Here's something that you oughta know: Alanis Morissette is heading Down Under. The famed 90s singer was actually set to hit our shores back in 2020 as part of her world tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her chart-topping 95 album Jagged Little Pill. But the pandemic forced those plans to change, so now she'll perform in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in 2022. Get ready to sing along to 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know' and 'All I Really Want' at Perth's RAC Arena on November 5, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on November 8 and 9, and Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on November 11. Morissette was also part of the cancelled 2020 Bluesfest bill, but if the festival returns to its usual Easter timeslot next year — after the 2021 fest was scrapped, then moved to October — that obviously won't happen again. At her four stadium shows, the 90s icon will be supported by Australia's own Julia Stone. Stone has released three solo albums and four together with her brother Angus, including Down the Way, which won Album of the Year at the 2010 ARIA Awards. Morissette's own collection of music awards is hefty, and includes seven Grammys and 12 Juno Awards. While her 95 album Jagged Little Pill is the most critically acclaimed, the Canadian singer has released nine albums, including her latest, Such Pretty Forks in the Road, in 2020. It's clearly a great time to be an Australian Morissette fan, with Broadway's Jagged Little Pill musical, which was inspired by her album and features a heap of the musician's songs, also headed our way. It'll reopen the Theatre Royal Sydney this September. In the meantime, though, hype yourself up for the Aussie tour by belting out the following banger: ALANIS MORISSETTE 2022 AUSTRALIAN DATES Saturday, November 5 — RAC Arena, Perth Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Friday, November 11 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tickets for Alanis Morissette's rescheduled tour are on sale now.
Two-year-old Melbourne-based label Búl has brought its sharp tailoring to the Strand Arcade in the form of a pop-up that will be open til September. Greeting you with pine wood panels, tree stumps and white, mottled-marble counters, the space has a feel that's directly on target for those coveting the cleanly organic. The design (by architect Michael Macleod) plays perfect host to the AW13 collection, which is muted and classic in silk, leather and knit, from the gorgeous two-tone Kabli jacket to the Haldjas boot. Designer Virginia Martin cut her teeth at Proenza Schouler, Cynthia Rowley, Heatherette and Trovata before going solo at age 25 and consciously integrates a serene coastal influence into every season of Bul. Want 15 percent off all full-priced items at the Búl pop-up at The Strand? Just mention you're using the Concrete Playground reader discount (valid until Sunday, June 9).
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the latest installment from the empire of J.K. Rowling. It's the first in a series of prequels to the Harry Potter films, that start in New York City in 1926. The film relies on the classic Pandora's box trope to drive the superficial layer of narrative. A magical trunk full of beasts is released upon New York and, in this case, Pandora is Newt Scamander, an eccentric British wizard played by Eddie Redmayne. Scamander, just in case you aren't as obsessed with the Potterverse as we are, is referenced throughout the Harry Potter series as the author of a foundational Hogwart's text book titled, you guessed it, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". Written by Rowling herself, the crust of the plot is a little bit slapstick. Essentially, after a series of bumbles in a muggle bank (or a 'no-maj' bank, as the Yanks would say), Scamander's trunk is swapped with the trunk of Jacob Kowalski, a typical, goofy muggle and aspirational baker played beautifully by Dan Fogler. When Kowalski unwittingly releases the cheeky beasties from the trunk, Scamander must team up with Porpentina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), a low-level Magical Congress employee scheming to get her Auror stripes back. This is where we dip down into the mantle of the plot and things get a bit more complicated. Turns out there are a faction of individuals in the community who believe magical beings are superior to muggles and that wizards should come out of hiding to enslave them. Without giving too much away, as the good guys race around New York collecting up their escaped creatures, Colin Farrell's character Percival Graves is lurking in the wings, trying to collect power. Also a church of fanatical, witch-hating muggles are seeking to expose magic. Also, a malevolent force is tearing around NYC ripping up side walks. Also, the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald is on the loose. Fantastic Beasts' goblet truly runneth over with plot and this might not be a good thing. The difficulty with this particular film franchise is that it has to be ambitious, since they've slated another four films at least. So this first installment labours to lay the foundations for the series. But the audience has no road map as to what is and isn't significant. There are numerous scenes, and indeed entire subplots, that could have been cut, seemingly without compromising any of the story arcs. Perhaps they'll bear fruit in later editions, but until then they're just kind of...there. Fortunately, the film makes up for its pacing problems with cauldron-loads of charm. From the overtures of friendship between Scamander and Kowalski to the soft-core romance blossoming every-damn-where; from the timely Ron Weasley-esque notes of comedy to the practical use of magic, everything in this film is just so damn whimsical. Untethered from any pre-existing book, this film takes magic use to it's logical conclusion: domestic automation. For some unknown reason, Hogwarts students learned how to turn each other into teapots but never seemed to learn any practical spells that would make their lives any easier. This film rectifies that annoyance completely and for Potter fans it's immensely satisfying. Also, we can't leave without mentioning the beasts, which as the film's title suggests are truly fantastic. The strongest part of the movie are Scamander's creatures and their various quirks – it's a handy plot device that the protagonist carries around a trunk full of talented beasts, and the script uses them to it's full advantage. And ultimately, that's the key to the film's success. At times it does feel as though the cheesiness of the Potterverse doesn't quite translate into this rather more adult world. Nevertheless, the magic that's powered Rowling's creations until now remains as palpable as ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vso5o11LuGU
Caress/Ache, directed by Anthony Skuse for Griffin Theatre, feels like the moment immediately after you bust a piñata — there’s a whole heap of stuff spilling out in all different directions, fragmented chaos of varying quality. The play tells a number of stories that loosely connect under the theme of touch, although with a heavy-handed projection containing germane biological facts preceding each scene, it tends to feel rather forced. Mark (Ian Stenlake), is a surgeon who has lost a patient and can no longer stand physical contact with Libby (Helen Christinson), his wife. Cameron (Gary Clementson) comes clean to his partner about a great deal of touching he did with another woman, and Alice (Zoe Carides) is a mother whose son is on death row, her fear being that he will be executed before she can embrace him again. A thread which follows Cate (Sabryna Te’o), a girl training to be a phone sex operator, is easily the funniest and probably the best executed of these. Structurally, it is a play full of contradictions and sudden gear changes. Suzie Miller’s writing contains more than the odd cliche and careens rather wildly in tone from poetic to melodramatic to conversational and back again. The actors are staunch in their efforts to realise each scene truthfully, but titters from the audience during one particularly emotional scene were proof of the significant challenge posed by the dialogue. This disunity persists at the design level. Sound design by Nate Edmondson contains a great deal of momentum and wonder; the problem is it belongs to a different show. It’s strange and disappointing to watch a man brood in a bath when the music dictates that Brian Cox come on and inform the audience about the birth of the universe. The bareness and sterility of the set does focus attention on the small moments of human contact, but at the same time it made many of the scenes feel as though they were being performed in a void. The introduction of a bath in the latter half exacerbated this problem — it is referenced by a couple of the performers while the rest of the cast were forced to act around it. There are some genuinely nice moments in Caress/Ache; the difficulty is sorting them from story threads which strain furiously against each other, denying the piece cohesion. Caress/Ache is no papier-mache shell, but, like anything that’s been hit by a bat a couple of times, it doesn’t quite hold together.
It's time to hit the galleries, as 22nd Biennale of Sydney is set to return from Saturday, March 14 through Monday, June 8. Sure, three months might sound like a lot of time, but this massive biennial showcase spans over 700 artworks and 101 artists from 65 different countries — as well as several galleries across our city, from Campbelltown to Cockatoo Island. The 2020 edition is entitled Nirin, which means 'edge' in the language of western NSW's Wiradjuri people. It is helmed by a new First Nations artistic director, famed Sydney-born, Melbourne-based interdisciplinary artist Brook Andrew. Andrew has selected an impressive lineup of artists and creatives — many of them First Nations — from around the world to exhibit at the Art Gallery of NSW, Woolloomooloo's Artspace, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Cockatoo Island, MCA and the National Art School for the exhibition's 12 weeks. The showcase brings together artists from all over the globe, with fresh perspectives on Australia that span culture, gender and place. Expect installations, performances, sculptures, videos, paintings and drawings that examine what it means to be First Nations. Here are ten highlights that you can't miss. Due to current concerns surrounding COVID-19, the Biennale has implemented precautionary measures at all its galleries, in line with advice from WHO and the NSW Department of Health. Venues are cleaned more frequently and hand sanitiser is readily available. It's also asking all visitors to practise good general hygiene and stay at home if they're feeling unwell. You can read its full statement and any updates over here. [caption id="attachment_765015" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teresa Margolles, 'Untitled', 2020, mixed-media installation. Installation view (2020) for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, National Art School. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] UNTITLED BY TERESA MARGOLLES, NATIONAL ART SCHOOL Teresa Margolles' mixed-media installation Untitled is one of the most powerful and heart wrenching works of the entire Biennale. The Mexican artist's work acts as a memorial to murdered women and transgender women across both Mexico and Australia. Over 70 women were murdered in Australia last year alone. Untitled compiles acts of violence and trauma from several sites in each country — with Sydney-specific sites included. Margolles collected particles from these murder scenes through sponging the area with water and collecting any particles or residue that remained. The water collected from each site is used in the actual work, incorporated as droplets (each representing one life) that fall onto an electric copper hot plate in regular intervals. As you hear the water evaporate, it signifies the loss of a life, though every drop leaves a mark. Surrounding the installation is a blood-red butcher curtain, giving the entire scene an eerie edge. Margolles' work is a very visceral and emotive piece, with the viewer acting as witness to forgotten acts of violence. [caption id="attachment_765017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Barabara McGrady. Installation view (2020) for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, Campbelltown Arts Centre. Courtesy the artist. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] NGIYANINGY MARAN YALIWAUNGA NGAARA-LI BY BARBARA MCGRADY WITH JOHN-JANSON MOORE, CAMPBELLTOWN ARTS CENTRE Sydney-based photographer and Gomeroi/Murri/Yinah woman Barbara McGrady brings modern First Nations issues front-and-centre with her collaborative work, Ngiyaningy Maran Yaliwaunga Ngaara-li (Our Ancestors Are Always Watching). This Biennale installation acts as a photographic archive of McGrady's extensive work, which truly represents contemporary Aboriginal history. The artist aims to 'engage audiences with images through a black lens and document the diverse Aboriginal experience' — across themes such as sports, song and dance, community, politics and protest. The blacked-out room screens multi-channel audio-visuals across several large televisions, while R&B, rap and other culturally-specific music plays through the speakers. Black couches invite viewers to hang around and truly immerse themselves in the exhibition. [caption id="attachment_765039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colectivo Ayllu artists, Artspace. Courtesy the artists. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] COLECTIVO AYLLU/MIGRANTES TRANSGRESORXS, ARTSPACE The massive Artspace installation by Collectivo Ayllu is a collection of 11 works, which together form a labyrinth-like exhibition of four 'stations' all up. The political action group, formed in Madrid in 2009, includes five artists from South America: Alex Aguirre Sánchez (Ecuador), Leticia/Kimy Rojas (Ecuador), Francisco Godoy Vega (Chile), Lucrecia Masson (Argentina) and Yos Piña Narváez (Venezuela). The work aims to critique western heteronormative values through the lens of the Spanish colonisation of the 15th and 16th centuries — of which all of the Collective's members identify as descendants. This powerful installation tells the repeated and ongoing story of colonial pain and adds a contemporary lens to it. The floor of the entire winding exhibition is covered in sand, making reference to the images of colonisers landing on the beaches of South America and around the world. The artists have constructed the installation as an Andean huaca – a fundamental Inca sanctuary or sacred place. [caption id="attachment_765020" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view (2020) photographed in the Grand Courts at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] RETAULE DELS PENJATS AND MÀRTIR BY JOSEP GRAU-GARRIGA, AGNSW At AGNSW, the Biennale has been very appropriately integrated into the galleries on the ground floor, which primarily houses European art. This artistic decision forces the viewers to re-evaluate the history of art in Australia and the Euro-centric lens it often takes. Taking centre stage in the AGNSW Grand Courts is Retaule dels penjats (Altarpiece of the Hanged People) — a prominent 1970s work by Spanish artist Josep Grau-Garriga. His three-storey textile installation truly takes over the space, reaching to the ceiling, and works as a direct dialogue with the architecture of the gallery. His three-dimensional woven characters are a hanging memorial to tormented and suffering victims of war and martyrdom, which the viewer is forced to address — this massive installation literally cannot be missed. [caption id="attachment_765050" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Emma Joyce.[/caption] WATAMI MANIKAY BY THE MULKA PROJECT, AGNSW A stunning work by the Yolŋu digital artists of The Mulka Project, Watami Manikay (Song of the Winds) will transport viewers to another time and place. The artist collective works with digital technologies and video art. This specific project weaves the kinship of Yolŋu clans through the four winds in the form of a three-walled, floor-to-ceiling video projection that moved from sunrise to sunset — depicting lapping waves and sunny beaches. The focal point of the installation is a painted larrakitj (hollow ceremonial log), which represents the gunḏa rock that grounds each clan to its identity. It changes colour and glows in time with the mesmerising film. The cyclical work aims to express the 'countless generations of evolving Yolŋu art practice'. [caption id="attachment_765024" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Museum of Contemporary Art installation view. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] WHAT LASTS! (SARCOPHAGUS) BY AHMED UMAR, MCA For artist Ahmed Umar's autobiographical work he created an earthenware tomb, one which is meant for him. The lid of the ancient-looking, ceramic sarcophagus includes a full body cast of Umar. It is part of a sculptural triptych that the artist created after opening up about his sexuality — and being considered 'dead' by close family members. The tomb is both a reminder of the pain of oppression and a celebration of his death. This piece is a protest against his upbringing in Sudan, and Umar (dressed in traditional Sudanese clothing) also physically protests alongside the artwork (he'll appear at various times throughout the festival). He holds a sign that reads 'Sudan executes gay people under its government endorsement'. His form of protest creates a timely and meaningful piece of art that needs to be seen. [caption id="attachment_765051" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Emma Joyce.[/caption] KUINI HAATI 2 AND TOGO MO BOLATAANE BY KULIMOE'ANGA STONE MAKA, MCA For Biennale 2020, Christchurch-based and Tongan-born artist Kulimoe'anga Stone Maka has created an expansive tapestry which nearly takes up an entire gallery floor at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The two-in-one painting re-enacts the meeting between Queen Salote of Tonga and the UK's Queen Elizabeth II, when the latter visited Tonga in 1953. The tap cloth depicts Maka's actual memory as a ten-year-old boy, with yellow barricades around the piece recalling the crowds on the day. His memory also includes seeing someone with blue eyes for the first time — which you'll notice as blue dots on the tapa cloth. The artist's technique nods to the Tongan art of ngatu 'uli (black-marked bark cloth), which has a 'material connection to his homeland'. Through his work, Maka is simultaneously telling both a personal and global story of connection. THE LAST RESORT BY LATAI TAUMOEPEAU, COCKATOO ISLAND Tongan Australian artist Latai Taumoepeau's The Last Resort depicts an all-too-real dystopia where idyllic island landscapes have literally become garbage dumps. It specifically explores the vulnerability and fragility of the Pacific Island nations' saltwater ecosystems. Performer Taliu Aloua wears brick sandals and holds an 'ike (Tongan mallet), while surrounded by a wall of glass bottle-filled sacks. A sea bed of glass lays at her feet. She repeatedly (and very loudly) smashes the bottles with her feet and mallet, and adorns broken sacks in replace of a lei around her neck. This ongoing endurance performance acts as a response to the physical and emotional (as well as geo-political) labour of Pacific Island people against the agents of climate change. Their connection to the land and the true destruction happening to it is viscerally depicted here. RE(CUL)NAISSANCE BY LÉULI ESHRĀGH, COCKATOO ISLAND Sāmoan artist Léuli Eshrāgh created a peaceful and beautiful ceremonial space for the 22nd Biennale. Re(cul)naissance honours precolonial kinship systems, using natural light to shun western religious beliefs of bringing 'light' to colonised nations; instead, this work fully embraces Indigenous practices that are 'considered deviant by western missionaries'. The work specifically interacts with Sāmoan and other Indigenous concepts, namely 'mālamalama — the process of enlightenment through paying attention to symbiotic pō (the origin of the universe), lagi (multiple heavens) and other kin animals. The space and video performance openly explores multiple genders and sexualities in an engaging way that offers up a future 'free of colonial shame'. Eshrāgh collaborated with artists Tommy Misa, Sereima Adimate and Kiliati Pahulu on this project. [caption id="attachment_765031" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laure Prouvost installing 'Into All That is Here With The Two Cockatoo Too' (2020), Cockatoo Island. Courtesy the artist; Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris/Brussels; carlier | gebauer, Berlin / Madrid; and Lisson Gallery, London / New York / Shanghai. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] INTO ALL THAT IS HERE WITH THE TWO COCKATOO TOO BY LAURE PROUVOST, COCKATOO ISLAND French artist Laure Prouvost's Biennale artwork is potentially the most unsettling of the bunch. Into All That Is Here With The Two Cockatoo Too is a site-specific work that uses the entirety of the island's Dog Leg Tunnel. Within the dark tunnel, Prouvost provides an immersive experience that touches many senses and mimics the 'daily flow of images and texts that assail us'. Think of it as content overload, while trying to traverse a house of horrors. You'll hear whispers throughout the tunnel, and one of those voices may just be the artist herself — who at times will be lurking in the shadows and encouraging you to sit with her. Further in, the tunnel begins to 'wind' as constructed black curtains make you weave in-and-out, which starts to feel endless. Needless to say, you better not be afraid of the dark for this one. Top image: Hannah Catherine Jones 'Ode to Diaspora'; photograph: Zan Wimberley
Now that we all carry digital maps in our pockets, finding our way around is as simple as whipping out our smartphones, typing in a location and following the stated directions. And, with Google Maps featuring extensive real-life images of the globe's roads and spaces in its Street View mode, it couldn't be easier to double-check that the place in front of you is your intended destination. If the above describes your usual process when you're trying to navigate your way to somewhere new, then you'll also be keen on Google Maps' new Live View feature. Using augmented reality, it combines the service's directions with Street View, superimposing arrows, street names and directions over the actual view that's in front of you — rather than a map or photographic representation of it — literally pointing users in the right direction. Whether you've been distracted while walking around New York and ended up in the wrong place, or found Tokyo's busier districts a bit of a labyrinth, this'll help. The same applies if you're notorious for paying more attention to the sights and sounds around you instead of looking at where you're going, which, when travelling, is an experience we can all relate to. After testing Live View with its local guides and via Pixel phones over the past few months, Google is now expanding the feature — which is currently still in beta testing — to Android and iOS devices. To use it, your phone will need to support ARCore (the company's platform for building augmented reality experiences) and ARKit (Apple's equivalent). Then, after typing in a location into Google Maps, you'll just need to tap the directions button, select walking directions and look for the Live View option. The rollout comes part of the tech giant's broader suite of updates in the travel space. Users can now also use Google Maps to track hotel and flight bookings, find restaurants tailored to their tastes and use their Location History timeline to make notes on each place they visit. Google Maps' Live View is now available on Android and iOS devices. For more information, visit Google Maps.
When Hartsyard owners Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Walsh announced they were stepping away from the beloved Enmore Road venue in June, they left the door open for something to come in its place. Four months on, with the restaurant officially closed, the Hartsyard crew has announced what they have in stall for the space — Irene's Enmore. This new neighbourhood restaurant will be headed up by chef Neville Dsouza who has previously worked the kitchens of Gowings at QT Sydney, Yellow and Cirrus. Dsouza is aiming to maintain the friendly, welcoming nature of Hartsyard while introducing a flavour and produce-driven vegetable- and seafood-heavy menu. Irene's is named after Dsouza's aunt. "She was beautiful and full of life and always cooked Sunday lunch for the whole family. It is the reason why Neville cooks and this new joint is in her memory," a statement from Lee and Walsh reads. On the menu you'll find inventive takes on comfort food, ranging from fried okra, burnt eggplant and crumbed fried pork, to fried chicken with fermented chilli and grilled prawns with a garlic cream. Another element of the menu is a holistic approach to serving goat, with the likes of goat curry, goat sausages and charcuterie popping up in order to make use of the whole animal. Drinks wise, there will be a curated wine list and Dsouza's favourite Indian beer Kingfisher Larger. Irene's Enmore will open on Friday, November 4. As for Lee and Walsh, the duo are transitioning their talents to The Old Clare Hotel in Chippendale (a perennial inclusion in our list of the best hotels in Sydney). The pair will be bringing favourites from the Hartsyard menu and a range of exciting new dishes to the multi-space hotel. The move to The Old Clare will see them revamp the food and drink offerings across both the hotel's ground-floor watering hole The Clare Bar and its popular poolside rooftop bar, plus Lee and Walsh will be opening an entirely new restaurant at the venue. Irene's Enmore is located at 33 Enmore Road, Newtown. It's opening on Friday, November 4 and will be open 6–10pm Monday and Thursday, and 5pm–late Friday–Sunday.
Counting your steps has the obvious benefit of motivating a healthier lifestyle. But nothing motivates us quite like free food does. Combine the two and you get the Energy Exchange Cafe, a food-for-steps experiment that will pop-up within Chippendale's Concrete Jungle from August 28 through 30, 8am–2.30pm daily. You read correctly — no cash is needed for this dine-out brekkie. The cafe is a collaboration between Tim Robards — a TV personality and "wellness expert" (his words, not ours) — and Uncle Tobys. The deal is as straightforward as it sounds: show your steps and get a free meal. The menu 'prices' range from 3000 to 10,000 steps, with every dish accompanied by a free coffee. Patrons can use their preferred step-tracker to show accumulated steps from the previous day, or the day of, or even sign an 'energy pledge' for the steps they intend to take — honour-system style. The menu is loaded with nutrient-rich and filling dishes to get you through the day. Yes, the menu also features lots of oats. Choose from creamy turmeric porridge topped with a poached egg, kale and crisp chickpeas (10,000 steps); orange juice-soaked bircher with fresh strawberries, apples and grapes (8000); blue algae smoothie bowls with fresh blueberries and crunchy granola (10,000); or mixed berry hotcakes topped with a heaping dollop of cream (6000). Plus chia seed bliss balls (3000), oat banana bread (3000) and — of course — an avocado on toast (5000) option, too. Images: Kai Leishman
Playing with light and meticulously showing attention to detail are the biggest lessons to learn from this year's Australian Interior Design Awards. Entering its 11th year as one of Australia's premier design events, the Design Institute of Australia-backed awards handed their highest hospitality accolades to Melbourne's light-filled coffee roasters and Penfolds' stunning flagship outside of Adelaide. Competition was fierce for the Hospitality Design award, with commendations given to Melbourne's Chinese spot Ruyi and Canberra's sleek bakery bar A. Baker. Among the 31 shortlisted entrants were Woolloomooloo's Riley Street Garage, Surry Hills' Single Origin Roasters, Brunswick warehouse venue Howler, rustic Manly spot Donny's Bar, Prahran's Japanese gem Mr Miyagi, the new Sydney CBD chapter of The Local Bar, Bondi's groundbreaking Sensory Lab, buzzing live music venue Newtown Social Club, Degraves St's elegant cafe The Quarter, Southbank Japanese restaurant Gochi and more new additions to the Australian bar and restaurant family. But there can only be two top dogs. Taking out the award for Hospitality Design, Fitzroy's Industry Beans was applauded for turning a factory shell into a light-filled, timber-clad cafe and specialty coffee roastery. "The use of the ubiquitous timber pallet creates a strong and defined interior," said the jury citation. "The pallets give the cafe an overall industrial aesthetic and add a surprising amount of warmth to the design." Use of light won the jury over in the end, with winning design firm Figure Ground Architecture's louvres letting in the final votes for the top spot. "The quality of light in what could have been a dark and dreary space shows a consideration of the connection between the interior and the exterior," said the jury. "The designers have exhibited a simple and clear concept that has realized the interior’s true potential while weaving it into surrounding street life." South Australia's Penfolds' flagship Magill Estate Restaurant took out the restaurant top spot in the Hospitality Design category, with the jury applauding Melbourne-based archtiect Pascale Gomes-McNabb's All Boxes Ticked finish. "Beautiful lighting, sophisticated use of colour and a thoughtful composition of elements create a delightful and intriguing interior at Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant," said the jury, praising Gomes-McNabb's attention to detail, custom furniture and bespoke glass lighting. "The designer has tailored shapes and forms specifically to the space, creating a refreshing take on a winery restaurant." Co-presented by the Design Institute of Australia, designEX and Artichoke magazine, this year's awards saw more than 400 projects entered; increasing the entrants by 11 per cent from last year. Event manager Jacinta Reedy told The Australian that back to basics was highly favoured this year. “The jury recognised in these projects’ new directions in interior design, including clever use of raw materials, a love of simplicity and restrained approach to design,” she said. Check out the rest of the Australian Interior Design Awards winners over here.
Got two minutes? Instead of mindlessly scrolling your feed, you could be watching an intimate performance by one of Sydney's leading spoken word artists. Got more than two minutes? Entertain yourself with tips on how to make a monster, or a photo collage, with whatever materials you have to hand. It's your lunch break, even when you're WFH, so give yourself permission to watch something more inspirational than spreadsheets and Zoom meetings. You'll feel a lot better for it. In partnership with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, we've picked five uplifting, playful and illuminating video clips from the Gallery's digital space, Together In Art, that we think are well worth your time. And, if you have heaps of time spare, we suggest checking out Together In Art's collection of pocket exhibitions, interviews, performances and how-to videos, which the Art Gallery of NSW's team is adding to every day. Want to visit in person? The Art Gallery's doors are open to the public once again. It'll be observing strict physical distancing and hygiene measures, including timed ticketing. Find out more, here. In the meantime, treat yourself to a short break with one of these five clips below — whether you're at home, on your commute or in the office. LISTEN TO L-FRESH THE LION BREAK THE SILENCE For when: you need bringing back into the moment Liverpool-born hip-hop artist L-Fresh the Lion has been repping Sydney's southwest on his chest since day one — and during the Gallery's temporary closure to the public, the local lyricist broke the silence with the first verse from his track 'Peace & Light' wearing a red T-shirt that simultaneously promotes his upcoming third studio album (South West) and his ongoing commitment to his roots. "Welcome to the bounce of the rhythm of my heartbeat," he says, in the intimate spoken word performance filmed from above, as the artist stands between stationary escalators. If you only take away one thing from the two-minute performance, it should be to make more time to stop and listen to your heart speak. Already seen it? Check out Delta Goodrem's soaring 'Keep Climbing', performed in the Grand Courts. HEAR GAIL MABO TALK ABOUT THE EXHIBITION 'UNDER THE STARS' For when: you need to tap into the bigger picture When it feels like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, it's time to have a change of perspective. In this six-minute video, artist Gail Mabo shares some of her personal memories about her father — land rights advocate Eddie Koiki Mabo — and the generations-old significance of the constellation Tagai in the islands of the Torres Strait. Gail takes us behind her artwork Tagai, commissioned for the exhibition Under the stars, which opened just two days before the Gallery's temporary closure to the public. It's an intricate bamboo map, based on ones used by her ancestors. She tells us about its significance, how she made it from bamboo grown by her father when he was a groundsman at James Cook University, and where to look for the stars that are a tribute to her mother and her father — "a man who changed history," she says. Keen to see it in person? 'Under the stars' is open again. MAKE A MONSTER WITH RAMESH AND SANTI For when: you're in a playful mood Sydney-based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran is best known for his rough-edged, new-age idols. They're vibrant, playful in scale and form, and draw on social, historical and political references. From his Rydalmere studio, with five-year-old Santi, he shows you how fun it can be to let your imagination run wild and get messy with art making. Yes, this video is geared towards children, but aren't we all just big kids at heart? Let go of your office persona, and any expectations of perfectionism, and be inspired to make a human-animal form with air-drying clay or playdough. In this how-to, you'll watch fantastical beasts come to life with multiple eyes, snouts and a pink nest of hair. As Santi says, "Use your imagination." Too messy? Learn how to turn your old magazine pile into a Dada poem with Tony Albert. LISTEN TO NGAIIRE'S VOICE REVERBERATING THROUGH THE EMPTY GALLERY For when: you just want to touch that person you miss most Singer-songwriter Ngaiire is known for her soulful R&B vocals and evocative lyrics. 'Fall into my arms' is the final track on her second album Blastoma, written about her experience with cancer when she was younger. Here, in a video filmed only six days into the Gallery's closure, Ngaiire captures a moment in time when all we wanted to do was touch another person. Her heart-felt vocals fill the space as she wanders around, passing artworks by Uta Uta Tjangala, Sidney Nolan, Rah Fizelle — and most memorably, around the polished steel sculpture of Captain James Cook, called The English Channel by New Zealand artist Michael Parekowhai. This was the Gallery's first Together In Art performance, and in our opinion one of the most affecting. If you're seeing it for the first time, prepare for the feels as you recall what it was like going into lockdown all those weeks ago. Not ready for those emotions? Try this equally enjoyable improvised composition by Fijian guitarist Joji Malani. MAKE A COLLAGE PORTRAIT WITH DEBORAH KELLY For when: you want a new hobby "I think I might like to have a swan out of flowers," says artist Deborah Kelly, in this video tutorial made on Yuin Country (southwest New South Wales). And if you're not already in love with your new art teacher, you have no soul. This wholesome five-minute clip runs through how to make a simple portrait collage, first with an existing photograph and second without one. And all you really need is old magazines or books, cutting tools and glue. Kelly, who works with collage as well as performative interventions in her art practice, gently guides you through tips and tricks for cutting out shapes like swans, flowers and butterflies, before positioning the pieces over a photo — Kelly uses one of performer Emma Maye Gibson (who you might know as Betty Grumble). Then, let her blow your mind by turning those swan cutouts from earlier into eyes. We won't spoil it by telling you how she makes the nose. Want more? Watch artist Desmond Lazaro and his son make a beautiful flower pattern. Together In Art can be experienced through the Art Gallery of NSW's website, daily posts across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the weekly Together In Art e-newsletter. Top image: Joji Malani performing at the Art Gallery of New South Wales by Matt McGuigan.
Among the wealth of new content that Netflix drops on viewers each and every year, Dead to Me proved one of the streamer's 2019 hits. Taking a few cues from 2018 film A Simple Favour, the show's ten-episode first season told the tale of two women who meet, become friends despite seemingly having very little in common, and help each other with their daily lives — then find themselves immersed in more than a little murky business. Now, the twisty dark comedy is returning for another season — and stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are back as well. The former once again plays a just-widowed woman trying to cope with losing her husband in a hit-and-run incident, while the latter pops up as a positive-thinking free spirit. It has been some time since they initially crossed paths at a grief counselling session, though, so this definite odd-couple situation has evolved to feature more secrets, lies and complications, as well as more than one murder cover-up. When the show's first season ended, it did so with a huge cliffhanger. As the just-dropped full trailer for Dead to Me's second season shows, this new batch of episodes will see Applegate's Jen Harding and Cardellini's Judy Hale dealing with the aftermath of that big event. And, it also reveals that fellow series co-star James Marsden is back — although you'll obviously have to wait for the new season to find out just what that means. Created by 2 Broke Girls writer Liz Feldman, the series marks Applegate's first lead TV role since 2011-12 sitcom Up All Night. For Cardellini, it's a return to Netflix after starring on the streaming platform's drama Bloodline — and she also featured in A Simple Favour, too. Check out the full trailer for Dead to Me's second season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmU7ylnmn_M Dead to Me's second season hits Netflix on Friday, May 8. Images: Saeed Adyani / Netflix.
You'd think that after seven books, eight films, just as many video games, a real-life MOOC that lets you study magic and 17 years of worshipping a fictional teenager, we'd have run a little dry on news about Harry Potter. Instead, this week has featured news of a West End play, a spinoff film trilogy, and new material being written for the '2014 Quidditch World Cup'. It seems like the wizarding world is still very much alive, and nowhere more so than the Universal Studios Harry Potter theme park in Orlando. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was first established in 2010, but this year sees its first major expansion effectively doubling its size. The upgrades include a surprisingly functional Platform 9 3/4, a full Hogwarts Express experience, and most spectacularly of all, a Gringotts ride that replicates the ornate mayhem of the characters' dramatic expedition in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was announced today that the ride will include high-def animation, 3D projection, live special effects courtesy of Bellatrix Lestrange and the Death Eaters, incredibly realistic (if not kind of anti-Semitic) Gringotts goblins and — best of all — a 60-foot dragon. Hurtling through the bank vaults on a rickety old cart just like the one in the film, Escape from Gringotts is definitely a ride for the hardcore fans. And, though it's a world away from our local equivalents like Dreamworld or Movieworld, it's worth keeping in mind if you're ever up for spilling a few galleons on flights to the States. Via Variety and MTV.
It's happening again, awards fans. 2024 has already delivered one Emmys ceremony, after Hollywood's 2023 TV accolades were delayed until January due to last year's strikes, and now it's time for the official 2024 event. With the nominees freshly announced on Thursday, July 18 Australian and New Zealand time, absent are some of the shows that notched up big wins or nominations last time around, such as Succession, Beef, The Last of Us and The White Lotus. In their place, Shōgun, True Detective: Night Country and Baby Reindeer have earned a whole lot of affection — plus returnees The Bear and Only Murders in the Building, of course. The Bear is sure to feature when 2025 nominees come around as well, because 2024's contenders span the hit culinary dramedy's second season, not its just-dropped third season. So, it might make history again next year, as it has this year. Who now holds the record for the most amount of nominations by a comedy in a single year? This stellar series with 23, beating 30 Rock with 22 in 2009. Historical Japanese drama Shogun — one of the year's best new TV show so far — topped the full list of nominations with 25, with Only Murders in the Building notching up 21, the long-awaited True Detective: Night Country picking up 19 and The Crown nabbing 18. Mere months after getting the world obsessed with its true tale, Baby Reindeer collected 11 nominations. Other shows tallying up plenty of love include The Morning Show and Mr & Mrs Smith in the drama fields; Abbott Elementary and Hacks among the comedies; and Fargo, Lessons in Chemistry and Ripley from the limited series. After finishing up with its third season in 2023, the sublime Reservation Dogs finally received the Emmys' attention in the Best Comedy category, with D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai also nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy. Lily Gladstone and Kali Reis' nominations for Under the Bridge and True Detective: Night Country, respectively, saw them become the first Indigenous women recognised in the acting categories by the awards. Other standout noms include Matt Berry for What We Do in the Shadows, Walton Goggins for Fallout, Slow Horses picking up its first nods, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig for not only Loot and Palm Royale but for guest-hosting Saturday Night Live, Ryan Gosling for the same gig, Bowen Yang for his cast role on the famous sketch series, True Detective: Night Country's Jodie Foster and John Hawkes also collecting nominations, and Robert Downey Jr recognised for playing multiple roles in The Sympathizer. On the Australian front, Elizabeth Debicki and Naomi Watts picked up nods for The Crown and Feud: Capote vs The Swans. Downey Jr, like Da'Vine Joy Randolph for Only Murders in the Building, scored Emmy affection just months after each winning Oscars for Oppenheimer and The Holdovers. Sadly, because not all excellent shows win gongs — or even noms — Poor Things' Emma Stone hasn't done the same with The Curse. But that omission sparks the usual reminder: if a show is excellent, as the also-ignored Tokyo Vice is, shiny trophies are just a bonus. The 2024 Emmy winners will be revealed on Monday, September 16, Australian and New Zealand time, so you've got a couple of months to predict who'll emerge victorious. Here's a rundown of the nominations in the major categories: Emmy Nominees 2024: Outstanding Drama Series The Crown Fallout The Gilded Age The Morning Show Mr & Mrs Smith Shōgun Slow Horses 3 Body Problem Outstanding Comedy Series Abbott Elementary The Bear Curb Your Enthusiasm Hacks Only Murders in the Building Palm Royale Reservation Dogs What We Do in the Shadows Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Baby Reindeer Fargo Lessons in Chemistry Ripley True Detective: Night Country Outstanding Television Movie Mr Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie Quiz Lady Red, White & Royal Blue Scoop Unfrosted Lead Actor in a Drama Series Idris Elba, Hijack Donald Glover, Mr & Mrs Smith Walton Goggins, Fallout Gary Oldman, Slow Horses Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun Dominic West, The Crown Lead Actress in a Drama Series Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age Maya Erskine, Mr & Mrs Smith Anna Sawai, Shōgun Imelda Staunton, The Crown Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Matt Berry, What We Do in the Shadows Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jeremy Allen White, The Bear D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Reservation Dogs Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building Maya Rudolph, Loot Jean Smart, Hacks Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers Jon Hamm, Fargo Tom Hollander, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer Andrew Scott, Ripley Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry Juno Temple, Fargo Sophia Vergara, Griselda Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun Jon Hamm, The Morning Show Mark Duplass, The Morning Show Billy Crudup, The Morning Show Takehiro Hira, Shōgun Jack Lowden, Slow Horses Jonathan Pryce, The Crown Supporting Actress in a Actor in a Drama Series Christine Baranski, The Gilded Age Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown Greta Lee, The Morning Show Lesley Manville, The Crown Karen Pittman, The Morning Show Holland Taylor, The Morning Show Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Lionel Boyce, The Bear Paul W Downs, Hacks Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear Paul Rudd, Only Murders in the Building Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live Supporting Actress in a Actor in a Comedy Series Carol Burnett, Palm Royale Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear Hannah Einbinder, Hacks Janelle James, Abbott Elementary Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Jonathan Bailey, Fellow Travelers Robert Downey Jr, The Sympathizer Tom Goodman-Hill, Baby Reindeer John Hawkes, True Detective: Night Country Lamorne Morris, Fargo Lewis Pullman, Lessons in Chemistry Treat Williams, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Dakota Fanning, Ripley Lily Gladstone, Under the Bridge Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer Aja Naomi King, Lessons in Chemistry Diane Lane, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series Néstor Carbonell, Shogun Paul Dano, Mr & Mrs Smith Tracy Letts, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses John Turturro, Mr & Mrs Smith Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series Michaela Coel, Mr & Mrs Smith Claire Foy, The Crown Marcia Gay Harden, The Morning Show Sarah Paulson, Mr & Mrs Smith Parker Posey, Mr & Mrs Smith Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Jon Bernthal, The Bear Matthew Broderick, Only Murders in the Building Ryan Gosling, Saturday Night Live Christopher Lloyd, Hacks Bob Odenkirk, The Bear Will Poulter, The Bear Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Olivia Colman, The Bear Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear Kaitlin Olson, Hacks Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Only Murders in the Building Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live The 2024 Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, September 16, Australian time. For further details, head to the Emmys' website.
Looking for a top-notch tipple to sip? Plenty of prizes, nods and gongs have you covered. Looking for a great wine bar to drink them in, when and where it is safe to do so? That's the domain of the Wineslinger Awards, which has just announced its top 50 venues for 2020. As voted on by more than 100 industry experts — think sommeliers, winemakers, hospitality tastemakers and journalists — the Wineslinger Awards were created in 2018 by Rory Kent, who also founded the Young Gun of Wine Awards. Where the latter prize aims to recognise stellar up-and-comers, the former is all about excellent and innovative places where vino lovers can enjoy an ace drop. In this year's list, Wineslinger has shared the love around the country. Fifteen bars are located in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, 12 in Victoria, eight in Western Australia, and five each in South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. Even better — almost half of the 2020 top 50 have been named for the first time, with 20 venues earning that honour. For folks looking for your next drinking spot, that means you have plenty of places to add to your must-visit list. Some are located in wine regions, others have been plying their trades for decades, and others still have only just opened — yes, during the pandemic. From the top 50, Wineslinger will single out a number of venues for trophies, which'll be awarded at a virtual presentation on Monday, October 19. The top gong is simply called 'Wineslinger', naturally, while other prizes span the self-explanatory 'Best New Haunt', as well as the 'Maverick' award for a venue that pushes the limits. And, for vino aficionados at home, there's also the 'People's Choice' prize — which is open for online votes right now, closing at midday on the day of the ceremony. As part of the public vote, Wineslinger is also supporting hospitality relief fund Tip Jar, via a $1 donation for every vote received. You can win prizes for having your say, too — including a heap of wine, obviously — but knowing that simply nominating your pick will help raise money for the industry is pretty great motivation. [caption id="attachment_781186" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Love, Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst via Nikki To[/caption] WINESLINGER AWARDS 2020 TOP 50 NSW/ACT 10 William Street, Paddington Alberto's Lounge, Sydney Bar Rochford, Canberra Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Sydney Bibo Wine Bar, Double Bay Dear Sainte Eloise, Potts Point Ester, Chippendale Fix Wine, Sydney Fleet, Brunswick Heads Love, Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst Ode Bar, Bondi Poly, Surry Hills Ragazzi, Sydney Where's Nick, Marrickville WyNo x Bodega, Surry Hills QLD Cru Bar + Cellar, Fortitude Valley La Lune Wine Co, South Brisbane La Lupa, West End Maeve Wine Bar, South Brisbane Snack Man, Fortitude Valley SA Hellbound, Adelaide Leigh Street Wine Room, Adelaide Mother Vine, Adelaide The Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale The Summertown Aristologist, Summertown TAS Havilah, Launceston Lucinda, Hobart Sonny, Hobart Stillwater, Launceston Tom McHugo's Hobart Hotel, Hobart VIC Bar Liberty, Fitzroy Carlton Wine Room, Carlton City Wine Shop, Melbourne Embla, Melbourne Etta, Brunswick East France-Soir, South Yarra Geralds Bar, Carlton North Marion, Fitzroy Napier Quarter, Fitzroy Old Palm Liquor, Brunswick East Union Street Wine, Geelong Winespeake, Daylesford WA Lalla Rookh, Perth Le Rebelle, Mount Lawley Liberté, Albany Lulu La Delizia, Subiaco Madalena's Bar, South Fremantle Petition Wine Merchant, Perth Settlers Tavern, Margaret River Wines of While, Perth To vote in Wineslinger's People's Choice Award before midday on Monday, October 19, visit the awards' website. Top images: Snack Man, Fortitude Valley; Ode Bar, Bondi; Marion, Fitzroy; Le Rebelle, Mount Lawley; Hellbound, Adelaide.
Twirling elegantly around the stage as part of a world-class ballet performance is one thing, but just imagine getting to do so kitted out in stunning outfits by Jean Paul Gaultier. Announced today, a dark contemporary retelling of Snow White by France's Ballet Preljocaj is set to launch at the Sydney Opera House this June, complete with a wardrobe of captivating costumes by the internationally acclaimed haute couture designer. Gaultier's work will complement what promises to be a multi-sensory masterpiece; the show features choreography from renowned French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, gorgeous set design by celebrated artist Thierry Leproust and a soundtrack of lush Gustav Mahler symphonies. Preljocaj's Snow White adaptation made its Australian debut at QPAC for the 2016 Brisbane Festival, last year scoring the Helpmann Award for Best Ballet. "I was very keen to tell a story, offer something magical and enchanted," explained Preljocaj. "I have followed the version by the Grimm Brothers, with just a few personal variations based on my own analysis of the symbols in the tale". Snow White will be the first story ballet to be programmed by Sydney Opera House Presents in the newly relaunched Joan Sutherland Theatre. Images: Jean-Claude Carbonne.
They're the masters of immersive thrills, such as smash-hit shipping container installations Seance, Coma and Flight, also known as the Darkfield series, but not even the folks at Realscape Productions are immune to the realities of pandemic life. They're currently locked down with the rest of Melbourne, putting their nerve-jangling real-life projects on hiatus until later in the year. Luckily, in the meantime, Realscape and Darkfield (UK creators) have teamed up for a brand-new audio experience fans can enjoy from the comfort of home. This one's called Double and, while it's delivered remotely, it's geared to be every bit as creepy and unsettling as its IRL predecessors. Launching this Friday, July 17, Double is being presented via the producers' new digital project Darkfield Radio. Like its siblings, it plunges participants deep into an immersive experience by perplexing the senses — this time, with the use of a 360-degree binaural sound, played through your own headphones. Double requires a two-person set-up, with players seated across a table from each other. The pair of you will then tune into a special 20-minute broadcast, at the exact time as hundreds of other players across the country. And there's just one rule to follow: everyone has to be who they say they are. True to form, the exact details are kept vague until you're living the immersion, but we do know Double pulls inspiration from the Capgras delusion, a condition which sees a sufferer convinced that a loved one has been replaced by an imposter (sometimes an evil-intentioned one). Prepare to have your truths shaken and the familiar warped, right there at your kitchen table. If you live in metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire, do remember that you're not allowed visitors in your home — unless it is to deliver care or essential services — but, you can visit your partner if you don't live together. For more information on the stay-at-home orders, head to the DHHS website. Tickets for Double are $10 and on sale now through the website. Early-bird tickets are available for $7 for the first week of shows, starting Friday, July 17. Images: Alex Purcell
If you attended the Sydney Biennale back in 2010, you’ll remember the most standout artwork: a huge video installation showing an eerie, digitally manipulated vision of a holiday resort, soundtracked by Beethoven. It was The Feast of Trimalchio (2009) masterminded by Russian art collective AES+F, and now they’re back in town with a new offering, Angels-Demons (2012). Active since 1989, this is AES+F’s first solo show in Sydney. The angel-demons are 7 sculptures of colossal babies with bat wings and spined tails, each almost 2 metres tall with a gleaming black mirror finish. While their unnatural scale and demonic appendages are menacing, their postures are innocent: they’re learning to walk, reaching out with tentative hands, and flexing their wings. But what about when they grow up? AES+F describe the work as an “apocalyptic parade,” where the apocalypse heralded is not an end, but the beginning of an era where “evil may look good and vice versa.”
Almost every coastal town of a certain size has a pub overlooking the beach. But they're not all like Shoal Bay Country Club. The much-loved local has been around since the 1930s and, after being sold to The Eastern Group in 2016, it received a much-needed $6 million facelift. The refurb was unveiled in early 2018, revealing a light and airy venue that takes full advantage of its epic vantage point of the bay and has an unmistakable Mediterranean feel — think a predominantly white and wood palette with pops of aqua blue and bright yellow. The venue opens bright and early at 6.30am with breakfast served in the downstairs cafe, Mermaids. Start with a coffee or Lean Green smoothie before diving into sweet potato and carrot fritters, buttermilk waffles or smashed avo with feta and lime. Then, from 11.30am, the kitchen and patio swing open their doors for lunch and dinner with an extensive menu of pub classics on offer, including schnitties, beer battered fish and chips and wagyu beef burger. There are plenty of options, too, from charcuterie boards and mac 'n' cheese balls to buckets of prawns and seafood platters. Oh, and there's no getting past the Napoli-style woodfired pizzas, served with kale basil pesto and fior di latte, peri peri chicken or garlic prawns. For drinks, you can enjoy cocktail jugs and a wine list largely populated by Aussie and NZ drops. Expect live music starting from 6.30pm in the courtyard on Friday and Saturday nights before DJs take over to keep the fun going into the wee hours. On Sundays, there's live music in the courtyard all afternoon, plus crab races, poker and $5 drinks from 7pm. If you're keen for all the action but not for the crawl home, Shoal Bay Country Club runs a courtesy bus covering Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay, Nelson Bay and Corlette. Alternatively, the venue is linked with the Ramada Resort, and it also has its own luxe two-level, four-bedroom penthouse.
Since late in 2019, when Disney launched its own streaming platform, fans of its animated classics, beloved hits and many, many super-popular franchises have been able to binge their way through the Mouse House's back catalogue from the comfort of their couch. For a few weeks in March and April this year, however, movie buffs are being asked to leave their houses to check out a selection of the company's famed titles — all thanks to the pop-up Disney+ Drive-In, which is returning to Sydney. Yes, a streaming service is running a drive-in. Or, to put it another way, a product designed to get everyone watching on small screens at home is now endeavouring to lure viewers out to watch its flicks on a big screen from their cars. That's a very pandemic-era situation, with Disney+ teaming up with Openair Cinemas to make it happen. The drive-in will arrive back at CommBank Stadium's northern private car park in Parramatta on Sunday, March 6, screening films most nights until Sunday, April 17. As for what'll be screening, the Disney+ Drive-In is working through the Mouse House's hits — including both the animated and live-action versions of The Lion King, fellow family-friendly hits Moana and Encanto, Pixar's Cars and Coco, and a sing-along session of Frozen. Or, you can check out live-action throwback favourites such as Freaky Friday, 10 Things I Hate About You, Pretty Woman, Moulin Rouge! and Mrs Doubtfire — or head to the much more recent Cruella and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Popcorn, snacks and drinks will be available onsite — or you can bring your own. It's strictly a no-alcohol affair, though. And, ticket-wise, you'll generally be paying per car — unless you decide to book a seat in the drive-in's new area, called The Park. That's where you can sit on bean loungers, get table service and listen via dedicated volume-controlled radios.
Meet Philip Lewis Friedman (Jason Schwartzman), an emerging writer on the cusp of the release of his second book. He likes to tell off his ex-girlfriends for their lack of support and dress down his former college roommate for not living up to his standards. He assumes his talented photographer girlfriend, Ashley (Elisabeth Moss), will hang around despite his lack of attention and affection. There's no mistaking it; he doesn't really seem like a nice guy. Philip is the lead character in Alex Ross Perry's third film after Impolex and The Color Wheel, but Listen Up Philip does more than just follow the ups and downs of a self-absorbed jerk. In an act of structural daring, it tells his tale alongside Ashley's awakening that she's much better off without him. Also included is the plight of Philip's new mentor, Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce), a famous novelist renowned for his self-imposed isolation, but now having second thoughts about his life choices after spending time with his new protege. Indeed, wondering about decisions made in the pursuit of a dream — be it about professional success, romantic fulfilment or perpetuating an enigma — sits at the heart of the film, a line of thinking almost everyone can relate to. It's easy to see where things strayed from the expected path for the trio, even if it isn't always easy to watch how things move forward, particularly for the ever self-sabotaging Philip and the just as egotistical Ike. Also striking is the intersection and influence of their deeds, on each other, and on others on top of that. Listen Up Philip may start out with a stereotype of movie depictions of writers, complete with wrestling notions of ambition, arrogance, inspiration and irrelevance; however, what it does so brilliantly is map out the flow-on effects of anxiety, envy and striving for success. Thankfully, as awkward and abrasive as many of the scenarios in the script rightfully prove, Perry approaches the film with humour, empathy and balance. The narration of an all-seeing, never-sighted figure (voiced by Eric Bogosian) helps make the comic and considerate skew apparent, as does perfect casting. Schwartzman and Pryce play to the movie's sharpness, and Moss and Krysten Ritter (as Ike's long-neglected daughter) to its unanticipated understanding. In fact, Listen Up Philip actually resounds with more warmth than you might think. Moss brightens every scene she is in, not just stealing the show but demanding the camera's focus on her expressive face and her command of emotion. Hers is a performance of the lived-in variety, a feeling the feature matches in its handheld movements, naturalistic lighting, super-16mm film stock and jazz score. Actually, it's that textured sense of reality that makes the movie shine, even more than showing the bleakness of poor choices while revelling in dark comedy. In that embrace of complication, there's a lot to like, and even love — even the initially unlikeable Philip.
Quick show of hands: growing up, how many of us would have loved to commit our lives (and tastebuds) to chocolate? While our Willy Wonka-inspired dreams might have only been just that, for Koko Black chocolatier Remco Brigou, it has been a dream come true. The Belgian native holds the envy-inducing title of head chocolatier and product innovator at the artisan chocolate brand. Brigou's latest creation is an incredibly luxe range of ice creams in collaboration with Connoisseur. It's a surprising first for Koko Black, which has never ventured into ice-cold desserts despite delighting chocolate lovers around the nation for nearly 20 years. While two flavours — a classic vanilla and an indulgent honeycomb — are available at supermarkets around the country, Brigou's three exclusive creations for Koko Black lounges in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth are dressed up with ingredients including melted chocolate, pistachio and chocolate pearls. To celebrate the new Koko Black x Connoisseur ice cream range, we sat down with Brigou to talk about the new collaboration and what he loves about chocolate. [caption id="attachment_833239" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] Hi Remco! Tell us a little about your journey. How did you become Koko Black's head chocolatier and product innovator? I started in hospitality at the age of 15, working and studying in Belgium, and by the age of 18 I had decided to specialise in chocolate and pastry. My love for chocolate and baking started when I was very little and has been my passion for as long as I can remember. From here, I worked with Marcolini in Brussels as their chocolatier and at 25 I moved to Australia for adventure, travel and a new challenge. I started working with Koko Black as the head chocolatier leading the development of our full retail and lounge menus with new owner Simon Crowe — together we formed a vision to bring an Australian edge to artisanal chocolate and build the Koko Black brand as we know it today. [caption id="attachment_833240" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] What is your favourite thing about what you do? What keeps you inspired? I love chocolate and the possibilities are endless — from flavours within various [types of] chocolate to the flavours you can add and create. The discovery of new things, flavours and tastes is what inspires me. A lot of people might think that making chocolate is a dream job. Are there less glamorous things in the job that people might be surprised to find out? Not really, it truly is a dream job for me. I still love it as much as I did as a young boy. What is your favourite type of chocolate and why? Dark chocolate is definitely my favourite for its variation in flavour, depending on the origin of chocolate. It's versatile and can pair beautifully with so many different flavours. I'm often asked which is my favourite Koko Black chocolate, [but that's] like choosing a favourite child as they all have things to love. However, I think the dark hazelnut cluster might be the frontrunner. [caption id="attachment_833027" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] Tell us about the Connoisseur collaboration. How did this come to life and what excited you about it? We are always teaming up with fellow Australian artisans to make, create and have fun together. So when we were thinking of ice cream, Connoisseur [was] the top pick. Like us, they are premium, artisan and Australian-made, and they also love to create new flavours and combinations. It's been really fun to work with them. For the new flavours, we took the best of both brands — their vanilla ice cream and our dark 54-percent dark chocolate — for an elevated classic. The other flavour was created to reflect one of our best-selling items, Tasmanian leatherwood honeycomb. This required a delicate balancing of flavours to capture the true taste of the leatherwood honey, with our dark chocolate and honeycomb coating. [caption id="attachment_833238" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] Were there any challenges you had to overcome to create Koko Black's first ice cream? How did you get past these? The balancing of flavours always takes some work, but it's the part I enjoy most. For more information on the luxe new collaboration, head to the Connoisseur and Koko Black websites. Images: Julia Sansone
What could possibly be more Sydney than gathering seven of the city's most diverse musicians on the rooftop of a Parramatta carpark, and asking them to combine their music with dance, video projections and art installations for an epic one-off multimedia performance? Not much, really. And, as such, this is precisely what the Sydney Sacred Music Festival plan to do with a brand new work called Worlds Collide, which will be premiered atop said rooftop this September. In conjunction with Riverside Theatres, the festival's artistic director Richard Petkovic has gone about finding some of the best (and most culturally distinct) musicians in Sydney in an effort to take Australia's multicultural roots to the mainstream after he recognised a noticeable lack of diversity in the local music scene. "We've got these fantastic artists from different backgrounds — amazing DJs, amazing world musicians — and this is a great new work that represents us all," says Petkovic. "I do a lot of work in Western Sydney, and there I was able to find these hidden treasures in our community." So the choice of location — the rooftop of Parramatta's Wentworth Street carpark — was a natural choice. It's a unique venue and, according to Petkovic, represents where real people live. "I've always wanted to do an event on a carpark roof and when I looked at it I thought, 'this is not a gig that is going to suit people in a seat'," he says. "I want people to move, dance, get excited and really engage with the event." Musically, styles will span everything from world music to dance; meditative drones and sacred African chants will combine with the hip hop rhymes of Mt Druitt's Esky the Emcee and South Asian underground beats of Coco Varma's Sitar Funk. Art installations from Khaled Sabsabi, Marian Abood and Ghasan Saaid will also be featured. Sydney Sacred Music Festival begins on Friday, September 2 at Pemulwuy (Prospect Hill) with a performance from internationally acclaimed artist William Barton. Worlds Collide will kick off from 7pm the following night on Saturday, September 3 on the rook of the Wentworth Street carpark, Parramatta. You can buy tickets here. Image: Jens Thekkeveettil.
If you're in New South Wales – these bars and pubs are offering a complimentary Chandon Garden Spritz on arrival on Friday, February 28 to celebrate the last day of summer. From beachside pubs down in the 'gong to rooftop bars in the city, enjoy a complimentary Chandon Spritz and keep those summer vibes going. Chandon's Garden Spritz is a natural ready-to-serve blend of sparkling wine handcrafted with navel and blood oranges, dried orange peel and natural herbs and spices. All the way from the Yarra Valley, it's not too bitter, but not too sweet and has half the sugar of most spritzes thanks to its natural ingredients. For the perfect serve, just add ice and an orange slice and top with a sprig of rosemary if you're feeling fancy. Chandon Sydney Dunbar House Head to Dunbar House in Watsons Bay for a spritz against the backdrop of one of Sydney's most charming restaurants and bars. Housed within a historic beachfront building, this drinking hole has been serving locals and visitors alike since the 1830s. We suggest heading up the stairs to Palomas Bar, where you will be met with sunset views, an impressive cocktail list and just the right amount of fancy. East Village Hotel Once one of the lesser-known rooftops among Sydney locals, East Village Hotel in Darlinghurst is a Sydney institution. The buzzing three-level pub houses a bar, a cosy sports bar and a roof terrace. The best place to enjoy a cocktail has to be the rooftop. Spritz in hand, panoramic views of the city and sun on your face — we can't think of a better summer day. Pepe's on the Beach A rite of passage among uni students, we're still heading to this popular Wollongong pub and have no plans to stop anytime soon. With beach views, affordable drinks and a constant lineup of DJs, no Wollongong trip is complete without visiting Pepe's. If you're a local or planning a South Coast road trip, be sure to head to the buzzing beachside pub on Friday, February 28 for a Garden Spritz, paired with some tacos for the perfect summer night out. Helm Bar The ideal post-work pitstop on a Friday afternoon, Helm Bar is the Sydney CBD's answer to coastal summer vibes, without having to go to the beach. With stunning views across Darling Harbour, the slick eatery has it all, from fresh-shucked oysters to seafood baskets and pizza. Head into these venues around Australia on the last day of summer to receive a complimentary Chandon Spritz on arrival. First in best dressed and T&C's apply. Enjoy Chandon Responsibly. Images: Supplied.
Shen Shaomin's Summit brought world leaders together at last year's Biennale to ponder the global financial crisis. Each was preserved motionless under glass. In 4A's The Day After Tomorrow he offers some similar sensibilities. I head the sound of distance is twelve sculpted bells, which can be played as you enter: painted porcelain rings, while another is resonant brass. There is a deep, thumpy plastic bell, a steel hammer almost impossible to lift, and two small wooden bells that tap out orchestral hoofbeats. They don't prepare you for the centrepieces upstairs. I want to know what infinity is, invites you to put blue covers over your footwear and stride out into a desert of salt. This black room smells of glue, the salt crunches. In the corner, a naked old woman sits on a white deckchair. Wrinkled and sleeping, she looks like the salt has withered her in death, like a too-intimate Guanajuato mommia. But she breathes, only sleeping and serene, with shoulders cuddled along the deck chair and her feet adrift among sheets of salt. Opposite, in I sleep on top of myself, infants and adult animals lie on white mounds. Three piglets together, a dog, a mildly nodding chicken, a sheep with its young. Their hair or feathers lie stripped around them, as pillows. Soft pneumatic breathing and hot-house spotlights make them seem to live. Throughout, they slip around your perception. They flick back and forth, seeming to be incubated embryos then appearing like plucked meats awaiting the oven. In this exhibition, with these animal forms laid out opposite the old woman at rest, Shaomin's suggestion seems to lie more in sympathy for the animals, but he makes nothing implicit. Leaving, the humidity of the spotlights falls away and the crunch of the salt brings you back to yourself. Image: I heard the sound of distance, Shen Shaomin
On Sunday, January 20, women all over the world will come together for the third annual #WomensWave, a global march that aims to draw attention to, and protest, violence against women. According to Destroy the Joint, an Australian group that researches and records the number of women killed by violence, 69 women died due to violence in Australia in 2018. The Women's March is calling on the Australian government to address gender-based violence and to continue working towards equality for women. In Sydney, participants will gather at 11:30am at Hyde Park, before walking to Belmore Park, near Central Station, where the solidarity will continue at the Women's March Fair. Other marches will take in France, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and across the USA (among others). MCing the action will be Yumi Stynes, host of SBS documentary Is Australia Sexist? and ABC Radio podcast Ladies, We Need to Talk. She'll be introducing a bunch of speakers, including Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull; Bhenji Ra, indigenous queer artist and activist; Jane Brock of Immigrant Women's Speakout and 1 Billion Rising; and Aunty Norma, a Wiradjuri woman and activist. At Belmore Park, you'll find an array, food trucks and stalls representing not-for-profits, including NSW Women's Alliance, Amnesty International, Mums4Refugees, Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children, fEMPOWER, and Lou's Place. There will also be live performances by Australian-Tanzanian indie artist Malaika Green and all-female Sydney four-piece Body Type. The inaugural Women's Wave, held in 2017, saw an estimated 10,000 people march through the Sydney CBD and five million partake globally, making it the largest mass political protest in history to date. If you can't make it, Women's March is also calling for donations to help run future events. Images: Simone Cheung.
Purple Sneakers — a Sydney-based crew dedicated to emerging club music — turns 13 this year and, to celebrate, the team is taking over every nook and cranny of The Landsdowne Hotel. Happening as part of Vivid Sydney, this epic one-night shindig will host a stack of artists, who'll be keeping the party going for seven hours on Saturday, June 15. The lineup is jam-packed. Gracing the stages a verious points between 8pm and 3am will be Kota Banks, Mickey Kojack, Din, Rebel Yell and Close Counters, among others. There'll also be DJ sets from new Triple J House Party host Ebony Boabu, plus appearances by local favourites Nectar's Merph, Lex Deluxe and Ayebatonye, as well as the next generation of Purple Sneakers DJs. Since kicking off in 2006, Purple Sneakers has given career-launching gigs to the likes of Flume, Rüfüs du Sol, Alison Wonderland, Cloud Control and Nina Las Vegas, as well as hosting Melbourne premieres for both Disclosure and Flosstradamus. These days, the team runs a website, radio show and regular parties around Australia.
What's better than one queer-focused film festival each year? Two, of course. That's always been the motto of the the Sydney-based Queer Screen, which puts together the Mardi Gras Film Festival during the first half of every year and then gives cinephiles the Queer Screen Film Fest to close out the annual calendar. Two fests are still on the agenda in 2021 — but, after MGFF paired in-cinema sessions with an online program, QSFF will only be screening online. Running from Thursday, September 16–Sunday, September 26, the latter is popping up while Sydney is in lockdown, so you'll have plenty of viewing options from your couch. And, it'll be playing virtually nationally, letting fans of LGBTIQA+ flicks tune in Australia-wide. More than 40 films are on the bill, spanning new highlights and a few favourites that've graced Queer Screen's two fests in previous years. Among movies from 17 countries and in 18 languages, new standouts include François Ozon's 80s-set Summer of 85, about a two teens and their summer fling; Taiwanese drama Dear Tenant, which explores the experience of being a gay man in the country today; Lola, an award-winner that focuses on a trans girl and her estranged father on a trip to the Belgian coast; and A Sexplanation, which ponders the stigma that still surrounds talking about sexuality. And, from the past standouts, lesbian rom-com Signature Move, Germany's acclaimed Free Fall and Wild Nights with Emily, about poet Emily Dickson, all feature.
With plenty of IKEA furniture ending up deep in the Gumtree 'For Sale' ads or left on the side of the road, the Swedish retailer came up with a pretty clever plan to give those unwanted flat-pack ensembles a second lease on life: a buy-back service. In good news for those moving house or faced with an accumulative collection of Malm blond wood pieces, the chain allows Australians to return their retired IKEA pieces to their nearest store, ready to be sold on to a new home — and score a voucher for their efforts. For ten days between Tuesday, November 24–Thursday, December 3, IKEA is going a step further — because Black Friday falls within that period, and because it's keen to make the annual buying frenzy more sustainable. Return an unwanted IKEA piece between those two dates, and the retailer will double your refund. So yes, you'll receive twice as much as you would if you brought in a few bookshelves either now or once the special is over. And, you'll be able to use that refund for a year after its issued. So how does it work? If you've got some furniture you want to get out of your life, you'll need to get an estimated quote online. Between the aforementioned dates, that web calculator will automatically double the value of your returned item, compared to normal. Then, you'll need to take the quote and your furniture — still fully assembled, mind you — to your closest IKEA location. Once there, your furniture will be assessed by an IKEA staff member, and they'll confirm the a value and give you a buy-back refund card to use in-store. The one big caveat: to score double the refund, you'll need to be an IKEA Family member (otherwise, you'll just receive the normal amount). It's free to join, though, and you can sign up online. Even with twice as much credit on offer, the buy-back scheme still works in the same general way. So, it's only for IKEA furniture, and not for other products like lighting, mattresses, textiles, kitchen components or appliances. That's because the bought-back pieces need to be in good enough condition to be sold on to other customers in the As-Is store. It does, however, have separate recycling schemes for mattresses, batteries and light bulbs. The by-back program was rolled out nationally in 2019 after a year-long trial at Sydney's Tempe store, which saw 1600 pieces bought back from customers. Initially, the initiative was spurred by findings from the company's latest People & Planet Positive Report, which suggested Aussies threw away up to 13.5 million pieces of furniture that could have been recycled, reused or repaired. If your Malm bed frame or chest of drawers isn't in quite good enough condition for the As-Is store, you might need to consider donating it to charity or finding another way to recycle it. And if you are buying new furniture, consider buying something secondhand from the As-Is store, or at least investing in something that you plan to keep long-term. As part of the Black Friday promotion, items returned and sold at the As-Is store will be renamed after their previous owners. If your name is already Billy and you're bringing back bookcases of the same name, though, obviously nothing will change. For more information about IKEA's buy-back scheme — and its Black Friday deal — head to the retailer's website. Between Tuesday, November 24–Thursday, December 3, IKEA Family members will get double the refund amount on returned IKEA furniture, as calculated via an online quote, and then confirmed when you take your goods to the brand's stores to collect and redeem the voucher.
Instead of renting an apartment for their vacation, rich European holiday-goers are now renting or buying entire villages. Villages like Engelberg, Deidesheim, Goldegg and Mariazell are also being hired by companies for business retreats and meeting, while others are allowing buyers to name street corners, use restaurants and bars as a local meeting place or even a hideout for the night. In Italy, the small medieval village of Valle Piola was for recently on the market for US$782,040, roughly the same price as a 2 or 3-bedroom flat in Sydney. Further north, Liechtenstein put itself up for rent with a $70,000/night price tag, which also includes its 30,000 residents. Snoop Dogg reportedly tried to rent the country for a music video but was turned away. [Via Born Rich]
Love them or hate them; oysters are a big business. NSW has a multimillion-dollar oyster industry, with a serious portion of Sydney's supply coming from the Central Coast. Those local farms get their chance to celebrate when the annual Brisbane Waters Oyster Festival rolls around, returning in 2024 on Sunday, November 10. Hosted at Lion's Park in Woy Woy, you'll find all sorts of oyster-centric entertainment and offerings at this all-day event. Local producers like Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed and Whittle Organic Oyster Farms will be dishing out the goods themselves, fresh from local waterways. There will also be live music and mariachi bands, market stalls selling food, wines, cocktails, and a drinks stand selling cold beers from Six Strings Brewing Company. Don't fill up on beverages, though. You'll need an empty stomach if you're to compete in the annual oyster-eating competition.
At the moment, you can't go visit your local bar for a round of after-work negronis on a Friday afternoon. But that doesn't mean you need to forego your usual end-of-week drinks with your colleagues. A heap of bars, wineries and distilleries are bringing the happy hour to you — virtually. Whether you'd like to learn how to whip up a Bond-worthy martini, show off your beer knowledge at a boozy trivia session or taste your way through some top drops (and learn a thing or two) at an online cellar door event, there are plenty of digital happy hours to get around while you work from home. Here are some of our favourites.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7eZEZHRrVg PENGUIN BLOOM Nature is healing in Penguin Bloom, but not in the way that 2020's most famous meme has taught us all to expect. This Australian drama tells the story of Sam Bloom (Naomi Watts, The Loudest Voice), a nurse who becomes paralysed from the waist down due to a tragic accident during a Thailand vacation. Then, while adjusting to being in a wheelchair upon her return home, she finds solace in the company of an also-injured magpie chick. Her three young sons Noah (Griffin Murray-Johnston), Rueben (Felix Cameron) and Oli (Abe Clifford-Bar) name the bird Penguin. They're keen to look after it until it recovers, something they're unable to do with their mother. But the strongest bond between human and magpie forms between Sam and Penguin, albeit reluctantly at first. Traumatised by her experience, pushing her husband Cameron (Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead) away, subjected to her mother Jan's (Jacki Weaver, Never Too Late) fussing, and struggling with the changes from her old life — so much so that she's barely able to look at photos from the past — Sam is angry, upset and unhappy. She's hurt, and not just physically. As enjoying the presence of and caring for a pet is known to do, however, she finds hope, purpose and perspective via her new feathered friend. Describing Penguin Bloom's plot is bound to make anyone think that it's a piece of fiction conjured up by a screenwriter, but the Glendyn Ivin (Last Ride)-directed movie is based on real-life events — with scribes Harry Cripps (The Dry) and Shaun Grant (True History of the Kelly Gang) adapting the book by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive. Still, overcoming that manufactured, formulaic, sentimental feeling is the movie's chief obstacle, and one that it can't completely manage. In her first homegrown role since 2013's Adore, Watts puts in a film-lifting effort. The several exceptionally trained birds by her side all do too, vying with their high-profile co-star for the feature's best performance. And the rapport between human and magpie is as touching as it should be, ensuring that you don't need to have sat in Sam's exact seat or seen the world through the picture's wheelchair-height cinematography to understand the impact that Penguin has on her emotional and mental wellbeing. But, as most Australian films that that focus on a human-animal connection have been (with 2014's Healing a rare exception), Penguin Bloom is firmly a family-friendly affair. Movies that are suitable for all ages should genuinely earn that term, engaging adults as much as children; here, though, chasing that feat involves sticking to a noticeably easy, straightforward and simplistic template even when the film does strike a chord. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Fr1M2fjY0&t=26s ONLY THE ANIMALS Murder-mystery Only the Animals starts with a killer opening image, featuring a live goat being worn like a backpack. The animal is slung over the shoulders of a cyclist as he rides through the streets of the Côte d'Ivoire city of Abidjan, and the unique picture that results instantly grabs attention — for viewers, even if it doesn't appear to interest anyone in the vicinity on-screen. This involving French-language thriller doesn't explain its attention-grabbing sight straight up, though. Instead, it jumps over to the Causse Mejean limestone plateau in southern France, where snow blankets the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site and — unrelated to the weather — a number of locals are icily unhappy. Indeed, farmer Michel (Denis Ménochet, Custody), his insurance agent wife Alice (Laure Calamy, Call My Agent!) and Joseph (Damien Bonnard, Dunkirk), one of her clients, are all far from content before word arrives of a shock death in the area. Doing house calls is part of Alice's job in the small, close-knit community, and it sees her embarking upon an affair with the awkward Joseph, who has shut himself off from everything beyond his property after his mother's passing a year prior. The surly Michel barely seems bothered about his marriage, spending all his time in the office attached to his cattle-feeding shed ostensibly working on the farm's accounts. When the grim news spreads, it has implications for all three. Adapting the novel Seules Les Bêtes by Colin Niel, writer/director Dominik Moll (News from Planet Mars) and his frequent co-screenwriter Gilles Marchand switch between Only the Animals' characters and relay the details from their perspectives. First, Alice's take on the situation graces the screen. Next, it's Joseph's turn. Waitress Marion (Nadia Tereszkiewicz, The Dancer) earns the third chapter, which charts her hot-and-heavy rendezvous with Evelyne (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Let the Sunshine In), the woman who'll turn up dead — while the final and longest segment belongs to Armand (debutant Guy Roger 'Bibisse' N'Drin), without the goat, as he tries to catfish his way to riches, success and the girl of his dreams. A whodunnit, Only the Animals tasks its audience members with sleuthing their way through its fractured tale, all to discover who is responsible for Evelyne's demise and why. Thanks to its multiple parts, it also gets viewers guessing about events that initially appear unrelated, and how they'll end up linking into the broader story. But the suitably cool-hued film is filled with other questions, too, ruminating on the primal nature of love and pondering the ways in which pursuing it — or chasing a mere moment, however fleeting, with someone else — can lead down immensely complicated paths. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5xoxzO9bRQ&feature=youtu.be DAWN RAID When Danny 'Brotha D' Leaosavai'i and Andy Murnane set up their own record label in the late 90s, they took its title from a bleak chapter in New Zealand's history. During the 70s and 80s, early-morning round ups were deployed by the government to locate and detain Pacific Islanders who had overstayed their visas — a racially motivated tactic that left a strong imprint in South Auckland, where Leaosavai'i and Murnane grew up. Accordingly, by using Dawn Raid as moniker for a venture that supported Polynesian artists, the duo were reclaiming and repurposing a problematic term. Their clothing line, also under the same name, was filled with slogan-heavy apparel that did the same thing with other words. And, as their business empire grew quickly to also encompass stores, bars and even a barber shop, the pair employed the same irreverent, enthusiastic, passionate but carefree approach at every turn. The local impact was considerable, launching careers, giving aspiring musicians a pathway and inspiring hope throughout the local community as well. But, as the new documentary that's also called Dawn Raid makes clear, Leaosavai'i and Murnane's entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude sent them on a complicated rollercoaster ride. Their rise was meteoric; their struggles, when they came, were just as significant. Filmmaker Oscar Kightley details Dawn Raid's tale, paying tribute to the label's influence and the artists that it brought to the public's attention as well — including hip hop group Deceptikonz; its members Savage, Mareko and Devolo, who have each pursued solo careers; singer Aaradhna; and R&B duo Adeaze. The filmmaker may have already been well-acquainted with Leaosavai'i and Murnane after the pair oversaw the soundtrack to Kightley's big 2006 hit Sione's Wedding, but he still takes a warts-and-all approach to their ups and downs. It'd be impossible to do justice to their story otherwise and, as the movie's main interviewees, Leaosavai'i and Murnane are just as frank and willing to discuss both the good and the bad. They need to be, of course; it's their experiences after meeting in business school, overcoming troubled childhoods, lucking into some of their success and making as many fortunate choices as mistakes that makes the documentary particularly compelling. Indeed, Kightley doesn't need to amass much more than talking heads, archival footage and music videos to unfurl Dawn Raid's history, or to keep viewers interested. Still, he not only skilfully weaves together this engaging and comprehensive chronicle, but also knows when to give particular incidents from the company's past — like Savage's surprise viral hit when his single 'Swing' was used in the movie Knocked Up — the spotlight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_T0F36YEi0&list=PLB5pxwdW-CtP4EVTJe_bHhQ-iBR8mBeBS THE MARKSMAN If film stars are ever able to digitise their likenesses, then let CGI versions of themselves do the acting for them, Liam Neeson could end up with an even longer list of forgettable action flicks on his resume. That idea for that kind of technology stems from the 2013 movie The Congress, which didn't feature Neeson — but, perusing much of his recent output, you can be forgiven for wondering if letting a computer insert him into however many Taken ripoffs that Hollywood seems to need would be any different. For now, Neeson keeps performing the usual way. And, he keeps making movies that call upon his particular set of fist-throwing, villain-dispensing skills more than the talents that saw him receive an Oscar nomination for Schindler's List. The good news with The Marksman is that it's an improvement on 2020's Honest Thief; however, it's also yet another thoroughly by-the-numbers movie that only seems to exist so that it can star Neeson. This time around, he plays a retired marine-turned-Arizona rancher who lives near the Mexico border, has spent his time since his wife died reporting illegal crossings, and earns a drug cartel's bloodthirsty interest after he helps the fleeing Rosa (Teresa Ruiz, Narcos: Mexico) and her 11-year-old son Miguel (feature debutant Jacob Perez). Neeson's character, Jim, isn't the type to let murderous thugs hunt down a boy — or to trust that they won't still get to Miguel in police custody, even with his own stepdaughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick, Vikings) on the force. So, in an inversion of the role that cemented Neeson as a 21st-century action star, Jim takes the kid on the run in an effort to deliver him safely to relatives in Chicago, all while both assassins and the cops try to hunt them down. Unsurprisingly, The Marksman trades in routine action scenes, but it thankfully does so in an unflashy way. It's far less subtle about its patriotic imagery; when Jim is told that the bank is selling off his house, the cringeworthy scene sees him deliver a speech about serving his country and working hard all of his life while grimacing sternly and wearing an American flag slung over his shoulder. It's the type of dialogue you might expect Clint Eastwood deliver and, in case you weren't thinking about him during the film, writer/director Robert Lorenz even has Jim and Miguel watch a clip from the actor's 1968 western Hang 'Em High. The filmmaker has a history with Eastwood, actually, directing him in 2012's Trouble with the Curve and working on a long list of Eastwood-helmed movies. Lorenz doesn't have ties to John Wick, but that doesn't stop him borrowing a little from that franchise as well — and stranding Neeson in a passable-enough but always derivative movie several times over in the process. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7 and January 14. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig and The White Tiger.
Rock legend Patti Smith will soon see her most iconic pageturner made into your newest binge watch. The 68-year-old's immortal Just Kids memoir is being made into a Showtime miniseries. The best bit? Smith is producing and co-writing the series — alongside Penny Dreadful showrunner John Logan. Announced at this year's Television Critics Association press tour, Showtime’s new series will follow Smith's National Book Award-winning memoir detailing her years spent living in New York City with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. No cast or release date has been announced, but uppity predictions will inevitably flow over the next few months. Costumes though: It goes without saying, the series already has one hell of a script. Smith, whose sequel memoir M Train is set to hit shelves on October 6, is keen to delve further into her own NYC youth with the series. “A limited series on Showtime will allow us to explore the characters more deeply, enabling us to develop stories beyond the book and allow a measure of unorthodox presentation,” said Smith in her media statement. “The medium of a television limited series offers narrative freedom and a chance to expand upon the themes of the book.” Via Flavorwire.
The Icebergs, long synonymous with its classic Bondi Beach views, will soon be able to treat diners to a new horizon. That's because the restaurant is set to open another branch — in Bali. You'll find it at Echo Beach, Canggu, where it'll form part of the Sea Sentosa development. That's on Bali's southwest coast, 15 minutes from Seminyak, 15 minutes from the Greg Norman-designed Nirwana Golf and Country Club, and 45 minutes from the airport. Oh, and a five minute walk from no fewer than eight amazing surf breaks. Sea Sentosa first suggested the idea to Icebergs owner Maurice Terzini about five years ago. Back then, the in-demand restaurateur decided against it, but now he feels that the time is more auspicious. "I've wanted to do something here for a long time," Terzini told Good Food, speaking from Bali. "I've been coming here since the early 1980s." He also said that he'll be joining forces with "a partner-backer", but has yet to name who. However, he did mention that a favourite designer, Lazzarini Pickering, has been flown to Bali from Rome to begin whipping the space into shape. Terzini's most recent project — Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta — has been attracting an exceptionally healthy stream of customers since opening in Bondi's Boheme development in January. Via Good Food.
UPDATE: June 10, 2020: Honey Boy is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. A Vietnam veteran and ex-rodeo clown who treats his pre-teen son more like a buddy than a child, James Lort is the role that Shia LaBeouf was born to play. He has certainly studied it more closely and carefully than any other part — more than his time befriending shape-shifting aliens in Transformers, undoubtedly — because he spent his whole childhood watching it in action. That's what kids do with their fathers. They don't usually write screenplays about the experience, then step into their own dad's shoes themselves, but that's the situation that LaBeouf is in. Basing Honey Boy on his years as a child actor, and on his father's involvement, the result is an astonishingly personal and revelatory film that continues the American Honey and The Peanut Butter Falcon star's recent stellar streak. The names have been changed — LaBeouf's real-life father is called Jeffrey Craig LaBeouf, and the actor's 12-year-old on-screen surrogate (A Quiet Place's Noah Jupe) goes by Otis — but Honey Boy smacks of emotional authenticity. Even if LaBeouf and first-time feature director Alma Har'el didn't show an older Otis (Ben is Back's Lucas Hedges) being coaxed by his counsellor (Laura San Giacomo) to talk about his dad, the whole film would resemble a therapy session. Honey Boy is that introspective, but it isn't indulgent or needlessly navel-gazing. Rather, this piece of catharsis delves into one rather famous figure's demons while recognising that his experiences have universal resonance. Although we haven't all become Disney TV stars before puberty, we've all had our lives shaped by complicated influences. 'Complicated' may be an easy catch-all term for anything that isn't straightforward; however it definitely applies to Otis and James. As the latter constantly reminds the former, he's the hands-on parent that takes Otis to work, helps him learn his lines and oversees his career. But he's also erratic, haunted by his regrets and struggling with his four years of sobriety. One day, James is regaling everyone with his stories and gags on the set of Otis' TV series. The next, he forgets to pick him up once shooting is done. He also frequently leaves Otis alone in the Los Angeles motel room they call home, argues over just who's the boss — Otis' earnings support the family and he pays James to be his manager, so that's a thorny question — or gets envious over the volunteer mentor (Clifton Collins Jr) who wants to take Otis to a baseball game. LaBeouf frames these incidents as memories, flickering in and out after 22-year-old Otis crashes his car, causes a scene, gets sent to rehab in lieu of prison and is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. In the process, LaBeouf drenches the whole film in the confused emotional state of someone who's scarred by his upbringing (hence the PTSD), yet also appreciates his dad's own problems and just loves his father like every kid does. This isn't an idealised, nostalgic look backwards, or a work of unfettered anger. Honey Boy, like LaBeouf himself, pinballs between multiple extremes. It should come as no surprise that this frank and sincere movie was written while LaBeouf was in rehab himself, and that it always feels like he's confronting issues he knows will never completely be resolved. That's LaBeouf's recent career in a nutshell, both on and off the screen. Growing up in the spotlight, he has acted out his pain in reckless, risky and very public ways — and also channelled it into his art. When he wore a paper bag over his head, declaring "I am not famous anymore", he told the world he was more than just a celebrity. When he live-streamed himself watching a marathon of all of his own movies, he signalled his need to interrogate his history. Both received countless headlines, many dismissing LaBeouf as attention-seeking and vain; however they each exist on the same ruminative and purgative continuum as playing his own dad in a film about his childhood. It's no wonder that LaBeouf's raw performance as James feels so lived-in, whether the character is manic or melancholy, testing his son's love or baring his secrets at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. It's a portrayal based not just on fact, but on a lifetime of feelings — and it's the centrepiece of an emotionally heavy, unwaveringly honest and touchingly heartfelt feature that welcomes viewers into LaBeouf's traumas. That intensity isn't just his alone, though. Jupe and Hedges, two of the best actors in their respective age groups, potently capture Otis' conflict and turmoil. In bit parts, Collins, San Giacomo and FKA Twigs (as a "shy girl" who befriends the young Otis when James is out) also flesh out his volatile world. And, at every turn, Har'el finds an evocative and kinetic way to bring Otis' experiences to the screen, including by giving the whole film a dreamlike, hyperreal look and feel. The movie's first transition between the older and younger versions of the character, blasting each backwards while they're shooting — and while Jupe and Hedges both stare directly into the camera — immediately sets Honey Boy's reflective and expressive tone, and this intimate wander through LeBeouf's heart and soul doesn't let up from there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hroo3-sKc0w
After 18 days of the world's finest and most cutting edge films back to back to back, the Melbourne International Film Festival has packed up the popcorn and projectors. Here's what our critics loved, loathed, admired and squirmed over. The Best Films MOMMY The latest film from 25-year-old enfant terrible Xavier Dolan pours unconstrained emotion into a claustrophobic space. Shot in boxy 1:1 aspect ratio, the film tells the story of fiery widow Dianne and her troubled teenager Simon, a pair of bombastic outsiders in a white-bread, buttoned-down world. Anne Dorval and Antoine Olivier Pilon are both stunningly good, their performances positively glowing with uninhibited feeling. The tightness of the frame, meanwhile, reflects Di and Simon's limited options, even as their energy threatens to force the edges apart. This is a funny, earnest, devastating film, one that's vitalised, rather than limited, by its intriguing technical conceit. -Tom Clift https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ifhu51tLv5g FORCE MAJEURE I really wish this wasn't my favourite film of the festival. For the sake of my own credibility, I would prefer that my favourite film wasn't a film released by the company for whom my wife works as marketing manager. But the heart wants what it wants, and I'm talking about both her and the film when I say that. Force Majeure, which won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, is a film that manages to completely deconstruct the concept of masculinity while also being utterly hilarious at almost every moment. It leaves you in a state of shock, but it's so entertaining and funny, you immediately want to watch it again regardless. An amazing achievement on every level. -Lee Zachariah https://youtube.com/watch?v=Jkjn5ICqmJI LISTEN UP PHILIP The blending of ambition, arrogance, inspiration and irrelevance troubles Jason Schwartzman's titular Philip in Alex Ross Perry's third feature. His second novel isn't garnering the requisite attention, and his girlfriend, Ashley (Elisabeth Moss), is better off without him. So when his mentor, Ike (Jonathan Pryce), offers up his holiday home, Philip quickly accepts. Yet, as astute as Perry's rendering of the familiar writer's self-absorbed struggle is, the film tells not just his story but Ashley's and Ike's too. Such structural daring matches an embrace of the abrasiveness of artistry, as played with acerbic comedy, cast with perfection and shot with the warm texture of super-16mm. -Sarah Ward https://youtube.com/watch?v=cX4Hhqjt6J8 BLIND Forgive the pun, but sometimes at a festival, it's best to go in blind. A film without a huge amount of pre-MIFF buzz, the directorial debut of acclaimed Norwegian screenwriter Eskil Vogt concerns a woman named Ingrid struggling with the loss of her sight. Alone in her apartment, she constructs an elaborate fictional narrative through which she works through her fears and insecurities — particularly in regards to her husband, who she fears may be having an affair. It's compelling, self-reflexive, sensual and funny. Think Stranger than Fiction — only full of incredibly graphic sex. -TC The Boldest Experiments MAIDAN You'd think that a largely static camera quietly observing the protests in Ukraine, with no narration and very little context, would be dull as dishwater. Yet Maidan is one of the most incredible documentaries I've seen in a very long time. When the protests begin in the Ukrainian square, they are peaceful and friendly. Children sing on a stage to an appreciative crowd. As the months drag on, the authorities become more tense, and we observe the situation devolve into something horrific and violent. The final moments, which include possibly the most beautiful sequence ever captured on film, leave not a dry eye in the house. -LZ https://youtube.com/watch?v=UgwSi3XVT4E LA ULTIMA PELICULA Alex Ross Perry didn't just direct one of the best features of the festival, he also stars in a creative highlight. Focused on a filmmaker trekking through Mexico circa 2012 to make an apocalyptic effort on the last reels of celluloid, La última película channels a distinct sense of the disjointed in its pseudo-documentary callback to Dennis Hopper's The Last Movie. Formats switch alongside tone and intention, the narrative meanders and rambling improvisation reigns — yet so does affection for its thematic aspiration and aesthetic beauty. That Mark Peranson and Raya Martin's film both probes and parodies the conversation surrounding its conceit also adds to its offbeat appeal. -SW https://youtube.com/watch?v=r2GN3wdfqbA OBVIOUS CHILD A brilliant response to weirdly conservative pregnancy comedies like Juno and Knocked Up, Gillian Robespierre's Obvious Child is probably the most entertaining movie about abortion you'll ever see. Former SNL cast member Jenny Slate is hilarious as Donna Stern, a struggling New York comedian who gets pregnant after a drunken one night stand. The film's progressive, level-headed treatment of abortion makes it a rarity amongst American films, which when you think about it is fairly depressing. In any case, Obvious Child was early one of smartest, funniest comedies at the fest. -TC Most WTF Moments https://youtube.com/watch?v=ibffxoK5gs0 GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE 'Trolling' is something that is usually the domain of adolescents on social media. It's rare that an 83-year-old director will engage in such behaviour, but that's where Jean-Luc Godard — hero of the French New Wave — disagrees. Following on from his nigh-unwatchable Film Socialisme in 2010, Godard again creates something deliberately designed to irritate his audience. Goodbye to Language is filmed in 3D, and some shots contain the most impressive 3D I've ever seen. There is a depth to many of these shots that no Hollywood film has yet achieved. Yet for the majority of the running time, the 3D is specifically designed to make you cross-eyed, pushing the two angles just a little too far away from each other. Or in some cases, way, way too far away from each other. Detachable eyes are essential to watching this film without incurring a migraine. -LZ OUT 1: NOLI ME TANGERE The entirety of Jacques Rivette's 13-hour opus invites exclamation; it's not called the cinephile's holy grail without reason. Seemingly impenetrable extended sequences of experimental theatre, intertwined with a man (Jean-Pierre Leaud) caught in a conspiracy and a woman (Juliet Berto) fleecing the unsuspecting, evolve into a patchwork portrait of a time, place and mood. As it ebbs and flows, plays and provokes, everyone strives for but struggles to achieve their target. Though Out 1 offers no neatness in narrative or certainty in climax, neither does it leave the viewer unsatisfied. Instead, Rivette constructs an experience unparalleled in its insidious intrigue. Once you commit, you can't look away. -SW https://youtube.com/watch?v=_-ZtW5fWRjI WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL The shining star of the otherwise tepid Night Shift section, the latest film from Japanese splatter-head Sion Sono is a blood-soaked love letter to the movies. An absurd, exuberant mix of western, mob movie and samurai flick, the story follows a group of amateur filmmakers who get hired to 'direct' the showdown between two rival Yakuza clans. Packed with profanity, gore and over-the-top action, Why Don't You Play in Hell? is two straight hours of cinematic insanity. -TC Most Disappointing Films https://youtube.com/watch?v=aCponfeWNOI WISH I WAS HERE To say we were disappointed by Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here implies we were looking forward to it. Even those with fond memories of his debut Garden State (and hey, we count ourselves among them) will find it hard to stomach this privileged, tone-deaf family dramedy. It's a shame the phrase 'first world problems' has now been overused into oblivion, because it would be aptly deployed in this film, where very few of the problems faced by the leads are possible to sympathise with. Rich people struggling with not being quite rich enough? Yeah, it's not exactly Sophie's Choice. -LZ JACKY IN THE KINGDOM OF WOMEN It's a premise with promise and a production and pedigree with the same potential: a Monty Python-esque skewering of gender stereotypes and fundamentalism, filtered through a Cinderella-like story from graphic artist turned filmmaker Riad Sattouf (The French Kissers), and brought to life by a cast including Charlotte Gainsbourg and The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius. It's also a plain example of an idea ill served by its execution, with everything broad and blatant in the role-reversal comedy that eventuates. Laughs are few, as are subtleties, despite the spirited attempts of the director and performers. Jacky in the Kingdom of Women should boast ingenuity but instead languishes in obviousness. -SW https://youtube.com/watch?v=9KrhMbS9uh8 THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby was one of the more unique entries of the program, in that it's actually two separate films that together recount the breakdown of a marriage. Eleanor Rigby: Her is told the perspective of the wife, Eleanor, played by Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain. Unfortunately, while the formal conceit is fascinating, the script leaves a lot to be desired. Dull, mopey and full of unconvincing dialogue, the first film ended up being so disappointing that we didn't even bother with part two. -TC By Tom Clift, Sarah Ward and Lee Zachariah.
When you're in a crappy situation, you call a plumber. After the news broke that alleged sexual harasser Kevin Spacey would no longer star in All the Money in the World, with his scenes to be reshot with Christopher Plummer, it was one of the internet's better observations. Controversy aside, the end result is astonishing. You'd never guess that 88-year-old Plummer only stepped into his role as real-life oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in November. Nor will you be able to imagine anyone else playing the part, including the excised, prosthetic-clad Spacey with his penchant for over-acting. Trust Ridley Scott, the now-80-year-old director of Alien and Blade Runner, to mastermind such an impressive technical feat. All the Money in the World is his second movie in less than a year, after 2017's Alien: Covenant — and while it mightn't seem like it at first, there's more than a little in common between the two titles, and with Scott's filmography in general. After spending decades contemplating humanity's complicated relationship with mortality — seen not just in his iconic science-fiction work, but also in the likes of Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and The Martian — Scott has jumped from a film that ponders the notion of creation as the only lasting legacy, to one about the downfall of a man who puts his faith in wealth instead. Plummer's Getty is more comfortable collecting objects than nurturing relationships, including with his own son (Andrew Buchan) — "there's a purity in beautiful things that I've never been able to find in people," the world's richest billionaire dismissively croaks. Getty Jr only contacts his father when he's broke and struggling to provide for his wife Gail (Michelle Williams) and four children, though it's his eldest boy, Paul (played by Charlie Shotwell as a 7-year-old), that the old man takes a shine to. Fast-forward nine years to 1973, and the now-16-year-old (Charlie Plummer) is abducted by kidnappers looking to get their hands on a slice of the Getty fortune, but the cantankerous patriarch insists that he doesn't have a cent to spare. That leaves the distraught Gail to work with Getty's security advisor, former CIA operative Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), to secure her son's release. A word of warning: you'll hear the phrase "all the money in the world" more than once throughout the film. It's as if Scott and his screenwriters, adapting the 1995 book Painfully Rich, just couldn't help themselves. It's an unneeded wink in a movie that slides with thrilling ease into the icy waters of wealth, laying bare the darkness and ruthlessness born of excessive greed in the process. Balancing multiple negotiations, including Gail wrestling with both Getty and Chase, the family liaising with the captors, and young Paul trying to stay alive with the help of one of his abductors (Romain Duris), the movie also serves up the type of brawny, absorbing thriller we don't often see on screens these days. Working with his regular cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, Scott uses grey tones to contrast the haves and the have nots, immersing audiences in the detail and emotion of the scenario at every turn. Moreover, even when the film stretches its story a little too far amidst multiple twists and changes of allegiance, audiences will find themselves gripped by the work of Plummer and Williams. The pair play polar opposites in an equally effective manner — one a heartless man motivated by self-interest, the real villain of the piece; the other a desperate mother who'd give up anything, including money, for the people she loves. If only Scott had found someone other than Wahlberg to play the third person in their tussle. The actor might as well be fighting giant robots, given how by-the-numbers his performance is. All the money in the world clearly couldn't help with that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viQBNu9z6RQ
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. A QUIET PLACE PART II When every noise you make could send savage aliens stalking, slashing and slaughtering your way, it's the waiting that gets you. When you're watching a nerve-rattling horror film about that exact scenario, the same sentiment remains relevant. In A Quiet Place, the Abbott family went into survival mode after vicious creatures invaded, hunted down every sound and dispensed with anyone that crossed their path. For the characters in and viewers of the 2018 hit alike, the experience couldn't have screamed louder with anxiety and anticipation. Evelyn and Lee (Wild Mountain Thyme's Emily Blunt and Detroit's John Krasinski) and their children Regan (Millicent Simmonds, Wonderstruck), Marcus (Noah Jupe, The Undoing) and Beau (Cade Woodward, Avengers: Endgame) all silently bided their time simply trying to stay safe and alive, but their continued existence lingered under a gut-wrenching shadow. The critters were still out there, listening for even a whisper. It was a matter of when, not if, they'd discern the slightest of noises and strike again. That type of waiting drips with tension and suspense, and also with the kind of inevitability that hovers over everyone alive. A certain bleak end awaits us all, a truth we routinely attempt to ignore; however, neither the Abbotts nor A Quiet Place's audience were allowed to forget that grim fact for even a moment. Initially slated to arrive in cinemas two years later, then delayed by the pandemic for 14 months, sequel A Quiet Place Part II isn't done with waiting. Written and directed once again by Krasinski, the film doesn't shy away from the stress and existential distress that marking time can bring, but it also tasks its characters with actively confronting life's inevitabilities. After an intense and impressive tone-setting opening flashback to the first day of the alien attack, when the Abbotts' sleepy hometown learns of humanity's new threat in the cruellest fashion, the storyline picks up where its predecessor left off. It's day 474 — the earlier film spent most of its duration around day 472 — and Evelyn, Regan, Marcus and the family's newborn are grappling with their losses. That said, they're also keenly aware that they can't stay in their Appalachian farmhouse any longer. After spotting smoke on the horizon and setting off in that direction, they reconnect with Emmett (Cillian Murphy, Peaky Blinders), an old friend who has been through his own traumas. Evelyn sees safety in numbers, but he's reluctant to help. Then Regan hears a looping radio transmission playing 'Beyond the Sea' and decides to track down its source — and a film that's less thrilling, potent and unsettling than its predecessor eventuates. Read our full review. CRUELLA A killer dress, a statement jacket, a devastating head-to-toe ensemble: if they truly match their descriptions, they stand the test of time. Set in 70s London as punk takes over the aesthetic, live-action 101 Dalmatians prequel Cruella is full of such outfits — plus a white-and-black fur coat that's suspected of being made from slaughtered dogs. If the film itself was a fashion item, though, it'd be a knockoff. It'd be a piece that appears fabulous from afar, but can't hide its seams. That's hardly surprising given this origin tale stitches together pieces from The Devil Wears Prada, The Favourite, Superman, Star Wars and Dickens, and doesn't give two yaps if anyone notices. The Emmas — Stone, playing the dalmatian-hating future villain; Thompson, doing her best Miranda Priestly impression as a ruthless designer — have a ball. Oscar-winning Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer Jenny Beavan is chief among the movie's MVPs. But for a film placed amid the punk-rock revolution, it's happy to merely look the part, not live and breathe it. And, in aiming to explain away its anti-heroine's wicked ways, it's really not sure what it wants to say about her. Before she becomes the puppy-skinning fashionista that remains among Glenn Close's best-known roles, and before she's both a wannabe designer and the revenge-seeking talk of the town played by Stone (Zombieland: Double Tap), Cruella is actually 12-year-old girl Estella (Tipper Seifert-Cleveland, Game of Thrones). In this intellectual property-extending exercise from I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie, she sports two-toned hair and a cruel that streak her mother (Emily Beecham, Little Joe) tries to tame with kindness — and she's also a target for bullies, but has the gumption to handle them. Then tragedy strikes, an orphan is born, loss haunts her every move and, after falling in with a couple of likeable London thieves, those black-and-white locks get a scarlet dye job. By the time that Estella is in her twenties, she's well-versed in pulling quick heists with Jasper (Joel Fry, Yesterday) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser, Songbird). She loves sewing the costumes required more than anything else, however. After years spent dreaming of knockout gowns, upmarket department stores and threads made by the Baroness (Thompson, Last Christmas), she eventually gets her chance — for fashion domination, as well as vengeance. Read our full review. MY NAME IS GULPILIL Lengthy is the list of Australian actors who've started their careers on home soil, then boosted their fame, acclaim and fortunes by heading abroad. Some have won Oscars. Others are global household names. One plays a pigtailed comic book villain in a big film franchise, while another dons a cape and wields a hammer in a competing blockbuster saga. David Gulpilil doesn't earn any of the above descriptions, and he isn't destined to. It wouldn't interest him, anyway. His is the face of Australian cinema, though, and has been for half a century. Since first gracing the silver screen in Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout, the Yolŋu man has gifted his infectious smile and the irrepressible glint in his eye to many of the nation's most important movies. Indeed, to peruse his filmography is to revel in Aussie cinema history. On his resume, 70s classics such as Mad Dog Morgan and The Last Wave sit alongside everything from Crocodile Dundee and Rabbit-Proof Fence to Australia, Goldstone and Cargo — as well as parts in both the first 1976 film adaptation of Storm Boy and its 2019 remake. The latest film to benefit from the Indigenous talent's presence: My Name Is Gulpilil. It might just be the last do to so, however. That sad truth has been baked into the documentary ever since its subject asked director Molly Reynolds and producer Rolf de Heer — two filmmakers that Gulpilil has collaborated with before, including on Another Country, Charlie's Country, Ten Canoes and The Tracker — to make something with him after he was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer. That was back in 2017, when he was given just six months to live. Gulpilil has been proving that diagnosis wrong ever since. Cue this heartfelt portrait of an Australian icon like no other, which celebrates a star who'll never be matched, reminds viewers exactly why that's the case, but is never a mere easy, glossy tribute. Anyone could've combined snippets of Gulpilil's movies with talking heads singing his praises. In the future, someone probably will. But Reynolds is interested in truly spending time with Gulpilil, hearing his tale in his own words, and painting as complete a portrait of his life, work, dreams, regrets, spirit, culture and impact as possible. Read our full review. FIRST LOVE When a filmmaker has more than 100 movies to their name and shows no signs of stopping, do they constantly branch out in new and untested directions — or do they keep doing what they already know and clearly love? If you're Takashi Miike, you tick both boxes depending on how the mood strikes you, although First Love plays to the prolific Audition, Ichi the Killer and Yakuza Apocalypse director's established strengths. Pulp violence, a twisty crime tale and the Japanese auteur's gonzo energy all combine in this Tokyo-set noir-thriller. A decapitated head makes an appearance within minutes, and gangsters blasting, slashing and fumbling their way around the city are a key part of the story. Late in the piece, when the frenetic action kicks into another gear, a vibrant animated sequence is also threaded into the film. At this point, why not? Miike's features can't be confused for anyone else's, and First Love is no different; however, even with its hyperactive mood, hectic score, and steep swerves into romance, comedy and slapstick, this is also one of his most straightforward works of late. It's no less fun, inventive, dynamic, enjoyable or brilliant, though, and Miike can never be accused of painting by numbers. Perhaps it's just that everything here fits and works as it should, and that the inimitable filmmaker has found and embraced his wavelength. When boxer Leo (Masataka Kubota, Diner) receives news that no one wants to hear — he has a brain tumour, it's inoperable and he doesn't have much time left — he takes it as gloomily as anyone would. But when he subsequently crosses paths with sex worker Monica (Sakurako Konishi, Colorless), his evening takes another unexpected turn. She's fleeing the yakuza gangsters who forced her into prostitution, including one particularly scheming underling (Sometani, Detective Chinatown 3) who plans to use her in a ploy with a crooked cop (Seiyô Uchino, 13 Assassins) to eradicate a Chinese triad gang. They start off as strangers, but Leo swiftly becomes Monica's only friend amidst the bloody mayhem. Working with a script from Masa Nakamura, who co-penned Sukiyaki Western Django with him back in 2007, Miike knows that he's playing with a raft of familiar elements. As well as the swathe of touches he rolls out from his own wheelhouse, his protagonist is decked out like James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, for instance. But there's a distinctive brand of Miike magic in the movie's blending of gleefully cartoonish mania with a poignant outsiders-against-the-world narrative, and in everything from its jazz-rock score to its immaculately executed hardware store showdown as well. FINAL ACCOUNT How did something so heartbreakingly, gut-wrenchingly, soul-crushingly abhorrent happen? Why did an entire nation accept what was happening in its name? Wouldn't decent people have spoken out in protest, especially when they saw others being rounded up and taken to their deaths? They're some of the trains of thought that the Second World War has inspired for decades, because humanity so desperately wants to believe that the Holocaust and its atrocities are aberrations in our history. But during the past decade — and the past four years in American politics, particularly — it has been impossible to keep simply wondering how rotten leaders command unquestioning allegiance while they're committing horrendous acts. That recent reality, complete with the rise of hatred-fuelled ideologies and violent deeds carried out as a result, only makes Final Account more grim and potent. Over the course of more than a decade, making what would become his last film, director Luke Holland (I Was a Slave Labourer) set himself a task: to interview the last generation of surviving Germans and Austrians who lived through World War II. Their memories and recollections are chilling, including when they're claiming ignorance, or contending that opposing the Third Reich was impossible, or shrugging off their collaboration with a murderous regime. For most of the film's octogenarian and nonagenarian interviewees, living with what happened is no longer something they struggle with. That truth is unnerving, and it's on display again and again. Some, but only a few, veer in opposing directions — uttering their disgust, admitting that everyone knew and describing how the smell of burning bodies would linger for kilometres around concentration camps; or calling the Waffen SS heroes, polishing their medals and other Nazi insignia, and voicing their agreement with Hitler. Each admission either way, and the multitude of opinions in-between, remains haunting. Some come from soldiers and camp guards, others from Hitler Youth members, and others still from bystanders. The quality, both of the discussions and the footage capturing it, wavers from clip to clip, but nothing can temper the overall impact. Also distressing: the journey that Final Account takes through the sites of former concentration camps such as Sachsenhausen, Mauthausen and Auschwitz. Even merely via the screen, each location seethes with pain and torment. Holland could've made a far larger work, perhaps on par with Shoah. He could've fine-tuned his focus here, too. Still, the end result delivers an equally unsettling and essential testament not just about one specific chapter of history, but about the kinds of people who let it happen. KING OTTO With a title like King Otto, this documentary about soccer player-turned-coach Otto Rehhagel wears its celebratory spirit on kit sleeves. That doesn't dull its impact, however, because director Christopher André Marks (Tiger Hood) understands that an against-the-odds underdog story told well is one of the most engaging narratives there is. For the unacquainted, the German-born Rehhagel was a star footballer in his homeland from the late 40s until the early 70s. Then, a managerial career beckoned, also on home turf. In 2001, he was appointed to lead the Greek national team — a squad that had never won a tournament match and were considered one of the weakest in Europe. The fact that this film even exists instantly signals that there's a tale worth relaying here. Rehhagel's time at the helm started with a big loss, then a period of rebuilding, but when the team qualified for the 2004 Euro Championships, they weren't expected to do well. That assumption only grew when they were drawn to play powerhouse host nation Portugal first up, and yet the surprises kept arriving from there. Even if you know how it all turned out, King Otto is alway rousing. Even if you've seen every similar sports story there is — and there are plenty, both fictional and true — that remains the case. And even if you're rarely moved by such antics, this film is still bound ot strike a chord. Marks doesn't do anything revolutionary in terms of his style and approach. Talking heads feature prominently; interviewing the forthright Rehhagel in a space that looks like a palace is one of the documentary's flashiest touches. The film surveys players such as Giorgos Karagounis, Traianos Dellas and Antonios Nikopolidis, plus other officials like administrator Vassilis Gagatsis and assistant coach Ioannis Topalidis, too, hearing their thoughts and recollections about the roller coaster period — and makes heavy use of archival footage of the Greek national team's matches, including at their best and their worst. Savvy editing maximises the anticipation and suspense, though, as well as the excitement and eagerness. After hearing about how poorly the squad was regarded, spanning negative comments from opponents such as France's Thierry Henry in advance of their game and the soccer-covering media regarding Rehhagel's defensive-first tactics afterwards, even the most sports-ambivalent viewers will be hoping for and investing in their wins. And as the feel-good trajectory inches closer and closer, so does the film's warmth, sense of catharsis, and respect for its subject and his achievements alike. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; and May 6, May 13 and May 20. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down, The Perfect Candidate, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral: From the Book of Saw and Ema.
When life gets stressful and you live in a big, bustling city, it can be hard to cut through the noise and forge personal connections when you're one in a million — and not in a good way. We get the feeling this is why our love of cafes is as consistent as death and taxes. Cafes, replete with friendly faces and coffee, function as calm oases in a busy city. The warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from reaching 'regular' status at your local, where they not only know your name but your order, is also why everything No. 19 cafe owners Domenic and Diana Caruso touch turns to gold. A little kindness can take you quite far. With two thriving venues under their collective belt, there's not much they can't achieve. We've teamed up with Squarespace to chat with these forward-thinking design gurus about how much effort actually goes into that minimalist look and homely cafe feel we love and crave. PUT YOURSELF FIRST It might sound counter-intuitive for a fledgling business to be built for selfish means, but hear us out. If you design a space that you'd like to inhabit, the chances are people like you will like it too. While that sounds like pretty obvious advice, it's also something that gets easily overlooked. For Domenic and Diana, those needs were simple. "We had a young family and just wanted to have somewhere nice to eat that could cater for children," says Domenic. "Ultimately, [we needed] something that was cool, homely and had killer food and coffee." For the young family, this was the ethos that started it all, the desire to create their own urban oasis where their kids could play. And from that seed grew St Rose in Essendon. "Our business started as a dream, as corny as that sounds. We always believed that someday we would open an establishment that best suited us". See? Business doesn't really have to be that complicated. KINDNESS (AND COFFEE) GOES A LONG WAY "[In hospitality] kindness and coffee go along way," Domenic observed. In 2013, they put that theory to the test and opened St Rose in Essendon, a suburb that, at the time, suffered from a serious lack of specialty coffee. Armed with only kindness and coffee (and an excellent design team at Viola Architects), St Rose took Essendon by storm and marked the beginning of the suburb's cafe boom. "The concept was simple but it had intention," says Dominic — which is a perfect summary of the St Rose vibe: simple and purposeful. St Rose very much positions itself as an elusive urban oasis. White internal brick walls lit up by soft lighting create a calm atmosphere while rich hardwood furniture and lush greenery warm it right up. But at the end of the day, it was the warmth of the team that became the cafe's strongest point of difference. "[St Rose] was the beginning of a very strong team that has become part of our family," Domenic says. BE BRAVE AND BE SMART Opening a cafe can be likened to having a child: it's difficult, tiring, challenging but ultimately, incredibly rewarding. With St Rose passed its terrible twos, and their own family chugging along, the Carusos decided to do it all over again. And this time, they took a risk. "When we knew we were confident enough in the team at St Rose in Essendon, we were ready to create another milestone and open up the second venture," Domenic says. "No. 19 was always a concept we had on the back burner. It ultimately felt like it was time to have another baby…we were ready to learn, grow and conquer." This time, instead of designing for themselves, they started No. 19 with a different (slightly more abstract) inspiration: concrete. "We were fascinated with the idea that something so raw could look so refined when paired with the correct hues and textures," Domenic says. They would soon discover that a huge amount of thought and planning goes into the perfect minimalistic aesthetic, from perfectly match concretes to choosing the perfect Squarespace template and getting their name out there with a slick website. For the Carusos, chasing that aesthetic was a calculated risk. "[When we started the designs] there weren't a lot of cafes that looked anything like this…a minimal concrete playground of food and coffee," says Domenic. (Sounds perfect to us…) With the help of Biasol Design Studio, they found their premises in Ascot Vale, built out the concept of No. 19, and opened the doors just over a year ago. FOOD AND COFFEE IS STILL KING The outcome is stunning. No. 19 is an Instagram darling, a pageant girl of the cafe scene, with a minimal but somehow warm and eye-catching interior schematic. "There was a lot of detail [that went into] No. 19, but we knew ultimately it was going to be all about the simple elements that would give a minimalistic raw charm," Domenic says. They did what they set out to do — create a new addition to the family that managed to have its own unique flavour. At the end of the day, though, the food and coffee needed to be on point and maintain the standard set by St Rose — this is hospitality, after all. And while aesthetics are important, food and coffee is still king. Diana bore the responsibility for working with their chefs to create an exciting but simple menu. "We chose what we believe is the most fitting for the cafe and true to our motto: simple done extremely well. We try to please a wide range of people from vegan to meat lovers," she says. So, what shouldn't you miss when you pay a visit? "I love the vegan rainbow bowl. It's like eating a bowl of goodness and it tastes so darn good. And the peanut butter pancake sandwich, I can only describe as f****** yum!" Domenic says. Diana says, "The business is still a baby to us. We just celebrated one year…and we've a lot more exciting new things to introduce." Keep an eye on their flourishing little enterprise as they go from strength to strength (hint: the next big addition is a cocktail menu). Keep tabs via their (equally minimalist and aesthetically pleasing) Squarespace site. Looking to start your own business? Whether it's a creative project or new culinary venture, you'll need to let people know about it. That's where Squarespace comes in. Kickstart your new biz with a website, and use the code CP for 10% off your first Squarespace purchase. Images: Chris Middleton.
At this Glenayr Avenue florist, owner Jenni May is always ready to spitball a bouquet to meet your needs. Camellias, peonies, tulips and turned out roses pack the wooden tables on one side of the store, and once you've locked in your budget, preferred colours and any pet hates she's busy plucking stems from vases to make up an arrangement that can soothe a broken heart, surprise a parent-to-be, or brighten up a friend's day. [caption id="attachment_776454" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yael Stempler[/caption] May visits the flower markets three times a week, and if you want the freshest of the bunch you should trust her best judgement. The same is true of her online store, which has $65 bouquets under names like Miss Maggie's Mystery: a florist's choice of the best in store on the day. And if you're sending in the eastern suburbs, delivery won't cost you a thing. Images: Yael Stempler
Despite taking its name from a raucous, rundown pub in the Patrick Swayze-starring 80s flick Road House, Double Deuce Lounge isn't a dive bar. Instead, the newest CBD drinking hole from the Ramblin' Rascal team is a refined cocktail lounge with a touch of '70s porn chic'. "What is 70s porn chic?", we hear you say. Well, don't expect to find Ron Jeremy lounging in one of the burgundy leather booths — but do expect loud geometric 70s wallpaper, a two-person booth with a furry wall and a cocktail list that arrives in a Deep Throat-esque VHS cover. You'll also find the bar's owners, Charlie Lehmann, Sebastian Soto and Dardan Shervashidze, suitably on theme, decked out in safari suits and furry vests. [caption id="attachment_730465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] For the trio's latest venture, the team is shaking and stirring ten signature cocktails (all $20), which travel from the tangy and refreshing yuzu margarita and minty Stinger (with lots of Fernet and Cognac) to the cold brew-spiked Discretionary, the Jungle Boogie — with cacao, rhubarb and Campari — and a super-fancy take on a gin and soda dubbed Trouble Man. As you may've noticed, these cocktail names reference a heap of 70s films and soundtracks, which are also reflected in the posters on the walls — Jackie Brown, Coffy, Prince and Mick Jagger — and the music. Expect to hear the likes of Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and Bobby Womack on heavy rotation. [caption id="attachment_730473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] While the cocktails are proverbially stuck in the 70s, the wines and beers are very much 2019. Co-owner of Newtown's P&V Wine and Liquor Mike Bennie has pulled together an extended list of fun and funky drops. You can throw back a couple of Garage Project's Salted White Peach Sour numbers (they're only 2.9 percent ABV and super tasty), order a bottle of Blind Unicorn pét-nat for a very reasonable $60 or go big with a milk stout from Marrickville's Batch and a shot of 'Deuce Juice' (Jim Beam). At the moment, food is mostly limited to complimentary bowls of Goldfish (fish-shaped cheese crackers), but the lease on the two-storey Bridge Street venue has been split, leaving space for a full restaurant upstairs. No one's locked in yet, but we'll let you know when they are. Find Double Deuce Lounge at 6 Bridge Street, Sydney. It's open from Monday–Wednesday 4pm–midnight and Thursday–Saturday 4pm–2am. Images: Kimberley Low
Heads up, Mother's Day is just around the corner. (It's happening on Sunday, May 10, in case you temporarily forgot.) You can frantically message your siblings later, there's pressie planning afoot, and we've found quite the showstopper for your dear ol' mumsie this year thanks to Gelato Messina. Never one to miss an opportunity to experiment with new ways to inhale sweets, Messina has been cooking up quite the delicate novelty dessert for Mum: a Italian-inspired box of chocolates. These brownie point-winners launched in 2015 — and have been selling out every year since — are sure to bring it home again this year, just a little differently to usual. While these chocolate bon bons have been filled with gelato for the past four Mother's Days, this year, they're all chocolate (single origin Ecuadorian chocolate, no less) — so they can be shipped to mums across Australia. And, this time round, they come with a stunning bouquet of flowers from Floraly, too. Each box comes with nine handmade chocolate bon bons in five flavours — gianduja, milk choc chew, coffee and dulce, pistachio praline and honey caramel — and a bunch of farm-fresh flowers in an illustrated gift box and a personalised card. The bouquet does require a little bit of constructing, but the flowers come with an easy step-by-step guide as well as care instructions. The Mother's Day boxes are going for $79 a pop and can be shipped across Australia, with the gifts set to arrive between Thursday, May 7 and Saturday, May 9. Gelato Messina's Mother's Day Bon Bons and Bouquets are available to order online now for delivery across Australia.
The Grounds are at it again. The awe-inspiring venue will play host to an exclusive event featuring two leading international coffee champions from Denmark, who will share their insights and expertise in the field. A night with Coffee Champions will be held on Tuesday 21 May from 7pm until 9pm and guests will be invited to explore the journey of coffee from seed to cup. Klaus Thomsen and Casper Engel Rasmussen, co-founders of the Coffee Collective, will be guest speakers for the evening, as well as The Grounds' head barista Jack Hanna and master roaster George Sabados. Following the success of the barista and latte art workshops at The Grounds, Jack is incredibly enthusiastic about this exciting event, given his passion for the bean. "We're passionate about sharing our knowledge and expertise in coffee to our loyal customers and coffee lovers all over." And despite the focus of the evening being on coffee, The Grounds is notorious for their mouth-watering food and produce. Guests will be treated to a coffee-inspired cocktail upon arrival as well as canapes and grazing tables of food. So break up the working week and get along to this special occasion: if not for the coffee talk, at least for the food. For more information and ticket enquiries, visit The Grounds website.
UPDATE, January 26, 2022: Gold opened in select Australian cinemas from January 13, and is available to stream via Stan from January 26. Gold's title doubles as an exclamation that Australian filmmakers might've made when Zac Efron decamped to our shores at the beginning of the pandemic. Only this outback-set thriller has put the High School Musical, Bad Neighbours and Baywatch star to work Down Under, however, and he definitely isn't in Hollywood anymore. Instead, he's stuck in "some time, some place, not far from now…", as all-caps text advises in the movie's opening moments. He's caught in a post-Mad Max-style dystopia, where sweltering heat, a visible lack of shelter, a cut-throat attitude, water rationing, and nothing but dirt and dust as far as the eye can see greets survivors navigating a rusty wasteland. But then his character, Man One, spots a glint, and all that glisters is indeed gold — and he must guard it while Man Two (Anthony Hayes, also the film's director) seeks out an excavator. Exactly who stays and who goes is the subject of heated discussion, but Gold is an economical movie, mirroring how its on-screen figures need to be careful about every move they make in such unforgiving surroundings. As a filmmaker, helming his first feature since 2008's Ten Empty, Hayes knows his star attraction — and he's also well-aware of the survivalist genre, and its history, that he's plonking Efron into. Almost every male actor has been in one such flick or so it can seem, whether Tom Hanks is talking to a volleyball in Castaway, Liam Neeson is communing with wolves in The Grey or Mads Mikkelsen is facing frosty climes in Arctic. Although Gold purposefully never names its setting, Australia's vast expanse is no stranger to testing its visitors, too, but Hayes' version slips in nicely alongside the likes of Wake in Fright, The Rover and Cargo, rather than rips them off. The reason such tales persist is pure human nature — we're always battling against the world around us, even if everyday folks are rarely in such extreme situations — and, on-screen, because of the performances they evoke. Efron isn't even the first import to get stranded in sunburnt country in 2022, after Jamie Dornan did the same in TV miniseries The Tourist, but he puts in a compellingly internalised performance. Man One's minutes, hours and days guarding an oversized nugget pass with sparing sips of H20, attempts to build a shelter and altercations with the locals, including of the two-legged, canine, insect and arachnid varieties, and the toll of all this time alone builds in Efron's eyes and posture. His face crackles from the sun, heat and muck, but his portrayal is as much about enduring as reacting, as both Efron and Hayes savvily recognise. Writing with costumer-turned-scribe Polly Smyth as well as directing solo, Hayes puts more than just survival on Gold's mind, though: when the titular yellow precious metal is involved, greed is rarely good. Here, staying alive at any cost is all about striking it rich at any cost, and also about the paranoia festering between two new acquaintances who've randomly stumbled upon a life-changing windfall — as heightened by the film's stark, harsh, post-apocalyptic setup. When a third person (Susie Porter, Ladies in Black) enters the scenario, Gold grimly lets its life-or-death and lucky break elements keep clashing, but also pairs Man One's desperation with the mental decline that blistering in the sun, being parched with thirst and starving with hunger all bring. Greed proves perilous in a plethora of ways in the film's frames, including inside its main character's head. The mood: dire, drastic but also frantic, the latter not in pace but in how urgently Man One obviously wants the situation to work out. As lensed by cinematographer Ross Giardina, who also worked as a second unit director of photography on The Dressmaker — another feature to make strong use of the Aussie landscape while led by an high-profile overseas actor — Gold ensures its bleak tone ripples in every image. Just how grey, white and almost blue the desert can look here is one of the movie's most striking features, in fact. Where The Tourist blazed away its cooler hues, and most other outback-set fare lets ochre and golden shades radiate, Gold is sun-dappled to the point of often being sun-bleached. As shot in South Australia, all of its wide vistas look particularly ominous as a result, and never let the feature's tension subside for a second. Another of Gold's astute moves springs from its determined focus; don't expect backstory here. Barely glimpsed signs make it clear that this likely isn't Australia, but Hayes sports a heavily put-on American accent to match Efron — because keeping everything ambiguous to retain an unflinching gaze on two men and their big piece of gold is the lean aim. In early scenes, the remote outpost where Man One enlists a ride from Man Two is dystopian-standard sparse, and all that's said about Man One's need to head east is that he's en route to work in a mining camp. The details of why the world has turned to hot dust don't matter, with Hayes and Smyth leaving plenty of room for viewers to read in their own takes on how human nature — the movie's main subject — has turned the planet into this scalding hell. From its performances and visuals to its weightiness, Gold is patently well-made. Again, it's well-acted, including by Hayes (who, among his many acting credits dating back to the early 90s, also had roles in The Rover and Cargo). With every image it bakes onto the screen, it's inescapably well-lensed, which applies when peering closely at Efron in a fraying state and surveying all that desert stretching out around him. It ruminates upon familiar but still meaty matters, and thoughtfully so, all within a stingingly suspenseful feature. Gold is also never more than the sum of its parts, but those parts always do what they're meant to — and glitter as brightly as they need to.
That's it. December. It's summer now and there's no excuses for staying curled up inside, rain or no rain. Aside from that, Sydney's foodies and mixologists have been working hard: experimenting with ingredients, concocting new combinations and opening up a whole swathe of new places for you to visit. So get scampering around this town! Concrete Playground has your checklist ready to go. Here it is, Sydney's top new bars and restaurants for the summer season. Neild Avenue Where: 10 Neild Avenue, Rushcutters Bay Ahhh, Sydney, you can officially exhale. For all those who are desperately seeking an unpretentious dining/drinking experience that doesn’t involve having to choose between a wine bar the size of a studio apartment (in New York) with a shave of glorified ham and a lick of pâté masquerading as a meal, or a pub with sticky carpet and $10 steak: your search has ended. The duo that could turn battery acid into Beaujolais, Maurice Terzini and chef Robert Marchetti, recently unveiled their brand new slice of the Mediterranean-meets-Brooklyn, Neild Avenue. For full review and details, click here. Freda's Where: 107-109 Regent Street, Chippendale Finding Freda’s is like stepping through the back of a magic wardrobe. Walk down an unassuming, dingy alley behind Central, past the sashaying salsa dancers and through a black door with a small, hand-drawn placard and suddenly you’re in a softly lit room, easy music playing and a kindly man at your side ready to whisk you to a table. Once settled in, peruse the cocktail list, which is a pleasing mix of classics and reinventions. Of the former they do a perfectly balanced Midnight Negroni ($16) and I can imagine the Fresh Fruit Cocktail will be a sell-out this summer. The wine list has a good selection of up-and-comers, with a super smooth Pinot called Giant Steps from the Yarra and a full-bodied tempranillo/grenache called La Vendima ($10). I’m a big fan of the beer choices, which includes one of my favourites, Murrays, as well as two amber ales that are caramel flavoured and quite hoppy – choose the Sierra Nevada ($9.5) to have with food or Atomic ($9.5) for sipping solo. For full review and details, click here. Jester Seeds Where: 127 King St, Newtown 2024 Jester Seeds has only recently opened, and marks the last drinking establishment on King Street before you hit the no-man’s land of City Road and the University of Sydney campus. So a lot of people haven’t stumbled across Jester Seeds yet. It’s not especially noticeable from the street – just a collection of curious couches framing a doorway and the shadow of a bar behind. In fact, a man had to yell at me from the pavement to get my attention, but I’m very grateful that he did. The bar is a haven of recycled furniture, dark wood and shabby student chic. A room at the back is filled with sofas and intimate tables, and the couches at the front could easily keep you sitting there for hours. Essentially, it looks like they’ve transported the contents of a ramshackle vintage shop from the lower end of King Street then artfully rearranged it, and prettied it up with some lampshades and mood lighting. The staff are lovely, with many recommendations and plenty of chat, and were infinitely tolerant of my inability to make a decision. For full review and details, click here. Honeycomb Where: 354 Liverpool Street Darlinghurst 2010 Perched on a corner in Darlinghurst, Honeycomb has wide windows running down the length of one side so that from almost any seat you can see the street. It makes it feel as if you could lift the roof off and you’d have a little Italian piazza. However, it isn’t the best place for a date (eating at the 6.30pm, family-time sitting probably doesn’t help either) as the small tables are very close - it’s a little hard to be romantic while speaking to your dining partner as if they were hard of hearing. Saying that, when the sun sets and the lights dim, it definitely becomes more atmospheric. If you follow food news, you’ll know this is Andy Bunn’s (former chef at Café Sopra) project, and if you’re a regular at one of the Fratelli restaurants, don’t expect any surprises. This is far from being a criticism though: the Fratelli restaurants do some of the best relaxed, Italian food this side of Leichhardt. For full review and details, click here. Hemingway's Where: 48 North Steyne, Manly 2095 The atmosphere of a writer's den, insanely long opening hours, fun and flavorsome food, a drinks menu that will keep even the most inspired drinker guessing, and not even the slightest degree of pretension. In short, Hemingway's must be one of the best spots in town right now. And it's perhaps not where you would expect it to be. A far cry from the back lanes of Darlinghurst or even the fame of King Street, this bar is firmly situated on Manly's main strip, right across from the beach. Despite this, it's about as dissimilar from a tourist trap as you can imagine. For full review and details, click here. Dry Land Bar Where: 92 Redfern Street, Redfern 2016 The thing about Redfern is, although it has a reputation as being the ‘next big suburb’, there’s also not a lot there yet. Enter Dry Land Bar, the first small bar to open in Redfern. It possesses the kind of local, relaxed atmosphere that would make you seriously consider moving (unless of course you already live close by, in which case accept my jealous commendations). The lovely thing about Dry Land Bar is that they really know what they’re doing, bringing together folk who’ve done stints in Love, Tilly Devine and Grasshopper. On top of this, they serve the kind of drinks that cause me to do a kind of happy-wiggle dance in my chair and the best food I’ve had at any small bar in Sydney. It’s technically bar food, but I’d be quite happy to come here for dinner once a week: try the Mushroom, Jerusalem Artichoke and Fennel Tart or the Gruyere Cheeseburger. And if you’re in any way fond of after-dinner treats, the Chocolate Mousse with Poached Pear is enough to cause a very indelicate scramble for spoons. For full review and details, click here. Cantinero Where: 18 Sydney Road, Manly 2095 Something about Cantinero feels a little bit... illegal. It could be the fact that this is a coffee house by day, occupied by this underground crowd only in the late hours. Or it might be the makeshift film projector, which shows Mexican gangsters flickering across the back wall. Either way, we like it. The bunker atmosphere and a relaxed courtyard combine into something that feels like an Alice in Wonderland-style rabbit hole in the Manly landscape. That said, there's no chance of wandering in by accident. While Cantinero lies on the main strip, you need to know what you're looking for to find this dimly lit restaurant slash bar. And once you do, there's no going back. For full review and details, click here. Nourishing Quarter Where: 315 Cleveland Street, Redfern 2016 It all started with a group of friends, a handful of nutrition books and a collective desire to heal through food. Now Nourishing Quarter - barely in its second year - has attracted a serious cult following. NQ is a vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurant dedicated to the wheat, gluten and dairy intolerant among us. But it’s also much more than that. The affable owner Lam Dinh (banker turned restaurateur, following his own health scare) describes his team’s work as contributing to the growing awareness about the importance of diet for general health and well-being. ‘We’re not about preaching’ he explains, ‘we’re about producing consistently high-quality, healthy and tasty food that’s accessible to all.’ For full review and details, click here. The Island Bar Where: Cockatoo Island, Port Jackson 2090 Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go… When the Beach Boys penned those lyrics, they probably weren’t thinking of an industrial island smack-bang in the middle of an antipodean metropolis. Cockatoo Island may not have sandy beaches and swaying palm trees, but its newest resident, The Island Bar, is adding a touch of beach to Sydney Harbour. This brand new bar by renowned Sydney mixologist Marco Faraone surprises with its striped deckchairs and sunbrellas alongside the site’s antique shipbuilding machinery, a reminder of the island’s heritage past – over the years, it was an imperial prison, a shipbuilding yard, reformatory, Commonwealth naval base and industrial school. The design of the bar – it’s constructed from recycled shipping containers – picks up on this theme. For full review and details, click here. Former Glory Where: Corner of Liverpool and Palmer Streets, Darlinghurst 2010 Prostitutes and razor gangs seem to be all the rage in Darlinghurst right now. References to Tilly Devine abound. But Former Glory has a little something the other bars don't: a real dark and dirty history. Situated right across the road from what was once Devine's main brothel, this pub, formerly known as the Tradesman's Arms Hotel, was dubbed the Bloodhouse in honour of its violent scenes. Sounds like the kind of place I'd like to visit. You're likely to find that you're already familiar with the location of this pop-up bar. The East Village Hotel is, after all, a familiar marker on the Darlo drinking landscape. Duck inside and take the stairs, winding up two levels past the fading conviction notices on the walls. You'll emerge into a resuscitated space, filled with round wooden tables and white tablecloths, leather chesterfield armchairs and a tastefully subtle assortment of vintage paraphernalia. For full review and details, click here. Caffe Sicilia Where: 628 Crown Street, Surry Hills 2010 While Crown Street certainly has its attractions, it's a pleasure to duck into this slice of 1940s Sicily, take a deep breath and sip a coffee as you watch the crowds pass you by. The theme is clearly stated in the marble, tiles, polished wood and mirrors of the interior, as well as in the numerous references to Italian film icons. Relaxed Italian glamour is the order of the day. The menus are expansive, with breakfast, lunch and dinner - as well as drinks, desserts and takeaway - on offer. Opening hours are surprisingly long, stretching from 7 in the morning until midnight most days. We popped in for a lazy Sunday lunch, which is a great time to make the most of the outdoors seating. For full review and details, click here.
It was 35 years ago in the original 1977 Star Wars film that Princess Leia called for the help of Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi through holographic messaging. At the time we thought anyone would be out of their mind to think such a thing would be possible. We were wrong about a lot of things back in 1977. Educated as an industrial design engineer but always fascinated by lights, Japanese artist Makoto Tojiki turned his head to creating art in 2003 and for five years has worked on his life sized light sculptures. Through the medium of thousands of LED lights and optical fibres, the futuristic celestial like sculptures approach the idea of 'physical presence' in an illuminating way. Tojiki explains his stunning 'No Shadow' light installation sculptures: "An object is seen when our eyes capture light that is reflected from the object. If we extract just the light that is reflected from ‘something,’ are we still in the presence of that 'something?' Using contours of light, I try to express this 'something.' Playing with perception and space, Tojiki encourages the audience to interact with his sculptures from different angles and distances, in turn altering viewer experience. Despite the international success of Tojiki's artworks, his talents are not limited to LED sculptures. Dabbling in interior design and jewellery, Tojiki hopes to see his artworks integrated with fashion brands and featured at events, stores or showrooms. For all you Harry Potter fans, check out Tojiki's 'Horse with No Shadow' installation. Created for Hermes, and probably with no connection to the wizarding world whatsoever, I can't help but see a comparison to Harry Potter's Petronus charm. [Via The Cool Hunter]
Since 1885, carousers on the North Shore have been gathering at the Woolwich Pier Hotel to sink a bev or two and catch some glistening harbour views. But, after a huge reno last month, the pub looks a fair bit different. The Pier, as it's known around town, has scored slick new design and a modern new menu inspired by French and Japanese cuisine. If you're a longstanding Pier drinker, you're in for a surprise. While the building has lost none of its heritage elements, the place is now a whole lot fancier. Alexander & Co., the firm responsible for venues like Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, the East Village and Stanton & Co, has looked after the interiors, giving them a Sydney seaside stamp. Everywhere you go, you'll notice splashes of marble, leather and velvet. What was the unassuming dining room is now a European brasserie called The Eatery, and the bar has been transformed into The Parlour. For those looking to lay their eyes on the water, the wraparound balcony overlooking Cockatoo Island still has plenty of room among its 70 seats. Alternatively, you can follow the spiral staircase up to The Social, an indoor dining room that also boasts harbour panoramas. In keeping with these dramatic changes, head chef Glenn Tabudlo has launched a new menu. Start with small plates, such as tuna tartare with wasabi-ponzu dressing and rice crackers, before moving onto decadent mains, like Yamba prawns with braised kale, pont-neuf potatoes and lobster sauce Americaine, or crispy skin miso salmon with squid ink risotto, salmon roe, sesame mayo, togarashi, edamame and enoki with ponzu. Lovers of the chicken pot pie — don't panic. The much-adored staple is still available, as is a bunch of The Pier's tried-and-tested classics. Even though it has some fancy new furnishings, it is still a local pub, after all. Find the Woolwich Pier Hotel at 2 Gale Street, Woolwich. It's open 11am–11pm Monday to Thursday, 11am till midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11am–10pm Sunday. Images: Jessie Harris.
It's time to dedicate a little time to you. While good food and healthy living can help restore body and soul, sometimes you need to bring in the pamper pros to give you an extra boost. Whether you're after a soothing spa day, a hair and nail makeover or fresh ink, we've found experts that can help you achieve that 'best self' feeling. All these spots are easily accessible in the inner west, so you can spend a day flitting from one reviving treatment to the next.
Artificial intelligence in video games has come a long way in the last few years. Rare now are the days of mindless drones walking pre-determined paths, completely oblivious to the death and destruction around them. In an industry where a single release can pull half a billion dollars in just one day, developers have adapted to an increasingly sophisticated market and pushed AI to a point capable of rivalling the human one. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for action movies, where nameless henchmen continue to run witlessly into hails of bullets like hapless Civil War foot soldiers or extras in Commando. The latest example of this is John Wick, a 'revenge porn' flick starring Keanu Reeves and directed by his former stuntman, Chad Stahelski. Reeves plays Wick, a retired hit man whose wife has just passed away from a terminal illness. On the day of her funeral he receives a pre-ordered puppy from her to ensure he doesn't mourn alone, but during a home invasion the puppy is killed and his beloved car is stolen. In response, Wick unleashes a vengeance-fuelled rampage on New York's Russian mobsters, ratcheting up a body count to rival ebola. It's basically Taken, but with Liam Neeson's daughter played by a foot-long beagle. Is it a dumb premise? Absolutely, but it's also terrifically fun, and let's face it, there have been far worse reasons given for cinematic rampages ("They're going to take you...again"). Stylistically, the action sequences are impressive and exhilarating. Kitted out in bespoke suits, Reeves combines martial arts with gunplay (or 'gun-fu') to despatch his enemies and secure what has to be the record for the most number of consecutive head shots. Stahelski's background in stunts clearly informs his direction, with a greater degree of physicality to the fight scenes coupled with lingering shots that hold longer in the same moment than your average film. The big problem with John Wick, though, is the HS — or 'Henchman Stupidity'. In each of the action sequences, the goons demonstrate a bewildering lack of survival instinct, immediately forfeiting their Darwinian credentials and robbing the scenes of any credibility. The defence raised here is that John Wick is a classic B-movie, but that's too convenient. Yes, it has a lower budget than many of its counterparts, but with a cast that also includes Willem Dafoe, Michael Nyqvist, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo, Alfie Allen, Dean Winters, Adrianne Palicki and Bridget Moynahan, it's hard not to think the movie pitched for another capital B: 'Blockbuster'. So no, this isn't the thinking person's action film, but an action film it definitely is. As always, Reeves is a delight to watch in full-borne badass mode. He quips and kicks and does it all with an impossible level of cool. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2AUmvWm5ZDQ
Over seven years in the making, Bondi Pavilion's massive transformation is finally set to be unveiled next Wednesday, September 21. To celebrate the return of The Pav, Waverley Council is putting on a free reopening party featuring live music, exhibitions, talks, workshops and an array of community activities. "There is such growing excitement in the community about the reopening as more and more of the building and our world-class restoration works are revealed," Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos said. First announced way back in 2015, the pavilion's multimillion-dollar revamp has been a long-running project of the Waverley Council. The rejuvenated space will feature an art gallery, cultural spaces, a new area called the Bondi Story Room, a pottery studio, a theatre, new amenities and an expansive public courtyard. [caption id="attachment_868860" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pottery Studio[/caption] As the name suggests, the Bondi Story Room will be a space dedicated to the history of the bustling beachside suburb. For example, longstanding Bondi lifeguard Lawrie Williams will be giving talks — followed by a tour of Bondi — at the story room on September 24, October 1 and October 8, where he'll be sharing his wealth of knowledge and Bondi-centric stories with attendees. [caption id="attachment_869305" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Art Gallery[/caption] Another space for storytelling at the pavilion will be the Yalagang Room. On Saturday, September 24, there will be a set of Dharawal Language workshops for children and families in this space, followed by the event Deep Listening: Dharawal language with the Chairman of the Gujaga Foundation Ray Ingrey. The nearly century-old building was first built in the 1920s, replacing the Bondi Surf Sheds with the Turkish and Hot Sea Water Baths in 1929. The current renovations have uncovered the bathhouse's original signage, which has been restored and is ready for the pavilion opening. There are also a host of food and retail tenants moving into the pavilion. The team behind Circular Quay's new multi-level venue Hinchcliff House is set to open an all-day cafe, bakery and bistro called Bondi Promenade. The restaurant will serve coffee and freshly-baked goods to beachgoers while offering a casual bistro dining experience featuring charcoal seafood and vegetables, with something available "for everyone and at every price point", according to Brown. Light healthy breakfast options, pizza-style flatbreads and seasonal fruit gelatos designed for a summer's day are all planned for the venue's menu. Other tenants at the building include clothing brand Between the Flags, previous tenant Surfish Cafe and Glory Days Bondi, a sister venue of North Sydney's Glory Days from the owners of Glorietta and Woolpack Hotel. The opening night event is free but you're required to register to ensure your spot on the night. If you want to check out all the exciting things happening across the first month of the Bondi Pavilion head to the What's On page of its website. The Bondi Pavilion is reopening on Wednesday, September 21.
