Take a sneak peek into the world of the Sydney Theatre Company's latest bunch of creative mavericks with Rough Draft. The program has benefits for everyone: invaluable week-long developments for artists, free entertainment for us once the masterpiece-in-the-making has a public showing. Expect to see fragments of scenes-in-progress, experimentation with new ideas and some intense discussion and debate: it's all in a day's work at the theatre. At the next Rough Draft on Friday, May 9, writers Gideon Obarzanek and Brian Lipson showcase brand new work Two Jews Walk Into a Theatre. They'll both be playing their own fathers, who, while waiting in a theatre foyer, strike up a conversation. In collaboration with choreographer and theatre director Lucy Guerin, Obarzanek and Lipson will be fleshing out what they've described as 'an unabashedly subjective character study'.
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has just wrapped up its two-week long meeting in Manama, Bahrain, during which it added a further 19 sites to the World Heritage List — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's list of landmarks and areas that are legally protected due to their significance. Thirteen of the new sites have been selected for their cultural importance, three are sites with noteworthy natural features, and the remaining three fall into both the natural and cultural categories. The list of the new cultural sites chosen is as follows: Aasivissuit-Nipisat. Inuit hunting ground between ice and sea in Denmark. Al-Ahsa Oasis, an evolving cultural landscape in Saudi Arabia. Ancient city of Qalhat in Oman. Archaeological border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke in Germany. Caliphate city of Medina Azahara in Spain. Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Hidden Christian sites in the Nagasaki region in Japan. Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century in Italy. Naumburg Cathedral in Germany. Sansa, Buddhist Mountain monasteries in Korea in the Republic of Korea. Sassanid archaeological landscape of Fars region in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thimlich Ohinga archaeological site in Kenya. Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensembles of Mumbai in India. Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains in South Africa, the Chaine des Puys — Limagne fault tectonic arena in France and Fanjingshan in China have been selected as the new natural sites. Meanwhile, the new mixed sites are Chiribiquete National Park, aka 'The Maloca of the Jaguar' in Colombia' Pimachiowin Aki in Canada and Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley's originary habitat of Mesoamerica in Mexico. In addition, the committee approved the expansion of one natural site: Central Sikhote-Alin in the Bikin River Valley in Russia. The World Heritage List now includes 1092 different sites spread across 167 countries. Perusing the full list is certain to get you marvelling at the planet's many wonders — and give you some serious travel inspiration.
As many Sydneysider's head back to the office, Fabbrica Pasta Shop has just offered up its CBD venue as the perfect excuse to knock off early. The luxe pantry supplies store and wine bar run by the team behind Ragazzi and Love, Tilly Devine is serving up a range of deals on drinks and snacks every weekday from 3–5pm as part of its new aperitivo hour. On offer is negronis and Aperol spritzes for just $10, as well as Campari sodas and Peronis for $5 and an ever-changing roster of snacks of both the fried and sliced variety. Think fried pork rind, mushroom arancini or selections of charcuterie and cheeses pulled from Fabbrica's shelves. The aperitivo hour will take place at the store's King Street courtyard, and while you're there enjoying a cheeky midweek negroni, feel free to sample a glass from the 100-strong list of minimal intervention wines. Or, stay for dinner, with Fabbrica serving dinner-plate sized lobster raviolo, cacio e pistacchio and Basque-style burnt cheesecake from 5pm each day. [caption id="attachment_844827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] Top image: Dexter Kim
Each year, the advertising world's mad men and women descend on Cannes for a week-long jaunt on the Riviera. Aside from likely providing the world with more instances of cocaine use by aged executive creative directors than any other event in the world, the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival showcases the world's best commercial creativity across a variety of mediums, including TV, print, outdoor, PR and online. The proliferation of new media channels and the growth of social media has made an already cluttered marketing world a dangerous place to be for cowardly chief marketing officers and the brands they steward. Last year, Old Spice made headlines for their ability to engage consumers in a campaign that repositioned a tired brand in one fell swoop via innovative use of social media. But what lay at the heart of the campaign was its ability to make an emotional connection with audiences through humour. Ads, after all, are a like people: the ones you love and hate are the same ones you remember. This year's best 15 ads were decided over the weekend, with the Grand Prix being awarded to the 'Write The Future' campaign launched by Nike during last year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Here they are, ordered according to how they impressed us here at Concrete Playground HQ. https://youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0 1. 'Force' by Volkswagen Agency: Deutsch Los Angeles https://youtube.com/watch?v=dBZtHAVvslQ 2. Cannes Grand Prix 2011: 'Write The Future' by Nike Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam https://youtube.com/watch?v=xdOoJjvr0GM 3. 'Braids' by H2OH! Drink Agency: BBDO Argentina https://youtube.com/watch?v=CoxCF1xZ7Pk 4. 'After Hours Athlete' by Puma Agency: Droga5 New York https://youtube.com/watch?v=2qD_PiZAz6k 5. 'Premature Perspiration' by Axe Agency: Ponce Buenos Aires https://youtube.com/watch?v=TLgetLmlggA 6. 'The Entrance' by Heineken Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam https://youtube.com/watch?v=VFFnfHQhg-s 7. 'Shoelace' by Otrivin Nasal Spray Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Geneva https://youtube.com/watch?v=DtCU43MteYY 8. 'Slo Mo' by Carlton Draught Agency: Clemenger BBDO Melbourne https://youtube.com/watch?v=8I550mx8QlI 9. 'See The Person' by Scope Agency: Leo Burnett Melbourne https://youtube.com/watch?v=T3guZ7dMAkc 10. 'Born Of Fire' by Chrysler Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Portland https://youtube.com/watch?v=BKnhyhm3GdQ 11. 'Office' by Mexican Insurance Institution Association Agency: Ogilvy Mexico https://youtube.com/watch?v=nCgQDjiotG0 12. 'Chrome Speed Tests' by Google Agency: Google Creative Lab New York https://youtube.com/watch?v=Oech5Rpom2g 13. 'Cage Cop' by Skittles Agency: BBDO Canada https://youtube.com/watch?v=lZqrG1bdGtg 14. 'Dead Island Trailer' by Deep Silver Agency: Deep Silver https://youtube.com/watch?v=k0fm3JS4p8U 15. 'Demo Slam: Chubby Bunny' by Google Agency: Google Creative Lab New York [Via Mumbrella]
Visit this elegant brow boutique to get dolled up before an event, or just to pamper yourself. Brow services include waxing and tinting, so you can boast the perfect eye-framing arch. Or, you can get a lash lift and tint, so your eyes are open and bright from the minute you wake up, all without mascara. It also offers semi-permanent brow tattooing, where trained technicians use ombre or feathering techniques to create the illusion of fuller brows with ink. To top it off, you can shop a carefully curated selection of candles, Maison Balzac glass carafes, collagen supplements, beauty tools and haircare products, so you can continue the pampering from home. Images: Caroline McCreedie
With apologies to Bonnie Tyler, cinema isn't holding out for a hero — and hasn't been for some time. The singer's 80s-era Footloose-soundtrack hit basically describes the state of mainstream movies today, filled as screens now are with strong, fast, sure and larger-than-life figures racing on thunder and rising on heat. But what does heroism truly mean beyond the spandex of pop-culture's biggest current force? Who do we hold up as role models, and as feel-good champions of kind and selfless deeds? How do those tales of IRL heroism ebb, flow and spread, too? Pondering this far beyond the caped-crusader realm is Asghar Farhadi, a two-time Oscar-winner thanks to A Separation and The Salesman. As is the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker's gambit, his latest movie is intricately complicated, as are its views on human nature and Iranian society. As Farhadi has adored since 2003's Dancing in the Dust — and in everything from 2009's exceptional About Elly to his 2018 Spanish-language feature Everybody Knows as well — A Hero is steeped in the usual and the everyday. The 2021 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix-winner may start with a sight that's the absolute opposite thanks to necropolis Naqsh-e Rostam near the Iranian city of Shiraz, an imposingly grand site that includes the tombs of ancient Persian rulers Xerxes and Darius, but the writer/director's main concerns are as routine, recognisable and relatable as films get. One such obsession: domestic disharmony, aka the cracks that fracture the ties of blood, love and friendship. A Hero sprawls further thematically, wondering if genuine altruism — that is, really and wholeheartedly acting in someone else's interest, even at a cost to oneself — can ever actually exist. But it charts that path because of the frayed and thorny relationships it surveys, and the everyman caught within them. When A Hero begins, calligrapher and sign painter Rahim Soltani (Amir Jadidi, Cold Sweat) is no one's saviour, victor or ideal. While he definitely isn't a villain, he's just been given a two-day pass from an Iranian debtor's prison, where he's incarcerated over a family financial feud. Owing 150,000,000 tomans to his ex-wife's brother-in-law, he's stuck serving out his sentence unless he can settle it or his creditor, copy shop owner Bahram (Mohsen Tanabandeh, Capital), agrees to forgive him. The latter is unlikely, so with his girlfriend Farkhondeh (debutant Sahar Goldust), Rahim hatches a repayment plan. She has stumbled across a handbag filled with 17 gold coins, and together they hope to sell it, then use the proceeds to secure his freedom — except, when they attempt to cash in, they're told that their haul won't reach anywhere the sum they need. Instead, with a mixture of guilt and resignation — and at Farkhondeh's suggestion — Rahim decides to track down the coins' rightful owner. Cue signs plastered around the streets, then an immensely thankful phone call. Cue also the prison's higher-ups discovering Rahim's efforts, and wanting to cash in themselves by eagerly whipping up publicity around their model inmate's considerate choice. The media lap it up, as do the locals. Rahim's young son Siavash (newcomer Saleh Karimaei), a quiet boy with a stutter that's been cared for by his aunt Malileh (fellow first-timer Maryam Shahdaei), gets drawn into the chaos. A charity that fundraises to resolve prisoners' debts takes up the cause, too. Still, the stern and stubborn Bahram remains skeptical, especially as more fame and attention comes Rahim's way. Also, the kind of heroism that's fuelled via news reports and furthered by social media is fickle above all else, especially when competing information comes to light. It's always been apt that Farhadi loves warm hues — tones that are even golden here, as lensed meticulously by cinematographers Ali Ghazi (Zero Day) and Arash Ramezani (Headless). His pictures are so intimate, and so engrained in homes and daily lives, that the cosy neutral colours that shade these spaces automatically become the director's own. His work is never about black-and-white situations, either, and his exacting search through a plethora of shades of grey is also never cold or calculating. A Hero uses the glow of its imagery to help offer plenty of questions about its underlying scenario, in fact, including who might be right and wrong within it. Of course, solving that binary battle is not the movie's aim; rather, poking, prodding and probing it, examining why we're so obsessed with heroes and villains, and exploring what that means when social media's moods, whims and affinities can turn in a second, flickers scorchingly at the film's core. Also searing is Jadidi's performance, which couldn't be more complex. His smile charms, yet also has a flimsy tenor, the grin of someone who knows how embracing the world can be to him — and how closed. When the movie opens with Rahim making the difficult albeit spectacular climb up the Tomb of Xerxes to speak with his brother-in-law Hossein (Alireza Jahandideh, another debutant), who is working amid the scaffolding, it also immediately casts its protagonist as an ordinary man facing an insurmountable and age-old situation. Jadidi plays the part exactly that way, as someone striving to get by, grasping rare and unlikely chances with visible desperation, yet still bound by so much that's long proven unmovable about his country. His character is caught in a morality play where no good deed goes unpunished, too, and the weight of that truth ripples in his posture. But he's also the centre of a reckoning on what's worthy of praise and scorn — "where in the world are people celebrated for not doing wrong?" asks Bahram — and what that says about those cheering, condemning and flipping between the two. The brilliantly layered premise, the deep and cutting dissection of Iran today, the devastating lead portrayal, the incisive visual gaze, the station-full of trains of thought set in motion: it's all classic Farhadi, and he has the applauded past flicks to prove it. Thankfully, A Hero also sees the writer/director back at his best; despite that wealth of familiar elements, the feature is never as oh-so-expected as Everybody Knows and The Salesman, both of which felt like the filmmaker on autopilot. Tough, tight, tenacious, and terrifically disdainful of opportunism and obstinance alike, and of people and institutions guilty of both, A Hero is an excavation of secrets and lies as well — but its power can't be hidden, and its emotional impact is as true as cinema gets. And, although almost everyone in its frames is indeed holding out for some style of hero, few movies realise how fraught and futile that is, let alone with the same patient but unshakeable feeling and intelligence.
They say change is as good as a holiday, and a holiday with some leftover change? Sign us up. The little-known island of Bali is the perfect destination that feels worlds away without having to travel around the world. Flights are cheap, the people are a delight, the food is exceptional, and the beaches are breathtaking. It's no wonder it's an Aussie traveller's favourite. From lush tropical rainforests to terraced rice paddies to multiple surfers' paradises — sometimes even just a couple of nights away is all you need. To help you lock away a quick (or longer) getaway, our editorial team has curated some top travel packages for four distinct Bali locations. Find your preferred option and book it through Concrete Playground Trips now. EXTREME RELAXATION IN NUSA DUA For laidback luxury in between extreme watersports adventures, Sadara Resort on the gorgeous beachfront of Tanjung Benoa has your name on it. Tanjung Benoa is Bali's number one water sports playground, with activities from jet skiing to parasailing, banana boat rides and sea-walking adventures. But fear not, if your holiday is for relaxing and relaxing only, then our Nusa Dua travel deal has everything you need. Sink into your included one-hour Balinese massage before or after you sink into the ocean-facing pool, where you can sink cocktails at the swim-up bar. You'll also enjoy the inclusion of daily breakfast and afternoon tea plus a set menu lunch or dinner. LEGENDARY VIBES AT LEGIAN BEACHFRONT In among the action of iconic Kuta, enjoy a beachside break at AlamKulKul Boutique Resort. This is a prime location for exploring Kuta's beaches along the boardwalk and checking out character-filled laneways before heading back to watch a sunset and sip a Bintang on the beach. Check out our resort package, where you can enjoy true Balinese interiors and architecture, a thriving tropical garden and the on-site spa in between ocean adventures. Your daily breakfast at the restaurant will be an ideal start to the day before you make the most of everything the resort and surroundings have to offer. A GREAT RATE VILLA ESCAPE IN SEMINYAK Let's face it: we all want to be the people who have a Balinese villa and floating breakfast for ourselves — and with this deal, it can be you. The Bali Dream Villa is the ideal location for a getaway, with speedy access from the airport that gets you right into the buzz of Seminyak and its plethora of award-winning restaurants. Inclusions abound with return airport transfers, welcome drinks and daily breakfast and afternoon tea for two. It has everything you need for a private vacay away, with your own pool and kitchenette facilities to make yourself feel truly at home. LUXURY VILLA STAY IN ULUWATU Escape everyday life at beautiful Prasana by Arjani Resort – an all-villa resort perfectly positioned in Bali's beautiful southernmost tip, Uluwatu. This stop is a tad pricier, but it is worth it for what you get included in our exclusive travel package. Whether surfing or spa trips are more your speed, you'll have ample opportunities for both. Explore the famous beach club-lined Melasti Beach or surfer favourite, Padang-Padang, or stay in and enjoy the ocean view from your private villa, take a dip in your private pool or get a relaxing treatment at the Menaka Spa. It's a getaway for all to enjoy the best of Bali, and sometimes, that's just the thing you need to refresh, reset and recharge. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips to destinations all over the world.
The Star Sydney has opened a new tea room that's hosting high tea from midday to 4pm Thursdays through Sundays. G&Tea's $55 high tea menu kicks off with scones, as all good high teas do, before serving up a selection of sweet and savoury treats. On the savoury side of the menu, expect dishes like curried egg and chive sandwiches, smoked salmon with caper cream cheese and cajun prawns. Your sweet tooth will be satisfied by the matcha and yuzu choux au cracquelin, vanilla bean panna cotta with gin and cherry bavarois. Accompanying the meal is your choice of coffee or tea, or the addition of sparkling wine for $10 more per person. As for the tea, there are more than 25 varieties on offer ranging from your traditional tea leaves all the way through to rare and unique options. Outside of the high tea hours, G&Tea is open until 8pm seven days a week, and, as the name suggests, gin is the star after dark. Come night time, there is a range of gin-focused cocktails on offer from tea martinis through to the Hummingbird Splice which combines gin, frangelico, pineapple and lime.
You know exactly what it’s like. There you are, staring at the big screen, popcorn in hand, but all you can think is ‘How good would it be to go there right now?’ Even with passports full of stamps gathered the globe over, boutique travel experts Mr & Mrs Smith aren’t immune to the allure of the world’s most beautiful destinations when they appear larger than life on the big screen. Here, we’ve reviewed the new releases and flipped through the DVD cabinet to bring you ten jaw-dropping locations sure to inspire your own memorable moment. 1. Il Palazzetto Where: 8 Vicolo del Bottino, Rome, Italy Inspiration: Woody Allen’s latest, To Rome With Love Some of Woody Allen's personal decisions leave us a little perplexed, but he sure knows how to make a movie. On a roll with stories told outside his native New York, he’s now focused on the Eternal City. Within staggering distance of the Spanish Steps, Il Palazzetto is a serene dream at the heart of the tourist beast. With just four quiet and airy rooms, it can almost feel like you’ve moved into your own 18th-century villa complete with winding staircase (the exact staircase that appeared in Bertolucci’s Besieged). A prime spot is the rooftop terrace, a sun-drenched respite from the Roman chaos below. 2. La Belle Juliette Where: 92, rue du Cherche Midi, Paris, France Inspiration: Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge While the theatrics of the film may not sit completely comfortably in luxe lodgings, there’s something about the colours and fabrics at La Belle Juliette, located in Saint Germain des Pres, that connects it to the celluloid Moulin Rouge. Lolly-sweet hues embellish many of the 34 rooms, although room 306 has more masculine tones. In the salons you may want to bring the cabaret, because it’s here you’ll find a baby grand and golden harp. 3. The Spire Where: 3–5 Church Lane, Queenstown, New Zealand Inspiration: The wild landscape of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Jackson famously shot his epic fantasy trilogy at more than 150 locations around his native New Zealand. Thankfully, you don’t have to go that far to get a wide-format view of those craggy snow-capped peaks eventually tamed by Frodo and friends. As well as those incredible vistas, each of the ten suites at boutique hotel The Spire has iconic midcentury furniture, fur throws, minimalist fireplaces and rich autumnal tones. After a long day on the mountain, raise a glass downstairs in the city’s only champagne bar. 4. Neri Hotel & Restaurante Where: Calle Sant Sever 5, Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain Inspiration: The sun sheer romance of another Woody Allen classic, Vicky Cristina Barcelona You can’t help but drool over Vicky Cristina Barcelona's sun-drenched Spanish scenarios and abundance of vino tinto and flamenco guitar. In the midst of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter – all narrow cobbled lanes emptying on to buzzing squares – Neri Hotel & Restaurante is the epitome of classic meets contemporary. In an 18th-century palace, original Gothic architecture and features have been updated with super-modern features. Romance your own Javier Bardem or ScarJo in one of the 22 rooms decked out in velvet and silk and sporting grey slate tubs, before heading to the hotel’s private rooftop terrace to sip on cava. 5. Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas Where: 3752 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, USA Inspiration: The debauchery of The Hangover Who wouldn’t be tempted by the hedonism of the neon kingdom. Luckily, once the slots and shows have lost their shine, the chic digs at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas can revive your spirits. Its 397 airy, Asian-inspired rooms tower over the Strip with nary a slot machine in sight. Soak up some natural light – so often nullified in sin city – at one of the four pools, and eat like a king at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire. The Michelin-starred chef creates three- or six-course tastings in an otherworldly room. Feeling refreshed? All the better for hitting the town again. 6. Zeavola Where: 11 Moo 8, Laem Tong, Koh Phi Phi, Thailand Inspiration: The remote exoticism of The Beach Yes, things really went tits up for Leo and the gang, but before that happened you couldn’t help but be enchanted by the perfection of Koh Phi Phi. At first, boutique hotel Zeavola may seem like a tiny village of thatched huts perched on the sand, but get closer and the level of luxury becomes more obvious. Each of the 52 freestanding villas is fashioned entirely from teak, with outdoor showers and all mod cons hidden within Thai-inspired furniture. Surrender your shoes and stroll barefoot along pristine Leam Tong beach, book an early-morning boat tour to Koh Phi Phi Lai – where The Beach was filmed – and give yourself over to soothing ministrations in the spa. As the sun sets, ask the staff to set a table by the water and dine with a soundtrack of gently lapping waves. 7. Bamurru Plains Where: Humpty Doo, Northern Territory, Australia Inspiration: Nic and Hugh’s over-the-top outback romance in Australia It may not be the most critically acclaimed flick ever made, but you can't help but be swept up in the grandeur of Australia. With big skies and vast plains, Bamurru Plains is the Australian version of a safari lodge. Nine bungalows, artfully kitted out in timber and corrugated iron, are enclosed in mesh that allows sheer views over the wetlands. The main lodge, with dining room, lounge room and pool, is the centre of activity, but the real action is out there in the wild. Cruise around in an open-top jeep or an airboat in search of buffalo, wallabies, magpie geese and, of course, crocs. 8. Chateau Marmont Where: 8221 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, USA Inspiration: Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere, where the digs had equal billing with Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning We’re not sure that a stay here will have you re-examining your life – as the aimless Johnny Marco was inspired to – but a few days at the Chateau Marmont will make you appreciate the history of the City of Angels. Surprisingly, for a place where the stars glitter ever-so-brightly, this boutique hotel is understated and elegant. Built in 1920 in the arts and crafts style, each of its 63 rooms is midcentury cool. Pop on your Raybans for parading by the pool, jag a garden table at Chateau Restaurant, or order an old-fashioned at Bar Marmont. 9. The Modern Honolulu Where: 1775 Ala Moana Boulevard, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, USA Inspiration: Russell Brand’s rogue rockstar, Aldous Snow, taking a break from touring in Forgetting Sarah Marshall The Modern Honolulu’s rooms are decked out in minimalist white, with ukuleles and orchids to bring the Hawaiian vibe, and seem to reflect all that amazing Hawaiian sunshine. The rooms with views of the ocean are the pick, particularly Room 911, an Ocean Front Suite with a balcony facing the sea and another over the pool. Bust a move at the hotel’s own nightclub, Addiction, and make sure you’ve made a day-after detox appointment at the spa. 10. Goldeneye Hotel & Resort Where: Oracabessa Bay, Oracabessa, Jamaica Inspiration: Bond. James Bond. (Of course) Author Ian Fleming penned all 14 of his Bond novels in the villa that is now the centerpiece of this island hideaway. Things have changed quite a bit since then: there are now 20 cottages at Golden Eye Hotel & Resort surrounding a four-acre cerulean lagoon, as well as a swim-up hillside spa, watersports area and treetop restaurant. It really is the Caribbean paradise you’ve always dreamed of, complete with shaken or stirred rum cocktails from the resort’s Bizot Bar. The owner of this idyllic locale is Island Records supremo Chris Blackwell and some of the personal touches have rockstar written all over them: every room has an iPod loaded with reggae and island tunes, and each guest is given a hip flask of Blackwell’s rum on arrival.
In winter, Marysville is a sea of red. It's like the damp, cool air is keeping autumn's leaves — which have already fallen from the trees — alight and burning until spring comes along, when new ones will be ready to take their place. The sentiment is a lot like Marysville itself. This one-street country town was left with nothing after it was devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009; everything was charred black, and only now has it regained its full colour. Marysville has all but been reborn, just like the leaves in springtime. With homes rebuilt, storefronts repaired and new buildings erected — including a massive new commercial hotel, which takes up most of the frontage on Murchison Street — the little country town has life again. And winter is the perfect time to appreciate it. Bereft of much else but good wine and nature, Marysville is the place to spend that weekend away from the city (and your computer) that you've been talking about; doing all those classic, wholesome activities you associate with a cosy winter weekend in the country. The air is cold and a little damp, the kind that tastes like the trees it comes from and freshens you from the inside out. There's plenty of opportunity for walking, drinking and eating, or just reading from the comfort of your hotel room — all the sort of stuff that will make you feel like you've had a soul massage before returning to work on Monday. Best part is, it's less than two hours drive from the city. SEE AND DO One of the best things you'll see in Marysville presents itself before you even get there. If you follow the Maroondah Highway through the Yarra Valley (stops for wine optional, but recommended) and past Healesville, you'll find yourself driving through the lush, dense forest of the Black Spur. This winding road is completely surrounded by crazy tall mountain ash and a lush buffer of ferns. It's really beautiful and it can be hard to keep your eyes on the road, so pull over at one of the overtaking lanes if you need a few minutes to take it all in, and do your Instagramming outside of the car. Once in Marysville, it won't take you that long to scope out the main drag. But we recommend getting off it and disappearing into the depths of the surrounding forest. The Tree Fern Gully Trail is one of the best walks you can do; almost immediately you feel isolated as the dirt track winds from the town down to Steavenson Falls. It's not a necessarily easy walk — there are a few hills and it takes about an hour each way — but it's just what your inhibited winter soul needs: fresh air and enjoyable exercise. And if you want to visit at night, you can drive straight to the falls carpark and walk down to the viewing platform. It's lit up until midnight. For something a bit more fantastical, take a walk through Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden. The work of Bruno Torfs in enclosed within a somewhat magical garden, and will probably take you back to a time of looking for fairies in the bottom of the garden and tearily watching The Secret Garden. The whole garden was destroyed in the 2009 fires, and local legend Bruno has painstakingly recreated all his work from scratch. There's a $10 entry fee on weekends. EAT AND DRINK Being so close to the Yarra Valley, it makes sense that the Marysville area is prime for growing grapes and making wine. In neighbouring Buxton, Buxton Ridge Winery's cellar door is worth a visit. Lorna Gelbert and her son Michael run the family-owned winery, and will give you a taste of their best drops. They'll even make you up a cheese platter to eat outside on the terrace with a glass of your choice. We recommend the rose or the Shiraz. Whether you've been for a walk or have simply tired yourself out tasting wine, there will no doubt come a time on your Marysville weekend that you'll want to take refuge indoors, with cake. There aren't any trendy cafes here (and you won't get a Small Batch coffee, sorry!), but at Fraga's Cafe, you will be able to get a mean piece of banoffee pie. And really, that's all you need. But the brand new jewel in Marysville's culinary crown is Radius Bar & Eatery, which is adjoined to the new Vibe hotel. All the locals are talking about it (many have already visited multiple times), and on a Saturday night — despite my scepticism about the size of the restaurant in a tiny little town — the place is basically full. Nearly all produce is sourced from within a 100km radius, which explains why locals are so keen to get behind it — by supporting the restaurant, they're supporting their own businesses, and that of their friends. Everything on the menu specifies how far it's travelled to get to the restaurant; the feta-stuffed zucchini flowers use zucchinis from Flowerdale (96km away) and the chicken liver parfait gets its comes from Mansfield (98km). The idea here is to choose your meat and the sides to go with it, and it's the 12-hour roasted lamb shoulder that you really should order. The lamb is pulled and tossed with green olives and eggplant, which makes it rich and decadent, and altogether perfect for a winter meal with a bottle of red. The dish would easily feed three people (which is good value at $28), and you'd only need a few sides — maybe the woodfired barbecue corn and the shaved baby fennel salad. A no-brainer if you're in the area. STAY At last count, an Airbnb search returned only two property results in Marysville. These might be very viable options (if you can nab your preferred weekend in advance), but you'll have much better odds at getting a room at the brand new Vibe Hotel. That's because, by Marysville standards, it's massive — with 101 rooms, it seems like it's been built to house every person who could possibly be in town on any given night. There's a gym, spa, sauna and (for the adventurous) an outdoor pool, so even on cold nights, you'll have multiple ways to keep warm. Ideal for one-nighters where you want the fresh-sheet feel of a hotel, and a buffet breakfast in the morning. CP stayed as a guest of Vibe Hotel Marysville.
Put down your So Fresh CD. Crack open your teenage piggy bank. Keep practicing your Usher slide glide. Because a full-blown R&B frenzy is set to sweep the nation this November as live party tour RnB Fridays returns for five mammoth shows. Descending on Spotless Stadium on November 17 (not a Friday, mind you), the event has managed to pull a pretty serious lineup of international music legends straight from the 90s and early 2000s. Heading the bill is none other than singing, songwriting, dancing superstar Usher, in what will be his first Aussie shows since 2011. He'll be joined by hip hop queens Salt-N-Pepa, rappers T-Pain and Lil Jon, mononymous ladies Eve and Estelle, Grammy Award-winning trio Naughty By Nature, Fatman Scoop and 'Pony' Ginuwine. All of them. Together. In one show. Ticket prices are as momentous as the lineup, with each one starting at $109.90. If you fancy really splashing out, you can opt for $349.90 platinum package — it comes complete with a commemorative lanyard, express entry, front-row real estate and the chance to meet Usher himself. Image: Mushroom Creative House.
New movies always come out on Thursday. Except for one special week of the year, where they come out on Boxing Day, whatever day that might be. It's just another one of those baffling Christmas traditions of which we're terribly fond. In 2013 distributors will be releasing some of their biggest titles — as well as some oddball underdogs — to duke it out on Australia's mass movie-going day. We've seen them all and can report back that some will ease your festive hangover, indigestion and sunstroke more pleasantly than others. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rETaWDZ57v0 Short Term 12 (Sydney and Melbourne only) For when you're with: people who take an expansive view of 'Christmas cheer' It scores: five stars This SXSW Film Festival winner was number one on Buzzfeed's list of 'movies you probably missed in 2013 but definitely need to see', so if you get in quick, you can make it the no.1 movie you outsmarted Buzzfeed on instead. Short Term 12 is the kind of film that feels like a well-edited version of real life — though probably not a life that is familiar to you, if you grew up in safe, loving circumstances. Compulsively watchable and super emotional, it revolves around the kids and their barely adult supervisors at a temporary foster care facility. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ksrkKXoEJbM The Railway Man For when you're with: people with an even more expansive view of 'Christmas cheer' It scores: four stars Based on true events, The Railway Man tells the story of Eric Lomax — a WWII British signalman forced to work upon the infamous Burma line after the Japanese overran his base. Lomax (Colin Firth) was subjected to extraordinary brutality and torture by his captors, the effects of which continued to torment him decades after the war's end; one conflict over, another unceasing. Events finally came to a head in 1980 when Lomax discovered his chief tormenter was still alive and working as a tour guide in the very complex in which he had dispensed his horrors. For a film that covers some terrifically dark elements in excruciating detail, The Railway Man remains an overwhelmingly tender offering that won't feel at all out of place for the post-Christmas period. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rD8f9kn7D2U Philomena For when you're with: more than just your mum It scores: four stars Be not fooled by the marketing materials, which make the film look like an aged-up version of The Trip with Judi Dench in place of Rob Brydon. (Although, thinking about it, that would be brilliant.) Philomena is a terrifically made, entertaining work that stands head and shoulders above many of the films being forced upon us this Christmas. Based on a true story, Philomena follows ex-political spin doctor Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), who, in an attempt to revive his journalism career, chases the "human interest story" of Philomena (Judi Dench) an elderly woman searching for her long-lost son, who was taken from her by Catholic nuns. As the pair investigates, the truth behind the forced adoption becomes all the more shocking. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ve8mc6UNSk The Secret Life of Walter Mitty For when you're with: anybody who can silence their inner cynic It scores: three and a half stars Funny, optimistic, life-affirming and full of pretty pictures and massive special effects, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is the ultimate Hollywood product and is something of a passion project for Ben Stiller, who directed, produced and stars in it. The film follows a quiet Life magazine staffer as he learns to seize the day. When Walter can't find a hyped photo negative, which the photographer has described as capturing the "quintessence of life" and which is wanted for the final magazine cover, he sets off on a worldwide hunt, using the few clues he has. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OPVWy1tFXuc The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug For when you're with: the same people with whom you've seen everything Peter Jackson It scores: three stars The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a marked improvement on last year's An Unexpected Journey. For one thing, it doesn't take an hour for something to happen. Instead, after a brief yet engaging flashback to the first encounter between Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Thorin (Richard Armitage), the film explodes into life with a pursuit of the Dwarf Dozen et al, and remains — by and large — a pursuit to the end. This is a film with enough action to entertain and enough Tolkien to satisfy; however, it ultimately feels more 'distraction' than 'attraction'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TbQm5doF_Uc Frozen For when you're with: children, animation geeks and winter-weather fanatics It scores: three stars When Disney finally bought Pixar in 2006, the deal essentially saw Pixar's creative team taking control of Disney's animated output. Given the strong quality control Pixar has over its products, this was no bad thing. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen — a story Disney has been trying to adapt since the 1940s — the film follows two princesses, one of whom accidentally creates a permanent winter, and the other of whom has to save them from it. It's a far cry from the insufferable toy-selling, pop-culture spewing, catchphrase-ridden films churned out during at the beginning every school holiday period, but nor does it hit the heights of Disney's best output. By Rima Sabina Aouf, Tom Glasson and Lee Zachariah.
Australia loves its big things. We're home to oversized pineapples, bananas and watermelons, plus lobsters and prawns as well. If you don't pass some kind of giant sculpture while you're road tripping around the country — and stopped to take your picture next to it, of course — your drive just isn't the same. Ever wondered why we're so obsessed with huge items? It seems that we have quite the massive past, too. In fact, the country's largest ever dinosaur has just been officially identified. Meet Australotitan cooperensis, whose bones where first unearthed in 2007 in Cooper Creek in outback Queensland, but were given an official scientific description and name by palaeontologists from the Eromanga Natural History Museum and Queensland Museum on Monday, June 7. When this huge dino roamed the earth around 95–98 million years ago, it was as long as a basketball court and as tall as a two-storey building. In numbers, that equates to 25–30 metres long, and between five and six-and-a-half metres tall. Nothing that size or bigger has ever been found on our shores. 'Cooper', as the dino has been nicknamed, is also one of the largest ever discovered worldwide — with dinosaurs of comparable or bigger size only found in South America so far. So, if Jurassic Park or Jurassic World ever happened to become a reality in Queensland, recreating local dinos, we'd all come face to face with quite the mammoth creatures. [caption id="attachment_814992" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Steve Young[/caption] "This new titanosaurian is the largest dinosaur from Australia represented by osteological remains," explains Eromanga Natural History Museum and field palaeontologist Robyn Mackenzie. "These are the largest dinosaurs that ever walked on earth and based on the preserved limb size comparisons, this new titnaosaur is estimated to be in the top five largest in the world." To identify Cooper — and, crucially, to ensure that it was a new species — 3D scans were taken of each bone, which were then compared to those of its closest relatives. That involved cross-referencing with both local species and others worldwide. While Cooper is closely related to three other Australian sauropods that lived during the Cretaceous Period (so, around 92–96 million years ago), this exact dino species hadn't been found before. If you'd like to see Cooper's fossilised remains, they're on display in the Eromanga Natural History Museum's fossil collection, which is around a 12-hour drive west from Brisbane. The museum has its own onsite place to stay, called Cooper's Country Lodge, should you need somewhere to bunk down for the night. Further north in Winton, Queensland is already home to a dinosaur-focused museum — because that's where other dinosaur fossils were found back in 1999. So yes, your next road trip can involve trekking across the outback to check out these fascinating remnants of the earth's past. Life finds a way, obviously. Find the Eromanga Natural History Museum at 1 Dinosaur Drive, Eromanga — open from 9am–5pm daily. Top image: Eromanga Natural History Museum.
Back in 2021, Four Pillars and QT Hotels and Resorts joined forces to celebrate one of life's small joys. Whether you're spending a night far from home or you're staycationing in your own neck of the woods, enjoying a drink at the hotel bar is always a highlight after check-in. There's just something about being able to duck downstairs for a cocktail — or dropping in on your way back up to your room, too — that screams vacation, so the gin distillers and the hotel chain created the perfect tipple for the occasion. For folks looking for a new reason to ditch your own bed for an evening — or simply fond of sipping drinks in hotel bars and pretending you're on holidays — Ordered Chaos Gin was that beverage. It featured coconut milk, raw almonds and bamboo leaves as part of its flavour profile, and it was only available at QT Hotels' bars, plus to order by the bottle for your own gin shrine. And, at the time, it was a once-off — until now. Meet Gilded Chaos Gin, sibling to 2021's drop, and the newest limited-edition tipple trying to tempt you out of the house. Once more, Four Pillars and QT have collaborated on a new gin with an inventive array of flavours. This time, expect to taste wild fennel, sage and vetiver. Clearly, this isn't the type of tipple even the most dedicated gin fans are used to knocking back. The sage will hit your nose, while you'll also taste macadamia and cardamom — and get a burst of citrus thanks to lemon leaves. "A couple of trials and taste tests with sage, vetiver and wild fennel led us to our new Gilded Chaos Gin, a fantastic blend that hits all the right notes," explains Four Pillars co-founder Cameron Mackenzie. Again, you'll only find Gilded Chaos Gin being poured at QT Hotels' bars, where it'll be served in two kinds of cocktails: the Gilded Chaos Luxe Martini, which also features lemon peel, extra-virgin olive oil and anise-flavoured spirit pastis; and the Gilded Gibson, which uses Cocchi Vermouth di Torino Dry, plus kaffir lime leaf that's been nitro-flashed with cocktail onion brine. The places to hit up: QT Sydney, QT Melbourne, QT Canberra, QT Newcastle, QT Gold Coast, QT Perth, QT Auckland, QT Wellington and QT Queenstown. And if your gin collection needs a new addition, Gilded Chaos Gin will set you back $110 a bottle, but only while stocks last. Four Pillars x QT Hotels Gilded Chaos Gin is available at the hotel chain's bars, and to buy by the bottle via the brand's website.
Obsession-worthy desserts and Gelato Messina go hand in hand, whether you can't get enough of the brand's revolving ice cream lineup or you're especially fond of its one-off treats. Here's one of the latter to tempt your tastebuds, and take you all the way back to your tuckshop days: a new cookie pie, this time in a honey joy version. No need to eat cereal for breakfast — instead, you can get your fix in this indulgent dessert, which'll also clearly serve up plenty of nostalgia. It features a choc chip cookie base, vanilla custard and crunchy honey joys. The word you're looking for? Yum. It's been a couple of years since the gelato chain first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and it sure does love bringing the OTT dessert back over and over. No, we're not complaining. We all need an extra dose of sweetness every now and then, clearly, including during a particularly frosty winter. Hang on, a cookie pie? It is indeed a pie, but it's made of cookie dough. And it serves four-to-six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, whacking it in the oven for 20–25 minutes at 160–180 degrees , so you get to enjoy that enticing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. This time around, the Frankenstein's monster-style honey joy cookie pie really is exactly what it sounds like — and you can buy it by itself for $28, or in kits with some of the cult ice creamery's famed gelato to go along with it. You can opt for a 500-millilitre tub for an extra $12, a one-litre tub for an additional $21 or a 1.5-litre tub for an extra $23. If you're keen to get yourself a piece of the pie, they're available to preorder online on Monday, August 1. And, because Messina's specials always prove popular, the brand staggers its on-sale times. Accordingly, folks in Queensland and the ACT are able to purchase at 9am, Victorians at 9.15am, and New South Wales customers split across three times depending on the store (with pies from Surry Hills, Bondi, Randwick and Miranda on sale at 9.30am; Brighton Le Sands, Tramsheds, Parramatta and Darlinghurst at 9.45am; and Darling Square, Newtown, Norwest, Rosebery and Penrith at 10am). The catch? You will need to peel yourself off the couch and head to their local Messina store to collect your order. The pies will be available to pick up between Friday, August 5–Sunday, August 7. You can preorder a Messina honey joy cookie pie from Monday, August 1, to pick up from all NSW, Victoria and Queensland Gelato Messina stores.
Internationally and at home, borders have been opening up to tourists. Finally, we can get back to crossing destinations and experiences off our ever-growing travel bucket lists. We can run away to remote beaches. We can get lost in bustling cities full of culture. And, at last, we can go to a place which isn't full of your neighbours – don't be mad, sometimes it's good to be around different people. All in all, it's time to go exploring (or escaping). To get out of our local towns and cities and experience something new. There are endless possibilities when it comes to choosing where to go next, so let us help you. We've created this list of incredible locations and paired them up with some exclusive holiday deals. All you've got to do is pack your bags and put your out-of-office on. [caption id="attachment_872774" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taweeroj Eawpanich (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Japan Why: Thank the travel gods for Japan's reopening to tourists. This country is on so many people's travel bucket lists for so many reasons. Nature lovers, foodies, thrill seekers and culture kids are all offered something entirely unique in a place that's unlike anywhere else on earth. Who could say no to sake-fuelled karaoke nights, whacky themed restaurants and remote onsen baths? How: Get through your Japan bucket list using the country's famously elite rail system and staying in a mix of traditional ryokan accommodation and modern hotels. Experience the can't-miss places by starting in Kyoto — where you'll get the best of 'old' Japan (including the iconic Golden Pavilion and historic geisha district of Gion), making your way to Hiroshima to visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, before experiencing the sensory overload and diverse culture of one of the world's most dynamic cities, Tokyo. You'll need at least 10 days to do it properly. Go if you want to... experience a collision of cultures, both ancient and ultra-modern, in one of the most tourist-friendly places on earth. Book it now: Book the ultimate first-timer's cultural tour of Japan here. [caption id="attachment_872751" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sorasak (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Auckland Why: Based around two stunning harbours and surrounded by picturesque islands, Auckland is a city like no other. Yes, nature is on your doorstep. Wineries are just a short drive away. As are remote beaches and Lord Of The Rings-esque mountain ranges. But this city is worthy of visiting in and of itself. You've got world renowned galleries, exciting restaurants and bars opening up all the time, theatres packed with long line-ups of comedians and musicians and a heap of other cultural happenings. How: First things first, we will do you the service of directing you to the Auckland section of Concrete Playground but here's a few of our personal selections. You can explore world-class exhibitions at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, find all the best local wares and fresh produce at the Farmers Market in Matakana, visit the island of wine (Waiheke Island), do some whale watching in the Hauraki Gulf or go on a road trip up on the west coast to find some of New Zealand's best beaches. Go if you want to… see what all the New Zealand hype is about — exploring endless natural landscapes as well as experiencing the city's thriving arts and food scene. Book it now: Book the ultimate VIP Spring City Music Festival trip with access to all of Auckland's best offerings here. [caption id="attachment_872969" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sulthan Auliya (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Cook Islands Why: Each of the 15 islands that make up the Cook Islands is a tropical paradise. We could gawk at photos of the palm-lined beaches, vast turquoise lagoons and coral reefs full of your Finding Nemo favourites for days on days. But that's just pure masochism. Get on a plane and visit the Pacific paradise instead. The Cook Islands are on the bucket list of so many beach-loving travellers — be they snorkelling and scuba diving enthusiasts, or lovers of luxury resorts and beachside glamping experiences. How: Located a six-hour (ish) flight from the east coast of Australia, your first port of call will be Rarotonga. Within an hour of landing, you can find yourself at a beach bar sipping cocktails or floating around in your own private plunge pool — forgetting that the rest of the world exists. You can then go further afield on a series of island cruise tours, hikes up into the rainforests, or go snorkelling around coral reefs. Alternatively, hire a bike and find your own private patch of Rarotonga to call home for the day. Go if you want to…. escape to a tropical island paradise. Book it now: Book a peaceful getaway at a Rarotonga retreat with luxury glamping here. [caption id="attachment_872741" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christoph Burgdorfer (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Cambodia Why: You can live out your best Lara Croft fantasies in Cambodia's jungles (with less stealing of local artefacts and blowing up of beautiful ancient sites). The underrated Southeast Asian bucket list location is a land of spectacular ancient temples that nature is slowly claiming as its own. The villages and cities each have their own bustling markets full of local wares and tasty street food. And the welcoming locals will help you better understand their own captivating culture. How: When in Cambodia, you must visit the ancient temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap (or lesser-known Ta Prohm nearby) and learn the secrets behind Khmer cuisine in bustling food markets and at some of the countless street food stalls dotted about the country. Phnom Penh is, of course, a city that also deserves your time and attention. Reflect on Cambodia's tragic history at sobering sites such as the S21 school and the Killing Fields before taking in their spectacularly colourful palaces and pagodas. And, while you're in the area, try to fit in a visit to one of Cambodia's hot ticket neighbouring countries like Vietnam and Laos. Go if you want to… explore ancient temples surrounded by nature and wildlife as well as get a culture overload within seemingly chaotic cities full of incredibly welcoming locals who will feed you all the best local grub. Book it now: Book the complete Cambodia adventure tour here. [caption id="attachment_872744" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Wheeler (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Byron Bay Why: let's just say this from the get-go — Byron Bay is so much more than just the home of soulless influencers and the brothers' Hemsworth. Byron Bay and its surrounding regions are an embarrassment of riches when it comes to incredible beaches, one of Australia's most exciting food and produce scenes, and is the ultimate wellness playground with resorts, retreats and experiences that are dedicated to losing yourself or finding yourself. How: Set yourself up in accommodation that is social. It's a great place to meet likeminded people — do some group yoga classes, find your zen during a guided meditation, or set out on a sea kayaking adventure to spot turtles and dolphins. Spend your nights out at great restaurants, hit up some local bars and stroll through the town and beyond. You don't need to go full luxury here. You can enjoy Byron's vibe on a decent budget too. Go if you want to… live without shoes for an entire week by the coast, treating yourself to all the best self-care experiences. Book it now: Book a restorative Byron Bay wellness escape here. [caption id="attachment_872743" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jake Charles (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Morocco Why: This North African country is bursting with natural wonders, from the beaches lining The Med all the way through to the red sandy dunes of the Sahara Desert. And the cities are just as special. Get lost in maze-like markets where you'll find locals selling just about anything (from extraordinary spices to beautiful textiles), before exploring a range of cities and villages steeped in history and eclectic architecture. How: Casablanca and Marrakech are the spots to set up your base. Within Casablanca, you can visit the famous Villa des Arts Gallery & Museum for world-class exhibitions and visit the mind-blowing Hassan II Mosque located right on the water. And, from here, you can get a taste of Morocco's rural culture in colourful towns such as Rabat and Meknes. Marrakech, an ancient city wrapped in European modernity is where you'll find bustling bazaars and hammams for all the best pampering. It's also close to the Sahara Desert, where you can find the quintessential camel ride experiences and luxury camps. To get the most out of Morocco, you'll want to spend a couple weeks jumping from city to city. Go if you want to... mix remote desert glamping with bustling cities steeped in culture — expressed through food, art and architecture. Book it now: Book an exclusive Morocco getaway with all the trimmings here. [caption id="attachment_872748" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danny Lau (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Bali Why: Bali is beautiful. That's undeniable. And it's been on the top of the travel list for many Australians for decades. But some of the best parts of Bali exist in the remote areas where nature is mostly untamed. Walk along empty beaches and through dense jungles or simply swim in your pool overlooking all that natural beauty. How: Zip around the winding roads of Bali on a quad bike (or just get a taxi if you dare not undertake this feat) to explore the temples, holistic centres, yoga studios, rice fields and stacks of local markets of the Ubud region. You won't see quite as many Bintag singlets in these parts. You can also visit Canggu and Uluwatu to find the best surf or Kuta and Seminyak for those famous Bali party vibes. Choose your own Bali adventure. Go if you want to... run away to a remote jungle paradise and live that luxury lifestyle without breaking the bank. Book it now: Book an indulgent bail holiday away from all the crowds here. [caption id="attachment_872752" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Niklas Weiss (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Mexico Why: Why the hell not?! Mexico has it all. Urban cities full of modern art and culture — and let's not forget the legendary and world class cuisine. Then you've got long white sand beaches that stretch on for miles as well as dense forests with hidden waterfalls for the adventurers. Small villages are also full of vibrant indigenous cultures where residents still live the traditional way of life. There are boundless ways to fall in love with Mexico. How: Mexico City is a mighty fine starting off point. The Leon Trotsky and Frida Kahlo (La Casa Azul) Museums are must-see. As are the colourful Diego Rivera Murals in the Mural Museum. Make sure you carve out some time to get lost in the Juarez neighbourhood too. This area, full of young creatives, has evolved in recent years. Once gritty, it is now teeming with great boutiques, bars, parks, and restaurants. Smaller cities such as Izamal and Merida are also great for a less crowded cultural experiences. You've then got Teotihuacan, Mitla and Oaxaca, where you'll find countless ancient archaeological sites steeped in history. And lastly, there is the one and only Playa del Carmen. Sit by the pool (finishing that book you've been working on for far too long) or get a little more active with snorkelling excursions. We could go on and on about the abundance of joy to be found on a journey to Mexico. Just make sure you give yourselves two weeks to see as much of this country as you can. Go if you want to… experience an intoxicatingly joyful culture — expressed through warm hospitality, flavour-packed food and all manners of modern and ancient art. The famous beaches and coastal towns aren't so bad for pure relaxation either. Book it now: Book an epic journey from Mexico City to Playa del Carmen here. [caption id="attachment_872767" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Vives (Unsplash)[/caption] Where: Phuket Why: There are over 1400 islands in Thailand. And they range in reasons to visit. Visitors choose where to go depending on whether they're after party vibes, quiet escapes, family-friendly fun or adventure activities. But the beauty of Phuket is that it offers up a little bit of everything. You can do it all here — all while being surrounded by 50 kilometres of dazzling shoreline. How: First off, Mai Khao Beach is a big bucket list destination. This seemingly infinite stretch of sand lined with trees is what postcards are made for. It's stupid beautiful. Plus, it's also a national park and sea turtle zone. That means it's the perfect place to get your snorkel on. Patong is the nightlife epicentre of Phuket — for better or for worse. Here you'll find a booming party scene, busy beaches and neon-lit streets full of people having a ball. But if this one island isn't enough, you can easily jump on a ferry to nearby islands or take a day-long cruise around a bunch of the best. Go if you want to... get all the best bits of staying on an island without emptying your entire savings account. Book it now: Book a surprisingly affordable luxury resort in Phuket here. [caption id="attachment_872775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ratul Ghosh (Unsplash)[/caption] Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world. Top Image: Danny Lau (Unsplash)
It's been 16 years since The The last toured and three decades since they last graced an Aussie stage, but the UK post-punk legends are returning in a big way this October, with a two-night Sydney Opera House debut. The October 2 and 3 shows are part of a whirlwind tour attached to an appearance at Melbourne Festival, the band's only other Australian show. Led by Matt Johnson, The The is considered one of the most acclaimed, politically engaged bands of the 1980s, pitched among the ranks of fellow musical royalty, The Smiths, The Cure, New Order and Morrissey. Hit albums like Soul Mining (1983), Infected (1986), Mind Bomb (1989) and Dusk (1992) were staples of an entire era's angsty soundtrack. The band's just as famed for its ever-changing lineup and for this year's comeback shows, Johnson's called in one band member from each of his three previous tours to help reimagine that critically acclaimed back catalogue. He'll be joined on the iconic Concert Hall stage by bassist James Eller, lead guitarist Barrie Cadogan, Earl Harvin on drums and DC Collard on keyboards. The The's Australian dates come off the back of a sold-out series of London concerts, a fast-selling tour of Europe and the USA, and the release of new single 'We Can't Stop What's Coming'. Image: Thomas Feiner.
Gone are the days when every image that flickered across the screen did so within an almost square-shaped frame. That time has long passed, in fact, with widescreen formats replacing the 1.375:1 Academy aspect ratio that once was standard in cinemas, and its 4:3 television counterpart. So, when a director today fits their visuals into a much tighter space than the now-expansive norm, it's an intentional choice. They're not just nodding to the past, even if their film takes place in times gone by. With First Cow, for instance, Kelly Reichardt unfurls a story set in 19th-century America, but she's also honing her audience's focus. The Meek's Cutoff, Night Moves and Certain Women filmmaker wants those guiding their eyeballs towards this exquisite movie to truly survey everything that it peers at. She wants them to see its central characters — chef Otis 'Cookie' Figowitz (John Magaro, Overlord) and Chinese entrepreneur King-Lu (Orion Lee, Zack Snyder's Justice League) — and to realise that neither are ever afforded such attention by the others in their fictional midst. Thoughtfully exploring the existence of figures on the margins has long been Reichardt's remit, as River of Grass, Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy have shown as well, but she forces First Cow's viewers to be more than just passive observers in this process. There's much to take in throughout this magnificently told tale, which heads to Oregon as most of Reichardt's movies have. There's plenty to glean from its patient static shots of the river and scrubby landscape circa 1820, and from the way that the director's three-time cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt shoots its leafy setting as a place of light and shadow. Most telling, though, is how First Cow constantly views Cookie and King-Lu within their surroundings. Sometimes, the outcast pair actively tries to blend in, but the film makes it clear that they're already consistently overlooked in the local fur-trapper community. Equally pivotal is the frequent use of frames within the feature's already-restricted imagery — sometimes via windows and doorways, as Certain Women did as well, or by peeking through the gaps in slats in the makeshift shack the pair decide to call home. Again and again, First Cow stresses that genuinely seeing these men, their lives, and their hopes, desires and attempts to chase the American dream, is an act of bearing witness to the smallest of details, delights, exchanges, glances and moments. Initially, after watching an industrial barge power down a river, First Cow follows a woman (Alia Shawkat, Search Party) and her dog as they discover a couple of skeletons nearby. Then, jumping back two centuries and seeing another boat on the same waterway, it meets Cookie as he's searching for food. Whatever he finds, or doesn't, the fur-trapper team he works with never has a kind word to spare. But then Cookie stumbles across King-Lu one night, helps him evade the Russians on his tail, and the seeds of friendship are sown. When the duo next crosses paths, they spend an alcohol-addled night sharing their respective ideas for the future. Those ambitious visions get a helping hand after the Chief Factor (Toby Jones, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom) ships in the region's highly coveted first cow, with Cookie and King-Lu secretly milking the animal in the dark of night, then using the stolen liquid to make highly sought-after — and highly profitable — oily cakes. In its own quiet, closely observed, deeply affectionate and warm-hearted fashion, First Cow is a heist film. Reichardt's gentle and insightful spin on the usually slick and twist-filled genre bucks every convention there is, however. Tension is a regular part of Cookie and King-Lu's lives; they're introduced being denigrated and chased, after all. So, while the pair tests their luck during their surreptitious moonlight rendezvous with the titular bovine, the film's sense of strain only increases slightly. Here, the act of pilfering isn't the main attraction. Those midnight scenes are gorgeous — Cookie chats tenderly to the cow as he squeezes her udders, offering his condolences about the mate and calf that didn't survive the journey — but they're also brief. Reichardt is far more interested in the change that Cookie and King-Lu bring out in each other, their connection as kindred spirits in an inhospitable locale and their small-scale quest to subvert the status quo. With sensitivity and compassion, but also with an unflinching awareness of how the world regards those on its fringes, First Cow examines the home and hope that one person can find in another, too, and interrogates the ways in which America's embrace of capitalism can inspire, lift and crush as well. Bold plans, delicate subterfuge, big successes, fraught chases and sublime snatches of tranquility — all five play out in Reichardt's richly detailed and hauntingly soulful movie. Indeed, only she could've made this film sing as stirringly and bittersweetly as it does, and feel as transporting and resonant as it proves at every turn. Reichardt adapts Jonathan Raymond's novel The Half Life, co-scripting with the writer himself in their fifth collaboration. She's gifted with mesmerisingly soulful performances from Magaro and Lee, who play their parts so vividly and intricately that ten pictures about Cookie and King-Lu wouldn't be enough. But the empathy that seeps into each second is firmly one of the filmmakers's enduring and welcome hallmarks, as is the unwavering commitment to trading in the everyday and the intimate while excavating the perennial myth about the US being the land of opportunity. Reichardt's approach isn't unparalleled, though. Fellow directors Chloé Zhao and Debra Granik have splashed many of the same traits throughout their work, and have also helmed masterpieces as a result; see: Nomadland and The Rider in the former's case, and Leave No Trace and Winter's Bone in the latter's. The three share not just a willingness but an eagerness to chronicle narratives that would otherwise be overlooked, traverse more than the usual patches of land, champion oft-ignored perspectives, and challenge America's values and self-image — and they each make their films feel like their own. With First Cow, Reichardt is leisurely and loving, and also candid and devastating. She ensures that everyone watching her boxed-in frames rides those ebbs and flows, and that they're moved by every moment. Whenever she steps behind the camera, something astonishing always happens, as her filmography just keeps demonstrating — but First Cow is pure cinematic perfection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jWZ6P1rWy4
Many equations are at work in X+Y, and not just the part of one that forms the film's pithy title. Mathematics features prominently throughout the movie, as a child prodigy finds solace in numbers after being diagnosed on the autism spectrum, then attends maths camp and strives to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Again, that's not all, with bigger, broader calculations at work throughout the feature. Indeed, the end product is simply one giant sum of clear-cut components. Take a true tale, add a director who has previously made the story into a documentary, plus the standard outsider-overcomes-adversity themes. Multiply the heartwarming emotions already swelling with a dash of family tragedy, a teacher looking for meaning and a teenage romance. The result is filmmaker Morgan Matthews' fictionalised account of his 2007 TV effort Beautiful Young Minds, as well as his fiction film debut. There's no mistaking the tender mood he's not only attempting to conjure but succeeds in bathing the feature in from start to finish. There's just no mistaking the obvious formula either, even given the movie's real-life basis. After the death of his father (Martin McCann), Nathan (played by Edward Baker-Close as a 10-year-old, and Asa Butterfield as he ages) struggles to connect to his well-meaning mother (Sally Hawkins). Instead, he escapes into his love of maths, warming to a local teacher, Mr Humphreys (Rafe Spall), during private lessons. Their shared affinity for advanced arithmetic sparks dreams of competing at the highest level, even more so when Nathan is selected to train in Taipei to hone his skills. There, he meets fellow numbers wiz Zhang Mei (Jo Yang), a friendship growing alongside the usually awkward Nathan's own confidence. What makes X+Y amble by isn't the narrative that would shout its message of acceptance from the rooftops if it could've found a way to make that seem even remotely plausible, but the cast. The film may lack subtlety in most areas, especially dialogue; however, it finds nuance in the work of Butterfield, Hawkins and Spall. All have played their roles before — the lonely boy looking for a place to belong, the caring woman striving to make the best of a complicated situation, and loveable but troubled companion — yet they never let that flavour their performances. Others who come into their orbit, including Eddie Marsan as Humphreys' own maths teacher, offer similarly perceptive portrayals. Elsewhere, it's a sweet affair, both in the way the film feels and looks. On one hand, that means huge helpings of syrup in the screenplay, more so as it reaches its predictable conclusion. On the other hand, the film's frames are often saturated in colour, a stylistic flourish actually — and surprisingly — also grounded in the script. Alas, though such a great visual touch shows a willingness to do more than paint by numbers, as does a brief but breezed-over flirtation with a darker subplot, such thinking outside the box is all too fleeting. The final equation: X+Y equals a nicely acted and ultimately conventional coming-of-age effort, with 111 minutes of running time as its proof.
After moving into the space that once was the Newtown Social Club last year, the Holey Moley crew has taken up residence in the building right underneath the Kings Cross Coca-Cola sign. Here, two neighbouring spaces have been joined to create Holey Moley's biggest venue yet, featuring a huge 27 holes, across three separate mini golf courses. And while this one boasts the same DNA as its siblings, it's also got enough new gimmicks to keep even Holey Moley pros on their toes. The space itself pays homage to the area, and the mini golf offering's been ramped up to include a range of different experiences you won't find anywhere else across the group's stable. As you can expect, it has view across the city. Been to Newtown a few times? Holey Moley Darlinghurst also heralds the arrival of some new additions to the menu. Now you can tame your post-putting hunger with the likes of burgers and hot dogs. Behind the bar, new liquid hits include the Cherry Ripe for the Picking, made on cherry liqueur, coconut rum and whipped cream, and a grapefruit, Aperol and vodka concoction cheekily dubbed the Austin Sours. Since opening in Newtown in July last year, Holey Moley has gone on to open outposts in Castle Hill, Newcastle and Wollongong. So while it might not be welcome news to everyone that the bar has opened in what was once, pre-lockout laws, Sydney's nightlife district, it's hardly surprising. Images: Mitch Lowe.
Since opening back in 2011, Freda's has been Chippendale's go-to watering hole for Sydney's creative community. It's also been instrumental in the neighbourhood's music and arts scene. So, it's no wonder that the bar, a bit further down the track, went on to open its own basement gallery: Down / Under Space. Down / Under is the kind of lo-fi, multi-disciplinary and (literally) underground space you would expect from Freda's, too. Run by artists, curators and filmmakers, the space hosts everything from exhibitions and openings, performance art, film, live music, group shows, solo shows and everything in between. It's a space that fosters emerging artists and Sydney's creative community — something that can be hard to find in this city. Here, you'll find boundary-pushing works, a buzzing atmosphere and plenty of experimentation at this multi-arts space. Plus, after you get your art-fix, you can head up to the bar for a drink and some live tunes. Image: Kitti Gould.
Monster movies have their place. Slasher films, and every horror flick about fiendish foes, too. But features about real-life atrocities — events such as the Port Arthur massacre, where 35 people were murdered and 23 others wounded — should never share the same notions of evil. Director Justin Kurzel and screenwriter Shaun Grant understand this, and demonstrate a canniness so astute that it's unnerving. They make movies that take this notion as a given, unpacking dark chapters of Australia's history guided with it as their guiding principle. That's clear in Nitram, their new film about the events preceding that tragic incident in Tasmania in 1996, just as it was in their 2011 debut Snowtown. Both movies dive into loathsome true crimes. Both films are difficult, distressing, disquieting and disturbing, understandably. Both features are also brilliant for many reasons, the fact that they're about people rather than monsters high among them. It's terrifying to contemplate something so gut-wrenchingly abominable as the bodies-in-barrels murders, which Snowtown depicts, and to face the fact that people rather than evil were behind them. Nitram courts and provokes the same response as it focuses on something equally as ghastly, and similarly refuses to see the perpetrator in shades of black and white. In their third collaboration — with 2019's bold and blazing True History of the Kelly Gang in the middle — Kurzel and Grant don't excuse their protagonist. They don't try to justify the unjustifiable, explain it, exploit it, or provide neat answers to a near-unfathomable crime. Rather, they're exactingly careful in depicting the lone gunman responsible for Australia's worst single-shooter mass killing, right down to refusing to name him. (The movie's title comes from his moniker backwards, and it's all he's ever called on-screen.) Nitram does depict its eponymous figure's mental health issues and medication, and his status as an outcast, but not as reasons for what's to come. It shows his complicated relationships, mentions his struggles as a boy and sees how he's teased as an adult, yet never deems these motives. All such things can be part of someone's life, or not, and that person can commit heinous deeds, or not — and Nitram doesn't ever even dream of seeing that as a straightforward cause-and-effect equation. In his fifth stint behind the lens — 2015's blistering Macbeth and 2016's abysmal Assassin's Creed are also on his resume — Kurzel does adopt a hazy aesthetic, though. The film isn't dreamy, instead resembling anxious memories worn and frayed from too much time looping in someone's mind. Its imagery is boxed in within a constricted frame, heightening that sensation; however, cinematographer Germain McMicking (Acute Misfortune) shoots Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones, The Outpost) as if he's roving around the space to test the boundaries. The character does just that narrative-wise. He earns his wearied mother's (Judy Davis, Mystery Road) constant exasperation, and almost everyone else's dismay. His father (Anthony LaPaglia, Below) expresses more warmth, but is just as affected. After knocking on her door attempting to start a lawn-mowing business, eccentric lottery heiress Helen (Essie Davis, Babyteeth) shows Nitram kindness and showers him with gifts, but even with her he's still pushing limits. When she sees him shooting at an old car with an air rifle in her sprawling backyard, she forbids it. It's her sternest moment. She also asks him not to lunge at the steering wheel as she's driving and, as turbulent as ever, Nitram keeps doing it. Crucially, Nitram anchors its namesake's notions of right and wrong in a childhood interview with the real-life gunman, with the archival footage opening the film. In hospital after frolicking with fireworks, the boy who'll grow up to blight Australian history forever is asked if he has learned from the experience. "Yes" is his answer, "but I'm still playing with 'em," he continues. Nitram isn't ever so overt as to echo those words throughout the movie, and it also doesn't need to. The idea ripples through every scene anyway, whether its central figure is later trifling with firecrackers at a school as an adult, lapping up Helen's affection amid her beloved brood of dogs and the constant sound of Gilbert and Sullivan show tunes, or slapping his dad out of an emotional low. Another scene — a powerhouse due to the inimitable Judy Davis, and a searing monologue delivered with festering pain — cements the idea that Nitram is cognisant of how his actions affect others, but that truth also resounds in Jones' Cannes Film Festival Best Actor-winning performance. He plays the part like Nitram knows he's testing boundaries, and knows the effect he frequently has on others. While even later still, the character tells his mother that when he watches himself on camcorder footage, he's not certain who he sees, there's never any doubt he's cognisant of how the world perceives him. Jones' work here is fragile but weighty, volatile but lived-in, boisterous but anguished, and petulant but intimidating. It's all these things at once and, even with other menacing roles in his on-screen past, it's phenomenal. Davis, LaPaglia and Davis make as much of an impression, one stiffened by time, one stripped bare through denial, one lonely and generous, and Kurzel shows that his winning way with actors is just as masterful here as in almost everything (Assassin's Creed aside) on his filmography. His love of sound and fury remains intact here as well, and it certainly signifies plenty. Every second of Nitram is designed to keep unpacking not only the lead-up to the Port Arthur tragedy — an event that's purposefully never shown itself, but inherently tints the film with foreboding, tension, horror and unease — but also the views of masculinity that've become as baked into Australia as the ochre-hued soil. Every moment is meticulously crafted to unsettle, to challenge, and to confront the reality that something this abhorrent happened at the hands of this man. Nitram doesn't trade in answers, but it does come with a message. Its gun scenes haunt, including when amassing weapons proves effortless if you have the cash and inclination. These sequences also help explain why Kurzel and Grant have taken on a clearly nerve-wracking endeavour, as the movie's post-script underscores. Australia's response to April 1996, in enacting tough gun legislation and buybacks, helped console a grieving country, but those laws have since been watered down. Now, more firearms exist across the nation than did then. That too is blood-curdling and traumatic, and making sure it resonates is another of this tremendous film's achievements.
Casula Powerhouse is gearing up for not one, not two, but three stellar exhibitions opening this month. They all kick off on Launch Day on July 22 amidst food, wine and dogs. In other words, all the good things. Near x Far in Switch Gallery (on until September 17) is the first of the offerings, presenting explorations of space and dwelling — from homes to natural landscapes to the metaphysical world — by artists Rebecca Gallo, Matthew James, David Kirkpatrick and Anna Kuroda, Shireen Taweel, Grace Toiava, Hannah Toohey, and Vaughan and Vincent Wozniak-O'Connor. The artists use sound, performance, sculpture, light, photography and pattern making to investigate how space is mapped, marked and remembered. Inland Drive in the Theatre Foyer Gallery showcases Western Sydney-based Gary Smith, whose artworks reflect upon memories of commuting on the inner west and south west lines through Liverpool and Campbelltown. Smith uses continuous-line drawing technique in conjunction with brightly coloured acrylic and watercolour paints to map out (from an imagined, drone-like aerial perspective) the urban landscape he grew up in, where carparks and shopping centres have replaced paddocks in a steady urban sprawl. You can check it out until August 10. Last but not least, dog lovers shouldn't miss Every Dog Will Have Its Day (also closing September 17) — a playful show in which ten contemporary artists including Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, David Capra and Anastasia Klose explore the enduring bond between humans and their dogs — plus the varied purposes dogs have fulfilled over history (workers, protectors, faithful companions). Emerging curators Sophia Cai and Kathleen Linn oversee this show ranging across sculpture, video, drawing, painting and performance. Go on, make a day of it. Image: Gary Smith, 'Grid Locked' (2016).
Surry Hills isn't short on pizzerias. You'll find traditional woodfired versions at Via Napoli, Neapolitan-style ones at Vacanza, pizzas with a side of award-winning cocktails at Maybe Frank and untraditional toppings at The Dolphin. When the inner-east suburb's newest pizza spot opens later this month, though, it won't be slinging your usual doughy rounds. Set to launch on the corner of Crown and Foveaux streets, Pizza Fritta 180, as the name suggests, will be serving a lesser-known Neapolitan dish: fried pizza. The corner store is the brainchild of Luigi Esposito — the founder and head chef of Crown Street's Via Napoli, which also has outposts in Lane Cove and Hunters Hill — who grew up selling pizza fritta on the streets of Naples with his grandparents. And he's still using his nonna's recipe today. Expect to tuck into the calzone-like Nonna Rosa (stuffed with salami, provolone, ricotta and pomodoro sauce) and the Pizza Elena (stuffed with pork cheek, provolone and creamy ricotta). These function as the ideal bar snack, to be eaten pizza in one hand and drink in another. The restaurant will also champion another type of fried pizza: the montanara. Instead of being stuffed and folded like pizza fritta, these mini pizzas are flat and topped with the likes of prosciutto and bocconcini or, even, an entire ball of burrata. Many of the ingredients for both dishes have been imported directly from Naples, too. And there's a full on sweets menu too, including fried Nutella calzones and hot cinnamon doughnuts called graffa. The restaurant's vibe will emulate the lively laneway bars of Naples — and you can bet aperitivo hour will be on the menu. Expect Aperol spritzes, negronis and Italian beers, of course, as well as cured meats hanging from the open kitchen, where chefs will be tossing and kneading the pizza dough throughout service. Pizza Fritta 180 will open in late February at 428 Crown Street, Surry Hill.
Melbourne masquerades as New York in Predestination, the latest film from German-Australian directing duo Michael and Peter Spierig. Reuniting the twin filmmakers with their Daybreakers star Ethan Hawke, this slickly produced time-travel noir attempts to put its own distinctive spin on one of sci-fi's most thoroughly exploited sub-genres. There are plenty of intriguing concepts beneath the movie's stylish surface, although often their delivery leaves a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, some old-school vibes — and an astounding, career-making performance from actress Sarah Snook — ensures Predestination is worth your precious time. Adapted, and expanded, from Robert A. Heinlein's 13-page short story All You Zombies, much of the first half of the film takes place in a dive bar in New York, where a time-travelling secret agent (Hawke), on the trail of a terrorist mastermind, is working undercover serving drinks. One evening, he strikes up a conversation, seemingly at random, with a sullen young man named James (Snook), who bets the barkeep a bottle of whiskey he's got the best story the place has ever heard. And it's certainly a corker of a yarn. James, it would seem, began his life as Jane, abandoned by unknown parents on the steps of a Cleveland orphanage. A bright, tough young woman, Jane very nearly becomes one of the first female astronauts, only to be ruled out by an unexpected pregnancy. The father of the child abandons her soon after, although the shock is overshadowed by a revelation from her doctor: it turns out Jane has a second set of fully functioning (albeit internal) male reproductive organs, and that complication from her pregnancy will leave her no choice but to transition into a man. How James's incredible story is connected to Hawke's manhunt isn't immediately clear — although it's obvious from the cryptic way the brothers frame the flashbacks – always obscuring certain faces — that the cogs will eventually interlock. The second half of the film, wherein Hawke offers James the chance to travel back and change his past, is positively overflowing with time paradoxes and plot twists. The problem is, anyone with even a passing familiarity with time-travel stories will see them coming at least three scenes before they do. It's not that the revelations aren't interesting on an intellectual level; they just never result in the dropped jaws and shocked gasps that the Spierigs would obviously like. Still, if their script could use some polish, they succeed in delivering style. From Hawke's fedora and six-shot revolver to his portable time machine disguised as a violin case, the feel of Predestination is a particular brand of retro-futuristic cool. Likewise, the narrative device of two strangers swapping stories across the bar has an enjoyably hardboiled quality to it and helps disguise the fact that the entire first half of the movie is basically one giant dump of exposition. It also helps a great deal that Snook is the one who's delivering it. Hawke brings his typical mix of wryness and intensity, while Noah Taylor is dapper is his seemingly all-knowing handler. But it's the Adelaide-born actress who clearly runs away with the film, ranging from tough and emotionally guarded to devastatingly raw. So affecting are the scenes immediately before and after James' transition that you could almost do away with the time travel story altogether. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVOpfpYijHA
A shot-by-shot remake is an infinitely worthy cinematic venture, as recently proven by James Franco and Seth Rogen's tender tribute to Kimye, 'Bound 3'. But even this was not as raw, nor as pure as it could have been, had it been a truly zero-budget affair in the noble tradition of 'Badder Romance' and Be Kind Rewind. But now The Redux Project offers you the chance to appear in ultra lo-fi remakes of scenes from iconic Australian favourites like Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. All in the name of humorously critiquing the world of modern cinema. Who's behind this idea? Performance Space in association with Sydney Festival and Carriageworks present the project masterminded by the UK's Richard DeDomenici, an old hand at the budget remake, having produced Reduxes the world over, starring whichever enthusiastic locals applied. The artist is seeking volunteers now to appear in movie scenes for The Redux Project: Mega Aussie Redux, the results of which will be edited and screened at Carriageworks along with the original films that inspired them. Which films are we talking? Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Matrix, Priscilla and Muriel will all be getting the royal (/peasant) treatment. I myself am absolutely volunteering, in the hope of bestriding the 438 bus, swaddled in 15 metres of aluminium foil a la Priscilla. The shoots will take place in the first week of January 2014 (Monday 6th – Sunday 12th), at locations across inner-city Sydney. If you would like to volunteer, shoot an email to redux@performancespace.com.au with the subject ‘REDUX: Count me in’. Let them know if there is a particular shoot you would like to be part of, and send a photo to assist with casting. Image from DeDomenici's Dawn of The Dead: Redux (shot in Westmoreland Shopping Centre, England).
"The grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see. And then one day, I got in." If you've watched 1982's TRON and its 28-years-later sequel TRON: Legacy in 2010, or listened to the latter's sublime Daft Punk-scored soundtrack, then you've heard those words. But what if everything that Jeff Bridges (The Old Man) describes as Kevin Flynn wasn't relegated to the virtual realm? In TRON: Ares, viewers will watch what happens when the program that shares the movie's moniker makes the jump from the digital space to the real world, giving humanity its first encounter with AI beings. Indeed, amid its heavy lashings of laser-red hues, the just-dropped first trailer for the feature has a monster-movie vibe when worlds start to collide. Flesh-and-blood folks such as Greta Lee (The Studio) stare up, then start fleeing. While things happen quickly in the digital realm, films about it clearly don't always earn the same description, given that it has now been over four decades since the first TRON film made its way to cinemas, and 15 years since its first sequel. A third movie was announced the very same year that TRON: Legacy released, in fact, but TRON: Ares has taken time to return cinemagoers to the grid. For much of the past decade and a half, it's been one of those pictures in the "I'll believe it when I'm actually sitting in a theatre watching it with my own eyes" category, until Disney not only announced that the feature had a date with picture palaces in 2025, but also dropped a first image from it. The date that you can see the next TRON on the big screen: Thursday, October 9, 2025 Down Under. Cast-wise, Jared Leto (Haunted Mansion) plays Ares, aka the threatening face of AI. Bridges is also back as the software-company employee who first found himself in the digital world in the initial flick. Evan Peters (Agatha All Along), Hasan Minhaj (It Ends with Us), Jodie Turner-Smith (The Agency), Arturo Castro (The Vince Staples Show), Cameron Monaghan (Shameless) and Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) co-star in TRON: Ares, while Joachim Rønning (Young Woman and the Sea) directs. Following on from Daft Punk's masterpiece of a score for TRON: Legacy was always going to be a tough feat, but TRON: Ares isn't skimping on musical talent. Doing the honours, as heard in the feature's first trailer: Nine Inch Nails, adding to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' run of film work (see also: Soul, Mank, Bones and All, Empire of Light, The Killer, Challengers, Queer and The Franchise just in the 2020s alone). Check out the first trailer for TRON: Ares below: TRON: Ares releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Images: courtesy of DIsney. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
My Friend Dahmer isn't joking about its title. Exploring Jeffrey Dahmer's high school years during the 1970s, the film adapts the graphic novel of the same name, which was written by one of the serial killer's classmates and acquaintances. That said, based on the events depicted on-screen, it doesn't feel quite accurate to call John 'Derf' Backderf one of Dahmer's pals. Describing anyone as a friend of the teen who'll ultimately rape, murder and dismember 17 men doesn't feel quite right, for that matter, as the movie makes clear. "I like to pick up roadkill, but I'm trying to quit," Dahmer (Ross Lynch) tells one of his classmates. Every time the town doctor (Vincent Kartheiser) jogs past his house, he pays more attention than he should. In his garden shed at home, he likes to dissolve dead cats in acid. At school, when he's not keeping to himself, he's making odd noises and causing scenes in the hallways. It's the latter behaviour that piques the interest of aspiring artist Derf (Alex Wolff) and a few other students, inspiring them to form the 'Dahmer Fan Club' and to recruit its namesake as a member. The group encourages Dahmer's over-the-top performances, sneaks him into club yearbook photos as a prank, and even talks their way into meeting with the US Vice President. But behind the seeming camaraderie, Derf and the gang are still laughing at the new pal even when they're also laughing with him. Eventually they push the joke too far, before abandoning the guy they've been calling their mascot. There's nothing simple about Dahmer's adolescent years, as My Friend Dahmer shows. In addition to being repeatedly humiliated by the people he thinks are his friends, he struggles to cope with his sexuality, his mother's (Anne Heche) mental illness and his father's (Dallas Roberts) eventual absence. Still, there's something much too familiar about writer-director Marc Meyers' approach to this story. While the film doesn't ever try to justify or excuse the heinous deeds Dahmer would go on to commit not that much later in his life, it does draw a very short line between the treatment Dahmer is subjected to and his inner turmoil. The details might stem from reality, but the position the picture seems to take — that Dahmer was odd, but essentially an average guy until he was bullied — feels both superficial and uncomfortable, particularly given how often the same kind of sentiment is splashed across newspaper headlines to explain killings, attacks and mass shootings. Of course, watching a film about a notorious murderer's formative years shouldn't be an easy experience. Nor should empathising with a confused, tormented kid who'll go on to commit brutal crimes, including cannibalising some of his victims. The guilt and regret that the real-life Derf has obviously tussled with over the past four decades are infused into the movie, albeit in skin-deep fashion. Clumsy foreshadowing certainly doesn't help, especially since everyone knows how Dahmer's tale pans out. Whether it's someone remarking that Dahmer isn't going to bite, his mother declaring that their family eats their feelings, or an angry teacher furiously attempting to remove him from school photos, all these incidents just convey the obvious, showing absolutely no signs of depth. Segueing from Disney star to serial killer, a well-cast Lynch adds nuance where it's needed. Crucially, his performance pits Dahmer in the middle of two extremes — ostensibly normal but misunderstood and mistreated at one end, fated for horrific deeds at the other. In fact, the young actor captures a mood of ambiguity that the film around him can't completely master, offering up a portrayal that's never sympathetic but never filled with overt judgement either. Wolff is also impressive as Derf, although the character is sometimes painted in the same overly neat manner as much of the rest of the movie. Indeed, from a visual perspective, My Friend Dahmer looks like a picture-perfect portrait of '70s high school angst, as often laid out in wide shots that mimic Derf's graphic novel. But demonstrating that something darker lurks beneath the surface isn't as profound as the film seems to think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP4yqd90BT0
Every month, Two Good welcomes a new chef to help with its menu. In March, it was Neil Perry and, in April, Paul Farag. Now that May is here, Corey Costelloe has taken the reins. He's owner and head chef at 20 Chapel, Marrickville, which was recently named one of the World's Best Steak Restaurants. Before that, he spent 15 years as executive chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill. Leading Costelloe's cracking menu is a toastie packed with chicken, gruyere and dijon mustard. Then there's a bright salad of roasted pumpkin, green beans and feta, covered in pistachio dressing. For dessert, try the rich devil's food muffin. These specials all available throughout May at Two Good Cafe in Yirranma Place, Darlinghurst, and via the Two Good catering service. All proceeds go to helping women affected by domestic violence, homelessness or trauma find employment.
Little has changed since the 2016 leak of the Nauru Files, which detail 2116 incident reports of assault, sexual and child abuse, self-harm and horrible living conditions suffered by asylum seekers on Nauru, one of Australia's offshore refugee detention centres. With the centre continuing to operate regardless, 33 award-winning artists have teamed up to create All We Can't See: Illustrating the Nauru Files, which will show at Yellow House gallery from Friday, February 2 through Saturday, February 10. The exhibition illustrates the suffering of detainees through creative expression, with each artist having chosen a specific Nauru file to interpret. The exhibition's renowned Australian artists include painter Ben Quilty, 2017 Bvlgari Art Award recipient Tomislav Nikolic, Tim Maguire, Sulman Prize winner Aida Tomescu, and multi-discipline artist Belinda Fox. Two free panel discussions will be held alongside the exhibition on February 3 and February 10. The first will be moderated by Elaine Pearson from Human Rights Watch Australia and include discussions with Mohammad Ali Baqiri, an advocate, refugee and former detainee on Nauru. Award-winning journalist Paul Farrell — a lead member of The Guardian's reporting team on the Nauru Files — will also be in attendance, as will participating artist Angus McDonald. With a complete lack of media access to the island, the artists hopes to raise greater awareness through their art in this sure to be powerful exhibition. Image: Work by Pia Johnson.
In 2013, at London's Alexandra Palace, filmmakers Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland followed Bjork as she performed every single track on 2011 album Biophilia. What emerged was a rather dazzling doco that, to be fully appreciated, should most definitely be seen on the big screen. To that end, Palace Cinemas are hosting two screenings of Biophilia Live in two locations on the same night: one at Norton Street and the other in Paddington. Bjork and her band give the tunes spectacular treatment, drawing not only on traditional instruments but also on all manner of non-traditional ones, including those of the digital variety. There's even a few that haven't been invented yet. The Guardian described the film as "utterly bonkers yet moving", while the Hollywood Reporter got poetic. "Heavenly constellations billow across dark sections of screen above the stage," the review reads, "sometimes engulfing Bjork like she is some kind of gargantuan space goddess."
Sydney is doubling for 1920s Long Island and New York — again. When Baz Luhrmann (Elvis) decided to bring The Great Gatsby to the screen, he did so by filming in the Harbour City. Then, a decade after the Australian director's Oscar-winning movie hit cinemas, a The Great Gatsby-themed club popped up in town host a The Great Gatsby-inspired cabaret variety show. Cut to 2025 and that event, aka GATSBY at The Green Light, is returning to the New South Wales capital, kicking off in December. Once more, Sydney Opera House is following in Luhrmann's footsteps, with GATSBY at The Green Light making its Harbour City comeback between between Saturday, December 13, 2025–Sunday, March 15, 2026. The production is taking over the venue with an array of excuses to pretend that it's a century ago — and that you're on the other side of the globe. The GATSBY part of the big event's moniker refers to the entertainment, while The Green Light is the temporarily rebadged locale where this party-esque experience will occur. First, the show: taking its cues from F Scott Fitzgerald's book, which is marking its 100th anniversary in 2025, GATSBY gives the classic text the aerial, burlesque, dance and circus treatment. As performers show off their skills, live contemporary music accompanies their efforts. Odette will be crooning, Oscar Kaufmann is set to do hat stands, Miranda Menzies will play with fire and show off her hair-hang skills, Bayley Graham will tap dance, Florian Brooks will juggle and Bettie Bombshell is part of the fun, too. Spencer Craig is playing Gatsby, as is Jacob McPherson in the character's younger guise, while Mariia Borysiak is Daisy. Then, the club: The Green Light gleans inspiration from prohibition-era speakeasies. Yes, drinks are involved. Indeed, while you watch, you'll be able to say cheers to the entertainment with a beverage in hand. Images: Daniel Boud / Prudence Upton / Anna Kucera.
Since arriving in town a few years back, Salt Meats Cheese has been giving Sydneysiders a pizza-filled treat. And, as part of its lineup of Italian eats, it's been treating the city's residents to plenty of specials — including, this November, the return of its $25 all-you-can-eat pizza nights every Monday across three of its Sydney stores. "Does this look like someone who's had all they can eat?" isn't something you'll be saying when you devour as many slices as your stomach can handle in 90 minutes, so calm your inner Homer Simpson. The only catch is that you'll have to buy a drink as well, but you can choose from both boozy and non-alcoholic options. Available from 5pm at Salt Meats Cheese Dee Why, Drummoyne and Circular Quay (not Cronulla, unfortunately), this hefty feast serves up multiple options, too. You can stick with the $25 pizza-focused option, or add all-you-can-eat gnocchi as well for an extra $5. And if you're vegan or eat a gluten free diet, those can also be catered for for another $5. The varieties of pizza available will change each week, if you need motivation to head along more than once. Don't have an afternoon snack beforehand, obviously. All-you-can-eat Mondays is available at Salt Meats Cheese Dee Why, Drummoyne and Circular Quay.
California's rich migrant history, sunny climate and abundance of world-class ingredients ensure restaurants, wineries, breweries, and food trucks deliver mouthwatering experiences. Dining should always be a major focus when exploring the globe, but California's sheer diversity in flavour and experience makes it the ideal choice for a food-focused road trip. With the help of Visit California, we've pulled together a list of top-notch venues across the state that are worth planning your trip around. [caption id="attachment_960067" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Morro Bay Harbour, credit Nature, food, landscape, travel via iStock[/caption] Fresh Seafood Galore in Northern California SeaQuake Brewing, Crescent City Drawing inspiration from Northern California's towering redwood forests and pristine coastline, SeaQuake Brewing in Crescent City, about 25 minutes south of the state line, showcases what the region's cuisine is all about. Alongside tasty options like woodfired pizza and grass-fed burgers, the brewery has a bunch of seafood to sample. Dive into the decadent mac 'n' cheese topped with blackened shrimp or see how US fish 'n' chips measures up — this version features local rockfish coated in blonde ale panko crumb, . Deciding on the perfect beverage can be a challenge with innovative brews and non-alcoholic kombuchas on offer — the latter has up to 14 rotating flavours, including chai, tart cherry and blood orange. [caption id="attachment_962314" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Larry Myhre via Flickr[/caption] Tavern 1888, Eureka Just over two hours south of Crescent City is Eureka, a port city renowned for its Victorian-era architecture. Here, you'll find Tavern 1888, a renowned restaurant near the waterfront named after the historic building it occupies. Despite this, the cuisine takes a forward-thinking perspective with Southern hints while a vibrant cocktail menu gives the place a dynamic lift. Uniting top-notch ingredients from across the region, the Humboldt Bay oysters and the seared scallops with pea puree highlight the quality of the nearby waters. Once dinner is complete, step into the Phatsy Kline's Parlor Lounge for colourful cocktails and live tunes. [caption id="attachment_961516" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dave Franklin via Flickr[/caption] The Wharf, Fort Bragg Three hours down the coast, perched on the edge of Noyo Harbour, The Wharf is a historic spot for lunch or dinner in Fort Bragg. Opened in the early 1950s as a coffee shop, it was the go-to spot for local anglers needing a caffeinated pick-me-up during a hard day's work. Today, not-too-different fishing vessels keep the restaurant topped up with fresh salmon, sea urchins, crabs and more. Swing by for tasty clam chowder or cioppino – a fish stew originating in San Francisco – accompanied by stellar views. [caption id="attachment_960345" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit California[/caption] Explore Californian Wine Country Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyard, Santa Barbara California is the home of winemaking in America, with the state responsible for more than 80 percent of the country's production. Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyard is an outstanding example of the state's expertise, based in the Santa Rosa Hills of Santa Barbara (two hours north of LA). There's a clear focus on pinot noir and chardonnay alongside syrah and grenache varieties. With a cool breeze from the Pacific Ocean sweeping through the surrounding mountains, Alma Rosa produces carefully balanced wines that reflect the mild climate and limits its releases to 300 or fewer cases. To sample some of these rare drops, catch an intimate on-site tasting in the estate's private ranch house. [caption id="attachment_961513" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Courtesy of Presqu'ile Winery[/caption] Presqu'ile Winery, Santa Maria Valley Thirty minutes away, immersed in the beautiful Santa Maria Valley, Presqu'ile Winery is a family-owned affair dedicated to cool-climate wines, such as pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah, with charming vines stretching across the bucolic property. Picture-perfect by design, the property was carefully conceived as a "tapestry of blocks", allowing for fascinating experimentation. Featuring modern-rustic architecture, the impressive on-site tasting room is complemented by experiences across the estate that range from bocce to horseback riding. [caption id="attachment_962584" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Vineyard & Winery[/caption] Jordan Winery, Healdsburg Founded in 1972, Jordan Winery's reputation has steadily grown to become one of the top wineries in California. And it's no surprise when you consider the scale and splendour of the place. Set on 1200 acres of picturesque rolling hills in Sonoma County (one hour north of San Francisco), around three-quarters of the property is dedicated to supporting natural habitats. This ecological philosophy extends to the winemaking operation with significant renewable energy and biodiversity efforts elevating the class-leading cabernet sauvignon and Burgundian-style chardonnay. [caption id="attachment_961520" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Theleming via Flickr[/caption] Try Top-Notch Cuisine in Southern California Cielito Lindo, Los Angeles Mexican roots run deep in California, and Cielito Lindo is central to bringing tacos to the US. This laid-back taco stand has been serving customers simple but delicious creations for generations, having occupied the same spot on Olvera Street in Downtown LA since it was first established by Aurora Guerrero in 1934. Times have changed, but the venue remains true to its humble origins, striving to keep prices low for its long-standing customers. Today, you can still get two beef taquitos with guacamole sauce for $6.50. Add sides like tamale and chile relleno to make each bite that much more special. [caption id="attachment_962709" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Courtesy of Visit Carlsbad[/caption] Campfire, Carlsbad Campfire brings all the smoke, warmth and good times from a weekend in the wilderness into the confines of an upscale restaurant in the coastal town of Carlsbad, near San Diego. The location tells the story — a wooden hut and a corrugated iron Quonset transformed into a contemporary eatery, where a hearty menu recalls the best of California's spirited terrain. The menu changes with the seasons, but almost every dish is woodfired or cooked over an open flame. Expect charred, seared and fermented creations alongside a surprising selection of vegan-friendly options. Close your eyes and you can just about hear and smell the campfire crackling in the night. [caption id="attachment_962295" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Courtesy of Lucha Libre Tacos[/caption] Lucha Libre Taco Shop, San Diego The love for lucha libre, aka Mexican wrestling, is obvious across southern California, with street corners adorned with colourful murals featuring masked wrestlers and arenas filled with fans for sold-out events. Founded in 2008 by brothers who grew up watching the sport, Lucha Libre Taco Shop pays homage to this vibrant culture across three San Diego locations — Mission Hills, North Park and Pacific Beach. The delicious tacos and burritos taste even better when surrounded by the over-the-top decor. Take things to the next level by booking the Champions Booth – a kitschy gold-plated corner – or wear a luchador mask to get a discount on your feast. Start planning your tour of California, America's ultimate playground, today. Header image: Visit California
"I'm still a flight attendant, and I've been making better choices." In the just-dropped trailer for The Flight Attendant's second season, they're some of the first words that Cassie Bowden (The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco) utters — at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Los Angeles, where she's moved after the dramas we all watched back in 2020. But no one ever thought that this pulpy thriller would come back and just give its protagonist a normal, average, uneventful life, so those opening moments of calm are short-lived, naturally. Cassie has picked up a part-time job, which she also tells her sober pals in LA about — but she doesn't mention that she's now moonlighting for the CIA. Yes, in its second batch of episodes, this airport novel-to-screen series is going full chaotic international espionage thriller. Expect to spy plenty of Berlin in the first sneak peek, too. This time around, Cassie is doing great things at both of her jobs — booze-free things, too — when she inadvertently witnesses a murder while on assignment for her side hustle overseas. Cue more country-hopping intrigue, with the show also filming in Reykjavik. Cue more of Cassie's inner monologues as well, even if she thinks she's seen the last of them with her last drink. Coming to Binge in Australia and streaming via Neon in NZ, The Flight Attendant has also unveiled its return date: in Australia, you can mark Thursday, April 21 in your diaries. Also new: cast members Mo McRae (Big Little Lies), Callie Hernandez (Under the Silver Lake), JJ Soria (Gentefied), Alanna Ubach (Euphoria), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jessie Ennis (Mythic Quest), Mae Martin (Feel Good), Margaret Cho (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens), Santiago Cabrera (Ema), Sharon Stone (Ratched) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Expanse). They'll join Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominee Cuoco, obviously, plus returning co-stars Zosia Mamet (Girls), Griffin Matthews (Dear White People), Deniz Akdeniz (The High Note) and Rosie Perez (The Last Thing He Wanted). And if you're new to this small-screen adaptation of Chris Bohjalian's 2018 novel of the same name, the first season unravelled quite the twisty tale — starting high in the sky, bouncing around the globe and delivering a hectic murder-mystery. Quickly addictive, filled with sudden revelations and reversals, multiple points of interest playing out across a split-screen setup, and also sporting cliffhangers to end every episode, the slick, swift-moving series knew exactly the kind of story it was telling and went for broke. More is coming in season two, clearly. Check out the trailer for The Flight Attendant's second season below: The Flight Attendant's second season will be available to stream via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 21 — and is headed to Neon in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one. Top image: HBO Max / Binge.
If you associate classical music with opera houses and black tie, then it's time to enter a brave new world. Surry Hills' underground bar Soultrap is bringing violins, violas and cellos into the bar. And you're welcome to wear jeans and drink cocktails. Spearheaded by pianist Evan Streater, The Chamber Project is a new gig series aiming to get you to experience classical music in a fun, relaxed environment. You'll hear some of Australia's best musicians, many of whom work regularly with Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. But, rather than watching them from the discomfort and distance of a concert hall's nosebleed section, you'll be up-close. The next Chamber Project —titled Four. Three. Two — is happening at 6pm on Thursday, June 6, then again on the Queen's Birthday public holiday, Monday, June 10 from 3.30pm. Featured on the program is a quartet of two violins, a viola and a cello, set to play Haydn's String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76 No. 2, 'Fifths' and Philip Glass' String Quartet No. 3, 'Mishima'. These larger works will be interwoven with arrangements of Nordic folk tunes. Between each 20-to-30-minute piece will be a break so you can grab another drink and soak in what you've just heard. Several types of tickets are available. Opt to sit up close at a table and you can be treated to charcuterie and cheese boards. Meanwhile, holders of standing tickets will score a gourmet toastie and/or cocktail. The Chamber Project will take place on Thursday, June 6 from 6pm and Monday, June 10 from 3.30pm. To purchase tickets, head this way.
A K-pop haven, Crossover Dance is Sydney's leading studio for learning all of the latest Korean pop moves. The dance studio even performs at Sydney's biannual Kpop Summit — the biggest fan-run, cover-dance showcase in the city. Apart from all that K-pop, the studio also specialises in hip hop and breakdancing, popping and locking and contemporary jazz, to name a few. Designed with students in mind, the schmick space features three large studios, sprung wood safety floors, changing rooms and a kitchen area. If you're new to dance, Crossover offers a heap of beginners classes and special deals, such as a three-class trial pass for $55. Regular single classes cost $22, or you can get a ten-class pass for $200.
In 2019, a horrible goose wandered around a quiet village, then chaos ensued — and instigating it became one of the most-entertaining ways to mash buttons. Untitled Goose Game first released in September that year. By the time 2020 hit, more than a million copies had been sold, getting folks controlling a pesky waterfowl with a penchant for trouble. That's honking phenomenal for an indie game out of Melbourne, and it's a feat that the city's Australian Centre for the Moving Image keeps celebrating. After giving Untitled Goose Game the live orchestral treatment back in 2022, the Aussie screen museum is now hosting a world-premiere exhibition dedicated to the title. Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition features different versions of the game from its various development stages that you can play, plus sketches, concept art and design material for attendees to check out. It's going to be a lovely five months in Federation Square from Tuesday, September 17, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025, and you'll be an adoring Untitled Goose Game fan. Sorry Mario Kart. Move over Tetris. Forget Wii Sports, Pokémon Go, Street Fighter or whatever other title first springs to mind whenever you think about video games. They're all well and good, but they aren't taking over ACMI like this homegrown hit from House House. If you're new to Untitled Goose Game, it's a puzzle game — and, yes, it's about a goose. You play as the bird, and your aim is to move objects and other characters, and just generally cause mayhem in a small village. No description can really do it justice, though; you just need to play it. While the game has filled oh-so-many hours over the past few years, and gotten its ARIA-nominated original soundtrack by Dan Golding stuck in everyone's heads, Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition isn't just for diehard gamers. No matter if you know every inch of the game or you're only hearing about it now, you'll be plunged into its world in an interactive showcase that's designed to get you playing. How slapstick factors in, plus the form of comedy's history, is also a big feature. We don't expect that running off with keys, socks, glasses, radios and the like will be a part of it, however.
Art plus bar. This almost universal gallery opening deal is a pretty tasty mix already. But the MCA adds extras to this time-honoured tradition with its now SMAC-winning series ARTBAR. They're evenings of strange and interesting things at play among the art, recurring monthly and curated by a rotating cast of local artists. This month, art-constructor extraordinaire Michaela Gleave (whose installation work was recently seen on stage near the climax of I Love Todd Sampson) borrows the reins of the building for the night. She's bringing her ongoing art-yen for the heavens down to earth, including indigenous astronomy from Ray Norris and a pocketable solar selection.
Do you like horror films? Australian director Mark Hartley obviously does. His infectious, gleeful enthusiasm for his popular if sometimes critically reviled genre of horror makes this a blood-soaked treat for like-minded fans. Having previously explored the rich if somewhat forgotten back catalogues of Australian exploitation cinema horror in his excellent doco Not Quite Hollywood, he takes the next logical step here, remaking Richard Franklin's 1978 cult favourite B-movie. The tagline of the original also serves as a neat plot summary: 'He's in a coma…yet, he can kill!' He is Patrick, a patient who somehow maintains his excellent condition while those around him waste away in a vegetative state in a creepy, isolated hospital. When a young nurse makes a ghoulish discovery that leads to her grisly end, the bright young Kathy 'Jac' Jacquard (Sharni Vinson) is recruited to the facility, which is overseen by Dr. Roget (Charles Dance) and his dead-eyed daughter, Matron Cassidy (Rachel Griffiths). Jac has just broken up with her boyfriend Ed (Damon Gameau) and is seeking a clean break. She soon finds an ally in the spirited Nurse Williams (Peta Sergeant), who fills her in on the shady happenings in the facility, a dimly lit Gothic hellhole. She takes a special interest in Patrick, who Dr Roget has adopted as his special project, administering electro-shock therapy and other techniques not prescribed in any medical journal. Alarmed at the bizarre experiments and freaked out that the comatose Patrick seems to be able to communicate with her, Jac confides in Brian (Martin Crewes), a former doctor and writer who advises her to report Dr Roget to the authorities and get out of town. But this wouldn't be a horror film if its hero took the safe option, and as Ed arrives in town to reconcile with Jac, he too gets drawn into the escalating terror wreaked by malevolent forces at the hospital. Patrick rattles through genre tropes (creaky elevator shafts, dirty-looking syringes, zombie-like patients wandering blackened corridors, moments of silence shattered by a pounding at the door) with an expert's assurance and a fan's relish. This is a film that knows exactly what it is, and that recognises that some things are cliches for a reason. Vinson, last seen in You're Next (a more nasty and realist film than Patrick) makes for a plucky heroine, while it's a shame Sergeant's character fades into the background somewhat as Jac delves further into Patrick's story. Their performances form part of an impressive film seemingly destined for cultish devotion. While Patrick may not convince the unconverted, horror fans will lap up every minute of its lean, gore-splattered running time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0N5iCcPGqoY
When Meryl Streep joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building, whether she'd prove a hit in the murder-mystery comedy was hardly a puzzle to solve. Indeed, the acclaimed actor slipped right into the show's third season like she'd always been there. And, she's coming back in season four to do it all again. Only Murders in the Building was renewed for its fourth season back in late 2023, and now casting details are being revealed. Yes, Selena Gomez (The Dead Don't Die) is back as Mabel Mora, as are Martin Short (Schmigadoon!) as Oliver Putnam and Steve Martin (It's Complicated) as Charles-Haden Savage. As just announced, so is Streep (Don't Look Up), while Saturday Night Live great Molly Shannon is also joining the series as well. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Streep and Shannon will have recurring roles in the new season, which will start with its main trio enjoying a trip to Los Angeles. But they're not leaving The Arconia, the show's main setting, behind. There's already been a fourth murder there at the end of last batch of episodes, giving the crew something to investigate after 2021's season one (aka one of the best new shows of that year), 2022's season two (aka one of the best returning shows of that year, too) and 2023's season three (again, one of that year's best returning efforts). The series started with three residents of the same New York apartment building crossing paths after a murder in their building — hence the title — then bonding over true-crime podcasts. Next, they did what everyone that's jumped on that bandwagon knows they would if they were ever in the same situation, starting their own audio series that's also called Only Murders in the Building. That's how season one kicked off — and continued, proving a warm, funny, smart and savvy series at every step along the way. In the show's second season, another death needed looking into. That time, it was someone the main trio were all known not to be that fond of, so suspicions kept pointing in their direction. Indeed, every season, another death has given aspiring artist Mabel, Broadway producer Oliver and actor Charles-Haden another case to dive into. In season three, that involved discovering who caused actor Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) to shuffle off this mortal coil at the opening night of Oliver's latest show. Streep plays Loretta Durkin, another thespian, who scored her big theatre break in the same production in season three — and became a love interest for Oliver. Shannon (The Other Two) will play an LA businesswoman who gets drawn into season four's mystery, Variety reports. There's no sneak peek at season four as yet, but you can check out the full trailer for Only Murders in the Building season three below: Only Murders in the Building streams Down Under via Star on Disney+. Read our reviews of season one, season two and season three. Images: Hulu. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety.
We're a long way from New York City's Lower East Side, but it'll feel a whole lot closer (for at least one night) when celebrated speakeasy-style cocktail bar Death & Co hits Down Under. The NYC team will be visiting three much-loved venues across Australia for a series of cocktail-fuelled dinners. Out to offer locals a taste of their contemporary drinks mastery, Death & Co's David Kaplan and Alex Day are swinging past Surry Hills' The Winery for two nights. The dinner on Sunday, February 2 is already sold out, but there are still spots available for the one on Monday, February 3. Launched in 2006, the NYC bar is considered something of a pioneer in the world of modern cocktail bars, having scored a slew of big-time awards, played host to a roll-call of bartending legends and birthed its share of now-iconic cocktail creations. Each of the Aussie dinners will see the team showcase five crafty concoctions, matched with five courses from the host venue. The tour's a collaboration with US label Aviation Gin, which just so happens to be owned by your good mate Ryan Reynolds, so you can expect lots of gin. There will be sips like the Have At It welcome shot, blending Dry Sack Sherry, gin, lemon juice and grapefruit, and the Trust Fall: a fusion of Aviation gin, pisco and vermouth, finished with lychee liqueur, raspberry, absinthe and Peychaud's Bitters. At The Winery, the booze is carefully paired with dishes like 'drunk mussels' done with gin, absinthe and tomato, spanner crab toast with stracciatella and caviar, and a deep-fried carrot cake to finish. Tickets to each event clock in at $95 per person (or $145 if you also want a signed copy of Death & Co's own book, Cocktail Codex). All that should leave you feeling pretty inspired to try out some drinks wizardry in your own home bar.
This one man show might be about a bee sting, a childhood, a relationship with a woman - oh no, that's right, it's about nothing. But it does tell you that up front in the title, so you should be prepared for it. Not so much stream-of-consciousness as random puddles of it, Brooklyn playwriter Will Eno's script is erratic but deadpan, placing the audience in a state of awkward self-awareness and uncertainty for its whole 63 minutes. The rambling monologue is delivered with uneasy severity by Luke Mullins who displays a knack for comic timing that he hasn't been able to exploit in his other recent productions (The War of the Roses, The Duel). The attempts at clever self-reflexivity fall on the shallow side, but this is an intriguing hour of theatre from director Sam Strong, providing an uncomfortable window onto one man's bittered psyche. As Mr Pain says at one point "it might be beautiful, if you like that sort of thing." https://youtube.com/watch?v=l436LcnXnpU
You've probably heard of Salt Meats Cheese — the hospitality group has blown up in recent years, and now it has six venues across New South Wales and Queensland. The latest SMC to join the clan is a flagship store inside Circular Quay's Gateway dining precinct. This new iteration has taken over what was briefly Popina Kitchen, which was a collaboration between the group and North Bondi's Shuk. Taking ownership of the space, the Salt Meats Cheese group have changed things up a bit for the new flagship — it's a little different to its siblings. For one, with room for 110 guests, it's huge. And secondly, it will be the first SMC with a menu headed up by Massimo Mele. Inspired by Mele's childhood memories of Italy, the venue serves classic Italian fare with a couple of modern twists. Think deep-fried pizza with house dip, cavatelli with mushrooms and kale pesto, and a dish of tagliolini with raw tuna, rocket, garlic, chilli and capers. Each pizza at the new venue is made with a thinner Roman-style base than the Napoli-style bases SMC is known for. There are eight varieties to work through, from a classic margherita to a pork and fennel sausage pizza with charred broccolini and fontina cheese. To match the fare, Adriano Risi has curated a wine list of local and Italian varietals, with big influence from his home state of Tasmania. There's also a daily aperitivo hour from 5–6.30pm where you can grab $10 cocktails and $5 wine and beer, with complimentary bar snacks to top it all off. The Circular Quay outpost is open for business and a rooftop bar is set to join the offerings soon. The changes signpost a shift in direction for the group, which could be a good thing — we didn't think the Broadway store quite reflected the group's standards when we visited last year. Salt Meats Cheese Sydney is located on Level 2 of the Gateway building at Circular Quay and is open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner and Saturday for dinner.
Prepare to feel stressed, movie lovers. Prepare to be plunged into an on-screen nightmare, too. That's Ari Aster's gambit, as the US filmmaker demonstrated with two of the eeriest, creepiest movies of the past five years: 2018's Hereditary and 2019's Midsommar. So, of course the trailer for his long-awaited new flick Beau Is Afraid is unsettling. In fact, it'd probably be even more distressing if it wasn't. Move over Toni Collette and Florence Pugh — this time, Joaquin Phoenix is getting the disquieting works thrown at him, in the actor's second film since picking up an Oscar for Joker. He plays the eponymous Beau, who just wants to go home to see his mother when the just-dropped trailer for the April-releasing movie starts. Then he gets run over by a woman and shackled with an ankle monitor by a doctor (aka Only Murders in the Building costars Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane). The latest US release by adored studio A24, which is currently even more abuzz after Everything Everywhere All At Once's Golden Globes wins, Beau Is Afraid doesn't saddle its namesake with hauntings and cults. Its trailer isn't as grimly dark as Hereditary, either, or a sunshine-filled daylight horror show like Midsommar. But it does paint a picture of Beau as a lonely, paranoid man — his phone's recent-call list is heavy on chats with his mum, therapist, landlady and pharmacy — dreaming about past family holidays, popping medication, and eating Hawaiian and Ireland-themed TV dinners before he ends up being held hostage. Once again, Aster writes and directs, with viewers able to see the end result in April — with the US getting an April 21 release date, and Down Under distributor Roadshow locking in an April 20 date. Also part of Beau Is Afraid's first trailer: an epic journey, multiple versions of Beau, whimsical dreamscapes and Beau not having any idea what's going on. And, also among the cast: Patti LuPone (American Horror Story), Denis Ménochet (The French Dispatch), Kylie Rogers (Yellowstone), Parker Posey (The Staircase), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Causeway), Hayley Squires (The Essex Serpent), Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Zoe Lister-Jones (How It Ends) and Richard Kind (The Watcher). Check out the trailer for Beau Is Afraid below: Beau Is Afraid opens in cinemas Down Under on April 20.
When was the last time you went out dancing? Not just jostling around the pub with your mates to the biggest hits of the 80s, 90s and now while wishing that your shoes weren't stuck to the floor – we mean hectic, throw you hands in the air, holy shit did that just happen it's 3am type dancing. If you can happily say that you go out dancing all the time, then that's good. That's very good. If you can't say that, get yourself to the Kings Cross Hotel on September 24th. Tickets for Delorean Disco are $10 ($15 on the door) and it's a party well worth attending. The Delorean Disco promises to take you on a dance floor journey like no other. Dipping in through the decades you'll kick off your exploration of the musical eras and visit genres like the rhythm, soul and rock & roll of the 60s before cascading into all things shiny and good that happened in the 2000s. Think about how much hassle you'll save by combining four genres into one club (there's four levels). You don't have to round up your mates and find new spots – you can just stay here all night. Each floor will play a different array of classic music. Dive: 60s psych-out and with rock, soul and R&B. Ground: House party anthems from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Balcony: Yacht rock, mum rock, dad rock and CEO Rock with Sweetie, Body Type DJs and Adam Lewis. Club: Hip hop and classic club stompers from the 90s and 2000s, courtesy of Andy Garvey and FlexMami. Get yourself to Kings Cross Hotel – it's going to be a banger of a dance party.
What do Sydney Film Festival, Taiwan Film Festival in Australia and Africa Film Fest Australia all have in common, apart from worshipping cinema and sharing that love with the Harbour City's movie fans? In 2025, each has films flickering in Sydney's most-famous venue. Australia's dedicated showcase of contemporary African cinema is the newest event of the three, only debuting in 2024. For its return this year, it's opening at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, September 4, then also playing at the iconic Circular Quay site on Friday, September 5 before hopping to Riverside Theatres in Parramatta until Sunday, September 7. Nigerian comedy-drama I Do Not Come to You by Chance is kicking off the second Africa Film Fest Australia, with the feature based on Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani's novel, telling of a university graduate and his uncle's email scams, and making its Aussie premiere at the festival. Also showing at Sydney Opera House: Fanon, which is similarly being seen Down Under for the first time, with Martinican-born philosopher and psychiatrist Frantz Fanon in the spotlight. Another impressive title on the bill is closing night's The Fisherman, also an Australian premiere, and the Ghanaian comedy that became the first film from the county to score official selection at the Venice International Film Festival. Before it wraps up the fest, audiences can catch the likes of biopic Samia, about Somali Olympic runner Samia Yusuf Omar; Berlin award-winner The Heart is a Muscle; documentary Nteregu, focusing on music in Guinea-Bissau; and fellow doco Sudan, Remember Us, with Sudanese youth activists at its centre. An initiative by Arts & Cultural Exchange, AFFA spans two short film programs, too — one animated and featuring a Q&A with Nigerian filmmaker Somto Ajuluchukwu — alongside a pre-screening opening-night Afrobeats shindig with DJ GNGR on the decks. Or, you can hit up a Screen Industry Forum. For African Australians aged between 16–25, there's also a two-day workshop about comics and visual storytelling.
There's nothing particularly noteworthy about British actors playing Americans, since by now they've pretty much all done it. But it is a little weird when (a) every single one of a film's American characters are played by Brits, and (b) none of them actually need to be American for the story to make sense. In fact, in Bastille Day, the fact that all but one of the Americans also work for the CIA only adds to the mystery, given the film is set entirely in Paris, has nothing to do with America and any other spy agency would have made as much sense, if not more. Still, Americans they all play and – to be fair – they do a fine job playing them. Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) plays Michael Mason, a gifted American pickpocket who steals and then discards a bag from an anarchist bomber's naive girlfriend Zoe (the delightful Charlotte Le Bon), unaware that it contains a powerful explosive. When the bomb goes off killing several French citizens, Mason is presumed to be a terrorist, and – for no particular reason – the CIA decides they want to nab him before the French do. Sent in to retrieve him is the gruff, burly and comically maverick agent Sean Briar (Idris Elba), whose 'to hell with protocol' attitude is so inexplicably extreme it borders on parody. When Briar realises Mason is innocent, the pair teams up to track down the real bombers before they can carry out their final objective: setting Paris ablaze with race riots to provide cover for a daring robbery. Filmed on what appears to be a shoestring budget, director James Watkins (also British) manages to keep the pace snappy and the action altogether interesting, enough to gloss over most of the threadbare plot. The film's rooftop chase sequence would feel comfortably at home in any Bourne movie, while a close-quarters fist-fight inside a minivan provides Bastille Day's most inventive and engaging scene. Everything has a real Luc Besson feel about it, but not always in the good way. Secondary characters are just caricatures, the violence is hyper-stylised and rarely believable, and what little dialogue there is tends towards corny cliches. Bastille Day also contains perhaps the greatest line of instantly-dated dioalogue ever recorded, with one of the villains saying (without a single shred of irony) "the hashtags will tip them over. Release the final hashtag." Much has been made recently of Elba's potential selection as the next Bond, and this film certainly does nothing to harm his action man credentials. Elba is a giant, unstoppable juggernaut whose impressive physicality imposes itself in every scene. When asked early on why he ran from Briar, Mason's reply of "because you were chasing me. Have you seen yourself!?" is as amusing as it is fair. Still, it seems a waste to squander all this acting talent on a film that asks so little of its players and gives so little in return. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5R0bI8EJCQ
An upcoming exhibition will show us if necessity really is the mother of invention, when it comes to art. Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama will board a Sydney-bound plane in Tokyo, with a fully charged but unplugged Toshiba Portégé Z20T in his hand. His mission? To create an entire exhibition using only the notebook before its battery runs out. That’s 17 hours, exactly. You’ll be able to judge the success of Matsuyama’s experiment for yourself on June 24 and 25, when the fruits of his labour go on show at the Quayside Room of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. The free exhibition, titled Made in 17 Hours, will open at 7pm each evening. Even though there’s no charge, it is ticketed, so you'll need to book a spot via Eventbrite. Limited food and drinks will be served. Tomokazu Matsuyama was born in Tokyo in 1976 but now lives in New York City. He has exhibited all over the world, from San Francisco’s Gallery Wendi Norris to Luxembourg’s Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery to Australia’s Lesley Kehoe Galleries.
Stationery and craft lovers, we have found your mecca. If the beautifully dressed front window (bunting guaranteed) doesn't grab you, the walls of hilarious, handmade cards, tags and rolls of washi tape most certainly will. The second room (!) displays rows of blank cards, boxes of rubber stamps and a collection of notebooks that would make Hemmingway spit his martini. With all the pretty paper and all the pretty stationery, Paper 2 also makes for the perfect place to get lost in if you're waiting for a table at its busy neighbour, Four Ate Five. But it's definitely worth a trip all on its own.
