With its latest movie-fuelled event, Underground Cinema is hoping that you've never felt like this before — and that you love Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey dancing up a storm in a much-loved 1987 romantic drama. As part of the outfit's new Immersive Cinema spin-off, it's promising to plunge cinephiles into the world of Dirty Dancing. And give you the time of your life, presumably. Hitting The Domain for three nights in March 2019, Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience won't just screen one of Swayze's biggest film roles, but will recreate the world of the popular film. That means that attendees will travel back to 1963 in spirit, check into Kellerman's Mountain House in the Catskills, and enjoy a day of painting classes, volleyball, croquet and — of course — dance lessons. You can probably also expect a stint of carrying watermelons, as well as a talent show. It all ends with a sunset screening of Dirty Dancing on the big screen. You'd be just a fool to believe that's all that's on the agenda. Actors and dancers will roam around like the wind, and, food and drink-wise, Americana-style eats and several pop-up bars slinging summery cocktails are on offer for those with hungry eyes (and stomachs). You'll also be able to wander through recreations of Kellerman's famous fictional spaces, from the staff quarters where Francis 'Baby' Houseman gets her first taste of dirty dancing, to the studios where she learns all the steps from and starts swooning over Johnny Castle, to the restaurant where nobody puts Baby in a corner. Like the film version of Kellerman's, the event is also an all-ages affair — Underground Cinema's first that'll welcome families and kids along. And everyone is encouraged to dress up like it's the 60s, although appropriate footwear for dancing is a must. Tickets are available in two tiers, with the $89.90 'Kellerman's Guest Experience' giving you access to all of the above, and the $129.90 'Time of My Life Package' (naturally) also letting you sashay in via express entry, nab a premium elevated viewing spot, explore secret spaces and take a group dance class with one of Kellerman's dance instructors.
It's been 75 years since the curtain first went up on playwright Arthur Miller's Pulitzer-winning masterwork Death of a Salesman. And yet, while this tragic story is rooted in 1940s America, it has an uncanny prescience, eerily reflecting the cost-of-living pressures and influencer anxieties of today. Not that the production that plays at Sydney's Theatre Royal until Sunday, June 23 — following a critically acclaimed season in Melbourne — draws these contemporary parallels heavy-handedly. Created by Neil Armfield, one of Australian theatre's most visionary directors, this understated staging of the "great American play" lets a virtuosic cast bring its tale of financial struggle and generational trauma into guttingly relevant focus. And in doing so, it delivers some of the most powerful performances seen on a Sydney stage in years. Willy Loman — who is portrayed with masterful nuance by Anthony LaPaglia (Boy Swallows Universe) — has spent his life being an obedient disciple to the cult of American exceptionalism. A middle-class travelling salesman who has carted his wares up and down New England for decades, Loman is propelled by a belief that greatness awaits those who work hard enough for it. He has a quintessentially nuclear family raised in the same apple-pie mould: boisterous and athletic boys Biff (Josh Helman, Furiosa: A Mad Max Story) and Happy (Ben O'Toole, C*A*U*G*H*T), who were the envy of their classmates growing up; and dutiful wife Linda (Alison Whyte, Groundhog Day The Musical), who lives to maintain the domestic bliss of a mortgaged home filled with rented appliances. However, now in his mid-60s, Willy has found himself in a twilight realm of nostalgia and regret as he discovers the capitalist doctrine he once worshipped has betrayed him. Far from being captains of industry, his now-grown sons are lost souls desperately grasping to meet expectations far beyond their reach, while Willy's wife has become trapped by the horror of watching her husband's mind fracturing as it tries to deny an increasingly bleak reality. Dale Ferguson's minimalist set is a rusted flight of high school bleachers where the various supporting characters sit and watch the unravelling of the Lomans. It's an apt backdrop, as there is a voyeuristic, almost transgressive quality to spectating a disaster as intimate as the implosion of a family. And yet, the gut-punching emotional truth of these performances make it impossible to look away — "attention must be paid," Linda pleads, and this production demands it. LaPaglia weaves astonishing subtlety into the peaks and troughs of Willy's undoing, while Helman unleashes every ounce of desperate rage that his body can summon to express the depth of Biff's need to be released from the capitalist propaganda that his father has smothered him with all his life. It's Whyte, however, who provides the greatest revelation. While Willy has committed his life to chasing a false prophet, his wife Linda has committed hers to simply loving him, supporting him and championing him beyond success or failure. And it's in this act of simple devotion that she emerges not merely as the collateral damage to her husband's tragedy, but as the play's heroine. Images: Brett Broadman.
No matter which city you live in, if you have a fondness for trivia — and a head full of otherwise pointless tidbits just waiting to be scribbled down quickly — then you've likely been to one of the many nights dedicated to such knowledge. During stints at home, you've probably tested your skills virtually, too, to help fill all that time within your own four walls. In 2020, Isolation Trivia hit the scene as a lockdown-friendly trivia night. It's still running strong this year, too, which is particularly great news for Greater Sydney and Greater Brisbane residents under lockdown. No, all the questions aren't just about staying indoors — but because that's now a regular part of our lives, these trivia nights are live-streamed. Aimon Clark, from Brisbane's Man vs Bear and Not On Your Rider trivia events, plays quizmaster. As you join in, you'll jot down your answers at home — and everyone can compare scores virtually, and battle for trivia supremacy. Isolation Trivia pops up around once a week, but to keep an eye on the next sessions — and to play along — you're best to head to the event's Facebook page. Top image: Not On Your Rider
It's a chair made out of swords. So notes Daemon Targaryen's (Matt Smith, Morbius) description of TV's most-fought-over piece of furniture of the past 13 years: the Iron Throne. Not one but two hit HBO shows have put squabbles about the sought-after seat at their centre so far, and the second keeps proving a chip off the old block in a fantasy franchise where almost everyone meets that description. If the family trees sprawling throughout Game of Thrones for eight seasons across 2011–19 and now House of the Dragon for two since 2022 (with a third on the way) weren't so closely intertwined in all of their limbs, would feuding over everything, especially the line of succession, be such a birthright? Set within the Targaryens 172 years before Daenerys is born, House of the Dragon could've always cribbed the name of another HBO success. In season two from Monday, June 17 Down Under — via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand — season one's black-versus-green factionalism remains a civil war-esque showdown over which two offspring of the late King Viserys the Peaceful (Paddy Considine, The Third Day) should wear the crown and plonk themselves in the blade-lined chair. The monarch long ago named Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy, Mothering Sunday) as his heir. But with his last breaths, his wife Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Slow Horses) — also Rhaenyra's childhood best friend-turned-stepmother — claims that he changed his pick to their eldest son Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney, Rogue Heroes) instead. In King's Landing, the response was speedy, with Rhaenyra supplanted as the next ruler before she'd even heard over at Dragonstone that her father had passed away. Based on Fire & Blood, which George RR Martin penned as backstory after A Song of Ice and Fire's first five books A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, House of the Dragon has also long painted Rhaenyra as the preferred type of chip off the old block. She too wants peace, not war. She also seeks stability for the realm over personal glory. If Viserys spotted that in her as a girl (Milly Alcock, Upright) when he chose her over Daemon, his brother who is now Rhaenyra's husband, he might've also predicted the dedication that she sports towards doing his legacy, and those before him, proud. Aegon, also the grandson of Viserys' hand Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man), sees only entitlement above all else. Martin's tales of family dynasties — the names Stark, Tully, Lannister, Baratheon and more also pop up again — trade in the cycles that course through the bonds of blood, especially in House of the Dragon. Everyone watching knows what's to come for the Targaryens in Daenerys' time, right down to an aunt-nephew romance as the counterpart to Daemon and Rhaenyra's uncle-niece relationship. (No one watching has started this prequel series, the first spinoff of likely many to Game of Thrones, without being familiar with its predecessor). Ice-blonde hair, ambition that soars as high as the dragons they raise and fly, said flame-roaring beasts of the sky, the inability to host happy reunions: these are traits passed down through generations. Some are a matter of genes. Martin continues to explore why the others persist. Season one took to its role as the next on-screen trek across Westeros with seriousness, devotion and reverence, leading to a front-ended run intrigue-wise with talk — scheming, plotting, proclaiming who should be next to sit upon several thrones — and laying the groundwork for more seasons to come monopolising the ten-years-later back half. It was exactly what fans of this TV franchise could've wanted, in no small part thanks to its fondness for overt mirroring that stresses the point that some things trickle down from parent to child no matter what. Season two has less establishing to do, and therefore a quicker pace and tighter focus. It's content in one time period. It also has not just the aftermath of a usurpation but also of a tragic death at the hands of Aegon's younger brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell, Saltburn), who bears a grudge and wears an eyepatch (the two are connected), to traverse. Rhaenys (Eve Best, Nurse Jackie), cousin to Viserys and Daemon, sums up one of the tragedies that House of the Dragon has committed itself to unpacking: that skirmishes will become such a given that no one will recall or care why the blacks (Rhaenyra's camp) and greens (Aegon and Alicent's) took up weapons and began torching each other with dragons in the first place. The audience won't forget. With images thankfully easier to discern — there's no repeat in the first four episodes of the dull-looking day-for-night atrocity of season one, its low point — the show's return witnesses the cost of pursuing the Iron Throne. It spends more time with the smallfolk, aka those beyond the royals and their cronies. It observes their reaction to the bad blood's brutality at its cruellest. And it does so even while making good on the big promise of Targaryens tearing into each other in a Seven Kingdoms period when dragons weren't a rarity: those mid-air sweeping and snapping dragon frays, which are gloriously brought to life. Scaling back the scene-setting and future-plotting is a gift to House of Dragon's cast in season two, especially to D'Arcy and Cooke. Rhaenyra's battle is really a battle with Alicent more than her son — and the two actors behind the parts expertly handle the task of conveying not only the duelling ambitions feeding the Targaryen tussle for the crown and throne, but also the emotional stakes and costs in their friends-turned-enemies portrayals. Best, as another Targaryen who should've been queen but was overlooked for Viserys, joins them in expressing what it means to walk every step with Westeros' engrained malice shaping your path beyond your control. Seeing their characters team up may now be left to fan fiction, but House of Dragon is a better series with their performances at its heart. As uttered with the snarling glibness that Smith oozes so well in his scene-stealing role, that aforementioned account from Daemon of what everyone is fighting over might sound flippant. It's designed to. But trust House of Dragon to encapsulate the undying source of its heat, and of the perpetual clashes within this conflict-riddled saga, with such a seemingly easy and ordinary turn of phrase. When the fact that leading means climbing across a path of violence, then sitting atop one, even if you're devoted to eschewing bloodshed — again, the Iron Throne is literally a chair made out of swords — and when that fact is such a routine aspect of life that no one thinks twice about it, what else but more feuding can spring? Check out the full trailer for House of the Dragon season two below: House of the Dragon season two streams Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia, and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand, from Monday, June 17, 2024. Read our review of season one. Images: HBO.
Spinning a tale about US government-backed operatives plotting to kidnap a Mexican teenager, Sicario: Day of the Soldado was always going to strike a chord. That said, the film's storyline hits home particularly hard at the moment — a time when children are being taken from their parents at the US-Mexico border, and a tweet-happy president keeps raging about cartels and building a wall. Reality casts a long shadow over this sequel to 2015's surprise standout Sicario. Indeed, there's no way to wade into such murky, politically loaded territory without stirring up more than a few real-world parallels. In the movie as in life, the war on drugs has been overtaken by the war on immigration, and there's absolutely nothing pleasant about it. After attempting to stop the influx of illicit substances into the US in Sicario, military contractor Matt (Josh Brolin) and hitman Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) reunite to tackle the cartels' latest cash cow. With the smuggling of people rather than drugs now the US administration's main concern, the duo is given free reign to do whatever they must; there are no rules this time, as the American tells his Colombian counterpart. Opening fire in traffic, prolonged gunfights with Mexican cops, abductions in broad daylight — if it helps to secretly start a battle between rival mobsters, then it's on the agenda. Their main task: kidnap 16-year-old Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner), the daughter of a powerful cartel boss with ties to Alejandro's own sad story, and make it appear as though another gang is responsible. It's with an expectedly unsettling air that Sicario: Day of the Soldado becomes a tense exercise in distress, dancing through dark terrain, and ramping up the anxiety and carnage at every turn. From a soundtrack that drones with each blasting note, to bright yet gritty visuals that lay bare the stark situation on the ground, to a seemingly relentless onslaught of action set-pieces, nothing about the film shies away from its uneasy content and mood. That's an achievement that the picture shares with its predecessor, although this follow-up doesn't quite belong in the same company. With the original film's director Denis Villeneuve, cinematographer Roger Deakins and composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (who passed away earlier this year) all absent, it's left to their replacements Stefano Sollima (TV's Gomorrah), Dariusz Wolski (All the Money in the World) and Hildur Guðnadóttir (a cellist on the first flick) to offer up as close a copy as they can, instead of trying anything different or distinctive. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' might be the motto behind-the-scenes, but it proves a mixed bag on-screen. As the film watches its characters coldly and brazenly apply a familiar approach to a new scenario and expect the same successful result, it doesn't escape attention that the movie does the exact same thing. Well, with one major difference, and a crucial one. Where Sicario centred on a female FBI agent (Emily Blunt) thrust into a murky realm she wasn't prepared for or willingly to go blindly along with, this second effort dispenses with the character altogether. In her absence, so too does the film do away with the idea that someone might stand up for doing what's right, rather than what the government and its ruthless agents deem necessary. That's not to say that Brolin and Del Toro don't sweat moral complexity from their furrowed brows, or that their protagonists don't get caught in situations that test even their tenuous ethical limits. They do both, although that's more thanks to the actors than returning screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (Wind River). What's missing here is an outside perspective — a view on this dog-eat-dog world that doesn't just accept the bleak circumstances, the by-any-means mindset, or the cruelty that goes with it. Still, Del Toro comes closest to demonstrating the humanity that often gets caught in the crossfire, even when he's holding a weapon and training it at someone else. The path his assassin takes, and the world-weary performance Del Toro turns in, makes the otherwise grim but standard Sicario: Day of the Soldado worth watching. But the less said about the movie's sequel-baiting last few minutes and the teen gang protege subplot that accompanies it, the better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBOxhfWvVDc
In gleaming news for streaming viewers, Mick Herron's Slough House novel series boasts 12 entries so far. In another ace development, several more of the British author's books have links to the world of veteran espionage agent Jackson Lamb. If you're already a fan of Slow Horses, you'll be thrilled. For newcomers, you'll feel the same after diving into this small-screen spy delight and binging your way through it as quickly as possible. Thankfully, all those tales on the page mean that the episodic thriller based on Herron's work has plenty more stories to draw upon in its future. Now up to its third brilliant season as a television series, long may its forward path continue. Apple TV+ has clearly felt the same way since the program debuted in April 2022. In June the same year, the platform renewed Slow Horses for a third and fourth run before its second had even aired. That next chapter arrived that December and didn't disappoint. Neither does the latest and 2023's only batch of six episodes, this time taking its cues from Herron's Real Tigers — after season one used the novel Slow Horses as its basis, and season two did the same with Dead Lions — in charting the ins and outs of MI5's least-favourite department. Slough House is where the service rejects who can't be fired but aren't trusted to be proper operatives are sent to dwell in record-keeping drudgery, with Lamb (Gary Oldman, Oppenheimer) its happily cantankerous, seedy and shambolic head honcho. Each season, Lamb and his team of losers, misfits and boozers — Mick Jagger's slinky earworm of a theme tune's words — find themselves immersed in another chaotic case that everyone above them wishes that they weren't. That said, Slow Horses isn't a formulaic procedural. Sharply written, directed and acted, and also immensely wryly funny, it's instead one of the best spy series to grace television. Each repeat go-around might feature Lamb's band of disgraced agents demonstrating that they're not the write-offs that the rest of the espionage field thinks — and often wants — them to be, but every season-long predicament is meticulously detailed, as are the series' characters. It's easy to see why all things Slough House have gone the television route, rather than following Bond, Bourne and Mission: Impossible into cinema: these are people and scenarios that benefit from spending as much time with as possible. Slow Horses' astuteness, excellent cast and knack for comedy are all present in season three, which starts with two British intelligence officers in Istanbul. Sean Donovan (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Gangs of London) and Alison Dunn (Katherine Waterston, Babylon) share a bed as well as the same outpost, but there's a shadow over their bliss: he's been tasked with investigating whether she's leaking classified information. The Bourne movies come to mind in early chases, but Lamb and his spooks are still the show's focus. Accordingly, when the fallout from the opening events touches Slough House, River Cartwright (Jack Lowden, The Gold), Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves, Creation Stories), Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar, Class of '09), Marcus Longridge (Kadiff Kirwan, This Way Up), Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Dreamland), Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung, Gods of Their Own Religion) and their boss — plus his boss Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas, Rebecca) — are thrust into a game of cat-and-mouse that revolves around secret documents. In London, the situation hits home when one of the Slow Horses' own, the forever-loyal Standish, is abducted. The talented Cartwright again endeavours to illustrate why being banished to Slough House for a training mistake was MI5's error — and why caring about his team has always been one of his finest and most-reliable traits. This'd be a lesser show if Cartwright was simply a gleaming hero forced down the ladder for one false move and always excelling, however, and if Lamb's relentless cynicism about his team's highest flyer was just the bitterness of an old hand about an up-and-comer. Slow Horses doesn't ever throw around the terms in its opening song 'Strange Game' as insults, instead understanding that none of the agents on a slippery slope are perfect because no one is. Indeed, Cartwright and company don't keep chasing a ghost of a chance to get out of spy purgatory solely out of pride, but also due to skill, tenacity and resilience. Lamb's team isn't kept in their place merely because of vendettas or politics — although both factor into the ongoing storyline — but also via struggles, troubles and flaws that are hardly uncommon. All of MI5's inflated egos, uncooperative attitudes, bad tempers, problem gamblers, substance abusers and recovering alcoholics haven't been banished to Slough House, either. While there's a sense of romance to every underdog tale about ragtag outsiders finding somewhere to fit in, Slow Horses is clear-eyed about an unassailable fact: often, all that separates the Lambs and Cartwrights from the Taverners and Spiders (aka The Great's Freddie Fox as James Webb, who has long loved lording his status over his former training rival) is however the cookie happens to crumble. Season three adds extra emphasis to this truth by digging into Taverner's icy turf war with her superior Ingrid Tearney (Sophie Okonedo, The Wheel of Time); the squabbling between MI5's top two women might be more refined than among the Slow Horses, but there's still no one faultless here. As it flits between the service's upper echelons and its lowest ranks, this season also continues to hone its piercing mistrust of everything, especially bureaucratic power. John le Carré (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Night Manager, A Most Wanted Man, Our Kind of Traitor) meets Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep), then, and it's as glorious as that sounds. Tense, taut, riveting, rollicking, witty: throw in impeccably penned, staged, shot and acted, and that's the Slow Horses package. Giving both Scott Thomas and Okonedo more screen time gifts the series some new standout scenes, too, although there's not a moment wasted or a sequence that proves superfluous in this tight and gripping show. Of course, no one will ever best Oldman for Slow Horses' top performance — his blend of slovenly but savagely smart as Lamb is an art in everything from his can't-give-a-fuck gaze to his slicing line readings. And if Lowden pairs this stint of cloak-and-dagger antics with gadgets and martinis as 007, as keeps being rumoured, it'd be well-deserved based on his layered portrayal as Cartwright. It'd be right on theme as well, just as Oldman's jump from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to Slow Horses was; being at the summit or the foot of the spy game, and life, can just be a matter of circumstance. Check out the trailer for Slow Horses season three below: Slow Horses streams via Apple TV+.
UPDATE, October 9, 2021: Jungle Cruise is streaming via Disney+'s Premium Access, and is also screening in Sydney cinemas when they reopen on Monday, October 11. Take two charming actors, then couple them up for a feature-length volley of fast-paced banter: that's the screwball rom-com formula. Place this pleasing pair in a scenic but challenging setting — one that'll highlight their individual strengths, see them turn seeming weaknesses into new skills, and will obviously bring them closer together — and that's exactly how plenty of action-adventure movies have unfurled. Sending the always personable and likeable Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt to the Amazon, Jungle Cruise stitches together these two well-established formulas. It traverses its cinematic rapids in the slipstream of 80s fare like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Romancing the Stone (and their respective sequels), and even rollicks along in the footsteps of The Mummy franchise of the late 90s and early 00s (a series which actually gave Johnson his first big-screen roles). But, as anyone with even a passing knowledge of Disney's theme parks knows, Jungle Cruise also falls from the attraction-to-film mould that the Mouse House clearly loves. Pirates of the Caribbean is an overt influence, right down to the way that some of this new flick's villains look, and thrusting all these blatant templates to the fore — and together — doesn't quite result in movie magic. Directed by Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Commuter's Jaume Collet-Serra, who makes a workmanlike but hardly memorable jump from unleashing Liam Neeson's special set of skills, Jungle Cruise wants to whisk viewers off on a spirited ride. That's the experiential aim of most theme park-based films: these flicks want audiences to feel like they've stepped inside the attraction from their cinema seat. Before the movie's title card graces the screen, two sequences endeavour to set this tone. They're jovial, boisterous and bouncy, entertaining enough but blunt, and filled with slapstick hijinks and forceful gags. These scenes establish not just Jungle Cruise's mood, but its overall approach — one that, despite the unshakeable appeal of its stars, is primarily interested in the mechanics of hitting its chosen notes. This feature has been in the works since 2004, after initially being green-lit following the first Pirates movie's success, after all. It plays like a creaky relic, in fact, and not just in its nods as far back as 1951's The African Queen. Thanks to its predictable, straightforward yet also needlessly over-plotted narrative, it feels like writers Michael Green (Murder on the Orient Express), Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Focus) have been sitting on their box-ticking script for almost two decades, too. Those first two sequences set things up story-wise, of course. It's 1916, and Dr Lily Houghton (Blunt, A Quiet Place Part II) sneaks into an all-male science society to look for a treasured arrowhead from the Amazon. She's tasked her fussy brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall, Good Omens) with deflecting the organisation's members by telling them her theories about a fabled South American tree, called the Tears of the Moon, that can cure any illness or break any curse. The men are dismissive, but she knows they will be. She's there to steal the trinket so it can lead her to the mythical plant, all while Prince Joachim of Germany (Jesse Plemons, Judas and the Black Messiah) tries to get his hands on it as well. When Lily comes out on top, the Houghtons are off to Brazil to hit the river, but they'll need a captain to guide their watery jaunt. In his introductory scene, the roguish Frank Wolff (Johnson, Jumanji: The Next Level) is spied conducting tourist trips down the Amazon, every step choreographed like an amusement park ride, and with his own pun-heavy showman patter narrating the journey. He's corny, and he has a jaguar in on the act, too. Accordingly, there are zero surprises when Lily enlists his services reluctantly and after some subterfuge on his side, or when he keeps trying to trick her into giving up her quest. Also part of the plot, and also explained before that first title card: Spanish conquistador Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez, The Undoing) and his men, who found the Tears of the Moon almost 400 years ago, tried to take its secrets for themselves, but were cursed by the tree's Indigenous protectors for their treachery. They're the foes that look like cartoonish Pirates knockoffs, to the point of distraction — and they're rendered with so much CGI that any actors could be playing them. That's a recurring trait here, even in a movie that's biggest strength is its two immensely well-known, well-established and well-liked leads. Johnson and Blunt are as delightful as they can be in a feature that isn't big on character development or depth, but the fact that Lily's most-stressed attribute is her era-inappropriate penchant for wearing pants speaks volumes about how the plucky character is seen as a symbol, rather than a person. Comedian Whitehall trades in his usual posh schtick, with MacGregor's status as Disney's first openly gay character largely appearing an afterthought. Plemons is simply saddled with a bad accent — because there's a century-old attitude towards making fun of such things on display — and Paul Giamatti's (Gunpowder Milkshake) involvement as Frank's business rival is just as sketchy. Movies can follow a formula, stick to the obvious beats and still be engaging. Jungle Cruise seems unwilling to take any risks, though, and feels not just designed by committee, but by a corporation. It'll have kids clamouring to hop on the theme park ride, and it thankfully has a tad more personality than just a film-length ad — in other words, it doesn't just scream "hey, we own this and you should like this!" like Space Jam: A New Legacy — but, coming back to its two main stars, it feels like a missed opportunity. Taking a river jaunt with this charismatic and capable pair shouldn't be a clunky, by-the-numbers affair. When yet another pointless complication splutters up, and then another and another, it shouldn't feel like a drag, either. Jungle Cruise's sunny cinematography looks a treat, however, as you'd hope of a movie that uses Hawaii as a stand-in for South America. Swooping and frequently moving camerawork makes this a visually boisterous flick, too. But, like every theme park ride, the film's modest pleasures fade oh-so-quickly afterwards.
UPDATE, January 18, 2021: The Truth is available to stream via Stan, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. What does an acclaimed Japanese filmmaker do after spending his career exploring complicated family dynamics in his homeland, then winning the Cannes Film Festival's top prize for his last effort? If he's Hirokazu Kore-eda, he goes to France. Boiling The Truth down to 'Kore-eda in Paris' is simplistic, and yet it fits perfectly — and that's by no means a bad thing. Neither is dubbing this layered film Kore-eda ode's to French cinema. While the writer/director calls on many of the familiar trademarks that've made his Japanese-language features such hits, he sets them in France, filters them through French cinematic sensibilities, and deploys them in French and English. His first non-Japanese movie mightn't initially seem like the natural successor to Shoplifters, but it actually suits that role nicely. The intricate, intimate family interplay that Kore-eda has spent his filmography studying is universal, after all. When beloved acting veteran Fabienne Dangeville (Catherine Deneuve) welcomes her daughter Lumir (Juliette Binoche), son-in-law Hank (Ethan Hawke) and granddaughter Charlotte (Clémentine Grenier) for a rare visit to her sprawling home, there's much to unpack — for this loving but bickering brood, and for audiences. The family reunion is in celebration of Fabienne's just-published memoir, which Lumir hasn't been given a copy of before she arrives, but has firm views on once she reads it. "I can't find any truth in here!" she comments angrily. "I'm an actress — I won't tell the unvarnished truth," is Fabienne's haughty justification. As well as throwing around the titular term liberally, The Truth follows the pair's attempts to sift through a lifetime of baggage, with the book's many embellishments revealing just how differently they each view Lumir's childhood. Also an actor, Hank watches on, hampered by his inability to speak French. Meanwhile, Charlotte obsesses over grandmother's giant pet turtle, who has the same name as her grandfather. But the fallout from Fabienne's memoir just keeps coming. Her long-term personal assistant, Luc (Alain Libolt), quits because he isn't even mentioned in the book, throwing the household into disarray. That leaves Lumir, a screenwriter, to step in, accompanying her mother as she shoots her latest big-screen role. It's in a sci-fi film called Memories of My Mother, where Fabienne's character grapples with an absent mum — all as Fabienne herself gets envious about her applauded young co-star (Manon Clavel). Not only crafting a film about a strained mother-daughter relationship, but also featuring a film within the film about the same topic, Kore-eda threatens to steer The Truth into obvious territory. But he's always been talented at exposing the complexity lingering beneath seemingly straightforward scenarios — and, perhaps more importantly, twisting such situations into revelatory and insightful family portraits that bubble with honesty. So, he does just that. Specifically, he keeps finding new ways to interrogate the film's eponymous concept, and its relationship to Fabienne and Lumir's life. The Truth ponders the playful fibs told to children, the rose-coloured glasses applied to the past, the gaps that even the most vivid memories can have, and the overt choices made to shape one's own narrative. It also tasks Lumir with scripting dialogue for both her mother and daughter that they can each pass off as their own genuine emotions. There's such depth to the movie's contemplation of its chosen subject that, if you didn't already know, you'd never guess that Kore-eda doesn't speak French himself. The film certainly looks the part, set in well-appointed surroundings, favouring a subtle colour scheme and never overly making a visual fuss. Performance-wise, though, it helps that he's working with two of France's greatest living actors — and that Deneuve couldn't be better cast. Seeing the 76-year-old play a celebrated star who chain smokes, spits out strong opinions, and cares little for her predecessors, peers or successors is a clear case of art imitating life. It's also glorious to watch. Yes, Kore-eda has found yet another way to trifle with the truth, but his film's biggest accomplishment just might be its heft as a character study of Deneuve's irrepressible Fabienne. Binoche more than holds her own in the movie's second substantial role, continuing a stellar spate of very recent performances (in Let the Sunshine In, Non-Fiction, High Life and Who You Think I Am). While Hawke makes a smaller impression, there's no dead weight here. Seeing him weather Fabienne's barbs about Hank's career — because she doesn't consider acting in a streaming series to really be acting — is a classic Kore-eda move, with the director an expert at spying the ripples caused by throwaway comments. That's part of his observational, attuned approach. Cataloguing how family members interact and react in both ordinary and heightened circumstances, he captures the texture and reality of life, including in this characteristically warm, witty, emotionally perceptive addition to his resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQVotRZUxg4
If you haven't already checked out this summer's blockbuster exhibition Japan supernatural: 1700s to now at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, there's something you should know: it's packed with paranormal creatures. Yōkai and yurai — mystical and ghoulish — characters are depicted in every drawing, painting, video work and graphic installation. There are 180 works about the spirit world, from rare books by 18th century folklorist Toriyama Sekien to Japan's most famous manga artist, Mizuki Shigeru. It's a world where fans of Studio Ghibli films and Brothers Grimm fairy tales will be equally inspired. If you have been to Japan supernatural it's likely you've been wonderstruck by the expansive works of contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, but we think you should look a little closer on your next visit to the Art Gallery — as there are a few creepy beings that rear their (sometimes long, snake-like) necks across multiple works, from sumo wrestling kappa (who have a terrifying backstory) to the eyeball that likes to sip sake. Concrete Playground spoke with Assistant Curator Yuki Kawakami to find out more about five particularly haunting characters in this exhibition. [caption id="attachment_756754" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toriyama Sekien, 'Night procession of the hundred demons (Hyakki yakō zu)' (1772–81), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection[/caption] THE MYSTERIOUS LONG-NECKED WOMAN One of the first pieces you'll encounter at the Art Gallery's huge exhibition is a painted handscroll called Night procession of the hundred demons (Hyakki yakō zu) (1772–81). It's by Toriyama Sekien — a folklorist who is also a bit of an enigma. Kawakami tells us, "This particular painting is extremely rare, and though there's not that much written about Sekien, he's very well known for his depictions of these yōkai." Rokurokubi — or the Long-Necked Woman (pictured on the right) — is a shapeshifting yōkai. By day, the spirit has a perfectly ordinary human form, but by night, the spirit's neck extends, snaking around in the dark to look for bugs and oil in lamps for a late-night snack. The Long-Necked Woman is also known to attach herself to unsuspecting men. "She's depicted in a cheeky way. She draws men through her beauty; her characteristics are trickery and the act of seduction. She's just a boss woman, a man eater," says Kawakami. Rokurokubi can be found in multiple works. For bonus points, look out for her alleged lover, another long-necked creature called the Look Over Monk. Rumour has it they have a lovechild called Tōfu-kozō (Tofu Boy) who always carries a plate of tofu. [caption id="attachment_756766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 'The heavy basket (Omoi tsuzura)' from the series 'New forms of thirty-six ghosts (Shingata sanjūrokkaisen)' (1892), National Gallery of Australia, Canberra[/caption] THE WATER-DWELLING, ORGAN-STEALING KAPPA Oh look, here's the Look Over Monk — the one with the third eye. Now draw your gaze to the green, frog-like creature that appears to be lurking in a basket. That's a kappa. Kawakami says, the kappa appear in different forms and with different names like kawataro. If you bank in Japan, you may recognise the cheeky fella as the mascot of one of the country's leading banks. But don't be deceived, these water-dwelling yōkai have a sadistic story. It's said they reach inside human bodies through the rectum to snatch at your organs. You can find the kappa in Sekien's Night procession of the hundred demons (Hyakki yako zu) and also in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's The heavy basket (Omoi tsuzura) from the series New forms of thirty-six ghosts (Shingata sanjurokkaisen). "In this one it's quite menacing and cheeky. He also likes to challenge people in a game of sumo. There are drawings of kappa against kappa engaged in sumo by the river." The creatures have elements of frog, turtle and monkey about them — and the popular cucumber sushi rolls, kappa–maki, are named for the creature's apparent love of cucumbers. Note the pool of water on their heads: "When there's no liquid, that's when they lose their powers," says Kawakami. [caption id="attachment_756861" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 'The old woman retrieves her arm (Rōba kiwan o mochisaru zu)' from the series 'New forms of thirty-six ghosts (Shingata sanjūrokkaisen)' (1889), Art Gallery New South Wales[/caption] THE CACKLING ONE-ARMED DEMON WITCH Japan supernatural is all about manifestations of the paranormal in Japanese folklore, art, literature, theatre and film. In this exhibition you'll also meet another volatile creature, that of the oni — demon-like and menacing, but not necessarily evil. "You can tell a character is not a ghost [or yōkai] because of the claws and the green face. The oni are depicted either by green, blue or red skin — and the claws," says Kawakami. Ibaraki-doji, or the Cackling One-Armed Demon Witch, is found in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's The old woman retrieves her arm (Rōba kiwan o mochisaru zu). Yoshitoshi was born in Edo (now Tokyo) and he was known for images of violence and ghoulish works after a period of possible mental illness. Other demon-like qualities to look for are curled toenails and fingernails. Be especially watchful during the twilight hours, when these spirits and demons are more likely to present themselves to us humans. "It's an oni, but they dress so beautifully — they have style." [caption id="attachment_756870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chiho Aoshima, 'Off to Memorial Service' (2009), 'The Tree Where Moimois Gather' (2009). Both colour on Japanese rice paper.[/caption] THE DOE-EYED AND DISTANT MOIMOI Chiho Aoshima is part of Kaikai Kiki, the artist collective run by internationally famous artist Takashi Murakami. She's based in Kyoto, and during her time as an assistant at Murakami's studio he noticed her own yōkai drawings and he encouraged her to do more. "What I find interesting about her work is that she's really into the relationship between nature, death and humans," says Kawakami. "She likes Japanese cemeteries." A recurring character is the Moimoi, which comes in various shapes and forms. One is pictured as a black blob walking through a cemetery — like in Off to Memorial Service (2009), above — and in another she appears to embody city buildings, trees or entire beaches. "When I asked [Aoshima] where she gets the Moimoi from, she said she sees a lot of the Moimoi in herself. Whether it's a sense of isolation, or a sense of calm or peace. I read it as a sense of loneliness living in the contemporary world. She also says that when she passes she would want to become part of nature, so you see a strong relationship between nature and death in her work." [caption id="attachment_758406" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mizuki Shigeru 'Kyoto' (2008), from the series 'Fifty-three stations of the Yōkaidō (Yōkaidō gojūsan tsugi)' (2008). Art Gallery of New South Wales, Yasuko Myer Bequest Fund 2019. Mizuki Productions.[/caption] THE SAKE SIPPING, BATH-LOVING EYEBALL MAN Mizuki Shigeru is probably the most famous manga artist/historian in Japan. He created a manga series based on yōkai lore that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. "Anyone from the 1960s onwards would easily recognise these characters. The main character is called Kitarō — and his father is the Eyeball Man, called Medama-Oyaji." Kitarō doesn't have an eye on his left socket, and in the manga drawings you can see Medama-Oyaji popping out of Kitarō's eye socket to offer him advice. "He also likes to take baths in a little bowl, and he drinks sake." Shigeru brings a playfulness to his depictions of the yōkai: mysterious creatures that are often mischievous. In The Fifty-three Stations of the Yokaido he places the yōkai within the stations of familiar cities like Kyoto and Tokyo, which you can find on the Art Gallery's walls until March. 'Japan supernatural: 1700s to now' runs until March 8, 2020 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Tickets are available to buy online. Top images: Installation view of the exhibition 'Japan supernatural' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carter. Artworks © Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
UPDATE, December 22, 2021: Annette is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Dreamy and dazzling from its first moments, rock opera Annette bursts onto the screen with a simple question: "so may we start?". As the opening credits roll, the long-awaited latest film from Holy Motors director Leos Carax addresses its audience before it poses that query — via an unseen announcer who tells viewers "you are now kindly requested to keep silent, and to hold your breath until the end of the show" — but the movie doesn't begin to truly kick into gear until the filmmaker himself asks if things can get going. Images of a recording studio flicker, with Carax on one side of the glass and Ron and Russell Mael, of art-pop duo Sparks, on the other. Carax tells his real-life daughter Nastya that the fun is about to commence, and the Mael brothers start singing and playing keyboard, with a band around them. Soon, however, everyone is on their feet and spilling out into the street, with the feature's stars Adam Driver (Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), Marion Cotillard (We'll End Up Together) and Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) joining them in the glorious, song-fuelled, sing-and-walk scene. No one is playing a character here yet, but they're all still playing a part. They're finally coming together for the big spectacle that is this eagerly anticipated film — which has been in the works since 2016 — and they're setting the vibe in a bold and sensational way. The tune is pure Sparks, with the pair both composing the movie's music and writing the feature itself with Carax. The tone bubbles with the pair's avant-garde sensibilities, too, and the whole song echoes with the promise of remarkable things to come. Grand and resonant despite its low-key staging and setting, Annette's memorable opening number ends with the Maels, Carax and his daughter, and some of the film's supporting cast members farewelling the feature's two protagonists — with Driver and Cotillard putting on clothing their characters will favour during the rest of the movie during the track. "Bye Henry," the crowd exclaims as the standup comic played by Driver zips off on a motorcycle. "Bye Ann," they chirp at the opera star played by Cotillard as she's chauffeured off in a black SUV. The audience is sent tumbling through the looking glass now, and diving in deep. Nine years ago, Carax gave the world a once-in-a-lifetime gem. Annette is a different film to Holy Motors, obviously, but it gleams just as brightly and with the same beguiling, inimitable, all-encompassing allure. There's an ethereal, otherworldly quality to Carax's work — of heightening reality to truly understand how people feel and act, and of experimenting with artforms to interrogate them — and that sensation seeps through every second of his gleefully melodramatic musical, which deservedly won him the Cannes Film Festival's Best Director award. Everything about Annette has been turned up several notches on every setting, from its lush and lavish imagery to its cascade of toe-tapping, sung-through tunes that keep propelling the narrative forward. Every character detail, both external and internalised, has been amplified as well. This is a movie where Driver's Henry wears the same shade of green over and over like a uniform, beaming his envy at every turn. It's a film where sex scenes involve singing, as though they're the only way these characters can really convey their innermost emotions. And, it's a feature where the titular character — the baby born of Henry McHenry and Ann Defrasnoux's mismatched but passionate and all-consuming love — is played by a marionette. This is a tragedy and a fairy tale, in other words, because life so often veers between elements of both. Henry and Ann "love each other so much", as another of Annette's catchy tunes intones repeatedly, but it's apparent from the outset that their chalk-and-cheese affair has its struggles. Early on, the film contrasts their on-stage antics to quickly but effectively express their dissimilarities. In a show called The Ape of God, Henry broods over the microphone as he struts and shakes in nothing but underwear and a bathrobe, and opines about how he loves killing his audiences with his brutal and brusque comedy. He talks about how Ann is always dying in her operas, with cuts to her sweet soprano singing and heartbreaking death scenes underscoring his point. These juxtapositions keep simmering as the paparazzi charts the couple's romance, and as Ann's pregnancy brings Annette into their lives. The girl has an astonishing gift, but her presence can't save the movie's star-crossed lovers — or moonlit paramours, to be more accurate — from continuing to weather stormy seas. The Maels and Carax haven't held back in almost every facet of the feature; that aforementioned delight of an opening number is perhaps the most restrained thing they splash across the screen. The story sprawls, the lively and clever songs keep coming, and this intricately, overtly stylised affair pushes wave after wave of hypnotic imagery, mesmerising music and heated, near-Shakespearean relationship dramas into its frames. Expectedly and welcomely given the melding of creative minds behind it, it's a movie filled with idiosyncrasies and eccentricities. It's so very Carax, as fans of the director's back catalogue will instantly spot. It's so very Sparks as well, which is evident even if you're new to the duo despite their five-decade-plus career, or if you've only just discovered them via stellar documentary The Sparks Brothers. It's "so much" just like Henry and Ann's love, and it adores it — and it happily and vibrantly melds elements of cinema, gigs, opera and live performance, all while weaving in everything from commentary about celebrity culture and stints of singing cunnilingus, and also knowing that it's constantly toeing the line between oh-so-exaggerated and oh-so-heartfelt. Annette is also long, and both looping and sometimes a little loopy. It satirises, unpacks and embraces, and it loves being multiple paradoxes at once. It thrusts forward with its own pull — but once you're caught in the thrall of its exuberance, playfulness, overwhelming emotions and surreal touches, you're as subject to its whims as Henry and Ann. Inhabiting those parts, Driver and Cotillard commit to the ride. The former visibly cycles between resembling both Ron and Russell Mael in one of the film's devilishly joyous small flourishes, and bustles through the movie like a force of nature. The latter always feels like her co-star's delicate counterweight, while also ensuring that Ann's light, grace and yearning shine through. Their strings are being pulled masterfully by Carax and Sparks, as are viewers' — and yes, we want them to start, and then to never stop.
There are few things that scream summer louder than drinks by the beach and Cronulla RSL boasts some of the best views around. Celebrate the longer days with a trip to this southern suburb and enjoy sunset drinks on the balcony overlooking the golden sand of South Cronulla Beach. It's a great spot for watching the die-hard surfers soak up the last light of the day. The club had a makeover a few years back, but its good looks haven't led to pretentiousness — it still has a friendly local vibe and is as laidback as a prawn on the barbie.
Passion is a pivotal part of every cocktail enjoyed at the end of a long week, every glass of wine sipped with dinner and every cold brew cracked open just because. If you've made the choice to drink a particular tipple, you should be passionate about it. Life's just too short to waste it on average drops. Unsurprisingly, passion is also one of the driving forces behind every spirit, vino and beer before it even reaches your lips. No one dedicates their life to making standout beverages if they're not devoted to the field. And that passion has been particularly important in 2020, with drinks brands everywhere forced to adapt to quite the challenging year — as South Australia's Never Never Distilling Co, Paracombe Wines and Little Bang Brewing Company can attest. For the past few months, BWS has tapped into both of the aforementioned sources of passion — into the enthusiasm of Aussie drinkers, and into the excitement of those responsible for the country's favourite bevvies. Via its Local Luvvas initiative, the bottle shop retailer asked the nation to pick its top local drinks, with the three chosen companies receiving an extra helping hand with getting their products stocked in more BWS stores. That means you now have more excuses to pick up Never Never, Paracombe and Little Bang's wares. To celebrate the news, and the passion behind it, we've chatted to the committed folks behind the scenes at each. [caption id="attachment_789218" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Meaghan Coles[/caption] A PASSION FOR COMPLEXITY When you're pouring yourself some gin, then adding tonic and whichever garnishes you prefer, it all seems so simple and straightforward. But the juniper-based spirit delivers a complicated array of flavours — and it's that complexity, as well as a "huge passion for South Australia's incredible food and beverage industry", that actually sparked Never Never Distilling Co co-founder and managing director George Georgiadis to start the business in the first place. His fellow co-founders Tim Boast and Sean Baxter share that passion, obviously. Boast, who is also Never Never's head distiller, is a staunch believer in tipples made with purpose, too. "Assuming you can get the fundamentals right and build from a strong foundation, a spirit crafted with a purpose in mind for the end product will ultimately deliver a better liquid," he explains. If you need an example, he suggests Never Never's Triple Juniper Gin, which was specifically designed to be the best gin possible for classic cocktails and G&Ts. A drink made with passion — and complexity and purpose — inspires the same in return. Awards bodies have shown that by showering the McLaren Vale-based distillery with accolades, including in this difficult year. In March, Never Never picked up the Best Regular Gin prize at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards, in fact. But it's the passion of the brand's local supporters that has helped immensely in a period where the company has been forced to "quickly take stock of our focuses, and be brave in what our strategies needed to be," says Baxter. "South Australians are probably some of the most discerning drinkers — you look at the history of wine in SA and the producers who put Australian wine on the map. We're seeing it now in SA gin, where local punters have access to so many incredible smaller producers that they'll actively seek out what's new and what's the best". A PASSION FOR HISTORY When Kathy and Paul Drogemuller bought an old dairy farm in the Adelaide Hills more than three decades ago, they were clearly fond of a good drop. Neither had a background in growing grapes or making wine, but they decided to plant a vineyard at their property at Paracombe, which had been burnt out by the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983. They still kept full-time jobs outside of the farm; however, when they did some research on the area, they found a significant source of inspiration for their hobby. "We discovered that Paracombe had a history of wine going back to the mid-1800s," says Kathy. "There was a vineyard and operational winery exporting wine to England, and the first vintages of Penfolds Grange came from Paracombe. All this valuable history had died out, so we made it our mission to revive the district, raise it back from the ashes and put Paracombe back on the map." From there, the Drogemullers infused their passion into making the very best wine — and making the very best of their location in the process. "Great wine happens in the vineyard and should reflect a sense of place," notes Kathy, explaining how Paracombe Wines capitalises upon the area's ironstone, buckshot gravel and quartz-layered soils, as well as its cooler climate. The result, all these years later, is a range of wines across both whites and reds that locals love. "To start something from nothing, be involved in every process — growing, making, bottling, storing and distributing — all from our property and vineyard, and to produce a product that connects and brings people together around a table with food and family: that is a joy," says Kathy. And if anything was going to help Paracombe Wines "rise above adversity", as Kathy describes the company's journey in 2020, it's that local love. "We have seen that in these difficult times, people seek out to support local more than ever," she says. A PASSION FOR DELICIOUS AND CREATIVE BEER Asked how Little Bang Brewing Company came about, cofounder Ryan Davidson gives the most honest answer there is: "making things is fun, beer is delicious, beer costs money and we were unemployed," he says. But that was just the beginning of his beer-making journey with co-founder and head brewer Fil Kemp, with whom he worked in the games industry prior to starting their Adelaide brewery. "It was once we started brewing together that the fervour really kicked in. We're both rather obsessive when it comes to learning something new, and we encouraged each other a lot in those early days, seeking out every little bit of knowledge, history and expertise we could lay our hands on." That passion for learning has played a big part in Little Bang's 2020 journey, too, and in the kind of year that Davidson could never have imagined back when the company launched in 2014. "We've pivoted so much, we're getting dizzy. It's been a lesson in agility, that's for sure — keeping a constant eye on the news and being ready to redefine what we do, in almost every way, and at a moment's notice," he says. To the surprise of no one, Ryan notes that it has been exhausting. Still, he also says 2020 has been "extremely informative". He continues: "we've learned a lot about our customers, our business and ourselves that we wouldn't have had the chance to know otherwise". All those lessons — the early learnings when the brewery was starting out, and the new gleanings over the past ten months — help shape Little Bang's beverages. Davidson is passionate about something else, though. Naturally, he's still keen on free beer, but he's also enthusiastic about the local community that has blossomed around the company's brews. "We don't see Little Bang as just our business," he says. "It's just as much a creation of the day-to-day attitudes and ideas of all the staff here, and the huge variety of people who spend time at the taproom. We're just lucky enough to work here." To find these or other South Australian drinks as part of the BWS Local Luvva's initiative, head to your nearest BWS store.
As part of Merivale's quest to rule the city, they've opened a plush new whisky bar in the Angel Hotel. The bar draws on its glamorous past as the former site of the iconic House of Merivale and it shows in the interiors. Think rich green velvets, sleek brown leathers and copper accents. It also wouldn't be a whisky bar without the prerequisite chesterfield lounges. Merivale has gone all out with this one; J&M boasts a specially imported drinks trolley, named 'The Sidecar' (a collaboration between Moore & Giles and acclaimed barman Jim Meehan) and a long glass bar. J&M is a tribute to the late John Hemmes and his wife Merivale, so it only seems fitting that it would be located where their empire began. J&M wants you to have a "unique, sensory whisky experience". In a clever nod to the empire's roots as a fashion label, the bar's bespoke haberdashery cabinets are be filled with ingredients. Settle into one of the comfy lounges and enjoy personal trolley service, or sit at the bar to get a side of whisky knowledge with your drink. J&M has an upper hand compared to other bars in that it will stock exclusive whiskies that you can't buy anywhere else in the country. If straight whisky isn't your thing, you can try one of their specially-crafted cocktails with fun names like the Blood and Marie (Chivas Regal 18-year-old, Cynar, Cherry Heering, Antica Formula, pink grapefruit and cherry dust) and the POPSCOF (buttered popcorn washed Chivas Regal 18-year-old, salted caramel syrup, bitters and Himalayan salt). A short menu is also available if you need some nibbles with your drink. J&M is a welcome addition to the city's bar scene and your chance to savour a slice of Sydney history and some world-class whiskies.
Drop everything. Nothing is as important as this Game of Thrones-themed wine tasting. Are you still, still recovering from The Red Viper versus The Mountain? Are you feeling a little nostalgic for the days when Tyrion could lay around boozing on vino? Perhaps you should be drinking your sorrows away with some like-minded Thrones fanatics. Confused? We’ll lay it down for you. Game of Rhones is a wine-tasting event touring that's been touring Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne since 2014. Now it's expanding the empire to Sydney and Auckland, stopping by our fair city on Sunday, June 21 at Carriageworks. Featuring over 40 producers and 100 wines, it's a one-day, all-out trial by combat to determine the best offering of the grape varieties from the Rhone Valley in France — Shiraz, Grenache, and Viognier among others. There'll also be local wines, ciders and beers from every corner of Kings Landing/Australia/New Zealand all of which have been confirmed to contain no poison and you, the humble commoner, will be entrusted to pick the victor. But this isn't just a run-of-the-mill wine tasting set-up. To keep that theme solid, the Rhone Bar is where you can taste wines from ‘Beyond the Wall’ (ie: the Rhone Valley). Then, you can sign up for a blindfolded tasting in the 'torture chamber' (a highlight of previous Game of Rhones events). Suffice to say, after a few of these Rhone Valley wines, we'd probably confess to a secret or two. Of course, it wouldn't be Thrones-worthy if there weren't a few extra kickers. To accompany your wine, there will be a selection of feast-able treats available such as suckling pig and venison pie — if you’re a vego or a vegan, you've probably already guessed this is a highly meaty affair — and there's also the option to come in costume. In previous Rhone events, it appears that patrons have either gone all out, or rocked up in jeans. Obviously we suggest the former, because quite frankly it would be amazing to see a hoard of drunken Daenarys' walking the streets of Auckland. Game of Rhones is coming to Sydney on Sunday, June 21 from 1-6pm at Blacksmiths Workshop, Carriageworks. Your $50 ticket includes a special take-home Riedel Ouverture Magnum wine glass and all tastings from 1pm-6pm, however food prices are not included. For more information see the Game of Rhones website.
Update Wednesday, July 12: Bookings are now open for the W Hotel's huge Darling Harbour development. You can lock in a stay for dates from Wednesday, November 1. Five years in the making, W Hotel's luxury Darling Harbour development will finally bring the global hotel chain back to Sydney in October this year. Originally scheduled to open in 2020, the unmistakable harbourfront hotel has faced several delays and setbacks, but has now revealed key details in the lead-up to its official opening in seven months' time. Located within The Ribbon, the sleek multimillion-dollar development is designed by HASSEL architects and sits on the former IMAX theatre site — which is scheduled to also reopen this year. W Sydney is promising not just a hotel, but a luxury hideaway with this inner-city accommodation. As with every W Hotel, you can expect impeccably-designed futuristic spaces, eateries overseen by expert chefs, cocktails created by top-notch bartenders and collaborations with local artists, musicians and designers. Partnering with HASSEL is Bowler James Brindley who is handling the interior design of the luxury building. "The freedom to create an entirely new cultural space for Sydney was incredibly exciting, and we were inspired by the idea of 'the larrikin' the non-conformist spirit of the city that makes it irresistible," a Bowler James Brindley spokesperson said. "We love to design spaces that embrace the individuality and even eccentricity of their locations, and to create interiors that engage their buildings and neighbourhoods in conversations, rather than treating spaces as blank canvases." One of W Sydney's drawcards — apart from its 585 next-level rooms and suites — is the exuberant shared spaces throughout the hotel including a heated rooftop infinity pool overlooking the water, a two-storey rooftop bar, an all-day dining restaurant, a luxury spa and a gym. The meticulously designed restaurant on level three can be seen from the adjacent highway, acting as a living, breathing billboard for the hotel. Inside, the diner boasts urban design hallmarks that celebrate its place in the heart of the city, as well as concrete columns and unique ceiling lighting that combine to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Other notable touches include jellyfish mosaic artwork that you can discover at the bottom of the impressive 30-metre pool, silicone petals resembling those of the waratah decorating the entrance sign, a future noir-themed lobby inspired by Fritz Lang's Metropolis and graphic designs from renowned multidisciplinary artist Bradley Eastman (aka Beastman) throughout the hotel's spa. W Sydney will open its doors in October 2023 at 31 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour. You can find out more about it on the Darling Harbour website.
No one needs an excuse to visit Tasmania, especially if you're keen to enjoy the Apple Isle's splendours in winter, but Dark Mofo has been giving us all one anyway for a decade. One of two massive festivals run by the Museum of Old and New Art alongside summer event Mona Foma, it's home to a dark and sinister music and arts program befitting the frosty June weather — and it'll be back again in 2023. The next fest will see Dark Mofo officially hit ten years, in fact — and will run from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, if you're already thinking about how to spend the frostiest part next year. While it'll clearly be a big birthday party, with the program to be announced in autumn, the festival will also mark Creative Director Leigh Carmichael's last at the helm. [caption id="attachment_763673" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Remi Chauvin[/caption] Carmichael will step down after Dark Mofo 2023, making way for a new Artistic Director from 2024 onwards. "I feel that after ten years curating the Dark Mofo program, it's time for new energy and new ideas to move the festival forward," Carmichael said in a statement. "Dark Mofo occupies an important place in the Australian arts landscape, and I am confident that it will continue to provide opportunities for artists and audiences to experience challenging art in the darkest weeks of the year. I will be devoting more time and energy into DarkLab's other cultural projects, and pushing for better venues and more public infrastructure for Hobart so that it can cement its place as a vibrant cultural city." [caption id="attachment_849628" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Blue Rose Ball. Photo credit: Dark Mofo/Jesse Hunniford, 2018. Image of Société Anonyme Costume Ball Hadley's Orient Hotel. Image courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Previous years' lineups have seen a fantastical combination of musical performances, performance art and large-scale installations come together. In 2019, the program featured the likes of artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, American musician Sharon Van Etten and one of the world's largest glockenspiels, for instance. In 2022, patrons were treated to performances by The Kid LAROI, and the sounds of Chernobyl and Candyman — plus rainbow installations, and signature festivities such as the Nude Solstice Swim, the City of Hobart Winter Feast, Night Mass: Transcendence in the In The Hanging Garden precinct and the Reclamation Walk. Already keen to get booking? Fancy a Tasmania trip in the interim? Our Concrete Playground Trips Hobart getaway might also be of interest. [caption id="attachment_800592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lusy Productions[/caption] Dark Mofo 2023 will run from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. The 2023 program will be announced in autumn. Top image: Winter Feast, Dark Mofo 2021. Dark Mofo/Jesse Hunniford, 2021. Image courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Google has just released photos of their in-the-works augmented reality glasses prototype. And while the glasses might not be the sexiest on the market, they certainly have functional appeal. The initiative, 'Project Glass', represents the company's first attempt at a wearable product. The glasses appear and function much like regular eyeglasses...that is, if your eyeglasses' lens could stream video, text messages, maps, and the weather forecast - all in real time. Operating via voice command, these glasses can also record video or take pictures of what is being viewed through them. Project Glass' Google Plus press release stated the initiative's belief that, "technology should work for you - to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don't." The beta release of the glasses is expected to generate conversation and feedback to the company about what customers would like to see from Project Glass. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4 [via PSFK]
When announcing their new head chef was one John Javier, a spokesperson for The Lord Wolseley Hotel acknowledged he was "a little overqualified" for the unassuming Ultimo pub. It's probably a fair call, given Javier comes with a resume studded with fine diners such as Momofuku Seiobo, Quay and his own place, now-closed place, Master, which wowed critics with its ambitious take on modern Chinese. The bill isn't quite to bring fine dining to a pub setting, but Javier is certainly bringing a new level of finesse to some fairly approachable food. Instead of the tried and true spaghetti bolognese, for instance, there's a capellini with lamb belly, tripe and mint ($18). It scratches the same itch as the pub classic, but brings something new to the dish and the thin, al dente strands of pasta pair well with the crunch and chewiness of tripe and the freshness of the generously ripped mint leaves. One of the memorable dishes from Javier's time at Master was a burnt cabbage and he's not afraid of introducing some judicious blackened touches to his menu here, with the Burnt Pumpkin ($20). A poached egg on top oozes over the hero vegetable, strewn with chevre cheese and crisp sage, ties it together into an unusual, earthy whole. Gnocchi is also approached from a fresh angle, with pillowy dumplings resting in a feather-light tomato emulsion and spiked with colour and bite with slivers of radish. There are two desserts on offer — the menu wisely aims for quality over breadth — with a faultless panna cotta ($12) scattered with toasted buckwheat and encircled by Vietnamese coffee. The other selection is a half-moon shaped crispy pancake ($12), filled with stewed apple and hazelnut and complemented by a dollop of thick ricotta cream. This is the kind of superior comfort food that is going to get clean plates returned to the kitchen. The vibe is laidback with brown paper in place of tablecloths, and tourist t-shirts and playbills for student theatre productions hanging on the walls. An energetic playlist, another Javier trade mark, is another plus — instead of the generic background music favoured by some Sydney restaurants you'll hear the likes of Talking Heads, Pixies and Joy Division. It's not really a lengthy wine list kind of place, but the friendly local will sort you out with craft beers, ciders and some wines by the glass, like a 2016 Teusner Shiraz ($11/49), a flavoursome drop from the Barossa Valley. All in all, it may be an unexpected stop on Javier's resume, but those lapping up a menu full of personality will be glad it's one he has made. Images: Jiwon Kim
When a clown ponders its final farewell, what does it see? Cirque du Soleil's Corteo has the answer. When this production first hit the stage in Montreal in 2005, it won over audiences by setting its acrobatic feats within a funeral procession imagined by a jester — a carnival-like parade that muses on humanity's strengths and vulnerabilities — in a space between heaven and earth. Two decades later, it's one of the troupe's most-beloved shows. Celebrating that milestone, Corteo is heading Down Under for a six-city tour in the second half of 2025 — including a visit to Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney from Thursday, September 4–Sunday, September 14. One of the tricks that's helped make Corteo such a success, with over 12-million audience members in 30 countries on four continents seeing it so far, is its unique stage setup. Watching this show means also watching your fellow viewers, because the action takes place in the middle of the arena, splitting it in half and causing patrons to face each other. This is Cirque du Soleil's first production with this layout. As its clown protagonist conjures up the festive parade that ushers him from this world, attendees will witness a poetic yet playful performance — one where the acrobatics are unique, too, and where angels watch over. LUZIA was the last Cirque du Soleil production that bounded this way, kicking off in 2024 — and notching up another first as the Montreal-based company company's debut touring show to feature rain in its acrobatic and artistic scenes. Before that, 2023 saw Cirque du Soleil bring CRYSTAL, its first-ever ice production on ice, Down Under. Images: Maja Prgomet, Johan Persson and Aldo Arguello. Updated: Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
UPDATE: AUGUST 22, 2018 — The final master plan for the GreenWay has been officially adopted by the Inner West Council, which means that design development for the missing links along the path can begin. A development application will be lodged for the 'central links' later this month, and consultation with the community on the 'southern links' will begin in September. The inner west's much-talked-about, long-dreamed-about GreenWay is one step closer to becoming a reality with the draft master plan for the project revealed last week. The car-free pedestrian, cycling and biodiversity corridor, which has been in the works for upward of ten years, will be comparable to other world-class GreenWays in the US, including New York's High Line and the Chicago 606. Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne described the 5.8-kilometre GreenWay, which'll run from Cooks River in Earlwood to Iron Cove in Leichhardt, following the light rail's route, as "an ecological and active transport corridor that facilitates a range of passive and active recreation opportunities and incorporates local places for culture and art." It's set to be a big win for cyclists, connecting popular trails the Bay Run and Cooks River Cycleway, and boasting a mix of parkland, sporting facilities and cultural sites. Key plans for the project include a series of new or improved open public spaces for the light rail corridor in Dulwich Hill and Lewisham West, upgraded road crossings, a new bridge over the Cooks River, and a new accessible shared pathway running the entire length of the Green Way. Heading up the ambitious project is Australian design firm McGregor Coxall, who also designed The Calyx in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens. The bulk of the project's work will happen between 2019 and 2022, with additional works implemented over the next 15 years, depending on funding. The total project is expected to cost $57 million. Images: McGregor Coxall
The 2013 Sydney Film Festival is bringing out Jeff Desom's intense, insanely complex-looking video installation Rear Window Loop. Projected on a 10m-long surface, the panoramic piece allows you to see the world as it appeared to Jimmy Stewart's paranoid, wheelchair-bound photojournalist Jeff in Hitchcock's Rear Window — possible murders and all. The effect is created by splicing scenes together in After Effects, a process more complicated than it sounds in this sentence. "I dissected all of Hitchcock's Rear Window and stitched it back together in After Effects," says Desom on his website. "I stabilised all the shots with camera movement in them. Since everything was filmed from pretty much the same angle I was able to match them into a single panoramic view of the entire backyard without any greater distortions. The order of events stays true to the movie's plot." The three-channel projection runs for 20 minutes. You can get a good idea of the process as well as the finished product in this video, also from Dessom's site. Rear Window Loop won Best Remix in the Vimeo Awards and Golden Nica at Ars Electronica and will be installed at the Sydney Film Festival Hub at Lower Town Hall, which since last year has been the festival's route to incorporating art happenings, interdisciplinary works and playtime, acknowledging the role of film outside the cinema. It's curated by Sydney's favourite cultured revellers, The Festivalists (Jurassic Lounge). The Sydney Film Festival has also announced the first 27 films of its 2013 program as a taster. Most hotly anticipated is the neo-Gothic thriller Stoker from Park Chan-Wook (Old Boy), which stars Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman and Jacki Weaver. Other highlights include Wadjda, the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia (and by a Sydney Uni graduate no less, Haifaa Al Mansour); Miss Nikki and the Tiger Girls, a documentary about Burma's first girl band by Australian director Juliet Lamont; and Comrade Kim Goes Flying, a romantic comedy that's also the first North Korean movie to screen at the festival. The full program will be revealed on May 8. You can see Rear Window Loop at the Sydney Film Festival Hub at Lower Town Hall from June 6-14 at 5-6pm and again from 10pm-midnight. The SFF itself runs from June 5-16.
Sleeping on the job is a big no-no in Western culture — despite the fact that it's been proven to increase concentration, improve alertness and be a great help in dealing with accidental work hangovers. Surry Hills mindfulness studio The Indigo Project knows that napping is the key to being generally better at everything, so they gifted Sydney with lunchtime nap classes. Built around research that shows a 20- to 30-minute nap is the optimum length for a siesta, classes run for 30 minutes from 1pm. If you're feeling a little off at work, and like you just can't get your brain to kick into gear, head down to Surry Hills for a boost of energy to help get you through the day.
The National Gallery of Victoria is wrapping up this wild year in style, hosting the blockbuster second edition of its much-hyped NGV Triennial. Taking over the gallery from Saturday, December 19, the exhibition looks set to be the biggest art event to hit the city in three years, featuring works from over 100 artists, representing 30 different countries. Among them, you can expect a diverse response to this year's themes of illumination, reflection, conservation and speculation. With a lineup like this — and many months of missed art appreciation to make up for — it's hard to know where to even start. But we're here to help. We've delved into the program and pulled out five must-see artworks set to grace the gallery's hallowed spaces this summer. Start plotting your post-lockdown art gallery debut now, with this roundup of five captivating artworks to check out at the NGV Triennial. [caption id="attachment_795343" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dhambit Mununggurr, 'Can we all have a happy life' 2019-20, courtesy Salon Indigenous Art Project. Installation view at NGV International, photographed by Sean Fennessy.[/caption] DHAMBIT MUNUNGURR: CAN WE ALL HAVE A HAPPY LIFE If you've got a thing for hues of blue, this immersive work from Yolnu artist Dhambit Munungurr will surely resonate. While artists from her home of Yirrkala (Northeast Arnhem Land) traditionally paint using hand-ground ochres and other natural pigments, Munungurr was granted special permission to switch to acrylic paints after a 2005 car accident left her with ongoing injuries. She's since developed a special love for the colour blue and as such, her recent works have left a significant mark on Yolnu art as a whole. This NGV installation Can we all have a happy life (2019–2020) is the latest to embrace the artist's go-to colour palette, featuring a vibrant series of 15 bark paintings and nine larrakitj (hollow poles). [caption id="attachment_795344" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cerith Wyn Evans, 'C=O=D=A' 2019–20, courtesy White Cube, London. Installation view at NGV International, photographed by Tom Ross.[/caption] CERITH WYN EVANS: C=O=D=A Big and bold is the name of the game for Cerith Wyn Evans' latest work, titled C=O=D=A (2019–20). The London-based artist has created a large-scale, neck-tilting celebration of light and movement, with his series of neon 'drawings' suspended brightly together in mid-air. Among them, you'll spy frantic scribbles, carefully structured shapes and even doodles referencing chemical compounds, each design experienced in countless new ways from different angles as audiences move around the installation. The full display towers at up to six metres high, challenging viewers to continually switch their perspective as they explore how each shape interacts with the next. [caption id="attachment_795349" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atong Atem, 'Studio series' 2015, courtesy MARS Gallery, Melbourne. Installation view at NGV International, photographed by Tom Ross.[/caption] ATONG ATEM Atong Atem serves up some fresh cultural perspectives with her series of early photography works offering a vibrant exploration of identity. Born in Ethiopia in the 90s and now based in Melbourne, the artist has developed her body of work honing in on migrant stories and post-colonial practices in the African diaspora. For this portrait project she gives a nod to the old-school studio photography practices of her homeland, via a collection of staged shots dripping with colour. The vintage-inspired images are heady and impactful, featuring a festival of patterns and hues delivered through props, backgrounds, textiles and garments. [caption id="attachment_795351" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stuart Haygarth, 'Optical (tinted)' 2009 (foreground), Mark Rothko, 'Untitled (Red)' 1956 (left) and Sabine Marcelis 'Dawn XXXIII' designed 2015. Installation view at NGV International, photographed by Sean Fennessy.[/caption] STUART HAYGARTH: OPTICAL (TINTED) A collection of over 4500 recycled tinted prescription spectacle lenses are the unlikely heroes of this stunning piece by British artist Stuart Haygarth. Optical (tinted) (2009) speaks to ideas of consumption, time and loss, as a thing of beauty is hatched from a bunch of discarded objects. Best known for his work repurposing everyday items into unexpected lighting installations, Haygarth here puts together a layered, shimmering sphere of used lenses. The intricate work features a careful assembly of elements, with cloudier lenses at the core making way for clearer glass pieces towards the outer edges. It's then lit from within, creating a sort of dazzling disco ball that'll have you reassessing your thoughts about waste and trash. [caption id="attachment_795355" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Porky Hefer, 'Plastocene – Marine Mutants from a disposable world' 2020, courtesy Southern Guild, Cape Town. Installation view at NGV International, photographed by Tom Ross.[/caption] PORKY HEFER: PLASTOCENE — MARINE MUTANTS FROM A DISPOSABLE WORLD We'd imagine there won't be too many times in your life you'll get to admire a giant octopus crafted from hand-felted cigarette butts. But this supersized oceanic beauty will be just one of many featured in a new large-scale installation by Porky Hefer. Plastocene – Marine Mutants from a disposable world (2020) sees the South African artist and his collaborators create a series of handmade sea creatures plucked from some dystopian future. The work's built on the notion of species being able to transmutate, eventually adapting themselves to fit a world of polluted oceans and plastic waste. The NGV Triennial 2020 will be on show at NGV International from Saturday, December 19 until Sunday, April 18, 2021. For more info and to see the full program, visit the NGV website. Top image: Cerith Wyn Evans, 'C=O=D=A' 2019–20, courtesy White Cube, London. Installation view at NGV International, photographed by Tom Ross
North Sydney is set to score a grand new steakhouse with a 120-seat restaurant, 40-person bar and four sunny outdoor terraces. Opening on Friday, September 1, Poetica comes from Etymon Projects, the hospitality team behind fellow North Shore standout Loulou Bistro, Boulangerie & Traiteur, as well as the CBD's The Charles Grand Brasserie and Bar and Tiva. At the heart of Poetica will be a firing charcoal oven, a custom wood-burning hearth, and an impressive 700-bottle wine wall. Head Chef Connor Hartley-Simpson (who also helms The Charles) has created a menu that fervently leans into these fiery forms of preparing produce — all of which can then be paired with the perfect drop from Head Sommelier Michael Block and Director of wine, Paolo Saccone. "In the kitchen, we're focusing on using incredible local produce, dry-ageing in-house, cooking with either charcoal or wood where it works, pickling and fermenting to play around with flavours, and really letting the produce be the hero," says Hartley-Simpson. As expected, your sirloins, t-bones and 90-day aged tomahawks all grace the sharing-based menu, but there are plenty of exciting dishes to look forward to if you're not so steak-obsessed. For starters, you can kick things off with Sydney rock oysters done differently. At Poetica, these salty delicacies can be enhanced with hot beef fat melted on top in a technique called 'flambadou' then topped with nduja and Guindilla peppers. Elsewhere, the braised leak, nori and eel starter is drizzled with oil made from charring leek tops; a chilli yuzu scallop will lead the raw section of the menu; and seafood lovers can opt for the swordfish steak, dry-aged on the bone for seven days and assembled table side with a buttery roasted fish sauce. The oven and hearth will be located within a 15-metre-long open kitchen in the dining room. Across from the kitchen will be floor-to-ceiling glass windows leading to the al fresco dining areas, calling out to host a catch-up between friends. Etymon's culinary director Sebastien Lutaud promises the restaurant will be "a welcoming vibe that works as well for entertaining clients over lunch as a dinner with friends or a drink after work." Opening on the mezzanine level of 1 Denison Street, Poetica is the latest addition to a bustling North Sydney hospitality scene — following on from another multi-space dining room RAFI which opened late last year, and a pair of new takeaway spots in Greenwood Plaza from charity-driven hospitality group Plate It Forward (Colombo Social, Coyocan Social, Kabul Social). Poetica will open at 1 Denison Street, North Sydney on Friday, September 1. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday–Saturday, and the bar will be open from 12pm–late Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Steven Woodburn
One of Sydney's leading hospitality groups is set to venture outside of New South Wales for the first time, with Merivale announcing its upcoming entry into Melbourne. The industry giant, which is helmed by CEO Justin Hemmes, will take ownership of Tomasetti House at 277 Flinders Lane in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. The historic building, built in 1853, is located just off of Flinders Street — a five-minute walk from Federation Square. Merivale currently operates more than 60 venues across Sydney, including popular restaurants Totti's and Mr. Wong, Sydney stalwarts The Beresford and Vic on the Park, and expansive bars Ivy and Coogee Pavilion. Hemmes' collection of bars and restaurants has been growing in recent years, with the purchase of venues such as The Duke of Gloucester Hotel and Hotel Centennial. Earlier in 2021, Hemmes and co purchased waterside bar The Quaterdeck on the NSW south coast, marking Merivale's first venture outside of Sydney. "Melbourne's CBD has suffered terribly from the hardships of the past year. We are committed to doing everything we can to help reinvigorate the city and support it in its road to recovery," Hemmes said in a statement. "Its local hospitality industry is one of the best in the world; brimming with creative culinary talent and supported by a passionate community of diners." [caption id="attachment_702661" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Totti's by Nikki To[/caption] Originally opened as a warehouse, Tomasetti House has operated as everything from a warehouse to a bar and nightclub across its 150-plus years. Most recently, the building has been in the hands of hospitality and tourism group Millet Group who have operated The Mill House out of the building's ground floor. Merivale is set to receive the keys to the multi-storey building late this year, with further details and plans yet to be announced. Merivale will open its first Melbourne outpost at Tomasetti House, 277 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, with further details yet to be revealed. To keep an eye out for future announcements, head to the Merivale website. Top image: The Mill House
First we had beer flavoured like food, and now at long last we've got beer that is food. Yep, move over Nutella, there's a spreadable beer in town by the name of Birra Spalmabile. It hails from Italy's Cittareale, where Emanuela Laurenzi of Alta Quota Brewery and Pietro Napoleone of Napoleone Chocolatiers have combined their expertise in something of a dream team. The duo unveiled their invention at Turin’s Salone de Gusto food fair, where the spreadable beer caused quite a stir, and we're not surprised. Birra Spalmabile (literally translated to 'beer spread') reportedly goes down nicely with a slice of cheese. (And you thought you were weird for combining peanut butter and vegemite on your sandwiches.) Also useable as a filling in cake, the spread comes in two flavours — Omid dark ale and Greta blonde ale, the first being a little more intense than the latter and each made of 40 percent beer. Though not stocked in any Aussie stores, you can order a jar or ten directly from the source by emailing commericiale@birraaltaquota.it. Just expect to pay its weight in gold for delivery. Via NY Post
To experience the work of Doug Aitken is to challenge the ways in which we think about art. The celebrated American artist, whom The Los Angeles Times has said seeks to "jar viewers awake", is bringing his boundary-pushing work to Sydney for his first-ever Southern Hemisphere exhibition. Originally scheduled to run in 2020, the exhibition – titled Doug Aitken: New Age – will finally be on display from Wednesday, October 20 as the Museum of Contemporary Art's 2021/2022 Sydney International Art Series. The show covers a quarter-century of Aitken's artistic career and will feature immersive multiscreen environments, objects and photographs. [caption id="attachment_829780" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doug Aitken, Underwater Pavilions (installation), 2017, installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2021, 3-channel video installation (colour, sound): 3 projections, 3 aluminium and MDF screens. Image: Dan Boud[/caption] Doug Aitken: New Era lets you take a deep dive into Aitken's world and his impressive multidisciplinary art practice. While you're there, make sure you check out the large-scale sound installation — Sonic Fountain II — which is built into a rocky terrain within the gallery. There'll also be an immersive video installation exploring the history of mobile phone technology and the engineer who pioneered its development, Matin Cooper. Plus, if you're quick off the mark, you'll also have the chance to see a conversation between Aitken and MCA curator on Saturday, October 30, where you'll hear more insights into his striking work. Want to spend your summer soaking up incredible art? Doug Aitken: New Era will run from Wednesday, October 20 till Sunday, February 6 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. For more information and to book, visit the website. Top image: Doug Aitken, 'migration (empire)' (still), 2008, image courtesy of the artist, 303 Gallery, New York, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Victoria Miro, London, and Regen Projects, Los Angeles. © the artist.
Salt Meats Cheese do Italian food in of all its stages — we're talking providing the produce for it, cooking it, selling it and, of course, eating it. Their Bondi Junction digs are where all of the kitchen magic happens, and they'll be running a series of gluten-free cooking classes in July for those who can't stomach gluten. No longer just the wheat-filled territory of those who can glute, the two classes in the Gluten Free Series will focus on pizza and pasta respectively. Learn how to make gluten-free Italian goodness from scratch over two hours, then sit back with a glass of wine and feast on your hard work. The gluten-free classes are on Saturdays: July 14, July 21, August 24 and September 8. If wheat isn't your weakness, there's also a whole host of other cooking class options that involve gluteny flour as well.
If you think Sydney Contemporary — an international art fair held at Carriageworks — is only for art lovers with Chanel suits and investors with hedge funds, think again. Sure, more than 90 respected galleries from all over the world will be exhibiting (and selling) some of the best contemporary art money can buy, but you will also find an entire program of more affordable (and just as impressive) art on offer. It's made even more accessible by the presence of Art Money, an art loans program for works priced between $750 and $20,000. Not that commerce has to dictate your experience — wander through the installations, enjoy four days of free panel discussions and conversations, catch an array of works by video artists, and watch performances within Carriageworks and the Redfern Precinct. When Sydney Contemporary takes place between September 7 and 10, it'll do so in a big way, and not just because of its program. Usually a biennial event, 2017 marks the start of its switch to annual runs. Yes, that means more art more often from this year onwards. To give you an idea of the size and scope, more than 60,000 visitors in total attended in 2013 and 2015.
There won't be snow at this week-long Christmas in July party, but there will be plenty of mulled wine and ugly jumpers. Surry Hills' The Winery is bringing us a little (much needed) Christmas cheer, hosting a series of festival celebrations from Wednesday, July 22 to Sunday, July 26. Kicking things off will be free Christmas-themed trivia on Wednesday — jumpers essential — before a European-inspired laneway launches on Friday and Saturday from 7pm. In this laneway, you'll get a feast for $65, plus a mulled wine on arrival. One glass not enough? You can also splash out on bottomless mulled wine for $39 a head. Finally on Sunday, The Winery will be hosting an Orphan's Christmas Lunch. Expect all the Christmas essentials — and all the trimmings: gravy, potatoes, mint jelly — for $45 a head. Those wanting to get jolly can fill endless glasses from the bar's prosecco fountain for two hours, for a total of $69 (including the aforementioned food). If you miss out on the Christmas celebrations, you can still book out one of the pop-up igloos at The Winery, which are pictured below. The limits on capacity, bookings are essential and can be made over on The Winery website.
UPDATE, January 29, 2021: The Hustle is available to stream via Stan. 2016's most controversial movie wasn't afraid of no ghosts, nor of updating a beloved classic with a gender-flipped spin. The backlash to the new Ghostbusters was as loud as it was stupid, however lost in the noise were two crucial facts. Firstly, the film is hilarious, fun and genuinely great. Secondly, it does exactly what a female-led version of a familiar property should. With all the ridiculous focus on why the supernatural comedy wasn't a carbon copy of the 80s flicks, and why women are now allowed to chase the paranormal (correct answer: why the hell not?), the movie didn't get recognition for its most significant feat. It doesn't lazily insert ladies into a thin rehash, but shapes its antics and jokes around them. That really shouldn't be so rare and astonishing, and yet so often it is. Take The Hustle, for example. It's the latest film to subscribe to the obvious motto that anything men can do, women can too, but it also takes that notion much too literally. Everything that 1988's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels did, this movie apes beat for beat, just with Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson instead of Michael Caine and Steve Martin. Scoundrels was a remake itself, updating 1964's Bedtime Story, so the narrative has been around for more than half a century — and yet familiarity isn't the only problem here. For a couple of average pictures about scheming conmen ripping off wealthy women, The Hustle's predecessors actually came packaged with some smart social critique, skewering the battle of the sexes in the process. Alas, as a presumably unintended consequence of pushing girls to the front, the narrative's best and most biting elements have now disappeared, including its savvy female empowerment strand. Making a couple of supremely confident male grifters reliant upon women to get by, as the first two films did, made a satirical statement. Tasking two female fraudsters with fleecing rich men to punish their misdeeds doesn't have the same impact, unsurprisingly. The Hustle pulls its punches in other ways too, as seen in its terrible final twist (without heading into spoiler territory, let's just say that it's a case of not thinking the whole switcheroo through). Story-wise, Hathaway's Josephine Chesterfield is the swindling queen bee in the cashed-up French beachside town of Beaumont-sur-Mer, while Wilson's fellow scammer Penny Rust is her exact opposite. One robs super rich guys with long cons, the other cheats sleazeballs with quick tricks, and they're soon locked in a turf war. The solution: the first to snare a cool half a million out of their latest mark, baby-faced tech whiz Thomas (Alex Sharp), can keep pulling capers on the Riviera. Hathaway also starred in last year's big gender-swapped heist flick, Ocean's 8, and the end result is sadly somewhat similar. The Hustle thinks that plonking female stars into the same old scenario is enough; women should just be happy that studios are even bothering, apparently. It's the type of supposed progress that takes two steps forward and then the same amount back, because no one wants to see ladies slavishly retracing men's footsteps. Here, a heap of the film's narrative details also take on an uncomfortable tone, leaning on outdated stereotypes and cliches even in an obvious farce. Women romancing men for their money? Ruthlessly competing for — and measuring their worth based on — male attention? Cattily battling it out? That's not clever or amusing. It's not subversive in its sexual politics either, as much as the movie pretends the latter is true ("no man will ever believe a woman is smarter than he is," Josephine offers, explaining her success). Like much about the picture, it's just tired. With Hathaway's fake posh English accent clashing with Wilson's distinctive Australian drawl, The Hustle's stars are its biggest strength. Of course, they're really just doing what they're already known for doing well. Still, it's easy to see why the film exists, on paper at least, based on their odd-couple pairing. They each do their best with the material — Hathaway perhaps more so than Wilson, who doubles as one of the movie's producers. The duo also benefit from a few snappy one-liners, which are improved by their delivery. But screenwriter Jac Schaeffer (Disney short Olaf's Frozen Adventure) does little else to liven up the photocopied script, which is also credited to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' Dale Launer, as well as long-dead Bedtime Story scribes Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning. British actor-turned-filmmaker Chris Addison keeps everything blandly light, scenic and fluffy, however that's barely all there is to his feature directorial debut. Well, that and an ill-thought-out do-over that does female-fronted remakes zero favours and scams itself more than anything else. You'd never guess that Addison was one of the stars of the savagely hilarious sitcom The Thick of It, or a director on its US counterpart, Veep. In fact, imagining what the acerbic characters of those shows would say about this flick is funnier than every second of The Hustle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfWv51T8TJ0
To criticise a Tarantino film is an undertaking not without its share of reservation. Perhaps even trepidation. The first instinct is self-doubt: “Did I miss something? Was I simply in the wrong mood? Is three hours just the norm now?” After so many hits, there's an almost ‘infallibility’ to the man, a near reverential status through which both fans and critics dismiss any purported shortcomings as either misinterpretations or outright lunacy on your part. There’s no denying Tarantino’s talent – he’s a writer and director of extraordinary vision whose early films in particular command regular repeat viewing. But he is, ultimately, just a man. And men, and their movies, sometimes fall short of perfection. So, then, we come to The Hateful Eight, the opening titles of which declare it 'the 8th film by Quentin Tarantino’ (Kill Bill is counted as just one film for those playing at home). It’s also the second (though presumably not last) western from a director who recently said "you have to make at least three Westerns to call yourself a Western director. Anything else, you're just dabbling". Set in the unforgiving snowy mountains of Wyoming a few years after the Civil War, the film's a slow-burn thriller played out almost entirely in two tiny, cramped locations: a four-person stagecoach and an isolated cabin by the name of 'Minnie’s Haberdashery'. Cast-wise, many of the Tarantino regulars are there, along with a handful of newcomers. Kurt Russell leads the pack as John ‘the Hangman’ Ruth, a ridiculously moustachioed bounty hunter escorting wanted felon Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to the gallows. Along the way they happen upon two additional passengers: fellow bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L Jackson) and the soon-to-be local Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins). Tarantino’s opening dialogues have become iconic, and this one's so long it comprises the entire first two ‘chapters’ of The Hateful Eight, accounting for almost a full hour of the film. It’s not without its charms, but compared to the unrelenting tension of Inglorious Basterds, or the glorious bastardry of Reservoir Dogs, this feels overblown and indulgent. By far its most compelling character is also its least involved: Daisy, a feral, black-eyed murderess whose wry smile after having her nose broken offers more menace and mystery than the sixty minutes of material that surrounds it. The remainder of the film plays out at Minnie’s, and if nothing else it’s a masterclass in cinematography. Shot on Ultra Panavision 70mm film stock (last used fifty years ago on Khartoum), Tarantino captures astounding depth and detail within an almost impossibly small space. It’s here, too, where we discover the rest of the ‘eight’: the loner cowboy (Michael Madsen), the Confederate General (Bruce Dern), the dandy Hangman (Tim Roth) and the Mexican stablehand (Demian Bechir). Trapped by the blizzard outside that absolutely makes you feel cold, suspicions steadily compound until, inevitably, tensions boil over into a phenomenally violent conclusion. That’s no spoiler, by the way. It’s just Tarantino. There’s still a lot to like about The Hateful Eight. The performances are outstanding, the story’s engaging and it’s peppered with all the usual Tarantino easter eggs (Red Apple cigarettes, anyone?). The score, too, by veteran composer Ennio Morricone is terrific, so unsettling it almost deserves to be christened the ‘hateful ninth’. Like Django Unchained before it, race relations (or the lack thereof) underscore much of the movie's themes, representing a definite politicalisation for the director, whose script offers up lines such as “when n****** are scared, that's when white folks are safe”, later countered with “the only time black folks are safe is when white folks is disarmed”. Ultimately, though, length returns as the film’s principal failing. It’s so long that some cinemas are even showing it with a 12-minute intermission, and it's hard not to escape the feeling that a concerted edit down to 90 minutes would have robbed it of nothing whilst ensuring the wonderful 'slow burn' steered clear of 'sluggishness'. …unless I just missed something? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnRbXn4-Yis
When Australians are able to enjoy overseas holidays again, plenty will feel familiar. Booking tickets, planning itineraries, packing suitcases, rushing to the airport because almost no one arrives early — we'll all recognise these steps, and we'll love them. But, more than a few things about hopping on a plane will have changed, too. That'll include wearing masks, using copious amounts of hand sanitiser, social distancing in the airport and verifying our vaccine status. Some airlines, such as Qantas, have already mentioned that they're likely to only allow passengers who've been fully jabbed to take to the air. The Aussie carrier has also announced that it'll be using a digital health pass to check who is vaxxed. And, for everyone coming into the country — Aussies, tourists and other travellers alike — the Australian Government is set to launch a new Digital Passenger Declaration. Remember the physical incoming passenger cards we all filled out pre-pandemic when we were heading back home? (Aka the reason you always needed to have a pen in your bag when you were flying?) They're being ditched, and the new DPD will replace them. So, the new digital pass will capture all the same info, plus your coronavirus jab status. The declaration will also replace the COVID-19 Australian Travel Declaration web form that's been in use during the pandemic. When it's up and running — with Accenture winning the tender to create and operate the DPD, and testing now underway — it'll be able to be filled out 72 hours before you hop on your flight Down Under. And, you'll be able to complete it either on a computer or on your phone, the latter of which will obviously be immensely handy while you're travelling. "The DPD will support the safe reopening of Australia's international borders, by providing digitally verified COVID-19 vaccination details," said Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews in a statement. "This will help us to welcome home increasing numbers of Australians, and welcome the tourists, travellers, international students, skilled workers, and overseas friends and family we've all been missing during the pandemic." Wondering when you might get to use the new digital pass? The Federal Government has already announced that international travel is earmarked to return when 80 percent of eligible Australians have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Further details on how that'll work, and where you'll be able to go, haven't yet been revealed — but Qantas has announced plans to resume its international flights to places with high jab rates from December. Eager to keep an eye on Australia's vaccination rates? We've run through how to do just that. For more information about the new Digital Passenger Declaration, head to the Australian Home Affairs website.
After dishing up an Italian-inspired celebration of meat at underground restaurant Bistecca, James Bradey and Warren Burns (directors of Liquid + Larder) are gearing up to open a new subterranean CBD haunt this November. Located beneath King Street, The Gidley will be a classic steakhouse that plates up high-quality meats with an unmistakable Aussie edge. Run by the same minds who brought us The Wild Rover and Grandma's Bar, it's no surprise the space here is set to be stylishly warm and welcoming, decked out with plenty of plush leather lounges and working that old-meets-new vibe. [caption id="attachment_743431" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Warren Burns and James Bradey by Ramy Youssef[/caption] Bunker down and get ready for some feasting at the hands of Head Chef Pip Pratt. He'll be dishing up a meat-heavy menu with prime rib roasts and American-style burgers starring cuts like brisket and chuck. While Bistecca's signature dish is the bistecca alla Fiorentine, here, it'll be the 'brick chicken' — a cooked and deboned chook that's presented on a sizzling iron plate. There's no word yet on whether Bistecca's famed edible candle (made from beef drippings) will be making the trip across, but we're keeping our fingers crossed. The classic steak match is wine and you can bet The Gidley's got you well sorted in that department. A vino selection will hero classic varieties from across the globe and will be backed by a cocktail lineup that celebrates old-school "straight and stiff" sips. Find The Gidley at Basement, 161 King Street, Sydney, from November. Top image: Bistecca by Dominic Loneragan
The Manly Sea Eagles might represent Sydney's Northern Beaches in the NRL, but there's a new form of the sport that's about to make waves in the locale — literally. This is no ordinary rugby match, it is Aqua Rugby. Coming to Manly this November, Aqua Rugby is a three-day take on the classic Aussie pastime that takes the game from the pitch and onto the water. [caption id="attachment_902829" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Aqua Rugby Festival held at Manly, Sydney Australia - 5th March 2022 © Karen Watson for Aqua Rugby Australia[/caption] Instead of just getting it across the line, players score tries by making it across and then diving off a pitch floating in Manly Cove. Of course, they can fall off the pitch for many other reasons. That's the whole point. Pros and amateurs alike are encouraged to enter, but be warned, former league players have participated in the past, so you might be in for a challenge. For spectators, you can watch from the shoreline for free. Food trucks and other activities will dot the pavement, or you can get amongst ticketed events, including VIP spectating from a yacht or mingling with the players. Aqua Rugby will take place in Manly Cove on Friday, November 10 2022. For more information, visit the website. Images: Karen Watson
Yep, that guy who use to sing with his sis and has a penchant for facial hair and not wearing shoes will be on tour in November. You'll have a chance to whistle along to Wooden Chair, or sway to End of The World, while picturing yourself and some mates having a few beers by the beach with him. Angus Stone says of his solo venture, "to play live on my own in front of those people, it's going to be a different trail of gravel and gold, but none the less very exciting." Whether there will be gravel or gold you'll have to wait and see, but what you'll definitely get is a special blend of indie folk peppered with hints of psychedelic rock, cowboy blues and country folk. The songs will be from Broken Brights, Stone's first solo album released under his own name. The influence of Angus and Julia's time spent performing together since they were kiddies can still be seen lurking beneath these songs, but the new album offers a slightly different perspective. Long term fans will be happy to find that those nostalgic sounds are as dreamy as ever, but this time Stone will be showing off new sounds and vocal styles alongside lots of new instruments. Here's to hoping there's a banjo or two. Just remember to wear shoes (pretty sure The Enmore has rules about this). https://youtube.com/watch?v=Yple4rnO8B8
Next time you're around Circular Quay, pop into Customs House and you'll find an exhibition of maps that have defined and guided people around Sydney for hundreds of years. Cartographica: Sydney on the Map throws up ideas around maps and the way their creation and use continues to shift and change. Until satellite technology, people relied on different kinds of maps — following patterns of the land, the stars and the wind. For tens of thousands of years, the Gadigal people and surrounding Eora Nation clans navigated this region's waterways, bush and land, and in more recent times, the area that's now known as Sydney was mapped by Europeans and photographed from space. And today, we're all accustomed to the instantly recognisable voices of Siri and Google navigating us to places in our cars and seeing ourselves as a blue dot moving through a landscape of pixels. Cartographica offers a mini retrospective of what analogue maps used to look like, some of the different ways mapmakers have documented the evolution of places and journeys over time and how simultaneously familiar and strange the world of digital maps can be. It's bound to be an eye-opening visit — and it's completely free. If absorbing all of this has left you feeling peckish, combine your visit with a bite to eat at Cafe Sydney or Quay Bar. Cartographica: Sydney on the Map is open Monday–Friday, between 10am–7pm, and Saturday–Sunday, between 11am-4pm, until Sunday, September 1.
Can you think of a better way to spend a muggy, summer night than with an outdoor movie and quality food in Bondi? From January 24 to March 3, American Express is bringing its outdoor cinema to Sydney's coastline. Bondi hosted the original American Express Openair Cinema 15 years ago, and now it's getting an upgrade. It has moved into a new — shaded from the wind — location at the Bondi Pavilion. And this year, it'll sport two screens. Movies on these big screens will include just-released hits like Bad Times at the El Royale, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born, the Jason Momoa-led Aquaman and a beefed up Christian Bale as former Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice. Salt Meats Cheese will be supplying the movie bites, with a daily menu of antipasti and woodfired pizza, and drinks will be on offer from 4Pines, Pimm's, Giesen Wines and Black Devil Cider. In addition, there will be more than 40 events across the installation, including live music performances, DJs and trivia Oh, and it's a dog-friendly space with special picnic platter for the pooch, so you don't need to leave part of your family at home. Plus if you're an Amex user you'll get 15% off selected tickets, plus a blanket.
At Queen Margherita of Savoy, the magic is in the dough prep that results in a base that's thin, the right amount of chewy, and delicately flavoursome. Certified by the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana, this place is as authentically Italian as it gets. Here, the toppings are minimal so as not to distract from those perfect bases. Think eggplant ragu and basil, as in the Siciliana, or leg ham, artichokes, and mushroom atop the Capricciosa. The impeccable pizzas are well-complemented by the cozy, timber-accented surrounds that feel a lot like the kind of place you'd find in a charming Roman alleyway.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe will likely never end, and Disney shows no signs of wanting it to — but if it ever does, every Marvel character you can think of will get their own Disney+ series first. Already, plenty have; see: WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms Marvel and She-Hulk. The next one to join them: Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury, aka the Director of SHIELD and creator of the Avengers Initiative who acted as the connective tissue between most of the MCU's early instalments. (If Jackson didn't show up in a Marvel movie back then, was it really a Marvel movie?) Fifteen years after first appearing in the post-credits scene of the original Iron Man, the film that started it all, Fury will placed front and centre in Secret Invasion — a show that was announced back in 2020, but won't hit streaming until autumn 2023 Down Under. As seen in the just-dropped first trailer for the six-episode series, a war is looming with the shapeshifting Skrulls, and Fury can't keep ignoring the pleas from Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders, How I Met Your Mother) for help. Plenty of other familiar faces pop up, too: Australia's own Ben Mendelsohn (Cyrano) returning as Talos after Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home, Don Cheadle (The Wonder Years) as War Machine and Martin Freeman (Breeders) as the CIA's Everett Ross. Will their characters really show up? Or will we really be seeing Skrull impersonators? Obviously, that'll only be answered when Secret Invasion arrives. Because every actor ever has to fit into the MCU at some point, the above cast is joined by a few other huge names as well: Olivia Colman (Mothering Sunday), Emilia Clarke (Last Christmas) and Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami). The story clearly ties into Captain Marvel, which is proving a launching pad for more than a few recent and upcoming MCU chapters, such as streaming's Ms Marvel and big-screen release The Marvels — which teams up Captain Marvel (Brie Larson, Just Mercy), Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani) and WandaVision's Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris, Candyman), and also arrives in 2023. Fury, and therefore Jackson, did appear in two episodes of the Agents of SHIELD TV show in 2013 and 2014, so this won't be the character's first small-screen outing. Behind the scenes, Kyle Bradstreet (Mr Robot) created Secret Invasion, and writes and executive produces. Check out the trailer for Secret Invasion below: Secret Invasion will stream via Disney+ in autumn 2023 — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Images: Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.
The world is a big place. Making decisions is stressful. Choosing a place to holiday is hard. But if you're really in a bind — or a standoff with your holiday partner — Lonely Planet's latest travel list might be able to help you lock in your next destination. The travel publication has just released its annual Best in Travel list. Topping the list for the best country to visit in 2019 is Sri Lanka. This might not come as much of a shock — if you haven't already been yourself, you most likely have mates that have been over there on a surf trip, to hike through the tea fields or to visit family. According to Lonely Planet's editors, the island nation was given its number one place due to its "mix of religions and cultures, its timeless temples, its rich and accessible wildlife, its growing surf scene" and its affordable nosh. It recommends catching some surf at Arugam Bay, kayaking through the lagoons of Marakolliya Beach, catching the scenic train to Ella, getting some culture in Kandy and visiting the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura. Sri Lanka is still in relative infancy when it comes to tourism; the country's civil war only ended ten years ago, but tourism continues to grow at a rapid rate. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority estimates that the number of tourist arrivals has grown from 448,000 in 2009 when the civil war ended to over two million in 2017. This has seen major hotel chains scramble to open properties in Sri Lanka and improved access to parts of the country that were previously harder to access. Lonely Planet calls it a "country revived" and, we predict, one that's likely to change rapidly with the fast growing tourism industry. Other countries on the list include Germany — which is set to score new museums in 2019 — as well as Zimbabwe, Panama and another new tourist spot, Kyrgyzstan. Unlike last year when New Zealand was ranked number five on the best countries list and Canberra came in as the third best city, neither Australia nor NZ made it onto the lists.
Australian cinephiles are well and truly accustomed to seeing the rest of the world via the big screen but, after the past year, 2021's Spanish Film Festival really couldn't be more welcome. And, it won't just transport movie buffs to the country that gives the annual filmic showcase its name. Twenty features from Spain are definitely on the bill, but so are nine from Latin America. That gives Sydneysiders plenty of movie-watching options come Tuesday, April 20, when the fest kicks off its local season for this year. You'll have until Sunday, May 9 to head to Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, tuck into some popcorn, enjoy everything from award-winning rom-coms to twisty thrillers, and pretend that you're somewhere other than your own city. Highlights include road movie Wishlist, starring Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!'s Victoria Abril; romantic comedies Rosa's Wedding and The Wedding Unplanner, because matrimony seems to be a theme; Goya Award-winner Schoolgirls, which took out the gong for Best Film; and While At War, the latest film from The Others director Alejandro Amenábar. Heroic Losers serves up a charming heist comedy starring the always engaging Ricardo Darín (Everybody Knows), while the 1950s–70s-set The Moneychanger delivers a satirical twist on crime epics. If you're only going to see one movie, though, make it Ema — not just because it stars Gael García Bernal and is directed by No, The Club, Neruda and Jackie filmmaker Pablo Larraín, but because this tale about a dancer (Mariana Di Girolamo) is a simply stunning piece of cinema. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpt6Vffhtik&feature=emb_logo
Sydney CBD's George Street is currently undergoing developments to extend its car-free zone, which will see the vehicle-free area spread across its entire run between Town Hall and Railway Square. The first new pedestrian zone since the $43.5 million project begun has now been unveiled, with a new area between Bathurst and Goulburn streets now open to the public. Under the multimillion-dollar City of Sydney plan, George Street will become a pedestrian-friendly boulevard, with wider granite footpaths replacing car lanes, new street furniture installed, more trees planted, improvements to intersections and added spaces for outdoor dining. The project will ultimately see more than 9000-square-metres of new public space added to the bustling inner-city street. The remainder of the project is currently under way, with work at the Goulburn Street intersection and a transformation of George Street between Goulborn Street and Rawson Place slated to be finished early next year. [caption id="attachment_808419" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Artist render of George Street between Hay Street and Rawson Place[/caption] It's the latest change for the bustling street in the heart of the city, which has undergone quite an evolution already over the past decade — including the installation of the infamous new light rail. The City of Sydney and local business owners are hoping that the proposed changes will help revitalise the area. Sydney's lockout laws saw the closure of venues like Hudson Ballroom around George Street, and the hardships that venue owners were already facing were only compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. "This part of town has always been a bustling entertainment hub that attracted a diverse demographic looking to eat, drink and come together at a range of venues, but due to COVID, we saw business slump overnight," director of operations for the owners of the Albion Hotel, David Highet said when the project was first announced in April. "When we cautiously return to the city while seeking to maintain physical distancing, wider footpaths and more space for pedestrians are critical," said Lord Mayor Clover Moore, announcing the opening of the new stretch between Bathurst and Goulburn streets. "Creating this space opens new opportunities for businesses, and, crucially, provides places for people to gather and get around safely." For more information about the car-free boulevard along George Street head to the City of Sydney website.
Northern Beaches residents, you've got a new standout pizzeria to add to the top of your hit list. Next time you're after some doughy, cheesy, saucy goodness, turn your attention towards Ribelle, the BYO pizza spot that's just arrived in Freshwater. Ribelle is the brainchild of accomplished chef Dale Mann, who brings with him experience from Ezra, Hartsyard, and one of Sydney's best and most-beloved pizzerias, Bella Brutta. Mann worked for four years at the latter, the last of which he spent as Head Chef. So with Ribelle you're in very, very good hands. The new Freshwater spot is serving up the same leopard-spotted Napolitana-style pizza as Bella Brutta in a simple, no-frills shop on Moore Road. Whether you're eating in or grabbing a bright yellow pizza box to-go, the menu is kept simple, with a mix of classic and more boundary-pushing toppings available alongside a couple of simple sides like anchovies, baby cos salad and burrata. It's also BYO, so you can pack that riesling you just got for your birthday or your favourite funky skin-contact and head in. Laying the foundation for each slice is the pizza base, which takes the Ribelle team three days to make due to the need to mix and ferment the enriched dough multiple times. Keeping true to the restaurant's name, which means 'rebellious' in Italian, some of the more out-there pizza varieties on the menu include The Reuben which combines 12-hour smoked beef brisket from LP's Quality Meats, pink peppercorn sauce, fior di latte, confit garlic, parmesan and purple sauerkraut; or the Braised Greens, a meeting of cheese, braised kale, rainbow chard, fermented red chilli sauce, confit garlic and lemon juice. And each month there's a new special as well, allowing Mann and the crew to really flex their creativity. This month, you'll find a take on the classic garlic prawn round, with the addition of something you'd be hard-pressed to find on another pizza anywhere in Sydney: a housemade XO sauce. Ribelle is located at Shop 15, 1–3 Moore Road, Freshwater. It's open 5pm–9.30pm Thursday–Sunday. Head to the restaurant's website for more information and to order online.
This time of year can get pretty hectic. Your head is abuzz as you try to sort holiday plans, organise your New Year's bash and tie up loose ends at work before everybody's on break. And despite all your post-it note reminders of "Choose a good gift for Mum", it's easy for those gift shopping plans to fall by the wayside, to end up running out of time and giving your nearest and dearest the uninspired box of chocolates, candle or pair of socks. To help you avoid the Christmas Eve shopping scramble, we've partnered with Australia Post and pulled together gift ideas for every important person in your life. It's the A to Z of gifts, covering every present you'll need to give — from your partner to your parents, we've got you sorted. Moreover, they can all be ordered online and conveniently delivered to your nearby Parcel Locker, so you don't even have to go to the shops. Let your fingers do the walking, forgo the crazy Christmas crowds and rest easy knowing your parcel is stored securely till you're ready to collect. YOUR PARTNER With any luck, you'll score some time off with your main squeeze over Christmas. Set them up for a nice and relaxing break by giving them the gift of a quality cup of joe and a good pageturner — and not just for the festive season, but for the rest of the year. Every month, the Coffee and a Classic subscription service will ship your partner a classic novel, something to sip — choose between coffee, tea or hot chocolate — book-themed bric-a-brac, snacks and a bookmark every month. So, they can unwind over the holidays (and beyond) with a good book and tasty beverage. If you're lucky, maybe they'll give you the cliff notes over a cuppa. How much? From $28.99 YOUR PARENTS If your parents are stuck in past, drinking instant coffee out of convenience, show them the power of good brew with one of these handcrafted pour overs and coffee cup and some beans from Sydney-based Coffee Alchemy. Pour over is the ultimate 'slow coffee style', and it's as simple as making a cup of Moccona freeze-dried, but tastes miles better. You can forget about teaching your folks how to use a complex Nespresso machine, this much cheaper alternative is an easy and pleasant way for them to make their morning coffee. Also, the chic ceramic contraption, handmade in Thailand by Cone Number 9, looks a helluva lot better than that "World's Best Dad" cup. How much? Coffee pour over and cup $79, coffee beans from $14 YOUR SIBLING There's a good chance you've shared a few Domino's pizzas with your bro or sis before — back when you were both on student budgets, your metabolism knew no limits and food really wasn't your priority. But now you're older, it's time to up the ante and treat your sibling to a top-notch pie. Where to Eat Pizza features more than 1700 pizzerias from all over the world, so your sib can peruse the pages and pick out a pizzeria for you both to try. Bonus points if you plan your next overseas trip around these top-notch slices. Gift them this ultimate pizza directory and you'll be well and truly in the good books. How much? $30.95 YOUR BESTIE One of the greatest things about Christmas holidays is the promise of beachside hangs with your bestie. Well, ensure your ride-or-die is the trendiest person on the beach and gift them a beach towel by Sydney-based artist Miranda Lorikeet. The designs, all crafted by Lorikeet on MS Paint, are at once strikingly simple and undeniably dramatic. Seascapes, cliffs and rocky mountains are depicted in sunset-inspired pastels, providing the perfect backdrop for a day at the beach. And if your friend is a fan of the illustration, you can pick up a range of other wares featuring the same design, which means their next birthday present is sorted. How much? From $38.99 YOUR FUR BABY Reward your very good dog or cat with a plush new bed from Nice Digs. Depending on the personality of your pupper or pussycat, you can pick a design to suit — there's a bright Palm Springs-inspired print for the playful and a soft velvet number for the precious. The beds come in two sizes — to accommodate both great and small — and will look fab in any abode (which makes it kind of like a design gift for yourself, too). Oh, and don't let anyone make you feel bad about your purchase, your pooch or mew is as much a part of the family as anyone else. How much? From $139 THE CREW Do you and your crew communicate exclusively through memes? When you get together, is it mainly a chance to rattle off quotes from your favourite shows? If yes, these pretty, pretty, pretty, good pop culture mugs are sure to be a hit. Pick whichever reference best speaks to your squad, and give your friends the gift of a giggle every time they drink from the mug. From Parks and Rec to Curb Your Enthusiasm, all manner of screen fiend is catered for. Get ready to enjoy the jollies to come. How much? $28.53* ANY KIDS IN YOUR LIFE We all secretly want to be that cool adult who can make even a bratty kid smile. But children can be really hard to please, phases come and go — from Fortnite to fidget spinners — and it's difficult to know what they like (or don't). It's best to go for something classic that's both fun and timeless. Enter Finksa, a seriously addictive log-tossing game from Finland. Crafted from eco-friendly birch, it's shock resistant, aesthetically pleasing and most importantly it doesn't emit any annoying beeping or buzzing. Treat your whippersnapper to a Finksa and have some fun with them over the holidays. How much? From $69.90 THE HOST Agreeing to host the Chrissy bash is a pretty generous act, who knows how long it will take to get rid of that red wine stain or how bad those prawn heads are going to smell in the wheelie bin over the coming days. So, it's important to splash out on your host and pick them up a pressie they'll treasure. Since they like entertaining, treat them to a Uashmama paper bag where they can store their bread. Made from washable paper, which looks like leather but machine washes with ease, Uashmama bags are handsewn in Tuscany using a cultivated fibre that does not contribute to deforestation. So, the bags are sustainable, stylish and sure to make up for any spilt vino. How much? Medium-sized bag (perfect for bread) $32 WORK SECRET SANTA Arguably one of the hardest gifts to buy, you don't want to spend a bunch but still want your gift to be impressive, thoughtful and practical. Opt for a hydration tracking water bottle and help your office pal stay hydrated and healthy. Crafted from tough Tritan plastic, the drink bottle boasts an intuitive system that tallies the number of bottles you've consumed without any hydration tracking apps or complicated calculations. Let's face it, we all need to drink more water and this makes it super easy for your work wife or hubby. How much? $13.77* Christmas shopping has never been so simple — order online, ship to a Parcel Locker and avoid the hectic shops with Australia Post. *Price correct at time of writing.
If you've been looking for an excuse to eat cake, don't wait around for the next office birthday. Gelato Messina thinks every day is a good day to eat an entire cake by yourself, which is why the frozen treats expert has just launched a new range of its single-serve gelato cakes. Messina Monoporzione (or Monos for short) launched in three Aussie stores on Wednesday October 9. Available at Sydney's Rosebery and Darling Square outposts and Melbourne's Fitzroy, these single-serve cakes are just as gorgeous as Messina's usual creations, but you don't have to share them. The six adorable mini cakes include the brand's signature Dr Evil's Magic Mushroom (dark chocolate mousse with dulce de leche and peanut butter, placed atop edible grass) and the Bombe Alaska (marsala-soaked sponge cake, vanilla gelato, strawberry mousse and compote, wrapped in torched meringue). [caption id="attachment_745192" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ballin'[/caption] There's also a striking bubble tea-shaped number — the white chocolate 'cup' is filled with earl grey and lychee mousse, topped with lychee compote and finished with a red and white striped chocolate 'straw'. Then there's the all-black Lamington³, with milk chocolate mousse, raspberry gel, coconut gelato and almond crunch. For nut lovers, the final two in the Monos range are the spherical malt and peanut praline Ballin' and the Seymour Nuts: a disc of chocolate hazelnut ganache and hazelnut gelato, finished with caramel glaze and cocoa nibs. These beautiful babies will cost you $12 a pop or, if you still have it in your mind to share, you can also nab a box of three or six for $33 and $63 respectively. Gelato Messina's Monos are available in-store at Sydney's Rosebery and Darling Square outposts and in Melbourne's Fitzroy.
Exil is Sydney Chamber Opera's final hurrah for the season and it's something special. The post-Holocaust poetry of Paul Celan and Hans Sahl placed alongside Psalm 23, and set against Jane Sheldon's extraordinary vocal performance, forms the foundation for this take on contemporary Georgian composer Giya Kancheli's song cycle. Directed by Belvoir resident Adena Jacobs, Exil is a haunting attempt at expressing the inexpressible. As the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, Jacobs is conscious of the problems one faces in trying to represent that which no words can describe. Carriageworks is an apt setting for the performance, made all the more eerie by the frequent passing of trains. The design is minimalist, stripped down and cast in shadow, opening on Sheldon kneeling in a shallow pool of water, her bare back to the audience. While she faced a blank wall, her voice penetrated the distance between herself and the audience. Her solitary figure is made all the more haunting when the words of Psalm 23 are projected onto the wall to her right, and to her left the orchestra, conducted by Jack Symonds, are bathed in yellow light. In performing the song cycle created in 1994 and never meant for the stage, Symonds and Sheldon have been faithful to Kancheli’s minimalist, although heavily romantic and post-Mahlerian style. The slow speed of the music lends weight to Sheldon’s tonal range, and the effect was a rich and moving, at times anguished and fleeting representation of what no words can describe, that tongue of desperation to survive. Sheldon, praised by the New York Times for singing "sublimely", is a New York-based Australian soprano, who has worked under the direction of William Christie and has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. She is utterly captivating in the role — even more so given she is on her knees for the first part, barely moving, and spends the second half of the performance in a soaking wet woollen coat. And what does Exil achieve? It is testament to the power of poetry to fill that gap between experience and understanding, and the power of art to guide survivors from horror into the unknown days ahead. Sheldon's is a lonely voice against the scale of the most familiar of biblical prayers — "The Lord is my shepherd..." — and against the harrowing and pointed poetry of Celan and Sahl. The voice is lonely but not isolated — it is a harrowing voice because it calls for freedom for beyond torture, for human connection despite the imprisonment of soul. Performances are held on Saturday, December 7, Monday, December 9, Wednesday, December 11, and Friday, December 13, all at 8pm. Image by Louis Dillon-Savage.
The sounds of Dune, Interstellar, Gladiator, The Dark Knight, The Lion King, The Last Samurai and Pirates of the Caribbean will soon be echoing through Australia, with Hans Zimmer returning Down Under with his latest tour. If you've seen him live before, you'll know that this is quite the sonic experience, especially for movie lovers. And if you haven't caught him yet, you'll want to fix that at his April gigs — which have now doubled their dates in Sydney and Melbourne. Due to demand for presale tickets, second and final shows in the New South Wales and Victorian capitals have joined Zimmer's tour itinerary, on Sunday, April 27 at Qudos Bank Arena and Monday, April 30 at Rod Laver Arena, respectively. Both new dates are the day after the Oscar-winning composer's first gigs in each city. In Brisbane, he's still just playing one night, on Thursday, April 24 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. [caption id="attachment_990221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Teresa[/caption] Zimmer last performed in Australia in 2019 — and since then, his score for Dune won him his second Academy Award and his work on Dune: Part Two earned him his fifth Grammy. Over that period, he's also given everything from No Time to Die, Wonder Woman 1984, Top Gun: Maverick and The Creator to Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III their tunes. One of the biggest names in big-screen music, he's clearly been busy, but he's not too busy to also perform his compositions live. For more than four decades now, Zimmer has given screens big and small a distinctive sound. He's helped put the bounce in The Lion King's score and the droning in Inception's memorable tunes, and has loaned his talents to everything from Thelma & Louise to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy to Blade Runner 2049. It's an impressive list that just keeps going and growing — see: above — and it sounds even more impressive when played live and accompanied by an orchestra. [caption id="attachment_990222" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lee Kirby[/caption] The latest trip Down Under for the man who has worked his music magic on a wealth of titles — Hidden Figures, The Boss Baby, Dunkirk, Widows, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, The Lion King remake and The Crown are just a few more of his recent-ish credits — comes not only after his 2019 visit, but after he toured his Hans Zimmer Revealed concert series in 2017, including to Australia. His 2025 shows see the return of his Hans Zimmer Live gigs, complete with a 19-piece live band and full orchestra, as well as a huge stage production that features a luminous light show and other eye-catching visuals. While the Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy and Tony-winner obviously isn't going to perform every single one of his iconic film scores, expect to hear plenty of your favourites from a newly arranged lineup of tunes that includes Dune, Gladiator, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, The Lion King, The Last Samurai and Pirates of the Caribbean. Onstage, Zimmer will have Australian singer Lisa Gerrard for company, with some of the songs that she co-penned with him featuring in the set — so, tracks from Mission: Impossible, King Arthur, Black Hawk Down, Tears of the Sun and more. [caption id="attachment_724856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frank Embacher Photography[/caption] Hans Zimmer Live Australian 2025 Dates Thursday, April 24 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre Saturday, April 26–Sunday, April 27 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, April 29–Monday, April 30 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne [caption id="attachment_990220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Teresa[/caption] Hans Zimmer Live is touring Australia's east coast in April 2025. For more information, and for tickets — with general sales from 12pm local time on Wednesday, February 12 — head to the event's website. Top image: Suzanne Teresa.
