Already in 2023, Cate Blanchett has scored her seventh Oscar nomination. Thanks to her phenomenal performance in conductor drama Tár, she's likely to win her third Academy Award, in fact. However her luck pans out on Hollywood's night of nights in March, she'll be towering over Melbourne in June regardless — in a historic space built in 1867, across a film installation spanning an array of huge screens, and in one mighty impressive 360-degree display. The first event announced for this year's RISING, Melbourne's major annual arts festival, will feature Blanchett in her latest starring role for artist and filmmaker Julian Rosefeldt. The duo reteams for Euphoria after working on 2015's stunning installation Manifesto together. Set to take over Melbourne Town Hall from Friday, June 2–Sunday, June 18, their new multichannel work doesn't just focus on the acclaimed Australian actor playing multiple parts, however, instead honing in on the weighty topic that is capitalism. The Berlin-based Rosefeldt tackles his current topic — aka two thousand years of greed and the effect that unlimited economic growth has — via a spiral of screens that'll sit throughout the venue. On the ground floor, 24 screens will showcase a life-sized choir of Brooklyn Youth Chorus singers, while five jazz drummers will duel on the screens above them. And, there'll also be five theatrical vignettes looping above, too, which is where Blanchett playing an anthropomorphic tiger stalking supermarket aisles comes in. Those drummers? They include Grammy Award-winning drummer and composer Antonio Sánchez, who also composed the score for 2014 film Birdman. And those vignettes? They'll also feature Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul favourite — and recent Kaleidoscope star — Giancarlo Esposito among a cast that'll speaking thoughts penned by economists, writers and thinkers like Warren Buffett, Ayn Rand, Angela Davis and Snoop Dogg. As well as Blanchett as a jungle cat, RISING's first major international commission — which hits this year's fest as an Australian exclusive, and enjoyed its world premiere at the Park Armory in New York back in November 2022 — features homeless men chatting about economics, executives getting acrobatic in a bank lobby, and an all-round unpacking of capitalism via its own excess. Paired with it, Euphoria's original score by Canadian composer Samy Moussa and British saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi goes big on jazz, the tunes sung by the children's choir and those uttered ideas. Befitting the theme, the installation will run with a pay-as-you-can pricing model, and welcome in visitors for free on Fridays during its season. 2023 is turning out to be a stellar year for spectacular takeovers of town halls by citywide arts fests, after Sydney Festival turned Sydney Town Hall into an indoor beach — temporarily, of course — for an opera performance back in January. Check out the trailer for Euphoria below: RISING 2023 will take place across Melbourne from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18, with Euphoria displaying at the Melbourne Town Hall on from Friday, June 2–Sunday, June 18. Tickets for Euphoria go on sale to RISING subscribers from 12pm on Tuesday, February 14, with general sales from Friday, February 17. First top image: Katja Illner.
October is made for weird, wild and wonderful movies filled with shocks and scares. 'Tis Halloween season, after all. So, the world obliges, including on screens big and small — and, in 2023, via the return of Australia's genre film festival Monster Fest, which is dedicated to flicks of the spooky, dark, twisted, offbeat and out-there variety. Monster Fest doesn't always pop up in the month when everyone is worshipping pumpkins and thinking about costumes; however, the timing obviously couldn't be more perfect. As it always does, it'll run long in Melbourne, where the fest was born back in 2011, then head to Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide for a shorter season in each city all on the same weekend. Melburnians, mark Thursday, October 12–Sunday, October 22 in your calendar for this showcase of strange, surreal, thrilling and chilling pictures at Cinema Nova. Everyone else, you'll want to make a date with Event Cinemas George Street in Sydney, Event Cinemas Uptown in Brisbane, Event Cinemas Marion in Adelaide and Event Cinemas Innaloo in Perth between Friday, October 27–Sunday, October 29. On the lineup: the latest and greatest in genre filmmaking, spanning horror, sci-fi, comedies with elements of either and all-round unnerving movies. Standouts titles on the 2023 program include Suitable Flesh, which stars Heather Graham (Extrapolations) as a doctor going mad, takes its inspiration from HP Lovecraft and boasts Joe Lynch (Creepshow) behind the lens; The Last Video Store, a horror-comedy set, yes, in one of the last video stores; and Norwegian flick There's Something in the Barn, about a gnome uprising that plagues an American family (including Party Down's Martin Starr) who've relocated to Scandinavia. Or, there's also sci-fi comedy Time Addicts, Australian slasher Bloodmoon getting a 4K restoration 33 years after its OG release and Trim Season's nightmarish trip to a weed farm. All of the above titles are doing the rounds nationally; however, with its extra days, Melbourne scores a few more highlights. When Evil Lurks and its demonic infection will launch the Victorian capital's leg of the fest. From there, that's also where Red Rooms, which recently won Best Feature at the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, joins the program. And, so does the kung fu-filled The Invisible Fright, a 4K restoration of Jim Jarmusch's (The Dead Don't Die) Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and a 30th-anniversary session of ninth Friday the 13th entry Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (screening on the appropriate date, of course). On the doco front, erotic thrillers are thrust into the spotlight in We Kill for Love, Satan Wants You looks back at 80s-era satanic panic and Enter the Clones of Bruce surveys the talents that endeavoured to replicate Bruce Lee after his death. Going all in on Bruceploitation, Monster Fest is also putting on a double of The Dragon Lives Again and Challenge of the Tiger, where Dracula and James Bond are among Bruce's foes. MONSTER FEST 2023 DATES: Thursday, October 12–Sunday, October 22 — Cinema Nova, Melbourne Friday, October 27–Sunday, October 29 — Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney Friday, October 27–Sunday, October 29 — Event Cinemas Uptown, Brisbane Friday, October 27–Sunday, October 29 — Event Cinemas Marion, Adelaide Friday, October 27–Sunday, October 29 — Event Cinemas Innaloo, Perth Monster Fest 2023 runs throughout October around Australia. Head to the festival's website for further details.
From what I've observed over the years, art school is pretty hard work. You have to actually be there for amounts of time that'd shock your average undergraduate and your learning involves a lot of being told you're doing what you love and feel like you're best is wrong. There's also the whole intense range of technical skills you need to develop across media that you might dislike or find gives you calluses, and social dynamics that wouldn't sound out of place described by Sir David Attenborough. But every year a new crop of certified, officially qualified practising artists come out of the places, and NAS, like most art schools, celebrates this with an exhibition. Bodies of work from across the disciplines of painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, printmaking and sculpture go on show representing the culmination of years of theoretical, practical and curatorial education. There's always a sense of excitement about a grad show, something to do with the accomplishment of getting the degree done and the possibilities in front of the artists. It's a chance for NAS to show work that shows that their system works. Image: Caroline Karlsson, Vessel, 2011
Ain't no party like a taco party because tacos are bloody delicious. This Saturday, Surry Hills vegan Mexican joint Bad Hombres is teaming up with DJ Levins for a spicy celebration of "snacks and dancefloor action". From 5pm until midnight, the restaurant – which ditched all animal products earlier this year – will be transformed into a nightclub, with Levins banging out a genre-hopping playlist all evening long. In addition to the tunes, tickets get you access to an all-you-can-eat menu featuring cauliflower tacos, spring vegetable tostadas, stewed black beans, and tortilla chips with guacamole, plus a whole lot more. Drinks will also be available to purchase on the night – think Mexican lagers, Australian natural wines and a whole heap of margaritas.
Dockless bike sharing companies operating in Sydney are being forced to step up their game or get off the streets, as a new set of rules and regulations is rolled out across the city. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, mayors from the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley, Inner West, Randwick and Canada Bay councils banded together to write the latest guidelines for local share bike services — an attempt to boost pedestrian safety and help make a dent in the number of rogue share bikes clogging up the streets. In these council areas, operators are now required to move bikes from dangerous spots within three hours and be proactive in redistributing them, to deacitivate any damaged bikes immediately and to have them removed within one week. Other rules require bike share companies to have public liability insurance, to unlock bikes for council staff upon request and to have a manned repair phone service operating between 6am and 9pm. The councils are also requesting operators introduce virtual boundaries or 'geo-fencing', where bikes must be parked in order to avoid penalties. Other councils are yet to jump on board, with some denying having any issues or complaints associated with dockless share bikes. The new rules come after three Melbourne councils outlined their own set of share bike guidelines in October. Via smh.com.au
There are twin poles of entertainment rambling on the Sydney Streets this June. While Vivid Sydney is dominating the Rocks end of town, the Sydney Film Festival owns the drags south of Martin Place. The Festival used to be an R-rated preserve of afficianados and film professionals, but over the last decade it has grown into a popular event with an international competition and a dedicated children’s program. While the pounding heart of the Festival is the plush State Theatre, this year’s day sessions have been moved across to the George Street cinema complex due to hotel construction at the Gowings site. Some talks will be there, while others have shifted over a block to the Grasshopper, the Apple Store and the Town Hall. Even UNSW is getting in on the action. Festival opener Hanna has the taut energy of a Bourne thriller, while the closing night Mike Mills film Beginners gently answers the pressing question What if Christopher Pummer came out at 75? For those who've heard of Miranda July (you know who you are), her film The Future will screen with July as a guest, and talking nearby, while Jack Black and Lucy Liu will attend the premiere of Kung Fu Panda 2. As part of the Freak Me Out program, the much anticipated Norwegian Troll Hunter is likely show off how close English and Norse swearing is, while the dreamy Japanese Norwegian Wood and the doco LENNONNYC take you back to the edge of 1970. The Festival’s program is immense, with films from all over the world. Explore it by strand, pick it apart on your iPhone or get the word on the street. But get a look in.
If there weren't already enough reasons to visit France, the nation has just erected a ten-level superstructure dedicated entirely to life's magnum opus: wine. Located in the heart of Bordeaux wine country, La Cité du Vin (translating to The City of Wine) is more than just a museum about squashed grapes. From the outside the building is a masterpiece in its own right, the architecture charging its glass to the curvature of the infamous vineyard-bordered Garonne River, knotted vine stocks and the swirl of wine in a glass. Indoors, there are both temporary and permanent features, including a self-guided tour through 20 themed spaces showcasing wine from across the world, across the ages, across all cultures and all civilisations. The immersive experience kicks off in a wooden vault moonlighting as the hull of a wine-trading ship before taking visitors through several other multi-sensory areas. The final phase leads up to the top floor to take in 360 degree views of the city and for the most eagerly anticipated section of the tour: wine tasting. All that wine knowledge can be put to use in one of two restaurants, together sharing a wine cellar with upwards of 14,000 bottles from more than 80 wine producing countries. To top it all off the entrance hall doubles as the departure point for wine tasting excursions via boat along the Garonne or down the road to the plentiful Bordeaux vineyards.
The Tall Man, first a book by Chloe Hooper and now a documentary by Tony Krawitz, looks into the 2004 death of Cameron Doomadgee, who was arrested on Palm Island while merrily singing 'Who Let the Dogs Out' and found unresponsive in a police cell 40 minutes later. His death sparked a riot on the isolated island; an inquest that concluded his fatal injuries came from a fall; and eventually a trial in which the arresting officer, Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, was found not guilty of manslaughter. Doomadgee's autopsy revealed multiple injuries, including having had his liver cleaved in two by his spine. The Tall Man is as good a work of long-form journalism as you're likely to read. Hooper's words are empathetic without being sentimental, evocative without being overwrought, and powerful without losing objectivity. The book won the Queensland, Victorian and NSW Premiers' literary prizes and was talked about for the better parts of 2009 and 2010. So what more is there for a documentary film spin-off to do? The main benefit is that you get to see the primary source video that made up a lot of the evidence in the inquest. It's incredibly telling — not in the sense that you know the one true, real story of what happened, but that you see the true, real faces of people who were hurt, conflicted by or otherwise entangled in this tragic event. It's a complex single story that shines a light on the pervasiveness of Aboriginal deaths in custody generally and reveals a systemic set of problems that ensnares people who probably mean well. The documentary also features interviews with Doomadgee's family and friends, Palm Island residents, lawyer Andrew Boe, liaison officers, small-town Queenslanders who knew and admired Hurley, and author Chloe Hooper. These interviews are prettily shot, well edited and develop the story with due depth. Sadly, as with the book, Senior Sergeant Hurley and his colleagues declined to participate. The filmmakers do a good job of outlining both their official line and unofficial motivations, but you do wish we were in a position to hear the side of the story still kept in the shadows by the closed ranks of the police.
James Bond is a fictional character. If literature and cinema's super-suave spy was real, however, he might be interested in a new bar that's set to start pouring cocktails in Melbourne from April. At Le Martini, one drink is in the spotlight. That cocktail can come in an array of varieties, though — yes, including shaken, not stirred — as patrons here will be able to enjoy. This 33-seat watering hole on the ground floor at Crown Melbourne won't just hero one kind of tipple. It'll also be all about one variety of vodka, too. Operating from 5pm–late Thursday–Sunday, the intimate Le Martini is the world's first-ever Grey Goose martini bar, so you know what'll be in each martini. Exactly what kinds of martinis will be on offer hasn't been revealed as yet, but they'll also change thanks to guest bartenders from overseas who'll whip up their own menus. One such person: New York's Dale DeGroff, whose career dates back to the Rainbow Room in the 80s. He's in charge of the opening martini lineup. Whatever the range of curators opt for, you can probably look forward to the alcohol brand's signature martini, which combines its own vodka, Noilly Prat dry vermouth and a dash of orange bitters. French bites to eat will be paired with the beverages, with Bistro Guillaume at Crown Melbourne responsible for the culinary range. "Here, we are creating a place where guests can sip on the very best expertly crafted Grey Goose martinis while immersed in exquisite surrounds," said the brand's Marketing Manager Sander Janmaat, announcing Le Martini. Find Le Martini on the ground floor at Crown Melbourne, Southbank from sometime in April, open from 5pm–late Thursday–Sunday — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced.
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which was originally slated to deliver its fifth annual program between Friday, April 3–Sunday, April 12 — but, after delaying its 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now do so between Friday, September 11–Sunday, September 20. The move marks the fest's temporary return to the latter half of the calendar, following a shift to an earlier autumn timeslot in 2019 — which attracted a record crowd of 25,000 attendees. Regardless of this year's coronavirus-inspired change of dates, the fest will continue its free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling — and its focus on dazzling light installations — in the CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town. On the bill: the festival's signature installations, new luminous displays, live music and other performances, all falling under the theme 'lifting our spirits'. The 2020 fest is particularly enthusiastic about "lifting the spirits from the work of artists, old and new, to the spirit of this year's audience". While an initial 2020 program was released earlier this year, just how much of it will make the leap to September is yet to be revealed. [caption id="attachment_715721" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lighting the Ranges, Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia.5/4/2019. Images courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] That said, as it always does, the Alice Springs Desert Park will come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. Just what it'll feature this year hasn't been unveiled, but it's always spectacular — and it always highlights stories, symbols and knowledge of Aboriginal culture.Another returning favourite is Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2020, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from September 11–20, 2020 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
Sydney's harbourside dining scene is set for a major new addition this summer, with Giovanni Pilu and Marilyn Annecchini — the husband-and-wife team behind acclaimed Northern Beaches institution Pilu at Freshwater — set to open a new restaurant at Circular Quay. Named Flaminia, the venue will bring the warm hospitality and rich flavours of Italy's port cities to one of Sydney's most iconic settings. For Pilu, the project is both personal and symbolic — Flaminia was the name of the ship that brought his family from Italy to Australia in 1959. "It represents our journey, leaving one coast behind and arriving on another, and everything that's come from it," he says. "Naming the restaurant Flaminia is a way of honouring that story of food, family and finding a new home." Set inside Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, the restaurant will capture the spirit of Italy's bustling coastal towns. The atmosphere will be relaxed yet refined, with a focus on warm hospitality and honest, humble dishes that let the ingredients do the talking. The menu draws on the distinct food traditions of cities — from Catania and Cagliari to Portofino and Portovenere — while spotlighting premium Australian seafood. This ethos is illustrated at a dedicated crudo bar serving oysters shucked to order and northern Italian-style fresh seafood plates. The menu will also feature generous antipasti, seafood pasta and shared desserts, with wines that trace the Italian coastline and an aperitivo program that echoes the Italian seaside lifestyle. While Pilu at Freshwater (pictured above), which opened in 2004, will remain rooted in Sardinian heritage, Flaminia promises a more playful take on Italian seaside dining — a natural continuation of the couple's story, shaped by over two decades of coastal hospitality. "You walk up the stairs and it feels like Italy," Pilu says. "That's the feeling we're chasing. The salt in the air, a glass of crisp vermentino, oysters freshly shucked. It's the spirit of the ports, brought to life with incredible local produce, right on Sydney Harbour." Flaminia will open in summer 2025-6 at Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour. For more information, head to the restaurant's website. Images: supplied.
Sydney newcomer Wildflower Brewing and Blending is bringing things back to basics, creating barrel-aged, blended wild beers that focus on balance, approachability and natural ingredients. Owner Topher Boehm has an innate fascination with crafting and learning — his previous preoccupations include book binding and bespoke shoe-making, as well as, most recently, brewing at Batch Brewing Company. "When I got into brewing I loved working with the raw materials, but when I found out yeast was available everywhere I had a desire to take it one step further, to source more materials from Australia and what is naturally found around me," says Boehm. "This same beer could have been made 150 years ago." In this naturalist vein, Boehm cultivates wild yeast found in New South Wales and uses Australian malts and hops where possible. Though barrel aging, especially with wild yeast, can add a tart characteristic to the brews, Wildflower is not a sour beer facility. On the contrary, Boehm is focused on producing balanced, easy-drinking beers that are closer to farmhouse or saison-style ales than sours. Blending newly brewed beer with existing barrel-aged beer is what gives this balance between fresh and funky. In a Marrickville warehouse that's rumoured to have a once acted as a rivet factory for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Wildflower's space is very bare bones and is clearly all about the French oak barrels, fifty of which currently line one wall. Boehm sourced these ex-wine barrels from Orange, working with such heavyweight wineries as De Salis, Ross Hill and Canobolas~Smith. The beer is initially contract brewed at Batch and then transported to the Wildflower barrels for blending. Wildflower's core range includes a Table Beer, the Gold Blend #1 and the Amber Blend #1. The Table Beer was inspired by the brewing culture Boehm experienced in France. "We would always have beer with lunch, and I love the idea of stopping during the day and having a table beer that is light and refreshing," he says. He is specifically fond of beers you can pair with food, and describes his gold and amber ales as white wine versus red wine for this purpose. "The most important thing for me is that people just enjoy the beer and don't over-analyse it," says Boehm. "I want the beer to be approachable and simple so it's just a nice brew to enjoy with friends and have a chat over without any pretension." The first Wildflower deliveries went out in mid-April, with venues including Automata, Bitter Phew and The Dolphin Hotel wine room, plus bottle shops including Oak Barrel, Bucket Boys and Paddington's Five Way Cellars, all snagging this batch. A few venues have already sold out, but if you missed out on this round, there will be more where that came from soon enough. Wildflower Brewing and Blending is located at 11-13 Brompton St, Marrickville. The tasting room will open to the public for Saturday tastings and takeaway in the near future, so keep an eye on their website for updates.
Thredbo is becoming so much more than a quick snow sojourn as an abundance of activities such as Clicquot in the Snow and the Smirnoff Snow Dome provide Thredboers with endless entertainment options both on and off the slopes. Adding to this calendar is the debutant Efterski Festival, a combination of music, everybody's favourite winter sports and an enormous amount of fun and frivolity. The work of Rekorderlig Cider and One Hit Wonder, it's set to take Thredbo Village by (snow)storm from Thursday, September 12, until Saturday, September 14. The music line-up is one not to be missed, with a mixture of live acts and DJ sets ready to turn up the volume at Thredbo and deliver tunes deep into the evening. Kele of Bloc Party fame will be headlining with his own DJ set. and he will be handsomely supported by a host of homegrown favourites, including Blue Mountains hip-hoppers Hermitude, Melburnian melody makers World's End Press, party favourites Alison Wonderland, rockers Bleeding Knees Club, club stalwarts Sosueme DJs and many more. It wouldn't be a Thredbo event without action on the snow, though, and there will be plenty of skiing and snowboarding throughout the festival. Daytime will see adventurous freeskiers competing in events including the Toyota One Hit Wonder Big Air event, the first big air event of the 2013/14 world tour calendar, and the Atomic Alpine Knockout, a team slalom event open to snow sport enthusiasts occuring on Friday September 11 and sporting a top prize of $10,000 (and an intangible amount of snow cred). If slalom isn't for you though then perhaps the Rhythm Skim Showdown on Saturday September 14 is. Free for all entrants dressed in their fancy dress finest, the aim of the game is to stay dry whilst getting from one side to the other. In all likelihood everybody will fall in for a swim, but what better way to welcome spring. Did I mention that there are cash and prizes for best outfit and best wipe-out? So make sure to don your best costume and be ready to fail the hardest, and when you step out of the pool you can head straight to the Alpine Hotel hot pools in the village to warm up again. Accomodation packages start from $165 so make sure to book if you decide to head down to Thredbo for an avalanche of fun. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eWyQ20nOWOs
Griffin Theatre Company has been showcasing beloved and boundary-pushing stage productions out of the SBW Stables Theatre for over 40 years. Since Dr Rodney Seaborn saved the theatre from demolition in the mid-80s, Griffin has called the Darlinghurst venue home, playing a pivotal role in Sydney's theatre scene ever since. Thanks to a landmark $5 million donation from The Nielson Foundation, the theatre company is set to purchase its longtime home from The Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation, providing Griffin with ongoing stability and support for the major renovations planned for the space. Following this revamp, which has been supported by a multimillion-dollar grant from the NSW Government, the SBW Stables Theatre will boast a 44-percent increase in capacity, full accessibility, improved dressing rooms and a new rehearsal space. "There have been many times over the last four decades that this mission has been threatened in some way or another... Be it funding cuts, threats of eviction, or just the general trials and tribulations of staging plays in a 100+ year old horse stables," Griffin Theatre Company Artistic Director Declan Greene said. "In this landmark moment in the company's history, the Neilson's have made it possible to hold this mission in perpetuity. This is an extraordinary gift to the current custodians of Griffin, and to our predecessors. But it is also a gift to the generations of playwrights and theatre artists who are yet to be nurtured and supported by a company that is, in so many ways, the theatre of first chances." [caption id="attachment_865110" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The SBW Theatre, Dr Seaborn and John Bell[/caption] Griffin has been central to the theatre and arts ecosystem in Australia across its 42 years. Actors including Cate Blanchett and Jacqueline McKenzie cut their teeth on the SBW Stables Theatre stage. Australia's most produced contemporary play Away by Michael Gow was first performed at the theatre. And, hit local films Lantana, The Boys, The Heartbreak Kid and Holding the Man were all based on productions by the company. Griffin Chair Bruce Meagher said: "The generosity of the Neilson's is truly extraordinary, with many arts companies benefiting from their support. It's hard to imagine another company where the impact of that support will be as profound as for Griffin." "After the turmoil and disruption of lockdowns and restrictions in the last few years, we believe that opportunities for connection and exploration are more important than ever," proclaimed the Nielson Foundation's Kerr Neilson. "Theatre allows people to explore new perspectives, stories and ideas in ways that digital media will never." If you want to head down to catch a performance at the SBW Stables Theatre, acclaimed playwright Dylan Van Den Berg is bringing the debut of his new work Whitefella Yella Tree to Griffin from Friday, August 19. The heartwrenching story tells the tale of a pair of Indigenous teenagers who meet and fall in love in the early 19th century just as their country is being invaded by white settlers. [caption id="attachment_865109" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Render of the SBW Stables Theatre revamp[/caption] The Griffin Theatre Company is based out of the SBW Stables Theatre at 10 Nimrod Street, Darlinghurst. Head to the theatre company's website to view all of its upcoming shows. Top image: Ken Leanfore
While some social distancing and public gathering rules are still in place across the country — and Melbourne it preparing to go into lockdown again — some festivals are starting to look to the less-restricted future. Falls Festival has announced it's powering ahead with plans for its New Year's festival and, today, Wednesday, July 8, Bluesfest has just announced the first 50 acts for its 2021 festival. The festival's biggest-ever first lineup announcement, it features many artists who were set to perform at the 2020 festival, which was cancelled — like many — because of COVID-19. Famed American singer and repeat Bluesfest offender Patti Smith and Her Band, as well as the multi Grammy Award-winning George Benson and British trip-hop band Morcheeba are all set to headline the fest once again. Some of the artists new to the lineup include Aussie icon and the human scream Jimmy Barnes, Justin Vernon-led American indie folk band Bon Iver and blues-rock quintet The Teskey Brothers. https://www.facebook.com/bluesfestbyronbay/photos/a.154558221251307/4356464721060615/?type=3&theater The festival is set to return to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm — just outside Byron Bay — for its usual Easter time slot, from Thursday, April 1 to Monday, April 5. This is dependent, however, on the continued relaxing of public gatherings restrictions. Under NSW's current laws, music festivals are prohibited. When the festival was cancelled earlier this year, it was the first time in 30 years it had not run, but the second year in a row it had come under threat. In 2019, the Festival Director threatened to move the festival to a spot outside of NSW because of the State Government's strict music festival licensing regime. Here's hoping it goes ahead — if save to do so — as planned in 2021, because tickets are already on sale. Time to start making Easter plans. Anyway, here's the full lineup (so far). BLUESFEST 2021 LINEUP Bon Iver Patti Smith and Her Band Jimmy Barnes George Benson The Teskey Brothers John Butler Xavier Rudd The Cat Empire Kool & The Gang The Gipsy Kings Kasey Chambers The Waifs Troy Cassar-Daley Michael Franti & Spearhead The Wailers Perform Songs from 'Legend' LP Morcheeba The Black Sorrows Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Tori Kelly Buffy Sainte-Marie The Marcus King Band Christone "Kingfish" Ingram Jimmie Vaughan John Mayall Melbourne Ska Orchestra Chain Larkin Poe Weddings. Parties. Anything Backsliders Harts Play Hendrix Ash Grunwald The Wars & Treaty Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles Walter Trout The Bamboos Mick Thomas' Roving Commission Dami Im Pierce Brothers Emily Wurramara Roshani Ray Beadle Henry Wagons Hussy Hicks Pacey, King & Doley Daniel Champagne Nathan Cavaleri Little Georgia Byron Busking Competitions & Winners + more to come Bluesfest 2021 will run Thursday, April 1–Monday, April 5 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.
Need to find your way from The House That Jack Built to Hotel California? Or maybe you got lost on the Highway to Hell trying to find Penny Lane? This is what the world would look like if you could build a city from your iTunes library. A map of song titles, made by the creative collective Dorothy, is more than worthy of hanging on your wall. Song Map
Despite what The Rolling Stones think, time really isn't on our side. The term 'work-life balance' is constantly thrown around, and juggling work, health, and happiness is no easy feat. Luckily for the share economy generation, life altering services are created everyday, cutting down time and costs on cooking, cleaning, travelling – you name it. Give your chores to your smart appliances and hit the beach instead; get your fresh, healthy meals delivered and say goodbye to the mess of a chef. We're bringing you the best time hacks out there, simplifying 'must-dos' to make so much more time for 'want-to-dos'. TIME DRAINER: COOKING HEALTHY DINNERS Let’s be honest — who wants to cook after working eight hours a day?! The struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle is real. Foodie geniuses, Youfoodz, have found a way to save time cooking, by not cooking. They deliver fresh, ready-to-eat meals to your door that are healthy, delicious and affordable. With no shopping, cooking or cleaning, this means you can save 15 hours a week and have more time for the things that really matter in life. TIME DRAINER: GOING TO THE GYM Heading to the gym is one of the healthier things you can do with your time, but it can take a little chunk out of your day (making you less likely to actually go). Save time on journeying to inner city gyms and just use the time you have between places to get a little workout in — walk briskly instead of bussing it and track your progress with wearables. From smartwatches created by Apple and Samsung to the Smart Belt that adjusts for you, the future of clothing is all tech-based. Concern for your health has never been so easy to manage with companies like Heddoko making performance tracking workout clothing and Misfit creating the Swaroviski's Shine — a solar-powered, bling version of the Fitbit. The ultimate in bracelet technology, though, is easily the Nixie — a wearable droid that is literally revolutionising the selfie. TIME DRAINER: CLEANING, ALL OF THE CLEANING If you're planning a party but don't have time to clean, no worries — your appliances have you covered in a . With iRobot's Roomba, vacuuming is one less chore to think about — and if you strap an iPod to it, behold the immortal DJ Roomba. The newest in home cleaning, LG's HomeChat allows you to essentially iMessage all of your smart technology. With their instant messenger app, you can tell your dishwasher to run for a second cycle or put that load of laundry on from your phone. Having a party is now stress free — even if someone breaks a glass. TIME DRAINER: DATING Conventional speed dating is such a foreign concept to tech savvy daters. Apart from the ever-popular Tinder and slightly more romantic Missed Connections, the online dating scene is continuing to get faster and easier (pun partially intended). Whether you're into GPS tracking your meetups on Happn or pre-planning your first date with How About We, your dating game can be done in a heartbeat, making it easier to meet Mr/Mrs. Right, or Mr./Mrs. Right Now. On the other hand, this service will make your breakups easier, quicker and more profitable. TIME DRAINER: BUYING PRESENTS With Christmas around the corner, who has time to deal with the holiday rush? While Amazon delivers discounted goods from eBooks to Doctor Who paraphernalia and everything in between, creative sites like Etsy, Hunting for George, Sorry Thanks I Love You and RedBalloon have you covered on unique gift-giving. If you're going for really fast and cheap, the free delivery schemes with The Iconic and Asos are go-tos. Whichever gift you're after, you can spend that extra time with your loved ones, instead of shopping for them. Otherwise, try Concrete Playground's ultimate gift guide. TIME DRAINER: GETTING ACROSS THE CITY Waiting in taxi lines is a thing of the past. With Uber now (almost, almost) legalised by NSW and (definitely) ACT, you'll be hard-pressed to find someone without a 'personal driver'. The rideshare economy hasn't stopped there — startups like Airtasker have plenty of people waiting to drive you across town for a minimal fee, and international projects like New York's Via takes shared rides to the true sense and offers a five dollar ride anywhere in Manhattan. European-based BlaBlaCar even pairs road trip partners by how chatty you are. The only way travelling could get easier and more convenient is if jetpack technology takes off and the dream of the '90s classic The Rocketeer is realised — or if someone calls Elon Musk. TIME DRAINER: GETTING READY IN THE MORNING There's no place like home, especially when your home is smarter than you are. Amazon Echo makes your entire wake-up routine easier and even makes Siri seem obsolete. The cloud-based system is voice responsive and will recite any request on command, from the weather and traffic conditions to sports news and music preferences. This is one step in many voice-activated home systems, leading all the way up to the world's first personal robot, Jibo. The closest thing to Wall-E out there, Jibo is positioned as a loveable, 'hands free helper'. The bot independently taking photos and videos, connects to all home appliances and interacts personally to each member of the family. TIME DRAINER: LIFE ADMIN Nothing sucks the fun out of the day like personal, life admin, and with most businesses open only during office hours, you could be stuck using your sickie for the bank instead of the beach. Luckily, errands are becoming increasing web-based – you've probably used things like CommBank's cardless cash and apps with cheque scanning technology. But even doing your taxes is no longer a bore, with services like Etax that reduce the process to minutes. Being able to avoid these chores is a modern luxury like no other. Massive time-saver Youfoodz is doing a special offer for CP readers. If you order by Wednesday for delivery this week, they'll throw in their new spinach and ricotta tortellini for free. Yep, free food. Head over to Youfoodz and order your next meal. Images: Youfoodz, Dollar Photo Club, Fitbit.
You know that feeling of unsurpassed joy you experience when you are eating at a restaurant and you see the waiter approaching your table with your dish? Good Food Month is that feeling. Spread out over a whole month. Spanning all October, Good Food Month celebrates the joy of food over many diverse platforms — ranging from markets to workshops, talks, tastings and completely unusual, unexpected, food-skewed events. It's also the time when restaurants that we probably couldn't afford open their doors with breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert specials. This year, Good Food month will feature Israeli food maestro Yotam Ottolenghi, who'll be doing an exclusive dinner, lunch and talk. The list of things to see (and, most importantly, eat) feels endless, so, as usual, we've handpicked the ten best events that you cannot miss if the thought of food makes you feel giddy with excitement. Night Noodle Markets You know it's Good Food Month when Hyde Park is transformed into a fairy-lit backyard, dotted with stalls featuring the best Asian food that Sydney has to offer. This year, there will be 50 stalls showcasing these goodies, including the likes of China Republic, Harajuku Gyoza and popular Melbourne eatery Wonderbao, alongside old favourites such as Mamak, Longrain and Din Tai Fung. For the first time in its 16-year operation, the Night Noodle Markets will be operating on Sunday evenings as well. If you're hankering for Asian street food but can't bear the Noodle Market crush, try China Town's Asia on Your Doorstep Festival, which will feature an authentic-as-can-be Little Eat Street on October 25. October 10 – 26, Hyde Park North. Hours: Mon – Tue 5pm – 9pm, Wed 5pm – 10pm, Thu - Fri 5pm – 11pm, Saturday 4pm - 10pm, Sunday 4pm – 9pm. Free entry. Momofuku Ssäm Bar 2007 By now, everyone should know what the big deal is with superstar chef David Chang. To those unfamiliar, only two words are necessary: pork buns. We in Sydney have had a chance to experience Chang's Momofuku empire thanks to Momofuku Seiobo opening a while back, but the rest of his restaurants overseas sadly still evade us. Now Momofuku Seiobo is stepping back in time to bring us a taste of New York's Momofuku Ssäm Bar's 2007 menu, some of which is now iconic — like Chang's signature pork belly buns with hoisin, cucumber and spring onions. Best of all, you won't have to fight for a reservation, just for a spot in the queue; no bookings are being taken for Ssäm Bar 2007. All dishes are $10-40, and you get a Tanqueray G&T on arrival. October 13-18, 6.30pm - 10pm, at Momofuku Seiobo, Level G, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street. Journey to the Forbidden Kingdom What little we know about North Korea ranges from the surprising to the downright bizarre. Something that we know even less about is North Korean fare. The chefs at one of our faves, Kim Restaurant in Potts Point, will open those doors for us, giving us a peek into the cuisine styles of a land not many people get to visit. October 10, 5 - 10pm, at Kim Restaurant, 7/24-30 Springfield Avenue, via Llankelly Place, Potts Point. $80pp for a five-course banquet matched to Korean spirits. Reservations kimrestaurant7@gmail.com Foraged Feast at Hill Eatery Bondi Beach institution Hill Eatery is dedicated to creating the freshest meals from local produce. It is fitting that their contribution to Good Food Month encompasses this passion: guests are invited to forage for their food around Bondi's beach parks and backyards, before the chefs transform it into a delicious and hearty meal. Forage Feast is $98pp for a three-course meal including wine and beer. While you eat, the chefs will explain where ingredients were sourced and the inspiration behind each dish. October 30, 7pm – 11.30pm at Hill Eatery, 5/39 Campbell Parade North Bondi. Reservations info@thehilleatery.com.au. Foraged Feast is a part of the Down to Earth program of events. Asia Town street food festival The best (worst?) thing about Good Food Month is that we're almost too spoiled for choice when it comes to picking out the best experience for our tastebuds, making it all the harder. Asia Town fixes this dilemma for you, bringing some of Australia's best chefs to a giant one-off marketplace of tastings, drinks, music and demonstrations. Dishes will be prepared by chefs like founder of Sailers' Thai David Thompson; the man behind Ms G's, Dan Hong; founder of Red Lantern, Luke Nguyen; and Chui Lee Luk, who opened Surry Hills' Chow Bar and Eating House last year. Oh, and not to forget the talented folk from Sokyo, Golden Century, Moon Park, Cho Cho San, and Melburnian restaurants Kong and Chin Chin. That's, like, everyone. This is one of the rare times we recommend going to the Star. Sunday, October 19, from noon - 8pm, at Star Terrace, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont. $125pp, including tastings, drinks and demonstration sessions. Book at the Good Food Month website. Halloween Harajuku Pop Up Bar at Sake For the dressed-up characters walking the streets of Tokyo's famed district of Harajuku, practically every day is Halloween. Now, we can have our own little twist on Japanese style, with Sake Restaurant and Bar resurrecting their Harajuku-themed pop-up bar for Halloween — which means you get to dress up too. There will be themed cocktails and izakaya-style canapes, including skewers, grilled fish, sashimi salad, sushi rolls and — wait for it — deep-fried cheeseburger gyozas. Chill with some spooky tunes thanks to Sake's DJs and you've got a seriously good night sorted. October 31, 7pm – 12am, at Sake Restaurant and Bar, 12 Argyle Street, The Rocks. $45pp including three cocktails and matching canapes. Reservations reservations@sakerestaurant.com.au. The Growers' Market, Pyrmont Heading to the markets could possibly be one of the nicest ways to spend a day: wandering through mazes of stalls, consuming the sly tester and, in the case of the Growers' Market, enjoying a wonderful view. During its 16 years in operation, the Growers' Market Pyrmont has become one of Sydney's most loved morning markets. As the title suggests, the Growers' Market is all about fresh produce, with 70 stalls presenting freshly harvested food in the shape of cheese, meats, fruit and veggies. The Growers' Market runs on the first Saturday of each month; however, during Good Food Month it will also include cooking demonstrations from Australian food personalities and a fine-food sausage sizzle as a nod to the 'Barbecue Madness' segment of Good Food Month. October 4, 7am - noon, at Pyrmont Bay Park, Pirrama Road. Free. Omnivore The Omnivore world tour is a determined shift away from stuffy exclusive restaurants and close-minded chefs. Adopting the title 'la jeune cuisine' (young chefs, new ideas) the Omnivore movement is based in Paris and unites chefs from all over the world. The Australian four-day event will feature masterclasses, dinners and an 'Omnivorous Party' on October 4, the latter including bouchees pastries, music and drinks with a backdrop of the harbour. Hear, learn from, dine with and eat the food of chefs from eateries such as Nomad, Pinbone, The Bentley and Papi Chulo. October 2-5. Masterclasses $45 half day/$80 full day), Omnivorious party $45. Reservations via the Omnivore website. Sip & Savour: A Craft Beer Experience Beer and cider lovers, rejoice. As part of Sydney Craft Beer Week, festival-within-a-festival Sip & Savour are promising two full days of tastings, dining and entertainment, featuring over 250 brews and cider. Some of our most loved Australian microbreweries — including Young Henrys, Six String and Hawthorn Brewing Company — will be pouring throughout the weekend. For those looking for a bit of Beer 101, there's also going to be seminars and workshops teaching you how to start your own brewery and how to successfully match beer with food. But don't conk out too early. Live music acts including 2011 Triple J Unearthed winner Husky, local indie-rock five-piece Castlecomer, electronic indie-pop songstress Lupa J and young singer-songwriter Gordi will be providing tunes all Sunday night. October 25 from 11.30am - 1pm) and October 26 from noon - 6pm at Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh. Prices vary from $44 - $78. Book tickets at the Sip & Savour website. StreetFest Food Trucks United Food trucks tick all the right boxes — cheap, fulfilling, fast and guaranteed to be made fresh on the spot — so it's a wonder why they aren't more easily seen around town. One popular solution to that is Streetfest Food Trucks United, which is returning to fill the void now that long summer nights are on their way. Vendors like Cantina Mobil, Eat Art Truck and a crowd of others will fill the space of Belmore Park, along with stages for live art, music and some fun entertainment like rap-battles and street performances. October 10, 5pm - 10pm, at Pyrmont Bay Park, Pirrama Road. Pyrmont. Free entry. By the Concrete Playground team.
On the big screen since late June, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic has already proven one for the money, and currently sits among the top ten box-office drawcards for 2022 so far. But if you've already seen it in cinemas and you're keen for a repeat date with Austin Butler as the king of rock 'n' roll, you can now get all shook up from your couch — yes, Elvis is the latest high-profile flick to release on digital while it's still showing in movie theatres. As always, the silver screen is the best possible setting for Luhrmann's step back into Presley's life. Butler's swinging hips and slicked-back pompadour deserve to be projected onto the largest surface possible. The film's unsurprisingly enormous playlist of tunes sounds a treat echoing out of cinema speakers, too. Still, giving audiences more choice when it comes to how, where and when they see movies — and catering for everyone who hasn't been able to make it to a big-screen showing so far — is always a great thing. Elvis follows in some pretty hefty footsteps this year alone, with everything from Dune, The Matrix Resurrections and Spencer through to West Side Story, Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent doing the same thing. Yes, fast-tracking from the big to the small screen is that common. That doesn't make Elvis entering the building — your building — any less welcome. Thank you, thank you very much indeed. If you've somehow missed everything to do with Luhrmann's film, it sees Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Dead Don't Die actor Butler slip into Presley's blue suede shoes to play the music icon from his teenage years through to his death — covering everything from the singer's days on the carnival circus through to his Las Vegas residency. Fame, love, scandal, Graceland, drugs, stress, all those songs: yes, they're all included. Shot in Australia, Elvis also stars Tom Hanks (News of the World) as Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker, alongside a wealth of local talent — including Olivia DeJonge (The Staircase) as Priscilla, Richard Roxburgh (Fires) as Presley's father Vernon, Oscar-nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) as singer Jimmie Rodgers and David Wenham (The Furnace) as country artist Hank Snow. Charting its namesake's rise not just to popularity, but to icon status; exploring the role that manager Parker played in that journey; showing the toll that such a life took, and what it says about America and pop culture: that's all in the movie's remit as well. That and some phenomenal live performance scenes that'll test out your home speakers. Check out the trailer for Elvis below: Elvis is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review.
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? At Sydney Film Festival's 2024 closing night, that'll be the question of the evening. The query sits at the heart of The Substance, which premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, got the movie world talking instantly and now has a date with the Harbour City on Sunday, June 16 to wrap up SFF with a dose of body horror. If you've being seeing Demi Moore's name pop up a heap lately and were wondering why, this film is the reason. After recently adding Feud, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please and Brave New World to her resume, the actor leads The Substance as celebrity Elizabeth Sparkle. When the character uses a black-market drug in an effort to cling on to her image and fame, it creates a younger version. "More beautiful" and "more perfect" is also how the first official clip from the film describes the temporary clone. If everything went swimmingly, however, there wouldn't be much of a movie. The Substance is also the long-awaited second feature from writer/director Coralie Fargeat, who made a spectacular debut with 2017's Revenge, and just picked up the Best Screenplay award on the Croisette for her sophomore effort. And, alongside Moore, Margaret Qualley (Drive-Away Dolls) and Dennis Quaid (Lawman: Bass Reeves) also star. "We are thrilled to close this year's Sydney Film Festival with the Australian Premiere of The Substance. Coralie Fargeat's film, featuring an outstanding performance by Demi Moore, promises to leave a lasting impression," said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. While the festival announced its full lineup in early May, the event always keeps adding to the program afterwards. Elvis' Austin Butler also joined the bill, coming to Sydney for a screening of his new film The Bikeriders. Plus, normally before the fest kicks off, it reveals a few more straight-from-Cannes titles. Accordingly, keep watching this space. Check out the teaser trailer for The Substance below: Sydney Film Festival 2024 takes place from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website.
With over 7000 stores to its name worldwide, Wendy's is one of the world's biggest and most recognisable burger chains. While a majority of its outposts are scattered across the United States, the chain also has over 1000 international locations in countries like New Zealand, Canada and the UK. Now, the American burger chain may be landing down under in the near future. Australian franchise consulting firm DC Strategy announced that it is working with the burger brand to help develop a strategy to bring its famous square hamburgers to Australia and open franchises throughout the country. "The Wendy's Company is looking for world-class, experienced franchise partners with strong operations experience and a proven track record for growing brands in Australia," a statement on DC Strategy's website says. [caption id="attachment_811853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] PRNewsfoto/The Wendy's Company[/caption] The consulting firm is now taking applications for individuals interested in becoming an Australian Wendy's franchisee. The first Wendy's was opened by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969. It quickly grew due to the popularity of its burgers and iconic Frostys, growing to over 1000 restaurants in its first nine years of operations. Wendy's would join a new wave of American franchises that have recently arrived in Australia, including Taco Bell, Mark Wahlberg's Wahlburgers and Five Guys. [caption id="attachment_869874" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sharon Hahn Darlin[/caption] DC Strategy is now taking applications for Wendy's franchisees in Australia. More to come.
When a new year starts, so does a whole new lineup of movies reaching the big screen, including at Moonlight Cinema. This summertime tradition may screen a heap of flicks that debuted a few months back, and classic titles as well, but its program is also filled with fresh releases. Take its just-announced January bill, for instance, which includes preview screenings of five big newcomers before they hit general release. Those titles: Steven Spielberg's coming-of-age filmmaking ode The Fabelmans, Guy Ritchie's latest Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, the Margot Robbie-starring jazz age Hollywood-set Babylon, British rom-com What's Love Got To Do With It and Brendan Fraser-led awards contender The Whale. The January lineup comes after Moonlight cinema revealed its December programming back in November, and also started its 2022–23 season. As always, one piece of advice bears repeating: pack your picnic basket and get ready to watch a heap of flicks under the summer evening sky. While the outdoor cinema runs until different dates in different parts of the country — till mid-February in Brisbane and Adelaide, and the end of March in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth — this latest announcement focuses on its January films. So if you're keen to catch a movie under the stars over the break, take note. Other highlights include James Cameron's 13-years-in-the-making sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody and Irish comedy The Banshees of Inisherin, as well as recent hits The Menu, Top Gun: Maverick and Ticket to Paradise. The exact roster varies per city, but the national retro programming includes Twilight, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Princess Diaries, Con Air, Magic Mike and the OG Top Gun. So, that's sparkly vampires, 90s rom-coms, royal hijinks, Nicolas Cage, barely clad men and a need for speed taken care of. Nosh-wise, Moonlight Cinema is letting you bring BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can also enjoy a plethora of bites to eat from food trucks — perfect, messy treats made for reclining on bean beds. There's also a VIP section for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, a beauty cart handing out samples, and dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — and there's even special doggo bean beds, and a snack menu for pooches. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2022–23 DATES Brisbane: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, February 19 in Roma Street Parkland Sydney: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, March 26 in Centennial Park Perth: Friday, November 25–Sunday, March 26 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Adelaide: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, February 19 in Botanic Park Melbourne: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, March 26 in Royal Botanic Gardens Moonlight Cinema runs through until March 2023, with dates varying per city. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with further program details when they're announced.
Last time I went down to Wollongong the driver announced that the last carriage of the train would be a quiet zone. No loud conversations, no chatting on the phone, no music without headphones. This was followed by a loud, automated announcement saying the same thing again, but louder. While a quiet carriage would have to be pretty appealing for the weary reader struggling to beat Game of Thrones to the end of voluminous original A Storm of Swords, you also have to wonder what else you could mandate the end of a train carriage be used for, if only the power was at your command. In places like India and Japan, there are women-only carriages (and there were some calls for that here not long ago) and in Sydney, a group is already taking this idea into its own hands with on-train, flash mob-style music sessions. In the Czech Republic, though, they’re putting space aside for flirting. According to the ABC, commuters in Prague will soon have the option of riding in a dedicated singles carriage. Flirting on the subway in Prague is nothing new — the Prague Frommers guide even has a dedicated guide to the best lines for kissing on — but a dedicated hooking-up space still makes for a first. The planned carriage is part of a drive to convince more locals to abandon their cars for public transport. People whose hooking up is already done won't be asked to leave, nor forced do sit-ups, but it does raise the prospect of Ashley Madison-ing some already committed commuters. Or maybe making for some really awkward rides with home with colleagues during those crowded peak hours. Via ABC / Reuters. Image by Brad Hammonds.
Telstra announced some pretty exciting news yesterday. As part of their $100 million, five-year Wi-Fi Nation plan, the telecommunication giants are transforming 1000 of Australia's shitty old phone boxes from disgusting petri dishes of technological obsoleteness into actually useful free Wi-Fi hotspots. From November 1, you can log onto this glorious free internet while cruising through any of our nation's major cities. If you're a tourist or a cheapskate who's maxed out your iPhone data, it's time to rejoice. For everyone else, you might like to take a better look at the issue first. First off, this isn't a permanent thing. Telstra's gift of free lolcats and Facebooking will only last until the end of the year; after that, those who aren't Telstra fixed-line customers will have to buy passes to access the service. Though a similar phone box system has been implemented in New York and London, Australia's will be the only one that isn't free for all. It's hard to imagine who's going to be paying for Wi-Fi while sitting on the street, when it's cheaper to just go get a coffee and awkwardly ask the barista for the cafe's Wi-Fi password. As long-time supporters of public wi-fi, this is hard for us to write. Seeking to install two million hotspots around the country, the full Wi-Fi Nation plan is exciting; it's everything we've wanted! But with restrictions and mandatory costs in place, it looks a lot more like a giant PR push than something actually useful in the real world. Where broader municipal Wi-Fi networks try to build the economy by giving everyone equal access online, Telstra hotspots attempt to convert you to Telstra. Anything else is just a bonus, really. Of course, city-wide free Wi-Fi is the dream. State governments in both New South Wales and Victoria have been flirting with the idea for years now, but the only city to get it together has been Perth. Launching last year, Perth's blanket free Wi-Fi covers the entire CBD and cost $300,000 to implement. Not too shabby. After dumping plans in 2008, it was reported that Melbourne was to trial a similar program this year, but the news has been disappointingly sparse. Sydney's hopes were also dashed in 2008, though the City of Sydney are currently investigating the introduction of Wi-Fi into the city's parks and public squares. Alternatively, Brisbane are doing pretty well. Brisbane City Council currently offer free internet access in many parks, malls and areas of the CBD. It's safe to assume not many people will be paying Telstra to jump on a hotspot in Brisbane if they can surf for free while they shop. Importantly, all of these free networks are government initiatives. Internet access is, after all, a human right. So, will our governments now be less inclined to fight for a larger system if it seems as though payphones have the problem sorted? They definitely have one less commercial telco to partner with. When Sydney were considering free Wi-Fi in 2008, Telstra were the first to cast doubt anyway. "There's no such thing as a free lunch anymore so it will be interesting to see how it is proposed to be paid for," a decidedly catty spokesperson told SMH. Now, the City of New York hope to make $17.5 million in digital advertising from their phonebooth project. Times have changed. For all its other problems, even Tel Aviv has a better system than us. So, let's just live it up while we can. This two months of free internet will be great. After that, make sure to be nice to your baristas. Photo credit: Indigo Skies Photography via photopin cc.
It was already apparent from afar, which is where Australians watched all things SXSW from before 2023. Now that the tech, innovation, screen, music, games and culture festival has expanded Down Under, it's even more evident: this is one enormous event. How big? The inaugural SXSW Sydney spanned more than 700 speakers and talents, covered in excess of 300 sessions and hosted over 300 gigs across 25 venues. 2024's follow-up might just top those numbers, announcing another 500-plus additions to a lineup that even now hasn't revealed a third of the full program yet. This is the second round of speakers and sessions named for SXSW Sydney 2024 so far, after this year's first lineup details were revealed back in May (and after it was announced in late 2023 that the event would return for a second year, too). Like the initial program drop ahead of the fest's seven-day run between Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20, this one features a bit of everything. On the list: folks who'll be getting talking, additions to the music roster, flicks that'll be hitting the big screen and studios that'll be showcasing their games, for starters. That aforementioned 500-plus figure includes speakers, screenings, artists, workshops, games and experiences, meaning that there's already a reason on the program for everyone to head along. At the SXSW Sydney Conference, benefiting from the response to the fest's Session Selects — where the public both submits and then votes on what they'd to see at SXSW — additions among the topics range from advances in medicine, how biotech will change our lives, and the threat of deepfakes and fake news through to odd spots in the cosmos, the power of dressing, trend analysis and companion robots. If you're interested in learning more about how tech can make a social impact, milk, AI and intimacy, neurotechnology, smart cities and constantly being watched, that's all on the bill as well. So is a session on brand trust with Bunnings Managing Director Mike Schneider (but there's no word yet if there'll be a sausage sizzle involved). For those keen on hitting as many gigs as possible, the SXSW Sydney Music Festival has added 60-plus artists. Accordingly, when you're not catching Voice of Baceprot, the first Indonesian band to take to the stage at Glastonbury, you can check out artists from Australia, Colombia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and the UK — such as Phoebe Rings, I'mdifficult, Clara Benin, The Grogans, JESHI, The Buoys, Mincy, RINSE, Mulga Bore Hard Rock, ixaras and Death of Heather. Screen obsessives who also love tunes, or vice versa, can look forward to the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival playing a heap of music-related films. Documentary The Most Australian Band Ever! about the Hard-Ons sits on the lineup alongside S/He Is Still Her/e: The Official Genesis P-Orridge, which is executive produced by Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace — and also Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara, about thrash metal in the Māori language. The fest will also show music videos, such as 'U Should Not Be Doing That' from Amyl and The Sniffers, 'See You Tomorrow' from BAD // DREEMS and 'Settle Petal' from The Buoys. Or, if you're eager to get nostalgic and maybe crave a slice or several with your SXSW movie date, there's Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts. The latest documentary from Barbecue and We Don't Deserve Dogs' Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker, who are no strangers to SXSW in Austin, it sees the Australian-born, Brooklyn-based duo explore the US today through former Pizza Hut buildings. At the SXSW Sydney Games Festival, studios from 16 different countries are now on the program — and, beginning with HORSES, Wild Bastards and Fishbowl, so is half of the Games Festival Showcase. Also, the Games Investment Forum will include Raw Fury, Null Games, Team17, Whitethorn Games, Playside Publishing, Critical Reflex, Astra Logical Games, Landfall Games, PQube, Headup Games, UltraPlayers, Fellow Traveller and WINGS Interactive among its publishers and funding bodies. Given that the 2024 program already boasts Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg, TikTok marketing head Sofia Hernandez, Heartbreak High star Ayesha Madon, human rights lawyer and barrister Jennifer Robinson, cricketer David Warner, Mortal Kombat director Simon McQuoid, Def Jam-signed Australian talent SAHXL, a game about turning fruit into your own menu and a short film about a housewife trying to get a free pizza, plus plenty more, it's worth saying it again: SXSW is massive, including in Sydney. If you missed it, 2023's inaugural SXSW Sydney welcomed everyone from Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker and Chance The Rapper to Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb and Nicole Kidman to its stages. In the process, and via not just its talks but also its concerts, films, TV shows and games as, it notched up 287,014 attendances from 97,462 unique attendees. Those figures came from 34,975 total tickets, with folks from 41 countries heading along to 1178 sessions. SXSW Sydney 2024 will run from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Images: Jami Joy, Ian Laidlaw, Jess Gleeson, Katje Ford and Paul McMillan.
A quarter-million people have signed a petition calling for the NSW Government to reverse its decision to allow a horse race to be advertised on the sails of the Sydney Opera House. Premier Gladys Berejiklian told the arts institution that its sails must be lit up with colours, numbers and a trophy to promote the upcoming $13 million Everest horse race — the world's richest race on turf — after a controversial 2BG radio interview between Opera House CEO Louise Herron, Racing NSW CEO Peter V'landys and radio presenter Alan Jones. During the interview, Herron rejected plans to use the World Heritage-listed building to promote the race, saying "it's not a billboard". While she had agreed to V'landys' request of projecting jockeys' colours on the sales, Herron said they would not "put text or videos of horses running or horses' numbers of names or the Everest logo on the Opera House". Jones responded by calling for Herron's resignation, saying that he could be "speaking to Gladys Berejiklian". While Herron did not lose her job, her decision to not project the Everest advertising was overturned by Ms Berejiklian later that day. Concerns have been raised by both Herron and the National Trust that this decision could be in breach of the Heritage Act, and could possibly jeopardise the iconic building's heritage status. It also sets a dangerous precedent for other brands to pay — or pressure the government into allowing — advertising on the Opera House. This morning, Ms Berejiklian did not show up to accept the Change.org petition after being invited to do so by Change.org Executive Director Sally Rugg and Mike Woodcock, who started the petition. Instead the petition was accepted by NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong, who said she would deliver it to Ms Berejiklian. At this stage, the promotional light projection will still be going ahead at 8pm tonight, but a light-based protest — dubbed, Defend the Sydney Opera House — has also been organised. It is expected to see over 3000 protesters using torches and camera lights to disrupt the projection. The event organiser has suggested against the use of drones and laser pointers. We'll update if any changes are made during the day. Images: Cole Bennetts
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. ETERNALS It's the only Marvel movie by an Oscar-winning director. Focusing on a superhero squad isn't new, even if everyone here is a Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomer, but it's the lone instalment in the franchise that's about a team led by women of colour. It's home to the MCU's only caped crusader who is deaf, and its first openly gay superhero — and it doesn't just mention his sexuality, but also shows his relationship. It happens to be the first Marvel flick with a sex scene, too. Eternals is also the only film in the hefty saga with a title describing how long the series will probably continue. And, it's the sole MCU entry that features two ex-Game of Thrones stars — Kit Harington and Richard Madden, two of the show's Winterfell-dwelling brothers — and tasks them both with loving a woman called Sersi. (The name isn't spelled the same way, but it'll still recalls Westeros.) When you're 26 movies into a franchise, as the MCU now is, each new film is a case of spotting differences. All the above traits aid Eternals in standing out, especially the empathetic, naturalistic touch that Chloé Zhao brings to her first blockbuster (and first film since Nomadland and its historic Academy Award wins). There's a sense of beauty and weight rippling through almost every frame, as well as an appreciation for life's struggles. Its namesakes are immortal aliens sent to earth 7000 years ago to battle intergalactic beasts, and yet Eternals shows more affinity for everyday folks who don't don spandex or have superpowers than any Marvel flick yet. It's also largely gorgeous, due to its use of location shoots rather than constantly stacking CGI on CGI. But everything that sets the film apart from the rest of Marvel's saga remains perched atop a familiar formula. Perhaps that's fitting; thematically, Eternals spends much of its lengthy 157 minutes contemplating set roles and expectations, and whether anyone can ever truly break free of either. Spying an overt statement in these parallels — between the movie's general adherence to the MCU template and the ideas bubbling within it — might be a little generous, though. Of late, Marvel likes giving its new instalments their own packaging, while keeping many of the same gears whirring inside. That's part of the comic book company-turned-filmmaking behemoth's current pattern, in fact. Still, even after Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals finds its own niche. It both intrigues and entertains, and it's ambitious — and it's often more than the sum of all those MCU firsts and onlys it's claimed. As opening text explains, Eternals' central group were dispatched by a Celestial — a space god, really — called Arishem. With the monstrous Deviants, another alien race, wreaking havoc, the Eternals were tasked with fighting the good fight — and were forbidden to interfere otherwise, which is why they've been absent in the last 25 movies. But now, a new Deviant attacks Sersi (Gemma Chan, Raya and the Last Dragon), her human boyfriend Dane Whitman (Harington) and fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh, The Lodge). That gets the gang back together swiftly, including the flying, laser-eyed Ikaris (Madden), the maternal Ajak (Salma Hayek, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard), Bollywood star Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, The Lovebirds), the super-strong Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), warrior Thena (Angelia Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead), the super-speedy Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), tech wiz Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong) and the mind-manipulating Druig (Barry Keoghan, The Green Knight). Read our full review. THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK So much about The Many Saints of Newark is a matter of when, not if: when familiar characters will show up looking younger, when well-known New Jersey locations will be sighted and when someone will eat ziti. This all occurs because it must; it wouldn't be a prequel to The Sopranos otherwise. Servicing fans is a key reason the movie exists, and it's far more resonant if you've already spent 86 episodes with Tony Soprano and his mafia and blood families while watching one of the best TV shows ever made. This is a film with a potent air of inevitability, clearly. Thankfully, that feeling reaches beyond all the obligatory nods and winks. That some things are unavoidable — that giving people what they want doesn't always turn out as planned, and that constantly seeking more will never fix all of life's woes, too — pulsates through this origin story like a thumping bass line. And yes, on that topic, Alabama 3's 'Woke Up This Morning' obviously gets a spin. Penned by The Sopranos' creator David Chase and series alum Lawrence Konner, and helmed by veteran show director Alan Taylor, The Many Saints of Newark doesn't merely preach to existing devotees, even if they're the film's main audience. Marking the last of the big three 00s-era prestige US cable dramas to earn a movie spinoff — following El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and Deadwood: The Movie — the feature is aware of its own genesis and of gangster genre staples in tandem. Casting Ray Liotta, who'll forever be associated with Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, was always going to show that. Travelling back to the 70s, when The Godfather franchise electrified cinema, does also. Indeed, The Many Saints of Newark plays like a hybrid of pop culture's three most influential and essential mob stories. A bold move, it also explains what works and what falters in a film that's powerful and engaging but firmly baked in a well-used oven. The first detail that Sopranos fans should've picked up when this flick first got a title: in Italian, many saints translates as moltisanti. While The Many Saints of Newark spends time with young Tony as a pre-teen in the late 60s (played by feature first-timer William Ludwig) and a teen in the early 70s (when The Deuce's Michael Gandolfini, son of the late, great James Gandolfini, steps into the character's shoes), its protagonist is Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense). He's seen as an uncle and mentor by Tony, who'll eventually hold the same roles for Dickie's son. The Sopranos mainstay Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli, One Night in Miami) turns narrator here, in fact, offering knowing voiceover that occasionally channels the show's dark humour — calling out Christopher's death at Tony's hands, for instance. Dickie was recalled with reverence in the series, yet threw a shadow over Tony's middle-aged mob-boss malaise — as seen in his duck obsession, panic attacks and reluctant chats with a psychiatrist. Here, Dickie falls into a similar pattern with his dad 'Hollywood' Dick (Liotta, No Sudden Move), who returns from Italy to subject his new, much-younger bride Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi, The Rats) to domestic violence. One of The Many Saints of Newark's finest traits is its layering, honing in on cycles that keep echoing through generations as it examines Dickie's role in turning Tony into the man viewers watched from 1999–2007. Its greatest stroke of casting plays with the same notion as well, and the younger Gandolfini is a soulful yet primal revelation. To call his performance lived-in is the epitome of an understatement, and it's never a gimmick. Read our full review. JULIA Call it the SNL effect: in two of their past three films, Julie Cohen and Betsy West have celebrated pioneering women who've been parodied on Saturday Night Live. They've referenced those famous skits in RBG and now Julia, in fact, including their subjects' reactions; Ruth Bader Ginsburg was seen howling with laughter when she first saw Kate McKinnon slip into her robes, and Julia Child reportedly played Dan Aykroyd's blood-soaked 1978 impersonation to friends at parties. Cohen and West clearly aren't basing their documentaries on their own sketch-comedy viewing, though. Instead, they've been eagerly unpacking exactly why a US Supreme Court Justice and a French cuisine-loving TV chef made such a strong impact, and not only in their own fields. Julia makes an exceptional companion piece with the Oscar-nominated RBG, unsurprisingly; call it a great doco double helping. Julia arrives nearly two decades after its namesake's passing, and 12 years since Meryl Streep earned an Oscar nomination for mimicking Julia in Julie & Julia. If you've seen the latter but still wondered why Julie Powell (played by The Woman in the Window's Amy Adams) was so determined to work her way through Julia's most famous cookbook — first published in 1961, Mastering the Art of French Cooking completely changed America's perception of printed recipe collections — let this easy-to-consume doco fill in the gaps when it comes to the culinary wiz's mastery and achievements. Let it spark two instinctual, inescapable and overwhelming reactions, too: hunger, due to all the clips of Julia cooking and other lingering shots of food; and inspiration, because wanting to whip up the same dishes afterwards is equally understandable. In their second film of 2021 — after My Name Is Pauli Murray, another portrait of a woman thoroughly deserving the spotlight — Cohen and West take a chronological approach to Julia's life. The two filmmakers like borrowing cues from their subjects, so here they go with a classic recipe that's been given slight tweaks, but always appreciates that magic can be made if you pair a tried-and-tested formula with outstanding technique. Julia's entire cooking career, including her leap to television in her 50s, stirred up the same idea. Her take on French dining was all about making delectable meals by sticking to the right steps, even while using supermarket-variety ingredients, after all. Julia boasts a delightful serving of archival footage, as well as lingering new food porn-esque sequences that double as how-tos (as deliciously lensed by cinematographer and fellow RBG alum Claudia Raschke), but it still embodies the same ethos. Born to a well-off Pasadena family in 1912, Julia's early relationship with food is painted as functional: the household's cooks prepared the meals, and wanting to step into the kitchen herself was hardly a dream. In pre-World War II America, the expectation was that she'd simply marry and become a housewife, however, but a hunger for more out of life first took her to the Office of Strategic Services — the US organisation that gave way to the CIA — and overseas postings. While stationed in the Far East, she met State Department official Paul Child. After a berth in China, he was sent to France, where the acclaimed Cordon Bleu culinary school eventually beckoned for Julia. From there, she started her own cooking classes in Paris, co-penned the book that made her famous, turned a TV interview into a pitch for her own show and became an icon. Read our full review. RED NOTICE When Interpol hunts down the world's most wanted international criminals, it issues red notices — and for anyone who isn't already aware of that fact, Red Notice starts by spelling out the details. If the film world circulated the same kinds of warnings about bland, cliched, charmless and tedious movies, this Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot-starring supposed action-comedy would earn several. That it bears far too much in common at times with two of its stars' most recent features — Johnson's likeable-enough Jungle Cruise and Reynolds' excruciatingly terrible The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard — says plenty about this by-the-numbers affair. If only they were the sole instances that it conjured up other movies; Reynolds does a Borat impression, whistles the Indiana Jones tune and verbally references Jurassic Park, and it's all as dated as it sounds. Also tired and trying: Reynolds' performance in general, which is permanently stuck on the same kind of schtick at the heart of both Deadpool and Free Guy. This time, however, he's playing the globe's second-best art thief — and his character, Nolan Booth, desperately wants the top spot. But a couple of people stand in his way, which is where Red Notice's other big names come in. Firstly, FBI profiler John Hartley (Johnson) interrupts Booth's latest heist, which involves tracking down three golden eggs that were once owned by Cleopatra (the third of which has never been found before). Secondly, the planet's number one art thief, The Bishop (Gadot, Wonder Woman 1984), is on the same hunt for the same $30 million payday. She's also constantly one step ahead of not just her professional competitor, but also the man pursuing both criminals. Red Notice plays like the result of watching 80s and 90s hits, its three leads' filmographies and the National Treasure flicks, then throwing their basic ideas into a blender and pouring the jumbled mess onto the screen. It's Netflix's most expensive movie yet, and it's also shiny-coated garbage. That its opening scene involves a decoy egg doused in Coca-Cola to reveal an empty shell inside is far more telling than it's meant to be. Also landing with a thud: a dance between Hartley and The Bishop at an Eyes Wide Shut-styled party that's supposed to herald this as the next True Lies, but just makes viewers wish they were watching that instead. That's the thing with shovelling in reference after reference instead of penning a decent and coherent script, even when around half of those winks are done with writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber's (Central Intelligence, Skyscraper) tongue firmly in his cheek: constantly calling attention to better movies but failing to live up to them is like punching yourself the face. They're three of the highest-profile names in blockbuster cinema, but Johnson, Reynolds and Gadot all sleepwalk through their parts here — not that the screenplay asks much more. Not a single gag lands, either, and neither does any tension, chemistry, timing or reason to care about its lead trio, their characters' globe-hopping quest and all the chaos they leave in their wake. Of course Nazis are involved, even though it's now 2021 and not 1981 when Raiders of the Lost Ark did the exact same thing. Of course the whole film looks like the dullest kind of CGI onslaught, with green screens standing in for Rome, Russia, London, Egypt and more. Of course it also plays like something an algorithm would spit out — and one that thinks Ed Sheeran is the height of stunt cameo casting after Game of Thrones already proved that idea oh-so wrong four years ago. Red Notice screens in select Australian cinemas from Thursday, November 4, and streams via Netflix from Friday, November 12. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on June 10, June 17 and June 24; July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; and October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills and Passing. Top image: Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
When A League of Their Own hit cinemas back in 1992, it didn't just claim that there's no crying in baseball. More importantly, it told a spirited story about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League back in the 1940s — and it hit a home run with audiences in the process. It should come as no surprise, then, that it's getting the remake treatment, this time with Broad City's Abbi Jacobson leading the show. Jacobson also co-created and executive produced Prime Video's new version of A League of Their Own, which'll slide into your streaming queue on August 12. If you've seen the movie — which starred Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell as members of a women's baseball team, plus Tom Hanks as their manager (and the person who famously decided that tears didn't have a part in the bat-swinging game) — you'll know the general gist of what's in store. As seen in the show's initial teaser trailer back in June, as well as the just-dropped full trailer, the series again jumps back to World War II to follow a group of women who dream of playing professional baseball. That said, it also promises to expand its story further that the film, charting a whole generation of baseball-loving ladies with that dream, including beyond the AAGPBL — and looking at both race and sexuality on and off the field in the process. Jacobson plays Carson, while Chanté Adams (Voyagers) plays Max — and they're joined by The Good Place's D'Arcy Carden among the players, plus Parks and Recreation favourite Nick Offerman as well. Also appearing on-screen: Gbemisola Ikumelo (The Power), Roberta Colindrez (Vida), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (Better Call Saul), Kate Berlant (Search Party), Kendall Johnson (Sexless), Kelly McCormack (George & Tammy), Alex Désert (Better Things), Priscilla Delgado (Julieta), Aaron Jennings (Grand Crew), Molly Ephraim (Perry Mason), Melanie Field (The Alienist) and Dale Dickey (Palm Springs). Charting its characters' efforts to make their way onto the field — and not only be part of a team, but also discover who they really are along the way — the new A League of Their Own marks Jacobson's first ongoing on-screen TV role since Broad City said goodbye. If you're in need of a weekend-long binge in August, all eight episodes of the show will drop at once, too. Check out the full trailer for A League of Their Own below: A League of Their Own will start streaming via Prime Video on August 12.
Every great exhibition should make you feel like you're surrounded by the artist's work, whether or not it includes giant fairy tale forests or a towering spider. Melbourne-based outfit Grande Experiences takes that idea to heart, turning peering at masterpieces into an immersive 360-degree experience. Fancy seeing Italian Renaissance works, including the Mona Lisa, get the multi-sensory treatment? That's on the company's list in Australia next. When you've ushered the world into Vincent van Gogh's art — getting them not just peering at it but stepping through it — and Claude Monet's as well, what follows? Showcasing Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Titian, Veronese and their peers. Van Gogh Alive proved a smash hit when it toured the country, even hitting up some cities multiple times. Monet in Paris dazzled Brisbane in 2023. Now, come 2024, Italian Renaissance Alive will become everyone's new reason to visit HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast. The idea remains the same as Grande Experiences' other art must-sees, but the works being splashed across the walls, floors and ceilings will now hail from Italy from around the 15th and 16th centuries. And yes, that includes some of the big ones. The Sistine Chapel, The Last Supper, The Birth of Venus: they're all part of Italian Renaissance Alive in a huge way. Given the large-than-life manner in which they're presented, we really do mean huge, too. From Friday, March 29–Sunday, August 4, 2024, you'll mosey around, spy iconic art surrounding you everywhere you look, and be part of not just a showcase but an experience. So, there'll be light and colour, obviously, but also sound and scents. Providing the soundtrack: Puccini, Verdi and other Italian operatic tunes. This excuse to spend some time on the Gold Coast, whether that means taking a trip down the highway or flying up from down south (or west), is part of HOTA, Home of the Arts' just-announced 2024 program. Also on the bill: the currently showing Sneakers Unboxed: From Studio to Street, a southeast Queensland stint for Elvis: A Musical Revolution and the latest tour for Agatha Christie's stage whodunnit The Mousetrap. HOTA attendees will also be able to see catch Queensland Ballet's Coppélia, a stage version of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach for the young and young at heart, a one-night-only performance of New Zealand's Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, Stunt Double by The Farm and more. Italian Renaissance Alive will display at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise Gold Coast from Friday, March 29–Sunday, August 4, 2024. For further details, head to the venue's website. Images: Grande Experiences.
One of Sydney Festival 2017's most Instagrammed events was The Beach, an enormous ball pit inside a human-made cave, as created by Brooklyn-based design studio Snarkitecture. Tonnes of you spent at least some part of January diving, cannonballing and floating about in a sea of plastic bliss. Understandably. If you've been fretting about how this summer could possibly measure up, here's your answer. Another ball pit, this time called The Ballpit!, is on its way. And, like The Beach, it'll be a behemoth, made up of one million balls. However, rather than filling up just a single space, they'll be arranged across several, creating a kind of playground — but for adults. On top of that, the balls are of the glow-in-the-dark variety, illuminated by LED lights that will pulsate to a soundtrack provided by some of Sydney's best DJs. There'll also be an onsite cocktail bar, to let you rest and refuel in between dips and dives. Just when and where The Ballpit! will pop up is yet to be revealed, but expect it in early 2018. Entry will be via ticket, available online. Sessions are likely to sell out pretty quickly, so get in early by registering on The Ballpit!'s website. Image: The Beach, Sydney Festival 2017 by Shannon Connellan.
Every corner of every city comes with its own history — and on Cockatoo Island, that's especially true. The tiny patch of land has been home to a prison, ship-building facilities, a reform school and a wartime boat repair port over the years, all in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Depending on what you believe, it's also apparently home to a few ghosts too. Indeed, plenty of mysteries and stories surround the island, which the returning Haunted History Night Tours will help you uncover. Running each Saturday from June 9 to August 25, the popular sessions will take you on a 90-minute stroll through the atmospheric site, visiting the convict workshops and gaol, the grain silos, dry docks and more. Tours kick off at 6.30pm in June and at 6pm as well during July and August, with bookings required. $25 gets you a spooky guided walk and a trip into the city's past, and wearing comfy shoes is recommended — as is bringing a torch.
Sydney's North Shore isn't always a first choice for weekend activities, but it should be. Plenty of hidden local gems are scattered between Chatswood and Hornsby, all easy to access thanks to the T1 train line. Head north for a weekend adventure and you might stumble across something like the Wahroonga Food and Wine Festival. It's the ninth annual run of this local foodie celebration, and it's coming to Wahroonga Park on Sunday, October 29. There's a lot to take in, but if you've come underprepared, there's no need to panic. Start by heading to The Market Basket Co to grab a shopping bag. For goodies to take home, you can visit Rylstone Olive Press, Original Smoke & Spice Co, Cacaoette, Linda's Original Sweet Chilli Relish, Pudding Lane and more. If you desire less edible purchases, there'll be candles, ceramics, homemade pet treats and other boutique delights. On the hot food front, tuck into fried chicken and pork belly burgers, paella, dumplings and fish cakes, gozleme and more. Of course, this is the food and wine festival, so once you've lined your stomach, you can chase it with some delicious vino and other alcoholic tipples. Over 30 wineries are in attendance, and you can book tasting packages starting at $37.50 to reserve a tasting experience on the day. Or, if you prefer spirits, fret not; several small-batch distillers will be on-site dishing out bottles to take home. For an immediate taste, activation bars starring El Jimador Tequila and Benriach Single Malt will be dishing out seasonal tastings and cocktails. And, of course, refreshing craft beers from Six String Brewing will round it out.
February 14 means different things to different people — but if you're a fan of Yellowjackets, that date in 2025 is now all about just one thing. Two years after its second season, the survivalist thriller will return on Valentine's Day to kick off its third round, again following the survivors of a plane crash both in the immediate aftermath and a quarter of a century later. As viewers discovered when it debuted in 2021 and became one of the best new shows of that year, the instantly intriguing (and excellent) series follows a New Jersey high school's girls soccer team in the 90s after their plane plummets into the forest, and also checks in with everyone that's left 25 years later. Across two seasons so far, life and friendship have proven complex for Yellowjackets' core quartet of Shauna (The Tattooist of Auschwitz's Melanie Lynskey as an adult, and also No Return's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (I'm a Virgo's Juliette Lewis, plus MaXXXine's Sophie Thatcher), Taissa (Law & Order's Tawny Cypress, and also Scream VI's Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Misty (Wednesday's Christina Ricci, as well as Atlas' Samantha Hanratty). The full setup: back in 1996, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private aircraft, Shauna, Natalie, Taissa, Misty and the rest of their teammates entered Lost territory. The accident saw everyone who walked away stranded in the wilderness — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. As well as announcing the show's return date, Yellowjackets dropped a first teaser trailer for season three, although it's brief at just 15 seconds in length. In quick flashes, the sneak peek does feature violent altercations, screaming and mask-wearing figures among the 90s-era group, however. So, business as usual, then. [caption id="attachment_894499" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colin Bentley/SHOWTIME.[/caption] After swiftly getting picked up for a second season because its first was that ace, Yellowjackets was then renewed for a third season before that second group of episodes even aired. In Australia, viewers will be heading to Paramount+ come Friday, February 14, 2025. In New Zealand, the series streams via Neon. In season three, the returning cast — which includes Simone Kessell (Muru) as the older Lottie and Lauren Ambrose (Servant) as the older Van, characters played in their younger guises by Australian actors Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Liv Hewson (Party Down) — will be joined by Hilary Swank (Ordinary Angels) and Joel McHale (The Bear). Check out the first teaser trailer for Yellowjackets season three below: Season three of Yellowjackets will start streaming from Friday, February 14, 2025 via Paramount+ in Australia — and streams via Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of season one and review of season two, plus our interview with Melanie Lynskey. Via Variety.
If every trailer started with narration by Taika Waititi, we'd all spend our entire lives solely watching sneak peeks at upcoming movies. They all don't, of course — but, unsurprisingly, the just-dropped second glimpse at Thor: Love and Thunder definitely does. Arriving a month after the superhero sequel's first teaser back in April, the new trailer begins with an unseen Waititi — who directs again as he did with Thor: Ragnarok, co-writes with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Sweet/Vicious), and appears on-screen as Korg — giving viewers a few instructions. "Kids, get your popcorn in. Let me tell you the story of the space viking," he utters. The tale he unfurls steps through Thor's (Chris Hemsworth, Extraction) years spent saving the world, the aftermath, and his evolution from "dad bod to god bod" post Avengers: Endgame — plus his efforts to reclaim his title "as the one and only Thor". But if you watched the film's first trailer, you'll know that his task doesn't end as he expects. Now, his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman, Vox Lux) is in possession of Mjolnir. This new look at the upcoming movie — the 29th MCU film overall, following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and also the fourth to focus on Thor — dives deeper into Thor and Jane's woes, gets Chris Hemsworth in the buff, and unveils two of the feature's big new additions. That'd be Russell Crowe (Unhinged) as Zeus and Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari) as Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer with a world-changing plan: eradicating the gods. Also covered: goofy vibes, as that Waititi-voiced narration makes plain; a firmly comedic mode, obviously; and general caped crusader chaos. Thor has to give up his search for inner peace to stop Gorr the God Butcher, and call upon help from King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson, Passing) and Korg — plus Jane, who seems to be settling into her new role quite nicely. Shot in Australia, clearly looser in mood than most MCU entries, and arriving in what's already a huge year for Waititi — after getting streaming viewers swooning over warm-hearted pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death, and also featuring in a portrait that won the Archibald's Packing Room Prize — Thor: Love and Thunder hits cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, July 6. It marks Portman's return to the MCU after appearing in the first Thor flick back in 2011, but sitting out the rest. And, also set to pop up are the Guardians of the Galaxy crew (as played and/or voiced by Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel). Check out the new trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder below: Thor: Love and Thunder opens in cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, July 6. Images: photos by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
UPDATE, November 13, 2020: Bohemian Rhapsody is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. To see Freddie Mercury take to the stage is to see a giant, one who leaps, slinks, prowls, thrusts and struts above the masses. Mercury wasn't a tall man, but he couldn't have had a bigger presence when he was performing. It's evident in every clip of Queen's gigs, and each of the British band's music videos too, but it's never more apparent than in the group's Live Aid show. For 20 minutes at Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1985, in a set played to 72,000 London concert-goers and beamed via television to a global audience of 1.9 billion, Mercury was the towering champion of the world. Unsurprisingly, Queen's Live Aid performance forms a crucial part of Bohemian Rhapsody. Mercury's walk to the stage gives the film its opening moments, via glimpses of his moustache, sunglasses, crotch and singlet-adorned back, while the actual set itself provides the movie's climax. Filmed on the first day of the picture's production, it's an electrifying sequence made all the more so by Rami Malek's spot-on performance as Mercury. But the fact that the blistering show was a greatest hits set really couldn't be more appropriate for the film endeavouring to recreate its glory. The Live Aid gig featured 'Bohemian Rhapsody', naturally, as well as 'Radio Ga Ga', 'We Will Rock You', 'We Are the Champions' and more, and it gave everyone watching exactly what they'd hoped for. Bohemian Rhapsody is a greatest hits movie. It's the neat, easily digestible version of Queen's career, and of Mercury's professional and personal ups and downs along with them. It's also highly sanitised, and even factually altered where it's more dramatically convenient. Here, the Zanzibar-born Parsi man originally known as Farrokh Bulsara chats to Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) at a pub gig on the night their lead singer quits, talks them into giving him a shot as their new vocalist, and unleashes his now-iconic four-octave range to change music history. Chart success, tours, fame and raucous parties all follow, even after the band's first record label exec insists that the six-minute 'Bohemian Rhapsody' will never be played on radio. Meanwhile, when he's not brandishing his flamboyant stage persona, Freddie struggles with the expectations of his stern father (Ace Bhatti), his complicated feelings for his girlfriend Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton), his sexuality, plenty of drugs and his eventual diagnosis with HIV. Like the best-of releases that fill record stores and try to condense a musician or band's finest work to a single disc, a greatest hits film is never going to cut as deep as a proper album. That doesn't instantly make Bohemian Rhapsody a bad movie, or make best-of records bad records either. You know what you're getting when you listen to a greatest hits album, and it's exactly what's on offer with this formulaic biopic — but it's still largely enjoyable. This isn't exactly real life, and in many parts, it's purely fantasy. And yet, it's an engaging, albeit highly superficial interpretation of Queen and Mercury's heyday as painted with the broadest of strokes and featuring all of the expected tracks. As with many rock biopics before it, Bohemian Rhapsody is all about the gloss, sheen and popular hits that reinforce the existing image of Queen and Mercury, rather than daring to delve beneath the surface. Covering a 15-year time span, this is the band-approved version of the story, not the reportedly darker affair that was originally set to star Sacha Baron Cohen. Still, Bohemian Rhapsody energetically takes to its chosen task. Director Bryan Singer — as well as the uncredited Dexter Fletcher, who took over when Singer was fired two-thirds of the way through shooting — bounces through a template that strings simplistic drama between songs, often using the former to give weight to the latter. The filmmakers also capitalise on a fact that has made the Mamma Mia flicks such a huge success with fans: a killer soundtrack can do plenty of heavy lifting. Great songs don't make for a great movie by themselves, and Bohemian Rhapsody never reaches greatness, or even approaches it. It's entertaining as it hits its intended marks, although it remains noticeable (and even insulting to Mercury's legacy as a queer icon) that the picture skims over certain details. But, regardless of its handling of reality, the film delivers a supersonic turn by Malek. Far, far away from the reserved tension of Mr Robot, he walks, talks, belts out a tune, wears the tightest of pants and juts out his noticeable teeth just like the charismatic Mercury. Malek also gives texture to the movie's slight dives into deeper territory that isn't necessarily in the script — in particular, when Mercury grapples with the loneliness behind his life of excess, fights to retain his connection with Austin and learns of his illness. Both splashed loudly across big and small stages, and giving soulful, lonely stares in quiet moments, it's a performance that's a kind of magic. He will rock you, even if Bohemian Rhapsody itself favours making a big noise over taking on the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27zlBpzdOZg
With 64 days until the lights are on, Vivid has announced its 2013 lineup. And as the festival turns five it's vastly extending its brightly coloured reach to cover more physical ground and generate more creative ideas. In 2013 Fort Dennison, Walsh Bay and the Inner West will also get a heavy splattering of neon light and artistic innovation as the festival adds more precincts to the Vivid family. Sydney's own Spinifex Group will be the artists behind the Lighting of the Sails, the jewel in Vivid's dazzling crown, with the rest of the foreshore welcoming a global assemblage of lighting designers to the walkable stretch spanning Campbells Cove to Walsh Bay. Interactivity is key this year, with Customs House featuring a dance floor so visitors can make the building move. The festival's LIVE section will celebrate the Opera House's increasingly enthusiastic approach to popular music, populating the Kraftwerk-headlined lineup with homegrown and international acts. Empire of the Sun are premiering their second album Ice on the Dune, which was announced in true theatrical style with a bizarre video last week. Other acts include legendary soul crooner Bobby Womack, Underworld's Karl Hyde, the Sunnyboys, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon, folk-rock tribute Sounds of the South and the 45-piece Heritage Orchestra — performing the Bladerunner score. More will be announced in the upcoming weeks. And hosting a mammoth 136 events this year is the Jess Scully-curated Vivid Ideas. Level six of the MCA will be taken over by 100 of them, with further talks and workshops spread through the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Seymour Centre, Sydney Museum and more. Semi-Permanent, Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Australian International Design Festival are getting involved in 2013, along with a slew of events supporting this year's film and photography motif. Reportage and Sydney Film Festival are two exciting additions, and a talk by Chris Ying of Momofuku-McSweeney's foodie mag Lucky Peach should give discerning ramen enthusiasts plenty to get psyched about. Check out the Vivid website for the full lineup.
A year after scrapping plans to close down the Powerhouse Museum's Ultimo home, the NSW Government is set to invest between $480—500 million to revamp and revitalise the museum's inner city location. A renewed focus on design and fashion is central to the multimillion-dollar overhaul, with plans to bring the Powerhouse's local and international exhibitions to the forefront of its event programming. Plans for the Ultimo site also include increased opportunities for creative development with subsidised studios and workspaces for creatives. Under the renewal project, over 5000 dedicated design and fashion study spots for regional and remote NSW students is also promised. Increasing accessibility by creating more urban connections between the Powerhouse, the Goods Line and surrounding inner city precincts is also planned. "We will create a vibrant public square beside the Goods Line, and creative industries workspaces that will become home for Australian designers," Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said in a media statement. [caption id="attachment_815975" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Powerhouse Ultimo, Dan Boud[/caption] In contrast to the Ultimo museum's dedication to design and fashion, the Parramatta site will focus more heavily on science and technology. "This renewal will pave the way for generations to come to experience even more of our 500,000 strong Collection through Australia's leading museum of design and fashion in Ultimo and the new home of science and technology at our flagship, Powerhouse Parramatta," Powerhouse Museum Trust President Peter Collins AM QC said. Back in 2015, the NSW Government, led by Mike Baird at the time, announced it would be relocating the Powerhouse to Parramatta in order to broaden the reach of Sydney's cultural institutions in Western Sydney. A wave of backlash followed the announcement that included protests surrounding the destruction of the Ultimo site, criticism of the Parramatta site planning which would impact several historic buildings and claims the museum would be subject to flooding. A timeline around the redevelopment of Powerhouse Ultimo is yet to be laid out, with planning on a design competition commencing now. The Parramatta Powerhouse museum has officially been given approval as of February and is slated to open in 2023. [caption id="attachment_811877" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Powerhouse Up Late, Jordan Munns[/caption] Powerhouse Museum Ultimo is located at 500 Harris St, Ultimo.
A long lunch is the sweet spot of social events. It suits both your early-rising mates and late-night party animals. It can be the main event or the start of a whole day of festivities. And, if you pick the right venue, the drinks are of equal importance to the food. Enter Bar Patron's new weekend lunch menu, which takes that 'sweet spot' long lunch and serves it with a healthy dash of salt and squeeze of lime. According to the website, this lunch set menu is for 'the ladies', but let's be real — anyone who loves Mexican food (all of you, we know) is going to want to get in on the action. The share-style menu starts with hand-pounded guacamole and salsas for true authenticity points, followed by a selection of tacos. The main meal is your choice, so consider it a good opportunity to fill your hankering for refried beans, enfrijoladas and braised meats. To finish, you'll get to tuck into the bar's two most popular desserts — the tres leches sponge cake, served with fresh mango, and polvorones, which is an authentic Mexican cookie-like dessert served with almond and caramel. The set menu costs $65 and includes one of the venue's expert Patrón Silver margaritas on arrival. Alternatively, you can upgrade to the $99 package, which also includes two hours of bubbles. The Weekend Lunch menu is available every Saturday and Sunday between 12–3pm. To make a booking, visit the website.
If Colin From Accounts won you over as quickly as a cute dog in the street when it first arrived in 2022 — when it became one of that year's best new TV shows in the process — then you've probably been hanging out for the Aussie rom-com sitcom's second season. The show was unsurprisingly renewed in 2023, and now has an official return date: Thursday, May 30. When it debuted, Colin From Accounts had everyone bingeing their way through this tale of an awkward but memorable meet-cute, which began when a medical student and a microbrewery owner crossed paths in Sydney, ended up with an injured dog between them, then went from strangers to pet co-owners almost instantly. This time, however, the series will be dropping its episodes weekly on Binge instead of in one batch. If you're new to the show, which won Best Narrative Comedy Series at the 2024 AACTAs and a trio of Logies — Most Outstanding Comedy Program, Most Outstanding Actor and Most Outstanding Actress — in 2023, it's the latest collaboration between real-life couple and No Activity stars Harriet Dyer (The Invisible Man) and Patrick Brammall (Evil). Story-wise, the first season of Colin From Accounts charted what happened after Brammall's Gordon was distracted by Dyer's Ashley one otherwise ordinary morning, then accidentally hit a stray dog with his car. The pair took the pooch to receive veterinary treatment, then committed to look after him — and, yes, named him Colin From Accounts — causing their already-messy lives to intertwine. In season two, Ashley and Gordon are living together, which brings its own chaos — including the quest to get Colin From Accounts back from his new owners. A heap of fresh faces are joining the series for its second date, such as Celeste Barber (Wellmania), Virginia Gay (Mother and Son), Justin Rosniak (Wolf Like Me), Lynne Porteous (Frayed) and John Howard (Bump). Season two of Colin From Accounts doesn't yet have a sneak peek, but you can check out the trailer for season one below: Colin From Accounts season two will stream via Binge from Thursday, May 30, 2024. Read our review of season one. Images: Lisa Tomasetti.
Australia's real-time restaurant deals app EatClub — which was launched by celeb chef Marco Pierre White — is now offering Sydneysiders $1 tacos. Yep, for three weeks you can tuck into tacos for pocket change at Woolloomooloo's 1933 Booze House & Kitchen. So, if you haven't got the app yet — and you're a Mexican cuisine fiend — we suggest you download it. Then, round up the crew for a wallet-friendly feast. Running from Tuesday, February 25 till Tuesday, March 17, this steal of a deal is available every Tuesday from 6–11.30pm, giving you a month to eat as many tacos as your heart desires. To claim the offer, download EatClub (if you haven't already), click on 1933 Booze House & Kitchen's store on the app's interactive map on the day at 6pm and redeem the '$1 Tacos' deal. Once that's all done, stroll into the bar and settle in for a Mexican food fiesta. To download the EatClub app, head here.
Anyone who’s spent a frosty morning commuting on the Underground would know that London’s not exactly the world’s friendliest city. Well, not before a beer or five, anyway. In fact, a quarter of city siders report feeling lonely often, if not all the time. But a group of talkative types has decided that it needn’t be this way. They’ve come up with a project called Talk to Me London. The aim is to encourage a friendlier culture by helping strangers to talk to one another. The first assignment is a Kickstarter campaign, raising money for London’s first ever ‘Talk to Me’ day. The initial goal of £6,000 ($10,700) has been reached. So, one day this summer, thousands of Londoners will receive ‘Talk to Me’ badges to wear, indicating that they’re ‘up for a chat’. There’ll also be events held in public spaces, like dinner parties in parks and book discussions on tube carriages, lectures on wellbeing and community, conversation-prompting public art, flash mobs to break awkward silences, ‘talk bars’ on train platforms and busking acts that depend on interaction. Mayor Boris Johnson is a keen supporter. “I love the idea behind Talk to Me London,” he said. “What an innovative and fun way to encourage Londoners to talk to each other. Conversations are a great way to share experiences and stories, increase wellbeing, and bring a greater sense of community in the capital.” Via Springwise.
We all enjoy a quiet night at home every now and again — but we never expected this year to involve quite so many. So, if you're starting to feel a little restless, we've teamed up with Miller Design Lab to highlight some alternatives to spice up your next night indoors. Miller Design Lab is the home of creativity and self-expression built by Australia's leading minds in design, art, technology and fashion (and now you). Together, we're celebrating our nightlife and its impact on culture with exceptional moments brought to you at home. Keep reading to discover four ways you can easily experience parts of Sydney's epic nightlife — from live music and cultural events to world-class food and drinks — without leaving your pad. LIVE-STREAM A GIG FROM A LOCAL DJ When you're confined to the same four walls for most of the day, you can spend an awful lot of time sitting down. Rather than spending another evening working on that imprint in the couch, get on your feet and turn your lounge room into a makeshift d-floor. Sure, the feeling of being out at a club surrounded by all your mates is pretty hard to replicate, but there are some positives — for starters, nobody can judge you for your terrible moves. Have a crack at creating your own playlist or, if you want to leave it to the professionals, check out one of the virtual club nights that are happening online. For a dose of nostalgia, tune into Hot Dub Time Machine's biweekly parties, which cover six decades of musical bangers, from mid-50s rock 'n' roll to the latest dance hits. And, if you've been a regular attendee of gay club night Poof Doof, you'll be pleased to hear it's now jumped online, too, with a weekly live-stream. See also: Room 2 Radio's Friday night streams and Club Quarantine's nightly offering. For a night of throwing shapes, you'll want to prep with something filling but not too heavy. Bondi wholefoods cafe Good One is a worthy contender with a selection of hearty delivery dinners loaded with veggies and grains — think green chickpea fritters with kale and avocado yoghurt or golden scrambled tofu with crispy cauliflower. Pair your dinner with some top-notch cocktails from nearby bar Isabel, like a matcha highball or a riberry gimlet, to get the party started. [caption id="attachment_710997" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Lidmila[/caption] LEARN A NEW PARTY TRICK We can only hope that when normal life resumes, there'll be an onslaught of parties and nights out. So, if you want to have something to show for your time in isolation, use this downtime to pick up a new party trick. If the above DJ live-streams have inspired you, head over to Ableton's website. There, you'll find a bunch of free resources to kick off your music making journey, including ebooks and a 90-day free trial period of its Live 10 interface. Or, if you're more concerned about improving your moves, try an online dance course. Sydney Dance Company has currently shifted its entire class program online, including hip hop beginners classes, and they cost just $12 a pop (or you can get an unlimited membership for $28 a week). Or you could check out Groove Therapy's online courses. There's a very suitable Party Dance course (USD$89), which includes bite-sized video tutorials, curated playlists and bonus resources on dance history. Whichever you choose, it'll add a little flavour to your house parties — both pre- and post-lockdown. To keep you both well-fuelled and inspired while you study, order in some class party staples. After brief shutdown periods, both Darlinghurst favourite Dimitri's and Marrickville's vegetarian pizzeria Pizza Madre have now reopened for takeaway and deliveries, so order a woodfired pie and wash it down with an easy-drinking beer like Miller Genuine Draft. VIRTUALLY CELEBRATE YOUR MATE'S BIRTHDAY Poor ol' autumn babies. They're currently all experiencing one of childhood's biggest fears: nobody coming to their birthday party. So, make sure the birthday guy or gal's special day isn't forgotten in all the madness by organising an isolation-style bash with the entire crew over Houseparty. Play some games that'll get everyone up and moving — think good ol' charades or Heads Up — or challenge yourselves with a virtual escape room. And end the evening the way every birthday night out should end: karaoke. You can blame your bad vocals on your mate's shitty laptop speakers. Of course, it isn't a true birthday party without some cake so order one of the legendary ricotta cakes from Pasticceria Papa — it's even delivering mini versions that are perfect for solo partiers. And you'll need a drink to raise a toast to your mate, too, so get some cocktails delivered. The Africoola from CBD bar PS40, with vodka, coffee liqueur, wattleseed and coconut, will pair excellently with the cake. [caption id="attachment_767870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Reuben Gibbes[/caption] CREATE YOUR OWN LIGHT FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE INDOORS While small gatherings and dining out may return to our lives in the near future, it's looking like we'll be waiting a little longer for large-scale cultural events. But even though Vivid, Sydney's legendary festival of lights, art and ideas, isn't happening this year, there is a movement swelling to recreate the magic on a smaller scale. Kicking off on May 22, DIY Vivid will encourage Aussies to transform their isolation pads into a makeshift light festival using coloured light bulbs and strobe machines. There'll also be a DJ simulcast stream happening on the launch night. You could take it a step further and — just like the epic animated light projections that happen on buildings across Sydney during Vivid — project one of Nema Adel's digital art loops onto your living room wall, or tune into Hobart museum Mona's live-stream of Ryoji Ikeda's Spectra. It's a 15-kilometre tall tower of beaming white light that stands over the city's skyline, and the stream is accompanied by music specially curated for the exhibit. In homage to the buzzing festival, pair your arty activities with some colourful tipples and street food. Check out South American eatery Arepa, which has freshly cooked and frozen arepas and empanadas available for takeaway and delivery alongside loaded fries, gluten free churros and cassava fries. Team your South American feast with some freshly made cocktails, like the California Soul — a spicy margarita with fresh mandarin syrup — from nearby bar Earl's Juke Joint. For more ways to celebrate your city's nightlife and recreate its energy in your own space, head this way. Image: Reuben Gibbes
Pixels is a movie that demonstrates how two rights can make a significant wrong. The first ‘right' is a brilliant Futurama vignette named ‘Raiders of the Lost Arcade’ that featured in the 2002 episode ‘Anthology of Interest II’. In it, the protagonist, Fry, queries what life would be like as a video game, whereupon characters based on ‘80s arcade staples like Space Invaders and Donkey Kong invade earth, and Fry proves to be the only one capable of stopping them thanks to his misspent youth as a gamer. The second ‘right' is a 2010 short film by Patrick Jean named ‘Pixles', in which pixelated arcade characters invade earth and reduce everything to, well, pixels. Together, these two sources constitute almost the entirety of the plot, title and visuals of Adam Sandler’s latest outing, where, unfortunately, the whole is very much poorer than its parts. Much of this is because of the missteps made in the means by which those parts were combined. Pixels, to put it simply, is an excellent idea turned into a children’s film where almost every joke is aimed at people over 30. In other words, it seems to have no idea who it’s actually catering to. Consider the final scene: just moments after the adorable merchandise children’s toy character ‘Q-Bert’ says something cute to make kids laugh, there’s an extended threesome joke involving Serena Williams and Martha Stewart. And it’s not the first in the film. Not by a long shot. The action scenes are solid and fast-paced, yet the first one doesn’t arrive for almost an hour, with the preceding 50-odd minutes spent on a semi-romantic subplot that lacks both romance and plot. It all feels very much a victim of studio influence — a failed attempt to hedge box office bets by playing to both children and adults without giving either enough of what they want. On paper, the cast of Pixels is pretty decent. Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad and Kevin James play the adult versions of Sander’s childhood arcade gaming buddies, now a convict, conspiracy theorist and President of the United States respectively (no, seriously, James is President). Michelle Monaghan plays the ‘love interest’/senior DARPA scientist (in that order), representing the only real female role of any substance, albeit with most of her character development involving wildly different hairstyles in every scene without any mention made of it. Ashley Benson also makes an appearance as ‘the hot girl’ who literally doesn’t say a single word in the entire film. She just switches back and forth between pouting, kissing and ‘being hot’. Ultimately, director Chris Columbus has actually crafted a half-watchable film here, which — given the script — is something of an achievement. The Harry Potter director brings an energy and light-heartedness to the action sequences, complete with a handful of those trademark uplifting, fist-pumping moments of exuberance that defined his exhilarating Quidditch matches. There are also a couple of solid laugh-out-loud jokes and nifty ‘80s nostalgia references that frustrate more than entertain because of their infrequency. Had Pixels been predominantly an action movie, the plot vacuum might have mattered less, but with so little action to enjoy, at least until the final 15 minutes or so, we’re left with a film that feels like a giant missed opportunity, and that will likely fade fast from the memories of all who see it.
Chopsticks may rank among the most popular eating utensils on the planet; however the act of turning their disposable casings into art isn't quite as common. Well, not into something meaningful, and as a gesture of thanks. One Japanese waiter started noticing interestingly shaped pieces of paper left behind after meals, decided they were being left as a token of appreciation and started collecting them. That was in 2012 — and now he has more than 15,000 examples. Meet Japanese Tip, the art project that has flowered from Yuki Tatsumi's time working in restaurants. Flowers feature among his collection, but they're just some of the shapes that feature. From bow ties and birds to seahorses and people, the range is as varied as the colours printed on the paper sleeves, which have been found from a similarly diverse array of bars, izakayas, restaurants, cafes, sushi eateries, diners and ramen joints from around the country. Indeed, in the year leading up to March 2017, Yuki visited 47 prefectures around Japan to collect origami wrappers and enlist eateries happy for him to collect the objects that would otherwise be thrown away. An exhibition of 8000 of his pieces was staged in Tokyo this month, with another to follow in 2018. To view a selection from Japanese Tip's collection, head to the project website. Via Lonely Planet. Image: Japanese Tip.
Reckon you could write the Great Australian Novel, if only you could find the time? Sick of staring at that half-finished film script? Been scribbling down lots of lines, but yet to finish a poem? Well, how does five days alone in a tiny house in the wilderness, completely off the grid, sound? Meet Cabin Days, a new writer's residency that sounds like every time-poor scribe's dream. It's being run by Unyoked, the Aussie startup that rents out those adorable little cabins in the middle of nowhere, in collaboration with online platform The Writers Bloc to give writers a chance to, well, write — without any interruptions (except maybe the view). The successful residents will receive five nights of free (!) accommodation, as well as personalised writing supplies, a bar (gin will be supplied by Archie Rose and beer by Capital Brewing Co.) and, if requested, support to publish their work. Two residencies will be given away per year — one in Sydney and another in Melbourne. Unyoked's cabins are located in secret spots, surrounded by bush, less than two hours from the city. At the moment there are four scattered around NSW and two in Victoria. Run independently by twin brothers Cam and Chris Grant — and designed with the help of Sydney studio Fresh Prince — they're built to make you feel as though you're part of the natural environment, but with the security of four, solid walls to keep out the bears, plus a few mod cons. Think expansive windows, timber walls, a comfy bed, kitchen appliances, firewood and good coffee. What's more, the cabins are entirely off the grid, which means solar power, composting toilets and a heavenly absence of wifi. Keen? Start your application over here. Or, if you can spare $199 a night, you can book your own retreat here.
Wu-Tang Clan are hip hop royalty. Their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang defined the sound of an entire generation and still holds high rotation at dirty house parties and the playlists of every independent vinyl store with a tough music snob behind the counter. Any self-respecting music fan knows the quality and skill of this iconic group, and now, RZA, GZA and Ghostface Killah are collaborating with Cher — the diamante clad diva who believes in life after love and has spent the past few years rambling nonsensically on Twitter. Luckily for Wu-Tang fans (and their much-cherished street cred), the collaboration with Cher only extends as far as contributing vocals on two tracks of the group's upcoming album. But this is no ordinary LP. Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is a 31-track double LP that Wu Tang has been developing in secret over the past six years. Just one copy of the album will be produced, and it will only be available to the public via private listening sessions at museums, galleries and festivals. After this tour, for which dates have not yet been released, the singular copy will go up for sale. It will be encased in a "hand-carved nickel-silver box designed by the British Moroccan artist Yahya," and is expected to reach an auction price "in the millions". Suffice to say, this is an important album. One which RZA has produced in an effort to break down the boundaries between music and art; redefining the nature of our contemporary listening practices. And what's Cher's contribution? "Wu-Tang, baby. They rock the world." In an exclusive preview this week, a journalist from Forbes picked up on this small cameo from the iconic singer. Cher belts out these few words in signature diva style at the end of a song featuring Ghostface Killah. Though the collaboration has been confirmed, apparently Cher didn't have much involvement with the famed hip hop group. "She recorded her parts separately, so I don't believe there was direct interaction," said her representatives. Though unsurprising, it's a little disappointing. Imagine a post-recording afterparty with RZA and GZA blasting 'Protect Ya Neck' while Cher tries to harmonise and pin velvet tassels on everyone. The world isn't ready for it. Via Rolling Stone.
Waiting in slow-moving lines has to be one of the least-loved parts of overseas travelling, but it could soon prove a whole lot less hassle, with Sydney Airport set to start trialling biometric testing from May this year. As The Sydney Morning Herald reports, the trial will be available to those flying internationally with Qantas who've registered their involvement with the Australian Border Force. It'll reduce the usual airport adventure to a breezy six-step process — from checking in, to border processing, to boarding — requiring just one flash of your passport along the way. Instead of the usual fussing around, face and fingerprint scans will be used as verification, as Sydney Airport looks at ways to ease congestion and make travelling easier. Facial-recognition technology is already in place at Australian airports, which has, at Sydney Airport, knocked the average time spent by people passing through customs from around four minutes to a speedy 23 seconds. Exactly what information and data the Border Force will need from individuals is not yet known, but it's likely to be extensive. Sydney Airport told The Sydney Morning Herald it would make sure "relevant privacy issues are managed" and that if the trial's successful, there are plans to roll it out across other international airlines. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Sometimes Vivid Sydney can get a bit much. The streets are packed with people, bright lights are strobing all around you and multiple soundscapes compete with one another. Many folks love it. Some are understandably overwhelmed. But thankfully, you don't have to get caught up in all of this to enjoy Sydney's famed winter light festival. Nocturne: An Immersive Journey is a nightly event that helps people explore hidden parts of the city at a much slower pace. You'll be given a smartphone and headphones before the Nocturne team sends you off into The Rocks and Walsh Bay by yourself (or with mates, if you don't want to be totally alone). A group of First Nations guides will speak to you throughout your 90-minute walk via a series of recordings, telling you where to go while sharing stories about their culture, history and the local area. It's altogether calming, with ASMR-like talking and relaxing soundscapes changing throughout. You'll be guided down to the wharves to learn about the long history of the harbour — from the perspective of First Nations people — before slowly ascending to Observation Hill via a series of hidden alleyways and parks. We don't want to give too much away, but the ending is fairly magical and cosy — and at no point will you feel rushed. The whole Nocturne experience is quite meditative. It's a brilliant way to see some of Vivid's lights and installations while getting away from the crowds.
