Throughout history, art and politics have been connected in so many ways. At times their relationship is hostile and tumultuous, at other times, it is unexpectedly fruitful. Curated by Macushla Robinson, this show draws on a vast array of artists who have something to say. Featuring the likes of the Guerilla Girls and Redback Graphix, See You at the Barricades also exhibits work from 19th-century artists and activists. One of the main goals of this exhibition is to track historical patterns of protest. Do we fall back on nostalgic and romantic ideals? How do past events inform contemporary realities? What is the “dissident aesthetic” gaining momentum in today’s art world? In addition to this show, check out Saatchi artist Jitish Kallat’s whopping installation in the gallery foyer, Public Notice 2. This work spells out the speech delivered by Ghandi in 1930 before the infamous ‘salt march’, commemorating a nation-forming act of civil disobedience.
Meet Philip Lewis Friedman (Jason Schwartzman), an emerging writer on the cusp of the release of his second book. He likes to tell off his ex-girlfriends for their lack of support and dress down his former college roommate for not living up to his standards. He assumes his talented photographer girlfriend, Ashley (Elisabeth Moss), will hang around despite his lack of attention and affection. There's no mistaking it; he doesn't really seem like a nice guy. Philip is the lead character in Alex Ross Perry's third film after Impolex and The Color Wheel, but Listen Up Philip does more than just follow the ups and downs of a self-absorbed jerk. In an act of structural daring, it tells his tale alongside Ashley's awakening that she's much better off without him. Also included is the plight of Philip's new mentor, Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce), a famous novelist renowned for his self-imposed isolation, but now having second thoughts about his life choices after spending time with his new protege. Indeed, wondering about decisions made in the pursuit of a dream — be it about professional success, romantic fulfilment or perpetuating an enigma — sits at the heart of the film, a line of thinking almost everyone can relate to. It's easy to see where things strayed from the expected path for the trio, even if it isn't always easy to watch how things move forward, particularly for the ever self-sabotaging Philip and the just as egotistical Ike. Also striking is the intersection and influence of their deeds, on each other, and on others on top of that. Listen Up Philip may start out with a stereotype of movie depictions of writers, complete with wrestling notions of ambition, arrogance, inspiration and irrelevance; however, what it does so brilliantly is map out the flow-on effects of anxiety, envy and striving for success. Thankfully, as awkward and abrasive as many of the scenarios in the script rightfully prove, Perry approaches the film with humour, empathy and balance. The narration of an all-seeing, never-sighted figure (voiced by Eric Bogosian) helps make the comic and considerate skew apparent, as does perfect casting. Schwartzman and Pryce play to the movie's sharpness, and Moss and Krysten Ritter (as Ike's long-neglected daughter) to its unanticipated understanding. In fact, Listen Up Philip actually resounds with more warmth than you might think. Moss brightens every scene she is in, not just stealing the show but demanding the camera's focus on her expressive face and her command of emotion. Hers is a performance of the lived-in variety, a feeling the feature matches in its handheld movements, naturalistic lighting, super-16mm film stock and jazz score. Actually, it's that textured sense of reality that makes the movie shine, even more than showing the bleakness of poor choices while revelling in dark comedy. In that embrace of complication, there's a lot to like, and even love — even the initially unlikeable Philip.
South Korean cinema has been thrust into the global spotlight in a big way over the past year, all thanks to the enormous success of Bong Joon-ho's Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winning, Sydney Film Festival prize-winning and four-time Oscar-winning film Parasite. Of course, the country has been serving up stellar cinema for decades, which is great news for movie buffs — who can either revisit excellent flicks such as the 1960 standout The Housemaid, the Park Chan-wook-directed likes of Oldboy, Thirst and The Handmaiden, and even Bong's own hefty back catalogue; or watch all of the above and more for the first time. Add Yeon Sang-ho's instant classic Train to Busan to the list, too. First hitting screens back in 2016, the frenetic zombie-filled thrill ride became an instant classic, following a father (Gong Yoo) and daughter (Kim Su-an) forced to fend off the shuffling hordes while in mid-transit. Not only did the movie flesh out its protagonists more than most undead flicks manage, but it also painted a probing picture of modern-day South Korean society. And, it's part of a franchise, with fellow 2016 release Seoul Station exploring another aspect of the outbreak in an animated prequel. Now, as promised for years, a sequel to Train to Busan is coming to screens — set four years after the first film. While just when it'll hit theatres hasn't been announced (which is completely understandable given that cinemas around the world are currently shuttered), the action-packed first teaser trailer for Train to Busan presents: Peninsula has just dropped for cinephiles looking for more pandemic-based viewing options. This time around, former soldier Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) is in the spotlight. With the Korean peninsula devastated by the outbreak, he has escaped overseas — but is given a secret mission to return to retrieve an object. Because that's the way these kinds of tales go, his trip back home throws up plenty of expected zombies, unexpected survivors and grim fights for survival in an abandoned, post-apocalyptic world. That said, with Yeon returning as the film's writer and director, it's unlikely that Peninsula is going to follow an easy formula. Check out the trailer below — and if you need to catch up with Train to Busan, it's available to stream on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVucSRLLeIM&feature=emb_logo Train to Busan presents: Peninsula doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Images: Well Go USA Entertainment
Whoever said bouncy castles were just for kids clearly never encountered The Beast. Clocking in at over 300 metres and boasting 40 different obstacles, this thing is calling itself the world's largest inflatable theme park. Oh, and it's casually touring Australia next summer, hitting up Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Setting up in yet-to-be-announced locations in the hot months of 2020, The Beast is the bouncy castle experience of your wildest kidult dreams. Punters are invited to run, jump, dance and scramble their way through the course, which is opening predominantly for adults (with a limited number of sessions for littluns in each city). The obstacles you'll conquer in the bouncy theme park include a 20-metre Mega Slide and the ominously named Bouncy Cage of Doom. There's also something called the House of Hell, which, while suitably vague, we think may make you fear bouncy castles for life. Attempting to run from clowns, ghosts and ghouls in an unpredictably bouncy corridor is what nightmares are made of. Dates are not yet announced and details are slim, but we do know that the pop-up will be heading to each of the above cities for at least a few days. You can sign up for pre-release tickets here, which you best do because space will surely be limited.
After a huge success at its Sydney debut last year, Beer Fest is returning in 2019 to help you ease your way into the first weekend of summer. The festival is set to descend on Centennial Parklands on Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1, in a heady blaze of music, comedy, food and, of course, beer. For this year's Sydney event, BeerFest will round up over 40 artisanal breweries and deliver hundreds of craft drops, all alongside a stack of great ciders, cocktails and wines. You'll kick off the season with tastings, food and beer matchings, and free, brewer-led masterclasses showcasing one-off creations. While the brewer list is yet to be announced, last year's event featured Sydney's Young Henrys and Sauce Brewing Co, ACT's BentSpoke, Melbourne's Edge Brewing Project and WA's Colonial Brewing. What's more, this little shindig also packs a serious punch in the entertainment department — and while it's yet to drop the full bill there as well, Art vs Science will be headlining the whole thing. They'll also team up with Burnley Brewing and CryerMalt to create their own one-off beer, which you'll obviously be able to drink at the festival. There'll be plenty of laughs to be had, too, with the BeerFest Sydney comedy stage also set to return. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, August 6, with entry to the festival ranging between $20–50.
Pablo Picasso jammed plenty of creativity into his 91-year life, including paintings, sculptures, prints, ceramics, stage design, plays, poetry and more. During the 1930s, he also etched and engraved a set of 100 pieces, in a series that was named after the art dealer who commissioned them: The Vollard Suite. Produced over an eight-year period, the collection takes inspiration from stories, tales and myths, as well as the human form, his mistress and politics at the time. In other words, it proves an artistic overview of his favoured themes and fascinations, while also offering an autobiography of sorts. It's the kind of intimate work that gives fans an insight into the Spanish master beyond his more famous pieces. And the National Gallery of Australia is one of the few institutions in the world to boast a complete set, so they'll be putting it from June 9 to September 24. Image: Pablo Picasso, Spain 1881 - France 1973, Minotaure aveugle guidé par une fillette dans la nuit. [Blind minotaur led by a little girl at night.] between 3-7 December and 31 December 1934, or 1 January 1935 from the Vollard Suite (97). Etching and scraper, printed in black ink. National Gallery of Australia. ©Succession Picasso. Licensed by Viscopy, 2017.
Attention ghostbusters and costume enthusiasts: your favourite season is fast approaching. Trick or treating might not have exactly caught on here, but after a couple of years sans socialising, we'll be damned if we won't use this Halloween as an excuse for a celebration. If your only experience with Halloween shindigs is hot and crowded parties filled with half-assed costumes, throw those preconceived notions aside. In 2022, we're all about sophisticated-yet-spooky soirees. We turned to the devilish experts at Devil's Vine for help on how to host the ultimate Halloween dinner party — complete with on-theme food offering and of course, delicious (and affordable) drops. SET THE SCENE Any great Halloween dinner party relies on one thing — atmosphere. Concrete Playground's Halloween aficionados have two rules: no tacky decorations (we don't want to see even a hint of a plastic lantern) and vibes on from entry. That means going all out and using all the tools you have at your disposal. Maybe you tape the front section of your house off with crime-scene tape, have fake blood tricking out of the bathroom sinks and doors, or use carefully placed dry-ice canisters to create a smoke-filled scene. The pièce de résistance is of course the dinner table, where you can really let your imagination run wild. Your theme? Elegance meets eeriness — think of the dinner party thrown in a hunted mansion, with sexy candlelight and Addams Family vibes (Morticia and Gomez are couple goals, after all). We recommend showing your guests to their spots with blood-splattered name cards written in delicate cursive. For your table setting, opt for contrasting gold and black cutlery and crockery topped with one single stemmed red rose for horror Bachelor-realness. Scatter the rest of the table with a mix of candelabras, roses and bottles of Devil's Vine wine — you could even drip candle wax down the sides of the bottles before guests arrive. Then not only do you have a bold red ready for your guests to sip, you have an elegant (but spooky) scene setter. That's what we call a win-win. EAT OR BE EATEN Embrace the opportunity to impress your friends with your cooking prowess (be it newly learned or well-honed). This is not the time to bung a plate of saussy rolls down and call that dinner. Instead, you'll be providing a delicious and impressive three-course meal, while having a little fun playing with the food offering — sorry, mum. Kick things off with an array of finger foods for nibbling: think on-theme snacks like smoky pumpkin devilled eggs, a 'gory guts' tear-and-share pizza bread and of course, charcuterie and cheese boards to accompany your Devil's Vine vino — just make sure you get an extra-mouldy blue option on there to add a deliciously ghoulish twist to proceedings. When serving the main course, keep things simple: a rare bloody scotch fillet and a delicious roast jack-o'-lantern pumpkin salad are sure to please the crowd. Or take things to the dark side by opting for a squid ink linguine — the contrast of black pasta on a white plate creates a striking scene with minimal effort. For dessert, serve a decadent dark chocolate cake, bloody jam desserts and a candy station with goody bags for trick-or-treating — adult style. More important are the beverages — any good dinner party can really ride or die on the drink selection. For your signature cocktail, whip up this impressive-looking but actually very easy 'bloody' Halloween sangria, using one of the bold South Australian varietals from Devil's Vine, such as a shiraz, cab sauv, merlot or red blend. The slightly sweet yet intense flavour lends itself perfectly to a sangria — as does the wine's sub-$15 price tag. If you have the time and energy, you can also try your hand at creating a toil-and-trouble atmosphere with a smoked cocktail like this unorthodox old fashioned — to finish things off, serve digestifs in vials like you're a crazed scientist (rather than just a slightly tipsy one). WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY A GAME? While the main attraction at your dinner party will be the scintillating conversation, it doesn't hurt to have a few entertainment options up your sleeve. Keep the atmosphere rolling with a groovy horror-themed playlist — the one below is our personal favourite. It's also a great idea to have some camp horror films on in the background — leave them on mute with subtitles on, then turn up the more iconic scenes for everyone to enjoy. Some of our faves include What We Do in the Shadows, Beetlejuice, Shaun of the Dead, the OG Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, Ready or Not and Hocus Pocus. Once the dining portion of the evening is done, it's time for a game or two. Keep things simple and effective with the forehead detective game where every guest is a different horror creature or scary villain — think Ghostface, the Boogieman, Jigsaw, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho…you get the gist. If you want to really impress, invest in hiring a specialist company to run a murder mystery evening. With someone due to die during dinner, all the dinner party guests must figure out the killer using their new personas. You can run it yourself using a guide like this one, but we're guessing it might be less stressful to sit back and let someone else handle the admin. Then you sit back, sip your sangria and admire your dinner party festivities feeling satisfied — and start planning next year. Image credit: Chester Newling This Halloween, make a date with the Devil's Vine. Available for RRP$11.99 per bottle at Dan Murphy's and RRP$14.99 at per bottle at BWS, head online or in-store to check it out.
When the final season of Game of Thrones aired, it earned its fair share of detractors. So, around a million people hopped online and signed a petition asking for the show's last batch of episodes to be remade. That might seem like a silly and implausible reaction but, when it happened in 2019, that kind of fan outcry wasn't new. Just a couple of years earlier, DC Comics aficionados had tried to get Rotten Tomatoes shut down when the reviews for Suicide Squad weren't as positive as the'd like — or positive at all. They're just two examples of fan responses to either beloved properties going awry in their eyes, or not getting the treatment they think they deserve — and of entitlement-driven campaigns asking for those supposed misdeeds to be corrected or punished. Another big instance over the past few years involves fellow DC Extended Universe flick Justice League, which wasn't well-received when it first hit cinemas back in 2017, and deservedly so. The superhero team-up movie definitely isn't the best entry in its franchise. It was also plagued by struggles before it reached the screen, including the replacement of director Zack Snyder with Joss Whedon during post-production. Accordingly, there's been an online push for Snyder's version of the movie to be released — and, because that's the kind of world we live in, it's actually happening. The director also filmed new footage for what's now being called Zack Snyder's Justice League, and the four-hour end product is dropping in March. In the US, HBO Max will be streaming the film; however, given that the service isn't available Down Under, just how Australian viewers would get their chance to see the flick hadn't yet been revealed. Until now, that is, with Aussie streaming platform Binge announcing that it'll add Zack Snyder's Justice League to its catalogue at the same time that it drops in America. Whether you actually liked the original and are keen to see what's changed, you completely hated it and you've been eager for a new version, or you're just bemused and/or bewildered by the fact that the Snyder Cut — as it has long been called online — has actually come to fruition after years of internet pleading, you can head to Binge from 6pm AEDT on Thursday, March 18 to check it out. Following on from the events of 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — including how that film ended for Superman (Henry Cavill, ) — Zack Snyder's Justice League sees Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) join forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) to band together DC Comics' superheroes to stop a potentially world-ending threat. As well as Batman and Wonder Woman, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) all make an appearance, teaming up to try to save the planet from a trio of villains. And, as the trailer shows, Jared Leto's version of the Joker also pops up. Check out the trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r_EQ_8JPyU&feature=youtu.be Zack Snyder's Justice League will be available to stream via Binge from 6pm AEDT on Thursday, March 18.
Looking back on the last 24 years, the fashion world really hasn't changed all that much. Outfits are still outrageous, trends are as cyclical as the tides, and the pomp and puffery of the PR machine is as condescending and self-aggrandising as ever. In that sense, fashion's immutability makes it just as ripe for parody now as it was back in 1992, when Absolutely Fabulous first aired on the BBC. On the other hand, that the fashion world really hasn't changed all that much means that any parody done now risks feeling banal and familiar. Hence, the challenge of breathing new life into something old proves just as relevant for any pastiche as it does for the fashion world itself. It's here that we find ourselves presented with Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie. The notoriously precarious production road of TV adaptations has seen a lot of traffic of late. In just the past few years, programs that have graduated to the big screen include The A-Team, 21 Jump Street, Entourage, The Equaliser, GI Joe and The Man From U.N.C.L.E, plus a whole bunch of Mission Impossibles and Star Treks as well as a Baywatch film currently in post-production. More often than not these films fall short of the mark, tending to feel like two and a half episodes stuck together, or one longer episode struggling to justify its expanded scope and budget. The best are more like reinterpretations, taking the idea of the TV series and using that as the base for an entirely new adventure (21 Jump Street and Star Trek: Into Darkness being the best of the recent bunch). Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie attempts to follow that trend, throwing its stars Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) back into the limelight of the fashion PR milieu. The theme of the movie, appropriately, is relevance, with its two leads fighting to stay part of the conversation in a world that has all but left them behind. Physically that means morning rituals of self-applied botox, suction tubes and foetus-blood facial transfusions, while professionally it means trying to land a client who still means something to people (sorry Lulu). The solution presents itself in the form of fashion icon Kate Moss (who cameos), but when an attempt to lure her business ends in disaster, Eddie and Patsy find themselves pariahs of the fashion world and fugitives from the law. Does it all come together as a film? In parts, perhaps, but overall the feeling is one of overreach and superfluity. If anything, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is more like a reunion episode than a film, bouncing from scene to scene with barely a plot in sight, even fewer laughs, and a series of fleeting walk-ons from characters you kind of, sort of, maybe remember from back when you watched the show. Barbs about gender reassignment and mixed-race families fizzle by without any real substance, and the drunken stumbling/falling routine that defined so much of the original series now seems sadder than it does funny. That's all part of the point, of course, that the desire for the party to go on forever will, over time, only serve to make fools of its disciples. But the delivery fails to resonate for much of the film's first hour. Where the film does shine is when it returns to its absolute core: pushing in tight on intimate, whispered conversations between its two outstanding leads as they heap red-hot private vitriol on everyone else in the room. Eddie's scatterbrained solipsism and Patsy's unwavering sex-bomb confidence are as funny now as they were two decades ago – making the film's insistent focus on slapstick and buffoonery all the more frustrating. Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie opened number two at the UK Box Office, where it will surely find its homegrown audience more than dutiful to the cause. Even so, it's hard to see this film resonating with either international audiences or moviegoers under the age of 40. When Saunders declared an end to the original TV series after just three short seasons, she did so proudly declaring that it was better to go out on top rather than to overstay your welcome until you're politely asked to leave. Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie might well have heeded such wisdom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj3ZWhlmexw
Bringing Shakespeare to the big screen is no longer just about doing the material justice, or even about letting a new batch of the medium's standout talents give their best to the Bard's immortal words. For anyone and everyone attempting the feat (a list that just keeps growing), it's also about gifting the playwright's material with the finest touches that cinema allows. It's never enough to simply film Macbeth like a theatre production, for instance, even if all that dialogue first penned four centuries ago still ripples with power — while riffing about power — without any extra adornments. No Shakespeare adaptation really needs to explain or legitimise its existence more than any other feature, but the great ones bubble not only with toil and trouble, but with all the reasons why this tale needed to be captured on camera and projected large anew. Joel Coen knows all of the above. Indeed, his take on the Scottish play — which he's called The Tragedy of Macbeth, taking Shakespeare's full original title — justifies its existence as a movie in every single frame. His is a film of exacting intimacy, with every shot peering far closer at its main figures than anyone could ever see on a stage, and conveying more insight into their emotions, machinations and motivations in the process. The Bard might've posited that all the world's a stage in As You Like It, but The Tragedy of Macbeth's lone Coen brother doesn't quite agree. Men and women are still merely players in this revived quest for supremacy through bloodshed, but their entrances, exits and many parts would mean nothing if we couldn't see as far into their hearts and minds as cinema — and as cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel's (The Woman in the Window) stripped-down, black-and-white, square-framed imagery — can possibly allow. In a year for filmmakers going it alone beyond the creative sibling relationships that've defined their careers — see also: The Matrix Resurrections — Joel Coen makes a phenomenal solo debut with this up-close approach. His choice of cast, with Denzel Washington (The Little Things) as powerful as he's ever been on-screen and Frances McDormand (The French Dispatch) showing why she has three Best Actress Oscars, also helps considerably. The former plays the eponymous Scottish general, the latter his wife, and both find new reserves and depths in the pair's fateful lust for glory. That's another key element to any new silver-screen iteration of Shakespeare's most famous works: making its characters feel anew. Washington and McDormand — and Coen as well — all tread in the footsteps of of Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel (Nitram) thanks to 2015's exquisite Macbeth, but they stand in absolutely no one's shadows. As also previously splashed across cinemas by Orson Welles, Akira Kurosawa and Roman Polanski, the narrative details remain the same, obviously — from the witches (all played by Kathryn Hunter, Flowers) prophesying that Macbeth will soon be monarch, through to his murderous actions at Lady Macbeth's urging to make that prediction become a reality. All that scheming has consequences, both before and after King Duncan (Brendan Gleeson, Mr Mercedes) is stripped of his throne. One of the smartest parts of the movie's central casting is the change it brings to the Macbeths' seething desperation. Due to Washington and McDormand's ages, their versions of the characters are grasping onto what might be their last chance, rather than being ruthless with far more youthful abandon. They're susceptible to the Weird Sisters' suggestions in a different way, too, embracing what they think should already be theirs rather than seizing a shot they may not have expected for some time otherwise. McDormand's involvement is hardly surprising — she's married to Joel, is one of the Coen brothers' mainstays when her husband and his sibling Ethan share directorial credits, and won her first Academy Award for playing a pregnant police chief in their crime classic Fargo. But The Tragedy of Macbeth moulds what could've just been a given, a case of spouses reteaming again, into an inspired opportunity to give its source material a few shrewd tweaks. Writing as well as helming, that's the intensely fastidious level that Joel operates on. His work has always been assembled with precision, but that devotion to detail feels as stark here as the movie's overwhelmingly evocative monochrome visuals. For a filmmaker known for surveying life's chaotic and careening turns, dating back to 1984's Blood Simple, spanning comedies such as Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski, and evident in the more recent Inside Llewyn Davis and Hail, Caesar!, too, he makes mess and mayhem look meticulous in The Tragedy of Macbeth. This towering adaptation may carve its own space among the many other Macbeths, but it also shows Coen's penchant for Welles' rendering — and his films in general — plus Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. Those nods come through aesthetically, flickering through a feature that masterfully looks as if it could've been made decades ago. The Tragedy of Macbeth's German expressionism-influenced use of light and darkness isn't just sharp, it's piercing, aptly so when Washington stands in a lengthy corridor to ask "is this a dagger which I see before me?". They're intense words from one of the Bard's greatest soliloquies, and they're paired with such stunning cinematography — that hallway appears to keep extending forever, a sight that says oh-so-much about the moral precipice Macbeth stands at — that the effect is scorching. Something wicked this way comes within the narrative, of course, but something magnificent unfurls in this new retelling. Stepping back into the acclaimed play proves a lean and ravishing experience again and again here, and also eerie and potent — a mesmerising brew when it comes to this story. Strutting and fretting as Delbonnel's staggering cinematography gazes his way, and as Carter Burwell's (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) score ramps up the tension, Washington is equally transfixing. He needs to be to play this part. He needs to be remarkable to express Macbeth's transformation from loyal royal offsider to killer, and to navigate the corresponding existential torment. Something astonishing this way comes as a result, a feat that isn't The Tragedy of Macbeth's alone with this tale (Kurzel's version was the best film of its year), but provides another masterwork full of sound and fury signifying everything. The Tragedy of Macbeth opens in Australian cinemas on December 26, 2021, and will be available to stream via Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022.
For those of us who don't remember what photography looked like before the selfie, the Art Gallery of NSW is giving us a reminder in the most beautiful of ways. The gallery's newest exhibition, the brainchild of senior curator of photographs Judy Annear, turns the camera lens back onto itself to explore how photography, as a medium, has shaped and influenced the identity of Australia. The Photograph and Australia will be the biggest exhibition of Australian photography seen in 25 years, showcasing more than 400 photos taken by more than 120 artists around the country and dating back to the 1840s. Work by big wigs Morton Allport, Richard Daintree and Olive Cotton (just to name a few) will sit side by side with the photos of lesser known artists as well as cool pieces of photographic history such as domestic albums and some of Australia's earliest X-rays. From daguerreotypes to digital, this exhibition explores the evolution of photography and the development of a nation with a beautiful collection that celebrates them both. It's like the picture book of Australian history we never saw.
New Years's Eve is approaching and there's no better place to be than in Sydney, arguably one of the most beautiful New Year's Eve celebrations in the world. Scarborough Wine Co. will serve over 13,000 glasses of its Hunter Valley wines, including the signature Yellow Label Chardonnay, to Sydneysiders at the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Party at Sydney Opera House, Barangaroo and the Dawes Point VIP Viewing Area. Want to sip on one of the 13,000 glasses that will be poured? Well, you can. Luckily, the Scarborough Wine Co. are giving you and three friends the chance to win tickets to Sydney's home grown celebration, watching the fireworks at Dawes Point (a million dollar view). To enter into the competition simply tell them in 50 words or less about your most memorable home grown (or local) New Year's Eve celebration, here. Don't spend another New Year's Eve half-asleep on your couch. Make your New Year's resolution early, make plans, and join the famous celebrations. As the Official Wine Sponsor of City of Sydney 2012 New Year's Eve, Scarborough Wines Co. is urging everyone to go local, supporting local businesses and the talent that is right in front of you. From December 1-31, you can post your pledge on the Scarborough Wine Co. Facebook page, and show how you will help our local talent come 2013. Not forgetting those who are holding celebrations at home, Scarborough Wine Co. has also put together Home Grown Cellar-bration packs of their wines so people can celebrate at home with great local wines: Home grown Celebration Starter Six pack for $125 Home grown Dozen of Delights Twelve Pack for $300
Sometimes Apple TV+ dives into real-life crimes, as miniseries Black Bird did. Sometimes it mines the whodunnit setup for laughs, which The Afterparty winningly achieved. The family feuds of Bad Sisters, Servant's domestic horrors, Hello Tomorrow!'s retrofuturistic dream, the titular take on work-life balance in Severance — they've all presented streaming audiences with puzzles, too, because this platform's original programming loves a mystery. So, of course The Big Door Prize, the service's new dramedy, is all about asking questions from the outset. Here, no one is wondering who killed who, why a baby has been resurrected or if a situation that sounds too good to be true unsurprisingly is. Rather, they're pondering a magical machine and what it tells them about themselves. That premise isn't merely a metaphor for existential musings, although everyone in The Big Door Prize does go down the "what does it all mean?" rabbit hole. When the Morpho pops up in the small town of Deerfield, it literally informs residents of their true potential — for $2, their palm prints and social security number. Adorned with a butterfly symbol and glowing with blue light, the contraption looks like an arcade game. There's nothing to play, though, unless it is playing everyone who sits in its booth. Participants receive an also-blue business card for their troubles, proclaiming what they're supposed to be doing with their life in bold white lettering. Is it a bit of fun? A modern-day clairvoyant game? A gag? Somehow spot-on? Also, where did the machine come from? Who brought it to the local grocery store? Can it be trusted? The longer that folks share their existence with the Morpho, the more queries arise. As seen in the first three episodes that dropped on Wednesday, March 29, with the story then continuing weekly for the show's ten-episode first season — a second has just been greenlit as well — not everyone in Deerfield is initially fascinated with the locale's new gadget. The series opens as high-school history teacher Dusty Hubbard (Chris O'Dowd, Slumberland) turns 40, marking the occasion with that many gifts from his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis, A Black Lady Sketch Show) and teenage daughter Trina (Djouliet Amara, Devil in Ohio). Some presents he likes, such as the scooter and helmet. Others he's perplexed by, including the theremin. He's also baffled by all the talk about the Morpho, the new reason to head to Mr Johnson's (Patrick Kerr, Search Party) store. As school principal Pat (Cocoa Brown, Never Have I Ever) embraces her inner biker because the machine said so, and charisma-dripping restaurateur Giorgio (Josh Segarra, Scream VI) revels in being told he's a superstar, Dusty claims he's happy not joining in. Lines sprawl down the street in a town that only really has a main street, and a high school, as Deerfield's inhabitants are drawn in by the Morpho's promise: "Discover Your Life Potential". For someone who keeps saying he's sitting it out, Dusty sure does love obsessing over why everyone else is upending their routines because 80s-esque technology spat out their destiny. His parents announce that they're splitting, for instance, with his dad (Jim Meskimen, American Auto) pursuing male modelling and his mother (Deirdre O'Connell, Outer Range) heading to Europe after the machine advised that she's a healer. When Dusty points that his mum is already a doctor, it falls on deaf ears. So goes the entire town, making snap decisions and grabbing the opportunity to reinvent themselves, mix up lives that didn't ever seem like they'd change and reassess what they truly want. The Big Door Prize itself hasn't appeared out of nowhere, adapting MO Walsh's book of the same name. On-screen, it boasts David West Read as its creator — a writer and producer who knows a thing or two about pursuing alternate storylines thanks to penning stage musical & Juliet, which gives Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet a revisionist twist and continuation, and is also well-versed in small-town hijinks after winning an Emmy for Schitt's Creek. He's in far less overtly comic territory than the latter here; The Big Door Prize is still amusing, but rarely laugh-a-minute, although The Other Two delight Segarra could walk straight out of this and into Read's past hit. Still, this is also about a family disrupted while navigating small-town life, the assorted people who populate such spots, the rituals and gathering points that communities congregate around, and the quest to find significance in the cards you've been dealt. Making the most of its strong ensemble cast, each of the show's first eight episodes focuses on a particular Deerfield citizen and their potential, while keeping Dusty, Cass and their marriage in view, plus Trina's grief over her boyfriend's recent death and his identical twin Jacob's (debutant Sammy Fourlas) efforts to cope. All four earn their own chapter, as does Cass' mother and town mayor Izzy (Crystal Fox, Big Little Lies), Jacob's western-loving dad Beau (Aaron Roman Weiner, Suspicion), aforementioned NHL star-turned-Italian eatery owner Giorgio and school chaplain Father Rueben (Damon Gupton, Your Honor). This approach helps The Big Door Prize get not just philosophical but universal, because the Morpho's fortune-telling means different things to different people, yet sparks ripples that flow over everyone. While only bartender Hana (Ally Maki, Hacks) genuinely opts out, there's a tale around that as well. From the get-go, the Morpho nabs viewers' intrigue — and so do the strange cobalt dots, matching the machine's chosen palette, that appear early on Dusty's rear. There's no shortage of small mysteries in Deerfield, just as there's no lack of quirks (see: the town's staycation spot, aka "the number one nautical-based hotel in Deerfield", plus the canal and gondola inside Giorgio's eponymous restaurant). But like The Twilight Zone-meets-The Box but lighter, with nods to Schitt's Creek and sharing Wes Anderson's love of visually magnifying the everyday, The Big Door Prize gets its audience ruminating over two main questions. The first, in classic Apple TV+ mystery-style: what's really going on? The second: if a machine could advise how to best spend your days, possibly shattering your long-held dreams but maybe confirming your deepest desires, what would you do? In lieu of physically slipping into Dusty and co's shoes, then facing The Big Door Prize's scenario themselves, viewers should watch. Wanting to solve the show's key mystery makes this addictive viewing — and if you start thinking about Lost, or even the theory that Schitt's Creek was happening in purgatory, that's understandable. As written so convincingly across O'Dowd's expressive face, though, The Big Door Prize isn't about delivering instant answers. The likeable The IT Crowd, Bridesmaids and Moone Boy star plays a man who has never actively sought any himself, but just complied with the done thing, a path that's beginning to unravel. Easy proclamations now surround him; however, alongside his fellow townsfolk, he's learning that life's mundanities and enigmas alike don't fit neatly and nicely into any one box — and nor does this engaging series. Check out the trailer for The Big Door Prize below: The Big Door Prize streams via Apple TV+.
It's only been in the country for a matter of months but, following a series of complaints about the product, Duff beer has been found to be in breach of Australia's alcohol advertising code. The official Duff product, which was sold exclusively by Woolworths owned liquor stores such as Dan Murphy's and BWS, will be discontinued immediately. The stock currently left on shelves will be the last smooooth, creamy Duff you'll be able to get your hands on. The complaints voiced about the product's advertising were to do with its effects on underage drinkers, and those making the decision at the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code felt those concerns were valid. "The association of The Simpsons with the product name and packaging is so strongly entrenched in Australian popular culture that the name and packaging will draw the attention of under 18 year olds," said the panel. And you can't really blame them. There's no doubt that the Duff product has strong ties to the much-loved cartoon. Millions of children grew up singing 'Duff beer for me. Duff beer for you. I'll have a Duff. You have one too' and it now serves a dual function as the perfect drinking song. There's also the understandable concern that these younger people would use the product to drink to excess. But for all of us responsible adult drinkers who sometimes like to indulge in some light-hearted Simpsons sessions, this news comes as quite a blow. All we can hope now is that you snag one of the last few bottles. $17 per six-pack or $45 a carton is a nice price to pay for an official collector's item. Via Daily Mail and International Business Times.
Whoever said bouncy castles were just for kids clearly never encountered The Monster. Clocking in at 270-metres and boasting 30 different obstacles, this thing takes the title of the world's largest inflatable obstacle course. Oh, and it's just casually coming to Melbourne next month, as part of its own three-day 18+ festival of fun. Taking over the Grand Pavilion at Melbourne Showgrounds across the Australia Day long weekend, The Monster is the bouncy castle experience of your wildest kidult dreams. Punters are invited to run, jump, dance and scramble their way through the course, with sessions running from noon–10pm each day. It'll likely take you somewhere between five and 20 minutes to complete, depending on speed, coordination and how indulgent your festive season was. What's more, the fun extends beyond the final bounce, with the festival also pulling together a program of DJs, street food vendors and pop-up bars to see you sticking around long into the night. Melbourne's just the first stop on The Monster's soon-to-launch Aussie tour, with organisers TEG Life Like Touring expected to announce more cities next year. The Monster arrives in Melbourne from January 26–28, with access to the obstacle course from 12–10pm daily. Tickets are $39.90 and available from Monday, December 18. You can buy tickets at themonster.com.au.
Praise be, Handmaid's Tale fans. The series' third season is due to hit the small screen in June, and the first proper trailer has arrived. Blessed be not only the fruit but the sneak peek, obviously. Revolution looks set to sweep the fictional society of Gilead in the two-minute-long clip, which follows on from the teaser released in February during the Superbowl. That fiery preview told us that it's time to wake up, and it looks like that's exactly what's happening when we rejoin this dystopian world, its creepy and oppressive way of life, and the chaotic existence of Offred/June (Elisabeth Moss) and her fellow subjugated women. Of course, meaty details about the third season are as scarce as a happy woman in red — but expect to spot Yvonne Strahovski's Serena Joy, Joseph Fiennes' Fred Waterford, Ann Dowd's Aunt Lydia, Max Minghella's Nick and new series regular Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence, as well as plenty of handmaids. Given how the second season wrapped up, expect the story to get even darker, too. The 13-episode series will hit soon, airing on SBS and becoming available to stream on SBS On Demand at 8.30pm on Thursday, June 6, then continuing weekly. Lucky for us Down Under, this is the same time as it'll be dropping on Hulu in the States, so hopefully no spoilers will crop up. And, there's plenty more Handmaid's Tale bleakness to enjoy this year (well, not that enjoy is necessarily the right term). Margaret Atwood, author of the original 1985 novel that started it all, is releasing a long-awaited sequel. Called The Testaments, it'll hit bookshelves comes September. Check out the new Handmaid's Tale season three trailer below — under his eye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig3h2JdQDI0 The Handmaid's Tale's third season will screen on SBS and SBS On Demand in Australia, airing weekly from 8.30pm on Thursday, June 6.
When you're a mask-wearing superhero, you've made an active choice. Everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man wanted to keep his web-slinging identity a secret, for instance, which is why he started covering up his face long before the entire world began doing the same during the pandemic. But, in Spider-Man: Far From Home, that decision was taken out of Peter Parker's hands — leaving the Tom Holland (Chaos Walking)-starring, Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the character exposed to the world. Set to arrive two-and-a-half years after that big — and literal — revelation, Spider-Man: No Way Home will pick up with Parker struggling to deal with the fact that everyone now knows who he is, and that he can't now just be an ordinary high schooler when he's not acting the hero. So, as the just-dropped first trailer for the new film shows, he calls in some help. Cue Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Courier), a time- and space-twisting spell, and the beginnings of some multiverse chaos. Wong (Benedict Wong, Nine Days) is also on-hand to warn against messing with the status quo, but obviously if that advice was followed, the movie wouldn't have a plot. Two important things to remember: one, the MCU will keep spinning its interconnected web forever (or so it seems); and two, in March 2022, a little film called Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to drop. It's the next movie in the franchise after No Way Home hits on Boxing Day Down Under, in fact, so expect the two to link closely together. Also popping up in the No Way Home trailer: Zendaya (Space Jam: A New Legacy), Marisa Tomei (The King of Staten Island) and Jacob Batalon (Let It Snow). Behind the lens, Jon Watts returns after previously helming both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home as well. And, there's another familiar face that'll make you think not just about this current iteration of Spidey, but also of past versions that've graced the big screen over the years — because that's what tinkering with the multiverse is all about. No Way Home isn't as likely to get as playful as the phenomenal animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, though, if that's what's just popped into your head. In a nice piece of symmetry, when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness does hit cinemas next year, it'll be directed by Sam Raimi — who also directed the Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man movies in 2002, 2003 and 2007. Check out the No Way Home trailer below: Spider-Man: No Way Home opens in Australian cinemas on December 26.
Christian Thompson is one of the most celebrated contemporary Indigenous artists working today, and Ritual Intimacy represents the first major survey of the artist's extensive and diverse works. Through photography, video, sculpture, performance and sound, he explores notions of identity, race and history, often placing these themes against the backdrop of the Australian environment. Thompson's prodigious talents were recognised from an early age with his early career spent at the side of world-renowned artist Marina Abramovic, who became his mentor. Later, Thompson was accepted into Oxford University, making him one of the first Indigenous Australians to study at the institution in its 900-year history. Taking place at the UNSW Galleries, Ritual Intimacy features a new major commission first unveiled at the exhibition's Melbourne run last year, while also highlighting Thompson's continued exploration of musical works centred around Indigenous language. The showcase will be on display until July 14.
With metropolitan Melbourne currently subject to strict stay-at-home orders until at least mid-August, the city's cinemas have all gone dark — again. But, as it usually does at this time of year, the Melbourne International Film Festival will still be serving up an 18-day feast of movies for Melburnians to enjoy, this time from the comfort of their homes. Cinephiles around the rest of the country will be able to check out MIFF's 2020 program, too, with the festival going both virtual and national with a lineup it's calling MIFF 68 1/2. After cancelling the fest's physical event months ago, back when the first COVID-19 lockdowns were going into effect, the annual showcase of cinema will deliver a sizeable and impressive online program between Thursday, August 6–Sunday, August 23, which is when the festival would've run if it had forged ahead in-person. Mirroring the fest's physical structure as much as is possible in a digital format, that includes exciting opening night, centrepiece and closing night screenings — as well as other program spotlight titles, a selection of world premieres, and movies that have had film buffs talking at prestigious international festivals. In total, 113 features and shorts are on offer, spanning flicks from 56 countries. So, if you were wondering why you might need almost three weeks to work your way through the program, now you understand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRUWVT87mt8 It all kicks off with Kelly Reichardt's First Cow, one of the very best movies of the past year — and a hit everywhere from Telluride to Berlinale. Stepping back to 19th-century America, the Certain Women director spins the story of a cook (John Magaro) and a Chinese entrepreneur (Orion Lee) who start an illicit but highly profitable business making delicious biscuits using milk stolen direct from the titular animal (the first in their region, hence the name) in the dark of night. It's also one of the 49 percent of MIFF 68 1/2's films that's made by at least one female director. MIFF viewers can also look forward to Peter Pan reimagining Wendy, the long-awaited next film from Beasts of the Southern Wild's Benh Zeitlin, which sits in the fest's centrepiece spot. Wrapping things up is closing night's Ema, from Jackie director Pablo Larrain — with his frequent star Gael García Bernal featuring alongside newcomer Mariana Di Girolamo, and the narrative set in Chile's dance world. Also in the high-profile camp: the Aubrey Plaza-starring psychodrama Black Bear, about a filmmaker who gets involved with another couple's squabbles; the Tilda Swinton-narrated, visually stunning Last and First Men, as directed by late film composer Jóhann Jóhannsson; Mogul Mowgli, with Riz Ahmed playing an aspiring British-Pakistani rapper forced to grapple with a sudden illness; and Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt), a queer Aussie rom-com with a ghostly component. From the documentary selection, there's also this year's Sundance US Grand Jury Prize-winner Boys State, which experiments with democracy from the perspective of teenage boys; On the Record, detailing and exploring the allegations against Def Jam mogul Russell Simmons; and 9to5: The Story of a Movement, which sees this year's American Factory Oscar-winners Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar chronicle the fight to end gender discrimination in the workplace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFFvje2A2vE As always with the consistently super-sized MIFF, the list goes on — with Polish drama Corpus Christi, US black comedy Shiva Baby and the distinctively animated Kill It and Leave this Town on the bill as well. So is award-winning documentary Welcome to Chechnya, about the persecution of queer Chechens, and Maddy the Model's insight into the life of Madeline Stuart, a Brisbane-born model with Down syndrome. Staying local, Aussie film fans can reassess Captain Cook's arrival through the eyes of the country's First Nations population via Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky, and watch the Karrabing Film Collective latest work, Day in the Life. If you really feel like settling in for the long haul, Mark Cousins' Women Make Film: A New Road Trip Through Cinema spends 14 hours diving deep into female-directed cinema (and 183 female filmmakers, in fact), while the four-part City So Real surveys Chicago's 2019 mayoral elections. And, if that's not enough, a program of 44 short films will screen for free — and, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aussie comedy Death in Brunswick, MIFF 68 1/2 is hosting a virtual table read of the movie's script. MIFF 68 1/2 runs from Thursday, August 6–Sunday, August 23. For further details and to buy online tickets from 9am on Friday, July 17, visit the festival's website.
Ridiculous as it may sound, some of the most compelling on-screen moments of the past decade have been found in the simple 30-second commercial spots for Apple products. Think back, for example, to the excitement on the face of the deaf girl as she's finally able to use sign language on her mobile phone, or the hypnotic dancing silhouettes cutting loose to Jet's ridiculously catchy 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'. Best of all, picture that deployed soldier on the distant battlefront, tearfully touching the screen just as his newborn son gently does the same from all the way back home. Like the products they were marketing, Apple ads tapped into the notion of selling ideas and emotions — not items — and $500 billion later it was pretty clear we liked what we saw. Because of that, though, one of the biggest challenges facing the Steve Jobs biopic Jobs was to simply be better than the ads for the products he invented, and on most fronts it was, unfortunately, unsuccessful. Not unlike 2010's The Social Network, the Jobs film tracks its protagonist's story from his college days through to his stewardship over what is now, economically, the largest company in the world. We're presented with an unflattering portrayal of the man whose extraordinary vision sat alongside his infamous temper, ego and capacity for cruelty, particularly in matters concerning close friends and family. Steve is played by Ashton Kutcher in a performance that impressively captures the tech legend's mannerisms and cadence. The problem, however, is that Jobs feels more like a movie about Apple than the man who founded it. Whilst we're presented with at least some of his highs and lows (the movie is at its best during those low points, most notably his dismissal by the Apple board), whenever the products rate a mention, they're given almost comical reverence; messianic machines bathed in ethereal light. There's no denying the Cult of Apple exists, but this film wasn't the place to indulge it, and when coupled with some serious omissions, such as Jobs's founding of Pixar, it's hard to not consider this biopic more Performa than performer. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FrvkCS0ZGPU
What is the difference between video art and a short film? Is there one? Sydney Contemporary has teamed up with Sydney Film Festival to put on an epic showcase of video art. In between cinema sittings, you can stop by the Festival Hub at Lower Town Hall for a taste of Heath Franco, Deborah Kelly, Jess MacNeil, Baden Pailthorpe and many more. The show features plenty of home-grown talent and a sprinkling of international artists. Each artist has a radically different take on visual culture, from conceptual to cinematic. For instance, New York-based artist Josh Azzarella uses seminal moments from pop culture and news media to reconstruct history. And Heath Franco is collaborating with David Capra to produce a new understanding on the Hollywood dream sequence, mashing together Disney’s Dumbo and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Meanwhile, Jess MacNeil’s work is a more metaphysical study on how we move through space and time, and Joan Ross uses animation and collage to critique colonisation in brutal and beautiful ways.
The roaring '20s just got a whole lot quieter (but in a cool way) with this exclusive art deco speakeasy style lounge, which will be tucked away inside Erskineville Town Hall during Sydney Fringe. It kind of feels like NSW is on the path to prohibition anyway, so why not embrace it with a cheeky (though still legal) evening drink accompanied by some up-close-and-personal entertainment? Only 18 lucky punters can squeeze into this joint at a time, but it’s the perfect place to stow away with a couple close friends and bear witness to the likes of magician Alex Moffat, get the jitters at Host a Murder Party or relive the music of the 1920s with a series of live sets. This event is one of our top ten picks of the Sydney Fringe Festival. See the other nine here.
From Mad Max: Fury Road and Girl Asleep to Sweet Country and Breath, the past few years haven't been short on Aussie cinema highlights — and if the local contingent headed to the next Sundance Film Festival is any indication, 2019 looks set to continue that trend. A record six Australian feature films will screen at the Utah festival in January next year, topping the country's previous best of five feature films back in 1997. And, in achievements that are just as impressive, all six feature female protagonists and three are directed by women. Five of the flicks will also enjoy their world premiere at the prestigious fest, including the Mia Wasikowska-led Judy and Punch, about marionette puppeteers; Animals, featuring Alia Shawkat and helmed by 52 Tuesdays' Sophie Hyde; and Little Monsters, the Lupita Nyong'o-starring next effort from Down Under's Abe Forsythe. Filmed in the Northern Territory, Top End Wedding reunites The Sapphires' director Wayne Blair and star Miranda Tapsell, while the Adelaide-shot I Am Mother delves into dystopian sci-fi territory with Hilary Swank, the voice of Rose Byrne and Danish standout Clara Rugaard. If the latter movie sounds familiar, that's because it recently screened a work-in-progress version at the Adelaide Film Festival. Fans of one of The Babadook should add the second film from director Jennifer Kent to their must-see list, although The Nightingale is a very different movie to its predecessor. An award-winner at last year's Venice Film Festival, and one that's set in the wilderness of Tasmania circa 1825, it's a stunning picture about Irish convict Clare (Aisling Franciosi) — who's on a revenge mission against a British officer (Sam Claflin), with Aboriginal tracker Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) as her guide. The Nightingale will also hit Aussie cinemas on January 24 — the day that Sundance kicks off in the US — while local release dates for the rest of the Aussie Sundance slate are yet to be revealed. Images: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
You've drooled over their sweets on social media. You may have even treated yourself to a few of their sugary creations. But when it comes to indulging your sweet tooth with desserts from the likes of Anna Polyviou, Andy Bowdy with Pie Country, Knafeh Bakery, Cow and the Moon, Butter, Thievery, Textbook Patisserie, LuxBite, The Scran Line and Zeus Street Greek all under one roof, that's an opportunity you rarely come across. Enter Sweet Street. In its fourth year, Sweet Street is a dessert festival hosted by celebrity chef Anna Polyviou and designed to give you a serious sugar high thanks to some of Australia's leading pastry chefs. An entire ballroom of the Shangri-La Sydney will be converted into a sugary wonderland that'll give even Willy Wonka a run for his chocolate coins. Plus, if you find haven't fully hit peak sugar level, there'll be a cake-eating contest too. In the spirit of 'street', graffiti artists, skaters, break dancers, DJs and rappers will also be about, adding some entertainment to pick you up when your sugar high starts to crash. Tickets are $85 and include eight tokens to start you on your adventure down Sweet Street. For one night only, you'll get to enter the Candy Land of your childhood dreams, and there'll be no one but yourself to decide when you've had too much sugar (never). Image: Nikki To. Words: Quinn Connors and Kimberley Mai.
Redfern Surf Club is celebrating its fifth birthday with a two-week festival of music, arts and beverages. Surfapolooza will pop up across four nights at the neighbourhood bar, bringing a massive lineup of free gigs to Redfern. Kicking off the celebration on Saturday, August 5 is an official after-party for the Behind the Boosh photography exhibition that's going down at M2 Gallery. Fans of The Mighty Boosh can expect a DJ set from the show's Dave Brown, who is in Sydney for the exhibition, alongside supports Diva Cups and Turbo vs Sui on the decks. The following weekend sees three nights of live music arriving back to back to back. On Friday, August 11, self-proclaimed "femme-soul-punk" rockers DOWNGIRL will be joined by powerhouse duo The Blamers and Antenna, the new project of Shogun from Royal Headache, for a night of fuzzy guitars. [caption id="attachment_911750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Diva Cups[/caption] On Saturday, August 12, the Surf Club will host a free night of local country, folk and indie-rock featuring sets from one of the country's best live acts, Caitlin Harnett and the Pony Boys, alongside Lady Lyon and Charlie Finn. Rounding out the festivities is Spirit of House's Afternoon Dance on Sunday, August 13. This is the only gig on the roster where you'll have to pay to get in, with tickets available for $10. Musical tastemakers Fallen Disco & Soul of Sydney DJs, Phil Toke and Adrian Benedek will be running through their catalogue of disco and house tracks so that you can finish your weekend on a high with a joyous boogie. Each free gig will also be raising money for the Women's and Girls' Emergency Centre via a gold coin donation.
Gin and pasta — need we say more? Award-winning gin crafter Four Pillars has teamed up with the pasta legends at Fabbrica to bring you a gin-spiked pasta sauce. As someone who loves both of those things and can't cook to save her life, this collab takes lazy girl dinner to a whole new level. Four Pillars' Olive Leaf Gin has been mixed in with fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic and botanicals such as juniper, coriander and cardamom to create the rich, zingy sauce. "I've always loved making a dirty martini or a Gibson with Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin, and with its Mediterranean-ish vibe, I thought it was a no-brainer to use in our newest pasta sauce," says Fabbrica Head Chef Scott McComas-Williams. To try the combo yourself, come along to the Four Pillars x Fabbrica Pasta Party at the Four Pillars Lab on Friday, September 22 or Saturday, September 23. Not only will you be able to sample a lamb ragu and casarecce with the new sauce, but you'll also be able to try limited-edition cocktails, including an olive, milk and honey martini. For dessert, there's a gin-spiked hazelnut tiramisu — because, of course — paired with a Tiramisu 2.0 gin cocktail with barrel-aged gin, coffee, madeira, macadamia, chocolate and savoiardi milk. There are no tickets required, but if you'd like to order the set menu for $85 — which includes a gin cocktail on arrival, oysters with Bloody Shiraz Yarra Valley caviar, tuna crudo and zucchini flower with ricotta, mozzarella and hot honey — you'll need to choose that option and pay ahead when you make a booking. If you can't make it to the event or can't get enough of the sauce, pick up the ready-made Casarecce Alla Four Pillars Gin pack at Four Pillars, Fabbrica Pasta Shop or one of Fabbrica's stockists. Find out more and book a table at the Four Pillars' website. Images: Steven Woodburn
In season one of Netflix's Ugly Delicious, Momofuku founder David Chang and his cohort of famous chefs, comedians and street artists ate pizza in Naples, streetside tacos in LA, hot chicken in Nashville and deer tendons in Beijing. In season two of the non-fiction food show, which hits the streaming platform on March 6, Chang and co are heading Down Under. The four-episode second season will see Chang travel around Istanbul, Tokyo, Mumbai and Sydney with actors Nick Kroll and Danny McBride, comedian Aziz Ansari, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, food writers Helen Rosner and Chris Ying, and street artist Dave Choe, among others. While the just-dropped trailer doesn't give too much away in terms of Sydney locations, it does feature a Crocodile Dundee 'that's not a knife' gag at an Outback Steakhouse. It's possible Chang visited one of the 700-plus Australian-themed, American chain stores located in the US, but it's also possible he tracked down one of the eight scattered around the countryside in Australia — for the sake of, perhaps, authenticity. You also see a flash of Paul Carmichael, head chef at Sydney's Momofuku Seiobo, and taking into account how often Chang waxes lyrical about Golden Century's pipis in XO on Instagram, you can assume the chef will head to both of those spots, too. It also looks like the show will dive into Chang's personal life a little, with the trailer teasing discussions about his and wife Grace's nearly one-year-old baby Hugo. Chang will do a bit of a Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, too, and cook a meal for schoolchildren. While you wait for the second season to hit Netflix next month, you can wait the trailer below. https://youtu.be/1eyFq3addMs Ugly Delicious 2 hits Netflix on March 6.
Winter is for indulging — rugging up by fireplaces, donning luxurious coats, and feasting on foods and fiery liquors all help us keep warm during the chilly season. Luckily for us, premium scotch distiller Glenmorangie is treating Sydneysiders to a next-level whisky and dessert pairing this winter. For six weeks only, Glenmorangie is teaming up with local chocolatier Koko Black to bring you Signet and Sweet — a special after-dinner treat at ten bars in and around Sydney. Meeting the cold head on, the collaboration will see you sipping on Glenmorangie's richest whisky — Signet — while tasting some mighty fine chocolate. With Signet's sweet and spicy notes, the smooth single malt is an ideal post-dinner drink and dessert accompaniment. So, down to the details. Expect Glenmorangie's Signet served neat and paired with three Koko Black chocolates. Head to any of the partaking bars and you'll be sampling spicy dark chocolate ganache, dark chocolate-dipped candied orange and cafe latte squares alongside your scotch. You can head to the CBD venues Kittyhawk, Chophouse, Bambini Trust and The Cut Bar & Grill, plus the Sheraton Grand to nab this offer. Other locations around town include The Star's Jade Rabbit, North Sydney's Green Moustache and Franca in Potts Point. Further afield, you'll also find this offer at Bannisters Mollymook and Voco Hotel Kirkton Park in the Hunter Valley. Glenmorangie Signet x Koko Black's Signet and Sweet after-dinner special is available at bars across Sydney and will run from Monday, July 15 through Saturday, August 31.
To herald the coming of spring, Sydney's Dinosaur Designs – famous for its colourful, sculptural jewellery and homewares – is hosting an annual warehouse sale. Over three days, the Extinct Outlet in Redfern will be peddling one-off samples and seconds with hefty discounts of up to 90 percent. Once the sale is done and dusted, any leftover pieces will be sent to extinct land, never to be seen again. Established more than 30 years ago, Dinosaur Designs continues to produce all its resin products in its Strawberry Hills studio. Meanwhile, copper, brass and silver jewellery is handcrafted in India and Indonesia. To get your mitts on a bargain, show up at 585 Elizabeth Street, Redfern, on Friday, September 14, 8am–4pm; Saturday, September 15, 10am–4pm; or Sunday, September 16, 11am–3pm. Entry is via the main street, not the rear lane.
One of Sydney's inner west suburbs is set to show-off its thriving food, art and music scene when the Summer Hill Neighbourhood Feast arrives on Sunday, September 29. Running from 10am–4pm, the festival will take over Lackey and Smith streets with food trucks, pop-up bars and an all-day lineup of live acts. Eats will span an array of cuisines, from Italian and Thai to Nepalese and Mediterranean, while The Rio, Nine Fingers Brew and Summer Hill Hotel will be looking after the booze situation. Over at the main stage, live music will be going all day — the lineup programmed by The Rio owner Tess Robens — and a brass band will roam the festival, too. The annual pizza eating competition by local favourite Andiamo Trattoria will also take to the stage at 12.30pm. In terms of arts, the duo from the Sweets Workshop boutique will be running a Creative Village, complete with artist, design and entrepreneur talks. Entry and entertainment are free, so all you need to do is show up — preferably with a BYO water bottle and keep cup, as Council is aiming for a plastic waste-free event. Top image: The Rio by Katje Ford
Somewhere between painting, sculpture and architecture is the work of Anish Kapoor. This is the first major Australian exhibition of the British artist, and it presents a wide, retrospective range of pieces preoccupied with the nature of visual perception in relation to physical space. The artist is a magician and Sky Mirror, on the MCA front lawn, is his best kind of magic. The convex curvature of the huge stainless steel circle creates an inverted image of the environment around it, bringing the sky down to the ground. As you walk around the mirror, it reflects a moving image of the clouds - almost a type of lo-fi, real-time video art. It’s nothing short of extraordinary, and dynamic in a way that public sculpture rarely is. The harbour setting adds another, new dimension to Sky Mirror, as the work forms a conversation with Sydney’s successful objects of scale: the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. By bending light, colour and form, Kapoor manipulates the air itself around his works. True proportions are hidden, visual perception is twisted, holes are created in space and, to quote Karl Marx, “all that is solid melts into air”. Some works, like the stainless steel S Curve, hold a Coney Island-like ability to distort the viewer’s body. There is something quite compelling about seeing yourself reflected in a work, and it is this reflection that animates the sculptures. Kapoor’s art needs an audience to be complete, so for all their industrial materials, they are strangely human works. Other works are auto-generated objects that appear to manifest without the artist’s involvement. The pigment and wax sculpture My Red Homeland is formed and reformed by a massive, motorised steel arm that rotates hourly. Its gigantic scale belies its vulnerability; the wax is in a constant state of gravitational collapse. Memory is just as awe-inspiring. Squeezed into the corners of the gallery space, it’s an oversized, bomb-like torpedo on the outside, and a boundless void of negative space on the inside. We are unable to see the object as a whole, and must roam around it, piecing together our memories of its planes and forms. The distinct, earthy smell of the steel and the illusory limitlessness of its interior makes Memory an oddly emotional and very beautiful experience. This is what sculpture is asking artists to do: create inclusive, inviting and intimate works that are not distinct from the viewer, and that solve the problem of scale. Beyond creating big objects, Anish Kapoor makes people in galleries play, engage and talk to each other — they are not spectators but participants. This is a staggering exhibition, by a major artist.
The Chinese Zodiac assigns an animal to each year in a rotating cycle of 12 years, with this coming year the year of the horse. We're still slogging through the year of the snake, but the year of the horse is almost upon us. And as the calendar ticks over, Sydney's 2014 Chinese New Year celebrations are happy to kick in a little early, with the City throwing in an equine component on top of its usual mix of street march, food and culture. It can take time to unfold the full breadth of leisure and show behind the City's annual lunar new year celebrations. Handily, we've narrowed this complex calendar down to a few highlights to help you get the best out of this year's festivities. Twilight Parade A firm favourite on the Chinese New Year activity calendar, this year’s Twilight Parade promises the same visual spectacle of vibrant dancers, rainbow-hued floats, and vivid fireworks that have characterised each year's bedazzling parade offering. All manner of horse-themed acts will be entertaining the crowds from 7pm until an eye-dotting ceremony at 8pm to 'bless' the Chinese New Year lions, then the parade kicks off at 8.15pm from Sydney Town Hall on George St. Sydney CBD buildings also get into the new year action with enchanting projections illuminating their facades whilst post-parade fireworks at Cockle Bay wharf will round off the night and help to scare away any back luck from the previous year. Free. February 2, from 7pm. Sydney Town Hall to Chinatown. Fireworks at Cockle Bay Wharf. Download a parade map here. Dragon Ball The Star Event Centre will be transformed into a glamorous, chandelier-swinging, big-band-grooving event with the return of the Dragon Ball, a fixture on the Australian Chinese social calendar from the 1930s to the 1970s when the event saw young debutantes presented to the Chinese Consul General with their families looking on. After a 40-year hiatus, this modern reincarnation of the Dragon Ball band returns for its second year of cranking out contemporary tunes and bringing to life the heady days of swing — think double bass and drums, trumpets and trombones, with a lilting, swing rhythm. This is a night to dust off your glam frocks and sashay out onto the dance floor for a cha-cha or a samba. February 8, 7.30pm to midnight, the Star, Pyrmont, $72pp + booking fee. Lunar Feasts Want to try something other than your beef and blackbean Friday night special? Sydney saddles up its chefs for the Year of the Horse with a rash of Lunar Feasts. There are banquets from as little as $20 at dumpling powerhouse Din Tai Fung in World Square, or try keeping up as Chow Bar and Eating House banquets you through some of its greatest hits for $60pp. Spice I Am's House Shop offers up some budget papaya salad at $20pp and Azuma Japanese Restaurant throws together a hotpot at $50pp. Still undecided? Check out the Lunar Feasts site for a full listing of eateries. Cinema Alley at Golden Age Cinema and Bar The 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art's Cinema Alley has been a stalwart over the last few Chinese New Years, taking over the laneway outside its Hay Street headquarters. This year, the Centre's celebration moves to Surry Hills' newly SMAC-approved Golden Age Cinema to screen two of Jia Zhang-Ke's films exploring modern China. At 6.30, Still Life follows people looking for their partners in the shadow of the gargantuan three gorges dam, while at 9pm, four desperate stories diverge in the multi-threaded A Touch of Sin. Outside in the bar and foyer, art by Chen Qiulin and Adrian Wong keep on with a theme of changing China. Cinema Alley at Golden Age Cinema and Bar is ticketed, free for the art and paid for the movies. Details here. Horses With the horse standing at the centre of this year's shift of the zodiac, the new year celebrations has no shortage of horse-themed events. There are equine exhibitions, like Woman Horse and the Macleay Museum's sideline in equine history, and NSW Evergreen Taoist Church is opening its doors to the public for a weekend of tours of its church on the site of the former barracks of the NSW Mounted Police. Meanwhile, at their current headquarters, the NSW Mounted Police are also giving you the chance to tour their stable and hang out with their horses. It's a tour that books out pretty early in its more regular incarnation, so it might be worth booking ahead. Chinese New Year Markets There'll be bamboo baskets piled high with steaming dumplings, bowls of soy-covered noodles waiting to be slurped, and Hong Kong/Australian break dance collaborations care of Compartmentalized at the Chinese New Year Markets in Belmore Park. There's live entertainment on the main market stage with a film screenings, martial arts performances and a wee bit of demonstration cooking. Want to belt out a tune? Battle it out at the karaoke competition, and if you're the crowd's favourite, you might end up taking home a swag of prizes. The official festival launch kicks off Friday night with an evening of fireworks to scare last year's baddies away. Free. February 24-26, Belmore Park, Eddy Avenue, Sydney. Beijing Silvermine Beijing Silvermine is a rare and unique collection of photographs capturing everyday life in China during the decades following the Cultural Revolution. Dug out of family archives, the anonymous subjects of these photographs become unknowing participants in mapping a period of immense social change. Beijing-based collector Thomas Sauvin struck up a deal to buy this 'silvermine' of abandoned memories, which were destined for destruction. From moments of exquisite intimacy between lovers through to the static poses of holiday-makers, Sauvin injects the photographs with a retrospective significance by re-casting the subjects as forgers of modern China. The exhibition also features two video animations produced by Beijing-based animator Lei Lei in collaboration with Sauvin, compiling the collection into a surreal imagescape. Until February 22, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. Mahjong Playlunch There's the thud of solid bakelite tiles as they're slid across the felt-lined table. whilst players drink cups of steaming Jasmine tea or nibble delicately on tasty dim sums. Suddenly someone calls 'mahjong' and the table erupts into chatter. It's a busy afternoon at the MahJong Room in Surry Hills, and the atmosphere is electric. Celebrate Chinese New Year with your friends at Mahjong Playlunch by learning this thousand-year-old game of skill and chance at Surry Hills' answer to the traditional mahjong houses of old Shanghai. Furnished with a mahjong playing set, a belly full of dim sums, and personal lessons from the staff, it's a cool way to while away an afternoon. $39/pp including dim sum and tea. Mahjong Room, 312 Crown Street, Surry Hills. Book via info@mahjongroom.com.au Dragon Boat Races Fast and furious, wet and wild — no it's not an ad for a summer roller-coaster ride, it's the frantic dash in a 12m-long painted boat known as Dragon Boat Races. Dating back 2000 years, the race was traditionally held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese Calendar to encourage rains for prosperity — the dragon, the symbol of water, was the object of worship for the ancient Chinese. Today, it's a heart-thumping sport boasting crews of roughly 20 rowers. Grab a waterside seat and watch some of Sydney's best dragon boat teams battle it out in this highly competitive, thrilling sport. Free. February 8-9. Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour, Sydney. Chinese History Tours So the current Chinatown is actually's Sydney's third. The first was in The Rocks, the second around the Haymarket, and the current one followed Sydney's markets to the top of Darling Harbour. It's a complicated and interesting history that, like most migrant communities (including the English), is a grab bag of culture shock, social clubs, a bit of crime, a bit of poverty and a lot of social mobility. This year, the Chinatown Historical Tours returns to take through the history of this third Chinatown by foot ending up with some optional Yum Cha. For a grander tour, Our Chinese Past by Bike takes you on a two-wheeled tour between all three incarnations of this cultural hub. Beijing Silvermine section by Annie Murney. Horses, Cinema Alley and History Tours by Zacha Rosen.
Love watching Audrey Hepburn cruise around New York city on the hunt for a millionaire beau, as the oh-so-charming Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's? Chances are you're going to love it even more when backed by a full orchestra. This May, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is giving Truman Capote's classic tale the live concert treatment, across two special shows at the Sydney Opera House. You'll see the Academy Award-winning 1961 film played on the big screen, while Henry Mancini's famed score is brought to life by a crew of Sydney's top musical talent. For this one, they'll be led by guest conductor Marc Taddei, who's currently Music Director of California's Vallejo Symphony Orchestra. Catch memorable tunes like 'Loose Caboose', 'Mr. Yunioshi', 'The Big Heist' and of course, the award-winning 'Moon River', as Hepburn graces the screen, larger than life. Head to the nighttime performance, on Saturday, May 4, or catch the matinee on Sunday, May 5.
"I will not sell anything that I would not put in my own home". When a store owner has this bold a motto, you know you're onto a winner. And you're certainly in safe hands at Mary Katsikas' new venture The Chic Interior Co. Having opened in early 2019, the boutique showroom in Ramsgate is filled with beautifully curated accent furniture and decorative homewares designed to give your home a few luxe touches. The store has everything from small items that give a hint to your personal style — think a brush gold and mirror tray or pink marble vase — to statement pieces like plush velvet storage ottomans or an art deco-style accent chair. Katsikas also offers personal interior styling services if you need a bit of a push in the right direction. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Sculptors from around the world have resumed their annual pilgrimage for Sculpture by the Sea, with a selection of local and international sculpture prettily dividing sea from land along the coast walk between Bondi and Tamarama Beach. Among the fresh in situ sculpture this year Stuart Couzens' matryoshka ('russian doll') presents a satisfying nest of wooden containers within containers within containers, while James Hallberg and René Dybdahl's how close we are is a giant eye of a matching needle outside the Aarhaus Town Hall in Denmark, which blinks a light as people are invited to jump up and pass through the eye of its Australian twin. A sign in front of it says "please do not touch this artwork. Along the walk between Mark's Park and Tamarama Bay Paul Kaptein's and in the endless pauses, there came a sound is a satyr sound recordist carved out of wood, with a huge microphone, headphones, and visibly absent pants. Gillie and Marc Schattner's the travellers have arrived carves out some reciprocal nudity and animal heads, while Dave Mercer's View TM gives the vista towards Clovelly cemetery a branded makeover. Tamarama Beach resumes its obligatory, not unwelcome, theme of giant beach things this year, with Carl Tindall, Carly Buteux, and Grahame Tindall's half-buried sunglasses *lost in the glare*, an oversized oversize Tonka truck, and Adam Hill and Will Coles' really bins last seen on Macquarie Street in the Aboriginal Art Prize Best in show plaudits were pointed at US sculptor Peter Lundberg, who won the Balnaves Foundation Sculpture prize for his Barrell Roll. His win was not from lack of competition. Competitors were well suited to their surroundings, such as the pleasing cacophony of Cave Urban's multiple, wooden wind-chime piece mengenang (memory) or its nearby contemplative companion in Stephen Marr's camouflage piece the optimist. Image: Stephen Marr's the optimist.
Surry Hill's stalwart Harry's is throwing a month-long margarita festival kicking off on May 5 (AKA Cinco de Mayo). The festival will showcase five different iterations of the hallowed cocktail, each of which honour a different region of Mexico — the Oaxaca, the Mexico City, the Guadalajara, the Cancun and the Tulum — and provide a unique remix of the classic margarita, from spicy-centric to citrus-heavy. Playing sidekick to the margs will be a collection of street food snacks that Head Chef Faris Hindami has created. There's crunchy prawn and pork taquitos, juicy birra beef tacos served with a chilli-heavy dipping sauce; and grilled chilli and garlic corn. Those who take the margarita journey across Mexico and try all five margs during the month will go into the draw to win a bunch of prizes including a four-person holiday to Byron Bay, a year's worth of Don Julio Tequila, an at-home margarita kit and Harry's merch. Each time you order a margarita, just collect a stamp from the Harry's staff on your Camino De La Margarita card. To sweeten the deal for Concrete Playground readers, if you show the Harry's bar staff this article you'll score an extra entry to the competition. Camino De La Margarita kicks off from May 5 and runs up until June 2. Head to the Harry's website to be the first to access bookings.
Sydney's pretty damn great at the whole spring season. First (and obviously), the weather gets delightfully warmer. Then, the city's spring racing carnival gets everyone out and about, clinking glasses and wearing novelty hats. The annual extravaganza that is Epsom Day combines the best of spring benefits, with the added bonus of falling on a long weekend. Horses speed around a track, punters try their luck, and guests enjoys an array of fashion, hospitality and entertainment, safe in the knowledge that the return to work is still two days away. This year's on-course antics include a Möet & Chandon pop-up bar for Australian Turf Club members, if ever you needed an incentive to join. For those torn between Bondi Beach and Royal Randwick this long weekend, the former comes to the latter with the launch of The Bucket List Beach Club Marquee, bringing the best of Bondi’s iconic beach bar trackside. Plus, if you're a sports lover, prepare for your trip to the races to get even better. NRL grand final ticketholders, NRL club members and ANZ Stadium members receive free entry to the track, and the AFL grand final will be broadcast live. Now that's how you make the most of a three-day break.
Hospitality group Solotel is part of the stacked partner list for Sydney WorldPride, bringing a heroic program of entertainment and Pride edition menus to 11 venues throughout the festival. There's way too much to talk about in one sitting but we'll do our best (and if you doubt our exhaustiveness visit the Solotel website for all the details). Let's start with a recently reborn favourite of the inner city. The Abercrombie is hosting an epic two-week extravaganza of parties and events curated by DJ Kate Monroe and House of Silky co-founder Xander Khoury. The lineup includes Pride, Play & Party on Friday, February 17 (for which entry is free), the House Techno & Queer Collective parties on Saturday, February 18 and Friday, February 24, and the all-hours Community Parade Afterparty on Saturday, February 25. A few train stops east is the Kings Cross Hotel, which is hosting a stacked roster of 33 events throughout WorldPride. If the dance floor beckons, we recommend the weekly Club LOVE every Friday throughout the festival from 9pm until late. These celebratory all-inclusive parties will takeover across every floor of the hotel with DJs playing a mix of house, disco, pop and tech bangers throughout the night. If you're Pride celebrations take you to Newtown, The Bank is hosting a mix of one-off and weekly events throughout the festival. Every Thursday from 8pm will be the free-entry Woodys, where those who have a flair for hair (or are just looking for a good time surrounded by hirsute gents) are encouraged to come and get their boogie on to a new DJ every week. There's also DJs & Drag on Saturday, February 17, Ru Paul trivia on Monday, February 20, and the GiRLTHiNG, BOYTHiNG, OURTHiNG party on Saturday, March 4. In the unlikely event that none of those banger events are to your fancy, over 100 other events are happening in venues all over town. That includes The Malborough Hotel and The Courty in Newtown; The Clock and Goros in Surry Hills; Darlo Bar, Darlinghurst; Paddo Inn, Paddington; Barangaroo House; and Opera Bar. We hope you've had your vitamins because this is going to call for serious stamina. For more information on Solotel x Sydney WorldPride and their participating venues, or to grab your tickets, head to the website.
UPDATE, September 24, 2021: The Lighthouse is available to stream via Netflix, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Straddling the space where land meets sea, reaching high into the sky and emitting a glow that heralds safety, lighthouses have long ranked among humanity's most revered structures. They save sailors' lives by stopping them from crashing into craggy cliffs, and they're afforded not just respect as a result, but an almost ethereal, enchanting status. Also, every Australian who grew up since the 90s has dreamed of living in one, thanks to classic series Round the Twist. After watching Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson fart, fight, guzzle too much rum, growl at seagulls, masturbate and go steadily mad in one of the towering, alluring buildings in the nightmarish The Lighthouse, though, you might never look at these oceanside staples in the same way again. Dafoe and Pattinson play cantankerous sea dog Thomas Wake and eager newcomer Ephraim Winslow — a seasoned 'wickie' who adores the light above all else, and an ex-woodsman hoping to work his way up in the world. When Winslow arrives for a four-week stint assisting the peg-legged Wake, he really should see his choppy voyage to the isolated New England island as a sign of things to come. (As the latest film by The Witch writer/director Robert Eggers, omens come with the territory.) Although forcibly chatty while swigging spirits with dinner, Wake is a hard taskmaster. He's also dour, mean, flatulent and drunk on power. Attending to the light is his responsibility alone, with Winslow saddled with the tough, dirty, literally shitty work — and warned not to mess with the seagulls fluttering around outside, which Wake believes to be the souls of dead seamen. Scrubbing floors, carting heavy kerosene containers upstairs, emptying overflowing chamber pots — that's Winslow's new life day in, day out. Coupled with the constant stream of insults spat ferociously by Wake, it's enough to make him lose his grip on his sanity. And so, after finding a mermaid figurine in his bedsprings on his first night, then frequently fondling it with one hand while fondling himself with the other, the fledgling keeper grasps what solace he can. Then a storm sweeps in, stranding the two men inside with nothing but each other, alcohol and their bubbling acrimony for company. With a tempest swirling both in the sky and in the lighthouse, not even self-love can help brighten Winslow's stay on the island. In The Witch, Eggers charted the slow implosion of a Puritan family in 17th-century America. In an insidiously unsettling movie made with exceptional technical prowess, he watched as fear and superstition — plus good ol'-fashioned bickering and a goat called Black Phillip — collapsed his characters' bonds. Jumping two centuries forward, swapping a remote farm for the titular structure and focusing on co-workers, The Lighthouse does much the same. That said, you could never accuse Eggers of just repeating himself. He's clearly deeply fascinated with the darkness that springs when folks spend too much time together in close quarters in fraught circumstances, and how such a scenario reveals humanity's true nature. He's also well aware how common a situation that is, and how it can play out in oh-so-many ways. Here, shot in inky black-and-white, lit to stress every shadow and lapping up all shades of grey — a fitting colour for men stuck in limbo several times over — the above chain of events plays out in gripping, stunning, horrifying and even amusing fashion. Co-written by Eggers with his brother Max, the gothic-leaning narrative boasts its twists, shocks and secrets. Deconstructing masculinity while caught in a trippy daze, it offers more than its fair share of surprises. But how The Lighthouse conveys this tale is just as important as the story itself. Constrained within a square frame (deploying the 1.19:1 Movietone aspect ratio that was popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s), this is a masterclass in claustrophobia, paranoia and mania. Jarin Blaschke's Oscar-nominated cinematography is fine-tuned to agitate and disturb, as is the needling score by fellow The Witch alum Mark Korven's score. The end result? A surreal, savage and purposefully aesthetically overwhelming portrait of psychological unraveling that feels more like it has been washed up in a bottle than crafted anew. Thanks to Dafoe and Pattinson, there's no doubting that The Lighthouse was made in 2019 (and obviously not a century or so earlier). Eggers' casting instincts are superb — and not just because his monochrome visuals make the most of Dafoe's lively scowl and Pattinson's cheekbones. Spouting dialogue informed by real lighthouse-keepers' diaries, as well as by the writings of Moby Dick author Herman Melville, Dafoe barks and swaggers with frenzied energy. Glowering with growing internal rage, Pattinson's physically expressive performance is on par with the best silent film stars. The more this powerhouse duo snipe and snarl back and forth, the more they lure viewers into The Lighthouse's fever dream like a glowing beam — or like the tentacles that help make this already out-there movie even more eccentric, outlandish and utterly mesmerising. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gOs6gKtrb4
Sydney just loves a rooftop bar. When the weather's fine, and you want to celebrate making it through another nine-to-five, can you really blame us? Some good news: there's a new lush oasis in town that'll help the workday woes wash away and you'll find it right in the CBD. Tanqueray has taken over Taylor's Rooftop on Pitt Street for one month, filling it with tons of hanging greenery and a gin and tonic bar that's slinging cocktails for only a tenner. More good news: the gin connoisseurs are throwing a launch party for the new terrace bar and giving away 100 G&Ts — first in, best dressed. It's going down this Thursday, February 7, and you can RSVP here. Be sure to get in close to the 4pm start time to nab your freebie. Apart from the giveaway, the menu will feature three versions of the Tanqueray gin and tonic — using either London Dry, Flor de Sevilla or Rangpur — at $10 a pop. There's also a premium option with Tanqueray No. TEN ($12) and a spritz ($13) featuring Flor de Sevilla, prosecco and an orange garnish (which you can then recreate at home with this step-by-step guide). Each is served in a Copa de Balon, a glass specifically designed for G&T sipping. The pop-up will be open every day in February from 11.30am–11pm, with a daily $6 happy hour on offer from 4–6pm, too.
We Australians love our cheese. We have everything from fromageries and festivals dedicated to the dairy foodstuff to cheese wheels filled with pasta and bottomless raclette sessions to prove it. Our stomachs are working overtime to digest all the lactose and, honestly, we've never been happier. The love affair only continues with this cheesy annual event. Bon Fromage — a festival specifically celebrating European cheese — is returning for a 2024 run, popping back up with a full in-person festival following a couple of disrupted years. The whole thing will be taking place from Friday, May 31 until Sunday, June 2, coinciding with the city's favourite light and arts festival, Vivid. With the festival taking over the Overseas Passenger Terminal's Cargo Hall, you'll be able to enjoy samples of cheese and wine as you take in the view of the lit-up Sydney Opera House during Vivid. Across the weekend, one tonne of cheese will be given out, with a huge cheese buffet of brie, camembert, triple-crème, Fourme d'Ambert, Langres and mimolette being set up as the centrepiece of the festival. Plus, it'll be taking inspiration from the four seasons as part of its 2024 edition, so expect to be met with cheese spreads themed around summer, autumn, winter and spring. There will also be a market where ten of the country's top cheesemongers and chefs will be exhibiting and selling cheeses; pop-up culinary experiences from the likes of Masterchef alumni Jimmy Wong and Marani Deli's Alex Grenouillier; craft beer and spirits; live music gigs from violinist Daniele Montarulo, Anna Waving Collective, and DJ Frans; and cheese-based masterclasses. Best of all, entry to the festival, all of the cheese tastings and the masterclasses are all free.
This Historic Houses Trust exhibition, one of the first since Margaret Olley's death last year, is part of the long goodbye to the iconic Modernist Australian artist. It celebrates Olley's life and work through an exploration of the place at Duxford Street, Paddington, that she packed with flowers, antiques, easels, wine and friends and called home. The giant terrace was a living thing; it remains an ongoing legacy of Olley's contribution to Australian art history, and will shortly be dissected and born again as a public arts centre. In the meantime, Margaret Olley: Home offers a glimpse of Duxford Street's glorious, colourful chaos. The show comprises a compact series of paintings and photographs of the interiors of Duxford Street, a small recreation of a room in the house and a film by Catherine Hunter. Every saturated stroke in Olley's oils (bridging from 1972 to 2011) are charged with energy and vigour - they form a fluent conversation with exhibition curator Steve Alderton's photographs and suggest something far from a still life. In its totality, Margaret Olley: Home is fragmentary - an affectionate snapshot of somewhere huge and rich and strange that belongs to a bygone era. Not unlike Olley's paintings, the show is impressionistic. It's a bit like looking through a kaleidoscope - a scattered, light-filled view that indicates the outlines of things in movement much more than their complete form. We're left with a sense of finding and creating art in the everyday. Of creativity as a lived, daily adventure and of art stretching off the canvas, out of the gallery and into the home. A must see mainly for admirers of Olley's work.
His intricate, symmetrical streetscapes are Sydney landmarks - if you don't know his name, you almost certainly know his work. Beastman is a prolific street artist whose work has been exhibited far and wide from Australia to Berlin and London. He's also the founder and editor of the online art publication [weAREtheIMAGEmakers]. Lookout for THE HOURS, Beastman's new joint venture with Marty Routledge and Numskull, launching in September. In this second instalment of our new Hidden Sydney series, we asked Beastman to reveal five snapshots of this city - the insider secrets hiding, until now, in plain sight. 1. Higher Ground Studio, Annandale This is our studio and where I spend most of my time - it's probably my favourite place in Sydney. It's where I paint, draw, send emails, conduct various business activities, listen to good music, play ping pong and talk shit with my friends - every damn day! I share the space with nine other artists - Numskull, Phibs, Max Berry, Mark Alsweiler, Ears, Birdhat, Tom Ferson, Bennett and Thomas Jackson. 2. Hibernian House, Surry Hills This amazing building holds a lot of memories for me, I used to have a studio in there years ago with Ben Frost, Numskull, Trent Whitehead, Mark Whalen and Teagues. The studio was full of good times - painting, skating, hacky sack, rooftop painting, drinking and random parties. Hibernian House also happens to be where I kissed my wife on our first night out together… how romantic. 3. Four Ate Five, Surry Hills One of the best cafes in Sydney, hand painted and juiced up by studio buddy Mark Alsweiler. 4. Strathfield Skatepark, Belfield Many hours of my life have been spent at this place, always a great chill place to skate with friends. The park is really simple and doesn't use up much energy to skate - pushing is not necessary. The hotspot is the top banked hip, great for big backside 180s. 5. China Heights Gallery, Surry Hills A lot of credit is due to China Heights Gallery for supporting the Sydney art scene over the last decade, the long running gallery has held many memorable exhibitions in its varied spaces. Run by Edward Woodley and Mark Drew, China Heights has nurtured some of Sydney's most successful and talented artists including Mark Whalen, Trent Whitehead, Paul Davies, Numskull and Ryan Heywood. Their old Crown Street space was the location of my first solo exhibition back in 2008.
Battles will be had, blood will be shed, and brothers will unite on stage in this Bell Shakespeare production of Henry V, but not quite as you remember it from high school lit. Shakespeare's tale tells the story of King Henry V, who, having ascended the throne following the death of his father, promptly — after a few people tell him he should probs do something else — declares war on France. Essentially, Henry tries to rally his troops to fight their best while simultaneously avoiding assassination and getting a French wife (because nothing says romance quite like declaring war on your crush's country). In this production, director Damien Ryan is bringing the story to life with a contemporary take, inspired by a true story. During the London Blitz in 1941, a group of young men, bored and stuck in a bunker, started a club, where they would rehearse and perform plays to others in the shelter. "With England on the precipice and Churchill comparing the fighter pilots to the 'happy few' at Agincourt, it is hard to imagine that a Henry V would not have struck their hearts," said Ryan. With this in mind, he has re-imagined one of Shakespeare's more politically charged plays. An exploration of violence, manhood and assumed power from the heart of a gloomy British bunker. Henry V is on from October 21 to November 16 at the Sydney Opera House Playhouse, following acclaimed seasons in Melbourne and Canberra. Thanks to Bell Shakespeare, we have three double passes to give away to the performance on Tuesday, October 28, to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Marrickville's newly opened Bucket Boys is not your average craft brew bottle shop, more closely resembling a sort of art gallery for beer — think minimalist, modern artwork, a four-tap tasting/refill bar and single bottles only on display, giving each beer its place to shine. Add BB's own brews into the mix, and you've got yourself one hell of a commitment to craft. This valiant endeavour is no surprise from co-owner Johnathan Hepner, who, apart from being the biggest beer geek we know, is also quite possibly the only Cicerone bottle shop owner in Australia. Hepner is joined by co-owner Clint Elvin (Gasoline Pony) and local legends Jay Cook and Ben Miller, who head up the in-house brewing team. The Bucket Boys concept is based on the history of growler-style takeaway, which originated in the early 1800s. Their own brews pay homage to ye olden days of beer as well — their Straw Dog, a 14th century-style Polish beer, is made from oak-smoked wheat. With only single bottles on offer, the name of the game here is the mixed six-pack. The stocklist currently sits at 400 brews, with over 60 sours, including many international brewers that have hardly made it to the Aussie market — like Italian craft Lover Beer and Belgium's Brouwerij Alvinne. Of course, Aussie and Kiwi craft is extensively represented as well. "I've ensured that at least one of every beer style is currently in stock," says Hepner. With his extensive beer knowledge, we're going to take this as gospel. But it's not all beer on the shelves. Apart from the impressive, ever changing beer stock, specialty wines and spirits are also well-represented — this includes Bucket Boys own house wines, made in collaboration with Alex Retief of Urban Winery Sydney, as well as a sheep whey vodka from Tasmania's Hartshorn Distillery. Bucket Boys is a spot for true beer lovers and a place for even the biggest beer geeks to discover something new in craft. Locals around here are lucky, with BB the perfect cherry atop the craft beer mecca that is Marrickville. Bucket Boys is located at 300 Illawarra Road, Marrickville. Opening hours are Sunday through Thursday, 10am to 8pm and Friday through Saturday, 10am to 9pm. Images: Marissa Ciampi.
Stuff. I know I have too much of it. And storage? Far too little. This weekend I just finished reading What's Mine Is Yours, a book by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers advocating collaborative consumption. Basically, it talks about all the avenues through which people swap, share, barter, trade and rent on a massive scale with the help of communication technologies like the interwebs. I was left staggered by the sheer amount of stuff I own which spends most of its time in my possession gathering dust. How exciting, then, to stumble upon a solution to my problem both local and nation-wide in its reach. The Garage Sale Trail will be held on Sunday, April 10 this year in backyards, front yards and garages right across Australia. You can register your garage sale on the website, and on the day people can hop between garage sales in their local area. Pop in your post-code to check out what's near you. The pilot project held in Bondi last year attracted droves of people, emptied ATMs in the area and saw the equivalent of 15 shipping containers of goods exchanging hands. Sounds like a pretty sweet way to get sustainable. https://youtube.com/watch?v=AuOBz7FF7z4
Night Slugs sounds terrifying, but then naming things can be weird. To describe the sound these guys make you have to use hazy descriptions like “dancefloor-friendly” or “distinctive” or “diverse”. Sure you can pull out a few of the things it encompasses — grime, gutter house, electro, R&B, dubstep and techno — but at the end of the day they just make and peddle electronic music that’s intensely fresh and unfailingly progressive. Night Slugs are also a record label and a club night, responsible for releasing music from some of the London scene’s most cutting-edge producers and holding a regular London night that has become a staple of the scene. But on their first Australian tour they’ll be the inimitable L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok dropping guaranteed dancefloor bombs on the floor of Goodgod, and showing why their back to back sets have taken them from UK radio to support slots at some of the biggest events in the world. Night Slugs will be supported by Sydney future-electro innovators Cliques, with bass junkie Preacha behind the decks. We're giving away two double passes to Night Slugs on Friday, February 22. To be in the running, subscribe to our newsletter (if you're not already) and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
For 24 hours from 6pm on Saturday, February 4, Macquarie Street East will score a new — and free — all-night art, music, food and creativity festival: Mopoke. Taking place from Shakespeare Place through to Hyde Park Barracks, it promises an impressive feast of pop-ups, activations and cultural offerings, and it is indeed running all throughout the evening. If you're a cinephile, however, it's the free 24-hour cinema that'll have you most excited. Across Mopoke's duration, the fest is teaming up with the crew behind Mov'in Cinemas — aka the team that's given Sydney and Australia in-bed cinemas, and also a rooftop drive-in and a floating cinema with boats in the Harbour City — to set up a non-stop outdoor cinema. It all kicks off at 6pm, like Mopoke itself, and has movies playing in specific slots for the evening and day afterwards. The last will start screening at 3.30pm on Sunday, February 5. Even better: Mov'in's powers-that-be clearly know that everyone loves Studio Ghibli flicks because there's two on the lineup. Greet the dawn with a 6am session of Spirited Away, or enjoy an 11.30am Sunday morning date with My Neighbour Totoro. Still with filmmaking favourites, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation is the midnight movie — if you want to do karaoke before or afterwards, you'll need to head elsewhere, though — and Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch has the 8.30am slot. Also on the bill: ABC documentary Secrets of the Australian Museum at 6pm, The Mopoke Short Film Festival from 7pm, Aussie art doco Whitely at 10pm and 1928's Show People at 2am. Or, there's Oscar-winner The Artist at 4am, Midnight in Paris at 1.30pm (in what seems like a missed opportunity, time-wise) and the Willem Dafoe-starring Vincent van Gogh biopic At Eternity's Gate in the last slot. While entry is free, bookings are required in advance — and expect to have plenty of company. As for the rest of Mopoke, it includes theatre performances and gigs, as well as live art and magic shows — plus ten multicultural rotation of food trucks to keep you well-fuelled — as connected by black-lit paths.
In case you hadn't noticed, Sydney is big. Really getting to know the ins and outs of an area are near impossible unless you live in it. Enter Culture Scouts. Culture Scouts is all about providing local walking tours with an edge. This tour won't cover the guide book favourites; it's a curated cultural hit-list of the best arty spots in the area, from the cool, creative cats who know best. The Inner West tour focuses specifically on the art meccas of Enmore and Newtown. The guides, who are all creative professionals, will help you dive into the artistic underbelly of the neighbourhoods, showcasing the best street art, murals and graffiti. They will steer you towards the best foodie haunts and vintage stores plus you'll get to meet some of the area's most colourful residents. You will feel like a local in no time.
There's something rather cool about being ahead of the curve when it comes to cinema, watching the latest and greatest flicks unfold on the silver screen well before anyone else. Well, at Flickerfest Short Film Festival you can do just that. Yep, break out the popcorn, the internationally acclaimed festival is back at Bondi Pavilion from Friday, January 10 to Sunday, January 19, and there's a swag of world premieres on the bill. This year, the folks at Flickerfest received a record 3500 entries from more than 100 countries around the world, making the 2020 program a real doozy. More than 200 handpicked creative and inspiring shorts will screen throughout the ten-day festival celebrating some of the world's most talented filmmakers. The program is divided into categories, so you can catch all the flicks in the genres that interest you most — like comedy, romance, LGBTQI+ and documentary — or be sure you're seeing the very best Australian and International talent in one go. The selected films are vying for various Academy-accredited awards, including Best International Film, Best Animation and Best Australian Film. Head to Flickerfest's opening and closing night galas where you'll find some of the films' starring talent, plus plenty of food, drinks and entertainment at the festival bar overlooking Bondi Beach. There'll also be an award ceremony, a screening of some of the winning flicks and an after party. After the ten-day festival is done and dusted, the top flicks will hit the road, stopping off at more than 50 destinations across Australia, for an annual tour between January and May. To sweeten the deal, we've teamed up with Flickerfest to give away ten double passes. If you're keen to catch a flick for free, enter your details below. [competition]752674[/competition] To see the full Flickerfest 2020 program and grab tickets, head to the website.
