So much to see, so little time. If hitting the couch is one of your favourite ways to unwind, that'll be a familiar refrain. Now that there are far more streaming services to choose from than we each have fingers and toes, finding something to watch is never a problem — and in 2022, there's been a lengthy list of excellent shows worthy of your attention. Some have tapped into our struggles with work-life balance in chilling and thrilling ways. Others have made hearts soar and swoon several times over. Also on this year's must-see list: multiple shows that dance with exceptional movies, a behind-the-scenes television great doing what he does best, porn for women, spectacularly lifelike dinosaurs and murder-mysteries. And, they're just some of 2022's standouts. Haven't been able to watch all of the year's ace new arrivals thanks to life getting in the way? Not quite sure where to start? With 2022 now at its midway point, here are our picks of the year's 15 best new television and streaming shows — consider it your catch-up list over the next six months. SEVERANCE It's the ultimate in work-life balance, an antidote to non-stop after-hours emails and Slack messages, and a guaranteed way to ensure what happens at work stays at work. In mind-bending thriller series Severance — which plays like Black Mirror meets the Charlie Kaufman-penned Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with Wes Anderson's aesthetic if he designed soulless office complexes, plus sprinklings of everything from George Orwell to also-excellent 2020 TV effort Devs — switching off when clocking off at Lumon Industries is easy. There's a brain implant for exactly that, and it's a condition of employment on "severed" floors. Accordingly, when quittin' time comes for Macrodata Refinement division employee Mark (Adam Scott, Big Little Lies), he physically steps into a tiny, shiny elevator to re-enter his after-hours life; however, the version of him that works for Lumon won't recall anything beyond the company's walls. The instant that the lift starts moving, it goes back to the office for Mark's "innie", as his work-bound consciousness is dubbed. Voila, it's clocking-on time once more. Severance's attention-grabbing premise springs from creator Dan Erickson, a TV first-timer, and understands how most folks feel about the nine-to-five grind. The show is knowing in its lead casting, too, given that Scott is best recognised for two workplace comedies: the joyous hug that is Parks and Recreation, as well as the acerbic, astute and soon-to-return Party Down. But as savvily and evocatively directed by Ben Stiller in its first three season-one episodes (and again in its last three, with Kissing Candice filmmaker Aoife McArdle helming three in the middle), Scott's new series dwells in 'be careful what you wish for' territory. For the part of Mark's brain that blanks out work, Severance initially seems like heaven. For the half that only knows the office, it's hell. For everyone watching, soaking in its twisty mysteries — and enjoying Patricia Arquette (The Act), Christopher Walken (Percy vs Goliath) and John Turturro (The Plot Against America) as fellow Lumon employees — it's a surreal and riveting must-see. Severance is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. IRMA VEP One of 2022's most magnificent new shows, and a cinephile's dream of a series, Irma Vep requires some unpacking. The term 'layered' has rarely ever applied to a TV program quite as it does here. French filmmaker Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper) retraces his own footsteps, turning his cult-favourite 1996 movie of the same name into an Alicia Vikander-starring HBO miniseries. And, in this series itself, a director is also remaking one of his own past flicks as a television project. In all versions of Irma Vep, the movies and shows being made are also remakes of 1915–16 French crime effort Les Vampires. It was a ten-episode, seven-hour cinema serial, and it's supremely real. Indeed, by first helming a feature about remaking Les Vampires, and now a series about remaking a movie that remakes Les Vampires (which, IRL, is also a remake of a movie that remakes Les Vampires), Assayas keeps remaking Les Vampires in his own way. It all sounds exactly as complicated as it is — and Assayas loves it. Viewers should, too. The nested dolls that are Irma Vep's meta setup just keep stacking, actually. The 1996 Irma Vep starred Maggie Cheung, who'd later become Assayas' wife, then ex-wife — and the 2022 Irma Vep haunts its on-screen filmmaker René Vidal (Vincent Macaigne, Non-Fiction) with visions of his ex-wife Jade Lee (Vivian Wu, Dead Pigs), who, yes, led his movie. If you're a fan of word puzzles, you might've also noticed that Irma Vep is an anagram of vampire; that said, Les Vampires isn't actually about bloodsuckers, and nor is any iteration of Irma Vep. To add to the list, while Cheung played a version of herself, Vikander (Blue Bayou, The Green Knight) plays fictional American star Mira — a name that's an anagram of Irma. You can also take that moniker literally, because mirroring is patently a pivotal aspect of the brilliant Irma Vep in every guise. Irma Vep is available to stream via Binge. Read our full review. WE OWN THIS CITY For the past 20 years, we've all fallen into two categories: people who've seen, loved and haven't been able to stop raving about HBO's Baltimore-set masterpiece The Wire; and folks who don't tick any of those boxes but have been told by everyone who does that they really need to watch it ASAP. We Own This City deserves to spark the same response — and shares many of its predecessor's key pieces. It too takes place in Maryland's most populous city. It also follows a law-and-order battle, complete with time spent within the Baltimore Police Department. It springs from former Baltimore Sun police reporter-turned-author, journalist and TV writer/producer David Simon as well, and sees him reteam with writer George Pelecanos, a veteran of not only The Wire but also Simon's Treme and The Deuce. Oh, and as it tells a compulsive crime tale, it's packed with phenomenal performances. One of those astonishing portrayals is among the first thing that viewers see, in fact, with We Own This City opening with Sergeant Wayne Jenkins lecturing new recruits on the BPD Gun Trace Task Force. Chatting through how to legally do the job — how to get away with what he deems necessary, that is — Jon Bernthal (The Many Saints of Newark) is hypnotically unsettling as Jenkins, who'll become the focus of a corruption investigation for his methods. He isn't the only "prime example of what's gone wrong in Baltimore," as viewers are told. So is Daniel Hersl (Josh Charles, The Loudest Voice), who is initially glimpsed pulling over and terrorising a Black driver for no other reason than that he can. Department of Justice Civil Rights Department attorney Nicole Steele (Wunmi Mosaku, Lovecraft Country) is charged with tracking the force's bad eggs, and that's just one of this complex, revealing and arresting six-part miniseries' layers. And if it feels so detailed that it could only be true, that's because it's based on a non-fiction book by Justin Fenton another ex-Baltimore Sun reporter. We Own This City is available to stream via Binge. MINX When home video, the internet and mobile phones with inbuilt cameras each arrived, six words could've been uttered: get ready to look at dicks. HBO comedy Minx is set the early 70s, so before all three, but the same phrase also applies here. It's true of the show itself, which isn't shy about displaying the male member in various shapes and sizes. It also stands tall in the world that Minx depicts. When you're making the first porn magazine for women — and, when you're making an ambitious, entertaining and impeccably cast The Deuce meets Mrs America-style series about it, but lighter, sweeter and funnier (and all purely fictional) — penises are inescapable. Also impossible to avoid in Minx: questions like "are erections consistent with our philosophy?", as asked by Vassar graduate and country club regular Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond, Trying). Idolising the magazine industry and unhappily working for the dispiritingly traditional Teen Queen, she has long dreamed of starting her own feminist publication — even penning a bundle of articles and making her own issues — but centrefolds splashed with male genitalia don't fit her ideal pitch. No one's buying what Joyce is selling, though; The Matriarchy Awakens, her dream mag, gets rejected repeatedly by the industry's gatekeepers. Only one is interested: Bottom Dollar Publications' Doug Renetti (Jake Johnson, Ride the Eagle), but he's in the pornography business. Minx is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. OUR FLAG FLAG MEANS DEATH In the on-screen sea that is the never-ending list of films and television shows constantly vying for eyeballs, Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby have frequently proven gem-dappled treasure islands. When the immensely funny New Zealand talents have collided, their resumes have spanned four of the most endearing comic hits of the big and small screens in the 21st century so far, aka Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal and Hunt for the Wilderpeople — and now, with pirate parody Our Flag Means Death, they've given viewers another gleaming jewel. This show was always going to swashbuckle its way into streaming must-see lists — and into comedy-lovers' hearts — based on its concept alone, but it more than lives up to its winning idea and winsome casting. Come for the buccaneering banter and seafaring satire, stay for a thoughtful and sincere comic caper that's also a rom-com. The inimitable Darby stars as Stede Bonnet, a self-styled 'gentleman pirate' and a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier. Meanwhile, Waititi dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and an eye-catching head of greying hair as Edward Teach, the marauder better known to the world as Blackbeard. The two real-life figures eventually cross paths after Bonnet leaves his life of wealth, privilege and comfort to rove the oceans, captains a ship staffed by a motley crew to end all motley crews, and initially gets captured by Blackbeard — or Ed, as he calls him. As these two opposites bond, riding the waves from adversaries to co-captains to potentially something more, Our Flag Means Death truly and gloriously opens up its warm heart. Our Flag Means Death is available to stream via Binge. Read our full review. THE AFTERPARTY Only Murders in the Building isn't the only new comic murder-mystery series worth streaming from the past year or so. Joining it is The Afterparty, which also sports a killer cast — this time Sam Richardson (Detroiters), Ben Schwartz (Space Force), Zoe Chao (Love Life), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project), Dave Franco (If Beale Street Could Talk) and Tiffany Haddish (The Card Counter) — and a savvy spin on an oft-used gimmick. Rather than skewering true-crime podcasting, this quickly addictive comedy from writer/director Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) toys with the reality that every tale differs depending on the perspective. Whodunnits always hinge upon that fact, and Miller has also clearly seen iconic Japanese film Rashomon. And, considering that its big murder takes place after a school function, there's a touch of Big Little Lies at play, too. With his directing partner Phil Lord, Miller has made a career out of getting smart and funny with familiar parts, however, and that doesn't change here. The setup: at the afterparty following his 15-year high-school reunion, obnoxious autotune-abusing pop star Xavier (Franco) winds up dead on the rocks beneath his lavish mansion. Enter the determined Detective Danner (Haddish), who starts grilling his former classmates one by one to find out who's responsible. Her interrogations start with the sensible Aniq (the always-great Richardson), who was hoping to finally make a move on his schoolyard crush Zoe (Chao) — and after his version of events, Danner hears from Zoe's macho ex Brett (Barinholtz) in The Afterparty's second episode, then from Aniq's best bud Yasper (Schwartz, riffing on Parks and Recreation's Jean-Ralphio without being quite as ridiculous), and so on. The cast is top-notch, the writing is clever, there's much fun to be had with its genre- and perspective-bending premise, and the throwaway gags are simply glorious. The Afterparty is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. HEARTSTOPPER It only takes minutes for British newcomer Heartstopper to explain its title — showing rather than telling, as all great shows should. A year ten student at Truham Grammar School for Boys, Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) finds himself seated in his form class next to year 11 rugby player Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe). Sparks fly on the former's part, swiftly and overwhelmingly, with the eight-part series' graphic-novel origins inspiring a flurry of fluttering animated hearts on-screen. But Charlie has a secret boyfriend, Ben (Sebastian Croft, Doom Patrol), who won't even acknowledge him in public. He also hardly thinks of himself as sporty, even after Nick asks him to join the school team. And, while a friendship quickly solidifies between the two, Charlie is initially unsure whether anything more can happen — and anxiety-riddled in general. As well as writing Heartstopper's source material — which initially started as a webcomic — Alice Oseman pens every episode of this perceptive teenage-focused gem. From the outset, it bubbles with heartwarming charm, while its coming-of-age story and central love story alike prove wholly relatable, aptly awkward but also wonderfully sweet and sensitive. In short, it's a series that plunges so convincingly and inclusively into its characters' experiences that it feels like its heart is constantly beating with affection for Charlie, Nick, and their fellow high-schoolers Tao (fellow debutant William Gao), Elle (Yasmin Finney), Isaac (Tobie Donovan), Tara (Corinna Brown, Daphne) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell). First crushes, young love, the swirling swell of emotions that comes with both and also figuring out who you are: all of this dances through Heartstopper's frames. Also, when Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) pops up, she's glorious as always. Heartstopper is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. PREHISTORIC PLANET Five episodes, one comforting voice, and a time-travelling trip back 66 million years: that's the setup behind Prehistoric Planet, an utterly remarkable feels-like-you're-there dive into natural history. Having none other than David Attenborough narrate the daily activities of dinosaurs seems like it should've happened already, of course; however, now that it finally is occurring, it's always both wonderful and stunning. Filled with astonishing footage on par with the visuals that usually accompany Attenborough's nature docos, all thanks to the special effects team behind The Jungle Book and The Lion King, it truly is a wonder to look at. It needs to be: if the Cretaceous-era dinosaurs rampaging across the screen didn't appear like they genuinely could be walking and stalking — and fighting, foraging for food, hunting, flying, swimming and running as well — the magic that typically comes with watching an Attenborough-narrated doco would instantly and disappointingly vanish. Welcome to... your new insight into Tyrannosaurus rex foreplay, your latest reminder that velociraptors really don't look like they do in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World flicks, an entertaining time spent with al kinds of animals, and your next favourite dinosaur project with an Attenborough attached. Each of Prehistoric Planet's five instalments focuses on a different type of terrain — coasts, deserts, freshwater, ice and forests — and chats through the creatures that call it home. Set to a spirited original score by Hans Zimmer, fresh from winning his latest Oscar for Dune, there's a formula at work. That said, it's no more blatant than in any David Attenborough-hosted show. Viewers watch as some dinos look after their young, others try to find a mate, plenty search for something to eat and others attempt not to be eaten. The same kinds of activities are covered in each episode, but the locations and dinosaurs involved all change. Prehistoric Planet is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. LOOT Aptly given its title, new Apple TV+ sitcom Loot doesn't look cheap — or sound it. It's partly filmed in one of America's biggest private homes, an enormous mansion with 21 bedrooms, five pools, a bowling alley and a cinema. It's filled with well-known needle drops that come quickly and often, with one episode featuring three Daft Punk tracks alone. It couldn't scream louder or drip harder with excess; the series is about a mega-rich tech whiz's wife who gets $87 billion in their public and messy breakup, after all. And, it is inescapably made by a company that's a big technology behemoth itself, and has been splashing stacks of cash to build its streaming roster (see: The Morning Show, Ted Lasso, Severance, Physical, Prehistoric Planet, Foundation, The Shrink Next Door, Shining Girls, Slow Horses, Lisey's Story and more). Loot is also clearly a satire, however, and a canny, warm and funny one at that. The premise: amid being gifted a mega yacht for her birthday, then jumping to a party in that aforementioned sprawling home, Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph, Big Mouth) discovers that her husband John (Adam Scott, Severance) is cheating on her. Post-divorce, after that huge settlement and a stint of partying around the globe with her assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster, Fire Island), she gets a call from Sofia Salinas (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pose), the head of the foundation she's forgotten bears her name (and even exists). With Molly's drunken decadence all over the news, the charity is finding it difficult to do its work. So, the organisation's namesake decides to ditch the revelry — and her married moniker, becoming Molly Wells — and put all that dough to better use. She also commits to playing an active role in how her funds can truly help people. Loot is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. TOKYO VICE Seven years after making his most recent movie, aka 2015's Chris Hemsworth-starring Blackhat, one of America's best directors is finally back behind the lens. Thief, Heat, The Insider and Collateral filmmaker Michael Mann only helms Tokyo Vice's pilot, but what a tone-setting debut episode it is — as stylish and gritty a piece of television as you're likely to stream any time soon, in fact. Mann also serves as the eight-part book-to-screen series' executive producer, which explains why its slice of neon-lit Japanese-set noir always feels like it bears his fingerprints. Of course, the show isn't shy about its links to the director, who also executive produced the original 1980s TV series Miami Vice, and wrote and directed the 2006 big-screen remake. That said, Tokyo Vice's moniker actually stems from Jake Adelstein's memoir Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan, about his years writing for Yomiuri Shimbun as a non-Japanese journalist. Nonetheless, everything about the HBO-backed program feels as if it was always fated to end up in Mann's hands. Adelstein was Yomiuri Shimbun's first foreign staff writer, with Tokyo Vice exploring his quest to cement himself inside the publication from the bottom up. As played by West Side Story's Ansel Elgort, Adelstein always stands out, as does his dogged determination to chase the stories he's explicitly instructed to ignore. Murders don't happen in Japan, he's told. What he's witnessing screams otherwise, though. So, he starts spending his own time investigating, befriending Tokyo organised crime division detective Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) for guidance, and also getting close to club hostess and fellow American-in-Tokyo Samantha Porter (Rachel Keller, Legion), plus jaded Yakuza enforcer Sato (Shô Kasamatsu, Love You as the World Ends). Elgort is the weakest part of the series, but that also suits the overall narrative and its focus on the city's underworld — and everything around him, including Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim: Uprising) and Hideaki Itô (Memoirs of a Murderer), is stellar. Tokyo Vice is available to stream via Paramount+. Read our full review. PACHINKO When novels are turned into movies, there's usually a sense that's something is missing, no matter how fantastic the film proves. That's understandable; when you compare the time it takes to unfurl a story on the page with the usual running time of a feature — even a lengthy one — not everything can make the leap from book to screen. Named for the gambling machines that fill Japanese arcades, Pachinko turns author and journalist Min Jin Lee's award-winning text into an eight-part series instead, and it's a canny and clever move. So too is getting filmmakers Kogonada and Justin Chon to direct four instalments apiece, both coming off fantastic work via After Yang and Blue Bayou respectively. And, adding to the smart and savvy choices made by this immediately engrossing series, which unfurls a sweeping, 20th century-set, multi-generational tale about struggle, resilience and endurance: casting always-wonderful Minari Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung — as well as newcomer Kim Min-ha as the younger version of her character. Youn and Kim play Sunja (and, as a child, first-timer Yuna does as well), who anchors a story that's both impressively sprawling and devastatingly intimate. As a girl, she grows up in Japanese-occupied Korea, a fact that shapes every part of her young life. When she's older, she moves to Japan — and by the time that she's a grandmother, that's where the bulk of her existence has unfolded. Jumping between different periods, Pachinko charts how the shadow of colonial rule has lingered over not just Sunja but the family she's brought into the world, including in the 80s where her grandson Solomon (Jin Ha, Devs) works in finance in New York and her son Mozasu (Soji Arai, Cobra Kai) has made his way thanks to the titular game. Splashing an epic story told with emotion, resonance, insight and elegance across the screen, this is at the pinnacle of novel-to-screen adaptations. Pachinko is available to stream via Apple TV+. SLOW HORSES One of several espionage-themed efforts hitting streaming this year — see also: the returning The Flight Attendant and movie All the Old Knives — Slow Horses gives the genre a pivotal switch and entertaining shake up. It's still a tense thriller, kicking off with an airport incident and then following a kidnapping, but it's also about the kind of spies that don't usually populate the on-screen world of covert operatives. Stationed away from the main MI5 base at a rundown, clandestine office called Slough House, Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard) and his team are the agency's rejects. They haven't been fired for a multitude of reasons, however, including boasting ties to influential past employees, being great at their jobs but also a drunk and having impressive hacking skills yet proving impossible to get along with. Given the nickname that gives the show its moniker, usually they do little more than push paper, too, until they get caught up in a high-profile case. Oldman goes big and broad as Lamb, and he's also ceaselessly absorbing to watch, but Slow Horses isn't short on stars. In a six-episode first season adapted from Mick Herron's 2010 novel of the same name, Kristin Scott Thomas (Rebecca) plays MI5 Deputy Director-General Diana Taverner, Lamb's supremely competent head-office counterpart — although it's Jack Lowden (Fighting with My Family) and Olivia Cooke (Pixie) as young operatives River Cartwright and Sid Baker, and their efforts to chase down a lead they're not meant to, that's at the forefront. Behind the scenes, executive producer and writer Will Smith (not that one) brings a sly and witty way with dialogue from his past work on The Thick of It and Veep, making Slow Horses both crackingly suspenseful and tartly amusing. The slinky theme tune by Mick Jagger also helps set the mood — and season two is already in development. Slow Horses is available to stream via Apple TV+. THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH Who'd want to try to step into the one and only David Bowie's shoes? Only the brave and the bold. Two people earn that description in The Man Who Fell to Earth, the new TV sequel to the iconic 1976 movie that starred the music legend in the role he was clearly born to play: an alien who descends upon earth and ch-ch-changes history. Bill Nighy (Buckley's Chance) is charged with taking over the character of Thomas Jerome Newton and, thankfully and with style, he's up to the task. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) slides into the same kind of part that Bowie owned in the original, however, as fellow extra-terrestrial interloper Faraday. He's this follow-up's newcomer to the planet, and he's just as destined to do big things. That's not a spoiler — early in the first episode, Faraday addresses a massive crowd like he's Steve Jobs announcing Apple's latest product, and The Man Who Fell to Earth's tech success uses the occasion to spin his origin story. Who'd want to try to pick up where one of the best sci-fi films ever made left off? That'd also be the brave and the bold, aka Clarice creators Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman. Drawing inspiration from silver screen gems is obviously the pair's niche of late, but it's worth remembering with this new effort — which takes its cues from Walter Tevis' 1963 novel of the same name, too — that Kurtzman was also behind exceptional 2008–13 sci-fi series Fringe. Indeed, The Man Who Fell to Earth 2.0 feels like the perfect use of his talents, with the series thinking big and brimming with urgency in its vision of a world that might only be able to be saved by a spaceboy who truly cares about stopping climate change's damage. To follow through with his mission, though, Faraday also needs the help of former MIT physics whiz Justin Falls (Naomie Harris, No Time to Die). The Man Who Fell to Earth is available to stream via Paramount+. OUTER RANGE Some shows commence with a dead girl wrapped in plastic. Others begin with a plane crash on a spooky island. With Outer Range, it all kicks off with a void. On the Abbott family ranch in Wyoming, in the western reach that gives the show its name, a chasm suddenly appears. A perfect circle swirling with otherworldly mist and resembling an oversized golf hole, it's just one of several troubles plaguing patriarch Royal (Josh Brolin, Dune), however. There is indeed a touch of Twin Peaks and Lost to Outer Range. A dash of Yellowstone, The Twilight Zone, The X-Files and whichever family-focused prime-time soap opera takes your fancy, too. As a result, while Royal is visibly disconcerted by the unexpected opening staring at him in an otherwise ordinary field in this intriguing, quickly entrancing and supremely well-acted eight-part series — a show that makes ideal use of Brolin especially — he has other worries. His rich, ostentatious and increasingly madcap neighbour Wayne Tillerson (Will Patton, Halloween Kills) suddenly wants a parcel of the Abbotts' turf, claiming mapping inaccuracies. One of Tillerson's mouthy and entitled sons, Trevor (Matt Lauria, CSI: Vegas), ends up in a bar spat with Royal's sons Rhett (Lewis Pullman, Top Gun: Maverick) and Perry (Tom Pelphrey, Mank). And there's also the matter of Perry's missing wife, who disappeared nine months back, leaving both her husband and their young daughter Amy (Olive Abercrombie, The Haunting of Hill House) searching since. Plus, into this sea of faith-testing chaos amid such serene and dreamlike scenery, a stranger arrives as well: "hippie chick" backpacker Autumn Rivers (Imogen Poots, The Father). She just wants to camp for a few days on the Abbotts' stunning and sprawling land, she says, but she's a key part in a show that's a ranch-dwelling western, an offbeat enigma, an eerie sci-fi, a detective quest and a thriller all at once. Outer Range is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our full review. THE DROPOUT Dramatising the Theranos scandal, eight-part miniseries The Dropout is one of several high-profile releases this year to relive a wild true-crime tale — including the Anna Delvey-focused Inventing Anna, about the fake German heiress who conned her way through New York City's elite, and also documentary The Tinder Swindler, which steps through defrauding via dating app at the hands of Israeli imposter Simon Leviev. It also dives into the horror-inducing Dr Death-esque realm, because when a grift doesn't just mess with money and hearts, but with health and lives, it's pure nightmare fuel. And, it's the most gripping of the bunch, even though we're clearly living in peak scandal-to-screen times. Scam culture might be here to stay as Inventing Anna told us in a telling line of dialogue, but it isn't enough to just gawk its way — and The Dropout and its powerful take truly understands this. To tell the story of Theranos, The Dropout has to tell the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the Silicon Valley biotech outfit's founder and CEO from the age of 19. Played by a captivating, career-best Amanda Seyfried — on par with her Oscar-nominated work in Mank, but clearly in a vastly dissimilar role — the Steve Jobs-worshipping Holmes is seen explaining her company's name early in its first episode. It's derived from the words "therapy" and "diagnosis", she stresses, although history already dictates that it offered little of either. Spawned from Holmes' idea to make taking blood simpler and easier, using just one drop from a small finger prick, it failed to deliver, lied about it copiously and still launched to everyday consumers, putting important medical test results in jeopardy. The Dropout is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing highlights? Check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly. We also keep a running list of must-stream TV from across the year so far, complete with full reviews.
Festival FOMO is real, and festival sideshows are one solution: the gigs you go to when you're not going to the main gig. Can't make it to Adelaide for two music-filled October days at Harvest Rock II? Loving the South Australia-only fest's lineup? Four of the event's highlights have just announced dates along Australia's east coast. Chief among them are Sparks, which will draw upon a whopping 57 years of making ridiculously catchy and smartly funny tunes on their first tour of Australia since 2001. Thanks to 2021's double of Edgar Wright-directed documentary The Sparks Brothers and Cannes Film Festival opener Annette, brothers Ron and Russell Mael have been everywhere of late — and that's now about to include Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, busting out tracks like 'The Number One Song in Heaven', 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us' and latest single 'The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte'. In a glorious move, they've been beginning their recent sets with 'So May We Start' from Annette, too, which won them the Best Composer award at Cannes. Fresh from releasing her fourth studio album Spirituals in 2022, Santigold will extend her trip to Australia with sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. 2023 marks 15 years since the genre-defying artist first demanded attention with her debut record Santogold, and sparked a career that's seen her influence and team up with plenty of others. Drake, Lil Wayne and Future have sampled the Philadelphia-born talent's tracks, while Beastie Boys, David Byrne, Karen O and Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Basement Jaxx, Jay Z, Mark Ronson, Pharrell and Lykke Li have enlisted her as a collaborator. Following their fifth stint at Coachella earlier in 2022, Chromeo will also hit Sydney and Melbourne, bringing Dave 1 and P-Thugg our way almost two decades since their 80s-influenced electro-funk sound started echoing from intial album She's in Control. The Lemon Twigs are also veering beyond Adelaide, with visits to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario will draw upon their four-album span since 2016, as bookended by debut Do Hollywood and this year's Everything Harmony. All Harvest Rock sideshows will take place around the festival's dates, both before and afterwards, across Thursday, October 26–Thursday, November 2. And no, there won't be Jamiroquai and Beck gigs, with both playing their only Aussie sets at in Adelaide. To see either this October in Australia, only a Harvest Rock ticket will do. HARVEST ROCK II SIDESHOWS: SPARKS Thursday, October 26 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne Tuesday, October 31 — Sydney Opera House, Sydney Thursday, November 2 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane SANTIGOLD Friday, October 27 — Metro Theatre, Sydney Saturday, October 28 — Prince Bandroom, Melbourne CHROMEO Thursday, October 26 — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sunday, October 29 — 170 Russell, Melbourne THE LEMON TWIGS Thursday, October 26 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne Saturday, October 28 — Manning Bar, Sydney Tuesday, October 31 — The Outpost, Brisbane Harvest Rock 2023 will take at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide, on Saturday, October 28–Sunday, October 29, 2023. The festival's sideshows will tour Australia's east coast from Thursday, October 26–Thursday, November 2, with pre-sale tickets from 9am local time on Thursday, August 24 and general sales from 9am local time on Friday, August 25. Head to Concrete Playground Trips for a VIP Harvest Rock package for two, including tickets and accommodation.
Career-wise, the past decade has been kind to Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton. It all started back in 2009, when he won the Cannes Film Festival's Camera d'Or — the award for best first feature — for the fantastic Samson and Delilah. Since then, he has explored ghost stories in The Dark Side, and opened the Sydney Film Festival with We Don't Need a Map, a documentary exploring the prominence of the Southern Cross in Australian culture. In 2017, he also directed one of the best, most blistering Australian westerns ever made, Sweet Country. And, more recently, he co-helmed the second six-part season of TV series Mystery Road — which premiered at this year's Berlin Film Festival before hitting screens Down Under. All that hustle and bustle has had an impact, however, as his next project explores. In The Beach, Thornton documents his own quest to step back from his busy life by living alone on an isolated stretch of sand by the shoreline — at Jilirr, on the Dampier Peninsula on the northwest coast of Western Australia. Thornton directs the exquisite-looking documentary, with his son — Robbie Hood and Finke: There and Back filmmaker Dylan River — shooting the entire series. As well as helming, Thornton obviously stars in the six-part series, too. And it's understandably a highly personal affair; "The Beach is one of the most important projects of my life. It's about my life. It is my life," the acclaimed director explains. Accordingly, when the documentary hits NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand on Friday, May 29 — airing on NITV and SBS simultaneously in one big block, and dropping on the broadcaster's streaming platform at the same time — it'll chronicle Thornton's efforts as he lives alone, endeavouring to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, the Kaytetye people. Solely relying upon the land, he spends his days in scenic surroundings while hunting and gathering for food, with the docuseries observing unobtrusively as he attempts to transform his existence, connect to Country, and nourish both his body and spirit. As the just-released trailer shows, it makes for quite the striking viewing. And, given the current state of the world, immensely timely viewing too. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMIcuVH83M All six episodes of The Beach will air on NITV and SBS on Friday, May 29, with the docuseries available to stream via SBS On Demand from the same time.
Art/Work is a new Concrete Playground series where we take some time to chat with our local creatives in an attempt to unravel the daily grind behind being an artist. This week we speak with Kate Mitchell, a Sydney-based endurance artist represented by Chalk Horse. She is also one half of the paper cut crazy duo, Greedy Hen. Beware, jealousy pangs coming up, no more day job for this lovely lady! Most days you'll find me having some good times working at the Greedy Hen studio in Surry Hills. Greedy Hen is essentially a multi-disciplinary studio functioning partly as an art collective and partly as a design studio, housing the collaborative works of Katherine Brickman and myself. We make artwork, mostly collage/illustration heavy and it ends up in a whole variety of industries. We share our studio with some top notch people like Elke Kramer, Mikie Inglis and Benja Harney. It's non stop action in there! When I am not there I am having good times working/making from my studio at home. Otherwise I'm at the beach or on a bike. For the most part I spend my week bouncing ideas around with Katherine Brickman in Greedy Hen HQ, nutting out plans of attack and then getting them done the best way we can. We never know what will be in our inbox each morning, but usually there is some job waiting patiently for us! From time to time I work from my studio at home, it's quite a good balance. At the moment I am working on a solo Greedy Hen show which opens on May 5th at Lamington Drive in Melbourne. And currently I have some video works in a splendid group show called Social Sculpture on at Anna Schwartz Gallery at Carriage Works. It's on until May 14th. If money wasn't an issue I'd sail around the world, live on an island, climb some mountains, raft some rapids, make travel documentaries, meet some serious locals, learn to tie knots properly, never live through another winter and just wholesomely get out there and get involved. And realise all art dreams! Being an artist in Sydney is delightful and relentless in equal measure. My neighbourhood is Bronte. There's the beach and the RSL, what could possibly go wrong? I'm quite a fan of sneaking in a good body surf at Bronte beach in the mornings, and then I can't resist a dance off at Good God Small Club. It never fails to deliver.
The first time that Will Smith was nominated for an Oscar, it was for dramatising Muhammad Ali's story in Ali. It's much, much, much too early to say if he'll get the nod for his latest stint as a sporting figure — no one has even seen his upcoming movie King Richard yet, after all — but Smith sure looks to be angling to add a few shiny trophies for his mantle. He plays someone familiar with watching other people pick up silverware, in fact, given that he's playing Richard Williams — father of superstar tennis champions Serena and Venus. As the name makes plain, King Richard is all about the dad behind the ace-swinging duo, and his role in raising them, nurturing their talents and establishing their careers. When the girls first start showing their skills in Compton as children, neither Serena nor Venus nor Richard have any idea where their path will head. Viewers obviously do, but consider this the story behind the well-known story. The tone: persistent, moving and inspirational, at least based on the just-dropped trailer for King Richard, ahead of its release Down Under in November. From the sneak peek, Smith plays Richard as determined, confident and hardworking. Told that he might have the next Michael Jordan on his hands, he replies that he actually has the next two. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men), the biopic thankfully sees Smith in a completely different mode to his last big-screen appearance — in the abysmal, terrible and grating Bad Boys for Life. In King Richard, he's joined by Saniyaa Sidney (Fences) and Demi Singleton (Godfather of Harlem) stars as Venus and Serena, plus Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country) as their mother Oracene 'Brandi' Williams. Also among the familiar faces: Jon Bernthal (Those Who Wish Me Dead) as coach Rick Macci and Tony Goldwyn (Scandal) as coach Paul Cohen. Check out the trailer below: King Richard will release in Australian cinemas on November 18. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 4, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its seventh year running. This year over 500 cafes will aim to raise more than last year's total of $160,523. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 7 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. There are a heap of cafes participating across the country, but some include: SYDNEY The Grounds of Alexandria The Boathouse Bills Artificer Coffee Tea and Me Single O Three Blue Ducks Brewtown Newtown Daisy's Milkbar MELBOURNE Seven Seeds Assembly Proud Mary Top Paddock Tivoli Road Bakery Dr Morse Barry Axil Earl Sensory Lab BRISBANE Felix for Goodness Campos Mylk and Co Grinders Dovetail on Overend
What happens when xenomorphs and other terrifying extra-terrestrial creatures find their way to earth? So explores Alien: Earth, which brings the iconic horror/sci-fi saga first started by Ridley Scott's (Gladiator II) Alien to humanity's home, as well as to television. Another way to discover the answer to that question has popped up in Australia to celebrate the new series' arrival: an IRL hive quarantine zone, complete with ominous eggs and organisms, which is enjoying a two-day stint in Sydney. From 12–8pm on Thursday, August 14, 2025 and also from 8am–8pm on Friday, August 15, 2025, 348 Kent Street in the Harbour City is undergoing an otherworldly makeover. Expect ovomorph eggs, a crate containing a "class-one" hostile critter and Prodigy Corp workers donning hazmat suits trying to control the area. As for the show itself, which debuted on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, one of the trailers has some pertinent words: "we don't lock them down, it will be too late." This time, as other sneak peeks have also made clear, there's more than just one type of extra-terrestrial to deal with. So, while watching, you can hear humanity's screams in response, with this spinoff from the iconic Alien films featuring "five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe" wreaking havoc. Not once, not twice, but nine times now across 46 years, cinema audiences have stepped into the world of xenomorphs, facehuggers and chestbursters — and of cats onboard spaceships, androids resembling people and shouts not heard in the universe's vast expanse. When the initial Alien dropped in 1979, it started a phenomenon. 1986's Aliens, 1992's Alien 3, 1997's Alien Resurrection, 2012's Prometheus, 2017's Alien: Covenant and 2024's Alien: Romulus have all followed, as well as the 2004 Alien vs Predator and 2007 Aliens vs Predator: Requiem crossover flicks with the Predator franchise. 2025's Alien: Earth is a first, however, given that it's the franchise's debut TV series. Executive produced by Scott, this is Noah Hawley's addition to the saga — and another of his projects, after Fargo, where he's expanding upon the realm of a beloved film on the small screen. Set in 2120, his Alien entry follows the fallout of deep-space research vessel USCSS Maginot crashing onto earth, then the discoveries made as a result by a crew of soldiers that includes human-robot hybrid Wendy (Sydney Chandler, Sugar). As it peers just under a century into the future, Alien: Earth sees its namesake planet under the control of five companies: Weyland-Yutani, of course, because this is the Alien franchise, plus Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. It also witnesses a society where hybrids like Wendy — the first of her kind, with human consciousness inside a robot body — live side by side with humans, cyborgs and AI-driven synthetics. Hawley's cast not only includes Chandler, but also Fargo alums Timothy Olyphant (Havoc) and David Rysdahl (The Luckiest Man in America), plus Alex Lawther (Andor), Essie Davis (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Adrian Edmondson (Kidnapped), Samuel Blenkin (Mickey 17), Babou Ceesay (Killer Heat), Lily Newmark (A Gentleman in Moscow) and more. Find the Alien: Earth pop-up at 348 Kent Street, Sydney, from 12–8pm on Thursday, August 14, 2025 and also from 8am–8pm on Friday, August 15, 2025. Alien: Earth streams in Australia via Disney+.
Each month, Netflix adds a whole heap of new movies, shows and specials to its lineup. It's impossible to watch all of them, and if you tend to gravitate towards its big series and films — Stranger Things and The Witcher, plus features such as Marriage Story and The Trial of the Chicago 7 , for instance — that's understandable. But don't scroll your way past the service's comedy offerings. As with everything on every streaming platform, the selection can be a bit hit and miss; however, Netflix was responsible for one of the best sketch comedies of 2019, aka the sidesplitting I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. In 2020, Netflix is hoping that its latest addition to the genre will also strike a chord, this time with Aussie comedians Aunty Donna at its centre. The troupe's absurdist gags, satire and wordplay is heading to the streamer via the six-part Aunty Donna's Big House of Fun, which'll be available to watch from Wednesday, November 11. As the just-released first trailer shows, viewers are in for silliness galore, as led by Aunty Donna's Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane. The Office star Ed Helms also pops up, and executive produces the series — with Comedy Bang! Bang!'s Scott Aukerman and David Jargowsky also falling into the latter category. Since forming in 2011, Aunty Donna just keeps expanding its resume. It has played gigs everywhere from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to Edinburgh Festival Fringe, toured the country several times, made a number of web series and released an album. In a year where we could all use a genuine reason to laugh, Aunty Donna's Big House of Fun adds to that list. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BVoYKwTc4E Aunty Donna's Big House of Fun will be available via Netflix from Wednesday, November 11.
Melbourne is the world's most liveable city, as well as Australia's fastest growing capital. Sydney is the nation's most expensive city. But when it comes to the country's most 'hipster' spot, they've got nothing on one Queensland destination. According to The Hipster Index, a study by international relocation website MoveHub, the Gold Coast claims that title — because sun, surf, sand, theme parks, schoolies, the Commonwealth Games and hipsters apparently go hand-in-hand. The index's criteria actually helps explain the Goldie's top placing, with the study scoring cities based on five data points. The more vegan eateries, coffee shops, tattoo studios, vintage boutiques and record stores a city has, the higher they're ranked — and the tourist destination sure does boast a hefty number of meat-free cafes, spots to grab some caffeine and places to get inked. Queensland seems to be hipster central in general, too. Cairns comes in second, the Sunshine Coast makes sixth position, and the state nabs more places on the list than any other — with Brisbane at 11th and Townsville at 13th. Down south, Geelong ranks fourth and Melbourne fifth, while Newcastle sits at ninth followed by Sydney at tenth and Wollongong at 12th. With the study only ranking cities with populations over 150,000, Hobart, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth also earned a spot. Internationally, however, the Goldie only places 70th, with the index ranking 446 cities across 20 countries. Top honours didn't go to the location you're probably thinking about, aka the city so filled with hipsters, there's literally a television show satirising it. No, Portland actually came in second, with Britain's Brighton and Hove earning hipster bragging rights. Salt Lake City, Seattle and Lisbon round out the top five. Image: Marcus Bichel Lindegaard via Flickr.
Situated in the highlands of Orange, just over a three hours drive from Sydney, you'll find Nashdale Lane Wines. The winery is offering wine lovers a luxurious getaway among the vines: Glamping at Nashdale Lane Wines. The family-owned and run vineyard is surrounded not only by grapes but also fruit trees, olive groves, farmland and Mount Canobolas. If you're keen to sample its vinos, the onsite elevated tin-shed cellar door offers tastings every day of the week. Nashdale produces whites such as riesling, pinot gris, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc fumé, as well as rosé and reds ranging from pinot to tempranillo and shiraz. Promising a "private escape among the vines" the winery's luxury glamping cabins (just two) are nestled amongst an established vineyard. Wake up to gorgeous views of Mount Canobolas and neighbouring vineyards and farms. Each cabin sleeps two with hardwood flooring throughout — this is no ordinary tent — private bathroom facilities, a kitchen, a custom-made four-poster queen-sized bed, sunken outdoor lough and an outdoor lounge with alfresco deck and barbecue area. Located on the grounds of Nashdale Lane Wines, it's the ideal getaway for couples looking to explore the Orange region's exceptional food and premium cool-climate wines. Updated May 2 2023
HBO's Cordyceps infection isn't going anywhere soon — not for the seven more weeks that The Last of Us' first video game-to-TV season has left to air, and not for a further season after that either. In excellent news for fans of the PlayStation title, the Pedro Pascal (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)- and Bella Ramsey (Catherine Called Birdy)-starring show it has inspired, and both, the US network behind it has officially announced that its first massive hit of 2023 will return for a second season. This development is hardly surprising, but still obviously hugely welcome. When it comes to mashing buttons, the 2013 game also inspired a 2014 expansion pack and 2020 sequel. Also, even just two episodes in so far, HBO's version has been attracting viewers faster than any sudden movement attracts zombies. When the series' debut episode aired on Sunday, January 15 in the US and Monday, January 16 Down Under — where it screens and streams via Foxtel and Binge in Australia, and on Neon in New Zealand — it became HBO's second largest debut ever. The first? A little show called House of the Dragon in 2022. In America alone, The Last of Us' movie-length first instalment has notched up more than 22 million viewers, while its second episode earned 5.7 million viewers just on one night — more than a million than that premiere chapter, and giving HBO its largest-ever growth from week one to week two of any series it has ever made. In other words, even after leaping to television with a huge gaming fanbase behind it, The Last of Us' popularity is spreading. Given how impressive the HBO series' first season is — how thoughtful, character-based, well-cast, and committed to exploring not just what's happening in its contagion-ravaged dystopian world but why life is worth fighting for — that too is unsurprising. For newcomers to the franchise on consoles and as a TV series, it's set 20 years after modern civilisation as we know it has been toppled by a parasitic fungal infection that turns the afflicted into shuffling hordes. Pascal plays Joel, who gets saddled with smuggling 14-year-old Ellie (his Game of Thrones co-star Ramsey) out of a strict quarantine zone to help possibly save humanity's last remnants. There wouldn't be a game, let alone a television version, if that was an easy task, of course — and if the pair didn't need to weather quite the brutal journey. As a television series, The Last of Us hails from co-creator, executive producer, writer and director Craig Mazin, who already brought a hellscape to HBO (and to everyone's must-watch list) thanks to the haunting and horrifying Chernobyl. He teams up here with Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog, who also penned and directed The Last of Us games. Alongside Pascal and Ramsey, the series also boasts Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate) as Joel's younger brother and former soldier Tommy, Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) as resistance leader Marlene and Aussie actor Anna Torv (Mindhunter) as smuggler Tess. And, Nico Parker (The Third Day) plays Joel's 14-year old daughter Sarah, Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) and Nick Offerman (The Resort) feature as isolated survivalists Frank and Bill, Storm Reid (Euphoria) pops up as Boston orphan Riley, Jeffrey Pierce (Castle Rock) plays quarantine-zone rebel Perry and Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey also guest stars. HBO hasn't announced when season two will arrive, but cross your fingers that it drops early in 2024. Check out the full trailer for The Last of Us below: The Last of Us screens and streams via Foxtel and Binge in Australia, and on Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of the first season. Images: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Spring, plus light- to medium-bodied red wine: what a pairing. It's the duo that not only sits at the heart of Australian wine-tasting festival Pinot Palooza, but has helped the vino-swilling event become such a hit. The weather is sunny, the tipples are heady, and sipping your way through a heap of the latter is on the menu — including in 2023. Earlier in 2023, the beloved wine fest announced that it was not only returning for 2023, but also settling back into that coveted spring timeslot. Now, it has locked in venues and put tickets on sale. The Melbourne-born wine tasting festival will celebrate its 11th year by hitting up Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane again. To close out winter, it'll also make its debut in Perth. On offer at Claremont Showgrounds in Perth, Sydney's Carriageworks, Brisbane Showgrounds and The Timber Yard in Port Melbourne: more than 50 winemakers slinging their wares. Pinot Palooza will spread the party over three August days in Western Australia, as well as three October days in the Sunshine State. In New South Wales and Victoria, it'll be a two-day affair. In its decade of life until now, the fest has welcomed in thousands of vino lovers. Indeed, an estimated 65,000 tickets were sold globally before its 2022 events. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, the popular celebration was shelved for two-and-a-half years, before making a comeback last year. The response? More than 12,000 folks heading along around the nation. 2023's vino-sipping fun will cover organic, biodynamic, vegan and low-intervention wines, and more. Set to share their tipples among producers from Australia, New Zealand and further afield: New Zealand's Burn Cottage and CHARTERIS; Small Island, Ghost Rock and Meadowbank from Tasmania; M&J Becker from NSW and Moondarra from Victoria. The food lineup will feature cheese, salumi, terrines, patê, olives and other perfect vino accompaniments, with Tasmania's Grandvewe Cheese and Victoria's Mount Zero among the suppliers. And, while Pinot Palooza is a standalone fest only across the east coast dates, in Perth it's part of an already-announced collaboration with cheese festival Mould. PINOT PALOOZA 2023: Friday, August 25–Sunday, August 27: Centenary Pavilion, Claremont Showgrounds, Perth Friday, October 6–Saturday, October 7: Carriageworks, Sydney Friday, October 13–Sunday, October 15: John Reid Pavilion, Brisbane Showgrounds Friday, October 27–Saturday, October 28: The Timber Yard, Port Melbourne Pinot Palooza will get pouring around Australia from August–October 2023. For more information and tickets, head to the event's website.
Sunset Cinema is no stranger to St Ives Showground. In fact, it screened flicks there late in 2021. But for its new season from Wednesday, January 19–Saturday, March 12, the openair cinema has given things a revamp. The setup now takes a few cues from its other locations — including in North Sydney — and has ditched the drive-in component, but the main attraction is still the same: watching movies under the stars. Whether you're planning a cosy date night or an easy group hang outdoors, there'll be something on the bill for you — kicking off with that now-openair cinema must-have The Greatest Showman, and spanning plenty of new and recent titles as well. If you haven't yet given Spider-Man: No Way Home a spin, or taken The Matrix Resurrection's pill, or been shaken not stirred by No Time to Die, they're all on the lineup. Other highlights include Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch, the Lady Gaga-starring House of Gucci, Will Smith's applauded performance in King Richard and Kristen Stewart getting regal in Spencer. And, in the retro camp, sessions of Grease and Dirty Dancing are basically obligatory. BYO picnics are encouraged here, but the event is fully licensed, so alcohol can only be purchased onsite. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn.
If you've never indulged in a deep-fried feast, $10 pub meal or messy night at The Abercrombie but wish you had, procrastinate no longer. You have precisely one week to do so before the pub calls last drinks (ever!) on Thursday, January 9. The imminent closure was made public just before Christmas, with manager Dane Gorrel citing the Central Park Development as the cause. “We’re shutting down due to the development going ahead around Central Park,” he told Pulse Radio. “They’re going to be building a big commercial shopping mall around and above us.” As you’d expect, the farewell party is no shy affair. Six nights of entertainment have been announced. A music fest is promised for Saturday, January 4, with Thomas Bullock, Cos Mes, Chida and others. Sunday, of course, will see the final Abercrombie incarnation of cult dance party S.A.S.H. The organisers have expressed sadness at leaving their “home” but have promised to take up residence elsewhere: “Abercrombie may soon be gone, but S.A.S.H. will never die,” a Facebook post reads. “Keep your eyes and ears peeled as we’ll be announcing S.A.S.H. new home (sic) very soon!” The beginning of the week will take the form of a multi-evening Last Supper, with $10 steaks from 6pm on Monday, $10 schnitzels on Tuesday and $3 tacos on Wednesday. Finally, Thursday, January 9, will be the last day of trading, with 'One Last Party' on the program, headlined by DJ Koze. For updates and more information, visit The Abercrombie’s Facebook page.
Let's face it, for most of us the number one reason to go on holiday is, well, to eat. And when we travel, we want to know the best of the best to maximise our often limited time in a city. This is especially true in Adelaide, which, though small, is packed with cafes, eateries, bars and restaurants, some of which are easily the best in the country. We're bringing you the top five foodie experiences in Adelaide so you can live it up with the limited time you'll likely have. NATIVE AUSTRALIAN FARE AT RESTAURANT BLACKWOOD While Restaurant Blackwood's big sister, Orana, is perhaps the most renowned restaurant in Adelaide, its downstairs sister is, in our opinion, just as impressive. Both restaurants focus on using native Australian ingredients in ways you've probably never see before — think saltbush crisps and kangaroo puffs to start. The smoked pumpkin ($19), served with wild spinach and fresh goats cheese, reinvents the way you think about simple veg, while the creamy broth of the Goolwa cockles ($35) demands extra bread for dipping purposes. As in Orana, the ingredients are bush-foraged and fresh as can be. Blackwood may not be laid back, but it is relatively casual compared with Orana and is an ideal start to a night exploring the bustling Rundle Street. BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITA AT PINK MOON SALOON Pink Moon Saloon is possibly the coolest looking bar in the city — located in the site of a former service laneway, the space best resembles a log cabin set in between two tall city buildings. Just in October 2016, the team won Best Bar Australia/Pacific at the London Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. The space is well matched for Adelaide's blooming small bar scene and, while the vibe itself is worth the visit alone, the cocktail are where it's at. The menu is inventive and playful — think a spiced wine sour and a tangelo ginger julep ($18 each). Our favourite is by far the blood orange margarita ($19). The perfect tangy-sweet combination, the drink is miles away from the classic and yet is still reminiscent of the Mexican mainstay. If you're peckish, the food menu is also well designed for drink-induced nibbling. Try the barbecue pork belly in a lettuce cup or smoked trout on cuttlefish ink toast ($8 each) to keep the hangover at bay. [caption id="attachment_584445" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lucas Richarz.[/caption] DIY PLOUGHMAN'S LUNCH AT CENTRAL MARKET Adelaide's Central Market is quintessential to the city's food scene and is very much the root cause of why Adelaide became such a foodie haven to begin with. Opened in 1869, the 'old world' market still draws such a demand that it's still boasting a 29-vendor waiting list. Central Market even houses the oldest pizza joint in town — Lucia's, opened over 50 years ago and a true Adelaide institution. The market acts as melting pot of cuisines, from Latvian to Korean and everything in between, making it the perfect spot to DIY a top-notch ploughman's. First, head to Barossa Fine Foods for your free-range, ethically sourced meat component. Next, hit up Say Cheese, which has been around for 20 years and is, as the name suggests, dedicated to all things cheese. While they have an impressive international selection, go for the local — when in Rome, after all. They also have plenty of locally-made smallgoods to accompany your ploughman's. Finally, check the Wild Loaf for freshly baked sourdough, find a seat and dig in. ECO-CONSCIOUS BRUNCH AT CAFE TROPPO The leafy Cafe Troppo is set in an airy eco-building and they've taken such planet-friendly design as their mantra — spanning from the mismatched, crafty tableware to the eco-friendly cleaning products and locally sourced produce. The building itself looks like a grounded treehouse and the menu is seasonal, using the maximum amount of South Australian ingredients. Dishes include a poached pear toastie with ricotta, honey and walnuts ($9), along with a harvest bowl of fresh grilled veggies, organic feta and topped with a poached egg ($15). The coffee is also ethically sourced, fair-trade and organic, while the teas are single origin and hand-blended in the Barossa Valley. If you're after a boozy brunch, the two beer taps house local craft brews like Little Bang and Big Shed — two of the best in the region. COLD PRESSED JUICE FROM THE TAP AT THE MARKET SHED The Market Shed is a gem among markets. Open on Sundays only, Adelaide's certified organic market has quickly gained much love since opening last November. While the stalls include vegan and organic waffles from Live a Little and woodfired pizza from Little Orange Arancini and Pizza Bar, the only way to start your trip among these exquisite stalls is at Juice Quest — situated right up front and boasting some seriously delicious, hangover-curing drinks, these cold-pressed juices will prepare you for all else that is in store. Even more epic is that they've just started kegging said juices and are poured straight from the tap going forward. Drink on, organic-loving friends. Drink on. Marissa Ciampi travelled as a guest of the Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival.
Each Sunday, Lost Paradise and the Ivy link up to throw a raging end-of-week affair filled with some of the country's and world's best DJs. Lost Sundays has become a weekly mainstay of Sydney's nightlife scene, hosting everyone from local upstarts to global superstars like Four Tet, Denis Sulta and Skream. And, if you want to lock in a boogie for March, the event series is throwing a huge block party across the Ivy precinct. Lost Sundays Block Party will bring over 30 artists to the Sydney CBD on Sunday, March 17 for a huge precinct-wide shindig. Two of Australia's most exciting dance music exports lead the lineup, with DJ Boring and CC:Disco! both throwing down sets on the day. There are also some international additions to the program including Anz, KiNK, Special Request and Sally C. Plus, you can catch Chippy Nonstop, Gabrielle Kwarteng, Gerd Janson, Job Jobse, Kessler, Labat, Matisa, Sedef Adasi, Shampain, Sherelle and Spray. Discover 12 hours of world-class, dancefloor-filling tunes from 2pm and continuing all the way until 2am. Plus, food and drinks from some of Sydney's best restaurants has been promised so you'll be able to recharge between sets. If you want to secure your spot, standard tickets are available for $123, while VIP passes will set you back $174. Images: Jordan Munns
The Darlinghurst end of Oxford Street is known for a few things, but most arguably this strip of Sydney is famous for all things queer. Fabulous drag queens tottering into Stonewall and the rainbow pedestrian behind Taylor Square. And, of course, Mardi Gras. Also in this colourful corner of Sydney, you'll find The Bookshop Darlinghurst: a specialty store dedicated to LGBTQI+ literature and film. You may well have passed this little shopfront before, with the rainbow flag or a saucy book cover catching your eye. It's been around for over 35 years and has played an integral role in Sydney's queer community and culture. The Bookshop is jam-packed, stocking everything from books to calendars, magazines and DVDs. Whether you're here for the Priscilla Queen of The Desert DVD, some erotica, a calendar or a good read — Call Me by Your Name, Holding the Man and Benjamin Law's recent Growing Up Queer in Australia, for example — this bookshop's got it all.
Maxwell Wines isn't just known for its exceptional cellar — its flagship restaurant is lauded for its innovative and produce-led offerings. If a trip to McLaren Vale isn't on the cards, Executive Chef Fabian Lehmann brings a taste of Maxwell Restaurant to Arthur. [caption id="attachment_1019299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] For an intimate Monday night dinner, Lehmann is teaming up with Arthur's Head Chef Juwon Gwak on six innovative courses at the Surry Hills diner, paired with a curated Maxwell Wines selection. With both restaurants sharing a philosophy rooted in a respect for seasonality, producers and thoughtful technique, it's shaping up to be a promising meal that does right by its ingredients. Expect small bites like carrot tartlets filled with rosella and honey custard and kombu-cured hiramasa kingfish croustades, alongside contemporary rustic-style plates like carrot-glazed bay bugs in mussel butter sauce and dry-aged quail stuffed with mushroom duxelle. The highlight? A Maxwell Restaurant signature — smoked rainbow trout with chives and black garlic. [caption id="attachment_1019298" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption]
The West Wing first premiered in 1999, while Bill Clinton was president and over a year before George W Bush was elected. But when the latter happened, the acclaimed series inspired a strong and pervasive feeling — because every fan wished that Martin Sheen's President Jed Bartlet was really the commander in chief. That response wasn't just a case of escapism. It reflected The West Wing's top-notch writing and its passion. Unsurprisingly, even though the show wrapped up in 2006, that sentiment has echoed again throughout the past four years. In 2020, in fact, original cast members including Sheen, Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and Janel Moloney reunited in the lead up to the election for a special stage version of a season-three episode. Called A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, it was filmed, of course. That means you can now stream the entire seven-season series and its trademark Aaron Sorkin-penned walk-and-talks, and also enjoy the political drama's most recent gift to the world. Yes, it's still as topical and timely as ever.
When it comes to international rivalries, it doesn't get much bigger than Australia and England. But before the Rugby League World cup kicks off next month and the first ball is pitched in the 2023 Ashes series, sport fans can satisfy their search for entertaining, adrenaline-pumping clashes by grabbing tickets to see the the Origin Australian Diamonds in the upcoming test series against the England Vitality Roses. So, whether you're a netball novice or you're happiest watching a zippy wing attack passing expertly to a flash of a centre, being courtside at a Diamonds game will get you right up close to this energy, with the crowd's cheers feeding the drilled-down plays being executed with quick feet, intense stares and powerful throws. The upcoming England Series is kicking off at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, October 26. The one-off competition will be the first time Aussie netball stars have the home-ground advantage over the Brits — and the last chance to catch the Diamonds live this year. After match one, the athletes will make their way to Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, October 30 and then head north to Brisbane Entertainment Centre for what could be a nail-biter of a decider on Thursday, November 3. Following their Quad Series win in January and a gold medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games — which, excitingly, was the 1000th Australian gold medal in Commonwealth history — the Origin Australian Diamonds are sure to come out confidently. However, the exceptional talents that make up the Roses will be keen to prove they're no dainty English flowers (and will be looking for redemption after the Aussies knocked them out of gold-medal contention in the aforementioned Commonwealth Games). Our hot tip? Bookend your wing-attack-watching experience with an extended stay at your destination city. Transforming your sporty spectating into a sneaky little vacay (where you can hit the best of Brissie, Newy or the Harbour City) is sure to leave you feeling like a winner, too — whichever team you support. The Origin Australian Diamonds take on the Vitality Roses on Wednesday, October 26; Sunday, October 30; and Thursday, November 3. Be quick to nab your tickets, the series is set to sell out.
You don't know what you've got till it's gone. That saying has never felt more poignant than right now as we look for ways to keep living our best city-dwelling lifestyles within the confines of our homes. We're missing impromptu after-work drinks with colleagues and big birthday bashes at a flashy restaurant with our crew. We're missing the thrill of seeing our favourite band perform live or shaking off the shackles of the workweek with some kidulting fun. These things will return in good time. Until then, we're going to be spending a bit more time at home than usual, so we may as well make it a place we actually like hanging out. To celebrate the return of the Miller Design Lab, we've come up with five ways to customise your home and bring the best aspects of your city's nightlife into the fold. Miller Design Lab has built their own online home of creativity and self-expression with Australia's leading minds in design, art, technology and fashion. Together, we're celebrating our nightlife and its impact on culture by bringing you ways to create exceptional moments in your own home. [caption id="attachment_503345" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Le Bon Ton[/caption] TRANSFORM YOUR BALCONY OR GARDEN INTO A ROOFTOP BAR It's no secret that we love a rooftop bar — there's just something about the fresh air and epic sunset views (and perhaps the altitude) that make our drinks even tastier. If you're lucky enough to have a balcony or garden space attached to your home, you better be making the most of that prime piece of real estate. Take some cues from some of your favourite sky-high bars around the city and transform those few square metres into a mini oasis that you can kick back in with a drink in hand. Once you've got the furniture sorted — whether that's the full setup from an outdoors warehouse or an eclectic mix of chairs and tables from Gumtree — focus on injecting some colour and personality into the space. Start with some greenery: you can get hanging planters, quirky pot plants and all kinds of foliage delivered to your door via The Plant Society in Sydney and Melbourne or The Plant Lounge in Brisbane. Next, set the mood with some lighting — go with some traditional fairy lights for an ethereal feel or festoon lights if you're aiming for something a little more rustic. TURN YOUR LIVING ROOM INTO A LIVE MUSIC VENUE Working from home has its perks, but it can actually be really hard to switch off at the end of the day when you've got nowhere to rush off to. To mark 'tools down', set a date with yourself and your roommates or partner to go to a gig — in your own living room. Live music venues may be closed for now, but there are a bunch of playlists that you can stream (check out some of our favourites here), plus many artists are bringing the gigs to you via the wonders of the internet. There's the daily LGBTQIA+ Zoom party Club Quarantine, Defected Records' Defected Virtual Festival (featuring sets from Calvin Harris, Sam Divine and more), and Room 2 Radio, the Sydney-based virtual dance party which kicks off every Friday night at 8pm. Plus, the likes of Hayden James and Major Lazer are doing weekly streams, while Radiohead and Metallica are uploading footage from old concerts every week on Youtube. Sunset is the signal for you to the shut the laptop, get the live-stream up on your TV and reshuffle the furniture (or just haphazardly push it to once side — either works) so you can have enough room to throw shapes. If you really want to get into the spirit, treat yourself and the room to a funky disco ball, neon sign or strobe light machine, too. MAKE NIGHTTIME PLAYTIME If there were ever a time you wished you could wind back the clock and be a little kid again, it's probably right now. Unless you have a Delorean in your possession (if you do, can we borrow it?), it's not a possibility. So, we've found other ways to get our kidult kicks across the city — think arcade bars, indoor trampoline centres and escape rooms. And you can bring some of those into your own home, too. Set up a mini golf tournament in your backyard, dig out those classic board games from the cupboard or stock up on puzzles — even our PM agrees the latter is essential. You can also try your hand at a virtual escape room — our pick is this Harry Potter one. Or, crowdfund with all your housemates to purchase a traditional arcade game. CONVERT YOUR DINING AREA INTO AN INTIMATE BAR Finding a dimly lit nook in a small bar and splitting a bottle with someone is one of our favourite winter pastimes — it suits when on a first date, catching up with an old friend and bonding with a new colleague. To bring some of those cosy vibes into your apartment, set mood lighting with those candles you've been hoarding, grab a couple of premium beers, then order in some cocktails from a local bar for 'happy hour' or crack open that vino you've been saving for a special occasion. Oh, and don't forget the snacks. Get some top-notch cheese delivered from Formaggi Ocello in Sydney, Milk the Cow in Melbourne or Le Fromage Yard in Brisbane and build your own grazing board. [caption id="attachment_709879" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] REVAMP YOUR BEDROOM TO BE LIKE AN ART GALLERY You may only think of it as the place you go to sleep, but your bedroom is pretty important, particularly when you live with other people. It's where you retreat to after all that partying around your pad. It's also where you have free rein to express your personality and interests through your art and styling choices — from your bed linen to funky furniture choices. A wall mural decal will transform a blank wall into a big statement that emanates an inner-city laneway. For something a little less permanent, create your own mural with old photos, posters or magazine clippings (yes, just like you did in high school), or support a local artist and buy one of their pieces — sites like Cream Town are a good place to start with artworks starting at just $100. For more ways to celebrate your city's nightlife and recreate its energy in your own space, head this way.
This is it, folks. We're officially closing in on the last moments of summer. Soon enough, the days will get shorter, and the balmy nights will make way for blanket negotiations — but not before a festive farewell courtesy of Patrón. Earlier this month, the tequila kings set up across Sydney to celebrate the end of summer. They brought their Paraiso del Patrón to the city, inserting a slice of Mexican luxury into The Bucket List, Mrs Sippy and The Tilbury. There was a special launch by the sea at The Bucket List, Mrs Sippy is hosting Saturday bottomless brunches until the end of the month and on Thursday, February 22, The Tilbury will celebrate International Margarita Day with a fiesta of handcrafted Patrón cocktails, a hefty menu of tasty Mexican eats and local DJ beats. Though we're pretty sure International Margarita Day isn't a real holiday at all, we'll never turn our noses at a festive night of tequila. With DJ Stu Turner providing the soundtrack to the evening, The Tilbury's terrace will be a gateway to a virtual Mexican holiday. Kick off the festivities with a classic Tommy's Margarita paired with spiced North Queensland prawns, and then get stuck into a tray of soft shell tacos (you have a choice of honey soy chicken, chorizo, prawn and garlic mushroom) as you sip a bittersweet pomegranate Paloma. And if you happen to save some room for dessert, the Patrón XO Cafe espresso martini affogato will certainly hit the spot, providing the sweetest end to another spectacular Sydney summer. Can't make the party? You can still ride out the remainder of summer with Patrón. Paraiso del Patrón will be serving up their special tequila drinks and Mexican eats at The Tilbury, Mrs Sippy and The Bucket List every day until March 1.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from July's haul of newbies. (Yes, we're assuming you've watched Black Widow already.) BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL RIGHT NOW I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON Coffin flops, sloppy steaks and babies that know you used to be a piece of shit: they're just some of the absurdist and hilarious gems that the second season of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson serves up. Also making an appearance: a secret excuse to help men explain away pee stains on their pants, quite the loud and lurid shirt, and a daggy hat. Back in 2019, the sketch comedy's first season was Netflix's best new show of the year, and easily. History is repeating itself with the series' next batch of episodes, with all of the above inclusions resulting in side-splitting chuckles. To put it simply, absolutely no one excavates, explores and satirises social awkwardness with the gusto, commitment and left-of-centre viewpoint of Robinson. His skits dive headfirst into uncomfortable and excruciating situations, dwell there, and let them fester. He's a mastermind at ensuring that gags go for exactly as long as they need to — whether they're brief or prolonged — and the only criticism that can be found with I Think You Should Leave is that its short 15–17-minute episodes zoom by, so you'll probably watch all six new instalments in one 90-minute sitting. That's perhaps the best hour and a half you could spend staring at the TV right now. Robinson's flexible face is a constant source of surprises, and humour, and his outlook upon the world is both savage and brutally relatable. Binge his gags, then binge them again; that's how savvy this show is, and how addictive. If we can't have more Detroiters, the sublime sitcom that Robinson made after his time on Saturday Night Live, thank goodness we now have this. The second season of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is available to stream via Netflix. THE PURSUIT OF LOVE Bolters and stickers. They're the two labels given to women in The Pursuit of Love, a lavish, effervescent and also impeccably shrewd new three-part miniseries adaptation of Nancy Milford's 1945 novel of the same name. Befitting its source material's timing, the storyline leads into the Second World War, all as chalk-and-cheese cousins Linda Radlett (Lily James, The Dig) and Fanny Logan (Emily Beecham, Little Joe) grow from teens into women — and the former, the impulsive and passionate daughter of a Lord (Dominic West, Stateless) who doesn't believe in educating girls and hates foreigners, chases romance at all costs. Fanny narrates the story, detailing Linda's ups and downs alongside her own. Her own mother (Emily Mortimer, Relic) is purely known as "the Bolter", having left Fanny with her sister (Annabel Mullion, Patrick Melrose) as she too sought love again and again. It's a label that Linda despises when it's applied to her, though. Whether having her eyes opened to the world by her bohemian neighbour (Andrew Scott, His Dark Materials), falling for the first arrogant boy (Freddie Fox, Fanny Lye Deliver'd) she spends any real time with, or later crossing paths with a motivated Communist (James Frecheville, The Dry) and a French duke (Assaad Bouab, Call My Agent!), she does keep leaping forward, however. In contrast, Fanny literally bumps into Oxford academic (Shazad Latif, Profile) and settles into domestic bliss, all while worrying about her cousin. Mortimer also makes her directorial debut with this swiftly engaging look at well-to-do lives, and unpacking of the way women are perceived — and it's the latter, the vivid staging and cinematography, and the vibrant performances that make this a must-see. The Pursuit of Love is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. THIS WAY UP Another month, another season of stellar comedy This Way Up. That's not how it aired in Britain, but it's basically how it has panned out for Australian viewers. And, that's a great thing — not only because this smartly written, astute, insightful and delightfully acerbic series about London-based Irish siblings Áine (Aisling Bea, Living With Yourself) and Shona (Sharon Horgan, Catastrophe) keeps viewers hooked episode after episode, but because binging your way through it immerses you wholeheartedly in their chaotic lives and headspace. As the first season established, English teacher Áine is riding the ups and downs of a mental health journey that saw her spend some time receiving in-patient treatment, and has left Shona, the high-powered overachiever of the pair, perennially worried. Even as COVID-19 approaches and begins to affect their lives, that dynamic is still in place. But Áine is now embarking upon a relationship with Richard (Tobias Menzies, The Crown), the father of a French boy (Dorian Grover, The White Princess) she tutors, all while trying to hide it from her bosses and said kid. Shona is the least-fussed bride-to-be there is as she prepares to get married to her long-term boyfriend and ex-colleague Vish (Aasif Mandvi, Evil), and also navigates more than a little awkwardness with her friend and new business partner Charlotte (Indira Varma, Official Secrets). The heart of this series is the push and pull between this sisters, and how they try to weather everything that life throws their way — and it remains firmly intact this time around. The second season of This Way Up is available to stream via Stan. FEAR STREET Maya Hawke. A mall. Retro clothes and tunes aplenty. Combine the three, and that's how Fear Street Part 1: 1994 opens. Yes, that's familiar, because all of the above played a significant part in the third season of Stranger Things, too. But while Hawke is still popping up on Netflix here, she isn't in Hawkins, Indiana anymore. Instead, her character Heather is working at a mall in Shadyside, Ohio. The year is obviously 1994, Heather is doing the closing shift at a book store, and viewers first see her gushing over an eerie title, only for the customer that's buying it to proclaim: "it's trash; lowbrow horror". Fear Street Part 1: 1994 might begin with a wink to its RL Stine-penned source material, but that isn't the only nod it serves up. Directed and co-written by Leigh Janiak (Honeymoon), this slasher flick splashes its debts to everything from Halloween to Scream across every frame. That's part of the package, as is plenty of blood, gore, bumps and jumps. The end result is unmistakably formulaic, but aptly so; every novel in Stine's series also earned the same description, as did every Goosebumps book as well. From this scene-setting opening, there's a masked killer on the loose, more deaths and chaos follows, and a witch's curse pops up. Then, two more movies keep spinning the story. Fear Street Part 2: 1978 takes its cues from Friday the 13th by heading to a summer camp in its titular year, and Fear Street Part 3: 1666 ponders the origins of Shadyside's curse in the 1600s — and binging all three at once is immensely easy. All three Fear Street movies are available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review of Fear Street Part 1: 1994. DR DEATH Cliffhangers aren't a new creation, but Dr Death deploys the tactic masterfully. When each episode of this true-crime series ends, you want more. That's a product of the show's structure as it jumps between different years in neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch's life, and also a result of the stressful story itself. As played by Joshua Jackson (Little Fires Everywhere), Duntsch is full of charm when he's trying to encourage folks with spinal pain and neck injuries into his operating theatre — or when he's attempting to convince hospitals, particularly in Texas, to hire him. But again and again, those surgeries end horrendously. And if he's not endeavouring to sweet talk someone to get what he wants, and maintain the reputation and lifestyle he demands, his charisma melts into pure arrogance, including when he's dealing with his patients post-surgery and/or their loved ones. That's the narrative that Dr Death charts, all based on Duntsch's real-life tale, with the series following The Case Against Adnan Syed and the first and second seasons of Dirty John in jumping to the small screen from podcasts. If you've heard the Wondery release that shares Dr Death's name, you'll know that this tale is pure nightmare fuel, and the well-acted, well-shot and rightly angry drama plays that way on the screen. The longer he's allowed to operate, the bleaker Duntsch's story gets, all while fellow Texas surgeons Randall Kirby (Christian Slater, Dirty John) and Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin, Pixie) do whatever they can to bring his misdeeds to light. Dr Death is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK THE WHITE LOTUS With Enlightened, his excellent two-season Laura Dern-starring comedy-drama from 2011–13, writer/director Mike White (Brad's Status) followed an executive who broke down at work. When she stepped back into her life, she found herself wanting something completely different not just for herself, but for and from the world. It isn't linked, narrative-wise, to White's latest TV miniseries The White Lotus. Here, wealthy Americans holiday at a luxe Hawaiian resort, which is managed by Australian Armond (Murray Bartlett, Tales of the City) — folks like business star Nicole (Connie Britton, Bombshell), her husband Mark (Steve Zahn, Where'd You Go, Bernadette), and the teenage trio of Olivia (Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria), Paula (Brittany O'Grady, Little Voice) and Quinn (Fred Hechinger, Fear Street); newlyweds Rachel (Alexandra Daddario, Songbird) and Shane (Jake Lacy, Mrs America); and the recently bereaved Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge, Promising Young Woman). From the outset, when the opening scene shows Shane accompanying a body on the way home, viewers know this'll end with a death; however, as each episode unfurls, it's clear that these characters are reassessing what they want out of life as well. Here, a glam and glossy getaway becomes a hellish trap, magnifying glass and mirror, with everyone's issues and problems only augmented by their time at the eponymous location. In terms of sinking its claws into the affluent, eat the rich-style, this perceptive, alluring and excellently cast drama also pairs nicely with the White-penned Beatriz at Dinner, especially as it examines the differences between the resort's guests and staff. The first three episodes of The White Lotus are available to stream via Binge, with new episodes dropping weekly. TED LASSO A sports-centric sitcom that's like a big warm hug, Ted Lasso belongs in the camp of comedies that focus on nice and caring people doing nice and caring things. Parks and Recreation is the ultimate recent example of this subgenre, as well as fellow Michael Schur-created favourite Brooklyn Nine-Nine — shows that celebrate people supporting and being there for each other, and the bonds that spring between them, to not just an entertaining but to a soul-replenishing degree. As played by Jason Sudeikis (Booksmart), the series' namesake is all positivity, all the time. A small-time US college football coach, he scored an unlikely job as manager of British soccer team AFC Richmond in the show's first season, a job that came with struggles. The ravenous media wrote him off instantly, the club was hardly doing its best, owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham, Sex Education) had just taken over the organisation as part of her divorce settlement, and veteran champion Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, Uncle) and current hotshot Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster, Judy) refused to get along. Ted's upbeat attitude does wonders, though. In the second season, however, he finds new team psychologist Dr Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles, I May Destroy You) an unsettling presence. You definitely don't need to love soccer or even sport to fall for this show's ongoing charms, to adore its heartwarming determination to value banding together and looking on the bright side, and to love its depiction of both male tenderness and supportive female friendships (which is where Maleficent: Mistress of Evil's Juno Temple comes in). In fact, this is the best sitcom currently in production. The first two episodes of Ted Lasso's second season are available to stream via Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping weekly. MONSTERS AT WORK Some of the best films leave you pondering a simple question: what happened next? Sequels don't always answer that query, though, because often you're wondering what literally followed mere moments after the exact events you've just watched — which isn't necessarily where follow-ups head. Cue Monsters at Work, Pixar's latest addition to its Monsters, Inc franchise. That smart and sweet 2001 movie saw seasoned scarer Sulley (John Goodman, The Righteous Gemstones) and his offsider Mike (Billy Crystal, Untogether) upend their titular employer's setup, their city of Monstropolis and their whole monster-filled world, all by realising that the children they're tasked with frightening would be much happier laughing. 2013 prequel Monsters University then joined them back at that eponymous spot; however, if you've always wanted to know what happened after Sulley and Mike switched to eliciting giggles, that's where this new Disney+ TV series comes in. The pair everyone already knows and loves is adjusting to the new status quo, because the ten-part animated show picks up the very next day after the film that started it all. Also thrown askew: Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman, Mad Men) a horned scarer who just graduated, is all set to spook kids, but finds himself working in maintenance instead. Even as it explores the fallout of Pixar's beloved 20-year-old delight, this series doesn't really need to exist, but it nonetheless delivers an enjoyable extended stint in this creature-filled world. Also entertaining: voice work from Mindy Kaling (Locked Down) and Henry Winkler (Barry) as Tylor's new colleagues. The first five episodes of Monsters at Work are available to stream via Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly. MIRACLE WORKERS: THE OREGON TRAIL In the first season of Miracle Workers, which hit screens back in 2019, the one and only, always-great Steve Buscemi (The King of Staten Island) played god. It was a stroke-of-genius piece of exceptional casting in an eccentric comedy about heavenly bureaucrats subjected to the supposed Almighty's whims while still trying to keep earth running — and attempting to save it from the deity's destructive tendencies — but the storyline wrapped up in one season. Thankfully, the series still returned in 2020; however, this time it went back to the Dark Ages. Buscemi's role: Eddie Shitshoveler. Yes, that name does indeed describe the character's occupation, and many hilarious hijinks ensued in that addition to this ongoing anthology. Again, the tale ran for a single season, but that wasn't the end of the show either. Now that Miracle Workers has returned once more, it has the subtitle The Oregon Trail. Buscemi is Benny the Teen, an outlaw in pioneer era-America who ends up leading townsfolk from a fading rural locale along the titular track and hopefully to a better life. All of his now three-time co-stars are back as well, with Daniel Radcliffe (Guns Akimbo) playing a priest, Geraldine Viswanathan (The Broken Hearts Gallery) as the unhappy wife of Jon Bass' (Baywatch) snobbish villager, and Karan Soni (Superintelligence) as another gunslinger. Like its predecessors, this season is delightfully absurd, filled with intriguing characters and benefits from committed comic performances, all while parodying its new setting. The first three episodes of Miracle Workers: The Oregon Trail are available to stream via Stan, with new episodes dropping weekly. CLASSICS TO WATCH AND REWATCH THE SPY KIDS FRANCHISE Here's the thing about the best family-friendly movies: if they're great and they truly live up to their genre, then they really are not just suitable for but entertaining to audiences of all ages. Most films that overtly endeavour to entice children's eyeballs do also attempt to keep adults engaged as well — but oh-so-many fail. Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids franchise is one of the rare examples that works for everyone. It's goofy enough to play as an espionage comedy for viewers young and old, and even its flatter moments are better and have more personality than the bulk of its genre cohorts. Given the cast, which includes Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), Carla Gugino (Gunpowder Milkshake), Alan Cumming (Battle of the Sexes), Cheech Marin (The War with Grandpa), Danny Trejo (The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run), Steve Buscemi (Miracle Workers: The Oregon Trail; see above) and Salma Hayek (The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard), as well as Daryl Sabara (The Green Inferno) and Alexa Vega (Nashville) as the central kids, there was always going to be plenty to love here. Nostalgia might keep drawing you back to this series, but that's not the only thing that'll keep you interested. The frenetic and kinetic pace, the candy-coloured visuals and the all-round offbeat approach all filter through not only the first three flicks in the franchise, aka 2001's Spy Kids, 2002's Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, and 2003's Spy Kids 3: Game Over, but also 2011's Spy Kids: All the Time in the World as well. Spy Kids, Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams and Spy Kids 3: Game Over are available to stream via Binge, and all four films are also available on Stan. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May and June this year — and our top straight-to-streaming movies and specials from 2021 so far, and our list of the best new TV shows released this year so far as well.
Welcome to the new breed of combat movies. In Eye in the Sky, soldiers fight terrorists from the comfort of their desks, while the bulk of the people debating which course of action to take, and even those actually carrying out the strike, aren't on the front lines, but watching on from other continents. Their task is seemingly simple: apprehend two extremist ringleaders in Kenya. In the UK, Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) oversees operations, with her mission changing from a capture to a kill when she discovers a suicide attack may be imminent. On the ground in Nairobi, undercover agent Jama Farah (Barkhad Abdi) spies on the culprits, manoeuvring an insect-sized camera into their safe house. His aren't the only images of the scene, with two Las Vegas-based drone pilots (Aaron Paul and Phoebe Fox) looking on with their fingers on the trigger. But when a nine-year-old girl (Aisha Takow) wanders into the target zone, Powell is forced to seek advice from her superiors, including the supportive Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Alan Rickman) and a raft of indecisive politicians worried about the potential ramifications. The mechanics and morality of war are the movie's main concerns — and while many a cinematic dissection of conflict has probed the same topic, director Gavin Hood (Ender's Game) has crafted a film that's purely a product of its time. Technology is key, both in the way the story unfolds for the characters, and the way it is presented to the audience. Powell and the majority of her colleagues observe matters from the safety of their own countries, yet can take lives at the press of a button. Viewers share the same position, and see the same intercut spy cam, drone and satellite footage — though they can only watch on with a combination of horror, anxiety and flabbergasted amusement, unable to intervene or do more. Indeed, Eye in the Sky is designed to inspire many a question, and leave everyone pondering the various troubling answers. That it succeeds isn't simply a result of the film's intelligent approach to its subject, but of its tone: part military thriller, part bureaucratic farce. Viewers will find themselves inching towards the edge of their seats, even as they chuckle grimly as yet another person in power tries to avoid making a hard decision. There's no ducking the films more heavy-handed elements, including an intrusive score, conveniently increasing stakes, and the blatant attempt to evoke an emotional reaction by placing a child in peril. But there's also no avoiding its effectiveness, both in contemplating a difficult subject and constructing an exercise in tension. The considered mood Mirren brings to her pivotal role proves the perfect weathervane for the film's fortunes, and of the way in which it achieves its aims. She's the movie's robust centre, brimming with as much texture as toughness. Among the rest of the cast, Paul plays his part with the right amount of worry and uncertainty, while the late Rickman's trademark wry charm gets a fitting final outing. Given the intensity of the situation that surrounds them, that they provide the complex feature with convincing portrayals is no small feat.
Saturday September 24 sees the closure of William Street to cars and the spilling of fun and frivolity onto the tar for the annual William Street Laneway Festival. All of the shops along this strip have events, special prices, drinks, food and deals galore to lure you away from the mega-complexes and back to the simple joy of wandering and shopping in Paddington's home of unique boutiques. Not just a day for the girls (although you could bring your fella and dump him at The London when he starts to stare blankly at your 'What do you think?') there will be a ping-pong tournament at Nudie Jeans, live music at Di Nuovo, a sausage sizzle at bams & ted and plenty of lounge areas scattered up and down the street for sitting and drinking and soaking up the atmosphere. The whole day has a decidedly carnivale feel with a circus extravanganza at Poepke (with an incredible 70% off sale), tarot readings at Tigerlily, fairy floss at Lucette and free evil eye charms for those who spend over $300 at Pierre Winter Fine Jewels. And if you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of Mr. Darcy, the resident Russian Blue at Pierre Winter. And you will know him by the pearls he wears.
Avi's Kantini is the latest venture by the Solotel Group (Smoke at Barangaroo House, Opera Bar) which prides itself on being "loud, loose and fun". "Newtown has always been a popular spot for Middle Eastern and Turkish food," CEO of Solotel Group Elliot Solomon said in a statement. "With Avi's Kantini, we wanted to build on that legacy and love with a contemporary, psychedelic twist." Nestled inside The Bank alongside craft beer bar Uncle Hops, the Middle Eastern-inspired menu can be ordered anywhere in the three-storey venue. Highlights include an oozy baked saganaki with honey, pistachio and rose, as well as housemade dips, stuffed pides served with pickles and onion salads, and meze plates. [caption id="attachment_810486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Baked saganaki at Avi's Kantini[/caption] Cocktails are curated by Ed Loveday (ex-Bar Brosé and ex-ACME), featuring ingredients like arak (a unsweetened distilled spirit), sumac, pomegranate, saffron and bergamot (a type of citrus). Taste through a refreshing Karpuz (meaning 'melon' in Turkish) with Espolon Blanco tequila, watermelon, rosewater and lime or try Avi's take on an espresso martini with spiced rum, coffee, date and black walnut. If you want to spend less time ordering, and more time dancing, we wouldn't blame you. The $45 banquet menu is a steal with plant-based and carnivorous options including chickpea falafels, lamb shish and chicken wings in a sticky fig glaze. [caption id="attachment_810488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lamb flatbread at Avi's Kantini[/caption] The revamped courtyard champions custom art murals by Wollongong-based artist El Oso Negro. 12-seater cushioned booths, seating nooks and plenty of greenery gives guests heaps of options when it comes to space. Avi's Kantini will open this Thursday, May 6 at The Bank, 324 King St, Newtown.
The Grounds of Alexandria has proven a coffee haven for Sydneysiders for five years and now they're breaking into the craft brew game. The beer, a collaboration with the longstanding Lord Nelson Brewery, pairs a bold American brown ale with The Grounds' signature, in-house roasted espresso. 'The Lord of The Grounds Brown' is quite the mouthful in name and in drinking practice — unlike some coffee-beer pairings, this is not simply a coffee-flavoured brew. Instead, a mug of the brown ale, with its rich malt flavour, pine hop aroma and slight bitterness, is served alongside a smooth shot of espresso ($13 for the two). This is truly a collab for both beer and coffee lovers — which, more often than not, are already one in the same. The brew is currently on offer, exclusively at The Potting Shed for the duration of winter, along with share plates, snacks, a full bar menu and regular live music, all in The Grounds' expertly overgrown garden setting. The Potting Shed at The Grounds of Alexandria is located at 41/43 Bourke Rd, Alexandria. Open Monday through Friday 11.30am to late and Saturday through Sunday from 11am to late.
Sydney Airport's next public art installation is a colourful reminder of Australia's roots, in a place where cultures and people from all across the globe converge daily. The work United Neytions by Kamilaroi artist Archie Moore will set a pretty striking scene, hung from the 17-metre-high ceiling of T1 International Terminal's Marketplace. Featuring 28 distinctive flags to represent the diversity of our country's Aboriginal cultures, the piece was chosen by The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and Sydney Airport for their latest art commission, edging out works from seven other leading Aussie artists. According to MCA Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, the work, by "one of our nation's most important contemporary artists", is a fitting one to be shared with the 15 million passengers that flow through this part of the airport annually. "Archie Moore has approached this exciting opportunity with great flair and his visually striking installation will no doubt intrigue, engage and capture the imagination of the millions of passengers passing through the airport's International terminal every year," she said. Moore himself explained that the flags would help draw attention "to the histories, voices and presence of local Indigenous people on which land the airport – an international zone/'no man's land' – lies, but also the passages of cultures, pasts, territories, ages and cultural knowledges that airports foster." United Neytions is set to be completed and unveiled at Sydney Airport in 2018.
Here at Concrete Playground, we thrive on bringing you the very best of Sydney's cultural happenings. So much so, we decided to get in on the action. To celebrate the start of summer — and the good times that come with it — we're throwing a one-day festival of music, food, drink and sun. On Saturday, November 16, we're taking over a luxe beachside location for a massive summer party, marking the beginning of many balmy nights ahead. Best of all? It's all going down by one of Sydney's most picturesque beaches: Manly. We've partnered up with BATI & RATU by RUM Co of Fiji, too, who'll be bringing a touch of Fijian paradise to our Aussie shores. So, expect plenty of sea breeze, lush decorations, dance-worthy live tunes and, naturally, lots and lots of rum. And, seeing as rum is the drink of pirates, mavericks and seafarers alike, we've decided to keep this summer shindig a bit of a secret. So, while there'll be no 'X marks the spot' business, we're keeping everything under wraps for now. We will, though, be giving away double passes to the party — head this way to be in the running. So, buckle up, beachgoers, because this party will be bringing summer vibes in spades.
Spring, the season when anything feels possible, has arrived. Flowers are blooming, temperatures are warming up and getaway vibes are buzzing — big get-out-of-the-house energy, too. So, your mind has probably turned to your next holiday. Of course, there's never a bad time to plan a vacation, but knowing that the cold is behind us for another year is mighty great motivation. Here's one way to proceed: making a date with anywhere from the Gold Coast up to Cairns, because this is a glorious time to be in the Sunshine State. Yes, Virgin Australia has just dropped a huge Queensland flight sale, teaming up with the Queensland Government on a big tourism push, and covering trips from October 2023–June 2024. Running now, from Monday, September 4 until 11.59AEST on Sunday, September 10 — or sold out, whichever arrives first — this is another of the airline's sales that's completely dedicated to hitting up everything north of Coolangatta. And, it's slinging a heap of fares: 300,000 of them, in fact. It might be focused on one part of the country, but you still have options in terms of departure points and destinations. Within Queensland, you can leave or arrive in Brisbane, Hamilton Island, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Mt Isa and Proserpine. And, around the rest of the nation, flights to and from Adelaide, Alice Springs, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Sydney are all covered. One-way fares start at $49, which'll get you from Sydney to the Gold Coast and vice versa. Other sale flights include Sydney–Sunshine Coast from $55, Brisbane–Proserpine from $59, Newcastle–Brisbane and Canberra–Gold Coast from $65, and Melbourne–Gold Coast and Brisbane–Cairns from $69. Also, Hamilton Island fares start at $79 from Brisbane, $95 from Sydney and $99 from Melbourne. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel within that October–June period, the exact dates depend on the leg. Only select fares cover seat choice and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing back in 2021 that it now splits its economy flights into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. Virgin's latest Queensland Is Calling sale runs from Monday, September 4–Sunday, September 10 (ending at 11.59AEST) — or until sold out. Top image: Internet2014 via Wikimedia Commons. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Ride-sharing isn't just about hopping in someone's car, getting a lift and avoiding a taxi queue. Over the past few years, scooter and electronic bicycle services have been popping up on Australia's streets, with companies such as Lime, oBike, Uber and Neuron Mobility bringing their fleets — usually in bright colours — to the nation's cities. In Sydney, Beam is the latest outfit to join the fold, courtesy of 50 purple-hued Apollo e-bikes that are now available to hire around Bondi. That number will grow in the coming weeks, topping out at 250, with bikes placed at parking around the Waverley area as well. Beam's launch is timed to coincide with Sydney's continued easing of COVID-19 restrictions, as well as the springtime weather — but if you're wondering what makes it different from the others, that's understandable. While e-bike services are typically dockless, meaning that you can finish your ride wherever you like and just leave your bike there, Beam offers designated parking spots. It calls the scheme 'virtual docking', with customers parking the bikes in predetermined places located by using the company's app. The aim is to solve a familiar problem. As anyone who has stumbled across a scooter or e-bike in an inconvenient location knows, these modes of transport can be left everywhere from roadways to the middle of footpaths. Indeed, back in 2018, the Waverley Council — which covers Bondi, Bronte, Vaucluse, Dover Heights, Bondi Junction, Waverley and parts of Rose Bay — started impounding dockless bikes dumped around the area. In the same year, the City of Sydney created bike sharing bays to help tackle the same issue. Beam users don't have to park the services bikes in its allocated spaces, though. It's encouraged, and parking in a designated spot is free, but you can choose to leave your ride somewhere else and pay a $4 fee. That doesn't seem like the biggest incentive to get people to do the right thing; however, it's better than nothing. When it comes to that other item that's often spotted in weird and awkward places, aka bike helmets, Beam is using bluetooth to lock them down. And, to deal with errant bikes and helmets, it has a team of rangers who are tasked with collecting them. Beam already operates scooters in Adelaide, in Bunbury in Western Australia, and in New Zealand, South Korea and Malaysia as well — but its Apollo e-bikes are making their worldwide debut in Sydney. If you're keen to hit the road, Beam isn't currently charging users to unlock its bikes, but you will pay 29 cents for every minute you're riding. That's part of the company's introductory special, which runs until Sunday, October 18. And for those wondering about the realities of hygiene and e-bike hire in this COVID-19 world, Beam advises that its bikes and helmets are coated with a long-lasting but non-toxic anti-microbial treatment — and regularly sanitised with disinfectant as well. Beam's Apollo e-bikes are now popping up around the Waverley Council area. For more information, head to the company's website.
Feeling Women's World Cup withdrawals? That's understandable. After a glorious month of stellar football across Australia and New Zealand — the globe's best women soccer players all playing in our time zones, too — the competition is over for 2023. Want to keep the Matildas love going after the squad's historic fourth placing? You can watch a rousing docuseries about the team, get excited about Brisbane's upcoming statue commemorating their efforts and throw Sam Kerr some love to win the Goal of the Tournament. The Matildas won four of their seven games across the series, but you already know which one was home to the squad captain's nominated strike: the semi-final loss to England. And, we know that you saw it, because that match became the most-watched Australian TV event since 2001 and likely ever (ratings body OzTAM's records don't go back that far). Kerr is Australia's only nominee for the Goal of the Tournament, competing against nine other ace strikes. The winner is decided by public vote, which is where you come in. Get clicking, keep spreading the green-and-gold joy — it's that easy. Voting is open until Tuesday, August 29, via the FIFA website. If you're a Matildas supporter, you'll rightly think that there's no other goal as stunning among the contenders — but Kerr does have some impressive company. England's Lauren James, Japan's Mina Tanaka, Spain's Aitana Bonmati and The Netherlands' Esmee Brugts are all vying for the prize as well. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) FIFA clearly know what Kerr's strike means to Australia, describing it as "the goal that made a nation erupt" and "a dream realised, the physical, tangible embodiment of hope". No, adults sadly can't enrol at Kerr's just-announced football academy for Aussie kids — girls and boys — to follow in her footsteps, but we can do our part to give our hero this accolade. .@samkerr1's out-of-this-world strike 🚀🌏#Matildas #FIFAWWC #TilitsDone pic.twitter.com/CRvBO1PonE — CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) August 16, 2023 To vote for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Goal of the Tournament until Tuesday, August 29, head to the FIFA website.
Six decades after West Side Story first hit Broadway, the acclaimed musical returns to the Australian stage, set to play at both Arts Centre Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House next year. Headed up by two-time Tony Award nominated choreographer Joey McKneely, the award-winning production reimagines the famous tale of rival street gangs in 1950's New York City. It's a Romeo and Juliet-style classic, that's enchanted audiences in countless iterations over the years. And now it's set to be retold at two of the country's most iconic venues, the musical featuring all the hit songs — including 'I Feel Pretty', 'A Boy Like That', 'Something's Coming', 'America' and 'Maria' — along with Jerome Robbins' (the Broadway show's original creator) ground-breaking choreography. And, if you've always dreamt of being a West Side Story star, now's the time to start practicing those moves and warming up those vocal chords — audition submissions are now open, in the hunt to find the musical's leading talent. If you'd like to get a double dose of West Side Story, you can also attend an operatic production of the show in March next year, as it heads to Sydney's floating stage, Handa Opera. West Side Story will play at the Arts Centre Melbourne from April 6–28, 2019, and at the Sydney Opera House from August 16 to October 6, 2019. Head over to the website to jump on a waitlist for tickets. Image Credit: Nilz Boehme and Johan Persson
When word arrived that a new version of Scott Pilgrim was on its way, it felt as inevitable as the person of your dreams having a complicated romantic past. That nothing ever truly dies in pop culture is old news. So is the fact that nothing fades into memory, especially when respawning can capitalise upon a fanbase. Turning Scott Pilgrim into a TV show is the latest example on an ever-growing list of leaps from the big screen to the small; however, sight unseen, making a Scott Pilgrim anime series felt more fitting than most similar jumps. Thanks to manga-style aesthetic that filled Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels, the video game-esque plot about battling seven evil exes and the cartoon vibe that Edgar Wright brought so engagingly to his 2010 big-screen live-action adaptation, imagining how O'Malley and co-writer/co-producer BenDavid Grabinski (Are You Afraid of the Dark?) — plus Wright (Last Night in Soho) again as an executive producer — could bring that to an eight-part animation was instantly easy. Called Scott Pilgrim Takes Off rather than Scott Pilgrim vs the World, the Netflix series that streams from Friday, November 17 begins as a straightforward Scott Pilgrim anime, introducing the same tale that's been spread across pages and cinemas — and played through via a video game, too — right down to repeated shots and dialogue. Meet Scott Pilgrim again, then. The Michael Cera (Barbie)-voiced twentysomething bassist is once more fated to fall in love with literal dream girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ahsoka), who first appears to him as he slumbers, then fight the seven folks who dated her before him. When sparks fly, he also has his own amorous mess to deal with, including that he's dating high-schooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong, Best Sellers) and remains heartbroken over being dumped by now-superstar singer Envy Adams (Brie Larson, The Marvels). Scott Pilgrim Takes Off's debut episode still has its namesake living with Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin, Succession) in a one-room Toronto flat, and regularly having the ins and outs of his life recounted by his roommate to his sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick, Alice, Darling). Scott is reliably one third of Sex Bob-Omb! alongside his friend Stephen Stills (Mark Webber, SMILF) and ex Kim Pine (Alison Pill, Hello Tomorrow!), with Stephen's housemate Young Neil (Johnny Simmons, Girlboss) always watching on. And, when he first talks to Ramona IRL, it's at a party thrown by the acerbic Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre). Then, the band plays a gig that Scott invites Ramona to, and the first of her evil former paramours interrupts Sex Bob-Omb!'s set to throw down — with Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha, Sense8) still hung up on the girl he dated for a week and a half in seventh grade. Beating Matthew will mean needing to vanquish the rest of Ramona's past loves next: movie star Lucas Lee (Chris Evans, Pain Hustlers), vegan fellow bassist Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh, The Flash), Ramona's college roommate Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman, Good Girls), twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi (Julian Cihi, Only Murders in the Building), and record-label head Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes). Accordingly, just like Kim shouting "we are Sex Bob-Omb!" at the beginning of a set, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off starts with comfortable familiarity. But at the end of the initial instalment, after every detail looks like the graphic novels and film given the anime treatment to the point of feeling uncanny, in drops the first twist. There's reimaginings, and then there's this playful take that adores the comics and movie, pays homage to them, riffs on and even openly references them, but charmingly shirks the idea of being a remake. So, what if that narrative didn't follow the path that viewers have seen before? What if there's a reason that this series' moniker mentions Scott not being around? What if that's just the kick-off point for a brand-new, gorgeously dreamy, wildly inventive and infectiously heartfelt Scott Pilgrim remix? This is still a story spun from a slacker fantasy while bubbling with sincerity and intensity about navigating love and life when you're working out who you are, but every new turn in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off deepens its tale, emotions and delights. It still dwells in a world where Scott orders a delivery from the rollerskating Ramona on a boxy computer (she slings Netflix DVDs, aptly), yet it feels even more divorced from time. Although still abounds with pop culture nods and throwback vibes as well — albeit without zero sounds from The Legend of Zelda, but with added lines of dialogue straight out of 90s tunes — this isn't the exact same Scott Pilgrim. Prepare to get meta, and also for an angle that Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs the World didn't have, putting the focus on Ramona not as the object of eight people's affections but as Scott Pilgrim Takes Off's protagonist. As she endeavours to work out what's going on, she's the audience's guide in a whodunnit (because alongside slotting into the film-to-TV trend like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, this series embraces its mystery angle as A Murder at the End of the World has also been doing of late, plus plenty of other shows before it). As Ramona's other exes still need confronting, it's her rather than someone she's casually seeing that's wading and soul-searching through her history. If O'Malley, Grabinski and Wright had chosen to call their Netflix effort Ramona Flowers vs the World, it would've fit; that said, not only Ramona but the full slate of characters beyond Scott all benefit from the big shift. Accordingly, while the ex-by-ex structure stays — plus the fight scenes bursting with on-screen onomatopoeia — each episode builds upon Ramona, Wallace, Knives, Kim, Young Neil, Stephen, Julie, Stacey and Envy, as well as Matthew, Lucas, Todd, Roxy, the Katayanagi and Gideon. If re-enlisting the movie's massive supporting cast seemed like a mammoth achievement, expanding their characters' place in the story must've been a prime way to entice everyone back. What makes Ramona's exes tick, hopes and neuroses alike, cannily and cathartically helps shapes the show's sleuthing. More than that, unresolved emotions and struggles colour every battle. Bouncing ingeniously through an array of film genres in a video store-set fray is a particularly memorable and meaningful move. As brought to the screen with Science Saru's now-expectedly beguiling animation (see also: the big screen's Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, Lu Over the Wall, Ride Your Wave and Inu-Oh, all from filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa), different instalments also take their tone and approach from different sources. A Lucas-centric chapter that turns Liam Lynch's 2002 track 'United States of Whatever' into its anthem is a treat, for instance, and another episode is a self-referential marvel. Where Scott Pilgrim vs the World looked outward to dive into its characters, using its gaming and pop-culture nods as shorthand to explain who they are, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off peers inwards to get its mood, themes, intricacies and slant. Like Scott with Ramona, this series is something to tumble head over heels for, and one of the best examples yet of pressing play again on a beloved treasure. Check out the full trailer for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off below: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off streams via Netflix on Friday, November 17.
The first time was the charm. The second time, too. And, there's no doubt that the third will be as well. However many seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under that Stan in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand want to put in our streaming queues, they're all certain to be fierce, fabulous, bright, bold and sassy — including the show's just-confirmed return in 2023. Yes, your viewing plans for next year got better, even if RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under doesn't have an exact season three airdate as yet. The Australian and New Zealand version if RuPaul's Drag Race debuted in 2021, then sashayed our way again in 2022. Keep it coming, obviously. Exactly who'll be donning eye-catching outfits, navigating dramas and vying for glory next hasn't been revealed yet either, but a new lineup of drag queens will endeavour to follow in Kita Mean and Spankie Jackzon's footsteps — after Mean took RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under's first season and Jackzon did the honours in season two. Whoever gets the gig, they'll be joined by RuPaul, of course — who takes on hosting duties again — with the judging panel also featuring Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson in the first two seasons. "I'm so excited for season three of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under! Australasian drag is spectacularly sickening, and I can't wait for a new cast of queens to flash their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent," RuPaul said, announcing the third season. Fans already know the format, which features fashion challenges, workroom dramas and lip sync battles aplenty. If you're a newcomer to all things Drag Race, you'll watch the next batch of Australian and NZ competitors work through a series of contests to emerge victorious, and join the likes of Mean, Jackzon and US contenders Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Velour and Sharon Needles in being crowned the series' winner. Before it made the leap Down Under in 2021, the US version of RuPaul's Drag Race had already been on the air for more than a decade, first premiering in 2009 — and wholeheartedly embracing its mission to unearth the next drag superstars ever since. The original US series aired its 14th season in 2022, so this is a program with proven longevity. It has also spun off international iterations before, including in the UK — where it's also hosted by RuPaul — plus in Thailand, Holland, Chile and Canada. There's no trailer for season three yet, of course, but you can watch the Drag Race Down Under season two trailer below: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under will return for a third season in 2023 on Stan and TVNZ — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
Checking into holiday accommodation, scouring every inch of your new home away from home and savouring your temporary scenic sights is part of everyone's vacation ritual — and most of us have the photos to prove it. And, while the jaw-dropping sensation that stems from peering over a beachside balcony is all well and great, it's certain to pale in comparison to the feeling you get when you stay in a volcano. At Wilderness Safari's Bisate Lodge in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, visitors can check into one of six thatched forest villas that are located within a volcano, and near even more towering peaks. Lava won't be flowing in the accommodation, of course, with the cosy dens built within the amphitheatre of an eroded volcanic cone. For those after some fiery action, the Bisoke volcano lurks close by, with the site featuring views towards the active land rupture, as well as of the inactive Karisimbi and dormant Mikeno mountains. With the individual lodges fitted out with luxurious furnishings, huge fireplaces and private decks, the 42-hectare site doesn't just offer volcanic thrills, but forms part of an eco-minded trip. Bisate acts as a base for tourists keen to enjoy a gorilla conservation experience, which includes morning treks to view the creatures, tree planting in the massive reforestation nursery, nature walks and more. Unsurprisingly, holing up here for a night or several doesn't come cheap, starting at around AU$1400 per night. Images: Wilderness Safaris.
In case we didn't have enough endangered phenomena to worry about, what with the encroaching extinction of the Black Rhino, the disappearance of the Barrier Reef, and the centralisation of indie culture, the United Nations has thoughtfully added a new category to the list. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has this week released a fresh batch of the world's endangered 'intangible cultural traditions'. French-style horse back riding, Chinese shadow puppetry, and poetic dueling in Cyprus were amongst the newly endangered traditions added to the 250-strong list compiled last year. The new additions encompass rituals and art forms passed down orally from generation to generation, lacking any formal documentation system. Recipes and food preparation methods can also be found amongst the UNESCO's list of disappearing acts, including the Japanese ritual of transplanting rice, and the ceremonial Turkish meat dish, Keskek. Those recipe books brimming with scrawled post-it notes and hand-written recipes born of the mind of your Great Great Grandmother just got even more precious. These 'intangible' traditions provide the cultural glue for some of the world's smallest communities, encouraging unity in a world of increasing globalization and cultural dilution. Hopefully awareness generated by the UNESCO list will stop these traditions from pulling a Houdini any time soon.
A cucumber is more or less responsible for Andrew Mowbray's obsession with the gourd. Wandering around his garden one fateful morning, he made a rather unusual discovery. Between his fence and a tree, a cucumber was growing, but as a result of being squashed on both sides, it looked more like a hard, green pancake - 'pressed flat with rounded edges and completely trapped'. Finding the form 'formally interesting' and 'architecturally amazing', he started thinking about how he might be able to re-create it in a manner that would not be threatened by decomposition. Research led him to the Lagenaria gourd, which won't come as a surprise to those acquainted with the robust plant. When people initially came up with the idea of cultivating plants, the Lagenaria gourd was one of the first with which they experimented. Once dried, it becomes as tough as wood, making for a trusty container, bottle, ladle or birdhouse. The West Africans were the first to transform it into an instrument, and the concept soon spread through Asia, the Americas, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. The gourd is one of the few plants that we grow for aesthetic and practical purposes, rather than to feed ourselves. Now, Mowbray is taking its functionality to new heights, by transforming the gourd into a building block. He grows each one in an acrylic container, which is cubic, with semi-circular depressions enabling the development of 'nubs or buttons'. A modular unit' can be created by locking several of them together. At the same time, he is exploring the sculptural potential of the gourd's form, through emulation with plaster, cement and other materials. [VIA Inhabitat]
Does a cocktail, meal or cup of coffee taste better when it's served up in stunning surroundings? It shouldn't, but interior design is still a pivotal part of the hospitality experience. So recognises the Australian Interior Design Awards, which also highlights spectacular decor in shops, workplaces, homes and public settings — and the annual gongs have just revealed 2024's shortlisted venues. Now in its 21st year, AIDA has found more than a few bars, restaurants, cafes, houses, offices, retailers and the like that it considers supremely stylish. This year's shortlist includes 222 projects from around the country (plus a few overseas that spring from local talent), which is a record for the awards. Not all of them are hospo joints, of course; however, the next time that you're keen to hang out in chic digs while you get sipping and eating, you'll have more than a few choices. And, the same goes for whenever the urge to browse and buy strikes, too. [caption id="attachment_949107" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Wolf Dining and Bar, Brock Beazley[/caption] Hospitality design contenders include Capella, Longshore, Bar Besuto and Hanasuki in Sydney; Reine and La Rue, The Ritz-Carlton, The Lyall, Antara 128, Enoteca Boccaccio and Purple Pit in Melbourne; and The Wolf Dining and Bar and the revamped Gerard's in Brisbane. South Australia's Pinco Deli, Fugazzi Basement and Evergreen Cafe also made the cut, as did Ember Bath House, Lawson Flats, Canteen Pizza and Yiamas in Western Australia. In the retail design category, Dissh Bondi, Sydney's LeTAO and Gelato Messina Newtown are up against Melbourne's Pidapipó Laboratorio and G McBean Family Butcher, to name just a few places on the shortlist. And, the public design field includes UQ Brisbane City, Art Gallery of New South Wales' library and members lounge, and stage three of Geelong Arts Centre. [caption id="attachment_929402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Capella Sydney, Timothy Kaye[/caption] The rundown goes on in all fields, which means that — as proves the case every year — there's no shortage of strikingly designed new, revamped and refurbished places demanding your attention around around the country. This year's winners will be announced in-person at a dinner the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney on Friday, June 14. [caption id="attachment_922655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Antara 128, Haydn Cattach[/caption] [caption id="attachment_905603" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Longshore, Jason Loucas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_927271" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Enoteca Boccaccio, Peter Clarke[/caption] [caption id="attachment_928198" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LeTAO[/caption] [caption id="attachment_949111" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gelato Messina Newtown, Jack Fenby[/caption] For the full Australian Interior Design Awards 2024 shortlist, head to the AIDA website. Top image: Como Restaurant by Cieran Murphy.
When Cocaine Bear made its leap from a true tale to a movie that was always bound to fall short of reality, it arrived with a promotional online game where a bear chomps on cocaine, plus people who get in its way, in a playful riff on Pac-Man. Called The Rise of Pablo Escobear, the game is more entertaining than the film, but it isn't the best low-fi button-clicking tie-in of 2023. That honour now goes to Feed Eggs, which anyone that's seen I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson season three will immediately want to play. How does a sketch comedy where assholes take centre stage work in a game about feeding eggs to a bigger egg? The answer to that is sublime, impossible to foresee, and completely in tune with the show's obsession with office culture at its most grating — and people being oh-so unbearably irritating. Eat-the-rich stories are delicious, and also everywhere; however, Succession, Triangle of Sadness and the like aren't the only on-screen sources of terrible but terribly entertaining people. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson has been stacking streaming queues with appalling folks since 2019, as usually played by the eponymous Detroiters star — and long may it continue. In season three, which dropped in full on Netflix on Tuesday, May 30, the show takes its gallery of assholes literally in the most ridiculous and unexpected way, so much so that no one could ever dream of guessing what happens in advance. That's still this sketch comedy's not-so-secret power. Each time that it unleashes a new batch of six episodes, all screaming to be binged in one 90-minute sitting, there's no telling where Robinson, co-creator and co-writer Zach Kanin (Saturday Night Live), and their committed colleagues will venture. Three key constants: Robinson giving his rubbery facial expressions a helluva workout, memes upon memes flowing afterwards and a fresh round of quotable lines that'll never get old — even if you used to be a piece of shit slopping up steaks, and babies know it. Each of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson's skits tend to hone in on someone being the worst in some way, doubling down on being the worst and refusing to admit that they're the worst (or even that they're wrong). And, while everyone around them might wish that they'd leave — that feeling is right there in the name — the central antagonist in every sketch is never going to. Nothing ever ends smoothly, either. In a comedy that's previously worked in hot dog costumes and television shows about bodies dropping out of coffins to hilarious effect, anything can genuinely happen to its parade of insufferable characters. In fact, the more absurd and chaotic that I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson gets, and the more unpredictable, the better that the show gets as well. It should come as zero surprise, then, that no description can do I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson's sketches justice. Almost every one is a comedic marvel that has to be seen to be believed, as again delivered in 15-minute episodes in the series' third run. The usual complaint applies: for a show about people overstaying their welcome, the program itself flies by too quickly, always leaving viewers wanting more. Everything from dog doors, designated drivers and novelty venues to HR training, street parking and wearing the same shirt as a stranger are in Robinson's sights this time, plus people who won't stop talking about their kids, wedding photos and proposals, group-think party behaviour, paying it forward and boss-employee beefs as well. Game shows get parodied again and again — an I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson staple — and gloriously. Season three also finds time to skewer viral videos and folks desperate to make them, obnoxious audiences not once but twice, one-note pundits enamoured with the sound of their own voices and the kind of competitive romantic shows that reality TV is filled with. Indeed, although the nine-to-five grind has always been a treasure trove for I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson's jerks, so have the screens that are as deeply entrenched in our lives. That innocent idea that every kid has about the people beamed into their homes, how wonderful they must be and wanting to be just like them? Robinson douses it with vodka shots. The series also makes plain that a camera is just a magnifying glass, especially when it comes to vexing traits. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson may thrive on being erratic, but it's easy to see its evolution from the cancelled-too-soon Detroiters. In the 2017–18 sitcom, Robinson and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson regular Sam Richardson (The Afterparty) play best friends, next-door neighbours and colleagues, the latter at a Detroit advertising agency specialising in low-budget ads that are frequently OTT and ludicrous. Kanin co-created the series with Robinson and Richardson, plus Joe Kelly, who went on to co-develop Ted Lasso. Sans moustache, Jason Sudeikis also executive produced and gave Detroiters its first big guest star — someone dealing with over-eager characters who weren't assholes, but also wouldn't take no for an answer. In its instant-gem debut season, its equally wild and wonderful second season in 2021, and now the just-released season three, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson has kept evolving. More often than before, Robinson lets his co-stars play the asshole, too. Some have been here and done that magnificently before — Richardson, of course, plus the also-returning Will Forte (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), Patti Harrison (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law), Conner O'Malley (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Tim Heidecker (Killing It) and Biff Wiff (Jury Duty) — while some pop up as they do in seemingly every comedy ever made, which is where Fred Armisen (Barry) and Tim Meadows (Poker Face) come in. Among the newcomers, when Jason Schwartzman (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) and Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) join in, they're also on the pitch-perfect wavelength. Social awkwardness and awfulness is infectious within I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson's frames. It's also the driving force behind Netflix's best-ever comedy, and the best way that anyone can spend an hour and a half — or four-and-a-half hours now, to be honest, because watching one season of this sidesplitting series always sparks the need to re-binge the others ASAP. Check out the trailer for I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson season three below: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson streams via Netflix. Images: Netflix.
Opening its doors earlier this year, North Sydney's Miji Bar & Grill attracted more than a few eyeballs thanks to its vibrant izakaya design, complete with neon lights, signage imported from Japan and even a replica Shinjuku Arch. Plus, it became perhaps Sydney's first restaurant to offer self-serve sake, with guests invited to pour 24 wines, sakes and mocktails for themselves. Guided by Michelin-trained Executive Head Chef Jacob Lee, the venue's modern interpretations of izakaya cuisine have also earned Miji Bar & Grill a stellar reputation. The team is taking things up a notch for the cooler months, with two new seasonal offerings that combine Lee's fine-dining background with the venue's approachable setting. First up, there's a brand-new Hotpot Set Menu, available for $75 per person. Served from May–July, this exclusive offering is designed for sharing with your pals. Packed with tantalising ingredients, the menu kicks off with edamame topped with sea salt and two serves of steamed abalone with awabi kimo sauce, kombu jelly and pickled radish. Then, the main event is a sukiyaki beef hot pot, adorned with wagyu beef, wombok and fresh mushrooms in a rich sukiyaki broth. Before the feast is over, choose from a pair of desserts: hojicha choux or a Mont Blanc. However, that's not all Miji Bar & Grill is changing up. Looking beyond winter, Lee and his team have launched a new lunch menu, featuring a broader range of traditional and contemporary Japanese comfort dishes, including teriyaki eggplant, and egg and crab custard. For something a little larger, delve into hearty donburi — like sukiyaki, hambagu and miso cod — or explore udon options including prawn bisque, beef, and carbonara. If you've got an extra $5 to spare, consider upgrading your don or udon dish to a lunch set menu. You'll score a miso soup, a mini wafu salad and a small plate of your choice, with beef tartare, chicken karaage and grilled scallop up for grabs. With Lee having learned his trade at New York's Michelin-starred A Voce Columbus, as well as Seoul's acclaimed Mingles and Tartine Bakery, get set for a memorable dining experience. Miji Bar & Grill is open daily from 11.30am–10.00pm at 100 Miller Street, North Sydney. Head to the website for more information.
They say your body is a temple, but it can be hard to find your inner sanctuary without being in an actual sanctuary. A trip to Port Douglas could fix this, with the Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa giving you all the calm and relaxation time you need, with a generous serve of beautiful Port Douglas surroundings thrown in. This far-north Queensland holiday spot is right on the doorstep of two of Australia's biggest natural attractions — the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Snorkelling, scuba diving, sailing and seaplane tours regularly set off from here out onto the reef, and while most people explore the Daintree on foot through its hikes, you can get a different view via 4WD, horseback or zipline. Don't discount the pleasure of spending time in Port Douglas itself, either; the holiday town has an upmarket feel, with restaurants serving high-level contemporary cuisine and a local microbrewery, Hemingway's, producing pilsener from the freshwater of nearby Mossman Gorge. With one of the biggest lagoon pools (3000-square-metre) this side of the earth, the 5-star Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa resort is situated smack bang on Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas' trump card when it comes to sand and sea. Guests can stay in studio spas, swim-out apartments, or go all out and stay in apartments that feature their very own plunge pool. On-site restaurant AQUA has you covered for contemporary food made from fresh local produce, and the resort also has a day spa, Vie Spa, with eight treatment rooms – which means there's a whole lot of pampering to be had. When you're all pampered out, head on over to the adjacent 18-hole golf course, or venture out a little further to explore Mossman Gorge and the Daintree Rainforest – or add a tick to your bucket list and hop on that boat to the Great Barrier Reef. Most people come here during the Australian winter, avoiding the rain and humidity that is at its worst from January to March.
It's the sipper of the season, and it's not hard to see why so many people are in a love bubble with spritz. Inspired by the power trio of Italian orange bitters, prosecco and soda, the genre has exploded from classic Aperol concoctions to a whole new world of Champagne cocktails, with many using ritzy ingredients, from kombucha to rosé, lemon sorbet and sake. If that sounds like something you'd like to wrap your hands around, check out our list of Sydney's eight most exceptional spritz cocktails.
This month, a lucky bunch of Sydneysiders were treated to the second event in a series of secret suppers hosted by Red Rock Deli. The exclusive supper series — running until September at secret locations across Sydney and Melbourne — sees some of Australia's most talented chefs whipping up mouth-watering, three-course feasts inspired by Red Rock Deli's new limited-edition range. And when we say exclusive, we mean it — only 20 lucky guests get to tuck into each lavish dinner. On Thursday, June 20, Duncan Welgemoed put up a firey three-course feast reminiscent of the smoky bites his popular Adelaide restaurant, Africola, is known for. After guests were picked up from North Sydney Station and whisked away to the Coal Loader. This space formerly functioned as an industrial coal bunkering site, and guests were given the rare opportunity to dine in one of the historic underground tunnels. There, Welgemoed dished up plates inspired by Red Rock Deli's flame-grilled steak and chimichurri flavour. In the first course, Welgemoed served slow-roasted and smoked peppers, thoum (garlic dip) and cucumbers with charred flatbreads, while his dessert was a delightful comination of tahini ice cream, baklava and mandarin oil. But it was the slow-roasted beef ribs with chimichurri, slow roasted cauliflower and tahini that was the real winner — to recreate it at home, check out the recipe here. Chris Yan, of Sydney's lauded dumpling den Lotus, is up next. The dinner will take place on Thursday, August 8 and will be inspired by Red Rock Deli's red chilli and creamy coconut chips. To nab tickets for Sydney's upcoming Red Rock Deli supper, enter the ballot here to be given the chance to purchase tickets. Images: Kitti Gould
Only one movie about a Griswold family getaway has ever hit the screen without Lindsay Buckingham's 'Holiday Road' echoing. What does the Nobody 2 trailer boast that National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation doesn't, then? That earworm of a tune, plus plenty more. The sequel to 2021's Nobody, aka the film that enlisted Mr Show with Bob and David, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul great Bob Odenkirk in a John Wick-esque part — its screenwriter Derek Kolstad created the Keanu Reeves (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)-played character, in fact — this is still a movie about a seemingly mild-mannered family man who had a previous life as an assassin. It's another chapter in a tale that acknowledges that those skills aren't just in the past, too. But it also takes Odenkirk's Hutch Mansell on holiday. "Let's just say the first film was a moody winter — this one will be a colourful summer," Timo Tjahjanto tells Concrete Playground. The Indonesian filmmaker is in the director's chair on Nobody 2, which is still an action-thriller. That said, it adapts to its protagonist and his loved ones — including his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen, Gladiator II), children (Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent's Gage Munroe and Harland Manor's Paisley Cadorath) and father (Christopher Lloyd, Hacks) — going on a getaway, as the just-dropped sneak peek demonstrates. The resort setting, the tropical attire, arcades, pool noodles and boat rides: they're all part of it, as is Hutch trying not to let discovering that the Mansells' destination is an old bootlegging route ruin their break. "I love moody winter. My films have always been very moody and very often depressive," Tjahjanto advises. "But I think a good challenge for me right now is 'how do we make this violent world of Hutch Mansell collide with this burst of summer vacation — like this burst of 'the family wants to have fun in this water park'?". He continues: "that's our approach to it, visually and tonally". Again, that comes through in the picture's debut glimpse, which features a number of sights that could've sprung from a Vacation or any other holiday-set movie, except for the frenetic fights everywhere from elevators to those aforementioned arcades and boats. The first time around, Nobody also operated as a character study. When you have multiple Emmy-nominee Odenkirk in the lead — and partly riffing on events that happened to him, with the franchise coming to fruition after his own home was broken into — that's the ideal approach. In Nobody 2, set four years after his altercation with the Russian mob, now the story broadens its focus to Hutch's nearest and dearest as well. The setup: the Mansells head away because Hutch begins to realise that his children are growing up and he's barely spending any time with them, so making the kind of memories that only family time can conjure up is in order. Nobody 2 is Tjahjanto's first full Hollywood picture. He's no debutant, though. For more than a decade and a half, Tjahjanto has been adding features to his resume, both solo and as part of the Mo Brothers with fellow Indonesian filmmaker Kimo Stamboel (Dancing Village: The Curse Begins). Together, they're behind 2009's Macabre, 2014's Killers and 2016's Headshot. Tjahjanto on his lonesome also contributed segments to American horror anthology flicks The ABCs of Death, V/H/S/2 (co-helming with The Raid, The Raid 2 and Havoc's Gareth Evans) and V/H/S/94. Plus, he's directed Indonesian pictures May the Devil Take You and its sequel May the Devil Take You Too, alongside The Night Comes for Us, The Big 4 and The Shadow Strays. He's also been attached to Train to Busan remake The Last Train to New York, and is helming The Beekeeper 2. How has that charting that path assisted Tjahjanto with hopping onboard Nobody 2? How did being able to ask Odenkirk's advice along the way — and co-star Sharon Stone's (The Flight Attendant) as well — help, too? And, like audiences watching, was seeing his lead in action-hero mode part of the appeal of the job? Tjahjanto spoke with us about all the above, plus his approach to stepping into a world already established by the initial Nobody, the action setpiece he's particularly keen on viewers to enjoy on a big screen, the theme of duality flowing through the feature, balancing tone and more. On Whether Seeing Bob Odenkirk as an Action Hero Was Part of the Appeal of Directing Nobody 2 "Yes — and also, in a way, we even try to dig deeper than that. So basically, look, we know by now, in the first film, that Bob can do action, right? But I think what's appealing to me is also that when Bob becomes an action man, he doesn't specifically transform himself into this one-dimensional action hero. He's not the all-knowing, the guy who thought about ten steps ahead — or like 'this is what I'm going to do'. He's not a fully in-control hero. And that's what I like about this character, Hutch Mansell. It's really, yes, he was on top of his game at some point. But now that he is a father of two kids, he's a husband, how does he juggle all these things? And often the greatest moment comes from the time in the film — especially in the second film, you'll see — when things are becoming out of control. And I love that. I never have any interest to make a protagonist who doesn't have any flaws. As a matter of fact, the more the protagonists have all these cracks, and sitting on a ship that is slowly sinking and he's trying to throw away all the water with a little cup, that's when it appeals to me. And that's pretty much what happens to the character here in this film." On How Tjahjanto Approached Taking on a World That Was Already Established in the First Film "The easy answer will be to sit very closely with Bob. Not a lot of people know that the first film is also sort of based on what happened to Bob in real life — the whole idea that he was confronting this thing that happened in his house, when somebody broke into his house. So he exorcised that sort of, I guess, trauma, by writing a script or writing a story. And in this one, he knows Hutch Mansell more than anybody else. And I think it's always good to sit with him and just really be like 'Bob, I don't want to overstep you, but how do we evolutionise Hutch Mansell as a character?'. And we found the fine line between 'well, in order for us to make him grow, we also need to make the family grow — we also need to sort of put the family at the centre of it all'. So that's what we did with this second film. We no longer tell a story about just Hutch Mansell. We also tell a story about Becca Mansell and Brady and Sammy, his kids. And then there's also grandpa and the brother Harry [RZA, Problemista]. So it's really a family affair in the end. " On the One Particular Nobody 2 Action Scene That Tjahjanto Is Most Excited for Audiences to See on a Big Screen "I think they definitely will have a smorgasbord, a buffet, a buffet table of different action setpieces in this film. But I'm definitely proud of the boat fight, just because how technical it is to achieve. We really shot that fight scene inside that boat, in a real location. When we read it in the script, we all had the unison sort of talk, like 'yeah, we're going to do it in the studio with the green screen'. But by the end of it, we decided that 'you know what? Let's torture ourselves further, let's really shoot it in a boat by down by the river'. So that's what we did. And sometimes we'll watch it on post, we'll watch it and Bob will say 'can you imagine this Timo, like we really did this?'. So it's great. I'm proud of that scene and I hope people will enjoy it, too." On the Kind of Direction You Give an Actor Like Bob Odenkirk When They're So Linked to a Film — Not Just Starring, But Writing and Producing as Well "I think the beauty is, I think I always think 'you know what, I'm a much darker person than Bob, I feel'. So I think sometimes there will be times when 'Bob, can I make you do this?'. And then he'll ask me 'aren't we being a bit too much, Timo?'. And then it's like 'you know what, Bob, let's do your take first, and after that, let's do a couple steps darker, you know?'. And that's always fun, just because we'll find the balance of like 'aaah all right, there you go'. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And it's fine. I think the beauty will come when we both realise why I want things to be in a certain way — because, especially a lot of this film, it's about duality. So there's the doting father and husband who's trying so hard to please his family; to have this beautiful, magnificent memory; to be on a vacation. Because he realised his son's getting older, his daughter as well. Soon they'll be going to college and all that stuff. So there is that real-life issue that he's facing. But at the same time, we've got to remember this is also a man capable of violence. So I think the whole Jekyll-and-Hyde sort of play, it's really something that we both were kind of like 'okay, let's see where's the fine line between the father and the seasoned killer'. On How Tjahjanto's Decade and a Half-Plus of Directing, Both Solo and as Part of the Mo Brothers, Has Led Him to Nobody 2 "I would say I always approach every new project as if I haven't done anything before. I think that's my best preparation, just because that way I'll be very prepared. It's like a kid who's going to a chemistry test for the first time — you better bring the whole table and all that stuff. Because that's the only approach that I feel will prepare you for being from a small pool, suddenly jumping into this Olympic-size, ocean-size pool that is the Hollywood industry. And I always say it's always good to be very prepared. And when I talk to somebody who's in such a different calibre, such as Bob Odenkirk or Sharon Stone, it's always good to realise being a director, yes, you have to know a lot of things, but you should never be afraid to be sort of like 'hey Sharon, what do you think about this? Do you think there's a take that you think is interesting?'. Or even to Bob. These people have been around for decades, and sometimes it's also a situation where, as a director, I'm learning from them." Nobody 2 releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 14, 2025.
So you've wrangled some IKEA furniture together and propped a few struggling houseplants in the corner, but your walls are still looking tragically bare. Whether you've just moved into a new place or been in the same apartment for years, art is something that's often left to the bottom of the homewares list. The Other Art Fair Sydney is here to help you inject some colour and energy into your space. The international festival is all about making art inclusive and accessible, with artworks for as low as $100. The multi-day fair will be returning to The Cutaway in Barangaroo for another year from Thursday, October 12 to Sunday, October 15 with a lineup of 120 independent artists, DJs, performances and food and drink options. To celebrate the return of this art-filled affair, we've teamed up with The Other Art Fair to give away a luxe staycation for two. The winner will score two tickets to opening night on Thursday, October 12 along with a $250 voucher to put towards whatever art catches their eye. They'll also get $50 worth of food and drink vouchers to spend while they're there. Then they'll get to kick back in style with a night at the waterside Ovolo Woolloomooloo. [competition]915083[/competition]
Environmentalists from the Sierra Club teamed up with Pact underwear brand to form a bare-skinned project to lessen the use of coal, especially on university campuses where green-minded students are trying to be friendly to the environment. Beyond Coal is the resulting collaboration that sells a collection of comfy underwear with the goal of educating the public about the negative effects of coal on the environment, with hopes of changing the habits institutions that overuse the harmful substance. The ash released into the environment from coal is one of the leading causes of acid rain, smog, global warming and air toxins. 10% of the proceeds from the purchase of Beyond Coal undies goes to protests and petitions to convince universities to reduce their ever-increasing carbon footprint by minimising the supply of coal to power campuses. This generation of students is more conscious of the human impact on the environment, and the project simply points out that it is quite hypocritical for schools to be using so much coal power for students who are constantly searching for green alternatives. Help Beyond Coal prevent the dangerous effects of coal emissions by rocking a pair of pollution-fighting panties, starting at $20 for both men and women.
With Game of Thrones finishing its run a few months back, there's currently a huge fantasy-shaped hole in the TV and streaming landscape. Of course, the beloved show is set to go on thanks to its own prequel; however plenty of networks and platforms are trying their hands at the genre in the interim — and giving television buffs plenty to watch. Amazon is hoping to fill the gap with its forthcoming Lord of the Rings series, although it isn't due until 2021. HBO's next contender has just arrived this month, courtesy of its adaptation of His Dark Materials. And, while Netflix already has its Dark Crystal prequel, which launched back in August, it'll soon drop new series The Witcher as well. In fact, the Henry Cavill-starring show will arrive on Friday, December 20, just in time for some Christmas break binge-viewing. Even better — if you're super-keen for the new series, you now have two seasons to look forward to. As reported by Variety, Netflix seems confident that plenty of folks are eager to see Cavill sporting long blonde locks and fighting monsters, because it has already renewed the show for a second season before the first even drops. You will have to wait for the follow-up batch of eight episodes, though, as it's not slated to shoot until 2020 or hit the streamer until 2021. Perhaps it's the concept that has everyone excited. As seen in both the initial trailer and the recent second sneak peek, the witcher of the title is Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), a monster hunter who prefers to work — aka slay beasts — alone in a realm called The Continent. But life has other plans for the lone wolf, forcing him to cross paths with powerful sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra, Netflix's Wanderlust) and young princess Ciri (newcomer Freya Allan). The latter harbours a secret, because of course she does, with the series blending plenty of fantasy staples such as magic, royalty, fighting factions, battling hordes, fearsome creatures, a heap of sword-swinging and many a scenic location. After stepping into Superman's shoes and facing off against Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible — Fallout, The Witcher marks Cavill's return to TV a decade after starring in regal period drama The Tudors. As well as Chalotra and Allan, it also features Jodhi May (Game of Thrones), MyAnna Buring (Kill List), Lars Mikkelsen (House of Cards) and Australian actor Eamon Farren (Twin Peaks). Behind-the-scenes, the show's eight-part first season is created, executive produced and co-scripted by Lauren Schmidt, who has everything from The West Wing, Parenthood and Power to Daredevil, The Defenders and The Umbrella Academy to her name. If the series' name sounds familiar, that's because The Witcher is based on the short stories and novels of writer Andrzej Sapkowski — and, as well as being turned into comics, it was adapted the video game series of the same name. A Polish film and TV show also reached screens back in the early 2000s, although they were poorly received. Check out the latest trailer for Netflix's The Witcher below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndl1W4ltcmg The Witcher will hit Netflix on Friday, December 20. Image: Katalin Vermes. Via Variety.
Australia's love of culinary mashups isn't new, given we're the home of everything from lamington cruffins to Iced Vovo bavarians, but our sweet treat brands sure do like teaming up with beloved beverage brands at the moment. First came Allen's new range of Pasito, creaming soda and lemonade lollies, all based on the Kirks soft drinks. Next on your shopping list: Oak's collaboration with Streets on a new type of Golden Gaytime. Once again, as these hybrids always are, the end result is as simple as it sounds: a Golden Gaytime, but flavoured like Oak chocolate milk. Two local favourites, one new must-try dessert — that's it, that's this new ice cream. Specifically, the new flavour features an Oak-inspired ice cream in the centre, surrounded by a layer of chocolate, and then the usual Golden Gaytime biscuit pieces on top. That said, the latter have had a chocolate makeover as well. Chocaholics, this is obviously for you. This isn't the first time that Streets has mixed up its Golden Gaytime range, or taken cues from other food favourites. Last year, Fruit Loops and Crunchy Nut Golden Gaytimes hit shelves for all cereal-loving ice cream fans, and a Coco Pops versions arrived before that as well. You'll find the new Oak ice creams in some stores now — at IGA, Ritchie's, Drakes and Romeo's — retailing at $9.50 for a box of four. Come September, they'll also hit Coles, convenience stores and petrol stations, ready for frosty spring and summer sweet treats. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Streets Ice Cream (@streetsicecreamau) Streets' new Oak chocolate milk-flavoured Golden Gaytimes are now available at IGA, Ritchie's, Drakes and Romeo's, and will hit Coles, convenience stores and petrol stations from September — retailing at $9.50 for a box of four.
