Some days you wake up, go for a quick run, make yourself a cheeky bowl of Cornflakes. Others, you rise knowing today's the day, the glorious moment when you can shape squid ink-coloured cuttlefish into a ball, painstakingly sculpt it to look like a penguin and viciously mount it on a kebab stick for the masses to enjoy. This is that day for Hong Kong gamechangers The Drunken Pot, who have created one heck of an adorable offering for the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, now running on HK's Central Harbourfront until October 30. Dubbed the 'Happy Penguin Cuttlefish Ball', this little Instagrammable delight is one of the festival's so-called 'Adorable Eats', which is legitimately a series of highly cute dishes on offer at the event. While jumping a flight across to Honkers to inhale these staked Pengus isn't on the cards for everyone, sitting back and marvelling at them from your chair and knowing you won't have to eat cuttlefish should suffice. Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival runs until October 30.
It's back. A CBD institution known for facilitating many a late night has reopened following a multimillion-dollar transformation. Jacksons on George's ambitious rebuild and redevelopment was first announced back in 2018, with the Circular Quay space being completely reinvented over the last five years — re-emerging under the guidance of Maurice Terzini (Icebergs, Re-) and his DTL Entertainment Group partner Michael Broome. "I tip [the rooftop bar] as being a place to be this summer," says Terzini. "Great food and drinks intersect with contemporary art and music across all three levels to create a vibrant, contemporary venue." There are indeed three distinct areas in the new Jacksons on George: a ground-floor public bar, a flash new French bistro and the sleek cocktail-fuelled rooftop bar. Leading the charge across all three levels is Head Chef Steven Sinclair, who arrives at the venue with a wealth of experience in world-renowned kitchens. Alongside time spent overlooking Bondi Beach at Icebergs, he's also cut his teeth at two of Ireland's top restaurants, The Old Schoolhouse Inn and The Potted Hen. Wander in from George Street and you'll find a classic pub sporting a fresh fitout from Sydney-based studio Richards Stanisich. Both here and up on the rooftop, you can expect the tried-and-true combination of pub feeds done well, house twists on classic cocktails and perfectly poured local beers. Some of the unexpected turns you'll discover on the pub menu include slow-cooked duck sausage rolls, Moreton Bay bug buns and roast chook cooked over charcoal. Plus, there's a signature dessert on offer: the Jacksons banoffee sundae. Changing things up above the public bar is the 120-seat Bistro George, a European-inspired diner that champions local produce. Clams casino, beef tartare, salt-crusted wagyu ribeye and gin rigatoni all grace the menu at the date night-ready first-floor restaurant. "The ethos at Bistro George is all about recognisable bistro classics, elegantly executed with quality ingredients," says Sinclair. "Meanwhile, everything on the public bar and rooftop menu is designed to be accessible and familiar. Think: pub and bistro classics, elevated with the best produce and on-point service, regardless of what dish you order and where you dine." From Friday, September 22, Bistro George will transform into a cocktail bar later into the night, with a reduced supper menu and live music led by house jazz trio The Jacksons All Stars. This is the kind of place that you can slip into for an after-dinner drink or a late-night snack. Throughout the venue, you'll also find an impressive art collection including a series of works from Archibald and Sulman Prize finalist and Yankunytjatjara artist Kaylene Whiskey, who injects her award-winning blend of traditional Anangu art and pop culture into the space. And, if you're on the hunt for an intimate spot to host your work Christmas party or a milestone birthday, Bistro George also boasts a 30-guest private dining room, translating the luxury of the restaurant into a secluded corner of the venue. Find Jacksons on George at 176 George Street, Sydney from Monday, September 11 — operating 10am–late Monday–Sunday. Photography: Tom Ferguson and Toby Peet.
Whenever I jump on a bus, I stroll down to the back seat, pull out my old lenseless sunnies, and become privy to a moving stage of 43 licensed-to-sit actors (doesn't everybody?). Where else can you follow the story of Odysseus the drunk, on his way back home, admire the two seat-crossed lovers and feel secure knowing the bus will never go above 50km/h? Well, Stories from the 428 have gone one better. Over the past month, the show's writers have been gathering stories of their own, riding the 428 from Circular Quay to Canterbury, peering over your shoulder, reading your texts and listening in on your conversations, looking for the extraordinary in our ordinary rides. As a result, for two weeks over 50 actors will enact micro-dramas, monologues and even play the odd mp3 with humourous yet often sad effect from the lives that daily pass us by. So head down to Marrickville's Sidetrack Theatre for a comfortable and motion sickness–free ride on public transport's noble steed. Better yet, the bus stops right outside the theatre door, and with a new program for each week of the run, there's no reason not to pick up a travel ten and climb aboard. At $25, you almost certainly won't have to give up your seat to a stinking hobo. Image by Leah McGirr.
Come July, one of the most peaceful patches of Adelaide will become the most fiery. Don't worry, it's only temporary. Already a hit everywhere from Stonehenge to the Pont du Gard, and also in Melbourne, French art collective Compagnie Carabosse is bringing its acclaimed Fire Gardens back to Australia — specifically to the South Australian capital for 2024's Illuminate Adelaide. While the festival's full program won't be unveiled until Wednesday, May 1 — so, for interstate residents, what else will tempt you to SA hasn't been revealed as yet — this sprawling and suitably glowing installation is worth getting hot and bothered about already (in a good way, of course). For 12 nights, running Thursday–Sunday for three weeks between Thursday, July 4–Sunday, July 21, Fire Gardens will take over the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The North Terrace spot will be filled with thousands of fire pots, sculptures and terracotta urns — more than 7000, in fact. Pathways will be illuminated, archways will be lit by candles and huge spheres will roar and crackle. The installation will also feature luminous kinetic sculptures, and pair its sights with live music. Given that the group has been starting fires professionally for more than two decades, Compagnie Carabosse knows what it's doing — not only when it comes to safely cloaking a huge expanse of grass, plants and trees in flames, but in tapping into humanity's innate fondness for and primal attraction to fire. This isn't just about watching things burn, obviously, but about art. The soundtrack will also boost the mood and allure. Although Fire Gardens has popped up around the world, this iteration will be crafted specifically for Adelaide Botanic Garden. That means that you really won't see anything like it anywhere else. And, of course, you haven't seen the gardens set on fire before anyway. "The Illuminate Adelaide Fire Gardens experience is being designed specifically for our Botanic Garden, with Compagnie Carabosse already plotting and mapping out its largest-ever installation designed exclusively for Adelaide and the first time ever during an Australian winter," said Illuminate Adelaide co-founders and Creative Directors Lee Cumberlidge and Rachael Azzopardi. "Fire Gardens is the perfect way to experience Adelaide in July, and we know audiences will be blown away by this spectacle of leaping flames, fiery urns and smouldering archways." Fire Gardens will be part of Illuminate Adelaide 2024, running from Thursday, July 4–Sunday, July 21 at Adelaide Botanic Garden, North Terrace, Adelaide. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Images: Sylvie Monier, Jess Wyld, Regina Marcenkiene and Vincent Muteau.
This summer, Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria has brought together works from two of New York City's legendary 80s art figures. The world-first Crossing Lines exhibition showcases the art of Keith Haring alongside that of his good friend and creative rival Jean-Michel Basquiat. Emerging during the early 1980s, both artists found their start on the street before becoming hot properties in galleries around the world. Regarded as two of the most influential artists of the late 20th century, Crossing Lines draws parallels between the pair's differing and distinctive visual language of lines, signs and symbols. Both Haring and Basquiat commented heavily on society and politics in their practice; Haring was a champion of gay rights and sexual expression and, as an African-American artist, Basquiat explored race prominently in his work. Running until April 13, 2020, across painting, sculpture, objects and photographs, the NGV presents 200 artworks amassed from prominent galleries and private collections. Throughout the exhibition, visitors will be taken on a deep dive into each artist's personality and struggles, experiencing how they navigated their way from being relatively obscure street artists to global icons within only a short few years. As you make your way through Crossing Lines, you'll see some of the work Haring and Basquait created on New York City's streets and subway stations, as well creations from their early shows that propelled their careers onwards. Near the end of the exhibition, there's an array of important works created in the lead up to their deaths, which were both tragically premature. With so much to unpack, we've picked out six of the most impressive works you can find at Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines. KEITH HARING: UNTITLED (1983) Featuring many of Haring's trademark characters, this untitled work explores one of Haring's most discussed topics: technology and mass media. From the rise of personal computers to video games and cable television, the 1980s was an era of technological innovation. While many hailed these developments, Haring often expressed his concerns about how computers would influence society and especially its relationship with art. In 1983, Haring wrote: "The human imagination cannot be programmed by a computer. Our imagination is our greatest hope for survival." KEITH HARING: PROPHETS OF RAGE (1988) Whether it was the AIDS epidemic, the anti-apartheid movement or children's health, Haring was renowned for using his art to bring attention to many of society's most important issues. Painted in 1988, Prophets of Rage is Haring's take on race relations in the United States during such a turbulent era. Diverging from Haring's more lighthearted creations, this work demonstrates how he used his art vocabulary to tackle major topics like injustice. KEITH HARING: A PILE OF CROWNS, FOR JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT (1988) Found towards the end of the exhibition, one of the key pieces presented at Crossing Lines is titled A Pile of Crowns, for Jean-Michel Basquiat. Following the death of Basquiat on August 12, 1988, Haring produced this touching tribute to his friend, combining Basquiat's iconic crown motif with his own distinct use of line and symbolism. Haring was deeply heartbroken by the death of his friend, journaling extensively about his life. Alongside this work, you can find a handwritten draft by Haring for Basquiat's obituary. JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: UNTITLED (1982) While Haring was known to carefully plan out his murals, Basquiat found it almost impossible to stop adding to his. Layered with endless references and metaphors, throughout his work you'll notice his iconic crowns, skulls and copyright symbols. This work from 1982 sees Basquiat at his best, producing a vivid yet chaotic artwork that can be examined through multiple lenses. With the lines, colour and layers coming together with great effect, this work alludes to the concept of American identity. JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: ISHTAR (1983) Basquiat was known to have a deep interest in ancient mythology. This massive triptych painting — named after the Egyptian goddess of war and fertility — is again layered like almost all of Basquiat's work, with the background created using photocopied drawings, which was a common practice in his work. Drawing from a host of influences and cultural materials, Basquiat would often recreate text from books he was reading. In the top left corner, you can make out a list from Harold Bayley's 1912 book The Lost Language of Symbolism. JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: CANTASSO (1982) As one of Basquiat's landmark paintings, Cantasso marks an important moment in his career where he went from a modest graffiti and street artist to an internationally celebrated star. Featuring bold lines and colours emblematic of Basquiat's work, Cantasso is an attention-grabbing piece that displays his admiration for artists ranging from Pablo Picasso to the frenetic work of Cy Twombly and Jean Dubuffet. Cantasso is also recognised as the first in a series of Basquiat's work that included exposed stretcher-bars, where he would fashion ad-hoc canvasses out of just about any material available to him. Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines is on display at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne until April 13, 2020. It's a ticketed exhibition — you can buy them in advance on the NGV website. All images: Installation view of Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines for NGV International. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring Foundation. Shot by Tom Ross.
Already one of the most scenic areas in Australia, the Whitsundays are about to give visitors something else to look at — an installation of underwater and inter-tidal art. As part of the Whitsundays Reef Recovery and Public Art Project, six artists will create six artworks that'll sit beneath the sea, with tourists and locals able to snorkel and dive around them from the end of 2019. Selected from 73 expressions of interest, Brian Robinson, Adriaan Vanderlugt and Col Henry will create their pieces individually, while Caitlin Reilly, Jessa Lloyd and Kate Ford, from the Arts Based Collective, will work together. And although everyone will have to wait a year to enjoy the underwater creations at Langford Reef, some of the artworks will be designed with a dual purpose. As Lloyd explains, Arts Based Collective's contribution — called Anthozoa — "not only performs aesthetically in its sculptural form, but importantly doubles as a site for reef restoration. As the underwater form matures, visitors snorkelling and diving the site will see a sculpture festooned with a myriad of coral species, tentacles encrusted with soft and hard corals, marine animals sheltering in and peeking from small holes." Other pieces include a turtle, manta rays, Maori wrasse, coral polyp and an indigenous sculpture, 'Bwya', that contains 12 local species of fish and sharks. Made out of concrete, stainless steel and aluminium, they'll be placed in spots accessible to snorkelers and scuba divers. Although they'll vary in size, the largest sculpture will span six metres in length. The announcement follows a trial that began at the beginning of August, marking the first sculptures to ever be placed in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Local artist Vanderlugt earned those honours, with four of his sculptures placed near Langford Reef — including a fish, a nudibranch (aka a type of mollusc) and a crab that ranged up to 1.8 metres long, and weighed around 300 kilograms. Other than celebrating creativity, the Whitsundays Reef Recovery and Public Art Project aims give the region a new attraction, unsurprisingly. "This artwork will provide a new experience for people travelling to the Whitsundays and will help the marine tourism industry recover after Cyclone Debbie," said Queensland Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones in a statement earlier this year. "Around the world — from the Caribbean, to the Maldives, Spain, Bali and Australia's west coast — underwater art has been used to lure visitors." Images: Tourism Whitsundays / Lauren Vadnjal.
Nineteeen-year-old genius Boyan Slat has proposed building an Ocean Cleanup Array, a device that could remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste from the world's oceans. While in school, Slat analysed the size and number of all the plastic particles in the ocean. Slat continued to develop this project and went on to start the Ocean Cleanup Foundation, a non-profit responsible for the development of his projects. The Ocean Cleanup Array would be placed in gyres, which are five areas in the world's oceans that have accumulated the most amount of plastic and garbage. Its anchored network of 'floating booms and processing platforms' would span the whole radius of the gyre, acting as funnels that are slightly tilted, creating a force towards the platforms. The debris enters the platforms and is stored in containers within the device until being collected for sales and recycling. If you weren't already impressed with the feat of removing over 7 million tons of plastic waste from the oceans, then listen to this: According to Inhabitat, the Ocean Cleanup Array could save hundreds to thousands to millions of aquatic animals every year. It would also reduce the number of pollutants that are building up in the food chain, including PCB and DDT. And it could eventually save millions of dollars every year in ocean clean-up costs, lost tourism to designated areas and damage to marine ships. According to Slat's website, it would take approximately five years to clean up the world's oceans. Even though the device would clean billions of kilograms of plastic, the solution isn't perfect. It has drawn concern from some critics who worry about negative effects to marine life and it still requires more research. The ocean won't ever be 100 percent clean of plastic and debris, but this is a start. Via Inhabitat.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Toshiba. There’s no doubting the quaint charm of the ubiquitous sushi train. But there’s also no reason why Japanese food innovation should stop at the nearest station. Consequently, Toshiba is about to take the humble sushi roll to a whole new adventure. For three nights, they’ll be bringing the world’s first ever sushi roller-coaster to Sydney and feeding you Zushi-made delights in the process — all for free (free!). From Friday, October 30, to Sunday, November 1, the mad culinary fairground attraction will pop up at District 01, an arts space in Randle Street, just a few minutes’ walk from Central Station. Between 6pm and 9pm, you’ll be able to pop in, put in your order and watch it zip, dip and dive its way to your table. This is what happens when uber-advanced tech combines with cutting-edge cooking. THE ROLLER-COASTER First up, the event will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Bookings aren’t possible. So, whoever’s waiting at the head of the queue when the doors open at 6pm will be eating first. There’s seating for about 18 people at any one time. To gain admission, you’ll need evidence that you’ve ‘liked’ Toshiba’s Facebook page, so don’t forget your mobile device. Once seated, you’ll make your order via one of Toshiba’s very latest tablets powered by Intel inside and then wait for the roller-coaster to do its thing. The epic steel contraption starts life at ceiling height in the kitchen, wraps its way around the room and descends to the dining table. Your sushi travels along it at break-neck speed, taking an array of ups and downs on the way to its destination. THE FOOD The roller-coaster won’t be the only new invention of the night. Surry Hills-based sushi gurus Zushi are putting together four very special, custom-made creations. We can’t tell you exactly what they are (no spoilers!), but we can reveal that they’re inspired by Zushi favourites. We can also assure you that they’ll be constructed extra carefully and packed tightly into cute, hardy little carts to ensure that they survive their ride without suffering any damage. Zushi chef Lee has been in the business for 27 years and is big on sourcing local ingredients. He’s known for creative takes on both sushi and izakaya-inspired dishes, and Zushi is definitely among the more fun and inviting of Surry Hills’ many eateries. It’ll be exciting to find out what Lee comes up with for this new dining experience. SERIOUSLY JAPANESE The pop-up, which is another chapter in Toshiba’s Seriously Japanese campaign, will take on a distinctively Japanese theme. Walking in, you’ll find yourself face-to-face with a show chef, who’ll be chopping up a sushi storm, while the roller-coaster rattles overhead and a big screen displays Japan-inspired graphics. You’ll then be greeted by geisha-costumed waitresses and waited on by suited 'salary men'. To keep you entertained throughout your seating (as if the roller-coaster isn't enough), there’ll be music, lights and visuals. Areas in the room will be decorated according to various Japanese themes, with props and toys. Think everything from paper lanterns to fortune cats (referred to as ‘maneki neko’ in Japanese) to Godzilla. The aim is slick-technology-and-ingenuity-meets-quirky-cute-funny. Keep up to date with developments at Toshiba’s Australia and New Zealand Facebook page.
When Disney isn't keeping huge pop-culture franchises on our screens or ensuring that everyone's childhood favourites never fade into memory — and sometimes doing both at the same time — it happens to be mighty fond of scandals and true crime. Well, to be precise, the Mouse House-owned US streaming platform Hulu is, and its shows keep making their way Down Under via Disney+. The latest even promises a massive stripping-empire saga, sordid deeds driven by money and murder because of the dance floor. After exploring the story behind Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's sex tape in the 90s-set Pam & Tommy to start 2022, Disney+ plans to end it with a jump into back to the 70s and 80s — aided by a whole heap of disrobing male dancers — courtesy of Welcome to Chippendales. And if watching the just-dropped first teaser trailer for the latter gets you thinking about the former, there's another reason for that: writer/executive producer/creator Robert Siegel is behind both. The focus here: Somen 'Steve' Banerjee, who was born in India, moved to the US, bought a Los Angeles nightclub and founded the striptease troupe turned worldwide hit that shares Welcome to Chippendales' name. Banerjee's tale involves outrageous success, but also turns into sinister territory. That's put it mildly; however, if you don't already know the details, you'll want to discover the rest while watching. Fresh from a superhero stint in Eternals, Kumail Nanjiani plays Banerjee — and the rest of the star-studded cast includes newly minted The White Lotus Emmy-winner Murray Bartlett, Yellowjackets' Juliette Lewis and American Crime Story's Annaleigh Ashford, as well as Dan Stevens (I'm Your Man), Andrew Rannells (Girls5eva), Nicola Peltz Beckham (Holidate), Quentin Plair (The Good Lord Bird) and Robin de Jesús (Tick, Tick... Boom!). WandaVision's Matt Shakman is in the director's chair and, if you're fond of the era, expect the appropriate soundtrack (and vibe) when the show starts streaming from Tuesday, November 22. It'll drop two episodes first up, then new instalments weekly afterwards across the eight-episode limited series' run. Move over Magic Mike: Welcome to Chippendales looks set to be everyone's next stripper-fuelled obsession, and new true-crime addiction as well. Check out the trailer below: Welcome to Chippendales will be available to stream via Disney+ from November 22.
No one in Australia expects to feel cold in January. Summer is in full swing, after all. It's prime beach and pool season, obviously — and, even though the festive period is over and everyone is settling back into the year after the holidays, thoughts of lazing around by or splashing around in a body of water aren't ever too far from anyone's minds. Whether you're fond of cooling down with a refreshing dip, or you prefer to escape to the vicinity of the nearest fan or air-conditioner, you might want to put those plans into action across the rest of this week. From today, Thursday, January 21, temperatures are expected to be mighty hot all around the nation, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's latest major cities forecast. As per BOM's city-specific forecasts, some of those temps are due to stick around a bit longer than that, too. After an expected top of 27 degrees on Thursday, Sydneysiders can expect a few sweaty days, with temps staying at 30 or above from Friday until mid-next week. Still in NSW, Newcastle will hit 34 on Sunday, while Wollongong will get to 31. That isn't as warm as Canberra in the ACT, though — with the Australian capital forecast to hit 38 on Sunday and 39 on Monday. Sunday and Monday will be warm in Melbourne, too, with tops of 35 and 37 forecast. They'll come after a 31-degree Thursday, then expected maximums of 26 and 27 on Friday and Saturday. Thankfully, a drop to 22 is forecast for Tuesday. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1351781371715477504 Brisbane will get to 27 on Thursday, 29 on Friday, and 30 from Saturday–Monday, and 33 on Tuesday and Wednesday — so it'll be warm, but also usual summer weather. In Adelaide, the mercury will rise to 35 on Thursday, dip down to 32 on Friday, then soar to 39 on Saturday and a whopping 41 on Sunday. Also in the centre of the country, Alice Springs can expect its maximum temperature to stay between 35–39 degrees for four days from Thursday, while Darwin's will sit at 32-33 across the same period. In Perth, it'll actually get a tad cooler over the weekend — starting with a 34-degree maximum on Thursday, then going up to 36 degrees on Friday, before dropping to 26 on Saturday and Sunday. And down in Hobart, a top temperature of 27 is forecast for Sunday, with 30 expected on Monday — following other maximums of 22, 23 and 25 in the days prior. Of course, while these are BOM's forecasts as issued at 6.05am on Thursday, January 21, conditions may change — so keep an eye on the Bureau's website for the most up-to-date information. For latest weather forecasts, head to the Bureau of Meteorology website.
From Four Pillars to Archie Rose and Poor Toms, Australia is home to some of the world's best gin. Now, a new player is about to emerge, with a new distillery set to open in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge later this year. Hickson House Distilling Co is the new distillery opening in The Rocks this June. The distillery is the new venture from Mikey Enright and Julian Train (The Barber Shop, The Duke of Clarence), as well as former Manly Spirits distiller Tim Stones. The distillery's first products will be a range of gins made using all locally sourced ingredients, including native botanicals from The Loch farm in Berrima. As well as creating gins, and eventually whiskies, aperitifs and specialist spirits, Hickson House will also be open to the public for a range of tours, tastings and dining experiences. [caption id="attachment_798830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A render of Hickson House[/caption] You'll be able to purchase bottles of the house-made spirits from an on-site store or visit a cocktail bar, which will sit above the distillery floor, serving tasty creations that champion the Hickson House spirits alongside a complementary menu of botanical-inspired food. While the menu for the bar and dining experience is yet to be revealed, we've been told it'll feature Enright and Train's take on modern Australian cuisine. The 450-square-metre warehouse is the former parking garage of the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi. The garage is currently being transformed into the bar and distillery with the garage roller doors proposed as the planned entrance. Designed by Sydney agency Steel + Stitch and UK designer Sara Mathers, the bar will feature twin chandeliers and will retain much of the aesthetic nature of the original warehouse. Hickson House Distilling Co is slated to open on Hickson Road, The Rocks in June 2021. Top image: Mikey Enright, Julian Train and Tim Stones
Forget microwave dinners. Come the not too distant future, you could be cooking your food in the washing machine. A university student in Tel Aviv has recently devised a new type of instant meal that cooks sous-vide style in the laundry along with your dirty socks. How very appetising. Created by Iftach Gazit of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, the Sous La Vie bags are made from waterproof Tyvek paper, and contain a sealed inner plastic bag — ensuring you don't end up with mixed veggies in your undies, or soap in your salmon teriyaki. "In sous-vide, the food is cooked in a bath-like device at temperatures usually around 50 to 70 degrees Celsius," explains Gazit in a blog post. "The same conditions can be found in a washing machine." "Instead of following a sous-vide recipe and cooking a piece of meat at 58 degrees Celsius for two and a half hours, just set your washing machine to 'synthetics' for a long duration program," he suggests. "Cooking vegetables? Set your machine to 'cotton' for a short duration program." In addition to being a convenient — if rather disconcerting — option for those of us who don't have a lot of time to prepare food, Gazit also believes that his invention could help those who are sleeping rough, pointing out that all night laundromats often double as impromptu accommodation for the homeless. "They offer a hassle-free shelter," he explains. "So why shouldn't you be able to cook some food while there?" It's not clear if and when Gazit's product will ever hit the market, or whether it would ever really be embraced by consumers. Still… surely you'd be curious to try it at least once. Via Dezeen.
It's no surprise Redfern has become one of Sydney's most desirable places to reside. Of course, the charming neighbourhood has long had a diversity of cultures, plus accessibility to both the inner city and inner west suburbs in its favour. Combine these with the many bars, restaurants and eclectic shops that have made their home here over the past few years and The 'Fern has become quite the illustrious postcode. With all this at your fingertips, we've teamed up with American Express to put together a handy guide to the small businesses in the area to seek out — whether you're on the hunt for a cosy date night spot or a place to flex your DIY skills.
If you're looking to do something a little different on your next trip to the Blue Mountains, book an adventure with Blue Mountains Glow Worm Tours. You'll be heading out at nightfall to see glow worms, without having to put up with noisy crowds. Your tour guide will meet you at a private property, then lead you along a rustic track, across footbridges and over boulders, before descending into a cool, mossy canyon. As soon as you catch your breath, you'll see that you're absolutely surrounded by glow worms. Along the way, learn all about how the little critters work — including why you shouldn't shine a torch in their faces — and, if you're lucky, see one up close. Each tour lasts an hour and costs $65 per person.
There's something special about hitting up the best Sydney brewery bars where you can sip on beers right next to the very tanks they were made in. You feel a part of the process, even if you're just sitting there with a bunch of mates, watching on as the master brewers do all the hard work. And we Sydneysiders are blessed to have so many to choose from. While many of them lay in the Inner West, Sydney has brewery bars everywhere. You won't have to travel far to find long lists of creative craft beers (that you can also buy to take home) served alongside gastropub eats. But these spots tend to be hidden behind roller shutters in industrial areas. So, read on to discover where the best Sydney brewery bars can be found — and what beers you'll likely be sampling. Recommended reads: The Best Pubs in Sydney The Best Wine Bars in Sydney The Best Bottle Shops in Sydney The Best Bars in Sydney
In Australia's ongoing war on waste, different states have been implementing different bans and schemes at different times. That includes scrapping single-use plastic bags, bringing in container deposit schemes, and ditching straws, plastic cutlery and other disposable items — with the details and timing changing depending on where in the country you live. Single-use plastic bags were banned in Queensland in 2018 and Victoria in 2019, for instance, with NSW signalling its intention to do the same in the future. When it comes to container deposit schemes, NSW brought one in 2017, Queensland did in 2018 and Victoria's is set to start in 2023. And, after South Australia became Australia's first state to ban single-use plastics earlier this year, Queensland will follow in its footsteps from this September, while Victoria has set a launch date of 2023 there as well. At the national level, the Federal Government pledged back in 2018 that it'd ensure that 100 percent of the country's packaging is recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025. Earlier in 2021, it launched the National Plastics Plan, which brings forward that timeline in many instances to 2022. Now, at a meeting of the nation's environment ministers held yesterday, Thursday, April 15, agreement was reached regarding phasing out a range of single-use plastic items nationally. Set to be banned countrywide: lightweight plastic bags, and plastic straws, utensils and stirrers. The states have agreed to phase out eight "problematic and unnecessary" plastic product types under the National Waste Policy Action Plan, with expanded polystyrene food containers (such as cups and clamshells), expanded polystyrene loose fill and moulded packaging, and microbeads used in personal health care products also on the list. Other than coming to an agreement about the types of products to be banned and setting a 2025 deadline, no other firm details were released. In some cases, though — such as where individual states act earlier, or where the NPP has set an earlier date — a number of these items might be out of circulation sooner. Australia's states will also look to bring their respective container deposit schemes into line with each other, also by 2025. That'll include harmonisation regarding the size and types of containers that can be recycled, refund amounts and labelling standards. For more information about the Federal Government's National Plastics Plan, head to the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment website. Further details about the recent Environment Ministers Meeting discussion can also be found on the same department site.
Seeing movies get the TV treatment isn't a new trend. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows to Fargo, plus everything from Irma Vep and Dead Ringers to A League of Their Own and Interview with the Vampire as well, there's no shortage of examples (and that's before getting into Marvel's and Star Wars' shows). But when Baz Luhrmann's Australia hits the small screen, it'll be doing a few things differently. Firstly, it has a new name. Secondly, it's been fashioned out of originally shot footage back when the flick was made — so it's turning the film into television quite literally. That series: Faraway Downs, a six-parter that was first announced in 2022, is closing the first-ever SXSW Sydney Screen Festival and is destined for Disney+ Down Under from Sunday, November 26. Wondering how that might turn out, even if you've seen Australia? There's now a Faraway Downs trailer. For 15 years, Australia has inspired a particular train of thought when it comes to Luhrmann's movies: they can't all be good ones, even if almost all of them are. Australia is the one outlier on his resume — the one film that doesn't live up to the spectacular Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby and Elvis — so that's where the tinkering and reimagining as Faraway Downs comes in. "I was inspired to re-approach my film Australia to create Faraway Downs because of the way episodic storytelling has been reinvigorated by the streaming world," said Luhrmann. "With over two-million feet of film from the original piece, my team and I were able to revisit anew the central themes of the work." Combining two of the nation's biggest actors with one of its biggest filmmakers, Faraway Downs still stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, of course. If you need a refresher on Australia's plot — and therefore the new episodic version's plot, too — it follows English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman, The Northman) after she comes into possession of an Aussie cattle ranch. To save it from cattle barons, she enlists the help of a drover (Jackman, The Son). That's just the overall gist, however, given that the sprawling movie also spans World War II and its impact, as well as the country's historical treatment of Indigenous Australians. Fittingly given the OG name — and as usually proves the case with Luhrmann's flicks — the cast includes a who's who of homegrown talent. As well as Kidman and Jackman, plus Brandon Walters (Mystery Road) as Nullah, everyone from Essie Davis (Nitram) and Bryan Brown (Hungry Ghosts) to Ben Mendelsohn (Secret Invasion), Jack Thompson (High Ground) and David Wenham (Elvis) features, as does the now-late David Gulpilil (Storm Boy) and Bill Hunter (The Cup). Check out the trailer for Faraway Downs below: Faraway Downs streams in Australia and New Zealand via Disney+ from Sunday, November 26 — after closing the 2023 SXSW Sydney Screen Festival on Saturday, October 21.
Thirty-five years ago, Spike Lee (American Utopia) directed his fourth film. Following a jazz trumpeter portrayed by Denzel Washington (Gladiator II), Mo' Better Blues started one of cinema's finest filmmaker-actor collaborations. Before that decade was out, the pair also made 1992's Malcolm X and 1998's He Got Game together. Then came 2006's crime-thriller Inside Man. Next, after a nearly two-decade wait, arrives Highest 2 Lowest. Lee and Washington are two of the biggest names in America filmmaking, and they're back in business together, teaming up on a movie that premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and will soon stream Down Under via Apple TV+. Highest 2 Lowest initially dropped a sneak peek back in May, asking if audiences can "handle the mayhem?". Ahead of the A24 flick's cinema release in the US, the picture has just unveiled its full trailer. The latest Lee-directed joint not only sees two icons reunite, but also reimagines the work of another. This time, the two Oscar-winners (Lee for BlacKkKLansman's screenplay, Washington for Glory and Training Day) are reinterpreting 1963 crime thriller High and Low from Akira Kurosawa. In the New York City-set Highest 2 Lowest, Washington plays a music mogul who is about to navigate quite the chaos. His character is renowned for having the "best ears in the business", then is saddled with a ransom plot, while also being faced with a moral dilemma with potentially grave repercussions. Also featuring Ilfenesh Hadera (Godfather of Harlem), Jeffrey Wright (The Last of Us), Ice Spice and A$AP Rocky (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You), Highest 2 Lowest is Lee's first film since 2020, when both Da 5 Bloods and concert movie American Utopia released. The movie has a date with US cinemas from Friday, August 22, 2025, then viewers everywhere — including in Australia and New Zealand — will be able to watch Highest 2 Lowest via Apple TV+ from Friday, September 5, 2025. Check out the full trailer for Highest 2 Lowest below: Highest 2 Lowest streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, September 5, 2025.
Right now, we're navigating the weird — and often glitchy — world of digital drinks. Instead of clocking off, going down to our local and ordering a pint with some colleagues, we're on Zoom calls and dancing at online nightclubs. But what to drink? By now, we're sure your kitchen either looks like a full-blown saloon or you've at least got some supplies stashed away. So, instead of reaching for the wine, why not take things up a notch with a cocktail? And not just any cocktail, but one worthy of a celebrity. Thankfully, the world has recently been blessed with a fair bit of celeb cocktail content of late — from cosmopolitan queen Ina Garten to suave Stanley Tucci and the ever-classy Meryl Streep. And, unlike Paris Hilton and her lasagne, you can trust these three celebs in the kitchen. So, if you're wondering what concoction to make this afternoon, look no further. INA GARTEN'S GIANT COSMOPOLITAN (SUITABLE AT ALMOST ANY HOUR) Serves one Ina Garten or a household Keeping cocktail hour alive — even though "nobody's stopping by" — is Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). And while her catchcry "it's always cocktail hour in a crisis" may not be advisable, it's pretty relatable. Plus, this is coming from a culinary icon. Her drink of choice during iso is the sophisticated cosmo, naturally. If you want to take a page out of the cocktail queen's cookbook, you'll need top-shelf vodka, Cointreau (or any orange liqueur), cranberry juice, limes and ice, plus a jug, novelty-sized cocktail shaker (with strainer) and an extra-large martini glass. Ingredients 2 cups vodka 1 cup Cointreau 1 cup cranberry juice 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime Ice Method Pour vodka, cointreau, cranberry juice and lime into jug. Stir. Half fill shaker with ice and add in the cocktail mix. Depending on the size of your shaker, you may have to do this in batches. Shake for 30 seconds. Pour into martini glass(es). In the wise words of Garten: "During a crisis, you know, cocktail hour can be almost any hour." So, bottoms up. https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-cJUwUpxbM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link STANLEY TUCCI'S UNLAWFUL — BUT INTRIGUING — NEGRONI UP Serves one If you can look past the incredibly sculpted biceps, you'll see The Devil Wears Prada actor shaking a negroni. Yes, shaking. While most like their negronis as they should be — on the rocks, with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari — Tucci's twist is intriguing. But again, it could be the arms. For what Tucci calls a Negroni Up, you'll need gin, sweet vermouth (good sweet vermouth, not that Martini brand he has such disdain for), Campari, an orange, and ice, plus a cocktail shaker (with strainer) and a glass, preferably a coupe. Now, throw whatever negroni-making knowledge you have aside. Ingredients 2 shots gin 1 shot sweet vermouth 1 shot Campari 1 orange slice Ice Method Half fill shaker with ice and add gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. Shake it up, as Tucci does so well. Pour into a coupe, martini glass, or whatever you want. Garnish with an orange slice. Really, a negroni is a simple drink, relying on balance and good liquor. Although Tucci's breaks all the rules, his confidence has us convinced. https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_NkcbTgVfy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link MERYL STREEP'S MARTINI (WITH A SIDE OF SHOW TUNES AND SCOTCH) Serves one Even Meryl Streep is getting around the quarantini — shaken, not stirred. But she doesn't just make a stiff drink and tell you how to do it, no. The award-winning actor takes her cocktail making to the next level — of course she does — leaving a little guesswork to the recipe. So, you can get creative with this one. As part of Stephen Sondheim's birthday celebrations, which saw celebrities the world over celebrate with a virtual concert, Streep shakes up a martini while singing Sondheim's show tune 'The Ladies Who Lunch'. She's joined by a red wine-drinking Christine Baranski and a bourbon-swigging Audra McDonald and if you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favour and watch it here, immediately. For Meryl's martini, you'll need gin, vermouth, lemon, ice, plus a cocktail shaker (with strainer) and martini glass. And a chic robe to wear while shaking and singing. Ingredients 50 millilitres gin 10 millilitres dry vermouth lemon twist Ice Method Half fill shaker with ice and add gin and dry vermouth. Shake for about 30 seconds — or the duration of singing: 'Here's to the girls that stay smart / Aren't they a gas?/ Rushing to their classes / In optical art / Wishing it would pass'. Pour into a martini glass theatrically and garnish with lemon twist while belting out 'I'll drink to that'. Once you've sung a bit more and polished off that martini, take a large sip of scotch straight from the bottle — be sure to do it with equal parts class and sass. Then, pour yourself another martini. https://twitter.com/michcoll/status/1254609437492461569
She became one of the most successful artists in pop music history with classic hits such as '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman', 'I Feel The Earth Move' and 'You've Got a Friend'. And now, the extraordinary story of Carole King has been immortalised into jukebox musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Following successful runs in the US and UK, the critically acclaimed production based on King's life has made its way to Australia. The local run, produced by Michael Cassel, arrived at Sydney Lyric Theatre in September and has already received a "cavalcade of glowing reviews". Beautiful begins with King's early years as a teenage songwriter. It covers her time writing with husband Gerry Goffin for the likes of Aretha Franklin and The Drifters, and their playful rivalry with friends and writing partners, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The show then charts her personal success as a solo artist in the 1970s, cementing her iconic status on a global scale. The Sydney production will run until the end of January 2018 before heading on to Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre at The Star, the musical also comes with several pre-theatre dining menus available from the likes of Balla (from $59) and BLACK Bar & Grill (from $79) where you can dig into burrata, pork terrine and barramundi and dine on oysters, gnocchi or angus fillet, respectively. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs until the end of January 2018 at Sydney Lyric Theatre, before heading to Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Tickets start at $60. Before the show in Sydney, you can book into pre-theatre dining at any of the restaurants at The Star, including Balla, BLACK Bar & Grill and Harvest Buffet, among others. Find out more about the dining packages here.
Here's one for the money: a huge Elvis Presley showcase, filled with around 300 artifacts owned by the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, all on display in Australia. Come autumn 2022, you'll want to step into your blue suede shoes and take a trip to the Bendigo Art Gallery, which'll fill its walls and halls with Elvis' clothes, vehicles and other personal items. All those jumpsuits he was so famous for wearing? A selection will be on display. The only car from his movies that was actually his? That red convertible 1960 MG, from the film Blue Hawaii, is visiting Australia for the first time. The Bendigo Art Gallery will also showing some tender love to Elvis' military uniforms, first job application and wedding tuxedo — plus Priscilla Presley's wedding dress. Plenty of the items heading to regional Victoria rarely travel beyond Graceland — so yes, calling the exhibition is Elvis: Direct from Graceland is apt. It'll serve up this hunk of burning Elvis love between Saturday, March 19–Sunday, July 17 in an Australian exclusive, as curated in collaboration with the Graceland archives. "It is a great honour to work alongside the creative team at the Bendigo Art Gallery to bring this unprecedented, detailed and comprehensive look into Elvis' life and career to Australia," said Angie Marchese, Vice President Archives and Exhibits at Elvis Presley Enterprises. "While Elvis was never able to visit Australia himself, it brings us great pride at Graceland to know that his legacy and music lives on there. We look forward to sharing a glimpse into Elvis' life with the fans in Australia," Marchese continued. [caption id="attachment_829957" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elvis Presley strolls the grounds of his Graceland estate, 1957. Photo by Michael Ochs. © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.[/caption] Other featured objects include Elvis' 1976 Red Bicentennial Custom Harley Davidson, his first grade crayon box from school and other garments from his personal wardrobe — if you're wondering what else will get the exhibition shaking, rattling and rolling. Costumes from his film career, movie scripts, jewellery worn by him and even vintage Elvis-branded merchandise will all be on display as well. Elvis: Direct from Graceland will step through all the key periods in the rock 'n' roll icon's life, from his early Mississippi days through to his Vegas years — and also peer beyond the pompadour and sequins, exploring his interest in books, karate and horses, and all things Graceland. It's Bendigo Art Gallery's latest huge exhibition to focus on style icons, after previously showcasing Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Balenciaga and Mary Quant. When it comes to celebrating high-profile figures, it seems the venue can't help falling in love. Elvis: Direct From Graceland displays at the Bendigo Art Gallery from Saturday, March 19–Sunday, July 17, 2022. For further information or to buy tickets, head to the gallery's website. Top image: Elvis Presley in the 1968 NBC television special, Singer Presents... Elvis, later known as the 'Comeback Special'. Photograph: Fathom Events/CinEvents. © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC.
Last week, NASA announced that it would start rocketing into space from Australia. This week, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has revealed plans to allow tourists to not only soar beyond the earth, but spend time on the International Space Station. If you've ever wanted to hang out in an artificial satellite that's orbiting the planet — and you have spare piles of cash secreted away — your dreams might just be about to come true. Possibly commencing as early as 2020, private astronauts will be able to spend up to 30 days on the ISS, with two tourists allowed onboard at any one time. But before you go getting too excited, it'll come at a cost, obviously. Visitors will need to pay US$11,250 a day for use of life support and bathroom facilities, plus an extra $22,500 per day for food, air and medical supplies — and also fork out for the presumably ultra-expensive trip to actually get there. NASA won't be running an off-planet bed-and-breakfast, unsurprisingly, or a space public transport system. Rather, the move comes as part of a broader approach, with the ISS opening to commercial ventures in general — including private tourist outfits. The latter will be able to arrange the privately funded, dedicated commercial spaceflights for eager visitors, using NASA-developed US spacecraft. They'll also be responsible for flight crews, as well as ensuring that private astronauts meet the necessary medical and training requirements. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1137000745922957313 Overall, NASA's statement talks of accelerating "a thriving commercial economy in low-earth orbit" — with businesses able to operate out of the station. While more than 50 companies are already involved with the ISS, their work is currently restricted to research and development; however that'll no longer be the case. Expect to keep hearing more about the agency's commercial efforts, given that there's another aim in store as well: landing the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024.
A trip to the cinema can brighten up the bleakest of days — and while it's a safe (and often enjoyable) choice to flock to the flicks you know have mass rave reviews, sometimes it's nice to get stuck into a film that hasn't garnered loud critical acclaim. Superheroes, franchises, sequels and remakes are all well and good, but there's a wealth of features gracing screens near you that don't always fall into those categories. They're the under-seen and often under-sung gems, and they're some of 2016's most rewarding, entertaining and engaging viewing. To help you catch up on a year's worth of great cinema, we're put together rundown of the ten 2016 best movies that box office figures tell us you probably missed. Have a few to catch up on? Don't worry — you can't spend all year purely watching films. Besides, that's what summer holidays are for. GREEN ROOM If you only see one movie featuring Patrick Stewart as a fascist heavy metal club owner, make it Jeremy Saulnier's follow-up to the criminally under-seen Blue Ruin. The actor also known as Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Xavier will send chills down your spine — but there's a just as impressive bunch of actors trying to fend him off. As the title suggests, much of Green Room takes place backstage, where Anton Yelchin, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat and their band stumble across something they shouldn't have. Prepare to feel uneasy as you watch this violent, claustrophobic thriller. And prepare to appreciate Yelchin's many talents for one of the last times. SING STREET Lightning strikes not just twice but thrice for Irish filmmaker John Carney; with Once and Begin Again also on his resume, he's clearly on a roll. Sing Street is another music-focused outing, this time following a teenage band in the 1980s — and adolescent hopes and dreams have rarely been so charming. From the original songs you'll immediately have stuck in your head, to the loveable cast of Irish newcomers, Carney doesn't make a wrong move. We predict that, in years to come, this will join all the usual actual '80s efforts on your repeat-viewing list. TUNNEL Zombie effort Train to Busan wasn't the only ace action-oriented film South Korea gifted audiences this year. Tunnel might've received much less attention, but if you like watching tense disaster efforts, people trying to claw their way out a crumbled structure and/or bureaucratic bungling, then this is the movie for you. Sure, you probably think you've seen it all before — but thanks to A Hard Day director Kim Seong-hun, prepare yourself for one of the most well-rounded examples of the genre to grace cinema screens. Indeed, Tunnel succeeds on three fronts: making its life-or-death scenario feel urgent and immediate, fleshing out its characters and garnering a genuine emotional impact. MAGGIE'S PLAN Maggie's Plan isn't a sequel to Frances Ha by any means, but it is the next best thing. Writer/director Rebecca Miller guides Greta Gerwig through another idiosyncratic existence, this time as a single woman keen to jump into motherhood — and not at all concerned that she's not in a relationship. Gerwig once again shines in the kind of role she's made her own, with excellent support from Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Maya Rudolph and Bill Hader. What makes the film truly stand out though, is its acceptance of life's ups and downs. You'll laugh, you'll smile, and you'll nod in agreement many, many times while watching. THE FITS Among its many, many merits, The Fits proves that bigger isn't always better. In fact, in her first fiction feature, writer/director Anna Rose Holmer makes the most of every one of the film's 72 minutes. Within such a brief running time, she packs in a beguiling narrative set in the world of drill dance, as 11-year-old Toni (first-timer Royalty Hightower, who puts in an astonishing performance) joins a local squad just as her teammates start mysteriously fainting. Both forms of movement are integral in the way Holmer tells her tale — in fact, The Fits is one of the best examples of blending style and story in recent years. CHASING ASYLUM Even when you're an Oscar and Emmy Award-winning producer, making a documentary about Australia's treatment of asylum seekers isn't easy. There's a sense of danger that just doesn't dissipate in Eva Orner's Chasing Asylum, whether you're getting a glimpse of the conditions experienced by refugees detained in offshore facilities, or following the efforts of staff to secretly capture the film's footage. And while Orner's viewpoint is never in doubt, it's supported by an illuminating array of interviews and context-providing background information. Still, the on-the-ground material speaks for itself, and makes Chasing Asylum must-see viewing. SHIN GODZILLA He's big, scaly and has been wreaking havoc on Japan since the 1950s — and now he's back. Yes, he's none other than Godzilla, and his latest big screen venture provides him with a welcome return to the monster movie fold. Forget the terrible 1998 effort starring Matthew Broderick, and the better but still less-than-stellar 2014 film, because this is how a modern Godzilla flick should be made. Nodding to the past and finding a new way forward, Shin Godzilla is a kaiju flick that knows how to balance size and spectacle with societal commentary and human drama. LOOKING FOR GRACE There's a fine line between ordinary and odd in Looking for Grace, but that applies to the situation its characters find themselves in, rather than the film. Indeed, in trying to explore that very idea, writer/director Sue Brooks offers up an offbeat but insightful take on dramatic family antics, as told across non-linear chapters. And, she has enlisted a fantastic cast to help relate the efforts of a runaway teenage girl, her distraught parents and the retired cop called in to assist. The Daughter's Odessa Young once again proves a star in the making, Richard Roxburgh is a delight and Radha Mitchell shows off her comic timing. HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS After watching Hello, My Name Is Doris, wanting to grow up to become Sally Field's eponymous character is completely understandable. She might only be finding her way in the world at an advanced age and after the death of her mother, but Doris has something most people can only dream of: a genuine willingness to step outside of her comfort zone and try new things. That's why, as the film that bears her name charts her new affection for a much, much younger colleague (Max Greenfield), it never feels less than sweet and sensitive. Writer/director Michael Showalter also penned and starred in Wet Hot American Summer, which should give you an idea of the movie's slightly offbeat vibe. TRUMAN Reunited friends, an encroaching separation, a cute pet pooch that needs a new home — as far as tear-jerking clichés go, Truman appears to hit the jackpot. Of course, appearances can be deceiving, as proves the case here. One of the greatest skills in filmmaking and storytelling is making seemingly well-worn tales and components explore new depths, traverse different territory and earn their emotional response. In a quiet, gentle fashion, Cesc Gay's modest but moving musing on life and love, along with Ricardo Darín and Javier Cámara's finessed performances, manages to do just that.
One won't stop cracking wise. The other prefers to say as little as possible. Naturally, they're about to become the Marvel Cinematic Universe's favourite big-screen odd couple. The former: Deadpool, as played by Ryan Reynolds since 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The latter: Wolverine, the X-Men hero that's been synonymous with Hugh Jackman for almost a quarter-century. The movie: Deadpool 3, which'll hit cinemas in 2024. Jackman has already busted out the adamantium claws in nine movies, starting with 2000's X-Men and running through to 2017's Logan, which was poised as his swan song in the role. But when you've been playing a part for that long, in that many flicks, what's one more go-around? After a non-Wolverine gap spent starring in The Greatest Showman, The Front Runner, Bad Education and Reminiscence, Jackman is clearly ready to get hairy again. [caption id="attachment_611846" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Logan[/caption] The news came via a social media video hosted by Reynolds, who notes that Deadpool 3 has been in the works for a while now. "I've had to really search my soul on this one. His first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special," said Reynolds. "We need to stay true to the character, find new depth, motivation, meaning. Every Deadpool needs to stand out and stand apart. It's been an incredible challenge that has forced me to reach down deep inside. And I... I have nothing. Yeah, just completely empty up here. And terrifying. But we did have one idea," he continues. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman) "Hey, Hugh, you want to play Wolverine one more time?" Reynolds then asks, with Jackman strolling past in the background. "Yeah, sure, Ryan," Jackman replies. (And to answer a question you really should have instantly: yes, this announcement came with a throwback soundtrack, because that's the Deadpool way.) [caption id="attachment_611105" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Deadpool[/caption] The other huge news is that Deadpool 3 will form part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, bringing both Deadpool and Wolverine into the ever-sprawling comic-to-screen realm that's been going since the first Iron Man flick and will likely never ever end. The two characters have always been Marvel characters, but because of rights issues behind the scenes, they've stayed in their own on-screen sagas. But when Disney (which owns Marvel) bought 20th Century Fox (which brought the X-Men and Deadpool movies to cinemas so far), those business issues disappeared. Deadpool 3 will arrive six years after 2018's Deadpool 2. It'll also mark a reunion in another way. Behind the lens: director Shawn Levy, reteaming with Reynolds after Free Guy and The Adam Project. It's clearly far too early for a trailer for Deadpool 3, but you can check out the Deadpool 2 and Logan trailers below in the interim: Deadpool 3 will release in cinemas Down Under on September 5, 2024.
Vampires can be slain by staking them in the heart. Werewolves aren't fond of silver bullets. But Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's addition to the undead world can't and won't be killed — not that anyone would want that outcome. First, What We Do in the Shadows jumped from a short film to a hilarious feature-length comedy. Next, it not only inspired an Emmy-nominated US television remake, but also New Zealand television spinoff Wellington Paranormal. And in the latter's case, following its first two exceptionally amusing seasons, it's returning to Australian screens for its six-episode third season this month. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: trust a mockumentary about the undead to keep coming back in new guises. The Cops-style spinoff follows police officers Karen O'Leary and Mike Minogue, who WWDITS fans might remember came knocking at the vampire share house's door. With the help of Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), the cop duo keep trying to keep the city safe from supernatural happenings — including not only bloodsuckers and lycanthropes, but ghosts, aliens and more. Wellington Paranormal's third season once again explores the spate of paranormal phenomena popping up in the city, with a whole heap of new spooky occurrences attracting O'Leary, Minogue and Maaka's attention. And, as it keeps wandering through strange but funny and silly territory, it'll welcome another familiar face, with Rhys Darby set to reprise his What We Do In The Shadows role. Although he won't be appearing on-screen, Clement directed half of the new season's episodes, too. In Australia, Wellington Paranormal airs on SBS Viceland and streams via SBS On Demand, which'll remain the case again this year. Episodes will drop weekly on both the free-to-air channel and the online platform from Wednesday, February 24. For those following What We Do in the Shadows' continued evolution, Wellington Paranormal's success shouldn't come as a surprise. When the show was first revealed, Waititi described it as "Mulder and Scully but in a country where nothing happens" on Twitter, after all. Wellington Paranormal's third season starts screening on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand from Wednesday, February 24.
A new year, a new swirl of rumours about new Apple updates and features. Basically, it's business as usual in 2017 so far. If you like sitting in darkened rooms to watch movies — and actually watching them, not just paying to use the latest big screen flick as a backdrop while you have a text message convo, check Facebook, scroll through Instagram pics of cute dogs, book a holiday, send an email, take a selfie or a sneaky pic of the film, swipe through Tindr, play Angry Birds or live tweet the movie in question — then the technology behemoth's reported new option isn't just another routine addition. It's an abomination. Behold 'theatre mode'. Or, start weeping over the fact that humanity has regressed to a state where we can't even last two hours without using the electronic devices we're all always glued to every other second of the day. As first tweeted by Melbourne's Sonny Dickson — who is known to be quite the prolific and accurate leaker of tidbits and updates from the company Steve Jobs built — Apple's new iOS 10.3 could allow you to select an option that's kind of like airplane mode for cinema-goers. You'd expect that theatre mode will mute all calls and sounds, and we can only guess that it will also dim the iPhone's screen in a new way that is supposedly less bright, glaring and intrusive to others who, you know, are happily watching a film. https://twitter.com/SonnyDickson/status/814931454828412929 Those in favour of the proposed new feature point out the fact that if people are going to use their phones in theatres anyway (and we all know that plenty do), then at least this will try to minimise the disruptive effect it has on everyone around them. Sure, that's one way of looking at it. The other is that Apple is normalising a type of behaviour some folks indulge in at the cost of everyone else's enjoyment. Seriously, we all love our phones, but two hours isn't that long. And wouldn't we all rather just soak in what we're watching, rather than half-view, half do a million other things? Indeed, there's a reason that the Alamo Drafthouse's anti-phone and talk PSAs have garnered worldwide attention, and not just because they're usually hilarious and have enlisted a heap of celebrities to help out: most movie-goers want to watch the film they've paid for without the distraction of the person next to them pawing at their iPhone during the flick. And let's face it, no matter how supposedly wondrous the new Apple feature is, dimming that aggravating neighbourly phone glow, if you're sitting even vaguely near someone engaged with their phone, you're undeniably still going to notice it. Some cinemas have already tried to head in the opposite direction, like American chain AMC, who revealed that they were open to hosting 'texting sessions' in April last year, only to backtrack after quite the predictable backlash. The idea of specific sections for phone-using patrons has also been floated. Sadly, each idea brings us closer to a time like this: when using your iPhone while you're in a theatre is perfectly acceptable. In case you're wondering, that list of in-cinema behaviour that we outlined at the beginning of this piece — they're just some of the antics that this writer has witnessed during a movie. If the phones most of the population own start actively encouraging their use while watching films in cinemas, expect more to follow. And we're not on board. Ed's note: Sarah Ward is one of Concrete Playground's senior film writers and weekend editor. Read her current reviews here, here and here because she watches the whole damn movie.
Hold the phone everybody, there's huge news a-brewin' in the Sydney art world. Three of Sydney's biggest cultural institutions – the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Carriageworks and the Museum of Contemporary Art – have just announced a major, citywide new exhibition showcasing Australian art. Yep, just like the OG Transformers, all banding together for the good of Sydney. Positioned as a counterpoint to the Biennale of Sydney (to occur in the off-years), The National: New Australia Art will run over six years with three editions presented in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The program is planned to run over the three spaces and activate an art corridor running between Redfern, The Domain and Circular Quay. There'll be a focus on the works of emerging, mid-career and established Aussie artists — in fact this will be the only large-scale, multi-venue exhibition series in Sydney focused solely on contemporary Australian art. It's straight-up huge news for Sydney. We've seen the effect citywide installations and cultural programs can have on this fine city of ours, just head along to the Biennale this weekend to see for yourself. And the sole focus on Australian artists, with no hat tip at all to international context, is sure to help us forge a contemporary art identity that genuinely resonates with everyday Aussies. "The National: New Australian Art will chart the rich diversity of contemporary practice featuring artists that work in dialogue with other disciplines including performance, dance, music and screen," says Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah. "The project will make a significant investment in Australian artists through the extensive commissioning of new work that reflects contemporary Australia and our place in the world." Curators for the 2017 edition of The National: New Australian Art are Anneke Jaspers, Curator Contemporary Art and Wayne Tunnicliffe, Head Curator Australian Art, AGNSW; Lisa Havilah, Director and Nina Miall, Curator, Carriageworks; and Blair French, Director, Curatorial & Digital, MCA. Okay team, break. We've only got 12 months to plan appropriately artsy outfits. The first installation of The National: New Australian Art will kick off on March 20, 2017 and run until June 18, 2017.
You're probably familiar with Jurassic Lounge, the beloved after-hours mainstay that transforms the iconic halls and arches of the Australian Museum into a bustling extravaganza year by year – and always with a different theme. Past themes have included Heroes, Halloween and Robots vs Dinosaurs. Now, in 2023, the Australian Museum will join Sydney WorldPride celebrations with Jurassic Lounge: Pride Edition, an evening of inclusive celebrations for all. If you're unfamiliar with Jurassic Lounge and the after-dark metamorphosis of the museum, here's a taste of what to expect. The galleries and exhibits you know and love will be transformed with lights, music and entertainment. The main stage will be hosted by queer nightlife fixture Aunty Jonny, keeping an upbeat playlist of tunes that have underscored the LGBTQIA+ community for decades, plus best-dressed awards and a choreographed dance hosted by Sydney Drag Royalty. [caption id="attachment_884900" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lyndal Irons[/caption] There'll be a celebration of all things queer science hosted by the legendary Dr Alice Motion and scientific minds from across the LQBTQIA+ world, comedy-trained scientists from Scary Strangers taking you through everything from a T. Rex Autopsy to the science of spider orgies. On top of that, you can join drop-in drawing classes, anatomically-complex games of pin the tail on the donkey, a silent disco and drag show in the Wild Planet gallery, and participate in a beginner's guide to scientific experimentation hosted by the hilarious Nat Caro and AM's Martha Johnson. Jurassic Lounge: Pride Edition is on Saturday, February 18, from 6.30pm to 10pm. Tickets are $36 per person for members and $45 for non-members. To purchase tickets and find out more about the event, head to the website. Images: Diabolique Photography and Sarah Wilson
There's really no such thing as normal during a pandemic — and if anyone ever needed a reminder of that fact, look no further than this week's changes to the trans-Tasman bubble. After pausing quarantine-free travel between Victoria and New Zealand for a month due to the former's current COVID-19 cluster, NZ allowed travel to resume just yesterday, Tuesday, June 22. Also happening yesterday: a new pause, this time on travel between New South Wales and NZ. When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the two-way bubble between Australia and New Zealand back in April — allowing Australians to travel to NZ without quarantining upon arrival — she noted that it could and would be paused if and when outbreaks occur. And, that has happened multiple times now. This isn't the first time it has been put on hold with NSW, either, with the same thing occurring back in May during the state's last outbreak. At the moment, Sydney's Bondi cluster keeps growing, which is why the NZ Government has advised that it's stopping its arrangement with New South Wales for the time being. Late yesterday, the NZ Government advised that the quarantine-free travel between NZ and NSW was being suspended, effective from 11.59pm NZ time. "This decision follows a public health assessment today which determined that while the overall risk to public health in New Zealand currently remains low, there are still several unknowns," it announced in a statement. Initially, the pause will be in place for 72 hours, with the arrangement "under constant review". Since the announcement was made last night, it has been revealed that a positive COVID-19 case from Sydney travelled to Wellington on Friday, June 18, then returned to Sydney on Monday, June 21. Six locations of interest in Wellington have also been named. https://twitter.com/covid19nz/status/1407260150247825410 Whether you're a Sydneysider on holiday in NZ or a New Zealander who has recently returned from across the ditch, anyone now in NZ who has been at one of the locations of interest in Sydney is required to get tested, isolate and call NZ's Healthline on 0800 358 5453 to obtain further advice. And, if you're currently in Australia and you've been to one of the Sydney venues identified, you should not travel to NZ. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
There's never a bad time to be in Brisbane. Year-round sunshine, a booming cultural scene and plenty of excellent things to eat, drink, see and do make the river city one of the most exciting places in the country. We've teamed up with Hennessy and the W Hotel to give you the perfect reason to head there — or, if you're a Brisbane local, the perfect excuse for a staycation. You and a lucky plus one can escape to the sunny state with an overnight stay in a Marvellous Suite at the five-star W Brisbane. Set in the heart of the city on the banks of the Brisbane River, it's the perfect spot to soak up the best of the city thanks in no small part to the incredible views you'll get from your room. [caption id="attachment_831071" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marriott International Hotel[/caption] Wake up in the laps of luxury and indulge in breakfast for two in the hotel's signature restaurant, Three Blue Ducks, before spending the day chilling out on the jazzy pool deck. Later, you can glam it up for an evening with Hennessy cocktails in the Living Room Bar (pictured above). That's a $1000 stay – and you won't have to pay a cent. To be in the running, enter your details below. [competition]831077[/competition]
He has been gamboling around the Melbourne indie scene for years with Crayon Fields, but it is Geoffrey O'Connor's debut solo effort, Vanity Is Forever, that has garnered most attention since its release in October. The album, full of sultry synthesisers and insinuating stories, has gotten a lot of people talking, and more than a couple of girls swooning. Now, Geoffrey O'Connor is bringing his polite heartbreaker brand of cool to Sydney. Concrete Playground spoke with O'Connor ahead of the launch of his new album, Vanity Is Forever, at Goodgod on Friday, November 18, and his summer shows at Laneway Festival 2012. How long did it take to piece together Vanity Is Forever? Three long, blissful years. How has making a solo album differed from what you've done before with Crayon Fields and Sly Hats? The preparation was a lot different. I guess when you are developing a song with a band you become focused on presenting it in a particular way. I had the freedom to re-record and re-work these songs many times, often discarding months of work. It's something you can't really do in a group situation. There are a lot of '80s pop sounds on the record. Was that a deliberate move or did the '80s influence just come naturally? It was more that I deliberately set out to make a very synthetic sounding record, which I guess is why certain aspects of it evoke the '80s. Even the acoustic instruments on the record - such as the acoustic guitar, string sections and drums - have all been treated in such a way that they sound a little otherworldly and synthetic. A lot of the songs on Vanity is Forever are very romantic and tell stories of complicated relationships. Are the songs inspired by personal experience or is it all just made up? They are all based on personal experience and observations. I love speculating about people's lives, especially their romantic lives - it's how I get my kicks. There is a slight fantasy element as well, but that is only to spice things up. When drawing from personal experience I omit certain details and exaggerate others to make out I'm a cooler guy, but there is still a strong resemblance between what happens on and off the record. What was it like touring with Jens Lekman this year? One of the best experiences of my life. A lot of fun. The touring crew were really interesting, cool people and I really enjoy long drives through the US. We watched Australian coming-of-age movies in the van which was funny - Puberty Blues, The Year My Voice Broke. All the shows were in incredible venues too - a synagogue, an 'ethical society', and a Masonic Hall in Hollywood Forever Cemetery. What are you looking forward to most about playing the Laneway Festivals this summer? I love playing festivals, especially outdoors - you can wear sunglasses on stage and pour water on gigantic drunk guys. I'm really looking forward to seeing EMA, The Drums, The Horrors and Anna Calvi too. Even missing bands due to laziness or chattiness can be a blast too. I get a real kick out of drinking backstage, knowing the faint rumble in the background is a band I'd otherwise sell my mother to see. The video for 'Whatever Leads Me To You' is amazing. What inspired the whole aesthetic and the goldfish in a cocktail glass, amongst other things? Thanks! The goldfish in a glass was inspired by when I went to an opening party for a bar and they had oyster cocktails - which seemed equally decadent and disgusting. I'm interested in the way extreme decadence can often involve flirting with something that can seem otherwise quite repulsive - so I thought I'd make my own little concoction. What can we expect from your Sydney show at Goodgod? More specifically, will you be wearing the sunglasses on stage, because I'm sure that would please everyone. Ha! It's not something I normally do, but if I come across some shades on the night I'll put them on for sure. It will be me, duelling synthesisers and a set of kaleidoscopic laser beams to keep us all in time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0fztmXL9INY
Enjoying a brew on the beach is a tradition Australians understandably savour, but with the joy of knocking back a few cold ones on the sand comes the responsibility of not acting like an idiot. It's simple, really. With adhering to the latter part of the bargain proving too difficult in St Kilda over Christmas, the local city council has responded by contemplating a ban on beachside boozing. Approximately 5000 people gathered at the popular St Kilda foreshore on Christmas day, resulting in unruly behaviour through the afternoon and evening, 29 tonnes of rubbish and a clean-up bill of around $23,000, according to a statement released by the City of Port Phillip. As Mayor Bernadene Voss stated, "the sheer number of intoxicated people milling around in the area also resulted in Council having to close some roads, creating a traffic nightmare for residents returning home from visiting friends and relatives on Christmas Day." A ban planned over the New Year's Eve period had already been extended prior to the incident, running from December 26 to January 4, and was subsequently increased to continue until February 15. The area affected spans from Marina Reserve to West Beach, including the site of the Christmas day party. The council will next meet on February 7 to consider extending the ban further. "We will be looking at factors such as volumes of broken glass and feedback from groups including residents, visitors, traders and police to help us decide whether an alcohol ban is useful in helping us tackle the challenge of managing such a popular destination which attracts all age groups," explained Voss. Until a further decision is reached, visitors will still be able to enjoy a drink on other Port Phillip beaches — although drinking is prohibited in all public places in the council's region over NYE until 9am on January 2, and again from 5 pm on January 26 to 9 am on January 28. Via ABC.
Lego has come a long way since I was a kid. For me, the brightly coloured plastic bricks didn't transcend their basic wall-building function much more than serving as useful things to throw at the cat when I wanted her to get off the bed. Over the years though, they've grown and expanded to include intricate Harry Potter, Star Wars and Ninja sets, as well as other more grown-up ranges for construction geeks everywhere. Now, as part of Lego's crazy-popular Architecture Series, in which there are already eleven projects, the Danish company is kicking off the month of March by launching their twelfth project, The Sydney Opera House. The series already features Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's iconic Farnsworth House and Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum, as well as Seattle's Space Needle and the Empire State Building, so the national landmark is in very distinguished company. Conceived and built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Opera House opened in 1973 after winning a design competition sixteen years earlier in 1957. Not only is the Sydney Opera House the city's most distinctive landmark, but it's also one of the most innovative and applauded examples of modern architecture. Upon being awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2003, judges said "It is one of the great iconic buildings of the 20th century, an image of great beauty that has become known throughout the world – a symbol for not only a city, but a whole country and continent." The 270-piece model will be on sale this month, containing a step-by-step instruction guide for budding architectects, designers and engineers, as well as a full archival history and message on the Reconciliation Action Plan completed in consultation with Sydney Opera House. You can pick it up online from the Lego Store or buy locally at the Sydney Opera House shop. [Via Sydney Opera House]
Govindas is a bit of an odd one, yet it's a true Sydney institution. This Darlinghurst vegetarian restaurant also operates as a boutique cinema and a quiet space dedicated to yoga, chanting and 'uplifting the consciousness'. A proper evening at Govindas is a cinematic as well as culinary experience – and at $38.80 for dinner and a movie, it's one of the most whimsical and cost-effective date options on offer. The buffet features countless delights from India and beyond. Indulge in unlimited trips to the food table and sample all that the spread has to offer: no two nights are ever the same. You will find a few staples, including Indian dahl soup, vegetable curry, baked penne pasta, lentil pie, potato au gratin, cauliflower pakoras, potato wedges, rice and poppadoms. We love the scrumptious kofta balls in creamy tomato sauce and large veggie samosas. The movie room is upstairs and patrons are invited to kick off their shoes and recline on floor cushions, couches or tub chairs. There are generally five films to choose from each night, all at different times, and these tend to cover the current release art house range pretty solidly. Updated: August 2019. Image: Trent Van der jagt.
In 2020, Netflix's Enola Holmes asked a question: what if Sherlock Holmes had a teenage sister who was just as good at sleuthing as he is? Now, in 2021, the streaming platform has another query for fans of the famed detective: what if there was actually a team of teens who were tasked with solving his mysteries, all while Sherlock gets the credit? That latter train of thought provides the premise for The Irregulars, Netflix's next dalliance with the character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Set in Victorian London, the eight-part series meets its motley crew of adolescents as they're asked by Doctor Watson (Royce Pierreson, The Witcher) to work for Holmes (Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Killing Eve). As the just-dropped trailer shows, they're also enlisted for their new gig as the city and the world comes under threat from insidious supernatural forces — which only they can stop. Yes, it sounds like something that an algorithm would concoct (and probably has) after seeing how many people stream both Stranger Things and the multiple other iterations of Sherlock Holmes that have reached screens over the years. But at least part of the concept does tie back into Conan Doyle's work, with the Baker Street Irregulars even popping up in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, the first novel to feature Holmes and Watson. When the series hits Netflix on Friday, March 26, you'll be watching Thaddea Graham (The Letter for the King), Darci Shaw (Judy), Jojo Macari (Sex Education), Mckell David (The Gentlemen) and Harrison Osterfield (Catch 22) as Irregulars members Bea, Jessie, Billie, Spike and Leopold — and Clarke Peters (His Dark Materials) as The Linen Man. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTE5MAGpflw The Irregulars starts streaming via Netflix from Friday, March 26.
Thanks to the events of the past year, you've probably forgotten what an overseas holiday feels like — unless you've either already taken advantage of the newly opened trans-Tasman travel bubble with New Zealand, or you've made plans to hop across the ditch sometime soon. Don't go pulling out a map of the rest of the globe just yet, however, because the folks at Qantas and Jetstar have just announced a delay to their plans to start flying to other international destinations again. Initially, the airlines were hoping to begin soaring to a number of overseas spots in October. Qantas had outlined plans to recommence flights to 22 of its 25 international destinations — including London, Singapore and Los Angeles — while Jetstar was intending to resume trips to all of its 13 international routes by the same projected date. The Qantas Group, the company behind both carriers, has since updated that timeframe, announcing that it's now hoping to restart its international flights to places other than NZ in late December this year. The change follows recent forecasting by the Federal Government, which noted that Australia's borders wouldn't reopen to international travel until at least mid-2022 — as well as the fact that the nation's vaccine rollout hasn't been proceeding as quickly as originally advised. So, a lot still needs to go to plan for the two airlines to have you jetting off to foreign lands this summer. That's Qantas and Jetstar's current target date, though. It has been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic first forced Qantas and Jetstar to suspend international flights, which happened back in March 2020. There has been talk of other travel bubbles, however, including a possible one with Singapore — with Qantas Group saying that it remains "optimistic that additional bubbles will open once Australia's vaccine rollout is complete to countries who, by then, are in a similar position." The airlines will contact anyone who has already booked flights from October onwards, but notes that "recent levels of uncertainty meant international booking levels were relatively low." When overseas flights to spots other than NZ do resume, you might not be able to fly until you've received your jab, with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce previously stating the airline would only allow vaccinated passengers to travel on international flights. The airline is also currently trialling digital health pass apps, such as Common Pass and IATA Travel Pass, which contain information about a passenger's COVID-19 status, testing and vaccinations, on current international repatriation flights. Of course, even once international flights are up and running again, you can expect a much lower capacity than pre-COVID travel — Qantas previously said that it's not anticipating a full return to normality until 2024. To find out more about Qantas and Jetstar's international travel plans, visit the Qantas website.
Don Pedros by Vue Bar is bringing margaritas, moreish Mexican snacking and casual fiesta vibes to Bondi in a pop-up iteration of the tucked away Paddington eatery. This is the perfect spot for unpretentious group hangs. Brightly coloured decor and lively bar staff create an infectious sense of buzz — so too the selection of margaritas. After all, at a place called Don Pedros you have to expect tequila to be a major part of the experience. The essential Classic and Tommy's appear on the drinks list alongside more inventive takes like the Coconut version which adds coconut syrup into the classic recipe or the zesty Blood Orange & Grapefruit margarita with tequila resposado, blood orange liquor, agave and grapefruit juice. Can't touch tequila? The menu also boasts a generous selection of Mexican beer, from Tecate to Bohemia Clara. When it comes to the food, there's the requisite lineup of Tex Mex-style starters like nachos, jalapeño poppers and chipotle chicken wings, but the main area to focus your hunger and attention is on tacos. There are nine options, from crispy prawn to beef brisket and soft shell crab. You can order one at a time or roll up your sleeves, get a taco platter and build your own. With specials like $5 taco Tuesdays and a margarita happy hour on Fridays from 4pm-6pm with Classic margs going for just $10 each, there's a lot of loud and laidback fun to be had at Don Pedros by Vue Bar.
You may have already heard, indeed the internet has been speaking of nothing else, but Stereosonic will not be returning in 2016. They announced on Facebook that the festival will be back and bigger than ever in 2017 which, tbh, just sounds like a gentle breakup. Why would a beloved festival, a cornerstone event in the calendars of both gym bros and dinger slingers alike, clock out for a whole year? Organisers Totem Onelove say it's because they're committed to bringing fans the best festival experience possible. It may also be attributed to the tragic deaths of two patrons in 2015, or that the American company who own Totem Onelove, SFX, recently filed for bankruptcy. All hypotheticals, all 'could be's. It could be that the Year of the Monkey is just not their year. It could just be a sign of the times. Future Music was cancelled in early 2015 because it doesn't make "financial sense"; Soundwave soon followed due to poor ticket sales (although to be fair, their version of poor ticket sales was around 20k at $170 a pop – about $3.4 million revenue. And now Stereosonic has folded and the big three festival that defined the Aussie festival scene are done and dusted. The real shame here is without a big festival, and the big budgets they bring, there's one less drawcard to get the big acts out to Australia and put on sideshows. It's pretty good news for people who would rather bathe in urine than step foot into a gym-bro festival because at the same time, as you've probably noticed, boutique festivals are going boom — it's been a killer few years for the likes of Sugar Mountain, Secret Garden Festival, Strawberry Fields, Let Them Eat Cake, Inner Varnika, OfftheGrid, Dark Mofo and Meredith to name only a handful. In the place of the massive one-size-fits-all festival giants come hundreds of smaller, niche events. The democratisation of festival culture can only be a good thing right? See ya Stereo. You'll be missed, like the lost revenue from many, many Australian gym memberships this year. Image: Stereosonic.
Welcome to the Wasteland: a first look at the long-awaited Fallout TV adaptation is here, ahead of the streaming series' arrival on Prime Video in April 2024. Almost three decades after first hitting computers back in 1997 — and after three released sequels, a fourth on the way and seven spinoffs — the gaming franchise is getting a live-action take starring Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (I'm a Virgo) and Kyle MacLachlan (Lucky Hank). HBO isn't behind this game-to-television series, unlike spectacular 2023 hit The Last of Us, but Prime Video is taking a similar approach by enlisting the creative forces behind one of the US premium cable network's past hits. Just as co-creator, executive producer, writer and director Craig Mazin made the leap from Chernobyl to a button-mashing favourite, so are Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy — who also executive produced Prime Video's own The Peripheral. Fans of the Fallout game will already know the show's setting: a post-apocalyptic future. The series takes place 200 years after everything went pear-shaped, with people living in luxe fallout shelters ever since. When some such folks leave their cosy confines, they find a hellscape filled with mutants, wild west vibes and plenty of violence. Purnell plays vault-dweller Lucy, while Twin Peaks great MacLachlan is her dad Overseer Hank, who — as his name suggests — oversees Vault 33. On the surface, Goggins is bounty hunter The Ghoul, who has a secret past — and Aaron Moten (Emancipation) also has a pivotal part as Brotherhood of Steel soldier Maximus. Expect to also see Moisés Arias (Samaritan), Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That...), Michael Emerson (Evil), Leslie Uggams (Extrapolations), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance) and Johnny Pemberton (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) on-screen as well — plus Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O'Hagan (Dear Edward) and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time) — when this retrofuturistic dystopia starts hitting your streaming queue from Friday, April 12, 2024. As well as executive producing with Joy, Nolan directs the first three episodes. Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) are similarly among Fallout's executive producers, as well as the series' writers and co-showrunners. And yes, Bethesda Game Studios has a hand in finally bringing the games to the screen. There's no trailer for Fallout yet, but Prime Video have dropped a heap of pictures as an initial glimpse at what's to come — see above and below. Fallout will start streaming via Prime Video from Friday, April 12, 2024. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
The 40th parallel is much more than simply a line of latitude spanning the distance of America from East to West; and Bruce Myren's photographs of it are much more than just photos. The line N 40° 00' 00'' bisects the country from New Jersey's shore crossing through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, over the border between Nebraska and Kansas, following on past Colorado, Utah, Nevada and finally finishing in California. Myren is not only capturing the stunning surroundings of these landscapes, but is trying to understand and portray the "human desire to create systems and then locate ourselves within them". The fortieth parallel north is a tool for measurement, as well as acting as the baseline for creating homesteads and townships, functioning as a useful marker during Western settlement. The project began as a fairly small and basic undertaking, using maps to identify the areas because GPS's were not widely available during that time. However, as geographical technology began to grow and develop, so too did Myren's photo series. Using an 8 x 10 Deardoff camera and colour transparency film, Myren produced panoramas by snapping three shots moving from left to right then adding them together during editing. The photographer is aiming to take a landscape panorama shot at every longitudinal point along the line, adding up to a total of 52 locations and images, spaced roughly 53 miles apart from each other. So far he has captured 28 stunning images of these locations. Here are 10 of the inspired images from his series, aimed to make you "consider the history of landscape photography, American development , but most importantly [your] own relationship to place." N 40° 00' o0'' W 109° 00' 00", Rangely, Colorado, 2000 N 40° 00' 00" W 108° 00' 00", Meeker, Colorado, 2000 N 40° 00' 00" W 101° 00' 00", Ludell, Kansas, 2011 N 40° 00' 00" W 98° 00' 00", Webber, Kansas, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 97° 00' 00", Hollenberg, Kansas, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 95° 00' 00", Fillmore, Missouri, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 93° 00' 00", Winigan, Missouri, 2011 N 40° 00' 00" W 81° 00' 00", Belmont, Ohio, 1999 N 40° 00' 00" W 76° 00' 00", Gap, Pennsylvania, 1999 N 40° 00' 00" W 74° 03' 32", Normandy Beach, New Jersey, 1998
UPDATE, May 28, 2021: Free Solo is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play and YouTube Movies. Soaring 900 metres tall, its craggy edges and sheer surfaces jutting into the sky, El Capitan is one of earth's monsters. A granite cliff in Yosemite National Park, it's a formidable sight, striking fear into the heart of anyone averse to heights, making even the steadiest on their feet feel shaky, and casting a long shadow over the world below. To stand at the bottom of the mammoth monolith is to stand at the base of a giant. To scale its heights is to ascend into the heavens. But you don't need to have experienced El Cap's eye-catching expanse in person to feel its inescapable power. Even on the big screen, the glorious rock formation is staggering — and it gets plenty of screen time in Free Solo. In a film that can't stop looking at El Cap, Alex Honnold does more than stare at the cliff's lofty size and gaze at its vertical terrain. A professional climber with 20 years experience and the centre of this stellar documentary, he's determined to scamper up the intimidating structure. He's not the first to scale the sheet of rock, but he is the first to do so without any ropes or support — and, just to make the deed even more difficult, he does it alone. That's free soloing. While the outcome of his attempt is now common knowledge, Free Solo steps through the process from start to finish, chronicling his setbacks and successes in a methodical manner. From contending that the climb is just too scary, to training through an injury that'd make anyone else quit, to facing his girlfriend Sanni's fretful feelings about his death-defying dream, the movie delves deep into Honnold's quest. The latest high-altitude, high-stakes picture from Meru filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin — and a newly minuted Oscar nominee for this year's best doco prize — Free Solo is the tale of a cliff, a climber, and the latter's desire to conquer the former. But it's the story of humanity's yearning to explore, interrogate and brush up against our environment as well. Charting Honnold's unwavering commitment to his task, it's also an account of his preference for hanging precariously above the world instead of planting his feet firmly on the ground. The film shows how the possibility of dying can't deter someone so dedicated from pursuing their passion, and that the thrill of a seemingly impossible challenge is as intoxicating as any drug. This nerve-wracking movie also details the intense preparation and planning required not just to make such a climb, but to capture it on camera. And, it examines the toll of documenting Honnold's feat, pondering whether the picture immortalises history or jeopardises his life. In short, Free Solo has as many angles as El Cap's ledges and crevices, however Honnold is the film's own towering presence. Vasarhelyi and Chin can't claim to lay bare their subject's psyche — he's a man of action more than talk — but they can and do reveal plenty about the wiry thirty-something. The documentary acts as a coming-of-age narrative of sorts, tracking Honnold's transformation from living in a van, eating slapped-together dinners out of a frying pan and dedicating every waking minute to climbing, to buying a house, finding room for someone else in his life, and experiencing the ups and downs of being in a serious relationship. And yet, it's never more revelatory than when it's simply staring at his face while he's gripping a slab of granite, his precariously placed fingertips the only things keeping him from plummeting down a nearly one-kilometre drop. Of course, that's not to say that Free Solo doesn't boast plenty of other spectacular sights. Seeing Honnold suspended against his surroundings will stick with audiences long after watching, as will the stunning Yosemite scenery. Indeed, the exceptional footage compiled by Vasarhelyi, Chin and their dedicated team (all mostly climbers themselves) proves nothing short of a technical and visual marvel, as edited to precision by veteran Bob Eisenhardt. But the calm, focused, assured gleam in Honnold's eye still says more than any other image can — and more than words as well. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, every second that the film spends on his zen-like expression paints a picture of pure intensity and exhilaration. What's more astonishing, dazzling and ultimately life-affirming than witnessing someone so relaxed and confident in the face of such extreme danger? What's more tense and thrilling, too? Butterflies in the stomach, fidgeting fingers and a near-unshakeable case of the jitters all spring from Free Solo as well, with the movie hitting several nerves. It's never easy to accept one's mortality. In fact, it's the hardest thing we're ever tasked with doing during our time alive, even when we're just sitting in a cinema watching someone else put their existence on the line. That's the crux of this equally insightful and scary documentary, which serves up more suspense than most horror flicks. As well as chronicling an awe-inspiring story, every frame of Free Solo offers a palpable, visceral reminder of life's enormous risks and immense rewards — and to the filmmakers' credit, you're all but certain to feel the impact in your constantly sweaty palms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XhsuT0xctI
Coffin Flop fans, rejoice — we don't yet know if world's wildest supremely fictional TV series will make a new appearance when I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson returns for season three, but something else just as absurd and wonderful will either way. Will Corncob TV earn another mention? How awkward will this Netflix sketch comedy's namesake get? Which examples of the absolute worst behaviour will it satirise? Do you need to slop up some steaks while watching? How slicked-back is your hair right now? Expect to answer all of this and more on Tuesday, May 30. Baby, baby, baby, that's when one of the best comedies currently being made will return with six new episodes, as led by Detroiters star Tim Robinson. His surreal comic stylings have already gifted viewers hot dog suits, Garfield houses, tense plane encounters and babies who know you used to be a piece shit, and he has plenty more in store as the just-dropped trailer for the third season teases. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson first arrived in 2019 when, on one otherwise normal day, folks sat down on the couch, switched on their televisions, started scrolling through Netflix and came across an instant cult-hit comedy. The best sketch comedy of that year, and one of the best TV shows in general, too, the series' first season was ridiculously easily to binge — and flat-out ridiculous. You don't even need two hours to get through all six episodes but, once you're done, you'll wish that it went for at least twice as long. When season two arrived in 2021, it was just as phenomenal. OTT, hilarious, finding gags about a secret excuse to help men explain away pee stains on their pants, plus quite the loud and lurid shirt, and then a daggy hat — that's this series. Absolutely no one excavates, explores and satirises social discomfort with the gusto, commitment and left-of-centre viewpoint of Robinson, with his skits diving headfirst into excruciating situations, dwelling there and letting them fester. It's no wonder that the former Saturday Night Live comic has a hit on his hands. Just try looking away from his flexible facial expressions alone. That proves the case in the sneak peek, which is filled with multiple fake game shows, adult babies, fedoras, crying and Robinson at his silliest, and will already get you cringing as it's 100-percent designed to do. In season three, Robinson will again be joined by Will Forte (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), plus everyone from Jason Schwartzman (I Love That for You) and Fred Armisen (Barry) to Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) and Tim Meadows (Poker Face). Sam Richardson (The Afterparty) is also back, once again giving Detroiters devotees a glorious reunion. The series also boasts some big names off-screen, with The Lonely Island (aka Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andy Samberg and his regular comedy partners Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) its executive producers. Check out the trailer for I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson season three below: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson's third season will be available to stream via Netflix from Tuesday, May 30. Images: Terence Patrick, Netflix.
Brooklyn Boy Bagels holds the self-proclaimed (and widely agreed upon) title as Sydney's "real-deal NYC bagels". After years of farmers markets and pop-up stores — from a six-seater cafe in Matraville and a kitchen in Marrickville to a Darlinghurst store and its recently closed cafe in Circular Quay's huge Gateway Sydney dining precinct — this Sydney bagel-slinger has settled on a permanent home in Marrickville. When COVID-19 restrictions first came into place, the shop began offering home-delivery to a bunch of Sydney suburbs. Then, it converted the parking lot of its existing wholesale bakery on Marrickville's Carrington Road to a drive-thru — so you could pick up freshly baked (and boiled) goods without leaving your car. Now, with restrictions rolled back, the bakery also functions as a cafe. The Inner West outpost offers plain, rainbow, onion, blueberry, sesame, gluten free and pumpkin versions of the humble boiled bread, as well as its famed everything bagel. Of course, you'll need some schmear, which Brooklyn Boy Bagels is selling by the bucketful. The 285-millilitre tubs of cream cheese include plain, jalapeño, lox with capers, garlic and chive flavours and a vegan almond 'cream cheese' one. Nutella, raspberry jam and peanut butter are also available, as are toppings such as lox and pastrami. While you'll definitely want the bagels, you'll also find sourdough, challah, loaves of rye, chocolate chip and sea salt cookies and a NY pushcart-style pretzel on the menu, plus takeaway coffee from local specialty coffee roasters The Little Marrionette. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Bagels in Sydney for 2023
When Colin From Accounts arrived for its first season in 2022 with a nipple flash, a dog and strangers committing to take care of a cute injured animal together after a meet-cute, it also began with a "will they, won't they?" story. Ashley (Harriet Dyer, The Invisible Man) and Gordon (Patrick Brammall, Evil) crossed paths in the street in Sydney when she gave him a random peek, then he was distracted behind the wheel. Thanks to the titular pet, the pair were soon intricately involved in each other's lives — and, as they endeavoured to work out what that actually meant, sift through their feelings for one another and navigate the respective chaos that fills everyone's existence anyway, a delightful small-screen Australian rom-com (and one of that year's best new TV shows) was the end result. In season two, which streams weekly on Binge from Thursday, May 30, the series picks up after the duo gave Colin From Accounts to new owners at the end of the show's debut batch of episodes, then immediately regretted the decision. A couple of things are different from the outset: after moving in together, Gordon and Ashley are on a quest to get their pup back and they'll stop at almost nothing for their family to be reunited; also, this award-winning series is now in "should've they or should've they not?" territory about its central romance. (Moving from an all-at-once release to week-by-week instalments is another change for viewers.) Falling in love is easy. Being in the honeymoon period, whether or not you've tied the knot — Colin From Accounts' protagonists haven't — is clearcut, too. Taking a relationship further means peeling away the rosy and glowing surface, however, which is where the series follows its medical student and Inner West microbrewery owner in its second season. A television romantic-comedy with longevity can't be solely fuelled by fluttering hearts and butterflies in stomachs, especially one that's as dedicated to eschewing saccharine cliches as this. Colin From Accounts isn't afraid to be sweet, but a not-insignificant amount of its charm comes from feeling lived in as Ash and Gordon's romance keeps developing. Same show, but with a few new tricks: that's season two, then. Like relationship, like series: when it comes to diving deeper than the first season, that also fits. There has always been a spark between Colin From Accounts' lead characters, or else it wouldn't have made it to air in the first place, but the program's return digs into the reality that taking the next step for any couple is a dance through love's equivalent of dog mess on an otherwise pristine lawn. No matter how well you plot out a clear path, how flexible and adaptable you are to obstacles, and how determined you are to evade the crap, no one can avoid dirty shoes 100-percent of the time. As season two sees Ash and Gordon confronting the everyday details of intertwining their lives, it also has them tackling a range of relatable questions again. This round inspires plenty, in fact. Is there more than just chemistry between them? How much do shared interests count? Does a lack of commonalities cast a shadow, and their age gap as well? Will their routines knit together easily enough? Can they weather setbacks and roadblocks, unpack historical baggage and make space for a new way forward? How will their respective dating histories colour the first real serious relationship that they've each been in? Also, as they continue getting to know each other better — warts and all, and through secrets and surprises — will they still feel the same way? Ash and Gordon have another query to face at the outset of this new set of chapters: without Colin binding them together, who are they are a twosome? The first new instalment starts with a happy park playdate and all seeming being well, until it's revealed that the dog's former guardians are just pestering his new ones (Bump's Sam Cotton and Home and Away's Sophie Bloom), who'd really like them to go bark up another tree. From there, unexpected news, meeting family members, former flames and more await, all with their own tests. Plus, Ash's best friend Megan (Emma Harvie, In Limbo) and Gordon's counterpart Chiara (Genevieve Hegney, In Our Blood) are using the couple's home as a love nest while embarking upon an affair, while brewery employee Brett (Michael Logo, High Country) is being pushed out of home by his parents. Creators, writers and stars Dyer and Brammall keep performing their parts to perfection; given that they're married IRL and no strangers to working side by side (see: the also-excellent No Activity, which ran for two seasons between 2015–18), the charisma between them isn't hard to maintain. Neither is the naturalism in their portrayals, but they're not just playing themselves. As scribes, Dyer and Brammall are also particularly gifted with dialogue, ensuring that everything that the show's characters are saying always feels authentic. Sometimes the banter is amusing, sometimes it's heartfelt, and it can be acerbic and insightful, too — and all of the above combined — but it never sounds like something that works fine on the page yet no one would ever utter aloud. When it initially bolted out of the gate, Colin From Accounts was a fast homegrown hit, then had audiences overseas swooning as well. A series this genuinely funny, heartfelt and honest, and that manages to be light yet weighty and grounded, was always going to earn affection — and the same remains true in season two. Again, Dyer and Brammall have crafted a gem that bounces by with help from its directors (the returning Trent O'Donnell and Madeleine Dyer do the honours once more in season two, plus Summer Love's Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope), and that plays like hanging out with old friends. And yes, in lead, supporting and guest roles alike, casting is another of its treats — including with new additions such as Celeste Barber (Wellmania), Justin Rosniak (Wolf Like Me) and Aunty Donna's Broden Kelly (Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe) this time around. Check out the trailer for Colin From Accounts season two below: Colin From Accounts season two streams via Binge from Thursday, May 30, 2024. Images: Lisa Tomasetti / Joel Pratley.
When the beginning of 2023 rolls around, Australian and New Zealand fans of a certain former boy band star-turned-Coachella headliner will be heading in one direction: to your nearest stadium to see Harry Styles finally bring his latest tour Down Under. Just days after he wowed crowds in California and online with his first Coachella set — sequinned jumpsuit, Shania Twain duets and all — the ex-One Direction member turned solo music superstar has locked in February and March 2023 dates in Perth, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Sydney and Auckland. Venue-wise, the Grammy Award-winning, Dunkirk and Eternals co-starring talent is going big — so you'll be singing along to 'Watermelon Sugar', 'As It Was', 'Adore You' and 'Sign of the Times' at arenas. And, attendees will also be listening to UK duo Wet Leg, who've scored the supporting slot. Styles was originally headed our way in November 2020; however, we all know how that panned out and why those shows didn't eventuate. That delay will mean that he won't just have two albums to play, but three, with Styles' third solo studio Harry's House set to release in May 2022. If you're keen for tickets, they'll go on sale via Ticketmaster on Wednesday, April 27, with times varying per city. Or, if you had tickets last time, there's a past purchaser window from Thursday, April 21–Sunday, April 24, plus My Ticketmaster and Live Nation pre-sales from Tuesday, April 26. HARRY STYLES LOVE ON TOUR 2023 AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES: Monday, February 20 – HBF Park, Perth Friday, February 24 – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Tuesday, February 28 – Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Friday, March 3 – Accor Stadium, Sydney Tuesday, March 7 – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Harry Styles will tour Australia and New Zealand in February and March 2022. For further information or to buy tickets, head to the Live Nation website. Top image: Erin McCormack via Flickr.
Classic flicks just keep making the leap to the stage, turning their big-screen tales into song-filled musical adaptations in the process. From 9 to 5 and Muriel's Wedding to Moulin Rouge! and Shrek, a hefty number of beloved movies have done just that — and now Adam Sandler's smash-hit film The Wedding Singer has joined them. The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy was originally due to hit Sydney in July last year but, as we all know, the pandemic got in the way. Now, it's bringing its tunes to town, playing the State Theatre from Wednesday, January 5–Sunday, January 23. If you've seen the movie, then you'll know what you're in for — with The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy delivering an all-singing, all-dancing stage show based on the hilarious 90s flick. And it's from the same crew that propelled it to sell-out success on Broadway and across the UK, including the writer of the original movie, Tim Herlihy. This one will yank you right into The Wedding Singer's 80s world of big hair and classic wedding bangers, thanks to a toe-tapping score that's sure to prompt a few hearty crowd singalongs. It retells the story of party-loving wedding singer and wannabe rock star Robbie Hart, who's left stranded at the altar at his own nuptials. Heartbroken, he sets out to destroy every other wedding he's a part of, until a chance encounter with a waitress: Drew Barrymore's character Julia. Now, he just has to win over the girl... and somehow put a stop to her own upcoming marriage along the way.
It might've taken three years, but Netflix has finally produced its first original Aussie series. Shot entirely in Queensland, and providing fuel for late 2018 binge-watch sessions, Tidelands is a supernatural crime drama series about a fictional fishing village, dubbed Orphelin Bay, with strange inhabitants: a group of dangerous half-Sirens, half-humans called 'Tidelanders'. Cal McTeer (Charlotte Best), a young women who returns to the small village after a stint in jail, discovers the body of a local fisherman and must navigate the town's drug smuggling history while also investigating the Tidelanders, who are led by Adrielle Cuthburt (Elsa Pataky). After revealing its first sneak peek teaser back in October, the series now has a full official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhsjoQLKaiY&feature=youtu.be Eight episodes, each running for 50 minutes, have been made by Brisbane's Emmy Award-Winning production company Hoodlum Entertainment. And Tidelands won't just gift Australian users with a new favourite series, with the show set to land in all 190 countries that Netflix is available in. Thinking you've seen plenty of Aussie stuff on Netflix already? You're not wrong, however, there's a difference between throwing old sitcoms and standup specials into a range inexplicably overflowing with new Adam Sandler movies, and actually funding brand new Australian material. Last year, it was announced that they'd join forces with the ABC to co-produce a second season of Glitch, which showed them dipping a toe in the water — but now they're completely diving in. Tidelands will join the platform's hefty stable of original series, which started back in 2013 with House of Cards, and just keeps growing (Orange Is the New Black, The Get Down, The OA, Wet Hot American Summer, Master of None, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Dear White People, BoJack Horseman, four Marvel series with one more to come — the list goes on). Given the premise, here's hoping it'll be the next Stranger Things, and not the new Hemlock Grove. Tidelands will be available globally on Netflix from December 14, 2018.
For the next two months, visitors to MoMA PS1 in New York's Queens best start looking up. The gallery has just installed its latest installation, Lumen, which turns the venue's courtyard into a environmentally responsive, colour-changing wonderland. Designed by Jenny Sabin Studio, winning The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1's annual Young Architects Program, and on display until September 4, Lumen consists of cellular canopies made from textiles that react to conditions around them: light and heat, namely. As the environment changes — aka the weather gets gloomy, or day turns to night — so do the hues emitted by its digitally knitted fibres. If you've ever wondered what the '90s Hypercolor fad would look like if it was strung across the sky, this dreamy interactive piece provides the answer. So, how does it work? Well, those fibres are solar-active and photo-luminescent. Almost a million metres of them have been turned into 250 hanging tubular structures, and paired with 100 robotically woven recycled spool stools, as well as a misting system that responds to visitors' proximity. The aim is to use insights and theories from biology, materials science, mathematics and engineering to create an adaptive piece of micro-climate-like architecture that behaves like an organism. As Sabin describes, "by night, Lumen is knitted light, bathing visitors in a responsive glow of photo-luminescence; by day, Lumen offers succor from the summer heat, immersing participants in delicious ground clouds of cooling mist." She continues: "Lumen is a feminine form that offers luminous interiorities, informal networks, social fabrics, and fibrous assemblages that are pliable, transformative, and playful." Via: Inhabitat. Images: Lumen by Jenny Sabin Studio for the Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1's Young Architects Program 2017. Courtesy MoMA PS1. Photo by Pablo Enriquez.
American artist Nina Katchadourian has what could aptly be described as a bit of a book fetish. Having spent the last 20 years trawling through libraries and personal collections across the globe in search of books that she can organise into meaningful stacks of "spine poetry", it seems fair to describe the artist as a fully fledged bibliophile. The Sorted Books project has been a labour of love for Katchadourian, who has now amassed over 130 stacks of books, displaying them as either the physical cluster or as photographs. The resulting poetry is at times quirky, sometimes thought-provoking, often laugh-out-loud funny and even touchingly poignant. For the artist the hope was that each stack would represent the unique character of the collections they were drawn from. Katchadourian writes that "the clusters from each sorting aim to examine that particular library's focus, idiosyncrasies, and inconsistencies — a cross-section of that library's holdings." Beyond this, it is the inspiration Katachadourian gains from the books she finds that has meant this project remains ongoing and unfinished, whether this be the aesthetic beauty of the covers, the highly tactile nature of well-loved literature or simply an enduring passion for the written word. Have a look at some of our favourite clusters below or head to Amazon to get your hands on your own photograph.
