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.
Order up: The Bear's third season is about to be served. And if you're wondering what's in store when the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series returns this winter, a just-dropped first teaser trailer is here to whet your appetite. The main focus of the debut sneak peek: Carmy (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw) in the kitchen. The Bear's namesake restaurant is now open in season three, after Carmy, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings) and the crew transformed their beef-slinging eatery (where season one's action took place) into a fine-diner (with that process fuelling season two). But staying operational is still a struggle, with the new batch of episodes set to chart Carmy's quest for culinary perfection, the reality of levelling up the business, and the stresses that both it and being in the restaurant trade in general bring. Also new: a release date for The Bear's third season. In America and Down under, the show will arrive on Thursday, June 27. In the past, there's always been a wait for Aussie and NZ viewers — season one hit in June in America, then in August in Australia; with season two, US viewers still had a June date, while Aussies and New Zealanders had to wait till July — but thankfully that isn't the case this time. Comfort food and winter do go hand in hand, after all — and since 2022, so have chaotic culinary dramedies and the frostiest time of the year Down Under. It was two years back that The Bear debuted to become one of the best new shows on television. In 2023, it then became one of the best returning shows on TV that year. The Bear was renewed for season three in November 2023 to the surprise of no one, but to the joyous shouts of "yes chef!" from everyone. Also, even though that third season hasn't yet dropped, it looks as if the show has been renewed for its fourth season already as well. If you've missed The Bear so far, its first season jumped into the mayhem when White's Carmy took over the diner after his brother's (Jon Bernthal, We Own This City) death. Before returning home, the chef's resume featured Noma and The French Laundry, as well as awards and acclaim. Then, in season two, Carmy worked towards turning the space into an upscale addition to his hometown's dining scene, with help from the restaurant's trusty team — including a roster of talent also spans Abby Elliott (Indebted) as Carmy's sister Natalie, aka Sugar, plus Lionel Boyce (Hap and Leonard), Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment), Edwin Lee Gibson (Fargo) and IRL chef Matty Matheson among the other staff. Check out the first trailer for The Bear season three below: The Bear streams via Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand, with season three arriving on Thursday, June 27. Read our review of season one and review of season two. Images: Chuck Hodes/FX.
Sydney woke up to torrential rain and thunderstorms this morning as parts of the city copped more than a month's worth of rain in an hour — it's already been the wettest November day since 1984. As a result, widespread road, train and light rail closures are still being experienced across the city. The rain has eased throughout the day but, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, things are about to ramp right back up again. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1067644103566000128 Unfortunately, that probably means bad things for your commute home. At the moment, most trains and ferries are running — however, that may only last as long as the rain holds out. Basically, the sooner you scoot out of work, the better. At the time of publication (5.45pm), here's where the city's at with road closures and public transport delays: The T2, T3 and T8 Airport lines are currently experiencing delays Trains are delayed on T1 and buses are replacing trains between Lindfield and Hornsby due to a tree falling onto overhead wiring Lewisham Station on T2 has reopened after flooding earlier in the day, but trains on the line are still delayed Ferries between Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park have been cancelled due to the weir overflowing — you'll have to catch the bus instead Ferries won't be stopping at Cockatoo Island Light rail services between Dulwich Hill and Central have resumed The roads look ok at the moment, with Oxford Falls Road still closed in Frenchs Forest The NSW State Emergency Service is urging motorists to avoid driving if possible and to not enter any flood waters, with flooding already affecting a number of roads across the city. The SES has responded to 14 flood rescues in the last 24 hours. The NSW SES, BOM and NSW Police are working together to provide warnings across Sydney for potentially dangerous conditions, flood waters and unsafe roads. For updates, keep an eye on the BOM website. The heavy rains have led to power outages across Sydney and the Hunter — Ausgrid have responded to thousands of customers in East Ryde, St Ives, Panania and the CBD — with flash flooding causing road, train and light rail closures and bus delays throughout the day. Glebe was basically Venice this morning and water was literally pouring out of the wall at Town Hall Woolworths. The rain is expected to die down overnight, and weather will be back to more agreeable sunny conditions over the weekend. For the latest updates on traffic and public transport delays and closures, head to Live Traffic NSW and Transport for NSW's official Bus and Train Twitter accounts. Image: Live Traffic NSW.
With Outpost running in parallel with this year's Bondi to Tamarama coastal art fest, the idea of art by the waves has become a Sydney institution. This is Sculpture by the Sea's fifteenth year, after its inaugural one day show in 1997. This year's exhibition is bringing back some past glories, overseas artists and local entrants for its anniversary, and it's even shifted the whole thing a week later to allow a viewing by our local Danish royals. Which just means you can check it all the better, as later sunsets drag further and further in the realm of a doable after work adventure. This year's artists include Chinese stars Chen Wenling and Wang Shugang, locals like Tomas Misura and Ken Unsworth, along with most of the artists from the inaugural 1997 show. Programs on sale benefit the ongoings of the festival, or you can choose to wander among the art in ignorance. Seeing it all splayed against the skyline, amongst mysterious names and the tide of fellow art lovers, it'll be hard not to find yourself lost in the art with all the extra feeling that comes with an infinity of sea. Photo of Tomas Musura's 2010 sculpture 'Splash' by RD Souza.
If you can find a better date than hearing talks and seeing live music over cheeky vinos in an art gallery, we'd love to hear about it. For one lunar month, the Art Gallery of New South Wales's Art After Hours program is bringing their mega exhibition Tang: Treasures from the Silk Road Capital to life with a series of talks and live performances. Each Wednesday night, the Gallery will be brimming with free after-hours shenanigans that celebrate and explore Chinese history and culture. During June, a different lineup of Chinese art-inspired happenings will take place in the Gallery, from comedy to talks and music. Want to learn up on your Chinese art history? Be sure to get there from 5.30pm for a series of exhibition talks from the curator and other experts. For something more 'Tang in cheek', you don't want to miss Benjamin Law's segment from 6.30pm. He'll be chatting with other prominent Chinese Australians — including SBS's Lee Lin Chin and chef Adam Liaw — about what it's like to move to and live in Australian as someone with Chinese heritage. Then, from 7.30pm, Sydney producer and musician Rainbow Chan will be belting out tracks in the Gallery's entrance court. As the winner of FBi's 2011 Northern Lights Competition, she's the perfect artist to complete your sensory experience as you explore the exhibition. Art After Hours runs until 10pm every Wednesday night. By Shannon Connellan, Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal.
In the latest of its comeback moves, Polaroid has jumped on the Instagram bandwagon with a brand new camera, Socialmatic. Not only does it print photos on the spot (let's face it, the only reason anyone buys Polaroid cameras any more), it also lets you upload them to your social media accounts instantly. Seems like Polaroid wants to remind us all where those square-shaped, Nashville-filtered snaps came from. Available for pre-order at US$299 and expected to hit shelves in January 2015, the Socialmatic runs only with Android. It uses Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet, and Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone. Shots can be sent to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and any other network with an Android App available on Google Play. At the same time, Polaroid's instant-print tech has received an upgrade. Gone are the days of shaking your photos until the black layer disappears. And, if you request it, every photo comes with its own QR barcode, so you can keep up with its movements in cyberspace. Shots are printed at dimensions of 5 x 7.5 centimetres. What’s more, the Socialmatic comes equipped with two cameras in one. The regular camera measures 14-megapixels, and there’s another on the back, which provides 2-megapixels of resolution and is designed specifically for taking selfies. Seems Polaroid really want to get in the game with this one. Before this, Polaroid’s most recent attempt at modernising happened with the release of the Polaroid Cube. It’s a teeny-tiny, HD, cube-shaped video camera that competes with the GoPro, selling at just US$99. Via Racked.
Through their Fresh Ink program, the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) has been giving Australia's finest emerging writers space to play on stage, page, film and online. Their latest development under the banner of the Voices Project is worth checking out. It takes two heartbreaking monologues about first love and turns them into different but equally heartbreaking short films, which can be viewed online. Bat Eyes by Jessica Bellamy will give you a whole new appreciation of WH Auden, as it hones in on the fleeting bond shared between a teenage bully and his visually impaired, poetically charged target. The optometrist's office has never before seemed so romantic. Bat Eyes and its counterpart, Boot — about teenage recklessness and tense girl best-friendships — have been beautifully shot by director Damien Power. The great thing about the Voices Project is that it brings together young people from different backgrounds and disciplines, and it makes writers and viewers think about how storytelling changes from medium to medium. As well as the adapted short films, you can watch the original monologues (directed by Laura Scrivano) and see how they've changed while making the jump out of just one person's head. If you're under 26 and have your own thoughts on love to share, you can enter Fresh Ink's current Love Bytes competition, open until Friday, May 4. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qyDEEQoVqjY
The rumours are true. Daft Punk has teamed up with Nile Rodgers for their upcoming album, said to be released in June this year. Apart from his own band, Chic, Rodgers has worked with many established artists in his time, including Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran. Award-winning producer Paul Williams confirmed this week at SXSW that he has also collaborated on some of the duo's new songs. The French electro pair are known for keeping things a secret until the very last minute, so it will be interesting to see what they have planned. Williams said "I feel like I don't want to talk about the stuff that I'm doing with them, because they want a press blackout on the album until it's out, so I should basically not be talking about it." While no one is giving away much information around the new album, just the fact that they are working on some amazing new tracks has been enough to send the internet into overdrive. It goes without saying that this is a much anticipated album after their last original release, Human After All, way back in 2006. https://youtube.com/watch?v=mj9AYdsb5Kg [Via Idolator]
Operating under the motto "Marriage equality for everyone, no matter the flavour.", the Ice Cream Truck of Love is set to travel Australia's eastern seaboard, handing out free scoops and spreading its message of marriage equality. Launched by Adrian Fernand, Aussie tastemaker and etiquette blogger, the Truck of Love was initially inspired by a truck with opposite intentions. Earlier in March, an anti-gay-marriage truck took to the streets of Queensland, opposing homosexual marriage on its "Queensland Election Prayer Rally Tour". In order to complete its trek down the coast, and hopefully through the rest of the country, the Truck of Love is in need of donors and volunteers who are willing to share some of their sweet time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rWDhM1YzdtU
When you make an album that lasts the test of time, that feat is worth celebrating. Moon Safari isn't the only record from French electro-pop duo Air that's as stellar now as it was when it first met the world, but the dreamy 1998 release is the album that Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel have been celebrating in 2024. To mark its 25th anniversary, which arrived last year, the pair have been touring the globe to play Moon Safari in full live — starting in France, of course, but also heading everywhere from Switzerland, Italy, Germany and the UK to the US and Australia. For Vivid 2024, Air brought their current show to Sydney midyear — before the entire planet's eyes were on them during August's Paris Olympics closing ceremony, where they were part of Phoenix's set alongside Kavinsky, Angèle, Vannda and Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend. One trip Down Under this year isn't enough, however, so Air have now joined the Always Live lineup. From 'La femme d'argent' to 'Le voyage de Pénélope', the entire record will be performed live — 'Sexy Boy', 'All I Need', 'Kelly Watch the Stars' and 'You Make It Easy' included, of course. From there, Air's sets usually feature equally excellent tracks from across their career, such as 'Playground Love' from Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides soundtrack, plus 'Venus' and 'Cherry Blossom Girl' from the duo's 2004 album Talkie Walkie. For Always Live, Air are playing a one-night-only gig under the stars at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, adding to an already jam-packed program that's bringing Jack White, The Offspring and St Vincent to Victoria as well for Australian-exclusive shows. [caption id="attachment_978773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mathieu Rainaud[/caption] "We were a duo doing some electronic thing, dreaming of selling 10,000 copies and being recognised by other musicians as cool. Then suddenly, we met the world," explains Dunckel about Moon Safari, calling the album "a deep, universal spell, full of love and mystery". If you missed Air in Sydney, here's your second chance to catch them in Australia this year. And if you need any more encouragement, the Moon Safari set was captured live at London's Royal Albert Hall earlier in 2024, which you can stream below: Air Play Moon Safari heads to Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, with tickets on sale from 10am local time on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Always Live 2024 runs from Friday, November 22–Sunday, December 8. For more information, and to get tickets, head to the festival website. Live images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
Making progress in the field of stem cell-inspired organ production is notoriously difficult. So, recent developments at Yokohama City University, Japan, which have seen baby human livers growing inside mice, have taken the scientific world by storm. As far as we know (after all, who knows what's going on in underground labs in the more obscure corners of the world?), this is the first time that stem cells have been used to create functional organs. The livers, 4-5mm in length (a little like those found in human foetuses), are able to generate human proteins, clear toxins from the blood and go through the processes necessary to metabolising drugs. At this stage, it looks like they could be used to mend damaged livers by up to 30%. The team behind the research is hopeful that the transplant of thousands of tiny 'liver buds' might prove to be a way of preventing liver failure. Professor Takanori Takebe told the BBC that he was 'completely gobsmacked' and 'absolutely surprised' by the breakthrough. 'We just simply mixed three cell types and found that they unexpectedly self-organise to form a three-dimensional liver bud - this is a rudimentary liver. And finally we proved that liver bud transplantation could offer therapeutic potential against liver failure'. Even though the growth of adult-sized organs is not yet on the horizon, this development certainly promises to bring us a step closer to coping with organ shortages. If your scientific jargon is up to speed (i.e. words like 'endothelial' and 'mesenchymal' mean something to you), you can read the official story here. [via PSFK]
Fancy warming up your winter by watching Lizzo hit the stage? Don't we all. That's this July's hottest ticket Down Under, at both 2023's Splendour in the Grass — where the rapper, singer and flautist is the only announced headliner so far — and on her own arena tour of the country. And the latter is proving such a hit that more dates have already been added. General ticket sales for Lizzo's Aussie tour only start on Wednesday, March 29, but the pre-sale period has seen her Sydney and Melbourne gigs sell out already via pre-sales. Cue two new concerts — one in each city — although, in sad news for Brisbanites, there's still no sign of a stint in the Sunshine State. Still, if you're keen to see the 'Tempo', 'Juice', 'Truth Hurts' and 'Rumors' singer doing her own shows in New South Wales and Victoria, this news is as good as hell. Lizzo's solo gigs are tied to her 2022 album Special, including, of course, Grammy Record of the Year-winning single 'About Damn Time'. But attendees can expect to hear hits from 2019's CUZ I LOVE YOU as well — and an overall set filled with dance-ready beats. Joining Lizzo on all dates as a special guest is Tkay Maidza, which means two must-see talents for the price of one. While a Lizzo tour is always a welcome announcement, fans in Brisbane will still note the usual Splendour setup — that is, when someone plays the fest and does their own gigs around it, Brissie is considered close enough to Byron to not warrant a separate stop. The Live Nation pre-sale for the new Sydney and Melbourne gigs runs until 10am local time on Wednesday, March 29, with general sales for all shows kicking off at 11am local time also on Wednesday, March 29. LIZZO — THE SPECIAL TOUR 2023: Friday, July 14 — RAC Arena, Perth Monday, July 17–Tuesday, July 18 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, July 23–Monday, July 24 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Wednesday, July 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland Lizzo will tour Australia and New Zealand in July 2023. The Live Nation presale runs until 10am on Wednesday, March 29, with general sales from 11am Wednesday, March 29 — with all times local. For further details, head to the tour website.
As your parents undoubtedly used to tell you, all you really need is the great outdoors and your own two legs to amuse yourself. And being able to bring your dog along doesn't hurt either. Now that travelling around rural Victoria is back on the docket, it's time for you and your pooch to get back to the outside world. To help you get started, we've put together this list of camping, hiking and swimming spots in Victoria to journey to with your pup. We bet your doggo has been missing being in nature even more than you have. So plan your holiday, hop in the car and tell your doggo it's W-A-L-K time. CAMPING: HORSESHOE LAGOON On the banks of the Goulburn River between Trawool and Kerrisdale, Horseshoe Lagoon is as much of a go-to for water-based activities as it is for settling down for a long weekend of relaxed camping. A flora and fauna reserve, the lagoon is home to many a fine feathered (and furred) friend — so go gently with your doggo. Get ready to see the full shebang of Australiana fauna including kangaroos, koalas and wombats — and if you're lucky, you may even spot a platypus. Camping is dog-friendly and free along eight kilometres of the bank, with no bookings required. CAMPING: JOHANNA BEACH Three hours southwest of Melbourne, the campsite at Johanna Beach in the Otways is a triple threat; it has plenty of walks, it's not too busy and it has a beaut surf beach to boot. Off Old Coach Road and set among the dunes, the site only has 25 spots for people to set up camp, so there will never be too many people at one time. But make sure you book in advance book in advance to avoid any disappointment. There are non-flush toilets in the area, but fires are not allowed and you'll need to BYO drinking water, so this is for human and furry campers who are prepped for a more rugged experience. But the stellar views and the sound of the ocean to wake you in the morning make this trek well worth it. [caption id="attachment_669768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Takver via Flickr.[/caption] CAMPING: HEPBURN REGIONAL PARK Sitting in Victoria's northwest around 1.5 hours from Melbourne, Hepburn Regional Park is a top-notch camping option near the city. Surrounded by picturesque place names like Porcupine Ridge, Wombat Hill and Musk Vale, the Daylesford region already beckons to you on the page. Plus there's the additional draw-card of the spectacular scenery, including natural mineral springs, an extinct volcanic crater and relics from the gold rush set among the bush. During the day, enjoy a walk or two with your pup. In the evening, settle in by the provided fire pits at the Lalgambook (Mount Franklin) Reserve campsite with your doggo by your side. SWIMMING: FOSSIL BEACH The Mornington Peninsula offers heaps of scenic beaches easily accessible in an hour or so from Melbourne — and Fossil Beach should be at the top of your list. It's lovely, dog-friendly and educational; the rocky beach gets its name from all of the fossils found on its shores. Dating back over ten million years, these Australian sea-life fossils were first discovered in the 1800s, but you can still find plenty to this day. Along with the relics of past aquatic flora and fauna, plenty of present-day wildlife visits the shore, including the yellow wattlebird. Whether you're a rock lover or nature fan — and perhaps keen for a little dip — stroll along the shore and see what you and your clever pooch might dig up. . SWIMMING: LILLYDALE LAKE It isn't just beaches that have the goods when it comes to finding a swimming hole that suits both humans and their fur babies. Don't forget about Victoria's many lakes, and in particular, Lillydale Lake. In the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, the lake reflects the type of green beauty that can still be found in spades out in Melbourne's hilly east. The man-made body of water is perfect for walking around — it spans 28 hectares, with an additional ten kilometres of shared trails surrounding the area too. Though the lake may not the best of the best for people swimming, your dog will be raring for a dip along with the other pooches. Afterward, enjoy a picnic in the barbecue area and be sure to bring along snacks for your pup. [caption id="attachment_703431" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria.[/caption] SWIMMING: BLUE POOL, BRIAGOLONG STATE FOREST If you've been hankering for something a little special, it might be time to make the pilgrimage to Briagolong State Forest. Three hours east of the CBD, Blue Pool in Briagolong is worth any distance of travel, and it's a great stop during a coastal road trip or weekend getaway. Here, the water is clear as glass and tends to stay relatively warm all year round. You and your pooch are sure to have a splendid time frolicking and splashing about all day. Plus, there are several nice walk options around the peaceful billabong surroundings, as well as a free campsite nearby with fire pits, picnic tables and toilets. There's no reason not to make a whole weekend of it. Be sure to come prepared with sandals or water shoes to help you reach the water, as the terrain is very rocky. HIKING: KURTH KILN REGIONAL PARK Set in the Dandenong Ranges, Kurth Kiln Regional Park in Gembrook is mostly known for its kiln, used in WWII to make charcoal. It's also home to a water wheel, lots of ferns and the occasional koala. Popular with a whole range of active sorts — hikers, horse riders and mountain bikers — it's a particularly good day trip spot for you and your dog to take. The lush park has a number of walks, varying in length and difficulty, as well as some more Aussie animals such as sugar gliders, wombats, swamp wallabies and the aforementioned koala if you're lucky. There'll be lots of fun new smells for your dog to discover, so just make sure they're on a lead. HIKING: YOU YANGS REGIONAL PARK The peaks of the You Yangs mountain range can be seen from quite a distance, protruding from the otherwise flat landscape surrounding them. So, set your sights on the mountains and head southeast. The regional park that makes up part of the area is ideal for hikes and shorter walks, as well as rock climbing for the especially adventurous. Plus there are barbecues and picnic areas dotted throughout to keep you refreshed and truckin' along. For those looking to get their legs burning, climb up to Flinders Peak and have a baby Simba moment with your pooch as you survey everything the light touches. Or for something less intensive, take the longer, undulating Branding Yard Trail. Just make sure you bring enough water for both you and your furry pal. HIKING: MACEDON REGIONAL PARK The Macedon Ranges are a hallmark of Victoria's native forestry, and the region's fame is in part due to the mysterious Hanging Rock — plus the immense natural beauty (and many wineries) found nearby. The Macedon Regional Park boasts a hefty 2380 hectares and is chockablock with hiking trails that make up the Macedon Ranges Walking Track. With a variety of activities, the Macedon Ranges prove to be a destination, rather than a one-day pit stop. For the best views, make tracks to the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross, the second most significant war memorial in the state. Take your pooch along and keep your eyes peeled — there are over 150 different varieties of bird residing within the park. Just tell your pup to play nice.
Your days of stealing liberating those tiny IKEA pencils may soon be coming to an end. According to reports, the Australian arm of the Swedish furniture giant will launch its online store today, Wednesday, November 30 — in Canberra, of all places. Those living in the nation's capital will be the first to be able to order IKEA's unpronounceable furniture from the comfort of their MALM bed frames and either collect it from the Majura store or have it delivered the next day. Delivery will start at $79 and, according to The Canberra Times, will not include meatball orders. Wah. Those dirty that IKEA has chosen to trial the service in Canberra over other bigger cities, it's not all bad news. They have plans to roll out delivery to regional areas around Canberra, and eventually nationally over the next few years. About damn time. Now here's hoping it's less stressful to navigate than their actual physical locations. IKEA Australia hopes the web initiative will help boost profits, which, as it stands, are expected to pass the $1 billion mark for the first time later this year. Their online store in the UK is the most popular IKEA outlet in the country, presumably because you don't need to pack a week's worth of provisions to make it to the checkout. Via The Canberra Times. By Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal.
Thanks to Guy Sebastian, Dami Im, Isaiah, Jessica Mauboy, Montaigne, Sheldon Riley, Voyager and Electric Fields, Australia is no stranger to heading to Eurovision. In November 2024, the iconic song contest is coming to us instead. For the first time ever since beginning in 1956, Eurovision is touring, with Aussie shows now locked in for Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney before spring is out. London, Paris, Stockholm, Madrid, Warsaw and Amsterdam are also on the itinerary before and after Eurovision on Tour's Down Under gigs, but its visit to Australia is different. This is the only country receiving multiple concerts, spreading Europop across the nation's east coast. Italian African pop star Senhit is not only on the lineup but is also the tour's spokesperson. "Eurovision has always been about bringing people together through music, no matter where in the world you are. Taking Eurovision on Tour to Australia is incredibly exciting for me because it means sharing this celebration of diversity and creativity with even more fans," she explains. "Australia has such a passionate Eurovision community, and I can't wait to experience that energy firsthand." The concept dates back to 2019, but the pandemic initially got in the way. After that, it took two years of negotiating to lock in the setup. Now that Eurovision on Tour is officially happening, it'll play The Tivoli in Brisbane on Wednesday, November 13, then The Palais in Melbourne on Friday, November 15 and The Enmore in Sydney on Sunday, November 17 with 18 performers. On the lineup: Australia's own Im and Silia Kapsis, with the latter competing for Cyprus this year. Attendees can also look forward to 1991 winner Carola from Sweden, 2013 winner Emmelie de Forest from Denmark, and everyone from the UK's Nicki French, Portugal's Suzy and Malta's Destiny to Efendi from Azerbaijan, Ovi & Ilinca Bacila from Romania, and both Rosa López and Soraya from Spain. Eurovision on Tour Australian Dates 2024 Wednesday, November 13 — The Tivoli, Brisbane Friday, November 15 — The Palais, Melbourne Sunday, November 17 — The Enmore, Sydney Eurovision on Tour Australian Lineup 2024 Senhit (San Marino) Dami Im (Australia) Carola (Sweden) Destiny (Malta) Efendi (Azerbaijan) Emmelie de Forest (Denmark) Esther Hart (Netherlands) Jalisse (Italy) Linda Martin (Ireland) Nicki French (United Kingdom) Ovi & Ilinca Bacila (Romania) Rosa López (Spain) Silia Kapsis (Cyprus) Soraya (Spain) Sunstroke Project (Moldova) Suzy (Portugal) The Roop (Lithuania) Theo Evan (Cyprus) Eurovision on Tour Australia is playing Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in November 2024. Head to the event's website for further details and tickets.
Been spending the first few months of 2022 pondering the future? That's only natural whenever a new year hits, especially a couple of years into a pandemic. Over the coming weeks, however, you might want to look to the skies as well — and feast your eyes on the night sky. Across the second half of April each year, the Lyrids Meteor Shower sets the sky ablaze. This year, it's doing just that from April 14–30. It might not be as famous as Halley's Comet, but it's still very impressive. Plus, rather than only being visible every 75 years (the next Halley's Comet sighting is in 2061), you can catch the Lyrids annually. In 2022, the Lyrids will be at its most spectacular over Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23. For folks located Down Under, you'll want to peer upwards early on the Saturday morning. Here's how to catch a glimpse from your backyard. [caption id="attachment_767783" align="alignnone" width="1920"] jpstanley via Flickr.[/caption] WHAT IS IT The Lyrids Meteor Shower is named after constellation Lyra, which is where the meteor shower appears to come from near star Vega, and is created by debris from comet Thatcher. While the comet, which takes about 415 years to orbit around the sun, won't be visible from Earth again until 2276, the Lyrids can be seen every autumn between around April 14–30. So, you can even pencil it in for next year. It's also the oldest recorded meteor shower, so there's that, too. On average, you can see up to 18 meteors per hour, but the Lyrids are also known to have outbursts of nearly 100 meteors per hour. So, while no outburst is predicted for 2022, you could get lucky. WHEN TO SEE IT In Australia, the shower will reach a peak in the early morning of Saturday, April 23 according to Time and Date, but will still able to be seen either side of those dates between Thursday, April 14–Saturday, April 30. The best time to catch an eyeful is just before dawn after the moon has set, so around 4am. At that time, you'll be in the running to see meteors moving at about 177,000 kilometres per hour, shining extraordinarily brightly and leaving a long wake. The shower's cause is, essentially, the Earth getting in the comet's way, causing stardust to fry up in the atmosphere. HOW TO SEE IT When a meteor shower lights up the sky, getting as far away from light pollution as possible is the best way to get a prime view. If you can't do that, you can still take a gander from your backyard or balcony. To help locate the Lyrids, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also have a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Lyrids. The site updates these details daily. The one caveat: the weather. If showers or cloud pop up, they could present problems in terms of visibility. So, keep an eye on the forecast if you're making plans to head to a prime viewing location. Top image: Mike Lewinski via Flickr.
Drinking coffee is a lot like dating. The first taste: hot and strong, your heart begins to pound — you are energised by these blissful new senses. But inevitably, it has to come to an end. The coffee goes cold and the honeymoon is over. Your hot caffeine Casanova has turned into a cold crumpet. Sadly, this whole process can drag on. Weeks of flipping back and forth, too hot or too cold? While your friends find it easy to pick their perfect match, you struggle to make it past the cheap and easy 'instant' to be left wondering if it's all worthwhile? So for the hopeless coffee-obsessed among us or those just looking for an upgrade, head for The Rock's Aroma Festival, which is doing for coffee-lovers what speed dating did for singles. Now in its 12th year, for a whole day the finest barista's will be selling brews from around the world that are bound to please even the most fussy pallets. Ask the right questions, try before you buy and don't come on too strong. Spend the day browsing the exotic Latin quarter, the 'Oasis' of Turkish delights, Continental Europe's smooth aromas, the Orient of spicy Indonesia and then end up with a nice brew-next-door from down under. There are also teas, hot chocolate and cakes of all shapes and sizes so nobody goes home empty handed.
Gonna get 90s-style comedic pop tunes stuck in your head forever, again — or five-ever, to be precise. After proving one of the best new shows of 2021, Tina Fey-executive produced sitcom Girls5eva returns in May with a new season of sitcom antics about a former one-hit-wonder girl group who get back together to chase stardom again decades later. You know, that ol' situation. Fingers crossed that a whole heap of catchy songs are in the returning show's future, too. Its first season was filled with them, and wonderfully so. If you quickly binged its initial eight episodes, you instantly got its tracks lodged in your brain. In fact, even just reading the show's name now will have brought them all back. And, odds are there'll be more gems on the way given that Girls5eva's second season sees the group recording a new album. The setup, if you're a newcomer: more than 20 years after they split up, the four remaining members of a late 90s girl group decide that it's time to get the band back together. Now in their forties, they're all at different points in their lives, but rekindling their dreams is too enticing to ignore. Sara Bareilles (Broadway's Waitress), Busy Philipps (I Feel Pretty), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) and the great Paula Pell (AP Bio) play Girls5eva's reunited members, while Fey pops up as a fantasy version of Dolly Parton — and yes, the latter is as glorious as it sounds. Also, the comic takes on 90s pop tunes are all 100-percent spot on. Just as pitch-perfect: everything about this immensely funny take on stardom, fame and the way that women beyond their twenties are treated. In season two, which hits Stan in Australia on Friday, May 6, the Girls5eva crew are still chasing their comeback — but they're determined to make their new album on their own terms. As the just-dropped trailer shows, that's an eventful quest, even spanning knee replacements. Even just from the brief sneak peek so far, expect more wannabe popstar chaos, more gags about the entertainment industry and more thoughtful jokes about the way both the music scene and the world in general regard women. Of course, Tina Fey hasn't starred in, created or executive produced a bad sitcom yet — and when the first season of Girls5eva arrived last year, it continued that trend. In its own way, it's another workplace comedy like 30 Rock, Great News and Mr Mayor, after all. And, albeit in a completely different manner to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, it also follows a group of women trying to navigate new lives years after they were thrust together under extreme circumstances. Check out the trailer for Girls5eva season two below: Girls5eva's second season will be available to stream via Stan on Friday, May 6. Read our full review of season one.
Every season has its fashions and fads. This past summer, there was only one thing we spotted more in our favourite bar haunts than hot dogs: cider. While a glass of sweet, delicious cider is undoubtedly on trend, we suspect that it will last a little longer than most. Concrete Playground speaks to Rich Coombes of Batlow Premium Cider, Brittany Kinter from Moonshine, Hotel Steyne's dedicated cider and rum bar, and Michael Capaldo from Schwartz Brewery, the creator of Sydney Cider, to find out why cider is here to stay. Why has it taken Sydney so long to catch on to cider? Why is the cider revolution only hitting now? RC: There was really a lack of quality cider widely available, but now we're seeing an abundance of quality ciders in a range of styles. The category was re-invigorated in the UK recently through a significant increase in marketing activities by major brands, and that had a positive knock-on effect into other markets like Australia. Consumers are also seeking out more from their drinking and dining experiences; they appear to be looking for alternatives to their regular beer or wine selections, and cider provides a versatile option. Michael, Schwartz Brewery has had the beers under the belt for a while, but what prompted you to move into cider? MC: Our marketing manager Richard actually came up with the brand years ago. Richard presented the idea of making a cider for Sydneysiders to Dr. Schwartz and the brewing team, and we loved it. Did you have much experience with cider before embarking on Sydney Cider? MC: I had made a few batches at home and had produced a range of ciders with my previous employer. Saying that, cider is a very different beast to beer. From a technical point of view it behaves much more like a wine than a beer, so it is a whole new world for us brewers to get used to. Rich, we all know Batlow Apples but how did Batlow Cider come about? RC: It was the product of great timing. Batlow Apples were looking at ways of realising value for fruit that may not make the grade for the supermarket shelf and had previously made cider. So when we (my brother Sam and I) approached Batlow Apples looking for a source of top quality apples to make cider, it was complementary to their own plans. Sam and I had spent a fair amount of time in the UK drinking cider, and we realised there was an opportunity to make a locally-made, premium cider using the best cider-making practices. When we shared our cider plans with Batlow Apples, they liked the idea of partnering up and launching a Batlow-branded cider collaboratively. We were on the same page from day one about what we wanted to create and the rest is history. Can you take us through your processes of making cider? What's the story behind the bottle? RC: Our cider begins with the apples – and we only use Batlow apples. Through some experimenting, we came up with a varietal mix to give the best balance in terms of acidity and sweetness. We grow, pick and press apples in Batlow and then, the same day, transport the juice to our cidery. There, we ferment, clean filter and bottle. No concentrates, no added sugar, no artificial preservatives and no pasteurisation of the bottle. Our 'minimal intervention' approach means we retain as much of the goodness of the apples as possible and ensures there are about three and a half Batlow apples in each bottle. MC: We decided that if we were going to make a cider, it had to be refreshing and all natural. We have a fantastic juice supplier who grows cold climate apples, which are perfect for a crisp cider. We use a very unusual yeast imported from France that is actually a champagne yeast. As yeast is the only living ingredient in cider, every strain will produce different flavours. In the case of our yeast, you can certainly assimilate it with the citrusy, tart flavours found in champagne. We then soften up the cider with more fresh apple juice and are left with a beautiful balance of medium sweet fruit on the nose and pallet, which is counterbalanced by subtle acidity. Rich, for those who are yet to partake, what's the appeal of Batlow Cider? RC: Our cider has the freshness of a crunchy Batlow apple. The flavour gives a complex mix of green and red apples, with a hint of earthiness. It's crisp, clean and has just the right amount of sweetness. We only press apples as we make the cider, which ensures that we retain as much of the natural aromas and flavours of the Batlow apples as possible. We don't add any sugar, concentrates or flavourings like some other ciders on the market, and it's also gluten free for our coeliac friends. Continuing with the education, what qualities make a great cider? RC: Great ciders are judged on their aroma and taste. Great cider will produce a delightful aroma of apples – depending on the style of cider, this may be fresh apples or even over-ripe apples. A great cider will offer depth of flavour and complexity, like a wine, offering a fine balance of apple sweetness and acidity. More traditional styles of cider will also display good tannin structure, given cider apples are relatively high in tannin content compared to eating apples. Striking the right balance of sweetness, acidity and tannin is the art to great cider-making. While Batlow obviously focuses on apple cider, what different kinds of cider are available? RC: There are now many styles of cider available: from very sweet to very dry, carbonated to still. By definition, cider is made from the fermentation of apple or pear juice and, whilst there are an increasing amount of flavour twists hitting the shelves, the purists would argue these are really getting away from true 'cider'. That said, different regions of the world produce very different ciders. It's worth seeking out some foreign styles, such as French ciders, which offer a completely different drinking experience to more commonly consumed ciders. How would you describe your cider, Michael? What makes it stand out from the pack? MC: It certainly sits in the medium sweet category. This means that it has pronounced apple flavours, but their sweetness is balanced by the acidity produced from the yeast. I think in terms of drinkability and versatility, it is one of the best ciders going around. It drinks best neat, and we try to discourage people from drinking it with ice as this can mask the beautiful natural flavours. While you're obviously a lover of beer as well, what does cider offer that beer doesn't? MC: From a technical point of view cider has a much lower pH than beer, around 3.3 as opposed to 4, which means its flavours are generally sharper and bitier. I think cider suits the Australian palate very well as we like dry, highly carbonated drinks that refresh on a hot day. Britt, putting a bar specialising in cider (and rum) in Hotel Steyne – a classic 'pub' pub – is a bit of a brave move. How did this come about? BK: The cider bar concept originated from our publican Ged. Since he married an Irish girl, he's become familiar with the explosion of cider in Europe, particularly in Celtic countries. With sixty six beer taps downstairs, Ged saw the cider bar as a strategic point of difference for the hotel. He believes that the Australian climate is made for cider. Plus, the 'alco pop' tax is making cider more accessible and affordable. What is the concept behind Moonshine? Could you describe the look and feel of this bar? BK: The bar is themed 'seaside grit', with reused old dockside timber bars and weather leather chesterfield booths. It's a seaside, shanty shack atmosphere. There's images of old school, sea man tattoos, bottles from nights passed, and retired seafaring craft from the years gone by. Plus the associated ocean smells and sounds provided naturally and free from the coast just beyond the doors! The bar should see you through the whole weekend, with a hundred rums to try and a folk rock gig to see on a Thursday, to a reggae gig on a Sunday afternoon, whilst sipping on one of the sixteen ciders on tap. Tell us a bit about the ciders you're serving up. What's your pick? BK: Our ciders range from sugary sweet to bittersweet, and mildly dry to a smoky dry. My personal fav. at the moment is the Batlow cider. The high quality, delicious taste and attractive branding has captured my attention, along with that of our patrons. What has the reaction from punters been? Have people taken you up on the offer? BK: Positive, that's for sure. Young people are looking for the experience and variety that cider has to offer. We constantly get visits from strictly beer drinkers who have yet to jump on the cider wagon but do want to see what all the buzz is about. Before you know it, these 'strict beer drinkers' are frequenting the bar and have a favourite cider. Plus, we're finding that Australians are returning home after time abroad with a liking for cider that they developed on their travels. Here in Manly, we witness the multicultural mix of people firsthand, so there's also nostalgic travellers frequenting the pub in search of recognisable beverages from their home countries. And finally, to end on a controversial note, what does cider have over the great Australian favourite, beer? RC: The advantage of cider is that it offers a completely different drinking experience to beer. Some people choose cider because it's a lighter more refreshing alternative to beer or even because it's gluten free. Increasingly we are seeing cider matched with foods in place of craft beer or wine, so it's really quite versatile. We're still a beer-drinking nation, but it's nice to see an ever-growing appreciation of quality cider. BK: Sydney has the perfect climate for the cider market. There's just something about sitting on the deck, lounging in the sun with your mates, with a cool refreshing cider in hand.
By day, it's a tranquil kissaten tucked inside a heritage CBD building. But come nightfall, Kahii transforms into something far more unexpected: a dedicated tea and coffee cocktail bar that's adding elegant variety to — and quietly rewriting — what after-dark drinking can look like in Sydney. Now open Tuesday to Saturday evenings, Kahii After Dark is helmed by Fumiaki 'Fumi' Michishita, who cut his teeth tending bar at celebrated Tokyo cocktail dens Bar Triad and Bar Tram, and, more recently, led the charge at Kahii's sister venue, Kuro. He'll be bringing the elegance and craftsmanship of Japanese cocktail culture to Kahii After Dark, with a menu built around the subtle, complex flavours of tea and coffee. The autumn 2025 menu, available until Saturday, June 28, is seasonal, thoughtful and deeply drinkable. There's a fair spread of flavour profiles, too, from the bright yet subtly earthy Roasted Highball — a mix of barley shochu, hojicha distilled water and shiso — to the seriously punchy Toma-Tea-Ni — a bold, umami-laden reimagining of the martini featuring gyokuro green tea, clarified tomato water, white port and bonito. For a floral, fruit-forward option, the Mariages Rose pairs calvados and fresh pomegranate juice with Mariage Frères' signature Marco Polo black tea. The result is a warming, aromatic twist on the classic jack rose, and a thoroughly autumnal aperitif. You'll also find floral notes on the coffee side of the menu — specifically, in the Fig Coffee Cherry, a sake-based sip layered with cold brew cascara and fig leaf syrup. For those who prefer their after-dark coffee hit sans caffeine, Between the Sips is an aromatic and velvety smooth mix built on Hennessy VS and sandalwood-infused rum that features triple sec, lemon juice, elderflower and a spike of decaf, all crowned with cloud-like foam. Dessert, meanwhile, arrives in the form of Tiramisu Rubino — a combination of mascarpone, raspberry and a whisper of blue brie that channels the rich comfort of its namesake dessert. Set inside a heritage-listed Kent Street warehouse which was once home to the Thomas Edison-founded National Phonograph Company and coffee merchants Gibson & Co, Kahii features an interior that echoes its menu — refined, layered and full of quiet detail (look out for original phonograph cylinders). As you sip, you can pair your cocktails with a selection from the rotating snack menu by Kuro — or change course and explore the short but sharp wine list that's earned Kahii a Two Glass rating. Kahii After Dark is now open at 364 Kent Street, Sydney. It's open Tuesday–Saturday, 5pm-12am, and until 1.30am on Friday. The new autumn menu is available until Saturday, June 28. For more details, head to the event page.
The Eveleigh Works blacksmithing school is celebrating its one-year anniversary with an anything-but-average crafting party on Good Friday. It'll swing its doors wide open for a day of free forging demonstrations, sculpting workshops and competitions, with a sausage sizzle to boot. Located in the Australia Technology Park, the school goes back to the building's 130-year-old roots as a traditional craft school, running weekly short courses in metal sculpture, hand forging, knife-making and traditional tool making. These courses are on the pricey side, so the event is a rare chance to getting involved without dropping lots of cash. Joining the festivities are renowned Italian sculptures Roberto and Niko Giordani, who have just completing a month-long residency at Eveleigh Works and will unveil a new three-metre sculpture, created with the school's founder Matt Mewburn. Throughout the day, competitions and raffles will be up for grabs, with some legit prizes for the winners. Entry and all demonstrations are free — the only thing you'll be out of pocket for is the by-donation barbecue lunch of sausages, burgers and a veg option. Proceeds from the food will go toward refurbishing one of the school's old industrial machines, so, all-in-all, it's a few bucks well spent.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will never stop being a gothic-horror masterpiece, or inspiring stories across the page, stage and screen as well. The latest: Poor Things, the next film from acclaimed Greek Weird Wave director Yorgos Lanthimos, and his long-awaited first release since 2018's excellent The Favourite. Also back: that regal drama's Oscar-nominated supporting player Emma Stone. The Cruella star didn't end up clutching an Academy Award for her past performance under Lanthimos' guidance, and nor did her co-star Rachel Weisz (Dead Ringers) or the filmmaker himself; instead, they watched on as Olivia Colman (Empire of Light) emerged victorious for her leading part. But Stone and Lanthimos made a winning pair anyway, in what was one of the former's very best performances of her career. It's no wonder that they're teaming up again — or that the just-dropped first Poor Things trailer looks mesmerising, eerie and stunning. Poor Things adapts Alasdair Grey's 1992 award-winning novel, but the parallels with Shelley's mother-of-all horror greats are as obvious as a bolt of lightning. The focus: Bella Baxter, a woman resurrected by an unorthodox scientist, distinctive in her mannerisms afterwards and eager to learn about a world that isn't quite sure how to react. Continuing the movie's top-notch casting — and Lanthimos' in general, as seen in everything from Dogtooth and Alps to The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer as well — Poor Things features Willem Dafoe (The Northman) as the tinkering Dr Godwin Baxter; Mark Ruffalo (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) as Duncan Wedderburn, a slick lawyer that Bella runs off with; and also Ramy's Ramy Youssef, plus On the Count of Three co-stars Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott. The film will hit cinemas in the US on September 8, but doesn't yet have a release date Down Under. Poor Things jolts Stone's career back onto the screen a few years away, too — Cruella released in 2021, and only The Croods: A New Age, Zombieland: Double Tap and TV's Maniac sit on her resume since The Favourite. Check out the first teaser trailer for Poor Things below: Poor Things doesn't currently have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when one is confirmed. Image: Yorgos Lanthimos. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
Effortless multitasker Joss Whedon has taken time off between letting Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents clean up the scum to unveil a fan-friendly surprise: his brand new film In Your Eyes available to rent online for just $5. The Avengers director high-fived his fans worldwide by releasing the film online as it was premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Currently filming the next instalment of the Avengers: Age of Ultron, Whedon made $1.5 billion from the first ‘gang’s all here’ Marvel superhero romp. The Buffy creator has seen shifts in the industry over the years and wanted to explore options to satisfy both fans and his bottom line. "It's exciting for us because we get to explore yet another new form of distribution — and we get $5," he said. Whedon recorded a video message to introduce the release, played before the Tribeca screening and seemingly recorded on the Avengers set. In Your Eyes will mark the second release from Bellwether Pictures, Whedon’s pet project and “micro studio” that released the playful, black and white rom-com version of Much Ado About Nothing in 2013. Whedon and his wife Kai Cole founded the LA studio as a means to bypass "the classic studio structure" that Whedon receives millions of dollars yet limited creative distribution control to work in. Starring newcomers Zoe Kazan (writer and star of Ruby Sparks) and Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield, NBC’s The Black Donnellys), In Your Eyes is a so-called paranormal romance, following two strangers who find themselves linked by supernatural means. Whedon wrote and produced the film, looked at his laughable schedule, then handed the director hat over to buddy Brin Hill (writer and director of 2008’s Ball Don’t Lie). Whedon has been pretty busy of late being King of Marvel Errrrthang, divvying up his directorial time on the Avengers sequel Age of Ultron to serve as creative consultant on Any Marvel Film Anyone is Making Right Now. Whedon penned dialogue for Thor: The Dark World as well as directing the mid-credits scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier — Whedon’s Marvel input cameos might soon rival the onscreen pop-ins of legendary creator Stan Lee. “This is the most prolific title we’ve had on the platform, definitely,” Vimeo spokesman Greg Clayman told Gigaom. Stealthy, unannounced releases are becoming more used by major players as a means of distributing directly to fanbases. “It's a non-traditional way, for sure. But hey, it works for Beyonce." Due to Whedon being an absolute legend, In Your Eyes is available to rent on Vimeo right now. Via BBC and Gigaom.
Fusing thousands of EDM lovers, raveheads waiting for the bass to drop and a formidable amount of hot sauce can't possibly go wrong right? Face-melting dance and tastebud-destroying chili will combine their unlikely party powers for the first ever Electronic Sriracha Festival in San Jose, California. There'd better be some solid water stations in the production budget. Staking a spicy claim over San Jose's St. James Park on August 30, the hot sauce-inspired festival is making David Tran's beloved Sriracha rooster the poster boy for build ups, bass drops and breakdowns. Taking over two city blocks, three stages of electronic music, four bars and 120 sriracha-infused dishes, ESF is keeping food at $6 and the amps to 11. Seems it's all about endorphins, with EDM generating the same rush as a mouthful of hot sauce (the secret's in the capsaicin). Seems the moment before the bass drops parallels the waiting game before the Sriracha heat seeps in. Goes without saying, punters to both types of caps[aicin]-fuelled adventures do often display the same facial reaction: Could be one of the most unlikely Nailed It festivals yet, more innovative than your regular phone company sponsor with only corporate tents and handouts to add to the vibe. Sriracha held their first food-focused festival in LA last year, seems the team want to take things next level. The line-up will be released Monday, July 21 at 9am. Via Grub Street.
The lofty title of the ‘World Wide Web’ implies that we can access the internet, well, all over the world. However, with 71 percent of the Earth’s surface covered by oceanic bodies, the web is more limited than you think. Researchers at the University of Buffalo may have found a way to cross the digital gap between land and sea. Their ‘deep sea Internet’ is a sunken wireless network that will provide instant communication from beneath the surface to any device on land. Since wireless access has expanded everywhere, from subways to third world countries, why hasn’t this been thought of before? Although the internet feels like an omnipresent force that floats invisibly above our heads like the particles of a broadcast chocolate bar in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, it’s a little more complicated. Wireless communication on land relies on radio waves from satellites and antennas, which don’t work well out in the middle of the ocean. Deep-sea communication technologies function on sound waves, which are converted above the surface and transmitted to our devices. This interaction is a bit dodgy, given that it’s nearly impossible to communicate in real time because of the various methods and standards involved when it comes to communicating with underwater sensors. To make things easier, the masterminds in New York are developing a framework that would create a singular way to collect and send data from an underwater sensor to any computer in the world. The possibilities are endless with this superpower technology. Tsunamis and hurricanes could be detected and warned of earlier, oil and gas could be detected more efficiently, pollution could be better monitored, and law enforcement agencies could track down drug-smuggling pirates. The underwater modem seems to be well on its way to doing these things; it is currently being tested at the bottom of America’s Lake Erie and will be presented at the International Conference on Underwater Networks & Systems in Taiwan this November. So on your next deep-sea dive or fishing trip, check your smartphone for Wi-Fi: BIG BLUE, password: n3m0. Via Fast.CoExist.com.
Sydney's favourite multi-disciplinary venue Carriageworks is bringing three big nights to Eveleigh throughout August as part of its Carriageworks Nights program. The artist-led event series will be divided into three themes; Softcore, Consent and Feast, offering an energetic program to inject some culture into our chilly winter nights. The series will kick off on Thursday, August 17 with Softcore, which will see the Carriageworks' Public Space transformed into a cinema. Curator and artist EO Gill will be putting together a range of Australian queer cinema, showcasing short experimental films that span from the 1980s until today. The full program is set to be announced closer to the date, so keep a lookout if you want to delve into some fascinating Aussie queer films. Then, on Thursday, August 24, Consent will bring together artists, BDSM practitioners and musicians to explore the differing dimensions of consent in our contemporary culture. Leading the nights will be the premier of performance piece idk from resident company Force Majeure with an accompanying panel, performances from dance-pop queens Haiku Hands and an appearance from body-positive artist Demon Derriere. Derriere is encouraging audience members to leak their own nudes and is currently accepting images via their Instagram that will be projected on the Carriageworks walls on the night. On Friday, August 25, Feast will showcase artist collective The Bushy Lemons with chef Claire Van Vuuren of beloved Newtown venue Bloodwood. To celebrate an upcoming major solo exhibition by Salote Tawale, Feast, will invite 200 people to gather for a barbecue dinner at Carriageworks. Tickets for the feast are free and will be allocated by ballot, so make sure to enter before August 13 for your chance to secure a spot. Following the food-filled portion of the night, the gathering will end with a healthy dose of dancing with DJ Del Lumanta on music. If you are looking to spice up your winter weeknights with a bit of culture and fun, be sure to check out the full Carriageworks Nights program. Tickets are free so you really don't have an excuse to sit at home.
Storytelling becomes the story in this darkly comic French drama. Smudging fiction and reality together in clever, self-aware meta-narratives has become little more than a cinematic cliche, but director François Ozon makes it ring true. Angelic, teenaged Claude (Ernst Umhauer) is both a black sheep and a lost lamb. Enraptured with the perfect family of his best friend Rapha (Bastien Ughetto) — middle class, cultureless and bored — he starts writing eloquent, yet pretty weird, short stories about them for French class. His soft-boiled, creepy observations mention things like "the singular scent of a middle-class woman" dripping off Rapha's mother. His disenchanted teacher, Germain (Fabrice Luchini), can't decide if Claude wants to belong to or destroy this newfound clan, but he's happy to finally have an engaged and talented student. And he's voyeuristically hooked by the sharply observed tales. Ozon (8 Women and Swimming Pool) is a director who likes his boundaries blurry and is skilled at making normality fascinating. As both Claude and Germain's longings become obsessions, the seam between the short stories and the real world of the film slips apart. My take? It's all real — it's the characters themselves who can't discern their inner desires from their outer lives. In the House has the slow-pulsing vertigo of a psychological thriller and the twists of an elaborate melodrama, but to reduce it to these labels seems glib. It's caustic and funny but never misanthropic, a study of the ways people actually live, rather than how we assume that they do. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eegoZpxQCzc
Oh, Vivid. You beautiful beacon of light. You bring us out into the streets to dance to your music and marvel at your colours, and you inspire us to connect and create. But you're long gone, as if you were only a dream, and now we're left still looking longingly at boring old buildings that don't even shimmer and shimmy along to electronic dance music. But here's the thing. Like a fourteen-year-old girl suddenly seeing clearly again after her first major crush, we have come to realise that there's a whole world out there of LED-studded, neon-framed possibilities. We'll always love you, Vivid. We can't wait to see you again. But now we have other shining lights to brighten our nights, too. [caption id="attachment_627580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud.[/caption] BADU GILI CURATED BY RHODA ROBERTS Badu Gili, a new sound and light show in celebration of Australia's First Nations culture, is making Sydney's sunsets a whole lot more dramatic. No longer do you have to wait for Vivid to come around to see the Opera House transform into an ever-changing, illuminated canvas. As the sun goes down each day — and then again at 7pm — the House's iconic sails beam with a vibrant, seven-minute projected animation exploring ancient Indigenous stories, First Nations artworks and stunning soundscapes from Damian Robinson of Wicked Beat Sound System. The name Badu Gili translates to 'water light' in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people. Find Badu Gili on the Opera House sails. CIRCLE/S IN THE ROUND FOR (MILES AND MILES +1) BY NEWELL HARRY Hidden away in a dark back alley charmingly called Temperance Lane, concentric neon circles brighten the path of all those who pass beneath them. The installation by Newell Harry pays homage to Miles Davis' 'Circle in the Round', aiming to capture and reflect the "entwined order and chaos" of the very best in jazz. The pulsing circles and accompanying textual wordplay (a brightly lit, palindromic NEVERODDOREVEN) are meant to evoke the beats and structures of Davis' "electronic period," which began with 'Circle in the Round' and continued through to his final musical contribution, the album Doo-Bop. Find Circles in the Round in Temperance Lane in the CBD. ASPIRE BY WARREN LANGLEY Glowing golden trees reach their branches upwards, seeming to bear the spectacular weight of the Western Distributor overhead. Their heroic effort pays tribute to the nearby Fig Street community's teamwork, which succeeded in preserving local housing slated for demolition. The work by Warren Langley is both utilitarian, lighting the way for pedestrians and motorists passing by, and aspirational, reflecting the immense progress we can make as individuals and communities when we unite towards a common goal. Combining these elements, the installation "acknowledges the growth and perpetuation of neighbourhoods within the city landscape." Find Aspire in Ultimo underneath the Western Distributor. HEAVEN AND THE DIXON STREET LIGHT SCREENS BY PETER MCGREGOR We've found Heaven, and it's at the intersection of Dixon and Hay Streets in Chinatown. A luminescent, colour-changing maze of fibre optics suspended mid-air, the installation at once evokes Mordor's Eye of Soron and the intersecting curves and edges of a Chinese lantern. Heaven is set against the backdrop of the Dixon Street Light Screens. This set of installations glow fire hues, deepening gradually in colour from 6pm until midnight, as Heaven's larger fibre lights change colour every hour on the hour until then. The creator of both works, Peter McGregor, drew inspiration from his Chinatown surroundings: "drawing on Chinese architecture, mythology and philosophy, the work is colour coded based on feng shui diagrams, which place the work at the symbolic centre of Chinatown." Find Heaven and the Dixon Street Light Screens at the intersection of Dixon and Hay Streets in Chinatown.
