's another that's set to join the Californian rapper's list: AFL Grand Final headliner. The hip-hop icon will take to the stage at the MCG on Saturday, September 27, 2025, leading this year's pre-game entertainment. Whichever teams make it to the season's final match, they won't want to be dropping anything like it's hot — but the man who hits the turf before them is bound to be singing about just that. AFL Grand Final headliners typically work through a range of their best-known and most-loved hits, so even if you aren't sipping on gin and juice at the game, you'll likely be hearing Snoop rap about it. Cross your fingers for not only 'Drop It Like It's Hot' and 'Gin and Juice', but also 'What's My Name?', 'Snoop's Upside Ya Head' and plenty more to make it into his set before the game's 2.30pm AEST kickoff. "It's an absolute honour to be hitting the stage at the AFL Grand Final — it's one of the biggest events on the Aussie calendar. Can't wait to bring the energy and celebrate with the fans. Let's make it unforgettable," Snoop Dogg said about the gig, as per the AFL. "The AFL Grand Final is the biggest event on the Australian sporting calendar — and this year, it just got a whole lot bigger," AFL CEO Andrew Dillon advised. "Snoop Dogg is a pioneer, a performer and a true entertainer. He's played to packed stadiums around the world — but we think 100,000 fans at the MCG might just be his most-iconic crowd yet." "We want Grand Final Day to be an unforgettable celebration of footy — and beyond the four quarters of the match, a celebration of culture, energy and entertainment. Snoop fits that brief better than anyone." "From Long Beach to the biggest stage in Australian sport — Snoop Dogg is coming to the MCG for the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment, and we're ready to make history." Snoop Dogg last played in Australia on his 2023 'I Wanna Thank Me' tour, which was postponed from 2022. In headlining the AFL Grand Final, he follows in the footsteps of Katy Perry in 2024, KISS in 2023 and Robbie Williams in 2022, all recent overseas talents who've helped kick off the biggest day in Aussie Rules. The Killers, Black Eyed Peas, Sting, Chris Isaak, Ed Sheeran and Tom Jones, and Meatloaf have all done the honours since 2010, too. If you're a Western Bulldogs fan, you might be thinking that Snoop's prime spot on the 2025 lineup is a sign. Given that he's also gone by Snoop Lion, you can claim that as well if you're a supporter of the Brisbane Lions, 2024's premiers. Snoop Dogg is headlining the 2025 AFL Grand Final Pre-Game Entertainment at the MCG, Melbourne, on Saturday, September 27, 2025. For more information, including tickets to the game when they're available, head to the AFL website. Top image: Andrew Chin/Getty Images.
Whether you're buying for your mother, partner or sister, we've rounded up some of the top gifts for her, with a little bit of help from Amazon to help you out. We've sought out goodies for foodies, fashionistas, fitness-lovers and beauty queens. Plus, if you've left gifts to the last minute, Amazon has some of the latest delivery days out there, which is good news for those of us who tend to resort to last-minute Christmas shopping. 1. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life This book by authors Héctor García and Francesc Miralles is all about how to live a happy, healthy and long life, and who doesn't want to learn how to do that? The word Ikigai is the Japanese word for 'a reason to live' or 'a reason to jump out of bed in the morning'. This book will help you work out what your ikigai is and how to change your life for the better. A great read for anyone you know who's looking for a certain spark or loves learning about concepts from other cultures. 2. Asēdos Floral Vanilla Eau De Parfum You can never go wrong with gifting a new perfume. This spray from Asēdos is the perfect subtle and sweet option to gift to a woman like your mother-in-law, who has been non-specific about what scent they prefer. The top notes are pear, coffee, lemon and bergamot, while the middle notes are jasmine sambac and orange blossom. Scents of patchouli, cedar and musk round it out. 3. Gym Bag Perfect for the gym, yoga, the beach or even as a weekend bag (that fits for carry-on luggage), this duffle bag for women from VNPONV is roomy, practical and looks good. The bag comes in beige, black or grey and features a zippered waterproof PVC-lined pocket for wet clothes or towels and swimsuits, an extra-small makeup bag for easy storage and a separate shoe compartment with vents. Plus, it is made with durable and water-resistant nylon to protect your items. 4. Design Lives Here This one's for all the design lovers out there. Design Lives Here: Australian interiors, furniture and lighting is a hardcover coffee table book detailing the ins and outs of Australian design and is the perfect gift for anyone you know who spends hours watching Grand Designs re-runs. The book showcases the best of Australian residential architecture and interiors, featuring many homes from local designers and makers. 5. Bracelet Watch The Anne Klein Women's Genuine Diamond Dial Bracelet Watch is so gorgeous to look at. It's hard to imagine anyone would be disappointed finding this under the Christmas tree this year. The intricate watch features a mineral crystal lens with a green sunray dial with rose gold-tone hands and markers. The allure doesn't stop there – a rose gold-tone adjustable link bracelet, jewellery clasp and extender paired with Japanese quartz movement are the perfect finishing touches. 6. Bamboo Bathtub Tray The ultimate gift for the women out there who don't take any time to relax, this Wooden Bath Caddy Tray is perfect for long, relaxing baths with a book and a glass of wine. Its extendable design means you can adjust the tray to fit your tub with slots, so when you slide the wine glass into the slot, it won't tip over. Its sleek bamboo design is also perfect for elevating the overall bathroom aesthetic. 7. Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love Another gem from the massively popular cook Ottolenghi, The Ottolenghi Test Kitchen is all about creating inspired recipes using humble ingredients. Whether you're buying for a newbie in the kitchen or for a seasoned cook who sometimes wants to keep things simple and easy, this book is a godsend. Expect dishes like a one-pan route to confit tandoori chickpeas and a tomato salad, just to name a few. 8. Ceramic Bowl Set A great gift for the women in your life who have an obsession with ceramics and homewares or for someone who just moved house, this set of six bowls from HUIRUMM is the perfect colourful addition to any kitchen. The bowls are safe for dishwashers, microwaves, ovens and freezers and the perfect size for cereals, soups, ice cream and side salads. 9. Louis Vuitton Catwalk If you know a lady who loves fashion, then this hardcover book by Jo Ellison may be the perfect gift. The book details the story of luxury brand Louis Vuitton, opening with a concise history of the house, followed by brief biographical profiles of Marc Jacobs, the first creative director, and Nicolas Ghesquière, who helms the brand today, before exploring the collections themselves, organised chronologically. Even if they don't read it, having this perched on the bookshelf is almost as fashionable as the clothes from the brand itself. 10. Ceramic Jewelry Tray Dish Have you noticed your girlfriend or sister's jewellery strewn all over the house? Enter the BIGPIPI Ceramic Jewelry Tray Dish. Designed in a cloud shape, this tray features a smooth, ceramic surface and will help organise and protect jewellery and other items you reach for daily, like keys, skincare and makeup. Plus, it also makes a nice decoration on the bedside table. Images: Supplied. This article contains affiliate links, Concrete Playground may earn a commission when you make a purchase through links on our site.
It’s no secret that Melbourne’s street art scene is becoming one of the most prominent in the world. This top five collection is a shout out to the ladies whose work is whimsical, eye catching, and utterly awesome. Miso One of Australia’s leading ladies in street art, Miso made a name for herself with her distinct style of imagery. Her drawn works have been displayed on the streets and in art galleries around the world, and she shares a studio with her partner and fellow street artist Ghostpatrol. Her work often depicts pensive women and cityscapes. Miso also often uses a subdued colour palette with intricate patterns or cut-out details. She is about to have an exhibition in October at Blackwoods Gallery, which you can check out here. Vexta Vexta is another big name in street art, who is also displaying her insane talent on streets and galleries all over the globe. Often her work will include neon-coloured diamonds and triangles that often depict motion (a trail of colourful sparks behind flying people) or emotion (tears descending from a skulls empty eye sockets). Recurrent imagery includes mutated creatures, flying nymphlike people, skulls, and skeletons making out with each other. Ultimately it is the vibrancy of her work that is her trademark. Chase the neon rainbow to her current exhibition — a group show at MARS Gallery called Psychedelic Daze. Baby Guerilla If you’ve seen paste-ups of people flying around the Brunswick/Footscray area, chances are you have come across a piece by Baby Guerilla. These black and white illustrations are soaring all over Melbourne, with images of people either holding onto each others arms or ankles as they float above passers by. Baby Guerilla’s work is reminiscent of the children in Peter Pan who fly off to Neverland, giving the viewer a sense of adventure and whimsy. We had a chat to Baby Guerilla a while ago if you’re keen to know more. Kaff-eine If you like your street art vibrant, a bit child like, but also slightly morbid at the same time, then Kaff-eine is your girl. One of Kaff-eine’s most reoccurring images is of semi or completely naked women with dear skulls as heads and hoofs for feet. Also keep an eye out for her drawings and paintings of bunny kids, horses/deers/unicorns, and other mythical creatures. You can find Kaff-eine’s work anywhere from abandoned buildings to children’s books, and she is currently preparing to embark on her first international painting trip. Be Free Be Free’s images of young girls captures an innocence that makes her work instantly recognisable around Melbourne. The girls are often playing with, or surrounded by, playing cards either stuck to the walls or the ground around them. Sometimes they are adorned with colourful paint splatters, other times a red scarf or red stripy socks add a splash of colour. Either way they’re cute, feminine, liberating and lovely to stumble upon. Honorable mentions This list is barely scratching the surface of talented female street artists Melbourne has to offer. We recommend checking out the work of Klara, Suki, Precious Little, Doctor, Fresh Chop, and Shi Buffalo if you want to see more!
There are many reasons to thank Mike White, creator and writer of The White Lotus, for bringing the hit HBO series to our screens. He's responsible for one of the best TV shows of both 2021 and 2022 — a program that has weaponised luxurious settings, helped set travel itineraries, thoroughly eaten the rich, spun twisty murder-mysteries, and kept viewers guessing throughout each and every episode of both season one and season two. He's also helped shower affection and attention upon the one and only Jennifer Coolidge, a screen icon who always deserves such love. Indeed, if it wasn't for White and The White Lotus, the world wouldn't have had the joy that is Coolidge's various awards speeches for playing Tanya McQuoid. For folks in Sydney on Saturday, June 10, worshipping the White-and-Coolidge pairing — hearing Coolidge talk about her time on The White Lotus, too — won't just involve checking out Emmy and Golden Globe clips. In huge news in general, and for the Vivid Sydney lineup, the duo is coming to the Harbour City for what's set to be the biggest in-conversation session of the 23-day, 300-plus-event festival. [caption id="attachment_891047" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HBO[/caption] While Vivid dropped its program back in March, it has been making additions since, including literally underground light and laser show Dark Spectrum and now this. Unsurprisingly, the Vivid team has dubbed its latest addition one of the biggest announcements in the festival's 13-year history — which is no small feat for an event that's seen everyone from The Cure to Robert Pattinson and Spike Lee grace its bill in past years. Coolidge and White won't just chat about The White Lotus, McQuoid's utter lack of luck in love and a certain fateful boat ride — and, on White's part, likely skirt around answering where the third season will be set (the word so far: Thailand). They'll also discuss their full careers, and both have plenty to dive into. Coolidge has been a screen presence for years, thanks to parts in everything from American Pie, Best in Show and the Legally Blonde franchise through to Party Down's original run, Joey and Promising Young Woman. As for White, he's written the screenplay for School of Rock, and acted in it — and given the TV-watching world the Laura Dern-starring Enlightened, which he also appeared on. He has Year of the Dog and Brad's Status on his directing resume as well, and penned and produced episodes of Dawson's Creek and Freaks and Geeks. Also, he was famously an Amazing Race and Survivor contestant. Benjamin Law will be asking the questions at this in-conversation event, which takes place at Aware Super Theatre, ICC Sydney. Tickets are on sale now — and they'll get snapped up quicker than McQuoid falls in love. "We're thrilled to share that The White Lotus creator Mike White and star of the series Jennifer Coolidge will join this year's Vivid Sydney lineup. Securing these huge megastars cements Vivid Sydney 2023 as the biggest and most culturally relevant program yet," said Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini, announcing the addition to the fest's program. "This exclusive event will allow audiences to see behind the curtain on what has become a massive cultural zeitgeist and hear from two of the hottest figures in the creative industries right now." Vivid Sydney 2023 will run from Friday, May 26–Saturday, June 17, with Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge in Conversation taking place on Saturday, June 10 at Aware Super Theatre, ICC Sydney. For further information and tickets, head to the event's website. Top image: HBO.
When a festival as bold and colourful as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras turns the big 4-0, as it will next year, you can rest assured there will be no skimping on the birthday celebrations. And indeed, the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House will light up hot pink this Friday, November 3, to help launch the festival's milestone 2018 program. "Mardi Gras is 40 years young and we can't think of a more fabulous way to announce our full program than by painting the most iconic building in Australia pink," said Terese Casu, Mardi Gras Arts CEO. While this unmistakable (and well-timed) message lights up the skyline at sunset, there'll be equally dazzling scenes down on the Opera House Forecourt, as the full 2018 Mardi Gras lineup is unveiled at an invite-only launch party. Since its first historic outing in 1978, Mardi Gras has grown into a 17-day celebration of equality, self-expression and pride, recognised the world over. See the Sydney Opera House sails light up hot pink at about 7.40pm this Friday, November 3. Tickets to Sydney Mardi Gras 2018 go on sale the same day — grab yours here.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we take you to Queensland's very own Mount Cotton, where Sanctuary by Sirromet have set up a series of accommodations right by their own vineyard. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Stay at a rural winery in your own glamping 'tent' surrounded by Australian wildlife. You'll spend your days exploring the area with a full glass of wine in hand. THE ROOMS Sanctuary by Sirromet has a few accommodation options – with the tented pavilions being some of their best. Each of the pavilions looks over the large lagoon surrounded in gum trees, with wild wallabies roaming its banks. It's a proper Australiana paradise. The rooms are all open plan, where the bedroom and lounge lead onto a private deck. Grab a few bottles from the winery and really relax up here. Bathrooms are also more hotel than tent with proper tiled walls and modern plumbing that is nothing like the campsite drop toilets you might have encountered on previous adventures. You won't be roughing it here. You're connected to nature (helped with large windows on all sides of the pavilion) without losing any of your creature comforts. FOOD AND DRINK You're also spoilt for choice when it comes to food and drink options. First off, you're on a winery – so you'll have to do a cheeky wine tasting or two. And be sure to add a behind-the-scenes tour to see how the Sirromet Winery team creates their award-winning Granite Belt wines. There are also three separate restaurants at Sanctuary by Sirromet. The Cellar Door is your casual light lunch spot and Lurleen's opens for special events (weddings and big birthday bashes). Thirdly, the Tuscan Terrace restaurant is something altogether flashier. Spend a long afternoon on the 75-metre timber deck or under the shade of the fig trees, eating great Italian dishes paired with emerging Italian wines as the Moreton Bay sea breeze rushes through the property. But that ain't all. These guys even make up special picnic hampers for those wanting to find their own hidden paradise on the grounds — we highly recommend the lavender-covered paddock . Just watch out for the wallabies! THE LOCAL AREA When staying here, you'll feel as if you're in the middle of nowhere – but you're actually not far from Brisbane. Either head into Brisbane to experience everything this northern Australian city has to offer or run away to even more remote parts of the area. Take a chopper or ferry over to Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island, the second and third largest sand islands in the world – where you can even feed wild dolphins. The stunning beaches, snorkelling spots and native wildlife all make these destinations two of Australia's best islands to visit. Don't miss them while you're in the region. [caption id="attachment_869501" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] THE EXTRAS This winery offers over 10 different wine tasting experiences. Just pick your fave and let the wine experts do the rest. You can take an in-depth tour and learn a little about their wine making process or just spend the whole day trying different varieties of local and imported wines, while snacking on cheese and charcuterie boards. You can even schedule your trip around one of their live music events. They host a series of large and small gigs on their grounds throughout the year. If you are super keen to get away and ready to book a winery getaway now, we have worked with Sanctuary by Sirromet to create the ultimate glamping experience (including a few nights stay, sunset dinner and bottles on bottles of complimentary wine). Feeling inspired to book a getaway unlike anything else out there? Only through Concrete Playground Trips, our new travel booking platform, can you now purchase holidays specially curated by our writers and editors. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips at destinations all over the world.
By this stage, there's every chance you've forgotten what a dance floor even looks like. But the folks at Untitled Group — the same minds behind Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts and Ability Fest — are here to get you reacquainted. They've just revealed a huge all-Aussie lineup for the 2021 edition of their live music series For The Love, which is headed to Perth, Melbourne and the Gold Coast in March and April. Across three dates, legendary acts including electronic duo Flight Facilities, dance floor darlings Cosmo's Midnight and Brisbane rapper Mallrat will help you dust off the cobwebs and rediscover that groove. The party kicks off at Perth's McCallum Park on Saturday, March 13, before heading to Birrarung Marr in Melbourne on Saturday, April 3. Doug Jennings Park on the Gold Coast plays host to the final event on Saturday, April 17. These three waterfront venues are set to be transformed into blissful dance destinations, heaving to live sounds from favourites like singer-songwriter Running Touch and brother-sister duo Lastlings, along with London Topaz, Boo Seeka, George Maple and Elizabeth Cambage. Punters will also have the opportunity to kick back in style in one of For The Love's VIP lounges, presented by Aussie streetwear label Nana Judy. If an evening spent cutting shapes by the water sounds like a much-needed addition to your calendar, you can now register for presale until 3pm on Wednesday, December 9. Presale tickets go on sale from 5pm that same day, with general public tickets up for grabs from noon on Thursday, December 10. For The Love 2021 hits Perth on March 13, Melbourne on April 3 and the Gold Coast on April 17. Head to the website to register for presale.
The dollar slice might be dead and buried (if it ever existed in Australia), but what about a seven-dollar pizza? For one night only at Hotel Collingwood, the pub is throwing a mega pizza party with unbeatable prices to match. Happening from 5pm on Thursday, July 24, get ready to settle in for the long haul. Top-notch drink specials like $14 Aperol spritz and tangy margaritas will help keep you satiated while you scoff down slice after slice. Plus, live DJs will carry the vibes onward into the early hours. And if you knock off work just a little early, heading to Hotel Collingwood means you'll be right where you need to be for happy hour. From 4-6pm, order up $3 oysters with vibrant nam jim sauce — the ideal entrée to the main event. There's no shortage of drink specials either, with bartenders pouring selected spirits, wines and beers for $8.50. For those heading along with the crew, or just an extra large thirst, $18 HC jugs have got you covered. Tucked into a corner site north of Johnston Street, the Hotel Collingwood looks sharp these days. Acquired by Julien Moussi's Only Hospitality Group in 2021, a Pierce Widera-led refresh gave the front bar, bistro, all-weather beer garden and upstairs function space a new lease on life. All in all, this makes it a prime destination for a one-off pizza party bound to leave a big impression. So, organise your mates and head along for this midweek celebration that won't cost a fortune. Hotel Collingwood's $7 Pizza Party is happening from 5pm on Thursday, July 24. Head to the website for more information.
It has been more than two decades since James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet recreated one of the deadliest ship disasters in modern history. You know the one. Titanic also launched a lifetime of folks standing at the bow of boats and exclaiming "I'm the king of the world!", and made the world endure a Celine Dion song that, as the lyrics promised, would go on. As well as snagging a huge bag of Oscars and big, big bucks at the box office, the film did something else: reignite public fascination with the 1912 sinking. If you've ever watched and wondered what it'd be like to see the real thing, then wonder no more — because you can become a 'citizen scientist' on a new series of underwater expeditions to the famed wreck. Commencing in 2021, underwater exploration company Ocean Gate Expeditions will be taking fascinated seafarers down to the famous ship on ten-day journeys. They'll dive almost four kilometres deep into the North Atlantic Ocean in a titanium and carbon fibre submersible — accompanied by experts, naturally — to peer through the vessel that went down on its maiden voyage, taking more than 1500 people with it. This isn't a tourist trip, however. Ocean Gate is planning six missions as part of an overall Titanic survey expedition, and anyone who'd like to go along will need to apply. If you're successful, you'll be trained a mission specialist — and you'll be asked to help document the current state of the sunken passenger liner, including via laser scans and 4K video that will be combined with high-resolution images to make a 3D virtual model of the ship. Primarily departing from the coast of Newfoundland in Canada from May–July 2021, with more missions planned in 2022 as well, these undersea trips don't come cheap — even though they're motivated by scientific and record-keeping aims. You'll need a cool US$125,000 per person to make the voyage, which includes one submersible dive to the ship. Of course, it's hardly surprising that plunging deep into both the ocean's depths to visit a famed wreck costs a massive stack of cash and then some. This isn't the first time tours have been offered — indeed, presumably using some of the loot his romantic drama pulled in, James Cameron has made the journey multiple times — but only a small number of people have seen site in person since it was first discovered in 1984. "More people summit Everest in a day than have ever seen the Titanic," says Ocean Gate Expeditions president Stockton Rush. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH_9Q3Z_xok Top image: NOAA/Institute for Exploration/University of Rhode Island via Wikimedia Commons.
Melbourne isn't short on Mexican joints — we've got a heap of good 'uns already on high rotation. But, still, it's just received another one in the form of unapologetically neon-lit Tex-Mex joint El Camino Cantina. El Camino comes from Sydney where is has two outposts, along with another in Brisbane, and is part of Rockpool Dining Group, which also owns Sake, Rosetta, Munich Brauhaus, Burger Project and, of course, Rockpool Bar & Grill. This loud venue — which is in the old Fitzroy Social (and Little Creatures) space on Brunswick Street — is made for casual dining, but it's also and over-the-top with giant cocktails, rock 'n' roll jukeboxes, lively Tex-Mex fare and sprawling 400-seat dining room and bar. Slushie machines signal big nights and brain freezes. El Camino's margaritas come in many renditions, including a tropical Red Bull flavour, which really says it all. Other options include a host of beers from near and far, and a collection of over 100 mezcals and tequilas. The food lineup is as fun and casual as the drinks. Think fiery buffalo wings, sizzling fajitas, plump burritos, soft shell tacos loaded with punchy flavour combinations and unlimited complimentary corn chips and salsas. It'll all rounded out with a solid selection of daily specials, including 10-cent chicken wings on Wednesdays (when you buy a drink), $2 tacos on Tuesdays, brunch on weekends and a weekday happy hour from 4–6pm.
Nestled on the banks of the Yarra between Abbotsford and Kew, Studley Park Boathouse is the perfect place to escape the city chaos without actually leaving it. And this Friday, February 23, it's hosting its first ever twilight street food festival. The Boathouse isn't just offering food, either — it's also giving anyone that purchases a main meal a free turn in a rowboat. But if hopping on a boat doesn't go down well with your post-meal bloat, Furphy will be setting up a cocktail and a pop-up beer bar, which is sure to pair well with the sun setting over the river. The oldest boathouse on the Yarra, Studley Park will be a change of pace from your usual dining haunts. American hot dogs, Mexican fajitas and tacos andor a Greek gyros will all be on offer. Add live music to the mix, and this is the ultimate Friday date night. Make the most of the dwindling summer evenings — there aren't many left.
It's the smash-hit musical that tells the tale behind The Wizard of Oz's witches. It's been a stage sensation for more than 20 years. From later in 2024, it's even getting the big-screen treatment. That'd be Wicked, of course — and, at the Regent Theatre, it's playing Melbourne right now. Even better: you can see it for the bank balance-friendly price of $45. TodayTix is doing another of its ticket lotteries. When a big musical heads to the Victorian capital, there are often two reasons to get excited: the fact that the particular stage show is reaching the city's stages, and possibly getting to catch it without defying your budget. Around the country, that cheap option has spanned everything from Hamilton and Moulin Rouge! to Mary Poppins and Tina — The Tina Turner Musical in recent years — and now for Melburnians, it's Wicked's turn. This is an enchanted opportunity to enjoy the show at a discount, with tickets costing just $45. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the TodayTix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each week for the next week's performances. The lottery will go live at 12.01am AEST every Thursday morning, and is already up and running for its first week. Then, the winners are drawn after 1pm on the following Wednesday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. If you need a reminder, you can also sign up for lottery alerts via TodayTix, too. Opening in Melbourne back in early March, and set to play until at least Sunday, June 30, Wicked is back in Australia two decades after composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman initially took a book that gleaned its influences from The Wizard of Oz, put it to music and turned it into one of Broadway's biggest hits of the 21st century. Even if you haven't seen the blockbuster show before, including on its past Aussie run from 2008–11, then you've likely heard of it. Following the Land of Oz's witches — telling their untold true tale is the musical's whole angle, in fact — Wicked has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Story-wise, Wicked starts before The Wizard of Oz and continues its narrative after Dorothy Gale lands, adapting Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The text itself has sold 5.5-million copies, including five million since the musical first opened. Here, before Dorothy blows in, two other women meet in the Land of Oz: Elphaba and Galinda. One will later be known as the Wicked Witch of the West, while the other will become Glinda the Good Witch. Exactly why that happens, and how, and the pair's relationship from rivals to unlikely friends to grappling with their new labels, fuels the show's tale. Wicked's Melbourne season is currently playing Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne until Sunday, June 30, 2024. To enter the TodayTix $45 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Images: Jeff Busby.
Sitting just off Lonsdale Street in Melbourne's CBD, voco Melbourne Central is a 252-room high-rise hotel that balances comfort, convenience and clean-lined design. Towering 22 storeys above the city, voco offers views across the skyline and easy access to the surrounding retail and dining precincts. Part of IHG's upmarket voco brand, the hotel is pitched at travellers looking for something a little more refined than a standard business or budget stay. All rooms feature blackout blinds, rainfall showers, floor-to-ceiling windows and sustainably sourced bedding — with higher price-point options featuring a free-standing bath. Decor throughout is minimal and neutral, with light-blue and timber touches, and an emphasis on natural light. The rooftop pool is a major drawcard — a rare feature among Melbourne's CBD hotels — offering an outdoor spot to cool off with views of the surrounding high-rises. It's not expansive, but the cityscape backdrop and openair feel give it resort-style ambiance. Loungers line the compact deck — perfect for a quick dip or unwinding after a day of exploring the city. Guests also have access to a 24-hour gym and a selection of meeting rooms and event spaces on-site, making it a well-equipped choice for business travellers. The in-house restaurant, Blacksmith Bar & Grill, opens daily for buffet breakfast and continues through lunch and dinner with a menu that sticks to crowd-pleasers — steaks, burgers, pasta and share plates. It's a practical option if you're after a no-fuss meal, with the added convenience of room service available. For drinks, the adjacent bar serves local wines, classic cocktails and a few Australian craft brews. That said, the hotel's central position means some of Melbourne's most exciting food and drink options are within walking distance — from laneway cafes to late-night wine bars and fine diners. Images: supplied by IHG
With winter a short steam-breath away, it's time to embrace life in the longer, cooler evenings. This is the season for cosy conversations in dark corners, wearing many layers and indulging in a good shot or two of gin, the spirit of old world glamour and new world glitz. Bombay Sapphire's Project Botanicals pop-up knows how to do it, with creations like the Angelica Negroni and Liquorice Pontefract. The botanical oils and floral scents of a great gin are loving partners to spicy winter flavours, giving your tastebuds a sophisticated toast as they warm your flesh. Here are five of our favourite gin cocktails, some classic, some new, that will take your tongue on a tour beyond the familiar martini. RANGOON GIN FIZZ Toby Maloney's variation on the gin fizz switches the traditional lemon juice for a spicier lime, and kicks the cold out with a ginger snap. The title bows to the old British name for Yangon, a former capital of Myanmar/Burma, so best serve this when you're ready for political debate. 60ml Bombay Sapphire 22ml ginger syrup 30ml lime juice 9 drops bitters 5 sprigs of mint 60ml tonic water (the less sweet, more quinine the better) Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass. Top with the tonic, garnish with mint. Image: Smith & Ratliff. ROSEMARY GIMLET Contemporary gins come infused with many crisp flavours, with citrus being a prominent one. This recipe takes the classic gimlet, a mix of gin and lime (to ward off malnutrition, presumably) and thumps some complexity into its orange soul. The rosemary is a beautiful winter addition, harkening to roast lamb and crisp evening air, while possibly helping you remember the night afterwards. 45ml Bombay Sapphire 30ml simple syrup, strongly infused with rosemary 30ml tart lime juice 8ml orange liquer (blood orange is preferable for presentation) 1 sprig rosemary Shake liquid ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with rosemary sprig. Image: The Style Gathering. AVIATION This classic recipe was born on the streets of New York, around the time when the Wright brothers were first getting up off the ground. Excellent for the gin-shy, sipping this dainty number will warm your loins for some ragtime dancing, or boost your morale for the frosty dash towards the nearest vaudeville theatre. Add a splash of crème de violette for a sky-blue variation. 45ml Bombay Sapphire 22ml lemon juice 15ml cherry liqueur 1 maraschino cherry Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass and garnish with the cherry. Image: Platings and Pairings. BIJOU Another gin classic that would like to have a few stern words with the martini, the bijou (bee-joo) is French for 'jewel' and takes its name from the three gemstone colours represented by its ingredients: the diamond gin, the emerald Chartreuse and the ruby vermouth. Knocking back a few of these will most likely end the night in a poetic swoon or a bloody duel. 20ml Bombay Sapphire 20ml green Chartreuse 20ml sweet vermouth 1 dash orange bitters 1 orange peel Stir in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel. Image: Nightlife.ca. THE MONKEY GLAND So apparently people used to do whacky things for their health, such as surgically graft primate testicles onto their body. Possibly they were inspired by this heady concoction. Aside from hilarious tales of medical history, the monkey gland will hopefully provide you with effective protection against the common cold. 50ml Bombay Sapphire 30ml orange juice 2 drops absinthe 2 drops grenadine Shake well with ice, strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a monkey gland (optional).
Back in March 2020, when the Sydney Opera House shut its doors due to the pandemic, the venue quickly went digital. Last year was the year of experiencing gigs, talks and shows online, after all — but the Opera House isn't stepping away from its online slate now that life is returning to normal. With the venue's 2020 digital season From Our House to Yours proving a hit, the Opera House is taking the next step in 2021 and launching its own streaming platform. Simply called Stream, the new service is online now and serving up a lineup of concerts, chats and performances. At present, Stream features over 30 hours of programming, which spans more than 45 different events. Plenty of it is free, including a compilation of past Opera House gigs that features The Cure, Bon Iver, H.E.R. and Solange; a live set by Ziggy Ramo; Badu Gili's projection of Indigenous art onto the building's sails; First Nations dance competition Dance Rites; and the From Our House to Yours program. There's also a paid component, including highlights from the Opera House's recent Antidote and About All Women festivals — if you missed out on either and are keen to dive in. Performances by Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Sydney Chamber Opera and Omega Ensemble are also on offer, as is free content for kids and families — and Stream's slate will keep growing, too. When the venue hosts four concerts at its Forecourt from Friday, April 9–Sunday, April 11, for instance, they'll be livestreamed free on the streaming platform. A new series of online commissions, called Shortwave, will explore the intersection between performance and digital. Online exhibition Returning, which will highlight works by Australian and Japanese artists that examine the post-pandemic world, is also set to join Stream in the near future. [caption id="attachment_806347" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Badu Gili[/caption] Announcing the platform, the Opera House's Head of Digital Programming Stuart Buchanan said that Stream will augment "livestreams and performance recordings with digital-first work that celebrates the ways in which technology is being embraced and disrupted in the performing arts." Stream is also great news for folks who don't live in Sydney, or do but can't make it to a gig, show, festival or talk. While the Opera House won't be placing everything that graces its stages on the platform, the new service will still let you sample the venue's lineup without physically stopping by. To check out the Sydney Opera House's new Stream service, head to the platform's website. Images: Daniel Boud.
When the Melbourne International Film Festival kicked off its 2020 event on August 6, and did so with Kelly Reichardt's sublime First Cow, it really didn't matter that it wasn't all happening in person. We'd all rather be getting our three-week-long winter film fix in person, of course — crowding into cinemas, standing in snaking lines on Russell Street, making the mad dash along Swanston Street and braving Melbourne's frosty weather, as has been the case every other year — but a great movie remains a great movie whether it's opening a festival physically as we're all used to, or virtually as these COVID-19 times dictate. In MIFF's case, it doesn't just have one stellar film on its 2020 bill. MIFF 68 1/2, as this year's fest has been badged, really did start as it intends to continue. Until Sunday, August 23, at-home movie buffs can watch their way through more than 100 titles, including full-length fare and shorts, from the comfort of their couches — and from the fest's jam-packed features lineup, we've reviewed (and heartily recommend) these ten absolute highlights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_D5D7HayMc&feature=emb_logo EMA A new film by Pablo Larraín is always cause for excitement, and Ema is no different. In fact, it's a stunning piece of cinema that stands out even among the Chilean director's already impressive resume. He's the filmmaker behind stirring political drama No, exacting religious interrogation The Club, poetic biopic Neruda and the astonishing, Natalie Portman-starring Jackie — to name just a few of his movies — so that's no minor feat. This time, he hones in on the dancer (Mariana Di Girolamo) who gives the feature its name. After adopting a child with her choreographer partner Gastón (Gael García Bernal), something other than domestic bliss followed, and now she's not only trying but struggling to cope in the aftermath. Di Girolamo is magnetic, whether she's dancing against a vivid backdrop, staring pensively at the camera or being soaked in neon light, and Larraín's skill as both a visual- and emotion-driven filmmaker is never in doubt. Indeed, this film's imagery — and its exploration of trauma, shock and their impact — aren't easily forgotten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiFEgrIRp7s&feature=emb_logo ROSE PLAYS JULIE In Rose Plays Julie, a young Irish veterinary student born with the name Julie, adopted out to a new family as a baby and then given the moniker Rose (Vikings' Ann Skelly) begins a search for her birth mother (Orla Brady) — and then her biological father (Game of Thrones' Aidan Gillen), too. Don't go dismissing this potent, purposefully thorny and provocative film as a standard family drama, though, no matter how straightforward that description sounds. In a movie that plunges into disturbing thriller territory and seethes with tension from the outset, writer/directors Christine Molloy and Joe Lawler have something very different and far more complex in mind. As brought to the screen with taut, precise visuals, a slow-burn pace and a layered performance by Skelly, Rose's foray into her past unearths a shatteringly tragic incident that could forever change the young woman's sense of self. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGscwJZ5rFA NO HARD FEELINGS Winning the Teddy Award at this year's Berlinale — the prize for the festival's standout film with LGBTQIA+ themes, as previously given to the likes of A Fantastic Woman and The Kids Are All Right— No Hard Feelings is the work of a certain rising star. It's writer/director Faraz Shariat's first film, it's partly based on its own experiences, and it deeply, thoughtfully, engagingly and vividly interrogates and explores the life of a queer man of Iranian descent who has spent his entire life in Germany. Parvis (Benny Radjaipour) was born and raised in Europe, and he's out and proud. Dancing and drinking the night away ranks among his favourite pastimes, alongside passionate Grindr hookups. But when he's sentenced to community service at a refugee centre after a stint of shoplifting, then befriends fellow Iranian Banafshe Arezu (Banafshe Hourmazdi) and sparks up a romance with her brother Amon (Eidin Jalali), the way he's seen by his adopted homeland — and the treatment afforded asylum seekers and anyone considered different — is firmly thrust into focus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-mYRcJaf0&feature=emb_logo LAST AND FIRST MEN At present, every movie filled with everyday folks amassing in public, or even just hugging or shaking hands, feels more than a little like science fiction. We've said it before, and we're sure we'll say it again. And yet, while Last and First Men is an eerie and intelligent dystopian sci-fi film through and through, it doesn't feature a single person on-screen. Instead, the one and only movie directed by Oscar-nominated composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario, The Theory of Everything) before his 2018 death trains the camera at towering sculptures that prove instantly mesmerising to look at — and look, this movie does — and even a tad unsettling. The concept, as inspired by the 1930 novel of the same name, explained in lyrical waves of poetic prose spoken by Tilda Swinton, presented as a message from one of the earth's very last residents, and accompanied by a haunting score: several billion years into the future, after several leaps in evolution and drastic changes to life as we currently know it, humanity faces its extinction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVf8in0dj9s LA LLORONA In 2019, in one of the many spinoffs from The Conjuring franchise, The Curse of La Llorona dallied with Mexican folklore. The aim: to rustle up some formulaic scares, a task that proved largely unsuccessful but won't stop the blockbuster series from continuing to do what it does. Also first surfacing last year at international festivals, Guatemalan movie La Llorona isn't that film, thankfully. It's a feature about being haunted, too; however the ghosts caused by not just trauma but genocide, the ideology that enables such atrocities and the ongoing impact generations later all linger over this commanding, compelling and rightly award-winning psychological horror effort. The latest film by The Volcano's Jayro Bustamante, it follows the reckoning due to former army general Enrique Monteverde (Julio Diaz) over his state-sanctioned role in oppressing and attacking Guatemala's Mayan people three decades earlier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn5fZ5XwtZ4 JUST 6.5 Iranian actor Payman Maadi has many top-notch performances to his name, including in Asghar Farhadi's About Elly and A Separation, as well as in TV series The Night Of. Add Just 6.5 to the growing list, with the involving, hard-hitting crime drama casting him as a cop on the trail of drug traffickers — a job that, given the country's notoriously punishing treatment of those caught dealing illicit substances, is not only a tough and demanding gig day in and day out, but comes with grave consequences for the criminals he apprehends. Ramping up the tension to almost relentless levels, filmmaker Saeed Roustayi explores all sides of the law-and-order war against narcotics, from those slinging drugs for profit to the police officers battling to stem the flow. Aided by excellent portrayals not just by Maadi, but also co-star Navid Mohammadzadeh as the main man in his character's sights, this is a riveting thriller from start to finish — and a movie with much to say about the situation it grimly depicts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLWSW77iWTI KILL IT AND LEAVE THIS TOWN With Kill It and Leave This Town, veteran animator Mariusz Wilczyński unravels a surrealist nightmare that's unlike any other animated movie you've ever seen. The product of a decade's work, and also marking his feature filmmaking debut, it's set in communist-era Poland in the 60s and 70s — as everyday events, particularly interactions between parents and their children, beget waves of anxiety and absurdism drawn from the filmmaker's own experiences and memories. Both tender and tragic moments dance across the screen, as brought to life with a handmade aesthetic that's distinctive, disarmingly effective, and also channels the industrial-leaning paintings (no, not films) of none other than David Lynch. This is truly a movie that's best discovered by watching, and also a feature that can only be really appreciated by letting its visuals and vibe wash over you. Equally affecting and out-there, unsurprisingly, it's quite the trip. 9TO5: THE STORY OF A MOVEMENT We know, we know: you know have Dolly Parton's immensely catchy '9 to 5' stuck in your head. Yes, it pops up in the documentary that shares its name. Yes, you'll be singing it to yourself for days after you watch this film. Yes, you'll hear Jane Fonda tell a great behind-the-scenes tale about the first time she heard the song. But this isn't just an ode to a very popular tune, or the movie of the same moniker either. Rather, as directed by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar — who just this year won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for American Factory — 9to5: The Story of a Movement chronicles the real-life campaign for equality in the workplace that gave rise to the hit track and comedy flick. A pivotal history lesson, as well as an important reminder about what has and hasn't changed since women in the workplace were expected to remain happy as underpaid, overworked, wife-like secretaries, this is an archival footage-filled, talking heads-heavy, always-engaging doco with insights not only into the past, but into employment today as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdzSVxLJwrU&feature=emb_logo MOGUL MOWGLI Riz Ahmed not only stars in but also cowrites Mogul Mowgli — and given that he's playing a British Pakistani rapper, and the Four Lions and Rogue One actor also happens to be British Pakistani rapper himself, this incisive drama understandably feels personal. It's also electrifying from the moment when, early in the film, Ahmed's character Zed takes the stage and unleashes his politically charged lyrics about his experiences to a responsive audience. Zed is on the cusp of stardom but, just as he secures his next big opportunity in a supporting slot on a lucrative European tour, his health unexpectedly begins to fail him. Exploring the fallout, including the professional disappointment, Zed's struggles with his cultural heritage upon his return home to London and the tough reality of facing a shattering diagnosis, writer/director Bassam Tariq makes an exceptional debut, crafting a film that's as bold, dynamic and probing as its central performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKvliqAoN00 WOMEN MAKE FILM: A NEW ROAD MOVIE THROUGH CINEMA MIFF isn't just virtually screening a whole heap of movies in 2020 — it's also screening a mammoth 14-hour documentary about the very medium it loves and cherishes. Exactly what Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema covers is obvious from its title; however don't expect this female-focused exploration of cinema history to only tell you what you already know. As the iconic The Story of Film: An Odyssey already established, Mark Cousins' lengthy docos never take a standard approach. They rove and roam through their subject, overlaying expert analysis and personal insights across a treasure trove of clips, and positively bursting with cinephilia of both the astute and intimate kind. Here, with Tilda Swinton narrating (yes, again) alongside Jane Fonda (another MIFF 2020 favourite), Adjoa Andoh, Sharmila Tagore, Kerry Fox, Thandie Newton and Debra Winger, Cousins dives as deep as anyone can into the oft-overlooked canon of works by women directors — 183 of them, in fact — as well as their visual and narrative techniques over the years. MIFF 68 1/2 runs from Thursday, August 6–Sunday, August 23. For further details and to buy online tickets, visit the festival's website.
Like the scent of jasmine in the air or the overwhelming urge to Marie Kondo your home, Afloat reopening is a signifier that spring is well and truly here. The Yarra River's floating bar and restaurant has become a Melbourne warm-weather staple, and is now back for its eighth iteration — this time sporting a whole new persona as the newly minted Afloat Viva Mexico. After drawing inspiration from the Balearic Islands in 2022 and Turkey's Turquoise Coast in 2021, the Afloat team has now spun the compass in the direction of Mexico, with nods to Oaxaca, Tulum, Guadalajara and Mexico City blooming to life across its interiors, the food and drinks menus, and its music and entertainment. Design-wise, Afloat Viva Mexico has gone for both colour and natural tones — so, yes, ample contrast. With splashes of lime, apple, teal, aqua, fuchsia, burgundy, musk, citron, sand, tan, moss and jungle green, this year's look takes its cues from the '68 Mexico Olympic Games design by Lance Wyman. You'll see the results featured on everything from the facades to umbrellas — and, of course, in the venue's bars. Two watering holes within the broader spot are all about Tulum vibes, complete with stone bar tops and thatched roofs. On the lower deck, the city's beach bars have influenced a brand-new lounge and dining area that includes cabanas and a DJ booth. Up top, more cabanas await, plus high bar tables, low dining tables, and plenty of greenery — not just the 80-year-old olive tree, but also banana palms, agave, prickly pear and cactus. Food-wise, Executive Chef James Gibson is focusing on spicy bites. "This year's menu celebrates the bold and complex flavours that Mexico is known for. It heroes rustic, produce-driven cooking, executed with simple but skilled everyday techniques," he advises. On offer, featuring seasonal and hard-to-find ingredients: seafood platters stacked with oysters, scallops, prawns, clams and lobster cocktails; raw bites such as prawn aguachile rojo, salmon tiradito and baby snapper ceviche verde; and a tostada range paired with house-made dips that changes daily. Or, go for the tacos from the downstairs hut — braised brisket and crispy pork sausage, barbacoa with lamb shoulder, and pork shoulder with pineapple and chilli are among the options. Love Afloat's woodfired pizzas? They're back — but Mexican-style. Fancy a roast suckling pig torta, flank steak with chilli butter and mole verde, or either a coffee tequila caramel chocolate flan or salted caramel and lemon cream corn cake for dessert? They're on the lineup as well. The drinks by Cocktail Director Tom Younger unsurprisingly favours mezcal and tequila, as designed to match the bites or simply refresh your parched throat in the spring and summer sun. This year's spread features more than 20 cocktails, 12 of which are on tap — plus Mexican beers and 50-plus wines. Of course margaritas are in the spotlight, including spicy, pornstar and with yuzu. Or, opt for the frozen chamoyada mezcalita, or a boozy version of the traditional hibiscus-infused agua de jamaica. And that gin collaboration that Afloat usually sets up with Four Pillars is back, this time distilling the latter's pink gin with Mexican oregano, habanero chilli, bitter orange and agave syrup, as well as pink grapefruit and finger lime and grapefruit — then pouring it into G&Ts and pink gin spritzes. If agave tempts your tastebuds, the new pool area will feature its own bar dedicated to it — so, yes, you know what to sip while relaxing on one of the double day beds — when it opens in the near future. And if you're a fan of Afloat's entertainment, DJs play daily from midday — and Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day events are already on the calendar. Find Afloat at 2 Flinders Walk, Melbourne across spring 2023 and summer 2023–24, open from 11am–late daily — head to the venue's website for further details and bookings. Images: Jake Roden / Griffin Simm.
The world has gone green. With carbon trading, hybrid cars and alternative fuels dominating elections and dining table chit-chat across the globe, the choice to be green is not simply an environmental consideration but a way of life for many people. Some environmentally-minded folks, however, have brought new meaning to the phrase "one man's trash is another man's treasure", transforming scrap metal and old beer cans into functional and often stunning houses. Here are ten bizarre and beautiful houses made entirely of recycled materials. Junk Castle Where: Washington State It took one high school teacher, one artist, $500 and a pile of discarded filth to make the Junk Castle, with everything from car doors to rusting kitchen appliances replacing the usual bricks and mortar. Le Casa de Botellas Where: Puerto Iguazu, Argentina The 'House of Bottles' is made from thousands of disposable plastic bottles for the purpose of "promoting ecological and social responsibility", and includes a matching bottle playhouse. Earthship Where: Haiti After the devastating 2010 Haiti Earthquake destroyed thousands of families' homes, eco-architect Michael Reynolds constructed this 120-square-foot house from discarded car tires. Not only did it cost next to nothing to build, but it is also resistant to earthquakes and hurricanes and harvests solar and wind energy. Jardin du Coquillage Where: Northern France 'The Garden of Shells' was a labour of love for French war veteran Bodan Litnianski, who upon returning from WWII began decorating the exterior of his house with shells. Upon finishing the walls, Litnianski then roamed the streets in search of abandoned toys, puppets and anything else that caught his fancy, transforming his tiny cottage into a veritable maze of colourful and exotic junk. House Built from Glass Bottles Where: Prince Edward Island, Canada 25,000 bottles were used by Édouard T. Arsenault to build this eco-friendly home. One wasn't enough though, with Arsenault making three similarly cost-effective houses across the island. Costa Verde Resort Where: Costa Rica This multi-million dollar extravaganza is one of the more innovative hotel designs you are likely to see, constructed from a decommissioned Boeing 727 previously used by South Africa Air. The striking exterior is more than adequately matched by its ritzy interior, in which the inside of the plane has been refashioned into wood panelled hotel rooms that fetch up to $500 a night. The Phoenix Commotion Where: Huntsville, Texas Architect, environmentalist and innovator Dan Phillips (above) is the brains behind eco-friendly construction company, The Phoenix Commotion. Having constructed 14 houses from materials salvaged from junkyards, flea markets and street corners across Texas, Phillips believes the possibilities for The Phoenix Commotion are just about endless. "You can't defy the laws of physics or building codes," Phillips told the New York Times, “but beyond that, the possibilities are endless.” The Beer Can House Where: Houston, Texas That's right, a house made entirely from flattened beer cans, beer bottles and other beer paraphernalia. Houston resident John Milkovisch became a local icon when in 1968 he began converting his family home into a shrine to the amber nectar. His only explanation for the hordes of perplexed neighbours was "I got sick of mowing the lawn". While it is now a favoured tourist attraction, it is only worth a visit if you are particularly strong of stomach, as 50 years of fermenting beer has apparently given the house a rather rancid stench. Houses Made From Shipping Pallets Where: Chile and Austria Designers in Chile and Austria have used discarded shipping pallets to create houses that are both functional and beautiful. The strong hardwood material and large holes in the pallets lend themselves perfectly for house exteriors providing homes with natural lighting, cooling and ventilation. Grain Silo House Where: Woodland, Utah Penny-saving, environmentally-conscious architects have been known to convert just about anything into houses, from churches to shipping containers to bomb shelters. One such trend that has developed in the US is repurposing grain silos into some surprisingly stylish homes. While this double-silo mansion took several years of redesigning and recreating, silos can be renovated into houses for as little as $7,000.
If you've ever seen the Hardrock climbing centre on Swanston Street and thought 'Holy hell, looks fun but I wish that was more horizontal than vertical', bouldering might be your new thing. Bouldering, if you haven't heard, is the safer and more strategic cousin of rock climbing. Instead of going up, and panicking at the top, during bouldering you pick a route along a series of graded hand and footholds — and if you mess up, the worst that can happen is that you jump off onto the mats. The bouldering centre at Hardrock Nunawading is a bit of a trek but the $12 entry fee covers you for an entire day of monkeying about. But be warned, if you're new to this your arms will certainly ache the next day.
After more than three decades on the road, Counting Crows are heading back Down Under. The Grammy-nominated rockers will return to Australia and New Zealand in March and April 2026 for The Complete Sweets! tour, marking their first visit in several years. Kicking off at Auckland's Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre on Sunday, March 23, the band will then head to Adelaide's Festival Theatre on March 27, Sydney's Enmore Theatre on March 29, and wrap things up at Melbourne's Palais Theatre on April 1. View this post on Instagram A post shared by adam d (@countingcrows) The tour celebrates over 30 years of the group's signature mix of heartfelt lyrics and melodic storytelling — the sound that made tracks like Mr. Jones and Accidentally in Love enduring favourites. Led by frontman Adam Duritz, Counting Crows continue to draw crowds around the world, praised for their powerful live performances and nostalgic setlists that blend hits with deep cuts. Tickets go on sale to the general public from Monday, October 20 at 11am local time, with Mastercard, One NZ and Live Nation pre-sales opening from Thursday, October 16. Counting Crows' 'The Complete Sweets!' tour hits Australia and New Zealand in March and April 2026. Visit Live Nation for full ticket details.
When Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch flickered across the silver screen, a visit to Cinema Nova in Carlton came with a bonus: seeing art by Moses Rosenthaler, the character played by Benicio del Toro (Reptile), gracing the picture palace's walls among other odes to the feature. Jump forward four years and the movie haven is again paying tribute to a collaboration between Anderson and del Toro. The writer/director and the Oscar-winning actor have reteamed on The Phoenician Scheme, and this Melbourne cinema has also made the flick the focus of its latest bar makeover. Cinema Nova hasn't just revamped its watering hole for The French Dispatch and The Phoenician Scheme's respective releases. Asteroid City, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs: they all earned the same treatment. Consider it a Melbourne-only gift to the filmmaker's fans from one of the city's go-to spots to catch a movie — and one that keeps coming back in new guises. Of course, Anderson's meticulous aesthetic already immerses his audiences. Cinema Nova is just taking the Academy Award-recipient's (for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) lead, then. Decor-wise, the venue's bar has scored a Levantine-meets-post-modern temporary revamp, complete with nods to Marseille Bob's (Mathieu Almaric, A Private Life) nightclub and Zsa-zsa Korda's (del Toro) bathroom. The glow-up's references will obviously make more sense once you've seen the film, but stepping into Anderson's vibe works both before and after viewing. Other touches include posters for the flick, news clippings about about Korda, movie stills, a basketball hoop on the back of a train and literally hopping into the tub. For refreshments, the menu spans cocktails, wine, beer, coffee, tea and snacks, with the booze on offer from midday and happy hour running from 4–6pm Monday–Thursday. If you're heading to catch the movie, which follows a wealthy businessman's attempt to reunite with his estranged daughter (Mia Threapleton, The Buccaneers) and enact a scheme that'll ensure his fortune, this is clearly the perfect accompaniment. That said, dropping by just because from 10am–9pm daily is also an option. An end date for this The Phoenician Scheme wonderland hasn't yet been announced; however, it'll be here for a good time, not a long time, so take that into account for your next Anderson IRL fix. Find Cinema Nova's latest bar takeover at 380 Lygon Street, Carlton — open from 10am–9pm daily. The Phoenician Scheme opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Read our interview with Benicio del Toro and Michael Cera. Images: Fiona Hamilton.
Chef Jerry Mai has been bringing Melburnians top-notch Vietnamese food for years now. She's responsible for the upmarket eats at Annam and casual CBD diners Pho Nom. It's no surprise her restaurants are so good (and popular), having cut her teeth at the likes of Gingerboy and Longrain, as well as London' s Zuma and Michelin-starred Nahm. As of August 1, Mai will be launching her latest venture: Bia Hoi. It'll pay homage to the beer halls of Vietnam, which pour fresh, locally produced brews — just like this new restaurant will. The 100-seat venue is set to open at The Glen's new outdoor dining precinct and will offer Vietnamese bar bites, a daily happy hour and bottomless brunch. The beer list will feature both local and Vietnamese brands, including Dandenong's Kaiju! Beer and Seaford's Mr Banks Brewing Co, along with 333, Bia Hanoi and Saigon Special. Apart from all the brews, there will Vietnamese-inspired cocktails and over 20 wines on offer, primarily sourced locally from small-batch producers like Billy Button, Pinemount and Cloak & Dagger. Head in from 5–7pm daily, when you'll find $4 pots and $6 wines during happy hour. [caption id="attachment_730158" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Render by Architects EAT[/caption] For eats, there will be bar snacks like crispy pork skin, house-made salted peanuts and dried squid, along with a range of rice paper rolls and skewers. The space will also include four barbecue tables, where guests to grill their own meats and build their own rice paper rolls — among the options are wagyu beef and shellfish, served with sauces, herbs, salads and rice noodles. On those cooler winter nights, you'll be able to opt for a 'steamboat': large hot pots for groups of two to four. Choose from the hot and sour canh chua, made with tamarind and pineapple broth and served with barramundi, prawns, rice noodles and greens; or the beef pho steamboat with wagyu sirloin, brisket, beef balls and rice noodles. If you want to try a bit of everything, stop in during the Sunday bottomless brunch. For $55 per person, you'll be treated to two hours of all-you-can-eat snacks — delivered by yum cha-style roving trolleys — along with unlimited beer, wine, mimosas and spritzes. You can enjoy this unlimited eats and drinks in either the large dining room, the U-shaped bar or the outdoor beer garden. Designers Architects EAT are responsible for this multi-space fit-out, which will include colourful hanging lanterns and old wooden shutters, plus red brick walls, rattan and terracotta finishes and concrete floors. Bia Hoi will open on Thursday, August 1 at The Glen, 235 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley. Opening hours will be 11am–late daily, with happy hour 5–7pm each day and bottomless brunch 11am–3pm on Sundays. Images: Architects EAT
Luke Jerram's giant glowing moon installation was supposed to make a special guest appearance at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in May, as part of the now cancelled Rising Festival. But for a brief time instead, Museum of The Moon has descended on the Plaza at Bunjil Place, where you can see it in all its intricately detailed glory, until Sunday, July 4. The UK artist's renowned moon replica is set to impress audiences with its shimmering presence, clocking in at seven metres in diameter. The well-travelled artwork was constructed using real NASA imagery of the lunar surface, with each centimetre of its face representing five kilometres of the actual moon. Complementing the internally-lit orb, expect a striking musical composition created by BAFTA- and Ivor Novello-award winning composer Dan Jones for a truly multi-sensory moon-gazing experience. You can catch Museum of The Moon for free — it'll appear daily at Bunjil Place from 11am until 9pm. [caption id="attachment_699961" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Museum of The Moon[/caption] Top Image: Museum of The Moon, University of Bristol, 2017
One of 2018's most interesting Australian documentaries told a unique and intriguing tale, stepping into the life of Sydney's Jason King. When the real-life figure isn't working as a security guard, he's out hunting ghosts, although he's not always doing the latter quite as literally as it might seem. King does indeed have a penchant for the paranormal, as well as a side business busting spirits out of people's houses. But, given that the first ghost he says he ever saw belonged to his own brother, who told him that he needed to find their estranged father, he's also haunted by his past. After hitting the big screen last year at film festivals and in general release, Ghosthunter is now taking on a second life — a fitting development, given its subject matter. As hosted by documentarian and filmmaker Ben Lawrence (who helmed the doco about King, plus this year's Hugo Weaving-starring Hearts and Bones), the film has now inspired a five-part podcast, delving further into this strange and compelling story. Released by Audible, it's available to listen to from today, Tuesday, July 23. It's great news for anyone who saw the movie and wanted to know more, and for folks who didn't get around to watching it just yet as well. And, it's obviously a stellar development for true-crime buffs, with Ghosthunter's five 30-minute episodes featuring police investigations, court dramas, family secrets, difficult traumas, murky mysteries, estranged figures from King's history and — naturally — hunting ghosts. Lawrence spent seven years turning King's tale into a documentary, so he has plenty of extra details to share. He starts with King's first ghostly memory, unpacking the rollercoaster ride of a story from that point onwards. In a podcast that doesn't just dabble with true crime, but with family memoir, it helps that King himself makes for an equally charismatic and eccentric character. As Lawrence explains: "you never know how deep the rabbit hole will take you. There were so many personal twists and turns over the seven years creating Ghosthunter that I found myself deeply immersed in Jason's life — I was even the best man at his wedding." Ghosthunter joins Audible's growing slate of Australian content, following in the footsteps of Marc Fennell's It Burns podcast, about the competitive world of breeding super hot chillies. Ghosthunter is available now on Audible — as part of existing member subscriptions, or free with a 30-day trial. The documentary can be rented on YouTube, Google Play and the iTunes Store.
Melbourne's newly minted hawker-style market is just about to rotate its eateries-in-residence. From May 2, Gelato Messina will make its CBD debut alongside bun aficionados Wonderbao for three months. This savoury-sweet combo will replace the Koi and Monkey's Corner pop-up from the first round of tenancies. This partnership is not the duo's first, having also teamed up in Sydney back in 2016. For HWKR, patrons can expect a special collab dessert called duck a l'orange — a decadent duck fat and caramel-filled bao doughnut, served with orange gelato. Plus, Messina will do away with the simple scoop model for this pop-up and serve a plated menu of five of its gelato cake creations in single-serve miniature form. This includes the magic mushroom, cocoa nib and coconut and cherry cakes, along with the macaron gelato sandwiches and hazelnut and coffee tarts. On the Wonderbao side of things, the eatery's famed steamed buns will of course be front-and-centre in a menu exclusive to HWKR. It focuses on three DIY bao kits, including crackling pork belly, crispy roast duck with XO sauce and spicy green chicken curry. Cured salmon with pickled goji berries and seared beef salads are also up for grabs, alongside craft brews. The collab kitchen will join street-food stall Chanteen by Diana Chan (Masterchef) and Rice Paper Scissors' Asian fusion pop-up, Khao — whose original tenancies have been extended — alongside permanent tenant Manymore Cafe and Bar, which is run by local not-for-profit group the MAI Foundation.
UPDATE, 2 AUGUST, 2018: After copping much backlash to its indefinite free-plastic bag offer, Coles has put a deadline on it — just 24 hours later. As reported by the SMH the company sent an internal email to staff notifying them that the offer would end on August 29. While an official statement has not been made by the company, we can only hope it sticks to its guns this time. In the next chapter of Australia's plastic bag saga, Coles has paused its ban again. And, this time, it'll be handing out free reusable bags indefinitely. The supermarket giant attempted to implement a nationwide single-use plastic bag ban on July 1, but announced just six days later that it would be giving them out for free for until July 8 (which was later extended to August 1). The reusable bags that are being given out for free would usually cost shoppers 15c. They're thicker, more durable and are made from 80 percent recycled plastic — and were meant to encourage shoppers to bring them back, again and again, rather than buying a new one each time. The reason Coles has backflipped on its ban is because, supposedly, customers "need more time". A company spokesperson told the ABC, "Some customers told us they needed more time to make the transition." The spokesperson continued, "Many customers bringing bags from home are still finding themselves short a bag or two so we are offering complimentary reusable Better Bags to help them complete their shopping." The complimentary bag offer is only valid in NSW, Vic, WA and Qld, as the other states and territories have already had single-use plastic bag bans in place for several years (SA leading the pack, introducing it back in 2009). The supermarket also offers a cloth bag alternative, its $1 Community Bags, which are designed by Australian school children and ten percent of sales are donated to charities. It's designed to be used repeatedly. Supermarket rival Woolworths, who also implemented a bag on July 1 and also temporarily gave them out for free, is currently charging for the 15c reusable bags.
