Like all true-crime series, an air of inevitability hovers over The Clearing. With an eerie Australian sect at its centre, plus a rare female cult leader, a brood of blonde-haired children and a penchant for LSD, this story was always going to get the drama treatment eventually. Based on The Family, the notorious real-life group that formed in the 60s and operated out of regional Victoria, the eight-part Disney+ series arrives after Rosie Jones' 2016 documentary that shares the group's name and 2019 series The Cult of the Family. That said, The Clearing actually takes its basis from fiction, although there's no doubting where JP Pomare's novel In the Clearing found its inspiration. While history's sinister and sordid chapters frequently reach screens, including Australia's own long-running Underbelly franchise, The Clearing isn't the type of project that arrives every day. Playing The Kindred guru Adrienne Beaufort and one of her chief acolytes Aunty Tamsin, Aussie actors Miranda Otto and Kate Mulvany knew that from the moment that they received the show's scripts — but playing such complex roles was both intriguing and complicated. Constantly seeking new challenges as thespians, both have built up formidable resumes — Otto's spans everything from 90s standouts Love Serenade and The Well, The Lord of the Rings films, Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds, and small-screen efforts Rake, Homeland and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina; Mulvany's includes The Great Gatsby, Secret City, Lambs of God, Elvis, The Twelve and Hunters — and they're both excellent in The Clearing. Still, for each, approaching the material required actively avoiding taking their cues from reality. Despite a fascination with cults, Otto steered clear of The Family's story. "I really couldn't get into any of that for myself. I couldn't even really go into the book, because there's so many layers in this script and so much that I had to do, that I couldn't really confuse myself with anything that might be different in a book," she tells Concrete Playground. "Sometimes on other projects, I will read the book as it's great source material. But when you start getting into 'did this happen?' or 'did that not happen?', I just thought that I'm just going to get so confused if I do that." Mulvany had the same reaction. "So much my character's journey is jigsawing along with [Otto's] journey, and so it was really, really important that we didn't have too much noise around our performances," she explains. "And that we really did go pretty much purely from the script, and our own knowledge of what a cult was, or what it is. I didn't even get a chance to read the book, so I had to really mould Aunty Tamsin on what I was given by the writers and the script." Joining the pair in The Clearing is a spectacular cast of fellow homegrown talents — Teresa Palmer (Ride Like a Girl), Guy Pearce (Mare of Easttown), Julia Savage (Blaze), Claudia Karvan (Bump), Mark Coles-Smith (Mystery Road: Origin), Hazem Shammas (The Twelve) and more — in a series that is unsurprisingly haunting and riveting from its first moments. With The Clearing streaming on Disney+ from Wednesday, May 24, we chatted to Otto and Mulvany about their initial responses to the show, researching cults, playing emotional vampires and seeking out female-led stories. ON THEIR FIRST RESPONSES TO THE CLEARING Miranda: "It was sent to my agent. I was told that it was about a female cult leader, which intrigued me automatically, because I'm very fascinated by cults and everything that goes with them. Then I received the scripts, and it was one of those nice things with a limited series where you get all the scripts together, and you're able to see the whole story unfold and the whole layered nature of it. Then I was just totally hooked. I love thrillers and puzzles." Kate: "I was a bit the same. I received the e-mail from the agent saying this has been offered to you, this Aunty Tamsin — and, of course, I read the first couple of scripts and went 'why am I the logical choice for this character?'. But then, as I read, there were a lot more pathways to her and from her that were really fascinating. It was a really great jigsaw to put together as an actor and as a character, so I was hooked from the start." ON PREPARING TO PLAY A CULT LEADER AND ONE OF HER ACOLYTES Miranda: "I've done a lot of research on cults generally. I was very fascinated by the Rajneesh Bhagwan cult — my aunty was in it in the 80s. I read Jane Stork's book [Break the Spell] about them, and watched Wild Wild Country, which was an amazing doc. And then I watched a lot of docs about other cults. But the the process for this, I don't know, we just sort of began. It's a funny thing, we had the scripts and we had everyone there and we just started — and it just kind of took on its own life in in some way." Kate: "Yeah. It did." Miranda: "I don't really feel like I sat down and intellectualised it and worked out exactly what I was going to do. I could make a plan, but then I'd have to throw the plan out because it didn't seem to work on the day. So in the end, it was really just working off the other actors and just finding it on-screen." Kate: "So much it was in the script as well, that it was popping off the page. But there was something so extraordinary about — I know my first day working with Miranda was, I think, your first day as Adrienne?" Miranda: "Yeah, that's right. Yes." Kate: "It was sort of a huge moment to have that — the first time we see her, the sun is behind her and she's approaching to to greet the children for the first time, and so that was a pretty good starting point." Miranda: "Yeah." Kate: "And a deep dive straight away, wasn't it?" Miranda: "I have to say, that day I totally started forgetting my lines. I was thrown in the moment — 'oh my gosh, this is such a lot'." Kate: "I don't remember that." Miranda: "You know, to suddenly be there and be in it — it was like 'oh wow'." Kate: "I don't remember that at all. I just remember you being extraordinary." Miranda: "I kept getting the names mixed when I was talking about the kids." ON FINDING WHAT DRIVES ADRIENNE AND TAMSIN Miranda: "That was a hard thing to find, actually. At first, they talk about 'are you driven by money, ego, power?'. And at first, I thought it was very much power — the power over people. But I found it really empty to play. It didn't really help me much. I couldn't get much from it. Then I had this particular scene with someone, and I realised in the moment that it was more about feeling so emotionally vacant or not able to feel things that that I was actually living vicariously in the moment of forcing these dramatic situations with people and seeing them in this emotional state, and then somehow by osmosis feeling that myself. It was like some enforced kind of feeling. I guess I described it as like an emotional vampire in some way — like not having that myself, then needing to force it in other people." Kate: "Yeah, it's pretty weird. But it was so strong. It was so powerful. And it means that the rest of us follow. Because, for Aunty Tamsin, Adrienne is constantly spoon-feeding these teaspoons of sugar — sweetness and delight, in terms of affection, or even a compliment, or even a touch. And then, of course, it's completely taken away. So for Tamsin, the powerlessness that she feels in her real life, she makes up for with her authoritarian rule over the children. It's still a vast emptiness behind that, but she's constantly given fuel by these spoonfuls of sugar that Adrienne feeds her — metaphorically." ON WHAT OTTO AND MULVANY LOOK FOR IN A ROLE Miranda: "For me, usually finding something that I haven't done before. I don't really want to repeat myself or play a similar character, so I'm usually often drawn to something that's quite different from the from the piece I immediately did before it. I work in antithesis to myself." Kate: "Same here, especially when they're female-led stories. There's something so delicious about diving into a world of a very female narrative — and we have so many strong female characters in this show, both as protagonists and antagonists. And that for me is something that I haven't had a chance to do enough of in my career. So that was a big thumbs up for me, that made me just go 'I would kill to play to play this role'." The Clearing streams via Disney+ from Wednesday, May 24. Read our full review.
Long gone are the days where 007's "shaken not stirred" will cut it. Cocktails — they're far from just sweet concoctions for amateurs seeking out a tipple-induced buzz sans the bitter sting of alcohol. Sydney's love for them has grown steadily over the past few years and that can, in part, be attributed to our fondness of the small bar setting where an Old Fashioned seems the only thing appropriate. And where to find some of the best? Well, fear not, because Concrete Playground is here to play guide. Let us present to you our ten best cocktail bars in Sydney to help you along your merry little way. 1. Eau de Vie While not technically a speakeasy, Eau-De-Vie is about as close as you can get to the guilty pleasures of Boardwalk Empire. This Prohibition-style bar is tucked away at the back of the Kirketon Hotel. True to the form, it's well hidden: there's no signage, but the concierge will direct you through the black door at the back, past the restrooms and into this cosy chamber. And the cocktails? Try the Noble Experiment ($20), whereby you concoct your own Martini as a salute to Prohibition's end, and don't think you can go past the Ladies' Leg Cosmo ($25 per person), which is offered to ladies only and served in a seductive leg. 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst; www.eaudevie.com.au/sydney 2. The Roosevelt One part glam, one part retro and one part mixologist's fantasy, The Roosevelt is an irresistible mix that has almost immediately become one of Sydney's best cocktail destinations. Glass cabinets filled with antique cocktail making equipment line the room, swing is the soundtrack and the cocktail menu files its drinks into sections like 'Sexy, Ladylike and Seductive' or 'Cocktails on Wheels'. This second category includes the 'Nitro Colada' and the 'Blazer', prepared with much theatre and plenty of nitrogen smoke by waist-coated hosts in the centre of the room. Shared cocktails include further showmanship and trickery, including a playful Hamptons Summer Cup, served in a trophy cup, and a punch bowl which is set alight at the table. 32 Orwell Street, Potts Point; www.theroosevelt.com.au 3. Bulletin Place Bulletin Place is a prodigious example of in-the-know barman strutting their stuff. And let's be honest, it's really Philips' cocktail expertise that makes this place stand out. Scribbled across a sheet of butcher's paper that hangs behind the bar will be any given evening's cocktail selection, inspired by whatever produce is freshest at the time. First floor, 10 - 14 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay; www.bulletinplace.com/ 4. Grasshopper Cocktails are the real drawcard at Grasshopper. All the drinks are numbered instead of having names, and they're just about all served in jars. The No.19, which features orange liqueur, cranberry juice, passionfruit and vanilla vodka, tastes like the sort of gelato you would find at Messina or Pompeii's. The No.14 - comprising blackberry juice and Fanta - is also a Buttermenthol-tasting highlight. 389-391 George St, Sydney; www.thegrasshopper.com.au 5. The Hazy Rose Hazy Rose offers a damn fine cocktail list. The Fernet Julep ($15) is an unusual take on this classic, with Fernet Branca replacing the usual sticky syrup. The Whisky Sour ($15-$25) is closer to what you'd expect, with your choice of whisky served over a block of ice. If you're feeling brave, opt for the Hamish ($18): a mix of Espolon Reposada, Taliskee, sweet vermouth and bitters. My favourite of the night, this had a wonderful smoky aftertaste. A good choice if you're after something a little more gentle is the Stanley Sidecar ($16), which treats you to the house's own apricot brandy along with Cointreau and fresh lemon juice. 83 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst; www.thehazyrose.com.au 6. Assembly The drinks from mixologist/general manager Ben Taouss make this out-of-the-way cocktail haven one of Sydney's best. Our pick is the Lavender Hill Cappuccino ($17), a martini with Pop Rocks and an apple foam. There's also the Rasp'n'Co ($16), a 'vodka raspberry' with white chocolate or, for more serious drinkers, the Brooklyn ($18), a prohibition-style concoction of rye whisky, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, a dash of Amer Picon and a cherry on top. 488 Kent Street, Sydney; www.assemblybar.com.au 7. Grandma's There's no place like home. Except Grandma's. Grandma gives you a big hug, sits you down in her best, chintz-covered chair and gives you a treat. The "grandchildren" are a helpful and friendly lot, and shake their cocktails with wide-eyed glee. Start off with one of Grandma's favourite tipples — the Pink Pepper Martini, a mix of strawberries and a wink of gin, was truly delightful. But the drinks list is seemingly endless, with ingredients including Greek yoghurt, chocolate bitters and elderflower cordial. Basement 275 Clarence Street, Sydney; www.grandmasbarsydney.com.au 8. Gilt Lounge Tucked away between Topshop and Sydney's iconic State Theatre is Gilt Lounge. As QT Hotel's sultry grown up cocktail lounge, Gilt takes things to a whole new mixology level. Shakers will be tossed in the air and drinks finished with a flourish. A must-try is the Applewood Bacon Old Fashioned ($19), a wild combination of Applewood bacon-infused buffalo trace bourbon, black peppercorn-infused demerara sugar, creole bitters chocolate covered bacon and flamed orange. Yes, you read right. Chocolate. Covered. Bacon. It's a flavour fusion gamble that definitely pays off. 49 Market Street, Sydney; www.qtsydney.com.au 9. Different Drummer Since ages past, the Drummer has been serving scintillating cocktails with a happy-go-lucky list of patrons who don't hesitate to share their thoughts on why the Agwacello (agwa coco leaf liquor, limoncello & cloudy apple) is the best cocktail on the menu. Settle in downstairs amongst the bordello-like luxury for your birthday or girls-night, or take a date up to the roof for a breeze and a good view. And lest we forget to mention the daily two-for-one cocktails. Damn right. 185 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe; www.differentdrummer.com.au 10. Button Bar Button Bar is the third offering from the creators behind Stitch and Pocket bars. And it's time to batten down the hatches because with a seasoned crew on board, it sure is a ship not to be missed. The three page cocktail menu offers a diverse selection of tipples. The Lucky Charm made with below vodka, fresh strawberries and honey with prosseco ($16.50) is fresh as is the Pleasure Vessel, a combination of Appleton dark rum, Grand Marnier, orange marmalade, fresh grapefruit, fresh lemon juice and orange blossom water ($17). 65 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills; www.button-bar.com.au By the Concrete Playground team.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL-G4oCoDF0&feature=youtu.be HIGH GROUND Violence is never splashed across a cinema screen unthinkingly. Depicting physical force is always a choice, even in by-the-numbers action films where fists and bullets fly far more frequently than meaningful moments. Accordingly, when brutality and bloodshed arrives in a drama that peers back at Australia's colonial past, there's no doubting that the filmmakers responsible have thought about what they're including, why, the message it conveys and the impact it'll have on the audience. High Ground is one such Aussie feature. Its main forceful encounter occurs early, motivating everything that follows and proving impossible to forget. In 1919, ex-World War I sniper-turned-police officer Travis (Simon Baker, Breath) sets out across the area now known as Kakadu National Park, leading a law enforcement team on a routine expedition; however, it doesn't take much — namely, the decisions of his less fair-minded colleagues — for the journey to end with the slaughter of Indigenous Australians. Twelve years later, in the 30s, Travis is still haunted by the incident. In one of High Ground's most important choices, it doesn't require any effort at all to understand why he feels the way he does, or why his eyes have taken on a sorrowful glint. The movie's viewers have witnessed the same awful events, with Aboriginal men, women and children who were enjoying a peaceful waterside gathering all suddenly and savagely killed, and a boy called Gutjuk (played by as a child Guruwuk Mununggurr and Jacob Junior Nayinggul as an adult) only managing to leave the scene alive thanks to Travis' intervention. Even when untainted by blood, the country's landscape has blazed with red, orange and ochre hues since long before European settlement — since the sun first started beating down upon it, undoubtedly — with those colours helping many an Aussie film bake heated feelings of fury and torment into their frames. Indeed, simmering anguish goes with the territory in High Ground. That's true of every movie that recognises that Australia was far from terra nullius when the First Fleet arrived, but there's no escaping the scorching mood that radiates here, as director Stephen Maxwell Johnson (Yolngu Boy) intends. Working with cinematographer Andrew Commis (Babyteeth) to bring screenwriter Chris Anastassiades' (The Kings of Mykonos) script to the screen, the filmmaker fills his first feature in two decades with picturesque yet also pulsating scenery. Peering down at eye-catching swathes of the Northern Territory, the nation's earthy beauty is striking and stunning, and so is the knowledge that it was walked upon by Indigenous Australians for tens of thousands of years. And one goes with the other, as the movie's soundtrack also helps reinforce, layering the noises of birds and wildlife with songs by Yolngu singers such as Yothu Yindi's Witiyana Marika — who also appears in the film as Gutjuk's grandfather Dharrpa — and his son Yirrmal Marika. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG_EVA58P-g NEWS OF THE WORLD A year after his exquisite and rightly Oscar-nominated performance in A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, Tom Hanks returns to the big screen with his latest great film. In News of the World, he plays a Civil War veteran-turned-travelling newsman who becomes saddled with escorting a child back to her family — and he's as gripping and compelling to watch as he's ever been. Hanks' character, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, is a travelling newsman in the very literal and era-appropriate sense. He journeys from town to town to read newspapers to amassed crowds for ten cents a person, all so folks across America can discover what's going on — not just locally, but around the country and the world. Then, on one otherwise routine trip in 1870, he passes an overturned wagon. Only a blonde-haired ten-year-old girl, Johanna (Helena Zengel, System Crasher), remains alive. Kidd soon discovers that she had been abducted by the Kiowa people years earlier during a raid that saw her entire family slaughtered, and was then raised as one of their own, but she has now been left homeless after more violence. The wagon was transporting Johanna to her last remaining relatives and, in the absence of any officials willing to take over — or ensure her safety until they get around to setting off — Kidd reluctantly agrees to the task. Reading the news is still part of their trek, but so is avoiding the many dangers that plague their ride across Texas' golden-hued landscape. If the sight of a wearied Hanks donning a wide-brimmed hat, sitting atop a horse and galloping across scrubby plains feels unfamiliar, that's because it hasn't happened before — with News of the World marking his first-ever western more than four decades after he made his acting debut. (No, his time voicing cowboy plaything Woody in the Toy Story movies doesn't count.) Hanks is a natural fit, unsurprisingly. The grounded presence he has brought to everything from Apollo 13 to The Post couldn't pair better with a genre that trots so openly across the earth, and ties its characters' fortunes so tightly to the desolate and wild conditions that surround them, after all. As a result, the fact that News of the World eagerly recalls previous western highlights such as The Searchers and True Grit doesn't ever become a drawback. Instead, this adaptation of Paulette Jiles' 2016 novel makes a purposeful effort to put its star in the same company as the many on-screen talents who've shone in — and strutted and scowled through — the genre. Hanks takes to the saddle like he's been perched upon one his entire career, of course, and takes to Kidd's lone-rider status with the same naturalistic air as well. But, in a movie directed with less frenetic and jittery flair but the right amount of pulsating emotion by Captain Phillips filmmaker Paul Greengrass, he isn't the only standout. His young co-star is just as phenomenal, in fact, although that won't come as even the slightest surprise to anyone who saw Zengel's performance in 2019's System Crasher, which won the pre-teen the German Film Prize for Best Actress. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGZmwsK58M8 MALCOLM & MARIE Shot in quarantine in mid-2020, Malcolm & Marie meets its eponymous couple on a momentous night, with filmmaker Malcolm (John David Washington, Tenet) all abuzz after the premiere of his latest feature. The critics gushed to him in-person so, arriving back at the flashy house that's been rented for him, he's drunk on praise and eager to celebrate with his girlfriend and aspiring actress Marie (Zendaya, Spider-Man: Far From Home). As she cooks him mac 'n' cheese, he pours drinks and relives the evening's events. But Marie isn't as enthusiastic, or as willing to cast everything about the premiere in a rosy glow. The catalyst for her simmering discontent, other than just the state of their relationship: as Malcolm & Marie writer/director Sam Levinson admits he did himself at the premiere of his 2017 movie Assassination Nation, Malcolm forgot to thank Marie. Levinson's wife only brought it up once, he has said; however, the moment the subject comes up on-screen, Marie isn't willing to accept Malcolm's claim that he simply forgot. Cue oh-so-much arguing, mixed in with cosier banter, broader chats about art and politics, Marie's frequent escapes outside to smoke and Malcolm's impatient waiting for the first reviews of his film to drop. Again and again, their discussion circles back to their history. Malcolm's movie is about a 20-year-old addict, and Marie once was that woman. So, she feels as if her real and painful experiences have hoovered up by him, without any appreciation or recognition — without casting her in the role, too. Where everything from Blue Valentine and the Before trilogy to Marriage Story have previously gone, Malcolm & Marie follows: into the fiery heat and knotty struggles of a complicated relationship. Like Blue Valentine, it charts ecstatic highs and agonising lows. As Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight did, it relies upon dialogue swapped frequently and passionately. And stepping in Marriage Story's territory, it follows a director and an actor as their career choices highlight issues they've plastered over for far too long. Still, while assembled from familiar pieces, Malcolm & Marie slinks into its niche. It's devastatingly stylish thanks to its black-and-white colour palette, elegant costuming and luxurious single-location setting. It glides by almost entirely on the strength of its ferocious performances, with Zendaya and Washington both exceptional. But it's also indulgent and obvious, as well as clumsy in its handling of many of its conversation topics. The film is at its best when its characters fight specifically about their relationship, and at its worst when it forgets that it's about people rather than about ideas. Like most relationships, it soars at times and sinks at others — and, in a very 2020–1 outcome, it easily leaves viewers wondering what might've eventuated if it hadn't been cooked up in a pandemic, designed to work within COVID-19 restrictions and scripted in just six days. Malcolm & Marie is screening in select Sydney and Melbourne cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZLKevPsC6M PIXIE 2021 is barely a month old, but only one film reaching cinemas this year will feature beloved comedian Dylan Moran as a drug kingpin working out of a fish factory — and remaining as acerbic as ever in the process, of course — as well as Alec Baldwin as a gangster priest who uses his collar and church as a cover. That'd be Irish caper comedy Pixie, which takes its name from the woman, Pixie O'Brien (Olivia Cooke, Sound of Metal), at the centre of a heist, more than a few instances of double-crossing and a long-running feud between two groups of mobsters. Her stepfather Dermot (Colm Meaney, Gangs of London) leads one faction. Her still-yearning ex-boyfriend Colin (Rory Fleck Byrne, Zomboat!) is in his employ, but is willing to put his job and life at risk by ripping off a huge haul of MDMA. That said, most of Pixie's quest to cash in on the big score and flee to art school in San Francisco sees her spending time with best mates Frank (Ben Hardy, Bohemian Rhapsody) and Harland (Daryl McCormack, Peaky Blinders). The former has always had a crush on the titular character, while the latter sports his own feelings — and the fact that they're told "she won't just break you, she'll take a Kalashnikov to your heart" doesn't phase them in the slightest when they think they have a chance to earn her attention and affection. Directed by St Trinian's and St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold helmer (and Wayne's World and Spice World producer) Barnaby Thompson using a script penned by his son Preston (Kids in Love), Pixie finds enough charm in two key places: its engaging lead actor and its energy. Cooke is fantastic, running rings around every single one of her almost-exclusively male co-stars with her smart, spirited attitude and mesmerising presence. And, tonally, the film sports a distinct mid-90s/early-00s vibe; if you found it on a streaming platform rather than showing on the big screen, you could easily think that it had been sitting in an online catalogue for quite some time and you just hadn't ever heard of it. Still, Pixie is never anything more than watchable. The younger Thompson's screenplay doesn't quite perfect its attempts to make its protagonist her own person, leaning too heavily on male fantasies even despite Cooke's impressive efforts. Also, almost every aspect of the plot seems like the product of someone who spent their formative years worshipping Quentin Tarantino, Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) and John McDonagh (The Guard). In fact, the elder Thompson's stylistic approach actually does the latter, too, which is evident no matter how quickly the whole movies zips along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8tofjqqrV8 OCCUPATION: RAINFALL Every science fiction film that has reached cinemas since 1977 has sat in the shadows of Star Wars, the best-known big-screen franchise there in the genre. But few movies have splashed around their desire to resemble the George Lucas-created saga and its success as blatantly as the Gold Coast-shot Occupation: Rainfall, the second entry in Australia's Occupation series. Narrative-wise, it follows an alien invasion, which its 2018 predecessor first detailed. That might sound more like Independence Day than Star Wars; however, humanity's survivors are cast as rebels fighting back against ruthless extraterrestrial forces with planet-eradicating weapons, which should ring more than a few bells from a tale set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It's also impossible not to notice the red beams of light adorning sword-like weapons, especially when they're swung around in one-on-one face-offs; the frequent front-on shots of solo pilots sitting in their aircrafts as sky battles rage around them; the way that everything from towering military technologies to bobbing, weaving and crashing aerial conflicts are framed; and the sound effects so familiar you'd be forgiven for thinking they've just been lifted wholesale. There's also a comic green-skinned critter as a sidekick, this time quoting lines from other films rather than saying "ooh, mooey mooey, I love you!" (and, interestingly, voiced by Harry Potter's Jason Isaacs). That Occupation: Rainfall proves so derivative sits at odds with its ambition. Writer/director Luke Sparke is clearly dreaming big, which is to be admired and applauded — as any attempt to remedy Australia's lack of a big homegrown sci-fi franchise should be. Alas, just as Occupation's aping of Red Dawn and Tomorrow, When the War Began was always evident, the debt that Rainfall owes its high-profile influences is obvious to the point of being distracting. The thin storyline doesn't help, with Rainfall starting with the decimation of Sydney, then splitting its focus between resistance fighter Matt Simmons (Dan Ewing, Home and Away) and his reluctant alliance with alien Gary (Lawrence Makoare, The Dead Lands), and the ideological differences between his colleagues Amelia Chambers (Jet Tranter, Tidelands) and Wing Commander Hayes (Daniel Gillies, The Originals). Matt and Gary head to Pine Gap to track down an item of value to the extraterrestrials, which puts them in odd-couple road-movie territory, while Amelia disagrees with Hayes' willingness to conduct experiments on and torture their otherworldly foes. The clunky dialogue everyone is forced to utter doesn't assist either, and neither does the return of Star Wars alumnus Temuera Morrison or the appearance of Community's Ken Jeong — or the always-apparent reality that keeping the franchise going and laying the groundwork for a third film is the main aim above all else. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7, January 14 and January 21. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger and Only the Animals. Top images: News of the World, Bruce W Talamon/Universal Pictures/Netflix; Malcolm & Marie, Dominic Miller, Netflix.
Er, um, wow. From surreal director Terry Gilliam, of Monty Python and left-field movie fame, comes The Zero Theorem, the supposed third film in his trilogy of bizarre dystopias that began with 1985's Brazil and 1995's 12 Monkeys. Though its release on Antipodean shores is yet to be confirmed, today's first trailer release for the film has got us all excited (and maybe a little flabbergasted). The Orwellian sci-fi follows Qohen (Christoph Waltz), an eccentric computer hacker with a whole lot of existential angst. Using a mathematical formula, Qohen's working to solve the zero theorem in the hope that he'll crack the meaning (or lack thereof) of life. But Management continually interrupt his work, sending a teen, Bob (Lucas Hedges), and a love interest, Bainsley (Melanie Thierry), to distract him. Funnily enough, desiring Bainsley might just be the key he'd been missing to understand the complexities of life. The trailer makes The Zero Theorem look equal parts bonkers and mind-bogglingly intelligent all at once. Though it's received mixed reviews, a cast that includes David Thewlis, Peter Stormare, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw and Matt Damon — along with the usual sci-fi commentaries on humanity, technology and politics — makes this an interesting one.
It's been 15 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Thankfully, Laneway Festival has just confirmed it will be heading back to its collection of unconventional venues for another year, revealing its jam-packed 2020 lineup. Returning to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Fremantle in February, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with one heck of a lineup. This year's eclectic program is headlined by dance-pop powerhouse Charli XCX. The British songwriter's latest album Charli — which dropped just last week — features everyone from Lizzo to Troye Sivan and Sky Ferreira. It'll be her only Aussie show, as it'll also be for fellow international heavy hitter, American rapper Earl Sweatshirt. They'll be joined onstage by Canadian electro artist — and TikTok sensation — BBNO$, New Zealand's Benee, London crooner Col3trane and Irish post-punk band Fontaines DC. On the local front, you'll be able to get down to DMA's, Hatchie, Stella Donnelly, Hockey Dad, King Gizzard and the Lizard Gizard and this year's Triple J Hottest 100 winners, Ocean Alley. This year, the Sydney leg of the festival will be heading to its new inner-city location for the first time: The Domain. According to organisers, it'll allow the festival to have bigger stages and better sound — and it will be a bit more accessible by public transport. The Melbourne festival will be heading back to Footscray Park for its second year, too. But, enough chit-chat — here's the full 2020 lineup. LANEWAY 2020 LINEUP The 1975 Charli XCX (exclusive) Ruel Earl Sweatshirt (exclusive) Ocean Alley DMA's JID Tones and I King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Hockey Dad BBNO$ The Chats Mahalia* KAIIT Benee Stella Donnelly Oliver Tree Fontaines DC Omar Apollo Col3trane Hatchie* Spacey Jane Kucka Pist Idiots JessB* The Lazy Eyes** *East coast only ** Sydney only LANEWAY 2020 DATES Brisbane — Brisbane Showgrounds, Saturday, February 1 Sydney — The Domain, Sunday, February 2 Adelaide — Hart's Mill, Friday, February 7 Melbourne — Footscray Park, Saturday, February 8 Fremantle — Esplanade Reserve and West End, Sunday, February 9 Laneway Festival pre-sale tickets are available from Tuesday, September 24 — you can sign-up for access over here. Top image: BCS Imaging
As Bruce Wayne's private jet streaks through the skies high above Gotham, Jeremy Irons' steadfast butler Alfred quips: "One misses the days when one's biggest concerns were exploding wind-up penguins." "The good old days" replies a burly, sentient frown in the shape of Ben Affleck. "THEN PLEASE GOD BRING THEM BACK!" screams the audience's frustrated internal monologue from within its collective skull. Welcome to Justice League, the least bad entry in the DC movie universe after this year's smash hit Wonder Woman – not that that's saying a whole lot. Given how low the bar has been set by the likes of Suicide Squad and Batman vs Superman, this superhero team-up flick would have to be truly abysmal not to offer some kind of improvement. Just like its special-effects-laden trailer, Justice League feels like a CGI showreel shot almost entirely in front of a green screen. Its strongest scenes are also its quietest ones: a battered Bruce Wayne being assisted by a sympathetic Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot); Martha Kent and Lois Lane (Diane Lane and Amy Adams) brave-facing their way through hardships in a staff-room cafeteria; The Flash (played by a scene-stealing Ezra Miller) speaking with his incarcerated father. It's in these rare, intimate moments that the film's characters actually begin to feel like characters, each possessed of complicated personal histories, private anxieties and meaningful relationships. Sadly, it's soon back to aliens with lasers, fear-eating bugs, and buildings crashing down in clouds of debris. With a story that feels like it's been lifted from Ghostbusters II, Justice League depicts an earth where hatred and cynicism have reached such heights that it compels the return of a great evil determined to enslave mankind. So arrives Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), a CGI-monster of such poor quality he wouldn't cut the mustard in a cut scene from Gears of War. Steppenwolf is bent on reuniting three powerful Mother Boxes, magic cubes which, when combined, permit him to reshape any planet to resemble his barren home-world. The origins and power of these otherworldly McGuffins actually offers an enticing mystery to be solved in the film's early stages – which is why it's so disappointing when it's all explained away in a single expository scene. The same applies to each of the film's new heroes. Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) arrive with such little fanfare or backstory that even comic book fans already in the know may end up feeling robbed. The exception is The Flash, who imbues the franchise with a long-overdue dose of comedy. The character, as played by Miller, is endearingly awkward, enthusiastic yet timid, and note-perfect in his fanboying around the other superheroes. Likewise, his action sequences are thrilling, amusing and innovative in what is otherwise a highly derivative film. Perhaps the most egregious failing of Justice League, however, is its treatment of Batman. Weary, joyless and stammering, Affleck's Dark Knight acts more like a corporate recruiter than a caped crusader. A joke about his powers stemming from his wealth might get a laugh, but it also wholly undermines what makes the Batman character so compelling: a mortal, unexceptional being who still proves himself capable of holding his own in a world of gods and monsters thanks to his intelligence, discipline and unassailable belief in justice. In Justice League he spends most of the fights on the periphery, and quite often on his back; the superhero version of Lethal Weapon's Danny Glover complaining of being too old for this shit. It's a sad relegation for such a DC icon and speaks volumes as to how mishandled this franchise has been from the moment Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy) handed over the reigns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiAmnKUaNmc
Your Christmas lunch could soon be soundtracked by Bill Murray. Well, that's the best case scenario. Bill Murray has recently told Variety that he will be teaming up with Sofia Coppola for a festive TV special involving him singing a variety of Christmas carols. Obviously once that's out in the world, all other traditional tunes will be irrelevant and we'll all celebrate the season to his unashamed, slightly slurring version of 'Jingle Bells' and 'Silent Night'. Though we don't have many details about the project as yet, both Murray and Coppola have confirmed that something is in the works. It's also safe to assume the work will be somewhat different to their last collaboration, Lost in Translation. "It's not going to be live," said Murray. "We're going to do it like a little movie. It won’t have a format, but it’s going to have music. It will have texture. It will have threads through it that are writing. There will be prose." If that's not vague enough for your liking, he also added that it will have a "patina style and wit to it". "It will be nice," he said. "My motivation is to hear him singing my song requests," said Coppola. Though Murray is well accustomed to being on television — not only was he on three seasons of SNL in the late '70s, he's been such a regular to Letterman over the years he now just wears elaborate costumes and shaves his beard on air for kicks — this will be Coppola's first foray away from the cinema. It's hard to see how her quiet and subtle filmmaking style will translate to the cheesy traditions of Christmas TV specials (despite how much "wit" Murray claims it will have). But, whatever the final result, we're looking forward to it immensely. Now, because we'll basically take any excuse, here's a selection of Bill's best. 'Tis the season. Via Variety.
True-crime documentaries aren't just having a moment. They've been monopolising everyone's viewing lists for the past decade, and making us all fans of the gripping genre in the process. The secret (well, other than the thousands of secrets each true-crime doco is brimming with)? The breadth of topics, because this field can cover everything from fast food scams and unsettling cults to personal quests to catch an elusive serial killer. No matter the subject matter, scenario, illicit acts or people responsible, great true-crime documentaries all have two other things in common: they're impossible to stop watching once you've started, and they'll make you want to seek out more once your series of choice has come to an end. Of course, there are so many to choose from, so we've teamed up with streaming service Binge to pick five standouts that you can feast your eyes on right now — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
As one big HBO series came to an end, another signalled its return, with the US cable network dropping the first trailer for Westworld's third season during the Game of Thrones finale. Say goodbye to dragons, fighting over a fancy chair and living in a medieval-looking fantasy realm, and hello to robots, flying cars and stepping outside of everyone's favourite futuristic amusement park. Say hello to Aaron Paul, too, with the Breaking Bad actor not only joining Westworld for the next batch of episodes, but also starring in the initial trailer. His new character was promised a better world, but this dream hasn't come true, so he's now searching for something real. Given how Blade Runner-esque everything is around him, he's probably channelling Jesse Pinkman and exclaiming "yeah, science!" more than once, too (at least internally). As the teaser makes plain, this season steps beyond the confines of the titular amusement park and into the world around it. That's as far as it goes, plot-wise, for the moment, but it's still revealing. While the show has always been futuristic, with its Old West-themed attraction featuring robots who are virtually indistinguishable from normal people, the third season appears to be dialling the sci-fi — and accompanying technology — up a few notches. Here, robots actually look like robots, except when Evan Rachel Wood's Dolores pops up. Now, the bad news: although Westworld's second season aired in 2018, the third season won't hit until 2020. HBO hasn't announced an exact airdate as yet, so watch this space. If a year seems like a long time between android dramas, remember that the first season of the show arrived 43 years after the Michael Crichton-directed movie that it's based on, and 40 years after the film's sequel Futureworld. If you haven't done so already, both are worth viewing while you're waiting for the TV series to return. Check out the first trailer for Westworld's third season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deSUQ7mZfWk Westworld's third season will air in 2020. We'll keep you updated with an exact airdate when it comes to hand.
Have you ever found yourself in a charming, low-lit restaurant on a Saturday night only to have the ambience destroyed by violent flashes from the table next to you? Perhaps it's happened right in front of you — a date who just had to halt conversation to whip out his iPhone and 'gram both your meals before you could deign to touch it. It's just as bad on the other end too. There's no way his followers at home want to see some poorly framed gourmet blob as they sit down to their own mildly depressing mac and cheese for one. Well, now we have an excuse to send all these terrible snappers on a nice long trip away. In a world first, new London pop-up restaurant Picture House will be letting diners pay for their bill via photos of their food on Instagram. Like a sanctuary for the universally hated, notorious amateur food photographers can snap to their heart's content at this cursed hellhole and get a free two-course meal at the end of it. Unfortunately for patrons and their respective Instagram followers, Picture House is in fact a marketing stunt by frozen food giants, Bird's Eye. Accordingly, the food that will be flooding everyone's newsfeeds will consist of fancy fish fingers and a beige assortment of things that once resembled chickens. Dimly Lit Meals for One should expect a huge influx of submissions in the next week. All in all, the industry is pretty divided on the issue of novice foodie photographers. A restaurant in Cape Town has recently allowed patrons to use the newly-developed #dinnercam in their dining room — a futuristic casing for your meal (pictured above) that creates perfect lighting conditions allowing optimum food wankery. But other establishments like David Chang's Momofuku Ko are outright banning the practice. Still, according to an incredibly impartial survey taken by Bird's Eye, nine percent of Britons can't even go a single day without photographing their meals. Of course, I'm being a little rough. The odd food pic is okay. Of course it is. All I ask is that the food on display should be truly extraordinary. A croque-en-bouche three metres tall? 'Gram that baby. Pasta which the chef has painstakingly arranged into a portrait of your face? That's DP material. But a plate of frocked up chicken dippers with the obligatory hashtag #BirdsEyeInspirations? No thanks. Via London Evening Standard.
Before she was even a teenager, Angourie Rice faced the end of the world. Ever since, she's been living almost everyone's dream. When the Sydney-born Australian actor made her feature film debut, it was in 2013's homegrown apocalyptic thriller These Final Hours, in what was also one of Sarah Snook's (Succession) early movie appearances. Jump to 2024 and Rice has not only a coveted resume to her name spanning everything from Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled to three Spider-Man flicks, but also a role that couldn't be more iconic. Move over Lindsay Lohan, get in Rice as Mean Girls' Cady Heron. Call it fetch, grool, coolness — when you grew up watching a film on repeat and now lead its 20-years-later musical remake, they all fit. The Aussie star of The Nice Guys, Jasper Jones, Black Mirror, Ladies in Black and Mare of Easttown has made it happen. Rice isn't just living the dream in her acting success, however. She also received an email that anyone who has seen 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live or, yes, the OG Mean Girls wishes would land in their inbox: a note from Tina Fey. [caption id="attachment_934705" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures[/caption] That's how Rice was first given the script for the 2024 movie that's also called Mean Girls, remakes the 2004 favourite of the same name, but isn't merely a case of telling the same tale again two decades later with a different cast. After Fey adapted non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes for the initial Mean Girls film, a phenomenon was born. Alongside getting the world forever equating Wednesdays with wearing pink, the Lohan (Falling for Christmas)-, Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret)-, Amanda Seyfried (The Crowded Room)- and Lacey Chabert (A Merry Scottish Christmas)-starring feature inspired both a made-for-TV and a graphic novel sequel, plus a smash-hit musical that premiered in 2017. And, in a full-circle moment, it's the latter that the new Mean Girls adapts, with Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez (Quarter Life Poetry: Poems for the Young, Broke & Hangry) directing. So, a parenting book about the behaviour of girls in high-school cliques became a huge success as a teen comedy, then took to the theatre with songs and dancing, and now returns to the big screen with those tunes intact (not that you could really tell that from Mean Girls circa 2024's first trailer). Fey penned the script again — she wrote the book for the stage version, too — and reprises the role of teacher Ms Norbury as well. The only other cast member making a comeback: Tim Meadows (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson) as Principal Duvall. Familiar faces surround North Shore High School's recognisable educators, however. As well as Rice as Cady, The Sex Lives of College Girls' Reneé Rapp plays queen bee Regina George, a part that first had her leading the Plastics on Broadway. Auli'i Cravalho, the voice of Moana, features as Janis. Jon Hamm (Fargo) Jenna Fischer (Splitting Up Together) and Busy Philipps (Girls5eva) are among the adults. Ashley Park (Only Murders in the Building) falls into that category also, after originating the stage's take on Gretchen Wieners and earning a Tony nomination for her efforts. How does as Aussie actor named after a coastal New South Wales town of Angourie become Mean Girls' new Cady? How did she react when Fey appeared in her inbox? How obsessed was she with the original film? And how did she prepare to play such a famous and beloved character? We chatted with Rice about all of the above, as well as why Mean Girls is so relatable, loving musical theatre and what she looks for in a role. [caption id="attachment_934704" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures[/caption] ON GETTING CAST AS CADY HERON — STARTING WITH THAT EMAIL FROM TINA FEY "The journey for me began with, believe it or not, an email from Tina Fey — which I could not believe. When it landed in my inbox, I was like 'what is going on?'. And it was a note from her with the script saying 'we're making this movie — I saw you in this thing, I think you'd be great for Cady'. I was just astonished that she even knew who I was, and that she was taking the time to send me a personal note. That is so rare when you receive scripts, so that meant a lot to me. Also because I just idolise her so much. So that's how it began. I read the script. I worked on the songs, and yeah." ON BEING A LIFELONG MEAN GIRLS FAN STARRING IN MEAN GIRLS "I had Mean Girls on DVD. I watched it over and over again between the ages of like five and nine. It was that and High School Musical 2 and The Sound of Music, I just watched over and over again. That movie is very, very stuck in my childhood brain — and my adult brain as well. I continued to rewatch it all the way up until I got cast in the movie. And then I was like 'I'm not going to watch it' because I need to have a clean mind going into it." [caption id="attachment_934703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures[/caption] ON TAKING ON SUCH A BELOVED PART "There's a huge sense of responsibility to the people who loved the story of Mean Girls in whatever form, and the sense of responsibility to myself as well. So it was daunting, but I realised that I couldn't say no. It just had to be yes because I knew that if I said no and I went to the cinema and watched it, I would feel like I really missed out." ON PREPARING TO STEP INTO CADY'S (AND LINDSAY LOHAN'S) SHOES "I prepared in the same way I do for any role, actually. I go through the script. I annotate it. I also write down questions in certain scenes that I can ask the writer or director. The directors also gave me a character sheet, which is really cool — just a list of questions that you would answer as your character, which was really helpful." [caption id="attachment_934701" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mare of Easttown, Michele K Short/HBO[/caption] ON DRAWING UPON RICE'S OWN HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCES TO PLAY CADY "What I love about Mean Girls is those feelings of being the new kid, feeling left out, feeling like you're not good enough, those are things are universal and you can feel them at any point in your life — starting a new job, or just when you arrive at a party and you only know one person. I definitely had that experience. I wasn't a new kid in high school, but I would go away and travel and come back, and things in high school move so quickly. So I'd come back and find out that my friendship group dynamic was different, or that someone had had a falling out with someone else and I had to pick a side — those sorts of dynamics. So, coming home and feeling like the new kid again because I'd just been away for three months and everything had changed, I did relate to that a lot with Cady." [caption id="attachment_689818" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ladies in Black[/caption] ON WHAT RICE HAS LOOKED FOR IN A PART EVER SINCE THESE FINAL HOURS "I look for stories that are interesting and characters that have a good arc. That's what I love about Cady. She's got this incredible arc from being naive to being top of the world to falling down and having to get back up again. For me, it starts with the script and the story, and I think that's why I've been fortunate enough to have experiences in different genres and in different formats — limited series and movies. Because it's the story that comes first, and then the genre, and then the time period. I feel very fortunate that I have had lots of different opportunities." ON ALWAYS WANTING TO MAKE A MUSICAL "I love musicals. I love musical theatre. So I was just overjoyed. One of the main reasons I took it was simply because I just wanted to be in a musical. I love the feeling that musical theatre gives me, so I just really wanted to be a part of it." Mean Girls opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday, January 11 and New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, January 18. Read our review. Mean Girls 2024 images: Jojo Whilden/Paramount © 2023 Paramount Pictures.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've had a close-contact run-in. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's 12 you can watch right now at home. NO TIME TO DIE James Bond might famously prefer his martinis shaken, not stirred, but No Time to Die doesn't quite take that advice. While the enterprising spy hasn't changed his drink order, the latest film he's in — the 25th official feature in the franchise across six decades, and the fifth and last that'll star Daniel Craig — gives its regular ingredients both a mix and a jiggle. The action is dazzlingly choreographed, a menacing criminal has an evil scheme and the world is in peril, naturally. Still, there's more weight in Craig's performance, more emotion all round, and a greater willingness to contemplate the stakes and repercussions that come with Bond's globe-trotting, bed-hopping, villain-dispensing existence. There's also an eagerness to shake up parts of the character and Bond template that rarely get a nudge. Together, even following a 19-month pandemic delay, it all makes for a satisfying blockbuster cocktail. For Craig, the actor who first gave Bond a 21st-century flavour back in 2006's Casino Royale (something Pierce Brosnan couldn't manage in 2002's Die Another Day), No Time to Die also provides a fulfilling swansong. That wasn't assured; as much as he's made the tuxedo, gadgets and espionage intrigue his own, the Knives Out and Logan Lucky actor's tenure has charted a seesawing trajectory. His first stint in the role was stellar and franchise-redefining, but 2008's Quantum of Solace made it look like a one-off. Then Skyfall triumphed spectacularly in 2012, before Spectre proved all too standard in 2015. Ups and downs have long been part of this franchise, depending on who's in the suit, who's behind the lens, the era and how far the tone skews towards comedy — but at its best, Craig's run has felt like it's building new levels rather than traipsing through the same old framework. No Time to Die is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. ETERNALS It's the only Marvel movie by an Oscar-winning director. Focusing on a superhero squad isn't new, even if everyone here is a Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomer, but it's the lone instalment in the franchise that's about a team led by women of colour. It's home to the MCU's only caped crusader who is deaf, and its first openly gay superhero — and it doesn't just mention his sexuality, but also shows his relationship. It happens to be the first Marvel flick with a sex scene, too. Eternals is also the only film in the hefty saga with a title describing how long the series will probably continue. And, it's the sole MCU entry that features two ex-Game of Thrones stars — Kit Harington and Richard Madden, two of the show's Winterfell-dwelling brothers — and tasks them both with loving a woman called Sersi. (The name isn't spelled the same way, but it'll still recalls Westeros.) As opening text explains, Eternals' central immortal aliens were sent to earth 7000 years ago to battle intergalactic beasts, dispatched by a Celestial — a space god, really — called Arishem. With the monstrous Deviants, another alien race, wreaking havoc, the Eternals were tasked with fighting the good fight — and were forbidden to interfere otherwise, which is why they've been absent in the last 25 movies. But now, a new Deviant attacks Sersi (Gemma Chan, Raya and the Last Dragon), her human boyfriend Dane Whitman (Harington) and fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh, The Lodge). That gets the gang back together swiftly, including the flying, laser-eyed Ikaris (Madden), the maternal Ajak (Salma Hayek, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard), Bollywood star Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, The Lovebirds), the super-strong Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), warrior Thena (Angelia Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead), the super-speedy Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), tech wiz Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong) and the mind-manipulating Druig (Barry Keoghan, The Green Knight). Eternals is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. DUNE A spice-war space opera about feuding houses on far-flung planets, Dune has long been a pop-culture building block. Before Frank Herbert's 1965 novel was adapted into a wrongly reviled David Lynch-directed film — a gloriously 80s epic led by Kyle MacLachlan and laced with surreal touches — it unmistakably inspired Star Wars, and also cast a shadow over Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Game of Thrones has since taken cues from it. The Riddick franchise owes it a debt, too. The list goes on and, thanks to the new version bringing its sandy deserts to cinemas, will only keep growing. As he did with Blade Runner 2049, writer/director Denis Villeneuve has once again grasped something already enormously influential, peered at it with astute eyes and built it anew — and created an instant sci-fi classic. This time, Villeneuve isn't asking viewers to ponder whether androids dream of electric sheep, but if humanity can ever overcome one of our worst urges and all that it brings. With an exceptional cast that spans Timothée Chalamet (The French Dispatch), Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and more, Dune tells of birthrights, prophesied messiahs, secret sisterhood sects that underpin the galaxy and phallic-looking giant sandworms, and of the primal lust for power that's as old as time — and, in Herbert's story, echoes well into the future's future. Its unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, like it is building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness — plus those spectacularly shot visuals and Hans Zimmer's throbbing score — it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. Dune is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH Bringing Shakespeare to the big screen is no longer just about doing the material justice, or even about letting a new batch of the medium's standout talents bring their best to the Bard's immortal words. For anyone and everyone attempting the feat (a list that just keeps growing), it's also about gifting the playwright's material with the finest touches that cinema allows. It's never enough to simply film Macbeth like a theatre production, for instance, even if all that dialogue first penned four centuries ago still ripples with power — while riffing about power — without any extra adornments. No Shakespeare adaptation really needs to explain or legitimise its existence more than any other feature, but the great ones bubble not only with toil and trouble, but with all the reasons why this tale needed to be captured on camera and projected large anew. Joel Coen knows all of the above. Indeed, his take on the Scottish play — which he's called The Tragedy of Macbeth, taking Shakespeare's full original title — justifies its existence as a movie in every single frame. His is a film of exacting intimacy, with every shot peering far closer at its main figures than anyone could ever see on a stage, and conveying more insight into their emotions, machinations and motivations in the process. And, he makes a phenomenal solo debut with this up-close approach. His choice of cast, with Denzel Washington (The Little Things) as powerful as he's ever been on-screen and Frances McDormand (The French Dispatch) showing why she has three Best Actress Oscars, also helps considerably. The former plays Macbeth, the latter Lady Macbeth, and both find new reserves and depths in the pair's fateful lust for glory. The Tragedy of Macbeth is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. THE RESCUE It isn't the first movie about the Tham Luang Nang Non cave incident to reach screens, thanks to the underwhelming The Cave. It won't be the last project to focus on the 12 Thai schoolboys and their soccer coach who were trapped in the Chiang Rai Province spot for 18 days back in 2018, either. Ron Howard (Hillbilly Elegy)-directed dramatisation Thirteen Lives hits cinemas next year, a Netflix limited series executive produced by In the Heights filmmaker John M Chu is also set to debut in 2022 and, to the surprise of no one, more are bound to follow. Still, The Rescue earns another worthy honour. The documentary isn't just an inspirational recounting of a miraculous effort that thwarted a potential tragedy, as told by the brave people who pulled off the feat, although it's certainly that. In addition, this gripping film falls into a genre that always needs more entries: celebrations of skilled people doing difficult things with precision, passion, persistence and prowess. If documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have a niche, it's this. As co-directors, the married couple has now made three films, all valuing hard work, expertise and when the former leads not only to the latter, but to extraordinary achievements. With 2015 Sundance award-winner Meru, they documented Chin's efforts with two other climbers to scale Meru Peak in the Indian Himalayas. Then came Oscar-winner Free Solo, the exceptional doco about Alex Honnold's quest to free-climb Yosemite National Park's El Capitan. The Rescue swaps clambering up for diving deep, and hones in on an event that captured international headlines as it happened, but still belongs in the same company as the duo's past two releases. Here, viewers start the film with an understanding of what happened thanks to all that non-stop news coverage, but finish it in profound awe of the talent, smarts, dedication and unflinching competence involved. The Rescue is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. MALIGNANT The latest film from Australian Insidious and The Conjuring director James Wan, Malignant takes plenty of time in its first half — and, when that's the case, the audience feels every drawn-out second. But after Wan shifts from slow setup mode to embracing quite the outrageous and entertainingly handled twist, his movie swiftly becomes a devilish delight. Heavily indebted to the 70s-era works of giallo master Dario Argento, David Cronenberg's body-horror greats and 80s scary movies in general, Malignant uses its influences as fuel for big-swinging, batshit-level outlandishness. Most flicks can't segue from a slog to a B-movie gem. Most films can't be saved by going so berserk, either. Wan's tenth stint behind the lens can and does, and leaves a limb-thrashing, blood-splattering, gleefully chaotic imprint. Perhaps it's a case of like name, like approach; tumours can grow gradually, then make their havoc felt. Regardless, it doesn't take long within Malignant for Dr Florence Weaver (Jacqueline McKenzie, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears) to proclaim that "it's time to cut out the cancer" while treating a locked-up patient in the film's 1992-set prologue. This is a horror movie, so that whole event doesn't turn out well, naturally. Jump forward a few decades, and the feature's focus is now Seattle resident Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis, Boss Level), who is hoping to carry her latest pregnancy with her abusive husband to term. But then his violent temper erupts again, she receives a head injury, and childhood memories start mixing with visions of gruesome killings linked to Dr Weaver's eerie hospital — visions that Madison sees as the murders occur. Malignant is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. ENCANTO Five years after Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney first teamed up on an animated musical with the catchiest of tunes, aka Moana, they're back at it again with Encanto. To viewers eager for another colourful, thoughtful and engaging film — and another that embraces a particular culture with the heartiest of hugs, and is all the better for it — what can the past decade's most influential composer and biggest entertainment behemoth say except you're welcome? Both the Hamilton mastermind and the Mouse House do what they do best here. The songs are infectious, as well as diverse in style; the storyline follows a spirited heroine challenging the status quo; and the imagery sparkles. Miranda and Disney are both in comfortable territory, in fact — formulaic, sometimes — but Encanto never feels like they're monotonously beating the same old drum. Instruments are struck, shaken and otherwise played in the film's soundtrack, of course, which resounds with energetic earworms; the salsa beats of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' are especially irresistible, and the Miranda-penned hip hop wordplay that peppers the movie's tunes is impossible to mentally let go. Spanning pop, ballads and more, all those songs help tell the tale of the Madrigals, a close-knit Colombian family who've turned generational trauma into magic. This is still an all-ages-friendly Disney flick, so there are limits to how dark it's willing to get; however, that Encanto fills its frames with a joyous celebration of Latin America and simultaneously recognises its setting's history of conflict is hugely significant. It also marks Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature — dating back to 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — but its cultural specificity (depictions of Indigenous, Afro Latino and Colombian characters of other ethnicities included) is its bigger achievement. Encanto is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK So much about The Many Saints of Newark is a matter of when, not if: when familiar characters will show up looking younger, when well-known New Jersey locations will be sighted and when someone will eat ziti. This all occurs because it must; it wouldn't be a prequel to The Sopranos otherwise. Servicing fans is a key reason the movie exists, and it's far more resonant if you've already spent 86 episodes with Tony Soprano and his mafia and blood families while watching one of the best TV shows ever made. This is a film with a potent air of inevitability, clearly. Thankfully, that feeling reaches beyond all the obligatory nods and winks. That some things are unavoidable — that giving people what they want doesn't always turn out as planned, and that constantly seeking more will never fix all of life's woes, too — pulsates through this origin story like a thumping bass line. And yes, on that topic, Alabama 3's 'Woke Up This Morning' obviously gets a spin. The first detail that Sopranos fans should've picked up when this flick first got a title: in Italian, many saints translates as moltisanti. While The Many Saints of Newark spends time with young Tony as a pre-teen in the late 60s (played by feature first-timer William Ludwig) and a teen in the early 70s (when The Deuce's Michael Gandolfini, son of the late, great James Gandolfini, steps into the character's shoes), its protagonist is Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense). He's seen as an uncle and mentor by Tony, who'll eventually hold the same roles for Dickie's son. The Sopranos mainstay Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli, One Night in Miami) turns narrator here, in fact, offering knowing voiceover that occasionally channels the show's dark humour — calling out Christopher's death at Tony's hands, for instance. The Many Saints of Newark is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE What's more ludicrous in Venom: Let There Be Carnage: an alien invasion of one man's body that turns into a parasite-host odd-couple show, or a prologue that thinks Woody Harrelson could've been a 90s teen? Kudos to this sequel to 2018's Venom for starting how it means to go on, at least. With its opening, set in 1996 in a home for unwanted children, the film doubles down on silliness, overblown theatrics and packaging itself as a cartoonish lark. The goofiness of the original box-office hit was among its best traits, and worked because that ridiculousness rattled against the movie's gritty superhero setup. Venom adopted all the stylistic markers that've become the serious-minded caped-crusader formula, then let Tom Hardy bounce around like he was in a comedy. But this time, everyone's gone more than a little vaudeville, as has the movie — and the outcome is right there in the title. Carnage isn't just an apt term to describe the film, which has actor-turned-director Andy Serkis (Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle) behind the lens; it's also the name of its second symbiote, aka a flesh-munching extra-terrestrial who inhabits a bag of bones, then brings out its basest urges. Mercifully, Let There Be Carnage isn't big on rehashing the mechanics established in the initial flick, but Venom fits the bill, too, after the creature took up residence inside San Francisco journalist Eddie Brock (Hardy, Capone), then unleashed the franchise's one-body, two-personality double act. Carnage, the red-hued parasite, is the spawn of Venom, albeit bursting forth from condemned serial killer Cletus Kasady (Harrelson, Zombieland: Double Tap) after a scuffle with Brock. And yes, this is the kind of feature that has the scenery-chewing Harrelson proclaim its subtitle with glee. He bellows "let there be carnage!" with winking jokiness, but resembles a ringmaster announcing the next act in a big top. Venom: Let There Be Carnage is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. HALLOWEEN KILLS They can't all be treats. That's true each time October 31 hits, sending children scurrying around the streets in search of sweets, and it's true of the film franchise that owns the spookiest time of year. Since debuting 43 years ago, the Halloween series has delivered both gems and garbage — and off-kilter delights such as Halloween III: Season of the Witch — but its latest and 12th entry carves a space firmly in the middle. Halloween Kills ticks plenty of boxes that a memorable Halloween movie should, and is also a horror sequel on autopilot. Somehow, it's also a Halloween movie lacking purpose and shape. It has The Shape, of course, as Michael Myers is also known. But it's more an exercise in spending extra time in Haddonfield, in its boogeyman's presence and in world inhabited by franchise heroine Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, Knives Out) than a compelling slasher flick on its own. After giving the Halloween realm its second-best chapter in 2018, it's easy to see why returning writer/director David Gordon Green (Stronger) and his frequent collaborator Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones) have taken this approach. When you've just made a classic follow-up to a stone-cold classic — again, only John Carpenter's iconic franchise-starter is better — you keep on keeping on. That's not quite how Halloween Kills turns out, though. It picks up immediately where its predecessor left off, lets Michael stab his way through small-town Illinois again, and brings back Laurie's daughter Karen (Judy Greer, Where'd You Go, Bernadette) and teenage granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak, Son) from the last spin. It also pads things out with a vengeance storyline that endeavours to get political, yet proves about as piercing as a butter knife. Halloween Kills is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. ANTLERS When daylight nightmares infiltrate the horror genre and expose humanity's fears to the sun — in 2019's Midsommar, for instance — viewers tend to take notice. That isn't the case with Antlers, a film that's as gloomy in appearance and mood as an unsettling movie can be, whether it's finding darkness in mining shafts, neglected homes or the memories that haunt teacher Julia Meadows (Keri Russell, The Americans) upon returning to her home town after fleeing as a teen decades earlier. This is a grim and bleak feature in every way it can be, in fact, but it also throws sunlight upon troubles that too often go unmentioned. Writer/director Scott Cooper (Black Mass) uses Antlers' brooding hues and tones to lurk in the realm of myth, to confront domestic abuse, and to muse on the persecution of and violence against America's First Peoples and their land — and, as grey as this creature feature always proves, it wields its colour palette like a spotlight. Antlers can be blunt and blatant, traits that don't bode well for a film about a ravenous beast out of Indigenous American folklore that's biting back at its oppressors. It can be delicate and savvy as well, though, especially when it explores how Julia and her student Lucas Weaver (feature debutant Jeremy T Thomas) both grapple with childhoods no one could ever dream of. Julia has only come back to live with her brother Paul (Jesse Plemons, Jungle Cruise), who is now the town's sheriff, after their father's death. She still sees her younger self cowering in fear wherever she looks, and she can't help but gaze with yearning at bottles of liquor in the local store. Lucas, a slip of a boy, is nervy, jittery and defensive. He looks at the ice cream parlour with the same desire, wanting to lose himself in something fleeting but soothing — a sugar rush, in his case. Antlers is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. CRY MACHO Clint Eastwood has already had his animal phase, thanks to 1978's Every Which Way but Loose and 1980's Any Which Way You Can. At the age of 91, he's already had almost every phase in his career he's going to both in front of and behind the lens. Still, with Cry Macho, he takes the road already well-travelled by seemingly every other on-screen action star and tough guy. Eastwood has been far more than that across his filmography, but he's now buddying up with a child as everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vin Diesel to Dwayne Johnson and Liam Neeson have before him. Indeed, Cry Macho overtly resembles one of the latter's most recent movies, The Marksman, which only hit cinemas earlier in 2021. It stemmed from a former Eastwood collaborator, in fact, and felt like it should've starred him — which leaves his latest following in its footsteps. A rodeo star whose life changed via injury (his own) and tragedy (losing his wife and son), Mike Milo (Eastwood) is content enough with his quiet twilight years. Alas, his old boss Howard (country singer Dwight Yoakam) now says that the cowboy owes him a favour. The rancher's teenage son Rafo (Eduardo Minett, La rosa de Guadalupe) apparently needs rescuing from his mother (Fernanda Urrejola, Party of Five), and Mike is the man reluctantly tasked with travelling to Mexico City to carry out the job. Unsurprisingly, the situation isn't as clearcut as Howard contends, with corrupt Federales, car thieves and other unhappy strangers on their path all muddying the road home even further. But a forced stopover in a small town, where cantina owner Marta (Natalia Traven, Soulmates) becomes the new female influence in their lives, helps forge a rapport. Cry Macho is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
With a program packed full of great events, there's a bunch of ways to fill your days at the SXSW Sydney Gaming Festival. Of course, you could also blow off any attempt at constructing a schedule and spend the whole time playing demos of the 150+ indie games featured in the Games Showcase. With that many titles on offer you're sure to find some that speak to the unique gamer within you, but if you'd like a steer on what to see and play we've gathered ten red hot picks from developers both Australian and international. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuD8G9GzOFw[/embed] WINNIE'S HOLE Since tumbling into the public domain, the beloved Winnie the Pooh has been showing up in some odd, often horrific places (notably this childhood-ending horror movie). Winnie's Hole, developed by Melbourne studio Twice Different, is buying into this trend with a rogue-lite puzzle game that sees you controlling a virus infecting the bear. As you conquer more cells you begin to twist your huggable host's body in grotesque ways, choosing mutations that allow you to fight off enemies and spread to more inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood. It's a compelling blend of disgusting and delightful. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJbUXpfAWis[/embed] JANET DEMORNAY IS A SLUMLORD (AND A WITCH) If you're reading this and you live in Sydney, chances are you've lived in rental properties before (and maybe still do *shakes fist at real estate market*). If so, Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (And A Witch) will probably hit home for you. This first-person horror comedy from Sydney-based studio Fuzzy Ghost has you moving into a fairly dilapidated terrace house and joining a crew of LGBTQIA+ roommates. Problem is, the house has been transported to another dimension and your interactions with the landlord – who, as the title suggests, is a witch – are becoming increasingly threatening. Featuring real-life rental horror stories, it's set to be a funny and frightening look at what it takes to have a home these days. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m-_bNcnpQE[/embed] THE DUNGEON EXPERIENCE Jacob Janerka might just be the funniest game developer in Australia. In his new project, The Dungeon Experience, you're a visitor to a fantasy-themed experience established by a level 1 mud crab who's packed in being an enemy for a life of entrepreneurship. It's a first-person adventure game that will send you on a quest filled with memorable characters and hilarious dialogue, all the while turning the tropes of the fantasy genre firmly on their head. This is one game you won't want to miss. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp3Uy4CYNJc[/embed] ANOTHER CRAB'S TREASURE If you're into Souls-likes (that's brutally difficult third-person roleplaying games inspired by the Dark Souls series, in case you aren't familiar) but wish they weren't so uniformly dreary, Another Crab's Treasure is the game for you. Developed by the appropriately named Aggro Crab out of Seattle in the US, this underwater adventure features the fiendish combat you know and love in a bright, cartoony aquatic setting. As Kril the hermit crab you'll use a variety of trash from the ocean floor as both shell and weapons during your mission to buy back your repossessed original shell. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDjbZyvvyu0[/embed] WAY TO THE WOODS Way To The Woods is the project of Melbourne-based solo developer Anthony Tan who started working on the game while in his teens. It's been a long road – as it often is with game development – so to get a chance to see it in action at SXSW Sydney is a genuinely exciting opportunity. The game puts you in the cloven hooves of a deer who must guide its fawn through a ruined world to get back to their natural environment. With a beautiful, serene art style and a high chance of touching narrative moments, this title is shaping up to be something special. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHhqezkr5R0[/embed] WOOD & WEATHER If you're looking to recapture the raw, unbridled power you felt while playing imaginary games with toys as a child, Paper House out of Melbourne have you covered. In their new game Wood & Weather, you'll assume god-like control over a city made of wooden blocks, populated by inhabitants that have pleasingly similar aesthetics to old Playmobil sets. As a benevolent deity, you'll tinker with the weather as well as interacting with objects while taking the form of a giant blue hand, all to help the townsfolk solve problems. It's a whimsical, wonderful experience. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNJ87JU4CII[/embed] DARKWEBSTREAMER With the astronomical rise of Twitch and TikTok, streamers have become the new celebrities. But how far is too far when pursuing fame this way? That's the question darkwebSTREAMER by Adelaide's We Have Always Lived In The Forest poses, as you try your hand at being a fledgling streamer looking to rise to the top of an internet culture where the more extreme and dangerous your content, the more famous you'll become. With an eerie 1-bit art style and use of procedural generation meaning no two sessions are the same, this has the makings of a horror game masterpiece. [embed]https://youtu.be/eTfZzwydEWQ[/embed] DEAD STATIC DRIVE The open road. The wind in your hair. The purr of the engine. The eldritch screeching of the monsters chasing you. Dead Static Drive by Melbourne's Reuben Games puts you in the driver's seat on a road trip through 80s-inspired, fading small town America. A journey to visit family turns into a fight for survival as the end of the world arrives, bringing monsters with it. You'll need to scavenge, sneak and slay to reach the final destination in this top-down horror driving game. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp3Tnrl7WOA[/embed] THE DRIFTER The point-and-click adventure renaissance continues with The Drifter, developed by Powerhoof out of Melbourne. Assume the role of Mick Carter, an itinerant who's experiencing the worst day of his life. From witnessing a murder, to returning to life after his own murder, he's got to unravel deepening mystery while trying to keep his wits about him. It's a pulpy thriller that harks back to the guts and gore of 70s Ozploitation flicks, with a focus on fast-paced storytelling rather than finicky puzzles. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9RDPQv_Tyk[/embed] KNUCKLE SANDWICH Starting over in a new city can be hard, particularly when it's Bright City — the setting for Knuckle Sandwich by Melbourne's Andy Brophy. This fictional Australian metropolis has a missing persons problem, and you get tangled up in it as you take on an amusingly over-the-top gang and a cult. It's an RPG of classic lineage, with a vast array of characters to interact with, a plethora of locations to explore, and turn-based combat that utilises over 100 different mini-games. This one has been on the horizon for a while, and with a recently announced release date SXSW Sydney is a great way to try before you buy. The SXSW Sydney Games Showcase is taking place across Eddy Multi Space, Mercure Sydney and Fortress Sydney from October 18-22. To see session times, and the full list of showcase title, check the SXSW Sydney Gaming Festival website for details. For more inspiration head to our full guide to the best of SXSW Sydney.
The future of wearable technology is like thinking about the universe: the possibilities of what could be discovered are endless. But it's annoying enough to integrate an Apple Watch or a Fitbit into your life, let alone walk around wearing weird spy cam glasses all the time, ala Google Glass. Seriously, no one want to be that guy. But what if you could simply attach this technology to your skin with, say, a small temporary tattoo? Well, that sound pretty good to us, and Austin-based mobile development company, Chaotic Moon, are trying to make it happen. The technology, dubbed Tech Tats, are temporary electronic tattoos that would live on top of the wearer's skin, and use the skin as an interface. The tattoo holds an ATiny85 microcontroller, which stores and receives data from temperature sensors via electroconductive paint to interact with your body. "Everyone has this idea of the future as this guy with Google Glass and the Apple Watch and five Fitbits," EricSchneider, Chaotic Moon's Creative Technologist says. "But the goal is really wearable technology that you can’t even see." As well as tracking your movements and fitness, and storing your credit card details and so on, the tats would also be able to monitor your vital signs an send that data to your phone — or even your doctor. The technology is just a prototype at the moment, but it isn't too hard see this coming to life sooner rather than later. Chaotic Moon have said — if the product gets to the public — they want to keep the price point accessible, perhaps even selling the Tech Tats in packages, like Band-Aids. It seems like a happy medium between clunky, wearable technology and getting microchips implanted under the skin — we don't want to go full robot just yet. Via Motherboard.
The largest-ever showcase of living Australian artists will casually drop by Ballarat this spring, with the inaugural Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA) in town from September 21 until November 6. It's big news for the small city, with the six-week event set to be a major drawcard for the Central Highlands region of Victoria. There'll be 150 artists coming from all reaches of Australia, making up 65 curated solo exhibitions, as the Biennale aims to have equal representation of artists from every state and territory. Taking place in over 14 different venues across Ballarat, its art points will certainly be amped up several notches by the array of visual arts and live music set to take over the town. With the event boasting a strong focus on Indigenous talent, art from the Numina sisters, Abdul Abdullah, Kim Anderson, David Jensz and Peggy Griffiths will be on display, among work from over a hundred others. Music-wise, the BOAA Band Wagon will be doing the rounds: a specially built music truck that'll provide the sound staging for the event's outdoor gigs at Lake Wendouree and St Andrews Grounds, as well as concerts held at Ballarat's other music venues. In special events, there'll be a living sculpture fashion parade, an evening program called BOAA Dark and a lake sculpture walk, which turns Lake Wendouree into an outdoor gallery featuring 26 sculptures. Free mini buses, bikes and rickshaws will transport attendees around the art path, pausing at pit stops providing food and local beers and wines for your hungry, thirsty and very well-arted selves. With the Biennale expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors, Ballarat looks set to be a pretty busy little place over the six weeks. Two-day or six-week (festival) passes are available at $25 and $100 respectively, so start planning your road trips. The Biennale of Australian Art runs from September 21 until November 6 in Ballarat. For more information, visit the BOAA website.
If Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar get teamed up again on-screen after Drop, don't be surprised. In a film set in a swanky sky-high Chicago restaurant, the two make a dream first-date pair. The importance of that shrewd casting move shouldn't be underestimated, because this thriller relies on its stars perfecting a number of complex tasks that are crucial to the feature's vibe. Viewers should feel the sparks between them, even when things get awkward. They need to want to like them as a couple, too. A layer of suspicion also has to float over Sklenar's Henry — but when Fahy's Violet is told by anonymous airdrops to kill him or there'll be grave consequences, no one should hope for that to happen. Directed by the Happy Death Day franchise and Freaky's Christopher Landon, Drop turns the initial in-person encounter been two people who've been connecting online into a fight for survival, and a puzzle. Inspired by IRL unrecognised messages coming producer Cameron Fuller (The Astronaut) and executive producer Sam Lerner's (The Goldbergs) ways on a holiday, the flick boasts a "what would you do?" scenario as well. In actuality, no one was told to get homicidal, of course, but that's what awaits Violet in a largely one-setting mystery where almost everybody is a suspect, tech surveillance and safety are also in focus, and the relatable fears that bubble up about the difference between how we present ourselves online and reality also drive the narrative. Landon's aim: to make a film with a modern Hitchcock feel that also takes inspiration from 90s thrillers, both things that audiences don't see every day in cinemas of late. That mix, that mission, that mood that Landon was looking for — and achieves — stood out to both The Bold Type, The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple's Fahy and 1923 and It Ends with Us' Sklenar. "It had a very clear point of view, which is part of what I found so attractive about the idea of it. I think it really knew what it wanted to do and knew what it was," Fahy tells Concrete Playground. Adds Sklenar: "it's a decisive film". Drop's villain is equally resolute: if Violet doesn't do what she's told or informs anyone about the instructions that she's being sent, this nightmare will impact her young son (debutant Jacob Robinson) and sister (Violett Beane, Death and Other Details). She can see on her home security cameras that someone has already broken into her house while she's out, waiting to harm her loved ones, all as she's attempting to be charismatic with Henry and uncover who is behind her hellish ordeal. Landon is purposeful himself, especially about plunging viewers into an immersive setup. The same applied with his cast and crew: to help those on the filmmaking journey with him, the production built a fully functioning restaurant to shoot in, right down to a real chef creating the menu. [caption id="attachment_1000353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.[/caption] Do real-life awkward date moments — including the highly relatable type when unease simmers, even if just to you, because small things have gone wrong but they feel huge inside your head — assist when that's what you're enlisted to navigate? "We've all had those kinds of experiences," Fahy advises. "Definitely," chimes in Sklenar, noting that he "can't do mouth noises". The duo riff about it. "Like chewing and stuff," says Fahy. "That would be a thing for me," stresses Sklenar. "Makes you twitch. I get that. Noted," responds Fahy again. As the two bounce back and forth while speaking with us, they're in the same bantering mode that Violent and Henry are early in the movie, and charmingly, before the picture's date is saddled with life-and-death stakes. Drop places Fahy in another twisty mystery, as The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple both have in the last few years. With survivors of abuse also factoring into the storyline, as was the case in It Ends with Us, Sklenar is similarly in familiar territory. Symmetry also echoes in the two talents' paths to here, after starting out as actors at around the same time — onstage in the late 00s for Fahy, and in 2011 film Cornered for Sklenar — then working their way through the likes of One Life to Live, Political Animals, Miss Sloane, Mapplethorpe, Vice and Emily the Criminal between them to their recent respective TV successes. Amid jokes from the pair about their parallels, plus also potential other genres that Drop could've taken its thriller-slash-relationship drama into, we chatted with Fahy and Sklenar about the latest standout addition to their resumes. How pivotal it was for the movie to be as invested in the date as in the unnerving airdrops, shooting in the film's very own restaurant, Violet's survival story, approaching the picture as a long play: they all came up as well. On How Crucial It Is That the Film Is Invested in the Date, and in the Relationship at Its Centre, as Much as Its Horror-Thriller Setup Brandon: "It was important." Meghann: "I think it's part of what totally is so fun about the movie, because it has a romantic component to it, it is sort of a date movie, but it is also kind of a thriller. You get both. It's very much a hybrid." Brandon: "There was a sci-fi element early on, but we took that out — we just thought it was too genre-bending." Meghann: "But I think ultimately the story is about this relationship, and these two people who really are connecting in a way that is important and new for both of them. And it would be a great date if she didn't have to kill him." Brandon: "Yeah, it would be." Meghann: "It would be great." Brandon: "And in the end, it ends up being a good thing, I think. I think that it's not all bad." Meghann: "Nope." On Shooting in a Fully Functioning Restaurant That Was Created Just for the Film, Right Down to a Real Chef Whipping Up the Menu Meghann: "It was hugely helpful. I mean, you're in the environment, and it's so real that there's not even a big weird movie light in your face. It's just the lighting on the table and in the ceiling, so you really genuinely walk onto that set and you think 'I'm in a restaurant right now'. Which is incredible. It was very realistic." Brandon: "Yeah, it was." On Fahy's Task Digging Into Violet's Survival Story, and What It Takes to for Her to Keep Enduring Meghann: "I think that the way that we meet Violet is so violent and disturbing, and it has so much to do with her journey as a woman after that — and how she interacts with him, and why she's so nervous to go on the date in the first place. And so it's hugely informative, and was something that Chris and I talked about a lot, because it was so important that we honour her journey into moving on and having a healthy relationship — and being happy and feeling brave, and getting outside of herself and trusting herself. And I think that's what feels so good about this film, is the audience really gets to see her kind of become her own superhero. And it's just so wonderful to see that happen." On How Sklenar Approached Portraying Someone That Viewers Have to Remain on Edge with and Suspicious of, But Also Still Want to Like Brandon: "I think that there's a small degree of being aware of the plot and where it's moving, and trying to mislead the audience consciously in a certain way — and how you look at somebody or how you speak a line, or maybe a moment that you do that isn't scripted necessarily to misdirect the audience. And other than that, I think that it's on the page, mostly. And then, in just finding a rhythm with Meghann, and doing these scenes — it's essentially one giant scene, because it's in real time as soon as we get to the restaurant. So it's one 70-something-page scene." Meghann: "Yeah." Brandon: "And I prepared it like that. I memorised it like a play. And then you just show up and do it, and it just requires a great deal of presence and being present, as it is really like an acting exercise. And just being as present as you possibly can be." Meghann: "I don't think he gives himself enough credit for how interesting he made that character and how many tiny, nuanced things he layered into Henry, but it was really impressive." On Whether Fahy's Run of Twisty Mysteries, Including The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple, Is an Active Choice or How Great Parts Have Come Her Way Meghann: "I guess it's a little bit of both, to be honest with you. It is a genre that I really enjoy myself when I'm watching stuff, and it's super fun to make. So yeah, I think it's kind of — it was never consciously something I was chasing. I think it's just how things worked out. But yeah, there's definitely a mixture of both of those things for sure." On Fahy and Sklenar's Similar Journeys to Drop, After Starting Acting Around the Same Time and Enjoying Recent Small-Screen Successes (Including in 1923 for Sklenar) Brandon: "I guess we kind of do have paralleled situations. Same age. Kind of hitting it at the same time." Meghann: "Same hair." Brandon: "Same hair? Yeah, both Irish. I think that it's cool. I mean, I wouldn't have it any other way." Meghann:"Yeah, me either." Brandon: "I think there's something, there's a certain appreciation you have for the journey when you're not, I think, in your early 20s and you reach a certain level of success, and you've sort of worked at it for a really long time and tried to improve yourself personally along the way — because I'm a firm believer that the external is just a reflection of the internal. And neither of us would be sitting here at this table had we not grown as human beings outside of this crazy thing we decided to do with our lives. So that's imperative. And I think they're one and the same, and it's just a testament to keeping at it." [caption id="attachment_1000366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages[/caption] Meghann: "Yeah, taking it as it comes." Brandon: "And trying to do the best you can." Meghann: "Yeah, day by day. 100 percent. I completely agree." Drop opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
As the Macrodata Refinement division has learned over two seasons so far, alongside a few other Lumon Industries staff as well, a company that literally messes with your brain as a condition of employment is hardly a great place to work. The shady organisation at the heart of Severance sure does love throwing parties for its hired hands, though — and whether you're keen on a music dance experience, a melon bar, an egg bar social, a waffle party, a coffee cozy, pineapple bobbing, a hall of funhouse mirrors or some choreography and merriment, you'll want to celebrate the Apple TV+ hit officially being renewed for season three. The news comes fresh from Severance's second season dropping its unforgettable final episode, and after a phenomenal sophomore run for the show in general — after it returned in January 2025 almost three years after its first season debuted. So, if you watched season two wrap up and instantly wondered if there'd be more to Mark S (Adam Scott, The Monkey) and Helly R's (Britt Lower, Darkest Miriam) tale, and everyone else's, you didn't have to wait long for an answer. "Making Severance has been one of the most-creatively exciting experiences I've ever been a part of," said Ben Stiller (Nutcrackers), one of the guiding forces behind the series — directing 11 episodes across two seasons to-date, including season two finale 'Cold Harbour', and also executive producing — announcing the show's renewal. "While I have no memory of this, I'm told making season three will be equally enjoyable, though any recollection of these future events will be forever and irrevocably wiped from my memory as well." Added Scott, who not only stars but is also among Severance's executive producers: "I couldn't be more excited to get back to work with Ben, Dan, the incredible cast and crew, Apple and the whole Severance team. Oh hey also — not a huge deal — but if you see my innie, please don't mention any of this to him. Thanks." There's no word yet as to when Severance season three will arrive, after Hollywood's strikes played a part in the extended wait for season two. The show's creator, writer and executive producer Dan Erickson noted that he "can't wait to continue spreading woe, frolic, dread and malice with these truly incredible people". Locking in Severance's return comes just a week after Apple TV+ also confirmed more episodes of another of its huge successes, Ted Lasso, which will be back for its fourth season sometime in the future. In season two of Severance, a few queries earned the show's attention. The first: what happens when a group of employees attempts to raise issues about their workplace? Mark S, Helly R and their colleagues Dylan (Zach Cherry, Fallout) and Irving (John Turturro, Mr & Mrs Smith) all found out, but also started asking more questions about their existence as innies, their forced subservience not only to Lumon but to their outies, and their hopes of releasing their own dreams and desires. Both within and beyond the company's walls, Mark's outie's quest to find his wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) also drives season two's narrative. Christopher Walken (Dune: Part Two), Patricia Arquette (High Desert), Tramell Tillman (Hunters), Jen Tullock (Perry Mason) and Michael Chernus (Carol & the End of the World) returned among the cast for season two, joined by new cast members Sarah Bock (Bruiser), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (La Palma), Gwendoline Christie (Wednesday), Bob Balaban (Asteroid City), Merritt Wever (Memory), Alia Shawkat (The Old Man) and John Noble (Twilight of the Gods). There's obviously no trailer for season three as yet, but check out the trailer for Severance season two below: Severance streams via Apple TV+ — and we'll update you with a release date for season three when one is announced. Read our review of season one and our season-two interview with Christopher Walken.
There are some truly incredible buildings in the world, but unless you have amazingly hi-res Google Street View or a platinum Amex there's just no way you can see them all. That's where architectural photography comes in. Bringing us images of the craziest buildings and landscapes around the world, these photographers constantly fill up our magazines, Tumblrs and Pinterests with pics from where we'd rather be. Now, they've been judged against one another. Each year the Arciad Awards pick the year's best work in architectural photography. There are thousands of dollars in prize money and the winners are bestowed with countless likes, shares and reblogs from all of the internet — and with good reason. The pictures picking up recognition at this year's awards documented Dubai's twister Cayan Tower (pictured above), the space-age Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan, and a sunken flea market in Barcelona. However the grandeur of the structure wasn't a prerequisite to photographic success. Other noted offerings included a tiny metropolitan roof space in South Korea, a cow shed in the Netherlands and a lone boxy home next to a creek in Ohio. The outright winner was a photograph (pictured below) that showed the aforementioned Azerbaijani architecture with jaw-dropping surrealism. Get ready to take a trip — these images will leave you with a serious case of wanderlust. All images via Arciad.
When it comes to what we drink, we can be creatures of habit. We reach for our go-tos: a cheap-yet-standout bottle of vino, ready-to-sip cocktail cans and brews we know and love. But, if you knew how simple it is to craft winning cocktails, you'd be stocking up your bar cart, filling your ice tray and inviting your mates round for a few cheeky ones ASAP. So together with The Bottle-O, and in honour of World Gin Day — which on Saturday, June 10, is fast approaching — we've found a few easy-peasy, three-step wintery cocktails that'll have you sipping gin like a pro. Ready to up your G&T game? Impress your mates with a martini? Add a slice of summer to the cooler months with a gimlet? We've got you. MALFY ROSA G&T The classic G&T is a favourite among many. It's deliciously bitter, spotlights your gin of choice and always refreshing. In this recipe, there's the added juiciness of Malfy Gin Rosa's grapefruit notes and the sweet kiss of a Med-inspired tonic. A wedge of citrus will add some party to your glass (and a sprig of rosemary will jazz it up further), but it'll be just as delicious without. And, if you're pressed for time (or really cannot be bothered), opt for a four-pack of Bombay Sapphire G&Ts or Gordon's Pink Gin & Sodas (if you'd rather leave the tonic) — just stealthily pour the fizz into a glass and your pals won't know the difference. Ingredients Serves one 30ml Malfy Gin Rosa 60ml Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic Grapefruit to serve Method Add Malfy Gin Rosa to a glass with ice and top up with tonic water. Garnish with a wedge of grapefruit and enjoy. ROKU GIMLET If you're starting to feel the winter blues — and a tropical holiday is nowhere in sight — this short, sweet, citrusy cocktail is the drink for you. It looks fancy, but once you've secured your coupe, the hardest part is done. You want your glass to be chilly, the liquor to be a delicious pour like Roku Gin and a selection of salty snacks alongside. If you can't find the Japanese spirit, opt for any of the other top-quality (yet affordable) options, like Hendrick's or Four Pillars. Ingredients Serves one 50ml Roku Gin 50ml lime syrup Lime to garnish Method Add Roku Gin and lime syrup to a mixing glass with ice, then stir until the glass feels very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, top with a slice of lime and enjoy. FOUR PILLARS RARE DRY GIN MARTINI If you're looking to impress, the martini is having somewhat of a resurgence. Although its taste divides cocktail-lovers everywhere (some think it's perfection, some know it's too strong), it's the hero on many a cocktail list. Well, the secret to a good martini is in the quality and temperature of your gin: you want something special, and you want it ice cold. Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin is the bottle for you. It's classic, herbaceous and citrus-forward — and it's Aussie made. Just quietly, a nip or two of Hendrick's would do nicely too. Ingredients Serves one 60ml Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin 15ml dry vermouth 2 dashes orange bitters Lemon peel to garnish Method Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, stir and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with a twist of lemon peel and enjoy. Whether you're a seasoned gin lover that's looking for a hot new way to enjoy your pour this winter, or you're a newbie looking to take a delicious dive in, these three recipes will sort you out. Celebrating World Gin Day on Saturday, June 10 will be that much more exciting with a group of friends, some gin chilling in the freezer and a trio of recipes that are easy to nail. To begin with gin, head to your local The Bottle-O and take your pick. The Bottle-O is the independent store slinging your favourite boozy sips all over Australia — and a standout spot to nab the gin for your cocktail of choice this World Gin Day. Ready to dive in? Head to the website. Imagery: Declan Blackall.
If you're the type of spirits aficionado who likes their tipples to taste exactly how they always have, then you probably aren't all that fond of creative booze flavours. You mightn't be a fan of bloody shiraz gin, for instance. You likely didn't even give lamington vodka a try. And, well, peanut butter whiskey isn't going to be your thing either. For anyone that's now wondering how to make a peanut butter and jelly cocktail, this latest flavour from Sheep Dog Whiskey is probably already having the exact opposite effect. Yes, peanut butter whiskey is now a real thing that exists, and can be sipped by fans of both peanut butter and caramel-hued spirits. And, after launching in the US, where it's made, it is now available in Australian bottle shops. Taste-wise, you can expect the obvious — so, peanut butter and whiskey — however, this tipple also apparently comes with notes of vanilla and caramel popcorn as well. And if you're wondering how to drink it, the brand suggests going neat — or adding it to your next espresso martini. Other options include combining it with grape liqueur so that you really can have a PB&J-flavoured tipple, or whipping up a peanut butter old fashioned. Naturally, if you're not fond of peanuts, this definitely isn't for you. Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey is now available in Australia for $55 RRP a bottle — from BWS, Dan Murphy's and First Choice.
It didn't happen with Sofia Coppola in the director's chair, but taking a live-action swim in The Little Mermaid's ocean is definitely happening — in 2023, in cinemas everywhere, and with Halle Bailey (Grown-ish) slipping into Ariel's scales and tail. Wondering how that might turn out? Disney has just unveiled the initial teaser trailer for its latest double dip in its beloved catalogue, because the Mouse House just keeps giving its animated hits the flesh-and-blood treatment. Released at this year's D23, the company's fan expo and convention, the first sneak peek at the film doesn't dive into the story that viewers already know and adore — it doesn't need to given how popular the original movie is — but it does show Bailey as Ariel. More than that, it swishes through the mermaid's underwater realm, sunken ships, circular caves and all, and shows her staring up at the light above, pining for a different life. The soundtrack: the flick's star singing 'Part of Your World'. Fans of the original 1989 movie, aka everyone given how popular The Little Mermaid-themed events have proven over the years — such as screenings with live orchestral scores and cocktail experiences at aquariums — are well aware that Ariel dreams of being human, and is willing to make a deal with a sea witch to see her wishes come true. That involves a trade, though: giving up her voice to get legs in return, which'll allow her to live above the water. As well as Bailey as Ariel, this new version of The Little Mermaid features Jonah Hauer-King (World on Fire) as Eric, the human prince that Ariel falls for; Melissa McCarthy (Nine Perfect Strangers) as Ursula, said sea witch; and Javier Bardem (The Good Boss) as King Triton, Ariel's protective father. Also among the cast, on voice duties: Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer) as Sebastian the crab, Jacob Tremblay (Doctor Sleep) as Flounder and Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Scuttle. Behind the camera, filmmaker Rob Marshall adds The Little Mermaid and its take on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale of the same name to his many big-screen musicals, alongside Chicago, Nine, Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns. And as for the tunes, they come courtesy of Alan Menken — returning from the original movie, as do all those old songs — and Lin-Manuel Miranda. If you're keeping track, when it hits cinemas next year, The Little Mermaid will join a hefty list. That's the list of animated Mouse House fare remade either with actors on-screen, photorealistic CGI or both, that is, and it includes Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Aladdin, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Lady and the Tramp, Mulan, Pinocchio and more. Check out the first trailer for The Little Mermaid below: The Little Mermaid will release in cinemas Down Under on May 25, 2023. Top image: Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
UPDATE, April 1, 2021: The Personal History of David Copperfield is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play and YouTube Movies. He's skewered British, American and Russian politics in The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep and The Death of Stalin. This year, in the eerily prescient Avenue 5, he pondered what would happen if a group of people were confined on a cruise of sorts — a luxury space voyage — for an extended stretch of time. But, made in period comedy mode, The Personal History of David Copperfield might just be Armando Iannucci's most delightful affair yet. Indeed, playfully trifling with a Charles Dickens classic suits the writer/director. It should; he's a huge fan of the 19th-century author, and a staunch believer that Dickens' body of work "isn't just quality entertainment for a long-dead audience" (as he told viewers in his 2012 BBC special Armando's Tale of Charles Dickens). And so, taking on the acclaimed scribe's semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story, Iannucci tinkers, massages and re-envisages David Copperfield with ample love for the literary source material. In the process, he also crafts a still Victorian era-set yet unmistakably modern — and fresh, very funny and sharp-witted — big-screen adaptation. The eponymous character's tale begins in the film as it does on the page: with Copperfield determined to discover whether he shall turn out to be the hero of his own life "or whether that station will be held by anybody else". On-screen, the hopeful aspiring writer (Dev Patel) delivers that statement from a stage while speaking to a crowd. Then, in one of the many inventive visual flourishes that mark Iannucci's lively retelling, Copperfield strolls through the background to revisit his experiences from the moment of his birth. Though he enters the world to a doting mother, Clara (Morfydd Clark), his isn't a childhood filled with unfettered happiness. The joy he feels in his earliest days (as played by Ranveer Jaiswal and Jairaj Varsani) — and when his beloved nanny Peggoty (Daisy May Cooper) takes him to visit her family, who live in an upturned boat that doubles as a beach house — subsides quickly when Clara remarries. Not only is his new stepfather (Darren Boyd) stern, cruel, violent and accompanied by an equally unpleasant sister (Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie), but he sends the boy off to London to work in his factory. As episodic on the screen as it is in the book, Copperfield's life then navigates a rollercoaster of ups and downs — starting with the drudgery of child labour, as well as time spent lodging with the poverty-stricken, law-skirting but always kindly Mr Micawber (Peter Capaldi) and his family. After tragedy strikes, Copperfield moves in with his donkey-hating great-aunt Betsey Trotwood (Tilda Swinton) and her equally eccentric houseguest Mr Dick (Hugh Laurie); however, though his situation appears to improve, the cycle from wealth to poverty and back again just keeps turning. As Dickens was, Iannucci and his frequent co-scribe Simon Blackwell (Peep Show, Breeders) are well aware of class chasms, the tough plights endured by the masses to benefit the better-off, the dog-eat-dog nature of capitalism in general and humanity's selfish, self-serving nature. The Personal History of David Copperfield may be largely upbeat in tone, visibly bright and dynamic, and take a few shrewd liberties with the story, but the darker elements of the narrative never escape view. Nor, as is to be expected given Iannucci's political satire prowess, do The Personal History of David Copperfield's contemporary parallels and relevance evade attention. Watching the twists and turns of Copperfield's life, it's easy to see how little some things have changed (attitudes towards everyone who isn't rich, white, powerful and male, especially, particularly in Brexit-era Britain) even 170 years after David Copperfield was first published. Heightening this perception is the movie's colour-blind casting, which not only extends to Patel's leading role, but to Doctor Strange's Benedict Wong, Harlots' Rosalind Eleazar and Avenue 5's Nikki Amuka-Bird in key parts (among other on-screen performers). No one mentions race; however, as also seen in the other recent and exceptional example of purposefully inclusive casting — musical sensation Hamilton — reframing this story to include and champion diverse backgrounds leaves a firm imprint. That makes The Personal History of David Copperfield as perceptive as it is jovial, jaunty, hilarious and spirited. In other words, it makes it a classic addition to Iannucci's resume. He's never shown as much visual creativity as he does here — deploying split-screen imagery, rear-projecting memories on giant tarpaulins, brandishing colourful costumes, favouring theatrical wide-angle lensing and even harking back to 1920s silent cinema — but he's astute as he's always been across his career. As always, that extends to his choice of actors in general, with the perfectly cast Patel as charming and thoughtful as he's ever been; Swinton, Capaldi and Laurie all put to stellar comic use; and Ben Whishaw suitably shady as the conniving Uriah Heep. With this gem of a sharp, savvy and supremely entertaining film, Iannucci doesn't just update Dickens for a modern audience or show that the author's work is still pertinent, but creates one of the great page-to-screen adaptations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqO25i-XNEU
If you’re keen on your gin but not so passionate about the fake flavours that too often creep into your mixer, Karolina Partyka has a solution. She's the brains and brawn behind Blood Moon: an Australian, handcrafted tonic syrup that hit its $10,000 Pozible target in just three days and is now well on its way to a $20,000 stretch goal. Partyka has spent countless hours in her kitchen, grinding spices with an old-school mortar and pestle and mixing batch upon batch of tonic syrup, to come up with a winning recipe. She's also been digging up some ancient brews — and the rituals to go with them. Blood Moon is a non-alcoholic, concentrated syrup that's made to be diluted with either soda or still water and then matched with your favourite gin. Its key ingredient is cinchona bark — a 17th century answer to malaria and (most importantly) a natural source of quinine. This is what gives tonic its characteristically bitter hit, one far too often achieved via synthetic means. According to Partyka's Pozible campaign, one of Blood Moon’s early samplers described it as 'the difference between a single-origin cold-drip coffee and instant'. Not only does the syrup provide quinine as created by Mother Nature, it also delivers a rich, complex flavour profile — and therefore mixes well with tequila and whiskey too. Three variations will be released: Traditional Cinchona, which contains a combination of cinchona bark, citrus, herbs, spices and floral hints; Australian Native, which is the Traditional blend revamped with native fruits, seeds and leaves; and Unsweetened, which features all the goodness of the Traditional syrup, but without any sweeteners (real or artificial) at all. It's one for the sugar-quitters. To get yourself a bottle, get on board with Blood Moon’s Pozible campaign, which will run for another sixteen days.
The Swiss Alps has an impressive one. Canada's famed Whistler Bowl does as well. And now New South Wales' Kosciuszko National Park has just scored a spectacular suspension bridge, too. Head to this just-opened spot in the Snowy Mountains and you'll be walking across a record-breaking structure, in fact — because it takes the crown as Australia's highest suspension bridge. How high? Located between Guthega and Charlotte Pass in the Snowies, the new bridge sits a whopping 1627 metres above sea level. It's included in a new nine-kilometre track in the national park, and will eventually be part of the 55-kilometre Snowies Alpine Walk — which is opening in stages, with this marking the second leg. "The Snowies Alpine Walk is putting New South Wales on the map for multi-day hikes, and it'll be a must-do walk for anyone who loves Tasmania's Cradle Mountain Overland Track" said NSW Minister for Environment James Griffin, announcing the bridge's opening. "In fact, I reckon it'll be a strong competitor with the Overland," the Minister continued. Make the trek and you'll not only be moseying across the highest suspension bridge in the country — you'll be taking in the stunning scenery, including the alpine and sub-alpine landscapes that are unique to the Snowy Mountains region. Showcasing that terrain and its natural features, and helping cement the Snowies as a must-visit tourist destination, is understandably a key aim of the $17 million in funding that's been put towards the Snowies Alpine Walk by the NSW Government Regional Growth – Environment and Tourism Fund program. At the federal level, an extra $10 million has come from the Australian Government's Regional Recovery Partnerships program, which is targeted at the fourth stage of the trail. Just when the third and fourth legs will open hasn't been revealed, but the third will span from Charlotte Pass through to Perisher, and the last from Perisher to Bullocks Flat. For more information about the Snowies Alpine Walk, and the new bridge between Guthega and Charlotte Pass, head to the National Parks and Wildlife Services website. Images: Boen Ferguson / Department of Planning and Environment.
When trying to navigate city streets on a bike, it's not exactly the safest move to pull out your phone to use the GPS. With new product Hammerhead Navigation though, riders no longer have to worry about losing focus to find directions on an unfamiliar route. The appropriately named device looks like a hammerhead and features LED lights that guide directional change and indicate hazards on a course. The Hammerhead is mounted right in the cyclist's peripheral vision, making it safer to ride on terrain they've never biked on before. The purpose of the simple design is to not distract bikers with complicated screens and graphics. Instead, it uses simple intuitive signals that are not distracting. The route comes from the user's smartphone, which syncs with Hammerhead using a system based on biking apps MapMyRide and Strava. In addition, their app will utilise crowdsourcing to gather information about the best routes (depending on user-set preferences) and potential road hazards. Hammerhead users will also be able to suggest routes to their fellow riders. Once a user chooses a route from their phone, Hammerhead can function from a locked and stored smartphone. No GPS information is stored in the Hammerhead device; rather, it uses location information from the smartphone to navigate the predetermined route. Hammerhead benefits from having a 14-hour single charge lifespan, so you can be sure it will stick with you on longer rides. Because users' smartphones connect to the device using Bluetooth, it will not drain phone batteries like other GPS devices. Like most innovative products these days, the team behind Hammerhead Navigation used crowdfunding to develop their product. Hammerhead is expected to ship to its first backers by September 2014. Go ahead, bike the path less travelled. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lHtwvvKf65w Via Fast Company
If you've ever felt a little hungover or lazy in the last few years, you'll know exactly how incredible online ordering systems likeDelivery Hero are. Shopping online for pizza is a thing of beauty, and the fact that it can come straight to your door, already paid for with minimum human contact is a marvel of modern technology. But now they've gone one step further: Delivery Hero are introducing the same service for your pets. Currently only available in Sydney, Doggy Bag is an extenuation of the service you know and love that offers a range of "gourmet takeaway meals for pets". No, your dog won't be subjected to the greasy Pad Thai and pepperoni pizza you were planning on gorging on. These dishes will be made to sufficient nutrition standards with minimum seasoning — your loving pet really shouldn't be punished for how lazy you are. Ranging from $5-9, Doggy Bags are currently available from 10 Sydney restaurants including Erskineville Turkish Pide & Kebabs, Micky's Cafe in Paddington and Millennium Pizzeria in Darlington. The menu options will include penne in a meat sauce with chicken, zucchini, carrots and pumpkin; and boiled chicken fillet with tumeric and garden vegetables. "Everyone we approached was very excited to develop meals for pets," said Delivery Hero marketing executive Guillaume Papillion. "The restaurants were all briefed with what ingredients they should and should not use. Onions, for instance, are toxic to dogs." The owner of Taste of India in Double Bay even consulted a vet on whether dogs could eat tumeric (they can). Though it's only been available for a few days, the service looks promising. Delivery Hero claim they already have plans to expand the reach of Doggy Bags across Sydney and the rest of the country. So, look out: there's a good chance your pets will be eating better than you in the coming months. Via Good Food.
There's a reason Japanese food is the universally agreed-upon Best Food Ever. In choosing the cuisine you don't have to sacrifice dumplings for ramen, and you certainly don't have to choose fresh fish in favour of deep fried deliciousness. No, the Japanese love deep fried foods as much as the rest of us — and their national dishes include many a greasy, gritty dish. Matt Goulding knows this better than most, having downed many a Panko-crumbed morsel while traversing Japan's best (and greasiest) eateries for his new book Rice, Noodle, Fish. From convenience store korokke to Michelin-starred tempura temples, these are the fried foods you gotta try on your next trip to Japan. KOROKKE Filled with everything from mashed potatoes and mince meat to curry and cream of crab. Like a Spanish croquette but executed with Japanese precision. KARAAGE Chicken thighs marinated in soy, garlic, and ginger, then floured and fried. Also made with shrimp, octopus, and other sea creatures. KUSHIKATSU Fried meat on a stick eaten elbow-to-elbow at a bar and washed down with rivers of cold beer. What's not to love? Osaka invented the form, but you’ll find it everywhere. TONKATSU Panko-breaded pork loins fried to a greaseless crisp, served with hot mustard, sweet Worcestershire, steamed rice, and shredded cabbage. The best is made with kurobuta (black foot) pork. TEMPURA Shokunin dedicate entire lives to tempura, turning battering and frying into a high art form. For the full experience, go to a tempura-only restaurant and order the omakase: the chef's tasting menu. DEEP-FRIED DEPACHIKA Japanese department stores (called depachika) — wondrous centres of gastronomic greatness — trade in the entire spectrum of fried specialties. A fine place for korokke, katsu or tempura. (Be on high alert for free samples of each.) This is an edited extract from Rice, Noodle, Fish, written by Matt Goulding and published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $45. The book is available in stores nationally.
Usually surrounded by trees and nestled into a remote, almost-hidden patch of forest, a secluded cabin in the woods is a familiar on-screen setting. When a group of people step inside, unpleasant events tend to follow, as the horror genre taught viewers long before there was a movie specifically called The Cabin in the Woods. And, in the very first episode of new HBO series Lovecraft Country, this exact scenario plays out — with returned soldier Atticus 'Tic' Freeman (Da 5 Bloods' Jonathan Majors), his uncle George (Project Power's Courtney B Vance) and his friend Leti Lewis ((Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)'s Jurnee Smollett). During a cross-country trip across America, the trio soon find themselves holed up in a rustic hut and fighting for their lives; however they're not just stuck in the kind of stock-standard unsettling scenario that audiences have seen several times over. Ravenous, towering, swift-moving beasts are definitely on Tic, George and Leti's trail, as Lovecraft Country makes creepily and compellingly plain. Also lurking outside: a team of racist police officers who pulled them over purely because of the colour of their skin, and had equally brutal plans before things took a turn into supernatural territory. The message here is obvious, showing both the paranormal and actual monsters the series' three central characters are forced to face. Of course, sometimes the most effective way to make a statement is to take the straightforward route — even if nothing about this textured and layered show can ever be classed as simple. If following the above train of thought has you thinking about Get Out or Us, two recent stellar films that also explored US race relations through a horror lens, that's hardly surprising. Lovecraft Country joins them on Jordan Peele's growing resume, after all. Whether he's co-writing and starring in sketch comedies, directing those two exceptional movies, producing BlacKkKlansman, reviving a science-fiction classic with The Twilight Zone or co-writing the upcoming new Candyman flick, the actor and filmmaker has amassed an impressive body of work that continually interrogates the reality faced by Black Americans. And, in terms of examining the insidious and ever-present horrors that have been a part of the US for far too long — including in the 50s, in the time of the Jim Crow racial segregation laws, when the ten-episode first season of Lovecraft Country is set — Peele's latest project is as powerful as anything else he's ever made. [caption id="attachment_782361" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Elizabeth Morris/HBO[/caption] As based on Matt Ruff's 2016 novel of the same name, executive produced by Peele with Lost and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker's JJ Abrams, and overseen by showrunner and writer Misha Green (Underground), Lovecraft Country benefits from a smart and engaging overarching premise — one that's extremely well-executed from the get-go, too. Tic has come back to Chicago from Florida, where he has been living since returning from his Korean War service, to search for his suddenly missing dad Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams, The Wire). That quest leads to a road trip into the US midwest, which also doubles as research to add African American-friendly places to the Green Book-style guide that George publishes. As for Leti, she's tagging along for the ride, en route to see her brother and sort out her own family problems. From teenagers spitting slurs at service stations to murderous white mobs chasing them out of small towns, Tic, George and Leti are treated abysmally from the moment they leave home. To call their encounters unwelcoming, discriminatory and hostile is accurate, but also underplays the heartbreak they endure. Indeed, when the show's titular elements complicate their path — with the series named for famed real-life sci-fi and horror writer HP Lovecraft, and travelling to a part of the country where he found inspiration for his tales — Lovecraft Country has already purposefully unnerved viewers with real-life terrors. From there, not only oversized creatures but also secret occult societies and haunted mansions await in the first three episodes alone, all while the series constantly and probingly conveys the experiences of black Americans. Impressive special effects help bring the otherworldly side of Lovecraft Country to life, but its other big drawcard — other than its concept, mastery of genre, potent message, excellent cast, and how commandingly and movingly it hits every target it aims for — is its detail. The lavishly made program couldn't look more meticulous in recreating the past, or feel more authentic at the same time. Every painstaking aspect of each set and scene is crucial not just in evoking the era, but in anchoring the wild journey its central characters traverse. This is a big, fantastical, pulpy horror series but, at every single instant, it's also grounded in recognisable experiences and actual emotions — and it never lets the audience forget it for a second. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvamPJp17Ds The first three episodes of Lovecraft Country are available to stream via Binge, with new episodes added weekly on Mondays. Top image: Eli Joshua Ade/HBO.
Love indulging in a few-too-many gins on a summer evening, but don't love the dull, dehydrated, hungover face you wake to the next day? We've now got the perfect solution, thanks to an exciting new collaboration between two beloved Aussie brands: Four Pillars Gin and Go-To Skincare. Together they've launched My New Go-To Gin, a new "wildly limited edition" spirit set to be your tipple of summer. The perfect Christmas present for both that skincare fanatic and gin connoisseur in your life, this new addition to your liquor cabinet has all of the peachy goodness you'd expect from Zoe Foster Blake's beloved beauty brand. Not only is it made with quandong, a native Aussie peach and some tart ruby grapefruit, the familiar Go-To label aesthetic means you could probably add it to your bathroom counter's line-up, and nobody would notice anything out of the ordinary. And if you sip a few too many the night before another event (hello, festive season) you're in luck: Every bottle comes with a Go-To 'Transformazing' sheet mask to soak your skin in much-needed moisture. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Go-To (@gotoskincare) Go-To Skincare has become well-known for its cult following of skincare fanatics across the world. The beauty venture from Foster-Blake has been so wildly successful since its 2014 launch, she just sold her majority stake in the company for a cool AU$89 million. Meanwhile, Aussie spirits producer Four Pillars has also become well-known known for innovation. Its inventive collaborations and tasty creations like the rare dry and bloody shiraz gin ranges have earned it the title of World's Best Gin for two years running now. With two very intense fanbases onboard, we imagine this one is going to sell out from shelves quick smart, so do yourself a favour and grab it while you can. Currently, it's just available for sale on the Four Pillars website, with orders limited to maximum of one per order — it's up to you if you gift it to a friend, or keep it for yourself. They've also included a specialty cocktail recipe, perfect for the festive season. Find more information about My New Go-To Gin on the Four Pillars website.
Articulate, enthusiastic, candid, and at least a little bit enamoured with the sound of his own voice — you only have to be in a room with John Landis for a few seconds to see he was born to be an entertainer. In town for a career tribute as part of this year's Melbourne Festival, the 63-year-old director behind beloved Hollywood films including The Blues Brothers, Trading Places and the music video to Michael Jackson's Thriller, seems totally at ease in a room full of journalists, as he recalls anecdotes from a career that spans more than 40 years. YOU CAN'T PICK WHICH WORKS WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT While we now look back at movies like Animal House and The Blues Brothers as era-defining comedies, when asked if he had any notion that his films would still be celebrated 30 years after being made, Landis shakes his head with a smile. "The truth is," the filmmaker explains, "you work the same on a successful movie as you do on an unsuccessful movie. [Peter] Bogdanovich was the one who said 'the only true test of a film is time'. And unfortunately we're in a very schizophrenic business, because according to the media and the industry, the only true test of success is money. So many great films come out and tank, and many terrible movies are huge hits. So there's no rule of thumb." "The one that surprised me the most was Thriller," Landis says. "The album was already the most successful album of all time when we made the short … The Thriller video, on Beta and VHS, was $29.95, and they sold 8 million of them. That amazed me. And I think what still delights me, because it's so nuts, is Thrill the World, where they do the thriller dance. And if you go online, they do the thriller dance at weddings and bar mitzvahs … I guess it's the power of Michael Jackson." BAD MOVIES DON'T ALWAYS START OUT BAD Of course, not all of Landis' films have been so successful. Asked about the woeful reception to Blues Brothers 2000, he grins and responds, "the biggest problem with Blues Brothers 2000 is that it's lousy. We had terrible interference from the studio. It was rewritten something like 17 times before they gave us the green light… it was a terrible script. But I'm very proud of the music." Another one of Landis' lesser known works is 1996's The Stupids, which sat unreleased on a shelf for years after the financing company went bankrupt. Upon release, the film tanked at the box office and was panned by critics, although as Landis points out, eventual distributor New Line Cinema bought the film for more than it cost to make, and so "we all made money." "It was mis-sold. It's a children's film, and they sold it as a teenage tits and ass comedy. It was a horrifying experience." IF YOU DOWNLOAD RATHER THAN GOING TO THE CINEMA, IT'S YOUR LOSS Perhaps it's in part due to his rocky relationship with the Hollywood studios that Landis has spent most of the last decade working in documentary and television. "Hollywood as it used to be hasn't existed for a long time", Landis reflects. "I started in the mail room at Fox in the '60s, and it was already dying then. The film business has changed just like every other business, because of globalisation and economics and all kinds of things. Now, Universal, Fox, MGM, Warner Brothers, they're small subdivisions of huge multinational corporations. And these giant corporations, they're their own nation states. They don't even fucking pay taxes! So it has changed, and it continues to change." Even so, Landis remains mostly optimistic about the state of affairs in the movie business. "I think good movies will always be made. One of the big ironies is that technology improved, so now literally anyone can make a movie. The only thing I don't like, the only thing that makes me feel like an old fart, is that it breaks my heart that generations will see Lawrence of Arabia on their cell phone. Because nothing can reproduce the theatrical experience. Big house; beautifully projected — and you know that film is communal. The more people you are with watching a movie, the better the movie works. Comedies are funnier. Scary movies are scarier. Sad movies are sadder. It's contagious." A retrospective of John's films will be screening as part of the Melbourne Festival during October. Check it out here.
Wellington is heaven for gourmands, combining all the ingredients that make for a brilliant culinary getaway. There are laneways crammed with cool, little artisanal producers; clandestine cocktail bars behind unmarked doorways; quiet suburbs hiding excellent, casual and international restaurants; centre-city breweries in abundance and a pack of wineries just over the hills. And then there's the fact that the city is wedged between a picturesque harbour and sprawling farmland, so the produce scene is very, very local. Wellington is a physically small city, so it's best explored on foot. This not only helps mitigate some of the effects of a food-filled holiday, but means there's also no stress about arranging transport or planning too far in advance. Just follow your nose and tastebuds. It's often said that Wellington has more bars and restaurants per capita than New York City. Whether or not there's any truth in this, it'll surely feel like it as you explore the many beaut spots, tasting your way through the city's unique culinary ethos. SHEPHERD Tucked away down Hannahs Laneway, Shepherd features framed botanical posters, taxidermy draped with fairy lights and jars of preserves used as decoration. And this unexpected and playful, yet refined decor is mirrored in its food. This is fine dining-quality fare in a wonderfully fun atmosphere where the staff know the origins of every ingredient. Expect plenty of local seafood, Asian condiments, fermented and pickled ingredients and some of the most creative desserts you'll ever taste. The pumpkin cardamom doughnut with peanut butter popcorn and whiskey anglaise is a favourite, but the menu is seasonal and changes almost daily so expect to find a new favourite each time you stop in. [caption id="attachment_635862" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Facebook / Fix & Fogg.[/caption] FIX & FOGG What started as a hobby for then-lawyers Roman and Andrea Jewell has turned into a bit of a peanut butter empire. Fix & Fogg was born from the couple's desire to learn new skills, and it quickly became one of the most delicious products coming out of Wellington. Swing by Hannahs Laneway, and if the peanut butter flag is out — you'll know it when you see it — then the PB will be flowing. The adorable shop window is literally tucked under a staircase and offers tastings, gourmet toast and the occasional peanut butter donut. [caption id="attachment_635860" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Facebook / Husk.[/caption] HUSK Another spot hidden down an alley, another spot that's the result of a collaboration between Wellington hospo stalwarts — HUSK is a lot of things: a cafe, a bar, a brewery, a coffee roastery and a restaurant. With true dedication, the coffee and beer venture is open from 8 or 9am till late every day. Swing by for a breakfast of sardines on toast and a Karamu Coffee flat white (with beans roasted onsite), lunch featuring pork shoulder tacos and a pint of Reet Petite, a stem ginger red IPA by Choice Bros (brewed onsite) and for cheeseburger spring rolls and a barrel-aged negroni for dinner. LAMASON BREW BAR Wellington runs on strong coffee, and Lamason is where you can try the best of it in a safe environment. You won't be mocked here if you're not really sure what the difference is between V60 and Swiss Gold. Lamason does do traditional espresso and they do serve a small selection of food, but what you really want to visit for is the specialty coffee. If you're a newbie, don't be afraid to ask the staff what they recommend. Their single origin beans each have their own unique flavour profiles, and they're beautifully profiled by siphon brewing — which is basically vacuum coffee extraction, otherwise known as magic. [caption id="attachment_635861" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Facebook / Harbourside Market.[/caption] HARBOURSIDE MARKET In Wellington, you bend the knee and swear allegiance to one of the weekend produce markets. There are a handful to choose from, but Harbourside Market is the true ruler of this realm. Every Sunday from sunrise to early arvo, locals and visitors flock to the market to get their week's fruit and veg, as well as bread, cheese, meat, fish, tofu, honey, eggs, peanut butter and so on. The markets also feature a bunch of food trucks and buskers. The roti wraps and cold brew coffee are a perfect cure to a foggy Sunday head, the waterfront vista is stunning and the people watching is excellent. Maybe you've been to Auckland, maybe you've gone to the snow in Queensland, but now it's time to set your sights on Wellington. The harbourside city may be compact, but that only makes for excellent walkability from its excellent restaurants, cafes and bars to its cultural hot spots and around the great outdoors. Use our planning guide to book your trip, then sort out your Wellington hit list with our food and drink, culture and outdoor guides.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue for October — and yes, we're guessing you've already hit up The Trial of the Chicago 7, Rebecca and On the Rocks. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rsa4U8mqkw BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM Of all that twists and turns that 2020 has delivered, the arrival of a new Borat movie ranks among the most unexpected. Watching Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, however, it's obvious why the famed fictional Kazakh journalist is making a comeback at this very moment — that is, just before the US election. Once again, Borat travels to America. Once again, he traverses the country, interviewing everyday people and exposing the abhorrent views that have become engrained in US society. Where its 2006 predecessor had everyone laughing along with it, though, there's also an uneasy and even angry undercurrent to Borat Subsequent Moviefilm that's reflective of these especially polarised times. It's worth noting that Sacha Baron Cohen's last project, 2018 TV series Who Is America?, also used the comedian's usual interview technique to paint a picture of the US today, and the results were as astute as they were horrifying. There are plenty of jokes in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which bases its narrative around Borat's attempt to gift his 15-year-old daughter (instant scene-stealer Maria Bakalova) to Vice President Mike Pence and then ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to help get Kazakhstan's own leader into President Donald Trump's good graces, but this is the unflinching work of a star passionate about making a statement. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is available to stream now via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Tm63y-S4s THE GOOD LORD BIRD In The Good Lord Bird's opening moments, the new seven-part mini-series tells viewers what'll happen to 19th-century US abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke), its central figure. The audience sees Brown approach the gallows, with narration making plain that he's about to meet his end. Given that Brown was a real figure, the show is merely outlining his history in this regard. But even with the knowledge of his character's ultimate fate lodged firmly in viewers' minds from the outset, Hawke turns in a riveting performance every time he's on-screen. Brown not only opposed slavery, but was driven to use violence to liberate enslaved Black Americans — and the power of his conviction shines through in Hawke's blistering portrayal, as it does throughout the engaging series overall. The Good Lord Bird's voiceover and perspective comes from the fictional Henry 'Onion' Shackleford (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a boy that Brown saves but mistakes for a girl, and who also crosses paths with other historical personalities such as fellow reformer Frederick Douglass (Hamilton's Daveed Diggs) and Confederate general JEB Stuart (Wyatt Russell). As for this smart, irreverent, bold and vehement take on America's troubled past in general, it stems from the pages of James McBride's 2013 novel of the same name. The first three episodes of The Good Lord Bird are available to stream now via Stan, with new episodes added weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeYWT7CnFK0 SCARE ME Written and directed by Josh Ruben, and starring him also, Scare Me doesn't just like scary movies — it loves scary stories. Indeed, this pared-back horror film understands that sometimes all that's needed to keep an audience on the edge of their seats is a great tale told well. Its characters, both writers, are all about unfurling creepy narratives. Fred (Ruben) falls into the aspiring category, while Fanny (You're the Worst and The Boys' Aya Cash) has an acclaimed best-seller to her name. With each taking time out in the mountains to get some work done, these two strangers end up in Fred's cabin telling each other disturbing stories when the power goes out (and trying to one-up each other). For its first two-thirds, Scare Me makes the most of that basic concept. Fred and Fanny perform their tales, sound effects and ominous lighting kicks in — it's a stormy night, of course — and the mood is suitably perturbing. The film also demonstrates its self-awareness, namedropping other genre titles with frequency and sending in a pizza from the Overlook. When this Sundance-premiering feature decides to ponder real-life horrors as part of its layered stories, however, it proves especially potent. Scare Me is available to stream now via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10dsDHszrcY TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL Perhaps the most frightening film of 2020, Totally Under Control isn't a horror movie filled with traditional bumps and jumps. For anyone who has been keeping a close eye on the constantly unnerving news served up by this hectic year, it also doesn't tell viewers anything that isn't already known. But this US-focused documentary unsettles from start to finish, all by exploring the American response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparisons with other countries — including South Korea, which initially had a similar caseload back at the beginning of the year — are particularly effective. To-camera interviews by officials involved in the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus, and from one volunteer given far too much responsibility for solving crucial PPE shortages, are just as telling. This isn't the first doco about COVID-19 and it won't be the last; however, as co-directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief) with Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger, it's absolutely essential viewing. Totally Under Control is available to stream now via DocPlay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWoiNlLqLR8 THE UNDOING If it was made less than a decade ago instead of now, The Undoing likely would've followed Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train to cinemas. This page-to-screen adaptation certainly has the cast for it — Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Donald Sutherland, A Quiet Place's Noah Jupe and Edgar Ramirez — as well as a knotty mystery premise and a tension-dripping tone. But hot on the heels of Big Little Lies, The Undoing is actually HBO's latest big-name mini-series. Kidman returns, obviously, as does well-known TV writer David E Kelley (LA Law, Ally McBeal, The Practice). The former plays a successful therapist, Grace Fraser, whose seemingly happy home life and marriage to Grant's paediatric oncologist Jonathan starts to collapse when someone linked to her son's ultra-wealthy private school turns up dead. Based on Jean Hanff Korelitz's novel You Should Have Known and directed by The Night Manager's Susanne Bier, this six-part series is the epitome of #richpeopleproblems — but whether exploring heated moments in lush surroundings, or noting the type of emotions and behaviours status and standing can both encourage and hide, it's firmly aware of that fact. Thanks to a twist at the end of each episode, it's also very addictive, even when it's predictable. The first episode of The Undoing is available to stream now via Binge, with new episodes added weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfTmT6C5DnM DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD Mortality is no one's favourite subject. Confronting the certainty of our own demise is so difficult, we all just generally carry on as though it won't happen. And the reality that everyone we know and love will die, including our parents, is just as tough to deal with. Facing not only the fact that her father is advancing in age, but that he's suffering dementia — meaning that she'll lose him mentally before he passes away physically — cinematographer and documentarian Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson) conjured up a playful and poignant project. In Dick Johnson Is Dead, she stages her dad's death over and over. He's very much alive and he takes part, with the father-daughter duo bonding during what time they have left together in the process. While it might sound morbid, this moving movie is anything but. As well as the scenes that give the film its title, it also provides an insightful chronicle of the Johnsons' lives. Tender, thoughtful, personal and intimate, and driven by both Dick and Kirsten's presence, the result is perhaps the most affecting feature of the year — and a very worth winner of the Special Jury Award for Innovation in Non-Fiction Storytelling at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Dick Johnson Is Dead is available to stream now via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WHZM-gDONo FEELS GOOD MAN If you've somehow managed to avoid Pepe the Frog over the past decade, then you clearly haven't spent enough time on the internet during that period. The green character became an online meme back in the 2000s, popping up on message boards and earning users' devotion. It was then was co-opted by the alt-right movement, not only becoming its symbol but getting quite a workout in the lead up to the 2016 US Presidential election. That's not how Pepe started out, however, as Arthur Jones' documentary Feels Good Man shows. Originally, Pepe was created by artist Matt Furie and featured in his Boys Club comics — and the kindly illustrator definitely didn't intend for his cute critter to become associated with prejudice, hate and offensive viewpoints. In addition to charting the history of Pepe, Feels Good Man works through Furie's ongoing fight to reclaim his creation. As you might expect given the above description, this is the type of tale that can only be true, and is also best understood by watching it unfurl. Feels Good Man does something else, though, documenting how online content can take on a life far beyond that initially envisaged, as well as offering a pivotal snapshot of how politicised every facet of American life seems to have become. Feels Good Man is available to stream now via DocPlay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4ISTHi45_s FARGO Last month, SBS added the first three seasons of Fargo to its streaming platform, in preparation for the long-awaited fourth season's arrival. Based on the Oscar-winning Coen brothers' film of the same name, this is an anthology series, so watching previous seasons before starting the new one isn't essential — but, as the latest batch of episodes demonstrates, soaking in all things Fargo is highly recommended. Dropping fresh instalments weekly, Fargo season four is easy to devour. Set in 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri, it steps into its favourite territory: a turf war. While the first episode explains that different groups have been fighting to control the city's underworld for decades, this time it's Loy Cannon (Chris Rock) and his fellow Black Americans' turn to challenge the Italian crime syndicate led by Josto Fadda (Jason Schwartzman). As always, the story from there proves both twisty and blackly comedic, and appears on-track to deliver yet another cautionary tale about the perils of underhanded and illicit activities. There's gravitas to Rock's portrayal of a man trying to carve out his place, and he's joined by a similarly top-notch cast including Jessie Buckley (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) as a nurse with a secret and Ben Whishaw (No Time to Die) as one of Fadda's put-upon offsiders. The first five episodes of Fargo's fourth season are available to stream now via SBS On Demand, with new episodes added weekly. ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW7Twd85m2g THE MANDALORIAN Travelling to a galaxy far, far away sounds rather nice at this point in 2020. If you're a Star Wars fan, that's actually quite easy, too. While this year won't deliver a new movie in the franchise for the first time since 2014, the second season of TV spinoff The Mandalorian is heading to Disney+ from Friday, October 30. For those that missed it or need a refresher — the Star Wars universe certainly does sprawl far and wide, both within its tales and in its many different movies, shows, books and games — the Emmy-nominated show follows the titular bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal). In the series' first season, which was set five years after Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi and aired last year, that meant tracking his latest gigs. And, it also involved charting his encounter with a fuzzy little creature officially known as The Child, but affectionately named Baby Yoda by everyone watching. Also on offer the first time around: Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito playing villain Moff Gideon, aka the ex-Galactic Empire security officer determined to capture The Child; everyone from Carl Weathers and Taika Waititi to Werner Herzog playing ex-magistrates, droids and enigmatic strangers; and plenty of planet-hopping. Yes, it was firmly a Star Wars TV series, and yes, it plans to continue in the same manner. The Mandalorian's second season starts streaming via Disney+ from Friday, October 30, CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob_Sq__g01E THE HITCHCOCK COLLECTION Fans of thrillers, and of the filmmaker who became a legend by directing them, have two choices this month. Eighty years after Alfred Hitchcock first brought the story to the screen, Netflix has produced a lavish-looking new adaptation of Rebecca — a movie that intoxicates visually, but doesn't ever quite match the heights reached by the Master of Suspense's Oscar-winning version all those decades ago. But for those who'd rather luxuriate in all things Hitch, Stan is streaming a collection of his greatest hits. It doesn't include Rebecca, but when you're watching classics such as Psycho, The Birds and Rear Window — and Rope and Saboteur, too — you aren't likely to mind. All five will always stand the test of time, but Psycho's tale of a troubled man obsessed with his mother and the unfortunate woman who crosses his path has always been innately unnerving. When you're not revelling in its twists, and its famed screech-heavy shower scene, Rear Window's voyeurism-fuelled storyline (and the fact that its protagonist, played by a commanding James Stewart, is stuck at home) feels particularly relevant this year. Stan's Hitchcock collection is available to stream now. Top images: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm courtesy of Amazon Studios.
Lightyear wasn't the best Pixar movie, but when it flickered across the big screen halfway through 2022, it did something that the Disney-owned animation studio's films hadn't for a couple of years. Due to the pandemic's early days, the Mouse House skipped cinema releases for Soul, Luca and Turning Red between late 2020 and early 2022. It was the time of lockdowns, restrictions, and picture palaces either temporarily closing or having capacity limits, so all three features went straight to streaming platform Disney+. Wish you'd gotten a silver-screen experience while viewing this trio — or any one of them? Enter the new Pixar Film Fest to give you that chance. From Thursday, February 22–Wednesday, March 13, for a week apiece at various locations around Australia and New Zealand, it's debuting Soul, Luca and Turning Red in cinemas for the first time Down Under. Soul sports a premise that resembles Inside Out, which has a sequel arriving on the big screen in 2024. Instead of emotions having emotions, souls do. Rather than Amy Poehler (Moxie) doing voice work, Tina Fey (Mean Girls) does. And director Peter Docter (Up) helmed them both. But Soul is definitely its own feature — and takes quite the existential trip as it follows aspiring jazz musician-turned-music teacher Joe (Jamie Foxx, The Burial) after an accident where his soul leaves his body. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Killer), plus Jon Batiste (The First Wave), won an Oscar. The movie nabbed the Best Animated Feature accolade as well. It's releasing in cinemas from Thursday, February 22–Wednesday, February 28. Next up is Turning Red, which'll get projectors whirring from Thursday, February 29–Wednesday, March 6. The setup: what'd happen if the Hulk was a teenage girl, but became a super-cute red panda? Or, finding a different riff on the ol' werewolf situation, what if emotions rather than full moons inspired a case of not-quite-lycanthropy? Writer/director Domee Shi puts these queries at the centre of Turning Red, her debut feature after winning an Oscar for gorgeous 2018 short Bao. Set in 2002, the film focuses on 13-year-old Chinese Canadian high-schooler Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang, American Born Chinese), who has strict but caring mum Ming (Sandra Oh, Quiz Lady), loves boy band 4*Town and soon discovers that she's also a red panda in a puberty metaphor. Rounding out the lineup is Luca, which is similarly about transformation. This one takes place in Italy over a gorgeous summer, also spins a coming-of-age tale and nods to Frankenstein as well. Here, teenage sea monsters Luca (Jacob Tremblay, Orion and the Dark) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) just want to fit in, but know that the village they decide to call home wouldn't accept them if they don't take on human form. When they befriend ordinary girl Giulia (Emma Berman, Superkitties) in a quest to win a race to nab a moped, their secret becomes harder to keep — as cinemagoers can see from Thursday, March 7–Wednesday, March 13. Check out the trailers for Soul, Luca and Turning Red below: Pixar Film Fest 2024 Lineup: Thursday, February 22–Wednesday, February 28 — Soul Thursday, February 29–Wednesday, March 6 — Turning Red Thursday, March 7–Wednesday, March 13 — Luca Disney's Pixar Film Fest runs from Thursday, February 22–Wednesday, March 13 at cinemas around Australia and New Zealand, including in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Wellington — check out your local picture palace for details. Read our reviews of Soul, Luca and Turning Red.
Sydney's love of sandwiches is showing no signs of slowing down, with a newcomer bringing some serious two-handers to the city's southwest. Now open in Revesby, San San is an airy new spot on Marco Avenue that's dishing up stacked sandwiches and by-the-slice pizza on fluffy, daily-baked focaccia. San San is the brainchild of siblings Jade and Jonny Massaad and Jonny's wife Julie, who turned their sandwich cravings into a cosy neighbourhood hangout. The siblings are no strangers to Sydney's food & bev scene — Jade is the founder of hospo-focused social media agency The Hype, while Jonny is the baker behind online cake shop Cake Mail. San San's menu features ten sandwiches, all of which come on that appetising focaccia slice. Highlights include the Mortadella, which features fig jam, ricotta and a house-made hot honey, Jonny's Smoky BBQ Schnitty, which sees a plump chicken schnitzel teamed with smoky barbecue sauce, hot chilli oil, potato crisps and butter lettuce, and the Eggplant and Roasted Capsicum, which is elevated with Julie's mum's homemade baba ganoush. Hot tip: pair your sandwich with a serve of house lemonade, made from another family recipe. Head in before 11am to take your pick from San San's breakfast options. There's a Sausage McMuffin dupe elevated with a spicy house mayo and caramelised onions, as well as a manoush loaded with za'atar, labneh and a heap of fresh veggies. Beyond the sandwiches, there's a selection of focaccia pizza by the slice, a grazing plate and a schnitty-loaded salad finished with that house mayo. In keeping with the family theme, you'll also find a selection of Cake Mail baked goods and gooey cookies. Sydneysiders looking for a post-lunch caffeine fix can often struggle to find anything open, but San San is doing things a little differently — it's open until 4pm, seven days a week. San San is now open at 4/19-29 Marco Avenue, Revesby. Find out more at the website.
It's official: on Monday, March 31, 2025, you'll need to subscribe to a new streaming service if you want to watch HBO shows in Australia. In 2024, the US network confirmed that it was bringing Max, its dedicated platform, Down Under in 2025. Now it has locked in the launch date. And yes, that timing means that you'll need to sign up to see the second season of The Last of Us. From House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and any other Game of Thrones spinoffs through to Euphoria and upcoming IT prequel series Welcome to Derry, HBO's lengthy list of must-see TV shows will have their own dedicated platform in Australia. The American station's streamer debuted in America in 2020, and has been rolling out through Latin America, the Caribbean, parts of Europe and Japan since as well, before setting its sights on Aussie audiences. While the great streaming service rush, when new platforms seemed to appear every few weeks or so, is a few years in the past, HBO bringing Max to Australia is huge news. At present, the US network's shows largely screen and stream to Aussie viewers via Binge and Foxtel. When the former launched, boasting HBO's catalogue was one of its big selling points. The deal between Binge, Foxtel and Warner Bros Discovery — which owns HBO — was extended in 2023, but it was reported at the time, accurately so it proves, that Max might debut in Australia from 2025. While the platform will be available direct to consumers via its website and app stores — so you'll sign up for it by itself — for viewing via mobile, tablet, gaming consoles and connected TV, it will still keep a connection with Foxtel. If you subscribe to the pay-TV service, you'll get access to the Max app without paying extra. For everyone else, details about Max's subscription options, which'll include premium, standard and an ad-supported tier, are still to come — as is pricing. HBO shows — HBO Originals and Max Originals alike — aren't all that's heading to Max. Warner Bros Discovery's stable of brands includes Warner Bros (of course), the DC Universe, Harry Potter, Discovery, Cartoon Network, TLC, ID and HGTV, to name a few. Max will also show movies from Warner Bros Pictures, including recent cinema releases such as Barbie, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice and Twisters. The Lord of the Rings and DC Universe franchises, And Just Like That..., Friends, Rick and Morty: they're just some of the other movies and TV shows that will be on Max as well. HBO is also behind The White Lotus, True Detective, The Rehearsal, The Penguin, Dune spinoff Prophecy, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Oz, Deadwood, Big Love, True Blood, Big Little Lies, Westworld, Succession, The Larry Sanders Show, Sex and the City, Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, Girls, Veep, Barry, Enlightened — and plenty more. "We've been clear that the globalisation of Max is a top priority, and Australia represents one of our biggest new markets and a significant opportunity to delight even more fans with the incredible stories told by our iconic brands. Combining an unrivalled breadth of high-quality content, legendary franchises and a strong product experience, Australians can look forward to the highest-calibre streaming proposition from March 31," said JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games at WBD. "WBD has a long history in Australia, and we know our world-class content from HBO, Warner Bros, Discovery and more is incredibly popular with audiences here. We have a clear strategy to maximise reach through our direct-to-consumer app and distribution partnerships, and our collaboration with Foxtel at launch is a testament to that. We can't wait for fans across the country to experience Max," added WBD Australia and New Zealand General Manager Michael Brooks. Max launches in Australia on Monday, March 31, 2025 — head to the streaming service's website for more details.
There are many reasons why we wear jewellery — be it because you're feeling sentimental, wanting to make a statement or needing to give an outfit a little extra oomph. But, really, it all boils down to one thing: it brings you joy. The added bonus comes from knowing your favourite statement necklace or everyday bracelet was created by a local artisan — someone who lovingly crafts each piece. From goldsmiths and jewel aficionados to lovers of precious metals and old recyclable watch parts, Australian jewellers are as impressive and trendsetting as they are creative. So, don't think twice about it. In partnership with American Express, we've handpicked a bunch of gorgeous designs from local Australian jewellery makers that you should treat yourself to and wear with pride.
2024 will be a year of many things, including the year that hitting the skies Down Under means travelling on the three safest airlines in the world. As it does every January, safety and rating website AirlineRatings.com has released its latest ranking of the best carriers to fly with. Coming out on top: Air New Zealand, closely followed by Qantas and Virgin Australia. Air NZ returned to first place after also doing the honours in 2022, taking over from 2023 winner Qantas. The latter has a long history of topping the list, doing so for eight years in a row from 2014–21. Virgin Australia has also proven a mainstay on the full rundowns each year, with the top 25 carriers named in 2024. "Our top 25 safest airlines are all standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation and launching of new aircraft. In fact, the safety margins between these top 25 airlines are very small," said AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas. "Between Air New Zealand and Qantas there is only 1.5 points. It's incredibly close." Wondering how Air NZ topped the list, then? The website called out the airline's "firm focus on safety", while also advising that it "has excelled across a broad safety spectrum right down to the smallest detail, and its pilots operate in some very challenging environments". The highly sought-after accolade chose its safest airlines for 2024 from a pool of 385 carriers from around the world. Factors that influence a carrier's placement on the list include crash and incident records, safety initiatives, fleet age, profitability, training assessments for expert pilots, and audits by aviation governing bodies, industry bodies and governments. Bird strikes and turbulence injuries aren't take into consideration, however, and neither are weather diversions and lightning strikes, given that airlines have no control over these issues. If you're a budget-conscious flyer, the website also outlines the 20 safest low-cost airlines. The winner this year also came from Down Under, with Jetstar emerging victorious. TOP 25 SAFEST AIRLINES FOR 2024: Air New Zealand Qantas Virgin Australia Etihad Airways Qatar Airways Emirates All Nippon Airways Finnair Cathay Pacific Airways Alaska Airlines SAS Korean Air Singapore Airlines EVA Air British Airways Turkish Airlines TAP Air Portugal Lufthansa/Swiss Group KLM Japan Airlines Hawaiian Airlines American Airlines Air France Air Canada Group United Airlines TOP 20 SAFEST LOW-COST AIRLINES FOR 2024: Jetstar easyJet Ryanair Wizz Norwegian Frontier Vueling Vietjet Southwest Volaris flyduba AirAsia Group (AirAsia, AirAsia X, AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia India) Cebu Pacific Sun Country Spirit Westjet JetBlue Air Arabia Indigo Eurowings For the full AirlineRatings.com list, visit the airline safety and product rating review outfit's website.
Is the Avatar franchise set to win its third Academy Award for Best Visual Effects? With its characteristically rich and stunning visuals, the just-dropped first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash makes that case. The latest film in the sci-fi saga is set to arrive three years after Avatar: The Way of Water, and 13 years after all things Avatar initially hit cinemas with what's still the world's biggest box-office blockbuster. Get ready to return to Pandora: come December 2025, James Cameron will usher viewers back to the Na'vi-inhabited moon, and into the middle chapter in the director's planned five-film series. In past entries, forests and reefs have proven home to the franchise's blue-hued residents, but volcanic plains join in this time around. So, meet: the Ash People. Oona Chaplin (Treason) portrays Varang, the new clan's leader. Her message in the sneak peek: "your goddess has no dominion here". When Avatar: Fire and Ash plays in picture palaces Down Under from Thursday, December 18, viewers will also see Michelle Yeoh (Star Trek: Section 31) and David Thewlis (Sherlock & Daughter) among the cast. Leading the ensemble, Sam Worthington (Relay) and Emilia Pérez Oscar-winner Zoe Saldana (Elio) are back as Jake Sully and his warrior wife Neytiri, alongside fellow returnees Sigourney Weaver (The Gorge), Stephen Lang (House of David), Cliff Curtis (Invincible), Britain Dalton (Dark Harvest), Trinity Bliss (The Life of Chuck), Jack Champion (Everything's Going to Be Great), Bailey Bass (Interview with the Vampire) and Kate Winslet (Lee). Cameron once again directs, and co-wrote the screenplay with the also-returning Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Mulan). Since the first Avatar in 2009, the filmmaker behind it has only helmed movies in the franchise. If getting excited about one new Avatar film isn't enough, the two final flicks that are set to follow Avatar: Fire and Ash are slated for release in 2029 and 2031, respectively. Check out the Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer below: Avatar: Fire and Ash releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 18, 2025 Images: courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
It happened with The Nutcracker, Mary Poppins Returns, Aladdin, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Frozen II, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, just to name a few past Disney movies, and it's occurring again for Snow White: to immerse everyone in the world of the Mouse House's new film beyond cinemas, The Grounds of Alexandria in Sydney has given itself a temporary makeover. Expect social media feeds to be filled with snaps of this enchanted garden, plus the themed dishes now on the menu for the next couple of months — and expect Harbour City locals and visitors alike to flock in. How have all things Snow White taken over? With scenery that looks like it's been transported out of the film — greenery aplenty, plus woodland creatures as well — and everything from red apple mocktails to sweet treats inspired by the movie on offer. Yes, there's a magic mirror on the wall. And also yes, you'll spot more than a few apples. You've got until Sunday, May 25, 2025 to head by, and to sip that Evil to the Core drink (made with red apple, raspberry and citrus) at The Cafe, The Garden and The Potting Shed at The Grounds of Alexandria. Food-wise, Waiting on a Wish (a toasted almond sponge with pear cream and blackberry compote) is on the menu in The Cafe and the Poison Apple for two (spiced caramelised apple, dulcey crèmeux and mascarpone cream) is available in The Potting Shed over the same period. The film in the spotlight releases in cinemas on Thursday, March 20, starring Rachel Zegler (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as Snow White and Gal Gadot (Heart of Stone) as her evil stepmother. Marc Webb (The Only Living Boy in New York, Gifted, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro) is behind the lens.
If you're looking for another reason to be proud of this wide, brown land that we call Australia, have you considered becoming a huge fan of our indie games scene? Like our musicians who grace festival stages overseas, and movies that go gangbusters at foreign box offices, Aussie-made indies regularly take the internet by storm and garner awards around the world. With increased development funding from state and federal governments, the future is looking bright for Australian games. But there are already a bunch of bangers you can download and play today — like the five below. UNPACKING Who would've thought that one of the most arduous personal tasks that you can undertake would turn out to be such great fodder for a game? Developed by Brisbane-based studio Witch Beam, Unpacking puts you in the shoes of a woman as she opens unmarked boxes and distributes her belongings throughout the various spaces that she moves into over the course of her life, starting with her childhood bedroom and carrying through university dorms, sharehouses and more. It's immensely satisfying gameplay, with enough of a puzzle element to add rewarding "aha!" moments throughout. Despite having no dialogue and very little text, Unpacking is rich with a narrative borne through details, from the items that stay with its character over the course of her life to the limitations you encounter when trying to fit yourself into certain living situations. And, without giving too much away, there is a twist at the end of moving into your boyfriend's apartment that will send your emotions skyrocketing. Available on: PC/Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/S/X, Playstation 4/5, iOS, Android. UNTITLED GOOSE GAME There's no more succinct way to sum up Untitled Goose Game than the opening line of the description written by Melbourne-based developers House House: "it is a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose". As you might have guessed, this game sees you controlling a feathered menace whose sole purpose is to sow gentle chaos throughout a quintessential small English town. Each area has a checklist of broad objectives — from stealing a farmer's keys to trapping a small boy in a phone booth — and it's up to you to figure out how they can be achieved by honking, flapping, waddling around and generally being a mischievous little shit. With graphics that could've come straight from a children's book and a soundtrack based on Debussy's Preludes that reacts to what you do in the game, it's an experience both refined and hilarious — and, thanks to a multiplayer update, you and a friend can live out your avian scamp dreams together. Available on: PC/Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/S/X, Playstation 4/5. HOLLOW KNIGHT Metroidvania is a genre with almost four decades of history behind it — the name springs from Metroid and Castlevania, which both debuted in the 80s — so for a modern iteration to be considered a masterpiece, it has to come correct. Hollow Knight, developed by Adelaide's Team Cherry, satisfies that requirement. Set in an underground insect kingdom decimated by a supernatural plague, you play as the Knight, a little sword-wielding bug who must descend into the gloomy ruins to discover what happened, as well as the part you play in what comes next. With tight, frenetic combat, brutal boss battles, compelling exploration, a stirring soundtrack and gorgeous, moody visuals, it's a game that will command your attention for a long time. Sequel Silksong is tantalisingly just over the horizon, so there's never been a better time to start your descent into Hallownest. Available on: PC/Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/S/X, Playstation 4/5. THE FROG DETECTIVE TRILOGY The intersection of the Venn diagram of 'crime' and 'wholesome' is razor slim, but sitting dead in the centre is the Frog Detective trilogy, developed by Worm Club out of Melbourne. As the name suggests, you're Frog Detective — the second-best detective around, in fact — and, over the course of three cases, you tackle a potential ghost, an invisible wizard and a hat thief, conducting your investigations in first person with the help of your trust magnifying glass and notebook. The blocky, bright polygonal art is both retro and adorable, and your interactions with the various characters that inhabit each game are relentlessly charming. It's not the most taxing game in terms of puzzles — you'll mostly be finding objects and giving them to the right person — but that makes the Frog Detective series the perfect entry-level games to enjoy with kids. Of course, if you're an adult that loves cute and funny experiences, it's perfect for you too. Available on: PC/Mac. THE ARTFUL ESCAPE We've all had dreams of becoming a rock star. In The Artful Escape by Melbourne's Beethoven & Dinosaur, you can live out this fantasy on a cosmic scale. The game sees you controlling Francis Vendetti, the teenage nephew of a deceased folk music legend who is about to make his debut performing his uncle's songs. The only problem: he doesn't want to simply strum, he wants to wail. A chance encounter sends him out into the universe to overcome his doubts and find his true artistic self, the details of which are in your hands. It features a star-studded voice cast (Rocky's Carl Weathers, Wes Anderson favourite Jason Schwartzman, Kingsman's Mark Strong and Game of Thrones' Lena Headey all lend their talents), plus a story that balances heartfelt and hilarious deftly. On the gameplay front, it tends towards simplicity, with basic platforming and Simon Says-esque button prompts forming the bulk of the experience; however, it more than makes up for this with a eye-wateringly psychedelic visual spectacle and a button dedicated to searing guitar solos. Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/S/X, Playstation 4/5.
This year, grab the fam' or a group of mates and enjoy rockin' around Darling Harbour with a plethora of free activities including Saturday fireworks, the much-loved Christmas festival and guaranteed good vibes, as well as paid pedal boat rides. From Monday, November 18, 2024, through to Wednesday, December 25, 2025, Darling Harbour will come alive. And in true Christmas spirit – the best bit is that it's mostly free. Christmas Festival A Darling Harbour fan favourite, the Christmas Festival will take place from Saturday, December 14 – Sunday, December 15 in Tumbalong Park. You can expect live performances from Samantha Jade, Anthony Callea and, of course, Santa. There will also be kids performers, including The Beanies, The Quokkas and Jayden Rodrigues' Dance Party, as well as a choir singalong to all your favourite Christmas tunes. Christmas on the Water Head down to Darling Harbour's picturesque foreshore, where the festivities will kick off with a quintessentially Aussie arrival from Santa Claus himself on Friday, December 6, on a jet ski. Stick around and check out the towering, sparkling floating Christmas tree at Cockle Bay, or watch the Christmas firework displays over Cockle Bay on December 7, 14 and 21 at 9pm. However, the thing we're most looking forward to has to be the pedal boats, which will be running from Saturday, Novemeber 30 2024 until Monday, 27 January 2025. Perfect for a cloudless Sydney summer day, enjoy the harbour's scenic views from the water with friends and family. Christmas-themed Entertainment The festive season is the ultimate time to get out and about with friends and family, and the International Convention Centre Sydney has got the perfect thing for you to do, hosting a range of live orchestra performances that will bring everyone's most cherished holiday films to life. Yes, you will be able to witness The Holiday in Concert on Saturday, December 14, or, if you're more of the Love Actually type, head down on Saturday, December 21 to get your fix. Plus, at Darling Quarter, you will find large-scale vertical garden boxes dressed in red bows from Saturday, November 16 – Thursday, December 26. Not only are they pretty cool to look at, but they make the perfect backdrop for an insta. The Harbour Village The Darling Quarter Village Green will be the place to be from Saturday, December 21 – Sunday, December 22. You will find Christmas Storytime with children's entertainers Emily Who and Nyssa and the Outback Band. The Harbour Village also offers Santa's Workshop, a free crafting station where kids can create their own paper wreaths with a unique native floral twist. Families can also enjoy a playful break with life-size lawn games like Connect Four and Wreath Ring Toss, because there's nothing like a bit of friendly competition. Santa Fun Run It's that time of year again when all of the Santas in Sydney come together for one epic run on Saturday, November 30. In support of Vision Australia, the run kicks off at 8 am at Metcalfe Park in Darling Harbour. Plus, you don't have to dress up to be part of the fun—anyone is welcome. It's all about helping raise funds for Carols by Candlelight and its Life Ready children's fundraising program. Food and Drinks Just to top it all off, in the true spirit of indulgence, you can count on Darling Harbour's many restaurants, cafes and bars to give you the energy you need to check everything out that Darling Harbour has to offer. You will find something for every craving, whether you're longing for Asian-inspired flavours at Darling Square, al fresco dining at Darling Quarter or an Italian feast at Fratelli Fresh. Visit the Darling Harbour website to find out more. Images: Anna Kucera, supplied.
Feel like you're missing out on fresh air by spending time at the gym? Here are ten great locations to work up a sweat as well as a tan. And happy bonus? They're all absolutely free. BURROWS PARK, CLOVELLY This latest and greatest fitness station is a welcome addition along Sydney's most iconic coastal walk. There's 13 pieces of cardio and strengthening equipment injecting variety into your outdoor routine — including a treadmill, a cross trainer, rowing machine and triple pull-up bars. The more complicated machines use your own body weight for resistance. The bright green outdoor gym is not only modern, it is made to last: all of the equipment is constructed form marine grade stainless steal. Once your workout is done, shake it off down at the beautiful Clovelly Beach. CHRISTISON PARK, VAUCLUSE Nestled on top of ocean cliffs overlooking the harbour, this park is everything you'd expect from posh Vaucluse. If the gorgeous view doesn't distract you from your workout, you can be sure to have the most pleasant of sweats here. The brand new equipment is nicer than many indoor gyms, with an elements-resistant version of an elliptical trainer, hand cycle, rowing machine and more. CAMPERDOWN PARK, CAMPERDOWN Recently revamped and often in use, Camperdown Park (not to be confused with Camperdown Memorial Rest Park in Newtown) offers the most modern fitness station you'll find outside of the trendier eastern suburbs. The park is one of the more active in the inner west, with daily group training sessions and tennis matches. With elliptical, standing bike and pull-down machines, you can have a gym-style workout in a low-key environment. For added cardio, the bandstand stairs are located directly behind the equipment. BONDI PARK, BONDI BEACH No moving parts here; from this point the fitness stations get more minimal. Think: chin-ups, body curls and various bars and steps for you to use creatively. But at Bondi Park, you have the advantage of being able to look out over Sydney's most iconic beach while you get your sweat on. Recently given a 100K facelift, this trendy workout location could easily be mistaken for the Miami strip. Hundreds use the equipment daily, so it is packed with fit beach bods from morning to night. Done with your workout for the day? Hit the Bondi surf, only a few short steps away. PRINCE ALFRED PARK, SURRY HILLS This three-time award-winning facility includes the city's first heated outdoor swimming pool and brand new exercise equipment. The simple, motionless fitness stations are built for chin-ups, body curls, step-ups and the like. They're scattered across the park, which is also home to tennis and basketball courts. Consulted on by landscapers, architects and designers, Prince Alfred went green with the latest filtration systems, energy effective light bulbs and an underground water re-use system. The lush grass just adds to the pleasant workout ambiance. RUSHCUTTERS BAY PARK, RUSHCUTTERS BAY Situated right at the bay, this fitness station offers a most serene and relaxing way to work out. The equipment looks right out onto the sailboats and is much loved and used by the local community. Offering a range of workout options, including chin-ups, step-ups, and sit-ups, this is a straightforward workout location in one of Sydney prettiest parks. SYDNEY PARK, ST PETERS This namesake park is not simply home to a Darling Harbour-style epic playground and a kids' go-kart track (both adult friendly). The three spartan fitness stations provide for an intense workout in a beautiful location. It's also the perfect place to catch a cricket match, as the outdoor gym overlooks the playing field. Of course, the lush hills and beautiful wetlands aren't a bad reason to visit, either. WENTWORTH PARK, ULTIMO What started out as swamplands have been transformed over time to one of the most beloved parks in Sydney — especially for the sport involved there. The four floodlit fields, year-round cricket nets and four exercise stations are in constant use. Training sessions and exercise classes, including yoga and kickboxing happen regularly. Looking for a post workout snack? You won't have to rely on mediocre park kiosks here, as the Sydney Fish Market is just across the road. OBSERVATORY HILL PARK, MILLERS POINT One of few CBD parks with outdoor equipment, Observatory Hill Park is quite the picturesque workout location, thanks to sweeping, panoramic views of the Sydney Harbour and Harbour Bridge. Though the three fitness stations offer basic equipment and routines, the much loved exercise spot gets packed on either side of 9-5. To get the view, and the equipment, to yourself, late afternoon is your best bet. QUEENS PARK, QUEENS PARK Located at the base of Centennial Park is this updated equipment. Since it is such a massive park, it isn't typically as crowded as some of the beachfront stations and still offers a great range of workout options. Words and images by Marissa Ciampi.
In the coming years, the Gold Coast is set to welcome a new man-made surf wave pool, as well as a hotel and resort at Dreamworld. Later in 2021, it'll also boast a cabana-filled oceanside precinct on a rooftop. But before all of that comes to fruition, the popular southeast Queensland tourist destination is set to score another new attraction — with its new $60.5 million, six-level art gallery opening its doors on Saturday, May 8. First announced back in 2018, and given a launch date earlier this year, the new addition is part of HOTA, Home of the Arts in Surfers Paradise. Simply called the HOTA Gallery, it has been built at the top of the site's concert lawn, overlooking HOTA's outdoor stage. It's now the country's largest art gallery outside of a capital city and, obviously, it's giving art lovers both locally and Australia-wide plenty to get excited about. Designed by Melbourne-based architects ARM, the multi-floor gallery spans more than 2000 square metres of exhibition space. That includes a main area for touring exhibitions, a permanent collection space across three levels and a children's gallery. There's also an area for storing works that aren't on display, which is pivotal given that the site houses the Gold Coast's $32 million, 4400-piece City Collection. [caption id="attachment_811097" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Back wall: Nicola Moss Local Air 2021; Kirsty Bruce Wonderwall 2021; Aaron Chapman The Towers Project 2021; Back right: Michael Candy, Steal the Sunshine 2021; Front: Ali Bezer I Can Hear Water 2021; SOLID GOLD: Artists from Paradise, HOTA Gallery. Photo by Paul Harris Photography.[/caption] View-wise, there's much to look at already if you're keen on gazing at creative pieces. Running until July 4, Solid Gold: Artists from Paradise, showcases new works by Gold Coast artists, while Lyrical Landscapes: The Art of William Robinson pays tribute to one of Australia's greatest landscape painters until October 3. There's also Contemporary Masters from New York: Art from the Mugrabi Collection, which makes its world premiere until February 27 – and features 70 works from the likes of Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Richard Prince and Jeff Koons. In the children's gallery, World Upside Down runs until October 10, and is designed to be interactive for audiences of all ages. Visitors can also peer at more than just the art gracing the walls. The building's windows offer a stellar view of Surfers Paradise — and, outside, sculptural installations await. Queensland Waanyi artist Judy Watson's addition to the site heroes Indigenous native plants, and includes a pathway that forms a topographical map of Nerang prior to European settlement. It also spans Piccabeen basket and dilly bag sculptures designed with Quandamooka artists Libby Harward and Elisa Jane Carmichael, and features a two-metre-tall feather canopy and snippets of local language sandblasted onto the bleachers. And Sri-Lankan born, Sydney based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran has crafted a six-metre-high, double-sided sculpture made out of bronze, concrete, neon and fibreglass that's designed to reflect the vibrancy of the new building. [caption id="attachment_811082" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brett Boardman[/caption] Back inside the building, a rooftop bar and restaurant is also opening its doors. Called The Exhibitionist Bar, it takes over 233 square metres, and pairs panoramic views with tapas, share plates, cocktails, wine, beer and house-made sodas. Both indoor and outdoor terrace seating are a feature, and you'll get a vantage that sprawls over the Goldie's waterways, Surfers' Paradise skyline and the hinterland. Plus, in terms of decor, the venue takes its cues from rainforests — as does the immensely colourful building itself, which is inspired by William Robinson's 'The Rainforest'. HOTA Gallery and The Exhibitionist Bar will both open at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise on Saturday, May 8. For more information, visit the HOTA website. Top images: Brett Boardman
Mysteries to solve, eye-catching landscape to traverse and Eric Bana (A Sacrifice) playing sleuth: it worked in Australian film The Dry and its sequel Force of Nature: The Dry 2, and it has again in Netflix's unrelated series Untamed. The streaming service is betting it will once more when it brings back the latter mystery-thriller for a just-announced second season. After Untamed debuted in Netflix's global English-language top ten in mid-July 2025, the platform has revealed that more is on the way. This show was only originally envisioned to run for one season; however, it's set to return with a new investigation in a new national park. In Untamed, Bana plays Kyle Turner, an Investigative Services Branch agent of the US National Parks Service. Also starring Sam Neill (The Twelve), Rosemarie DeWitt (Smile 2), Lily Santiago (La Brea) and Wilson Bethel (Daredevil: Born Again) — portraying chief park ranger Paul Souter, Kyle's remarried ex-wife Jill, Los Angeles police officer Naya Vasquez and former army ranger-turned-park wildlife management officer Shane Maguire, respectively — the first season saw the Chopper, Dirty John, Blueback and Memoir of a Snail star's character looking into a death in Yosemite National Park, a case that forced him to confront his own past in the course of the investigation. "I am absolutely thrilled that we get the chance to bring another season of Untamed to life," said Bana in a statement as per Netflix's Tudum. "The response to season one has been a testament to the incredible effort by our crew to deliver something truly unique. I can't wait to take Kyle on his next journey. Massive thanks to Netflix, John Wells Productions, Warner Bros Television and our fans." There's no release date for Untamed season two, which was created by Mark L Smith (American Primeval) and and boasts The Pitt's John Wells as another of its executive producers, as yet. But stepping back into the show's world, rather than leaving the project as a six-episode limited series, eventuated because "the more that we got into it, it was just such a great cast ... it was just like, 'oh yeah, how do we keep this going?'", said Smith. Of the new setting, "this won't be the first park he's been in since Yosemite. He's been to a lot of parks. He's been busy, taking on a lot of cases. This will be the latest and it'll be more impactful for him," Smith also shared about Turner. Viewers can also expect Untamed's protagonist to be the newcomer in his surroundings, while digging into a different type of case from the first season — and for the new park, which hasn't yet been revealed, to be a key character the way Yosemite is in season one. Check out the trailer for Untamed season one below: Untamed streams via Netflix — and we'll update you with a release date for season two when more details are announced. Images: Ricardo Hubbs / Netflix © 2025.
Here's a scary statistic: in Australia alone, three million coffee pods go into the bin daily. Over eight days, that's enough trash to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Wish your caffeine habit weren't such a messy strain on the planet? We'd like you to meet Tripod Coffee's brand new coffee capsule. Not only biodegradable, these coffee pods are certified compostable, too. Plus, they fit into your Nespresso machine (or the like). After making yourself a brew, simply toss the pod into your green bin, and it'll break down within 90 days at a commercial composting facility — this handy diagram shows how the pod's transformation rate compares to traditional coffee pods. "Traditional capsules are aluminium or plastic with foil lids, but ours are a compostable biopolymer, with a paper lid," says Ed Cowan, who co-founded Tripod with fellow cricket star Steve Cazzulino while in between matches. For the unacquainted, biopolymer is a macromolecule (like protein) that grows inside a living organism. It comes from the Earth, so it's happy to make its return, without leaving a trace behind. That's why Tripod's capsules are different to most others. Sure, there are plenty of other biodegradable pods around, but most of them aren't compostable. "Every compostable capsule by definition is biodegradable," says Cowan. "But not every biodegradable capsule is compostable." The first of Tripod's coffees in the new capsules is The Green Gatsby, a 100% certified organic coffee from Papua New Guinea, and over the next few months, the brand's six other signature blends will follow suit. Find these mean green waste-fighting machines online here. Learn more about Tripod Coffee on their website.
A mega-venue has opened in the heart of Sydney's Circular Quay, adding four unique venues to the harbourside CBD suburb. The new Hinchcliff House has overtaken the heritage Hinchcliff Wool Store, a huge sandstone structure dating back to the 1860's that has been restored and revived as part of the ever-evolving Quay Quarter. Two of the Hinchcliff House's four venues are now open to the public, with the other two set to follow suit in May. Grana, located on the ground floor of the former wool store, is an all-day Italian restaurant and bakery, while Apollonia is a low-light cocktail bar in the venue's lower ground. Head to Grana early for a taste of its breakfast treats. Think blue swimmer crab omelette ($23) or a classic bacon and egg roll on schiacciata with chilli mayo and a hash brown ($18), alongside a selection of breakfast cocktails. All of Grana's bread is made at its onsite mill, providing fresh morning pastries, or ideal starters come dinner. Once breakfast is finished, turn your attention to Grana's standard menu. On the bread and dairy section, sourdough is served alongside a rich macadamia butter ($4 per person) and cheese is wrapped in thin and flaky house-made focaccia ($16). While it would be easy to fill up on bread, make sure you leave room for the cauliflower cotoletta ($24) or market fish tartar with trout roe ($26). Of course, a healthy selection of pasta is available including ricotta and pumpkin occhi, swimming in a lemon balm and served with pickled pumpkin ($25), or a seaweed gigli paired with Moreton Bay bug ($34). All four of the venues at Hinchcliff House are the creation of prolific New Zealand restauranteur Scott Brown (Amano) alongside the team at House Made Hospitality. Brown has been running restaurants across the Tasman for over a decade, founding Auckland's Hipgroup in 2004, responsible for venues like seasonal Spanish restaurant Alma. Images: Jiwon Kim
2023 marks three decades since Snoop Dogg released his first single and album, with the rap star's career evolving in a variety of ways from there. He's dropped hits like they're hot, collaborated with seemingly everyone in the music industry, and popped up on both the big and small screens. He's also taken on MC duties at wrestling matches, released his own wine and adopted aliases. And, in 2018, he shared his kitchen skills with the world via his very own cookbook. Within From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes From Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen's pages, fans can find recipes for everything from 'billionaire's bacon' and 'Bow Wow brownies and ice cream' — and, of course, gin and juice. Yes, the tome means that you can listen to Snoop's tunes while whipping up his dishes and sipping the drink he'll always be synonymous with. Yes, it was another success. [caption id="attachment_908060" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tulane Public Relations via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] From Crook to Cook reached shelves after Snoop teamed up with Martha Stewart on TV show Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party. Again, he does love a collab. So, now that it's time for a followup cookbook, the hip hop icon is also calling upon fellow rapper E-40 for help. The end result: Snoop Dogg Presents Goon with the Spoon. It's set to arrive in bookstores Down Under in November 2023, giving Snoop aficionados another way to splash their affection the musician's way after his tour across Australia and New Zealand back in February and March. This recipe collection spans more than 65 dishes, covering everything from mains and desserts to drinks. Despite the name, we're guessing that cask wine isn't included. This new kitchen bible will feature meals that take inspiration from Snoop and E-40's respective music catalogues, as well as Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party and E-40's Filipino food business Lumpia. And the reason for its moniker? Again, it isn't due to cheap boxed vino, but because that's E-40's — aka Earl Stevens — nickname, and adorns his range of sausages, ice cream flavour and burritos in the US. Snoop Dogg Presents Goon with the Spoon will also get Snoop-loving cooks sharing its wares, thanks to a selection of suggested event menus. Fancy a 4/20 potluck? Catering for a summertime block party? The cookbook includes options for both, plus headnotes and sidebar stories from Snoop and E-40's well-known pals about dinner parties and nights out together. View this post on Instagram A post shared by GOON WITH THE SPOON (@goonwiththespoon) Snoop Dogg Presents Goon with the Spoon releases on November 15, 2023. Top image: Jason Persse via Wikimedia Commons.
If you were looking forward to diggin' on the best-selling American female group in history at their latest Australia and New Zealand live shows this February and March, we come bearing bad news: TLC's Down Under tour has been cancelled. After The Weeknd postponed his 2023 gigs, then The Kid LAROI did the same with his planned early 2024 concerts, it's been a chaotic time for big-name live music shows. TLC made the announcement via social media, advising that scrapping their trip came "due to unforeseen circumstances". Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas were heading this way to mark the 30th anniversary of their smash-hit second studio album CrazySexyCool, returning two years after headlining Fridayz Live in Australia (but dropping out of Friday Jams in Aotearoa due to a COVID-19 case among their touring party). And TLC weren't just coming alone, with Busta Rhymes and En Vogue slated to be on supporting duties. "To our incredible Australian and New Zealand fans, it is with heavy hearts that we announce the cancellation of our upcoming tour. We sincerely apologise for any disappointment to our fans," T-Boz and Chilli posted online. "Your support means everything, and we promise to make it up to you. We can't wait to be back in your beautiful countries soon. Thank you for your understanding and love," the statement continued. CrazySexyCool gave the world 'Creep', 'Waterfalls', 'Diggin' on You' and 'Red Light Special', among other tracks, but the 1994 diamond-certified album wasn't set to be the only source of songs for TLC's 2024 shows thanks to the likes of 'No Scrubs' and 'Unpretty'. And, each gig was going to be a 90s-themed party, with 90s fashion, fan interaction and a few surprises. TLC, Busta Rhymes and En Vogue were heading to Trusts Arena Auckland, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Brisbane Entertainment Centre and RAC Arena in Perth. Ticketholders will receive automatic refunds via their payment method. TLC 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF 'CRAZYSEXYCOOL' AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2024 DATES — ALL CANCELLED: Thursday, February 29 — Trusts Arena, Auckland — CANCELLED Saturday, March 2 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne — CANCELLED Sunday, March 3 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide — CANCELLED Tuesday, March 5 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney — CANCELLED Thursday, March 7 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane — CANCELLED Saturday, March 9 — RAC Arena, Perth — CANCELLED TLC's 30th-anniversary CrazySexyCool tour is no longer going ahead Down Under in February and March 2024. Ticketholders will receive automatic refunds via their payment method.
