After 14 years, Kylie Kwong's days of serving up her brand of locally grown, oft-boundary-pushing Chinese fare to a Crown Street crowd are coming to a close. The chef's much-loved eating house, Billy Kwong, is moving to a new Potts Point location — in a partnership with restaurateur and owner of enoteca 121BC Andrew Cibej and Kwong's colleague David King. The new restaurant promises all the bursting-with-flavour vibrancy and ethical sustainability of the Kwong cuisine you know and love, in a smart, brand spanking new setting on Macleay Street, Potts Point. The sharp, 130-seat fit-out is being specially designed by local designer George Livissianis. "The new venue will have the DNA of Billy Kwong Surry Hills but will also be the very modern model of a meeting place for eating and drinking in 2015," says Kwong. The Surry Hills restaurant isn't going out quietly, though. The last meal will be served on October 19, and from October 1 up until close patrons will be able to order from a special menu bound to please the sentimental tastebuds of BK regulars. It will feature some of the classics — like steamed scallop dumplings with Sichuan chilli oil dressing, hiramasa kingfish sashimi, and caramelised pork belly with Chinese coleslaw. Diners will be able to order a la carte or banquet-style — at $95 a pop for 10 courses, the latter sounds like a pants-stretchingly delicious feast that might just keep you full and fuelled until the new restaurant opens. Visit Billy Kwong before October 19 at 3/355 Crown St, Surry Hills.
Thanks to the success of Beef, the past year has been huge for Ali Wong. It was back in April 2023 that the hit series arrived, getting audiences obsessed and sparking plenty of accolades coming Wong's way. She won Best Actress Emmy, Golden Globe, Film Independent Spirt and Screen Actors Guild awards for playing Amy Lau, who has a carpark altercation with Danny Cho (Steven Yeun, Nope) that neither can let go of — and that changes both of their lives. The last 12 months have also been massive for the American actor and comedian onstage, all thanks to her Ali Wong: Live tour. Wong has been playing to full houses in the US, and also in Paris and London — and Down Under audiences are just as keen to see her. Before general tickets even go on sale for her Australian visit, she's added extra gigs. [caption id="attachment_946690" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Cooper/Netflix © 2023[/caption] Wong will head to Australia and New Zealand in July 2024. She initially announced four dates, kicking off in Auckland, then jumping over to Melbourne. From there, she'll work her way up the east coast, next hitting up Sydney before wrapping up in Brisbane. Now, both Melbourne and Sydney have scored extra gigs thanks to the huge demand during the ticket pre-sale period. Behind the microphone, Wong's comedy career dates back almost two decades, including three Netflix stand-up specials: 2016's Baby Cobra, 2018's Hard Knock Wife and 2022's Don Wong. And, as an author, Wong also has 2019's Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life to her name. On-screen, Wong doesn't let go of grudges easily, at least in Beef. In rom-com Always Be My Maybe, she's also been romanced by Keanu Reeves. Tuca & Bertie had her voice an anthropomorphic song thrush, while Big Mouth sent her back to middle school. Beef, on which Wong was also an executive producer, earned just as much love for the show overall — including the Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series; Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television; Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series under 40 minutes; Film Independent Spirt Award for Best New Scripted Series; and PGA for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television. [caption id="attachment_722120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ed Araquel / Netflix[/caption] Ali Wong: Live Tour Dates — Australia and New Zealand 2024: Monday, July 8 — The Civic, Auckland Thursday, July 11–Friday, July 12 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne Friday, July 19–Saturday, July 20 — ICC Theatre, Sydney Monday, July 22 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Ali Wong is touring Down Under in July 2024, with general sales from 9am local time on Friday, March 22 — head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Andrew Cooper/Netflix © 2023.
When a big musical hits Australia, there are often two reasons to get excited: the fact that a new stage show is heading Down Under, and possibly getting to see it without breaking the bank. That budget-friendly option frequently comes courtesy of TodayTix, which loves slinging cheap seats via a ticket lottery. And, as has happened with Hamilton, Moulin Rouge! and Mary Poppins, it's rolling one out for Tina — The Tina Turner Musical. This is simply your best chance to see the show for less than the price of a dinner, with tickets costing just $35. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the TodayTix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each week for the next week's performances. The lottery will go live at 12.01am every Friday morning, and is already up and running for its first week. Then, the winners are drawn after 1pm on the following Thursday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. If you need a reminder, you can also sign up for lottery alerts via TodayTix, too. After premiering in London back in 2018, this stage ode to the music icon that's had Aussies dancing to 'Nutbush City Limits' for decades is making its way to Sydney from Thursday, May 4. No, it isn't taking to the stage in a church house, gin house, school house or outhouse — or on highway number 19, either. But Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will obviously have Theatre Royal Sydney enjoying Turner's greatest hits in one massive show. The list of musical numbers includes 'Nutbush City Limits', naturally, as well as everything from 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary' through to 'Private Dancer' and 'What's Love Got to Do with It?'. Tina — The Tina Turner Musical makes its trip Down Under courtesy of TEG DAINTY, Stage Entertainment and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner herself. Announcing the news, the singer said that "Australia has always shared abundant love with me, going back to my early concerts in the late 70s through the uplifting partnership with the National Rugby League. It is very special for me that we will be reunited." "The joy, passion and message of resilience in my musical is so important now as ever. Thank you from the bottom my heart for welcoming me with open arms once again," Turner continued. Penned by Tony Award-nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall, plus Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, and directed by fellow Tony-nominee Phyllida Lloyd, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical clearly has quite the story to tell. The show steps through Turner's life and fame, including growing up in Nutbush, Tennessee, the hard work that led to her career, all of those aforementioned hits, her 12 Grammy Awards, her volatile time with Ike Turner and her huge solo success. There's no word yet as to whether Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will head to other Australian cities, but cross your fingers while you're doing the Nutbush, obviously. Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will open its Australian-premiere season at Theatre Royal Sydney from Thursday, May 4. To enter the TodayTix $35 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Images: Manuel Harlan.
Since first appearing on-screen back in 1997, Borat Sagdiyev has always stood out. In 2006 mockumentary Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, which sees Sacha Baron Cohen's fictional Kazakh journalist head to the "US and A" and chat with ordinary Americans across the country, that's a big part of the point. And in surprise 14-years-later sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, that also remains the case — even if he has to don over-the-top disguises because he's now quite famous in the US. Before Borat Subsequent Moviefilm starts streaming globally from Friday, October 23 via Amazon Prime Video, Borat is standing out in another way, too: via a towering statue of the character that has been helicoptered into Bondi Beach for 24 hours. As Borat would say, "very excite!". It's a promotional move for the film, obviously, but if you've ever wanted to stare up at a giant version of the moustachioed figure — who is scantily dressed, even in sculpture form — then here is your chance. Sydneysiders can find the six-metre statue at Marks Park until 11am tomorrow, Friday, October 23, featuring a reclining Borat clad only in an American flag. The very nice sculpture was unveiled today as part of a press conference which featured a streamed appearance by the character, a big display of Kazakh flags and a parade of Borat look-alikes wearing nothing but maskinis — yes, they're face masks turned into mankinis, because of course they are. As for the movie itself, it's exactly what you'd expect of Borat's return visit to the US — especially during an election year, as American politics seems more polarised than ever, and as COVID-19 affects the country. While last time he travelled across the nation after falling in love with Pamela Anderson, now he's trying to gift his daughter to Vice President Mike Pence (or "vice pussy grabber", as Borat calls him). His aim: to get Kazakhstan's own leader into President Donald Trump's good graces, and specifically his "strong man club", which refers to Trump's penchant for promoting his ties with the likes of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un. Along the way, Borat tries to kill the coronavirus by hitting it with a frying pan, dresses up like Trump to infiltrate a conservative conference and struggles with the daughter he previously didn't even know he had. As he always does, Baron Cohen also uses his time back in the character's grey suit to expose plenty of engrained, overt and unpleasant viewpoints and prejudice among those he meets. And, he also has a run-in with Rudy Giuliani that's been garnering plenty of news headlines over the past day. Check out the Borat Subsequent Moviefilm trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rsa4U8mqkw&feature=youtu.be The Borat sculpture is on display at Marks Park, Bondi Beach until 11am tomorrow, Friday, October 23. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan will be available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, October 23.
If water pipes make you think of creepy clowns, then the latest tiny apartment design mightn't be for you. In Hong Kong, architect James Law has come up with a compact housing solution made out of old concrete tubing. A proposed solution to the country's affordability issues, they're cheap to construct — and, thanks to their shape, easily stackable too. Don't worry, these pipe-based abodes will be located above ground, so you can wipe your IT fears out of your mind. Called Opod, the proposed system is made from piping up to 2.5 metres in diameter, features between nine and eleven squares of cosy living space capable of housing one or two people, and comes complete with a bench that converts into a bed, a mini fridge, microwave, bathroom with shower and open-shelf storage. Currently on display and open to the Hong Kong public until April 1, it's envisioned that the former stormwater drains could be used in narrow spaces, and even on top of existing buildings, using space that's otherwise going to waste. Or, if you wanted to move, they could also be relocated to other sites or cities. https://www.instagram.com/p/BdNP0t1g4EL/?taken-by=cybertecture The cosy, circular homes are the latest innovative design in what's proving a growing field, with sustainability, affordability, eschewing mass consumerism via downsizing and embracing mobile living all motivators. An Australian start-up lets you stay in a tiny house in the wilderness, while flat-packed tiny homes are also available locally. Tiny mobile homes and Muji flat-pack houses and pre-fab huts can also take care of your compact needs. And, in the short-term accommodation arena, you can stay in New York's first shipping container home, seek out a portable shipping container hotel or head to a tiny house campsite in the US. Via Reuters. Images: James Law Cybertecture.
China Heights presents National Props, the debut exhibition of photographic works from Alexandra Zorbas-Maiden. The works, inspired by big cities, their paradoxes and hyper reality, present the polarity between the glory and prosperity of constructed environments. Zorbas-Maiden, fascinated by the cyclic building, branding, and abandoning rituals of metropolises, explores the sense of loss, alienation and discarded icons of Western culture. The exhibition is open for three short days, presenting a short, sharp voyage. Viewers are encouraged to embark on an exploration into the conception of reality, through its representation in signage, facades, trademarks and symbol. National Props is open from 6pm June 8, 12 to 5pm on June 9 and 10.
It's a truth that Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday and Pugsley would treasure: nearly a century might've passed since The Addams Family first graced the pages of The New Yorker in the 1930s, but this creepy, kooky, mysterious and ooky brood will never die. America's first macabre family keeps entrancing and enchanting audiences, luring them in with their unflinching embrace of the eerie, the gothic, and the all-round dark and twisted. Forget bumps, jumps, screams and shrieks, however; this off-kilter crew might pal around with a severed limb and adore graveyards, but they also delight in a gloriously eclectic, eccentric, embrace-your-inner-outcast fashion, as the 1960s TV show, 1991's live-action film The Addams Family and its 1993 sequel Addams Family Values, and now new Netflix series Wednesday understands and adores. Dropping all eight season-one episodes on November 23 — a Wednesday, when else? — The Addams Family's latest go-around arrives stitched-together as so much is of late. Netflix's algorithm has accurately gleaned that viewers love cartoonist Charles Addams' horror-influenced creations. It knows that people like mysteries and teen coming-of-age tales, two of the platform's favourite genres. And, the service is well-aware that already-beloved big names are a drawcard. Throw in Tim Burton directing like it's his 80s and 90s heyday, current scream queen Jenna Ortega sporting the trademark plaits, 90s Wednesday Christina Ricci returning in a new part, and a supernatural school for unusual children complete with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children-meets-Hogwarts vibes, and Wednesday's various pieces are as evident as the sewn-on limbs on Frankenstein's monster. Mary Shelley's famous creature is an icon and a marvel, of course, and more things should want to follow in its footsteps. In the author's game-changing book, it lived, breathed and fascinated despite its seams being oh-so-visible, and Wednesday does the same — and quickly engages and entertains. Seeing why and how Netflix has crafted this series, and which levers it's pulling to electrify its experiment, is as easy as getting a killer glare from Wednesday's teenage protagonist. Enjoying every second because it's astutely, knowingly and lovingly spliced together is just as straightforward, especially with Scream, Studio 666 and X star Ortega leading the show so commandingly and convincingly. This version of the Addams family's eldest child is indeed full of woe, like the nursery rhyme she's named for. She wouldn't have it any other way. Played by Ortega with a knockout stare every bit as gleefully bitter as Ricci's and 60s TV show star Lisa Loring's, Wednesday has been bouncing around public schools, but she's suddenly out of options. After unleashing a pool of piranhas on Pugsley's (Isaac Ordonez, A Wrinkle in Time) tormenters — torturing him is her job, not the water polo team's — she's enrolled in the haunted house-esque Nevermore Academy. Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Prodigal Son) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán, The Resort) went there. In fact, they met and fell in love there. But the preternaturally morbid Wednesday is even less thrilled than usual, until she discovers there's a spate of grim deaths to solve. Harry Potter and X-Men comparisons spring the moment that Wednesday locks eyes on Nevermore, and only deepen when the series reveals that it caters to vampires, werewolves, sirens, gorgons and other paranormal folks. Wednesday's roommate is pastel-loving lycan Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers, Girl in the Basement), who hasn't yet 'wolfed out', for instance. Her immediate nemesis is queen bee Bianca (Joy Sunday, Dog), who has to wear an amulet to avoid unleashing her siren powers. Smartly, series creators and writers Miles Millar and Alfred Gough — who co-created Smallville together two decades ago, so know the ropes when it comes to mining the high-school angst of well-known figures — stick with Wednesday's namesake's withering attitude, and with a wryly comedic mood. She isn't fussed about the whole magical educational institution setup, and the show she's in recognises that it's a setting and a source of plenty of humour rather than the real focus. That centre of attention instead: Wednesday, always. People in and around Nevermore are disappearing, though. Students and Vermont locals might be getting torn to pieces by a monster, or they might show up again the next day even after Wednesday witnesses their murders. None of the adults — not headmistress Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie, Flux Gourmet), new teacher Marilyn Thornhill (Ricci, Yellowjackets), local sherriff Donovan Galpin (Jamie McShane, The Lincoln Lawyer) or Wednesday's court-ordered therapist Valerie Kinbott (Riki Lindhome, Knives Out) — are particularly open to her theories or happy about her investigations. A misanthropic teen black sheep sleuthing around an exclusive school and the insular town it's in, making few friends in the process, and determined to expose deep, dark secrets? Yes, there's more than a touch of Veronica Mars to Wednesday, too. Yes, there's thorny romances as well (enter Your Honor's Hunter Doohan as the sheriff's son Tyler and Pretty Hard Cases' Percy Hynes White as Nevermore pupil Xavier Thorpe), just with a brunette lead, a blacker colour palette and moody woodland surroundings. If you're well-acquainted with the formulas behind most high school-set dramas, or whodunnits and detective tales, then Wednesday has few shocks and surprises. Nonetheless, it remains a twisted and easy to binge from start to finish, all thanks to two key factors. First is that standout lead casting, with Ortega slipping into Wednesday's dead-eyed scowl like she's always worn it, never softening it, ensuring that Wednesday lives up to it and perfecting the part's deadpan humour at the same time. Zeta-Jones and Guzman play the lusty Morticia and Gomez with flair, Fred Armisen (Los Espookys) makes a suitably offbeat Uncle Fester, and Christie relishes her authoritative role, but the intense Ortega is the show's blackly and wittily charming heart. Secondly, although Burton doesn't helm every episode in the series — just the first four — Wednesday is as quirkily mesmerising as the Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands' greatest work. More than that, it's among his finest output in a couple of decades, in no small part because it looks so bewitchingly attuned to his preferred melancholy aesthetic, complete with wonderfully surprising and seductive design choices. There's Danny Elfman-composed theme music to help perfect the mood, too, continuing a collaboration with Burton that goes all the way back to 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Wednesday doesn't exceed its 60s or 90s predecessors — it swiftly and thoroughly bests the recent animated flick and its own follow-up, though, which isn't hard — but it's exactly what a Burton-style take on The Addams Family was always bound to be. Whether you're popping a witch's shawl on and grabbing a broomstick you can crawl on, or not, it's worth playing a call on. Check out the trailer for Wednesday below: Wednesday streams via Netflix from Wednesday, November 23. Images: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
UPDATE, October 23, 2020: On the Rocks is available to stream via Apple TV+. Not once, not twice, but three times now, Sofia Coppola has given the Bill Murray-loving world exactly what it wants. One of the great comedic talents of the past half-century, the Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day star is also a greatly charismatic talent — and, understandably, viewers want to spend more time in his inimitable company. In Lost in Translation, Coppola found a way to take this idea literally, in a fashion. With Scarlett Johansson's unhappy twenty-something doubling as the audience's on-screen surrogate, everyone watching was able to vicariously pal around with Murray's character, a high-profile actor, while taking in quite the tour of Tokyo. In 2015 Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas, the filmmaker let Murray play himself, get jovial and ooze charm. And now in On the Rocks, he steps into the shoes of a debonair playboy art dealer who is determined to help his New York-dwelling adult daughter discover if her husband is being unfaithful. On the Rocks' premise really isn't far removed from Lost in Translation. The film's female protagonist is a decade older this time, her romantic troubles are complicated by both marriage and children, and another bustling city provides the backdrop, but the basic idea remains mostly the same. With Murray as the lively Felix and Rashida Jones as his overstressed offspring Laura, the movie takes them hopping around NYC as they endeavour to ascertain if the latter's workaholic other half, Dean (Marlon Wayans), is cosying up to his attractive young colleague (Jessica Henwick) while Laura is raising their two young daughters. In the process, Felix and Laura chat about anything and everything, covering topics both important and trivial. They eat and drink, and do so in luxe spaces while Felix naturally captivates everyone in his orbit and turns everything into an adventure. Over the course of their investigative escapade, Felix helps Laura work through her struggles, too — although here, their own complicated relationship is actually one of them. There's an immense sense of joy to Murray and Jones' pairing, and not just for Parks and Recreation fans pleased to see the sitcom's Ann Perkins and Mayor Gunderson share screentime (Jones also featured in A Very Murray Christmas as well). Felix and Laura's father-daughter bond has endured years of ups and downs, and nothing between them is perfect, but the actors' rapport makes every warm exchange and awkward moment feel authentic. That's one of the key aspects of On the Rocks, a film that serves up an instant-classic Murray performance on a platter, but never forgets that its story actually belongs to its female protagonist. Viewers spend time with Felix, and therefore Murray, because the movie's main character does — and enjoying the ebbs and flows of the duo's time together, whether cracking open caviar on a stakeout in a convertible or downing cocktails where Humphrey Bogart once proposed to Lauren Bacall, is all the more engaging because it's a back-and-forth tête-à-tête rather than a one-man show. Another way to describe the central dynamic here: lived-in. As proved the case with Lost in Translation, that's as much a credit to Coppola as not only a screenwriter, but as a perceptive creative willing to strip bare her own life experiences, fictionalise them, and create something both thoughtful and moving. The daughter of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now's Francis Ford Coppola, she clearly knows a thing or two about flitting around town with a father with the world at his feet, and it shows — and she's not afraid to admit that she's been cast in her own dad's shadow. When Laura watches on as Felix is pulled over by the police, sweet-talks his way out of a ticket and even enlists their help giving his vintage Alfa Romeo a push-start, in fact, it's easy to imagine the real-life Coppola family equivalent. Of course, this isn't the first time that the younger Coppola has drawn upon what she knows. Lost in Translation took ample cues from her experiences, including time spent feeling listless in Japan, plus the strain with her then-husband Spike Jonze. And, the Los Angeles-set Somewhere's focus on a Hollywood star and his pre-teen daughter found inspiration in her own childhood. Accordingly, On the Rocks follows their lead by tapping into rich personal depths. It may initially seem to tell a slight story, but that appearance is deceptive. The filmmaker is famously fond of relaying tales about comfortable lives and their corresponding problems — see also: Marie Antoinette and The Bling Ring — but she has always been savvy to the ways that women are forced to respond to the men and the world around them. The Virgin Suicides and The Beguiled make this point more forcefully; however, even with a wavering ending, it still lingers here as well. On the Rocks is a film with layers of resonance and insight, but it is also a caper — and a sparkling, banter-filled, often screwball one at that. In other words, it's a delight that blends intimate truths with entertaining moments, and finds poignancy and comedy in daily routines, idle chats with other mothers (including with fellow Parks and Rec alum Jenny Slate), low-key spy antics and sudden getaways to Mexico alike. Murray's general Bill Murray-ness and all-round presence is crucial, obviously. So is the affectionate, glimmering lensing by Philippe Le Sourd (The Beguiled) that makes New York seem like a playground, and the upbeat but still contemplative soundtrack by Phoenix. Indeed, combine all of the above, and this is a Sofia Coppola movie through and through. It's a big call, but if she was ever going to remake the great German father-daughter film Toni Erdmann, this just might be the end result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4p0vjj_C8s
It's Nicole Kidman's next miniseries role after The Undoing. It's based on the 2018 novel penned by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty. It also stars everyone from Melissa McCarthy (Thunder Force) and Michael Shannon (Knives Out) to Luke Evans (Crisis) and Asher Keddie (Rams). And, it brought all of the above famous faces — and Bobby Cannavale (Superintelligence), Regina Hall (Little), Samara Weaving (Bill & Ted Face the Music), Melvin Gregg (The United States vs Billie Holiday), Asher Keddie (Rams), Grace Van Patten (Under the Silver Lake), Tiffany Boone (The Midnight Sky) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place) as well — to Byron Bay, where it was shot. Yes, Nine Perfect Strangers was always going to be one of 2021's big TV shows — and viewers Down Under can now look forward to watching it on Amazon Prime Video. When the series dropped its first teaser trailer back in April, exactly where folks in Australia and New Zealand would be able to watch the eagerly anticipated program hadn't yet been revealed. Now, the streaming service has announced that it'll be airing it on our shores. It hasn't advised exactly when, though, so don't go pencilling a date into your calendar just yet. That said, Nine Perfect Strangers is due to start streaming week-to-week via Hulu in the US from August 18, so fingers crossed that Amazon will make it available here around the same time. Story-wise, Perfect Strangers casts Kidman as a wellness guru. She's unlikely to leave anyone feeling relaxed, however. Her character Masha oversees a resort that promises to transform nine city dwellers, and you can bet that things aren't going to turn out as planned for the show's titular figures. As with Big Little Lies and The Undoing, David E Kelley (LA Law, Ally McBeal, Mr Mercedes) is leading the charge behind the scenes. He's the show's co-writer and co-showrunner, with Long Shot's Jonathan Levine directing every episode. And yes, Byron Bay seems to be quite the TV hub at the moment, given that Stan's upcoming mystery-drama series Eden also shot in the area, and that Netflix is working on a docu-soap about Byron Bay influencers. Check out Hulu's new date announcement teaser trailer for Nine Perfect Strangers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv3fA0D2cAk Nine Perfect Strangers is slated to air in the US on Hulu from August 18; however, Amazon Prime Video is yet to announce a streaming date for Australia and New Zealand. We'll update you when one is announced.
The Night Noodle Markets are nearly upon us and Gelato Messina is preparing to wow Sydneysiders once again with its newest creations. Perhaps it was the recent collaboration with Hoy Pinoy (another Night Noodle Market favourite) that did it, because this year's menu is full on Filipino. Messina's Filipino Jeepney food truck dishes will be available exclusively at the Sydney markets from October 4–21. Expect the Southeast Asian country's most popular desserts to get the good ol' Messina treatment, starting with the 'Allo 'Allo! — a take on the shaved-iced hallo hallo, which combines leche flan with caramel-flavoured shaved ice, syrup and sauce, all topped with toasted milk crumb and dulce de leche gelato. The truck is is also bringing back a favourite from the 2016 markets under the guise of a different name — Thrilla from Manila is a take on turron, which in this case is filo-pastry wrapped and deep-fried brown sugar and banana gelato, mixed with bits of banana bread and topped with custard and chocolate peanut butter crumb. If you're more into fruity desserts, The Jolli P (a nod to fast-food chain Jollibee) is a mango and peach jelly-filled concoction with whipped cream and graham cracker crumb toppings. Handheld dessert lovers are covered too with the Brazo de Messina, an ice cream sandwich of pandan gelato, baked meringue and condensed milk custard, all layered with a graham cracker crust. The Night Noodle Markets run from October 4–21 at Hyde Park as part of Good Food Month.
UPDATE, December 16, 2022: Top Gun: Maverick will be available to stream via Paramount+ from Thursday, December 22. As dripping with jingoism, machismo, militarism and sweat as cinema gets — and there really was oh-so-much sweat — 1986's Top Gun was a dream of a recruitment ad. The US Navy's aviation program couldn't have whipped up a stronger enlistment campaign in its wildest fantasies. Even if it had, getting Hollywood's gloss, a star who'd still be box-office catnip four decades later and Kenny Loggins' second-best movie tune (slipping in behind Footloose, of course) probably would've felt like a one-in-a-billion longshot. But all of the above, plus a lurid sheen and homoerotic gaze, didn't make Top Gun a good film. Loggins' 'Danger Zone' remains an earworm of a delight, but the feature it's synonymous with took a highway to the cheesy, cringey, puffed up, perpetually moist and aggressively toxic zone. The one exception: whenever Tony Scott's camera was focused on all that flying, rather than a smirking, reckless and arrogant Tom Cruise as a portrait of 80s bluster and vanity. Gliding into cinemas 36 years after its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick is still at its best when its jets are soaring. The initial flick had the perfect song to describe exactly what these phenomenally well-executed and -choreographed action scenes feel like to view; yes, they'll take your breath away. Peppered throughout the movie, actually shot in real US Navy aircraft without a trace of digital effects, and as tense and spectacular as filmmaking can be in the feature's climactic sequences, they truly do make it seem as if you're watchin' in slow motion. Thankfully, this time that adrenaline kick is accompanied by a smarter and far more self-aware film, as directed by TRON: Legacy and Oblivion's Joseph Kosinski. Top Gun in the 80s was exactly what Top Gun in the 80s was always going to be — but Top Gun in the 2020s doesn't dare believe that nothing has changed, that Cruise's still-smug Maverick can't evolve, and that the world the movie releases into hasn't either. Early in the film — after Harold Faltermeyer's famous Top Gun anthem plays, text on-screen explains what the titular elite pilot training program is all about, a montage of fighter planes kicks in and then 'Danger Zone' sets an upbeat tone; that is, after the flick begins exactly as the first did — Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell (Cruise, Mission: Impossible — Fallout) is given a dressing-down. Still as rebellious as his call sign makes plain, he's just wantonly disobeyed orders, flown a ridiculously expensive hypersonic test plane when he's not supposed to and caused quite the fallout. "The future is coming and you're not in it," he's told, and Top Gun: Maverick doesn't shy away from that notion. As its opening moments show, along with a touch too many other nostalgia-steeped touches elsewhere this sequel hasn't wholly flown on from the past; however, it actively reckons with it as well. Still hardly the navy's favourite despite his swagger, megawatt smile, gleaming aviators and unfailing self-confidence — well, really despite his need for speed and exceptional dogfighting skills in the air — Maverick is given one last assignment. His destination: Fightertown USA, the California-based Top Gun program he strutted his way through all those years ago. There's an enemy nation with a secret weapons base that needs destroying, and his talents are crucial. But, to his dismay, Maverick is only asked to teach. Given a squad lorded over by the brash Hangman (Glen Powell, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood), and also including Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis, Grey's Anatomy), Payback (Jay Ellis, Insecure), Fanboy (Danny Ramirez, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro, Stumptown), Bob (Lewis Pullman, Outer Range) and the frosty Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw (Miles Teller, The Offer), he's tasked with training them to fly like he does, navigate a Star Wars-style impossible path that zips speedily at perilously low altitudes and, ideally, still survive the supremely dangerous mission. Yes, Bradley Bradshaw is a real name this franchise has given one of its characters. And, he's the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards, Inventing Anna), Maverick's beloved wingman in the original movie, whose death he hasn't come to terms with. Also, stressing that chip-off-the-ol'-block link via Hawaiian shirts, a moustache and a barroom 'Great Balls of Fire' singalong is among Top Gun: Maverick's clumsiest and most needlessly wistful moves — second only to its shirtless team-building beach football scene. Luckily, it's easy to excuse some such blatant nods backwards when interrogating why Maverick is like he is, what cost that's extracted from him and those in his orbit, and how he might climb beyond it is one of the film's main concerns. Plus, one of the feature's other blasts from the past, Maverick's reunion with his ex-adversary Iceman (Val Kilmer, The Snowman), couldn't be more movingly handled. Again, recognising that Maverick's heyday, and everything it instilled in him, has long been and gone proves as crucial in this sequel as those sensationally balletic jets swooping and spiralling above. Cruise's heyday as a mega movie superstar isn't yet behind him, though, and Top Gun: Maverick is also better for knowing that his hyper-committed showmanship is now rare. So, Kosinkski leans heavily on the Tom Cruise of it all — aka the spectacle that's a given when he's in action mode — while unpacking the Maverick of it all. That's how the film zooms deeper than the initial flick, especially into its protagonist, with screenwriters Ehren Kruger (Dumbo), Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle) and Christopher McQuarrie (the last two and upcoming two Mission: Impossible movies) imparting a convincing sense of human drama. Top Gun: Maverick still sports patriotism and militarism so thick it'd show up on radar. It's still sweaty, albeit not as much as the Fast and Furious franchise these days. And it still has a thin but charismatic romance, this time with Jennifer Connelly (who gets a winning music moment if you know what she was starring in back in 1986). And yet, it also faces the fact that flag-waving patriotism and testosterone-fuelled bravado are relics. Even better: while Top Gun: Maverick's exploration of loyalty, duty, camaraderie, bromance and facing your mistakes to be a better person comes second to its stunning aerial scenes, none of those themes completely fade from mind when the movie hits the sky. They're meant to up the stakes, and genuinely do. Indeed, Gun: Maverick's underlying emotions feel as authentic as the astonishing visuals that repeatedly defy gravity. With the latter, it comes as no surprise that Kosinkski's TRON: Legacy cinematographer Claudio Miranda does the honours, again delivering an astounding sight. Similarly, that such edge-of-your-seat sequences are stitched together by McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible editor Eddie Hamilton won't raise an eyebrow. Action cinema rarely gets more thrilling than this — and an action movie that's this visibly wondrous and entertaining, knows it's walking in familiar footsteps but puts in a bold effort to make this return trip mean something is electrifying and, yes, breathtaking.
One-stop shopping. Other than 'Christmas cocktails', these might be the best words anyone can come across during festive season. Here's one way to make that glorious phrase even better: one-stop shopping that covers every different type of friend you have. Because everyone likes making the merriest time of year as stress-free as possible — yes, even gathering gifts for the gang — we've teamed up with the MCA Store at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia to create a one-stop shopping list for all your mates. The pal who doesn't even remember it's Christmas? Yep, they're covered. The friend who won't stop telling you about everything they've cooked this year? Them too. Art lovers of all tastes and interests? Sorted. And, if you get in quick, you can score a 15-percent discount during the MCA Store's holiday shopping weekend happening in-store and online between Friday, November 26–Sunday, November 28 (and online only on Monday, November 28, too). [caption id="attachment_834238" align="alignnone" width="1920"] More than Memory, MCA Store, 2021. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] YOUR FRIEND WHO NEVER REMEMBERS ANYTHING: MORE THAN MEMORY ($34.95) Whether it's coming from your mum or a self-help book, the best advice for improving one's memory is simply to use it — and often. So, for that friend who is happily defined by their forgetfulness (happily for them, at least), this ten-in-one games kit is an ace way to give their grey matter a nudge. More Than Memory features 72 cards all decked out with 36 vibrant Shirley Purdie artworks stemming from Goowoolem Gijam – Gija plants (2013–16). And, as the name makes plain, your pal won't just be shuffling them around, placing them on the table and playing the obvious game. This pack also comes with instructions on how to play Counting Cards, Create a Story, Describe & Draw and Finding Colours, as well as Guessing Games, Identifying Plants, Quick Draw and Sequence Master. FOR YOUR FRIEND WITH A CAMPERVAN: WELCOME TO COUNTRY: A TRAVEL GUIDE TO INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA ($39.99) If your friend is planning to get motoring in their very own campervan this summer, then they're probably intending to hit up more than just the usual tourist spots. You don't commit to living the van holiday life if you're just going to head to the same old beaches. Professor Marcia Langton's Welcome to Country won't just send your pal off the beaten track. The award-winning travel guide will also help them pair their trips with knowledge about whose Country they're on as they travel. The respected elder has penned a thoughtful exploration of Indigenous culture, and compiled a handy state-by-state (and territory) rundown of First Nations tourism experiences. Galleries, festivals, tours, performances — they'll all be on your mates' holiday list now. [caption id="attachment_834245" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dolly Parton brooch, MCA Store, 2021. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] FOR YOUR MATE WHO IS DOLLY PARTON-OBSESSED: DOLLY BROOCH ($29) Next time your bestie tumbles out of bed, stumbles to the kitchen and pours themselves a cup of ambition — on their way to working nine to five, naturally — help them do it while wearing a Dolly Parton brooch. Handmade on the south coast by Emma Lee, this bamboo piece features the Nashville icon's shimmering likeness, so the whole world will know just how much your pal adores Parton. There's never a bad time to literally wear your love of Dolly on your person. Plus, if your friend happens to be named Jolene, you obviously have to buy them this. Do it and they'll always love you. [caption id="attachment_834233" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hightide Hourglasses, MCA Store, 2021. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO IS ALWAYS LATE: HIGHTIDE HOURGLASSES ($19.95–49.95) Everyone has one: the pal whose relationship with time resembles something out of a sci-fi movie. You can't buy them a time-travelling car or phone booth, of course, but you can gift them a Hightide hourglass. These glass pieces make a stunning addition to any shelf or coffee table. And, as well as coming in different hues to match most decorating schemes, they also span four sizes, with the small version filled with three minutes worth of sand, the medium covering five minutes, the large hitting 15 minutes and the extra-large whiling away half an hour. With this gift, they'll have no excuse to rock up late to Friends-mas dinner next year. [caption id="attachment_834236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Printworks Sweden[/caption] FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO LOVES THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT: CHESS SET ($49.95) This time last year, we all binge-watched The Queen's Gambit, found a drama about chess far more thrilling than we initially expected and also wondered if we were secretly chess grandmasters ourselves. One of your friends went further than that, though, didn't they? Got a mate who organised a boozy chess party or kept talking about their moves during your lockdown zoom calls? This one's for them. Buying them a chess set might sound like the most straightforward option there is, but if you pick a stylish board, you're getting them a gift that's both practical and elegant. Printworks Sweden's blue-and-white solid-wood set ticks those boxes. So, you now have chess games by the pool in your future since your friend will need someone to play with, obviously. [caption id="attachment_834246" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Learn to Weave Kit, MCA Store, 2021. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO ALWAYS NEEDS TO KEEP THEIR HANDS BUSY: LEARN-TO-WEAVE KIT ($49.95) You know that mate who organises every group hang? Who mastered ten new skills during lockdown? Who just can't sit idly by, and always has to be doing something? We'd bet they'd love to learn to weave. This is the kind of gift that really does keep giving, because you're helping your pal discover a new talent and giving them a pastime they can practice for life. And yes, it does mean that you're likely to be given handmade baskets as presents in return next Christmas. The Tjanpi Desert Weavers kit will teach your friend to weave just like the artists from the First Nations-owned social enterprise, and comes with everything they need to embrace their new hobby. That includes raffia — both in a natural hue, and in different colours — and an industrial sailmakers needle. They'll even get access to a weaving tutorial video to get them started, too. [caption id="attachment_834247" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wah-Wah X Kaylene Whiskey, image courtesy Iwantja Arts. Photograph: Simon Eeles.[/caption] FOR YOUR FASHIONABLE FRIEND WHO THINKS COMFORT IS KEY: WAH-WAH X KAYLENE WHISKEY JUMPER ($260) When is a jumper more than a jumper? When it's also a piece of art. And, when it comes to this striking number, it's also a celebration of an Indigenous artist — that'd be Kaylene Whiskey of Iwantja Arts, which is located in the remote Indulkana Community on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of South Australia — and her eye-catching images of strong women and pop icons. Fashion enterprise Wah-Wah has taken Whiskey's designs, emblazoned them across Aussie merino wool and turned the whole thing into a limited-edition piece. Sure, summer isn't traditionally the season for woollies, but with the expected cooler summer that's about to hit, this piece might come in handy sooner than expected. [caption id="attachment_834672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] School of Life, I'm a Mess Apron, MCA Store, 2021, photograph: Anna Kučera[/caption] FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO IS ALWAYS TRYING EXPERIMENTAL RECIPES: I'M A MESS APRON ($49.95) Cooking is messy. Life is messy. They're two truths that aren't ever going to change. And, that friend who is so into cooking that they're always turning their dishes into experiments — even more so during the past two lockdown-heavy years — definitely knows it already. So, consider this a leaning-in kind of gift. The School of Life's 'I'm a Mess' apron is the perfect present for someone who is well aware of how chaotic their days — and their kitchen habits — can be, and wouldn't have it any other way. Sure, cooking up a storm is messy, but you don't always have to literally wear the splattered evidence on your clothes. [caption id="attachment_834234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MoMA Geo Pattern Domino Set, MCA Store, 2021. Photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO IS A KID AT HEART: MOMA DOMINO SET ($79.95) As the whole world realised over the past two years, you never really grow out of playing with board games. That covers new and old games alike — especially when a set of dominoes happens to look good enough to frame. Certain to keep your young-at-heart friend occupied for hours (dominoes is a great game to play over drinks), these blocks hail from New York's Museum of Modern Art, so they were always going to be stylish. Made from sustainably grown rubberwood and housed in their own red box, they're covered in geometric compositions that take their cues from cubist art, high-contrast colour pairings and abstract modernism. [caption id="attachment_834232" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doug Aitken: New Era exhibition catalogue, MCA Store, 2021. Photograph: Daniel Boud.[/caption] FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO IS INTO VIDEO ART: DOUG AITKEN: NEW ERA CATALOGUE ($70) Get the right person the right gift, and you won't just show your friend that you care — you'll demonstrate that you really know them. That's what makes the Doug Aitken: New Era catalogue such a winner for lovers of video art. You know your pal has already scoped out the MCA's exhibition, or they're planning to. So it's a no-brainer that they'll probably pour over this collection of interviews and image plates for years to come. Edited by exhibition curator Rachel Kent, the catalogue dives into Aitken's creative thinking, helping your mate appreciate and understand the celebrated American artist's work inside-out. It also looks impressive on a coffee table, if your friend is a fan of turning their reading materials into conversation pieces. [caption id="attachment_834248" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Members. Featured: Noa Eshkol, installation view, 20th Biennale of Sydney, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2016. Image courtesy and © the Noa Eshkol Foundation for Movement Notation, Holon. Photograph: Jacquie Manning.[/caption] FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO HAS EVERYTHING: MCA MEMBERSHIP ($50–160) Things are great. We all love things. We all have plenty of them, though. And, many of us have ordered a heap more things over the past two years so adding more stuff to your mate's pile may be not be appreciated. Now that life is returning to normality, we're all craving experiences. And, there's nothing quite like spending time in an art museum, peering intently at the lively pieces on the walls and communing solely with artistic creations. With an MCA membership, your pal can experience art all year round. Plus, this gift supports the MCA, so you're giving it a nice little pressie as well. To give your mates any of the above items for Christmas, or find other creative gifts, visit the MCA Store in-person at the MCA, Tallawoladah, Gadigal Country, 140 George Street, The Rocks — or shop online at store.mca.com.au (just be sure sure to check out shipping dates). Top image: MCA Store, 2020. Photograph: Daniel Boud.
Triple 9 is the film equivalent of a song that catches your attention with a recognisable beat, yet still manages to get stuck in your head. You know you've seen this brand of testosterone-fuelled, tightly written crime effort before, but you can't help getting immersed in it anyway. There's plenty that's familiar in this blood-soaked tale of cops, robbers and ruthless Russian gangster, including the ways in which it uses its high-profile cast. But just because you know what to expect doesn't mean that the end result isn't effective or powerful. Starting with a chat between two shady figures, then barrelling into a bank heist, John Hillcoat's latest film explores the intersection of law and order in Atlanta. As it happens, most of the men behind the theft are current police officers or ex-military operatives. Corrupt detectives Marcus (Anthony Mackie) and Franco (Clifton Collins Jr.) work both sides of the line; shifty siblings Russell (Norman Reedus) and Gabe (Aaron Paul) lurk in the shadows; and former special forces contractor Michael (Chiwetel Ejiofor) oversees their operations. He's a pawn for mob boss Irina (Kate Winslet), who keeps threatening to take his son (and her nephew) away from him. Irina uses that leverage and her penchant for violence to not only strong-arm the crew into doing the first job, but to blackmail them into making a follow-up smash-and-grab on Homeland Security. Enter their nasty solution to the seemingly impossible task: distract the bulk of the city's police force by killing a cop. Marcus' new, straight-down-the-line partner Chris (Casey Affleck) is their target. Though newcomer Matt Cook is responsible for the screenplay, Triple 9 is a Hillcoat film through and through. The movie doesn't just follow in the footsteps of other gritty, murky crime fare — think Heat, Killing Them Softly and Sicario — but of the Australian filmmaker's own back catalogue, including The Proposition, The Road and Lawless. In his hands the film seethes with intensity, delivering menacing, mesmerising thrills. With Woody Harrelson, Gal Gadot, Theresa Palmer and Michael K. Williams joining the other well-known names, Hillcoat's stellar cast is on form. The film is an ensemble effort filled with fine actors doing what they do best — Paul playing drugged up and down-and-out; Winslet mastering yet another accent; Ejiofor navigating morally complex territory; and Affleck once again proving that he's more nuanced and compelling than his famous sibling. When the actors aren't snarling their lines at each other with distrust, they're stalking through hallways and shooting up freeways, in the film's most distinctive segments: its set pieces. Shot with energy and anxiety, and accompanied by an insidiously unsettling score, they're the feature's hooks. No matter how familiar everything else might seem, these sequences are sure to buzz through your brain, and ensure that you can't stop watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zU817AmOOk
Australia's film festival calendar is about to kick into gear for 2022, with fests dedicated to documentaries, European cinema, queer flicks and Japanese movies all among the events that've already announced their upcoming lineups. Another ace excuse to stare at the big screen in a darkened room that Aussie movie lovers can look forward to in the very near future: the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, which is returning across March and April for its 33rd year. It's still a tad too early for AFFFF to reveal its full program, but it has confirmed a few details to get you in the French film-watching mood. First up, there's the fest's dates, with the event making its usual capital city stops. So, cinephiles in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart — and in Byron Bay and Parramatta, too — you can now start blocking out time in your diaries. Also unveiled early: AFFFF's first ten films from its 2022 lineup, including opening night's 19th-century Paris-set Lost Illusions. Starring an impressive cast that includes Benjamin Voisin (Summer of 85), Cécile de France (The French Dispatch), Vincent Lacoste (Sorry Angel) and Xavier Dolan (Matthias & Maxime) — the latter acting rather than directing — it follows a lower-class poet who falls in love with the baroness Louise de Bargeton. Other highlights span two movies that premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival, with rom-com Love Songs for Tough Guys featuring Vanessa Paradis (Knife+Heart), set in Dunkirk and taking its cues from Cyrano de Bergerac, and La Traviata, My Brothers and I focusing on a 14-year-old who wants to become the new Luciano Pavarotti. There's also The Young Lovers, also led by the aforementioned Cécile de France; Waiting for Bojangles, a page-to-screen adaptation starring Virginie Efira (Bye Bye Morons) and Romain Duris (Eiffel); The Kitchen Brigade, which is set in the world of French gastronomy; Hear Me Out, a rom-com directed by and starring Pascal Elbé (The Swallows of Kabul); and the 60s-set Happening. Or, you can look forward to documentary The Velvet Queen, where photographer Vincent Munier and writer Sylvain Tesson head to the Tibetan highlands on a quest to find the snow leopard — or, from the retro program showcasing the work of actor and filmmaker Alain Delon, Purple Noon, which adapts Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley. The full festival lineup will be revealed on Thursday, February 3 — and you can check out the festival trailer below in the interim: ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: March 1–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema and Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Sydney March 2–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Electric, Canberra March 3–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Como. Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema, The Kino and The Astor Theatre , Melbourne March 9–20: State Cinema, Hobart March 9–April 6, with encore screenings from April 7–10: Camelot Outdoor Cinema, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX, Palace Raine Square and Windsor Cinema, Perth March 16–April 13, with encore screenings from April 14–18: Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane March 24–April 24, with encore screenings from April 25–26: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide, plus Victa Cinemas, Victor Harbor March 30–April 14, with encore screenings from April 15–16: Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay April 7–10: Parramatta Riverside Theatres, Parramatta The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, March 1–Tuesday, April 26. For more information, visit the AFFFF website.
Throughout Japan's history, the country has gone through several periods of rapid transformation. The NGV's latest exhibition, Japanese Modernism, explores one of them: the prosperous era from the early 1920s until the late 1930s, a time that spawned financial independence for women and access to international travel. As movie theatres, department stores and modern transport became widespread, life quickly changed for Japan's urban dwellers. Featuring 190 works that consider the country's shifting social and cultural values, Japanese Modernism highlights these changes through an array of creative mediums that see traditional Japanese techniques blended with European influence. There are colourful woodblock prints that fuse ancient ukiyo-e methods with modern elements, plus a plethora of kimonos, street posters and glassware. Running until Sunday, October 4, Japanese Modernism is completely free to attend. You'll be amongst the first to see these works in Australia, too — the NGV has spent the last five years amassing this impressive collection from around the world. To give you a quick primer before you head along to the NGV, we've picked out five inspirational works to see at Japanese Modernism. [caption id="attachment_763292" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Installation view of Japanese Modernism at National Gallery of Victoria. Photo: Tom Ross.[/caption] PREPARING TO GO OUT (1935) BY TANIGUCHI FUMIE As a key figure in Japan's emerging generation of the time, known colloquially as 'moga' and 'mobo' — modern girls and modern boys — Taniguchi Fumie burst onto the scene to great success in the 1930s. However, Fumie's glowing artistic career came to an early halt with the onset of World War II, as she was evacuated to the countryside and her work faded into obscurity. One of Fumie's most lasting works, Preparing to go out, was produced as a large-scale, sixfold design that draws directly from the 17th-century style of Matsuura screens. This modern take on a fundamentally traditional art form sees Fumie depict a group of friends getting ready for a fun night out, leaving behind their previously reserved existence. [caption id="attachment_763296" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saeki Shunkō, Tea and coffee salon, Sabō 1939, ink, colour, paper, lacquer, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased with funds donated by Alan and Mavourneen Cowen, The Myer Foundation and the NGV Supporters of Asian Art, 2015[/caption] TEA AND COFFEE SALON, SABŌ (1939) BY SAEKI SHUNKŌ With many Japanese cities being quickly redeveloped during this era, a large population of women waved goodbye to the countryside and went in search of jobs and a modern lifestyle in the metropolis. This change gave rise to the first generation of financially independent female artists, who set about creating art that explored their new reality. Saeki Shunkō was one of these pioneering artists. Her 1939 painting, Tea and Coffee Salon, Sabō, presents two modern Japanese women wearing Western-style uniforms, highlighting the shifting dynamics of the country. This changing way of life for the nation's youth, especially women, showcased how they were no longer beholden to their parent's conservative values. [caption id="attachment_763302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Takei Takeo (illustrator), Tōkyōsha, Tokyo (publisher), Children's land 1928, colour offset lithograph. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased NGV Foundation, 2018[/caption] CHILDREN'S LAND (1928) BY TAKEI TAKEO Inspired by popular European art movements like Cubism, Futurism and Fauvism, Japanese artists began mixing these styles within their own work. One magazine in particular, called Kodomo no kuni or Children's Land, which was groundbreaking at its time, began using these styles throughout its pages and on its cover. The magazine was popular with children and young adults, as it encouraged the new generation to embrace individuality. Takei Takeo was one of the magazine's key contributors, producing works that blended geometric shapes with shadows and bright colours. His 1928 cover design had a two-fold appeal to children of the time, as it linked an exciting style of art with the modern train system, which was beginning to roll out across Tokyo. [caption id="attachment_763303" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hisui Sugiura, The first subway in the East 1927, colour offset lithograph. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Purchased NGV Foundation, 2018 © Estate of Hisui Sugiura[/caption] THE FIRST SUBWAY IN THE EAST (1927) BY HISUI SUGIURA Described as a pioneer of Japanese graphic design, Hisui Sugiura was at the forefront of the nation's commercial art industry. Although he had a traditional painting background, his interest in Europe's art nouveau movement led him to form the artist collective known as Shichinin-sha, aka the Group of Seven. Through his position as the Mitsukoshi Clothing Store's chief graphic designer, he exposed Tokyo's residents to a wave of contemporary design. Created in 1927 to celebrate the opening of the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line — the first subway in Asia — this poster is regarded as a cornerstone of Japanese modernist design. Expressing the changes occurring across Japanese society, Sugiura draws those at the distant end of the platform in traditional garments, while the families at the front of the scene appear in distinctly modern clothing. [caption id="attachment_763304" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Koike Iwao, Tokyo Mitsukoshi clothing store 1927, colour lithograph, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased NGV Foundation, 2018[/caption] TOKYO MITSUKOSHI CLOTHING STORE (1927) BY KOIKE IWAO The Tokyo Mitsukoshi Clothing Store is the oldest-surviving department store in Japan, with its origins as a kimono maker dating all the way back to the 17th century. Having opened as a modern-day department store in 1904, it was partially destroyed by the Great Japan Earthquake of 1923. However, it relaunched in 1926 with modernist architecture and a host of retailers that sold products that appealed to the new Japan. The above poster, by graphic designer Koike Iwao, announces the store's reopening and features Mitsukoshi's famed entrance lions. Iwao was also part of Sugiura's influential Shichinin-sha artist collective, which produced a vibrant magazine that signalled a new direction for Japanese artistry. Japanese Modernism is on display at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne until October 4, 2020. It's free to attend. Find more exhibition details at the NGV website. Top images: Installation views of Japanese Modernism at National Gallery of Victoria. Photos by Tom Ross
The end of Game of Thrones is coming, with the show's eighth and final season kicking off this month. Not ready to say goodbye? Try claiming the Iron Throne for yourself instead. Joining the huge list of GoT-themed bits and pieces — including spinoff series, official tours, boozy banquets and ice hotels — is Game of Thrones Winter Is Coming, a new multiplayer browser game that puts players in the thick of the action. It might have the most obvious title possible, but Game of Thrones Winter Is Coming gives fans an important role and a huge task: becoming either a lord or lady in Westeros, scheming against and slaying your enemies, and seizing the Seven Kingdoms' coveted metal chair. So, basically, stepping into the standard GoT world and doing what all of your favourite characters have been doing for years. Unlike Jon Snow, you'll know that much at least. Now available to play, it all kicks off after the death of Eddard Stark, aka the moment that had every TV fan hooked. Your character will take his place among Westeros' upper echelons, train an army, recruit followers and endeavour to remain victorious (and keep your head, obviously). And, because the game is a collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment under license from HBO, expect plenty of other iconic GoT figures to pop up. Expect to virtually roam around the Seven Kingdoms as well, which has been recreated complete with major landmarks and castles from the show. You'll also be able to relive some of the series' iconic moments, just in computer game form. Played online in your browser, it's really your latest excuse to never leave the world created by George RR Martin, even if the hugely successful TV show based on his books is about to leave our lives. Or, think of it another way — it's a way to pass the time until Martin finally finishes the sixth instalment in the printed franchise, the long-awaited The Winds of Winter. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gon69yQTx9M Game of Thrones Winter Is Coming is available to play online now. Image: Game of Thrones season 8. Helen Sloan/HBO.
For anyone born after 1978, it's impossible to imagine a world without Jamie Lee Curtis playing Laurie Strode, grappling with the ultimate movie boogeyman and being one of the OG final girls. Forty-four years ago, the then film first-timer slipped into the role and battle of a lifetime, taking on Michael Myers in John Carpenter's initial, iconic and now-highly influential October 31-set slasher Halloween. The picture, and the part, both launched and defined Curtis' career — and she's returned as the Haddonfield, Illinois babysitter-turned-survivor six more times since. Curtis' on-screen resume doesn't lack in other highlights, of course. Reteaming with Carpenter in The Fog, riding the scream queen wave in Prom Night, winning a BAFTA Award for 80s comedy Trading Places and scoring another nomination for A Fish Called Wanda: she'd managed all that before the 90s even hit. Since then, Curtis has tangoed into action-hero territory in True Lies, dispensed motherly advice in the My Girl movies, swapped bodies with Lindsay Lohan in Freaky Friday, joined Veronica Mars on the big screen, gotten her murder-mystery on in Knives Out and sported hot dog fingers in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Laurie Strode and Laurie Strode only, she definitely isn't. Still, Curtis and Laurie will always be synonymous. When you keep stepping into a character's shoes for four-plus decades — and when that character is one of the most famous there is in horror movie history, too — that's going to happen. Now, however, the unthinkable is also occurring. Curtis will always be Laurie, but she's also saying goodbye to the constant target of Michael Myers' slash-happy rampages. Yes, Halloween Ends has the perfect moniker for that turn of events. The 13th entry in the Halloween franchise, Halloween Ends is also the third in a trilogy that started in 2018, brought Curtis back to the fold after a 16-year gap and has clearly been working towards closure ever since. Indeed, in this iteration — as directed and co-written by David Gordon Green (Stronger, The Righteous Gemstones), and produced by Jason Blum — Laurie has weathered the pain of being Michael Myers' prey, and worn that survivor's PTSD as firmly as her silver hair. She's prepared to face him down again. She's tried and thought she's won, only for the mask-wearing murderer to re-emerge. She's lost friends and family to the monster, and seen how deeply Michael's mayhem has affected her home town. In other words, she's been as fascinating a horror-film final girl as any movie, franchise, actor or audience can hope for, and she's earned her farewell. With Halloween Ends releasing in cinemas Down Under on October 13, we chatted with Curtis about the series, her legendary character, and what it's meant to earn a part as a teenager and leave it half a lifetime later — plus being not just the final girl, but the final woman. ON THE HALLOWEEN FRANCHISE'S MASSIVE SUCCESS — AND HUMBLE BEGINNINGS "No one knew. If anyone knew, we'd be in Vegas today and we'd be betting money on something because we'd have some prescient idea of knowing about the future. No one knew anything about anything. We were young filmmakers. The oldest person was 30. We were a crew of about 15 people. It was made in 17 days, shot fast and furiously, and it turned into something quite magical. But that's the art of the movies. That's what happens once in a while. I did a movie this year called Everything Everywhere All At Once, which was the same thing. A group of people getting together, 38 days in an abandoned office building in Simi Valley, California — and what came out was this phenomenon, this beautiful movie. No, nobody had any idea." ON RETURNING TO LAURIE FOR THIS TRILOGY AFTER A 16-YEAR GAP "Honestly, the last thing I ever thought I'd do was another Halloween movie. And the phone rang, and it was Jake Gyllenhaal. I was in my house up in the mountains, and Jake said 'my friend David Gordon Green would like to talk to you about a Halloween movie'. And I said 'okay'. He called me, and what drew me back was that David had written a script about really what happens to somebody 40 years after that level of violence and trauma happens to them, and I felt it was very realistic. It was everything I'd hoped H20 could've been, and wasn't. For me it just was truth. It felt like it was truthful. It felt like it honoured victims. It gave a truth to really what happens. How many times do we see a disaster happen, all the news cameras, everybody's camping out on people's lawns — coverage, coverage, coverage, coverage — and then they go away? Then what remains are all these people whose lives have been ruined, and we never see a story about what happens to them ever. I felt like that was what David wrote — a story about what really happens to people who suffer that level of violence." ON EVOLVING FROM FINAL GIRL TO FINAL WOMAN "I represent something as Laurie Strode, the survivor of Michael Myers, for all these years. I take it very seriously. I commit to it. It's very important. She's, by the way, not only the final girl, not only the final mother, not only the final grandmother — ultimately, as you said, she's the final woman. This is a woman in full possession of her own life, and facing fear head on in that a way that I think people admire and respect, and people have certainly loved Laurie over the years for that fortitude. And I owe them. The gravity of the way I approach this work is due to them. If I was sitting here joking with you about how fun it was, and how I'm friends with the guy who's in the mask, and it's all light and easy, then what the fuck am I doing? Then why am I here? It has to be with this level of gravity and respect for Laurie Strode, who is a real person to many, many, many, many, many people. And I am Laurie Strode." ON MAKING A NEW HALLOWEEN TRILOGY WITH SOMETHING TO SAY "It wasn't a trilogy to begin with. We didn't start it out a trilogy. That I found out after the fact. But more importantly, I think also what this movie really explores is how we victim-shame, how we start to blame the actual victims of the crime because of the communal experience. The town is without resources to process their grief and who do they turn it against? Laurie Strode. Look at how we do this all day long. Look at how we use social media. Look at Twitter. Look at these portals of hatred and vile antagonism that we use in the spirit of free speech and all of the rest of it. It's terrible. The movie explores that in a very big way." ON FAREWELLING LAURIE — AND WHAT IT'D TAKE TO COME BACK "I think it'd be hard to come back now. I can't imagine a world where a filmmaker is going to come up with a scenario that explores Laurie Strode's journey and her conflict with Michael Myers in any better way than David Gordon Green has done with these three films. But I never say never, because there are great filmmakers today, and who knows? Maybe Guillermo del Toro will come up with a plan for it, or a filmmaker who's brand new will come up with some breathtaking story that can figure out a way to weave a version of Laurie's story. Who knows? But from my practical standpoint — I'm a very practical person — I can't imagine it. It's been a very emotional trip, this tour of talking and meeting fans, and really talking about the import of Laurie Strode on their lives. I have tried to receive it all, and it's a lot. It's just a lot. It's going to be hard. But I also am very joyful. I have a lot of creativity because of Laurie Strode. I now have all sorts of creative stuff I get to do. So it's not that I'm never going to get to act again — quite the opposite, I get to do that more now than I ever got to before. I get to produce things in a way I never did before. I get to direct things in a way I never did before, all because of this 2018 trilogy. So I'm sad to say goodbye to fans, for sure. But I'm happy for the opportunities that Laurie has given me, absolutely." Halloween Ends releases in Australian cinemas on October 13. Read our full review.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. DECISION TO LEAVE When it's claimed that Decision to Leave's Detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il, Heaven: To the Land of Happiness) needs "murder and violence in order to be happy", it's easy to wonder if that statement similarly applies to Park Chan-wook, this stunning South Korean thriller's filmmaker. The director of Oldboy, Thirst, Stoker and The Handmaiden doesn't, surely. Still, his exceptional body of on-screen work glows when either fills its frames — which, in a career that also spans Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Lady Vengeance and English-language TV miniseries The Little Drummer Girl, among other titles, is often. To be more accurate, perhaps Park needs to survey the grey areas that loiter around death and brutality, and surround love, lust, loss, and all matters of the brain, body and heart that bind humans together, to find cinematic fulfilment. Certainly, audiences should be glad if/that he does. In Decision to Leave, exploring such obsessions, and the entire notions of longing and obsession, brings a staggering, sinuously layered and seductively gorgeous movie to fruition — a film to obsess over if ever there was one. In this year's deserved Cannes Film Festival Best Director-winner, reserved insomniac Hae-joon is fixated from the outset, too: with his police job in Busan, where he works Monday–Friday before returning to Ipo on weekends to his wife (Lee Jung-hyun, Peninsula). That all-consuming focus sees his weekday walls plastered with grim photos from cases, and haunts the time he's meant to be spending — and having sex — with said spouse. Nonetheless, the latest dead body thrust his way isn't supposed to amplify his obsession. A businessman and experienced climber is found at the base of a mountain, and to most other cops the answer would be simple. It is to his offsider Soo-wan (Go Kyung-Pyo, Private Lives), but Hae-joon's interest is piqued when the deceased's enigmatic Chinese widow, the cool, calm but also bruised and scratched Seo-rae (Tang Wei, The Whistleblower), is brought in for questioning amid apologising for her imperfect Korean-language skills. In the precinct interrogation room, the detective and his potential suspect share a sushi dinner — and, in the lingering looks gazed each other's way even at this early stage, this may as well be a twisted first date. Hae-joon then surveils Seo-rae, including at her work caring for the elderly, which also provides her alibi. He keeps watching her at home, where her evenings involve television and ice cream. In stirring scenes of bravura and beauty, he envisages himself with her in the process, longing for the illusion he's building in his sleep-deprived mind. As for Seo-rae, she keeps stoking their chemistry, especially when she's somehow being both direct and evasive with her responses to his queries. She knows how small gestures leave an imprint, and she also knows when she and Hae-joon are both desperately hooked on each other. Every intelligently written (by Park and frequent co-scribe Chung Seo-kyung), evocatively shot (by cinematographer Kim Ji-Yong, Ashfall) moment in Decision to Leave is crucial; the film is made so meticulously, with a precision its protagonist would instantly admire, that cutting out even a second is unthinkable. Equally, every scene speaks volumes about this spellbinding movie — but here's three that help convey its simmering potency. In one, Hae-joon ascends up the victim's last cliff by rope, tied to Soo-wan, Busan looming in the background. In another, detailed blue-green wallpaper filled with mountains surrounds Seo-rae. And in yet another, she reaches into Hae-joon's pocket to grab his lip balm, then applies it to his mouth. Perspective is everything in this feature, Park stresses. Minutiae is everything, too. Intimacy is more than everything, actually, in a picture that's also grippingly, electrifying sensual. Read our full review. BARBARIAN "Safe as houses" isn't a term that applies much in horror. It isn't difficult to glean why. Even if scary movies routinely followed folks worrying about their investments — one meaning of the phrase — it's always going to be tricky for the sentiment to stick when such flicks love plaguing homes, lodges and other dwellings with bumps, jumps and bone-chilling terror. Barbarian, however, could break out the expression and mean it, in a way. At its centre sits a spruced-up Detroit cottage listed on Airbnb and earning its owner a trusty income. In the film's setup, the house in question is actually doing double duty, with two guests booked for clashing stays over the same dates. It's hardly a spoiler to say that their time in the spot, the nicest-looking residence in a rundown neighbourhood, leaves them feeling anything but safe. Late on a gloomy, rainy, horror-movie-101 kind of night — an eerie and tense evening from the moment that writer/director Zach Cregger's first feature as a solo director begins — Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell, Suspicion) arrives at Barbarian's pivotal Michigan property. She's in town for a job interview, but discovers the lockbox empty, keys nowhere to be found. Also, the home already has an occupant in Keith Toshko (Bill Skarsgård, Eternals), who made his reservation via a different website. With a medical convention filling the city's hotels, sharing the cottage seems the only option, even if Tess is understandably cautious about cohabitating with a man she's literally just met. Ambiguity is part of Barbarian from the get-go, spanning whether Keith can be trusted, what's behind their double booking and, when things start moving overnight, what's going on in the abode. That's only the start of Barbarian's hellish story. Canny casting plays a considerable part in Barbarian's early unease; if you rocked up to a place that's meant to be yours alone for the evening only for Pennywise from the recent big-screen version of IT and its sequel lurking within — sans red balloon, luckily — you'd be creeped out. Skarsgård's involvement isn't the only reason that the movie's first act drips with dread and uncertainty, but it's a devastatingly clever use of him as a horror-film talent, and the Swedish star leans into the slippery and shifty possibilities. Still, after taking a photo of his ID and being wary of drinking beverages he's made, Tess warms to Keith over wine and conversation. He's having a loud nightmare on the couch, too, when her bedroom door opens mysteriously. When she gets stuck in the locked basement the next day, he's out at meetings. Then he returns, and they'll wish that a reservation mixup really was the worst of their troubles. Clearly made with affection for old-school horror, especially films by genre great Wes Craven, Barbarian feels like a well-crafted take on a familiar premise while it's laying its groundwork. Foolish is the viewer who thinks that they know where the movie is heading from there, though — or who ignores the instant bubblings of potential to zig and zag, plus the lingering inkling that something beyond the easily expected might stalk its frames. Indeed, watching Barbarian recalls watching scary flicks from four and five decades back for the first time, a rite of passage for every horror-loving teen no matter the generation, and being gripped by their surprises. Cregger bundles in twists, but he also establishes a vibe where almost anything can shift and change. Two cases in point: when Justin Long (Giri/Haji) shows up as a smug and obnoxious Hollywood player with #MeToo problems, and when the 80s isn't just an influence in scenes lensed in a tighter aspect ratio. Read our full review. BLACK ADAM "I kneel before no one," says Teth-Adam, aka Black Adam, aka the DC Comics character that dates back to 1945, and that Dwayne Johnson (Red Notice) has long wanted to play. That proclamation is made early in the film that bears the burly, flying, impervious-to-everything figure's name, echoing as a statement of might as well as mood: he doesn't need to bow down to anyone or anything, and if he did he wouldn't anyway. Yet the DC Extended Universe flick that Black Adam is in — the 11th in a saga that's rarely great — kneels frequently to almost everything. It bends the knee to the dispiritingly by-the-numbers template that keeps lurking behind this comic book-inspired series' most forgettable entries, and the whole franchise's efforts to emulate the rival (and more successful) Marvel Cinematic Universe, for starters. It also shows deference to the lack of spark and personality that makes the lesser DC-based features so routine at best, too. Even worse, Black Adam kneels to the idea that slipping Johnson into a sprawling superhero franchise means robbing the wrestler-turned-actor himself of any on-screen personality. Glowering and gloomy is a personality, for sure, but it's not what's made The Rock such a box office drawcard — and, rather than branching out, breaking the mould or suiting the character, he just appears to be pouting and coasting. He looks the physical part, of course, as he needs to playing a slave-turned-champion who now can't be killed or hurt. It's hard not to wish that the Fast and Furious franchise's humour seeped into his performance, however, or even the goofy corniness of Jungle Cruise, Johnson's last collaboration with filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra. The latter has template-esque action flicks Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Commuter on his resume before that, and helms his current star here like he'd rather still directing Liam Neeson. That said, Black Adam, the character, has much to scowl about — and scowl he does. Black Adam, the film, has much backstory to lay out, with exposition slathered on thick during the opening ten minutes. As a mere human in 2600 BCE in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Kahndaq, its namesake was among an entire populace caught under a cruel ruler hungry for power, and for a powerful supernatural crown fashioned out a mineral called 'eternium' that said subjects were forced to mine. Now, 5000 years later, Black Adam is a just-awakened mortal-turned-god who isn't too thrilled about the modern world, or being in it. Bridging the gap: the fact that back in the day, one boy was anointed with magic by ancient wizards to defend Kahndaq's people (the word "shazam!" gets uttered, because Black Adam dwells in the same part of the DCEU as 2019's Shazam! and its upcoming sequel), but misusing those skills ended in entombment until modern-day resistance fighters interfere. The above really is just the preamble. Black Adam is freed by widowed professor Adrianna (Sarah Shahi, Sex/Life), who is trying to fight the Intergang, the mercenaries who've been Kahndaq's new oppressors for decades — and, yes, Black Adam gets caught up in that battle. But being out and about, instead of interred in a cave, gets the attention of the Justice Society. The DCEU already has the Justice League and the Suicide Squad, but it apparently still needs another super-powered crew. Indeed, Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad's Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, The First Lady) even shows up to help put this new gang together. That's how Hawkman (Aldis Hodge, One Night in Miami), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan, The Misfits), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell, Voyagers) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo, the To All the Boys movies) don their caped-crusader getup and try to stop Black Adam, or convince him to stop himself. Read our full review. THE GOOD NURSE It isn't called CULLEN — Monster: The Charles Cullen Story. It doesn't chart the murders of a serial killer who's already a household name. And, it doesn't unfurl over multiple episodes. Still, Netflix-distributed true-crime film The Good Nurse covers homicides, and the person behind them, that are every bit as grim and horrendous as the events dramatised in DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Such based-on-reality tales that face such evil are always nightmare fodder, but this Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore)- and Jessica Chastain (The Forgiven)-starring one, as brought to the screen by Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm (A War, A Hijacking), taps into a particularly terrifying realm. The culprit clearly isn't the good nurse of the movie's moniker, but he is a nurse, working in intensive care units no less — and for anyone who has needed to put their trust in the health system or may in the future (aka all of us), his acts are gut-wrenchingly chilling. Hospitals are meant to be places that heal, even in America's cash-driven setup where free medical care for all isn't considered a basic right and a societal must. Hospitals are meant to care for the unwell and injured, as are the doctors, nurses and other staff who race through their halls. There is one such person in The Good Nurse, Amy Loughren, who Chastain plays based on a real person. In 2003, in New Jersey, she's weathering her own struggles: she's a single mother to two young girls, she suffers from cardiomyopathy to the point of needing a heart transplant, and she can't tell her job about her health condition because she needs to remain employed for four more months to qualify for insurance to treat it. Then enters Cullen (Redmayne), the newcomer on Loughren's night shifts, a veteran of nine past hospitals, an instant friend who offers to help her cope with her potentially lethal ailment and also the reason that their patients start dying suddenly. There's no spoiler alert needed about The Good Nurse's grisly deeds or the person responsible. Cullen's name hasn't been changed in Krysty Wilson-Cairns' (Last Night in Soho, 1917) script, which adapts Charles Graeber's 2013 non-fiction book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder, and Loughren's similarly remains the same. The Good Nurse also opens with the quietly disquieting Cullen retreating as someone in a different hospital years earlier goes into convulsions — standing back motionless, he tries to appear anxious but instead looks like a creepy blank canvas. Accordingly, that he's the cause of much of the movie's horrors is a given from the outset, but that's only one of Lindholm and Wilson-Cairns' angles. As aided by centring Loughren's plight, The Good Nurse is also a film about institutional failings and coverups with very real consequences. Indeed, as set to an eerie score by Biosphere (Burma Storybook), there's a procedural feel to Lindholm's first feature in America; that he helmed episodes of Mindhunter beforehand doesn't come as a surprise. There are cops, too, in the form of detectives Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha, Sylvie's Love) and Braun (Noah Emmerich, Dark Winds), who are brought in seven weeks after a patient's passing just after Cullen arrives. But nurse-turned-administrator Linda Garran (Fear the Walking Dead), who summons the police, is hardly forthcoming — about the almost-two-month delay or with information overall. It isn't in the hospital's interests to be upfront, which is why and how Cullen has kept moving from healthcare facility to healthcare facility, and notching up a body count at each by spiking IV bags with fatal doses of insulin and other medications. No hospital wants to be seen to be at fault, and won't warn fellow institutions, either. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28; August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22 and September 29; and October 6 and October 13. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise, Clean, You Won't Be Alone, See How They Run, Smile, On the Count of Three, The Humans, Don't Worry Darling, Amsterdam, The Stranger, Halloween Ends, The Night of the 12th, Muru and Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.
You've heard it before: how you choose to ring in the new year is a sign of how you'll spend the rest of the year. If you would like to spend 2024 sipping top-shelf champagne and snacking on oysters and caviar (you bougie thing, you), we have just the thing. Dear Sainte Éloise is hosting a special New Year's Eve party so you can bid adieu to 2023 in style. The Potts Point diner will be open from midday, serving a seafood-heavy menu and hard-to-find wines. The set menu ($130pp), designed by DSE's new head chef Elias Selloum, kicks off with small bites like kangaroo tartare and buckwheat blinis topped with caviar and crème fraîche. And, because no summery celebration is complete without them, there'll also be oysters with a Sichuan mignonette. Next up, enjoy heirloom tomato salad with Meredith Dairy goat's curd, nori and basil oil, and house-whipped foie gras parfait served with Fabbrica sourdough. The main is French Provençal-style bouillabaisse, stuffed with seafood galore — think John Dory, blue-eye trevalla, clams and mussels. It'll all wrap up with a classic summer dessert: roasted peaches with lavender crumb, salted caramel and yoghurt. Sample drops throughout your meal from DSE's well-curated wine cellar, like pineau d'aunis, a rare red wine from France's Loire Valley, and Brisson-Lahaye champagne. Dear Sainte Eloise will be open on December 31 from 12pm–12am (last available booking is 8.30pm). Bookings are essential and can be made via the website. Images: Trent van der Jagt
With fresh COVID-19 cases continuing to pop up across Australia and community transmission still a very real issue, the Victorian Government has launched a new travel permit system in an attempt to keep the coronavirus out of the state. Victoria has just chalked up six days straight without any new locally transmitted coronavirus cases; however, with other states experiencing outbreaks in recent weeks, the Victorian Government is now tightening the borders and rolling out new regulations for anyone wanting to enter from interstate locations. After going live yesterday, Monday, January 11, the new permit scheme will now manage all domestic travel into Victoria, using a traffic light-style system to categorise origin locations as red, orange or green — based on their level of risk. It applies to visitors who reside in other parts of Australia, as well as to any Victorian residents returning home from elsewhere. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1348469170472509440 Under the new system, travellers wanting to head into Victoria will need to apply for one of the various permit types, depending on where they've been beforehand. Anyone who has been in a designated red zone — the highest level in the system, which currently covers Greater Brisbane and Greater Sydney — is barred from entering the state. Exceptions apply to residents of NSW/Victorian border communities, and folks who've been in a red zone can also apply to receive an exemption or a permitted worker permit. The former covers instances such as emergency relocations, funerals, essential medical care, and people needing to return home for health, wellbeing, care or compassionate reasons. That said, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) states that exceptions are limited and that they'll only be granted in special circumstances. Victoria will be cracking down on rule-breakers, too — the government has warned that trying to make a land border crossing from a red zone will get you turned away, while attempting to enter by plane or sea without a permit will score you a $4957 fine. Travellers coming from orange and green zones may apply online for a permit. During the application process, you'll be asked where you've travelled to — and you'll also need to answer questions about any symptoms, close contacts and previous COVID-19 diagnoses. Anyone travelling from green zones should get a permit granted easily and only need to monitor for symptoms once they've arrived, as long as you've steered clear of any red or orange zones in the previous 14 days. If you're coming from an orange zone, you'll be required to get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your arrival in Victoria, and to self-isolate before and after the test until you're given the all-clear. Of course, the current designated zones and regulations are subject to change, with DHHS advising that "border arrangements are constantly reviewed based on the health situation in each state and territory". When the system went live yesterday, it did so almost three hours after its announced launch time of 5.59pm; however, it is now up and running. For more information on Victoria's new permit system — or to apply for one — head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
We love a spontaneous adventure as much as the next person, but sometimes it pays to plan ahead. Case in point: Canberra. Sure, there are plenty of excellent ways to fill an impromptu jaunt to the capital — from hiking and mountain biking to blowing a few weeks' income in the Braddon boutiques. But if you're willing to do a little forward planning, you can secure your spot on some tours and take that trip to the next level. On such adventures, not only will you get to meet some locals (both humans and animals) and uncover some of the city's hidden gems, but you'll also avoid spending the entire time staring at Google Maps trying to navigate your way around. And, in the interest of saving you time now — and to save you from any internet rabbit holes — we've picked seven unexpected experiences you can have on your next Canberra vacay. Please stay up to date with the latest ACT Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
In every generation, there might be a chosen one — vampire slayer, that is — but in the Australian outback, there's now Indigenous bloodhunters. That's the premise behind one of the most promising new local shows of the year, Firebite, which brings undead battles to the South Australian desert with a huge list of top-notch Aussie talent. You know you're watching an Aussie vampire series — or even simply viewing the just-dropped trailer for it — when the words "take that you bloodsucking bastards" are uttered. That's just one of the highlights of Firebite's first sneak peek, though. Also worth getting excited about: the stacked cast, which includes Rob Collins (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) and Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Total Control) as the show's Indigenous Australian vampire killers, plus Callan Mulvey (Shadow in the Cloud) as the king vamp of the last undead colony in SA, and also Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black) as well. Behind the lens, Firebite hails from one of Australia's finest filmmakers — Samson and Delilah, Sweet Country and The Beach director Warwick Thornton, who returns to the small screen after helming and starring in the latter, and also working on the second season of Mystery Road. Fellow Aussie directors Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) and Tony Krawitz (The Tall Man, Dead Europe) are also involved, giving the Firebite three exceptional local helmers in one show. The trailer serves up more than a bit of a Mad Max vibe, but with vampires and Indigenous Aussies fighting back — and how it'll unfurl will be revealed come Thursday, December 16. The show is headed to AMC+, the new streaming bundle that just launched Down Under in November, and will drop new episodes every week. And yes, it's going to be a big few months for watching Australia's parched landscape on the screen, following the Jamie Dornan-starring mystery series The Tourist and the Zac Efron-led thriller flick Gold. But again, because it can't be celebrated enough, this is the only Aussie Indigenous vampire horror-fantasy show you'll be adding to your streaming queue. Check out the Firebite trailer below: Firebite starts streaming via AMC+ on Thursday, December 16. Images: Ian Routledge/AMC+.
The party never stops for Alison Wonderland. After hosting a slew of warehouse parties earlier this year, as well as playing just about every Australian music festival you can poke a stick at, Wonderland has dropped her Calm Down EP featuring all new original songs. Wonderland's DJ sets are known for their ability to ignite any dance floor, with her special mix of old school hip hop and modern indie dance. We were lucky enough to get Wonderland to sit still just long enough to tell us what we should look forward to with her new EP and her 'Rural Juror Touror' tour. The Calm Down EP Wonderland has previously released a compilation mix called Welcome to Wonderland, but the Calm Down EP is her first release to feature all original material. A more personal side of Wonderland will be coming through this EP, which her vast fan base has been eagerly awaiting. "This EP will be more songs rather than club jams," says Wonderland. "I'm excited and nervous to hear what people think about them." So far two singles from the EP have been released, 'Lies' and 'I Want U', the latter of which has a killer video clip, directed by local Melbourne maverick Prad Senanayake. Wonderland says the concept for the clip, which casually features possessed nuns and an old man being coddled by a younger temptress, was a collaborative effort between her and Senanayake. "It was super nice to work with Prad," says Wonderland. "He gets it, he's super smart." While Wonderland may be most well known for her work as a DJ, spinning tunes is not her first foray into music. Wonderland is a classically trained musician; she was a principal cellist with the Sydney Youth Orchestra and played bass in an indie band for a spell. "I think that the classical education that I received definitely helps me write music," says Wonderland. "I don't try and keep it at the forefront of my mind when I'm writing — I try to do that with feel — but I definitely think in the back of my mind somewhere it's a big reason why I make the music that I do." The Love Of Vinyl Wonderland is clearly excited for the release of her EP, but what's more, it's coming out on vinyl — a medium she has favoured since childhood. "When I was eight my Dad gave me his vinyl collection from when he was a teenager," explains Wonderland. So then, what was her last vinyl purchase? We don't want to be presumptuous, but it might not be what you'd first expect. "My latest vinyl purchase is actually kind of embarrassing!" admits Wonderland. "My favourite film ever is The Princess Bride, which is a 1980s fantasy film. I have the first ever release of the soundtrack on vinyl, played by Mark Knopfler." The Party Starter Before embarking on her Rural Juror Touror, earlier this year Wonderland hosted a series of warehouse parties across Australia. All the shows, held in secret locations, sold out almost immediately and in some cities venues had to be upgraded to keep up with the demand. The Wonderland Warehouse Projects were a huge success, and as per usual with Wonderland's gigs, the crowds were lively, sweaty, and brimming with riotous enthusiasm. "Getting up on stage and seeing the crowd, that was a pretty crazy feeling," explains Wonderland. "There was 2,000 people at each show." Despite being thrilled with the turn out to these events, there was one audience member in particular that Wonderland was especially thrilled about. "My Mum came to one of my shows, which was exciting!" says Wonderland. "She's only seen me play twice before, it was cool for her to see what I did." The Rural Juror Touror Wonderland has already performed the first few shows of her 'Rural Juror Touror', which will send her to all corners of Australia. The desire to take on a national rural tour was sparked after performing at Groovin the Moo last year. "I enjoyed it so much that it was kind of the inspiration for this tour," explains Wonderland. For Wonderland, there is no difference between playing to a crowd in a major city or a smaller rural venue. "I think they draw a certain type of crowd when I play," explains Wonderland. "They're usually quite educated in the type of music I DJ wherever I am." ALISON WONDERLAND'S RURAL JUROR TOUROR: Fri 27 June — Discovery, Darwin NT Sat 28 June — Argyle House, Newcastle NSW Sun 29 June — Flinders Social, Townsville QLD Thurs 3 July — Southern Cross Uni, Lismore NSW Fri 4 July — Fitzgeralds, Bunbury WA Sat 5 July — Toucan, Mandurah WA Fri 1 Aug — Star Bar, Bendigo VIC Sat 2 Aug — Amaroo Hotel, Dubbo NSW Thurs 7 Aug — World Bar, Queenstown NZ Sat 9 Aug — Movitas, Mackay QLD Sat 16 Aug — Karova, Ballarat VIC Fri 22 Aug — Secret Show, Taiwan Sat 23 Aug — Warehouse 82, Bali Fri 29 Aug — Observatory, Hobart TAS Fri 5 Sept — Plantation, Coffs Harbour NSW Sat 13 Sept — Smirnoff Snowdome, Thredbo NSW AW's Calm Down EP is out now. https://youtube.com/watch?v=YLCm9lP-3Uk
Circular Quay go-to Bar Mammoni has been transformed into a neat Italian joint that now centres on made-to-order takeaway. This 30-seat cafe and bar has heeded the demands for high-quality takeaway from Grana, its neighbouring sister venue inside the huge Hinchcliff House precinct, and has now turned its attention to dishing up just that. Now operating as a two-in-one pasta bar and deli, the reimagined Bar Mammoni features made-to-order pasta bowls for lunch and dinner, as well as an array of focaccia sambos, pastries and deli goods — like freshly made pasta — to take home. This pivot to takeaway came as a solution to increased demand for on-the-go meals, providing Grana's coveted dishes in a more accessible form for CBD-goers to enjoy from their office, at home or while dining in. "Grana is busy seven days a week but we don't offer takeaway, so the pasta bowls at Bar Mammoni allow us to provide a quick, quality pasta lunch for those who prefer to eat at their desks, or grab one of our laneway seats to take in some sunshine," said Scott Brown, House Made Hospitality Director. If you swing by of a morning, you'll be met with the familiar coffee-slinging sunrise crew alongside the popular B&Es and additions to its pastry selection, including a zesty passionfruit and cheesecake cruffin and a raspberry, rose and salted white chocolate danish, all of which are on offer until lunch. Once lunchtime — or dinnertime — rolls around, you'll be able to order affordable Italian dishes spanning from $18–22 a pop. Expect the likes of cacio e pepe, beef ragu trottole and wagyu lasagne among the selection. As for sambos, you can opt for a mortadella-, salami- and cheddar-starring sandwich paired with green sauce, a falafel, pickled cabbage and labne option or even a classic ranch-dressed roast chicken. You can pair your meal with a tomato, basil and burrata salad, arancini or garlic bread, and round out your feast with a citrus-forward limoncello sorbet or an indulgent tiramisu slice. As for the deli offerings, you'll be able to grab an array of top-quality ingredients, or ready-made pastas, to impress dinner guests or for a hassle-free meal. Take your pick from fresh hand-rolled pastas like gigli, rigatoni, mafaldine and spaghetti, baked lasagne in 500 gram or one-kilogram serves, organic olive oil, and top-shelf Australian provisions and antipasti. In the coming months, you'll also be able to purchase pasta sauces made in-house, so keep an eye out for those. Bar Mammoni is open from 7am–7pm Monday–Friday, and 8am–7pm on Saturday, at 3 Loftus Lane at Quay Quarter. Image credit: Yusuke Obe and Steve Woodburn.
Melbourne's fashion fiends are in for a serious treat, with the NGV International kicking off its dazzling new exhibition — The Krystyna Campbell-Pretty Fashion Gift. A treasure trove of sartorial delights, the free showcase features over 150 haute couture pieces from some of the world's most iconic fashion houses. Prepare for wardrobe envy to hit hard as you take in this intriguing collection, which has been gifted to the NGV by leading philanthropist Krystyna Campbell-Pretty. There are a swag of legendary designs on show, from Le Smoking Suit — the avant-garde Yves Saint Laurent women's tuxedo, circa 1967 — to that tartan Alexander McQueen creation made famous by Sarah Jessica Parker at the 2006 Met Gala. Taking a style trip through the ages, the exhibition also showcases Madame Grès gowns, a rare collection of little black dresses from the one and only Chanel, and Dior designs from as far back as the label's 1947 debut. On display daily until Sunday, July 14, the threads are backed by a curation of original sketches and workbooks, rarely seen early-edition fashion magazines, embroidered samples and a suite of fashion photography. And for those keen to dive in further, The Krystyna Campbell-Pretty Fashion Gift is accompanied by a program of talks, including an International Women's Day chat about women's fashion in the 20th century. Images: Tom Ross.
As if Bill Murray's moustache wasn't excitement enough, the entire soundtrack to Wes Anderson's new film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, is currently streaming ahead of its release at Pitchfork. And true to the director's form, the 32 songs have enough whimsy and intrigue in them to knock Jude Law on his pipe-smoking, tweed-wearing back. Unlike Anderson's more gutsy early offerings like Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, the Grand Budapest soundtrack easily favours Russian folk songs over anything like The Ramones or The Velvet Underground. In that way, it's much more akin to the music found in Moonrise Kingdom or Fantastic Mr. Fox — one could easily imagine the characters scurrying around while looking at ornate objects from above. In fact, that's what the film looks like as a whole. From the trailers already released it seems much less like Wes's early, thoughtful character studies, and much more a madcap reunion of his on-screen favourites. Not that we're ones to complain about another opportunity to see Jason Schwartzman with cigarettes morosely hanging out of his mouth, or Bill Murray in high-waisted pants. Like all things Wes, this soundtrack is an acquired taste. If you're already a fan, the music has the ability to transport you — its folksiness is almost otherworldly. If you're not, we recommend you stay clear of it. If Wes couldn't win you over with The Beatles and Elliott Smith, I doubt the Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra is going to do the trick. The Grand Budapest Hotel will be released in Australian cinemas on April 10. Stream the soundtrack here.
A Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard falls for the superstar singer he's been hired to protect. It's pegged as one of cinema's most iconic love stories, with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner first tugging at our heartstrings back in 1992. And now, The Bodyguard is set to come alive for the Australian stage, with producers David Ian, Michael Harrison and John Frost today announcing they'll be bringing their award-winning musical show Down Under next year. Set to kick off in Sydney in April 2017, this local production of The Bodyguard — which follows the just-as-awesome news that Moulin Rouge! will finally be made into a stage show — comes off the back of a wildly successful and star-studded run in London theatres, and record-breaking UK tour, which commenced in February this year. Based on the eponymous Warner Bros. film and adapted for the stage by Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris, The Bodyguard musical features all those epic Houston tracks that audiences fell in love with the first time around. According to co-producer Frost, the emotionally-charged storyline, along with those "soaring ballads" — like 'Queen of The Night', 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' and the legendary 'I Will Always Love You' (you know the ones) — were simply destined for the stage. The album is still the biggest selling movie soundtrack of all time. Yep. Still. The Bodyguard The Musical will come to Australia in 2017, and will start its national tour in Sydney. More details, including tour dates and additional cities, will be released soon. If you're a keen bean, a waitlist for priority tickets is now open at thebodyguardmusical.com.au.
There's never been more reason to dramatically point at a menu and shout "I CHOOSE YOU!" and not find yourself immediately kicked out. In a move that's about 15 years too late, Nintendo will be opening a brand new pop-up eatery in Tokyo entirely themed around that little sparky Pokemon legend, Pikachu. The inventively-named Pikachu Cafe will be open July 19 - August 31 to celebrate the opening of the exhibition Pokemon the Movie XY in Roppongi Hills in Tokyo. Decked out in Pikachu-inspired decor and serving up some pretty adorable Pikafoods, this new pop-up is so offensively cute we're enlisting known Charizards and Digletts to skip the airfares for us. Here's the Pikachu Curry: Pokeball Rice Thing with gravy: Pikachu Parfait (just terrifying): Pikachu Pancakes (yeah, might have lost some ideas with this one): And here's the Pokemon yoghurt drinks that come with SPECIAL COASTERS. Right? (Yeah, they pretty much just look like regular yoghurt drinks, whaddayagunnado.) If you're keen to get amongst the Pokemonstronsities, head to Roppongi Hills, Tokyo and hit the opening on July 19. This one's going to be the most 'grammable, nostalgic, web-friendly pop-up for miles. Via Eataku.
NOMAD Group's new multi-faceted 100-seat Surry Hills venue Beau is now complete. After launching Beau & Dough earlier in February, the Reservoir Street spot has now swung open the doors to its sleek wine bar and seafood restaurant. Headed up by former Stanbuli chef Ibrahim Kasif, Beau & Dough is all about manoush. "I can't wait to see people walking down the street with a manoush in their hands," he says. The laidback eatery is open 7am until late, seven days a week, serving flavoursome flatbread alongside Single O coffee and blue-eye trevalla burgers. Beau Bar, its elegant sibling, still brings a welcoming energy to the site, but with an extensive selection of wine and heftier, more lavish eats. You can expect an impressive 300-strong vino list offering different varieties and price points. "The opening wine list features around 300 bottles, with 25 wines by the glass, including wines on tap and premium wines served from Coravin," NOMAD Group's Beverage Director Ged Bellis says. "The by the glass list will change on a weekly basis, with 'blink and you will miss them' pours of super rare wines available for those with a keen eye." With private use of Fracks Lane which connects Reservoir Street to NOMAD's Foster Street, the bar is perfectly set up for a post-work or pre-dinner drop-in if you're on the hunt for an inner-city spot to enjoy an aperitif or a catch-up over a glass of wine. However, with the luxurious food options on offer, you can also settle in for dinner here. In contrast to the expansive drinks list, the food menu is tight and refined. The initial 'On Ice' selection sets the tone with oysters, caviar and lobster. From there, you'll find XO oyster mushrooms, kingfish tabbouleh, coral trout and an ox-tongue and lobster roll. Bookings are available, but walk-ins are also welcome. "Our private laneway is the perfect spot for the impromptu date," says NOMAD co-owner and Creative Director Rebecca Yazbek. To begin with, Beau Bar is open from 5pm, seven days a week. Then, from Saturday, March 4, its opening hours will expand, with lunch on offer from midday. Beau is located at 52 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills. It's open seven days a week, with Beau & Dough open 7am–late and Beau Bar open from 5pm.
If you're fond of cats big and small — fluffy, hair-free, scampering, sleeping and the like — then you'll know one golden rule: every day is better when there's meowing mousers involved. And, maybe you've secured that sweet situation thanks to your own purring pet. Or, perhaps you're just the kind of person who makes a beeline to any kitten they see, tries to become its best friend and can't focus on anything else while it's in the vicinity. Whichever fits, adding more cats to your day is something that every feline fan wants — and it's definitely a part of the Cat Protection Society of Victoria's new dream gig. It's a volunteer job, spanning a three-month stint in Melbourne, but it'll 100-percent bring kittens your way. The role: CPSV's official 'cat cuddler'. Yes, that's really what it's called. Obviously, what it entails is rather self-explanatory — because the lucky person who scores the position will be tasked with providing love, affection and enrichment to the cats and kittens in the society's care as they wait to be adopted. The word you're looking for? "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww". This is the organisation that offered cat cuddling gift vouchers as Christmas gifts last year, after all — but this is even cuter. The caveats: you'll need to be in Melbourne to take the gig, and you'll need to have a minimum of three hours per week — on one weekday each week, and during normal operating hours — to head to CPSV's adoption centre to give its kitties all those snuggles. If that sounds like you — or if you've got a pussy-loving pal that you know would love it — all applicants have until Friday, June 4 to apply to temporarily join the society's team of around 40 volunteers. To throw your name in the ring, you'll want to head to the CPSV website and upload a short video (up to two minutes max) that explains why you should be the official Cat Protection Society Cat Cuddler, and also complete the online application form. To apply for the Cat Protection Society of Victoria's 'cat cuddler' position before Friday, June 4, head to the organisation's website.
A few years ago, facial recognition technology seemed like the stuff of the future, some nifty application you'd see only on the big screen. Now, we're using it in real life, to unlock our phones, to hustle through the passport queue at the airport and even to order our morning latte. That's right — cafes across the country are getting high-tech, implementing facial recognition systems in an effort to improve customer service. And the one system that's being used by most was developed right here in our own backyard. Geoff Cropley, owner of Sydney's Bahista Cafe, told the Sydney Morning Herald he spent two years working with developer John MacLean to create his own system prototype, NoahFace, which he first started using on customers in July 2016. "I searched the world for a low-cost face recognition [system] and there was nothing out there, all the solutions were multimillion-dollar ones," he explained. "So I went about creating what we have today." Willing customers simply have their face scanned by an iPad as they approach the front counter, with information, including their name and go-to coffee order, then instantly relayed to the barista. NoahFace is now in use across the country, having raised more than $1 million in seed funding, not to mention the backing of big names like Toby's Estate founder Toby Smith. Currently, you'll spy it operating at venues like Sydney's Bar Bellaccino, Adelaide's Hotel Richmond and a whole swag of Toby's Estate cafes — and, it'll spy you too. Via smh.com.au
One of the many great things about living in Sydney is that, even when the cold sets in and the days grow darker, there's still plenty going on that will draw you out from underneath your doona. After all, culture stops for no season, which means you can expect a plethora of events to take over our fair city this winter. We've joined forces with Willoughby City Council to highlight a handful of the exciting happenings going on around the lower north shore. From thought-provoking artworks to gin tastings and rollicking musical numbers, there's sure to be something to pique your interest — whether you're a north shore local, or keen to hop across the bridge to get your culture fix. [caption id="attachment_811589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Voices by Svetlana Reinish, Ukraine[/caption] CHECK OUT LUMINOUS PROJECTIONS AT CHATSWOOD NIGHTS The hustle and bustle of Chatswood CBD gets even more colourful this winter with Chatswood Nights (May 21–July 10) — a seven-week festival of lights, food and performances. From installations that turns The Concourse into a melange of light to a series of projections that explore themes including meaning and inspiration behind love, Chatswood Nights fuses aesthetics with thought-provoking concepts. As well as the captivating light shows, on Friday afternoons the lawn turns into a hub of music to set the mood for the evening. And, being Chatswood, you know there's an abundance of tasty food to get your hands on, too. GO ON A TOUR OF FINDERS GIN DISTILLERY Born from a love of travel, fine produce and craft products, Finders Gin Distillery was the first distillery to grace the lower north shore. So, if you love G&Ts any time of year, you'll want to check out this spot (if you haven't already). On Saturday afternoons, you can take a tour of the venue and learn about how Finders makes its batch-distilled vodka and award-winning gin. As part of the tour, you'll partake in a guided tasting session (because, of course, you want to sample the stuff), then once the tour's complete, you can kick back and work your way through the cocktail menu. [caption id="attachment_811596" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Catto[/caption] CATCH THE GENRE-DEFYING GIG 'NEXT CHAPTERS' Billed as a combination of 'virtuoso musicianship and astonishing physical theatre', Next Chapters is the result of a collaboration between the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and Australia's leading physical theatre troupe, Legs on the Wall. Playing at The Concourse in May, the show features a classical recital paired with aerial movement; an orchestral piece featuring acclaimed saxophone ensemble Nexas Quartet; a tone poem composed by Joseph Newton, winner of the 2021 Young Composer's Award; and, for the finale, Shostakovich's Ninth Symphony accompanied by Legs On The Wall. It's sure to be a spellbinding experience that will push the limits of whatever you thought you knew about orchestral concerts. Keen? Head to Ticketek to nab yourself some tickets. HEAD TO AN EXHIBITION ALL ABOUT ANIMISM Beyond Matter is an immersive exhibition, which combines sound, video, painting, sculpture and scents, exploring the concept of animism. For indigenous cultures around the world, animism — the belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a soul — has long formed everyday rituals and spiritual practices. In this exhibition at Willoughby's Incinerator Art Space, seven Australian-based artists explore this topic, with each bringing their unique perspectives. Entry to the exhibition is free, too, so there's no reason not to check this one out. SEE SMASH-HIT MUSICAL 'PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT' The Academy Award-winning film and hit Broadway musical that is The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a cultural phenomenon. Now, an iteration of it is rolling the metallic bus — and killer disco soundtrack — into Chatswood's The Concourse this May by way of the Willoughby Theatre Company. Not only is the company the first NSW community theatre group to stage the much-loved favourite, but also, as Sydney was where the OG stage show launched, it marks a homecoming of sorts. For tickets, head to the Ticketek website. [caption id="attachment_812382" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Catto[/caption] DIP A TOE INTO THE WORLD OF OPERA WITH 'THE MAGIC FLUTE' Mozart's famed opera, which premiered in Vienna in 1791, was an instant success. It remains a much-loved classic, thanks to its ever-relevant themes of enlightenment and ignorance; wisdom and truth; and finding one's way in the world. This winter, the tale of Prince Tamino and his daring adventure to rescue Pamina — aided by an array of musical instruments that possess magical powers — is coming to a lower north shore stage. Condensed from its original 165-minute running time to a (very) watchable one hour, this production of The Magic Flute is directed by Peter Coleman-Wright AO and performed by Pacific Opera and the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra. For tickets to Willoughby Symphony Orchestra's Next Chapters, head to Ticketek. To check out what else Willoughby Council has in store this winter, head to the website. Top image: Robert Catto
Peruse a list of 2019's big movies, and you could be forgiven for feeling like Hollywood is living in the past. When it's not serving up Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King remakes, it's extending the Godzilla, X-Men, Men in Black, Child's Play, Toy Story, Spider-Man and Terminator franchises — and putting together a sequel to The Shining. The list goes on, with the new Charlie's Angels the latest to join the fold. Hello, nostalgia- and action-loving movie-goers, obviously. Back in 2000 and 2003, the world didn't really need a couple of films based on the 1976–81 television series of the same name, even if Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu made a great team. Almost two decades later, the world probably doesn't need a third Charlie's Angels movie about a private detective agency, its formidable ladies and their globe-trotting hijinks, either. But the new flick — which both revisits the franchise's familiar scenario with new faces, and reportedly continues on from both the TV show and the the first two films — does boast more than a few potential highlights. Cast-wise, Charlie's Angels circa 2019 stars Kristen Stewart, Aladdin standout Naomi Scott and British up-and-comer Ella Balinska. Like her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, Stewart has made some savvy film choices since farewelling the vampire romance saga, including Clouds of Sils Maria, Certain Women and Personal Shopper — and while this upbeat action flick about kick-ass ladies saving the world clearly shares little else in common with her recent dramatic roles, here's hoping it continues her good run. Elsewhere, Elizabeth Banks sits the director's chair, co-wrote the script and features on-screen as Bosley. Well, one of them — Patrick Stewart and Djimon Hounsou both play Bosley, too. Music fans can also look forward to the soundtrack, with Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey all collaborating on a song, as the film's first trailer reveals. That's a bit of a throwback of its own, given that 2000's Charlie's Angels also featured a killer track, aka Destiny's Child's 'Independent Women'. Catch a glimpse of the new Charlie's Angels in the initial clip below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSUq4VfWfjE Charlie's Angels releases in Australian cinemas on November 14, 2019.
Inspiration strikes in plenty of places, including while watching movies — and if you've ever sat down in a cinema or on your own couch, directed your eyes towards a film and seen your style dreams flicker across the screen, then you might be interested in Melbourne's latest pop culture-themed pop-up. You'll need to make a choice, though: do you want to look like Ryan Gosling or Chris Evans? To be specific, would you prefer a goatee like Gosling wears in Netflix flick The Gray Man, or a moustache — a "trash 'stache", as Gosling's character calls it — that's donned by Evans as the film's villain? That's what's on offer for three days only in Melbourne, from Friday, July 29–Sunday, July 31, as part of the streaming platform's Good Guy Goatee/Bad Bro Mo Barber Shop in Fitzroy. No, you can't go rogue and ask for Gosling's Barbie look or Evans' Captain America aesthetic — this is all about The Gray Man, so looking like you've stepped out of the spy thriller is the only thing on the menu. This movie-inspired makeover is free, too, and open to everyone. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can reserve a spot online in advance. If you don't have facial hair of your own, but you'd like some, there are even stunt goatees and 'staches on offer. Otherwise, you'll slide into the barber's chair to get Gosling's rugged stubble or ape Evan's top lip. [caption id="attachment_855170" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stanislav Honzik/Netflix © 2022[/caption] The barbershop setup has also been decked out to suit the film, so patrons will find other bits and pieces in store, including posters and pictures. If you want to spend time arguing with your mates while you're there about that Evans-style mo — to really mirror the on-screen Gosling and Evans banter — that's obviously up to you. For those who haven't seen the movie, The Gray Man stars Gosling as off-the-books CIA assassin Sierra Six, who finds himself being hunted by another killer who fits that description — Evans' gleefully unhinged Lloyd Hansen. Cue a globe-hopping espionage-fuelled affair that's brings together familiar pieces, but also isn't without its charms, in no small part thanks to its impressive cast. And yes, these kinds of pop culture experiences are popping up frequently in Australia lately. Just a few months back, an Everything Everywhere All At Once-inspired multidimensional laundromat did the honours in Melbourne, too — and Cinema Nova also decked itself out The French Dispatch-style over summer. Up in Sydney, the giant 'Red Light, Green Light' doll from Squid Game made an appearance by the harbour, and a Stranger Things rift opened up on Bondi Beach. Now, are you a Gosling or an Evans? Find the Good Guy Goatee/Bad Bro Mo Barber Shop at 306–308 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy — open from 12–7pm on Friday, July 29–Saturday, July 30, and from 10am–5.30pm on Sunday, July 31. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can reserve a spot online in advance. The Gray Man is currently playing in Australian cinemas, and is available to stream via Netflix — read our full review. Top image: Paul Abell/Netflix © 2022.
Now in its 29th year, this popular and highly anticipated event celebrates all things seafood. Held over 36 hours from 5am on Monday, December 23–5pm on Tuesday, December 24, this marathon shopping event offers Sydney's seafood lovers the opportunity to shop for fresh, sustainably sourced produce around the clock, making it perfect for those preparing festive feasts or seeking special holiday ingredients on short notice. Over 350 tonnes of seafood is expected to be sold including 120 tonnes of prawns and almost 70,000 dozen oysters. Punters can also find everything they need for the rest of their Christmas table, including fresh fruit and veggies, fresh bread, quality meat, cheese, wine, dry goods, and sweet treats. And it's not just about shopping. The marathon also features live cooking demonstrations, tastings and special deals from local vendors. The vibrant atmosphere, with its bustling stalls and live entertainment, captures the essence of Sydney's thriving food culture during the holiday season.
When two locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were identified in Sydney late last week, involving a man in his 50s and his wife, the New South Wales Government reimplemented a number of restrictions in the Greater Sydney region. In effect since 5pm, Thursday, May 6, the current rules regarding at-home gatherings, singing and dancing indoors, standing up to have a drink and wearing masks were due to end at 12.01am tomorrow, Monday, May 10 — however, they'll now remain in place for another week. Announced this morning, Sunday, May 9, by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, the restrictions continue to apply to the Greater Sydney area, which includes the Central Coast, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the region down to Illawarra. They'll now be extended until 12.01am on Monday, May 17. If you need a refresher, a 20-person cap is in place for gatherings in homes in Greater Sydney — and that includes children. Outside of the house, drinking while standing up is no longer allowed at pubs, clubs, restaurants and the like, and neither is dancing or singing at indoor venues. At weddings, dance floors can still operate, but they can only accommodate 20 people at once. https://twitter.com/GladysB/status/1391198751369228289 Masks will continue to be mandatory in some situations, but the rules are being tweaked slightly there. They're no longer required in retail or hospitality situations — unless you're a customer-facing staff member, or you're in the gaming area. Covering your face remains compulsory on public transport, though, and at public indoor venues such as theatres, hospitals and aged care facilities. The restrictions are being kept back in place after the two new NSW cases occurred in people who haven't been overseas recently, and don't work in hotel quarantine, border or health roles. Last week, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said that the sequence from the new case matches a case in a returned overseas traveller, but NSW Health hasn't been able to directly connect the two people as yet. That remains the same today, which is why restrictions are being extended. In a tweet, Premier Berejiklian explained that "as the 'missing link' case hasn't been identified, we're keen to prevent a super-spreading event". Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week — and, if you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, to follow the instructions regarding testing and self-isolating. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Bondi locals, consider your weekend breakfast plans sorted. Lifestyle brand Venroy is teaming up with two of Sydney's most beloved names, Iggy's and PIÑA, for a weekends-only pop-up at its Bondi store, serving fan-favourite pastries, breads and iced drinks without leaving the Bondi bubble. Running across consecutive Saturdays and Sundays on December 6–7 and December 13–14, the pop-up will serve baked goods and drinks from 9am until sold out at Shop 1/20 Hall Street, Bondi Beach. On the menu: an exclusive Venroy x Iggy's 'V' Feta Twist, plus Strawberry Kouign Amann, plain and chocolate croissants, fresh baguettes, and Iggy's signature small and large round loaves. Drinks come courtesy of PIÑA, including the raving Iced Oat Matcha and Cold Brew, alongside an exclusive Venroy Cold-Pressed Pomegranate and Ginger Juice. There's also an exclusive lineup of limited-edition merchandise — a Venroy x Iggy's T-shirt, cap and tote. Expect lines, carbs and a very Bondi crowd, this Saturday, December 6 and Saturday, December 13.
The Abercrombie is back! The storied corner pub and haven of electronic music is reopening in December thanks to Solotel who will be reviving the Ultimo venue, reintroducing its packed dance floors and 24-hour license to Sydney's nightlife. Mark Friday, December 23 in your diaries, as that's the date the pub will swing open its doors and kick things off in true Abercrombie fashion with a 36-hour-long party that will stretch from 5pm on the Friday all the way until 5am on Christmas Day morning. "There's a strong sense of responsibility reopening the Abercrombie given that formative memories of generations of Sydney partiers, including myself, were forged here," Solotel CEO Elliot Solomon says. "We're ecstatic to welcome back some of the OG club crews like Purple Sneakers. We're also very aware that there's a generation of kids who haven't been able to experience those heady clubbing days in Sydney, for various reasons. This new era for The Abercrombie is focused on helping to redefine the fabric of Sydney's nightlife as well as provide a platform for the next generation of party crews and clubbers to create their own culture-defining experiences." [caption id="attachment_880223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elliot Solomon, Zoe Simmons and Mike Rodrigues[/caption] The expansive space will boast three mini-venues within the overarching title of The Abercrombie. The main bar and beer garden will play home to regular events hosted by some of the best tastemakers and party crews from around Sydney, Australia and the world. When the beats aren't firing, this area will serve as a friendly neighbourhood haunt with beers and cocktails on tap, pizza by the slice and Italian mains for those that may get peckish. Head upstairs and you'll discover a sleek cocktail lounge and rooftop bar called Casa Rosa. The food here draws from the Mediterranean and the DJs will be spinning Italo-disco classics until the early hours of the morning. Rounding out the trio of offerings is Lil Sis. This final piece of the puzzle is located in the adjoining terraces next to the pub. Here you'll find a cosy wine bar serving up classic drops and new-world, minimal-intervention wines, both of which can be enjoyed on-site or be taken away. [caption id="attachment_880221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Who[/caption] All three venues will open on December 23, with Solotel and the Abercrombie team pulling together a who's-who of party people for the massive opening party that will set the stage for a bumper summer on Broadway. Just a few of the names making appearances across the bar's first 36 hours include Astral People DJs, dameeeela, Andy Garvey, Mike Who, Nomad Radio, Pure Space, Lovejoy, Ayebatonye and original regulars of the space back in its previous lifetime, Purple Sneakers DJs. Following this, you can expect a full run of events taking over the venue between Boxing Day and New Year's Day with the likes of House of Mince serving up the party on the day after Christmas, and Motorik closing out the year with a secret international headliner on New Year's Eve. Following its closure in 2014, Solotel purchased the venue in 2016 and has been working with H&E Architects (Barangaroo House, Chiswick) and Michael Delany (Cafe Fredas, Club 77, Piccolo Bar and SHADES) to revamp the beloved bar and nightclub. Inside, the 100-year-old pub tiles have been restored, a world-class Funktion-One speaker system has been installed alongside LED lights from Babekuhl, and a DJ pyramid stage has been erected. This centrepiece stage can be used for pub-style seating, nightclub-style dancing podiums or to accommodate live music. Head to the Solotel website to stay up to date with all of the upcoming events in-store for The Abercrombie. [caption id="attachment_880222" align="alignnone" width="1920"] dameeeela[/caption] The Abercrombie will reopen at 100 Broadway, Chippendale on Friday, December 23. It will be open 10am–2am Monday–Tuesday, 10am–3am Wednesday–Thursday and Sunday, and 10am–5am Friday–Saturday, plus 24 hours for special events.
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and another new teaser for the movie has just dropped. While it's not the first teaser or trailer to drop — we've been blessed with not one, not two, but three already — this time we finally get to hear Nala voiced by Queen Bey herself. Yep, if you didn't already know, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter will be voicing Nala, while Donald Glover is Simba and James Earl Jones is his dad. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. Here's the new teaser with Beyoncé as Nala: https://youtu.be/CQCUnDjYn50 The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 17, 2019.
Next time you have a great idea while making a cup of coffee, it could spark a hit comedy flick. That's what happened to Jackie van Beek, New Zealand comedian and one half of the writing/directing/acting duo behind The Breaker Upperers. "I was literally just wandering aimlessly around my kitchen, and I was just thinking about all those conversations that we've all had with friends about that horrible moment when you realise that you have to break up with your partner, and that feeling of dread," she explains. "And I just thought, "gosh, how much money would somebody pay to not have to do that themselves?". And I thought it'd be quite a lot of money, and I know a lot of people that would pay to get out of that responsibility." To answer the obvious question, van Beek never considered setting up a business to end other people's relationships for cash. Instead, she called fellow NZ comedian and actress Madeline Sami, and they started working on what would become 2018's best comedy. That was back in 2013. The script took years to perfect between other jobs, and the film shot across 22 days in 2017, with a cast that included Boy's James Rolleston and Rosehaven's Celia Pacquola. This year, The Breaker Upperers premiered its tale of best friends Jen (van Beek) and Mel (Sami), their love-busting business, their various life woes and their Celine Dion karaoke singalong at SXSW, and then opened the Sydney Film Festival. "It has been a whirlwind few months," Sami observes. "I didn't really have any expectations on how it would do. You spend so long editing the film, making it, and then you're just kind of relieved to have finished it. Then it comes out, and then all of these other people see it and take it into their hearts, and it's just overwhelmingly lovely." Indeed, while The Breaker Upperers is all about helping others when love has faded, there's plenty of love blossoming for this smart, funny film, with audiences both overseas, in New Zealand and in Australia reacting warmly. With the movie now releasing around Australia, we sat down with van Beek and Sami to chat about real-life break-ups, smashing rom-com conventions and working collaboratively in a Kiwi comedy scene that also includes the film's executive producer, Taika Waititi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-phMlkRiWIg ON CREATING ROLES FOR THEMSELVES THAT DIDN'T EXIST OTHERWISE Sami: "We wanted to write characters that were fucked up women in their thirties, and that didn't have to settle down. That was the big, big point for us. Otherwise it's so unrealistic and so much pressure for women, and I hate that." van Beek: "And so exclusive. We've of course got so many friends that are single, in their early forties and are not going to have a baby now. What about happy endings for those guys? So it was very important that — we love rom-coms, but it was very important for us that we buck the convention and that we didn't end with a double church wedding with two women and two men tying the knot and talking about children." Sami: "We definitely thought about it in drafts and played with the idea, and it just never sat right. And we were just like, this is really a story about being okay with who they are, and accepting that and not having to bow to society's expectations — and the movies' expectations — of what your life should be like. It's really the movies. The movies tell us that we need to have all this shit together, especially for women. I think the pressure on women in movies — just the damsel in distress thing, it goes right back to Snow White. Or in all the Disney stuff. There's a princess who's stuck in a tower or she's in a coma, which is fucking dark, and she needs to be saved. And that same thing is in rom-coms today — a woman who's…" van Beek: "All befuddled." Sami: "And needs to be saved. And it's like, no we don't. We're cool. Just chill." van Beek: "We can figure out our own mess. It doesn't have to involve a man." Sami: "And also, a happy ending doesn't have to be what we've always been told what a happy ending is. It doesn't always have to be that conventional, settle down thing. It can just be 'well you're just not as dark and fucked up as you were at the beginning of the movie'." ON DECIDING TO NOT ONLY WRITE AND STAR IN THE BREAKER UPPERERS, BUT TO DIRECT IT, TOO van Beek: "It was always on the table." Sami: "We were scared." van Beek: "Were we scared? I wasn't scared." Sami: "There was a fear that it would take the fun away from the acting, which is what the whole reason we wanted to do it. It wasn't like scared to do it — it was just whether we were going to give ourselves too much of a workload." van Beek: "Yeah that's right. We knew that if we got too stressed, and we're on screen doing improvised comedy, it's just not going to be fun for us or the audience — so the stakes were quite high in making that decision." Sami: "And then we just like, we can't think of anyone who could fulfil this vision for us that we are planning in our own heads, so why don't we just do it? Take the gamble, and make sure we surround ourselves with really talented, experienced people so that we're supported. And that's what we did." van Beek: "People who are confident at improvisation, so we could all get there. And Taika was helpful." Sami: "Taika, we've worked with a lot — and he would've been a wonderful director for this film. But we knew that we were never going to get Taika because he was on Thor and was committed to that for years. But he shares our sensibility, we've worked with him — he directed the first series of a TV show that I'd made in New Zealand called Super City, and we had a lovely time when we worked together in that way. And he'd definitely get it. But he wasn't available, so we were the ones." van Beek: "But we got Jemaine Clement, who is an old friend of ours as well, he came up for three or four days of pre-production when we wanted to stand up and start exploring the characters ourselves. He'd come into the rehearsal room, and we'd do rewrites with him, and so it was all really..." Sami: "Collaborative." van Beek: "Supportive." Sami: "We've got so much amazing talent around us in New Zealand. There's so many amazing comedians coming up, and writers, that it was just really important for us to be energised by them. So we'd just keep them around us all the time, just everyone 'come in, add a joke in here if you want, yeah that's a good idea.' Just keep it fresh for ourselves, especially because we'd been writing for four-five years, so at a lot of points in that time, when you're right in it — especially towards the end, towards pre-production — you can't see. You're really close to it." ON SEEING NEW ZEALAND COMEDY FINALLY GET RECOGNITION OVERSEAS van Beek: "With Taika's films, and Flight of the Conchords and Rhys Darby having done so well internationally — we were over at SXSW with our film, and people were saying after the screening 'that's New Zealand' humour. They were identifying it. 'We love New Zealand humour! We love you guys.' It was quite exciting that people identify it, and many thanks to Taika who brought that New Zealand comedy voice into the mainstream with Thor." Sami: "When there's a bunch of people, and when there's support — the New Zealand Film Commission have really made an effort to get in behind New Zealand comedy over the last ten years probably. And because we've had success internationally, then there's more support back home. And it's kind of like with the Danish thrillers. All of a sudden the world loves Danish thrillers, and it's just the people making them are making them really well. I guess coming out of New Zealand right now, we've got a lot of great comedy, and it's just a time where it's just being recognised for what it is." van Beek: "Long may it last." Sami: "It's exciting. It's really just, I think, the world getting to know that New Zealand comedy a bit — and it started with Flight of the Conchords. There's an awkwardness to the comedy we make. So yeah, who knows how long that will last. But it's exciting that we don't have to explain our accent any more. People can start to tell the difference a little bit [between Australian and New Zealand accents]. We'll see Americanss try to do a Kiwi accent rather than just going 'oh, I can do a Kiwi accent — g'day mate'." van Beek: "Now they do Flight of the Conchords." Sami: "Yeah, 'Brett'. Or they do, 'oh hi, I'm Korg,' [from Thor: Ragnarok] or stuff like that. They're showing that they know the difference." van Beek: "By mocking us in a different way." Sami: "I loved being mocked." ON FINDING INSPIRATION FOR THE FILM'S MANY BREAK-UP SCENES Sami: "I've never been two-timed by someone, and then found out that... aah, I think I have." van Beek: "You have?" Sami: "Maybe I have." van Beek: "There's always going to be a bit of crossover." Sami: "There's just a bit of subconscious stuff — for me, the break up scenarios, everything you see in the film, nothing is specific to anything but everything is influenced by stories we've heard or things we've experienced. But there's no one like, 'yeah, I had this terrible breakup and this is exactly how the story went'." van Beek: "Or 'yeah, my boyfriend pretended to be in a coma and then died.' That all came from our imagination, but it was more like — definitely I've been through phases in my life when I've been a bit more like Jen, and just been in denial. I've been heartbroken and not wanting to grow up." Sami: "We did have a lot more scenarios and they got a lot more extreme. Obviously some were cut for time, and we didn't shoot all of them — a lot of them we just weren't going to be able to. To shoot someone falling off a speedboat in the middle of Auckland of harbour and taking an underwater scuba to an island and then sailing off, that would've been the whole budget of our film probably, just for that one day." van Beek: "We spent a bit of time writing it though." Sami: "It was a lot of fun writing and thinking out the ways people might choose to break up with each other." The Breaker Upperers is now screening in Australian cinemas.
Bondi Hardware is ushering in the winter solstice with a new menu that feels like a (very fashionable) cosy woollen scarf to pull around you on a chilly Saturday night. Nana's honey lemon tea moonlights in cool cocktail form as The Flower Doctor ($17), made naughty with Tanqueray and elderflower liqueur and lifted with a hint of orange blossom water. To really warm the cockles, opt for a hot Batlow cider, mulled with cinnamon twills and melted butter (yes, really) and served over warm orange pieces. Winter continues on the plate, with a menu designed to encourage huddling and cuddling over delicious shared dishes. Roasted garlic, chilli and pomegranate bring warmth to a delicate albacore tuna ceviche ($19), while a buttery braised beef cheek, served on a bed of horseradish mascarpone, pulls apart at the softest touch of the fork ($20). The salads are rustic and the dips are creamy and rich, with whole baby beetroots, pickled mushrooms and charred bread making welcome appearances. The Notorious P.I.G. leaves no doubt as to who is King Pig; succulent pork belly pieces are topped with a sticky candied apple glaze ($20). Fun, casual elegance abounds in this winter wonderland. Warm candlelight dances against recycled timber panels and exposed brickwork, and catches on the wall-mounted tools that hark back to the venue's history as a hardware store. Winter orchids in rich, dark colours fill mismatched bottles and jars, and alternate with wax-laden DIY candelabra on the tables. On the wine front, a range of appealing by-the-glass options makes decision-making pleasantly difficult. The beers are boutiquey and international, and include the Vale IPA ($9): an American-style Indian pale ale that combines hops from three different countries. The bustle by the bar is friendly and interested, with a communal atmosphere that merges conversations and guarantees new friends. On the wall, a mural-enshrined handyman encourages Bondi's Twitterati to live in the moment. "The only thing that tweets here," he instructs, "are the birds."
With 35 hours worth of footage uploaded to YouTube every single minute, it's easy to get lost wading through all of the new content. Instead of wasting your time searching through crappy homemade videos, check out this list of 10 channels actually worth watching. 1. Vlogbrothers, Crash Course, and Sci Show Created by brothers John and Hank Green in 2007, Vlogbrothers was initially used as a way for the two to stay in touch. Today, it has become popular enough to have acquired its own fandom and spin-offs and is definitely worth catching up on. Check out the Green's other channels as well: Crash Course, which features the brothers' entertaining lectures on history and biology, and Sci Show, Hank's show on anything and everything scientific. 2. Ill Doctrine Jay Smooth takes a creative turn from his New York WBAI's Underground Radio show to discuss all aspects of modern culture on his YouTube channel. His thoughts on politics, race relations and music are incorporated with his great sense of humour. 3. BriTANick Comedy Two announcers from Cartoon Network, Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, got their start with this YouTube sketch comedy channel. Irreverent and hysterical, their video spoofs poke fun at everything from cooking shows to Shakespeare. 4. TED Education The TED media empire originated as a not-for-profit conference to discuss technology, design, and education. Today, their YouTube channel offers tonnes of different lectures and lessons, covering diverse educational topics and incorporating animation. 5. My Drunk Kitchen For those of us who have drunkenly stumbled into the kitchen after a night out to cook a very necessary bowl of mac 'n' cheese, there is My Drunk Kitchen, Hannah Hart's show dedicated to making sure "you don't puke your guts out". Be thoroughly entertained by Hart's drunken, yet somehow charming, kitchen antics. 6. College Humor 240 Jake and Amir videos, the College Humor Originals series and Hardly Working series are filled with enough crazy stupid shenanigans to keep you laughing for hours. 7. Julia Nunes For Julia Nunes, YouTube has been the vehicle to musical fame, but also the means to entertain us with her goofy ukulele covers of the likes of Justin Bieber. 8. Smart Girls at the Party Amy Poehler proves that smart girls can have a good time too by interviewing a different woman on every episode. These young women share their hobbies with Poehler and show the YouTube world that internet intelligence does exist. 9. Wheezy Waiter Craig Benzine's outlandish videos feature amazing production quality and not a whole lot of rhyme and reason. Posted almost every weekday, these quirky videos are ever-random and always entertaining. 10. Belated Media Dedicated to providing high-quality film reviews, Michael Barryte's channel features a green screen which allows Barryte to comment on the film as it happens. His reviews are carefully thought-out and well broken-down for his audience. [via Flavorwire]
They're called twin films: two movies with a similar idea that reach screens around the same time. Think Deep Impact and Armageddon, Dark City and The Matrix, and The Prestige and The Illusionist — plus The Raid and Dredd, Upgrade and Venom, and Skate Kitchen and Mid90s. Yes, the list goes on (and on and on). The same concept applies on the small screen, too, as two of 2020's new shows are demonstrating. Earlier in the year, Netflix debuted Space Force, which starred Steve Carell as a military man tasked with establishing the space-focused new branch of the US armed forces. Now, via US network Showtime — and streaming service Stan in Australia — Moonbase 8 is also trying to turn the quest to leave earth into a sitcom. Featuring Fred Armisen, John C Reilly and Tim Heidecker, and set to start dropping from Sunday, November 8, Moonbase 8 follows three men who are eager to take part in a lunar mission. Skip (Portlandia's Armisen), Rook (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'s Heidecker) and Cap (Reilly) are the epitome of enthusiastic, in fact, and they're doing their absolute best to complete their training at NASA's Moon Base Simulator in the desert in Winslow, Arizona. But whether they'll stay sane through the process is another matter entirely. The show's three stars also serve as Moonbase 8's executive producers, while the series is penned by Heidecker with Portlandia and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! writer — and Baskets creator — Jonathan Krisel. And, based on the just-dropped first trailer, the new comedy promises plenty of stir-crazy silliness between three characters living in close quarters — something immensely relatable in 2020, obviously. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KECl99n-DI0 Moonbase 8 starts streaming in Australia via Stan on Sunday, November 8. The New Zealand streaming date is yet to be confirmed — we'll update you with further details when they come to hand. Top image: Courtesy of A24 Films/SHOWTIME.
If you're heading home via Wynyard Station this evening, you might notice something new. In fact, it's pretty hard to miss. Today, sculptor Chris Fox unveiled Interloop, a striking, 50-metre-long installation that's now hovering above Wynyard's escalators, between York Street and the main concourse. Directly referencing its surroundings, the sculpture is made up of 244 wooden treads and four combs, all of which were once part of Wynyard's original escalators, built in 1931. However, they've been rearranged to appear like massive spectacular-looking concertinas — or maybe staircases out of a Salvador Dali painting. "Connecting yesterday and tomorrow, Interloop interrogates the conceptual and material boundaries between art and architecture," said Fox. "It is a physical re-interpretation...that re-purposes the hardwood from the heritage treads of now-retired escalators, into a sculpture weighing over five tonnes." Fox spent six months designing and engineering the installation, then twelve weeks fabricating it. The process involved a kilometre's worth of welding, via which Fox attached the treads to high-strength, marine-grade aluminium, before suspending the whole behemoth from the station ceiling with steel beams. Interloop is now on display at Wynyard Station above the escalators between York Street and the main concourse. Images: Josh Raymond.
Straddling the late morning divide of breakfast and lunch, the linguist's nightmare that is 'brunch' is just about our favourite weekend activity. When we say brunch, we're not talking about your quick morning coffee; we're talking mountains of food, shareable plates and a healthy dose of pre-midday alcohol (cue the flowing of mimosas). So whether you're a traditionalist or prepared to give your tastebuds a workout and whether your preference is of the organic, health-conscious variety or the bacon-on-the-side-of-heart-disease variety, we have a brunch experience for just about every disposition. Muchos food porn awaits! The Carrington Where: 538 Bourke St, Surry Hills If you're looking for cocktails with breakfast, it's hard to go past one of our favourite haunts: the Spanglish mash-up of the Carrington. While other gastronomical institutions might offer brunch-goers modestly alcoholic beverages and watered-down champagne, the Carrington says screw your hangover and your sense of propriety with a full menu of beer, spirits and hair-raising cocktails. There are the standard Mimosas, but for the more ambitious amongst you we suggest trying out the Bacon Caesar (bacon-infused vodka, spices and clamato juice) or Single Mother (with red wine, Southern Comfort, nutmeg and ginger beer). The food itself is straight out of a Majorca cafe, with even the more traditional breakfast dishes given a Spanish twist. Think smoked paprika eggs benedict, Ibiza muesli or big breakfast with chorizo and rosti. Buenos dias! Jo & Willys Depot Where: 286 Campbell Pde, North Bondi As an increasingly cynical restauranteur, I have to expect that when it comes to beachside cafes, the quality of the view will always be directly disproportionate to the quality of the food. Thankfully, Jo & Willys Depot is an emphatic exception to this rule. Instead, the Depot has found what you might call a winning formula: a rough and ready decor, resembling something like a shabby-chic version of the Antiques Roadshow, panoramic views of Sydney's most iconic beach and an all-day breakfast menu to die for. Their approach to food is pretty simple. Keep the produce fresh and the ingredients organic and you can hardly go wrong. Their pancakes made from rice and tapioca flour are a particular local favourite while their homemade berry and banana muffins are melt-in-you-mouth spectacular. Two Peas Where: 198-206 St Johns Rd, Glebe Two Peas is the sort of uber-trendy cafe that Glebe seems to have coming out of its ears — but it also radiates the sort of homely vibe that turns its customers into regulars and friends. Two Peas is the love child of British chefs Nick Johnson and Tom Stoneham, who met while working for Jamie's Italian in Cambridge. The boys, it seems, learnt a thing or two from Jamie: (1) Produce should always be fresh and locally produced, (2) Banoffee muffins can solve all the world's problems and (3) The Brits always do it best. With a short but delightful menu of updated British staples such as poached eggs and baked beans on toast (made from fantastically spicy beans) and porridge with figs, Two Peas does English breakfast the way it should be done. Of course, it's not a British meal without a cold lager to wash it all down, and as such the drinks menu is chock-a-block full of local brews handpicked by the owners. At their suggestion I had a try of the Australian Brewery pale ale, which was positively crackling with refreshing, passionfruit-y goodness. The Grounds of Alexandria Where: Building 7A, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria It's no secret; we at Concrete Playground are pretty fond of the Grounds. There is something undeniably intoxicating about this repurposed Four'n Twenty Pie Factory, whether it's the blackboards advertising '25 hour breakfast' or the buzzing, bustling atmosphere of Alexandria's most sought-after brunch venue. Our meal of choice is the mountain of ocean trout stacked on toast with a light and tangy fennel and herb salad and a generous helping of scrambled eggs. While alcohol is available, you'd be remiss not to try one of their multi-award winning coffees from former world latte art champion Jack Hanna. They are as creamy, subtle and dazzling as you could possibly hope for. And always, always do they look as good as they taste. Somehow the Grounds continues to match its hype. Almond Bar Where: 379 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst One of the defining aspect for any good brunch is its shareability. Almond Bar understands this and Almond Bar nails it. This hotspot for Darlinghurst brunch-ers specialises in serving food by the truckload, with a veritable feast of big breakfasts, share plates and breakfast platters for you and your fellow diners to gorge on. The food however is not your typical eggs and bacon bonanza but instead specialises in Syrian cuisine in all its multiplicity of flavours. There are Middle Eastern omelettes; traditional ful, fatteh made from layers of crushed chickpeas, tahini, fried bread, yoghurt, pinenuts and almonds; and the (mandatory) baklava. Get your bookings in early because these breakfast mezze feasts only happen on the first Sunday of each month. Foley Lane Where: 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst When the Friday night crowds have subsided and the hangover hits, there is no better place to grab a boozy brunch than Foley Lane. Try out their pork and potato hash topped with poached egg if you're looking for a hearty hangover cure, or if you're feeling a little more adventurous, then the roasted field mushroom with ricotta and eschalot dressing is to-die-for good. Foley Lane is first and foremost a bar and as such their breakfast cocktails are pretty red hot. Try out the Seasonal Margarita, enlivened with the zing of fresh plum, or the Morning Martini made from citrus vodka, apricot brandy and marmalade. Kazbah Where: 379 Darling St, Balmain Darlinghurst does not corner the market on Arabic brunches. Balmain's Kazbah are of the culinary school that says that bigger is always better with the sort of giant servings that will have any carnivore salivating. For groups of four or more, your best bet is one of the Kazbah's famous breakfast feasts, which features up to nine separate dishes, ranging from Middle Eastern treats such as lamb mince tagine to such devilishly sweet delights as chocolate and raspberry pancakes with butterscotch sauce and chocolate fudge ice cream. With the breakfast menu lasting until 3pm each weekend, there is no reason to feel guilty for trying out one of Kazbah's $14 breakfast cocktails. The Salty Dog made from vodka, lime and grapefruit is a particular specialty. Rainford Street Social Where: 500 Crown St, Surry Hills It was to the great distress of many Surry Hills locals when Rainford Street Social cut their breakfast menu. Thankfully, it's back and better than ever with super-chef Ben Orpwood’s unique take on classic brekky dishes like smoked salmon and truffled scrambled eggs and a pastrami and Emmental croissant melt. With meals named after such Rainford Street regulars as “Matty”, “Ben” and “Eddy”, it’s clear that this Crown Street favourite are not only “social” by name but also “social” by nature. Just ask any of the revellers that stack the restaurant on any given weekend. Orpwood is clearly a man after our own hearts with a propensity for hangover-curing cocktails such as the delightfully creamy “White Rabbit Shake” made from Jack Daniels and banana cream pie ice cream. Bondi Hardware Where: 39 Hall St, Bondi Beach 'Hardware' is an apt descriptor for this Bondi gem. With its exposed brick walls, cracking plaster and mishmash of pot plants, dining at Bondi Hardware is much like what I imagine dining in an interior designer's garage must feel like. While previously a hardware store, nowadays Bondi Hardware plays host to awesomely funky tunes, vibrant staff and the delectable Moroccan eggs with minted yoghurt and sourdough. You haven’t really been to Bondi Hardware until you've tried their infamous Bloody Mary. More a meal-in-a-glass than a mere cocktail, this brunch staple has been overhauled by the Bondi boys with spicy tomato, cucumber and beetroot juice mixed with a shot of tequila. Chiswick Where: 65 Ocean St, Woollahra The first thing that springs to mind about the Chiswick is its classiness. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the postcard-ready gardens is like something out of a Victorian-era tea party (without any of the political connotations), while the menu has all the hallmarks of head chef Matt Moran. Even casual Masterchef fans could probably tell you that if its got the Moran signature, then this probably means you're looking at huge slabs of Moran family meat, with the chargrilled grass-fed beef or wood-roasted lamb perhaps the two most enticing numbers on the menu. This carnivorous lust is complemented by Chiswick's love of fresh herbs and vegetables, much of which is grown in the Chiswick gardens. Add to this the refreshing Cucumber Margarita and you have yourself one of eastern Sydney's hottest late brunch venues.
Jenga's chunky wooden blocks and shifty sense of suspense have been reinvented as furniture. Studio Intussen's 'Pixel Table' functions much the same way as a Jenga tower. Shaped like a cube and comprised of bamboo slats, chunks of the table may be pushed in or pulled out. This creates a nook for storing magazines, and, on the other side, a little side tray for cocktails. If you no longer need the storage or extra space, the slats can be realigned into their original cube form. How convenient is that? Unlike the game which inspired it, however, the Pixel Table offers users some security. There is no need to anxiously await the tumbling demise of your table, for the outer bamboo layer has been secured with glue. Pssst, take that tactical note and save it for your next Jenga match. [via Gizmodo]
Openair shopping sprees are an inevitable spring/summer plan for Sydneysiders; a monthly outdoor market is soon to be a permanent thing at the Central Park development off Broadway. Kicking off October 12, The Brewery Yard Markets will be set on sunny Chippendale Green on the second Sunday of every month, with stalls selling artisanal foodie-heaven fare beside stands of vintage and locally-produced wares. Though the markets are a radically different retail approach to the franchises currently populating Central Park's vertical 'living-mall', they're sure to be a boom for the soon to be densely-populated inner city complex. And why not make the most of the development's specially-landscaped outdoor areas as summer rolls in? The markets will launch mid-way through the development's Summer Playground festival, with highlights including Long Lunch Sundays — where $15 will buy you a lunch special, to be eaten while lazing back in complimentary deck chairs and listening to live acoustic tunes. As for weekday entertainment, Central Park's got you covered with Thursdays Games Day — head to the Green in your break to see the space transformed into a pop-up fun fair with giant Jenga, table tennis and treasure hunts. Then there's the one-off openair Twillight Summer Cinema, screening everyone's favourite Dirty Dancing on September 25 — with dinner thrown in with your ticket price. Winter, consider yourself well shunned. Central Park's Summer Playground program runs September 8 until October 5. Check out the whole program here.
From global behemoth Netflix to the arthouse, indie and documentary-focused Kanopy, picking a streaming platform can take as much time as actually picking something to watch on a streaming platform. The latest to enter the market has quite the point of difference, however — and not just because it's free. If viewing the likes of Bronson, Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon has you on the same wavelength as filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, then you're in luck — the Danish writer/director has started his own streaming service. Called byNWR.com, it's a self-appointed "an unadulterated expressway for the arts", according to the site itself. After opening in beta in July, it's now officially up and running. A venture in conjunction with existing platform Mubi as well as the Harvard Film Archive, byNWR.com highlights a different restored cult classic each month, with the selection picked by a guest editor. Each film is supported by content themed around the chosen flick, such as essays, videos, photos and music. If you're thinking that you've probably seen the movies on offer (and that they're probably available elsewhere), think again. The site launched with three titles chosen by journalist Jimmy McDonough, and it's highly unlikely that you've watched and rewatched 1965 horror effort The Nest of the Cuckoo Birds, 1967's Hot Thrills and Warm Chills and 1967's Shanty Tramp endlessly, or even seen them on a big or small screen recently. The second volume will start rolling out from September, and will include 1961 thriller Night Tide starring Dennis Hopper, 1971's If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?, and 1967's Spring Night, Summer Night — all curated by film publication Little White Lies. "I hope my site will inspire people to see the world a different way," Refn explained The Guardian, while also touching upon something fans of the filmmaker's own work will be more than familiar with: pushing people out of their comfort zones. If Refn's choices sound like the kind of thing you would like to see in a cinema, Little White Lies also reports that the streaming site will be accompanied by special screenings around the globe.
UPDATE, DECEMBER 23, 2021: Fast and Furious 9 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes, and will hit Amazon Prime Video on January 1. Fast cars, furious action stars, a love of family and oh-so-many Coronas: across ten movies over 20 years, that's the Fast and Furious franchise. It might've started out as a high-octane spin on Point Break, but this long-running series has kept motoring across nine flicks in its main storyline, and also via a 2019 spinoff. The latter, Hobbs & Shaw, actually casts a shadow over the saga's latest instalment. Because Dwayne Johnson was part of that sidestep, he doesn't show up in Fast and Furious 9. He's missed, regardless of whether you're usually a diehard fan of the wrestler-turned-actor, because he's managed to perfect the F&F tone. Over his decade-long involvement to-date, Johnson always seems amused in his Fast and Furious performances. He's always sweaty, too, but that's another matter. Entering the F&F realm in Fast Five, he instantly oozed the kind of attitude the franchise needs. He knows that by taking the outlandish stunts, eye-catching setpieces and penchant for family with the utmost seriousness, these films border on comedic — and by navigating five flicks with that mood, he's been the saga's playful and entertaining barometer. Without Johnson, Fast and Furious 9 isn't as willing to admit that it's often downright silly. It's nowhere near as fun, either. Hobbs & Shaw wasn't a franchise standout, but Fast and Furious 9 mainly revs in one gear — even in a movie that features a high-speed car chase through Central American jungles, a plane with a magnet that can scoop up fast-driving vehicles, Helen Mirren (Winchester) racing through London's streets and a trip to space in a rocket car. The latest F&F is as ridiculous as ever, and it's the least-eager F&F film to acknowledge that fact. It's also mostly a soap opera. It leans heavily on its favourite theme — yes, family — by not only swapping in a different wrestler-turned-actor as Dominic Toretto's (Vin Diesel, Bloodshot) long-lost sibling, but also by fleshing out the warring brothers' backstory through flashbacks to their tragic past. Fast and Furious 9 starts with an 80s-era Universal logo, because that's the time period it heads to first — to introduce a teen Dom (Vinnie Bennett, Ghost in the Shell), his never-before-mentioned younger brother Jakob (Finn Cole, Dreamland) and their dad Jack (JD Pardo, Mayans MC). It's 1989, the elder Toretto is behind the wheel on the racetrack, and his sons are part of his pit crew. Then tragedy strikes, tearing the Toretto family apart. In the present day, Dom and Jakob (John Cena, Playing with Fire) definitely don't get along. Indeed, when Roman (Tyrese Gibson, The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two), Tej (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Show Dogs) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel, Four Weddings and a Funeral) drive up to the rural hideout that Dom has been calling home with wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez, Crisis) and toddler son Brian (first-timers Isaac and Immanuel Holtane) since the events of 2017's The Fate of the Furious, he doesn't even want to hear about the latest mission that demands their help. The only thing that changes his mind: realising that Jakob is involved and up to no good. From there, Fast and Furious 9 doesn't skimp on plot across its two-and-a-half hours, but it's all just an excuse to send Dom and the gang on yet another globe-hopping trip to save the world (yes, again). Much of the storyline mimics the last film, in fact, including the return of cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron, The Old Guard) — although this time there's a different high-tech gimmick that could end life as we know it, and a different reason behind Dom's determination to protect his crew. Returning for his fifth F&F flick, as well as his first since 2013's Fast & Furious 6, writer/director Justin Lin doesn't challenge himself, narrative-wise. Co-scripting with franchise first-timer Daniel Casey (Kin), he largely throws a heap of the saga's usual elements together, dials up the emphasis on family, and hopes that the reappearance of familiar faces — such as the already-teased return of Han (Song Kang, Lisey's Story) — will fill in the gaps. And there are gaps; more than once, the movie ends a big scene by jumping to the group at a later point, but doesn't trouble itself to explain what happened. Sense? Logic? Coherence? The Fast and Furious films haven't ever expended much energy on these. It makes zero sense that Dom's son is called Brian, for instance — he's named after Paul Walker's character, but the latter is still alive in the saga (albeit never seen now), so that celebratory gesture towards the late actor has no rationale in the on-screen story. Fast and Furious 9 doesn't just zoom past rationality a quarter-mile at a time, though. It's really just a collection of scenes that Diesel and Lin think are cool, complete with 197,000 references to family. Here, even the fast cars and big stunts get drowned out by the melodrama. When Lin lets the action choreography truly let loose, this franchise-extender is easily at its best, but that happens less often and in a more routine way than it should. Plus, in a series that's hardly known for its acting, all the bloated chatter and soapiness is still far too cartoonish to even dream of grounding the OTT saga in real emotion. This far in, not just inertia but also a lack of imagination seems to be grinding F&F's gears, with genuinely new and exciting action ideas almost as rare as a high-pitched squeak from the gravelly voiced Diesel. Fast and Furious 9 has its characters play a real-life version of Frogger, celebrates magnets more than Jesse Pinkman, name-drops Harry Potterand visually apes Star Wars, for example. It also ponders whether Dom and the gang are superheroes, and has Roman get meta and ask how they've all escaped the past 20 years unscathed. This should all be knowingly, winkingly ludicrous. It never feels that way, however, and no one's motors will be thrumming while watching. Like too many big franchises these days, Fast and Furious 9 also saves one of its best moments for its post-credits slot, teasing what'll come next. If only the bulk of what preceded it didn't feel like a franchise blandly on auto-pilot.
Life might be a bittersweet symphony, as The Verve told us all back in 1997, but right now is a pretty great time to be a fan of a hugely influential late-90s teen flick that helped immortalise that very track. The movie in question is Cruel Intentions, of course, and it's about to hit the stage in Australia. And yes, the musical's soundtrack is filled hits from the era, including 'Bittersweet Symphony', obviously. Indeed, if that song and Placebo's 'Every You Every Me' get you thinking about Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair, then you're clearly a fan of the film. And if you were a 90s or 00s teen who watched and rewatched the 1999 classic over and over again — soaking in all those dangerous liaisons, the scheming that went with them, Joshua Jackson's blonde locks and Gellar in a decidedly non-Buffy role — then you'll probably be first in line to see Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical. The movie-to-theatre production has been unleashing its teen tumult and throwback soundtrack in America since 2015, and now it's finally heading to our shores. That was first announced back in 2021; however, now the local leg of the production has confirmed its full Aussie dates. Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical's Melbourne stint was already locked in to start on Wednesday, May 25 at the Athenaeum Theatre, and its Sydney run will now kick off on Thursday, June 30 at the State Theatre as well. Then, it'll head to Brisbane's Fortitude Music Hall from Wednesday, July 27, before hopping over to Adelaide's Her Majesty's Theatre from Thursday, September 8. Because it's a jukebox musical, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is also filled with a heap other tunes from that late 90s, early 00s era; think: *NYSNC's 'Bye Bye Bye', Britney Spears' 'Sometimes', No Doubt's 'Just A Girl', Jewel's 'Foolish Games', Christina Aguilera's 'Genie In A Bottle' and Sixpence None the Richer's 'Kiss Me', for starters. If you've seen the movie — the original, not the direct-to-video 2001 and 2004 sequels, one of which starred a very young Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen) taking over Gellar's role — then you'll know the story. Based on 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, which was also been adapted in the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman, Cruel Intentions follows step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Manipulating each other's love lives is their main hobby, a pastime that levels up a few notches when Kathryn places a bet on whether Sebastian can sleep with Annette Hargrove, the headmaster's daughter at their exclusive prep school. On-screen, Phillippe played Sebastian, Gellar vamped up the film as Kathryn and Witherspoon stepped into Annette's shoes. Exactly who'll be following in their footsteps when Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical tours Australia hasn't yet been revealed, with auditions underway now. Cruel Intentions' writer/director Roger Kumble co-created the musical, so it comes with quite the screen-to-stage pedigree. Also, it's arriving in Australia via David Venn Enterprises, who also brought The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy and Bring It On: The Musical our way. CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90S MUSICAL 2022 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Melbourne, at the Athenaeum Theatre: Wednesday, May 25–Sunday, June 12 Sydney, at the State Theatre: from Thursday, June 30–Sunday, July 10 Brisbane, at Fortitude Music Hall: from Wednesday, July 27–Sunday, August 7 Adelaide, at Her Majesty's Theatre from Thursday, September 8 Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical will tour Australia between May–September. For more information, and to buy tickets now for the Melbourne and Sydney seasons — and to join the waitlist for Brisbane and Adelaide tickets, which'll go on sale from Tuesday, March 29 — head to the musical's website.
