In the long line of immersive experiences, perhaps the most original is the classic murder mystery. If you were a big fan of Cluedo as a kid, you know how this one goes — a group of shady characters find themselves grouped together under suspicious circumstances, and that's when the ultimate crime is committed. A spooky murder mystery is one thing, but take it to the high seas, make it interactive and you've got a whole new level of bone-chilling fun. So, we're betting you'll want some pretty strong nerves to tackle the Australian National Maritime Museum's returning Murder Mystery at Sea experience. Running on Friday and Saturday evenings between January 10–25, this one's an immersive 'whodunnit' adventure called The Great Ratsby. It unfolds on the luxury Edwardian steam yacht Ena — at night — and is suitably set within a ritzy party. Across sessions at 6pm and 8pm on each of the six evenings, audiences will find themselves transported back to Sydney in the 1920s, mingling with the city's murky underworld, and cracking a series of clues to solve the mystery behind the body in the water. Tickets will set you back $70 or $60 if you're a student.
If you're the kid who spent their early teenage Saturday mornings sitting on the couch with a bowl of Coco Pops spacing out to ABC TV's seminal music video program rage, then this exhibition is for you. Music videos, the undisputed popular art form of the last two decades, have changed the way we experience culture: they’ve taught us dance moves, fashion trends, a dictionary's worth of slang, and how to just be kool. The rage crew have collected 110 television sets, old and new, and hoisted them up on four huge metal scaffolds into the shape of the iconic rage logo. It's a striking installation considering artworks are often dwarfed by the cavernous, industrial Carriageworks foyer. The exhibition is both a historical documentation of and a homage to what is now the world's longest-running music video program: rage began in 1987. The 'r' showcases the program's earliest years, with videos from artists including Kylie Minogue, Mental As Anything, Bobby McFerrin, Paula Abdul, and the Beastie Boys. The 750 videos (chosen from a library of 35,000) move in chronological order through to the 'e', where Justin Timberlake, Gotye, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monae, and loads more have added their own flavours to the endlessly malleable art form. Four pillars strung with headphones correspond to the videos playing on each of the letters, and despite tangled wires and limited space, it is really fun to pop on a pair of headphones and scan the multitude of flickering TVs to spot the corresponding film clip. From Prince and Michael Jackson through to Silverchair, Metallica, Sonic Youth, Grandmaster Flash, Michael Hutchence, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beck, Malcolm McLaren, OK Go, Bjork, Britney Spears, MIA, Beyonce, and Jay-Z, there is something here for everyone who ever liked music. Within the 700 hours of video highlights, you can also spot archived footage of guest hosts such as Nick Cave, You Am I, Blondie, and Radiohead. It's both educational and surprisingly nostalgic, and a fun way to see how music video production has developed over the last 25 years — from spangles to sparkles, from mullets to mohawks, from smoke machines and cardboard props to green-screen special effects. rage is an iconic Australian cultural touchstone and this celebratory exhibition has been creatively and thoughtfully put together by Carriageworks curator Beatrice Gralton, rage programmer Tyson Koh, and the rest of the rage team. It runs as part of Vivid Sydney until June 17. Image by Daniel Boud.
"We all deserve better". "Change never comes easy." "Blessed be the squad." If the latter quote didn't already give it away, they're all lines that are uttered in the first trailer for the fourth season of The Handmaid's Tale. And, as usually proves the case with the show's dialogue, they all feel like they could be said today, in reality, in everyday life. Using a deeply dystopian scenario to reflect the modern world has always been one of the acclaimed, award-winning series' strengths. It was true of Margaret Atwood's 1985 book that started it all, too. So, with the TV adaptation of the acclaimed novel now reaching its fourth season, it's no wonder that it's continuing what it has always done best — and that the first glimpse of the new season feels even more timely at present. First, some bad news, though: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Handmaid's Tale won't return to our screens in 2020. Instead, viewers will have to wait until a yet-to-be-revealed date in 2021 to find out what happens next in Gilead (no, not the masterplanned Sydney community with the same name), and what the future has in store for the show's protagonist, June (Elisabeth Moss) after season three's cliffhanger ending. The good news, of course, is that this tale of rebellion and revolution isn't anywhere near done yet. Toppling a totalitarian society that's taken over the former United States, tearing down its oppression of women under the guise of 'traditional values', and fighting for freedom and equality doesn't happen quickly, after all. The first sneak peek of the ten-episode fourth season doesn't reveal too much; however fans should prepare for not just an uprising, but a war — and for the return of Bradley Whitford's Commander Joseph Lawrence and Ann Dowd's Aunt Lydia, too. Check out the teaser trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WLqBUi4r6o The fourth season of The Handmaid's Tale will hit screens sometime in 2021 — we'll update you with further details when they're announced.
To be honest, Rihanna could sell us anything. She could sell us a box full of Fenty bees or a Fenty sleeve of Oreos and we would worship her. Thankfully, there are exactly zero bees in her new collaboration with Puma, but it is just as buzzing. And lucky Sydneysiders will be able to get their hands on (and their feet into) Rih Rih's latest shoes at a four-day Fenty x Puma pop-store in the CBD. Rihanna's gone for a 'dismantled school uniform' direction for her AW17 collection, which, in human language, means exaggerated varsity jackets and luxe felt creepers. The pop-up will be located on the mezzanine of Foot Locker on George Street from Thursday, September 28 to Sunday, October 1. The pop-up will be styled to look like a college dormitory space and, if you wander down on Thursday, there'll be giveaways to grab.
Summer's well and truly kicked into gear, and we've been busy making the most of it with catch-ups with mates, family dinners and backyard barbies with the crew. But not all summer hangs are created equal. First, the set-up needs to suit the occasion, whether that's on an airy rooftop for sundowners or comfy garden seats for your crew to chill out on while basking in sunshine. What you're drinking is also key — and you can't go run with gin in the warmer months. And, if you're hosting an at-home do, you need the quintessential Aussie tool: a barbecue. To help take the fuss out of summer events (which should always be laidback), we've teamed up with UK distillery Whitley Neill Gin to bring you everything you need for lazy days in the sun. One lucky winner in Australia will score four bottles of Whitley Neill gin — namely, two bottles of its Original London Dry and one bottle of both its raspberry and blood orange-flavoured gins. To serve up your summery sips, you'll also score a Whitley Neill Gin carafe and four balloon glasses. And because every backyard event needs a barbie, we're also throwing in a Weber Family Q barbecue. Whether you've been meaning to get one since you moved house or need to upgrade, this top-quality grill is a big drawcard. Finally, to deck out your garden, courtyard or balcony, the prize pack comes with four branded deck chairs, too. Keen to win this epic prize? Enter your details below to go in the running. [competition]837183[/competition]
With social-distancing rules firmly in place, autumn babies have copped a raw deal this year. With venues are closed and group hangs are off-limits, the classic birthday party has been scrapped until further notice. But there's nothing like some forced isolation to stir up a bit of creativity and inspire fun new ways to celebrate another turn around the sun — even at a government-approved distance. While the best birthday present would be a one-way ticket back to normal life — of course — we've found a few pandemic-friendly alternatives that should help cheer up the b-day boy or gal. From drag bingo nights to virtual drinking sessions with all the trimmings, here are the best ways to celebrate a mate's birthday, isolation-style. THE HOME-DELIVERED BIRTHDAY CAKE [caption id="attachment_768155" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Attica's Celebration Cake[/caption] A birthday just ain't a birthday without a belly full of cake and luckily, that's one thing that's still on the menu, even in isolation. Spread some love by getting a decadent dessert delivered straight to your mate's door. In Melbourne, even one of Australia's top restaurants is turning its talents to the cake game, promising to infuse any birthday do with fine-dining flair. Attica's Ben Shewry is whipping up a limited-edition, double-decker vanilla Celebration Cake, filled with white chocolate ganache and topped with a whipped yoghurt cream. There are just a handful being baked fresh each day — order via the website for delivery to a range of Melbourne suburbs. When the mood calls for something a little bit flash, try Sydney's Koi Dessert Bar. The renowned sweets spot by MasterChef dessert king Reynold Poernomo is hand delivering a whole menu of crafty celebration cakes, from a green tea and rose number to the signature Nomtella — a fusion of espresso mousse, salted caramel and rich brownie. And famed cake shop Passiontree Velvet has a lineup of special occasion cakes and mini cakes that simply ooze birthday cheer. Offering weekday delivery options for Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney, it's serving festive creations ranging from a classic red velvet sponge to the Italian-inspired Tiramisu Bliss. THE VIRTUAL ART CLASS [caption id="attachment_767056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cork & Canvas[/caption] Feeling inspired? Why not gather the crew for a creativity jam session, in the form of a boozy virtual painting class? Plenty of Aussie studios have taken their drinks-matched art classes online, creating a primo birthday situation for any creative souls out there. The long-running Cork & Canvas is one venue that's made the shift, now offering a calendar full of guided online painting classes. You can join in one of the upcoming live streams for $20 per person, or pay $25 to enjoy a session on-demand. They can even set you up with all your canvases, paints and brushes, with handy home-delivered Creativity Kits starting from $65. Meanwhile, Cork & Chroma is live-streaming its Zoom painting sessions almost daily, which you can enjoy from the comfort of home for just $20. The class details list which materials you'll need, though the studio's also got a range of art supply kits it can send to your door. Just pick a date, grab tickets as a group and stock up on wine, and you're all set for a birthday art party. THE AT-HOME BIRTHDAY DRINKS [caption id="attachment_694104" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cocktail Porter[/caption] Going out for 'birthday drinks' is off the cards for now, but that needn't mean going thirsty. Plenty of local bars and drinks slingers are now happily delivering celebratory libations straight to your door. In Melbourne, renowned dive bar Heartbreaker has reinvented itself as an online bottle shop and booze delivery service, running drinks along with food from on-site pizza kitchen Connie's. You'll find a range of combination party packs, as well as chilled, ready-to-quaff bottled cocktails from sibling The Everleigh. Online drinks service Cocktail Porter is proving to be an isolation saviour, turning home bars across the country from drab to fab with its DIY cocktail kits. Each one comes stocked with all the ingredients you need to create multiple serves of a classic concoction, from the negroni to a cloudy apple spritz. And Sydney's Prince of York is taking care of all the hard work, with its new Party @ Home packs. A selection of meal kits, one-litre cocktail batches and exclusive DJ mixes from Moonshine Music, sent straight to your house. Place an order, round up the friends via video chat and you've got yourself a virtual group sipping session. THE PLANT BABY DELIVERY [caption id="attachment_746647" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Jungle Collective[/caption] Nothing brightens up a birthday quite like a present that's lush, green and living — especially if it's housed in a pretty pot and dropped at your front door. And if you are looking to gift a new plant baby to a mate in isolation, there's a stack of Aussie companies that'll have you spoilt for choice. The crew behind those much-loved roaming pop-up plant sales, Jungle Collective now has a nifty online space to sling its gorgeous greenery. The team's launched a series of virtual plant sales, available to various cities on select dates across the next few months. You'll find a sprawling selection of plants to browse and buy online, with delivery usually available within 25 kilometres of your local CBD. Brisbane plant-lovers will find a huge edit of green gifts over at Pot Me Pretty's online store, ranging from cute terrariums, to indoor plants housed in charming ceramic pots. There's even a choice of add-ons, if you fancy a luxury candle or bottle of prosecco to round out your present. The company's doing weekday drop-offs to suburbs right across the city, with next-day delivery from $12.95. THE VIRTUAL DRAG BINGO NIGHT [caption id="attachment_768186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/Sara[/caption] If anyone knows how to inject some colour and spirit into that lockdown celebration, it's the drag queens of Australia. And luckily for your birthday crew, a bunch of them are now hosting online appearances, streaming live and loud to your respective living rooms. Gather your mates virtually and dial up the mood with a drag bingo night, courtesy of Melbourne bar Pride of Our Footscray. The venue's new Self Bingolation series streams online from 7.30pm Wednesdays, hosted by the power duo of Aurora and Archie Arsenic. Tickets are $9, which gets you a front row seat to a hilarious night of comedy, drag and prizes. Or, you can make a date with one of the new regular online drag bingo sessions helmed by Sydney starlet Prada Clutch. Sign up to play for $10 and they'll email you a printable bingo card, along with access to the video chat. Then, all you need to do is crack open a bottle of wine and don something fabulous — there's weekly prizes for the best dressed players. THE AT-HOME DANCE PARTY [caption id="attachment_760387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hot Dub Time Machine by Pat Stevenson[/caption] The clubs might be closed, but your living room dance floor is open and ready for business. Tee up a Zoom or House Party session with the gang, to enjoy an at-home, virtual dance party guided by some of your favourite DJs and venues. The legendary party masters behind Poof Doof have headed online to unleash a series of live-streamed Saturday night sets, guaranteed to get you moving. Time-travelling dance party Hot Dub Time Machine is also serving up some hard-hitting Saturday feels, taking audience requests for its weekly Facebook Live DJ sessions. Melbourne club OneSixOne is answering your cravings with a huge four-hour, DJ-fuelled live stream every Friday and Saturday night. And if you're after a bit of midweek d-floor action, No Lights No Lyrca's Aussie collectives are now heading up regular Zoom dance parties, in place of their usual IRL sessions. Turn up the speakers and bust out some carefree moves, every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. THE ONLINE KARAOKE PARTY There's no room for birthday blues when you're belting out some bangers with your besties. Even if that sing-along session's happening over the internet, instead of in person. Video chat platforms like Zoom and House Party have become social go-tos in this strange age of isolation, but they also happen to be perfect for hosting rousing virtual karaoke parties. Set a date, invite the crew and start working on your best lung-busting material. Themes and dress-ups are definitely encouraged, and if you're stuck for ideas, you'll find plenty of online karaoke catalogues to browse and inspire. Keen for something more large-scale? Some genius recently created a 24-hour online karaoke party dubbed Karaoke Camp, where you can belt out tunes with up to 100 random people simultaneously.
Electronic super duo Canyons are collaborating with celebrated visual artist Daniel Boyd to present 100 Million Nights, a multisensory performance making its way around the country. Boyd's digital artwork is presented as a three-panel video installation, in front of which Canyons perform live as a four-piece band. Ryan Grieve and Leo Thomson of Canyons have been friends with Boyd for a while. Recently, Boyd was preparing for an exhibition when he asked the duo to create some music to complement his video works. The project was a hit and the three decided to create a much larger-scale sight and sound work. The trio have worked closely together, sharing images and snippets of music to create a unique, multisensorial experience. "The big thing for all of us was wanting to make it one united piece in the sense of a true collaboration", explains Grieve. "We didn't want it to feel like Dan's visuals were just a backing track for us. He created the visuals in response to music we would give him as a starting point and vice versa. "It was quite different in the sense that if we were writing an album, it would be a much longer process. With this, we went with the initial feeling and thought and mood that came up and felt right. If something didn't work, it didn't work, but we tried not to question it too much when something came up and felt good." In Boyd's words, "100 Million Nights is an idea, an expanse. Looking at something that connects everyone and, to me, the birth of the universe is what this was about. Acknowledging the loss of memory and not being able to fully comprehend our past." Boyd has established himself as one of Australia's most talented artists. He was initially known for his paintings but recently has moved to digital works. He exhibits regularly both domestically and internationally. In 2007, Boyd was selected to participate in the first National Indigenous Art Triennial, Culture Warriors, at the National Gallery of Australia. In 2011, he was London's Natural History Museum's artist in residence. Boyd's work is held in pretty much every major collection of art in Australia: the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Ryan Grieve and Leo Thomson released their first EP on the duo's own label Hole in the Sky (they've also released records by Tame Impala and Pond). They've achieved a great deal of success internationally. In 2011, the New York Times described their music as "a good exercise in categorical confusion — pre- and post- disco, analog-synth ambiance and noise, drones, 1970s German experimental rock, new wave. All that, and it doesn't feel over-thought". The music of 100 Million Nights is somewhat of a musical departure from Canyons' usual style with the pair understanding it as more of a "creative side-step". At the Sydney Festival show in January, 100 Million Nights will comprise half the program. Also included is another sight and sound work by former Battles frontman Tyondai Braxton. Hive will blend modular synthesisers, sound design and percussion with custom built "architecturally designed" illuminated platforms. Image: from APT7 Up Late, at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane. Photography: Ben Sullivan, Brodie Standen. Brodie Standen images courtesy Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art. https://youtube.com/watch?v=P83821HGsqg
Creative space Commune is launching Our Hood, a massive new monthly precinct night that brings culture, art and music together with wellness, maker markets and food stalls. It all kicks off on Wednesday, April 25 from 5 to 10pm, and will run on the last Wednesday of each month going forward. With the aim of bringing the neighbourhood together, the evenings provide a collaborative outlet and meeting space for the community. The launch event will see FBi Radio present live performances from audio visual artist Sampology, local rap-poet Kimchi Princi and electric rap duo Slim set. Alongside the music, the workshop will become home to a large-scale exhibition by painter Jess Cochrane, with 10 percent of art sale profits donated to The Rough Period women's charity. On the culture side, they've also got Tent Talks, which will focus on social justice and plant-based health, and a hatha yoga class that'll include a live set by DJ James Mack. Yoga will be followed by a therapeutic workshop, run by award-winning performing arts educator Lily Balatincz. Sydney Vegan Market has curated the food offering and maker stalls, and the bar features the likes of Young Henrys, Archie Rose and Urban Winery Sydney. All events are also dog and family friendly, so it's really a catch-all kind of event. Image: Sam Ali.
The school holidays are upon us once again, which means parents, guardians and eager aunts, uncles and pals are likely on the lookout for ways to entertain the kids in your life. Sometimes the best approach is to leverage the expertise of blue card-wielding professionals, keeping the activity calendar full and the kids away from their screens. Over the next two weeks, Sydney Olympic Park is hosting a huge lineup of activities encouraging kids to get active — whether they're looking to work on their existing skills or learn new ones under the guidance of some of Sydney's best coaches and professional athletes. Read on to find out more about the venue's stacked school holiday program. FOR SPORTY KIDS If you're dealing with a kid who loves to keep active, make a beeline to the Quaycentre. Over the next two weeks it has a jam-packed sports program for kids of any experience level. Reckon your kid has what it takes to become a football superstar (or just looking for something to kick)? Book them a spot in the two-day Wanderers in the Park, where seasoned coaches will help participants develop their football skills with a focus on technique and game knowledge. They'll also get their own Western Sydney Wanderers training jersey to take home so they can look the part as they keep practicing their skills. On the indoor courts, Australian Diamonds star and NSW Swifts co-captain Paige Hadley will be running a session for budding netballers of all skill levels. Over on the basketball court, NBL legend Bruce Bolden will put budding ballers through their paces on a two-day workshop for beginners and advanced players through skill development, drills and mini-games. Meanwhile, professional coaches from Volleyball NSW will lead a fun and educational day for boys and girls aged between 8–14. The afternoon-long program will see little diggers develop their individual skills as well as their team skills via gameplay. Got a kid who wants to try their hand at a bit of everything? Book them a spot in the all-day multi-sports camp where they can have a go at table tennis, soccer, basketball, netball, gymnastics and more, all under the one roof. FOR WATER BABIES Sydney Olympic Park is home to one of the city's premier aquatic centres which is offering up a bunch of activities for kids who can't get enough of the pool. If they're a natural in the water, book them in for a water polo clinic. Over this 90-minute session, instructors will guide participants through a range of drills like water polo swimming, jumping and defending. They'll also learn the rules through some game-time with their newly acquired skills. For the kid with no fear, the Aquatic Centre will also host diving workshops these school holidays. These regular sessions will give participants the chance to learn the fundamentals of acrobatics, stretching, safe diving and more from an experienced coach, as they take the plunge off the centre's world-class diving tower. FOR CURIOUS KIDS Are the children in your life always outsmarting you? Sydney Olympic Park also has a range of activities to please even the most strategic of kids these school holidays. The Young Archers sessions are tailor-made for kids aged 7–9. The hour-long sessions cover the basics of the bow-and-arrow sport under the watchful eyes of skilled instructors, and include practice rounds and gameplay. Sounds like something the whole family can get involved in? Kids, parents, grandparents and everyone in between can sign up to the all-ages Sharp Shooters session, which'll be a surefire way to add some friendly family rivalry to the school holidays. For kids looking to get a little more active, Sydney Olympic Park is home to an excellent outdoor laser tag battlefield. Kids can join forces with their mates and duck and weave behind blockade bunkers and walls as they try to outsmart the opposition with laser tag weapons and props. These fully supervised sessions have different challenges and games to keep participants entertained throughout. If your little one is looking to have fun and learn new skills in a non-competitive environment, sign them up to a circus arts or flying trapeze workshop. At these immersive classes held on the expansive outdoor grounds of Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, kids will get to try their hand at activities including juggling, pyramids, low aerials, hula hooping and tight-wire. They'll also get to test their above-ground skills on the flying trapeze. Sydney Olympic Park has a jam-packed program of fun activities for kids to take part in these school holidays, from circus arts to creative writing and more. For the full lineup and to book, head to the website.
Australia's touring all-inclusive music and arts festival Summer Camp is returning in December — and it's just dropped the full lineup of over 100 artists, as well as info on its new venues. Following Summer Camp's inaugural run in 2022 which combined great tunes and LGBTQIA+ pride, the blockbuster event will be hitting St Kilda Marina on Saturday, December 2 and the Wentworth Park Sports Centre in Sydney on Sunday, December 3. Leading the latest lineup announcement is viral sensation Rebecca Black who has had a major career revival since 2021, releasing a slate of acclaimed pop projects ten years after achieving global infamy for her so-bad-it's-good track 'Friday'. Heaven will be a place on earth at the Sydney edition of Summer Camp with Belinda Carlisle joining the lineup, while Ultra Naté will be exclusively hitting St Kilda with her catalogue of hits including the iconic dance cut 'Free'. [caption id="attachment_919632" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matto Lucas[/caption] Also gracing both Summer Camp lineups: Brooke Candy, Kito, Meg10, The Illustrious Blacks and Tom Aspaul alongside a stacked program of local musicians, DJs, dancers and performance artists comprising more than 100 acts. The BEAT stage will be dedicated to thumping house, disco and techno tunes. Sydney will also be treated to Club Love — a haven for cheesy singalongs and big emotions, while Melbourne's Summer Camp will host a cutting-edge Rave Cave. [caption id="attachment_919633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matto Lucas[/caption] The huge program will be headlined by previously announced headliners Jessie Ware and Trixie Mattel. Ware teased that she was playing the festival back in May, advising that she'd be appearing on an episode of her podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware before confirming her place on the lineup in July. It's been a long time between Australian visits for the UK disco-pop queen. The last time she graced our shores was for Laneway Festival all the way back in 2013. In the period since, she's released four albums, including the immensely critically acclaimed What's You Pleasure in 2020 and its equally vibrant recent follow-up That! Feels Good!. But now Ware's drought of Aussie appearances is officially coming to an end. [caption id="attachment_899478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The St Kilda edition will be taking place as part of the huge 17-day ALWAYS LIVE program that's hitting the state throughout November and December. The massive program also includes performances from Christina Aguilera, Jai Paul and Eric Prydz. As for the new location in Sydney, the festival has decided to head to an indoor-outdoor facility after facing issues with flooding at Centennial Park last year. SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP: Jessie Ware Trixie Mattel Brooke Candy Kito Meg10 Rebecca Black The Illustrious Blacks Tom Aspaul Sydney Only: Belinda Carlisle Abby & Tyrone Akala Newman Atomic Blond & Dutch Kiss Ballroom Australia Baschoe Charlie Villas Chic Coach Cleo Rapture Club Chrome Dads Mayo Dan Azzo Diva Cups Dyan Tai Feta James Fried Pork Chop Half Queen Jackie Daniels Jane Jason De Cox Jimi the Kween Karlee Misi King C*ntessa Lady Fur Matt Vaughan Never Enough DJs (Dunny Minogue x Estèe Louder) Rosie Rivette Melbourne Only: Ultra Naté Alex Morris Ballroom Australia Bathesba Crescendoll Daws Dilonce' Disco Daddies DJ Gay Dad Ecterera Ecterrea x Art Simone Fragile Future House of Buffet Jesse Boyd Kat Zowthabag Kween Kong Mz Risk Nick Spurway Saint Eve Sal Simple Sovblkpssy Stone Motherless Cold Sullivan The Huxleys Tilly Capulet Tyoow Vb Unicorns Yo Mafia Summer Camp will be hitting Sydney and Melbourne in December 2023. For further details or to nab tickets, head to the festival's website. Top image: Matto Lucas
After the two lockdown-filled years Aussies have just lived through, we've all got a renewed appreciation for escapism. Not to mention, good old-fashioned fun. Thankfully, a unique reality-blurring dining concept kicking off this December offers both of these, promising to help you shake off the mundanity of all that time cooped up at home. The ever-imaginative minds at PlayStation have dreamed up the ultimate immersive food experience, fusing the virtual sphere with real life for PlayStation to Plate. Building on Aussies' renewed relationships with both food and gaming, they've joined forces with the chefs behind some of Sydney and Melbourne's best-known restaurants to bring to life virtual dishes from the PlayStation universe. Pixels have been swapped for plates and graphics replaced by garnishes, bringing new meaning to the idea of playing with your food. [caption id="attachment_835418" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Morgan Hipworth, of Bistro Morgan[/caption] Between hero dishes depicted on screen and the culinary-focused plots woven through various storylines, food has long been a big part of video game culture. And if you've ever wondered what those virtual food elements actually taste like, this is your chance. Blending food and gaming culture into one, and pushing the boundaries of play into new dimensions, this innovative dining concept promises to transport you beyond the screen. Running from Friday, December 3–Sunday, December 12, PlayStation to Plate sees three Aussie eateries each create a limited-edition menu item that reimagines an iconic video game dish IRL. The restaurants will be serving up their signature creations across all ten days of the pop-up, but you can also have any of the dishes dropped to your door courtesy of Deliveroo. [caption id="attachment_835428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mary's[/caption] So who's involved in bringing this game-to-reality experience to life — and what dishes can you get your mitts on while PlayStation to Plate is in town? The burger-flipping legends at Mary's have leaned into their expertise of sandwiching tasty things between buns to deliver a real-life take on Ellie's Steak Sandwich. Players who've ventured into the post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us Part II will recognise this hero dish from at the start of the game. Mary's founders Kenny Graham and Jake Smyth say the virtual venue that serves the sandwich spoke to them for its representation as a safe harbour in the game's storyline. Meanwhile, fellow Sydney restaurant The Italian Bowl has pulled its inspiration from critically acclaimed action-adventure title Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. The chefs here have recreated the Thief's Pasta, which main characters Nate and Elena are seen enjoying together on the couch after a long day. This one's a warm, nonna-approved nod to the way in which we all bond over the sharing of food. [caption id="attachment_835422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Italian Bowl's Thief's Pasta[/caption] In Melbourne, young gun baker Morgan Hipworth is out to tempt your sweet tooth with his rendition of the Sirangian Honey Mousse. The colourful dessert stars in intergalactic adventure game Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, as one of Chef Tulio's signature creations. Hipworth will be slinging this layered sweet delight at his namesake bakery Bistro Morgan. Catch PlayStation to Plate from December 3–12, in Sydney and Melbourne. You'll find each dish featured on the menu at its respective venue, as well as being available for takeaway via Deliveroo. Update 2022: Valorant Mobile Release Date
Art Posters: Big Fag Learning to run the Big Fag Press took time. About four years in, they got a commission from the MCA for the cover of the exhibition book Avoiding Myth and Message. They still had their printing press stored in Alexandria, rather than their current Firstdraft-run digs in Woolloomooloo, when they were still learning their craft. According to Big Fag member Lucas Ihlein, when they presented the cover to the printer doing the book's pages he was "just aghast. He was like That's just the worst I've ever seen. And then he said Don't worry, we'll reprint them for you." He seemed to think that he was doing them a favour, but Ihlein thought otherwise. "I had a hunch at the time that, although I wasn't entirely satisfied, the MCA would be really pleased with it." And he was was right. The MCA loved what would ordinarily be seen as errors or mistakes. "In a period of time where even your Kmart catalogue is the most beautifully, clearly, crisply printed thing, perfect printing is no longer something to get excited about. What gets people excited is imperfect printing." The "Fag" in Big Fag is a F.A.G. offset proof press. ("Offset," here, means the plate and paper never touch, while "proof" means it can go from design to a real print quicker than some more complex machines.) The Big Fag Press — before it was formally called that — got its hands on this huge printing press for $50. As luck would have it, that original incarnation of the collective-to-be were living in an Alexandria warehouse big enough to house the thing. But it still cost them $1200 just to move it back home. The press is grey, four tonnes and occupies most of a room. It's a complex beast to run. According to Big Fag member Diego Bonetto, you have to take into account "air humidity, consistency of the paper, some inks react differently than others, fresher than others. So there's lots of variables that need to be taken into account. To master all of that, you need to have worked in the industry 40 years." Given the complexities involved in running the press, it's surprising how much access Big Fag gives artists to the machine. Unlike the Rizzeria, it's Big Fag members who actually run the machine. But visiting artists are still deeply involved at every step of the process. Bonetto says it sets them apart. "We can allow artists to be part of the process, and engage with the whole process of printing. Which, in commercial terms, is something that is unthinkable." For an artist, using the press starts with an image. They bring in a high resolution image of their artwork (at least 300 dpi). Then, as each colour needs its own pass by the printer, the image needs to be separated out into its component colours. If the artist doesn't know how, Big Fag does it for them. The image then gets transferred to a special metal plate — one per colour — at a Marrackville print shop. With the plate made, you're ready to print. Printing is like a relay process. Ink goes from the rollers to the plate, the plate to a rubber "blanket", the "blanket" to the final piece of paper. To start, the ink is put on the top of the rollers, where it rolls down a cascade of rollers, being pressed flatter and flatter by the process until it finally reaches the rollers at the bottom, which presses the ink into rollers second from bottom. These will be the rollers that actually apply the ink onto the printing plate. The day we visited, Big Fag was printing a first green layer of a design by Lucas Ihlein and Ian Millis, so rollers and ink were all green. The rollers then move along the press to apply the ink to the printing plate. The plate has been washed with water first by the press. The plate is specially treated so that water will sit on most of the plate, but not the design. So, after the plate gets wet, and the inked-up rollers roll across, these oil-based inks won't stick to the wet parts. But they do stick to the design. So it's only the design that gets inked up. Also inside the massive moving top part of the press is "the blanket". This is the big rubber cylinder that does the final printing. Once the plate is inked-up, this cylinder rolls over it, picking up the design in ink, then laying it down on the actual paper that the artist wants to print on. It takes one pass per colour, and often multiple passes of each colour until the right amount of colour has been applied. The final result is usually an oversize poster (like this one, for example). Big Fag custom quotes for each job, so fees can vary to cover the cost of running the workshop, having a Big Fag member there to operate the press, paper, the metal plates and other sundry expenses. More detailed information can be found here. < Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Next >
Get ready to meet your dream tail-wagging pal at BrewDog South Eveleigh, as the crew partners with Greyhounds As Pets NSW (GAP NSW) for a Greyhound Adoption Day on Saturday, July 26. Running from 11am–2pm, this is your chance to take a greyhound from shelter to snuggles. About 30 adorable greyhounds will be up for adoption on the day. These rapid couch potatoes make dog ownership a breeze, with their gentle, affectionate and sleepy personalities perfect for apartment dwellers and families. Plus, you won't have to worry about huge piles of hair, non-stop barking or doggy smell taking over your space. Best of all, the adoption process is super simple. Just head along to the pub to meet-and-greet the doggos. If there's a match to be made, the team can approve an on-the-spot adoption, complete with a discounted rate. A standard adoption is $150 (down from $250), while a sweet senior of seven years or older is half the usual rate at $75. Just realise that saying no will be almost impossible. Bringing the winter vibes, each greyhound will be styled in colourful Kazoo pyjamas, ensuring a cuteness overload. Meanwhile, BrewDog South Eveleigh is offering ten percent off food and drink to anyone who arrives in their own PJs. By the time you're heading home, you might just have someone new to cuddle on the couch.
For proof that Australia's cocktail game is world-class, look no further than the calibre of the international mixology stars lining up to play on our turf. In 2015, it was New York's famous speakeasy Please Don't Tell, taking over the bar at Fitzroy's acclaimed cocktail haunt The Black Pearl. Then Sydney Bar Week 2016 saw The Everleigh in Melbourne and Sydney's Henrietta Supper Club each play host to pop-ups by Asia's best bar, 28 Hongkong Street. Now it's time for one of the world's most famous hotel bars to make its way Down Under. The American Bar, which is located at London's Savoy Hotel, will take over Darlinghurst's own cocktail gem Eau de Vie from October 18–19. As England's longest surviving cocktail bar, The American Bar has quite the pedigree — in the last year alone, it's scooped the title of Best Bar in Europe at the World's 50 Best Bars awards and seen its team voted Best International Bar Team by Tales of the Cocktail. Backed by the creators of local coffee liqueur Mr Black (who are behind the Espresso Martini Festival in Sydney and Melbourne), this Aussie adventure gives The American Bar the opportunity to showcase some of its own caffeinated mixology magic. At the helm will be senior bartender and World Coffee In Good Spirits champion Martin Hudak, as he treats local audiences to American Bar signatures like the Green Park, the Black Diamond and the Hanky Panky. It's not a ticketed event, so you'll have to be there when the doors open at 6pm each night for the best chance of scoring a seat.
If you've been lusting after this Twisties burger and you live in Sydney's northwest, do we have some news for you. Burger Head, the Penrith-based burger joint responsible for the monstrous creation and some all-round top burgs, is about to pop up in Beaumont Hills. The team hasn't released its opening date quite yet — keep an eye on the Facebook page for those — but we do know the temporary eatery will be showing up within a matter of days and hanging about for about three months. So you can consider your burger needs for spring more or less taken care of. The same trio who run the Penrith eatery — that's Tim Rosenstrauss (previously of the now-closed Master), Richard Borg (ex-Momofuku) and Joshua DeLuca (ex-Quay) — will be overseeing the Beaumont Hills incarnation. They've has a busy 2017, after opening in January, they've also made appearances at Burgapalooza and the Sydney Royal Easter Show. On the menu you'll find all the tasty morsels that've had Penrith salivating, from the cheeseburger (Angus beef patty, onion, pickles, cheese, Burgerhead sauce, mustard mayo) to the Clucker (buttermilk fried chicken thigh, pickled onion, mayo) and — needless to say — the Twisties burger. Burger Head will pop up at Shop 7, 70 The Parkway, Beaumont Hills within the next week. For opening details, keep an eye on their Facebook page.
Every winter, the streets and laneways of Circular Quay and The Rocks are filled with food, wine and art for the annual Bastille Festival. This year, the festival has been postponed — with the hope of going ahead in October — but you don't have to forego the French celebration entirely. The organisers of the Bastille-inspired celebration have launched Revolution Boxes, filled with wine, cheese and cured meats, which will bring some of the festival fun to you. Out of the four boxes on offer, two in particular piqued our interest. 'Why?', you ask — two words: melted cheese. With nights getting longer and days cooler, we're switching our focus from refreshing spritzes to warmer winter comforts. Revolution Boxes is helping in that department with its DIY raclette and fondue. The French Raclette Feast Box ($95) comes with a whopping 500-gram wedge of cheese, a bottle of Alsace white wine and all the edible accoutrements: 300 grams of charcuterie — salami, ham and prosciutto — potatoes, pickles and baguette. Supposedly, that's enough to feed three-to-four adults, but we think it's really the perfect amount for two. Also on offer is the Fondue Feast Box ($105), which is filled with everything you need to make fondue savoyarde, including not one but three French cheeses, two bottles of wine (one for 'cooking'), baguettes, garlic and a small bottle of Kirsch (cherry liquor). Both boxes come with tasting notes and cooking instructions, thankfully. Revolution Boxes are available to order now, with delivery across Sydney for $10. We'll let you know when dates for Bastille Festival in October are announced.
While Messina's main jam is usually crafting supremely scoffable varieties of gelato, the brand's love of food extends far beyond the freezer. The cult gelateria has often teamed up with savoury-focused culinary heroes, throwing big ol' food parties. For the next Messina Eats at the brand's expansive new Marrickville HQ, the dessert specialists are teaming up with a viral sandwich shop from down in Melbourne. People have been known to travel from right across Melbourne to Richmond in order to get their hands on a sandwich at Hugo's Deli, with posts about the store garnering hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok and the venue itself sporting lines around the block. Now, these popular sambos will be available in Sydney for just two days, with the deli popping up in the Messina Marrickville carpark between Friday, November 17–Saturday, November 18. Expect the loaded steak frites baguette you may have seen on your social media feeds, alongside a pork and fennel sausage breakfast muffin, fried chicken sando on fluffy white bread, potato salad and ragu-loaded fries. Messina will be providing the dessert for all of those sweet tooths. Alongside all of the delectable goodies found inside the HQ, the team is also creating a milo gelato and hazelnut take on a Maxibon. If you want to get your hands on a steak and chips sanga and a next-level ice cream sandwich, the Messina Eats: Hugo's Deli collab is popping up at 1 Rich Street, Marrickville from midday until late across the two days.
It's a tale as old as time, again — but in an escape room-meets-scavenger hunt way. An interactive IRL game based on Beauty and the Beast will have fans running around the streets of Sydney in 2023. This new pastime hails from CluedUpp, which has already busted out CSI, Jack the Ripper, and witchcraft and wizarding-themed activities around Australia — plus Alice in Wonderland games, too. Here, the company wants you to be its guest to get sleuthing. Its Beauty and the Beast game involves roaming around outdoors on an adventure that takes its cues from the classic 18th-century fairy tale that's earned such a following, as combined with a whodunnit-style mystery. Beloved story? Tick. Inserting fans into said narrative? Tick again. Working in the ever-popular genre that is the whodunnit? Tick once more. Throw in the whole escape room and scavenger hunt elements, and it does sound like something that an algorithm would come up with — and a lot of fun. Hitting Sydney on three Saturdays — July 8, August 5 and September 2 — this spin on Beauty and the Beast starts with the latter getting cursed again. Forget love — this time, there's challenges to complete, clues to crack and fairy tale characters for you and your mates to interrogate. Participants get involved in teams of up to six, roaming around outdoors with their phones to help. And yes, if you want to dress up to fit the theme, you can.
If you've visited The Lord Gladstone in Chippendale, you've probably had one of its espresso martinis on tap. Well, you've probably had a couple of schooners of Resch's, then decided that you'd love a fancy Kahlua espresso martini on tap. While you can't go and drink either of those inside the pub at the moment, with the government's current closure of non-essential indoor venues in place, you can swing by and pick up both to enjoy at home. The longstanding Chippo pub, which was bought by its OG bar team early last year, is currently closed to the public, but it's getting by, like many Sydney hospo venues, by offering takeaway. As well as offering its kitchen menu to-go — including its burgers, wings, schnitties and $10 steak and chips on Thursdays — it's also selling takeaway booze. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_bi9AYDIrQ/ If you have a growler you can go and get refills of the pub's tap beers, including Resch's. If you have anything from a jar to an empty wine bottle, you can go and get it filled with espresso martini for the bargain price of $5 per 100 millilitres. While one commenter was told they could, in fact, bring a hat to fill with espresso martini, we recommend bringing something that transports slightly better. The takeaway espresso martini is available while stocks last, so keep an eye on the pub's Instagram to see when it sells out. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_gflzpDLbS/ If and when you do go outside to pick up food or booze, remember to follow the NSW Government's public gathering and social distancing rules. The Lord Gladstone is located at 115 Regent Street, Chippendale and open for takeaway only from 12–3pm and 5–8pm Monday–Sunday. To order, call (02) 9310 1483.
Four months after it first hit Australian cinemas, Bohemian Rhapsody is still showing on the big screen — and on DVD, pay television and on planes too. Basically, it's everywhere, with the Freddie Mercury and Queen biopic proving an enormous success. It's nominated for five Oscars, and it has rocketed up the Australian all-time box office charts, currently sitting in sixth place just shy of Titanic, and only behind Avatar, Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi otherwise. Clearly filmgoers love seeing the origin stories of iconic musicians played out on screen, a trend that Rocketman looks set to continue. This time around, Elton John gets the movie treatment, with Kingsman's Taron Egerton stepping into his winged shoes, oversized glasses and over-the-top outfits to relive the singer's early years. Egerton both stars and sings all of the expected tunes in the Dexter Fletcher-directed movie, which also features Jamie Bell as Elton's lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as his first manager John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as his mother. And John himself is one of the executive producers, so expect this tale of 70s excess to be of the officially sanctioned variety. The film's timing couldn't be better, with the muso himself set to play a slate of Australian gigs late in 2019 through until early 2020, all as part of his huge worldwide farewell tour. If you think it's gonna be a long, long time until then, check out Rocketman's latest trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTm5DWgL-MU&feature=youtu.be Rocketman opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 30. Image: David Appleby / © 2018 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
It's no secret that Sydney is home to some of the best beaches in the world — in fact, it's often a point of pride (and bragging). While just lounging, reading and swimming at these stretches of coastline is usually more than enough fun, a whole summer of it can start to feel — dare we say — tedious. If you're looking ahead at three full months on Sydney sand, it's time to take full advantage of all that our coastline has to offer. For starters, that means investing in some equipment and getting your game on. But not all Sydney beaches are created equal when it comes to sports. To help you narrow it down, we've put together a list of the best beaches for group games this summer. So, grab your mates and your beach cricket set and hit the sand. [caption id="attachment_756229" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] MAROUBRA BEACH This kilometre-long stretch of sand is an ideal spot for group hangs. You won't get the crowds that take over some the other nearby beaches, like Bondi and Coogee. Here, you can really spread out and take on larger-form games like soccer, or even dodgeball, without worrying about disturbing a nearby sunbather. After you've got your heart pumping, take a short stroll to Mahon Pool, which is tucked away on the beach's northern headland, for a secluded dip. Friends who love a surf should bring their boards, too. Not only is this one of Sydney's great surf spots, it's also one of only 21 National Surfing Reserves in the country. [caption id="attachment_663539" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paros Huckstepp[/caption] MANLY BEACH Another stunning stretch of Sydney sand, Manly Beach is hard to beat in charm — from the ferry ride over from the city to the busy promenade, the tree-lined beach and the clear blue waves. While it may not be as convenient as, say, Bondi if you're a south-of-the-bridge dweller, it certainly is still one of Sydney's most famous beaches — so, give your mates a new excuse to venture over the bridge and take things up a notch with a spot of beach sport in between quick dips and ice cream breaks. The beach's proximity to the shops also means you don't have to travel with a bunch of equipment, either, as you can just grab it on the way. We recommend a few games of Flick 'n' Sticks — all you'll need is a set of poles (or foraged sticks for the frugal), cups and a few frisbees. Or, head to the permanent beach volleyball nets. If your legs start to tire of the sand, take your gaming up to the grass at the Manly Bowling Club, which is just a short walk off the beach. [caption id="attachment_756230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] COOGEE BEACH The golden curve that is Coogee Beach has long been a go-to for groups. It's got a local feel to it, but still draws its fair share of travellers, making it an ideal spot to make some new mates over a friendly game. Set up several Survivor-style obstacle courses and see who is crowned champion. Or, if the beach isn't bustling with sun-kissed bodies, dive into a game of beach volleyball (as long as an organised competition isn't going on). Afterward, grab a round or two at Coogee Pavilion. BALMORAL BEACH, MOSMAN If you're looking for a more low-key option for your group games, head to Balmoral. This relatively isolated lower north shore beach usually has calm waters and rarely sees people packed on the sand like sardines. You'll find swimmers doing laps, people tanning and families sitting in the shade of umbrellas — it's a laidback spot, so come here for more relaxed games rather than rowdy ones. Try your hand at a few rounds of cornhole or Bulzibucket (you don't even need all the gear, you can simply dig holes in the sand). A lightweight spikeball set is another good option here. Plus, Balmoral has the added benefit of being close to Taronga Zoo, in case hanging out with some adorable animals is also on your group's bucket list. [caption id="attachment_756228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] DEE WHY BEACH Dee Why is a sporting beach through and through. It's the site of the annual Ocean Thunder Surfboat competition and was once home to major surfing comp Beachley Classic. Essentially, it's a beach set up for those who want to get active. Just next to it is Long Reef Beach, with the two stretches of sand separated by a shallow lagoon, so there's heaps of space. And you'll even find an outdoor table tennis spot, so you don't even need to bring any equipment to get competitive with your crew. There's also a playground for obstacle course-style games as well as barbecues for post-game feasts. [caption id="attachment_756328" align="alignnone" width="1920"] via Virtual Wolf/Flickr[/caption] COLLAROY BEACH Just north and around the headland of Long Reef Beach, you'll come to another top-notch location for some friendly competition: Collaroy. Collaroy has the benefit of being slightly sheltered, so playing games that involve lightweight or excess equipment is often pretty good here, such as spikeball and frisbee. Plus, it stretches into Narrabeen Beach, giving you just over 3.5 kilometres of continuous beach to play on. After you've worked up a sweat, you can head to one of the beach's many barbecuing and picnic areas or head into The Collaroy for a cold beer. And be sure to stick around for sunset, as this beach offers some of the best. [caption id="attachment_750942" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SHARK BEACH, VAUCLUSE This tiny 220-metre sandy harbour spot is just right for those looking for a bit of variety on their next trip to the beach is just right for ocean games. First up, its waters are surrounded by shark nets, so, unlike the name suggests, you don't have to worry about any unwanted sea creatures interrupting your game. Secondly, it's located at Nielsen Park in Vaucluse and is part of Sydney Harbour National Park, making it a picturesque playing spot. Of course, the small size means it's ideal for smaller-scale games, so we recommend bringing along a couple of friends instead of a big ol' group. But you can always move into the adjoining park if you're looking for more space — or some shade. If you are looking for more places to feel a sense of belonging in New South Wales, head to visitnsw.com. Top image: Raider or Gin/Flickr.
If you liked choosing your way through Black Mirror: Bandersnatch — or telling Bear Grylls what to do in interactive series You vs. Wild — then Netflix has more where that came from. Come Tuesday, May 12, you'll be able to decide what happens to everyone's favourite kidnapping victim turned wide-eyed New Yorker in a one-off Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt special. While the Tina Fey co-created, 18-time Emmy-nominated comedy finished up its regular run with 2019's batch of episodes, which closed out the show's fourth season, it's coming back this year to put viewers in control. Netflix has actually been in the interactive game for a couple of years thanks to its children's shows like Puss in Boots, Buddy Thunderstruck and Stretch Armstrong; however this'll mark the streamer's first interactive comedy. Always wanted to curb Kimmy's (Ellie Kemper) ample enthusiasm? Keen to steer ex-socialite Jacqueline White (Jane Krakowski) towards a few sensible decisions? Think that landlord Lillian (Carol Kane) could be more eccentric and misanthropic? Just love everything that aspiring actor and singer Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) does? Then this is for you, obviously. If you're fond of Jon Hamm's Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, too, you're also in luck — this interactive episode is called Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, after all. A whole heap of other famous faces co-star as well, including Daniel Radcliffe, Amy Sedaris, Fred Armisen, Chris Parnell, Jack McBrayer and Johnny Knoxville. Story-wise, few details have been announced, other than a wedding, a journey across three US states, explosions, an evil plan and potentially starting a war against robots. Announcing the special last year, Tina Fey explained that "fans will be able to make choices on behalf of our characters, taking different story paths with, of course, different jokes," in a Netflix statement. Check out a sneak peak below: https://twitter.com/KimmySchmidt/status/1250446252786847745 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend will hit Netflix on Tuesday, May 12. Image: Netflix.
Sometimes, you're eager to spend your spare hours binging your way through serious dramas. At other times, only clever comedies will do. But, there also comes a time when you just want to feel nostalgic — including by revisiting the local TV show that absolutely every Aussie kid watched in the 90s and 00s, and more than once. For two seasons between 1990–93, then another two from 2000–01, Round the Twist adapted Paul Jennings' popular books into an offbeat fantasy series. If you were the right age, it was must-see TV. It's the source of plenty of lighthouse obsessions, given that's where the Twist family lived. And, it's also a show that knew how to balance humour, strangeness and scares. All four seasons of the show are headed to Netflix, so you'll be able to binge your way through them from Saturday, May 1. They're also currently available on Amazon Prime Video, because that's what tends to happen with older TV programs on streaming these days — one day, they're on one platform; the next, they're elsewhere. Yes, the latter two seasons of Round the Twist really aren't as great as the first two, but we're betting they're still baked into your childhood memories anyway. And, we're certain that you'll now have the show's theme tune stuck in your head for at least the rest of the day, likely until the series hits Netflix over a week away, and probably for plenty of time afterwards as well. Check out the trailer for Round the Twist's first season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjuXTD0m9Lc All four seasons of Round the Twist will be available to stream via Netflix from Saturday, May 1. Top image: Round the Twist filming location Split Point lighthouse, Natalie Maguire via Wikimedia Commons.
Since 1885, carousers on the North Shore have been gathering at the Woolwich Pier Hotel to sink a bev or two and catch some glistening harbour views. But, after a huge reno in October 2018, the pub looks a fair bit different. The Pier, as it's known around town, has scored slick new design and a modern new menu inspired by French and Japanese cuisine. If you're a longstanding Pier drinker, you're in for a surprise. While the building has lost none of its heritage elements, the place is now a whole lot fancier. Alexander & Co., the firm responsible for venues like Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, the East Village and Stanton & Co, has looked after the interiors, giving them a Sydney seaside stamp. Everywhere you go, you'll notice splashes of marble, leather and velvet. What was the unassuming dining room is now a European brasserie called The Eatery, and the bar has been transformed into The Parlour. For those looking to lay their eyes on the water, the wraparound balcony overlooking Cockatoo Island still has plenty of room among its 70 seats. Alternatively, you can follow the spiral staircase up to The Social, an indoor dining room that also boasts harbour panoramas. In keeping with these dramatic changes, head chef Glenn Tabudlo has launched a new menu. Start with small plates, such as tuna tartare with wasabi-ponzu dressing and rice crackers, before moving onto decadent mains, like Yamba prawns with braised kale, pont-neuf potatoes and lobster sauce Americaine, or crispy skin miso salmon with squid ink risotto, salmon roe, sesame mayo, togarashi, edamame and enoki with ponzu. Lovers of the chicken pot pie — don't panic. The much-adored staple is still available, as is a bunch of The Pier's tried-and-tested classics. Even though it has some fancy new furnishings, it is still a local pub, after all. Images: Jessie Harris.
It's time to say alright, alright, alright to a film festival like no other, and to four days of odd, offbeat, unusual, unnerving and electrifying flicks. Every year for 13 years now, the Sydney Underground Film Festival has unleashed its eclectic movie choices upon the city. It's back to do the same again in 2019, with a lineup that starts with Matthew McConaughey as a perpetually high poet, features everything from hyper-violence in Tokyo to cinema-obsessed documentaries, and ends with snowstorm-set horror. If your kind of festival involves watching McConaughey amble around Florida like he's in a documentary, catching the latest film from Spring Breakers' Harmony Korine and doing so at a special smell-o-vision screening — the cinema will match its scent to the movie — then mosey on over to opening night's The Beach Bum on Thursday, September 12. It's a roving, neon-hued, star-studded trip, with Zac Efron, Snoop Dogg and Isla Fisher also among the cast, and it's certain to set the mood for a weird, wonderful and wild SUFF. Across the rest of the festival — which runs until Sunday, September 14 at The Factory Theatre, Marrickville — Sydney cinephiles can see Henry Rollins turn gangster in Dreamland, fall for the chaos of Takashi Miike's First Love, witness stop-motion animation get eerie in The Wolf House and see Oscar-winner Olivia Colman step into cult-like church territory in Them That Follow. The list goes on, including on the documentary front, where you can prepare to tap your toes to films about rock 'n' roll magazine Creem, London label Trojan Records and alternative rock in general, then explore the work of filmmakers William Friedkin and Uwe Boll, as well as the ups and downs of rom-coms. Elsewhere, Jesse Eisenberg takes down toxic masculinity in the hilarious, must-see satire The Art of Self-Defense, while Memory — The Origins of Alien is unmissable if you're fond of Ridley Scott's seminal 1979 space horror classic. Shorts and workshops are also on the bill, before SUFF eventually comes to an end with mind-bender The Lodge.
If you've been using every birthday, wedding and office party as an excuse to jump online and order box upon box of Bakedown Cakery's sesame-raspberry chocolate bark, blood orange flavour bombs and white chocolate skulls, then we'd like to introduce you to your new home. Today, Bakedown opened a flagship on the Lower North Shore, where you can buy their creative sweet hits anytime you get a craving. You'll find the shop, which doubles as a chocolate studio, in the TWT Creative Precinct in St Leonards. Paint splashes, neon signs and sparkles make it hard to miss. If you're in any doubt, look out for the cabinet packed with bite-sized chocolates, the block-o-chocs in flavours such as passionfruit-sesame and matcha, and the face bark, printed with customers' faces, so you can eat not just your hat but your head as well. "We wanted to develop a store that delighted the senses and gave our customers the 'kid in a candy-store' experience, with stunning products that really catch the eye, but also have sophisticated flavour profiles," said Jen Lo, Founder and Creative Director, Bakedown Cakery. More often than not, you'll find Jen herself there, in chocolate-making and cake-decorating action. After all, there are always pralines that need filling, cupcakes that need icing and new flavour combinations to dream up. One of the secrets of Bakedown's success is never staying still for long. "Our in-cabinet chocolate range is on constant rotation, using different products and seasonal ingredients," said Jen. "One day you may bite into a mandarin, yuzu and dark chocolate bonbon; the next, a summer-inspired infusion of blood peach and white chocolate; and the next some homemade, heartwarming fudge." Find Bakedown Cakery at 62 Atchison St, St Leonards.
By now, the fact that almost every beloved TV show arises from the dead at some point is hardly new news. From Gossip Girl and Saved By the Bell to Twin Peaks and the upcoming Sex and the City small-screen sequel series, plenty of programs have been doing it. The next former hit set to make a comeback: Dexter. Yes, that means that television's mild-mannered blood-splatter expert by day, serial killer by night is returning — so if you didn't like how the original series wrapped up back in 2013, that's no longer the end of Dexter Morgan's (Michael C Hall, Shadowplay) story. Eight years have passed when Dexter: New Blood kicks off, just as they have for audiences. As the just-dropped first trailer for the revival demonstrates, Dexter is now living a quiet life in the small town of Iron Lake, New York, and trying to forgo his murderous urges. He's also going by the name Jim Lindsay, which nods to author Jeff Lindsay, who penned the series of novels the show was initially based on. But, as fans saw again and again in Dexter's original eight-season run, resisting picking up a knife isn't all that easy for the program's protagonist. In fact, the trailer features plenty of blades — and all within its namesake's vicinity. In the sneak peek — the first look we've been given of the upcoming ten-episode limited series — Dexter finds his old ways calling after his new hometown is rocked by unexpected events. US network Showtime, which'll air the series in the US, obviously wants to keep the bulk of the plot up its sleeves for now; however, Julia Jones (The Mandalorian), Alano Miller (Sylvie's Love), Johnny Sequoyah (Believe), Jack Alcott (The Good Lord Bird) and Clancy Brown (Promising Young Woman) are all joining the cast. And, Jennifer Carpenter (Dragged Across Concrete) is set to return as Dexter's sister Debra, as is John Lithgow (Perry Mason) as the Trinity Killer — presumably in flashbacks, given the characters' fates in the OG series. Australian viewers will be able to check out Dexter: New Blood via new streaming platform Paramount+, which launches locally on Wednesday, August 11. The new show itself doesn't start airing in the US until Sunday, November 7, and just when it'll hit Down Under hasn't been announced — but fingers crossed that it'll be around the same time. Check out the Dexter: New Blood trailer below: Dexter: New Blood is set to stream in Australia via new streaming platform Paramount+, which will launch on Wednesday, August 11. The new series will start airing in the US from Sunday, November 7; however, an exact stream date for Australia hasn't been announced as yet — we'll update you when it is.
Back in 1978, Jim Jones took his followers, the Peoples Temple, from the USA down to Guyana in a bid to start a new community, based on social ideals and free from what he perceived to be the tyranny of the capitalist system. This act resulted in the death of 909 people, poisoned by an infamous barrel of cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.Cut to 44 BC, Rome as seen through the lens of Shakespeare, and we find a republic collapsing as fiery, charismatic personalities clash in an effort to wrest control from the self-proclaimed demigod, Julius Caesar. In an act of reinvigoration, director Kate Revz has combined these two apocalyptic communities in her production of Julius Caesar, drawing her audience's attention to the wars that are waged for souls and minds, rather than dirt and oil. Her vision is secure for the most part, with the Republic's death rattles mapping neatly onto the sweaty jungle of Jonestown. Lucilla Smith's set design, as well as Caitlin Porter's maddening jungle soundscape, play a strong role in creating this desperate world.Populating Revz's Rome is a cast filled with the talent to both traumatise and inspire. James Mackay's Marc Anthony is a stellar orator, able to turn the tide of revolution in his favour all while mourning his beloved Caesar. Opposing Anthony is lead conspirator Cassius (Brent Hill), whose downward spiral is greatly portrayed in the second half of the show. However, it is the people that matter in Rome, and Revz's production rewards her audience for looking away from the speakers: the dark corners of the stage are constantly alive with shivering and weeping forms, which adds greatly to the atmosphere of the play. One striking moment is the silent interchange between Megan O'Connell and Aimee Horne across the body of Brutus' wife, Portia (Gemma Pranita).There is only one jarring flaw in this production, and that is the annoying presence of a pole immediately in front of the audience. Sadly this pole seems to cover an arc that contains many key moments of the play, tearing what might have been affecting images right through the middle. Aside from this, the other faults are only minor quibbles â€" a common tendency to fall back into traditional Shakespearean voice against the grain of the Jonestown setting, as well as pockets of overacting that rub raw amongst the subtler performances. As far as debuts go, Julius Caesar is a mighty birth for Revz's theatrical co-operative, Cry Havoc, and certainly marks this as a creative ensemble to keep watching.https://youtube.com/watch?v=SSRKWb4LO3w
"We all play games in our lives, whether we admit it or not." Yaeli Ohana's introduction to this sequence of her work explains it as coming from a realisation that the strategies we learn in play as children come to shape how we approach adult challenges. Textual and numerical symbols from toys and puzzles are superimposed on abstractions in ways that remind the viewer of paint-by-numbers or literally portray a word-search; images of dice and toy soldiers overlay conflicted landscapes; small florals are like incredibly delicate textbook plates. All these 'games' refer to learning strategies and repetition and to the child's development of competitive and communicative strategies. The metaphors of repetition and negotiation within games, which in turn stand for situations in adult life, are evident in the series of works as a whole as well as individually. The style of the works layers motifs and symbols and colours over paintings in a way that shows how they have been built up and where the choices have been made. Colours and dimensions vary significantly, from playing cards to the large-scale War Games works, as do the effects of watercolours, gilt and oils and the illustrative or gestural ways in which they're applied. Walking around the room, you recognise that these superimpositions of the symbols of childhood play are not introducing new elements to our perspective, just reminding us that they formed a part of it all along.
You oughta know, Alanis Morissette is heading Down Under. The famed 90s singer will perform in Sydney and Melbourne as part of her world tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her chart-topping 95 album Jagged Little Pill. So, get ready to sing along to 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know' and 'All I Really Want' at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on April 11 and April 15, respectively. If you're keen and willing to make the trek to Byron Bay, you can also catch Morissette there for Bluesfest, where she'll be singing alongside the likes of Patti Smith, Dave Matthews Band, Crowded House and Lenny Kravitz. Back at her two stadium shows, the 90s icon will be supported by Australia's own Julia Stone. Stone has released two solo albums, with a third due out later this year, and four together with her brother Angus, including Down the Way, which won Album of the Year at the 2010 ARIA Awards. Morissette's own collection of music awards is hefty, and includes seven Grammys and 12 Juno Awards. While her 95 album Jagged Little Pill is the most critically acclaimed, the Canadian singer has released eight albums and is set to drop her highly anticipated ninth, Such Pretty Forks in the Road, in May. In the meantime, though, hype yourself up for the Aussie tour by belting out the following banger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8sHpUc ALANIS MORISSETTE 2020 AUSTRALIAN DATES Saturday, April 11 — Sydney, Qudos Bank Arena Wednesday, April 15 — Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena Alanis Morissette pre-sales begin at 2pm on Tuesday, February 4 with general sale kicking off at 10am on Friday, February 7 via livenation.com.
Working as a drug and safety officer in St Kilda, Peta Brady (The Slap, Kath and Kim) has a real insight into the violent horrors that many sex workers face on a regular basis. Brady was one of the last people to see Tracy Connelly alive before she was murdered last year in the van she shared with her boyfriend. Ugly Mugs is Brady's attempt to shed light on the culture of silencing violence against women on the street and to challenge the lack of police support and protection. The title is taken from a pamphlet of the same name initiated by the Prostitute Collective of Victoria (now RhED) in 1986 that identified particularly aggressive clients. Directed by Malthouse Theatre's artistic director Marion Potts, Ugly Mugs comes to Sydney for the first time with Brady co-starring alongside Steve Le Marquand (Death of a Salesman, The Return), Sara West (Dreams in White) and Harry Borland (The Turning).
UPDATE, April 9, 2021: Chaos Walking is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. From battles in a galaxy far, far away to caped crusaders trying to save the day, cinema's big franchises currently dominate popular culture. They spark months of anticipation before each new film hits screens, top the box office, inspire constant chatter year-round and have even begun to sink their teeth into TV. And, they influence how audiences see other features, too — because watching almost any flick at present involves spotting cast members from Hollywood's ongoing blockbuster sagas. In Chaos Walking's case, for instance, the most recent Spider-Man finds his life disrupted when Star Wars' latest heroine crash-lands on his planet. In the tense aftermath, another Star Wars alumni and an Alien franchise veteran are involved, as is an actor with ties to Star Wars and Marvel, and an upcoming role in the Harry Potter realm. Boiling a feature down to the film behemoths also on its stars' resumes is simplistic, but it's a movie marketer's dream, with the powers-that-be hoping their talent will bring their existing aficionados with them. Here, it's also the most interesting thing about this tedious and generic space western. Adapted from the book series of the same name, Chaos Walking has weathered a difficult path to cinemas. It releases ten years after the rights to turn Patrick Ness' novels into films were first acquired, four years since the movie was originally shot and two years after major reshoots following unfavourable test screenings. The feature went through a plethora of rewrites, with I'm Thinking of Ending Things' Charlie Kaufman on scripting duties at one point, and Ness (A Monster Calls) and Spider-Man: Homecoming's Christopher Ford getting the final credit. Navigating such a mess rarely bodes well for a movie, so the fact that Chaos Walking proves dull and derivative shouldn't come as a surprise. It's hard to see how it might've fared better, though, with its premise an instant struggle. Set in 2257, the film follows colonists from earth on a planet called New World, who are plagued by a strange phenomenon. A multi-coloured haze hovers around men's heads — and only men — showing their every thought. The sensation has been dubbed 'the noise', and experiencing it while watching sure is rackety. In his pioneer village, teenager Todd (Tom Holland, The Devil All the Time) can rarely control his noise. While the Mayor (Mads Mikkelsen, Another Round) is able to filter the words and images that project from his mind — and also rock a furry red coat and wide-brimmed hat far better than anyone should — few others have the same ability. Seeing what everyone is thinking is a tricky way to live at the best of times, and it applies to the entire population, because women have been wiped out in a war attributed to the planet's original inhabitants. But Todd's troubles multiply when he discovers a spaceship, as well as Viola (Daisy Ridley, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), its sole surviving occupant. The mayor and his followers don't take kindly to the first female in their midst for years; however, supported by his adoptive fathers Ben (Demian Bichir, The Midnight Sky) and Cillian (Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter), Todd isn't willing to surrender the only girl he's ever seen to an angry mob. On the page, the Chaos Walking series dates back to 2008, when first instalment The Knife of Never Letting Go hit bookshelves — but its tale of toxic masculinity feels timely in the current social, political and cultural climate. That said, this isn't a complex, layered or thoughtful film. Instead, it's content to stress its themes in such a broad and easy manner that getting Holland to hold up a sign saying "the patriarchy is bad" would've been more subtle. Cue one-note villains, including Mikkelsen's mayor and David Oyelowo (another The Midnight Sky cast member) as a cartoonishly frenzied preacher. Cue Todd's self-reprimands to "be a man", too. There's no faulting the underlying idea that constantly enforcing stereotypical visions of manhood has damaging consequences, and that the behaviour it inspires (and the sense of entitlement that goes with it) is dangerous and destructive. But Chaos Walking really just uses these notions as a backdrop for a predictable and formulaic dystopian story, and as a handy reason to motivate its conflicts. As told here, the material is so thin and blunt — and so desperately endeavouring to set up a Hunger Games-esque franchise — that thinking about Holland, Ridley and their co-stars' roles elsewhere comes naturally. The awkwardness that has served Holland so well as Spider-Man peeks through, and Ridley's Star Wars steeliness is on full display, but neither actor is ever tasked with extending their talents. Mikkelsen, Oyelowo and Bichir are only asked to hit one note (nefarious, maniacal and caring, respectively), while Cynthia Erivo (The Outsider) is criminally underused. With all that distracting and frustrating noise literally hanging around and screaming for attention, it's hard for anyone to stand out. It's harder still in a movie that plays like a hodgepodge of far better sci-fi and western fare. Just try to see the orange suspenders that Ridley sports in the second half — or realise that this is a flick about a woman falling out of the sky and into a man's life, who then has to protect her on her quest to save the world as everyone knows it — and not wish you were watching The Fifth Element instead. He has Swingers, Go, Mr and Mrs Smith and American Made to his name, but filmmaker Doug Liman is no stranger to helming movies that recall 90s greats. While Edge of Tomorrow instantly impressed for many reasons, using time-loop trickery in a smart action flick and never just feeling like a cheap Groundhog Day ripoff was chief among them. Sadly, Liman doesn't have the same luck with Chaos Walking. Even its busy chase and fight scenes are a slog, although the feature's frontier-town production design and clever visual use of a buried spaceship do catch the eye. As for everything else, 'noise' is the absolute right word for it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ICPoXlmTO0
King Street Wharf may have long seemed like a purpose-built festival venue for the 18-20 bracket come each weekend, but the kids at Keystone have decided to take it to the next level: four main stages over three established venues housing local and international music talent: introducing Harbourfest. This Easter Sunday theloft, Bungalow 8 and Cargo Bar will join forces for the first time to bring us the best of dance: Tonite Only and the Aston Shuffle DJs are taking charge of headlining responsibilities, while ARIA-winning band Yolanda Be Cool round out the tail end of the line-up. Kicking off at 2pm, the day promises to be the best years of Chinese Laundry and Purple Sneakers rolled up into one harbourside, turbo-charged Harbourfest.
Thisisfortunate.com presents #CROSSSECTION The Marketplace, a fortnightly fashion designers' market replete with music, eats and drinks in Angel Place. #CROSSSECTION places emerging designers alongside their more established peers to sell direct to you. Think Project Runway meets The Grand Social at the foot of the Ivy — and there is a theme. 2013 is a big one for the recently rebranded initiative (formerly Bizarre Bazaar), which will spread to Melbourne later this year, so expect a no-punches-pulled '70s Miami Beach theme on March 28. Of the more established designers taking part this month, you should definitely check out Serpent & the Swan, a Sydney sister act who strike a perfect balance between mystique appeal and understated cool in top-quality fabrics. A suggestion and warning for the costume-committed: heat up the ghd and start practicing your Fawcett-flicks, but beware of roller-skaters— for those of you born after the mid-'80s, they are way harder than rollerblades. If March 28 is already booked, remember, it's on once a fortnight.
Vivid Sydney will add a little more British — or Time Lord, depending on your level of devotion — flavour to its 18-day run this year with a celebration of all things Doctor Who lined up for June 1, as the iconic BBC series has its 50th anniversary. The Spinifex Group, whom you may remember from the Beijing Games Opening Ceremony and who will be lighting the sails this year, have been brought on board to cover Customs House with a 3D-mapped projection of the Doctor in action. The Australian innovators have gone to town playing with a cast of licensed characters and polishing their time-travel animation effects for the occasion. Accompanied by some of the show's unmissable music, these special projections will run six times over the night with the first screening set to go just after dusk at 6.50. They'll be interspersed with the main Customs House light attraction, Move Your Building, which is the first interactive projection to grace the structure. Simultaneously, and at 48 other cinemas across the country, Dendy Opera Quays will run two episodes from series seven. But, what is sci-fi without a costume competition? Squat. Something our friends at Vivid clearly had in mind when they brainstormed the photo costume competition, also announced today. In other news, and assuming that Gallifrey is within the zodiac (it's not), being born on June 1 would make the doctor a Gemini. Which makes a lot of sense, right? The BBC publicity unit is showering Sydney in attention for this 50th anniversary; there's also a pop-up shop in Newtown until mid-June.
Last November Jim Finn, of Art vs Science fame, launched his solo project Vydamo with the single 'Gonna Make It', a user-friendly, catchy little anthem of a hit that almost fooled me into thinking the New Radicals had finally followed up their '90s one-hit wonder 'Get What You Give'. But this is real music that is real fun or, as Richard Kingsmill of triple j puts it, this guy (and this music) is "extremely likeable". Vydamo will kick off his first tour this Friday when he plays to Sydneysiders at OAF before heading south for a Saturday at the Toff in Melbourne. Next weekend Brisbane will get their taste of Jim Finn solo and live. Art vs. Science first got our attention in 2008 with the call-and-response dance number 'Flippers'. The dynamic little three-piece have been on the up ever since, and with their most comprehensive tour of the States coming up in June, it could well be worth your while to catch their frontman doing his thing before it starts costing you $200 a pop.
Old girl David Jones turns 175 this year, which means it's time to dig through the archives and get sentimental. The Elizabeth Street store will play gallery to David Jones: The Exhibition from May 25 through June. An undeniable Australiana icon, and a childhood fixture for many of us, the grand dame of Australian department stores promises a flashback to the glory days of home deliveries, hat boxes and Max Dupain. Sure, he might be better remembered for his penchant for swimmers, but before the war Dupain was knocking around DJs as an illustrator and fashion photographer. Renaissance woman Florence Broadhurst will also feature in the 175 artefacts on display (yep, one for every year), along with Queen Elizabeth II's 1954 visit and Christian Dior's 1947 Fashion Show. Attendees will also get a taste of yesteryear's opulence with a modern eatery paying homage to the Grand Restaurant that once operated in the Elizabeth Street store.
If you've got a few extra million dollars lying around, then here's your chance to snap up your very own historic beachside boozer. Manly's longstanding Hotel Steyne is up for sale, nine years after current owners — John Singleton, Robert Whyte, Mark Carnegie and Arthur Laundy — bought it for a reported $27 million. The seaside pub's not going cheap this time around either. According to the SMH, it's expected to fetch around $70 million. Though you're getting a lot of bang for your buck: it's home to six bars, a bistro, multiple outdoor areas and a rooftop that looks out over Manly Beach. [caption id="attachment_532433" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The rooftop at Hotel Steyne.[/caption] Of course, with such a long history and hefty crew of regulars, Hotel Steyne won't be parted with easily. Fans of the old-school watering hole, which was first built in 1859, have voiced concerns about what might happen to their local once it's in new hands, with fears it's set to be modernised and its beer prices destined to rise. Manly local Barry Fagan told the SMH, "I used to be able to get a schooner for 20 cents. Now it's $8. But seriously, I've been coming here for 40 years. It's an icon of Manly, you hope that a new owner could respect that." Hotel Steyne is just the latest in a string of high-profile Sydney pub sales pulling in the big bucks. Over the past two years, hospitality giant Merivale has acquired Marrickville's Vic On The Park, The Colloroy, The Tennyson on Botany Road, Bondi's Royal Hotel and Woollahra's Hotel Centennial, with all sales predicted to be in the tens of millions. Another big player in the Sydney hospitality scene, Solotel offloaded the Clovelly Hotel — which it had just purchased in 2016 — for $34 million big ones in 2017, according to the Australian Financial Review. Expressions of interest for Manly's Hotel Steyne close on Wednesday, March 13. Find Hotel Steyne at 75 The Corso, Manly.
Boasting programs where anything and everything can and does happen, fringe festivals are an ode to leaping out of your comfort zone, revelling there and never wanting to leave. New South Wales' largest independent arts fest, Sydney Fringe Festival fits that bill perfectly. Each year, it amasses a jam-packed lineup that's never the same twice, and splashes its playful vibe all around the Harbour City — and, based on its just-announced first highlights for 2023, that's firmly in order again this year. The full 2023 program hasn't be revealed as yet, but will arrive in advance of the fest's Friday, September 1–Saturday, September 30 dates. For now, however, it has dropped details about a number of headliners, as well as a brand-new hub. First, the shows. Musical-comedy The Marvellous Elephant Man the Musical is one instant standout, and will make its Sydney debut at Sydney Fringe. It takes the story of Joseph Merrick, which has been seen on-screen and on the stage before, and turns it into an all-singing, all-dancing spectacle — and it's playing the fest before making its way to Broadway and the West End. Also on the bill is GODZ, which heads to Ancient Greece, hangs out with gods such as Cupid and Hercules, and sends them on an odyssey with storytelling, circus and laughs. Or, for audiences of all ages, there's CIRCUS — The Show, which even includes a clown with a six-foot balloon. [caption id="attachment_905021" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mali Cohen[/caption] Sydney Fringe's 2023 lineup spans the return of pop-up musical-theatre club Lola's Piano Bar, Young Henrys' Best Served Loud live music series hitting Parramatta for the first time and free morning concerts courtesy of proven favourite Acoustic Ritual at George Place, too. To kick things off, Fringe Ignite will take over The Rocks with an opening-night shindig, while a closing-night party on Kensington Street will bookend the fest with a celebration of Caribbean culture. And, this year's fest features a big new spot to hang out thanks to the Spiegeltent Festival Garden at the EQ Showring in Moore Park. The Entertainment Quarter will host Sydney Fringe's big top, which is where The Marvellous Elephant Man the Musical will entertain audiences — and 300-seater circus dome The Vault, which'll be home to GODZ. Elsewhere around town, the Sydney Fringe Sideshow will also be back in The Rocks, and Parramatta's Riverside Theatre will turn into a pop-up cabaret club headlined by Big Thick Energy. If that sounds huge already, it is, but that's always the case. The festival also released an impact report about the event, as produced by Hawkridge Entertainment Services, which found that the 2022 festival generated over $36 million in economic impact for the city of Sydney and produced over 400 full time jobs. "Each year Sydney Fringe Festival has gone from strength to strength, hosting big international names and nurturing local talent. Over my ten years as Festival Director and CEO, I've seen Sydney Fringe Festival develop into a world-class event and I'm so proud of what our community has created," said Kerri Glasscock, announcing both the 2023 lineup highlights so far and the impact report. "Globally recognised for our unique festival model, we've established game changing activations and pilot projects that have driven lasting change within the city, and this new report is evidence of the vital role Fringe and our local artists play in Sydney's economy." "This 2023 program is set to be better than ever, kicking off with Fringe Ignite and seeing the return of the fabulous Spiegeltent as part of our exciting precinct takeover at Entertainment Quarter." Sydney Fringe Festival 2023 will take place from Friday, September 1–Saturday, September 30, with the event's full program set to be announced in the coming months. For further information in the interim, head to the fest's website.
As cinephiles of Melbourne well and truly know, August always marks the arrival of the Melbourne International Film Festival. That even remained the case in 2020, when the event was forced to go digital due to the pandemic. And, although the 2021 fest has had to go through a few changes itself and will now only play online, too, it is still showering film buffs with movies from Thursday, August 5–Sunday, August 22 this year. Initially, in-person sessions were set to span the festival's first week or so, before the event closed up online; however, just days before this year's MIFF kicked off on Thursday, August 5, the fest flipped that order and expanded its virtual component. It was due to then add in-person sessions from Thursday, August 12, but that'll no longer be happening. So, via its digital platform MIFF Play, the festival is screening more than 90 features for film lovers to watch from the comfort of their couches. The lineup has been growing, too, with exisiting highlights including college-set rom-com Freshman Year, Spanish influencer satire La Verónica, New Zealand thriller Coming Home in the Dark and Norwegian comedy Ninjababy. The Mads Mikkelsen-starring Riders of Justice and psycho-thriller music mockumentary The Nowhere Inn — featuring Carrie Brownstein and St Vincent — sit among the recent newcomers. More films are set to become available on Saturday, August 14 as well, such as documentary Hopper/Welles, which sees Dennis Hopper and Orson Welles meet and chat back in 1970; Night of the Kings, a prison thriller set on the outskirts of Abidjan; and Stray, a doco about the 100,000-plus stray dogs that rove freely around Istanbul. And, other titles will drop later in the fest, like Australian drama Little Tornadoes, which is co-written by The Slap's Christos Tsiolkas; Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, a documentary exploring the folk horror genre; and closing night's Language Lessons, which takes place via video calls. MIFF's digital platform is available Australia-wide, ensuring that cinephiles around the country — including those in lockdown elsewhere, like in Greater Sydney — can enjoy its lineup, too. That facet of the online program proved popular last year, unsurprisingly, with 2020's virtual festival resulting in MIFF's biggest fest yet, audience-wise. Updated August 11.
Every March, Adelaide — the only UNESCO City of Music in Australia — gears up for festival season. Its centrepiece is the Adelaide Festival, a 17-day extravaganza of music, theatre, art, talks and unusual happenings, which encompasses world music festival WOMADelaide as well as Adelaide Writers' Week. In 2019, more than 70 events will take place, including 17 Australian premieres and ten worldwide premieres, all put together by artistic directors Rachel Healy and Neil Armfield. Taking place between March 1–17 at a variety of venues around Adelaide, here are some of the most epic, creative and left-of-field. THEATRE Travelling from South Africa is theatre company Isango Ensemble, to perform the Australian premiere of A Man Of Good Hope. This musical tells the true story of Asad Abdullah, who, at eight, witnessed his mother's murder in Somalia, then travelled across six African nations alone. Also exploring the experiences of refugees is Manus by the all-Iranian Verbatim Theatre Group, which tells stories from Manus Island and Nauru. For a more experimental adventure, immerse yourself in Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Melbourne's La Mama Theatre will perform the play in real time — over two days — at The Cedars, Sir Hans Heysen's former 60-acre property in Hahndorf, Adelaide Hills. Alternatively, let Portuguese theatre-maker Tiago Rodrigues teach you to memorise a poem, all while he recounts the life of his grandmother, in By Heart. MUSIC Join 90,000 other people at WOMADadelaide, a four-day world music festival that takes over Adelaide's beautiful Botanic Park every year. On 2019's program you'll find Angelique Kidjo, the Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir, Julia Jacklin and the John Butler Trio, among scores of other local and international acts. Making its Australian premiere is Grand Finale by Israeli-born, London-based choreographer Hofesh Shechter, a momentous work that combines dance, live music and theatre in its exploration of demagoguery, groupthink and ecological disaster. Meanwhile, Aboriginal soul singer Emma Donovan will be teaming up with The Putbacks to perform a tribute to the late Ruby Hunter, the first indigenous Australian woman to record an album — and Tim Minchin will also be delivering the world premiere of his solo show Back. ART Headlining the art program are two major surveys. One is of Australian artist Ben Quilty, known for his work as an official war artist in Afghanistan, as well as his campaign to save Bali Nine members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. The other is of New York-born photographer Roger Ballen, who now lives in South Africa, where he shoots squatter camps and mine dumps, and, most famously, collaborated on Die Antwoord's 'I Fink U Freeky' video. Also capturing little-told stories will be the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography's group exhibition Another Life: Human Flows / Unknown Odysseys, which depicts various moments in refugees' journeys — from portraits of personal anguish to heartbreaking images of piles of life jackets. TALKS The core of the talks program is Adelaide Writers' Week. Inspired by the theme 'telling truths', this year's event features an international collection of wordsmiths, from Sohaila Abdulali, the Mumbai-born US author of What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape, to Kassem Eid, Syrian refugee, activist and author of My Country. Nigerian author and Man Booker Prize Winner Ben Okri will deliver the opening address, 'Imagination Redeems'. Start each festival day with brekkie and papers at The Palais, settle into a long lunch with a writer — be it Annabel Crabb or Maggie Beer — and finish up with a Twilight Talk in the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden. PLUS On any great festival program, there are always events that defy categorisation. Take Dutch artist Julian Hetzel's Schuldfabrik, for example — it's an installation that immerses you in a mini-factory and retail outlet where human fat is turned into soap and sold, with all proceeds going to aid programs in the developing world. Then there's Legs On The Walls' Man With The Iron Neck, which combines aerial circus, video and text to explore suicide in a small, tightly-knit, AFL-loving community. And, finally, Dutch company Schweigman&'s Blaas invites you step inside a gigantic white blob and expect the unexpected. Adelaide Festival takes place between March 1–17, 2019 at a variety of venues around Adelaide. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website. Top image: Ben and Martin Photography.
Maybe you jumped on the Saltburn bandwagon early, catching Promising Young Woman filmmaker Emerald Fennell's second feature when it was in cinemas. Perhaps you saw the Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)- and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria)-starring thriller when it hit streaming over Christmas. Either way, once you watched the movie, you were probably as obsessed as Oliver Quick is about Felix Catton — and after you've ordered your Jacob Elordi's bathwater candle, you can hit up a party that's all about paying tribute to the instant cult-favourite flick. A series of shindigs is touring Australia, kicking off at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory on Thursday, January 25. From there, the Saltburn soirées will head to Ballers Clubhouse in Melbourne on Saturday, February 3, then to The Court in Perth on Friday, February 16. Come Saturday, March 2, it's Brisbane's turn at The Wickham. What does celebrating one of 2023's best movies at a boozy party entail? Dressing like it's Oliver's birthday party, for starters. From there, you'll enjoy a 'Murder on the Dancefloor' sing-along — even though you won't be dancing naked around a mansion — as well as crooning karaoke and hearing 'Mr Brightside', all while sipping Bathtub Brew, Grave Grinding Gulp and Felix's Fangirl Fizz drink specials. If you're keen to add some sparkle to your look while you're there, there'll be a free glitter bar. And the best-dressed attendee at each shindig will win a prize. In the film, Keoghan plays Oliver, who arrives at Oxford University as part of the future class of 2006, but finds himself stuck as an outsider among his well-off classmates. Enter Elordi as Felix Catton, the charming campus favourite who gains a helping hand in Oliver, then invites his new pal to his family's eponymous estate for the summer. Fennell won a rightly deserved Oscar for her Promising Young Woman script, and reteams with Carey Mulligan (Maestro) again here. Also demonstrating the actor (The Crown)-turned-filmmaker's knack for casting: 2023 Academy Award-nominee Keoghan, aka one of the screen's most interesting and talented rising stars, plus Elordi, Rosamund Pike (The Wheel of Time), Richard E Grant (Persuasion) and Lolly Adefope (Miracle Workers). As Felix's sister Venetia, Conversations with Friends' Alison Oliver is similarly excellent — as is Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story's Archie Madekwe as fellow Oxford student and Catton cousin Farleigh. 'SALTBURN' PARTY AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Thursday, January 25 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Saturday, February 3 — Ballers Clubhouse, Melbourne Friday, February 16 — The Court, Perth Saturday, March 2 — The Wickham, Brisbane Saltburn parties are touring Australia from January–March 2024. Saltburn is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our review.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-fxRXzfi0U KAJILLIONAIRE When Evan Rachel Wood played a troubled teen in 2003's Thirteen, the then 16-year-old received a Golden Globe nomination. For her work in Westworld since 2016, she has nabbed multiple Emmy nods. So when we say that the actor puts in her best performance yet in Kajillionaire — the type of portrayal that deserves several shiny trophies — that observation isn't made lightly. Playing a 26-year-old con artist called Old Dolio Dyne, Wood is anxious but yearning, closed-off yet vulnerable, and forceful as well as unsure all at once. Her character has spent her entire life being schooled in pulling off quick scams by her eccentric parents Robert (Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water) and Theresa (Debra Winger, The Lovers), who she still lives with, and she's stuck navigating her own street-wise brand of arrested development. Old Dolio knows how to blend in, with her baggy clothes, curtain of long hair and low-toned voice. She also knows how to avoid security cameras in physical feats that wouldn't look out of place in a slapstick comedy, and how to charm kindly folks out of reward money. But she has never been allowed to truly be her own person — and, from the moment that Wood is seen on-screen, that mournful truth is immediately evident. Kajillionaire introduces Old Dolio, Robert and Theresa as they're falling back on one of their most reliable swindles: stealing packages from post office boxes. But two developments drive its narrative, and make Old Dolio realise that she's far more than just the third part of a trio. Firstly, to make a quick $20 to help cover overdue rent, she agrees to attend a parenting class for someone she meets on the street, and is struck by how far removed its teachings are from her own experiences. Secondly, on a return flight back to Los Angeles from New York as part of a travel insurance grift, her parents meet and befriend outgoing optometrist's assistant Melanie (Gina Rodriguez, Annihilation). So accustomed to playing the role dictated to her by Robert and Theresa, and never deviating from it, Old Dolio isn't prepared for the emotions stirred up by both changes to her status quo. But July's poignant and perceptive movie — a film that's a quirky heist flick, a playful but shrewd exploration of family bonds, and a sweet love story — is perfectly, mesmerisingly equipped to navigate her protagonist's efforts to reach beyond the only loved ones and the only type of life she has ever known. In fact, the result is one of the most distinctive, empathetic and engaging movies of the year. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIxi2VHTTk BABY DONE A relic of a time when women were considered wives, mothers and little else, the public need to comment on whether someone has a baby or is planning to have a baby is flat-out garbage behaviour. In your twenties or thirties, and in a couple? Yet to procreate? If so, the world at large apparently thinks that it's completely acceptable to ask questions, make its judgement known and demand answers. Baby Done offers a great take on this kind of situation. Surrounded by proud new parents and parents-to-be at a baby shower, Zoe (Rose Matafeo) refuses to smile and nod along with all the polite cooing over infants — existing and yet to make their way into the world — and smug discussions about the joys of creating life. An arborist more interested in scaling trees at both the national and world championships than starting a family, she simply refuses to temper who she is to fit society's cookie-cutter expectations. Her partner Tim (the Harry Potter franchise's Matthew Lewis, worlds away from his time as Neville Longbottom) is on the same wavelength, and they visibly have more fun than everyone else at the party. With a title such as Baby Done, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise when this New Zealand comedy soon upsets Zoe and Tim's status quo. She discovers that she's expecting and, while he starts dutifully preparing to an almost unnervingly sensible extent, she also struggles to face the change that's coming their way. Comedies about the trials and tribulations of parenthood, and of the journey to become parents, are almost as common as people asking "when are you two having kids?" without prompting at parties. But this addition to the genre from director Curtis Vowell and screenwriter Sophie Henderson (both veterans of 2013 film Fantail) approaches a well-worn topic from a savvy angle. Zoe clearly isn't a stereotypical mother-to-be, and doesn't experience the stereotypical feelings women have been told they're supposed to feel about having children — and Baby Done leans into that fact. Also pivotal in her first big-screen lead role is comedian Matafeo. Indeed, it's easy to wonder whether the movie would've worked so engagingly and thoughtfully with someone else as its star. Brightly shot and breezily toned, there's still much about Baby Done that's familiar; however, charting one woman's pregnancy experience, and her backlash to the widely accepted notion that motherhood is the be all and end all of a woman's life, proves poignant and charming more often than not here. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-Z90SEqGQ&t=20s CORPUS CHRISTI No one wants to live in a world where Parasite, the best movie of 2019, doesn't exist. But if it didn't for some reason, it's highly likely that Corpus Christi would've been this year's Best International Feature Film Oscar winner, rather than just a nominee. This Polish drama also focuses on people pretending to be something they're not. As directed by Warsaw 44 and The Hater's Jan Komasa, and written by the latter's screenwriter Mateusz Pacewicz, it casts a wry eye over much about life in its homeland today, too. And it isn't afraid to call out hypocrisy, societal divisions and greed, either — literally, in the latter case, with its protagonist making a speech about it at the local sawmill. There are few other similarities between Corpus Christi and the movie it lost to, but perhaps the only one that really matters is how blisteringly and rousingly it unfurls its on-screen gifts. Well that, and how striking every second of the film looks, pairing its grey, hazy aesthetics with its complicated account of an ex-juvenile delinquent who poses as a small-town priest. The imposter's name is Daniel and, as played with soulful intensity by Bartosz Bielenia, he's a complex figure. First seen serving out the final days of his reform school sentence, he has made a fan out of the facility's head priest Father Tomasz (Lukasz Simlat). In fact, if his criminal record didn't preclude it, he'd follow in the elder man's footsteps and join the seminary. Instead, he's released to work in a sawmill. Through a series of events that never feels convenient or strained, however, he's soon welcomed by the locals as their new spiritual advisor. Daniel genuinely has faith and believes in his task, so the jump from playing lookout as his fellow inmates dispense a brutal beating to endeavouring to help his congregation is easy. Loosely inspired by real-life details, Corpus Christi gifts its young protagonist an unexpected second chance — and an unlikely opportunity to follow his heart and make a difference to an insular community — but he's not the only figure within its frames with a troubled past to overcome. As a film about a masquerading cleric, tension and foreboding seethes through every second, but it's the bubbling and brooding movie's contemplation of what redemption and benevolence really means that hits the most potent notes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atKsEdLKPLo&feature=emb_logo THE WOMAN WHO RAN Alcohol. Conversation. A scene-stealing cat. Combine all three in one movie, and not only is South Korean great Hong Sang-soo firmly in his element, but he delivers exactly the type of film that has won him a legion of fans. Given how prolific the director is, it'd be easy to assume that he'll soon run out of ways to combine his usual trademarks. Similarly, it'd be understandable to expect that he'll eventually exhaust all of his ideas. But like other impressive filmmakers who seemingly never stop working — Japan's Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), Sion Sono (Tokyo Vampire Hotel) and Takashi Miike (First Love) come to mind — Hong's features never run out of new ways to twist his favourite touches, themes and inclusions together. They're often brief, they're usually an equally melancholy and charming delight, and they're always perceptive. If you've seen his past standouts such as Nobody's Daughter Haewon, Hill of Freedom, Right Now, Wrong Then and Yourself and Yours — all of which have done the rounds of Australian film festivals, as all of Hong's movies do — then you'll know what you're in for, and you'll already be excited. In The Woman Who Ran, which premiered at this year's Berlinale, booze flows freely. (Craving soju while watching Hong's work is a common side effect.) Drinking plenty of it is Gamhee, as played by Hong regular Kim Min-hee, a 2017 Berlinale Best Actress winner for On the Beach at Night Alone. Gamhee is enjoying her first time away from her husband in five years, visiting friends around Seoul while he's off on a business trip. In the filmmaker's typical fashion, much of The Woman Who Ran unfurls as his characters simply chat — about lives, hopes, dreams, problems and, with a pesky neighbour in the movie's funniest moment, about feeding stray felines. Hong's penchant for long, patient takes, playful repetition and echoes, and expertly timed crash-zooms are all used to winning effect, in a movie that slots perfectly into his busy oeuvre (he's made 23 movies since 1996) and yet always feels distinctively insightful. Also, and it cannot be stressed enough, look out for one helluva kitty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYQzdhjHeIE&feature=emb_logo&mc_cid=ccf652e7a2&mc_eid=1628bbb5f5 HONEST THIEF Another Liam Neeson-starring movie, another bland action film with little else going for it beyond its main attraction. The genre must pay well, but it has sadly been years since the Irish actor's particular set of skills anchored a fist-flinging, chase-filled feature worthy of his talents. In Honest Thief, Neeson plays elusive bank robber Tom, who is also known as the 'in-and-out bandit'. A year after unexpectedly falling in love with psychology graduate student Annie (Kate Walsh) — and a year after he last indulged his pilfering urges, too — he decides to turn himself in to the FBI in exchange for a lesser sentence and the chance to make a real future. Answering his call, agents Baker (Robert Patrick) and Meyers (Jeffrey Donavan) are skeptical that he's actual the culprit. When their colleagues Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Hall (Anthony Ramos) are given the case, however, they take another approach that sees Neeson rushing around Boston and fighting for his life against corrupt, trigger-happy law enforcement officials. There's only one real surprise in store in Honest Thief, a movie that writer/director Mark Williams (A Family Man) and his co-scribe Steve Ullrich (The Timber) could've almost cobbled together using scenes from other Neeson action vehicles. No one is astonished that, despite being a bank robber, Neeson's character is the movie's hero. No one should expect anything unusual in its workman-like action choreography or by-the-numbers plot, either. But the fact that the movie also features a heap of well-known names and faces alongside Neeson — including The Umbrella Academy's Walsh, The X-Files' Patrick, Fargo's Donovan, Aussie Stateless star Courtney and Hamilton's Ramos — is a little startling. They're all wasted, because Honest Thief only tasks its other actors with giving Neeson someone to talk to, kiss, hunt down or flee. That's how generic this addition to his resume proves. Indeed, 2020 hasn't been great for Neeson fans, even with Made in Italy eschewing action for father-son bonding. His most recent great roles might've only been back in 2016 and 2018, courtesy of Silence, Widows and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, but they currently seem like a distant memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjkLx3-hK2Y NEVER TOO LATE Jack Thompson and Jacki Weaver rank among Australian acting royalty, with his resume spanning everything from Sunday Too Far Away to The Great Gatsby, and an Oscar nomination for Animal Kingdom sitting among her many credits. James Cromwell might be American, but he has earned a soft spot in many an Aussie's heart thanks to Babe and Babe: Pig in the City. Joining forces for Never Too Late definitely isn't a high point of any of their careers, however. They also feature on-screen alongside local veterans Max Cullen (Acute Misfortune), the New Zealand-born Roy Billing (Mystery Road), British star Dennis Waterman (80s series Minder) and Shane Jacobson — because few Australian films exist these days without the latter — but this broad comedy set in an Adelaide nursing home can't use its recognisable cast to distract from just how lumbering it is. Known as the Chain Breakers, Cromwell, Thompson, Cullen and Billing's characters all served in Vietnam, becoming famous for a daring escape. But, along the way, Cromwell's Jack Bronson lost contact with Weaver's Norma — until, decades later, he uses some sly trickery to cross her path again at the Hogan Hills Retirement Home for Returned Servicemen and Women. Due to groan-worthy plot contrivances, their reunion is short-lived, inspiring Jack and his now-elderly and ailing pals to concoct another big getaway plan. Cue an Aussie spin on the geriatric heist film genre, in the same vein as Going in Style and King of Thieves but with romance as a motivation and tourism shots of South Australia featuring heavily. Never Too Late attempts to ruminate on the vagaries of ageing, the struggles of living with regret and the fact that it can take a lifetime to chase one's dream, but the film's cast sport wrinkles deeper than the movie's themes. After last directing the abysmal A Few Less Men, director Mark Lamprell is in similarly dismal territory here. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; and October 1, October 8 and October 15. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle. The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta and Rebecca.
After shooting Elvis on the Gold Coast, Baz Luhrmann dubbed the Queensland city "Goldiewood". For four days in February 2024, the coastal spot will certainly become the centre of the Aussie film and television industry when the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts sweeps into town. As well as hosting its annual awards, AACTA will put on a festival around the accolades — and after announcing its first program details in 2023, that lineup has just expanded. A series of free outdoor film screenings, a Yellowjackets Q&A, and chats with the teams behind Colin From Accounts and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart lead the new additions for AACTA Festival, which takes place from Thursday, February 8–Sunday, February 11 at HOTA, Home of the Arts. For those keen to see a flick under the stars, you have three options, all with Aussie ties. Of course Barbie tops the list, as part of a barbecue bash where dressing up is highly encouraged — cinephile Barbie, anyone? — and there will indeed be the appropriate food spread. Also hitting the screen: a 25th-anniversary screening of 10 Things I Hate About You, celebrating the Heath Ledger-starring film, this time with a 90s shindig. And, rounding out the movies is The Greatest Showman, complete with Australian filmmaker Michael Gracey on hand to introduce the Hugh Jackman (Faraway Downs)-led flick. Yellowjackets fans, get excited about Aussie actors Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Liv Hewson (Party Down), aka teen Lottie and teen Van, talking about the series — including its cliffhangers and supernatural elements. Leah Purcell (Shayda) will discuss The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, while the Colin From Accounts chat will feature producers Ian Collie and Rob Gibson (who both also worked on Scrublands) ahead of season two's arrival. [caption id="attachment_894476" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME.[/caption] Now that the AACTA nominations have been announced — which hadn't happened before AACTA Festival's first lineup drop — sessions where you can meet both the film and TV contenders have been added as well. Exactly who'll be attending hasn't been revealed as yet, however. Also joining the bill is music by Sunny Luwe, Kent Dustin and Alisha Todd; panels about streaming's future and screen trends in general; and a speed-networking session for women in the industry. AACTA Festival already boasts a heap of other highlights, all surrounding AACTA's Industry Awards on Thursday, February 8 and then its main glittering ceremony on Saturday, February 10. If Talk to Me creeped its way onto your list of favourite Australian horror movies, directors Michael and Danny Philippou will dive into it. Warwick Thornton is also on the lineup to discuss The New Boy as part of the fest's 'meet the creators' events, as are the teams behind Limbo, Sweet As and The Newsreader. Trent Dalton will talk about the Boy Swallows Universe TV series — and, giving the event one of its international standouts, Lessons in Chemistry's Bonnie Garmus is on the bill as well. There's also behind-the-scenes explorations of The Matrix, the stunts of Mad Max: Fury Road and, for some more overseas flavour, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's animation. Or, enjoy a chat with Wellmania and The Way We Wore's Celeste Barber about her career, then find out more about Aussie-made Robbie Williams biopic Better Man and the sequel to Mortal Kombat. AACTA Festival will run from Thursday, February 8–Sunday, February 11 at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise Gold Coast. For further details, head to the fest's website.
Counting your steps has the obvious benefit of motivating a healthier lifestyle. But nothing motivates us quite like free food does. Combine the two and you get the Energy Exchange Cafe, a food-for-steps experiment that will pop-up within Chippendale's Concrete Jungle from August 28 through 30, 8am–2.30pm daily. You read correctly — no cash is needed for this dine-out brekkie. The cafe is a collaboration between Tim Robards — a TV personality and "wellness expert" (his words, not ours) — and Uncle Tobys. The deal is as straightforward as it sounds: show your steps and get a free meal. The menu 'prices' range from 3000 to 10,000 steps, with every dish accompanied by a free coffee. Patrons can use their preferred step-tracker to show accumulated steps from the previous day, or the day of, or even sign an 'energy pledge' for the steps they intend to take — honour-system style. The menu is loaded with nutrient-rich and filling dishes to get you through the day. Yes, the menu also features lots of oats. Choose from creamy turmeric porridge topped with a poached egg, kale and crisp chickpeas (10,000 steps); orange juice-soaked bircher with fresh strawberries, apples and grapes (8000); blue algae smoothie bowls with fresh blueberries and crunchy granola (10,000); or mixed berry hotcakes topped with a heaping dollop of cream (6000). Plus chia seed bliss balls (3000), oat banana bread (3000) and — of course — an avocado on toast (5000) option, too. Images: Kai Leishman
Twirling elegantly around the stage as part of a world-class ballet performance is one thing, but just imagine getting to do so kitted out in stunning outfits by Jean Paul Gaultier. Announced today, a dark contemporary retelling of Snow White by France's Ballet Preljocaj is set to launch at the Sydney Opera House this June, complete with a wardrobe of captivating costumes by the internationally acclaimed haute couture designer. Gaultier's work will complement what promises to be a multi-sensory masterpiece; the show features choreography from renowned French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, gorgeous set design by celebrated artist Thierry Leproust and a soundtrack of lush Gustav Mahler symphonies. Preljocaj's Snow White adaptation made its Australian debut at QPAC for the 2016 Brisbane Festival, last year scoring the Helpmann Award for Best Ballet. "I was very keen to tell a story, offer something magical and enchanted," explained Preljocaj. "I have followed the version by the Grimm Brothers, with just a few personal variations based on my own analysis of the symbols in the tale". Snow White will be the first story ballet to be programmed by Sydney Opera House Presents in the newly relaunched Joan Sutherland Theatre. Images: Jean-Claude Carbonne.
Inner west pub goers will no doubt be familiar with The Oxford Tavern — the Petersham pub is known for its barbecue (sweetly dubbed Black Betty) and sunny courtyard. But it's about to be synonymous with something else: craft beer. As of today — Monday, January 21 — the pub has changed hands, and the new owners are keen to turn it into a beery heaven. Brothers James and Josh Thorpe — who currently own Darlinghurst beer pub The Taphouse and, more recently, its sour ale and natural wine bar Odd Culture — cite the pub is one of their favourite inner west venues, and they're set to inject it with their passion for local, independent beer. In addition to a sprawling craft brew offering, there are plans to eventually install a brewery on-site and launch a beer label. And they've already made a head-start, teaming up with mates at Capital Brewing Co. to create the mango and turmeric-infused Hi-Vis New England IPA, to mark their latest pub venture. The drop will be launched officially in-house this weekend, on January 26. The Oxford Tavern bar is set to showcase a hefty rotation of sips from locally owned, independent breweries, with a focus on hyper-local beers made within a five-kilometre radius of the pub — so you can probably expect to see some brews from Batch, Sauce, The Grifter and Wildflower on the taps. Meanwhile, the kitchen's smoked barbecue offering Black Betty won't be going anywhere, but it will be pumping out some different offerings, including a barbecued version of The Taphouse's signature Sunday roast. You're in for plates like smoked pork belly and tender brisket, matched with roast veggies and Yorkshire puddings. This is not the first time the pub has changed hands in recent years. It was taken over and given a completely new life by the Drink 'n' Dine Group — which, when it was still operational, was run by Jaime Wirth, who just re-did The Duke — back in 2012. It was then sold to (what's now known as) the Australian Venue Co. in 2016, who were reportedly looking for new publicans to run The Oxford Tavern last year. The pub appears to have sold instead. Find The Oxford Tavern is located at 1 New Canterbury Road, Petersham. Images one and two: Katje Ford.
Catering to our fierce love of seafood over the holiday period, Sydney Fish Market is once again pulling its annual all-nighter so you can get your hands on the freshest ocean treats for Christmas lunch. Each year, the Fish Market — which will be relocated to a $250 million new site come 2023 — capably serves over 100,000 buyers looking to snag a deal. Between 5am on Sunday, December 23 and 5pm on Monday, December 24, the market is yours to scout out the most sumptuous fish, king prawns, oysters and calamari. The best news is that it's all Australian-sourced, with half of it from New South Wales. It's not only fish here, though. You can also peruse cold meats and cheeses at the deli for a grand charcuterie platter or stop by the on-site bakery and greengrocer. Or, if you're more of a Northern Hemisphere traditionalist, you can even pick up a turkey from the butcher. They sell basically everything here. If you're stuck for gifts, there are plenty of opportunities for that last-minute find. Head to the gift shop, florist, bottle shop or even grab a voucher for a cooking class at the popular Sydney Seafood School.
"Nature holds us all to account" is one of Force of Nature: The Dry 2's trailer-friendly lines. Even for those who didn't see the film's sneak peeks in the months between its arrival and the feature's release — a period stretched by Hollywood's 2023 strikes, pushing the picture's date with cinemas from August to February 2024 — it sounds primed for promo snippets when it's uttered in the movie itself. But this Australian detective franchise has earned the right to occasionally be that blunt and loaded with telling importance in its dialogue. And, it makes it work. In 2021's The Dry and here, in a flick that could've been called The Wet thanks to its drenched forest setting, the Aaron Falk saga uses its surroundings to mirror its emotional landscape. Nature holds its characters to account not just in a narrative sense, but by reflecting what they're feeling with astute specificity — so much so that the parched Victorian wheatbelt in the initial movie and the saturated greenery in Force of Nature are as much extensions of the series' on-screen figures as they are stunning backdrops. Chief among this page-to-film realm's players is Falk, the federal police officer that Eric Bana and his Blueback director Robert Connolly treat like terrain to trek through and traverse. His stare has its own cliffs and gorges. His life upholding the law and beyond has its peaks and valleys as well. In The Dry, it was evident that the yellowed, drought-stricken fields that monopolised the frame said plenty about how much Falk and everyone around him was holding back. In Force of Nature, all the damp of the fictional Giralang mountains — Victoria's Otways, Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley IRL — speaks volumes about what's streaming through the movie's characters inside. Cinematography is one of this franchise's strengths, and that Andrew Commis (Nude Tuesday) lenses the second picture's location just as evocatively and meticulously as Stefan Duscio (Shantaram) did the first is crucial: these features make their audience see every detail that envelops Falk and company, and therefore constantly spy the parallels between their environs and their inner turmoil. As adapted from author Jane Harper's bestselling books, the two Falk films so far understand one of the basic aspects of being human that's also rarely grasped so convincingly: that there's no escaping the fact that who we are and what we've experienced colours how we see what's in front of us. As Connolly keeps exploring both as a director and a screenwriter — he penned Force of Nature's script solo — this truth rings accurate whether a person has spent decades trying to ignore something or if they're drawn into territory linked to a matter that's always cascading in their heart and mind. The latter is the second flick's scenario, with Falk on a missing-person investigation in a place that connects to his history. The Dry used a similar setup, but it only comes across as neat and repetitive if you can't see how closely art is aping life and how everyone inherently views the world. New locale, scenery, weather conditions, colour palette, case, involved parties and reasons that Falk is pondering his past: they're among Force of Nature's departures from its predecessor. Same protagonist, flashback-heavy structure, emotional approach, revealing use of topography, star, filmmaker: so goes the returning elements. This is a movie that combines new shoots with old foliage, then, and compellingly. The Dry was a solid twisty Aussie mystery aided by Bana at his best in the lead and thematically meaningful imagery, as Force of Nature is now. Its most-unsuccessful part is its title, blatantly stressing the relationship between the features as if viewers wouldn't pick it anyway. (If Harper's third and final Falk book gets the cinematic treatment as well, which likely depends on how well Force of Nature backs up The Dry's $20-million-plus in Aussie box-office takings, presumably that picture will be clunkily dubbed Exiles: The Dry 3.) Sodden ranges beckon one of Australia's rare whodunnit sagas due to a corporate hiking retreat for the Melbourne-based Bailey Tenants, where Alice Russell (Anna Torv, The Last of Us) works. After setting off with just her boss Jill (Deborra-Lee Furness, Blessed) and three colleagues — Lauren (Robin McLeavy, Homeland), who has a daughter (debutant Matilda May Pawsey) the same age as her own (Ingrid Torelli, Five Bedrooms); and sisters Beth (Sisi Stringer, Mortal Kombat) and Bree (Lucy Ansell, Strife) — for company, plus one map between them and only basic supplies, she isn't with the group when they re-emerge. None of the remaining women have answers about Alice's whereabouts. They've all visibly been through an ordeal. And Alice's absence isn't deeply mourned, as Falk and his partner Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie, Ruby's Choice) are soon diving into with the returnees, plus Jill's husband Daniel (Richard Roxburgh, Prosper). This isn't the detective duo's introduction to Alice. This isn't Falk's first time at this spot, either. So spreads Force of Nature's branches (and so gives the editing a workout, with Alexandre de Franceschi back from The Dry and and Penguin Bloom's Maria Papoutsis joining). The film tracks the search for Alice in the present, what happened leading up to her disappearance, Falk and Cooper's attempts to get her to be a whistleblower against her employer before that, and Falk's childhood (with The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart's Jeremy Lindsay Taylor returning as Erik Falk, his father, and Preacher's Archie Thomson playing the younger Aaron). Force of Nature isn't short on plot — and thankfully it also isn't lacking in weight and texture in Connolly's hands, just as atmosphere, tension and intrigue aren't an issue. It was a masterstroke to enlist Bana as Falk — a choice that, aided by his fine-tuned mixed of charisma and intensity, continues paying off in his second spin in the part. This is a contemplative performance with gravitas again, including in probing the ethics of his on-screen alter ego's actions. As the headstrong Alice, Torv is equally exceptional, especially as someone who is far from the dutiful informant or likeable potential victim. Indeed, the casting all round is spot on, with Furness dynamite in her first feature beyond voicework in a decade and a half, McLeavy putting in another complicated portrayal in an Aussie movie 15 years after making a helluva debut in The Loved Ones, Roxburgh as excellent at playing cunning as he was in Prosper, and Stringer and Ansell commandingly digging into their sibling characters' layers. Their efforts match the rain in the forest, the unease among the traipsing women and the thrall of this franchise as it grows — because all three keep soaking in.
