Sorry, supermarket desserts. When Gelato Messina serves up one of its special treats, no one's hitting the local ice cream aisle. 2023's limited-edition wares have included everything from red velvet gelato, cake and fudge mixes to a mango gelato spin on Iced Vovos — plus a Neapolitan version of its super-fancy Viennetta, too — and are now gifting folks with a sweet tooth a tub of gianduia gelato topped with hazelnut rocher crack. If your ultimate chocolate is round, covered in gold wrapping and has a crunchy hazelnut centre — yes, we're talking about Ferrero Rocher — then we expect that you'll be keen for this Messina special, dubbed the Get Cracking hot tub. Clearly taking its cues from the famed Italian chocolate, the tubs feature layers of gianduia (chocolate-hazelnut) gelato, cone crunch and hazelnut mousse. Then, on top: that hazelnut rocher crack. The end result mightn't look exactly like the chocolates that you know and love, just in a scoopable form, but it's an ode all the same. Available as part of Messina's 'Hot Tub' series, the Get Cracking gelato can only be ordered online on Monday, August 7, in one-litre tubs. You can then go into your chosen Messina store to pick up your tub between Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13. A note re ordering: because Messina's specials always attract plenty of gelato lovers, the chain now staggers its on-sale times depending on the state — and, in Sydney, also the part of town you're in. Accordingly, pre-orders commence in Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory at 9am, then hit Victoria at 9.15am, before spreading its New South Wales stores over three slots between 9.30–10am. Gelato Messina's Get Cracking hot tub will be available to order on Monday, August 7, for pick up between Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13 — head to the Messina website for further details.
The book-to-film adaptations of the Hunger Games have been entirely faithful to the series in that each one has been worse than the last. That's not to say that either of Catching Fire or Mockingjay Part 1 is a bad movie, it's just that neither stands up to the gritty suspense and honest emotion of the original. Then, of course, there's the issue of 'Hobbitification'. In Mockingjay Part 1 we find yet another example of a final book being split over multiple films; a plainly commercial shakedown that in recent times rendered both Twilight and Harry Potter's penultimate instalments dull and wildly inferior to the rest of each series. To this film, though, and Mockingjay Part 1 picks up where Catching Fire left off. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is now recovering in a rebel bunker surrounded by the remnants of 'District 13' — the infamous breakaway district responsible for the insurrection that ultimately led to the establishment of the Hunger Games. Katniss's defiance of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has inspired sporadic rebellions throughout the country, but they're in danger of dissipating unless she can truly unite the people and spark an out-and-out revolution. Her new role, then, is to become an instrument of propaganda at the hands of Plutarch (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and the exiled President Coin (Julianne Moore). It all seems straightforward enough, but you have to remember Katniss is a teenager and, as such, seems required to dial the angst up to 11 and establish herself as a petulant little shit in possession of an unbelievable level of naive selfishness. It's put to her in no uncertain terms that if she’s unable to unite the people, the people will die, yet her focus remains squarely on her captured — would-we-call-him-boyfriend? — Peeta Mellark. Never mind the loving, courageous, selfless (and, let's face it, better looking) Gale (Liam Hemsworth) right by her side; for Katniss it's Peeta or bust. Here, then, is the bulk of Mockingjay Part 1: the rebels exploit Katniss, the Capital taunts Katniss and Katniss sulks and cries. Save for one SEAL Team 6-esque raid on the Capital, very little actually happens in this movie. "It’s the worst terror in the world — waiting for something," explains President Coin, and therein lies a stinging rebuke of the entire film. Again, it’s not necessarily a bad movie, it's just that you have to wade through a lot to uncover the fine performances and sporadic, gripping scenes. Lawrence, as always, does well with the limited material, though of the younger actors it's Hemsworth's understated yet simmering turn that most impresses. Moore's performance is an intriguing one, too, presenting Alma Coin as an uncomfortably uninspiring public speaker who yet proves herself a consummate general when the stakes are raised. In a film largely engaged with a clumsy 'actions vs words' debate, it's a welcome, nuanced portrayal. The star of this film, however, is Elizabeth Banks as the unhappily exiled ex-socialite Effie Trinket. She and Hemsworth both pack enormous depth into their limited screen time, offering a genuine range of emotions. Its shortcomings notwithstanding, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 will undoubtedly crush at the box office, though it's hard not to feel like you could miss this film entirely and wait for Part II without skipping a beat.
Stare at The False Mirror at Magritte, one of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' big summer exhibitions for 2024–25, and the masterpiece of a painting from 1929 will peer right back. Among the Belgian surrealist René Magritte's most-famous creations, the piece features a giant eye looking at the viewer, while also filled with a cloudy blue sky. It's an unforgettable work, and it's one of the stars of the latest showcase as part of Sydney International Art Series. Another striking painting that's on display in the Harbour City from Saturday, October 26, 2024–Sunday, February 9, 2025: Golconda, Magritte's 1953 work that brings two other pieces of popular culture to mind. Just try not to think about Mary Poppins and The Weather Girls' song 'It's Raining Men' while you feast your eyes on the sight of bowler hat-wearing men streaming down from the heavens. At Magritte, which is exclusive to Sydney, The False Mirror, Golconda and 1952's The Listening Room (La Chambre d'Écoute) — which shows an oversized apple — have ample company at AGNSW's south building Naala Nura. In total, 100-plus works are on display. This is not only a huge retrospective dedicated to the artist, but also Australia's first retrospective dedicated to Magritte. More than 80 of the pieces are paintings, demonstrating why Magritte is considered one of the most-influential figures in 20th-century surrealism; however, archival materials, photographs and films also feature. Sydney International Art Series isn't just about one major exclusive showcase, of course. From Saturday, November 30, 2024–Sunday, April 13, 2025, AGNSW is also hosting Cao Fei: My City. Over at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia from Friday, November 29, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025, Julie Mehretu is on display as well. Images: installation view of the 'Magritte' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 26 October 2024 – 9 February 2025, artworks © Copyright Agency, Sydney 2024, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Mim Stirling.
Forget ocker comedies and downbeat dramas — when it comes to Aussie cinema, there's a new trend in down. Sure, plenty of titles have made the leap from theatre to film during the country's movie-making history, but with Ruben Guthrie, Holding the Man, Last Cab to Darwin and Spear all hitting cinemas within the last year, the nation appears to be in the middle of a stage-to-screen renaissance. Next comes The Daughter, with actor and playwright turned filmmaker Simon Stone leading the charge. After treading the boards with his own take on Henrik Ibsen's 1884 work The Wild Duck, he now turns the tale into an Australian-set feature film. When Christian (Paul Schneider) returns to the mountainous outskirts of New South Wales after years spent in the US, his homecoming stirs up mixed emotions. His father Henry (Geoffrey Rush), is pleased to see him, but Christian has more than a few reservations about his dad's impending marriage to the much younger Anna (Anna Torv). And while his reunion with childhood best mate Oliver (Ewen Leslie) proves happy, the more time Christian spends with his pal, his wife Charlotte (Miranda Otto) and teenage daughter Hedvig (Odessa Young), the more troubles start to emerge. Some characters know things they shouldn't, others are hiding details they're trying to forget, and everyone gets caught up in the chaos when certain truths are exposed, making secrets and lies The Daughter's primary currency. There's more than a little bit of melodrama at play, though there's not much in the narrative that's unexpected. Even if you're not familiar with the source material or Stone's previous theatre version, it's not hard to see where the soapy story is going. That's disappointing in terms of delivering real twists, turns and mysteries, but it does showcase the movie's true focus: its characters and performances. Corralling an impressive, mostly Australian cast — a scene-stealing Sam Neill among them — Stone hones in on the actions and emotions of a close-knit group struggling with the weight of past and present deeds. Accordingly, the tension that bubbles throughout the feature stems from their reactions, rather than the many not-so-surprising revelations. Whether frozen with shock, arguing with anger or crying in pain, their response to the situation always feels real. Take the figure of Hedvig, the titular daughter, for example. She seethes with a blend of confidence and vulnerability not often seen in teens on screen, with Young giving her second great performance, behind Looking For Grace, of the year so far. It certainly helps that Stone, as a director rather than a writer, favours an empathetic, subjective approach in his stylistic choices. With a colour scheme that reflects the characters' moods, and camera angles that mirror their perspectives, he crafts a movie that looks as intimate as the age-old issues it trifles with. The end result may be obvious and histrionic, story-wise, yet it's still for the most part engrossing. As such, The Daughter doesn't just bring the stage to the screen, but the messy nature of life as well.
Patience is rewarded in this latest Hollywood take on the Godzilla tale, with the eponymous giant taking almost an hour before his first appearance. It is, if you'll permit, a case of 'Waiting for Godzilla', and the eventual reveal is a genuine delight. The film begins in 1999, where a series of sudden and inexplicable catastrophes — most notably the collapse of a Japanese nuclear facility — are categorised as 'natural disasters' and dismissed, leaving in their wake unanswered questions and shattered lives. Among those affected is nuclear engineer Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), along with his wife, Sandra (Juliette Binoche), and his son Ford (Kick-Ass's Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Joe refuses to accept the official line, and — as his obsession grows — he soon becomes both an outcast and absentee father as he embarks upon a one-man crusade to discover the truth. Fast-forward, then, to the present day where, to Joe's horror, the same seismic anomalies that preceded the last disaster suddenly recommence. It's a slow burn kept alive almost entirely courtesy of Cranston and Binoche, but one whose dramatic ignition comes with the full force of a 3D IMAX experience. It's also a pleasant surprise, because the creature awakened is not Godzilla. It is, rather, a MUTO — or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism — perhaps best likened to a 300ft cockroach possessed of electromagnetic pulses and an appetite for radioactive materials. He'd be the solution to so many of earth's environmental concerns, were it not for his complete disregard for buildings or the earthlings inside them. What, then, of Godzilla? Instead of acting as the film's traditional villain, he is something more transcendent — an ancient, imposing yet graceful leviathan whose place on this earth is, seemingly, to ensure its equilibrium. With a design aesthetic far more aligned with the original Godzilla of 1954, he is truly awesome in scale and defined most crucially by his iconic scream (a two-part, roar-and-rumble experience created first by leaving dry ice to sublimate on a metal vent, then dragging a giant wooden crate across a polished floor). Sound is, in fact, the star of this film, with utterly rib-rattling resonance an almost constant companion throughout. It is, in short, a silly but fun film whose human characters are wholly tangential to its CGI stars. With a cast that also boasts the largely underused Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen and David Strathairn, the decision to entrust its least recognisable and accomplished actor with the lion's share of screen time is a curious misstep, and despite all the MUTO's menace, the most ominous element in Godzilla remains its opening titles and their use of archival nuclear test footage. In a film centred around the destructive power of giant monsters, nothing manages to quite live up to the terror and devastation reminded to us in those few, opening seconds. It is a nuclear device, too, that provides the film with its greatest source of tension in the climax. Still, it's nice to have Godzilla back in our lives after 1998's disappointing attempt, and, as far as blockbusters go, this has almost everything you're looking for. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc
This news isn't like rain on your wedding day. It doesn't resemble finding a black fly in your chardonnay. And it definitely isn't anything like hitting a traffic jam when you're already late, either. But, it will have you singing those lines — and it is news that you oughta know, too — because 15-time Tony Award-nominated musical Jagged Little Pill is heading to Australia. The acclaimed production is making its first trip beyond Broadway, in fact, when it hits the Theatre Royal Sydney from Thursday, December 2. And, when the curtains are raised, it'll help mark another milestone, reopening the Theatre Royal five years after it closed its doors in 2016. Inspired by Alanis Morissette's 1995 album of the same name, Jagged Little Pill the Musical weaves a story around songs from that iconic record. So yes, it's a jukebox musical like Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and Rock of Ages. Famed tracks 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know', 'Hand in My Pocket', 'Head Over Feet' and 'You Learn' all feature, in a production that boasts music by Morissette and her album co-writer and producer Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and a book by Juno Oscar-winner Diablo Cody. And, songs such as 'Thank U', 'So Pure', 'That I Would Be Good', 'So Unsexy' and 'Hands Clean' all pop up as well, even though they hail from the musician's subsequent albums. At present, tickets are on sale for shows until Sunday, December 19, all starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She'll play Mary Jane Healey, with Jagged Little Pill the Musical telling the Healey family's tale as they struggle with their seemingly idyllic suburban lives after a troubling event in their community. Expect to hear Morissette's tunes — including two new songs written just for the show — used in a story about social issues relevant to today, but also with an overall message of hope, healing and togetherness. Images: Jagged Little Pill the Musical original Broadway cast, Matthew Murphy. Updated September 27.
Sourcing restaurant-quality takeaway is a tall order at the best of times. The team behind Paddington favourite, Saint Peter, is looking to change that with their latest Rose Bay venture — Charcoal Fish. The seafood equivalent of your neighbourhood charcoal chicken shop, co-owners Josh and Julie Niland will reinterpret the Aussie family takeout tradition with restaurant-quality dishes, all available to go. The menu features Aquna Murray Cod from Griffith, a sleepy regional town in the NSW's northwest colloquially known as the food bowl of Australia. The cod has been specifically chosen for its grill-ablity and stability in transit — each cod is in for a 6-hour journey from home to Rose Bay. The Aquna Murray Cod also gives the Nilands the ability to use 92 per cent of each fish, in line with the same nose-to-tail philosophy at Saint Peter. [caption id="attachment_811440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The interior of Saint Peter, by Nikki To.[/caption] Gravy will be extracted from fish heads, frames and fins — and lathered over floury rolls stuffed with boneless cod fillets, stuffing and crispy skin. Rotisserie whole cod, grilled cod collars served with fermented tamarind hot sauce, and a unique cod fat caramel ice cream are just some of the other menu highlights. The star of the show is butterflied, boneless cod cooked over smoky charcoal. Available as a whole fillet, half, quarter or single, it gives families in all shapes and sizes the perfect weeknight option. A rotating selection of salads and chargrilled veggies, along with a permanent rotisserie cod, cod skin, lettuce, avo and charcoal tomato salad rounds out the elevated takeout options. Charcoal Fish is tipped to open in late June, 2021 at 670 New South Head Road, Rose Bay. To keep up to date with the latest or to view the menu, head to the Charcoal Fish website. Images: Nikki To at Saint Peter.
If you've ever wanted to party with a great white or a jellyfish, now is the time. Darling Harbour's Sea Life Aquarium is throwing a series of late-night dance parties this June, running from Thursday, June 10 until Saturday, June 19. Sea Life Glow will see the aquarium transformed from 6pm each night with DJs, a bar and a whole heap of glow-in-the-dark decorations to compliment the aquarium's luminescent sea creatures who shine the best after dark. Attendees will be given a drink on arrival and experience all the wonders of the aquarium without the crowds, before heading to the pop-up barbecue station for a gourmet sausage sizzle. Once you've explored the aquarium's attractions, make your way in front of the DJ for a boogie with the sea creatures. The dance floor will be surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass allowing partygoers to experience a full view of all the underwater critters. The aquarium takeover is all part of Sydney Solstice, the new winter arts festival taking over Sydney this June. Arrival times will run at 6pm, 6.30pm and 7pm each night to allow for social distancing. [caption id="attachment_805839" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sea Life Silent Sounds[/caption]
Yass, a small NSW town near Canberra received the signature Queer Eye makeover when the Fab Five descended on the town this week. Well, the whole town didn't, but George — a cattle farmer and former rodeo cowboy — did. As did the local pub. A rundown of the show, for the uninitiated, the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy show hit screens a whopping 15 years ago — running from 2003 to 2007 — and the reboot Queer Eye returned to Netflix this year. The general premise is that the Fab Five give less-fashion-savvy men (and it seems, establishments) much-needed makeovers. In Yass, while three of the Fab Five, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France and Karamo Brown, were looking after George the cattle farmer, the remaining two — Antoni Porowsi and Bobby Berk — renovated the local pub's bistro and introduced a new signature dish to the menu. Fittingly, the five were also crowned — by Yass Mayor Rowena Abbey — Yass Queens. Yas, queen. If this reference is lost on you, it's a term said to have originated in the 80s ballroom community, but recently surged to popularity thanks to this YouTube video. The Australian mini-episode of Queer Eye will hit social channels on June 22, a week after Season Two premieres on Netflix on June 15.
When you wish upon a star, do you wish for all things Disney to be worked into your daily life? If so, then you'll be familiar with Sydney fine-dining institution NEL and its Once Upon a Time degustations. Since 2019, the Harbour City restaurant has been regularly plating up 11-course meals featuring dishes inspired by the Mouse House and its movies. In fact, it's done so four times so far. 2024's run will mark the enchanting dining experience's fifth chapter, then — and NEL's Executive Chef and namesake Nelly Robinson has new film-themed culinary creations in store. From Tuesday, April 16–Saturday, August 10, fans of top-notch meals and Disney alike can flutter into the Surry Hills eatery to enjoy courses that take their cues from Frozen, 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book and more. Both savoury and sweet dishes are on offer, with or without beverages — including cocktails — that also help tell a magical tale. For those who'll never be able to let their Mouse House obsession go, cured ocean trout Nordic-style — complete with a pickled onion snowflake, snow made out of cream cheese, and dustings of lemon and dill done at your table — is on the menu. Of course the Cruella de Vil-themed plate goes with a black-and-white colour scheme, featuring ricotta gnocchi, pan-seared mushroom and a celeriac velouté. And there'll be far more than the bare necessities tempting your tastebuds with the banana-shaped cream paired with roasted white chocolate and peanut butter brittle. Other courses include a nod to Peter Pan via a golden sweet pastry crumble, aka the Once Upon a Time degustation's version of pixie dust; saying "hi ho, hi ho" to a Snow White-inspired dish; and also paying edible tribute to Mulan, The Lion King, Bambi and The Nightmare Before Christmas. There's even NEL's version of a wand, aka a chicken and eggplant pastry that comes in a crisp tulle. NEL is known for its themed degustations, also spanning KFC-inspired dinners, Moulin Rouge!-themed and Christmas degustations, and heroing native Australian ingredients in the past. Unsurprisingly, the Once Upon a Time spread is especially popular — and because it serves up new and fresh dishes riffing on the Mouse House's favourites each time, it's always a different experience each year. Price-wise, this childhood-inspired feast will require an adult salary, costing $185 per person, with beverages matched for an extra $165. Reserving a spot ASAP for dinner Tuesday–Saturday from 5.15pm, and for lunch from 12pm on Saturdays as well, is recommended — this always books out.
The underworld beckons: in 2025, hit musical Hadestown is set to take to the stage for the first time in Australia. Initially premiering as an indie theatre piece in 2006 in Vermont, then reaching off-Broadway in 2016 and Broadway in 2019, the show from musician and playwright Anaïs Mitchell plunges into the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Audiences at Theatre Royal Sydney can see the production give the ancient Greek myth a new spin from February. The Harbour City is hosting the Aussie debut season of the musical that spent 2019 and 2020 collecting accolades after accolades. From 14 Tony nominations, it won eight awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. At the Grammys, it took home Best Musical Theatre Album. If you're new to the show – which has been seen by more than three-million people and streamed over 350-million times — two love stories get Hadestown's narrative burning. Orpheus and Eurydice share the spotlight with King Hades and Persephone, as Mitchell accompanies their intertwined affairs with a soundtrack of New Orleans-inspired jazz and American folk. The production's Sydney season kicks off on Monday, February 10, 2025. Images: Hadestown Original London Cast.
Five huge industry names are resurrecting the iconic Bat and Ball Hotel this year. The Redfern pub is set to make its return towards the middle of 2024, with hopes to reopen sometime between mid-July and early August — and it'll have an all-star team at the helm. With many years in the industry under their belt, this stellar group have decided to band together to bring their long-term vision to life in the form of a hearty, local pub. [caption id="attachment_891667" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Enmore Country Club, Enmore.[/caption] The venue's stacked crew — humbly referred to as a group of mates — boasts a plethora of expertise. Rachael Paul (ex-The Golden Gully, The Sunshine Inn) leads the lineup, joined by Cameron Votano (BTB Kirribilli, Lowkey North Sydney) and Zachary Godbolt (DOOM JUICE, Enmore Country Club), alongside Daniel McBride and Dynn Szmulewicz (Enmore Country Club, The Little Guy, The Sunshine Inn, ex-The Golden Gully) to round out the team. "We've all worked together a whole bunch over the years on venues, pop-ups and events, so we will lean heavily on that shared experience of hospitality between the five of us," said seasoned venue manager Rachael Paul. "It also helps that we are all great mates and love a beer together." The decision to revive the local stalwart boiled down three key factors: its central location, vast heritage and long-standing structure, which will be aptly revamped to fit the energised yet laidback vibe of the crew. Details regarding the venue's future fitout and offerings have yet to be announced, with the new Bat and Ball Hotel team opting to release details closer to the pub's opening. But the Sydney haunt is expected to star a menu of top tipples and enticing bites. "It's going to be electric, the process has already been extremely fun," said Godbolt, the creative director and co-founder of natural wine brand DOOM JUICE and Enmore Country Club. "Lots of hard work but we can't wait for that first beer when the doors open." [caption id="attachment_784797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Sunshine Inn, Redfern Street, Casandra Hannagan.[/caption] Head to The Bat and Ball Hotel's new Instagram page to follow along with the venue's upcoming updates. Image credit: Angus Bell Young and Brewcasa Creative.
Ruby's Diner is a thought-provoking stylistic mashup. By name and laminate tabletops, it’s definitely a diner. With tolix stools, small potted succulents and denim waiter aprons, it’s very on-trend too. The menu points to some healthy leanings and a giant tattoo-style mural is a stroke of swashbuckling pirate art. Yar me hearties, I had trouble with the elevator pitch for this one. The mix of influences makes it hard to know which way the wind is blowing at Ruby’s, but they are held together in an open, sun-flooded space in the quiet, gumtree-padded backstreets of Waverley. The crowd on Sunday is just as mixed — lots of pregnant women, smart-caj thirty-somethings and post-yoga soy latte drinkers. Happily, these pirates have a much more easygoing health food charter than than the paleo commandos down the road at Bondi. So there’s gluten-free banana bread, sugar-free (read: maple syrup sweetened) muffins, five grain this and quinoa that as well as brioche french toast. If your body is the temple you worship, there is also kale breakfast salad. Sinners that we are, we order the five grain porridge with quince and the poached eggs with house-made baked beans on an oat and wholegrain waffle instead. The Single Origin coffee is excellent; it’s speedily dispatched and breakfast sails over soon afterwards. I know we’re supposed to be in a diner, but a waffle is not the best raft for beans and poached eggs. ‘Things on bread’ dishes require an inverse relationship between the thickness of the topping and the carbohydrate on which they sit. So despite the perfectly poached eggs and brightly flavoured beans, the whole is an unbalanced ballast, that for $20, doesn’t sail. The porridge is a silky gloop of five-grain goodness where I suspect much quinoa lurks. Candied nuts on top provide texture rescue but the slivers of quince are are a little too few and too small. Again, without a leading flavour or spice it was likeable, but no hidden treasure. All hands are on deck for a fairly busy Sunday brunch. They are a merry crew, but a bit too swift. The bill is offered with a full coffee on the table (and no queue at the door) and as soon as we’re done the bill is offered again. This time we walk the plank, Sunday castaways.
Maleficent has a perception problem. Traditionally blamed for Sleeping Beauty's snoozing state, the evil fairy gained an on-screen backstory in 2014, which softened out her edges (but not her razor-sharp cheekbones, naturally). That leaves inevitable sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil in a tricky predicament. The movie's title dials up the character's supposedly unsociable ways; however, if Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is now happily playing godmother to Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), how nefarious can she really be? And if she's facing off against a seemingly kindly queen (Michelle Pfeiffer) who actually wants to start a genocidal war against all magical folk, well, she's hardly the most wicked creature in this film. You could say that Disney just chose the wrong name for this follow-up, but the movie's moniker is symptomatic of its generally muddled state of affairs. It's easy to see why this sequel exists — the first film made a quarter-billion dollars at the box office, and Jolie's casting as Maleficent is a dark fairytale dream — yet that doesn't explain why such little thought appears to have gone into it otherwise. Perhaps the powers-that-be assumed that audiences just want Maleficent to be somewhat evil, so they'll overlook the fact that the last flick (and the beginning of this one) establishes otherwise. Or, perhaps it was a case of trying to use the same formula by giving it the slightest of twists. Where Maleficent proved that its eponymous antiheroine wasn't really bad because she has a soft spot for Aurora, Mistress of Evil does the same by saying "hey, someone else is worse!" That someone, Pfeiffer's Queen Ingrith, comes into Maleficent's life when Aurora accepts Prince Phillip's (Harris Dickinson) marriage proposal. While Maleficent is wary at first, she's heatedly flapping her wings with disapproval after an awkward meet-the-in-laws dinner, where she's accused of working her wicked magic on King John (Robert Lindsay). Although Aurora is left distraught and confused, original screenwriter Linda Woolverton and newcomers Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue (TV's Transparent) ensure that viewers don't feel the same, spelling out exactly who's responsible for the sinister turn of events. After a run-in with a colony of fellow dark fairies (led by a wasted Chiwetel Ejiofor), the scene is set for Maleficent to do her worst against Ingrith — for the absolute best possible reasons. With its feuding royals, controversial nuptials and ill-motivated blonde queen, Mistress of Evil takes a leaf or several out of Game of Thrones' book — all while tasking its antagonist with trying to wipe out an entire race. Throwing homicidal xenophobia into the mix is designed to reflect today's times, rebuke toxic political structures and promote a message of harmony, but it's both bluntly and clumsily handled. This is a family-friendly flick, after all, so Disney doesn't seem to want to delve too deeply into such tricky terrain. It's still happy to use holocaust parallels to up the dramatic stakes, though. Under the direction of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' co-helmer Joachim Rønning, the movie's visuals also prove dull and lumbering, unless you like overblown CGI onslaughts. Of course, Mistress of Evil isn't the first big fantasy blockbuster that's forgone subtlety and ramped up its battle scenes, but it never escapes attention that the film didn't need to turn out this way. Jolie is once again a commanding delight as Maleficent, a role she relishes even if it barely stretches her Oscar-winning acting skills. Pfeiffer is equally as mesmerising as her increasingly deranged adversary — and, as she did the first time around, Fanning wears innocence well. After fleshing out its titular figure's tragic past in the initial movie, this sequel could've just let its three main talents go head-to-head. Indeed, Mistress of Evil is at its strongest when Jolie and Pfeiffer are trading withering barbs and glares, or when Jolie and Fanning are exploring their characters' complex mother-daughter dynamic. Cast-wise, it helps that they're in fine company, with Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple returning as pithy pixies devoted to Aurora, and Sam Riley popping up again as Maleficent's shape-shifting offsider; however the film's three main ladies steal the show when they're just talking to each other. But, then the screensaver-like special effects start screaming for attention. The movie's swooping cinematography keeps repetitively flying over forests and castles, too. And, especially from its mid-point, Rønning repeatedly hits audiences over the head with the film's clunky themes. Instead of enchanting, it all just makes for average-at-best fairytale drama. Mistress of Evil is hardly cursed, but it won't send anyone leaping from their slumber. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU9zRfcTI-k
Feel so passionate about your Friday night pizza delivery that you want to wear it? Now you can. New Zealand fashion label YOUKNOW has teamed up with Pizza Hut to create a range of clothing dedicated to that controversial call: putting pineapple on pizza. If you're staunchly in the "it belongs" camp, you'll want to take a squiz at this limited-edition capsule collection inspired by the chain's Hawaiian Deluxe pizza. There aren't many (if any) dine-in Pizza Hut restaurants left around Australasia so this range is giving us a heap of nostalgia, thanks to the illustrations of the chain's iconic red roof and Hawaiian palm trees. The colours are all inspired by delicious pizza toppings like streaky bacon, pineapple and aioli. And now we're hungry. Designed and made over the ditch, YOUKNOW'S capsule range includes t-shirts, tote bags, shorts and bucket hats. Buy the items individually or get the whole damn 'fit for your next summer festival — according to the website, the label ships to Australia via DHS. YOUKNOW founder Joe Webb says the collaboration with Pizza Hut marks a "significant milestone" in the brand's journey. "It's a really special moment for us. It's amazing to see how this milestone translates over to the garments that we're super stoked to produce here in Aotearoa." It's not the first time we've seen a clothing line inspired by a classic takeaway feed. Who can forget this Big Mac-inspired 'fit or last year's ugly KFC Christmas jumpers? If you like to choose your clothing based on your weekend drive-thru order, you'll want to add one of these items to the current lineup. YOUKNOW's range is available to buy online now, with prices starting at $25 NZD — not including international shipping costs. Check out the full range here.
There are few crimes more abhorrent or unsettling than the abduction of a child. Even a child's murder carries with it the singular, hollow silver lining of closure for the family, whereas abduction offers only unanswered questions. Grief requires certainty before it can begin, and anything short of that feeds desperation and a cruel modicum of hope. Cruel, because whilst it provides much-needed energy and motivation, hope also clouds reason and fuels obsession, and it's there in that dark space of violent fixation that French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve sets his new film, Prisoners. Played out in the suburbs of a dreary, unnamed American town, Prisoners centres around the kidnapping of two young girls and the lengths to which their families will go to bring them home. In particular, it follows Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), a carpenter and survivalist who becomes fixated upon the primary suspect, Alex Jones (Paul Dano). When the police let Alex go, believing him to be innocent, Dover kidnaps him in a moment of desperation and, alongside the other father (Terrence Howard), begins to torture him. It is brutal, deeply disturbing and given none of the glamour or moral justification seen in films like Taken or the 24 series. The allusions to America's war on terror and plain enough, though never so heavy-handed as to be intrusive. Much like Villeneuve's last film, Incendies (which earned him an Oscar nomination in 2010), Prisoners is uncompromising in its depiction of violence and makes no attempt to shape any character as a hero. With themes spanning the banality of evil, blood lust, compulsion, godlike vengeance, power and domination, Aaron Guzikowski's script avoids whenever possible the use of absolutes, focusing instead on the pacts even the best may make with evil and exposing the falsehood of civility in the face of aggressive self-interest. Even Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Loki, the police officer assigned to the investigation, is presented as a tortured soul and loner whose every conversation ends in abuse or argument. There is no joy in this film, nor perhaps should there be given its subject matter, but at 153 minutes it makes for a long and exhausting viewing experience. What grounds it are the performances, with Maria Bello and Viola Davis both excellent as the despairing mothers, and Melissa Leo turning in another fine and layered performance not unlike her role in 2011's Red State. Jackman is the standout, however, delivering a powerful portrayal of a man driven to the edge of sanity by anger and despair. https://youtube.com/watch?v=doPNgss-ntc
Since 1984, the Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) has worked with communities all over western Sydney on creative projects. The initiative focuses on youth, migrants, refugees, First Nations people and people with disability. On the program, you'll find all sorts of happenings, from free courses in electronic music production to First Nations translations of local history archives and film making workshops led by playwright Tommy Murphy (Holding The Man and Mark Colvin's Kidney) and dedicated to the stories of LGBTQI+ people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Keep up with developments at ICE's Facebook page.
After bailing from the office at a reasonable hour, head to Gelato Messina (in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst) and get yourself a sundae made from the daily special. Delicious frozen treat in hand, stroll down to Golden Age Cinema for a movie screening in a beautifully-restored building.The range of films they screen is eclectic — new, old, arthouse, iconic — and they also host weekly live performances in the bar. Cocktail in hand you can watch the likes of Rainbow Chan, the Great Outdoors and The Double.
There's a moment in Netflix documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened that no one will ever forget. While much of the film falls into that category — cataloguing an utter trainwreck of a festival will do that — one scene particularly stands out. When event producer Andy King reveals what he was asked to do to secure bottled water for the fest's stars and patrons (and the fact that he'd resigned himself to doing it), it instantly underlines the scope and shamelessness of Fyre's catastrophic mismanagement. Given that the doco not only became an instant must-watch, but that the similar, Hulu-funded film Fyre Fraud did too, it's safe to say that everyone wants to know more about this story. Australians will be able to get the full details at this year's BIGSOUND, with King himself joining the lineup as a late addition. He'll be heading to Brisbane as one of the four-day conference's keynote speakers, appearing an event called Fyreside Chat with Andy King on Wednesday, September 4. King will likely be offering his advice on what not to do in the music festival industry, and why being willing to go the extra mile for a gig isn't always a good thing. As Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened demonstrates, he isn't shy when it comes to taking about his experiences — and he has a sense of humour about it. He also has a considerable resume that ranges well above and beyond Fyre Festival, spanning more than 25 years in the event business. Expect to hear about that, too, which ranges from hosting the launch of the world's tallest ferris wheel in Las Vegas to running the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation's annual gala. Amusingly, King also oversees a zero-waste event company that focuses on environmental and social impacts, including when plastic bottles of water are involved. Until he makes his way Down Under, revisit King's must-see doco moment via the Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened trailer below. The film itself is available on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ0KNVU2fV0 BIGSOUND 2019 runs from September 3–6 at various venues around Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For further details or to buy tickets, visit bigsound.org.au. To discover what to do, see, eat and drink while visiting Brissie for the annual event, check out our weekender's guide to Brisbane during BIGSOUND.
The arrival of summer means afternoons spent in beer gardens and nights that run late on cocktail bar rooftops. But, what if you could have an equally stimulating experience while avoiding that tinge of regret that comes when checking your bank balance the next day? The wonders of BYO make this dream scenario possible! With countless booze-friendly destinations to discover throughout the Harbour City and its surrounds, you can celebrate every kind of occasion with your closest pals and a carefully curated drinks selection from your own fridge or local bottle shop. Together with Mosey Fruity Beer, the hottest newcomer to the beer aisle, we've rounded up a collection of cracking BYO-friendly spots to hit up this summer. Ranging from much-loved restaurants to weekend escapes, all six picks are confirmed hot spots for taking a Mosey along. By stashing a can (or a four-pack) of the new brew in your bag, you're bringing a fruity take on the classic frothy — and an added level of freshness and 'crushability'. Our prediction? You'll be stinging for a sip by the time you're finished reading. [caption id="attachment_827080" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Elliott Kramer[/caption] ORGANISE A SUNSET BEACHSIDE BBQ Set along the beachfront overlooking Middle Harbour, Clontarf Reserve in the Northern Beaches is an idyllic spot for a sunset barbecue. The fact that it's BYO-friendly only sweetens the deal. With this expansive green space offering a well-equipped barbecue area, you're all set to cook your snags or veggie burgers to enjoy as the red, orange and purple hues sweep across the fading sky at dusk. If you're not in the mood to lug around a picnic basket, Clontarf Reserve is also home to Bosk — a stellar restaurant and kiosk immersed in foliage. Grab a juicy burger, a Turkish bread toastie or a homemade ice cream to go along with the park's BYO-friendly hours which last from 8am to 8pm. [caption id="attachment_874272" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chester Newling[/caption] PICNIC IN THE PARK Sydney has pristine gardens aplenty and Dunbar Park in Avalon is one of the best for BYO fun (with the allure of a beachside posi). Running behind Avalon Village, you can leave home with only your Moseys because you've got a generous selection of bakeries, grocers and cafes to stock you up for the most outstanding picnic. On the other side of town, Centennial Park offers boundless space where you can enjoy a fresh and fruity beer with pals. As the largest public green space in the city, you won't have a problem finding a peaceful patch to break out the lawn games away from the crowds. Just keep an eye out for designated alcohol-free zones before cracking your tinnies. [caption id="attachment_869922" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yutacar, Unsplash[/caption] AVOID THE RELOS BY HOSTING A FRIENDS-MAS PARTY While there are parks, beaches and restaurants galore in virtually every corner of Sydney, you don't have to leave home at all to make the most of BYO. In fact, organising a friends-mas party as the holiday season approaches is the best method to avoid any awkward family encounters (including unanticipated run-ins at your favourite restaurant) or simply enjoy the best of festivities with your chosen family. Best of all? Hosting your closest pals at home means you get to choose the tunes, define the dance floor and skip the pilgrimage home altogether. Just load up a playlist with your favourite bangers and clear some space in the fridge to keep the brews icy cold. [caption id="attachment_759109" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] HIT A LOCAL BYO RESTAURANT Bar Italia has been keeping hungry diners fed since 1952 — more than earning institution status. The timeless and delightfully consistent menu is complemented by quick service, large servings and simple deliciousness. While the tremendous pasta servings and housemade gelato leave an impression, the $1pp corkage makes this an elite BYO destination for the coin-conscious. Shift a couple suburbs east to Haymarket and you'll come across Mamak (pictured above). This bustling Malaysian eatery is a crowded affair thanks to its widely adored satay dishes, flavour-packed curries and utterly perfect roti. With the street-style food and $2pp corkage, Mamak is a top spot for a BYO banquet. SKIP TOWN FOR THE WEEKEND Take your BYO dreams on the road by securing incredible out-of-town accommodation. The Black Chapel in Austinmer (pictured above) is hugely impressive — offering a lavishly styled home surrounded by bush. After you've taken a soak in the plunge pool and schvitzed in the Finnish sauna, wander down the bush track to nearby Sharkies Beach to enjoy a few waterside brews. St Joseph's Guesthouse in Saint Albans is a unique stay for an inland adventure that has strong countryside-English-manor vibes. Built by convicts in 1839, this former church has been lovingly restored to accommodate up to 10 guests. Featuring an outdoor pool, a cinema projector and a rooftop lounge beneath the old church steeple, BYO has never been so good. [caption id="attachment_649049" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] David Finn[/caption] CRUISE OUT FOR A CAMPING TRIP Soak up some of the state's most scenic spots with a brew in hand on a camping trip. As the only place you can pitch a tent in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, The Basin campground ensures you're easily within reach of coastline, rainforest and bushland. North of Newcastle, in Myall Lakes National Park, Treachery Camp is another tranquil campground primed for sipping down a cold beer. Here, in the sleepy Seal Rocks locale, you can roam sand dunes and wild nature walks that dip in and out of the coastal bluff. Throw some tinnies in the daypack to enjoy with your well-earned lunch break. Armed with a ripper BYO spot and a four-pack of Mosey Fruity Beers, you'll be ready to make summer yours. To find out more about the juicy bevs, head to the website. Top image: Chester Newling
UPDATE, February 1, 2021: Beauty and the Beast is available to stream via Disney+,Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. It's a tale as old as time, or so the song tells us. But just what is that ageless story at the heart of Beauty and the Beast? Opposites attracting, sure, but a fair maiden warming to an arrogant prince who's been cursed with a monstrous appearance isn't really an everyday experience. On the other hand, with gender equality still an ongoing problem in our society, a narrative about a young woman being undermined by an egocentric male, belittled for her intelligence, and robbed of her agency by an imposing force all very much fits the bill. While breathing new life into Disney's popular animated effort is the movie's main aim — just as they've done with Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, Cinderella and The Jungle Book — the Mouse House hasn't missed the opportunity to bolster this live-action offering in certain distinctive ways. You don't cast Emma Watson as Belle without ensuring that the titular beauty isn't just kind but determined, confident, courageous and willing to fight for her place in the world. In fact, with the film also boasting Disney's first interracial kiss and first exclusively gay moment, the studio is clearly trying to bring the narrative in line with the times. The plot is much the same as it was in 1991, or the mid-18th century for that matter. The prince (Dan Stevens) is transformed due to his uncaring behaviour, with love the key to breaking the spell. Meanwhile, a young girl named Belle yearns for life beyond her quiet village, where she is frowned upon for her studious ways and persistently wooed/harassed by vain town hunk Gaston (Luke Evans). Beauty meets beast when she goes looking for her missing inventor father (Kevin Kline), who has been imprisoned in the man-turned-creature's enchanted castle. With singing household objects such as Lumière the candlestick (Ewan McGregor), Cogsworth the clock (Ian McKellen), Mrs Potts the teapot (Emma Thompson) and Plumette the feather duster (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) all on hand to dispense advice, what follows is a tale about longing and romance, as well as a spirited fable that champions a woman's right to choose her own destiny. The film's modern attitude feels especially refreshing, without ever seeming too on the nose. This is a production that's eager to weave its progressive positions into the fabric of the narrative rather than shout its from the castle turrets. Director Bill Condon (Mr Holmes) takes a classical approach to the movie's look and feel. Lavishly staged, costumed and choreographed, stepping into the world of Beauty and the Beast is like stepping into a storybook. All of the old tunes hit the spot (McGregor and company crooning 'Be Our Guest' is a highlight), although a couple of new inclusions prove little more than melodic padding. As for the cast, the expectedly impassioned Watson, suitably brooding Stevens and gloriously pompous Evans all help make this timeless tale seem equally nostalgic and new.
This dynamic, interactive artwork invites Sydneysiders to share their hopes for a sustainable future via messages written to our lands and waterways. Throughout the festival, these written wishes will be inscribed on bamboo stalks, which are then woven into a unique installation on Tallawoladah Lawn, in front of the MCA and overlooking Circular Quay. Created by artist collective Cave Urban, this new and evolving work poses the question: what do we want to leave behind? It also invites personal reflections, asking the viewer if they will be proud or ashamed of what they will eventually leave behind.
Thanks to the huge array of streaming services available at the mere press of a button, as well as the seemingly non-stop array of new movies hitting them each and every month, it's easy to forget that films don't always last forever. The very medium of 35mm film itself doesn't, in fact — it deteriorates, which is why restored and remastered versions of old classics, and shiny 4K digital transfers, are such a big deal in cinephile circles. Here's a movie that won't ever grace a DVD, a streaming queue or even get digitised, however: The Afterlight by Fear Itself and Beyond Clueless filmmaker Charlie Shackleton. It's 100-percent designed to only screen on 35mm, and only exists as one single print. And, that means that it degrades every time it's shown, and will one day fade away to the point it can no longer be played. Accordingly, getting to see The Afterlight isn't an ordinary trip to the cinema. It's a rare one-off and a true once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's also what's on offer at AGNSW, for free, for one afternoon only from 2pm on Saturday, August 20. Arriving in Brisbane fresh from playing MIFF, the film will screen just once, with Shackleton in attendance for an in-conversation session afterwards. And if you're wondering what The Afterlight is actually about, it's a cinematic collage featuring clips of actors who are now dead but will always live on on celluloid — although not on this strip of celluloid once it disappears.
An annual highlight of Vivid's food program, Vivid Chef Series returns with a celebration of world-class cuisine unlike any other. Across a series of special dinners, a pair of chefs — one a homegrown hero, the other an international talent — joins forces to curate unique menus melding their distinct yet complementary cultural and professional backgrounds. First up, Fred's Executive Chef Ben Greeno teams up with London's Max Coen of Notting Hill bistro Dorian for four exclusive dinners. A newly minted Michelin-starred chef, Coen's elegant, fuss-free food is proof that fine-dining needs no bells or whistles when superb produce and flawless execution will suffice. Working with Greeno, the pair are delivering a five-course feast in the heart of Paddington from Sunday, May 26–Wednesday, May 29. [caption id="attachment_844447" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christopher Pearce[/caption] From Tuesday, May 28–Thursday, May 30, The Charles Brasserie and Bar Executive Chef Billy Hannigan is partnering with award-winning young chef Sally Abé, who is known for cooking that champions the UK's best seasonal produce. Abé is summoning the same refined British nostalgia that can be found on her menu at London's The Pem restaurant, but with an infusion of Australian ingredients. Alongside Hannigan, The Charles' Head Pastry Chef Rhiann Mead (formerly of Bennelong) is also be on deck, serving up a showstopping dessert that fuses the hearty flavours of Blighty with the delicacy of French pâtisserie. Next, the robust, earthy dishes of central Europe mingles with the spice and colour of Middle Eastern fare at Aalia in Martin Place. Ivan Brehm, the head chef and owner of Michelin-starred Singaporean diner Nouri, is sharing the double-hatted kitchen of Aalia's Paul Farag for two dinners on Tuesday, June 11–Wednesday, June 12. The last collaboration in the series pairs Ghanaian chef Selassie Atadika with Steven Hartert, the Executive Chef at Dixson and Sons, the upmarket brasserie at the Porter House Hotel. Over two nights across Friday, June 14–Saturday, June 15, Selassie's passion for underutilised and sustainable produce shares the plate with Hartert's talent for sophisticated fusions for a meal where heritage and innovation are key ingredients. Top image: Steven Woodburn.
FBi Radio has been championing Sydney music arts and culture for nearly two decades at this point. One of the many ways the beloved community radio station does this is through its annual Sydney Music Arts and Culture or SMAC Awards. These awards are back for 2022, celebrating the best this city has offered up over the last 12 months. The categories for these awards range from Record and Song of the Year to Best Arts Program and Best Eats, with nominees including popular boundary-pushing musicians like 1300, Barkaa, SPEED and Tasman Kieth, through to artists like Shan Turner-Carroll and Chun Yin Rainbow Chan; events like Athletica, Pressure Fest, Radar Sundays, Big Thick Energy and Eucalyptusdom; and restaurants young and old like A.P Town, Maydanoz, Wan, Mitran Da Dhaba and Flyover Fritterie. [caption id="attachment_787684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Milan Ring[/caption] The awards are voted on by the public, but voting is now closed. Whether you voted or not, if you still want to get involved in the awards, this is the first year that the ceremony is open to the public. Head along to the Powerhouse Museum on Thursday, November 10 and you can watch all the awards be handed out, as well as performances from some of the nominees and DJ sets from FBi family — all for free. The lineup of performers features Gomeroi rapper Kobie Dee and DIY rockers Optic Nerve, both of who are nominated for best live act, as well as neo-soul singer-songwriter Milan Ring who's nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. There will also be a bar with beers from Grifter, and while you're at the Powerhouse, you can enjoy an after-hours exploration of the museum, including UNPOPULAR, the immersive new exhibition that provides never-before insights into 90s Australian tours from landmark acts like Nirvana, Pavement, Bikini Kill, Beastie Boys and Sonic Youth. [caption id="attachment_875369" align="alignnone" width="1920"] UNPOPULAR, Zan Wimberley[/caption]
Casual face-melter Courtney Barnett is finally about to have a debut album under her already trophy-laden belt. So naturally, the Melbourne-based shredder has announced her Australian debut album tour for May 2015. This one's going to sell fast. Marking the release of her first ever LP, Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (out Friday, March 20 via Barnett's own Milk! Records and Remote Control), this tour follows Barnett's epic performances at Laneway festival around the country over the last few weeks. Having already proved herself one of Australia's brightest sparks over the last few years with her 2013 EP release The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, Barnett's spins one hell of a live show — having nailed sets at Lollapalooza, South by Southwest and New York City's CMJ. Supported by Teeth & Tongue, Barnett will cruise from Adelaide's The Gov on Friday, May 1 to Perth's Bakery on Saturday, May 2. Then it's over to Sydney's The Metro on Friday, May 8 and Brisbane's Hi-Fi on Saturday, May 9. In classic Australian artist form, Barnett will wrap things up in her hometown of Melbourne on Friday, May 15 at The Forum. COURTNEY BARNETT AUSTRALIAN ALBUM TOUR 2015 SUPPORTED BY TEETH & TONGUE FRIDAY MAY 1 The Gov, Adelaide, SA TICKETS SATURDAY MAY 2 The Bakery, Perth, WA TICKETS FRIDAY MAY 8 The Metro, Sydney, NSW TICKETS SATURDAY MAY 9 The Hifi, Brisbane, QLD TICKETS FRIDAY MAY 15 The Forum, Melbourne, VIC TICKETS
At the end of May, a host of top names arrive in the state capital for the annual Sydney Writers Festival. But if you can't make it to the Harbour City, a number of the biggest events are being streamed for free in libraries across the Central Coast. Lake Haven, Toukley, Kincumber, Erina, Tuggerah and Umina Beach libraries are all taking part. Note that all events are being livestreamed to all libraries, so make sure to check the Love Central Coast website for times and locations. After all, you wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to see Julie Baird, author of Phosphorescence, talk about the inspiration for her new book. Or miss Olivier Award-winning playwright Suzie Miller speak on the huge success of her production, Prima Facie. Or catch Trent Dalton, the biggest Australian novelist of the last years, talking about his new novel and what it means to see his breakout hit, Boy Swallows Universe, make its way onto Netflix earlier this year. Support local libraries while also getting a slice of literary insight — it really is a win-win situation.
Bourke Street would probably argue, but everyone knows that Queen Street in Woollahra is the Paris of the East. Nothing better to close the case on the matter than the new Woollahra Artisan Market. Setting foot in the market, one immediately hears French accents selling cheese, canelés and salami. Come for your weekly provisions from stalls selling organic produce, grass-fed meats, free-range eggs and organic breads. There are also plenty of breakfast/brunch/lunch options, with pastries, bagels and bacon and egg rolls on offer. Our pick is the pho by Eat Fuh (make sure you get the extra lemon and chilli) — it makes for great slurping in the sun. The usual bunch of health nuts appear, with stalls selling herbs, paleo snacks, fermented stuff and gluten-free loaves heavy enough to do your bicep curls with. There are plenty of opportunities to blow cash on jams, oils, chocolates, cakes, ceramics and, of course, designer dog biscuits. This is Woollahra, after all. The Woollahra Artisan Markets runs every Sunday from 8.30am - 2.30pm in the car park next to Zigolini's on Queen Street.
There's a difference between passion and talent, though few people dare to explain that to Marguerite Dumont (Catherine Frot). The fictional character, inspired by a real-life New York socialite, lives for music. Unfortunately, as much as she loves belting out a song, she can't hold a tune to save her life. "Does she always sing like this?" asks young critic Lucien Beaumont (Sylvain Dieuaide) when he first hears her voice at one of her frequent soirees. He's as shocked by the response as he is at the sound ringing in his ears; "No. She's come a long way," he's told. Marguerite tells her tale, transporting the story to 1920s France to avoid conflicting with another film about its obvious source of inspiration, the forthcoming Florence Foster Jenkins. If you think a narrative about a wealthy woman's repeated attempts to sing in public would be riddled with both tragedy and comedy, you'd be right. However writer-director Xavier Giannoli (Superstar) struggles to find the ideal balance between the two. It's not just many of the characters that are outwardly laughing at, not with, the aspiring opera star. Always trying to find humour in the situation, the movie itself seems to be trying to inspire the same reaction. Indeed, the film's depiction of the behaviour of those closest to her demonstrates this approach. Marguerite's husband (André Marcon) belittles her to anyone who'll listen, while her loyal butler (Denis Mpunga) hopes to profit from his photographs of her outlandish behaviour. When Lucien befriends the wannabe soprano after reviewing her concert, he's clearly secretly joking at his new pal's expense. The feature stresses again and again that no one wants to ruin Marguerite's fantasy of grandeur, though it also makes plain that they're enjoying watching her make a fool out of herself. Showing them as much empathy as it does its protagonist, Marguerite follows in their footsteps. Accordingly, any kindness in the movie is tinged with unmistakable cruelty — and it's an uncomfortable mix to say the least. Frot's performance won a Caesar award, and proves the most nuanced and convincing element of the film. Sadly, she's left languishing in an effort that treats her character in a cartoonish manner. Any intended satire about the falseness of upper-class society fails to hit the mark. While Marguerite's tone proves awkward, it's technical artistry is never in doubt. Giannoli's skills as a filmmaker are best evidenced in the sumptuous imagery he brings to the screen, which shows levels of texture and intricacy his script does not. In fact, the movie's detailed production design and lingering cinematography often sit at odds with its comical treatment of its central figure. If only the care and affection of the former could've extended to the latter.
When one bar closes, hopefully another one opens — and, thankfully, that's proving the case at the former Hazy Rose site on Sydney's iconic Stanley Street. Adding a dash of film noir moodiness to Darlinghurst, The Long Goodbye is the kind of joint even Humphrey Bogart would approve of. Think old-school charm to match the Raymond Chandler novel and subsequent movie it's named after, plus classic cocktails, and live jazz and blues on Thursdays. Old-fashioned service and taking inspiration from old flicks might be in order here, but not everything harks back to years gone by. In a thoroughly modern move, bar manager and owner Flynn McLennan, of the Zeta Bar, has brought along an in-house chemist to develop his range of house-made liqueurs. The mixologist has used an ultrasonic machine to create a host of unique flavours, including a duck fat washed apricot brandy, strawberry balsamic shrub and chilli bitters. And to help bring home the DIY feel, you'll find their beverage list hand-typed on a vintage typewriter. Thanks to elaborate homages to the post-World War II era, the new hangout will make you feel like you're in classic noirs from the '40s (when Chandler's big hit The Big Sleep reached screens) through to the '70s (when Robert Altman's movie adaptation of The Long Goodbye made it to cinemas) in no time, lending cocktail-lovers a dark, brooding atmosphere. Candelabras, antique artworks, leather chesterfield lounges and ornate chairs help The Long Goodbye look the part, with McLennan and co-owner Dennis Jen finding the bar's furniture and glassware from local markets and Newtown's Chris On King vintage shop. Find The Long Goodbye at 1/83 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst, or visit their Facebook page for more information.
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: The Sparks Brothers is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes, and will be available on Amazon Prime Video from January 1. "All I do now is dick around" is an exquisite song lyric and, in Sparks' 2006 single 'Dick Around', it's sung with the operatic enthusiasm it demands. It's also a line that resounds with both humour and truth when uttered by Russell Mael, who, with elder brother Ron, has been crafting art-pop ditties as irreverent and melodic as this wonderful track since 1969. Sparks haven't been dicking around over that lengthy period. They currently have 25 albums to their name, and they've taken on almost every genre of music there is in their highly acerbic fashion. That said, their tunes are clearly the biggest labour of love possible, especially as the enigmatic duo has always lingered outside the mainstream. They've had some chart success, including mid-70s hit 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us', Giorgio Moroder collaboration and disco standout 'The Number One Song in Heaven', and the supremely 80s 'Cool Places'. They're beloved by everyone from Beck and 'Weird Al' Yankovic to Jason Schwartzman and Mike Myers, too. They're the band that all your favourite bands, actors and comedians can't get enough of, but they're hardly a household name — and yet, decade after decade, the Maels have kept playing around to make the smart, hilarious and offbeat songs they obviously personally adore. Everyone else should love Sparks' idiosyncratic earworms as well — and, even for those who've never heard of the band before, that's the outcome after watching The Sparks Brothers. Edgar Wright, one of the group's unabashed super fans, has turned his overflowing affection into an exceptional documentary. It's the Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver director's first factual effort, and it's even more charming and delightful than the films he's best known for. That said, it'd be hard to mess up a movie about Sparks, purely given how much material there is to work with. Russell and Ron, the former sporting shaggier hair and the latter donning a pencil-thin moustache rather than the Charlie Chaplin-style top lip he's brandished for much of his career, are also heavenly interviewees. That's the thing about these now-septuagenarian siblings, every Sparks tune they've ever blasted out into the world, and this comprehensive yet always accessible film that's instantly one of 2021's best: they're all joyously, fabulously, eccentrically fun to an infectious and buoyant degree. There's a joke in this doco's title, in fact; when it came to naming the group after cycling through a few monikers across other projects, they firmly rejected The Sparks Brothers. That's one of the many anecdotes that fill Wright's film — some shared playfully and self-deprecatingly by the Maels, some offered by worshipping aficionados that join the entertaining love-in. There's no escaping the documentary's devoted tone, but again, that attitude is quickly contagious. As the movie steps through Sparks' ups and downs, taking the chronological approach and giving as much time to their lesser-known albums as their cult hits, being as enchanted as Wright just comes with the package. He does an exhaustive job of charting the ebbs, flows, jumps, swerves, successes, disappointments and reinventions that've littered his subjects' careers, even as he leaves viewers wanting even more detail in plenty of instances. Crucially for a feature about musicians that many watching will be unfamiliar with, Wright does just as stellar a job at conveying exactly why Sparks have always deserved far more fame and acclaim, why they're so completely and utterly beloved and obsessed over by everyone who comes across them, and why music, comedy and the intersection of the two will forever owe them a debt. The audience first meets Russell and Ron today, looking as hip and unconventional as they always have, before The Sparks Brothers jumps back to their Los Angeles childhood, their teen penchant for movies and then everything that's come since. They originally weren't certain if they'd become filmmakers instead — and there's a theatricality to the pair's songs, shows and sublimely off-kilter music videos that speaks to that cinematic fervour. Wright weaves in an abundance of Sparks' gigs and tunes, showcasing both their creativity and their presence. This is a movie with a killer soundtrack, obviously, and it also appreciates the artistry that goes into creating such clever, distinctive and amusing songs that are always one step ahead of the pack. One clear highlight: a live rendition of 'My Baby's Taking Me Home', a tune that repeats that phrase 100-plus times, doesn't include a single other word, and is an emotional tour de force. Another pivotal message: just how hard the Maels have always worked to do what they love, to make such musical pearls and to keep challenging themselves. In 2008, they did 21 shows in London in 21 nights, playing every one of their then 21 albums through in full, for instance. It's with inescapable melancholy that The Sparks Brothers is also an account of what didn't quite happen; watching it, it's almost impossible to grasp why they haven't been one of the biggest bands in the world for the last half-century. Their 1994 synth-pop track 'When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'', a hit in Germany at the time, manages to be both an anthemic smash and a commentary on what hadn't worked out for them; yes, as Russell's voice echoes and Ron's keyboard skills constantly strike a chord, that's how witty and humorous and just all-round magnificent their music is. 2021 is the year of Sparks, though. Every year since 1969 should've been, but The Sparks Brothers sings their praises with irresistible passion. And, it gives viewers a brief glimpse at their next big project, Annette — the musical that just opened the Cannes Film Festival, is directed by Holy Motors' Leos Carax, stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, and reportedly features the former crooning tunes while getting rather intimate with the latter. The world has always needed more Sparks on a bigger stage; now, to the benefit of everyone that's ever loved them and anyone just discovering them, it's stopped dicking around and is finally delivering.
If you watched Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's vampire sharehouse mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows back in 2014, then instantly found yourself yearning for more, that's understandable. Smart, silly and hilarious, the undead flick is one of the past decade's best comedies — and, to the delight of viewers eager to keep spending time in the movie's supernatural world, it's the reason that New Zealand TV spinoff Wellington Paranormal and American television remake What We Do in the Shadows exist. The latter kicked off in 2019, focusing on a group of vampire flatmates living in Staten Island. If you were a bit wary it wouldn't live up to the original, those fears were quelled, fast. Featuring Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou, The Magicians' Harvey Guillen and The Office's Mark Proksch, it sticks to the same basic concept as the original movie, but with memorable new characters. That said, it could never be considered a mere small-screen copy. Instead, it's a lively and captivating addition to the broader What We Do in the Shadows universe. Also, it boasts two specific aces up its sleeves: the combined on-screen talents of its cast — especially Berry, Novak and Demetriou as three of the central bloodsuckers — plus the time to dive deeper into their undead world. Accordingly, it's no wonder that it was renewed for a ten-episode second season, which is now hitting Australian screens via Foxtel from Thursday, June 25. If you need a refresher, Novak's 'Nandor The Relentless' dates back to the Ottoman Empire days and is somewhat stuck in his ways, while Berry's mischievous British dandy Laszlo and Demetriou's seductive Nadja are like a blood-sucking Bonnie and Clyde, but much funnier. Guillen plays Nandor's familiar Guillermo, who'd do anything to join the undead, while Proksch's Colin is an 'energy vampire'. The new batch of episodes continue their story, charting Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja and the gang's undead antics in the New York borough. It wasn't easy being a centuries-old bloodsucker in Wellington in the movie, and it's just as tough (and amusing) on the other side of the world. The second season also delves further into Guillermo's position among the group. And, it features guest stars such as Mark Hamill, Haley Joel Osment and Craig Robinson. Can't wait to sink your fangs in? The show has also been renewed for a third season, so there's even more to come. Ahead of the season two launch in Australia, check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ozcr43fP4 The second season of What We Do in the Shadows starts airing on Foxtel and streaming via Foxtel Now from Thursday, June 25, with new episodes added weekly.
Here's something that you oughta know: Alanis Morissette is heading Down Under. The famed 90s singer was actually set to hit our shores back in 2020 as part of her world tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her chart-topping 95 album Jagged Little Pill. But the pandemic forced those plans to change, so now she'll perform in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in 2022. Get ready to sing along to 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know' and 'All I Really Want' at Perth's RAC Arena on November 5, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on November 8 and 9, and Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on November 11. Morissette was also part of the cancelled 2020 Bluesfest bill, but if the festival returns to its usual Easter timeslot next year — after the 2021 fest was scrapped, then moved to October — that obviously won't happen again. At her four stadium shows, the 90s icon will be supported by Australia's own Julia Stone. Stone has released three solo albums and four together with her brother Angus, including Down the Way, which won Album of the Year at the 2010 ARIA Awards. Morissette's own collection of music awards is hefty, and includes seven Grammys and 12 Juno Awards. While her 95 album Jagged Little Pill is the most critically acclaimed, the Canadian singer has released nine albums, including her latest, Such Pretty Forks in the Road, in 2020. It's clearly a great time to be an Australian Morissette fan, with Broadway's Jagged Little Pill musical, which was inspired by her album and features a heap of the musician's songs, also headed our way. It'll reopen the Theatre Royal Sydney this September. In the meantime, though, hype yourself up for the Aussie tour by belting out the following banger: ALANIS MORISSETTE 2022 AUSTRALIAN DATES Saturday, November 5 — RAC Arena, Perth Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Friday, November 11 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tickets for Alanis Morissette's rescheduled tour are on sale now.
Come those long, balmy afternoons of summer time, it gets easier and more tempting to ignore the beer and opt for a clean and crisp cider instead. So to celebrate, the Hotel Steyne in Manly will turn itself over to the Australian Cider Festival on October 19-20. Let the boozy apple juice flow. The cider industry is gaining some serious traction in Australia, and the festival "will give the general public a chance to sample a wide range of quality ciders in one place", says Cider Australia president James Kendell. Familiar faces include old favourites like Magners and Monteith's, plus up-and-comers like Australia's first certified organic cidery (noun, not adjective), Willie Smiths. Alongside the dozens of stalls featuring local and international cider makers, festivalgoers can feast on menus tailor-made to accompany cider. Also thrown in are street performers and other family-friendly activities to keep everyone excited and involved. Tickets are 35 bucks a pop, and include ten tasting tokens, a tasting glass and a tasty gourmet roll. How do ya like them apples?
Every Wednesday, the Australian Museum hosts a dynamic after-dark event called Culture Up Late. It focuses on a significant cultural, scientific or historical issue and invites the public to get involved. And no, it's not all seminars and papier-mâché — think more VR and live music. On February 21, the museum is turning its sights on saving the ocean, and it's inviting scientists, activists, artists and you to come along. Culture Up Late: Turning the Tide will include a conversation with renowned marine biologist Lucas Handley, weaving marine animals out of recycled materials with Aboriginal Elder Karleen Green, making wearable art with artist and activist Marina DeBris and an interactive VR experience. Chasing Coral will transport you to the Great Barrier Reef to witness first-hand the ongoing effects of coral bleaching. There will also be live music, workshops and heaps more to explore. The Culture Up Late sessions show Australian Museum in a new light, and let the public experience culture, performance, art, science and storytelling after the working day is done. During these evenings, visitors can also tour the museum's extensive collections and exhibitions, including Mammoths – Giants of the Ice Age, which features a 42,000-year-old baby woolly mammoth named Lyuba. If you want to learn more about protecting our oceans (and visit the Great Barrier Reef without purchasing a plane ticket) you're in luck — we're giving away five double passes to Turning the Tide. To enter, see details below. [competition]656228[/competition]
Since launching around the country back in 2013, the British Film Festival keeps standing out for three reasons. Yes, it ranks among Australia's most obvious cultural film fests; however, it's also a star-studded affair, and a popular one. If you're keen not only for a slice of Old Blighty, but to watch well-known talents do what they do best, then prepare to spend a few weeks staring at the big screen. 2018's lineup keeps hitting those same marks. Why mess with a good thing? Running in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra until November 14, this year's program includes Kiera Knightley's latest star turn, a four-film tribute to Michael Caine that'll blow the bloody doors off, and Star Wars' Daisy Ridley in a playful take on Hamlet — plus these, our five must-see picks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfWIfwKJ7vA ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE Anna and the Apocalypse is a zombie movie. It's a high-school comedy. It's a Christmas flick. And, it's also a musical. Just when you thought you'd seen every take on the undead available, this all-singing genre mash-up pops up to prove you wrong. A crowd-pleaser at overseas festivals, it's based on the BAFTA-winning short Zombie Musical — and, story-wise, follows the eponymous Anna (Ella Hunt) as she reacts to the rather inconvenient fact that her Scottish hometown of Little Haven is now filled with the shuffling masses hankering for brains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qItW6evHbE8 YARDIE After coming to fame with to The Wire, Idris Elba is no stranger to sprawling crime dramas that chart the next generation's involvement in the drug trade. With Yardie, however, he's stepping behind the camera rather than appearing in front of it. The actor's feature directorial debut hops between Jamaica and London, and between the 70s and 80s, at it charts the path of Denis. As a boy (Antwayne Eccleston), he watches his brother get gunned down on the streets of Kingston. As a young man (Aml Ameen), he finds himself selling cocaine in the UK and seeking revenge. The result is a film with vibrant style, that knows what it wants to be and knows when it's hitting familiar beats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj5h1kKjVYc PETERLOO Whenever Mike Leigh has a new film, it's reason enough to rush to the cinema. The great director has seven Oscar nominations to his name for the likes of Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky and Another Year, and tends to alternate between character-based and historical-leaning dramas. With his latest, Peterloo, he's operating in the latter camp, examining a momentous event in Britain's past. The feature is named after and explores a massacre in Manchester in 1819, when 700 working folks were injured — and 15 killed — during a peaceful pro-democracy gathering. Yes, it sounds more than a little relevant today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE5xbDTkzQQ STAN & OLLIE To the world, they were Laurel and Hardy — one lean and English, the other rotund and American, and both funnier and more famous when they were hitting the stage and screen together. Starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie delves into the story behind the fame, when the comedians were approaching the end of their career. The film arrives in Australia fresh from premiering at the London Film Festival, and closes out BFF with the promise of laughs, love and excellent performances. Indeed, when it comes to spot-on casting, it's already a winner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8YiltlZGB0 THE HAPPY PRINCE Another blast from the past in the BFF program, another look at a well-known figure past their heyday, and another well-known actor making their filmmaking debut, too. With the dreamily tragic The Happy Prince, Rupert Everett steps into Oscar Wilde's shoes — and it's a role that he was born to bring to the screen. Writing and directing as well, Everett approaches Wilde's dying days in a rundown Parisian hotel room with both passion and sorrow, two traits that the poet and write knew well. It's a hardly a happy portrait, despite the name, which riffs on one of Wilde's works. That said, interweaving flashbacks to fonder times and co-starring Colin Firth, it does Wilde justice. The 2018 British Film Festival tours Australia until November 14, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinemas from October 23 to November 14; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay and The Astor Theatre from October 25 to November 14; Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from October 24 to November 14; and Perth's Cinema Paradiso, Raine Square Cinemas, Luna on SX and Windsor Cinema from October 25 to November 14. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Sydney's Ensemble Apex orchestra is back for a night of classical music without pretension. Its talented young musicians will take over the Powerhouse Museum on Tuesday, August 30 — and the $30 tickets ($10 if you're a student) come with a beer. The ensemble is known for performing outside of traditional concert halls. Last year, it put on a show at Sydney's Town Hall. This time around, the group will perform within the Powerhouse's Apollo 11 exhibition, underneath that giant floating sculpture of the moon. The full-scale orchestra will perform composer Dmitri Shostakovich's 'String Quartet No.8', Giovanni Sollima's 'Violoncelles, vibrez!', Aaron Coplan's 'Concerto for Clarinet' and Joseph Haydn's 'Symphony No.60'. Expect high energy rhythms from Shostakovich, electronic melodies from Sollima and jazz vibes from Copland. Alongside the music, you can enjoy a Young Henrys beer or cider, free at the bar (until sold out). Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm.
UPDATE, November 02, 2020: Your Name is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Most mornings, when her younger sister comes to wake her up, Mitsuha (voiced by Mone Kamishiraishi) is fondling her own chest. It becomes an ongoing joke between the siblings, but there's more than awkward teenage self-exploration at play. Most mornings, you see, her body is actually inhabited by someone else. Mitsuha is a high school student from the quiet town of Itomori, and when she asks the universe for a more exciting life, that's actually what she gets. Swapping bodies with the city-dwelling Taki (Ryunosuke Kamiki), she's soon working his shifts in an Italian restaurant, while he's fumbling through her classes and forgetting to make breakfast. It's a premise straight out of a body-swap movie — think Freaky Friday, Dating the Enemy and The Change-Up, to name a few. Mitsuha and Taki change bodies on alternating days, but they can't remember each other's names. To navigate the chaos of suddenly becoming someone else, they communicate via notes left in their phones, gradually settling into a routine. Alas, just as they start to feel comfortable switching into each other's skin, learning from their escapades and forming a growing connection, fate once again intervenes. In his fifth feature Makoto Shinkai (The Garden of Words, Children Who Chase Lost Voices) dives head-first into the offbeat yet insightful adventure that comes with literally putting his protagonists in someone else's place. However, taking inspiration from the traditional Japanese tale Torikaebaya Monogatari, Your Name proves more than just a quirky comedy. Starting with a meteor shower accompanied by narration about "that day when the stars came falling, like a dream…a shared dream," Shinkai flirts with everything from star-crossed romance to impending disaster, as well as notions of identity, gender, the ever-changing reality of life, and the difficulty of reconciling many everyday contrasts. It's telling that Shinkai highlights the dream-like nature of the material from the outset. An ethereal air infiltrates each scene, while the gorgeous, glistening animation makes every moment feel both hyper-realistic and like a fond memory. Indeed, the script's numerous charms are matched by endless visual delights. Full of montages and catchy pop songs, the film plays out in a recognisable world – particularly for anyone who has ever visited Tokyo. Yet it feels just as magical as it would were Mitsuha and Taki being spirited away to another realm. That's one of the reasons that the M word keeps being thrown around: 'Miyazaki', that is. Thanks to the film's phenomenal popularity in Japan, Shinkai has been dubbed the spiritual successor to the Studio Ghibli great — and while that's high praise, it also fails to capture just what makes the film such a treat. Part teen rom-com, part sci-fi contemplation of weighty concepts, the anarchy and confusion of life has rarely felt so vivid, honest or enchanting.
From piecing together messages or wondrous discoveries hidden among the stars, to using the constellations as a guiding force for navigation, or simply sitting back and admiring the view, stargazing has proven to be an enduring hobby. To honour this, Vivid Sydney is taking to the skies with the return of its stunning annual drone shows, in partnership with the Australian Traffic Network. Across six nights from Sunday, May 28, you'll be able to look up and witness over 1000 drones lighting up the night sky to create the biggest drone show the Southern Hemisphere has seen to date. Written in the Stars will take audiences on a visual exploration of space, delving into the natural world of our solar system by featuring awe-inspiring landscapes from the Sun through to Jupiter — along with some unexpected stops and visitors. A rework of Gustav Holst's 'The Planets' by Peewee Ferris will soundtrack the shows, available via the Cinewav app (which you can download here), to heighten the experiential journey. And you'll be able to marvel at these sights for free. Catch the recurring light shows from 9.10pm from your vantage point of Circular Quay or The Rocks. This event will only light up Sydney Harbour for six nights throughout the duration of Vivid Sydney 2023. Written in the Stars is running from 9.10pm on Sunday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 31 then June 4th, 7th, 12th and 14th. For more information, visit the website.
See the sky set alight this New Years Eve from Sydney's newest terrace bar, The Butler. Pott Point's latest arrival is putting on a lavish, seven-course banquet to welcome 2015 in style. Tipped to guarantee ticketholders an impressive selection of French flavours with an unexpected Caribbean twist, this intimate soiree offers sweet city views and an equally impressive feast to match. At $200pp, entry to this sky-high tropical hideout comes at a bit of a cost. But with whispers of French champagne on arrival and best-seat-in-the-house views of the fireworks, this is one NYE party to entice partygoers after a more sit-down yet lively affair.
There are some definite perks to owning your own house. Firstly, there are no pesky landlords all up in your business. If you don't want to mow the lawn, don't do it! More power to you and your slovenly lifestyle choice. If you want to hang a painting, just do it! No one's going to get mad at you for chipping the wall paint and if they do, they're clearly an uncultured pedant. Now, Concrete Playground is offering you the opportunity to take this to the extreme — spruce up that blank white wall with a mural by artist Brad Robson. But firstly, who even is this guy? Brad Robson is a Sydney-based artist and illustrator responsible for some pretty amazing murals. He's a former owner of Kaleidoscope Gallery, his work is all over the walls of the SBS World Movies offices and Hive Bar, and his bustling abstract expressionism has been exhibited all over both Sydney and New York. He has a street style that would fit in seamlessly with the iconic laneways of New York, Melbourne or Berlin, but instead he's bringing his talents to Concrete Playground readers for a second time. Our last competition winner got this a vibrant cityscape, and although the artwork has to be monochrome this time around, check out what Robson can do with just black and white. To be in the running, you must live in either the inner city or inner-western suburbs of Sydney and — because we don't want you to get evicted — this has to be a property you're allowed to mess with. The mural will be of a subject of Robson's choosing, and he'd prefer to start on a plain white wall. If you tick all these boxes, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter, then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. We'll notify the winner via email.
In news that is both pretty exciting and slightly unnerving, Sydney is set to get a slice of summertime four months early next week. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, temperatures will reach a high of 28 degrees Celsius on Monday, August 26 — a temperature that is nine degrees warmer than the average high for this time of year. The weather will remain unseasonably warm in the mid-twenties for the rest of the week, with the mercury breaking 26 degrees on Tuesday, August 27 and Wednesday, August 28, before dipping to the low-twenties towards the end of next week. A number of Sydney weather records have already been broken in 2024, with March ranking as the warmest in a century and this winter on track to be one of the hottest ever. As well as being warm, 2024 was also wet, with one April shower dumping more than month's rain on the Harbour City in just 24 hours. [caption id="attachment_791800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The rooftop at Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel[/caption] While extreme weather is an obvious cause for concern, it would be a shame not to make the most of this winter sun while it lasts. You can soak up some rays on a bracing coastal walk or break out the swimmers for a dip in one of Sydney's ocean pools. And don't forget about Sydney's wealth of beer gardens and rooftop bars, including the CBD's newest at the just-opened The Bristol. The City of Sydney has also just slashed the number of alcohol-free public spaces by almost half from 428 alcohol-prohibited zones to only 238, meaning there are many more parks where you can assemble the squad for a few BYO sundowners.
True-crime stories have saturated all forms of media of late. If you're not listening to podcasts on the topic, you're watching Zac Efron play Ted Bundy, exploring the intersection of fact and fiction in Mindhunter or poring over a TV series about Serial's Adnan Syed. But despite the seemingly never-ending list of new additions to the genre, we're betting you haven't yet witnessed anything quite like Joe Exotic's story, which is the subject of Netflix's new Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness docuseries — and, now, an upcoming drama series as well. Clearly, Joe Exotic isn't the name that the show's mullet-wearing focal point was born with. But given Joe's love of big cats, line of work and over-sized personality, he obviously decided that the moniker fit. Between 1999–2016, he created and ran The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma, which was home to hundreds of tigers, lions and other large felines. Joe also took his tiger show on the road and, because he just adored tigers so much, he literally sang about them as well. His first country music album was called I Saw a Tiger, because of course it was. He found time to run for Governor of the state and, in 2016, President of the US. He's fond of guns and just as fond of marrying more than one person at once. Oh, and the zookeeper tried to hire a hitman to get one of his rivals — Big Cat Rescue animal sanctuary's CEO Carole Baskin — killed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acTdxsoa428 Lions, tigers, eccentricity, polygamy and murder-for-hire, oh my! That's the jaw-dropping tale that Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness — and yes, it's so strange that it can only be true. It's no wonder that Netflix has turned it into a series, which is now available to stream. And, as Deadline reports, it's no wonder that a new TV drama is set to recreate these events as well. Based on the podcast Joe Exotic — the latest season of ongoing series Over My Dead Body, which is created by the podcast studio behind Dirty John, Homecoming and Dr Death — the new drama will chart Exotic's long and complicated battle with Baskin. If you've already binged your way through Tiger King, you'll know there's much more to both sides of the story, and to both of their backgrounds, including suspicions about the death of Carole's second husband. While few details have been released about the Joe Exotic limited drama series as yet, which'll only run for one batch of episodes, it will boast a big star. Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters and Yesterday's Kate McKinnon will be playing Baskin — and yes, that means she'll be saying "hey all you cool cats and kittens" more than once, as well as dressing head to toe in tiger print. The TV drama version of Joe Exotic doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is available to stream now on Netflix. Via Deadline. Top image: Netflix.
If ice cream is a gift from the gods, then free ice cream is pure divinity. And that would make the Ben & Jerry's team martyrs, because this Sunday, July 16 they're giving out tubs of their ice cream, gratis. Think of it as a donation to your enjoyment on Earth. If you want to get in on this higher experience, Ben & Jerry's will be stationed at holy sites in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. This is where they'll be: Sydney: Queen's Victoria Building forecourt (next to the statue) from 11am – 1pm, then Manly Wharf from 3–6pm. Melbourne: The entry to Luna Park, St Kilda from 12–4pm. Brisbane: 168 Grey Street, South Brisbane from 1–3pm. All up, they've got 20,000 tubs to give away, including cult favourites like salted caramel, the caramel core Karamel Sutra and Chubby Hubby, which has fudge-covered pretzels and peanut butter swirls. The giveaway will celebrate International Ice Cream Day and the brand's new partnership with food delivery service Foodora. It's a great week for cheapskates, as Lord of the Fries is also giving out no-charge chips on Thursday in Sydney and Melbourne, and Brisbane's new Lucky Egg West End is doing free fried chicken burgers on Saturday and Sunday. The Ben & Jerry's Big Tub Giveaway will take place on Sunday, July 16 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. For more info, visit their Facebook page.
Since Samson & Delilah arrived in 2009, earned the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Caméra d'Or for Best First Feature and proved an instant great of Australian cinema, every project from filmmaker Warwick Thornton has been a must-see. He got spooky with ghost-story anthology The Darkside, pondered the nation's relationship with the Southern Cross in documentary We Don't Need a Map and explored the country's race relations in blistering historical drama Sweet Country. Then, he co-directed the second season of the Mystery Road TV series, turned the camera on himself in meditative small-screen doco The Beach and was also behind vampires-in-the-outback show Firebite. Thornton is an Aussie icon. With his latest project, he has also joined forces with a fellow Aussie icon: Cate Blanchett. The Oscar-winning actor is following up her award-nominated role in Tár earlier in 2023 with Thornton's new film The New Boy — and playing a renegade nun in 1940s Australia, no less. As the just-dropped trailer shows, The New Boy heads to a remote monastery with a mission for Indigenous children, where Sister Eileen (Blanchett) is in charge. In a sneak peek filled with golden hues and bubbling with a thoughtful mood, her faith is tested when the titular child (newcomer Aswan Reid), a nine-year-old orphan, arrives and has his own experience with religion, which clashes with the mission's take on Christianity. Thornton writes and directs The New Boy, as he did with with Samson and Delilah and We Don't Need a Map. He also does triple duty as his own cinematographer, as he also has with the bulk of his filmography. And, on-screen, Deborah Mailman (Total Control) and Wayne Blair (Seriously Red) feature alongside Blanchett and Reid. Unsurprisingly given its helmer, star and the former's Cannes history, The New Boy premiered at the prestigious French film festival in May, and enjoys its first Aussie screening as the opening-night film at the Sydney Film Festival. After that, audiences Australia-wide will be able to check out the dream pairing of Thornton and Blanchett — and the movie debut of Reid — when The New Boy hits cinemas in general release on Thursday, July 6. Check out the trailer for The New Boy below: The New Boy opens in Australian cinemas on July 6.
It's back, it's big and it's heading around Australia in February 2023: St Jerome's Laneway Festival and its impressive lineup, that is. Returning for the first time since 2020 — since celebrating 15 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio first decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes — the beloved fest boasts a phenomenal list of talent taking to its stages for its huge and eagerly awaited comeback tour. Here are three names to get you started: HAIM, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers. Laneway has been teasing its 2023 return since early 2021, then locked in dates and venues — and come Sunday, February 5, 2023, it'll hit up Sydney Showground. Also on the bill: Finneas, Fontaines DC, Fred again..., Girl in Red, slowthai and Turnstile, as well as 100 Gecs, Chaos in the CBD, Knucks and Mallrat. Yes, the lineup goes on from there. Clearly, there's a whole heap of reasons to be excited — from HAIM's first Australian tour since 2017 (and definitely the first since Alana killed it on the big screen in Licorice Pizza) to Bridgers' return after a huge few years, just to name a couple. Also on the list: just Laneway being back and livening up late summer in general. General ticket sales start at 9am on Thursday, September 29 via the festival's website. ST JEROME'S LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP: Haim Joii Phoebe Bridgers Finneas Fontaines DC Fred again... Girl in Red slowthai Turnstile 100 Gecs Chaos in the CBD Knucks Mallrat Ross From Friends The Beths Yard Act Adam Newling The Backseat Lovers Harvey Sutherland Jacoténe Jamesjamesjames Logic1000 Sycco Tasman Keith The Lazy Eyes Top image: BCS Imaging.
The crew at Beyond Cinema are at again, bringing yet another of their immersive, movie-themed experiences to both Sydney and Melbourne. In the same vein as previous hits like that Mad Hatter-esque Botanic Gardens tea party and last year's Moulin Rouge! cabaret-style sing-along, it's set to be an indulgent, multi-sensory affair — this time dedicated to the Hugh Jackman-led smash-hit musical The Greatest Showman. While we know the event's happening this July at a couple of secret Sydney and Melbourne locations, most other details are been kept under wraps for now, in true Beyond Cinema form. But if past events are anything to go by, you can bank on a wildly imaginative evening, that blurs the lines between cinema and reality while giving those vocal chords a serious workout. This one promises to have you singing along to all the films award-winning hits, while witnessing impressive moves from acrobats, aerialists and more — just like PT Barnum would've orchestrated in the late 1800s. Circus-inspired dress-ups are, of course, encouraged, so you'd best start rewatching the flick for some costume ideas and song practice. [caption id="attachment_711479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Beyond Cinema's Great Gatsby event.[/caption] Beyond Cinema's The Greatest Showman event will at a yet-to-be-revealed Sydney location on Saturday, July 13 and Melbourne spot on Saturday, July 27. You can sign up for more details at here.
Since mid-August, residents of Sydney's Local Government Areas of concern haven't just been under stricter lockdown restrictions than folks across the rest of the city — they've also been under a nighttime curfew that's limited movement even further between the hours of 9pm–5am. But from tonight, Wednesday, September 15, that'll no longer be the case, with New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing that the curfew will be ditched. "Pleasingly, after receiving advice from both police and [NSW] Health, given we've hit the 80-percent milestone across the state, we're able to lift the curfew in those areas of concern from tonight," said the Premier, who made her second appearance at NSW's daily COVID-19 press conferences this week (after announcing last week that she'd only be fronting up when there was significant news). "This is a whole-of-government decision based on a number of factors, but I want to send this strong message: we can't move on anything else just now. We need everybody to hold the line. Please make sure that if you live in those Local Government Areas of concern that you stick to every other rule that's in place," the Premier continued. Accordingly, people who live in the Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta and Strathfield LGAs, as well as 12 suburbs in the Penrith, can now leave their homes at any time — as long as they're abiding by the other lockdown rules. That includes the two-hour rule around outdoor recreation, the strict five-kilometre rule when it comes to venturing away from your home, and all of the other stay-at-home conditions around what is and isn't permitted under lockdown. NSW recorded 1,259 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Two new cases were acquired overseas, and 36 previously reported cases have been excluded following further investigation. pic.twitter.com/BADIDtqn2Z — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 15, 2021 The news came as Berejiklian announced 1259 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24-hour reporting period, and also revealed that aforementioned 80-percent milestone — with 80 percent of eligible NSW residents having received a single dose of a coronavirus vaccine. That mark is notable as it means the government can reasonably expect the state to get to the 80-percent double jabbed threshold, because if someone has had one dose of the vax then they're likely to get the second dose. At the 70-percent fully vaxxed mark, NSW's roadmap to easing restrictions will kick in, with more rules then relaxing again when 80 percent of eligible people in NSW have been fully jabbed. Asked why other restrictions aren't yet loosening in hotspot LGAs as yet, the Premier said that "the best advice we have is that it's too early and too risky to do anything further today. But as a token of our appreciation for reaching the 80-percent milestone, given feedback from police, who suggest that compliance is improving in many areas where perhaps previously it was not, plus the health advice about mental health challenges and the risks of not providing people a little bit of relief, all of that was balanced up and has been balanced up over some time. We review those restrictions, we review what we're imposing on the community matched against the data every single day and it's just not feasible at this time ahead of any further health advice to move on anything else." As always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. The curfew in Sydney's 12 LGAs of concern will lift from tonight, Wednesday, September 15. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Stilgherrian via Flickr.
In 2011, in this very country and galaxy, a pop culture favourite gained a singing, stripping burlesque parody. It's the mash-up that was bound to happen. Who hasn't looked at George Lucas' space opera, its sprawling drama and ample spectacle, and wondered what a steamier, funnier version with more visible butt cheeks would look like? Russall S. Beattie clearly did, and had a good feeling that other people would give it a shot. The Empire Strips Back was the end result. It became a hit around Australia, then took itself overseas to much acclaim. Now it's returning home for a 2019 tour — once again showing local audiences that lightsabers aren't the hottest thing in the Star Wars galaxy. The saucy show promises "seriously sexy stormtroopers, a dangerously seductive Boba Fett, some tantalising Twi'leks, a delightfully lukewarm Taun Taun, a lady-like Skywalker [and] the droids you are looking for", according to its website. Apparently Yoda doesn't get the sexed-up treatment, but there is plenty of song, dance, acrobatics and — because it's burlesque — the removal of clothing. A dancing Chewie and Han is just the beginning of this cheeky take on Star Wars cosplay. Given that it's got an upbeat soundtrack, the costumes are extremely detailed and the show throws out lots of references to George Lucas' original plot, it's not surprising that local audiences — presumably the same ones that pack out Star Wars parties and large-scale screenings with a live orchestra — have latched onto the production. Heading to the Enmore on Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16, The Empire Strips Back sits alongside Dame of Thrones in Beattie's pop culture parody stable — so if you've already seen one of your fantastical screen obsessions get the burlesque treatment, then you know what you're in for. If you're super keen, you can also nab a Wookieerotica magazine online: a 116-page, 70s-style men's mag, just casually featuring all of your favourite jedis, siths, ewoks and other Star Wars characters. Either way, it could be a great introduction to burlesque or Star Wars, depending on which way you're coming at it. Images: Jon Bauer, Leslie Liu and Josh Groom.
A 90s-set musical directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. A crime thriller starring Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds. Amy Poehler's latest stint behind the camera. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence teaming up in the newest film from The Big Short's Adam McKay. They're just some of the big new movies heading our way in 2021 — and they're all coming to Netflix, with the streaming platform revealing its slate of features for the year. Miranda's tick, tick…BOOM! will mark his filmmaking debut as a director, while Johnson plays an FBI profiler forced to team up with rival crims played by Gadot and Reynolds in Red Notice. As for Poehler, she's directing (and co-starring in) Moxie, about a 16-year-old fed up with the sexist attitudes at her high school. And the collaboration between DiCaprio, Lawrence and McKay — and Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep, too — happens in Don't Look Up, about two astronomers trying to warn humanity that a comet is about to wipe out the earth. [caption id="attachment_796892" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Moxie. Colleen Hayes/NETFLIX © 2020[/caption] They're just some of the films on Netflix's lineup for 2021 — and if you can't wait to check them out, the streaming service has released a sneak peek that rounds up a heap of its other titles for the year, too. Thunder Force sees Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy play superheroes; western Harder They Fall features everyone from Idris Elba and Lovecraft Country's Jonathan Majors to Watchmen's Regina King and Atlanta's Zazie Beetz; and Escape From Spiderhead plunges Chris Hemsworth into a futuristic tale about experiments on inmates using emotion-altering drugs. Or, there's a remake of The Guilty, this time starring Jake Gyllenhaal; the third and final films in both the Kissing Booth and To All the Boys trilogies; The Power of the Dog, the latest movie from filmmaker Jane Campion; and Robin Robin, the newest release from Aardman Animation, featuring the voices of Gillian Anderson and Richard E Grant. Some flicks, like the Zendaya-starring romantic drama Malcolm & Marie, already have release dates. Plenty of others don't as yet, including zombie movie Army of the Dead, starring Dave Bautista; Blonde, a fictional portrait of Marilyn Monroe featuring Knives Out's Ana de Armas as the real-life figure; Halle Berry's directorial debut Bruised, about an ex-MMA fighter; and thriller O2, which starts with a woman waking up in a medical cryogenics unit that's no larger than a box. Either way, though, Netflix has announced that it'll be releasing at least one new movie a week for the entire year. More than a few of these titles might hit cinemas, too. The Vanessa Kirby-starring Pieces of a Woman already has in Australia, while The White Tiger, an adaptation of the Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, will release on the big screen in January — as will fellow page-to-screen affair The Dig. And, some were originally supposed to screen in theatres, but have made the jump to streaming due to the pandemic, such as The Woman in the Window with Amy Adams. Whether Netflix's 2021 movies get a cinema run or not, they'll obviously pop up on the platform. So, expect a hefty list of star-studded flicks sitting in your streaming queue throughout the year — and making sure that you're still well-acquainted with your couch. Check out Netflix's trailer for its 2021 films below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9t86v_JMG0&feature=youtu.be New movies will hit Netflix every week throughout 2021 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue.
