No one likes it when their phone rings from an unknown number, whether "no caller ID" or digits that you don't recognise flash up on your mobile's screen. Telemarketers isn't going to change that response. It won't dampen the collective ire that the world holds towards the pushy people on the other end of the line, either. HBO's thrilling three-part docuseries doesn't just reinforce what viewers already feel about the nuisance industry that thinks it can interrupt your day and life with a spiel that no one wants, and impact your bank balance in the process. In addition, it spins a true tale that demonstrates why a deep-seated dislike of telemarketing is so well-founded, and also why cold-calling operations can be so insidious. This true-crime story about the New Jersey-based Civic Development Group surpasses even the most call centre-despising audience member's low expectations of the field — and it's gripping, can't-look-away, has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed stuff. "Every other telemarketer who drives you crazy in the whole world is because of CDG," advises one of the series' interviewees. That might seem like a big claim, but co-directors Sam Lipman-Stern (Live From the Streets) and Adam Bhala Lough (The New Radical) step through its truth. The former knows the outfit's approach from experience, working there for seven years from the age of 14 after dropping out of high school, while the latter is the filmmaker cousin he wasn't aware of. Lipman-Stern is Telemarketers' on-screen guiding hand, too, but his ex-colleague Patrick J Pespas is its heart and soul. As seen early — with the show streaming its trio of chapters weekly via Binge since Monday, August 14 — Pespas is called a "telemarketing legend". Although he's happy snorting heroin on-camera in 2000s-era footage, he's switched on to CDG's shonkiness; more than that, he's determined to expose it even if it takes two decades. When Lipman-Stern began earning $10 an hour convincing ordinary Americans to donate to charities represented by CDG, he found himself at a place where anyone could get hired with few questions asked. The only requirement: bringing in funds while hitting the phone. As long as the company's employees kept making money, anything went. Those workers are a motley crew of vulnerable misfits in Lipman-Stern's low-res fly-on-the-wall footage, spanning not just dropouts and addicts but also ex-cons recruited directly from halfway houses and folks who didn't fit the usual nine-to-five grind. And their work environment? It "was like you was just going to a big-ass cookout every fucking day," one past staff member notes. Drinking, drugs, sex, nodding off on the phone, getting tattoos in the office, baby turtles crawling over keyboards, general seediness and raucousness that even telemarketing sitcom Workaholics didn't dream up: that was all a part of cashing a CDG cheque, as Lipman-Stern captured at the time, then uploaded to YouTube. Telemarketers' main pair and their boiler-room colleagues were paid to ring their way through the organisation's sales lists, rustling up financial support for police officers, their widows, veterans, firemen, dying children and cancer survivors. When it's the cops they're touting — typically under the Fraternal Order of Police, which is akin to a law-enforcement union — they also send out stickers emblazoned with the particularl lodge's logo. It usually goes unspoken, but those decals come with shifty promise: if you display them on your car, house or shop because you've slung some funds towards the police, you might get favourable treatment if an officer ever has cause to cross your path. Yes, that's dodgy. If only it was the most dubious aspect of CDG's gambit. Everywhere that Lipman-Stern and Pespas look, this tale gets worse. It's no wonder that Uncut Gems and Good Time filmmakers Benny and Josh Safdie are among Telemarketers' executive producers, plus Eastbound & Down's Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green. Barely giving any of the money raised to any of the charities represented? Tick. Using underhanded and forceful tactics, flat-out lying and adopting voices resembling a "cartoon caricature of police officer", all to con people into donating? Check there, too. Unsurprisingly attracting legal attention across several states, and multiple levels of government, yet managing to keep operating? Tick again. Slippery founders — two sets of brothers, one of which includes the member of a Christian rock band — who aren't fussed about CDG's ongoing legal troubles? Check once more. Turning nonprofit fundraising into a complete sham? Keep on ticking. Constantly devolving, whether by letting fear-inducing convicted murderers loose on the phones, using artificial intelligence to keep calls going without needing staff or capitalising upon America's increasingly polarised political landscape? That's all part of this story as well. Making for jaw-on-the-floor viewing, Telemarketers is a wild portrait of greed, exploitation and corruption — and while screens aren't short of those of late, this isn't a Succession or Squid Game-style eat-the-rich effort. There's nothing luxurious or stylish here. All that's on display is pure predatory behaviour from CDG's owners and their cronies towards everyone below them, employees and folks picking up the phone alike alike. Lipman-Stern and Pespas are as much scam victims as the people they called. But, when a disguised player in the industry notes that "it's not the telemarketers you should be worried about", Telemarketers gets even more sinister. When the strikes end, expect Hollywood to pounce on a dramatised remake. The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach could easily slip into Lipman-Stern's shoes, and Saturday Night Live and Mr Mayor's Bobby Moynihan into Pespas'. Fantasy casting aside, any future retelling of CDG's exploits needs Lipman-Stern and Pespas at its centre — because Telemarketers wouldn't be what it is without them, or even exist. As much as HBO's series is a takedown of a horrific swindle, it's also an ode to guerrilla journalism by a couple of average guys fighting back, and a character study of the pair as well. As the show jumps across 20 years, it surveys who Lipman-Stern and Pespas are, what changes in their lives, their evolving friendship, their commitment to exposing their old workplace and why they took up this battle. It also doesn't shy away from the fact that they're plucky amateurs doing what they feel compelled to. The Safdies were approached to direct Telemarketers, only to glean what audiences can now see: that authenticity couldn't be more crucial. When 2022 became a banner year for true-crime deceptions on-screen, unravelling real-life stories through Inventing Anna, The Dropout and more, polish reigned supreme. Getting an inside view from everyday sleuths taking on the crooks who gave them a gig, as chronicled through rough-around-the-edges footage and scrappy chats — that's a raw, like-you're-there experience, and it's both powerful and electrifying. So too is Lipman-Stern and Pespas' transformation as they get immersed in their investigation over the years. Initially, Lipman-Stern just wants to film office pranks, while the ever-earnest Pespas has his own personal tussles. Before our eyes, they become the tenacious duo revealing a billion-dollar fraud and bringing this stunning whistleblower documentary to the world. Check out the trailer for Telemarketers below: Telemarketers streams via Binge from Monday, August 14.
If you hoped that 2021 might see an end to border restrictions and lockdowns, the first few days of January — and the end of December 2020, too — have sadly scuppered that kind of thinking. Today, Friday, January 8, it was announced that the Greater Brisbane area in Queensland will be going into a three-day lockdown in response to the latest local case of COVID-19 in Brisbane, in a hotel quarantine worker. And that now has implications for folks in New South Wales who've been in Greater Brisbane recently. NSW isn't closing its border to Queensland, or to the Greater Brisbane area. But at the daily NSW press conference on Friday, January 8, Acting Premier John Barilaro announced new requirements for anyone in NSW who has been to Greater Brisbane — which includes the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands local government areas — since 12.01am on Saturday, January 2. If you fall into that category, you're required to isolate under the same conditions that'd be in place if you were still in Greater Brisbane. Accordingly, from 6pm AEST/7pm AEDT on Friday, January 8 until 6pm AEST/7pm AEDT on Monday, January 11, anyone who has been in Greater Brisbane since 12.01am on Saturday, January 2 are required to stay at home. The rules in place are the same as during March's lockdown — which means that you're only allowed to leave the house for four reasons. So, you can only head out for work or education if you can't do that at home, for essential shopping, for exercise in your local area, and for health care or to provide support for a vulnerable person. While Queensland has had community cases of the coronavirus before — including back in July and August, when restrictions were tightened only weeks after they had been relaxed from the first lockdown — the state is being particularly cautious in the current instance because it involves the new, more contagious UK strain of COVID-19. That's why NSW has also taken action, and is applying stay-at-home conditions to anyone who has departed, left, worked or been in those Greater Brisbane areas. Unsurprisingly, Minister for Health Brad Hazzard also advised that "if you don't have to come [to NSW] from Brisbane, don't come in the next few days". He continued: "if you really need to, comply with the moments your government has placed on new in Brisbane but comply with them here in New South Wales". https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1347334261926359040 The news comes as NSW reported 11 new cases over the past 24 hours, including four new local cases and seven acquired from overseas. Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week — and, if you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, get tested immediately and self-isolate. You can also have a look at the venue alerts over at this new interactive map. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Environmentalists from the Sierra Club teamed up with Pact underwear brand to form a bare-skinned project to lessen the use of coal, especially on university campuses where green-minded students are trying to be friendly to the environment. Beyond Coal is the resulting collaboration that sells a collection of comfy underwear with the goal of educating the public about the negative effects of coal on the environment, with hopes of changing the habits institutions that overuse the harmful substance. The ash released into the environment from coal is one of the leading causes of acid rain, smog, global warming and air toxins. 10% of the proceeds from the purchase of Beyond Coal undies goes to protests and petitions to convince universities to reduce their ever-increasing carbon footprint by minimising the supply of coal to power campuses. This generation of students is more conscious of the human impact on the environment, and the project simply points out that it is quite hypocritical for schools to be using so much coal power for students who are constantly searching for green alternatives. Help Beyond Coal prevent the dangerous effects of coal emissions by rocking a pair of pollution-fighting panties, starting at $20 for both men and women.
As advocates across the country continue to campaign for the introduction of pill testing, the staunchly opposed NSW Government has stuck firm and is about to introduce an alternative: tough new licensing regulations for local music festivals. The new music festival liquor licence, which comes into effect from Friday March 1, follows advice from the government's expert panel on music festival safety, which was assembled in September after two young people died of suspected drug overdoses at Defqon 1. Among a stack of recommendations outlined in their Keeping People Safe At Music Festivals report, the panelists advised changing the way the state's music festival liquor licence applications are assessed, and NSW's lawmakers have jumped on board. It means that soon, organisers of music festivals will need to apply for a special standalone liquor licence for every event they hold. Each licence is subject to careful consideration based on the festival's perceived 'risk profile' and will need to get the thumbs up from a team of experts representing the likes of NSW Health, Liquor and Gaming NSW and the NSW Police Force. Risk factors to be scrutinised include things like the event's target age group, anticipated weather conditions, duration and finish time, proximity to a health facility, and any major issues flagged with the event's organisers or landholder in the three years prior. While details of the new system are being finalised, the government has offered a set of guidelines to be used by organisers in the interim. These include things like the inclusion of dedicated 'chill out zones' on site, with low noise, low light and access to free water and basic health supplies. "Festival organisers need to ensure their events have safety management plans in place," a spokesperson for NSW's Minister for Racing Paul Toole told Concrete Playground. "Most operators have been cooperative with the new interim arrangements and have done a great job working with each Government agency to meet each condition. Already we are seeing more chill-out-zones, more paramedics and police in attendance, and more water stations being readily available." While NSW's Liberal Government is opposed to pill testing, Opposition Leader Michael Daley has said he will explore the option, and pledges to hold a "drug summit", if elected in March. Many medical groups, including the Australian Medical Association and NSW Nurses & Midwives, and politicians have recently come out in support of pill testing. The Greens have a plan for pill testing across Australia - and when Bill Shorten is PM, we'll push his Labor Government to implement this common sense, evidence based approach to saving lives. There's no time to waste.https://t.co/tbqLkPie70 — Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) December 18, 2018 Standalone music festival licences will be manditory for all NSW music festivals from March 1. For more information about the licence and guidelines for the interim, head to the Liquor & Gaming NSW website. Images: Bec Taylor.
Have you ever been to a play where, no matter how prominent the lead was, your attention was always drawn to one of the secondary performers off to the side? That's the case with X-Men: Dark Phoenix, a film where everything's pretty decent except for anything to do with the actual title character. Ultimately it's an issue of interest. There just isn't enough in the Jean Grey character (or at least, not in this iteration of the character, played by Sophie Turner, compared to Famke Janssen's version from the origial X-Men trilogy) to justify giving her such a prominent role in a universe already jam-packed with compelling fan-favourites like Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult). To appropriate that iconic line from Mean Girls: stop trying to make Jean Grey happen. In a franchise that adroitly positioned itself as one of 'films with special effects' rather than 'special effects films', the masterstroke of the early X-Men movies was ensuring there were always human stories at their core, even if they were about super-humans and mutants. On that front, the original trilogy stands as a sublime allegory for the discrimination of minorities, no matter the kind. The franchise's first ever scene took place in a Nazi concentration camp, bars and restaurants featured mutant and non-mutant sections, and a narrow-minded mother asked her son: "have you tried... not being a mutant?" Beyond the us and them theme, they then added two more critical threads: a complex friendship between Magneto and Professor X, and a love triangle between Wolverine, Cyclops and Jean. It was these stories that made the films so engaging, whilst the special effects just added loads of cool. X-Men: Dark Phoenix forgets that lesson after its first few (excellent) scenes, placing far too much emphasis thereafter on visual pageantry that adds very little to the story. Set mostly in 1992, Dark Phoenix begins with a confronting car-crash sequence, followed by a dramatic space rescue. Both, in their own way, set in motion plot lines involving Professor X arguably overstepping his mark, which inevitably has dire consequences. The problem is, until now, Turner's Jean Grey was little more than a bit-part, so her elevation to leading lady and the subsequent transformation (or descent?) into the all-powerful Dark Phoenix both feel rushed and unearned. You know you're meant to think oh no, but you simply don't care. Added to that is a subplot so forgettable that this writer literally forgot about it until just now. An alien villain named Vuk (Jessica Chastain) pursues and manipulates Jean's transformation into Dark Phoenix for reasons that are barely clear and even less interesting. Chastain's staid, hollow stare throughout the film feels neatly reflective of the audience's expression as it watches another actor of incredible talent relegated to spouting cliched nonsense. With the exception of its early scenes, the only other high point in Dark Phoenix is its climactic battle aboard a speeding armoured train (and it speaks volumes that throughout that scene, Jean Grey is passed out and largely ignored). Mutants being mutants and deploying their abilities in means as violent as they are inventive is ultimately why you'd see this film over other, more conventional action movies. To give us so little of that condemns it to forgettable status from the get-go. Dark Phoenix is almost certainly the last entry in the franchise before the reigns are handed over to Marvel, courtesy of Disney's recent acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Hopefully in their capable hands we'll see a return to the quality delivered in the early days of the saga. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azvR__GRQic
Gone are the days when film buffs got their fix in one of three ways: at the cinema, via the video shop and thanks to whatever happened to pop up on TV. Lately, streaming platforms have become a cinephile's best friend — especially with COVID-19 restrictions keeping everyone at home. We say 'platforms', plural, because there's just so many to choose from. Netflix may be the industry's big gun, but Aussie audiences can also subscribe to Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, DocPlay, iWonder, Quibi and OzFlix, too. And, as even the most casual movie fan probably knows, that isn't even the end of the list. Feeling spoiled for choice? Can't pick which platform to splash your cash on? There is an easier way. Australian viewers can also access a number of free streaming services such as SBS On Demand, Tubi and Kanopy — which don't skimp on film options, but won't cost you a cent. And in the interests of budget-friendly movie marathons, we've rounded up ten excellent flicks you can stream for free right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLdhN4oMxCQ BAD GENIUS Mark our words: in the next couple of years, an English-language version of this Thai thriller will reach our screens. A high-stakes high-school exam flick, it's smart and slick, funny and fast-paced, as well as tautly made and tension-filled — and it turns a situation we can all relate to into a nail-biting heist caper. Straight-A student Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) is the misbehaving high-achiever of the title, who first hatches a plan to make money by feeding her classmates test answers, and then bands together with her customers to cheat at the biggest test there is. The premise was taken from reality, and part of the movie was shot in Sydney, but the real highlight is Bad Genius' lively style and thoroughly entertaining narrative. Bad Genius is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8oYYg75Qvg YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE In Lynne Ramsay's long-waited fourth feature, an ex-soldier and former FBI agent grapples with his own trauma while trying to save others from theirs. Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) rescues children abducted and abused by pedophile rings — and if that sounds like an astonishing story, just wait, because You Were Never Really Here isn't done yet. Indeed, it's hard to pick what's more stunning here: Ramsay's empathetic and expressive direction, which keeps making unexpected choices to immerse viewers in Joe's headspace, or Phoenix's internalised performance, which won him the best actor prize at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Call it a tie, and call this film an exceptional achievement that isn't easily forgotten after watching. Phoenix might've won an Oscar this year for Joker, but this is his best performance. You Were Never Really Here is available to stream via Kanopy. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9nzOFVwtQ THE FIFTH ELEMENT The 90s didn't shy away from big-screen sci-fi, but there's nothing quite as entertaining as The Fifth Element. Forget Independence Day, Armageddon and Men in Black — if you're eager for a film about humanity battling aliens and trying to save the planet, Luc Besson's action-packed flick is the best pick. Come for Bruce Willis and a pre-Resident Evil Milla Jovovich at their kick-ass best. Stay for the eye-popping set and costume design, with the latter by Jean-Paul Gaultier. And, story-wise, get immersed in an ambitious and entertaining futuristic tale about a taxi driver saddled with finding four mystical stones to fend off an intergalactic attack. The Fifth Element is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36iHKZmeH60 BRIMSTONE & GLORY It's human nature to stare at the sky whenever fireworks ascend to the heavens. We hear the popping sound, spy the bright flashes of light and simply can't help ourselves. Set in Tultepec, the tiny town at the heart of Mexico's fireworks industry, Brimstone & Glory captures that feeling more effectively than anyone could've expected. Indeed, the gorgeous documentary commits the vibrance of watching colourful explosions twinkling above to film as it charts the locale's National Pyrotechnic Festival, explores the lives of those both working and watching, and proves as spellbinding as the substance at its centre. Brimstone & Glory is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKD0sMntjWE THE TRIBE Writer/director Miroslav Slaboshpitsky's first feature was always going to be a hard sell. The film runs for more than two hours without a word of dialogue, a hint of music or even any subtitles, with its characters — a group of classmates at a Ukrainian boarding school for the hearing impaired — communicating only through sign language. And it's not just a difficult concept; in an effort that becomes both violent and haunting — all the more so because it demands audiences pay the utmost attention to what they can see — it's also difficult to watch. Reports of fainting are widespread, but those who can stomach its brutal sights will find a movie completely unlike anything else they've ever seen before. The Tribe is available to stream via Tubi. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-70r7GkiBGM HEATHERS These days, Heathers is a stage musical, a TV series and (in Brisbane at least) a regular dance party theme. If you've ever wondered why this dark high school-set tale just keeps spawning new adaptations and celebrations, then you owe it to yourself to watch or rewatch the original 1988 movie. For Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), every day at Westerburg High School is hell. Even though she's part of the popular clique — with her three closest friends all called Heather — that still proves the case. Then brooding loner JD (Christian Slater) arrives at school, instantly shaking up the status quo. The result: murder, mayhem, teen angst and one incredibly acerbic, sharp and amusing satire. Heathers is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVsAixfCL4Q HOLY MOTORS Cinematic mind-benders don't get much better — or more strange, eccentric and surreal — than Leos Carax's Holy Motors. Following a man called Oscar (Denis Lavant) who rides around in a limousine, attends unusual appointments in various costumes and plays an array of different parts, it's the type of film that can't be neatly summarised. Indeed, as Oscar goes about his day, anything could happen. Sometimes, he's dressed up as a beggar in the Parisian streets. Later, he's an old man listening to Eva (Kylie Minogue) sing. As it hops between kaleidoscopic vignettes, Carax's vibrant film ponders and probes identity and individuality, all while serving up dazzling visuals, exuberant performances and constant surprises. Holy Motors is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9QrvLd2pbY RIVER OF GRASS Kelly Reichardt boasts quite the filmography. She explored the companionship only a pet can bring in Wendy and Lucy, delved into the western genre in Meek's Cutoff and contemplated eco-activism in Night Moves. Then, she brought Michelle Williams, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart together for contemplative triptych Certain Women, and stepped back to 19th-century America for her stellar latest film First Cow. Before all that, though, Reichardt spun a story of social isolation and disconnection in the Florida suburbs, all thanks to her debut feature River of Grass. And as with every entry on the director's resume, this not-quite road movie couldn't feel more authentic or keenly observed. River of Grass is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzp2HP4gaJ0 PURPLE RAIN 'Purple Rain', the song, is one of Prince's all-time greats. Purple Rain, the album, ranks just as highly. And Purple Rain, the 1984 film, is exactly the kind of movie that a Prince-starring rock musical should be. Focusing on an aspiring musician trying to balance his troubled home life with his band and his girlfriend, the storyline is straightforward — but when you plonk a charismatic star like Prince in the middle of it, bathe the flick's frames in plenty of purple, and crank up the killer soundtrack, sparks fly. Given the narrative, the array of live concert scenes also work a treat. And while the sequel, 1990's Graffiti Bridge, doesn't reach the same heights, this is a mighty entertaining, toe-tapping way to spend 111 minutes. Purple Rain is available to stream via Tubi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-_LxiRETWA THE CONVERSATION In 1974, Francis Ford Coppola directed a little film called The Godfather Part II. Yes, everyone has heard of it. But that was just one of his movies that year — and with zero scorn aimed towards the Oscar-winning crime flick, which is rightfully considered one of the best sequels ever made, The Conversation is actually even better. Winning the Cannes Film Festival's top gong, this Gene Hackman-starring thriller delves into a topic that's still very relevant today: the moral dilemma around surveillance. Hackman is fantastic as the film's conflicted protagonist, while Coppola crafts a tense, moody and brooding masterpiece. Keep an eye out for a young pre-Star Wars Harrison Ford, too. The Conversation is available to stream via SBS On Demand.
Did you wake up this morning with a pounding headache, a few Instagram selfies of you and a beardy blur that looks like Zach Galifianakis, and a strange number in your phone? Good news! Your horrible life decisions are actually not your fault at all — it's science! Or at least that's what we'll tactfully choose to deduct from the latest research out of Spain. Researchers at the University of Granada have recently published a study that scientifically proves the existence of beer goggles. Proving that the eye actually suffers a significant deterioration in optical quality after alcohol consumption, these boozing brainiacs figured out that ethanol from the alcohol you consume makes its way into your tear ducts and clouds the outermost layer of your tear film. This affects the quality of the image you see and, when drinking at night, it increases the perception of luminous circles — halos — around the objects you view. Giving an entirely new meaning to a certain Beyonce song, this new phenomenon manifests itself best at night and ends up looking a little something like this: Pouring various quantities of prize-winning Spanish wine into their 67 subjects — who knew science was so glamourous? — the researchers deducted that these halos were most prevalent in the volunteers whose breath alcohol limit exceeded the legal driving range of 0.25mg/litre. As if we needed more evidence that you shouldn't drive under the influence, this gives some physical proof to why drunk drivers are dangerous behind the wheel. But it also has important implications for your romantic life. Picture this: you're in a dim-lit underground bar with romantic candles perched around some snug booths and a dance floor. You've partaken in a certain 2-for-1 cocktail special and followed it up with a selection of shots named after 1950s movie stars (because, what can you say, you're classy like that). A man approaches, all bearded and stylish with an effortless Joaquin Phoenix-style strut. The music's too loud and you can't really hear what he says, but you feel somewhat compelled to mush your lips on his face, slip him your number, or some smooth combination of the two. With scientific fact in hand, maybe now you can think twice before trusting your Grey Goose-laden eyes. Via Science Daily. Photo credits: katie coleslaw via photopin cc and Juan Castro/University of Granada.
Dumplings are a hot commodity in this city. The ability to encase pure, unbridled joy in an edible cocoon of merriment is an art respected by Sydneysiders citywide. Select few dumpling palaces are at the top of their game, those you'd happily wait many an agonising minute for. If you're any kind of dumpling aficionado, the words Din Tai Fung will have already sprung to mind. Start mixing that chilli/soy balance, the dumpling monarchs have some big ol' news for you — they've opened another new restaurant. Finding another new home at the brand new Central at Central Park development in Chippendale, Din Tai Fung have opened the doors on a new 120-seater eatery. It's the sixth Din Tai Fung chapter to open in Australia since it started serving up top notch xiao long bao six years ago in World Square. Having only opened its Chatswood instalment in April this year, Din Tai Fung are slowly but surely increasing their dumpling dominance. With contemporary Asian interiors developed by an international design house teaming up with Din Tai Fung’s Australasian Director, Dendy Harjanto, the new Central joint is licensed and sports the same menu as the flagship (think black truffle xiao long bao and those rainbow dumpling gems). “We’re very excited about bringing Din Tai Fung to the new Central Park development," says Harjanto. "The latest restaurant looks like no other Din Tai Fung but the menu, top-notch service and signature special touches, such as handbag baskets and coat covers remain. Why mess with our tried and true formula?" Why on earth would you. Din Tai Fung pumps out over 5000 dumplings daily, with dumpling training carried out at the World Square HQ. It takes two years to become a dumpling master. Two. Years. RESPECT YOUR DUMPLINGS. The newest Din Tai Fung can be found at Ten 1, Level 2 Central Kitchen at Central Park, 28 Broadway, Chippendale.
When Taika Waititi received an Oscar in 2020 for Jojo Rabbit, he became the first person of Maori descent to achieve that feat, as well as the first Indigenous person to be both nominated in and win the Best Adapted Screenplay category. When Meyne Wyatt won the 2020 Archibald Packing Room Prize for his self-portrait, he became the first Indigenous Australian to win any Archibald award across the competition's 99 years. Both Waititi and Wyatt deserve the acclaim and awards that have come their respective ways. But the fact their recent wins made history — more than nine decades after both the Oscars and the Archibalds were first created, too — demonstrates the ongoing lack of diversity in the arts. So, when NITV and Sydney Theatre Company decided to team up to make a three-part series exploring the topic, as well as other Indigenous issues in creative fields, the two must've been at the top of the guest list. The resulting show is called The Whole Table, and its first episode is available to stream now via SBS On Demand. The following two episodes will air at 8.30pm on Wednesday, January 27 and Wednesday, February 3 on NITV, and then stream online afterwards — and Waititi and Wyatt are in great company. The Sapphires, Top End Wedding and Redfern Now's Shari Sebbens is on hosting duties, while Sydney Festival artistic director Wesley Enoch, Black Comedy's Nakkiah Lui and Sydney Opera House's head of First Nations programming Rhoda Roberts sit on the show's panel. Joining them at the table each week is a lineup of guests, not only including Waititi and Wyatt, but also The Dry's Miranda Tapsell and musician Adam Briggs — all chatting about their experiences. Expect to hear spirited discussions that not only touch upon the arts in Australia and New Zealand, but also explore Indigenous involvement and representation worldwide — in the past, now and the possible future. The series forms part of SBS and NITV's 'Always Ways, Always Will Be' programming leading up to January 26 — such as its Australian Made TV collection, curated by Enoch, that's streaming on SBS On Demand as well. Check out the very brief trailer for The Whole Table below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FabOIRhNC0 The first episode of The Whole Table is available to stream now via SBS On Demand, with future episodes airing on Wednesdays at 8.30pm — and streaming online afterwards.
Popular Redfern eatery and sandwich palace Scout's Honour has welcomed a new addition into the family. Meet Morris. He's entered the world on the corner of Albion Avenue and Selwyn Street in Paddington — and he promises to be just as popular as his chicken 'n' chip sanga-lovin' big brother. Morris's menu is a sandwich lover's dream and, similar to Scout's Honour, focuses on good, clean basics and wholesome ingredients. You'll find a combo of sandwiches, salads and bowls, all full to the brim with ingredients your nutritionist would approve of (think fresh veggies, seeds, nuts and lean meats). The spicy fish tacos with shredded cabbage, corn and cucumber salsa, avocado, toasted pepitas, harissa sauce and fresh lime ($16) are a clear standout. The comprehensive sides and additions menu means you can freshen up your toast or tailor your meal to your taste. Although you may find yourself stuck on the sides, with options like with an avocado, coriander and walnut salsa with sesame and lemon ($6), labneh and hazelnut dukkah ($5) and bacon and house pickles ($6). Wash it down all with a freshly squeezed juice, chai or smoothie. For the winter months, we've got out eye firmly trained on the mug of hot Milo with textured milk ($4). The cute new eatery is a summer-time haven with shady outdoor eating and large street front windows to complement the fresh menu. They've taken a few cues from Scout's Honour and kept the interior design and colour palette warm and simple, with yellow and cream finishes throughout and a rough concrete finish on the exterior. Morris has all the qualities we've come to love about Scout's Honour, while still managing to be his own person (er, cafe).
Streaming service turned production house Netflix has announced its next big TV show project — and this time, it's animated. Voiced by Will Arnett of Arrested Development fame, BoJack Horseman is the lead in a new 12-part series of the same name. A former star of Horsin' Around — a '90s sitcom within the program — BoJack is galloping toward failure, dealing with alcoholism and is, er, a horse. Alongside Arnett is Strangers with Candy’s Amy Sedaris, playing Princess Caroline, BoJack’s ex-lover and agent who's also a cat, while none other than Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul plays his human buddy, Todd. And there's every chance Aaron will get to say 'bitch' just as much this time around, because BoJack Horseman is an adult animated series that's said to be darkly humorous. Netflix is surely hoping Bojack will continue their hit parade, following on from 2013's Arrested Development Season 4, House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. LA-based studio Shadow Machine (Robot Chicken, Moral Orel) is behind the animation for the program that's set premiere in mid-2014. The design will come from acclaimed graphic artist Lisa Hanawalt. Discussion is already underway for a second season, which leaves us thinking this stallion of a program is pretty sure to be a runaway hit. Via Rolling Stone.
Park yourself directly under the sails of the Sydney Opera House for this New Year's Eve experience. With traffic to Circular Quay restricted in 2020, you'll have exclusive access to the highly sought-after view of the Harbour Bridge from the Opera House when midnight strikes. Sip champagne on arrival and at midnight as you leave the last 12 months behind you. Throughout the night, you'll be served a five-course meal with wine pairings. Two dining options are available if you choose to spend New Year's Eve at Bennelong. Reservations at the Main Dining Room are currently available for $1690, while spots at the Cured & Cultured Counter are going for the slightly cheaper $1450 a head. The exact menu has not been unveiled just yet, but you can expect signature dishes from Exec Chef Peter Gilmore and hopefully that eight-texture chocolate cake. [caption id="attachment_721572" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Stevens[/caption] Top image: Nikki To
A permanent festival site in the inner city, a NSW Minister for Music, millions of dollars in funding for contemporary music and a biennial live music census are some of the suggestions put forward today to improve Sydney's wallowing music and nightlife economy. While a vote to repeal to the lockout laws sits with the NSW parliament and is set to be discussed later today, a year-long inquiry into the state of Sydney's music and arts economy has just released its findings — and it has a lot of big recommendations. But, the recommendations are just that: recommendations. For any of them to become a reality, they'll need to be accepted by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and actually implemented. Nonetheless, the inquiry's committee found that due to the NSW Government's history of neglect, and lack of funding, for the sector, Sydney's contemporary music economy is "disintegrating". While it doesn't blame the lockout laws for this, it does acknowledge that this is the sentiment throughout the city, quoting submissions from a member of the public saying that "the introduction of the lockout laws were a 'sledgehammer' to the city's night-life" and that "since the lockout laws, not only have the number of venues dramatically decreased, there is no longer the variety of capacity for venues". Sixty recommendations were put forth by the committee, which received more than 400 submission from local businesses, artists and individuals — including Keep Sydney Open, record label Future Classic and the City of Sydney — and a large chunk of them talk directly to Sydney's contemporary music scene and nightlife economy. None of them, however, talk directly to the lockout laws. If you have time to comb through all 351 pages of the report, you can do so here. Otherwise, here are the big six recommendations: The NSW Government should match funding for contemporary music with that of the Victorian Government (which would total $35 million over the next four years). Some NSW gaming machine profits should be used to support the live music industry (which, by the way, was almost $2 billion from Dec 2017–May 2018). A live music census should be held every two years. New live music venue-specific liquor licences should be introduced. Outdated conditions for liquor licences, such as prohibiting music genres or specific musical instruments should be removed. A permanent festival site should be created in inner Sydney. It's also suggested that these changes are made relatively quickly, with the committee urging the NSW Government to complete and publish a nighttime economy master plan by no later than December this year. It ends with Committee Chair Hon. Paul Green MLC saying that to "neglect the music industry any further in New South Wales" will come at the state's "own peril". This report comes weeks after the City of Sydney released its own plan to improve the city's after-dark economy, through the introduction of 24-hour trading in the CBD, later opening hours for bars and a new cultural precinct in Alexandria. The CoS has no power over lockout laws — that's sitting with State Government — and other Liquor & Gaming NSW legislation, which is why Ms Berejiklian and her team need to submit an action plan of their own. Another potential spanner in the works is that a NSW state election is scheduled to take place in March 2019, so even if Ms Berekjiklian does accept some of these recommendations, there's no saying that newly appointed Opposition Leader Mike Daley will if voted in. Mr Daley has already come out to say he's against the winding back of the laws. We'll update you as soon as Ms Berejiklian comments on the report. Image: Frankie's by Katje Ford.
Greater Sydney could become three interconnected cities by 2056, under a long-term planning strategy unveiled by the NSW Government over the weekend. Greater Sydney Commissioner Lucy Turnbull yesterday launched the Draft Greater Sydney Region Plan 2017, an ambitious vision for a tripartite Sydney that could see two-thirds of residents able to commute between their homes, jobs and key services in under 30 minutes by the year 2056. The three cities would include an emerging area west of the M7 (which will, by then, be home to the new Western Sydney Airport, which is expected to open in 2026), a central river city surrounding Parramatta and an eastern harbour city that incorporates the current Sydney CBD. Of course, more urban infrastructure requires a public transport system that's reliable and able to handle an infinite increase in patronage. The plans for this revamped Sydney were launched alongside a long-term transport strategy, NSW's Future Transport 2056, in a cross-government collaboration designed to align land use planning with the future growth of transport services and networks. "Reshaping Greater Sydney as a metropolis of three cities — Eastern, Central and Western — will rebalance it, fostering jobs, improving housing affordability, easing congestion and enhancing our enviable natural environment across the entire region," Turnbull said in a press release. The population of Sydney is expected to bump from its current 4.6 million to six million within the next two decades, reaching eight million by 2056. It's thought Sydney's west will see the majority of this growth, with more than half of the city's residents expected to be living west of Parramatta by 2036. The three-city plan could certainly alleviate the bottleneck that commuters currently face when travelling to and from the current CBD, but depends entirely on the transport available to travel within and between the cities, as well as away from them — at the moment there is no planned train line to the new Badgerys Creek airport. And will Sydney be able to cope with steady population growth in the meantime? 2056 is still another 40 years away. The draft Greater Sydney Region Plan is on exhibition until December 15. Read it and offer your feedback here.
Curator Brook Andrews’ Taboo aims to give its artists space to make art about things normally considered too unmentionable to cover. Here, taboo means mainly race, racism and colonialism. The show has blackface. The show has porn. The show has colonial-era atomisation of race into castes, with accompanying photographs. There is nudity. There are multiple references to the Belgian Congo. There is also a real depth of talent. Probably the show’s strongest statement is Andrew’s gathering of so strong a mix of artists and art, with such apparent ease. Taboo seems to draw from a burgeoning field of artists with interesting things to say on race. A field much wider than we usually get to see in mainstream Australian galleries. Most of the more shocking stuff is quarantined in a single room hidden to the left of the exhibition. Some mid-sized Anton Kannemeyer works are dispersed here around a long table of original news photos depicting genocide, or colonial-era ethnography, and Jompet Kuswidananto’s brilliant, motive sculpture War of Java: Do You Remember #3. Kannemeyer’s works are drawn in a Tintin in the Congo-style, veering from political commentary, to humour, to crushing, amputation references about the horror upon horror that was the Belgian Congo. Many are funny, the others quietly moving. In the main room the art is powerful, but less confronting. Ricardo Idagi’s ceramics have rich colours and powerful eyes as he comments on race roles. Alicia Henry’s silhouetted or coffee-stained figures stare through you from a sadder, richer place. (The ones who still have eyes, anyway.) Judy Watson’s Blood, meanwhile, cleverly arranges apparently ethnographic blood samples of gallery staff. The samples are laid out dispassionately, seeming to study the sampling process itself. Labels read "collector", "artist", "curator", "archivist". Despite the quality of the art on show, none of the pieces are presented with title cards, or any real labelling context beside them. This isn’t in itself a bad thing, and certainly ups their striking artistic value for those already in the know. But for people not already familiar with the topics and past horrors at hand it becomes harder to penetrate and leaves the casual viewer with nowhere to go with their (no-doubt) newly-found indignation. Nonetheless, on the date visited, the exhibition was crowded with patient visitors. And it’s an exhibition that merits that sort of attention. It’s not, mostly, a fun exhibition. But despite reservations about its presentation, there is some powerful art on display. Image: Anton Kannemeyer, In Heaven 2011. Courtesy the artist and Stevenson, Cape Town and Johannesburg © the artist
Australia's hospitality scene continues to kick big goals when it comes to wining and dining; but of course, it's about much more than the food and the drink. Those venues have to look the part, too — and thanks to some talented local designers, stunning bars, eateries and hotels keep popping up on the regular. In fact, the cream of that crop has just been highlighted once again at the 2022 Eat Drink Design Awards. This year's pick of Australia's most stylish haunts were announced at a ceremony in North Melbourne, identifying a cast of beautiful spaces located right across the country. That said, Victoria reigned supreme among the list of finalists, with the state home to five out of the eight main award-winners. [caption id="attachment_877798" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Music Room by Earl Carter[/caption] Melbourne's latest certified stunners include Di Stasio's new Carlton outpost — a slick laneway venue by Hassell, which took out the title of Best Restaurant Design for its "flawless" fusion of the old and the new. Meanwhile, Dion Hall's vision for Music Room, located within HER, won the intimate space the award for Best Bar Design, applauded for its interactivity and considered detailing. Also in Melbourne, the work of Congrats Agency nabbed Rocco's Bologna Discoteca the title of Best Identity Design, while Baker Bleu Hawksburn (IF Architecture) and Pronto by Via Porta (Studio Esteta) shared the award for Best Retail Design. And, with 68 years under its belt, the legendary Pellegrini's — designed by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock — was inducted into the Eat Drink Design Awards Hall of Fame. [caption id="attachment_854324" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ace Hotel[/caption] Best Cafe Design went to Brisbane Airport newcomer The Common, for its genre-bending Sullivan Skinner fitout; while Sydney's impressive new Ace Hotel — the first southern hemisphere outpost for the brand — was named Best Hotel Design courtesy of Flack Studio's minimalist yet warm interiors. Further afield, CO-AP's Adelaide Festival Pavilion commission The Summerhouse scored the title of Best Installation Design. The judging panel determining this year's awards was made up of some very familiar names in the hospitality and design space, including chef-restaurateur Shannon Bennett, March Studio Director Rodney Eggleston, Masterchef Australia's Melissa Leong, Fiona Lynch (founder of design studio Fiona Lynch Office) and Artichoke editor Cassie Hansen. [caption id="attachment_877794" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Common by David Chatfield[/caption] 2022 EAT DRINK DESIGN AWARD WINNERS: Best Bar Design: Music Room by Dion Hall (Melbourne, VIC) Best Restaurant Design: Di Stasio Carlton by Hassell (Carlton, VIC) Best Cafe Design: The Common by Sullivan Skinner (Brisbane Airport, QLD) Best Hotel Design: Ace Hotel Sydney by Flack Studio (Sydney, NSW) Best Installation Design: Adelaide Festival Pavilion — The Summerhouse by CO-AP (Adelaide, SA) Best Retail Design: Baker Bleu Hawksburn by IF Architecture (Prahran, VIC) and Pronto by Via Porta by Studio Esteta (Kew, VIC) Best Identity Design: Rocco's Bologna Discoteca by Congrats Agency (Fitzroy, VIC) Hall of Fame: Pellegrini's Espresso Bar (1954) by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock (Melbourne VIC) [caption id="attachment_877801" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Baker Bleu by Sharyn Cairns[/caption] For the full list of winners and commendations at the 2022 Eat Drink Design Awards, head to the Eat Drink Design website. Top image: Di Stasio Carlton by Peter Bennetts.
Come January next year, one of western Sydney's train lines will be no more. The T6 Carlingford Line, which runs from Carlingford to Clyde — where commuters can change onto the T1 North Shore & Western Line and T2 Inner West & Leppington Line — is set to close on January 5, 2020, to make way for the Parramatta Light Rail. The light rail will connect Carlingford to Westmead via Camellia and Parramatta's CBD, but it isn't set to launch until 2023. So, in the interim, Carlingford residents wanting to board the T1 or T2 will need to jump on a bus — the soon-to-launch 535, which will travel from Carlingford to Parramatta. Thankfully, it's set to be a lot more frequent than the T6 train, with Transport for NSW promising buses every 15 minutes during peak hour, compared to the current two trains per hour. [caption id="attachment_745583" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parramatta Light Rail Stage One map[/caption] Commuters wanting to travel from Carlingford to Clyde will need to bus to Parramatta then jump on a train. Once complete, the $2.4 billion Light Rail is expected to be a 'turn-up-and-go' service, and will connect surrounding suburbs to the Bankwest Stadium and new Powerhouse Museum. A second stage of the project would see the rail extended from Rydalmere to Sydney Olympic Park. The T6 Carlingford line is set to close on January 5, 2020 and will be replaced by the 535 bus until the Parramatta Light Rail opens in 2023. You can find out more about the Light Rail project over here.
The Rocks gets into Art Month with an open studio run by the National Institute for Experimental Arts (NIEA), under the umbrella of its Pop Up program. NEIA's space features the Match Box Projects' Sydney Portraits, which invites fresh contributions to their picture of the city, as well as contributions from David Langley, Grace Kingston and Bernardo Bento. Alongside Factory 49, which takes a brutalist-like approach to the raw materials of art, AMBUSH Gallery's Project Five restages prints from previous Project Five shows, before Auctioning off four new, large-scale works to benefit multicultural arts star ICE. Down and upstairs, 47 George St, the Rocks. Wednesday - Sundays in March. Factory 49's show opens Thursday March 8 at 6pm. Project Five has its launch 6pm on March 9, with painting continuing until March 11. The artists will be in conversation from 11am on March 12, and the auction starts March 22 at 6pm. Image by E.L.K. For more info on Art Month 2012, check out our Ten Best Things to See and at Art Month 2012.
Black Friday sparks flight sales. Cyber Monday does, too. And when Boxing Day hits, everyone knows that cheap airfares are also a part of the occasion. Fancy a travel bargain in-between? Qantas is doing a pre-Christmas sale, so you can give the gift of getaways — including to yourself. There's 800,000-plus cheap seats on offer, spanning over 170 domestic routes, with flights to 17 destinations available for under $150 one way. The starting price: $109, which will get you either from Sydney to Byron Bay/Ballina or Melbourne to Launceston (and vice versa on each route). Flights from Brisbane to Proserpine on the Whitsunday Coast start at $115, while fares between the Gold Coast and Sydney kick off at $119. If you're keen to journey between Melbourne and Newcastle or Brisbane and Hervey Bay, flights start at $129. Specials on the Sydney–Brisbane route begin at $139, as do Cairns–Townsville and Coffs Harbour–Sydney legs. Other sale options include Melbourne–Hobart for $159, Brisbane–Hamilton Island from $179, Perth–Sydney from $309 and Darwin from both Sydney and Melbourne from $329. The list of destinations and departure points also spans Kangaroo Island, Mackay, Tamworth, Toowoomba, Albury, Port Macquarie, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Mildura, Broken Hill, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Whyalla, Longreach, Broome and more. [caption id="attachment_688401" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vivonne Bar/SA Tourism Commission[/caption] You'll be able to travel between Monday, February, 3–Thursday, April 3 and Tuesday, April 29–Wednesday, June 25, ranging across summer, autumn and winter trips, although the specifics vary per destination — as always. If you're keen, you'll need to get in before 11.59pm AEDT on Thursday, December 12, 2024. And yes, the usual caveat applies: if fares sell out earlier, you'll miss out. Inclusions-wise, the sale covers fares with checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, and wifi. [caption id="attachment_928567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania, Luke Tscharke[/caption] Qantas' 'The sale before Christmas' runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Thursday, December 12, 2024, or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
James Bond might famously prefer his martinis shaken, not stirred, but No Time to Die doesn't quite take that advice. While the enterprising spy hasn't changed his drink order, the latest film he's in — the 25th official feature in the franchise across six decades, and the fifth and last that'll star Daniel Craig — gives its regular ingredients both a mix and a jiggle. The action is dazzlingly choreographed, a menacing criminal has an evil scheme and the world is in peril, naturally. Still, there's more weight in Craig's performance, more emotion all round, and a greater willingness to contemplate the stakes and repercussions that come with Bond's globe-trotting, bed-hopping, villain-dispensing existence. There's also an eagerness to shake up parts of the character and Bond template that rarely get a nudge. Together, even following a 19-month pandemic delay, it all makes for a satisfying blockbuster cocktail. For Craig, the actor who first gave Bond a 21st-century flavour back in 2006's Casino Royale (something Pierce Brosnan couldn't manage in 2002's Die Another Day), No Time to Die also provides a fulfilling swansong. That wasn't assured; as much as he's made the tuxedo, gadgets and espionage intrigue his own, the Knives Out and Logan Lucky actor's tenure has charted a seesawing trajectory. His first stint in the role was stellar and franchise-redefining, but 2008's Quantum of Solace made it look like a one-off. Then Skyfall triumphed spectacularly in 2012, before Spectre proved all too standard in 2015. Ups and downs have long been part of this franchise, depending on who's in the suit, who's behind the lens, the era and how far the tone skews towards comedy — but at its best, Craig's run has felt like it's building new levels rather than traipsing through the same old framework. In No Time to Die, Bond does need to look backwards, though — to loves lost, choices made and lingering enemies. Before Billie Eilish's theme song echoes over eye-catching opening credits, the film fills its first scenes with the past, starting with returning psychiatrist Madeleine Swan's (Léa Seydoux, Kursk) links to new mask-wearing villain Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek, The Little Things). There's patience and visual poetry to these early minutes amid Norway's snowy climes, even while littered with violence. No Time to Die is a lengthy yet never slow feature, and Bond first-timer Cary Joji Fukunaga doesn't begin with the pace he means to continue; however, the director behind True Detective's stunning first season establishes a sense of meticulousness, an eye for detail and an inclination to let moments last — and a striking look — that serves him exceptionally moving forward. Back in post-Spectre times, Bond and Swan enjoy an Italian holiday that's cut short by bomb blasts, bridge shootouts and other attempts on 007's life — and Fukunaga is quickly two for two in the action camp. No Time to Die segues commandingly from slow-building and foreboding to fast, frenetic and breathtaking in its two big opening sequences, setting itself a high bar. At this point, the narrative hasn't even properly kicked into gear yet. That happens five years later, when Bond is alone and retired in Jamaica (in a nice nod to where author Ian Fleming wrote his Bond stories). His old CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright, Westworld) comes knocking, new politically appointed offsider Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen, The Many Saints of Newark) in tow, asking for the now ex-MI6 agent's help to foil the latest nefarious plan — involving a DNA-targeting virus fuelled by nanobots, of course — that's been hatched by terrorist organisation Spectre. No Time to Die has plenty of time for other magnificent action scenes, albeit fewer than might be expected; a lengthy list of characters, both new and recognisable; and the type of beats that allow Bond ruminate over his accumulated baggage, even when a few routine inclusions also pepper the script. Spectre, the film, gave 007 enough woes from the past — and actually making him grapple with it all, rather than merely throw fists, explode watches and unleash machine-gun fire from his Aston Martin's headlights as though he doesn't have a history, gives this follow-up palpable heft and resonance. In Craig's hands, Bond has become a person first and a suave action figure second. The character still falls into the second category, unsurprisingly, because that's still the gig. But in this iteration, the franchise has evolved past the kind of flicks that gave rise to Austin Powers, Johnny English and their fellow parodies — welcomely so. Indeed, the best sequence in the film takes a stock-standard Bond setup, gives it a firm update and offers Craig's Knives Out co-star Ana de Armas a killer introduction. There are no bikinis involved as per past series instalments, or double-entendre names. Instead, this team-up between Bond and fledgling CIA operative Paloma takes them to a Spectre party in Havana, lets her steal every second with devastating high kicks, fabulous timing and witty dialogue, and shows the fingerprints of Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge — one of No Time to Die's four co-screenwriters. Paloma definitely isn't a stereotypical 60s–90s-style Bond girl, either, and neither are Swan, Moneypenny (the returning Naomie Harris, The Third Day) and replacement 007 Nomi (Captain Marvel standout Lashana Lynch). Everyone is human here, not just Bond himself. In a cast anchored by Craig and his blend of gravitas, pathos, sensitivity, duty and calm, there's barely a weak link. As M and Q, Ralph Fiennes (The Dig) and Ben Whishaw (Little Joe) only pop up briefly, but leave an imprint. Malek isn't a Bond baddie for the ages, yet he makes a chilly demeanour go a long way and easily one-ups Christoph Waltz (Alita: Battle Angel). So much of what makes No Time to Die such a thrill stems from Fukunaga's perceptive choices, however — with ample help from Hans Zimmer's (Wonder Woman 1984) urgent and pulsating score, plus Linus Sandgren's (an Oscar-winner for La La Land) gorgeous globe-hopping cinematography and penchant for long takes (and one particular and glorious upside-down shot). Franchise familiarity bubbles away in the film's veins, expectedly, but Fukunaga knows what to shake, stir, change and challenge, and what makes a moving, ambitious and entertaining farewell.
Everyone has petty feuds. That's one of the truths behind Beef, which brought squabbling strangers into everyone's streaming queues in 2023 and became one of the best new shows of the year in the process. So, although the series was initially meant to be a once-off, plenty more people could disagree, argue and hold grudges on-screen — and, soon, more might. Netflix hasn't renewed Beef for season two yet, but word keeps circling that more could be on the way. And if the Golden Globe-, Emmy-, Gotham, Screen Actors Guild Award-, Independent Spirit Award and Producers Guild Award-winner does make a comeback, Jake Gyllenhaal (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant), Anne Hathaway (Armageddon Time), Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) and Charles Melton (May December) could be taking over from Steven Yeun (Nope) and Ali Wong (Paper Girls). [caption id="attachment_849830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ambulance[/caption] Deadline is reporting that all four actors are being circled for the Beef's second season, making the show an anthology series by switching to a completely different storyline. The plot favoured is about two feuding couples — and that's it in terms of details so far, other than that Netflix and A24, which are behind the program, are keen for the season two to start shooting before 2024 is out. Gyllenhaal and Hathaway would reunite not only after Love & Other Drugs, but also Brokeback Mountain. Spaeny and Melton are fresh off spectacular performances in the aforementioned Priscilla and May December, with both shock omissions from 2024's Oscar nominees. [caption id="attachment_936946" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Priscilla[/caption] If you missed season one of the Lee Sung Jin (Dave)-created Beef, it followed Danny Cho (Yeun) and Amy Lau (Wong) after they got in a fender bender, then neither handled it well. Cue a feud that they can't shake, infiltrating their lives and relationships. If their quest for revenge each other just fizzled out, there obviously wouldn't be a series. Part of Beef's ongoing beef in season one stemmed from a comedy staple: putting opposites together and seeing what springs. Danny is struggling as a contractor and isn't happy about it, while Amy lives a seemingly idyllic life thanks to her success as an entrepreneur. They both share a need to get back at each other, though — and to see through their clash to the end. Check out the trailer for Beef season one below: Beef season two hasn't been officially announced, and doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when more details are locked in. Beef season streams via Netflix — read our review. Images: Netflix. Via Deadline.
William Blake once said "without contraries, there is no progression," meaning that opposition hones our strengths by giving us a reason to improve. With accusations of intolerance often levelled at both religion and its opponents, religion itself said to be both resurgent and in decline, the spiritual and the sacred must be right about at their best right now. The Blake Prize, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, invites artists to submit work based on both of these themes or 'human justice', and its finalists appear to be in top form this year. Originally inaugurated by a Jew and a Jesuit, the prize is named after Blake himself — a man who possessed profound spirituality, a yen for human justice, and mixed his own mythology. Among the finalists are reclining deities, a multi-origined nativity by Martin Sharp, Simon McGrath's proposal for alternate transubstantiation, gods in place of fuzzy dice and Paula Gowans' Persephone in the carbon industry. There are also entries from names better-known in other fields, such as novelist Chris Tsiolkas and broadcaster Richard Moorecroft. The prize has incorporated a poetry prize since 2008, and finalists from this newly-minted aspect of the prize are already on show online. Painting 'Persephone of the Illawarra' by Paula Gowans.
If soaring down a snowy mountain is your idea of fun, then Switzerland's icy peaks have long been on your bucket list. And if you've always wanted to zip down the country's famous frosty alps but don't all have the coordination and dexterity to ski or snowboard — which is perfectly acceptable — then you can now enjoy the trip via train on one of the world's steepest railways. Opening in mid-December after a 14-year construction period — and 52 million Swiss francs (AU$68 million) in funds — the Stoos Bahn journeys from the town of Schwyz to the nearby village of Stoos, carrying 34 people at a time in less than five minutes. Replacing an older funicular railway, aka a cable-attached railway used near cliffs and on inclined surfaces, it not only spans a distance of 1738 metres, but a height difference of 744 metres. Overall, it boasts a maximum gradient of 110 percent. That makes the Stoos Bahn the steepest funicular railway in Europe, the steepest in the world that regularly ferries passengers and second on the planet overall. If you're wondering which other dizzy-inducing train track pips it for the top spot, that honour goes to an Australian tourist attraction. First created for mining purposes in 1878 and now operating as part of Katoomba Scenic World, the Katoomba Scenic Railway in the Blue Mountains holds the Guinness World Record for the steepest railway gradient, clocking in at 128 percent over its 310-metre expanse. Via Lonely Planet. Image: Stoos-Muotatal
Sydney has no shortage of history, both owned and borrowed, to learn about this summer. From the long cultural history of the First Nations custodians of the land to the colonial bones of Sydney's architecture to the modern-day melting pot of cultures and stories, every era leaves its mark. We've combed through the Harbour City and found some historical gems that deserve your attention, whether you're a local or a visitor, starting with a new and exciting opportunity that will only be in the city for a few months. RAMSES & THE GOLD OF THE PHARAOHS — THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM The Australian Museum is always a top choice for history in Sydney, and this exhibit running until May 2024 is unlike anything the museum has ever hosted before. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is a multi-sensory, immersive experience for all ages and is exclusive to the Australian Museum. The exhibition explores the life and reign of the late Ramses the Great, Egypt's second longest-reigning Pharaoh, and is comprised of over 180 objects, each dating back approximately 3000 years. Ramses II lived well into his 90s, old even for a monarch, and each object captures important details of the era and his life. Items on display include jewellery, ceramics, small mummified animals, royal masks, and even the actual sarcophagus that Ramses was entombed in in 1213 BC. You'll also find an optional multisensory VR experience that will transport you virtually to two of the era's most significant monuments, the tomb of Queen Nefertari and the temples of Abu Simbel. [caption id="attachment_923966" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] QUEENSCLIFF TUNNEL AND HOTEL STEYNE — MANLY Sydney's own history spreads well beyond the centre of the city, from bush to coast. On the coastal side of town is a suburb that is one of the most well-known to the culturally, coastally and historically inclined — Manly. On the north side of Manly Beach, on the border of Queenscliff, is the Queenscliff Tunnel. It could easily be dismissed as a detail in the rocky headland, but it is actually a manmade tunnel, supposedly carved in 1908 by local fishermen to act as a shortcut between Freshwater and Manly Beaches. It's open to visitors but on an elevated cliff face, so remain cautious. Back on flat ground is another historical highlight, Hotel Steyne. Originally built in 1859, the pub has been destroyed by two mysterious fires, but the current building dates back to 1923 and is one of the best pub feeds in Manly. ILLOURA RESERVE AND THE FENWICK — BALMAIN EAST Among some of the lesser-known harbourfront historical areas, specifically in Balmain East, is Illoura Reserve. Before the arrival of European settlers, the area was a swamp, only established in land purchases in the early 19th century as a part of a 222-hectare grant to colonial Surgeon Dr William Balmain. Seeing the connection? Since then, the area has been used as a harbourside industrial precinct and a tip. One building that has stood since the 1880s is The Fenwick. Originally a store for harbour tugboats, it evolved alongside Illoura Reserve and is now a stunning waterfront cafe and art gallery. The menu stars local and seasonal produce, and the second-floor gallery showcases a range of local and international artists, with everything available for purchase. [caption id="attachment_923971" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tim Downey via Flickr[/caption] PADDINGTON RESERVE GARDENS — PADDINGTON Away from the harbour, in the inner east hub of Paddington, we find a historical site that holds great significance to the city. More than just a public park, these are the Paddington Reservoir Gardens. This was where most of Sydney's water was pumped from its construction in 1866 to its closure in 1899. In its prime, it had a hefty capacity of just over 9000 megalitres. Still, it was closed and repurposed into a storage yard until 1934, when it was partially converted into a service station. When the roof collapsed twice in the 1990s, the station was again closed. Following a major restoration, the site was reopened as a park in 2009, combining elements of its history with overland reserves that had been constructed prior. Now, it's known for its beautiful but eerie appearance, almost like post-industrial Roman undercity ruins, but on Oxford Street. [caption id="attachment_826667" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] CREMORNE RESERVE AND MACCALLUM POOL — CREMORNE POINT Across the city and harbour is the suburb of Cremorne, one of the most disputed shorelines of Sydney Harbour's history. Once a site of great significance to the Cammeraygal people, the land was acquired by Europeans in 1833. Over the following years, it would be a public amusement park, residential development, and even almost a coal mine in the early 1890s. Thankfully, the point and reserve are now protected as a heritage conservation area. One of the gems of the location is MacCallum Pool, a harbour swimming pool originally constructed by local residents. It was maintained by locals until hygiene concerns of harbour swimming prompted North Sydney Council to take over maintenance in 1930. Renamed to MacCallum in tribute to one of its most loyal civilian carers, Hugh J MacCallum, the council has since restored the pool and added decking, landscaping and fencing to secure the pool and its visitors. [caption id="attachment_827016" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] FOUNDATION PARK, FORTUNE OF WAR AND THE DOSS HOUSE — THE ROCKS The Rocks precinct is synonymous with Sydney's history, being one of it's oldest and most iconic heritage precincts. One hidden detail, an unmarked alleyway off Argyle Terrace, is Foundation Park. At first glance, it looks like a collection of discarded furniture, but it's actually a living museum designed to recreate the space and feel of Sydney's oldest homes. The history of The Rocks extends to some of its extremely popular venues, such as Fortune of War and The Doss House. Fortune of War is regarded as Sydney's oldest pub, originally built by a former convict settler in 1828. The name comes from its regulars, sailors and soldiers who were leaving and arriving in Sydney for (or from) war. The Doss House is equally historic, a heritage-listed underground whiskey bar with rooms that pay tribute to the building's many past identities, from a bootmaker workshop to a cheap accommodation for the desperate and even an illegal opium den. [caption id="attachment_923973" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ryan Frank via iStock[/caption] BADU MANGROVES AND HOMEBUSH BAY — HOMEBUSH When you think of Homebush, history and nature might not be the first thoughts that come to mind. But one of the best-kept secrets of Sydney can be found in Homebush. Badu Mangroves is a 56-hectare slice of wetland between Homebush Bay and Bicentennial Park. Overlooked for most of Sydney's history, this haven of local wildlife was choked by pollution for decades but is now thriving again thanks to a restoration program and can be explored via an elevated boardwalk. The mangroves, as mentioned, are adjacent to Homebush Bay, and from the boardwalk, you can spot the famous 'floating forest', the wreck of the SS Ayrfield. Originally built in 1911 and part of a fleet of cargo ships that ferried coal, oil and wartime supplies, it survived WWII but is now being slowly broken down by a mangrove forest. A small slice of history, forever locked in the waters of the Parramatta River. For more information on Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs, or to book tickets, visit the website. For more experiences in Sydney, keep exploring Concrete Playground.
Macquarie Park's multi-level neighbourhood pub and entertainment venue The Governor Hotel welcomed an exciting new Cantonese restaurant with a hatted chef at the helm in August 2022. JINJA has made its home on level one of the expansive venue, bringing XO southern lobster scallop dumplings and a specialty tea dispensary to northwest Sydney. Now, seven months on, JINJA has introduced a yum cha service, which is available for lunch Wednesday–Sunday. The menu spans favourites from Cantonese brunch, highlights from the restaurant's usual menu and western yum cha standards — plus bottomless Keemun black tea for $5 per person. Steamed barbecue pork and mushroom buns lead the way alongside a classic dumpling roster. There's also chicken sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf, pork ribs, barbecue roast duck, spring onion pancakes, a congee and soup selection, and plenty of favourites hot off the wok including broccoli in oyster sauce, truffle fried rice, and salt and pepper squid. While you won't find any mango pancakes, there's a few fun dessert options if you want to conclude your yum cha with something a little sweet. Choose between custard buns, coconut mango pudding and golden lotus paste rolls. While the bottomless tea is the go-to drink option during yum cha, there's an array of beverages that you can add to your experience. Take your pick from the 17 traditional Chinese teas on offer, as well as a boundary-pushing cocktail list and more than 100 local and international wines. Leading the kitchen and pulling together these yum cha delights at JINJA is Head Chef Sebastian Tan, who previously ran the hatted Silks and Teahouse out of the Crown Sydney. JINJA is located at Level 1, The Governor Hotel, 9 Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park. It's open for lunch Wednesday–Sunday and dinner Wednesday–Saturday. Yum cha is available 12–2pm Wednesday–Sunday. Images: Steven Woodburn.
A television tie-in certain to leave a bad taste in people's mouths both popped up and vanished this week — an incredibly ill-advised range of Handmaid's Tale-themed wines. Unsurprisingly, the idea of drinking vino named after a dystopian series about oppression wasn't really what fans of the show, or anyone, was after. Similarly unsurprisingly, turning a program about women being forced into servitude and made to bear children for society's leaders isn't the kind of thing that makes you think 'yes, this persecuted character that's fighting for survival against institutionalised exploitation needs to have a wine named after her'. Unveiled and then cancelled in the same week, Lot 18's 'Handmaid's Tale Trio' was comprised of a pack of two reds wines and one white wine named after three of the show's main figures. "The bold characters of The Handmaid's Tale are celebrated in these three collectible wines, specially crafted to highlight the personalities of Offred, Ofglen and Serena Joy," states the wine's now-defunct online listing. Offred was badged as a "smooth, earthy, and similarly seductive" French Pinot Noir, Ofglen a Cabernet Sauvignon that supposedly offered "a daring testament to the heights that Oregon Cabs can reach" and Serena Joy a sophisticated, traditional and austere" Bordeaux Blanc. First reported by People Magazine, the wines were swiftly scrapped after being made public. Adapting Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel into a television series might make for compelling viewing — and might even make viewers keen for a few soothing drinks while watching the grimly gripping show — but using its female characters for merchandising purposes is a badly thought-out move to say the very least. And, unlike Sydney's forthcoming Gilead development, it was a marketing tactic undertaken with full knowledge of the show, its content and its themes. In the case of the masterplanned New South Wales community that shares its name with The Handmaid's Tale's dystopian society, the term Gilead springs from the bible and has been used in Sydney for two centuries — even if now trying to promote a site with that moniker is incredibly unfortunate.
Frustrated, complacent or intrigued with the current state of Sydney's nighttime culture, following the NSW Government's controversial lockouts? For the last few years, Sydney has become somewhat of a cornerstone of debate around nighttime economies, how they work, how they and what could be done differently. But it's not the only city in the world with a story to tell, regarding nighttime culture. So, this November, Sydney will play host to a brand new international event focused entirely on what happens in cities after dark. Global Cities After Dark is a one-day forum where delegates from around the world will come together to discuss the future of nighttime culture and economy. It's an ambitious, timely collaboration between the Electronic Music Conference and experienced night culture expert Mirik Milan, Night Mayor of Amsterdam, who was EMC's keynote speaker in Sydney in November 2016. Because it's a significantly broad and polarising topic, the event will see a broad range of stakeholders, including city planners, local and state governments, cultural organisations, and the creative community. Night culture presents its own unique constraints, with questions such as public safety, access, service provision, infrastructure and urban planning all ready for the unpacking at Global Cities After Dark. "Being a part of Global Cities After Dark is like a dream come true, because by sharing ideas for a safe and vibrant nightlife, it empowers bottom up initiatives after dark that contribute and strengthen creative cities around the world," said Milan. "It will be one of the most innovative forums from a city planning perspective because global thought leaders will gather in Sydney to discuss what strategies can be put in place for creating liveable inclusive cities with high quality of life and culture for everyone." There'll be surprise guests from Berlin, Long, Amsterdam, Seattle and Ibiza, announced in September. They'll be specialists from various fields that are essential to positive nighttime culture — creative industries, gastronomy, health and safety, mobility and public transport, legislation, urban planning, art and music. Furthermore, the forum will return every year in November for the next three years and tickets will be by invite only. Register your interest for Global Cities After Dark, November 28, here. Further information to be released in September. Until then, learn how to build a nightlife-friendly city with night mayor Mirik Milan.
Today, Thursday, August 26, New South Wales reported 1029 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, marking the biggest daily number Australia has recorded during the entire pandemic. While the majority were identified within Sydney, case numbers are still growing in regional parts of the state — and, in response, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced that everywhere outside of Greater Sydney will remain in lockdown until at least midnight on Friday, September 10. As previously announced, Greater Sydney is under stay-at-home conditions until at least the end of September; however, regional NSW's lockdown was due to end at 12.01am on Saturday, August 28. Obviously, case numbers were always going influence whether that actually occurred. Regional parts of the state have been under stay-at-home rules since mid-August. At the state's daily COVID-19 press conference today, NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said that "the decision to extend the lockdown is one to protect communities and protect the regions. We're sitting on a knife-edge. It's a tinderbox ready to explode." "And I do apologise to those communities that don't have cases today. But I put it this way: one of the reasons you may not have cases is because of the restrictions in place, minimising movement, because we know we're a very interconnected community in regional and rural New South Wales," he continued. "But we'll be working with those communities. We'll be working with the health team for regional New South Wales. We are on a knife-edge in the regions. We need to take pressure off the health system." Due to ongoing concerns about community transmission, stay-at-home orders in place for regional NSW will be extended until at least midnight on Friday, 10 September, in line with existing orders for the Greater Sydney area. — John Barilaro MP (@JohnBarilaroMP) August 26, 2021 Under the rules for regional NSW, everyone is required to remain at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave, just like in Greater Sydney. Work is a permitted reason to head out of your house, but only if it is not practicable to do your job from home. Also, no visitors from outside your household are allowed to come to your home, including family and friends — other than for very select reasons. So, regional NSW residents can only have one person over at one time, and only to fulfil carers' responsibilities, for care or assistance, or compassionate reasons, the latter of which covers people who are in a relationship but don't live together. Also in effect: the closure of all hospitality venues other than for takeaways, and the closure of retail premises except for a small list that sell essentials. Supermarkets and grocery stores, other shops that mainly sell food or drinks to consume at home, chemists and pharmacies, kiosks, and places that primarily sell office supplies, pet supplies, newspapers, magazines and stationery, alcohol, maternity and baby supplies, and medical or pharmaceutical supplies can remain open, as can places that sell hardware, building and landscaping supplies, and timber, garden and plant items. Vehicle hire places, mobile phone repairs shops, service stations, banks, post offices, laundromats and dry cleaners can also stay open. Anyone who leaves their home must carry a mask with them at all times, too — and they must be worn in most situations. So, that means masking up in all indoor venues outside of your own home, while working outdoors, in outdoor markets and at outdoor shopping strips, and while lining up outside to pick up products like coffee and food. As has been the case since the beginning of the pandemic, NSW residents are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. The entire state of New South Wales will remain in lockdown until at least midnight on Friday, September 10. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Take a typical tapas bar in Barcelona then polish slightly, adding cut crystal glasses and a pinch of Almodóvar references. Add one chef with a talent for experimentation, a selection of well-sourced, top notch ingredients and a crowd willing to stay all night, then mix well. Serve up atop a plate in the shape of a leaf, and you have Jah Bar: one of the best of Manly's new breed. Turn up just after 5pm and you can expect a peaceful dining experience. While the interior is tempting, in summer we recommend the courtyard to make the most of the fading sun and the cool evening breeze. Spanish tapas is the speciality, though there's a few sections of the menu to choose from. The tapas dishes are supplemented by options from the boqueria and the oven, as well as the chef's specials, so it's worth taking your time to choose. While you're browsing, try one of the signature cocktails ($15). There's more than enough on offer to sustain you throughout the night, from Mint Juleps to rum and sherry-based concoctions. Now, the food. Vegetarians and pescatarians will be well looked after, while chorizo and jamon serrano will keep meat-eaters satisfied. We opted for the Croquetas ($9.50), a selection of Spanish croquettes that change depending on the night, and the Empanadas (3 for $12), with beef, chicken, pumpkin and ricotta available. From there, we moved to the Jamon Serrano ($11.50), incredibly tender cured ham, and Aged Queso Manchego ($10.50), with the cheese a nice end to the meal alongside drinks. We did, however, manage to squeeze in a serve of Churros ($10) with hot chocolate sauce at the last post. While I'd find it hard to go past these simple yet delicious options, particularly the Jamon Serrano, it's tempting to revisit and try more of the tapas proper. Particularly the Chorizo ($10.50) and the talked about Sweet Potato and Fennel Seed Salad ($10.50). On the other hand, we hear great things about the chef's penchant for experimentation. We sadly passed up a special of Braised Beef Cheeks ($19) with Manzanilla olives and creme cauliflower, instead staring greedily at tables nearby. Best to use these inevitable regrets as motivation for return visits. By the time you've finished your meal, Jah Bar is likely to be filling up. The later crowd, firmly focused on the bar inside, is starting to arrive. And, let's face it, by this time you've had a few cocktails yourself. The lesson is that it's okay to turn up after dinner time and, if you do make dinner, it's best to stay late and enjoy the changed atmosphere. As the chefs swap out behind the bar, replaced by additional barmen, go with the flow. You are in Barcelona, after all. [nggallery id=122]
Eye. Aperture. Descender. Spine. A weird collection of words, but for a typographer (or a publication nerd like me) they make perfect sense together. Every letter of the alphabet can be split into components which can be moulded and shaped, cut and stretched to create unique typefaces. Having been exposed to so many for so long, we don't actually realise how much of an impact fonts have on our perception of the world around us. For those of us too busy to enrol in a graphic design course but still passionate about learning more there is Typography Insight. The iPad application allows you to get up close and personal, and thereby understand the amazing cratsmanship that goes into making ordinary letters into extraordinary fonts. The resource is encyclopedic in depth, You can be guided through font terminology, compare fonts, or just admire the intricacies that only a super close-up can offer. The designer Dong Yoon Park ask: "How can the cold and rigid design approach of many top-notch technologies be turned into warmer and friendlier interfaces?" https://youtube.com/watch?v=wkoX0pEwSCw [via Gizmodo]
Career-wise, the past decade has been kind to Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton. It all started back in 2009, when he won the Cannes Film Festival's Camera d'Or — the award for best first feature — for the fantastic Samson and Delilah. Since then, he has explored ghost stories in The Dark Side, and opened the Sydney Film Festival with We Don't Need a Map, a documentary exploring the prominence of the Southern Cross in Australian culture. In 2017, he also directed one of the best, most blistering Australian westerns ever made, Sweet Country. And, more recently, he co-helmed the second six-part season of TV series Mystery Road — which premiered at this year's Berlin Film Festival before hitting screens Down Under. All that hustle and bustle has had an impact, however, as his next project explores. In The Beach, Thornton documents his own quest to step back from his busy life by living alone on an isolated stretch of sand by the shoreline — at Jilirr, on the Dampier Peninsula on the northwest coast of Western Australia. Thornton directs the exquisite-looking documentary, with his son — Robbie Hood and Finke: There and Back filmmaker Dylan River — shooting the entire series. As well as helming, Thornton obviously stars in the six-part series, too. And it's understandably a highly personal affair; "The Beach is one of the most important projects of my life. It's about my life. It is my life," the acclaimed director explains. Accordingly, when the documentary hits NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand on Friday, May 29 — airing on NITV and SBS simultaneously in one big block, and dropping on the broadcaster's streaming platform at the same time — it'll chronicle Thornton's efforts as he lives alone, endeavouring to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, the Kaytetye people. Solely relying upon the land, he spends his days in scenic surroundings while hunting and gathering for food, with the docuseries observing unobtrusively as he attempts to transform his existence, connect to Country, and nourish both his body and spirit. As the just-released trailer shows, it makes for quite the striking viewing. And, given the current state of the world, immensely timely viewing too. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMIcuVH83M All six episodes of The Beach will air on NITV and SBS on Friday, May 29, with the docuseries available to stream via SBS On Demand from the same time.
It has been more than a month since Australia's cinema screens stopped flickering, with the nation's picture palaces closing due to social-distancing requirements to help stop the spread of COVID-19. And while movie buffs can still get their film fix online — via the usual streaming options, as well as the big bunch of recent big-screen releases fast-tracked to digital — your tastebuds are probably hankering for some cinema-level snacks to go with your at-home-viewing. Thanks to Hoyts and UberEats, you can now get the cinema chain's popcorn and choc tops delivered to your door. On offer: four sizes of regular salted popcorn, five flavours of gourmet popcorn (including nacho and sea salt caramel) and five types of choc tops (vanilla, boysenberry, mint, cookies and cream, and salted caramel). You can also order a selection of chips, confectionary and drinks. And, if you really want to come as close as you can to recreating the out-of-the-house movie-going experience, you can get your snacks in combos. Three kinds are available, so you'd best decide whether you'd like Malteasers with your popcorn and choc top — and if you're planning to share. For a limited time, Hoyts is also giving away free choc tops — albeit with other purchases, so you will have to splash out some cash. Buy any salted or gourmet popcorn, and you'll score a choc top as well. Or, spend more than $30 in total, and you'll also nab a choc top for free. Delivery is available between 2–9.30pm each day, and you will need to live within the delivery zone of one of Hoyts' 34 physical sites in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Hoyts' snack range is available via UberEats, with free choc tops on offer for a limited time with any salted or gourmet popcorn purchase, or any order over $30. To order, head to UberEats.
The Beta version of Google's long rumoured music service, Google Music, was released on Wednesday. The service lets you to upload your music collection directly to the service from CDs, iTunes or Windows Media Player, allowing you to access your music using any browser anywhere. Utilising Cloud technology, the service allows much simpler devices to run at much more complicated levels of output by an outsourcing of technology requirements, in this case memory storage. Although very similar to the recently released Amazon Cloud service, the Google variant is a lot easier to use, with the user interface simplified drastically and the typeface very similar to the older Google applications. Although free and accessible, the program is still within the testing phase, with early reports suggesting annoying long load times when starting the program and uploading music. Although not the first of its kind, simply being equipped with the Google brand will ensure this program gets a lot more attention, deserved or not. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZrNhKcxBbZo [Via Mashable]
Now in its third year, Parramatta's The Plot is a licensed, all-ages festival featuring an all-Aussie music lineup that spans every genre you could ever need for a Saturday afternoon — but it's as much about getting stuck into piles of delicious local delicacies as it is about the tunes. So, to save you some time at the festival on November 19, we thought we'd give the lowdown on what you'll be eating, drinking and Instagramming before you get there. Good news is that every tasty morsel will be brought to you by a local business, keeping those nasty miles to a minimum and ensuring you have a true end-to-end western Sydney experience. [caption id="attachment_588423" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Darcy Street Project[/caption] FIRST STOP: COFFEE AND TEA The first thing you'll be looking for when you roll up on Saturday afternoon will be a decent coffee to kick you into action. Thankfully, The Darcy Street Project will be taking care of your caffeine needs. This cracking coffee hub isn't just a cafe, but a social enterprise too. And for every coffee you buy at The Plot, you'll have the option to pay it forward — pay for an extra coffee, and it'll go to someone who visits Darcy Street the week following and perhaps can't afford a coffee that day. Alternatively, if tea's your beverage of choice, try a high-quality, boutique brew from family-run Mumford Tea. [caption id="attachment_588426" align="alignnone" width="1280"] StroopBros[/caption] FESTIVAL FUEL: THE FOOD With hours of music to dance, listen and kick back to, you're going to need some fuel. For a fierce feast, swing by Bella Shack Burgers' epic truck for a monster burger like the Shack Daniels — it consists of a house-ground beef patty, double American cheese, Jack Daniel's bacon jam, deep-fried mozzarella, crispy bacon, crème fraîche mayo, Westmont pickles on a Japanese milk bun. Also competing on the monster meal front will be Parramatta locals Jarrod's Shakes 'n' Snags. Rock up to a 1966 Kombi and take your pick of tastiness, from tomato parmesan beef chipolatas with Jarrod's chimmichurri to caramel bliss milkshakes. Meanwhile, Emmy's Gourmet Gozleme will be taking you on a side-trip to Turkey with their cooked-on-the-spot gozleme (the best festival snack), packed with local produce, while Sundweesh will be doling out street food in the form of sandwiches combining Middle Eastern and Western influences. Think kofta with tabouli and hummus, and peri peri chicken with slaw. For a healthy feed, you'll be able to stop by Papermill for what they call a 'spurrito'. It's a giant rice paper roll-burrito hybrid filled with veggies, rice noodles and meat (if you so choose) — you may have seen them around town at Bondi or Parramatta Markets and the like. With your savouries done and dusted, you'll be amped for dessert. Go Dutch with a StroopBros stroopwafel: a generations-old sweet treat filled with rich chewy caramel and doused in warm caramel sauce. AND FINALLY: DRINKS Let's get the healthy stuff out of the way first. Cleansers and tee-totallers should head to The Citrus Factory for freshly-squeezed, 100 percent-Aussie lemonade. But beer. You'll be spoilt for local choice. The Australian Brewery will be making a trip to Parramatta from its western Sydney home in Rouse Hill, and will be bringing a bunch of crafty brews along for the ride. Travelling from the Blue Mountains will be Hillbilly Cider, with their refreshing drops made from Bilpin-grown apples. Wine lovers will be catered to as well, thanks to Canonbah Bridge Wines, who'll be visiting from their farm in Warren, Central New South Wales (about 100 kilometres northwest of Dubbo). And, delivering Aussie-made spirits (and moonshine — yes, moonshine) will be the Hawkesbury's Ironbark Distillery. The Plot will take place at Parramatta Park on Saturday, November 19. For more info and to buy tickets, visit theplot.co.
On his first-ever trip Down Under, on a tour that'll see him become the first Latin act to headline stadiums globally, one gig was never going to be enough for Bad Bunny in Australia. Accordingly, before general tickets for that already-announced show go on sale, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has locked in a second Aussie concert due to presale demand — also in Sydney. Bad Bunny has won three Grammys and 11 Latin Grammys, starred in Bullet Train and hosted Saturday Night Live, among plenty of other achievements; however, he hasn't hit the stage in Australia — yet. By the time that summer 2025–26 is out, he'll tick a trip Down Under off of his list, with his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour now including two shows in the Harbour City. ENGIE Stadium in the New South Wales capital is set to play host to Bad Bunny on both Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1. He's playing the New South Wales capital in-between dates in Brazil and Japan, two other countries where the 'Mia', 'Callaíta', 'Qué Pretendes' and 'Vete' singer will perform live for the first time ever. Also on his itinerary: Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Poland, Italy and Belgium, all between November 2025–July 2026 so far. His DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS-themed jaunt around the world is named for his latest album, which released in January this year and spent three weeks in a row atop the Billboard 200 chart. The Puerto Rican superstar's global tour will follow his upcoming No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí gigs, a 30-date residency at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in his homeland, which has sold over 400,000 tickets. Before that, he toured North America in 2024, and both North and Latin America in 2022. His DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS shows will take him to Europe for the first time since his 2019 X 100pre tour. On the charts, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, his sixth album, has kept garnering love — also sitting in the Billboard 200 top ten for 13 weeks, taking the number-one slot on Billboard's Latin Albums chart for 16 consecutive weeks and helping him become the first-ever Latin artist with 100 Billboard Hot 100 entries. Prior to both his No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency and DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS world tour, Bad Bunny also has another date with SNL, this time as the musical guest on the season 50 finale that's being hosted by Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon). Bad Bunny DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour 2026 Australian Tour Saturday, February 28–Sunday, March 1 — ENGIE Stadium, Sydney Bad Bunny is playing ENGIE Stadium in Sydney in February and March, 2026. General ticket sales start at from 11am on Friday, May 9, 2025 —head to the tour website for more details.
This article is sponsored by our partners, the Sydney Festival. We all know Hyde Park is much better when conceived as a kind of Midsummer Night's Dream: a magical, atmospheric hub bounded by strings of lights. This Sydney Festival promises a Festival Village in Hyde Park, thrice as sprawling as last year's Festival Garden, stretching along College Street past the Archibald Fountain and housing the Spiegeltent, Circus Ronaldo tent as well as five bars. The Village's free activities, music and nommy nomz will take you from day to night with the laidback, buzzy vibe that's unique to Sydney in January. Gelato Messina, Food Society, Jafe Jaffles and Woofys hot dogs have your voracious stomach's needs completely covered (just behold these custom-built Messina creations). But this is not just about slobbering gluttony, you barbarian. It's also about playtime. Melbourne-based Boxwars will entertain kids with art workshops where they can do neat stuff with reclaimed cardboard. City of Sydney's Lawn Library offers books and workshops by day, and Adult Storytime with comedy by Campfire Collective by night. Bounce on Jeremy Deller's inflatable Stonehenge, Sacrilege, and enjoy intimate serenades care of Folk in a Box. And what is the soundtrack to all this hubbub? The tunes are plentifully provided at the Village Bandstand and Rekorderlig Gazebo in sets by DJs including Captain Franco, Marcus King, Smart Casual, Radge, Tyson Koh, Sweetie, Andy Votel, Jimmy Sing, Gramophone Man, The Laurels, The Crusty Suitcase Band, The Ukes of Today and Saint Tropez All Day. How will you cope, sipping a cold one to the smooth grooves of these soundsters, and sampling all these Sydney summer delights? Festival Village is open 9am-2am, January 9-26 (closed Mondays). For bookings call 1300 668 812 or visit the Sydney Festival website. Image by Prudence Upton.
Our team of editors have curated a Hobart getaway package for Concrete Playground Trips, taking guests on an exclusive tour of Tassie's art, wine and culture scene. This trip covers your Hobart essentials, but then we've stepped things up a notch for you. Take a scenic flight over the iconic Wineglass Bay, get the 'posh-as' MONA experience (with a long, boozy lunch included), and squeeze in a series of wine tastings across the region. Plus, all the organising has been done in advance. No need to scour the internet for the best accom (the trip includes a four-night stay at the fantastic Henry Jones Art Hotel), book cabs or create an itinerary of your own. We've done it all for you. But we also know how important it is to keep holiday plans flexible — that's why there's no formalised itinerary for this trip. Instead, you can lock in the below included experiences at a time that suits you. MONA ON A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL If you haven't heard of MONA, you've been living under a rock. This art institution is a can't-miss Hobart experience. And this package doesn't just give you a ticket to the galleries and grounds. Booking through Concrete Playground Trips gives you a ferry ride to MONA and a private guided tour and wine tasting at their Moorilla winery. Then you'll enjoy an excellent two-course lunch that comes with even more locally produced wine, plus a bottle of Moorilla's Muse to take back to your hotel. If you're going to visit MONA, do it this way. WINEGLASS AND WILDLIFE TOUR On another day, guests take to the skies over Wineglass Bay. During a 45-minute flight, you'll soar further above Freycinet National Park, home to dramatic pink granite mountains, secluded bays, crystal clear waters and pristine white beaches. Leaving the peninsula, you'll fly over the seal colony of Ile Des Phoques and continue towards Maria Island, where you'll touch down to explore the island on foot. Known for its abundance of wildlife, Hobart's Maria Island is home to rare and endangered species like the swift parrot and Cape Barren goose, wombats, kangaroos and of course, the Tassie Devil. We even manage to squeeze a decadent seafood and vino lunch into the day – bring on all the local oysters! ACCOMMODATION We have the hotel picked out for you too. The Henry Jones Art Hotel will be your home for four nights, giving you somewhere historic and calming to rest your head. The jam warehouse turned dedicated arts hotel comes with in-house restaurants and cocktail bars serving up innovative feasts and cocktails from Tasmania's best seasonal produce. [caption id="attachment_865273" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania[/caption] Luxe amenities and foodie delights aside, what's most intriguing about a stay at The Henry Jones Art Hotel is the unique opportunity it poses to stay inside a – very comfortable, very cosy – art gallery, essentially. Some 400 artworks (most by emerging Tassie artists) adorn hallways, guest rooms and public spaces here, and you might just spot an artist in residency toiling away on their masterpiece in the lobby. Need further inspiration? Read our Long Weekender's Guide to Hobart and travel further afield to get a taste of all things Tassie with our extensive guide to the best of Tassie's fantastic food, produce and culinary culture. Book tickets to this exclusive getaway through the Concrete Playground Trips website. Main image credit: Tourism Tasmania & Rob Burnett
If anything's sure to step up your Sunday session a few levels, it's a few ice cold frothies for just $1 a pop. Exactly like the ones you'll find going for a steal at The George Hotel this Sunday, July 7. The budget brews are courtesy of Frosty's Pale Ale — the much-loved house favourite at CBD haunt Frankie's — which is brewed by NSW's Swill & Drill Brewers. The brewers will be dropping a keg of the refreshing stuff at the newly renovated Waterloo pub, which will be serving up its usual Sunday fun all day long, too, including top-notch Mexican eats from the Taco King. Entry is free, plus there'll be party tunes from DJ Goggles and local punk rockers Fangz to round out the good times. Think, Megadeth, ACDC, Black Sabbath, Meatloaf and maybe even a sprinkling of Elvis, while you sip your one-buck brews. The beers will only be $1 from 6pm until the keg is gone, so we suggest you get there early. Images: Kimberley Low
Coachella's first 2023 weekend brought a heap of highs, including for folks livestreaming at home from around the world. Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, the late addition of blink-182, a typically stunning set from electronic music legends The Chemical Brothers, none other than Blondie taking to the stage: they're just some of the week-one standouts. Now, it's time to do it all over again as week later, as the Indio, California music festival always does. This year, the event is streaming six stages across both weekends, and it has just dropped its set times after a tumultuous few days. First, the bad news: Frank Ocean is off the bill, dropping out after Coachella's first weekend. That said, everyone beaming in from their couches didn't see his week-one set either because it wasn't livestreamed. Neither was fellow high-profile star Björk's time in the desert. Now, the good news: blink-182 have moved to the Coachella stage to replace Ocean on Sunday, April 23's bill (which is Monday, April 24 Down Under), and there's a TBA slot after them. Variety is reporting that that time will be filled by Skrillex, Fred again.. and Four Tet, and the festival has also named the trio on Instagram — and noted they'll pop on the evening of Sunday, April 23 (again, Monday, 24 Down Under). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Whoever else ends up on the lineup as a late addition, you'll be able to make shapes at home while pretending you're at the real thing at the Empire Polo Club across Saturday, April 22–Monday, April 24 Australian and New Zealand time. Like last week, Bad Bunny is headlining the first night and BLACKPINK is doing the second, with The Chemical Brothers, Gorillaz, Blondie, Kaytranada, Pusha T and Idris Elba still on day one as well — and Calvin Harris, The Kid LAROI, ROSALÍA, Charlie XCX, boygenius, The Breeders and Underworld on day two. And on day three, there's Björk, Fisher, Porter Robinson, Gordo and Weyes Blood. Obviously, across the whole weekend there's more where they came from. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Coachella has been teaming up with YouTube for 11 years now. Earlier in 2023, the fest announced that it has locked in that arrangement till 2026. In-between this year's sets, YouTube will fill its feeds with more on-the-ground coverage, so you'll be able to scope out the art and installations around the fest, head behind the scenes, see how the acts get partying before the hit the stage and more. Bookmark Coachella's YouTube channel ASAP — or hit it up below: Coachella's second weekend runs across April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST on Saturday, April 22 Down Under.
The owners of cosy Mexican joint Taqiza have expanded their Bondi offering. They've taken over the old Rum Diaries space along Bondi Road and have opened Carbòn — a new hacienda-inspired Mexican restaurant that focuses on all things wood-fired. Chefs and owners Pablo Galindo Vargas and Liber Osorio know a thing or two about Mexican cooking, having been born and raised in Mexico City. "At Carbòn, we wanted to rescue the indigenous culinary elements of our backgrounds, going back to our roots to create a menu full of flavours, colours and textures while maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the produce," says Vargas. The venue complements Bondi's laid-back vibes with a beachy fitout that is meant to be reminiscent of a Caribbean hacienda. While Taqiza is an intimate venue, Carbòn boasts a large open space with a full kitchen that centres around their brand new, wood-fire grill — which is fitting considering the restaurant's name translates to 'charcoal' in Spanish. The dishes pay homage to traditional Latin American parrilla (barbecuing) techniques, with the open charcoal fire used for cooking tortillas, heating underground ovens and boiling soups or sauces. Carbòn also focuses on fresh produce that can be especially enriched with the use of charcoal. The interactive share menu centres on make-your-own tacos, with options including Hampshire suckling pig with achiote adobo and Seville oranges, as well as roasted lamb shoulder with chipotle citrus yoghurt. Regular specials will be on offer, too, like the charcoal sealed tuna sashimi with finger lime, tiger's milk (aka citrusy ceviche marinade), sweet potato chips and salmon caviar. At the bar, the drinks menu is — unsurprisingly — focused on tequila and mezcal. Cocktails like the Bondi Sunset (mezcal, elderflower liquor, lime juice and mandarin) and the Oaxacan Pink Lad (mezcal, brandy, lemon juice, agave syrup and aquafaba) are just the start. Find Carbòn Mexican at 288 Bondi Road, Bondi Beach, open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Does Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) only have one more mission left in him? The title for the eighth Mission: Impossible film might just point in that direction. Viewers won't know until the movie hits cinemas in 2025, but the flick that was initially called Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two is now named Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: spending until May wondering if audiences are about to see the last of Ethan Hunt. It was back in 2023 when Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One hit cinemas and left viewers wanting more, by design: when it wrapped up its 163 minutes of espionage antics, everyone already knew that a second part was on its way. Originally, the latter was meant to arrive in June 2024, less than a year after the first film. But amid Hollywood's strikes last year, the film was pushed back almost 12 months. Its release date Down Under: Thursday, May 22, 2025. It was also rumoured at the time that the movie would get a new moniker, so The Final Reckoning isn't a surprise in that regard. But the 'final' part of the title — and a just-dropped trailer that focuses on how every step leads you down a specific path, complete with the tagline "every choice has led to this" — wasn't as expected. "I need you to trust me one last time," Cruise also utters. The film's first teaser trailer traverses everywhere from snow and sky-high heights to under the sea and frozen in ice — and, as always, features plenty of Cruise running. Story details are sparse, however, but of course the film's star is seen hanging off of a plane. Viewers can expect world-hopping intrigue, explosions, chases and fights, though, as regularly occurs when Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Missions Force team return. Also back: a cast including Simon Pegg (The Boys), Ving Rhames (The Wild Robot) and Hayley Atwell (Heartstopper), Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), Esai Morales (Crescent City), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Henry Czerny (Zombie Town), Angela Bassett (9-1-1) and Shea Whigham (Lawmen: Bass Reeves) — and, behind the camera, director Christopher McQuarrie helms again after doing the same on Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible — Fallout and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. On-screen, Holt McCallany (The Lincoln Lawyer), Janet McTeer (The Old Man), Nick Offerman (Civil War) and Hannah Waddingham (The Fall Guy) feature as well. Check out the first teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning below: Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning will release in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Read our review of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. Images: Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Fresh from scoring plenty of attention in Australia's sporting circles after hosting the AFL's first-ever Gather Round, Adelaide is giving locals and visitors alike another reason to enjoy the City of Churches. Art, music and culture lovers, get ready for the South Australian dream that is Illuminate Adelaide, which debuted in 2021, then backed up its dazzling first year in 2022 — and has just dropped an impressive 2023 lineup, too. Illuminate's third month-long event will run from Wednesday, June 28–Sunday, July 30, putting it in prime winter festival season following Vivid Sydney, RISING Melbourne and Dark Mofo in Tasmania. Spending the country's colder months travelling between all four fests sounds positively heavenly; however, if you can only hit up one, SA's addition to the fold makes a strong case. Topping the music bill are Yothu Yindi, Oneohtrix Point Never and Tourist, giving Illuminate both Australian icons and electronic must-sees from overseas. With the former, the iconic Indigenous rock band play for one night only to celebrate NAIDOC Week. As for the latter, the Brooklyn-based Oneohtrix Point Never (who is responsible for the intoxicating scores to films Good Time and Uncut Gems) and English electronic musician and producer Tourist (aka William Phillip) will also bring their respective tunes to the Hindley Street Music Hall during the fest. After making its Aussie debut at last year's Illuminate, concert series KLASSIK underground will return, once again pairing classical music with live visuals. So too will experimental and electronic music celebration Unsound Adelaide. And, the roster of tunes also spans Murrawarri and Ngemba talent DOBBY, Space Afrika's dub-techno sounds, Sofie Birch and Antonina Nowacka teaming up, rapper bbymutha and Guatemalan experimental cellist Mabe Fratti. [caption id="attachment_897498" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jack Fenby[/caption] That's what festival attendees will be listening to. The arts and light part of the program is just as impressive — and literally vibrant. UK creatives Architects of Air will hit Illuminate with Arborialis luminarium, which will take over East End in Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka with 1000 square metres of inflatable mazes. Even better: running for three weeks, it's basically a labyrinth of colour and light, and you can head along by both day and by night. Mirror Mirror is another standout, harking from multimedia studio Moment Factory and coming to Adelaide fresh from premiering in Montreal. An interactive and immersive experience that'll take over its own purpose-built structure on Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, it gets attendees wandering their way through unique art installations — and yes, a hall of mirrors is included. The same outfit is also behind Resonate, which takes over from 2021 and 2022's Light Cycle in lighting up a 1.7-kilometre trail nightly through the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. [caption id="attachment_897495" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Owens[/caption] Keeping with the 2023 festival's radiant side, Illuminate will welcome back some of its past big luminous drawcards for a third time, because they're just that impressive and popular. That includes Light Creatures at the Adelaide Zoo, which means even more glowing animal installations. This year, it'll feature returning panda, skink, underwater and tiger favourites, plus a golden falcon, crabs and a projection that travels through time. Also worth looking out for (not at you can miss it) is the City Lights program, which makes a comeback to again feature more 40 free site-specific works over 17 days. A sculptural floral field, CoolShit getting into stare mode with large-scale art installation The Eyes, a touch-sensitive light and sound piece, an exhibition of works by the multi-talented Poh Ling Yeow, Amanda Parer's towering and inflatable Man: they're all included. So too is Augmented Revolution, which dives into augmented reality featuring works by First Nations artists. Elsewhere, you can make a date with pop-up bar and eatery hub Base Camp in its third year; the also-returning New Light, which commissions new screen works from Aboriginal talents; Make|Shift @ The Mill, aka projection art by six SA multidisciplinary artists; and the world premiere of Restless Dance Theatre's new Shifting Perspectives. Looking for more things to do around South Australia at the time? Concrete Playground Trips has a four-day wellness escape in the Adelaide Hills available to book in July as well. [caption id="attachment_897500" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moment Factory[/caption] Illuminate Adelaide 2023 runs from Wednesday, June 28–Sunday, July 30. Check out the festival's website for the full program and to grab tickets. Top images: Sam Wong, Amigo and Amigo, Frankie the Creative, Moment Factory and Rami Saarikorpi. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
With new limits on how many people can catch buses and trains due to social distancing, Sydneysiders are being encouraged to walk and cycle into work. To help, the City of Sydney and Transport for NSW are building six new cycleways to make it easier to get around the Harbour City. The cycleways will be located across the CBD, Erskineville, Rosebery, Surry Hills and Pyrmont — and, while exciting news for cyclists, the paths are just a temporary fix. But, while temporary, the cycleways are set to be up and running by the end of June. They'll be constructed from a combination of barriers, line markings and lane dividers, which Lord Mayor Clover Moore said are "quick and simple" to implement. "We already have an extensive program of cycleways and public domain improvements, but we need short term tactical measures that can be implemented in weeks," the Lord Mayor said. As well as constructing cycleways, the Council will be temporarily widening footpaths in the CBD to allow for higher levels of foot traffic. The exact locations of the paths, highlighted in orange in the map below, are: Pitt Street north between King Street and Reiby Place, CBD Henderson Road, Eveleigh and Railway Parade/Bridge Street, Erskineville Dunning Avenue, Rosebery Moore Park Road and Fitzroy Street, Paddington/Surry Hills Pyrmont Bridge Road, Pyrmont Sydney Park Road, Erskineville The City of Sydney is also considering temporary bike paths on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst, King Street in Newtown and across King, College an Castlereagh streets in the CBD. [caption id="attachment_773066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Click to enlarge.[/caption] A more permanent cycleway that is set to be constructed is across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. At the moment, cyclists have to haul their bikes up and down 55 steps to cross the bridge, but, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Transport for NSW is close to finalising plans for bike ramps at both ends after the project was sidelined two years ago due to community opposition. If you're yet to go back to work and are contemplating your commute options, bear in mind the new public transport limits. Because of social distancing, two-door buses are limited to 12 commuters, Waratah trains 35 and Freshwater ferries 245, which works out to be about 25 percent capacity. To find out more information about City of Sydney's temporary cycle routes, head to the council website.
"So, how long have you been dead?" If you're a vampire being interviewed, that's the kind of opening question that's bound to come your way. More queries obviously have to follow, but it's a helluva ice-breaker — and, in the new Interview with a Vampire TV series, it's slung Louis de Pointe du Lac's way. Set to arrive in October — in Australia via AMC+ from Sunday, October 2, with New Zealand details still to be announced — this new small-screen adaptation of Anne Rice's 1976 gothic horror novel of the same name sparks plenty of questions itself, too. No, Brad Pitt doesn't play Louis, as he did almost 30 years ago in the 1994 movie. No, Tom Cruise doesn't play fellow vamp Lestat de Lioncourt again either. And you can guess the answers to your next two queries: no, Kirsten Dunst isn't back as Claudia, and neither is Christian Slater as the interviewer. All those characters feature here, though, with the Interview with a Vampire series retelling Louis, Lestat and Claudia's tale. If you remember the flick — the film that helped push Dunst to fame as a child, well before she was an Oscar-nominee for The Power of the Dog — you'll know that it steps through the undead trio's not-quite-lives (being eternally undead might be the better way to describe it). This time, Jacob Anderson — aka Game of Thrones' Grey Worm — is the New Orleans resident who can't resist the offer to live forever. Playing Lestat to his Louis is Australian actor Sam Reid (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson). As for child vampire Claudia, Bailey Bass (Psycho Sweet 16) does the honours, with the always-welcome Eric Bogosian (Succession) as probing interviewer Daniel Molloy. Like plenty of other upcoming movies and TV shows did — such as The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, House of the Dragon, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, John Wick: Chapter 4 and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Interview with the Vampire dropped its first sneak peek at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. With Louis' story starting in the 1900s, it's big on period details and costuming, plus a sweeping mood. And yes, reviving 90s movies as a series is a trend that shows no signs of dying — like interviewed vampires — given that Interview with the Vampire will hit streaming queues less than two months after the new TV version of A League of Their Own does the same. Also, Interview with the Vampire joins the film-to-TV vampire ranks, too, alongside Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows. Check out the Interview with the Vampire trailer below: Interview with the Vampire will start streaming in Australia viaAMC+ from Sunday, October 2. We'll update you with New Zealand details when they become available. Images: Alfonso Bresciani/AMC.
Oh bother indeed: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, the slasher take on AA Milne's honey-loving, walking-and-talking teddy bear, has gotten its sticky mitts on the award that no film wants to win. Each year for the past 44 years, the Golden Raspberry Awards has named the worst movie of the past 12 months. 2023's pick is this horror twist on a childhood favourite, which attracted gongs like flies to, yes, honey. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was nominated in five Razzie categories. It won all five. So, according to the accolades that recognise that not all movies are great, good or even particularly watchable, it's the Worst Picture of 2023, as well as the Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel. And, it's home to the Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Screen Couple — the latter for Pooh and Piglet "as blood-thirsty slasher/killers". The film won big at the Razzies in the same month that sequel Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 will release in Australian cinemas, arriving on Thursday, March 28 — just over a year after the first film. The Razzies only gave gongs to four 2023 movies thanks to Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey sweeping every field that it was in. Expend4bles, which picked up the most nominations with seven, won both Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Supporting Actress. Sylvester Stallone received the former and Megan Fox the latter. Fox was a two-time winner herself, also collecting Worst Actress for Johnny & Clyde, which is about serial killers being chased by a demon after they try to rob a casino. Best Actor went to Jon Voight for Mercy, which has just as likely a premise: a battle against the Irish mafia when they take control of a hospital. Always timed to arrive in the leadup to the Oscars, which take place on Monday, March 11 in Australia and New Zealand, the Razzies chose this year's worst of the worst from a heap of other movies, with plenty of big-name flicks in contention but going home empty-handed — happily, presumably. They include The Exorcist: Believer, Meg 2: The Trench, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Fast X, Magic Mike's Last Dance, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny. The Razzies also give out the Razzie Redeemer Award, recognising someone who was nominated for one of its trophies in the past but is in a far better situation now. This year's winner is Fran Drescher, who was a nominee in 1998, and now the current SAG/AFTRA President. The accolades awarded her "for her brilliant shepherding of the actors' guild through a prolonged 2023 strike with a successful conclusion". Check out the full list of Razzie winners and nominees below: Golden Raspberry Winners and Nominees 2023: Worst Picture: The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Meg 2: The Trench Shazam! Fury of the Gods Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Actor: Russell Crowe, The Pope's Exorcist Vin Diesel, Fast X Chris Evans, Ghosted Jason Statham, Meg 2: The Trench Jon Voight, Mercy — WINNER Worst Actress: Ana de Armas, Ghosted Megan Fox, Johnny & Clyde — WINNER Salma Hayek, Magic Mike's Last Dance Jennifer Lopez, The Mother Helen Mirren, Shazam! Fury of the Gods Worst Supporting Actor: Michael Douglas, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Mel Gibson, Confidential Informant Bill Murray, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Franco Nero (as The Pope), The Pope's Exorcist Sylvester Stallone, Expend4ables — WINNER Worst Supporting Actress: Kim Cattrall, About My Father Megan Fox, Expend4bles — WINNER Bai Ling, Johnny & Clyde Lucy Liu, Shazam! Fury of the Gods Mary Stuart Masterson, Five Nights at Freddy's Worst Screen Couple: Any two "merciless mercenaries", Expend4bles Any two money-grubbing investors who donated to the $400 million for remake rights to The Exorcist Ana de Armas and Chris Evans (who flunked screen chemistry), Ghosted Salma Hayek and Channing Tatum, Magic Mike's Last Dance Pooh and Piglet as blood-thirsty slasher/killers in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER David Gordon Green, The Exorcist: Believer Peyton Reed, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Scott Waugh, Expend4bles Ben Wheatley, Meg 2: The Trench Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel: Ant Man & The Wasp: Quantumania The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey — WINNER Worst Screenplay: The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Shazam! Fury of the Gods Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood & Honey — WINNER Razzie Redeemer Award: 1998 nominee and current SAG/AFTRA President Fran Drescher, for her brilliant shepherding of the actors' guild through a prolonged 2023 strike with a successful conclusion. The 2024 Golden Raspberry Awards were announced on Saturday, March 9, Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website.
Harbourside favourite Bar Patrón has thrown open the doors of its Circular Quay home for the first time in three years, returning to Phillip Street with a new team, a new menu, and the same classy look and stunning views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. From Wednesday, April 27, patrons can return to the tequila-loving spot for Patrón cocktails and top-notch Mexican eats. The only restaurant to partner with Patrón Tequila in this way anywhere in the world, Bar Patrón originally opened under the ownership of Neil Perry and the Rockpool Dining Group before shutting down close to three years ago. Now under the guidance of hospitality group Pacific Concepts (El Camino, The Bavarian, Fratelli Fresh, The Argyle) — a spinoff from Rockpool — the restaurant boasts a revamped range of food and drinks created by Food and Beverage Director Molly Haranis, Culinary Director Gabor Denes and Executive Chef of Mexican Concepts Manuel Diaz. The initial menu highlight: the array of tacos. The house-pressed tortillas are topped with the likes of steak asada, eggplant carnitas and soft shell crab; however, the signature surf 'n turf taco combines the steak with lobster al pastor, avocado mousse, grilled pineapple and a Patrón Silver salsa. The tacos are complimented by a range of entrees and share plates that can be curated into a perfect group meal with your friends, but you'll find a few truly luxe mains on the menu for those that want to go big. For $79–149, you can order lobster accompanied by a Patrón Silver cheese sauce, or at $125, you can treat yourself to the 500-gram MB6+ Tajima wagyu beef rib eye. Move your attention to the cocktails and you'll find one common denominator, unsurprisingly — Patrón, of course. Some favourites from the bar's previous iteration are back. There's the signature margarita, plus the outlandish Millionaire's Margarita, which is created table-side and combines Patrón Gran Burdeos, Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac, Grand Marnier Cuvée Du Cent Cinquantenaire and nitro-chilled lime pearls, all served over a gold leaf-coated ice diamond. More inventive Patrón creations available on the menu include a range of highballs, a macadamia and wattleseed espresso creation, and the platinum martini that pulls together Gran Patrón Platinum tequila, glacier-cut vodka and grape tincture. And, tequila-lovers can explore the selections of rare and barrel-aged tequilas ranging from 23-month bourbon oak cast sips through to the ultra-rare En Lalique Serie 1 and En Lalique Serie 2, the latter of which are available for a cool $990 a glass. Find Bar Patrón at 2 Phillip Street, Circular Quay — open Tuesday–Saturday 9am–11pm.
Prepare for another actively sedentary June: the Sydney Film Festival has announced its full program for 2014. It's a canny balancing act between hotly anticipated previews screenings and little known international gems by festival director Nashen Moodley, with the Sydney Film Festival Hub tying things together over a vino at the Town Hall. "We feel this program represents the best of international film in the last 12 months," said Moodley at the program launch, and the best of the best are surely found in the SFF Official Competition. Doing dual duties as the opening night film is 20,000 Days on Earth, the Nick Cave documentary that's said to defy categorisation and won two gongs at Sundance. Formal experimentation is a bit of a theme in this year's competition, which also features Richard Linklater's Boyhood, a family drama which he shot with the same actors (Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and kids Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater) over a 12-year period; Iranian director Shahram Mokri's Fish & Cat, shot in a single 134-minute take and based on a real news report; and The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq, starring the controversial author himself in a fictional scenario based on real-life rumours. David Michod's Animal Kingdom follow-up, The Rover, and Amiel Courtin-Wilson (Hail) and Michael Cody's Ruin are also ones to watch. The SFF Hub is not only returning for a third time but expanding its presence at the Town Hall to encompass the Treasury Room upstairs. As well as its scintillating lineup of talks and performances, this year it's decked out with designer furniture showcasing the legacy of the Eameses, a TITLE pop-up shop, Gelato Messina cart, vintage photo booth and the festival's discount ticket booth. A definitive highlight among the Hub's cinematic tangents is the Vladmaster Viewmaster Experience by artist Vladimir, who hijacks the classic toy for art purposes, crafting a story you experience click by click. Also featured are talks Altman on Altman (with son Robert Altman) and Eames on Eames (with grandson Eames Demetrios), film trivia, a film critics death match and Hugh Hamilton's Rosebud exhibition of film star portraits. All the popular streams in the festival return, including Freak Me Out, Sounds on Screen, The Box Set, International Documentaries and Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary. Special presentations at the State Theatre include the much-anticipated/mocked Zach Braff movie Wish I Was Here, Michel Gondry's scribbly Noam Chomsky doco Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy?, and the directorial debut from the writer of Drive, The Two Faces of January. These films you'll be able to see in cinemas later in the year, but this is your chance to see them in stately picture-palace surrounds (and see them before everyone else). The festival closes with What We Do in the Shadows, which is just what you'd expect of such a highbrow event — an NZ vampire mockumentary from the makers of Flight of the Conchords. The SFF runs from June 4-15. Tickets are now on sale. Hop to booking them, as well as checking out the full program, at the festival website.
Another beloved Sydney venue is shutting its doors — and you've only got until this weekend to dine in for a final meal. Joining the likes of Tetsuya's, Raja, Bistrot 916 and Lucky Kwong, affordable Castlereigh Street spot Hey Chú is the latest Harbour City restaurant to announce a 2024 closing date. Cuong Nguyen, the culinary great behind the joint, has decided to close Hey Chú due to increasing operational costs within the hospitality space. Instead, he will be turning his full attention to his other ventures, Penelope's and Hello Auntie. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hey Chú (@heychu.castlereagh) Hey Chú will offer its final service on Saturday, June 15 before officially closing. The Hey Chú team took to Instagram this morning to announce its closure in a short and sweet post. "Thank you to all those who supported us! Goodbye for now, but not for good," said the crew behind the joint. The southeast Asian eatery is known for its affordable and fusion-forward food and drink offering, with the spot undertaking exclusive collaborations with the likes of the Lana and Porkfat teams, and launching affordable deals like its cash-only 'Happy Endings' hour. Its concept blends cues from family-orientated Asian cultures and the casual street diners of the southeast Asian region, putting a playful spin on unpretentious dining with a "pay your uncle a visit" ethos at its forefront. If you're looking to indulge in Hey Chú's finest flavour-packed offerings ahead of its upcoming closure, you'll want to ensure that the dry-aged beef cheeseburger, crispy pork cannoli, lobster agnolotti with smoked kimchi butter and the thit kho lamb pappardelle are among the dishes in your farewell feast. Find Hey Chú at Level 1 of Hotel Downing, 249 Castlereigh Street, Sydney, open from 5pm–12am Monday–Saturday until Saturday, June 15 — head to the venue's website for further details. Images: Chad Konik.
Hong Kong is almost close enough (an eight-hour plane trip) to justify a long weekend away. Doing it cheap isn't easy, and what would particularly be the point? As one of the world's most expensive cities, especially for hotels, it's all about bling. Eating out can be more affordable than the top end of Australian restaurants, with obviously superior Cantonese dining options, but drinking in the hipper bars will set you back $10 a beer. If you want cheap, go to Thailand. If you want style, go to Hong Kong. The main socialising districts are Hong Kong Island, traditionally where it's all happening, and Kowloon across the harbour, its less glamorous cousin, although that's changing. Italian and French dining is in vogue at the moment, with Caprice and Pierre the top-dollar and high-rise favourites. Further down the cheap food chain are the Canto picks. The Chairman and Fook Lam Moon offer traditional Chinese cooking with a modern flair, rejecting the MSG of the local diners. The owner of The Chairman, Danny Yip, owns three Chairman restaurants in Canberra and prides himself on an organic approach to crab and dumpling feasts. Spring Moon is an upmarket 1920s-style teahouse bang in the middle of a five-star hotel, with ornate surroundings. If you want more exclusive surroundings, Yard Bird does take bookings and is the hot new place to be seen by local celebrities. Drinking is synonymous with views of the harbour, with most bars perched on top of swish hotels. Among the most popular are Hutong, which is a faux traditional restaurant with an indoor mezzanine bar above the private dining rooms and red lanterns overlooking the skyscapers of Hong Kong Island. For outdoor boozing, head to Eyebar (level 30, 63 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon) for a vertigo-inducing vista, Ozone, apparently the highest bar in the world, or Sugar in the East hotel. More down-to-earth reveling can be found at the Kee Club, a members-only den with private rooms decorated like libraries and it hosts open club nights on the weekend. It's near Lan Kwai Fong, the main drinking area for visiting drunkards, which is open to the early hours and home to all-night clubs. It's not particularly cheap, but Hong Kong does offer expensive memories.
Keep your eyes peeled for Hendrick's Gin's hot air balloon flying over Sydney today. The floating gin bar, which offered free gin-filled balloon flights late last year, will be taking off as part of a fleet of balloons from Parramatta and floating across Sydney the city throughout today, Monday, March 15. The flight is part of a week-long series of activations Hendrick's is running across the city titled the Week of Wonders that will see free G&Ts offered up throughout the week. Unfortunately, Hendrick's isn't offering free flights in the balloon this time around, but if you catch glimpse of the hot air balloon and manage to snap a pic, you can take that picture to select venues in Parramatta and the city and exchange it for a free gin and tonic. The participating venues include Potts Point Hotel, Frisco Hotel, The Tilbury, Hotel Palisade, Glenmore Hotel, Nick & Nora's and Heritage Lounge. If you miss out on seeing the balloon, there are plenty more chances for free gin throughout the week, too. A pop-up gin bar will be residing at Campbells Cove, The Rocks between Thursday, March 18 and Saturday, March 20. The pop-up will be open 2–8pm each day and will be serving up free cucumber sandwiches and G&Ts. Between 4–7pm from Wednesday, March 17 and Saturday, March 20, you may also see Victorian-era characters riding around the CBD on penny-farthings. If you approach the riders, they'll offer you a cucumber which you can redeem for a Hendrick's Gin cocktail at a selection of Sydney venues including PS40 and The Barber Shop. More information will be available throughout the week via the Hendrick's Gin Facebook page. Hendrick's Gin's 'Week of Wonder' runs from Monday, March 15 until Saturday, March 20.
