Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). 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 over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loGLiMU5fuI TENET Christopher Nolan has never made a Bond film. He certainly didn't helm The Matrix franchise, either. But pick and twist aspects of each, including narrative tropes, sci-fi trickery and special effects wizardry, and the writer/director's latest slick, bold, mind-bending action-thriller Tenet is the end product. Spy flick elements are evident from the outset, thanks to a tense, taut, supremely well-executed opening attack on the jam-packed Kiev Opera House. When a gun fires during the chaos, but the bullet returns to the weapon rather than shooting out from it, Tenet's nods to late 90s and early 00s sci-fi are apparent, too. Soon afterwards, a scientist (Clémence Poésy) talks the film's CIA operative protagonist (BlacKkKlansman's John David Washington) through some of the nuts and bolts of the shadowy situation he finds himself in, explaining that inverted objects being sent back through time from the future, that a war is coming, and detailing the reverse trajectory of the bullet — and the Protagonist, as he's literally called, exclaims a Keanu-esque "whoa!" that's particularly memorable. Armed with the relevant background — tidbits the film wants viewers to pay close attention to as well — the Protagonist must hop around the world to stop life as everyone knows it from ending. He has suave handler Neil (Robert Pattinson) for company, but if Tenet's premise sounds a tad vague and convoluted, well, that's the movie's wavelength. As obsessed with time, space, existence and consciousness as much of Nolan's work, the cerebral feature doesn't get any less tangled or labyrinthine, or try to. It boasts the kind of plot that is actually quite straightforward, yet is told in an overly complicated fashion to keep viewers puzzling. Nolan likes messing with audiences' heads, so this shouldn't come as a surprise; however he jumps even beyond Inception's leaps, The Prestige's magic tricks and Interstellar's temporal dilations. As a result, as entertaining and downright spectacular as it is when it's at its action-packed best, there's also a sense that Tenet is bounding forward in some ways, while also needlessly looping back on itself in others. It's stirring, but also laborious. It's designed to overwhelm viewers in an inventive head trip, yet it makes the audience feel like they're working. It's intricate and exacting, and also messy and repetitive. It's a Nolan film through and through, in other words — usually to a mesmerising degree, but too indulgently as well. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIsEZ2tTavU&t=6s LES MISÉRABLES Almost 160 years since Victor Hugo immortalised the Montfermeil commune in Les Misérables, first-time feature writer and director Ladj Ly heads there to tell a different story. Or, to be exact, his Cannes prize-winning, Oscar-nominated crime-thriller that's also called Les Misérables stops by the spot to explore comparable themes in contemporary France — and to interrogate the reality of life in the Les Bosquets housing estates in one of the capital's banlieues. The latter and their communities have featured in the likes of 1995's La Haine and 2014's Girlhood before, two hands-down French movie masterpieces, but the approach here is especially inspired. Drawing parallels with a globally known, much-adapted, long-popular classic to shine a spotlight on modern-day class and cultural clashes is smart and savvy and, in the hands of a filmmaker from the area who is already known for making documentaries about the area, results in an especially compelling and confronting piece of cinema with revolution at its heart. Every neighbourhood bubbles with stories. So, focusing on Les Bosquets, Ly relays as many tales as he can. With propulsive and fittingly restless energy, his film flits between the locale's cops, kids and gangs — with troubles between all three groups reaching boiling point over the course of two summery and eventful days. The catalysts: familiar prejudices, long-held beefs, a stolen lion, a wrongful shooting and some controversial drone footage. The fallout: considerable. Unrelentingly terse and unafraid to filter real-world unrest through every frame, this Les Misérables is not always subtle; however, given the complicated terrain that it traverses, it needn't be. As a portrait of social tensions drawn from real-life situations, this is a movie of explosive emotional and visceral power even when it's clearly lacking in nuance. As an examination of how one event can escalate, detonate and spark a chain of chaos, and, Hugo-style, how insurrectionary acts come about, it hits hard. This definitely isn't a musical, but Ly's gripping, evocatively shot, deftly choreographed and impressively acted feature is still a rousing cinematic song of angry Parisians. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtCmpNdsA44 THE EIGHT HUNDRED The first Chinese film shot entirely on IMAX cameras, The Eight Hundred delivers exactly what that status demands. That'd be an impressively staged and shot spectacle, and plenty of it. Indeed, this big-budget dramatisation of the October 1937 Sihang Warehouse standoff during the Second Sino-Japanese War (which also formed part of the Second World War) is filled with fights, frays, combat and bloody confrontations to an almost relentless extent. Of course, that's the war movie formula, with the genre routinely endeavouring to steep viewers so deeply in the minutiae of the action that they feel both the mass and the personal toll. In The Eight Hundred's case, that means spending the bulk of its lengthy 147-minute duration with the 400-plus soldiers from the 524th Regiment of the National Revolutionary Army's 88th Division, who hold their ground for four days as the Imperial Japanese Army closes in on and wages an assault on the building — with the latter already overpowering Chinese forces at large during the Battle of Shanghai, and the former now representing China's last stand in the city. Complicating matters tactically, at least for the Japanese, is the warehouse's location. Adjacent to Suzhou Creek, and therefore across from Shanghai's International Settlement, the structure is in full view of the neutral zone. For writer/director Guan Hu (Mr Six), however, that gives the film an extra opportunity to dazzle visually. On one side of the waterway sits carnage; on the other, luxury, shining lights and streets filled with well-dressed onlookers all beckon. Yes, The Eight Hundred is that blunt. Yes, it takes every opportunity to be as blatant as possible on as many levels as possible, too. This is a feature that uses a white horse galloping through the mayhem as one of its overt metaphors, after all, and deploys 'Londonderry Air', aka 'Danny Boy', as its emotive song of choice. Also among its sizeable list of heavy-handed touches: repeatedly making the case for sacrifice and bloodshed in the name of China's glory and greater good, visibly adoring solider point-of-view shots, and offering little in the way of depth amongst its heaving roster of characters. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13 and August 20 — and our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin and Peninsula.
On the night of the 12th, the incident that makes that date worthy of a movie's moniker happens quickly, heartbreakingly and horrifyingly so. It's October 2016, in the French Alps-region city of Grenoble, and Clara Royer (Lula Cotton-Frapier, Mixte) is walking home alone after an evening at her best friend Nanie's (Pauline Serieys, Grown Ups). It's 3am, the streets are quiet, and she's giddy with affection, sending a video message telling her pal how much she loves her. All it takes is a hooded figure emerging from the dark, whispering her name, dousing her with liquid and sparking a lighter, and Clara will never arrive home. Before this occurs in The Night of the 12th's opening scenes, director and co-writer Dominik Moll (Only the Animals) shares details just has distressing and dismaying: the French police are tasked with solving 800 murders a year, 20 percent of them never can be and, sadly, the case in this feature is among the latter. It might seem a strange decision, giving away the film's ending before it even begins; however, while The Night of the 12th is about the search for Clara's killer, it's never about the murderer. Instead, as it adapts 30 pages from Pauline Guéna's non-fiction book 18.3 — A Year With the Crime Squad, takes a Zodiac-style procedural approach and opts for a Mindhunter-esque survey of interrogations as well, it makes clear how easy and common it is for situations like this come about, especially in a world where women are slain at men's whims with frequency (then typically blamed if any of their own actions can be wrongly perceived to have put themselves in danger). Alongside David Fincher's serial killer fare, Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder casts a shadow, too, as detective Yohan Vivès (Bastien Bouillon, Jumbo) and his partner Marceau (Bouli Lanners, Nobody Has to Know) scour the area for suspects and answers. "The problem is that any one of them could have done it," Yohan observes after potential culprit after potential culprit fields their queries and flouts their engrained misogyny. Was it the bartender boyfriend (Baptiste Perais, The Companions), who saw Clara as nothing more than a fling on the side? The gym buddy (Jules Porier, Simone Veil, a Woman of the Century) that's guffawing seconds after the cops bring up the killing, all while bragging about a friends-wth-benefits setup? A rapper (Nathanaël Beausivoir, Runaway) knew the police would come calling because he wrote a song about setting Clara alight, while an awkward local squatter (Benjamin Blanchy, Spiral) welcomes the attention. By the time that her dalliance with an older man (Pierre Lottin, Les Harkis) with a violent past and convictions for domestic abuse comes up, one of Yohan and Marceau's colleagues is joking about Clara's taste in men. Judgemental views about women don't just fester among the interviewees; how many cases have been hindered by such prejudiced perspectives, The Night of the 12th silently gives viewers cause to wonder. Played as meticulous and passionate by Bouillon, the newly promoted Yohan isn't one of those chauvinist officers. More prone to splashing his feelings around in Lanners' hands, neither is Marceau. The film's central duo is dutiful and dedicated, and their efforts turn The Night of the 12th into a chronicle of devoted and hard-working people doing what they're supposed to — and well, and with care — even if viewers instantly know they won't achieve their desired outcome. In the script by Moll and his regular co-scribe Gilles Marchand (Eastern Boys), both men find the case impacting them in different ways, though, including the fact that their obsessive endeavours don't and won't wrap up the case. Amid chasing leads, making enquiries and sitting down with the men in Clara's life, Yohan lives a spartan existence in his spick-and-span apartment and in his relationships. Marceau is navigating a marriage breakdown, and his emotions run high personally and professionally. It might seem strange, too, crafting a movie about a murdered young woman that's actually about men. (If that one word hadn't already been used as a film title this year, also for a Cannes-premiering flick about the terrors that haunt a patriarchal society, it would've fit here). But as Moll puts it, and as won't come as a surprise to anyone watching for a second, The Night of the 12th's focus on male cops and assailants is simply and mournfully realistic. Still, his feature is as committed to ensuring that Clara is never a mere statistic as its main duo are to trying to find the person responsible for her death. The reality this story is based on has made her one of many unsolved cases, but that Clara lived, loved and was loved is never in doubt within the movie's frames. (Among the picture's many supporting performances, Cotton-Frapier's leaves an imprint.) Also indisputable: Nanie's contention that her friend only died, and in such an appalling manner, because she was female; plus Yohan's reflection to a magistrate (Anouk Grinberg, Deception) overseeing the proceedings years later that "there is something seriously amiss in the relationship between men and women." The Night of the 12th's details express these sentiments anyway, and Moll prefers to let the story and its minutiae do the talking, but overtly stating such notions never feels forceful. That's the film from start to finish, in fact, because this is a richly elaborate piece of cinema that lets its presence be known in a lived-in way, including via Patrick Ghiringhelli's (Only the Animals) crisp cinematography and Olivier Marguerit's (Méduse) brooding score. The Night of the 12th is a feature to sleuth along with, as Moll's second whodunnit in a row, but it's also a picture to sink into as its stark truths inhabit everything seen and heard. Three choices, all contributing to much of the striking imagery, perhaps encapsulate this patiently powerful affair best — and all that it aims to convey. Yohan and Marceau's interrogations span a varied lineup of spaces, from dank bedrooms and crumbling shacks to bars and airy apartments, inherently stressing how pervasively threats to Clara's existence have lurked. A moodily lit velodrome gives Yohan his sole outlet from the case, offering a much-needed physical coping mechanism, and all that pedalling around and around is innately symbolic. Then there's the mountainous Grenoble and the Maurienne valley setting overall, moved from Versailles where Guéna spent a year in the Criminal Investigation Department, and not just naturally gorgeous but picture perfect and easy fodder for scenic French holiday dreams. Something atrocious, complex and unsolvable happens there, just as it can and does anywhere — and shaking that, and the tightly wound, deeply piercing movie overall, isn't easy.
One of Japan's most visionary mixologists is making a rare appearance in Sydney. For one night only on Wednesday, October 8, Shuzo Nagumo will be crafting cocktails during a special appearance at Suntory Bar. Shuzo Nagumo is the founder of the acclaimed Folklore, the Tokyo bar that defines what Japanese cocktails are on a cultural level. The name is inspired not just by traditional Japanese stories but also by the inheritance of customs, beliefs, and techniques. This ethos drives the bar's mission: to define what a Japanese cocktail truly means. [caption id="attachment_1026022" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Folklore Bar[/caption] Renowned for his futuristic cocktail techniques, Shuzo is heading to Suntory Bar's takeover of Whisky Thief in Sydney's Prefecture 48. Shuzo will unveil his bespoke menu, which reimagines the highball and other iconic beverages into avant-garde cocktails. The menu represents Shuzo's signature blend of precision, creativity, and artistry as well as Folklore's fresh vision for the future of Japanese mixology. Expect creations like the Marble Lactic Highball, which layers caramelised yoghurt-washed Suntory Toki Whisky with Chablis, pimento dram and elderflower. Or the Genmai and Eucalyptus Shandy, a refreshing fusion of genma tea-infused Roku Gin, eucalyptus and pale ale, plus many more. Shuzo's cocktails blend centuries-old Japanese ingredients with cutting-edge technique to create a boundary-pushing menu. All cocktails on the menu are $28. [caption id="attachment_1017291" align="alignleft" width="1800"] Suntory Bar[/caption] It's one of Suntory Bar's takeovers you won't want to miss. Shuzo's career spans time at Tokyo's most cutting-edge bars, Nobu London, and across Europe, making him a truly global influence on the bartending industry. Whether you're a cocktail connoisseur or are looking to try something new for your midweek date night, Shuzo Nagumo's one-night-only takeover at Suntory Bar is one to add to your diary. Walk-ins are available; however, this one is expected to be busy, so make a booking now to experience one of Japan's most influential bartenders in the flesh. Suntory Bar runs from Friday, August 8–Saturday, November 8 at Whisky Thief in Prefecture 48, 230 Sussex Street, Sydney. Shuzo Nagumo's takeover is on Wednesday, October 8. For more details and bookings head to the website.
When Heartbreak High returned in 2022, the Sydney-set series benefited from a fact that's helped Degrassi, Beverly Hills, 90210, Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl all make comebacks, too: years pass, trends come and go, but teen awkwardness and chaos is eternal. In its second season, Netflix's revival of an Australian favourite that first aired between 1994–99 embraces the same idea. It's a new term at Hartley High, one that'll culminate in the rite of passage that is the Year 11 formal. Amerie (Ayesha Madon, Love Me) might be certain that she can change after the events of season one — doing so is her entire platform for running for school captain — but waiting for adulthood to start never stops being a whirlwind. Streaming from Thursday, April 11 and proving as easy to binge as its predecessor, Heartbreak High 2.0's eight-episode second season reassembles the bulk of the gang that audiences were initially introduced to two years ago. Moving forward, onwards and upwards is everyone's planned path — en route to that dance, which gives the new batch of instalments its flashforward opening. The evening brings fire, literally. Among the regular crew, a few faces are missing in the aftermath. The show then rewinds to two months earlier, to post-holiday reunions, old worries resurfacing, new faces making an appearance and, giving the season a whodunnit spin as well, to a mystery figure taunting and publicly shaming Amerie. The latter begins their reign of terror with a dead animal; Bird Psycho is soon the unknown culprit's nickname. Leaders, creepers, slipping between the sheets: that's Heartbreak High's second streaming go-around in a nutshell. The battle to rule the school is a three-person race, pitting Amerie against Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween) — one as progressive as Hartley, which already earns that label heartily, can get; the other season one's poster boy for jerkiness, toxicity and entitlement. Heightening the electoral showdown is a curriculum clash, with the SLT class introduced by Jojo Obah (Chika Ikogwe, The Tourist) last term as a mandatory response to the grade's behaviour questioned by Head of PE Timothy Voss (Angus Sampson, Bump). A new faculty member for the show, he's anti-everything that he deems a threat to traditional notions of masculinity. In Spider, Ant (Brodie Townsend, Significant Others) and others, he quickly has followers. Their name, even adorning t-shirts: CUMLORDS. Only on Heartbreak High — or on Sex Education, which it continues to resemble — can a faceoff between SLTs (aka sluts) and CUMLORDS fuel a season-long narrative. For Bird Psycho's campaign against Amerie, the warring factions also provide a handy backdrop, as well as a distraction that has most of the school looking the other way. But Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Spooky Files), who is running for vice captain, is determined to work out who's masterminding the vehement vendetta. Almost everyone is a suspect, especially after an attack comes during the grade's annual camp — well, nearly everyone among the dozen-ish Hartley students that earn the series' focus. The season's romantic threads also push Amerie to the fore, rekindling her romance with last term's newcomer Malakai (Thomas Weatherall, RFDS) until Dubbo export Rowan (Sam Rechner, The Fabelmans), the latest arrival, gets a love triangle burning. Darren (James Majoos) and Ca$h's (Will McDonald, Blaze) relationship has roadblocks to overcome, such as jail and libidos at vastly different speeds. Missy (Sherry-Lee Watson), Sasha's ex, finds herself attracted to someone that she'd never expect. Zoe (Kartanya Maynard, Deadloch), another of season two's additions, spearheads a Puriteen movement that advocates celibacy. As she pieces her life back together after grappling with some of the show's heaviest past storylines, Amerie's best friend Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman) now has Ant pining over her. Hartley's principal Woodsy (Rachel House, Our Flag Means Death), plus Ca$h's nan (Maggie Dence, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) and criminal pal Chook (Tom Wilson, Last King of the Cross), round out the season's key players, on a character list that's as jam-packed as the antics filling the series' frames. Heartbreak High is in its lean-in era, where nothing is off the table. Drug-induced declarations, sex in school stairwells, pregnancy and abortion storylines, surprise redemptions, stalkers, childhood traumas, moving out of home, the utter cartoonishness of Voss (who dubs the school a "woke snowflake nightmare", and is the least successful element in the new episodes), busting out the Nutbush: they're all included, as is dancing from OTT to earnest and silly to serious. For creator Hannah Carroll Chapman (The Heights), who is behind the show's 2020s comeback — and also for her writers (Paper Dolls' Marieke Hardy, Sara Khan and Thomas Wilson-White; Safe Home's Jean Tong; Totally Completely Fine's Keir Wilkins; and The Heights' Megan Palinkas) and directors (Seriously Red's Gracie Otto, Mother and Son's Neil Sharma, and Why Are You Like This duo Jessie Oldfield and Adam Murfet) this time around — there's meaning in the season's tonal rollercoaster. Whether skewing light or heavy, entertainingly riffing on Rage or charting the constant quest to work our who you are that everyone endures in their teen years, or bringing Euphoria or the OG Heartbreak High to mind, all of the series' pinballing around explores a formative time when everything keeps seesawing and swinging by intentionally mirroring it. As was true during its debut Netflix stint to awards, acclaim and worldwide viewership, not to mention three decades back when 1993 movie The Heartbreak Kid sparked Heartbreak High to begin with, an excellent cast can ride every up and down that the show throws their characters' ways. Weatherall, Yasbincek and McDonald continue their thoughtful and layered portrayals of Malakai, Harper and Ca$h from 2022. Watson and Chapman Parish benefit from meatier storylines and deeper dives into Missy and Spider. Madon, Majoos and Hayden give Amerie, Darren and Quinni walk-right-off-the-screen energy. Rechner makes a meaningful imprint as Rowan, who is never a one-note enigmatic outsider. Investing in them, just like bingeing Heartbreak High season two, is always something that secondary schooling never is no matter what decade you're hitting the books, then the parties: easy. Check out the trailer for Heartbreak High's second season below: Heartbreak High season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, April 11, 2024. Read our review of season one. Images: Netflix.
Whether you're at a brewery, a vineyard or a distillery, it's a true delight tasting your way through a producer's wares right where they made them — often partnered with first-hand knowledge from the team themselves. While residents of Sydney's Hills District still have to travel to taste some wine from the source, they now have their very own local distillery right in their backyard, creating and sampling spirits next door to the area's brewery. Located just metres away from The Australian Brewery is Hills Distilling Co, a new purveyor of gin and vodka that officially opened on Friday, March 15. The intimate two-storey venue is here with gin tastings, masterclasses, guided tours and dumplings from an acclaimed Sydney chef. Head inside and you'll find the ground floor gin bar and cellar door, boasting tables for up to 12 guests seated and another ten standing. Head up the stairs and that's where the magic happens, with the mezzanine playing home to the blending tanks and ageing barrels. If you want to get your hands on a bottle of Hills Distilling Co gin, just drop into the retail space. Or else, there are just two opportunities to experience the distillery each week. It all kicks off on Thursdays, when the crew runs appointment-only guided tours between 3–6pm. These weekday afternoon peeks behind the curtain include a masterclass guiding you through the process of distilling gin, as well as cheese and charcuterie to snack on throughout. If you'd rather drop in after work on a Friday, you can kick off your weekend at the cellar door, open from 3–6pm one day a week. For these three hours, you can nab a table and enjoy tastings with a selection of mixers and cocktails of your choice. Plus, Friday dinner is sorted thanks to a lineup of dumplings courtesy of Sebastian Tan, the acclaimed Head Chef at the Macquarie Park Cantonese restaurant and yum cha joint JINJA. The distillery comes from Momento Hospitality, a group of Hills locals that first teamed up to open a Baulkham Hill bottle shop back in 1976. In the nearly five decades since, the team has extended its reach all across Sydney, opening venues such as Hillside Hotel, Bella Vista Hotel, Nags Head Hotel, Fire and Brimstone, and the home of JINJA, The Governor Hotel. Hills Distilling Co is located at 9/1 Capital Place, Rouse Hill. Head to the distillery's website for more info. Images: Steven Woodburn
Daniel San is steaming up a whole new meaning to Wednesdays. They're serving up all-you-can-stuff-your-face-with dim sum for $24.50pp weekly. The menu includes mixed veg dumplings, pork and cabbage dumplings, scallop dumplings, chive gow gee and har gow. And though you may need to be rolled out like Violet Beauregarde by the time you're finished, we can't think of a better way to get over those midweek blues. Daniel San's kitschy dojo transforms the Sydney beachside into Tokyo's crowded blocks, and the menu of street food mimics this vibe. To book, email info@danielsan.com.au or 9977 6963. The offer is on from 5pm to closing. View all Sydney Restaurants.
The secrets trade is booming. Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have proved the incredible consequences of when confidential information shows up where it's not supposed to, as well as the accompanying newspaper sales spikes. Rupert Murdoch no longer wants to rely on the whims of a third party and last week introduced the Wall Street Journal's SafeHouse. SafeHouse is News Corporation's online attempt at replicating the success of WikiLeaks. The website aims to increase whistle-blowing on wrongdoing, whether that be individual, corporate or governmental. The site encrypts your personal information so that your leaking of documents doesn't get back to you (anonymity is offered but not preferred as oftentimes information without a background is useless from a journalistic standpoint). If your information is juicy enough it will get coverage in the Wall Street Journal. So what's the catch? Questions over the motives of establishing such a site have been raised. Rupert Murdoch and his broadcasters have traditionally treated WikiLeaks and Assange with incredible disdain, with Fox News broadcaster Bill O'Reilly saying Assange "is a sleazeball...bent on damaging America". Why the sudden turnaround? Is the Wall Street Journal slighted over the New York Times traditionally getting the better (read: more scandalous and destructive) information from WikiLeaks? Or, as security analysts and conspiracy theorists alike think, is it all a trap? Security analyst, Jacob Appelbaum, was quoted as saying that the site had a "laundry list of amatuerish security flaws", with no guarantee your personal details or anonymity are safe. The website also holds the dubious disclaimer that your identity as a source is anonymous except under "extraordinary circumstances". With no definition of "extraodinary circumstances" provided, what does it entail? Does it include getting asked by the government to give up the information? Does it include selling the source's details to the highest bidder? The absense of such fine print flexibility is what made WikiLeaks what it is - a safe haven for the tell tale and leaker. If not a deliberate trap, the security concerns and disclaimers could make SafeHouse a fruitful hunting ground for a US government who's had enough of people knowing their confidential goings-on. Either way, if Murdoch wants more secrets, he might have to start being a bit nicer to Assange. [via Fast Company]
Short of physically volunteering your time, there aren't many ways you can help those in need over lunch. But Sydney-based social enterprise food company Two Good is trying to change that, with their buy-one, give-one lunch delivery model. After launching in Melbourne in September last year, Two Good has continued to deliver delicious salads through Deliveroo in the two cities — and for every one sold, a meal is donated to domestic violence shelters in both. They're not just any old salads either. After working with Yotam Ottolenghi and renowned Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell last season, the Two Good guys — Rob Caslick and Cathal Flaherty — have teamed up with Melbourne's Ben Shewry of the 33rd best restaurant in the world Attica to create a lunch option that far surpasses any soggy salad you were planning on making in your office's kitchenette this afternoon. The kimchi, chicken and soba noodle salad will be available to order for lunch through Deliveroo for $14 each Tuesday starting today, which is a pretty standard price for a salad in this town. And, considering for each salad you order Two Good will donate a meal to a domestic violence shelter in your city, it's an incredibly low-cost way to feed yourself and help someone who needs it. Meals are donated to shelters around NSW and Victoria. What's more, Two Good also employ women from the shelters they work with in NSW, and are looking to do the same in Victoria in the near future. If you want to buy a salad, you can place an order through Deliveroo between 11am and 2pm in Melbourne and Sydney. For more information on Two Good, go to twogood.com.au.
In its entire concept, Sydney Opera House's All About Women has always pushed girls, ladies and women to the front. So, the fact that the 2023 version of its key feminist festival will feature riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill couldn't be more perfect. That in-conversation event is just the beginning of the event's program, however, with the complete bill also going big on high-profile guests — such as child actor-turned-I'm Glad My Mom Died author Jennette McCurdy and human rights barrister Jennifer Robinson. Former iCarly star McCurdy will chat through her experiences, including growing up in the spotlight, finding her independence and the events that led to her New York Times best-selling memoir, in an Australian-exclusive conversation. After successfully representing Amber Heard in Johnny Depp's UK libel case, Robinson will feature in a panel called 'The War on Women', about fighting for both rights and lives, alongside Egyptian American journalist Mona Eltahawy, Pakistani author and journalist Fatima Bhutto, and Mununjali Yugambeh and South Sea Islander Professor Chelsea Watego. Running from Saturday, March 11—Monday, March 13, All About Women's 2023 festival marks its 11th, and sees the event held across three days for the first time ever — growing again after it only just expanded to two days in 2022, in fact. And, in another significant change for this year, the event's lineup is guided by four festival co-curators. Doing the honours: author, podcast presenter and gender equality advocate Jamila Rizvi; Gamilaroi academic and Tell Me Again author Dr Amy Thunig; feminist social commentator, novelist and writer Jane Caro AM; and Sydney Opera House's Head of Talks and Ideas Chip Rolley. Their full program includes 25 events featuring 60-plus international and Australian artists, thinkers, and storytellers, starting with an evening of storytelling, poetry, dance and music for the fest's Opening Night Gala, hosted by Clare Bowditch and featuring actor Eryn Jean Norvill (The Picture of Dorian Gray), "mother of African contemporary dance" Germaine Acogny, Iranian Australian singer and instrumentalist Gelareh Pour, and Fatima Bhutto. And, it also spans Cult Classic author Sloane Crosley chatting about modern dating with journalist Maddison Connaughton — and a romance and reality TV-focused discussion between Bachelorette Brooke Blurton, Just The Gist podcaster Rosie Waterland, and Gamilaroi and Torres Strait Islander writer and actor Nakkiah Lui. In a session about neurodivergence in women and gender-diverse people, 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame, Heartbreak High's Chloe Hayden, and research psychologist and activist Dr Jac den Houting will talk with Thunig — and a panel examining trying to achieve justice in sexual abuse claims, and the trauma the process can bring, will feature sexual assault law reform advocate Saxon Mullins, criminal lawyer Katrina Marson, Yorta Yorta woman and survivor advocate Amanda Morgan, and lawyer and author Bri Lee. Or, attendees can look forward to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies scholar Kylie Moore-Gilbert hosting a session on the women-led revolution in Iran, as joined by Pour, scholar and poet Dr Saba Vasefi, and author and journalist Shokoofeh Azar; plus a panel about the body positivity movement's struggles to be genuinely inclusive, featuring Wadjanbarra Yidinji, Jirrbal and African-American former model Sasha Kutabah Sarago, body love activist and podcaster April Hélène-Horton aka The Bodzilla, fashion editor and queer rights activist Deni Todorovič, disability rights campaigner Elly Desmarchelier, and comedian and broadcaster Tanya Hennessy. The list goes on, covering Clementine Ford exploring the history of demonising single women, a session on women's activism through a First Nations lens, diving into starting a family in a modern world, unpacking gendered emotions, and turning Eltahawy's FEMINIST GIANT newsletter into a panel. The Girlboss movement, making tough decisions, the shame often imposed on women and girls, leading movements, a Bikini Kill gig: they all get their time in focus, too. Just like in 2022, the festival will host its sessions in-person for Sydneysiders, and will also live-stream to viewers both around Australia and worldwide — which is ace news if you live outside of the Harbour City. [caption id="attachment_875442" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Debi Del Grande[/caption] Top image: Jacquie Manning.
Before there was a Marvel Cinematic Universe, there were Fantastic Four movies. The first two to earn a big-screen release arrived in 2005 and 2007, with the latter hitting the year before Iron Man kicked off the MCU. Now, add the Stan Lee- and Jack Kirby-created superhero quartet to the list of characters who are being brought into the Marvel fold. The next Fantastic Four is set to reach cinemas in 2025 as part of the franchise's sixth phase. That Disney has been planning to bring Fantastic Four into the MCU isn't new news. In fact, it's been on the cards for a few years, enabled by the Mouse House buying 20th Century Fox. But since it was announced, it's sparked a whole heap of speculation about casting Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm — aka Mister Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Thing and The Human Torch. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Disney (@disney) Exactly who'll be getting fantastic this time around has just been revealed, with Disney dropping the news for Valentine's Day 2024 in the US. It's a starry list, starting with Pedro Pascal — who adds the MCU to his resume alongside the Star Wars realm (thanks to The Mandalorian) and game-to-TV smash The Last of Us — as stretchy group leader Richards. He's joined by Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), who'll bend light as one of the Storm siblings; Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), who'll get fiery as the other; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), who is no one's cousin here, but will instead get huge, rocky and super strong. Directed by WandaVision, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Succession's Matt Shakman, the new Fantastic Four is now set for a Thursday, July 24, 2025 release Down Under. [caption id="attachment_885020" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Last of Us via HBO[/caption] Pascal and company are taking over from two past big-screen takes on the superhero team. In the 2005 and 2007 movies, Ioan Gruffudd (Harrow), Jessica Alba (LA's Finest), a pre-Captain America Chris Evans (Pain Hustlers) and Michael Chiklis (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) starred. Then, in 2015, Chronicle filmmaker Josh Trank gave the group a spin — still outside of the MCU — with Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick), Kate Mara (Black Mirror), a pre-Black Panther Michael B Jordan (Creed III) and Jamie Bell (All of Us Strangers). As everyone who caught this year's Super Bowl trailers knows — so, everyone — Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds, Ghosted) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, Faraway Downs) are also joining the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine, and also thanks to Disney purchasing Fox. Since dropping on Monday, February 12, the debut trailer for the film has become the most-watched trailer ever. There's no trailer for the new Fantastic Four yet, obviously, but you can check out the sneak peeks for the past three Fantastic Four movies below: Fantastic Four is set to release in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Top images via HBO, Apple TV+, Netflix and FX.
When it premiered at Sundance in January this year, Spaceship Earth wouldn't and couldn't have seemed as topical as it does at present. The documentary's subject: Biosphere 2. If the name isn't familiar, it refers to a biodome in the Arizona desert that played host to eight inhabitants for two years in the early 90s — all isolating themselves from the world by choice, in the name of silence, to see if a closed-off, fully self-sustaining vivarium could work. Yes, it sounds like pure sci-fi. We can guarantee that this is 100-percent reality, however. Exploring a tale that has to be seen to be believed, filmmaker Matt Wolf takes viewers through the unusual and fascinating experiment — wth the help of a treasure trove of archival material, as well as present-day interviews from many of the folks involved at the time. While it would've been very easy to play up the outlandishness of the whole project (indeed, as seen in media clips from the era, many an onlooker did), this doco approaches Biosphere 2 and the passionate people who made it happen with thoughtfulness and appreciation, in what proves a supremely interesting and engaging film. And, if you'd like to check it out, you can do so for without paying a cent as part of the new Visions, Speculations and Dystopias: A Deep Dive Into Spaceship Earth event hosted by The Capitol in Melbourne. There are multiple components, all free and all online — and streaming the movie is one of them. You'll need to RSVP to get sent the details, and then you can view it at your leisure in the lead up to three virtual events. The first, a watch party, takes place at 7.30pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 4. After that, you can catch a panel about whether humanity should leave earth, as held at 5.30pm AEDT on Thursday, November 5, and then check out a masterclass with Spaceship Earth's director Matt Wolf at 10am AEDT on Friday, November 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGvYFB6GHRY
In the last 13 years, Black Star Pastry has expanded into five stores across two cities, created storybook dessert creations and had its Strawberry Watermelon Cake crowned the 'world's most Instagrammed cake'. Through all this, the bakery has stuck by its original Newtown store. That is, until this week. The beloved Sydney dessert specialist has finally outgrown its quaint Australia Street digs, with the original Black Star Pastry serving up its last slice of cake after more than a decade. While the cult-favourite dessert maker is no longer tucked away behind Beach Burrito, it hasn't abandoned its Newtown roots, opening a brand new store just down the road. The new store has opened in the heritage building at 325 King Street, just 100 metres from the old spot. This new-look Black Star Pastry has high ceilings, marble bench tops and an installation of rolling pins hanging above the counter. The spacious new front room is awash in sunlight from the arched storefront windows. Outside the fresh look, not much has changed at the new Black Star location. You can still find all your favourite cakes, alongside breakfast favourites and tasty snacks such as quiches, pies, croissants, egg and bacon rolls and coffee. Staying true to the brand's Newtown roots was important when moving on from the original store, according to Black Star's General Manager Josef Murray. "Newtown is incredibly special to us, as it's where Black Star Pastry's journey began all those years ago," Murray said in a statement. "Long before the strawberry watermelon cake and its legion of fans, it was Newtown's locals who first embraced this budding bakery." Find Black Star Pastry at 325 King Street, Newtown from 7.30am–5.30pm Monday–Sunday.
Sometimes it feels like there are just so many new restaurants and bars popping up across Sydney that there isn't enough time to try them all. And there certainly isn't enough cash coming in to pay for all those dinners and cocktails, especially this close to the silly season. That's why we're giving you the chance to score dinner for you and five of your best mates — or take the fam for extra brownie points — at the recently opened XOPP in Darling Square. Better yet, it's worth a cheeky $500. From the crew behind Haymarket institution Golden Century, XOPP is located in the brand-new Exchange building and it delivers a more contemporary dining experience than the original restaurant or its sister venue in Pyrmont. The 160-seat restaurant has a sleek fit out with floor-to-ceiling windows and leather banquettes, which you could soon be settling into to enjoy Golden Century's famous pipis in XO sauce. The bar is slinging cocktails, plus a casual 250 wines. Food-wise, you'll be tucking into dishes like hiramasa kingfish with finger lime, prawn rolls, southern rock lobster, crispy pork rib with red bean curd and jasmine bubble tea panna cotta. So, expect to leave satisfied (and with the urge to unbutton your jeans). Afterwards, you can have a post-dinner stroll around Darling Square, which now connects Haymarket, Ultimo and Darling Harbour with plenty of shops, bars and eateries among its many laneways, including Electric Treat Street and Steam Mill Lane. To enter, see details below. [competition]749394[/competition] Images: Steve Woodburn.
Get Ugged up, rugged up and ready to embrace all things chilly at the Bathurst Winter Festival. The two-week event runs from Saturday, July 6 to Sunday, July 21 and celebrates the magic of the colder months. Sure, summer's great, but there's something about cosying up with a hot chocolate or medium-bodied glass of red that just hits differently come July. Located three hours northwest of Sydney, the city of Bathurst will light up in a blaze of colour and light as interactive installations are projected onto the town's historic architecture. Head along to the Winter Playground where you can enjoy live music, comfort food, warm drinks, wine events, show rides and an outdoor ice skating rink. The events and activations are spread across Bathurst and much of the festival is free — including a huge food and drinks festival, a pet parade and more. Either way, it's a great excuse for a weekend away this winter. The Bathurst Winter Festival runs from Saturday, July 6 to Friday, July 21. For further details, head to the website.
Just about everyone loves a picture-perfect sunrise. Now you can admire one for a little longer, perhaps while standing in your own kitchen, as Nutella has released a limited-edition collection of labels featuring the most breathtaking sunrises across Australia and New Zealand. From Kangaroo Island to Sydney Harbour, dreaming about somewhere you'd rather be just got easier. At the same time, Nutella has also crafted a handful of Aussie and New Zealand-inspired breakfast recipes, pairing some of our most cherished local ingredients with chocolate-hazelnut goodness. Think macadamia banana bread, Anzac breakfast tarts, and orange and kiwi fruit pikelets. To celebrate these feel-good labels and recipes, Nutella is hosting the Café Nutella Pop-Up for one day only. Taking over Caffe Gigi in Circular Quay on Saturday, May 17, Nutella fans will undoubtedly go nutty as day breaks, with a taste of these special creations best had right by one of the locations featured on the new jars. Those who make the trip and dine in will receive a tasting paddle of three different Nutella-inspired bites, while takeaway visitors will be gifted a grab-and-go snack. While walk-ins are available, booking ahead of time is recommended if you're keen to soak up the event with a table — at sunrise or otherwise.
The last time that Black Mirror released new episodes, no one had ever heard the terms COVID-19 and ChatGPT, the world hadn't been through a huge lockdown due to a pandemic, Succession was only one season in and Twitter had a far less chaotic owner. They're just a few ways to answer the show's new question, with Charlie Brooker's dystopian sci-fi hit getting tweeting for the first time since 2019 to start teasing its upcoming sixth season. That social-media query: the very apt "what have we missed?". Obviously there are plenty of ways to respond, which Black Mirror creator quickly Charlie Brooker did. 🤔 — Charlie Brooker (@charltonbrooker) April 25, 2023 Those four words from the official Black Mirror Twitter and that one emoji from Brooker is all that's been pumped out into the ether about the show's return, but it's enough to get excited about given that it breaks the series' four-year silence. Wondering when you might be staring at your own black mirror again to watch Black Mirror? That still hasn't been announced. News about Black Mirror's next go-around isn't new, of course, and has been doing the rounds since 2022. Last year, Variety also named a heap of cast members, including Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Paapa Essiedu (Men), Josh Hartnett (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Aaron Paul (Westworld), Kate Mara (Call Jane), Danny Ramirez (Stars at Noon), Clara Rugaard (I Am Mother), Auden Thornton (This Is Us) and Anjana Vasan (Killing Eve). Back when the sixth season was confirmed, how many more grim dystopian tales were on their way hadn't been revealed, however, and that's still the case now. That said, it's expected that the new season will run for more than season five's mere three episodes — and apparently each new instalment is being treated as an individual film. Black Mirror fans will know that the series has also released a direct-to-streaming movie, aka the choose-your-own-adventure-style Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, back in 2018 between seasons four and five. How exactly will the series manage to be even more dispiriting than reality over the past few years? That's increasingly been one of its dilemmas — and noting that something IRL feels just like Black Mirror has become one of the cliches of our times — but this'll be the mind-bending effort's first round of episodes following the pandemic. No one has ever watched the Brooker-created series for a pick-me-up, though. Since first hitting the small screen in 2011, Black Mirror has spun warped visions of where technology may lead us — and, no matter what tale the show has told so far across its 22 instalments (including that interactive movie), the picture has usually been unnerving. So, imagine what the program will cook up after what we've all been living through since it last aired. Brooker has already riffed on COVID-19 in two Netflix specials, actually: Death to 2020 and Death to 2021, which offer satirical and star-studded wraps of both years with mixed success. For something completely different, he also jumped back into choose-your-own-adventure content with animated short Cat Burglar, which hit Netflix back in 2022, has viewers play through it as a thieving feline called Rowdy and gets you to answer trivia questions to advance the story. While you're waiting for Black Mirror's sixth season to arrive — and a release date for it — check out a trailer for season three episode San Junipero below: Exactly when Black Mirror season six might hit Netflix is yet to be revealed. We'll update you when further details are announced.
At two locations in Victoria, and over in New Zealand as well, the Peninsula Hot Springs crew have made bathing in relaxing warm water reason enough to book a holiday. Now, the team wants travellers to think about hitting the outback Queensland town of Cunnamulla in the same way. The spot has just become home to Cunnamulla Hot Springs, which the local Paroo Shire owns but Peninsula Hot Springs Group is running. If your idea of bliss is a lengthy soak in a stunning location, you have a new getaway spot to pop on your agenda, then. Perched right by Warrego River for the ultimate in scenic surroundings, Cunnamulla Hot Springs boasts seven geothermic pools. First announced in 2023, it launched at the beginning of February 2024. The $11.7-million, five-star site — which came to fruition with contributions from both the federal and Queensland state governments — is the largest-funded project that the Paroo Shire Council has ever undertaken. Getting Peninsula Hot Springs Group to look after day-to-day operations means capitalising upon its expertise honed elsewhere, however. As well as Peninsula Hot Springs, of course, it has Metung Hot Springs in East Gippsland to its name, plus Aotearoa's Maruia Hot Springs. In Cunnamulla, bathers slip into pools surrounded by native trees, and featuring mineral- and vitamin-rich water taken from and heated naturally by the artesian basin underneath. Learning about the latter around your soak is also part of the experience — calming your body and feeding your mind at the same time. Each of Cunnamulla Hot Springs's bathing spots sport different temperatures, so you can get steamy, opt for a stint in the chilled plunge pool or both. One has been specifically built to be shallow, so that folks sitting in it can gaze at the stars in the most immersive way possible. In the state-of-the-art complex, a sauna and a steam room is also part of the setup, as is an area for salt scrubs and clay masks. Fancy taking a dip by sunrise or sunset? That's on offer as well, to make the most of day's cooler temperatures. Dawn bathing starts at 6am, while a twilight soak is on offer from 5–9pm on weekdays. Patrons aren't merely surrounded by Cunnamulla's landscape as they sit; everything about Cunnamulla Hot Springs has taken its cues from its environment, with Cox Architects on design duties. Think: earthy colours, and using stone and ironbark timber among other natural materials — plus the thermal waters, of course. When it was announced last year, Cunnamulla Hot Springs was named as a highlight on the Outback Queensland Traveller's Guide, which is filled with things to do inland in the Sunshine State. Queensland isn't just about beaches, rainforests and the tropics, even if that's what it's best known for. So, the bathing venue joins everything from starlight river cruises in Longreach and Winton's Australia Age of Dinosaurs Museum through to the Southwest Queensland Indigenous Cultural Trail and a heap of national parks (and other outback spas and baths, including in Julia Creek, Bedourie, Quilpie, Mitchell and Yowah). If you're now planning a trip to Cunnamulla, it's around a nine-hour drive west from Brisbane, with flights via Rex, and also boasts an outback river lights festival; the Artesian Time Tunnel, which explores the Artesian Basin's history; and safari-style glamping — among other attractions. Find Cunnamulla Hot Springs at Lot 5 Ivan Street, Cunnamulla, Queensland — head to the venue's website for bookings and further information. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Sydney residents will be donning their gardening gloves and taking to the streets in an attempt to vivify the city’s increasingly banal footpaths. The City of Sydney has instigated a new gardening initiative, designed to increase the flora next to our city's streets, and thereby protecting local habitats, improving air quality and filtering storm water run-off. University of Technology urban ecologist, Dr Jane Tarran, revealed that increasing urbanisation and lack of vegetation throughout the city has caused a loss of connection with birds and wildlife and a gradual decline in contact with nature in general. Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP believes that “trees and other planting help absorb carbon pollution and help cool our city” and will thus help counteract the negative effects of urbanisation. The Footpath Gardening Policy has been developed in order to allow the public to establish a garden or nature strip without a development application. Council adopted the recommendation to allocate an impressive $50,000 for seeds and plant boxes to help kickstart this important process for the first six months. As well as having positive effects on the natural ecology, the increase in trees is also expected to be beneficial for human wellbeing as Dr Tarran says “they have a restorative power..., providing recovery from mental fatigue and information overload”.
Parramatta is Sydney's second CBD, but it doesn't sit in the shadows of its harbourside sibling — particularly when it comes to food and culture. The multicultural suburb has a rich history and it's growing fast, which means it's home to both sparkly new sky-high bars and 30-year-old shops. It has globally renowned streetwear stores to visit when you want to refresh your wardrobe, famous south Indian restaurant chains for your next group feast and musical instrument stores for when you want to pursue a new hobby. In fact, it has a must-visit spot for pretty well every occasion. Together with American Express, we've rounded up our picks of the western Sydney spots to visit when you're planning your next date night, looking for a quick dinner or wanting to buy a gift for that aunt who has a thing for healing crystals.
If you missed out on the last Sydney Contemporary — or last year's The Other Art Fair — fret not. While the latter most recently happened in October, it's back again in March. Art lovers, you know what this means: you'll have another opportunity to snatch up an artwork from emerging and unrepresented artists from March 22 to 25. Presented by Saatchi Art, the fair showcases more than 100 artists (selected by a formidable committee of contemporary art experts), typically drawing in about 10,000 people over four days. Celebrating the vibrancy and innovation of Sydney's emerging art scene, it's a rare chance to buy work directly from artists rather than through a gallery. Thinking of buying? Fair organisers advise you to obey your taste, buy what you like, take a risk and most of all, make the most of having the artist on hand to chat to. Alongside the art will be workshops, large-scale installations, talks and events, plus drinks to refresh your palette between perusals. Make a party out of it by attending on opening night ($25), or stop by for a general browse between Friday to Sunday, with general entry tickets costing between $12 and $15. Head along to catch a rising star at the beginning of their career — or just to soak up all that creativity and get inspired.
If peering at an artist's work is the same as peering into their soul, then staring at a self-portrait is like peeking through a wide-open window. Perhaps Rembrandt believed this? The 17th-century artist certainly loved putting his likeness on paper, whether he was picking up a brush or pencil, or getting etching. Perhaps you can ponder this very notion at Rembrandt — True to Life, which is bringing the Dutch Golden Age master's works to Melbourne's NGV International to brighten up Australia's winter. From Friday, June 2–Sunday, September 10, the St Kilda Road gallery will be home to a wide-ranging exploration of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's work — so expansive, in fact, that it's the most-comprehensive Rembrandt exhibition to display Down Under in 25 years. On loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, 1659's Self-Portrait is one of the star attractions, and one of around 80 images of himself he's thought to have made. Created when the artist was 53 (and three years after he'd declared bankruptcy), it sits alongside ten etched self-portraits. Combined, they let True to Life attendees chart how he saw himself, and conveyed his soul to the world, over three decades. Etchings comprise a significant portion of the NGV's ode to Rembrandt, with more than 100 from its own collection at the heart of the impressive retrospective. In addition to helping to detail his self-perception, they showcase his innovations as a printmaker and also illustrate how widely and deeply he splashed around his artistic talents. If you're heading to a Rembrandt exhibition, you want to see his paintings, of course, an instinct that the showcase capitalises upon. Thanks to pieces borrowed from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Louvre in Paris, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Teylers Museum in Haarlem as well, the artist's prints are placed in context with his paintings. You'll see how they're connected no matter the subject or theme as True to Life steps through not just his portraits, but also his landscapes, scenes of daily life, depictions of religious motifs and nudes. Among his scenery-focused works, his largest landscape etching The three trees, which dates back to 1643, is a drawcard. From his pieces that hone in on the human form — never idealising them — Diana at the bath, an etching from 1631, is another highlight. Taking its cues from passages from the Gospel of St Matthew, 1648's well-known piece The Hundred Guilder Print is also on display as part of the exhibition's survey of Rembrandt's fascination with faith. His two largest prints similarly fall into the same category: The three crosses from 1653 and Christ presented to the people from 1655. Because the artist transformed them both by making continuous adjustments, True to Life shows them in two different states — early and late side by side. Images: Installation view of Rembrandt: True to Life on display from 2 June-10 September at NGV International, Melbourne. Photos: Tom Ross.
When Drake plays his first Australian shows in eight years on his 2025 Anita Max Win tour, he isn't just dropping in for a few dates. Since first being announced in November 2024 for a run in February, the Canadian artist's trip Down Under keeps being extended. Now, he's even sticking around at the beginning of March, adding new shows in Sydney and Brisbane. That makes five gigs in the Harbour City and three in the Sunshine State capital. Drake will play Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, February 16–Monday, February 17, then on Wednesday, February 19–Thursday, February 20, and now on Friday, March 7 as well. In Brisbane, he's headed to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Monday, February 24–Tuesday, February 25, and also on Tuesday, March 4. Yes, you're now going to have 'Hotline Bling', 'Too Good', 'Passionfruit', 'Nice for What', 'In My Feelings', 'One Dance' and 'Laugh Now Cry Later' stuck in your head. Drake last hit the stage in Australia in 2017 on his Boy Meets World tour. Also on the five-time Grammy-winner's Australian itinerary this time: two gigs at RAC Arena in Perth and four at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. The Degrassi: The Next Generation star and platinum-selling singer is fresh off his 2023–24 It's All A Blur Tour, which saw him chalk up over 80 soldout shows in North America. Last time that he played to Aussie audiences, Drake had four studio albums to his name: 2010's Thank Me Later, 2011's Take Care, 2013's Nothing Was the Same and 2016's Views. He's doubled that since, so expect tunes from 2018's Scorpion, 2021's Certified Lover Boy, 2022's Honestly, Nevermind and 2023's For All the Dogs, too. The Anita Max Win tour's initially announcement wasn't new news if you'd been paying attention to Drake's social media, where he'd been teasing details — but it keeps expanding. Drake's 'Anita Max Win' Tour 2025 Australian Dates Tuesday, February 4–Wednesday, February 5 — RAC Arena, Perth Sunday, February 9–Monday, February 10 + Wednesday, February 12–Thursday, February 13 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, February 16–Monday, February 17 + Wednesday, February 19–Thursday, February 20 + Friday, March 7 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, February 24–Tuesday, February 25 + Tuesday, March 4 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Drake is touring Australia in February and March 2025, with tickets to the new Sydney and Brisbane shows on sale from 1pm local time on Wednesday, January 15. Head to the tour website for more details. Images: The Come Up Show via Flickr.
Helping you go back to simpler times and get into the holiday spirit this December is Hoyts Cinemas, with its new retro series the Best of the Classics. Or, as some would say, the perfect escape from the real world. Every week from December 3 till December 23, Hoyts Cinemas across Sydney will be screening 1980s blockbusters — jam-packed with big hair, shoulder pads and oddball comedy — as well as toe tap-worthy musicals and, as Christmas creeps up, cheery holiday movies. From the 80s, you can expect Apocalypse Now, Rocky, Enter the Dragon and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Musical-wise, there's everything from Mamma Mia to Chicago, Bohemian Rhapsody and The Greatest Showman. And, to help spread some much-needed cheer, it'll be screening Christmas classics such as the OG Home Alone, alongside Elf, The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Santa Clause. Sessions dates and times vary for each participating Hoyts cinema, so it's best to check the Hoyts Best of the Classics program here before booking in your next movie date. Find your closest Hoyts Cinema here — then check out the Best of the Classics program and book your seats. Top images: 'Mamma Mia' and 'Chicago'
In 2016, a French documentarian with Senegalese heritage attended the trial of a Senegalese French PhD student who confessed to killing her 15-month-old daughter, who was fathered by a white partner, by leaving her on the beach to the mercy of the waves at Berck-sur-Mer. The filmmaker was fixated. She describes it as an "unspeakable obsession". She was haunted by questions about motherhood, too — her mum's and her own, given that she was a young mother herself as she sat in the courtroom. That story is the story of how Saint Omer came to be, and also almost exactly the tale that the piercing drama tells. In her first narrative film after docos We and La Permanence, writer/director Alice Diop focuses on a French author and literature professor with a Senegalese background who bears witness to a trial with the same details, also of a Senegalese French woman, for the same crime. Saint Omer's protagonist shares other traits with Diop as she observes, too, and watches and listens to research a book. A director riffing on their own experience isn't novel, but Saint Omer is strikingly intimate and authentic because it's the embodiment of empathy in an innately difficult situation. It shows what it means to feel for someone else, including someone who has admitted to a shocking crime, and has been made because Diop went through that far-from-straightforward process and was galvanised to keep grappling with it. What a deeply emotional movie this 2022 Venice International Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winning feature is, understandably and unsurprisingly. What a heartbreaking and harrowing work it proves as well. Saint Omer is also an astoundingly multilayered excavation of being in a country but never being seen as truly part it, and what that does to someone's sense of self, all through Fabienne Kabou's complicated reality and Laurence Coly's (Guslagie Malanda, My Friend Victoria) fictionalised scenario. As Laurence gets her time in court, Diop takes it all in. "It would make life easier" is the defendant's early characterisation of her crime, a gut-punch of a way to describe infanticide. But before Laurence unravels the minutiae of her life prior to and after moving from Senegal to study — and her daughter Lili's brief existence and death — Rama (film debutant Kayije Kagame) is dreaming, being comforted by her French partner Adrien (Thomas de Pourquery, Perfect Nanny), teaching and finally making the trip for the trial. When she packs, she grabs a sleeping bag. When she checks into her hotel, she replaces the bed's quilt with this small piece of home. It's a revealing gesture, conveying how intensely that Rama is already connecting with Laurence and her journey through the justice system; they're strangers but, as Rama gathers specifics for her book, which will compare Laurence's plight to Medea, this is never anything less than personal. The bulk of Saint Omer is chatter, as Laurence is questioned about what happened, why, her studies, her hopes and dreams, and her relationships with her mother (Salimata Kamate, Represent) and Lili's father (Xavier Many, Notre Dame on Fire). In France's legal setup, interrogating isn't limited to attorneys — the judge (Valérie Dréville, Wonder in the Suburbs) guides the proceedings, with Laurence's lawyer (Aurélia Petit, Rosalie) and prosecuting counsel (Robert Cantarella, My Best Part) inquiring sporadically. The defendant states from the outset that she killed her baby, but doesn't consider herself responsible. She wants the trial to inform not just the court but herself as to why this tragedy occurred. She brings up sorcery, and the immediate incredulity that hangs in the air in a room with only two other Black people, her mum and Rama, is among the plethora of ways that Diop calls attention to the contrast between France as a racially diverse nation and the truth of not being white in the European country. Befitting a movie about a writer, language is one of Saint Omer's stars, courtesy of a script co-written by Diop with the film's editor Amrita David, plus Marie N'Diaye (White Material). Often reworking text from Kabou's case, Laurence's story is told in such an evocative fashion that picturing what she's saying is a given. She talks, and cinematographer Claire Mathon (Spencer, and also Céline Sciamma's Petite Maman and Portrait of a Lady on Fire) hones in on that talking — always as Laurence wears skin-tone matching shirts that visually reinforce how invisible she feels; always standing against wooden panelling with the same effect; and always expressing as much in her stance, gaze and all the things she doesn't say. Occasionally, the judge takes the frame, or lawyers, witnesses or Rama, usually centred. Diop wants viewers to focus on their words, too, and the reactions betrayed by their faces and physicality. This is filmmaking at its most meticulous and emotional, with such carefully measured scenes proving puncturing and searing. As talk flows, so does judgement within the court and beyond. Rama begins querying herself — in her dreams, alone in her hotel, and via flashbacks to her childhood, where things with her mum (first-timer Adama Diallo Tamba) are complex and tense — but the scrutiny Laurence is placed under transcends her deeds. While Saint Omer doesn't excuse her actions for a second, it keeps illustrating how life in France has treated and continues to treat her, and why Rama can spy echoes between their otherwise vastly dissimilar predicaments. During a call after part of the testimony, Rama's editor (Alain Payen, Golden Moustache) notes that Laurence speaks "very sophisticated French". There's no doubting that that wouldn't be said about someone white with the same college background; Rama replies that she just "talks like an educated woman". When the judge also can't believe the claims of witchcraft, or entertain diving into what they mean, it too is a loaded response. There are no easy moments in Saint Omer, or easy answers. There can't be. Diop looks at this delicate situation with sensitivity and probing — and, in yet another parallel with Rama, questions why she's making the film, what she's saying about the situation, the role of myth in processing the incomprehensible, and motherhood's many intricacies and challenges. Indeed, this is a movie made with uncompromising rigour as well as understanding, as expected from a documentary filmmaker turning to fiction. It's a stunning legal drama that's as brilliantly crafted as Custody, another Venice standout from France about a grim situation. And, it's home to astonishing performances by Malanda and Kagame, each haunting in their own ways. Diop will never forget Kabou, and audiences won't be able to get her film, its extraordinary story or its exceptional lead actors out of their heads, either.
Throughout January, 2025, summer evenings will come alive at Manly's waterfront gallery. Art, music and ideas collide in a vibrant celebration over three programs every Thursday, January 9—23. The Manly Art Gallery and Museum invites you to explore The Water Understands exhibition, offering fresh perspectives on the curator's process. Visitors will also enjoy live music, art-making activities and thought-provoking talks while sipping on a glass of wine from Little Ripples. Whether you're interested in discovering new works or engaging with artists, these free evenings promise an immersive experience, blending creativity, culture and conversation against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbour.
Magnum are hitting the streets of Sydney with a Red Velvet Singles Couch on February 18. It's in celebration of Valentine's Day and the new Red Velvet Magnum (chocolate and cream cheese ice cream, with an outside layer of cream cheese-flavoured white chocolate). Single people in Sydney are invited to be among the first to taste the new flavour and jump on the couch to take a photo, with a Magnum in hand, to go into the draw to win a spot at one of Sydney's most exciting and exclusive dining experiences, A Moveable Feast. A Moveable Feast is by the same team that bring you the beautiful Diner en Blanc every year. It's a themed pop-up dinner that takes place on Bondi Beach. This year, food will be by Luke Mangan. The 2017 dinner has already sold out, but if you're one of the Magnum competition winners you'll get to sit on the Magnum single's table alongside Cameron Cranley from the second season of The Bachelorette. All you have to do to win one of five double passes to A Moveable Feast is jump on the Red Velvet Singles Couch, take a photo and upload it to Instagram. The five most creative photos will win. The single's couch pop-up is open on Saturday February 18 at Coogee Beach from 11am - 3pm.
It's something you're hoping you only have to do once (more) in your life, you're probably not looking forward to it and your entire future is riding on the outcome. And yet this outing — the one where you first meet your partner's parents — might also be one you look back on fondly around shared dinner tables for years to come. To set your day or night on the right trajectory, the perfect backdrop is key. Nothing too fancy or cool; you want a place that will put everyone at ease, you included. We've partnered with American Express to scour Sydney for ten such spots, all of which will make a solid impression on any potential future in-laws. These restaurants are easy to enjoy, take bookings, accept Amex and give you the best chance of winning over the rentals. They have personality, charm and are serving up some great food and booze to help the sell. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
The man behind two of the smartest, sweariest shows on television will open this year's Sydney Writers' Festival with a talk about spin and satire in the world of modern day politics. Armando Iannucci is best known as the creator of two of the funniest political comedies in living memory: the BBC's The Thick of It and HBO's Veep. Both shows have been lauded for their uncomfortably accurate portrayal of contemporary politics. In fact, they're so accurate that Malcolm Turnbull even accidentally adopted one of Selina Myer's slogans during last year's federal election campaign. Whoops! Both shows also beloved among fans for having some of the most entertaining profanity ever uttered on television… and for very good reason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUky4_A7Zw4 Iannucci will be at the Sydney Town Hall on the evening of Tuesday, May 2 with local journalist and screenwriter Benjamin Law, for a conversation that has been appropriately titled 'Swearing In'. Tickets are available now, and are $30 for students and pensioners, and $45 for adults. The full Sydney Writers' Festival program will be announced on April 6. The festival runs from May 22-28.
The Burwood Hotel is taking its pub eats and drinks to the next level this month, with the inner west stalwart now slinging alcoholic bubble tea. These 'boba' tea cocktails ($15) are served in the typical plastic takeaway cups for dine-in punters — and for takeaway. For those who prefer the milk tea-style, there's the Yakult Boba Soju, a concoction of Korean soju, the Japanese probiotic milk drink and lychee tapioca pearls. For an alternative to a vodka Red Bull, there's the Espresso Boba Milk Tea, which combines vodka, Baileys and Kahlua with espresso and milk, and black tapioca pearls. If you're after something more refreshing, go for the tropical one with passionfruit and Aperol or the aloe vera margarita — both of which come with lychee popping pearls. If you're keen to replace your morning cuppa with one of these, the bar even opens at 9am, and stays open until 5–6am on the weekends — which seems slightly unnecessarily, but it's there if you need it. The kitchen opens from 11am each day, with an extensive late-night menu on Thursday through Saturday nights from 10pm–3am. On it, there's plenty of classic pub grub, including three American-style burgers ($15 each), three cuts of steak ($16–31), a schnitty ($15) and a parmy ($16). The snacks, on the other hand, take their inspiration from across Asia. Expect Szechuan salt and pepper squid with nam jim sauce ($13–25) and chicken wings in Korean chilli sauce ($7–13), along with cheeseburger or barbecue duck spring rolls ($10-$11), Shanghai-style pork dumplings ($9) and prawn har gau ($9). Plus, the rooftop bar is slinging tinnies every Friday (3–11pm) and Saturday (5–11pm) — though don't expect a craft range, with the focus on international big brands in a can. Updated: July 30, 2019.
It was one of the best new shows on television — well, streaming — in 2022. It's the reason that everyone has been exclaiming "yes chef!" for the past six months. It's also the source of your beef sandwich obsession, deliciously so. And, it just picked up star Jeremy Allen White a shiny Golden Globe. That'd be The Bear, the first season of which ranked among the most stressful but stellar ways to spend four hours-ish last winter. Expect the show to repeat the feat when the chilly season hits this year, too, because that's when this dramedy gem will return for its second season. The Bear was renewed for season two before the show even made its way Down Under, after debuting in the US in June, then reaching Australia and New Zealand via Disney+ at the end of August. Whether audiences here will experience a delay again in 2023 is yet to be seen — hopefully not, given that it's now an established success — but either way, the series will return in America during our winter. FX's The Bear S2 premieres early summer, with 10 episodes. Only on @hulu. 🐻🥫#TheBearFX @TheBearFX pic.twitter.com/Y5QUBTlzcj — FX Networks (@FXNetworks) January 13, 2023 US network FX, which screens The Bear stateside, announced the news on social media — confirmed that season two will run for ten episodes. That's two extra servings of chaos surrounding Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (White, Shameless) and his culinary endeavours. While season one already saddled him more than his fair share of troubles and struggles, there's no way that season two is going to a cruisy dream for the kitchen ace. If you missed the first season, it jumped into the mayhem after Carmy took over The Original Beef of Chicagoland, his family's business, after his brother Mikey's (Jon Bernthal, We Own This City) suicide. Before returning home, the chef's resume spanned Noma and The French Laundry, as well as awards and acclaim. Accordingly, trying to bring that fine-dining level of meticulous to a neighbourhood sandwich shop didn't go smoothly. That's just the beginning of the story, in a series that truly conveyed what it's like to work in the hospitality industry — including navigating a restaurant kitchen's non-stop intensity. Yes, the mood is anxious from the outset, with The Bear's creator Christopher Storer (who also has Ramy, Dickinson and Bo Burnham: Make Happy on his resume) starting the series as he definitely meant to go on, but still expertly managing to balance drama and comedy. Also a crucial part of the show: the rest of the impressive cast, such as Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Dropout) as Richie, aka Cousin, aka Carmy's brother's best friend; Ayo Edebiri (Dickinson) as new sous chef Sydney; Abby Elliott (Indebted) as Carmy's sister Natalie, aka Sugar; and Lionel Boyce (Hap and Leonard), Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment) and Edwin Lee Gibson (Fargo) among the other Original Beef staff. You've now got a few months to perfect your sandwich-making skills, ready for The Bear's second helping. Check out the trailer for The Bear season one below: The Bear streams via Disney+. We'll update you with an exact season two release date when one is announced. Read our full review of season one.
Recognised as one of the most exciting film industries in Asia, the Korean cinema scene has been knocking it out of the park for years now — without it, we wouldn't have Bong Joon-ho's Okja and Snowpiercer, or Park Chan-wook's Stoker and The Handmaiden, for example. And the fact that neither directors have made the bill at the 2017 Korean Film Festival in Australia shows just how much talent the country has to choose from. Basically, there's plenty of other filmmaking greats where they came from. This year's KOFFIA, the festival's eighth, features straight-from-Cannes flicks, cinematic masters delivering their newest hits and many a movie in between. Boasting 24 films on its national lineup, the festival will kick off its Sydney leg on August 17 with The World of Us, a thoughtful drama about bullying and friendship, before coming to a close on August 26 with crime-thriller The Queen of Crime. Other highlights include Hong Sang-soo's fourth film in less than a year, The Day After, plus martial arts-filled assassin flick The Villainess, which has earned comparisons to Kill Bill. Also on the program animated zombie onslaught Seoul Station, the companion piece to last year's kinetic live-action effort Train to Busan, The Net, the latest from divisive auteur Kim Ki-duk, and a serial killer stalking down an amateur singing haunt in Karaoke Crazies.
Been spending the first half of 2021 pondering the future? Given how the past year has panned out, that's only natural. But in the early hours of Friday, June 25, you might want to look to the skies as well — and feast your eyes on this month's noteworthy lunar sight. For folks located Down Under, this is when you'll see this year's 'strawberry' full moon. According to NASA, it could also be considered a super full moons, with different publications split on the matter. If you choose to deem it a supermoon, you'll know that they aren't particularly rare — one occurred back in April, and then another took place in May — but there are still plenty of reasons to peer upwards this time around. If you're wondering what else you need to know, we've run through the details below. WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. June's full moon is called a strawberry moon not because it's pink or red — it isn't — but because that's when strawberries traditionally ripen in the northern hemisphere. Of course, it's currently winter in the southern hemisphere, but the name still sticks. And, if you're going with the supermoon school of thought, that name applies to a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. Again, they're not all that uncommon — whether or not you want to claim this one as a supermoon. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Friday, June 25. In Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the moon will be full at 4.39am according to Timeanddate.com. In Adelaide, that time moves forward half an hour, so it'll take place at 4.09am — and in Perth, it'll be earlier still, at 2.39am. Those times refer to the exact full moon time. Of course, the moon will still be visible in the sky before then — and looking rather full, even if the exact minute hasn't arrived. So, if you'd prefer to take a gander at a more pleasant hour on Thursday, June 24 or even in the evening on Friday, June 25, that's understandable. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies. So, city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view. If you can't get a clear vantage, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live-streaming from the skyline above Rome from 5am AEST on Friday, June 25 . The 'strawberry' full moon occur at 4.39am AEST on Friday, June 25 along Australia's east coast — although the moon itself will be visible in the sky all evening before that. For further information, including about timing, head to Timeanddate.com.
Beloved Chippendale pub the Lord Gladstone is changing its name once again. Last year, during Sydney's extended lockdown, the venue temporarily rebranded as The Lord Jabstone in a push to get Sydneysiders vaccinated and back to the pub. Now, the Gladdy is transforming again, this time into The Gladsong Hotel. The latest iteration of the inner-city pub is in response to the NSW Government's recent ban on singing and dancing in hospitality venues — restrictions that don't extend to places of worship. The tongue-in-cheek play on northwest Sydney's megachurch Hillsong looks to point out the hypocrisy in the current legislation, which targets the arts and hospitality after two incredibly tough years for both industries. The Gladsong Hotel's one-off Sunday Service is being billed as "a day of worship, schooners and good times" and will be happening on Sunday, January 23. On the day, there'll be DJs spinning tunes, plus $15 jugs of 'holy water' (The Gladstone's larger), $10 Bloody Lord cocktails and some lighthearted religious-themed shenanigans. And at midday, a pay-what-you-want keg will be tapped, with all proceeds going to Support Act. "It's been an absolutely frustrating period of time for all venue owners. Right now and over the past couple of years. Once again it feels like our leaders are leaving our poor struggling musicians and artists back in the darkness," venue owner Mitchell Crum said. "Live music venues, musicians, pubs and clubs all across the state have been the hardest hit without any support or closure. I can't say I'm terribly religious though I worship live music. Does that make us exempt?" Images: Jarrad Shaw
Australian activewear and maternity wear brand Active Truth has just launched its new line of leggings, bike shorts and crop tops with the help of Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul and Yawuru designer Bobbi Lockyer. The hand-painted design featured on the limited edition Brolga line of activewear is currently available via the Active Truth website and shipping is free worldwide. Based in Port Hedland, Western Australia, Lockyer created the clothing line in order to celebrate strong women. "In our Dreaming about Brolga, she was a beautiful girl obsessed with dancing. Dancing was her only love and nothing distracted her," Lockeyer said. "I like to think of Brolga as a headstrong woman, passionate and determined, going for her dreams. This is why I chose to paint brolga feathers for this design, to symbolise women with our strengths, passions and show that we are going for our dreams." Lockyer also photographed the campaign herself, shooting some of the strong women in her life sporting the line out in the red dust and salt flats of her hometown. The activewear line is supportive of women of all shapes and sizes, available in sizes small through to 3XL. The Brolga line is also available in Active Truth's popular maternity wear range. These leggings can be worn through every trimester, as well as post-natal. Stevie Angel and Nadia Tucker, the duo behind Active Truth, have created a compression fabric that provides secure support and is especially designed to help ease some of the pains and strains experienced during pregnancy. The tights will stay in place throughout your workout, too, and the compression fit assists in reducing leg swelling and soreness to boot. All Active Truth orders come with a 30-day return policy and free express shipping and exchanges worldwide. The clothing company also offers customers the option to include their traditional First Nations place name when entering their address during the ordering process. Check out the full range of Brolga activewear and maternity wear here or you can browse the whole range of Active Truth activewear, maternity wear and swimwear online now. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Gelato Messina — the geniuses that brought us the beautiful combination of salted caramel, fudge and meringue, have concocted a new flavour — and this time, it's made from the ingredients we usually reject: food scraps. Dubbed 'Bread and Butter Pud for Good', the flavour will be available for one week only, starting July 18, to help launch and publicise Virgin Mobile and OzHarvest's #mealforameal campaign. "[The flavour] will be a citrus spiced custard smashed with bread and butter pudding," says head chef and Messina partner Donato Toce, the guy that gets to eat half a litre of gelato every single freaking day. "These ingredients are what OzHarvest has in excess, so we thought this would be a good opportunity to make a unique flavour with that." Messina has been donating to OzHarvest for the past three years, so this project is right up their alley. "It works in so well with what we do, we would never want something out there that's half-hearted," he says. "For us it's all or nothing, and that's why this Virgin campaign is such a beautiful thing; it's them giving 100 percent to the needy". The #mealforameal campaign trades on our existing preoccupation with photographing our food. It encourages you to snap, crop, filter and share images of food to your heart's content. For every one image that you upload to social media with the hashtag #mealformeal, Virgin Mobile will donate one meal to OzHarvest. The target: 400,000 meals donated to charity. OzHarvest is an organisation aimed at addressing the disparity between enormous waste on the food production end, and the multitudes of people who go without food on the other. In Australia alone, $8 billion worth of food goes to waste annually. OzHarvest actively tries to minimise this gap by distributing surplus food from participating restaurants to charities all over Australia. It's a good partnership for Messina, who pride themselves on community engagement. "Messina is not just ours, it's everybody's," says Donato. "It's a neighbourhood thing and it’s the interaction with our customers [that] makes us what we are." There's a lot of people power in the long queues spiralling around the corner of their establishment. You were going to wait for an indefinite amount of time for some of that creamy joy in a cone anyway. Now you have the extra pleasure of helping someone in need get a good meal at the same time.
Returning to Australia with all the flair of a growling octogenarian swirling a glass of wine in one hand, the brilliantly manic Dylan Moran has announced his brand new comedy tour Off the Hook will be stopping at 12 locations across the country this July to August. The Irish comedian, who won our hearts as the creator and star of Black Books, is celebrated across the globe for his brilliant brand of rambling, brutally sharp stand-up comedy. Though you may hear Moran most frequently described as "curmudgeonly", the charm and intelligence of his manic comedy are hypnotic as he bombards audiences with his thoughts on everything from ageing and politics to kids, love and misery. Moran is coming to Australia straight off the back of a stint touring around the less likely locales of Kiev, Moscow and Kazakhstan — as well as becoming the first Western comic to perform in St Petersburg — with his surly ways winning him acclaim along the way. Bringing an always entrancing stage presence of slurring insights and bizarrely poetic complaints, broken by hysterical cackling and sips of wine, Moran's tour promises you comedy of the highest, most unpredictable kind. DYLAN MORAN'S OFF THE HOOK AUSTRALIAN TOUR Tickets on sale 10 March 10am Friday 10 July Riverside Theatre, Perth, WA Tuesday 14 July Civic Theatre, Newcastle, NSW Saturday 18 July Sydney Theatre, Sydney, NSW Thursday 23 July West Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart, TAS Saturday 25 July Princess Theatre, Launceston, TAS Monday 27 July State Theatre, Melbourne, VIC Tuesday 4 August QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane, QLD Saturday 8 August Convention Centre, Cairns, QLD Tuesday 11 August Entertainment Centre, Darwin, NT Saturday 15 August Royal Theatre, Canberra, NSW
If there's one consistent complaint amongst both filmgoers and critics these days, it's that movies are far too long. The data, however, does not support the case and, if anything, the opposite may be true. At an average of 2 hours 10 minutes, today's big budget offerings are no longer in length than the movies of the 1960s, and it was only during the 80s and 90s that run-times actually dropped back some (and, even then, only by around ten minutes). Instead, what may be at play is that while film lengths haven't changed, the art of storytelling has, resulting in a succession of threadbare plots no longer capable of filling the space provided. But then comes along a film like The Dark Tower, clocking in at a far more appealing 95 minutes. Given it's also based on the famed eight-book series by Stephen King – and built around a world as richly detailed, expansive and diverse as only a series of that length can create – you'd expect the inverse to be true, in that there'd just be too much story to fit in. As it happens, you'd be wrong. Somehow the creative forces behind this hotly-anticipated film have managed to take a sprawling, steam-punk-western-sci-fi-fantasy-adventure and sap it of almost all semblance of story. It's the cinematic version of being jack of all trades, master of none, jumping so regularly between worlds and times and characters that none has the opportunity to take hold. Just think how the Harry Potter universe – similarly grounded in the tale of an ordinary yet extraordinary young boy thrust into an unseen war in an unknown world – might have collapsed upon itself had it received the same treatment. The young boy in this instance is 11-year-old Jake (Tom Taylor), a troubled, earth-dwelling soul whose constant nightmarish visions turn out to be inklings of a nascent psychic power called 'the shine' (remember, this is a Stephen King story). Jake's abilities make him a critical component to the storied warriors on both sides of a centuries-old conflict waged between the light and the dark. On one side stands Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), a mystical gunslinger with a heavy-handed cowboy aesthetic. Against him stands the dark sorcerer Walter (Matthew McConaughey), whose dapper black ensemble makes him seem less wizard and more court-side seats at a Wizards game. Like Obi-Wan to Luke Skywalker, Roland takes Jake under his wing and begins to teach him both the ways of his psychic abilities and how to wield the ancient and more elegant weapons of a bygone age. Actually, yes…it's really like Star Wars. Together they must confront the forces of evil to protect the all important tower, lest theirs and many other worlds fall into ruin. Performance wise, The Dark Tower relies entirely upon Elba and McConaughey to keep its head above water. Neither are given a great deal of material worthy of their talents, but find enough soul in Roland and playful villainy in Walter to keep audiences engaged. Interestingly, for a story about a young boy immersed in strange and distant worlds, the film's best moments arise when the opposite occurs and Roland finds himself on earth. Regrettably, though, The Dark Tower focuses too much on Jake – an entirely dull and annoying character whose presence induces that familiar dragging feeling despite the film's shorter run time. As a consequence, The Dark Tower represents a sad conclusion to the decade-long attempt to see it made; a bland and lifeless recreation of a world that was anything but. The series may yet have life in it, but it'll take a monumental effort to bring it back from where it currently sits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjwfqXTebIY
Everyone likes their home to be comfortable, but the Danish take this idea to new levels. Pronounced hoo-gah, the term hygge goes beyond simply having a cosy place to live. It's a philosophy that encourages you to turn your home into a space that promotes togetherness, personal wellbeing and maximum amounts of chill. The Danes are some of the happiest people in the world — even in winter — which is even more reason to take a leaf out of their book. Luckily, Sydney has plenty of shops that sell all the Scandinavian-inspired homewares and pieces you need to kit your room (or entire home) out like a cosier version of an IKEA showroom. We've teamed up with American Express to find eight local boutiques across the city that'll help you do just that. All of these shops let you pay for your new wares with your American Express Card, too. So, not only are you supporting some amazing small businesses, you're also reaping the sweet rewards of being a Card Member. Read on to discover some top spots to go full hygge and drop your hard-earned dollars on stuff for your home.
When the full Sydney Film Festival program for 2025 is unveiled in early May, approximately a couple of hundred movies will sit on the lineup. The 18 revealed so far give cinema obsessives a great taste of what's to come, however, if you're already keen to add flicks to your must-see list. A month before the complete roster of titles arrives, the fest always provides a sneak peek to whet appetites. In this year's batch: Barry Keoghan's new Irish thriller, the Australian premiere of a homegrown animation that had this year's Berlin International Film Festival talking, a documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono, another about Marlon Williams, a Tilda Swinton- and Michael Shannon-starring post-apocalyptic musical, intimacy coordinators getting the doco treatment and more. SFF has revealed 16 movies that'll be screening around the Harbour City between Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15, joining two previously announced when Vivid Sydney dropped its 2025 program. Thanks to the latter, movie lovers should already know that the Justin Kurzel (Nitram)-directed documentary Ellis Park is on the bill, complete with an evening celebrating its subject — and Aussie music icon, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds collaborator, Dirty Three founder and frequent film-score composer — Warren Ellis. And, the fact that speculative fiction experience Planet City: Live will be part of the film-worshipping fun shouldn't be new news, either. Now comes a range of pictures that long-term Festival Director Nashen Moodley describes as "a cross-section of the bold storytelling and distinctive voices" that SFF will champion in 2025 for the event's 72nd year. "From inventive new Australian work to major prize-winners from the international circuit, these films reflect the ingenuity and diversity of cinema today," he continued. Boasting both Keoghan (Bird) and Christopher Abbott (Wolf Man) in its cast, and focusing on rivalries in rural Ireland, Bring Them Down is one of the starrier inclusions among SFF's features. With Swinton (The Room Next Door), Shannon (The Bikeriders), George MacKay (The Beast) and Moses Ingram (Lady in the Lake), The End from The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence's Joshua Oppenheimer is another. One to One: John & Yoko adds Lennon and Ono to the bill, with filmmaker Kevin Macdonald directing his attention towards the pair's 1972 benefit concert in Madison Square Garden, and the director also returning to music after 2018's Whitney and 2012's Marley. As for Williams, Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao e Rua — Two Worlds hones in on the recording of his first album in te reo Māori. The winner of 2025's Teddy Award in Berlin, Australian animation Lesbian Space Princess joins the local contingent, bringing its tale of a monarch-to-be's efforts to save her ex-girlfriend from incel aliens to Sydney. Buddy comedy Fwends is also on the list, and marks Sophie Somerville's first feature after picking up two accolades at SFF's Dendy Awards for short films in the past four years. Then there's documentary Make It Look Real, turning the lens on intimacy coordinator Claire Warden as she works on Aussie movie Tightrope. SFF's doco contingent is already huge, aided by the one-film movie marathon that is 14-hour picture Exergue — on documenta 14, which is set inside the 2017 edition of the documenta art exhibition in Germany and Greece. Audiences will watch it in four- to five-hour segments. Still on the factual side of the program, there's also Speak, about five American high schoolers getting ready for a public-speaking competition; Farming the Revolution's account of 12 million Indian farmers protesting over 13 months; and Sundance's World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize-winner Mr Nobody Against Putin, where a Russian teacher chronicles the propaganda in his school during his country's invasion of Ukraine. Also playing SFF after picking up a gong at Sundance: DJ Ahmet, which collected the World Cinema — Dramatic Audience Award for its story about a teenage North Macedonian villager. Obex didn't add anything to its trophy cabinet at the Park City festival, but it did premiere its jump back the 80s — and into a video game, where a man is trying to find his dog — there. Rounding out Sydney Film Festival's picks so far are Singaporean thriller Stranger Eyes, 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize-winner The Blue Trail and the Cannes-selected On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, so movies about a mourning couple searching for their baby, a trek through the Amazon and a Zambian family, respectively. For the rest of the 2025 lineup, start counting down the days until Wednesday, May 7. Sydney Film Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at cinemas across Sydney. Head to the festival website for further information and tickets — and check back here for the full lineup on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
Sydney's street art game has become more publicly known over in the last few years. Melbourne had been stealing significant thunder with its clandestine laneways plastered with all forms of art, but Sydney has always been a quiet achiever in this wall-based cultural realm. But those days are done, as Austrian artist Nychos makes his mark around town, another artist will work on his own wall canvas live for all to watch. Russian-born, Sydney-based artist MCRT, aka Maxim Chikanchi, is known for his portraiture and wild animals found in some prime Sydney spots. You may recognise his work from the walls of Garçon at Tramsheds, Paddington's Captain Cook Hotel and café-book-nook Ampersand Café. And this week, the artist returns to Ampersand to take on eight metres of fresh wall canvas. My new #artwork for #garconsydney at #tramshedsharoldpark #sydneyart #coffeeart #gabrielgarciamarquez #mural A post shared by MCRT (@mcrt.studio) on Oct 13, 2016 at 7:22pm PDT Bringing "The cool chill of Russian winters to the tropical heat of Sydney's busy streets," Maxim will paint a massive polar bear inside the cafe to submerge the space in Artic waters, and perhaps add a bit of world contemplation to your morning latte. "The piece is about contrast," he explains, "with the world temperatures rising, and the hottest summer ever recorded here in Sydney, I thought a polar bear swimming through the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean to be an apt thought for contemplation on both the direction our environment is going in, and a fresh reminder of what we are hoping for on a hot summer day." Head to Ampersand this Thursday, March 2 and Friday, March 3 from 10am to 3pm, and if you're lucky, you may even snag a one-off replica of MCRT's polar bear for your home. A collection of his original works and prints will also be sold. Images courtesy of the artist.
The past couple of years have left us all feeling a little jibbed on the travel front, especially when it comes to jetting off overseas. But finally, things are looking up, bookings fill us with a little less dread and that long-forgotten pastime of international air travel is back on the menu. And if you've been particularly hankering for a trip to the USA, United Airlines just made it even easier to get your well-deserved holiday fix. The airline has kicked off new flights between Australia and the States, leaving East Coast punters totally spoiled for choice. Newly partnered with Virgin Australia in a codeshare arrangement, United is now flying Sydney to Houston and Brisbane to San Francisco. Other services that have recently launched or resumed include direct routes from Melbourne to San Francisco and to Los Angeles, and daily direct flights from Sydney to both of those US cities as well. It's a huge win for East Coast travellers keen to jet off on a far-flung adventure without the fuss of any pesky stopovers adding extra hours and effort to the trip. And of course, it means improved access to other Aussie cities, too. United is also upping the frequency of a bunch of its existing Aussie routes. In fact, by the end of 2022, the airline will be flying more than 40 direct US flights from Australia each week, across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. That means you've got more options for a speedy Stateside jaunt than ever before. Of course, thanks to the new team-up with Virgin, Velocity Frequent Flyer members can not only earn points on their United flights, but they've got access to benefits like priority check-in and boarding, and extra baggage allowance when they fly. And if you really want to up the ante for your USA getaway, there's the United Polaris business class service, where you can revel in the luxury of comfy lie-flat seats, generously sized entertainment screens and cute suitcase-inspired amenity kits filled with skincare goodies from Sunday Riley. [caption id="attachment_882756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Polaris[/caption] United Airlines has expanded its flight offerings between Australia (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane) and multiple US cities. For all the details and to book a flight, see the website.
Concrete Playground's Summer Guide was released back in December when the prospect of a long, hot summer was one we were all relishing. January has come and gone, and the total number of sunny summer days we've had here is still a single digit. But rest assured that as soon as the rainclouds disappear, we will be making a very quick transition from the cosy indoor pubs, theatres and cinemas we've been holed up in to the beaches, rooftop bars and outdoor restaurants that make this city so great. Now, the Summer Guide is available as a special iPad book through the Apple Store, so that anyone with an iTunes account and an iPad can pick up a copy. To check it out, head to Sydney: The Summer Guide on iTunes. In case you missed it the first time, The Summer Guide is a comprehensive shortlist of the best this city has to offer over the warmer months, from rooftop bars to beaches to picnic spots to outdoor dining and much more. With different formats — iPhone and softcover book — of the Summer Guide on offer, you’ll never be without access to the best of everything, because the year’s too long and summer’s too short to waste time on the mediocre. Buy iPad book on iTunes for $4.99
Leichhardt's new small bar Golden Gully is swiftly becoming a neighbourhood haunt. Now, the plant-based kitchen is giving locals something else to love by launching a degustation series that heroes local Aussie producers. It'll kick off with Breakfast for Dinner on Tuesday, April 2 from 7pm. Joining the Gully's head chef Emma Evans in the kitchen is Brian Villahermosa (ex-MoVida) from Annandale's Trafalgar Street Espresso and Little Marionette coffee roasters. The team will combine forces to whip up a four-course breakfast feast with drinks to match. Expect sourdough crumpets with mushrooms, pecorino and porcini aioli, paired with a bourbon and blueberry shrub cocktail. Or avocado with burnt eggplant, zaatar and finger lime, matched with a cold drip espresso martini that uses Little Marionette coffee. For breakfast dessert, there will be a chia, black rice and black tahini pudding with persimmon and cocoa nibs — it's paired with a nightcap of Poor Toms Imbroglio amaro. The degustation will cost a pretty reasonable $80 all up. Breakfast for Dinner is the first of the Gully's Tuesday night dinner series, with a different theme and local chef joining the team each time. Keep an eye on the venue's Instagram for all upcoming events. Images: Trent can der Jagt.
When Bar Conte opened in 2021, the Surry Hills bar was pegged as the world's first spot solely dedicated to the humble negroni. Now, duo Raffaelle Lombardi and Victoria Hampshire have entered the venture's next chapter with the launch of a sister venue, Conte Sydney. While the new venue will also feature a massive selection of high-end negroni cocktails, it's complemented with a refined Italian dining menu spanning aperitivo bites to handmade pasta and sumptuous mains. For those seeking a feed, Head Chef and venue partner Steven De Vecchi has shaped an inviting à la carte menu that captures the spirit of fresh and upbeat Italian dining. Expect dishes like Gambero Rosso tartare with red prawn, pickled jalapeno, salmon roe and bottarga; lobster risotto with acquerello rice and a lobster bisque reduction; and duck breast with beetroot puree and crispy cabbage. Of course, the drinks list is as extensive as it is exciting, with Conte Sydney claiming to have the largest collection of Italian-made vermouth, amari, and gin ever assembled in a single venue. The beer, wine and spirit list is also sprawling, with Trappist and artisan brews joined by a plethora of imported tipples. These include the exclusive Vulcanica Vodka – made from rare ancient grains gathered from Mount Etna – and vino from the Amalfi's esteemed Cantine Marisa Cuomo winery. "I have dreamt of this concept for the past 10 years. The negroni is, of course, my drink of choice and has been since I was a young man growing up in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast," says Lombardi. "Bar Conte's popularity has completely blown us away, so the time felt right for a larger, 'grown-up' offering that realises the dream of a chic and contemporary dining and drinks space that we know Sydneysiders will want to visit as much as we do." Food and drink this lavish demands an exceptional ambiance – and Conte Sydney doesn't disappoint. Guided by Hampshire, an interior designer, this 130-seat multi-level venue sees green marble and tiles contrast against deep brass highlights and rosso-painted walls. Featuring wallpapers from Milan-based designer Fornasetti, curtains picked from an Italian mill and custom-made seating using Italian leather, the venue's moody aesthetic was shaped without compromise. Throughout the venue, each space delivers a distinctive atmosphere. Immersed by the nine-metre ceilings and large-scale windows, guests are welcome to choose between the restaurant dining area, banquette booths, mezzanine cocktail seating or stools at the bar if keen for a chat with the bartender. With dappled light flooding through the windows and a custom-designed installation inspired by candles, expect an evocative mood that soothes and romances as you sip down a perfectly balanced negroni. [caption id="attachment_997863" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Credit: Steven Woodburn[/caption] Conte Sydney is open Monday–Wednesday from 11am–midnight and Thursday–Saturday from 11am–1am at 151 Clarence Street, Sydney. Head to the website for more information. Top image: Steven Woodburn.
In the latest line of wholly unnecessary (yet ever popular) all-you-can-eat meals in Sydney, Barangaroo's NOLA Smokehouse and Bar is adding one to the list. Head in for lunch every Sunday from October 6 and you can feast on endless plates of the venue's signature barbecued meats for $65 per person. It's all part of NOLA's ongoing Southern Sunday offering. These unlimited boards of smoked meat include slow-roasted pork shoulder, Rangers Valley Black Onyx brisket, Creole-spiced blackened chicken, cold-smoked lamb and the house Andouille sausage. The meat is sourced from organic and free-range farms where possible, too, so you know you're getting some quality cuts. The meal will start with a shared 'pit-master's' plate, and additional serves can be ordered afterwards per 50 grams. If all that isn't enough, you can also order one side per person, with options including sweet and spicy barbecue fries, southern slaw, and fried brussels sprouts slathered in blue cheese mayo and hot sauce. The venue is looking after the all-you-can waste problem as well — so no ordering up before you clean your plate, and no takeaway allowed, either. If you're eating alone or sitting at a table of up to eight, you'll be able to keep eating for two hours. For groups of nine or more, you can stay for two-and-a-half hours. Images: Steven Woodburn.
Head On Photo Festival is on throughout May, with Sydney galleries showcasing the freshest photography from across the globe. A fine example comes from recurring festival prize finalist Jonathan May, who is presenting Desert Ink, a striking new series of black and white portraits, at Gaffa Gallery. While travelling around Indio, California, May began documenting the lives of eight Mexican tattoo artists and reformed criminals. In between drug-dealing and jail time, these men became passionate about cultivating their craft. May’s dramatic smoke-filled images reveal both former lives and new identities. As the men leave behind gang rivalries and shoot-outs, there is a law-abiding solidarity that mingles with their sinister appearances. Wearing their personal stories on their sleeves (or skin), these inked-up desert-dwellers make for interesting viewing. Come along for opening night on Thursday 30 April, 6pm.
Enjoying a glass of wine might come with plenty of medical benefits, but having a tipple isn't typically an exercise-heavy pastime. You sit. You drink. You get up, top up your beverage and repeat. You usually don't walk particularly far, let alone run. Then came the Grapest 5K run, a new series of wine-tasting fun runs that kicked off around Australia in 2017. Asking participants to put in the hard yards before getting some boozy rewards, it was such a hit that it's coming back for another round in 2018. How does it work? Grapest consists of two sections. First, you sprint, jog or set forth at whatever pace suits you best, making your way through scenic vineyard surroundings. Then, you walk another kilometre — yes, in addition to the first five, or ten if you're feeling extra energetic — while stopping at tasting stations along the way and sampling the good stuff. The latter part, they're calling a "wine waddle". Don't worry, if you're not up to the active stuff and you're simply keen on wandering and sipping, that's an option (although it does defeat the idea of combining fitness with throwing back drinks). 2018's events are scheduled for April 7 at Crooked River Wines in Wollongong and May 5 at Adina Vineyard in the Hunter Valley.
Let's face it, anyone can take a swing at wine pairing and claim success — like drinking sangiovese at an Italian joint and pinot gris with your seafood feast. It may add a personal flair to dinner but it's not exactly rocket science. Pairing a frosty beer with your meal is, while considered less formal, arguably a braver and more interesting choice. And, if you don't actually like wine, it's also more enjoyable. Luckily, more and more restaurants around Sydney now allow you to bring beer along, so we've highlighted some of our favourites that do so. Read on to discover the eateries near you that permit you to crack open a cold one and savour it with your burger, curry or bowl of dumplings.
