This article is sponsored by our partners, Flickerfest. This year's much-anticipated Flickerfest trailer has landed. Playing on 1980s cult classic, The Blues Brothers, it's a cleverly crafted parody of the adventure of filmmaking. Directed for Hixon Films by Flickerfest award winner, director Alex Weinress, and starring locals Emma Lung, Guy Edmonds, Matt Zeremes and Charlie Garber, the film focuses on ambitious filmmaker Stuart Martin, who believes that great short films come from "passionate, original voices ... from the dreams of madmen glanced in the morning dew". His "vision" is to tell the story of what happens when the Blues Brothers escape from prison and find themselves on Bondi Beach. And the result? The Blues Brothers as you've never seen them before: running slow-motion in the surf, ordering flat whites, taking tai chi lessons and contemplating their existence, all the while being watched by amazed locals. Martin is, of course, convinced that his "concept" is going to conquer Flickerfest.
Restaurants and bars all over the country are increasingly embracing sustainability. But this isn't just some fad that will come and go after a few short years — it's not cake pops or the cronut. Their work is part of a greater shift towards creating a more sustainable food system. Consumers have a lot to learn from chefs and business owners in the industry. They have dedicated themselves to cooking delicious food in a sustainable way. Simply put, they know best. We spoke to some of the leaders of the sustainability movement in New South Wales' hospo scene to hear about the changes they've made in their kitchens and to get some advice on what we can do at home. We heard from Ben Devlin and Yen Trinh, owners of Northern Rivers fine diner Pipit; Danielle Alvarez, former head chef of Fred's; and Rebecca and Al Yazbek, owners of NOMAD. Keep reading to discover what these legends are up to behind the pass and get tips on how you can introduce similar measures at home. [caption id="attachment_794824" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sabine Bannard[/caption] COOKING WITH MORE VEGETABLES AND BETTER MEAT Chef Ben Devlin and partner Yen Trinh, owners of Pipit, create menus that truly celebrate vegetables. Devlin notes "the impact that vegetable production has on the environment in our area is often a little lower than meat production, so it makes sense to get more of your nutrition from vegetables and a smaller amount from meat. "There is a huge range of possibilities in vegetable cooking that can provide a wider variety of flavours and textures, and it is a really great way of connecting to the land, the weather and the seasons." That doesn't mean you need to go full vegetarian or vegan — moderation is key for Devlin and Trinh. "I think meat is something that you should try to buy as high quality as possible in smaller amounts," Devlin says. It has less of an impact on the environment and it tastes a whole lot better, too. [caption id="attachment_856167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pipit Restaurant and Sabine Bannard[/caption] USE LESS PLASTIC AND RECYCLE MORE The Pipit team also cares deeply about reducing the amount of plastic it brings into the restaurant, and how it recycles what it does use. Devlin and Trinh shared the ways they achieve this. "We don't have cling film or single-use cloths. We invest in more sturdy plastic containers that can be washed and re-used more. We use biodegradable or reusable piping bags. We ask all suppliers to ship in reusable and returnable containers and we use the Return and Earn program for our beer cans and bottles," Devlin says. People at home can make similar changes when it comes to reducing how much plastic they bring into the home, and how they recycle the plastic that makes it through the door. One really helpful initiative is the NSW Government's aforementioned Return and Earn scheme. It allows people to earn ten cents per eligible container they recycle at one of the return points located throughout the state. You can either keep the money yourself or donate it directly to a charity. Helping protect the environment while supporting local charitable causes — that's a massive win-win. Just be sure the containers are empty, in good condition, and have the label attached. That makes it easier for the containers to have a great second life, and not find their way into landfills. CELEBRATING LOCALLY SOURCED, SEASONAL PRODUCE For Danielle Alvarez (pictured above), the former head chef of Fred's, buying ingredients from good local sources is the best thing we can do — not only because it's great for the environment, but also because it makes for tastier food. Alvarez says, "I've always believed the biggest impact chefs can have in restaurants is making better choices with what we purchase and put on our menus. Industrial farming and transportation are some of the biggest carbon emitters out there so if you buy from small local organic farms you can be sure your net carbon impact will be much lower. "Moreover, these kinds of farmers farm regeneratively so the land and the surrounding areas will still be healthy for the next generation." [caption id="attachment_857484" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Petrina Tinslay[/caption] WASTE REDUCTION When designing menus, all the chefs and restaurateurs have creatively thought up ways to use every part of each animal and plant they buy. The terms 'nose to tail' and 'root to fruit' are commonly used for this kind of sustainable cooking, when chefs use everything to reduce waste and come up with new and exciting things to eat. "Food waste is something we're really proud of. It is so minimal. We buy in whole animals and break them down, use what we can in our charcuterie," Rebecca and Al Yazbek, owners of NOMAD, say. "We also have a green waste program so that no food scraps go to landfill. We work with our suppliers on reducing oversupply and ensuring minimal waste by coordinating with our reservations team to know what is coming up in a week and to order accordingly." The duo also has some advice for us about reducing waste. "Before going to the grocery store, use what is in your cupboard. Food waste is expensive and, in a lot of instances, unnecessary. Shop your fridge and pantry and get more confident in the kitchen by substituting what you have on hand instead of heading to the shops." Ready to put your recyclables to work? Look no further than Return and Earn. Crunch your numbers at the impact calculator and see the real-world benefits your recycling will have. Top image: Jacqui Challinor, Rebecca Yazbek and Al Yazbek by Petrina Tinslay
We all have our weaknesses. And if there's one thing that could have me lying to friends and mortgaging a house, it would be chocolate. For this reason, I absolutely must avoid visiting Baroque Bistro during October. Willie Harcourt-Cooze, AKA The Chocolate Man, will be collaborating with Baroque's Peter Robertson and Jean-Michel Raynaud on a whole month's worth of events. First up, there's the 'Golden Ticket' Dinners, with a name which will have any reader of Roald Dahl instantly hooked. The full degustation menu will make the journey from savory to sweet, accompanied by a delicious selection of matching wines. A Chocolate Masterclass poses the danger of taking Willie's tempting knowledge home with you. And the limited edition bespoke Chocolate Macaron, created by pastry chef Jean-Michel, will be available from Baroque for all of October. Check with Baroque for full details but consider yourself warned: if you click that link, you have no chance of resisting. We're giving away a copy of Willie Harcourt-Cooze's latest book, Willie's Chocolate Bible. To win, simply make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name through to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
This article is sponsored by our partners, Wotif.com. Going to the Whitsundays and staying in a hotel without an ocean view is a bit like going to Rome without seeing the Colosseum. It’s kind of the whole point. The good news is that, whether you’re begging and borrowing to make your trip possible or spending all of your life savings in one extravagant indulgence, there are options. Here’s a list of the Whitsundays’ most beautiful, stylish, secluded and romantic hotels. CORAL SEA RESORT, AIRLIE BEACH The 4.5 star Coral Sea Resort is so close to the ocean you can pretty much reach out of your hotel window and test out the water. On top of that, a teeny-tiny stroll along a waterside boardwalk carries you to the uber-hip, laidback village of Airlie Beach. Getting to the islands is merely a matter of walking in the other direction, to Abell Point Marina, where you can jump on a ferry. Hamilton Island, Daydream Island and Whitehaven Beach are all doable on a half-day or full-day jaunt. HAMILTON ISLAND REEF VIEW If your ideal tropical holiday involves snorkelling above coral beds, windsurfing from dawn to dusk or testing out your paddle skiing prowess, the 4 star Hamilton Island Reef View Hotel is the go. That’s because the hotel offers complimentary access to a bunch of non-motorised water equipment. So you can pretty much wake up, munch down on breakfast and be out on the water within a matter of minutes. If you’re not a fan of self-propulsion, there’s the option of hiring a golf buggy and cruising the island on wheels. Either way, the hotel pool, complete with waterside cocktail bar, is the place to kick back after a day spent adventuring. DAYDREAM ISLAND RESORT AND SPA For a holiday that’s all about relaxing and pampering, Daydream Island Resort and Spa has the goods. That’s mainly because it’s home to the Rejuvenation Spa, where signature treatments are on the menu — from 1.5-hour Caviar Facials to four-hour Mermaid’s Dream indulgences. You can spend your entire holiday lying around, but, if you decide to move, mini golf, volleyball and badminton are all on offer. Plus, the resort is right on the edge of one of the world’s biggest manmade coral reef lagoons. BREAKFREE LONG ISLAND RESORT To make the most of a stay at the 3.5 star Breakfree Long Island Resort, you’ll need to be very, very skilled at the art of doing absolutely nothing. That’s because as soon as you see their hammocks, you’ll want to lie in them all day long. That said, the island’s national park is home to more than 20 kilometres of walking trails, so you can roam if you want to. And there’s also volleyball and paddle boarding opportunities aplenty. For beverages, there’s a poolside cocktail bar and, for food, the onsite Palm’s Restaurant. PINNACLES RESORT AND SPA The 5 star Pinnacles is the full monty. If there’s someone in your life who you really, really want to impress or thank or hold captive forever and ever and ever (yourself, perhaps?), it’s the one. For a start, the rooms are 20 metres from the water, with panoramic views across Airlie Beach and the ocean. Second up, there’s an Endota Spa with a private verandah. If you want go the whole hog, opt for a two- or three-bedroom apartment with its own terrace Jacuzzi. BOATHOUSE APARTMENTS BY OUTRIGGER Wanna take a bunch of buddies or a whole football team or your mum, dad, sis and bro on holiday with you? And your cousins? Outrigger’s Boathouse Apartments, situated on the water at the shiny new port of Airlie Marina, have loads of space. If there are eight of you, check out the four-bedroom Penthouse apartments, featuring balconies and a rooftop spa. Host your own mini-Wimbledon at the resort’s private tennis court or chill out poolside. Book your Whitsundays escape now via Wotif.com.
First, it was a popular 80s comedy starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Then, it became a five-season television sitcom led by Parton's real-life younger sister. In 2009, 9 to 5 made the leap to the stage too, because you just can't stop a good story about female empowerment in the workplace. Revived in the West End back in 2019, it's still a huge hit — and now, after being delayed by the pandemic, the stage production will make its Australian premiere in Sydney in February next year. Just by reading the show's title, we know that you already have Parton's catchy song of the same name stuck in your head. Pour yourself a cup of ambition, because that tune isn't going away anytime soon. Indeed, you'd best get ready to exclaim "what a way to make a living" more than once when 9 to 5 The Musical plays its Aussie debut season, hitting the Capitol Theatre in Haymarket from February 16, 2022. Ahead of its time when it first reached cinemas, this tale of three women who take on their sexist, egotistical and all-round despicable male boss is obviously still highly relevant today. Before #TimesUp and #MeToo, workmates Doralee, Violet and Judy decided to turn the tables by kidnapping their supervisor and reforming their office. Expect the same story in 9 to 5 The Musical, as penned by the original film's screenwriter Patricia Resnick — just with more songs. The Australian version will star Caroline O'Connor (a veteran of the movie version of Moulin Rouge!), as well as Eddie Perfect as the workplace's controlling boss. With Parton herself writing the score — and earning Tony and Grammy nominations for her efforts — expect plenty of feel-good music as well. Although she doesn't appear on stage, the famous country star is still involved with the show, and with bringing it to Australia. While the musical will premiere in Sydney, it was meant to head to Melbourne during its postponed 2020 run — so cross your fingers that that'll still happen. We'll let you know if and when more dates and locations are announced. Still singing 9 to 5 to yourself? Of course you are. And you can also check out Parton's announcement video below: 9 to 5 The Musical will hit Sydney's Capitol Theatre in Haymarket from February 16, 2022. For more information, to join the waitlist or to nab seats once ticket go on sale on Friday, October 29, visit the musical's website. Images: Pamela Raith Photography.
When a standard villa and self-made holiday itinerary simply won't do, you could turn your attention to Hotel Clicquot — a world first entry to all-in luxury accommodation by French champagne house, Veuve Clicquot. Here's the skinny: The hotel is popping up in the Byron Bay hinterland at Cooper's Shoot, a prime location for exceptional ocean vistas (and possible Zac Efron sightings), from 24 November to 5 December 2021. As per the description: A quintessential part of a stay at Hotel Clicquot is the daily calendar of unique, money-can't-buy experiences, all of which are entirely optional. Do or do not! Once there, you'll be looking at two nights and three days of activities (or no activities!), pre-arranged for you, so the only decision-making required is whether or not you should have another glass of champers. There's a 24hour butler service. There will be an in-house sommelier to guide you on a journey through the French champagne house's finest drops. A massage therapist will be at your disposal. Meals will be prepared for you and your cohort, one by up-and-coming chef Alanna Sapwell and the other by David Moyle of acclaimed local spot Harvest Newrybar, who will host a 'garden gastronomy' dinner. And, it should go without saying, but yes: there is of course an infinity edge pool. Helicopter transfers are optional. And if you need to fill a seat, I solemnly nominate myself for the task. Bookings are available from 1 November and you can register your interest here.
Ah, l'Europe. Land of architectural charm and grandeur, where a staircase is never just a staircase but a work of art in itself. Surely providing one of the most gorgeous ways to scale an incline ever, Sicily's Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte in the city of Caltagirone comes alive every year with beautiful designs entirely composed of potted flowers and lights. It's a simple and elegant method of transforming a public space into a natural and versatile artistic canvas, drawing both natives and tourists together to celebrate local heritage. During the La Scala Flower Festival and the Scala Illuminata, the Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte's 142 steps, dating back to 1608, host a series of intricate floral and candle arrangements that take advantage of the steep slope to present vast perspectival images of patron saints and traditional patterns of the region. People can flock to see the designs flicker by night during the light festivals and walk up and down admiring the foliage by day during the flower festivals. Made up of thousands of decorated tiles — one of the signature products of Caltagirone, which is famous for its ceramics and terracotta industry — the Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte is already a landmark. The addition of some 2000 plants (geranium, boxwood and marigolds) took its appeal to the next level this year during the flower festival in honour of Our Lady of Conadomini, patron saint of the city, which ran from 8 May to 3 June. You can scope out more of the inventive and colourful designs here. It's certainly hard to imagine noticing any muscle fatigue in your glutes when you're distracted by so much colour. These inspiring pictures beg the question: which spots in Australian cities are ripe for this kind of ornamentation? We reckon it's time to take a cue from sophisticated Sicily and import the flower stair concept on a grand scale. Via This is Colossal.
One of the great things about Alanis Morissette's discography is that it's filled with songs and lyrics that prove apt in plenty of situations. You oughta know that there's a musical dedicated to the Canadian singer's tunes, for instance — and now that it's coming back to Sydney this winter, you might want to say thank you. This news isn't like rain on your wedding day. It doesn't resemble finding a black fly in your chardonnay. And it definitely isn't anything like hitting a traffic jam when you're already late, either. But, it will have you singing those lines, because Tony-winner Jagged Little Pill the Musical will return to Theatre Royal Sydney for a second run. The Broadway show's trip Down Under kicked off at the same venue last December, then moved to Melbourne. Whether stops in any other cities are on the horizon hasn't been revealed as yet; however, after its first Harbour City stint sold out, Sydneysiders can now look forward to a big dose of 90s nostalgia all over again. Inspired by Alanis Morissette's 1995 album of the same name, Jagged Little Pill the Musical weaves a story around songs from that iconic record. So yes, it's a jukebox musical like Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and Rock of Ages. Famed tracks 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know', 'Hand in My Pocket', 'Head Over Feet' and 'You Learn' all feature, in a production that boasts music by Morissette and her album co-writer and producer Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and a book by Juno Oscar-winner Diablo Cody. And, songs such as 'Thank U', 'So Pure', 'That I Would Be Good', 'So Unsexy' and 'Hands Clean' all pop up as well, even though they hail from the musician's subsequent albums. At present, tickets are on sale for shows from Saturday, July 9–Sunday, August 21, all starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She plays Mary Jane Healey, with Jagged Little Pill the Musical telling the Healey family's tale as they struggle with their seemingly idyllic suburban lives after a troubling event in their community. Expect to hear Morissette's tunes — including two new songs written just for the show — used in a story about social issues relevant to today, but also with an overall message of hope, healing and togetherness. Jagged Little Pill the Musical will return to the Theatre Royal Sydney at 108 King Street, Sydney, from Saturday, July 9–Sunday, August 21. For further details and to buy tickets, head to the musical's website. Images: Jagged Little Pill the Musical, Australian production, Daniel Boud.
Oh, the modern library. Like a grandmother with a laptop, it can seem lost, desperate and confused as it strives to survive the digital era. Is it a tech hub, a research centre or just another place to pick up? Not even it knows. Yet, if there's one thing the library should always be, it is a place for stories. And that's what the crew at Surry Hills are bringing back to the bookshelves with April's Late Night Library Slide Night. This LNL session will explore the tales behind the tales from three of Australia’s finest journalists: Fairfax crime reporter Ilya Gridneff, former Dateline/current Triple J reporter Sophie McNeill and the event's host, Tom Tilley of Triple J's Hack. From bike-back road trips with pals to Hells Angels to allegiances made in Syrian refugee camps, listen in awe as these raconteurs provide live commentary to a collection of photo essays exposing the hidden drama of newsmaking.
As first announced back in 2018, Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image will soon look rather different, with the screen culture-focused Federation Square site currently undergoing extensive $40 million renovations. When it reopens in 2021, visitors can expect revamped exhibition spaces, new immersive experiences and added interactive activations, including a permanent ode to Mad Max. Also part of the huge makeover: increasing the ways that everyone can engage with ACMI digitally, both when heading by in-person and from home. As revealed back in October, ACMI will usher in a heap of new ways for folks to interact with its exhibitions. That includes giving visitors a handheld device made out of compressed cardboard, which they'll be able to while they're wandering around the place — and when they go home as well. ACMI's fresh additions also span online exhibition space Gallery 5, which is up and running already, and its own video-on-demand service called Cinema 3. Of course, 2020 has already seen a very lengthy list of new streaming and VOD options hit the market, all competing for film and TV fans' eyeballs in a year that's seen us all spend more time on the couch — such as horror streamer Shudder, architecture and design-focused platform Shelter, short-form platform Quibi (which'll actually call it quits in December), female-focused service Femflix, and platforms from cinemas such as Palace and Golden Age, plus the team behind Sydney's Ritz and Melbourne's Lido, Classic and Cameo venues. Accordingly, ACMI joins a very busy space, but it's doing so with a tightly curated range of classics and new movies that's selected by its Director of Film Programs Kristy Matheson, and is updated fortnightly. Available since Thursday, November 19, Cinema 3 currently features a digital restoration of Claire Denis' 1999 standout Beau Travail, plus 2019's acclaimed Romanian flick The Whistlers — neither of which you can currently watch in Australian cinemas. In the classic camp, it has grouped a number of movies into themes. So, you can check out 'fine films for grown-up tastes' such as The Two Faces of January, Our Little Sister, The Deep Blue Sea and The Third Wife, or opt to delve into cinema history via Berberian Sound Studio, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché, Last Man in Aleppo and Parasite. Cinema 3 also presently features an Aussie-focused section as well, showing Noise, The Darkside, and documentaries Jill Billcock: Dancing the Invisible and Defiant Lives. The idea is that each area of the service acts as a shelf — for you to peruse and pick from at your leisure, depending on what piques your interest. Films are available on a pay-per-view rental basis, with the current titles ranging from $4.99 to $14. To check out ACMI's Cinema 3 video-on-demand service, head to the platform's website.
Year after year, St. Jerome's Laneway Festival delivers a brilliant lineup of bands that has given it the reputation of a true music nerd's festival. A complementary mix of international and local acts have been chosen for 2012; long-time lovers of this festival are sure to find a couple of bands that they've always wanted to see. Laneway's focus on up-and-coming acts means that there's a high likelihood you'll hear a band you've never heard of who will soon be a regular guest on your iPod. This summer, you can look forward to seeing New York trio Chairlift, who produce very catchy indie songs and are soon releasing their third album; Girls, a charismatic rock-pop band whose songs are laced with innocent heartbreak and joie de vivre; quirky songstress Laura Marling; synth-rock hero M83; the genre-hopping wonder that is Feist, as well as The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Horrors, Twin Shadow, The Panics, Yuck, Pajama Club, Active Child and many more. Laneway are also showcasing Triple J's Unearthed winners, so you may hear the Next Big Thing before they're saturating the radio. The exuberant, party atmosphere and a crowd who's more into the music that what they're wearing makes Laneway a summer staple, so make sure you nab a ticket as soon as you can (tickets go on sale October 19). Brisbane – Saturday, January 28 at Alexandria Street, Fortitude Valley Auckland – Monday, January 30 at Silo Park, Beaumont Street Melbourne – Saturday, February 4 at Footscray Community Arts Centre Sydney – Sunday, February 5 at Sydney College Of The Arts Adelaide – Friday, February 10 at Fowler's Live Perth – Saturday, February 11 at Perth Cultural Centre Singapore – Sunday, February 12 at Fort Canning (lineup announced on October 21) The full lineup is as follows: Active Child Anna Calvi Austra Bullion Chairlift (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne only) Cults The Drums DZ Deathrays EMA Feist (except Adelaide^) Geoffry O'Connor Girls Givers (Sydney, Melbourne only) Glasser The Horrors Husky (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne only) John Talabot Jonti Laura Marling M83 Oneman The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Pajama Club The Panics Portugal The Man SBTRKT (live) Toro Y Moi Total Control Twin Shadow Washed Out Wu Lyf Yuck https://youtube.com/watch?v=r-hMISLG8nY
Sydney shines in summer. The long days, warm nights and many summer celebrations make the city buzz throughout the warmer months. After being cooped up all winter, we're pretty keen to spend summer exploring our own backyard to remember why it is we love living in this sparkling city so much. One part of town that'll be filled with sweet summer fun is Barangaroo. The inner city pocket will play host to art activations, Sydney Festival events, artisan markets and loads more. Did we mention it's a prime position to see in the new year, too? Whether you're after a picturesque picnic spot or a world-class dining experience, you'll find something to suit every one of your summer moods at Barangaroo. WELCOME 2022 WITH AN INCREDIBLE HARBOUR VIEW If there's one thing Sydney knows how to do well, it's New Year's Eve. The phenomenal fireworks show over the harbour is famous worldwide and you can get front-row access from the sloping lawns at Barangaroo Reserve. You can BYO food or enjoy tasty treats from the on-site food trucks while live performances keep you entertained until the the countdown to midnight. Bringing your own booze is not permitted but the on-site bar will be available to quench your thirst. Given the prime location, you'll need to get in early to make sure you're on the lawns for the midnight moment. Head to the website to grab your tickets. [caption id="attachment_836793" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 2021 Cultural Ghost Tour[/caption] FREAK YOURSELF OUT ON A GHOST TOUR From Thursday, January 13 till Saturday, January 22, you can immerse yourself in ancient Dreamtime stories at this spine-tingling First Nations-led ghost tour at Barangaroo (Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights only). You'll start with a cleansing ceremony at Stargazer Lawn before you make your way to Nawi Cove to connect with the Water Spirits of Birra (Sydney Harbour). To finish, you'll share your own spooky stories around a sandstone fire pit while acknowledging Barangaroo's Goomedah (spirit). UNCOVER ARTISAN-MADE TREATS AT THIS INAUGURAL MARKET You know a market means business when there'll be a road closure for it to take place. On Saturday, February 26, the very first Barangaroo Artisan Market will be kicking off with over 40 stalls to browse through and yep, you guessed it, the streets will be filled with people instead of cars. From carefully crafted ceramics to prints, homewares and jewellery, there'll be plenty of treasures to discover at this harbourside market. The best part? There'll be free live music to soundtrack your summer shopping spree. GET INSPIRED AT SYDNEY FESTIVAL Sydney Festival is the city's beating heart in January. From incredible live music to inspiring theatre productions and transformative artworks, there'll be so much to see during this jam-packed arts festival. This year, you can catch several Sydney Festival events happening at Barangaroo. See large-scale artwork Future Dreaming on Stargazer Lawn; head to The Cutaway to hear the lush acoustic sounds of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' chamber singers in Night of the Soul; or get reflective at The Vigil: Songs for Tomorrow on January 25. [caption id="attachment_836794" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rick Stevens[/caption] TAKE IN SOME HISTORY ON AN ABORIGINAL CULTURAL TOUR Keen to learn more about the history of Barangaroo? Best to get that education from an expert via an Aboriginal Cultural Tour, where you'll be guided through the six hectares of headland that is Barangaroo Reserve. On the tour, you'll take in the 75,000 native plants that feature in the area — the highest quota of native flora of any public space in Sydney — while learning about the importance of this land to clans of the Eora Nation. Tickets range from $16.50–$36.30 for the full 90-minute tour. AUGMENT YOUR REALITY AT THIS LARGE-SCALE ARTWORK Reality getting you down? Time to mix things up with the Artfresco Augmented Reality Art Activation. The free event is happening at Mercantile Walk (outside the entrances to the International Towers) in Barangaroo South until Monday, January 31. The large-scale activation has been developed from original works by renowned artists Alex Seton and Robert Fielding and curated by local artist and innovator Charles Clapshaw. Unfamiliar with the area? An interactive map will help you locate the art and give you information on the artists involved. [caption id="attachment_836795" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eloi Stichelbaut (SailGP)[/caption] SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE SAILS Love sailing? Head to Barangaroo from December 17-18 to catch the return of Australia Sail Grand Prix I on Sydney Harbour. There'll be a pop-up SailGP Village from 12pm both days for fans to have the chance to see racing boats, take part in Q&As with athletes, purchase merchandise and more. It's free to check out the village itself but experiences start from $30 each. HAVE A HARBOURSIDE PICNIC Looking for a new picnic spot this summer? Make tracks to the picturesque Barangaroo Reserve for your next outdoor get together. You'll be able to have your snacks near idyllic coves and check out the nearby lookouts in between drinks at this harbourside hang out. You can BYO food and drinks (including alcohol) from home or pick up supplies from the nearby stores. Want to leave the picnic packing to the professionals instead? Order something from Pop-up Picnic. These picnic pros will pack you a gourmet hamper and deliver it to your agreed location on the reserve. You can even get them to supply picnic gear and outdoor activities if you want to go all out. There's plenty of sweet summer fun to be had at Barangaroo this summer. For more information, visit the website.
Sydney's Shangri-La Hotel is doing something a little different to the usual super swish accommodation thing – they're hosting the annual Philippines Food Festival at Café Mix, with buffet lunch and dinner events happening in September. The hotel is bringing in guest chefs to expand your palates (and bellies). On the foodie line-up is Rico Celdo Venzon, Athena Blanche Tan Oropesa and Erma Balaquiao Palanca from the Shangri-La Hotel in Manila. The food featured will showcase a cuisine that draws inspiration from its tropical setting, and will definitely include some classic national dishes. Head over for tasty treats like Adobong Manok (chicken cooked in soy, vinegar and garlic), Lechon Kawali Sisig (stir-fried crispy pork) and Kare-Kareng Buntot ng Baka (stewed oxtail in peanut sauce). Keen for dessert? Try Halo-Halo (fruits with shaved ice and toppings) or Turon – a banana and jackfruit springroll. You'll be saying "napakasaráp nitó" (it is delicious) in no time. The festival will run from September 16th-23rd and the buffet lunch will be available between noon and 2:30pm at $57 pp, or dinner from 6-10pm at $82 pp. To book yourself in for the buffet, call (03) 9250 6000 or go to the Shangri-La website.
Wisemans Ferry has been largely devoid of music since the extremely popular Playground Weekender collapsed. However, festival fans can rejoice as Return To Rio is bringing music back to the venue this November. The three-day festival will have a deep house, disco and funk sound, with Mad Racket headlining the brand-new event. They will be supported by an eclectic mix of live bands and DJs including renowned party people S.A.S.H., R Music, Love Bombs and Disktrict. Whilst Return to Rio is curated by an entirely different group, many fan favourites from Playground Weekender shall remain, with the always popular fancy dress night and pool parties returning, as well as early morning yoga. Of course, if the partying has taken it out of you, then you can always play a round of the Del Rio resort's famous mini golf. Return to Rio will also have an exclusive feel to it, with only 1000 golden tickets, which you need to secure entry and access to camping, going on sale to the public on September 1. So if you feel like an early summer party on the Hawkesbury, get in quickly. Image from Playground Weekender.
It isn't always easy to satisfy fans of pastels and symmetry, brand-new Australian cinema, one of Japan's greatest filmmakers, a buzzy Euphoria and The White Lotus star, Succession, the internet's boyfriend and heartfelt animation all in one go. Or devotees of acclaimed Iranian directors, kaiju flicks, NBA superstar Stephen Curry, John Wick-style revenge tales, and wild commentaries on America's recent political landscape using clips from Wayne's World and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, either. But, when you're a cinema celebration hitting 70 years old as Sydney Film Festival is in 2023, ticking all those boxes is just another annual program. Of course, there's no such thing as an ordinary or routine SFF lineup. Whether you're a diehard cinephile or a more casual moviegoer, this festival has always spoiled viewers for choice, making sure there's truly something among its selection each year for everyone. In 2023, Festival Director Nashen Moodley's carefully curated bill kicks off with one of the most exciting Aussie films of the year arriving straight from Cannes, then includes Wes Anderson's latest doing the same — and throws in new work from Hirokazu Kore-eda, Sydney Sweeney, Sarah Snook, Paul Mescal and Pixar, plus much, much more. When SFF's milestone 70th fest officially opens on Wednesday, June 7, launching a program that'll screen 239 films from 67 countries until Sunday, June 18 — with 90 narrative feature films and 54 documentaries, and also notching up 37 world premieres and 123 Australian premieres — it'll do so with Warwick Thornton's The New Boy. The Cannes-selected title is his first film since 2017's stunning Sweet Country, and sees him team up with none other than Cate Blanchett. 2023's Tár Oscar-nominee plays Sister Eileen, who runs a monastery and home to orphaned boys in the 1940s, which is where the titular nine-year-old (newcomer Aswan Reid) is sent. Also among the cast: Deborah Mailman (Total Control) and Wayne Blair (Seriously Red). The New Boy is also vying for the festival's annual prize alongside 11 others, in what marks the official competition's 15th year. Other contenders span Aussie documentary The Dark Emu, about Bruce Pascoe's book; Bad Behaviour, the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Alice Englert (You Won't Be Alone) starring Jennifer Connelly (Top Gun: Maverick); Kore-eda's Monster, the prolific helmer's latest after fellow recent SFF titles Shoplifters and Broker; and Celine Song's first effort Past Lives, telling a bittersweet romance about two childhood friends (Russian Doll's Greta Lee and Decision to Leave's Teo Yoo) who briefly reunite after decades apart. From the competition highlights, there's also Cobweb from South Korean A Tale of Two Sisters talent Kim Jee-woon; the animated Art College 1994 from Have a Nice Day's Liu Jian; Finnish great Aki Kaurismäki's (The Other Side of Hope) Fallen Leaves; and Afire, a Berlinale Silver Bear for Undine and Transit's Christian Petzold, which was part of the fest's first lineup announcement for 2023. Yes, Anderson's Asteroid City is on the 2023 SFF program, too, bringing the filmmaker's now-trademark sensibilities and aliens together at last — and a characteristically massive cast filled with every famous actor ever or thereabouts. Also set to flicker across Sydney's screens is the Sweeney-starring whistleblower docudrama Reality, Snook in Sundance-bowing Australian psychological thriller Run Rabbit Run, the Mescal-led (and Aussie-shot and opera-inspired) Carmen and Pixar's what-if-elements-had-feelings newbie Elemental. Jafar Panahi's (Tehran Taxi) Venice Special Jury Prize-winner No Bears was announced earlier as well, but remains a SFF must-see — and the kaijus come via Shin Ultraman, which springs from the creators of Shin Godzilla and Neon Genesis Evangelion. NBA fans will want to see Stephen Curry: Underrated, and the vengeance arrives via SXSW hit The Wrath of Becky (well, one of SFF's 2023 flicks about vengeance). And Soda Jerk return to the fest after Terror Nullius screened in 2018, this time with Hello Dankness and its chaotic yet cutting survey of US politics from 2016 onwards. Movie lovers should already be eagerly anticipating SFF's already-revealed Jane Campion retrospective, with the filmmaker herself in attendance — and Indian screen icon Amitabh Bachchan also earns his own program strand. But the new features keep coming, too, including in the fest's returning strands. Seasoned attendees should already be well-acquainted with SFF's ten-film focus on female directors from Europe, selection of movies about music, weird and wonderful horror and genre flicks, family-friendly fare, celebration of filmmaking talent with disability and titles from First Nations creatives, all back in 2023. Other specific standouts range from comedy Biosphere, about the last two men on earth; to Passages, from Love Is Strange's Ira Sachs; and also German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Submergence) heading to Japan with Perfect Days. Plus, there's assassin thriller Kennedy by Gangs of Wasseypur's Anurag Kashyap; literary thriller The Lesson, which stars Richard E Grant (Persuasion), Julie Delpy (On the Verge) and Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters); and historical drama Chevalier, with Kevin Harrison Jr (Cyrano) playing 18th-century Black composer Joseph Bologne. Cinemagoers can similarly look forward to Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner A Thousand and One, the obviously film-loving I Like Movies, environmentalist tale How to Blow Up a Pipeline, talk show-set horror Late Night with the Devil and the self-explanatory tribute Cannes Uncut. Also, SFF has added a new Independent in Spirit section that's all about indie films by up-and-coming Australian directors, which is where The Big Dog will get comedic about a stockbroker with a financial domination fetish, Sunflower will spin a Melbourne-set queer coming-of-age tale, Birdeater will follow a bride-to-be attending her fiancé's buck's party — and more. As for where you'll be heading to get your festival fix this year, SFF is back at The State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Newtown, Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne, Ritz Cinemas Randwick, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Australian Museum and Art Gallery of NSW. Sydney Film Festival 2023 runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18 at various Sydney cinemas — head to the festival website for further information and tickets.
Shortstop are celebrating their birthday in the best possible way: by giving away a boatload of free donuts! Friday, September 8 marks three tasty years since the coffee and donut specialists started slinging rings of dough and cups of joe from their Melbourne store. To mark the anniversary, they've crafted a special limited-edition Birthday Cake Donut, a vanilla bean concoction topped with glaze and sprinkles, which they'll be giving away free with every purchase. "It's a small way for us to say thank you to all our customers for their loyal support over the past three years," says Shortstop's Anthony Ivey. The donut giveaway will take place at Shortstop's Melbourne and Sydney stores for as long as stocks last. One per customer, so don't get any bright ideas. Find Shortstop Coffee & Donuts in Melbourne at 12 Sutherland Street, Melbourne and in Sydney at Shop 3, 23 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo.
Russell Crowe’s directorial debut, The Water Diviner, is a fine example of what might be termed 'a trailer movie’. Not because it’s stereotypically cheap, unsophisticated and championed by a guy named ‘Russell', but because it gives the impression of having been written, produced and directed entirely around a vision for how it might be sold to audiences. The Water Diviner's trailer, for example, features a perfect meld of spectacular visuals and intimate disclosures: a sandstorm of biblical scale followed by: “You can find water but you can’t even find your own children!”; a body-littered battlefield illumined by blinding explosions, with: “Gallipoli? There’s nothing there but ghosts”. You see the trailer and you think: “Man, I’ve got to see that film”, then you see that film and you think: “Man, that trailer was really good”. How this plays out in practice is that The Water Diviner feels very deliberate; a converted warehouse apartment of a film in that it's unembellished and beautiful, yet with all its parts exposed. You see how it was assembled, how everything fits together — a tradeoff of striking visuals at the expense of mystery. The plot, based on an astonishing true story, concerns an Australian farmer and father named Joshua Connor (Russell Crowe) whose three sons were all killed on the same day at Gallipoli. At the close of the war, Connor travelled to Turkey to locate their bodies, though with tens of thousands of remains, both Australian and Turkish, scattered across the wasteland, most considered it an insurmountable task. The film’s title, however, refers to Connor’s almost mystical ability to seek out subterranean water reserves in the otherwise barren Australian outback, and he uses that same gift to locate his dead sons on the battlefield. The latter application is admittedly less plausible and would feel horribly hinky were it not for Crowe’s understated sincerity and his character’s frank admission that he fails at the former "all the time". The Water Diviner's narrative flicks back and forth between Connor’s endeavours and his sons' final hours on the battlefield, and it's those brief scenes between the brothers where the film is at its heart-wrenching best. Most impressive is its entirely inglorious depiction of the Anzac experience, acknowledging the heroism but focusing exclusively on the horror. The guttural, almost animalistic wailing of one wounded brother is one of the most unsettling scenes ever depicted in a war movie and is to be commended both on its direction and performance. Less impressive is the clumsy and unnecessary romantic subplot between Crowe and his Turkish hotelier, Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko). It’s disappointing that so far Hollywood has proven itself incapable of capturing the subtlety of Kurylenko’s earlier work in films like L’Annulaire (The Ring Finger), favouring an emphasis on her beauty rather than her genuine talent. Still, with 2015 marking the centenary of Gallipoli, this is a well-timed and well-intentioned movie that marks a decent directorial debut for the Academy Award-winning Crowe.
After years of venue closures and endless Keep Sydney Open rallies, it looks likes proposed changes to the lockout laws may finally be getting somewhere — well, depending on who you talk to. Since the then-Baird administration's December announcement that NSW's controversial lockout laws will be relaxed by half an hour, 20 more venues across Kings Cross and the CBD have been approved for this exemption. The new law has pushed last drinks for these venues from 3am to 3.30am and lockout from 1.30am to 2am. We announced the first wave of approved venues back in February — which included World Bar, Stonewall, The Palace Hotel, ArtHouse Hotel, and the Observer Hotel — and the list has grown relatively quickly by an additional 15 venues since then. The extension is largely based around a venue's ability to provide legitimate live entertainment, with police records and liquor law compliance history also taken into consideration. The State Government of course sees the relaxed law as a compromise between preserving Sydney's cultural identity and reducing nighttime violence, but opponents have criticised the law as not doing enough — including Keep Sydney Open who took to Twitter back in December to vent their frustration, calling the legislative changes a "joke". It seems at least some of the approved venues are happy with the extension, though, with rather supportive managements from the Kings Cross Hotel and Potts Point Hotel reported by The Daily Telegraph. Recent months have admittedly seen some resurrection in our city's nightlife, with iconic music venues The Lansdowne and Flinders Hotel recently reopening under new management and this month's Meet Me in the Cross taking over seven venues in a precinct-wide festival. We just hope the good news keeps on coming. VENUES WITH EXTENDED OPENING HOURS Kings Cross Hotel Potts Point Hotel Slip Inn Oxford Art Factory The World Bar The Basement Observer Hotel The Arthouse Hotel Establishment Republic Hotel The Cliff Dive Kinselas Hotel Mr B's Hotel Palace Hotel Stonewall Hotel The Scary Canary O'Malley's Hotel Brighton Hotel ARQ Sydney Burdekin Hotel Via The Daily Telegraph.
We can all agree that the annual racing carnival should just be renamed the Season of Bubbles. It's a great occasion to splash out, pop Champagne and eat cheese like it's going out of fashion. And the good people at Mumm — purveyors of fine Champagne, fun times and free holidays — want to take you there. They're giving away a luxe Melbourne Cup Emirates Stakes Day experience and, trust us, you don't want to miss this. The winner — and their luckiest friend — will win a killer race-day adventure. Fly to Melbourne (from Brisbane or Sydney) and prepare to be chauffeured around by a private car (to and from your five-star hotel, mind you). You'll have access to the Mumm Marquee, too, where you'll enjoy flutes of Mumm Champagne, delicious canapes and a big screen to take it all in. And because Mumm knows how to take care of you, they've set up a luxurious (and greasy) breakfast at your hotel the next day, before your private car whisks you back to the airport. Now that's race day glamour. To enter, see details below. If you're a Sydneysider and don't win the comp, fret not. You can head down to the Cup Day Festival at Barangaroo — there'll be pop-up eateries, live music and, of course, plenty of Mumm to go around. Entry into the event is free and Barangaroo's restaurants and bars will be serving up race-day specials (many of which include complimentary Champagne). Splash out on seafood at Cirrus, a Shanghai feast at Lotus or a nine-course Turkish banquet at Anason. We'll tip our hats to that. [competition]642528[/competition]
First, you watch Rings. Then, your interest in the franchise quickly dies. That's what happens when someone unleashes a video no one really wants to see, right? If the Ring series has taught us anything, it's that unpleasant content always sparks a nasty end — and that's exactly what happens here. In a way, the saga's own rules explain why these movies keep coming, except for the fact that creating a copy is supposed to stop something bad from happening. In this case, it just makes things even worse. Odds are, you should already have some idea as to what this movie is about. Maybe you saw Naomi Watts in 2002's The Ring and its lacklustre 2005 sequel. Maybe you're familiar with the (superior) Japanese original from 1998, Ringu, and the numerous spinoffs that followed on from that. Perhaps you're even aware of the Korean remake The Ring Virus or the recent crossover with The Grudge franchise Sadako vs. Kayako. Point is, the premise remains much the same in every single one: unsuspecting folks press play on a creepy video tape, a phone call delivers a seven-day deadline, and the long-haired Samara (now played by Bonnie Morgan) starts wreaking havoc once time runs out. Finding a VCR at a flea market, college professor Gabriel (Johnny Galecki) and his student Skye (Aimee Teegarden) are the latest to let the unhinged ghost loose, turning it into a research project about the existence of the soul. Freshman Holt (Alex Roe) gets himself caught up in the mess, and is soon counting down the days as well. Enter his worried hometown girlfriend, Julia (Matilda Lutz), who decides to get to the bottom of the whole unsettling business. Wait, didn't the first two American Ring flicks involve a feisty female trying to thwart death by investigating Samara's background? Yes, yes they did. Doing the same thing over and over is what horror sequels are usually about, so the fact that this F. Javier Gutiérrez-directed effort retraces the same path is hardly a surprise. Indeed, there's basically nothing surprising about this film, other than Vincent D'Onofrio showing up to deliver some exposition. When you're trying to elicit scares, that's a problem. Cue the same tape and the same journey, shot in a style that makes the entire movie look like a digital copy of better material. A video-within-a-video of extra spooky visuals taunt Julia and company, and an expanded backstory tries to explain Samara's actions even further, but both just typify the filmmakers' underlying "more is better" line of thinking, and neither device manages to amp up the scares or the intrigue. Nor does updating the concept for the modern day. Seeing Samara on in-flight screens and smartphones, and watching people duplicate files rather than tapes, still ultimately smacks of more of the same. Even more infuriating is the fact that Rings is blatantly setting the scene for more unwanted chapters. That means that the 102-minute revisit isn't just a routine rehash — it's filler designed to work up a frenzy for something that might never actually get made. Keeping audiences hanging for future fare rather than bothering to really entertain them this time around might be common in an era of endless, interconnected superhero movies, but here, it's a bigger drag than Samara's limp locks.
What's better than watching a heap of top Australian talent sit around and talk about music? Watching them do all of the above while answering questions, competing for points and just generally being funny, too. That's the concept behind ABC TV show Spicks and Specks, which took a few cues from the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, pit Aussie musos and comedians against each other, and has proven a hit several times over. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it will be again from today. As fans will already know, Spicks and Specks just keeps coming back; however, that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. As first announced last year, the show is returning for a full ten-episode season — and, as the broadcaster revealed last month, it'll kick off on Sunday, April 18 at 7.40pm. You'll be able to watch it on TV when it airs, or stream it via iView afterwards. Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough are all settling back into their old chairs, obviously — and, guest-wise, they'll be joined by music stars such as The Teskey Brothers, Alice Skye, G-Flip, Vika and Linda, and Missy Higgins, as well as comedians including Anne Edmonds, Nazeem Hussain, Luke McGregor, Dave O'Neil and Denise Scott. So, add playing along with the show from your couch to your end-of-weekend plans from tonight onwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT5t-G4iGDc Spicks and Specks returns to ABC TV for a regular full season from 7.40pm on Sunday, April 18, with episodes airing weekly afterwards. You'll also be able to stream the series via ABC iView.
In late 2020, it was announced the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was moving its legendary parade to the Sydney Cricket Ground for 2021 in a bid to keep the event COVID-safe. This is the first time in the event's 42-year history it won't be taking place on Oxford Street — but that doesn't mean the local businesses aren't still getting involved in the celebrations. Thanks to additional funding from the City of Sydney, the Darlinghurst Business Partnership's annual Oxtravaganza event is bigger and better than ever this year. Between Thursday, February 19 and Sunday, March 7, the streets and businesses of Darlinghurst are coming alive with live performances, parties, special discounts, a self-guided art walk and much more. Popular LGBTQIA+-friendly venues, including Stonewall, Universal, Claire's Kitchen and Trade, are hosting cabarets, burlesque shows and drag performances across the two weeks leading up to the parade. And, on the night of the parade — Saturday, March 6 — The Oxford Hotel, Universal, Darlo Bar and Kings Cross Hotel will host viewing parties. Meanwhile, local retailers are offering some epic deals across clothes, accessories, shoes and more, so you can get your look sorted for the big night. And surrounding bars and restaurants are also helping to keep the good times rolling with special menus and discounts across the two-week period. Pop into Wings and Tins for $5 schooners or La Farmacia for $5 Mexican lagers. Meanwhile, Darlo institution Bill & Toni's is serving big bowls of spag bol for a tenner and Brick Lane is offering 15-percent off if you dine between 5–6pm. Finally, Sydney brewery Young Henrys has special Karma Kegs set up at a bunch of nearby bars (Kinselas Hotel, Courthouse Hotel, Darlo Bar, The Oxford, The Strand and Universal) with all proceeds from beer sales going to The Gender Centre. Images: Robert Knapman Photography
Unstoppable burger warlock Jovan Curic has struck again, bringing his own brand of meaty magic to Wakeley. After more than successful outings with the Pub Life Kitchen brand in Ultimo and Rozelle, Curic is branching out to Sydney's west with his newest venture Superior Burger. The onslaught of burger mayhem continues to grow in this city, with restaurants, pubs and pop-ups all competing to bring the public the greatest combinations of meat, cheese and bread imaginable. As the competition heats up, two clear schools of burgerology (yep, real word) are developing. The first takes the approach of perfecting the simplistic (see: Cheekyburger, who are one of the ventures taking their cues from American burger joints); the second school of thought whips up eclectic combinations, creating the most unique burger possible. It's pretty obvious Curic belongs to the latter (Dorito crumbed chicken, anyone?) — and Superior Burger looks like the logical continuation of his craft. Opening today, Monday, October 31, in an old mixed business site, Superior Burger is Curic's first solo venture. Rather than just opening another of his successful PLK restaurants, Curic has created a brand new concept that matches the suburban shopfront setting on on Wakeley's Bulls Road. "I've been searching for a site in the West for ages, an area that's often overlooked, and what we've found is perfect," says Curic. "It ticks all the right boxes. Put simply, what we won't be is just another burger joint. But, what we will be is a conscious burger joint that is all about locally-sourced produce, house-made sauces, glorious beef that is dry-aged and turned into fresh patties by my old man every day." Said beef will come straight from the Hunter and served medium in three types of burgers. We're assured they'll be top quality — pasture-fed, salt-aged and hormone and antibiotic free. Other produce will be sourced locally too, with the bulk of it coming from farmers and backyard growers in the Liverpool basin. The menu has taken a distinct suburban fish and chip shop slant, with potato scallops, snack packs, post-mix soft drinks and milkshakes joining the burger offering. Plus, fried chicken — because it'd be weird not to. The west is taking up the mantle of decadent gastronomy of late, especially where delicious burgers are concerned — as the city continues to sprawl inland, so do the burger joints. Last week saw the opening of Hashtag Burgers' In-N-Out-inspired pop-up burger bar in Penrith, proving that no matter where you live in this city, you can't escape the burger. Superior Burger is open from midday until 10pm seven days a week at 5/25 Bulls Road, Wakeley. For more info, visit superiorburger.com. Image: Mark Sherborne.
Game of Thrones was always going to spark spinoff shows. Indeed, when HBO started thinking about doing a prequel five years ago, before the huge fantasy hit had even finished its run, it was hardly surprising. And, when the US network kept adding ideas to its list — including a Jon Snow-focused series with Kit Harington (Eternals) reprising his famous role, novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg and an animated GoT show, to name just a few prequels and spinoffs that've been considered, but may or may not actually come to fruition — absolutely no one was astonished. So far, just one fellow GoT-related series has hit screens: House of the Dragon, which jumps back into House Targaryen's history. When it arrived in 2022, it became an instant success. Accordingly, it was quickly renewed for season two. But if you've been hanging out for the next part in its story, and hoping to see it in 2023, you might have to wait a little longer. In an interview with Variety, HBO and HBO Max content CEO Casey Bloys has advised that viewers likely won't be returning to Westeros until sometime in 2024. He said that timing for House of the Dragon season two's debut "is a good guess", and that it probably won't be eligible for the Emmys held that year — which means that new episodes might be coming in winter Down Under, fittingly. The first season also started screening and streaming during Australia and New Zealand's winter, so that'll mean a two-year gap — or thereabouts — between the show's maiden go-around and its second effort. And, it means thinking "winter is coming" to yourself all over again, amid pondering the GoT realm's relationships, flowing long blonde hair, dragons, stabbings and fights for the Iron Throne (whether or not you turn watching House of the Dragon into a drinking game, as we did). The series kicked off 172 years before the birth of Daenerys and her whole dragon-flying, nephew-dating, power-seeking story, and gave HBO its largest American audience for any new original series in its history when it debuted. Yes, House of the Dragon is basically a case of new show, same squabbles, as it was easy to foresee it would be. Yes, it's pretty much Game of Thrones with different faces bearing now well-known surnames — and more dragons. If you haven't yet caught up with the series, it dives into the battle for the Iron Throne before the one we all watched between 2011–19. Paddy Considine (The Third Day) plays King Viserys — and it's exactly who should be his heir that sparks all the Succession-style fuss. The words "succession" and "successor" (and "heir" as well) get bandied around constantly, naturally. The king has a daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Upright's Milly Alcock, then Mothering Sunday's Emma D'Arcy), who is also his first-born child. But because putting a woman on the throne isn't the done thing, the King's younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith, Morbius) considers that spiky iron chair his birthright. And, this wouldn't be Westeros if plenty of other people didn't have an opinion, including Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man), the Hand of the King; his own daughter Alicent (The Lost Girls' Emily Carey, then Slow Horses' Olivia Cooke); and Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint, It's a Sin), who is married to Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best, Nurse Jackie), who had a better claim to the throne when Viserys was named king instead. Also yes, this latest adaptation of George RR Martin's popular fantasy books is bound to continue on for more than just two seasons, but that's all that's confirmed for the moment. Check out the full House of the Dragon trailer below: House of the Dragon streams Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one. Via Variety. Images: Ollie Upton/HBO.
Ever since cartography was first used in Ancient Babylonia in 2300BC, humans have relied on cartography to navigate, utilise, conceptualise and define geographical space. Modern digital technology allows us to produce and manipulate visual representations of geography in astounding ways, no longer limited to just geography. Benjamin Hennig at the University of Sheffield has created a series of innovative cartograms which illustrate new ways of seeing the planet, transforming our preconceptions of space and human impact. The population distribution of the globe, with the more densely populated areas such as Central Asia appearing much larger in comparison to the insignificant size of Australia. The world's major nuclear forces. The world's poorest health systems. The world's biodiversity hotspots. Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Cluster Submunition Casualties in 2010. Immigration to countries around the world (which really puts the debate in Australia into perspective).
Think watching a movie under the stars is a summer activity? Think again. Braving the elements to catch a film in winter comes with its own rewards: snuggling up next to your nearest and dearest, enjoying the brisk night air, and sipping hot mulled wine, for example. After luring cinephiles out of the cinema and into bed, the folks behind Mov'In Bed Cinema have something else up their sleeves now that the weather is cooler. As part of the broader Bastille - The Food Wine Art Revolution festival, they're turning the Tallowoladah Lawn outside of the MCA into a pop-up openair movie theatre — complete with views of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour. Screening six sessions over four days between July 13 to 17, Le Cinema lets attendees get cosy in 50 deck chairs (with blankets, of course), and offers up a glass of mulled wine and popcorn to complete the outdoor film-watching experience. Movies include Life Is Beautiful, Moulin Rouge! and The Boat That Rocked — and it wouldn't be a French cinema outing without Amelie on the program.
In one of the finer examples of literally living and breathing your work, meet The Exbury Egg; a temporary, energy efficient, self-sustaining work space for artist Stephen Turner that will float in the estuary of the River Beaulieu. Talk about every impassioned greenies’ dream, right? The Egg is a place to stay while doubling as a laboratory for studying the life of a tidal creek. The Egg will rise and fall with the tide and be tethered a bit like a boat. Turner is interested in exploring an intense relationship with nature and so it only makes sense for him to completely immerse himself in it. Turner upholds that this isn’t a big anti-technology-back-to-nature experiment. He still plans on using items like his cellphone, his laptop and digital camera, but in the planning of this project he has created these to be charged via solar power. There’s also a huge educational component to this project, with schools being able to engage with the Egg project in topics from construction, science, art, ecology and engineering. To quote Turner “Climate change is already creating new shorelines and habitats. Established salt marsh is being eroded by a combination of rising sea levels and falling landmass and the entire littoral environment is in a state of flux. The implications for wildlife and for the flora as well as for people are challenging. Raising awareness of the past and the unfolding present of a very special location will be the task, whist living in an ethical relationship with nature and treading as lightly as possible upon the land.’ The Egg was placed in the River in May and an Egg Cam is set to launch early July for those wanting to check up on how things are floating along.
Lamingtons. Vegemite. Barbecued Sausages. Listening to the nation's biggest song countdown. Maybe one or some of these are part of your yearly Australia Day tradition — or maybe you just go wherever the occasion takes you. Either way, Sydney will be buzzing with options, ensuring that your public holiday certainly won't be boring. Here's our pick of the best ways to spend the day, featuring rooftop pools, dogs on paddleboards, beer countdowns and an entire island festival. Of course, it's a day of great contention in Australia, often called ‘Invasion Day’, ‘Day of Mourning’, ‘Survival Day’ or ‘Aboriginal Sovereignty Day’ (since 2006). Be mindful on Tuesday. Top image: The Old Clare Hotel, Nikki To.
If a swag of stars made up to look like cats hasn't already scared you today, then a good ol' dose of creepy clown horror just might. Bringing the second part of Stephen King's bestselling book to the screen, IT: Chapter Two returns to the exploits of maniacal clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), as well as the gang of kids he's rather fond of terrorising. This time, however, all those teens have grown up. We've already seen the adult Losers Club in the first trailer for the unnerving sequel, which dropped back in May. Now, with San Diego Comic-Con currently in full swing, it's time for a second glimpse. While the initial IT's Sophia Lillis, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard and company all make an appearance as the younger versions of the characters, circa 1988-89, the likes of Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and Bill Hader step into their shoes 27 years later. Yes, they're still being forced to put up with Pennywise's chaotic antics, including his love of sewers, his obsession with balloons and his usual white-faced, flame-haired get-up. Of course, the frightening villain has a few fresh tricks up his sleeve, as this sneak peek at a few of IT: Chapter Two's set pieces shows. It seems like every film features a hall-of-mirrors scene these days, including John Wick: Chapter Two and Us, but the concept is decidedly more terrifying when Pennywise is involved. And, while Stranger Things' third season just spent a fair amount of time at a carnival, again, IT: Chapter Two ups the ante by trotting out its unhinged clown. All of the jumps, bumps and bloody carnage takes place in King's usual setting of Derry, Maine once again, with the Losers Club all heading home to face the nightmare they thought they'd escaped. And, behind-the-scenes, original director Andy Muschietti (Mama) is back — so if you liked what he did the first time around, get ready for a second nerve-rattling serving. Watch the new trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhJ5P7Up3jA IT: Chapter Two releases in Australian cinemas on September 5, 2019.
After two successful runs of shows, Zetland's newest outdoor music nights are returning as we head into summer. Throughout November and the beginning of December, the folks at 107 Projects and the Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA) are filling the stage at the gorgeous Joynton Avenue Creative Centre with talented local musicians. Running from Friday, November 11, the Friday-night program will feature performances from jazz trio The Pocket Trio, jazz-reggae fusion act The Sonic Drops and a SIMA Christmas celebration featuring instrumental group Garfish. Apart from the tunes, a full bar will serve drinks and nibbles. For the full program and to book, head to the SIMA website. All tickets cost just $25, or $20 for SIMA members and concession card holders. Images: Ruby Summer Social by Arthur Washington / Joynton Avenue Creative Centre by Rhiannon Hopley Photography
Over the past four months, since Sydney's northern beaches cluster started just before Christmas, the New South Wales Government has implemented and changed the rules around wearing face masks multiple times. They've been mandatory on public transport since the beginning of January, for instance, even after the rules eased for other settings in late January and again in February. Come 12.01am on Monday, March 29, however, it'll no longer be compulsory to cover your face when you're travelling around town. Today, Wednesday, March 24, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that mask rules will be easing when next week rolls around. Donning a face covering will stop being mandatory on public transport, which means that they won't be required in any situation across the state. They'll move to being strongly recommended instead — so if you can't guarantee social distancing somewhere, you're advised to wear them. The news came as part of a press conference to announce a swag of other relaxed restrictions, all of which will come into effect on the same date — including allowing dancing again and scrapping limits on at-home gatherings. Announcing the eased mask requirements, Premier Berejiklian stressed that more relaxed restrictions mean that NSW residents need to abide by the usual social distancing and hygiene protocols that have become part of everyday behaviour during the pandemic. "If you are feeling unwell you need to get tested and stay home. Stay home. Don't go anywhere," she said. "Because we need to do everything we can as we are easing restrictions to make sure we keep the virus at bay if it does escape and it does get into the community." Masks will no longer be mandatory while using public transport in NSW from 12.01am on Monday, March 29. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
UPDATE, 2pm, Friday, July 22: Splendour in the Grass has now cancelled its main stage gigs on Friday, July 22 due to "a significant weather system" that "is currently sitting off the east coast and may reach land later today bringing more rainfall". Organisers also advised that the festival looks forward "to Saturday and Sunday programming moving ahead as planned". Yes, you can call it a comeback: after two winters without live tunes at North Byron Parklands, Splendour in the Grass has finally returned. But rather than a bustling weekend filled with huge sets from some of the biggest global and local musos there are — with Gorillaz, The Strokes and Tyler, The Creator on headlining duties — eager festival-goers are arriving to a soggy time. A chaotic time, too, especially if you're planning to camp — and you attempted to arrive on Thursday, July 21 to get settled early. Due to incredibly wet conditions, North Byron Bay Parklands has been experiencing flooding, leading to uninhabitable campsites, a logistical mess and hefty delays for carloads of Splendour attendees trying getting in. Concrete Playground staff writer Ben Hansen joined the queue at 5.50pm on Thursday, and didn't get into the campsite until 4am on Friday. "The communication was that there were cars being bogged and they were understaffed, and that's why they couldn't process anyone," he advised. "In the end, they were just trying to get people into the campsite, and then they gave up and redirected everyone that was in the lines straight into the car park that's usually for day parking. Everyone that was in those lines has just set up camp there. Nobody has talked to us since — we haven't talked to a volunteer, we've just kind of set up a community in the car park, and we're all just living there for the next three days. There's toilets but there's no other amenities." This morning, on Friday, July 22, Splendour organisers advised in a Facebook statement that North Byron Parklands "can no longer accept any campers or vehicles including day parking" at the site. Instead, all incoming camping patrons and day parkers are being directed to Byron Events Farm at 35 Yarun Road, Tyagarah, with free bus shuttles them taking them to the Parklands once they've set up camp. Understandably, the mood on the ground is mixed. "People are excited to be back at the festival, but people are sad," Hansen explained. On Thursday evening, the festival advised on Facebook that "the weather and staff shortages were all worse than expected". Unsurprisingly, the damp conditions around the ground are causing a muddy ol' time — even for a festival that's long been synonymous with mud. "It's as muddy as I've ever seen it. I was here in 2015, when everyone was like 'this is the muddiest year in ages', and I reckon it's muddier this year. Walking into the festival — I'm currently in front of the entrance to the festival, and the mud is up to my calf, nearly up to my knee in points," Hansen noted. "The gumboots are getting a workout... it's Splendour in the pool at this point." TikTok is currently filled with videos showcasing the situation, naturally. More rain is forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology for today, with showers and wind on Saturday, plus possible showers on Sunday. Splendour in the Grass runs from Friday, July 22–Sunday, July 24 at North Byron Parklands. For further information, head to the festival's website and Facebook page. Images: Ben Hansen.
In Fred Schepisi's new rom-com, the unimaginatively titled Words and Pictures, two antagonistic high school teachers argue the merits of images versus prose. It's a flimsy and vaguely pretentious premise for a movie, but one that, at the very least, feels well-suited to the medium. After all, what is cinema if not the marriage of sight and sound? The unfortunate irony of Schepisi's film is that it fails to make a very good case for either. Clive Owen plays Jack Marcus, an English teacher at the expensive Croydon Academy. A burnt-out poet with a puffed-up ego and a drinking problem, Marcus openly bemoans the ability of his students, despite it having been years since he wrote anything of significance himself. A few of Marcus's colleagues find his attempts at roughish charm amusing. The rest treat him with barely concealed contempt. One faculty member well and truly in the latter category is Juliette Binoche's art instructor, the icy Dina Delsanto. Like Marcus, she was once an in-demand artist, although rather than a pen, her tools were paint and canvas. But rheumatoid arthritis has stripped her of her dexterity and forced her to take up teaching. The pair could hardly be more different. So naturally, they're destined to fall in love. The catalyst for their romantic conflagration is a remark made by a student, that pictures are more powerful than words. Delsanto, being an art teacher, agrees, prompting Marcus to strike back in his own class. Soon the debate embroils the entire school — because after all, nothing gets young minds firing than the surly sexual tension between their professors. It's difficult to think of a supposed romantic comedy with two less sympathetic protagonists. That being said, Marcus is so actively unlikable that the humourless Delsanto seems positively charming by comparison. Rejoinders that are meant to be witty instead play as painfully smug, while his smarmy attempts at wooing cross well into the realm of harassment. As a teacher he's even more unbearable, dropping truth bombs on his students by explaining that haikus are, like, the original tweets. Say whaaaaaat? Schepisi's direction is uncharacteristically flat, the director putting up as poor a case for pictures as screenwriter Gerald Di Pego does for words. At least the contest is even that way, although frankly both mediums deserve better. For that matter, so do we. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1JX6NScig7M
Memory is a priceless commodity in Australian arts and media. Too often each generation loses access to our rich history of writers, painters, performers and filmmakers and gets caught up in reinventing the wheel. It is exciting to see, then, a retrospective of an Australian film director whose work was instrumental in establishing many firsts in our country's creative history. The Chauvel Cinema will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the passing of its eponym, Charles Chauvel, with a screening of nine of his films. Chauvel brought legends such as Errol Flynn, Chips Rafferty, Michael Pate and Peter Finch to the screen for their debut, and broke ground with the first Australian film shot in colour (Jedda, 1955). Definitely do not miss the opportunity to celebrate the creative work of this pioneer.
Working at the exciting intersection of design, art and iced treats, American artist Wei Li has just embarked on a pretty interesting experiment. In an effort to understand how aesthetics dictate taste, she's crafted a range of ice blocks shaped like totally unappealing things. Her series, Dangerous Popsicles, features treats that resemble a range of cacti, influenza, E-coli, HIV and chicken pox. Yum! If you thought the plastic corners of Zooper Doopers were dangerous, this stuff is undoubtedly next level. Modelled exclusively after dangerous viruses and cacti, Li's popsicles are armoured with little bulbs and thorns that make them incredibly difficult to eat. But here's the catch. Though they're made with the help of silicon moulding, these little jerks are comprised of the simple sugar and water recipe you'd use for any standard ice block. Anyone who wants to devour their deliciousness has to first fight through the pain. This dichotomy is central to what Li is trying to explore. "What will happen when we put these dangerous thing on one of our most sensitive organs, our tongues?" she asks. "Does pain really bring pleasure? Is there beauty in user-friendly things?" The artist's concern with conflicting sensations is something she's explored in the past. Her hilarious (and totally disturbing) video work Machine Pornography is much the same. By filming tools and machinery equipment doing suggestive "sexual activities" — don't worry, it's not nearly as bad as it sounds — she tests the viewer's connotations of certain actions and presents something conflicting and unsettling. Though we doubt the Dangerous Popsicles will be hitting shelves any time soon, we'd love to give them a try. This is the only time we'll ever say this, but we could really do with some delicious influenza right about now. Via PSFK.
Jardin St James won the prize for most unusual cafe location when it opened within the crypt of St James Church back in 2015. Now, the venue is expanding its French influence over the city by popping up in Potts Point from Friday, July 7. JSJ will move into a hole-in-the-wall underneath the Coca Cola sign, where you'll be able to tuck into bona fide French baguettes and Little Marionette coffee on a daily basis. The standing room only, takeaway-style joint will launch the new JSJ baguette menu for lunchtime crowds seven days a week. Owner Julien Besnard has been desperate for a legit version of his homeland's namesake sandwich for eight years now and has decided to take matters into his own hands. Just a few of the unbelievably tasty looking baguettes on the eight-item menu include La Pro (prosciutto, potatoes, béchamel & rosemary), Le Cordon Bleu (chicken, ham, caramelised onions, creamy dijon sauce) and Le Porky Porc (BBQ pulled pork, caramelised onion, slaw, aioli, parmesan). Now for the mouthwatering bit — the raclette-style hot cheese kind. Choose from proper raclette ($2.5), swiss or blue ($2 each) to lovingly blanket your baguette in all its ooey gooey glory, with recommendations noted on the menu. You can also add optional pickles and crisps ($2) to round out your deli-style meal. It's hard to think of a better feed to beat back the winter cold. You'll find the JSJ pop-up at 82 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point. It is open for takeaway only, seven days a week from 6:30am until 3:30pm.
When Milky Lane opened in Bondi back in 2016, it immediately generated a cult-following. Thanks to its calorific concoctions, casual any-night-of-the-week vibe and celebrity endorsements, the venue has become a go-to for many Sydneysiders when an indulgent meal is a must. But for non-locals, the slog to Bondi can be long and painful (albeit worthwhile once the mega shake and burger-induced coma hits). So it might be welcome news that there will soon be a solution a little closer to home for those who live down south — the team is opening a new venue in Cronulla on Monday, February 12. The formula seems to be pretty much the same: artery-clogging burgers, loaded fries and shakes. Hey, if it ain't broke. Graffiti artists Dallas Clark and Stephan Evans have again been enlisted to transform the venue into the sort of place that instantly makes you feel cool by association. All the menu favourites will be duplicated down south too, including the fried chicken Chic Kanye burger, ice-cream churro bowls and cocktails. Now this is just speculation but we think the team have been quite tactical with this expansion. It's chosen another beachside location with a penchant for burgers — it will join several other burger-swilling eateries in the area — to guarantee a crowd looking to satisfy a post-surf hunger. Not that you need to get in the water before going all-in on the mac 'n' cheese doughnuts. Milky Lane Cronulla opens on Monday, February 12, and is located at 20 Gerrale Street, Cronulla. For more info visit the Facebook page. Images: Milky Lane Bondi by Bodhi Liggett.
It can’t be time to put actual pants on and face up to the changing seasons. March is here, but those colours aren't changing just yet. With thirty degree days, rainy afternoons and balmy evenings still on Sydney's plate, there's plenty of happenings around the city to make you forget summer ever left. We've pulled together a few ideas to help you truly dive into the first month of autumn, from furiously jam-packed art festivals to basement bars and all the home decorating in between.
Along with Glastonbury, Coachella is one of the biggest, most famous and highly coveted music festivals in the world — the type of fest that everyone wishes they could nab a ticket to at least once. But 2020's eager revellers will need to wait a little longer to dance in a Californian field, with the festival joining the growing list of events changing plans due to the coronavirus. Originally slated to take place across two weekends next month — April 10–12 and 17–19 — Coachella 2020 has been postponed until October. If you've been preparing to head along, or you've just blocked out those dates to watch the always-popular livestream, you'll now be catching sets by headliners Travis Scott, Frank Ocean and Rage Against the Machine on October 9–11 and 16–18. Fest organisers haven't specifically commented on the lineup, but the event did post the full existing list of talent with its rescheduling announcement. So, for now, it's safe to assume that the same folks will hit the stage during the later timeslot — including Lana Del Rey, Flume, Calvin Harris, FKA Twigs, Run the Jewels, Charli XCX and Fatboy Slim. Announcing the shift of dates in a statement, Coachella's powers-that-be said "while this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials". https://twitter.com/coachella/status/1237514789762416640 All ticket purchases for the original dates remaining valid for October — and for those no longer able to attend thanks to the postponement, refunds will be available. As COVID-19 keeps spreading around the globe, this kind of news is quickly becoming the new normal. Already today, Australian winter arts festival Dark Mofo has pulled the plug on its 2020 iteration. Coachella's delay comes hot on the heels of South by Southwest's cancellation this past weekend, less than a week before it was due to kick off for 2020. Last week, new Bond flick No Time to Die pushed back its release from April to November, too — and for upcoming events such as the Tribeca and Cannes film festivals, the Tokyo Olympics, Eurovision and the aforementioned Glastonbury, cancellations and/or postponements seem increasingly likely. Coachella will now run from October 9–11 and 16–18 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To find out more information or register for the fest's waitlists, visit coachella.com. 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.
For 20 years now, the Dirty Three have been ruling Australia's underground scene. Once you see them live, you'll understand why. It's not often that three musicians can achieve such a deep level of sympatico, without becoming boring or entrenched in a particular approach. But Dirty Three is anything but entrenched — every show delivers a new aspect to their enigmatic, theatrical sound, powered by Jim White's deft drumming, Warren Ellis's potent violin and Mick Turner's unconventional guitar playing. Dirty Three plays the State Theatre on January 15 at 8pm. This is just one of our ten picks for Sydney Festival's best gigs. Check out the whole list.
When Touch played Australia's Scandinavian Film Festival, which fittingly fills cinemas around the country each winter, it wasn't the only feature from Iceland on the program. Of the four titles from the Nordic nation, however, two of the fellow movies around this tender romantic drama fell into the thriller category. Scandi noir has become its own genre, buoyed by the success of efforts across the Nordic region such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels, and the likes of The Killing and The Bridge on TV. Icelandic television series Trapped also sits in the same camp, as created by one of its most-famous filmmaking names: director Baltasar Kormákur. Kormákur knows how to lean into the genre that the rest of the planet now considers synonymous with his part of the globe. He's also well-aware that there's far more to Iceland's screen output than its moodiest efforts, and how important it is to ensure that other tales are being told. An actor before moving behind the lens — and sometimes afterwards, including for himself — he's just as familiar with a recent trend among features from his homeland: movies with animal-themed titles (see: Of Horses and Men, Rams and Lamb). In comparison, Touch takes its own path, eschewing both noir and critters. That said, character-driven films are hardly new to the country; Kormákur has been there before himself, in fact, starting with his 2000 directorial debut 101 Reykjavík. Consider Touch a reminder, then, that crime-thrillers, the frosty landscape and the animals that live upon it are only a part of Iceland's storytelling. Hopping between Iceland, the UK and Japan, as well as between time periods, Kormákur's latest feature found its details on the page via the filmmaker's compatriot Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, who co-wrote the script — and its narrative spreads far beyond what's become regarded of late as typical Icelandic fare. It all kicks off in Reykjavík, where widower Kristófer (Egill Ólafsson, another Trapped alum) does indeed have a mystery to solve: the whereabouts of the woman he loved five decades earlier. In the late 60s, he was a student (played by the director's son Pálmi Kormákur, The Deep) in London who took a job in a Japanese restaurant, with a romance with his boss Takahashi-san's (Masahiro Motoki, Giri/Haji) daughter Miko (Kōki Kimura, Ushikubi Village) blossoming. Touch begins in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting down existence as everyone knew it. Before he flies out to the UK, it also commences with Kristófer receiving an early-stage dementia diagnosis. As the film flits back and forth between the elder version of the character on his search for the Hiroshima-born Miko and his memories of their time together, it contemplates paths not taken, connections that will never fade, choices that haunt and emotions that last forever. It plunges, too, into one of the 20th century's horrors and its lingering ramifications. Kormákur also sees Touch as a picture about seeking closure, and knows how universal that idea is — and how cathartic Kristófer's journey is to watch. He feels that link personally. "As the years come in, it becomes a heavier burden," he tells Concrete Playground. "There are things — you did something wrong to somebody, or weren't fair or left a love relationship in the way you shouldn't, whatever it is — there's the need to rectify and close. Not to necessarily pick up. I don't think Kristófer is there to pick up and run around with a newfound love, no. It's about finding closure and understanding. I have very strong ties to that. That has come very a heavy burden in my life, which I didn't think much about when I was in my 20s and 30s." [caption id="attachment_970779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kormákur hasn't just crafted a departure from the current Nordic norm. He's now spent decades jumping between both sides of the Atlantic, with English-language action and survivalist movies dotted across his resume. The Mark Wahlberg (The Union)-starring Contraband and 2 Guns, scaling mountainous heights in Everest, the also based-on-a-true-tale Adrift, Idris Elba (Hijack) fighting lions in Beast: they've all boasted Kormákur behind the lens, but he doesn't see himself as linked to or fascinated by any one genre.[/caption] We also chatted with the filmmaker about discovering Ólafsson's book and being inspired to turn it into a film, celebrating a different kind of Icelandic movie than the kind worldwide audiences are often seeing of late, juggling Touch's different locations and eras, and casting when you're telling a story across half a century. On Kormákur Coming Across the Novel and Knowing That He Wanted to Turn It Into a Film "It was given to me by my daughter as a present for Christmas. And I opened it right away and started reading, and I couldn't put it down. I think I read it in less than 24 hours. First, it took its time in the beginning, and then it just got me more and more and more. And there's something about the way that it reflects time and life through the two story threads. I also wanted to find a love story, but a real one to me, something that would mirror my experience in some way with love, because I've had a relationship with love for now 58 years. It was just a great vessel for that in the movie. It's also very unusual for Icelandic films to have these kind of cross-cultural references, and an opportunity of travelling through space and time." On Making an Icelandic Film Away From the Country's Frosty Landscape and the Nordic Noir Genre "I think it's very important. I think it's actually more important, possibly, than people realise in the moment. I think always when you break a little bit of boundaries in telling stories, it gives the young people who are coming after you a different perspective and opens up to them — 'yeah, well if that's an Icelandic film, then I can maybe do something of that kind or something different'. I think with small countries, often there is a tendency that there are certain kinds of films that are accepted and tend to be repeated. We've done a lot of films about domestic animals in Iceland. I think every title — we have Lamb, we have Rams, we have Of Horses and Men. It's all good, very good films, don't get me wrong, but at some point we're running out of domestic animal titles. So it was about time for something else. But also I come from a background of two nations. I'm half Spanish and half Icelandic. My parents actually met pretty much like Miko and Kristófer in the story — in a restaurant in Reykjavík as my father was passing through. He was a Spanish artist escaping Franco at the time, and he ran into my mother and he just stood up in the restaurant. He was coming in, she was working in the restaurant, and 18 days later they were to be married — and 60 years later they're still together. Unfortunately he has a bit of Alzheimer's, like the character. So there's a lot of things that connected me to the story on many levels. Also the need for closure, which is very important to me, and I feel like is coming harder and harder down on me — like the need to close certain chapters and stories and make peace with them." On Balancing Multiple Different Time Periods — and Hopping Between Iceland, the UK and Japan "It was very, very complicated in terms of shooting. People thought Everest was complicated, but this is actually more complicated because there's also three languages. But I love it. We are allowing more languages and more culture into films, and it's getting more accepted, and I think it's really important. And for me, it has to be in the language that these people would authentically be speaking to each other. Then the market comes next and says 'I'm not going to...' because there was this idea, somebody came and said 'what about if Kristófer is in England rather than Icelandic and we can just have him...'. And yeah, it would work, but that's not my story. So, that's very important. And of course, it's incredibly complicated to create a restaurant. A Japanese restaurant in England 1969, there are hardly any references. But by digging, we found actually a couple still alive that ran a restaurant — a Japanese couple, immigrants in England — that gave us a lot of information about their place. So, for me it was so much about all the preparation and work. We had Japanese people working with us from day one, everyone possible in Iceland in the Japanese embassy. And the respect — when you come from a small culture like Iceland, your country and your culture has been tarnished by Hollywood, just because they don't care. It's a small market. So the names are usually wrongly used, and there is not much authenticity to the story. But I think that's lazy. Because you can tell this is a good story, and even better, you can just little do a little homework and digging and learning about cultures. Also, I love the fact, and I didn't say that in the beginning, that this story leads you to one of the most horrific acts in history, war crimes in history, in such a different and unique way. It's just to one victim that wasn't even born at the time of the bombing, and it affects a life of an Icelandic guy whose whole life is affected by this. So this choice of taking just a single view, when I read the book, I didn't see that coming — an Icelandic novel dealing with the aftermath of Hiroshima." On Casting When You're Working with Both Younger and Older Versions of the Same Characters "For me, it's more about finding the right person for its purpose. I wasn't necessarily chasing that it had to be totally aligned for Kristofer — for me, it's more important that the actors are right for the role and for their purpose, and then matching them up. It was very important for the younger actors that they would sit on the baseline in the role. They don't have to be playing someone else. They'll allow you to come closer, because falling in love is an intimate thing. And I wasn't going for the sexual version, I was going for the sensual version of it. And for me, it's very innocent and you have to allow the camera into the act rather than him playing it for you. And I think I chose the two of them from that perspective, the young cast. On the other hand, it was very important to me — I told you about my father — Egill reminds me a little bit of my father. A very nicely dressed man, even in his Alzheimer's and the fog of that, he always carries himself with some grace. Egill used to be the sex symbol of Iceland. He used to be this big singer and actor. All my youth, everyone knew who Egill was. Then, he now actually has Parkinson's, and it's just changed his whole demeanour. He's very gentle and he steps to the earth very carefully. I learned this about him, and I thought he was absolutely perfect for the role. It's just something about the grace and I wanted him to be romantic in a way, but not somebody you would feel sorry for — actually, you can go on this journey and you can want him to have his closure." On the Approach to Flitting Across Genres When Your Career Jumps Between Romance, Action, Thrillers, Survivalist Tales and More "I do not look at genre in the beginning of choosing a project. If something, like with Beast, I've been fascinated with lions all my life since I was a kid. I loved pictures of lions when I was a kid. When I got Everest, it was like 'this is like me walking to school in Iceland every day'. There are certain things that you just are drawn to, and then the genre comes around it. And then everyone, people are like 'oh, he's the action guy, he's the survival guy'. I've had so many versions of 'guy'. But for me, I just choose the project that I'm drawn to and genre is something that it comes after, and I work with that. I understand that genre or tone is very important. But I have many genres inside of me. I am an athlete in some ways, when I was younger. But I'm also a lover. These are two genres inside of me. So I'm full of genres, and I just don't want to limit myself to one thing. It's not conscious, to be honest. It's just when projects — like when I read this book, I love this book. I want to do it and then I do it. And then I let the specialists analyse it." Touch opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Images: Lilja Jonsdottir and Baltasar Breki Samper / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
And just like that, there was a teaser trailer — for HBO's new Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That..., that is. First announced back at the beginning of 2021, and already locked in for a December release, the ten-part series reunites Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon more than a decade since they last shared a screen in the terrible 2008 and 2010 Sex and the City movies. And, if you're wondering what's in store, the first teaser trailer has just been released. Obviously, Parker's Carrie Bradshaw narrates the sneak peek. It really wouldn't be a Sex and the City-related series otherwise, and you'd probably want to a pair of Manolo Blahniks at your screen in protest if that was the case. This time, the famed fictional New Yorker is waxing lyrical about life's changes — and obviously the words "and just like that" get uttered. The teaser doesn't provide much in the way of narrative detail, but it is filled with images of Carrie, Miranda (Nixon) and Charlotte (Davis) going about their lives — and of plenty of other familiar Sex and the City faces as well. The series' main trio won't have Kim Cattrall's Samantha for company, but Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler and the late Willie Garson all return. Yes, that's Big, Anthony, Steve, Harry and Stanford all accounted for. Grey's Anatomy's Sara Ramírez features, too — and, in news that's worth raising a few cosmopolitans, the ten-episode spinoff now has an exact release date. So, you'll be able to stream the first two episodes on Thursday, December 9 via Binge in Australia, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays afterwards. In New Zealand, it'll air on Neon and Sky Go from Friday, December 10, with new episodes dropping at 1pm each week. It'll also head to SoHo from 9.30pm on Mondays from December 20. Due to Cattrall's absence, And Just Like That... is being badged as a "new chapter' in the Sex and the City story, rather than an additional season of the existing 1998–2004 program. Parker, Davis and Nixon are also named as producers on And Just Like That..., alongside Michael Patrick King, who worked as a writer, director and executive producer on the original (and on the two movies). Check out the first teaser trailer below: And Just Like That... will start streaming in Australia via Binge from Thursday, December 9. In New Zealand, it'll air via Neon and Sky Go in New Zealand from Friday, December 10, and also on SoHo from 9.30pm on Mondays from December 20.
It is often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However, there is considerable argument about who first said it. In this post modern era, it has been well argued that everything worth doing has probably already been done. And as anyone who has raided their grandparents' wardrobe for vintage classics will tell you, fashion and design are cyclical. Despite all this, as a culture we still value and believe in authenticity, innovation and originality. And we support the rights of artists and designers to sue the pants of anyone who wittingly rips their ideas off. But what if you unwittingly rip some off yourself? What if, by chance, two artists independently come up with the very same idea? Is that impossible? And where do you draw the line between being influenced by someone and blatantly copying their ideas? Where does referencing end and plagiarism begin? These are the questions which occupy retired professor of Graphic Design Bob Caruther, and are the theme behind his flickr page entitled, Similarities. In this extensive collection, Caruther pairs up two or more similar images without making either comment or judgement. In many pairs the similarities were well-intentioned, as for example in Rufus Wainwright's homage to Judy Garland and The Clash's homage to Elvis Presley. However, in other examples, intentions are not quite as clear, leaving the viewer to contemplate whether the later image is a coincidence, proof of an artistic collective unconsciousness, or grounds for a lawsuit. We'll let you decide.
Sitting in the dark, immersed in pictures, reading a story into the way they link. That's essentially what you do when you go to the cinema, and it's also what you do when playing with the plastic device known as the View-Master. The dinky red private viewers have apparently been littering toyboxes since 1939. Now Portland's Vladimir has hijacked the classic toy for art purposes, crafting a narrative you experience click by click. Her Vladmaster Viewmaster Experience — a highlight among the cinematic tangents of the Sydney Film Festival Hub — contains a reel designed, photographed and hand-assembled by the artist. She also turns the usually private View-Master encounter into a public one. Here, you sit down with a 100 similarly adventurous nostalgics and click through together, following the cues from the soundtrack. The event was recently a hit at Melbourne's White Night, where it showed at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. The SFF Hub is not only returning for a third time but expanding its presence at the Town Hall to encompass the Treasury Room upstairs. As well as the View-Masters, this year it's decked out with designer furniture showcasing the legacy of the Eameses, a TITLE pop-up shop, Gelato Messina cart, vintage photo booth and the festival's discount ticket booth. Also featured are talks Altman on Altman (with son Robert Altman) and Eames on Eames (with grandson Eames Demetrios), film trivia, a film critics death match and Hugh Hamilton's Rosebud exhibition of film star portraits.
Whatever your opinion of Julia Gillard's prime ministership, national politics and gender were as inseparable as Tony Abbott and his speedos between June 2010 and June 2013. Whether it was Howard Sattler's obsession with her sex life or Grace Collier's obsession with her cleavage, none of us were allowed to forget for a moment that Gillard was, is, indeed, a woman. Of course, the nation's first female Prime Minister did not fail to air her perspective to the world with that speech that went viral. So it's fitting that in her very first public appearance since her June farewell speech, Gillard will appear in conversation with one-time head of the Hawke government's Office of the Status of Women, Anne Summers. After Gillard's exit, the author, journalist and editor wrote, "We are now, apparently unashamedly, a country where bullying, stalking, undermining and outright treachery are not just tolerated but the new way of doing business. So the next time your child comes home complaining about being bullied in the schoolyard, you will have to say, 'Suck it up kid, this is the way we are.'" Three months down the track, Gillard and Summers will spend two evenings together in the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall and the Melbourne Town Hall, reflecting on what Gillard's experience meant, and might mean, to the story of Australian politics. According to the promo, Gillard has committed to "a candid and wide-ranging conversation", and there'll be time for an audience-driven Q & A session. It's the first event in 'Anne Summers Conversations', a series of live one-on-one interviews featuring various personalities to have appeared in Anne Summers' online magazine The Looking Glass. Julia Gillard and Anne Summers will be appearing at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Monday, 30 September, and at Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday, 1 October. Tickets are available from the Sydney Opera House website and Eventbrite.
Just over two weeks before the release of his seminal double album Sundark & Riverlight, Patrick Wolf comes to the Sydney Opera House for two nights of acoustic intoxication. Marking ten years since the release of his studio debut, Lycanthropy, an album praised for having pop songs "for the ubiquitous dissolute youth", Patrick Wolf's acoustic fourth album Sundark & Riverlight is a celebration of his masterworks, containing re-mastered versions of selected tracks from his illustrious career. Wolf's shows at the Sydney Opera House will see him take the stage with a grand piano, celtic harp and dulcimer to name just a few. Take a companion and savour this unique night of art and acoustics. https://youtube.com/watch?v=3hBJIbSScBM
A good drink — either to celebrate, commiserate or just 'cause — is as embedded in Australian culture as sangas and backyard cricket. But in 2018, what constitutes 'good'? Sometimes you need to call in the experts. Enter Dan Murphy's, our comrades in entertainment. Between Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10, the brand is holding an interactive pop-up event that will help you spot, and serve, a quality tipple. The House of Discovery, as it has been dubbed, will pop up in an abandoned heritage house in Chippendale, with a drinks list curated by Dan Murphy's Spirit Ambassador Charlie Ainsbury (ex-This Must Be The Place). So, do you want the grand tour? Start on the ground floor in the tequila room, which pays homage to the famed Mexican spirit. Mind the agave and cactus plants as you explore the room, learning the history of tequila and how to differentiate the three styles — blanco, reposado and anejo. Upstairs, two rooms await to help transform you into an expert home bartender (you no longer need rely on just beer and wine when you entertain). Dreaming of balmy Hawaiian nights? The tiki room will transport you there. In the next room, you will take a step back into the 1950s, when homes were a clash of bold patterns and kitsch furniture and martinis were the drink du jour. Both areas will have expert cocktail-making presentations and samples for all. Next, make your way out to the courtyard where the time-honoured tradition of pairing drinks to food is ignored. Here, the drinks are chosen first and a dish will be served, courtesy of Spice Alley, to complement. Combine this with installations celebrating local brewers and distillers — including Canberra's BentSpoke Brewing Co and SA's Adelaide Hills Distillery— and your tour is complete. Consider your drinks game well and truly upped. Spaces to the House of Discovery pop-up are limited, so if you're the type to sit on a drink, better get moving. Nab a ticket and find out more info about the event here. There'll also be an intimate VIP night on Thursday, March 8. To get your hands on a ticket, sign up to become a My Dan Murphy's member.
For the next six months, a patch of rare Australian greenery is blooming on the other side of the world. As part of the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, more than 10,000 native grassland plants are currently sitting in and around the event's Australian Pavilion — not only highlighting the endangered nature of the species on display, but also showcasing the importance of architecture that integrates the natural with the man-made. In what the artists have dubbed a "living installation", visitors wander past an array of plants before entering a room filled with them, with the field of vegetation appropriately titled Grasslands. It's comprised of 65 species of Victorian Western Plains grasslands, of which only one percent remains in Australia since European settlement. As the exhibition's guiding forces — Melbourne architects Baracco+Wright (Louise Wright and Mauro Baracco) with collaborating artist Linda Tegg — explain, the plants on display are "smaller area than that of an average Australian family house. Such an area takes around an hour to bulldoze." Their statement about the impact of urbanisation, agriculture, grazing and industrial land use on native Australian plant life forms one part of the overall exhibition, which also has a very fitting moniker: Repair. As presented by the Australian Institute of Architects, the showcase also includes a piece called Skylight, and it's practical as well as informative. The custom-designed lighting installation mimics the sun's 24-hour cycle in order to keep the plants alive — and its daily rotation is drawn from Australian time and sun patterns. For energy, Skylight takes its power from the Italian electricity grid, using 64 percent fossil, 21 percent hydro, nine percent wind and solar, five percent nuclear, and one percent geothermal sources. The final aspect involves a video series titled Ground, as projected on five-metre by eight-metre screens throughout the pavilion — highlighting 15 architectural projects that embody different notions of the overall theme of repair. The Venice Architecture Biennale runs from May 26 to November 25. For more information, visit the Australian Pavilion's website. Images: Rory Gardiner
As someone who can't eat gluten, there are certain Sydney foods you learn to accept you just can't eat. Fresh croissants from Bourke Street Bakery. Two dozen dumplings from Grapes on the Roof. A burger from Mary's. The list goes on, but this weekend it stops at what has heretofore been a gluten-only zone: gözleme. Yes, you read that right: gluten-free göz. The not-so traditional take on the Turkish treat comes courtesy of The Gözleme Store, who'll pop up this Saturday only at Tramsheds. Varieties include spinach and feta, veggies with truffle oil, Turkish chicken and beef — and all are suitable for coeliacs as well as being dairy- and yeast-free. We honestly don't know how you'll cope with the choice. Is this the first time someone has gifted the gluten intolerant with such a snack? It's the first we've heard of it in Sydney. It feels like the golden age of gluten-free dining is almost here. Don't knock it — just make sure you tell all your GF mates. If you miss out, fear not — The Gözleme Store has popped up at Tramsheds before, and may do so again. Keep an eye on its Facebook page for updates. The pop-up will be open from 10am till 4pm inside Tramsheds.
