Does your version of celebrating whichever occasion takes your fancy involve eating more of the things you love? Do pork belly, chicken schnitzels, chicken wings and German sausages fall into that category? If so, The Bavarian has an all-you-can-eat special that'll tempt your tastebuds — because a bottomless feast is on the menu. On Wednesdays, the German-themed chain is serving up all-you-can-eat meat platters. They come stacked with all of the aforementioned meats — and yes, the pork belly includes crackling — plus sauerkraut and gravy as sides. And, once you've finished your board, you'll get a whole new serving. On All-You-Can-Meat Wednesdays, there's no time limit to your eating, so you can pace yourself — and it'll cost you $35 per person. There is a two-person minimum, however, so you'll need to take at least one meat-loving pal along with you. Feel like you can fit in fries, mash and salad as well? That'll cost you an extra $5 for each one, or you can get all three for $10. You'll find The Bavarian at Charlestown, Rouse Hill, Castle Hill, Shellharbour, Tuggerah, Manly, Penrith, Miranda, Macarthur, Green Hills, Entertainment Quarter, York Street, World Square, Wetherill Park, Chatswood and Wollongong in New South Wales. And if you want to pair all that meat with German brews — which is understandable — you'll pay extra for the drinks.
How do you watch the most anticipated movie of the year? With the same level of expectation you have of any other blockbuster action flick? Or with the level of expectation built by Ridley Scott's return to sci-fi for the first time in 30 years, by a setting that is shared by a true classic of the genre, and by the steady release of some 26 trailers that were spread feverishly online? It's kind of a big question; it inflects what you think of the Alien 'prequel' Prometheus, which is good, beautiful in many ways, transcendentally horrific, but probably isn't the great film it was hyped to be. In the foreseeable future, 2089, archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) have uncovered a specific star map repeated in the cave art of disparate ancient cultures. Shaw believes that the messages were left by the extraterrestrial creators of the human race, which is just the kind of wacky hypothesis a wealthy industrialist — in this case, Peter Weyland (a very wizened Guy Pearce) of the Weyland Corporation — would philanthropise. With a ragtag crew including Idris Elba as ship captain, Charlize Theron as the icy mission director, and Michael Fassbender as the resident android, they board the vessel Prometheus and head for the one habitable moon in the star map's radius. Once out of their snooze-optimising stasis pods, they explore the rock. Through the framework of an archaeological expedition, a number of creepy clues consistent with the Alien aesthetic are dug up: what looks like an alien wine cellar, a temple, black sludge, corpses, and some mandatory, though primitive, face-hugging critters. What does it all mean? The most frustrating thing is that you're waiting on the edge of your seat for these things to be properly woven together, and they're not (much like in Lost, cowriter Damon Lindelof's previous project). The potted plot spills over into underdeveloped characters who are saddled with a fair few cliches. Prometheus's attempts to address the mystical over the mechanical, political, and social seem a net detriment. Prometheus remains a cut above, combining an ambitious story, strong sense of conviction, and some excellent performances, particularly from Fassbender. The film also looks amazing, the classic, sinewy gothic of original designer HR Giger having been passed through a nouveau filter of Apple iOS and Scandinavian clean lines that really works. It's one of the richest, most vividly coloured 3D experiences around. When we look back on Alien, it is with eyes that have seen film history bend around it, that can spot the break in design trends, and that deify Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) as not just a rare strong female character but a rare strong character full stop. We won't have the benefit of hindsight on Prometheus for some time. Perhaps it will be similarly loved and respected, but at this point that's not written in the stars. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nmJOO6D5RvA
Whiplash is a film about a drummer, and it might just be the scariest thing you see all year. It's not Annabelle scary, as in paranormal pant-soiling scary, nor is it Silence of the Lambs scary, aka psychological pant-peeing. It's more disturbing, a sort of 'do whatever it takes', Talented Mr Ripley kind of film, chronicling the terrifying lengths people will go to in pursuit of a goal. It's a 'jazz thriller', really, and it's an exceptional, engrossing movie. Narrow in its focus, Whiplash concerns an ambitious young drummer named Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller), a first-year student at a prestigious New York music academy. When the school's premier conductor, Terence Fletcher (JK Simmons), invites him to join the marquee jazz ensemble, Neyman quickly finds himself embroiled in a gripping, exhausting, unsettling and even violent clash of egos driven by Fletcher's unyielding pursuit of excellence and Neyman's own determination to be the next musical great. Chairs are thrown, punches are thrown, and in any given practice session the trinity of 'blood, sweat and tears' becomes almost mandatory. The one small mercy for panic-stricken viewers who found The Exorcist to be an exercise in endurance rather than enjoyment was that the terror occurred predominantly within the confines of the bedroom. You knew when to be afraid, and in Whiplash that room is Fletcher's rehearsal space. What ought to be the epitome of cool is instead the Roman colosseum, with Fletcher its sitting Emperor. One of the bad ones. More Caligula than Caesar. He rules through fear and exploits his students' aspirations as a means of ensuring his own reputation remains one of excellence and achievement. A few minor roles notwithstanding (Paul Reiser has a nice turn as Neyman's softly spoken father), this is a movie focussed on the performances by Teller and Simmons, and they're both first rate. Teller spent hours on the kit every single day rehearsing for the role, and his percussive skills are as impressive as his acting ones. Both arrogance and insecurity bubble just beneath his character's surface, and his descent into physical and mental ruin is painfully believable. Opposite him, Simmons is a powerhouse of brute force and bravura; a fedora-wearing, baton-wielding drill-sergeant right out of Full Metal Jacket. He bullies, he abuses and he hurls bigoted slanders so often it's almost as though that's how he breathes. The explanation he offers is as unapologetic as it is simple: greatness only comes from being pushed beyond the comfort zone and penetrating the unknown. For a jazz movie there's surprisingly little of it, and while the final performance is nothing short of extraordinary, the lack of jam sessions and gigs feels at odds with Neyman's professed love of the art and his dogged pursuit of pre-eminence. The film's conclusion, too, is troubling, for while it delights on the musical front, conceptually it appears to reinforce what is plainly a flawed and dangerous approach to nurturing talent. Still, this a showcase of two outstanding performances and a clear standout in what has otherwise been a largely mediocre run of films in 2014. Must see. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8J6JH-R-TN0
Among the Hunter Valley's many, many vineyards, Tyrrell's Wines is one of the region's big names. But it's still an independent, family-owned wine company that's been making excellent tipples since 1858. It's a hefty award-winner, too, nabbing more than 5650 gongs from various bodies over the past five decades alone. When it comes to Tyrrell's vinos, variety is the key. It's perhaps best known for its Vat 1 semillon, as well as its other timeless drops in the prestigious Winemaker's Selection range; however the brand's overall selection is particularly sizeable. For fans of a fruity red, the Old Winery pinot noir is not only known for its cherry and strawberry scent, but also for a mushroom aroma. Yes, it goes nicely with meat dishes. Located at Pokolbin, Tyrrell's cellar door operates seven days a week — and you can book in for a 45-minute tasting for $10 per person.
Saying that M. Night Shyamalan's latest film offers an improvement over his most recent efforts isn't really saying much. After impressing with The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, and a little less so with Signs and The Village, the likes of Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender and After Earth won the writer/director few kind words. The Visit seems to fall somewhere in the middle; however, in plodding towards his usual twist and doing so with a clumsy blend of shocks and laughs, it soon proves closer to his latter work than his former. Fifteen-year-old Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and her thirteen-year-old younger brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) take the trip of the movie's title, leaving their single mother (Kathryn Hahn) for a week with the estranged grandparents they've never before met. Upon arriving at the remote farm their Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) call home, the siblings find their elders a little odd, but are reassured that their eccentricities stem from their advanced age. When even stranger occurrences start happening at night, Becca and Tyler are convinced that something else is going on. To complicate what becomes little more than kids simply being spooked by creepy old people, pseudo fairytale-style, Shyamalan throws the current horror movie trend — found footage — into the mix. Accordingly, The Visit is presented as a documentary being shot by wannabe filmmaker Becca, with Tyler assisting with the camerawork when he's not rapping in front of the lens. Shyamalan's found footage effort is not a slapdash attempt to capitalise upon the current fondness for a certain subgenre of film — at least as far as the actual found footage conceit is concerned. The director never abandons his approach, and even weaves the consequences of a constantly rolling camera into the story. Expect bit players performing because they know they're being watched, just as Tyler does. Don't expect shots from angles that can't be justified in the narrative, just because they look cool. Alas, around the well-executed and committed stylistic gimmick sits cliche and a veering tone that colours everything that happens. Attempted frights are easily foreseen in the shadowy Hansel and Gretel-like offering, though thankfully Shyamalan's love of the supernatural never rears its head. The predictability of the script certainly inspires much of the guffawing that will echo around the cinema, though many of the feature's gags are intentional. Making a good horror-comedy is as difficult a feat as mastering found footage, but The Visit doesn't succeed in the first instance. Giggling at, not with, the film, feels like the more frequent outcome as bodily functions are mined for humour alongside the naked elderly form. And with the jump scares few and far between, comic moments aren't quite being used to diffuse tension. Australians DeJonge and Oxenbould try hard to wade through the wavering mood, turning in playful performances that brighten up the standard story, but being asked to spout dialogue about filmmaking technique doesn't do their characters any favours. Still, to say that the duo ranks alongside Shyamalan's handling of found footage as the feature's highlights is accurate — although, in the context of the complete movie, that's once again not saying much.
The Social Network isn't a rowing film, but the Henley Royal Regatta sequence in David Fincher's (The Killer) 2010 triumph quickly became one of cinema's most-famous oar-sweeping moments. Prestige, money, tradition, opulence, power, competition, determination: they all wash through the tightly shot segment, which gleams with the water of the River Thames, the sweat on the crew's faces and, just as importantly, with status. Definitely a rowing film, The Boys in the Boat paddles into the same world; however, a commentator's line mid-movie sums up the focus and angle of this old-fashioned underdog sports flick. "Old money versus no money at all" is how the usual big and rich names in the field and the University of Washington's junior varsity team are compared. George Clooney's (The Tender Bar) ninth feature as a director doesn't just spot the class-clash difference there — his entire picture wades into that gulf. Drawn from 2013 non-fiction novel The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown, reuniting Clooney with his The Midnight Sky screenwriter Mark L Smith in the process, The Boys in the Boat is about the UW's rowing efforts, rower Joe Rantz and coach Al Ulbrickson, too — plus an against-the-odds quest, bold choices, the struggles of the Great Depression, the reality of an Olympics held under the Nazi regime and the looming shadow of war. But thrumming at its heart like a coxswain is setting the pace is the mission to keep afloat one stroke at a time, and not merely in the pursuit of glory and medals. What rowing means to Rantz (Callum Turner, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), the character at its centre, as well as to the classmates-turned-crewmates catching and extracting with him, is pure survival first and foremost. Rantz is the engineering student who lines his shoes with newspaper to cover the holes in their soles, has no reliable place to sleep and hasn't been a stranger to going hungry for years. He's had zero family to support him since he was 14, thanks to his remarried dad, and he'll no longer be at college if he can't come up with his tuition fees. If the details weren't all true, and if The Boys in the Boat wasn't so matter-of-fact about them — patient in its overall pacing, handsome in its imagery, and clear-eyed about the dire and desperate situation its protagonist is in when everything changes — then the movie's plot might seem to be a Hollywood confection. Indeed, Clooney's current jump behind the lens feels like a throwback thanks to its sincerity, and its understatement along with it. Finding emotion in the specifics of Rantz's life and feats isn't hard, so there's no forceful poking and jabbing needed. That existence-shifting turn comes via trials for UW's JV rowers, not out of affinity for or interest in the sport but because his similarly doing-it-rough pal Roger Morris (Sam Strike, American Outlaws) mentions that there'll be lodging and pay for whoever gets picked. Hundreds show up. Only eight will make it. The gratitude in their eyes is the antithesis of the entitlement spied when The Boys in the Boat enrols them in races against competitors from cashed-up schools, and as The Social Network's time in racing shells splashed around so successfully. Where Rantz's journey glides from there isn't difficult to guess, as seen in training montages, rising passion for his new endeavour, gaining more confidence about falling for childhood friend Joyce (Hadley Robinson, Anyone But You), butting heads with the stoic Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton, I'm a Virgo) and receiving words of wisdom from boatbuilder George Pocock (Peter Guinness, Jack Ryan). And yet, in a move that separates it from the clumsy breeziness of the other underdog sports flick based on real-life hitting silver screens of late, Next Goal Wins, it's always told with the utmost earnestness. The Boys in the Boat is solid, then — an apt state for a film about securing sure footing atop a substance that's anything but. Clooney's fellow key craftspeople, including cinematographer Martin Ruhe (who shot The Tender Bar and The Midnight Sky), editor Tanya M Swerling (returning from The Tender Bar as well) and composer Alexandre Desplat (also back from The Midnight Sky), make their pivotal contributions just as reliably. Scenes with oars in hand are a particular thrill, contrasting the exertion, resolve and grit to persist within the UW boat with the shimmering water and scenic surroundings. Peering at Turner and Edgerton, their characters pitched as opposites who aren't really, proves equally revealing in conveying why Rantz and the crew's toils — and Ulbrickson's tough love — is all about persevering no matter what, too. As a filmmaker, Clooney started out making movies that he'd also act in, albeit regularly leaving the leading parts to his co-stars. In his 2002 directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, as in 2017's Suburbicon, 2021's The Tender Bar and now The Boys in the Boat, for example, he's been perfecting the art of enlisting other talents to play roles that he might've once (or easily could've, but has chosen not to). Edgerton's performance as Ulbrickson slides into that category. That said, he brings his own interiority and intensity to a figure who rarely cracks a smile, appears dedicated to winning above all else — putting the JV squad in races over their senior counterparts if it'll improve his chances of victory, in fact, and regardless of the uproar sparked — yet also clearly cares, even if his way of showing it is simply going about the team's business as usual. Evident in Edgerton's portrayal, and Turner's — the movie would sink if it wasn't — is tenacity that goes past the promise of prizes, fame and acclaim. As much as the film sees the desolation of the period, its push against the privilege, elitism and affluence that's often synonymous with rowing shines through strongest in its characters. This can't be called a scrappy picture in any sense but, as Turner and Edgerton ensure with help from Strike, Luke Slattery (New Amsterdam) as coxswain Bobby Much and Jack Mulhern (Pet Sematary: Bloodlines) as crew member Don Hume, it's filled with scrappers. While The Social Network will remain the pinnacle of rowing on-screen for now, telling a familiar tale well, The Boys in the Boat brings stirring depth.
I love a good rom-com as much as the next person. Austenland is not a good rom-com. The film tells the tale of Jane Austen-obsessed, 30-something singleton Jane Hayes (Keri Russell), who spends her life savings on visiting an Austen 'theme park' in England in her quest to find her own Mr Darcy. The foundations for a predictable and enjoyable rom-com are set. All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride as she battles obstacles before eventually learning that the fantasy exists in real life. Right? Right on all accounts except the most crucial: this film is not enjoyable. Actually, my apologies, there was one laugh, only it was so fleeting and unmemorable that I have already forgotten what induced it was. Likely it came from the repeatedly cumbersome attempts at a regal English accent by Miss Elizabeth Charming (played by Jennifer Coolidge in the same vein as every character ever played by Jennifer Coolidge). At least Austenland will not force you to think too much. It is predictable, which is a staple of most films of the genre — the protagonist will always find love. However, that is where we would like the predictability to cease. Unfortunately, the film's events and 'twists' are so glaringly foreseeable that you could sit at home and write the script in the time it takes you to watch it. In fact, just buy a Jane Austen novel with the money you would spend on seeing this. Perhaps the most frustrating element of this film is how unvisitable and inhospitable the actual resort it. From the instant Jane arrives she is treated horribly, due to purchasing the basic package. However, this unfathomable business plan destroys any realism in this resort, for me at least. It would have been better if this theme park had roller-coasters and fairy floss throughout. I will say that Russell is lovely to watch, and that JJ Feild will have ladies swooning as the film's resident Mr Darcy. However, that is it for the positives in this film. So use your sense and sensibility and give Austenland a miss, or at least wait until it ends up in JB Hi-Fi's bargain bin. Even then, save your $4.95.
Patience is rewarded in this latest Hollywood take on the Godzilla tale, with the eponymous giant taking almost an hour before his first appearance. It is, if you'll permit, a case of 'Waiting for Godzilla', and the eventual reveal is a genuine delight. The film begins in 1999, where a series of sudden and inexplicable catastrophes — most notably the collapse of a Japanese nuclear facility — are categorised as 'natural disasters' and dismissed, leaving in their wake unanswered questions and shattered lives. Among those affected is nuclear engineer Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), along with his wife, Sandra (Juliette Binoche), and his son Ford (Kick-Ass's Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Joe refuses to accept the official line, and — as his obsession grows — he soon becomes both an outcast and absentee father as he embarks upon a one-man crusade to discover the truth. Fast-forward, then, to the present day where, to Joe's horror, the same seismic anomalies that preceded the last disaster suddenly recommence. It's a slow burn kept alive almost entirely courtesy of Cranston and Binoche, but one whose dramatic ignition comes with the full force of a 3D IMAX experience. It's also a pleasant surprise, because the creature awakened is not Godzilla. It is, rather, a MUTO — or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism — perhaps best likened to a 300ft cockroach possessed of electromagnetic pulses and an appetite for radioactive materials. He'd be the solution to so many of earth's environmental concerns, were it not for his complete disregard for buildings or the earthlings inside them. What, then, of Godzilla? Instead of acting as the film's traditional villain, he is something more transcendent — an ancient, imposing yet graceful leviathan whose place on this earth is, seemingly, to ensure its equilibrium. With a design aesthetic far more aligned with the original Godzilla of 1954, he is truly awesome in scale and defined most crucially by his iconic scream (a two-part, roar-and-rumble experience created first by leaving dry ice to sublimate on a metal vent, then dragging a giant wooden crate across a polished floor). Sound is, in fact, the star of this film, with utterly rib-rattling resonance an almost constant companion throughout. It is, in short, a silly but fun film whose human characters are wholly tangential to its CGI stars. With a cast that also boasts the largely underused Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen and David Strathairn, the decision to entrust its least recognisable and accomplished actor with the lion's share of screen time is a curious misstep, and despite all the MUTO's menace, the most ominous element in Godzilla remains its opening titles and their use of archival nuclear test footage. In a film centred around the destructive power of giant monsters, nothing manages to quite live up to the terror and devastation reminded to us in those few, opening seconds. It is a nuclear device, too, that provides the film with its greatest source of tension in the climax. Still, it's nice to have Godzilla back in our lives after 1998's disappointing attempt, and, as far as blockbusters go, this has almost everything you're looking for. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc
High School is already hard if you speak the language. Arriving from another country in turmoil, not knowing how to communicate, what to do when the bell rings or how to ask for the toilet makes it all considerably harder. Having a go at being articulate and stylish in public can be a big confidence boost, not to mention quite cool in and of itself. At the Carriageworks until March 5th, Art and Australia magazine, working with the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation (ALNF), is putting students front and centre with the Subtext exhibition. Students from Lurnea High School in western Sydney worked with artist Locust Jones to produce the exhibition's star work — a 25 metre canvas illustrating the students' experiences. The ALNF already puts out a collection of student-told stories with the Bankstown Youth Development Service called Westside Jr, which launched last year at the National Young Writer's Festival. Subtext is raising money for the ALNF's Refugee Action Support program, and as well as the Locust Jones canvas there are contributions of text-based art from over a dozen other artists on sale for the cause. Image by servantofchaos.
Forget The Big Bang Theory — in The Flight Attendant, Kaley Cuoco well and truly leaves her long-running stint in the popular (and just-finished) sitcom behind. Exactly what her character does for work won't come as a surprise given the mini-series' title, but the fact that she wakes up in a Bangkok hotel room next to a dead body and then finds FBI agents on her trail when she returns to New York sparks a mighty big mystery. If it sounds familiar, perhaps you've read Chris Bohjalian's 2018 novel of the same name. Before it even hit bookstores, Cuoco's production company snapped up the rights to turn it into a thrilling TV show. Accordingly, it's clearly a passion project for the actor and executive producer, and promises to treat audiences to an array of twists and turns.
Last year, Pat Brassington’s survey show, A rebours was exhibited at Dark Mofo in Tasmania. Curated by Juliana Engberg, the title could have been a nod to the morbid decadence of JK Huysman’s 19th-century aesthete and antihero Des Esseintes. Although similarly “against the grain,” Brassington’s style is significantly less lavish. Over the past three decades, her body of work has danced to a slightly sinister tune. Ethereal and enigmatic, her photographs seem to stand just on the brink of normalcy, gradually tipping into strangeness. If we’re talking art history of the early 20th century, in search of the marvellous at Stills Gallery feels like a natural transition from A rebours. This exhibition takes its cue from surrealist writer Louis Aragon’s description of the marvellous as “the eruption of contradiction within the real”. Many of the works are set on two planes, creating different levels of depth. For example, in Gifted, there’s a blurred vase and a hazy pink bouquet with a few individual flower in focus. It’s almost like a sensory division — tactile petals hovering in the foreground while the backgrounded bouquet is more vague, like a wafting perfume. There’s a lot of doubling in this exhibition. For instance, there’s a pair of profile silhouettes in We meet in Bruges, the layered tapestry patterns of the paradoxically titled Asphalt, and the half portraits of Parasite 1 and 2. These latter works, a single face spread across two canvases, feel ever so slightly out of sync with the rest of the series. Up close, they almost look like a couple of Lichtenstein paintings. With bold outlines and rough textures, a lacy mask and a large insect appear to be stamped quite decisively on top. On this note of doubling, it should be noted that Brassington has mastered the double-take. Comprehension comes slowly as an arm and a leg seem a little too long and a little too straight. There's also a shiny pink bow obscuring a featureless head that seems more shapeless than it should be, almost like an enlarged thumb. These works are arresting in their ambiguity, stranded somewhere between real and unreal. in search of the marvellous dispenses with big and brash juxtapositions. It’s a subtler take on surrealism. And probably a more accurate one. There’s a sense of displaced beauty to these works, full of suggestive textures and narrative holes. With her considered compositions and deft use of colour, Brassington is restrained as always. Her style is more contemplative than communicative, making her exhibitions an inviting place to be.
Is there a better name for a reggae festival than Jammin, which instantly gets the sounds of Bob Marley stuck in your head? Probably not. And at 2024's Jammin, the event is living up to that moniker by featuring Julian Marley, one of the Jamaican icon's sons, on its lineup. His set list is known to feature his dad's songs — 'Jamming' among them. Marley will take to the stage in Sydney when the festival plays Parramatta Park for two days across Saturday, February 3–Sunday, February 4. He has plenty of big-name reggae company, starting with Sean Paul, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Shaggy — yes, Mr Boombastic himself. From there, the roster of talent includes Stefflon Don, Fiji, Oxlade, J Boog, Third World and Common Kings, as well as Maoli, Spawnbreezie, The Green, Pia Mia, Latasha Lee, Josh Wawa, Eli Mac and Sione Toki. Plus, Sons of Zion, Sammy J, Nesian Mystik, House of Shem, 1814 and Three Houses Down are hopping across the ditch from New Zealand's reggae scene. In Sydney, Sean Paul and UB40 featuring Al Campbell headline the Saturday, while Shaggy does the honours on Sunday. Top image: Bieniecki Piotr via Wikimedia Commons.
After several years fuelling revellers at Goodgod (and then the Hudson Ballroom), the Belly Bao folks have set up their own digs. Officially opening in Newtown this Wednesday, September 13, the eatery will be bringing you the baos and baogers you know and love, as well as some tasty new creations, including bao noodles. And, yes, the Gaytime bao is back, but this time, it's out of the closet as a permanent, public menu item. Belly Bao's head chef Sylvia Tran and her partner Kieren are super excited. That said, it took a year or so to find the right location — the 50-seater space at 184 King Street only came up when N2 Extreme Gelato vacated the premises. "We've wanted our own shop for a while and we thought Newtown would be the perfect place," says Sylvia. "It's open and fun — it's really what we're about." With a bigger kitchen up her sleeve, Sylvia has expanded the menu. Whereas, at Goodgod/Hudson Ballroom, there was just one baoger offered each night, four options are now available all the time: The Baoger (Angus beef patty, cheese, cos lettuce, onion, pickled radish, Baoger sauce), as well as one with eggplant, chicken and chopped cheese. A baoger, in case you're unfamiliar with it, is a Western hamburger, but served Asian-style, with bao as bread. As always, every piece of Belly Bao's dough is made from scratch, by hand. On top of that, bao noodles are making a Sydney debut. "They're made with exactly the same recipe as bao, but rolled out, shaped into noodle form and boiled," says Sylvia. "We're serving them with house-made satay chill oil and either braised pork or, for vegans, sautéed shiitake mushrooms, topped with coriander, chives and spring onion." And that won't be the only dish catering to Newtown's growing vegan crowd. There's also a five-spice king mushroom bao with onion-soy jam, tofu goreng with satay, pickled cucumber and garlic and, for dessert, pandan baonuts with whipped pandan coconut cream. When Belly Bao's liquor license arrives in a month or two, you'll be matching your eats with Asian beverages that aren't common in Sydney. These include beers and mixes, such as Hennessy Cognac with green tea, which is a staple in karaoke joints. There'll also be a handpicked selection of Aussie craft beers and wines. Sylvia and Kieren designed the eatery's interior with the help of Kieren's sister, Petta Chua, who, conveniently, works for Vogue. Think warm browns, oranges and greens. There's an L-shaped bar, a banquette for large gatherings and round tables for twos and threes, surrounded by old-school Chinese restaurant chairs, newly upholstered. Keep an eye out for the Mahjong table and the dreamy, tropical-inspired feature wall by local artist Simon Wheeldon. Belly Bao is now open at 184 King Street, Newtown. It's open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11.30am till 10pm and Friday and Saturday, 11.30am till late. For more info, visit bellybao.com.
We ain't afraid of no ghosts, but you should be afraid of missing out on this fun movie-themed affair at Shangri-La Sydney: a Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire-themed high tea. The concept is only available from March 16 to April 7 — right in time for the release of the anticipated latest addition to the Ghostbusters' film franchise. Taking place in The Lobby Lounge, the limited-time high tea keeps with the New York setting of the iconic film franchise with mini NYC wagyu beef cheeseburgers on brioche buns, classic bagels with house-smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers and mini hot dogs with sauerkraut and crispy onions. On the sweeter side, guests will enjoy apple pie macarons, mini Stay Puft marshmallow profiteroles, New York-style baked cheesecakes, scones (it is high tea, after all), and to really hammer home the theme, the ectoplasmic lime delights — caramel crumble with coconut cream and lime slime jelly. The high tea also brings the theme into its drinks offering. Adults can enjoy the zesty Slimer Sour or The Death Chill cocktail — a mix of tequila, coconut and lemon — and kids can choose from a selection of themed milkshakes. If you want to explore more Ghostbusters-themed cocktails, head to Blu Bar on 36 — Shangri-La's sky-high cocktail bar with epic views across the harbour. The next flick in the supernatural movie series sees most of the original cast and newcomers returning to New York City to battle an ancient force that's trying to unleash a second Ice Age. See it for yourselves when the film hits theatres on March 21. 'The Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' High Tea is available for a limited time only in the Lobby Lounge from March 16 – April 7, 2024, with two seating times: 11.00am–1.00pm and 2.00pm–4.00pm. Bookings are essential and can be made on the website, priced at $79 per adult (aged 12 and above) and $74 per child (aged 11 and under). 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' is exclusively in cinemas on March 21, 2024.
Fulfil your food and cinema cravings in one go with this Moroccan-themed Good Food Month event from Surry Hills favourites Nomad and Golden Age Cinema. The two venues are coming together to offer a night packed with tasty food and a classic film. An Evening in Morocco will involve a next-level multi-course meal from the team behind Nomad and a showing of iconic Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman-starring drama Casablanca. Popping up at Nomad on Thursday, January 20, it will take place across two sessions, each of which will feature dinner and a screening of the movie. Highlights of the night's menu include barbecue prawns, baked chilli and honeycomb feta, lamb neck b'stilla and smoked eggplant. Classic starters like woodfired bread and olive tapenade will be on hand to ease you into the night, and a mille feuille with caramelised milk, dates and orange will round things out for dessert. The cherry on top of the evening will be a themed cocktail created by the Golden Age team for you to sip while you enjoy Casablanca. Top image: Nikki To
Only two months after acquiring the Oxford Street icon The Colombian, Iris Capital have added another notch to their belt by buying the Darlinghurst pub's neighbour, the Gaslight Inn, late last year, in an off-market deal worth around $6 million. The move comes after a spate of buying and selling in the Sydney pub market, prompting the Asia Pacific director of Ray White's hotel arm Andrew Joliffe to tell Commercial Real Estate that "the Sydney pub market is on fire at the moment". Other notable acquisitions in recent times include Justin Hemmes' purchase of the Tennyson Hotel in Mascot, and Bill Young's $28 million deal to take the reins at the Five Dock Hotel. But Iris Capital isn't just buying up big — the group also sold off one of its more notable venues, The Clovelly Hotel, to Matt Moran's Solotel group in late December. This should free up a little cash for the growing real estate empire, potentially to administer a few surgical-grade facelifts to its new venues. This game of pass the parcel between some Sydney's biggest names in hospitality management has really ramped up in recent months, and we don't expect it to end any time soon. And given the huge price tags attached to these venues — mostly beyond the realm of the average punter's comprehension — the sales look likely lead to a few huge makeovers for a slew of Sydney's favourite pubs. Via Commercial Real Estate.
Let's put it on the record — Disney ruined fairy tales for everyone. The world does not need happy endings, or at least it doesn't require the sickly sweet endings that only a cartoon mouse force-fed a diet of high-fructose corn syrup can crap out. Someone needs to dig up the Brothers Grimm (and Angela Carter, for that matter) and get them pumping out stories that make children dream of darkness as much as they do of light. High on the list of potential gravediggers is the Cornish company, Kneehigh Theatre, who are exploding onto the York Theatre stage with their adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Red Shoes. More ghastly than Elvis' blue suedes, these crimson pumps have the magical ability to make a person dance in perpetuity. So, if there's one thing this production guarantees, it's a knee-blasting dance track with some sweat-milking flesh thrashing. Grab any child you can find and bring them to this show. If you don't, then the world will belong to Mickey and his censors forever more. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oK4h7gDqo5A
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, outsider art lover Tully Arnot takes the reins at this multi-storey, late night gallery romp. Silent opera, strange sculpture and unusual visual and aural manifestations are all said to be on the agenda.
What's better than watching the New Year's Eve fireworks than Sydney Harbour's Cockatoo Island? Waking up to the same incredible harbour views on January 1. It sounds a bit wild, but it could be your reality, as Cockatoo Island prepares to open up its annual New Year's Eve program to punters. Yes, we know NYE is still months away, but the we're bringing it up now because the ballot for accommodation on the island has just opened. If you want to stay in the island's super exclusive accommodation as the decade ticks over, you'll need to enter — there are only a few houses up for grabs. There are an assortment of premium accommodation options, including two heritage houses and three waterfront apartments. The houses sleep up to 12 guests, while the apartments can fit up to five — and all are decked out with all the luxury trimmings and an outdoor viewing area across the harbour. You can try your luck at nabbing one by entering your name in the ballot, which runs from now until Sunday, August 25. And you'd best start saving those dollars ASAP – depending how big your crew is, the ballot stays have to be for five nights and range from $800–1750 per person. [caption id="attachment_738268" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The view from one of Cockatoo Island's two heritage houses.[/caption] If you miss out, or simply prefer to keep things a little more low-key, Cockatoo Island is also offering up its regular camping and glamping packages for its New Year's festivities. Tickets for deluxe one-night glamping experiences are on sale from Monday, September 2, with prices starting at a more affordable $400 per person. If you want to bring all your own great (including a tent), you can nab a site for around $100–200 per person. While these might not be quite as fancy as the balloted digs, they do get you front and centre to all of the Island's NYE fun – think, live tunes, guided tours, DJ sets, eats and pop-up bars, teamed with those world-famous firework displays. Cockatoo Island's New Year's Eve program will take place on December 31, 2019 to welcome in 2020. The ballot for houses and apartments is now open and closes at 11.59pm on Sunday, August 25, while camping tickets will go on sale here at 9am on Monday, September 2.
Do you know the secret to a perfect baked feta pasta? Know all the tricks to make your cloud bread as light and fluffy as a cumulus? Do you even know what these words mean?? If so, there's a one-night-only event happening in Redfern this June that you won't want to miss. On Thursday, June 23, Scape, Australia's biggest student accommodation operator, will host its first-ever TikTok-inspired pop-up restaurant, with humble student recipes given a blue tick-worthy glow-up by three of Australia's most popular TikTok food creators. The dishes are based on research undertaken by Scape which showed that almost 75% of uni students who live out of home eat alone, and those that do often get by with a basic recipe rotation of toasties, pasta with sauce and stir fries. To that end, the Scape TikTok Creator Cook-Up will see food influencers Vincent Yeow Lim, Morgan Hipworth and Priya Sharma take over a dining room at Scape's Eveleigh Street property to present a menu inspired by these dishes, but delivered with a surprising twist or two. Lim's Yumyumcha is a creative take on a classic toastie, a flavour and texture bomb which sees ham and cheese siu mai served with XO sauce, garlic butter, croutons and topped with gold leaf. Sharma's Samosa Be a Stir Fry is reinvented stir fry that promises a cross-cultural explosion in which a samosa is packed with a delicious plant-based stir fry, noodles and all. For dessert, Hipworth, who opened go-to Melbourne bakehouse Bistro Morgan when he was just 15, will be whipping up the aptly-named Nothing Is Impastable. The sweet take on a comfort classic sees sweet tortellini loaded with Nutella ricotta filling and served with raspberry coulis and hazelnut praline. You'll need to hurry if you want to attend — spots are limited and they're filling up faster than you can whip up a Dalgona coffee. For more information and to book, head to the event website.
The British Film Festival might only be six years old, but this year's event comes with a considerable sense of history. It's there in the fest's opening night film, Collette, which stars Keira Knightley as 19th-century French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. It's evident in a four-movie tribute that'll blow the bloody cinema doors off, showcasing the work and career of Michael Caine. And, it's obvious in closing night's Stan & Ollie, with Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as one of cinema's greatest double acts: British comedian Stan Laurel and his American counterpart Oliver Hardy. Dramatic true tales about Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart all keep the theme going, as do real-life spy thriller Red Joan with Judi Dench and the Idris Elba-directed, 70s and 80s-set Jamaican gangster movie Yardie. There's also a retrospective dedicated to Brit flicks from the swinging sixties, plus Peterloo — the latest effort from seven-time Oscar nominated writer/director Mike Leigh, which focuses on a working-class demonstration in Manchester in 1819. Screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Central, Palace Verona and Chauvel Cinema between Tuesday, October 23 and Wednesday, November 14 (with a few extra days always tacked on at the end to replay the most popular titles), the 2018 BFF boasts plenty of other highlights — and genres and stars as well. Catch a Scottish Christmas-themed teen-zombie-musical-comedy courtesy of Anna and the Apocalypse, and watch Rob Brydon go synchronised swimming (yes, really) in Swimming with Men. Or, see Star Wars' Daisy Ridley, Harry Potter's Tom Felton and Clive Owen take on Shakespeare in Ophelia, a reworking of Hamlet.
Art, performance and delectable food come together against the stunning white-sand backdrop of Jervis Bay. Running over two weeks, SeeChange Jervis Bay Arts Festival will transform the region into a vibrant hub of creativity. A spectacular opening ceremony, called Paths of Light, will kick things off at dusk on Saturday, May 26. Visitors will experience a spectacular light and sound show and will be able to feast on delicious fare. This year the theme is 'Shared Pathways' and will feature immersive art experiences. Visitors will be able to view beautiful artistic interpretations of the Bherwerre wetlands, enjoy cabaret shows in the White Sands Park pop-up theatre and watch entertaining street performances.
If you think you don't know who Cody ChesnuTT is, then you will be pleased to learn that you are wrong. He is the soulful singer of the incredibly catchy 'Look Good In Leather', one of many brilliant songs from his debut album, The Headphone Masterpiece. The Roots (you will know them) also reworked ChesnuTT's song 'The Seed' for their famous album Phrenology. Since then it has been a long time between drinks — Australia last saw ChesnuTT in 2006. Thankfully, though, he is back with his second studio album and an Australian tour. Landing on a Hundred was released late last year and is well worth seeing performed live. In fact, anyone compared to music legends Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Jimmy Hendrix and Prince is worth seeing, especially for under $50. So hand over a gold note, get your change and enjoy an evening of musical artistry at The Metro Theatre. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8iTRRkOXIoI
Professor Robert Baines: artist, goldsmith, scholar, gentleman, and now Living Treasure. As one of Australia's most internationally acclaimed and exhibited jewelers, Baines' work is being honoured as part of the Living Treasures: Master of Australian Craft series at Object Gallery. Baines is a professor of Gold and Silversmithing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and his accolades include the prestigious International Friedrich Becker Prize for jewellery. The works of this extraordinarily gifted and prolific artist are held in a number of the world's most prestigious galleries including the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Ville de Cagnes-sur-Mer (France), the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, USA) and the National Gallery of Australia. As the title suggests, Baines works his magic using precious metals and wire to construct his beautiful and complex pieces. Object Gallery has released a stunning 120-page monograph of Baines' work, which is available to purchase at the gallery or in bookstores. Baines will present a floor talk at 11am on 23rd October and will be available for Q&A time afterwards, along with co-author of the monograph Ruediger Joppien.
It's been over six months since Sydneysiders have been able to pull up a cushion on the edge of the Harbour and take in the stunning views with a cocktail in hand. The pandemic forced Opera Bar and Opera Kitchen to close their doors earlier this year, but now they're ready to welcome back patrons with open arms (1.5 metres away, of course). Both venues are usually synonymous with big crowds and a decent line at the bar — especially on a balmy Sydney eve — but new COVIDSafe measures means there are a few changes you can expect. Instead of instructing your mates to split up to hunt down the nearest free table, you can now reserve your spot online with a booking of up to ten people. There will also be a maximum capacity of one person per four square metres and physical distancing guidelines that will see tables spread out a bit more spaciously. Opera Bar and Opera Kitchen will also be implementing measures that have quickly become the norm at venues across the city, including registering with a QR code on entry, cashless payment, and hand sanitiser stations dotted around the facilities. And after those pain-free formalities, you can sit down with your mates and enjoy the brand new menus both venues have on offer including a fresh, yet decadent seafood platter at Opera Bar. [caption id="attachment_782902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Renowned Australian chef Matt Moran designs the Opera Bar menu and sounds pretty keen to welcome customers back for a drink or two just as the weather begins to warm up. "Sydney, we've missed you!" Moran wrote on Instagram, announcing the venue's all-new booking system. While Opera Bar and Opera Kitchen are usually popular stop-offs for interstate and international tourists, now is the perfect time for Sydneysiders to visit and enjoy one of the most spectacular views in the world with plenty of space to stretch out. Opera Bar and Opera Kitchen are now open on the lower concourse, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point. To make a reservation, head to the website.
Are you still, still recovering from The Red Viper versus The Mountain? Are you feeling a little nostalgic for the days when Tyrion could lay around boozing on vino? Perhaps you should be drinking your sorrows away with some like-minded Thrones fanatics. Confused? We’ll lay it down for you. Game of Rhones is a wine-tasting event that's been touring Australia since 2014. Featuring over 40 producers and 100 wines, it's a one-day, all-out trial by combat to determine the best offering of the grape varieties from the Rhone Valley in France — Shiraz, Grenache, and Viognier among others. But this isn't just a run-of-the-mill wine tasting set-up. To keep that theme solid, the Rhone Bar is where you can taste wines from ‘Beyond the Wall’ (ie: the Rhone Valley). Then, you can sign up for a blindfolded tasting in the 'torture chamber' (a highlight of previous Game of Rhones events). Suffice to say, after a few of these Rhone Valley wines, we'd probably confess to a secret or two. Of course, it wouldn't be Thrones-worthy if there weren't a few extra kickers. To accompany your wine, there will be a selection of feast-able treats available such as suckling pig and venison pie — if you’re a vego or a vegan, you've probably already guessed this is a highly meaty affair.
City Recital Hall, in the heart of Sydney's CBD, is known for its impressive design and sound quality. And, on Saturday, August 25, it's putting these to good use with a mini-festival showcasing some of the best genre-defying Australian and international talent. Your understanding of music production and performance will be turned upside down as Extended Play presents 20 groundbreaking artists ignoring all the rules. Headlining the main stage is influential New York-based modern classical ensemble Bang on a Can All-Stars. Best known for its multi-hour dynamic performances, the group shifts seamlessly through jazz, rock, classical and experimental music. Also appearing on the main stage is Sydney's own Ensemble Offspring — a collection of virtuosic instrumentalists who've set themselves the weighty goal of exploring and 'shaping the music of our time'. For Extended Play, the ensemble will perform rarely heard works by one of America's greatest living composers, Steve Reich. Meanwhile, a host of acts will be scattered around the venue exploring almost every conceivable soundscape with makeshift arrangements, genreless compositions and electronic bombardments. Happening over the course of 12 hours, from 12pm to midnight, Extended Play will be an aural treat for even the most discerning lovers of music.
The best movies of the 2014 Sydney Film Festival are just a month and some strategic ticket booking away. All those hotly awaited preview screenings and festival circuit favourites are vying for our attention. But after years of festival attendance, if we've learned anything, we've learned that a good film festival is all about balance, variety and the payoff of open-mindedness. So here's our guide to creating a great festival program for yourself — including the best, ballsiest and most challenging films — using the festival's most popular ticket, the Flexipass 10. Of course, if you find yourself getting a Flexipass 20 or 30, we've got you covered too. https://youtube.com/watch?v=isp2OUG6phE One likely Competition winner With his last film, David Michôd gave the world the most sinister Smurf ever, and in return got awards from the Academy, Golden Globes and Sundance. Since Animal Kingdom, Michôd has been working on The Rover, conceived with Joel Edgerton and set in a near-future, dystopian Australia where the western economy has collapsed and people from all over the world come to work in the mines (a la gold rush). Guy Pearce is in the grizzled lead role, with Robert Pattinson as his annoying protege (really). So no rainbows and unicorns in the Michôd oeuvre anytime soon. Alternatively: It's a tough field in the Sydney Film Festival Official Competition, which will see one filmmaker awarded the $60,000 prize by the expert jury. The latest risky feature from Hail director Amiel Courtin-Wilson (this time co-directing with Michael Cody), Ruin is a love story set among the violence and desperation of Cambodia's underclass. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ISaSHUSrEUw One ambitious formal experiment Did you know that for the last 12 years, Richard Linklater has been tinkering away on the same project? Oh yes, in between Before Midnight and Before Sunset, A Scanner Darkly and Bernie, there's been Boyhood, an intimate coming-of-age drama utilising the same cast (Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and kids Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater) and interested in the kind of authenticity that can be created when you're not artificially ageing or swapping in older actors. "There has simply never been anything like this film," wrote Rolling Stone, and it does look very exciting indeed. Alternatively: There's some fantastic formal experimentation taking place this year. Check out The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her and Him, two separate films detailing two different halves of a relationship breakdown; the single-shot, 134-minute Iranian slasher film Fish & Cat; Locke, which takes place entirely inside a car; or Manakamana, which takes place entirely inside a cable car. https://youtube.com/watch?v=t4Bg9dsurqE One advanced preview you can't wait to see Michael Fassbender in a papier mache head. Does it seem like director Lenny Abrahamson might have shot himself in the foot there? Fassbender is obscured by mask for basically the whole of Frank, the sweet, Jon Ronson-penned feature about genius, illness and selling out in the music industry, which we've been buzzing about since it premiered at Sundance. The SFF is scattered with films like this in the special presentation stream — they're basically guaranteed to come out in cinemas in the next few months, but this is your chance to see them at the luxe State Theatre (and before your friends). Alternatively: Also at the State are the Michel Gondry/Noam Chomsky film Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?, sure to be a work of great joy, as well as the long-awaited (by some) sophomore effort from Zach Braff, Wish I Was Here. Not at the State, Gia Coppola makes her directorial debut with Palo Alto, the film that James Franco may have sexted a teenager for. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KinAEqb3Kts One foreign-language film to challenge you Prepare to feel like you've accomplished nothing with your life. At the age of just 25, director Xavier Dolan has been hailed as a genius more times than most of us have been told that we're just pretty okay. This French-Canadian triple-threat won the SFF Prize in 2010 for his sophomore film Heartbeats, and now returns with Tom at the Farm, a psychological thriller about a man — named Tom (Dolan) — who attends the funeral of his boyfriend, only to find himself caught in a twisted game with members of his dead lovers' family. Alternatively: Diao Yinan's neo-noir Black Coal, Thin Ice took the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year and looks to be amongst the most intriguing entries in the festival sidebar focused on China. Meanwhile, the Angelina Jolie-produced child abduction drama Difret appears grimly well-timed in light of the Boko Haram kidnappings currently making headlines around the world, and transgender filmmaker Ester Martin Bergsmark takes a look at young love in Something Must Break. The latest from one of your favourite cult directors Brilliant South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho (Mother, The Host) makes his English language debut with Snowpiercer, a highly politicised post-apocalyptic thriller. When a botched attempt to solve global warming plunges the earth into a second ice age, the last remnants remains of humanity — including Chris Evans, John Hurt and Tilda Swinton — take shelter aboard a perpetually moving train. After rave early screenings on the European festival circuit, American distributor Harvey 'Scissorhands' Weinstein caused controversy by suggesting he planned to cut out 20 minutes from the film so that American audiences would be able to understand it. Thankfully, it appears that the film will screen uncut at SFF, just as Bong intended. Alternatively: David Gordon Green (Prince Avalanche) teams up with Nicholas Cage for the Mississippi-set drama Joe, while Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie) ventures into the third dimension with quirk-filled The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet. There are also new films from Atom Egoyan, Kelly Reichardt and The Dardennes. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4DlSfb0kIVs One eye-opening documentary Maybe you've thought that Ukraine's topless protesters FEMEN are a pretty crap version of feminism. Maybe you just don't know enough about Ukraine to judge. Australian director Kitty Green's Ukraine Is Not a Brothel takes a keen-eyed look at the politics, society and personal stories surrounding the group — and their shadowy mastermind. Plus, let's face it, you could probably use a primer on Ukraine considering how central it's become to geopolitics. Alternatively: The Australian and international documentary streams are full of stranger-than-fiction stories told in interesting, rigorous ways. We love the look of Gracie Otto's vivacious The Last Impresario; Errol Morris's latest, The Unknown Known; and the rollicking tale of the most influential sci-fi film never made, Jodorowsky's Dune. https://youtube.com/watch?v=N02z93-TtqY One exceedingly weird thing that will never get a mainstream release There's no point in going to a film festival if you're only going to see movies that'll be released at the multiplex next week. Being a movie buff means liking weird things with absolutely no commercial prospects — like Ne me quitte pas, a Belgian documentary about two drunken old men hanging out together in the woods. Described by Indiewire as both hilarious and touching, you'll never know how great (or terrible) a movie like this is unless you're willing to give it a chance. Alternatively: A father and son provide running commentary on grainy footage from a 1988 Romanian soccer match in The Second Game, while another match gets interrupted by zombies in Goal of the Dead. https://youtube.com/watch?v=a8vy-DO-I5E One visual trip through music This year's opening film is none other than 20,000 Days on Earth, a fictionalised documentary portrayal (huh?) of a day in the life of Nick Cave. The film won a pair of awards Sundance for directing and editing, and shows the iconoclastic musician visit the psychotherapist, work on his latest album, and have imaginary conversations with figures from his past. Sounds strange, which should suit fans of Cave's music just fine. Alternatively: The festival's Sounds on Screen section has been popular feature with music lovers for quite some time now. This year's highlights include a Jimi Hendrix biopic starring André 3000 and a doco about Australian jazz pioneer Clark Terry and his friendship with a blind young pianist, Keep on Keepin' On. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TyvfQIdx_Ao One comedy that lightens the mood Look, if you only saw the critically talked-up stuff at the SFF, you'd probably find yourself gravely depressed. The stuff of reviewer reverence is rarely uplifting; it's usually important, unsentimental and keen to deny you the closure of a neat ending. We know it. That's why it's vital you heed this step and add a comedy to your schedule, just to keep you in your right mind. The must-see this year is really What We Do In the Shadows, the NZ vampire mockumentary from the makers of Flight of the Conchords. Enough said. Alternatively: The creator of web series The Slope, Desiree Akhavan, has produced the "queer Persian-American Annie Hall", Appropriate Behaviour, while Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey and Lena Dunham all hang out in Happy Christmas, from director Joe Swanberg. One unforgettable film experience Ultimately, film festivals are about creating experiences that stick with you after the lights come up. To that end, take a trip to the Skyline Drive-In on Friday the 13th, for a late-night screening of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Never will the growl of the rusty saw sound so close, nor the blood look less fake, than in this carefully restored digital print. Forty years on, it's a classic for a reason. Be sure to lock your doors. Alternatively: Check out the always awesome SFF Hub for a ton of extra-curricular activities. Grab a drink, listen to a panel, take part in the Vladmaster Viewmaster experience or watch Australian critics duke it out in the take-no-prisoners Film Critics Death Match. By Rima Sabina Aouf and Tom Clift.
Sedition Gallery is the best barbershop in Sydney. It’s run by a guy called Mick who does a very tidy short back and sides, which is harder to find than you might think. But that’s not what makes it “the bestâ€. It’s the best because it treads that perfect line between “old-school mens barbershop†and “weird gay porn art denâ€. The place is chock-full of bizarre and confronting artworks, many of them Mick's own. Thats because he’s been running Sedition as a gallery and music venue for the last ten years. It’s also a record shop. Everywhere in Sydney should be like this.Last time I went there Mick was curating a show about circles. “When you think about it, man, a circle is just a line with no endâ€, he said, as he tapered my neck with a razor. I took this statement to be either a Zen Koan, a statement so devoid of logic or meaning that it clears the mind to a transcendental state, or else a signpost of mental illness. I muttered something non-committal and after that the conversation turned frosty. When I got home I realized that he was right. A circle IS a line with no end! Plus my hair looked awesome. See, Mick is a genius.This friday the Barbershop/Recordshop/Venue/Gallery is putting on a gig with prog musical acts Flutter Lyon and Kirin J Callinan. I can’t vouch for Flutter Lyon but Callinan is great. A topless Nick Cave type fella who sings like a mix between Brian Ferry and a kicked dog. Plus he plays all his own instruments on loops. I know that might sound terrible, but its actually pretty damn good. Trust me. Trust Mick.
They're sticky, cinnamon scrolls, drenched in glaze and famous all across the USA. And at the end of last year, they finally became available Down Under when Seattle-born chain Cinnabon opened its first Australian store in Brisbane. Now, a second store is set to open next Friday, February 14. That store — sorry everyone else — is also in Brisbane. While the first one is located in Toombul Shopping Centre, this one will be on the other side of the city inside Westfield Garden City. So both north and south Brisbane will be in close proximity to the sticky baked goods. When it opens next week, Brisbanites will be able to grab a scroll from 8am seven days a week — but be prepared to queue. The Toombul store still regularly has a lengthy line, even two months after opening. Just like the Toombul store, this one will sling a trio of Cinnabon cult classics, including the classic cream cheese cinnamon roll, the popular chocolate-drizzled Chocobon and very extra Caramel Pecanbon. They're available in both mini and large sizes, along with packs featuring either four or nine 'minibons'. There's coffee and lots of sugary drinks to pair with your snacks, too, including a cinnamon bun frappe. [caption id="attachment_755764" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cinnabon Toombul[/caption] If you're yet to get acquainted with the decadent dessert creations, prepare yourself for aromatic, cinnamon-spiked dough made to a long-held recipe, decked out with stacks of signature cream cheese frosting and loaded with extras. They're notoriously tough to replicate. The Australian launch was first announced in January 2019, when family-run Queensland company Bansal Foods scored the Aussie rights to Cinnabon. Cinnabon has been going strong in America since 1985, so it has already picked up plenty of Aussie fans along the way. But this is the first time that we're able to get our hands on those sticky, cinnamon-infused baked goods on home soil. And if you're not in Brisbane, you might just need to be patient. Since opening in December, Cinnabon has run multiple pop-ups around Brisbane and — according to Bansal Foods Group Director Gaurav Bansal — the group is "exploring opportunities to have more pop-ups around the country". In a statement, he also 'promised' to open more permanent bakeries in other cities soon. Cinnabon will open at 8am on Friday, February 14 on level two of Westfield Garden City, Kessels Road, Upper Mount Gravatt.
If you’re heading to Dan Deacon’s Sydney Festival show, don’t forget your smartphone, whatever you do. It's your key to becoming an actual, live part of his gig. Before rocking up, audience members are asked to download an app, which will enable them to play an active role in his spectacular, synchronised sound and light extravaganza. Deacon, who hails from Baltimore, will be in rare solo form and is set to deliver one of his wildest, most chaotic and most fun performances yet. Last time Deacon visited our fair city for SydFest, there were dance races through the Hyde Park Barracks and the entire audience had to run through each other's raised-arm tunnels, one pair after the other. Expect everything. Dan Deacon is one of our top ten picks of the Sydney Festival. Check out our other favourite events over here.
Is this low-budget, low-key production Joss Whedon's post-Avengers campaign for cred as a Legit Indie Filmmaker? Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare's 1598 version of a rom-com, hauled mercilessly into 2013 with cocktails, cupcakes and a sensibility that's both verbose and slapstick. Our two lovers, Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof), are cluelessly star-crossed, blinded by their own pride and ego. Whether you find what plays out a tedious, self-financed pet project or an endearing contemporary translation will depend on your familiarity with the almost untouched original text and your appreciation/tolerance of Whedon universe in-jokes (like the Dollhouse set prop). The project was shot in 12 days at the end of Avengers production with a cast of usual Whedon suspects. It's a somewhat grinding change of gears from the Marvel machine, but in an age of relentless threequels, 3D fantasies and franchisable remakes, it's admirable to see a big-shot director get back to basics. Whedon does everything from writing the slightly cheesy score to staging the entire production in his LA mansion. It's shot in black and white, which seems to be an easy shorthand for self-declared serious independent directors lately, but Whedon makes it work. Just. Across all his various projects, this director's trademark is self-assuredness, and every frame of Much Ado About Nothing bounces with energy. It's as slick as you'd expect, if not a little forgettable, and definitely not daring. Then again, it's not meant to be: it's for Whedon's maniacal audience and for himself. The Elizabethan speech rarely totally flows, the modern setting jars and not all the actors convince. But the director's fondness for the typical Shakespearean preoccupations of hidden identity, destined love and thwarted revenge can't help but seep through. A frothy labour of love. https://youtube.com/watch?v=NZB5EBdKaMw
Feel like you could use a little spiritual growth? Good thing Buddha's Birthday Festival is around the corner, as this two-day event offers boundless ceremonial immersion, not to mention fascinating performances, vegetarian cuisine and enriching handicrafts. Running across the weekend of Saturday, May 3–Sunday, May 4 at Tumbalong Park, this peaceful green space in Darling Harbour will serve as the ideal host for guided meditations and mindfulness workshops. Forming part of the Culture Alive series, now is your chance to evoke a sense of enlightenment. That shouldn't be too difficult, considering the cultural exchange on display. Saturday's schedule features lion dancing, purification ceremonies and an after-dark light offering. Then, Sunday adds baby blessings and multicultural performances, featuring traditional dances and contemporary beats. You're also invited to attend Alms Round – a daily practice where Buddhists collect food offerings. Of course, a vast array of vegetarian bites are spread throughout the festival, with dishes from Malaysia to India keeping you well fed. Then, you can put your skills to the test by crafting your own water-marbled silk scarf. Plus, if you're feeling active, take part in VegRun – an easygoing charity fun run that kicks off with some morning Tai Chi. The $5 entry fee goes towards mental health organisations, including the Black Dog Institute and Lifeline.
Belles Hot Chicken has flirted with all sorts of chook-centric creations over the years, and now it's teaming up with Shin Ramyun to bring back its super-popular fried chicken ramen. For the collab with the Korean instant noodle brand, Belles Head Chef and Co-Founder Morgan McGlone has created an easy-to-finish-at-home fried chicken ramen that you can pick up from the Darling Square, Tramsheds and Barangaroo stores. Available to order for $14 via Bopple, the limited-edition pack comes with Nongshim Shin Red Ramyun, an ultimate chicken thigh fillet (pre-cooked), braised greens with Spam, fried garlic and nori powder. McGlone has also posted a video (below) on how you can easily create the ramen at home. If you have an egg at home, he suggests you add one of those, too, but it's not essential. To celebrate the launch of the take home pack, the fried chicken institution will be hosting a series of launch events at Barangaroo on Wednesday, August 5; at Tramsheds on Friday, August 7; and at Darling Square on Saturday, August 8. Tickets for the event will set you back $25, which includes ramen and a paired cocktail. You can snag yours here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-8-UxELMJQ&fbclid=IwAR0jf6mckKVZbtII8_1iQS7McP3OSbTFP2DhZAU60MrI4UXh6P7k0un-c4E Belles x Shin Ramyun take home packs are available to order via Bopple and pick up from the Barangaroo, Darling Square and Tramsheds stores.
If you like a side of maniacal vengeance with your stage shows, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is the musical thriller for you. Most know the good-turns-evil story either via Tim Burton's cinematic creation or previous iterations of this very musical — or maybe via the Penny Dreadful serial, which first wrote Sweeney Todd to page. We've got our barber, his dedicated sidekick Mrs Lovett and a whole lot of slashing whereby unwitting folk in need of a trim will meet their violent end. The bloodthirsty story is now hitting an iconic Sydney venue with an all-star cast and celebrated director. From Saturday, July 22 till Sunday, August 27, Stephen Sondheim's eight-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy-thriller will be wowing audiences in the Sydney Opera House's Drama Theatre. Taking up the titular role is Ben Mingay, the construction-worker-turned-performer whose far-reaching career includes both Packed to the Rafters and Shrek The Musical. Opposite is Antoinette Halloran (Mary and Max, Macbeth, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll), one of the top sopranos Down Under, who takes to the stage and sees that revenge is served warm — deliciously encased in a pie crust, to be specific. It's all brought to us under the expert eye of prominent Aussie opera and musical director Stuart Maunder. Along with this starry lineup of talent, a terrifyingly intimate setting has been created too — promising to be the closest shave with a serial killer we hope you ever have. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, A Musical Thriller hits the Sydney Opera House from Saturday, July 22 till Sunday, August 27. For more information, head to the website.
With its seafood-packed menu, coastal cocktail bar and regular rotation of live music, it's safe to assume that when North Bondi Fish hosts an event, it's going to be a sophisticated soirée. So, if you're looking to upgrade your typical boozy beachside experience this summer, we suggest checking out The Beach Club with Whispering Angel at Matt Moran's much-loved restaurant. A collaboration between the rosé dubbed "the world's most glamorous" and the iconic eatery that sits above Sydney' famed stretch of sand, the luxurious pop-up will run from Wednesday, 7 December to Wednesday, 28 December. And bring with it a number of exclusive offers. Like the 5 at 5 promotion — which will see the first five bottles of Whispering Angel Rosé purchased at 5 pm upgraded to magnums. Or the opportunity to savour some seriously pretty cocktails such as the Pink Spritzer (made with Belvedere Vodka, Watermelon and Fever Tree Tonic). Alongside crisp drops on offer (by the bottle or the glass), expect the occasion to channel serious South of France vibes through a number of activities. Think floral photo walls inspired by the fields of Provence where the wine comes from, weekend DJ sets spinning tunes at sunset and roaming Polaroid cameras so you can pretend you're somewhere on the French Riviera and capture the whole thing. For more information on the event and too book your table at this luxe summer pop-up, head to the website.
Reading-list inspiration, sorted: even if you've devoured plenty of books by the authors on the 2025 Sydney Writers' Festival program, there's still much more to discover and explore. Whether you're keen to start leafing through pages now or plan to finish the fest with a stacked pile of new material by your bed, get excited — more than 200 events are on the lineup, featuring 40-plus international guests and over 100 Australian talents, and showcasing 34 authors among that group that are releasing new books this year. Sydney Writers' Festival's latest roster isn't just great news for Harbour City literary fans. When it runs from Monday, May 19–Tuesday, May 27, it'll also livestream some sessions around the country, so joining in isn't only about being there in-person in Sydney. Either way, there's something on the program for all reading tastes, fans of a wealth of genres, and attendees looking to hear from beloved scribes and discover their next favourites alike. Taking over Carriageworks, Sydney Town Hall, State Library of New South Wales and other venues around the city, SWF 2025 is also budget-friendly with more than 50 events costing nothing to attend — and 30 of those free sessions are at Carriageworks alone. What opens with Torres Strait Islander writer and activist Thomas Mayo, Yuwaalaraay writer and performer Nardi Simpson, plus poet Lemn Sissay and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit writer Jeanette Winterson, all responding to the theme 'in this together'? This festival. What closes with Anna Funder examining writing in artificial intelligence-heavy times? This fest again. What includes 2024 Booker Prize-winner Samantha Harvey, Brooklyn author Colm Tóibín and Australian Big Little Lies wordsmith Liane Moriarty as well? Yes, this program. Harvey will chat about the International Space Station-set Orbital, while Tóibín has Long Island, the sequel to Brooklyn, to dig into. Also the creative force behind Nine Perfect Strangers and Apples Never Fall on the page, Moriarty will discuss everyday life stories becoming smash hits with David Nicholls, as well as careers and having a literary family with her sisters Jaclyn and Nicola. Plus, Winterson isn't just part of opening night, but will celebrate 40 years since her debut novel and also explore the impact of AI. Similarly on the SWF 2025 bill: Torrey Peters, the first openly trans woman nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction; Ian Rankin speaking about the 25th instalment in the Inspector Rebus series; plus everyone from The Ministry of Time's Kaliane Bradley and The Safekeep's Yael van der Wouden through to Vanishing World's Sayaka Murata and After You'd Gone and Hamnet's Maggie O'Farrell. You've likely seen actor Harriet Walter in Succession, Silo and Ted Lasso — and This Is Going to Hurt, Killing Eve and Rocketman in the past few years as well — and now you can add this fest to that list, where she'll be unpacking Shakespeare's female characters. Other highlights span Entitlement's Rumaan Alam, Discriminations' AC Grayling on cancel culture, stepping into the world of espionage stories and getting a hankering for pastries — the latter with Flour and Stone's Nadine Ingram, Beatrix Bakes' Natalie Paull and Lune's Kate Reid. The return of the Great Debate is a starry event, featuring Annabel Crabb, David Marr, Nicholson, Matilda Boseley, Justine Rogers, Jennifer Wong and Yumi Stynes. And from there, other topics on the SWF lineup also include the situations in Gaza and Ukraine, sleep, First Nations storytelling, life in exile, queer culture, dwindling workers' rights, Robodebt and Miles Franklin. [caption id="attachment_994843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Reynaldo Rivera[/caption] Sydney Writers' Festival images: Jacquie Manning.
After a seven year hiatus, Pulp are back. Led by their luscious leading man Jarvis Cocker, they are aiming to take back their mantle as the kings of Britpop. With seven albums over a 22 year career, the band are raring to go and are heading to Sydney as part of the Splendour in the Grass sideshows. The celebrated outfit are promising to play your favourites - 'Common People', 'Disco 2000', 'Babies' to name but a few. With seven albums in 22 years, including the seminal Different Class (1995) and This Is Hardcore (1998), you'd be a nonce to miss them. Tickets go on sale May 27th so snap them up while you can. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yuTMWgOduFM
Like socialising, gallery-hopping is better at night. Three must-do precinct parties will be be activated over the course of the month: East Sydney (March 12), Paddington/Woollahra (March 26) and Chippendale/Redfern (March 19). Gallery doors will be wide open, ready for your keen insights and witty comments. If you’re new to the whole art party scene, these DIY tours are the perfect induction. Grab a group of friends and head off on a local adventure before settling into the precinct’s ArtBar for some sweet tunes and performances. Although each night is good, the Chippendale/Redfern circuit will be particularly crammed with top-notch exhibitions. You can expect some spectacle at White Rabbit Gallery’s State of Play, wander down to 107 Projects for long-time collaborators Alexandra Clapham and Penelope Benton’s new exhibition United Walls then cap off your night at Wellington St Projects with Deb Mansfield’s poetically titled Some Rocky Socket. This event is one of our top ten picks of Art Month. Check out the other nine here.
Galluzzo Fruiterers is an institution in Sydney's inner west — since the fruit shop was started by Italian Salvatore Galluzzo in 1934, the Glebe Point Road store has passed through five generations of Galluzzos. Service comes with a smile, as does the freshest fruit and veg at pretty reasonable prices. To further sweeten the deal, in 2014, the Galluzzos opened a deli next door to sell cheeses, milk, and meats alongside fresh produce. Pop by to find specials like some tasty gruyere, jams, pickled beetroot and Ciresa Gorgonzola Dolce, which is airfreighted straight from Italy.
Fervent fans of The Roots, listen up! Don't worry if you don't have the cash for Falls or you can't make Southbound Festival — they’ve just announced they'll be playing two sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne with Australian MC Urthboy as a special guest. So that's two more chances to see The Roots jam out their first Australian gig since 2007. You will no longer have to resort to watching episodes of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to get your fill of Questlove's magic. Expect to hear a lot from their most recent album, Undun (2011), whose reverse narrative arc followed the short life of Redford Stephens and featured play-it-compulsively songs like 'Kool On', 'Make My' and 'The OtherSide'. Even if you don't know much about The Roots, if you’re remotely fond of hip hop or neo-soul then this is a rare opportunity to see one of the most influential, visionary, long-loved groups to ever emerge from Philly (in 1987 and still kicking!) up close and personal.
Fancy yourself a bit of Aladdin and Jasmine action this Valentine's Day? Zeta Bar at Sydney's Hilton has got you covered. Launching its new Arabian Nights concept on February 14, Zeta is set to transform into an exotic palace, offering an experience both luxurious and flavoursome. Gorge the senses with an array of Arabian-inspired cocktails, a spice market bar and hookah pipes aplenty (just ask the sheesha sommelier about your smoking options). There's a loved-up couples package on offer for the evening (get four cocktails, along with a middle eastern tasting plate for $150), as well as singles deals for those boldly living up their singledom.
Look at the header. Are those outfits enough to make you want to see this show before you’ve even read anything about it? Probably, but jazzy parachute pants are just one facet of this high voltage streetdance spectacular. Blaze is a hip-hop musical from West End choreographer Anthony van Laast, the man behind the moves of Mamma Mia! and Sister Act. Imagine Britain’s Got Talent or So You Think You Can Dance if everyone had extraordinary amount of talent and actually could dance. Then add dizzying set designs by Es Devlin (who has the London 2012 closing ceremony and Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour on his set design C.V.), seizure-inducing strobes and music by Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, David Guetta and Snoop Dogg. For Blaze’s Australian tour the producers were looking to cast local talent to join the troupe. The show’s Sydney leg will welcome Demi Sorano, self-taught b-girl and So You Think You Can Dance (2008) alumni.
Kate Nash won fans with her piano-driven pop songs and cockney-accented lyrics on her first album, the platinum-selling Made of Bricks, and now she's back with a new album, a new look and a nostalgic 60s sound. If her first album won acclaim (and a Brit Award) for its keen observation of confusing romances and what Pitchfork calls a 'just-a-girl power-pop blast', then her second album, My Best Friend Is You delivers plenty of Motown-inflected brass and handclaps, jangly surf-guitar and coordinated girl group dance moves alongside the usual key-thwacking intensity. Making an appearance at the Metro Theatre just before playing at Playground Weekender, you can expect grungy pop, catchy hooks and humorous lyrical narrative delivered with typical aplomb. And, fingers crossed, maybe something a little like the video below. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OqV-embx_tA
Whoever said an encyclopaedic knowledge of a cartoon about a dysfunctional yellow family would never come in handy was a real narc. So, for its latest edition on Sunday, July 26, Isolation Trivia is pulling the Comic Book Guy out of every Simpsons fanatic. If you don't know squat about Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie — and their escapades over the long-running animated series' first nine seasons in particular — then consider yourself warned. This virtual trivia event is definitely for fans. You should at least know the name of Lionel Hutz's law practice, and the monikers of Lisa and Bart's hockey teams coached by Apu and Chief Wiggum. It'll also help if you know who the two other Sideshows were besides Bob and Mel, and the identity of Lisa's first hook-up. These are elementary questions, and their answers should be written into your brain like it's a chalkboard. Play along from home from 6.25pm — and, if you've ever been to a Simpsons trivia night in-person, you'll understand these can get pretty intense, with some competitors near crazed with cartoon intelligence. So be prepared for the moment you stare at the leaderboard, hypnotised by self-doubt, and repeatedly, self-pityingly mutter to yourself, "I'm not so S-M-R-T". Isolation Trivia's The Simpsons trivia night takes place from 6.25pm at Sunday, July 26.
The arrival of the Federal Budget this week, for most, was like looking into Mordor. But also released this week is a local government plan that's a source of light: The City of Sydney's first cultural policy, describing all we want our city to be and prescribing the immediate actions that will make it happen. It's been developed following a year of active consultation that included more than 2000 written submissions, plus all the chatter generated at forums and on Twitter. Why have a cultural policy? It's a way of formalising all the things that creative people love in Sydney and amplifying them. It's a way of making creative industries grow and our everyday lives be a little out of the ordinary. And it's a way of ensuring that new laws and regulations — as well as existing ones — work with those creative aspirations, not against them. The draft action plan pulls together ideas from New York, San Fran, Helsinki, Hobart (yes, Hobart) and Sydneysiders' own invention. After a month on exhibition, where you can still give feedback, it's set to go before City of Sydney Council on June 9. Here are six of its inspiring proposals that will soon become reality. Pop-ups will be (more) legal It's tough for a temporary venture to set up legal shop — so some choose not to, operating a la speakeasy. "[Chippendale pop-up The Eat-In] was this fantastic experience, but it was completely illegal because it didn't have the $25,000 grease trap, or all of the things that the health and building legislation and codes require anyone to have if they're setting up a permanent restaurant," says Rachel Healy, executive manager of culture at the City of Sydney. "And I guess the point is that it wasn't a permanent restaurant; it was creative experimentation around a new idea, which artists and creative workers do all the time." Pop-ups are a perfect example of what the cultural policy is about, really. The law is there to protect us from improvised, dubiously fitted out restaurants and bars — but we the public love them. Once the cultural policy passes, those laws that conflict with the broader vision are liable to change. The City of Sydney have committed to researching and reviewing regulatory impediments to pop-ups, both of the hospitality and creative varieties, so that there's less red tape and more jovial partaking in pigs on spits. In fact, cutting out red tape is a big theme throughout the cultural policy. Their whole attitude is that the creative people of Sydney are sitting on millions of brilliant ideas for their community; all the council has to do is facilitate them. Any single person who wants to put a public space to an unexpected creative use should be able to, they realise — even without the expertise of a big organisation behind them. This could be done in many ways, but we particularly like the submission that suggested an 'independent producer passport', including a simplified DA application, bar licence and zoning exemptions, information about insurance options and a point of contact within the police. Art & About Will Go All Year "What was really clear from the feedback that we got was that while the community and the sector love our festivals, and Sydney's really good at them … we do need to spend more time focusing on year-round activity," says Healy. So even though the outdoor public art smorgasbord of August/September's Art & About will continue, the festival will expand to include programming throughout the year. This won't be limited to the CBD — one of the big demands the City is more than happy to answer is to inject colour, art and interaction into public spaces throughout Sydney's 'villages'. There'll be heaps of art that's site-specific and brings out the history and culture of each area. What will that look like? Healy elaborates. "Those interesting experiences — the raining house near Hyde Park or the fantastic Craig Walsh work of the faces of protesters on the trees in Hyde Park — all of those interesting things won't only happen in a festival context but will happen throughout the year, so Sydney does become a city where those unexpected little moments become part of your everyday experience." Interest-Free Loans Will Help You Buy Art Home loans may be out of reach of most Sydneysiders, but soon we'll be able to go cry into the one appreciable asset we do own — art. A new scheme will give interest-free loans of up to $10,000 to buyers purchasing works from City of Sydney galleries and studios by living artists. "One of the policy directions is about removing barriers for greater engagement with the city's existing cultural life, and this is the most fantastic idea, that we've shamefully stolen from Arts Tasmania," says Healy. It's all in the name of improving access to culture, but the loan also benefits the artist, who might otherwise have not sold that work that so enamoured you. "More than five million dollars has gone through the scheme [in Tasmania]," says Healy. "Arts Tasmania would never have been in a position to give out five million dollars in grants to Tasmanian artists. What they did do, though, was develop a scheme where they enabled five million dollars to go into the wallets of Tasmanian artists, who are otherwise doing it pretty hard." The scheme is so perfect, in fact, that Tasmania's experienced zero defaults. Art lovers don't renege — fact. You'll be able to tell the difference between Surry Hills and Redfern There's no easy fix to the sameyness that seems to go hand in hand with gentrification, but the City of Sydney has a few ideas to preserve and develop what they call 'precinct distinctiveness'. They'll basically be trying extra hard to make sure King Street looks different to Crown Street, and neighbourhood festivals embody all that is special about your neck of the woods. The touchstone here is New York, the ultimate city of villages. To complete this nebulous task, they'll be encouraging projects that amplify each precinct's distinctive histories, stories and contemporary character through grants. You should also look out for cute maps and variations on those stripey deck chairs. Soundproofed rehearsal rooms in high-density housing Artist live-work spaces are something the council has been talking about for some time, and that commitment continues with the Cultural Policy. A cool addition, however, is in the smaller units of artistic infrastructure that mean anyone who has a shred of artsiness they want to nurture can have a space to do so. One of the City of Sydney's jobs is signing off on residential high-rise developments, so they're determined to push for creative spaces like soundproofed rehearsal rooms before they do so. "When Scandinavia turned over a whole lot of its community centres to kids who were engaged with metal music, they collectively had the most incredible impact on the metal scene worldwide," says Healy. "Making soundproof space available, particularly for young people, who've got a lot of time often but not much money, can have an incredible impact on what that city produces long-term. So long-term infrastructure is a really big part of what we're doing with this policy." Free public wi-fi (maybe, sometimes) Free omnipresent wi-fi is the dream, is it not? Working in the park without tethering to your temperamental phone, accessing maps as a tourist, torrenting all of Game of Thrones (jk! Would not do that to the nice councilpeople). Well, it's still a dream, for now. In the medium-term, though, the City of Sydney will investigate the introduction of wi-fi into major parks and squares, whether by partnering with business or some other means. Fingers crossed here. Surry Hills house image by rabbithoang via photopin cc.
You'll be able to take a trip around Tassie, without the actual travelling part, when a CBD laneway transforms into a cellar door for an evening. The Laneway Cellar Door will take over the outdoor space at Bulletin Place on Thursday, March 7 to help launch this year's state-hopping Taste of Australia series. Head along to get acquainted with goodies from some of Tasmania's most lauded producers, as you quaff, nibble and graze your way through the evening. There'll be live oyster shucking, cheese stations, an assortment of meat and seafood stalls, and roving food trays, courtesy of Silvester's Restaurant chef Raphael Szurek and some top Tassie produce. And of course, the matching wine offering is set to be a banger, with the likes of Janz, Josef Chromy, Pooley, Clover Hill and Priory Ridge just some of the names who'll be showing off their drops. To sample the goods, you'll just need to grab a $25 ticket, which scores you four tokens and a tasting glass. Drinks are available for one token each and you'll need two for each food dish — so you could get two drinks and a snack for your money, or just four drinks. Of course, you can purchase more tokens at the event.
This is a show that asks you to be complicit with it. Right there in the title, see? Kind of like having a giggle about doing something a bit mischievous, but with a sense that it's still important to be nice. Nanna might not want to see her granddaughter's tights stretched over a board, or embroidery lessons used to put Pulp slogans on pretty hankies. All the works in the show play with ideas of the feminine and the domestic in their imagery, materials and techniques. There's a real sense that this stuff "for girls" is being used by the artists to express personal identity at the same time as being very obviously conscious of the connotations of their repertoire. It's a little bit like a sleepover, really: there are in-jokes, secrets being whispered about, music, dressing-up and sequins. But there are also political undercurrents and things going on that might just help you to grow up. Oh and instead of going to school together, the artists all work at the MCA. Ella Condon, Bridie Connell, Sarah Contos, Micaela Gifney, Leahlani Johnson, Be Jones and Nicola Walkerden are talking about girls in the way that girls so often do, and the show lets you overhear and become part of the discussion. So long as you don't tell. Image: Sarah Contos
