Want to get the most out of Vivid? Here’s a tip. Try, not only watching the lights from afar, but getting among them, too. And I don’t mean attempting to climb the Opera House sails. Cruise Bar, on Level 3 of the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, has taken on the Vivid mantle with the installation of an illuminated pop-up bar. Created in conjunction with Belvedere Vodka and named Belvedere BEAT, it’s situated on the Cruise rooftop, affording panoramic views of the Opera House, city skyline and Harbour. Each night, from May 21 to June 9, you’ll be able to sip on Belvedere-spiked concoctions while surrounded by light installations designed to complement the show outside — from the Opera House’s ever-shifting display to the glittering, multicoloured ferries darting around the Harbour — and listening to soulful local grooves. Entry is free. If you’re looking to match your Vivid experience with a meal, make a booking at the Cruise Restaurant on level two. Contemporary Australian fare with an emphasis on fresh, local, seasonal produce is on the menu. Think Sydney rock oysters, crispy skin smoked salmon and Gippsland lamb rump. Star of the dessert menu is whisky lemon cake (mandarin curd, whisky jelly, ginger ice cream and lavender meringue). And down on level one, there’s the Cruise Bar, where you can either sit inside or enjoy a beverage in the Heineken outdoor bar in the courtyard, set up for Vivid’s duration. Our bet is that Cruise is going to be an incredibly popular spot over the next couple of weeks. So if you’re planning a visit, make a reservation. You can do so by calling (02) 9251 1188 or emailing info@cruisebar.com.au.
Instagram, the photo-sharing iPhone app, has allowed users to export their Instagram photos to other social networking sites from the start. Until now, however, users weren't able to import photos to Instagram. Thanks to a new partnership with Hipstamatic, all that has changed. The two iPhone photo apps are pairing up to allow photos taken on either app to easily upload to Instagram's network. Both Instagram and Hipstamatic seek to marry the romance of old-fashioned photography with the iPhone camera. Instagram enables users to snap a photo on their iPhone and to transform the look and feel of it with their choice of filter. The edited photo may then be uploaded to the Instagram site, as well as to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, all for free. Last week, Instagram reached 27 million users, making it one of the most popular photo-sharing services, as well as one of the fastest-growing social networks. In a similar vein, Hipstamatic allows users to choose the lens, flash, and film they want to use to take their photo, creating an old-fashioned image. The initial app costs $1.99 in Apple's app store, and additional lenses and films are available for in-app purchase. "When we launched, it was all about Facebook and Flickr and Twitter, and now we're seeing a huge shift in our user base toward Instagram," Hipstamatic co-founder and CEO, Lucas Buick, told Fast Company. "We've never been a social networking company, but we clearly benefit from social networks. So this will be the first app outside of Instagram that lets you into their network. That's pretty cool for us." Each Hipstamatic photo pushed into Instagram will be tagged with an attribution to Hipstamatic. "It's a step in the direction that we're testing out," says Instagram CEO and cofounder Kevin Systrom. "We've been very careful about making sure that Instagram photos are about what's happening right now in your life, and we want to allow for more of those photos to end up on Instagram regardless of where they're taken." The partnership is set to be unveiled today, so get to snapping photos happy hipsters. [via Fast Company]
It's been half a century since The Rocky Horror Show first brought its musical blend of sci-fi, horror and comedy to the stage, and the cult hit itself has the perfect phrase to describe those quickly passing years. Yes, time is fleeting when you're singing about a college-aged couple getting a flat tyre, wandering over to an old castle to ask for help, and finding an extra-terrestrial mad scientist from the galaxy of Transylvania — plus his staff and his Frankenstein-style experiments — awaiting. Yes, the show itself is astounding, too. To celebrate this big anniversary, a new Australian production of The Rocky Horror Show is currently touring the country, starting in Sydney then moving to Adelaide and Melbourne. And, for one night only, the Sydney season is beaming one of its shows into cinemas as well — live as it's all happening at the Theatre Royal Sydney. Movie-goers can do the 'Time Warp' in the cinema aisles on Thursday, March 30, which is when the Richard O'Brien-created production will be broadcast from the stage to the screen. In the process, The Rocky Horror Show will notch up a first. For Trafalgar Releasing, who is behind a heap of event cinema-style sessions like this, this is the first time that it has presented a live event from an Aussie venue to cinemas across the nation. "We're delighted to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Show with a live broadcast from Theatre Royal Sydney to cinemas across Australia," said Trafalgar Releasing CEO Marc Allenby. "This is our first live broadcast from an Australian venue and it's fantastic to be working with the team at the theatre and our partners within the Trafalgar Entertainment Group to bring one of the world's favourite musicals to cinema audiences across the continent for the first time." Folks hitting up big screens around the country will want to listen closely, and watch, as Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter puts his hands on his hips, then brings his knees in tight. The glorious madness will take its toll with help not only from Donovan — fresh from popping back up in Ramsay Street to farewell Neighbours before it was renewed again — but also from Spicks and Specks' Myf Warhurst as The Narrator. Also featuring: Ellis Dolan (School of Rock) as Eddie/Dr Scott, Darcey Eagle (Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) as Columbia, Ethan Jones (9 to 5 The Musical) as Brad, Deirdre Khoo (Once) as Janet, Loredo Malcolm (Hamilton) as Rocky and Henry Rollo (Jagged Little Pill the Musical) as Riff Raff. Of course, this tale is no stranger to cinemas thanks to 1975's iconic big-screen release The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Since first premiering in London in June 1973, The Rocky Horror Show has played in more than 30 countries, with over 30 million people seeing songs like 'Science Fiction/Double Feature', 'Dammit, Janet!', 'Sweet Transvestite', 'Over at the Frankenstein Place' and 'Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me'. If you haven't been before and can't make it to the current theatre tour, this is your turn to join in. The Rocky Horror Show will broadcast live in cinemas on Thursday, March 30, with tickets on sale from Wednesday, March 1. The Rocky Horror Show's 2023 Australian tour is currently playing Sydney then moves to Adelaide and Melbourne. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the production's website. Images: Daniel Boud.
If you're a fan of mystery and delicious food, we have the juicy deets of an exclusive dinner that'll be right up your alley. This year, classy chip purveyor Red Rock Deli is hosting a series of exclusive secret suppers in mystery locations across Sydney — and you're invited. Across the next few months, some of Australia's most talented chefs will whip up mouth-watering feasts inspired by Red Rock Deli's new flavour range. And when we say exclusive, we mean it — only twenty lucky guests will be tucking into each lavish dinner. Despite everything being very hush-hush, we can reveal that the first Secret Supper will be hosted by Australian-Malaysian chef and 2010 MasterChef Australia winner Adam Liaw on Wednesday, May 15. Most of the details are still under wraps, but here's what we can tell you: after arriving at the collection point at Central Station's Grand Concourse entrance at 8pm, you'll be whisked away to a mystery location for the dining experience. During the evening, Liaw will recreate the flavours from the Thai red chilli and creamy coconut flavour from Red Rock Deli's new limited-edition Fusion range over a three-course meal. The menu will remain a secret until you arrive, but if grilled seafood, hearty curries and tropical flavours tickle your tastebuds, you're sure to be satisfied. Tickets to Fusion Adventure are priced at $110 per person and can be purchased here. Please note the Secret Supper menu will not cater to ANY dietary requirements or allergies. There are strictly no changes to the menu. Image: Kitti Gould.
Celebrating a European Christmas is at the top of many people's bucket lists — and now you can cross it off with the German International School Sydney's annual Christmas Market. Held on Friday, August 16 and Saturday, August 17, the market brings festive cheer to Sydney's northern beaches with a host of open-air market stalls, traditional German food, fairy lights and music. Before you explore, grab a mug of warm and spicy mulled wine from the Glühwein Hut. The market will be overflowing with traditional German cuisine, including favourites such as bratwurst, sauerkraut, pancakes and pretzels. Styled like a classic European Christmas market, the array of stalls will be covered in charming fairy lights with many offering a range of high quality local produce, festive decorations, homewares, jewellery and more. There will also be a bonfire that'll keep you thawed and some marshmallows going around that could use some light toasting on the flames. We're also hoping last year's giant inflatable 'snow globe' with fake snow makes a return. The German Christmas Market will run from 5–9pm on Friday, August 17, and 4–9pm on Saturday, August 18.
In The Guest Edit we hand the reins over to some of Sydney's most interesting, tasteful and (or) entertaining people. For this instalment, Susan Armstrong and Michelle Grey, the culture aficionados, experience curators and conversation enablers behind Arts-Matter. Trust them, they know what they're talking about. SUSAN AND MICHELLE: After another seemingly never ending lockdown, and what felt like a cultural dearth for the second year running, we're ready to swap our sweat pants for party frocks and get out there and experience the physical world once again. While the pandemic has been tough for everyone, its legacy has left us with a tonne of artistic innovation and we're excited to reap the benefits. Lucky for us, over the next couple of months there's a bevy of art exhibitions, performances and creative happenings going on across greater Sydney and regional NSW. Here's our list of the top things to help satiate your cultural appetite… [caption id="attachment_829780" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doug Aitken, Underwater Pavilions (installation) 2017. Image credit: Dan Boud[/caption] DOUG AITKEN, THE MCA Plunge into the world of internationally recognised American artist Doug Aitken this summer at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Aitken's works lead us into a world where time, space, and memory are fluid concepts (a perfectly fitting post-pandemic theme). The exhibition incorporates objects, installations, photographs and vast, multi-screen environments that will envelop you within a kaleidoscope of moving imagery and sound. Using light, reflection and multiplication, Aitken is sure to mesmerise even the most jaded group of museum goers. When: Until 6 February 2022 Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, 140 George St, The Rocks How: Buy tickets for $28 for adults, $22 concession, $12 for 13-18 years, free for kids 12 and under [caption id="attachment_830558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sydney Dance Company[/caption] SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY'S NEW BREED, CARRIAGEWORKS While we've all been moving and grooving in our athleisure outfits for four months running, it's time to get out and see how the professionals get down. Sydney Dance Company, in partnership with Carriageworks and The Balnaves Foundation, returns to the stage with the eighth edition of New Breed, continuing a collective commitment to emerging choreographers. Four talented choreographers will create new works featuring a rich diversity of choreographic ideas to be performed by Sydney Dance Company's company dancers. When: 25 November until 11 December Where: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh How: Buy tickets for $35-$45 [caption id="attachment_830585" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tamara Dean[/caption] TAMARA DEAN, NGUNUNGGULA GALLERY Now that we're allowed to travel beyond our local bodega, we highly recommend a countryside jaunt to the beautiful Southern Highlands. Newly opened Ngununggula (which means "belonging" in the traditional language of the Gundungurra First Nations people) is the Southern Highlands' first regional art gallery. The Gallery will open with two inaugural exhibitions by celebrated Australian artists Tamara Dean (with the terrifically titled show 'Hijinks in the Hydrangeas') and Megan Cope. When: Until 17 December, 2021 Where: Ngununggula, 1 Art Gallery Lane, Bowral NSW How: Free [caption id="attachment_830570" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Abdullah M.I. Syed portrait, 2018[/caption] ABDULLAH M.I. SYED, PENRITH REGIONAL GALLERY Pakistani-born Australian artist, Abdullah M.I. Syed, has undertaken a short residency to research the influence of the Bauhaus School on Australian Modernism, specifically through the artistic practice of Margo Lewers, who built the property that is now the Penrith Regional Gallery. Lewers' works will be on show alongside Syed's response that also draws on Islamic geometric design, the use of reflection and transparency, positive and negative space, as well the relationship between art and faith. When: 25 October 2021 – 9 January 2022 Where: Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest, 86 River Road, Emu Plains, NSW How: Free [caption id="attachment_830572" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Future Is Here, Dennis Golding[/caption] THE FUTURE IS HERE BY DENNIS GOLDING, CARRIAGEWORKS After a year plus of fighting COVID 19, we're all in need of some superhero powers. Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding, along with a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, worked together on creating a collection of 100 brightly coloured capes. Students designed their capes with iconography informed by their lived experiences and cultural identity. The project continues Golding's exploration of using superhero symbolism to empower contemporary Aboriginal culture to free it from colonial narratives. As superheroes, Golding and his young collaborators are empowered and reminded of the strength of their culture in forming their identity and connection to Country. When: 3-28 November 2021 Where: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh How: Free GIANT BADGES BY ADAM NORTON, SYDNEY CBD Take a stroll beyond your five kilometre radius and check out Sydney-based artist Adam Norton's Giant Badges come to life on Barrack Street, as part of the City of Sydney's temporary laneway art program. Influenced by apocalyptic sci-fi films, pop and counterculture, the badges have an immediate sense of nostalgia to them while speaking directly to today's most important social issues including the climate and public health emergencies - giving a nod to the notion that our current reality feels stranger than science fiction. When: Until Thursday 31 March 2022 Where: Barrack St (between George and York Streets), Sydney How: Free [caption id="attachment_830561" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Megan Bottari, Post-Modern Tokenism III 2007-2013 (detail) lost wax cast crystal.[/caption] YOU CAN'T SEE WHITE IF YOU DON'T SEE BLACK, WAGGA WAGGA ART GALLERY Having just emerged from one of the darkest moments in many of our lives, we're all ready to see some light. Curated from the National Art Glass Collection, You can't see White, if you won't see Black seeks to comment on the coexistence and unity of opposites as well as duality in politics, spirituality and morality. Day, light, and good are often linked together, in opposition to night, darkness, and evil. These contrasting metaphors represented as White and Black go back in human history, and across cultures. This exhibition seeks to communicate spiritual purity and intensity of feeling - bringing together the oneness of the universe. When: Until Sunday 27 November 2021 Where: Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, corner of Baylis and Morrow Streets, Wagga Wagga NSW How: Free [caption id="attachment_830584" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grass Labyrinth © 1979 Films Du Jeudi-Toel[/caption] JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL, PALACE CINEMAS The Japanese Film Festival makes a grand return to the cinema for its 25th year with a national tour in Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Screening at the new venue of Palace Cinemas in each city, the 2021 Festival program will feature an expertly curated selection of films, from the hottest newly-released feature titles alongside action, anime, drama, documentaries and much more. We can't wait to see Junk Head and The Deer King, and don't miss the free tribute series of films by Shuji Terayama, one of Japan's most influential avant-garde film directors. When: 25 November – 5 December 2021 Where: Palace Cinemas Nationally How: Buy tickets starting from $16 [caption id="attachment_830577" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sky Queenz[/caption] FLING FESTIVAL, DARLINGHURST THEATRE COMPANY The beloved Darlinghurst Theatre is encouraging its patrons to break up with lockdown and join them for a no-strings-attached fling — and we couldn't support this more! The Fling Festival will transform Darlo into a vibrant cultural hub featuring one-off events and performances in the theatre's cabaret lounge and auditorium. Fling Festival is your go-to for all things cabaret, comedy, music, good vibes and more. Don't miss Sydney's favourite LGBTQIA+ performers bring cult cinema classics to the stage with a queer twist, or Sky Queenz, an immersive cabaret experience infusing drag, music, burlesque and comedy. When: 28 October - 11 December 2021 Where: Darlinghurst Theatre, 39 Burton Street, Darlinghurst How: Buy tickets at the Darlinghurst Theatre website
Lets face it, almost all of us are attached to our phones. We text, tweet, share, play and occasionally call at all hours of the day from all locations. That is the modern technological world for you where we are connected all the time, everywhere, even the theatre thanks to Blindscape, an innovative new piece of theatre presented by PACT that combines circus, performance and app technology. Whilst most theatre shows would give you the greasiest of glares for even looking at your phone, Blindscape is only possible to participate in by using a provided iPhone, pre-loaded with the specially designed Blindscape app. This app provides the primary illumination for the show, permitting the performers to infiltrate the virtual world this light source creates. It offers the audience fleeting fragments of circus which ultimately question our relationship with our personal technologies via exploitation of that affiliation. This first of its kind circus show can only house thirty a performance so bookings are pretty essential for this one.
Summer is that excellent time of year when there's plenty to do but there doesn't seem to be as much pressure as the other months. With Christmas out of the way and the stress of work not piling on too strong just yet (hopefully), now is the perfect time to try to get a little more arts and culture into your daily life. We've teamed up with Patrón to put together a handy guide to some unexpected ways you can get in touch with your artsy side in your city. Read on for some hot tips on adding some arts and culture to your after-work agenda — and how to snag a few deals along the way, too. HEAD TO A GALLERY OR MUSEUM AFTER HOURS Galleries and museums are an obvious port of call, but it can be a little tricky to get to one when you work nine to five (and don't want to schlep it back into the city on the weekend). Luckily, plenty of our favourites keep their doors open into the night. In Melbourne, be sure to check out Melbourne Museums monthly after-hours series Nocturnal, and the National Gallery of Victoria's Friday Nights program. Meanwhile, Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art stays open until 9pm on Wednesdays so you can pop in after work and explore the Cornelia Parker retrospective exhibition. Plus, the museum is hosting a pop-up bar with Patrón, which is celebrating the craftsmanship of its tequilas, over the summer. It's open until 10pm on weekdays (plus 9pm on Saturdays and 8pm on Sundays) until February 16. After you wander around the space, you can head to the bar to witness more expressions of art — think interactive performances and VR experiences — and enjoy a Parker-inspired cocktail and some Mexican snacks. Plus, Patrón has teamed up with other bars around Circular Quay, including Bar Patrón, Quay Bar and The Argyle, to create The Art of Patrón precinct, so you can transition your night out into a summery bar crawl very easily. [caption id="attachment_719550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Murphy[/caption] SNAG A LAST-MINUTE TICKET TO A THEATRE SHOW These days, all the big theatre companies and venues are slinging cheap tickets to make it easier than ever to dive into the potentially unknown theatrical world — you've just got to know how to get your hands on them. Across both Sydney and Melbourne, Opera Australia runs an access program for $20 tickets through a ballot. Also in Sydney, every Monday at midday Griffin Theatre releases $20 tickets for that evening's performance, and Sydney Theatre Company's Thirties releases a selection of $30 tickets for all its shows every Thursday at 9am. Meanwhile, the Arts Centre Melbourne's Tix at Six sells $30 tickets from the box office at 6pm every day, and The Friday Forty is a lottery to score $40 tickets to the blockbuster play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Melbourne's Princess Theatre. Also, keep an eye out on LastTix, TodayTix and HalfTix for more deals. [caption id="attachment_652785" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY AT A SHORT COURSE Taking in all that art can leave you feeling pretty inspired, or like you really need to learn a new skill to feel better about yourself. Whatever the motivation, our cities are crawling with talented creatives willing to share their skills for a small fee. In Melbourne, creative art, craft and design hub The Windsor Workshop runs a bunch of different classes, including haute couture beading, watercolour painting, acrylic palette knife art and ceramics workshops. And in Sydney, Redfern's Work-Shop offers a similarly broad range of classes, like Japanese bookbinding, paper making and jewellery art, while The Pottery Shed will have you throwing clay in its Surry Hills warehouse. CATCH SOME ARTSY FILMS Next up, you can be inspired by films on the big screen and remember that there's more to life than blockbuster franchises. Get yourself a membership to your local cinema to make the most of the available deals. Palace Cinemas has venues all over Australia and movie club members get great discounts and exclusive events — and keep your eye out for cheap tickets there, too, usually on Mondays or Tuesdays. Sydneysiders have plenty of options, with free weekly screenings at the Art Gallery of NSW, $7.50 tickets all the time at Dumaresq Street Cinema in Campbelltown, and $6 tickets for students on Mondays at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace. [caption id="attachment_653436" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jackson Grant[/caption] MAKE THE MOST OF THE SEASON'S CULTURAL FESTIVALS Of course, festival season is upon us, and that doesn't just mean the big camping and music extravaganzas. Every event at the MPavilion in Melbourne's Queen Victoria Gardens is free, so you can enjoy live music, a life drawing class, morning yoga sessions, Indigenous design forums and dance performances right up until March 22. You can also check out Melbourne's leading LGBTQI+ arts and culture event Midsumma Festival from January 19 until February 9, while those in NSW should be sure to make the most of Sydney Festival's stacked 2020 program, running from January 8–26. The Patrón Pop-up will run from Thursday, October 31 through February 16 (excluding public holidays). It is open every Wednesday through Sunday from 4–10pm. Visit Patron's website for more details.
Not once, not twice, but three times during the 21st century, movie-goers have watched Peter Parker get bitten by a radioactive spider. We've witnessed the aftermath more times than that, too, thanks to three different Spider-Man franchises, all with multiple entries, starring three different actors as the web-slinger. But whether you prefer Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield or Tom Holland's version of the character, every single live-action Spidey film pales in comparison to 2018's dazzling animated effort Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The Oscar-winner is the movie that gave us a spider-woman, spider-robot and spider-pig, as well as Nicolas Cage as a 30s-era spider-vigilante, so it was always going to be a delight — and it's getting a sequel. Even better: it's getting two follow-ups, because Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will hit cinemas as two films — starting with Part One in October 2022. Once again filled with multiple Spideys, the first part has just dropped its initial trailer alongside that multi-flick announcement. And yes, the animation still looks spectacular. While Holland's take on Parker, and Spider-Man, is about to dabble with multiverse madness in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Shameik Moore (Let It Snow)-voiced Miles Morales already went there in Into the Spider-Verse. So, in the sequel to the latter, Morales is spinning back into familiar territory — although, based on the first sneak peek, he's heading into other Spidey realms rather than welcoming different web-slingers into his. Also returning in Across the Spider-Verse: Hailee Steinfeld (Hawkeye) as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, as seen in the trailer, and Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter) as Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099. If you're wondering about Isaac's character, he first turned up in the post-credits section of Into the Spider-Verse, and he's an alternate version of Spidey from a specific Marvel Comics imprint. Across the Spider-Verse will see Morales, Stacy and other Spider-People join forces to deal with a powerful villain — so some standard Spidey stuff, but with more Spideys and, again, those eye-popping visuals. Here's hoping it also keeps the sense of humour and playfulness that made Into the Spider-Verse such a treat, and keeps doing what only this animated Spidey franchise can. Check out the first Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) trailer below: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will release in cinemas Down Under in October 2022 — we'll update you when an exact date is announced.
Whether capturing a concert in full or piecing together a career overview, a great music documentary ticks two boxes. If it doesn't leave you with a new appreciation for and understanding of its subject — even if you already adored the band or musician in the spotlight, and thought you knew everything there possibly is to know — then it isn't doing its job. And if it doesn't take care of your music playlist for the hours, days and even weeks afterwards, well, there's something missing as well. We know this because music docos are a stacked genre. Name a group or performer, and odds are they've earned the documentary treatment. They're a popular genre, too — because who doesn't want to watch a movie about bands and musos they like? Alas, while plenty of cameras have been pointed at plenty of talent over the years, not every great music doco is available to stream. Some big hitters, like the Rolling Stones-focused Gimme Shelter, David Bowie concert flick Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Beastie Boys' crowd-filmed Awesome, I Fuckin' Shot That and the Chemical Brothers' Don't Think aren't currently accessible, for example. But others are — so we've rounded up ten ace documentaries and concert films that are presently on offer at the click of a button. And yes, dancing in your lounge room is perfectly acceptable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4IZBJrNXrY STOP MAKING SENSE When David Byrne walks out onto a Hollywood stage circa 1983 in Stop Making Sense, he brings a tape deck with him. With no one else around him, he presses play, takes hold of the microphone and begins to sing one of Talking Heads' best-known songs: 'Psycho Killer'. That's not how concerts usually kick off — but it's instantly memorable. Everything about this energetic and precisely executed documentary, which records the show from start to finish, earns the same description. Directed by future The Silence of the Lambs Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme, each element of the film is fine-tuned, and every element of the band's performance, too. Expect a lineup of hits, a playful approach, Byrne's famous big suit and even bigger stage presence, and the feeling that you're virtually in the room. Stop Making Sense is available to stream via DocPlay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB8qvx0HOlI HOMECOMING: A FILM BY BEYONCE April 14, 2018, will forever go down in history as the day Beyoncé took to the Coachella stage and made it her own. If you were lucky enough to be there, you'll no doubt remember it forever. If you watched the live stream — and it became the most-watched live-streamed performance of all time, so you probably did — then you'll never forget it either. Whichever category you fell into, you likely wished you were closer to the action — to the stage for the 137-minute performance, to the 100-plus dancers, to its powerful homage to America's historically black colleges and universities, and to the backstage antics as well. That's where Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé comes in, with the engaging and intimate concert documentary not only capturing the huge festival performance (and that Destiny's Child reunion), but weaving in behind-the-scenes footage and candid chats that delve into the preparation process and explain Bey's stunning vision. Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCyqR2RXoQU BEASTIE BOYS STORY The idea behind Beastie Boys Story is simple. After Adam 'Ad-Rock' Horovitz and Michael 'Mike D' Diamond wrote a book about their career, called Beastie Boys Book, they then talked audiences through it in a series of Spike Jonze-helmed live shows, called Beastie Boys Show — and the Adaptation and Her director filmed them. As a result, this doco tells the Beasties' tale direct from the source; however the hip hop group's surviving two members are candid, heartfelt and definitely not interested in sugarcoating their ups and downs. Along the way, Jonze weaves in an array of excellent archival footage, as well as plenty of the Beasties' tracks and music videos. Yes, that includes the iconic 'Sabotage' clip, aka one of the best music videos of all time. That's all great, fun, and both smartly and entertainingly structured, but just watching Ad-Rock and Mike D chat is the clear highlight. And when Ad-Rock sits down on stage to talk about the person missing — Adam 'MCA' Yauch, who died in 2012 from cancer — your eyes won't stay dry. Beastie Boys Story is available to stream via Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7WthSspQ4&feature=emb_logo AMAZING GRACE Told on screen via text, the story behind concert documentary Amazing Grace is worth its own movie. Over two nights in January 1972, Aretha Franklin recorded her best-selling gospel album of the same name at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, with the Southern California Community Choir as backing singers, and with filmmaker Sydney Pollack on hand to capture the whole thing. But, due to both technical and legal issues — and Franklin suing to stop the movie's belated release before her death — the end result didn't make it to the big screen until just last year. Nearly half a century is a long time to wait; however, this doco is worth it. Amazing Grace is joyous for many reasons, including witnessing the Queen of Soul's talent, paying tribute in an intimate fashion, and seeing the effect of faith and artistry on the on-screen audience. And when Franklin sings the title track for 11 minutes, it's a moment no one will forget in a hurry. Amazing Grace is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Pf3MlUo7c A BAND CALLED DEATH In the introduction to this article, we noted that a music doco should do two things. A few achieve something else as well: they open your eyes to a story, and to a musical talent, that you likely wouldn't have known about otherwise. A Band Called Death is one of those documentaries. You mightn't have heard of 70s hard rock outfit Death, the Detroit group widely considered to be the first punk band, otherwise — but once you've made their acquaintance, you'll want to discover more. Directors Mark Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett are rightfully certain of this, because that's what record collectors started doing when Death's 1975 album ...For the Whole World to See was finally released in 2009. And yes, A Band Called Death covers that part of the story, too. A Band Called Death is available to stream via DocPlay, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeElITdTLE8 SIGN O' THE TIMES As Purple Rain wholeheartedly proved, there are few things as entrancing as watching the late, great Prince on-screen across a hefty chunk of time. If you'd rather see him do what he did best in a whole concert film — or you loved Purple Rain's live performance scenes so much that you want more, which is completely understandable — then Sign o' the Times has you covered. The purple one sings, obviously, largely sticking to tracks from the 1987 album that shares the film's name. He dances like no one other than Prince can. And, he also wears oh-so-many skimpy jumpsuits. Between songs such as 'Little Red Corvette' and 'If I Was Your Girlfriend', the concert doco also weaves in a narrative, should you be keen on a bit of a story with your sultry, slinky, toe-tapping Prince tunes. Sign o' the Times is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SluDNQTRDPQ THE PUNK SINGER She helped start the riot grrrl movement, became the voice of 90s punk feminism and, when she spray-painted "Kurt smells like Teen Spirit" across her pal Mr Cobain's wall, inspired the name of a certain grunge anthem. We're talking about Bikini Kill lead singer Kathleen Hanna — who also went on to release her own solo work and front late 90s/early 00s electro-rock group Le Tigre. From crafting art-school fashion shows that comment on sexual assault, to forcing gig crowds let girls to the front so they could mosh without being accosted, Hanna's story is as lengthy as it is fascinating, as The Punk Singer chronicles. This fantastic doco not only steps through its subject's career, explains her impact, explores her quest to share her feminist principles and exposes the many obstacles in her way, but also gets frank and intimate when it comes to her step back from performing due to health reasons in 2005. It also features insights from Hanna's husband, if you didn't get enough of Ad-Rock in Beastie Boys Story. The Punk Singer is available to stream via iTunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXa3gw3g4C4 GURRUMUL As the insightful film Gurrumul conveys, the late Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was a musician and a man utterly unlike anyone else. Making his first feature, director Paul Damien Williams charts Yunupingu's days from childhood to his passing, painting a captivating portrait of one of Australia's undisputed icons. Sometimes, the documentary is happy to simply sit and watch as Yunupingu does what he does so sublimely: sing and play, his voice ringing out over the top of his own guitar or even paired with an orchestra. Sometimes, the movie delves deep into Yunupingu's clearly reclusive nature, whether he's keeping mum in interviews, preferring to stay at home, or failing to show up at the airport for what would've been a career-defining trip to America. The end result is a dense, rare and haunting documentary modelled in its subject's image, proving as beautiful, intimate, layered and revelatory as the artist's remarkable songs. Gurrumul is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlT7UQm5pfY JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE + THE TENNESSEE KIDS Filmmaker Jonathan Demme strikes again with Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids, giving JT the same lively, entertaining and immaculately choreographed concert doco treatment that he did Talking Heads in the aforementioned Stop Making Sense. Even if you're not much of a fan of the former *NSYNC member when you start watching Demme's documentary, you're unlikely to find your attention levels dropping even for a second, as the movie constantly finds something dazzling to thrust in front of the lens. Usually, that's Timberlake. He's a top-notch live performer, and his efforts and talents are firmly on display here. Also on offer: a set list filled with familiar tracks. And, as the film's name makes plain, JT's band The Tennessee Kids also earns — and deserves — the camera's focus. Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEaCDxjmPNg SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN Before A Band Called Death stepped through the kind of music story that's so filled with twists and turns that it could only be true, Searching for Sugar Man did the same. The Oscar-winning doco's subject: Sixto Rodriguez, an American musician who was hugely popular in the 70s in South Africa, other African countries, and also Australia and New Zealand. After hearing rumours of Rodriguez's death in the late 90s, two fans tried to work out if it was true — with Swedish documentarian Malik Bendjelloul charting their efforts and revelations. Rodriguez is no stranger to Australia's shores, so part of the movie's discoveries won't come as a surprise to many viewers Down Under; however this film still proves informative and enthralling at every turn. Also, it'll get Rodriguez's track 'Sugar Man' stuck in your head. Searching for Sugar Man is available to stream via Stan and DocPlay.
The trailer for the fourth instalment of George Miller’s Mad Max franchise was released at Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend, and it's a total, jaw-dropping attention hog. Mad Max: Fury Road sees Tom Hardy take the reigns as 'Mad' Max Rockatansky, with appearances from Charlize Theron, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, Megan Gale, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Nicholas Hoult thrown into the high-speed mix. From what we can gather the film revolves around a huge car chase sequence set in an unmerciful desert, complete with all the trimmings of daredevil motorbike jumps, rolling car crashes and explosions. Lots of explosions. There's some captivating end-of-days imagery going on, showing this classic Australian franchise has not been left to idle in the '80s. The fourth Mad Max has had film fans on tenterhooks for decades. It has a potted production history, having spent 25 years in what is known as "development hell". Most recently, filming was moved from Broken Hill to Namibia, after unexpected heavy rains turned the necessary desert landscape into inappropriate lush wildflowers. It's looking formidable from the trailer, so let's hope the movie — due for release on May 15, 2015 — delivers on the impact promised.
Envisioning yourself rather anchorless after spending the Easter break at home on the couch, noncommittally watching Australia's Got Talent and gormandising leftover chocolate eggs? Well, idle no longer, because the Sydney Comedy Festival is giving you myriad comedy nights to attend. Between April 24 and May 12, there are 97 shows comprising 1200 hours of delicious, belly-rupturing hilarity — from top-billed comedians to outrageous musical comedies. Internet sensation The Axis of Awesome will perform their Tour of 2006. Apparently they've had 40 million hits on YouTube — probably from people checking out that rather deft 'Four Chord Song' number. Now the Time Out Sydney Best Show 2010/2011 award winners return with new songs, classic manhandled hits and brand-new jokes about Benny's height. Dingalingdingding. Well-established UK Acts Akmal and Jimeoin will also feature. For the first time in history, Akmal will be appearing in "high definition 3D" (glasses not provided). Meanwhile, Jimeoin is offering pure, simple, good old craic — nothing too gimmicky for the comedy classicists out there. Sketch comedy stars of Edinburgh and Montreal Idiots of Ants (2010 Chortle Award Winners and 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominees), are coming to Sydney for the first time to deliver a glorious marriage of rock 'n' roll hysteria with sharply brilliant comedy. Daniel Kitson returns with his particular brand of morose-comedic, oddball storytelling. His new show, Where Once Was Wonder, contains three stories, each relating to "the impossible". Jim Breuer, auspiciously featuring in Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, is known for his four-year run on Saturday Night Live and starring role in the cult classic movie Half Baked alongside Dave Chappelle. Expect superstardom. Musical comedy gets a significant run throughout the festival with the launch of The Riot House, where comedy stars are flung together on stage, and Alzheimer's the Musical. Sold out shows up north promise to make this an authentic Edinburgh Experience. And don't miss Hot Dub Time Machine if you're at all inclined to attend the world's first time-travelling dance party. If it's all a little too overwhelming, there is always the comforting pad thai of the comedy world, with the show that kicks it all off — Cracker Night. The ultimate tried-and-true event of the festival's finest and brightest has become much loved, much anticipated and surely not to be missed. A vast improvement on Australia's Got Talent and an excess of eggs. Image: Smart Casual.
Something delightful is 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 starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). 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 over the past three months, 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=y6sISEQ4qZs THE SWALLOWS OF KABUL When French-made, Cannes-premiering animation The Swallows of Kabul first introduces aspiring artist Zunaira (Zita Hanrot), she's drawing images of herself and her historian husband Mohsen (Swann Arlaud) on their apartment walls. Secreted away behind a curtain, her charcoal sketches join others just like them and, in the process, this opening moment makes a clear and determined statement. Depicting humans in art is cautioned against in the hadith, the record of words ascribed to the prophet Muhammad, after all, and Zunaira lives in Kabul in 1998, when her homeland is under Taliban rule. She's breaking their laws, which she knows; however she's not the only one being rebellious. In using a medium that's frowned upon in the Islamic faith to tell a tale of life in Afghanistan, and to paint a powerful portrait of its sorrows and oppression, directors Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec are being just as defiant with their big-screen adaptation of the novel of the same name. Zunaira and Mohsen, their modest existence, and their dreams of fleeing and becoming teachers all form one half of The Swallows of Kabul's narrative. Also earning the film's focus: elder pair Atiq (Simon Abkarian) and Mussarat (Hiam Abbas). He's the warden at the local women's prison, and has long been conditioned to adhere to the regime, while his ex-nurse wife is terminally ill. The two couples are brought together by tragedy, with Breitman and Gobbé-Mévellec — and author Yasmina Khadra (a pseudonym for Algerian writer Mohammed Moulessehoul) before them — refusing to shy away from the brutality of their everyday routines in a place where failing to conform even for a second has harsh repercussion. As splashed across the screen with sensitivity, and via eye-catching scenic watercolours, this is a memorable and moving exploration of its Afghani characters' plights, and of the reality of everyone subjected to such a forbidding way of life. Its scenes of capital punishment aren't easily forgotten, nor is the glee evident in officials' and onlookers' eyes, but the film's lattice-impeded views of the world — mimicking peering out from a burqa — leave as much of an imprint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX74m8y5yyQ LOWDOWN DIRTY CRIMINALS A decade ago, New Zealand actor James Rolleston burst onto cinemas screens with a cheeky grin and an earnest and engaging presence, as seen in his starring role in Taika Waititi's Boy. And while he has only added a handful of roles to his resume since, he always demands attention — in drama The Dark Horse, in Maori action-adventure epic The Dead Lands, in the acting school-set The Rehearsal and in hilariously funny female-driven rom-com The Breaker Upperers, for example. You can add Lowdown Dirty Criminals to the list, too, albeit with a strong caveat. Playing a pizza delivery guy who dreams of a better life and, after his latest job gone wrong, willing to employ drastic means to improve his situation, Rolleston is the best thing about this crime comedy. His is an understated but always supremely watchable performance; however nothing about the purposefully scrappy but always struggling movie around him earns the same description. Rolleston's Freddy and his dimwitted best mate Marvin (Samuel Austin) want to get 'high on the hog', as they repeat over and over, and they see local shady nightclub owner and crim Spiggs (Scott Willis) as their gateway to riches. Soon enough, they're trying to prove themselves to their new boss, including by agreeing to kill the man (Min Kim) sleeping with his wife (Fingal Pollock). Given that Lowdown Dirty Criminals starts with all the film's main players in a Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie-style standoff, the fact that Freddy and Marvin's plan doesn't go smoothy never comes as a surprise — and, thanks to clunky dialogue and laboured scenarios, never plays as amusing either. Director Paul Murphy (Love Birds) and screenwriter David Brechin-Smith (TV's Doubt: The Scott Watson Case) may nod to their influences at every opportunity (hint: they really love 90s and 00s crime capers), but their feature suffers terribly from the comparison. Also missing the mark: the supporting cast, which includes Rebecca Gibney as a vicious heavy called The Upholsterer, and the use of a disjointed narrative structure to attempt to make a slim plot seem more complicated than it is. SEQUIN IN A BLUE ROOM Sequin in a Blue Room may be a coming-of-age movie, but it definitely isn't a coming-out one. Its titular protagonist (Conor Leach), who uses the name Sequin on the queer dating app that he can't stop swiping his way through day and night — his pseudonym reflecting his love of wearing a glittering halter top — isn't hiding his sexuality or his search for instant gratification from anyone. Rather, the 16-year-old is so keen to experiment that he ignores the high-school classmate (Simon Croker) who is clearly trying to get his attention. He has implemented a once-only rule for his anonymous online-fuelled tumbles between the sheets, too. When the older and married B (Ed Wightman) endeavours to convince him that they should hook up again, however, he finds himself being pursued to the point of being stalked — all while Sequin also finds himself pining for a repeat encounter with another guy that he gets physical with at an orgy. Filmmaker Samuel Van Grinsven made Sequin in a Blue Room as his Australian Film, Television and Radio School masters project, with the feature then going on to screen at local and international film festivals over the past year — for a good reason. This is an immensely confident work from a writer/director (co-scripting with Jory Anast) with a clear, firm and vivid vision, and with a knack for equally evoking erotic thrills and conveying the ins and outs of gay adolescence. It's also a movie with a compelling central performance by first-timer Leach, and with an affectionate awareness of queer cinema history that never veers into overly, obligingly copying its predecessors. Crucially, too, Sequin in a Blue Room is always stylish, expressive and immersive, with Van Grinsven proving both assured and commanding with his aesthetic sensibilities, and skilled and successful at using every frame, angle, shot, sound and set — including the plastic sheet-clad, moodily lit, alluring blue room also mentioned in the film's moniker — to align his audience with Sequin's experiences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwNJVxuTYhU&feature=emb_logo SAINT JUDY Inspiring true tale, average movie: too often when it comes to recreating real-life stories about impressive folks, that proves the case. It certainly is with Saint Judy, which has a very worthy figure as its subject. A public defender turned crusader for detained immigrants fighting to stay in the US — and often desperate to avoid returning to their home countries where they face maltreatment and even death — Judy Wood is credited with bringing about a significant change to America's asylum laws. Before the case that the film focuses on, women who were oppressed and punished for fighting for the rights of their gender in nations that treat females poorly were not recognised as the victims of persecution by the US. Wood strove to ensure that the judicial system saw the error of that viewpoint, using the case of Afghani teacher Asefa Ashwari as her example, and obviously this movie wouldn't exist if she hadn't managed to have an impact. But Saint Judy remains content to relay her experiences in standard legal-drama fashion, and to come off as a lesser version of Erin Brockovich along the way. As directed by Sean Hanish (Return to Zero) and scripted by debutant Dmitry Portnoy, this film cycles through all of the stock-standard plot points seen in many a movie in this genre. While the minutiae here is based on truth, the feature's approach (including its beige colour scheme) makes the details of Wood's life feel routine. She's a single mother who has moved to the other side of the country, starts working for a jaded boss (Alfred Molina), and immediately finds the system against her and her first client (Leem Lubany). Indeed, even if you've never heard of Wood or her achievements, you'll be able to predict every twist and turn that the feature serves up. It feels like a wasted opportunity as a result, with top-notch legal flicks able to both move and inform when they're done well — take this year's Just Mercy, for instance. Monaghan, who has been getting better roles on TV than in cinema of late (see: True Detective, The Path and Messiah) puts in a strong performance though, one that makes you wish the movie's script tried harder. Also potent in limited screen time is Common as a surprisingly empathetic lawyer on the other side. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6 and August 13 — and our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin and Peninsula.
It's that time of year, somehow. Christmas is almost here, summer has officially started and you're probably thinking about your 2021 shenanigans. While jetting overseas still isn't an option for Australians at the moment, you can make plans to roam around much of this country we all come home now that borders are reopening — and, if you'd like to head over to South Australia in the new year, its government wants to give you an extra incentive. As part of the returning Great State Vouchers scheme — which first ran in October this year — the SA Government is giving away $50 and $100 vouchers to use at hotels in the state between Thursday, January 7–Wednesday, March 31, 2021. The amount of the voucher varies depending on where you're planning on staying, with $50 vouchers on offer for regional and suburban accommodation, and $100 vouchers available to use for Adelaide CBD and North Adelaide stays. During the first round of vouchers, more than 50,000 where snapped up in just over an hour — but they were only available to South Australian residents. This time around, with more than $2 million worth of vouchers available, the scheme is open to interstate folks as well. And, in another expansion, they can be redeemed over a longer booking period, and can also be used at accommodation places with five or more rooms (up from ten or more last time). That means that you'll be able to choose between hundreds of places to stay — with more than 800 accommodation providers eligible to participate. To take part, you'll need to download a voucher from the scheme's website on Tuesday, January 5, then make your booking between Thursday, January 7–Sunday, January 31. There are a few caveats, unsurprisingly. The vouchers don't cover Saturday nights and, to try to nab one, you'll have to log on to the voucher website and prove your identification via your driver's license or proof of age card. Border-wise, SA currently doesn't require interstate visitors to quarantine, after opening its borders to Victoria on Tuesday, December 1. But some states do currently have restrictions in place for anyone who has travelled to South Australia, or parts of it (such as Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania) — or require permits (Victoria) to enter if you've been in SA. So, it's best to keep an eye on your state's requirements when you're trying to score a voucher and then making a hotel booking. For further details about South Australia's Great State Vouchers scheme — or to nab one on Tuesday, January 5 — head to its website.
The game is ending. That the deadly contest at the heart of Squid Game just keeps going, continuing to pit new batches of 456 players against each other in a battle to the death to win 45.6 billion won, sits at the heart of the award-winning Netflix hit — but the show itself is wrapping up. That the series will say goodbye with its third season was announced in 2024, as was the fact that its final run will arrive in 2025. The streaming platform has now confirmed exactly when: Friday, June 27. Mark your diaries — and get ready to see what happens next in Seong Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) quest to bring down those responsible for the killer contest. If you've watched season two, which dropped on Boxing Day 2024, then you'll know that Player 456 went back in the game with new fellow competitors for company, and also found himself closer to the person pulling the strings than he knew. Season three will see Gi-hun keep at his pursuit to stop the game. It'll also feature more of his nemesis Front Man's (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven) attempts to thwart his plan. However their respective efforts pan out, the show's last run is also set to feature a finale written and directed by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Squid Game is now Netflix's most-popular non-English show of all time; in fact, it holds both the first and second spots on the list, for its first and second seasons respectively. Money Heist season four is third, Lupin season one is fourth, while La Palma, Who Killed Sara? and Berlin are also in the top ten. That Squid Game is a smash isn't new news, of course. It proved such a huge success in its first season that Netflix was quick to confirm that more was on the way — even if season two arrived after a three-year gap. In the show's second season, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) returned as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place, as did Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, but a series about a deadly contest comes with a hefty bodycount. Accordingly, new faces were always going to be essential — which is where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all came in. If you've somehow missed all things Squid Game until now, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. As a result, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. There's no dedicated trailer for Squid Game season three yet, but you can watch a teaser Netflix's big returning 2025 shows below — and revisit the trailer from Squid Game season two: Squid Game season three streams via Netflix from Friday, June 27, 2025. Season one and two are available to stream now. Images: Netflix.
Holidays in Western Australia are back on the agenda — and if you live in WA, getaways somewhere other than your home state are, too. After revealing back in November that WA's borders wouldn't reopen until the state hit the 90-percent double-vaccinated mark, Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has now announced a firm date for that to happen: Saturday, February 5. It isn't quite the new year's gift you might've been hoping for if you're keen to head west ASAP — or to leave the state over the holiday period and return home without any hassle — but it is indeed when Western Australia will ditch the hard border policy that it's had in place throughout the pandemic. WA will instead adopt a safe transition plan that'll allow folks from other states and overseas destinations to visit again. Yes, the reopening will apply to both WA's domestic and international borders. There'll be different rules in place depending on where you're entering from; however, you'll need to be double-vaccinated to enter, and also to get a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departing. At first, there'll be tests within 48 hours of arrival as well, and again on day six afterwards, but they'll eventually be phased out. Today I can announce that at 12:01am Saturday, 5 February, Western Australia will ease its hard border restrictions for vaccinated travellers. This will be a major step forward for our State in how we manage the COVID-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/SVPvoWMYPw — Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP) December 13, 2021 For those making the journey from an international location, there'll be no quarantine for double-vaxxed arrivals — and the same testing requirements will be in place for both domestic and overseas travellers. If you haven't had two jabs, you'll still need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days. The two variations to the standard rules: if you're visiting WA from interstate for five days or less, you only need to get tested before you arrive; and if you're a WA resident heading out of the state for five days or less, you only need to get tested within 48 hours of getting back. Western Australia will also bring in other health measures, such as wearing face masks in high-risk settings — covering public transport, taxis, ride shares, airports, flights, hospitals and aged care — and requiring proof of vaccination at large events with more than 1000 people, stadiums and nightclubs. While the new rules are designed to come into effect statewide, any at-risk regional communities that don't reach 80-percent double jabs by the reopening date will be put under extra requirements. In those spots, proof of double vaccination will be required at pubs, bars, dine-in cafés and restaurants, bottle shops, indoor entertainment venues, gyms and fitness centres; masks will be required at all indoor public venues that don't have a proof of vax requirement, such as supermarkets and takeaway eateries; and you'll have to enter the region by air only. Announcing the reopening plan, the Premier said that the "transition date is locked in — and is based on our expert public health advice." McGowan continued: "since the start of the pandemic, Western Australians have come together to protect themselves and each other. Being cautious, patient and listening to the health advice has enabled Western Australia to reach a high level of vaccination, which will provide a soft landing when the virus arrives here." To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Western Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub.
It's been one year in the making, but now Marrickville's Batch Brewing Company finally has a second place to call home. On Saturday, August 3, the craft brewery is set to open a brewery and tasting room within the old shed at the back of Public House Petersham. While the Marrickville brewery will continue to turn out high quantities of the core range brews you know and love, the second Batch outpost will instead be something of a test kitchen. The tasting room will fit 100 all up and offer ten taps of experimental and limited release brews. Expect revivals of old favourites — think Plum DMC kettle sour, Wardell Nut Brown ale and 2 Peach Shakur sour — and plenty of new small batch brews, all labeled under a new sub-brand, dubbed Small Batch. "For 2 Peach Shakur, we get peaches from a farmer and it was really hard to do big batches of it," says Batch co-founder Andrew Fineran. "Now, when the harvest is ready, we'll buy enough to do just six or seven kegs worth." Heaps of collaboration brews are also on the docket, including an upcoming birthday beer for the PHP cat, Gizmo, that'll taste like black forest cake. Collab talks are also on with the likes of Bucket Boys and the Forest Lodge Hotel, too. For now, it'll be a tap and tinnie-only affair, with canned takeaways poured right off the tap as you order. The fit-out will have the same upcycled, hand-built feel that Marrickville has, though with its own vibe. Think a pallet bar with a herringbone pattern, small recycled timber furnishing and a shuffleboard table to boot. The Batch owners started looking for a second home when demand for their beers kept increasing."We were getting so much demand for our regular releases it was becoming harder for us to produce any limited releases," says Fineran. "And we want to produce more while still having our creative freedom." While the two venues will operate independently, punters are welcome to move throughout, and can bring wine and food from the pub into the brewery, or beer into the pub. The Batch tasting room will have its own dedicated menu of bar bites, created by PHP Head Chef James Elliott. The succinct menu consists of miso and beer lamb ribs, beef and stout pies, katsu eggplant sambo, a smoked fish dip and jalapeño poppers with hop mayo. If you want to be among the first to check the joint out, head along to the official launch party on August 3. The new tasting room will be open from noon and the Batch gents will be pouring fresh brews from the carpark, alongside slow-cooked pork from the kitchen and live tunes from The Van Demons. Find Batch at Public House Petersham, 292 Stanmore Road, Petersham from midday on Saturday, August 3.
Sydney's ever-luxurious and all-inclusive floating villa, Lilypad, has finally reopened almost two years after a fire destroyed the original build. Situated in the tranquil waters of Palm Beach in the Northern Beaches, the second iteration of Lilypad boasts plenty of additional lavish features including an onboard sauna, cosy fireplace and dreamy Mediterranean-inspired terracotta accents. After facing flooding, wild weather and COVID-induced delays, it's safe to say that Lilypad II was worth the wait. "You couldn't have picked a harder time to undertake something like this, both the weather we had in Sydney for the build period and COVID — because workforces were getting wiped out left, right and centre. Everything was hard," Founder and Owner Chuck Anderson says. Not just a pretty face, the resort-style villa runs completely off solar power energy and has been engineered to remain stable, while still embracing the natural movements and rhythms of the ocean below. An outdoor, roman-tiled shower, linen bedding by Cultiver and furniture by McMullin & Co completes the tonal, overwater escape. "What's incredible now as technology has advanced in solar and battery technology, you're not compromising on luxuries. Once upon a time, maybe ten years ago, if you were to try to attack what we've created you would have had to make some concessions in terms of what's onboard," Anderson says. Bookings include a private concierge, private tender transfers, a self-drive luxury personal vessel for exploring the surrounds, paddleboards, floating daybeds, chef-prepared meals and full access to the onboard wine cellar. But the luxuries don't come cheap, with prices starting at $1,950 per night in low season. The designer floating villa can also host events for up to 18, if you're looking for a unique space for your next special function. On the creation of both Lilypads, Anderson explains, "The intention for both Lilypad and Lilypad II was to combine innovative design with traditional craftsmanship and modern luxuries to build a unique and exceptional space. I wanted to pay homage to the unspoiled environment in which Lilypad resides and allow guests to feel totally immersed in this awe-inspiring space." Anderson also hinted at other Lilypads popping up around Australia in the future, so if you're looking for an elevated holiday in your backyard, keep an eye on this space. One-night stays are available until September, excluding weekends. Two-night stays are available from September to April and across weekends. You can book via the Lilypad website.
If your New Year's resolutions included cooking more, some fresh kitchen gear to motivate you wouldn't go astray, right? Well, local cooking whizzes are in luck, because famed French cookware label Le Creuset is hosting a huge online sale. Running until Wednesday, January 27, it features a whole heap of bargains, with up to 25 percent off across a sprawling range of high-quality stoneware, stainless steel pots, toughened non-stick pans, cast iron cookware, kettles and roasting accessories. You can snag one of its signature cast iron casserole pots for $463.20 (down from $579), a crêpe pan for $172.50 and a stoneware roasting dish (in one of 17 colours) from just $36.75. You can scroll through all 400-plus sale items over here. Le Creuset's colourful pieces don't usually come cheap — but they do last a lifetime — so this is an opportunity not to miss.
So many places to visit, only so much cash in the bank. When Australia starts to reopen its borders both domestically and internationally, that's the situation we'll all face. So, if you're looking to save some money on airfares once you can start heading off on holidays again, that's understandable. Enter Bonza, the new Aussie low-cost airline that's set to launch early next year. An exact date hasn't been revealed as yet, but sometime in 2022, you'll have another choice when it comes to flying across this country of ours. The new independent carrier will focus on local flights with low fares — and on opening up routes to more of regional Australia. "Bonza's mission is to encourage more travel by providing more choices and ultra-low fares, particularly into leisure destinations where travel is now often limited to connections via major cities," said Bonza founder and CEO Tim Jordan, who comes to the airline with 25-plus years experience in low-cost carriers such as Virgin Blue, Cebu Pacific in The Philippines and central Asia's FlyArystan. While the airline's list of destinations hasn't yet been announced yet either, the aim is to service "regional communities by providing new routes and greater travel opportunities," Jordan continued. The airline will base its headquarters in a yet-to-be -revealed part of regional Australia, too. Wherever it ends up heading, Bonza will fly Boeing 737-8 aircraft. Fare prices and inclusions — such as baggage, meals and snacks, and selecting your own seat — haven't been mentioned as yet, with the airline still working through the regulatory process. When it launches, the carrier will take to the skies with the backing of US private investment firm 777 Partners, which also has a hand in Canada's Flair Airlines and the Southeast Asian-based Value Alliance. And yes, this now means that your 2022 Aussie holidays just got a whole lot cheaper — and that, alongside Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia, you'll have more airline options. Bonza is set to start flying sometime in 2022. For more information, head to the airline's website.
Australians, if a trip across the ditch ranks high on your wish list, the New Zealand Government has delivered some great news: across the first half of 2022, the country will start reopening its borders to international travellers. Earlier in 2021, Aotearoa and Australia had a brief international travel bubble, which allowed Aussies and Kiwis to fly back and forth between the two countries without quarantine. It was then put in pause in July after COVID-19 outbreaks in Australia — and that suspension was extended following outbreaks in New Zealand. But, in a press conference on Wednesday, November 24, NZ COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced that the country's international travel restrictions are set to lift in January — beginning with vaccinated New Zealanders and those who hold NZ visas early next year. From Monday, January 17 NZ time, folks who fall into those categories will be able to re-enter NZ without quarantining in NZ's managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities — although a seven-day stint in self-isolation will be required. That move will then be extended to vaccinated travellers from other countries, including Australia, across a three-step process. Here's how it's going to work: STEP ONE From Monday, January 17 next year, double-vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers (such as visa holders) will be able to return to New Zealand from Australia, without a two week stay in MIQ facilities. This means Kiwis can travel to Australia, however briefly, and avoid MIQ on their return. However, they'll need to self-isolate for seven days after returning to Aotearoa, and must provide a final negative test before entering the community. STEP TWO From Monday, February 14 next year, double-vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers (such as visa holders) will be able to return to New Zealand from all other countries — not just Australia — and also avoid an MIQ stay, except after travelling to countries deemed "very high risk". The same safety precautions as above will need to be taken: they'll need to self-isolate for seven days and must provide a final negative test before entering the community. STEP THREE From Saturday, April 30, all other double-vaccinated international travellers will able to enter the country, without an MIQ stay. This might be staggered on visa levels, Hipkins added during his press conference. The requirement to self-isolate and provide testing upon return will be assessed during this period, but it's expected this will be probably be in place throughout May. So, it isn't time to go packing your suitcases for a NZ getaway just yet, but it will be soon — and just in time for ski season (if you're already thinking about your winter plans). Since the beginning of November, double-vaxxed Australians have been permitted to leave our shores for overseas holidays; however, exactly where you can head obviously depends on travel restrictions in other countries. More information about NZ's international travel three-step plan and Hipkins' full statement can be found on the New Zealand Government website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
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.
It's easy enough to understand why so many people move from sunless England to Australia each year, but it's pretty rare for a whole restaurant and its staff to pack up their bags collectively. Yet that's just what's happening with one of the world's most famous chefs, Heston Blumenthal, and his molecular gastronomy stronghold The Fat Duck. They'll be shutting down the iconic Berkshire restaurant and 'relocating' it to the Crown Melbourne for six months. "This is not a popup restaurant," Heston obliquely insisted at this morning's announcement. Although The Fat Duck won't be opening until February 2015, you'll probably need to develop your booking strategy soon if you want to sample the likes of snail porridge, egg and bacon ice-cream and the aurally enhanced Sound of the Sea. The sensational food experience ought to wash away that bitter taste you get from having to pass through the casino to reach it. Funnily enough, The Fat Duck is not the only world-renowned restaurant to try an international exchange: Rene Redzepi yesterday tweeted that Noma would be moving its operation to Tokyo for two months in 2015. If these two chefs are on board, expect to see many more taking up the experiment soon. Heston's Melbourne non-popup temporary restaurant will leave a different, permanent one in its wake, dubbed Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Meanwhile, rumours of a Sydney Blumenthal excursion abound.
There's still time to nab tickets to this year's Broken Heel Festival, which takes over the historic mining town of Broken Hill for a weekend of drag, divas and disco from September 13–15. Visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves in this annual tribute to the iconic Australian film Priscilla Queen of the Desert by celebrating the movie's anniversary with a blowout party — that rocks for three days straight. Drag queens and kings from around the country will come together for a lineup of cabaret performances, comedy, opera and live music. Highlights include an opening night party featuring a Michael Griffiths' Kylie tribute band, plus a Priscilla-inspired party on Saturday. You can also join the locals along the main strip for the annual Drag Street Parade. An openair, interactive screening of the film will take place on the Sunday night, too.
After going into voluntary administration in May, one of Australia's largest contemporary multi-arts centres has been given a multimillion-dollar lifeline — with Carriageworks in Sydney's inner city receiving support from a group of philanthropists that will enable it to keep operating. Announcing the news, New South Wales Minister for the Arts Don Harwin advised that Geoff Ainsworth, Johanna Featherstone, Kerr Neilson, Michael Gonski and The Packer Family Foundation will provide funding to save the venue, and "have committed to ensuring the survival and the artistic vision representative of the Carriageworks arts precinct". Minister Harwin also revealed that Carriageworks will receive a ten-year lease and a five-year funding agreement from the NSW government's arts funding body Create NSW. It's a rare piece of recent positive news for the arts industry, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. When Carriageworks went into voluntary administration, it followed the organisation's forced closure in late March and the standing down almost half its core staff in mid-April. In a statement at the time, the Eveleigh multi-arts centre advised that "the sudden cancellation or postponement of six months of activities due to restrictions on public gatherings has resulted in an irreparable loss of income". [caption id="attachment_698391" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning[/caption] Due to the government limits on mass gatherings put in place in March, events such as Sydney Writers' Festival, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Semi Permanent were either cancelled or postponed — all of which were set to take place at Carriageworks. The site's ongoing Farmers Market, which saw up to 5000 Sydneysiders visit each Saturday, has also been put on hold during the pandemic. While Carriageworks relies partially on government funding, it generates 75 percent of its revenue from "on-site events and programs", as stated in its May announcement. Specific details about Carriageworks' future plans — including a reopening date — have not yet been revealed; however Minister Harwin noted that, "at the heart of it, we are excited for the resident companies of Carriageworks who will also greatly benefit from this announcement". Top image: Carriageworks Night Market by Daniel Boud Jacquie Manning
Dockless bike sharing services have had a tough go of it here in Australia, with local council crackdowns on bicycle dumping and vandalism issues driving most new operators out of town after mere months. In fact, 12-month-old Mobike (the orange ones) and Californian newcomer Lime (the green ones) are the only two players to remain in NSW, despite new figures showing that Sydneysiders are taking over 22,000 share bike trips each week. Mobike's revealed it's clocked up over half a million rides in its first year of life, while Lime claims its e-bikes have made over 30,000 trips since launching here four weeks ago. Now, to help support our apparent two-wheeled obsession and avoid the rogue vehicles ending up in unwanted places, City of Sydney has plans to trial a series of dedicated bike share parking bays. The six new parking bays will be located in Martin Place, Market Street near Pitt Street Mall, Castlereagh Street, Central Station, Green Square, Redfern and Ultimo. They'll be located next to existing regular bike racks and identified by stickers reading 'You can park share bikes here'. "We've used data provided by bike share companies to help pinpoint several of the most popular places people leave share bikes," a City of Sydney spokesperson told Concrete Playground. "The parking areas are designed to ensure people using share bikes park them considerately and in appropriate places, to keep our pavements clutter free and accessible for all." The good news is, if none of these bays are near your destination, you don't have to park in one, with the CoS telling News Corp that the bays are just meant to help "highlight recommended areas". But, local laws and regulations surrounding bike sharing have been fast-moving since the embattled bikes were first introduced a couple of years ago, so this could change in the near future.
World-famous vegan chef Matthew Kenney has opened his very first eatery in Australia. He's popped across the Pacific from California to launch Alibi on the ground floor of Ovolo Woolloomooloo. Given that plant-based offerings are thin on the ground on the Finger Wharf, vegans should be high-fiving. Moreover, Kenney isn't just any old animal-free chef — he's an international legend. His TEDx talks have attracted masses of views and Food and Wine Magazine has listed him as one of America's Best New Chefs. The menu is big on creative combinations of fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. Kenney has a reputation for experimentation and innovation, and it shows in dishes such as the cheese-less cashew raclette, kelp noodle cacio e pepe and the chickpea and mushroom udon. He'll be working with Kasper Christensen, who'll also be rejigging the Ovolo's brekkie and room service menus. "I've had a long relationship with Australia and the timing was simply right," Kenney said. "The food scene is so vibrant here – great produce, chefs, sunshine... Ovolo came to me with the opportunity at the right time." To match Alibi's plant-based delights, there's a new drinks list focused on Australian drops — both classic and boutique — as well as signature cocktails. Alibi is now open on the ground floor of Ovolo Woolloomooloo, 6 Cowper Wharf Roadway. For more info, visit alibibar.com.au.
Russian cinema was relatively unknown in Australia until the Russian Resurrection Film Festival came along. This year the largest festival of Russian cinema outside of the mother country is celebrating a decade of cinematic offerings, returning to silver screens across the nation this July and August. Whilst originally appealing primarily to Russian expats, the festival has grown immensely in popularity, now fascinating a broad audience of cinephiles and Russophiles. The line up for this year's anniversary event features a collection of Russian cinematic riches, intricately blending the contemporary and the classic. It will showcase 18 new films, including two world premieres, Marathon and The Geographer. Other contemporary highlights include the animated delight The Snow Queen, which tells the heartwarming tale of a quest to save family, art and the hearts of people everywhere; Legend No. 17, the highest grossing Russian film in history, which explores the life of ice hockey legend Valery Harlamov and how he captivated a nation; Metro, Russia's first big-budget disaster blockbuster, which keeps the audience in suspense as a flood rages through the Russian underground; and the romcom Love With an Accent, an optimistic and slightly absurd film in which love knows no borders as Russia and Georgia bury the hatchet. If you prefer a classic take on Russian cinema, then the two retrospective programs on offer at the festival are for you. The first takes a look at the work of the celebrated producer/director Valery Todorovsky and features his cult hits My Stepbrother Frankenstein, Vice and Hipsters, among others. The second takes a nostalgic tour through 'Comedies from our Childhood' and features Beware of the Automobile, Gentlemen of Fortune and the timeless Ivan Vasilievich – Back to the Future. Cinema lovers in Sydney will be able to experience the festival from July 24 until August 7. Most of the screenings will take place at Paddington's Chauvel Cinema but Event Cinemas Burwood will also experience some Russian culture, offering screenings of The Snow Queen, Marathon and The Conductor. Peruse the program and see what makes you want to don your ushanka and journey to the cinema. Image from Hipsters. https://youtube.com/watch?v=jpfcuU6taTE
Burger loving Sydneysiders can get ready to add another place to their to-try list, because one of Melbourne's best burger joints is venturing up north to open a permanent store. You might have heard of Huxtaburger. Since it opened in Melbourne in 2011 it's garnered a slew of loyal fans, and heap of American-style burger joints have opened in its wake. But it's only now, seven years and seven stores later that the shop has finally decided to expand to Sydney. It will open in Redfern on Saturday, September 15. So what can you expect? The new Redfern menu features everything from the chain's famed Huxtaburger beef burger, through to chicken burgers, lamb burgers, breakfast burger, vegan burgers and even an extravagant ice cream burger. And, of course, every good meal at Huxtaburger should be rounded out with a side of chips and an ice cold beer. The store itself is inspired by train stations, with graffiti and sleek black and white tiles — fitting, since it's located a stone's throw from Redfern station. While no photos of the completed store have yet been released, you can check out a teaser of the interiors here. The new Redfern store is launching with an opening party on Saturday, September 15, and it's slinging a heap of cheap burgers to celebrate — $1 burgers to be exact. Yep, head into the new store and you'll be able to grab an OG Huxtaburger — a grass-fed beef patty with cheese, pickles, lettuce, mayo, mustard and tomato sauce — for pocket change. Meat-free burger fan? You can swap out the beef for a veggie patty. There's no word yet on exactly how many burgers the store will be slinging for one dollaroo, but we suggest heading in earlier rather than later. The Huxtaburger Redfern Grand Opening Party will run from 11am–8pm on Saturday, September 15. Images: Hugh Davies
Cabinets of curiousity, like wunderkammers, lumped together from different places with little in the way of unifying features, apart from that fact that the curator of the box thought they went quite well together. They were part of what Rapture of Death author Prue Gibson calls "that style of 19th Century inquiry." That same style has mixed with local chatter at the Sydney chapter of big-in-Japan lecture series Pecha Kucha. Essentially talks about whatever, by whoever, they feed the same pressing spirit of Inquiry that Gibson loves. The Carriageworks itself is really a big wunderkammer, its projects connected by their curation into the same steel box and a now-familiar spirit of inquiry into drama, dance and TV cooking. It's also the venue for Sydney Pecha Kucha's first event of 2011. Gibson herself will be talking there, along with other speakers like Monster-Childrener Joseph Allen Shea, jewellry-crocheter Erin Field and photographer Billy Maynard. Each presentation is 6 minutes and 40 seconds long, so there's room for a wide line-up. Twelve presenters are booked in all, giving you lots of amassed variety to fire up your own sense of curiosity.
In celebration of Art After Hours' 10th year running, Wednesday, 25 September, will see art aficionados let their hair down. To mark this milestone of the weekly Art Gallery of NSW event, the gallery will be extending opening hours until 10pm and adding a new pop-up bar to the mix. The Sydney Moderns-inspired evening – which kicks off at 5.15pm – will see live music, swing dancers, dance lessons, talks on modern and contemporary art, a feature film and a collage workshop tickle your fancy, all drawing from the vintage flair of the 1920s to '40s. You might even be rewarded for your efforts if you come along dressed in vintage attire. Headlining the night is Sarah Blasko in conversation with Fenella Kernebone and jazz performances from George Washingmachine. The event is free, however if you want to take a spin around the temporary Sydney Moderns and Renaissance to Goya exhibitions, you can do so for the discounted price of $10.
Since 2017 in Brisbane, crooning tunes at the pub with a drink in your hand is no longer just something that you do with your mates when you've had enough liquid courage. It's the whole idea behind Pub Choir, which started out in the Queensland capital, still hosts local shows regularly and has also taken its boozy communal karaoke setup on the road around the country. It pivoted to the couch to keep everyone entertained during lockdown, too, and has made the leap to television as well. Over the past five years, Pub Choir has gotten big, unsurprisingly. It's a fantastic concept. So, it no longer just pops up in pubs, but in huge venues — such as Brisbane's Fortitude Music Hall at its most recent homegrown session at the end of June, where 1600 strangers showed up to sip, sing and be merry. The song they were belting out? None other than the current tune of winter, and of 2022, even though it was initially released 37 years ago. That'd be Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)', which has surged back to popularity thanks to its prominence on Stranger Things season four. If you've seen the Netflix hit's latest episodes, you'll know why. [caption id="attachment_809627" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacob Morrison[/caption] Busting out that track in that way must've been something special. It looks like it on the video from the event, which you can find below. But the fact that Kate Bush saw it and loved it as well takes the whole thing up several hills worth of levels. Pub Choir's organisers posted a picture of the email they received from Bush herself after she'd watched their 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)' video. The British singer noted that she's been busy, understandably, but that she was incredibly touched by everyone's "warmth and smiling faces". If that doesn't boost Pub Choir's numbers — not that they need boosting, given that the event already sells out quickly — than nothing will. Reacting to the note, the Pub Choir team said "life as we know it is over, and all that remains is this email from KATE. BUSH. Happy Kate Bush Saw Our Video Day, everybody!!!!!". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pub Choir (@pubchoir) If you want to be like Bush — and don't we all — you can watch Pub Choir's 'Running Up That Hill' efforts below now. Brisbane also plays host to The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever each year, where a different Bush track — 'Wuthering Heights', obviously — is in the spotlight. 2022's event takes place on Saturday, July 30 if you want to show your Kate Bush love, and dressing up in a red dress, red stockings and black belt to copy Bush's swaying, kicky dance in the wily, windy moors of Milton's Frew Park is a must. Sydneysiders are getting their own 'Wuthering Heights' event on the same day, in Sydney Park in St Peters — and the same concept applies. For more information about Pub Choir — including upcoming dates around the country — head to the event's website.
Tim Minchin's “wee secret” is out of the bag. Yesterday, he confessed via blog that a stage production of Groundhog Day is in progress. Yes, Groundhog Day. As in the 1993 classic film written by Danny Rubin, directed by Harold Ramis and synonymous with actor Bill Murray, who plays a grumpy, self-centred weatherman doomed to live the same day over and over. And over. With Minchin on board, it’s bound to be a musical affair. He’s conjuring up the songs and lyrics, Rubin is writing the book and Matthew Warchus is in the director’s chair. Rather than producing a carbon copy of the film, they’re going to do it their own way. “It would be impossible to try to translate the style and tone of the movie to stage," Minchin writes, "and even if it were possible, it wouldn't interest me." We can expect a work that’s “both instantly recognisable and utterly different”. He’s planning on introducing elements of darkness and complexity whilst maintaining the film’s joy, comedy and romance. Five or so years ago, Stephen Sondheim was toying with Groundhog Day’s theatrical potential. He’s since shelved the idea but has expressed full support for Minchin et al’s ambition. Minchin and Warchus have previously proven themselves as a winning team. Since 2010, their musical Matilda has sold out London’s West End and New York’s Broadway, picking up a Grammy nomination and Tony Awards along the way.
A book whose plot Amazon describes as "how the sexiest sales girl in business earned her huge bonus by being the best at removing her high heels" might not be anything to write home about. You know what would be? If the author of said book was someone's dad, and that someone decided it would be hilarious to read a chapter every week to the entire world, with some incredibly funny friends providing commentary. Jamie Morton did just that with his father's (pen name: Rocky Flinstone) erotic 'novels', the Belinda Blinked series. And so the audacious and pants-wettingly hilarious podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno was born. And now Morton and his pals James Cooper and Alice Levine are bringing their hilarious smut to Australia, announcing dates for live shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth this August. While listening to the podcast is a truly confusing and outrageous experience, imagine watching a guy read chapters from a porno novel that his dad wrote that includes the characters 'discussing the merits' of each others' nipples and popping their supposed 'vaginal lids'. In front of people. In real life. At least this time when you laugh out loud in public at the show, everyone will know what you're cackling at. Tickets for the live Australian shows go on sale at 10am on Monday, February 27. If you're a fan of the show, the live incarnation should make you very happy. For as Belinda says: when you get what you want, you feel great.
In the long and lucrative tradition of bringing artists together with merriment and free flowing alcohol, Tiger Beer is hosting the seventh Tiger Translate this week. Specifically designed to encourage up-and-coming artists, Tiger Translate is a global initiative that runs in places as various as New York, Mongolia, Dubai, Berlin and Beijing, giving local artists an opportunity to have their work exhibited on a global platform. This year's central theme is 'Growth', and Brisbane-based artist Matt Stewart took out the award for showcase artists with the work featured above. He and another seven artists who made the finals will all be featured in the global Tiger Translate showcase, which kicks off with a bang on Wednesday in Sydney. The celebration will be soundtracked by live music from Dark Horse and DJ Bambalam, and live art collaborations will be going down featuring Beastman, Numskull, Creepy, Phibs and Matt Stewart, this year's showcase artist. Moreover, given that the event is sponsored by Tiger, the chances that there will be a proliferation of beer in easy access of your mouth are extremely good. The party is going down on Wednesday, November 23 from 7pm at Sun Studios in Alexandria, and happily enough, we have ten double passes on our hands to give away. So if you fancy a night of art and music, just make sure you're subscribed and then hit us up at hello@concreteplayground.com.au.
Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week trends predicted a move toward sportswear this season, but French label le coq sportif have been running this trend for years. If you're getting somewhat inspired by the peloton pizazz of the Tour de France, you should cycle down to the The Rocks and get amongst the everyday sportswear of this new boutique. The label's second Australian concept store is open for business and launching its exclusive 'Atelier du coq' service, where you can customise your own garments with traditional retro sporty flocking techniques. The personalising service has only two other locations worldwide, Paris and London, and lets you handpick your own colour, design and base combinations for your very own sweet get up. Housed in a heritage-listed, square-pane windowed space on George Street in The Rocks, the newest le coq sportif store is an adorable space decked out with exposed pipes, polished wooden floorboards and cream-washed walls. Tackling the classic don't-touch-the-walls heritage-listing conundrum, the team have created hovering hanging space from metal piping (much like the Denham pop-up next door — they're both owned by Hilton Seskin, owner of Topshop and Glue). Le coq sportif is no spring chicken in the sportswear market. Founded in 1882 by Émile Camuset, the company started producing fashion in the '40s. The brand don't just preach their love of sportswear, they practice with the actual pros; sponsoring football, boxing, cycling and tennis teams worldwide. The brand finds a subtle balance between legit, performance-inspired sportswear and sport-inspired casualwear — and they've now got a crack team of Australian designers on board, who are cranking out casual collections like the wonderfully retro Aussie women's winter line. But you came here to customise, let's get on it. It's a pretty straightforward, relatively quick process. First, pick your design. In a process not dissimilar from choosing your own tattoo design, flick through a portfolio of 20 archival le coq designs and choose your poison. There's a significant amount of retro love in the options — the logo of the Zaire Leopards, the first sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the World Cup in Germany in '74; the Saint Etienne football team logo and the most popular of the bunch: the original '70s le coq sportif rooster logo. Next, pick your base. Whether you're an oversized jumper type of chiller, a snug sporty t-shirt enthusiast or a sucker for a deep v-neck, you've got all your grey marles, nautical navys and bright sporting greens to choose from. Then, pick your flock. Using a particularly furry type of retro flock, you can choose between around eight different colours to print your design on your base. We went for a white flock on navy for a classic, boaty vibe and a pink flock on grey marle for wearable '90s nostalgia. After you've locked everything in, your friendly neighbourhood le coq sportif teamster sends the design from the computer to the flock printer. Then it's time to Zen out and carve out the vinyl with a scalpel. When your design's looking top notch, it's time to pop the design in the centre of your garment and send it off to the press for a quick heating party. Then, the moment of truth. Now you're done, ready for some street strutting in your new customised threads. All up, the whole thing will cost under $100. T-shirts are $50, colour v-necks are $60 and jumpers are $90, flocking included. Not a bad price for your own personalised threads. Le coq sportif can be found at 79 George Street, The Rocks; (02) 8252 9703; www.lecoqsportif.com.au. Still shopping? Head next door to the Denham pop-up.
It started life as a succulent delivery service and online store, offering same-day delivery of its hard-to-kill gifts to suburbs across Sydney. Now, off the back of a two-year Surry Hills pop-up, the folks behind Little Succers have found themselves a new permanent home, opening the doors to a greenery-focused studio in Neutral Bay. And, as well as being the brand's new HQ, the site will play host to a regular series of Little Succers' much-loved build-your-own terrarium workshops. Cheery and colourful, the new digs feature pops of apricot and green, with a hand-painted succulent mural splashed across one wall. Also catching the eye is the front window, thanks to a big neon sign spelling out the Little Succers motto: 'because flowers die'. In line with the newly expanded offering of workshops — which will now be held every two weeks, as well as for privately booked events — the light-filled space boasts a roomy central work table, as well as a fun self-serve station housing all the pebbles, soil, sand and other bits that go into making the DIY terrariums. Another set of shelves is stocked with an array of succulents that you might want to feature as part of your creation. You'll get to choose from a variety of different vases, too. The next run of terrarium workshops are happening daily from Saturday, April 17–Saturday, April 24, with spots now available to book via the Little Succers website. More dates are also open during May and June. A 90-minute session will cost you $20, which is then redeemable on your terrarium creation on the day. Terrarium prices range from $65–150, depending on how OTT you go with your inclusions. Find Little Succers' new Build-Your-Own Terrarium Bar at Shop 5 and 6, 81-91 Military Road, Neutral Bay. Jump over to the website for more info and to book in for a workshop.
What's better than giving a new TV show a whirl, enjoying it immensely and realising that it's one of the best new series of the year so far? Learning that it's coming back for a second season. Ideally, that happens to all of our favourites — but for now, it's definitely on the agenda for new Apple TV+ sitcom Loot. The streaming platform has confirmed that the show, which both stars and is executive produced by Maya Rudolph, will get a second run after its ten-episode first season wraps up. The latter is dropping episodes weekly now, and just when season two will hit hasn't been revealed. Apple TV+ does tend to like a yearly schedule, though — Physical season one arrived last year, and season two last month, for instance — so cross your fingers that Loot will be back to add some workplace-set laughs to your streaming queue within 12 months. If you haven't yet made a viewing date with the immensely funny satire, it does two things at once: slots into the workplace comedy genre alongside everything from The Office and Parks and Recreation to 30 Rock, and joins the list of recent shows that haven't had much sympathy for the ultra rich (see White Lotus, Succession, Squid Game and Killing It). The focus: Molly Novak (Rudolph, Big Mouth), who discovers that her billionaire husband John (Adam Scott, Severance) is cheating on her, becomes a billionaire herself in the divorce settlement, and starts partying around the globe. (She also inhabits the kind of house that doesn't look real, but genuinely is — Loot is partly filmed in one of America's biggest private homes, an enormous mansion that has 21 bedrooms, five pools, a bowling alley and a cinema). Drinking away her days in different countries only lasts for a short spell, though, with Molly's new routine getting a shakeup when she gets a call from Sofia Salinas (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pose), the head of the foundation that bears her name. Soon, she's actually showing up to try to help out rather than merely splashing her cash about. Given that she hasn't worked for two decades, things get chaotic. Joining the always-excellent Rudolph on-screen: the aforementioned Rodriguez, Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island), Ron Funches (AP Bio), Nat Faxon, Our Flag Means Death), Stephanie Styles (Bombshell) and Meagen Fay (Dopesick). Clearly, Loot is a parody. It digs into all that wealth, the folks who have it and the bubbles that surround them. It also knows that handing out a tiny portion of a fortune to great causes is the absolute bare minimum that the one percent can do. And, it's definitely aware of the type of hijinks that can spring in any working environment. Loot's creators Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard are well versed in workplace comedies, sharing Parks and Recreation on their resumes — while Hubbard has written for 30 Rock and Superstore as well. Check out the trailer for Loot below: Loot's second season doesn't yet have a release date, but its first is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review of season one.
Just when you thought you'd gotten 'Running Up That Hill' out of your head, a new trailer for the second volume for Stranger Things season four is here to lodge the Kate Bush track right back in there. Given how crucial the tune was to the first half of the hit Netflix show's long-awaited fourth season — and given how popular it's become since, running up those charts, too — it was always going to get another whirl. Also inevitable: a big showdown between Hawkins' favourite high schoolers and Vecna, as the just-dropped full sneak peek teases. "Your friends are not prepared for this fight. Hawkins will fall," the new trailer taunts, although those words are uttered by Dr Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine, Breaking News in Yuba County) to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong). Vecna has his own ominous words of warning, too, of course — but this latest glimpse at the two season four episodes still to come shows that Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Max (Sadie Sink, Fear Street), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy), Steve (Joe Keery, Free Guy), Robin (Maya Hawke, Fear Street) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard) are all ready to fight back, and Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn, Small Axe) as well. Also teased: Hopper (David Harbour, Black Widow), Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America) and Murray's (Brett Gelman, Fleabag) efforts in Russia, weapons and all; another eerie stint in the Upside Down; and a huge explosion. The new trailer builds upon an earlier glimpse that released a couple of weeks ago, and both make one thing plain: this season is going out in a huge way. Need a refresher on where things are up to? Season four is set six months after the season three's battle of Starcourt, and began with Eleven living in Lenora Hills, California, with Will (Noah Schnapp, Waiting for Anya), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The Souvenir Part II) and Joyce. But, despite her claims that things were sunny — in letters to her boyfriend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), of course — they really weren't. The same proved true back in Hawkins, too. There, teens started turning up dead, and metal-loving outcast Eddie — who also runs the high school Dungeons & Dragons club — became the prime suspect. But Dustin and company all knew better. Their efforts to work out what's going on took them everywhere from creepy houses and mental institutions to the Upside Down. And, they're just getting started. That's the basic overview — with season four so far also spanning nods to 80s flicks aplenty, a wonderful horror cameo, explorations of Eleven's past and powers, road trips, and ins and outs of Hopper's whole situation in a Soviet gulag. As for what'll happen next, that'll be revealed in full on Friday, July 1, when the final two episodes of Stranger Things season four volume two arrive. Until then, check out the full Stranger Things season four volume two trailer below: The first seven episodes of Stranger Things season four are available to stream now via Netflix, with the remaining two set to follow on Friday, July 1. Read our full review of Stranger Things season four volume one.
The bright lights and debauchery of the Las Vegas strip are fun, but there comes a time when you need some natural sun and nutrients that don't come from a complimentary bowl of nuts. That's where Vegas' whole other identity comes in. This alter ego has a sense of adventure, a taste for quality fare, and of course, is still a little bit wild — aka, it's worth getting to know. [caption id="attachment_635169" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] H. Michael Miley via Flickr[/caption] TAKE A SCENIC RUNNING TOUR If you're looking for a legal way to get high in Vegas, this is it. With the choice to explore a changing range of different areas — the historic side of the strip, downtown, the Valley of Fire and Hoover Dam have all been featured — Las Vegas Running Tours will show you a completely different side of Vegas. Catering to runners of all levels, this is a chance to see Vegas from a vastly different perspective to most tourists. Guided by Jimmy, who simply loves to run, the tours last 4-5 hours, generally cover four different trails and include pick up from your hotel, snacks, water and some sweet merch. Our tip: while it's not always on offer, a visit to The Valley of Fire is like travelling to another planet. And given that it's where they filmed Star Trek: Generations, this is no exaggeration. Characterised by multiple tones of red rock formations, exploring this place on foot is pretty spectacular. [caption id="attachment_635170" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sake Rok[/caption] ENJOY A DIFFERENT KIND OF DINNER AND A SHOW AT SAKE ROK Sake Rok takes the concept of dinner and a show to a new level. Professional dancers first, waiters second, the staff jump between taking your order and bursting into an all-singing, all-dancing rendition of some of the '90s greatest hits — think the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. When the music starts, all the staff get into it, even the traditionally-trained Japanese chefs in the open plan kitchen. Basically, nobody takes themselves too seriously here. It may sound kitsch, but if you don't mind things that are a little over the top, this place is a lot of fun — and a great place to start your night. From the graffitied walls painted by local artists to the food itself, Sake Rok is a sensory overload. Classic sashimi dishes get kicked up a level with a dusting of truffles, ordering a sushi platter is a spectacle in itself thanks to a roaring, smoking Godzilla, and the vegan-friendly menu features a crispy rice version of avocado toast. And, for a really good time, get involved with a sake bomb or a punch bowl. While American serving sizes are usually too much, when it comes to dessert at Sake Rok, it's nowhere near enough. Their specialty honey toast is the love child of waffles and brioche toast, doused in honey and piled with ice cream. It's dense and fluffy in parts, and crunchy on the outside, which means it's the perfect consistency for unnecessarily mopping up every last bit of honey. [caption id="attachment_635171" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Angie Ortaliza Photography via EAT Cafe[/caption] ROLL OUT OF BED FOR A QUALITY BRUNCH In Vegas, you can get anything you want — for cheap and in excess. That includes an $8 rump steak, 99 cent margaritas and the Octuple Bypass Burger from downtown's aptly named Heart Attack Grill, which is just shy of 2 kilograms of meat. What's difficult to find is the kind of breakfast us Aussies take for granted. Luckily, EAT Cafe know that a serving of chicken and waffles that defies nature isn't necessarily the way you always want to start the day. The kind of place every traveller hopes to find, this is where locals go for brunch. They do pancakes with chicken-apple sausage and maple syrup, a killer BLAT with chipotle mayo, and eggs any style with smoked bacon, chive potatoes and toast. Plus, for those nursing a hangover, the more sizeable truffled egg sandwich with wild mushrooms, chives, feta and bacon will set you straight. FIND THE HIDDEN SPEAKEASY AT THE COMMONWEALTH For some, The Commonwealth is a rooftop cocktail bar overlooking downtown Vegas. But for those in the know, it harbours a speakeasy under its floorboards. And while it's not the best kept secret — the number to book a table is listed on the website — once you're in, The Laundry Room feels like the real deal. Resembling an underground bunker adorned gilded artworks, a wooden bar and top-notch spirits, you can easily imagine the city's upper echelons enjoying countless salubrious nights here. Not much has changed, but now they have a rotation of flavoured popcorn to snack on. If The Laundry Room really had stepped out of times gone by, you'd expect the drinks to be served strong and straight up, but thankfully that's not the case. The cocktails here befit the ornate setting. Served in traditional crystalware, the green chartreuse and fresh honey lemon sour with muddled strawberries may appear a light choice, but that's until the blowtorch comes out to top it off with an absinthe-torched rosemary sprig. And if you're after a beverage with impact, go the Mighty Tiki Joe. Topped with the cap of a Gifford Caribbean pineapple, this sweet and substantial mix of light and dark rums, ginger liqueur, lime and pineapple juices with mint and habanero bitters makes a grand entrance — it comes out smoking. Main image: Thomas Wolf
This article is sponsored by our partners, Wotif.com. Shakespeare once said wine is a 'good familiar creature' and it's hard to imagine many would disagree. While most of us are familiar with the bottom of the bottle (no judgement here, even Shakespeare was accustomed to drinking wine by the bowl), South Australia's McLaren Vale and its winemakers are not only familiar with the a good drop, they are synonymous with the stuff. Sound like your kind of deal? The McLaren Vale Sea & Vines Festival, held on the first weekend of June, is probably your cup of vino. Giving your average wine-drinking punter (ie. you and me) a chance to experience the region and taste more wine than you can probably handle, the weekend-long festival runs from Friday, June 6, to Monday, June 9, and showcases McLaren Vale's best wineries, food suppliers, music and sommeliers in one easy-to-unwrap culinary package. There's everything from degustations to Daryl Braithwaite (enjoyed simultaneously or separately), shiraz to street food and just about every edible and drinkable thing in-between. The weekend works like this: dinners, tastings, degustations, masterclasses and entertainment will run throughout the weekend, while Sunday becomes a ticketed event. Designed to allow you to explore the region, $25 will allow you entry to three wineries to taste their featured wine and signature dishes. Monday is more family friendly (jumping castles, ahoy!), with venues open for the day and food and wine for purchase. Shiraz is the main game here (it makes up over 50 percent of wine varieties in the region), so expect a lot of the red stuff as well as some Cab Sav, Chardonnay and Grenache. Best of all, it's an easy trip from the Adelaide CBD — it only takes around 40 minutes by car. Making a weekend of it? Have a look at our ultimate Adelaide itinerary and you're set for a wine of a time. Shakespeare would approve. See more of McLaren Vale in our Winter Weekender series.
There are two incarnations of Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: indoor and outdoor. Outdoors, he produces public art made of light and mathematics, inviting the public to touch, push and prod his work into being. Indoors, he keeps his vibe mixing the fingerprints of the crowd with the handiwork of the artist, but remixes it with even more personal moments taken from the visiting public. Taking from them fairytale things, like their shadows, their eyes or their heartbeat, he bargains their borrowings into art. It's this indoor version that Lozano-Hemmer is bringing to Sydney over the summer, with Recorders. The exhibition gives a taste of the artist's mash-up of technology, art and the audience itself, as well as a brief preview of the reconstructed MCA before the art-deco institution's interiors reopen in March. The core of Lozano-Hemmer's work are surprising moments you can touch — or that seek you out. His work is sometimes directly political, like his Voz Alta ('out loud') memorial to Mexico's 1968 massacre in Tlatelolco. But the main thing he wants is to build a brief connection with you through his art: all of you, one at a time. Before the exhibition opens Rafael Lozano-Hemmer will be giving the 2011 Lloyd Rees Memorial Lecture at the Opera House on December 5 2011 ($15/10 + BF), 'Antimonuments and Subsculptures', focusing on his outdoor artwork. Image of Lozano-Hemmer's Pulse Room by we make money not art.
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 anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue in March. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL NOW SWARM Becky with the good hair gets a shoutout in Swarm. Facial bites do as well, complete with a Love & Basketball reference when the culprit flees. This seven-part series about a global pop sensation and her buzzing fans and stans also has its music icon unexpectedly drop a stunner of a visual album, ride a white horse, be married to a well-known rapper, become a mum to twins and see said husband fight with her sister in an elevator. Her sibling is also a singer, and plenty of folks contend she's the more interesting of the two. Still, Swarm's object of fascination — protagonist Dre's (Dominique Fishback, Judas and the Black Messiah) undying obsession — sells out tours, breaks Ticketmaster and headlines one of the biggest music festivals there is. And, while they call themselves the titular term rather than a hive, her devotees are zealous and then some, especially humming around on social media. Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, the show's creators and past colleagues on Glover's exceptional, now-finished Atlanta — Nabers also worked on Watchmen, too — couldn't be more upfront about who they're referring to. No one says Beyoncé's name, however, but Swarm's Houston-born music megastar is the former Destiny's Child singer in everything except moniker. In case anyone watching thinks that this series is trading in coincidences and déjà vu, or just failing to be subtle when it comes to Ni'Jah (Nirine S Brown, Ruthless), the Prime Video newcomer keeps making an overt opening declaration. "This is not a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or events, is intentional," it announces before each episode. From there, it dives into Dre's journey as a twentysomething in 2016 who still adores her childhood idol with the same passion she did as a teen and, instalment by instalment, shows how far she's willing to go to prove it. Swarm streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. TETRIS The greatest game in the world can't make the leap to screens like most of its counterparts, whether they involve mashing buttons, playing campaigns or attempting to sink ships. A literal adaptation of Tetris would just involve four-piece bricks falling and falling — and while that's a tense and riveting sight when you're in charge of deciding where they land, and endeavouring to fill lines to make them disappear, it's hardly riveting movie viewing. As a film, Tetris is still gripping, however, all while telling the tale behind the puzzle video game that's been a phenomenon since the 80s. Did you have your first Tetris experience on an early Game Boy? This is the story of how that happened. Starring Taron Egerton (Black Bird) as Henk Rogers, the man who secured the rights to the Russian-born title for distribution on video game consoles worldwide, it's largely a dramatised account of the fraught negotiations when the west started to realise what a hit Tetris was, Nintendo got involved, but Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov had no power over what happened to his creation because that was life in the USSR. Egerton is perfectly cast as the resourceful, charming and determined Rogers, a Dutch-born, American-raised, Japan-residing game designer who stumbles across Tetris at a tech conference while trying to sell a version of Chinese strategy game Go. First, his assistant can't stop playing it. Soon, he's seeing blocks in his dreams, as everyone does after playing (and then forever). Director Jon S Baird (Stan & Ollie) and screenwriter Noah Pink (Genius) have a games licensing battle to unpack from there, something that mightn't have been as thrilling as it proves — and certainly is no certainty on paper — in other hands. Stacking up this real-life situation's pieces involves becoming a savvy takedown of shady business deals, a compelling Russia-set spy flick and an exploration of daily existence in Soviet times, plus an upstart underdog story. And, Tetris does all that while gleefully and playfully bringing in the game's aesthetic, and blasting an appropriately synth-heavy soundtrack. Tetris streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, March 31. WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVIC STORY If you've seen one music biopic, or some of the flicks that've earned actors Oscars or nominations in recent years for playing well-known rock stars — think: Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis — then you know how this genre usually plays out. So does Weird Al Yankovic, who is strongly involved in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, co-writing, producing and even popping up on-screen. He doesn't give himself a solemn screen tribute, though. For decades, he's found pop music rife for satirising, and now his career spent spoofing hit songs gets sent up as well. The soundtrack is already hilarious, filled as it is with everything from 'My Bologna', 'I Love Rocky Road' and 'Another One Rides the Bus' to 'Eat It', 'Like a Surgeon' and 'Amish Paradise'. The casting is brilliantly hilarious as it is hilariously brilliant, too, with Daniel Radcliffe (The Lost City) sporting a mop of curls, grasping an accordion and wearing Yankovic's Hawaiian shirts like he was born to. Silly, happily self-mocking, not serious for a second: that's this joke-packed flick, which isn't quite as stuffed with gags as a typical Weird Al song, but is still filled with laughs — and still immensely funny. Unsurprisingly, much of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story plays like a collection of skits and sketches, whether visiting his childhood, showing how he scored his big break or charting his fame (which is Westworld's Evan Rachel Wood as a comical Madonna comes in), but it works. Yankovic co-writes with director Eric Appel, a parody veteran thanks to NTSF:SD:SUV, and they're joyfully on the same goofy, go-for-broke wavelength. So is Radcliffe, who keeps demonstrating that he's at his best when a certain Boy Who Lived is relegated to the past, and when he's getting as ridiculous as he possibly can. Forget the wizarding franchise — he's magical when he's at his most comic, as Miracle Workers keeps proving, and now this as well. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story streams via Paramount+. BOSTON STRANGLER When it comes to films about reporters trying to track down serial killers, every movie made since 2007 will always stand in Zodiac's shadow. Still, while Boston Strangler isn't directed by David Fincher, it too is incredibly well-cast — Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, Chris Cooper, Alessandro Nivola and David Dastmalchian lead the bill — and both quickly and deeply involving. It's also a dimly lit, grimly toned procedural-based drama about good old-fashioned hard work by smart people doing their utmost to stop a spate of horrendous killings, this time the murders terrorising Greater Boston in the 60s. Spotlight comes to mind, too, thanks to the focus on journalists cracking a case. While Boston Strangler won't win the Oscar for Best Picture, it smartly ponders something crucial in this true crime-heavy era: that bleak tales such as these, like all tales, change and evolve. Indeed, while the film focuses on reporting when the killings were happening, this case still had new developments as recently as ten years ago. Loretta McLaughlin (Knightley, Misbehaviour) is a lifestyle writer saddled with reviewing toasters and pleading with her editor Jack MacLaine (Cooper, Irresistible) for meaty work when she notices a pattern among a series of Boston deaths. On her own time, she investigates, realising that multiple women murdered by strangulation might be the work of a serial killer — and Boston Record American, her paper, breaks the story. With the more-experienced Jean Cole (Coon, The Nest), they keep covering the mounting deaths, and earning the ire of local cops even though lead detective Conley (Nivola, Amsterdam) is helpful. Suspicion settles on Albert DeSalvo (Dastmalchian, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), but nothing is straightforward in this case. Boston Strangler, too, dives into the struggles of reporting on crimes so shocking, doing so as women often used by their publication as a readership stunt, trying to balance professional and personal commitments and, of course, battling to get to the truth — and to hold those responsible, as well as those meant to finding the culprit, to account. Boston Strangler streams via Disney+. DAISY JONES AND THE SIX Before it was a ten-part Prime Video series, Daisy Jones & The Six was a book. And before Taylor Jenkins Reid's 2019 novel jumped back to the 70s rock scene with its melodramatic tale of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, Fleetwood Mac lived through, stunned and shaped the era. No matter where or when an adaptation popped up, or who took to the microphone and guitar in it, bringing Daisy Jones & The Six to the screen was always going to involve leaning into Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, John McVie, Christine McVie and company's story. Reid has said that she took loose inspiration from the band; "it's a Fleetwood Mac vibe," she's also noted. Those parallels are as obvious as a killer lyric in Daisy Jones & The Six's TV guise, in a series that's heightened, impressively cast, and well-versed in what it's tinkering with and recreating — and a show that also isn't afraid of romance and tragedy, or of characters going all-in for what and who they're passionate about. On the page, this was an oral history. On streaming, it's framed by two-decades-later documentary interviews where key figures — Daisy Jones (Riley Keough, Zola), co-lead singer Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin, Book of Love), guitarist Eddie Roundtree (Josh Whitehouse, Valley Girl), drummer Warren Rojas (Sebastian Chacon, Emergency), bassist Chuck Loving (Jack Romano, Mank) and British keyboardist Karen Sirko (Suki Waterhouse, The Broken Hearts Gallery), plus other pivotal folks in their careers — share memories to-camera. The eponymous musicians burned bright but flamed out fast together, opening text on-screen informs the audience before anyone gets talking. A huge stadium gig at Chicago's Soldier Field late in 1977 was their last, coming at the height of their popularity after releasing hit Rumours-esque record Aurora. Viewers immediately know the ending, then, but not what leads to that fate. Daisy Jones & The Six streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. WELLMANIA When Australian-in-New York Liv (Celeste Barber, Seriously Red) heads home for her best friend Amy's (JJ Fong, Creamerie) 40th birthday, it's meant to be a flying Sydney visit. A food writer loving life in the Big Apple, she has a career-defining big break to get back to: being a judge on a new culinary contest TV show. But thanks to a stolen handbag, a missing green card and just the all-round chaos that is her existence, that Harbour City stay gets prolonged. With no paperwork, Liv has to jump through the American government's bureaucratic hoops again. And, her wellbeing isn't great, which means getting fit to show that she won't be a burden on the US health care system when she returns. Her mother Lorraine (Genevieve Mooy, Never Too Late) is thrilled, and her personal-trainer brother Gaz (Lachlan Buchanan, Dynasty) is about to get married to real-estate agent Dalbert (Remy Hii, Blaze) so the timing comes in handy — but Liv would rather be anywhere else and doing anything else but looking after herself. Wellmania hits the screen from the page, adapting author and journalist Brigid Delaney's book Wellmania: Misadventures in the Search for Wellness into an eight-part dramedy — with Delaney behind the show, too, alongside The Family Law's Benjamin Law. Getting your health in order is a messy business when you've spend decades drinking, partying and never saying no to a good time; getting your life sorted, which comes with Liv's desperate quest to get back to NYC, is just as much of a shambles. There's a Fleabag-but-Australian vibe to this quickly addictive series, which might've played more like a copy of other shows even with its focus on radical wellness techniques and copious Sydney harbour shots if Barber wasn't so perfectly cast. This is a firm case of a star's online fame linking in with their on-screen work savvily, given how well-known Wellmania's lead is for satirising Instagram-inspired quests for aesthetic perfection. That's only the show's starting point, though, and Barber is just as adept at anchoring a series about discovering who you are when you're definitely no longer coming of age, and realising what's important amid all the hustle and bustle. Wellmania streams via Netflix. NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK TED LASSO It wasn't simply debuting during the pandemic's first year, in a life-changing period when everyone was doing it tough, that made Ted Lasso's first season a hit in 2020. It wasn't just the Apple TV+ sitcom's unshakeable warmth, giving its characters and viewers alike a big warm hug episode after episode, either. Both play a key part, however, because this Jason Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live)-starring soccer series is about everyone pitching in and playing a part. It's a team endeavour that champions team endeavours — hailing from a quartet of creators (Sudeikis, co-star Brendan Hunt, Detroiters' Joe Kelly and Scrubs' Bill Lawrence), boasting a killer cast in both major and supporting roles, and understanding how important it is to support one another on- and off-screen (plus in the fictional world that the show has created, and while making that realm so beloved with audiences). Ted Lasso has always believed in the individual players as well as the team they're in, though. It is named after its eponymous American football coach-turned-inexperienced soccer manager, after all. But in building an entire sitcom around a character that started as a sketch in two popular US television ads for NBC's Premier League coverage — around two characters, because Hunt's (Bless This Mess) laconic Coach Beard began in those commercials as well — Ted Lasso has always understood that everyone is only a fraction of who they can be when they're alone. That's an idea that keeps gathering momentum in the show's long-awaited third season, which has much to engagingly dive into. It starts with Ted left solo when he desperately doesn't want to be, with AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham, Hocus Pocus 2) desperate to beat her ex Rupert Mannion (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head) new team, and with the Greyhounds' former assistant Nathan 'Nate' Shelley (Nick Mohammed, Intelligence) now coaching said opposition — and with changes galore around the club. Ted Lasso streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. YELLOWJACKETS For Shauna (Melanie Lynskey, The Last of Us), Natalie (Juliette Lewis, Welcome to Chippendales), Taissa (Tawny Cypress, Billions), Misty (Christina Ricci, Wednesday), Lottie (Simone Kessell, Muru) and Van (Lauren Ambrose, Servant), 1996 will always be the year that their plane plunged into the Canadian wilderness, stranding them for 19 tough months — as season one of 2021–2022 standout Yellowjackets grippingly established. As teenagers (as played by The Kid Detective's Sophie Nélisse, The Book of Boba Fett's Sophie Thatcher, Scream VI's Jasmin Savoy, Shameless' Samantha Hanratty, Mad Max: Fury Road's Courtney Eaton and Santa Clarita Diet's Liv Hewson), they were members of the show's titular high-school soccer squad, travelling from their New Jersey home town to Seattle for a national tournament, when the worst eventuated. Cue Lost-meets-Lord of the Flies with an Alive twist, as that first season was understandably pegged. All isn't always what it seems as Shauna and company endeavour to endure in the elements. Also, tearing into each other occurs more than just metaphorically. Plus, literally sinking one's teeth in has been teased and flirted with since episode one, too. But Yellowjackets will always be about what it means to face something so difficult that it forever colours and changes who you are — and constantly leaves a reminder of who you might've been. So, when Yellowjackets ended its first season, it was with as many questions as answers. Naturally, it starts season two in the same way. In the present, mere days have elapsed — and Shauna and her husband Jeff (Warren Kole, Shades of Blue) are trying to avoid drawing any attention over the disappearance of Shauna's artist lover Adam (Peter Gadiot, Queen of the South). Tai has been elected as a state senator, but her nocturnal activities have seen her wife Simone (Rukiya Bernard, Van Helsing) move out with their son Sammy (Aiden Stoxx, Supergirl). Thanks to purple-wearing kidnappers, Nat has been spirited off, leaving Misty desperate to find her — even enlisting fellow citizen detective Walter (Elijah Wood, Come to Daddy) to help. And, in the past, winter is setting in, making searching for food and staying warm an immense feat. Yellowjackets streams via Paramount+. Read our full review. SUCCESSION Endings have always been a part of Succession. Since it premiered in 2018, the bulk of the HBO drama's feuding figures have been waiting for a big farewell. The reason is right there in the title, because for any of the Roy clan's adult children to scale the family company's greatest heights and remain there — be it initial heir apparent Kendall (Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time), his inappropriate photo-sending brother Roman (Kieran Culkin, No Sudden Move), their political-fixer sister Siobhan (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman), or eldest sibling and now-presidential candidate Connor (Alan Ruck, The Dropout) — their father Logan's (Brian Cox, Remember Me) tenure must wrap up. He's stubborn. He's proud, too, of what he's achieved and the power it's brought. Whenever Logan has seemed nearly ready to leave the business behind, he's held on. And if he's challenged or threatened, as three seasons of the Emmy-winning series have done again and again, he shows no signs of ever letting go. Succession has always been waiting for Logan's last stint at global media outfit Waystar RoyCo, but it's never been about finales quite the way it is in its fourth season. This time, there's a ticking clock not just for the show's characters, but for the stellar series itself. In late February, in an interview with The New Yorker a month out from season four's premiere, Succession's creator and showrunner Jesse Armstrong advised that this is its last go-around. Nothing can last forever, not even widely acclaimed hit shows that are a rarity in today's TV climate: genuine appointment-viewing. So, this one is going out at the height of its greatness — yes, its final batch of episodes begins out that strongly, complete with unhappy birthday parties, big business deals, plenty of scheming and backstabbing, and both Shiv's husband Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen, Operation Mincemeat) and family cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, Zola) in vintage form — which is how Logan should've always wanted to as well. Succession streams via Binge. Read our full review. RAIN DOGS In 2019's Skint Estate, Cash Carraway told all; A memoir of poverty, motherhood and survival completes the book's full title. Penned about working-class Britain from within working-class Britain, Carraway's written jaunt through her own life steps through the reality of being a single mum without a permanent place to live, of struggling to get by at every second, and of being around the system since she was a teenager. It examines alcoholism, loneliness, mental illness and domestic violence, too, plus refuges, working at peep shows, getting groceries from food banks and hopping between whatever temporary accommodation is available. Rain Dogs isn't a direct adaptation. It doesn't purport to bring Carraway's experiences to the screen exactly as they happened, or with slavish fidelity to the specific details. But this HBO and BBC eight-parter remains not only raw, rich, honest and authentic but lived in, as it tells the same story with candour, humour, warmth and poignancy. Slipping into Carraway's fictionalised shoes is Daisy May Cooper — and she's outstanding. Her on-screen resume includes Avenue 5 and Am I Being Unreasonable?, as well as being a team captain on the latest iteration of Britain's Spicks and Specks-inspiring Never Mind the Buzzcocks, but she's a force to be reckoned with as aspiring writer and mum (to Iris, played by debutant Fleur Tashjian) Costello Jones. When Rain Dogs begins, it's with an eviction. Cooper lives and breathes determination as Costello then scrambles to find somewhere for her and Iris to stay next. But this isn't just their tale, with the pair's lives intersecting with the privileged but self-destructive Selby (Jack Farthing, Spencer), who completes their unconventional and dysfunctional family but tussles with his mental health. Including Costello's best friend Gloria (Ronke Adekoluejo, Alex Rider), plus ailing artist Lenny (The Young Ones legend Adrian Edmondson), this is a clear-eyed look at chasing a place to belong — and it's stunning. Rain Dogs streams via Binge. Read our full review. LUCKY HANK When Better Call Saul finished its six-season run in 2022, it was the end of an era. Not only did one of the absolute best TV shows of the past decade and the whole 21st century so far wrap up, but the Breaking Bad universe with it for now. And, it meant that the wonderful Bob Odenkirk was no longer on our screens regularly. Thankfully, with the arrival of Lucky Hank, the latter was only a short-lived state of affairs. This dramedy — because everything is a dramedy at the moment — hails from The Office actor/co-writer Paul Lieberstein, adapts Richard Russo's 1997 novel Straight Man, and casts its Undone and Nobody star as a Pennsylvanian college professor. The eponymous Hank Devereaux Jr inhabits a whirlwind of chaos, including underfunding at his university in general, unhappy colleagues in the English department he chairs, students challenging him, a wife that's tiring of academic life and the fact that he's only penned one book thanks to a hefty bout of writers' block. If some of the above sounds familiar, that's because The Chair flicked through similar territory in 2021 — also engagingly, and with Sandra Oh at its centre. Like that series, Lucky Hank thrives through its excellent lead casting, with watching Odenkirk still one of the easiest things in the world no matter what he's in. He has excellent company, including Lieberstein's The Office co-star Oscar Nuñez as Railton College dean, Mireille Enos (Hanna) as his wife, and Diedrich Bader (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) as a friend and co-worker. As a guest star, one and only Twin Peaks legend Kyle MacLachlan is also among the cast. Odenkirk wears middle-aged malaise so devastatingly well, though, which made Better Call Saul one of the best tragedies there is, and helps Lucky Hank prove as thoughtful as it is charming. There's depth to Hank's experiences, too, with Russo's tome based on his own time teaching at several colleges. Lucky Hank streams via Stan. A RECENT CLASSIC MOVIE YOU NEED TO CATCH UP WITH BODIES BODIES BODIES The internet couldn't have stacked Bodies Bodies Bodies better if it tried, not that that's how the slasher-whodunnit-comedy came about. Pete Davidson (The Suicide Squad) waves a machete around, and his big dick energy, while literally boasting about how he looks like he fucks. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Oscar-nominee Maria Bakalova plays the cautious outsider among rich-kid college grads, who plan to ride out a big storm with drinks and drugs (and drama) in one of their parents' mansions. The Hunger Games and The Hate U Give alum Amandla Stenberg leads the show as the gang's black sheep, turning up unannounced to zero fanfare from her supposed besties, while the rest of the cast spans Shiva Baby's Rachel Sennott, Generation's Chase Sui Wonders and Industry's Myha'la Herrold, plus Pushing Daisies and The Hobbit favourite Lee Pace as a two-decades-older interloper. And the Agatha Christie-but-Gen Z screenplay? It's drawn from a spec script by Kristen Roupenian, the writer of 2017 viral New Yorker short story Cat Person. All of the above is a lot. Bodies Bodies Bodies is a lot — 100-percent on purpose. It's a puzzle about a party game, as savage a hangout film as they come, and a satire about Gen Z, for starters. It carves into toxic friendships, ignored class clashes, self-obsessed obliviousness, passive aggression and playing the victim. It skewers today's always-online world and the fact that everyone has a podcast — and lets psychological warfare and paranoia simmer, fester and explode. Want more? It serves up another reminder after The Resort, Palm Springs and co that kicking back isn't always cocktails and carefree days. It's an eat-the-rich affair alongside Squid Game and The White Lotus. Swirling that all together like its characters' self-medicating diets, this wildly entertaining horror flick is a phenomenal calling card for debut screenwriter Sarah DeLappe and Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn (Instinct), too — and it's hilarious, ridiculous, brutal and satisfying. Forgetting how it ends is also utterly impossible. Bodies Bodies Bodies is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2022, and January and February 2023. You can also check out our list of standout must-stream 2022 shows as well — and our best 15 new shows of last year, top 15 returning shows over the same period, 15 shows you might've missed and best 15 straight-to-streaming movies of 2022.
Despite three years ago announcing his retirement from making feature films, it seems 75-year-old Hayao Miyazaki still has plenty more artistic fuel left in the tank. Known for his work on iconic films like Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Ponyo, the legendary anime director revealed on last week's TV special, Owaranai Hito Miyazaki Hayao (The Man Who Is Not Done: Hayao Miyazaki), that he'll be having another crack at the medium. If all goes to plan, he hopes to release his next full-length feature within five years. Miyazaki's retirement has seen him swap feature films for CG shorts, and the past few years have kept him busy animating for the Studio Ghibli Museum. But it was dissatisfaction with his current project, Kemushi no Boro (Boro the Caterpillar), as a short that prompted him to propose turning the story into a feature. While this latest passion project hasn't yet been given the official go-ahead, Miyazaki says he's already made a start on the storyboards, suggesting the film would be finished in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Via Anime News Network.
Two of the greatest artists in history, who happened to have one of the most volatile relationships in recent memory, are the focus of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' brand new exhibition, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Kahlo and Rivera's artistic and personal rollercoaster ride is the focus, with 33 artworks from the pair — including self-portrait paintings, drawings and canvases — all from the renowned collection of Jacques and Natasha Gelman. Alongside these works will be approximately 50 photographs by the likes of Edward Weston, Lola Alvarez Bravo and Frida's father, Guillermo Kahlo, so you can take a peek into the pair's intimate world. Australia doesn't actually have a Frida Kahlo on public display, so this is one heck of a slam dunk for the gallery. The exhibition will also be part of the Gallery's ever-popular Art After Hours. For three Wednesday nights from June 29 until July 13, you'll be able to swing by the Gallery for a full Frida fest. As well as an after-hours walk through the exhibition, you'll be able to make your own Frida-esque Mexican paper flowers in a workshop with Melissa Hernandez and attend a range of talks on the exhibition. They'll even be a mariachi band playing to complete the experience. This exhibition is expected to be hella popular, so make sure you book a timed ticket before you go to avoid mass disappointment.
Sydney's lockout laws might doing a good job of raining on your late-night parade, but it seems they're no match for David James and Brett Ayton, who've launched a weekly after-hours party at Darlinghurst's Club 77. Called Afters, it's the ultimate serve of breakfast fun, kicking on from 5am until noon each Sunday. Boasting great cocktails and a top-notch international DJ program, it's a primo situation for revelers keen to extend their nighttime shenanigans, or hopso kids looking for some after-work fun of their own. It's already proved a serious hit, just two months in. Of course, the whole thing's entirely above board — while Club 77's usual operations run to 3am, these guys won't kick things off until 5am when the lockout ends. There'll also be the odd 15-hour venue takeover which will run right through, but with no drinks sold between 3-5am and no entry from 1.30-5am. The next of these is presented with CAUSE on December 9 and 10, featuring a marathon lineup of tunes from the likes of East End Dubs, Jake Hough and Alex Ludlow. For more information about Afters, check them out on Facebook.
There's more to going to the movies than just seeing the flicks that fill megaplexes, as Australia's thriving film festival scene demonstrates. The country's third-largest capital city might've just been robbed of its major annual cinema showcase, but our love of films beyond the mainstream can't be thwarted that easily. As far as Hollywood's addition to the movie-making fold is concerned, that's where the American Essentials Film Festival comes in. Founded in 2016 as a way to fill select Aussie cinemas with the kind of US titles that don't usually make it to our shores, the touring festival returns for its second run with another lineup of noteworthy inclusions — 31 films and 20 Aussie premieres, in fact. Making its way around the country between May 9 and 28, complete with runs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide, the fest kicks off with an Oscar-nominated performance, boasts a documentary dedicated to a talent who makes films (and TV shows) like no one else, and features everyone from Greta Gerwig (twice!) to Australia's own Bond to Ewan McGregor jumping behind the camera. Prepare for a busy movie-viewing month. Fresh from earning a nod for best original screenplay at this year's Academy Awards — and garnering lead actress Annette Bening a Golden Globe nomination, too — 20th Century Women will get the festival started, marking writer/director Mike Mills' first movie since 2010's Beginners. Bening stars as a mother coping with the fact her son is growing up, and calling in pals played by Gerwig and Elle Fanning to help. As promised, Gerwig also features in Todd Solondz's Wiener-Dog, which comes to the fest after having its Australian premiere at last year's Sydney Underground Film Festival. Also on the bill, and impeccably timed given that the third season of Twin Peaks starts airing during May, is highly anticipated doco David Lynch: The Art Life, while docudrama Becoming Bond keeps the factual fun going by delving into the Aussie that once played oo7. American Pastoral is the aforementioned McGregor's first stint as a director; California Dreams explores the real folks trying to make it in LA, La La Land-style; G-Funk dives into the style of hip hop started by Warren G, Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg; and 2016 Cannes hit The Transformation follows a 14-year-old who thinks he's a vampire. As well as highlighting new flicks, with Are We Not Cats' magical realism and Detour's crime thrills also on offer, American Essentials shines a spotlight on classic titles in its Masters & Masterpieces retrospective. That's where audiences can watch Lynch's inimitable debut Eraserhead for its 4oth anniversary, as well as his 2001 standout Mulholland Drive — plus the Carrie Fisher-written Postcards on the Edge; Andy Warhol's Bad, which is the last film the artist produced before his death; and a Charles Bukowski double of doco You Never Had It: An Evening with Bukowski alongside the semi-autobiographical, Mickey Rourke-starring 1987 favourite Barfly. The American Essentials Film Festival tours Australia from May 9, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona from May 9 to 24; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth and The Astor Theatre from May 11 to 24; and Brisbane's Palace Centro from May 17 to 28. For more information, visit the festival website.
Feeling a bit glum about your lack of airline club membership and all the benefits that go with it? Well, you can pick yourself up off that floor and start actually looking forward to your next Melbourne Airport visit, because someone's launched a 'pay-as-you-go' lounge that's open to anyone and everyone. Over in the international terminal T2, the newly unveiled Marhaba Lounge promises to bring a touch of sophistication to your pre-flight game — even if you're flying budget economy without a single, lousy frequent flyer point to your name. Of course, you'll have to pay for the privilege, with $65 gaining you casual entry for up to four hours, paid either on the spot or in advance when you pre-book online. Sure, it sounds a little pricey, though if you've managed to wrangle a super cheap long-haul flight, who knows when you'll next see a comfy seat and a decent feed? Marhaba Lounge has room for 200 guests and is manned by 26 staff, on hand to ensure your lounging experience is tip top. It's got showers, free wi-fi, a quiet zone, buffet dining and an Aussie-led booze list, and is open from 6am to midnight each day. Currently, you'll score free entry if you're travelling with Marhaba's partners Tianjin, Xianen and JAL, with more airlines set to team up by the end of the year. Other lounges are also under discussion, so keep an eye out if a trip to Adelaide or Perth is in your future. For more information or to pre-book your spot, visit the Marhaba Lounge website. Via traveler.com.au
A strange thing happens when you're an Australian visiting Japan: at least a couple of times during your trip, whether you're in a shop, izakaya or ramen joint — or walking across Shibuya's scramble crossing, scoping out the Studio Ghibli museum, wandering through a kaleidoscopic maze of digital art or singing karaoke in a ferris wheel — you'll hear a familiar accent echoing nearby. Before the pandemic, Japan had cemented itself as a favourite holiday destination for Aussies, making it highly likely that you'd encounter a fellow Australian or several in your travels. But making the journey has been impossible for the past few years, thanks to both local and Japanese border restrictions. If a Tokyo trip has been at the top of your post-restrictions bucket list, good news has finally arrived: Japan has announced that Australian tourists can again visit, kicking off sometime later in May. That said, if you're already packing your suitcase, there's one huge caveat, with the country only allowing in tourists travelling as part of strictly controlled package tours. The Japanese Tourism Agency advised that it'll begin letting small group tours to enter the country from later this month, to test reopening the border in full sometime in the future. To make the trip, you'll need to be triple-vaccinated, and be visiting as part of a planned tour in conjunction with travel agencies that's accompanied at all times by a tour conductor, and has a fixed itinerary. As well as Aussie tourists, triple-vaccinated travellers from the US, Thailand and Singapore will also be able to head to Japan as part of the trial. Designed to help the Japanese government assess health and safety protocols, and work how to manage any COVID-19 cases among visitors, the test was initially slated to take place earlier; however, due to the Omicron variant and its impact in Japan, it was pushed back. Exactly how long the testing phase will last for, and when Japan might completely reopen its borders to international holidaymakers, hasn't yet been revealed. Earlier this month, though, in a speech given in London, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the next phase of reopening might occur in June — albeit without any further specifics. "At the end of last year, Japan strengthened its border control measures in response to the global spread of the Omicron variant. It was an essential public health step to delay the variant's entry into the country. This allowed us to fortify our healthcare system and promote vaccinations. I hope it is not too boastful to say that Japan's response to COVID-19 has been one of the most successful in the world," the Prime Minister advised. "We have now eased border control measures significantly, with the next easing taking place in June, when Japan will introduce a smoother entry process similar to that of other G7 members." For further details about visiting Japan and its border restrictions, head to the Japan Tourism Agency website. Via Reuters.
When 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon walked down the aisle, a registry office became her chapel, and the only white ensemble in her wardrobe stood in for traditional wedding attire. With her love of Star Wars well established throughout the show’s seven-season run, Tina Fey’s iconic small-screen character stepped into matrimony in costume as Princess Leia, in a ceremony perfectly suited to her personality. This May in Brisbane, other brides will follow in her footsteps. On International Star Wars Day, couples can say “I do” as well as “May the Fourth be with you”, courtesy of a pop-up wedding concept spearheaded by marriage celebrant Josh Withers and wedding planner Danielle White. As the name suggests, a pop-up wedding is a wedding that pops up for one day in a specific location, with distinctive styling from reputable wedding vendors to provide an intimate, inimitable and easy opportunity to get married. It scales down the stress and ramps up the fun of tying the knot, in a one-size-fits-all package. The link between Withers and White’s no-fuss ceremony idea and Fey’s on-screen nuptials is merely coincidental, with the duo driven by wanting to offer an alternative to the usual wedding experience — in style, simplicity and price. Their background in the industry lead them to the realisation that everyone wants something different for their special day, and that the average “getting married” scenario doesn’t suit all tastes. “I’m definitely seeing more unique ceremonies and receptions,” says White of current trends. “At the essence of it, we think that falling in love is the best thing," Withers says. "If you want to commit to that, and get married, then that is something that should be celebrated — we are in the business of celebrating marriage. "The pop-up wedding came from knowing that large weddings are not for everyone. Six percent of people who wanted to get married last year didn’t or couldn’t because of either the financial burden or the emotional and mental stress. Or because the big thing just didn’t appeal to them.” More established in the United States but still a growing field there as well as worldwide, pop-up weddings add something special to the conventional antidote to the big day (the registry wedding), something classier to the customary offbeat idea (the Vegas chapel) and something more concrete to the usual stress avoidance technique (eloping). It's a concept that Withers and White hope will become an accepted substitute to the standard ceremony in Australia. April Fools' Day marked their first batch of pop-up weddings, celebrating the mischieviousness that increasingly surrounds the date. “Everyone’s doing some thing silly while you’re doing something awesome,” encouraged their website, with playfulness key in their pop-up offerings. “When you say you are getting married on April Fools' Day everyone will think you’re only joking!” On May 4, participating couples are treated to the full gamut of theming from George Lucas’s beloved sci-fi/fantasy film series. Of course, how much they embrace Star Wars is their decision, as is the use of costumes and props. In their allocated hour, each betrothed pair goes through the legally required formalities with their chosen celebrant, and then relaxes in the Cantina Lounge styled by Amini Concepts. As they enjoy a piece of cake and a glass of champagne, Josh Kelly from Jessie Dains Photography captures their happy “just married” memories. Though two to four friends or relatives can attend, guests are typically absent; it’s about the commitment, not the audience. With pop-up weddings proving popular, the list of future themes is limited only by Withers and White’s imaginations, and their observations of traditional weddings extending into the “poppier end of pop culture”. Requests are always welcome. Couples in Brisbane can book in for a trashy Brisvegas or op-shop-styled ceremony later in 2014. The concept will also take to the road, touring around the country for a boho-chic day in Perth as well as a Melbourne outing. As Withers notes, “people are cottoning on to the fact that there are other ways to get married.” White adds, “I think this is one that is going to stay.” To find out more about pop-up weddings, visit the Pop-Up Wedding website.
