Forbidden love — so much more appealing than ordinary, feasible love. Centuries ago a Frenchman called Jean Racine adapted a play by Euripides which British poet laureate Ted Hughes later spent the last few months of his life translating, perhaps as a sort of self-imposed penitentiary act for not protecting his partner in poetry, Sylvia Plath, from her own passionately wrought fantasies. Hughes' highly regarded free verse translation of Phedre has been adapted for the stage by the Bell Shakespeare Company. The plot is a psychologically compelling, proper Greek tragedy complete with pathos, jealousy and screaming frustration. The character Phedre is a cursed, cougar-esque queen afflicted with an all-consuming passion for her stepson Hippolytus — ignore the name, he's a handsome if diffident 'objet d'adoration'. Fatefully, Phedre's husband Theseus is missing, presumed dead. At the encouragement of her well-meaning nursemaid Oenone, Phedre decides to confess her dangerous and libidinous obsession to the boy in the hopes that he will respond with equal passion. Instead, Hippolytus backs away from the raving madwoman in her stilettos and tight pants in horror, as his pursuer stumbles across the stage, half-crippled by her unrequited lust. It's an unfortunate time for Theseus to return unexpectedly home — literally from Hell. Hell hath no fury like a woman forced to think on the spot of how she became so visibly distressed. Phedre accuses Hippolytus of rape and Theseus promptly invokes the power of Neptune to curse his son, who retreats quite understandably to the blonde and barefooted Aricia with a view to intertangling limbs and lives. Director Peter Evans highlights how our lives can become defined by destructive relationships — both with ourselves and with others — if we allow them to. From the scratchy heartbeat of the fitful soundscape to the frenzied intensity of an apparently powerful woman seeking control in a world where female control just isn't possible, it's easy to identify with her quest and subsequent failure to achieve fulfillment. Her powerlessness turns love into mania and passion into a destructive force. The male characters are victims, too; Theseus too readily believes his son is a rapist, perhaps because of his own philandering history. His realisation that he's got it fatally wrong comes much, much too late. Some stories transcend space and time and Phedre remains a remarkably compelling psychodrama in the context of contemporary life. Anna Cordingley's set is as damaged as the characters' hearts and Hughes' translation is lean, mean and lyrical. The most tragic thing about Phedre is that she realises how the contamination of her consciousness is self-induced: the foregone conclusion of forbidden love. This review is based on the Melbourne run of the production, which ran in May 2013. Photo by Rush.
Forgetting, fixating, flailing, fraying: that's The Father. Anthony's (Anthony Hopkins, Westworld) life is unravelling, with his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman, The Crown) springing the sudden news that she's about to move to Paris, and now insistent that he needs a new carer to replace the last home helper he's just scared off. He also can't find his watch, and time seems to jump suddenly. On some days, he has just trundled out of bed to greet the morning when Anne advises that dinner, not breakfast, is being served. When he brings up her French relocation again, she frostily and dismissively denies any knowledge. Sometimes another man (Mark Gatiss, Dracula) stalks around Anthony's London apartment, calling himself Anne's husband. Sometimes the flat isn't his own at all and, on occasion, both Anne (Olivia Williams, Victoria and Abdul) and her partner (Rufus Sewell, Judy) look completely different. Intermittently, Anthony either charms or spits cruel words at Laura (Imogen Poots, Black Christmas), the latest aide hired to oversee his days. She reminds him of another daughter, one he's sure he had — and preferred — but hasn't heard from for years. When he mentions his other offspring, however, everyone else goes silent. More than once, Anthony suspects that someone has pilfered his beloved timepiece, which just keeps disappearing. Largely, The Father remains housebound. For the bulk of its 97 minutes, it focuses on the cardigan-wearing Anthony as he roams around the space he calls home. But this is a chaotic film, despite its visual polish, and that mess, confusion and upheaval is entirely by design. All the shifting and changing — big and small details alike, and faces and places, too — speak to the reason Anne keeps telling Anthony they need another set of hands around the house. His memory isn't what it used to be. In fact, it's getting much worse than that. Anthony knows that there's something funny going on, which is how he describes it when his sense of what's happening twists and morphs without warning, and The Father's audience are being immersed in that truth. Anthony has dementia, with conveying precisely how that feels for him the main aim of this six-time Oscar-nominated stage-to-screen adaptation, which novelist and playwright turned first-time director Florian Zeller has helmed based on Le Père, his own play. In a looping, winding, structurally savvy screenplay by Zeller and Christopher Hampton (an Academy Award-winner for Dangerous Liaisons) that plays out like a puzzle, disorientation is the key tool. Sometimes the change in details is subtle, as one well-appointed, high-ceilinged abode with views of the street below gives way to another. At other times, the contrast is sharp and jarring, and Anthony reacts accordingly. The Father does an extraordinary job of placing its viewers in the octogenarian's head, making them endure the same jolts and jumps, and share the same disarray and loss. And make no mistake: to feel as though your grip on what's real and right in front of you is slipping is something to be mourned. Also superbly handled in the script, and in Hopkins' powerhouse performance, is the fact that Anthony is caught between two extremes. Not only to himself, but to Anne, Laura and that man that's sometimes present, he often seems enough like his old self that little appears wrong. That sensation can linger, but it can also pass in an instant — just as he can segue from fact to fantasy in the blink of an eye as he spins stories and reflects upon memories, and from merriment to menace in his mood as well. Bearing witness to Anthony's experience doesn't just inspire horror in an empathetic fashion. Feeling for anyone in such circumstances is an innate reaction, so it still does just that, but it also evokes a visceral response. Ageing is something that we all aspire to, given that the alternative is dying young — and the physical and mental deterioration that comes with the passing years is one of life's universal fears. The Father reflects this not only by putting its audience in Anthony's shoes, but also by observing how both of its two main characters handle this simultaneously evolving and devolving situation. While Anne bears the weight of her father's decline in a dissimilar way, obviously, her life has been equally affected. Balance is one of The Father's masterstrokes, getting its viewers thinking of their own futures as well as of those they love. No one can escape this subject matter, after all, and no one can evade the film's devastating and heartbreaking gaze, either. A titan of cinema for decades — with 2021 marking 30 years since he frightened his way into celluloid history as Hannibal Lecter — Hopkins is similarly unavoidable. He's an actor with physical presence, inescapable command, that booming voice and a way of demanding that every set of eyes peers his way, and his well-established talents and traits are all on offer in The Father. As Anthony's condition worsens, he also displays remarkable fragility and vulnerability. Aided by Ben Smithard's (Downton Abbey) incisive cinematography, he can tower over everyone in the room and then shrink into its corners. In one late shot — the movie's most haunting — he's infantilised by the scenario and the camerawork in tandem, and it's utterly shattering. In the film as a whole and in Hopkins' performance, sentiment has no place. Indeed, The Father and its star are ruthless in conveying Anthony's inner state and overall journey. The more recent Oscar-winner among cast (and a nominee this year again, alongside Hopkins), Colman is remarkable in a different manner. Her version of Anne is weary, plagued by sorrow and trying to soldier on all at once, and hers is the epitome of a layered portrayal. She weathers Hopkins' charisma, savagery and uncertainty, but she's unselfish in every scene. This is a generous film all-round, even in its darkest moments. As overwhelming as The Father can be as it wades through Anthony and Anne's lives, its unflinching and unsparing approach is anchored in kindness and compassion — because to truly see something as tough as this is to give it the attention and focus it deserves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ox9ExOA1M&feature=youtu.be
It's an impressive set-up at Two Smoking Barrels with a grill rig used to smoke and season meats with native ironbark. It has everything from melt-in-your-mouth pit-smoked brisket to pork rolls, house sausages and short ribs on offer. There's a feed for every appetite, whether you need a quick, smashable burger or you want to settle in for a big ol' meat platter before you hit the road again. The sides are classic barbecue soul food: potato gems, slaw, cornbread, mac 'n' cheese and speciality burnt-end beans (the crispy, well-seasoned end bits of smoked meats). Warning: this is not food for the faint of heart, so wear your loosest pair of jeans.
Ever been on a bushwalk or beach stroll and and wondered if you can eat that shrub or flower? Maybe it was a pepperberry or some type of edible beach succulent — but who really knows. Well, now you can now go foraging for wild food more easily than ever, thanks to a new app developed by René Redzepi, chef and co-owner of Noma. He made the announcement yesterday at World's 50 Restaurants 15th anniversary talks event in Barcelona. The app, which is called VILD MAD (meaning 'wild food' in Danish), shows you what edibles are nearby according to landscape. There are also instructions (in both Danish and English) on how to eat and cook them, including a few recipes. Plus, you can record your foraging adventures and keep notes on what you find. Redzepi is perhaps the most famous champion of native foods, and, as well as cooking with them at his Copenhagen restaurant, he made the most of Australia's native ingredients when Noma popped up in Sydney in 2016. "Knowing your ABCs in nature, the flora and the fauna, the patterns in the landscape, and the rhythms in the seasons is as important, we believe, as learning math, learning to read, learning to write — especially today when people think cacao milk comes from brown cows," Redzepi said at the 50 Best Talk, as reported by Eater. The app is just one part of a bigger initiative led by the Danish chef. Along with lots of useful resources on his MAD website, Redzepi is also leading some serious foraging education opportunities, including workshops to be delivered all over Denmark by park rangers and a curriculum for Danish school kids. His aim? To get people to pick food from nature like they do from supermarket shelves. While a lot of the content is specific to Denmark, anyone can download VILD MAD for free at the App Store or Google Play and identify some ingredients. While we'd love an Australian and New Zealand app like this to be developed, in the meantime, you can get acquainted with Australian native foods and which restaurants use them over here. Via Eater.
UPDATE, January 8, 2021: Color Out of Space is available to stream via Shudder, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. He's the king of the unhinged, the master of on-screen mania and perhaps the only person that can make pouring vodka all over themselves while howling look perfectly natural. He is, of course, the one and only Nicolas Cage. While his resume boasts more ups and downs than a rollercoaster — an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas on one side, his oh-so-many forgettable straight-to-video flicks on the other — he's also the ideal person to lead Lovecraftian horror adaptation Color Out of Space. Whenever Cage keeps things quiet and normal, he evokes the unnerving sensation that perhaps everything is too quiet and normal. When he's letting loose, there's really no telling what could happen next. A film about a glowing meteor that crashes on an alpaca farm and not only forever changes a family's existence, but their entire grasp on reality, Color Out of Space needs both Cage's unsettlingly calm and brain-bogglingly over-the-top sides. More than that, it thrives on them. Six months after his wife Theresa's (Joely Richardson) mastectomy, Nathan Gardner's (Cage) life is settling back into a routine. With their three kids — stoner Benny (Brendan Meyer), wannabe wicca Lavinia (Madeleine Arthur) and primary school-aged Jack (Julian Hillard) — the couple has taken over Nathan's late father's remote New England property, lapping up its tree-lined surroundings and the slower pace that comes with it. The oddest thing they have to deal with: Nathan's certainty that alpacas are the future. Well, that and the grin on his face when he's milking the woolly animals. Then, just as a hydrologist (Elliot Knight) arrives to survey the farm's water, a blazing rock plummets from the heavens — turning the sky an otherworldly shade of fuchsia, unleashing both radiation and shape-shifting aliens, and sparking quite the wave of strange events. 'Strange' is a relative term in any given situation; what's unusual to one person mightn't seem all that out of the ordinary to someone else. But by combining a HP Lovecraft short story, the beacon of weird that is Cage, and a director known for making vivid and distinctive movies, Color Out of Space is emphatically, undeniably strange — regardless of your individual threshold for the bizarre. That filmmaker is Richard Stanley, who gained attention with a couple of sci-fi and horror flicks in the early 90s. Since 1996, he's been best known for being fired from the big Marlon Brando-starring flop The Island of Doctor Moreau. Stanley hasn't actually directed a fictional feature since, sticking to a few documentaries until now — and based on the hallucinatory imagery splashed across Color Out of Space's pink and purple-hued frames, he has decades of strangeness stored up. When Cage begins yelling maniacally, the farm's water turns sinister, grotesque critters start scuttling around and mutated flesh begins to feature heavily, Color Out of Space unleashes all of its absurd and peculiar wonders. When Cheech & Chong's Tommy Chong plays one of the most sensible characters — a hermit squatting on the Gardners' land, and the first person to verbalise his suspicions about the luminous boulder and its effects — this head trip of a film demonstrates that it's definitely not on any standard wavelength. It actually takes 40 slow-burning minutes until Color Out of Space dazzles viewers with its batshit antics, just like its incandescent rock gradually overpowers everyone in its vicinity, but the feature's first act is anything but subdued. Festering with unease, as aided by Steve Annis' (I Am Mother) vibrant cinematography and Colin Stetson's (Hereditary) psychedelic score, this movie is just waiting to explode with mind-bending havoc. Considering that it's also a film about the mess that follows a disease like cancer, simmering with distress then breaking out in chaos always feels supremely fitting. Still, much like Cage at his most Cage-esque — running around the streets claiming he's undead in 80s curio Vampire's Kiss springs to mind, as does every second of 90s action blockbuster Face/Off — Colour Out of Space is a movie that sometimes approaches its limits. It means to push them. In fact, given its source material and Lovecraft's renowned fondness for all things monstrous, it has to. When an otherwise ordinary family is being driven mad by a colourful meteor in visually, emotionally and physically disturbing ways, a mood of relentlessness and ridiculousness is wholly appropriate. But, as glorious as the movie's gleefully bonkers sights, sounds and story developments all are, they can threaten to weigh the feature down. The Gardners are no longer experiencing time in a normal way, and audiences can be forgiven for feeling like they're going through the same process. Stanley turns Lovecraft's wild, weird tale into an off-kilter kaleidoscopic spectacle — and another suitably strange entry on Cage's lengthy resume, naturally — but occasionally lets it get a little too lost in its own delirium. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLmvs9Wrem0
Hear ye, hear ye. News just in that Bondi is set to get its own classic British pub this October. The Beekeeper will open on Hall Street, in the heritage-listed Fellworth Flats, serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. The Beekeeper is an ode to owners Ben Campbell and Brendan Darcy's Northern English heritage. The boys behind the Northern Hospitality group are well-versed in operating welcoming and lively spaces, with their much-loved dive bar Chuck Trailer's recently expanding to a second location in Sydney's CBD. The owners want The Beekeeper to serve as a hive of community activity where people can come together over a Guinness and some classic grub. Head Chef Kevin Davis intends to bring a taste of his English roots to Bondi with scotch eggs, fish and chips, Ploughman's Lunches and traditional Sunday roasts served with all the trimmings. Ben and Brendan explain that the "name The Beekeeper is a tip of the hat to Manchester's famous worker bee — a symbol of hard work and community. We want the Beekeeper to be the heart of the local community — a place where people come together over a proper pint and a warm welcome." Images: Supplied. The Beekeeper will open its doors this October at 45 Hall Street, Bondi. Follow @thebeekeeperbondi on Instagram to stay up to date with the latest information.
UPDATE, December 21, 2021: Black Christmas is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. A fun, feisty remake with a female perspective and a refreshing sense of sisterhood, Black Christmas is a college-set slasher flick for the #MeToo era. The latter gets thrown around a helluva lot of late — with Unsane, Ocean's 8, Booksmart and last year's latest Halloween instalment among those recently earning the label — but with this updated version of a 1974 cult movie, writer/director Sophia Takal (Always Shine) firmly leans into the term. Indeed, Black Christmas circa 2019 lives and breathes its #MeToo mindset, particularly in its story and characters. Here, a masked predator stalks women as the festive season swings into gear, specifically targeting sorority sisters at a stately university. There's a mounting body count, but these gals aren't merely a parade of powerless, disposable victims. It all starts with a setup that's familiar by design: a silent night, an empty street and a woman walking home alone. Hawthorne College student Linday's (Lucy Currey) pace quickens when her phone starts jingling with creepy messages from someone using the 200-year-old school's founder as an avatar — and, when a man pops up right behind her shortly afterwards, she even threads her keys through her fingers. This all happens in Black Christmas' opening reel, so it's no spoiler to say that she's soon making snow angels in a rather gruesome way. But the winter break carnage is just beginning, ramping up after MKE sorority members Kris (Aleyse Shannon), Marty (Lily Donoghue), Jesse (Brittany O'Grady) and the very reluctant Riley (Imogen Poots) attend a Christmas party held by fraternity DKO — and sing a traditional ditty that's been rephrased to call out campus sexual assault. In too many by-the-numbers horror films gone by, the way in which women are killed and the perpetrators behind their deaths are given more attention than most of the ladies themselves, but not in this new take on Black Christmas. From the moment that Takal introduces MKE's sisters, they're lively, interesting and sport distinctive, sometimes clashing personalities — especially when debating the best way to address the college's historic male leanings, such as petitioning for the inclusion of women authors on literature Professor Gelsen's (Cary Elwes) reading list. Kris is fearless about fighting for equality and empowerment, and about making as much noise as possible while doing so; however Riley has seen firsthand what speaking up can bring. Earlier in her studies, she was attacked by a DKO frat boy, but her assertion that she was raped fell on deaf ears. Accordingly, before these MKE ladies even twig to the psychopathic ho-ho-horror in their midst, Takal and co-writer April Wolfe fill Black Christmas with different renderings and facets of modern womanhood that are all highly relevant to the broader conversation today. The constant battle against societally entrenched misogyny, the quest to be seen as more than an object for male gratification, the fact that victims are routinely disbelieved — these notions all find a place among the film's multi-faceted key characters. Also pondered strongly and thoughtfully is the pain and terror of falling prey to shattering violence, then attempting to pick up the pieces afterwards, a struggle that Poots conveys with weight and substance in a textured and engaging performance. This is a movie that's keenly empathetic towards those usually treated like fodder by the savage and entitled, and Poots' Riley is far more than just a final girl. In a film that throws a hatchet through the idea that women constantly compete and squabble amongst themselves, too, she has plenty of company. Still, this is unashamedly a slasher movie. And while it's based on an ahead-of-its-time example of the genre — just forget the dire first 2006 remake with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Katie Cassidy and Lacey Chabert — Black Christmas has tropes to play with and conventions to toy with. The mood is knowing and winking, with the film not quite venturing into Scream territory, yet clearly deploying well-worn elements on purpose and with a smile. So, when cliched lines of dialogue are shouted by various women in states of duress (including old favourites like "there's someone inside the house!"), this slick flick knows what it's doing. It knows that audiences might roll their eyes briefly as well, but reshaping the slasher formula to make a statement requires a hearty bout of nodding to all the genre's usual components. Admittedly, taking a few cues from forgettable 2000 horror film The Skulls doesn't prove the best move, but it's one of the picture's few mis-steps. Well-executed bumps and jumps, including inventive slasher scenes and creative use of Christmas decorations; a smart reworking of a classic with an incredibly timely message; fleshed-out female characters with flaws, complexities and agency played by a great cast — thanks to all of these, Black Christmas overflows with entertaining festive horrors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF4yRYbo1WE
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_vJhUAOFpI THE NEW MUTANTS For the 13th film in the X-Men franchise, The New Mutants has come up with the perfect way to explain where this series currently sits. The movie traps five teenagers in an eerie, inescapable facility, tries to placate them by promising that they'll soon be able to venture to greener pastures if they just dutifully stomach what they're being subjected to for now, but taunts them with pain and terror while they wait. Logan aside, that sums up this saga's past five years rather astutely. Fans have sat through average and awful chapters in the hope that something better will come in the future, only to be met by more of the same (or worse). Yes, Deadpool and its sequel were hits, but squarely of the one-note, overdone, easily tiring variety. And the less remembered about the overblown and underwhelming X-Men: Apocalypse, the instantly forgettable Dark Phoenix and now the teen horror-meets-X-Men mashup that is The New Mutants, the better. Shot in 2017 but delayed several times since, The New Mutants takes a concept that's equal parts The Breakfast Club and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, adds in angsty adolescents just coming to terms with their hormones and superpowers, and serves up a thoroughly flat affair. When Native American 16-year-old Dani Moonstar (Another Life's Blu Hunt) survives a traumatic incident on her reservation that she can't remember afterwards, she awakens in a hospital run by Dr Cecilia Reyes (Kill Me Three Times' Alice Braga), which she's told is for kids just like her. Her fellow patients (Emma's Anya Taylor-Joy, Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams, Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton and Trinkets' Henry Zaga) are all aware of their extra abilities, though. Dani doesn't even know what she's capable of; however the fact that her arrival coincides with a series of unsettling incidents needling through the minds of her new pals gives everyone a few clues. Alas, all it gives the film is a flimsy excuse to trot out a heap of teen, horror and superhero tropes, with writer/director Josh Boone (The Fault in our Stars) and his co-scribe Knate Lee delivering a suitably moody but also oppressively generic film. Indeed, when Buffy the Vampire Slayer clips play in the background in a couple of scenes, they're instantly more entertaining than anything The New Mutants has to offer. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI03TFsUZ68&feature=emb_logo WILD GRASS Gazing out of her window, banishing away the sounds of home via her walkman, teenager Yun Qiao (Ma Sichun, Somewhere Winter) dreams of a different life. A talented dancer with big plans to leave for a lucrative career in Japan, Li Mai (Zhong Chuxi, Adoring) shares the same hopes — as does trumpet player Wu Feng (Huang Jingyu, Operation Red Sea), who tries to get by doing odd jobs for local heavies. It's the 90s, and these three strangers are all eager to change their futures. Fate, however, has something else in store. Jumping between its three protagonists, Wild Grass weaves these tales together, never leaving any doubt that the trio's plights are all related. Accordingly, this Chinese drama asks audiences to spend their time joining the dots as climactic events — car accidents, brutal attacks and gangster showdowns, for instance — upend its characters' intersecting lives. The overall message, and hardly an unexpected one: that they'll each weather their significant woes, twists and turns, and ideally come out stronger on the other side. Thankfully, what Wild Grass lacks in narrative or thematic surprises, it makes up for in its sumptuous imagery. The debut feature from Chinese director Xu Zhanxiong (writer of 2017's Ash), this is an instantly visually mesmerising film — especially when it lurks in alleyways, clubs and other neon-lit spaces; watches Li Mai showcase her fancy footwork across a plethora of different venues in both joyous and troubling circumstances; and stares deeply at its characters' often-pensive expressions. While The Wild Goose Lake will take some time to unseat as the best-shot, most alluringly lit Chinese film to reach cinemas of late, Wild Grass and its sometimes inky, sometimes glowingly amber-tinted frames take a firm stab at the title. The movie's three lead performances also hit their marks, especially when the plot proves a little too content to cycle through a parade of obvious developments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tSd7JtLhh8&feature=emb_logo FATIMA When a ten-year-old Portuguese girl and her young cousins claim to see a vision of the Virgin Mary as the First World War rages, the faithful come running in Fatima. Based on the true tale of Lúcia dos Santos — also known as Sister Lúcia after becoming a nun later in life and, 15 years after her death in 2005, currently in the process of being canonised by the Catholic Church — the film's powers-that-be clearly hope their movie will incite the same reaction. Primarily dramatising events from over a century ago, Fatima may also step forward to 1989 and cast Harvey Keitel as a sceptical writer determined to query Lúcia's story, but there's no question where the feature's allegiances reside. Indeed, from the moment that the film begins with the girl's (Terminator: Dark Fate's Stephanie Gil) first encounter with the mother of Jesus (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote's Joana Ribeiro), it splashes its devotion across every frame. As a result, while it plays up the clash between believers and cynics across two time periods, Fatima always remains a tension-free affair. When Keitel's Professor Nichols chats with the great Sônia Braga (Aquarius) as Lúcia, it's immediately clear that he'll warm to her candid and open demeanour. And, in the details she's recounting, it's also always evident that her steadfast commitment to her faith as a girl will win out. In its 1917-set scenes, Lúcia's own devout mother (Hero on the Front's Lúcia Moniz) proves doubtful, and the town mayor (Santa Clarita Diet's Goran Visnjic) is downright contemptuous — but, in constantly counteracting their distrust with lyrical imagery of scenic fields, other rural landscapes and even glowing skies, writer/director Marco Pontecorvo (Partly Cloudy with Sunny Spells) couldn't paint a clearer picture in support of their protagonist. Visually, he's following in Terrence Malick's footsteps, but without the same texture, thoughtfulness or impact. Thank goodness, then, for strong performances by Gil, Moniz and Braga, which are the only elements of Fatima that stand out. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27 — and our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet and Les Misérables.
Initiated by Sydney Institute students and presented by A Series of Fortunate Events, Bizarre Bazaar has a cult following of style-conscious Sydneysiders. The twilight fashion market reclaims a Sydney laneway (or, on colder occasions, an indoor space) on odd Thursday eves to showcase the quirky garments and new collections of numerous local designers. The next Bizarre Bazaar will be held in Angel Place as part of Art & About 2012. A vehicular influence will be on show with the addition of food from Eat Art Truck and a Guerilla Gigs-fuelled Little Napier performance also taking place on the back of a truck. Read our handpicked list of the 10 best things to see and do at Art & About here.
One on one interviews, a pop-up tattoo parlour, and a live music lineup curated by the team from Splendour in the Grass are among the highlights of this year's Spectrum Now Festival. The 16-day creative arts extravaganza, launched last year by the Sydney Morning Herald, will feature more than 100 free and ticketed events around the city in 2016. The festival, which will run from March 1 to 16, is split into four sections: art, stage, talks and music. Included in the arts section will be an ambitious live painting at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where Western Sydney artist Tom Polo will spend two weeks creating a gigantic wall painting in view of the public. The stage category will likewise features several standout shows, including performances by the Sydney Dance Company and Bard on the Beach, a burlesque act at Crystal Bar, a performance of La Boheme transplanted to the 1930s, and a night of stand-up comedy with the stars of Workaholics. Two of the most successful events on last year's talks program will return in 2016. Pillow Talk features personal conversations with some of the country's leading creative couples, and will this year include the likes of David and Kristen Williamson, David and Lisa Campbell, and Max Cullen and Margarita Georgiadis. Cultural Crush, meanwhile, invites prominent journalists to interview their 'dream subject'. Those in the spotlight this year include investigative journalist Kate McClymont speaking with film director Bruce Beresford, and columnist Benjamin Law grilling Leigh Sales from the ABC. The previously announced music program features a number of prominent players, headlined by post-punk act The Jesus and Mary Chain. Other standouts include Birds of Tokyo, Calexico and a live edition of RocKwiz. Check out our top picks from the music program. This year's festival hub will be located at The Domain, and will feature fire breathers, burlesque dancers and free live music, as well as a sideshow alley where you can get inked by tattoo artist Leslie Rice or get a haircut from retro barber Tony Vacher. Hanging over the hub will be a giant balloon chain by US artist Robert Bose, who previously created similar works at Burning Man and Coachella.
Sydneysiders can start plotting their swim sessions for summer 2020, with the announcement that work will begin next month on the city's biggest aquatic centre to be built since the 2000 Olympic Games. The City of Sydney has confirmed locally-based CPB Contractors will head up the construction of its new $84 million Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Green Square, with plans for the development to open in just over two years. The design by Sydney architect Andrew Burges was chosen as part of a council-run design competition back in 2014. The centre looks set to be one very schmick operation, with a heated 50-metre outdoor pool inspired by Sydney's iconic ocean pools, as well as a heated indoor leisure water area, a hydrotherapy pool and a 25-metre indoor pool. There'll be a co-generation scheme supplying heating and power, a multipurpose sporting field, a gym and outdoor training area, while celebrated Aboriginal artist Jonathan Jones is lending his talents to a new public artwork for the site. Just be prepared to share — with a huge 61,000 residents expected to call the surrounding 278-hectare Green Square area home by the year 2030, Gunyama Park and Aquatic Centre sure won't be the most secluded spot to swim in Sydney. The Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre will open on Joynton Avenue, Zetland in early 2020. We'll keep you updated on its progress. Image Credit: City of Sydney and Andrew Burges Architects with Grimshaw and TCL.
If DC Studios could live life like it's a Cher song, would it turn back time to erase the DC Extended Universe, setting itself on an entirely different path instead? With new co-head honchos James Gunn and Peter Safran wrapping up the underwhelming franchise — after 2023's films, The Suicide Squad director and producer are replacing the DC Comics on-screen realm with a new movie saga just called the DC Universe — the answer is likely yes. Does DC Studios regret having to release The Flash, which gives the character played by Ezra Miller since 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice his own feature, arrives after their past few years of controversies and legal troubles, and comes with a jumping-backwards focus? It must've been better for the bottom line to let the picture flicker before audiences, rather than ditching it after it was finished as happened with Batgirl; however, the response there about lamenting Barry Allen's latest big-screen stint might also be in the affirmative. As was the case with Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and could also be with the DCEU's upcoming Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, a feeling of futility buzzes through The Flash. Plenty happens, featuring an array of caped crusaders and more than one version of Barry, and yet all that tights-wearing sound and fury might signify nothing in the scheme of all things DC. Movies have never needed sequels or franchises to gift their existence a spark. Increasingly, the opposite occurs. Instalment after instalment in ever-sprawling cinema universes are dragged down by being exactly that: a series instalment, rather than their own films. And The Flash does frequently try to be its own feature, but it's also firmly tied to being part of a pop-culture behemoth while eagerly worshipping superhero history. The blatant and overdone nostalgia, the already-announced returns and still-surprise cameos, and the now-overused multiverse setup that assists in linking its narrative together — it all rings empty when it proves so disposable, as the dying DCEU is. Living with your choices, and facing the fact that you can't always take back mistakes and fix traumas, does fittingly sit at the heart of The Flash's narrative, though. While the Barry (Miller, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) that audiences have also seen in Suicide Squad, Justice League and Shazam! enters The Flash calling himself "the janitor of the Justice League", answering Alfred's (Jeremy Irons, House of Gucci) calls to clean up Batman's (Ben Affleck, Air) chaos offers a handy distraction from his family situation. Understandably, he's still grief-stricken over his mother's (Maribel Verdú, Raymond & Ray) murder. He's also struggling to prove that his incarcerated father (Ron Livingston, A Million Little Things) wasn't the killer. Cue messing with the space-time continuum, using his super speed to dash backwards to stop his mum from dying — and, as Bruce Wayne warns, cuing the butterfly effect. Back to the Future devotees know what follows when someone tinkers with the past. The Flash director Andy Muschietti (IT, IT: Chapter Two) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) count on viewers being familiar with the consequences, and with the Michael J Fox-starring 80s classic. Amid navigating various iterations of its protagonist and, as revealed in its trailers, getting Michael Keaton (Morbius) back in the cape and cowl as the Dark Knight three decades after the last Tim Burton-helmed Batman flick — plus finding time for Supergirl (Sasha Calle, The Young and the Restless) — this DCEU entry splashes around its broader pop-culture nods with gusto. Given that was Gunn's tactic in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, right down to also mentioning Kevin Bacon and Footloose, perhaps Barry might have a DCU future after all? Whatever happens, The Flash's riffing on and namechecking other beloved films isn't its best trait. There are multiples of much in this movie, which includes multiple ways to slather on fan service. Virtually retracing Marty McFly's footsteps involves that extra Barry, the younger and more OTT of the two — the one aiding the OG Barry in seeing why people can find him a bit much, in fact. It also inspires the comeback of Superman's Kryptonian foe General Zod (Michael Shannon, George & Tammy), as the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ripple through an alternate timeline. Yes, every superhero saga has become a multiverse saga, everywhere and all at once. The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps leaning in, while the Spider-Verse films embrace the idea in every gorgeously animated frame. Reuniting with a past Batman was always going to play like a Spider-Man: No Way Home wannabe, but The Flash isn't helped by hitting cinemas so soon after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, aka the current gold standard in multiple everything, spandex-clad saviours in general and franchise fare. It was true when Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland were all webslinging in the one film, and it's true now with Affleck and Keaton being oh-so-serious here: teaming up past and present takes on the same figure in the same feature can smack of refusing to cut ties with history. That's what nostalgia is all about, of course, and it clashes glaringly with what The Flash endeavours to teach its red-suited namesake. As Barry attempts to protect, nurture and heal his inner child — rather literally — the movie advocates for ultimately accepting life's hardships and moving on. Then it has more and more recognisable faces pop up, including some grave-robbing choices using woeful special effects. With its routine fan-baiting multiverse antics, the picture keeps finding additional ways to ring empty. A film that adores all that's gone before, but exists in the waning days of a dissipating saga. A feature with little future path and too much fondness for the past. A reminder that life goes on that epitomises that very fact within the movie business, yet can't live and breathe it within its frames even as its narrative sings that notion's praises. That's The Flash — and it's also a picture made better by Miller's convincing dual turns, especially when they're at their most vulnerable and melancholy, and particularly when they're on-screen twice in the same scene. It benefits from Keaton's subtlety in an appearance that's anything but within the story, and from Muschietti's eagerness to amuse through the flick's strongest action scenes, as seen in quite the baby shower. Pondering playing god and its repercussions, it also owes a debt to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as almost everything does. Feeling like disparate pieces that don't stitch together to make the best whole isn't what The Flash was aiming for, however, but it's what's been zapped into cinemas.
NAIDOC Week, the annual celebration of the achievements and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, is set to return this month from July 8–14, and Klub Koori is always a highlight of the week. The mini-festival, which will take place on Saturday, July 14, is hosted by Sydney's only First Nations radio station Koori Radio and presented in collaboration with contemporary art space Carriageworks. The event promotes the talents of established and young Indigenous artists to a large and diverse audience while also advocating for a broader appreciation of Indigenous arts and culture. For $15, you can expect a great mix of hard-hitting beats and sultry tones across the night, with things kicking off at 8pm. Adelaide electro-soul act Electric Fields are top billed. The award-winning duo's clash of traditional Indigenous culture — including member Zaachariaha Fielding singing in his traditional language — with electronic music has made them a sought-after outfit across Australia and the world. They'll share the stage with the honeyed neo-soul vocals of Kaiit and upcoming artists including rapper Dwayne Broome, Chloe Grant-King and Kakyra Ocean. Organiser Koori Radio 97.3FM has been on-air since 1993, offering listeners a 'live and deadly' cultural mix of Australian and International Indigenous music interspersed with discussions on news, current affairs and community information. Klub Koori will take place at Carriageworks on Saturday, July 14 from 8pm onwards. To purchase tickets, visit the Carriageworks website. Koori Radio will also broadcast the performances on-air and online. Image: Matsu Photography.
Like two peas in a pod, there’s no uncoupling art from wine. Alongside their respective solo shows during Art Month, artists and educators Bill Sampson and Christopher Orchard will be participating in 'Getting It! A fool-proof guide to understanding contemporary art forever, and why the relationship between art and wine was made in heaven'. Todd Slater of Five Ways Cellars will share the secrets of this happy marriage while Orchard and Sampson will provide an insider’s account of contemporary art. Luckily for you, the exhibition opening at Paddington’s Wagner Gallery includes the opportunity to sample some award-winning wine from Leeuwin Estate. This event is one of our top ten picks of Art Month. Check out the other nine here. Image: Bill Sampson, A Sunny Day twixt Heaven and Hell (detail), 230 x 170cm.
Into every generation, a slayer is born — and into What We Do in the Shadows, too. The TV series based on Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's 2014 vampire sharehouse mockumentary of the same name has spent two seasons so far pondering the dynamics of its Staten Island household; however, it has also slowly started to explore an existential threat to its bloodsucking protagonists: a vampire killer in their midst. That's where the US television show's third season promises to pick up, all while still mining its concept for as many laughs as possible. So, Nandor (Kayvan Novak, Four Lions), Laszlo (Matt Berry, Toast of London) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) once again navigate the usual undead housemate tussles, including with energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch, The Office). And, they endeavour to live with the knowledge that Nandor's familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen, Werewolves Within) has a very particular family history. Also part of this upcoming season: power struggles within the key group of vampires, after they've ascended to the head of the Vampiric Council. Another promising batch of episodes in a fantastically funny horror-comedy sitcom will hopefully be the result — based on the just-dropped full trailer for the third season and an earlier teaser trailer, at least. When the original film hit cinemas, viewers instantly yearned for more, which this American spinoff has been delivering in just as smart, silly and hilarious a fashion as its big-screen predecessor. Thankfully, spending time in this supernatural realm isn't going to end any time soon, either — with US network FX, which screens the show in America, announcing that What We Do in the Shadows has been renewed for a fourth season before its third even airs. What We Do in the Shadows is the second TV series in this specific on-screen universe, after the New Zealand-made Wellington Paranormal — which follows the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural. It proved a hit as well, and has already returned for both a second and third season. Back with the vamps, What We Do in the Shadows' new episodes are due to start streaming in Australia via Binge from Friday, September 3 — which is at the same time as the US. Check out the full season three trailer below: It's a game of...throne. Watch the official Season 3 trailer for #ShadowsFX, returning Thursday, Sept. 2nd on FX. Next Day #FXonHulu pic.twitter.com/cRRJLEXaLq — What We Do In The Shadows (@theshadowsfx) August 13, 2021 What We Do in the Shadows' third season starts streaming in Australia via Binge from Friday, September 3.
Edgar Wright must own a killer record collection. Weaving the perfect playlists into his films has ranked high among the British writer/director's trademarks ever since he made such a horror-comedy splash with Shaun of the Dead, and his own love of music is frequently mirrored by his protagonists, too. This is the filmmaker who set a zombie-killing scene to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now', and had characters wield vinyl as weapons. He made zoning out the world via iPod — and teeing up exactly the right track for the right moment — a key trait of Baby Driver's eponymous getaway driver. Earlier in 2021, Wright also turned his avid fandom for Sparks into his delightful first documentary The Sparks Brothers, because wearing his love for his favourite songs on his sleeves infiltrates everything he makes. So, the fact that his second film of this year is about a giddy devotee of 60s tunes really doesn't come as the slightest surprise. Last Night in Soho takes its name from an era-appropriate song that gets a spin in the film, naturally. It boasts a cleverly compiled soundtrack teeming with hits from the period, and has one of its central figures — called Sandie, like singer Sandie Shaw, who croons '(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me' on that very soundtrack — seek chanteuse stardom. As Wright is known to do, his latest movie also sports sequences that could double as music videos, and possesses a supple sense of rhythm that makes his picture virtually dance across the screen. It's a feature shaped by music, made better by music, and that recognises that music can make anyone feel like they can do anything. A partly swinging 60s-set thriller that adores the giallo films of the time with equal passion, it also flits between a cinematic banger on par with the glorious tracks it peppers throughout and the movie equivalent of a routine needle drop. Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield: these are the kind of talents that Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie, The Power of the Dog) can't get enough of, even though she's a Gen Z aspiring fashion designer; they're also the type of stars that aforementioned blonde bombshell Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit) wants to follow onto London's stages. Last Night in Soho starts with its wannabe fashionista, who's first seen donning her own 60s-inspired designs in her Cornwall bedroom that's plastered with posters and pictures from the period, and also dancing to 'Peter & Gordon's 1964 track 'A World Without Love'. Soon, Eloise is off to college in the big and, hopefully, working towards the fashion world. Then she meets Sandie, but only in her dreams. Actually, as she slumbers, she becomes Sandie — and navigates her chiffon-adorned quest for stardom, her breathy 'Downtown' covers and her thorny relationship with slippery bar manager Jack (Matt Smith, Official Secrets). Some of Last Night in Soho's most dazzling scenes play with these doppelgänger characters, and with the time-travelling dreamscape where they both exist, as if Wright is helming a musical. The choreography — both by McKenzie and Taylor-Joy, playing chalk-and-cheese roles, and by the film's lithe and glossy cinematography — is stunning. The effect is mesmerising, as well as whip-smart in tapping into the feature's ongoing musing on identity. This is also a horror movie and a mystery, however, so exploring what's behind these nocturnal visions is the primary focus. As a mousy girl bullied by her roommate (Synnøve Karlsen, Medici) to the point of leaping into the too-good-to-be-true Soho attic studio leased by the cranky but obliging Ms Collins (Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones), it's easy to see why Eloise flees into her dreams. But the who, what, why and how of it all — when and were clearly being answered already — isn't as simple as pure retro escapism. Eloise and Wright must share another trait, other than being musicophiles: nostalgia for a time neither was alive to see. In charting Eloise's journey from growing up with her gran (Rita Tushingham, The Pale Horse) to being haunted by evening reveries that begin to infect her days, Wright packs Last Night in Soho with Quentin Tarantino-level references to pop culture of the era. The detail, cast, songs, fashion and borrowings from Italian horror cinema's giallo genre — including vivid colours, plenty of blood and a love of yellow hues, because that's what giallo translates as — all nod backwards cannily. Visually, the film is a lavish wonder, in fact; Chung Chung-hoon, who regularly lenses Park Chan-wook's work (see: Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, Thirst, Stoker and The Handmaiden) luxuriates in sights, spaces, textures, mirrors angles, spins and swoops. Wright doesn't shy away from the 60s' sleaze, either, or from nightmarish men, objectified women and the lack of sexual agency for the latter. Scripting with 1917 Oscar nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns, he confronts the seedier side of the period he otherwise places on a pedestal — but his first film about female protagonists is plodding rather than bold in trying to spin a feminist story. Last Night in Soho's lurid, adrenaline-fuelled shimmy with psychological thrills is still engaging, and gorgeous. Its eagerness to takes cues from Mulholland Drive is ambitious, although trying to emulate David Lynch rarely suits anyone. Still, there's more than a whiff of "is that it?" — and of cliche — to how it all culminates. Even with its sensational sense of style, that underwhelming feeling might've invaded more of Last Night in Soho if Wright hadn't cast his leads so well. The 60s icons he's enlisted, including Rigg in her last role, Tushingham and Terence Stamp (Murder Mystery), all play their parts in the plot, but this is McKenzie and Taylor-Joy's show. Again, the scenes that pose the pair as reflections of each other in 60s nightclubs are spectacular. The performances they provide to match share other echoes, too; one initially innocent and wide-eyed, the other confident and determined at first, they find common ground in their characters' vulnerabilities. Life is definitely making Eloise and Sandie lonely, but as the women behind them linger where the neon signs are pretty, things can be great — for viewers, at least. Their efforts won't make audiences forget Last Night in Soho's troubles, but the film is so much brighter with them in it.
Head to mainstay Waterloo pub The George this weekend and you'll find that things are a little different. Well, you might not notice at first. There are still locals sitting around the bar in high-vis vests knocking back pints of Resch's and VB. The courtyard is still filled with cacti. And there's still a well worn pool table. But, sitting next to VB longnecks ($15) in the fridge, you'll see bottles of skin-contact wines and pét-nats, and beers from local breweries Young Henrys and Grifter are also available on tap. The cacti in the courtyard have been joined by a glowing al pastor fountain, and a pond filled with eels, and the adjoining kitchen is turning out tacos and tostadas instead of American-style barbecue. And where the pool table once sat — it's been moved to the front bar — is a fully stocked wine shop courtesy of natural wine retailer Drnks. The new-look George successfully combines the old and the new — joining the rapid gentrification of the surrounding suburbs — and it's all thanks to its new owners, who aren't new to epic revamps. Co-owners James Wirth and Michael Delany previously bought and made over The Norfolk, The Flinders, The Carrington and The Oxford Tavern, before selling them all in 2016. Most recently, they overhauled the The Duke on Enmore Road. The George, on the other hand, had never been renovated. "I had my eye on [The George] for over a decade — I always liked the kind of ugly look of it, it's almost like a Commonwealth Bank from the outside" says Wirth. "It's a rare pub because it was built in the 60s, unlike the typical 1800s or 1920s era you see in Sydney." To keep some of the pub's history in-tact, the team focused on reupholstering and repurposing the pub's original features — including vintage wood panelling found in the basement, which now adorns the walls. For this venue, Wirth and Delany got chef Toby Wilson (Bad Hombres, Ghostboy Cantina) and Drnks founder Joel Amos on board as co-owners, too. Amos heads up the aforementioned bottle shop — which is stocked with everything from a salty white peach beer from NZ's Garage Project to coveted magnums of wine by Gabrio Bini — and the pub's fun and funky drinks list. For food, Wilson has created a new concept, Taco King. At the centre of the food offering is the al pastor — an actual al pastor, not a fountain — a Mexican specialty that's based on the Lebanese immigrant version of shawarma spit-grilled meat. The pork coming off the al pastor is served atop tortillas — painstakingly hand-pressed one by one — with onion and salsa. Other specialties include spicy kingfish ceviche tostada ($7.5), quesadillas with chorizo ($9) and thick churros ($8) served with dulce de leche. We're hoping to see eel tacos pop up on the menu sometime soon, too. To go with the food, is a cocktail list with a distinctly South American edge. There's the Mexican French Martini ($18) made with tequila, the Brazilian-style caipirinha ($16) and the michelada ($14), made with Mexican beer, clamato (clam and tomato) juice and lime. While not strictly South American, you'll find Reverse Cowboys ($7 each) on the menu, too — shots of Baileys and Agavero tequila served in mini glass cowboy boots. The new-look George is only throwing open its doors for the first time today, Friday, April 5, but we think it might just become your new favourite watering hole. Find The George at 760 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo. It's open from 11am–11pm Monday to Thursday, 11am–3am Friday–Saturday and 11am–10pm on Sunday. Images: Kimberley Low.
This time two years ago, across the weekends of April 28–30 and May 5–7, 2017, a new music festival was supposed to take place. Spearheaded by the now-incarcerated Billy McFarland, Fyre Festival was slated to take over a Bahamian island, treat attendees with luxury facilities, boast musicians such as Blink-182 and Major Lazer on the bill, and live up to its plethora of celebrity endorsements. Because model-filled viral marketing campaigns can prove to be just that — glossy marketing — we all know what came next. If you didn't read about Fyre Festival when it happened (or, to be more accurate, didn't), you probably discovered its shady tactics, wholesale lack of planning, emergency tent setup, paltry cheese sandwiches and all-round failure via Netflix's documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, which dropped internationally on the streaming platform in January. Rival service Hulu also released their own take, Fyre Fraud, the very same week — but it hasn't been available to watch in Australia until now. Channel 7 has now aired Hulu's doco, and also made it available on its online service 7plus. Prepare to step back into a tale so astonishingly ridiculous that it can only be true, featuring everyone from Ja Rule to Bella Hadid to Emily Ratajkowski. If you're wondering about the difference between Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened and Fyre Fraud, other than being made by competing streaming services (and by different filmmakers, obviously), that's understandable. They cover similar material, of course. Fyre was also co-produced by Jerry Media, who happen to be the social media agency responsible for promoting Fyre Festival, while Fyre Fraud paid conman McFarland to give a lengthy to-camera interview. Each film has its highlights and flaws; however if you just can't get enough of this trainwreck of an event, or want to keep pondering what it says about today's influencer and FOMO-saturated culture, you'll absolutely want to watch both. Check out the Fyre Fraud trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljkaq_he-BU Fyre Fraud is now available to stream on 7plus.
Do you feel like each week flies past in an uncontrollable blur? Friday afternoon comes and you can't remember what you have achieved but you still somehow feel exhausted? If yes, then it's time for a change. Each day you can elevate your life by aiming for just one easy win — even small tweaks to your routine will help take your week up a notch. To help you out, we've teamed up with our mates at Coopers Dry to bring you a list of 'easy wins' — small things that will enrich your life without you needing to stage a full-scale overhaul. MONDAY: CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET Kick off the week with a closet cleanse and rid thyself of unnecessary clutter. If it no longer fits, you don't like it or it's in poor condition — donate or chuck it. Those jeans from when you were 19, yeah, they've got to go. Set aside a couple of hours — grab a beer, crank your favourite tunes, channel your inner Cersei Lannister and be merciless. Clearing out the unworn clothes from your wardrobe frees up physical and mental space that you didn't even know you needed. Take your haul to a charity shop to help out the community, reduce waste and give yourself some good karma. TUESDAY: SIP A SMOOTHIE IN THE SUN Forget eating lunch at your desk, at least for today. Instead, head to your local park, let the sun work its magic and get a nice dose of vitamin D. Catching some rays each day can help to clear up your skin and improve your mood — but do it safely, of course. Boost your nutrient intake and add a smoothie to the mix, you'll be smiling for the rest of the afternoon. WEDNESDAY: DISCUSS SOME LITERATURE WITH A FRIEND Tagging your mates in memes is fun, but why not discuss something a little deeper. The aim of the game is simple: both of you choose an article, read the respective pieces, then discuss over an after-work beer. It's like a two-member book club, minus the effort of getting through an entire novel. For inspiration, check out Alex Tizon's 'My Family's Slave' — which is about a Filipino-American family who kept a slave for 56 years — or Gay Talese's 'The Voyeur's Motel' — a creepy true story about a guy who buys a motel just so he can secretly watch his guests. Both are fascinating and somewhat divisive reads sure to generate conversation. THURSDAY: HIT UP A PUB TRIVIA NIGHT An easy win is bonding with your colleagues over a set activity with a built-in competitive element. The team that plays together stays together, and all that jazz. Just make sure you've got someone to cover each element — geography, film, music, history, current events and sport. Get the beer rounds flowing and test your collective smarts. On Thursdays in Sydney, head to the Botany View Hotel in Newtown for trivia with a cash prize. In Melbourne, make your way to The Penny Black for trivia in the beer garden, and in Brissie, you can catch beer garden trivia at The Wickham. [caption id="attachment_691868" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lentil as Anything, Abbotsford.[/caption] FRIDAY: EAT FOR A GOOD CAUSE Cop a tasty feed and support charitable endeavours in the process — it's an easy win for altruism, and your taste buds. The not-for-profit vegan chain Lentil as Anything has four thriving stores in Melbourne and one in Sydney. The restaurants operate via a unique pay-as-you-feel model, with contributions going towards a number of education programs and social projects, as well as keeping the Lentils running. For those in Brisbane, sink your teeth into a slow-cooked beef shank or baked huevos rancheros at Hope Street Cafe. Hope Street employs people who have difficulty finding work and helps them to acquire new skills and gain hands-on experience. [caption id="attachment_659655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maroubra to Malabar, Sydney.[/caption] SATURDAY: GO FOR AN EARLY MORNING WALK Start the weekend in a wholesome manner with a brisk walk by the water's edge. No matter where the day takes you thereafter, you'll feel good. Honestly, it's just science — exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make you happy —the crisp ocean breeze and stunning views also help. Stroll along the river in Brisbane, check out the stunning headlands on the Maroubra to Malabar coastal track in Sydney or wander along the Yarra in Melbourne. While it's a little too early for beer, find your favourite spot along the track and return later for a few sundowners (provided alcohol is permitted, of course). [caption id="attachment_555015" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Fatto, Melbourne.[/caption] SUNDAY: ENJOY A LONG LUNCH WITH FRIENDS The Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus spent his days pondering what made life worth living, eventually, he concluded that great food shared among even better friends resulted in a good life. We will happily cosign that. Enjoy an Epicurean moment of your own with a Mexican feast at SoCal Neutral Bay (Sydney), riverside modern Italian at Fatto Bar & Cantina (Melbourne) or head to the grassy courtyard of Lokal & Co for an indulgent Norwegian spread in West End (Brisbane). Daytime hangs are perfect for spring and summer when the weather is beautiful. Kick off your 'easy wins' by enjoying a Coopers Dry, or two, with your mates.
Since Iron Man first flew onto cinema screens back in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has banded its movies together in phases, with each group of films telling a particular part of the broader story. The initial phase ran through until the first Avengers movie, the second spanned Iron Man 3 to Ant-Man, and the third kicked off with Captain America: Civil War and ended with Spider-Man: Far From Home. Now, the fourth phase is upon us — and it includes TV shows as well. So far, you might've been watching WandaVision; however, it's about to have company on streaming platform Disney+. Once the Mouse House is done telling Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision's (Paul Bettany) story (and nodding to classic sitcoms in the process), it's moving on to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Clearly, no one at Marvel and Disney+ has been taxing themselves while naming these series — so you instantly know who this one is about. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprise the eponymous characters, with their characters teaming up and heading off on a global adventure. That tests their patience — as the initial sneak peek back in 2020 illustrated, and the just-dropped full trailer for the series now shows in more detail. The pair's exploits will span six episodes, and will bring back Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo and Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter. Wyatt Russell (The Good Lord Bird) will also join the MCU as John Walker. As for when you'll be able to see all of the above in action, the series starts streaming on Friday, March 19, just after WandaVision wraps up its nine-episode run. And yes, the MCU's fourth phase will include more TV shows — such as Loki, which hits in May; Secret Invasion, starring Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury; and a series set in Wakanda. It'll kick off the film side of things with 2021 movies Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals. Check out the new full trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWBsDaFWyTE The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will hit Disney+ on Friday, March 19. Top image: Chuck Zlotnick, ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Have you ever watched Groundhog Day and found yourself thinking, "this is all ace and amusing, but I wish a masked murderer was running amok?" Have you ever settled down for Edge of Tomorrow and decided that the whole thing really could use some spooky college hijinks? If your answer to either of those questions is yes, then horror-comedy Happy Death Day just might be the film you're looking for. Here, reliving the same day comes with laughs, scares and a very determined killer. Sorority sister Tree (Jessica Rothe) is the character caught in a loop, but becoming a better person or stopping alien invaders isn't her aim. Instead, she just wants to work out why she keeps ending up dead — and, obviously, to figure out how to avoid it. Each day plays out the same way: she wakes up in the dorm room of a classmate, Carter (Israel Broussard), who she assumes she drunkenly hooked up with, before shuddering when her roommate Lori (Ruby Modine) tries to give her a birthday cupcake. Going to class, house meetings, ignoring her dad, getting ready for her own surprise party — nothing is particularly out of the ordinary. Or rather, it seems that way until she's brutally attacked, then finds herself doing it all over again. Given Hollywood's fondness for repetition, it's surprising that a film like Happy Death Day didn't happen earlier. There are plenty of elements here that movie fans will recognise — and that's not news to director Christopher Landon (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse). This is a flick that's well aware that Groundhog Day exists, and that the slasher scenario has been done to death (note the sly references to "Monday the 18th"). It's also knows that the Scream franchise has already found the thrilling and funny side of calling out and exaggerating genre tropes. Still, don't underestimate how far a playful tone and knowing approach can go in this situation. Producer Jason Blum is something of a horror maestro these days, backing the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises as well as this year's hits Split and Get Out. Keeping that successful run going, his latest takes to its satirical task with glee — think slick, montage-heavy visuals, an upbeat vibe and soundtrack, and absolutely no misapprehensions about the sort of entertaining, tongue-in-cheek movie that it wants to be. Thanks to the great work of Rothe, Happy Death Day also boasts an impressive central performance. Focusing on an attractive young woman fending off a bad guy is hardly new territory given the picture's chosen genre, but the actress last seen in La La Land portrays her protagonist as more than just a victim in waiting. After starting in Mean Girls territory, her zest and take-charge attitude matches that of the movie. As such, audiences should have no qualms about watching her experience the same day again and again — even if the film itself doesn't necessarily warrant repeat viewings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ENyivsLb_g
If you're anything like us, you're probably hard at work making a list of what to see at Vivid 2019. A word of advice, though: keep Wednesday nights free. Why? Because each hump day throughout the duration of the festival, the Art Gallery of New South Wales will keep its doors open late for a free evening of music, discussion and art. The first Art After Hours, on the evening of May 29, will explore spirituality and inner life in a conversation between Meshel Laurie and Benjamin Law before a musical tribute to the films of Spike Lee (a Vivid Ideas speaker this year). Week two will feature a talk from poet-rapper Omar Musa and artist Abdul Abdullah on expressing culture and identity in Australia, along with a striking performance from Okenyo, while week three will go back to the moon landing by reimagining songs from the cassette played during the moon landing. There'll be heaps to do each night, with free mindfulness sessions, drawing workshop and artist-led talks. They're also a good opportunity to catch the gallery's current exhibitions: The Archibald Prize, Duchamp and The National.
It's been almost two years since Stranger Things last graced our streaming queues, and left everyone wondering what might've become of Hawkins' beloved police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour, Hellboy). Just when the Netflix series is set to return for its fourth season hasn't yet been announced, but the platform knows that its viewers are all waiting eagerly — and, to keep us occupied, it has started teasing new glimpses at the long-awaited next batch of episodes. The platform initially provided a sneak peek at Stranger Things season four back at the beginning of 2020, which now seems like a lifetime ago. Given that things didn't seem to end too well for Hopper at the end of the show's third season — all thanks to the mind flayer, the Russian lab below Starcourt Mall and that pesky gate to the Upside Down — that initial glimpse picked up after the third season's Russian-set post-script. That said, while it did resolve the big cliffhanger, it also only ran for 50 seconds. This time around, the two new (and also brief) clips look backwards — and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong) is the focus. Both sneak peeks take place in Hawkins Laboratory, with the first peering at security camera footage, and the second listening on as Dr Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal) performs tests on kids with special abilities. The latter video then works its way down a corridor to a door marked with the number 11, and then shows a quick look at Eleven's face. So, it seems that as well as hopping over to Russia, Stranger Things is headed to the past. It's worth remembering that, when the platform announced the show's renewal for a fourth season back in 2019, it did so with the catchphrase "we're not in Hawkins anymore". We'll have to wait to see what that all means for its cast of characters — including not only Hopper and Eleven, the latter of which was last seen leaving town with Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America), Will (Noah Schnapp, Hubie Halloween) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The New Mutants), but also for Mike (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy), Max (Sadie Sink, The Last Castle), Steve (Joe Keery, Spree) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard). Check out the two new Stranger Things season four teasers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRIpYFIlg5U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILwLN6hV-X8 Stranger Things season four doesn't currently have a release date — we'll update you when Netflix announces its plans. Top image: Stranger Things season three.
Heavy with smoke. Charged with intrigue. 1930s Shanghai is like Dickensian London; it's a locale explored so thoroughly by writers of fiction that reality and fantasy are having a hard time not tripping over each other. But these spaces are where "volcanic live artist" Moira Finucane creates her best work. Renowned for the creation of sumptuous worlds in which her burlesque performances take place, Finucane recreates the stage of a nightclub cabaret in 1930s Shanghai — the perfect setting for her blend of painstaking detail and raucous subversion. Chinese jazz fills the air where acrobats had flown, seconds before. And on the ground, an international array of singers and dancers appear from all quarters, slinking through the half-light of the club. At Shànghǎi MiMi上海咪咪's, the real and imagined fall prey to a far more powerful force — immersion. Shànghǎi MiMi上海咪 is part of Sydney Festival's dramatic and diverse 2019 program. Check out the full lineup here.
If you're chasing more of a thrill from nature, check out the white water kayaking along the surging rapids of the mighty Barrington River. Fed by the pristine, fresh waters that run from Barrington Tops, these rapids rush after periods of heavy rainfall, when the river swells to cover ground it ordinarily wouldn't. Kayaking and rafting tours are readily available, but are subject to rainfall prior, so keep an eye on the weather and get booking when the rain falls. If you want to sleep close to the water, there's camping available at Barrington Reserve. And if you're after something less thrilling, there are lots of spots for a calm dip or a riverside picnic. Image: John Spencer
French Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee is famed for masterfully ingraining music into his films. The name of his most recent work comes from the chill out song 'Cafe de Flore' by Matthew Herbert, a song that holds extreme resonance for the characters, connecting them across time and place. The music in the film — dominated by the otherworldly Sigur Ros with a smattering of electro, pop and dance in between — is not merely decorative or utilised to invoke emotion; rather, it galvanises people in the most intense of ways and serves to remind them of the tragedy of love lost. In the world of Vallee's characters, music is life altering and transcendent, a profound expression and experience of love. Vallee presents us with two seemingly distinct stories, tales that will be joined at the end in the most surprising of ways. In modern-day Montreal, DJ Antoine (Kevin Parent) is deeply in love with his partner, Rose (Evelyne Brochu), but is emotionally displaced by his ineffable connection to his teenage sweetheart and ex-wife Carole (Helene Florent), the mother of his two children. Antoine questions during the film how one can have two soul mates in a lifetime. "If it's a soul mate," he asks, "it's not supposed to end, right?" Carole, in turn, is haunted by the disappearance of a love she thought was "written in the stars". The other story, set in an unspectacular Paris of browns and greys in 1969, follows Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis) and her obsessive devotion to her son, Laurent (Marin Gerrier), who has Down syndrome, along with his fervent attachment to a little girl also with Down Syndrome called Veronique (Alice Dubois). How the two stories converge will be divisive for audiences — some will be in awe of the magnitude of it all while some will walk out and roll their eyes. I was unfortunately in the latter camp. The final revelation let Cafe de Flore down in my opinion, but it didn't take away from the beauty of it as a whole. The film has a hypnotic quality that truly entrances. The use of photos of times past; stunning, ethereal visuals; and the inclusion of scenes showing Antoine and Carole as teenagers bound by love and a shared passion for music infuse the film with a sense of nostalgia and history that renders it dreamlike and sad. It won't be to everyone's taste, but if you appreciate good music and a complex, interesting story, then this might have something for you. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y3HAgq7aQOk
There's nothing overtly amusing about Daniel Day-Lewis' performance in Phantom Thread. As '50s-era London dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock, he's tenacious in his attitude but delicate in his approach, inhabiting the demanding, obsessive and fastidious figure to absolute perfection. And yet, there's a joke behind his character that says much about this meticulous, mesmerising melodrama. In trying to find a name for the protagonist in their second big screen collaboration, Day-Lewis and There Will Be Blood writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson were simply trying to make each other chuckle. Mission: accomplished. Similarly, Phantom Thread isn't a film that drips with laugh-out-loud humour, but the comic origins of Woodcock's moniker — and their contrast with the movie's tense and refined air — really couldn't be more appropriate. Far removed from his last wander through the ups and downs of romance in Punch-Drunk Love, here Anderson plunges into the depths of a dark, difficult and devious love story. That said, given the story concerns a volatile couple who turn power plays and tussles for control into an intense form of foreplay, it's only fitting that he imbues proceedings with a sly, mischievous streak. When Woodcock first encounters Alma (Vicky Krieps) in a countryside restaurant, it seems a simple case of sophisticated man meets shy young woman; of opposites attracting in familiar circumstances. While he usually only has room in his life for his work, his no-nonsense sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) and his dead but never forgotten mother, Woodcock is drawn to the clumsy waitress, as she is to him. But it soon becomes clear that his designs on their relationship aren't the same as hers. Though he's fond of having a live-in muse, dress model and sometime lover, despite appearances she's not the type to meekly bend to his moody whims. With Cyril ever-present, the House of Woodcock soon starts to unravel — something that'd never happen to one of the high-end frocks his ceaselessly fusses over, obviously. Every textile metaphor you can think of applies to Phantom Thread. It's a film that's carefully woven from the fabric of human urges, teeming with hidden layers and positively bursting at the seams with emotional detail. It's also one made by the finest possible craftspeople, with Anderson and his three stars fashioning the cinematic equivalent of haute couture. In a role he says will be his last, three-time Oscar-winner Day-Lewis shows just why that's such utterly devastating news for audiences and the acting profession alike. Matching him immaculately are Krieps and Manville. Think of the former as the intricate beading that attracts the eye on an already breathtaking gown, and the latter as the painstaking stitching attentively holding everything together. As for Anderson, the filmmaker behind Boogie Nights, Magnolia and The Master sews another unique patch into his filmography. Making a movie about a perfectionist dressmaker, he's as exacting as Reynolds — and possesses the same eye for exquisite beauty in a film he shot on 35mm himself. Marvel at the way he infuses the household's breakfast routine with palpable tension over something as routine as buttering toast, and try to tear your gaze away from his stunningly framed images and the exceptional frocks within them. Even the ornate wallpaper manages to captivate. Anderson again finds his musical match in Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, who provides the equally effective, darkly seductive score. Sensuous, evocative and completely entrancing, if the end result was a garment, you wouldn't want to take it off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCYB28iknIM
Among the wealth of new content that Netflix drops on viewers each and every year, Dead to Me proved one of the streamer's 2019 hits. Taking a few cues from 2018 film A Simple Favour, the show's ten-episode first season told the tale of two women who meet, become friends despite seemingly having very little in common, and help each other with their daily lives — then find themselves immersed in more than a little murky business. Now, the twisty dark comedy is returning for another season — and stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are back as well. The former once again plays a just-widowed woman trying to cope with losing her husband in a hit-and-run incident, while the latter pops up as a positive-thinking free spirit. It has been some time since they initially crossed paths at a grief counselling session, though, so this definite odd-couple situation has evolved to feature more secrets, lies and complications, as well as more than one murder cover-up. When the show's first season ended, it did so with a huge cliffhanger. As the just-dropped full trailer for Dead to Me's second season shows, this new batch of episodes will see Applegate's Jen Harding and Cardellini's Judy Hale dealing with the aftermath of that big event. And, it also reveals that fellow series co-star James Marsden is back — although you'll obviously have to wait for the new season to find out just what that means. Created by 2 Broke Girls writer Liz Feldman, the series marks Applegate's first lead TV role since 2011-12 sitcom Up All Night. For Cardellini, it's a return to Netflix after starring on the streaming platform's drama Bloodline — and she also featured in A Simple Favour, too. Check out the full trailer for Dead to Me's second season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmU7ylnmn_M Dead to Me's second season hits Netflix on Friday, May 8. Images: Saeed Adyani / Netflix.
After opening several colourful Mexican cantinas around the city in 2019, Rockpool Dining Group has expanded its Sydney footprint again — this time, with a European and American-inspired joint that specialises in wings. Inside Circular Quay's Gateway Centre, Winghaüs by Bavarian has room for 145 people across a range of high-top tables, benches, bar stools and leather booths. It's the second Bavarian offshoot of its type to open in the country, with the inaugural Brisbane outpost launching last September. Chicken is the main culinary attraction — buffalo wings specifically — although you'll also be able to tuck into fried wings dusted in either chipotle or habanero powder, or opt for boneless chicken tenders. They're all available in servings of ten, 15, 20, 50 or 100 pieces, with eight hot sauces on offer — ranging from mild Texas barbecue to super-hot habanero — and five dips. For folks hankering for other US diner-style bites, chicken burgers, sides such as onion rings, potato gems and deep-fried pickles, plus New York-style cheesecake ($9) are all available. And if you like your desserts both sweet and warm, a selection of deep-fried chocolate bars ($8) are likely to prove a highlight, with hot, gooey Mars, Snickers and Picnics all on offer. While the menu skews American, European influences come through in the drinks and decor. Like The Bavarian, Winghaüs features a stein chandelier made from 500 one-litre glasses, and serves German brews such as Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Franziskaner, Spaten and Hofbräu. US tipples like Budweiser, Stella Artois and Goose Island also feature, plus Aussie beers like 4 Pines and Pirate Life. And, cocktail-wise, the bar's taps pump out margaritas, old fashioneds, spritzes, negronis and espresso martinis. The best time to head in is undoubtedly after work — the 5–7pm weekday happy hour includes 50-cent wings, $6 pints, $11 steins and $7.50 espresso martinis and negronis. Sydneysiders can also expect plenty to keep them entertained at the diner-style spot, whether you're settling in at the long bar or getting cosy in a leather booth beneath neon signs. Given that sports memorabilia line the walls, it should come as no surprise that big-screen TVs also play up to 20 live sports at a time.
When it comes to Australia's annual collection of Jewish cinema, variety isn't simply the spice of life — it's the festival's guiding principle. Showcasing the breadth and depth of Jewish culture and storytelling is this event's aim, and it has the range to match. In fact, 2017's Jewish International Film Festival lineup boasts 65 films from 26 countries, including Danish dramas, Aussie docos, Israeli love stories, restored Polish classics, Russian projects and everything in between. A heartbreaking array of factual efforts? Tick. The sounds of Yiddish? Tick again. Explorations of famous Jewish filmmakers? A Sundance-like range of US indies? Multiple perspectives on Israeli life? Just keep ticking. With the fest making its way around the country between October 25 and November 22, we've chosen our five must-see movies from this year's program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83UoZcdX__Y MENASHE If you only see one Yiddish-language movie this year, make it Menashe, which has been earning ample praise since it premiered at Sundance back in January. Loosely based on the real life of its Hasidic first-time actor and star Menashe Lustig, writer-director-producer-cinematographer Joshua Weinstein's debut full-length film unravels the story of a grocery store worker desperate to keep custody of his son after his wife's death — but beholden to strict religious tradition that dictates otherwise unless he remarries. For extra authenticity, the film was reportedly shot in secret within New York's ultra-orthodox community. Screening in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. https://vimeo.com/224428115 IN BETWEEN Three female friends cope with life, love and navigating society's standards in In Between, a film that sounds oh-so-familiar — until it comes to its setting and cultural perspective. Screens big and small are filled with similar stories, but this isn't just Girls set in Tel Aviv. Rather, first-time feature filmmaker Maysaloun Hamoud delves into the difficulties confronting her trio of Palestinian protagonists as they try to wade through several layers of oppression, refuse to conform to expectation, and — crucially — fight to be themselves in a world of rules, tradition and control. Screening in Sydney and Melbourne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjt3J9mM7aE REBEL IN THE RYE For a famous recluse who shunned the spotlight for the bulk of his adult life, the late JD Salinger is rarely far from public attention. Writing one of the most iconic novels of the twentieth century will do that. While Salinger refused to let anyone turn The Catcher in the Rye into a film (not that it stopped the likes of Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio trying), the author's own tale keeps popping up on screen. Documentary Salinger stepped through his story back in 2013, and now Rebel in the Rye dramatises his early years — with Nicholas Hoult as the scribe and Mad Men actor turned writer-director Danny Strong behind the camera. Screening in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. https://vimeo.com/209150832 SCARRED HEARTS After helming the nineteenth century-set Romanian art-western Aferim!, filmmaker Radu Jude once again opts for something far from ordinary with Scarred Hearts. Based on autobiographical writings by Jewish Romanian author Max Blecher, the film tells the story of a twenty-something man's bedridden state as he recovers from bone tuberculosis, falls in love with a recovering former patient, and endeavours to reach beyond his confined state. A tale of living, resting, trying to find small joys, and coping with both illness and Facism, suffice it to say that this isn't the type of film you see every day. Screening in Sydney and Melbourne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKXAkITImGU BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY She amassed 35 acting credits to her name in both Europe and the US, and starred alongside everyone from Judy Garland to Spencer Tracy to the Marx brothers in her '40s and '50s heyday. That's only part of Hedy Lamarr's considerable true tale, however. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story steps through the smarts behind the screen persona, with the Austrian-born talent not only an actress but an accomplished inventor. Self-taught, she devised a frequency-hopping signal that was used by the Allies during the Second World War, as this Diane Kruger-narrated documentary explores. Screening in Sydney and Melbourne. The 2017 Jewish Film Festival screens at Sydney's Event Cinemas Bondi Junction and Hayden Orpheum from October 26 to November 22, Melbourne's Classic Cinemas and Lido Cinemas from October 25 to November 22, and Brisbane's New Farm Cinemas from October 26 to November 1. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Brightening up winter has always been Vivid Sydney's mission. Turning as much of the city as possible into a glowing sight has also been the festival's remit since its beginnings. Announcing its return for 2024, Dark Spectrum isn't the only example of how those aims come to fruition, but it's still a dazzling case in point. The luminous event heads into the Harbour City's depths, unleashes lasers and lights, adds electronic dance music as a soundtrack and gets attendees exploring a lit-up subterranean labyrinth. Dark Spectrum debuted in 2023, as a world-premiere installation in Wynyard's unused railway tunnels, which was the first time ever that the spot had been opened to the public. The light show beneath the streets has now joined the 2024 program, again in the same location, but this time as Dark Spectrum: A New Journey. Just like last year, we hope that you like lasers, secret passageways and bright colours, which will all be on offer from Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15. As the name makes plain, this is an all-new version of Dark Spectrum, but the basic setup, of course, remains the same. A collaboration between Vivid Sydney, Sony Music, Mandylights and Culture Creative, this underground spectacle will again feature eight rooms, all heroing a different hue, with the entire concept initially inspired by raves and their dance floors. Across a one-kilometre trail — up from 2023's 900 metres — 300 lasers and strobe lights, 500 lanterns, 250 search lights and 700 illuminated arrows will make a shining impression. Wondering which tunes accompany this maze-like experience, which tasks everyone that enters with wandering through its expanse from start to finish as lights flash and flicker, and smoke and haze effects add to the mood? Dark Spectrum: A New Journey will draw upon club-favourite tracks from the past 30 years. And yes, if you want to dance your way through the chambers and tunnels, that's allowed (and understandable). "Vivid Sydney 2024 is exploring what makes us uniquely human, with a diverse program designed to foster connections, spark imagination and showcase the multitude of ways creativity enriches our lives. We are so excited to welcome back Dark Spectrum: A New Journey to Vivid Sydney 2024 to bring the festival theme to life with a brand-new wholly immersive experience," said Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini. Also adding gleaming sights to the fest's lineup: the return of Lightscape, again at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney; 40-kilometre-long laser beams shooting out of Sydney Tower; artwork by Archibald Prize winner Julia Gutman on the Sydney Opera House's sails; projected pieces on a range of buildings in the CBD; 4000 solar-powered LED candles glowing amid the sandstone blocks at Barangaroo Reserve; and Barangaroo's Stargazer Lawn welcoming a circular projection of the brolga's mating dance. Dark Spectrum: A New Journey will run from Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15, 2024, during Vivid Sydney 2024. For further information and tickets, head to the event's website. Top image: Dark Spectrum 2023, Destination NSW.
They're taking to hobbits to Isengard at the Orpheum this November, with one movie marathon to rule them all. Round up the Fellowship, stock up on lembas bread for sustenance and hide your finest pipe-weed from the Southfarthing for one sitting of all three of Peter Jackson's beloved OG Tolkien film adaptations at the Hayden Orpheum. Kicking off with The Fellowship of the Ring and ending with The Return of the King, this cave troll of a marathon clocks in at 558 minutes, starting the journey at 11am and including two 30-minute meal breaks (breakfast and second breakfast, if you will). If you make it to the final handful of endings, you can pat yourself on the back and smash a ringwraith screech at the nearest Cremorne resident on your way home (note: do not actually screech at the residents). Tickets are the precious and come in at $25 for the whole ordeal.
Head On Photo Festival is on throughout May, with Sydney galleries showcasing the freshest photography from across the globe. A fine example comes from recurring festival prize finalist Jonathan May, who is presenting Desert Ink, a striking new series of black and white portraits, at Gaffa Gallery. While travelling around Indio, California, May began documenting the lives of eight Mexican tattoo artists and reformed criminals. In between drug-dealing and jail time, these men became passionate about cultivating their craft. May’s dramatic smoke-filled images reveal both former lives and new identities. As the men leave behind gang rivalries and shoot-outs, there is a law-abiding solidarity that mingles with their sinister appearances. Wearing their personal stories on their sleeves (or skin), these inked-up desert-dwellers make for interesting viewing. Come along for opening night on Thursday 30 April, 6pm.
International Margarita Day may fall on Wednesday, February 22, but why settle for only one day of citrusy, salty, tequila-y celebration? Solotel is spreading the love with a week-long tribute to all things margarita, taking place from Monday, February 20 until Sunday, February 26. For the whole week, eight of Solotel's venues are serving up watermelon and raspberry margaritas — with Patrón on the pour — for just $12 (plus $15 margies at The Golden Sheaf). It's the ideal bev to sip while you farewell the last few weeks of summer sun. Perhaps you'll choose the sunny courtyard of The Courthouse in Newtown, or the locally loved Public House in Petersham. Or, maybe level up your after-work drinks with margaritas at Barangaroo House's House Bar. Though, you're sorted at any of the other participating spots: The Erko, Edinburgh Castle, Sackville Hotel, Regent Hotel and Bridgeview Hotel. If you're into the Mexican cocktail, now's the time to enjoy it all over Sydney. If you know what's good for you, you'll pick a spot and get ready to raise a glass and celebrate the ultimate cocktail for a full seven days. Solotel's Margy Week hits a standout lineup of venues from Monday, February 20 till Sunday, February 26, with Patrón Tequila watermelon and raspberry margaritas for $12 ($15 at The Golden Sheaf). For all the details, head to the website.
With paedophilia now the throwaway punchline of every joke involving Catholic priests, Alex Gibney's Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God is a sobering reminder of the personal impacts of child sex abuse within an interminably sacrosanct organisation. Gibney has a way with scandal, having previously explored the USA's policy on torture in Taxi to the Dark Side and big business cover-ups in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. His assured, forthright documentary style is at its best in Mea Maxima Culpa, following both personal accounts of victims and the much larger problem at work. Much of the film's focus rests on a group of vulnerable young boys under the care of Father Lawrence Murphy at a school for the deaf in Milwaukee in the '60s. Deliberately using their disability and disconnectedness from their families, Murphy regularly molested the boys in secrecy. One victim describes Murphy as a "ravenous wolf", often singling out children whose parents could not sign, thus minimising any chance of speaking out. It would take decades before they were able to. Father Murphy, who died in 1998 defended his actions with the sickening reasoning of nobly taking their sins upon himself to disrupt their "rampant homosexuality". Though eventually removed from the school, Murphy was largely protected by the church, which prompts the film to investigate this as not a distressing one-off incident, but as a widespread, hushed-up problem. According to Vatican correspondent Marco Politi, the first documentation dates back 1700 years ago, although the state refuses to make their archives public. Interviews with victims, lawyers, progressive clergymen and journalists mixed with archival footage supports Gibney's thesis of a conspiratorial protection offered by the Vatican — to the perpetrators, rather than the victims. The lucidity and openness of the subjects are only slightly let down by a few unnecessary re-enactments early on in the film. The defiant interviews with the men who have dedicated their adult lives to take their uncomfortable truths not just to their local archdiocese but all the way to the Vatican is what will stay with you. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God is an incredibly gripping report of a papacy that remains largely above the law. With the recent election of Pope Francis, it couldn't have come at a better time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lLZDLp7lx28
Summer has returned to Chippendale's Old Clare Hotel. The luxury inner-city lodgings, which opened for business back in 2015, has a stylish interior and a lineup of food offerings so good they border on offensive. With A1 Canteen, Automata and Barzaari already in the building, we didn't really need another reason to want to pay it a visit. But then who are we to say no to a high altitude pool and bar? The Old Clare Rooftop Pool and Bar, located on the fourth floor of the boutique hotel, has just reopened to the public for the warmer months. Visitors can once again enjoy killer views of the city while lounging around on deckchairs in the sun, sipping refreshing cocktails and eating snacks prepared by Barzaari downstairs. Expect summer cocktails a plenty with the Pain-Killer ($21) — tequila, pineapple and maraschino, served in either a glass or an actual coconut — watermelon spritz ($19) and an extra-boozy rosé cocktail dubbed Rosey All Day ($18). All the classics will be available, too, as well as beers, spirits and G&Ts. Eastern Mediterranean-inspired snacks start with Sydney Rock oysters covered in colourful roe and harissa-spiked chicken wings served with pickled chilli, then move on to prawns with falafel and two pizza-style pita breads topped with the likes of chermoula, toum (a garlicky yoghurt), pickles and lountza (smoked pork). If you're famished, order the next-level bagel — filled with smoked brisket, pickles, iceberg and labneh — and a slice of sticky baklava served with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream. [caption id="attachment_706205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] The Old Clare will also use the rooftop space for group fitness sessions, which will be open to both hotel guests and the general public. The program has not yet been announced, but last time it included yoga, cardio boxing, circuit and personal training. We'll let you know as soon as it drops. The bad news for those wanting to take a sky-high dip is that you can only swim in the pool if you're a hotel guest. But maybe that means it's time to plan a staycation (or a night away for V-Day). The Old Clare Hotel can be found at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale. The poolside bar is open from 3–9.30pm Wednesday and Thursday, and from midday–9.30pm Friday through Sunday. Images: Nikki To.
Whiplash is a film about a drummer, and it might just be the scariest thing you see all year. It's not Annabelle scary, as in paranormal pant-soiling scary, nor is it Silence of the Lambs scary, aka psychological pant-peeing. It's more disturbing, a sort of 'do whatever it takes', Talented Mr Ripley kind of film, chronicling the terrifying lengths people will go to in pursuit of a goal. It's a 'jazz thriller', really, and it's an exceptional, engrossing movie. Narrow in its focus, Whiplash concerns an ambitious young drummer named Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller), a first-year student at a prestigious New York music academy. When the school's premier conductor, Terence Fletcher (JK Simmons), invites him to join the marquee jazz ensemble, Neyman quickly finds himself embroiled in a gripping, exhausting, unsettling and even violent clash of egos driven by Fletcher's unyielding pursuit of excellence and Neyman's own determination to be the next musical great. Chairs are thrown, punches are thrown, and in any given practice session the trinity of 'blood, sweat and tears' becomes almost mandatory. The one small mercy for panic-stricken viewers who found The Exorcist to be an exercise in endurance rather than enjoyment was that the terror occurred predominantly within the confines of the bedroom. You knew when to be afraid, and in Whiplash that room is Fletcher's rehearsal space. What ought to be the epitome of cool is instead the Roman colosseum, with Fletcher its sitting Emperor. One of the bad ones. More Caligula than Caesar. He rules through fear and exploits his students' aspirations as a means of ensuring his own reputation remains one of excellence and achievement. A few minor roles notwithstanding (Paul Reiser has a nice turn as Neyman's softly spoken father), this is a movie focussed on the performances by Teller and Simmons, and they're both first rate. Teller spent hours on the kit every single day rehearsing for the role, and his percussive skills are as impressive as his acting ones. Both arrogance and insecurity bubble just beneath his character's surface, and his descent into physical and mental ruin is painfully believable. Opposite him, Simmons is a powerhouse of brute force and bravura; a fedora-wearing, baton-wielding drill-sergeant right out of Full Metal Jacket. He bullies, he abuses and he hurls bigoted slanders so often it's almost as though that's how he breathes. The explanation he offers is as unapologetic as it is simple: greatness only comes from being pushed beyond the comfort zone and penetrating the unknown. For a jazz movie there's surprisingly little of it, and while the final performance is nothing short of extraordinary, the lack of jam sessions and gigs feels at odds with Neyman's professed love of the art and his dogged pursuit of pre-eminence. The film's conclusion, too, is troubling, for while it delights on the musical front, conceptually it appears to reinforce what is plainly a flawed and dangerous approach to nurturing talent. Still, this a showcase of two outstanding performances and a clear standout in what has otherwise been a largely mediocre run of films in 2014. Must see. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8J6JH-R-TN0
Because we don't have enough incredible, intricately-made drinks on-hand at all times, New York cocktail bar Attaboy is taking a trip out to Australia to make a few concoctions for us. How thoughtful. Following in the footsteps of fellow NYC bar Please Don't Tell, which held a Melbourne pop-up last year, Attaboy will be doing two one-night-only residencies in our two biggest cities: at The Everleigh's Elk Room in Melbourne, and Dead Ringer in Sydney. It's a sort of homecoming for bartender Sam Ross, who was a part of the Melbourne bar scene before he moved off to New York. He'll be mixing drinks with fellow bartenders Michael McIlroy and Otis Florence tonight (Wednesday, February 10) in Melbourne, and Monday, February 15 in Sydney. There are no bookings, but they'll be starting their rockstar shifts at 9pm — so get there early to secure a prime posi. Attaboy, which has been a Lower East Side favourite since it opened in 2013, operates with no menu; the pro bartenders will make something that aligns with your taste or favourite spirit. So, head in with tasting notes — or an open mind. Attaboy will pop up at The Everleigh's Elk Room from 9pm on Wednesday, February 10, and Dead Ringer on Monday, February 15 from 9pm. For more info, visit Attaboy's Instagram.
Spending more time at home is much easier to stomach with a hefty range of desserts on hand, or at least that seems to be Gelato Messina's long-running pandemic motto. The gelato chain keeps spoiling our tastebuds with specials, with everything from decadent cookie pies to 40 of its best flavours and full tubs of its indulgent limited-edition desserts on offer over the past year or so. It has also whipped up its own take on that vanilla and chocolate-layered ice cream cake everyone considered the height of extravagance as a child, too — and now it's bringing that tasty take on Viennetta back for another round. If you've been indulging your sweet tooth as a coping mechanism lately — frozen desserts were subject to strict item limits last March, so plenty of folks clearly went big on sugary comfort food — then consider yourself primed for this super-fancy version of the nostalgic favourite. It's another of Messina's limited releases, with tubs of the rippled gelato creation available at all its stores for a very short period. There's a twist this time, however, with this Messinetta (as Messina calls its Viennetta) also inspired by its take on Golden Gaytimes. If you've tried a scoop of the brand's popular Have a Gay Old Time flavour, then imagine that, but turned into Viennetta. This limited-time-only dessert combines layers of caramel and milk gelato, then covers it with chocolate-covered biscuit crumbs, and finally tops it all with ripples of vanilla and caramel chantilly cream. And yes, the end result looks like the dessert you know and love, but in a caramel colour for a change. The latest release in Messina's new 'Hot Tub' series, the Have a Gay Old Time Messinetta can only be ordered online at 9am on Monday, August 2, with a one-litre tub setting you back $35. You can then go into your chosen Messina store to pick up your tub between Friday, August 6–Sunday, August 8. If you're in Sydney, just remember that you'll now need to be headed to a store within ten kilometres of your house. Gelato Messina's Have a Gay Old Time Messinetta tubs will be available to order at 9am on Monday, August 2, for pick up between Friday, August 6–Sunday, August 8 from all stores except The Star — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
In a Venn diagram of people who love musical theatre and awe-inspiring acrobatics, the ideal audience for Pippin sits in the centre. The Tony Award-winning revival of the 1972 musical first burst onto Broadway in 2013 and amassed critical attention for its extraordinary stunts — from jumping through hoops to balancing on medicine balls and dangling from death defying heights. Its new look won the production four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. [caption id="attachment_784142" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Terry Shapiro[/caption] The musical tells the story of Pippin, a medieval prince searching for his place in the world. The play within a play is told by a travelling troupe of actors and acrobats who often address the audience directly. And, in addition to the edge-of-your-seat action, it's also packed with memorable tunes like 'Corner of the Sky', 'No Time at All' and 'Magic to Do', all composed by Oscar- and Grammy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked and Godspell). This summer, Australian audiences can experience the entertaining Australian production for themselves when Pippin comes to Sydney Lyric at The Star. As we live in uncertain times, there are flexible ticket options available, which might suit those planning to travel to Sydney especially for the show. Sydney Lyric at The Star also has a COVID-19 safety plan in place, in accordance with NSW Health. Pippin is showing exclusively in Sydney from November 24 to January 31. Tickets start at $69.90. Top image: Joan Marcus
As part of the Art Gallery of NSW's multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion, the main entrance directly outside the gallery's historic building is set for a makeover which will include new greenery, architectural pools and additional gathering spaces. Dubbed the Sydney Modern Project, the AGNSW renovation is set to be completed in 2022 and will see the cultural institution double its current exhibition space, incorporating an entirely new 7830-square-metre building and a gallery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. The current forecourt is mainly occupied by parking spots, located metres away from The Domain. The new plan will see this space make way for expanded public gathering spaces including two shallow reflection pools. The pools will be created from polished granite to reflect the front facade of the iconic Sydney building. Designed by landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson and architecture firm GNN, the forecourt aims to revitalise the AGNSW's main entrance as a welcoming space for the public and connect it to the Sydney Modern Project's new gallery and outdoor art campus. "Kathryn Gustafson's design for our new civic forecourt will provide visitors to the Art Gallery more space to gather and better connects our magnificent site on Gadigal Country to The Domain, the Royal Botanic Garden and the city," AGNSW director Michael Brand said. [caption id="attachment_698852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sydney Modern Project 2018 render[/caption] Funded by a $344 million public and private collaboration comprised of $244 million from the NSW Government and $100 million raised by private donations, the Sydney Modern Project has been in the works since 2017 and was officially given the go-ahead by the government in 2018. It remains on track to be completed next year, despite any delays the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused. The gallery has managed to stay open during construction, however is currently closed due to Greater Sydney's current lockdown. If you're craving a trip around the Art Gallery of NSW, the home of the Archibald Prize is looking to help as much as possible with virtual tours of this year's Archie available for free online. Construction on AGNSW's Sydney Modern Project is slated for completion in 2022.
Ever spent the day holed up in your 9-5 cubicle musing on the lack of creativity in your life? Wondering where you could go to just make and do? Feel like you don't really have an artistic bone in your body but would love to just give it a go? Well, have we got the safe family environment for you. Hyde Park. Sunday. September 18. 12pm. It is here that the very first World Fingerpainting Day will be held. And if the social media kids behind RepoSocial have their way it will be a global event with guerilla finger painters around the world taking to their civic parks and getting their hands dirty with all and sundry. As the press release states, 'the goal is to get the forty year old banker painting next to the four year old girl.' Sound dodgy? Yeah, parks already have that rep. Either way, it's this writer's cyncial and jaded view that probably needs a touch up from that great God Creativity and his spawn, Free and Open Thought and Inner Child. Australia is an incredibly over-regulated country and as such I think it is probably a good thing to take advantage of events such as these which don't necessitate OHS heavy handedness or rigid rights and wrongs. Be flexible. It is actually much easier to be cynical than not (as much a speech to myself as to you). So get your fingers warmed up, don your oldest t-shirt and get ready to get messy. With the kids. With the bankers. With the shop keepers. With your locals. It is your city, Sydneyites, get boundless.
Suffocating repression and blind religious fervour underscore an atmosphere of stomach-clenching dread, in the much-hyped arthouse horror flick that took last year's Sundance Film Festival by storm. The disquieting debut of writer-director Robert Eggers, The Witch unfolds on the very edge of civilisation, where puritanical devotion inevitably gives rise to the very evil it so desperately fears. The Witch isn't a horror film in the way that modern viewers may expect, with Eggers mostly steering clear of graphic violence and sudden scares. Yet while the film's gnawing brand of terror may not be particularly immediate, its lingering effects are also far less easily dispelled. The film takes place in New England in the early days of pilgrim settlement, and concerns the unfortunate affairs of a family of colonists who find themselves exiled from their community for an unspecified religious offence. Travelling into the wilderness, they establish a farm on the edge of an ominous forest, only for further misfortune to befall them when newborn baby Samuel mysteriously disappears. As winter creeps closer and hope stretches thin, suspicion is cast upon eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), who the rest of the family fear may have made a sex pact with the devil. On a production level, The Witch is immaculate. Close attention to period detail – from the threadbare costumes and setting to the carefully researched era-specific dialogue – lends the narrative an authenticity that in turn makes its supernatural elements feel uncomfortably real. A muted colour palette, dominated by greys, off-whites and faded greens, seems to drive home just how grim the family's situation has become, while leaving little doubt in our minds that evil lurks just around the corner. Combine that with a nerve-jangling orchestral score, and it's clear Eggers wishes to unsettle you from the moment the film begins, and leave you feeling that way for many hours after the house lights come up. He's aided in that eerie ambition by the fine work of his cast. As the family patriarch William, Ralph Ineson embodies the world-weariness and internal conflict of a man who believes it's his duty to provide for his family, but whose pride prevents him from seeing that he is leading them to ruin. As his wife Katherine, Kate Dickie captures the calcified intensity of a woman from whom all pity has been driven. So hard has been her life that even her religious conviction is rooted in bitterness. But it is to 19-year-old Taylor-Joy that all eyes will be drawn, her pale, striking features and compelling performance speaking to the true source of the film's terrifying power. For while Eggers makes it clear that there is indeed a witch lurking in the shadows of the woods, her supernatural powers are far less frightening than the threats – both real and imagined – that lie within the four walls of the farmhouse. The true terror of The Witch is that our family might turn against us, for reasons that are entirely beyond our control. The mere fact that Thomasin is a young woman is enough to make her the subject of suspicion, as Eggers explores in no uncertain terms society's ongoing fear of female sexuality. Tellingly, the film's mesmerising final few moments depict exactly what such a society fears most: a woman unchecked by repression, with full control of her body, finally embracing her dark, seductive powers to the ruin of the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXmlf3Sefg
When trouble strikes, tragedy gets a catchphrase: "life goes on." You might hear it from well-meaning acquaintances, or even loved ones. As accurate as those words may be, however, the reality is far less simple. In the case of Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) in Manchester by the Sea, pain and heartbreak become like a second skin, numbing him to the outside world. As he goes about his job as a Boston janitor he encounters complaints, advice and even awkward romantic advances, and yet he can barely bring himself to react. "You're rude, you're unfriendly, you don't say good morning," his boss tells him after a complaint is lodged. Lee remains unfazed. Manchester by the Sea tackles heavy subject matter as Lee is forced to return to his hometown and take custody of his teenage nephew (Lucas Hedges) after the death of the boy's father (Kyle Chandler). From this relatively simple dramatic premise, writer-director Kenneth Lonergan (Margaret) masterfully pieces together fragments of past trauma, present malaise and future uncertainty, delivering a complex portrait of a haunting but rarely acknowledged reality. Whether we've charted the same journey as Lee or endured ordeals of our own, most of us are broken in our own way. Surviving that pain, rather than fixing it, is perhaps all we can really ever hope to manage. Lonergan stresses this idea in a number of different ways. Stellar performances from Hedges and Michelle Williams (as Lee's ex-wife) seethe with inner turmoil. The snowy Massachusetts setting, meanwhile, provides further obstacles. And then there's the filmmaker's approach to filling in Lee's backstory, via flashbacks that slip into the main storyline so seamlessly that it takes a moment to realise that the timeline has changed. Of course, that's how everyday pain manifests itself. It coats life with an extra layer, even when things otherwise appear fine. It intrudes seemingly at random, even when you're not expecting bad memories and heartache to rear their ugly head. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Affleck broods, frowns and furrows his brow. Don't think he's just serving up his own version of Sad Affleck though. Here, despair runs much deeper than a bad interview about a superhero flick. Conveying the deep-seeded misery that can only come from years of suffering and regret, Affleck plays Lee with naturalistic agony of the festering variety, while also providing a glimpse at something more. An exploration of grief and loss, Manchester by the Sea is undeniably bleak. But don't be surprised by the movie's sense of humour, either. Laughter is a necessary cathartic device even in the darkest of situations, and here it makes the drama feel that much more real. Combined with the movie's commitment to laying bare inescapable inner struggles, and Lonergan's latest proves both devastatingly relatable and sincerely affecting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsVoD0pTge0
Another Mardi Gras institution Fair Day is the educative, daytime, community-focused, counterpart to the seductive glitz and glamour of The Parade. Come on down and join more than 80,000 people who converge on leafy Victoria Park for a giant LGBTIQ love-in. There’s always amazing food on offer, a multitude of wares from local community vendors for your perusal, and countless opportunities to engage with Sydney’s vibrant queer community. Whether you’re out-and-proud, questioning, or just an ally, there’s something for everyone with educative stalls, stellar entertainment on the mainstage, everyone's favourite Doggywood pet pageant and even an all-day dance tent. Think of Fair Day as a giant picnic in the park to celebrate all things queer. Now doesn’t that sound nice? Image: Ann-Marie Calilhanna.
A music and art festival with an absolutely stacked lineup is taking over an abandoned Chinatown cinema. Pleasures Playhouse has been pulled together by influential Sydney party-starter Kat Dopper of Heaps Gay and Summer Camp. Dopper has curated a vibrant, varied and inclusive program of gigs, parties, film screenings and yum cha that will reactivate the Harbour City Cinema. Originally a space for Chinese films to be shown, the longstanding cinema will be given a new life throughout the festival after laying empty for the last 15 years. After closing in October 2022, there was a huge wave of support to make it a permanent fixture in Haymarket. While the venue hasn't been able to confirm it'll be sticking around long term, it has announced another six weeks of parties running until the end of the year. "This is one of the most exciting projects, I've been able to work on, literally a dream. Collaborating with all my favs to take over an unused space in Sydney to bring together some of the best of our arts scene to create a new cultural destination that promotes artistic excellence," said Dopper. The second run of programming will kick off on Wednesday, November 23 with Hannah Reilly and Jonny Hawkins' night of speeches I'd Like to Say a Few Words which will feature appearances from the likes of Froomes, Jane Caro and Nina Oyama. Adding to the excitement, the multi-disciplinary space has also announced that it will be open until 3am for this run of shows, meaning late-night dance parties are sure to feature heavily in the programming. [caption id="attachment_867881" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Hay[/caption] Top image: Anna Hay. Updated Monday, November 21.
If you're a fan of chicken wings, then you might already have July 29 marked in your calendar. It's your annual excuse to tuck into plenty of chook, because that's what National Chicken Wing Day is all about. At Rockpool Dining Group's various German-themed venues — aka Munich Brauhaus, The Bavarian and Beerhaus — you won't just find a whole heap of chicken, however. Wings will also be on special all day for just ten cents each. You can nab up to 20 at a time for just $2, although you will also need to buy a full-priced drink. If you fancy more than 20, that's fine — you'll just need to get more drinks, which we're sure no one will be complaining about. All wings come with buffalo sauce, but if you're keen on ramping up the heat, you can also take part in the Hot Wing Ghost Chilli Eating Challenge at Munich Brauhaus and The Bavarian. Those wings will be smothered in cayenne, habanero and ghost pepper, and if you can eat more than anyone else in a minute, you'll receive a $100 voucher. Ten-cent wings are available at all Sydney outposts of Munich Brauhaus, Beerhaus and the Bavarian.
Whether you're looking to catch up with the Oscar nominees, or just can't say no to the idea of cheap movie tickets, you might want to pay a visit to Palace Central over the Australia Day long weekend. That's because the 14-screen complex at Chippendale's Central Park centre will be offering $10 tickets to all its regular sessions for three days, from Saturday, January 26 to Monday, January 28. And all the big flicks are screening — from The Favourite, which picked up ten nominations, to A Star Is Born (eight), Bohemian Rhapsody (five) and Green Book (five). If you're really dedicated, you could almost ticket off all the nominees for Best Motion Picture in one weekend. The inner-city cinema will also be serving up limited-edition lamington choc tops (because, Australia) and extra-large glasses of wine to celebrate the additional day off work.
UPDATE, August 3, 2020: Mary Poppins Returns is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Floating in on the wind with her umbrella in hand, Mary Poppins is back — in a most delightful way. More than half a century since the magical nanny made the leap from page to screen, this lively, loving sequel explores a notion that's already fuelled seven books. Directed by Rob Marshall (Into the Woods) and scripted by David Magee (Life of Pi), Mary Poppins Returns asks: what if the seemingly prim-and-proper governess worked her wonders on the Banks children once more? The answer both does and doesn't play out as expected. Imaginative songs, animated flights of fantasy and a friendly labourer all feature, as does the Banks house on Cherry Tree Lane. Kids learning life lessons and to embrace their creativity are part and parcel of the film as well, and so is the warmest of moods. But, letting time pass in the story as it has in real life, Mary Poppins Returns introduces adult versions of the tykes that Poppins once cared for. They need her help yet again, and so does the next generation snapping at their heels. Struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression, widower Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) is about to lose the family home. He's behind in the mortgage and, despite working for the bank as his late father did before him, the financial institution's president (Colin Firth) won't offer an extension. Michael's only option is to find proof that he own shares, with his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) and his children Anabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh) and Georgie (Joel Dawson) all doing their part in the search. Enter Poppins (Emily Blunt), as radiant and no-nonsense as ever – except when she's the source of the nonsense. If that idea seems like a conundrum, the nanny explains the predicament herself in one of the movie's catchy musical numbers. Reviving not only a long-beloved character, but one engrained in the youth of multiple generations, is far from an easy task. Thank the heavens that Poppins descends from for Blunt. Fresh from putting in a powerhouse performance in the virtually dialogue-free horror flick A Quiet Place, she charms and captivates stepping into Julie Andrews' shoes. Always entrancing, it's the kind of singing and dancing showcase that audiences mightn't have realised that the English actor could deliver. Whether she's schooling and being silly with the Banks poppets, or leading them into adventures with kindly lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) by her side, Blunt fits the part perfectly. More than that — she practically perfects the film's infectious air of fun in every way. While a spoonful of sugar isn't needed to make the movie go down a treat, it comes in the form of Marshall's love and care. The filmmaker's output can be hit and miss, with Chicago falling into the first category and Into the Woods the second, but Mary Poppins Returns is a winning effort. There's a juggling act at the picture's core, as the movie endeavours to pay homage to its popular predecessor without becoming a mere rehash. In a playful and well-judged manner, Marshall finds the necessary balance. His film deploys elements of the original — reflecting, reshaping, inverting, referencing — and yet it flies high as a kite on much more than nostalgia. Among the few elements that don't soar, nothing threatens to send the picture tumbling. The slight story feels like it could be whisked away by a breeze, but it's aided by the frequent diversions into song and dance. Rarely at her best in music-heavy scenarios (as the Mamma Mia! movies have shown), Meryl Streep is forgettable as the magical nanny's cousin, however her part is brief. And even when the film falters momentarily, Mary Poppins Returns has quite the distraction up its sleeves. From the eye-catching costuming to the colourful sets to the gorgeous animation, the movie serves up a visual wonderland. First Paddington, then Winnie the Pooh and now Mary Poppins, British treasures just keep coming back to the screen. But when they're this enjoyable, they're more than welcome. We're sure Poppins herself would approve of that sentiment. Among her many life lessons: realising when to relish what's in front of you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMe7hUb3TpI
It's been more than two decades since Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet changed the game when it came to screen adaptations of Shakespeare — and delivered a stunning soundtrack along with it. There are many things that make the 1996 movie great, from its stellar casting to the filmmaker's inimitable style. But tracks by everyone from The Cardigans to Radiohead to Everclear to Garbage rank right up there with its biggests strengths. It's no wonder, then, that Vivid Sydney is throwing quite the soiree to celebrate one of the best-ever collections of movie tunes. At Young Hearts Run Free, the Enmore will become a rock masquerade, with patrons dressing up, dancing the night away, and listening to live performances of the entire soundtrack. And as for the lineup, it's suitably epic — with Quindon Tarver, the original choir boy from the film, belting out his 'When Doves Cry' cover. He'll be joined by Tom Dickins, Ella Hooper, Jonathan Boulet, Abby Dobson, Hayley Mary, iOTA, Jordan Raskopolous, Billie Rose, Cash Savage, Laura Imbruglia, Andy Golledge, Jake Stone and Bad Bitch Choir.
