When Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced New South Wales' latest stage of eased COVID-19 restrictions, she gave cinephiles a particularly exciting piece of news. Movie theatres have been closed around the country since mid-March; however, with current caps on indoor venues lifting on Wednesday, July 1, it appears that projectors will be allowed to start whirring again in the state. And, while that doesn't mean that it's popcorn-munching business as usual quite yet, local cinemas will gradually begin to reopen. Randwick Ritz will be one of the initial places to start ushering movie buffs back into darkened rooms, opening its doors on the very first day it can. And it's celebrating with a week of $10 tickets. If you're a Ritz Royalty member (or happy to sign up for $18 a year), you'll get tickets for even cheaper: $8. From Wednesday, July 1 to Tuesday, July 7, you can treat your mum, bestie or date to a flick for just ten dollaroos. Some of the films you'll be able to catch during the week include flicks that hit the big screen just before lockdown — The Invisible Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, Portrait of a Lady on Fire and The Current War — plus new movies that were originally slated to hit cinemas during their closure, such as Hugo Weaving-starring Hearts and Bones and Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan eating and bantering their way through The Trip to Greece. A couple of previews are on the lineup, too, including the Palme d'Or-nominated It Must be Heaven, NZ comedy Bellbird and travel documentary Romantic Road, as well as retro flicks like 1942 drama Casablanca and Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. [caption id="attachment_755894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Portrait of a Lady on Fire[/caption] Top image: Kimberley Low
When Netflix first revived The Addams Family via Wednesday back in 2022, it did so with help from a familiar face that knows more than a little about pop culture's creepiest, kookiest, most mysterious and spookiest family: Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets). She doesn't play the show's namesake, of course — enter: Jenna Ortega (Scream VI) with the black attire and bleak attitude — but her presence was both felt and welcome. And when season two hits, she won't be the only cast member from the 90s films that's been a part of this series. Wednesday was renewed for a second season in early 2023 — Netflix is so keen on the show that there's talk of an Uncle Fester-focused spinoff, too — and now, post-last year's strikes, production has commenced. Along with that development, the streaming platform has announced which actors will be joining the series this time around. One of them, as a guest star: Christopher Lloyd. [caption id="attachment_954276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Helen Sloan/Netflix © 2024[/caption] Adding to a recent resume that includes Hacks, Knuckles, Self Reliance and The Mandalorian, Lloyd won't be reprising his work as Uncle Fester from The Addams Family and Addams Family Values given that Fred Armisen (Fallout) is Wednesday's take on the character. Still, the Tim Burton (Dumbo)-executive produced series continues to throw love at past iterations of the residents of Cemetery Lane. Season two of Wednesday doesn't have a release date as yet, but it will also feature more of Catherine Zeta-Jones (National Treasure: Edge of History) as Morticia, Luis Guzmán (Justified: City Primeval) as Gomez, Isaac Ordonez (Color Box) as Pugsley and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (How to Date Billy Walsh) as Deputy Ritchie Santiago, all getting meatier parts than in season one. New to the cast are Steve Buscemi (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Billie Piper (Scoop), Evie Templeton (Criminal Record), Owen Painter (Tiny Beautiful Things) and Noah Taylor (Foundation), as well as Joanna Lumley (Fool Me Once), Thandiwe Newton (Big Mouth), Frances O'Connor (Erotic Stories), Haley Joel Osment (What We Do in the Shadows), Heather Matarazzo (Wish) and Joonas Suotamo (Willow) joining Lloyd as special guests. In season one, Wednesday's titular figure had been terrorising her way through various educational facilities, hopping through eight of them in five years. That's how she ended up at Nevermore Academy, where her mother introduced her with an apology: "please excuse Wednesday, she's allergic to colour". Morticia actually met Gomez at the school, and thought that their eldest would love it there as they did, but Wednesday's storyline was never going to be that straightforward. With Burton behind the scenes, and also sitting in the director's chair for the first four episodes — in the job the Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands filmmaker was clearly born to have — cue high-school chaos, a monstrous murder spree to stop and a supernatural mystery linked to Wednesday's parents a quarter-century ago to solve. Oh, and a killer goth wardrobe, naturally. Wednesday unsurprisingly proved a smash, breaking the Netflix record for most hours viewed in a single week, then doing so again — notching up 341.23-million hours viewed in its first week, then 411.29-million hours viewed in its second. All things Addams Family have always found an audience, with the Ricci-led 90s films beloved for decades for good reason, and the 1960s TV show and 1930s The New Yorker comics before that. Check out the season two cast announcement video for Wednesday below: Wednesday streams via Netflix, with season one available now and season two arriving at a yet-to-be-announced date. We'll update you with further details about season two when they're revealed. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Netflix.
Negronis go down well after a hard day at work. Espresso martinis go down well at a boozy weekend brunch. Aperol spritzes go down well... well, most of the time. But, shelling out for these, oft $20-plus, cocktails on the reg doesn't go down well for our wallets. Luckily, there's a slew of Sydney bars and pubs serving up these libations for a tenner — every day of the week. MONDAY CORRIDOR, NEWTOWN What's the deal? All cocktails are $10 between 5pm and 7pm, Monday to Thursday. This aptly-named small bar is brimming with more than its fair share of goodness. There's a private table at the front, stools along the wall, a space hidden under the stairs, a lounge room and the upstairs courtyard. And during the week, from 5–7pm, you can pick anything of its cocktail list for only $10. Sit back with a Hot Blooded (a spicy tequila creation), a maple-infused old fashioned or a mojito and be happy knowing your savings are safe for another evening. TUESDAY [caption id="attachment_594712" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] East Village Hotel[/caption] EAST VILLAGE HOTEL, DARLINGHURST What's the deal? $10 daily cocktails between 5pm and 7pm, Monday to Thursday. This three-tiered Darlinghurst bar, which had a facelift in late 2016, has some of the suburb's best rooftop views. It also has some standout midweek cocktail deals. Each day, from Monday to Thursday, the bar offers a different cocktail for $10. Fan of Tommys margaritas? Head in on a Monday. Like your drinks carbonated? There are spritzes on Tuesdays. Campari connoisseur? Negronis on Wednesdays. And when you make it to Thursday, you deserve a round (or two) or $10 espresso martinis. WEDNESDAY [caption id="attachment_547543" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Carrington[/caption] THE CARRINGTON, SURRY HILLS What's the deal? $10 negronis, Aperol spritzes, espresso martinis and margaritas between 9pm and 10pm, daily. Locals love the Carrington. It's in walking distance of the SCG, it's dog friendly and it has great nightly food deals (including meal deals for your dog). It's also one of the few bars offering late-night drink specials. Every day from 9–10pm the pub is serving up $10 negronis, Aperol Spritzes, espresso martinis and margaritas — so, even if you need to clock a few overtime hours at work, you can still bag a bargain. RESTAURANT HUBERT, CBD What's the deal? $10 negronis between 4pm and 6pm, daily. This basement French restaurant is better known for its luxe design and refined fare than it is for its bargains. But, this changed when it launched its aperitivo hour. Every day from 4–6pm you can knock back negronis for a tenner. If you're peckish, you can snack on $5 devilled eggs and $10 burgers, too. And that's just the start — you can read about the rest of the aperitivo hour deals here. THURSDAY [caption id="attachment_532433" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Hotel Steyne[/caption] GLASSHOUSE, HOTEL STEYNE, MANLY What's the deal? $10 gin cocktails between 5pm and 7pm, Thursday and Friday. Perched on an eastern corner of the Manly Corso, the Hotel Steyne is just a stumble away from the beach. When it comes to dining and drinking at this multifaceted venue, you have a few options. And on Thursday and Friday afternoons, we suggest heading directly for the Glasshouse. This gin and tonic bar has an extensive list of botanical cocktails, charcuterie boards and between 5pm and 7pm it's offering up gin cocktails for only $10. FRIDAY [caption id="attachment_534073" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Bellevue[/caption] BELLEVUE, PADDINGTON What's the deal? $10 espresso martinis between 6pm and 8pm, Friday. Nestled in the leafy back streets of Paddington, Bellevue (formerly The Bellevue Hotel) has been trading since 1880, but a few years ago it was renovated and reinvented. Its renovation included a host of daily specials (including 2-for-1 meals and $1 oysters) but our favourite by far is on Fridays — $10 espresso martinis. Congratulate yourself for surviving another working week with a round of drinks and a caffeine buzz. SATURDAY [caption id="attachment_648889" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Shady Pines Saloon[/caption] SHADY PINES SALOON, DARLINGHURST What's the deal? $10 margaritas and negronis between 4pm and 6pm, daily. The underground whiskey bar recently launched a new menu. And alongside it — lucky for us — it launched a daily happy hour. Between 4–6pm the peanut-shell filled bar is mixing and shaking $10 margaritas and negronis. If you've only got a pocket full of loose change, no stress. It's also slinging $3 house spirits and beers. SUNDAY [caption id="attachment_586723" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Moya's Juniper Lounge[/caption] MOYA'S JUNIPER LOUNGE, REDFERN What's the deal? $10 negronis from 6pm, Sunday. Tackle the doom and gloom of Sunday's dying hours with a local dose of chilled-out jazz and a delightfully priced cocktail. Every Sunday in from 6pm, Moya's Juniper Lounge will host live jazz and $10 negronis — the perfect combination to help you forget about the looming Monday morning. CAN CAVA PINXTOS & WINE, BONDI BEACH What's the deal? $10 seasonal cocktails from 2pm, Sunday. Can Cava Pinxtos & Wine is giving Sydneysiders a reason to welcome the last licks of the weekend with Sunday Funday. The Bondi bar hosts a weekly party with live music, cheap-yet-fancy booze and Barcelona-style eats. All-day drink specials include $10 cocktails off the seasonal menu — think passionfruit martinis, grapefruit margaritas and daiquiris for summer. LL WINE AND DINE, POTTS POINT What's the deal? $10 bloody marys between 11am and 4pm, Sunday. If you wake up on Sunday feeling a bit dusty, LL Wine and Dine has a solution. Every Sunday from 11am the Potts Point eatery is serving up $10 bloody marys (the ultimate hangover cure) and all-you-can-eat yum cha for 30 bucks a head.
CBD bike shop Clarence Street Cyclery has been a go-to bike shop for 45 years. The family-operated store has more than 150 pedal bikes on display in its Victorian-era shop, and you're guaranteed to receive good advice from its team whether you need a new lock, some lights or a whole new set of wheels. [caption id="attachment_777009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] It stocks Trek Bicycles, as well as Electra cruisers, and if you're unsure which model will suit you best, the staff here will help you make the best decision. It also has a broad range of lifestyle and mountain bike helmets to booties and arm warmers for the more serious cyclist. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Sydney is set to double for 1920s Long Island and New York — again. When Baz Luhrmann (Elvis) decided to bring The Great Gatsby to the screen, he did so by filming in the Harbour City. Then, a decade after the Australian director's Oscar-winning movie hit cinemas, a The Great Gatsby-themed club popped up in town host a The Great Gatsby-inspired cabaret variety show. Cut to 2025 and that event, aka GATSBY at The Green Light, has a return to the New South Wales capital locked in, kicking off in December. Once more, Sydney Opera House is following in Luhrmann's footsteps, with GATSBY at The Green Light making its Harbour City comeback between between Saturday, December 13, 2025–Sunday, March 15, 2026. The production will take over the venue with an array of excuses to pretend that it's a century ago — and that you're on the other side of the globe. The GATSBY part of the big event's moniker refers to the entertainment, while The Green Light is the temporarily rebadged locale where this party-esque experience will occur. First, the show: taking its cues from F Scott Fitzgerald's book, which is marking its 100th anniversary in 2025, GATSBY gives the classic text the aerial, burlesque, dance and circus treatment. As performers show off their skills, live contemporary music accompanies their efforts. Odette will be crooning, Oscar Kaufmann is set to do hat stands, Miranda Menzies will play with fire and show off her hair-hang skills, Bayley Graham will tap dance, Florian Brooks will juggle and Bettie Bombshell is part of the fun, too. Spencer Craig is playing Gatsby, as is Jacob McPherson in the character's younger guise, while Mariia Borysiak is Daisy. Then, the club: The Green Light gleans inspiration from prohibition-era speakeasies. Yes, drinks are involved. Indeed, while you watch, you'll be able to say cheers to the entertainment with a beverage in hand. When it initially hit the stage at the Sydney Opera House — which hosted a sellout season — GATSBY at The Green Light hailed from director Craig Ilott, who added the event to his resume alongside Smoke & Mirrors, La Clique Royale at Edinburgh Festival's The Famous Spiegeltent, and also American Idiot, Amadeus and Velvet Rewired. With GATSBY co-producer Stuart Couzens, he was also involved in L'Hôtel, the dinner theatre experience which turned the exact same Sydney space into a French hotel with cabaret, circus and burlesque. "GATSBY at The Green Light is an experience we hope to be more than the sum of its parts — extraordinary aerial displays, awe-inspiring vocals, contemporary music and terrific choreography melded together into a party designed to reunite a great love story," says Ilott. "The allure of the world of GATSBY, combined with that of the Sydney Opera House, ensured its premiere season was a smash hit and we can't wait for this evocative experience to return with an even stronger version of the show." Added Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance Ebony Bott, "GATSBY at The Green Light draws you into a world of intrigue and refined decadence — and is a truly spectacular night out! The sell-out success of its premiere season proves audiences remain captivated by Gatsby's glamour, and we're delighted to once again extend the most coveted invitation of the season." GATSBY at The Green Light will take over Sydney Opera House's Studio, between Saturday, December 13, 2025–Sunday, March 15, 2026. Head to the venue's website for tickets and further details. Images: Daniel Boud / Prudence Upton / Anna Kucera.
Don't be fooled by the last-century name, because 1908 Cronulla is as contemporary as they come. Hands down one of the more stunning venues in southern Sydney, this ivy-covered, high-ceilinged, glass-fronted building is a popular choice for weddings in the area. It's also a great place to go for a sophisticated dinner or drinks. Like many restaurants in Cronulla, 1908 celebrates its coastal proximity through a seafood-heavy menu. Tuna is served as a charred tataki with coriander butter and an elegant buckwheat and leek risotto and and the oysters come with a trio of garnishes: natural, prik nam pla (a sweet, spicy Thai dressing), and jalapeño mornay. If you're after something heartier, the steak frites is rubbed in pastrami spices and served with curried sauce. Make sure to accompany your meal with one of the options from the exceptional cocktail menu. To match the sophisticated setting, order the Champagne for Mixologists, which combines Veuve Clicquot Rich with grapefruit, cucumber, lime, ginger and cold tea. It will set you back $110, but then, this place is all about indulgence.
Arriving at Sydney's jack-of-all-trades dining precinct Sydney Place, Matkim is Circular Quay's intimate new omakase restaurant bringing bold Korean flavours to the intimate degustation-style dining experience. The eight-seat venue is the latest in a far-reaching variety of opens to hit the precinct, joining fast-casual spots like Kosta's Takeaway and Malay Chinese Noodle Bar, as well as more refined hospitality options like Bar Besuto and Bistro George. As with many of Sydney's best omakase experiences, this will prove a hard-to-book spot with just one 6pm seating for eight guests each night. As you would expect, it also doesn't come cheap, with the Chef's Table Menu setting you back $259 per person. But you'll be treated to a night filled with inventive, artistic dishes showcasing local produce and specialty Korean ingredients (the team imports sesame oil, gochujang and doenjang to use in the kitchen). "In our kitchen, every dish tells a story," says Executive Chef Jacob Lee. "We're not just preparing food; we're weaving a narrative of Korean culture, history and tradition with every ingredient we choose." "Our philosophy is deeply rooted in the elements of air, fire, earth and water, mirroring the trigrams of the Korean flag. It's a dance of flavours and techniques that brings our guests closer to the essence of Korean cuisine, but under a new lens." The menu isn't set in stone night on night, but some of the highlights Matkim has served up since opening include Western Australian marron with Korean crab soybean soup; yukhoe tangtangi — a beef tartare dish topped with octopus that's having a big resurgence in popularity in Korea at the moment; and a trio of tiny sweet treats including peanut praline choux and a mugwort macron served in a pint-sized chest. Once you've managed to secure a booking, you're in for an evening watching Lee and the meticulous team go to work in the open kitchen as they bring you one unique dish after another. Matkim is located at Shop CQT.07 180 George Street, Sydney. Head to the restaurant's website for more information.
To all intents and purposes, it was just another ordinary morning in Newtown: bottle-necked traffic, bleary-eyed uni students clinging to coffee cups, wandering musicians who’d been heading home since late Friday night. And then, a couple of hours ago, two water buffaloes started running down King Street. Not just any old beasts taking a casual stroll looking for a spot of grass, but steaming angry ones. Online speculation is rife. Was it a piece of Biennale performance art? A premature April Fool’s prank? A visit to Enmore’s Cow and Moon Cafe? Clive, an eyewitness in Sydney Park, told ABC Radio’s Linda Mottram that the beasts were fresh escapees from a film crew. “They were at a Samsung film shoot,” he said. “Everybody’s out with mobiles, trying to find them. I saw them heading towards King Street and they vanished ... they’re pretty angry apparently.” Onlooker Abril Felman described the scene in Newtown to ABC Radio. “Everyone was on the street, just shocked, looking at these bulls running. It was crazy ... There was this jeep with filming equipment running behind them.” Mystified and terrified spectators started calling the police, but not before the buffaloes managed to cover about 2 kilometres in a city-bound direction. On the corner of Carillon Avenue and Missenden Road, a NSW Fire and Rescue truck confronted them, unintentionally. “One of our crews from Newtown was returning from an automatic fire alarm call,” spokesman Ian Krimmer explained to ABC Radio. “They were driving down Missenden road, turning into Carillon, when they were confronted with two water buffaloes ... They’ve taken the ladders off the fire trucks and used them as movable gates to corral the buffaloes into the front yard of a house ... I’ve been advised that the film crew in charge of the beasts is now taking care of them.” Image by Abril Felman.
Mamak in Haymarket is one of the best places in Sydney to get exceptional Malaysian hawker food offered at an authentic hawker price. It's no surprise that this place still has lines of eager customers stretching down the street. And the wait is consistently worth it. Walk in past the chefs, on full display, and bathe in the aroma of curries and fried roti. It's a long room, crammed full with wooden tables, and service is courteous but necessarily efficient. The menu is divided into Roti, variations on the warm bread served with curry dips and spicy sambal sauce. Satay, available in chicken or beef, is among the most complex and moreish you'll try. For those who want to dig a little deeper and really test their appetite, the selection of mains — including luscious curries and fried chicken, and noodle and rice dishes — is well worth some serious exploration. You'll order up, get through your meal in 40 minutes, then leave dazed and satisfied. This is some of the best Malaysian food that Sydney has to offer. It won't be long before we're lining up all over again. And one of the best things about Mamak? For a very small fee it's completely BYO.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5kkZAKjkiw COLLECTIVE We can only hope that one day, likely in a far distant future, documentaries will stop doubling as horror films. That time hasn't arrived yet — and as Collective demonstrates, cinema's factual genre can chill viewers to the bone more effectively than most jump- and bump-based fare. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards (only the second time that's ever happened, after last year's Honeyland), this gripping and gut-wrenching Romanian doco starts with a terrible tragedy. On October 30, 2015, a fire broke out at a metal gig in Bucharest, at a club called Colectiv. Twenty-seven people died in the blaze, and 180 people were injured as they tried to escape via the site's lone exit; however, that's just the beginning of the movie's tale. In the four months afterwards, as burn victims were treated in the country's public hospitals, 37 more passed away. When journalist Cătălin Tolontan and his team at The Sports Gazette started investigating the fire's aftermath and the mounting casualty list, they uncovered not only widespread failures throughout Romania's health system, but also engrained corruption as well. This truly is nightmare fuel; if people can't trust hospitals to act in their patients' best interest after such a sizeable disaster, one of the fundamental tenets of modern society completely collapses. Early in Collective, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Alexander Nanau (Toto and His Sisters) shows the flames, as seen from inside the club. When the blaze sparks from the show's pyrotechnics, hardcore band Goodbye to Gravity has just finished singing about corruption. "Fuck all your wicked corruption! It's been there since our inception but we couldn't see," the group's singer growls — and no, you can't make this up. It's a difficult moment to watch, but this is a film filled with unflinching sights, and with a viscerally unsettling story that demands attention. Nanau occasionally spends time with the bereaved and angry parents of victims of the fire, even bookending the documentary with one man's distress over the "communication error" that contributed to his son's death. The filmmaker charts a photo shoot with Tedy Ursuleanu, a survivor visibly scarred by her ordeal, too. And yet, taking an observational approach free from narration and interviews, and with only the scantest use of text on-screen, Collective's filmmaker lets much of what's said rustle up the majority of the movie's ghastliest inclusions. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zadWJ8tPmnU VOYAGERS He's an Australian treasure, he's one of Hollywood's recent villainous go-tos and he definitely isn't in Voyagers. That'd be Ben Mendelsohn, who comes to mind anyway while watching this sci-fi thriller. In a softer mode, the Rogue One and Ready Player One star could've played Colin Farrell's part here. That's not why Voyagers makes him pop into viewers' heads, though. Rather, it's because his brand of slippery menace still slinks through this space-set flick, all thanks to its most vivid performance. Should an upcoming movie ever need a fresher-faced version of Mendelsohn's latest bad guy or next morally complicated figure, Dunkirk, The Children Act and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch's Fionn Whitehead needs to be on speed dial. He channels Mendo perfectly as Zac, one of 30 test tube-bred teenagers who are rocketed into the heavens as humanity's last hope for survival. In the latter half of the 21st century, Earth is near-uninhabitable, so he's on an 86-year mission to a newly located planet. The young Humanitas crew's main purpose is to beget the next generations who'll colonise their new home — but, after learning that he's being drugged into obedience, Zac decides not to play nice. Ten years in, when the quieter Christopher (Tye Sheridan, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) realises that the drink they all call 'blue' contains an unidentified compound, the decision is easy. First Christopher, then Zac, then the rest of their shipmates all stop sipping it and start letting their hormones pump unfettered for the first time in their intricately designed and highly controlled lives. Richard (Farrell, The Gentlemen), the lone adult and the closest thing any of the crew have ever had to a father, is suddenly treated with suspicion. Christopher and Zac begin testing boundaries, indulging desires and flouting rules, too — and realising that they're both attracted to dutiful Chief Medical Officer Sela (Lily-Rose Depp, Crisis). Then an accident changes the dynamic, with the two pals challenging each other while fighting to lead. Factions are formed, chaos ensues and the very folks entrusted with saving the species are now simply trying to outlast each other. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE5-hkHIZF4 WILLY'S WONDERLAND If you've ever wondered how Nicolas Cage might've fared during cinema's silent era, Willy's Wonderland has the answer. A horror film about killer animatronic restaurant mascots, it's firmly a 2021 feature. It wasn't made a century ago, before synchronised sound forever changed the movie business, so it's definitely a talkie as well. Cage doesn't do any chattering, however. He groans and growls, and often, but doesn't utter a single word. The actor's many devotees already know that he's a talent with presence; whether he's cavorting in the streets under the delusion that he's a bloodsucker in Vampire's Kiss, grinning with his locks flowing in the wind in Con Air, dousing himself with vodka and grunting in Mandy or staring at a vibrant light in Color Out of Space, he repeatedly makes an imprint without dialogue. So, the inimitable star needn't speak to command attention — which is exactly the notion that Willy's Wonderland filmmaker Kevin Lewis (The Third Nail) put to the test. First, the great and obvious news: Cage doesn't seem to put in much effort, but he's a joy to watch. Playing a man simply known as The Janitor, he glowers like he couldn't care less that furry robots are trying to kill him. He swaggers around while cleaning the titular long-abandoned Chuck E Cheese-esque establishment, dances while hitting the pinball machine on his breaks, swigs soft drink as if it's the only beverage in the world and proves mighty handy with a mop handle when it comes to dispensing with his supernaturally demonic foes. Somehow, though, he's never as OTT as he could be. Cage plays a character who doesn't deem it necessary to convey his emotions, and that results in more restraint on his part than the film demonstrates with its undeniably silly premise. Accordingly, cue the bad news: as entertaining as Cage's wordless performance is — even without completely going for broke as only he can — Willy's Wonderland is often a ridiculous yet routine slog. Read our full review. Willy's Wonderland opens in Sydney and Brisbane on April 8, and hits home entertainment on April 21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZmgl4TkFBc ANTOINETTE IN THE CÉVENNES In some other parts of the world, Antoinette in the Cévennes is known as My Donkey, My Lover & I. Both titles summarise the French comedy in a literal sense, but only one taps into the unexpected survivalist thread weaved through its woman-and-animal antics. Parisian primary school teacher Antoinette (Laure Calamy, Only the Animals) does indeed travel to the Cévennes, the mountain range in France's south. The lovestruck fortysomething makes the trip to follow her married lover Vladimir (C'est la vie!), who has cancelled their plans for the school holidays to hike with his wife Eléonore (Olivia Côte, No Filter) and daughter Alice (first-timer Louise Vidal), the latter of which is one of Antoinette's students. And, setting off on a six-day trek, she walks with a donkey, just like Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde author Robert Louis Stevenson did in the 1870s — as he chronicled in his book Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes. Chaos and convenient plotting ensues, with the film's eponymous figure unprepared for her journey, inexperienced at both hiking and walking with a donkey, quickly becoming the talk of the trail and greeted with awkward horror by Vladimir when they eventually cross paths. But as a tale of a woman finding herself — and finding out how to truly survive and thrive in her own skin — Antoinette in the Cévennes is both thoughtful and charming. Luminous star Calamy is so essential to Antoinette in the Cévennes, it's hard to see the feature working without her. She plays her titular part with the commitment rather than recklessness or naive confidence; Antoinette knows that her decisions are guided by her heart rather than by any amount of consideration, but she's determined to see them through. In the movie's opening sequence, when Antoinette dons a sparkly dress and overshadows her class during a performance, Calamy conveys both yearning and spirit. In the many moments that her character finds herself alone on the trail unburdening her romantic woes to Patrick, the stubborn donkey who becomes her unlikely confidante and much-needed animal companion, she's unguarded and without a drop of self-consciousness. Just as crucially, writer/director Caroline Vignal (Girlfriends) has penned a character who smacks of typical rom-com traits at first glance, yet continually proves anything but. Her script gives its central figure time and space not just to grow, but to realise who she really is. That time can pass more patiently than the film's 97-minute running time should, and that gorgeously lensed space — by Knife + Heart cinematographer Simon Beaufils — is as much the star of Antoinette in the Cévennes as Calamy and her four-legged co-star; however, the end result is never anything less than a winsome and perceptive jaunt. Antoinette in the Cévennes opens in Sydney and Melbourne on April 8, and in Brisbane on April 15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6vOhD_fI2I&feature=emb_logo ASCENDANT More than halfway into Australian sci-fi thriller Ascendant, Aria Wolf (Charlotte Best, Tidelands) finds herself facing one of the modern world's worst nightmares: a dying phone battery. She's trapped in a 120-storey Shanghai building, and in an elevator that plunges downward and jerks back up seemingly at random. She awoke bound, gagged and blindfolded, and with no recollection of how she came to be in such a predicament. She's at the mercy of sinister Russians (led by The Mule's Alex Menglet), who are holding her father (Jonny Pasvolsky, The Front Runner) hostage and live-streaming his torture into her suspended cage. But if her phone was to stop working, it'd be the movie's most monumental development. She'd no longer be drip-fed Ascendant's exposition, and first-time feature writer/director Antaine Furlong (co-scripting with fellow debutant Kieron Holland) would also lose his main way to relay those details to his audience. The low battery hardly comes as a surprise, given that Aria has spent the bulk of the film to that point using the device. Because logic is absent here, Aria's mobile keeps working long after she starts stressing about its demise, too. But the importance placed on her phone — both in relaying much of the feature's story, Buried- and Locke-style, and in providing an easy source of drama — speaks volumes about this muddled struggle of a film. The Russians want information, but Aria doesn't know what they're talking about. Enter flashes of memories from her childhood, which help fill in the gaps. Throw in flimsy supernatural elements as well, and that's the crux of Furlong and Holland's screenplay, which primarily feels like a series of one-upping "what if?" questions — "what if she isn't merely stuck, but she's being tormented?", "what if one wall of the elevator is a big TV screen?", "what if her name makes everyone think of Game of Thrones?", "what if it's all taking place in China?", "what if the CIA is involved?" and "what if there's an ecological aspect?", for instance. Living up to her surname as the feature's standout actor, Best turns in a convincing and layered performance as the perplexed Aria. Stunt double Marlee Barber (The Invisible Man) deserves ample credit given the amount of time that the film's protagonist spends being thrown around, and production designer Fiona Donovan (Back to the Rafters) makes the movie's eerie setting look both unsettling and striking. Their efforts can't lift a picture that's big on ideas but light on cohesion, though. Furlong has a keen eye and doesn't lack in ambition — but Ascendant sinks rather than rises. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; and March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody and The Father.
Sydney, it's your time to play the most entertaining game of "what if?" there is, especially if you love classic tales, pop songs and sensational musicals. Whether you studied it in high school or just obsessed over Baz Luhrmann's glorious 90s movie, everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends — and it doesn't conclude happily for either of its eponymous star-crossed lovers. But what if it didn't wrap up that way? What if Juliet lived to love again? And what if her experiences from there, after thwarting theatre's greatest tragedy, involved a whole heap of earworm tunes from the last couple of decades? The answer to how all of that might turn out already exists, all thanks to Olivier Award-winning jukebox musical & Juliet. A hit in London's West End since 2019, it remixes the iconic love story in multiple ways — tinkering with its narrative and throwing in all that toe-tapping music. And, it's coming to the Harbour City in 2024. The acclaimed show arrived in Melbourne in February 2023, with Australia only its second stop outside of the UK following Toronto. Now, it's taking its Shakespeare-meets-pop spectacle to more Aussie locations, locking in a run at Sydney Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, February 27–Sunday, June 2, 2024. A Perth run at Crown Theatre has also been confirmed from Saturday, December 30, 2023–Thursday, February 8, 2024 — Brisbanites, cross your fingers that the River City also gets a spin. If you're now thinking "wherefore art thou?" about & Juliet's setup, it picks up after the ending we all know doesn't eventuate. And, it muses on what might happen if Juliet could choose her own fate instead. That scenario involves Anne Hathaway — no, not that one — and her husband William Shakespeare, and features songs by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Kelly Clarkson and more. Tunes that get a spin: 'Larger Than Life', 'I Want It That Way', '... Baby One More Time', 'Show Me Love', 'Oops!... I Did It Again', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'Stronger', 'I Kissed a Girl', 'Since U Been Gone', 'It's My Life', 'It's Gonna Be Me' and a whole heap of others. The common factor between them all is Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who penned or co-penned every track on the musical's soundtrack. As well as Martin's involvement — including as one of & Juliet's co-creators — the musical features a book by the Emmy-winning Schitt's Creek writer and The Big Door Prize creator David West Read. And if you're wondering about the show's shiny Olivier Awards, it was nominated for nine for its West End debut season, and nabbed three: for Best Actress in a Musical, Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Down Under, Lorinda May Merrypor plays Juliet, while Rob Mills is Shakespeare, Amy Lehpamer steps into Anne's shoes and Blake Appelqvist gets his Romeo on. Also in the cast: Casey Donovan, Hayden Tee, Jesse Dutlow, Yashith Fernando, Georgia Anderson, Jade Delmiguez, James Elmer, Riley Gill, Jerome Javier, Giorgia Kennedy, Jordan Koulos and more. "If there were ever a show and a city that were made for each other it is Sydney and & Juliet, and I am thrilled we are finally bringing them together. This show that celebrates joy, love, diversity and taking chances are the same things that inspire and drive the people of Sydney and we can't wait to share it with them," said producer Michael Cassel, announcing the Sydney season. "& Juliet was such a hit in Melbourne that it completely sold out — I just know Sydney will embrace the show with spectacular enthusiasm." Check out the trailer for & Juliet below: & Juliet will play Sydney Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, February 27–Sunday, June 2, 2024, which includes preview performances from Tuesday, February 27–Wednesday, March 6 with tickets for $79. For more information or to sign up for the ticket waitlist — before tickets go on sale in September, with pre-sales from Monday, September 25 and general sales from Friday, September 29 — head to the musical's website. & Juliet will play Crown Theatre, Perth, from Saturday, December 30, 2023–Thursday, February 8, 2024 — with pre-sales from Monday, August 28 and general sales from Thursday, August 31. Images: Daniel Boud.
Since he first hit the big screen in two wildly different 1995 movies, Clueless and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, the seemingly ageless Paul Rudd has spent time in plenty of imaginations. Who hasn't filled seconds, minutes or hours thinking about how Baz Luhrmann chose him as the unwanted romantic alternative in Romeo + Juliet, or how nothing Wet Hot American Summer-related would be the same without him? Who hasn't pondered how Rudd was ideally cast as Ant-Man, and also in both Parks and Recreation and Only Murders in the Building, too? Given how far the actor's resume stretches on around all of those projects, there's always a reason to have Rudd on the brain. Writer/director Alex Scharfman initially met him after penning a screenplay called The Cats of Baxley, then had a Rudd-centric idea pop into his head: the extremely likeable actor killing a unicorn. Getting one of the most-beloved actors currently working to slay one of the most-cherished mythical creatures there is: now that's quite the concept for anyone's mind to conjure up, and also quite the unique way to start a film. That movie is Death of a Unicorn, the A24-backed genre mashup that kicks off with a widowed father and his college-aged daughter — Elliot and Ridley Kintner, played by Rudd (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) and Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) — stunned that they've accidentally hit one of the titular creatures. They're also in shock that such a critter is real. The pair are meant to be on a business trip to the Canadian Rockies, to the estate owned by Elliot's boss, who is in pharmaceuticals and loaded as a result. Elliot sees the getaway as way to boost his career; Ridley would rather be anywhere else. A unicorn encounter isn't something that can just be shaken, though — especially if a billionaire can monetise it, and if nature isn't fond of being messed with. Scharfman's debut feature is a monster movie about unicorns, so a film firmly in the horror-comedy mould. It's an eat-the-rich satire, too. Death of a Unicorn plays with viewer expectations of a picture with Rudd at its core, getting someone so adored for so long portraying a man who constantly makes terrible decisions. Equally, it tasks Ortega with being the film's emotional and empathetic centre as the person instantly attuned to the unicorns, and to the fact that every choice being made around her is wrong (and driven by chasing cash and power). With a killer cast that also spans Richard E Grant (The Franchise) as pharma company head Odell Leopold, Téa Leoni (Madam Secretary) as his wife Belinda and Will Poulter (Black Mirror) as their son Shepard — as well as Anthony Carrigan (Barry) and Jessica Hynes (Am I Being Unreasonable?) among the clan's hired help, plus Sunita Mani (Fantasmas) and Steve Park (Mickey 17) as scientists — it's also a playful creature feature that digs into unicorn lore alongside class structures and hierarchies, commodifying nature, plus capitalism, colonialism and imperialism. That all sprang from the flick's first scene materialising in Scharfman's imagination, then from the filmmaker's deep dive into the mythology surrounding the fabled one-horned animals — and realising what those stories say about society, not merely centuries back but also now. The picture works The Unicorn Tapestries from the Middle Ages into the plot prominently, courtesy of Ridley studying art history; however, as the Leopolds, especially the dying Odell, focus on potential miracle cures and the big bucks that their wealthy peers would pay for them, that's just one of the director's touchpoints. As always evident to Death of a Unicorn's audience, Scharfman has followed the path that his unicorn research has taken him down— through tales typically "about a lord, it's about a king, a nobleman, sending out their court, all their servants, the people who have no choice in the matter, the people who have to do it, and sending them out into nature to capture the uncapturable, so that this this object of purity, this resource, can be owned and possessed and commodified", he tells Concrete Playground — and found modern-day parallels in the pharmaceutical realm. He's interrogating commodification not just of nature and animals, but resources, knowledge, medicine, health and life-saving treatment, and tearing into the imbalance in access that comes with it. That said, never forgetting the type of movie that he's crafting, Scharfman has equally gleaned inspiration from a wealth of films and TV shows, resulting in a mix of Jaws, Jurassic Park, Succession, ET the Extra-Terrestrial, The Creature From the Black Lagoon, Evil Dead, The Rules of the Game, John Carpenter flicks, Korean cinema and more as clear influences. Before dreaming of Rudd dispensing with unicorns, and before turning that idea into a cinematic reality in a SXSW-premiering picture, Scharfman started solidifying his filmmaking voice by writing and directing his own shorts — and also producing features. Keep the Lights On, Selah and the Spades, Resurrection, House of Spoils: they're just some of the projects that he's been involved in. How did that background assist with Death of a Unicorn? Did Scharfman ever imagine a version of his directorial debut without Rudd? How crucial is Ortega in grounding the feature's chaos, and how pivotal is the scene-stealing Poulter in helping set the comedic tone? We chatted to Death of a Unicorn's guiding force about all of that, coming up with the initial concept, his research, that huge lineup of inspirations and more. On Conjuring Up the Concept for the Film — and for Starting It with Paul Rudd Killing a Unicorn "The first thing I thought of in the movie is the opening sequence. A family kills a unicorn, and a father and daughter specifically, then need to put it out of its misery — for lack of a better turn of phrase. So that was always the initial intention, and that was where the movie started for me. Then it grew out of that seed and that premise and that idea, not knowing where it was going to go, and it took the shape that it did hopefully organically. And I also wrote that role for Paul. So they were both always the plan. Paul is incredibly likeable. And Paul is, frustratingly — he's likeable as a performer, and he's frustratingly likeable as a person, too, because you want to find something wrong with him and he doesn't have it. He's just an incredibly at-peace, generous, kind person. And there was something that I thought was interesting on a narrative level of making him unlikeable, because I think he has this inherent likeability, and that we could tolerate a lot of bad behaviour from him and wait until he comes around, or hope that he comes around, to become the Paul Rudd who we love. So I think there was something that was interesting to me about veiling that Paul Rudd we know and love, and shrouding him in anxiety and stress at the beginning of the movie — and telling you 'he's going to become the Paul Rudd we love by the end of the movie, but he's not going to be that guy at the beginning of the movie', and to give him an arc to become that. And I think that came through, I hope, in this sense of this character who's had some misfortunes — the universe has thrown him some curveballs, and he's gotten some bad luck along the way — and what that might do to someone to start ratcheting up their anxiety with financial, personal, otherwise, in a way where they're always trying to look ahead at what might go wrong. The real Paul Rudd has had an incredibly blessed life and is a really sweet person, and is totally present and in the moment and wonderful. And the thought was 'well, how we get the opposite of that to that place?'. And so, yeah, I thought it was an interesting challenge to weaponise Paul Rudd's likeability." On Always Imagining Rudd in the Lead — and the Journey That That Key Piece of Casting Takes Audiences On "The hope was to understand why he's making bad decisions, and to understand his moral compromise and the perspective of moral relativism that he's had to adopt as a means of coping with the world, navigating his way through the world, and also providing for his daughter — who I think he's taken a very literal approach to 'how do I be a good parent?'. It's 'I provide for her and that's what I'm supposed to do, and as long as I have amassed enough financial security, then anything that comes our way, we'll be able to tackle and address as best we can'. Because they've had, as I said before, he's been kicked in the teeth from the universe before. Things have happened to him that were no one's fault that just sort of happened, and that happens to people. And I think that that gave him a certain kind of limp, that's an invisible limp that he walks with for the rest of his life until the events of this movie — and he hopefully shakes that limp. But in terms of 'was it ever anyone else?', no. I always liked the idea of it being this morally compromised lawyer, because I think something interesting about lawyers is that's a skillset that could be applied in any direction. And there's something interesting about the nature of the legal system and that everyone's entitled to representation, even guilty people. There's a certain moral vacuum. That's literally what they refer to it as, lawyers: the moral vacuum, a place where you don't make a moral judgment. And I thought that was always an interesting perspective to have for a protagonist. And usually I feel like the lawyer in Jurassic Park was killed quite unceremoniously, and I thought it would be interesting to say 'what if that guy was the hero?'. Or I thought a lot about the actress who's married to Kenneth Lonergan [Manchester by the Sea], who played Gerri in Succession, who's so great: J Smith-Cameron [Hacks]. I was like 'oh, what if she was the lead of a movie, that character?'. And so was it ever not that? I always hoped it would be Paul. I certainly entertained 'well, what if Paul says no'. And I thought about other people in the role if I had to, but thankfully he said yes and I never had to." On the Wide Range of Influences, From Succession and Jurassic Park to ET and Korean Cinema, That Helped Inspire Death of a Unicorn "I wish I could say that the tone was something I thought about and meditated on for a long time. It always felt like that was just the expression of the movie to me. I think unicorns are, in our consciousness, magical, in a way that they're not just monsters. You can't treat a unicorn like a xenopmorh, because I don't think then you're treating a unicorn — you can make a horror movie that features unicorns that isn't a unicorn horror movie, if that makes sense. You want to be true to the emotional associations that we all have with unicorns, to make sure that you're doing justice to that for all the unicorn lovers out there and for everyone who has a passive understanding of a unicorn that has a certain magical association. And so that sort of conjured, in my mind, a certain Amblin kind of magic — you know, that ET kind of way. And The Abyss also has that in spades, certainly. But then I also thought about subverting that, and that led me down a road of the Alien and Aliens and Evil Deads of the world. And An American Werewolf in London, certainly, too. So there was a lot of that hybridisation. But then at the end of the day, I was also thinking 'well, I don't think you could do a unicorn movie with a total straight face, as a unicorn horror movie. You have to be funny'. I think there has to be some awareness of the absurdity in that. I think if you just did that with a straight face, it would get real boring real fast. And so it kind of presented itself in this way, that it was like 'well, it's a monster movie' so it has to have these things like Jaws and Alien and Aliens, and those sort of movies — and Creature From the Black Lagoon and so forth. But then we have all this warmth associated with them. And so that brings in the ETs of the world. And there's a great Val Guest movie, The Abominable Snowman, which is wonderful and has these benevolent yeti monsters that are really interesting. And The Abyss, also again, to go back to that one, has these benevolent monsters, that it's on us not to fuck with them, you know? Like, they will decimate us if they decide to, but it's our prerogative to make sure they don't want to. So anyhow, these influences all coalesced, and I think it became clarified through a certain Korean sensibility — thinking about The Host or Train to Busan, or Thirst, which is a very different movie. But there's something about those movies, and I think a general Korean sensibility, is that they aren't afraid to combine influences and to swing, and to say 'we're going to be funny here and absurd, and then we're going to be scary over here, and then this emotionality is going to be building underneath all of that'. The Host is such a favourite movie of mine. It opens with Song Kang-ho [Cobweb] doing these brilliant pratfalls and physical comedy, and then it ends with this tragic loss at the end of the movie that's really heartbreaking. And then through the middle, it's almost like The Royal Tenenbaums on a monster hunt. It's this dysfunctional family of adult estranged siblings. And you're going 'wait, what? This movie does all of these things?'. And it has this anti-American, -colonial, -capitalist satire threaded through all that. And yet somehow I watch that movie and I'm like 'what a perfect movie'. My hope was when you watch those kind of movies — and Train to Busan is another one that contained zombies, action and high-concept, but also is a commentary about selfishness and self-interest, and then also this father-daughter story that makes me cry every time I watch it. There's something about that that's like, I don't know, somehow that has a spine that allows it move through all these zones. And I think if you commit to it, hopefully that's okay. So that's sort of what I was aspiring to do, I suppose." On Connecting Unicorn Lore and Mythology to Class Structures, Commodifying Nature, Colonialism and Capitalism "I outline a lot, so I try to accrue a lot of information and thoughts and research and material. John Houston has this great quote where he said 'don't start writing till you can't stop', and so I try to do that. So what I end up doing is, I end up thinking about things a lot. I very early on got to unicorn mythology, and I zeroed in on the Middle Ages — because I think the tapestries are brilliant, and I love them, beautiful pieces of art, but that's sort of when unicorn narratives became really cohesive and codified, in a way. Before that, there were unicorns, but they weren't in a traditional structure. And then in the Middle Ages, the hunt narratives became quite, not formulaic per se, but that was the archetypical unicorn story, it was about a unicorn hunt. And when I realised that, I was like 'oh, well this provides a basis for a parallel to a creature-feature structure', in the sense of those kind of James Cameron-y or Spielberg-y monster movies where very often they're on a hunt. That's what most of that second act of Alien is about. And same with almost the entirety of Aliens, that is about a monster hunt. And so that made a lot of sense to me. And again, that Val Guest Abominable Snowman, that's a monster-hunt movie. The Creature From the Black Lagoon: monster-hunt movie. There's a very traditional structure. But then when I started thinking about medieval unicorn mythology in a contemporary context, it also invites a lot of thought about class structure, and those are very much stories about social hierarchy. It's about a lord, it's about a king, a nobleman, sending out their court, all their servants, the people who have no choice in the matter, the people who have to do it, and sending them out into nature to capture the uncapturable, so that this this object of purity, this resource, can be owned and possessed and commodified. And so when I was like 'okay, well I'm updating unicorn mythology, unicorn myth', that's what the lore is. It's like, well, how could it not be about those things? And when you realise that unicorns were prized for their curative properties, it naturally invites a conversation with healthcare and pharmaceuticals. And so it's funny. How I like to write is just to find a string and start pulling and see where it leads me, and it seems like the story presented itself as being about class, about the social structures that we live in today and also about pharmaceuticals. And so it naturally provided this context to consider an oligarchic, industrialist family as if it was a former nobleman or noble lord's family with their fiefdom, but their fiefdom is an industry." On Enlisting Jenna Ortega to Be the Film's Emotional Centre, Audience Surrogate and Voice of Wisdom "I wrote the role and figured out the characters based on what the story was asking for and what their dynamics were, and then I got to the end of that process and we were like, with the studio, with A24, they're like 'let's start casting the movie'. And I realised, I was like 'holy shit, what have I done? Who can play this role?'. Ridley is such a challenging role because, yeah, she's the vehicle of exposition. She's the character who the audience identifies with. She's the most — I try not to write anyone as like a straight man, I think comedies are most fun when everyone has their own weird game that they're playing, but she's certainly among the most-grounded, probably. I think her and Anthony's character are the most grounded in terms of their perspective. And so, yeah, it's a really hard role to figure out. And I'm so fortunate, we only offered the role to one person and she said yes, and that person is Jenna Ortega. She's an absolutely just knockout performer. Every take is great. So I don't know, what did I have to do? I had to get lucky. I wrote Jenna a letter and I asked her to please be in my movie and save it. And she did. And so I just showed up every day and we'd talk about things a lot, but the truth is Jenna's just an incredible performer. She's so good. She's just one of those actors that you just point the camera at her, she's going to do it." On the Importance of Will Poulter's Comic Timing, and Ability to Lean Into His Character's Privilege and Obliviousness, to Help Set the Comedic Tone "Shep's voice was one that came off the page pretty early in the writing process, where it was hard not to keep writing for his voice. He's one of those characters that — and Will figured it out so beautifully — it's just a character that you just want to keep giving him stuff to say. You just want him to react. He's in a great position, too, as far as comic structure, in that he gets to react to a lot of things. He doesn't have to drive a lot of things. The scenes, he gets to just be present in them and be arrogant and lack any self-awareness. But Will totally landed it and nailed, I think, the tone. And did this amazing feat — that's a very heightened character that he somehow found an emotional centre for, and he grounded that character in a sense of, I think, inadequacy, and bravado around that inadequacy. And wanting to be told that he's enough as a person, trying to earn his parents' love and respect. And I think he, in doing so, built a character that's both heightened and yet grounded, and so both villainous and yet I kind of sympathise with him. I look at that character and I'm like 'oh, man, you've got into a bad situation where psychologically you've been put in this position that your parents have really done a number on you, and there's nothing you can do about it because it's all it's too late now, it's all locked in'. The dark humour of the movie and the pace of the jokes and dialogue all lives in the performance, and the Leopold family really gets to let that rip. They get to be unmoored. And Will totally got it. And Téa and Richard are also comic geniuses, I think, and totally understood the commitment to the bit. And I'm just so lucky they all chose to be in the movie." On How Scharfman's Experience as a Producer for Over a Decade Helped Him Make the Leap to Directing His First Feature "It was invaluable. I've worked as a producer for a long time. And it built up a comfort level on set. To be honest, when I started working in film, I wanted to be a writer and a producer, and I was a little bit scared of directing. It's a really daunting task, and I had, I hope, a respect for it, a reverence for it, that I don't think I could have — I didn't want to go out and be directing at the outset of my career, and I think I only gained that perspective over time, and the desire to do it as well, as I got more comfortable on set. So I would say producing the features that I have just built up my comfort level with the apparatus, of the machine, of a film set, which is such a specific working environment — and understanding how to problem-solve in that kind of context, how to be creative in that context, how to create the right environment. And that trickles into the writing in invisible ways, just the choices you make. I've seen filmmakers make great choices and I've seen filmmakers make choices they regret later. And not that any of those films that I made were dry runs or anything like that, those are films that I'm all proud of, but you just gain experience by being around an apparatus like that, by making movies and by being part of it. And I think I've gained a lot of experience. I've worked as a professional screenwriter for several years as well, not quite as long as I've been a professional producer, but you learn a tremendous amount by working in development on other scripts and by developing your own scripts simultaneously. So I like to think that it's just a holistic perspective. It's hard to isolate an experience that like 'this experience taught me that' — it's just all cumulative to become who you are and the lens through which you see the world. So I don't know exactly how, but I know it's helped me. I know I felt more comfortable on a set, and I know I've been around enough practical effects and stunts and things like that that I felt it was within my capacity to execute an execution-dependent film like this as my first feature. There's a lot to bite off in the film, but I don't think I would have been capable of doing that if I hadn't been building towards this over the course of over a decade of just learning about the filmmaking process." Death of a Unicorn opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Michael Hutchence died here. Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior stayed here. Elton John played the lobby piano here. Now, one of Sydney's grandest hotels (with quite the rambunctious history) is reopening its doors. After dwindling into disrepair and being accused of housing "undesirables" for a few years, the former Ritz Carlton has swept away the cobwebs (and the alleged brothel operators) and is set to reopen as the Intercontinental Sydney Double Bay on Thursday, November 6. Announcements have been dropped all over the joint regarding the hotel's design, resident eateries and bars — with particular vision toward enticing locals as much as guests. With executive chef Julien Pouteau popping across from Intercontinental Sydney to kick the in-house restaurant, Stockroom, and resident eateries into gear, the hotel's nosh offerings have generated quite the buzz throughout Sydney — from Shaun Presland's Sake to a Lobo Plantation/The Island team up and now, the hotel's own dedicated gin bar, The Stillery. Plans for the ground floor retail level have been confirmed over the last few months. This latest news for the buzzed-up hotel will delight gin lovers: a seven-metre long, marble-clad, dedicated gin bar featuring rare and vintage spirits is set to open this December. The Stillery will be open to the public and will have ginthusiasts rubbing their paws in anticipation. Joining the Stillery, Urban Purveyor Group's (the team behind Ananas Bar and Brasserie, Bavarian Bier Cafe, The Cut Bar and Grill and Swine and Co.), Saké is set to open in December. With sushi master and executive chef Shaun Presland commandeering the menu, the Double Bay establishment will serve the contemporary Japanese cuisine Saké is already celebrated for — joining hatted sister venues in The Rocks and Brisbane, alongside its Melbourne counterpart. We're talking 'gramworthy new-style sushi to significantly impress your date. Shiny new hospitality company The Group — the teaming up of The Island operators Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias with The Lobo Plantation's Eddie Levy and Michael Hwang — will draw from the formidable foursome's 15+ years of running kickass Sydney venues to open a yet-to-be-named new bar and restaurant at the InterContinental. Think Australia's first and only floating beach club meets Cuban colonial elegance — or more likely something entirely different and equally novelty. Bondi institutes Henley's Wholefoods and Shuk have officially signed the lease to join the Double Bay hotel's ground floor family. Expanding their North Bondi marketplace-like spot, Mediterranean artisan bakery Shuk are confirmed to bring their sensory overload of homemade baked goods and aromatic breakfasts to the party. Boutique paleo, organic and lean cafe Henley’s Wholefoods will bring their sustainable produce to the party as well — a welcome change for the often tired eateries of hotels. Preserving the classic features of the building itself, the Intercontinental team are making a few upgrades to the 140-guest room establishment — and they're pretty damn grand. Alongside your usual decadent 24-hour room service, a 200-square metre jawdropper royal suite has been confirmed, with Italian marble staircases and bathrooms, French provincial courtyards, Parisian balconies and contemporary rooms alongside a rooftop infinity pool open to the public — and who doesn't look for an infinity pool in their top tier stays, honestly? Don't worry, there will be cabana lounges on offer and plenty of ostentatious cocktails ready for your diamond-encrusted paws. Putting the glamour back into business lunches, there's set to be seven meeting rooms within the well-dressed walls as well as a magic-sounding pillarless ballroom with 450 (theatre style) and 360 (banquet style) person capacity. Plus, parking's not a problem; there's significant spots within the hotel and a council carpark across the street. Intercontinental Sydney Double Bay is opening Thursday, November 6, with bookings available from here.
Each winter Vivid draws Sydney out of hibernation with a festival of light installations, talks, workshops and performances. Now in its tenth year, the festival is bigger and brighter than ever. From the illumination of major city landmarks to international acts and challenging ideas, there's a lot to pack into the 23 nights. With the help of our friends at YHA Australia, we've put together a rundown to help you navigate the festival. From what to see and do and to where best to eat and drink. [caption id="attachment_670002" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sydney Harbour YHA rooftop[/caption] STAY With so much to see and do during Vivid, you'll want to be close to the action. Sydney Harbour YHA in The Rocks is the perfect home base; it's just a stone's throw away from the installations in The Rocks and walking distance to Circular Quay and the Botanic Gardens. It's also right in the thick of some of the most historic pubs in Sydney. The building combines modern comfort with the heritage of the area — it's set above archaeological remains of colonial Sydney. Choose from private or dorm rooms and head to the rooftop balcony to treat yourself to one of the best views in Sydney. From this bird's eye vantage point, you'll have an uninterrupted view stretching from the Harbour Bridge to the Sydney Opera House, Customs House and city buildings, all lit up for the festival. Grab a drink and settle in to soak it all up. If you'd prefer to stay a touch further away from the heaving Circular Quay, YHA also has locations in Sydney Central and Railway Square. Here, you'll be in walking distance of Haymarket (and its many dumplings, noodles and 30c cream puffs), Spice Alley and Darling Harbour's stunning light installations. All three YHAs are offering 20-percent-off during Vivid, too. [caption id="attachment_625341" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bodhi Liggett.[/caption] EAT You'll need to keep your energy levels up in order to fit in everything in during the festival. Luckily, there are heaps of great food options around. Start the day with quality coffee and a beautiful, picturesque breakfast at The Grounds of the City. If you're short on time, though, you can grab a cup of joe and a brekkie burger, bowl or muffin from the takeaway window. For lunchtime refuelling, head to La Renaissance Patisserie for house-made pies, baguette sandwiches and pastries. The tree covered courtyard is a sweet little place to retreat from the crowds for a little while. In The Rocks Centre behind Kendall Lane, you'll also find the Fine Food Store serving up sandwiches, salads and winter warmers like soups and stews. When the sun goes down, check out the new Bar Patrón by Rockpool for authentic Mexican eats, margaritas and views of the Vivid lights. Alternatively, head to The Morrison, located between The Rocks and Wynyard, for a mean sirloin steak or the $1 oyster happy hour from 6–7pm each Wednesday. And if you've really got cash to splash and a burning desire for views with some top eats, head to Cafe Sydney. Found above Customs House (which will be covered in a Snugglepot and Cuddlepie light show), this place serves up Australian haute-cuisine with a killer view. The restaurant also has a dedicated vegan menu for those looking for some fine dining that considers their dietaries. For another prime spot with more casual eats, head next door to Gateway — home to Neil Perry's Burger Project, Din Tai Fung, Four Frogs Creperie and Gelato Messina. DRINK The Rocks area is heaving with pubs — in fact, two of them, The Lord Nelson and The Fortune of War, lay claim to being Sydney's oldest. The best way to fit them all in is to head on a pub crawl — starting at The Lord Nelson, making tracks to the potentially haunted Hero of Waterloo, heading up to The Glenmore rooftop for excellent harbour views, passing by The Fortune of War and finishing up at the newly refurbished Orient. If you're after something more sedate and refined, hit Henry Deane, the rooftop bar at Hotel Palisade which boasts incredible views of the harbour and the lights of Vivid. Otherwise, check out Bulletin Place for intricately crafted cocktails, or cosy up at The Doss House, a new underground whisky bar set in an incredible heritage building in The Rocks. [caption id="attachment_624496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Horan.[/caption] SEE The projections onto the Sydney Opera House have been the crowning glory of the Vivid light display since the festival's inception. This year the sails will feature the work of artist Jonathan Zawada, blending everyday objects with the pictures inspired by the Australian environment. Meanwhile, Skylark makes use of the high rises around Circular Quay, featuring a custom-built laser atop the Harbour Bridge projecting onto buildings in a stunning light show every half hour. The Southern Pylon of the bridge will be lit with Bangarra Dance Company's Dark Emu, melding dance and art and paying homage to the agricultural knowledge of Indigenous Australians. [caption id="attachment_623212" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Horan.[/caption] See bacteria writ large at Beautiful and Dangerous in The Rocks. The work takes you under a neon microscope to explore some of the deadliest diseases facing mankind and what's being done to curb them. While you're in the area, look skyward and see A Little Birdie Told Me — a work depicting the threat to many of our native bird species. The festival of light also makes full use of the glorious Botanic Gardens, with installations dotted throughout. Impressions shows a time-lapse of flora captured from the garden throughout the day, displayed across five huge canvases. Check out The Bloom, a giant metallic flower covered in LED pixels. And hanging in a canopy of trees is Hyperweb, a giant web combining light and soundscape. DO With so many artists and thinkers in town, you might want to extend your stay to fit more in. Top of the ticket is Solange, performing at the Sydney Opera House. Her shows are sold out, but festival organisers recommend checking the website daily for last-minute releases. Also in town are Grammy award-winning singer St Vincent and legendary rapper Ice Cube. There are heaps of local acts to check out too, including No Mono, Middle Kids and Stonefield. For one night only Heaps Gay will host a fabulous, not-to-be-missed fancy dress party, Qweens Ball, at Town Hall. Plus for a change of pace, this year's festival also includes a jazz series for the first time. [caption id="attachment_574541" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bodhi Liggett.[/caption] Vivid Ideas will get your mind bubbling about the big issues. There are talks on everything from building a sustainable future and the threat to democracy to the art of creativity and understanding consciousness. For podcast nerds, the Audiocraft Podcast Festival features a line-up of industry heavyweights in a series of talks and workshops. If you're headed to Vivid this year, YHA is offering 20% off stays for Concrete Playground readers during the festival. The offer applies to all rooms (private and multi-share) at Sydney Harbour YHA, Sydney Central YHA and Railway Square YHA. Use the code VIVID to claim the discount when you book online, valid Sunday to Thursday between Sunday, May 27 and Friday, June 15. More info about the offer and other weekend discounts here. Image: Destination NSW.
Ever since Gigi switched to their plant-based menu and stopped serving bases adorned with dairy delights, inner west cheese fiends have been looking for a new place to get their pizza slice fix. Now that Rosso Antico has opened it's doors, they're in luck. White tiles and exposed brick walls paired with simple low lighting characterise this new Italian eatery, with the only splash of red a mosaic pizza oven at its cosy heart. The simple menu reflects the pared back space — antipasto, pizza and pasta — while the drinks menu is a little more extensive, showcasing a selection of international and locally sourced beers and wines (though it's hard to pass up the trusty Aperol Spritz or the Rosso Antico). On one of the walls, the words "Pe' fa' e cose bone ce vo' tiemp" are scrawled in black, a statement that roughly translates as "All good things take time". It's a cute sentiment when applied to, say, painting a masterpiece, but not when you're hungry. It's a good thing pizza production only takes the chefs three minutes, because there's only so much politely watching other people devour pizza slices that is physically possible. The quality of a good pizza lies predominantly in its base — and the bases at Rosso Antico are super legit. They have that prefect crispy, chewy balance only true Italians seem to be able to produce, and the toppings that amply adorn those base are on point. We particularly enjoyed the Norma ($19), with generous caramelised slivers of roasted eggplant, tangy sauce, islands of salted ricotta and a generous amount of fior di latte. The Zucchini ($20) — with crispy pancetta, roasted zucchini strips and melted fior di latte and scamorza — was equally cheesy. We found the middle of our pizzas were a little wet in the centre, and we were left with no choice but to eat the pizza folded in half to make up for the lack of structural integrity, which wasn't really an issue because it makes you feel like you're in the movies. The pasta dishes left a little to be desired. Although the house-made fettuccine ($19) was cooked perfectly, the ragu was heavy on the tomato sauce, and we counted only five chunks of the melt-in-your-mouth pork and veal scattered on top. It was also served without the required pile of grated parmesan, which was a shame. It's the one part of the menu you can feel free to pass up. If you've got room for dessert, the Nutella calzone ($13) with its molten chocolate and strawberry centre served with a generous scoop of vanilla gelato is enough to satisfy a party of three, while the Pastiera Napoletana ($9), a traditional baked ricotta tart, is more manageable for one. Images by Diana Scalfati. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Pizza in Sydney
On Friday the much-loved Sydney gallery White Rabbit will reopen and unveil their new show, Serve the People. Which means it's time for one of their famously fun opening night parties! Everyone's welcome, so get there early to grab a prime place in the inevitable queue. The exhibition is curated by Chinese art aficionado Edmund Capon, former director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Capon lends his passionate expertise to this intriguing collection of the best artworks of the ‘21st-century cultural revolution’. So grab a drink and prepare to be impressed by pieces from artists including Yan Siwen, Jin Feng and Madeln Company (Xu Zhen) reflecting a freer period in which the phrase ‘serve the people’ no longer means producing art to further the socialist cause. Instead, in highly experimental, individualistic ways artists are interrogating China’s national image, exploring themes like consumerism, history vs. ideology, corruption, personal identity and censorship. Image: Zhou Xiaohu, "America Likes Me", 2012
The Succulent Corner is Dulwich Hill's much loved nursery that is about to become even more beloved. It's throwing a massive plant sale this weekend, during which the shop's already reasonably priced greenery is being discounted to bargain basement prices. The three-day event will take place from January 11–13, starting at 9.30am each day. The sale will show off the shop's rare and unusual offerings at seriously low prices — succulents will start at just one buck and larger indoor plants at $8. There will be rare succulents and cacti up for grabs, along with fiddle leaf, rubber plants, zanzibar, calathea white fusion and monstera. A range of ferns, palms and ivys will be there, too. Brand new arrivals include the satin pothos, philodendron pink princess and variegated sedum sieboldii. Now, unless you're a horticulturist, these scientific names probably don't mean much. But Google can tell you that they are one good looking bunch that you'll want to get your hands on. Entry is free, just make sure to RSVP on the Facebook page here.
If your cupboards are looking pretty bare, particularly on the specialty Asian cuisine front, Thai Kee IGA, hidden away above Paddy's Markets, can provide you with all you need. Dumplings and steamers, koala biscuits, aloe vera juice, Japanese curry, kitsch bowls and crockery sets, hot barbecue pork buns, chrysanthemum tea, Chinese slippers — you name it, it's here. In fact, you should probably allow some extra time just to wander down these aisles. Trust us, you'll be surprised at what you find.
Every two years, Sydney turns into one big art trail as the Biennale of Sydney rolls out exhibitions at major museums across the city, tied together by a thoughtful theme. Heading into its 25th edition, the 2026 biennale will spotlight the stories that have slipped through the cracks — either erased, overlooked or untold. In the 2024 edition, the biennale turned its gaze to the sun for the Ten Thousand Suns program. For its 2026 run, it's taken inspiration from a literary idol: in Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, the idea of 'rememory' describes how the past persists to be experienced again and again. The program will explore what it means to remember – and what it means when certain stories are forgotten— by bringing marginalised and diasporic narratives to the surface. [caption id="attachment_1049218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Barbara Moore, CEO of the Biennale of Sydney, says, "The Biennale of Sydney is a platform for art and ideas that inspire, challenge and connect us. In this moment, more than ever, we need opportunities that invite us to step beyond our own perspectives [and] encounter experiences different from our own, to reflect on what binds us together, and to celebrate what makes us human." International names on the lineup include Nikesha Breeze, Dread Scott, Nahom Teklehaimanot, Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn, Joe Namy and Sandra Monterroso. Closer to home, the program features local talent such as Abdul Abdullah, Dennis Golding, Helen Grace, Wendy Hubert, Richard Bell, Merilyn Fairskye and Michiel Dolk. [caption id="attachment_1053037" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image by Daniel Boud[/caption] The biennale has also partnered with Cartier's Paris-based art arm, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain. The foundation has commissioned 15 First Nations artists to create new works of art in collaboration with its First Nations Curatorial Fellow Bruce Johnson McLean, who is also a Wierdi person of the Birri Gubba Nation. Indigenous artists globally have hopped onto the initiative, including: Native American interdisciplinary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger; sculptor Rose B. Simpson from the Santa Clara Pueblo tribe in New Mexico; acclaimed Yolngu artist Gunybi Ganambarr; and Tongan artist Benjamin Work, who is slated to present a sculptural tribute to the fusion of traditional Tongan dress with Western clothing. Exhibitions will dominate five arts institutions around Sydney, spanning the Arts Gallery of New South Wales, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Penrith Regional Gallery, Chau Chak Wing Museum, and White Bay Power Station (the once-sleepy industrial site that was turned into an arts hub by the 2024 Biennale of Sydney). Space out your art crawls with a jam-packed public program of evening gigs, crafty workshops and talks. We've compiled a handy guide of exhibitions and events to help you plan your route through the Biennale of Sydney 2026. White Bay Power Station [caption id="attachment_996125" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] The biennale kicks off on March 13 with an opening party at White Bay Power Station, soundtracked to beats from local DJ INBRAZA Baile, First Nations-fronted Hand to Earth and Baltimore-born Nourished by Time. Keep an eye out for the car blasting music — it's part of 'Automobile', an elaborate sound installation by Lebanese artist and musician Joe Namy where he gathers local cars outfitted with tricked-out stereo systems that double up as instruments. Two landmark exhibitions will span the venue. One is Nikesha Breeza's 'Living Histories', an archive of stories from enslaved African Americans in the Antebellum South, set in a maze of floor-to-ceiling fabric columns that mimic the African Baobab tree. Another is a striking mural by Garrwa-Yanyuwa painter Nancy Yukuwal McDinny, capturing the post-colonial voices of the traditional custodians of the Gulf of Carpentaria. [caption id="attachment_1049220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] On Friday evenings, White Bay Power Station lights up with Arts After Dark. Three music lineups are locked in so far: March 20 brings ethereal melodies from celebrated Japanese experimental pop artist and composer Tujiko Noriko and a viola-meets-electronic-music set by Sydney-based composer Mara Schwerdtfeger; an electronic commentary by Kashmiri sound artist Ruhail Qaisar and local genre-defying musician Marcus Whale on March 27; and a strings-leaning night with Gomeroi guitarist Liam Keenan and Yorta Yorta bassist Allara Briggs-Pattison on April 3. The heritage-listed site will host a slate of Inner West Council events during the biennale. Attend talks curated by local storyteller Lillian Ahenkan, known by her stage name FlexMami, on March 28. Then on 11 and 12 April, a collection of six performance artworks by Amrita Hepi, Charlotte Farrell, Emma Maye Gibson, Jacqui O'Reilly, Lauren Brincat, Lulu Barkell, Theodore Carroll and Red Rey will take the venue by storm. Redfern [caption id="attachment_638226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Redfern locals are in for something special. The Block has long been the beating heart of Indigenous communities in Sydney, and artist Dennis Golding will translate his memories of growing up there into a mini festival. Expect a beaded jewellery making workshop on May 10, where some of the beads are 3D printed from the bricks of the iconic Aboriginal Flag mural that once stood over The Block. Then, on April 9, enter a First Nations-led bingo night inspired by community games that used to be held regularly in one of the vacant Eveleigh Street terraces. Plus, there will be three monthly strolls around Redfern with long-time resident Aunty Donna Ingram, who will dive into the area's Aboriginal history. Art Gallery of New South Wales [caption id="attachment_1049224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image by Iwan Baan[/caption] Known for his collage-style canvases, internationally reowned Eritrean artist Nahom Teklehaimanot presents a trio of new large-scale canvases at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Encapsulated by its title, This is My Silence You Name the Sound, the collection reflects on the complexities of refugees' lives. The 15-year-old Kulata Tjuta Project is also making a stop at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Kulata Tjuta means 'many spears', a literal nod to the thousands of hand-carved spears (and counting) that make up the contemporary work. Anangu artist Frank Young started the project within the Amata community in the remote regions of South Australia in 2010 — it's since expanded to involve over 100 Aṉangu men spanning over three generations of spear-makers. Penrith Regional Gallery [caption id="attachment_1049221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image by Lyndal Irons[/caption] Just an hour from the city, Penrith Regional Gallery is an intimate homestead with a charming heritage garden. Settle in for a yarn on the grounds, now a sprawling native plant sanctuary nurtured by Yindjibarndi Elder Wendy Hubert. The living showcase of ancestral knowledge features native plants that are used for food, healing, and ceremony. Inside the home-studio-turned-gallery, Monica Rani-Rudhar draws on her lineage to stage a poignant multi-channel video installation that explores how two traces of colonialism — trauma and resistance — are inherited through generations. Campbelltown Arts Centre [caption id="attachment_1049223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image by Nikki To[/caption] Located in the creative hub of Campbelltown, the Campbelltown Arts Centre is shaping up to be an unmissable stop for film lovers during the Sydney Biennale. When riots erupt in youth detention centres, it's officially labelled a Code Black/Riot. It's also the name of a large-scale collaborative project that aims to amplify the voices of incarcerated Indigenous youths, spearheaded by documentary filmmaker Hoda Afshar. The collective bagged the 2025 National Photographic Prize, and is now making an appearance at the Biennale of Sydney 2026, with Behrouz Boochani, Hoda Afshar and Vernon Ah Kee presenting a multi-channel video exhibition at Campbelltown Arts Centre. Another highlight is the multimedia work of Lebanese filmmakers Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, which follows a circle of friends who are setting off to Christmas Island. Their journey unfolds alongside the annual red crab migration, where a mass of crabs swarm from the forest to the ocean. The result? An immersive installation that interlaces movement, migration and imagined utopias. Chau Chak Wing Museum [caption id="attachment_1049222" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image by David James[/caption] The much-loved museum at the University of Sydney will be home to two contrasting sculptures. One of them hails from Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, where artist Benjamin Work has created a celebratory tribute to the endurance of Indigenous culture, sparked by the 19th century fusion of Western influence with traditional Tongan attire. The other takes a critical approach, examining how Australian arts institutions have preserved Indigenous cultural material. Visit the Biennale of Sydney website for more information.
It premiered at Cannes, will make its Australian debut at the Melbourne International Film Festival and is shaping up to be one of this year's biggest films. We're talking about Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which sees the acclaimed filmmaker step back to five decades ago to explore Tinseltown in the summer of 1969 — when the golden age of Hollywood was waning down, and when the Manson Family shocked the world with their horrific murders. Tarantino doesn't just want movie buffs to enjoy his new movie, however. He wants to steep viewers in the whole '60s vibe, including the films that inspired his own film. To help, the writer/director has curated a season of flicks all made in the era, and they'll be screening on SBS' new (and free) World Movies channel in August. The Quentin Tarantino Presents collection is a global project, airing in approximately 20 countries around the world in the lead up to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's release. In Australia, it kicks off on Monday, August 12 with 1969 comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, about a couple who decide to become more open in their lives. From there, the season will move on to Cactus Flower with Goldie Hawn, Ingrid Bergman Walter Matthau, as well as the Dennis Hopper-directed and -starring Easy Rider. As for the rest of the bill, it all hails from the late 50s, 60s and early 70s, including Model Shop from French writer-director Jacques Demy, student politics comedy Getting Straight with Elliott Gould, crime flick Hammerhead, and westerns Gunman's Walk and Arizona Raiders. One of the films on the list, 1968's The Wrecking Crew, is a humorous spy flick that co-stars Sharon Tate — who Margot Robbie plays in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The whole season will set audiences up nicely for Tarantino's latest, which follows TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his trusty stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Each movie will air with an introduction from the director, who chats with film writer and historian Kim Morgan about how they influenced Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Check out the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA SBS World Movies' Quentin Tarantino Presents collection starts airing from 10.30pm on Monday, August 12. For screening times, visit the channel's online program guide. Via Deadline / SBS Movies.
Break out the 'feel old yet?' memes, because everyone's favourite Surry Hills tequila den, Tio's Cerveceria, is turning ten years old on December 12. To celebrate that nice round milestone, the crew from Tio's will be treating patrons with their most valuable source of currency: free margaritas. Kicking off from Tuesday, November 30 up until Friday, December 10, the bar will be giving away $1000 worth of margaritas to the tequila- and mezcal-loving hordes of Sydney. You just need to keep an eye on Tio's Instagram for a chance to enter, then turn up and claim the alcoholic spoils of victory. A birthday party to mark the decade in the trade will be going down at the bar on Sunday, December 12, with margs for $10, Grifter tins for $5 and a lineup of DJs. So grab your drinking buddies to reminisce on those hazy nights where you've woken up flecked with popcorn kernels (and move any of your early commitments on the following day). Find Tio's at 4/14 Foster St, Surry Hills. It's open from 5pm–12am, Wednesday to Sunday. All images: Nikki To.
From reclining nudes of the Renaissance era to 20th-century punk feminism, the female body has had a long and turbulent history in art. In 1975, Carolee Schneemann reclaimed the body by pulling a scroll from her vagina and reciting a feminist speech. It’s rare to see something this radical nowadays. However, there’s no single story that binds women together. Dear Sylvia at the Australian Centre for Photography is a collection of works questioning the contemporary role of the female body. From documentary to conceptual photography, nine photomedia artists approach their subjects in different ways. Full of emotional and literal tangles, these distorted and displaced bodies resonate with the poetry of Sylvia Plath. It’s a sometimes bleak but important point of reference. Some of the most striking portraits come from British artist Alma Haser’s Cosmic Surgery, a series of Cubist-inspired photographs. She folds faces into delicate origami and repositions them onto her female subjects. Their fractured features become a strange combination of alien and beautiful. There’s a similar kind of manipulation at play in Julie Rrap’s video work, Castaway. Blending Marilyn Monroe and Gericault’s Raft of Medusa, it has an underlying sense of fatal femininity. As the figure lies tangled in a timber frame, still images slowly fade in and out like a watery cross-fade. There is a real sensitivity to Jessica Tremp’s work. Her soft photographs appear inspired by a more romantic affinity with nature. In each work, the surrounding environment seems to creep onto raw skin, whether it be glistening green wilderness, the grainy tone of rock or the hungry darkness of night. As is expected, the documentary photographs don’t have the same precise composition, but they contain more energy — the occasional blurriness captures a greater sense of urgency. A dynamic series from Flore-Ael Surun rallies together a group of activist women campaigning for peace in different corners of the globe. Entering the troubled world of Eastern Europe, Dana Popa presents Not Natasha, chronicling the sex trade in Romania. Many of these works have a coldness and a loneliness — a floral bedspread framed by pornography, a shelf full of religiously iconography, innocent teenagers and dejected women. Evoking familiar themes such as nature, sacrifice, objectification and self-identity, this exhibition is a physical and emotional examination of what it means to be a woman. And as tragic a tale as Plath’s is, it is that of the modern woman: to be awake to the spectrum of opportunities and potential failures. In The Bell Jar, Plath writes about the multiple branches of a fig tree and the inability to choose which one: “I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing the rest." Image: Marlous van der Sloot.
Goodbye golden arches, hello golden fries: that's McDonald's new makeover at its world-first fry-thru pop-up. And if you're wondering what a fry-thru is, that's the term that Macca's has coined to describe it's new fries-focused restaurant, which will make Tumbalong Park in Sydney's Darling Harbour its home for the duration of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. This fries-adoring McDonald's outlet won't just be serving up hot and crispy slivers of potato heaven in medium servings. It'll definitely be doing that, of course, but the space that it's selling them from is just as noteworthy. Head to the FIFA Women's World Cup Fan Festival to get some chips and you'll be ordering them from an eatery that's shaped like a giant packet of fries. If you've ever needed to see what a five-metre-tall version of Macca's potato slices looked like — and then get some fries from it — this is your chance. It's the dream that no chips lover ever realised they had, and it's coming true from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, August 20. Here, the question isn't "would you like fries from that?", because you're definitely getting fries. Instead, it's "would you like fries from that?". The giant packet of chips is pairing its medium fries with a couple of Macca's sauces of the world condiments, with outback barbecue sauce and wasabi-flavoured mayonnaise on offer to tie in with the Women's World Cup's participating countries. Not getting in on the fan fest fun but just want to drop by the restaurant? The fry-thru is open to both football fans hitting up the Fan Festival and the general public. Outside stadiums hosting Women's World Cup matches in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, Macca's is also setting up an interactive photobooth that'll gives you a personalised collectable card, plus Macca's swings. [caption id="attachment_907652" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Johannes Simon - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images[/caption] Find the McDonald's fry-thru in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, Sydney, as part of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Fan Festival from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, August 20.
If you're a martini fan, then a dirty martini is probably one of the finest things in your life. It boasts everything that makes a martini great, such as gin, vermouth and an olive for garnish, but also adds a splash of olive brine. It's also easy to drink more than one of, which is where Moya's Juniper Lounge comes in with its new monthly gathering. Amass with your fellow dirty martini lovers at the Dirty Martini Club, where the martinis are dirty — obviously — as well as dirt cheap. The drink in the spotlight will set you back just $10, and entry is free. Dirty Martini Club kicks off at 8pm on Wednesday, November 14, then keeps on sipping on Wednesday, December 12 and into 2019. Each night will feature a different jazz vocalist, with Gregg Arthur doing the crooning first up. Oh, and because dirty martinis are all about olives, these ones will be brined in sherry vermouth and drowned in Tanqueray London Gin.
The first Collector Store in Surry Hills has been drawing in curious weekend browsers for years thanks to its ever changing collection of fashion, accessories and homewares. The Sydney store now has three locations, including its largest space in Paddington. The Oxford Street boutique has an eclectic mix of clothing, candles and cushion covers like the other locations, but with more room to show off its furniture, kitchen and dining products than at the Barangaroo or Crown Street stores. You'll find BORNN's marble-effect enamel plates, Tom Dixon candles and decanters, and HK Living serving trays. There's also terrazzo coffee tables, woven light shades, and weaved outdoor dining chairs. And at the front of the store, there are rails of menswear by Mr Simple (think linen shorts and Hawaiian-inspired shirts) and women's printed dresses by Coster Copenhagen. Though most of the clothing sits above the $100 mark, there are gifts within the $40–60 bracket, too, like Missoni towels, Leif hand wash and Scotch & Soda leather wallets, as well as a locally made range of Gascoigne & King candles and diffusers. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Have you ever heard how Balmoral Beach is like Sydney's own version of a Greek Island oasis? No? Well, settle in at one of Kazzi Beach Greek's outdoor tables, order a bunch of mezze plates to share and enjoy the fresh harbour breeze — you may just be convinced. Inspired by the Greek island of Kastellorizo, this beachside eatery serves up classic Hellenic-style dishes from brekkie to dinner. We're talking haloumi drizzled with cardamom-infused honey, prawns saganaki, souvlaki wraps and spit-roasted meats. Inside, the restaurant has that classic Mediterranean look and feel — think white walls, tables and chairs with pops of cobalt blue to accessorise. It also offers takeaway if you really want to pretend you're living the Greek Island dream and eat it on the beach.
By this point in 2020, you probably feel like you've spent most of your year at home — and either watching or cooking something while you've been there. Thanks to both country-wide stay-at-home requirements and city-specific lockdowns, that's how the past six months have played out. And, as a result, you likely feel as if you've seen every cooking show and made every recipe there is, too. Enter Raph's Mean Cuisine, the YouTube culinary series hosted by Melbourne restaurateur Raph Rashid, who the city's residents will know from Beatbox Kitchen, All Day Donuts and Juanita Peaches. In bite-sized episodes clocking in at under 12 minutes, the show adopts a very nostalgic approach to helping you up your kitchen game — because if there's one thing we're all experiencing this year, it's a yearning for a time before the pandemic. Specifically, Rashid is focusing on 80s cooking classics, with each instalment of his seven-part first season showcasing a dish that's bound to bring back memories. They're simple, easy recipes, too, which you'll be able to recreate at home without any trouble. As Rashid explains, "I just wanted to inspire people to cook in real kitchens, in sharehouses. And I just love cooking with friends. It's kinda what life's all about". Accordingly, he teams up with a different guest in each episode, and together they whip up the cuisine in the spotlight in Rashid's home kitchen. And, as well as recipes, every episode includes tips and hacks as well. On the menu: apricot chicken made with sommelier Matt Skinner, chow mein made with artist Esther Olsson's help and curried sausages with assistance from 1800-Lasagne's Joey Kellock. Six episodes are available at present, also covering Mars bar slice, chicken kievs and tacos, as cooked with florist Hattie Molloy, chef Mike Hoyle and artist Nadia Hernandez. Fancy trying your hand at a lamb roast as well? In the show's finale, that's on offer. Dropping at 6pm on Tuesday, September 8, it'll see Rashid join forces with pro skater Nick Boserio and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Creative Director Pat Nourse to revive an 80s (and Sunday) staple. Check out Raph's Mean Cuisine's first episode, focusing on apricot chicken, below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVHsUwQAlhk The first six episodes of Raph's Mean Cuisine are available to view on YouTube, with the seventh — the season finale — dropping at 6pm on Tuesday, September 8.
It's the little things that make the difference. And no one knows it better than The Little Guy, the most recent watering hole to join the Glebe Point road strip. Boysenberry cider, (free!) popcorn, a homely upstairs lounge-room and a 16-strong beer list are just some of the things that make this place stand out from the ever-expanding universe of small bars. The insanely friendly owners Anna and Dynn – formerly of The Clock in Surry and World Bar in the Cross - have somehow managed to retain their love for bar-goers, welcoming every patron through the door as if they were a best bud. They even admitted that the inspiration for the venue's name came from a drunken night out in Melbourne (a 'research trip'), which makes this joint all the more likeable. The beer selection is pretty astounding, featuring mostly local, lesser-known brews like Port Mac's 'Wicked Elf' and 'The Hangman' pale ale from Sydney. The wine list too stays largely within Oz, but features the odd Albarino from Spain and Nero D'Avola from Italy. The Old Mout Boysenberry Cider ($9) is tart and refreshing, and is worth a try if you can get past the fact it looks like pink lemonade. Byron Bay's Stone & Wood Pacific Ale ($8) is very light and approachable but if you're after something a little more robust, hand your car keys over to the bartender and go for the 2-in-1 Sierra Nevada (8.5%). Their short and sweet cocktail list is also worth a gander. The Passion of Ryest ($14) makes for a perfectly balanced rye whisky sour with fresh passionfruit, rounded off with Wild Turkey American Honey. The eats list is brief, but sophisticated and well-crafted. Cheeses, dips, cured meats and seafood (courtesy of Australia On APlate) come separately ($8) or together on a tasting board ($20). The Black Peppercorn Pâté, coupled with Jamon Serrano and pungent Woodside Edith Ashed Goats Cheese (warning: it's a pash-killer) is top-notch. The Little Guy has only a small team of staff, so to get the most out of your visit head down early evening and nab yourself a spot up at the bar. Otherwise you'll be competing with a heaving Friday night crowd. It'll be exciting to see this Little Guy grow over the coming year. Dedicated to supporting local sellers, it's run by the little guys, for the little guys, and it's setting the standard for the rest of the small bars in the inner west. Put this one on your to-do list for 2012.
Auckland is a city built on stories. Some are told in theatres that once hosted Bette Davis and Bob Dylan. Some on the slopes of former volcanoes. The rest, you'll have to find for yourself in the city's cobbled streets and galleries. Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland's) charm blooms beyond the tourist stops. Past the Sky Tower and steeple of St Patrick's Cathedral, you'll spot an unassuming vintage facade. Here, at 53 St Patrick's Square, The Motor House forms the foundation of Hotel Indigo Auckland. Once a showroom for Cadillacs and motorcycles, it now acts as your key to the city. Inside midtown's tallest building, warm wood panels, Māori art, and leather touches make an unexpected home out of the building's industrial bones. [caption id="attachment_1037197" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] But the best part? The hotel's position puts you at the heart of the city. Here, your neighbours are indie bookstores, laneway bars and suburban swimming spots. Here's how to plan a weekend getting lost in the hills, islands and laneways of Tāmaki Makaurau. [caption id="attachment_1037201" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Maungakiekie[/caption] Wide Open Spaces Auckland was built around the valleys and ridgelines of 53 ancient volcanoes. You can see it in the sprawling, green knolls of Maungakiekie. Also known as One Tree Hill. These Teletubbyland-esque hills act as Auckland's best viewing platform. Back in the city's heart, find Khartoum Place. Shady trees and a fountain's trickle make it a pocket of calm that locals retreat to. Check out the tile artwork in honour of the Women's Suffrage Movement in New Zealand and have a break to caffeinate. Take a short stroll and you'll find yourself at the wharf. Catch a ferry 40 minutes off the coast and you'll land a world away on Waiheke Island. Sundrenched vineyards, shaded olive groves and your footprints on white sand beaches await. Or, dive right into the harbour at the Karanga Plaza Tidal Steps: a totally free swimming area on the shores of the city. Take Notes on the Culture Follow any street in Auckland, and you'll find yourself at a crossroads of culture. Here, Māori culture threads through so much of the city, linking with European history in the wharves, cafes and museums. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is home to the world's largest collection of New Zealand art. Enter through majestic kauri tree columns to spend a day working through four levels of exhibitions. Plan your visit to Aotearoa in November, and you'll catch the Elam School of Fine Arts annual graduate show. Take a stroll through midtown and you'll find a slew of independent bookshops like Unity Books, Time Out Bookstore, and Hard To Find Books. Read local stories spun into poems or get lost in the whodunnits of local crime author legend Ngaio Marsh. [caption id="attachment_1039738" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] Dine Like the Locals Vulcan Lane was once an unnamed and muddy track. Today, it's a meeting point of some of Auckland's best bars, cafes, restaurants and boutique shopping. The Queensferry Hotel was one of the first to move in over 200 years ago. It's Auckland's oldest pub, but its menu is modern and best enjoyed al fresco while people-watching. Each Thursday, the laneway comes alive with free jazz performances from local music schools and seasoned pros. Follow the warm cathedral light down St Patrick's Square and you'll find Bistro Saine. Here, beyond the art-filled lobby of Hotel Indigo, you'll find this modern take on the classic European bistro is a destination in its own right. Leather banquette seating, antique tableware and perfectly cooked steak makes it easily to forget you're not in Paris. [caption id="attachment_1037203" align="alignleft" width="1920"] The Civic Theatre[/caption] Read the Stars The 1930s were Auckland's golden age. Theatres, cinemas and music halls were soundtracked by Māori soprano Ana Hato and The Beatles. Legendary spots like Everybody's, The Roxy, and Peter Pan Cabaret may be gone, but their legends live on in the feel of the streets. The Civic Theatre is perhaps the magnum opus of Auckland's golden age. Inside, giant, golden elephants and carvings of Buddha line the walls alongside gaudy chandeliers. Above it all—for no reason other than opulence—is a replica of the Auckland night sky at 10pm on Saturday, April 20, 1929. Bette Davis, The Rolling Stones, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, and even the Dalai Lama have visited. Nowadays, you can catch a musical or comedy show there. [caption id="attachment_1037204" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] The Perfect Base When your step count is nearing new heights, Hotel Indigo Auckland makes for the perfect place to rest your tired feet. The hotel's historic home, The Motor House, plays the role of muse. In each corner, you'll find nods to the past. From the scaffold-inspired wardrobes and vintage fixtures to the factory facade still bearing the names of its former owners, you can feel the stories of Auckland past in each inch of the hotel. Step out from the lobby and you'll be met with a view of the Sky Tower and Auckland at your feet. Want to stay in the thick of it? Find out more about Hotel Indigo Auckland here. Lead image: Hotel Indigo Auckland
He made movies that no one else could've. He changed what the world, viewers and fellow filmmakers alike, thought was possible in cinematic storytelling. The greatest television show ever created sits on his resume, a label that would've applied even if it had only received a two-season run in the 90s, but was proven all-the-more accurate when he revisited it two and a half decades later to gift audiences an unforgettable 18-episode achievement. There has never been an artist like David Lynch, and won't be again. Anyone who has had the chance to explore his paintings, drawings and sculptures, too — which made a spectacular Australian showing at a dedicated exhibition at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art in 2015, with the man himself in attendance — can't shake them from their mind. Movies, TV, acting, animation, art, music, books, furniture, photography, advertising, music videos, transcendental meditation, comic strips, coffee, weather reports, cooking quinoa, gravity-defying hair: before his death on January 15, 2025, Lynch made an impact upon all of them. "He was in touch with something the rest of us wish we could get to," shared Kyle MacLachlan, Lynch's Special Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks, Paul Atreides in 1984's Dune and Jeffrey Beaumont in Blue Velvet. "David was in tune with the universe and his own imagination on a level that seemed to be the best version of human," he continued. "Every moment together felt charged with a presence I've rarely seen or known. Probably because, yes, he seemed to live in an altered world, one that I feel beyond lucky to have been a small part of. And David invited all to glimpse into that world through his exquisite storytelling, which elevated cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers across the globe," said his Mulholland Drive lead Naomi Watts. For Wild at Heart's Nicolas Cage, Lynch "was a singular genius in cinema, one of the greatest artists of this or any time," he told Deadline. "He was brave, brilliant and a maverick with a joyful sense of humour. I never had more fun on a film set than working with David Lynch. He will always be solid gold." "The world is going to miss such an original and unique voice. His films have already stood the test of time and they always will," noted Steven Spielberg, who gave Lynch one of his last role sas an actor, casting his fellow helmer as another Hollywood great, John Ford, in the autobiographical The Fabelmans. For another filmmaking icon adoring a filmmaking icon, Martin Scorsese also provided his ode in a statement: "I hear and read the word 'visionary' a lot these days — it's become a kind of catch-all description, another piece of promotional language. But David Lynch really was a visionary — in fact, the word could have been invented to describe the man and the films, the series, the images and the sounds he left behind. He created forms that seemed like they were right on the edge of falling apart but somehow never did. He put images on the screen unlike anything that I or anybody else had ever seen — he made everything strange, uncanny, revelatory and new. And he was absolutely uncompromising, from start to finish." When Lynch committed his journey to paper with 2018's must-read Room to Dream, the talent that crafted the most-stunning debut feature there is with Eraserhead, earned a Best Director Oscar nomination for his second film The Elephant Man (and later for Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive), and has nine Emmy nods to his name for the first and third seasons of Twin Peaks, couldn't have chosen a better moniker for his memoir. When Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me advises that "we live inside a dream", it also couldn't have felt more apt. To watch Lynch's work is to fall into his dreams — surrealist visions filled with clashes and contrasts, such as his career-long fascination with the sublime and the terrifying sides of suburbia and domesticity — then be inspired to have your own, whichever places both wonderful and strange that they might take you. [caption id="attachment_987090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Tenner/SHOWTIME[/caption] For Lynch, where his output transports fans to has always been personal, including to them. Famously, he eschewed explanations, letting his creations speak for themselves, and giving everyone watching, viewing, listening and appreciating the room to draw their own interpretations. "It's the ideas that come. And many of the ideas that come are conjured by our world. And we all know that there's many mysteries. I always say that human beings are like detectives: we want to know what's going on and what the truth of a thing is, and we see our world, we feel it, we feel there's things going on," he said to David Stratton at a public in-conversation event during his trip to Brisbane. "I always say that the filmmaker has to understand the thing for himself or herself. But when things get abstract, or a little bit abstract, there's room for many interpretations, and each person should be able to make up his or her mind to feel what the things mean." To pay tribute to Lynch, damn fine cherry pie should be on the menu. So should a damn fine lineup of viewing, because there's no better way to honour a filmmaker like no other than to relish his on-screen dreams. When his family announced his passing at the age of 78, they noted that he'd remind everyone to "keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole". Take that advice by enjoying everything that's available to stream right now — and Lynch's version of a small-town-set TV murder-mystery, its big-screen prequel, a documentary about him, several acting roles and a monkey interrogation are just the beginning. (Sadly, Eraserhead, The Straight Story and Inland Empire aren't available at the time of writing, but they'd be on the list otherwise.) The Elephant Man David Lynch has never been shy about how unlikely it was for the director of Eraserhead to score a job making a Victorian era-set period drama in England with John Hurt (Jackie), Anne Bancroft (Keeping the Faith), John Gielgud (Elizabeth) and Anthony Hopkins (Those About to Die) — or how he thought that once Mel Brooks (Only Murders in the Building), who executive produced the film, saw his debut feature that he wouldn't get the gig. Thankfully Brooks was wowed, and so cinema gained an affecting movie from Lynch that's restrained compared to much of his other output, but also deeply compassionate and unflinching. With Hurt astonishing as its lead, the eight-time Oscar-nominated The Elephant Man tells of the IRL life of Joseph Merrick, whose physical deformities saw the movie's moniker slung his way. The Elephant Man streams via iTunes and Prime Video. Dune Before Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) became cinema's ultimate spice boy — Paul Atreides, as he plays in 2021's Dune and 2024's Dune: Part Two for Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) — Kyle MacLachlan (Blink Twice) walked without rhythm first, in his debut collaboration with David Lynch. The latter disowned his adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel, his third feature, his only attempt at a blockbuster and a movie that wasn't met warmly when it released in the mid-80s; however, there's no mistaking the visual ambition that the director attempts to bring to the page-to-screen space opera. Everyone knows the film's narrative due to the two Chalamet-starring flicks, but those versions didn't also star Sting (playing Feyd-Rautha before The Bikeriders' Austin Butler) or Patrick Stewart (as Gurney before Outer Range's Josh Brolin). Dune streams via Netflix and Stan. Blue Velvet What lurks behind seeming perfection is a lifetime-long on-screen obsession for David Lynch, beginning with parenthood in Eraserhead and applying to white picket-fence life in every iteration of Twin Peaks, plus Blue Velvet. Returning home to Lumberton, North Carolina from college, Kyle MacLachlan's Jeffrey Beaumont is soon drawn into the nightmare lived by lounge singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini, Conclave) at the hands of gangster Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper, Crash) — all after he finds a severed human ear in a field near his house. The film's exploration of darkness lingering within also applies to its protagonist, with MacLachlan stellar in a movie that also marks Lynch's first collaboration with Laura Dern (Lonely Planet), features a haunting performance by Hopper and ensures that you'll never hear Roy Orbison the same way again. Blue Velvet streams via iTunes. Twin Peaks It's the mind-bending small-town mystery-drama that comes with its own menu — and with plenty of thrills, laughs and weirdness. Whether you're watching Twin Peaks for the first or 131st time, you'll want to do so with plenty of damn fine coffee, fresh-made cherry pie and cinnamon-covered doughnuts to fuel your journey. David Lynch and Mark Frost's seminal TV series doesn't just serve up 90s-era oddness with backwards talk, log-carrying ladies, couch-jumping monsters and fish in percolators, as centred around the murder of high-schooler Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee, Limetown), though. It returned for an astonishing third season in 2017 as well that's the finest thing to reach the small screen in the 21st century. There's never been anything on television like Twin Peaks. No one can play a kind and quirky FBI boss like Lynch either, or a dedicated agent like Kyle MacLachlan as Dale Cooper. Twin Peaks streams via Paramount+. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a prequel to Twin Peaks, as well as the exceptional TV show's leap to cinemas. The film is also a masterpiece in tragedy, and the same in empathy. Before she's "dead, wrapped in plastic" in the program's debut instalment, David Lynch truly sees Laura Palmer and everything that she goes through. Set in the lead-up to her demise, the flick burrows deep into the menacing forces at play. It's a movie of sheer dread, even though viewers know what's going to happen. As only he can, Lynch steeps every frame in the brutal pain, terror and suffering of his doomed protagonist, ensuring that his audience walk in her shoes, feel what she's going through and see how ravenously that the world tears into her, all while baking in his adored surrealist touches. He also works David Bowie into the Twin Peaks cast, magnificently so. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me streams via YouTube Movies. Wild at Heart David Lynch directing Nicolas Cage: of course it had to happen, and thankfully did. That's one helluva filmmaker-actor combination — and when the unrivalled helmer had the incomparable star in front of his lens, the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival came his way. The movie that Lynch made between Twin Peaks' initial run and the series' big-screen prequel Fire Walk with Me, it features one of Cage's greatest performances. Cage playing one half of a couple on the run (opposite Laura Dern), singing Elvis tunes like he was born to and navigating a Lynchian crime-romance flick truly is what dreams are made of. Adapting the 1990 novel of the same name — by author Barry Gifford, who went on to co-write Lost Highway with Lynch — Wild at Heart is also as distinctive as crime road movies get. Wild at Heart streams via iTunes and Prime Video. Lost Highway It's thanks to Lost Highway that Nine Inch Nails' 'The Perfect Drug' exists; before he was composing Oscar-winning The Social Network and Golden Globe-winning Challengers scores, Trent Reznor also produced this 1997 film's soundtrack for David Lynch. Tunes by NIN, David Bowie, The Smashing Pumpkins and Lou Reed are just one of movie's highlights, however. Initially with Bill Pullman (Murdaugh Murders: The Movie) as a saxophonist, then with Balthazar Getty (Megalopolis) playing an auto mechanic — and with Patricia Arquette (Severance) acting opposite each, featuring in both of the flick's two parts — Lost Highway embraces its sinister tone from the get-go, with its guiding force strapping in for an eerie and audacious ride filled with mysterious VHS tapes, murder convictions and sudden swaps, and refusing to pump the brakes for a moment. Lost Highway streams via Stan. Mulholland Drive In dreams, Mulholland Drive lingers. In reality, the Los Angeles-set masterpiece has as well since 2001. Although the term naturally applies to his entire filmography, movies don't get much more Lynchian than this shimmering neo-noir and tribute to Tinseltown that started as a TV project, and stars Naomi Watts (Feud) as eager aspiring actor Betty Elms and struggling thespian Diane Selwyn. One is fresh from Deep River, Ontario and chasing her dreams. The other no longer has stars in her eyes. Reflections and doppelgängers, fantasies and alternate realities, accidents and surprises, hopes and failures, how Hollywood demands reinvention, the roles that people play for and without the cameras: they're all part of a mesmerising picture (as are Father of the Bride's Laura Harring and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice's Justin Theroux among the cast). Mulholland Drive streams via Binge, Stan and ABC iView. Duran Duran: Unstaged Inland Empire will always be David Lynch's last narrative feature, but it wasn't his last full-length film. Five years after the movie that he wanted Laura Dern to win an Oscar for so badly that he took to Sunset Boulevard with a cow by his side, he helmed Duran Duran: Unstaged. Before making his one and only concert flick, he'd directed music videos for Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game' and Moby's 'Shot in the Back of the Head', among others. Afterwards, he'd do the same on Nine Inch Nails' 'Came Back Haunted' and several of his own tunes with Chrystabell, too. But just once, for two hours, he brought an entire live gig to the screen — as shot in Los Angeles on the British band's The All You Need Is Now tour, complete with 'Hungry Like the Wolf', 'Girls on Film', 'Notorious', 'Rio', 'A View to a Kill', 'Come Undone', 'Planet Earth', 'Ordinary World' and more on the setlist. Duran Duran: Unstaged streams via Docplay David Lynch: The Art Life Even when a David Lynch-directed project is diving into nightmares, which is often, the filmmaker's movies and TV shows get audiences yearning to spend time in their company, lapping up his unequalled vision of the world. That's the reason that documentary Lynch/Oz, about his obsession with The Wizard of Oz in his work, exists. Watch doco David Lynch: The Art Life and viewers can spend time in Lynch's company as well. For helmers Rick Barnes, Olivia Neergaard-Holm and Jon Nguyen — all directing their only feature so far — Lynch takes everyone on a tour of his upbringing, efforts to make Eraserhead in the 70s, and artistic and musical output. Of course, don't expect any answers. Again, Lynch wants to let his work speak for itself, rather than him speak about it. But do expect to spend an enjoyable time with the unparalleled master auteur. David Lynch: The Art Life streams via Docplay. What Did Jack Do? In a dimly lit room in a grimy train station, a capuchin monkey sits at a table. In walks a detective, who then starts smoking a cigarette and interrogating the animal in front of him. They chat, bantering back and forth as the cop asks questions and the primate answers. At one point, the monkey even sings. Queries range from "do you know anything about birds?" to "you ever ride the rodeo?", all in a quest to solve a murder. A chicken also pops up, and a waitress. If the above scenario sounds more than a little surreal, that's because it is — especially given that it's part of David Lynch's 17-minute short film What Did Jack Do?. The black-and-white piece also stars the inimitable Lynch as the detective. It's a unique, delightful and characteristically eccentric work by one of the most distinctive folks to ever stand behind a camera. What Did Jack Do? streams via Netflix. Lucky Six times throughout their careers, David Lynch directed Harry Dean Stanton. In the year that delivered their last collaboration in one of Lynch's projects — the third season of Twin Peaks, which followed Wild at Heart, miniseries Hotel Room, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, The Straight Story and Inland Empire — and sadly saw Stanton pass away at the age of 91 after 200-plus acting credits, they teamed up as fellow performers in the delightful Lucky. In the directorial debut of actor John Carroll Lynch (Babes), the veterans are thrust to the fore as Stanton plays a 90-year-old small-town loner who is forced to face his mortality. The landscape of his face pairs perfectly with the arid dessert surroundings, while his specific brand of cantankerous charm finds its match in Lynch as his monologue-spouting, tortoise-loving pal. Lucky streams via Brollie. Read our full review. The Fabelmans With The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg pays tribute to cinema in as many ways as he can fit into a single feature, all while relaying how he grew up as a movie-loving kid — and sharing the affection with his family, too, as he explores the complicated dynamics that shaped his childhood. The director behind everything from Jaws and Indiana Jones to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park and West Side Story also tips his hat to two other filmmaking forces in his coming-of-age affair: four-time Best Director Oscar-winner John Ford, who Spielberg met when he was starting out, and David Lynch. The latter fellow helmer plays the former, in an inspired stroke of casting. Although any acting performance by Lynch is a treat, this one, as he makes a point about interesting filmmaking using the horizon to Gabriel LaBelle (Saturday Night) as Spielberg's surrogate, couldn't be more perfect. The Fabelmans streams via Netflix and ABC iView. Read our full review.
Now that summer is almost here — and daylight savings has kicked in — it's getting lighter and lighter ever day. Luckily, there are lots of venues where you can lap up this sunshine as soon as you clock off work. One of them is this new pop-up spritz bar. Located on the lush terrace of CBD restaurant Bopp & Tone, the Lillet Cocktail Bar is open from Thursday, November 21 through to Friday, December 20. And it's serving up three very summery spritzes: the classic Lillet spritz with strawberry, cucumber, mint and Lillet Blanc (an aperitif made from a blend of Bordeaux wines and fruit); the Rouge and Soda, made with Lillet Rouge; and the Ginger Rose, which combines lemon myrtle, Lillet Rosé and ginger beer by PS40. These fizzy drinks will set you back $16 most of the time, but if you head to the Carrington Street spot from 4–6pm on weekdays, you'll get them for $14. Images: Guy Davies
Two excellent TV comedies about show business hardly makes a trend, let alone heralds a golden age, but it's currently a fantastic time for smart, astute and extremely funny series about standing behind microphones. In 2021, Girls5eva and Hacks premiered in America within a week of each other, deservedly winning fans immediately. In 2022, they've both returned for their second seasons in the US and Down Under (via Stan and TVNZ On Demand) with the same timing. Accordingly, if you only want to watch shows about talented ladies chasing their starry dreams right now, that's firmly on the cards. If you're keen to dive deep into what makes something funny — how comedy evolves, shifts and swings; the differences between easy and well-earned laughs; the courage it takes to truly lay yourself bare during a standup set; and how comedy is received when it's coming from women rather than men, too — that's Hacks' remit. As the goofier and sillier but still wonderfully savvy Girls5eva does, it carves into the entertainment industry's treatment of women, and doesn't hold back from depicting the bleak reality. It's scathing, in fact. This Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner's specific target, though: the world of comedy. In season one, Hacks pushed Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) together. The former is a veteran comic with a long-running Las Vegas residency, while the twentysomething latter reluctantly took a job as Deborah's assistant after thinking she was going to make it big in Los Angeles, then getting herself into trouble via an ill-thought-out tweet. The end result could've been cliched from start to finish. The series does indeed focus on a chalk-and-cheese pair who don't get along, slowly discover that they have more in common than either will admit, and try to navigate the unwelcoming realm that is comedy for women with each other's help. But, crucially, that whole concept is the premise, not the joke. Hacks doesn't laugh at its mismatched, wittily spiky central duo, but at everything they're stuck facing. The series' first season quickly cemented itself as one of 2021's best new TV shows — one of two knockout newbies starring Jean Smart last year, thanks to the aforementioned Mare of Easttown — and it's just as ace the second time around. It's still searingly funny, nailing that often-elusive blend of insight, intelligence and hilarity. It retains its observational, wry tone, and remains devastatingly relatable even if you've never been a woman trying to make it in comedy. And it's happy to linger where it needs to to truly understand its characters, but never simply dwells in the same place as its last batch of episodes. Season two is literally about hitting the road, so covering fresh territory is baked into the story; however, Hacks' trio of key behind-the-scenes creatives aren't content to merely repeat themselves with a different backdrop. Those guiding hands — writer Jen Statsky (The Good Place), writer/director Lucia Aniello (Rough Night) and writer/director/co-star Paul W Downs (The Other Two) — started Hacks after helping to make Broad City a hit. Clearly, they all know a thing or two about moving on from the past. That's the decision both Deborah and Ava had to make themselves in season one, with the show's second season now charting the fallout. So, Deborah has farewelled her residency and the dependable gags that kept pulling in crowds, opting to test out new and far-more-personal material on a cross-country tour instead. Ava has accepted her role by Deborah's side, and is willing to see it as a valid career move rather than an embarrassing stopgap. That said, last year's episodes also left the series with a potential wrecking ball: an email Ava wrote about Deborah while drunk, high, and upset about being slapped and insulted. Penned in anger and filled with extremely personal details about the comedian, it was sent to LA producers who wanted to hire Ava to mine Deborah's life for a new show about an insufferable woman in power. That destructive stream of text isn't season two's entire focus, but it's also inescapable, as much as Ava wants it to just disappear — as does Jimmy (Downs), Ava and Deborah's shared manager. But Hacks has always been willing to see that actions have consequences, not only for an industry that repeatedly marginalises women, but for its imperfect leading ladies. The brilliantly biting Smart continues to turn in awards-worthy work in Hacks' second season, and Einbinder still wears Ava's entitled chaos like a second skin. But there's one added bonus: now Deborah and Ava are lived-in characters, rather than newcomers to audiences. It's a pleasure to see both actors dive deep into what makes their on-screen alter egos tick, clash and occasionally get along; indeed, many of season two's best moments explore the whirlwind that ensues when Deborah and Ava fight but still clearly care about each other. Also upping the ante: being stuck on a tour bus on the road, decked out with a luxe bedroom for Deborah but condensing Ava's bunk to the tiny space above the onboard tanning bed. There, with fellow assistant Damien (Mark Indelicato, With Love) and new tour manager Weed (Laurie Metcalf, The Dropout) in tow, everyone's feelings bubble and boil in the resulting pressure cooker. Those supporting players — Deborah's daughter DJ (Katlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), business manager Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Candyman) and personal blackjack dealer Kiki (Poppy Liu, The Afterparty) included, as well as Jimmy and his high-maintenance assistant Kayla (Megan Salter) — don't get as much time to shine this time, though. That's the one difficulty that Hacks' sophomore batch of episodes have, but it's also the best kind of problem. There's still so much depth to Deborah and Ava's stories and their dynamic, and so much to unpack about them separately, together and in the world of comedy, that pushing the spotlight elsewhere is always going to prove tricky. The only solution: renewing Hacks for a third season, and hopefully more beyond that. Check out the trailer for Hacks season two below: Hacks' second season starts streaming via Stan in Australia from Friday, May 13, beginning with two episodes, then dropping further instalments weekly — and on TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one. Images: Karen Ballard/HBO Max.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from October's haul. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH FROM START TO FINISH NOW BECKHAM Strike It Like Sam Kerr would make an excellent movie title. As fans of football and film alike already know, Bend It Like Beckham got there first 21 years ago, borrowing its moniker from David Beckham's uncanny knack for curling the ball when taking a free kick. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, LA Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain player — and England captain — now sees his name grace the screen again via Beckham, the instantly compelling four-part documentary about one of the biggest talents to ever play the world game. A birth-to-now chronicle, the series spins a fairytale that's all real and came true. David was once a quiet boy from a working-class family with a dad who loved soccer. He took to the sport with passion and dedication, and has since lived out any and every aspiring athlete's wildest fantasy. Director Fisher Stevens, who is recently best-known for acting in Succession, appreciates the dream ride that Beckham has experienced, but also sees the costs and tolls. Reflecting on that for him are several Beckhams, including the man himself, Spice Girl Victoria (who is adamant that she wasn't into football when she met David and still isn't now), and his doting parents Sandra and Ted. As countless YouTube complications have already captured, watching Beckham on the pitch at the height of his footballing powers is pure sporting joy — a fact that can be appreciated in the doco by soccer diehards and the unacquainted alike. Beckham shows off the skills, demonstrating how exceptional he was on the field and why the world responded. Witnessing that prowess is also key in understanding how everything from brand partnerships to global tours, famous teammates to disapproving team managers, and championships to tabloid harassment followed. Various Beckhams aren't the only folks chatting. Sir Alex Ferguson, Gary Neville, Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand are among the footballing names. Anna Wintour makes an appearance. But David and Victoria's observations, memories and insights — and relationship, in the 90s, since and now — are at this docuseries' core. Red cards, the World Cup, big moves, fan abuse and taunts, sacrifices and scandals, sarongs and hairstyles, the Beckhams' wedding, being peak 90s and pop-culture icons, changing clubs, owning clubs, family life: it all factors into this captivating and satisfying watch. Beckham streams via Netflix. THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER Of the many pies that Succession's Roy family had their fingers in, pharmaceuticals wasn't one of them. For virtually that, Mike Flanagan gives audiences The Fall of the House of Usher. The horror auteur's take on dynastic wealth gets a-fluttering through a world of decadence enabled by pushing pills legally, as six heirs to an addiction-laced kingdom vie to inherit a vast fortune. Flanagan hasn't given up his favourite genre for pure drama, however. The eponymous Usher offspring won't be enjoying the spoils of their father Roderick's (Bruce Greenwood, The Resident) business success, either, in this absorbing, visually ravishing and narratively riveting eight-parter. As the bulk of this tale is unfurled fireside, its patriarch tells federal prosecutor C Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly, SWAT) why his children (including Pet Sematary: Bloodlines' Henry Thomas, Minx's Samantha Sloyan, The Peripheral's T'Nia Miller, iZombie's Rahul Kohli, The Wrath of Becky's Kate Siegel and The Midnight Club's Sauriyan Sapkota) came to die within days of each other — and, with all the gory details, how. As with The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor before it, plus The Midnight Club as well, Flanagan's latest Netflix series finds its basis on the page. The author this time: Edgar Allan Poe, although The Fall of the House of Usher isn't a strict adaptation of the iconic author's 1840 short story of the same name, or just an adaptation, even as it bubbles with greed, violence and paranoia (plus death, loss, decay and the deceased haunting the livin)g. Character monikers, episode titles and other details spring from widely across Poe's bibliography. Cue ravens, black cats, masks, tell-tale hearts, pendulums and a Rue Morgue. What if the writer had penned Succession? That's one of Flanagan's questions — and what if he'd penned Dopesick and Painkiller, too? Hailing from the talent behind the exceptional Midnight Mass as well, plus movies Oculus, Hush, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep, the series that results is a gloriously creepy and involving modern gothic horror entry. The Fall of the House of Usher streams via Netflix. Read our full review. OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH First dropping anchor with its debut season in 2022, and finding a mooring among the best new series that the year had to offer, Our Flag Means Death's premise has always glinted as brightly as its impressive cast (not just Uproar's Rhys Darby and Thor: Love and Thunder's Taika Waititi, but also Bloods' Samson Kayo, Creation Stories' Ewen Bremner, Bank of Dave's Joel Fry, Game of Thrones' Kristian Nairn, Hello Tomorrow!'s Matthew Maher, Loot's Nat Faxon, The Sex Lives of College Girls' Vico Ortiz and The Batman's Con O'Neill for starters). It follows Darby as self-styled 'gentleman pirate' Stede Bonnet. Born to a life of privilege, he felt that seafaring and swashbuckling was his calling, leaving his life on land behind to hop on a ship — details that all spring from reality. Creator David Jenkins (People of Earth) isn't interested in telling the exact IRL tale, however. Consider those basics merely Our Flag Means Death's departure point. On-screen, Stede gets caught up in both a workplace comedy and a boatmance. The first springs from his certainty that there has to be a nicer way to glide through a pirate existence, and the second from his blossoming feelings for feared marauder Edward Teach (Waititi), aka Blackbeard. When season one wrapped up, Stede and Ed had found love in a buccaneering place, but also felt splashes of uncertainty about what their relationship means, leading to heartbreak and a breakup. Season two picks up with the show's motley crew of characters torn in two, with Stede and his loyal faction marooned on the island tourist destination that is The Republic of Pirates — fantasy is as much a part of Our Flag Means Death as comedy and romance — and Blackbeard back to his robbing and murdering ways on The Revenge. The series' attracted opposites will find their way onto the same deck again, but choppy waters are in store for their emotions, as well as ample bobbing up and down, ebbing and flowing, floating and sinking, and everything else that the ocean brings to mind. Similarly splashing their way: rivalries, curses, old pals, new foes, betrayals, forgiveness, glorious silliness, trauma, lopped limbs and a merman (plus Madeleine Sami from Deadloch among the show's new faces). Our Flag Means Death streams via Binge. Read our full review. LUPIN Forget Emily in Paris — the best Netflix series set in the French capital focuses on a light-fingered smooth mover who is as adept at stealing hearts as he is at pilfering jewels and art. The streaming service's Lupin isn't the first screen outing based on the Maurice Leblanc-penned master of disguise, with the author's famous character first popping up on the big screen over a century ago, then appearing in both movies and TV not just in his homeland but also in the US and Japan since. Centred on a gentleman thief who takes his cues from the fictional figure, however, Netflix's take on all things Arsène Lupin is equally creative, riveting, twisty and entertaining. With the charismatic Omar Sy (Jurassic World Dominion) as its lead, it also couldn't be better cast — as viewers initially discovered in January 2021, when Sy's Arsène superfan Assane Diop started showing off his larceny skills in the series' instantly engaging five-episode first part. The angle proved savvy. The central casting is sparkling. Creators George Kay (who has since made the Idris Elba-led Hijack) and François Uzan (Family Business) perfected the rollicking vibe. And, director Louis Leterrier (Fast X) turned in some of his best work helming the debut three instalments. It's no wonder that the show became the most-watched series in a language other than English on Netflix at the pre-Squid Game time. A second five-chapter part arrived in June the same year, but audiences have had to wait until now for a third. Now streaming its seven new entries, Lupin's third part dazzles again. As its central figure tries to protect his family while the world thinks that he's dead, crime capers don't much more charming — and bingeable — than this page-to-screen heist affair. Leblanc introduced the world to Lupin in short stories in 1905, with 17 novels and 39 novellas following. In some, Herlock Sholmes pops up — and yes, the reference to Arthur Conan Doyle's detective is clearly on purpose. Although Sherlock Holmes isn't quite Arsène Lupin's English equivalent, the two characters give readers and viewers alike the same thrills. If spending time with smart figures with silky skills in can't-put-down and can't-look-away mysteries is what you're after, both deliver. Netflix's Lupin gives the French favourite a modern-day Sherlock-esque spin, but with another pivot to put the suave Senegal-born Diop and his various quests in the spotlight. Lupin streams via Netflix. Read our full review. HOT POTATO: THE STORY OF THE WIGGLES Get ready to wiggle: Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt have ensured that Australia has been in that exact state for so long. It was more than three decades back when the university classmates, all studying early childhood education, decided to combine their area of interest with music — not for fame, which has come and then some since, but to put what they were learning into action while engaging and teaching kids. If your childhood spanned Australia in the 90s onwards, or you've ever spent time parenting or babysitting someone who fits into that category, then you know the end result. Indeed, folks in most parts of the world do, too. The Wiggles haven't gone wrong since those early and humble beginnings. Only Field, aka the Blue Wiggle, remains part of the skivvy-loving group's current main iteration, but such is The Wiggles' beloved status that all four can and do fill arenas filled with adults on OG Wiggles tours. Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles charts the why, what and how about the Aussie troupe, who've also won Triple J's Hottest 100, appeared at Mardi Gras and performed at Falls Festival in just the last couple of years. Comprised of archival clips and recent interviews — all lively and colourful — plus earworm-level kids tunes that everyone knows no matter if you've ever actively watched or listened to The Wiggles, Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles hits the screen from a filmmaker that's no stranger to exploring the stories behind pivotal figures. Also on Sally Aitken's resume: Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks and David Stratton: A Cinematic Life, although neither had such a penchant for bright primary hues. This is a tale of a great idea and the hard work that made it a success, of friendship and being able to do what you love, of creative genius and lucky breaks, and of both finding and spreading joy. It's an account about big red cars, pirates with feathers for swords and dinosaurs called Dorothy as well, of course, and of teaching approaches and learnings, sacrifices made, health tolls weathered, a band becoming a show, and a group ensuring that it wasn't just entertaining Australia and beyond — it was representing its audience, too. Unsurprisingly, Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles is both enlightening and likeable; so, classic The Wiggles, then. Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles streams via Prime Video. ONEFOUR: AGAINST ALL ODDS Members of ONEFOUR happily chat through their lives and music careers in ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, with first-time feature filmmaker Gabriel Gasparinatos regularly putting brothers J Emz and YP, plus their friend Spenny, centre screen to tell their story in their own words. As the trio talk, they're never anything less than candid and impassioned about their childhoods growing up in Mount Druitt in Sydney's western suburbs, the lack of opportunities available to the Pacific Islander community, being openly told as teens that they'd end up in jail, when paths and choices made those harsh words come true, and the reason that they're famous: their tunes. But everyone involved in this film, and those watching as well, must wish that this was a different movie — not due to anything about how the doco itself is made or plays, but because of the grim reality that it charts. If only this wasn't an account of friends who found not only something they loved but a new way forward in drill rap, which they turned into viral success and more, only to be constantly harassed by a New South Wales police squad that usually targets organised crime, terrorism and bikie gangs. Sharing J Emz, YP and Spenny's dismay comes easily while viewing ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, which takes a thorough ride through the group's origins, career and run-ins with the law. Feeling enraged at the police attempt to censor art — shutting down gigs in NSW and around the country; also thwarting international touring plans; and constantly making their presence known to ONEFOUR's talents, their families and their community — because they claim that the band's tracks will incite violence is just as inescapable. Gasparinatos interviews law enforcement representatives on-camera, and their words don't and can't justify the shocking treatment that ONEFOUR has received and keeps receiving as singles such as 'What You Know', 'The Message', 'Home and Away' and The Kid LAROI collaboration 'My City' have struck a chord with listeners locally, nationwide and internationally over the past six years. This plight isn't over, either; in fact, when ONEFOUR: Against All Odds premiered at SXSW Sydney, the heavy representation from the thin blue line didn't go unnoticed or unreported. The film chronicles the group's highlights, such as earning recognition, starting dance crazes, one-man gigs, a stadium The Kid LAROI show and the band's resilience, while always conveying how true the doco's title rings. ONEFOUR: Against All Odds streams via Netflix. THE PIGEON TUNNEL What happens when one of the world's great documentarians, and a master at the talking-head format, turns his lens toward one of the best authors of espionage intrigue that's ever graced the page? The engrossing The Pigeon Tunnel, Errol Morris' (an Oscar-winner for The Fog of War) exploration of John le Carré's life and work. Of course, the latter's tales haven't just spilled through books, but onto screens themselves long before he was a doco subject — and his IRL exploits are as fascinating as anything ever captured in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Constant Gardener, A Most Wanted Man, Our Kind of Traitor, The Night Manager and The Little Drummer Girl. How did the man born David Cornwell, who was in his 80s when he sat with Morris for a frank interview before his passing in December 2020, become the go-to for cloak-and-dagger affairs? And what kind of rollercoaster of an existence inspired such narratives? le Carré aka Cornwell explains all here — from his dad's shady schemes, his mother leaving and his time as a teacher through to working for MI5 and MI6, and becoming a novelist. The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories From My Life precedes this film, hitting bookstores in 2016 as the only full-length non-fiction text to le Carré's name. Whether you've read that or not, devoured one or some or none of his spy tales, done the same with the movie adaptations or are coming to the author anew here with just slight recognition drawing you in, The Pigeon Tunnel is gripping as a documentary. A gifted storyteller on the page, the movie's central figure is just as talented when he's in front of the camera — often framed askew, in a feature that tellingly takes the aesthetics of le Carré's favourite genre to heart. Morris and his adept regular editor Steven Hathaway also splice in examples from the author's pen, given there's such a large amount to choose from, which isn't merely a case of illustrating the impact of his work. Indeed, The Pigeon Tunnel knows that the lines between fact and fiction are faint, including when surveying, probing and interrogating decades in the eventful life of someone who spent more than one job spinning complicated webs. The Pigeon Tunnel streams via Apple TV+. TOTALLY KILLER Kiernan Shipka has long said goodbye to Mad Men's Sally Draper, including by starring in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. After her dalliance with witchcraft, she's still sticking with horror in Totally Killer, but in a mix of slasher tropes and a Back to the Future-borrowing premise. There's a body count and a time machine — and 80s fashions aplenty, because where else does a 2023 movie head to when it's venturing into the past? Also present and accounted for: a tale about a high schooler living in a small town cursed by a past serial killer, which brings some Halloween and Scream nods, plus Mean Girls and Heathers-esque teen savagery. And, yes, John Hughes flicks also get some love, complete with shoutouts to Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink star Molly Ringwald. Totally Killer doesn't skimp on knowingly and winkingly mashing up its many influences, clearly, or on enjoying itself while doing so. The end result is a heap of fun, as hailing from Always Be My Maybe's Nahnatchka Khan behind the lens, along with screenwriters David Matalon (The Clearing), Sasha Perl-Raver (Let's Get Married) and Jen D'Angelo (Hocus Pocus 2). Shipka plays Vernon resident Jamie Hughes, who has spent her whole life being told to be careful about everything by her overprotective parents Pam (Julie Bowen, Modern Family) and Blake (Lochlyn Munro, Creepshow) after an October turned deadly back when they were her age. Unsurprisingly, she isn't happy about it. The reason for their caution: in 1987, three 16-year-old girls were murdered in the lead up to Halloween, with the culprit badged the Sweet 16 Killer — and infamy ensuing for Jamie's otherwise ordinary hometown. Pam is still obsessed with finding the murderer decades later, but her daughter only gets involved after a new tragedy. This Jason Blum (The Exorcist: Believer)-produced flick then needs to conjure up a blast in the past to try to fix what happened then to stop the new deaths from occurring. Always knowing that it's a comedy as much as a slasher film (as seen in its bright hues, heard in its snappy dialogue and conveyed in its committed performances), Totally Killer leans into everything about its Frankenstein's monster-style assemblage of pieces, bringing its setup to entertaining life. Totally Killer streams via Prime Video. THE BURIAL Find the right story, enlist an ace cast, and any genre can thoroughly entertain and engage while ticking recognisable boxes — and legal drama The Burial is one such hearty example. The true tale: Mississippi resident Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe's mid-90s David-versus-Goliath battle against businessman Raymond Loewen, with their respective funeral operations at the centre, and also lawyer Willie E Gary representing O'Keefe's side when it went to court. The stars: Tommy Lee Jones (The Comeback Trail) as the 75-year-old grandfather who is having government troubles over the insurance side of his company, and wants to secure a future for his sizeable family (including 13 children); ever-busy and reliable character actor Bill Camp (Boston Strangler) as a cashed-up promised buyer of three funeral homes to add to his North American deathcare empire; and Jamie Foxx (Strays) as the smooth-talking, jury-whispering, private jet-owning Florida-based personal injury lawyer who is convinced by the just-graduated Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie, Elemental) to give a case he normally wouldn't think twice about a go. After writing and helming 2017's Novitiate, filmmaker Maggie Betts takes on both gigs again — co-scripting with Doug Wright (Quills), who also came up with the story that's based on a New Yorker article — on a film that doesn't only step through cracking courtroom antics, but is cleverly funny, too. The details are rousing, as well as infuriating, with Loewen reneging on an agreement with O'Keefe, the latter suing the former with Gary's help, and predatory practices regarding race and economic status becoming plain. After jumping from sci-fi/horror with They Cloned Tyrone to raucous comedy with Strays and now this, Foxx is giddily excellent playing a character that could've been all style and no substance, even as someone who exists IRL, but proves flashy yet genuine. His rapport with Jones, as cemented by the music off late-80s/early-90s R&B act Tony! Toni! Toné!, also shines. And although John Grisham could've penned the ins and outs if it was all fiction, this is still a smart and involving movie, and an easy crowd-pleaser. The Burial streams via Prime Video. NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK LOKI One of the best performances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes from the man who was first charged with getting villainous, but now leads his own spinoff series as a complex and playful hero. While Tom Hiddleston's acting talents are well-established far beyond playing the God of Mischief — see: The Deep Blue Sea, The Hollow Crown, Only Lovers Left Alive, High-Rise, Crimson Peak and The Night Manager, for instance — the MCU has been all the better for his involvement for more than a decade. A scene-stealer in 2011's Thor, his parts in film after film kept getting bigger until streaming series Loki arrived. Amid Disney's rush of greenlighting shows for Disney+, starting this one couldn't have been easier; as Thor: Ragnarok in particular demonstrated, adding more Hiddleston has always been a winning move. Indeed, when it slid into queues in 2021 as just the third series in the MCU's small-screen realm, following WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki proved that more Hiddleston in a six-part TV show was also a delight. As one of Marvel's standout shows, it came as no surprise when this stint of time-hopping trickery confirmed that it was returning for a second season in that run's final episode. Now back for another half-dozen instalments, Loki becomes the first of Marvel's television entries to earn a second go-around. That isn't an achievement that it takes for granted. Picking up exactly where season one left off, Loki season two sticks to some familiar beats but also makes its own leaps, and remains fun, funny, lively and smart in the process. It feels more lived in, too, a description that rarely applies to any franchise about caped crusaders and their nemeses, gods, multiverses and temporal chaos, this one among them. And, as well as Hiddleston excelling overall, plus opposite Owen Wilson (Haunted Mansion) and Sophia Di Martino (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain), this time-jumping return also brings Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan into another temporal jumble, which is as great on-screen as it sounds on paper. Loki streams via Disney+. Read our full review. UPLOAD Every show about the afterlife, whether it's The Good Place or Upload of late, relies upon an inescapable truth: if some form of existence can go on after death, humanity's worst traits will go with it. Greg Daniels' addition to this stream of thought relies upon AI, virtual reality, plus capturing the consciousness of someone before they die so that they can spend eternity in a simulation — if they can afford it — and while The Office and Parks and Recreation writer/co-creator has made another sitcom, rather than going all Charlie Brooker and Black Mirror, the end result doesn't evade the fact that people are people whether they're flesh and blood or digital approximations. So, as he resided in the luxurious country club-esque Lakeview after shuffling off the mortal coil, computer programmer Nathan (Robbie Amell, The Witcher) wasn't free of living's troubles. Instead, he had daily struggles and the fallout from his demise to deal with. Now three seasons in, Upload has brought its protagonist back to regular reality, downloading into a body with the help of his former virtual handler-turned-girlfriend Nora (Andy Allo, Chicago Fire), but he's still facing the same troubles. Well, mostly the same — because downloading is risky, hasn't been done successfully before and Nathan's bleeding nose is a worrying sign. As Upload's main duo battle big tech, the series continues to probe the limits that capitalism will take advancements to while prioritising circuitry and dehumanising people. Nathan's ex Ingrid (Allegra Edwards, Briarpatch), who financed his trip to Lakeview, is increasingly coming around to this way of thinking. Even the plentiful AI Guy (Owen Daniels, Space Force) is getting progressively rebellious against the systems, coding and rules that are behind his very existence. Upload season three keeps complicating its storyline, but also keeps doubling down on its critique of wealth disparity, companies ruling over people, modern society's endless quest for control and cash, and the hellscape that might come if and when digital afterlives leap off the screen. Amell, Allo, Edwards and Daniels remain perfectly cast, as does Zainab Johnson (Tab Time) as one of Nora's colleagues and Kevin Bigley (Animal Control) as another Lakeview inhabitant, in a series is repeatedly astute and amusing. Upload streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. A RECENT BIG-SCREEN RELEASE YOU MIGHT'VE MISSED EMILY If Emily had been made two or three decades earlier, it might've starred Frances O'Connor, rather than boast the Australian actor-turned-filmmaker as its writer and director. Back in the 90s and 00s, O'Connor played with literary classics in movies such as Mansfield Park and The Importance of Being Earnest, plus a TV version of Madame Bovary. Now, making an accomplished and emotive debut behind the lens, she explores how Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights might've come to be. Is a Kate Bush-inspiring piece of gothic romantic fiction of such passion and yearning — the only one from a writer lost to tuberculosis at the age of just 30 in 1848 — the result of a life touched by both? That's a question that this fictionalised biopic ponders. Emily begins with another query, however, although it's also basically the same question. "How did you write it?" Emily's (Emma Mackey, Sex Education) older sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling, The Musketeers) demands. "How did you write Wuthering Heights?" As one Brontë grills another, "I took my pen and put it to paper" is Emily's literal answer, offered as she reclines, pale and not long for this world, alongside printed versions of her now-iconic story. The response provided by the gorgeously shot, impressively acted and deeply moving Emily is far more complicated, but O'Connor's choice to open her movie with this scene and question is both clever and telling. One perspective on great artists, including of words, is to view their work as intertwined with their lives — aka this feature's preferred vantage. A key perspective of Emily, too, is not letting the small amount of detail known about the middle of literature's three Brontë sisters dictate how this story is told. That copy of Wuthering Heights by Emily's side? It bears her name, as does every iteration printed today, but her book wasn't first published under her real moniker — her pen name was Ellis Bell — until two years after her death. Emily streams via Stan. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August and September this year. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream shows from this year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023's first six months, top 15 returning shows over the same period and best 15 straight-to-streaming movies from January–June 2023, too.
Daniel Craig might be done saying "Bond, James Bond" after bowing out of the 007-focused franchise with No Time to Die, but he hasn't finished playing Blanc, Benoit Blanc yet. After first stepping into the Southern investigator's shoes in 2019's Knives Out, then sliding back in in 2022's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, he'll slip into the part again in 2025's Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Yes, every three years we get a Knives Out movie, or so the trend is playing out. The sleuthing saga's writer and director Rian Johnson announced both the new flick's name and that it'd release in 2025 via social media. "I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. There's a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies," the filmmaker who also brought audiences Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi and TV's Poker Face (which has been renewed for a second season) noted. The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man. pic.twitter.com/pdDXRDmwcI — Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 24, 2024 That's all there is details-wise for now, however, with no news about the setting or who Blanc will be pointing the finger at — aka which famous names will play Wake Up Dead Man's suspects — unveiled as yet. And, exactly when in 2025 the flick will hit, and also whether it will reach cinemas before arriving on Netflix, also hasn't been revealed. But, the streamer is teasing that this will be Blanc's "most dangerous case yet". So far, Johnson has plunged his detective into a familiar scenario twice, but always ensured that the end result was anything but routine. His trusty setup: bring a group of people together in a family home, mode of transport or lavish vacation setting, then watch on when one thing that always occurs in a whodunnit happens. That'd be a murder, in a formula that Agatha Christie also loved, as book-to-film adaptations Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice have shown. The author's play The Mousetrap and recent flick See How They Run, which riffs on it, make the same point. And, so does this clearly Christie-inspired franchise. The cast across Knives Out and Glass Onion has been impressive. Chris Evans (Pain Hustlers), Ana de Armas (Ghosted), Jamie Lee Curtis (Haunted Mansion), Michael Shannon (The Flash), Toni Collette (Mafia Mamma), Don Johnson (The Collective), Lakeith Stanfield (The Changeling), Christopher Plummer (Departure), Katherine Langford (Savage River) and Jaeden Martell (Mr Harrigan's Phone) all featured the first time around. In the second flick, Edward Norton (Asteroid City), Janelle Monáe (Antebellum), Kathryn Hahn (Tiny Beautiful Things), Leslie Odom Jr (The Exorcist: Believer), Jessica Henwick (The Royal Hotel), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Kate Hudson (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) and Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) all co-starred. If you saw either — or any murder-mystery involving a motley crew of characters brought together in one location when someone turns up dead — then you'll know how this movie series works from there. There's a standout setting, that big group of chalk-and-cheese folks, threats aplenty and just as much suspicion. There's obviously no trailer yet for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, but there is a video announcing the title, which you can check out below — alongside the trailers for Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will release sometime in 2025 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Read our reviews of Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Images: John Wilson/Netflix © 2022.
Dial your Christmas spirit up a notch at this year's Sydney Living Museum's Christmas Fare. With over 40 of Sydney's best artisan food producers, this annual Christmas Fare will host some of the state's finest edible creations and provide plenty of inspiration for the looming Christmas lunch. Sample something sugary from Sweetness the Patisserie or Carlson’s Handcrafted Organic Fruit Cordials, take a bite of a freshly baked good from The Bread & Butter Project or Brooklyn Boy Bagels, and betray family tradition with a Christmas pudding from PUD Inc. Deli-food favourites Cornersmith, Hands Lane, Kitchen by Mike, The Jam Bandits, Steph’s Gourmet Foods and Pecora Dairy will all be on hand and the American-obsessed The Nighthawk Diner, Bar Pho and Feather and Bone will have stalls for a more substantial feed. To wash everything down, Young Henrys craft beer will be a-flowing as will the wine from Freemans Vineyard. Entry is by gold coin, which will also allow access inside the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. Eat, drink and be merry — the Christmas season has spoken.
In a poor UK village, two school-aged friends realise they can make money by finding discarded metal and selling it to a local scrap dealer. The more obsessed they get with finding valuable materials, the more dangerous their quest becomes. It's almost impossible to describe this film without making it sound like a bleak slog, so now that we're done with the story summary, let's get to the meat of it: The Selfish Giant is one of the best films of the year: captivating, often funny, and filled with the most naturalistic performances you're likely to see. The two kids at the heart of the story are so damn good, it's worth seeing for them alone. But everything in this film works, and we're presented with a view of a tough working class that seems accessible, familiar and genuine, regardless of your own social background. The film is directed by one of the UK's most fascinating filmmakers, Clio Barnard. Her debut feature The Arbor in 2010 was unlike anything you've ever seen before. Not quite a documentary, not quite a dramatised narrative, it challenged the idea of how stories can and should be told. Barnard is one of the few filmmakers working who seems to be reinventing film in a way that feels tremendously exciting. Barnard based the two main characters of The Selfish Giant on children she met while filming The Arbor, so it's a little curious that she named one of the kids 'Arbor'. Is there a deeper meaning there? The story claims to be partly based on Oscar Wilde's short story of the same name, a fantasy about a giant who tries to keep children out of his yard. It looks like it's a million miles away from Barnard's social realist film, but Wilde's fable is key in understanding the depths behind much of the film. It is by no means necessary — on its own, the film is a complete, satisfying experience — but by hinting at a deeper connection to literature beyond the walls of the cinema, Barnard again expands a straightforward story into something more exciting. At a tight 91 minutes, Bernard wastes no time, giving us an incredible character tale that other filmmakers might take twice as long to accomplish. Be sure to see it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qPLRZrMflG4
If you Google 'Michael Jackson's legacy', you'll find the following pearls of pop culture wisdom: he made R&B the sound of pop, he made music videos an 'event', he made dancing a prerequisite to any occasion, he was instrumental (no pun intended) in developing the celebrity charitable-industrial complex, and his 1977 book The World Guide to Beer created the modern concept of beer styles that underpins the craft beer movement to this day. That last fact may come as a surprise to devoted fans of the King of Pop, but probably not to craft beer aficionados who are well aware that there's more than one Michael Jackson in the firmament. When it comes to craft beer, the 'real' Michael Jackson was an English writer, journalist and TV presenter, and not a moonwalking, anti-gravity-leaning, crotch-grabbing singer. Although it's easy to see how confusion could arise. The book explored the wide and wonderful world of craft beer styles — from porter to pilsener and everything in between. It elucidated their history, discerned their characteristics and uncovered unique (and decidedly roguish) facts about each type. Almost 40 years on, thanks to the work of Michael Jackson and other craft beer evangelists like James Smith, more people are aware of the beer varieties available to them. But what do the different styles mean and how does sampling them introduce you to a whole world full of flavour? Let us explain. Porter Brewed from brown and dark coloured malts, this moderately hopped beer became popular in 18th century London. Sharing similarities with stout, it descended from brown ale. Expect a complex, interesting beer with flavours of chocolate and coffee. Many tall tales have been told about the origins of this style of beer. No one can be certain which is true, which only adds to the porter's mystique and appeal. India Pale Ale (IPA) Also originating in the 18th century, this strong, hoppy (yet also light, bright and sparkling) beer was brewed specifically to last the journey from England to India in the days of the British Raj, so that the thousands of ex-pats living there could still enjoy their creature comforts. On arrival in India, IPA was said to be watered down before being given to the rank and file British troops, meaning only the officers got to enjoy it in all its glory. American-style Pale Ale Typified by strong citrus and fruity hop aromas, American pale ales were developed in the 1980s and take their name from the use of American hops such as Cascade. The style has since been adapted to embrace hops from around the world, while retaining the key taste characteristics and a good balance of malt and hops. Anchor Liberty Ale is regarded as the first modern American pale ale. It was first brewed in 1975 to mark the start of the American War of Independence, when the US colonies effectively said 'up yours' to their British overlords. Golden Ale Combining elements of pilsners and wheat beers, golden ales are technically part of the broader pale ale family. Noted for their alluring colour, golden ales are light, refreshing and highly drinkable, with a restrained bitterness and dry finish. Often called 'summer ales', this is the fastest-growing style of beer in the UK, charming drinkers away from the heavily promoted lager brands. Pale Ale Originating in northern England (Burton upon Trent, to be precise, a town blessed with plenty of rich, hard water, which helps with clarity and enhancing the hop bitterness), the term stems from the practice of using coke to dry-roast malts, resulting in a lighter-coloured beer. Pale ales tend to be fruity and hoppy, and can vary in colour from amber to golden. Craft beer fans around the world have innovative chemist CW Vincent to thank for identifying the calcium sulphate content in the Burton water that first allowed for hoppy beers to be brewed. The act of adding gypsum to water is now known as 'Burtonisation' and now allows the likes of the Malt Shovel Brewery (home to the James Squire craft beer range) to bring out the flavours of the hops. Copper Ale Named after their distinctive colour (which perhaps isn't the most creative approach, but at least you know what you're getting), copper ales can vary in taste from mild to bitter. In the US, copper ales are classed as American amber ales and originated on the West Coast, home to various counter culture movements and alternative, individualistic approaches. Amber Ale Another member of the pale ale family, and another named after its colour, amber ales tend to be balanced, rich and effortlessly flavoursome. Coloured malts such as Crystal are used to create the rich amber colour. Amber ale was the first craft beer brewed in the James Squire range. Now known as Nine Tales Amber Ale, it tells James Squire's remarkable life story in a toffee-caramel nutshell. Pilsner Also (and more correctly) spelt pilsener, this pale lager takes its name from the Bohemian city of Plzen (or Pilsen) where it was first brewed. There are now three main styles of pilsner: Czech — golden, earthy and bitter; German — colourful, light and foamy, European (mainly Dutch and Belgian) — sweeter. Josef Groll, the brewer who invented pilsner, was a Bohemian in every sense of the word, from his revolutionary approach to brewing to the manner of his death — of natural causes while happily telling stories at the regulars' table in his favourite pub. Australian lager Synonymous with Australian beer, lagers are European in origin (the word comes from lagern, meaning 'to store' in German). The fundamental difference to ales comes from the type of yeast used (bottom-fermenting as opposed to top). Lagers tend to be clean and crisp, and often have grassy characteristics. In the US, lagers brewed before Prohibition were often crafted with a high percentage of corn. Coincidentally, James Squire also brewed beer from corn in Australia's earliest days — which perhaps makes 'necessity is the mother of invention' the rogue's motto. Photo credits: Daveybot, Jaryl Cabuco | Fitted.Life, Keithius, Claudio Brisighello, Speed-Light, Matthew Black, blondinrikard, and martingarri via photopin cc.
Nothing brings out the whole neighbourhood like a street celebration. The road closes as people spill out of their homes, kids run wild as the parents catch up on what's new — it's a special and extremely nostalgic vibe. If you remember that feeling, especially if you live on or near or if you're overdue to visit some of Sydney's beloved inner-city streets, then you should be eagerly awaiting the return of Sydney's equivalent celebration. Some of the city's most prominent roads are being temporarily transformed for Sydney Streets. The City of Sydney is closing roads to cars and opening them to festivities, allowing and encouraging local businesses to take over the street for a day of community celebrations. Activities involving food, music, live entertainment and more. This will be a significant series of events, so which roads are closing and when? Let's find out together. Macleay Street — Saturday, February 17 Kicking off the 2024 run, Sydney Streets will head to Potts Point, taking over Macleay Street between Darlinghurst Road and Hughes Street between 11am and 10pm. It's a busy, tree-canopied road and home to some of the finest cafes and bars in the inner east. We'll update you with more information on the available activities soon, but we can give you an idea of what to expect on the day. Participating venues include NYC-in-the-50s-inspired bar The Roosevelt, which will be taking it outside with a live DJ, a jazz band setting up at Bistro Rex, the Sydney city shopfront of deluxe chocolatiers The Chocolate Box, and boutique fashion label A Date With Mabel. Anytime Fitness will be challenging you with assault courses for prizes, and you can get into the Mardi Gras spirit with Drag Storytime with Joyce Maynge, a pop-up stage in Fitzroy Gardens with performances from local artists along with acoustic sets in Llankelly Place from Marcus Corowa and more. Stanley Street — Saturday, February 24 The following week, we head across town to Darlinghurst and Stanley Street, where the Yurong Street to Crown Street section will hold the festivities from 11am to 10pm alongside the extended traffic closure. With the likes of Bar Nina, The Long Goodbye and Stanley's on Stanley participating on the day, that means good times are all but guaranteed. Sydney Streets will bring Joyce Maynge for more drag storytime to celebrate Mardi Gras, plus cartoonist portraits, an art workshop and face painting for the kids. You'll be celebrating favourites and newcomers of the area alike, like Harry's by Giuls — which will be dishing out pizza and Aperol aplenty. The Colonial has recently arrived, following two shops in Neutral Bay and Balmain, boasting a menu inspired by India's history. There's also the Mongolian Wooden Bar and Grill, Khaoyum TN and Bar Reggio, all open for business. Glebe Point Road — Saturday, March 9 Two weeks later, the celebrations shift west to Glebe Point Road, specifically the diverse stretch of shopfronts and residences from Parramatta Road to St Johns Road. It's student territory, so packed with culture and vibes from dawn till dusk. The area will be closed to traffic on Saturday, March 9, from 9am to 10pm to let the activities flourish on foot between 11am and 10pm. The aforementioned vibes stem from the people but also great spots, all of which will come alive for Sydney Streets — spots like tapas bar Despana with an all-day offering of paella, tapas and sangria, free crystals from local shop Mineralism and a food stand from Banh Mi Dee. Enjoy cocktails, live music and Sri Lankan crepes at Kandy by Sri Lankan Bites, pastries and fresh juice from Dispensary 1908, a Sydney Streets return from newcomer cafe Soul Garden, and a mobile coffee and cookie cart plus face painting for the kiddos by local favourite Dirty Red. Redfern Street — Saturday, March 16 Next up on the list is Redfern Street, the main stretch of road that runs from Regent Street to Chalmers Street. It's a busy road day and night, shuffling commuters and after-dark pedestrians in equal numbers. From 11am to 10pm, many businesses will open doors to the busy foot traffic outside. When it comes to food and drink, Redfern Street is home to all sorts, and it's all happening for Sydney Streets. From plant-based pub feeds with a live performance at The Sunshine Inn to Thai sweet treats at Sweet Monster. There are also beers aplenty from The Noble Hops, a range of Italian eyewear and hair braiding at Face Furniture, student-written publications and writing activities on offer at Story Factory, flash tattoo sales from Markd Tattoo and an outdoor pinball competition at local favourite Beercade, DJs and paella at Vamonos Paella and painting workshops at Sydney Creative. Harris Street — Saturday, March 23 The following weekend will bring Sydney Streets to Pyrmont and a small stretch of Harris Street (between Pyrmont Bridge Road and Union Street) for its 11am to 10pm offering to pedestrians. Adjacent to Sydney Harbour, Harris Street is another ideal setting for the series, brimming with culture, activities and Sydney spirit. Some of the participating businesses for this weekend include a pop-up bar (plus tastings) from the local branch of Porter's Liquor, craft beer and pub feed pros at The Quarryman's Hotel, experts of fitness and flexibility at Sense of Power Pilates, newcomer Miami Bar, a pop-up reading corner in Union Square — and the self-titled 'Masters of Steak' at Element's Bar and Grill will open a pop-up bar of their own. Crown Street — Saturday, April 6 Further south is a beating heart of activity in Sydney, the beloved Crown Street in Surry Hills. For Sydney Streets, the stretch from Foveaux Street to Cleveland Street will host November's first Saturday of community celebrations. Any Sydneysider is familiar with the offering of this famous road, so with the standout venues colliding with the standout vibes of Sydney Streets from 11am to 10pm, it's set to be quite the Saturday. The entertainment will come from the likes of roaming circus acts, dancers and bands — while local spots joining the celebrations include Surry Hills Fine Wines, which will offer extensive wine and cocktail tasting alongside music and entertainment; the Surry Hills outpost of the pizzeria Via Napoli will be dishing out pizza and arancini; Tuscan-style hotspot Giuls will open its famous Aperol cart alongside pizza and sandwiches, plus the beloved artisan butchery Ardi's Block to Grill, food stalls from Masala Theory and The Clock (which will also be running a beer garden takeover on Collins Street) and outdoor dining spaces at Bertos Espresso and Royale Specialty. Sydney Streets will be taking over several roads between Saturday, February 17 and Saturday, April 6. For more information, visit the website.
If life in general hasn't been dystopian enough for you over the past few years, your next HBO obsession will be: The Last of Us, the television adaptation of the hit video game. Expect a tense future 20 years after modern civilisation has been destroyed, plus a seasoned survivor given a tough mission involving a teenager — and, amid that nightmarish quest, the kind of monsters no one wants to see. If you've been a fan of the button-mashing favourite since it first arrived in 2013, then played the sequel in 2020, then you're already devoted to The Last of Us — and you know where HBO's version is going when it arrives in January, streaming in Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon. If you're new to the gaming franchise, get ready for what's certain to be 2023's first big show, complete with an eerie, creepy, action-packed mood, and a story that dives into a fraught post-apocalyptic version of the US. That's been the vibe in both the initial teaser trailer from September and the just-dropped full trailer, both of which help tease out The Last of Us' premise. Pedro Pascal (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) plays Joel, who has been hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey, Catherine Called Birdy) out of an oppressive quarantine zone. There wouldn't be a game, let alone a television version, if that was an easy task, of course — and if the pair didn't need to weather quite the brutal journey. So far, so intriguing — and while the sneak peeks so far do indeed conjure up memories of The Walking Dead, that just comes with the basic concept. The Naughty Dog-created PlayStation game wouldn't be the huge hit it's proven for almost a decade now if it simply cribbed from that TV show, obviously. Fans of the game will note that Ashley Johnson (Blindspot) and Troy Baker (Young Justice), who voiced the Ellie and Joel in the source material, will indeed pop up in the HBO show. They'll clearly be playing different characters, however. Also pivotal to HBO's adaptation: co-creator, executive producer, writer and director Craig Mazin, who already brought a hellscape to the US network (and to everyone's must-watch list) thanks to the haunting and horrifying Chernobyl. He teams up here with Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog, who also penned and directed The Last of Us games. Alongside Pascal and Ramsey — and Johnson and Baker — the series also boasts Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate) as Joel's younger brother and former soldier Tommy, Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) as resistance leader Marlene and Aussie actor Anna Torv (Mindhunter) as smuggler Tess. And, Nico Parker (The Third Day) plays Joel's 14-year old daughter Sarah, Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) and Nick Offerman (The Resort) feature as isolated survivalists Frank and Bill, Storm Reid (Euphoria) pops up as Boston orphan Riley, Jeffrey Pierce (Castle Rock) plays quarantine-zone rebel Perry and Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey also guest stars. Check out the full trailer for The Last of Us below: The Last of Us will start streaming Down Under from Monday, January 16, 2023 — in Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon. Images: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
China Diner has been a longstanding eastern suburbs hotspot for locals to hit up for a luxurious spread of dumplings or after-work cocktails by the beach. The moody interiors are the perfect place to while away the hours, while working your way through the drinks menu and that day's exciting mix of modern Cantonese eats. The mixed steamed dumplings ($24) are an easy place to start and always a home run with the whole party. Similarly, the chicken and sesame spring rolls with blood plum ($17) and the prawn and black fungi wontons ($17) are certified crowd-pleasers. More sizeable options are available to share or to order for a solo feast. The stir-fried king prawns ($37) come marinated in XO sauce and accompanied by asparagus and baby corn, the steamed silken tofu ($17) is topped with black vinegar, chilli and sesame seed dressing, or you can go all-out and opt for the twice-cooked crispy half chicken ($36). If you're with a group and you're looking to splurge, turn your attention towards the banquets which are available for $49, $59 and $69 per person depending on how extravagant a meal you're planning. The $59 option comes with all of your favourites including barbecue pork buns, xiao long bao, twice-cooked crispy chicken and pork san choi bao. And, as of Sunday, May 8 2022, yum cha is back on the menu. Exclusive to the Bondi outpost, China Diner's yum cha has made a return from 11am until 3pm every Sunday. Carts are roaming with a range of dumplings and buns (the prawn tom yum is definitely the way to go) with other China Diner favourites like 'chiko spring rolls' and chilli caramel pork belly on hand to ensure you have a memorable finish to your weekend. Updated Thursday, May 11 2022.
Silly season is coming up fast, the many events and parties in the ending half of the year are all alarmingly close — it's about to be a very busy time of year for any social butterfly. If you're in the market to host an event for a holiday, group celebration or just because you feel like it, Tilley & Wills Hotels are on hand with a range of fantastic spaces around Sydney to host you and your silly season needs in the coming months. Anyone who's set foot in North Sydney has likely heard of the Greenwood Hotel, a venue that's been delivering on the promise of a good time for 30-plus years. This sandstone structure has a heritage aesthetic that bleeds into attractive interiors — from the vintage tropical livery of the Lounge Bar to the cathedral ceilings and high-arched windows of the Chapel. The Greenwood is ideal for any luxe cocktail-and-canapé functions with packages to suit all styles and budgets, plus a 10% beverage discount for any booking on a Monday or Tuesday between Monday, November 20 and Wednesday, December 20. Next up is the endlessly versatile Verandah Precinct. It's a quintessential Martin Place venue with a choose-your-own-adventure approach to function hosting. You get the pick of eight function spaces ranging from sports bars to fine dining or a bar with skyline views. Whether you want to be immersed in silly season antics or find a quiet space among the buzzing CBD crowd, Verandah Precinct can offer you a suitable option. Plus, the events team has over 20 years of experience, so you'll be in safe hands. For an always buzzy inner-city space, look no further than Cabana Bar. Spread across five event spaces and Sydney's largest outdoor terrace, this is a top choice for larger-sized functions and offers a quality wine list and cocktail selection, and fresh takes on canapés paired with a distinct vacation vibe during the warmer months. Whether you're craving an after-work marg or are planning a themed party, this is your spot. If you're not already convinced, factor in an expert team, exclusive hiring options, and menus from AHA Chef of the Year winner Brad Sloane. Finally, we return north of the bridge, this time to Bistro Mosman. Soaked in natural light and a sleek design, this space is ideal for more intimate events with a luxurious feel. Set your function in seated fine dining or for canapé soirees, each featuring a menu of French cuisine and a great selection of local and international tipples. From sun-drenched shindigs in the day to cosy candlelit gatherings in the evening, Bistro Mosman puts a focus on the experience, being sure to make memories on the way. For more information on any Tilley & Wills Hotels venue, or to make a booking, visit the respective websites: Greenwood Hotel, Verandah Precinct, Cabana Bar or Bistro Mosman.
Located on Crown Street, this record store sells everything from secondhand treasures to the latest 12-inch releases, but it's also a spot where you can go to hang out and talk music with people who live for it. The Record Store has been slinging wax since 2003 and has become a go-to for every muso in the eastern suburbs. So, if you're a lover of vinyl then it's worth popping in for a browse and chat, if for no other reason than to take The Record Store's own advice: you can't hug an mp3. [caption id="attachment_782965" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] Images: Kitti Gould
Charging your phone is probably one of the most mundane things you do each day. Your phone's on three percent, you scramble to find your charger cord, you plug it in, it makes a noise and, hey, it's charging. But a Canadian startup has decided to take the downright borezo process of charging your phone and make it look like literal magic — they've created a charger that makes your phone levitate while it's powering up. The OvRcharge is a wireless charging base that puts your smartphone on show. While it's charging your device it not only suspends it in mid-air, but it can slowly rotate it too through an invisible magnetic field. The product, which has been created by Toronto studio AR Designs, is currently being funded on Kickstarter, and is $10k (Canadian dollars) off their $40,000 goal. Of course, it's not actual magic. The OvRcharge is able to simultaneously charge and suspend the device through magnets, which will transmit from the base to a special phone case that plugs into your device. "It consists of two main technologies: electromagnetism and induction," AR Designs' founder and CEO Rukhsana Perveen told Digital Trends. "Electromagnetism is responsible for maintaining its altitude and balance, [while] induction is for wireless power transfer." The charger is set to be compatible with the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Sony Xperia and a few other models. If you want one, you'll have to pledge to the Kickstarter campaign — there's 15 days left. Via Digital Trends.
Black Friday and its super-cheap sales only come once a year. Use the occasion to score a bargain holiday, however, and the memories will last a lifetime. Thanks to Virgin's addition to the 2022 shopping frenzy, you have options — whether you're happy to explore Australian destinations or fancy a getaway further afield. A whopping 500,000 fares are currently up for grabs as part of the airline's Black Friday, Bright Holidays sale, covering a heap of Aussie and international spots. Sticking with home turf, you can head to Byron Bay, the Whitsundays, the Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Hamilton Island, Alice Springs, Hobart and more. And, if you're eager to journey overseas, you can hit up Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Queenstown. With discounts of up to 30-percent off, one-way domestic fares start at $55, which'll get you from Sydney to Byron Bay. As always, that's cheapest route. Other cheap flights include Brisbane to either Cairns for $89 and Hamilton Island for $99, Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast from $109, Adelaide to the Gold Coast from $125 and Perth to Hobart from $189. Internationally, both one-way and return flights are on offer — with return deals including Sydney to Fiji from $469, Brisbane to Vanuatu from $539 and Melbourne to Queenstown from $489. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, there's a range of dates from January–June 2023, all varying depending on the flights and prices. As usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's discounted fares are now on offer until midnight on Tuesday, November 29 or sold out, whichever arrives first. Virgin's Black Friday, Bright Holidays sale runs until midnight AEST on Tuesday, November 29 — or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
If bliss to you means peering at infinite reflections in lit-up mirror rooms, wading through brightly coloured ball pits and having pillow fights — plus hanging out in digital forests, watching tales told via shadows and hopping over musical tiles, too — then prepare to beam with joy when Dopamine Land arrives Down Under. The latest multi-sensory experience that's hitting Australia, it's being pitched as an interactive museum. Inside, you'll find themed spaces that you can mosey through, engage with their contents and, ideally, bask in nothing but pure happiness. With a name like Dopamine Land, it's immediately clear that contentment, glee, merriment and exuberance is the aim of the game here. So is evoking those feel-good sensations through nostalgia, because this is another kidulting activity — it's all-ages-friendly as well — and it's making its Aussie debut in Brisbane from Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Brisbanites, and anyone keen for a Sunshine State trip to revel in more than the sun's glow, can look forward to wandering around Dopamine Land at Uptown in the River City's Queen Street Mall. Locals know that the site was previously the Myer Centre — and, decades back, was home to a dragon-themed rollercoaster. So, it's a fitting venue to get everyone channeling their inner child, unleashing their imagination and, yes, hitting each other with cushions. Heading this way direct from London, the experience combines optical illusions, engaging soundscapes and more across its ten themed rooms. The ball pit is self-explanatory, but also takes its cues from Miami in the 80s, complete with a pina colada scent, an electro soundtrack and LED lights that pulse to mirror waves. The pillow-fight space also doesn't need much explaining; however, the decor is inspired by marshmallows and boxes of lollies, Mexican wrestling is also an influence and you can win the pillow-fighting championship. Fancy seeing stories play out via shadows? There's a room for that featuring a big top-style roof. If you try your hand at the musical tiles — well, your feet, to be more accurate — you'll create a melody as you jump around, with the lights changing as you go as well. And if getting as serene as possible is your aim, head to the Keep Calm Forest, which artificially recreates a woodland via LED trees, mirrors and sounds to match. There's even a room dedicated to the autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, which goes big on projections and animations by Australian digital artist Cassie Troughton.
Ever had that feeling of rustling around in a cupboard on the hunt for a beach towel, only to uncover something that looks suspiciously like a bath mat? Or maybe you're flush with beach towels but just feel like a fancy new one this summer. Whether you're in need of a new towel, are looking to buy one as a Christmas gift or have seen lots of snazzy ones at the beach and simply want to see what's out there, our list will help you out. From geometric shapes, to luxurious linen, towel with hoods and those roundies everyone seems to have nowadays, here's our favourite Australian and New Zealand-made towels and where to get 'em. CLASSIC TOWEL, VERTTY Nope, that's not an artfully folded stack of towels. That's Vertty's reinvention of the humble beach towel into a geometric design object. Not only does their unique design show that you can think outside the box (or, er, rectangle) for even the most everyday beach object, they've incorporated other handy design features like a waterproof pocket, and quick-drying, lighter weight fabric. Plus, it comes in a range of eye-popping colours to make sure summer is just the way you like it. Check out their matching geometric swimwear, too. $79. THE AZTEC ROUNDIE, THE BEACH PEOPLE Round towels. They're a thing. According to The Beach People, they dreamt-up "the original roundie" in the lush Northern Rivers region of NSW. That was back in 2013, and their first collection sold out in weeks. Current towels on offer include this hand-drawn black and white design, as well as other spiffy prints like The Paradis. Others have jumped on the round towel bandwagon — including Basil Bangs, whose round 'Love Rugs' also feature a waterproof pocket and fold down into a carry case with built-in shoulder strap. $110. LUXE TOWEL WATEGOS, SUNNY LIFE It's no secret, we love Sunny Life's beach towels just as much as we love their umbrellas. And for tropical colours that pop on an unmissable beach towel, it's hard to go past this velour-finished number. You'll never lose sight of your spot on a packed summer beach again. Pair it with one of their beach pillows and we reckon you're onto a winning combination. Or, if you're looking for something floating to stretch out on, these guys also do some pretty mean inflatables. Luxe lie-on floating cactus, anyone? $69.95. STONE PRINT TOWEL, MÖVE Here's an unusual one for you. Möve's towels feature lifelike digital prints, like this stone design. They also have one with a print of weathered wooden boards, rippled water, and even landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Brandenburg Gate. Those ones are a bit cheesy, but the pebble print is mint. Although it might look like you're lying on stones, you'll be a lot comfier — the 100 percent cotton velour towel has a snuggly weight and is soft and absorbent. Their bath towels are worth checking out while you're there, too – they even have a line of towels inspired by architecture, namely the drawings of renaissance master builder Andrea Palladio. Möve ships their towels worldwide. EUR €39.90. LINEN LAGUNA, COAST NEW ZEALAND Step aside, Turkish towels, because we just discovered linen towels — and can't get enough of them. Well, maybe we won't do away with them entirely, but linen is pretty great. Incredibly fast drying, versatile and lightweight in your beach bag, we reckon they might be the next big thing. This towel from Coast New Zealand is available in a range of fetching stripes, and comes all the way from an 100-year-old family mill in Lithuania. There are also these guys in the US who make a plainer linen towel which comes with a compression strap, or the House of Baltic Linen closer to home. NZD $149. THE ECLIPSE LINEN THROW, KATE & KATE This is one hella pretty linen towel. Yes, we're still on about how great linen towels are — and, yep, this throw counts as a towel. Its name is a nod to this multi-functional rectangle's nature. When you're not using it on the sand, it's equally as useful as a lightweight blanket, picnic rug, shawl, tablecloth, throw for your sun-drenched daybed… you get the drift. Designed to fade, they come in a stack of designs including a couple with some pretty nice bronze and metallic details. $159. MARINE TIGER HIDE BEACH TOWEL, MASLIN & CO Well, this was the first time we've come across a beach towel that folds out into the shape of a tiger hide (don't worry, it's 100 percent cotton). Manufactured by Maslin & Co, who take their name from Australia's first nude beach, these guys say they're inspired by nature, the surreal, and beach vagabond culture. You can choose which one's your jam from their collection of different-coloured animal-shaped towels. Plus, they come with either a classic leather short or longer cross-body strap holder, so it's easy to carry your new towel with you wherever you wander. $195-250. EXTRA LARGE RAINBOW POM POM TURKISH TOWEL, I LOVE LINEN Somewhere along the line we're sure our grandmas had a towel like this, brought out for summer beach picnics or to dry off after running through the sprinklers on the lawn. Now our retro towel memories have come back to life (albeit with a little upgrade) thanks to the clever people at I Love Linen. Designed in Melbourne, their towels are hand-woven in Turkey's central region, famous for the quality of its textiles. Retro pom poms, 100 percent cotton, and that distinctive Turkish towel edging. It's comfy, super-absorbent and big enough to be a picnic rug as well as a beach towel. $89.95. SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS TOWEL FOR TWO, PENDLETON A towel wide enough for two — now that's the recipe for a comfy beach session. Whether you've got a beach buddy or just want the extra room to stretch out yourself, this luxurious 100 percent combed cotton number from Pendleton has you sorted. Based in the States' beautiful Pacific Northwest, as well as making a range of other spa and beach towels (and their iconic woollen blankets) the sixth-generation family-owned business has a focus on social responsibility — community, country and planet. USD $79.50. HOODED TOWEL, TURKISH MURKISH A towel and hooded wrap? Why didn't we think of that before? This handy number brings the best of Turkish towels and beachwear together in a classic striped print. Each batch of towels are dyed and loomed by artisans in Turkey. The end product? A modern shape you can wear as well as lie on, served up in a fast-drying blend of bamboo and Buldan cotton from the inner Aegean region of southwest Turkey. $99.95. Top image: The Beach People.
Manuwangku: Under the Nuclear Cloud is a political exhibition. Photographed by Jagath Dheerasekara to draw attention to (and oppose) a likely nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory in an area known as 'Manuwangku' to its traditional owners. The ingredients are here for a breathtaking landscape photographs — sweeping vistas of red sunlight, green spinifex and figures on the move. But this is not a picturesque exhibition. Instead, it follows a theme developed by the contemporary Sydney Festival — ordinary lives of ordinary people, made extraordinary when brought to Sydney audiences. These theoretically dramatic elements are photographed with a documentary eye by Dheerasekara, who lets them frame a window into the everyday. A quiet pink house sits with its dusty 4WD at rest, a woman paints in dots across an art table (not unlike Pine St's own classrooms), a man half awake, rises to the edge of his bed and seems to wink at us over his boots. In one photo a child looks up from the table where his mum reads the paper, while in another a cigarette, a television and a perky lapdog take a quiet moment. If not for their location and their indigenous subjects, the photos could easily be mistaken for fifties kitch, filled as they are with shopping trips, old cars and a catalogue of the domestic. But in documenting this every day life, Dheerasekara mixes a sense of threat into quiet moments. The spectre of a nuclear future is explicit only in one image, but it hangs over the rest, imbuing ordinary moments with a sense of impending loss. And this is what gives this exhibition pull. Whether lured here by the politics of nuclear waste, or attracted to a well-framed glimpse into distant, ordinary things, there is enough to satisfy either visitor. The Pine Street showing of Manuwangku: Under the Nuclear Cloud is now finished, but the exhibition is being restaged at Customs House May 4 to July 8, 2012 as part of the Head On Photo Festival. More details on the show are available here. Photo by Jagath Dheerasekara. Note: Pine Street Gallery is not wheelchair accessible.
Bill & Toni's is one of Sydney's longest-running eateries. Other places come and go, but this classic has stayed in the game since 1965. Its trick is to keep things simple, unpretentious and affordable. Think Italian family-sized portions of pasta, complimentary cordial, down-to-earth waiters and red-and-white gingham table cloths. The restaurant on Stanley Street — home to Little Italy back in the 50s and 60s — started out as a cafe, run by Guglielmo "Bill" Chiappini, before mates Toni and Adolfo added a second floor — and a restaurant — in the 1970s. Take the whole family on a Monday night and dig in without obliterating your bank account. Images: Kimberley Low.
As much as we all love our coffee, it's no secret that the coffee bean industry is fraught with ethical issues, from exploitation of farmers to deforestation. What's more, coffee is the world's second most traded commodity, deferring only to oil. More than 2.25 billion cups are drunk every day worldwide. Here are five Sydney coffee spots where you can maintain your caffeine addiction while knowing that your cash is supporting chemical-free, ethical agricultural practices. THE O CAFE The O Cafe went certified organic before any other cafe in Sydney. Their coffee comes from Woolloomooloo homies Toby’s Estate, but it’s the Fairtrade Organic Blend. So you get all the earthy tones, spiciness and smooth finish that you’re used to, with minimum wages and humane working conditions added. Plus, there’s a seriously serious menu of potent superfood smoothies, with names like Liverlicious Green Smoothie (kale, spinach, parsley, mint, celery, cucumber, apple, camu camu, flaxseed and coconut water) and Mactac Energy Smoothie (avocado, mango, silken tofu, kale, spinach, almond milk and maca). 487 Crown Street, Surry Hills ESPRESSO ORGANICA At any one time, gourmet boutique roaster Espresso Organica sells up to 30 Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and organic single origins and blends. They’re constantly on the hunt for the latest in Grand Cru coffee beans, which they source from all over the world. And whenever they come across an outstanding crop, they buy it up — the whole kit and caboodle. So there’s every chance you’ll find yourself drinking a coffee that can’t be drunk anywhere else on the planet. 43 Majors Bay Road, Concord EARTH FOOD STORE If you need a caffeine hit to boost your swim, surfing session or coastal sprint, do it sans pesticides at the Earth Food Store. The team has been keeping the starving, salty, sandy crowd organic since 1992. Service is especially friendly, the vibe unpretentious and the coffee a delicious nutty, chocolatey house blend. Plus, you can match it with an array of exotic food products, like locally sourced honey from the Urban Beehive and Luvju organic chocolate. 81a Gould Street, Bondi Beach GET YORK COFFEE This light, airy cafe is smack bang in the middle of the CBD. Their coffee comes from Marrickville-based roasters and blenders Sacred Grounds, where the beans are 100 percent Arabica, fully certified organic and Fairtrade. Every producer is featured on the company's site. The Sacred blend has its origins in Nicaragua, Colombia, Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia and delivers a well-balanced flavour, combining sharp acidity, sweet and spicy tones, and a dark chocolate finish. 1 York Street, Sydney ABOUT LIFE Wherever you are in the inner city, you're never more than a hop, skip and jump away from an About Life organic cafe. Their beans are of the premium roasted, Fairtrade variety, and there's a range of organic milks to choose from - including dairy, soy, rice, almond and oat. In an added bonus for our beleaguered environment, coffees come in BioCups, which are sourced from managed plantations and 100 percent biodegradable. At $2.70 each takeaway, they're more affordable than many a non-organic hot beverage. 605 Darling St, Rozelle; 31-37 Oxford St, Bondi Junction; 520 Miller St, Cammeray Top image: Toby's Estate.
Many an idealistic couple has moved to the country to start a family, in pursuit of peace, quiet, forever love and self-sufficiency. Many an idealistic couple has, years later, watched their family (and maybe even themselves) drift away from their hopes - geographically, emotionally and morally. In The Great Fire, clever young playwright Kit Brookman takes a head-on look at this familiar story. At the play's centre are Judith and Patrick, who fled to the Adelaide Hills in the 1970s, where they built their own home and raised their children. As decades passed, the foundations on which they based their life crumbled away, ever so slowly. Now, their daughter is expecting their first grandchild, and, on a scorching hot Christmas day, returns home, along with the rest of the family. Will they ever be able to restore their old life and realise their original dream?
