The lower north shore has welcomed another cafe revamp with the opening of Pasture of Balmoral (previously La Repubblica). The two-storey harbourside cafe is set within Mosman's The Esplanade and offers views across Balmoral Beach, an ex-Vue de Monde chef, cocktails and, most importantly, house-made crumpets. Designed by Guru Projects (Nel., White Rabbit and Harry's Bondi to name a few), patrons can expect relaxed beach vibes with rattan detailing, white-washed timber panelling and potted plants. The naturally lit, open space lets in the sea breeze with large bay windows and high ceilings, too. An all-day menu has been carefully pulled together by chef Justin Naudi (Vue de Monde), whose resumé also boasts Goma and Chez Dre. Like many of Sydney's cafes and restaurants, Pasture focuses on sustainably grown, native ingredients that are sourced directly from local producers. Apart from those spelt crumpets — which come with citrus ricotta, honey, berries and lemon myrtle toppings — Naudi has created a seasonal menu with a fine dining touch. Think truffled organic eggs with prosciutto and pecorino shavings for brekkie and five-spiced squid with lemon tartare and rocket for lunch. Apart from breakfast and lunch, dinner is also served three days a week and includes snacks, small plates and mains like the pan-roasted snapper with roast fennel and black olive tapenade; confit pork belly with apple puree and herb salad; and lamb with leeks and yoghurt. For drinks, there's Will & Co coffees served throughout the day, along with an extensive wine list that focuses on Aussie drops and a ten-strong list of classic cocktails — both served from lunchtime onward. Pasture of Balmoral is now open at 51 The Esplanade, Mosman. Opening hours are seven days a week from 6:30am–4pm and for dinner on Thursday through Saturday from 6pm–10pm.
Surry Hills fried-chicken joint Butter is bringing the heat this winter with a rotating lineup of DJs throughout Vivid Sydney for 'Butter Presents', an event taking over the venue on Fridays and Saturdays until Saturday, June 17. There'll be R&B and soul, disco and hip hop, and there will definitely be fried chicken. As well as all the tasty usuals, the team will be slinging exclusive Vivid-inspired cocktails — and there's even talks of a light show. Not ones to shy away from all things baller, the Butter team is dedicating a window display to the NBA playoffs. There'll be giveaways too, and the chance to score an official limited-edition Hennessy x NBA basketball. It's sure to be a hot time to get your fill of wings and beats, so you'd better make a booking. Butter Presents brings music to the Surry Hills diner throughout Vivid Sydney. For more information and to plan your trip, head to the website. Top images: @MIKI.MIKKA.
The flavours of Southeast Asia are heading to the beach. Chef Milan Strbac of Sugarcane in Surry Hills confirmed this week that the upscale eatery would be launching a second site in Coogee. The 100 seat restaurant and cocktail bar is set to begin service in mid-July – and if you're anything like us, you're already counting down the days. "The area is in need of an upmarket Asian restaurant," Strbac told Hospitality Magazine. "There are a couple of decent restaurants offering different styles of food down there at the moment, but nothing similar to my style." In addition to Strbac himself, the team at Sugarcane Coogee will include ex-Longrain chef Tristan Balian and Strbac's Juicy Lucy co-owner Griff Pamment. Not a half bad roster, we think you'll agree. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, the restaurant will occupy the Carr Street site previously held by Nissaki Greek Taverna. The menu is expected to be similar to the one at Sugarcane Surry Hills, albeit with more of a seafood focus befitting the beachfront location. Sugarcane Coogee will open mid-July at 56 Carr Street, Coogee. Via Hospitality Magazine. Image: Sugarcane Surry Hills.
We're sure you've downed your fair share of mini pizzas over the years — probably frozen or from the school tuck shop — but we're betting you haven't bitten down on one of the quality creations from Tonda Pizza, the crew who invented the first-ever pizzetta back in 1950s Italy. Well, today, you can not only try it, but you can do so for free, as the Italian chain launches its first Australian store, at Central Park Mall. Tonda's famed (unconventionally sized) 16cm pizzas are crafted on 48-hour organic dough, made to a recipe that's been passed down through the generations. And the new store's handing out a whole heap of them for free, from 12-2pm this afternoon. The pizzettas will keep sailing from the oven the whole time, though there is a suggested two-per-person limit. If you plan to head back, there are a whole heap of other Italian dishes on the menu you can pair with your pizzetta, including baked parmigiana, lasagne, salads and soups, as well as fresh focaccia served with extra virgin olive oil. A list of imported Italian beer, wine and prosecco is on the way, too.
'Art but not as you know it' is starting to become a pretty common tagline. The way things are going, we know a pretty broad definition of art. Yet we weren't expecting the MCA to transform their artists into Jane Fonda. Well, kind of. They've invited seven artists to their Workout: 7 days of experimental performance. And you're invited, too. This means excercise routines meet endurance tests, as the artists slip into their best lycra outfits and pump up the tunes. David Capra (Monday) will do some banner waving, Wizard-of-Oz-style dancing and will even get his dog Teena involved. The Motel Sisters (Tuesday) will get all YouTube on us and write complaint letters while adding Facebook likes like crazy. Sarah Goffman (Wednesday) will practice her Japanese breathing yoga techniques with the public, and Jodie Whalen (Thursday) will look at the world of obsessive training and make us all feel a bit exhausted. Improvisational performance is Agatha Gothe-Snape's (Friday) deal, Domenico de Clario (Saturday) will unpack and repack his archives before singing and playing a piano blindfolded. Finally, on Sunday Brian Fuata will set up an office to check out all of the other goings on so far. Phew. Just a regular week at the MCA then. Coming almost as soon as the epic 13 Rooms closes, it suggests Sydney audiences have a fresh appetite for performance art that is fun, a bit interactive and that pulls us out of our digital worlds. Image: David Capra, Intercession (Newcastle Pools)
As if the furore generated by the Vivid Sydney lineup announcement wasn't enough to stir your loins, Fuzzy Events have announced a banging lineup for their new electronic music event, Curve Ball, taking over Carriageworks on June 11. The partnership between Vivid Sydney, Carriageworks and Fuzzy has wrought a tight little lineup across two stages with a hefty side of visual arts. The lineup is fronted by enigmatic producer Zhu, who'll be joined by Sydney favourites Cosmo's Midnight, Basenji and Nicole Millar, as well as hyped-up newcomers JOY, Elk Road, Cleopold and Yuma X. It's a who's who of up-and-coming electronic artists and they've even hinted at adding a few more names to the already stellar bill, so best to start stretching now and break in your dancing shoes. Carriageworks is bringing the fire with an immersive audio and visual experience to accompany the tunes as well as large scale art installations. It's just one part of Carriageworks' program for Vivid Sydney which also includes the world premiere of Bjork's VR project BJORK DIGITAL (which you know is going to get weird and wonderful). Curve Ball is happening on June 11, 3-10pm. Tickets are on sale now for $79 here. Image: Carriageworks.
Mall Santa season is long gone but exquisitely cheesy photo ops should not be relegated to just one holiday. If you are in need of another seasonal profile pic captured by a talented professional, you are in luck. This Easter, both you and your four-legged friend can roll up to Rhodes Waterside or Stanhope Village Shopping Centre and get the deed done. You can also head to Broadway Sydney for pet-free Easter pics of the family. From Saturday, April 2 through to Easter Thursday on April 14, the Easter photo booth welcomes families, housemates, pals and pets, and there's no minimum age required to be the star of the shoot. Need a colourful new head shot? Here's your chance! Just don't forget to book. And remember to wear something eggcellent. To book your spot, head to the Broadway Sydney, Rhodes Waterside or Stanhope Village websites.
This Christmas season, The Rocks is transforming into the ultimate festive destination, celebrating Australian Christmas by embracing unique Christmas decorations created by local artists and incorporating native florals. As part of its Homegrown Australian Christmas events, these locally inspired decorations will be scattered throughout the neighbourhood, with charming scenes and set-ups for visitors to discover. The Rocks Christmas Tree in Jack Mundey Place features a distinctive Australian design, dripping with native blooms and custom decorations crafted by First Nations artist and owner of Marara Designs Shelby Rae, brought to life by Nadia Duran. Throughout The Rocks, wreaths and garlands featuring native florals will be draped along the laneways from George Street to Playfair Street, complemented by charming village scenes scattered throughout the street, designed by Nico Nicoson. Wander the historic laneways to discover each unique piece of art celebrating the best aspects of an Aussie Christmas — from lazy days at the beach to backyard cricket and prawns on the barbie.
If there's a force as frightful as facing certain death, humanity is yet to find it. Knowing that everyone who lives will die is the most terrifying thing that anyone will ever have to deal with, as well as the most obvious and commonplace — and it's also the fear-inducing bogeyman that continues to spook the horror genre. In the form of killer ghosts, malingering spirits and demonic forces from the great beyond, the inescapable end also haunts the Conjuring universe, to the surprise of absolutely no one. The growing franchise's other source of scares, however, is perhaps much less expected. In The Conjuring, the flick that started the series, a family grapples with the spectre of an accused witch. In its sequel, as well as in spin-off The Nun, evil takes the form of a bride of Christ. In the Annabelle films, a doll is possessed by a dead girl, turning murderous. And now in The Curse of the Weeping Woman, the saga finds its shocks in a mother who turns into a child-drowning apparition. This unsettling franchise might be based on the work of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, and on Mexican folklore in the current movie's case, but as each new instalment shows, it's not only scared by supernatural stories of death. Womanhood and its symbols are also something to fear here. Women and children are usually the casualties, too. As genuine spooks increasingly give way to haunting by the numbers, the series' need to vilify and victimise its way to box office success is blatant, lazy and more concerning than anything on-screen. The Curse of the Weeping Woman begins with its own origin story, introducing viewers to the tale of La Llorona. In Mexico in 1673, a beautiful young woman (Marisol Ramirez) lives a happy life with her husband and two sons, until she's driven to kill her boys in the river — and destined to keep trying the same trick with other children for all of eternity. Three centuries later, Los Angeles social worker Anna Tate-Garcia (Linda Cardellini) crosses paths with the deadly spirit as part of a case, when she finds that something is amiss with one of her clients (Patricia Velásquez). Soon, La Llorona has her sights set on Anna's kids (Roman Christou and Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen), and only a renegade former priest (Raymond Cruz) can help the fearful family. Directed by first-timer Michael Chaves, The Curse of the Weeping Woman polishes up its formulaic parts more effectively than it might initially seem, especially six films into a flagging franchise. There's nothing new in its bumps and jumps, but many of those creepy moments elicit the right visceral response — while no one will be leaping out of their chairs, viewers might find themselves inching forward automatically. Alas, horror movies aren't just about shocks, scares and keeping a series going in a dutifully unnerving manner. They're not just about swooping camerawork and stalking through a spooky house either, although those are two techniques that the picture also uses well. Conjuring up a momentary reaction lasts for just that, a moment. Retaining audience interest between bouts of ghostly mayhem is much more difficult, particularly given that screenwriters Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis are as eager to stick to cliches as they were in their last script: teen illness weepie Five Feet Apart, which is also currently in cinemas. Many a routine scarefest has found success by taking the same route, which is why such boilerplate films keep appearing. Many an average movie has squandered a great actor — here, the committed Cardellini — within generic horror material. But plonk all of the above in a fast-expanding series that keeps pulling the same stunt, and it wears thin. Specifically package it with another supposedly terrifying tale about an unhinged symbol of womanhood wreaking havoc, and it grates louder than the creakiest of doors and floorboards. What's scariest in The Curse of the Weeping Woman isn't the fact that it lays bare the Conjuring Universe's reliance upon frightening symbols of femininity, but that it makes it plain in such an unashamed way. It might make sense to turn the bringers of life into harbingers of death, preying upon existential worries in the process, but at this point in the franchise it's also wearyingly, disappointingly easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCOp9jCG07I
You would be forgiven if you didn't know that October 4 is World Taco Day. It would be a serious fiasco, though, if you didn't make a fiesta out of the contrived (but, admittedly, delicious) occasion. Luckily, The Royal in Paddington is celebrating with all-you-can-eat tacos. For $30 each, you and your mates can expect a bottomless supply of Mexican fare from 5pm. Choose from three tacos: chicken with green tomatillo salsa, smoky barbecue pork with slaw and pickled onions, and grilled barramundi with red pepper salsa. When you're done, you can hand over an extra $9 for a marshmallowy s'more-inspired dessert taco to truly send you into a food-induced siesta. Now this might sound like mariachi to your ears already, but the team behind the bar will also be quenching your thirst with $10 margaritas all night long.
City of Shadows: Inner-city crime & mayhem 1912 -1948 is currently on show at the Justice and Police Museum. The exhibition displays historic forensic police photographs accompanied with meticulously researched stories that shed light on the shadowy underworld of Sydney between the wars. But is that all these photographs have to tell us? Penguin Plays Rough has thrown a slew of creative writers and wordsmiths on the case, to reinterpret and reimagine the mystery and suspense oozing from these historic pictures. Over the course of two events, creatives including comedian Nick Sun, crime writer PM Newton, magazine-maker Sam Cooney, fiction writer Laura Jean McKay, playwright Hilary Bell, performance-maker Nat Randall, non-fiction writer Elmo Keep, and fiction writers Felicity Castagna and Jack Vening have presented and embellished scenarios and suspects, to tell stories based on crime scene photographs and mug shots from the NSW Police Forensic Photography Archive. Now it's time for the series' third and final event, where artists from We Do Not Unhappen will bring together the scenarios and suspects to play out the crimes in various media throughout the museum. You'll be able to wander through the historic building's holding cells, police station and courtrooms, discovering performances and installations at every turn. Penguin Plays Rough at City of Shadows will be like CSI on opium. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Five Scenes, 20 September 2013 - 6pm Five Suspects, 22 November 2013 - 6pm Five Crimes, 17 January 2014 - 6pm
The shock of unkempt hair, the Irish brogue, the misanthropic attitude: there's no mistaking Dylan Moran for anyone else. It was true in beloved British sitcom Black Books, when his on-screen alter ego abhorred mornings, ate coasters and claimed that his oven could cook anything (even belts). And it's definitely true of the comedian's acerbically hilarious live shows. Moran is no stranger to Australia, but if you haven't guffawed at his bleak wit live, he's coming back late in 2019 to give you another chance. This time around, expect the kind of deadpan gags, wine-soaked insights and blisteringly sharp one-liners that've kept him in the spotlight since 1996, when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Edinburgh Fringe's Perrier Award. From late October to early December, Moran will tour the country with his latest show, Dr Cosmos, bringing his grumpily lyrical musings on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life to 14 Aussie cities. Kicking off in Wollongong and coming to the Sydney Opera House for two nights in October, his upcoming visit marks his first Australian trip since 2015, when he was eliciting giggles with his Off the Hook tour. That mammoth effort took in a whopping 149 cities worldwide. As well as his stint as the world's worst bookshop owner in Black Books, Moran has popped up in films such as Notting Hill and Shaun of the Dead, should you been keen to get watching (or rewatching) before his new gigs. Nabbing tickets to his Dr Cosmos early is recommended — his shows usually sell out quickly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gy3C7cMNeg Image: Andy Hollingworth.
The hit rock musical based on Green Day's iconic album American Idiot is coming to Sydney for the first time in 2018. Following a hit season in Brisbane in 2017, this next run of Green Day's American Idiot will see Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson reprise his lead performance as St Jimmy — a role played internationally by the likes of Melissa Etheridge, Chris Cheney and Green Day's own Billie Joe Armstrong. The acclaimed Aussie musician will again be joined on stage by Phoebe Panaretos, whose performance as Whatsername during the show's Brisbane run scored her a Helpmann nomination. Hailed as a bold and explosive production, the Tony and Grammy award-winning show features every song from the band's eponymous album, along with a number of tunes from Green Day's follow-up record, 21st Century Breakdown. It's the tale of three lifelong mates, torn between remaining in their safe, aimless ruts, and challenging the status quo to embark on a journey of self-discovery. The American Idiot 2018 tour will begin with a brief season at the Sydney Opera House, before runs in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. Images: Dylan Evans.
With a life's work dedicated to upholding — and reinstating — human rights and democracy, Geoffrey Robertson has an indisputably impressive resume. The barrister, author and former human rights judge has garnered his worldly insights through defending the likes of Salman Rushdie and Julian Assange and founding the largest human rights practice in Europe. Fiercely defending lives on death row? Mentoring Amal Clooney? Assisting in the restoration of Fiji's democracy? All in a day's work for Robertson. This August, the legal heavyweight is bringing a special one-night-only revival of his 1980s current affairs show Hypothetical to the stage. Sticking to the small-screen formula, the live show will see Robertson welcome a panel of ten yet-to-be-announced guests to the ICC Sydney stage for a provocative night of interrogation punctuated with wit and humour. Robertson will take hypothetical questions to his high-profile panel — from celebrities and politicians, to industry experts and judges — exploring the intricacies of their logic with his interrogational expertise. Whether you're a long-held fan of Robertson and his work or you're simply an inquisitive mind that enjoys thought-provoking conversation, spending a night witnessing this Australian great command the stage is not to be missed. For tickets to 'Hypothetical' at ICC Sydney on Thursday, August 4, head to the website.
You definitely want to be there when the big ol' ship Merivale launches its major voyage for 2016. On one night, in one spot, you'll get in to indulge in all the things that have made the Hemmes empire one of Sydney's biggest hospitality success stories. Taking over ivy, including the Ivy Pool Club and Ballroom, and spilling into Palings and the Ash Street laneway, the party will feature stalls and pop-ups from each and every one of Merivale's venues — from Ms.G's and Mr Wong to est. and Papi Chulo. You'll also get a sneak preview of places-in-the-making, like The Newport and Queen Chow, soon to open at the Queen Victoria Hotel. In between feasting, there'll be chances to dance to live music, roaming performers to mingle with and surprise appearances from special guests. Tix are 45 bucks a pop, which buys you entry, along with eight food and drink tokens. You can top them up all night long.
Everyone's favourite Italian grocer has popped up in the CBD - and if we like them enough, they might just stay. Following the success of the Alexandria branch of Salt Meats Cheese, owners Stefano De Blasi and Edoardo Perlo decided to see how Sydneysiders felt about an inner-city location. They've also enlisted the help of designer Caroline Choker (Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, The Grounds of Alexandria) to give the new Martin Place store a rustic-but-contemporary vibe with bright colours, white tiles and recycled wood. The store will be stocking their signature range of artisan cheeses, cured meats, pastas, sauces, oils and salts, as well as serving breakfast and lunch to hungry city-slickers, and running cooking classes on Thursday nights. You can place orders online to pick up after work, and they're also doing grab 'n' go dinner packs for office workers heading home after a busy day. The pop-up store will be at the MLC Centre until March 27 officially, but with the potential to become a permanent store depending on how the trial goes.
Given the hefty backlash copped by Lost Picnic's 2017 edition, you'd be forgiven for thinking the boutique Sydney festival might not live to see another day. But organisers have announced the event will return this October, promising to address last year's raft of issues and even throwing a debut Melbourne date into the mix. Taking over Melbourne's Flemington Nursery on October 7 and Sydney's Domain on October 13, Lost Picnic 2018 is out to dish up a family-friendly serve of live entertainment and top local eats. Taking the stage this year will be legendary young-gun Tash Sultana, off the back of releasing her debut album, joined by Meg Mac, New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams, Sydney's Odette and brass ten-piece Hot Potato Band. A finely-tuned food offering will show off some of the best of each city — think, Milky Lane and The Dolphin in Sydney, with Burn City Smokers and Pho Nom flying the flag down south. Lost Picnic's last outing suffered more than a few hiccups, with punters complaining of lengthy wait times, food and drink stalls running out of stock early, and a somewhat disastrous forced recycling system. But this time around, Simon Beckingham — co-founder of Finely Tuned, the group that organises both Lost Picnic and NYE bash Lost Paradise — says festival goers can expect a much smoother affair. "Since last year's event wrapped up, we have been working hard to vastly improve the customer experience for 2018," he told Concrete Playground. After taking "all feedback on board", Beckingham had confirmed that there will be double the food stalls and an increased number of toilets, bar staff and tills — and those keen to skip the food queues altogether will be able to bring in their own picnic snacks. It's unclear if the capacity of the festival has been reduced or not. And instead of last year's compulsory recycling system, which forced punters to put down a $1 deposit for cups and then line up again to get a refund, there'll be a more user-friendly $10 cash-back incentive for those recycling their empty wine bottles. Tickets are going for the same price — $89 a pop — so here's hoping all the changes make the ticket price worth it. Lost Picnic will be in Melbourne at Flemington Nursery on October 7 and in Sydney at The Domain on October 13. Grab early bird tickets here for $89.
The article is sponsored by our partners, the Aroma Festival. Baroque Bistro is bringing a little je ne sais quoi to the Aroma Festival with a special 'high coffee'. Yep, it’s that lush, lavish high tea experience that started back in the 19th century with the Seventh Duchess of Bedford’s need to cure her ‘hangriness’, and more recently has been popping up in all kinds of 21st-century incarnations. The difference this time, though, is that Baroque will be bringing a much bigger caffeine hit into the mix. And not just caffeine, but alcohol, too. Yay-sayers will have the option of indulging in either coffee or a signature single origin espresso martini (or both). The cocktail is designed to match a collection of coffee-infused petit fours specially conjured up by head pastry chef Jean Michel Raynaud. As if that weren’t multisensory excitement enough, Baroque Bistro also affords some rather amazing views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The only trick is that you might need to make a reservation, as availability will be strictly limited. Serving hours will be 11.30am-9pm Wednesday through Saturdays from July 9-26.
Sydney Film Festival takes over the city's cinemas for 12 days each year, but sometimes that's just not long enough to see all the films on your wishlist. Enter the festival's Back by Popular Demand bonus screenings, with 12 titles from the almost 300-strong lineup getting additional sessions at Dendy Newtown and Dendy Opera Quays between June 19 and 21. This is the third year that SFF has gifted cinephiles with an extension of their program, helping movie buffs catch up on high-profile titles such as Sofia Coppola's Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Colin Farrell-starring western The Beguiled, Michael Haneke's unnerving family drama Happy End and Brokeback Mountain-like British rural romance God's Own Country. In addition, two of 2017's just-added straight-from-Cannes flicks will receive extra showings, which is welcome news to anyone unable to fit Palme d'Or winner The Square or Robert Pattinson getting gritty in Good Time into their regular SFF schedule. The bonus lineup also includes popular documentaries I Am Not Your Negro, Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, The Go-Betweens: Right Here and The Last Goldfish, as well as international efforts The Ornithologist and The Teacher. As part of the festival's Akira Kurosawa retrospective, the Japanese master's Ran will also screen again. Basically, if you thought you wouldn't be spending the days immediately after the official end of the fest sitting in a darkened room, you were wrong. "If you missed them at the festival, these screenings are a wonderful way to see some of the most talked-about films of the year," says SFF artistic director Nashen Moodley. Sydney Film Festival's Back by Popular Demand bonus screenings hit Dendy Newtown and Dendy Opera Quays between June 19 and 21. The 2017 Sydney Film Festival runs from June 7 to 18 at various cinemas around the city. To view the complete program and book tickets, visit the festival website.
It's been four years since Ryan Gosling last graced screens, rocketing to the moon in First Man. No, Barbie set photos pored over on every internet-connected device don't count. Since he played Neil Armstrong, much has happened. There's the obvious off-screen, of course — but then there's Chris Evans farewelling Captain America, and also appearing in Knives Out with the scene-stealing Ana de Armas. After co-starring in Blade Runner 2049 with Gosling back in 2017, she leapt from that Evans-featuring whodunnit to palling around with 007 in No Time to Die. Also during that time, Bridgerton pushed Regé-Jean Page to fame, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood earmarked Julia Butters as a young talent to watch. This isn't just a history lesson on The Gray Man's cast — well, some of them, given that Billy Bob Thornton (Goliath), Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections), Dhanush (Maaran), Wagner Moura (Shining Girls) and Alfre Woodard (The Lion King) also pop up, plus Australia's own Callan Mulvey (Firebite) — for the hell of it, though. Back in 2018, before all of the above played out, it's unlikely that this exact film with this exact cast would've eventuated. But plenty of action-thrillers about attempting to snuff out hyper-competent assassins already did flicker across celluloid — both John Wick and Atomic Blonde had already been there and done that, and the Bourne and Bond movies, and countless other predecessors. Still, the combination of this collection of current actors and that familiar setup isn't without its charms in The Gray Man, which makes the leap from the pages of Mark Greaney's 2009 novel to the big and streaming screens. Reportedly Netflix's most expensive movie to date, it lets its two biggest names bounce off of each other with chalk-and-cheese aplomb, and isn't short on globe-hopping action spectacle. The off-the-book spy versus off-the-book spy killer flick is knowing amid all that box-ticking formula, too, although not enough to make its cheesy lines sound smart and savvy. Gosling plays Court Gentry, aka Sierra Six; "007 was taken," he jokes. Before he's given his codename — before he's paid to do the CIA's dirty work as well — he's in prison for murder, then recruited by Donald Fitzroy (Thornton). Fast-forward 18 years and Six is a huge hit at two things: being a ghost, because he no longer officially exists; and covertly wreaking whatever havoc the government tells him to, including knocking off whichever nefarious figure they need gone. But one stint of the latter leaves him in possession of a USB drive that his arrogant new direct superior Carmichael (Page) will ruthlessly kill to destroy. Actually, to be precise, he'll pay Lloyd Hansen (Evans) of Hansen Government Services to do just that, and to do the dirty work that's too dirty for the criminals-turned-government hitmen in the Sierra program, with Six the number-one target. If you've seen one espionage-slash-assassin flick that sends a shadowy life-or-death fight bounding around the planet — here, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Azerbaijan, Germany and Austria all feature, among other spots — then you've seen The Gray Man's template. Directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo helmed the Marvel Cinematic Universe's versions with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, so they know the drill. That they've seen a heap of other entries in the genre is never question, either. That feeling radiates from the script, which is credited to Joe Russo with seasoned Marvel scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: End Game), and clearly styles its one-liners after superhero banter. Having Gosling and Evans sling it, one playing bearded, silent and virtuous and the other moustachioed, jabbering and unhinged, makes a helluva difference, however. The silver screen has missed Gosling, and the moody, charismatic brooding he does so well. Thanks to Drive and Only God Forgives, the actor is firmly in his calm-but-deadly, complex-but-smouldering element — and, when Fitzroy's niece Claire (Butters) joins the story, Gosling is also in comfortable The Nice Guys-style territory. That isn't a complaint; he's great at both, reliably and engagingly so. But, again, almost every aspect of The Gray Man recalls something similar or its stars' past work. As he did so memorably in Knives Out, Evans revels in his latest asshole swerve away from The Star Spangled Man with a Plan, spitting out his smirking dialogue with relish. (The trash 'stash and skin-tight wardrobe are new, but suit the psychopathic vibe that Lloyd is wrapped in as snug as spandex.) That at least 50 shades of this feature have filled other films before can't be shaken, and yet that fact never blows up the movie. Explosions aren't lacking, given the storyline. Neither are setpieces of varying action-flick ridiculousness to house them in, as well as such a hefty dose of transport-related mayhem that the Fast and Furious movies might get envious. There's nothing grey in colour about the first big action extravaganza, staged in Bangkok amid a gleaming nightclub and bursting fireworks — and the Russos' best shootouts, fights and frays boast a sense of playfulness, just like the back-and-forth between Gosling and Evans. Still, some lively lurches stumble. A "Ken doll" quip is too calculated to crib that Barbie mania, and when the setpiece setting ante gets upped to include a hedge maze, it's yet another reminder of riches elsewhere on celluloid. That said, Netflix also previously made the abhorrent Red Notice, the last film badged as its most expensive ever. Next to that atrocious example of cobbling together well-worn parts and plastering them over with megastars, The Gray Man naturally looks like a masterpiece. The Gray Man isn't a masterpiece, though. If it was — rather than being entertaining despite showing the easy dots it's connecting, and its seams — the slickly shot picture would make full use of its entire cast. The film is all the better for having de Armas, Page and the like in it, but they all scream for more screentime (and for better-fleshed-out characters), which may come for some in future instalments. As his mentor Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan saga did, Greaney's books have spawned followups. On the screen, both a sequel and a prequel were reportedly greenlit by Netflix before The Gray Man even reached audiences. Knowing that this is meant to be a franchise-starter doesn't justify its love of formula, or hide it, but it also doesn't detract from Gosling or Evans, or the dazzling destruction around them. The Gray Man screens in cinemas Down Under from Thursday, July 14, and is available to stream via Netflix from Friday, July 22. Image: Paul Abell/Netflix.
Kids do and say the funniest things, with no opportunity spared in reminding us of this fact. We were all children once, so we’ve been there and done that — and an endless parade of movies and TV shows, fictional and otherwise, just wants to keep bringing it up. What We Did On Our Holiday is the latest, the first feature written and directed by the folks behind British child-centric sitcom Outnumbered. Writer/director duo Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin have found what they think is a winning formula, and they’re sticking to it — but should they? Or should audiences? That’s the more pressing question, particularly for those without their own offspring in tow. Showing the amusing side of having a family while managing more than just nodding at those exasperated at their own kids is a far trickier feat than it seems. It’s the entertainment equivalent of a social media feed filled with someone’s proud photos of their children; there needs to be something more than just smiling baby faces for others to have fun. What We Did On Our Holiday brings a likeable, recognisable cast and broad sentiments about not sweating the small stuff along for its journey out of English suburbia and into the Scottish Highlands, in an attempt to package the pitter-patter of tiny feet into something more universally relatable. Recently estranged couple Doug (David Tennant) and Abi (Rosamund Pike) try to keep up the appearance of happiness at the 75th birthday bash of Doug’s cancer-stricken father Gordy (Billy Connolly). Their kids — the sensible older daughter, the cheeky son and the curious youngster — have other plans. Doctor Who and Gone Girl’s Amazing Amy Tennant and Pike are not, instead bickering over their emotional baggage and left looking uncomfortable with their jaws agape at the antics they can’t stop their brood getting up to. Connolly is as charming as ever, even toned-down and waxing lyrical with nostalgia, but the film’s sights are constantly aimed at the trio of tykes under ten spouting semi-improvised dialogue to wring the biggest laughs. To be fair, children can be cute and they can utter hilarious yet insightful pearls of wisdom, particularly in silly situations — which What We Did On Our Holiday has plenty of. Social-climbing relatives and eccentric neighbours provide some of the drama, all of the stereotypical, easily predictable type, of course. Needlessly trying to keep secrets — about a marriage, an illness and from the police after a particularly ridiculous, darker twist — takes care of the rest. The film’s tone of sweet, simple, observational humour is certainly well intentioned, as are the picturesque country and beachside settings. However, 95 minutes of kids stumbling into contrived adult chaos against a pretty backdrop also acts as a test of patience, and some will find their limits exceeded long before the Hollywood ending.
Australia will receive a healthy dose of 1920s razzle-dazzle, as record-breaking Broadway favourite Chicago shimmies onto stages across the country this year. An Aussie production of the smash-hit musical will debut at Sydney's Capitol Theatre in August, before heading to Brisbane's QPAC Lyric Theatre in November and wrapping up at Arts Centre Melbourne from December. The longest-running American musical in Broadway and West End history, the original Kander & Ebb musical has reached the eyeballs of over 31 million people worldwide. Inspiring 2002's Academy Award-winning film of the same name, it tells the tale of a Chicago housewife and nightclub dancer who twirls through a whirlwind of murdered lovers, jail-time, fierce rivalries and tabloid sensationalism set in the decadent 1920s. Taking the stage for Chicago's local run is a cast of well-known Aussie names — catch acclaimed all-rounder Natalie Bassingthwaighte in the lead role of Roxie Hart, musical theatre veteran Alinta Chidzey as her rival Velma Kelly, and ARIA-winning superstar Casey Donovan playing Matron 'Mama' Morton. Based on a 1926 play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, the production showcases music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and choreography by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking. Hot on its black patent heels are two more award-winning musicals heading Down Under. Saturday Night Fever will head to Capital Theatre in Sydney this August, before Waitress hits Aussie shores in 2020. Images: Peter Brew Bevan, Jeremy Daniel.
Tired of doing the same old thing every weekend, going home with a hole in your wallet and the sense of having lost something rather than having gained? If you're searching for something a little more profound to do with your leisure time, then look no further than new exhibition at the Oxford Art Factory, Free-Fall, and ponder the meaning of it all whilst enjoying an alcoholic beverage or two with friends. Free-Fall begins mid April and will be taking place every Friday and Saturday night in the Oxford Art Factory’s Glass Cube. You'll get to experience cutting edge performance art from a diverse selection of Australian artists, including Gregory & Watts, Naomi Oliver, Jodie Whalen, Motel Sisters, John A. Douglas, Greedy Hen, Bridie Connell, Heath Franco, Liam Benson, Leah McPherson and more. The artists will commenting on and confronting everything from the meaning of our physical existence, celebrity worship, notions of masculinity, feminine representation in art and popular culture, to rituals of physical exercise, automatic drawing and a show which makes the audience the object of investigation. Expect to go home with as many questions as answers. Image: Kill Pixie
I recently went to the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Which, contextually, is neither here nor there except that it houses the world's largest collection of ancient Chinese art, stretches for floor upon floor of exhibits and is utterly mind blowing. There were so many incredible artifacts to see that I stopped taking things in after the first floor (which didn't even make it to the last thousand years) and wandered around, wires crossed, in an overwhelmed, blanked-out daze; occasionally stopping in front of one exhibit for longer than another when something in it particularly grabbed me. There's a description of the bust of a horse in my notes — eyes wide, tongue sticking out, 200 BC — which is probably a good example of what I'm going to get at here. It was over two thousand years old, but like so much of the museum's collection it was still so alive; with such finely captured, nimble movement. That's kind of the appeal of comic artist Matt Huynh's work, which you can see some of at The Paper Mill. An exhibition of stand-alone illustrations, Alluvia showcases the self-taught artist's colourful, detailed and dynamic brushwork over twenty thematically varied but uniformly agile pieces. Like the ye olde ceramic horse head, these aren't necessarily wonders of anatomical correctness — some of the proportions tend towards the marginally wonky — but it's a hard task to name a local artist who's work is as distinctively spry. Huyhn largely works as a comic book artist and oft-times collaborative illustrator rather than primarily creating standalone pieces. You may have read his CAB anthology or heard of his upcoming Chinatown Comics project, both of which detail other people's stories of living in particular Sydney neighbourhoods. To be fair, this does show, and some of the illustrations in Alluvia struggle to carry an emotional weight of their own bereft of a story or someone else's voice. Though it's clear that you're supposed to get something out of these drawings, themes of mortality, contemplation and the like can come across as studious rather than visceral. But given that the sensibilities of indie comic artists often run a narrow and arguably lazy gamut from misanthropy to depression, this is potentially more a case of ambitions being slightly out of reach than something to genuinely beef, and it shouldn't stop anyone from wanting to check this show (and relatively new venue) out.
Hollywood's night of nights is fresh in your memory, your to-watch list has grown considerably, but your wallet doesn't want to play ball. Call Dendy Cinemas' latest special a case of great timing, then, with the chain offering up discount tickets that'll solve your problem. Until March 15, as long as you purchase online, you'll only pay $8 for your movie of choice at Newtown or Opera Quays. Or movies. With everything from Black Panther to Phantom Thread to Lady Bird currently screening, there's plenty to watch if you're keen to spend as much time in a darkened room as possible. The special isn't available for special events, Dendy Arts sessions, pre-book tickets or preview screenings, but you're certain to find something to watch regardless.
Not quite the picture of a fledgling festival, Creative Sydney is only turning two but already wise to the game. Part of Vivid festival's 'light, music and ideas' masterplan, Creative Sydney will enliven, educate and blow your socks off. All events are at the MCA and all are free, between June 5 and 13. The first round up of specialists includes creators of the biannual Finders Keepers markets, Brooke Johnston and Sarah Thornton, as well as Douglas Lance Gibson, the man at the helm of indie bible Mountain Fold. Also sharing their skills are TMOD, aka Georgie Swift, and Milenka Osen, aka conceptual jewellery-makers and interactive stationary designers extraordinaire. The 10 x 10 project returns this year, with 10 industry icons each letting you know their top 10 creatives to keep an eye on (or employ) in the coming year. The business end isn't left out of the deal either, with 'how to' panels for agents and managers, curators, promoters, creative advertisers and artists trying to survive on their work. Other features focus on the mapping of Sydney's creative territory and incorporating sustainability into everyday business practice. We're particularly getting behind I, Robot — a Creative Sydney session par exemplar, where high-tech players Dorkbot mix it with the more lo-fi likes of Even Books and the Australian Theatre for Young People for a night that plumbs the depths of meaning that sci-fi has always promised. The festival will finish with a giant Block Party at Circular Quay. Image: Totem poles from George Gittoes' performance, Night Vision, Creative Sydney 2009.
There's something utterly mesmerising about watching a person soar through water — it's no wonder swimming is one of the most-watched sports at the Olympics. Seeing a human being take on one of the earth's most powerful elements is transfixing. It also feels pretty great, too, when you're the one cutting through The Big Blue, cool water on your skin, that feeling of buoyancy and lightness. But, not all of us are natural born swimmers. Some of us need a little help to find our feet (or fins) in the big blue wet thing. So we've partnered with the folks at Gage Roads Brewing Co, in celebration of the refreshing and aptly named Single Fin summer ale, and found five ways you can upskill in the water this summer. Yep, you'll be the next Dawn Fraiser or Ian Thorpe in no time. Hey, we like to aim high. BUST A MOVE AT SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING You know those schools of glittering silver fish that dart around the water, left then right, completely in unison? Well, you can channel their precision and become a part of your own school at a synchronised swimming class. Sure, it might sound a little retro or remind you of Mike Myers hairy chest in the opening scene of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me — but water ballet, as it was formerly known, will teach you all about coordination and grace in the water. You can register with the Sydney Emeralds Synchro Club to attend a free trial at Burwood, North Sydney or Cook and Phillip Pool. Each session runs for 1.5–2.5 hours and starts with a 30-minute on-land warm up. Groovy, baby. LEARN TO SURF IN MANLY We're pretty sure everyone who saw Point Break wanted to learn to surf (or steal Patrick Swayze's hairdo). And, really, if you live in Sydney, you have no excuse. We've got beaches, surf schools and mostly perfect sunny weather — that's all you need. Make this summer the year that you learn to hang-ten like a pro. Better yet, do it with a group of mates. Manly Surf School runs adult group sessions for $70 per surf lesson and you can do as many or as few as you like. Just make sure after you successfully ride a wave in that you properly celebrate with a coupla Single Fins. MASTER EVERY SWIMMING STROKE Perhaps you've spent your swimming life getting by on some sort of doggy paddle-breaststroke hybrid that isn't particularly graceful or effective. We get it, not everyone is a natural-born fish. But this summer, it might be time to master the four basic strokes: butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle. Different Strokes Swimming offers adult swim classes — in groups of five or less, so everyone gets attention — all across Sydney, from Prince Alfred Park to Drummoyne Swimming Centre. The first lesson is free; you'll just need to bring along goggles, a swimming cap, sunscreen and water (for drinking, they'll provide the swimming H2O). When you finally nail the tricky butterfly, treat yourself to a cold one. BECOME A CERTIFIED SCUBADIVER Since the summer of '69, Pro Dive has been teaching Sydneysiders how to scuba dive. Head along to one of the weekend courses ($299 for 2.5 days: one evening plus Saturday and Sunday) and get certified to dive anywhere in the world, while you check out Sydney's budding marine life. All equipment is provided — you just need your togs and a towel — you'll take four ocean training dives and receive access to e-learning, pool training, a log book and international certification. Pick between two aquatic wonderlands, Coogee or Manly, to see the Sydney which resides beneath the waves. Once you've finished the course, grab a couple of Single Fins to celebrate. LEARN TO PLAY UNDERWATER RUGBY Okay, this is definitely one for those who can handle themselves underwater and are seeking a challenge. Underwater rugby is a fast-paced, exhilarating sport which is as difficult as it sounds, but extremely rewarding. Designed to keep you fit and fierce, each game tests your swimming skills and coordination, your grit and determination. The rules are relatively straightforward — one ball, two goals, two teams try and score — but the whole being underwater thing definitely makes things more difficult. UNSW runs mixed training sessions every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. The first session is free, all you need to bring is your swimmers and a towel. Grab a brew after the match, trust us, you'll need it. Make your next summertime fling a Single Fin. The light-bodied ale is packed with plenty of hoppy flavour to keep you smiling all season.
Calling all poorly dressed werewolves and bad fake blood jobs: it's your turn to step into the sun. This Halloween, Lost Disco is heading to the Greenwood Hotel's courtyard to deliver you an 11-hour, techno-house dance marathon. If you've attended a Lost Disco shindig before, you'll know what to expect: high production values, cutting-edge programming and a crowd that doesn't let anything stand in the way of a damn good time. And, given that it's Halloween, you can anticipate some surprises too. Topping the lineup is London's Mr. G, in live format, closely followed by Venezuelan-born, Barcelona-living Fur Coat. Then there's Australia's own dirty house and techno guru, DJ HMC (Late Nite Tuff Guy), all the way from Adelaide. Another 22 names round out the program, including Alan Thomas, B_A, Gabby, U-Khan and Mark Craven.
When Four Brave Women launched in Summer Hill in April, the restaurant opened with a simple but important aim. As well as serving up delicious food to inner west residents, it provides refugee women and families with the experience, skills and funds to launch their own businesses. Run by not-for-profit organisation The Trading Circle, the eatery offers eight-week placements to its budding chefs, who take on the responsibility of running the place during their tenure — including designing the menu, which changes with each new group. But two months taking care of buffet-style lunch and dinner offerings isn't always enough, so Four Brave Women also started longer barista placements to cover its breakfast service and coffee cart. Next, the outfit is opening a pop-up international bakery and catering company, in another continuation of its core mission. Located next door to Four Brave Women's existing spot in Lackey Street, it'll be overseen by refugee and migrant women who have already been working in the organisation's program. Zara from Iran, and Yulia and Iana from Ukraine and Russia will head up the bakery and work among the catering chefs. Officially launching on Monday, October 8, the bakery will open from 7am—3pm Monday to Saturday, boasting an array of sweet and savoury treats. Like the restaurant, its menu will be feature culinary favourites inspired by the heritage of its cooks. Zara is known for her bespoke cakes and Persian biscuits, while Iana and Yulia will bake specialties such as Ukrainian ricotta donuts, vegan pirozhki (a savoury Eastern European stuffed pastry) and medovik (a Russian layered honey cake). The bakery's temporary lease runs until December 31 — and as well as a wood-fired oven and a large commercial kitchen, it also features an extended outdoor courtyard next to the original Four Brave Women restaurant. For those eager to follow up their baked snack with a coffee or meal, the adjacent eatery will be focusing on dishes from Iraq, Kuwait and Turkey for the next eight weeks, under the guidance of Iraqi sisters Matheel and Vivian. Find Four Brave Women at 26 Lackey Street, Summer Hill. The neighbouring bakery opens on Monday, October 8, operating from 7am—3pm Monday to Saturday.
Nursing homes can be haunted places, filled with cobwebbed memories and inhabitants perched between worlds here and gone. They are also places of joy, of old tales retold and new friends made in the closing autumn years. Multidisciplined company, Theatre Kantanka, have spent the past year interviewing nursing home residents in order to reveal the secrets of the aged care world. Comprising a palette of backgrounds and artforms, the creative team behind Missing the Bus to David Jones brings new light to this part of our community, resulting in a production that visits a small part of the immense variety to be found in the elderly human condition.To win one of two double passes to Missing The Bus To David Jones, email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with the name of the play in the subject line.Photo by Joanne Saad
While kids may get excited about Santa coming down chimneys, Rudolph's red nose and magical gift-making elves, that doesn't mean Christmas has to be devoid of charm for us kidults. Head down to Moore Park this holiday season (kids in tow or not) and you'll find a Christmas-themed family-friendly extravaganza. Taking over the Entertainment Quarter for the first two weekends of December, the Sydney Christmas Fair will provide all the festive fun you could ask for. If you're keen to get a dose of adrenaline, tear your way around the dodgem cars, hop on a carousel and soar through the sky on the Wave Swinger. Or, check out the vast amount of Carnival-style games, then cool off by racing down a giant water slide. There'll also be a gingerbread house party, dress up competitions, creative workshops, photo ops with Santa and an outdoor cinema screening Christmas classics, naturally. There is a global pandemic to be mindful of, so expect extra hygiene facilities and social distancing measures to be in place during your visit. Pre-booking tickets is encouraged and you can do so over here. Sydney Christmas Fair is running from December 4–6 and December 11–13. It is open 5–7pm on Friday, 10am–9pm Saturday and 10am–4pm on Sunday.
UPDATE, October 7, 2021: Due to lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne in 2021, Pinot Palooza has postponed its 2021 event until 2022. This article has been updated to reflect that change. Master sommelier Madeline Triffon describes pinot noir as 'sex in a glass'. Winemaker Randy Ullom calls it 'the ultimate nirvana'. Broadway wannabe Titus Andromedon loved it so much he compares it to 'caviar, Myanmar, mid-size car' (see below). No wonder the good folk at Revel — who've also brought Malbec Day and Mould our way — are coming back to town with Pinot Palooza, an epic travelling wine festival celebrating all things peeeno noir. For just two days, Sydney wine connoisseurs will have the chance to sample more than 100 drops, direct from Australia and New Zealand's best producers. Whether you're a newbie who wants to start with something light and inviting, or a pinot pro ready for the biggest, most complex mouthful on the menu, there'll be an abundance of selections at either end — and plenty along the spectrum, too. If, at any point, you need to take a pause in your tasting adventures, you'll be catered for. Pinot Palooza will hit Carriageworks on Friday, June 17 (from 4.30–8.30pm) and Saturday, June 18 (from 11am–3pm and 4–8pm). Tickets are $65, and include all tastings and a take-home wine glass. https://youtu.be/A6yttOfIvOw
In the Bram Stoker vampire novel that's inspired almost all other vampire novels, Dracula is undead. In popular culture since and forever, the fictional Transylvanian bloodsucker will never die. Regardless of his fate on the page back in 1897, the most-portrayed character in horror movies ever keeps baring his fangs on-screen, rising again and again like the sun that this creature of the night can never bask in. 2023 brings two new Dracula films, which isn't overly notable, but this crop of Stoker-influenced flicks doesn't simply retell the usual 126-year-old tale. Leaning into comedy and action, Renfield sunk its teeth in by giving the vampire's long-suffering familiar some love. Now the dread-dripping Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter hones in on one chapter of the book that started it all, detailing the captain's log from the neck-munching fiend's journey to London via ship. In print, this stint of seafaring isn't Dracula's main focus. In adaptations upon adaptations over the past century, sometimes it isn't even included — or, if it does pop up, it's often a montage or a passing mention. The watery trip glistens with horror-movie potential, however, boasting a specific setting, a captive group, and an ominous force stalking and slaying. Slasher films, haunted-house fare, Jaws, Alien: they've all fed on such scenarios. Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter has spent decades in various stages of development, cycling through a feast of various talents, but bringing this Dracula chapter to the screen was always a sound idea. While the end result doesn't star Noomi Rappace (You Won't Be Alone), Ben Kingsley (Daliland), Jude Law (Peter Pan & Wendy) or Viggo Mortensen (Thirteen Lives) as previously floated, and isn't directed by Robert Schwentke (The Captain, Allegiant), Marcus Nispel (Conan the Barbarian, Friday the 13th) or Neil Marshall (The Lair, Hellboy), a solid concept with eerie, moody and gory potential remains at its core. Leading instead: Corey Hawkins (In the Heights) as physician Clemens, Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale) as stowaway Anna and Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) as Captain Eliot. The former hops onto the latter's ship in Eastern Europe, where a promised job falls through due to his race, forcing a pivot onto the Demeter's crew to return to England. Clemens isn't the only new boarding, with the vessel also welcoming 50 unmarked crates from the Carpathian Mountains. Given that the film is named Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter Down Under — elsewhere, it's known as just The Last Voyage of the Demeter — there's no surprises about what's among the cargo. So, as initially told in Dracula's seventh chapter, in the epistolary format of letters, journals and clippings that Stoker's tome deployed across the entire novel, the key contents of those mysterious wooden chests soon begins offing fellow seafarers. As it relishes gothic-horror chills and, later, gruesome blood spills, there's a full-circle air to the latest film by Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark director André Øvredal. Of course Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter feels like Alien but Dracula, or Halloween with the nape-chomping Count — all visions of slaughter at sea owe his acclaimed text's 'The Dailygraph' segment a debt, and all slasher flicks owe Stoker's book as a whole. Bragi F Schut (Escape Room) and Zak Olkewicz's (Bullet Train) screenplay isn't quaking about those similarities. It isn't afraid of unfurling a narrative with zero tension about its outcome, either, because Dracula's time in London is already that well-covered. Indeed, after commencing with the end that's so deeply established, the bulk of the movie arrives as flashbacks, as lifted from Eliot's log, of the infernal odyssey that eventuates whenever "a man, tall and thin, and ghastly pale" — aka a Nosferatu-esque Dracula (Javier Botet, His House) — awakes from coffin. Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter's script is an invitation to its filmmaker, then: take this setup, with its familiar situation, famous monster and foregone conclusion, and make it an old-school frightfest through atmosphere, execution and investment in characters. Øvredal largely obliges. Exactly what the audience knows will happen does — regardless of how intimate you are with the source material, or past Drac outings, or not — but this isn't a mere water-treading viewing experience in the Norwegian director's hands. How creepily and compellingly this story is splashed across the screen is as crucial as the plot details. So is the film's willingness to let its antagonist terrify, plus its eagerness to flesh out its pivotal humans. Enlisting Botet, who was also a menacing presence in Mama, Crimson Peak, IT, Insidious: The Last Key and Slender Man, helps. In avoiding relegating Clemens, Anna, Eliot, his grandson Toby (Woody Norman, C'mon C'mon) and first mate Wojchek (David Dastmalchian, Oppenheimer) to just prey and pawns, the rest of the cast also assists. The ins and outs of Schut and Olkewicz's script see the science-minded Clemens set sail, clash with the Demeter's crew over their faith in myth and superstition — they're also not fussed about his attire or smooth hands — then try to hunt down the creature that's leaving a red-streaked body count. The film's narrative also chronicles Anna's shock appearance mid-voyage, as well as a cat-and-mouse game as the living endeavour to stop the undead. Øvredal's committed direction, plus discerning cinematography (by Mortal's Roman Osin and The Ice Road's Tom Stern), production design (Edward Thomas, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions) and composing (Bear McCreary, Foundation), showers that doomed journey with unease. As the helmer's filmography already attests, he knows the horror genre's basics inside out. And, he's equally aware that textured performances leave a mark, whether Hawkins is conveying why believing in the rational is so important to Clemens, or Franciosi is expressing pain and perseverance, or Cunningham embodying down-with-the-ship dutifulness. As it charts its carnage-filled cruise, Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter isn't an origin story but an in-between story. "In-between" sums up the picture overall, too. It lingers in the middle of Hammer flicks and Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula. It is gleefully keen on bloodshed, but also frequently refined in look and feel. Øvredal's feature is enthusiastic about staking its own claim; however, as too much does lately, it goes to great efforts to spark a follow-up — and attempt to resurrect Universal's monster movies after 2014's Dracula Untold and 2017's The Mummy failed. (Consider Renfield and Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter's swift-in-succession releases the studio giving itself two new tastes.) This trip with ol' Drac never sinks, yet it also doesn't truly soar. For the bloodsucker himself over this particular journey, that's a welcome outcome. For viewers witnessing a literary masterpiece given a different big-screen spin after its packed history, it's enough to bite into.
Birds chirp, rainbows form and the sun shines a little brighter when the Sydney Dog Lovers Show comes around. And in 2021, it's returning for another year of pats, licks and parades on the weekend of Saturday, August 7–Sunday, August 8. Once again, it'll take place at the Sydney Showgrounds — and yes, the dedicated puppy cuddle zone is returning. The Sydney Dog Lovers Show will see thousands of dedicated pooch fans celebrating the noble four-legged monarch of human companionship. There'll be dozens of furry friends available for adoption from dozens rescue groups across NSW in the adoption zone, where you can learn up on what's actually involved with the process. Plus, DockDogs will be back, featuring a competitive long jump and high jump for talented dogs who want to flop into a pool of water. Dogs, amiright? But hold up — you came here to cuddle pooches. We're getting there. Punters can make their way to the Pat-a-Pooch zone to cuddle up to a wide range of Australia's most loveable and popular breeds from puppy to adult dogs — we're talking uppity dachshunds to fluffball samoyeds. This has undeniably been the main attraction of previous year's events, and gives kitten cafes a run for their money. There's plenty more happening over the two days of furry friended fun. Not sure which type of pooch is perfect for you? Sign up for a Pawfect Match session where you'll be paired with your ultimate dog breed. Already found your tail-waggin' soulmate? Get some expert tips on training, behaviour, first-aid and nutrition in seminars by some of Australia's big name vets.
If a photograph has ever been able to transcend the visual, been able to be heard, then Bill Henson’s current exhibition contains some serious contenders. In his characteristic sombre style, Henson’s images encompass the portrait and the landscape, combining fragile human studies (for which he has become renowned), epic vistas and enigmatic ruins. Shot in large-scale and installed without framing, ensuring an intimate view, Henson’s photographs totally transform the gallery and make a powerful statement, working two angles at once. A lone, rocky island is at once familiar and otherworldly, broken stories dripping from the recognisable ruins, while the portraits — in particular the one showing a girl in profile, her head held by another’s hands, affecting the movement of a baptism — are delicate yet potent. The image that really sings is the one of the waterfall; you can hear the water as it falls, almost feel the spray, and, in the masterly style that has made Henson one of Australia’s premier photographers, he captures the power of the gushing water without detracting from the diaphanous quality of the veil of water.
Music fans, assemble. If you're the one your mates turn to for music recommendations and gig suggestions, consider heading to The Rocks this weekend to catch live tunes from musicians on the rise at Songwriters @ The Rocks as part of Sydney Solstice. It's a sure-fire way to preserve your status as the go-to friend for music recommendations. And the best part, it's all free. On Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19, 20 singer-songwriters will take to the stage at various venues in The Rocks in an attempt to make it to the all-important Songwriters @ The Rocks finale. Four finalists will be selected by a panel of industry heavyweights to battle it out in the grand final on Sunday, June 20. Here, they'll play alongside Aussie musicians who have already made their mark in the industry including Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson, Boo Seeka and Tia Gostelow. To catch the final, head to First Fleet Park from 1–4pm on Sunday, June 20 and find out who will be crowned the next big thing in Aussie music. As this is a licensed event, all underage attendees must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Songwriters @ The Rocks will take place from Friday, June 18–Sunday, June 20. For more information, visit the website.
On the night of the 12th, the incident that makes that date worthy of a movie's moniker happens quickly, heartbreakingly and horrifyingly so. It's October 2016, in the French Alps-region city of Grenoble, and Clara Royer (Lula Cotton-Frapier, Mixte) is walking home alone after an evening at her best friend Nanie's (Pauline Serieys, Grown Ups). It's 3am, the streets are quiet, and she's giddy with affection, sending a video message telling her pal how much she loves her. All it takes is a hooded figure emerging from the dark, whispering her name, dousing her with liquid and sparking a lighter, and Clara will never arrive home. Before this occurs in The Night of the 12th's opening scenes, director and co-writer Dominik Moll (Only the Animals) shares details just has distressing and dismaying: the French police are tasked with solving 800 murders a year, 20 percent of them never can be and, sadly, the case in this feature is among the latter. It might seem a strange decision, giving away the film's ending before it even begins; however, while The Night of the 12th is about the search for Clara's killer, it's never about the murderer. Instead, as it adapts 30 pages from Pauline Guéna's non-fiction book 18.3 — A Year With the Crime Squad, takes a Zodiac-style procedural approach and opts for a Mindhunter-esque survey of interrogations as well, it makes clear how easy and common it is for situations like this come about, especially in a world where women are slain at men's whims with frequency (then typically blamed if any of their own actions can be wrongly perceived to have put themselves in danger). Alongside David Fincher's serial killer fare, Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder casts a shadow, too, as detective Yohan Vivès (Bastien Bouillon, Jumbo) and his partner Marceau (Bouli Lanners, Nobody Has to Know) scour the area for suspects and answers. "The problem is that any one of them could have done it," Yohan observes after potential culprit after potential culprit fields their queries and flouts their engrained misogyny. Was it the bartender boyfriend (Baptiste Perais, The Companions), who saw Clara as nothing more than a fling on the side? The gym buddy (Jules Porier, Simone Veil, a Woman of the Century) that's guffawing seconds after the cops bring up the killing, all while bragging about a friends-wth-benefits setup? A rapper (Nathanaël Beausivoir, Runaway) knew the police would come calling because he wrote a song about setting Clara alight, while an awkward local squatter (Benjamin Blanchy, Spiral) welcomes the attention. By the time that her dalliance with an older man (Pierre Lottin, Les Harkis) with a violent past and convictions for domestic abuse comes up, one of Yohan and Marceau's colleagues is joking about Clara's taste in men. Judgemental views about women don't just fester among the interviewees; how many cases have been hindered by such prejudiced perspectives, The Night of the 12th silently gives viewers cause to wonder. Played as meticulous and passionate by Bouillon, the newly promoted Yohan isn't one of those chauvinist officers. More prone to splashing his feelings around in Lanners' hands, neither is Marceau. The film's central duo is dutiful and dedicated, and their efforts turn The Night of the 12th into a chronicle of devoted and hard-working people doing what they're supposed to — and well, and with care — even if viewers instantly know they won't achieve their desired outcome. In the script by Moll and his regular co-scribe Gilles Marchand (Eastern Boys), both men find the case impacting them in different ways, though, including the fact that their obsessive endeavours don't and won't wrap up the case. Amid chasing leads, making enquiries and sitting down with the men in Clara's life, Yohan lives a spartan existence in his spick-and-span apartment and in his relationships. Marceau is navigating a marriage breakdown, and his emotions run high personally and professionally. It might seem strange, too, crafting a movie about a murdered young woman that's actually about men. (If that one word hadn't already been used as a film title this year, also for a Cannes-premiering flick about the terrors that haunt a patriarchal society, it would've fit here). But as Moll puts it, and as won't come as a surprise to anyone watching for a second, The Night of the 12th's focus on male cops and assailants is simply and mournfully realistic. Still, his feature is as committed to ensuring that Clara is never a mere statistic as its main duo are to trying to find the person responsible for her death. The reality this story is based on has made her one of many unsolved cases, but that Clara lived, loved and was loved is never in doubt within the movie's frames. (Among the picture's many supporting performances, Cotton-Frapier's leaves an imprint.) Also indisputable: Nanie's contention that her friend only died, and in such an appalling manner, because she was female; plus Yohan's reflection to a magistrate (Anouk Grinberg, Deception) overseeing the proceedings years later that "there is something seriously amiss in the relationship between men and women." The Night of the 12th's details express these sentiments anyway, and Moll prefers to let the story and its minutiae do the talking, but overtly stating such notions never feels forceful. That's the film from start to finish, in fact, because this is a richly elaborate piece of cinema that lets its presence be known in a lived-in way, including via Patrick Ghiringhelli's (Only the Animals) crisp cinematography and Olivier Marguerit's (Méduse) brooding score. The Night of the 12th is a feature to sleuth along with, as Moll's second whodunnit in a row, but it's also a picture to sink into as its stark truths inhabit everything seen and heard. Three choices, all contributing to much of the striking imagery, perhaps encapsulate this patiently powerful affair best — and all that it aims to convey. Yohan and Marceau's interrogations span a varied lineup of spaces, from dank bedrooms and crumbling shacks to bars and airy apartments, inherently stressing how pervasively threats to Clara's existence have lurked. A moodily lit velodrome gives Yohan his sole outlet from the case, offering a much-needed physical coping mechanism, and all that pedalling around and around is innately symbolic. Then there's the mountainous Grenoble and the Maurienne valley setting overall, moved from Versailles where Guéna spent a year in the Criminal Investigation Department, and not just naturally gorgeous but picture perfect and easy fodder for scenic French holiday dreams. Something atrocious, complex and unsolvable happens there, just as it can and does anywhere — and shaking that, and the tightly wound, deeply piercing movie overall, isn't easy.
Helping you go back to simpler times and get into the holiday spirit this December is Hoyts Cinemas, with its new retro series the Best of the Classics. Or, as some would say, the perfect escape from the real world. Every week from December 3 till December 23, Hoyts Cinemas across Sydney will be screening 1980s blockbusters — jam-packed with big hair, shoulder pads and oddball comedy — as well as toe tap-worthy musicals and, as Christmas creeps up, cheery holiday movies. From the 80s, you can expect Apocalypse Now, Rocky, Enter the Dragon and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Musical-wise, there's everything from Mamma Mia to Chicago, Bohemian Rhapsody and The Greatest Showman. And, to help spread some much-needed cheer, it'll be screening Christmas classics such as the OG Home Alone, alongside Elf, The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Santa Clause. Sessions dates and times vary for each participating Hoyts cinema, so it's best to check the Hoyts Best of the Classics program here before booking in your next movie date. Find your closest Hoyts Cinema here — then check out the Best of the Classics program and book your seats. Top images: 'Mamma Mia' and 'Chicago'
Alexandria's all-vegan brewery Yulli's Brews is dishing up an unlikely, but very welcome, combo when it hosts its second boozy greyhound adoption drive on Sunday, September 15. The usual lineup of brews and vegan pub food will have to step out of the spotlight for the afternoon as the the team at Greyhound Rescue will be there with a pop-up adoption station. If you're ready to add a new four-legged addition to your family, you'll be able to meet some orphaned doggos and start the process to meet your perfect fluffy match. Adoption fees will be reduced on the day. Even if you can't take on the responsibility of adopting a dog, you can still head along and donate some cash to the charity while drinking from the bar's karma keg. Or bring your own pup for a good old-fashioned doggy meetup. Pooches are allowed all throughout the venue. Adoption and Ales will run from midday–5pm.
These days you can’t tell if it’s going to rain or shine. You could be heading to the beach and get caught in the rain, so rather than hedge your bets and end up wet, head to the AGNSW and see a perfect landscape in The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur. Garden & Cosmos shows the artist’s command over the land. Flora and fauna are simultaneously reduced and elaborated, laid out in an ordered yet sumptuous manner, as the artists (commissioned by the Maharajas over the 17–19th centuries) depict the physical and the metaphysical. Some paintings show courtly life full of splendorous robes and stately pleasures, while others ponder the universe and our existence. All share an elaborate style, exquisite detail and humour. This momentous exhibition, which has travelled from London’s British Museum, marks the first display of these rare paintings outside India. It forms part of the Gallery’s Indian Summer at the Gallery, celebrated with events from performances to lectures, garden walks to workshops.Garden & Cosmos may not represent Indian life as others knew it at the time, but it sure makes for sweet daydreaming.Bulaki, The Practice of Yoga, 1824, opaque watercolour and gold on paper
After spending the last two years celebrating cheese in the Hunter Valley, the Kurrajong Kitchen Cheese Lovers Festival has an extra gift for Sydney dairy fiends in 2018: it's bringing the love to the city. For its third year, the fest will take over Centennial Park for a day of gooey, creamy goodness — and sharp and bitey too, if that's your preference. This cheesy, cheesy festival will showcase over 50 cheese, wine and craft beer stalls with tasting opportunities, all included in the $25 entry fee. Yes, tasting opportunities. There's an amateur 'fancy cheesecake' competition, cheesemaking classes and workshops with White Rabbit Brewery to help you pair beer and cheese like a pro. And, like last year, there will also be the opportunity to attend a special lunch with a three-course cheesy menu — with Justine Schofield doing the 2018 honours. Basically, if you can't find a reason to add it to your calendar, you're not looking hard enough. And that's just the official side of things. There'll also be a cheese sundae on offer — that is, molten knafeh cheese in a waffle basket with syrup, crushed pistachios and rose petals on top. And if you're vegan and think this isn't for you, this year the fest will host its first vegan cheese stall, so there really is something for everyone.
Film lovers in Marrickville have a new place to indulge their love of the big screen, with Addison Road Community Centre adding a community cinema to the mix. Transforming Gumbramorra Hall into an independent screening space, it'll be open to sessions for local groups and indie film festivals. The Addison Road Picture House will launch on June 24 as part of the Pachamama Festival, one of the regular events put together by the Sydney Latin American Film Festival team. Aiming to bring together Latin American and Indigenous artists and storytellers in a program of art, film, dance, talks, workshops and music, the fest's movie lineup includes Mara'akame's Dream, which will become the first flick to screen in the new cinema space. A Mexican effort exploring the role ancient tradition in modern life, it'll be followed by Aussie documentary Zach's Ceremony, as well as Bolivian feature The Land Without Evil. While it mightn't be operating as a regular picture palace, more places to see films is always a good thing. For fans of cinema history, the Addison Road Picture House is being pitched as "the spiritual successor of the Inner West's old Art Deco cinemas that closed down in the '50s & '60s," according to the Addison Road Community Centre. For more information, or to keep an eye on what's coming up in the venue, head to their website or Facebook page.
In this fun, creative one-woman play happening as part of Sydney Fringe, the audience gets to decide what happens. You can think of Paul Gilchrist's All The Difference as the theatrical version of Choose Your Own Adventure. It's also a exploration of the contemporary problem of having way too many choices. Kathryn Schuback plays Flik, who has a story to share. It's very funny and rather sad, and its outcome is beyond her control. That's because what happens at every twist and turn is determined by your vote. You have a say in where she goes, who she loves, what she buys and how she lives. While keeping things fast-moving and entertaining, Gilchrist's script simultaneously explores profound philosophical questions concerning free choice, denial and morality. All The Difference is presented by independent theatre company subtlenuance, where the focus is on writing and producing original, creative, thought-provoking Australian plays.
Planning a trip to the Blue Mountains? Head to the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre where you'll find a Christmas artisan market, a designers' panel discussion and a couple of exhibitions, which are all happening on the one day. Taking over the Katoomba-based venue on Saturday December 14, these design-focused events give you an excuse to skip the city for the day and, in the process, explore the Mountains' art and design scene. Want to get a kick-start on your Christmas shopping? You'll find something unique at the Xmas Wollemi Artisan Market. Look out for handcrafted textile art by Blushing Rose, stunning prints by Block and Baren and resin jewellery by Mikano World, among other delights. In between browsing, kick back to local music and snack on gourmet eats. Meanwhile, in the gallery, there'll be two stunning exhibitions. The first, Obsessed: Compelled to Make, features 14 Australian designers and makers and is a touring show from the Australian Design Centre. You can also catch a panel discussion starring artist Honor Freeman, designer Stephen Goddard and curator Lisa Cahill at 11am. The talk will delve into the fundamental human need to create, plus discuss artists' inspiration and practice. The second exhibition is John Mawurndjul: I am the old and the new, a collection of the Kuninjku artist's bark paintings that spans 40 years. Entry to both exhibitions and the talk are ticketed, costing $5 per person. Then, head to a local cafe for a late lunch or go for a bushwalk to make the most of your trip to the Mountains. [caption id="attachment_751910" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Angus Lee Forbes[/caption] Top images: Angus Lee Forbes and Ona Janzen.
One of the most powerful players in the media game, Arianna Huffington, is coming to Carriageworks. Discussing her brand new book Thrive with the equally formidable political gun Annabel Crabb, Huffington is one of the planet's most kickass women, after launching the Huffington Post in 2005 and casually taking out one of Time's 100 Most Influential People just one year later. Being the first online-only outlet to take home a Pulitzer Prize for reporting, Huffington Post is undeniably one of the world's most widely referred-to sites (you've probably checked it today already). Huffington herself has spearheaded the whole escapade, currently the chair, president and editor-in-chief for the Huffington Post Media Group — a long way from her not-so-humble Cambridge graduate beginnings as a nationally-syndicated columnist. After all these years, the 64-year-old (!) can spin some pretty epic tales, like that casual meditation session she held with Deepak Chopra, being able to get a word in with Bill O'Reilly and running against Arnold Schwartzenegger in the 2003 recall election. Taking multitasking next level, the Greek-American powerhouse has penned her own lengthily-titled book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom and Wonder. Somehow, in the midst of managing coverage of ebola breakouts, the Gaza-Israel conflict and the fact that Americans are totally over fast food burgers, Huffington now schedules in rest, mindfulness and health to her day (much more rewarding outcomes than all that money and power in her pocket). As part of the Sydney Opera House's Ideas at the House program, Huffington and Crabb will delve into the media heavyweight's rise and how success has affected her both positively and negatively. "We are thrilled to be presenting Arianna Huffington, she’s a visionary leader and one of the most influential women in media who continues to inspire," said Ideas at the House senior producer, Danielle Harvey . If you're after a much-needed 'stop sitting on your hands' type of wake-up call, throw some dosh on a ticket to this one-off meeting of total bosses.
Tommy Hilfiger is headed to Paddington this month to showcase its youth and denim brand, Tommy Jeans. The American apparel brand will pop up on Oxford Street on November 17–18 for a weekend of fashion, music and giveaways. Across November 17 and 18, shoppers can nab the latest Tommy Jeans threads, from both the line's main range and the new Tommy Jeans 6.0 capsule collection. To balance out the inevitable spending, get there early on Saturday — the first 100 people through the door will receive a goodie bag worth $100. Plus, on Sunday, radio network Nova 96.9's Casanova street crew will be on-site from 3.30pm with plenty more giveaways and games to take part in. Live DJ sets by the likes of Stacie Fields, DJ Tigerlily, Juay Kennedy and DJ Mowgli May will keep up the party atmosphere on both days. And a meet-and-greet with brand model Josh Heuston will go down from noon–2pm on Saturday, too. The Tommy Jeans pop-up store will open from 9am–6pm on Saturday and Sunday. For the full schedule of events, head to the Tommy Hilfiger website.
In August, Hollywood lost a legend, with William Friedkin passing away at the age of 87. This one hits hard, with the iconic director enjoying an enviable career, constantly testing the limits of filmmaking and helming some of best movies of the 70s. Here's one: a little flick called The Exorcist, which had heads spinning on- and off-screen, scored ten Oscar nominations and became the first-ever horror movie to be in the running for the Best Picture award. One of the greatest-ever films in the genre, it also sparked a franchise that's still going today — but, no matter what follows, it'll always be the best of the bunch. Here's another: New York-set crime-thriller The French Connection, home to a powerhouse performance by Gene Hackman — an Oscar-winning one, too — and the reason that Friedkin has a Best Director Academy Award. In a retrospective called The Fearless William Friedkin, Golden Age Cinema and Bar is paying tribute to the filmmaker in the best way there is: showing his work. The Exorcist and The French Connection are on the bill, of course, as part of a four-title lineup. If you haven't experienced Sorcerer yet, then you haven't experienced true cinematic tension. Driving trucks filled with volatile dynamite through South America, across 351 kilometres of unstable roads, makes for utterly nerve-shredding viewing — and a movie masterpiece. Also on the lineup is To Live and Die in LA, an early highlight on Willem Dafoe's resume that sees him play a master criminal. The film season's flicks pop up at different dates and times until mid-October — get the specifics from the cinema.
Sydney may be a delightful city in which one spends their time, but, let's face it, isn't it nice to get away too? Especially when you don't have to travel too far to get to something as rewarding as this year's High & Dry Festival.Only two hours north of Sydney on Aboriginal land this weekend is Australia's first festival run on 100% renewable energy (combination of solar, wind and bicycle power). Born from a makeshift, spontaneous event over New Year's Eve in 2007 when poor weather cancelled the Peats Ridge Festival, High & Dry returns to its own set of loyal fans and no doubt a whole bunch of new ones. And who wouldn't be a fan of a festival that boasts a focus on creative and performative arts and not just music. There'll be puppets, installations, markets and much, much more. That said, there's music too, with the likes of Entropic, The Barons of Tang and Combat Wombat treading the boards. They are but three of the one hundred acts programmed at this three-day event.There's bound to be an emphasis on sustainable community and intimate summertime magic this year at High & Dry.
It's official: the warm weather has finally returned to Sydney shores. And when you're not lounging on the beach, you should be hitting up our city's best outdoor venues — both old favourites and new additions. Luckily, the Museum of Contemporary Art knows there's nothing better than sitting in the sun and sipping cocktails by the water. So, the museum has teamed up with top-notch tequila brand Patrón to launch a summer pop-up bar. The bar opened on Thursday, October 31 and is running from 4–10pm every Wednesday through Sunday until February 16. It'll be running alongside the gallery's retrospective exhibition of British artist Cornelia Parker, also sponsored by Patrón, as part of the MCA's 2019/2020 Sydney International Art Series. It's an all-out celebration of art, culture and fine tequila — and everyone is invited. The ground floor terrace has been transformed into an airy, hacienda-inspired bar that looks straight out over the harbour. Expect an openair space with a polished concrete bar, colourful wall murals and heaps of leafy plants. The bar opens out onto a 'lawn' with wicker sling-back chairs surrounding tequila barrel tables. The space offers unrestricted views across to the Sydney Opera House and will surely give a few other harbourside bars a run for their money this season. Instead of using your usual gin or whisky cocktails, the bartenders will, of course, be shaking and stirring drinks with Patrón — namely Silver, Reposado and Añejo. The 100-percent agave tequila is hand-harvested and produced in small batches in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, which gives it its premium edge, so expect after-work drinks to get a lot fancier. You (and your mates) will be able to spend a balmy evening sipping negronis, highballs and old-fashioneds, all with a seasonal tequila twist. You can also opt for a Patrón, lime and soda, or the signature cocktail inspired by British artist Cornelia Parker — the Cold Dark Matter, made with Patrón Reposado, blackberry liqueur, lime and ginger ale. For the purists, there are classic margaritas and palomas on the docket, too. Apart from the cocktails, there are plenty of Mexican eats from Simon Fox (Graze Restaurant) to keep you going. Think bar snacks like margarita-spiced popcorn ($5) and chilli lime peanuts ($5), or, the star of the show, the Nixtamal tortilla tostadas. These tortillas have been made using a special ancient Aztec method of cooking and grinding corn, and you can nab three for $20. Varieties include slow-cooked pulled pork with pickled cabbage, salt and fennel crusted salmon with sesame yoghurt and an Asian-inspired version with crispy pulled duck, shallots and crushed peanuts. Two vegetarian options are also up for grabs — the mole verde with pickled cactus and chipotle aioli and the pickled eggplant with avocado, marinated olives and feta. And, since its the MCA, you can expect plenty of art, culture and entertainment happenings, too. There'll be interactive performances, DJ sets, art installations and VR experiences to check out throughout the pop-up. Plus, every Sunday, you can try out your own artistic hand — by painting and decorating a 200ml bottle of Patron, that is. If all that isn't enough, you can turn your visit here into the start of a very festive bar crawl around Sydney Harbour. In addition to the MCA pop-up bar, Patrón has also teamed up with a number of other bars around Circular Quay — Bar Patrón, Quay Bar and The Argyle — to create The Art of Patrón precinct. Just keep your Patrón cocktail coaster and scan it at each venue (all in one night or across the entire summer period) to score a complimentary ceramic mug. The Patrón Pop-up will run from Thursday, October 31 through February 16 (excluding public holidays and New Year's Eve). It is open every Wednesday through Sunday from 4–10pm. Visit Patron's website for more details.
Working in Australia's hospitality industry has never been a tougher gig than it is right now. So, why — and how — are bar staff, chefs, publicans and restaurateurs stepping up their game? We're going to find out. Join us on Monday, September 6 at 1pm for Hot Takes & Takeaways, a special virtual event. In partnership with Uber Eats, we're taking a deep dive into the Aussie food scene to find out what it takes to get plates of food on tables (or doorsteps) in 2021. We've enlisted comedian, former Triple J presenter and all-round legend Gen Fricker to host this special lunchtime chat streamed live from Butter in Surry Hills. And she'll be joined by chefs Julian Cincotta (Butter) and Cuong Nguyen (Hello Auntie) for an engaging chat on the highs and the messy lows of working in hospo today. No topic is off-limits — from wild menu hacks to vaccine passports. [caption id="attachment_567132" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Butter Sydney[/caption] Throughout the show, you'll also get to test your foodie knowledge for the chance to score a $25 Uber Eats voucher. Better yet, this virtual lunchtime event is completely free. Simply head to our Facebook event and hit attending to get a reminder just before it kicks off. In the meantime, check out Uber Eats' Enterprise Hub if you'd like to learn more about what restaurants are doing to survive — and thrive — during this tough time. Top image: Kitti Gould
