Just as summer kicks into gear, Sydneysiders now have another excuse to hit the water, with GoBoat finally splashing into the city. Since 2014, the Denmark-born company has been busy launching its eco-friendly picnic boats all over Europe, as well as in Canberra, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Brisbane — and now, from Wednesday, December 15, it's sailing up the Parramatta River from Cabarita Point as well. Aimed at making the whole boating caper more accessible for everyday folk, the Scandinavian-designed vessels are slow-moving, a breeze to operate and don't require a boating licence, making for some fun, fuss-free sailing sessions. In a win for the planet, they also run on silent, pollution-free, electric engines, and are crafted from a mix of reclaimed timber and recycled PET bottles. Each of the contemporary GoBoats clocks in at 18-feet long, boasting a central picnic table with room for eight people (and all the necessary snacks and booze). And despite what you might be thinking, they're even affordable enough to fit your budget — simply BYO food and drinks, find enough eager sailors to jump aboard and a GoBoat session will you less than $17 per person, per hour. That's $129 hourly in total. [caption id="attachment_701554" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lean Timms[/caption] Available to hire for up to five hours at a time, GoBoat's Sydney fleet can sail as far as Cockatoo Island — and before you hit the water, you'll receive a safety briefing and demonstration. All boats are speed-limited, too, and obviously decked out with safety equipment including life jackets. The vesssels are family-friendly and, in even more exciting news, they're also pet-friendly. Surely you've got a very good boy who deserves a river jaunt this summer. Find GoBoat Sydney at Cabarita Point, 138 Cabarita Road, Cabarita. For more information or to make a booking, visit the service's website.
Naturally at Darling Quarter is bringing a deliciously immersive experience to the harbourside locale just in time for Vivid Sydney. While Sydney shines brightly all over in winter — thanks to the beloved annual creative festival — the Darling Quarter precinct has got all you need: free live concerts, illuminated art pieces and dining venues dishing up strictly limited menus until Saturday, June 17. Let's start with the food. There's a spectacularly delicious lineup of spots to eat at here throughout the year, but we've got some honourable mentions while Naturally at Darling Quarter is on. There's Doodee Noodle with its slurp-ready bowls of fiery noodles, as well as MuMian and its wok-fried scallops dressed up with dragonfruit. Ichoume is celebrating our oceanic treasures with tender slices of sashimi, and Kürtősh— the purveyors of traditional Hungarian 'chimney cakes' — has a decadent dessert: a feather-light sponge with macadamias and a squeeze of lime. Our top recommendation? Braza Churrascaria's exclusive cocktail (pictured above). The hazy smoked-raspberry sip will warm you up quite nicely, a pre-requisite for all your after-dark explorations. Onto the standout sounds and bright lights: Tumbalong Nights is the free live music event taking over Tumbalong Park. Cruise down to the area, fuel up on the above and then find a spot to get your groove on. Friday, June 2 brings a celebration of Triple J's Unearthed High, which has been bringing our teen sensations to radio waves for 15 years. There's the ARIA-winning Dan Sultan on Saturday, June 10 and Emma Donnovan and The Putbacks on Friday, June 16 — and plenty more. From Friday, May 26 till Saturday, June 17, two light installations will shine. Night Walkers brings supersized amphibians to the mix, and Spectrum of Happiness will have all-ages swinging on a rainbow-powered swing set, which only gets more brilliant the more you interact with it. If you're looking for the ideal spot to base your Vivid Sydney trip, or a locale that brings together lights, music and culinary treats, Naturally at Darling Quarter is the destination for you. Naturally at Darling Quarter runs from Friday, May 26 until Saturday, June 17. To plan your visit, head to the website.
Walking through a cathedral made of 100,000-plus lights, moseying beneath a canopy of glowing multi-coloured trees, wandering between ribbons of flashing beams — you'll be able to do all of this when Lightscape heads to Australia for the first time in 2022. Originally meant to debut Down Under in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, the after-dark light festival will be taking over the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria — Melbourne from Friday, June 24–Sunday, August 7, beaming away from 5.15pm Wednesday–Sunday. While the leafy Birdwood Avenue spot is already extremely scenic, to say that Lightscape will be brightening up the place is quite the understatement. Prepare to see the garden illuminated by immersive and large-scale installations scattered along a 1.8-kilometre route, including sparkling trees, luminous walkways and bursts of colour that look like fireworks. A big highlight: large-scale works like Winter Cathedral, the aforementioned installation that'll feature more than 100,000 globes and make you feel like you're being bathed in radiance. Lightscape comes to Australia after taking over gardens across the United Kingdom and the United States. Developed by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the UK, it's understandably proven a huge success — and more than two-million people wandered along its glowing trails last season. In Melbourne, Lightscape will also commission local artists to create works that'll celebrate the city's culture and nature — giving the after-dark light festival a local touch. Fingers crossed for pop-up food and drink stalls scattered throughout — selling, we hope, mulled wine to keep hands warm during the chilly winter nights.
These days, a simple flash of your smartphone can let you pay for stuff without tapping your debit card, see a gig without a hard-copy ticket and even split dinner bills without carrying around a heap of cash. And for NSW residents, it could soon mean leaving that old drivers licence card at home, if legislation is passed allowing for a state-wide rollout of digital licences. The legislation will be introduced to State Parliament later this month, following a successful trial of the digital licences in Dubbo. If it's passed, any NSW driver would be able to access a digital version of their licence via the Service NSW app on their phone, eliminating the need to carry the original card. It's proposed the digital licences could be accepted as proof of identity at police roadside checks, as well as proof of age to get into bars and clubs, and could help reduce identity fraud. It will be an opt-in service, and all drivers will still be issued with a card regardless. According to Minister for Finance, Services and Property Victor Dominello, the proposed legislation shows the NSW Government is moving with the times. "Smartphones have become de facto wallets and we're using cutting edge technology so that drivers can use a digital licence in everyday scenarios," he said. Plans for to make the switch to digital were first announced back in 2016, but South Australia has since beaten NSW to the punch, introducing digital licences late last year.
Irish playwright Mark O’Rowes Crestfall is made up of three monologues for women. The trio of intersecting stories all take pace on the same day, based around the site of a messy abattoir known as "The Bonelands". The themes are as dark as you could expect. Prostitution, drug addiction, beastiality and domestic violence all feature heavily. However the play's language is as strange and flowery as T.S. Elliott's Jaberwocky. Sometimes it works, becoming beautifully, evocative and tragi-comic: "His big belly bouncing, feel it on my flanks there, grinding, trying to find his rhythm." And sometimes it trips up on it’s own self consciousness. “Submission is all he knows, the sissy. Surrender. Self-pity.” This kind of dialogue would be a challenge for any actor, especially delivered solo in 30 minute chunks, but the three leads all handle it admirably. Young actress Sarah Snook is great as the town tart, although she does seem a little buckled by the language. Georgina Symes is mesmerising as a drug addicted prostitute. But it’s Eliza Logan who is the play's standout as a prim neighbour. It’s a confident and pared back production directed by Shannon Murphy. As accomplished as the show is I was left wondering why so many plays from the Griffin are like this: unrelentingly bleak European dirges. As though suffering and darkness were automatically a mark of quality. Plus the playwright's views of women are alarmingly one-eyed and sexist. A lot of male writers get accused of suffering from a Madonna/Whore complex, and O’Rowe does nothing to counter the cliché. Photo by Ella Condon.
It's been 80 years since Max Dupain took Sunbaker, maybe his most famous photo. To mark its anniversary, the Australian Centre of Photography has commissioned 15 artists to respond to the iconic image for a new exhibition titled Under the Sun. From February 18 to April 17, the 15 large-scale works will be on display at the State Library of NSW. The exhibition is an exploration of what it means to be Australian, and a study of how our national identity has evolved since 1937. The artists offer contemplations and interpretations of Sunbaker from new perspectives, and influenced by diverse cultures, ethnicities and faiths. Artist Nasim Nasr will produce a slow-motion video work at Culburra Beach — the same location where Sunbaker was shot. Nasr moved to Sydney from Iran as a young women — her work looks at beach culture through the tension of Eastern / Western eyes. Julie Rrap will cast a friend in bronze in the image's pose, and William Yang will revisit his beach clothing, and beach images archive. "The 15 artists will not only interrogate the social and political implications embedded within this image but also challenge the status of this photograph in our visual culture," said curator Claire Monneraye. "Pushing the boundaries of the photographic medium, their works will expose the aesthetic complexities at play in discussions around collective identity." The Sunbaker negative print, which lives at the State Library alongside the entire body of Dupain's work, will also be on display at the exhibition.
When you're in the CBD — surrounded by buses, people, traffic lights and tourist traps — it's not always easy to know where to go. But, hidden among the skyscrapers, are stacks of ace places that show off Sydney's best side. With some local knowledge up your sleeve, you'll find locally roasted coffee in heritage-listed buildings, top-notch French fare, oysters you can actually afford and some of the best sunset views for miles. To help you on your adventures, we've scoped out ten spots you really shouldn't miss — whether you've lived in Sydney since the day you were born or you're visiting for just a few hours. But don't let these be your limit. There are so many more drinks, feasts, shops and experiences to explore. Plus, for a few more hot tips, check out our video above for Nick White's — owner of CBD bar Since I Left You — favourite spots around the city.
UPDATE, January 15, 2021: Widows is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Widows begins with images of both passion and peril, contrasting intimacy with anarchy and the everyday with the extreme. Against crisp white sheets in their well-appointed Chicago penthouse, Veronica (Viola Davis) and Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) embrace. In a van filled with stolen cash, Harry also leads a gang of thieves that are being pursued by the police. Directing his fourth film, Steve McQueen jumps between the two scenes throughout Widows' opening moments, letting blissful domesticity and a chaotic chase clash together. It's an effective juxtaposition for many reasons, including the technical flair on display from McQueen's regular cinematographer Sean Bobbit (On Chesil Beach) and returning editor Joe Walker (Blade Runner 2049). It also couldn't better encapsulate this stunning heist movie. When Harry's job goes wrong, Veronica is left a widow. So are the wives of his accomplices, though mother-of-two Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Polish transplant Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) don't know each other, let alone Veronica. But this trio of women from different backgrounds has more in common than just their grief. The lives they previously knew explode in the hail of gunfire that claims their husbands, leaving them all struggling to get by. Moreover, they become targets for a local crim turned aspiring politician (Brian Tyree Henry), who needs the $2 million that Harry pilfered to battle his corrupt opponent (Colin Farrell) at the polls. Pierce the veneer of normalcy, and desperation follows. That's Veronica, Linda and Alice's shattered situation in a nutshell, with tough times calling for tough decisions and deeds. To deal with the mess they're now in, the three ladies decide to stage their own heist, using plans left in Harry's secret notebooks. Remaking the 1983 British TV series of the same name, writer-director McQueen teams up with Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn to paint a portrait of women doing what they have to to get by. That the uncaring, unjust and inequitable world has led them to this juncture never escapes attention. Nor does the fact that these ladies — including hairdresser-turned-getaway driver Belle (Cynthia Erivo) — are all too accustomed to society turning them a blind eye. A slick thriller with much to show, just as much to say and plenty of grim, purposeful swagger, Widows achieves what few heist flicks manage. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the genre, it glides forward with exacting precision and bristling tension. When it comes to giving resilient, enterprising but far-from-perfect women their due — and in a testing situation, too — the film builds complex, capable and compelling characters. And when it comes to making a statement, McQueen and Flynn don't hold back. They're subtle more often than not, knowing that the most potent tool in their arsenal is simply depicting what these ladies are going through. That said, they also know when nuance isn't enough. A moving #BlackLivesMatter moment packs a blunt but powerful punch, for example. In short, Widows is the sum of its parts in the best, smartest and most entertaining possible manner. McQueen's knack for devastating drama, as so exceptionally deployed in Hunger, Shame and 12 Years A Slave, meets Flynn's knack for twisty female-driven tales — and both meet the well-oiled crime plot of Lynda La Plante, who scripted the original television show. The combination gives Widows a layered, lived-in feel that makes its quiet moments of mourning land hard and its action scenes land even harder. 2018's other caper about light-fingered ladies, aka Ocean's 8, this decisively isn't. Men play their part here, in the form of Neeson's criminal mastermind, Farrell and Henry's warring politicos, and Daniel Kaluuya as the latter's vicious enforcer brother. As the title suggests, however, Widows is firmly about women who've had much taken away — and who are fighting to survive the latest blows life has sent their way. The movie's lead actors are all fighting too, putting in career-best work across the board. Like their characters, there's much that connects Davis, Rodriguez and Debicki, who all say as much when they're not speaking as when they're uttering the film's smart dialogue. But perhaps the thing that binds them best is the multifaceted picture of womanhood that they offer. They're fragile and fierce, confident and uncertain, and messy and motivated all at once. Singling out one of their performances is no easy task, although Davis leads the charge. If you encountered her commanding, heartbroken protagonist in real life, you'd likely follow her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbKgqY3Fv9k
A slice of the inner city is gearing up to spend the summer by the sea. On Thursday, November 15, Maybe Frank – Surry Hills' and Randwick's much-loved pizza joint – will pop up at Bondi's Beach Road Hotel. Until late February, you'll be able to wander off the sand and up to level one to feast on slices and sip on Italian cocktails. The menu will offer seven of Maybe Frank's most popular pizzas — in slightly smaller, one-person-appropriate size — including the Alba ($15), topped with mozzarella, tomato sauce, Italian sausage, truffle pecorino and rosemary; the Frutti di Porko ($15), an Italian version of the meat lover's; and a Nutella-topped dessert pizza. Meanwhile, the cocktail list will cover two Italian classics: the negroni ($15) and the Aperol spritz ($12). If you're a bargain hunter, head along on Thursday nights, when pizzas and cocktails will be just 10 bucks a pop. The Maybe Frank pop-up is walk-in only, though groups of ten or more can make a booking at functions@beachroadhotel.com.au or on (02) 9130 7247. Opening hours are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 6pm-12am; and Thursday and Sunday, 6pm-10pm.
With photographer Nan Goldin at its centre, the latest documentary by Citizenfour Oscar-winner Laura Poitras is a film about many things, to deeply stunning and moving effect. In this movie's compilation of Goldin's acclaimed snaps, archival footage, current interviews, and past and present activism, a world of stories flicker — all linked to Goldin, but all also linking universally. The artist's bold work, especially chronicling LGBTQIA+ subcultures and the 80s HIV/AIDS crisis, frequently and naturally gets the spotlight. Her complicated family history, which spans heartbreaking loss, haunts the doco as it haunts its subject. The rollercoaster ride that Goldin's life has taken, including in forging her career, supporting her photos, understanding who she is and navigating an array of personal relationships, cascades through, too. And, so do her efforts to counter the opioid epidemic by bringing one of the forces behind it to public justice. Revealing state secrets doesn't sit at the core of the tale here, unlike Citizenfour and Poitras' 2016 film Risk — one about Edward Snowden, the other Julian Assange — but everything leads to the documentary's titular six words: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. They gain meaning in a report spied late about the mental health of Goldin's older sister Barbara, who committed suicide at the age of 18 when Goldin was 11, and who Goldin contends was just an "angry and sexual" young woman in the 60s with repressed parents. A psychiatrist uses the eponymous phrase to describe what Barbara sees and, tellingly, it could be used to do the same with anyone. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is, in part, a rebuke of the idea that a teenager with desires and emotions is a problem, and also a statement that that's who we all are, just to varying levels of societal acceptance. The film is also a testament that, for better and for worse, all the beauty and the bloodshed we all witness and endure is what shapes us. Life is all the beauty and the bloodshed, inescapably — and in the film's most recent footage, Goldin fights against the latter. In an essay penned in 2017, published in 2018 in Artforum and given voice now, she reveals her addiction. "I survived the opioid crisis. I narrowly escaped," she says of her time taking OxyContin, which was originally prescribed to her as it is for many: for surgery. "Though I took it as directed, I got addicted overnight. It was the cleanest drug I'd ever met," Goldin continues. The damage that this prescription substance has caused is well-documented, in docos and dramas such as The Crime of the Century and Dopesick alike. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed isn't just another popped from the packet, but a feature that inserts Goldin's battle against the wealthy Sackler family, founders and owners of OxyContin-making pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, into a bigger slideshow. This is a personal fray, again for many reasons; All the Beauty and the Bloodshed's nesting layers exceed any set of matryoshka dolls. The conflict between autonomy and dependence has long been one of Goldin's sources of fascination — given how her sister was treated, how could it not? — and her seminal work The Ballad of Sexual Dependency filters through the film, as well as acts as inspiration. Goldin crusades against the reliance that so-called "miracle drug" OxyContin has sparked, and the rising death toll the opioid epidemic keeps notching up. Co-founding advocacy group PAIN (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now), she literally rallies against the Sacklers, whose fortune is enormous off the back of the OxyContin's carnage. She directs particular focus to the Sacklers' artwashing, thanks to their hefty donations to galleries and museums, which is where PAIN stages its protests. Many of the cultural institutions accepting the Sacklers' money — many of them bearing the family's name on their buildings, in fact, because that's how much funds such spaces have received— are also intertwined with Goldin's career. An artist's work has to display somewhere, and hers has garnered berths in prestigious spots. PAIN targets them all and more, at considerable risk to Goldin's professional standing, and in a case of an artist firmly putting her principles first. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed begins with action at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and with a "die-in" in its largest gallery space, which is named for the Sacklers. It's a powerful sight, not just filled with prone protestors on the ground but with orange prescription pill bottles scattered around, and bobbing in the room's moat. More such scenes appear throughout the movie, travelling to the Guggenheim Museum and the Louvre — their famous spiral ramp and pyramid, respectively, taken over to make a statement. Poitras could've simply filled a documentary with Goldin's photography or her efforts with PAIN; either way, a gripping film would've eventuated. If she'd just gone with the second option, it could've been another like fellow 2023 Oscar-nominee Navalny that ripples with the tension of a spy thriller, as such scenes do within All the Beauty and the Bloodshed anyway — complete with actual espionage. PAIN's protests are potent to visually behold, Goldin ensuring that they stand out aesthetically and, as the doco sees, photograph well. The passion and piercing emotion of All the Beauty and the Bloodshed wouldn't be what it is without everything around its OxyContin-combating quest, however, because no one action, decision, movement or person is just one thing. This chronicle of the political must also be personal, detailing how Goldin's childhood brought her to life on the fringes, then to photographing it to preserve it, and then to fighting for it. It has to examine how her work is a response to society's marginalisation of women and the queer community, and also crucially a portrait of her own ups and downs, too, showing where her empathy and activism bloomed and why. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed isn't dutifully connecting dots, though, but observing all that makes someone who they are — and makes their deeds, such as Goldin's crusade against the Sacklers, what they are at the same time. It flits backwards and forwards in an act of structural mastery, recreating the feeling of slipping and sliding through memories. Along the way, it gives its marvellous cavalcade of its subject's imagery room to resonate, as it does with her commentary on it, her recollections of her fallen friends like Pink Flamingos star Cookie Mueller and artist/activist David Wojnarowicz, and her constant unpacking of her childhood. It lets court-ordered victim statements to the Sacklers in Purdue's bankruptcy deal echo and linger. Winning the Golden Lion at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival as well, this is a remarkable doco about an individual, and the others who've cast their shadows upon her, as well as a stirring account of the clash between individuals and power — Poitras' frequent topic of interest, after all.
On the lookout for happy hour deals around the city? You're in luck — hatted restaurant Sydney Common has recently launched its Aperitivo Hour every Tuesday–Friday. The modern eatery, located in the Sheraton Grand Sydney, boasts views across Hyde Park, which you can enjoy while sipping on discounted wine, beer or a G&T between 4.30–6.30pm. The Aperitivo Hour includes house wine, beer, and gin and tonics for just $6. For a little bit extra, you can treat yourself to a mini martini for $8. For those seeking something a little more elevated, Sydney Common has a special combo featuring a bottle of NV Henriot "Souverain" Brut paired with six Sydney Rock oysters for $99. This incredible happy hour offer is the ideal way to relax in style after work. Visit Sydney Common, located at 161 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, from Wednesday to Saturday. You can make your booking now via this link.
Dark Mofo, as the Tasmanian winter solstice festival's name might suggest, has a penchant for that which is usually relegated to the shadows. This is now more true than ever with the announcement that Ulver, one of Norway's premier black metal bands, making the crossing to indulge our dark habits come June. Kritstoffer Rygg, lead vocalist of the self proclaimed "pack of Vikings", has called their addition on the line up "a trip extraordinaire and no doubt a once in a lifetime opportunity for Ulver". They'll take the stage at the Odeon Theatre in Hobart on June 15. Ulver are known in their native Norway, and around the world, for their experimental take on an often misunderstood genre. Since their formation in 1993, the group has pushed the boundaries in their music, blending elements of electronica, industrial, and symphonic sonics to create a unique sound. Their 2016 album, ATGCLVLSSCAP, experiments with driving rhythms and binding guitar riffs echoing on the tracks, creating an album that builds a mood rather than simply telling a story. This kind of experimentation makes them the perfect fit for a festival about the darker side of things. Last year's Dark Mofo festival featured the Hymns to the Dead event, which boasted a lineup of international death and black metal bands. The event, which took place a week before the winter solstice, a day that celebrates rebirth cycles, mythologies and mysticism in many ancient cultures, and Ulver's announcement on the 2017 program looks to similarly pull the audience into a hypnotic that promotes a deeper exploration of the more sinister side of our existence. Dark Mofo, taking place between June 8 and June 21 in Hobart, is not only a celebration of art, music, and all things aesthetically pleasing. The festival explores themes of mythology and nature, darkness and light, death and renewal, and takes its audience on a trip that delves into the deeper mysteries of our world. Including Ulver on the bill adds a certain dark, ethereal element to the program. Image: Ingrid Aas.
Falls Festival might be gearing up to celebrate a quarter-century, but it feels a bit like we're the ones getting the birthday presents instead. Helping to ring in the art and music festival's 25th year is a pretty buzzworthy gang of musical mates, headlined by Australia's own wunderkind Flume, as he returns to the Falls stage for the first time since wooing the Lorne crowds in 2012. He's joined on the bill by international names like Seattle-based Grammy nominees Fleet Foxes (who were here earlier in the year for Sydney Festival), Oxford four-piece Glass Animals (who were also just here for Laneway), Californian indie-pop darlings Foster The People and The Kooks, who'll be celebrating a milestone of their own, having clocked up ten years since their debut album. If you've had your ear to the ground, you'll already know the part about Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher dropping in for his first-ever Aussie headline shows. True to form, the Falls 2017 local lineup is equally exciting, and every bit as broad. Homegrown acts hitting the stage include the party-ready Peking Duk, Brisbane rockers Dune Rats, Melbourne natives The Smith Street Band and Total Giovanni, and indie duo Angus & Julia Stone, off the back of their soon-to-launch album Snow. And it looks like you can start limbering up those vocal chords for a gutsy rendition of 'The Horses', with the legendary Daryl Braithwaite also slated for an appearance. As always, the tunes are backed by a colourful curation of art events, performances, pop-ups, markets, wellness sessions and gourmet eats. You can, however, say goodbye to the usual drink ticket situation, which has been ditched in favour of paywave and cash-enabled bars. It's all happening over New Years at the usual spots in Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, and the North Byron Parklands, with WA's 2017 Falls Festival landing itself a new home within the Fremantle Oval precinct. But here's the full lineup. FALLS FESTIVAL 2017 LINEUP Flume (no sideshows) Fleet Foxes Run The Jewels The Kooks Glass Animals (no sideshows) Peking Duk Angus & Julia Stone Foster The People Liam Gallagher Vince Staples Jungle Dune Rats The Smith Street Band D.R.A.M Daryl Braithwaite Everything Everything Allday The Jungle Giants Thundamentals Methyl Ethel Slumberjack D.d Dumbo Anna Lunoe Dz Deathrays Confidence Man Julia Jacklin Bad//dreems Cosmo's Midnight Winston Surfshirt Luca Brasi Alex Lahey Camp Cope Flint Eastwood Ecca Vandal Dave Total Giovanni + More to be announced
The Powerhouse Museum's first exhibition of 2021 is an incredible retrospective of photographer and Turkish-Cypriot immigrant Bayram Ali (1920–95). When Ali was 15 years old he joined the British Army and fought in World War II, allowing him to come to Australia in 1949 (along with over two million post-war migrants that arrived in 1965). Ali worked for the Snowy Mountains Authority for over 20 years until the late 1970s, documenting his work with a camera. His photographs show what life and work was like during the time huge engineering feats were achieved at Lake Eucumbene, Talbingo Dam and Tooma Dam — all of which are considered to be some the greatest hydroelectric builds in the world. The unique prints on display are taken from 35 millimetre transparencies and are part of the amateur photography archives in the Powerhouse Collection. Image: Bayram Ali, Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, Powerhouse Collection
A black comedy about neighbours fighting over a tree. A harrowing recreation of the worst incident on Norwegian soil since World War II. A gothic interpretation of a well-known folk tale. A film about an infatuated college student who discovers she has unusual abilities. These are just some of the Nordic films headed to Australia as part of the 2018 Scandinavian Film Festival — and yes, it's shaping up to be a great year for movies hailing from the colder parts of Europe. All of the above titles — the opening night's Under the Tree, Berlinale hit U – July 22, the gorgeously shot Valley of Shadows and the empathetic thriller Thelma — head to the festival after amassing quite the buzz at overseas events, and they have plenty of company. Across the Scandinavian Film Festival's almost month-long tour of the country, between July 10 and August 5, 21 features will grace Australian screens, showcasing everything from the latest award-winners to the career output of one of the region's late master filmmakers. In the first camp falls Border, which is based on a short story by author John Ajvide Lindqvist and just won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes; high-school comedy Amateurs, the recipient of the best Nordic film award at this year's Goteburg Film Festival; and Winter Brothers, a flick about siblings living in a remote region that nabbed nine Danish Academy Awards. In the latter category, viewers can celebrate the life and career of renowned Swedish director Ingmar Bergman in the 100th anniversary of his birth, with six Swedish figures — including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy's Tomas Alfredson — making shorts inspired by the influential filmmaker for compilation effort Bergman Revisited. Other highlights include a semi-scripted cross-cultural comedy about two Danish men trying to set up a dog breeding business in China, aka The Saint Bernard Syndicate, SXSW-standout Heavy Trip, a film about a heavy metal muso spearheading a music festival in a small Finnish town, and The Real Estate, which attacks the chasm between the rich and the not-so in an unflinching fashion. In short: if it hails from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland and it popped up over the past year, it's probably on the lineup. The Scandinavian Film Festival tours the country between July 10 and August 5, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from July 10–29; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay and Palace Westgarth from July 12–29; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks from July 19 to August 5. For the full program, visit the festival website.
Home, sweet tiny home. James Galletly (known locally as The Upcyclist) and the Bower Reuse and Repair Centre have teamed up to support the Tiny Houses Australia momentous architectural movement. The concept is simple: small, eco-friendly and sustainable living spaces that challenge the way you think of home. It's "guilt free living", as James puts it. The Bower, a Co-Op in the Addison Road Community Centre, has a commitment to waste reduction that is in line with the carpenter's background in Environmental Science and the project mantra: "less house, more living". Part backyard retreat, part child's dream home, The Upcyclist made this project "it's own tiny goal". He re-envisioned a 6 x 8 box trailer into a one-bedroom abode using 95 percent salvaged, recycled and donated materials. The structure is 100% waterproof and insulated for outdoor use. Galletly and his team of volunteers built all fold-up furniture, including a wooden table, crate chairs and a single, hand-painted bed, which allows the room to act as both a sitting area and bedroom. With the solar powered electrical system and gorgeously restored red cedar, double glass windows and doors, the room offers comfort even as a miniature. The size is charming to adults and children alike, and has been the interest of both architects and artists as a creative space. With this project, Galletly hopes to "re-empower people to shelter themselves", and to open minds to alternative living options that don't include "constantly maintaining your house". While it is technically a house on wheels, it is not a replacement caravan, but is a statement piece for the dangers of consumerism. "I want to ensure The Tiny will not become another consumable item and instead be the answer to a problem". This converted space will act as a prototype for the tiny house business Galletly will fund with the auction proceeds, with his future endeavors to include a kitchen and bathroom. 'The Tiny' will be auctioned off on Saturday, September 20, as part of the Bower's 15th Anniversary Event. Don't worry if you're not prepared to offer the starting bid of $10,000–$15,000, the full-day celebration is open to all and will include a BBQ, artisanal market and demonstration workshops within the Community Centre. The tiny houses concept originated in the USA but has been gaining traction in Australia and become a movement that is championed by architects, designers and engineers. The idea is broad enough to include a small, community project like 'The Tiny' as well as larger, million-dollar project such as one featured on Grand Designs Australia. Environmental and minimalist minds unite for this cause, proving that good things really do come in small packages. 'The Tiny' House Auction is on Saturday, September 20, from 12pm-1pm at The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre, Addison Road Community Centre; 34/142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. For more info on the project, head here. Images: Alicia Fox.
The final pieces of the Wunderlich Lane puzzle are steadily falling into place, and there's now one more new restaurant to get excited about. Guided by celebrated Japanese chef Raita Noda, R by Raita Noda is the precinct's newly opened 15-seat restaurant designed to break down traditional barriers between chef and diner via a deeply theatrical dining experience. Each guest is positioned around an open kitchen and afforded a front-row seat to the action. Over an uninterrupted three-hour journey, a tantalising degustation is crafted and served right before your eyes, as Noda and his team meticulously craft each dish with immaculate precision. While the menu is a constantly changing one, on any visit you can expect dishes that highlight both technical mastery and seasonal produce. An eye-catching highlight is the Stairway to Heaven (pictured above) — presented with stunning exactness, this tiered sashimi collection currently features includes aged bass groper with radish sprouts, Tasmanian sea urchin with cuttlefish ravioli and three decadent cuts of aged wild bluefin tuna. "Creating an unforgettable experience for every guest is at the heart of what we do," says chef Noda. "Our food is fine dining, but the atmosphere remains warm and inviting. The intimate setting allows us to engage with our guests, offering them a front-row seat to our craft. Many describe it as witnessing the spontaneity and artistry of a live jazz performance – elegant, dynamic, and full of soul." An experience this refined also requires a striking design, and Japanese-born, Sydney-based architect Koichi Takada was more than up to the task. The darkly hued, moody interior evokes the sense of a drizzly Tokyo evening, with a flowing liquid prism ceiling casting a rippling effect throughout the space with the help of a single pendant light. The all-encompassing effect is completed with 2,000 shimmering chains cascading across the windows. R by Raita Noda is currently open for a single nightly seating, but plans are underway for the restaurant to open for lunch in the near future. With Noda having built his name over the last decade at the eight-seat Raita Noda Chef's Kitchen in Surry Hills, the chef is no stranger to crafting intimate dining experiences — expect his new chapter to showcase an even greater sense of creativity, refinement and storytelling. R by Raita Noda is now open Tuesday–Saturday from 7pm at 2 Baptist St, Redfern. Head to the venue's website for more information. Images: Declan Blackall.
It's one of the city's best-known landmarks, so when the Sydney Opera House illuminates its sails, it stands out. You've seen the venue lit up for Vivid, to launch Mardi Gras and to support bushfire relief — and, as part of Badu Gili, the nightly showcase of First Nations artwork that was first launched in 2017. While the harbourside spot hasn't been decking out its sails with projections every night of late, that changed from Friday, April 23, with a new Badu Gili series gracing the Opera House's exterior each evening. This time around, it's called Badu Gili: Wonder Women, and focuses on the work and stories of six female First Nations artists. And, as part of Sydney Solstice, the affair will be dubbed Badu Gili: Winter Nights, which will run from June 8–20. Curated by Coby Edgar, the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, Badu Gili: Wonder Women is a creative collaboration between the Opera House and AGNSW to mark the latter's 150th anniversary. As the sun sets each day, the Opera House's eastern Bennelong sail will illuminate with a vibrant six-minute animated projection. The animation will repeat three more times each night — approximately every hour, but the timing changes every evening depending on the season and events at the Opera House's Forecourt. Badu Gili also ran in 2018; however, for its third go-around in 2021, it'll display its first all-female lineup. Sydneysiders will be able to peer up at work from Wathaurung elder Marlene Gilson, Yankunytjatjara woman Kaylene Whiskey and Luritja woman Sally Mulda, which'll feature alongside pieces by Western Arrernte women Judith Inkamala and Marlene Rubuntja, and the late Kamilaroi woman Elaine Russell. While you're looking up, you'll be taking in pieces inspired by the artists' life stories and shared histories, which includes the Eureka Stockade and mission days, 2019-20's bushfires, an imagined world of superheroes, family encounters and ordinary life in First Nations communities. The visual component of Badu Gili — which translates to 'water light' in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people — will also be accompanied by a return of Badu Gili Live. The free outdoor music series will run throughout May and June, with performances from Mi-kaisha, Leah Flanagan, and Bow and Arrow. Plus, between Tuesday, June 8 and Sunday, June 20, the Sydney Opera House forecourt will feature Babu Gili Winter Nights with music, talks, poetry readings and a pop-up bar serving drinks and snacks inspired by native Australian ingredients as part of Sydney's new winter arts festival Sydney Solstice. [caption id="attachment_753266" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ken Leanfore[/caption]
All of the taste, none of the seed storage proteins: if you need to eat a gluten free diet, that's all you ever want. And, if you've been craving a few of your favourite biscuits but usually have to steer clear because they don't fit the bill, Arnott's has released new versions of a few well-known varieties. The big one: the Scotch Finger. Last year, the much-loved Australian biscuit maker released the recipe for its original version, but this is obviously even better if you can't consume gluten. The new variety is made with a gluten free flour blend, which uses locally sourced maize, tapioca, rice, sorghum and soy. This one apparently has a sweet base as well, and you can expect both buttery and vanilla tastes. And yes, it still snaps in half — which is perfect for sharing, or for just treating yourself to two smaller pieces instead of eating one big one. That's not the only Arnott's biscuit that's getting a gluten free version, with both Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple bikkies also receiving the same treatment. For the former, you'll be able to tuck into small, bear-shapped biscuits peppered with chocolate chips. With the latter, expect the usual cocoa flavour, and the same crunchiness. The gluten free range hits stores today, Monday, July 19, and you'll only be able to grab them from Woolworths supermarkets. You'll pay RRP$4.70 per pack, and all three new bikkies have been developed with Coeliac Australia. Arnott's gluten free Scotch Finger, Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple biscuits will be available from Woolworths supermarkets from Monday, July 19.
Tabloid headlines aside, Allied reaches screens with a dose of deja vu. After all, this isn't the first film where we've seen Brad Pitt discover that marriage and espionage don't make for a good mix. The good news: his latest vehicle is nothing like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Actually, that's great news. Proving far more engaging than that mediocre 2005 action-comedy isn't a big challenge, but it's one that Allied is up to— even if the end result: a war-torn, spy-centric drama doesn't always hit the mark. Partially styled after (and sharing its initial setting with) classic World War II romance Casablanca, Allied poses an age-old question in a specific context: how well does anyone actually know the people that they love? Faced with this dilemma are Canadian intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt) and French resistance fighter Marianne Beauséjour (Marion Cotillard), who play husband and wife in an undercover mission to dispatch with a German ambassador, only to find their faux affection becoming real. Returning from Morocco to London, wedded bliss beckons, though the combat continues to rage. Then Max receives a startling briefing, with Marianne accused of working for Germany and sharing information about the efforts of the Allies. Accordingly, Allied becomes a film of two distinctive halves — and while both could've made for intriguing viewing if they'd been individually fleshed out to feature length, they prove slight and predictable when paired together. Making audiences want more is what all movies aim for, but here it's a case of wanting one or the other. Trying to offer a tale of spies falling in love out in the field, as well as an account of one partner investigating the other's possible betrayal, Allied flirts with more feeling, depth and interest than it shows, but remains trapped by linking the two into one narrative. Thankfully, though surprises are largely absent, saving graces are plentiful. Pitt and Cotillard mightn't boast overwhelmingly convincing chemistry together, but each turn in fine performances in both the romantic and dramatic parts of the feature. The former plays charming but conflicted with ease, and there's a reason that the latter keeps being cast in complex, potentially duplicitous roles. They're also ably supported by Jared Harris (The Crown) as the man tasked with making Max peer deeper into the affairs of his wife, despite the obvious pain it causes. Director Robert Zemeckis, a veteran of everything from Back to the Future to Forrest Gump, performs his duties ably, mainly in making the movie look the part. Allied is an elegant affair that seems like a response to the complaint that they just don't make them like they used to. That includes giving the feature a glossy sheen, as though it might've been shot on a studio lot seven decades ago, and inexplicably rendering the end credits text in the largest font you've probably ever seen in a closing crawl. Perhaps over-statement is the key — or perhaps it just gives an indication of the age of the intended audience of this passable period throwback.
Take a vinyl junkie through their collection and they’ll probably be able to tell you the backstory behind each purchase. And while there’s nothing quite so memorable as reaching into a dusty box of sonic junk and coming up with a long-lost gem, sometimes it’s nice to know the odds of striking gold are in your favour. That’s what Eastside FM's bi-annual Black Gold Vinyl Fairs are all about. Sure there are over 8000 records to dig through, but for the avid vinyl collector it’s a black plastic paradise. Each record has been hand picked by meticulous music collectors and local DJs including The Vinyl Junkie, Fuse Records, Alex Dimitriades, DJ Nick Toth, Good Groove and a whole slew of newbie vendors. There’s jazz, there’s disco, there’s funk, reggae and blues, and once your hands are sufficiently laden you can ponder how to get your loot home over a beer (free with entry) on the airy rooftop courtyard.
Lowe Wines owner David Lowe was up on natural winemaking long before it was considered cool. He's producing certified organic wines in small batches — so small, in fact, that you'll be hard pressed to find his drops outside of the cellar door. Located just a short drive from the Mudgee centre, the winery is in a region well-suited to red varieties like shiraz and merlot, as well as the vineyard's signature drop: zinfandel. For eats alongside the wine, there are regional grazing platters that use all local produce and smallgoods. While you're there, take a stroll around the stunning vineyard, which includes a wooden picnic area, rescued donkeys (for patting) and access to 360-degree views of Mudgee from Federation Hill. The tasting room also hosts regular events including wine making, cooking and ceramics workshops.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wnmC7uLTNQ THE DISSIDENT If you know even the slightest thing about the circumstances surrounding Jamal Khashoggi's death, it's impossible to watch The Dissident without feeling angry. That's most viewers' starting mood, given that the Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist's assassination has garnered ample media attention — and Oscar-winning director Brian Fogel (Icarus) is well aware of how much coverage the subject has received, and of how the world feels about the situation. Indeed, his thorough and exacting documentary both feeds upon and fuels that shock and ire. The mood is tense, the commentary is pointed and the prevailing sentiment is savage. Both rage and outrage permeate each frame, unsurprisingly so, as the film lays bare the brutal facts surrounding Khashoggi's murder, its lead-up and its aftermath. No other tone would be acceptable. Nothing other than dismay, abhorrence and anger would be either. When you're making a movie about a man who entered his nation's embassy to obtain paperwork so that he could get married, then left it in dismembered pieces while his bride-to-be waited outside, how could anything other than fury, horror and alarm eventuate? Although the details have already been well-documented since October 2, 2018, they're still reassembled in The Dissident. Accordingly, the doco tells of Khashoggi's visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul just over a year after fleeing his country, after which he was never seen alive again. He wanted to marry academic Hatice Cengiz, his Turkish fiancée. To do so, he needed a document certifying that he was no longer wed to his prior wife. He'd first sought that necessary certification from the embassy just a few days earlier, so they knew that he'd be returning — and once he stepped inside once more, he was ambushed, attacked and killed by a newly arrived team of Saudi agents. Cengiz contacted the authorities when the man she thought she'd be spending the rest of her life with didn't surface, but the Saudi government claimed that the exiled reporter had left via a back entrance. It didn't take long to ascertain the truth, as was suspected from the moment he failed to reemerge. The official story changed several times, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied any knowledge of a premeditated plot, but the fact remains that Khashoggi was slaughtered by operatives from his homeland. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGLmTd8q3Ec&t=7s THE UNITED STATES VS BILLIE HOLIDAY More than 80 years after it was first sung and heard, Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' still isn't easily forgotten. Drawn from a poem penned to protest lynchings, it's meant to shock and haunt. It's designed to galvanise and mobilise, too, as drawing attention to the extrajudicial killings of Black Americans should. Indeed, so vivid is the song in its language — "Black bodies swingin' in the southern breeze" describes the third line — US authorities demanded that Holiday stop performing it. She refused repeatedly, so there were repercussions. Concerned that the track would spark change, inspire Holiday's fans to fight for civil rights and justice, and perhaps motivate riots against against oppression and discrimination as well, the US Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics went after the musician for her drug use. If it couldn't get her to cease crooning the controversial tune via other means, such as overt warnings and a prominent police presence at her shows, it'd do whatever it could to keep her from reaching the stage night after night. With Andra Day (Marshall) turning in an intense, impassioned, career-defining portrayal as its eponymous figure (and in her first lead film role, too), so tells The United States vs Billie Holiday, the latest Oscar-nominated biopic to step through its namesake's life. Back in 1972, Lady Sings the Blues loosely adapted Holiday's autobiography of the same name, enlisting Diana Ross to play the singer — but, in taking inspiration instead from Johann Hari's non-fiction book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, this latest big-screen vision of the music icon's story adopts its own angle. Holiday's troubled childhood and youth has its part in this tale, which is scripted for the screen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Her addiction, and the personal woes that she tried to blot out, clearly don't escape filmmaker Lee Daniels' (The Butler) attention, either. But The United States vs Billie Holiday also falls in alongside Seberg, MLK/FBI and Judas and the Black Messiah in interrogating bleak truths about mid-20th century America. In a film that manages to be both rousing and standard, that includes surveying the misplaced priorities of its government during multiple administrations, and the blatant determination shown by an array of agencies under various presidents to undermine, persecute and silence those considered a supposedly un-American threat to the status quo. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNE7ap2lOnU MORTAL KOMBAT No one enjoys watching someone else mash buttons. While it's a passable way to spend a few minutes, losing interest quickly simply comes with the territory. That's how viewing Mortal Kombat feels as well, except that watching your friends play any of the martial arts video game franchise's 22 different arcade and console titles since 1992 (or any game at all) would be far more entertaining. Shot in South Australia and marking the feature debut of filmmaker Simon McQuoid, the latest attempt to bring the popular series to the big screen — following a first try in 1995 and a sequel in 1997 — feels like watching cosplay, too. The movie's cast literally dresses up in the outfits needed to recreate the game's characters, of course, but the film shouldn't so overtly resemble fans donning costumes at a pop culture convention. And yet, Mortal Kombat evokes this situation from the moment its 17th century Japan-set prologue, which is also its best scene, comes to an end. After establishing a mythic and bloody backstory for the movie's narrative as a whole, the character that'll become an undead ninja ghost called Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada, Westworld) and his prophecised descendants, this B-grade flick is happy to, in fact. It's not just the violence that's cartoonish here; it's every glare exchanged and word uttered, with much of the script trading in cliches, dramatic pauses and catchphrases. Mortal Kombat's gaming fanbase may be eager to see their beloved characters given flesh and blood, face off against each other and spout lines that usually emanate from a much smaller screen, but that doesn't make a movie engaging. Nor can a flimsy screenplay by first-timer Greg Russo and Wonder Woman 1984's Dave Callaham, which follows the battle between Earthrealm and Outworld — one that'll be lost by the former if an MMA fighter named Cole Young (Lewis Tan, Wu Assassins), who bears a dragon birthmark, doesn't team up with the other figures with the same marking to stop humanity from losing for the tenth time. That's where the no-nonsense Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee, Black Water: Abyss) comes in, and also the grating, wisecracking Kano (Josh Lawson, Long Story Short). The villainous Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim, Warrior) might be threatening to freeze all of earth's champions so that Outworld's Shang Tsung (Chin Han, Skyscraper) can rig the tournament before it even happens, but Mortal Kombat still has time — and far too much of it — to spend pondering supernatural destinies and letting an over-acting, always grating Lawson mug for attempted laughs. The end result is intentionally ridiculous, and presumably unintentionally dull, all while setting up an unearned sequel. And although brutal enough amidst the silliness for an R rating, even the film's fight scenes merely go through the motions, especially given the heights that films like The Raid and John Wick have scaled in with their eye-popping action choreography over the past decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YZuNQLSJlQ EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE In The Nightingale, Sam Claflin wasn't charming, kindly or gallant. He was worlds away from his roles in rom-com Love, Rosie, weepie drama Me Before You and the page-to-screen Hunger Games franchise — and, playing a supporting but still key part in the exceptional 2019 film, he was excellent. Alas, while he remains in darker territory with Every Breath You Take, this psychological thriller isn't a highlight on his or anyone's resume. The good news: it doesn't feature the 1983 single by The Police that shares the film's title. The not-so-great news: it is indeed about someone surveilling others, so it must've taken the production's entire reserves of restraint not to include that song. Little subtlety seems to be displayed elsewhere, including by Claflin, and little intelligence, either. In development for almost a decade, once set to be directed by Misery's Rob Reiner, and also slated to star Harrison Ford and Zac Efron over the years, the film focuses on the fallout from a psychologist's decision to talk to one of his patients about his own problems. Not long after gushing to a lecture hall filled with students about his successful new technique, however, he finds himself the target of a vindictive stalker who is intent on destroying his entire family's lives. Debut screenwriter David Murray has clearly seen Fatal Attraction, Unfaithful, Cape Fear and Fear, and The Silence of the Lambs as well, and he's not afraid to mash pieces of each together here. Looking pensive, grappling with family woes again but worlds away from his Oscar-winning performance in Manchester by the Sea, Casey Affleck (The Old Man and the Gun) plays Philip, the analyst in question. He crosses paths with James (Claflin, Enola Holmes) at the scene of a tragedy, then finds him knocking on his door — and soon his wife Grace (Michelle Monaghan, The Craft: Legacy) and teenage daughter Lucy (India Eisley, Dead Reckoning) are both bumping into the newcomer seemingly everywhere they go. In an already tense household thanks to an accident years earlier, James easily upsets the status quo. When Philip starts having professional problems as well, the trio's struggles only deepen. It's hard to guess what attracted this starry cast to such a routine film, but it definitely isn't the pulpy script or Vaughn Stein's (Inheritance) overboiled direction. Indeed, in a movie that somehow thinks that being as blatant as possible will ramp up the suspense — which, unsurprisingly, it doesn't — only the icy visuals by cinematographer Michael Merriman (another Inheritance alum) garner much attention. Well, that and the screechy score by Marlon Espino (also returning from Inheritance), although the latter does so with the same obviousness that characterises almost everything about the feature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COLOJaM3k_M SISTER More than once during Sister, An Ran (Zhang Zifeng, Detective Chinatown 3) is reminded that her status as a sibling — and as a woman — is burdened with strong expectations in China. With her much-younger brother An Ziheng (Kim Darren Yowon) earning pride of place in her parents' hearts, and in Chinese society's patriarchal hierarchy in general, she's meant to defer her dreams and desires in favour of her family's male heir. That's just what's done, and always has been. And, after the pair's mother and father are killed in a car accident, no one can quite understand why An Ran is determined to buck convention. But, after weathering a childhood coloured by her dad's disappointment about her gender, she has spent years trying to break free from her past. A nurse hoping to gain acceptance into medical school so that she can become a doctor, and so distanced from her parents and brother that she doesn't even know the latter, she doesn't just vehemently disagree with the idea that she should now devote her life to An Ziheng; she refuses to abide by it. Instead, An Ran wants to sell the family apartment, find adoptive parents for her sibling and continue working towards her own future. Neither director Yin Ruoxin (Farewell, My Lad) nor screenwriter You Xiaoying (Love Education) shies away from the harsh reality facing their protagonist in Sister, or from the fact that her plight is emblematic of the nation's women in a much broader sense. And, for most of its duration, their sensitive but clear-eyed drama firmly and unflinchingly tackles the ramifications of simply being born female in China. The continued pressure directed An Ran's way and the treatment she receives for not toeing the line aren't the film's only sources of conflict, with class differences and the way that power structures play out both domestically and professionally also playing their part in the movie's layered narrative. They're aided by Zhang's weighty performance, too — a portrayal that segues seamlessly back and forth from defiant and committed to exhausted and exasperated, and shows both the will to eschew norms and the weariness from the constant battle on multiple levels. The film's boldness is eventually undercut, though. Budding within its naturalistically lit imagery and its often roving and restless frames is an awareness that the bonds of blood will eventually pull at An Ran. The script ensures that her growing bond with her brother feels genuine; however, it's also a far more sentimental turn of events than Sister indulges otherwise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SodO2VN0iYY SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT Eddie Izzard takes inspiration from her home town of Bexhill-on-Sea in Six Minutes to Midnight, using its pre-World War II history as the basis for an intriguing but also muddled thriller. Before the conflict broke out, the coastal spot was home to the Augusta Victoria College, where the daughters of high-ranking Germans were sent to finish their education. In Izzard's hands as the film's star, executive producer and co-writer — the latter with Celyn Jones (The Vanishing) and director Andy Goddard (A Kind of Murder) — this real-life scenario gives rise to espionage antics. She plays Thomas Miller, the school's new teacher, and also a spy sent to keep tabs on the students' whereabouts for British intelligence. Headmistress Miss Rocholl (Judi Dench, Blithe Spirit) dotes on the girls, and naively sees only camaraderie in the college's existence, but Miller and his superiors are concerned that the institution's pupils could be smuggled out in secret. It doesn't help that Ilse Keller (Carla Juri, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit), the school's only German employee, hardly seems trustworthy. The pro-Nazi ideology infused into her lessons is hardly a promising sign, but soon it's Miller that is the object of suspicion, despite his efforts to uncover just who in English society has been pledging their allegiance abroad. No one can fault Izzard's interest in Augusta Victoria College, or her eagerness to bring its little-known place in Britain's past to the screen. But Six Minutes to Midnight is so caught up in being a spy film — and one that takes its cues from Alfred Hitchcock at that — that it serves up a paper-thin story that's on the verge of blowing over in the East Sussex breeze. Twists, double crosses, wavering loyalty, murder, chases, interrogations and clandestine plots all ensue, but with few surprises, and with exactly why the students' possible return to Germany would be so catastrophic never fully fleshed out. Handsome seaside scenery does abound, though, and so does a committed performance from Izzard. She spends much of her screen-time running, as she often does in reality — completing 43 marathons in 51 days in 2009, 27 in 27 days in 2016 and 32 in 31 days earlier this year — but her wit and charisma are always evident. Saddled with a one-note role, Dench is less convincing, but supporting players Jim Broadbent (King of Thieves) and James D'Arcy (Avengers: Endgame) make the most of their small parts as a kindly bus driver and a wily detective respectively. As for the young women, the fact that they're primarily regarded as a group, rather than given the time and space to convey their personalities, speaks volumes about their function as the feature's MacGuffin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xXFm78O6P8 MOON ROCK FOR MONDAY Kurt Martin, the first-time feature writer/director behind Moon Rock for Monday, must owe much of his film education to Australian cinema of the 90s. His road-trip drama — which is also a coming-of-age tale and a crime thriller, and happens to be set in the 90s, too — takes clearcut cues from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Two Hands. Here, though, a 12-year-old girl and an older teen sit at the centre of the narrative. Thankfully, while the nods towards other prominent homegrown movies are obvious, these sources of inspiration don't cast an overbearing shadow. There isn't much about Moon Rock for Monday that proves overtly novel, but it doesn't simply trudge in other films' footsteps, either. The importance of the feature's canny casting can't be understated, with fellow debutant Ashlyn Louden-Gamble a winsome presence as the titular pre-teen and George Pullar (Playing for Keeps) infusing his wayward but well-meaning jewellery store thief-turned-fugitive with more depth than might be expected. Indeed, their rapport as their characters first evade the police on Sydney's streets, then take to the highway towards the Northern Territory, gives this warm-hearted movie enough charm to do more than simply coast by. Named for the day she was born, Monday's (Louden-Gamble) entire life has revolved around an illness that requires frequent medical treatment. But, despite the lived-in weariness and worry perennially plastered across the face of her dad Bob (Aaron Jeffrey, The Flood), she handles the situation with a sunny disposition, an eagerness to see the world and an obsession with Uluru — or Moon Rock, as she calls it. Then, this father-daughter duo stumble into Tyler's (Pullar) orbit. Soon Monday is by the latter's side, indulging her thirst for adventure and tagging along as he hightails it out of town. Bob isn't the only one desperate to find them, with Detective Lionell (David Field, Mortal Kombat) also on their trail in the aftermath of Tyler's light-fingered ways. From the outset, even before Monday and Tyler start heading west, there's an episodic feel to Moon Rock for Monday; however, flitting from one narrative incident to the next suits the road-trip premise. When nothing but landscape surrounds its central pair, that dusty red expanse does plenty of heavy lifting — a scene outside of Coober Pedy is particularly striking, both visually and emotionally — but this is still a promising big-screen start for its director and leads alike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyopYXVJNmQ THIS LITTLE LOVE OF MINE Blatantly formulaic rom-coms are cinema's version of junk food, as Netflix has been trying to use to its advantage. Scroll through the platform's catalogue, especially around Christmas, and a wealth of straight-to-streaming movies that eagerly play up every trope and cliche await — but being easy to make and undemanding to consume isn't the same as being worth watching. This Little Love of Mine is debuting in cinemas; however, it'll feel at home when it does find its way into a streaming service's lineup. Its story is that predictable and its dialogue is that hoary. The setup: ambitious workaholic lawyer Laura (Saskia Hampele, The Heights) is certain that she'll finally make partner and be able to start doing worthwhile work helping small business owners if she convinces a building magnate's (Martin Portus, Home and Away) island-dwelling boat captain grandson Chip (Liam McIntyre, Them) to take over his billion-dollar development company. The catch: the island, Sapphire Cove, is where she grew up before she left for her high-powered, big-city life in San Francisco, and Chip is the childhood best friend she's thought of fondly over the years, but hasn't seen since she departed. Romantic comedies don't need to trade in surprises. When you're just aiming to bring two characters together so that they can presumably live happily ever after, twists aren't a necessary feature. But viewers should enjoy their time watching said central figures overcome the obligatory obstacles that come their way on the inevitable path to becoming a couple. They should get invested in their plights, be charmed by their personalities and care about their fates —and, even with the ultimate outcome remaining obvious to anyone and everyone, no one should feel as if they're just peering on as a movie works through a checklist. While Hampele and McIntyre do their best to liven up Georgia Harrison's (Rip Tide) rote script, they can't nudge This Little Love of Mine into engaging waters. The same applies to Lynn Gilmartin (How Do You Know Chris?) as Laura and Chip's fellow lifelong friend Gem, who proves the kind of dutiful sidekick-slash-trusty confidant character that could've strolled out of almost every rom-com ever made. Also unable to lift the material: the eye-catching Far North Queensland backdrop, which sets a suitably swoon-worthy scene; however, the repeated palm tree and beach shots peppered throughout the film by first-time director Christine Luby and cinematographer Simon Harding (Ruben Guthrie) begin to feel like filler quickly. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1 and April 8. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda and Supernova. Top image: Takashi Seida.
Pablo Picasso jammed plenty of creativity into his 91-year life, including paintings, sculptures, prints, ceramics, stage design, plays, poetry and more. During the 1930s, he also etched and engraved a set of 100 pieces, in a series that was named after the art dealer who commissioned them: The Vollard Suite. Produced over an eight-year period, the collection takes inspiration from stories, tales and myths, as well as the human form, his mistress and politics at the time. In other words, it proves an artistic overview of his favoured themes and fascinations, while also offering an autobiography of sorts. It's the kind of intimate work that gives fans an insight into the Spanish master beyond his more famous pieces. And the National Gallery of Australia is one of the few institutions in the world to boast a complete set, so they'll be putting it from June 9 to September 24. Image: Pablo Picasso, Spain 1881 - France 1973, Minotaure aveugle guidé par une fillette dans la nuit. [Blind minotaur led by a little girl at night.] between 3-7 December and 31 December 1934, or 1 January 1935 from the Vollard Suite (97). Etching and scraper, printed in black ink. National Gallery of Australia. ©Succession Picasso. Licensed by Viscopy, 2017.
A room filled with middle-aged karaoke enthusiasts belting out '70s and '80s classics has never been as fun as this; just make sure to show up in a big group later at night and with a couple of stiff drinks in you. Widely renowned as one of the more bizarre establishments in Sydney, the person with the microphone is king at the Pickled Possum, and drinks are frequently made by seniors wearing rubber gloves. There are no booths, so you have to be prepared to sing to a crowded room, but the eccentric collection of inebriated 'characters' are having so much fun and taking the karaoke enterprise so seriously you wouldn't want to be in a booth.
UPDATE, September 21, 2022: Red Rocket is available to stream via Prime Video, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. It might sound crazy, but it ain't no lie: Red Rocket's *NSYNC needle drops, the cost of which likely almost eclipsed the rest of the film's budget, provide a sensational mix of movie music moments in an all-round sensational picture. A portrait of an ex-porn star's knotty homecoming to the oil-and-gas hub that is Texas City, the feature only actually includes one song by the Justin Timberlake-fronted late-90s/early-00s boyband, but it makes the most of it. That tune is 'Bye Bye Bye', and it's a doozy. With its instantly recognisable blend of synth and violins, it first kicks in as the film itself does, and as the bruised face of Mikey Saber (Simon Rex, Scary Movie 3, 4 and 5) peers out of a bus window en route from Los Angeles. Its lyrics — "I'm doing this tonight, you're probably gonna start a fight, I know this can't be right" — couldn't fit the situation better. The infectiously catchy vibe couldn't be more perfect as well, and nor could the contrast that all those upbeat sounds have always had with the track's words. As he demonstrates with every film, Red Rocket writer/director/editor Sean Baker is one of the best and shrewdest filmmakers working today — one of the most perceptive helmers taking slice-of-life looks at American existence on the margins, too. His latest movie joins Starlet, Tangerine and The Florida Project on a resume that just keeps impressing, but there's an edge here born of open recognition that Mikey is no one's hero. He's a narcissist, sociopath and self-aggrandiser who knows how to talk his way into anything, claim success from anyone else's wins and blame the world for all his own woes. He's someone that everyone in his orbit can't take no more and wants to see out that door, as if *NSYNC's now-22-year-old lyrics were specifically penned about him. He's also a charismatic charmer who draws people in like a whirlwind. He's the beat and the words of 'Bye Bye Bye' come to life, in fact, even if the song wasn't originally in Red Rocket's script. Mikey's return after decades away isn't greeted with smiles or cheers; his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod, Shutter Island), also his ex on-screen partner, is horrified when he arrives on her doorstep unannounced with $22 to his name. It takes him mere minutes to convince her and her mother Lil (Brenda Deiss) to let him crash on their couch, though — and just days to work his way back into Lexi's bed. The begrudging inevitability of their reunion echoes as firmly as Red Rocket's chosen anthem, and both keep repeating throughout the film. Unable to get a job despite his glee when explaining the big gap in his resume ("Google me," he exclaims, revealing his porn past to prospective employers), he's reluctantly given back his old weed-dealing gig by local dealer Leondra (Judy Hill), who clearly isn't thrilled. The two new connections Mikey makes — with a neighbour and a 17-year-old doughnut store cashier — also smack of the same feeling. Both relationships leave as much of an imprint upon Mikey's life as anything can — although, no matter what he contends about every bad turn he's endured, all the chaos plaguing his every waking moment is his own doing. With Lonnie (Ethan Darbone), he gets an adoring sidekick who thinks he can do no wrong and, most importantly, a driver to taxi him around town. With Strawberry (Suzanna Son, chief among the film's many first-timers), he hopes to turn his lust into a way back into the adult film industry, grooming her to make her own thrusts into porn. Both naive and aware of Mikey's brimming bullshit, Strawberry isn't quite as taken in with his promises as he imagines her to be, however. Still, she might quote "it ain't no lie, bye bye bye" about him, but she's also willing enough to go along for the ride. Played with spark and ambition by Son, Strawberry also sings 'Bye Bye Bye' herself, delivering a post-coital keyboard rendition — because, in soundtracking uninhibited jaunts into careening lives, Red Rocket, like Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers, enlists new versions of decades-old pop hits by former Mouseketeers. The film's stripped-down take speaks volumes about the movie it's in, too, because Baker's feature is as much about the sweet melodies we sing to ourselves about ourselves as it is about the clash between an alluring mood and the stark truth. Mikey has the spin down pat — in porn, he's proudest about winning awards for being pleasured orally, and doesn't waver when it's pointed out that he's not really doing anything by being on the receiving end — but Red Rocket exposes the reality behind his incessant chatter and swagger. Writing with three-time collaborator Chris Bergoch, Baker peppers the film's screenplay with devastatingly telling lines and comedic inclusions alike. When Mikey insists that "the universe is on my side", it smashes both targets. But even as Baker weaves in broader commentary about the US today — Red Rocket is set in the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, with snippets of campaign speeches heard and parallels between two different self-assured grifters easily spied — his smartest move is saying hi, hi, hi to Rex. It's a loaded choice, given the latter's own porn history as a solo player in the early 90s. Rex was then an MTV VJ, so he's also used to talking the glossy talk. Acting followed, plus rapping under the moniker Dirt Nasty, but it's safe to say that his career didn't pan out as planned until Red Rocket drew upon that history to cast him as its magnetic middle-aged dirtbag. Rex is so awards-worthily commanding — so seductive and sleazy in tandem, all while playing a livewire of a thorny character with so little self-awareness — that it's plain to see why the film was scripted with him in mind. Baker fills other key parts with non-professionals, as he has a history of doing, and there's zero weak links in what proves a riotous character study of an entrancing yet toxic and deluded hustler, and also a freewheeling snapshot of small industrial town lives that's fuelled by authenticity on several levels. It's little wonder, then, that cinematographer Drew Daniels (Waves) lenses the picture like it's caught between magic hour-hued fantasies and scrappy social realism. That's Baker's favourite aesthetic, and straddling juxtapositions is baked into his latest movie everywhere it can be. Perhaps that's why Red Rocket also feels like exactly what Baker was destined to do after the similarly phenomenal The Florida Project, but also firmly its own glorious journey. That ain't no lie, either.
A fairly new addition to the Darlinghurst shopping scene, Melbourne denim label Neuw's Service store will make denim lovers go all frothy. This lofty space, which used to house important institutions like the Australian Bank of Commerce, now shelters walls of jeans and racks of streetwear. Just as Neuw pays homage to the heritage of denim in its vintage designs, the Oxford St store is a throwback to the rock idols that made denim popular. Friendly hipsters staff the store, which also stocks denim by Rollas and A.Brand, illesteva sunnies and lingerie by Lonely.
As we've all been told for centuries on the page, then on the stage, and also on the screen since the birth of film, vampires can live forever. Here's another undead fact: stories about the horror favourites definitely seem to. And, as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows have shown, such tales are mighty skilled at prolonging their lives. In both of the above instances, movies became TV shows — and fantastic ones at that. On the big screen, What We Do in the Shadows was delightful and hilarious. A New Zealand-shot and -set vampire sharehouse mockumentary made by and starring Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi was always going to be. On the small screen since 2019, the American TV version of What We Do in the Shadows has also proven the same. In fact, with fellow spinoff Wellington Paranormal — the NZ television show that stuck with the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural — it's part of the best on-screen universe there is. Thankfully, the small-screen take on What We Do in the Shadows shows no signs of slowing down. Come mid-July, its fourth season will hit Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon, in fact. Even better: based on the two trailers so far — one dropping in early June, and the other to round out the month — fans are set for another wonderfully amusing bloodsuckers gem. For the uninitiated, this iteration of What We Do in the Shadows is set in Staten Island. No, Pete Davidson doesn't show up. Instead, the series focuses on a household where vamps Nandor (Kayvan Novak, Cruella), Laszlo (Matt Berry, Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) all live. Energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch, The Office) and Nandor's familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen, Werewolves Within), slayers have also staked a claim in the story. There's much, much more to the Shadows television spinoff than that — and plenty to laugh at as well. This time around, there'll also be a vampire nightclub, undead dance-offs, a vamp freestyle rap, a genie's lamp, polyamory, multiple dead wives returning at the same time, and a baby version of Colin. Given that two 'Rasputin'-soundtracked trailers can't tell the full story, as wonderful as both sneak peeks are, expect plenty more where all of that came from. Check out the latest trailer for What We Do in the Shadows season four below: What We Do in the Shadows' fourth season starts streaming in the Australia via Binge on Wednesday, July 13 and New Zealand via Neon on Thursday, July 14.
Blue skies and scenic coastal sights will brighten Sydney's cinemas between Tuesday, October 9 and Sunday, October 21, with the Greek Film Festival coming to town. Marking its 25th year, this showcase of Hellenic filmmaking will screen 16 features at Palace Norton Street and Palace Central — including ten brand new flicks and a six-movie retrospective focusing on Greek comedies. In the latest and greatest camp, the festival kicks off with World War II drama The Last Note, charting events leading up to the execution of 200 Greek war prisoners in the Chaidari concentration camp. At the other end of the fest comes something completely different with closing night's comedy Jamaica, about two brothers reuniting after a tragedy. Elsewhere, viewers can see the latest Greek Weird Wave effort, Pity, which is co-written by The Lobster and Dogtooth co-scribe Efthimis Filippou — or check out this year's Tribeca best international film winner Smuggling Hendrix, about a man's attempts to rescue his runaway dog from the UN border between Greek and Turkish Nicosia. Drama Happy Birthday takes inspiration from the street demonstrations that rocked Athens in 2008, while comedy-thriller Rosemarie follows a soap opera writer who borrows storylines from his real-life neighbours, and sequel The Bachelor 2 has been compared to The Hangover movies. There's also a touch of Australia in the lineup, thanks to Melbourne-set local flick West of Sunshine. After premiering at last year's Venice Film Festival, director Jason Raftopoulos' debut effort about a man trying to settle his gambling debts while taking care of his primary school-aged son has been doing the rounds of Aussie cinemas all year. The warm-hearted social realist drama also features a fantastic performance from Pawno's Damien Hill, who sadly passed away last month.
You could call it a bad romance: Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix, Napoleon) and Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga, House of Gucci), that is. That's the certain outcome for Gotham City. For the pair themselves, it's all singing, dancing, no longer feeling alone and gleefully causing chaos — and, yes, busting out their moves on public steps, with Joker getting company in the full trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux. When Phoenix first played the film's titular character, he became the second actor in just over a decade to win an Oscar for donning the DC Comics villain's exaggerated clown makeup and killer smile. Returning to the role in the sequel to 2019's Joker, he's now taking on the character in a film that also has musical elements. And, he has big-name company this time from someone similarly slipping into the shoes of a famed comic-book figure. Just as Phoenix follows in the footsteps of Cesar Romero (in the 60s Batman TV series), Jack Nicholson (in the 1989 Batman movie), Heath Ledger (in The Dark Knight) and Jared Leto (in Suicide Squad), Gaga treads where Margot Robbie (in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and The Suicide Squad) has most recently as Harley Quinn. Welcome to the Joker and Harley show, then. In this followup, the duo meet at Arkham Asylum — and yes, romance blossoms. So, it's no longer Arthur against the world, the feeling that he's taken literally so far. But everyone with even just a passing knowledge of the character knows that that still doesn't bode well for Gotham. Behind the lens, Todd Phillips (War Dogs) is back from the first film as both director and a co-writer, the latter with fellow returnee Scott Silver (The Finest Hours). On-screen, Phoenix and Lady Gaga are joined by Zazie Beetz (Full Circle), who was also in the initial flick — plus Joker newcomers Catherine Keener (The Adam Project), Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Steve Coogan (The Reckoning). Wondering about the musical aspects to Joker: Folie à Deux? Variety reports that it includes at least 15 songs, all covers, and may also feature original tunes. Based on both the initial teaser back in April and the new full trailer now, 'What the World Needs Now Is Love', 'When You're Smiling', 'For Once in My Life' and 'Get Happy' are among the familiar tracks. The first Joker wasn't just a hit — standing apart from the now-defunct DC Extended Universe, where Leto played the Clown Prince of Crime, it took over a billion dollars at the global box office. And, as well as Phoenix nabbing an Oscar, the film collected the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. Joker: Folie à Deux is unsurprisingly world-premiering in competition at the same fest. Check out the full trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux below: Joker: Folie à Deux releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
If bliss to you means peering at infinite reflections in lit-up mirror rooms, wading through brightly coloured ball pits and having pillow fights — plus hanging out in digital forests, watching tales told via shadows and hopping over musical tiles, too — then prepare to beam with joy when Dopamine Land arrives Down Under. The latest multi-sensory experience that's hitting Australia, it's being pitched as an interactive museum. Inside, you'll find themed spaces that you can mosey through, engage with their contents and, ideally, bask in nothing but pure happiness. With a name like Dopamine Land, it's immediately clear that contentment, glee, merriment and exuberance is the aim of the game here. So is evoking those feel-good sensations through nostalgia, because this is another kidulting activity — it's all-ages-friendly as well — and it's making its Aussie debut in Brisbane from Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Brisbanites, and anyone keen for a Sunshine State trip to revel in more than the sun's glow, can look forward to wandering around Dopamine Land at Uptown in the River City's Queen Street Mall. Locals know that the site was previously the Myer Centre — and, decades back, was home to a dragon-themed rollercoaster. So, it's a fitting venue to get everyone channeling their inner child, unleashing their imagination and, yes, hitting each other with cushions. Heading this way direct from London, the experience combines optical illusions, engaging soundscapes and more across its ten themed rooms. The ball pit is self-explanatory, but also takes its cues from Miami in the 80s, complete with a pina colada scent, an electro soundtrack and LED lights that pulse to mirror waves. The pillow-fight space also doesn't need much explaining; however, the decor is inspired by marshmallows and boxes of lollies, Mexican wrestling is also an influence and you can win the pillow-fighting championship. Fancy seeing stories play out via shadows? There's a room for that featuring a big top-style roof. If you try your hand at the musical tiles — well, your feet, to be more accurate — you'll create a melody as you jump around, with the lights changing as you go as well. And if getting as serene as possible is your aim, head to the Keep Calm Forest, which artificially recreates a woodland via LED trees, mirrors and sounds to match. There's even a room dedicated to the autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, which goes big on projections and animations by Australian digital artist Cassie Troughton. As is always the case with these kinds of pop-ups — Fever, the company bringing Dopamine Land to Australia, has also been behind The Art of Banksy: Without Limits, The NBA Exhibition, Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience and Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience — there'll be ample opportunities to take photos. Accordingly, you know what you'll be seeing on your social-media feeds. There's no word yet whether Dopamine Land will head to other Australian cities beyond Brisbane, but expect it to be popular either way. Find Dopamine Land at Uptown, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane from Tuesday, May 28, 2024, with tickets on sale from 7pm on Thursday, April 11. For more information, or to join the ticket waitlist, head to the experience website.
The Rocks has proved an unexpectedly difficult area to rejuvenate. Home to winding laneways, heel-cracking cobblestones, quaint colonial haunts, and shady histories, it should be the atmospheric epicentre of cultural life in this city. We've been waiting for the day it is. But so far, despite notable inroads by such initiatives as the Pop-Up Project and the MCA's Lights on Later, The Rocks has had a hard time shaking off its tourist-saturated image. Now the most promising sign of change yet has come with the new weekly event Village Bizarre. Happening on Friday evenings throughout November and December, it puts contortionists, comedians, music-makers, open dance classes, games, barbers' chairs, and curios at the end of every alley and under each rickety awning. You'll meet such characters as convict butcher George Cribb, underwater knitters Mrs Polly Mer and Mrs Ester, and melancholic cabaret artist Tia Juana. There are also some more sustained, very intriguing site-specific performances, including the Melbourne and Adelaide Fringe Festival hit Ute Uber Kool Ja, in which you venture into the Holiday Inn room of an ageing rock star (you'll need to book tickets for the privilege), and Blind Date, a blindfolded one-on-one tour of The Rocks that's tailored specially to you. And don't forget to download the mp3 before you head out if you want to experience Crowds Above You. To keep you hopping from oddity to exotica, the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority-presented event features three pop-up bars — the Enchanted Forest Bar, the Canopy Bar, and best of all, the White Rabbit Bar, which, in an Eyes Wide Shut meets leporine vibe, requires you to don a rabbit mask before entry. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nHIDspGbLrM
Not long ago, we saw the online sensations of planking, owling and other bizarre poses in memes and photos on our Facebook and Instagram feeds. The latest postural fad? ‘#Mamming;’ a trending campaign that encourages women to get mammograms during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The idea is for ladies (and gents, with a little creativity) to rest their busts on random surfaces and objects and pose as if they were doing the most ordinary thing in the world. Snap it, tag it, throw it up on the 'gram and voila! You have ‘mammed’. By imitating the mammogramming position on things like cats and photocopiers, mamming cleverly embraces the awkwardness of the procedure and creates a solidarity front against the nasty disease. Prevention is always the best cure, so hopefully it will inspire women "to ‘mam’ where it matters most — the doctor’s office". This isn’t the weirdest thing we’ve seen. Compared to other well-intentioned but gone horribly wrong campaigns like ‘Motorboating Girls for Breast Cancer Awareness’ and ‘Go Braless for Breast Cancer Day’, ‘#Mamming is witty and refreshingly funny. The promotional video posted last week features the campaign founders (one of who is a breast cancer survivor) and Jillian Bell from The Comedy Channel’s Workaholics. Quickly becoming a viral hit, #Mamming has spurred hundreds of clever Instagram posts that are worth checking out for a chuckle. Or if you want to try it yourself, go ahead. It’d make a good story at your actual appointment.
Nothing has quite transformed the 'crowd funding' story like Kickstarter — and it seems they have just cryptically announced their arrival in New Zealand and Australia. "Kickstarter will open up to Australia — and New Zealand-based projects in the very near future," it says on their website. "Tell us what kind of project you're interested in launching, and we'll make sure you're the first to know when everything's ready." While not providing a wealth of detail, it indicates the imminent arrival of this global innovator, responsible for a wave of projects including; films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism and video games, funded entirely by donations from members of the public. Driven largely by the viral nature of the internet, Kickstarter allows those with an idea to connect with vast numbers of potential donors — pitching their topline concept to the world and receiving small (or large) amounts of financial support for varying promised degrees of return on investment — or none at all. A few recent-ish examples include Rob Thomas's Veronica Mars movie, or a film in the works by Zach Braff of Scrubs fame. Either way, given our relatively successful technology and film development market, we imagine there's more than a few mobile app, film or other assorted projects and people that will jump on board with creative concepts — ideally giving us another reason to brag overseas about our standing on the global stage.
If you spend your free time binging on true crime, then you're probably familiar with the Golden State Killer. Between 1974–1986, the serial killer, rapist and burglar terrorised California, committing at least 12 murders, over 50 home-invasion rapes and more than 100 burglaries. Until 2018, however, the culprit hadn't been caught. Accordingly, it's the type of case that has kept more than a few folks wondering over the years and decades — including writer Michelle McNamara. HBO's new true-crime docuseries I'll Be Gone in the Dark chronicles McNamara's obsession with the case, as well as her hunt to find the perpetrator. Her tale is filled with intrigue, too, with her nights spent sleuthing through unsolved crimes and penning the blog True Crime Diaries while her family slept. Fixating on the Golden State Killer led McNamara to writing an article for Los Angeles Magazine, plus a book deal. But before she could finish her manuscript, McNamara — who was also married to comedian Patton Oswalt — died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in her sleep. Based on McNamara's book I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, which was published two years after her death (and before an arrest was made in the case), the six-part series steps through this whole scenario. Across both its first and second trailers, it promises quite the detective story — and, after airing in the US from the end of June, it's finally making its way to Australian screens from Sunday, August 9. Available to binge in full via aptly named new streaming service Binge, and also airing on Foxtel as well, the series combines archival footage and details from police files; interviews with detectives, survivors and family members of the killer; and McNamara's own words, via original recordings as well as excerpts from her book read by actor Amy Ryan (Late Night, Beautiful Boy, The Office). It also doubles as an exploration of the handling of sexual crimes in the 70s and 80s by law enforcement, as well as an examination of true-crime obsession and pursuit of justice. Check out the trailer below: I'll Be Gone in the Dark will be available to stream via Binge on Sunday, August 9 — and will also air on Foxtel as well. Top images: Robyn Van Swank/HBO.
Talk about taking your own advice to heart. Since releasing their debut album Quiet Is the New Loud in 2001 the Norwegian folk-pop duo have been keeping things a little too low-key for their legions of fans around the globe, going on a three-year hiatus pretty much immediately afterwards and taking another five-year break after 2004's Riot on an Empty Street. In the last three years they've played less than ten live shows. Not surprisingly, then, their appearance at the Sydney Opera House this February will also be their Australian debut, despite the fact that many of us have been familiar with their sound for over a decade. Most folk-anything acts nowadays are characterised soothing vocals and fragile guitars, but Erland Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe's stuff produces a zen sensation similar to what I imagine might happen after taking Class A drugs. Even electronic ears aren't immune, with Four Tet, Ladytron and Röyksopp all clamouring to remix the duo's acoustic jams. Kings of Convenience's Opera House performance forms part of the contemporary music program that also includes performances by Rodrigo y Gabriela, First Aid Kit, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Dead Can Dance, Sarah Blasko, Neil Finn and Paul Kelly, and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OczRpuGKTfY
Melbourne Fashion Week is back, and this year's instalment promises a week brimming with style, flair and a pinch of the unexpected. From Monday, October 23 to Sunday, October 29, the heart of Melbourne is set to pulse with the vibrant rhythm of 300 designers and retailers. There will be 100 events in both classic venues as well as some rather interesting settings, including the rooftop pool deck at Le Méridien and some abandoned industrial garages. This year's MFW theme, For Curious Hearts, is all about giving a nod to the unsung heroes backstage. The mavericks, the designers, the people who make the industry tick — both emerging and established. This year is for championing sustainability, inclusivity, and everything that makes Australia's fashion scene so vivaciously diverse. Speaking of sustainability, MFW is carbon neutral certified, with $1 from each ticket going to carbon offset efforts. So, while you enjoy the city's fashion fiesta, you're also doing your part to stave off the climate apocalypse. Fun! The MFW runway spectacle is set to grace various venues across the city, from transformed industrial locales to the majestic Regent Theatre. Spotlighting the event are names like Jason Grech, Bec + Bridge, Ngali, Blanca Studios, Leo Lin, Aje, J'Aton, Oroton, Mariam Seddiq, and Arnsdorf, among others. The crowd-favourite fashion capsules are back in full swing, revealing the craftsmanship of over 70 local creators. To add to the fun, there will be complimentary runway pop-ups, including at the newly launched MFW spots at Emporium and QV. For those keen on learning more about the industry, Creative Victoria is hosting the MFW Conversations program. The series, graced by iconic fashion editor Janice Breen Burns, delves into topics like circular fashion and the role of tech in the industry. Students will also get their moment in the limelight with the Student Collections Runway, crowning the MFW Student Award winner on October 27. So, if you're a fashion lover (or just keen on soaking up the vibes), grab your tickets, and we'll see you on the runway. Head to Visit Melbourne for the full rundown and to check out what else is happening in Melbourne this spring.
This July, Sydney's Taylor Square will be transformed with an explosion of colour, as it plays host to a vibrant inflatable art installation celebrating four decades of Mardi Gras. Titled 40 Years Of Love, the work was announced in February by Lord Mayor Clover Moore as the winner of the City of Sydney-supported Taylor Square Public Art Project. The eye-catching piece is the work of local artists Matthew Aberline and Maurice Goldberg, who've described it as a "big, bold and sassy artwork based on concepts of public protest, joyous celebration, community activation and engagement". The pair's colourful installation will be draped around a big aluminium truss, creating a light-filled pavilion for the public to enjoy. Mardi Gras CEO Terese Casu said the artwork would celebrate an important part of Sydney's ongoing story. "With the work's vibrant energy and complexity, we share that Mardi Gras isn't a singular thing but a cacophony of diverse ideas, people, histories, politics and expressions," she said. 40 Years Of Love will grace the square for three months, after it's unveiled on Sunday, July 1. It was initially meant to be launched on Sunday, June 24 — the anniversary of the first Mardi Gras — but was pushed back.
in·cu·ba·tor? ?[in-kyuh-bey-ter, ing-] –noun 1. an apparatus in which eggs are hatched artificially. 2. an enclosed apparatus in which prematurely born infants are kept in controlled conditions, as of temperature, for protection and care. 3. an apparatus in which media inoculated with microorganisms are cultivated at a constant temperature. Oxford Art, you technologically cultivatory hut, you. As the first trade event of its kind for the creative industries, the inaugural Incubator seeks to provide a playground for innovative artists and industry professionals to demonstrate that 'right place, right time' is as easily constructed as envisioned. With the shadowy undergarments of Sydney's industry hotspot divided into a marketplace of film, music, media, fashion and creative services for what organisers call a 'who's doing what in the creative industries' kind of showcase, the evening seeks to throw directors, producers, distributors, buyers, sales agents, licensees, cinematographers, editors, graphic and web designers, art directors, animators, illustrators, writers, photographers, stylists, singers, musicians, dancers, actors and other creative folk in a Tupperware colander to spin a little sum'sumthin' and encourage a mixing, networking, creative Waldorf. Run by not-for-profit charity PIIP, this professional evening is a promising sign that Sydneysiders take their creatives damn seriously, as talk of 'syncing deals', 'distribution networks' and 'licensing negotiations', at least promises to raise the amount of pro-fesh lingo bandied about. With special music performances from KillaQueenz, Nathan Kaye, Cameras, Act Yo Age, Stephanie Brownlee, Mojada, We Are Fans, The Sculptures, Paper Moon (solo acoustic), Mickl Sayers, Skii Harvey, Kempsey, Charmaine Bingwa and showreel screenings to boot, all proceeds of this nurturing little hub of incubation will profit muso2muso and The Filmmakers Fund only to add extra ribbons and twigs to this savvy and snugly-clad nest. Hatch, pretties, hatch! https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ix95SLgBUQA
Straight up: MOLO is turning out some of the best Italian fare we've had in Sydney. Located on the wharf at Woolloomooloo, the new aperitivo wine bar is part of fine diner Manta — it's technically a pop-up, but one that's meant to stick around long-term. The small bar is set outdoors, but with heaters to keep guests cosy on the impending winter nights. The entire operation is gloriously simple, from the tables and chairs to the stemless wine glasses and the food on offer. The cicchetti are a great example of this — think next-level provolone and spicy pimento peppers with thin slices of Australian-produced prosciutto that bests any co-owner Riccardo Bernabei found in Italy. He's looking to continue to source more and more produce from Australia; their bread is already specially made for the restaurant by Tramsheds' Dust Bakery. Though MOLO shares Manta's executive chef Daniel Hughes and head chef Steve Hetherington, the menu is a distinct departure from the restaurant next door in that it is not only a seasonal one but is also very specifically dictated by available produce. On our visit, we are lucky enough to be two of three people to try some extremely rare wild-grown porcini mushrooms that have been foraged in Adelaide that same morning. The chef serves these delicate, soft mushrooms on crostini with parmigiana and just-pressed, still-cloudy olive oil. This simple combo is a prime example of how MOLO's dishes let the produce speak for itself; along with the central element, they tend to only contain three to four other ingredients, with the requisite salt, pepper and olive oil making regular appearances. Though the idea is to drop by for a bite and a drink, the menu is certainly substantial enough to serve as a full meal, especially for those who like to pick from a variety of dishes. Order the impossibly creamy buffalo burrata topped with Swedish caviar ($32) and Cantabrian sardines served with Italian butter and extra olive oil for drizzle ($18). The ricotta with zucchini and Sicilian anchovy ($17) is a truly balanced dish — the incredibly fresh cheese is punched up by the salty anchovy, then finished off with a spicy-sweet hit of paper-thin zucchini that's then topped with house-made chilli flakes. The current menu also features a dish of shaved Venetian white asparagus ($19) that's only in season until June — it's worth rushing to MOLO just to try this. But this is a bar, after all, and the wine list is expertly curated by Mario Mondo, who really knows how to pair the list with the ever-changing food menu. Specialty wines include a Franciacorta — similar to Champagne in that it is certified to only be produced in a specific region — and an extremely exclusive wine from Salina. This tiny Aeolian Island wine region produces volcanic wine that has a dry, mineral characteristic on the nose and palate and pairs beautifully with the sardines. The mentality at MOLO is that "the produce will write the menu" and — much like their food — this simple concept says a lot with little. We just hope this pop-up turns into something permanent.
"Space movie mashup" isn't the best name for a film, but in Passengers' case, it would've fit. So would've the much too wordy "intergalactic love story with a predictable twist". Let's try a third one on for size: "attractive actors find a way to pair up…as they're hurtling towards another galaxy". The formula is simple, with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence the good-looking talent in question, a spaceship heading to a new planet their setting, and both sparks and conflict flying. Here's how Passengers starts out: mechanical engineer Jim Preston (Pratt) wakes up on board the starship Avalon, only to discover that he hasn't quite reached his destination yet. Thanks to a hibernation pod malfunction, he's up and moving 90 years too early — and, among the 5000 folks snoozing on board, he's the only living soul wandering the vessel's many decks, rooms, basketball court, dance floor and pool with an intergalactic view. Android bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen) pours a mean drink but is no substitute for real human company, and soon loneliness and despair begin to set in. Much to Jim's relief, pretty young writer Aurora Lane (Lawrence) eventually joins him; however their romantic bliss isn't exactly what it seems. With The Imitation Game's Morten Tyldum directing a script that was actually written a decade ago by Doctor Strange scribe Jon Spaihts, what follows is as standard as it sounds, even with the aforementioned twist. Indeed, while Passengers' big plot development isn't divulged in the film's trailers, it's not at all difficult to guess. Moreover, while the eventual revelation drives much of the movie's drama, it's really just a way to bring the two characters together, tear them apart, and leave the audience waiting for a reunion. The end result is an interstellar effort that veers into creepy territory; a film that recognises the moral dilemma at its core, but doesn't take more than a cursory moment or two to really explore it. The same can be said for its broader existential leanings, both when Jim is alone and when Aurora awakens. You won't find Moon's musings on isolation, Solaris' pondering of love and loss, or Sunshine's psychological complexity here. Still, it's hard not to make the comparison – and before long you may find yourself wishing you were watching one of those films instead. Passengers does its best to coast through the cinematic realm fuelled by star power and shiny surfaces, boasting enough of both to keep your eyes engaged, but not your heart or mind. Pratt and Lawrence are in fine, charismatic form, even if they never particularly sell their rapport. Sheen, meanwhile, is sadly underused as the only other actor with a significant speaking role. All in all, the movie may look the space-bound part, but it ends up feeling far too generic.
The UK city of Kingston upon Hull (better known as Hull) made big news this weekend as over 3000 locals and visitors walked the streets naked, painted in four different shades of blue. While this sounds like something Tobias Fünke would inadvertently find himself in the middle of, the nudity was all in the name of art — specifically, for New York-based artist, Spencer Tunick's latest installation. The artwork, appropriately titled Sea of Hull, is a celebration of the seaside town and its relationship with the sea. The 3200 blue participants, which came from 20 countries, traipsed across many of the city's most historic sites for installation and photographing. They even posed on the Scale Lane Bridge, an award-winning swing bridge that crosses the River Hull. The installation is the largest of its kind to be staged in the UK, beating Tunick's previous installations in Gateshead (2005) and Salford (2010). A photo posted by The Best Picture of the Day (@zumapress) on Jul 10, 2016 at 12:09pm PDT A photo posted by La Vanguardia (@lavanguardia) on Jul 9, 2016 at 9:53am PDT Tunick's newest piece was commissioned by Hull's Ferens Art Gallery, who will highlight this piece in their 2017 program. Next year will be a big one for the city, as Hull has once again secured the bid for UK City of Culture, which they also hosted in 2013. The award is given every four years to a city that demonstrates the belief in the power of culture, and Hull City Council is promising to deliver a 365-day program of transformative cultural activity in 2017. Having staged over 90 installations, Tunick's art has encouraged mass nakedness worldwide, including his nude shoot for diversity in front of the Sydney Opera House back in 2010. Other such locations — apart from New York, of course — include the Dead Sea, Mexico City and Cleveland, Ohio. Via SMH.
Maybe you're always on the hunt for new experiences. Perhaps you can't go past a meal with a view. You could be keen to indulge your adrenaline-junkie side any way that you can. Or, you just might want to see Brisbane from a different perspective. All of the above is on the menu at Vertigo, as is dinner. Sure, a great bite to eat should satisfy your tastebuds and your stomach; however, this one will also get your blood pumping and pulse racing. Initially announced in August and now serving sky-high diners Thursday–Sunday weekly, Vertigo is a brand-new addition to the River City's iconic Brisbane Powerhouse. The twist: it isn't just located on top of the riverside New Farm venue, but hangs off of the site's industrial facade. Forget just living on the edge — this is dining on the edge, and literally. Obviously, the views are spectacular. Given that patrons climb out to their seats while donning a safety harness, then eat four stories (and 17 metres) up, so are the thrills. An Australian-first vertical dining experience, Vertigo's levelled-up dinners welcome in tables of two to peer out over Brisbane. It comes with a big caveat, however, with the restaurant at the mercy of the weather. That'll certainly play a factor over Brissie's stormy summers, but the night's sitting will still go ahead if it's only lightly raining. Once you're seated, Brisbane Powerhouse's Bar Alto downstairs provides Vertigo's food across its eight tables — and each reservation's two-hour sitting — with the two-course menu featuring local ingredients to go with what's certain to become a local attraction. Unsurprisingly, a visit here doesn't come cheap, costing $250 per person. Another caveat: you can't head up if you've been drinking, with everyone breathalysed first and required to return a 0.00-percent blood alcohol reading. That said, while you need to be sober to climb over the edge, a matched glass of wine will be served with dinner. You'll also get a post-descent champagne, beer or soft drink. If you're not fond of heights, this won't be for you. But if you're fine with towering not just atop but over the side of an old power station-turned-arts precinct that dates back to the 1920s — whether you're a Brisbane local or a tourist — you'll be in for quite the unique experience. To make the evening even more dramatic, diners can also choose to come back to earth post-meal via dropline down the facade. Or, if that's too much adventure for you — especially after eating — you can just head back to the ground through the venue. If star chef Luke Mangan achieves his dream of setting up a restaurant on the Story Bridge, too, Brisbane might need to rename itself the Sky-High City. "Vertigo is unlike anything else in the world, it is an unexpected combination of adventure tourism and fine-dining on a heritage site," said Brisbane Powerhouse CEO/Artistic Director Kate Gould when the restaurant was first announced. "Stepping off the roof of Brisbane Powerhouse to take a seat suspended at your table, four stories above the ground, will be the ultimate thrill. Experience silver service dining — albeit one with unbreakable crockery and cutlery attached to the table!" "We are creating a uniquely Brisbane dining experience, at height. You will be on the edge of your seat in the open air before descending via an unforgettable exit," added Riverlife creator and co-founder John Sharpe, with the outdoor tour operator partnering with Powerhouse on the venture. "Vertigo will inspire fear but with the knowledge that safety is the priority of our experienced team of adventure tourism guides." Find Vertigo at Brisbane Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street, New Farm, Brisbane, operating from 5pm Thursday–Sunday — head to the venue's website for further details and bookings. Images: Markus Ravik.
Tuesdays mean different things to different people. Another day closer to the weekend, almost hump day, the day you wish you could sleep through — they're all on the list. But, at The Bavarian each week, the day after Monday also means tucking into $9.95 schnitzels. It's one of the tastiest ways to celebrate any day, and to also save your pennies while doing so. There's no occasion, other than just because — but cheap schnitties for the sake of it is what any Schnitzel Tuesday should be about. For a bargain price, The Bavarian will serve you up a chicken schnitzel with fries and lemon, but you do have to also buy a full-priced drink to get the deal. Fancy another schnitty? That's completely fine — just get another drink. Available all day every Tuesday, this is some good schnitz. To get your fix, you can head to The Bavarian venues around town — there are 16 in New South Wales, including everywhere from Entertainment Quarter and Green Hills to York Street and Chatswood, so you've got options. You can also level-up your schnits for an extra $10, getting a 'Godfather' (a giant schnitzel, ham, cheese, kielbasa, napoli sauce and cheese) or a 'Matterhorn' (a schnitzel mountain, cheese spätzle, three layers of Alpen cheese and bacon).
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 — Due to public gathering restrictions related to COVID-19, Surry Hills Library is temporarily closed for general access. However, you can reserve books online and collect via a contactless service between 11am–3pm, Monday to Friday. Surry Hills Library has quite a few things going for it. First: the collection, of course. Surry Hills Library has a huge selection of books, magazines, DVDs and CDs, with a special focus on fashion and design and LGBTQI titles. Second: the events. Owing to its broader role as a community centre, the library has a constant roster of workshops from cooking to coding. Its Late Night Library series — a program that includes evening debates, film screenings and readings of the more risque persuasion — has had popular growth over the years, inspiring a number of spin-offs. Third: the design. Whether architecture is your bag or not, the building is undoubtedly impressive. Following its construction in 2009, the site has won a slew of design awards particularly in relation to sustainability. The iconic timber panelling controls internal lighting, while the glass atrium draws in outside air to be filtered, cooled and distributed throughout the building. It makes for a welcoming space for many tasks: studying, reading, relaxing. Image: Leticia Almeida.
If you've already worked your way through all the jigsaw puzzles, cryptic crosswords and Sudoku you have at home, then get ready for a new kind of problem-solving game. Australia's iconic cultural institution the Sydney Opera House has just launched a virtual escape room, The Trials of Wisdom, which — as the name suggests — is sure to put your brain to the test. Inspired by Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, the online experience is a collaboration between the SOH and Dani Siller of Escape this Podcast — and is unlike the vampire-slaying, tomb-raiding and treasure-hunting escape rooms you're used to. Instead of being immersed in a world unknown, you'll be entering a place people frequent all the time: the Opera House. Yep, you'll be locked inside the Sydney Opera House overnight — virtually, of course — and you'll have to use some serious brain power to get out. You'll be navigating your way through backstage and off-limit areas of the Opera House, such as the orchestra pit, props room, theatre and costume department. On your journey, you'll be hunting for four clues, from decoding ballerinas' dance positions and unscrambling the ramblings of an orchestra player. Ultimately, the aim is to get out, naturally, so you'll need some lateral thinking up your sleeve, plus a little music knowledge wouldn't go astray. To check out The Trials of Wisdom, head to the Sydney Opera House website. Top image: Hamilton Lund
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Woollahra Council and Bard On The Beach are collaborating for two weeks in April to bring you Shakespeare By The Bay — two weeks of stunning outdoor stage performances in Robertson Park, Watsons Bay. An annual event, this year you can see the classic love story Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet and the Shakespearean comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor underneath the stars, overlooking Sydney's sparkling harbour. You can grab a takeaway picnic from Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel (featuring roast chicken salads, artisan stuffed baguettes and spinach and feta frittatas among other menu items) and chow down on it while Bard On The Beach (a national outdoor performance company) bring Shakespeare to life. Performances will run over two weeks in April — from Thursday, April 13 to Sunday, April 16, and again from Thursday, April 20 to Sunday, April 23. Whether you're trying to impress a date or just looking for a way to fill an evening, we think this is the best way to make the most of the warmer nights that are about to leave. Visit the website for tickets and performance times.
Just in time to celebrate the brand's 20th anniversary, Sydney Brewery Alexandria is up and running in a sprawling, industry-chic space. Having acquired the former home of Rocks Brewing Company — a casualty of Australia's struggling craft beer scene — Sydney Brewery now enjoys vastly improved brewing capacity, not to mention a sweet location with enough room for 300 guests. Leading the acquisition was Dr Jerry Schwartz of the Schwartz Family Company, owners of Sydney Brewery. Following the announcement, the tap house was renamed Sydney Brewery Alexandria, building upon the brand's existing operations, which include Sydney Brewery Surry Hills and the Sydney Brewery production facility in the Hunter Valley. With the brand's craft beers and ciders in hot demand, the extra brewing capability is more than welcome. Besides a good-quality brew, food will be a major focus at Sydney Brewery Alexandria. In the kitchen, Head Chef Chris Reynolds and his team have shaped a bold menu brimming with fresh, shareable options. Elevating your usual pub feed, expect house-made pasta like gnocchi alla vodka and garlic prawn linguine, alongside premium burgers and staples like chicken schnitzel and steak frites. Also on offer are Nepalese dumplings, chicken wings, or salt and pepper calamari to share with your pals. From its central Alexandria spot, guests will have plenty of space to spread out, with covered and al fresco seating primed for casual catch-ups and group gatherings. Decked out with exposed brick, steel accents and striking street art, the venue offers an inviting ambience whether you're hanging out with a few drinks or seeking a fully-fledged feed. "The milestone is important not just for Sydney Brewery, but for the whole industry," said Dr Schwartz about the brand's 20th anniversary. "When I established Sydney Brewery, the craft brewing sector was in its infancy, and we have managed to grow our capacity and range progressively ever since then." Founded in the basement of the Macquarie Hotel under the Schwartz Brewery name, Sydney Brewery was born in 2012, aspiring to champion the city's emerging craft scene. Before long, a major production facility launched in Lovedale, then a Surry Hills venue followed in 2018. Now, the Alexandria site offers an additional 20hL brewing capacity, ensuring the brand has just what it needs to meet demand for the foreseeable future. Sydney Brewery Alexandria is open at Sydney Corporate Park, 160 Bourke Road, Alexandria. Head to the website for more information.
11 years after the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore is back and more powerful than we could have possibly imagined. Well, no actually. The content of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power still packs a punch, and as far as composition goes it's a stunner. At the same time, we can't help but feel that after a decade of discussion surrounding climate change, the potency of Gore's central message has been somewhat diluted. Think of it this way: if An Inconvenient Truth was a diagnosis, An Inconvenient Sequel is a check-up. The outlook is still grim, as Gore illustrates with evidence from around the world – melting ice sheets in Greenland, devastating weather events across South-East Asia, flooding in the streets of Miami. But the effect isn't quite as shocking as in the original, although this may be a comment on society's apathy rather than the content of the documentary itself. Naturally, this follow-up has a decidedly political bent. Shot and edited in 2016, the film captures a snapshot of the international atmosphere in the lead up the US election, and there's an extra layer of tragedy that comes watching from the other side. While the original movie battled against the widespread ignorance of climate change, the antagonist in the sequel is the political machinations that prevent a real and widespread response to the threat. And the looming spectre of Donald Trump is the perfect embodiment of this theme. The most compelling part of the doco is the intimate glimpse it gives at the workings at the UNFCCC Paris Climate Change Conference. It was a tumultuous time politically, with a terrorist attack in the French capital having claimed the lives of more than 130 people just days before. But the most interesting element is the negotiations between signatories. Gore, it would seem, played an integral role in helping the united countries reach a voluntary agreement, and the behind-the-scenes look at the negotiations are fascinating – if rather heavily edited. Admittedly, the film does feel a bit heavy on Gore – there are some rambling asides about his political come-up and education programs that stretch a little too long. Viewers may also feel a little worn down by the grim subject matter, although at least the movie finishes on a somewhat positive note. The call to action in the dying minutes of An Inconvenient Sequel – to speak up, to protest, and to be heard to enable change – is a vitally important one. That's true now more than ever before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huX1bmfdkyA
No doubt you've heard about, seen and/or eaten gooey raclette smothering potatoes, meats and pickles at a few places around town. It's probably one of the best excuses for a meal the French have given us. And The Stinking Bishops sees your raclette, Sydney, and raises it — popping it into a bread roll so you can eat it with two hands and get all those flavours in yer mouth in one fell swoop. You won't find this creation at their Enmore cheese parlour though. Rather, they're taking these babies up the road to Young Henrys each Friday afternoon from 4pm. The roll ($13) is filled with prosciutto, pickles, potato and mustard and then topped with the cheese, which is melted under a raclette grill and scraped all over the situation. They'll also be serving up their much-loved Mr Crispy sandwiches (with wagyu or mushroom), which are drawcards in themselves ($12) — eating them is one of our favourite cheese experiences in Sydney. If you can't make it this week, don't worry — the cheese extravaganza will happen each and every Friday from 4pm.
