We’re only six weeks into a season far too cold for denim cut-offs and more suited to umbrellas than feather headdresses, but if you’re under the age of 50 and you like music then chances are you’re already saving coin for one of our many summer music festivals. Preliminary lineups for Harvest, Stereosonic and Falls Festival and Big Day Out have all recently been announced, with others set to reveal juicy details shortly. But while even the most civilised festival has its fair share of regrettable decisions, warm beers being chugged in the parking lot and liquid deposits being made in plastic water bottles, the truth of the matter is that at most of our own large-scale gatherings it’s easier to mislay a sense of refinement than it is to lose both your friends and your sunglasses. Ergo, Concrete Playground has handpicked a few overseas festivals that manage to combine brazen antics, booze and grannies in souped-up shopping carts with more cultivated offerings. 1. GOOGAMOOGA WHERE: BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USAWHEN: MAY The inaugural GoogaMooga in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park offered festivalgoers not just sonic goodness from 20 performers ranging from Holy Ghost! to Preservation Hall Jazz Band, but also a little Extra Mooga alongside. With Anthony Bourdain leaving the stage just in time for James Murphy’s DJ set, and grain going head to head with grape at the Beer vs Wine smackdown, Googa Mooga is just a celebration of all things great in life. 2. ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES (UK) WHERE: EAST SUSSEX, ENGLANDWHEN: DECEMBER No one can create an arts and music festival better than an artist or a musician, so this English festival gets a different musical or visual creative to invite their favourite performers to play each year. Past curators have included Portishead, The National and Matt Groening, with B-side festival I’ll Be Your Mirror offering music, film and arts events outside of the holiday resorts. 3. BONNAROO MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL WHERE: MANCHESTER, TENNESSEEWHEN: JUNE Nashville is great for wearing rhinestone cowboy hats and dancing to Johnny Cash cover songs, but Manchester is where country and bluegrass music meets indie rock, world music, folk, gospel, reggae and electronica. The 100-acre entertainment village also features a classic arcade, on-site cinema, silent disco, comedy club and theatre performers, but it’s also the peaceful vibes that had Rolling Stone name Bonnaroo one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll. 4. BUMBERSHOOT WHERE: SEATTLE, WASHINGTONWHEN: SEPTEMBER The name of this music and arts festival comes from “bumbershoot”, a colloquial term for umbrella, which is a far cooler tag than its original 'Mayor’s Arts Festival'. Now in its 42nd year, music, film, comedy, spoken word, dance, theatre and performance are just some of the genres falling under its canopy. 5. STOCKHOLM MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL WHERE: STOCKHOLM, SWEDENWHEN: AUGUST Here are two things you probably already know about Stockholm: it’s beautiful, and it breeds creativity like Lara Bingle breeds LOLs. The island of Skeppsholmen is where these two things culminate each year, with acts including Patti Smith, Bjork and Antony and the Johnsons playing against a backdrop of intelligent art and glittering water landscapes. 6. OUTSIDE LANDS WHERE: SAN FRANCISCO, USAWHEN: AUGUST San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park holds many rich nuggets of culture, from fascinating buildings and major museums to scenic picnic spots and lakes. In August it also plays host to Outside Lands, a festival geared towards the green movement that celebrates the neutral terrain that became San Francisco’s common ground during the tumult of the 1960s. Food, wine and immersive art are dotted around the park, while the musical lineup — ranging from Metallica to Tame Impala to Norah Jones — really does offer something for everyone. 7. ICELAND AIRWAVES WHERE: REYKJAVIK, ICELANDWHEN: OCTOBER What started as a one-off event in an airplane hangar is now one of the premier annual showcases for new music in the world. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Bravery and The Rapture all played Airwaves in the infancy of their musical careers, and Rolling Stone dubbed it “The hippest long weekend on the annual music festival calendar”. But Airwaves and the exquisite city of Reykjavík don't offer just music — hose the stale beer out of your hair, hop on a bus and alleviate your hangover via geysers, waterfalls, lava fields and the world-famous Blue Lagoon. 8. CACTUS FESTIVAL WHERE: BRUGES, BELGIUMWHEN: JULY Because the only thing better than great music and great beer is Granny Turismo.
A new microbrewery is set to open in Redfern this week, thanks to WA beer brand Gage Roads Brewing Co. After snapping up the Redern digs last March, the Perth brewery is finally set to open its very first taproom — and we're lucky enough to have it right here in Sydney. The Atomic Beer Project (a sub-brand of Gage Road) will open its doors on Thursday, September 24. Punters can expect much more than just a brewpub, too — a Thai-inspired restaurant and an all-day co-working space are also on the docket. At the bar, you'll find Atomic Beer Project signatures — such as the pale ale, XPA and IPA — alongside seasonal and experimental releases, which already include a red ale and porter. Beer styles that haven't been brewed previously under the Gage Roads banner will also be up for grabs. The bar will also offer wine and spirits by local producers including Brix Distillers, Poor Toms and Archie Rose. [caption id="attachment_783990" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] While the bar slings the booze, the kitchen will serve up Southeast Asian share plates by Head Chef Jordan McLeod (Longrain Tokyo). The seasonal menu features small bites like porter-braised beef cheek stuffed in croissants, grilled tiger prawn skewers with green curry butter and kingfish sashimi with shoyu dressing. Larger plates include chargrilled riverine sirloin with chimichurri, pork and squid nuoc cham salad, barbecued Bannockburn chicken with soy mirin glaze and yellow curry with roasted cauliflower, eggplant and snake beans. [caption id="attachment_783979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] The brand invested a whopping $3 million into the 578-square-metre space, working with Promena Projects (Bopp & Tone, Brix Distillers, Tayim) and interior design studio YSG (Edition Coffee Roasters, The Collectionist). The industrial fit-out features polished concrete, rusted beams and stainless steel elements — including the brewhouse tanks, which will be on full display. Meanwhile, heaps of colour will be found in the furnishings, including the neon green bar, bright red tables and forest green tiled walls. On the upper level is an open dining room that doubles as a co-working space with views to the brewhouse below. It boasts office amenities like unlimited wifi and bookable tables with USBs and power sockets — plus coffees from 7am daily, an all-day menu and beer on tap, of course. Having launched way back in 2004, Gage Roads has expanded to become one of Australia's largest independently owned breweries. In 2018, it rebranded nationally as Good Drinks and acquired Western Australian brewery Matso's — makers of the state's favourite alcoholic ginger beer — with more brands expected to join Good Drinks in the future. Find Atomic Beer Project taproom from Thursday, September 24 at 158 Regent Street, Redfern. It'll be open from 7am–late daily.
Make sure you visit this institution on an empty stomach, because you'll want to try one of everything. Run by Ham cafe owners Harry and Mario Kapoulas with the help of chef Josh Davidson (ex-head chef of The Apollo), CC Babcoq is a rotisserie chicken shop serving up 'contemporary comfort food' that's designed to share. Think pork loin with crackling ($36), lamb shoulder with tzatziki ($37) and pumpkin and ricotta flowers drizzled with fresh honey ($23) — as well the eatery's juicy, golden chook ($24/36)served with its signature sauce. If it's a beautiful day, head to the takeaway counter next to the main restaurant. It's slinging next-level rolls (stuffed with the likes of buttermilk fried chicken, pork crackling and falafel, $13.90) and hearty salads — the combination of the two makes for the ideal beachside picnic.
UPDATE, June 28, 2022: RRR is available to stream via Netflix. The letters in RRR's title are short for Rise Roar Revolt. They could also stand for riveting, rollicking and relentless. They link in with the Indian action movie's three main forces, too — writer/director SS Rajamouli (Baahubali: The Beginning), plus stars NT Rama Rao Jr (Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava) and Ram Charan (Vinaya Vidheya Rama) — and could describe the sound of some of its standout moments. What noise echoes when a motorcycle is used in a bridge-jumping rescue plot, as aided by a horse and the Indian flag, amid a crashing train? Or when a truck full of wild animals is driven into a decadent British colonialist shindig and its caged menagerie unleashed? What racket resounds when a motorbike figures again, this time tossed around by hand (yes, really) to knock out those imperialists, and then an arrow is kicked through a tree into someone's head? Or, when the movie's two leads fight, shoot, leap over walls and get acrobatic, all while one is sat on the other's shoulders? RRR isn't subtle. Instead, it's big, bright, boisterous, boldly energetic, and brazenly unapologetic about how OTT and hyperactive it is. The 187-minute Tollywood action epic — complete with huge musical numbers, of course — is also a vastly captivating pleasure to watch. Narrative-wise, it follows the impact of the British Raj (aka England's rule over the subcontinent between 1858–1947), especially upon two men. In the 1920s, Bheem (Jr NTR, as Rao is known) is determined to rescue young fellow villager Malli (first-timer Twinkle Sharma), after she's forcibly taken by Governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson, Vikings) and his wife Catherine (Alison Doody, Beaver Falls) for no reason but they're powerful and they can. Officer Raju (Charan) is tasked by the crown with making sure Bheem doesn't succeed in rescuing the girl, and also keeping India's population in their place because their oppressors couldn't be more prejudiced. There's more to both men's stories because there's so much more to RRR's story; to fill the movie's lengthy running time, Rajamouli hasn't skimped on plot. Indeed, there's such a wealth of things going on that the film is at once a kidnapping melodrama, a staunch missive against colonialism, a political drama, a rom-com and a culture-clash comedy — involving Bheem's affection for the sole kindly Brit, Jenny (Olivia Morris, Hotel Portofino) — and a war movie. It's a buddy comedy as well, starting when Bheem and Raja join forces for that aforementioned bridge rescue, yet don't realise they're on opposite sides in the battle over Malli. It's also as spectacular an action flick as has graced cinema screens, and as gleefully overblown. Plus, it's an infectiously mesmerising musical. One dazzling dance-off centrepiece doubles as a rebuff against British rule, racism and classism, in fact, and it's also nothing short of phenomenal to look at, too. Spectacle is emphatically the word for RRR — not quite from its scene-setting opening, where Malli is ripped from her family, but from the second that Raju shows how well he can handle himself. That involves taking on a hefty horde of protesters single-handedly with just a stick as a weapon, because extravagance and excess is baked into every second of the feature. Super-sized is another term that clearly fits, because little holds back even for a second. And a third word, if the film bumped up its moniker to the next letter in the alphabet? That'd be sincere. An enormous reason that everything that's larger than life about RRR — which is absolutely everything — works, even when it's also often silly and cheesy, is because it's so earnest about how determined it is to entertain. You don't use that amount of slow-motion shots if you don't know you're being corny at times, unashamedly so. If the whole friends-but-enemies dynamic between Bheem and Raja sounds like The Departed and Infernal Affairs, that's just part of RRR's exuberant melange of influences — just like genres. Its protagonists Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju are actually ripped from reality, with each revolutionaries, although their tales didn't ever intertwine. (No, nothing IRL in history has ever resembled this). The Harder They Fall did the same thing, fictionalising the past to make a statement and craft barnstorming cinema, but in America, in the Old West and with Black characters. Imagine the same idea given the Michael Bay treatment in India and that's almost the wavelength that RRR runs on. Imagine the right kind of Bayhem, though — Pain and Gain, for instance — or just think of his penchant for shamelessly go-for-broke action scenes and ignore everything he usually stuffs around them. When a filmmaker is helming an action onslaught, just as when they're overseeing musical scenes, choreography is always key. That's another crucial factor in making RRR so engaging. Rajamouli's staging of both, and the way that the frays and song-and-dance numbers alike are shot by cinematographer KK Senthil Kumar (Vijetha) and edited by A Sreekar Prasad (Good Luck Sakhi), is a visual wonder. On one side, the Fast and Furious movies would be envious. On the other, Lin-Manuel Miranda might be. Again, RRR is often chaotically ridiculous, but it's also so well-made — so audaciously as well — that it's exhilarating. The films of John Woo come to mind at times, as do The Raid and The Raid: Redemption, but RRR is also its own beast. It's also easy to predict that Telugu-language cinema stars Jr NTR and Charan could get their moment in Hollywood; if Vin Diesel doesn't come calling, perhaps Quentin Tarantino will when he hops behind the camera next. Jr NTR and Charan are megawatt movie stars, one playing an everyman who becomes a hero, the other the picture of dutiful and skilled authority — and deep-seated conflict — who does the same. They're dynamite together amid the rampant maximalism, the stunts and the CGI-heavy special effects. Yes, that means that RRR is also a bromance. The film's central pair live their lives one anti-colonialist tussle at a time, though. Their characters are also posed as superheroes, never with the term ever mentioned, but in just how super-adept they are. Of course, the usual sprawling caped-crusader franchises typically don't feel this overstimulated, ardent, often-absurd and engagingly alive.
Fear, dread, tension, apprehension, just being creeped out — they're all strong emotions. They're also exactly the types of reactions that Darkfield and Realscape Productions trade in. The two companies have been teaming up for a couple of years now, with UK creators Darkfield first collaborating with the Melbourne-based Realscape Productions on Seance, Coma and Flight, those eerie shipping container installations that have popped up around the country. Then, when the pandemic hit, the pair pivoted to at-home audio experiences. If you've listed along to Double, Visitors and Eternal as part of the Darkfield Radio series, you'll know that putting people on edge is firmly on the agenda here. With their latest Darkfield Radio project, Darkfield and Realscape aren't messing with their successful formula. So, audiences can expect another unsettling experience designed to be listened to at home. But this duo never serve up the same thing twice, even if their current works all spin nerve-jangling tales and unfurl creepy audio experiences. With Knot, which is currently running each Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Sunday, September 30, you don't just sit in one place, don your headphones and listen attentively, for instance. Initially you need to head to a park bench to listen in — still wearing those headphones, of course — and you'll want to sit in a car after that. For the last section of this three-part experience, you'll then get comfy in a room in your house. To get the full experience, you need to work through all three of Knot's sections in one evening — untangling them in your head, naturally. Darkfield and Realscape always keep the minutiae of their shows close to their chests, so that audiences experience them for themselves while listening, but they have released one clue for Knot: "Here I am, I have come from nothing, created in this moment, as your brain improvises me into existence, improvised into existence... but with no hidden depths." "Season one exposed audiences to the mysterious and supernatural inside their homes, magnified by Darkfield's signature 360 degree binaural sound,", said Realscape Productions Amy Johnson. "We're looking forward to getting audiences outside of their homes for Season two — in COVID-safe settings of course — and pushing them out of their comfort zones even more." Images: Empty Bottles Media.
For three days over Christmas, the stay-at-home orders in place on Sydney's northern beaches suburbs were slightly relaxed to allow for indoor gatherings. From midnight tonight, Saturday, December 26, that privilege ends and all of the northern beaches will revert back to pre-Christmas restrictions, but with one small change: limited outdoor gatherings are allowed. Today, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that residents of the northern half of the northern beaches — where the majority of the outbreak is located — must return to stay-at-home orders, but are allowed outdoor gatherings of up to five people, for recreation or exercise purposes. Residents in the southern half also revert back to stay-at-home orders, but are allowed outdoors gatherings of up to ten. Residents can't leave their zones and people from Greater Sydney cannot enter the region. These restrictions will be in place until at least midnight on Wednesday, December 30 — when the Premier is set to make another announcement. If you need a refresher on the zones, the NSW Government has split the northern beaches into two zones — a northern and southern section, using the Narrabeen Bridge and the Baha'i Temple as a boundary. You can see a map below. For the rest of Greater Sydney, which currently includes the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong, restrictions also revert back to pre-Christmas conditions, which is indoor gatherings of up to ten people (including adults and children). Outdoor public gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed. The rest of NSW may have indoor gatherings of up to 50 people. The announcement comes as NSW records nine additional cases of locally acquired COVID-19 in the 24 hours leading up to 8pm on Friday, December 25. Eight of those are linked to the cluster, one is a person from the Bondi area with no known links to the Avalon cluster yet that is currently under investigation. While those in Greater Sydney are allowed to shop and dine at restaurants, the Premier has urged everyone to limit their movement. "All of us in greater Sydney should be reducing activity where possible, not undertaking activity unless we absolutely have to," the Premier said. The Premier has also said more announcements about New Year's Eve restrictions will be made in the coming days. Here's a full rundown of the new restrictions that come into place from midnight tonight until 11:59pm on Wednesday, December 30. For the northern beaches peninsula zone (North of Narrabeen Bridge, and east of the Baha'i Temple): Given the ongoing risk, this area will return to 'stay-at-home' restrictions, with no indoor gatherings allowed. Up to five people, including children, will be able to gather outdoors for exercise or recreational activity. People may not enter or leave this zone. For the remainder (southern zone) of the northern beaches: Given the ongoing risk, this area will return to 'stay-at-home' restrictions, with no indoor gatherings allowed. Up to 10 people, including children, will be able to gather outdoors for exercise or recreational activity. People may not enter or leave this zone. Residents of the northern beaches are able to leave for four permitted reasons: Shopping for food or other goods and services Travel for work or education purposes if unable to work from home Exercise Medical or caring reasons. For the Greater Sydney region, Central Coast, Wollongong and Nepean Blue Mountains: Restrictions will remain unchanged in these regions. Gatherings in the home are restricted to 10 people in total (including children). People who work in the CBD are urged to work from home where practical. Restrictions for Regional NSW remain unchanged. For more information about the northern beaches outbreak and current restrictions, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Mona Vale
UPDATE, January 7, 2022: Godzilla vs Kong is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. The kaiju to end all kaiju (or to fight them, at least), Godzilla isn't a villain. When the giant critter first rampaged across the screen 67 years ago in the original and still best Godzilla film, it was born of the need to confront the consequences of nuclear weapons. When fire blazed from the monster's mouth, there was no doubt that it was sparked by the apathy and arrogance that humankind showed the planet by creating the atomic bomb. Predating the leviathan by debuting in 1933, King Kong isn't a villain either. If the enormous ape hadn't been captured and exploited, the so-called 'eighth wonder of the world' wouldn't have had a date with the Empire State Building. If humanity hadn't interfered with nature, he wouldn't have clutched several blondes — Fay Wray to start, Jessica Lange in 1976, Naomi Watts in 2005 and Brie Larson in 2017 — in his oversized hands across the decades. Given that neither of Godzilla vs Kong's towering titans are truly terrors, and therefore neither should really emerge victorious over the other, getting them to face off seems pointless. "They're both big, so they can't get along" is the simplistic concept. This isn't a new train of thought, or new to the American-made Monsterverse that's been nudging the beasts closer together for seven years. Thankfully, in the hands of You're Next and The Guest director Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs Kong has as much in common with its superior Japanese predecessors as it does with 2019's terrible Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The follow-up to 2017's Kong: Skull Island, too, this new battle of the behemoths doesn't remake the duo's first screen showdown in 1962's King Kong vs Godzilla. And, sadly, it hasn't ditched the current Hollywood flicks' love of unexciting human characters. But it crucially recognises that watching its titular creatures go claw-to-paw should be entertaining. It should be a spectacle, in fact. The film also realises that if you're not going to make a movie about this pair with much in the way of substance, then you should go all out on the action and fantasy fronts. In other words, Godzilla vs Kong feels like the product of a filmmaker who loves the Japanese Godzilla flicks and Kong's maiden appearance, knows he can't do them justice thematically, but is determined to get what he can right. Wingard is still saddled with a flimsy script with a tin ear for dialogue by screenwriters Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) and Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island), but his massive monster melees are a delight. That's fantastic news to everyone who strained to get a proper glimpse of Godzilla in 2014, found that Skull Island borrowed a little too much from the Jurassic Park series, and suffered through the dark and ugly-looking King of the Monsters. Also welcome: Godzilla vs Kong's eagerness to lean into its genre. When it surrenders to its pixels, and to a tale that involves a journey to the centre of the earth, subterranean asteroids, altercations with giant flying lizards and an underground tunnel from Florida to Hong Kong, it's equal parts loopy and fun. That trip to the planet's interior is guided by Kong, whose life has changed since last swinging across the screen. Kept in a dome that simulates the jungle, the jumbo primate is under the watch of Jane Goodall-esque researcher Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall, Tales from the Loop), and bonds with Jia (newcomer Kaylee Hottle), the orphan also in the doctor's care. But, after Godzilla surfaces for the first time in three years to attack tech corporation Apex's Miami base, CEO Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir, Chaos Walking) enlists geologist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård, The Stand) on a mission. Testing the latter's hollow earth theory, they plan to track down an energy source that could be linked to both Zilly and Kong's existence — but only if Kong will lead them there. In a plot inclusion that'd do Scooby Doo proud, teenager Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown, returning from King of the Monsters) and her classmate Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) are certain that Apex is up to no good and — with conspiracy theory-obsessed podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry, Superintelligence) — start meddling. If you're tired of seeing podcasting overused as an easy narrative crutch — as also present in everything from the most recent Halloween to the new Mighty Ducks TV series — you're not alone. Story-wise, Godzilla vs Kong makes a slew of such lazy choices. When its handling of technology brings up memories of the atrocious first US take on Godzilla back in 1998, that definitely isn't a good thing. And, despite the high-profile array of talent involved, the film doesn't give its cast anything to brag about. You could be generous and assume that's intentional, because Godzilla and Kong should be the stars of the show and dwarf their flesh-and-blood costars in multiple ways; however, the feature spends far too much time with its thinly written humans to support that notion. When the movie's monsters are pushed to the fore and thrust together, though, Godzilla vs Kong is a much better film. One exceptional sequence doesn't make any picture a masterpiece, but the luminous wrestling match that takes place against Hong Kong's neon-lit skyline is instantly gorgeous, impressively staged and reminiscent of Tron: Legacy's dazzling imagery. While the fact that the film's fights aren't messy, dim and frenetic to the point of being visually nonsensical shouldn't be as much of a win as it is, that's the state of big blockbuster action these days. Indeed, the knack for action choreography that Wingard initially showed in the underrated and underseen The Guest is firmly a highlight here. The idea of pitting its titans against each other remains ludicrous, but Godzilla vs Kong knows it, leans in, delivers on the concept and adds a pulsating synth score. Wingard has the average recent Blair Witch on his resume, too, so he has struggled with jumping into an existing franchise before — but from the eponymous animals to a not-at-all surprising but still well-handled late appearance, he has helmed one of the Monsterverse's most engaging entries yet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odM92ap8_c0
Dread doesn't get enough credit. It's the emotion of worried anticipation and, as unpleasant and unsettling as it may be, it's the backbone of any truly unnerving horror movie. While startling bumps might elicit momentary jumps, spending an entire film in a state of distress is another experience entirely. Unravelling the struggles of a family wrestling with loss, trauma and unexplained events, Hereditary serves up more than a few well-executed shocks — but it's the picture's unrelenting mood of apprehension and anxiety that marks Ari Aster's debut feature as a disturbing, discomforting masterpiece. Hereditary begins with a piece of text that no one likes to read: a funeral notice for the Graham family matriarch. Yet as the deceased's relatives prepare for the service, only 13-year-old Charlie (Milly Shapiro) appears visibly upset. If her mum Annie (Toni Collette) bears any sorrow about the passing of her own mother, it's channelled into the miniature dioramas she's busy handcrafting — recreations of her sprawling forest-adjacent house and events from her everyday life, including the dearly departed's final days. Still, all isn't particularly well in the slowly disintegrating Graham household. There's distance between Annie and her psychiatrist husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne), while teenage son Peter (Alex Wolff) is happier smoking joints between his high school classes than interacting with his family. If the story so far sounds like a routine drama, that's Aster's wheelhouse in a way. In acclaimed short films Munchausen and The Strange Thing About the Johnsons, the writer-director probed the problems that reside behind blood ties — only to take seemingly commonplace scenarios, and then up the ante in a provocative and unexpected manner. In Hereditary, he plagues the movie's protagonists with weird occurrences, including strange words etched into walls, odd flashes of light, upsetting strangers and alarming seances. He is making a horror film, after all. But more than that, Aster doubles down on tragedy, stretches the characters' emotional limits and heightens their psychological strain, trapping the Grahams in a situation devoid of hope, escape or choice. There's a reason that one of the movie's most pivotal scenes, involving Annie unburdening her pain to a support group, expands upon the family's history of mental stress. As we've already mentioned, all of the above mightn't sound overly revolutionary, especially if you've seen Rosemary's Baby, The Shining or The Babadook, three films Hereditary recalls in the best possible fashion. In the same vein as many supernatural spookfests, the involvement of a mysterious woman (Ann Dowd) who tries to help Annie with her grief mightn't sound unusual either. But in a movie that embraces the bleakness of life, and the way that grimness can feel like an unshakeable curse, it's how Hereditary tells its sinister tale that lifts the picture well beyond standard scary territory. If Annie's tiny creations appear painstaking and precise, they've got nothing on Aster's level of meticulousness. Thanks to roaming, grey-hued cinematography, every frame of the film bristles with unease. Courtesy of a score heavy on saxophone and percussion, every sound rattles the nerves. And, with the movie taking the slow-burning approach to an intense and insidious extreme, dwelling in the Grahams' unhappy existence is a fist-clenching, teeth-grinding exercise in deep-seeded tension. One of the year's best flicks — frightening or otherwise —Hereditary has another trick up its sleeve. It's not a huge twist or an especially terrifying moment, although the film contains both. Simply put, the movie wouldn't and couldn't be the powerhouse factory of dread that it is without Collette. The Australian actor played with all things unnerving back in The Sixth Sense, but now haunts this picture like a woman possessed with a lifetime's worth of worry, fear and anger. While Shapiro and Wolff also play their parts to perfection, Collette's expressive face couldn't encapsulate Hereditary's horrors better. When she reacts with fright, pain, anxiety and terror, so does the audience. Keen to know more about this terrifying flick? We went behind the scenes with Hereditary director Ari Aster. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3__y-uPwbe8
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. FAST AND FURIOUS 9 Fast cars, furious action stars, a love of family and oh-so-many Coronas: across ten movies over 20 years, that's the Fast and Furious franchise. It might've started out as a high-octane spin on Point Break, but this long-running series has kept motoring across nine flicks in its main storyline, and also via a 2019 spinoff. The latter, Hobbs & Shaw, actually casts a shadow over the saga's latest instalment. Because Dwayne Johnson was part of that sidestep, he doesn't show up in Fast and Furious 9. He's missed, regardless of whether you're usually a diehard fan of the wrestler-turned-actor, because he's managed to perfect the F&F tone. Over his decade-long involvement to-date, Johnson always seems amused in his Fast and Furious performances. He's always sweaty, too, but that's another matter. Entering the F&F realm in Fast Five, he instantly oozed the kind of attitude the franchise needs. He knows that by taking the outlandish stunts, eye-catching setpieces and penchant for family with the utmost seriousness, these films border on comedic — and by navigating five flicks with that mood, he's been the saga's playful and entertaining barometer. Without Johnson, Fast and Furious 9 isn't as willing to admit that it's often downright silly. It's nowhere near as fun, either. Hobbs & Shaw wasn't a franchise standout, but Fast and Furious 9 mainly revs in one gear, even in a movie that features a high-speed car chase through Central American jungles, a plane with a magnet that can scoop up fast-driving vehicles and a trip to space in a rocket car. The latest F&F is as ridiculous as ever, and it's the least-eager F&F film to acknowledge that fact. It's also mostly a soap opera. It leans heavily on its favourite theme — yes, family — by not only swapping in a different wrestler-turned-actor as Dominic Toretto's (Vin Diesel, Bloodshot) long-lost sibling, but also by fleshing out the warring brothers' backstory through flashbacks to their tragic past. Fast and Furious 9 starts with an 80s-era Universal logo, because that's the time period it heads to first — to introduce a teen Dom (Vinnie Bennett, Ghost in the Shell), his never-before-mentioned younger brother Jakob (Finn Cole, Dreamland) and their dad Jack (JD Pardo, Mayans MC). It's 1989, the elder Toretto is behind the wheel on the racetrack, and his sons are part of his pit crew. Then tragedy strikes, tearing the Toretto family apart. In the present day, Dom and Jakob (John Cena, Playing with Fire) definitely don't get along. Indeed, when Roman (Tyrese Gibson, The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two), Tej (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Show Dogs) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel, Four Weddings and a Funeral) drive up to the rural hideout that Dom has been calling home with wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez, Crisis) and toddler son Brian (first-timers Isaac and Immanuel Holtane) since the events of 2017's The Fate of the Furious, he doesn't even want to hear about the latest mission that demands their help. The only thing that changes his mind: realising that Jakob is involved and up to no good. Read our full review. VALERIE TAYLOR: PLAYING WITH SHARKS Steven Spielberg directed Jaws, the 1975 horror film that had everyone wondering if it was safe to go back into the water — and the movie that became Hollywood's first blockbuster, too — but he didn't shoot its underwater shark sequences. That task fell to Australian spearfisher and diver-turned-oceanographer and filmmaker Valerie Taylor and her husband Ron, who did so off the coast of Port Lincoln in South Australia. If it weren't for their efforts, the film mightn't have become the popular culture behemoth it is. When one of the animals the Taylors were filming lashed out at a metal cage that had held a stuntman mere moments before, the pair captured one of the picture's most nerve-rattling scenes by accident, in fact. And, before Peter Benchley's novel of the same name was even published, the duo was sent a copy of the book and asked if it would make a good feature (the answer: yes). Helping to make Jaws the phenomenon it is ranks among Valerie's many achievements, alongside surviving polio as a child, her scuba and spearfishing prowess, breaking boundaries by excelling in male-dominated fields in 60s, and the conservation activism that has drawn much of her focus in her later years. Linked to the latter, and also a feat that many can't manage: her willingness to confront her missteps and then do better. The apprehension that many folks feel when they're about to splash in the ocean? The deep-seated fear and even hatred of sharks, too? That's what Valerie regrets. Thanks to Jaws, being afraid of sharks is as natural to most people as breathing, and Valerie has spent decades wishing otherwise. That's the tale that Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks tells as it steps through her life and career. Taking a standard birth-to-now approach, the documentary has ample time for many of the aforementioned highlights, with Valerie herself either offering her memories via narration or popping up to talk viewers through her exploits. But two things linger above all else in this entertaining, engaging and insightful doco. Firstly, filmmaker Sally Aitken (David Stratton: A Cinematic Life) fills her feature with stunning archival footage that makes for astonishing and affecting viewing (Ron Taylor is credited first among the feature's five cinematographers). Secondly, this powerful film dives into the work that Valerie has spearheaded to try to redress the world's fright-driven perception of sharks. Like last year's David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, 2017's Jane Goodall documentary Jane and underwhelming 2021 Oscar-winner My Octopus Teacher, this is a movie about being profoundly changed by the natural world and all of its splendour. Read our full review. MARTIN EDEN The last time that one of Jack London's books made the leap to cinema screens — just last year, in fact — it wasn't a pleasant viewing experience. Starring Harrison Ford and a CGI dog, The Call of the Wild forced viewers to watch its flesh-and-blood lead pal around with a needlessly anthropomorphised canine, to groan-inducingly cheesy results. Martin Eden is a much different book, so it could never get the same treatment. With his radiant imagery, masterful casting and bold alterations to the source material, writer/director Pietro Marcello (Lost and Beautiful) makes certain that no one will confuse this new London adaption for the last, however. The Italian filmmaker helms a compelling, complicated, ambitious and unforgettable film, and one that makes smart and even sensuous choices with a novel that first hit shelves 112 years ago. The titular character is still a struggling sailor who falls in love with a woman from a far more comfortable background than his. He still strives to overcome his working-class upbringing by teaching himself to become a writer. And, he still finds both success and scuffles springing from his new profession, with the joy of discovering his calling, reading everything he can and putting his fingers to the typewriter himself soon overshadowed by the trappings of fame, a festering disillusionment with the well-to-do and their snobbery, and a belief that ascribing worth by wealth is at the core of society's many problems. As a book, Martin Eden might've initially reached readers back in 1909, but Marcello sees it as a timeless piece of literature. He bakes that perception into his stylistic choices, weaving in details from various different time periods — so viewers can't help but glean that this tale just keeps proving relevant, no matter the year or the state of the world. Working with cinematographers Alessandro Abate (Born in Casal Di Principe) and Francesco Di Giacomo (Stay Still), he helms an overwhelmingly and inescapably gorgeous-looking film, too. When Martin Eden is at its most heated thematically and ideologically, it almost feels disquieting that such blistering ideas are surrounded by such aesthetic splendour, although that juxtaposition is wholly by design. And, in his best flourish, he enlists the magnetic Luca Marinelli (The Old Guard) as his central character. In a performance that won him the Best Actor award at the 2019 Venice Film Festival, Marinelli shoulders the eponymous figure's hopes, dreams and burdens like he's lived them himself. He lends them his soulful stare as well. That expression bores its way off the screen, and eventually sees right through all of the temptations, treats and treasures that come Eden's way. Any movie would blossom in its presence; Martin Eden positively dazzles, all while sinking daggers into the lifetime of tumult weathered by its titular everyman. THE MOLE AGENT At this year's Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences anointed the past year's best documentary, as it usually does — deciding that the standout factual film of the year told a tale about a man and his bond with a sea creature. My Octopus Teacher falls into a busy genre of films about being forever shaped and altered by the earth's natural splendour (see also: Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks), but it isn't the only one of 2021's nominees that demonstrates how unexpected connections can reap rewards, insights and new perspectives. Chilean doco The Mole Agent does the same, albeit in a vastly dissimilar manner. Its focus: an elderly man hired by a private investigator to go undercover in a retirement home. Rómulo Aitken's client suspects that the facility may be blighted by elder abuse, so he needs someone who'll blend in to do his sleuthing. Answering an advertisement for someone aged between 80 and 90, octogenarian and recent widower Sergio Chamy couldn't be more keen for the gig. He doesn't quite have a handle on the technology he'll need to use, despite trying to claim otherwise. Indeed, when he tries to show Rómulo that he can use a smartphone, he takes countless photos while claiming he's snapping none. Still, he's boundlessly eager to distract himself from his grief by taking on a new adventure, making new friends, and even learning a thing or two. For the mostly female residents at El Monte's San Francisco Nursing Home, for Rómulo and for filmmaker Maite Alberdi (The Grown-Ups) alike, Sergio is a dream — even though he's definitely not your usual spy or detective. He doesn't always fulfil his assigned tasks as asked, but he's a delight to spend time with as he endeavours to record what's going on at the home via his hidden camera-equipped glasses and pen. As they explain again and again in candid and lively chats to camera (presumably because they think they're being filmed for a more traditional type of doco), the women he's now sharing a facility with definitely agree that he's a charmer. In fact, Sergio is so charismatic that he fails to simply blend in, observe and report back. He's also a much-needed and -welcomed source of kindness and comfort to the home's residents, many of whom have no other company to turn to, and it's these interactions he largely documents in his dispatches to Rómulo via WhatsApp. Alberdi still charts his overall mission, but his general presence elicits just as much interest. With a crown for king of the home coming his way, and many of his peers fawning of him, there's much to chronicle. In her third film to focus on the elderly (after La Once and short I'm Not from Here) Alberdi sees the change he brings to people who haven't been paid this much attention in years, and also the change the spy gig brings in Sergio — and sharing her affectionate gaze is easy in this thoughtful film. MY ZOE Rare is the film that nods overtly to more than a few of its influences, yet still manages to inhabit its own niche and no one else's. My Zoe is one of those movies. Its first half bears much in common with 2017's exceptional French drama Custody, while its second half takes its cues from the greatest horror novel ever written. That combination works astonishing (and almost disarmingly) well, and nothing here every feels like a mere clone of better material. In the movie's opening section, Berlin-based geneticist Isabelle (Julie Delpy, Wiener-Dog) juggles the struggles of co-parenting with her ex James (Richard Armitage, The Lodge). They both dote on seven-year-old Zoe (Sophia Ally, The Current War), but they also argue incessantly — largely due to James' dour behaviour, cruel demeanour and ludicrous demands. By the time that Isabelle calls him "just an awful human being" in one of their arguments, the audience is already on her side. They settle their custody dispute, but the bickering doesn't subside when Zoe is found unconscious and requires hospitalisation. Eventually, though, Isabelle has another dilemma to navigate, involving a desperate ploy to get back what she's lost, a risk-taking doctor (Daniel Brühl, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) in Moscow and an option his own wife (Gemma Arteton, Summerland) warns against. Directing, writing and starring here — as she's done with Looking for Jimmy, 2 Days in Paris, The Countess, Skylab, 2 Days in New York and Lolo before — Delpy could've made the relationship and tragedy side of My Zoe into a feature of its own, and then done the same with the science fiction-tinged exploration of loss that follows. Blending the two together befits one of her overt sources of inspiration, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, though. For more than 200 years now, the gothic classic has examined how grief leads to drastic reactions, how science can let humans play god in increasingly bold and consequential manners, and how we're hardwired to use the latter to work through the former, as well as our fears of mortality — and My Zoe picks up those threads, interrogates them with today's medical advances in mind, and turns them into quite the haunting piece of cinema. Both sensitivity and realistic emotions linger in both of the movie's halves, and in Isabelle's actions and choices along the way. Delpy directs herself to a fantastic performance, and pairs her efforts with a poised and empathetic perspective throughout. Another savvy move, and one that epitomises how exactingly Delpy has thought through every detail: that, if you aren't paying the utmost attention during the first half, you mightn't even realise that the film takes place in the near-future. A FAMILY Just five letters are needed to turn A Family's title into the name of one of popular culture's most famous clans. The Addams crew aren't the subject of this Australian-produced, Ukraine-shot blend of comedy and drama, but it does delve into the creepy, kooky and mysterious anyway. The feature debut of director Jayden Stevens — who co-wrote the script with his cinematographer Tom Swinburn (Free of Thought) — the absurdist gem spends time with the stern-faced Emerson (first-timer Pavlo Lehenkyi). With none of his family around for unexplained reasons, he pays other Kiev locals to play their parts, staging dinners, Christmas parties and everyday occasions. They eat, chat and do normal family things, all for Emerson's camera. His actors (including Maksym Derbenyov as his brother and Larysa Hraminska as his mother) all need to stick to his script, though, or he'll offer them a surly reprimand. Olga (Liudmyla Zamidra), who has been cast as his sister, struggles the most with her role. She's also the member of this little faux family that Emerson is particularly drawn to. Her own home life with her mother Christina (Tetiana Kosianchuk) is far from rosy, with the pair suffering from her dad's absence, so eventually Olga decides that Emerson's role-play game might work there as well. A Family is a film of patient and precise frames, awkwardly amusing moments, and bitingly accurate insights into the ties that bind — whether of blood or otherwise. It's a movie that recognises the transactional and performative nature of many of life's exchanges, too, and ponders how much is real and fake in both big and seemingly inconsequential instances. To perfect all of the above, Stevens walks in Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favourite), Aki Kaurismäki (Le Havre, The Other Side of Hope) and even the usually inimitable David Lynch's shoes. His feature is austere, deadpan and surreal all at once, and smart, amusing and savage at the same time as well. Indeed, if a bigger-name filmmaker had made this purposefully and probingly off-kilter picture, it would've likely proven a film festival darling around the globe. A Family did start its big-screen run at a fest, at the Melbourne International Film Festival back in 2019. Now reaching Australian cinemas after a year that's seen everyone either spend more time with or feel more physical distance from their nearest and dearest, it feels doubly potent. Every lingering image shot by Swinburn — and all of the pitch-perfect performances that he captures — speak loudly to the cycle of yearning and disconnection that comes with being alive, and that never stops being put under a microscope. FROM THE VINE Uprooting to Italy on a whim is bound to change your life, and no one needs a movie to tell them that. Plenty of films keep stressing the message, though; if Under the Tuscan Sun and Eat Pray Love didn't get the idea across, 2020's Made in Italy tried to, and now From the Vine does the same. The only new things that this latest sun-dapped European-set jaunt has to add to its concept: talking vines, and reminders that the corporate world cares for no one and small towns can struggle. So, this movie trades in fantasies and the obvious, and does so several times over. It also relies heavily upon rural Italy's obvious scenic sights, thanks to frequently used drone shots of Acerenza, the quaint Potenza spot where the bulk of the movie is set. Lawyer-turned-car manufacturing company CEO Marco Gentile (Joe Pantoliano, Bad Boys for Life) was born and raised locally, but left as a child; however, it's the first place he thinks of heading when he quits his job after a tussle with the board over sustainability. His wife Marina (Wendy Crewson, The Nest) refuses to go with him, and their daughter Laura (Paula Brancati, Workin' Moms) is certain he's having a midlife crisis — but, after making the trip, reacquainting himself with the locals and setting back into his late grandfather's own vineyard, he realises he's found la dolce vita. From the Vine has Marco and Marina chat about La Dolce Vita, the 1960 classic, and about the Audrey Hepburn-starring Roman Holiday, too — in case the themes and messages the film is going for really weren't clear enough. They are, of course; working with a script adapted from Kenneth Canio Cancellara's novel Finding Marco by screenwriter Willem Wennekers (Buckley's Chance), filmmaker Sean Cisterna (Full Out) loves spelling out as much as possible. Not a single character seems to have a thought they don't overtly state, every plot development is telegraphed as far ahead as the movie can manage, and stressing the apparent idyll by shoehorning in yet another scenery shot happens again and again. Then there's those talking vines, as well as scenes where the adult Marco chats with his grandfather's ghost. Apparently viewers wouldn't understand exactly what's tempting Marco to give up his old existence if greenery and the dead didn't chatter. Although in far less challenging and rewarding territory than his past roles in the likes of Memento and The Sopranos, Pantoliano is the best thing about this dully formulaic flick — a result that also fits a template. Christopher Walken was in the same situation just last week with Percy vs Goliath, in fact. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; May 6, May 13, May 20 and May 27; and June 3 and June 10. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down, The Perfect Candidate, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Ema, A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella, My Name Is Gulpilil, Lapsis and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
It began, as so many wonderful internet things do, with an XKCD cartoon. Titled Up-Goer Five, the schematic explained the internal workings of the only rocket to have transported humans into space, the Saturn V, using only the 1000 most commonly used words in the English language. Rocket is not one of the words, nor thousand. Nor most of the words in this paragraph. In the last few days, enabled by Theo Sanderson's specially built text editor, several other people have Up-Goer Fived their own area of expertise. Most of them are scientists from esoteric fields, giving us laymen a rare chance to grasp what their life's work is about. Not being able to use jargon makes for some convoluted WTF gibberish sentences, but at other, better times, it creates windows where you can grasp at some previously ungraspable idea. Check out these excerpts and their simply stated insights. 1. Saturn's moon Iapetus is two-toned because bits of air turn into ice on the back side of it "First, it runs into black stuff that sticks to the front of it. That black stuff takes in more light from the sun and makes it warmer. That makes very tiny bits of the ice it's made of turn into air, and the bits of air go around it and turn back into ice on the back side of it. Second, when the bits of ice go away from the front side, they leave behind dark stuff that was between and under them, and that makes the front side even blacker, and helps it warm up even more, so things go on and on and on. The back side is white because it didn't get black stuff on it, and also because the ice that went away from the black side went there and made it bright." By Rachel Klippenstein. Read in full at io9.com. 2. The Higgs boson is the tiny thing that makes all other things heavy "What makes the tiniest things heavy? The best guess explained this by saying that all around us is a field, which is a bit like water or some other stuff that would slow you down if you tried to walk through it … [U]ntil last year, people weren’t completely sure this field was real. But they knew that if it was real, and you shook it really hard, then a totally new tiny thing would fall out of it. That’s because it’s a bit like the water-like-stuff is made out of this new tiny thing." By Michael Slezak. Read in full here. 3. We don't have robot helpers yet because it's hard to make computers with bodies walk "We want the computers with bodies to run quickly. We want them to climb walls. We need them to do these things even when the ground is covered in rocks or with ice, without tripping and falling or getting stuck. We look a lot at animals to see how they do these things. We try to understand how their brain decides where to put their legs, and how their legs are built." By Shira E. Read in full here. 4. The Bechdel Test is a check to see if things are even in the way they show men and women "To make the story as much like real life as possible (except for the made-up bits) you really do need a lot of different kinds of people, not just lots of men who are quite like each other because they are all young and white and strong. This makes it easier for people to accept the really made up bits, because the rest of the story feels much more real." Read in full here. 5. Environmental protection might mean not giving so much food to animals and cars "So how are we going to grow more food without cutting down more trees? One answer to this problem is looking at how we use the food we grow today. People eat food, but food is also used to make animals and run cars. In fact, animals eat over one-third of the food we grow." By Emily S. Cassidy, environmental scientist. Read in full here. 6. Postmodernism is that many things we think are facts are actually stories "This is not to say the facts are not true. But the story isn't." Read in full here.
This post is sponsored by our partners, the Aroma Festival. For the 17th year in a row, the Aroma Festival will take over The Rocks on Sunday, July 27. Yep, it’s the one day on the Sydney calendar when you can give in to your caffeine addiction without feeling one bean of guilt. In fact, you can think of it as your responsibility to sample as many single origins, blends and house specials as you possibly can. Between 10am and 5pm, the area will become one enormous coffee-fuelled playground, alive with grinding, whirring, frothing, pouring, filling and sipping. More than 60 stallholders with an emphasis on organic, handmade and Fairtrade goods will converge on First Fleet Park, while at Campbell Cove there’ll be a gathering of Sydney’s favourite food trucks, including Agape Organic, Tsuru and Cantina Mobil. Plus, there’ll be an array of pop-up bars and cafes, artworks and competitions. Highlights include an epic coffee cup sculpture to which you’ll be able to contribute, a bean-to-cup exhibition showing you exactly what your coffee goes through to make it as far as your mouth, and a latte art smackdown judged by pros from the Australasian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA). Meanwhile, a seriously impressive live soundtrack will keep your buzzing brain stimulated from the outside, featuring oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros, powerful bluesman Frank Sultana, hot young songwriter Laura Zarb, Cope Street Parade, Damian Wright, Caitlin Park, Marlin Williams, Leah Flanagan, The Slowdowns, Ollie Brown and All Our Exes Live in Texas. Even better, this one day of coffee immersion is but the crema on top of a rich month of activities. Check out workshops in cupping and latte art, grab an indulgent 'high coffee' at Baroque Bistro or vote for your most adored brew in the Aroma Cup competition and go in the draw to win $3,000 worth of prizes. For the full schedule, see the Aroma website.
Boasting 1000 square-kilometres of diverse terrain — including secluded beaches, verdant forests and giant sand dunes — Port Stephens is the ideal place to shake off a chaotic workweek. On top of its incredible natural beauty, there's an abundance of human-made indulgences. From luxurious day spas and restaurants peddling premium produce to horse rides along rolling waves, this waterside area certainly knows how to take things up a notch. We've compiled a list of ways you can make your oceanic escape extra indulgent, because we all need a weekend of unfettered opulence sometimes. The best part is, Port Stephens is only a 2.5-hour drive north of Sydney which means it's an easy getaway even when your schedule is hectic. So, go on, treat yourself. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19. SIP CHAMPAGNE BY THE WATER When it comes to complete and utter relaxation, it's hard to go past an uncrowded, picture-perfect beach; the smell of salt in the air and the sound of the crashing waves is enough to put even the busiest of minds at ease. And Port Stephens has oodles of them — 26 to be precise. If you're looking for a sheltered spot, head to Bagnalls, where shallow and tranquil waters are backdropped by bushland. Continue east to reach Dutchmans, which gives you 400 metres of white sand for sunbathing, and, of course, building sandcastles. Meanwhile, around Soldiers Point are countless little bays, parklands and picnic spots, many of which escape the notice of crowds — if you're hoping to catch some of Port Stephens' famous sunrises or sunsets, this is the place. Arm yourself with a bottle of bubbly to make things extra fancy and raise a glass to the good life. [caption id="attachment_679429" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bannisters by David Griffen[/caption] TREAT YOUR TASTEBUDS Port Stephens' tranquil waters aren't just beautiful to look at, they're also a source of super-fresh seafood. Plenty of local restaurants, eateries and cafes take advantage of this and serve up scrumptious sea-to-plate fare. And by far the most indulgent eatery in the area has to be Rick Stein at Bannisters. Rick Stein, alongside head chef Mitchell Turner, has put together a decadent menu filled with local seafood. For the ultimate comfort food, start with the steamed Stockton pipis, or let the freshness speak for itself with a selection of sashimi featuring yellowfin tuna, kingfish and salmon. The steamed whole fish with soy, ginger and Shaoxing wine is a stand-out main. And, if you can fit it in, dessert includes decadent chocolate olive oil cake or sago pudding. After dinner, pop across to the Terrace Bar. It's a design feat, all millennial pink, splashes of mint, white, grey and blond wood, and overlooks the hotel's infinity pool, out toward the tops of the surrounding gum trees and onto the water. [caption id="attachment_774378" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SEE THE SITES ON FOUR (TALL) LEGS Port Stephens' Stockton Beach is the longest in New South Wales at 32 kilometres, stretching from Birubi Point in the north to the mouth of Newcastle's Hunter River in the south. There's bucketloads of room for surfing, swimming and, most importantly, horses and camels. For horses, get in touch with Sahara Trails, which will take you riding by the sea on a steed suited to your ability — whether you're a nervous newbie keen to stick to walking or an experienced rider ready to canter. For camels, contact Oakfield Ranch to book a romantic sunset stroll. Taking the time to enjoy a sunset is something special, doing so from atop a camel hump is truly indulgent. As Stockton Dunes, the largest sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere, rise up behind you, expect to feel like you're on an exotic escapade in some far-flung desert. [caption id="attachment_693874" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wellness Centre Port Stephens[/caption] GET PAMPERED IN A RAINFOREST No indulgent weekend is complete without an hour or two in a day spa. Wellness Centre Port Stephens — a five-acre haven of rainforest and landscaped gardens — opened with the goal of filling that pampering void. Nearly every treatment you can think of is available, from massages and reiki to aromatherapy and reflexology. It also has an infrared sauna and an oxygen bar, where you can receive concentrated oxygen infused with essential oils. Alternatively, you can unwind with a yoga or pilates class. Another spot to practice your shavasana is Yogasphere, where local Nikki Shilling teaches in her private beachside studio. [caption id="attachment_774380" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SPEND THE DAY WILDLIFE SPOTTING While you could easily spend the whole weekend wining and dining, it's also possible to indulge your inner David Attenborough with some wildlife spotting. Begin with dolphins, the local community of bottlenoses numbers between 90 and 120, and animal lovers from all over the world travel to Port Stephens to meet them. Chances are you'll spy at least a few from the beach, but, for better views, jump aboard a boat. Moonshadow - TQC cruises offers two types of dolphin-watching cruises. No matter which option you select, you'll enjoy rides in the boom net, informative commentary about the local sea life and complimentary coffee and tea. Oh, and hopefully lots of up-close sightings of the sea mammals, too. [caption id="attachment_774386" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] BOOK A STAY AT BANNISTERS Of course, a weekend away in Port Stephens wouldn't be completely indulgent without a stay at Bannisters. 'Barefoot luxury' is the name of the game here. From the front, the hotel is reminiscent of those seaside hotels of yore with every room entry facing the hotel's entrance. Upon entering the rooms, you're hit with glittering views of the water or lively bushland where you'll be greeted with a few kookaburra giggles. With 78 rooms, four suites and a luxe penthouse, the hotel has encapsulated a little piece of The Hamptons in each room. All white, blond timber and large windows — there's no mistaking you're seaside here, even in a bush-facing room. When you're not taking in the sun on your room's balcony, a visit down to the infinity pool is a necessity. The poolside views are hard to beat, where you get the sea, the sky, the bush and the fresh design of the pretty hotel lobby. You can also grab a lawn chair in the garden below and feel as if you've found yourself a peaceful oasis in the bush, complete with birdsong. Top image: Bannisters, Destination NSW
Go and see this film on the big screen. End of line. Seriously, whether you're being driven by nostalgia, or the simple desire for some loud and shiny things to flit about while you munch popcorn, Tron: Legacy won't disappoint. Particularly if you keep in mind the fact that this is a high-spec, spectacular looking B-Movie. This cult-film consciousness will help you gloss over the stolid lead performance, some truly horrendous exposition, and the serious God complex that consumes the climax. Instead, you can just appreciate the awesome visual effects, Daft Punk's scene-stealing soundtrack and Jeff Bridges bringing some Dude-like Zen to his reprisal of Kevin Flynn. Setting expectations high with the opening 3D 'TRON-ified' Disney castle, Tron: Legacy then ventures back to the 1980s, sets up some father and son love between Kevin and Sam, before Kevin's mysterious disappearance segues to the present day. The intervening 20 years have turned Sam (Garrett Hedlund) into a bit of a bad-ass, prone to hooning around on his motorbike and playing brazen tricks on the current guardians of his father's company. But when Sam attempts to track down the source of an arcane pager-signal, he winds up getting himself blasted onto the Grid (for those who haven't seen the original film, this is a digital world, where programs and code are made 'flesh'), wherein he begins the search for his father, but not before the games begin. Fans of Steven Lisberger's 1982 original will be eagerly anticipating these ruthless, digital games, and here the 3D effects team absolutely goes to town. Dizzying, intricate and dynamically paced, the boomerang-cum-discus light disc battles and the motorcycle-style lightcycle race are worth the price of admission alone. Indeed these visual delights are only matched by Michael Sheen eating up the green screen in his gloriously campy cameo as a Ziggy Stardust inspired club owner. The rest of the performances are solid, if lacklustre by comparison, and a badly paced and woefully melodramatic third act does steal some of the high-gloss sheen from the film, but perhaps that can be mitigated if you know as much going in. So, don't expect the writing to live up to the visuals, and Tron: Legacy will make you a very happy user indeed. IMAX will also be screening Tron: Legacy, with 43 minutes of 'vertically expanded' footage (read: gigantic IMAX visuals). Check the website for further details. https://youtube.com/watch?v=d4RiUy23e9s
Electric drills and blenders are not often considered for the tender symphonies of song. Indeed OH&S police will advise ear protection in case of exposure. But for the curious among us who are lingering through Bunnings and drumming past construction sites, maybe it is time to embrace these daily noise offenders. A new ensemble will be plugging in 12 heavy metal power tools at the Red Rattler Theatre. Accompanied by trumpeter Scott Tinkler and pianist Adrian Klumpes, the computer-controlled orchestra will be a world's first in the use of the DeMiXerphone — allowing control over any electrical appliance in pitch, timbre and rhythm. Bring earphones and expect a loud and power-hungry performance. It's enough to make Tim the Tool Man weak at the knees.
Remember the good old days when you'd meet up with your mate for a beer at the pub, grab a late-night feed and dance till dawn all in one night? Yeah, us too. But just because we can't go out right now and enjoy our city's best restaurants and bars doesn't mean you have to live life in the slow lane. You can still bring the good times to your living room. Want to take your cooking game to the next level? Now's the time to get creative in the kitchen — with some expert guidance, of course. Or you could order a DIY meal kit from your favourite dining spot so you can just worry about all the fun times to be had. Because, when you're at home, you make the rules. If you don't know where to start when it comes to customising your best night in, we've got you covered. We've partnered with Miller Design Lab to celebrate creativity and self-expression when it comes to dining (and drinking) at home. Miller Design Lab is a space built by Australia's leading minds in design, art, technology, fashion and, of course, culinary geniuses. Together, we're celebrating our nightlife and its impact on culture by bringing exceptional experiences to you — like turning your crib into a fine dining restaurant. So, pop on your apron, grab a cold one from the fridge and look no further. [caption id="attachment_505797" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Dinosaur Designs[/caption] START WITH THE ESSENTIALS First up, having the right tools is non-negotiable. Sure, you may have the skills, but you can't create the Sistine Chapel without any paint — and same goes in the kitchen. If you're looking to become a whiz with a wok or perfect the art of baking, you best invest in some good cooking utensils. That said, we're assuming you can cook an egg and peel a potato, so we'll rush through a list of staples: pots, pans, spatula, chopping board, a strainer, vegetable peeler, can opener, cutlery and a wooden spoon. You get the idea. And, unless you plan on turning everything into soup, you'll need a good set of knives. According to Momofuku master David Chang, you only really need three knives: a paring knife, a serrated bread knife and a chef's knife. The first two can be bought pretty cheaply, but you'll want to fork out a bit more on the chef's knife. And as tempting as it may be after MasterChef, don't even think about buying an ice cream machine until you have the basics. Now, the fun stuff. You'll need some nice-looking plates and glassware to take your feast to the next level. There are a bunch of local ceramicists and designers making stunning tableware, including Mud, Studio Enti, Dinosaur Designs and Maison Balzac's colourful goblets and fun champagne flutes, plus independent potters such as Milly Dent, Sarah Schembri and Hayden Youlley. [caption id="attachment_724464" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dan Hong by Nikki To[/caption] SHARPEN UP YOUR SKILLS WITH A TOP CHEF No matter if you're a kitchen novice or know your way around a Le Creuset, we can all learn some tips and tricks from some of the world's most creative chefs. Massimo Bottura is currently hosting nightly cooking tutorials. While the Michelin-starred chef behind Italy's famed Osteria Francescana is in lockdown, he's teaching you the joys of Italian cooking for free with his Kitchen Quarantine lessons. Designed to help spread feelings of connectivity, curb boredom and teach a few new tricks at a time when an increasing chunk of the world's population is in lockdown, self-isolation or self-distancing, these cooking tutorials go beyond textbook cooking. And of course, with Bottura's famously cheery personality, the guy's just a total joy to watch. Because Italian cuisine is the ultimate at-home comfort food, you should learn how to make pasta from a well-seasoned cook: nonna. Actually two nonnas, Nonna Nerina and Nonna Giuseppa. For a lesson on Australian home cooking, turn to Aussie legend and culinary icon Maggie Beer, who is also live streaming every day. Dubbed Cooking with Maggie, the free series of videos show you how to make an easy rustic-style dish in under 20 minutes — from eggplant and eggs to a caramelised onion and persian feta side dish. Another Aussie chef dishing up the goods is Dan Hong (Mr Wong, Ms G's, Queen Chow) via his Instagram. Tune in and you'll learn how to make his famed cheeseburger spring rolls, salt and pepper squid and slow-roasted short rib. For any other kitchen-related (and entertaining) content, check out these eight tasty food podcasts. [caption id="attachment_718506" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Southside Charmers by Kitti Gould[/caption] TRACK DOWN THE BEST (FREE) RECIPES Now that you've learnt from some of the best, you'll want to pick a recipe to tackle on your own. After all, it's time for you to add your own flavour. But before you attempt the best gnocchi ever made or bake even more sourdough, you'll want to do your research. Luckily, you don't have to look too far to find recipes. But, not all are created equal — so, it's about where to look. US-based Bon Appétit — as the name suggests — is a go-to for any culinary query, including a bunch of lip-smacking recipes. Feel like a lobster roll for dinner? No problem, it's got it here. Craving a mean steak? It's got a whole dedicated section. New York Times Cooking also has thousands of the best recipes from the global newspaper. You'll find food editor Sam Sifton's suggestions — from earl grey madeleines to a weeknight fried rice and trini chana and aloo (chickpea and potato curry) — plus a heap of pantry, slow cooker, easy-to-bake and essential Indian recipes. Basically, whatever you've got a hankering for, chances are it's got it. For something more local, podcast Highly Enthused often has a round-up of good recipes. You can listen to it here. [caption id="attachment_751198" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Quattro Deli by Trent van der Jagt[/caption] GET THOSE HARD-TO-FIND INGREDIENTS You're spicing things up, which means you'll probably have some things on your grocery list that you won't find at Woolies or Coles. From artisanal cheeses to Lao Gan Ma chilli sauce and rare spices, such ingredients require you to know where to track them down. At the moment, Sydneysiders can head to Two Providores's Marrickville warehouse every Saturday to pick up everything from top-notch oils to bacon jam, New York-style rare roast beef and hard-to-find flours. For fresh seasonal produce, it's hard to go past Glebe mainstay Galluzzo Fruiterers, which is currently delivering to locals every Monday–Friday. Quattro Deli in Chatswood is dedicated to sourcing the best local and imported specialty items — think Italian gorgonzola, buffalo mozzarella, mortadella, olives, spreads and even vino — and is delivering deli-to-door at the moment. And for all things cheese, Penny's Cheese Shop and Paesanella Food Emporium are great go-tos. For Asian groceries, your best bets are Boon Cafe at Jarern Chai Grocer and Thai Kee IGA Supermarket. For those in Melbourne, a good one-stop-spot is South Melbourne Market, which has launched a drive-thru pick up point. Vegans will find pretty much everything imaginable in Shannon Martinez's and Mo Wyse's spin-off vegan New York-style delicatessen, Smith & Deli. You can place orders for pick up or delivery via Mr Yum. For charcuterie, Obelix & Co has got you pretty well covered and is offering local delivery and if you're after some fancy fromage to go with it, hit up Milk the Cow, which is delivering also. Asian grocers such as TANG, Hometown Asian Supermarket and Minh Phat are all open and well-stocked, too. In Brisbane, Hong Lan Asian Food & Seafoods is one of the best Asian grocers in town. Rosalie Gourmet Market is an institution for a reason — it's packed with everything from oils to pastries, chocolates and fresh flowers. Black Pearl Epicure has your cheese needs sorted with over 300 types and for Italian goods, head to Amici Deli in Chermside. Plus, a bunch of restaurants in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne have turned into mini grocers, many supplying the goods usually saved for industrial kitchens. If you can't leave the house right now, Simon Johnson is delivering across Sydney and Melbourne, too. ORDER IN — AND SKIP STRAIGHT TO THE GOOD TIMES In Sydney, you're spoiled for choice when it comes to DIY meal packs. Ragazzi — the CBD's new pasta bar by the Love, Tilly Devine crew — has ready-to-cook pasta and wine packs (serves two), which are available for pick or delivery within five kilometres of the restaurant. Chippendale's fine diner Ester has weekly takeaway packs, offering a range of ready-to-eat and almost ready meals — with the likes of steamed blood sausage buns, shallot and sichuan pepper tart tartin and leftover sourdough ice cream on the menu. You can pick it up from the restaurant every Saturday between 3–5pm. Mr Wong's, Bert's and Fred's also have packs available for delivery across Sydney metro. Melburnians can order restaurant-quality oysters straight to their door thanks to supplier Mimosa Rock Oysters. They come live though, so you'll have to know (or learn) how to shuck. If you can venture out of the house, you'll find a raft of 'heat and eat' food packages available at Neptune Food & Wine. And while not exactly DIY, Attica — one of the top restaurants in the country — is now offering takeaway and has opened a pop-up bakeshop. If you're in the mood for a big warming bowl of noodles and live in Brisbane, Taro's has DIY ramen packs to go. It even has a how-to video if you need. King Street's French fine diner, Montrachet, is offering a selection of semi-prepared dishes in takeaway packs that can be collected from its Bowen Hills digs (orders must be made before 7pm for collection the next day). Plus, The Balfour Kitchen has a stack of ready-made meals like a Burmese pork curry, spaghetti with Korean bolognese, prawn and ginger wontons and thrice-cooked duck fat potatoes. For dessert, a bunch of spots across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are slinging some top-notch cookie dough for those of us who aren't the next Betty Crocker. To see where you can pick some up, head here. For more ways to celebrate your city's nightlife and recreate its energy in your own space, head this way.
UPDATE: MARCH 19, 2019 — Castlecrag's newest Cantonese offering has just gotten even better. Canton Kitchen has launched a new bottomless yum cha offering, available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday lunch from 11am. For just $38 you can eat endless bowls of scallop and prawn shumai, pork xiao long bao, fried rice, chow mein and hot and numbing chicken wings (the list goes on). And for dessert (yes, that price includes dessert), you can eat as many yuzu custard buns and steamed Malay sponge cakes as you please. The sound of all that food making you a little thirsty? Pay an extra $27 ($65 in total) and you can drink unlimited wines, beers and soft drinks, too. The lower north shore has a new go-to for Asian eats thanks to former Queen Chow head chef Jason Chan, who opened Canton Kitchen earlier this month. The Cantonese restaurant joins Chinese barbecue joint Holy Duck! and Vietnamese eatery Bistro Mekong in Castlecrag's Quadrangle Shopping Village — all the result of a $25 million investment by Kensington Street developer Dr. Stanley Quek. Chan, who's also worked in the kitchen at Merivale's Papi Chulo and El Loco, is turning out a menu of traditional share plates using a variety of Aussie meats. Signature dishes include locally sourced duck served Peking-style with steamed pancakes ($26), sticky Mongolian lamb ribs with herb salad ($32) and a luxe take on mapo tofu made with lobster and Alaskan crab ($38). Vegetarian creations include the silken tofu with vegetarian XO sauce topped with soy bean floss and crispy wonton skins ($14). Chilli lovers will find much spice in the kung pao chicken — a dish hailing from China's Sichuan Province that's heavy on the Sichuan peppers — and the Singaporean-style chilli prawns with sambal. A range of fried rice dishes are up for grabs, too, including the 'typhoon shelter'-style Alaskan crab ($26) and the house special — with prawns, char siu barbecued pork, corn and mustard leaf ($18). If you're headed in with a group, there are two private rooms available, as well as ten-course banquet menus for tables of four or more.
Horses, sand and a whole lot of beige; it's time for a spot o' polo. From the creators of the nationally successful Polo in the City series comes the more summery Polo by the Sea, set to ride into Palm Beach on Saturday, January 10 at Hitchcock Park. Celebrating nine years of PITC, the team now count more than 15,000 in attendance over their mostly sold-out events — and we'd like to hope less dramatic horse thieving than a Gossip Girl Vanderbilt charity polo match. Having raised significant thousands for various charities, creator Janek Gazecki's polo matches took out a few Best State Event trophies at the Australian Event Awards last year. Seems the offhand comment 'polo is the new racing' might have some weight to it. The oceanic version of the city polo 'do, Polo by the Sea was first staged on the Gold Coast in 2013 with the aim to replicate the success of PITC in coastal towns and holiday destinations. The last two events attracted some big name guests — apparently even some royal faces. This time around, Palm Beach PBTS has wrangled some of Australia's best polo players to team up on the day — while you avoid dropping the Grange on your beige chinos. With a front row beer garden dubbed the 'Polo Lounge', live music and everyone's favourite 'fashion on the field', knowing the actual rules to polo isn't really that necessary (just make new buds with those in the know). Importantly, polo days mean superbly executed opulence; we're talking seaplane transfers from Rose Bay to Careel Bay, front row VIP tables, designer-briefed social photographers. Yep, your paycheck might be entirely going on this excursion, but guys, there'll be horsies. If you're wondering what to wear, it's this and only this: The Sydney Polo in the City event booked for 15 November is already sold out, but Polo by the Sea at Palm Beach's Hitchcock Park on Saturday, January 10 is on sale now here.
With COVID-19 testing ramping up in NSW over the past few weeks and new cases numbers dropping — with zero over the 24 hours from May 29–30 — the state is relaxing some more coronavirus-related restrictions from Monday, June 1. Just in time for the upcoming long weekend. As well as allowing regional travel within NSW, the state's cultural institutions can reopen and getting your nails done is back on the cards, too. Restaurants, bars and cafes are allowed up to 50 customers — and you can go out for just a drink. But there are, of course, some rules. So, what exactly can you do? We've broken it down. The below information is correct as of Monday, June 1. We'll update as any new announcements are made. Can I see my friends and family? Yes, visiting your friends and family has been considered a valid reason to leave your home since April 28. You're currently allowed up to five visitors in your home, which won't change from June 1. Limits on outdoor gatherings of up to ten people, which include socially distant picnics and yoga sessions, also remain. Can I have a dinner party? Yes, you can. At the moment you can have no more than five guests from outside your home, and that number remains. [caption id="attachment_653449" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shady Pines by Leticia Almeida[/caption] What about going out to restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes? Yep, parmas and pints are have been back on the table since May 15, when venues were allowed to open to up to ten people. From June 1, you can dine — or just drink — at bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs, distilleries, breweries and cellar doors, with venues allowed to have up to 50 (!) people as long as that does not exceed the one person per four-square-metre rule. Venues are also required to take your name and details for possible contact tracing and they are not able to take bookings for groups of more than ten. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has also previously said that all customers must be seated — ie. no leaning on the bar having a pint. You can check out all the Sydney venues that are reopening for dine-in service over here. Can I go to the gym? Indoor gyms, not yet. Outdoor gyms, yes — they reopened on May 15. Outdoor gatherings of up to ten are allowed, so bootcamps and small sporting competitions in a park are OK as long as social distancing guidelines are followed. What other exercise can I do? Canoeing, kayaking, SUP, rowing, lawns bowls, golfing and surfing are all allowed. Swimming pools — including ocean pools — are open with a maximum of ten people allowed in the pool at each time. But not all pools are open, so check before pulling on your togs. What about driving to go for a hike or bike ride? Yes, you're currently allowed to travel to national parks for hiking and other recreational activities. From June 1, you're even allowed to stay the night, too. We'll get to that next. [caption id="attachment_764519" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mimosa Rocks Destination NSW[/caption] Can I go on a holiday to a coastal/regional town? Yes — and just in time for the Queen's Birthday long weekend, too. With the new eased restrictions from Monday, June 1, there is no limit on the distance you can travel within NSW and overnight stays are permitted. So, Sydneysiders can now book an Airbnb, go camping or spend a night at a caravan park, but, there can be a maximum of ten people at a holiday home and all NSW National Parks campgrounds now require bookings. Need some inspo? Here are some of our favourite glamping retreats and beachside camping spots in NSW. What about a trip to the snow? The NSW ski season is allowed to start from Monday, June 22, with Thredbo planning to open on June 22, followed by Perisher on June 24 and Charlotte Pass on June 26. Unfortunately, Selwyn Snow Resort in Kosciuszko National Park will remain closed due to severe damage caused by this year's devastating bushfires. On the topic of KNP, the park will be partially closed to visitor's on the long weekend, with no access to the southern part. From June 22, you'll only be able to access the park with a pre-purchased lift ticket or a registered trip intention from from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services. Expect things to look a little different, though, with restrictions on lessons, equipment hire and the number of people allowed on lifts and T-bars — you can find out more over here. Or a trip overseas? Not yet. At the moment Australia's borders are closed, but the Federal Government has flagged the potential of trans-Tasman travel bubble in step three of the Roadmap to a COVIDSafe Australia — which could happen as early as July. [caption id="attachment_770825" align="alignnone" width="2000"] 'And Now' at White Rabbit Gallery by Kimberley Low[/caption] Will art galleries and museums be open? Yep, galleries, museums, libraries, zoos and aquariums are allowed to reopen for one person per four square metres. Most places are now requiring you to sign up for a free (or paid) timed ticket, so check the venue's website before heading in. What about going to the cinema? Drive-in cinemas are allowed to operate and there is no limit on the number of cars they can have. Sydney's one drive-in cinema Blacktown's Skyline Drive-In is showing screenings from Thursday–Sunday each week (plus a Monday night session on the Queen's Birthday public holiday, too) — with four flicks playing each night. Indoor cinemas, however, are currently not allowed to and the NSW Government has not yet announced a date for their reopening. Can I go shopping? Yes, you can go shopping. That said, not all shops are open and some have changed their opening hours, so we suggest giving them a call before you head out. The four-square-metre rule apply to all retail spaces, with patrons advised to keep a 1.5-metre distance. Can I get my nails done? Yes, nail, beauty, waxing and tanning salons are allowed to open for up to ten customers at a time. As this stage, though, tattoo and massage parlours and spas are only allowed to sell retail goods and gift vouchers, not provide services. Can I go to church? Yes, all places of worship are now allowed to open for religious ceremonies of up to 50 people or one person per four square metres. Weddings can also have up to 20 people, in addition to the couple and the celebrant, and funerals can have up to 50 mourners. If you have more questions, the NSW Government has an extensive list of FAQs on its website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Sierra Escape Mudgee
The spooky season may have ended, but a spine-tingling series of experiences still lingers on in Sydney from November through to January 2024. This is, of course, Darkfield, and you've probably heard of its spooky setpieces before — either here on Concrete Playground or on social media. Truly masters of immersion, Darkfield is bringing all four of its experiences together to Sydney, specifically Barangaroo's Harbour Park, with two returning favourites and two experiences making their Sydney debuts. Each experience takes place in a single shipping container, but don't let the unassuming exterior fool you — eerie thrills await within. The two returning stars are Séance and Flight: the former sees you take a seat alongside your participants before you're thrust into a world of sensory deprivation to make contact with the spirit world. The latter is the manifestation of a very common fear, placing you in a mock aeroplane cabin to experience the dual outcomes of a doomed passenger flight. The two experiences premiering in this visit are Coma and Eulogy. The former will lay you down in a bed and let you slowly fall into a dreamlike state, all while the multisensory effects of the show play out around you. The latter will see you explore a dark labyrinth with a chaperone; keep your wits about you for the audio and speech recognition technology, and whatever you do, do not wander off of the path. So, what do these spooky experiences have in common? They all use a blend of 360-degree sound design and play on the psychology of their participants, but only for a runtime of 20–30 minutes, and each ticket is priced between $22–30. Shipping containers have limited capacity, so booking in advance is a must, and if you book one show, you'll score discounts on return visits. Darkfield will be available at Barangaroo from Thursday, November 23 to Sunday, January 21, 2024. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website. Images: Mihaela Bodlovic
Every meal is a happy meal at Queenies. But returning next month is the happiest meal of all: Queenies' Annual Stoner Dinner. The second such dinner in as many years, it's themed 'MacQueenies' and pays homage to that ever-reliable late-night institution that we will always have a soft spot in our hearts for: McDonald's. For $50 a pop, you'll forget what munchies even are with a finger-lickin' good seven-course MacMenu, including an obligatory double dessert (!!). The kitchen is putting a highly creative spin on your Golden Arches faves, serving up courses like Ditched Pickles with mustard salt and cheese fondue, a Little Big Feast, a Rib Mac Patty made from jerk pork parts and 'Smoked Chicken Nuggets' with "all the sauces". But how can Queenies beat Macca's desserts? With French Fries Ice Cream shot through with cookie swirl, that's how. And, leaving the Granny Smiths at home, the MacQueenies Deep Fried Pie combines drool-inducing guava, custard apple and jerk custard. Promising more satisfied bellies than ever, Queenies' Stoner Dinner is a tradition you'll want to make a habit. Give in to your wildest cravings and book it. To reserve a spot email bookings@queenies.com.au or call (02) 9212 3035.
'Nduja, chestnut puree, Kakadu plum hand cream, red gum smoked salt — they're not the types of products you'd normally expect to find in a local grocer. But you can at this Surry Hills institution. The family owned store has been servicing the neighbourhood for over a decade. It prides itself on stocking gourmet varieties of some of your pantry staples, plus a few harder-to-find or rare items from local and international producers. It's only a small space on the corner of Crown and Foveaux Streets, but it certainly jams as much as possible in. You'll find everything from fresh fruit and veg, premade meals and Iggy's Bread to aisles of dry products — think pasta, sauces, tea and coffee. And in a cosy corner up the back is the deli, which stocks imported European cheeses and an impressive range of cured meats. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Situated on Kent Street alongside the likes of Papa Gede's and PS40 is Vinabar — a cosy microbar hidden behind a door disguised as a banh mi cart. If you're simply walking by, it could easily be mistaken as a spot for a quick bite as you venture through the city. Each detail throughout the moody yet sophisticated fitout tells a story. The space is adorned with vibrant silk lanterns hanging from its ceiling — which have been imported from Hoi An — a replica of the Golden Hand Bridge from Da Nang, and photographs of pre- and post-opening memories along its walls. Take a seat on either the comfortable lounge seating or at the sleek bar, and you'll be in for a treat. The brainchild of Ashwin Arumugam and Reymark Tesalona takes cues from Vietnam's lively nightlife and hospitality scene, with the intimate cocktail bar serving up stellar, Asian-inspired sips until 2am every night. Vinabar's food offering simply consists of a baby pork banh mi accompanied by a shot of Vietnamese coffee, which serves as a small bite to sustain casual drinking, or the perfect snack to satiate those hankering for a treat. The cocktail menu, however, focuses on inventive drinks with a creative Asian twist, with a new special launched every fortnight. Vinabar's main menu has four signature cocktails and one signature shot, alongside a short selection of beers, wines and mocktails. Highlights include the lychee-forward Rumble in the Jungle; a Vietnamese spin on the espresso martini known as the Cã-Phê martini; an martini inspired by banh mi; and the ginger, calamansi and tequila-starring Gaslighter — which appears similar to water but is made up almost entirely of alcohol. Plus, all of the classics are available upon request. Whether you're out on the town bar-hopping through Kent Street, enjoying an intimate night with a mate or a date, or keen for a small celebration, Vinabar is the spot for you, with space for up to 32 people. Vinabar is located at 332 Kent St, Sydney, open from 5pm–2am daily. Find out more at the venue's website. Image credit: James Scevola
Nothing says summer like mosquitoes, cocktails and a really good music gig — which is why we're giving you the chance to enjoy the first one of the season alongside a couple of Kraken Black Spiced Rum cocktails. Minus the mosquitos. ICYMI, Kraken Black Spiced Rum is hosting an underground music gig at The Great Club on Marrickville's Livingston Road on Thursday, December 1. Under the spotlight is a lineup of stand-out emerging Aussie hardcore, hip-hop, rap, punk, and trance artists — think SPEED, DJ F*KH*D, Mulalo, Histamine and Ptwiggs. Although, there's good and bad news — one, tickets are sold out, but two, we have what could be the last exclusive double pass available. Read on for the juicy deets (and to find out how you and a pal can be heralding the warmer months at the subterranean gig). Along with a double pass to the Kraken Black Mojito Subterranean Summer gig, the lucky winners can expect to drink and dine like underground summer music gig royalty — sampling the new Kraken Black Mojitos on arrival, a couple of crisp cold Kraken Storm Cocktails to follow up, and some generous food vouchers to pair with that Kraken Black Spiced Rum goodness. Get your entry in stat, dear reader. [competition]877001[/competition]
In 2019, a horrible goose wandered around a quiet village, then chaos ensued — and instigating it became one of the most-entertaining ways to mash buttons. Untitled Goose Game first released in September that year. By the time 2020 hit, more than a million copies had been sold, getting folks controlling a pesky waterfowl with a penchant for trouble. That's honking phenomenal for an indie game out of Melbourne, and it's a feat that the city's Australian Centre for the Moving Image keeps celebrating. After giving Untitled Goose Game the live orchestral treatment back in 2022, the Aussie screen museum is now hosting a world-premiere exhibition dedicated to the title. Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition will feature different versions of the game from its various development stages that you can play, plus sketches, concept art and design material for attendees to check out. It'll be a lovely five months in Federation Square from Tuesday, September 17, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025, and you'll be an adoring Untitled Goose Game fan. Sorry Mario Kart. Move over Tetris. Forget Wii Sports, Pokémon Go, Street Fighter or whatever other title first springs to mind whenever you think about video games. They're all well and good, but they aren't about to take over ACMI like this homegrown hit from House House. If you're new to Untitled Goose Game, it's a puzzle game — and, yes, it's about a goose. You play as the bird, and your aim is to move objects and other characters, and just generally cause mayhem in a small village. No description can really do it justice, though; you just need to play it. While the game has filled oh-so-many hours over the past few years, and gotten its ARIA-nominated original soundtrack by Dan Golding stuck in everyone's heads, Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition isn't just for diehard gamers. No matter if you know every inch of the game or you're only hearing about it now, you'll be plunged into its world in an interactive showcase that's designed to get you playing. How slapstick factors in, plus the form of comedy's history, is also a big feature. We don't expect that running off with keys, socks, glasses, radios and the like will be a part of it, however. "As a museum of screen culture, video games are at the heart of what we do. Since ACMI's inception, we've been collecting and exhibiting games and bolstering their local creation," said ACMI Director and CEO Seb Chan, announcing Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition. "Untitled Goose Game is one of Melbourne's most recognisable video-game exports of the past decade. We've been involved from playtesting its early development in the ACMI + RMIT Audience Lab, to presenting a series of live scored events in partnership with Orchestra Victoria. We're honoured to give the goose the exhibition it deserves, revealing to audiences how it was made, and the wider cultural context it has come from." "It's a very strange privilege to see our work commemorated in a public exhibition. Though we design our games to be played by a wide audience, we never imagined that that design process might itself be made accessible within the walls of a gallery," added House House Co-Director Michael McMaster. "It's been such a pleasure working with ACMI to open up our sketchbooks and hard drives and present them to the public like this — we can't imagine a better place to showcase our goose." Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition will display at ACMI, Federation Square, Flinders St, Melbourne, from Tuesday, September 17, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025. For further information, head to ACMI's website.
A Sydney stalwart has been saved, with longstanding Parramatta Road pub The Lady Hampshire being taken over by Public Hospitality Group (Oxford House, The Strand Hotel, El Primo Sanchez) and returning as a dedicated live music venue. Originally called the Old Hampshire Hotel, the Camperdown venue sat vacant for years before being given a makeover and reopening as The Lady Hampshire in 2016 under the guidance of Sydney publican Paddy Coughlan. This new-look iteration lasted about five years before closing during the pandemic without reopening. Now, The Lady Hampshire has scored another transformation, swinging its doors back open as a neighbourhood pub with a stacked live music program. "Bringing The Lady Hampshire back to life with live music as the focus is exactly what Sydney has been asking for," Public Hospitality Group's Entertainment and Event Manager Elliott Harper said, announcing the news. "When it comes to entertainment venues, we only want to foster growth and success across our city and think The Lady will be the destination for all types of musicians and patrons. The first month alone has some of the most exciting gigs Sydney has seen this year and we can't wait to bring it to locals and gig-goers." View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Lady Hampshire (@theladyhampshire) While the pub is open for a casual beer seven days a week — serving up wood-fired pizzas and tinnies of beer among its food and drink offerings — its biggest focus is live music. To celebrate its return, it's hosting a month-long party kicking off with a massive three-day in-venue music festival. A Month of Madness will kick off with the Lady Launch Weekender across Friday, April 14–Sunday, April 16. On the lineup for the musical celebration: Pacific Avenue, Fangz, Juno and Dedpan, as well as DJ sets from Mac the Knife and Nitecall. There will also be a live tattoo studio pop-up, a nail salon for both people and pooches, and $10 smashed cheesies with chips across the weekend. Across the following month of gigs you can then catch the likes of Bugs, Abby Bella May, Close Counters, Bootleg Rascal, These New South Wales and Good Lekker between Friday, April 21–Saturday, May 20. You can keep up to date with the gig guide at the revamped Lady Hampshire over at the pub's Instagram page. [caption id="attachment_893119" align="alignnone" width="1920"] These New South Wales[/caption] The Lady Hampshire has reopened at 91 Parramatta Road, Camperdown — operating from 10am Monday–Saturday and from 12pm on Sundays.
For over a century now, HOYTS has been connecting Aussie audiences with all the big screen hits they've ever needed, and for the cinema chain's 116th birthday, it's giving a little something back to weekend moviegoers. In every HOYTS cinema around Australia this weekend, all day and night, tickets will be going for just $8, or $25 for HOYTS LUX tickets — now's the time to try watching a movie in recliner seating with cocktails, wine and gourmet food delivered straight to your seat. With 49 cinemas across the country, this is a treat we can all make the most of. HOYTS General Manager of Customer Engagement Brad Eaton said "We're extremely proud of our long legacy in cinema and this weekend is all about celebrating with our loyal guests. Whether you're after a new blockbuster or a fun experience with the family, there's something for everyone so all can take advantage of this exceptional offer." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkgMaS5gbaA[/embed] So what's worth watching? New releases include Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman at their dysfunctional best in The Roses, Austin Butler getting caught in a crime caper in Caught Stealing and Liam Neeson saving the world (absurdly) in The Naked Gun. Not one but two small-screen series are getting big-screen finales at the moment, with Downton Abbey: The Final Chapter and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- Infinity Castle both screening this weekend. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtUHeMQ1F8[/embed] Prefer something to get your pulse pounding? Settle in for The Conjuring: Last Rites, The Long Walk or Weapons. If you've got kiddos in tow, they might be keen for Sketch or The Bad Guys 2. And if you missed any of this year's winter blockbusters — Superman, F1 The Movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Jurassic World: Rebirth are all still wrapping up their theatrical runs. Find your nearest HOYTS cinema and get tickets to a screening of your choice here.
Crows Nest is a charming community hub on Sydney's lower North Shore, and if you've never visited, you're missing out. One of the greatest offerings of the area is the annual street festival Crows Nest Fest, which returns on Sunday, October 15 from 10am to 5pm. Crows Nest Fest gathers all the best parts of this suburban hub: great food and drink, easy walking and a thriving community spirit. It's expected to draw crowds in excess of 30,000, making the 2023 festival one of the biggest on record. If that's not enough to get your interest, consider the following: The festival will see over 150 stalls spread over the Pacific Highway, Willoughby Road, Albany Street, Burlington Street, Holtermann Street and Clark Street. Burlington Street will be known as Food Alley, home to an eclectic mix of local restaurants, bars, cafes and gourmet eateries to show off the neighbourhood gastronomy scene. Willoughby Road will play home to one of two Licensed Zones, seeing the Crows Nest Hotel spread onto the street via drink marquees, the second zone being an impromptu 'Greektober Fest' on Burlington Street, hosted by local favourite Xenos. Once you've had your fill of food and drink, follow the sound of distant tunes to music stages. Ernest Place will host a range of professional musical talent while local bands and dance groups perform on a Holtermann Street stage. And if you have any junior revellers in tow, swing by the Hume Street park to the kids zone, where you'll find a petting zoo, pony rides, live entertainers, buskers and a circus playground.
While going outdoors at the moment is mostly restricted to outdoor recreational activities, work and grabbing essentials, you'll need to throw on an extra jumper and bring an umbrella to do just that for the rest of this week, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting rain, thunderstorms and frosty temperatures across most of Australia. A series of cold fronts are set to sweep the country and have, in fact, already hit Victoria. Last night, Tuesday, May 19, Melbourne copped damaging winds, heavy showers and hail, with a second cold front set to bring more showers and even snow to the Alps from later today. The rest of the week is looking, well, wet and cold. Temperatures are expected to hover around 13–14 until Saturday — which is three degrees under the average maximum of 16.7 for May — and there's a medium–high chance of showers every day for the foreseeable future. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1262585286254567427 Moving slight north to Sydney, today's clear skies will be swapped for a high chance of rain and fog tomorrow, with the rains expected to persist for the foreseeable future, too. Temperatures are expected to sit around the average for May 19.5, with low 20s predicted until next Tuesday. So, if you're going to get wet anyway, now might be the time to go and swim a couple of laps at one of the newly-reopened ocean pools. https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1262568843853139968 Queensland is already getting a soaking, with 100-300 millilitres falling between Cairns and Ingham. The rains are set to continue for the rest of today and tomorrow, but will clear on Friday, ready for a cloudy but mostly dry weekend. The mercury isn't planned to rise as high as usual, though, with the BOM predicting temperatures six–ten degrees below average for parts of the state. If you go out on a hike or a day trip, pack a couple of extra layers. As is usually the case when rain and winds are predicted, keep an eye out for flood watches and severe weather warnings on the BOM website. For latest weather predictions and warnings, head to the Bureau of Meteorology website.
This global franchise created quite the buzz when it landed on Australian shores. From its humble beginnings in Japan in 1985, Ippudo now boasts over 100 locations across the world firmly securing its place as a ramen mecca. Despite its location inside the Westfield Sydney food court, this particular outpost still achieves the authentic ramen house feel. It might have something to do with the queues and bustling atmosphere. Then again, it could be the fit-out. It is a mostly black, red and timber palette with a fun wall display of traditional spoons. There is a blend of long communal tables for groups and bar-style seating overlooking the kitchen to keep individual diners entertained. For first-timers, the shiromaru — Hakata-style ramen with juicy pork loin, crunchy bean sprouts and silky black mushrooms — is the speciality that put Ippudo at the top of the ramen trade. Add the nitamago, a delicious yet slippery whole flavoured egg, at your own risk. Whatever your ramen preference, order the noodles hard, as recommended — they will keep cooking as you make your way through the bowl, slowly but surely. Ippudo Sydney combines local products with Ippudo's flavouring and noodle concept; the Aussie patrons are also considered in the unconventional shojin, a vego option with seaweed and whole grain noodles that would not be present on a Japanese menu. If you're feeling extra peckish, order kaedema — an extra serving of noodles — ensuring you have enough broth left over to slurp them down with. Or perhaps explore the rest of the menu, which features signature steamed buns, gyoza and a selection of meat and rice dishes including karaage chicken and salmon sashimi.
Bottomless cocktails, waffles and beats... it's hard to think of a better way to banish a hangover on a spring afternoon. Introducing Since I Left You's monthly Beats 'n' Brunch. Doors will open at midday, which is when the bottomless cocktails will start to flow — lasting an hour-and-a-half and helping everyone to settle in, before giving way to drinks specials. Keeping everyone's hunger at bay will be a selection of SILY's waffles (including waffalafels) and a massive dish of something delicious — this month's its a shakshuka, which could well be a contender for the world's biggest. Meanwhile, on the SILY stage will be taken up with live music and/or DJs. Karaoke too depending on how loose things get. Even though this thing's called a brunch, like the others, it'll inevitably carry onto into the late, late afternoon.
Come December 3, 2013, we will say goodbye to analog TV forever. Will we miss the fuzzy quirks of the antiquated ‘box’? As the old signal bites the dust, a swarm of 20th-century events has started to flood back, excavated from public and personal memory. Tele Visions is an ambitious new project from Performance Space. Curated by Emma White and Alex Ramsay, it is a timely reflection on the televisual space. Over five days, a pop-up TV channel will broadcast live performances, screenings, talks and interruptions. As we’re thrust further into the digital age, Tele Vision aims to celebrate the end of an era, as well as mulling over the cultural and technological phenomenon that opened up the world in new ways and changed the way we interact with each other. Over the five days, why not join Kate Blackmore and Frances Barrett as they watch the entirety of the world's longest running sitcom, The Simpsons, for Box Set, a performance art endurance project that bears a lot of similarity with an activity many of us submit to on the best weekends? There's a sleepover at their binge base and everything. Or be there on opening night, when artist Lara Thoms "commemorates static", in a project executed with 86-year-old Joy Hruby, who broadcasts her own show, Joys World, from her Botany garage. Shortly after, Joel Stern, with Neurovision, will attempt to erase your understanding of television via some artsy neuro-programming. The one-off transmission will be available to view live online and via short-range analog TV broadcast. Or you can get amongst the action at Carriageworks and the Verge Gallery. So nestle in with some of Australia's most charismatic performers and get reminiscing. Tele Visions is part of the Performance Space You're History season, something of a birthday party for Performance Space, but don't worry about bringing a gift. They're actually giving you the presents: wrapped-up pieces of performance, visual art, dance, music and more, celebrating their big 3-0. Also showing is Brown Council's ode to feminist performance artist Barbara Cleveland, the bite-sized art of 30 Ways with Time and Space, the journey into mad methodologies in The Directors' Cuts and plenty more.
Sustainable design company SMIT has been busy developing solar power solutions as simple as putting up some sun protection in your backyard. Tensile Solar Structures are "lightweight, modular systems that produce solar power". And they're not limited to decorating your place. The product has real-world applications: providing shade in car parks by day and generating power to light up at night is just one example. The SMIT design team who created this versatile product were inspired to combine technologies of fabric architecture, composite materials and thin film photovoltaic technology. Designers Samuel Cochran, Teresita Cochran and Benjamin Wheeler Howes have also worked on the Solar Ivy project, a solar energy device attaches to the sides of buildings like ivy vines. [Via Good]
In the words of Tyrion Lannister, it's not easy being drunk all the time. Everyone would do it if it were easy. That may be true, but you can certainly give it a go, when Game of Rhones returns for another year. An epic wine tasting event inspired by the grapes of France's Rhone Valley and the works of George R. R. Martin, this year's Game of Rhones will visit Carriageworks on Sunday, June 18. The event will welcome more than 100 wines from winemakers such as Shaw + Smith, Yarra Yering, Ministry of Clouds, Henschke, Yalumba (and many more). There'll also be food from Melbourne's Burn City Smokers and cheese from Yarra Valley Dairy to ensure you don't go hungry. In between goblets, ticketholders will get the chance to chat with sommeliers at the Rhone Bar, where you can purchase full glasses of wine. If you're really keen, you can purchase a Royal Pass, which will get you access to the event an hour earlier, a food voucher and some one-on-one time with a sommelier to help you work out which wines you like best. It should also go without saying that dressing up as your favourite GoT character is highly encouraged. Zombie John Snow, anyone?
Winter weekends haven't looked this wonderfully packed for many a cold, cold week. There's plenty of cheese to be eaten, films to be snuggled into and live music to warm your hands on. With Bastille Day giving you all the reasons to load up on tasty, expensive wine, freshly baked bread and All The Camembert, doonas have never looked so unappealing. Get out there, put a dumb-looking animal beanie on and lap up that wintry goodness — there's plenty of time to worry about prepping for bikini season later. Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival In the spirit of the festivities that fill every town in France from Brittany to Bordeaux, the Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival held at Customs House square from July 11-13 is completely free. Expect all manner of live entertainment, including ten young artists performing over the three days, as well as DJs, a cabaret show and open-air cinema. Cooking demonstrations will give you the opportunity to channel your inner Manu Feildel, but if eating rather than cooking is your thing, you can take advantage of someone else's culinary skills by picking up a range of authentic French goodies at the market stalls. For more cheese, wine and Frenchness, check out our roundup of the seven best ways to celebrate Bastille Day in Sydney. When: Friday, 11 July - Sunday, 13 July Where: Customs House , 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay How much: FREE Caitlin Park Electronic whiz kids don't come more stylin' than Sydney's multitalented Caitlin Park. With her 2011 debut album Milk Annual applauded Australia-wide and the 2012 Qantas Spirit Of The Youth Award under her belt, Park inked a deal with Create/Control in February this year (home to fellow Aussies Oliver Tank, Feelings, Go Violets and internationals Parquet Courts and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros). Marking the team-up with the release of her second album The Sleeper, the smoky-voiced Sydneysider will bring her brand new tunes to The Vanguard on Friday, July 11. Disarmingly catchy singles like 'Lemonade' are sure to get table-sitters out of their cabaret seats. When: Friday, 11 July - 7:00pm Where: The Vanguard , 42 King St Newtown How much: 12 +BF Friday Night Fish & Chips Fish and chips used to be a frequent Friday night special in our house. Now, Surry Hills has introduced us to a new world of experiencing brain food with the Crown Street Fish Shop, which has taken the place of the dear departed Rainford Street Social. They've taken your basic fish and chips and turned them into a rather sophisticated night out, with the added bonus of keeping things fairly simple. Don't fear that all you'll be able to order in the jewel of Sydney's trendy crown that is Surry Hills will be some sort of deconstructed version of your Friday night favourite. You can still get a simple fish and chips; however, this time knowing what sort of sea creature went into the light and crisp batter when you order from the daily specials. Read our full review here. When: Seven days, noon - late Where: Crown Street Fish Shop, 500 Crown Street, Surry Hills How much: Up to $50, depending how hungry you are Scandinavian Film Festival Step into your local arthouse theatre these days and you'd be hard pressed not to find a regional film festival going on. In 2014, the line-up is getting that little bit more crowded, with the inaugural edition of a brand new festival highlighting the films from Europe's frozen north. Covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the first annual Scandinavian Film Festival is set to put the kvikmynd in kvikmyndahátíð. For more information about the Scandinavian Film Festival, visit their website. When: Wednesday, 9 July - Sunday, 27 JulyWhere: Palace Cinemas , 17 Oxford Street Paddington How much: TBC Reko Rennie: No Sleep Till Dreamtime If Taylor Square is involved in your daily commute, you’re probably familiar with the work of Reko Rennie. Now part of the urban texture of Darlinghurst, Always has been, always will be is the unmissable Flinders Street mural. In association with blackartsprojects, No Sleep Till Dreamtime is Rennie’s latest solo exhibition. Spread across Chalk Horse and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, it continues to interrogate how Aboriginality is framed in an urban context. Unlike the flat colours and neon lettering of his public projects, this exhibition shares a bigger vocabulary of symbols and explores more complex processes of art-making. When: Thursday, 26 June - Saturday, 12 July Where: Chalk Horse , 94 Cooper St Surry Hills How much: FREE The Jeans for Genes Denim Exhibition Suckers for good selvage will dig this one. Denim fans and jeans enthusiasts should squeeze into their skinnes and get to The Grounds of Alexandria on Saturday, July 12 for a one-off exhibition of jeans owned by famous peeps. Check out Anthony Kiedis' painted pants, the baggy straight-legs of Adam Sandler and the unfathomably tight pants of the now presumably pantsless James Franco. Strutting into The Grounds as part of Jeans for Genes Day (Friday, August 1), the exhibition will also include the denim favourites of Eric Bana, Gene Simmons, Maroon 5 and the previously paraded pants of those wonderfully abominable Kardashians.Keeping on the yearly tradition of donating a dollar and donning your denim, the Jeans for Genes Denim Exhibition is raising some sweet moolah for Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI). When: Saturday, 12 July - 9:00am Where: The Grounds of Alexandria , Building 7A 2 Huntley Street Alexandria 2015 How much: FREE Hedda Gabler at Belvoir Enticed into the part by Green Room Award-winning director Adena Jacobs, superlative drag performer and Sisters Grimm co-founder Ash Flanders is Hedda Gabler, one of the (let's face it, few) great female characters in 'the classics'. A creation of Norwegian drawing-room dramatist Henrik Ibsen, Hedda is a mass of contradictions: bored and bursting with energy, vindictive and victim, capricious and calculating, desirable and defective, feminine and masculine. The daughter of an esteemed military general, she's admired for her beauty and status, but she bristles against the social expectations of her sex. Reuniting with her Persona designer Dayna Morrissey, director Adena Jacobs has again gone for a set full of interesting spaces that frame the characters as playfully and meaningfully as a camera lens. In fact, the whole aesthetic here calls to mind one of the most stylistically influential films of the last few years, Drive. Read our full review here. When: Monday, 28 July - Sunday, 3 August Where: Belvoir St Theatre Upstairs , 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills How much: $35 - $68 The Winery Fashion Markets The Winery Fashion Markets are a bit like having several incredibly stylish friends who allow you to raid their wardrobes (which are enviably full of international and Australian designer labels) behind a Surry Hills wine bar. The Winery has taken to transforming the laneway behind their bar into that market place once a month. Some of Sydney's leading fashion identities — bloggers, stylists and fashion publicists — will be selling their own pre-loved clothes. Confirmed for the July 12 iteration of the markets are fashion blogger Carmen Hamilton from Chronicles of Her along with fashion publicists and stylists from top fashion publications. If you happen to get cold or hungry in between shopping, they've got you covered. You can pop inside and keep warm with coffee and veal and chorizo sausage rolls. A flower market put on by Wildes Lane completes the damn near picture perfect day. When: Saturday, 14 June - 10:00am; Saturday, 12 July - 10:00am Where: The Winery , 285A Crown Street, Surry Hills 2010 How much: FREE Olympic Ayres It may be freezing outside, but Olympic Ayres are pretty firmly committed to the sounds of warmer days. The Sydney producer/DJ duo make the kind of super synthy beats that will transport you to palm-tree'd beach parties of summers past. Rejecting the seasonal chill, they're playing a toasty live showcase of their upcoming EP Leisureplex at Goodgod next week. Leisureplex isn't actually due for release until September 18, so this gig is the first chance to hear what the band have been working on — perfect escapism for those in denial about the less-than-balmy weather conditions. When: Saturday, 12 July - 8:00pm Where: Good God Small Club , 53 - 55 Liverpool St Sydney How much: 10 +bf All This Mayhem A thrilling sports film, heartbreaking drama and eye-opening cautionary tale all rolled in to one, All This Mayhem will transcend your expectations of its subject matter. Ostensibly a documentary about the rise and fall of two former skateboarding champions, in execution the Australian-made production bears closer resemblance to (in the words of its director) a modern-day Greek tragedy, full of hubris, temptation and a reckless disregard for long-term consequences. In what is shaping up to be a banner year for Australian cinema, this wild and powerful doco has officially stolen the lead. When: Thursday, 10 July - Wednesday, 6 August Where: Dendy Newtown , 261-263 King Street, Newtown How much: $14 - $19
"Over the past few weeks I've been hunted, haunted and mimicked millions of times across the internet. It's been pure torture. Thank you." So starts the new Netflix video announcing the return of one of the streaming platform's late 2022 favourites, with Addams Family revamp Wednesday officially renewed for season two. Given how much of a hit season one of the Jenna Ortega (X)-starring show proved, this news is hardly surprising. Also, given how popular all things Addams Family have always been — the Christina Ricci-led 90s films have been beloved for decades for good reason, and the 1960s TV show and 1930s The New Yorker comics before that — it's also far from unexpected. Indeed, if you were channelling your inner Wednesday, as we all should, you wouldn't raise an eyebrow in astonishment. If you devoured Wednesday's first season like its namesake and does with all things creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky, however, you'll be so thrilled that you feel like her perky lycan roommate Enid (Emma Myers, Girl in the Basement). Announcing the renewal, Wednesday season one co-showrunners Miles Millar and Alfred Gough (Smallville) said that they "can't wait to dive headfirst into another season and explore the kooky, spooky world of Nevermore. We just need to make sure Wednesday hasn't emptied the pool first." Giving Wednesday a second spin comes after the first go-around broke the Netflix record for most hours viewed in a single week, then did so again — notching up 341.23-million hours viewed in its first week, then 411.29-million hours viewed in its second. Netflix hasn't revealed when it'll be getting a witch's shawl on and a broomstick you can crawl on yet again, or any fresh additions to the cast, but season two will pick up from season one's big ending — which left plenty of room for more Nevermore antics to follow. And yes, with Scream and Studio 666 s Ortega in the lead again, it will be spending more time at the school for outsiders that the Addams' eerie teenage daughter was enrolled in to kick off the series, as well as offering up another mystery to solve. In season one, Wednesday's titular figure had been terrorising her way through various educational facilities, hopping through eight of them in five years. That's how she ended up at Nevermore Academy, where her mother (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Prodigal Son) introduced her with an apology: "please excuse Wednesday, she's allergic to colour". Morticia actually met Gomez (Luis Guzmán, Hightown) at the school, and thought that their eldest would love it there as they did, but Wednesday's storyline was never going to be that straightforward. With Tim Burton executive producing, plus sitting in the director's chair for the first four episodes — in the job the Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands filmmaker was clearly born to have — cue high-school chaos, a monstrous murder spree to stop and a supernatural mystery linked to her parents a quarter-century ago to solve. Oh, and a killer goth wardrobe, naturally. Check out the season two announcement video for Wednesday below: Wednesday streams via Netflix, with season one available now and season two arriving at a yet-to-be-announced date. We'll update you with further details about season two when they're revealed. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
Across its five seasons to date, Black Mirror has dedicated 22 episodes to imagining dystopian futures — and while it makes for compelling viewing, none of the sci-fi anthology series' predictions are particularly pretty. But, for all of its prognosticating, the Charlie Brooker-created show didn't foresee 2020's chaos. And now we've all endured this hectic year and are about to see it come to an end, the team behind Black Mirror has something to say about it. At some point soon — presumably before 2020 is out — Netflix will drop a new comedy special called Death to 2020, which is made by the Black Mirror crew. Exactly what's in store is being kept a surprise for now, but the show will obviously look back on the year. And, it'll have high-profile help in the form of Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, Tracey Ullman, Samson Kayo, Leslie Jones, Diane Morgan, Cristin Milioti and Joe Keery. Netflix has just revealed a teaser trailer for Death to 2020, although that doesn't provide any further info — other than confirming that the Black Mirror team couldn't have made up a year as bleak as this, and that they'll be satirising and savaging the year's developments. That said, Brooker has a history of looking back at events that have just passed, as Newswipe with Charlie Brooker and his end-of-year Wipe specials between 2010–16 have all demonstrated. Brooker and Netflix also love releasing new material over the holiday period with little pre-warning, with interactive Black Mirror special Bandersnatch dropping between Christmas and New Year's Eve back in 2018. So, you might be receiving an extra festive — and grimly funny — present this year. Check out the teaser trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxR9Zo36rbo&feature=emb_logo Death to 2020 looks set to hit Netflix sometime before 2020 is out — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Top image: Black Mirror.
It's almost time to take 2021 to the trash pile where it belongs but first thing's first: festive fun with the ones you love. Or, more specifically, the art of spoiling friends and family with presents. Whether you're a gifting goof or believe that gifts are truly your love language, we've found a few ways you can nail the gift-giving game this holiday season and, while you're at it, support your favourite local hospitality heroes. Thanks to our partners at new fintech business Slyp, you can even show some extra support simply by paying your bill — how good. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SLYP TIPS To celebrate the festive season, Slyp is providing extra holiday cheer to our beloved hospitality industry by slinging $20 tips to participating hospo venues at no extra cost to the customer till December 31. There are over 80 venues that have signed up for Slyp Tips including Watson's Bay Boutique Hotel, Hotel Ravisis and Tequila Mockingbird. In order to unlock a few extra bucks for your favourite hospo heroes, you'll need to be a NAB customer. Simply activate Smart Receipts in your NAB app, use your NAB card to pay at a participating venue, view the receipt in the app and voila, the $20 tip will be unlocked and shared among the venue's staff. The best part? There's no minimum spend to unlock the tip and take advantage of this festive offer. MAKE MERCH YOUR SUMMER LOOK Nothing says 'I'm a fan' like repping a piece of band merch. It's also a top-tier way to support a hospitality business you rate. Reckon Betty's Burgers have the best buns in the biz? Deck out your pooch in its limited edition dog merch. Consider yourself the number one fan of hot chook and chippies? Time to let everyone know via a Chargrill Charlie's tote. Or, if you to love your local cafe so much it hurts, score its custom t-shirt so you can say it with your chest. Like this one, from Ruby Lonesome in Sydney. [caption id="attachment_706983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Industry Beans' famed cold brew coffee[/caption] SIGN UP TO A COFFEE SUBSCRIPTION Waking up to an empty coffee bean canister is truly devastating. And, after a year of letdowns, we're pretty keen to minimise disappointments like that in the new year. To avoid such situations and support your local bean roaster, you can sign up to a coffee subscription so you have the beans delivered to your door exactly when you need them. Industry Beans has a self-managed, pay-as-you-go subscription available which is ideal for first-timers wanting to try the service out. There's no fixed term to sign up and you get an automatic 10% off your orders once you subscribe. Cool beans. BUY YOUR MATE (OR DATE) A GIFT VOUCHER If you're a regular CP reader there's a good chance you love to dine out as much as we do. And we think there's no better dining experience than taking your favourite person to their favourite venue. Got a mate who is obsessed with Capitano's blistered pizzas? Purchase them a voucher to give the gift of delicious this year. Does your partner have their finger on the pulse of what's new in the hospitality scene? Impress them with a voucher to the newly opened MuMu in Sydney's CBD. SHOW A NEWBIE SOME LOVE It can be tempting to plan your summer celebrations at your go-to restaurants and bars but spare a thought for the new venues trying to make their mark when locking in your dining destinations this festive season. Instead of booking all your catch ups at the same small bar near your work, say hello to a fresh face on the hospitality scene this summer. Head to Cabana Bar in the Sydney CBD to activate your holiday mode and sip on spicy margaritas or try moorish Mauritian flavours at Manze in North Melbourne. Slyp Tips is applicable at participating venues until 11.59pm AEST on Friday, December 31. For the tip to be unlocked, you'll need to view the Smart Receipt prior to 11.59pm AEST on Wednesday, January 5. For more information and to find your nearest participating venue, visit the website.
With Spiral: From the Book of Saw, what came first: the decision to call its protagonist Ezekiel, or the casting of Samuel L Jackson as said character's father? Either way, the film's creative team must've felt mighty pleased with themselves; getting the Pulp Fiction actor to utter the name that's been synonymous with his bible-quoting, Quentin Tarantino-penned monologue for more than a quarter-century doesn't happen by accident. What now four-time franchise director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV) and Jigsaw screenwriters Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger mightn't have realised, though, is just how clumsily this choice comes across. The Saw series has made almost a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, but now it's resorting to winking and nodding to one of its latest stars' past movies. Perhaps Bousman and company didn't notice because almost everything about Spiral feels that forced, awkward, clunky and badly thought-out. Jackson and Chris Rock might gift the long-running franchise a couple of high-profile new faces; however, this ostensible reboot is exactly as derivative as you'd expect of the ninth instalment in a 17-year-old shock- and gore-driven saga. Focusing on a wisecracking, gung-ho, about-to-be-divorced police detective known for exposing his dirty colleagues, Spiral tries to coil the series in a different direction, at least superficially — and pretends to have meaty matters on its mind. Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks (Rock, The Witches) has been crusading for honesty, integrity, fairness and honour in law enforcement for years. Starting back when his now-retired dad Marcus (Jackson, Death to 2020) was the precinct's chief, he's been vilified by his peers for his efforts. When a killer appears to be targeting rotten cops, too, Zeke is desperate to lead the case. Initially, he just wants to avenge the death of the first victim, one of the only co-workers he called a friend, but he's soon trying to track down a murderer that seems to be following in franchise villain Jigsaw's footsteps. A lone wolf-type not by choice but necessity, Banks also happens to be saddled with a rookie partner (Max Minghella, The Handmaid's Tale) as he attempts to stop the bodies from piling up. Even if Spiral had reached screens in May last year as was initially intended pre-pandemic, it would've arrived in a social, cultural and political climate that has been rightly taking a stand against police brutality. The film doesn't have much to say about the topic, however. Recycling the usual cop movie tropes — corruption is endemic, a select few battle against it, but the bad routinely outmuscles the good — it uses the subject as nothing more than a gimmick. Forget weight, depth, nuance or resonance. Spiral just wants a reason for its killer to keep offing cops within its grimy, dankly lit, often jittery fames, and for Zeke to have almost zero backup. Like the pig's heads used by its new agony-inflicting maniac, the end result is bloody yet empty. It smacks of trying to dress up a well-worn idea in fresh packaging, but then only making a half-hearted attempt that relies upon on another genre's conventions. Indeed, the police procedural format, the cast, the topical themes, the 70s thriller look and the focus on a different murderer are all part of a big bait-and-switch act; they might lure viewers in, but a torture porn flick that's rarely even standard is sadly the only thing that awaits. The deaths, which are largely seen in flashbacks devoid of any tension, are characteristically nasty and gruesome. Covering severed tongues, ripped-off appendages, flayed carcasses and drowning via hot wax, they're designed to get the squeamish to avert their eyes again and again. But testing the audience's threshold for blood, guts, gore and complicated torture devices isn't the same as engaging them. Nor is combining the series' brand of gratuitous one-upmanship and supposed lessons with Seven-esque box deliveries and the kind of by-the-numbers serial killer taunting that wouldn't have even made the first draft of any David Fincher project. Spiral doesn't just do the bare minimum in its purported attempt to tackle problematic cops, but demonstrates the same contentedness to merely tick boxes with the franchise's grisly staples, too. A word to the easily nauseated: the film's panic-inducing traps and macabre dismemberments aren't pleasant, which is wholly in keeping with the template set up by Australians James Wan (Aquaman) and Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man) back in 2004's first movie, but it's hard to be put off by something that's this dully formulaic. Perhaps driven by a dream to wake up on-screen chained to a pipe — with a saw within reach, of course — Rock instigated his own involvement in Spiral. A big fan of the series, and of horror movies in general, he came up with the idea for the feature's detective storyline as well. While he's the best thing about the film, he also often feels as if he's mixing his stand-up routines with his far-superior performance in last year's fourth season of Fargo. Yes, with both Jackson and Rock alike, Spiral just can't stop reminding its viewers that its talents both have better projects to their names. Don't go expecting much of their collaboration here, either, with the picture pairing them up sparingly and leaving the audience wanting more — which is the only instance where that statement proves true throughout the entire movie. When the film abruptly comes to an end, it unsurprisingly sets up its next chapter, but it certainly hasn't earned anyone's continued investment. And, in case you'd missed how little it cares for its police brutality narrative, it chooses to end with an image so cliched that it makes the hackneyed dialogue about playing games and the clues delivered on USB drives seem positively fresh in comparison. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuINvoFAnng
Whether it's a dog in a superhero costume or a cat wearing, well, whatever you can manage to get a cat to wear, animals donning outfits ranks among the cutest sights your eyes can ever see. Puppers in cowboy hats and wild west vests, posing for portraits might just raise the adorable stakes beyond previous levels, however. Your furry companion can now be the Kevin Kline to your Will Smith in Wild Wild West thanks to this Dog Photog pop-up heading to Zetland Store Gallery on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28. Spots for the pop-up are available between 10am–5pm across both days. Bookings are essential, and getting a gorgeous portrait of your cute canine will set you back $55 for one pooch or $85 for two. While just seeing your fur-ball in a cowboy hat may be worth $55, the photoshoot does comes with one web-res image of each dog to take home and set as background photo for every devise you own. Dog Photog Cowboys Pop-Up is open from 10am–5pm.
The name Knowles may be synonymous with Beyoncé — AKA Kween Bey— but her li'l sis Solange isn't standing in any shadows. The singer, songwriter, actress, model and fashion icon has won a Grammy, starred on the front covers of magazines and released a chart-topping album — and now she's coming to Sydney. It was announced this morning that Solange will be headlining Vivid LIVE 2018, performing four shows on June, 1, 2, 3 and 4. They will be her only Aussie performances this time round. This will be her first Australian performance since she toured back in 2014 (aside from a one-off performance at H&M in 2015). And she has released a tonne of sweet tunes since — including her award-winning album A Seat at the Table, which hit number one in the charts in late 2016. So, in June, expect to hear Solange belt out hits such as 'Don't Touch My Hair' — the lyrics of which the London Evening Standard's editors probably should've heeded — and 'Cranes in the Sky', which won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance. To get your hands on tickets, you'll need to enter a ticket ballot. To do so, head to the Opera House's website between now (Monday, February 26) and midnight on Sunday, March 4 and register. Successful applicants will be notified on Thursday, March 8. No other live music acts have yet been announced for Vivid LIVE 2018 — with the rest of the lineup expected to be announced in the upcoming weeks — but if it continues anything like it has started, this year is going to be a banger. Solange will perform four shows at Vivid LIVE 2018 at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall between June 1–4. Registrations for the ticket ballot are now open.
A soundtrack of wall-to-wall floor-filler classics will echo across Australia this autumn, featuring tunes by Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and Groove Armada — but not exactly as you know them. Joining the dance-meets-symphony trend is the just-announced Alive Garden Party, which has enlisted the UK's Club Symphony to head Down Under to give the country another event in the style of Synthony and Ministry of Sound Classical. The setup: having a symphony orchestra play tracks normally known for getting clubs pumping, not concert halls. The concept isn't new; however, it is popular. Australia's latest instance is heading to outdoor venues, including some wineries — taking queues from A Day on the Green and Grapevine Gathering as well. Songs by Faithless, Swedish House Mafia and Eric Prydz will also feature when Alive Garden Party debuts in South Australia at the end of March, then tours to Moss Vale Showgrounds in New South Wales' Southern Highlands, Swan Valley's Oakover Grounds in Western Australia, the Gold Coast in Queensland and Rochford Wines in Yarra Valley in Victoria. The lineup will expand as well, beyond the Steve Anderson-, Dave Seaman- and Cliff Masterson-led Club Symphony, including vocalists. Attendees aren't just in for a treat for the ears, but also for the eyes and tastebuds. With the latter, the focus will be on gourmet local produce that you can enjoy while picnicking the afternoon away — plus drinks, of course — before getting dancing beneath the stars when night hits. Bringing your own blanket to sprawl out on is encouraged, as is relaxing on the grass. If you'd like the VIP experience, it includes express entry, premium viewing and a bar with an expanded range. [caption id="attachment_936463" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Hildebrand[/caption] "This will be a visual and audible show that leaves audiences elated," said Jaylee Osborne on behalf of Alive Garden Party's organisers. "Alive Garden Party was born because music festivals aren't for everyone and concerts sometimes don't quite hit the spot. So we created a highly bespoke, beautiful and comfortable experience for every concertgoer." [caption id="attachment_936464" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Perry McLaughlan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_936462" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Hildebrand[/caption] ALIVE GARDEN PARTY 2024 DATES: Saturday, March 30 — TBC, Adelaide, South Australia Sunday, March 31 — Moss Vale Showgrounds, Southern Highlands, New South Wales Saturday, April 6 — Oakover Grounds, Swan Valley, Western Australia Saturday, April 13 — TBC, Gold Coast, Queensland Saturday, April 20 — Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, Victoria Alive Garden Party will tour Australia in March and April 2024, with tickets on-sale now — head to the event website for further details.
Four shows at Gaffa focus on half-seen worlds and the sort blurry places that can overwhelm the eyes. Armando Chant's Phase Change is dominated by a series of etchings of Banksia, shifting in and out of focus. The plates seem to have been progressively eaten away by the acid process between printings. Some have a sculptor's eye for detail. On others, the picture has faded until only rough dots or distant hazy forms remain. Arranged as a grid, the eye moves down the rows and the images dissolve. The clear topmost row of images denature down through a middle splodgy row to a lower one where almost nothing is left but soft, lumpen forms. At photo collective the Photo Group's show Eight Andrea Klucis' Where Land Meets the Sky shows a strip of a city ridge specked with trees and houses. Just above, it's touched by low rough clouds, under the bulk of the photo dominated by an endless sky. Its series of photos, Sometimes Sweet Silence, are each dominate by the 'golden hour' of light after the dawn, or before sunset. Asim Aly-Khan's Homeworlds of the Holograms makes globes from shaky streaks of light, while Mirjana Tann plays with lens flares spiking off the sun in When Darkness Lifes. Caroline McLean Foldes' domestic moments in Clifton Gardens - Home dot tiny cameos with gentle light, Mim Stirling's El retablo de los animalitos (The Altar of Little Animals) offers intimate photo portraits of tiny animal toys and Philipa Margan's lens gives M&Ms the sort of loving treatment that makes you realise how much their strange granary shape and rough aftertaste had always deserved such treatment. Plan is a joint show divided among A.W. and Kim Connerton. A.W. has images of frames within frames, empty boxes and a hollow plinth alongside correspondence between early photographers Fox Talbot and Herschel. It's a kind of unearthed bones from the world of early photography. Lotuses are the theme of Connerton's tiny sculptures, where miniature people aim to draw you into a pre-birth world. Images by Andrea Klucis and Philipa Margan.
Art is a matter of life and death in the star-studded Velvet Buzzsaw, which might just earn the title of 2019's most out-there film so far. The movie marks the reunion of Nightcrawler writer/director Dan Gilroy and actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo — and if you've seen that 2014 standout, you'll know that you're in for a wild ride. Both an unhinged horror effort and a satire of the art world, the film is set to premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, but general audiences won't have to wait long at all to see the flick for themselves. It'll hit Netflix worldwide on Friday, February 1, while Sundance is still running. While Nightcrawler took aim at tabloid news media and charted its deadly consequences, Velvet Buzzsaw has another realm in its sights. With Gyllenhaal playing an art critic, Russo an agent, and everyone from Toni Collette to John Malkovich to Stranger Things' Natalia Dyer among the cast, the film charts a spate of sinister happenings that are linked to a batch eye-catching paintings. The art collection in question is only found after an unknown elderly artist passes away, and comes with strict instructions to destroy the work; however, when that warning is ignored, everyone who profits from the pieces starts to suffer. Check out the trailer below, and add the movie to your streaming queue for your next fright-filled date with your couch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdAR-lK43YU Velvet Buzzsaw will be available on Netflix from Friday, February 1.
The Rocks might be one of Sydney’s most beautifully preserved historic areas, but its dining scene is in no way stuck in time. Among the sandstone buildings and cobbled laneways, you’ll discover sushi revolutions, serious cocktail experiments, ground-breaking fusion menus and some of the city’s finest bistronomy. Here are the restaurants serving up some of The Rocks’ best new flavours. SAKE If you think you know your sushi, get ready to stop at a whole new station. Forget your California rolls and tuna with avocado. At Sake, you’re in for whizz-bang, hatted creations. We’re talking grilled eel with cream cheese, cucumber, tempura crunch, jalapeno mayo and avocado, and Korean-inspired K-Town roll with seared beef, takuan pickle, wrapped in sesame leaf and yang-yang sauce. Plus, there are more than 40 sakes to match them with. Executive chef Shaun Presland learned how to make sushi in Japan for 15 years before working at Nobu’s Bahamas outpost and the Establishment’s Sushi-e and Sake. ANANAS Since opening in 2012, Ananas has been bringing a sizeable dose of Parisian glamour to The Rocks. Under the guidance of chef de cuisine Neil Martin, classic French dishes are served up in their freshest and most indulgent incarnations. Think scallop ceviche with fennel, tangerine and tarragon; dressed blue crab with avocado and horseradish; and oysters. Lots of oysters. To ensure your dishes are appropriately accompanied, there’s a handpicked selection of champagnes and a bunch of signature cocktails. PEI MODERN Mark Best, who heads up fine-dining institution Marque, is one of Australia’s best chefs. And at Pei Modern, his recently opened bistro, you can sample his creations without paying hatted price tags. It’s housed in the spacious ground floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, where a central open kitchen allows you to watch the cooking in action. Go for John Dory cooked on the bone with cauliflower puree and saltbush; Holmbrae chicken with baby Brussels sprouts and lardo; or ricotta dumplings with zucchini flowers and lazy man’s pesto. The emphasis is on simple yet innovative dishes, with super-fresh, locally sourced ingredients. SAILORS THAI Here’s where you’ll find some of the most exciting Thai in the city. With tantalising street food and ancient recipes as its base, the menu spices matters up with Australian produce and surprise ingredients. There’s no cutting corners: dishes are cooked slowly and pastes are made daily on the premises. Eat at a communal table, beside one of Sydney’s first open kitchens, or retreat to the deck for sparkling views of the harbour. No wonder people say that the best Thai in the world is in Sydney. WILLIAM BLUE DINING If you like getting to know Sydney's next generation of star chefs before they've headed their own kitchens or released a cookbook (and would like to support them along the way), this is the place to be. Now located at Rockpool's former digs, William Blue Dining is the city's oldest hospitality management school, training students in commercial cookery, front of house and events. As part of the training, they keep a restaurant running for lunch and dinner, six days a week. It's $38 for three courses (also available individually) of the likes of oven roasted Milly Hill Lamb rump with saffron fondant potatoes, asparagus, pickled turnips and jus. It's a five-star culinary treat at a fraction of the cost. View all Sydney Restaurants.
Just in time for your summer binge sessions, streaming platform Stan has revealed their next huge addition: a hefty lineup of films and TV shows from The Walt Disney Company. From Friday, December 14, the Australian service will welcome the wonderful world of Disney to its selection. And, that doesn't just mean Disney's own animated and live-action efforts, but movies and series from Disney-owned companies Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, too. Whether you want to enjoy gorgeous animated stories, jump into the Marvel Cinematic Universe or head to a galaxy far, far away, the Disney range will bring a heap of your favourites to Stan — think all three Toy Story flicks, the live-action likes of Maleficent and Cinderella, this year's big superhero hits Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, and both Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Want to catch up on the original The Lion King before the new version comes out next year? Fancy watching all three Thor films? They're also on the lineup. Other Disney and Pixar titles heading Stan's way include Wall-E, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Cars, Cars 2, Monsters Inc., Monsters University, The Incredibles and Big Hero 6 — and, if you just can't let it go, Frozen as well. From Marvel's slate, the three Iron Man movies, the first two Captain America films and the initial Ant-Man are all on the bill, and the first two Avengers flicks alongside Infinity War. For younger viewers, animated shows including Tangled: The Series, Star Wars Rebels and Duck Tales will also hit Stan's queue. That's your holiday viewing sorted — and while you can reasonably expect that this big batch of Disney content will be available for a while, it's likely a short-to-medium term arrangement, given that Disney is launching its own streaming platform in 2019. Stan's Disney lineup will be available from Friday, December 14.
Mega precinct Darling Square just keeps on expanding, with another three retailers now open and two more to follow later this month. The most exciting of these is the long-awaited opening of Kuon Omakase, an 11-seat Japanese restaurant. Here Head Chef Fukada San serves up a 20-course ($180) menu of sushi and sashimi, while patrons sit at the kitchen counter and watch the chef in action. The seasonal menu changes daily and an optional wine or sake pairing can be added, too. Bookings here are a must, with only one lunch sitting (12–2pm) and two dinner sittings (6pm and 8pm) each day. Then, there's Spago, an Italian restaurant that hails from The Hill and is headed by Chef Eddie Leung. It's now open within the Maker's Dozen food court inside The Exchange building. Expect freshly made pasta dishes, with the majority under $20. Build-your-own bowls — with sauces including boscaiola, salsiccia, amatriciana and carbonara — are also on the docket. [caption id="attachment_780910" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toastiesmith[/caption] Meanwhile, Tumbalong Boulevard now boasts Jackpot Hotpot, a casino-themed, Macau-style hotpot restaurant. It offers seven different broths — including lobster and veggie varieties — made in-house daily. Build your bowl with dozens of premium ingredients, including lobster, abalone, wagyu, lamb and kurobuta pork, plus heaps of vegetables. There's also an extensive booze list featuring wine, sake and whisky, too. And Steam Mill Lane is also now home to Hachi, a dog spa, boutique and cafe. Get your pet professionally groomed, then pick up some clothing and accessories and head to the photo studio. With your fresh snaps in tow, grab your pooch a special treat from the cafe. Opening later this month within Maker's Dozen is Toastiesmith, a sanga-themed cafe offering up 12 different varieties, including roast beef, pork katsu and grilled fish, all topped with an egg omelette. Drinks include coffees, smoothies and house-made sodas. Joining Toastiesmith in late-August is another outpost of stalwart Pancakes on The Rocks, and it'll serve up an all-day menu of diner favourites. To check the new venues' opening hours, head over to the Darling Square website. Top images: Hachi and Jackpot Hotpot.
Nine months after Randwick's Soul Burger ditched the meat products and embraced an all-vegan menu, the purveyors of plant-based goodness are heading west, this week launching a second store in Glebe . With this new addition to the family, Soul Burger continues in opposition of big agriculture, with owner and founder Amit Tewari keen to shake up the Aussie food culture and help inspire a shift towards plant-based eating. And it looks like he's firmly on the right track, given that Soul Burger's is the kind of menu that both carnivores and vegans will be beating down the door for. Think maximum feasting, for minimal artery clogging, with plant-based beef, snags and fish, egg-free sauces, and lighter, vegan cheese stealing the spotlight. The Glebe store will be rocking all the same treats as the original, including those addictive sweet potato fries, coconut shakes and the ever-popular Sumo burger, which teams plant-based beef and spicy sausage with roasted peppers, mushroom, cheese, salad, herbed mayo and tomato relish. Tomorrow's launch will kick things off in style, with burger lovers of all persuasions invited to check out the new Glebe Point Road digs, and spread the vegan love with a celebratory, meat-free feed. Plus, if you're one of the first 50 punters through the door, you'll even score yourself a burger on the house. Get there early. Soul Burger Glebe will open at 5pm tomorrow, Wednesday, September 28, at 111 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. For more info, visit soulburger.com.au.
Come April, the eyes of the sporting world will turn towards the Gold Coast, with the Queensland city hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games. That's great news if you're a fan of athletes and nations vying for glory — and, while it might not initially seem like it, it's great news for arts and culture lovers too. As well as the expected competitive endeavours, the event will also feature a huge multi-arts festival, called Festival 2018. First announced last year, Festival 2018 mightn't boast the most exciting name, but it does promise a plethora of exciting programming across 12 days. Taking place from April 4 to 15, the fest will feature more than 1000 arts and cultural experiences, complete with 1440 artists from 50 countries, and including 35 world premieres and 15 Australian premieres. From the just-revealed full program, highlights include the inflatable labyrinth that is Arboria, which will take over Broadbeach's Kurrawa Park; plus Circa's world-first take on The Rite of Spring, but in circus form; and Dancenorth's 360-degree dance performance Surge. Elsewhere, Yothu Yindi and The Treaty Project will kick off the music offerings, while an evening of African tunes will mark what would've been Nelson Mandela's 100th year, and Courtney Act will host a celebration of LGBTQI pride. Also on the bill is the Gold Coast's own Amy Shark; the all-female Electric Lady, bringing together Aussie female-fronted acts; Hot Dub Time Machine 's latest stint; the seven-metre-wide, floating moon sculpture that is Museum of the Moon; and Holoscenes, the performance artwork which comes to Australia for the first time after wowing crowds in New York City's Times Square. Or, attendees can take part in a participatory dance performance featuring hundreds of people; and sing karaoke as they've never experienced it before — via a field of microphones on Surfers Paradise beach. Other standouts include a Champagne party, an extensive food program at Helensvale's NightQuarter, a silent disco tour, a seaside meditation zone and open-air short film screenings showcasing talent from across the Commonwealth. As previously announced, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Jungle Giants and Mau Power will also feature, as part of a lineup of art, music, theatre, dance and more spanning from from Coomera to Coolangatta. To deliver the massive event, The Festival has joined forces with the existing Bleach* Festival — and will also include satellite events held across the state. For Brisbanites not heading to the Goldie, that includes free music from Regurgitator, The Preatures, Bob Evans, Kev Carmody, Cheap Fakes, Airling, Major Leagues and more at South Bank's Cultural Centre Forecourt, a screening of Warwick Thornton's Aussie flag-focused doco We Don't Need a Map and the return of La Boite's refugee production The Village. Festival 2018 takes place from April 4 to 15 across the Gold Coast and other parts of Queensland. Visit the festival website for further details. Image: Dancenorth, Amber Haines
While Australia can sometimes feel a little disconnected from the rest of the world, much of the globe can relate to our ongoing refugee situation. It's these widespread geopolitical and migration crises that world-renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei is shining a spotlight on with his New York public art exhibition, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. After running a crowdfunding campaign to fund the project back in August and September, the Chinese creative's latest installation is up and running from today until February 2018. The powerful showcase features a series of large-scale works throughout the entire city, as Ai Weiwei highlights the role of the security fence in dividing people, the immigration and border control practices and policies that go along with these physical barriers, and the current global rise in nationalism. https://www.instagram.com/p/BaHLa7Rn9hh/?taken-by=publicartfund Spanning more than 300 sites across five boroughs, the artist's huge fence-inspired works can be found at places like Central Park and Greenwich Village's Washington Square Arch, as well as on top of and between private buildings. He has also created a collection of flagpole-mounted works, sculptures around bus shelters and two-dimensional lamppost banners. Meanwhile, traditional advertising spaces at bus shelters, LinkNYC kiosks and newsstands will display images taken during Ai Weiwei's time researching at refugee camps across the world. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors stems from his own experiences with displacement and detention, combined with his recent research surrounding the global refugee crisis. If you can't make it to New York to see the installation in person, Instagram has you covered. For more of Ai Weiwei's exploration of the topic, Human Flow, his latest documentary, is due in Australian cinemas in March 2018. Images: Ai Weiwei studio via Kickstarter.
