If you're a film buff, then you're also a travel buff. Even if you don't venture further than your nearest cinema, you're often journeying to other countries when you sit down to watch a movie. Thanks to the Cine Latino Film Festival, the sights and sounds of Latin America await Australian filmgoers in November, taking them on a trip to Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Australia's second Spanish-language film festival (after the Europe-centric Spanish Film Festival), the Cine Latino Film Festival will bring 26 titles from Central and South America to Aussie screens from November 14 to 29. The fun kicks off with You're Killing Me Susana, a marital comedy featuring Mexican star Gael García Bernal. Other highlights span a variety of genres and nations. Audiences can check out Inseparables, the Argentinian remake of French film The Intouchables, or get an authentic glimpse into prison romance in the Dominican Republic with Woodpeckers – about inmates from neighbouring jails communicating via their own form of sign language. Elsewhere, Cannes Critics' Week hit Gabriel and the Mountain combines documentary and drama to tell the true tale of a Brazilian traveller; Tales of Mexico asks eight filmmakers to spin stories about Mexican history; and Lost North tracks a man trying to find his girlfriend across the 900 miles between Santiago and the Bolivian border. Other notable titles include Peruvian musical-comedy Crazy in Love, Colombian paramilitary thriller Guilty Men, and Ecuador's submission to next year's foreign-language Oscar category Such is Life in the Tropics, about a battle between a land owner and squatters. The festival will also shine a particular spotlight on Argentinian and Mexican filmmaking in two specific program strands. The latter is a collaboration with the Hola Mexico Film Festival, while the former will thrill fans of familiar faces, with The Secret in Their Eyes star Ricardo Darín playing an Argentinian president in The Summit, and Gloria's Paulina García going soul searching in The Desert Bride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gALX8_SHP68 The 2017 Cine Latino Film Festival will screen at Sydney's Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona from November 14 to 29, Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como and Palace Westgarth from November 16 to 29, and Brisbane's Palace Centro from November 16 to 29. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Master sommelier Madeline Triffon describes pinot noir as 'sex in a glass'. Winemaker Randy Ullom calls it 'the ultimate nirvana'. Broadway wannabe Titus Andromedon loved it so much he compares it to 'caviar, Myanmar, mid-size car' (see below). No wonder the good folk at Revel — who bring Malbec Day and Mould our way each year — are coming back to town with Pinot Palooza, an epic travelling wine festival celebrating all things peeeno noir. For just one day, Sydney wine connoisseurs will have the chance to sample more than 200 drops, direct from Australia and New Zealand's best producers. Whether you're a newbie who wants to start with something light and inviting, or a pinot pro ready for the biggest, most complex mouthful on the menu, there'll be an abundance of selections at either end — and plenty along the spectrum, too. If, at any point, you need to take a pause in your tasting adventures, you'll be catered for. Food will be supplied by a whole heap of local favourites — we'll let you know when they're announced. Pinot Palooza will hit Carriageworks on Saturday, October 12. Tickets are $65, and include all tastings and a take-home wine glass. What's more, those keen to fuel their brains (as well as their tastebuds) can spot $90 for a VIP pass. For that you'll get access to the VIP area, a glass of bubbles on arrival, entry into wine talks and masterclasses with one of the event's sommeliers. https://youtu.be/A6yttOfIvOw
Collect your lentils and quinoa in one healthy pile, then throw said pile out the window — it’s time for a good old fashioned meat fair. The Newtown Hotel has selected a prime cut of local producers and craft beer brewers from around the country for their second annual Meat Fair. The main event will be a carnivorous cornucopia of over ten different meats prepared by the very best, from succulent pork on the spit and The Animal’s famous coal-roasted lamb, to the disturbingly-named 'mumma’s homemade veal balls'. For those who started salivating at the words 'succulent pork' you can look forward to a bevvy of Aussie craft beer to wash down your feed, with local brewers from Young Henrys, Ruby Tuesday, Lazy Yak and more on site. Add to that music from Whiskey A Go Go and it will make for the perfect haven on a winter Sunday afternoon.
After you leave school or uni, learning anything that's not directly related to your chosen career becomes a hell of a lot harder. We're all time-poor and after a long day at work, there are other things, like socialising, drinking and Netflixing, that usually take precedence over extracurricular learning. Luckily, on Wednesday, October 17, you can get all of that in one spot. Raising the Bar, a global initiative that turns unexpected city locations into classrooms, is returning to Sydney. In partnership with the University of Sydney, a bunch of smarty-pants will be sharing their research and curious passions across ten Sydney haunts. Each venue will host two free talks on the night — one at 6.30pm and another at 8pm — and, because we all remember how torturous choosing subjects was in school, we've narrowed it down to our top picks for you. Don't forget that the bars will be open for business, too — so pick a venue, grab a beer and settle in for a night of learning. DELLA HYDE THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT? AT 6.30PM This talk is for the doomsday preppers out there. Geographer and disaster expert Dale Dominey-Howes will explore how we process natural disasters as a society and pose the question: 'Is it still a disaster if humans aren't affected?' Dominey-Howes will explain the difference between hazards and disasters, as well as examine where our planet is headed and consider the direct link between climate change and natural disasters. Dominey-Howes is a consultant for the United Nations and The World Bank, as well as the chairman for the post-disaster policy and protocols working group of the United Nations UNESCO-IOC. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS AT 8PM No, this isn't that Will Smith movie. But it does have the same focus. Happiness: what is it, why is it important and how can we attain it? Though brooding about happiness is an ancient philosophical tradition, it remains elusive and misunderstood in modern society. Philosopher Dr Caroline West has forged a career investigating the concept of happiness and will explore these question in depth during her talk. A radio personality and lecturer on the philosophy of happiness, West is also an essayist who has been published in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The National Times, and the Australian Review of Public Affairs. SURLY'S TO INFINITY AND BEYOND AT 6.30PM Channel your Buzz Lightyear-loving inner child and hit up space engineer Warwick Holmes' talk at Surry Hills' American barbecue joint. Holmes has been in the business for 30 years and contributed to the mammoth Rosetta mission. Now, he is the executive director of USyd's Space Engineering School. Didn't know there even was such a division? It's not surprising — though the exploration of space is a $400-billion industry, Australia only contributes one percent to that market share. Holmes will explore how Australians can leverage its existing space experts, as well as encouraging a new generation of space engineers through the new Australian Space Agency. He'll also discuss how rival space programs, namely Elon Musk's SpaceX, could affect this Aussie vision. SINCE I LEFT YOU GENERATION WHY AT 8PM If you're a millennial who is tired of being labelled 'lazy', this one will validate your frustration. Steven Hitchcock is a generational researcher who doesn't believe in categorising people by their birth year. He considers the concepts of the 'lazy millennials' and 'technologically inept baby boomers' to be more akin to horoscopes than scientific fact. During his talk, Hitchcock will explore how society came up with these categories and how to avoid generational typecasting. Hitchcock's background is in organisational and management communications and he aims to teach how to work together without making generational assumptions about one another. HARPOON HARRY'S THE HEAT IS ON AT 8PM By winter's end, we were pretty desperate for warmer weather — but the rising temperatures aren't necessarily good news. Scientist Ollie Jay, a specialist in thermoregulatory physiology (the study of body temperature) will explore the factor of climate change and teach guests how to stay cool without the need for air-con. He'll talk to his understanding of how heat effects body temp and human health, why heat effects people in different ways and how extreme heat can impact us going forward. This one will help spice up those regular chats about the weather with your colleagues. Jay is currently helping to develop an 'extreme heat policy' for Australia — one that is very necessary for a country with regular 40-degree summer days. THE TAPHOUSE BUILD A BRAIN AT 6.30PM If all of those dystopian, robots-taking-over films have you scared, join physicist Zdenka Kuncic for a more realistic exploration of applying human intelligence to artificial brains. She argues that AI will require the same level of cognition as humans to be successful — including self-awareness, self-reliance and the ability to learn and adapt. She'll discuss how to build a synthetic brain and what obstacles scientists will need to overcome in order to make it work in society. Zdenka is an elected fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics and was awarded an Australia-Harvard fellowship in 2017. Her research focuses on the intersection of physics, medicine and biology. LANGUAGES OF THE LAND AT 8PM Learning a second (or third) language is pretty common these days. But for the countless classrooms, apps and foreign exchange courses teaching Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic, very few are teaching the indigenous languages of Australia. Sydneysiders live on the ground of Cadigal people of the Eora nation but the native languages of this land, and the stories, histories and identities that go hand in hand with them, are at risk of being forgotten. Ngarigu woman Jakelin Troy is a linguistic anthropologist and will discuss why it is so important to preserve indigenous languages. Troy works to reconstruct Australian languages through education and expresses what is at stake when these languages are lost. She is the author of Sydney Language and the director of the University of Sydney's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research program. MOJO RECORD BAR WHO OWNS YOU? AT 6.30PM Who doesn't love pondering a good ethical quandary every now and again? In this age of self-empowerment and celebrities insuring body parts, having 'ownership' over one's body has many different meanings — but we rarely consider that, actually, none of us own our bodies in a legal sense. Sascha Callaghan will explore the ethical conundrums of treating the human body as property, including buying and selling body tissue for personal or commercial gain. It's a doozy, but luckily you can mull it over with a beer in hand. Callaghan is a lawyer and academic with a PhD in mental health law. Her research is focused on the mental and reproductive health law and policy. All of these talks (plus many more) will take place on Wednesday, October 17. Registration for each individual event, while free, is a must, so head over here to check out the full program and nab your free tickets.
More than 30 stalls from Indigenous artists and collectives are set to take over Carriageworks in an extravaganza of Aboriginal art, craft and design. Representing artists from all over Australia's southeast, the event, which takes place on Gadigal country, will showcase weaving, literature, ceramics, carving, photography, painting, shellwork and textiles — with both traditional and contemporary practice and materials explored. Feast your eyes on works from Baluk Arts, an urban arts centre with a gallery on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, and jewellery by Gillawarra Arts from Canberra, whose bold statements draw on glass, feathers and gum nuts, among other natural elements. Look out, too, for woodcarving by Sydney-based Greg Simms, boomerangs and didgeridoos by the South Coast's Laddie and Raymond Timbery, stunning ceramics by the Northern Rivers' Penny Evans and fibre artworks by Condobolin-based Bev Coe. Behind the curation are writer and curator Hetti Perkins and artist and curator Jonathan Jones. "SOUTH EAST celebrates the creative diversity of southeast Australian Aboriginal art, revealing the 'here and now' of a region rich in traditional and contemporary artistic expressions," they said. In between perusing hundreds of creations, get chatting with the artists and learn all about the stories, ideas, experiences and culture behind their work. SOUTH EAST will take place at Carriageworks on Saturday, October 6 from 10am–6pm and Sunday, October 7 from 10am–3pm. Entry is free.
A butler who’d make the Fawlty Towers crew look competent, a bride who bolts and couch potatoes who can’t stop thinking about pizza are just some of the characters that have been inspired by this year’s Tropfest signature item: 'Mirror'. To be screened on Sunday, December 7, in Centennial Park, the 16 short films that have made the finals are promising the funniest, craziest and most bizarre program we’ve seen yet. And that’s saying something; Tropfest isn’t exactly known for being run-of-the-mill. The films will kick off at 7.30pm, as the sun’s disappearing, but you’d do well to head in earlier, not only to stake your claim over a patch of grass but also to check out the introductory live music, which starts at 5pm. Scheduled acts include foot-stomping, folk duo Pierce Brothers; psychedelic sampler Ego, who mixes music with video art; soul-influenced, teenaged singer-songwriter Thelma Plum; and creative electronica whiz Elizabeth Rose. Alternatively, make an entire, festivalised day of it by arriving when the gates open at 11am. Daylight hours are more focused on family fun, with the screening of the world’s biggest short film festival for kids and by kids, Trop Jr, as well as mini golf, kite flying, a flower wall set up by Moonlight Cinema, an interactive art installation from SBS 2, Cirque du Soleil’s Totem Turtle and more.
Playing ice hockey isn't a regular part of growing up Down Under — even when it's frosty outside — but watching a ragtag team of underdogs try their best on the ice has been a childhood staple since the 90s. The reason: the Mighty Ducks franchise. The three Emilio Estevez and Joshua Jackson-starring films hit screens between 1992–6, and have remained nostalgic favourites ever since. The trio of movies also spanned an animated show back in 1996; however, as fans experienced earlier this year, that's not the franchise's only leap into television. Because everything old is new again — including making that observation, because it just keeps proving relevant — Disney+ brought back Mighty Ducks back courtesy of new series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and its first season started streaming back in March. If Karate Kid can live on via the small screen, then so can this other beloved sports-focused saga, it seems. And like Cobra Kai, Game Changers brought back a familiar face when it debuted its ten-episode first season. That'd be Estevez, who reprises his role as Coach Gordon Bombay. Sadly, Jackson isn't involved this time around, perhaps because he was busy with the vastly dissimilar Dr Death — but Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham features as the mother of a hockey-loving boy who helps him create his own team. Aimed at all ages — so at kids just discovering Mighty Ducks for the first time, and adults with fond memories — the show firmly, eagerly and unmistakably follows the underdog formula established in the films. The series is set in Minnesota, where the Mighty Ducks are now a big deal, 12-year-old Evan Morrow (Brady Noon) gets cut from the team because they don't think he's good enough, and he and his mom (Graham) bring together their own crew in response — with the help of Bombay, of course. If that's your idea of top-notch nostalgic viewing, you'll be pleased to know that the series has just been renewed for a second season. Yes, there'll be more ice rink escapades, as The Hollywood Reporter reports. Exactly when the new episodes will hit Disney+ hasn't yet been revealed, but you can add it to your future watch list anyway. Check out the full trailer for the show's first season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZTouNvgPCM&feature=youtu.be The second season of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers doesn't yet have a release date; however, the first season is currently streaming via Disney+. Via The Hollywood Reporter. Top image: Disney+.
Combining the savage and the sublime, On Body and Soul enters a slaughterhouse to tell an unconventional love story. Here, animals become meat for humans to consume, while people become animals to live out their deepest fantasies. The first part is literal, as depicted in stark abattoir scenes that don't shy away from blood and butchering, and might make carnivores think twice about their eating habits. The second part doesn't really involve the movie's characters turning into actual critters, but to the film's star-crossed protagonists, their animal transformation might as well be real. Human resources manager Endre (Géza Morcsányi) and new hygiene inspector Maria (Alexandra Borbély) work at the facility in question, with chopped-up cattle an ordinary aspect of their everyday routines. Both are unfazed about the gory nature of their workplace, although neither are particularly happy in general, gravitating towards each other because they're each a little lost and more than a little lonely. During the day, their conversations are polite and restrained, but loaded with unspoken emotions. By night, it's another matter entirely. In their own beds and their own apartments, they both dream of deers running around a snowy forest, doing what deers do. More than that, they dream that their respective deers are frolicking together in a shared dreamscape. Everyone has had the experience of waking from their slumber feeling like they've just lived another life. Everyone has felt a bond with someone else that they couldn't quite explain. Everyone has felt detached from reality and much more at home in their own head. Combine all of the above, and that's still just the beginning of On Body and Soul's surreal, slow-building romance — the relatable starting point for a weird and wonderful exploration of what it means to be human. If the narrative had appeared to writer-director Ildikó Enyedi in her own dreams, that wouldn't be a surprise, but her blend of beauty and brutality burrows deep into weighty existential matters. Forget androids pondering electric sheep (sorry Blade Runner); this thoughtful movie wants to know if mankind can ever truly get a reprieve from our unforgiving world, or if becoming animals in our dreams is the closest we'll come to real happiness. The questions keep flowing, seeping into the audience's mind like a well-deployed Laura Marling track, although Enyedi is refreshingly unconcerned with serving up answers. Furthermore, her on-screen lovers are just as uninterested in finding them. While a contrived development takes Endre and Maria from colleagues to something more in their waking life, there's nothing convenient or artificial about their yearning to belong — or about the performances that breathe life into these restless souls. Quiet and unflashy yet nonetheless compelling, first-timer Morcsányi and the more experienced Borbély achieve what every actor strives for, offering a window into their characters' inner worlds. Of course, the film's entire premise does exactly that in its dreamy deer sequences, but its stars are crucial in making the fantastical concept work. If this moody, musing movie belongs to anyone, however, it's Enyedi. Nearly three decades after nabbing the Cannes Film Festival's Golden Camera award for her first feature, she has scooped up a spate of shiny trophies for On Body and Soul, and it's easy to see why. The winner of the 2017 Berlinale Golden Bear and the Sydney Film Prize, as well as a nominee at this year's Oscars, Enyedi's latest feature mightn't suit everyone's tastes, but it's an immersive, distinctive deep dive into familiar basic themes — love, life and loneliness — that looks and feels like it couldn't have been conjured up by anyone else. Pay particular attention to the director's exacting images, with every splash of blood, frosty field and clinical workspace making a statement both visually and emotionally. The way the film contrasts the horrors of slaughter with the serenity of nature, and uses them both as metaphors for life's difficult extremes, might all seem obvious on paper. And yet it couldn't be more affecting or arresting on the screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoQAm-E85bY&feature=youtu.be
In the wacky family comedies you usually see at this time of year, everyone will come to accept the quirks and legacies of their kinfolk. They'll acknowledge that even a wacky family is better than no family, probably while laughing around a Christmas ham with all the trimmings. August: Osage County is not that movie. It started life as a play — in fact, probably the best play I have ever seen. Sydney was lucky enough to receive a visit from its original production company Steppenwolf in 2010, giving Australian audiences a chance to join the cacophony of praise already coming from the Tony Awards committee, Pulitzers, American critics and Broadway-goers. But what was amazing about the show seemed quite theatre-specific. At nearly four hours long and set across a three-storey, bisected house, Osage County feels momentous. And more than that, it relies entirely on the crackling chemistry of its taut ensemble, a feat that seems magical on stage but prosaic on screen, where you know it's the product of take after take, plus editing. Sure enough, the new film — adapted by its own playwright, Tracy Letts, and starring a cast so heavyweight as to tip the scale into ridonkulous — is good, but it's not quite great. The tone is spot on: it's dark comedy infused with the Southern Gothic. You will laugh, but you'll probably feel evil about it. The family in question is the Westons, who are all drawn back into their childhood home miles from any significant town in Oklahoma. It's not the festive season; rather, the family patriarch, Beverly (Sam Shepard), has disappeared without warning or explanation, leaving his abrasive, abusive, cancer-inflicted and pill-addicted wife, Violet (Meryl Streep), alone with only the new carer, Johnna (Misty Upham). Violet's children understandably have mixed feelings towards her, but they're also dragging their new problems into the house. Barbara (Julia Roberts) is there with her recently estranged husband, Bill (Ewan McGregor), and teenage daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin); lifelong adolescent Karen (Juliette Lewis) has pinned all her hopes on the shoulders of shifty new fiance Steve (Dermot Mulroney); and Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) feels emboldened by a clandestine romance with her timid cousin, 'Little Charles' (Benedict Cumberbatch). This all culminates in a couple of exquisite dinner table confrontations, during which a lucid and destructive Violet exercises her finest skill and favourite hobby, 'truth telling'. Streep is, of course, excellent to watch in these moments, although every one of the actors needs to be — and is — at their best in the rapid-fire, emotionally fraught verbal rallies. Even if their purpose is to poison, Letts' script is full of beautiful words, which might actually be a let down for the movie. It's lofty, alienating and artificial in a way that doesn't totally work on screen, and a fair few critics have taken the hatchet to it in return. Elsewhere, though, Letts and director John Wells have done well making a very theatrical work cinematic (and have, mercifully, cut down the length). In the absence of the 'character' played by the imposing set, plentiful landscape shots of the open yet unfriendly plains of Osage County make an impact. One of the best scenes has Violet, hit by withdrawals, run blindly, desperately into this landscape, and it's one of the few moments where you really feel for her, and for her inability to escape a prison that she has helped build. If the film doesn't quite stand on its own, it's at least a good approximation of a great play. And some kind of record for sheer quantity of acting. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4VBEZrkCT8Q
If your creative juices start flowing after a beverage or several, then you're probably a fan of Cork & Chroma. The BYO art studio has been hosting paint and sip sessions across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for years — and now it's bringing the boozy, arty fun into your home. From Wednesday, April 1, Cork & Chroma is moving its alcohol-fuelled art classes online, so you can join in without leaving the house. The general setup remains the same, with each session teaching wannabe artists how to paint a specific picture. Whip up a gorgeous midnight scene, capture your houseplants on canvas, busy your brush painting Joshua trees or go manic for mandalas. Sessions cost $20 each, and are hosted by Cork & Chroma's artists — who'll be live-streaming their step-by-step painting instructions from 6.30pm AEST on select weeknights, and at 10am and 2pm on weekends. Classes are currently scheduled until the end of May. And if you're wondering about supplies, you can either use what you've got at home or you can order one of Cork & Chroma's new At Home Studio Kits. The latter comes in three sizes, setting you pack $60 for one person, $100 for two and $160 for four — and includes a range of acrylic paints, two canvases per person, and a palette and a set of brushes each. Pick them up from C&C yourself, or contact them about delivery options. As for the wine, beer, cocktails or whatever other booze gets you in the painting mood, you'll need to provide that yourself, as always. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=50&v=_7wmobTAPWY&feature=emb_title Updated April 25.
Mistaken for Strangers has been swiftly branded as 'that movie about The National'. In actuality, it revolves more closely around frontman Matt Berninger's younger brother and the film's director, Tom. A metalhead, slacker/partier and horror movie enthusiast, he tagged along with the band on what was their biggest tour to date in 2010. Since its release, this original rockumentary has reeled in some hot reviews, praised for its hilarity and heart-warming sincerity. It has been a steady climb to fame for indie-rock outfit, The National, who were considered underdogs for years. Now on the brink of 40, the overripe rockers are adjusting to fame and fortune. This film paints the band, and specifically Berninger, through the eyes of a younger, slightly wannabe sibling, depicting an envious older brother that is good at everything he does. The result is a funny and oddly moving portrait of two very different brothers. On February 8, Dendy Opera Quays are hosting a couple of special preview screenings, followed by an exclusive live audience Q&A with Matt Berninger, right before the band takes to the stage for their sold-out performance at the Sydney Opera House. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FNmprL3SOlM
For 132 years, Balmain's renowned Exchange Hotel fed and watered local punters. Last year, it sadly closed doors amid rumours that its next life was that of a call centre. Luckily, the rumours were false, and the historic hotel has reopened its doors, after a decor and menu refresh — and is welcoming in humans and dogs alike. The centenarian, located on the corner of Beattie and Mullens Streets, is now pairing craft cocktails with inventive Italian eats. You can match an espresso martini with a Mick pizza, topped with prosciutto and cherry tomatoes, perhaps, or a charcuterie board — piled high with jamon serrano, cured beef, salami and pickles — with a negroni. Alongside the cocktails, you'll also find a neat lineup of local wines and spirits, and a hefty selection of tap beers. And if you decide to head in for a post-work tipple, you'll be greeted with a $5 beer and house wine happy hour — running from 4–6pm, Monday to Thursday. It's a pub that takes its dessert seriously, too, with loaded dessert fries with molten Nutella, and its take on a s'more. Both perfect wintery sweets, if you ask us. Perhaps the most exciting news, however, is the pub's dog-friendly stance — which means you're guaranteed to experience some top-notch dog watching (and patting) while you're there. Find The Exchange Hotel at the corner of Beattie and Mullens Streets, Balmain.
The first thing you need to know about the A Night of Horror Film Festival is that it goes for nine days, so don't go letting the name confuse you. In four years, the festival has grown from its original one-night spectacular, with punters now able to take up residence at the Dendy Newtown for multiple evenings of blood and gore. Like its spooky sci-fi sister festival Fantastic Planet, the line-up this year is a heady mix of homegrown titles and international fare. The program is premiering three Australian features, with Q&A screenings for Damned By Dawn, The Dark Lurking and Steven Kastrissios' critically acclaimed revenge thriller, The Horseman. Also hotly anticipated is The Descent double bill, with Neil Marshall's 2005 hit about a girly caving expedition gone wrong (is there any other kind?) screening before the nightmare continues with the NSW premiere of The Descent 2. Home & Away alum Melissa George will close the festival, getting her fright on as a soul stranded at sea in the Australian/UK co-production Triangle. With some 16 bloody features and 50 shorts on offer, the trick will be deciding how many nights of horror your psyche will withstand and trying not to choke on your popcorn as the genre claims its quota of screams. https://youtube.com/watch?v=s3Csyt6CJo8
The fourth wall is an essential part of any story, but it's become more of a curtain in recent years. Performers and characters across media have made a habit of breaking it regularly to engage on a new level with the audience. Theatres have always led this charge, but a new show is coming to town that breaks the fourth wall so hard that it was practically never there. From the talents at the Australian Theatre for Young People and Kip Chapman — creator of Destination Mars and APOLLO 13: Mission Control — comes The Resistance, a story about young Aussies trying to make a collective change amid a massive climate action protest. Each cast member has their own perspective and goal, and you're actively invited to add yours to the mix. The creators are veterans of interactive theatre, and this is their most engaging title yet. You're encouraged to get as involved as you like, whether it's enjoying the show traditionally or going onstage with the cast – it's totally up to you. It's more than just a comedian asking what you do for work to warm up the crowd. No matter how engaged you are, it'll be a show to remember. If you're passionate about climate action or young people making a difference, you're in for a treat. The young performers are telling a relevant and emotionally-charged story very near and dear to the hearts of people everywhere, so anyone can get behind it. It's all happening in the brand-new Rebel Theatre, which is located in picture-perfect Dawes Point. The Resistance is a co-production with the Auckland Theatre Company, opening at The Rebel Theatre on Thursday, February 16 and running until Saturday, March 11. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the website.
Leonardo DiCaprio making his first movie in four years, a swaggering Brad Pitt spitting out wry dialogue, 60s showbiz laid bare, and Australians Margot Robbie and Damon Herriman playing Sharon Tate and Charles Manson — it must be Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. One of 2019's most anticipated titles, the acclaimed filmmaker's ninth stint behind the camera travels back five decades to tell the tale of fading TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), his trusty stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), his neighbour Tate (Robbie) and an industry that's changing fast. Set in Los Angeles in 1969, it's a story that charts the end of Hollywood's golden age, the Manson Family murders and everything going on around Tinseltown at the time. Tarantino loves jumping into the past — thanks to Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, this is his fourth consecutive period piece — but he might've found his ideal niche. For this journey back to fame, fortune and crime gone by, he's also amassed a who's who of the film's titular town. Get ready — it's a long list. Tarantino regulars Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Zoe Bell and Michael Madsen all feature, as well as Dakota Fanning, Lena Dunham, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, James Marsden and the late Luke Perry. Nodding not only to Hollywood's past and present, but to its future, up-and-comers Maya Hawke and Rumer Willis also pop up (they're the daughters of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, and Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, respectively). Basically, Tinseltown today delves into Los Angeles' darker days, a behind-the-scenes Hollywood caper meets US crime history, and Tarantino might've taken some inspiration from the Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar! — at least if the ace and amusing initial teaser for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is any indication. The film is set to be premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, before releasing worldwide from late July. Check out the first sneak peek below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsL_spv4yEw&feature=youtu.be Once Upon a Time in Hollywood releases in Australian cinemas on August 15. Image: © 2018 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Returning for a second year after a widely-publicised Parklife rebrand, national electronic dance music festival Listen Out has locked in dates for another year. Spearheaded by organisers and promoters Fuzzy (the team behind Field Day, Shore Thing and Harbourlife), Listen Out marked its debut last year to generally upward thumbs and rants about Azealia Banks' smokebomb. Stopping by Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane in spring, Listen Out's so-called 'boutique' set-up will "showcase the best dance music in a small but perfectly formed setting," according to Fuzzy. The nationally-touring festival will return to Sydney's Centennial Park, Perth's Ozone Reserve and Melbourne's Observatory Precinct, with a change in Brisbane venue from Southbank's Cultural Forecourt to the Brisbane Showgrounds. Headlined by staggeringly popular UK duo Disclosure last year with highlights including Azealia Banks (very briefly), AlunaGeorge and Classixx, the roaring pub debates will simmer until the lineup announcement to come. LISTEN OUT 2014 DATES AND VENUES: SYDNEY — Saturday 27 September, Centennial Park PERTH — Sunday 28 September, Ozone Reserve MELBOURNE — Saturday 4 October, Observatory Precinct, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne BRISBANE — Sunday 5th October, The Avenues & Expo Place, Brisbane Showgrounds Full lineup announcement and ticket details to come. Image by Dominic Loneragan.
Life drawing is taken to a whole new, adorable level with this latest session by Cork and Canvas. The paint and sip company will take over the Wild Life Sydney Zoo on Friday, October 30 for a cuddly night with its resident koalas. The experience starts off with after-hours access to the zoo, where you'll have 45 minutes to wander around the closed premises with a glass of champagne in hand. Then head to the rooftop from 7pm, where paint stations will be prepped for your two-hour session with a local koala and his keepers. Apart from creating a koala-inspired masterpiece, patrons will have access to bottomless wine, beer and sparkling, plus grazing platters, canapes and tapas throughout the night. And, yes, selfies with the star marsupial are encouraged. Tickets cost between $140–195 each and are very limited, with the October sessions sold out and tickets already on sale for February 2021.
Why would two young fine-dining chefs pack in their juliennes and quenelles for a pork bun on wheels? Perhaps looking around them at well-loved institutions such as Bilson’s, Montpellier Public House (formerly Balzac), Assiette and Manly Pavilion closing their doors, a more humble van seems positively sensible. Stuart Magill of Testsuya’s and Brenton Balicki of Quay certainly bring some posh credentials to their Eat Art Truck, but the food is frippery free - tasty, simple and lush. The truck features a back panel of changing street art, with Phibs as the inaugural artist. If street art makes you feel slightly odd (like you’ve somehow woken up in East Brunswick in a pair of burgundy chinos…) then stay around the front of the truck and focus on the delicious food, friendly staff and the shiny Electrolux induction kitchen. Because Sydney belongs to a rule-loving nation, the truck is restricted to specific trading locations including Queen’s Square, Customs House forecourt and Pitt Street Mall. So no, you may not have them pull up outside your house on a Saturday morning to tend to your hangover. If it were an option, however, you’d definitely be placing a bulk order for five smoky pulled pork buns with mustard cabbage ($12) followed promptly by equal quantities of the BBQ beef bun and hot sauce ($12). If in a slightly more civilised mood, you might opt for the delicate annindofu (almond curd) with toasted coconut and pineapple ($6). Fantasies aside, you’d be hard pressed to find food this good and fast in any bricks and mortar establishment in Sydney. They’re ambitiously aiming for a five minute turn around for each order – that’s up there with McDonald’s speed, minus the double coronary. Make the effort, get off the couch and get yourself some.
He's directed a mockumentary about sharehouse-dwelling vampires in Wellington, one of the most offbeat and adorable fugitive films there is, and the best big-budget blockbuster about a certain cape-wearing, hammer-wielding Norse god- turned-superhero that's reached screens so far. Now, after winning hearts and laughs with not only What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok, but New Zealand comedies Eagle vs Shark and Boy too, Taika Waititi has turned his attention to making fun of Hitler. His latest movie is called Jojo Rabbit, with the beloved filmmaker not only writing and directing, but starring as the Nazi. It's a satire, obviously, following a bullied but nationalistic young German boy called Jojo (newcomer Roman Griffin Davis) who discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace) in their attic. He doesn't quite know what to do, so he asks the obvious person for help: his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler. World War II-set films are a very common sight on the big screen, so if you feel like you've seen every possible take on that period of history, Jojo Rabbit is here to change your mind. As the just-released first teaser for the movie shows, this isn't your usual grim, serious war flick. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens, it's being badged as an "anti-hate" comedy, should you need more of an idea of the tone that Waititi is going for. As well as the writer/director himself, the film co-stars the high-profile likes of Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant and Alfie Allen. It's not the only project that Waititi has in the works — it was just announced last week that he'll be directing the next Thor film, Thor: Love and Thunder — but it is the only one where he gets Hitler to call himself a lunatic and a psycho. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTqd4yNFuSw Jojo Rabbit releases in the US on October 18 and it doesn't yet have an Australian release date — we'll update you when that changes.
Treat yo self! It's a motto for a reason. The Parks and Rec team taught us that everyone deserves a day of total indulgence once a year, and given how this year is going, we say you should stretch that to two. Two weekend days in Sydney, to be precise. That's right, we're advocating a staycation, right in the centre — not only will it plunge you directly into the beating heart of the city, you'll never be more than a comfortable walk away from anything (especially your hotel bed). Use your time to visit 1930s Shanghai, mid-century Paris and 2000s Hamptons (all without getting on a plane, of course) and check out real megawatt art and performance. Here are the decadences to explore on the CBD's doorstep. EAT AND DRINK If you have the luxury to plan your trip a few weeks in advance, seek out a booking at one of Sydney's quintessential fine-dining establishments and put it right at the heart of your itinerary. A meal at Bennelong under the Sydney Opera House sails, a blow-out degustation at legendary Tetsuya's, a spread at ever-confident and classy Bentley or a taste odyssey at Peter Gilmore's newly revamped Quay (reopening this month, sadly minus the Snow Egg) — these are experiences you'll remember for months to come, let alone when your colleagues ask you what you did on the weekend. For your other meals, take a risk on some sophisticated newcomers. Restaurant Hubert, located in a dark and delightfully atmospheric basement on Bligh Street, is the one all Sydneysiders will rave to you about. Literally: it was our pick of best new restaurant in 2016, and the people's choice. In looks and menu, it's a marriage of olde-worlde European charm and contemporary finesse — think duck parfait with maple syrup jelly, escargot with house XO sauce, and kimchi gratin. If you're more in the mood to share a couple of stir-fries — but like, really excellent ones — head to David Thompson's upmarket Thai venture, Long Chim, or Dan Hong's enduring Cantonese venture Mr Wong, inspired by 1930s Shanghai. When it comes to pre- and post-drinks, let the city's sensational skyline be your guide. Don't miss the Cuban-inspired 'vista bar' Hacienda Sydney, with views that stretch for days. It's a garden oasis within Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour where its always summer in the tropics, even in August. Afterwards, head to Henry Deane, the rooftop bar at pub The Palisades. Not only is it mostly enclosed, so you're sheltered from the winter winds, it manages an art deco-meets-Hamptons vibe, and its views are just insane. This is the spot to pop the top off a bottle of Louis Roederer Rosé Champagne from Rheims or put your trust in the bartenders to mix you a signature creation. The Opera Bar nearby is the ultimate in water's-edge drinking, while The Doss House in The Rocks lets whisky shine. Start your next day out in Sydney as if it were Paris — with a coffee and a pastry swiped from Bistro Guillaume. Owner Guillaume Brahimi is one of Sydney's fine-dining old guard, but his CBD venue is so relaxed it includes a takeaway patisserie. Hit him up for tarts, croque monsieurs and — of course — croissants. If it's a bigger morning fuel-up you're after, head further down George Street to The Grounds of the City — the CBD offshoot of Sydney's arguably most famous (and certainly most Instagrammed) cafe. DO A short break in Sydney's CBD is your chance to play art doyen for the day. Two of the state's main art institutions — the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) and Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) — are both parked here. Head to the AGNSW to catch the annual headline-making Archibald Prize exhibition, on all winter. You can make the most of the event by bundling your ticket together with a special themed high tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. At the MCA, the John Mawurndjul exhibition — I Am the Old and the New — is worth lingering over. The Kuninjku artist from west Arnhem Land is known for extremely detailed cross-hatching you'll want to study up close. If you make it into town on the last Friday night of the month, don't miss the MCA's after-hours event, Artbar. Between one gallery and the other, you'll find a trail of Sydney's finest shops. Start at the Galeries — home to style-makers Incu, Kinokuniya and Muji — before wandering through the historic Queen Victoria Building and The Strand Arcade, both lined with contemporary boutiques. Then, lose yourself in the higgledy-piggledy laneways of The Rocks — you might stumble on art, craft and jewellery finds. A night at the Sydney Opera House should follow. Opera is right there in the name, but the venue also hosts theatre, talks, contemporary music — if a cultural form is out there, the SOH has run it. This winter, look out for the Sydney Theatre Company's The Long Forgotten Dream, with real stars director Neil Armfield and actor Wayne Blair attached, as well as the no-holds-barred spectacle of Opera Australia's AIDA. Come September, you can go full 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' with the arrival of hit musical Evita, or balance out the weekend's indulgences with Antidote — that's the name of the talks festival that this year is bringing out Chelsea Manning, Ronan Farrow and Ta-Nehisi Coates. And just because Vivid is over, doesn't mean all the sparkle has gone out of the sails. Every night at sunset and 7pm, you can see the sides of the Opera House projected with Badu Gili, a seven-minute graphic work based on First Nations stories from the area. SLEEP The thing that's really going to kick your Sydney short break into treat-yo-self territory? That's the quality of your digs. The Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, near the State Library and Botanic Gardens, is true five-star indulgence. It has a pillow menu, for starters (yes, you get to choose your pillows). It also has elegant rooms, a courtyard garden, a health club and a breakfast you'll have to see to believe. This has couple's retreat written all over it. If hot-tub time is a holiday mandatory for you, on the other hand, the five-star Pullman Sydney Hyde Park has your name on it. Head to the rooftop pool for epic views out over Hyde Park and the city skyline — or enjoy them from your own window if you choose the right room. For luxury closer to the bustle of George Street — and to get those sweet, sweet spa treatments — choose the Swissotel Sydney. The hotel is home to the Spa & Sport day spa, as well as a sizeable gym and heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi. Lest you overdo the health kick, the hotel has just added fondue to its menu Thursday through Saturday nights. The dipping options include mac-and-cheese croquettes, potato rosti and nashi pear. Help. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in the Sydney CBD, and to discover more of NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
Sinkane is an energetic four-piece blending together elements of tap, jazz, disco and rock to create a colourful tapestry of tunes. It is an extension of the solo work of Ahmed Gallab, a multi-instrumentalist in high demand. Gallab is a regular on the indie circuit, having recently toured with Yeasayer, Caribou and Born Ruffians, among many. Hailing from Brooklyn via Sudan, he is a self-styled cosmopolitan and intuitive percussionist with a knack for fusing together diverse musical elements. Sinkane marks Gallab's movement from indie-rock fame to a more worldly sound, peppered with personal musical influences, such as Sudanese pop and Afro-futurism. Mustering a synth-heavy style that incorporates free jazz and early '70s funk, the band will be gracing the Spiegeltent for Sydney Festival in January. You won't want to miss this evening of feelgood global music with real soul. Want more Sydney Festival events? Check out our top ten picks of the festival. Image by by Nick Helderman. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Axgv-xW8B6c
Irish whiskey-maker Jameson is bringing an absolutely stacked lineup to the Vic on the Park for a free weekend of live music. The House of Rounds will take over The Vic's stage on Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27 with two huge headliners. At the top of the lineup is beloved Northeast Arnhem Land surf rock group King Stingray providing Sydneysiders with the chance to catch the five-piece for free in Marrickville fresh off their acclaimed self-titled debut album. King Stingray have stepped in to lead the weekend after Skeggs were forced to drop off the lineup last-minute. On Friday, pop-lovers can head to the Addison Road pub to catch popular singer-songwriter Wafia roll out hit tracks like 'I'm Good' and 'Heartburn'. In support across the two nights: Sophiya, Romero, Molly Rocket, Coconut Cream and DJs throughout the weekend. There's also going to be a dedicated Jameson winter drinks bar whipping up hot toddys and providing whiskey tastings. And, as at previous House of Rounds shows, $1 from each Jameso drink will be donated to local community organisation Addi Road to help fight for human rights and combat issues like food insecurity and racism. Entry is free, but with big names like King Stingray and Wafia on the lineup, the venue is likely to fill up quickly and the first 100 people through the door on Saturday will get a free drink — so head down early if you want to secure a spot. Updated: Thursday, August 25
When you think of opera, you probably think of sitting in a cavernous recital hall, watching a distant, elaborately dressed soprano from amongst an almost as elaborately dressed audience. The plot is probably: beautiful woman makes human error, dies. Not so at the Sydney Chamber Opera, where the themes are multifarious and the feel intimate. The young company specialises in a style of opera developed in the mid-20th century by composer Benjamin Britten and adopted by the likes of Philip Glass. It's designed for smaller ensembles than a full orchestra and performed in correspondingly smaller rooms. Next on their program is Owen Wingrave, an English-language opera first commissioned for television in 1967. With a score by Britten and libretto by Myfanwy Piper, it's based on the Henry James book whose pacifist themes found renewed resonance in the Vietnam War era. Directed by Imara Savage, the Sydney Chamber Opera production promises to be relevant, thought provoking and richly rewarding. With $30 under-30s tickets, it's ideal for both opera fans and agnostics curious about the modern possibilities of a classical art.
World Chocolate Day (Wednesday, July 7) is on the horizon, so what better excuse for two of the country's top dessert masters to join forces? Aussie chocolate brand Koko Black and the ever-innovative, Sydney-born cake maestros Black Star Pastry have dreamed up some sweet-toothed magic, available for one day only this July. The Meteor Cake is the brainchild of Koko Black Head Chocolatier Remco Brigou and Black Star's Group Head Pastry Chef Arnaud Vodounou. First up, there are the neat layers of dark chocolate financier, caramel-infused chocolate, muscovado sponge, dense hazelnut cremeux, choccy mousse and praline. Crowning that delicious tower is a flying 'meteor' — a hazelnut truffle coated in black cocoa nibs — trailing a blazing edible flame crafted from luxe Sao Thome chocolate. There's even a pile of meteor 'rubble', made of crumbled cocoa nibs. It's here for a good time, but a very fleeting one, hitting stores for one day only on (you guessed it) Wednesday, July 7. The Meteor Cake comes in at $15 a slice, available to purchase only from select Koko Black stores in Sydney (Strand Arcade). You can also grab the takeaway treat from Black Star's Rosebery and Newtown outposts. Given the current lockdown and restrictions, Sydneysiders will also be able to pre-order here from July 2 to score a $55 four-pack that'll be delivered on World Chocolate Day. After the first half of this year, you bloody well deserve it.
In Love Lies Bleeding, a craggy ravine just outside a dusty New Mexico town beckons, ready to swallow sordid secrets in the dark of the desert's starry night. Tumbling into it, a car explodes in flames partway through the movie, exactly as the person pushing it in wants it to. There's the experience of watching Rose Glass' sophomore film emblazoned across the feature's very frames. After the expertly unsettling Saint Maud, the British writer/director returns with a second psychological horror, this time starring Kristen Stewart in the latest of her exceptionally chosen post-Twilight roles (see: Crimes of the Future, Spencer, Happiest Season, Lizzie, Personal Shopper, Certain Women and Clouds of Sils Maria). An 80s-set queer and sensual tale of love, lust, blood and violence, Love Lies Bleeding is as inkily alluring as the gorge that's pivotal to its plot, and as fiery as the inferno that swells from the canyon's depths. This neon-lit, synth-scored neo-noir thriller scorches, too — and burns so brightly that there's no escaping its glow. When the words "you have to see it to believe it" also grace Love Lies Bleeding — diving into gyms and in the bodybuilding world, it's no stranger to motivational statements such as "no pain no gain", "destiny is a decision" and "the body achieves what the mind believes" — they help sum up this wild cinematic ride as well. Glass co-scripts here with Weronika Tofilska (they each previously penned and helmed segments of 2015's A Moment in Horror), but her features feel like the result of specific, singular and searing visions that aren't afraid to swerve and veer boldly and committedly to weave their stories and leave an imprint. Accordingly, Love Lies Bleeding is indeed a romance, a crime flick and a revenge quest. It's about lovers on the run and intergenerational griminess. It rages against the machine. It's erotic, a road trip and unashamedly pulpy. It also takes the concept of strong female leads to a place that nothing else has, and you do need to witness it to fathom it. Stewart is Love Lies Bleeding's shaggy mullet-wearing heartthrob, a surly and oft-silent type who knows what she wants and doesn't. In the first category for the gym-managing Lou: a life free of abuse for her sister Beth (Jena Malone, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire), who has scuzzy and vicious husband JJ (Dave Franco, Day Shift) lurking about; nothing to do with the shooting range-owning, gun-running, insect-obsessed, ponytailed Lou Sr (the scene-stealing Ed Harris, Top Gun: Maverick); and, from when she first sets eyes on her, muscular and permed out-of-towner Jackie (Katy O'Brian, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). It's 1989, Lou is unwilling to be anyone but herself — iron-pumping patrons try and fail to insult her with "grade-a dyke" — and she's also introduced knowing how to clean up a mess and navigate amorous complications. Glass initially finds one of her protagonists with a hand deep in a backed-up toilet, and with local hang-about and past fling Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov, Dickinson) pleading for a date. More muck and more relationship chaos are in store for both Lou and for Love Lies Bleeding. Breezing in en route to a bodybuilding championship in Las Vegas, Jackie reciprocates her affections, then moves into her house — but the day before they meet, she's sleeping with JJ for a job at Lou Sr's. That's just some of the shit, metaphorical rather than literal, that Lou will have to get more than elbow-deep in. The FBI agents hovering around asking questions fall into the same camp. Alongside gleefully subverting the usual take on powerful women characters on-screen, Glass carves into idyllic perceptions of love. Love Lies Bleeding's central romance is urgent, instant, sweaty and horny, and also opportunistic, perilous and thorny. The idea that discovering your special someone is transformative also receives a stunning spin, and far beyond the fact that bulging biceps and doing everything on steroids — sometimes literally there — are rarely far from returning Saint Maud cinematographer Ben Fordesman's lens. It isn't merely Glass, Fordesman, editor Mark Towns (another Saint Maud alum), composer Clint Mansell (Sharper) and the meticulous team of sound designers who go all in on crafting Lou and Jackie's plight as an evocatively visceral and squelchy fever dream, heated sex scenes, an onslaught of gore and brutality, and an eagerness to get weird all included. Almost every time that she rolls out a new performance, Stewart is in never-better form again and again, which is true once more in this phenomenal portrayal. The anxiety, tension and vulnerability that's pulsating through Lou is evident in a look, a line reading and posture alone, as is determination, devotion, grit and complexity. Stewart masters something that's only matched by the electric O'Brian, as Glass demands: mesmerising viewers, and making them fall as head over heels for this chemistry-dripping pair and the movie they're in as they do with each other. For O'Brian, who also has The Mandalorian and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as Westworld and The Walking Dead on her resume, has studied martial arts since childhood, takes part in bodybuilding contests off-screen and was previously a cop, it's a star-making, can't-look-away turn. Add obsession to the forces pumping ravenously through Love Lies Bleeding, which befits its filmmaker; this isn't her first picture about transformation and connection. The links between Saint Maud and Love Lies Bleeding mirror Lou and Jackie, with the two duos as much kindred spirits as opposites. Glass relishes the magnetic clash, then revels in it. What it truly means to change, and why, and the motivations to try; attempting to abandon old and forge new habits; what a person can and can't find in another; where faith and trust kick in: they all throb through both flicks. But jumping from a claustrophobic British setting to the expansive American west, plus from ailing bodies to musclebound figures, is also Glass' journey. Contrasts abound within Love Lies Bleeding itself, which is intimate but sprawling, raw and tender, sweet and savage, gets love and sex butting heads with carnage and death, grim but blackly comedic, and also dark and distressing yet swoonworthy and romantic. In her two features so far — a helluva debut, then this astounding follow-up — Glass has also proven herself a builder, but not of the bodies that her second movie peers at with as female a gaze that cinema is capable of. There's no watching Love Lies Bleeding and not spying its influences, as was the case with Saint Maud. That said, that both take those inspirations as foundations to construct something else entirely is equally inescapable. These are no one's copies. True Romance, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, Thelma & Louise, Showgirls, Badlands, Paris, Texas, Raising Arizona, Bonnie & Clyde, Natural Born Killers: consider them all Love Lies Bleeding's siblings. So are Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon, as spied in the intoxicating hues that dance across the screen. Although it similarly only reached cinemas in 2024, Ethan Coen's Drive-Away Dolls would make a glorious double with one of the standout movies of the year. For a burning, bulging, blistering and brilliant plunge into filmmaking at its most exhilarating, however, Love Lies Bleeding stands and shines fiercely atop its own cliff.
This is the first significant Australian showing of Alfred Stieglitz's work and contains more than 150 of the finest prints of his photos. Alfred Stieglitz is important in a way that's kind of hard to explain. That's partly because he did so many different things as a photographer and partly because his influence on subsequent technical and aesthetic practices has been so pervasive. He termed his approach 'straight photography' and intended it to portray and convey its subjects in ways that were uniquely photographic rather than imitative of other media. Stieglitz created an identity for photography as an independent art form in the American context, an art form with expressive 'equivalents' to painting or music or drama. He also created a particularly American imagery in the visual vocabulary of his medium. His pictures of New York in the 1930s show the scaffolds of skyscrapers begun in the '20s; the skies he so often captured are met by huge frontier horizons. Stieglitz was also a modernist of the highest order, photographing not only Duchamp but one of the most-used images of his Fountain. He was married to Georgia O'Keeffe and took just a few photos of her, roomfuls of which you'll see alongside the country and cityscapes, the skies and the pictures of people who adored him. Make sure you say something about the apples as symbols of American spirituality and/or the prominence of hands in the portraits and/or the sexual innuendo about one of those things. Bonus points for all three: it's what multitasking Alfred would have wanted.
Watching a tennis match live is a world away from that tiny ping-pong game you see on TV. As David Foster Wallace wrote in his New York Times essay 'Federer as Religious Experience', "TV tennis is to live tennis pretty much as video porn is to the felt reality of human love." From even the back rows of the stadium, but especially courtside, you can see the true speed of that scary-fast ball and appreciate the real technique, tenacity and grace of the players as they stretch out to meet it. The modern tennis game is breakneck. But that's just on the court. If you're more aesthete than athlete, a tournament like the Apia International Sydney is the perfect opportunity to wear white cotton and plimsolls, grab some strawberries and cream from the stand, and imagine you're part of Rene Lacoste's personal entourage at Wimbledons past. A single session ticket gets you either a day or a night at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, where you can hop between the Ken Rosewall Arena court with its star players, the outer courts with their more intimate set-ups, and the activity marquees around the grounds. Or, if you take the casual premium hospitality option, a fully stocked esky means you never have to leave your seat at all. Confirmed for the 2013 tournament are current world no.5 Juan Martin del Potro, former no.1 Caroline Wozniacki, 2011 Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova and Aussie talent/annoyance Bernard Tomic. It's their last stop before the Australian Open in late January, so they'll really want to go out of this one on a high. Image: Victoria Azarenka at the Apia International Sydney, Thursday January 12, 2012. Photo by Murray Wilkinson (SMP Images).
Newtown neighbours Bovine & Swine and The Midnight Special are collaborating this month, joining forces to create The Midnight Bovine from April 28 through to May 14. The first in a series of pop-up kitchens being run out of the small bar, the pit-masters behind some of Sydney's best barbecue will take over the kitchen for a fortnight, spicing up their menu with a Tex-Mex twist. Patrons can expect giant beef short rib tacos, smokey bacon caramel popcorn and chilli con queso to make appearances on this special menu. True to form, the B&S blokes will also be offering custom-made salsas and house pickles. As drink pairings, The Midnight Special are offering up their smoked brisket whiskey, smoked jalapeño tequila and classic picklebacks as ideal accompaniments. This pop-up series comes as the small bar's current kitchen, operated by Berbisey, closes up shop to pursue new ventures as of April 27. The next day, The Midnight Bovine will open up, running Wednesdays through Sundays from 5.30pm until mid-May.
Lunar New Year is just around the corner, running from January 25–February 8. Ring in the Year of the Rat and celebrate Chinese culture by hitting up a street party in Haymarket, watching dragon boat racing in Darling Harbour and gawking at large-scale lanterns of the 12 lunar zodiac animals, plus a gold tower of nine 2.8m-tall robotic rats in Circular Quay. After your cultural fix, it's time to tuck into a feast. For those looking to ring in the New Year in style, you can head to one of the city's best restaurants — Aria — which is serving up Chinese-inspired dishes in celebration. Executive Chef Joel Bickford's specialty menu will be on offer from January 22–29, so you can either start the festivities early or head there after a day of exploring the many lunar events around Sydney. You'll be feasting on chilled lobster and potato salad topped with oyster emulsion and caviar; slow-cooked pork jowl, greenlip abalone, king oyster mushrooms and greens in XO sauce; steamed red emperor fish with creamed miso eggplant and shellfish oil; and cherry-glazed organic duck breast, aged in-house for seven days. Then, for dessert, a blood plum sorbet and a white chocolate, lychee and mango pudding. And, of course, it's all accompanied by sweeping Opera House and harbour views. This decadent six-course menu will cost you a cool $260 per person, with additional wine pairings ranging from $128–328 (or opt for a non-alcoholic drinks pairing for $78). After all, the Year of the Rat is one of wealth and surplus. Aria's Chinese New Year Celebration menu is available for lunch and dinner, from January 22–29. To book, head here. Images: Cole Bennetts, Steven Woodburn and Kitti Gould.
First, they realised that folks liked to strut their stuff on the dance floor in their own way — free from judging eyes, glaring sources of illumination, restrictive outfits and the need to learn specific steps. It was a stroke of genius that's all there in the name, so it should come as no surprise that No Lights No Lycra have hit the jackpot with their next idea. Now, knowing that there's more to the season of roses and chocolates than the usual romantic gestures, they're throwing an anti-Valentine's Day dance party. Taking over the Paddington Uniting Church Hall from 7.30pm to 8.30pm on February 14, Feelin' Myself — The Anti V-Day Party is a space for everyone to come together and show their love through movement. Just what kind of affection you're expressing and celebrating as you listen to a mix of breakup and better-off-alone tunes, well, that's up to you. If you're attached, you can both hit the floor and avoid all of the usual Valentine's Day cliches — sure, you'll have to nab a ticket in advance, but there's no fancy outfits, worrying about a restaurant booking, trying to snag the best picnic spot or the like. If you're solo, you can groove with your gang of friends or bust a move alone, free from the usual romance overload. No Lights No Lycra's Feelin' Myself — The Anti V-Day Party takes place at the Paddington Uniting Church Hall from 7.30pm to 8.30pm on February 14. For more information, visit the event Facebook page. Tickets cost $12, and are available online now.
Looking for a(nother) reason to hit the south coast this spring? As if uncrowded beaches and fresh air weren't enough, the spring series by the Institute of Interesting Ideas is also on. This bunch of live conversations featuring healthy-living celebrities is promising to delve into food, wellbeing, sex and death. And every one of them will take place by the sea at The Pavilion Kiama. If you're a fan of My Kitchen Rules, you'll know the host, Pete Evans, who'll speak on Thursday, October 24, on the Joy of Food. Has your love of a good meal lately been corrupted by confusion around what's healthy and what's not? This is your chance to rediscover it — and eat happily again. On Friday, November 1, meet Victoria Spence, holistic funeral director and celebrant. Expect to encounter everything you've ever wondered about death, from facing mortality without panicking to managing funeral costs. Following her on Friday, November 1, will be sex therapist Jacqueline Hellyer, who'll tackle another taboo in her chat Sex: the Naked Truth. And, as summer draws near, it'll be time for Matt Preston, food writer and TV personality. He'll discuss food, food and glorious food – while launching his new book, More — on Thursday, November 21. The Institute of Interesting Ideas will run from October 24–November 21. To purchase tickets, and for information places to stay and eat in Kiama, head this way.
While most of the city is still washing the (biodegradable) glitter from its hair and nursing a hangover from Mardi Gras weekend, the Labor Party is making its next election promise: a Pride Centre for Sydney's inner west. It won't be Australia's first — one is currently underway in St Kilda, and expected to open in 2020 — but it will be the first for the state. NSW Labor Leader Michael Daley this weekend announced that the party would invest $4.2 million in the centre, if elected later this month, which would be built in collaboration with the Inner West Council and ACON, a NSW health organisation specialising in HIV prevention. The Pride Centre would both celebrate and foster diversity in the community, be home to a LGBTQI+ health and wellbeing services and a base for LGBTQI+ community organisations. The Inner West Council says it is looking to exisiting Pride Centres — such as those in Edmonton, Singapore and San Francisco — for inspiration. The need for a Pride Centre in the Inner West was identified back in 2017, after the Council commissioned a report into how it could greater support a range of programs and initiatives within the local LGBTQI+ community. The report also suggested the hiring of a dedicated LGBTQI+ Community Engagement Officer, that all Council facilities be made inclusive and accessible and the commissioning of a gateway mural. https://www.facebook.com/innerwestcouncil/posts/2726691187355961?__xts__[0]=68.ARBLnstwrGL2mvx9QsO24Ay3DWmUUDqJwna4-8fwAqxmuEH7lfzCxSSYMC0gV3hArGLtcGb8XS7-wtfETY0Mncojd8MdG33UUFinuG0L-QxvXQZoarcWmdcoAqJYcJl07yth1eeDiE0R27Kf00zZXSZt4F2aa6MYx_u6YlKXd0gIyPcJ_uclAVR9l7MGuTdMvPcXYe-7EIxpu7kkidCI0qGDgk_OgeU3EbxvVjyymWFvpN5enQqcaXN209oOyknhcSjxumlYV1R_DYoTQL9d_v_9g-tXiAPZDOS4jS6D7MLlS8_0DmO92U4vIl0O6BoQ2krtrqrfJr6qg608OZ0W6NvMOg&__tn__=-R The Inner West Council is currently asking for feedback from the community, taking suggestions as to what services the Pride Centre should have and where it should be built. Feedback closes on March 24, 2019. For more information, head to yoursay.innerwest.new.gov.au.
For over a decade, London's Serpentine Gallery has staged a series of unusual and wonderful summer pavilions. Each is put up, left out and pulled down over the course of a few months and designed by some of the biggest talents in architecture from around the world. Sydney's Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation has taken a leaf out of the Serpentine's book to stage its own series of strange architectural creations, starting with last year's beautiful Crescent House and following on with this year's double feature: Trifolium, put together by AR-MA, and Tomahawk // Archer Breakspear's contribution, Poly Trifolium sits outside the gallery proper in SCAF's 'Zen garden'. And there's definitely a calm sensation under its six-toed frame. The distant bamboo and half-quiet of busy Paddington buzzes away in the background. From the outside, the structure looks somewhere between Utzon's Opera House and the awnings of a football stadium. Its skin is sleek and white, like a spaceship, the arch repeating three times with a dip slumping in the roof. Inside is organic. The inner roof is black, actually a mesh of 152 laser-cut, stainless steel panels. They look slightly bulbous, layered and grape-like, curved plate over plate. Beneath the inner roof, darkly iridescent like a bug's wing, each arch captures different angles of the sun at an oblique angle. The day I visited, one side was somewhere between liquorice black and purple, another shifted between purple and rock brown, while the last caught the afternoon brilliance. Black, slate and gravel colours mixing with slabs of sunlight. It's an impressive structure, a bit like a cathedral shrunk down to the scale of its own model. Inside the gallery proper is Poly. It's a parliament of moveable aluminium seating pods. Each about 2 metres tall, plushly lined inside, stark metal polish and sharp angles without. Visitors are meant to sit inside or move them around. Shifting and seated among them, their sharp, silver lines become more obvious and the things really loom: silent, sharp-edged and impersonal. They do feel ripe to be rearranged, but are so large they seem to drag the balance in the room around with them when you pull the chairs around yourself. Trifolium and Poly are pretty low key. These aren't begging for a momentous cross-city expedition. Rather, a quiet visit on a jaunt through Paddington in their own small moment of zen. SCAF is open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 12-5. Photo: Jacob Ring
If you listen to many theatre reviewers, you'll believe there's something wrong with you if you enjoy the opening act of Oedipus Schmoedipus, apparently the Sydney Festival's most divisive work. But I'm here to say it's bloody brilliant (emphasis on the bloody — it's basically writer-performers Zoe Coombs Marr and Mish Grigor killing each other and themselves in numerous vivid ways). The comedic timing, the ingenious weapon concealment, the improbable wailing of 'Love the Way You Lie' — the whole thing really comes together as a surreal mash-up of comic-book violence and a celebration of the craft of stage blood. There are other highlights in the hour that follows, as the women of post riff on the death scenes from some 2500 years of drama, from Aeschylus to Shakespeare, Moliere, Ibsen and Wilde. The ensemble has a gift for making layered, surprising shows out of seemingly novelty premises — in Who's the Best? they tried to empirically determine which one of the group was the best all-round human, and in Everything I Know About the Global Financial Crisis in One Hour they intentionally plunged into socioeconomic analysis without doing any research. Following Oedipus Schmoedipus's gory opener, the group attacks the death question with an arsenal including absurd comedy monologues, wordplay, group dancing, frenetic kabuki drops and two dozen fresh volunteers each night, squirming on stage while following carefully choreographed directions. It's fun to watch all this smash together — there's a strain of modern Dada to post's comedy, as randomness, nonsense and juxtaposition play their parts. The crazy experiments of durational performance artists are felt too. Perhaps the problem is that the methods don't quite match the mission this time around. Although their previous works allowed the audience glimpses of poignancy, in the face of a big subject like death — the biggest subject, some might say — most of what post fling at us seems pointless. Unless the only point that can be made about death is that it's pointless, in which case, everything is perfect. What can be said for sure is that the show seems to throw up more obstacles than aids to the audience's engagement. Though the entertainment value falls rather than climbs in Oedipus Schmoedipus, it's great to see the spirit of experimentation grip the Upstairs Belvoir arena. Post are one of the most exciting forces in devised performance in Sydney, and they deserve to be up here. Oddly enough, considering the show's whole premise is playing on the theatrical canon, it's fans of said canon who will likely hate the result. Intrepid arty genre-hoppers, your presence is required.
Twenty-one years ago an Art Deco building along the unfashionable side of Circular Quay opened up as Sydney’s newest art gallery. This new Museum of Contemporary Art turned out to be a combination of brash and austere, guiding its eager Australian audiences through modern local and overseas art. A two decade sweep culminating in the gallery’s majority is being celebrated this weekend with the MCA’s 21st Birthday Shenanigans, which invite you to come play, sing and hunt through the museum’s newly renovated art and architecture. The museum proposes you join in a happy-birthday-singing flash mob, send a message to your 21-year-old self (unless you are in fact 21, in which case, why wait?) and is sending mobs of people racing around the place in a Palinesque hunt Around the Museum in 21 Minutes. The hunt runs at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. It’s free, but you’ll need to register in advance.
They played the first game of their 2023 Women's World Cup campaign in Sydney. They took on Denmark there in the round of 16, then England in the semi-final loss. The next reason that the Matildas will hit the Harbour City: a match against China PR on the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics, and also for goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and coach Tony Gustavsson to take to the Vivid stage. The duo are on the already-packed Vivid Sydney 2024 lineup for a Vivid Ideas session at Sydney Town Hall on Monday, June 10. At Champions of Change: Mackenzie Arnold and Tony Gustavsson, the pair will have plenty to talk about — all things Matildas, of course, including the team's achievements over the past year, the challenges along the way, the squad's impact, the pressures and the coach-athlete dynamic. What has the last 12 months been like for the Matildas? How does it feel to represent your company on the global stage? What do the Matildas' successes — and the love showered their way — mean for women's sport? They'll all get a mention, too. Arnold and Gustavsson's addition to the Vivid lineup comes after Amy Poehler recently also joined the bill, to discuss her career and the upcoming Pixar sequel Inside Out 2.
Paddington's much loved restaurant Fred's has been a go-to dinner spot since it opened back in 2016. Now, internationally renowned head chef Danielle Alvarez is opening for the daytime crowd, starting this Saturday, April 28. The new Saturday morning offering will see the front bar reimagined into a European-inspired café from 8–11am each week. It'll serve up pastries, sweet treats and coffees for dine-in or takeaway. The succinct brekkie menu has been curated by Alvarez and includes options like savoury scrolls with goat's curd and leeks, buttermilk scones with lemon curd, apple and quince galettes, and plum and almond cakes. Plus, there will be canelés, those rum and vanilla pastries from Bordeaux with a custard centre and caramelised crust. Everything will be made in-house using organic flour and butter. Apart from these goodies, there will also be $65 seasonal produce boxes on offer from Sift Produce. The company — who supplies to the Fred's kitchen — works specifically with small-scale farmers who practice regenerative agriculture, so each box will include just-harvested ingredients sourced directly from local growers. You'll need to pre-order by sending Sift an email. The chef sees this new offering as a step toward turning Paddington into a destination for home cooks. "I would love our guests to be able to buy some of the produce we offer in the restaurant, to cook with the ingredients at home and get a better understanding of what true seasonality means," Alvarez said. It's certainly in the right spot, with the neighbourhood's adored seafood restaurant Saint Peter also just opening a Fish Butchery, plus the institution that is the Paddington Markets happening across the road every Saturday. Fred's will be open for breakfast from 8–11am every Saturday starting April 28 at 380 Oxford Street, Paddington. For more info, visit the website.
Dear Pluto, the people who've brought you dating parties, pop-up vintage stores and workshops in everything from floral arrangement to weaving, are back with another Makers Market this month. They're taking over both levels of 107 Projects in Redfern to host their more than 20 stalls. Stallholders include Sydney-based designer-maker Molly Coombs Marr, who makes delightful nostalgia-inducing jewellery inspired by Australian life (think rainbow Paddle Pop earrings), Crafts and Rec, who hope to start conversations about feminism with their quirky resin jewellery, and EM Pottery, who make stunning Japanese-style handmade ceramics. They'll be joined by Haus of Dizzy, Herbert Flores, Inside Jo.b, K. Designs, Le Munky Toto, Millie Hall, Parva and many others. There will also be workshops next door for those wanting to try their hand at making their own art. And on the roof, you'll find a Westmont Pickles burger pop up and Rare Breeds beer from Mountain Goat.
An installation inspired by drones; a theatrical exploration of mass food production, automation and human rights; and an opera based on Peter Carey's novel Oscar and Lucinda are just the beginning of Carriageworks' program for 2019. Unveiled on Monday, December 3, the program also includes several world premieres, across contemporary art, dance, performance, music, food and ideas. Oscar and Lucinda: The Opera will be premiered by Sydney Chamber Opera and directed by Patrick Nolan. Nolan transports to the stage the story of Oscar Hopkins and Lucinda Leplastrier, who after meeting on an English ship bound for Australia, discover a shared gambling addiction. Meanwhile, Back to Back Theatre will travel from Geelong to bring you The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes. If you've been questioning the impact of artificial intelligence, automation and/or mass food production, this is the show to see. As always, much of the program challenges audiences to consider new viewpoints. Sydney-based performance artist Mike Parr will blur the line between architecture and sculpture in The Eternal Opening. Samoan-New Zealander choreographer Lemi Ponifasio and Arabic poet Adonis will explore multiple perspectives of the much-contested city of Jerusalem in سدــــقلا Jerusalem. And the colossal Until, by American artist Nick Cave, will remain at Carriageworks until March, dazzling visitors with its monumental crystal cloudscape and fantastical world of found objects. If you've been troubled by the increasingly frequent buzz of drones, immerse yourself in A Drone Opera by New York-based artist and filmmaker Matthew Sleeth (Guilty: The Final 72 Hours of Bali-9's Myuran Sukumara). Played through three video channels and soundtracked by opera, this installation is a poetic expression of flight, surveillance and technology, loosely based on the Greek myth of Icarus, who, despite his father's warning, flew too close to the sun, melted his wings, tumbled out of the sky and drowned in the sea. Come January 9-27, Carriageworks will turn into a bustling hub when Sydney Festival 2019 takes over town. Look out for a crew of talented, fearless women, including singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry armed with new album Broken Politics; dancer-turned-playwright Henrietta Baird with the world premiere of her one-woman show, The Weekend; and Canadian violinist Jessica Moss (Thee Silver Mt. Zion) performing Dust while surrounded by Dancenorth's magical troupe and Liminal Spaces' architect-designed set. During all this art and culture, you'll want to make sure you stay fuelled, so hit up the weekly Carriageworks farmers markets. The markets run every Saturday morning from 8am to 1pm and bring fresh, seasonal produce to the heart of the city. Also, along with the weekly market, summer and winter will see the always popular night markets return, where you can surely expect some of Sydney's top chefs dishing out the goods. In February, get ready to party at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Carriageworks will host the second edition of the Sissy Ball, a Vogue championship inspired by New York's ballroom scene, as well as Koori Gras, a cornucopia of performances, workshops and talks presented by Moogahlin Performing Arts Company, among several other happenings. You'll hardly have time to catch your breath before The National 2019 storms in. Running March 29–June 23, this epic exhibition dedicated to new Australian art is a collaboration between Carriageworks, the Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and takes place over three biennial editions (2017, 2019 and 2021). Carriageworks will present pieces by 18 artists, including Tony Albert, Sam Cranstoun, Cherine Fahd, Tara Marynowsky, Mish Meijers & Tricky Walsh, Eugenia Raskopoulos, Luke Roberts, Thom Roberts and Melanie Jame Wolf. Keep an eye out for stacks of other major events in 2019, including the Sydney Writers' Festival, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, Semi-Permanent, South East Aboriginal Arts Market, Liveworks, Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Pacific Runway, NAISDA and Sydney Dance Company's New Breed. Top image: Eric Bridgeman: Kuman Painting Workshop. Image courtesy of Eric Bridgeman and Yuriyal Artist.
Blue Bayou isn't Justin Chon's first film as an actor, writer, director or producer, but it's a fantastic showcase for his many talents nonetheless. It's also a deeply moving feature about a topical subject: America's immigration laws, which are complicated at best and draconian at worst. Worlds away from his time in all five Twilight flicks — because Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Anna Kendrick aren't the franchise's only breakout stars — Chon plays Antonio LeBlanc. While the Korean American tattoo artist has lived in Louisiana since being adopted as child, the name he was given upon his arrival in the US still sparks cognitive dissonance, as the job interview that opens the movie illustrates. It also doesn't stop both the casual and overt racism frequently directed his way, or the deportation proceedings that spring after he's accosted in a supermarket by New Orleans police officers. Helming and scripting as well as starring, Chon layers Antonio's situation with complexity from the outset. He's getting by, just, but his criminal record makes it difficult to secure more work — which he needs given his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander, The Green Knight) is pregnant. He's a doting stepdad to her daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske, Doom Patrol), but her birth father Ace (Mark O'Brien, Marriage Story) is one of those aforementioned cops. Also, Ace has a bigoted partner, Denny (Emory Cohen, Flashback), who makes antagonising Antonio his daily mission. And, after that grocery store run-in, the latter discovers that his adoptive parents didn't ever complete the paperwork required to naturalise him as a US citizen. His life, his wife, his kids, that he has no ties to Korea: sadly, it all means nothing to the immigration system. Based on the plot description, it'd be simple to accuse Blue Bayou of throwing too much at its protagonist, dialling up his hardships and wallowing in his misery, all to tug at heartstrings. The film inspires a strong emotional reaction; however, this isn't just a case of calculating narrative machinations manipulating viewers to feel everything — or even something. There's a sense of inevitability to Chon's feature, his fourth after Man Up, Gook and Ms Purple, and it's all by design. The path that Antonio's life is forced down isn't surprising, complete with tough truths and heartbreaking realities, but it's filled with authenticity. Piling on misfortune after misfortune isn't merely a ploy when all of Blue Bayou's dramas can easily accumulate as they do here, and when no one's struggles are ever limited to just one or two troubles. There's no contrivance in sight, but rather a firm understanding of snowballing sorrows and their overwhelming impact. Still, Chon walks a delicate tightrope. He could've veered into tear-wringing movie of the week-style melodrama, clogged it up with cliches and failed to evoke even a single genuine feeling — or, alternatively, he could've deployed too much restraint and crafted a clinical, procedural film that saw Antonio as a mere cog in a system. The space he's carved out in-between is both masterful and organically messy; finding the right balance is a mammoth task, and embracing the whirlwind that sweeps along Antonio, Kathy and Jessie is inherently chaotic. The result is a stirring and empathetic film that's also precise and intricate, especially when it comes to the emotional deluge weathered by its central trio. At every turn, Blue Bayou plunges viewers into their turbulent existence, sees their plight with clear eyes and acknowledges all that that encompasses. That's true not just in the story's ups and downs, but in every shimmering sight lensed by cinematographers Ante Cheng (Death of Nintendo) and Matthew Chuang (My First Summer). Blue Bayou looks both gritty and romantic at once, finding the immensely tricky midpoint between staying in the moment with all its bleak developments, and also savouring the details, including the small joys and wins, as one does when recalling memories. The movie's urgent, bustling pacing falls into the first category as well, while the second camp spans a fondness not just for water and water lilies — its most heavy-handed piece of symbolism — but also for lingering close-ups of Chon, Kowalske and Vikander. The time spent with Chon and Kowalske alone is revelatory, in fact, soaking in their bond as if it's the most meaningful thing in the world. There's an openness and genuineness to these scenes — an in-the-moment earnestness — that marks Blue Bayou at its finest. The whole film takes the same approach as it shows not only what Antonio is battling against, but what he's fighting to retain; however, these tiny slivers of connection are its crowning glories. Chon is terrific on-screen and -off throughout, but he's exceptionally sincere and full-hearted when he's lapping up oh-so-fleeting seconds with scene-stealer Kowalske. That said, he brings the same resonance to Antonio's well-intentioned but self-destructive choices, especially in the film's midsection. His rapport with the also-excellent Vikander resounds with the kind of hard-fought love that's learned to survive and thrive against the odds, too. Visually, thematically and thanks to potent performances, Blue Bayou would make a stellar double with Monsoon — another big-hearted yet small-in-scale gem that's also about immigration, identity and the interpersonal flotsam that washes up when the pair collide. Scenes where Antonio befriends Vietnamese refugee Parker (Linh-Dan Pham, Mytho), who has similarly lived in the US since childhood and invites him to her family gatherings, particularly bind the two films. They're different in a plethora of ways but, crucially, both pictures recognise the importance of atmosphere in conveying an emotional state, putting audiences in the thick of it with their characters, and peering into minds and hearts. That's where Blue Bayou echoes, whether or not it's playing the Roy Orbison-penned song that gives it its name. This is a movie about migration, discrimination, resilience and endurance in an uncaring world, and about oppressive bureaucracies, engrained prejudice and a supposed land of the free that rarely lives up to that ideal, but it's always a film about people first and foremost.
Since 1998, 5.4 million people have been killed as a result of warfare in the Congo. This astounding statistic is generally overlooked by the rest of the world. But Irish artist Richard Mosse and his collaborators have captured this forgotten humanitarian disaster in a way that is impossible to ignore. The Enclave is a six-screen video installation, now showing at COFA Galleries, and was a definite highlight of last year's Venice Biennale, winning critical acclaim and gracing numerous lists of festival favourites. By using the last remaining stocks of a type of infrared film designed to detect camouflage, Mosse is able to transform the lush greenery of the Congo's jungles into a vivid, bubblegum pink. The capturing of this infrared light, invisible to the human eye, is akin to the notion of an invisible war — a raging conflict that is no longer of interest to the Western media. In this way, Mosse aims to disrupt viewer complacency and push the parameters of war photography. On this note, partial credit is due to the patient and piercing cinematography by Trevor Tweeten. The slow and steady roaming of the camera absorbs every detail, whilst the grainy texture of the film creates a painterly quality. The wide-angle landscapes are particularly arresting, depicting rivers and waterfalls framed by lurid pinks and foggy lilacs. These fleeting moments carry a serenity and beauty that is quickly deflated by the reappearance of weapons, slums, and lifeless bodies. Adding to the immersive experience of the work is the haunting and visceral soundscape by composer, Ben Frost. In moments of utter darkness, you are aurally bombarded with explosions and gunshots as if standing in the thick of a conflict zone. Mosse and his collaborators spent two years infiltrating and earning the trust of rebel groups in the Eastern Congo. After displaying an initial hesitancy to being filmed, the soldiers assume postures of macho militancy. Amid shocking pink surroundings, this is highly bizarre, and the artificial coloration of the infrared transforms their earnest performances into absurdity. The aestheticisation of menace and brutality is disturbing to say the least. The imposition of beauty on something that shouldn't be beautiful is at the core of this work. In arousing an ethical dilemma in the viewer, Mosse is challenging the detached way in which we consume and catalogue images. Although it may seem like a bad acid trip, when stripped of its psychedelic hues, The Enclave is a scrupulous documentation of the vicious realities suffered by countless people in the Congo. Mosse went to painstaking lengths to get his hands on the antiquated infrared film, and the results speak for themselves. In addition to revealing the cancerous cycle of wars in this region, the seductive aesthetic of the work is guilt-inducing, generating a throbbing sense of urgency and discomfort.
Alfie's Kitchen continues to spread its love of sustainable and ethical produce across Sydney. You've seen it put on vegan feasts and take over the kitchens at The Midnight Special and St Peters' Urban Winery, alongside hosting a series of secret warehouse dinners last year. Now, it's bringing back the Ooooby Eats series, this time with a community dinner at Rolling Penny on Wednesday, February 28. The Newtown cafe will open after-hours for Alfie's head chef Joey Astorga to take over the kitchen. He'll whip up a three-course meal, all while putting on a cooking demonstration for guests. The plant-based menu focuses on showcasing fresh, organic produce from NSW farms, and this time around it's sourced from Moonacres Farm in the Southern Highlands. Farmer Phil Lavers will be in attendance, giving diners the chance to chat with the man who grew all of the produce on their plate. For drinks, Alfie's is again teaming up with mobile bartenders Trolley'd who will be pouring cocktails made with native ingredients. Live music will cap the night with a soulful live performance by local artist Inês. The series is in partnership with Ooooby Sydney, a local and organic food delivery service. During his cooking demo, Astorga will pass on creative techniques to cook with whatever fresh produce you have on-hand. Tickets are $90 a pop and include the three-course meal, along with two welcome cocktails. After that, the night is BYO drinks, so be sure to nab a bottle of wine — perhaps a nice natty from P&V on Enmore Road — on your way in.
Thought gin was just a summer drink? Legendary local distillery Archie Rose is here to remind you that that ain't so, by way of a cosy cocktail experience that's sure to warm your cockles and leave you with a whole bunch of new stand-out winter sips. The crew is taking its popular Hot Gin Terrace event on a cross-country tour and the next stop is Chippendale's Gin Lane for two tasty 90-minute sessions (6pm and 8.30pm) on Wednesday, August 10. Guests will gather around the fire with a hot cocktail in hand, as State Buildings Beverage Manager Eoin Kenny and Archie Rose Brand Ambassador Mitch Gurrin dive into the history of gin's wintry side. For example, did you know that steamy cocktails were traditionally heated by red-hot pokers? Well, this crew is bringing it back. You'll enjoy a warm G&T on arrival, plus another classic heated cocktail to follow, a recipe card and an Archie Rose enamel mug to keep. There'll also be a curated menu of other warm gin concoctions available to buy from the bar. [caption id="attachment_666851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gin Lane[/caption] Book your tickets for Archie Rose's Hot Gin Terrace at Gin Lane for one night only on Wednesday, August 10 (6pm and 8.30pm).
If you're looking to pack your weekend with laughs, a new comedy festival with a jam-packed lineup has just hit the Factory Theatre. Until Saturday, December 18, the Marrickville venue is hosting a heap of comedy talent on stage performing everything from stand-up and sketch comedy to improv and games of Dungeons and Dragons. Some big names you'll find on the lineup include Michael Hing and Gen Fricker joining forces for a night and performing solo stand-up sets, Aaron Chen premiering new material, TikTok sensation Gabbi Bolt, plus Nina Oyama, Sam Taunton, Billy D'Arcy and Pat Doherty. Between Thursday, November 11 and Saturday, November 13, long-running comedy night Two Queers Walk Into a Bar and its exhilarating hosts Jenna Suffern and Brendan Hancock are presenting three all-star nights of comedy at the Factory. Across the three days you can catch the likes of comedy trio The General Public and performance artist Demon Derriere alongside sets from Zoe Sitas, Swetha Das and Edan McGovern. Elsewhere on the lineup you'll find Love Probably, an improvised send-up of romantic-comedies; Glace Chace's show all about Australia's big things; and two nights of Thanks For Having Me, spotlighting people of colour comedians working in Sydney. Plus, if two sets from Michael Hing wasn't enough, the Triple J presenter will be returning to the stage in order to set out on mythical adventures alongside Alex Lee, Simon Freiner, Edan Lacey and Dungeon Master Fave Haromn as part of their D&D Comedy Show Dragon Friends. Check out the full schedule for the comedy festival and buy your tickets at Laugh Outta Lockdown's website.
What a couple of years it's been. Bushfires, floods, a global pandemic and responses from those in charge that have been disappointing to say the least. So where do we go from here? That's what this series of talks run by Sydney Festival and the UNSW Centre for Ideas is looking to address. The four-part series is pulling together a lineup of change-makers and beloved public figures to discuss the topics of misogyny, climate change, the pandemic and whether we're at a turning point towards a brighter future or a scary tipping point. On the lineup you'll find a wide range of speakers. Journalists Sarah Dingle, Peter Hartcher and Stan Grant will be joined by marine biologist Emma Johnston and comedian Dan Illic for a discussion on the future of Australia. Presenter Yumi Stynes, ABC reporter Louise Milligan, law expert Gabrielle Appleby and former MP Julia Banks will discuss political misogyny before women's advocate and musician Jaguar Jonze performers her single 'Who Died and Made You King'. And, Benjamin Law will host a discussion on the multifaceted impacts of COVID between economist Richard Holden, business leader Sam Mostyn and youth advocate Yasmin Poole. The talks will all be live-streamed as part of the festival's digital program, or you can head along in-person at the Sydney Town Hall for $25. [caption id="attachment_803976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Benjamin Law[/caption] Top image: Jaguar Jonze
It's a space usually reserved for local crime alerts, missing persons' notices and the odd cringeworthy dad joke, but the Victoria Police Facebook page stirred up quite the social media frenzy last week, when it popped up a public poll asking one little question: "When using a fast-food outlet's drive-thru service, can I use my phone to pay?" https://www.facebook.com/victoriapolice/posts/2927840057288111 A bit of a frenzy followed, as 55,600 votes came flooding in. Victoria Police, mercifully, gifted us with the answer a few hours after the initial August 2 post, dropping this bombshell: "No. Using a handheld mobile phone while driving carries a $484 fine and accrue four demerit points." They go on to explain, "If you intend to use your mobile phone to pay at the drive-thru window, apply the hand brake, switch the engine off and then access your mobile phone. In doing so, you are not considered driving." Punters haven't seemed overly happy with the response, or the news that using a smartphone to tap and go might not always be quite as "convenient" as it's cracked up to be. Plenty of commenters argued that the law was bizarre and needed to be reviewed — words like "pathetic", "revenue raising" and "dumbest thing I've ever read" were thrown around a whole lot. It seems Victoria's not alone, either. The NSW Government has similar legislation, telling Concrete Playground: "It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone at any time while driving or riding. If you want to use a hand-held mobile phone your vehicle must be parked out of the line of traffic." And as for that Macca's run? "Mobile phone rules apply to drivers on all roads and road related areas. A road-related area is an area that is open to or used by the public for driving, riding or parking vehicles and therefore includes Drive-Thrus," the NSW Government confirmed. If you do decide to tap and go with your phone in NSW, you could be fined $344 and five demerit points. While the Queensland Government hadn't respond to Concrete Playground's request for a comment at time of publication, its website states that you can only use a mobile phone "held in your hand" if you are legally parked. If you do use your phone, you could be fined $400 and penalised three demerit points. So, next time you have a late-night junk food run remember to whip out the plastic (or cash) instead. To find out more about the use of mobile phones in cars in your state, head to the Transport for NSW, Vic Roads and Queensland Government websites.
This October, take a tour of Japanese film history — all from the comfort of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Running as a prelude to this year's Japanese Film Festival, JFF's 2018 classics program will showcase movies from both the Japanese Golden Age and the Japanese New Wave. That covers flicks from the 50s through until the 70s — aka the kind of films you really won't see on a big screen elsewhere. Highlights include The Pornographers from Cannes Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker Shohei Imamura, which steps into the titular business post-World War II; queer melodrama Manji: The Goddess of Mercy, about two society ladies following their feelings for each other; and Nihonbashi, the first colour movie by Cannes jury prize-winning director Kon Ichikawa. In total, eight films will screen between October 3 and 31, all focused around the theme of passion and obsession. And, in particularly ace news, the whole classics program is free.
Sydney Harbour is definitely getting a workout this season. We've already introduced you to the world's first Cellar Door at Sea, a bottomless Champagne brunch and a dance party aboard a human-made island. Now, it's time to gear up for a floating cinema. Said floating cinema will be located on the top deck of a boat on the harbour. You'll cruise around the harbour for three leisurely hours, watching a classic flick, all while feasting on canapés and sipping on drinks. The cinema will continue into 2019 with a season of cult favourite movies. See Mean Girls on or Anchorman on the weekend of January 16–17, or The Hangover or Pulp Fiction over January 23–24. Tickets are $62 each.
If you've ever wondered how prohibition-style bars became so popular, why bartenders are obsessed with fresh ingredients and how the word 'mixologist' became associated with the world of cocktails, you'll be able to find out when world-leading cocktail veteran Dale DeGroff comes to Sydney for one night only. On Friday, August 3, DeGroff will be spending the evening at Kittyhawk, answering all the above questions and relaying a bunch of tales from a life spent behind bars. Now 70 years old, DeGroff has seen a thing or two. He earned a name for himself in the 80s at New York City's Rainbow Room in the Rockefeller Centre, where he pioneered the art of creating gourmet versions of classic cocktails. He also founded the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans and his 2002 book The Craft of the Cocktail is a bible for bartenders all over the world. Most importantly, DeGroff will be imparting some of his nifty skills, teaching you how to make cocktails without leaving the cosy comfort of your home. With your $70 ticket, you will also receive three cocktails and canapés to nibble on throughout the night. DeGroff is travelling to Australia on behalf of De Kuyper liqueurs, which has been mixing drinks since 1695. You can grab your ticket over here.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. The words 'Full Moon Party' might usually bring to mind sandy, sunburnt backpackers in their tens of thousands lost in a cocktail-bucket-fuelled dance frenzy on some remote Thai island, but Thredbo's reclaiming their wintry potential on Australian soil. On three separate occasions this ski season, the Thredbo Alpine Hotel's Keller Bar is being transformed into a black-lit, werewolf-ridden dance cave, where you're pretty much invisible unless you've donned your white or fluorescent best. Just in case you're the forgetful type, you'll be presented with face paint and glow sticks as you walk through the door — free of charge (as is entry). For a beautifully Swedish start your night, arrive at the firepit-lined courtyard nice and early. The tunes start at 3pm and the Rekorderlig Hot Pool will be steaming (bonus: delicious mulled Winter Cider will be steaming too). The first part in the three-act series took part on July 12, with sets from SOSUEME DJs and Purple Sneakers, but the good news is, you've still two more opportunities to get in on the action. On August 10, you'll catch the Crooked Colour DJs, who were recently shortlisted in the Stoney Roads Producer of the Year Awards, and the I Oh You DJs. Then, on September 9, you'll be hearing from The L D R U, fresh from their crowd-wowing Splendour appearance, and Leah Mencel, 2012 winner of EMI's She Can DJ Comp.
