Summer is well on its way, which means it's time to kick back with mates in the sun, sip cocktails and and feast on delicious snacks. And you deserve to live it up a little (or a lot) after a few tough months. That's why we've teamed up with the folks at Disaronno to give away an epic brunch at your place. You and nine of your nearest and dearest will be treated to a fully catered Italian feast in your home or sunny backyard, which will be decked out with stunning flowers as part of the prize. You'll be tucking into the likes of stuffed olives, creamy burrata, antipasti, parfait and plenty of fancy cheese. And you'll score two bottles of the fine Italian liqueur, as well as your very own bartender to whip up elegant Disaronno Fizz cocktails. Keen to enter? Check out details below to be in the running. [competition]785612[/competition]
If brunch, lunch, dinner or drinks at Surry Hills' bills has long been one of your weekend go-tos, you'll want to rush into the Crown Street site before 3pm on Sunday, July 29. After that, the digs the eatery has called home for 23 years will be emptied out as the restaurateur Bill Granger makes a move. Don't worry, he's just shifting the place to the spot next door. To facilitate the move, the venue will shut down for four days before reopening at 7am on Friday, August 3 at the site previously occupied by Marque restaurant. Patrons will spot a few differences apart from the change of location — the new site will seat more customers (90, up from the current 74), and will also feature custom terrazzo tiles, Italian glass wall lights and an array of Australian artworks. A few pieces from the existing site will make the jump, however. "I love Surry Hills and the neighbourhood and those regulars who have joined us for breakfast, lunch and dinner for all those years. We are thrilled to be staying in the 'hood and moving into what is already a beautiful room," says Granger. Architects Meacham Nockles have overseen a refresh that highlights honey tones, deep neutrals and a modern vibe, with an aim of feeling fresh during brunch and cosy once evening hits. Find bills at 359 Crown Street, Surry Hills until 3pm on Sunday, July 29, and then at 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills from 7am on Friday, August 3. For further details, keep an eye on the eatery's website.
The Sydney Vegan Festival has arrived, and ethically minded eaters could not be happier. Topping the bill is Thug Kitchen, the infamous creators of the cookbook that told us all to "eat like you give a fuck" in 2014. "You bet your sweet ass everything we do is vegan. Every recipe on our site is completely plant-based," say creators Matt Holloway and Michelle Davis, the big vegan tickets for this year's festival. Jim Morris, a 79-year-old American bodybuilder, will also be in attendance and we're keen to hear how he keeps on keeping on. For those interested in vegan-focused business, there's Suzy Spoons of Suzy Spoons Vegetarian Butcher and Sadhana Kitchen's Maz Valcorza Pugoy. Considering the Vegan Festival will be held at the Factory Theatre, there's no way the event could go by without a bit of music, so Gaea will be performing. Food comes from the likes of Suzy Spoons, Superfood Sushi, Herbisaurus Green Goodness, Pana Chocolate, Funky Pies and Nomadic Cafe. Festivities continue until 6pm.
Remember that scene in Juno where an angsty Ellen Page disses one of the best guitarists of all time by saying that Sonic Youth suck and that they’re “just noise”? Well maybe Thurston Moore’s new stuff is more up her alley – the stuff some people are calling folk but which actually isn’t; which is comprised of nine beautiful songs and nary a distorted guitar in earshot. Let’s just get it out there — Thurston Moore is no longer a college dropout rollicking through the dirty streets of 1970s NYC. His new album Demolished Thoughts reflects this without totally abandoning the Sonic aesthetic. The guitars are now acoustic, there are harps and violins, but the sound and lyrics are as intimate as ever. It’s also produced by Beck, which is reason enough to start fanning out even before you’ve listened. His show at The Hi-Fi will have Moore playing tracks of this latest album plus a few from his solo back catalogue.
Back in 1962, in the first-ever Bond film Dr No, the suave, Scottish-accented, Sean Connery-starring version of 007 admires a painting in the eponymous evil villain's underwater lair. That picture: Francisco Goya's Portrait of the Duke of Wellington. The artwork itself is very much real, too, although the genuine article doesn't appear in the feature. Even if the filmmakers had wanted to use the actual piece, it was missing at the time. In fact, making a joke about that exact situation is why the portrait is even referenced in Dr No. That's quite the situation: the debut big-screen instalment in one of cinema's most famous and longest-running franchises, and a saga about super spies and formidable villains at that, including a gag about a real-life art heist. The truth behind the painting's disappearance is even more fantastical, however, as The Duke captures. The year prior to Bond's first martini, a mere 19 days after the early 19th-century Goya piece was put on display in the National Gallery in London, the portrait was stolen. Unsurprisingly, the pilfering earned plenty of attention — especially given that the government-owned institution had bought the picture for the hefty sum of £140,000, which'd likely be almost £3 million today. International master criminals were suspected. Years passed, two more 007 movies hit cinemas, and there was zero sign of the artwork or the culprit. And, that might've remained the case if eccentric Newcastle sexagenarian Kempton Bunton hadn't turned himself in in 1965, advising that he'd gotten light-fingered in protest at the obscene amount spent on Portrait of the Duke of Wellington using taxpayer funds — money that could've been better deployed to provide pensioners with TV licenses, a cause Bunton had openly campaigned for (and even been imprisoned over after refusing to pay his own television fee). First, the not-at-all-inconsequential detail that's incongruous with glueing your eyes to the small screen Down Under: the charge that many countries collect for watching the box. Australia and New Zealand both abolished it decades ago, but it remains compulsory in the UK to this day. As played by Jim Broadbent (Six Minutes to Midnight), Bunton is fiercely opposed to paying, much to the embarrassment of his wife Dorothy (Helen Mirren, Fast and Furious 9) whenever the license inspectors come calling. He's even in London with his son Jackie (Fionn Whitehead, Voyagers) to attempt to spread the word about his fight against the TV fee for pensioners when Goya's painting is taken — that, and to get the BBC to produce the television scripts he devotedly pens and sends in, but receives no interest back from the broadcaster. Even the Bond franchise couldn't have dreamed up these specifics. The Duke's true tale is far wilder than fiction, and also so strange that it can only spring from reality. Directed by Roger Michell (My Cousin Rachel, Blackbird) — marking the British filmmaker's last fictional feature before his 2021 passing — it delivers its story with some light tinkering here and there, but the whole episode still makes for charming viewing. Much of the minutiae is shared during Bunton's court case, which could've jumped out of a Frank Capra movie; that's the feel-good vibe the movie shoots for and easily hits. Such a move couldn't be more astute for a flick that surveys an incident from more than half a century ago, but reaches screens in a world where the chasm between the haves and the have-nots just keeps widening. Yes, it's basically a pensioner-and-painting version of Robin Hood. Decrying the gap between the wealthy and the not-so, calling out government priorities that only broaden that divide, fighting against injustice, sporting a healthy distrust of the powers that be: these all flicker through Bunton, his TV license crusade and his portrait-stealing trial, and through the movie itself. Michell and playwrights-turned-screenwriters Richard Bean and Clive Coleman (Young Marx) aren't shy about the anti-authoritarian sentiment, but package it up with can-do underdog cheekiness — the brazenness of the little guy sticking it to the man, naturally. That class clash gives The Duke depth as it dances through its caper, and does so with an upbeat, congenial and even farcical tone. Here, a feature can stress a point about the money-coveting state of the world and its impact upon the working class, and it can have an affable time saying it. Most opportunities to surprise disappear along the way, but the result is endearing and likeable rather than routine or pandering. The Duke's story was always going to demand notice, but it mightn't have proven so pleasing — so crowd-pleasing, to be precise — with any other casting. Although he ensures that it appears otherwise, the ever-reliable Broadbent doesn't have a simple role; veer too far in one direction and Bunton could've been seen as foolish, tip over to the other side too forcefully and he might've just been lecturing and scolding. When it comes to balancing the amiable and the passionate (someone winsome but with the strength of his convictions), the veteran on-screen talent hits the jackpot. Mirren and Whitehead's parts have fewer layers, but they each turn in engaging performances. And in Mirren's case, after her aforementioned spot in the Fast and Furious franchise, plus The Good Liar and Woman in Gold on her recent-ish resume, her love of heists and/or subterfuge shines through from beneath Dorothy's sterner surface. There's a cosiness and gentleness to The Duke, and an ease, sentimentality and sweetness. They all couldn't suit the film better, actually. With cinematographer Mike Eley (The Dig, Off the Rails), Michell gives the movie a comforting look and feel, too, but it's also lively, resonant and charismatic as well. It's little wonder, then, that feature slides nicely into the director's body of work alongside the likes of Notting Hill, Venus and Le Week-End. As many of those pictures did — and the tonally heavier The Mother and Enduring Love as well — The Duke has more than just entertaining in mind, though. Charting an escapade that no screenwriter could've convincingly conjured up, it rallies against societal divides and also wades through grief. Little is too shaken or stirred, but it all goes down smoothly and delightfully — and with some bite.
Blockbuster effects can't mask bland storytelling, as the execs at Disney dip back into their classic library with less than impressive results. An alternate take on the tale of Sleeping Beauty, the studio's latest sees the cackling, leather-clad sorceress recast as a figure of sympathy. Hard to pronounce and harder to sit through, Maleficent is a movie very much in the same vein as Oz the Great and Powerful or the recent Alice in Wonderland — which is to say that it's heavy on expensive-looking digital wizardry and light on just about everything else. Clumsy voiceover sets the scene, in a run-of-the-mill fairytale forest home to pixies, trolls and a curious winged girl named Maleficent (Isobelle Molloy). Although wary of the human kingdom that exists beyond the forest borders, when Maleficent catches an orphan boy named Stefan trespassing, a fledgling romance seems destined to ignite. But humans are a fickle bunch, and so as Stefan grows older he becomes swept up with ambition, culminating in a brutal betrayal in which he cuts off Maleficent's wings in order to secure a place on the throne. Devastated, a now adult Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) embraces her dark side, swearing vengeance on Stefan and placing a curse on his newborn baby, Aurora — spinning wheel, eternal sleep and all. The idea of a Wicked-style reversal on a classic Disney villain is an interesting idea, but first-time director Robert Stromberg — better known for the production design on films like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland — botches the execution. The sporadic voiceover and muddled editing makes the film seem oddly lacking in structure; much of the first half feels like a prologue, setting up what turns out to be an incredibly short and perfunctory climax. The CGI is admittedly pretty immaculate, but none of the designs are in the least bit distinctive. If one the creatures from Maleficent popped-up in The Hobbit or Snow White and the Huntsman, you wouldn't bat an eye. Angelia Jolie is enjoyable as the eponymous spell-crafter, especially in the one or two scenes where she gets to really lay the villainy on thick. On the other hand, the talented Elle Fanning is seriously underutilised as the teenaged iteration of Aurora, whose insipid purity melts Maleficent's heart while putting audience members to sleep. You could argue that the film deserves some credit for its empowered female characters, although the fact that Maleficent's arc is catalysed by a man does somewhat muddy those credentials. On a sidenote, one could also potentially read the film as a kind of PG rape-revenge narrative. The rawest emotional moment in the film comes when Maleficent awakens from a drug-induced sleep only to realise that her lover has forcibly removed her wings. The allegory is obvious, and Jolie completely sells the agony of violation. Ultimately though, any and all subtext is either mishandled, squandered or lost under a wave of glossily rendered pixels. In other words, it's business as usual for the folks at the Mouse House, who apparently don't even respect their own canon enough to get a reboot right. https://youtube.com/watch?v=w-XO4XiRop0
When it comes to originality, place Violent Night on cinema's naughty list: Die Hard meets Home Alone meets Bad Santa meets The Christmas Chronicles in this grab-bag action-comedy, meets Stranger Things favourite David Harbour donning the red suit (leather here, still fur-trimmed) and doing a John Wick impression. The film's beer-swigging, sledgehammer-swinging version of Saint Nick has a magic sack that contains the right presents for the right person each time he reaches into it, and screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller must've felt that way themselves while piecing together their script. Pilfering from the festive canon, and from celluloid history in general, happens heartily and often in this Yuletide effort. Co-scribes on Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel, the pair are clearly experienced in the movie version of regifting. And while they haven't solely wrapped up lumps of coal in their latest effort, Violent Night's true presents are few and far between. The main gift, in the gruff-but-charming mode that's worked such a treat on Stranger Things and in Black Widow, is Harbour. It's easy to see how Violent Night's formula — not to mention its raiding of the Christmas and action genres for parts — got the tick of approval with his casting. He's visibly having a blast, too, from the moment his version of Santa is introduced downing drinks in a British bar, bellyaching about the lack of festive spirit in kids today, thinking about packing it all in and then spewing actual vomit to go with his apathy (and urine) from the side of his midair sleigh. Whenever Harbour isn't in the frame, which occurs more often than it should, Violent Night is a far worse picture. When you're shopping for the season, you have to commit to your present purchases, but this film can't always decide if it wants to be salty or sweet. Harbour's Kris Kringle: saltier than a tub of beer nuts. Still, after his sloshed pub stint, he keeps grumpily doing his job, because Christmas Eve isn't really the time to quit. Then, at the Lightstone abode, aka "the most secure private residence in the country" as viewers are told, more booze and a massage chair calls him — and that butt-vibrating rest sees him unwittingly caught up in an attack on the property. As wealthy matriarch Gertrude (Beverly D'Angelo, Shooter) lords over her adult children and their families, mercenaries storm in with their sights set on the mansion's vault. What the self-described Scrooge (John Leguizamo, The Menu) and his interchangeable colleagues aren't counting on, of course, is a formidable Father Christmas skulking around. He's trying to get away more than initially save the day, but he'll happily dispense season's beatings to do both. Just as the John Wick films, then Atomic Blonde, then Nobody all knew — Bullet Train director David Leitch has either helmed or produced them all, doing the latter with Violent Night — there's visual poetry and visceral thrills to be found when someone super-competent at holding their own dispenses with nefarious foes. That's the case even when they're battling scenery-chewing, "bah humbug"!-spouting, Hans Gruber-wannabe antagonists like Scrooge, plus his flimsier henchmen. As that's happening, and frequently, Violent Night ticks off many a movie's wishlist, but that's only part of the premise here. Those Lightstone offspring include Jason (Alex Hassell, Cowboy Bebop), who has his ex Linda (Alexis Louder, The Terminal List) and seven-year-old daughter Trudy (Leah Brady, The Umbrella Academy) in tow, and wants this Christmas jaunt to be a permanent reunion. That's a layer of drama Violent Night doesn't need, adding nothing but filler, just like Jason's sister Alva's (Edi Patterson, The Righteous Gemstones) Succession-esque clamouring for the family company. There's usually never a bad time to eat the rich, but Violent Night's efforts are a half-chomp at best — the gun-toting crew of intruders trying to rip off millions of dollars are always the real bad guys, after all. Casey and Miller haven't penned a movie with much in the way of depth, and attempting to pretend otherwise proves as clunky as it sounds. The saccharine side that Trudy's presence brings is similarly just a way to take up time; Bad Santa's bad Santa has a pint-sized offsider, which means this flick's does as well, apparently. Trudy has also just watched Home Alone and screams about it (yes, the nods are that blatant). The sizeable scene that puts her fandom to good use, nails, bowling balls, sabotaged ladder rungs and all, is among Violent Night's most entertaining, though. The film knows how to make its familiar parts gleam when it wants to, but that isn't often enough. Director Tommy Wirkola must've been a simple hire for the job, however, thanks to Dead Snow and its sequel, plus Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. The filmmaker has stuffed his stocking with high-concept this-meets-that flicks, the exact type of movie that Violent Night is from go to whoa to ho-ho-ho. Unsurprisingly, he fares best when his picture is letting loose and living up to its enticing idea, complete with kinetic fight choreography, blood and gory deaths, and everything from icicles to lit-up star tree-toppers used as weapons. In pure action terms, there's an around-the-world sleigh ride's worth of mileage in a literally killer Santa Claus turning slasher not in a horror-flick fashion (despite its many borrowings from elsewhere, this isn't a Silent Night Deadly Night do-over), but to play hero. Comedy isn't Wirkola's strength, or the feature's — see: the laboured attempts at laughs around Alva's actor spouse Morgan (Cam Gigandet, Without Remorse) and aspiring-influencer son Bert (Alexander Elliot, The Hardy Boys) — which is why all those nods to Gremlins, The Ref, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and more land with the hollow thud of an empty box. Holiday schmaltz and reminders that there's more to the festive season than material aren't highlights either, and Casey and Miller haven't stretched themselves in trying to come up with either amusing or heartfelt dialogue. Even with a The Northman-style backstory part of Violent Night's take on the jolly man, that leaves Harbour with a heap of heavy lifting in the film's first two thirds. He's up to the task — again, it's an ace premise with ace lead casting — but he's never walking audiences through an ultra-violent Christmas movie wonderland.
Stock characters and clunky, heavy-handed storytelling keeps Healing, the new Australian drama from Peaches director Craig Monahan, well and truly tethered to the ground. Co-scripted by Monahan alongside veteran TV writer Alison Nisselle, the film takes its inspiration from a real-life state prison program, in which inmates in minimum security help rehabilitate injured birds of prey. Despite the unique premise and setting, however, the film soon grows dreary and unfocused — leaving an unfortunate cast of workman local actors with no opportunity to soar. The most interesting thing about Healing is the location in which it takes place. A minimum security jail in bushland Victoria, the facility looks more like a camp site than a penitentiary, and offers an original spin on the traditional prison setting. The men housed here are at the end of their sentences, or have been convicted of lesser crimes. The focus is no longer on punishment, but on rehabilitation. It's in this setting that dedicated prison case-officer Matt Perry (Hugo Weaving), working in conjunction with staff at the nearby Healesville Sanctuary, decides to establish the avian care program. The timing coincides with the arrival of a new batch of prisoners, including sullen 18-year murder veteran Viktor Khadem (Don Hany). Despite the objections of his supervisors, Perry decides to put Viktor in charge of the initiative, in the hopes that caring for the animals will help prepare him for his imminent release. While the birds, particularly Viktor's favourite wedge-tailed raptor Jasmine, are undeniably majestic, animals yearning for freedom is a ham-fisted motif for a prison movie. Sadly, such clumsiness is all too typical of Niselle and Monahan's screenplay, in which plot points seem to vanish and personalities change drastically from scene to scene. Viktor goes from serene one minute to intolerably bull-headed the next, while antagonistic inmate Warren (Anthony Hayes) sneers constantly with one-dimensional villainy. Even worse, the arc of the film's most intriguing character — Viktor's drug-addled bunkmate Shane (a twitchy Mark Leonard Winter) — gets no resolution at all. Hany and Weaving are solid as always, but both have been far better elsewhere. For that matter, so has Monahan. Both Peaches and his debut feature The Interview had a certain edginess. Healing, on the other hand, feels safe to the point of total blandness. https://youtube.com/watch?v=RG7hQuVffOg
Two members of the Fratelli empire have teamed up to open a brand new restaurant and bar in Darlinghurst. Housed in the Exchange Hotel and known as Exchange Restaurant and Bar, the venue specialises in — you guessed it — fresh, authentic Italian food, as well as excellent wines. The restaurateur behind the eatery is Nina Gravelis, daughter of Fratelli's founders and a former student of Luke Mangan, Neil Perry and Christine Manfield. Taking care of the kitchen is Sean Corkery, who spent eight years as Fratelli's executive chef. He's nabbed two hats — the first at Cafe Sopra in 2012 and the second at Fratelli Bridge Street in 2014. Among the menu's light bites you'll find white and brown anchovy bruschetta and wood fired crumbed oysters. Come lunch or dinner, you'll be tucking into wood-fired pizzas, delivered straight to your plate from a traditional oven imported from Italy, as well as a variety of salads, pastas and mains. Standouts include prawn and celery salad with chilli dressing; risotto with lobster, mushroom and caramelised leek; and one-kilo bistecca (beef steak) with potatoes, salsa verde and salad. There's no need to go hungry, ever, as food is served from midday until midnight, seven days a week. Preface your meal with a classic or nostri cocktail, and find quality matches for your choices among the outstanding wine list and beers on tap. Exchange Restaurant and Bar is at 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. It's open 7 days a week, from midday till midnight. Food is available from midday till 10pm.
This is a sketch comedy show themed around Game of Thrones. What more do you need to know? The hilarity latent in the Seven Kingdoms and at the Red Wedding finally revealed. Everyone as well as Tyrion bringing the funny. The White Walkers twerking, probably. This show comes from Sydney University's home of comedy, Project 52 (which we named one of Sydney's best alternative comedy rooms), and is an offshoot of their weekly sketch night, Make Way for Ducklings. Book early, GoT fans. Read the rest of our top ten picks of the Sydney Fringe Festival 2013.
Until the end of August, Neutral Bay's little slice of Southern California is offering free tacos with every full-priced margarita purchased. The deal applies to all SoCal's margarita varieties — including its frozen margarita, watermelon margarita, mezcal margarita, and the classic Tommy's. This happy hour deal runs from 5–6.30pm, Monday–Thursday, and from 3–6.30pm on Fridays until August 30. Our recommendation? Give yourself an early mark at the end of the week and start your weekend as you mean to go one with three hours of on-the-house tacos and perfectly spicy sips.
It couldn't have been hard to cast Pete Davidson as a stoner in Dumb Money, but getting the Bupkis star playing a part that barely feels like a part on paper is perfect in this ripped-from-the-headlines film. He doesn't give the movie's top performance, which goes to lead Paul Dano (The Fabelmans), but he's satisfyingly great as the DoorDash driver who's often trolling his brother online and in-person. He's also an example in Cruella and I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie's entertaining feature of one of the ideas that this true tale heartily disproves. Viewers know what they're going to get from Davidson, and he delivers. Wall Street thought it knew what it was in for when small-time investors splashed their cash on stock for US video-game store chain GameStop, too, but the frenzy that resulted demonstrated otherwise. It was in 2019 IRL when DeepFuckingValue aka Roaring Kitty aka Keith Gill first posted on subreddit r/wallstreetbets that he'd bought stock in GameStop, the Texas-born brand that had been struggling but he thought was undervalued. Dumb Money tells this story from Keith's digital enthusiasm through to the impact upon the financial markets, plus the worldwide attention that followed. In 2021, the GameStop situation wasn't just news. It was a phenomenon, and one of the great modern-day David-versus-Goliath scenarios. There's a reason that this recent chapter of history been turned into a movie, and not just because it's an easy candidate to try to emulate The Big Short: the big end of town kept pulling its usual strings, the 99 percent played their own game instead and the status quo was upended — temporarily. Amid its array of memes, news clips and TikTok snippets, Dumb Money meets Keith in the pandemic, where empty commutes to his industry gig contrast with netizens hanging on his virtual chatter. As the hachimaki-wearing, beer-sipping Roaring Kitty, the Bostonian YouTuber streams from his basement, talking about how "Wall Street gets it wrong all the time" — and why GameSpot might be one of those instances. His wife Caroline (Shailene Woodley, Robots) is already supportive, and viewers and forum posters begin to agree. Enter a motley crew of characters all snapping up stock: Pittsburgh nurse and single mother Jenny (America Ferrera, Barbie) dreams of being able to comfortably take care of her children, Austin college students Riri (Myha'la Herrold, Black Mirror) and Harmony (Talia Ryder, Do Revenge) have tuition to pay, and Detroit GameStop worker Marcos (Anthony Ramos, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) sports bigger ambitions than toeing the corporate line enforced by his by-the-book boss Brad (Dane DeHaan, Oppenheimer). Keith, Jenny and company comprise Dumb Money's titular term: it's what amateur individual investors are dubbed. On the supposedly "smart money" side sit the wealthy who want to get even wealthier. Hedge fund cronies Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem), Steve Cohen (Vincent D'Onofrio, Godfather of Harlem) and Kenneth C Griffin (Nick Offerman, The Last of Us) are all spliced into the pacy narrative from luxurious abodes — Miami mansions, well-appointed offices and country clubs — while looking like money as well as living and breathing it. With GameStop, they're aiming to make more by betting the other way. They'll profit as shares fall, which Roaring Kitty, his acolytes and their efforts to drive up the price to cash in themselves threaten. Also in the slick-and-sweating camp are Vlad Tenev (Sebastian Stan, Sharper) and Baiju Bhatt (Rushi Kota, Never Have I Ever), creators of trading platform Robinhood, which is touted as a democratising advance and widely used by GameStop stock devotees, then shifts its allegiances. Rogen, Stan and Australian filmmaker Gillespe collaborated on Pam & Tommy, which also took a slice of actuality, broke down the details, unpacked the chaos and served it up engagingly. It was an underdog tale as well — not by splitting its time between its eponymous celebrities and the folks who leaked their sex tape, but because Pamela Anderson's fight to be seen as more than a sex symbol beat at its centre. Here, the hierarchy is straightforward. There's no doubting who's battling and who already possesses the power, although an off-screen tidbit does cast a shadow over the anti-establishment push, emphasising that money talks no matter what. Among the film's executive producers are Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, the investors famous for being portrayed by Armie Hammer in The Social Network, plus everything that movie covered about their involvement in Facebook's early days. Penned by Orange Is the New Black alumni Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, adapting Ben Mezrich's 2021 book The Antisocial Network: The GameStop Short Squeeze and the Ragtag Group of Amateur Traders That Brought Wall Street to Its Knees (the author's 2009 tome The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal was the basis for The Social Network), Dumb Money isn't the first time that the GameStop stock saga has reached screens. It also won't be the last. Two-part HBO documentary Gaming Wall Street arrived in 2022 with Succession's Kieran Culkin narrating, and doco film GameStop: Rise of the Players hit the same year. Reports have also swirled about a Netflix feature starring To All the Boys' Noah Centino and written by The Hurt Locker Oscar-winner Mark Boal, and another flick called To the Moon. Whatever else does follow, this version is clearly a Gillespe joint right down to the overt needle drops, which summed up Cruella in all the wrong ways — but style and substance find a better match here. Dumb Money keeps things snappy but never too sleek; it's lively and giddy but grounded; and it's about the rise to eat the rich, not just about rich who demand eating, even if reality's revolution hasn't been that ravenous. The narrative journey is all rollercoaster, as is the stock journey — rises, falls, soaring and dipping included — and Dano's key performance straps in for it all. He's calm, earnest, determined, passionate and likeable, selling Keith's growing folk-hero status as well as the fact that he's an everyman galvanising ordinary people from his suburban home while trying to carve out a better future for his family. Dano is also excellent when dealing with Davidson as Keith's gleefully shit-stirring brother Kevin, who borrows his car without asking to make his deliveries and skims off the orders he's ferrying around. This pair constantly prove apt in the film's story in multiple ways, including by conveying eagerness for more yet not dutifully buying what capitalism is slinging. Everyone around Dano and Davidson hits their marks, albeit without as much room for depth afforded by the screenplay, but Dumb Money is all the more compelling — and right on the money — for never forgetting that this is a collective tale.
It's been a long time between drinks for Sydney dance floors and, if you regularly parked yourself in front of the DJ in your pre-COVID-19 life, you might be on the hunt for a dance-filled night now that restrictions have been rolled back. The Lansdowne has you covered with its weekly indie dance parties courtesy of party collective All My Friends. In recent years, All My Friends has hosted club nights across Sydney. Most recently, it had found its home at The Bank's dance floor space Waywards for weekly nights, pre-pandemic. The club night has now found its new home at The Lansdowne and, after packing out (in a COVID-safe manner of course) the bar's ground floor last Saturday, it returns this weekend for another night of good music and even better dance moves. Expect to hear tunes from the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Tame Impala, Robyn, Glass Animals, Phoenix and Rufus. The dance floor will be open and tunes will be blaring from 9pm until close and entry is free. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J294A-R1Cjk
Proving that the Australian film industry isn't immune to the sequelitis that has plagued American horror franchises for decades, director Greg McLean has teamed back up with star John Jarratt for a follow-up to their stomach-turning 2005 sleeper hit, Wolf Creek. Not unsurprisingly, the result feels very much like a cash grab. A film no one was asking for, Wolf Creek 2 trades the raw, taboo-shattering violence of its predecessor for a cheaper, more predictable yet somehow nastier kind of carnage. The difference between the two films becomes obvious almost immediately. Although notorious for the graphic tortures inflicted on its backpacking protagonists, the original Wolf Creek actually runs for almost an hour before the first drop of blood is even spilled. Prior to that, McLean spends his time getting us to care about his characters, making their eventual demise, at the hands of Jarratt's Akubra-wearing serial killer, that much more distressing. In comparison, Wolf Creek 2 puts the villain front and centre, allowing him his first kill before we even see a title card. Focusing on the killer is a standard move for a horror sequel, and seems all the more logical here in light of Jarratt's fantastic performance. A blood-soaked ocker stereotype from hell (with a sick sense of humour to match), killer Mick Taylor is a cinematic sadist for the ages; his menacing chortle sends shivers down your spine, even as his profane, xenophobic rants strike savagely at the heart of so-called Australian values. But while Jarratt's performance is the sequel's best feature, his character's increased role is also its biggest problem. Unlike in the first film, McLean never bothers to flesh out Taylor's prey, which this time consists of two Germans and a Pom. Conversely, Taylor is clearly the character that viewers are meant to be most excited to see. At times, it even feels like we're meant to root for him, which I found difficult to reconcile with the fact that he's a murderer and a rapist. Wolf Creek was effectively shocking because it made no attempt to make its violence entertaining. Wolf Creek 2 does just that, making it a far more exploitative film. This might be less of a sticking point if the movie was actually scary. But it's not — just intermittently gory. Most of the film consists of Taylor chasing his helpless quarry through the outback, their capture or grizzly death (probably both) a glum inevitability. Things briefly get interesting in the film's final third, when McLean finally rediscovers the notion that terror comes not just from violence, but from the threat of it. But by then it's too little, too late. https://youtube.com/watch?v=s4bqeT5edbs
Sydney's simmering powerhouses, The Preatures, just kicked another big ass goal, releasing their brand new video for newest single 'Somebody's Talkin'' this morning. Taken from the fivesome's debut album Planet Blue Eyes out today, the Footloose-meets-Modern Love single now has a video — starring your mate, Bondi Bowlo. Directed by Holy Holy, Children Collide and Stonefield music vid magician Gemma Lee, every shot of the Preatchy new vid requires two enthusiastic thumbs up. Epic cinematic shots of Palm Beach, shot by Sydney director of photography Tim Tregoning, will make you want to ditch the office and throw your jaded self into the waves quicksmart. Crisp-as-blazes shots of kickass Aussie pro surfers Jane Ensor, Rosie Mansfield and Jess Van Der Meer ditching their snuggly jumpers and carving the bajesus out of Palm Beach pair perfectly with Gideon Bensen and Jack Moffitt's dreamy beachtastic riffs, Tom Champion's super beacho bass line, Luke Davison's crisp drum whacks and Isabella Manfredi's killer pipes. Then, Bondi Beach Bowls Club, you ol' retro so-and-so. Mad legends at dart boards, old crusty lace curtains, wood panelling; Bondi's rickety ol' bowlo is perfect stage for the nostalgia-drenched single — even the ballroom looks a million dollars with party balloons and Manfredi's can't-even-be-handled brand of cool denim Chrissy Amphlettness. To top things off, bassist Champion wears a damn sailor hat for goodness sake. GET NAUTICAL, PEOPLE. Enough (somebody's) talkin', watch the vid here and get all up in Sydney goodness.
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How much cake can you eat? Performance Space are betting a lot. As part of their Halls for Hire series, the Brown Council is making a valiant, doomed and tasty attempt to cook every single cake in the classic Country Women's Association cookbook Jam Drops and Marble Cake with Mass Action: 137 Cakes in 90 Hours. Too easy? They’re planning to cook non-stop across in just under four days. And there are rules. The judging and eating sessions are booked out already, but there’s still plenty of time to get close to the non-stop baking action, perhaps with a lunchtime visit to see the baking in action or follow the baking tally and webfeed live online. The cooking process is open to the public Tuesday from 12-3 and Wednesday to Friday from 12-3. The (booked out) afternoon tea is on September 1 from 2-4.
Remember the girl who supposedly left a heartbroken (and potentially drunken — but who's to say when Messina's involved) break-up voicemail on Gelato Messina's answering machine when she found they had closed early on New Year's Eve? Well, you can thank her, because this afternoon Messina is delivering tubs of a gelato created in her honour — for just $1. Yep, $1. In an attempt to win back upset ice cream lover Cecillia, Messina has made a bespoke creation from her favourite flavours. And from salted caramel gelato with baked cheesecake, candied macadamia nuts and hazelnut fudge, the Voicemail was born. Perhaps as an act of good faith, Messina is selling it in 500-gram tubs for just $1. You just have to order it through Deliveroo today — Tuesday, January 24 — between 3pm and 5pm. It's available for delivery in the Sydney CBD and inner east area and around Fitzroy and South Yarra in Melbourne. If you miss out on the delivery window, don't chuck a tantie (or ring Messina) — the Voicemail is going to be available on Deliveroo past 5pm (albeit at a regular price).
Imagine an Eminem-style rap face-off. Then replace the hip hop MCs with contemporary street artists. Throw in a maniacal live audience. Now you’re on the right track. Secret Walls is a gig disguised as an art event. Two artists have a blank wall, one hour, black paint and a handful of markers. Two artworks are created like magic before our eyes. The crowd votes on the best creation by way of applause. That’s it. It’s a simple and winning formula that really broadcasts the insane creativity and spontaneity of some genius street artists, who go far beyond tagging and old school graffiti. This time it’s Dale Bigeni versus Sindy Sinn. But it almost doesn’t matter who the artists are - these nights are always engaging and inspiring and above all, fun. And that’s what contemporary art should be, right?
Promised to us since March this year, French restaurant Été has opened on the Barangaroo waterfront, with fine dining chef Drew Bolton (Aria, Quay, Vine Double Bay) at the helm. Every second eatery in Sydney is big on seasonality these days, but Été takes the word into new territory. It's not only the dishes that change with the weather, but the interior, too. "Not only does the food menu evolve with the seasons, but we want the aesthetics and general vibe to reflect that as well," said Bolton. "We want guests to feel really engaged with what we're trying to do — like they've stepped into another world and have escaped the city." The feel is somewhere between bistro and fine dining, with Bolton bringing both his classical training and his experimental tendencies to contemporary French-Australian dishes. Results include clay-baked chicken with asparagus and truffled potato puree; pork with fermented apple and hibiscus sauce; and, for dessert, crème brulee with peach and lemon balm. If you want to head down for lunch from Monday to Friday and have a $50 note handy, you can indulge in a plat-du-jour, which changes weekly. "We think the plat-du-jour will be a local favourite, as our guests are able to experience the quality technique that you would normally expect from fine dining," said Bolton. There's an impressive wine list and, even if you don't want to buy a whole bottle, you can sample any drop by the glass — thanks to the Coravin, a nifty device that allows you to pour wine without removing the cork. Été offers 125 seats, both indoors and outdoors, overlooking the water. The French provincial-meets-Australian-contemporary interior was the work of Foolscap Studio (Noma Sydney), plus Chicago-based artist John Zabawa, who added some extraordinary artworks including full-wall murals. Find Été at Tower 1, Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, or head to their website for further information.
Now in its third year, the MCA Social at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art promises another extravagant night in the name of creativity and philanthropy. With the theme 'Art Eclectic', and the encouragement to go all-out in the fashion stakes, the evening offers the opportunity to make the most of that outrageous Gaga-esque outfit you've been waiting to wear. But what's more, this annual fundraiser offers both budding and established art supporters a chance to actively support the country's best emerging artists. All proceeds will fund the museum's Primavera exhibition, an internationally recognised platform for the promotion of these promising young Australians each year. There'll be an auction and a raffle on the night, with prizes including a 12-month rental from ArtBank worth over $5,000. Not only will the work of one of this year's artists, Marian Tubbs, be showcased on the night but you'll also have the chance to mingle with past Primavera creatives between sampling inventive Heston Blumenthal-style canapes and cocktails at the open bar. Expect live DJs, performances and custom-designed projections from La Petite Mort to light up the dance floor. Plus, you'll find a makeup artist in the lift (yes, the lift), on hand to add final flourishes to your look on your way up to the party. The MCA Social is on Saturday, July 26, from 8pm, and tickets are $150 each via the MCA website. Thanks to the MCA, we have one double pass to the event to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Three chefs with serious culinary pedigrees have turned their attention to the mighty burger (as is the current casual trend). And, as of 5pm this afternoon, you'll be able to get your mouth around their creations (just), when Burger Head opens in Penrith. The powerhouse trio is made up of Richard Borg (ex-Momofuku Seiobo), Josh DeLuca (ex-Quay) and Timothy Rosenstrauss. They got to know one another while working at the now-closed Master and decided to team up for a more casual venture. On-the-pulse Penrith foodies had a chance to preview the menu on December 14, thanks to a pop-up at the Aussie Night Markets. Burger Head showcased their dedication to house-made ingredients — from secret sauces and pickles to homemade beef patties. Offerings included a $10 cheeseburger (beef pattie, house-made secret sauce, house-made pickles, American cheese, toasted milk bun), a fried chicken burger, puffed pork ($5) and for vegos, a shroom and kale burger. Drinks-wise, you can expect shakes and soft drinks, with a rather delicious-sounding roasted white chocolate milkshake having appeared at the pop-up. Down the track, the boys are planning on getting a liquor licence, which will bring you cocktails, beers and wines. Find Burgerhead at Shop 17, 98 Henry Street, Penrith. It opens at 5pm on Friday, January 6.
Next time someone complains that you're glued to your phone, tell them that you're earning free food. Yes, that's the dream the burger-slinging legends at Royal Stacks is making come true with their new interactive game. Getting your favourite meat-and-bread combo is about to become as easy as spending hours doing something that, let's face it, we all already do. Available to download from the iTunes store from December 2, Royal Stacks' foray into phone-based entertainment combines fun with freebies, and virtual burgs with the real thing. Created by Melbourne's PlaySide Studios, the Tetris meets Jenga-like game requires players to stack ingredients onto a bun, line everything up to make the ideal tower of pixellated deliciousness, and try to make sure the massive creation doesn't topple over — all while building the biggest burger possible. In the process, as you work your way up from Royal Stacks' Single Stack to The King — and work through different skins and themes — you'll receive points that can be used in store for things like burgers, fries, milkshakes and frozen custard. And, if you visit a Royal Stacks joint on the day the game launches and download it while you're there, you'll also get a free serving of fries. Okay, so we all know that this is a clever piece of marketing — but we all want free burgers. Basically, it's the best of both worlds — and everything a game-playing burger lover (aka everyone) could've hoped for, really. Available to download from iTunes.
If you’ve feasted on jalapeno kingfish sashimi and paired it with next-level aged sake, then you’re familiar with the culinary creativity of Sake. If you haven’t, we reckon it’s about time you were treated to one heck of a dinner. To that end, we’ve teamed up with Urban Purveyor Group to give one of our clever, hungry readers 200 bucks worth of free nosh. Yep, 200 bucks. That’s enough cash to buy you and your loved one or mate or mum a serious feast. We're talking 'gramworthy new-style sushi to significantly impress your date. To enter, all you have to do is pop over here, fill in a quick form and write something vaguely interesting in ten words or less. That’s it. Then spend up at Sake's Double Bay venue or OG spot in The Rocks. GO. Why not brush up on your sake knowledge in the meantime?
It's been about an hour since I left the theatre and I still seem to be unable to stop talking in Oscar Wilde. There is something so endearingly intrusive about Oscar Wilde's prose. While the finer points of his comments on society are perhaps lost on those who are not surrounded by turn of the century London society, his barbarous wit is ever amusing. Only Wilde could come up with a story where two women insist on marrying a man called Earnest, and where two men pretend to be Earnest in order to secure the love of said women, and one of the men happens to have once been found in a handbag in Victoria Station. The Importance of Being Earnest is an immensely popular play. There have been at least two film productions boasting names such as Judi Dench and Colin Firth. It does become then, one of those productions that it is hard to tackle without being compared to numerous other incarnations. The Darlinghurst Theatre Company have, however, managed to live up to the challenge. Though faced with a relatively small space and, I assume, a budget much smaller than that of the most recent Hollywood Reese Witherspoon-starring screen version of the play, director Nicholas Papademetriou has done an excellent job with staging, simplifying the stage down to the most important elements. The actors, including Linda Cropper as Lady Bracknell, who is currently featuring on Channel Ten's Offspring, are all well cast and manage the task of the outrageous comedy with considerable outrageousness. While the pomposity of the upper class accent occasionally defeats some, for most it's spectacularly well done. Watch out in particular for Adele Querol's Cecily — a great talent whose aristocratic airs were more than spot on. The most important thing to remember with a Wilde play is that it's meant to be completely ridiculous. Like the Greek playwrights before him, Oscar Wilde takes everything to extremes. While at times it means that each line is far too outrageous to be true, it is always funny. You won't be disappointed by a trip to Darlinghurst Theatre's The Importance of Being Earnest. In fact all I need advise is to stock up on the cucumber sandwiches before you go. After watching the actors consume copious amounts of tea, sandwiches and muffins, by the end I was truly famished. Rather.
Theatres in Sydney over the last 12 months have been brimming with anti-epic domestic snapshots of fraught intimate relationships, and the latest from UK physical theatre company Frantic Assembly continues the trend. Todd and Kali are despicable human beings. They never leave each other’s side, love IKEA, brag about their beautifully equipped kitchen and say things like "fuck off Ingmar Bergman you are so fucking talented" after watching The Seventh Seal. They will disgust you on multiple levels. The play on ‘Stockholm’ — being both the yuppie couple’s syndrome and dream getaway destination — is excessively literal, and the script is ultimately unambitious in its breadth and depth. The performances are strong, with Leeanna Walsman coming off brilliantly as the obsessive, vulnerable and sensual jealous lover. However, she and her co-performer Socratis Otto are clearly not dancers, and the movement sequences work with mixed success. The climactic fight scene is both highly charged and graceful while the bedroom make-up sequence is almost unbearably clumsy. This is a contained and consistently tense production, a highlight being the live aroma of chopped onion cooking in butter on stage — here’s to theatre exploiting its olfactory capacities more often. Image by Brett Boardman.
Moseying along George Street can involve many things. Rushing to get the train at Town Hall, weaving in and out of QVB or The Galeries, trying to avoid throngs of people doing the same thing — they're all on the list. But on Friday, December 3, the stretch between Market and Park streets will host a huge three-course lunch, serving 600 people right there on the pavement. The sprawling al fresco midday meal is fittingly called George Street Long Lunch, with Chat Thai's Palisa Anderson, Kitchen by Mike's Mike McEnearney, Glass Brasserie's Luke Mangan and Continental Delicatessen's Michael Nicolian all whipping up dishes. It'll also come with a soundtrack, thanks to George Ellis Orchestra featuring Josh Pyke, as well as the Hot Potato Band. If you're wondering why Sydneysiders are being asked to sit down for lunch in the middle of the city street, it's part of a day-long series of dining pop-ups around town that's been dubbed Sydney's Open for Lunch. Aiming to give the city's hospitality sector a boost, the overarching event is all about long-table lunches, other dining and drinking activations, and just spending a day out of the house as Sydney recovers from this year's lengthy lockdown. While the George Street lunch is one of the event's big drawcards, Sydney's Open for Lunch will span across the city — through the CBD, Chinatown, Barangaroo and Parramatta.
The Rocks is celebrating Halloween this year with a series of events across the weekend. Head around the inner-city area to discover haunted houses, catch spooky flicks at an open air cinema or hit the dancefloor at The Argyle during this multi-day celebration of the October holiday. If you're looking for an authentic ghost experience, you can head to a series of five haunted heritage buildings between Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31, each with a secret letter hidden in the form of a QR code. If you find all five letters, it will spell a codeword which will allow you to claim a prize at The Rocks Square. Similarly, a ghost tour will be taking patrons around spooky spots in the Rocks on the same Sunday from 8pm. If you're looking for more of a party-heavy Halloween experience, neighbouring venues The Argyle and El Camino Cantina are both throwing huge dress-up parties across the weekend. Head to El Camino for ghost and ghoul-themed versions of their famed giant frozen margaritas as well as a dress-up party, or pop next door for DJs and fancy dress at The Argyle Asylum. Those looking to participate in the time-honoured tradition of watching a scary movie on Halloween can head to The Rocks' Laneway Cinema to watch family-friendly flicks like Scooby Doo and Hotel Transylvania, as well as the ghostly comedy classic Ghostbusters and acclaimed horror film A Quiet Place.
There's something special about visiting a vineyard. Seeing the grapes up close and meeting the people who create big kids' juice makes you appreciate every drop of vino that little bit more. But going to a winery has been a little trickier this year. So, to makes things easier, we're bringing the high country to your house with Delatite Wine's DIY Wine Blending class. On Friday, September 17 and Friday, September 24, you can take part in an online wine blending workshop with Delatite Winery's David Ritchie and Andy Browning. Throughout the session, you'll sample the leafy aromatics and blueberry characters of the 2019 cabernet. Then, you'll get to enjoy the rounded, juicy goodness of the merlot from the same year. You'll also learn about Delatite's own wine blending process and discover why it chose to make wine naturally and without filtering. Plus, you'll be encouraged to make your very own blend to go in the running to win a $150 voucher to spend at the winery's restaurant (when you're finally able to visit). To ensure you've got the right goods, you'll be sent a sampling kit filled with all the essentials. The pack will include four different bottles of Delatite wine, an empty bottle for you to build your own blend in, a measuring cylinder, wine pourer, tasting mat and more. Just make sure you register a week before kick-off to ensure it arrives in time for the class. Sound like a superior way to kick off your weekend? Delatite Winery's DIY Wine Blending will take place at 5pm on September 17 and September 24. For more information and to book yourself a spot, visit the website.
Burger lovers of Sydney, rejoice. Cocktail lovers, too. Harpoon Harry has been back in business for a month or so now, after temporarily closing due to COVID-19 lockdowns. And, after celebrating June with cheap burgs, the Surry Hills spot is doing the same in July — and adding a range of boozy tipples to the deal. On the burger front, it's serving them up at $10 a pop all day every day in July. Usually, the special only applies on Wednesdays; however, as we all know, there's absolutely nothing usual about 2020 so far. That price applies to all three burgers on the regular menu, so you can take your pick — between the fried chicken burger with hot sauce, coleslaw, lettuce, tomato and pickles; the wagyu with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and Harry's sauce; and the crumbed eggplant 'schnitty' with grilled haloumi, lettuce, tomato, pickles, charred onions and aioli. It also applies to the weekly special burg, too. And, your tenner will also score you some fries — with the burger and chips combo on offer daily from 11.30am. Drinks-wise, five different cocktails are available, also for just $10 each. Choose from a classic margarita, espresso martini, negroni, spritz and whatever the weekly 'secret cocktail' happens to be. Bookings are recommended, but you can also just walk on in. Harpoon Harry's $10 burgers (with fries) and $10 cocktails are available for the entire month of July.
We've all been spending more time inside than usual this year. In the process, we've all been looking at our furniture far more often than we usually would. So, if you've suddenly been rocked by the urge to redecorate, rearrange and reorganise, that's hardly surprising — those well-loved cushions, that old couch or your overflowing shelves could probably do with sprucing up. If IKEA is your furniture go-to, then its mid-year clearance sale is here to help, too — offering discounts of up to 50 percent off on some items. Whether you're in need of something big like a bed, chair or desk, or you're eager to fill your walls and surfaces with frames and vases, you'll find slashed prices on a heap of products. The sale runs until Monday, August 10 — and, for Sydneysiders, you have multiple options if you're eager to start buying. Head into the Tempe, Rhodes or Marsden Park stores; browse online, then opt for click-and-collect; or do all your perusing and purchasing on the company's website, before waiting for delivery. IKEA's mid-year clearance sale runs until Monday, August 10 — in-store and online.
Keen to inject a bit more fun into your life this spring? Then head on down to Moore Park for this year's Spring Family Fair, which is taking over Entertainment Quarter for two weeks. Whether you're wanting to channel your inner kidult or you're looking for a way to entertain your actual kids over the school holidays, this epic fair is a surefire (and super-fun) way to kill time. Running from Saturday, September 26 till Sunday, October 11, the Spring Family Fair will have everything from carnival games to thrilling rides, such as dodgem cars, spinning teacups, a giant slide and one called the Super Sizzler. You'll also be able to cool off with a handful of water activities, including the massive Wave Slide and a paddle boat pool. Then, check out the dog talent shows, or pick up gourmet goodies and seasonal fruit and veg at the biweekly Cambridge Market, which runs from 8am–2pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Of course, there's a global pandemic to be mindful of, so expect social distancing measures to be in place, plus numerous hand washing facilities and sanitising stations around the fair. Spring Family Fair is taking over the Entertainment Quarter from September 26–October 11. Open 10am–4pm, Monday–Wednesday, and 10am–5pm, Thursday–Sunday. Pre-book your tickets here.
If 2020 has been good for anything, it's upskilling. No doubt you started making sourdough from scratch, did some DIY projects around the house or took up an online course. You probably attempted to mix up a negroni, amaretto sour or perfectly balanced martini at some point, too. But, if your concoctions didn't quite match the expertise of the bartender at your favourite watering hole, now's your chance to level up. This winter, three top Aussie bartenders are bringing the festivities to your living room with a series of online cocktail classes. Kicking off the series is Eau de Vie Melbourne's Jonny Linstead on Thursday, August 20, from 6–6.30pm. He'll be showing you how to make a vodka-based martini dubbed the D'Vine Time. At the same time on Thursday, September 3, Brisbane bartender Millie Tang, behind old-world cocktail bar The Gresham, will be mixing up a twist on the classic Moscow Mule: the Polish Pony. Then, rounding out the three-part series will be award-winning bartender Kate McGraw from Sydney's izakaya-style bar Isabel on Thursday, September 17. Fittingly, she'll be whipping up a Kyoto Highball, which will have you dreaming of trips to Japan. [caption id="attachment_777922" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Polish Mule[/caption] A collaboration between premium vodka distiller Belvedere and drink delivery company Boozebud, the at-home cocktail classes will focus on top-quality natural ingredients. Each drink recipe will have a 'less is more' approach, so you'll be making cocktails that you'll actually be able to recreate — again and again and again. The masterclasses are free to stream via Facebook. For Jonny Linstead's class head here, Millie Tang's here or here for Kate McGraw's. But, to make the most of it, you'll want to get a cocktail pack delivered beforehand. The packs cost between $93.99–99.99. Purchase your cocktail packs via Boozebud, then head to the respective Facebook events at 6pm on August 20, September 3 and September 17 to take part in the virtual masterclasses. Images: Kate McGraw, cocktail, Jonny Linstead and Millie Tang
Set above the Sydney Fish Market, the Sydney Seafood School has been a staple for top-notch cooking classes for a whopping 30 years now. To celebrate its three decades in operation, Manager Roberta Muir has put together one helluva summer program. And it features cooking classes by some of the best chefs in the biz. Coming up on December 14, Belles Hot Chicken's Morgan McGlone will team up with P&V Wine and Liquor Merchant's Mike Bennie to host a Hot Southern Chicken & Cool Natural Wines event. Then, on January 18, Totti's Mike Eggert will make seasonal veggies the star of his show, while Mike McEnearney (Kitchen by Mike) will host a sourdough-making class on February 1. And February 18 will see Lucio's Lucio Galletto pair his Italian banquet with boutique regional wines by Godot Wines' Piero Tantini. [caption id="attachment_671693" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belles Hot Chicken[/caption] This all-star lineup of chefs also includes Mark LaBrooy (Three Blue Ducks), Palisa Anderson (Chat Thai), Paul Carmichael (Momofuku Seiōbo), Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freshwater) and Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio at The Spit) — to name just a few. Each class acts as a three-part experience, with a live demonstration in the tiered theatre followed by a hands-on cooking class in the kitchen, and finally a communal feast (paired with wine, of course) in the dining room. To check out the full program, head here. The classes are a bit pricey, ranging from $140–$175, but, with the calibre of chefs, you're getting a lot of bang-for-your-buck. And tickets to any one of these would certainly go down a treat as a Christmas gift. Top image: Franz Scheurer
Returning for its second year, Sad by Sad West is a community focused festival that's all about embracing emotion in both music and life. It's taking things back to basics and helping locals to recognise and appreciate their immediate surroundings and the artists that occupy it. Presented by Lesstalk Records and Papaiti Records, the self proclaimed fringe festival is geared toward connecting the community through events that showcase shared ideas and values through art and music. The artists will perform across different genres and mediums in an effort to portray artistic thought in a new light. The three-day Sydney event will take over venues in Marrickville and Parramatta from Thursday, May 4 through Saturday, May 6. First up they'll partner with Marrickville's Cornersmith for a D.I.Wine and Dine event, pairing a three-course meal with five Aussie artists, including Zzzounds and Micro Lectures. On Friday, May 5, the party is headed over to Beatdisc Records in Parramatta, where the stage will be shared by Aussie six acts, including Daniel Comensoli and Dave Drayton, along with New Zealand band Long Distance Runner. On Saturday, May 6 the festival will finish off at Marrickville's Red Rattler with a huge lineup of Aussie acts and an addition of two imports, New Zealand's Carb on Carb and Subsumer from the States.
You can never have too many food trucks and chicken wings, and King of the Wings is hoping that the poultry-loving people of Sydney agree. After slinging their spicy pieces around Brisbane since 2014 — and proving one of the first purveyors of meals-on-wheels in southeast Queensland, in fact — they're heading south to bring their tasty morsels to a whole new batch of hungry customers. Come May, King of the Wings will pop up at The Observer Hotel in The Rocks for what they've dubbed 'wing week', serving up tender, tasty chicken galore. Just running your eyes over their menu should be enough to motivate you to be there. It's about quality over quantity here, with the self-proclaimed wing kings specialising in five flavours: their signature Southern-style herb and spice rub, a sweet chilli-infused honey sesame sauce, traditional American barbecue, the extra hot 'Chillogy' and a Portuguese crumb. You'll be able to order them in six, 12, 20 or 30 packs. The Sydney pop-up comes hot on the heels of King of the Wings adding a second, split-level design truck to their fleet, as well as competing in last year's New York Wingfest — where they took out the best new vendor field, and came second in the best wing sauce category. Sydneysiders, if you want to find out why, you'll just have to head along.
Guaranteed to set the staffroom afire with gossip and outrage, New Theatre wades into the prickly issue of teacher-student relationships with Evan Placey's Consensual. Seven years ago, Diane was 22, a teacher's assistant just getting to grips with the blend of riot control and guile needed to haul adolescents through a class curriculum. She made a mistake and got too close to a student who took advantage of her. Seven years ago, Freddie was 15, unhappy and a mess. A teenager, in other words. He was groomed by one of his teachers and bragged about it after the fact. Now, Diane is a qualified teacher and trying to get a new Sex Ed programme through the skulls of her Year 11 class. When Freddie turns up looking to press charges, both versions of events are played out, but Placey isn't interested in who's right. Rather, Consensual promises an unflinching account of what we tell ourselves about the horrible things we do to other people.
Variety might be the spice of life, but it's also the idea behind multiple-course dinners. If you're going to eat your way through several plates, you'll also want to eat your through several different types of food, or so the general line of thinking goes. It's a sensible concept, and one that's been serving the restaurant industry well for years — but The Pasta Masters Collaborative Dinner is about to blow it out of the water. Here, five rounds of dishes means one thing five times: pasta, pasta, pasta, pasta and pasta. Indeed, all things pasta are on the menu at this series of two dinners, which brings a top chef quartet — aka Sotto Sopra's Alessandro Pavoni and Mattia Rossi, and Flour Eggs Water's Sandro Di Marino and Eugenio Maiale — together for a night of food and pasta-related discussion. The evenings won't just celebrate the meal in question, but will focus on the flavoursome fare from the culinary wizs' respective regions in Italy. Dinners will be held at Sotto Sopra on July 19 and Flour Eggs Water on August 23, with tickets costing $75 per person — or $125 with matched wines.
Calling all creative ladies, this 'un-conference' is for you. After a strong debut as part of Vivid Ideas 2016, this two-day event "for, by and about creative women" features a super successful lineup of pioneering international and homegrown talent. With a crew of female-identifying attendees, Make Nice is a two-day creative event that isn't your regular conference format. Each presenter will offer practical advice for working in the creative industries, unpack the value of idea exchange and dialogue, and focus on the importance of genuine professional support. But they'll also be sitting next to you for the conference, learning from your ideas and having mad chats. It will kick off with a non-awkward pre-drink event on Friday, September 22 before the main event, a full-day conference that kicks off at 8.15am on Saturday. This year's speakers include Nashville designer Becky Simpson, sought-after tatooist and artist Stanislava Pinchuk (aka Miso) and journalist and co-host of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast Ann Friedman, amongst others. They'll be speaking on topics that cover imposter syndrome, starting a business, getting into a routine while staying sane and how to avoid completely burning out. Each attendee will be invited to a private online forum (along with the speakers) that will be active year round, connecting you to each other after the event and inviting you to future Make Nice events. The full schedule will be released soon.
Whether you're a whiskey-enthusiast, aspiring table-stylist or wannabe pickler, the Tramsheds has you sorted this winter. Every Monday through Wednesday from July 3 to September 23, Winter Nights gives you the chance to mix up your midweek winter routine — and your own cocktail while you're at it. Pop-up workshops include watercolour and wine, tea blending and detox juicing, along with a native cocktail mixology class that uses all local ingredients. Or satisfy your chocolate-craving at the Chocolatier Know-How workshop where you'll temper your own chocolate (and learn what that actually means). The classes are budget-friendly, too — starting at only $16 — so you can learn some new skills on the cheap. Check out the full list of events here.
The Commune Waterloo will be transformed into a sensory explosion when Eid in the City returns for its second year on Friday, August 4 from 5pm to 10pm. A celebration of Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Middle Eastern Night Markets will bring together a massive variety of street food, art, craft, design, music, photography and film. Ramadan, for those not in the know, is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. It's the holy month, during which participants fast, pray and give to charity. The aim is to promote empathy, generosity and an attitude of gratitude, and Eid is the festivity and feast that follows. While Ramadan and Eid were celebrated back at the end of June this year, the Commune is keeping the party going with their massive event. You won't be short of company, either — the Facebook event has racked up nearly 5000 RSVPs and counting. Tickets are only 10 bucks but are strictly pre-sale only, so make sure to head over here to nab one.
The Giant Dwarf loves to bang on — so much so, they're dedicating two whole weeks to celebrating the art of it. A brand new festival for the Redfern theatre, YACK will bring together a selection of Sydney's funniest, smartest and most provocative comedians, podcasters and panellists. The little festival will feature big laughs with a great lineup of people who like to have a good ol' chinwag. We're pretty excited to see the Kates (of The Katering Show) live In Konversation and Sam Simmons read a phone book in his hilarious and celebrated show A-K. Peter Helliar, co-host of The Project, will be debuting his first family-friendly show following the release of his bestselling children's novel and Hannah and Eliza Reilly (who you might know from the ABC's Growing Up Gracefully) will remind us of our public speaking insecurities with The Yarramadoon PS Debaters Night. Add to the mix a performance by The Chaser — who will be reminiscing on their most audacious stunt ever (can you guess which one?) — and the first ever live performance of Zan Rowe and Myf Warhurst's podcast Bang On, and you'll most probably be on the ground in stitches. Some of Australia's most witty writers, including Benjamin Law, Cameron James and Caitlin Welsh, will be collaborating with Songs and Stories to pay their respects to the music that has shaped them and Rebecca Huntley and Sarah MacDonald will host The Full Catastrophe, an afternoon-slash-therapy session with people well known for turning horrible moments into hilarious stories. Judging by the state of world affairs, two weeks of non-stop laughing at YACK will be just what the doctor ordered, so head over to the Giant Dwarf website for tickets here. The festival will run from November 6–19.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia is rolling out a new winter art workshop program. Inspired by the gallery's popular Sundown Sketch Club, these two-hour Wednesday evening sketching workshops will led by Sydney-based artist Will French, and take place once a month in June, July and August. The classes will focus on still life and nude drawing, with participants using a range of fine art materials and getting a few tips from French along the way. The ever-changing installation will include a model alongside the rather specific ingredients of fresh grapes, white flowers, juicy pears, brioche, hazelnuts and almonds. The evening will be capped off with nibbles, cheese, a glass of Champagne from sponsor Ruinart and a backdrop of Sydney Harbour. The first workshop will take place on June 14, with sessions following on July 19 and August 23. Tickets are $65 and beginners are welcome. Just make sure to book ahead as these events have sold out in the past.
In 1947, one country became two and the world was forever altered. Following centuries of governance by the British, India was divided into distinct, independent territories along religious lines. One would still be known as India. The other would become Pakistan (and later, Bangladesh as well). Unsurprisingly, it was a massive task requiring significant contemplation and causing considerable repercussions, both for the officials charged with overseeing the partition, and for the locals who would be forced to live with the change. Such a chapter of history seems an obvious candidate for a dramatic film treatment — and that's just what Bend It Like Beckham's Gurinder Chadha delivers, stepping through the upheaval and exploring just how the two groups coped in such a turbulent period. But while she focuses firmly on the emotional toll of the partition, it's hard not to think that the director has actually missed the best story. Viceroy's House concludes on a rather touching personal note, explaining that Chadha's own grandmother lived through the events depicted on screen. Frankly, you could be forgiven for wishing she'd told that tale instead. Instead it's the last British head of India and his staff that drive the narrative of Viceroy's House. Accompanied by his wife Edwina (Gillian Anderson) and daughter Pamela (Lily Travers), Lord Louis Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville) tries to negotiate an arrangement for the future of the sub-continent that keeps the various conflicting parties and his English superiors happy. Meanwhile, within Mountbatten's luxurious Delhi mansion, servant Jeet (Manish Dayal) yearns for his childhood sweetheart Aalia (Huma Qureshi), a situation complicated by the fact that he's a Hindu and she's a Muslim. Accordingly, a quest to determine the shape of two nations and a Romeo and Juliet-style affair combine, albeit somewhat awkwardly at times. Jumping between bureaucratic manoeuvring and matters of the heart isn't always packaged with the smoothest transitions, and doesn't give either side of the story much depth. Nevertheless, Chadha's main aim, of examining the ramifications for the country as well as its people, is successfully achieved. The film wrings most of its feeling from its many contrasts, be they ideological, political, religious or romantic. Standard as it all might be, Viceroy's House still proves a handsome effort. Think lush visuals and a rich score, plus fine performances. Downtown Abbey's Bonneville stays nicely in familiar territory, while Anderson couldn't be more enjoyable to watch. She mightn't be the movie's main star, but she's given the job of embodying its chief message of rising above prejudice and finding the right path in times of turmoil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ZnofZJCD8
If you're the sort of person who likes to eat meat until you start shaking with the meat sweats and can (m)eat no more, then a festival very relevant to your interests is coming to town. Meatstock Festival, a two-day celebration of all things animal, is setting up its smoky self in the Sydney Showgrounds on the weekend of May 6 and 7. Not just your regular food festival, bands on the Meatstock lineup include The Delta Riggs, Dusty Boots, Roy Rose, The Tommyhawks and The Fumes. Sure, there'll be less music than there is at Woodstock, but there will be 200 percent more tasty meat-related foods. The food stars of the show are Burgers by Josh, Chrissy's Cuts, Rangers Texas BBQ and more. Try both, or all of the food stalls and then fall into a sweaty, cholesterol-heavy heap — don't say we didn't warn you. Finally, for a little old-fashioned rivalry, the festival will be running both Barber Wars and Butcher Wars, which will basically be a bunch of hopefully unbloodied people running around competing and wielding various knives. What a weekend.
You love rosé, we love rosé, everyone loves rosé — but like every type of tipple, there's just so many to choose from. Not sure which pink drink takes your fancy? Adored some but haven't been fussed about others? Wish you could try a whole heap and pick your favourite? Or, perhaps you're fond of them all, and you're just eager to indulge. Whichever category you fall into, Rosé Days is for you. Sorry, it's just one day; however it does feature nine whole hours dedicated to the vino in question. Around 20 Australian and international winemakers, distilleries and even breweries will come together to celebrate the best in not-quite-red-coloured wines, offering up tastings aplenty. There'll also be rosé gummy bears, raspberry beer, wild rose vermouth and rosé cider. In addition, attendees can enjoy rosé-themed food from the likes of Three Blue Ducks, Kingsmore and Frenchies; entertainment to get your cheeks nice and rosy, such as indoor pétanque; cooking masterclasses and a dedicated rosé chill-out space. It all takes place from 10am on November 4 in the most appropriate suburb for it: Rosebery. Head to The Cannery for some pink-hued fun, with tickets $22.50 in advance or $25 on the day.
Just try not to gaze longingly into the shimmering azure sea seen in Roza of Smyrna. Sorry, it's impossible. The film has been called a Greco-Turkish Romeo and Juliet, and its blend of scenic sights and romantic drama is a great fit for the Greek Film Festival's 2017 opening night. While you're watching, you'll fall in love with the story and the picturesque region. With the fest taking over Palace Norton Street from October 10 to 22, that's just one of the titles on offer in a rather sizeable program. Other highlights include The Killing of a Sacred Deer, the Colin Farrell-starring latest from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos (and one of our MIFF standouts); The Bachelor, which has been dubbed the Hellenic version of The Hangover; and Dogs of Democracy, which aims to be an Athens-set, canine-centric version of cat doco Kedi. From Greece's candidate for next year's Oscars to a musical road film about Southern Europe's migrant situation, the flicks just keep coming, including a short film fest within the main fest. It's the festival's 24th year, and they're making the most of it. We'd smash some plates in celebration of that.
Since launching in October 2016, social campaign Proudly Pokies Free has been drawing attention to the effects of poker machines while simultaneously celebrating the venues that have ditched them. The next shindig on the calendar is BLOW-UP, an epic afternoon and evening of free live music, happening at The Lansdowne Hotel on Sunday, September 10. The event will take over both levels of the pub from 2am till midnight and is an official stop on the King Street Crawl. Leading the program are Ribongia and Clypso, both Sydney-based electronic acts with a penchant for tropical grooves, as well as Ziggy Ramo, a hip-hop artist and activist from Perth. You'll also be hearing from Bad Deep DJs, Ariane, Mike Who, Flex Mami, Nes and Anno (Love Bombs). And you won't have to worry about hearing any annoying beeps or whirs or jangly music in the background.
