Beverly Hills, 90210 did it. Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl, too. If a teen-focused series is a hit, odds are that'll end up back on our screens years and even decades after it first popped up, telling new high school-set tales with a new cast for a new generation — and that's exactly what's happening with Australia's beloved Heartbreak High. Back in 2020, Netflix announced that it was bringing the series back — and now that revival is almost here. The series itself will join your streaming queue on Wednesday, September 14, and the platform keeps dropping trailers in the interim. Indeed, after the first teaser arrived at the beginning of August, the streamer has just unveiled the full sneak peek. Yes, it definitely looks like a 2020s take on the Aussie classic. Yes, this new batch of students still attend Hartley High, the fictional school that everyone watching was obsessed with when the OG version of the show first aired way back when. And yes, teenage chaos is still the main focus, including everything from friendship fights, yelling about vaginas from the top of a building and throwing dildos at walls through to a public sex map that charts who at Hartley has hooked up with who. 90s kids, prepare to feel emotional — the initial series screened for seven seasons and 210 episodes between 1994–99, and wasn't just a high school-set Aussie show; it was the high school-set Aussie show of the era. The original Heartbreak High was filled with now-familiar faces, too, including Alex Dimitriades, a pre-Home and Away Ada Nicodemou, and Avengers: Endgame and Mystery Road's Callan Mulvey as Drazic. It painted a multicultural picture of Australia that was unlike anything else on TV at the time. And, for its six-year run across two Aussie networks, the Sydney-shot show was must-see television — not bad for a series that started as a spinoff to the Claudia Karvan and Alex Dimitriades-starring 1993 movie The Heartbreak Kid. This time around, a revelation turns Hartley High student Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect) into a pariah, and also sparks a rift with her best pal Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman). Attempting to repair her reputation, she calls on help from her new friends Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud) and Darren (first-timer James Majoos). Back when Netflix announced the cast, it described Amerie as a smart, big-hearted but loud working-class girl, and Harper as the person at Hartley that everyone is a little afraid of, including teachers. Quinni, who has autism, is "a brain trying to connect to a body and a heart", while Darren is "the warmest snarky shit-stirrer you're ever likely to meet". Other characters include Malakai (Thomas Weatherall, All My Friends Are Racist), a Bundjalung boy and basketballer who is new at Hartley High; Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), an insecure bass player in an indie rock band; Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC), who has been badged "the coolest, sexiest, and chiccest lesbian at the school"; and Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), a mullet-wearing drug dealer, food delivery driver and pet duck owner. Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Baby Done) plays Hartley High's principal, too — and yes, Netflix is still streaming the original series, should you feel like a double dose of nostalgia. Check out the latest trailer for the new Heartbreak High below: Heartbreak High will be available to stream via Netflix on Wednesday, September 14.
When it was announced back in 2016 that Moulin Rouge! was being turned into a stage musical, fans around the world thought the same thing in unison: the show must go on. Since then, the lavish production premiered in the US in 2018, then hit Broadway in 2019, and also announced that it'd head Down Under in 2021 — and if you're an Aussie worried about whether the latter would actually happen after 2020's chaos, the same mantra thankfully applies to its planned Melbourne season. After the Australian production put out a casting call for auditions late in 2020 — and, in the process, revealed that it was working towards June rehearsals and August previews as part of its timeline — it has been confirmed that Moulin Rouge! The Musical will indeed hit Melbourne's stage in the second half of this year. So, from Friday, August 13, you'll be able to watch the spectacular show at Melbourne's revamped Regent Theatre. Based on Baz Luhrmann's award-winning movie, the stage musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque tale of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the film is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The stage version carries on the legacy, backing those favourites with even more hit songs that have been released in the two decades since the movie premiered. Indeed, when Moulin Rouge! The Musical makes its Aussie debut this year, it'll help mark the movie's 20th anniversary year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p68Q1G1A_k4&feature=emb_logo The musical is heading to Melbourne in the hands of production company Global Creatures, along with the Victorian Government. The Government is also a big player behind the Regent's upgrade works, having dropped a cool $14.5 million towards the $19.4 million project. It co-owns the site, along with the City of Melbourne. At present Moulin Rouge! The Musical's season will run through until at least December, with general public tickets going on sale from 9am AEDT on Friday, February 19 for performances up until Sunday, December 5. You might want to get in quickly if you're keen on heading along, though — when pre-sale tickets were put up for grabs on Monday, February 15, they broke the Regent Theatre's record for the most pre-sale tickets sold in a single day. Moulin Rouge! The Musical will hit The Regent Theatre, at 191 Collins Street, Melbourne from Friday, August 13. General public tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster from 9am AEDT on Friday, February 19 — and for further details, head to the production's website. Moulin Rouge! The Musical image: Matthew Murphy.
Mercedes-Benz drivers will soon be able to send text messages, listen to music, change radio channels and update their status on social networks right from the front seat of their car. The company recently announced that they will be integrating Apple’s Siri interface into the electronics systems in their vehicles, allowing drivers to access their iPhone apps using voice commands alone. Mercedes-Benz is the first carmaker to use Apple’s Siri voice command technology in their vehicles. The program, to be known as Drive Kit Plus, will translate the iPhone’s screen onto the in-car system screen, and will come with popular apps such as Twitter, Facebook and Aupeo Personal Radio pre-installed. The new in-car feature will launch next month at the 2012 Geneva auto show. [via PSFK]
Any weekender in the Blue Mountains should involve a walk. For a classic experience, stroll from Leura Cascades to Echo Point along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk, passing several exhilarating lookouts on the way. As the name suggest, the trail follows the cliff closely, so you'll be taking in incredible views for seven kilometres. Located at the start (or the end), the Leura Cascades is a serine picnic spot surrounded by tall eucalyptus trees. Take a short walk along the rapids on Leura Falls Creek down to Bridal Veil Falls and Leura Falls, where you can bathe if the pool is full, or relax on the rocks at the bottom of the falls. Then, get back on the trail, which will take you past amazing vistas of Jamison Valley and lead to Echo Point, where you get up-close views of the legendary Three Sisters. From there, you can follow the Giant Staircase, which winds its way downwards, passing alongside the Three Sisters before reaching the valley floor, to join the Federal Pass, if you want to keep going. The track is moderate in difficulty and should take about three or four hours one way. [caption id="attachment_574863" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Leura Cascades, Andrii Slonchak via Flickr[/caption] Top image: The Three Sisters, Echo Point
The climbing vines and giant rainforest ferns of Dorrigo National Park are Jurassic Park-level. Drive an hour inland from Coffs Harbour and you'll feel like you're walking with dinosaurs as you hike past 600-year-old trees or brave the suspension bridge to feel the spray at Crystal Shower Falls. Well-kept boardwalks lead to uninterrupted views across the rainforest canopy and provide perfect birdwatching platforms. If a cool-down dip is in order, head to Dangar Falls where a crater within undulating farmland has produced a 30-metre waterfall cascading into a pristine swimming hole. If you're coming from the city, it's about a six-hour car ride, or you can fly into Coffs Harbour. Where to stay? The quaint, colourful town of Bellingen is just 30 minutes from the park and has plenty of accommodation — from campgrounds to luxe farmstays. Images: Destination NSW
Give Lunar New Year the send-off it deserves for another 12 months at the Campsie Lantern Festival in Canterbury-Bankstown. On Saturday, February 8, Campsie's Anzac Mall and Anzac Square will burst to life with colourful lanterns, delicious Asian cuisines and a chock-a-block program of cultural entertainment. The star of the show is Yunnan Arts Troupe director Bo Yang, whose renowned group will celebrate China's ethnic minorities from the stage with diverse dances, costumes and musical performances. Meanwhile, traditional fan veil ribbon dancers, taiko drummers, lion dancing and fireworks displays will add to the jam-packed schedule. There's a lot to take in, but don't miss the Campsie Catwalk, where each traditional outfit offers symbolic significance through its fabric, embroidery and colours. If you're bringing the family, the kids can also get involved through free face-painting and lantern-making workshops. Plus, Korean corn dogs, Japanese pizzas and New Year noodles will keep the crowds satisfied. If you happen to be born during the Year of the Snake – perhaps in 2001 – you've got the chance to evoke plenty of love, wealth and wisdom heading into the New Year. For the best results, consider following Bo Yang's suggestion: "My advice to people who were born in the Year of the Snake is that they should wear something red every day of the year to ensure they have good luck."
Sydney has its fair share of karaoke spots, from the slew of neon-lit bars in the CBD to more off-the-beaten-track spots like The Pickled Possum in Neutral Bay and Sizzling Fillo in Lidcombe. One Sydney venue throwing its hat in the ring to host all of your sing-along dreams is The Little Guy in Glebe which has opened a tiny karaoke room out the back of the bar. Named Poppie's Karaoke, the room is the only spot in Glebe facilitating karaoke right now and can accommodate up to 15 patrons. The Little Guy is calling it Sydney's "littlest" karaoke bar, playing on the venue's name (although it's hard to compete with some of the truly tiny spots throughout the city like El Primo Sanchez's two-person room). [caption id="attachment_653352" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Little Guy, Kitti Smallbone[/caption] One thing that sets these sing-alongs apart from pretty much any other microphone-wielding Sydney joint is that you can enjoy the beloved bar's drinks list while you're rocking out. In place of the vodka sunrises and Heinekens of a classic karaoke bar, you'll find everything from craft beers, martinis and Doom Juice natty wines through to guava Cruisers and Moet. There's also a special Poppie's Punch available on the menu, bringing real house party energy to the room, as well as free popcorn to snack on between ballads, LED lighting, a laser machine and all of the classic tracks you could want. "We've got good tunes, a beautiful beer garden right on our doorstep, a pool room upstairs, great drinks and free popcorn. What else can you add to that? Karaoke. That's what you can add to that," says Dynn Szmulewicz, owner of The Little Guy, Sunshine Inn and Enmore Country Club. The room can be booked from 3–11pm Tuesday–Saturday and 3–10pm on Sundays and costs $10 per person for 50 minutes of karaoke. You can book online or if you're heading into The Little Guy for a drink, you can try your luck nabbing the room without a reservation. There's also an option to book the room for an entire night (seven hours) if you've got a birthday or function. Poppie's Karaoke is now open at The Little Guy, 87 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. For more information head over to the Poppie's Karaoke Instagram. Images: Angus Bell Young
True Detective started with Matthew McConaughey (The Rivals of Amziah King) and Woody Harrelson (Last Breath) as its leads. Next came Taylor Kitsch (American Primeval), Colin Farrell (The Penguin) and Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret). Mahershala Ali (Jurassic World Rebirth) and Stephen Dorff (Bride Hard) did the honours, too, followed by Jodie Foster (Nyad) and Kali Reis (Rebuilding). And if the world is lucky, Nicolas Cage (The Surfer) could join that list. Variety is reporting that Cage is in talks to star in True Detective's fifth season — which The Hollywood Reporter notes is expected to arrive in 2027. So far, the only details confirmed include that the new episodes will be set in New York's Jamaica Bay area, and that Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López, who wrote and directed every one episode of True Detective: Night Country, is due to return. [caption id="attachment_793116" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jim Bridges/HBO[/caption] Cage can and has played everyone from Dracula, a man who thinks he's a vampire, himself, a heartbroken lumberjack and an alpaca-milking dad to black-and-white film noir-style Spider-Man, twins, an Elvis obsessive, a terrorist switching faces with an FBI agent, a man everyone dreams about, a serial killer and an Aussie expat who just wants to hit the waves at his childhood beach (and much, much more). A cop on the case in True Detective? It'd be dream casting. The series was renewed for season five after its fourth season dropped in January 2024 and became the most-watched season of the show ever. Across the show's run, it's always been a case of new batch of episodes, new police officers, new case, as the series has been delivering since 2014. "Issa Lopez is that one-of-a-kind, rare talent that speaks directly to HBO's creative spirit. She helmed True Detective: Night Country from start to finish, never once faltering from her own commendable vision, and inspiring us with her resilience both on the page and behind the camera," said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, back when season five was revealed. "From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life. HBO trusted my vision all the way, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective with Casey, Francesca and the whole team is a dream come true. I can't wait to go again," added Lopez. There's obviously no trailer yet for True Detective season five, but check out the full trailer for True Detective: Night Country below: Season five of True Detective doesn't yet have a release date, but we'll update you when more details are announced. True Detective: Night Country streams via Max in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review. Via Variety/The Hollywood Reporter. Top image: Jason Bollenbacher/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images.
Australia's most prestigious portrait award, the Archibald Prize is one of the country's most anticipated annual arts events, making a huge splash across the Aussie creative scene each year. For the past few years, the event has announced its finalists in early May, then revealed its winner around a week later — and unveiled its exhibition at the Art Galley of NSW at the same time. In 2020, however, the Archibald has been postponed, with new dates yet to be revealed. It's the latest event affected by the growing spread of COVID-19, as well as Australia's various efforts to stop the illness — including banning outdoor gatherings with more than 500 people, banning indoor gatherings with more than 100 people, and implementing a limit of one person per four square metres in inside spaces and venues. In a statement on the Art Gallery of NSW website, the venue announced that "due to COVID-19, the gallery intends to hold the 2020 exhibition later this year". That applies not just to the Archibald, but to the Wynne and Sulman Prizes — which recognise the best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture and the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project, respectively. At present, entries have been suspended for all three prizes, with dates for submission and delivery of entries to the prizes postponed. [caption id="attachment_721079" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lindy Lee by Tony Costa.[/caption] In 2019, Sydney painter Tony Costa took out the Archibald with his oil painting of fellow artist Lindy Lee — marking the first time in the award's 98-year history that a portrait of an Asian Australian has taken out the coveted prize. The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize exhibitions will no longer open on May 9 at the Art Gallery of NSW. For further details, visit the gallery's website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we take you to Hanging Gardens of Bali where guests stay in luxury villas overlooking some of Indonesia's untamed jungle. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? This Balinese resort sits far away from the crowds, up in the lush rainforest surrounded by local wildlife and charming rice terraces. Hanging Gardens of Bali has also won so many international accommodation awards thanks to the breathtaking views, super luxurious villas and gracious service. THE ROOMS This high-end resort is made up of 44 private villas, each perched high atop wooden pillars overlooking the valley below. Wake up and enjoy this view from your extra-large canopy bed before rolling out into your own private plunge pool — it's paradise on stilts. And each villa is full of character. The villas combine contemporary and Balinese décor with signature hand-crafted furniture, exotic fabrics, open-air dining areas and epic master bathrooms. We see no reason why you'd ever need to leave your villa. FOOD AND DRINK Keeping with the 'never leave your villa' life, these guys will make and deliver an enormous breakfast to your room, made to be eaten in your private pool. It's all served in a bespoke wooden boat that sits out in the water with you. A dining experience that, due to your location, is quite literally next-level. But, if you do want to get out of your villa for dining, they have stacks of other options available. Either head to the main pool area for cocktails and snacks or dine in their Three Elements Restaurant. The restaurant has won separate awards for their cuisine and dining experience so shouldn't be missed. And that's just the start. Hanging Gardens of Bali also offers a wide range of other dining experiences. Spread throughout the valley are a series of cosy private dining spaces. Have a gourmet picnic on their riverside Bale, be served a romantic dinner within an ancient temple and eat some traditional afternoon tea around the rice fields. [caption id="attachment_872752" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Niklas Weiss (Unsplash)[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA This luxury resort is located near Payangan, a small village north of Ubud. Zip around the winding roads of the area on a quad bike (or just get a taxi if you dare not undertake this feat) to explore the nearby temples, holistic centres, yoga studios, rice fields and stacks of local markets. Explore this area to see why Bali is still on the top of so many people's travel bucket list destinations. You can also visit Canggu and Uluwatu to find the best surf or temporarily leave the serenity and hit Kuta and Seminyak for those famous Bali party vibes. Choose your own Bali adventure — it's all pretty easy to do from this location. THE EXTRAS Now we've already mentioned all of the extra dining options available at Hanging Gardens of Bali, but these guys don't stop there. The team here has created an impressive smorgasbord of additional pampering activities. First off, there is the spa — yes, this has won a handful of awards too. It's truly luxurious treatments combine natural, local ingredients and ancient techniques, to create beauty therapies and treatments that soothe the mind, rejuvenate the body and energise that poor old soul of yours. Of course, these treatments also come with a view of the Balinese jungle so you'll feel surrounded by nature even when you're technically inside. We are also big fans of their guided morning walks. Take off on a journey through the local villages, led by their resort guide before reaching one of the local rice fields. Here, the guide will serve a few refreshing drinks while talking a little bit about rural life in this part of Indonesia. It's a really delightful way to start the day. Get 30% off your stay at The Hanging Gardens of Bali here (with daily breakfast, sunset yoga and a couple's massage included). You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Your tweets might be entertaining sometimes, but are they a narrative? A virtual page-turner? A form-bending flight of fancy? They could be, if you flex your fingers and join in the 2014 Twitter Fiction Festival. Friends, strangers and your favourite authors are using Twitter for their latest literary endeavours, right now until March 16. The best part is that, as with the recent Digital Writers' Festival, no travelling is required to get to it; it is entirely virtual and takes place on the platform it embraces, Twitter. While there are a select group of official participants — famous authors plus 25 contest winners — all Twitter users are encouraged to participate. Festival organisers (a grouping of American publishers) encourage everyone to use the hashtag #twitterfiction and make their stories easy to find for other users. The short stories call on many of the distinct features of Twitter. Users can collaborate, create multiple different character accounts, and incorporate pictures and videos into their fiction. Teju Cole recently wrote a story entirely through retweets. Ranging from romance stories to crime stories to the inner erotic thoughts of Mr. Bates from Downton Abbey, the 2014 Twitter Fiction Festival has something to offer everyone, particularly because these stories are so easily digestible. One fictional account is tweeting a new book of the Bible entitled #TheBookOfBieb. It recounts the rise and fall of the younger brother of Jesus, Justin Bieber. Alternatively, author Alma Katsu will be exploring what happens when a dead man's Twitter account seemingly comes back to life. Whether you're in the mood for a story about a tense hostage stand-off or need someone to relate to while you're stuck at the airport, finding fiction can be done by perusing the #twitterfiction hashtag or by checking the official Twitter Fiction Festival account to see what they're retweeting. Inspired to write your own Twitter fiction story? Get started on your own story with the Twitter Fiction tweet generator. If you just want to read, check out the program for more information. Via The Millions.
It’s time to stop fishing behind couch cushions and shaking piggy banks; the boutique hotel-hunters at Mr & Mrs Smith have unearthed 10 budget-conscious escapes that won’t need a second mortgage. These ten wallet-friendly stays made the shortlist for ‘Best Budget Hotel’ in the inaugural Smith Hotel Awards, which just took place in London. Want to know the winner? You’ll have to keep reading. Best for bona fide bohemia: Brody House, Budapest, Hungary Smith’s ‘Best Budget Hotel’ is more like the private designer digs of a swish friend than a hotel. Brody House is bursting with creative inspiration and can add sometime-host to film and fashion shoots to its artistically inclined resume. Each room has its own unique style — some feature freestanding gold bath tubs — and is named after the artists whose works adorn the walls. The Brody House Bar is open to the public and keeps pouring as long as guests keep sipping; there’s also an honesty bar, so you can tap into your inner mixologist. An in-house chef prepares simple and seasonal Hungarian fare that changes daily and is best enjoyed in the picturesque courtyard. Best for pool-side hedonism: Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs, United States Escape the desert heat and hop into the cool cocktail that is Ace Hotel & Swim Club: a reinvented hotel haven, luring in pleasure-seekers, bohemian-beauties and the hipster-chic. Designed with an organic, laidback ethos, some rooms have garden patios and fireplaces, record players and old vinyl. Brave the heat by renting a candy-coloured Vespa or booking a horse-riding lesson. Those reluctant to venture away from the cool comfort of air-conditioning may prefer languidly lying in a hammock and working through the bar’s cocktail menu. The King’s Highway restaurant (formerly a roadside Denny’s diner) dishes up classic American fare with dashes of the unexpected, such as kurobuta pork chops and roasted halibut cheeks. Best for culture vultures: Home Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina Click your heels and escape to Home Hotel, a green dream hidden away in an ivy-entwined structure in residential Buenos Aires. The eco-design and open-air pleasures – an outdoor passageway leads to the restaurant overlooking the gorgeous grounds – extend through to the rooms, which are tricked out with retro Scandinavian furnishings and vibrant vintage wallpaper in pretty florals. Take in an obligatory tango performance and a Lloyd Webber-inspired stroll to the grave of Eva Perón, before succumbing to the nimble-knuckles of Home’s in-house masseur, Luis. Don’t go back to your actual home without sampling delicious tapas and a Bloody Mary at the bar. Best for a romantic rendezvous: The Reading Rooms, Kent, United Kingdom Tucked behind a classic Georgian facade, The Reading Rooms is dotted with antique furnishings, preserved features and nooks for rekindling romance or igniting a new flame. Each of the three rooms occupies a floor of the restored townhouse and has antique wooden floors fit for a foxtrot, high ceilings and views over a peaceful tree-lined square. Begin days by dining on the in-room breakfast spread — bacon and sausage sandwiches, just-baked croissants and fresh fruits — before exploring Margate’s vintage boutiques and the picturesque Kent coast. Best for a rural romance: Borgo della Marmotta, Umbria, Italy Peer over the high stone walls at Borgo della Marmotta to find clusters of beautifully converted 17th-century farmhouses and stables, olive trees and views of Spoleto Valley. There’s no flash and pomp here; instead, expect a simple spin on luxury: rustic cobblestoned passaged leading to charming rooms and pockets of lush garden, pots of lemon trees casting shadows on the terrace and vibrant bunches of wisteria hanging from pergolas. Rise early to snag a table outside for a breakfast feast of sweet croissants, conserves, cheeses and cold cuts, before whiling away Umbrian sun-soaked days by the glittering blue pool. Best for artistic inspiration: The Cullen, Melbourne, Australia One for art aficionados and the creative coterie, The Cullen is inspired by the eye-catching and contemporary works of Adam Cullen — the hotel even has its own dedicated art curator, who has the lowdown on the top exhibitions around town. The gallery-worthy aesthetic continues to the rooms, where cartoonish prints adorn the walls and glass showers are engraved with Ned Kelly-esque horses and bushrangers — the views of Melbourne’s skyline aren’t half bad either. After a day of pedalling between Prahan’s fashionable boutiques — bespoke red Swedish Kronan two-wheelers are available to rent — don your newest designer duds and head downstairs to one of the eateries off the hotel’s ground floor. Gramercy Bistro brings a taste of New York to Melbourne, serving Reuben sandwiches, buttermilk pancakes and six cuts of steak to knock your oversized sunglasses off; Hutong dishes up dumplings and delectable duck. Best for a weekend wind-down: The Wheatsheaf Inn, the Cotswolds, United Kingdom Having played host to Kate Moss, The Wheatsheaf Inn has gone from traditional British coaching inn to bang-on designer den. Paintings of historic British tobacco barons keep a watchful eye over the Inn’s dining room, an inviting and lively eatery where seasonal produce is the star in a daily-changing menu and the all-day weekend brunch is best washed down with a Buck’s fizz. Between feasts, shooting — of the real and clay-pigeon variety — is up for grabs near this rustic retreat or, if you prefer something with fewer bangs, meander around the wallet-tempting boutiques of Northleach. Best for beach bliss: Mia Resort, Nha Trang, Vietnam A sojourn at Mia Resort — once a sugarcane plantation — will certainly leave a sweet taste in your mouth. This sandy getaway is neighboured by imposing mountains, lush greenery and beyond-blue waters, where days are spent moseying barefoot between the turquoise pool, sun loungers and Xanh Spa. Sea-frolicking is thirsty work and Mojitos bar serves at least eight varieties (if we miscounted, blame the rum); sip your way through ginger, whatijo (watermelon), lemon and lychee libations. Nab a spot on the sugar-sand beach for a sunset picnic, complete with a hamper groaning with sandwiches, cupcakes, a cheeseboard and carafe of fruit juice — just make sure to book ahead. Best for palatial paradise: Baudon de Mauny, Languedoc-Roussillon, France Walk through the heavy, centuries-old wooden front door at Baudon de Mauny and into the quiet cobbled courtyard to feel instantly at ease. Sprawling rooms are coupled with vintage-inspired furnishings and contemporary cool to create an escape with style so sophisticated, it could only be French. After exploring the local markets and brocantes, recline on the antique scarlet sofas in the first-floor salon, a glass of Faugeres in hand. Best for coastal calm: Chapman House, Nantucket, United States Forget ships in glass bottles and cliched beach-themed interiors: at Chapman House, nautical stripes have been replaced with pops of teal, coral and ikat prints. A kingly Continental breakfast is served each morning — fresh-baked breads and croissants, homemade muffins, fruits, cheese and granola parfaits — the perfect preface to a stroll around the harbour town or a series of aquatic adventures, including sailing lessons, whale watching, fishing excursions and sea kayaking. You don’t need a reason to return to boutique base-camp but Chapman House gives you one anyway: freshly baked cookies are your afternoon treat here. For more Mr & Mrs Smith boutique hotels, visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or call the expert Travel Team on 1300 896 627. Smith guests enjoy exclusive extras at all stays.
Another stalwart pub in The Rocks has been given a new lease on life. The Orient Hotel has recently reopened after a three-month renovation, which has taken the venue back to its heritage roots. The public bar and sandstone courtyard have both been restored and there's a renewed focus on live music, with bands on seven days a week. The corner pub's reopening is a welcome addition to The Rocks' nightlife, with the all-day offering available from morning until late daily allowing for some legit late-night gigs. The heritage building was built in 1844 and boasts a multifaceted history as a Chinese laundry, a butchery and, most notably, a shipping company called Orient Line who docked its boats in Sydney Cove, just in front of the hotel. It's now owned by Ryans Hotels, the group that also runs CBD venues the Paragon Hotel, the Ship Inn and Taylor's Rooftop. Expanding on the hotel's refurbished offering is a new cocktail terrace Mrs Jones, which is named after Jane Jones, the Orient's 1897 licensee who was a well-known publican in the area. It officially launches this Thursday, May 17. The space has its own concealed entrance on Kendall Lane and the terrace lounge overlooks the Orient's interior courtyard and the laneways below. Designer Kate Formosa has drawn on the hotel's maritime roots with a replica Orient Line boat model, blue-and-white woven chairs and timber floorboards, all while giving the terrace a greenhouse feel with a lush garden fit-out and sliding glass panel walls. Ex-Merivale drinks-maker Tommy Donnison is heading up the bar and has curated a sizeable cocktail menu with heaps of classics, plus signatures including the Fizzy Jones (gin, green apple liqueur, Baileys and lime juice soda) and the Purple Haze (vodka, blackcurrant and cacao liqueurs, vanilla syrup, blueberries and egg white). For eats, chef Brad Copeland (ex-Est., MG Garage, Bistrode) has created a menu for both venues that aims to showcase Australian produce and focuses on share plates — ideal for nibbling on with cocktail in hand. Think slow-cooked lamb croquettes with truffle honey, panko-crumbed prawns with garlic mayo and peking duck spring rolls, along with your requisite charcuterie platters. For larger dishes, sous vide Queensland kangaroo rump and crispy pork belly accompany pub classic schnittys, parmas and burgers.
Frozen has done it. Beauty and the Beast and Shrek, too. The Lion King is set to again in 2026. We're talking about animated movies making the leap from the screen to the stage Down Under, as another childhood favourite is, too. With Anastasia, Russian history first inspired a 90s hit, which then became a Broadway stage production since 2017. The musical is treading the boards in Melbourne from December 2025, marking the show's Australian debut, then playing Sydney from Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Sydney Lyric is hosting Anastasia's New South Wales premiere, with the Tony-nominated musical unveiling an all-ages-friendly tale inspired by Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov during the Russian Revolution, as the 1997 movie also charted. Accordingly, accompanied by songs such as 'Journey to the Past' and 'Once Upon a December' — both from the big-screen release — theatregoers can get ready to spend time with a young woman named Anya on her journey to discover her past, and to unearth a story that some in the narrative don't want revealed. Audiences have writer Terrence McNally and songwriting team Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens to thank for Anastasia's existence as a stage musical — and between its Broadway run and its Aussie stint, Anastasia has also toured North America, and hit the stage in Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico and Japan. Images: Roy Beusker.
The crew behind Marrickville's Grifter Brewing Co just unveiled new environmentally 'friendlier' four-pack holders so you can enjoy a more liberated conscience with your tins of Serpent's Kiss. Grifter has the lofty ambition of developing a packaging solution across the business that is 100% renewable. And while they're not quite there yet, according to Grifter co-founder Matt King, the switch to these first-to-market four-pack holders — made with 93.5% renewable resources — will save five tonnes of plastic waste per year. "These new holders will start to roll out across our whole range from this week," said King. "So keep an eye out, pick one up, take it home, rip into it and let us know what you think!" Since 2018, the team has been trying to improve their packaging and now that they've invested in getting to a more sustainable option (made locally in Sydney), they're hoping other local brewers jump on board. Lately, I've been fantasising about knocking back a few middies of pink lemonade sour at the bar of Grifter's Marrickville digs. In the meantime, a slab of takeaways tinnies will be that drop more satisfying. To check out Grifter Brewing Co's full range of beer and merch, head to the website.
Seems Sydney's love affair with New York City hasn't waned one little bit, with Surry Hills' brand new dive bar Brooklyn Social opening today. Taking over the old Mexico Food and Liquor spot on Randle Street, Brooklyn Social joins the host of returned Sydney expats paying homage to those unbeatable dive bars of NYC. With particular nods to the Velvet Underground-fuelled rambunctious punk era of the '60s and '70s, this late-night fast food-lovin' eatery serves NYC-inspired diner meals, 40 types of gin and cocktails repping the five boroughs. Brooklyn Social's fit-out is classic '70s NYC — roller door, stripped back timber benches, tartan walls, jukebox filled with the Ramones. Painfully Brooklyn-like denim aprons were custom-made by Nana Judy to seal the deal. The bar/diner is just the first phase of The Hills, a collaboration between co-owners Ben May (The London Hotel, Mrs Sippy, Manly Wharf Hotel), Raul Gonzales and David Freeman (The Backroom, Potts Point) that will also see a new bar open downstairs at the old Central Tavern in August. Boasting a furiously 'We've Been to NYC, So Ner' menu by consulting chef Mikey Canavan of London Fields and Chur Burger, Brooklyn Social serves up NYC-inspired meals like the 'Meatpacking District' beef burger ($12), 'Hell's Kitchen Dog' ($8), BBQ ribs ($28/39) and homemade cinnamon doughnuts with DIY chocolate syringes ($6). Food is served until 2am, a perfect post-lockout pre-home nom. Cocktails are named for each of the five boroughs: Manhattan (Spring Street Crusta), Queens (Lady Grey Martini), Brooklyn (Myrtle Avenue Smash), The Bronx (Uptown Sour) and Staten Island (Forte Green Snapper). Master sommelier Sebastien Crowther consulted on the Brooklyn Social wine list, with old and new world up for clinking. This Surry Hills bar is also the only spot in Sydney with Brooklyn Lager on tap. But it's gin ruling the avenue here, with over 40 unique gins snuggled in the bar (from bathtub to jenevers). Both recently returned bitter expats and star-crossed NYC fans will dig this one in the same way Frankie's slices run — a tiny bite of an apple Sydneysiders nibble, bring back home and make their own. Brooklyn Social can be found at The Hills Top Floor, 17 Randle Street, Surry Hills. It's open seven days, noon - 2am. Images by Alana Dimou.
If you haven't nabbed tickets to see Kendrick Lamar when he tours Australia at the end of 2025, you now have more chances to head along. First, in news worth exclaiming "DAMN"- and "LOVE" about, he was announced as Spilt Milk's 2025 headliner. Then, not content with taking to the stage Down Under in Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and on the Gold Coast, the acclaimed hip hop artist locked in two solo Aussie stadium shows — one each in Melbourne and Sydney. Now Lamar has expanded those standalone gigs on his Grand National tour, adding an extra date in each city. Accordingly, after making its way around North America and Europe, Lamar's latest string of live dates now spans two nights apiece in the Victorian and New South Wales capitals. First up: Melbourne, at AAMI Park across Wednesday, December 3–Thursday, December 4, 2025. Then comes Allianz Stadium in the Harbour City over Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11, 2025. [caption id="attachment_1008775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Shamus/Getty Images[/caption] Lamar's Aussie stadium shows still kick off before his Spilt Milk dates, then slot in-between the festival's two weekend runs. The fest hits Ballarat on Saturday, December 6; Perth on Sunday, December 7; Canberra on Saturday, December 13; and the Gold Coast on Sunday, December 14. For company at his solo gigs, he'll have ScHoolboy Q in support on Wednesday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 10, as previously announced. On the new dates — so on Thursday, December 4 and Thursday, December 11 — Doechii will be doing the honours. December clearly suits Lamar for a jaunt Down Under — that's when the Pulitzer Music Prize-winning musician also made the trip in 2022. Lamar is one of the most-critically acclaimed and successful hip hop artists of our generation. He currently has 22 Grammys to his name, plus an Academy Award nomination for one of his contributions to the Black Panther soundtrack. He won the 2017 Triple J Hottest 100 and, when he nabbed his Pulitzer in 2018, he also became the first ever artist to take out the prestigious award for contemporary music. GNX, his most-recent studio album, dropped in November 2024 — with his extensive catalogue also spanning 2011's Section.80, 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city, 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly, 2017's DAMN and 2022's Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Kendrick Lamar Grand National Tour 2025 Australian Dates Wednesday, December 3–Thursday, December 4 — AAMI Park, Melbourne Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11 — Allianz Stadium, Sydney Spilt Milk 2025 Dates Saturday, December 6 — Victoria Park, Ballarat Sunday, December 7 — Claremont Showground, Perth Saturday, December 13 — Exhibition Park, Canberra Sunday, December 14 — Gold Coast Sports Precinct, Gold Coast Kendrick Lamar is touring Australia in December 2025, with ticket presales for his second Melbourne gig kicking off at 11am on Thursday, August 7, and for his second Sydney gig at 12pm on Thursday, August 7 — with general sales from 1pm on Monday, August 11 in Melbourne and 2pm on Monday, August 11 in Sydney. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch.
It's been three years since Koi Dessert Bar opened its doors and in that time it has become a go-to for incredibly lavish, almost too decadent looking desserts that we can't stop eating. Reynold Poernomo has gone far since being eliminated from MasterChef in 2015, and his wildly popular treats have earned him the rightful title of dessert king in these parts. As we've come to find out from Koi, Poernomo is part of a talented family. Brothers Arnold (former judge on Indonesian MasterChef) and Ronald (restaurant manager) have helped make the venue the dining destination it now is. In addition to the desserts' fame, the restaurant's lesser-known savoury dishes deserve their time in the spotlight, too. Sure, you've frequented the downstairs dessert bar, but if you haven't yet ventured upstairs for the set menu, we can decidedly say it's worth a gander. This is especially the case since this month's menu overhaul, which has seen fifteen new menu items — both savoury and sweet — added to the Koi offering. The degustation has been completely reimagined with a greater focus on native Indonesian flavours. Think starters of buttery bone marrow topped with spicy sambal and served with mini brioche buns, or king prawns with caramelised coconut and finger lime. For mains, they're serving up crisp-skinned barramundi with onion dashi and white fungus, as well as barbecue ribs with pumpkin puree and sweet tamari. The set menu desserts lean on Asian flavours as well, with oh-so-pretty options like a black sesame, chocolate and mandarin dessert bowl or the pineapple and coconut logs with mango puree. To complement the new menu, there are locally produced wines, iced green tea and black sesame lattes, plus Asian-inspired cocktails like a Geisha with umeshu, yuzu and strawberry, and the Green Sake — with pandan infused sake, apricot brandy, basil and egg whites. The set menu now comes with flexibility, too. Diners can choose between a three- or five-course menu ($60 and $90, respectively), along with which dishes they want to try, from entrees through to dessert. If you just can't get past the desserts, they get you, and they're also offering up a set dessert menu for $65 per person, which includes all four new desserts. "It's amazing to see the faces of people who dine upstairs, to see how shocked they are at the quality and creativity we plate up," says Reynold. "Our new menu is a testament to that and we want everyone to continue to be impressed." This menu revamp follows a successful three-month stint down in Melbourne's new HWKR Food Centre, where the trio ran a pop-up kitchen with sister venue Monkey's Corner. There is scattered talk of an interstate expansion, but for now, the brothers are focusing on perfecting their Kensington Street offering. The new Koi set menus are now available in the upstairs dining room for dinner from Tuesday through Sunday from 6pm to 9.30pm.
It's official: spring has sprung. While this year may not be the same carefree release from winter's gloom that we're used to, there are still a few things we can look forward to — especially now that picnics (for double-vaxxed residents of NSW, at least) are back. We know we're spoilt for choice when it comes to beautiful outdoor spots in Sydney, but while you're confined to your LGA and five-kilometre bubble, we thought we'd help out by letting you in on our favourite spots for a picnic on the lower north shore. Make the most of sunny days ahead by grabbing a four-pack of Rosie Spritz and kicking back in one of these beautiful BYO-friendly spots. CREMORNE RESERVE, CREMORNE POINT Winding paths, impressive harbour views, expansive green spaces and even a lighthouse — as far as picnic spots go, it's difficult to beat Cremorne's harbourside headland. Cremorne Reserve is a popular spot for picnics, scenic walks and a great place to bring your dog (on a lead, though). With two ferry wharves linking to Circular Quay and other locations on the north shore, this ideally situated spot is perfect for lazy days with a picnic spread and spritz or two. We recommend getting here early to snag some prime real estate on the sprawling lawns that wrap around the bay. [caption id="attachment_825770" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lane Cove National Park, John Spencer/DPIE[/caption] LANE COVE NATIONAL PARK, LANE COVE It's almost odd to think this tranquil spot is located so close to the village-like suburbs of the lower north shore. Lane Cove National Park is an expansive protected park that hugs the peaceful Lane Cove River, and is easily accessible from most parts of the city. Here, you'll find mangroves, towering gum trees, heathlands, wildflowers and tidal flats, plus numerous bird species if you're a bit of an ornithologist. You can also cruise down the river in a canoe or explore historic sites along the Heritage Walk. But, you're here to picnic — and this park is home to a number of perfect picnic backdrops, offering waterside, secluded, shady and open areas depending on your al fresco inclinations. BLUES POINT RESERVE, NORTH SYDNEY If you're after great views of Sydney's iconic harbour, then pack your picnic rug, chuck some Rosie Spritz in the cooler and park yourself at Blues Point Reserve to see our town turning it on. Located on the southern tip of McMahons Point, this bayside park is one of the city's most popular, and for good reason. As well as boasting plenty of shaded and sunlit grassy expanses, Blues Point Reserve has majestic fig trees and some of the best views around — think uninterrupted, point-blank vistas of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Its location is a winner too, situated just a short walk away from Blues Point and North Sydney train station. [caption id="attachment_826562" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brooke Zotti[/caption] ROSHERVILLE RESERVE, MOSMAN Firing up the barbecue or suntanning and snorkelling? Thankfully, you can choose your own adventure at Mosman's Rosherville Reserve. Tucked behind Chinaman's Beach in Middle Harbour, the reserve is a sprawling, shady green space dotted with impressive native trees, which makes it perfect for your picnic set-up. Rosherville Reserve has easy access to the beach, too, so you can go for a splash before tucking into your lavish spread. WENDY'S SECRET GARDEN, LAVENDER BAY Wendy Whiteley, widow of renowned Australian artist Brett Whiteley, began to cultivate this lush harbourside gem back in 1992 — and since then, its beauty and significance as a cultural landmark has only continued to flourish. This beautiful, secluded garden offers harbour views and a thick canopy of beautifully leafy trees. It's also just a short stroll from North Sydney's main promenade. Dotted throughout the native and exotic foliage are sculptures and murals that add to the ethereal beauty of this spot. There are a few tables and chairs scattered around, too, making it the perfect picnic spot to forget about the woes of the world, if only for a while. [caption id="attachment_826151" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brooke Zotti[/caption] BALLS HEAD RESERVE, WAVERTON One of the north shore's most significant areas of bushland, Balls Head Reserve has a number of walking tracks, including one wheelchair accessible one, as well as culturally significant art sites, rock engravings and a waterhole. An easy ten-minute stroll from Waverton train station, the site also boasts stellar harbour views and plenty of secluded spaces for a picnic. The peaceful reserve is also next to the historic Coal Loader, a former industrial coal bunkering site that now houses a sustainability centre (and the on-site The Sydney Library of Things), several community gardens and impressive vantage points of the city. You can also explore two of the original coal loading tunnels, if you're feeling adventurous. Rosie Spritz is an ideal springtime sip and is available at BWS, Dan Murphy's and First Choice Liquor stores across Sydney. For more picnic inspiration, check out our guides to idyllic picnic spots where you can BYO booze in Sydney's inner west, inner city, northern beaches and eastern suburbs. Top image: Wendy's Secret Garden, Vic161015 via Wikimedia Commons Remember to Drinkwise.
Sometimes, he's played by an over-the-top Robert Downey Jr. As TV fans know, sometimes a curmudgeonly Benedict Cumberbatch does the honours. Ian McKellen has even taken the job, as has Will Ferrell. In fact, on the big and small screens for over a century, a lengthy list of actors have stepped into Sherlock Holmes' shoes and worn his deerstalker cap. But Netflix's new film isn't really about the famed sleuth — instead, it's about his sister. As brought to the screen by Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown, Enola Holmes is the family's youngest sibling. Naturally, she has a mystery to solve — she is a Holmes, after all. When her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) goes missing on the morning of Enola's 16th birthday, it's up to the teenager to find out where she has gone and why. Her brothers, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), aren't too pleased, though. They're not very happy with her demeanour either, and would rather send her to a finishing school to learn how to become a 'proper' young lady. As the just-dropped full trailer for Enola Holmes shows, yes, Enola does say "the game is afoot". She also becomes caught up in quite the adventure, as based on Nancy Springer's young adult book series. This is a period-set version of the Holmes story, too, not a modernised one — so expect to see Enola flit around 1880s England when the movie hits Netflix on September 23. In addition to Brown, The Crown's Bonham Carter, The Witcher's Cavill and The Nightingale's Claflin, the film also stars Medici's Louis Partridge as a young runaway Lord who crosses Enola's path. Behind the camera, Fleabag and Ramy's Harry Bradbeer directs — with the filmmaker earning an Emmy in 2019 for the former. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d0Zf9sXlHk Enola Holmes hits Netflix on September 23. Image: Alex Bailey.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Paramount Pictures has announced a new release date for A Quiet Place Part II, with the film now hitting cinemas on September 3, 2020. UPDATE, MARCH 13: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Paramount Pictures has announced that A Quiet Place Part II will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, March 19, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. In 2018, the biggest horror movie of the year leaned heavily on silence. A Quiet Place tasked a young family with staying soundless, lest they be heard and then killed by giant spider-like monsters — and their efforts to survive became a huge box office hit. Indeed, A Quiet Place was so successful that it had a flow-on effect. When you watched it in a cinema, you probably glared whenever someone near you crunched popcorn, crinkled a packet of chips or started talking. Your ears keenly listened out for any noise that could put Lee (John Krasinski), Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) Abbott in jeopardy, and you didn't want some loud person in the next row ruining that viewing experience. The frightful aliens, the hushed tones and Emily Blunt in kick-ass mode — it's all back thanks to sequel A Quiet Place Part II. So, too, is hoping that your fellow cinema-goers don't make a sound while you soak in every second of expertly calibrated stillness. Like the first film, this follow-up is directed and written by Krasinski, with Blunt, Simmons and Jupe all returning on-screen. The sequel's cast also welcomes franchise newcomers Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) and Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy). And if you're wondering why Krasinski isn't mentioned among the actors, then you need to go back and watch the original movie again. As the just-dropped first trailer shows, A Quiet Place Part II picks up where its predecessor left off. The suitably unsettling sneak peek starts with a flashback to the day the monsters initially made their presence known, before jumping to Evelyn, Regan and Marcus' latest attempts to avoid the fearsome creatures. Expect plenty of bumps, jumps and — naturally — silence. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7qxYOpy9Ms After being delayed from its original release date of March 19, 2020, A Quiet Place Part II will now open in Australian cinemas on September 3, 2020. Image: © 2019 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved
In the late 70s, when Texas housewife, mother of two and popular church choir singer Candy Montgomery had an affair with fellow congregation member Allan Gore, commenting about her being a scarlet woman only had one meaning. If anyone other than Elizabeth Olsen was stepping into her shoes in HBO miniseries Love & Death — which streams via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 27 and Neon in New Zealand from Friday, April 28 — it would've remained that way, too; indeed, Jessica Biel just gave the IRL figure an on-screen portrayal in 2022 series Candy. Of course, Olsen is widely known for playing the Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as seen in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness most recently. So, mention 'scarlet' in a line of dialogue around her, and it calls attention to how far she is away from casting spells and breaking out superhero skills. And she is, although she's also again playing a woman succumbing to her darkest impulses. There's a reason that Montgomery keeps fascinating Hollywood, dating back to 1990 TV movie A Killing in a Small Town (a film directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, dad to Ambulance's Jake and The Deuce's Maggie). There's also a reason that she's been the subject of plenty of true-crime podcast episodes since — and had journalists John Bloom and Jim Atkinson writing the 1983 non-fiction book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs before that, plus Texas Monthly articles 'Love & Death on Silicon Prairie, Part I & II'. On June 13, 1980, Allan's wife Betty was murdered with an axe. She wasn't just killed; she was bludgeoned 41 times. Within days, Candy was a suspect. From there, she was accused, arrested and put on trial. And, she ultimately admitted swinging the blade, albeit with a caveat: that after her friend discovered her relationship with Allan, Candy was defending herself. It's with pluck and perkiness that Olsen brings Candy to the screen again, initially painting the picture of a perfect suburban wife and mum. She keeps exuding those traits when Candy decides that she'd quite fancy an extra-marital liaison with Allan (Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog) — slowly winning him over, but setting ground rules in the hope that her husband Pat (Patrick Fugit, Babylon) won't get hurt, nor Betty (Lily Rabe, Shrinking) as well. The quartet have known each other for years when Love & Death starts, through their faith and due to their pre-teen daughters Jenny (TV debutant Amelie Dallimore) and Alisa (Harper Heath, Forever and a Day). Then Allan bumps into Candy during a volleyball game, which gets her thinking about them slipping between the sheets. "He smelled like sex," she tells her pal Sherry Cleckler (Krysten Ritter, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie), convincing herself about getting adulterous with every word. Candy is straightforward when she propositions Allan, as they both are when they meet for strategy sessions to work through the pros, cons and parameters of cheating on their partners together. A sense of foreboding hangs in the air, though; for viewers that don't know the outcome when first sitting down to the seven-episode series, Betty's bloody end is referenced in the first instalment. Much that eventuates between Candy and Allan until things get violent is a tale as old as time, with what was meant to be a purely carnal liaison becoming far more complex as affection blossoms. She feels stuck in a rut with the mild-mannered Pat, seeing her time with Allan as an adventure. He's so accustomed to a reserved form of romance with Betty that he doesn't even know how to French kiss. And when Allan and Betty choose to work on their marriage at a counselling weekend, Candy can't hide her jealously while she minds the pair's children. As it leads up to Betty's death, Love & Death also surveys the local scandal when beloved pastor Jackie Ponder (Elizabeth Marvel, Mrs Davis) leaves for another town, with the younger Ron Adams (Keir Gilchrist, Atypical) her replacement. Jackie's move robs Candy of one of her closest confidants, while Ron's arrival, his visible youth and the changes he's intent on making upsets Betty. Series creator David E Kelley could've told this tale without dipping into church business, but this subplot is pivotal to his take on the story. He isn't just retelling the murder, as so many other projects have explored before. Rather, he's drawn in by who these women were in their everyday lives, and by the fact that they're ordinary folks with routine dramas before the worst occurs. Of late, prolific TV producer and writer Kelley has carved himself a niche with twisty tales about existences upended, beginning with Big Little Lies, then following with The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers (Nicole Kidman, the star of all three, is also an executive producer on Love & Death). With directors Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland) and Clark Johnson (Mayor of Kingstown), he isn't interested in sensationalising his latest narrative, instead crafting a series about a gruesome crime with restraint and sensitivity. That's one of the factors making yet another version of Candy and Betty's encounter so gripping — that, and the show's outstanding performances. Indeed, no past iteration has boasted Kelley behind the scenes, or the stellar Olsen in career-best form at its centre. When Love & Death turns its attention to the inevitable law-and-order proceedings, Kelley also slides easily into one of his preferred modes: legal dramas. He's been bringing such shows to TV since late-80s/early-90s hit LA Law, with his resume also featuring everything from The Practice, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal to Goliath and The Lincoln Lawyer — and an episodic version of Presumed Innocent in the works as well. It's no wonder, then, that She Said's Tom Pelphrey is so magnetic as Candy's lawyer Don Crowder, who jumps into criminal defence for the first time with an immensely difficult case. Although Love & Death is never merely a courtroom series, it's canny about deepening its character study of Candy while she's protesting her innocence by self-defence, and in putting the attitudes and figures around her under a magnifying glass as her life becomes news fodder. Even if there wasn't a 'scarlet woman' reference to remind audiences that Olsen isn't in the MCU here, her complicated lead portrayal makes that plain. Whether she's being bubbly, dutiful, calculating or unsettling, she's terrific, especially in the mid-series episode that depicts Candy's last meeting with Betty, then shows her returning to her errands afterwards. Olsen is particularly masterful at grappling internally with Candy's choices and emotions right in front of viewers' eyes — see also: the spark that clicks when she chooses to pursue Allan, and her reactions under interrogation — and with an also- (and always-) excellent Plemons, is similarly exceptional at selling the love part of series' title. Love & Death never forgets that it's about murder, or who is the victim, but it's always about people rather than headlines. Check out the trailer for Love & Death below: Love & Death streams via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 27 and Neon in New Zealand from Friday, April 28. Images: Jake Giles Netter/HBO Max.
For 353 days each year — 354 days in leap years — Sydney's State Theatre doesn't operate as a cinema. The CBD isn't short on movie-going options, but you can't head to the glorious Market Street spot to get your film fix whenever you like. Understandably, that makes trips to the nearly 100-year-old venue for the Sydney Film Festival all the more special. Sinking into the cavernous auditorium, being surrounded by its gorgeous gothic and art deco architecture, watching movies that may never grace its big screen again — it's the cinephile version of a religious experience. Prepare to worship, Sydney movie lovers. From Wednesday, November 3 till Sunday, November 14, the Sydney Film Festival is back — in person. It's been a difficult couple of years for the prestigious event, after being forced to move online in 2020, and then shift its 2021 dates not once but twice; however, the time for losing yourself in the State Theatre — and other darkened rooms in picture palaces all around Sydney — is finally here. As it does every year, SFF has the lineup for the occasion. What starts with an anthology drama that tells eight tales by Western Sydney writers, then ends with Wes Anderson's latest? That'd be the fest's 2021 program. They're just the bookends, with Festival Director Nashen Moodley's full selection of flicks overflowing with other highlights. The entire bill spans 233 titles, in fact, so we started our festival viewing early — and here's ten exceptional SFF highlights that we've seen, reviewed and eagerly recommend. FLEE When Flee won the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, it added its first accolade to its name. The wrenchingly moving animated documentary has nabbed others since, and has plenty more coming its way — and it's already been selected as Denmark's Oscar submission in next year's Best International Feature category as well. Mere minutes into the film, it's easy to see why it keeps garnering awards and attention. Pairing animation with factual storytelling is still rare enough that it stands out, and writer/director Jonas Poher Rasmussen (What He Did) has created one of the best instances of this combination yet. As his subject, Afghani refugee Amin, shares his story, Rasmussen brings every detail to life not just with eye-catching imagery, but with visuals that ripple with empathy at every moment. Flee doesn't tell an easy tale, or a unique one — sadly — but it finds its an immense wealth of power in its vivid, expressive and humanistic approach. Its protagonist, who uses a pseudonym here, is a friend of Rasmussen's; however, no one, including the filmmaker, has ever heard him step through the events that took him from war-torn Kabul to seeking asylum in Copenhagen as a teenager, or to househunting with his boyfriend now. That journey, via Russia, is one of struggle and acceptance. So is an interlude in Sweden which gives the movie its most stunning sequence, as soundtracked to Daft Punk's 'Veridis Quo'. Flee uses its music cues bewitchingly well, actually, but that description also applies to every second of this poignant and shattering film. THE CARD COUNTER Another Paul Schrader film, another lonely man thrust into the spotlight as he wrestles with the world, his place in it and his sense of morality. The acclaimed filmmaker has a resume filled with such characters, and such tales — from his screenplays for Martin Scorsese's brilliant Taxi Driver and Bringing Out the Dead, through to his own directorial efforts such as Light Sleeper and First Reformed. You can't accuse Schrader of always making the same movie, however. Instead, his films feel more like cards from the same deck. Each time he deals one out, it's always part of its own hand, as gambling drama The Card Counter demonstrates with potency, smarts and a gripping search for salvation. The film's title refers to William Tell (Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage), who didn't ever plan to spend his days in casinos and his nights in motels. But during an eight-year military prison stint, he taught himself a new skill that he's been capitalising upon modestly now that he's back out in the world. Anchored not only by Schrader's reliably blistering probing, but also by Isaac's phenomenal performance — a portrayal that's quiet, slippery and weighty all at once — The Card Counter unpacks the storm brewing behind Tell's calm facade. His status quo is punctured by fellow gambler La Linda (Like a Boss' Tiffany Haddish, in a career-best performance), and also by the college-aged Cirk (Tye Sheridan, Voyagers) and his quest for revenge; however, as the movie delves into Tell's murky history, it also lays bare America's rot and emptiness. COW As its name so clearly explains, Cow devotes its frames to one farmyard animal — and it's one of the most haunting films of the year. It's the third feature to take its title from a four-legged critter this year, after the vastly dissimilar Pig and Lamb. It's also the second observational documentary of late to peer at the daily existence of creatures that form part of humanity's food chain, following the also-exceptional Gunda. And, it also joins 2013's The Moo Man in honing its focus specifically upon dairy farming, and in Britain at that. But the key to Cow is Andrea Arnold, the filmmaker behind Fish Tank, Wuthering Heights, American Honey and the second season of Big Little Lies. She sees Luma, her bovine protagonist, with as much affection and understanding as she's ever seen any of the women who've led her projects. Starting with the birth of Luma's latest calf — and, in the beginning, taking detours to see how it's faring as well — Cow unfurls with the rhythm of its agricultural setting. It's the rhythm of Luma's life, too, as she's milked and fed, moos for the offspring that's taken away too quickly, and is soon impregnated again. There's no doubt where the documentary is headed, either. There's simply no shying away from the fact that Luma and cattle like her only exist for milk or meat. Without offering any narration or on-screen explanation, Arnold stares at these facts directly, while also peering deeply into its bovine subject's eyes as often as possible. The result is hypnotic, inescapably affecting, and also features the best use of Garbage's 'Milk' ever in a movie. MEMORIA It's a match made in cinephile heaven: Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the director behind the Cannes Palme d'Or-winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and the just-as-lyrical Cemetery of Splendour, and the on-screen force of nature that is Tilda Swinton. With Memoria, the former directs — and makes his English-language debut, as well as his first feature outside of Thailand — while the latter stars. Yes, they prove a beautiful pairing. Weerasethakul makes contemplative, meditative, visually poetic movies, after all, and Swinton's face screams with all of those traits every single time it graces a film. They're both devastatingly precise in what they do, and also delightfully expressive. They both force you to pay attention to their every choice, too. Swinton (The Personal History of David Copperfield) plays Jessica Holland, a British expat in Colombia who starts hearing a very specific noise. She can describe it in exquisite detail to sound engineer Hernán (Juan Pablo Urrego, My Father), who tries to recreate it for her, but only she can hear it. At the same time, her sister Karen (debutant Agnes Brekke) is a Bogota hospital with a strange ailment. Also, there's word of a curse that's linked to a tunnel being built over a burial ground. No plot description can ever do Weerasethakul's films justice, but Memoria doesn't even dream of linking its various threads in an obvious or straightforward way — and unlocking its puzzles by soaking in every exquisite, patient shot and exacting sound is a mesmerising cinematic experience. GREAT FREEDOM Great Freedom begins with 60s-style video footage captured in public bathrooms, showing Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski, Undine) with other men, and with court proceedings that condemn him to prison purely for being gay. That was the reality in West Germany at the time due to Paragraph 175, which criminalised homosexuality — and, when he's incarcerated at the start of this equally tender and brutal Austrian film, Hans isn't surprised. He's been there before, as writer/director Sebastian Meise (Still Life) conveys almost like he's chronicling time travel. It's a canny touch, as relayed in the movie's cinematography, editing and overall mood. The minutes, days, hours, weeks and more surely move differently when you've been locked up for being who you are, and when being in jail is the better alternative to being in a concentration camp. Meise jumps between Hans' different stretches, exploring the imprint all that time behind bars leaves, the yearning for love and freedom that never dissipates, and his friendship with initially repulsed fellow inmate Viktor (Georg Friedrich, Freud). In the process, Great Freedom resounds with intimate moments and revealing performances, as anchored by another stellar turn by Rogowski. The German talent has had an outstanding few years thanks to Victoria, Happy End, Transit, In the Aisles and Undine. He's as absorbing as he's ever been here, too, in a movie that stares his way so intently — and with such a striking sense of light and shade — that it could be painting his portrait. Friedrich is just as impressive, too, in an outwardly thorny part. RIVER Some actors possess voices that could narrate almost anything, and Willem Dafoe is one of them. He's tasked with uttering quite the elegiac prose in River, but he gives all that musing about waterways — the planet's arteries, he calls them at one point — a particularly resonant and enthralling tone. Australian filmmaker Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa) knew he would, of course. She enlisted his vocal talents on her last documentary, Mountain, as well. Both films pick one of the earth's crucial natural features, captures them in all their glory at multiple spots around the globe, and waxes lyrical about their importance, and both make for quite the beguiling viewing experience. Thanks to writer Robert Macfarlane, Dafoe has been given much to opine in River, covering the history of these snaking streams from the planet's creation up until today. He hones in on their importance to human civilisation — in making much in our evolution possible, in fact, and also the devastation we've wrought in response since we learned to harness all that water for our own purposes. That said, River could've simply paired its dazzling sights with its Australian Chamber Orchestra score and it still would've proven majestic and moving. The footage is that remarkable as it soars high and wide across 39 countries, and peers down with the utmost appreciation. Here, a picture truly is worth a thousand of those Dafoe-uttered words, but the combination of both — plus a score that includes everything from Bach to Radiohead — is something particularly special. BLUE BAYOU Blue Bayou isn't Justin Chon's first film as an actor, writer, director or producer, but it's a fantastic showcase for his many talents nonetheless. It's also a deeply moving feature about a topical subject: America's complicated and often punitive immigration laws. Worlds away from his time in all five Twilight movies, Chon plays Antonio LeBlanc, a Korean American who has lived in the US since being adopted as child. That doesn't stop the casual or the overt racism often directed his way, however, or the deportation proceedings that spring after he's accosted in a supermarket by New Orleans police officers Denny (Emory Cohen, Flashback) and Ace (Mark O'Brien, Marriage Story). The latter happens to be his pregnant wife Kathy's (Alicia Vikander, The Green Knight) ex and father to her daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske, Doom Patrol), and that run-in has heartbreaking repercussions. There's a sense of inevitability to Blue Bayou, but by design; the path that Antonio's life is forced down isn't filled with surprises, but it overflows with feeling. Indeed, Chon has helmed a stirring and empathetic yet precise and intricate film, especially when it comes to the emotional toll weathered not only by Antonio, but also by Kathy and Jessie. At every moment, Blue Bayou plunges viewers into their whirlwind. That's true in every shimmering sight, including the movie's fondness for water and water lilies. It's evident in the urgent, bustling pacing, too, and in its key performances. Chon is terrific on-screen and off, while Vikander and scene-stealer Kowalske make just as much of an impact in a feature that hits its points hard, but isn't easily forgotten. WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY One of two films by Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi that are doing the festival rounds this year — the other, Drive My Car, also screens at SFF — Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy gives three tales about romance, desire and fate a spin. These three stories all muse on chance, choice, identity and echoes as well, and focus on complex women reacting to the vagaries of life and everyday relationships. Coincidence plays a role in each of the trio, too, and commonalities ebb and flow between each dialogue-heavy narrative. In other words, this is a smart, astute and savvily layered triptych from the director behind Happy Hour and Asako I and II, as brought to the screen with excellent performances, a canny knack for domestic drama and piercing long shots in each and ever chapter. In the first part, model Meiko (Kotone Furukawa, 21st Century Girl) discovers that her best friend Tsugumi (Hyunri, Wife of a Spy) has just started seeing her ex-boyfriend Kazuaki (Ayumu Nakajima, Saturday Fiction), and grapples with her complicated feelings while pondering what could eventuate. Next, college student Nao (Katsuki Mori, Sea Opening) is enlisted to seduce Professor Sagawa (Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Tezuka's Barbara) as part of a revenge plan by her lover Sasaki (Shouma Kai, Signal 100). Finally, in a world where the internet has been eradicated due to a virus, Natsuko (Fusako Urabe, Voices in the Wind) and Nana (Aoba Kawai, Marriage with a Large Age Gap) cross paths — thinking that they went to school together decades ago. LIMBO What happens when a group of refugees are sent to await the results of their asylum applications on a Scottish island? That's the question that Limbo ponders. There's no doubting why this second feature from writer/director Ben Sharrock (Pikadero) has been given its moniker; for Syrian musician Omar (Amir El-Masry, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) and his fellow new arrivals to Scotland, there's not much to do in this void between the past and the future but wait, sit at the bus stop, check out the children's playground and loiter near the pay phone. That, and navigate the wide range of reactions from the locals — veering from offensive to thoughtful — and, in Omar's case, feel the weight of his prized possession. He's brought his grandfather's oud with him, which he rarely let go of, but his own musical dreams are in limbo as well. A film can be heartbreaking, tender, insightful and amusing all at once, and Limbo is indeed all of those things. It's both dreamlike and lived-in, too, a blend that suits its title and story — and also the mental and emotional state shared by Omar and his fellow asylum seekers as they bide their time on an island that feels like another world. A movie can be both heavy and light simultaneously as well, which is another of Limbo's strengths. Sharrock sees both seriousness and levity in his narrative, his characters and their plights, and recognises the nightmarish and the beautiful in tandem. The latter especially applies to the feature's haunting cinematography, which lenses a landscape that keeps Omar pals physically in limbo with a probing eye. HONEY CIGAR Forget the awkwardness that typically loiters in coming-of-age movies (the familiar approach: like character, like film). Honey Cigar charts the same kind of narrative, focusing on a 17-year-old French Algerian woman in the 90s, and yet does so with a mood and sense of assurance that couldn't be more candid and confident. This is a feature that feels at home in its own skin at every turn. It flows across the screen with determination and poise, too. It should; in her feature filmmaking debut, writer/director Kamir Aïnouz draws upon what she knows, telling a semi-autobiographical tale — one that isn't just about crossing the chasm from childhood to maturity, but also weaves in Algeria's political landscape during its chosen period. When Honey Cigar begins, Selma (Zoé Adjani, niece of French acting great and recent The World Is Yours delight Isabelle Adjani) is about to dive headfirst into business school. In doing so, she's abiding by her lawyer father (Lyes Salem, Abou Leila) and gynaecologist mother's (Amira Casar, Call Me By Your Name) wishes, with education paramount in their household. But Selma is also a teenager who's just getting in touch with her own desires — something that sits at stark odds with her parents' growing interest in her marriage prospects, especially when she starts seeing classmate Julien (Louis Peres, Mental). A film about agency and control on multiple levels, Honey Cigar also explores multiple generations of women battling traditions and expectations, and finds as much room for adolescent awakenings as hard-earned understanding. Looking for more SFF recommendations? We've already taken a look at a few other films screening at the festival. So, you can also check out our reviews of Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Drive My Car, The Worst Person in the World, Zola, Bergman Island, Undine, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn and Blind Ambition — and I'm Wanita, Strong Female Lead and A Fire Inside, too. The 2021 Sydney Film Festival takes place in Sydney cinemas between Wednesday, November 3–Sunday, November 14. For further information, head to the festival website.
For TV fans, 2022 was the year of finally. After a couple of years of hefty pandemic delays, so many stellar television shows finally returned. In 2023 so far, it's been the year of farewells. Again, plenty of ace programs have added extra episodes — but some of them, such as Succession, Barry, The Other Two, Servant and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, dropped back in for their final runs, then said goodbye. Revelling in the last glimpses of feuding families, actors-turned-hitmen, stardom-chasing siblings, eerie nannies and comedians — and maybe AFC Richmond, too — has only been part of the viewing landscape among returning TV shows this year, though. Thankfully, when our screens delivered more time with high schoolers lost in the woods, for instance, it did so with the promise of more to follow. Elsewhere, the lineup of already-great series offering more instalments spanned everything from decade-plus comebacks to ridiculously brilliant sketches — plus shows about comebacks, dinosaurs, twisted technology, being trapped in a musical and more. Now that 2023 has passed its halfway point, we've rounded up the 15 best TV series that released another season between January and June. Binge them now if you haven't already. 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 needed to wrap up. The latter was always stubborn. Proud, too, of what he'd achieved and the power it's brought. And whenever Logan seemed nearly ready to leave the business behind, he held on. If he's challenged or threatened, as happened again and again in the Emmy-winning series, he fixed his grasp even tighter. Succession was always been waiting for Logan's last stint at global media outfit Waystar RoyCo, but it had never been about finales quite the way it was in its stunning fourth season. This time, there was ticking clock not just for the show's characters, but for the stellar series itself, given that this is its last go-around — and didn't it make the most of it. Nothing can last forever, not even widely acclaimed hit shows that are a rarity in today's TV climate: genuine appointment-viewing. So, this went out at the height of its greatness, 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 — plus an early shock, at least two of the best episodes of any show that've ever aired on television, one of the worst drinks, a phenomenal acting masterclass, a The Sopranos-level final shot and the reality that money really can't buy happiness. Succession streams via Binge. Read our full review. BARRY Since HBO first introduced the world to Barry Berkman, the contract killer played and co-created by Saturday Night Live great Bill Hader wanted to be something other than a gun for hire. An ex-military sniper, he was always skilled at his highly illicit post-service line of work; however, moving on from that past was a bubbling dream even before he found his way to a Los Angeles acting class while on a job. Barry laid bare its namesake's biggest wish in its 2018 premiere episode. Then, it kept unpacking his pursuit of a life less lethal across the show's Emmy-winning first and second seasons, plus its even-more-astounding third season in 2022. Season four, the series' final outing, was no anomaly, but it also realised that wanting to be someone different and genuinely overcoming your worst impulses aren't the same. Barry grappled with this fact since the beginning, of course, with the grim truth beating at the show's heart whether it's at its most darkly comedic, action-packed or dramatic — and, given that its namesake was surrounded by people who similarly yearn for an alternative to their current lot in life, yet also can't shake their most damaging behaviour, it did so beyond its antihero protagonist. Are Barry, his girlfriend Sally Reid (Sarah Goldberg, The Night House), acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, Black Adam), handler Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root, Succession) and Chechen gangster NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan, Bill & Ted Face the Music) all that different from who they were when Barry started? Have they processed their troubles? Have they stopped taking out their struggles not just on themselves, but on those around them? Hader and his fellow Barry co-creator Alec Berg (Silicon Valley, Curb Your Enthusiasm) kept asking those questions in season four to marvellous results, including after making a massive jump, and right up to the jaw-dropping yet pitch-perfect finale. Barry being Barry, posing such queries and seeing its central figures for who they are was an ambitious, thrilling and risk-taking ride. When season three ended, it was with Barry behind bars, which is where he was when the show's new go-around kicked off. He wasn't coping, unsurprisingly, hallucinating Sally running lines in the prison yard and rejecting a guard's attempt to tell him that he's not a bad person. With the latter, there's a moment of clarity about what he's done and who he is, but Barry's key players have rarely been that honest with themselves for long. Barry streams via Binge. Read our full review. THE OTHER TWO Swapping Saturday Night Live for an entertainment-parodying sitcom worked swimmingly for Tina Fey. Since 2019, it also went hilariously for Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. Not just former SNL writers but the veteran sketch comedy's ex-head writers, Kelly and Schneider gave the world their own 30 Rock with the sharp, smart and sidesplitting The Other Two. Their angle: focusing on the adult siblings of a Justin Bieber-style teen popstar who've always had their own showbiz aspirations — he's an actor, she was a ballerina — who then find themselves the overlooked children of a momager-turned-daytime television host as well. Cary (Drew Tarver, History of the World: Part II) and Brooke (Heléne York, Katy Keene) Dubek were happy for Chase (Case Walker, Monster High: The Movie). And when their mother Pat (Molly Shannon, I Love That for You) gets her own time in the spotlight, becoming Oprah-level famous, they were equally thrilled for her. But ChaseDreams, their little brother's stage name, was always a constant reminder that their own ambitions keep being outshone. In a first season that proved one of the best new shows of 2019, a second season in 2021 that was just as much of a delight and now a stellar third go-around, Cary and Brooke were never above getting petty and messy about being the titular pair. In season three, however, they didn't just hang around with stars in their eyes and resentment in their hearts. How did they cope? They spent the past few years constantly comparing themselves to Chase, then to Pat, but then they were successful on their own — and still chaotic, and completely unable to change their engrained thinking. Forget the whole "the grass is always greener" adage. No matter if they were faking it or making it, nothing was ever perfectly verdant for this pair or anyone in their orbit. Still, as Brooke wondered whether her dream manager gig is trivial after living through a pandemic, she started contemplating if she should be doing more meaningful work like her fashion designer-turned-nurse boyfriend Lance (Josh Segarra, The Big Door Prize). And with Cary's big breaks never quite panning out as planned, he got envious of his fellow-actor BFF Curtis (Brandon Scott Jones, Ghosts). The Other Two streams via Binge. Read our full review. PARTY DOWN Sometimes, dreams do come true. More often than not, they don't. The bulk of life is what dwells in-between, as we all cope with the inescapable truth that we won't get everything that we've ever fantasised about, and we mightn't even score more than just a few things we want. This is the space that Party Down has always made its own, asking "are we having fun yet?" about life's disappointments while focusing on Los Angeles-based hopefuls played by Adam Scott (Severance), Ken Marino (The Other Two), Ryan Hansen (A Million Little Things), Martin Starr (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) and more. They'd all rather be doing something other than being cater waiters at an array of California functions, and most have stars in their eyes. In the cult comedy's first two seasons back in 2009–10, the majority of its characters had their sights set on show business, slinging hors d'oeuvres while trying to make acting, screenwriting or comedy happen. Bringing most of the original gang back together — including Jane Lynch (Only Murders in the Building) and Megan Mullally (Reservation Dogs) — Party Down keeps its shindig-by-shindig setup in its 13-years-later third season. Across its first 20 instalments as well as its new six, each episode sends the titular crew to a different soirée. This time, setting the scene for what's still one of the all-time comedy greats in its latest go-around, the opening get-together is thrown by one of their own. Kyle Bradway (Hansen) has just scored the lead part in a massive superhero franchise, and he's celebrating. Ex-actor Henry Pollard (Scott) is among the attendees, as are now-heiress Constance Carmell (Lynch) and perennial stage mum Lydia Dunfree (Mullally). Hard sci-fi obsessive Roman DeBeers (Starr) and the eager-to-please Ron Donald (Marino) are present as well, in a catering capacity. By the time episode two hits, then the rest of the season, more of the above will be donning pastel pink bow ties, the series keeps unpacking what it means to dream but never succeed, and the cast — especially Scott and the ever-committed Marino — are in their element. Party Down streams via Stan. Read our full review of season three. 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 Boogeyman'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 was 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 tore into 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. I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON Eat-the-rich stories are delicious, and also everywhere; however, Succession, Triangle of Sadness and the like aren't the only on-screen sources of terrible but terribly entertaining people. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson has been filling streaming queues with assholes since 2019, as usually played by the eponymous Detroiters star, and long may it continue. In season three, the show takes its premise literally in the most ridiculous and unexpected way, so much so that no one could ever dream of predicting what happens. That's still the sketch comedy's not-so-secret power. Each of its skits is about someone being the worst in some way, doubling down on being the worst and refusing to admit that they're the worst (or that they're wrong) — and while everyone around them might wish they'd leave, they're never going to, and nothing ever ends smoothly. In a show that's previously worked in hot dog costumes and reality TV series about bodies dropping out of coffins to hilarious effect, anything can genuinely happen to its gallery of the insufferable. In fact, the more absurd and chaotic I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson gets, the better. No description can do I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson's sketches justice, and almost every one is a comedic marvel, as again delivered in six 15-minute episodes in the series' third run. The usual complaint applies: for a show about people overstaying their welcome, the program itself flies by too quickly, always leaving viewers wanting more. Everything from dog doors and designated drivers to HR training and street parking is in Robinson's sights this time, and people who won't stop talking about their kids, wedding photos and group-think party behaviour as well. Game shows get parodied again and again, an I Think You Should Leave staple, and gloriously. More often than in past seasons, Robinson lets his guest stars play the asshole, too, including the returning Will Forte (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), regular Sam Richardson (The Afterparty), and perennial pop-ups Fred Armisen (Barry) and Tim Meadows (Poker Face). And when Jason Schwartzman (I Love That for You) and Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) drop in, they're also on the pitch-perfect wavelength. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson streams via Netflix. Read our full review. I HATE SUZIE TOO Watching I Hate Suzie Too isn't easy. Watching I Hate Suzie, the show's first season, wasn't either back in 2020. A warts-and-all dance through the chaotic life, emotions and mind of a celebrity, both instalments of this compelling British series have spun as far away from the glitz and glamour of being famous as possible. Capturing carefully constructed social-media content to sell the fiction of stardom's perfection is part of the story, as it has to be three decades into the 21st century; however, consider this show from Succession writer Lucy Prebble and actor/singer/co-creator Billie Piper, and its blood pressure-raising tension and stress, the anti-Instagram. The unfiltered focus: teen pop sensation-turned-actor Suzie Pickles, as played with a canny sense of knowing by Piper given that the 'Honey to the Bee' and Penny Dreadful talent has charted the same course. That said, the show's IRL star hasn't been the subject of a traumatic phone hack that exposed sensitive photos from an extramarital affair to the public, turning her existence and career upside down, as Suzie was in season one. Forget The Idol — this is the best show about being a famous singer that you can watch right now. In I Hate Suzie Too, plenty has changed for the series' namesake over a six-month period. She's no longer with her professor husband Cob (Daniel Ings, Sex Education), and is battling for custody of their young son Frank (debutant Matthew Jordan-Caws), who is deaf — and her manager and lifelong friend Naomi (Leila Farzad, Avenue 5) is off the books, replaced by the no-nonsense Sian (Anastasia Hille, A Spy Among Friends). Also, in a new chance to win back fans, Suzie has returned to reality TV after it helped thrust her into the spotlight as a child star to begin with. Dance Crazee Xmas is exactly what it sounds like, and sees her compete against soccer heroes (Blake Harrison, The Inbetweeners), musicians (Douglas Hodge, The Great) and more. But when I Hate Suzie Too kicks off with a ferocious, clearly cathartic solo dance in sad-clown getup, the viewers aren't charmed. Well, Dance Crazee Xmas' audience, that is — because anyone watching I Hate Suzie Too is in for another stunner that's fearless, audacious, honest, dripping with anxiety, staggering in its intensity, absolutely heart-wrenching and always unflinching. I Hate Suzie Too streams via Stan. Read our full review. THE GREAT Television perfection is watching Elle Fanning (The Girl From Plainville) and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield) trying to run 18th-century Russia while scheming, fighting and heatedly reuniting in a historical period comedy The Great. Since 2020, they've each been in career-best form — her as the series' ambitious namesake, him as the emperor who loses his throne to his wife — while turning in two of the best performances on streaming in one of the medium's most hilarious shows. Both former child actors now enjoying excellent careers as adults, they make such a marvellous pair that it's easy to imagine this series being built around them. It wasn't and, now three seasons, The Great has never thrived on their casting alone. Still, shouting "huzzah!" at the duo's bickering, burning passion and bloodshed-sparking feuding flows as freely as all the vodka downed in the Emmy-winner's frames under Australian creator Tony McNamara's watch (and after he initially unleashed its winning havoc upon Sydney Theatre Company in 2008, then adapted it for television following a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination for co-penning The Favourite). In this latest batch of instalments, all either written or co-written by McNamara, Catherine (Fanning) and Peter (Hoult) begin the third season sure about their love for each other, but just as flummoxed as ever about making their nuptials work. She's attempting to reform the nation, he's the primary caregiver to their infant son Paul, her efforts are meeting resistance, he's doting but also bored playing stay-out-of-politics dad, and couples counselling is called for. There's also the matter of the royal court's most prominent members, many of whom were rounded up and arrested under Catherine's orders at the end of season two. From Sweden, exiled King Hugo (Freddie Fox, House of the Dragon) and Queen Agnes (Grace Molony, Mary, Queen of Scots) are hanging around after being run out of their own country due to democracy's arrival. And, Peter's lookalike Pugachev (also Hoult) is agitating for a serf-powered revolution. The Great streams via Stan. Read our full review. PREHISTORIC PLANET When it initially arrived in 2022, becoming one of the year's best new shows and giving nature doco fans the five-episode series they didn't know they'd always wanted — and simultaneously couldn't believe hadn't been made until now — Prehistoric Planet followed the David Attenborough nature documentary formula perfectly. And it is a formula. In a genre that's frequently spying the wealth of patterns at the heart of the animal realm, docos such as The Living Planet, State of the Planet, Frozen Planet, Our Planet, Seven Worlds, One Planet, A Perfect Planet, Green Planet and the like all build from the same basic elements. Jumping back 66 million years, capitalising upon advancements in special effects but committing to making a program just like anything that peers at the earth today was never going to feel like the easy product of a template, though. Indeed, Prehistoric Planet's first season was stunning, and its second is just as staggering. The catch, in both season one and this return trip backwards: while breathtaking landscape footage brings the planet's terrain to the Prehistoric Planet series, the critters stalking, swimming, flying and tumbling across it are purely pixels. Filmmaker Jon Favreau remains among the show's executive producers, and the technology that brought his photorealistic versions of The Jungle Book and The Lion King to cinemas couldn't be more pivotal. Seeing needs to be believing while watching, because the big-screen gloss of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World sagas, the puppets of 90s sitcom Dinosaurs, and the animatronics of Walking with Dinosaurs — or anything in-between — were never going to suit a program with Attenborough as a guide. Accordingly, to sit down to Prehistoric Planet is to experience cognitive dissonance: viewers are well-aware that what they're spying isn't real because the animals seen no longer exist, but it truly looks that authentic. Prehistoric Planet season streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. SERVANT When M Night Shyamalan (Knock at the Cabin) earned global attention and two Oscar nominations back in 1999 for The Sixth Sense, it was with a film about a boy who sees dead people. After ten more features that include highs (the trilogy that is Unbreakable, Split and Glass) and lows (Lady in the Water and The Happening), in 2019 he turned his attention to a TV tale of a nanny who revives a dead baby. Or did he? That's how Servant commenced its first instantly eerie, anxious and dread-filled season, a storyline it has followed in its second season in 2021, third in 2022, and then fourth and final batch of episodes in 2023. But as with all Shyamalan works, this meticulously made series bubbles with the clear feeling that all isn't as it seems. What happens if a caregiver sweeps in exactly when needed and changes a family's life, Mary Poppins-style, but she's a teenager rather than a woman, disquieting instead of comforting, and accompanied by strange events, forceful cults and unsettlingly conspiracies rather than sweet songs, breezy winds and spoonfuls of sugar? That's Servant's basic premise. Set in Shyamalan's beloved Philadelphia, and created by Tony Basgallop (The Consultant), the puzzle-box series spends most of its time in a lavish brownstone inhabited by TV news reporter Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose, Yellowjackets), her celebrity-chef husband Sean (Toby Kebbell, Bloodshot), their baby Jericho and 18-year-old nanny Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free, Too Old to Die Young) — and where Dorothy's recovering-alcoholic brother Julian (Grint, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) is a frequent visitor. That's still the dynamic in season four, which slowly and powerfully moves towards its big farewell. Dorothy is more determined than ever to be rid of Leanne, Leanne is more sure of herself and her abilities than she's ever been — in childminding, and all the other spooky occurrences that've been haunting the family — and Sean and Julian are again caught in the middle. Wrapping up with one helluva ending, Servant has gifted viewers four seasons of spectacular duelling caregivers and gripping domestic tension, and one of streaming's horror greats. Servant streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review of season four. THE MARVELOUS MRS MAISEL Here's how The Marvelous Mrs Maisel started: in New York City in 1958, Miriam 'Midge' Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan, I'm Your Woman) had become accustomed to waiting in the wings while her husband Joel (Michael Zegen, The Stand In) tried his hand at stand-up comedy. Then she took to the stage herself, and this blend of comedy and drama followed the revolutionary aftermath. Sometimes, that's brought highlights, including having her talent recognised by Gaslight Cafe manager Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein, Family Guy), taking her sets on the road and working her way up the comedy ladder. Sometimes, there have been costs, especially in her relationships. And always, right up to the show's fifth and final season that featured jumps forward to the 21st century, there was a battle that still sadly remains oh-so-relevant IRL: for women in comedy to be treated and seen equally. Hailing from Gilmore Girls and Bunheads mastermind Amy Sherman-Palladino, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel's cast has always proven a dream — Tony Shalhoub (Flamin' Hot), Marin Hinkle (Jumanji: The Next Level), Kevin Pollak (Willow) and Caroline Aaron (Ghosts) also feature, and Jane Lynch (Party Down), Luke Kirby (Boston Strangler) and Stephanie Hsu (Joy Ride) as well — and, unsurprisingly, its writing, too. Indeed, there's nothing quite like Sherman-Palladino-penned dialogue, which Brosnahan especially is a natural at nailing its rhythms. The period detail has consistently been impeccable, but this wouldn't be the hit it is (or have Golden Globes and Emmys to its name) if it didn't also mean something. It should come as no astonishment that Joan Rivers was one of the inspirations for the series, and that it is equally hilarious, heartfelt and finely observed, with its guiding writer, director and producer's charms in abundance. The Marvelous Mrs Maisel streams via Prime Video. 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 kept gathering momentum in the show's long-awaited third season, which gave 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. It ends with more big moves after another astute look at the game of life, whether or not it returns for season four. Ted Lasso streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. SCHMIGADOON! For fans of Key & Peele, the fact that Keegan-Michael Key can do anything won't come as a surprise. In 2023, proving that statement true has seen the comedian and actor voice Toad in The Super Mario Bros Movie, and also return to the realm of singing and dancing in Schmigadoon!. What would it be like to live in a musical? That's been this Apple TV+'s central question since it first premiered in 2021. Key stars opposite the also ever-versatile Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live) as a couple, Josh Skinner and Melissa Gimble, who are simply backpacking when they suddenly find themselves in the wondrous titular town. The duo were hoping to fix their struggling relationship with a stint in nature, but instead step into a 24/7 Golden Age-style show — a parody of Brigadoon, clearly — that helps them work through their feelings, discover what they truly want and see a different side of life. That was season one. In season two, Josh and Melissa start back in the real world, married, in their medical jobs and going through the motions. In their malaise, a return trip to Schmigadoon! beckons; however, when they stumble upon it again, the place isn't quite the same. Instead, they're now in Schmicago. And, instead of 40s and 50s musicals, 60s and 70s shows are in the spotlight — including the razzle dazzle of Chicago, obviously. What a ball this series has, including with a jam-packed cast that includes Dove Cameron (Vengeance), Kristin Chenoweth (Bros), Alan Cumming (The Good Fight), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Jane Krakowski (Dickinson), Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building) and Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) — and with ample thanks to creators Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (the Despicable Me films). Schmigadoon! streams via Apple TV+. BLACK MIRROR When Ron Swanson discovered digital music, the tech-phobic Parks and Recreation favourite was uncharacteristically full of praise. Played by Nick Offerman (The Last of Us) at his most giddily exuberant, he badged the iPod filled with his favourite records an "excellent rectangle". In Black Mirror, the same shape is everywhere. The Netflix series' moniker even stems from the screens and gadgets that we all now filter life through daily and unthinkingly. In Charlie Brooker's (Cunk on Earth) eyes since 2011, however, those ever-present boxes and the technology behind them are far from ace. Instead, befitting a dystopian anthology show that has dripped with existential dread from episode one, and continues to do so in its long-awaited sixth season, those rectangles keep reflecting humanity at its bleakest. Black Mirror as a title has always been devastatingly astute: when we stare at a TV, smartphone, computer or tablet, we access the world yet also reveal ourselves. It might've taken four years to return after 2019's season five, but Brooker's hit still smartly and sharply focuses on the same concern. Indeed, this new must-binge batch of nightmares begins with exactly the satirical hellscape that today's times were bound to inspire. Opening chapter Joan Is Awful, with its AI- and deepfake-fuelled mining of everyday existence for content, almost feels too prescient — a charge a show that's dived into digital resurrections, social scoring systems, killer VR and constant surveillance knows well. Brooker isn't afraid to think bigger and probe deeper in season six, though; to eschew obvious targets like ChatGPT and the pandemic; and to see clearly and unflinchingly that our worst impulses aren't tied to the latest widgets. Black Mirror streams via Netflix. Read our full review. HUNTERS Call it a conspiracy thriller. Call it an alternative history. Call it a revenge fantasy. Call it another savage exploration of race relations with Jordan Peele's fingerprints all over it. When it comes to Hunters, they all fit. This 70s-set Nazi-slaying series first arrived in 2020, following a ragtag group determined to do two things: avenge the Holocaust, with many among their number Jewish survivors or relatives of survivors; and stop escaped Third Reich figures who've secretly slipped into the US from their plan of starting a Fourth Reich. The cast was stellar — Al Pacino (House of Gucci), Logan Lerman (Bullet Train), Tiffany Boone (Nine Perfect Strangers), Jeannie Berlin (Succession), Carol Kane (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Lena Olin (Mindhunter) and Australia's own Kate Mulvany (The Clearing) among them — and Get Out and Us filmmaker Peele executive produced a gem as he also did that same year with Lovecraft Country. And, when it wrapped up its first season, it did so with one mighty massive cliffhanger: the fact that Adolf Hitler (Udo Kier, Swan Song) was still alive in 1977. Returning for its second and final batch of episodes three years later, but largely moving its action to 1979, season two of Hunters sees its central gang initially doing their own things — but unsurprisingly reteaming to go after the obvious target. Jonah Heidelbaum (Lerman) is living a double life, with his new fiancee Clara (Emily Rudd, Fear Street) in the dark about his Nazi-hunting ways, but crossing paths with the ruthless and determined Chava Apfelbaum (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Possessor) ramps up his and the crew's efforts. Knowing this is the final go-around, the stylishly shot series wasn't afraid of embracing its OTT leanings, tonal jumps and frenetic camerawork, and always proved entertaining as it hurtles towards its last hurrah. The best episode of the season, however, is one that jumps back to World War II, doesn't focus on any of its main stars and is as clever, moving and well-executed as Hunters has ever been. If the show ever gets revived in the future, which it easily could, more of that would make a great series even better. Hunters streams via Prime Video. Looking for more viewing highlights? We picked the 15 best new TV shows of 2023, too. We also keep a running list of must-stream TV from across the year so far, complete with full reviews. And, you can check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly.
Lego Camera is a 3-Megapixel camera made entirely out of its namesake. It is a new go-to gadget for any shelf that’s looking a little bare and any hands that are feeling a little bored because, being Lego, you can add extra pieces to build a totally customised camera. Fortunately, it can't be pulled apart, which means you won’t find yourself scrambling on all fours looking for that missing piece. The camera, available online at Urban Outfitters, has pretty simple features: fixed focus, digital zoom, in-built flash and a 1.5 inch colour-screen with memory to store 8 shots. This may be marketed to the younger generation, but for those who never outgrew their childhood Lego fixation to operate this is certainly a fun option. [Via Desktop Mag]
No longer confined to children's birthday parties, bouncy castles, inflatable obstacle sources and blow-up labyrinths have become hot property for adults (and their inner kids, of course). And the next blow-up event to return to Australia is big. Really big. Dubbed 'The Big Bounce Australia', it's an inflatable theme park made up of the world's biggest bouncy castle — as certified by the Guinness World Records — plus a 300-metre long obstacle course, a three-part space-themed wonderland and a sports slam arena. You're going to need a lot of red cordial to bounce your way through all of this. Set to tour the country in 2022, The Big Bounce is open to both littl'uns and big'uns, but there are a heap of adults-only sessions — so you don't have to worry about dodging toddlers on your way through. Tickets for adults will set you back $59, which gives you a whole three hours in the park. Yes, you'll need it. Inside, you'll encounter the aforementioned bouncy castle — aptly named The World's Biggest Bounce House — covering a whopping 1500 square metres and, in some spots, reaching ten metres off the ground. In this house, you'll encounter a heap of slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops and (if you can believe it) a stage with DJs, confetti cannons and beach balls. Then, there's The Giant, with 50 inflatable obstacles, including giant red balls and a monster slide. [caption id="attachment_825374" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarasota Experience[/caption] Before you hit the next, three-part section of the extremely OTT theme park, you may need to pause, down some red frogs and maybe even have a nap. Or not, as you do only have three hours to explore it all. Either way, at Airspace, aliens, spaceships and moon craters collide with a five-lane slide, some more ball pits and an 18-metre-tall maze. After that, you'll certainly need a nap. And, new for 2022, there's also the Sport Slam, which is rather self-explanatory — and will be a must of you're keen to add a competitive spin to all that bouncing. THE BIG BOUNCE AUSTRALIA 2022 TOUR DATES: January 14–16: Eagles Sports Complex, Brisbane January 28–30 and February 4–6: Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne February 18–20: Ellis Park, Adelaide March 4–6: Canberra, venue TBC March 11–13: St Ives Showground, Sydney April 8–10: Newcastle, venue TBC May 6–8: Claremont Showgrounds, Perth The Big Bounce tours Australia from January–May, 2022. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the event's website.
You've seen the animated movie, watched the photorealistic (and CGI-heavy) remake and hummed along to the stage show. You know all the words to 'Hakuna Matata', and you instantly get nostalgic whenever the phrase "circle of life" comes up in conversation. The next item to tick off on your list, Lion King fans? Sipping your hot beverage of choice out of Frank Green's Lion King-themed keep cups (and saying "no worries" to doing the environment a solid in the process). Teaming up with Disney, the sustainability-focused Australian brand is launching a limited-edition range of cups and reusable bottles inspired by the 90s flick and its beloved characters. Design-wise, you can choose between Rafiki's cave painting of baby Simba, the future king's face, adult Simba or, back in his cub days, the young lion with Timon and Pumbaa. There's also an animal-print option, if you can't quite bring yourself to choose between the other styles. The cups and bottles come in different hues depending on the design, so you could be drinking coffee from a coral-coloured bottle or a khaki-toned cup. You also have choices regarding size, with each design available in small (295 millilitres) medium (595 millilitres) and large (one litre). Priced between $46.95–64.95, The Lion King range joins Frank Green's other Disney-themed wares, which also includes Winnie the Pooh, Frozen and Wall-E — and both Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The new designs hit the brand's online shelves from Tuesday, May 18, but you can pre-order now until stocks run out. Once you have one in your hands, it's up to you whether you want to hold your coffee over your head like you're standing atop Pride Rock. Frank Green's Lion King range is available to preorder now, before going on sale from Tuesday, May 18.
Coming via London's Victoria and Albert Museum, a new exhibition of garments by groundbreaking fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga has made its way to Australia. As well as being one of the most well-known fashion designers of the 20th century, the Basque-born couturier was also one of the most influential in changing and shaping modern fashion and haute couture. He was even once called "the master of us all" by Christian Dior. Showing exclusively in Victoria's Bendigo Art Gallery, Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion features more than 100 iconic pieces from the 50s and 60s as well as works by his protégés and contemporary designers continuing his legacy. It's a must-see if you're interested in not only the craftsmanship of fashion, but the history of it and how it can change societal standards and trends. Here, we've picked out five pieces you should seek out at the regional exhibition. [caption id="attachment_739079" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Imagine Pictures[/caption] DEFINING THE CLASSICS: THE TULIP DRESS Balenciaga retired unexpectedly in 1968 at age 74. In an interview with The Times in 1971, he's reported to have said: "When I was a young man I was told by a specialist that I could never pursue my chosen métier of couturier because I was far too delicate. Nobody knows what a tough métier it is, how gruelling the work is. Underneath all this luxury and glamour, the truth is, it's a dog's life!" This dress shows Balenciaga at the height of his craft. Playing with gravity and weightlessness, the tulip dress is one of the classic pieces of the collection. It also shows to using texture, light, structure and form to create the striking silhouettes for which the couturier is known. [caption id="attachment_739090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Veasey[/caption] MAKING FASHION PRACTICAL: AN X-RAY OF A DRESS The meticulous structural work undertaken for garments like those made by Balenciaga again highlights the work involved to produce his gowns. Balenciaga worked carefully to reduce the number of fastenings so women could dress easily and without assistance, making his gowns both beautiful and comfortable to wear. As Bendigo Art Gallery Curator Jessica Bridgfoot puts it, "the garment did the work for you." New forensic investigations reveal the couturier's hidden workings and processes. This includes a series of x-ray images by British photographer Nick Veasey. Veasey's x-ray photographs are presented in the exhibition alongside works made during a digital pattern making project with the London College of Fashion. [caption id="attachment_739092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn wearing coat by Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paris, 1950. Photograph by Irving Penn © Condé Nast,Irving Penn Foundation[/caption] DITCHING THE WAISTLINE: THE COAT Balenciaga is credited as the designer who took women's fashion beyond an obsession with a tiny waistline. His sculptural contributions to fashion include the sack dress, babydoll and shirt-dress which all remain staples today. This influence can be seen in the work of contemporary designers like Comme des Garçons and Hussein Chalayan. Here, model Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn sits for photographer Irving Penn in a Balenciaga coat. Irvin Penn was Balenciaga's favoured photographer, and one of the only people the famously private designer allowed in to his workrooms and studios to document his collections. [caption id="attachment_719353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dovima with Sacha, cloche and suit by Balenciaga, Cafe des Deux Magots, Paris 1955 © The Richard Avedon Foundation[/caption] STICKING TO STRUCTURE AND TEXTURE: DOVIMA IN PARIS When Richard Avedon photographed Dovima in Paris in 1955, she was one of the world's most famous models. This photograph shows her in a cloche and suit by Balenciaga. Striking contrasts in colour and texture are complemented by the couturier's hallmark minimalist shapes, fastidious attention to colour, and structured outlines – the aesthetic that made him one of the most influential designers on modern fashion. [caption id="attachment_739103" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Imagine Pictures[/caption] A FASHION LEGACY: GHESQUIÈRE'S GREY CAPE An important part of the show examines the legacy that Balenciaga made on fashion — both in his own house and others. Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion includes works by other designers who worked to carry the Balenciaga label forward after its founder's retirement, including Nicolas Ghesquière. Ghesquière designed the grey cape — which was features in Vogue in 2006 — and was known for pairing voluminous, billowing shapes with tightly cut suits and pants. He is now creative director of the house of Louis Vuitton — so you may notice some similarities in the two labels' pieces. Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion is exclusive to Bendigo Art Gallery in Australia, and runs until November 10, 2019. Bendigo is a two-hour drive from Melbourne. Top image: Imagine Pictures.
UPDATE, December 23, 2020: The Midnight Sky is screening in select cinemas in Sydney, and will also be available to stream via Netflix from Wednesday, December 23. It has been four years since George Clooney last appeared in a movie, dating back to 2016's Hail, Caesar! and Money Monster. Accordingly, while The Midnight Sky definitely isn't a documentary, the fact that it features the actor at his most bearded and reclusive instantly feels fitting. Also noteworthy: that this sci-fi drama joins the small but significant list of films that combine the star and space, following Solaris and Gravity. Clooney has everything from TV medical dramas and sitcoms to heist flicks, action fare, rom-coms and a stint as Batman on his resume, of course. He's a versatile actor, and an Oscar-winning one, too (for 2005's Syriana). But there's something particularly alluring and absorbing about seeing Clooney get existential, as all movies that reach beyond earth's surface tend to. He clearly agrees, because he not only leads The Midnight Sky but also directs it as well. Clooney plays workaholic research scientist Dr Augustine Lofthouse and, although The Midnight Sky rockets into space, it doesn't send its protagonist there. Instead, in 2049, after an environmental disaster has made the planet uninhabitable, he chooses to remain in the Arctic as his colleagues evacuate. He's dying anyway, and frequently hooks himself up to machines for treatment — in between downing whiskey, watching old movies, eating cereal and talking to himself. Then, interrupting his lonely decline, two things change his status quo. Firstly, a young girl (debutant Caoilinn Springall) mysteriously pops up out of nowhere, refusing to speak but obviously needing an adult's care. Secondly, Augustine realises that he'll have to trek across the oppressively icy terrain outside to connect via radio to a crew on the spaceship Aether, who've been on a two-year mission to ascertain whether newly discovered Jupiter moon K-23 can support life, and are now making their return unaware of what's been happening at home The space movie genre is as busy as the sky above is vast. Consequently, films about folks marooned in the great black expanse, dealing with the fallout of a pioneering journey and/or trying to make contact — whether those in space's depths are attempting to chat to earth, trying to find others lost in the same situation, or being sought by the people left on terra firma — reach screens every year. The Midnight Sky proves familiar as a result; if you've watched Clooney's other space-set features, or Interstellar, The Martian, Ad Astra, Contact or 2001: A Space Odyssey, you'll spy elements you've seen before. Although adapted from Lily Brooks-Dalton's 2016 novel Good Morning, Midnight, that screenwriter Mark L Smith is on scripting duties also adds a number of recognisable components. He penned the screenplay for The Revenant, another tale of survival against an unwelcoming terrain. Here, he has graduated from the wilds of 19th-century America to one of the globe's frostiest and most isolated spots, as well as all that lingers outside of the planet's atmosphere. The Midnight Sky isn't merely an exercise in flinging derivative parts out into the beyond and seeing what comes back, however. The key, both on-and off-screen, is Clooney. When the film spends time with the Aether's astronauts, including the pregnant Sully (Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex), ship commander Adewole (David Oyelowo, Gringo), veteran pilot Mitchell (Kyle Chandler, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), and other crew members Sanchez (Demián Bichir, The Grudge) and Maya (Tiffany Boone, Hunters), it's at its most generic. Indeed, when it ventures to space, The Midnight Sky almost screams for either Augustine to head there as well, or for the feature to plummet back down to earth to join him once more. As the movie's focal point, Clooney is as soulful and grizzled as he's ever been. As a filmmaker, he certainly gifts himself the feature's best moments. But in the latter guise, he's also aware that films about space are films about connection, including to routines and everyday moments — so the fact that Sully and company's exploits feel well-worn, including a climactic sequence involving an action-packed space walk, cleverly reinforces that idea. Unmistakably, this is a big-thinking and big-feeling feature. Its characters grapple with life, love and loss — aka what it means to be human, and to have lived — while also confronting the reality that the world they know is changing forever. It's purely coincidental, but The Midnight Sky overflows with 2020-esque inclusions, too. Having your sense of normality ripped away, spending time alone trying to reach out to others, and endeavouring to find a route back to the existence we once knew but may never again in quite the same way couldn't be more relatable (and that's just from the pandemic; parallels with climate change are also unsurprisingly rife). Amidst the obligatory outer space sing-alongs, as well as the smattering of life-and-death incidents, these concepts land as thoughtfully as intended. It helps that, spanning not only himself but also Jones, Oyelowo, Chandler, Bichir and Boone, Clooney has amassed an impressive cast. His co-stars mightn't be playing the most fleshed-out figures, script-wise, and may not match the actor/director in terms of screen presence, but the same uncertainty and yearning lingers in their portrayals. The script's use of flashbacks to Augustine's past are less convincing, as is their importance to The Midnight Sky's third act via a plot development that's easy to predict. Alexandre Desplat's (Little Women) score also falls on the heavy-handed side, stressing the mood and tone in an unnecessarily forceful way — especially given that Martin Ruhe's (Catch-22) cinematography is aptly pensive and probing, particularly in its earth-bound visuals. Still, Clooney is a skilled filmmaker. He has demonstrated that again and again since he first jumped behind the lens with 2002's excellent Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and 2005's masterful Good Night, and Good Luck, and it's clear here as well. The Midnight Sky isn't his greatest achievement as a director in general or as an actor in a space flick, but it's an involving, engaging and poignant addition to his resume on both counts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb8ZbP6qAzE&feature=youtu.be
UPDATE: MAY 28, 2020 — Since publication of the below article, the Japan Tourism Agency has clarified in a Tweet that the subsidy scheme, called the Go To Travel Campaign, is to "stimulate domestic travel demand within Japan after the COVID-19 pandemic and only cover a portion of domestic travel expenses". The scheme is still under consideration by the Japanese Government. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global tourism as we once knew it virtually disappeared overnight, with borders closing, flights grounded and overseas holidays off the cards for months now. But with Australia, New Zealand and other nations around the world gradually beginning to loosen their coronavirus restrictions, that might eventually change — and if you're wondering where to venture to first, the Japanese government wants to help fund your next getaway. As reported by The Japan Times, the Japan Tourism Agency has announced a tourism subsidy scheme that'll pay a portion of travel expenses for visitors coming into the country. If the idea sounds familiar, that's because the Mediterranean island of Sicily is doing the same thing, as it revealed a few weeks back. JTA's chief Hiroshi Tabata told a press conference that the program would come into effect when Japan's COVID-19 case numbers subside and the country subsequently reopens its borders — which he said could be as early as July. Few other details have been revealed as yet, including exactly what costs the scheme will reimburse (such as flights, accommodation and venue tickets). Still, if strolling across Shibuya's scramble crossing, visiting the Studio Ghibli museum, wandering through a kaleidoscopic maze of digital art, singing karaoke in a ferris wheel and eating Godzilla-themed desserts next to a building-sized Godzilla statue are all on your must-do travel list (and they all definitely should be), this is welcome news. The Japanese agency expects to spend a massive ¥1.35 trillion — approximately AU$19 billion — on the tourism initiative, a move designed to help revive the struggling sector. As The Japan Times also notes, Japan's visitor numbers for January–April 2020 are down 64.1 percent compared to the same period in 2019. And, with the Tokyo Olympics rescheduled from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID-19, there's no longer a guaranteed influx of travellers expected this year. Japan has been under a state of emergency since early April, but it was lifted on Monday, May 25 by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, with infection numbers — especially in Tokyo — continuing to fall. While lockdowns have been loosening in some regions around the country in recent weeks, the latest move also includes Tokyo, where restrictions on restaurants, bars, libraries and museums are also starting to ease. For further details about the Japan Tourism Agency tourism scheme, keep an eye on the agency's website. Via The Japan Times.
When historians in some far-flung future crack the books on 2023, one thing that will be immediately apparent is that it was an absolute red letter year for video games. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Wonder, Diablo IV, Armored Core IV — the list of bangers goes on and on. But it wasn't just big games that shone – indie developers also had a cracker 12 months and that's what we're here to celebrate. Here, in no particular order (and, as a person with a full time job and a child, by no means exhaustive), are the best ten smaller games the year blessed us with. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnClIPdnXUs[/embed] Storyteller There's no better example of a passion project on this list than Storyteller. Created by Argentinian solo developer Daniel Benmergui, it's been a labour of love that has lasted almost 14 years since he first started work. Thank goodness he stuck with it. This puzzle game plays on the concept of narrative familiarity. Each level presents you with a title — for instance 'Seeing The Ghost Of A Lover', or 'Witch Becomes The Mirror's Favourite' – and tasks you with arranging a choice of characters and scenes in a visual setup not dissimilar to comic panels to build a suitable story. Your solutions update in real time as you move elements around, allowing for rapid-fire experimentation when the stories start to get tricky. The art style could be described paradoxically as 'restrained cartoony', but it works so well, imbuing each of the characters with enough personality to give you a sense of how they operate when deployed. Perhaps its greatest strength is how approachable it is. The gameplay is so simple that you could hand it to a 90-year old who has never touched a controller and they'll be up and running in no time, particularly when using touchscreen controls on a phone, tablet or Switch. Take that, generational gap. Available on: PC/Mac, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrhivCSKZxk[/embed] Fading Afternoon 'Auteur' is not a word thrown around often in gaming, but it's not without merit to apply it to Russian-based developer Yeo. His latest, Fading Afternoon, is a rumination on the tension between the past, the present and the future. Step into the shoes of Seiji Maruyama, a legendary Yakuza enforcer who starts the game at the end of a stint in prison. His old crime family welcomes him back, but with advancing age and a cough that won't go away, is it really the life he wants? That's up to you to decide, with player agency forming the core of the storytelling, allowing you to fight for former glory, betray colleagues, dive into degeneracy or simply spend your hours fishing. It's got surprisingly deep combat mechanics – side note: breaking an enemy's arm and taking their weapon never stops being cool as hell – and a finely curated soundtrack that matches the various moods of the game perfectly. Plus there are controls that allow you to remove your character's jacket and sling it over your shoulder, put sunglasses on, comb your hair, light up a cigarette and more, turning something as simple as walking down the street into a moment. Fading Afternoon is not a game that holds your hand, which some may find frustrating, but approach it with an open mind and you'll encounter numerous 'wow, I didn't know I could do that' moments that are as rewarding as they are surprising. Available on: PC [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p85VHMpE0to[/embed] Dave The Diver The game that launched a thousand online threads about what truly constitutes an 'indie', it's being included in this list because it's too damn good not to talk about. You play the portly title character as he joins an old crony on a new venture: to establish a sushi joint next to a mysterious blue hole in the ocean that teems with sea life from around the world. Spend your days exploring this marine miracle rendered in stunning pixel art and catching its inhabitants, and your nights running the restaurant, both of which present gameplay challenges that are a joy to master. It's honestly unbelievable how much South Korean developer MINTROCKET managed to cram into the game. There's a wide cast of characters; a variety of different narratives involving merpeople, shady eco-warriors, and snooty food critics; boss battles; a whole farm management element; vast amounts of upgrades for your equipment, your staff and your dishes, and a whole lot more. What's most amazing is how balanced all these elements are, allowing you to choose where to focus at any given time without feeling overwhelmed. Be warned, it is addictive and you'll find yourself wondering if you can fit in another dive when the clock says 2AM on more than one occasion. Available on: PC/Mac, Nintendo Switch [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOD6tKr3dHE[/embed] El Paso, Elsewhere Some breakups are amicable. Some are bad. Some lead to the apocalypse. That's just the way love goes. El Paso, Elsewhere, developed by Strange Scaffold, sees you dealing with the third type of end to a relationship. You're James Savage, a folklore researcher with a pill problem and a score to settle with your ex-girlfriend Draculae, a powerful vampire who is bringing about the end of the world from an extra-dimensional space underneath a roadside motel in El Paso, Texas. Gameplay-wise, it's an unashamed love letter to the Max Payne series, with satisfyingly chunky gunplay augmented by slo-mo dives that are as cinematic as they are tactical. In your journey through the increasingly surreal sub-floors of the motel, you'll face off against werewolves, biblically accurate angels, living suits of armour and more, each requiring you to switch up your approach which keeps the combat interesting, particularly when crowds of enemies start testing your ammo reserves. Where this game really shines is just how fucking cool it is. The script is so hard-boiled it wouldn't be out of place in a Caesar salad. Savage is pitch-perfectly voiced by Strange Scaffold's creative director Xalavier Nelson Jr., and each cutscene in between levels is a welcome narrative reward for the chaos you've navigated. It's a journey into addiction and heartbreak that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Available on: PC, Xbox One/S/X [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00B3pbxoFvI[/embed] Blasphemous 2 There's no rest for the penitent. Spanish outfit The Game Kitchen brought us back to the grim, guilt-soaked lands of Custodia for another pilgrimage of exploration and gory combat in Blasphemous 2. The sequel leans more heavily into its metroidvania roots than its predecessor, adding in classic elements like double jumping and air dashing that give more options for both combat and traversal. There's also the expanded range of weaponry the Penitent One can wield, each with its own skill tree and strengths, meaning you'll be hot swapping up a slaughter during your journey. With its dense, lore-heavy plot that evokes shades of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, Blasphemous 2 goes beyond the usual fantasy fare into something that is more memorable (and occasionally bleak). And the world is huge, with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore whenever you unlock new abilities. Special mention should be made of the boss battles as well, with excellent character design and confrontations that induce just enough frustration to leave you fist-pumping when you finally triumph. Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/S/X, Playstation 4/5 [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHfzY-nIQxw[/embed] Cocoon The true measure of any puzzle game is the sense of achievement you feel when you finally crack a solution. Cocoon, the first release by Danish studio Geometric Interactive (founded by former employees of Playdead, developers of Limbo and Inside, which is an immense pedigree), is a symphony of such 'Aha!' moments. It's a game about orbs. As a small winged figure, you traverse a variety of biomes that blend the biological and mechanical, discovering these various pearls along the way. Bring them to specific machinery and you can dive into them, opening up new worlds to explore. The kicker? You can carry worlds into worlds, leading to some truly matryoshka-esque puzzles that can tax your brain to the limit. These conundrums are never unfair, though. The overarching game design is beautifully done, with each mechanic introduced and explored until familiar before the next one comes along. There's no backtracking, no missed items, no external information needed – everything you need to arrive at a solution is right in front of you in that particular moment of gameplay. You only need to think. Narrative fans be warned, it's vastly more weighted to exploration than exposition, but there is a plot at play here that crescendos in a cosmic fashion. But the real story is that warm glow you get throughout as you overcome obstacles and realise hey, I am smart! Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/S/X, Playstation 4/5 [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ws82dj_fA[/embed] Dredge Who would've guessed that adding a handful of horror to a fishing game would be such a good recipe? New Zealand developers Black Salt Games, that's who. Leaning into the cold hard fact that the ocean is a terrifying place full of nightmares, Dredge puts you behind the wheel of a small fishing vessel as a captain whose memory was taken by a shipwreck. You'll earn your keep by pulling fish out of the ocean through a variety of methods, each with their own minigame that keeps the gameplay fresh. Some of these fish, however, are… wrong, which speaks to the wider tension of the game. There's something sinister afoot in the various archipelagos you visit, from eldritch cults to abyssal monsters, and while you're never tasked with finding a solution to these problems, investigating them is chilling fun nonetheless. Supporting the eerie atmosphere that pervades the game are some excellent decisions around gameplay mechanics. Your ship has an upgrade tree that gives pleasantly concrete results in game. The aforementioned minigames are coupled with a Tetris-style mechanic of arranging your catch in your hold, leading to some hard decisions about what to keep and to jettison when you hit the space limit. Throw in an encyclopedia that tracks all the species you catch, and you've got a range of addictive gameplay loops that'll keep you heading out to sea. Available on: PC, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXgktRWrHaI[/embed] Thirsty Suitors If you've ever been in public, caught sight of a former romantic partner and felt a wave of panic engulf you, then have we got a game recommendation for you. Thirsty Suitors is the product of Outerloop Games, a studio in Seattle with a penchant for exploring underrepresented cultures and themes. You play as Jala, a second generation Indian immigrant and young LGBTQIA+ woman who is back in her Pacific Northwest hometown of Timber Falls for her sister's wedding. Only thing is, dear sister is not talking to you and there are a slew of ex-romantic partners who are eager for a reckoning due to your past problematic behaviour. While topics like this could be approached in a heavy-handed manner, Thirsty Suitors instead takes an over-the-top path that is as entertaining as it is sensitive. Each ex gets a showdown that plays out through turn-based combat, combining wildly imaginative battlefields and moves with conversational back-and-forths that tackle codependency, betrayal, the expectations of South Asian parents, navigating life out of the closet and more. Better yet, victory is not about domination but understanding, giving each battle a far more satisfying denouement. Throw in a deep and humorously acrobatic cooking minigame, Tony Hawk Pro Skater-style traversal and maybe one of the best video game fathers ever, and it's a truly unique experience with emotional enlightenment at its centre. Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/S/X, Playstation 4/5 [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKDwnRWroto[/embed] Sludge Life 2 It's time to go back to the sludge, baby! The crassest, coolest vandalism simulator made a return this year, shepherded into existence by developer Terri Vellman and musician DOSEONE. You're back as Ghost, an elite tagger turned artist manager responsible for the rapper Big Mud. He's got a gig to play, but after a night of epic partying with his Click Sick crew he's nowhere to be found. Time to leave your trashed hotel room and track him down. Sludge Life 2 builds on its predecessor in the simplest way: by being bigger across the board. There's more world to explore, more NPCs to engage with and more tools to help you get around, from sneakers that allow double-jumping to a portable launcher that throws you high into the air, helping you to reach the 100 tagging spots scattered around the city - some obvious, some fiendishly hidden. There's also a higher level of cheerful cynicism present. The world has evolved since the first game, with the corporate presence of the Ciggy Cig company now dominating the map with their efforts to get children puffing their wares (now with vitamins!). As you make your way around and talk to the inhabitants, you'll uncover a revolution brewing, which you can wind up playing your own part in. Also, the cat with two buttholes is back. Really, it's a game with something for everyone. Available on: PC [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__hzPH3tcvA[/embed] Chants of Senaar Chants of Senaar, developed by French team Rundisc, is the answer to the question 'what if the Tower of Babel and the Rosetta Stone had a baby that was a puzzle game?' The game sees you exploring a mystical tower divided into levels populated by groups organised around castes, each of whom has a unique language consisting of logograms (or symbols that represent words, for those who haven't studied linguistics too deeply). To progress, you need to decipher these languages using a variety of context clues, interactions and signs scattered throughout the environments. Your efforts are tracked in a notebook, where you can record what you think various symbols mean and confirm them in sets once you've discovered enough of them, a mechanic that helps to defeat a brute force approach. Eventually, grammar is layered in as another aspect to consider, testing your skills even more. The tower itself is a joy to explore, with distinct colour palettes and architectural styles for each of the levels and a great use of light and shadow throughout. Breaking up the language puzzles are the occasional stealth sections, giving a welcome variety to the gameplay. As mentioned earlier, puzzle games can be measured by the sense of achievement you feel, and watching the world around you gradually become more intelligible, not to mention helping the different castes actually communicate, well, it doesn't get more satisfying than that. Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One/S/X, Playstation 4/5
The National Gallery of Victoria has just announced its 2019-20 Spring/Summer program — and it's sure to get more than a few people excited. Last winter, the NGV saw over 200 works from New York's famed MoMA and over summer it housed the Escher x Nendo: Between Two Worlds — an exhibition showcasing the works of both Dutch artist M.C. Escher and Japanese design studio Nendo. So, it had some big shoes to fill. Its summer blockbuster, announced this morning, is Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines — and the NGV has succeeded in bringing yet another world-class exhibition to Australian shores. Similar to the Escher x Nendo and 2016's Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibitions, it will showcase an intersection between the two artists' lives, ideas and practices, delving into their radicalism, socio-political standings and distinctive imagery. A world-premiere retrospective exclusive to Melbourne, Crossing Lines will feature over 300 works, including Haring's iconic dancing figures and Basquiat's crown and head motifs throughout a collection of painting, sculpture, objects, drawings, photographs, notebooks and pieces in public spaces. The exhibition will also house the artists' collaborations with some of the world's most-celebrated pop culture icons, including Andy Warhol, Grace Jones and Madonna. [caption id="attachment_717213" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Untitled 1982, Keith Haring, copyright Keith Haring Foundation.[/caption] On top of this stellar exhibition, the NGV will also host a number of smaller (yet no less impressive) exhibitions over spring and summer, including a look at New Jersey artist Brian Donnelly (aka KAWS) in Companionship In The Age Of Loneliness, and a collection of hyperreal photographs by Sydney-based artist Petrina Hicks in Bleached Gothic. A photography exhibition featuring the works of over 100 contemporary photographers from around the world, and a solo show by Australian photographer Polixeni Papapetrou round out the list. Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines will run from December 1, 2019—April 13, 2020 at the National Gallery of Victoria International, Melbourne. Top images: Portrait of Keith Haring by William Coupon; Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, copyright George Hirose; Untitled 1982, Jean-Michel Basquiat, copyright estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Open since 2000, this Cronulla-based butcher is all about offering affordable, quality meats. This classic butcher will offer you hormone-free whole chooks, easy-to-cook skewers, thick rib-eye steaks, tender lamb backstraps and a range of sausages. This is the sort of butcher you can walk into with absolutely no clue what you want to buy, then walk out with a bag full of meat and some cooking inspiration. You'll also find local eggs and seasoning options here, too. [caption id="attachment_776639" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption]
Named for the Creedence Clearwater Revival song, Fortunate Son is the small bar you never thought you needed but will be glad you've found across the road from the Enmore Theatre. It's full of juxtapositions: it's styled like an American dive bar but serves champagne, a premium spirits list and a vast menu of cocktails, including a whole page of martini options. There are also toy tab cars on the counter. Most of the space is taken up by the bar itself, with locals enjoying original cocktails and local brews like Young Henrys. On the cocktail front, there are two menus. One is the Fortunate Ones, full of classic cocktails like a smoked chilli margarita, mint julep or old fashioned. The second is dubbed Fortunate Son's and stars house specials like the champagne daiquiri made with Moet syrup, The Insomnia — a next-level espresso martini with blanco tequila — and the aptly named Smoke and a Pancake, made with Gentleman Jack bourbon and peaty Ardbeg scotch with banana liqueur, maple syrup and cocktail bitters. For something even more special, ask the bartender for the Ramos Gin Fizz. This not-so-secret tipple isn't on the menu but is one of the venue's signature drinks. The Ramos is made with gin, egg whites, cream, simple syrup, lemon and lime juice. It is shaken initially with ice and then without ice in the shaker for a whopping 15 minutes to create a thick, luscious foam. It's then poured into a chilled glass with soda and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands.
For as long as most Brisbanites can remember, the CBD's riverside stretch has been synonymous with bland buildings and an always-busy expressway — but that's changing. Popping up amid the hustle, bustle and boring concrete is the city's newest luxury hotel, W Brisbane is bringing a touch of ultra glam to the northern bank of the river. First announced last year as part of the chain's return to Australia, and originally set to launch in March, the hotel is now open on North Quay between the Victoria and Kurilpa bridges. The five-star spot boasts a view across the water to the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland and the Gallery of Modern Art. And that's just the first of many features that might entice locals to book a staycation. Others include 312 designer rooms decked out with ten-gallon drum baths and in-suite cocktail stations, an onsite spa, and a fourth-level deck that includes an eye-catching pool, an adjacent bar and a barbecue area. While the overall look of the place takes inspiration from its location, with design agency Nic Graham & Associates working to the theme of "a river dreaming", W Brisbane's other main highlight actually springs from down south. As revealed a couple of months back, the hotel is home to Queensland's first Three Blue Ducks restaurant. A 150-seat space with views over the river, it'll serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with the kitchen overseen by chefs Mark LaBrooy, Darren Robertson and Andy Allen. On the menu: Ducks' signature dishes such as spanner crab scramble, old favourites including congee with pulled pork and hay smoked salmon kedgeree, and new additions like fermented chilli glazed chicken. Plus, as well as its hefty number of places to take a kip — including 28 suites, two extra-luxe spaces that've been dubbed "Wow Suites" and one "Extreme Wow Suite" — W Brisbane also features 1100 square metres of function space. Expect the hotel to become the city's new business go-to. And, of course, Brissie's new riverside hangout as well. Find W Brisbane at 81 North Quay, Brisbane. For more information about the hotel, or to make a reservation, visit the W Brisbane website. For further details about Three Blue Ducks, head to the restaurant's website.
Heads up Australia, Aldous Harding is one of those Kiwi musical talents we'll casually be calling our own in a few years. You may not have heard much from her yet, but this Christchurch folk queen is just about to drop her debut album and head out on her first tour of Australia. Be sure to check her out — by all accounts, she's killin' it across the Tasman. Starting her career from the ground up, Harding has dominated the pub scene of Lyttelton — a port town just south of the Christchurch CBD. Full of rural charm and enchanting melodies, her acoustic folk is definitely telling of her roots. Like New Zealand's answer to Julia Stone, her music is rich in character and story. Her self-titled debut so far has just the one single, 'Hunter', with the rest to be released on July 25. And she's making her way to our shores just one week later, so you better get acquainted with it quickly. Touring Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne alongside fellow Kiwis Tiny Ruins the shows are sure to be a very chilled affair — perfect for red wine, big jumpers and melodious swaying. Better yet, she's throwing in a couple of free gigs for punters in Sydney and Melbourne. Staying true to her pub roots, Harding will be hitting up Midnight Special and Public Bar on her lonesome. Cruise by, pick up a pint and take a chance on the new girl. It'll pay off in a few months when she's the next Lorde. Tour dates: Tuesday, July 1 – Black Bear, Brisbane Wednesday, July 2 – Newtown Social Club, Sydney Thursday, July 3 – Midnight Special, Sydney Sunday, July 6 – Public Bar, Melbourne Tuesday, July 8 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
A few years ago an idiotic politician declared that Sydney simply didn't want small bars like Melbourne's, where people could quietly read a book while drinking a glass of chardonnay in a black skivvy. That comment has been proven false again and again, and now Sydney is graced by establishments like Love, Tilly Devine, the perfect small bar to sit and read a book over some chardonnay. In a skivvy, if you want. The people at Love, Tilly Devine are excited. They're excited about their wine, about the future of their neighbourhood, and about their food. The name of the bar is an ode to East Sydney's past and a tribute to an obscure 1930s brothel madam who performed acts of local charity. The bar is tucked away in a Darlinghurst alley, with open windows and exposed brick walls and cosy to the point that I spotted one waiter go outside into the street and refill somebody's glass through the window. Don't come to Love, Tilly Devine if you want to get drunk. There are other places to do that. This is a place you can bring a date and drink quality, not quantity. This is a wine lover's bar for people who are willing and able to spend their money on it. The staff are happy to help out if you feel a bit befuddled by the seemingly limitless selection (the wine list currently sits at just under 300 varieties), and with the perfect seasonal food to go with it. Prices come per bottle, so it's tricky if you just want a glass; the cheapest glass of wine from the Riesling list, for example, is $16. But while it might be on the dear side, Love, Tilly Devine is a welcome addition to Sydney's thriving small bar scene. Image: Nikki To. Updated Tuesday, March 21 2023. Appears in: The Best Bars in Sydney
Plastic straws are slowly but surely disappearing from venues across the globe — including plenty of switched-on bars and eateries here in Australasia. And now, even fast food giant McDonald's is taking a stand against single-use plastic straws, announcing it'll start phasing out the unnecessary drink accessories across its UK stores next month. According to Sky News, McDonald's hopes to reach a point where 100-percent of its packaging is recyclable, having already phased out polystyrene and foam. Although, the company is yet to find an alternative to its plastic drink lids. Its next move is to start trialling the use of biodegradable and recyclable paper straws, in place of its less eco-friendly plastic alternatives. McDonald's UK restaurants will also start keeping its straws behind the counter, making them available only upon request. With 90% of the UK's population indulging in at least one Macca's run a year, and the Marine Conservation Society estimating 8.5 billion single-use plastic straws are used annually across the country, this new initiative is no small win for the planet. No word yet on whether McDonald's restaurants in other countries will follow suit, though here's hoping we're not too far behind.
Update, Thursday, July 19: Due to overwhelming demand at pre-sale, the Opera House has just announced that Wu-Tang Clan will be performing two more shows this December. The extra shows will take place on Monday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 11. Tickets for all four shows go on sale to the general public at 9am, Thursday, July 19 — so now you have double the chance of snagging a ticket. If you're a hip hop buff, the phrase "Enter the 36 Chambers" probably gets you excited for a particular East Coast US rap group. After much speculation, caused by mysterious social media posts and posters plastered around the country, it has been confirmed that Wu-Tang Clan is coming Down Under. Time to prepare your dollar dollar bills — the group will be hitting Aussie soil this December, playing two exclusive shows at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9. The last time the group came to Australia was back in 2016, and this time they'll only be hitting up Sydney. The shows will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chamber), which features hit tracks 'C.R.E.A.M.', 'Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit' and 'Protect Ya Neck'. All nine members — RZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, GZA and Cappadonna — will perform the acclaimed album in full for the first time in Australia. Earlier this month it was announced that Kendrick Lamar was bringing his much-hyped 'DAMN.' pop-up to Australia, and we can only hope Wu-Tang Clan follows suit, bringing its 'Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues' Pop-Up Down Under, too. Wu-Tang Clan 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chamber)' 25th Anniversary shows will take place in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9. Tickets go on sale at 9am, Thursday, July 19. Pre-sale tickets go on sale at 9am, Wednesday, July 19 and to get access you'll need to sign up to the Opera House newsletter. Image: Danny Hastings
It was true when Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope hit cinema screens more than four decades ago, and it's still true now. If there's one thing everyone knows about the sci-fi world created by George Lucas, it's that it doesn't reveal its secrets quickly. All these years later, viewers are still watching the space opera saga's twists and turns in episodic big-screen instalments (and will soon be doing so on the small screen, too). If you've been keeping an eye out for news about Disney's new dedicated Star Wars theme park zones, it's been a somewhat similar process. Of course, the force is strong with this overall idea. Yes, we've definitely got a good feeling about it as well. From 2019, Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida will both boast dedicated Star Wars-themed zones, called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. With the two set to open between the middle and the end of 2019, Disney has started sharing a few details about what fans can expect — including what its main attractions will be. Earlier this year, Oga's Cantina was announced. It's a boozy watering hole that'll be part of both spaces, bringing alcohol to the California park for the first time. Now, Star Wars aficionados can also look forward to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The former will put you in the driver's seat of Han Solo's beloved ship, while the latter will see you caught in the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the First Order. Disney has also unveiled a sneak peek of both, with the video for Rise of the Resistance shot in the attraction itself according to the Disney Theme Parks Blog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssgGCjpFP4Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSxE-b2YDAQ Yep, prepare to say "punch it" a whole heap — and hopefully become best buddies with a loveable wookiee. You'll also be able wander around the outpost of Batuu, which is a hive for smugglers and rogues (naturally); drink blue milk at the cantina; and hop onto a star destroyer. And, while you're enjoying your time in this galaxy far, far away, you'll be listening to new Star Wars music by the man behind its iconic tracks, aka Oscar-winning composer John Williams. Galaxy's Edge was first made public back in 2015, will span 14 acres at each site and will prove the biggest single-themed expansion the respective parks have ever seen. The guiding concept behind both spots is to "transport guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life." More details are certain to come to light before Galaxy's Edge opens, but expect both zones to tie into all ten Star Wars movies to date and to feature an array of beloved characters roaming around. Expect to be able to buy plenty of merchandise at the gift shop as well. Eventually, visitors to Disney World will also be able to spend a night or several in an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel too, although construction hasn't started yet and an opening date hasn't been announced either. That said, Disney has just revealed that a visit to the hotel will involve boarding a launch pod and taking part in "a fully-immersive, multi-day Star Wars adventure aboard a luxury starship", with high-end dining and cabins that apparently have a space view all part of your stay. Via Disney Theme Parks Blog.
It's a claim made by another animation powerhouse and their bricks-and-mortar wonderlands; however, for fans of Studio Ghibli, the beloved company's Japanese museum might just be the happiest place of earth. Not only does it celebrate the gorgeous on-screen work created by the studio — with Ghibli never making a bad movie yet — but it brings everything from My Neighbour Totoro and Laputa, Castle in the Sky to Porco Rosso and Kiki's Delivery Service to life. Understandably, that's made the Studio Ghibli Museum a must-visit place for travellers to Tokyo, with the site located on the western side of the metropolis, in Inokashira Park in Mitaka. But, unless you've actually made the trip to go there, the extent of its delights aren't that widely known, with photography forbidden once you're onsite. That means that Ghibli fans have heard about the museum's cute little cinema with bench seating, its eye-catching stained-glass windows based on the company's films, its towering spiral staircase, and the exquisite detail evident in the site's wallpaper, signage, fixtures and more — but those yet to pop by probably haven't seen it for themselves. Until now, that is, with the Studio Ghibli Museum newly opening its doors to fans virtually, all via a series of online video tours. With the venue currently temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and with a reopening date not yet announced — Ghibli aficionados can still get their fix via the studio's YouTube channel. The videos are brief, each roaming through a different part of the museum, but they firmly showcase just how adorable the entire place is (something we can confirm from our own visits). A new video drops each week, with seven online at the time of writing — and plenty of the museum's highlights yet to be featured. Remember, this is the place that boasts an entire Catbus room, complete with a giant Catbus that kids (but not adults) can play on. Check out a glimpse at the Studio Ghibli Museum building – including its rooftop garden and its Totoro-inspired windows — in one of the venue's videos below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaX15taUGFY To check out the Studio Ghibli Museum's videos, head to the site's YouTube channel. Top image: George N via Flickr.
These big award shows are a funny business. Everything is so manicured and over the top. Everyone from every film or TV series you've seen seems to be there, but they're not quite right. They're not the character you really know them as, or they're too liquored up to look like anyone at all. Since the internet has risen up and eaten most of our free time, these shows have become a bit of a smorgasbord though. We don't really care about the glitz or the glamour of it, we kind of just want something funny to post on our Twitter feed. Every great joke or horrible mistake becomes well-known within minutes. Did something embarrassing happen to Matt Damon? Was Jennifer Lawrence being funny? Did Tina Fey and Amy Poehler channel Britney and Madonna for an on-stage kiss? In the interest of saving time, the answers to those questions are yes, yes, and unfortunately no. Here's your cheat sheet for the rest. 1. The Red Carpet Went Horribly Wrong Red carpets are usually pretty awkward. Most stars really just want to get inside to the open bar, and most reporters seem gloriously starstruck or out of their depth asking inane questions about manicure styles or the benefits of open toed heels versus closed. But this year's pre-show entertainment took awkward to a whole new level when E! Entertainment broadcasted some inappropriate 'fun facts' during their live stream of the event. These included 'FUN FACT: Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991' and 'FUN FACT: Robert Redford was stricken with polio as a child.' As if that wasn't enough of a dampener, the red carpet also suffered a small flash flood after a sprinkler malfunctioned. Luckily that was before the ceremony, and after a small delay Ryan Seacrest resumed his post as the weird plasticky go-to man, and stars like Elisabeth Moss rebelled the ceremony in their own small ways like flipping off the obligatory mani-cam. Go team. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y-XGTLfaG3Y 2. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Killed It This was always going to happen. Although it's always hard to shake images of Liz Lemon and Leslie Knope from your mind, these girls were perfect together last year and rekindled the magic for an impressive second show — they even called it in their opening monologue (duologue?): "When something kinda works, you keep doing it till everybody hates it." I don't think that will be any time soon however as all their one-liners hit the marks hard. Targets included George Clooney as they stated "Gravity [was] the story about how George Clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age." Jonah Hill also got a dig off the back of his upcoming release The Wolf of Wall Street: "If I wanted to see Jonah Hill masturbate at a pool party, I would have gone to one of Jonah Hill's pool parties." Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tom Hanks (or Tam Honks) and Matthew McConaughey also got a mention, but do yourself a favour and watch the whole thing here. 3. People were still making fun of Matt Damon Matt Damon was another mark hit in the opening monologue when Poehler said, "Matt, on any other night in any other room, you would be a big deal. But tonight — and don't take this the wrong way — you're basically a garbage person." Being the good sport that he is, when presenting on stage he then followed up with, "It's me, the garbage man. The garbage man who didn't bring his glasses. Fantastic." We know it's cruel, but there seems to be something so satisfying about making fun of this man. Team America was released nearly 10 years ago now, and he's done nothing to deserve it, but it's still so hard to say his name with a straight face. 4. Jennifer Lawrence was there (and she won) 2013 has already been deemed the year of J-Law, but we don't see the hype dying anytime soon. Right from the beginning she was causing a fuss as the entire internet exploded with something to say about her dress. So what if it's Christian Dior? She knows we love her. We have to knock her down a peg or two every so often just like we would an annoying little sister going to the formal. Before making it through the door, she already reclaimed her throne as queen of GIFs as she snuck up on Taylor Swift and joked about pushing her over. She then won Best Supporting Actress for her role in American Hustle, and followed it up with a press conference saying she needed to "catch up on her drinking". She'll be our dream babe forever. 5. People Were Drunk This is more of an educated guess than a hard observation, but hey, Emma Thompson threw her shoes over her shoulder and downed a martini on stage, Amy Poehler kissed Bono and Tina Fey compared Leonardo Dicaprio to a supermodel's vagina. I wish there was more context to each of these things, but that's really about all we can offer. Time to grab some icecream & switch over to #GIRLS — mia farrow (@MiaFarrow) January 13, 2014 6. Mia Farrow used Twitter to its full catty potential Woody Allen was a winner (of sorts) at the year's show as he received a lifetime achievement award. Star of his cult classic Annie Hall, Diane Keaton accepted the award on his behalf and praised in particular the women of Woody Allen's filmic world. "They struggle, they love, they fall apart, they dominate, they're flawed. They are, in fact, the hallmark of Woody's work," she said. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the women of Woody's life off-screen as his ex-wife Mia Farrow took to Twitter and decided his tribute the perfect moment to tune out and catch the season premiere of Girls. No one can really blame her. 7. Things Got Awkward It wouldn't be an awards ceremony without someone overstaying their welcome during the speeches. This year, that cringe-worthy crowning moment belonged solely to Jacqueline Bisset. After winning Best Supporting Actress in a TV Mini-Series for her work in Dancing on the Edge, Bisset embarked on a strange bumbling journey into the unknown that was presumably just as painful for her to deliver as it was for us to watch. Problems on stage continued as an autocue failed for Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie, and Andy Samberg didn't have a speech at all after winning Best Actor in a Comedy Series. He then strangely copped a kiss on the lips from Modern Family's Julie Bowen. Awkward star contact continued when P. Diddy gave Bono a hug that was clearly a little off consensual. (We could watch that GIF forever.) 8. The Right People Won There's nothing more infuriating than sitting through an entire awards show, then seeing the cheesiest and least exciting shows take home the prizes. There's obviously going to be some disconnect between your opinion and that of the Hollywood Foreign Press, but still — it's nice when everything works out. Aside from J-Law, other winners included Breaking Bad for Best TV Drama and Bryan Cranston for his role in the lead. After their shocking loss at the Emmy's last year, this win seems the perfect way to see off the prolific show after its final episode late last year. Aaron Paul even summoned one final "Yeah, bitch," before leaving the stage pleasing millions of internet users worldwide. The top acting awards rightfully went out to Leonardo Dicaprio for The Wolf of Wolf Street and Cate Blanchett for her amazing work in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, and the top films were American Hustle and 12 Years A Slave. Amy Poehler finally got commended for her work as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, and most importantly of all, both Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory received nothing. A good night was had by all.
Technology has made many of the household items we once relied upon redundant. The Yellow Pages, CD players, and shopping lists are all rapidly becoming relics of a pre-smart phone, pre-digital era. And if designer and inventor, Andrey Kokorin has anything to do with it, the kitchens of the future will also replace knives with electromagnetic lasers. The 'Innovative Laser Device For Cutting Of Foodstuff' uses a series of rotating rings fitted with electromagnets and controlled by an internal microprocessor to slice food into whatever shape your appetite desires. Simply place the food in the spherical pod, customise the shape and size of your slice (with anything from spirals to smily-faces available) and press 'Go'. This groundbreaking, and ecologically friendly, creation was submitted by Kokorin for the James Dyson Award, an internationally renowned competition for young innovators to come up with problem-solving inventions. For Kokorin the inspiration came from a study of kitchen knives and discovering that they can be a hotbed for infectious disease. Peer into your kitchen of the future with this video of the pod in action.
Newtown is home to plenty of institutions, be it the Dendy Cinema, Marly Bar or Dean's Diner, and up there with the best is Thai Pothong — a destination restaurant that's been drawing in couples on dates, groups of mates sharing a banquet and boisterous twenty-firsts and fortieths for over two decades. Heaps of Thai restaurants line Newtown's streets, but Thai Pothong rises above them all. The expansive dining room offers authentic Thai food in an ever-bustling atmosphere and the service is top notch. It's almost fine dining but it's casual and cool enough to skip that moniker. Instead it's a force of nature in the busy Newtown food scene and one not to be missed. This King Street stalwart serves up all of the usual curries, stir fries and noodle dishes alongside heaps of chef's specialities, like barramundi curry, banana blossom salad and fried rice with crab meat. Popular dishes include the steamed chilli scallops with ginger in spicy sauce, and the BBQ baby octopus which is perfectly charred and tender. For vegetarians there is the papaya salad which offers a light start of fresh papaya and carrot with tomatoes, lemon juice and peanuts, while a more filling offering is the crispy salt and pepper tofu with chilli, garlic and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Thai Pothong Restaurant also offers several banquet menus, and puts on regular monthly special, too. The drink list is extensive and includes classic Thai beers, while downstair is a "secret" bar to enjoy a cocktail before or after your meal. Come here fThai Pothong Restaurant or a celebration or sit by the window with your partner and watch the parade of King Street pass on by. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Now streaming on Disney+, Moon Knight arrives as the latest chapter in a seemingly non-stop franchise that's near monopolised popular culture over the past decade and a half. The newest episodic series to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it adds yet another tale to the saga's ever-expanding web of superhero stories — this time focusing on a character first seen on the page back in the 70s; hardly as well-known as the likes of Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Thor and Captain Marvel; and otherwise wholly unseen in the MCU so far. Moon Knight also starts unfurling as the latest instalment in another trend. For the second time in less than a year, Oscar Isaac stars in a must-see streaming series. In cinemas in-between, he's also added Dune and The Card Counter to his resume, too, because the compulsively watchable actor pinballs between projects vast and intimate — and between blockbusters and character-driven pieces. His two most recent small-screen projects couldn't demonstrate that chasm better, although Moon Knight has more in common with 2021's Scenes From a Marriage than it might initially seem. Or, to be accurate, it boasts one very specific and important shared trait: it wouldn't be what it is without Isaac's magnetic performance. Make that performances. The setup: in this six-episode miniseries, Isaac plays Steven Grant and Marc Spector. They're one and the same due to a case of dissociative identity disorder, although this is news to mild-mannered British gift-shop employee Steven. Usually, he wishes that he could lead tours at work, obsesses over studying Egyptian history and, thanks to a sleeping disorder, chains himself to his bed at night. But as gaps in his days lead him to learn, he is also American mercenary Marc Spector — or, to be exact, vice versa. Complicating matters further, he's the on-earth conduit for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu (voiced by Mythic Quest's F Murray Abraham) as well. Already struggling with being able to tell the difference between being awake and asleep, Steven's role as the moon god's offsider is a source of stress, unsurprisingly — especially with shadowy cult-like figure Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird) hanging around. Character-wise, the Steven/Marc combo swiftly proves as complex as the MCU has delivered so far in Moon Knight's first four episodes, as deepened even further during a continent-hopping mystery-adventure that has him doing Khonshu's bidding. That's where Harrow comes in, complete with unfinished business with the moon god and big plans of his own. Archaeologist Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy, Ramy) also adds another layer, sporting ties to Marc's past that Steven is initially unaware of, and sparking a patch of romantic rivalry. Even within franchise confines, Isaac is mesmerising playing duelling dual personalities in Moon Knight, turning in the kind of portrayal that the MCU has been lacking. It isn't known as an actor's showcase, which is why even this far in — 27 movies and now six Disney+ series — the sprawling saga's standout performances make a splash bigger than throwing mjölnir into an ocean. It's what made Tom Hiddleston a hit in his big-screen outings, and also in fellow streaming show Loki. Also on the small screen, the greater texture served up by Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, and the scene-stealing perfection of Kathryn Hahn as well, ensured that WandaVision left an imprint, too. Isaac bests them all; while Marvel's knack for casting has long been one of its superpowers — even with simply entertaining rather than necessarily meaty performances resulting — it flexes those talents magnificently in Moon Knight. Indeed, it's as shrewd a casting move as has been made to-date in this pop-culture behemoth. The fact that Moon Knight also tasks Isaac with playing someone that film and TV fans aren't already acquainted with is also pivotal. Welcomely, the Marvel formula feels fresher here. The series still spins an origin story, and will undoubtedly tie into the broader narrative to come. It also often falls back on a template between daring to be stranger and weirder. And yet, by branching off with a previously unseen protagonist, this is the first MCU Disney+ series that doesn't feel like homework. That isn't a slight upon WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye, but recognition that reaching in new directions reaps considerable rewards. Moon Knight doesn't lack in star power, of course — there's a reason that Isaac is rarely seen suited up with his face covered, Hawke is also fantastic, and they bounce off of each other compellingly — but it hasn't enlisted its big-name MCU newcomers to merely go through the by-the-numbers motions. Similarly leaving an impression: having Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab (Clash) direct four episodes, and getting American sci-fi/horror wunderkinds Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Synchronic, The Endless, Archive 81) to helm the other two. Both help ensure that Moon Knight's biggest thrills come from its best asset, especially given that he's doing double duty in a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-style premise — and the scenes where Steven and Marc bicker with each other about who gets to control their shared body (which happens via reflective surfaces such as mirrors and puddles, and are shot with not just flair but boldness), are the show's clear highlights. The Indiana Jones nods, and the swings in The Mummy's direction, are clunkier, but the end product is still easily the most intriguing small-screen Marvel effort so far. Actually, when Moon Knight does ultimately end up overtly linking into the MCU in its final two episodes — and if it smoothes itself down in the process — that'll feel like a let down. Check out the trailer for Moon Knight below: The first episode of Moon Knight is available to stream via Disney+, with new instalments dropping weekly. Images: courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Every autumn, a the Eta Aquarid meteor shower sets the sky ablaze. It might not be as famous as Halley's Comet, but the Eta Aquarids are actually a distant relation — the bits and pieces you see flying around were on Halley's path a really, really long time ago. And, rather than only being visible every 75 years (the next Halley's Comet sighting is in 2061), you can catch the Eta Aquarids annually. This year, the shower will be at its most spectacular this weekend — here's how to catch a glimpse. WHEN TO SEE IT The shower will reach a peak in the early morning of Saturday, May 6, but will still be able to be seen for the another day or two. 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 as many as 30 meteors every 60 minutes. Each will be moving at about 225,000 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. WHERE TO SEE IT Being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world. So, if you're living in the city, it could be time for a last minute trip to a clear-skied camping spot. The trick is to get as far away from light pollution as possible. For Sydneysiders who don't mind a long drive, this could mean a trip to the Far South Coast. We reckon Picnic Point campsite in Mimosa Rocks National Park might be a winner. Or, if that sounds too far away, Booderee National Park in Jervis Bay is pretty light-free. Alternatively, head west — after all, you'd be hard pressed to find better views than at The Dish, just outside of Parkes. Melburnians might consider a journey to Wilsons Promontory or along the Great Ocean Road, as far as Killarney Beach. For somewhere closer, there's Heathcote, which is just an hour from the city, but is an excellent vantage point. For a real escape, head to Snake Valley in the Central West, where there's hardly a light in sight. For a quick trip out of Brisbane, try Lake Moogerah, Lake Wivenhoe or Lake Somerset, which are all rather dark, considering their proximity to the city. If you have a bit more time, head two-and-a-half hours west to Leyburn, which has come of the busiest skies in Queensland, or eight hours west to the tiny town of Charleville in the outback. HOW TO SEE IT The shower's name comes from the star from which they appear to come, Eta Aquarii, which is part of the Aquarius constellation. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Eta Aquarii, 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 Eta Aquarids. They've been updating this daily. Apart from that, wear warm clothes, take snacks and be patient. Happy stargazing.
