A big serve of movie star magic is coming to Canberra this summer; though thankfully you won't need to avoid any film crews or hordes of screaming fans. Rather, it's all happening thanks to the National Film and Sound Archive's exclusive new exhibition Australians & Hollywood, running from Friday, January 21–Saturday, July 17. This blockbuster showcase is set to celebrate Australia's many contributions to the silver screen, both in front of and behind the camera. It invites you to dig in and relive all the best, most iconic bits of Aussie cinema via an intriguing collection of costumes, props, behind-the-scenes footage and screenings. You'll see personal treasures from homegrown cinematic icons including Baz Luhrmann, Mia Wasikowska, Eric Bana and Paul Hogan, alongside scores of movie artefacts. Think art concept books for Romeo + Juliet, the customised steering wheels featured in Mad Max: Fury Road, the clapperboard from 2021 sci-fi epic Dune and more. And once you've explored the collections, you can continue your cinematic adventure by catching one of the National Film and Sound Archive's regular film nights dedicated to Aussie flicks. Book your timed visit to check out Australians & Hollywood here — it'll be open daily from 10am–4pm, as well as Friday nights throughout summer. Top images: 'Lion', by Mark Rogers; 'Extraction', Jasin Boland courtesy Netflix; 'The Prom', Melinda Sue Gordon courtesy Netflix; 'Romeo + Juliet'.
Razor sharp in wit and dress, the Barry Award-nominated Rhys Nicholson has made a name for himself as one of the country's funniest stand-up comics. His show at last year's Sydney Comedy Festival was an absolute highlight, tackling everything from sex to mental health in a manner that was both relatable and utterly hilarious. His follow-up is titled Seminal, and shapes up as one of the must-see sets of the fest.
The silver screen is getting the silent-disco treatment for a new moviegoing experience at the South Eveleigh Precinct. The hospitality and entertainment hub's first silent cinema series will feature two film screenings every Saturday throughout August. There are plenty of al fresco cinemas in Sydney. What sets South Eveleigh's apart is that every patron gets a pair of wireless headphones that pipe the film's soundtrack directly into their ears. Not only does this prevent excessive noise from disturbing nearby residents, but it also creates a uniquely immersive experience for the viewer, giving the music and dialogue unbeatable clarity. Each week, the first session of the night will be a kids-only screening. Parents can drop off children aged 5–12 with Silent Cinema's professional childminders, allowing them to spend a couple of hours exploring the South Eveleigh Precinct and Eveleigh Works while the little ones enjoy a movie, safe and sound. Tickets are $30 per child and include a meal deal from BrewDog featuring a kids portion of chicken nuggets and chips, popcorn and a fruit juice drink. The kids-only series kicks off on August 10 with the classic 1996 Loony Toons live-action mash-up Space Jam, followed on August 17 by the blockbusting megahit The Lego Movie. On August 24 there's a screening of Missing Link, a heart-warming animation with an all-star cast led by Hugh Jackman and Zach Galifianakis, and on August 31, the kids series ends with the 2016 animated comedy Storks. Every week, the second screening, commencing at 8pm, will be a family-friendly flick and entry is totally free. On August 10, the free series gets going with the enduringly popular Back to the Future, followed by another '80s megahit, Big Trouble in Little China, on August 17. On August 24, there will be a screening of the musical masterpiece The Sapphires and closing out the four-week program will be a showing of Timothée Chalamet's take on author Roald Dahl's eccentric chocolatier in Wonka.
In its very first moments, BPM (Beats Per Minute) purposefully withholds details from the audience. Adopting the perspective of the film's unseen characters, the camera waits in the wings as a man gives a speech that isn't subtitled for viewers, until the deafening blast of an airhorn interrupts his talking. It's a jarring opening, but the movie is made all the more jolting by its second scene. Sat in a classroom with the Parisian members of HIV and AIDS activism group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), BPM positively swamps the audience with information as the group analyse their last public campaign and argue about their next mission. The chatter is loud, fast and passionate, discussing medical specifics, marketing tactics and everything in-between. To provide further detail, the film intertwines glimpses of their activist actions into their heated conversation. Starting the movie in such a fashion, writer-director Robin Campillo achieves several things. BPM's initial 15 minutes are an immersive onslaught completely by design, plunging viewers into a frenzied, hectic headspace. The two scenes give an indication of how the film will progress stylistically and tonally. More than that, they also ensure the audience truly appreciates the mindset of the characters — allowing viewers to not only watch, but to experience the chaos, anger and uncertainty for themselves. Campillo doesn't stop there, adding a third component. In an ecstatic club-set dance sequence that's as pivotal as everything that precedes it, the audience sees joyous faces moving to the music. After first showing viewers what it feels like to be ignored, then demonstrating the overwhelming nature of the fight for AIDS treatment in the early 1990s, BPM provides a crucial moment of catharsis. The sidelined, the relentless, the sublime — if Campillo's film has a rhythm, that's it. The movie also has a narrative, charting ACT UP's quest to secure medication at a time before HIV drugs were affordable and easily accessible, from a French government and a pharmaceutical industry that are apathetic at best and cruel at worst. As the group storms into conferences, throws fake blood during office invasions and employs other protest tactics, BPM gets to know several figures on a deeper level. Haemophiliac Marco (Theophile Ray) comes to meetings with his mother Helene (Catherine Vinatier). Organiser Sophie (Adele Haenel) advocates for diplomatic options. Jeremie (Ariel Borenstein) deteriorates, and quickly. Leader Thibault (Antoine Reinartz) and the AIDS-inflicted Sean (Nahuel Perez Biscayart) bicker about peaceful versus aggressive tactics — and Sean also falls for newcomer Nathan (Arnaud Valois), who isn't HIV-positive. Set to a soundtrack that flits from electronic beats to sorrowful piano, to the pleading chants of ACT UP taking to the streets, what emerges is a movie that's both intimate and expansive. Just as BPM's first scenes leave a definite imprint, so does the cumulative effect of its 143 minutes, weaving personal tales into a sprawling snapshot of a real-life movement. The reverse applies too, with the picture's broader view, particularly in its documentary-like moments, giving context to each character's struggle. It's little wonder that the cast's performances feel both intricate and part of something bigger, particularly Biscayart and Valois' efforts to convey Sean and Nathan's complex romance. Finding the right actors for the job — actors who can not only deliver stellar work, but can make their roles seem so real that you half expect them to walk off the screen — was one of the hallmarks of Campillo's last film, Eastern Boys. So was an astonishing command of mood and aesthetics, with every directorial choice keeping viewers glued to every frame. BPM shares those traits, but it also boasts something that's all its own: an unwavering, devastating sense of authenticity. Both the filmmaker and his co-writer Philippe Mangeot are alumni of ACT UP, as audiences could probably guess just by watching. A movie this well observed, this drenched in naturalism, this candid and poignant, can only spring from reality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4_79dnJeNU
Beloved Potts Point wine bar and restaurant Dear Sainte Éloise is turning up the heat this winter with a new Guest Chef Series, kicking off on Tuesday, July 29. The monthly event sees some of Sydney's most exciting chefs team up with Dear Sainte Éloise's Head Chef Tom Cleland for one-off seasonal set menus served across the venue's cosy dining spaces. The first guest of the series is Tom Bromwich of Ennui, who will bring the Haymarket restaurant's French, Thai and Japanese-inspired dishes to the popular wine bar. Be sure to pair Bromwich's crowd-pleasing dishes with wines from Dear Sainte Éloise's award-winning list for a truly decadent experience. Dishes include the ever-popular fried polenta served up with puffed sorghum and chermoula mayo. Or, try the smoked mussels with lemon habanada kosho and of course, the signature Duck Ennui with bone sauce. Then, finish it off with a rich chocolate terrine and brandy cream. Next up, Chez Crix's Wesley Cooper Jones and Refettorio OzHarvest's Jez Wick will be showcasing their own seasonal set menus in August and September respectively. This Guest Chef Series will run on Tuesday, July 29, Tuesday, August 26, and Wednesday, September 17, with seatings starting from 5pm. Bookings are essential for the full set menu ($89) via SevenRooms. However, walk-ins can enjoy a curated selection of snacks at the bar.
Much-hyped multi-space venue Shell House will open its doors for the first time on Thursday, October 14 with the first of its four bars and eateries, The Menzies Bar and Bistro, opening to the public. Named after the former occupancy of the building, the Menzies Hotel, The Menzies Bar will serve a bistro-style menu curated by The Point Group executive chef Joel Bickford and his team, as well as an extensive wine and cocktail list. The Shell House was announced back in May, with The Point Group laying out plans for a multi-level venue inside the Margaret Street building after signing a 15-year lease with Brookfield Place Sydney. The Point Group currently operates The Dolphin, Bondi Beach Public Bar and Harry's, and is set to open a restaurant, bar and wine room on former defence facility Fort Denison. The ground-level space that houses The Menzies Bar has been restored and renovated with the help of interior stylist Anna Hewett and Woods Bagot Architects. The bar and restaurant have been given a luxe makeover with warm bronze and gold marble and a leather fit-out featuring a blackened steel bar, overhead bar hamper storing more than 1000 bottles of spirits and a marble fireplace. The Point Group CEO Brett Robinson called the new venue "simple, reliable, consistent, and fun". "We want the Menzies to be an essential part of life in the city. Raising a glass to the return of hospitality in this new space will be so good," Robinson said in a media statement. The Menzies Bar will be open Monday–Saturday from midday until 2am and will offer an exciting bistro menu with offerings ideal for lunch, dinner or a snack while you enjoy a drink. Small plates include spanner crab benedict on potato crumpets, smoked eggplant and parmesan polpette, chicken liver eclairs and yellowfish tuna with capers and a boiled egg. When it comes to larger dishes, you'll find the likes of vongole and fermented chilli linguini and spiced fried kingfish collar alongside bistro classics like a wagyu beef burger and 400-gram boneless rib eye served with lemon and olive oil. If you're looking for an after-work drink, the bar will host Martini Hour Monday–Saturday between 4–6pm where the classic cocktail stirred through shards of countertop ice will be served alongside fresh lobster rolls for $10 a piece. A vibrant selection of cocktails will also be on hand. The In-Cider Trading will feature scotch, coffee, fig, cider caramel and smoked honey; while The Dolphin's Sicilian Margarita has made its way to the new venue, combining tequila with limoncello, Sichuan, and fresh lemon. The Menzies Bar will be joined by the Shell House's Sky Bar, Dining Room and Terrace, and Clocktower in the future. Reservations for The Menzies Bar are now open via the Shell House website. [caption id="attachment_828112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fried kingfish collar, Jonny Valiant[/caption] The Menzies Bar is located at Shell House, 37 Margaret Street, Sydney. It will be open Monday–Saturday, midday–2am from Thursday, October 14.
Don't Tell Uncle brings an exciting take on Indian street food to Cammeray courtesy of co-owners Varan Deep and Jai Singh, the talented team behind Surry Hills mainstay Don't Tell Aunty. The North Sydney venue carries over many of the beloved elements of Don't Tell Aunty: Tso's cauliflower, spiced Indian fried chicken, blue cheese naan and tandoori lamb chops all grace both menus. These playful creations are paired with standards that Singh has perfected across his years at both Don't Tell Aunty and Annandale favourite Surjit's Indian Restaurant. Chutney platters, channa chaat, lamb rogan josh, Kerala prawn masala and Makhni-style butter chicken are all on hand to round out the offerings. For those with a proclivity for feasting, Don't Tell Uncle is here to deliver the goods via a pair of set menus, each providing a delicious sample of everything you want from the array of entrees and curries. And, you can book in for a boozy weekend trip to Don't Tell Uncle with its bottomless brunch. For just $79, you and your buds can enjoy free-flowing wines and beers as you sample selections from the menu — and for an extra $20 a head you can add two hours of margaritas. North Sydney has really stepped up its food game and Don't Tell Uncle is certainly playing its part.
Chess is best played calmly, with an analytical mindset and with an awareness of the many life lessons it can teach — at least as far as every film depiction of the strategic game is concerned. Based on the tale of Ugandan prodigy Phiona Mutesi, Queen of Katwe is certainly guilty of finding parallels between reality and moving pawns around a board, and even of tasking a kindly coach with pointing them out. Thankfully, in the hands of The Reluctant Fundamentalist director Mira Nair, embracing cliches and relying upon metaphors can't stand in the way of a great story. And what a rousing tale it is, not quite of the rags-to-riches kind, but one filled with fighting spirit and driven to discard the shackles of poverty and gender. When the film first offers a glimpse of teenaged Phiona (Madina Nalwanga), she's poised to win a national championship — making Queen of Katwe's end goal apparent, yet never downplaying her struggle to get there. Jumping back, we next see her as a nine-year-old spending her days selling corn to help her widowed mother Harriet (Lupita Nyong'o) support their family of six. Learning to play chess is the last thing on her mind; in fact, she only heads to the local club run by volunteer Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) to get a free cup of porridge. Even if you're not familiar with Phiona, or the magazine article turned book The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster that inspired Nair's film, you should know what you're in for. Phiona takes to her new hobby with gusto, with Robert's encouragement and despite Harriet's disapproval. The local boys aren't happy to be playing a girl — and they're even less impressed when she keeps beating them. And when the club raises the funds needed to play a tournament against wealthier students, they're hardly welcomed with open arms There's a game afoot in this film about a game: one side patiently tries to position the pieces necessary to paint a portrait of Phiona's impoverished life in a developing country, while the other happily tries to fit her tale into an established pattern. Mair alternates between fleshing out the location-specific details and brightly bouncing through the usual underdog sports movie elements. Yes, it seems that chess really is relevant everywhere, even when it comes to the way that Queen of Katwe handles its narrative. In terms of performance, everyone from newcomer Nalwanga to Oscar-winner Nyong'o to standout Oyelowo shines, enhancing the film's many uplifting charms. Add an end credits nod to the real-life figures behind the inspiring story, and joyful tears are more than likely. Sure, Queen of Katwe still proves the kind of movie that makes its plays known several moves in advance. But that doesn't diminish the moving end result.
There are almost 700 recorded climbing routes across the Port Stephens region, and the majority of crags in this region are made of seaside granite. It's a popular spot for keen bouldering and climbing enthusiasts. But if you're a novice, sign up to Escape Trekking Adventures' dedicated tour. Specifically designed for beginners, this three-hour rock climbing course will show you how to navigate the sea cliffs with various footholds, handholds and abseiling techniques. All climbing equipment, including ropes, harnesses and helmets are included in the course price (from $120 per person). We know you'll be concentrating, but do try to soak up the epic views while you're hanging around — you can't access the same vantage points any other way. Escape Trekking Adventures is a Port Stephens-based company that is best known for its trekking tours both here and abroad, including 11- and 13- day Kokoda Track tours, Papua New Guinea's Mount Wilhelm, Everest Base Camp and a four-day Port Stephens coastal summit pack-free hike.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is the consequence of what screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith calls "one of those Reese's Peanut Butter Cup moments". It was during his 2009 book tour for the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies that he observed two very distinct themes dominating almost every major storefront: biographies marking the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, and copies of Twilight marking the death of good writing. Eventually the two ideas merged in his head and the result was a wildly imaginative retelling of the Abraham Lincoln story. Set in the early 19th century, it begins with the death of Lincoln's mother, though not of "milk sickness" as history remembers it, but instead at the hand of a local (and suspiciously dead) slave trader, Jack Barts (Marton Csokas). The course for vengeance is thus set, and once the adult Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) learns the terrifying true nature of his mother's killer, he vows to wipe all vampires off the face of the earth. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, then, is perhaps the most descriptive movie title since 2011's Jack and Jill: Money Waster. Thankfully, though, it's also infinitely better. Produced by Tim Burton (Dark Shadows) and directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Night Watch), it's a visually rich production that makes excellent use of both slow motion and 3D shots. The latter, as explained by lead actor Benjamin Walker during a recent trip to Sydney, was used by Bekmambetov as a "tool rather than a gimmick … because with vampires you're dealing with proximity, and you really want to be able to feel that presence and that danger." And feel it you most certainly do, for these toothy-villains wail and gnash at the audience with substantially less tenderness and sparkle than some of their cinematic contemporaries. Most importantly though, is that this is an entirely silly film treated with extraordinary seriousness by everyone involved. As a consequence it not only avoids the horrible fate of the similarly absurdly named Aliens and Cowboys, but also provides a terrifically creative example of Civil War historical revisionism — pitting Lincoln's Union forces against the Southern Confederates as part of mankind's last stand against an army of the undead. It’s great fun, relentlessly fast-paced, and at only 105 minutes, manages to pack in more than your money’s worth of action and gore.
A good drink — either to celebrate, commiserate or just 'cause — is as embedded in Australian culture as sangas and backyard cricket. But in 2018, what constitutes 'good'? Sometimes you need to call in the experts. Enter Dan Murphy's, our comrades in entertainment. Between Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10, the brand is holding an interactive pop-up event that will help you spot, and serve, a quality tipple. The House of Discovery, as it has been dubbed, will pop up in an abandoned heritage house in Chippendale, with a drinks list curated by Dan Murphy's Spirit Ambassador Charlie Ainsbury (ex-This Must Be The Place). So, do you want the grand tour? Start on the ground floor in the tequila room, which pays homage to the famed Mexican spirit. Mind the agave and cactus plants as you explore the room, learning the history of tequila and how to differentiate the three styles — blanco, reposado and anejo. Upstairs, two rooms await to help transform you into an expert home bartender (you no longer need rely on just beer and wine when you entertain). Dreaming of balmy Hawaiian nights? The tiki room will transport you there. In the next room, you will take a step back into the 1950s, when homes were a clash of bold patterns and kitsch furniture and martinis were the drink du jour. Both areas will have expert cocktail-making presentations and samples for all. Next, make your way out to the courtyard where the time-honoured tradition of pairing drinks to food is ignored. Here, the drinks are chosen first and a dish will be served, courtesy of Spice Alley, to complement. Combine this with installations celebrating local brewers and distillers — including Canberra's BentSpoke Brewing Co and SA's Adelaide Hills Distillery— and your tour is complete. Consider your drinks game well and truly upped. Spaces to the House of Discovery pop-up are limited, so if you're the type to sit on a drink, better get moving. Nab a ticket and find out more info about the event here. There'll also be an intimate VIP night on Thursday, March 8. To get your hands on a ticket, sign up to become a My Dan Murphy's member.
Thanks to Thor: Love and Thunder, Christian Bale is currently creeping out cinemas as Gorr the God Butcher. As the internet won't stop noticing, Margot Robbie is filming Barbie right now — fluoro-hued outfits and oh-so-much pink all included, naturally — ahead of the Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women)-directed movie hitting cinemas in 2023. But come November, they'll both be on the silver screen together, and involved in what looks like quite the crime caper. As the first trailer for Amsterdam shows, Bale plays one of two soldiers, alongside the always-welcome John David Washington (Malcolm & Marie). Meanwhile, Australia's own Robbie plays a nurse. The trio form a pact to protect each other no matter what, and soon find themselves wrongly accused of killing someone. Given that the feature hails from writer/director David O Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Joy) — and based on the sneak peek so far, too — expect hijinks to ensue. Expect pretty much every famous face you can think of to show up as well, actually. The Amsterdam cast also includes Alessandro Nivola (The Many Saints of Newark), Andrea Riseborough (Possessor), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Northman), Chris Rock (Spiral: From the Book of Saw), Matthias Schoenaerts (The Old Guard), Michael Shannon (Nine Perfect Strangers), Mike Myers (The Pentaverate), Taylor Swift (Cats), Zoe Saldaña (The Adam Project), Rami Malek (No Time to Die) and Robert De Niro (The War with Grandpa), after all. If you've seen Russell's American Hustle, expect that film's loose vibe to echo through, too — in the trailer, it's the first thing that springs to mind, and not just because the filmmaker's regular actors Bale and De Niro feature prominently. As for the exact story that'll be spun once Amsterdam hits cinemas on November 3, the trailer is taking a shaggy approach to the specifics — as the film looks like it will as well, which Russell does tend to love. In the sneak peek so far, it all starts with a dead body, and with Rock anxious about said corpse. From there, expect a blend of fact and fiction set early in the 20th century, and also a whodunnit angle — to go with that who's who-style cast, clearly. Check out the Amsterdam trailer below: Amsterdam releases in cinemas Down Under on November 3.
Let's face it — you don't necessarily expect to walk out of a bar feeling smarter. But the global initiative Raising the Bar looks to do just that, pulling education out of classrooms and injecting it into unexpected locations with talks on all things wacky, sustainable and scientific — including addiction, cybercrime, manufactured blood vessels and climate change. Hailing from New York then annually touring Hong Kong, London and beyond, Raising the Bar returns to Aussie shores in partnership with the University of Sydney and City of Sydney, to take over Sydney bars for one night only. Fifteen Sydney haunts — including The Abercrombie, Brix Distillers, Atomic Brewery, Soultrap and the Ace Hotel —are getting involved in this free event, with each venue hosting talks at 6pm and 8pm. The venues will be open for business, too, so you can grab a drink and some food to snack on while you try to wrap your head around the game-changing, boundary-pushing subject matter. Some of Sydney's brightest minds will come together to discuss research findings and specialist areas — from CEOs and up-and-coming visionaries to local professors and lecturers. And the conversation topics are about as varied as you can get, so it's unlikely you won't find something to sink your brain into. Speakers include Prof. Stefan Williams on his years of experience in underwater exploration, Josh Ismin on the therapeutic potential of magic mushrooms, Paul Millett on the vertical future of farming and Barbara Stephen on Sydney's growing role in the global entertainment industry. Registration for each individual event is a must, so to check out the full program and nab your free ticket, visit the website.
It's lucky that Chris Pine is so likeable in Wonder Woman 1984, or the scene where his character wanders around in the titular year and marvels slack-jawed at the advancements of the period would be unbearably cheesy. It's still cheesy, and inescapably so. He's wearing a bumbag, so it has to be. But, it's also engagingly performed. The look on his face: wonder. The A Wrinkle In Time star once again plays American pilot Steve Trevor, who was last seen in 1918 in Wonder Woman. He's now a man thrust far beyond his own time, and he has much to marvel at. But this sequence also acts as a stark reminder, sending a message to the audience about the film they're watching. No matter how much returning director Patty Jenkins and the powers-that-be behind the DC Extended Universe hope that Wonder Woman 1984's viewers share the same expression — and how much they believe that simply making a sequel to their 2017 blockbuster is enough to cause it — the movie doesn't earn much more than a resigned sigh. When it hit cinemas three years ago, the first movie about Princess Diana of Themyscira — also known as Diana Prince — stood out. Even though the DCEU started five years after the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC bested its rival by focusing on a female character in its fourth film (for Marvel, it took 21 pictures, only achieving the feat with 2019's Captain Marvel). DC didn't waste its opportunity, either. Wonder Woman isn't a mere cookie-cutter superhero flick, just focusing on a character of a different gender. It champions understanding and emotional intelligence, handles its engaging origin story with sincerity and warmth, and unfurls an adventure where both strength and vulnerability exist in tandem. It also relays a fulfilling tale; a sequel was inevitable, but the initial feature didn't just whet the audience's appetite for the next, plus all the other caped crusader films certain to follow. In other words, Wonder Woman bakes the traits that make its eponymous figure something special into its story and approach, and is all the better for it. In contrast, Wonder Woman 1984 has Diana (Gal Gadot, Justice League) tell everyone again and again that being truthful is far more important than anything else — after an opening scene set among her matriarchal society of Amazons, where she learns the lesson as a girl (Lilly Aspell, Holmes & Watson) during a high-stakes competition against older women. And, with the brightly hued film arriving after a year almost starved of franchise-related comic book tales (other than the pre-pandemic opening of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and the long-delayed release of The New Mutants), this sequel has also decided that more is more in the easiest of fashions. Wonder Woman 1984 doesn't spin the most complicated story, but it's so repetitive and meandering across its 151-minute running time that it's needlessly bulky, muddled and weighed down. A few notable scenes aside, its glossily shot action sequences share the same dragged-out, overblown sensation. Jumping forward almost seven decades within the Wonder Woman films' timeline, Diana has taken up an anthropologist job at the Smithsonian, and turned swinging through malls on her Lasso of Truth to fight crime into her side hustle. But then insecure archaeologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig, Where'd You Go, Bernadette) starts working beside her, gets tasked with assessing a mysterious gem, and lets Donald Trump-esque infomercial salesman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian) take the strange object home with him. It's no ordinary rock, however. It grants wishes, so Maxwell wants to take advantage of that power — and, unknowingly, both Diana and Barbara have already uttered their dreams aloud while holding the stone. These fantasies come at a cost, of course, even before Maxwell uses his to try to take over the world. Yes, in the script penned by Jenkins, Geoff Johns (Aquaman) and Dave Callaham (Zombieland: Double Tap), a magic rock drives the plot — and the aforementioned, overstressed idea that truth triumphs over all, too. Accordingly, it's no wonder (pun intended) that Wonder Woman 1984 feels padded out. And, with Steve's return, Maxwell's hunger for domination and Barbara's transformation into comic book character Cheetah all demanding attention, it's little surprise that Wonder Woman herself is rarely the main attraction. The film misses her, even though she's supposed to be its protagonist. Perhaps that's why the movie opts for spouting the same maxim over and over, instead of sharing her characteristics. It's harder to make a feature that reflects its chief figure when that ostensible point of focus is so often pushed aside. It's far easier to stick to a broad template, stretch it out and assume everyone will just be pleased that Wonder Woman is back in a movie that bears her name. Wonder Woman 1984 also shares Captain Marvel's struggle, because it's so generic that it doesn't ever do its central character justice — or do much more than deliver a paint-by-numbers tale set in a decades-ago era with a woman as its primary superhero. Perhaps serving up lacklustre, formulaic flicks about male and female caped crusaders alike is Hollywood's idea of equality? Viewers are always left wanting more here, because Gadot demands it. She's immensely charming and graceful as the warrior queen — radiating empathy and decency with an earthiness that should clash with Wonder Woman's shining armour and golden tiara, but doesn't — and navigates tightly choreographed stunts as deftly as big emotional moments. She's nicely paired with both Pine and Wiig, the latter first as a friend and later an adversary, but Gadot sparks her own wonder. Wonder Woman 1984 certainly knows how to trot out well-worn beats packaged as part-upbeat heroism, part-social satire, but it just doesn't realise where its true strengths reside often enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW2E2Fnh52w
Once the exclusive domain of snap-happy tourists, 360 Bar and Dining has been reborn and relaunched into the local dining scene with a hearty, Italian-style menu brought to life by Ashley Hughes, former owner of Surry Hills’ Alio. On arrival, you can’t help but be blown away by expansive views of a sprawling city that will surprise you with her beauty no matter how well you think you know her. Arrive at dusk to sip an aperitif while sunset colours glint against the harbour and all the way out to the Blue Mountains before melting into the night to make way for the city lights. The decor overflows with old-school grandeur and a comforting nostalgia that conjures up that time you visited Sydney Tower as a child and were blown away at how the cars looked just like ants. But even as the restaurant (literally) revolves, the staff will encourage you to “pretend we’re just a regular restaurant on the ground”; to forget the gimmicky surroundings (while remembering to keep an eye on that view), and to focus on the simple but dynamic food, the carefully curated wine list and the attentive, personal service. To do so is easy. Hughes’ commitment to showcasing fresh, sustainable ingredients simply and honestly makes the new menu as impressive as it is charmingly unassuming. Unsurprisingly, the seasonal Alio-style degustation menu is the clear way to go. A highlight of the winter degustation is a scrumptious rotolo of baby spinach, ricotta, porcini mushrooms, aged parmesan, crispy sage and fleshy chestnuts. Also impressive is the roasted rack of lamb, cooked to perfection and carefully balanced with parsnip puree, mixed mushroom ragu and thyme jus. Sweet-toothed diners won’t be disappointed with a dark chocolate tart, sticky and crunchy in all the right places and punctuated with fresh raspberries. A glass of Ramos Pinto 10 year old Quinta da Ervamoira tawny port marks the time for a sigh of satiated contentment at the end of a thoroughly delectable meal. Also recently relaunched is an inviting bar section, with a sprawling back bar that offers ingenious concoctions perfect for an elegant post-work few. The deliciously girly Scarlet Letter matches Tanqueray gin and elderflower liqueur with hibiscus flower syrup, citrus and vanilla ($19). Or, for a more serious libation, opt for a bacon-infused bourbon, steeped in-house and served neat or enlivened with dark chocolate bitters ($20). An extensive range of by-the-glass wine options, boutique beers and elegant aperitifs and digestives guarantee a tipple for every taste. 360 Bar and Dining has reinvigorated one of the stalwarts of Sydney’s skyline. But as you look out over the city, martini glass in hand, you’ll still be amazed at how the cars really do look just like ants.
After many years and many hours spent on the Skybus, it seems Melbourne's long-awaited airport rail link is closer than ever to being an actual reality. The Federal Government has today announced it will commit up to $5 billion to help build the project — which should help things along. Four months after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that construction of the link would kick off shortly, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised the big bucks to get it done. "There have been countless reviews, reports and recommendations, but Melbourne is still waiting for a service almost all of the world's great cities take for granted," Mr Turnbull said. "This is the rail link that Melbourne, Victoria and the millions of people who use the airport every year demand and deserve." The proposed rail line is expected to help ease congestion, speed up travel times and create a stack of new jobs in the process. However, the promised $5 billion isn't quite enough to cover such a hefty project and the pressure's now on the Victorian Government to match that figure in funding of its own. The Federal and State governments have previously committed $30 million to conducting a planning study for the airport link, which is also likely to include extra train lines between Southern Cross Station and Melbourne's western suburbs. This would mean speedier commutes between the CBD and Geelong and improved accessibility across western and northern Victoria. About time, we say. Sydney and Brisbane already have airport rail links, and Perth is currently in the process of building its own. Maybe this will finally kill or clarify that myth around the airport's secret underground 'station' as well. Image: Global Panorama via Flickr.
Unsurprisingly, the Vic Hotel is promising one of the Queen’s birthday’s biggest, longest and most energetic shindigs: the Jake Stone Breakdance Spectacular. Yes, it’s that Jake Stone, of Bluejuice and assorted fame, and he’s putting together an eight-hour-long affair. You’ll be treated to non-stop dance moves, a revolving program of special guest DJs, a smokehouse barbecue straight out of the United States of America, and beverages from the Batch Brewing Company, served in a beer shack in the car park. It’s pretty much the ideal mid-long weekend event, in the sense that, if you’re exhausted following Friday and Saturday’s excesse, you’ll be able to kick back and let the action entertain you. But if you’re full of beans, there’ll be nothing stopping you demonstrating your baddest moves on the breakdance floor.
For the uninitiated to World Time Attack Challenge, let's get the basics out of the way — we're talking motorsport. Specifically, high-performance supercars. Brought over to Australia from its spiritual home of Japan, the WTAC is a little like a Formula 1 qualifying session where the aim is to set the fastest one-lap time. However, very much unlike Formula 1, modifications aren't just allowed — they're encouraged. This creates a thrilling, gloves-off motorsport where fans can see the true potential of these souped-up, expertly engineered machines. The WTAC is a two-day event across August 30–31 at Sydney Motorsport Park with plenty of other things to see. Highlights include the Turbosmart Flying 500, where cars race side by side, the Garrett International Drifting Cup (one of the biggest drifting events in the Southern Hemisphere) and the Shannons Stylized Show 'n' Shine, where you get the chance to purr over the finest pieces of art on four wheels. It has everything a petrolhead could ever wish to see. Image: World Time Attack Challenge
Ippudo, the beloved international Japanese ramen chain, has opened a new Sydney restaurant in World Square. World Square will sit alongside Ippudo's other noodle-slinging outputs in Sydney's CBD, Circular Quay, Chippendale and North Ryde. The latest Ippudo restaurant, like all 277 locations worldwide, is made to resemble both an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) and a traditional ramen house. It's been the same since Ippudo opened its first ramen joint in Japan in 1985. Its famous bowls of ramen take centre stage — the classic shiromaru ($19), a Hakata-style ramen with juicy pork loin, crunchy bean sprouts and silky black mushrooms is the speciality that put Ippudo on the map — but there are stacks of a la carte dishes designed to be eaten like tapas too. Grab some beers, wine or sake after work (or during a long boozy lunch) and nosh on a bunch of Japanese classics that are made for sharing. First off, there are the bao buns ($6.50) — fluffy clouds of dough filled with either fried chicken, prawn katsu, BBQ pork or braised pork. Get a bunch of these for the table and add a few gyoza ($11) and Takoyaki octopus balls ($10) for good measure. Ippudo is one of our favourite ramen houses in Sydney, so we are stoked to see yet another spot open up in World Square. Tuck a napkin into your shirt and slurp up these ramen noodles with great abandon. Images: Leigh Griffiths
With Baby Driver, writer/director/music lover Edgar Wright takes a guy, a girl, gangsters, guns and getaway cars, and sends audiences on quite the ride. The filmmaker behind Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World doesn't exactly seek to sell audiences on the high-stakes, heist-pulling lifestyle. In fact, his protagonist Baby (Ansel Elgort) desperately wants to drive away from crime. But there's one thing that brightens up this speedster's obligation to underworld boss Doc (Kevin Spacey), and it's something we can all relate to: that fantastic feeling of hearing the right song at the right time, boosting your mood and changing how you see the world around you. Whether he's hurtling through the streets or sitting in a booth at a diner, one of Baby's ever-present old school iPods always has the goods to improve any situation. His personal soundtrack makes dealing with bank-robbing thugs like Griff (Jon Bernthal), Bats (Jamie Foxx), and lovers Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Darling (Eiza González) bearable. It also makes meeting waitress Debora (Lily James), who enters his orbit literally crooning his name, all the more special. Baby is turning a routine into a dream with the right MP3s, and Wright wants viewers to lap up every second of it. Cue Queen, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and the kind of deep cuts the term 'deep cuts' was coined to describe. With Wright stylishly weaving his music choices into the fabric of both the film and its title character, there's barely a minute that passes by without the right audio accompaniment. There's singing and dancing and in-sync editing and cinematography — although Baby Driver isn't a musical. Rather, it's a playlist paired with glossy, kinetic pictures that delivers its story in video clip-length doses. Unsurprisingly, the film was actually inspired by Wright's music video for Mint Royale's 'Blue Song', which makes a blink-or-you'll-miss-it appearance here. And yet, while Baby himself might avoid lulls in his flow of sounds (at one point, we even see him time the start of a job to a specific ditty) even the liveliest of mixtapes can run out of steam. Perhaps that's why Baby Driver entertains in the moment yet can't quite maintain momentum, and why a sense of repetition eventually sets in. Recognisable refrains begin to echo across scenes, while nods to similar flicks about heists, souped-up vehicles and lovers-against-the world — including Drive, The Driver, Point Break, Wild at Heart and A Life Less Ordinary — grow increasingly obvious. Still, as you watch the cast revel in Wright's music-filled world, it's easy to enjoy much of the drive. Baby Driver's rush of attitude doesn't just ooze through its lovingly selected tunes. It's also present in Elgort and James' clear chemistry, and in the way Spacey, Hamm and González's embrace their shady supporting players. Baby's story gets dark and bloody at various points, but the film remains a light and playful dose of high-octane crime-romance hijinks. Think of it as the movie equivalent of a disposable toe-tapping pop song: mostly pumping, thumping fun, but it just can't play on forever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT7xtCrhwD0
With its frosty cabinets filled with decadent flavours, Gelato Messina knows how to get sweet. Among its array varieties all ready for the licking, the chain isn't afraid to get saucy as well. And if you're the kind of ice cream fiend who adores nothing more than scoops piled high on a cone, drizzling down your fingers as they melt, you'll know that Messina might also leave you slippery. That's all before you try its new Standard Procedure collaboration, too: a finger bun gelato lube that's coming on Valentine's Day. When Messina created its extremely delicious finger bun gelato, it answered an important question: why just eat finger buns or gelato when you can combine the two into a glorious dessert mashup packed with brioche gelato, whipped cream, raspberry puree and coconut icing? Now, the chain has another query: why keep this covetable combo out of the bedroom? Launching online on Tuesday, February 14 via the Standard Procedure and Messina online stores, then also headed to Sephora's shelves at a yet-to-be-announced date, the limited-edition Standard Procedure x Messina's Finger Bun Gelato Lube does indeed play up all of the flavours that make the latter's finger bun gelato as tasty as it is. So, expect to smell raspberry as part of a coconut and brioche water-based personal lubricant. Expect to be hungry for a banging time and a freshly baked sweet treat as well. Made on the Sunshine Coast, the lube features aloe vera, Kakadu plum and chamomile extract, is pH-balanced and works as a natural anti-inflammatory. Crucially, it doesn't include any parabens, petrochemicals, palm oil, silicon, hormones, alcohol or glycerin. And, whether you're enjoying it with a partner or solo, it can used with toys. It's also safe with most condoms. While Messina has already dropped a Valentine's Day dessert which promptly sold out, as its specials always do, it's also scooping up its finger bun gelato across all of its 26 stores to celebrate its new lube. It's a get-in-quick affair, however, because it's only available from February 14 until sold out. Via UberEats from 7pm on Valentine's Day itself, Messina is also doing $32 packs featuring 500-millilitre finger bun gelato tubs and 125-millilitre bottles of Finger Bun gGelato Lube. Standard Procedure x Messina's Finger Bun Gelato Lube is available from Tuesday, February 14 via the Standard Procedure and Messina online stores, and will also hit Sephora's shelves at a yet-to-be-announced date.
Throughout the pandemic so far, the message about getting tested has been extremely clear: if you're experiencing even the slightest coronavirus symptoms, you need to get a test, even if you don't think you've been exposed to COVID-19. In the Greater Sydney area, those requirements are now expanding. In the latest move to try to get the region's current outbreak under control, some folks who undertake essential work must now undertake regular tests — regardless of whether they have any symptoms. Announced today, Tuesday, July 13, by New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian — and coming into effect from 12.01am tomorrow, Wednesday, July 14 — the new requirements cover people doing essential work. Obviously, you'll need to be leaving the house to do your work for the testing mandate to apply. That's always been the definition of essential work during the pandemic, actually, because you're only allowed to leave your home to go to work during lockdown if you cannot work from home. And, to fall under the new testing mandate, you'll also need to belong to one of two specific groups. You'll either be a resident of the Fairfield Local Government Area who has to leave that specific region to go to work, or you'll reside in Greater Sydney in general — which includes the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour LGAs — but travel more than 50 kilometres outside of the area to do your job. In the first category, if you live or stay in the Fairfield LGA, but you work outside the area, you have to take a COVID-19 test every three days — yes, every 72 hours — or you won't be allowed to enter a workplace. You'll also have to have proof of your COVID-19 test, either via a text message on your phone or an email that's addressed to you, that you can show when asked by your manager or a police officer. Wondering what falls under the Fairfield LGA? It's a long list of suburbs. Fairfield, Fairfield East, Fairfield Heights and Fairfield West are covered, unsurprisingly, as are Abbotsbury, Bonnyrigg, Bonnyrigg Heights, Bossley Park, Cabramatta, Cabramatta West, Canley Heights, Canley Vale, Carramar, Cecil Park and Edensor Park. And, Greenfield Park, Horsley Park, Lansvale, Mount Pritchard, Old Guildford, Prairiewood, Smithfield, St Johns Park, Villawood, Wakeley, Wetherill Park and Yennora are all in the LGA as well. Don't live in any of the aforementioned suburbs, but do live in the Greater Sydney area? Need to head beyond the region — and beyond the the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour LGAs — to work? If so, if you're heading more than 50 kilometres past the Greater Sydney area, you will have to get a COVID-19 test in the seven days before working. And, you'll need to do so again every seven days. Like folks in the Fairfield LGA, you'll also have to have proof of your COVID-19 test, either via a text message on your phone or an email that's addressed to you, that you can show when asked by your manager or a police officer. These new testing requirements don't apply to either group if you work at a residential premises, though — so, if you do your job at someone's home. If you're after maps to work out if this applies to you — because sometimes we all need visuals — the NSW Government has put together a handy guide on its website. Obviously, the requirement to get tested if you have a cough, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste is still in place. And, as always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
The jolliest time of the year is almost here. And, that means the most festive movie-viewing window of the year is nearly upon us, too. We all know that it wouldn't be Christmas without rewatching a heap of suitably themed flicks, whether you've loved Elf since you can remember, prefer a classic such as It's a Wonderful Life or will only watch Die Hard — but Stan is hoping that you'll add a new Australian comedy to your end-of-year rotation. Sometime around Christmas, the streaming platform's subscribers will be able to watch festive Aussie flick A Sunburnt Christmas. And yes, you are probably just now realising that Australian doesn't actually have that many Christmas films to its name. This newcomer will join the likes of Bush Christmas, both the 1947 and 1983 versions; the animated Around the World with Dot; and recent horror movies Red Christmas and Better Watch Out — and it seems to be really leaning into the fact that it's a seasonal Aussie film. Directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren (Bondi Hipsters, The Other Guy), A Sunburnt Christmas follows a group of kids who mistake a runaway criminal for the real Santa. Daryl (Snowtown and Acute Misfortune's Daniel Henshall) happens to be dressed appropriately, red suit and all. He has also just crashed a van full of toys. But as well as not being Father Christmas, he's being chased by a mobster called Dingo (Animal Kingdom and Ride Like a Girl's Sullivan Stapleton). Kids, crims, hijinks — if you're currently thinking about Home Alone or Bad Santa, that isn't surprising. But these children live on an outback farm with their a single mother (The Gloaming's Ling Cooper Tang), and neither Joe Pesci nor Billy Bob Thornton are anywhere to be seen. The all-ages-friendly flick doesn't yet have a release date, but you can obviously expect it to hit your streaming queue just as you're breaking out the eggnog. A Sunburnt Christmas will be available to stream via Stan later in 2020 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
Just two weeks after announcing its 2024 lineup, long-running regional music festival Groovin the Moo has been forced to cancel all six of its dates. The beloved touring festival was set to hit Adelaide, Canberra, Bendigo, the Sunshine Coast, Bunbury and, for the first time, Newcastle throughout the end of April and beginning of May, but has now been forced to pull the plug on the national tour, citing poor ticket sales for the cancellation. "We are extremely disappointed to announce that the Groovin the Moo 2024 tour has been forced to cancel," reads the statement released by the festival. "Ticket sales have not been sufficient to deliver a regional festival of this kind." "All tickets will be refunded automatically. Thank you to everybody who has supported the festival. We hope to be able to bring Groovin the Moo back to regional communities in the future." This year's edition was set to feature Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Spice Girl Melanie C doing a DJ set, The Kooks, The Beaches and Alison Wonderland. Stephen Sanchez, Armani White, Kenya Grace, King Stingray, DMA's, Jet, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat and San Cisco were all also set to appear on the bill, alongside Hot Dub Time Machine, Mura Masa, Claire Rosinkranz, Jessie Reyez, Meduza and The Rions — and more. 2024 was set also to be the first year when the festival moved from its longstanding NSW home in Maitland, with plans to move the festivities to Foreshore Park in Newcastle. It comes during a tough time for music festivals in Australia. Late last year, Sydney Festival was forced to pull the plug on the inaugural edition of its Summergrounds Music Festival, citing "changing consumer behaviors, cost of living pressures and mounting operational expenses". And, fellow regional favourite This That hasn't been able to go ahead with its annual events for the last two years. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Groovin the Moo (@groovinthemoo) Groovin the Moo won't be happening in 2024. You can read the festival's statment via Instagram. Images: Jordan Munns
This article is sponsored by our partner The City of Sydney. Paddington. Paddo. The Pad. This high-end fashion haunt is perhaps one of Sydney's clearest examples of the theory of innovation diffusion. Some of our most originative designs (and bravest designers) have made their mark here, pleasuring the palettes of tastemakers before being replicated for the masses. Indeed, a score of international fashion houses also call the leafy suburb home, keeping the streets well-trodden by those on the hunt for their next statement piece. Although the area has suffered a bit of a blow since luxury shoppers started to default to the CBD's Westfield, leading to some store closures, Paddington remains one of Sydney's nicest places to stroll while dropping some cash. Whether browsing Paddington Bazaar or scouring Oxford Street, you are almost guaranteed to discover something chic. Or at least outrageously unique. Now the City of Sydney is partnering with over 40 different local vendors to launch Paddington is Fashion. The winter fashion fiesta will run across the weekend of 24-25 August, a key feature of the extended Sydney is Fashion festival. With 'meet the designer' events, complimentary style advice (plus free cupcakes, free yoga classes and free champagne) and mammoth discounts, your opportunity to dive into the high end has arrived. Find out more at the Sydney is Fashion website. Image: Margaret Zhang for Alistair Trung.
There's never a bad time to tickle your funny bone — or to have a talented comedian do it for you with their gut-busting standup routines. That's the experience that Happy Endings Comedy Club offers. You'll leave laughing, naturally. Each night, more than five purveyors of jokes and gags will hit the stage at each show, with the lineup spanning both local and international talent — and up-and-comers and established names, too. And, in terms of the vibe, expect an intimate affair that might just make you feel like you're in NYC instead of Sydney. Images: Kitti Smallbone.
Everyone should see Henry Rollins on a stage. Luckily, audiences have had ample opportunities for more than four decades. The musician first came to fame singing behind the microphone in punk-rock band Black Flag and then Rollins Band, but is now just as renowned for his spoken-word shows, where he waxes lyrical (and candid and amusing) about his life, fame and the state of the world. Australians are no stranger to Rollins getting chatty; however, thanks to the pandemic, he hasn't taken to stages Down Under since 2016. That's changing this winter, with the icon, actor, author and radio host heading around the country on a 17-city tour. Rollins' spoken-word gigs always sell out, and they're always an entertaining — and unflinchingly honest — night spent listening to the Sons of Anarchy, Lost Highway and Heat star. This time, he's visiting both capitals and regional centres, and notching up every Aussie state and territory, on a tour dubbed 'Good to See You'. His Sydney stop: on Wednesday, June 28 at the State Theatre. Attendees can look forward to Rollins looking back over the past seven years since he last visited Australia, stepping through his life from 2016 until COVID-19 hit — and, of course, exploring what's happened since. Fingers crossed for more mullet insights, too. Rollins makes his way around Australia after a massive leg in Europe, where he's been flitting from Croatia, Poland and Finland to Sweden, Germany, France and the United Kingdom — and more. And, his latest tour comes after he added two more books to his name in 2022: Sic, which draws upon the frustration of not knowing if his touring life would ever return; and Stay Fanatic!!! Vol. 3. Top image: Morten Jensen via Wikimedia Commons.
Entertaining things come in small packages in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at least where Paul Rudd playing Ant-Man is concerned. The character's two solo big-screen outings have wavered between charming and familiar, but whenever the ageless star himself pops up — and wherever, given that he hasn't just been confined to his own franchise within the franchise — he's always proven a treat. So, of course a third Ant-Man movie is on its way, because who doesn't want to give the world more Paul Rudd more often? The MCU clearly does, and that new film is Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which will buzz into cinemas in February 2023. This time, the MCU's insect-sized superheroes — yes, including both Scott Lang aka Ant-Man (Rudd, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Hope van Dyne aka The Wasp (Evangeline Lily, Crisis) — are thrust into a secret universe beneath the one they already know and inhabit, and also face a new enemy. The chaotic space? The quantum realm, hence the Quantumania part of the upcoming movie's title. The adversary? Kang the Conqueror, as played by Lovecraft Country and The Harder They Fall's Jonathan Majors. And yes, both pop up in the just-dropped first trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, as do the return of Hope's parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method), plus Scott's now-older daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton, Freaky). Viewers of 2015's Ant-Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp will know that Janet spent decades stuck in the quantum realm, so it's unsurprising that she's a key part of the new glimpse at Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. But, she hasn't told her family and friends everything about the place — as the film is set to explore. The trailer also throws in plenty of goofiness, because that exact vibe helped make the Ant-Man movies stand out in the ever-sprawling MCU. Here, there's an amusing case of mistaken identity to start off this Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania sneak peek. The film marks the 31st film in Marvel's on-screen universe, and the first in its fifth phase — arriving after 2022's already-released Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, plus the upcoming: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Check out the first Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer below: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits cinemas Down Under on February 16, 2023.
We might be living in a golden age of desserts in Australia. With the likes of Gelato Messina's ever-popular empire and KOI's continued success following owner Reynold Poernomo's time on MasterChef, there is a spirit of fanaticism around the decadence of our most pleasurable course. Standards are impossibly high for Instagram-ready desserts, but Australia's talented pastry chefs never disappoint. We're lucky enough to have access to some obsession-worthy sweets — from legendary mango pancakes to inconceivably flaky pastries, there exists a multitude of cult-like desserts out there that are equally unforgettable and affordable. Read on for some of the best cult desserts in Sydney that cost less than you might think.
Before Coriolanus Snow became President of Panem and kept having encounters with Katniss Everdeen, he was an 18-year-old Capitol resident tasked with mentoring District 12's female tribute. So tells author Suzanne Collins' 2020 The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes on the page, as will the franchise's new film of the same name when it enters the cinematic arena in November. This jump backwards in the saga's timeline is set 64 years prior to the dystopian tales told its initial four movies, with Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid) doing his best to become a young Donald Sutherland. And the tribute he's charged with readying? Meet Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler, Shazam! Fury of the Gods). If you're wondering where the book and feature's titles come from, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes references Lucy's bold move during the reaping ceremony: singing. Yes, every movie franchise ever has to keep returning, as Harry Potter and Twilight are as well. If the Wizarding World can have young Dumbledore, The Hunger Games can have young Snow, clearly. In The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' debut trailer earlier in 2023 and also in its just-dropped new sneak peek, Snow's backstory scores more detail. He gets the mentor gig because he hails from a family that's hit hard times in the postwar Capitol — and he's told that he's now in the business of creating "spectacles, not survivors", in a word of warning about what's expected in his new role. That comment comes from the creator of The Hunger Games himself, Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage, Cyrano), Dean of the Academy, and the reason that children from 12 of Panem's districts fight to the death every year for the entertainment of the masses. Of course, this wouldn't be a Hunger Games story if one of its tributes didn't earn hearts as well as attention. When his protege proves a hit, Snow starts to think about turning the odds in their favour. That said, viewers already know that any good he achieves here won't change the fate that's already been seen in the initial 2008–10 novels and 2012–15 movies. As well as Blyth, Zegler and Dinklage, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes features a stacked cast spanning Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City), Viola Davis (Air), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) and Josh Andrés Rivera (Zegler's West Side Story co-star). Francis Lawrence jumps behind the lens again, as he did with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part II. Check out the latest trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes below: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes releases in cinemas Down Under on November 16, 2023. Images: Murray Close.
Back in August last year, we lost a treasured jewel in the Kings Cross nightclub crown when Hugos called last drinks for the final time, with owner Dave Evans claiming that Sydney's lockout laws had made operating a nightclub impossible in the precinct. But according to The Daily Telegraph, that jewel has been found, polished, and ready to make a stunning re-entry to Sydney's bar scene in February next year. Eric Jury, owner and operator of Double Bay's Casablanca, has paid money to bring Hugo's back to life, albeit with a few minor changes to the club-slash-bar-pizza joint Sydney night owls knew and loved. Jury — who told The Tele he believes that the lockout laws have actually made the Bayswater Road area a nicer place — will be reopening Hugos as a pop-up bar initially, in order to dip his toe into the bathtub that is post-lockout Kings Cross. The plan will then be to open again as a permanent fixture next August, depending on how much business is drummed up in the probationary period. With Casablanca shutting down next year to make way for continued residential development in Double Bay, Jury is looking to bring back the Hugos vibe of drinking, dancing and generally enjoying your life whilst adhering to a strict dress code — a vision that is likely to induce a mild, elation-induced panic attack in Sydneysiders who love dressing up to get down. Although Jury's version of Hugo's might not be exactly how it's remembered by past patrons, it's a rare occasion that we get to report on a bar that's actually reopening (rather than closing) in Kings Cross.
The sun is shining, your out of office is on and you've already spent a good amount of time curled up streaming TV shows. Now's the chance to catch up on your reading — so, find a shady spot on a beach, next to a pool or by a waterfall and start making your way through our favourite ten books of 2019. It's a mixed bag this year — we've been turning the pages of a novel about a debaucherous secret society, the latest Booker Prize winner (no, not The Testaments), devastating nonfiction works about Australian bushfires and a heartwarming page-turner combining politics, royalty and queer history. Some of them are immersive, some of them knotty and uncomfortable, which makes them perfect for mulling over during the holidays, and provide flavourful fodder for dinner conversations. Take your pick. LANNY BY MAX PORTER In 2016, Max Porter won the Dylan Thomas Prize for his debut novel Grief Is the Thing With Feathers — a story in which a trickster-babysitter crow visits two grieving children. This year, Porter delivered another poetic and daring tale, this time centring on a creative and mysterious boy called Lanny. There's a rhythm to Porter's writing; he illustrates one of his most exciting characters through a scrawling, italicised font that seems to slip and slide off the page. Dead Papa Toothwort is a shapeshifting spirit that feeds on the life and grime of Lanny's village in the English countryside — one with gossip at the school gates, nosy but well-meaning neighbours, and a woodland where children like to build treehouses. Reliable old Pete is Lanny's good friend. He's an older man, an artist, and one of the more likeable characters. What starts as an eerie, but largely quiet, tale of village life gathers speed towards the end, when Lanny is missing and the village mob starts pointing fingers. SUPPER CLUB BY LARA WILLIAMS Lara Williams' novel about a secret society of women who meet after dark to feast is superb. At the centre of the novel is Roberta, and the novel jumps back and forth between her days at university, where she teaches herself to cook and dates a lecturer, and the present day, where her and her wild, intense friend Stevie start the supper club. Over bowls of pasta, slabs of meatloaf, messy bouillabaisse and gallons of wine, the women gorge themselves and behave in an incredibly 'unladylike' manner in rebellion of their oppression by men. They throw food at each other, vomit, dance topless and go wild with debauchery. Intelligent and boldly written, Williams' story is less about food and more about the characters' appetites to acquit themselves of their everyday lives. Easy to read, you'll smash it quicket than your avocado on toast. RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE BY CASEY MCQUISTON It might be questionable of us to include a book that would certainly not be considered literary, and falls firmly in the romance and new adult categories. But Casey McQuiston's debut novel Red, White & Royal Blue is so joyous and hopeful that it makes you want to throw away any pretence of trying to appear cool. Incorporating, and elevating, all the best cheesy rom-com tropes — enemies to friends to lovers, fake friendships, a secret relationship and an email scandal — McQuiston's writing is heartwarming, funny and intelligent as she blends politics, royalty and queer history into a big ball of happiness. I challenge you not to fall in love with this book's diverse cast of characters: Alex, the obliviously bisexual Mexican-American son of the first woman president of the United States; Henry, the compassionate, quietly homosexual prince of England with a scholarly interest in queer history; Pez, the prince's dastardly attractive Nigerian best friend; Zahra, the president's fierce and frightening chief of staff; Amy, a transwoman and former marine-turned-secret service agent who likes embroidery. Would recommend to anyone looking for a book so firmly placed in the now — but a better one than the one we've got. If it were possible, it would make your heart smile. ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS BY OCEAN VUONG Ocean Vuong's debut novel found itself on a host of nominee lists for literary prizes his year, earning reviews describing it as shattering, tender, haunting and stunning. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother, tracking a family history back to its roots in war-torn Vietnam and forward to the son's experiences as a queer, biracial American, and telling a story trapped between the worlds of trauma and compassion. Vuong's poetry background makes for prose that is fluid, raw and earnest, in an intimate exploration of race, class, grief and masculinity. SALT BY BRUCE PASCOE Likely already on the radar of fans of his work, Salt offers an insight into the range and depth of influential Indigenous Australian historian Bruce Pascoe. This collection of stories and essays from the award-winning author of Dark Emu includes some of his most revered work and previously unpublished pieces of fiction — tender stories exploring country, nature and identity — just waiting to be discovered. For those with a short attention span or looking for an introduction to Pascoe's works, this is an ideal read for afternoons on the beach, and a poignant reminder of our nation's history. BEAUTY BY BRI LEE Beauty marks the second book by Bri Lee in as many years to make it onto our Summer Reading List, so she must be doing something right. Once again imbuing her words with a brutal candour, Lee explores our obsession with thinness and beauty, in a world that has made huge strides against the patriarchy, yet still finds us holding ourselves to an impossible and unattainable standard of physical 'perfection'. Readers are invited into Lee's world in a 150-page essay on her battle with eating disorders and her final rejection of society's punishing ideals. For anyone that loved Eggshell Skull — and pretty much everyone else, too. THE ARSONIST: A MIND ON FIRE BY CHLOE HOOPER Published in October 2018, this novel isn't a 2019 book. But, with catastrophic bushfires currently burning across Australia, its content couldn't be timelier. Following the trial of the man charged with lighting the Latrobe Valley fires, part of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires that killed 173 people in regional Victoria and burnt over 450,000 hectares, Chloe Hooper's The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire is devastating and haunting. It includes harrowing accounts from those injured in the fires and fascinating details from the investigation, all delivered with captivating and lyrical prose. And, while it's a work of nonfiction, it reads like a thriller — and it's impossible to put down. GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER BY BERNARDINE EVARISTO Two books won this year's Booker Prize: Margaret Atwood's 34-year follow-up to The Handmaid's Tale, called The Testaments; and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. We're recommending you read the latter. Following the interconnected lives of 12 characters, mostly Black British women, from different generations, religions and social classes, it's a joyous, poetic read. You'll meet lesbian playwrights, investment bankers and farmers, all battling everyday problems and larger social issues, such as race and sexuality. As well as being a collection of 12 separate, intimate portraits, the book successfully paints a polyphonic picture of modern-day Britain. FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE BY TAFFY BRODESSER-AKNER A renowned celebrity profiler — if you haven't already, we suggest you read her New York Times Magazine piece on Gwyneth Paltrow ASAP — Taffy Brodesser-Akner first dipped her toe into fiction this year with the release of her debut novel Fleishman Is in Trouble. And Fleishman, a recently divorced, now-single dad navigating the world of dating apps, sexts and raising two children, really is in trouble. As is our narrator: stay-at-home mum Libby. And Fleishman's ex-wife, Rachel. While the bulk of the novel is dedicated to Fleishman and his struggles, it also cleverly explores how women's stories are often over-looked and sidelined. Its ending more-than rewards readers for pushing through some of the less-gripping sections, too BELOVED BY TONI MORRISON The first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, Toni Morrison passed away in August at the age of 88. Her novel Beloved wasn't published this year — in fact, it was published way back in 1987 — but we think this summer is the perfect time to revisit it, or pick it up for the first time. Arguably Morrison's best-known novel, Beloved follows an escaped enslaved woman who is haunted by decisions and trauma from her past. It's not an easy read, nor should it be. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has had far-reaching cultural influence since its publication, including on Jordan Peele's 2019 horror flick Us. If you'd like to explore this connection further, we suggest listening to this episode from The New York Times podcast Still Processing. Words by Aimee Sics, Emma Joyce, Leisha Kapor and Samantha Teague.
We all need some time off with a poolside cocktail every now and then. Or just to hold on to the dream of getting it one day. But in reality, do we want to pass our whole holidays like that, while our children are off making a completely different set of memories? Not so much. A lot of family holidays aim for segregation: massages and mud baths for the big people; predictable 'kids clubs' for their offspring. But for those who are in the mood to get imaginative and adventurous, we've teamed up with Holden Equinox, the SUV for parents with nothing to prove, to round up five getaways to gratify you. If you want to share memorable — and, quite possibly, educational — experiences with your kids, then read on to find five of the best contemporary regional holiday ideas for families wanting to clear out of the city and have fun. Together. BYRON BAY That boho beach spirit we all love about Byron? It starts speaking to people from a young age. Make a beeline for Byron if your dream holiday for your kids involves letting their cares wash away with the surf, all-day picnics and paddles, learning how our lunch gets from paddock to plate at The Farm, and experiencing the kind of community atmosphere that culminates in sunset drumming circles at Main Beach. Make the holiday extra memorable by staying at one of the National Parks houses along the coast — you'll get spectacular views, beach access and, once the day's tourists have left, the privilege of enjoying a historical site all to yourself. Better yet, time your holiday to take in the stalwart family-friendly festival Bluesfest and give your mini-mes a glimpse at another world. 8.5 hours' drive north of Sydney via the Pacific Highway PEBBLY BEACH Give your family the camping holiday they deserve at Pebbly Beach (which, adorable as the name is, is not actually pebbly). Located in the depths of the Murramarang National Park on the NSW South Coast but accessible by car, the area has a campground with good facilities, beaches that invite both surfing and swimming, and bush tracks stretching out in every direction. Best of all, you'll be sharing the beach with kangaroos friendly enough to accept your pats and photographic attentions. Don't miss the opportunity to expose your offspring to some Indigenous history via the Aboriginal Area walking track in the northern stretch of the park. 4 hours' drive south of Sydney via the Princes Highway HONEYCOMB VALLEY FARM & FARMSTAY A farmstay is a necessity at some point if you want to force your tiny city slickers to connect with nature. And Honeycomb Valley is one of the best there is (it's got the awards to prove it). As well as the usual opportunities to collect chook eggs, ride ponies and milk goats, Honeycomb Valley offers the chance to get better acquainted with some much smaller but perhaps more interesting charges — bees. Their "bee motel" is a sanctuary for the area's stingless bees, and honey is one of the farm's main products. The site also boasts the biggest solar oven in Australia and a dam with pedal boats. If you want a break from the farm, you're within easy reach of several north-coast towns. 3 hours' drive north of Sydney via the Pacific Highway BLUE MOUNTAINS AND JENOLAN CAVES That moment when your tour guide tells you that there is no darkness like the darkness inside a cave, darkness to make you lose your sense of what's up and what's down, and then they flip the light switch off? Kids live for that stuff (and admit it, you enjoy it too). Not only are the caves beautiful and fun to explore, they're an opportunity to stoke your kids' interest in geology and get in some local Aboriginal history (just download the app for a self-guided tour). Within about an hour's drive are all the other attractions of the Blue Mountains, including Scenic World with its glass-bottomed Skyway cablecar over the Katoomba Falls valley. 3 hours' drive west of Sydney via the Great Western Highway LORD HOWE ISLAND If your nearest and dearest have earned a holiday to end all holidays, take them to Lord Howe Island. A remnant from a volcano piercing the calm of the Tasman Sea, the subtropical island paradise only allows 400 visitors at a time, so not only is it super restful, it's super safe (think no-locks-on-your-doors safe). There's also no mobile reception, limited Wi-Fi and bicycles are the main form of transport. Once the withdrawal stage of your digital detox passes, there's nothing left for your clan to do but lose yourself in swimming, snorkelling, fishing, paddleboarding, kayaking, rockpooling, turtle-spotting, sandcastle-building and professional-level siesta-taking. 1.5 hours' flight east of Sydney Drive your family on adventures in and outside of town in the Holden Equinox, the SUV for parents with nothing to prove. Find out more on the Holden website.
On a couple of occasions over the last year or so, McDonald's has spread some lockdown cheer by offering burger-loving customers free delivery. Now, with stores open for in-person dining around the country, it's doing something different — because there's a mighty big milestone to celebrate. Those golden arches have been towering over Australia for 50 years now, so of course Maccas is marking the occasion. On the bill: various different promotions, specials, deals and collaborations, starting with 50-cent Big Macs. You'll want to make a date with your local store on Friday, June 18, because that's when burger lovers can pick up the chain's best-known burg for just a dodecagonal coin at any of the brand's 1009 restaurants around the country. All you need to do is order through the My Macca's app, select the deal, then mosey on down to your closest McDonald's to pick it up. There'll be more promos to follow, too. This isn't the first time that the chain has run a heap of deals in a short span; however, these ones are hanging around for a while. When it comes celebrating a birthday, going big is the only option, so Macca's will be rolling out other yet-to-be-announced specials between right up until the end of August — with the details revealed each week from Friday, June 18.
Praise be to science, the invisible threads that make sense of our nonsensical existence. From the cosmic majesty of astronomy to the life-saving arts of medicine, we owe a great deal to science. And, while we all spend our lives surrounded by it, let's not take it for granted. Science and the experts who champion it deserve to be celebrated — and that's exactly what happens at events like the World Science Festival Brisbane. This annual event series, taking place between Friday, March 15 and Sunday, March 24, puts the top experts from every field front and centre to talk about the wonders and mysteries of science, both the fun and important kinds. With the 2024 iteration of the World Science Festival just around the corner, here are eight events we are not going to miss. 'An Afternoon of Science' with Leigh Sales, Annabel Crabb and guests — Saturday, March 23 If there are two hosts suited to lead a discussion about the all-encompassing joys and wonders of all things scientific, it's these two entertaining, intelligent women. Leigh Sales needs no introduction; anyone who has paid attention to the news in Australia in the past ten years will recognise her and that oh-so-familiar ABC anchor voice. Joining her is an equally influential name in media, commentary and creativity: Annabel Crabb. Together, the two of them host a much-loved podcast and have recently co-authored a book, but for WSFB they'll lead a conversation with some yet-to-be-announced special guests about everything exciting happening in science. Buy tickets now. 'ADA' by Karina Smigla-Bobinski — Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 24 For something interactive, it's worth considering Curiocity Brisbane and its range of artworks running alongside WSFB 2024. Chief among them is an interactive piece titled ADA at the Cultural Forecourt in South Bank. On the surface, it's a white room containing a floating plastic orb, an orb that bears several charcoal sticks and an open encouragement for visitors to push it around as they please. The idea of the piece is more nuanced. In giving it a nudge, you contribute to the growing web of markings on the walls, ceiling and floor as the orb moves around the room. It's a lovely callback to the earliest form of human communication: drawing on the walls. It's also a tribute by German artist Karina Smigla-Bobinski to Ada Lovelace, a visionary figure in early computing. Buy tickets now. 'Cultivating the Future of Food' with Rhianna Patrick and guests — Thursday, March 22 As entertaining as a floating orb of charcoal pencils is, it's not exactly something that the future of humanity depends on. A much more significant subject in that realm of interest is the issue of food; rather, the increasing risk of food shortages in a future shaped by climate change. That's the issue on hand for this panel of experts, led by Torres Strait Islander journalist and broadcaster Rhianna Patrick. The First Nations people of Australia (and the world) have championed sustainable food practices since the dawn of civilisation so what can we take from that knowledge and apply to the future? Patrick and her guests, Suzanne Thompson and Madonna Thompson, will lead an insightful discussion to address that question. Buy tickets now. 'The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia's History' — March 15 to March 24 One of the most popular destinations during WSFB is the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, famous for its immersive dome cinema. This year, the starring show is a movie-length visual presentation on the huge dome screen, one that charts 140,000 years of Australian natural and cultural history. To explore that history, audiences will be transported to four locations across the country: Girraween Lagoon on Larrakia and Wulna Country near Darwin; Cloggs Cave on GunaiKurnai Country in Victoria's Gippsland region; Lake Mungo in NSW on the land of the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Ngiyampaa and Mutthi Mutthi people; and Jiigurru (Lizard Island) on the Great Barrier Reef, which is sacred to many, including the Dingaal people. Buy tickets now. 'Night of the Nerds' — Saturday, March 23 'Night of the Nerds' is a WSFB tradition, regularly adding a splash of hilarity to the festival program. In essence, it's a quiz show starring Aussie comedians and scientists putting their combined knowledge to the test. Hosted by whip-smart comedian Mark Humphries, two teams will enter but only one can be crowned nerds supreme. The games will star Chaser comedian Craig Reucassel, broadcaster Nate Byrne and astrophysicist Kirsten Banks, Professor Paul Young, Dr Naomi Koh Belic and more. The night will also feature a band comprised of Brisbane music luminaries like The Grates' Patience Hodgson, Velociraptor's Georgie Browning, Ball Park Music's Jen Boyce and Paul Furness, and Simi Lacroix. Buy tickets now. 'Social Science' — Friday, March 22 Another WSFB favourite, 'Social Science', is an after-dark transformation of the Queensland Museum into a space of celebration where art and science become one. Grab a science-themed cocktail from the bar and explore the museum to find one of the many free workshops and activities scattered across level two of the museum. Explore and you'll find a fashion show, live podcast recording, a drag show, live painting, an insect-pinning workshop, multiple dancefloors and after-dark entry to two of the museum's most popular exhibits: The Hatchery and Jurassic World by Brickman®. Buy tickets now. 'Life on Mars' with Graham Phillips and guests — Friday, March 22 For as long as humans have existed, we've been fascinated by the night sky. How could we not be? That beautiful mosaic has enchanted and inspired us, and as technology has taken us higher, we've started to explore it more and more. In this expert-led panel, astrophysicist and science journalist Graham Phillips will lead a conversation about the mysteries of the universe as we know them in 2024. Joining him will be Professor Tamara Davis, an accomplished astrophysicist who will share her knowledge on dark energy and the continuing expansion of the universe; Professor Kathleen Campbell, a leading expert on astrobiology who can offer insights on the ongoing search for alien life — and finally Professor Martin Van Kranendonk, an expert in early Earth research and how that can help us explore our solar system. Buy tickets now. 'Space Rocks to Moon Rocks: Paths to Life in the Solar System' — Saturday, March 23 If the solar system and the mysteries of the universe is exactly your kind of jam, then this is the unmissable event for you. Over the past few years, NASA has been set on answering fundamental questions like how our solar system came to be, how life on earth was sparked, and more. To do so, three famous missions were launched: Osiris Rex, Artemis and Perseverance Rover. What samples of the universe have these expeditions sent home? What can we learn? Discussing these questions and what this means for our many questions will be a panel made up of Professor Brian Greene, astrobiologist David Flannery and planetary researcher Phil Bland, three experts who together will do their best to chart the story of our planetary neighbourhood. Buy tickets now. World Science Festival Brisbane runs from Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 24. For more information or to book tickets to one of the events, visit the website.
Visitors along Victoria's legendary Great Ocean Road who are planning to swing by the famous Great Apostles will soon have to have a card or cash ready — the legendary coastal landmark is enacting an entry tax for visitors in a controversial new decision from the Victorian government announced on Monday. Attached to the upcoming Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre, a construction project costing $128 million that's set to open up at the end of the year, the new entry fee is intended to go towards the centre's upkeep, as well as funding ongoing upkeep and restorations to beaches and other landmarks in the Great Ocean Road region. Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos explained that "We're investing in the future of the Great Ocean Road region and making sure every single cent spent in the region stays there," adding that "It's only fair that visitors to the region pay a small fee to visit this world-class destination so that we can maintain it for future generations." [caption id="attachment_1081243" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] iStock[/caption] The exact cost of the new fee is yet to be determined, but will be decided in consultation with local councils, traditional owners and businesses throughout southwest Victoria. Locals and members of the Eastern Maar community will not be charged. To help mitigate the flow of visitors (according to the ABC, on average, two million of the Great Ocean Road's typical six million tourists visit the Twelve Apostles), a new booking system will also be enacted to guarantee parking at peak times. Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Chair, Andrew Jeffers, said "Managing visitation at the Twelve Apostles will help protect the landscape, support local communities, reduce congestion and ensure visitors have a much better experience when they come to see one of Australia's most iconic natural attractions," adding that many natural landmarks around Australia and the world now charge entry fees. Expectedly, many are unhappy about the change. When The Guardian shared the news, one commenter wrote "I don't mind a fee for visitors, like most National Parks in the USA and Canada charge, but I think Victorian residents should be exempt," while one user in 9 News Melbourne's comments section added pointedly "I'm only paying if I can see all 12 of them." [caption id="attachment_1081244" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] iStock[/caption]
The inner-city suburb of Redfern isn't exactly beachside, though you'll be able to pretend as much now that Redfern Surf Club has opened its doors on the corner of Botany and Henderson Roads. Masterminded by the former general manager of The Cliff Dive and Oxford Art Factory, Yannick Maslard, the venue is an ode to the quintessential Aussie 'local club' — a laid-back, lighthearted neighbourhood haunt where everyone is welcome. He has pulled together a bunch of mates and bar regulars to makeover the heritage-listed, one-time bank, and the result is a verdant indoor courtyard, decked out with plants, knick-knacks and even a taxidermy 'bin chicken'. A pool room is filled with surf-centric works by photographers Luke Shadbolt, James Adams and Nick Lawrence, and classic surf flicks screen on a retro TV set. And it's hard to miss the neon-drenched shrine to legends like Prince, Phil Collins and fictional surf god Bodhi (AKA Patrick Swayze in Point Break). Classic cocktails have been reimagined in a nod to the backyard barbie, and are headlined by lineup of canned cocktails — just wait until you get acquainted with the Passiona, lime and vodka concoction, which is served, yes, in a Passiona can. Alongside The Grifter Brewing Co's pale ale, which is the bar's house brew, you'll find an all-Aussie lineup of seasonal beers showcasing Sydney's best-loved breweries. For those who prefer grapes over gruit, a diverse list of natural drops are available by the carafe — for those lazy summer afternoons to come. Find Redfern Surf Club at 60 Botany Road, Redfern, from 4pm–midnight Tuesday to Saturday, and 4pm–10pm on Sunday. Venue images: Patrick Stevenson; cocktail: Luke Shadbolt
“Your nose like a delicious slope of cream / And your ears like cream flaps / And your teeth like hard shiny pegs of cream.” Diner en Blanc — like Howard Moon's poem — will have you in all white. But sorry, Booshers: the second edition of this Sydney event is just for the sophisticated. Now on five continents, the Diner en Blanc began in Paris 25 years ago thanks to François Pasquier and friends. This year, around 3000 of Sydney's creme de la creme will once again dress in all white on Saturday, November 30, for the event held at an iconic location that remains secret until the very last moment. Following an evening of elegance, fine dining and live music, the foodies then pack up their crystal, dinnerware, tables and litter. Like ghosts (white 'n' all), they leave behind no sign of their rendezvous. (But don't get any ideas: a white sheet thrown over your figure will not do for an outfit). Diner en Blanc guests must either be invited by a member from the previous year, or get on the waiting list for a $38.50 ticket (+$5.50 membership fee).
Run by a group of Afghan refugees, Kabul Social brings a taste of Afghanistan to Sydney's CBD. The inner-city takeaway spot is the latest project from Plate It Forward, the employment-based social enterprise that previously brought us Enmore's beloved Sri Lankan restaurant Colombo Social. Each aspect of the restaurant, from the menu to the design, has been a collaborative effort between Plate It Forward and a group of female refugees led by Restaurant Manager Swita, who arrived in Australia in mid-2022. Swita is joined by a team ranging in hospitality experience. Located in the MetCentre right by Wynyard Station, the venue can host up to 25 diners, but takeaway is encouraged. City workers can drop in for a next-level lunch option they can feel good about. For every meal sold at Kabul Social, Plate It Forward donates two meals to people in need — one meal in Australia and one in Afghanistan. So, you're making a real positive impact each time you pick up a Kabul feast. On the menu, you'll find three categories of meals. There are dumplings filled with your choice of spiced lamb or garlic chive, burgers and wraps, and loaded boxes. If you want to wrap two hands around some fresh house-made Afghan bread, you can choose between charcoal chicken, lamb shoulder, fried eggplant or roast pumpkin. Or, opt for a loaded box. Each box starts with either spiced rice, fries, salad or bread and is then loaded with your choice of protein and sauces — there's green or red chilli chutney and Afghan mint yoghurt on hand. Images: Kitti Gould
If it's been a while — or never — since you last visited Maybe Sammy, there's never been a better time to stop by. Right now, the 50s-inspired cocktail bar that takes its name after jazz era icon, Sammy Davis Jr., is taking visitors on a new drinking adventure, in the form of a whisky highball. And we're not talking about the whisky highball as you've always known it, with plain soda and any old whisky in the rail. We're talking about a reinvention. What else would you expect from Maybe Sammy, which won Best New International Cocktail Bar of the Year at the 2019 Spirited Awards in New Orleans? The venue is famous for its retro Las Vegas-influenced decor as well as its signature beverages featuring theatrical touches, from pop rocks to rose petals. Bar owner Stefano Catino has joined forces with bartender Andrea Gualdi, who was named 2017 World Class Australia Bartender of the Year, to create a deluxe, bespoke version of the classic whisky highball. This beauty — dubbed Johnnie & Flamingo ($15)— is a perfectly-balanced and refreshing tasting concoction of three delightful ingredients: house-made tropical soda, house-made flamingo cordial (that's citrus and coconut) and Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky. Ready to try it? Drop into Maybe Sammy anytime from Tuesday, September 17. You'll find it in The Rocks, making it an ideal spot for a sneaky after-work drink. The pink velvet banquettes, gold lamps, brass fittings, marble tiles and splashes of greenery will transport you to total relaxation — and have you ready for cocktail-sipping — in minutes. What's more, to match the Johnnie & Flamingo, Maybe Sammy's excellent kitchen team is pairing a Smoking Gun bagel for $20, available between 4.30–6.30pm on weekdays. Arrive, not only thirsty, but hungry, too.
Some people love last-minute New Year's Eve plans, going wherever the mood takes them. Others can't start planning early enough. If you fall into the latter category, here's something for your calendar: the return of end-of-year staple Lost Paradise, which turns a slice of Glenworth Valley on the New South Wales Central Coast an hour out of Sydney into one helluva shindig. There's no lineup as yet, but you can mark Saturday, December 28, 2024–Wednesday, January 1, 2025 in your diary now. This multi-day fest includes live music and DJ sets spanning both international and Australian talents, and regularly sells out — 2023's fest did. [caption id="attachment_965685" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Jordan K Munns[/caption] Tunes are just one part of the Lost Paradise experience. Art, culture, wellness, and food and drink also get a look in, with the 2024 event set to include a lineup of yoga and healing arts, and also workshops covering fashion, sustainability and more. So, you can not only farewell one year and see in the next with a party, but by relaxing, feasting and learning something. Last year's lineup will give you an idea of the usual mix of musicians, with 2023 ending with help from headliners Flume, Dom Dolla and Foals, alongside Basement Jaxx, Bicep and Carl Cox on the decks. Other notable names included local festival favourites like Lime Cordiale, PNAU, Winston Surfshirt, Royel Otis and Sycco; pop heavyweight Holly Humberstone; 'Afraid to Feel' hitmakers LF System; and international dance mainstays Kettama, Barry Can't Swim, Ewan McVicar and Yung Singh. [caption id="attachment_965687" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Byravyna[/caption] Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become a go-to way to wrap up one year and embrace the next — including if you're keen to camp for its duration. Just as in 2023, this year's Lost Paradise is also opting to steer away from a traditional first-, second- and third-release ticket strategy. Instead, ticket prices gently increase in accordance with demand, while maintaining fair market pricing. [caption id="attachment_965686" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Amar Gera[/caption] [caption id="attachment_965688" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Byravyna[/caption] Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley, New South Wales from Saturday, December 28, 2024–Wednesday, January 1, 2025. To sign up for presale tickets, head to the festival's website — with general tickets set to go on sale in August. We'll update you when the lineup is announced. Images: Jess Bowen, Jordan K Munns, Byravyna and Amar Gera.
Mention the name Weird Al Yankovic and a pop parody song likely slips into your head. Maybe you're now humming 'Eat It' to yourself, or 'My Bologna' — or perhaps 'Like a Surgeon', 'Another One Rides the Bus', 'Smells Like Nirvana' and 'Amish Paradise' are echoing in your brain. They're some of the musical-comedy tunes the singer is famous for, but they won't be getting a workout on his just-announced 2023 tour. First, the exciting news: Weird Al is heading to Australia in March, hitting up Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane on a five-show whirl around the country. Next, the possibly surprising news: The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, as it's called, isn't about playing Yankovic's satires of other well-known songs. Instead, the musician is swapping his usual parodies for his other musical-comedy standouts across his 14-album catalogue. Clearly, he has plenty of tracks to choose from — and they'll all be played with his original band of four decades in an intimate, stripped-down show. Don't go expecting costumes, props or video screens, either. AUSTRALIA, here I come!!! #TheUnfortunateReturnOfTheRidiculouslySelfIndulgentIllAdvisedVanityTour comes to Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane in March 2023! https://t.co/o0riivPZ37 — Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) November 27, 2022 This deep cut-focused tour follows Yankovic's successful 2018 and 2022 North American Vanity Tours, which featured sold-out performances at The Kennedy Centre and Carnegie Hall. In Australia, he'll be joined by comedian Emo Philips, his The Vidiot From UHF co-star, at gigs at the Palais Theatre, Norwood Concert Hall, Enmore Theatre, Perth's Astor Theatre and QPAC. "I don't very often get an opportunity to tour outside of North America, so it's a huge thrill for me to come back to Australia and play a bunch of songs that most people would rather not hear." Al said, announcing the tour. His trip Down Under follows the release of comic biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which isn't currently available in Australia — but Yankovic has thoughts on how to see it. WEIRD AL YANKOVIC'S THE UNFORTUNATE RETURN OF THE RIDICULOUSLY SELF-INDULGENT, ILL-ADVISED VANITY TOUR 2023: Friday, March 10 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne Monday, March 13 — Norwood Concert Hall, Adelaide Wednesday, March 15 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Saturday, March 18 — Astor Theatre, Perth Monday, March 20 – QPAC, Brisbane Weird Al Yankovic is touring Australia in March 2023. Tickets go on sale at 11am local time on Friday, December 2 — head to the tour website for further details.
The Sydney Opera House is flicking the light switch to high beam dazzle later this month for this year's Vivid Sydney, with both its program of Vivid Live gigs and the accompanying festivities. The harbourside icon is going all out for its annual Vivid pop-up bar, this year channelling none other than its program headliners, legendary English alt-rockers The Cure. Brought to life by the minds behind Newtown bar The Midnight Special — also responsible for last year's retro-themed Goldie's Music Hall pop-up — Spellbound will see the Concert Hall's Northern Foyer reimagined as a neon-lit post-punk den of moody decadence. Expect dark leather couches and long banquet tables decked out with glowing fruit installations, sheet music and skulls, while black felt-topped pool tables entertain late-night Vivid explorers. On the menu, you'll find bites like Sydney rock oysters, broiche sliders stuffed with confit duck rillettes, and both a classic and vegetarian version of the humble croque monsieur. [caption id="attachment_721929" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The croque monsieur.[/caption] Beers will come courtesy of Sydney favourites Grifter Brewing Co and Young Henrys, while a lineup of signature cocktails includes the rose-hued Flowers of Romance. The bar will try to minimise plastic waste by offering reuseable plastic cups, which you can buy with a $2 refundable deposit. It's all enveloped with a moody soundtrack stuffed full of hits from the likes of The Damned, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Iggy Pop and New Order, as spun by local legends including Lucy Cliché, Mitch Tolman and Cristian O'Sullivan (Low Life). The Cure will play in the Concert Hall over five nights on May 24, 25, 27, 28 and 30. As the large number of unsuccessful ballot entrants will be aware, tickets were snapped up in record time — so a visit to the bar might be the closest thing to seeing them on stage. Otherwise you can watch the live stream on the Opera House's Facebook from 8pm on Thursday, May 30 or check out one of the other gigs happening at the Opera House throughout Vivid, like Sharon van Etten, Underworld, Stella Donnelly and Herbie Hancock. Spellbound will be open night from May 24 to June 3 in the Concert Hall's Northern Foyer. It will be open to the public from 6pm each night, except for the nights that The Cure is playing. On those nights, the bar will open to ticketholders from 6pm and the general public from 9.45pm. Images: Anna Kucera.
Leonardo DiCaprio making his first movie in four years, a swaggering Brad Pitt spitting out wry dialogue, 60s showbiz laid bare, and Australians Margot Robbie and Damon Herriman playing Sharon Tate and Charles Manson — it must be Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. One of 2019's most anticipated titles, the acclaimed filmmaker's ninth stint behind the camera travels back five decades to tell the tale of fading TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), his trusty stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), his neighbour Tate (Robbie) and an industry that's changing fast. Set in Los Angeles in 1969, it's a story that charts the end of Hollywood's golden age, the Manson Family murders and everything going on around Tinseltown at the time. Tarantino loves jumping into the past — thanks to Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, this is his fourth consecutive period piece — but he might've found his ideal niche. For this journey back to fame, fortune and crime gone by, he's also amassed a who's who of the film's titular town. Get ready — it's a long list. Tarantino regulars Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Zoe Bell and Michael Madsen all feature, as well as Dakota Fanning, Lena Dunham, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, James Marsden and the late Luke Perry. Nodding not only to Hollywood's past and present, but to its future, up-and-comers Maya Hawke and Rumer Willis also pop up (they're the daughters of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, and Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, respectively). Basically, Tinseltown today delves into Los Angeles' darker days, a behind-the-scenes Hollywood caper meets US crime history, and Tarantino might've taken some inspiration from the Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar! — at least if the ace and amusing initial teaser for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is any indication. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival — with Variety reporting it received a six-minute standing ovation — and will release worldwide from late July. Check out the first full trailer below: https://youtu.be/ELeMaP8EPAA Once Upon a Time in Hollywood releases in Australian cinemas on August 15.
News just in: another beloved Sydney venue is set to close its doors at the end of this year. Following the closure of a slew of local favourites, including Ron's Upstairs, Stanbuli, Marigold and Golden Century, Chippendale's Automata has announced it will be packing up for good after Saturday, December 17. "I always knew I wanted to walk away from Automata when I still loved everything about it," Head Chef and co-owner Clayton Wells said in a statement on Instagram. "It might not make sense to many, but those who know me well know I always move onto the next challenge once I have something just how I like it." Automata opened its doors in association with the neighbouring Old Clare Hotel back in 2015 and has stood tall as a pillar of Chippendale's hospitality boom in the six years since. "My vision for Automata was always to bring more fun into fine dining, I wanted to serve delicious food and drinks, I wanted it to be energetic, I wanted it to be accessible, I wanted our guests to be able to let their hair down, I wanted it to be a bit rock'n'roll. I think we did everything we set out to do," Wells' statement continues. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Clayton Wells (@c_j_wells) The award-winning Kensington Street eatery will continue with regular service for the next five months until its last day of trade on Saturday, December 17. While the news of Automata's closing is devastating, a new restaurant is set to soften the blow to Chippendale's hospitality community. Hartsyard's Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Wash will be taking over the food and drink offerings at the Old Clare with plans to expand into a new space next to Automata. If you want to reserve a spot for your first or your fiftieth visit to Automata, you can reserve a table at the restaurant's website. Automata is located at 5 Kensington St, Chippendale and is open from 6pm Wednesday–Friday and from midday Saturdays. Its final day of trade will be on Saturday, December 17. Top image: Nikki To
First, Boy Swallows Universe was a must-read book by Trent Dalton, spinning a tale about a young boy, his prophetic brother and his jailbreaking best friend as they navigate the heroin-filled underworld of 80s Queensland. Then, the Brisbane-set story became one of 2021's stage hits, earning admirers new and old while treading the boards. Next, it's about to become your next must-binge homegrown show, with Netflix announcing a streaming adaptation of the award-winning book earlier in 2022. If you've been wondering since how the latter might turn out, the platform has just dropped more details — and some behind-the-scenes photos. You can stop your fan casting, because unveiling which famous faces are taking on the novel's characters is Netflix's new news. It's a hefty list, with the eight-part limited series set to star Travis Fimmel (Raised by Wolves) as Lyle Orlik, Simon Baker (Blaze) as Robert Bell and Phoebe Tonkin (Bloom) as Frances Bell — as well as Felix Cameron (Penguin Bloom) as Eli Bell, plus Lee Tiger Halley (The Heights) as Gus Bell. Also nabbing parts: Bryan Brown (Hungry Ghosts) as Slim Halliday, Anthony LaPaglia (Nitram) as Tytus Broz, and Sophie Wilde (Eden) as Caitlyn Spies, plus Christopher James Baker (Ozark) as Ivan Kroll, HaiHa Le (Back to the Rafters) as Bich Dang and Deborah Mailman (Total Control) as Poppy Birkbeck. And, you'll see Ben O'Toole (Barons) as Teddy, Zachary Wan (Never Too Late) as Darren Dang, and Millie Donaldson and Eloise Rothfield as Shelley Huffman (aged 17 and 13, respectively). Exactly when the series will hit your queue still hasn't yet been revealed, but it's scripted by screenwriter John Collee (Master and Commander, Happy Feet, Hotel Mumbai), and the show's executive producers include Troy Lum (The Water Diviner, Saving Mr Banks, Mao's Last Dancer), Andrew Mason (The Matrix, The Water Diviner), Sophie Gardiner (Howard's End, Chimerica), Kerry Roberts (Foe, Boy Erased), and Aussie actor and filmmaker Joel Edgerton (The Underground Railroad, The Green Knight). On directing duties: Bharat Nalluri (The Man Who Invented Christmas), Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) and Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket). On the page, Boy Swallows Universe has snagged a slew of local awards, including Book of the Year, Literary Book of the Year and Audio Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards. The novel, which has sold a hefty amount of copies in Australia alone — 160,000 in 2019, when the play was announced — was also longlisted for Australia's most prestigious literature prize, the Miles Franklin Award. And, while bringing Boy Swallows Universe to the screen has been in the works for some time — with Harper Collins selling the television rights to the novel back in 2019, and Edgerton set to produce the show since then — if you've been waiting to actually lock your eyes on a Boy Swallows Universe series, now it's finally happening. Boy Swallows Universe will hit Netflix as an eight-part series sometime in the near future. We'll update you with further information, including a release date, when it's announced. Images: Netflix.
Dance music hits. An orchestra. Combine the two and Ministry of Sound Classical is one end result. For a few years now, this event has been giving Australia what no one probably knew they wanted when Ministry of Sound first started as a London club night back in 1991: tunes that usually fill dance floors performed by classical musicians. If you're a fan of making shapes and you're fond of getting nostalgic, then Ministry of Sound keeps indulging — sometimes by throwing huge 90s and 00s parties that nod back to raves three decades back and club nights at the turn of the century, and sometimes via this orchestral tour that gives bangers from the past 30 years a new live spin. In Australia, the latter is returning before 2025 is out, seeing out spring in Brisbane and Melbourne, then welcoming summer in Sydney and Perth. This year's run kicks off at Victoria Park in the Sunshine State capital on Saturday, November 1, with Sneaky Sound System headlining. Conducted by Vanessa Perica and with DJ Groove Terminator on backing duties, the Ministry of Sound Orchestra takes pride of place, of course. Then, Cassius is heading Down Under from France to front the fun on Saturday, November 29 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne — as well as on Saturday, December 6 at The Entertainment Quarter in Sydney, plus on Friday, December 12 at Kings Park & Botanic Garden in Perth. Other than the orchestra, the lineup varies per city, spanning both international and Australian names. Judge Jules is on the bill in Melbourne and Sydney, for instance, while Tall Paul is also joining in in Sydney — and so is A.Skillz, who has a date with Perth as well. Dirty South is another talent with a date with Brisbane. John Course, Kid Kenobi, Mell Hall and Minx are on the roster, too, plus local names at each of Ministry of Sound Classical's 2025 stops. As for vocalists, expect Reigan, Karina Chavez, Rudy, Lady Lyric and Luke Antony. Ministry of Sound Classical is calling 2025's run a summer dance music festival — even if half of its dates are the month prior — which means that a curated food and bar lineup is also on offer. Sydney will score three stages, while Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth will also feature a silent disco. As for the soundtrack, the event surveys tunes that've packed dance floors over Ministry of Sound's existence — so you just might hear classical renditions of Basement Jaxx, Darude, Röyksopp, Robin, Underworld, Moby, Fisher and more played by its orchestra. Ministry of Sound Classical 2025 Dates Saturday, November 1 — Victoria Park, Brisbane Saturday, November 29 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Saturday, December 6 — The Entertainment Quarter, Sydney Friday, December 12 — Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth Ministry of Sound Classical 2025 Lineup (varies per city) Cassius Judge Jules Sneaky Sound System Tall Paul A.Skillz Dirty South John Course Kid Kenobi Mell Hall Minx 2025's Ministry of Sound Classical tour will pop up across Australia in November and December. For further details and tickets — with presales from Tuesday, June 17 at 12pm AEST, then general sales from Wednesday, June 18 at the same time — head to the tour website. Images: Ruby Boland, Ashlea Caygill and Jack Dullard.
UPDATE, September 17, 2020: Captain Marvel is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. From the vibrance of Black Panther to the desolation of Avengers: Infinity War, 2018 was a milestone year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The superhero franchise ushered viewers into a thriving new world, then destroyed much of the MCU's existing realm. It also surpassed its 10th year and clocked up its 20th movie, too. Now comes a landmark event that should've arrived far sooner: the sprawling series' first film about a female protagonist. But cause for excitement soon becomes cause for shrugged shoulders with the average and underwhelming Captain Marvel. In terms of representation, the importance of simply seeing the iconic character on screen can't be underestimated. It's about damn time, honestly, especially after DC Comics beat Marvel to the punch with Wonder Woman. And the well-cast Brie Larson makes an engaging, inspiring Captain Marvel — a self-assured, no-nonsense hero who shines brightly and won't let anyone get in her way, but is also caring, tender and supportive when it comes to the people who matter. The movie also makes history behind the lens thanks to Half Nelson and Mississippi Grind's Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, with Boden becoming the MCU's first female director. Still, a generic film about a kick-ass female hero finally getting her due is still just that: generic. Before Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becomes the universe's latest potential saviour, she's a woman waiting for action on the planet of Hala. Trained by Starforce commander Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), and told by the Kree civilisation that she's bound for bigger things, she's itching to use her powers — glowing hands that shoot beams of light — but can only control them when she's also able to control her emotions. Then a dangerous mission goes awry, sending the intergalactic soldier hurtling to earth. It's 1995, so she crashes through the roof of a Blockbuster, goes incognito in a Nine Inch Nails shirt, and a fresh-faced, eye patch-free Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) doesn't quite know what to make of the situation. The fact that Danvers is being followed by shape-shifting extraterrestrials, called Skrulls, complicates matters considerably, as do the vague flashes of a former life as a US Air Force pilot that she can't otherwise remember. The film throws more characters at its eponymous figure, such as a long-lost best friend (Lashana Lynch), a mentor (Annette Bening) with a link to Danvers' past and a Skrull (Ben Mendelsohn) with an Aussie accent (aliens can sound like they're from anywhere, after all). Mendo can never be described as routine, however seeing him pop up in another unchallenging Hollywood role cuts to the heart of Captain Marvel's struggles. So too does the movie's competent but unmemorable action scenes, standard visuals and overall texture for that matter. Apart from championing a female Marvel protagonist in a big and thoroughly deserved way, little about the film feels unique. That includes its throwback vibe (swapping Guardians of the Galaxy's 70s and 80s schtick for the 90s), fish-out-of-water narrative (classic Thor), and buddy-comedy laughs (as seen recently in Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming). Plus, while there's always room for a cute cat, even the scene-stealing Goose isn't that far removed from the mischievous tree known as Groot. Captain Marvel also falls victim to a curse that has plagued DC films more than the MCU. There's a reason that this tale is reaching screens mere weeks before Avengers: Endgame, with Captain Marvel serving up an origin story and slotting a key puzzle piece into place just in time for the next big flick. The same was true for Black Panther's pre-Infinity War release, but where the franchise's visit to Wakanda offered a vivid diversion from the Marvel playbook, this dalliance with Danvers always seems overly calculated. When the film isn't laying the groundwork for its immediate follow-up, it's diving into the series' past to explain things that don't need explaining — as a movie from a galaxy far, far away, aka Solo: A Star Wars Story, did last year with similarly passable but unremarkable results. And when Captain Marvel wants to evoke a warm, happy mood, it leans heavily and noticeably on 90s nostalgia. TLC, Hole, Garbage, No Doubt and Nirvana music cues, while welcome, have rarely felt so forced. Indeed, at times Captain Marvel plunges further than generic, coming off as a wasted opportunity. There's much that hits the mark, including the refreshing focus on friendship instead of romance, as well as the can-do female empowerment message. But there's also much about this MCU instalment that contentedly treads in familiar footsteps, dresses up the recognisable in barely different packaging and avoids embracing a distinctive flavour of its own. As the comics have made plain for more than four decades, when Carol Danvers soars, she flies high and blazes her own path. And yet, perhaps laying the groundwork for Endgame, the film that finally brings her to the big screen seems happy just to let her show up, rather than allowing her to make a real impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LHxvxdRnYc
