We've already been counting down to those 12 days in June that are bad for our posture but good for our cinematic imaginations: the Sydney Film Festival. Now organisers have released a sneak peak of the programme to fuel our excitement. The 25 films named include striking Sundance hits such as Beasts of the Southern Wild, timely attention-grabbers such as Iran's Goodbye, and incisive documentaries of the likes of The Law in These Parts. We spoke to Sydney Film Festival director Nashen Moodley about the films announced today and what he has in store for the rest of the festival. This is your first year directing the festival. How are you settling into the job and the city? I've had a soft landing, all things considered. I've had a warm reception and people have been extremely welcoming and helpful, so professionally it's been very exciting, and I've just found an apartment and moved in last week, so I'm settling in personally as well. I feel like we're a bit festival mad here. There's always something on. Have you noticed? Absolutely! There is always something on. And that's great, it's what makes the city so attractive ... Even though I haven't been here that long I've managed to go to a concert and a couple of plays. It's nice to be in a city with so much happening. I think Sydneysiders are really fortunate. You see a lot of festivals — Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin this year so far. What in your opinion makes a good festival? Full cinemas, for one. Lots of filmmakers around, great films that reflect the diversity of world cinema. A balanced programme is really very important — that you have films from all over the world and different types of films, films of different genres, different themes, different styles. For me it's always very important that there's a sense of discovery in the films as well, that when you go to a festival you find out about new filmmakers, filmmakers you haven't heard of before or filmmakers who are making their very first feature film or their very first feature-length documentary. Is that why this year we'll have the Film Festival Hub at Lower Town Hall, like a fringe component to the festival for the first time? It's going to add a layer to the festival that I think is going to be really very successful and very important not just for the audience of the Sydney Film Festival but also for the visiting filmmakers ... We want people to hang out there in between screenings, to talk about the films they've seen, talk about the films they're about to see, have a few drinks, enjoy the talks. I think it's going to make a real difference to the atmosphere of the festival and we're very excited about the launch. There's this real sense that it kind of connects up the disparate venues. Absolutely. And it's within walking of all the venues, which is very important. You've released a very tantalising teaser of 25 films from the programme today. Tell us a bit about those. It represents very much what we want to achieve, which is this diversity I've been speaking about. At the same time we have really strong films that have won prizes at very prestigious festival around the world. We have a great documentary collection. I think people will hopefully look at this and feel we have a great festival in store. Can you name some highlights in the bunch? I'm excited to see the response of the audience to things like Beasts of the Southern Wild, Tabu and Neighbouring Sounds, very exciting new works by filmmakers who aren't necessarily known yet. There's a documentary called Side by Side, in which Keanu Reeves interviews filmmakers about the change from film to digital. What current film trends excite you, and which turn you off? I'm broadly excited by new filmmakers, that's what's exciting for me. 3D, for instance, doesn't excite me. I don't really look at cinema in terms of trend; I look at films individually. There's been talk that cinema audiences will drop because of things like internet downloads and big-screen TVs. Yet film festival attendance seems strong. Why is that? What role do film festivals have to play in this environment? I think there's just something wonderful about the communal experience of film festivals. And this idea that you are seeing something on the big screen that you won't necessarily get a chance to again in your life. And I always find if I go to a festival, I'm more likely to speak to a stranger about a film than if I went to a commercial showing of the film. At a commercial showing of the film I want to, you know, kill the person next to me because they're on their cell phone or whatever. Another film in the programme, Maori Boy Genius, is about a 16-year-old prodigy with political potential. What were you like at 16, and was your calling as a film festival director already coming through? I really loved cinema but I also loved music and was very interested in politics as well, very interested in literature. I was interested in lots of things and didn't quite know what I would do. Probably at that stage if you asked me I wanted to become a human rights lawyer! Finally, we gather that your job requires you to sit around all day watching movies. Is it the best job in the world? If only it was that simple! ... There's meetings and emails and negotiating about films and discussing with my colleagues various aspects of the festival that go beyond just the selection of films. But the bottom line is that I do still get paid to watch films, which is a pretty good way to make a living! I'm not sure it's the best job in the world, but it's pretty good. See more of the Sydney Film Festival's sneak peak here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=POLylqWL-j8
One of 2023's new small-screen hits was a book first — and if you're keen to hear more about Lessons in Chemistry, author Bonnie Garmus is coming to Australia to chat about it. She's one of the headliners at 2024's Sydney Writers' Festival, which has unveiled a characteristically jam-packed lineup. Garmus is one of 35 international guests, too, and among nearly 300 speakers on a program that features 223 free and ticketed events. Harbour City literary fans, rejoice. If your favourite way to spend your time is leafing through pages, this is an annual highlight on your calendar anyway regardless of the lineup — but 2024's SWF has plenty to get excited about. Book obsessives elsewhere, this fest is also still for you, because it's streaming some of its events live across four of its seven days. [caption id="attachment_944967" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Serena Bolton[/caption] The fest will run in-person from Monday, May 20–Sunday, May 26, with sessions at Carriageworks livestreamed between Thursday–Sunday. Whichever best suits you, you can check out playwright Suzie Miller chatting about her hit play Prima Facie, Nobel Prize-winner Abdulrazak Gurnah discussing Afterlives, Washington-based The Guardian World Affairs Editor Julian Borger stepping into his father's past and the Holocaust, and The Roots of Chaos' Samantha Shannon chatting fantasy. The livestreamed talks also include Celeste Ng on Little Fires Everywhere follow-up Our Missing Hearts, journalist Alisa Sopova and photographer Anastasia Taylor-Lind diving into their 5km From the Frontline project in Ukraine, a celebration of women in sport, and the closing address on the future of misogyny by philosopher Kate Manne. Also, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen — whose book The Sympathizer has been turned into a TV series, too, and arrives in 2024 — will dig into his memoir A Man of Two Faces. [caption id="attachment_944970" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kieran Kesner[/caption] Folks heading along physically have a whole heap more to look forward to. Prophet Song's 2023 Booker Prize-winner Paul Lynch, Tom Lake's Ann Patchett, Resurrection Walk author and all-round crime-fiction bigwig Michael Connelly, The Bee Sting's Paul Murray and Old God's Time's Sebastian Barry are also on the bill, as is Nobel Prize-winning scientist and A Crack in Creation: The New Power to Control Evolution scribe Jennifer Doudna. Add in American National Poetry Slam Champion Elizabeth Acevedo, who has penned novel Family Lore; Jake Adelstein, whose Tokyo Noir is about Japan's underworld; translator Jennifer Croft, with her novel The Extinction of Irena Ray also about translators; and Lullaby and Watch Us Dance's Leïla Slimani — and the list still goes on. [caption id="attachment_944968" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Henry Nicholls[/caption] Among the Australian talents, Boy Swallows Universe fans will want to check out sessions with both author Trent Dalton and actor Bryan Brown — the first talking about his latest book Lola in the Mirror; the second about his own tome The Drowning, as interviewed by fellow actor Sam Neill (The Twelve), in a reversal of a similar chat in 2023. And The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart devotees should be keen to hear from Holly Ringland, who has The House That Joy Built to discuss. Safe Haven's Shankari Chandran, Edenglassie's Melissa Lucashenko and Wifedom's Anna Funder, all Miles Franklin-winners, will also take to the stage. So will Julia Baird about Bright Shining and Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan to chat Question 7. [caption id="attachment_944976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Kelly[/caption] For fireside First Nations storytelling, exploring Blak criticism and more, six Indigenous-focused events also join the lineup thanks to two guest curators: Wiradjuri Nation poet and artist Jazz Money, plus Gomeroi writer Amy Thunig. Free sessions are always a significant part of the program, too, with 2024's festival including more than 70. And, also in the same category, the spread of venues is hefty — including Carriageworks, Town Hall, City Recital Hall, State Library of New South Wales and suburban libraries across Sydney. [caption id="attachment_944977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Hadley[/caption] [caption id="attachment_944971" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] [caption id="attachment_944973" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kat Westerman[/caption] Sydney Writers' Festival runs at various venues across Sydney, and streams online, from Monday, May 20–Sunday, May 26. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Saturday, March 9 via the festival's website. Sydney Writers' Festival images: Jacquie Manning.
Pensive and distant, the Hunter falls squarely into the stylistic tradition of Lantana and Look Both Ways, carrying a familiar thread of a domestic world threatened by the decisions that follow on from living a detached, professional life. Based on a novel by Sleeping Beauty's author-turned-director Julia Leigh, the story follows quiet professional Martin David (Willem Dafoe) as he hunts through Tasmania's wilderness looking for a rumoured last Tasmanian tiger, charged with returning tissue samples to a mysterious and powerful biotech company. Billeted with the family of a missing environmental activist, his priorities begin to shift, even while he keeps his distance from them. The family's eccentric dwelling is beautifully shot by cinematographer Robert Humphreys, and brought to life by the strong sound design of Liam Egan and Sam Petty. David's relationship with the children (played by Morgana Davies and Finn Woodlock) is the film's centrepiece, and life in this home owns to some of the most human moments in it. The landscape though, not the people, is really the main character here — moist, verdant and warm. Much warmer than any of the characters (grown-up, at least) who cross the screen. While the Hunter is ostensibly about a solitary man contemplating nature and the people around him, the film gives the sense throughout that it's actually the whole of solitary nature that's contemplating a single man. This town at the edge of the wilderness lives and dies on the whims of outsiders. Loggers dependent on timber firms, activists looking for government intervention, the activist's widow (Frances O'Connor) surviving with the support of their family friend (Sam Neill). And while the Hunter's loyalties shift — amongst his company, the wilderness and the residents of this small town — in the end, he makes a deal with the devil on behalf the tiny settlement. Just like everybody else. https://youtube.com/watch?v=l_ByVNMblbQ
No one can ever accuse Adam Driver of not living up to his name. He's played a bus driver in Paterson, piloted a spaceship in the Star Wars sequel trilogy as well as 65, and will next zip through the Italian streets in his latest film Ferrari. For none other than Heat and Collateral director Michael Mann, Driver slips into the eponymous racing driver and sports car entrepreneur's shoes, in one of the most-anticipated new movies of the next few months. As the just-dropped first teaser trailer for Ferrari shows, Driver is indeed seen behind the wheel, although the film focuses on its namesake when he's an ex-racer. As adapted from Brock Yates' book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Cars, The Races, The Machine, Mann's movie hones in on specific chapter of Enzo Ferrari's life: 1957, as potential bankruptcy looms over his factory, his marriage is struggling after a heartbreaking loss and his drivers approach the Mille Miglia race. Accordingly, Ferrari promises to peer behind the Formula 1 facade, into Enzo's relationship with his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz, Official Competition), the death of their boy Dino, and the son Piero with Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley, Robots) that he doesn't want to acknowledge. If you know your racing history, you'll also know that 1957's Mille Miglia — which spanned 1000 miles across Italy — was its last due to multiple deaths during the event. So, that race won't be an insignificant part of the film. As well as Driver, Cruz and Woodley, Ferrari stars Patrick Dempsey (Disenchanted), Jack O'Connell (Lady Chatterley's Lover), Sarah Gadon (Black Bear) and Gabriel Leone (Dom). Set to release at Christmas in the US and on January 4, 2024 Down Under, Ferrari marks the first (and long-awaited next) film for Mann since 2015's Blackhat — although he did direct an episode of Tokyo Vice's first season in 2022, as well as executive producing the series. Check out the trailer for Ferrari below: Ferrari releases in cinemas Down Under on January 4, 2024. Images: Lorenzo Sisti / Eros Hoagland.
Tuesday nights are Luk nights for the next ten weeks, as celebrated chef Chui Lee Luk undertakes a guest chef spot at Surry Hills' Italian eatery Berta. For the next couple of months, Luk will host a series of unique 'sagra' nights at Andrew Cibej's laneway establishment, a Berta tradition of delving into the Italian way of celebrating a single ingredient or method of cooking. Former owner and chef of Woollhara's long-loved Claude's and now-closed Surry Hills joint Chow Bar & Eating House, Luk is a big pull for Berta — the sister of fellow Italian-focused Sydney joints 121BC and Vini. Luk's newly-devised menu will see four courses not usually seen on the Berta menu, dishes that explore individual ingredients and preparation methods — from baccala (dried and salted cod) to goat, edible weeds to rabbit — in her signature Luk way. So what can you expect from Luk? The beloved Sydney-based chef is known for fusing different cultural cuisines and playing with age-old techniques, so don't expect straight-up Italian cooking. New menu adventures include beef short rib agrodolce (spices, honey and molasses), and raw kingfish, chillies, bottarga, colotura, and desserts including mariposa plum rice pudding, and sweet potato chocolate flan. Luk's 'sagra' nights are every Tuesday at Berta from February 10 through March 31. It's $55 per person for four courses. Pick your week from these delicious focus points: 10 February Baccala 17 February Goat 24 February Beans and other legumes 3 March Rice 10 March Potatoes 17 March Edible weeds 24 March Rabbit 31 March Lamb For more information and bookings head to www.berta.com.au or call (02) 9264 6133
Saturday Night is a film of nerves. It's a movie filled with laughs, of course, as any big-screen step behind the scenes of iconic TV sketch series Saturday Night Live should be — but it's equally as tense as it is amusing as it charts the 90 minutes leading into the 90 minutes that forever changed television history. Fresh off also revisiting the comedic past with latest Ghostbusters instalments Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, writer/director Jason Reitman and his co-scribe Gil Kenan chart the chaos before SNL's first-ever episode beamed into homes. Everything that could be dysfunctional is dysfunctional, all as an unproven cast and crew attempted to add something unique to American entertainment. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtain, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Chevy Chase, Andy Kaufman, Jim Henson, George Carlin: they're all featured in Saturday Night, with Dylan O'Brien (Caddo Lake), Matt Wood (Instinct), Kim Matula (NCIS), Ella Hunt (Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1), Lamorne Morris (Fargo), Emily Fairn (The Responder), Cory Michael Smith (May December), Nicholas Braun (Dream Scenario) and Matthew Rhys (IF) bringing them to the screen. (Succession alum Braun does double duty as both Kaufman and Henson). Also among the wide-ranging ensemble: Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Rachel Sennott (Bottoms), Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale), JK Simmons (The Union), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and Willem Dafoe (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). At the centre of it all is Lorne Michaels, the writer and producer that's been at the heart of Saturday Night Live since that debut airing on Saturday, October 11, 1975, as well as the driving force behind the show coming to fruition to begin with at all — and remains at the helm now that SNL is in its 50th season. Gabriel LaBelle steps into his shoes, scoring a role that naturally inspires some nerves. "I wanted to get it right for the people who did know him. And I felt he's influenced so many brilliant people who've inspired me that I wanted to make it right for them," he tells Concrete Playground. But he's also returning to familiar territory, in a fashion: in his first two major movie parts, the Canadian actor has played two major names. When Steven Spielberg (West Side Story) decided to turn his adolescence and first years as a filmmaker into a movie, the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans was the end result. His on-screen alter ego: the fictional Sammy Fabelman, portrayed as a teenager onwards by LaBelle. The cast's Oscar nominations might've went to Michelle Williams (Showing Up) as matriarch Mitzi Fabelman and Judd Hirsch (The Goldbergs) as Sammy's granduncle Boris; however, LaBelle was no less impressive, picking up the National Board of Review's Breakthrough Performance award for his efforts. He was a huge Spielberg fan going in. He was also a massive SNL devotee before picking up his next dream role. LaBelle's first acting credit arrived in 2013 via an episode of TV series Motive, with fellow small-screen fare iZombie, Brand New Cherry Flavor and American Gigolo also on his resume, plus movies Max 2: White House Hero, Dead Shack, The Predator and Snack Shack. He initially caught the bug away from the cameras, though, at summer camp. Asked about if he could've ever imagined back then, when he was appearing in musical productions of Footloose, Shrek and Aladdin, how things have turned out for him so far, he comments about how strange it is to have that information out in the world. "It's so weird to meet you just now and for you to already know that," LaBelle laughs. [caption id="attachment_978078" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images[/caption] If LaBelle was ever to earn a film about him somewhere down the track, those early summer-camp stints are the kind of details that someone playing him would undoubtedly revel in during their preparation phase. For the actor when he was approaching taking on Michaels, he tackled the mountain of books available about SNL or that just mention the IRL figure, he advises — someone that he only became aware of during the pandemic, he also tells us, because growing up as a Saturday Night Live lover as a kid means obsessing over on-screen talent and their sketches rather than the off-screen folks making the show happen. We chatted with LaBelle about that lifelong affection for SNL, whether it's easier to play someone who is best-known to many as a name rather than a personality, his research process, the sense of responsibility that comes with taking on such well-known figures on-screen, and balancing the film's laughs and tension, too — plus Paul Rudd (Only Murders in the Building) crashing his first day on set. On Growing Up Watching SNL — and, If He Ever Gets the Chance to Host, If LaBelle Would Join the List of Stars Saying That It Was a Dream Come True in Their Opening Monologue "I would say the same thing. I was obsessed. I grew up on the best of Will Ferrell and Chris Farley, and the best of the commercials, on VHS tapes. I rehearsed and performed the Spartan cheerleaders at recess in elementary school. I grew up on the National Lampoon films, and Bill Murray and Aykroyd and Belushi. And I watched SNL every Saturday. So it was really important to me, and so many of my favourite films and actors and comedians come from there. I've always been very aware of it, and it is really surreal to be a part of something like this. So if I'm ever granted the gift of hosting, I would say the exact same thing." On First Becoming Aware of Lorne Michaels Before Saturday Night Came LaBelle's Way "I became aware of Lorne, I think, sometime in the pandemic. It must have been when I just had all this time on my hands and I watched interviews and listened to podcasts about my favourite actors and comedians. And I kept hearing 'Lorne, Lorne, Lorne, Lorne' from all the SNL people. I didn't do any actual research into him until this film. I knew of him, but not a lot." On Whether It's Easier to Portray Someone Who Is Perhaps Best-Known to Most as a Name Rather Than a Personality "No, because I wanted to get it right for the people who did know him. And I felt he's influenced so many brilliant people who've inspired me that I wanted to make it right for them. So my initial fear was 'oh man, I have to get it even more right, and there's less out there'. But Jason [Reitman] was really great at getting everybody to not be so focused on being them, and as long as I just felt like him or sprinkled things in here and there, and didn't become too rigid in my mimicry of him — not even mimicry, but certain mannerisms that you wanted to get down. I felt an even bigger pressure, to answer your question." On the Research That Goes Into Playing Someone with 50 Seasons of an Iconic TV Show to His Name — and So Much That's Sprung From There "There are a lot of great books about how SNL started. Like a lot of them, actually. And there's one that was just so brilliant where — I don't even know the names of the books, I just looked up 'books on Saturday Night Live' and then ordered them on Amazon and they'd show up, so forgive me whoever wrote it — but I'm pretty sure it's just called The Oral History of Saturday Night Live. It is essentially just transcripts of people talking about how it came to be in the first year, the first five years, and then proceeding into the generations later, but I only focused on the first couple of chapters on how it got started. There's so much, whether it's Dick Ebersol's book, where he talks about Lorne Michaels, or Alan Zweibel's book, where he might even say a few things. There was a lot out there — and about his personality and his decisions, and how he started, how he met everybody, what the relationships were like between him and the cast and the writers. And that was super helpful to just give context on how to communicate and how to play each scene, because Lorne is interacting with so many people, so it really gives you a backbone to the story. And there was also an old interview with Lorne on The Tomorrow Show where he's introducing the cast to NBC — it's right before the first episode, and he introduces everybody and it was so brilliant. I got a lot from that. I played that thousands of times leading up to production just to get his voice down, his accent, certain vocal stuff. Then, what was so good about working with Jason is he was so brilliant of breaking that all down and allowing you to play, and allowing you to forget a lot of it and not be so rigid with it." On Taking on IRL Entertainment Icons in Two of LaBelle's First Major Film Roles "It's weird, because I was so influenced by Spielberg films. I was so influenced by SNL. And so it weirdly feels like I'm welcomed inside of those things, like I'm weirdly a part of it. Which is weird. I don't quite know how to articulate it, but it's a true honour is what it is, because of how important they've been to my life, and then also recognising the cultural significance that they've had in the world. It's fulfilling, I'll tell you that." On Whether a Sense of Responsibility Comes with Stepping Into Michaels and Spielberg's Shoes "Oh my god, yes. You don't want to mess it up because they're not just important to me, they're important to a billion people on the planet. A lot of people really care, and you don't want to let people down. You don't want to let the filmmakers down, the audience down and the people you're portraying down — the people around them, you don't want the people who knew them thinking like 'aaaah, he fucked up'." On Balancing Saturday Night's Tension and Stress with Its Humour — and What It Was Like First Stepping Onto the Set "The first day on set is always crippling, regardless. And it doesn't help that our first two days were night shoots in New York at 30 Rock. I remember the first day on set — actually, Paul Rudd was there, because Janine [Thompson, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire] our head of hair, is his personal hairstylist on films. And so he was just there to get a haircut, and then he hung out and watched. We were shooting with Finn [Wolfhard] that day, too, and they know each other, they made Ghostbusters. He's just hanging out with Finn watching. And first of all, he's probably the most-handsome person I've ever seen in real life, where you see him and you're like 'fuck, oh my god'. And he's super charming, super funny. Obviously I want to talk and hang out with Paul Rudd, but this is my first day and I have to get it right. So it just added an extra layer of 'don't get distracted', which is hilarious. Definitely, you want to do a good job. Jason, throughout the filming, just harvested such a beautiful environment that everyone's calm and everyone's getting along, and the whole cast and crew is grateful to be there, and there's no contention and everyone just really was all in it together. So it made filming this beautiful, relaxed, safe, funny — oh my god, everyone's so funny! — environment, so that the chaos you see on-screen was choreographed and set, but then everything else, everyone was just having a ball." Saturday Night opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, October 31, 2024 and releases in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, November 7, 2025.
Summer is officially over. We know that not just because it's March, but because, as has become custom at this time of year, Vivid Sydney has this morning announced its program for 2019. Get ready to be ensconced in projections once again — the festival of light, music and ideas is returning for 23 days and nights from May 24 to June 15. The first couple of tidbits from this year's program were handed to us a few weeks ago, with the announcement that The Cure will do four shows at the Sydney Opera House from May 24–28 — their only Australian shows this time round. Tickets have already been allocated via ballot, so we hope you jumped on that already. Carriageworks announced its first headline music act, too, with Rüfüs Du Soul taking over the arts precinct for three nights of electro bangers on June 13, 14 and 15. The most overt (and unavoidable) aspect of the program is the lights, and for the second year running their glow will head across the bridge to light up Luna Park. It will extend the reach of the CBD's Light Walk from Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo with a collection of 50 large-scale projections stretching along the walk's three kilometres. Should make good viewing from the ferry. Some of the immersive light installations you'll encounter throughout the precincts include a pop-up 'winter camp' in Barangaroo, a 'robot spaceland' in Darling Harbour, 300 large-scale animal sculptures in Taronga Zoo, a playable cascading harp in Chatswood and an immersive field of 500 fireflies in the Royal Botanic Garden. Pixar is also jumping on board this year, and will be projecting characters from its classic animated flicks onto the façade of the Argyle Cut in the Rocks. The Sydney Opera House's sails will this year be lit up with hypnotic images of Australian flora from LA artist and video maker Andrew Thomas Huang (who has previously created music videos for Björk), and Customs House will be transformed into an underwater wonderland — covered in neon projections of creatures found under the Harbour it overlooks. Vivid Music is once again in fine form. Joining The Cure for the Vivid Live component of the program at the Opera House will be folk rock singer Sharon Van Etten, performing hits of her poignant new album Remind Me Tomorrow, American singer Maggie Rogers and Perth up-and-comer Stella Donnelly, who's heading to the harbour city fresh off the back of the release of her new album Beware of the Dogs. Jónsi, from Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, and Alex Summers (known as Jónsi & Alex) will be performing an ethereal show complete with a 21-piece orchestra and 12-member choir in the Concert Hall. The Opera House's super popular Studio Parties will also make their return. Last year's music lineup throwback came in the form of 90s hits Ice Cube and Cat Power. This year, British electronic group Underworld, best known for the house and techno hits they released in the 90s, will be flying the nostalgia flag. If the name is a little unfamiliar to you, you'll definitely recognise their single 'Born Slippy (Nuxx)'. Famed jazz musician Herbie Hancock, who started his career in the Miles Davis Quintet back in the 60s, will also be taking to the stage, performing hits from across his five-decade career. Another big one is a performance from FKA Twigs who's bringing her experimental dream pop to Carriageworks, and the City Recital Hall has a solid program this year, including a performance by Paul Kelly and James Ledger. Live music gigs will also be held across the city as part of the program, including at the Lansdowne, Ziggy's hairdresser and 107 Redfern. Vivid Ideas is, of course, back for those keen to delve into creativity, science and technology — and this year it's scored Spike Lee as its big-ticket speaker. Lee will be in town to chat about his personal political views as well as his award-winning 2018 flick BlackKklansman. There's plenty more where that came from, check the Vivid Sydney website for more details. Vivid Sydney returns from May 24–June 15, 2019. Images: DNSW and Hamilton Lund.
If you haven't dreamt of quitting your job, turning off your phone, packing your bag with nothing more than a pair of thongs and some swimmers and jetting off to make a life on a tropical island, you are truly living a blessed life. But for everyone else who holds on to a skerrick of the island life dream, this next bit of news is either going to make you smile or turn you insanely jealous. A guy from NSW has just scored his own entire resort on a private island in the Pacific for the grand sum of 65 bucks. The man, identified just as Joshua, was one of the tens of thousands of people who decided to put a few dollars down to go into the draw to win the 16-room luxury Kosrae Nautilus Resort that sits on the Micronesian island of Kosrae. It was put up for grabs by Australian couple Doug and Sally Beitz, who built the resort back in 1994. After 20 years on the island, they've decided to come back home — but instead of selling the island to an investor, they wanted it to go to someone who maybe couldn't afford to buy it outright, but would give it as much love as they have. Joshua was announced as the winner last night via a post on the resort's Facebook page. So, yeah, now he owns a resort. Not bad for the cost of approx. three espresso martinis. Via ABC News. Image: Kosrae Nautilus Resort.
War on Waste, you've done it again. Inspired by your piles of never-tasted bananas, mountains of seldom-worn clothing and tonnes of discarded plastic, Tonic Lane, a cafe in Neutral Bay, has brought in a ban on free disposable coffee cups. For owner Lain Tapsall, the decision isn't just a simple change, it's an entire revolution, which she's dubbed the Mug Movement. Her hope is to get customers thinking about our waste problem, not only at her cafe, but globally too. The ban kicks off on Tuesday, August 1, after a month-long run-up. "It's been a strong prelaunch in the 'hood to educate the regulars about our simple project to 'say no to paper cups'," says Tapsall. "We have felt the love." Customers have a few options, when it comes to getting their beverage. They can bring their own cup, for which they'll receive a reward of two stamps on their loyalty card. They can grab a free mug from the cafe's mug shelf, with no obligation to return it, or they can buy a reusable cup for $5. Last and definitely least, it's possible to buy a disposable Biocup for 50 cents (that's a pretty serious coffee tax), of which 25 cents will be donated to Clean Up Australia. "Thus far, we have sold over 150 reusable cups in our four-week lead-up to the launch, and we have a solid supply of donated mugs for our 'No Return Required Mug Shelf'," says Tapsall. Pop along to Tonic Lane for the official launch of Mug Movement. Take your own cup to score a $1 coffee and hang out with ambassadors from Clean Up Australia and Responsible Cafes, who'll be chatting about waste and reuse. Find Tonic Lane Café and Ginoteria at Shop 6, 8 Young Lane, Neutral Bay.
Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become an end-of-year staple — and the Glenworth Valley event returns from December 28, 2019 to January 1, 2020 for another packed year. The fest's sixth annual lineup will see more than 60 acts take to the stage across a huge five days, with artistic experiences, talks, workshops and yoga classes also part of the camping festival. Of course, it's the music that'll tempt festival-goers to make the journey an hour out of Sydney. With Aria Award-winning three piece Rüfüs Du Sol, Aussie hip hop legends Hilltop Hoods, genre-blending producer Honey Dijon, indie quartet The Jungle Giants and beloved pop duo The Veronicas, there's plenty to get excited about. Attendees will dance their way between four stages, all returning from 2018. Arcadia is where the main action is, Lost Disco will focus on bass, techno and dance music (and eye-catching visuals by 3D mapping artists), and Paradise Club will party on right into the night with DJs and surprise guests. Then there's My Mum's Disco, which not only features a digital jukebox pumping out 15,000 nostalgic beats and party favourites, but sing-alongs and more to accompany the tunes. In-between catching live sets and making shapes, Lost Paradise offers patrons a heap of other activities, including yoga, talks and workshops at the fest's Shambhala Fields. Or, head to Lost Village to refuel or shop the fashion and art markets. The food and drink hub boasts communal tables for dining and an array of cuisines for feasting upon. The full lineup of eats will drop soon as will the camping options, which will range from rent-a-tents to luxury glamping. LOST PARADISE LINEUP 2019 Rüfüs Du Sol Hilltop Hoods Golden Features Matt Corby The Jungle Giants Methyl Ethel Cub Sport The Veronicas Lime Cordiale Mallrat Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers Mansionair Confidence Man Furnace & The Fundamentals Dear Seattle The Chats Kwame The Vanns Crocodylus Fritz Pacific Avenue Cry Club Seaside Eagle Eye Jones Chymes The Moving Stills Nelipot Georgia June The Buoys Stumps Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers The Zilzies Chase Zera OKA Green Velvet Dom Dolla Honey Dijon Denis Sulta Michael Bibi Heidi Set Mo Patrice Baumel Late Night Tuff Guy 16BL Motez Luke Million Human Movement Cassian Skepsis Haai Made in Paris Sama Kettama S.A.M Conspiracy Crew Black Loops Loods Flex Mami Shantan Wantan Ichiban Dena Amy James Pepper Luen Lex Deluxe Ebony Boadu Uncle Ru Dar Purple Sneakers DJs Cassettes for Kids Mincy Willo Sideboob Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1. Pre-sale tickets are available from Tuesday, August 20 with general tickets from Wednesday, August 21. Image: Ruby Boland
Vegans, here's a question for you. Obviously, wearing animals is out of the question. But what's your take on a 100% plant-based material that mimics leather? As in, it looks and feels so much like leather that, were you not to know it's an imitation, you'd be organising a rally against it. One school of thought says Yes! That's exactly what we're after. We don't have a problem with the qualities of leather - appearance, durability, flexibility and so forth - so long as their acquisition doesn't involve the slaughter of any living creatures. The other school of thought says, No. That would be sending the wrong message. Carrying a 'pretend leather' bag around is a bit like wearing faux fur. It might not cause harm directly, but the implication is that animal hide is useful. A truly ethical product should appear as though it came from a plant. The Netherlands-based Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven has recently developed a new vegan textile from the Areca palm. The plant's leaves are soaked in a specially concocted biological solution, increasing their flexibility, and enabling the creation of a biodegradable material that is striking similar to leather. Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven has used it to manufacture a range of stylish products, including journal covers, sandals, and tote bags. The innovation comes with the potential for social benefit. The Areca palm is native to South India, where local artisans possess sophisticated knowledge and understanding of manipulating the leaves. Interest in palm leather products may well translate to increased employment opportunities. Images: Tjeerd Veenhoven [Via Ecouterre]
If Uluru's stunning Field of Light installation doesn't already have you planning a trip to the centre of the country, then the latest news out of the Northern Territory might — Litchfield Adventure Park, the NT's most popular national park, is getting a $12.1 million makeover. As part of the facelift announced by the NT Government, new areas of the 1500 square kilometre park will be opened up to visitors, including five new swimming spots and waterfalls, 40 kilometres of new four-wheel drive tracks and three new campgrounds. Established as a national park in 1986, Litchfield is located 120 kilometres south-east from Darwin, and is a particularly popular spot for day-trippers. Indeed, it's the Top End's most popular national park, attracting almost 370,000 visitors a year. The new addition — in the park's north, as reported by the ABC — expected to increase that number by 60,000 annually. At present, there's plenty at Litchfield to entice visitors anyway, including existing swimming holes, camping spots, picnic grounds, bushwalking tracks, scenic lookouts and more. A highlight for adventurous trekkers is the 39-kilometre Tabletop Track, which takes up to five days to complete, with camp sites along the way. For more information about Litchfield Adventure Park, visit the park's website.
Sometimes it's the costumes as much as the dancers and choreography that linger on in memory long after the red curtain drops. Those night sky print dresses in Coppélia! That magical black sequined cape from The Sleeping Beauty that swept the entire stage! Both of those pieces have effectively rendered my own wardrobe dull for ever more. Not surprising, then, that there is a long and rich history of fashion designers collaborating with the ballet to put their own twist on the not-so-humble tutu. During the course of their tumultuous affair, Coco Chanel created costumes for the ballet featuring Igor Stravinsky's latest score in Balanchine's 1929 Apollo, and recently Karl Lagerfeld has kept up her legacy with a highly criticised outfit for the British National Ballet (too many frumpy feathers, apparently). So, too, Narciso Rodriguez, Marc Jacobs, Christian Lacroix and Akira Isogawa have all loaned their talents to dance. It's high time that some smaller names were added to that lofty list — which is precisely what the Australian Ballet has been working on since 2003 with the Bodytorque series, combining emerging designers and choreographers. In Bodytorque.á la mode, audiences will see five entirely new works with intriguing titles and collaborations. From the life of Marchesa Casati to escorts in a hotel, the inspiration points of each piece are vast, as are the backgrounds of each designer. Super-chic Sydneysiders take note: there are only five performances, and everyone loves the thrill of the new.
It's pretty easy to get lost in Sydney's vibrant nightlife precinct, YCK Laneways — a hub of independently operated hospitality, retail and entertainment businesses in the CBD. Now, you can get lost, drink cocktails and win prizes at the same time. Over four jam-packed weeks, YCK is teaming up with Angel's Envy, a finished bourbon with a sweet flavour and complexity for rookie drinkers and connoisseurs alike. Together, they'll transform the bustling laneways of the precinct into a bourbon lover's dream. During August, Sydneysiders can bar-hop around their diverse collection of venues to win an epic CBD staycation or Angel's Envy merch, simply by enjoying a tipple with mates. Here's the gist: signup for YCK's Laneway Loyalty program to collect your digital tokens and win free stuff. It's as easy at that! You'll receive one token for each drink purchased at a participating venue. Once you've collected five, you'll win a limited-edition Angel's Envy jacket (you can never have too many in the wardrobe, right?) and go in the draw to win one of three epic YCK staycations valued at $1,500 each. Each week, participating venues will hero a classic cocktail — think old fashioned, whiskey sour, highball, and manhattan — putting their own spin on it with bespoke, curated menus and a range of creative spins. There will also be roaming jazz bands and live performers around the laneways to keep you entertained while you hop between bars. The venues taking part in the month-long event include Burrow Bar, Duke of Clarence, Esteban, Jolene's, Kahii, Kasippu (soon to be known as Button), Kuro Bar & Dining, Papa Gede's, Roast Republic, Stitch Bar, Since I Left You, Lucille's, Uncle Ming's and Vinabar. While each venue has its own drawcards, they all have a few things in common — they're independent, small bars with a whole lot of soul. And with so many options, you're bound to find more than a few that will cater to your needs, whatever you're craving. Sip, collect and win this August by signing up for Laneway Loyalty and exploring the precinct. To find out more about Angel's After Dark, visit the website.
Ever wanted to nom on Louis XIV? Feast on Emperor Jing Zong? Connoisseur ice cream have taken some royal cues with their brand new dessert line: the Connoisseur 'Empire Collection'. An epic thematic stretch (but a tasty-sounding one we can raise a spoon to), the collection is inspired by historical figures or 'tastemakers' who supposedly "had a connection to the very origins of ice cream," according to the Connoisseur team. Though the historic heavyweights' connection to ice cream is somewhat vague (and annoyingly they're all dudes), we're not ones to say nay to academic dessert. Kicking off the all-star historic lineup is Emperor Nero, embodied in coffee-flavoured ice cream (because Italy) littered with chocolate-coated hazelnuts and hazelnut liqueur. In between all that tyrannic ruling, fire-starting and attempting to assassinate his own mother, the Roman Emperor apparently used to have ice brought from the mountains and top it with fruit. What a decadent ass. Next up, King Louis XIV trots in with a French vanilla ice cream (der) with chocolate flakes and armagnac sauce worthy of Versailles. Iced desserts were served at the court of the 'Sun King', so he makes the cut. The origins of ice cream are sometimes credited to the Chinese Song Dynasty, leading to our next ice cream inspirer Emperor Jing Zong — realised as red bean and toasted coconut. Finally, King Cyrus of Persia gets his own iced confection, with pistachio ice cream swirled with cinnamon, honey and date sauce. The Persians have a strong connection to the history of ice cream; they'd apparently pour grape juice over snow, making a kind of ancient snow cone. Royally-inspired ice cream needs some pretty packaging, so Connoisseur have enlisted the help of Melbourne street artist Steve Cross. "It’s a tale of four men, connected by ice cream and I really wanted to bring them to life through the packaging and design to create something truly unique,” says Cross. "I was inspired both by the ingredients used and the historic figures with their rich back stories. It’s a great acknowledgment to history, bringing these legends alive today — a beautiful demonstration of the blending of two eras.” You can check out the four flavours in the freezer section at Coles and Woolies for your less-than-Ben and Jerry's price of $7.99. The Connoisseur team are also pushing the collection further, with a one-week exhibition at Blank Space in Surry Hills: The Empire Collection Pop-Up Gallery (September 17 - 22). Couldn't have thrown in one female figure, guys? Queens dig ice cream too.
Buying and supporting local projects is a proud badge worn by many a Sydneysider. You like buying Marrickville-made jam from Eveleigh markets, you support emerging Sydney psych bands at FBi Social every other week, so why wouldn't you also support Sydney's best local innovators online? Pozible have launched a Sydney-specific page, dubbed The Sydney Edit. Previewed at Vivid Ideas' hugely popular Stand Up, Stand Out event, The Sydney Edit puts local innovations under their own spotlight — making it easier for community-loving backers to find the crowdfunding projects in their own backyards. During Pozible's event at Vivid Ideas last week, the crowdfunding heavyweights asked current project instigators to live pitch to a physical audience. Sydney creators behind AKIO, The Right Foot, The Human Sound Project and the Flute Handbag Collection had five minutes to pitch their crowdfunding ideas, then a further ten to present their work. The audience then pledged $30 of their ticket price to their favourite project in a kind of real life Pozible backing. Sydney's DirtyFeet and their project The Right Foot took out the top spot and will soon see $4050 put into their Pozible campaign (just over a grand more than their own $3000 target). The Right Foot offers creative contemporary dance workshops for young people aged 14-26 with and without disability. Nice one guys. Sydney has already proved supportive of local Pozible ventures in the past, with the successful funding of Newtown motorbike workshop-meets-ramen cafe Rising Sun Workshop. The rev-enthusiasts raised $38,500 on the site and opened in April 2014 to much backer applause. In Pozible's Sydney Edit Collections section, Pozible works with a number of local organisations across the arts sector and creative industries, as well as government, community and non-profits. This is where you'll find 'collections' of Pozible campaigns under the likes of Vivid Sydney, Sydney Fringe Festival, Underbelly Arts, Alaska Projects and many more locally-based legends you can get behind. So throw in some spare cashola and crowdfund your own city's Pozible projects at The Sydney Edit. Top image credit: Rising Sun Workshop.
Soon your canine companion could be the envy of his naked four legged friends, thanks to an unusual and highly adorable collaboration between a pair of local fashion labels and Guide Dogs Australia. On sale from today, Elk and Gorman have created an exclusive dog range of coats and accessories, to help keep your pooch looking on point. For their part, Elk have designed a range of durable high end leather collars and leads. Gorman's contribution, meanwhile, comes in the form of four distinct winter coats in four different sizes and print styles. And yes, before you ask, they've also designed matching coats for dog owners. 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of these new items will go directly to Guide Dogs Australia. "We're proud to be working with such progressive and innovative designers whose great sense of social responsibility will enable us to raise funds for breeding, raising and training more Guide Dogs," said Guide Dogs Victoria CEO Karen Hayes in a statement. "There have been many requests over the years for Gorman to do dog coats in our prints," said Gorman founder and creative director Lisa Gorman. "But this cause gave us very good reason to put it into action." You can pick up some new threads for your pupper at Elk and Gorman shopfronts, or from their respective online stores. Find their websites here and here.
Perhaps it isn't the most groundbreaking piece of literature, but the D.O.Double G's fans will certainly find inspiration in Snoop Dogg's new book: Rolling Words: A Smokable Songbook. The aptly titled literary work features pages of Snoop's lyrics which double as (what else?) rolling papers. The pages are conveniently perforated and bound by hemp material. Even the book's spine comes in handy, functioning as a match-striking surface. "This thing can also be smoked with some of your finest, where you at or however you at," Snoop says in his promo video. Looks like Snoop still has his mind on his money, and his money on his mind. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HkfC2dfNHGM [via Gawker]
It would be pretty excellent if there was some kind of magical way to view the entirety of Vivid Sydney over the city from one vantage point. It'd be even better if there was some way you could do it with a group of friends, while busting out slick dance moves on an illuminated dance floor suspended from the lofty heights of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. BridgeClimb has created exactly the circumstances described above. During the annual festival of lights in Sydney, you can climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge and proceed to a dance floor, which will be welcoming groups of up to 14. Spend three and a half hours climbing one of our most recognisable symbols, only to throw a wicked, incandescent dance party at the summit. This rave that's literally on another level is happening exclusively during Vivid Sydney — from Friday, May 26 to Saturday, June 17. Head here to grab a ticket and get your glow sticks ready, because all of these climbs are happening at night.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Scottsdale, Arizona — a vibrant city on the edge of the state capital in the 'Valley of the Sun' for a luxurious stay at Mountain Shadows Resort. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Mountain Shadows Resort is a recent addition to the Scottsdale resort scene but actually dates back to the 1950s. Having originally opened way back in 1959, Mountain Shadows became immensely popular and a regular destination for celebrities and politicians of the era. It closed sometime later and underwent a four-year renovation from the ground up before reopening in 2018. But that was years ago. What is it now? The name (unchanged since day one) is linked to its location, as the resort sits in full view of Camelback and Mummy Mountains, and the property now boasts hundreds of guestrooms and suites, an 18-hole golf course, two quality dining venues, two pools, a gym, an art gallery and several event spaces. THE ROOMS You have your pick of rooms big and small, with 180-plus rooms and 40-plus suites available to visitors. The rooms overlook the pools, the mountains and the golf course, and vary from the stylish signature to the picture-perfect premiums. And if you're really looking for luxury, fork out for a private, multi-storey suite. The rooms have an eye for urban aesthetics (high ceilings, concrete floors and geometric lighting) and are comfortable as can be. Plus, new arrivals can be met with a cocktail cart, leading to the glorious moment of kicking off your shoes, dropping your bags and fixing yourself a margarita in front of the desert scenery. FOOD AND DRINK Dining at Mountain Shadows is spread across several venues, but heroed by Hearth 61'. This glitzy restaurant stars floor-to-ceiling windows, an outdoor patio and an exhibition kitchen. Said kitchen is built around the titular hearth, bringing a smoky touch to many dishes. Executive Chef Charles Wiley champions organic local produce across the menus. Hearth 61' is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and also boasts a bar and a 'living room' for those looking for a quick and casual experience. Across the property and against the golf course is an alternative, Rusty. This indoor-outdoor hybrid eatery is the perfect spot to start (or finish) a round on the short course and boasts a refreshing roster of food and drink. Hot tip: tradition demands that the highest score of the game (aka the loser) buys the drinks. THE LOCAL AREA Mountain Shadows sits in Paradise Valley, which is a part of the city of Scottsdale. This is the playground of the valley, home to activities for all. A ten-minute drive from the resort takes you to Old Town Scottsdale (pictured above), which boasts a wide range of dining picks and shops to grab some southwestern USA souvenirs. We'd recommend booking a tour with Arizona Food Tours to get a comprehensive (and delicious) understanding of the town. Slightly further out, you can get your gaming on at Mavrix, take a trip through the world of music at the Musical Instrument Museum or challenge yourself with a desert hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Scottsdale is adjacent to the state capital of Phoenix, so is easy to get to on arrival or a great locale to explore before a flight home. THE EXTRAS Arizona boasts plenty of drawcards for plenty of visitors, but one of its most popular pastimes is golfing. As mentioned, Mountain Shadows has an 18-hole course, which offers a variety of packages for guests to enjoy the course with food and drinks. There is also a partnership with the nearby Camelback Golf Club, and guests can enjoy a complimentary chauffeur ride to the 36-hole course if they can't put down their club. For culture vultures, keep a look out for the art gallery between the lobby and meeting spaces to get a glimpse of local artists' work and a collection profiling Mountain Shadows in its 20th-century golden years. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
Inspired by real-life events, David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method delves into the corrupt relationship triangle between aspiring psychiatrist Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), his renowned mentor Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and their unbalanced patient, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley). Studying psychiatry under Freud in pre-WWI Zurich and Vienna, Jung becomes seduced by both Spielrein's unique case and her beauty. He takes her into his care, initially utilising the methods of his master, who also proves to be intrigued by Spielrein's erotically disturbed case. Increasingly, however, the mindsets of the two men become divided, with Spielrein cast in between. Jung struggles with the sexually focused methods of his master, while Freud urges Jung towards a more defined line of psychological analysis. Tension escalates as the three come together along a dark path of erotic and intellectual exploration. Their discoveries result in the birth of modern psychoanalysis, polarising the two men and forever altering the world of today's psychology. Dark and seductively unsettling, A Dangerous Method will take you into recesses of the psyche that you may not have been ready to face. This twisted story line and impressive cast make for a can't-miss mind-boggle of a film. To win one of twenty double passes to see A Dangerous Method, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=P_y_oW2S65w
Always dreamed of a relaxing dip in Iceland's Blue Lagoon? How about bunkering down for the night next to the man-made series of geothermal pools, which happen to be in the middle of a lava field? Soon visitors to one of the Nordic nation's biggest attractions will be able to do just that when the Moss Hotel opens its doors. Expected to launch later in 2017, the luxurious Moss Hotel will feature 62 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over its steamy setting, plus terraces allowing quick access into the warm waters, and balconies with views over the volcanic vista. A new subterranean day spa, Lava Cove, will boast a lagoon and waterfall sourced from the same seawater aquifer as the Blue Lagoon, and will be designed to take advantage of other natural aspects such as lava corridors. A viewing deck, a cold air well and the usual massages and other relaxation-inducing services, all with a killer vantage over the scenic surroundings, will also feature. Those keen on eating with quite the backdrop can head to the Moss Restaurant, complete with a wine cellar in centuries-old lava, and a seven-course chef's table experience. Basically, there's plenty of soaking, sleeping, steaming, sipping and eating in or near lagoons created on a bed of lava on the agenda. For anyone that hadn't already added a trip to the top of the globe to their bucket list — and therefore isn't up to speed on all things Blue Lagoon — the site has quite the history. The moss-covered lava flow dates back to 1226, but the mineral-rich pool itself was formed in 1976 as a result of the nearby geothermal power plant. People started having a dip in the silica- and sulphur-laden waters, which became popular for their supposed healing abilities. Come the late '80s and early '90s, the Blue Lagoon was officially established as a public spa and bathing facility. And no, for anyone who loves '80s cinema, or just thought the name sounded familiar, it has nothing to do with the 1980 movie that helped make Brooke Shields famous. Via inhabitat. Images: Blue Lagoon.
Succession isn't the only Emmy-winning HBO show dropping its fourth and final season in 2023. Bill Hader's just-as-excellent hitman comedy Barry is also finishing its run when season four wraps up, and it's just-as-certain to be deeply missed. The reason is all there in the killer concept, and the phenomenal performances, writing and direction that goes with them. When you've got Hader (Lightyear) playing a military sniper-turned-hitman-turned actor, something special was always bound to result. If you've watched season three, which was characteristically spectacular, you'll know why things seem to be coming to an end for Barry in more ways than one. A show about an assassin trying to be an on-screen star in Hollywood can't keep its main figure away from the law forever. So, in the just-dropped full trailer for Barry season four — which follows an earlier sneak peek from HBO — the series' namesake is in reflective mode. "I'm really sorry. I didn't think it would end up like this. I am a good person — that is who I am," Barry tells himself in the new trailer. Everyone he knows seems to be taking stock, too, whether they still have their freedom or not. In this season, Barry is incarcerated, his mentor and veteran thespian Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, Black Adam) is being hailed as a hero, but this turn of events is clearly going to have consequences. That includes for his former handler Monroe (Stephen Root, Succession), as well as his ex-girlfriend Sally (Sarah Goldberg, The Night House). Is this where the killer-for-hire will be when the eight-episode season concludes? Will Chechen gangster Noho Hank (Anthony Carrigan, Bill & Ted Face the Music) somehow intervene? What's happening with Sally's career after season three? These are all natural questions to have about the show's return. Answers will start coming soon, with Barry season four set to start streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Monday, April 17. If you're new to all things Barry, Hader not only stars but created the show, has directed a heap of episodes, and also co-wrote others. The initial setup: when Hader's Barry Berkman heads from Cleveland to Los Angeles for his job, he discovers a previously unknown passion for acting after he stumbles into a class held by veteran thespian Cousineau. The catch? Barry kills people for money, and that isn't a line of work that you can leave easily, especially when you become caught in the Chechen mafia's violent and deadly dramas. Check out the full trailer for Barry season four below: Barry's fourth season will start streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Monday, April 17. Images: Merrick Morton/HBO.
The world won't end in April, but video game and television fans will be whisked off to an irradiated wasteland just by sitting on their couches. Here, living inside luxe vaults has been the way of life for two centuries; however, it's no longer a reality for Lucy (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets). So goes the plot for the new Fallout streaming series that's following 2023's The Last of Us from mashed buttons to TV. This one comes via Prime Video, dropped its first teaser last year, and has now unveiled a full look that shows that it's sticking closely to its source material. The streaming platform has also announced that Fallout will arrive earlier than initially planned, by a day — so you'll be watching on Thursday, April 11, 2024. It's been almost three decades since Fallout first hit computers back in 1997, with three released sequels, a fourth on the way and seven spinoffs all following. The live-action television take doesn't just star Purnell, but also a swaggering Walton Goggins (I'm a Virgo) as bounty hunter The Ghoul, plus Kyle MacLachlan (Lucky Hank) as Overseer Hank. Here, it's a post-apocalyptic future, where everything went pear-shaped 200 years back. Hence living in vaults, because a hellscape filled with mutants, wild west vibes and plenty of violence awaits outside those cosy confines — as the optimistic Lucy, daughter of Hank, who oversees Vault 33, is about to find out. On the surface, Goggins' The Ghoul has a secret past — and Aaron Moten (Emancipation) also has a pivotal part as Brotherhood of Steel soldier Maximus. The retrofuturistic dystopian series features Moisés Arias (Samaritan), Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That...), Michael Emerson (Evil), Leslie Uggams (Extrapolations), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance) and Johnny Pemberton (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) as well — plus Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O'Hagan (Dear Edward) and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time). For The Last of Us, HBO enlisted a creative force from one of the US premium cable network's past hits in Chernobyl's Craig Mazin. Prime Video has done the same with Fallout, but with Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy — who also executive produced Prime Video's own The Peripheral. As well as executive producing with Joy, Nolan directs the first three episodes. Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) are similarly among Fallout's executive producers, as well as the series' writers and co-showrunners. And yes, Bethesda Game Studios has a hand in finally bringing the games to the screen. Check out the full trailer for Fallout below: Fallout will start streaming via Prime Video from Thursday, April 11, 2024. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
After stealing every scene that he was in in Sex Education, playing a Ken in Barbie and dancing at the 2024 Oscars, Ncuti Gatwa has a date with the TARDIS from May. The first full season of the long-running British franchise starring the Rwandan Scottish actor will hit screens on Saturday, May 11, including Down Under — with Disney+ and the BBC releasing the first two episodes of the Fifteenth Doctor's run simultaneously worldwide. That timing means that it will have been two years between Gatwa being announced as the new Doctor Who and series 14 arriving; however, this isn't the first time that viewers are seeing the Fifteenth Doctor. Gatwa made his debut as the time lord in 2023, in both 60th-anniversary special episode The Giggle and Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road. Now that he police box-loving, time-travelling, Dalek-fighting character has regenerated into a new incarnation — which is how the series writes in its casting swaps — Gatwa has become Doctor Who's first Black lead. In a way, he takes over from two actors: Jodie Whittaker (Time), whose run came to an end in 2022 with series 13, after becoming the first-ever female lead back in 2017; and also David Tennant (Good Omens), who was the Tenth Doctor in three seasons from 2005–10, then also the Fourteenth Doctor in 2023's specials. In a season that also features Millie Gibson (Coronation St) as the Fifteenth Doctor's companion Ruby Sunday, Gatwa joins a long list of other British actors who've stepped into the part — 11 other than Whittaker and Tennant, including OG Doctor William Hartnell back in 1963; 70s favourite Tom Baker; and Christopher Eccelston (True Detective: Night Country), Matt Smith (House of the Dragon) and Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record) since the show made a big comeback in 2005. And yes, the fact that it took 54 years for the character to become a woman and six decades for a Black actor to play the part is clearly far too long. "At last, it's my great delight to unleash a whole new season of the Doctor and Ruby's adventures together. Monsters! Chases! Villains! Mysteries! And a terrifying secret that's been spanning time and space for decades. Don't miss a second!" said Doctor Who showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies (Nolly, It's a Sin, Queer as Folk) about the new season. Fans can look forward to jumps to England's Regency era and into the future, as well as a guest cast that includes Aneurin Barnard (1899), Anita Dobson (Murder, They Hope), Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper), Michelle Greenidge (Mandy) and Jonathan Groff (Knock at the Cabin), plus Bonnie Langford (EastEnders), Genesis Lynea (Death in Paradise), Jemma Redgrave (The Beekeeper), Lenny Rush (Haunting of the Queen Mary), Indira Varma (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) and Angela Wynter (EastEnders). Check out the teaser trailer for Doctor Who series 14 below: Series 14 of Doctor Who will start streaming via Disney+ Down Under on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Top image:
On a recent research trip Down Under, The Daily Show reporter and comedian John Oliver interviewed ex-Prime Minister John Howard regarding the gun reform laws he successfully instated during his leadership term in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. In a discussion that followed with right-wing American gun lobbyist Philip van Cleave, Oliver pointed to the success of Howard’s policy as a rebuttal to Cleave’s infuriating, repeated insistence that "gun control laws just don't work". With that old American worldliness, Cleave answers by likening Australia to a mythical "Planet X", with an operating system that cannot be seen as indicative of America's "real world" with "human beings". Much like the ninny at a dinner party who chastises vegetarians for wearing leather shoes, Cleave goes on to argue that where Australia might not have mass shootings, it still suffers from murders, rapes and robberies. Touché. In short, he makes Howard look like the second coming, which is no easy feat. Although life isn't always peachy on Planet X, we're grateful for the small things, like not living in America. Whoop-de-doo!
The year that was 2012 will be remembered in popular music circles as the year in which The Stones Roses reformed their trippy, stadium-shaking odyssey, Pussy Riot turned political songwriting into actual political action and a quirky little Korean man conquered the world with his taste for tuxedos and obscene dance moves. Yet beyond the headline-grabbing stories, 2012 also saw the release of some truly awesome and at times groundbreaking new music. 20-year-old Flume became an icon for every pill-popping teenager with his slick beats and razor sharp production, Tame Impala broke the second-album curse in emphatic fashion with their fresh set of psychedelic riffs and Frank Ocean proved that kick-ass hip-hop does not necessarily have to come with a Kanye-West-sized ego. Independent music website, Pitchfork have their own take on 2012, with a "Best Of" list that includes some chart-topping juggernauts along with a bunch of unsung success stories. Here is Concrete Playground's take on Pitchfork's top five albums of 2012. 1. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city Californian local, Kendrick Lamar is a far-cry from the sort of arrogant, chest-beating and studio-polished rappers that we have come accustomed to hearing come out of the US of A. On his second solo album, "good kid, m.A.A.d city", Lamar rejects the misogynist rhymes of his West Coast peers in favour of a deeply personal and at times painfully raw exploration of his childhood growing up on the fringes of gang life in Compton, California. The album however is never overwhelmed by its emotional intensity, as Lamar's lyrical virtuosity is equalled by the album's sumptuous, beat-laden soundtrack, making "good kid, m.A.A.d city" not only one of the most personal but also most accessible records of 2012. 2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange Having lent his considerable songwriting and vocal talents to the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West, John Legend and even Justin Bieber, Frank Ocean was not exactly an unfamiliar voice even if he may have been an unfamiliar name prior to the release of his highly acclaimed debut album "Channel Orange". The mass of industry and social media hype that preceded its release turned out to be entirely justified with Ocean delivering an album full of silky vocals, Prince-flavoured melodies and touching word paintings that has had critics everywhere drooling and all other R&B artist clutching at his heels. 3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! Fusing anarchist politics with metal-like riffing an unreal string section and spine-tingling vocals, "Godspeed You! Black Emperor" have carved themselves a cult-like following a million miles away from the mainstream. "Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!" as such is part political manifesto and part soundtrack to the apocalypse, with beautiful guitar riffs building and crescendoing into euphoric explosions of raw power and noise. "Godspeed You! Black Emperor" is the sort of once-in-a-generation band that is able to effortlessly straddle the seemingly irreconcilable boundaries of brooding yet joyous, bombastic yet simple, epic and yet distinctly personal all at the same time sounding like they are having themselves a pretty unreal fucking party. 4. Grizzly Bear - Shields Shields is the fourth and most critically acclaimed album from the Brooklyn's indie darlings, Grizzly Bear. In this intricately layered album, the quartet have moved away from the dreaminess of their previous work in favour of a fuller sounding collection of songs which take the listener on a melancholic journey of loneliness tampered by moments of profound human connections. Grizzly Bear's melodies are self-consciously ''in your face'' demanding the listener to stop, listen closely and notice the beauty that exists in our otherwise fast-paced world. A woody concoction of lulling vocals, nimble guitar riffs and consistently evocative lyrics, Shields will resonate with you long after the final notes are heard. 5. Beach House - Bloom The Baltimore-duo's fourth offering is an enticing cocktail of dreamy vocals, tender guitar lines and breathy male-female harmonies that hits the listener in waves of sonic and ethereal bliss. For Beach House's devoted collection of fans this is everything they have come to expect of these dream-pop pin-ups, yet "Bloom" has the band taking their distinctive and deceptively complex sound to new levels of summery warmth, carving a near-perfect album of lush, bittersweet soundscapes. "Bloom" is perhaps the most beautiful album of 2012 and should be the soundtrack to anyone whose idea of the perfect Summer involves curling up with a bottle of white wine and a view of the sunset.
Breaking TV viewing records, progressing further into the World Cup than any Australian soccer team before, smashing their way into the 2024 Paris Olympics: the Matildas are having a helluva 12 months. They're also getting a Brisbane statue, and inspired 'Matilda' to be chosen as 2023's word of the year. Add featuring in their second documentary in a year to the squad's achievements, too, with Trailblazers headed to Stan. In 2023, docuseries Matildas: The World at Our Feet chronicled the current team's path to the 2023 Women's World Cup. In 2024, Trailblazers will take a broader look at the Tillies' story, and also at women's football in Australia. Sam Kerr, Steph Catley, Mary Fowler, Ellie Carpenter, Katrina Gorry and Teagan Micah all feature as interviewees — but chronicling the Matildas' journey before their current success is also the doco's aim. If your obsession with the Tillies started in July 2023, this is your chance to dive into the first FIFA-recognised game in 1979, the team's 2015 strike for equal pay and its fortunes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics — and to reflect upon the the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, and the squad's qualification for Paris. So, you'll hear from and about earlier players, such as first-ever Matildas captain Julie Dolan, alongside Kerr and company. The Matildas' first Indigenous female player Karen Menzies also features among the discussions, as do fellow past players Melissa Barbieri, Kate Gill and Moya Dodd. Tommy Sermanni, who coached the Tillies from 1994–97 and 2005–12, also gets chatting. And, so does ex-Socceroos captain-turned-commentator Craig Foster. Stan will stream Trailblazers sometime in the lead up to the Paris Olympics, with an exact release date not yet announced. Behind the scenes, Maggie Miles (Dare to Be Different) and Maggie Eudes produce, write and direct the documentary — aka your next chance to revel in all things Tillies. If you want to wear green and gold while watching, or the newly released (and soldout) purple Mackenzie Arnold goalkeeper kit if you got your hands on one, that's up to you. Trailblazers is set to stream via Stan before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which take place from Friday, July 16–Sunday, August 11. We'll update you when an exact release date for the documentary is announced.
Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia, so innovative new event The Big Anxiety Festival should be well-attended. Launching in Sydney from September 20 through November 11, the new festival is an initiative developed by UNSW and the Black Dog Institute, along with over 25 partners across Greater Sydney. Bringing together artists, scientists, technologists and thinkers, the two-month festival aims to use art as a means to transform the way people think about and deal with mental health. The inaugural festival will present over 60 events across Sydney with hubs located at Circular Quay's Customs House, Riverside Theatre in Parramatta and UNSW, with five major themes on focus — awkward conversations, lived experiences, the 'NeurodiverseCity', mood experiments and power, politics and institutions. The immersive exhibitions will include the world's highest resolution 3D cinema, international art shows, theatrical performances, contemporary dance, interactive media events and public forums for all ages. A highlight of the program includes a design competition, during which students will build 'relaxation pods' that they feel encourage strong mental health. The pods will be designed in collaboration with specialist architects and be exhibited during the festival. Participation will also contribute to mental health research, with Black Dog Institute measuring the social and health benefits throughout the festival events. According to the ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2007, anxiety is the prominent mental health condition in Australia, with one in four people experiencing anxiety at some point. Add to that, 65 percent of Australians with a mental health problem don't seek help according to the NSW Mental Health Commission. The Big Anxiety Festival hopes to change all that by creating meaningful interactions that expand awareness, support neurodiversity and promote mental health. The Big Anxiety Festival will run from September 20 to November 11, with the full program available here. The majority of events are free and wheelchair accessible, with select events Auslan interpreted, audio described, and with tactile tours. Image: Nick Cubbin.
Every February for the last ten years, Secret Garden Festival has taken over a forest outside Sydney, turning it into a magical natural wonderland with a 48-hour extravaganza of music, drag, food and art. It's always a banger. If you've been, you might have found yourself dancing on a cosmic suspended flying saucer dance floor, partying with drag queens at Camp Queen, getting a smooch at the kissing booth or even getting married. But, like all good ones, the party has to come to an end sometime. And for Secret Garden, the time is this year, with organisers announcing that the 2019 festival will be the last one ever. The announcement, which was made to gardeners in a Facebook post this morning, confirmed that 2019 will be the festival's last outing. According to the team, the decision to call it has been in the works for a while — and it's bowing out while everyone's still having fun. "I always knew Secret Garden wouldn't be around forever — in fact, it's gone on way longer that I thought it would," says founder Clare Downes, who started the festival on her family's farm back in 2009. "I really wanted to ensure we go out on a high. A big bang finale." [caption id="attachment_693852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Kissing Booth at the 2015 festival.[/caption] Clare says the Secret Garden team has "achieved what we set out to achieve". Over the years, the festival has created a legendary safe space for Sydneysiders to escape into nature for a weekend of dancing, dressing up and spending time with mates. Plus, any profit that the festival makes has always been donated back to charity — which, after the last ten years, adds up to almost $500,000. While this is definitely the last Secret Garden to be held at the Downes Family Farm, the team has said the the festival "may reappear in some form in the future". But the good news is that there's still one more party to go — and it's set to be all-time. We can't tell you what to expect for the festival's upcoming iteration — as is custom, the lineup won't be announced until tickets sell out and most of the other details remain a secret until the moment you arrive — but the theme has been dubbed One Last Night in Paradise. Costumes are mandatory, and, considering it's the last one ever, you can expect that the Secret Garden team will go all out. Secret Garden's last ever festival is happening over the weekend of February 22–24. You can snap up tickets here.
There's a big, white container coming to The Rocks. But, like most shipping containers in the city, it's not being used to transport furniture. And the word 'séance' will be written on the side in black. It's kind of ominous. But Séance is actually a new installation where participants take a seat inside the tiny space, put on a headset and place their hands flat on the table in front of them. The lights go out and the container enters complete darkness. For the next 15 minutes, participants are fed 'suggestible information' through their headsets. You're probably thinking that there's something dark or supernatural about the whole thing — and going by the name, we don't blame you. But the installation's organiser assures us that 'séance' is simply a French word meaning 'session' or 'sitting'. And so Séance is a sensory experience that looks at the psychology of a group sitting together. Despite not being a horror or supernatural-themed piece, it's a scary indicator of how easy it is for confusion, information overload and the people siting right next to us to affect our judgment. Artists David Rosenberg and Glen Neath (who have collaborated in other sensory deprivation projects before) are the creative masterminds behind the project, which has been described as 'disorienting' and 'deeply unsettling'. It's not recommended for the claustrophobic or the easily frightened. After a residence in Melbourne, the installation come to Atherden Street in The Rocks from November 22 to December 10. Séance is open daily, three times an hour between 11am and 10pm until November 12. Tickets cost $20 each and you can purchase them through the website.
YouTube videos of pampered cats royally messing up are hilarious. Hell, even Drunk Girls of Melbourne Cup had its moments. But using Instagram to make fun of people who are homeless, mentally ill, drug-dependent, disabled, elderly, impoverished and otherwise marginalised? Not funny. Recently established Instagram account @themurdermall has clocked up almost 2000 followers by taking photographs of Surry Hills and Redfern residents in visibly less-than-privileged circumstances, such as sleeping on cardboard boxes, nodding off on benches or walking around in states of dishabille. The whole thing hinges around the Surry Hills Shopping Village on the corner of Baptist and Cleveland Streets, locally known as 'The Murder Mall' or 'The Methadone Mall' due to its reputation as a destination for 'questionable characters'. It's a legit shopping centre though, housing the Surry Hills Post Office, the only fishmonger in the area, Coles and a pharmacist. The moniker was kind of cute and affectionate, but @themurdermall Instagram account isn't cute. This is crossing a line. Laughing over other people's misfortune when they're completely unaware of it? You classy bunch. The account catches unfortunate residents unawares, with submissions encouraged. There's an image of a sleeping man on the pavement using a wine box as a pillow with the hashtag #Saturdaze. Nice. Bet this made you feel on top of the world. Then they whipped out their phones to snap a man in Coles who had soiled himself and added the caption "Getting wet over Coke specials." Sneaking up behind this poor guy must have made you feel great. Getting wet over Coke specials. @cocacola #tailgang #Devon #commando #swampland #summer #murdermall A photo posted by Murder Mall (@themurdermall) on Jan 16, 2015 at 6:40pm PST Nice work with the ironic racism too. Summer of breaststroke ???? @zaccanellis #swimming #dardy #olympics #fountain #of #yothu #murdermall A photo posted by Murder Mall (@themurdermall) on Jan 12, 2015 at 11:38pm PST We're not sure who's behind the account, but it seems like a fair bet to say it's someone (or several someones) from the area's newer, richer demographic, often called DINKs (dual income, no kids) or just plain hipsters. Of course, within this demographic there's only a small chunk of these neo-plutocratic, Vice circa '95-imitating clowns who think poor people have no dignity. Most of the community plays nicely. Surry Hills has a significant homeless population, with established services like the Wesley Mission's Edward Eagar Lodge providing nightly accommodation for up to 76 homeless people a night, aged between 18 and 80. The Lodge also provides services and programs to reconnect homeless people (or those at risk of becoming homeless) with the community, programs which rely on the support and cooperation of the more privileged local residents to make the transition smooth and friendly. These Sydneysiders don't have a snug, warm, comfy place to sleep, so they're forced to make do with whatever they can find during the day. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation is also a focus in the area, with facilities like The Langton Centre aiming to address the spectrum of health and social problems for people who use or are dependent upon alcohol and/or other drugs, including providing methadone treatment. It's likely the marginalised people you're taunting have no idea you're throwing shade at them, which probably makes you feel pretty damn powerful, huh? Let's get things straight: If you are one of the 'minds' behind this Instagram, you are the problem. A good city to live in has neighbourhoods that are diverse, with room for people from many income brackets and some affordable housing preserved in even its affluent neighbourhoods. A good city to live in has residents that support each other, not kick them when they're down. If you found yourself at rock bottom and some jokey joke-maker decided to snap you and plaster your face on the internet to All The Likes, would you feel like joining that community? Hell no. Does this infinite facepalm run afoul of Instagram's terms of use? Maybe, maybe not. Although Instagram prohibits "hateful" content (and bullying of specific individuals), parent company Facebook limits hate speech to attacks based on the specific categories "race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or medical condition" (ie, The Murder Mall's focus on the underclass might be too general. Their hate is, relatively speaking, inclusive) and also exempts speech that's "humorous" (see how much we're laughing?). So while reporting the account to Instagram's a good move, an even better one might be to fight their free speech with your own, and leave your takedown as a comment. Think before you 'gram. This isn't funny. I'm blue abidi abadi #smurf #related #touchoffrost #blueberry #latte #murdermall A photo posted by Murder Mall (@themurdermall) on Feb 9, 2015 at 3:17pm PST UPDATE 4/3/15: The Instagram account @themurdermall has now been taken down as of March 3. The account was set to 'private' yesterday and then removed from Instagram last night. Whether the owners removed it themselves, or the account was removed by Instagram remains to be seen. By Shannon Connellan and Rima Sabina Aouf.
There are many reasons first-time restauranteurs often fail. It might be that their management lets them down. Sometimes they're just not so great with the money side of it all. But occasionally their failure can be due to something much more simple. Take for instance, Brooklyn's forthcoming all-Nutella restaurant Nutelleria. They've timed their exciting culinary venture perfectly with a worldwide shortage of their primary ingredient. Good job, guys. Of course, we may be speaking prematurely. The restaurant hasn't even opened yet, and it's being met with considerable hype from local media — who wouldn't want a dedicated Nutella creperie around the corner from their house? And, a couple of weeks ago, we would have been totally on board too. On their upcoming menu, there's supposedly a sandwich made out of waffles crammed full of Nutella and bacon. You'd have to be either a dietician or a diabetic to be against such a heavenly creation. But all this was before the tragic news that hazelnuts will be in short supply for the foreseeable future. Due to devastating weather in Turkey — the product's main producers — most of the season's hazelnut crops were completely decimated. Now, hazelnuts are the most expensive they've been in the past 10 years and people all over the world are hoarding Nutella like the gooey, liquid gold it really is. Jamming an extraordinary 50 hazelnuts into every jar, Nutella in fact uses 25 per cent of the world's hazelnuts and would no doubt be hit hardest by the alleged shortage. And, although Ferrero has invested considerable money to ensure there are no halts in their hazelnut supply, Nutella fans are understandably sceptical. Even with a full global stock of the product, prices are expected to rise. While this is bad news for everyone, it's sure bank-breaking for the planned Nutelleria. Especially when that's combined with the fact its owners don't have any legal permission to launch a store around the copyrighted product. "[We're] simply Nutella® enthusiasts that decided to share our love for Nutella® with the rest of the world," their website states. All in all, we hope it works out for them. A world where everyone has access to Nutella and bacon waffle sandwiches is a world we want to live in. But if their new store and copycats like it end up being responsible for a worldwide Nutella shortage, we predict a riot. Via Grub Street. Photo credit: PG.NETO via photopin cc.
As the world stops to watch the World Cup, which kicked off a long haul of criminally early mornings today, it seems even those hundreds of miles beyond the Earth will be tuning in. NASA has released a video of astronauts based at the International Space Station bidding all World Cup competitors good luck, promising they will be watching the matches from space and throwing down some mad football skills. American astronauts Reid Wiseman, Steve Swanson and German astronaut Alexander Gerst filmed a short message for "all the teams and fans on the ground in Brazil." On tape, Gerst implores everyone participating in or attending the World Cup to have "peaceful games". All this, while laptops and their microphone float in zero gravity. After Wiseman wraps up the speech with, "Have fun, play hard, and we'll be watching on the International Space Station," Swanson executes a slow-motion flip and kicks a hovering ball midair. No biggie. What follows is perhaps the most spectacular video sequence ever taped in celebration of a World Cup: the three astronauts are shown playing soccer in their gravity-defying lodgings. They kick, dive and float in mid-air. The footage inspires the starry-eyed possibility of a what a World Cup in space could look like. Though the three astronauts — posted to work on Expedition 40 together — won't have the opportunity to watch the games live, NASA has promised to upload the matches for their viewing as soon as they are broadcast. Let's just hope there are no spoilers in space. Check out the video below: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sLwW3pdXkFo Via Fast Company and BBC.
Ask pretty much any of your friends what their idea of an out-of-town jaunt involves and we bet you'll hear some of these words in response: food, wine, art and road trip. Well, lucky for you, we've found a tour that ticks all the boxes — and has the added bonus of celebrating some pretty rad female producers, too. Leaving a Legacy is a luxury two-day tour around Bendigo. Designed by the owner of restaurant Masons of Bendigo, Sonia Anthony, this interactive experience will introduce you to the stories of a bunch of women who've done a lot of good for the local community. You'll start with lunch at Oak Forest in Harcourt prepared by Jane Grylls, a food stylist who also runs a kitchen garden program at a nearby primary school. Over the next few hours, you'll take part in a workshop on indigenous plants run by elder Aunty Julie; sample bready treats by baker Jodie Pillinger; attend a wine tasting at Sutton Grange Winery with Melanie Chester; and finally, enjoy a Slovenian dinner prepared by Sonia herself. After spending the night in The Residence of MacKenzie Quarters, a gothic revival-style family estate run by Rhianwen Seiter, you'll nab an exclusive tour of the Bendigo Art Gallery the next morning, hosted by curatorial manager Tansy Curtin. It's a two-day affair with a good measure of girl power. Leaving a Legacy tours will run on Thursday, March 21, Thursday, May 16, Thursday, September 19 and Thursday, October 24. Tickets cost $425 per person and include all food, wine tastings, tour costs and accommodation. To make a booking, visit the Bendigo Tourism website.
As all the best things usually are, Sauce Brewing's Marrickville tasting bar was a little while coming. The label began gypsy brewing out of The Australian Brewery last year and launched two debut beers in December, before setting up operations of their own within a Marrickville warehouse. Now, the next part of the dream has finally been realised, with the doors to Sauce's new on-site taproom opening to the public One half of that sprawling industrial space has been transformed into a comfy, laid-back watering hole, overlooking the shiny collection of brewing equipment. The bar area has been crafted from recycled bricks and timber, and there are seating options aplenty – because as owner Mike Clarke will tell you, "there's nothing worse than a crowded bar with standing room only and 50-foot lines to get a drink". And comfort is key, because this is the kind of craft beer lineup that'll keep you busy for a good, long session. While drops like the Mega-Hop Sauce Double IPA and a pale ale have been on local beer-radars for close to a year, the brewery just dropped a whopping six new beers in conjunction with its taproom opening. The family currently includes an on-trend New England IPA, a hops-driven hefeweizen and even an experimental porter, infused with chocolate and chipotle. Looking forward, there'll be a core range of about five beers, backed by rotating seasonal releases and collaboration brews, with a front beer garden also on its way. Stay tuned for news of Sauce's grand opening bash. You'll find Sauce Brewing's new taproom at 1a Mitchell St, Marrickville. For more information, visit their website.
A 30-year retrospective of one of the most dazzling pioneers of multimedia installations and experimental video art has opened at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art with Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean. In what's being heralded as the most comprehensive exhibition of the Swiss artist's work ever held in an Australian gallery, you'll get to see pieces right from the start of her practice (including her early single-channel videos created during the 1980s) up to her most recent immersive environments and large-scale audio-visual installations. A truly unique artist whose practice explores the connection between the human body, nature and technology, Rist creates colourful, enchantingly sensual worlds for viewers to lose themselves in – such as 4th Floor to Mildness, where you'll get comfy on one of 18 beds and gaze upwards at a hypnotic underwater world projected onto massive abstract panels. It's not often you lie down on a gallery floor amongst strangers to soak up some art — and its this particular atmosphere of community and togetherness within the way you experience Rist's work that cements its charm. Taking place as part of the Sydney International Art Series, Sip My Ocean runs until February 18. Images: Courtesy of Pipilotti Rist / Ken Leanfore for the MCA.
Feeling a little frosty? Can't find the motivation to leave your couch? Huddled under every blanket in your house? No, you're not just particularly susceptible to the wintry season — the mercury is plummeting, and Australia's east coast capitals look set to endure their coldest weekend of 2018. In fact, according to Weatherzone, Sydney hit just 6.2 degrees early today — which is the frostiest morning it has had so far this year. Suburbs such as Richmond and Penrith dropped even further, down to -2.2 degrees and 0.4 degrees. In other parts of New South Wales, records that have stood for decades are falling, with Dubbo's low of -5.8 marking the regional town's coldest night for a whopping 78 years. In Queensland, it's a similar situation. Brisbane Times reports that Brisbane has indeed just shivered through its coldest morning of 2018, with temperatures dipping to 6.7 degrees. That's just chillier than the previous coldest morning of the year, with the city hitting 6.9 degrees back on June 16. Elsewhere across the state, areas such as Applethorpe, Amberley and Toowoomba experienced their iciest climes in several years. For Victoria, widespread frost was predicted across the state by the Bureau of Meteorology, with temperatures dropping to 4.4 degrees in Melbourne and 2.4 degrees at the airport. The city didn't reach the low of three degrees that was forecast, however, which would've made it the coldest morning of the year. Alas, the colder temperatures aren't going anywhere for a few days — News.com.au reports that the east coast will be rather chilly until Monday. BOM's forecasts have Sydney hitting lows of five degrees on Sunday morning and then four degrees on Monday (with maximums of 17 and 18 respectively); Melbourne wavering between five and 13 on Sunday; and Brisbane will get down to six degrees again on Sunday as well. Via news.com.au / Brisbane Times / Weatherzone.
Show your puppy some love this Valentine's Day at BrewDog South Eveleigh. Whether you've got a date lined up or you're looking to mingle, bringing along your pup for company means they can get amongst a special dog-friendly menu designed to make their day. For instance, the $15 puppy parms are bound to be a hit, while the $12 barkuterie boards feature an assortment of dog treats and a peanut butter cup. Then you can spoil them even more with a Hop Nation 'dog beer'; veterinarian-approved and made with 100% human-grade ingredients. Of course, this Valentine's Day event isn't just for your furry friends. Human diners can also delve into a $42 two-course menu featuring signature dishes like the patriot burger with 7oz beef patties and smoked bacon, the cluck norris burger with buttermilk fried chicken and avocado, and the spicy meaty pizza. There's also an array of plant-based options, so vegan and vego diners won't miss out. Plus, you can expect the full range of BrewDog craft beers alongside limited-time beverages, a thoughtful wine selection, vibrant cocktails and refreshing non-alcoholic options.
Your 2023 getaways just got cheaper — and you'll have a new way to fly off on holidays, too. First announced in 2021, Australian airline Bonza will finally take to the skies in 2023, after securing regulatory approval. The soon-to-launch carrier's aim: opening up routes to more of the country's regional destinations, flying 27 routes to 17 locations, and offering low-cost fares in the process. Today, Thursday, January 12, Bonza CEO Tim Jordan announced that the airline received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). "This is an historic moment for Australian aviation as we get ready to launch the first high-capacity airline in more than 15 years, and the country's only independent low-cost carrier," said Jordan. "With the approval from CASA, 2023 is set to be the year of seeing more of your own backyard for less." With the required tick of approval now in place, Bonza can put flights on sale, starting with fares from its Sunshine Coast base — with flights from Melbourne, where it'll also have a base, set to follow. Passengers will hit the air in planes given names as Aussie as the airline's itself: Bazza, Shazza and Sheila. The airline hasn't yet announced when you'll be able to book, other than soon, but to do so you'll need to download the airline's app. One of Bonza's points of difference will be app-only reservations, unless you're booking via a registered local travel agent. Another: a previously announced all-Australian in-flight menu, spanning both food and craft beer. When it hits the air, the airline will service locations such as Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville and the Whitsundays in Queensland; Albury, Tamworth, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and Port Macquarie in New South Wales; and Melbourne, Avalon and Mildura in Victoria — with a big focus on regional destinations. The carrier's network will see it take passengers to places they mightn't otherwise been able to fly to, with Bonza advising that 93 percent of its routes aren't currently served by any other airline — and 96 percent of them don't presently have a low-cost carrier. Bonza is launching with the backing of US private investment firm 777 Partners, which also has a hand in Canada's Flair Airlines and the Southeast Asian-based Value Alliance. Its fares won't include baggage and seat selection, which'll you need to pay extra for — and it'll be cheapest to do so when you make your booking, rather than afterwards Bonza is set to start flying sometime in 2023 — we'll update you flights go on sale. For more information, head to the airline's website, or download its app for Android and iOS.
If there's one place that no television or literature fan wants to live, it's Gilead, the dystopian society at the centre of The Handmaid's Tale. But while aspects of the oppressive community bear uncomfortable resemblances to modern society, it's thankfully a fictional construct — well, except for the name. In what proves to be a mighty hefty case of bad timing, developer Lendlease is currently promoting a new masterplanned site in Sydney's far southwest that shares its name with the republic in which The Handmaid's Tale is set. To be fair, the name Gilead actually springs from the bible, where it refers to two different regions. And, in Sydney, its use pre-dates everyone's present obsession with the Hulu TV show — and Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel — too, with an existing farmland-filled suburb first getting the moniker 200 years ago. Still, trying to promote a planned community called Gilead at the moment is both hilarious and unfortunate — and, you'd think, a bit of a tough sell. Masterplanned sites have shaped the Australian suburbs since the 50s, with developers snapping up parcels of land, filling them with houses and usually giving them scenic-sounding titles. When it acquired the land in 2015, we're sure Lendlease didn't anticipate that the dystopian novel would re-enter popular culture, but, now that it has, Gilead doesn't quite have the same ring to it. The real-life Gilead will be situated ten minutes by car from Campbelltown and Camden, and 40 minutes from Wollongong. It's described on the development website as "perfectly combining a rural lifestyle with the convenience of urban living". No mention of living under his eye, thankfully. But the 210-hectare site isn't without its non-Handmaid's controversies, either. Both before and after the area was rezoned in 2017 — making the building of 1700 new homes possible subject to final approvals — it has been met by disapproval. Locals contend that colonial and Indigenous history would be compromised by the development, as reported in the Wollondilly Advertiser, with other concerns spanning not only the site's heritage, but the wildlife and environmental impacts. Okay, now that does sound like something you might see on a dystopian TV show.
When Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt got bantering while presenting a tribute to stunt performers at the 2024 Oscars, they weren't just there to playfully riff on the Barbenheimer phenomenon, or ignite a Barbie versus Oppenheimer rivalry. They had a film to spruik, aka the Sydney-shot The Fall Guy — and while that Academy Awards stint might've been the best promotion any movie needs, a new trailer has dropped for the flick anyway. For much of his career, Gosling has perfected on-screen smouldering. He's the kind of actor who can utter few words and still convey everything, as movies such as Drive and Only God Forgives demonstrated so well. But Gosling is also exceptional at comedy, which Barbie reminded the world in 2023 with glorious ballad-crooning, beach-loving Kenergy. Next, cinema's baby goose is getting into action-comedy mode in The Fall Guy. Based on the 80s TV series of the same name, the film follows stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling), whose career isn't what it used to be. After taking time off, he's back at work getting set on fire for a living — but the fact that his ex Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer) is directing brings chaos. That's just the first dose of the movie's mayhem. Also complicating matters: that megastar actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bullet Train), who Seavers is meant to be doubling for in Moreno's flick, has gone missing. So, the stunt professional now has another task: work out what's going on by solving a conspiracy. If you're thinking "wasn't Gosling in the stunt game in Drive?", you're correct; however, The Fall Guy couldn't be in more different territory tonally. That said, when Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham tells Gosling "you're a stuntman — nobody's going to notice you, that's your job", in The Fall Guy's trailers (the first arrived back in late 2023), you'll already know that his casting means that's never going to prove true. As well as finding a missing actor, getting immersed in action intrigue to unravel a criminal plot, saving his latest movie and doing his regular job, Seavers is on a mission to win back Moreno — but IRL stuntman-turned-filmmaker David Leitch, who also helmed Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, puts stunts to the fore as much as rom-com banter in the initial sneak peek. Written by Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw scribe Drew Pearce, The Fall Guy co-stars Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-nominee Stephanie Hsu, plus Winston Duke (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Also a big feature in its trailers so far: its Sydney shooting location, including George Street, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Everyone in Australia knows that Gosling was in the country to make the movie — and we all know that any flick shot here will show off that fact in its footage, as seen in the also Sydney-made Anyone But You recently as well. On the small screen, The Fall Guy ran for 113 episodes from 1981–86, starring Lee Majors after his best-known role in The Six Million Dollar Man. Check out the latest trailer for The Fall Guy below: The Fall Guy releases in cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
'Poison Tree' inspired by William Blake While many a great writer have been inspired by the clothes on our back, few have attested to the efficacy and functionality of our second skin with such style and grace as that most eminently quotable of authors, Mark Twain, who famously (and accurately) stated that: "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." It seems however, that the shoe (if you'll excuse just one more clothing-related pun) is on the other foot as pioneering fashionistas The Affair have transformed their love and passion for literature into a unique and compelling range of men's T-shirts. From cult favourites to undisputed classics, from Macbeth to cyberpunk, and from Wilde to Animal Farm, these UK-based Australians have combined the language and imagery from the litany of literary greats with their own captivating designs to create an awesome range of clothing that is "fashioned by literature". The boys have just arrived back in Sydney for the Australian launch of The Affair, and in celebration Concrete Playground is offering you the chance to get your hands on one of three free T-shirts that not only is sure to turn heads but also evokes all the passion and beauty of the written word. To be in the running, subscribe to our newsletter (if you're not already) and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. 'Mountains of Madness' inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and 'Crime and Punishment' inspired by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
More summertime magic is on its way: after first announcing four Australian shows for 2025, Childish Gambino has expanded his upcoming Down Under tour to add two extra gigs. Sydney and Melbourne, the musician that you also know as Donald Glover has expanded his stops in both cities — and, as Olivia Rodrigo also just did, he's popped more concerts on his itinerary before general ticket sales even start. This year started with Glover on-screen in the TV remake of Mr & Mrs Smith. Next year will begin with Childish Gambino returning to Australia on his The New World tour, on what will be his first trip to these shores since 2019. The rapper and hip hop talent won't just play tracks from his latest album Atavista — the finished version of 2020's 3.15.20 — but also from a career behind the microphone that dates back to 2011. Accordingly, expect to hear 'This Is America', 'Redbone', 'Sweatpants' and other songs from his past records Camp, Because the Internet and Awaken, My Love!. [caption id="attachment_955315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] Across February 2025, the Australian leg of the tour will kick off at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, then hop to Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena and RAC Arena in Perth. When he last headed this way — complete with a headline spot at Splendour in the Grass — it was after initially announcing a 2018 Australian tour, then cancelling it due to an ongoing injury. Before that, he performed at Falls Festival in 2016. Gambino mightn't have been on Aussie stages for a spell, but Glover had the final two seasons of Atlanta — both in 2022 — reach screens since he was last Down Under. Voice work on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, producing TV series Swarm, the aforementioned Mr & Mrs Smith: they've all joined his resume as well. He'll also be heard as Simba again in Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to 2019's photorealistic version of The Lion King, before 2024 is out. On all Australian shows — and in New Zealand, too, which is also part of this tour — Gambino will be supported by Amaarae. [caption id="attachment_955317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] Childish Gambino 'The New World' Tour 2025 Australia and New Zealand Dates Tuesday, January 28 — Spark Arena, Auckland Saturday, February 1 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Tuesday, February 4–Wednesday, February 5 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Friday, February 7–Saturday, February 8 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, February 11 — RAC Arena, Perth Childish Gambino is touring Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2025 — with ticket presales from Thursday, May 16, 2024 at staggered times, and general sales from Monday, May 20, 2024 (at 11am in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, all local times; and 1pm in Melbourne). Head to the tour website for further details.
We really must stop being so surprised each time Ben Affleck does something good. Three grand directorial efforts in, and we still think of subpar rom-coms and tabloid relationships before we remember that the man actually won an Oscar for screenwriting at the age of 25. He's clearly observed each moment around the camera since Good Will Hunting, because everything he does as a director is interesting. He's a little like Clint Eastwood (minus the sting of Republicanism). After Gone Baby Gone and The Town, Affleck's third film is Argo, a nail-biter based on the 2007 Wired article 'How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran', written after the details of the far-fetched espionage story became declassified. It happened during the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis, in which 52 Americans were held for 444 days by militants angry about the US giving shelter to their overthrown monarch, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahavi. At the time the embassy was breached, six diplomatic staff escaped and hid secretly at the Canadian ambassador's house, until CIA agent Tony Mendez (Affleck) could organise their exfiltration (or 'exfil', as its snappily referred to throughout) — yes, using the totally improbable cover of a sci-fi film called 'Argo'. It's a fascinating study, but what's remarkable is that this largely bureaucratic process has been rendered so tense and so funny by the director and his team. It will put you closer to the edge of your seat than likely any other film this year. Most of the laughs come courtesy of John Goodman and Alan Arkin playing lauded make-up artist John Chambers and producer Lester Siegel, who come on board to make the fake film look real. Their dry, cynical banter about the ins and outs of Hollywood filmmaking are a down-to-earth intrusion into a fantastical turn of events. After an impressive two hours, what turns out to be most impressive is the end credits, which place historical images alongside stills from the film so you can see the Mad Men-like attention to detail that has gone into re-creating this period in time. You can practically feel the polyester under your eyes throughout this Oscar contender, while the softly grainy texture of the film allows archival footage to be smoothly integrated. It is a bit disappointing, then, that the historical accuracy turns out to be so patchy. The role of the CIA, as opposed to Canada, is exaggerated for effect, but what's perhaps more damning is the lengths the film goes to demonise and dehumanise the Iranian people just to heighten the feeling of threat (any one of them could attack!). Arguably, given its bank of suspense, Argo could have afforded to swap some tension for a little more understanding. https://youtube.com/watch?v=QQkdOSwz2Kw
The great streaming service rush, when new platforms seemed to appear every few weeks or so, is a few years in the past. Australia might still be scoring another spot to watch TV shows and movies, however — and it's a hefty one. It looks like Max, HBO's own dedicated streamer, is exploring launch Down Under, and soon. In fact, you might be watching The Last of Us, The White Lotus and Euphoria on it when they return for their next seasons. All three HBO hits are due to make a comeback in 2025, which is also when it's suspected that Max will arrive in Australia. At present, the US network's shows largely screen and stream to Aussie viewers via Binge and Foxtel. When the former launched, boasting HBO's catalogue was one of its big selling points. The deal between Binge, Foxtel and Warner Bros Discovery — which owns HBO — was extended in 2023, but it was reported at the time that Max might debut in Australia from 2025. That timing is now popping up again, with Bloomberg noting in early March that "Max will expand into new markets, including France, Latin America and Australia, in the next 18 months". Speaking at the Morgan Stanley 2024 Technology, Media & Telecom Conference also in early March 2024, Warner Bros Discovery CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games JB Perrette mentioned Max expansion plans, naming Australia as a market. "If you think about other markets, like two big Anglo markets — UK and Australia — our content travels extremely well," he said. "We know how well our content does on both existing legacy platforms, and it drives a significant amount of the viewership." "So the demand is there, and there's unquestionably easy access, because ultimately we don't have a huge amount of local originals we have to invest in. There's not a lot of other costs. And so those are markets where we are very confident — we have high confidence we can actually meet the criteria of being successful in a relatively short period of time after we launch," Perrette continued, without referencing a timeframe. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that sources advise that Max could launch in Australia 2025's first three months. Originally named HBO Max, Max debuted in America in 2020, and has been rolling out through Latin America, the Caribbean and parts of Europe since. Moving HBO's catalogue away from Binge and Foxtel would impact a huge number of shows, with the network also behind House of the Dragon and any other Game of Thrones spinoffs that make it to fruition, True Detective, And Just Like That..., The Rehearsal, upcoming The Batman spinoff The Penguin and the also-on-the-way IT prequel series that's currently called Welcome to Derry — to name just a few series that are on their way either back or for the first time. HBO's past original programming spans everything from The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Oz, Deadwood, Big Love, True Blood, Big Little Lies, Westworld and Succession to The Larry Sanders Show, Sex and the City, Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, Girls, Veep, Barry and Enlightened. Check out HBO's 2024–25 roundup trailer below: Max doesn't yet have a launch date in Australia — we'll update you when any details are announced. Via Bloomberg / Sydney Morning Herald. Top image: Macall Polay/Max.
Your phone doesn't always need to be glued to your hand, but that's often easier said than done. Your nights out don't need photographic evidence to prove that they occurred, but that's also rarely the case anymore. This Never Happened is rallying against that status quo, however, via the Lane 8's record label's dance parties. The distraction-free This Never Happens Presents gigs first arrived in Australia in 2023 — and in 2025, they're returning for two more evenings of shenanigans without phones and cameras. Pics or it didn't happen? Not here. You won't have a screen in your hand — or face. You won't be swiping, texting or doing anything else with the gadget that we're all addicted to, either. Attendees will have their phones taped upon arrival, because these dance music get-togethers are all about connecting IRL and in the moment. [caption id="attachment_979217" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Megan Burch[/caption] French house producer Massane and Dublin-based DJ EMBRZ are headlining the two parties, with support from Samantha Loveridge — following in the footsteps of Le Youth, Sultan & Shepard and PARIS in 2023. Whatever their sets bring, you'll just have to rely upon your noggin to remember all of the highlights afterwards. This Never Happens Presents' 2025 shindigs will first hit 170 Russell in Melbourne on Friday, January 17, then move to Sydney's Liberty Hall on Saturday, January 18. While Brisbane was included in 2023, that's sadly not the case this time around. When it last made the trip Down Under, This Never Happened held its first shows in this part of the world, after launching in 2016, signing artists who've toured with producer and DJ Lane 8, and initially hosting parties in 2017 and 2019 elsewhere around the globe. Clearly, its Aussie visit was a hit, hence the return tour. In 2025, Massane and Embrz will also be making their Australian debuts. This Never Happened Presents 2025 Dates Friday, January 17 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Saturday, January 18 — Liberty Hall, Sydney This Never Happened Presents 2025 Lineup Massane EMBRZ Samantha Loveridge This Never Happened Presents hits Melbourne and Sydney in January 2025, with ticket pre-sales from 11am AEDT on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 and general sales from 11am AEDT on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Megan Burch.
In Australia, January means warmth, more warmth and heading to the movies to watch Oscar contenders to escape it. In Park City, Utah, it means snow, a celebration of cinema started by none other than Robert Redford, and the first big international film festival of the year. Yes, the Sundance Film Festival has just played its slate of 2017 flicks — or, as we like to look at it, the titles that will hopefully be heating up Aussie big screens in the near future. Last year, number one on our Sundance wish list was Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Thankfully, that turned out to be pretty majestical. Plenty of our other 2016 picks have shown up at local festivals around the place too, such as Werner Herzog talking about the internet in Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World; singing Polish mermaids in The Lure; and Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and Michelle Williams at their best in Certain Women. And, speaking of Williams, her Oscar-nominated performance in Manchester by the Sea from last year's choices is about to open in Australian cinemas. Enough looking backwards, though — 2017's lineup delivers a massive new list of movies to get in front of your eyeballs. First, the good news: from Sundance's latest batch, plenty are already coming our way. To name a few, they include US Dramatic competition winner I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore, which will drop on Netflix worldwide in February; Berlin Syndrome, the third feature from Australian Somersault and Lore director Cate Shortland, which is already slated for an April cinema release; and all-female horror anthology XX, which Monster Fest is championing. Plus, Netflix strikes again with documentary Casting JonBenet from Aussie filmmaker Kitty Green, environmental doco and audience award favourite Chasing Coral, and anorexia drama To the Bone by former Buffy writer turned UnREAL showrunner Marti Noxon. As for the rest? Here's the ten we're crossing our fingers and toes to see in our local cinemas (and a few others as well). CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Most actors wouldn't want to walk in the footsteps of the inimitable Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, but that's just what Armie Hammer does in the film that became the talk of the fest, Call Me By Your Name. Set in 1983, the queer coming-of-age drama is the latest effort from Italian I Am Love and A Bigger Splash director Luca Guadagnino, which virtually guarantees how good its summery images will look. Bound to be more powerful than that, though, is the underlying tale of desire, as well as the accompanying performances. Also watch out for: Mudbound, which delves into the stories of two families in America's south post-World War II with an all-star cast of Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Garrett Hedlund, Jonathan Banks and Jason Mitchell. THE BIG SICK If you've watched Silicon Valley or Portlandia (or caught 2016 flicks Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates or Central Intelligence), you'll recognise Kumail Nanjiani — though his list of credits runs much longer than that. In fact, with his wife Emily V. Gordon, he has added feature film screenwriter to his resume with The Big Sick, and turned their own culture-clash dating story into an amusing and insightful film in the process. Michael Showalter of Wet Hot American Summer fame directs, with the pair re-teaming after Nanjiani featured in his last ace movie, My Name is Doris. Also watch out for: Aubrey Plaza in everything, always — or, specifically, in Ingrid Goes West. Here, her titular character befriends an Instagram lifestyle guru played by Elizabeth Olsen, because that's a thing. Next-generation actors O'Shea Jackson Jr. (who played his dad, Ice Cube, in Straight Outta Compton) and Wyatt Russell (son of Kurt) also star. LANDLINE There have been plenty of comedies about pregnancy, but when Obvious Child took on the topic back in 2014, it showed the world what a frank, funny, empathetic and earnest look at unexpectedly discovering you're expecting could turn out — and helped show just how great a talent Jenny Slate is in the process. Three years later, the actress reunites with writer/director Gillian Robespierre for a trip to the '90s. Yes, it's set at a time when people chatted on the phones that you couldn't take with you, and it makes for a darkly amusing effort that's certain to bring the same honesty and hilarity to exploring family troubles. Also watch out for: Jenny Slate again, this time in The Polka King opposite Jack Black. They play husband and wife, with the former scamming his way to a polka music empire. Jason Schwartzman and Australia's own Jacki Weaver are among the cast. BEACH RATS Pay attention to the name Eliza Hittman. She received the US Dramatic comp's best director prize, and if her sophomore feature is anything like her moody, evocative debut It Felt Like Love, she's a certain talent to watch. In Beach Rats, the filmmaker charts the efforts of Brooklyn teen Frankie to brighten up a thoroughly unhappy summer — and explore his own wants and needs — when he simultaneously starts hooking up with guys at a beachside cruising spot and dating a young woman. Also watch out for: After featuring in 2015 flick People Places Things, The Daily Show's Jessica Williams once again joins forces with writer/director Jim Strouse in The Incredible Jessica James, this time taking the lead as an aspiring playwright who forges a new bond to cope with a breakup. I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE Talk may be the focus of the Mexican-set I Dream in Another Language — getting the two last native speakers of a dying language to speak after a 50-year feud, to be exact — however this thoughtful love story says just as much with images as it does with words. Think deeply-felt cinematic poetry that leans towards the lyrical, patient style of filmmaker favoured by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (the director behind Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and Cemetery of Splendour). Also watch out for: Carpinteros (Woodpeckers), an engrossing romance that introduces viewers to a world they've probably never thought of and a form of communication they likely haven't heard of — neighbouring prisons in the Dominican Republic and the form of sign language their inmates use to communicate. A GHOST STORY Don't you just love secret films? We're talking about the type that just spring up out of nowhere, made without anyone knowing. A Ghost Story fell into that camp when it first made headlines in November, and the talent involved with the movie makes it all the more exciting. After working together on 2013's Ain't Them Bodies Saints, director Dave Lowery (Pete's Dragon) re-teams with Rooney Mara and likely future best actor Oscar winner Casey Affleck (for Manchester by the Sea) to examine death and grief — and, yes, the spiritual presence you're expecting based on the title. Also watch out for: With Jon Hamm and Tim Robbins among the cast, Marjorie Prime similarly broods over mortality, focusing on the last days of an 86-year-old — spent with a computerised version of her dearly departed hubby. STEP They don't just give any old film a Special Jury Award for inspirational filmmaking, the gong Step took out in Sundance's US Documentary field. Treading the same turf that 2016 festival hit The Fits made its own with such style and skill, the doco follows three high-schoolers trying to chase their step dance team dreams. Expect more than just the usual formula as first-time director Amanda Lipitz peers inside the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, the ladies striving for a better future and the crowd-pleasing journey that results. Also watch out for: Tokyo Idols, which joins the growing ranks of factual efforts trying to understand just what makes Japanese girl bands, pop music, its stars and their fans tick. PATTI CAKE$ Does the road to rhyme-slinging rap success start in New Jersey? And is the rags-to-riches path paved with assistance from a goth-metal muso named Basterd? For the wannabe hip hop artist who calls herself both Killer P and Patti Cake$, it just might be. For Aussie actress Danielle McDonald, the energetic underdog effort that shares Patti's name could also be her stepping stone to broader acclaim — and, for music video director turned first-time feature helmer Geremy Jasper, his as well. Also watch out for: Roxanne Roxanne, a biopic about a big hip hop beef known as the Roxanne wars — aka a series of songs answering the last, with 14-year-old emcee Roxanne Shanté in the middle. Playing Shanté, newcomer Chanté Adams won a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. AXOLOTL OVERKILL And the prize for best title goes to…actually, German drama Axolotl Overkill won a jury award for cinematography in the World Dramatic comp, but it'd have a fair shot if the other contest was a real thing. The feature debut of writer/director Helene Hegemann is based on her own semi-autobiographical novel, which she wrote when she was 17. Not only does it take the coming-of-age genre into partying and nightlife territory — which, yes, you've seen before — but the stylistic exploration of teen excess promises to traverse contemplative and surreal terrain as well. Also watch out for: A fellow contender in the great name stakes, Don't Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl! brings professional and non-professional actors together to tell a fairytale-like story of teenage love, colonial oppression and gang struggles in three languages. 78/52 Every film festival has one: a movie that cinephiles just won't be able to contain their excitement about. 78/52 takes the honours at this year's Sundance, with its moniker referring to the number of setups and edits it took to film the most iconic shower scene in cinema history. Alfred Hitchcock and Psycho fans will be in their element as the doco breaks down this famous sequence, and explores just how it changed filmmaking as we know it. And, the likes of Guillermo del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Karyn Kusama Eli Roth and Peter Bogdanovich are all on hand to help. Also watch out for: The Nile Hilton Incident, a Cairo-set corrupt cop flick charting an investigation into a murdered singer — and the film that took out the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
A new online ‘dating’ app bears the slogan “Threesomes made easy”. Titled 3ndr (threender), it’s made for anyone who’s always longed to meet a stranger (or two) via the internet and get naked. 3ndr is the latest offshoot of popular hook-up apps Tinder and Grindr. Although Tinder is proving itself as a conduit for all kinds of dating (it's even clocked up a few marriages now), 3ndr is very much about sex. “A service that works for singles and couples,” the site reads. “It’s the easiest way to satisfy your human needs and spend some fun time with other people.” Users can request pretty much any configuration of bodies — double couples, MMF, FFM, MMM, FFF and so on. The imagination is the limit. Plus anyone’s welcome: “swingers, newbies, curious and experienced”. Anonymous searching means that “you can easily hide yourself from friends and family, so you can browse freely”. 3nder’s creators assert that not only are they about facilitating fantasies buy they’re also on a crusade to “make society more open about sexual desires”. In their view, individuals with non-traditional sexual urges face discrimination in much the same way that “gay people did 15 years ago”. Via the Independent.
Dropping all commitments, staying indoors and bingeing Netflix was just shorthand for being an introvert six months ago. Now, it's the reality of many of our lives. As Australia, along with the rest of the world, battles to contain COVID-19, many of us are spending more time indoors than ever before, and we're searching for new ways to fill the minutes of the day that seem to tick by at a glacial pace. Streaming marathons, virtual trivia nights, indoor exercises and completing many, many jigsaw puzzles are solid ways to pass the time. But it's unlikely you'll ever have these chunks of uninterrupted free time at your disposal again, so you may as well use them to learn a new trick or two. There are a bunch of courses, workshops and activities that'll help you upskill while you're bunkering down — here are eight of our picks. LEARN TO COOK WITH SOME OF THE WORLD'S BEST CHEFS Chances are you'll be getting quite familiar with your kitchen over the next couple of weeks. If up until now, you've mainly used the kitchen as a place to grab cutlery for your takeaway feast, then you're going to be looking for a little guidance. In a very real example of the 'we're all in this together' aspect of this crisis, many of the world's best chefs are also social distancing, self-isolating or in quarantine, and they're using that spare time to share some of their top tips. Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura is live streaming nightly tutorials on Instagram, while celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has launched the Keep Cooking and Carry On series, with easy-to-follow recipes and simple swaps (since some ingredients can be hard to come by), which you can catch on 10 Play. Meanwhile, if you're inspired by (almost) your entire Instagram feed making sourdough and want to have a crack at your own loaf, Bon Appetit's baking extraordinaire Claire Saffitz has a step-by-step tutorial saved on her Instagram highlights. A little closer to home, Aussie culinary legend Maggie Beer has started her own social media cooking series, as have chefs like Mitch Orr (Ciccia Bella), Neil Perry (Rockpool Bar & Grill) and Danielle Alvarez (Fred's). LEARN TO CODE FOR FREE Coding is going be such an important skill in the future it's now part of the curriculum for primary school students. But you haven't completely missed the boat just because you graduated (many) moons ago. There are hundreds of online courses you can take to learn to code, including General Assembly's. As well as Dash, its free online coding course, GA is also running free sessions on UX design and data analytics. If you want to have some fun with it, also check out Girls Who Code. The platform is releasing fun online and offline coding activities to download every week — like debugging tasks and a digital storytelling game — and each one also showcases a woman kicking goals in the tech world. [caption id="attachment_696381" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jean Malek[/caption] LEARN TO WRITE WITH LITERARY LEGENDS Have you always thought you were capable of writing the next great Australian novel, if only you weren't so busy? Now is the time to put your money where your mouth is. If you're not feeling quite so confident, Masterclass can help you get started. Like many other online education platforms, this San Francisco-based startup offers extensive courses on a range of topics, but what sets it apart is the truly astonishing lineup of instructors. For writing, that includes author Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments) leading a creative writing course, Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code, Inferno) teaching on writing thrillers and essayist David Sedaris (Calypso, Me Talk Pretty One Day) on storytelling and humour. If words aren't your thing, Masterclass also has legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz teaching photography, Martin Scorsese teaching filmmaking, Doctor Jane Goodall explaining conservation and Hans Zimmer speaking on film scoring. Of course, the big names come at a price. There's an annual membership fee of AUD$280, but that grants access to every course on the platform. Plus, Masterclass is currently running a limited-time 'buy one, get one free' membership offer, so you can split that cost with a mate. LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY (AND LEVEL UP YOUR INSTAGRAM GAME) Photography as an art form has been muddled in recent years by way of us all documenting everything we do, eat, drink or see on social media. But there is a huge quality difference between pointing and shooting on your phone (and then promptly forgetting about it), and mastering manual mode on a DSLR camera. Once you get into it, you'll appreciate the value of a well-framed, well-lit HD photo so much more. Throughout April, Nikon is making its suite of online photography tutorials free to stream. Each video is hosted by a professional photographer covering topics like the fundamentals of photography and videography, understanding DSLR features, unlocking creativity and tips on shooting different subjects or environments. For now, you may be stuck practising on your pets, kids or housemates but, when the restrictions are lifted, you can reenter the world with your camera in hand, ready to capture all the beautiful things you missed. Just remember, nobody really cares what you ate for dinner — even in high definition. [caption id="attachment_662277" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] LEARN TO MAKE WINE AND COCKTAILS We're not here to encourage excessive drinking, but we're also not going to skirt around the facts: you're probably consuming a bit of alcohol at home during this time. There are plenty of bars that have pivoted to delivering cocktails to your door, but you may also want to have a go shaking and stirring, too. If it's just recipes you're after, we've got plenty to get you started. Just pick your poison: vodka, gin, prosecco or spiced rum. Or you could go the whole hog and follow Ina Garten's (otherwise known as Barefoot Contessa) hilarious giant cosmopolitan recipe, which went viral on Instagram. If you want more of a guiding hand, check out Sydney Cocktails' Home Five O'Clock-tails video tutorials. Each day at 5pm, it'll share a new cocktail masterclass on Facebook, and it's getting Aussie bartenders who are out of work due to the current lockdown restrictions to host them. Or you could use this extra time to become the oenophile you've always wanted to be with The University of Adelaide's online course: World of Wine: From Grape to Glass. The free six-week course will teach you everything from the principles of grape growing and sustainable vineyard management to how to critique and describe a specific drop. You'll never need bluff your way through a restaurant wine list again (that is, once we're allowed back into restaurants). LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE IN PREPARATION FOR FUTURE TRAVEL Aussies have always been avid travellers, so it's safe to say there'll be plenty of itchy feet raring to set off on adventures as soon as the travel restrictions are lifted. You may not be able to make any solid plans right now, so use the spare time to add another language to your travel arsenal instead. The Open University has a number of introductory language courses available via its free Open Learn platform including German, Spanish, French, Welsh and ancient Greek and Latin. Each course takes between 5–20 hours to complete, so they should eat up a chunk of self-isolation time. After you've mastered your second, third or fourth language, take a look at some of the other courses available on the platform — there's everything from forensic psychology and art history to Egyptian mathematics. LEARN TO PLAY THE GUITAR OR MAKE MUSIC You've seen the Italians singing from their balconies, watched Lin-Manuel Miranda and the rest of the original Broadway cast of Hamilton singing 'Alexander Hamilton' via Zoom and danced up a storm to a virtual gig or two in your living room. And now it's time for you to create your own beats. Figure out which of your roommates has a neglected guitar hidden in the back of their wardrobe and jump onto Fender's website — it's offering three months of free online guitar, bass and ukulele lessons right now. Meanwhile, Apple is offering a 90-day trial on music production software system Logic Pro X, and Ableton is granting free access to a bunch of its music making resources, including the Ableton Live 10 Suite program, Spectral Textures presets pack and the Learning Music and Learning Synths tutorials. LEARN TO PAINT AND DRAW (WITH A GLASS OF WINE IN HAND) After spending so much time inside, you may get a little tired of staring at those same blank bedroom walls. Get those creative juices flowing and make something that you'll actually enjoy looking at via a virtual paint and sip class. All of the studios are currently shut down, so some of them, like Sydney's Cork and Canvas, have pivoted to offering online classes instead. For $25, you can access a step-by-step video tutorial to follow along whenever you like with a glass of wine in hand. And, if you need supplies, the studio is also delivering creative kits with paintbrushes, paint and canvases to your doorstep. There are single packs ($65), double packs ($120) and family packs ($230) available, and they all include a $20 voucher to Different Drop so the vino side of things is sorted, too. Or, you could check out the National Gallery of Victoria's Virtual Drop-By Drawing sessions, which are now happening online. Melbourne artists like Minna Gilligan and Kenny Pittock will guide you through a sketching session inspired by a piece from the gallery's collection, and all you'll need is a pencil, piece of paper and internet connection.
