Southeast Asian eatery Hey Chú is turning one this year. In commemoration of this milestone, the bustling late-night restaurant is launching an enticing 'Happy Endings' menu. From Wednesday, April 24, stop in for a post-work feed between 5–6pm daily and enjoy a range of six dishes priced at $10 and under when you pay with cash. Diners can enjoy a pre-payday meal that won't break the bank, with plates such as fried octopus balls for $1, prawn skewers for $3, spring rolls for $5, and even a dry-aged beef burger for $10. Wash it down with a $10 cocktail of elderflower, strawberry, vodka and lemon. If you dine at Hey Chú on Wednesday, April 24, you'll also be in with a chance to score one of 100 free burgers, which will be given to the first 100 people to book in at the website or buy a drink. There's more — the restaurant is revamping its full menu of Australian and Southeast Asian fusion fare. Standouts include a chicken katsu burger with nambam sauce, a lobster agnolotti with lardo, and a tonkatsu pork and morel conchiglie. Of course, their signature dry-aged steak with pho fat vinaigrette remains a highlight. Images: Chad Konik
Locking gazes across the room, staring intently with a deep fascination that feels fated, seeing oneself in the sparkle of another's eyes: when these moments happen in a movie, it's typically to fuel the first flushes of romance. When they occur early in Passing, however, it's because former childhood friends Irene (Tessa Thompson, Westworld) and Clare (Ruth Negga, Ad Astra) have spied each other in a swanky Manhattan hotel. The pair peer back and forth, intrigued and attentive. That said, it isn't until Clare approaches Irene — and calls her Reenie, a nickname she hasn't heard in years — that the latter realises who she's been looking at. It's the immaculately styled blonde bob that fools Irene, as it's meant to fool the world. As becomes clear in a politely toned but horrendously blunt conversation with Clare's racist husband John (Alexander Skarsgård, Godzilla vs Kong) shortly afterwards, Irene's long-lost pal has built an entire life and marriage around being seen as white. Passing's eponymous term comes loaded not just with meaning, but with history; adapted from Nella Larsen's 1929 novel of the same name, it's set in America's Jim Crow era. This introductory scene between Irene and Clare comes layered with multiple sources of tension, too, with Irene only in the hotel because she's decided to flirt with visiting a white establishment. Still, she's shocked by her pal's subterfuge. When she initially spots Clare, the film adopts Irene's perspective — and its frames bristle with a mix of nervousness, uncertainty and familiarity. Irene rediscovers an old friend in a new guise, and also comes face to face with the lengths some are willing to go to in the name of survival and an easier life. Friendships can be rewarding and challenging, fraught and nourishing, and demanding and essential, including all at once, as Passing repeatedly demonstrates from this point onwards. Irene can't completely move past Clare's choices and can't shake her fears about what'd happen if the vile John ever learned Clare's secret; however, she's also quick to defend her to others — to her doctor husband Brian (André Holland, The Eddy), who swiftly warms to Clare anyway; and to acclaimed white novelist Hugh Wentworth (Bill Camp, News of the World), who's her own entry point into an artier realm. Indeed, in household where talk of lynchings is common dinner conversation, Irene recognises far more in Clare's decision than she'll vocally admit. Almost everyone she knows is pretending to be something else as well, after all, including Irene in her own ways. Largely confined to Irene and Brian's well-appointed Harlem home and other parties in the neighbourhood — after that first hotel rendezvous, that is — Passing is an economical yet complicated film. It may seem straightforward in charting Irene and Clare's rekindled acquaintance, but it's exacting and precise as it interrogates both societally enforced and self-inflicted pain. Its Black characters live in a world that pushes them aside and worse merely for existing, with its central pair each internalising that reality. Their every careful move reacts to it, in fact, a bleak truth that actor-turned-filmmaker Rebecca Hall (The Night House) never allows to fade. That's one of the reasons she's chosen to shoot this striking directorial debut in elegant, crisp and devastatingly telling monochrome hues: both everything and nothing here is black and white. Hall doesn't appear on-screen here herself, but she still gifts Passing the same intensity and nuance that's always been part of her performances. In the film's lingering frames, intimate close-ups of Thompson and Negga, and all-round eagerness to see the space that surrounds them — that often separates them, too — she proves as astute a director as she is an actor. It helps that she has enlisted two leads who exude the same traits, and Passing couldn't be more perfectly cast as a result. Thanks to Sylvie's Love and Loving, both of the movie's stars have grappled with race relations in America already in their careers. They've done so to affecting and astonishing effect, too. Here, while never repeating themselves, both Thompson and Negga are just as exceptional as they've ever been. It was always going to take intricate, complex and sensitive portrayals to tell this story, and Passing's talented leads just keep delivering. The whirlwind of emotions that flickers through Irene again and again, as evident in her gaze, posture and tone far more than she's openly trying to convey, is nothing short of masterful on Thompson's part. And the determination and sorrow fighting inside Clare — the yearning to connect with the background she shunned out of what she felt was necessity, and the unwillingness to be judged for her choices as well — echoes through a hypnotic turn by Negga. Showy yet thoughtful, it's the kind of performance might've just stuck to the confident and ostentatious character's Roaring Twenties flapper-style surface notes in other hands. With meticulous assistance from cinematographer Eduard Grau (The Way Back) and editor Sabine Hoffman (Juliet, Naked), Hall also turns Passing into an exercise in looking; this is a feature about perception and authenticity, and it repeatedly pushes those concepts to the fore in every image. It observes quietly and intently, giving Irene and Clare the type of unfettered, unguarded and earnest attention that they're clearly so rarely able to enjoy as they wrestle with racial identity in their daily existence. It truly sees them, including their strengths, struggles, dreams, desires and flaws. And, it refuses to redirect its gaze when the tragedy it has always been building towards makes its presence known — an outcome that shocks and feels inevitable at the same time. The jazzy score might play things gently, but Passing uses its polish, poise and patience, and its superb performances, to pack probing and pain into every delicately rendered moment. Passing screens in select Sydney cinemas from Thursday, October 28, and streams via Netflix from Wednesday, November 10.
Gumboots at the ready: after a pandemic-enforced break, then a smaller tour in 2022, Groovin the Moo is returning in 2023 with a full nationwide run. The large-scale touring music festival will head to six different states and territories across April and May, finally marking a comeback in Western Australia, South Australia or Queensland — and returning to New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria as well. In the Sunshine State, it's also stopping at a new location — one closer to Brisbane, which is ace news for southeast Queenslanders. That destination: the Sunshine Coast. When it hits the state, and WA and SA as well, GTM will host fests in each of those parts of the country for the first time since 2019. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Groovin the Moo (@groovinthemoo) For folks in Queensland's north, GTM is sad not to be coming to Townsville in 2023, but had to adjust to pandemic-era logistical challenges and increased financial pressures. "We are so happy to be able to do a full tour across the country in 2023. We have missed you terribly and can't wait to bring back the good times around the country, said GTM's Steve Halpin. "Whilst we are very sad not be returning to Townsville, we look forward to bringing GTM to the Sunshine Coast." [caption id="attachment_885444" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ash Caygill[/caption] It's a tad too early for a lineup announcement as yet, but cross your fingers for another impressive roster of talent when the festival bill does drop. For reference, 2022's included everyone from Peking Duk, Montaigne, Masked Wolf and Middle Kids through to Hilltop Hoods and Spiderbait, plus New Zealanders Broods and Chai, Germany's Milky Chance, and Wolf Alice, Thomas Headon, Riton and Snakehips from the UK. [caption id="attachment_885447" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] GROOVIN THE MOO 2023 DATES AND VENUES: Friday, April 21 — Adelaide Showground, Kaurna Country, Wayville, SA Saturday, April 22 — Maitland Showground, Wonnarua Country, Maitland, NSW Sunday, April 23 — Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), Ngambri and Ngunnawal Country, Mitchell, ACT Saturday, April 29 — Bendigo's Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Bendigo, VIC Sunday, April 30 — Kawana Sports Western Precinct, Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country, Warana, QLD Saturday, May 6 — Hay Park, Wardandi Noongar Country, Bunbury, WA Groovin the Moo will tour Australia in April and May 2023. We'll update you with lineup details when they're announced. For more information in the interim, head to the festival's website. Top images: Ruby Boyland, Ash Caygill and Chloe Hall.
Now in their fourth decade, Novocastrian stalwarts The Screaming Jets, also widely-known as 'the last great Aussie Pub Rock band', is bringing their much-loved brand of hard rock back to the masses. Led, as they have been since the band's formation in 1989, by frontman Dave 'Gleeso' Gleeson, the group spent their time in lockdown reworking and rerecording five of their most iconic tracks, including 'Shivers' and 'Helping Hand', and releasing the new versions as a new EP entitled Bitter Pill. You can head to either a homecoming show at The Camberidge Hotel, lovingly known as The Cambo, on Friday, November 27, or a beachside performance in Towradgi on Saturday, November 28. Or, if you're a real Jets tragic, why not both? For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.
After bringing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban back to the big screen with a live orchestra soundtrack, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is giving the fourth film in the franchise the same movie-and-music showcase. Across six sessions between Wednesday, August 15 and Sunday, August 19, the Sydney Opera House will come to life with the sights and sounds of the Yule Ball, the Triwizard Tournament and the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, because JK Rowling's boy-who-lived and his pals are never far away from a theatre — or a concert hall. And tickets are now on sale. This time around, viewers can expect something a little different. While the event will run as usual, it's the score itself that'll stand out. After doing the honours on the first three HP flicks, veteran composer John Williams stood aside for the fourth film, with two-time Oscar nominee Patrick Doyle (Hamlet, Sense and Sensibility) in charge of whipping up a wondrous wizarding soundtrack.
Doughnut Time, Damien Griffiths' cult-like doughnut franchise, has conquered he final frontier of the culinary world: the vegan market. As of right now, they're offering a vegan doughnut named Vegan Las Vegas for $6 dollarydoos a pop — so no one with dietary restrictions may go without doughnuts, not even for even a second. That's the kind of world we want for our children. Their vegan doughnut creation has a coconut and raspberry glaze and is topped by a pistachio crumb. It’s also gluten-free (the second gluten free doughnut on the menu at this point), which begs the question: what is this thing made of? Well, we have no idea. Don't ask, just devour. This vegan news is a double edged sword, though; it's delightful for those who’ve taken up veganism in 2k16 and don’t want to miss out on delicious doughnuts, and terrible for pre-existing vegans who, like the rest of us, struggle to resist the onslaught of gourmet doughnuts coming at you all day long via social media (not really though, we're leaning in to the craze and bleeding the country dry of Nutella). Doughnut Time has been so successful in its home state of Queensland that it now has multiple stores in Sydney and one in Melbourne, with another on the way soon. So prepare your phone cameras and insulin shots — it's about to get sweet up in hurr. For locations and opening hours across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, visit doughnuttime.com.au.
Greater Sydney is currently under stay at home orders so, while you can't visit these pubs in person, you can still show your support with takeaway and online orders. You can stay up to date with the developing COVID-19 situation in Sydney, as well as current restrictions, at NSW Health. Whether you're there for an honest, heartwarming meal or a pint next to a cosy fireplace, there's nothing quite like the great Aussie tradition of spending an evening (or afternoon) at the pub. And those relaxed, homely vibes are even more pronounced when there's live music playing. Thankfully, there's no shortage of Sydney pubs with excellent gig lineups. We've teamed up with Guinness to showcase five cosy Sydney pubs where you can get a perfectly poured pint — once pubs reopen, of course — soundtracked by great live tunes. [caption id="attachment_816379" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arvin Prem Kumar[/caption] HERO OF WATERLOO Live tunes, an award-winning steak sandwich and a ghost tour, anyone? All three are on offer at this historic Millers Point pub, which also boasts toasty log fires and hand-chiselled sandstone walls. Musically speaking, things get funky on Friday and Saturday nights with the in-house band playing a range of styles, from blues and funk to rock and reggae. Saturday and Sunday afternoons, meanwhile, are a swingin' good time thanks to The Old Time Band and their interpretations of traditional Irish folk and swing classics. Find the Hero of Waterloo at 81 Lower Fort Street, Millers Point. [caption id="attachment_816380" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arvin Prem Kumar[/caption] COACH AND HORSES Open until 4am on weeknights (and 6am on Friday night), this Avoca Street watering hole has been serving Randwick locals for nearly 150 years. Age hasn't slowed this corner spot, with a regular series of gigs and things to do from weekly poker nights, sports, and live music. There are gigs every Thursday and Saturday night, as well as Sunday arvos. Feeling inspired? Swing by on a Friday from 9pm, when the Coach hosts weekly karaoke jams. Find Coach and Horses at 147 Avoca Street, Randwick. THE MERCANTILE To be sure, this pub in The Rocks has been serving up perfect pints of Guinness with warm Irish hospitality for over a century. In fact, The Mercantile is believed to be the oldest Irish pub in Australia. As well as a solid menu of old and new pub classics, including dishes from the Emerald Isle like a hearty Irish stew and bangers and champ, this lively pub also hosts regular live gigs, and lots of them — music kicks off on Thursday night, continues from Friday afternoon and starts on weekends from 1pm. It's the perfect pub soundtrack, too, with tunes ranging from traditional Irish to classic Aussie rock. Find The Mercantile at 25 George Street, The Rocks. THE RIVERVIEW This Balmain boozer might not have the vista its name would suggest, but it has a lot going for it regardless. The excellent food menu includes daily menu specials, while weekends bring a popular bottomless lunch and a charming high tea. There's also live music every Thursday to Sunday — the regularly rotating lineup sees everything from reggae and country, to disco and Irish folk. On Friday nights and Sunday arvos, you can enjoy the tunes with $30 cocktail jugs. Find The Riverview at 29 Birchgrove Road, Balmain. Food is available to order online here, from 5–8:30pm, Monday–Saturday. FORTUNE OF WAR This heritage-listed Rocks watering hole is Sydney's longest continuously licenced pub (it's been slinging schooners since 1828), and remains a favourite for Sydneysiders and visitors alike. While the inside retains a stately sense of old-world charm and is always a good idea for a pitstop, the real action takes place out the front in the George Street beer garden. The spacious outdoor area hosts acoustic gigs five nights a week (from Wednesday to Sunday), which you can enjoy in the historic surrounds of The Rocks while sampling one of the 15 beers on tap. Find Fortune of War at 137 George Street, The Rocks. Thirsty? Find your closest place for a pint over at the Guinness Pub Finder.
Courtney Barnett has amassed a far-reaching international fanbase thanks to her endlessly laidback and relatable brand of indie-folk. With three solo albums, a Kurt Vile collaborative LP, a nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammys and spots on just about every major music festival across the globe, Barnett is set to make a triumphant return to Sydney stages in support of her most assured album to date, Things Take Time, Take Time. You can catch Courtney and her band on stage at the newly renovated Enmore Theatre as part of Great Southern Nights on Friday, March 25, with support from Wergaia and Wemba Wemba singer-songwriter Alice Skye, who's 2021 album I Feel Better But I Don't Feel Good arrived with all the charm and honesty of Barnett's music. If you're looking to make March an even more Courtney Barnett-filled month, there's also a documentary on her called Anonymous Club, playing at Palace and Ritz Cinemas across NSW. The film follows Courtney on tour for three years between the release of her second and third album, providing intensely personal insight into her inner monologue and mental health through an audio diary she kept at the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUXvlpS0TvE Great Southern Nights is facilitating a heap of gigs across Sydney and regional NSW, ranging from icons like Jimmy Barnes popping up in western Sydney or Archie Roach performing in Wagga Wagga, through to emerging acts like hyped young R&B singer Liyah Knight headlining a night of local music and DJs at Zetland's 107 Projects. You can find the full program at the Great Southern Nights website.
Sipping on a bespoke cocktail while the new season's couture is unveiled in realtime on a mammoth screen is, believe it or not, a life experience open to you this week. Style gawkers can watch all the Fashion Week catwalk action, live-streamed direct from Carriageworks to the purpose-built screen at Martin Place, while having their thirst quenched by a pop-up bar care of Double Bay's Pelicano. Hosted by Pelicano's Tim Holmes a Court and Daimon Downey, the Fashion Week Australia Bar will have a grazing menu as well as drinks and will be soundtracked by live DJ sets. The screening of the runway is a joint venture between Jasu.com and the City of Sydney, bolstering Lord Mayor Clover Moore's push to broaden public engagement with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia. Democratising MBFWA in this way will certainly add some sparkle to the city air as homegrown designers like Lisa Ho, Ginger & Smart and Romance Was Born (full show schedule here) flaunt their new wares, while everyday Sydneysiders get to strut their own stuff, drinks in hand, and enjoy a spectacle normally witnessed only by fashion industry insiders.
Anyone who has ever worked in hospitality will tell you the same thing about their customers: they're awful. For some cruel and arbitrary reason, all human decency tends to go out the window when someone is wearing an apron. Sure, this isn't true of all customers, but definitely an alarming majority. Now, a cafe on the NSW south coast is doing something to change the etiquette game. The Seven Mile Beach Kiosk in Gerroa has been displaying a sign for the past few months advertising cheaper coffee for polite people. "A coffee: $5. A coffee please: $4.50. Good morning, a coffee please: $4," the sign reads. Though intended as more of a gimmick than a serious rule, the sign does pose some interesting questions. Is this problem so bad that we actually need to introduce incentives for general manners? Owners of the cafe Kev Chilver and Kylie Pickett told the Daily Mail that they created the sign to curb some of the rude interactions (read: caffeine-addled demands) they were receiving from their customers. Apparently, despite living in a small town on an idyllic strip of surf beaches, Gerroa coffee-lovers are just as abrupt and demeaning as those in the major cities. "Common courtesy is ... becoming less and less common, and we're trying to bring it back," said Mr Chilver. "We are in service industry but we’re not servants. We deserve as much respect as anyone else." The cafe owners are not alone in this frustration. In fact, you might remember similar initiatives taking place in Europe last year. Last January, a photo from an cafe in Italy stirred up the initial buzz by offering a €2 discount to those giving proper greetings. The idea then reached France where a cafe on the Riveria knocked that discount up to €5.60 (FYI French coffee is crazy expensive). The story gained notoriety online, on television and in newspapers being shared tens of thousands of times; at one point a French government minister even spoke out in favour of the concept. While it's a lovely idea, it's also an easy way to get already grumpy customers further offside. It's not hard to see why most venues don't properly enforce the policy — I'd hate to be the person behind the till asking some rude dude to fork out more cash for his weak decaf soy latte because he didn't smile at me enough. That's just asking for trouble. We think the real solution is something bigger. At some point in everyone's life, they should be forced to work in the hospitality industry. Clearing plates, getting covered in warm frothy milk on a hot day, and having to slap that 'I'm actually dead inside' smile on your face all day will give you a lifelong appreciation of your wait staff. Failing that, you could just skip the years of grief and torment and just find it within yourself to be a decent human being to the guy making your coffee. Via Daily Mail.
As a teen rom-com about two high schoolers working through their attraction for each other as they're also trying to work out what to do with their lives and how to simply be themselves, there's a strong sense of familiarity about Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt). It's the kind of movie that viewers will initially feel they've watched before. Audiences will spot the tropes and conventions, the scenarios and exchanges they've seen in other tales about adolescent troubles and related affairs of the heart, and the kinds of characters that typically populate classrooms and families in seemingly similar films. Here, however, this isn't a sign of laziness. Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) wants you to register how much it resembles other entries in its genre — because it wants you to notice what it's doing differently. Of course, unfurling a queer romance within such well-worn confines shouldn't be such a remarkable act (and an Australian teen queer romance at that), but it still currently is. There's a purposeful sense of clumsiness about Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), too. Again, that's by design. Studious school captain Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw, Love Child) has a simmering crush on the far cooler, calmer and more collected Abbie (Zoe Terakes, Janet King), but is struggling to stump up the courage to ask her to the school formal. In fact, she even goes as far as willingly and uncharacteristically getting detention so that she spend more time with Abbie, all to try to muster up the motivation to pop the quintessential high-school question. And when the pair do slowly start becoming closer, Ellie doesn't know exactly what to do, or what's expected, or how to be the person she wants to be in her first relationship. Complicating matters is the distance she feels from her mother, Erica (Marta Dusseldorp, Stateless), as she navigates such new emotional terrain — oh, and the fact that, as the title gives away, Ellie's dead aunt Tara (Julia Billington) suddenly starts hovering around and dispensing advice about following her feelings. So far, so sweet. Whether you think of Tara as a queer fairy godmother or a lesbian guardian angel, her wisdom-imparting presence is tender and thoughtful — and funny and often awkward, as you'd expect when the ghost of a dead relative pops up every now and then to try to help someone through situations they don't inherently know how to deal with. First-time feature writer/director Monica Zanetti plays the scenario affectionately and humorously, and also to reflect how having a guiding light is usually a purely fantastical concept for uncertain teens. And, if the filmmaker had left Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) there, that would've been understandable. The film would've been entertaining and understanding, cute and creative with its teen romance, and proudly celebratory of LGBTQIA+ perspectives. It's still all those things, but Zanetti's decision to open the door to a deeper contemplation of Australia's historical treatment of the queer community gives considerable depth and weight to a movie that mightn't have earned those terms otherwise. If Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) was being shot a few months from now, when Sydney is slated to become home to an 90-metre-long rainbow footpath through Surry Hills to commemorate Australia's marriage equality legislation — and to mark where more than 30,000 Sydneysiders gathered together to hear the results of the country's postal vote survey on the matter — the brightly coloured stretch of pavement would've surely featured in the film. Zanetti's brightly shot movie has a strong sense of place, but without including all of the usual landmark shots that make many features feel like tourism campaigns. More importantly, it has a clear understanding of what LGBTQIA+ Sydneysiders have weathered in past decades. That activism is layered throughout the film in an overt subplot and, while it's hardly treated with nuance, it's a powerful inclusion. Simply by reaching local cinema screens, Zanetti's feature makes a statement, but it also pays tribute to all the statements made in big and bold ways — and with tragic and painful outcomes, too — to get to this point in Australian queer history. Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt)'s intentions, approach and even the importance of its very existence can't completely patch over its weaker elements, however. That lack of subtlety is pervasive, and occasionally the deliberate use of cliches and clumsiness can feel just as forceful. Some lines and ideas — Tara tells Ellie to ask Abbie if she likes AFL to get a read on her sexual orientation, for instance — are cringe-inducing rather than satirical or amusing. And despite spirited efforts by the three actors playing its titular characters, those eponymous figures are never as fleshed out as they could be, with their personalities deeply tied to and dictated by the needs of the plot. But Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) is still a charmer, and still gives Aussie cinema something that it has long been missing. That'd be a proud, contemplative and engaging teen queer rom-com with heart, humour and a heavy awareness of the need for the kind of tale that it's telling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq1F1opr_FE&t=2s
The Barossa Valley's wineries, Glenelg's beaches, Whyalla's LED-lit circular pier — whichever South Australian spot takes your fancy, you'll be able to visit it from Tuesday, November 23 if you're double-vaccinated. Today, Tuesday, October 26, SA Premier Steven Marshall announced South Australia's reopening roadmap. And, as well as outlining when the state's residents will be able to have more people over to their homes, it locks in the date that SA will welcome back double-vaxxed travellers from all other Aussie states and territories. The key milestone: reaching the 80-percent double-jabbed threshold among SA inhabitants over the age of 16, which is expected by that mid-November 23 date. There are a few caveats, however. While double-vaccinated Aussies travelling to SA won't have to quarantine in general, that'll change if you're coming from a Local Government Area with local cases and a double-vaxxed rate of less than 80 percent. Also, that November reopening date won't see quarantine scrapped for overseas visitors just yet. Instead, double-jabbed international arrivals will be required to do a seven-day stint, and unvaxxed international arrivals will still quarantine for 14 days. It isn't until SA reaches the 90-percent double-vaccinated mark among all residents aged of 12 that there'll be no quarantine at all for double-jabbed visitors from both interstate and overseas. That's expected to happen before Christmas, Marshall advised. SA's COVID-Ready Plan safely eases restrictions over the coming months and coordinates the health response to manage COVID-19. It's important to continue to get tested for COVID-19 if you have any symptoms, physical distance, wash your hands, and stay home if you are sick. pic.twitter.com/khu0Tbvfkr — SA Health (@SAHealth) October 26, 2021 So, if you're a double-vaxxed Aussie who's hankering for a a wine-fuelled venture into South Australia, you now know when you can pack your bags. SA's news follows similar announcements by the Queensland and Tasmanian governments, meaning that Australians who've had both COVID-19 jabs will soon be able to venture around most of the country again. If you're now eager to start planning an SA getaway, we have suggestions — whether you're eager to hit up Adelaide, or sip and sightsee your way around the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Limestone Coast or the Clare Valley. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in South Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub. Top image: d'Arenberg Cube.
Every October and November, Tokyo hosts its annual film festival, celebrating the latest and greatest in Japanese cinema. We can't all take a ten-ish hour flight to Asia to enjoy the best and brightest flicks that Japan has to offer — and everything else that its thriving, sprawling capital boasts, too — but, if you're a movie-loving Sydneysider or Melburnian with a hankering for the country's big-screen gems, you can let a whole heap of these flicks come to you. Thankfully, around the same time of each year Australia's own Japanese Film Festival starts doing the rounds, screening a heap of movies around the country. Old classics, new hits, colourful animation, sweet rom-coms, brooding gangster films, cult favourites — they're all part of the event's busy lineup. And, so are our five must-see picks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7HtNsJdMDw RIDE YOUR WAVE Calling all Your Name and Weathering with You fans — while Ride Your Wave hails from a different director, aka Masaaki Yuasa, it falls in the same heartfelt, gorgeously animated, emotionally sweeping realm. It also has an element of the supernatural to it, too, and focuses on a star-cross'd romance. Hinako (voiced by former Japanese pop idol Rina Kawaei) is a surfer who has just moved to the seaside. Minato (fellow local pop star Ryota Katayose) is a kindly and charming firefighter who isn't as skilled on the waves, but saves Hinako from a blaze. Love blossoms, as does tragedy and a few twists, with Hinako weathering more than just watery waves. The result is a sweet, charming and sensitive film that's especially thoughtful when it ruminates on loss. A word of warning: a song by Katayose's pop group Generations from Exile Tribe features heavily, and it's quite the melodic and persistent earworm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXc_JlCqQE4&feature=emb_logo JUST ONLY LOVE Based on Mitsuyo Kakuta's novel, Just Only Love reaches the screen as a live-action romantic drama, but there's an anime-style flood of emotion bubbling within Rikiya Imaizumi's film. Perhaps its because, like a raft of Japanese animated movies of late (including Ride Your Wave and the others mentioned above), love, its impossibilities and their impact on life are all pushed to the fore. Here, romance of the unrequited kind takes centre stage. Teruko (Yukino Kishii) is fond of colleague Mamoru (Ryo Narita), but he's keen on keeping things casual. Her pal Yoko (Mai Fukagawa) has a friend, Nakahara (Ryuya Wakaba), who's smitten with her in the same way. Then Mamoru starts seeing Sumire (Noriko Eguchi), who isn't one for a traditional romance. As things get messier, Just Only Love dives deeper with endearing and insightful results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH3viviJJlE MELANCHOLIC It's a thoroughly modern set-up: Kazuhiko (Yoji Minagawa) graduates from Japan's prestigious University of Tokyo, can't get a job in his field and still finds himself living with his parents. As a way of earning cash, he takes a gig at a bathhouse — and that's when, despite seeming very familiar otherwise, Melancholic confidently takes its own turn. By accident, Kazuhiko discovers that his new place of employment is a front for yakuza executions. Soon, he's immersed in that bloody, gruesome world. An award-winner on home soil, this is an engrossing crime film that's also an adult coming-of-age drama, as well as a moving character study. The debut feature from writer/director Seiji Tanaka, with star Minagawa also acting as the movie's producer, Melancholic is a supremely well-made indie flick from a country that makes plenty of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVc4YevwX2A THE LEGEND OF THE STARDUST BROTHERS If there's one piece of trivia that you need to know about The Legend of the Stardust Brothers, it's this: writer/director Makoto Tezuka is the son of Osamu Tezuka, who happened to create Astro Boy. So, it's only fitting that the younger Tezuka's 1985 cult classic also references space in its title — although the movie's story is very much grounded on earth. Actually, another detail is vitally important. Makoto's movie came about when, as a 22-year-old film student, he decided to make a feature to accompany a soundtrack that already existed, sans-film. The result is this rock musical set in the 80s Japanese music scene, following wannabe stars the Stardust Brothers, and inspired in part by The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Cast-wise, it's filled with musicians from the time, manga figures and even director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Daguerrotype). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbTig5Aclpw&feature=emb_logo NOISE Wander through Tokyo's Akihabara district today — in search of anime, manga, gaming, electronic gadgets or Japan's idol pop music scene — and you wouldn't know that, in 2008, it was the site of a devastating massacre. Noise heads to the popular area to follow the lives of three people who are still impacted by the incident eight years afterwards. While the film's three stories are fictional, the movie is inspired by first-time writer/director Yusaku Matsumoto's own profound response to the tragedy, which occurred when he was in high school, as well as the ripples such an event inevitably leaves on a city and society. Playing an underground idol (aka an aspiring pop star who performs at underground venues, rather than big stadiums) and teenage masseuse, watch out for real-life Japanese idol Kokoro Shinozaki, who also draws on her own similar background. The Japanese Film Festival screens at Sydney's Event Cinemas George Street from Thursday, November 14 to Sunday, November 24, and at Melbourne's Capitol and Treasury theatres from Thursday, November 21 to Sunday, December 1. For more information, visit the festival website.
Nothing says Christmas like some great night markets, and nothing says Sydney markets quite like Paddington. The folks that have been running the iconic Saturday markets since 1973 (yep, that long) are once again treating locals to a twilight Christmas edition complete with Christmas pudding and other yummy Yule-inspired treats. For one night only, stalls packed with hand-picked pieces by talented local designers such as Samantha Robinson and Kor Creations and artists like Live Art Studios and Beau Wylie Illustrations will fill the grounds around the historic Uniting Church on Oxford Street. The Church will also be operating its own stall — with all its proceeds going to good causes, so you can spend your money and feel good about it at the same time. Also, who else is excited about doing their last-minute Christmas shopping outside listening to great tunes? Surely that humid summer breeze beating against your defeated face is better than some crazed shopper's elbow as they race you to the cash register at Myer. 'Tis the season after all.
When Barry said farewell, it brought one of the best supporting performances in recent years to an end with it. Star, creator, writer and director Bill Hader wasn't the only talent scoring awards for the hitman dramedy, with Henry Winkler also earning plenty of love — and nabbing his first Primetime Emmy win more than four decades after he was first nominated in the 70s for Happy Days. That's quite the story from a career full of them, given that Winkler will always be known as Arthur 'The Fonz' Fonzarelli, for scene-stealing parts in Arrested Development and Parks and Recreation, and for popping up everywhere from the Scream franchise and The French Dispatch to multiple Adam Sandler movies as well. And, Winkler will tell those tales when he heads to Australia in 2024 on a speaking tour to reflect upon his time in Hollywood. [caption id="attachment_918614" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Eccles[/caption] Jumping sharks might not be on the agenda, but chatting about doing so more than once — and changing TV history when he made the leap the first time — likely will be. Acting classes also won't be on the itinerary, but hearing about half a century spent performing definitely is. Winkler's tour will follow the release of book Being Henry: The Fonz... and Beyond in October, which will also step through playing Fonzie, Barry Zuckercorn, Dr Saperstein, Gene Cousineau and more. On a six-stop visit, Winkler will head to Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday, February 6. Hopefully also getting a mention: his role in helping develop the original MacGyver back in the 80s. Top image: HBO.
Since the 1980s, Sydney collective Erth has been pushing the boundaries of innovative theatre with its much-loved puppetry performances. Erth's work educates while it entertains and Duba — as well as its sister show Badu at the Maritime Museum — is no exception. Ticketholders will venture into a living underworld to learn about rare, endangered creatures, meet living fungi and encounter the world that lives beneath our feet. Developed in conjunction with international conservation zoos, Duba highlights the vulnerability and fragility of our land-based ecosystems and the creatures that inhabit it. It's set to be a ground-breaking and unforgettable experience at Carriageworks for Sydney Festival. Images: Yaya Stempler
If you, like us, enjoy spending your weekends and holidays hiking through Sydney's national parks, you'll be happy to hear that one of the state's most popular hikes is getting a multimillion-dollar upgrade. The NSW Government is dropping $10 mil on a refresh of Blue Mountains' Grand Cliff Top Walk, which runs from Govetts Leap to Evans lookout. The hike passes many waterfalls and lookouts and offers up some of the most stunning views of the national park and its many eucalpyts. It's just one of the upgrades planned for NSW's many national parks with the government promising $150 million in upgrades to sites across the state. Following news of a 43,000-hectare statewide national park expansion announced last October, the Southern Highlands will also be getting a new national park of its own, spreading almost 3680 hectares around Tugalong Station. Located about 25 kilometres northwest of Bowral, the site is home to some of the area's best koala habitat, so the plans will go a long way to helping protect your favourite tree-dwelling marsupials. [caption id="attachment_574861" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Govetts Leap Lookout, NSW National Parks.[/caption] Elsewhere in NSW, the government's multi-million dollar upgrade package will be put to good use improving things like accessibility, safety and facilities. A major focus will be upgrading accessibility at a number of lookout points to meet mobility impaired access standards, and making existing walking tracks and trails both safer and more accessible. A hefty $38.7 million will go towards improving and adding picnic areas, barbecues and facilities, while $45 million is being used to boost support for visitors with restricted mobility. If you're looking for new places to go hiking or camping in the meantime, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has just released a new, free mobile app that provides guides to more than 225 national parks. You can check it out here. There's no word yet on when the Grand Cliff Walk's upgrade will begin, but we'll let you know as soon as there is. Image: Simone Cottrell.
In February 2012, on the eve of the release of Polica's debut album Give You the Ghost, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver's frontman) told Rolling Stone, 'They're the best band I've ever heard'. A month later an appearance at SXSW inspired The Huffington Post prediction: 'This band is going to be huge'. Now Polica, originally from Minneapolis and formed out of soft rock group Gayngs, are bringing their dreamily melodic and percussively exhilarating live show to the Antipodes. While so many indie beats-based acts fall prey to monotony, a refreshingly creative energy drives Polica's sound. Vocalist Channy Leaneagh glides over undulating synths, deft bass lines and compelling polyrhythms, delivered through a combination of R&B-influenced electronica and two drum kits. The product is a constantly shifting and exquisitely melancholic, yet uplifting, soundscape that certainly has Bon Iver addicted. https://youtube.com/watch?v=h6WgWCIkH9U
Elton John summed it up perfectly: when Marilyn Monroe died in 1962, her candle burned out long before her legend ever would. Six decades since her passing, the actor remains a Hollywood icon. Like Elvis, she may as well be mononymic. Her face is instantly recognisable, and still everywhere. Ana de Armas just received an Oscar nomination for playing her, after Michelle Williams earned one back in 2012 for also stepping into her shoes. And, the Some Like It Hot, Gentleman Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire star is also the subject of a sizeable exhibition heading to Australia for the first time: Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon. This Marilyn celebration will make its Aussie premiere at Sydney Town Hall, in the Lower Town Hall, from Saturday, July 1–Sunday, September 24. On display: more than 200 artefacts spanning Monroe's life, including handwritten notes, personal letters and other possessions. This is the largest Marilyn collection of its kind. Indeed, the objects set to grace the showcase stem from Ted Stampfer, owner the world's largest range of Marilyn items. With Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon, he's aiming to share insights into Monroe as a person, not just a celebrity — spanning her time in the spotlight, of course, but also back when she was Norma Jeane Mortenson. [caption id="attachment_905881" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Jasgur, Ted Stampfer[/caption] Stampfer will be on hand on opening day providing a curator's tour, as part of an events program accompanying the three-month memorabilia exhibition. Friday-night sessions will feature music and entertainment, and film screenings will also be part of the lineup, letting attendees experience Marilyn's movie magic for themselves. As it celebrates the woman who scaled the heights of fame, became a household name, but received horrific scrutiny for her sex-symbol status and her love life — focusing on her hard work, not the stories spun about her — this'll be the only time that Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon will open to the public in this form. [caption id="attachment_905878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ted Stampfer[/caption]
If you missed out on The Jungle Collective's previous warehouse plant sales, be sure to clear the weekend of July 7 and 8. Because there's another one on its way. The Jungle Collective is a Melbourne nursery that stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. After holding many wildly successful Sydney markets last year, it's tracking down new plants and throwing another two-day indoor plant party. This time, it's Christmas in July–themed, so wear ugly sweaters, Santa suits and elf ears. If you do, you'll get a $5 discount off of your purchase. While plenty of rare plants and indoor favourites will be on offer, with everything from hanging pot plants to palms to a giant Bird of Paradise, so prepare to welcome a few into your home. Have a reputation for killing your cacti? Overwatering your ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the night to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. This time round, the plant sale is being hold in a new location — and as part of Precinct 75's Winter Design Market. The good stuff tends to go first, so we recommend booking a morning session on the Saturday. Winter Wonderland Plant Sale will run from 10am–2pm on Saturday, July 7, and Sunday July 8. Tickets will be available from midday, Monday, July 2, via the Facebook page. Images: Alexandra Cohen
Calling all dancing queens – it's time to dust off those tambourines and head to the annual Trundle ABBA Festival. Australia's only festival dedicated to the Swedish supergroup, the Trundle ABBA Festival is the perfect opportunity to pay homage to Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid and the endless good times their pop tunes bring. Tribute band Björn Again will make you think you're watching the real deal, when they put on an outstanding performance of all your favourite ABBA hits while dressed to the nines in glitzy 70s ABBA-inspired attire. You'll also be able to compete in a disco-dancing competition or step aboard the ABBA train, a colourful 1930s-carriage with a bar that travels from Parkes to Trundle.
One does not simply walk into Sydney Fringe. With more than 300 events spanning comedy, theatre, visual art, circus, music, picnics, crafternoons and gender critiques set to Beyonce, the whole thing requires some research and recommendations. Here are the main events we'll be seeking out during the Fringe's takeover of September. Laneway Hubs: Foley Lane as Montmartre Last year the Fringe had Emerald City garden hub, and we thought that was pretty good. This year the Fringe’s ambitions stretch to taking over three Sydney neighbourhoods for three separate laneway hubs over three weekends in Darlinghurst, Newtown and Sydenham. The first (and probably our most highly anticipated) is at Darlinghurst's Foley Lane, which will be decked out in Montmartre style with street performers, swing bands, Parisian crepe stands and tiny cinema screenings. Newtown’s weekend promises night markets, music, talks and an abundance of local artists, while the Fringe’s final weekend will be set in Sydenham. Foley Street will be decked out September 5–7, 6pm–12am Fri & Sat, 4–10pm Sun. The Newtown night market sets up for September 20–21, 12pm-midnight Sat & 12pm–10pm Sun. Faversham Street’s party runs September 27–28, 6pm to midnight Sat & 12pm–10pm Sun. Fast Times at FilChil High Fast Times at FilChil High is brought to you by The Filthy Children Collective, a homegrown electronic outfit. Think of Fast Times as an all-inclusive party for the senses — we're talking a mix of music, visual art, retro video games and dancing. Basically, if teen-you were jigging school, this is where they'd go. Saturday, September 13, from 4pm at Freda's (107-109 Regent Street, Chippendale). Free. The Campground The Fringe is making over its own headquarters at 5 Eliza Street into a key venue — and a vertiginous one at that. The three-level hub has been moulded around a campground theme. You can drop by here anytime; downstairs ('the Tent') plays host to traditional hub activities, like a bar and the odd exhibition, while the upstairs 'Campfire' offers up a program of talks and crafternoons (crochet and knitting Mondays, sketching Tuesdays and snow globe making Wednesdays). The ballroom has been transformed into the Emerging Artist Annex, a 60-seat, friendlier theatre space for the Fringe's newest artists. 5 Eliza Street, Newtown All the Single Lad(ie)s at PACT You love Beyonce. You love a spot of gender critique. Then you are also most definitely the target audience for All the Single Lad(ie)s, a work that juxtaposes the music of proudly feminist Queen Bey with surreal scenes laying bare various conundrums of gender and sexuality. From experimental Perthians The Cutting Room Floor, All the Single Lad(ie)s premiered at the Perth Fringe World Festival, where it won much adoration but also prompted the West Australian to say, "We were warned that All the Single Lad(ie)s was 'grotesque', but that was probably not enough of a warning for what we witnessed." Sounds like perfect Fringe material. September 24-27, 6.30pm at PACT Centre for Emerging Artists (107 Railway Parade, Erskinville). $15. The Lab Art Pharmacy is all about getting emerging artists’ works on sale at affordable prices. They’ve done a number of pop-ups over the last couple of years and for this year’s fringe they’re throwing up the Lab for two weeks on the edge of Oxford Square. The Lab will feature free artist talks and an introduction to starting your own art collection, but the highlight of the Lab is likely to be the art itself. The Fringe selection includes work from Mulga the Artist and Will Coles, probably best known for his ambulant, grey mobile phone sculptures. September 5–14 from 11am – 7pm most days at 20 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst. Opening night is Thursday, September 4 from 6pm. RSVP here. Free the Beats The Free the Beats project aims to give electronic enthusiasts an opportunity to release their beats for free in what is a very community approach to creating music. The result is experimental, imperfect and always refreshingly different to thudding techno beats. In time for the release of volume 12, this Fringe event is about music in all its varied, experimental glory. Musical selections will include soul vocals, live drummers, analogue synths, laptops and gadgets galore. Thursday, September 14, 6pm at Venue 505 (280 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills). Free. In the Night Garden: Vespertine ‘Vespertine’, it’s a fancy word for saying “things that happen at night”. Since its first appearance in 2011, In the Night Garden has consistently been one of the Fringe’s nicest little nights out. It's an evening that sees a collaboration from a bunch of back-lane, St Peters’ artistic residents, tied together by local artmakers Tortuga Studios. This year will bring more of the same. And for this night of light art, more of the same is a pretty good thing. For a single night, from sunset the back lanes behind Tortuga light up with projections, strange light art and music, as local artists collaborate to create their annual odd-lit, nocturnal wonderland. September 26, 6.30pm at Applebee and Hutchinson Streets, St Peters. Free. The Bookbinder This is an adult and kid-friendly show, but just elbow the little tykes out of the way and you'll be privy to a magical little work that unfolds in a dimly lit bookshop (specifically: Better Read Than Dead on King Street). From New Zealand company Trick of the Light Theatre, The Bookbinder is an amalgamation of forms and DIY special effects — you'll find shadowplay, paper art, puppetry and musical interludes intertwined in a mystery and cautionary tale of what happened to the bookbinder's last, overly cocksure apprentice. September 11-13, 7pm at Better Read Than Dead (265 King Street, Newtown). $25/20. Yes Dance Dance choreographer Rennie McDougall starts off with the jazz ballet moves of the '90s, but by the end of these 45 minutes, you won't be able to look at a grapevine the same way again. Here, the Chunky Move and Conversation Piece performer presents a dance routine that goes past the aesthetic beauty of dance to explore the human body and its capacity for individuality, impulse and error within a choreography. He has performed many times in Sydney, but yes dance is McDougall's much-anticipated choreographic debut. September 16-20, 8pm at Dickson Street Space (35–39 Dickson Street, Newtown). $20/16. Genevieve Fricker – Trying Comedy is probably the Sydney Fringe's strongest suit. Australian comics emerging and established each seem to take their turn on stage, so you're bound to stumble into someone who makes the corners of your mouth lift. And don't just see your friends and friends of friends; see our friend of a friend Genevieve Fricker. The comedian, writer and occasional singer has featured in The Roast and Spicks and Specks. Her new show, Trying, blends songs and funnies — not limited to unexpected breakouts in song, weird impressions and occasional sentence deconstructions. September 10 at 8.15pm and September 24 and 26 at 6.45pm at the Factory Theatre (105 Victoria Road, Marrickville). $14/9. By the Concrete Playground team.
Antidote — the Sydney Opera House festival of ideas, action and change – will return for its fourth year with both in-person and live-streamed talks, workshops and performances. This year's program, curated by Head of Talks and Ideas Dr Edwina Throsby, has been shaped by the unprecedented events of 2020, with speakers and artists reflecting on the year that's been and looking to the future. Running from 10am on Sunday, November 29, the 2020 program will kick off with the Tom Tilley-hosted Resetting the World, a discussion on how to rebuild the world with fresh perspectives featuring Indigenous-led design advocate Jefa Greenaway, climate change social researcher Rebecca Huntley and economic journalist Jessica Irvine. Later in the day, you can join discussions with the author of the book Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid on race, class and privilege and The New Yorker writer Jill Lepore on what the US will look like post-Trump. Closing out the day will be an optimistic talk from Dutch historian Rutger Bregman and Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney Jess Scully titled Reasons to be Cheerful, and national LGBTQIA+ storytelling project and podcast Queerstories. Workshops on learning your local Indigenous Australian language, improving your home's plant game and sustainable rug-making will be taking place throughout the day if you're looking for a more interactive experience. The Indigenous language workshops, lead by Darug woman Aunty Jacinta Tobin and Gadigal man Joel Davison, are free to attend at both 11.15am and 4.15pm. Ticket prices differ from event to event and on whether you'll be attending in person or online. You can find the full schedule and information on the tickets at the Sydney Opera House website. [caption id="attachment_791603" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Aunty Jacinta Tobin by Caroline Hide[/caption] Top Image: Patrick Boland
The lineup for the inaugural The Plot festival has been announced today, and there sure isn't any shortage of stars. The Plot is the city-side little brother of Groovin the Moo, bringing electronic and dance tunes from all around the country (and from overseas) to Sydney on December 14 and Melbourne on December 15. Following a Facebook post from 22-year-old sensation Flume concerning the unique stylings of Australian electro musicians, The Plot has included a spate of artists Flume name checked as the future. From Wave Racer to Willow Beats to Elizabeth Rose, all those tiny sub-genres of Aussie dance and electronic are represented at the fresh festival at the end of the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GJ2GcNs_aXI The Plot is the brainchild of Cattleyard Productions, who seem to be going from strength to strength. In a climate where festivals are losing sales and even closing down, Cattleyard have not only managed to pull together a new festival but also expand the existing Groovin the Moo to South Australia for next year. Which ain't too shabby. If it's something about the vibe, then that's something the folks at Cattleyard will hope to pull out of the country and bring to the city when Australia's finest electro-stars take to the laser-lit stage in December. For the full lineup, tickets and more, head to The Plot.
Fancy a dip with a difference? Boutique hotel connoisseurs Mr & Mrs Smith have a bunch of seductive watery wonders. From awe-inspiring views and cater-to-every-whim butler service, these shimmering stretches will have you flapping your water wings in excitement (Speedos optional). Hotel Crillon le Brave, Provence Where: Rue Église, 84410, Crillon-le-Brave, Vaucluse, France What: Stone-built hilltop hideaway Perched high on a peachy-hued Provencal hilltop, Hotel Crillon le Brave is made up of seven houses clustered around a 16th-century church. After a quick bonjour to the hotel’s namesake — a mustachioed statue of the real Crillon le Brave — follow the discreet grey signs on pale stacked-stone exteriors to this hip hostellerie. A maze of footpaths leads down stone steps and over cobbled terraces to the separate maisons: charming sleeping quarters that look out over pale terracotta roof tiles, neatly coiffed vineyards and limestone-topped hills. The Cezanne-worthy panorama continues poolside; swimmers can catch glimpses between strokes as they work off a lion's share of croissants, pastries and crisp local rosé. Perivolas, Santorini Where: Oia Santorini, 847 02, Cyclades Islands, Greece What: Dream lava Plucked straight from the pages of a glossy spread, Perivolas is a supermodel in hotel form. Poised high on the hills of Santorini above the Aegean sea, this is the sort of hideaway that inspires spontaneous marriage proposals. A soundtrack of distant lapping waves fills whitewashed-walled rooms that peer out over the caldera (the proper name for the volcanic crater-cum-bay, if you please), while sunlounger-graced terraces provide the postcard-perfect spot to stare out into the brilliant blue. A resplendent infinity pool is the jewel atop Perivolas’ crown: seamlessly merging with the endless azure horizon and offering a spectacular setting to sup sundowners and watch the sun melt into the sea. Masseria Torre Maizza, Puglia Where : C.da Coccaro, 70015, Savelletri di Fasano Brindisi, Italy What: Spacious and gracious A 16th-century coastal estate set in olive groves with ocean views, Masseria Torre Maizza is sister to Masseria Torre Coccaro — good looks clearly run in the family. There’s no cause to fret about countryside isolation: days here are spent ambling between the spa, cookery school and golf course. Water babies should head straight for the outdoor pool, surrounded by vine-dressed columns, hammocks and more sunbeds than you can poke a crostino at. When a growling stomach interrupts, make for Ristorante delle Palme, where black-lacquered chairs and white-linen-topped tables spill onto the poolside terrace. Rayavadee, Krabi Where :214 Moo 2, Tambon Ao-Nang, Amphoe Maung, Thailand What: Sand-circle garden pavilions Flanked by dramatic limestone cliffs and glittering beaches, Rayavadee is accessible only by boat from Krabi. Picturesque pavilions are tucked between towering tropical palm trees; it's a look befitting a tribal jungle village with a penchant for Jacuzzis, spa treatments and homemade cookies. The sapphire-coloured waters of the sprawling lagoon-style infinity pool offer uninterrupted views of the Andaman Sea and respite for those weary from jungle treks. If you can be coaxed from your plumped sunbed, adventure-junkies can pursue rock-climbing, kayaking and scuba-diving; land-lubbers should seek out the spa for an hour (or more) of towel-cocooned pampering. Raas, Jodphur Where :Tunwar ji ka Jhalra, Makrana Mohalla, Gulab Sagar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India What: Achingly hip haveli Set in the shadow of the majestic Mehrangarh Fort, Raas is a modern-day Maharaja’s mansion. A cluster of four heritage rose-red sandstone buildings make up this refashioned family manor, decorated with sprawling terraced gardens, boutiques, spas and restaurants. Beyond the hotel walls, the city is a frenetic blend of colour and chaos. Inside, your only disruptions are birds trilling and water tinkling. An at-your-service butler-attended infinity pool brings a splash of Ibiza to the Indian desert; expect white-canopied sunloungers, chilled tunes and poolside yoga. Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs Where :701 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California, United States What: Hipster’s canyon commune Seducing the young and young at heart, Ace Hotel & Swim Club marries sleek architecture and low-key luxury with a smattering of vintage design accents. Sun-seekers can brave the heat by renting a candy-coloured Vespa or booking a horseback riding lesson, leaving those attached to air-conditioned comfort to languidly laze in a hammock and work through the hotel bar’s cocktail menu. An eclectic soundtrack of indie rock, '70s and '80s hits, top-40 numbers and spinning DJs provide the poolside playlist. The King’s Highway restaurant (once a roadside Denny’s) dishes up classic American fare with splashes of the unexpected — try the harissa lamb and pan-seared tilapia. Eagles Nest, Bay of Islands Where: 60 Tapeka Road, Russell, New Zealand What: Modern, minimal, magical Prepare to be hypnotised at Eagles Nest, a hotel where pampering means private chefs, peaceful pools and a Porsche at your disposal. From its perch atop a private peninsula, this North Island retreat has sweeping views over the Bay of Islands and 75-acre grounds that are ripe for exploration. Villas are cool and contemporary, tucked away in the middle of lush native bush; all are self-contained with a gourmet kitchen and private deck. Each villa has its own heated infinity-edge lap pool (except the First Light, which has a Jacuzzi), fringed by sleek white day-beds and romantic lanterns for moodily lit evenings. Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali Where: Jl. Belimbing Sari, Banjar Tambiyak, Desa Pecatu, Bali, Indonesia What: Minimalist eco-glam From the lobby at Alila Villas Uluwatu you’ll catch your first glimpse of the hotel’s 50m infinity pool and the Indian Ocean beyond, and we challenge any paddling professional not to be impressed. With each villa replete with its own pool and butler, it’s quite possible that you’ll be the only guests at the hotel’s main watering hole. With a cliff-edge perch and cantilevered cabana, a few languid strokes is enough to have you feeling like you’re floating above the world. When hands and feet become sufficiently wrinkled, retire to Spa Alila, a holistic heaven where local therapists use traditional Asian healing techniques and age-old beauty recipes. Shoreditch Rooms, London Where: 1 Ebor Street, Shoreditch, London, United Kingdom What: Cool crash-pad club Dust off your hipster specs and dig out your coolest ‘resting designer’ attire: it’s time to mention Shoreditch Rooms. An outpost of the media-savvy SoHo House members’ club, glamourpusses and hip creative types have long flocked to this converted warehouse to let off some steam. With breathtaking views across the city, the heated rooftop pool is where it’s at. The bar’s close by, as are gardens complete with open fires, double day-beds and a herb plot. Closer to earth, the ground-floor Cowshed spa has famous facials and massages tailored to your mood. Hotel Habita, Mexico City Where: 201 Avenida Presidente Masaryk, Colonia Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico What: Modern minimalist classic Bang in the middle of posh Polanco, Hotel Habita is a favourite with Mexico City’s fashion-forward and in-the-know elite. Follow in their well-heeled steps by ascending to the rooftop. A glistening pool is overlooked by the hotel’s mezzanine bar, flanked by curvy white loungers, dark wooden decking and complete with a wet bar. Upstairs, the full lounge boasts tables, chairs and a crackling fireplace for cosily cool evenings; films are projected on to the walls of nearby buildings on clear nights. If you prefer dinner a deux to designer-clad crowds, the lobby restaurant offers Mexican bistro cuisine and huge windows prime for people-watching. Feeling hot under the collar? Cool off by taking a dip at other Mr & Mrs Smith pool hotels or browse more hotel collections .
When Quentin Tarantino first formed a film production company back in 1991, its name came from movie history. With A Band Apart, the then-fledgling director paid tribute to filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, to 1964 picture Bande à part and to the French New Wave, and nodded to the imprints that cinema's past always leaves on its future. Godard, François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, Jacques Demy, Alain Resnais, Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, Jacques Panijel, Jacques Rozier and company didn't need QT's ode to cement their greatness, or that of the movement they brought to life in the 50s and 60s, of course — but that recognition is just one example of how far their influences spread. Indeed, watch any film that falls into the Nouvelle Vague and you'll spy the inspiration for countless more from around the globe in the seven decades since it sprang up. That's the impact that the movement's group of French film critics and cinephiles-turned-filmmakers have had. And the Art Gallery of New South Wales wants you to watch, dedicating its latest movie season to these crucial and significant gems. Screening from Wednesday, July 9–Sunday, September 7, 2025 in the Domain Theatre, the venue's Nouvelle Vague lineup is packed with masterpieces that sparked more — from Truffaut's coming-of-age great The 400 Blows and ménage à trois flick Jules and Jim to Godard's crime drama Breathless, Varda's thoughtful Cléo From 5 to 7 and the technicolour wonders of Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. You can head along from 2pm on Wednesdays and Sundays for a middle-of-the-day movie, or at 7.15pm on Wednesday evenings. Whichever you pick, attendance is free, but those complimentary tickets can be booked online or collected at the door from one hour before each screening.
For keen racegoers, the arrival of the De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Day means one thing: Everest Carnival is well underway. And for those looking for a lively day out in the sun, there's a wealth of food, drinks and entertainment on offer. Rosehill Gardens will host this major event, now in its third year, on Saturday, September 22. And there's plenty going on to fill your day with. Wander through the grounds and discover a host of pop-up bars from Pimm's and Canadian Club, then retreat to The Deck by De Bortoli Wines to sip bubbly in the sun on the tiered lawn and listen to DJ Helena Ellis' tunes from the nearby Main Stage. When you're feeling peckish, make a beeline for Rosehill's newest food precinct, Eats at the Gardens. There you'll find a selection of food trucks ready to curb your hunger including Vietnamese specialists Trinhy's, American barbecue from Hardstyle Kitchen, plus Chur Burger and many others. Following the festivities at Rosehill Gardens, make tracks to Rosehill Bowling Club where the official after-party will be keeping things going late into the night with a host of live music and DJ karaoke. And, if you're keen to do it all again soon, make sure you enter the On Top of the World competition. The prize is a money-can't-buy experience for Everest Day (October 13): two night's accommodation at The Star, a buffet breakfast at Sokyo, a helicopter transfer to Randwick and a dining package while you're there. Plus, when you return to The Star that night (via limousine), you'll enjoy dinner at BLACK Bar & Grill.
When you work at a zoo, no two days would ever be the same, all thanks to its animal inhabitants. No shift on the job would ever be boring, either — but surely Taronga Zoo's staff haven't had a day like today, Wednesday, November 2, when five of the site's lions escaped their enclosure. In a social media post, Taronga confirmed that "an emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure". "The zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident. All persons onsite were moved to safe zones and there are no injuries to guests or staff," the statement continues. "All animals are now in their exhibit where they are being closely monitored." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taronga Zoo (@tarongazoo) As aired on the ABC, Taronga Zoo Executive Director Simon Duffy said that one adult and four cubs were found outside of their main exhibit at around 6.30am, and "were observed in a small area adjacent to the main lion exhibit, where a six-foot fence separated them from the rest of the zoo". "The lions calmly made their way back into their main exhibit and den, and one lion cub was safely tranquillised," Duffy advised. "All zoo staff responded and acted swiftly, and procedures and processes were followed as they should have been. As a result, the situation was under control within minutes. We have received video footage, and we confirmed that it was less than ten minutes between the lions exiting their main exhibit and the full emergency response being enacted." If a trip to the zoo is part of your plans today, Taronga has also confirmed that it's operating as normal after the morning's excitement. Taronga welcomed five lion cubs — females Ayanna, Malika and Zuri, and males Khari and Luzuko — in August 2021, during lockdown. It's also streamed them last year, letting everyone enjoy a keepers'-eye view from home. Find Taronga Zoo at Bradleys Head Road, Mosman — open from 9.30am–5pm daily. Head to the zoo's website for further information. Images: Taronga's lion cubs, Rick Stevens.
The Maybe Group and PUBLIC Hospitality have officially gone their separate ways after just over a year in partnership. Vince Lombardo and Stefano Catino have opted to bring their beloved hospitality spaces back under the umbrella of leading food- and beverage-focused brand The Maybe Group, the latest development in what's been a massive period for the two hospo outfits. Across the last 12 months or so, global accolades have been showered on the likes of El Primo Sanchez and Maybe Sammy, Sammy Junior closed suddenly, and now The Maybe Group and PUBLIC Hospitality will separate. The new move is being undertaken by mutual agreement with PUBLIC's Jon Adgemis. "Stef and I believe we can best serve our venues by bringing them back under The Maybe Group's wing, and Jon has supported us in this decision," said Lombardo. This means that The Maybe Group's two initial venues, alongside one of PUBLIC Hospitality's most-acclaimed bars, will transition to the former's ownership effective immediately. As of Friday, July 12, Paddington's El Primo Sanchez, The Rocks' Maybe Sammy and Randwick's Maybe Frank will be operated solely by The Maybe Group, and Catino has advised that these venues will continue to operate as normal. [caption id="attachment_941736" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] "Although Maybe Sammy and Maybe Frank have been under the PUBLIC umbrella for the last year or so, we have continued to operate them as our own so there will be no change to the guest experience in those venues or El Primo Sanchez as a result of this transition," said Catino. As for future endeavours, The Maybe Sammy group has also noted that new collaborations with PUBLIC Hospitality will be considered on a venue-by-venue basis. [caption id="attachment_704013" align="alignnone" width="1920"] DS OFICINA[/caption] Further information regarding the venues will be released shortly at The Maybe Group and PUBLIC Hospitality websites. Top image: Steven Woodburn.
Little Box proves correct the old adage that it's not about size, but what you do with it that matters. Quite literally a little box that appears to have been plonked in the middle of an outdoor shopping arcade, it's tiny — but you can't walk past without being intrigued. Judging from the setup, you'd expect their menu to be short and sweet, but Little Box is essentially the clown car of cafes — so there's plenty to choose from for both breakfast and lunch. They've earned our respect with their sweet potato and zucchini fritters with avo smash and a balsamic glaze ($13.50) and their portobello mushroom burger with haloumi ($13). If you prefer a bit of meat, the lamb salad with feta and roast pumpkin ($15) or the slow-cooked pulled lamb burger with chipotle salsa ($14) are equally impressive options. And if you're a coffee aficionado who's keen to try a new bean, theirs comes from Barrel One Roasters, a boutique roaster that's local to the northern beaches.
Finding the perfect spot for every beer drinking occasion isn't easy. So, that's where we come in — at Concrete Playground, we want to pass our expertise onto you. Together with Heineken, we've created two crafty tools to help you plan your next day or night out: the Heineken Bar Finder, a complete guide to the top-notch beer gardens, rooftop bars and other hotspots where you can enjoy an ice cold brew, and the Heineken Insider chatbot, your trusty brew companion. We're just a simple 'hey insider' away, making it even easier for you to find that perfect spot for your next outing — all thanks to the power of AI. While you can browse our expert guides over at the Heineken Bar Finder, we encourage you to have a chat with the Heineken Insider. Here's how it works: head to our Facebook page and send us a message saying 'Hey Insider 'to get in touch. You'll be asked what you're looking to do, and we'll respond instantly with specialised recommendations for the occasion — either at your current location or anywhere in the city if you don't have a preference. Looking for a hump day lunch spot for you and your office mates? We got you. How about the perfect spot for late-night kick ons? We got you there, too. And what about the best pub in your area where you can catch the match? You get the idea. The Heineken Insider has your back with recommendations from day to night. Also, we should mention that there'll be chances to win freebies and VIP experiences at some key bars. It's time to make your friends think you're the expert in this city. Take the work out of the play and chat with the Heineken Insider now.
The inaugural Australian Native Food Festival was announced last month. This September, it is set to bring Carriageworks to life with a celebration of First Nations culture and Australia's native ingredients through food, art, storytelling and music. The incredible lineup of acclaimed chefs, which will showcase the breadth of Indigenous food and culture, has just been announced, and tickets are on sale now. The esteemed lineup includes Attica's Ben Shewry, My Kitchen Rules' host Colin Fassnidge, Karima Hazim from Sunday Kitchen, Raylene Brown from Kungkas Can Cook and George Calombaris. Kylie Kwong will take the stage with respected Gamilaroi Elder Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo OAM for a cooking demonstration that highlights the flavours of native ingredients through storytelling. They will cook Aunty Beryl's famous lemon myrtle chicken, while also showcasing Kwong's Australian-Cantonese food, to demonstrate how food and cooking can foster community and connection. TV personality and Masterchef winner Elena Duggan will host a session demonstrating how to use native Australian ingredients in everyday cooking. Duggan will explore clever pantry swaps to embrace bushfoods for more creative lunchbox ideas and at-home meals. The festival, which is presented by Indigiearth and led by Ngemba Weilwan woman Sharon Winsor, will focus on First Nations-owned and run businesses such as Black Duck Foods, Baagi Milaygiin, and Native Botanical Brewery. Winsor says, "This festival is about more than food — it's about honouring culture, strengthening connections, and opening a space for others to learn from and celebrate First Nations knowledge. It's a chance to showcase the remarkable people and produce that make native foods powerful and unique." Images: Supplied. The Australian Native Food Festival, running from September 27 to 28, is free for general admission. Tickets for chef demonstrations are on sale now.
Greenery is the new objet d'art, so get ready to redecorate. For two days only, designer garden pot company The Balcony Garden is giving you the perfect excuse to spruce up your plant-scape with a massive online sale. For just the second time, the purveyor of handmade plant pots (which is also 100-percent carbon neutral) will be holding a virtual warehouse sale. From the comfort of your own home, you can score between 50- to 90-percent off a huge range of designer pots and planters that will only be available via the sale website. Once you've nabbed your bargain, you'll need to book a time to pick up your goods from the Frenchs Forest warehouse between 7–18 March. No lines, no masks, no worries. The sale kicks off at 8am on Thursday, March 3 and ends at 10pm on Friday, March 4, so make sure you don't miss out. To get your next plant pot bargain, head to the The Balcony Garden's Virtual Warehouse Sale website. Keep up to date with all things The Balcony Garden via Instagram.
This article is sponsored by our partner lastminute.com.au. Ah, New York City. 'The City that Never Sleeps'. 'The Big Apple'. 'The Capital of the World'. Whatever you call it, you know it. Recognised as the cultural capital of America, NYC is a melting pot of peoples from all over the world. It's home to some of the best arts, eateries, events and scenes in the world. Its impressive landmarks make it impossible to be mistaken for any other city. We all know the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and of course, Lady Liberty — even if only from our living rooms. Shows like Sex & the City, movies like When Harry Met Sally and songs such as 'Empire State of Mind', have enraptured most of us with the thrill of New York City. If you've every wanted to see what the hype is all about but haven't the slightest idea where to go in the mega-metropolis, travel and lifestyle site lastminute.com.au has you covered. They've scouted out a variety of hotels in the city's many unique neighbourhoods, from the Upper East Side's Gossip Girl style to the low-key, artsy Brooklyn vibe. Here are their favourites. (They're also offering an opportunity for Aussies to 'Win NYE in NYC', so don't miss that.) The Surrey Stars: 5Best for: Classic Upper East Side elegance Once home to some of New York's most high-profile celebrities — including JFK, Bette Davis and Claudette Colbert — the Surrey is valued for its excellent service and discretion. The hotel also offers the finest amenities, including a private rooftop garden, spa service and gourmet dining. Venture out of your room into the nearby Central Park or shop along Fifth Avenue; the best of Manhattan living is right outside your door. Affinia Manhattan Stars: 3.5Best for: Apartment living in the heart of the mid-town scene Have bad FOMO? Then this is the place for you. Spot on in the middle of the city, the Affinia Manhattan is centred around all the action. Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, Broadway, Times Square, Fifth Avenue shopping and Chelsea art galleries are all just a step away. The Affinia has all the old-school charm of a New York hotel, but with a modern update. So when you’re exhausted from a big day out, relax and enjoy the skyline view from your room. Sohotel New York Stars: 2Best for: Funky slice of downtown with reasonable rates Located in a unique area of lower Manhattan, the Sohotel is in a prime location for urban adventure. Enjoy world-class shops, historic cultural landmarks, delectable eats or vibrant nightlife on the historic Bowery Boulevard. Or discover the quirky neighbourhoods of Nolita, China Town and Little Italy that give the area some cultural flair. You can enjoy it all because the Sohotel offers some pretty affordable rates. Comfort and style are not compromised though — the hotel is a quirky mix of old and young New York style, which in our opinion just adds to the experience. The Greenwich Hotel Stars: 5Best for: Oasis of calm and luxury in the heart of Tribeca Planted in the heart of Tribeca, the Greenwich Hotel is a stone's throw from Wall Street, SoHo, the Meatpacking District and Chinatown. But it could be hard to leave the hotel. A true haven for relaxation, the Greenwich features an authentic Japanese spa with a lantern-lit swimming pool, luxurious lounge and treatment rooms — you might start to believe you’re at a retreat rather than a city. Also, the rooms are all so unique, comfortable and liveable that you might want to think about an extended stay. The Box House Hotel Stars: 3.5Best for: Quirky cool in Brooklyn If you're looking for something a little more offbeat, check out the Box House Hotel in Brooklyn. Located in the industrial chic area of Greenpoint, this hotel offers a variety of quirky and brightly decorated apartments (be sure to request one with a patio or terrace for views of Greenpoint or the Manhattan skyline). A short walking distance to some of Brooklyn's best restaurants and bars, the Box House Hotel offers an authentic Brooklyn experience that's anything but boring.
Just because we might have to have to whip out something other than Birkenstocks and t-shirts for autumn, doesn't mean we have to move our film watching indoors. So get ready to cosy up at the third season of Luna Park's rooftop cinema. Running from March 22 to April 30, the pop-up cinema will be worth taking a chance on the weather — from the rooftop of Luna Park you'll have an unobstructed view of Sydney Harbour. For comfort, you can rent a Matt Blatt chair as your movie seat for the night, and you'll get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones so you can hear the film over the clamour of the Wild Mouse. The cinema comes complete with a rooftop bar serving up wine, burgers and, of course, popcorn. Over the course of five weeks, the cinema will feature award-winners like The Post, and La La Land, cult favourites like My Neighbor Totoro and classics like Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Tickets are $22 each.
A few years ago, many drinkers would have thrown out their beers after the first sip if they were sour. But 2017 saw a rise in the prevalence of — and preference for — these tart and acidic brews that are bound to get your tastebuds tingling. While it seems to be a relatively new style of beer, its origins can be traced back to the first beers ever brewed, where wild yeast and spontaneous fermentation were key. Fast forward a few hundred years and sour beers exist in many different varieties, with American wild ales, berliner weisse, gose and lambics being those favoured in the Australian craft beer scene. Today in Sydney, most craft breweries have either a limited release or core range sour. Wayward Brewing Co's 'Sourpuss' Raspberry Berliner Weisse was one of the first sours to become widely available on tap in venues across Sydney. Then came Batch Brewing Co's range of 90s hip-hop themed sours. These beers — such as Plum DMC, Mango Mathers, 2Peach Shakur and the charmingly named Pash The Magic Dragon passionfruit and dragonfruit sour — helped to secure the sour ale as an idiosyncratic fixture on Australia's brewing scene. Perhaps the biggest development in terms of sour beer, however, is Wildflower Brewing & Blending in Marrickville. Not a brewery as such — the beer is brewed at Batch nearby — Sydney's first 'blendery' has captured the hearts and tastebuds of sour lovers with its unique and tart ales, which feature Australian botanicals in their yeast cultures. Wildflower has released a number of beers since opening in 2017, but its standout brew is the sour Wildflower Amber. Released in batches (each one with a slightly different development in flavour) and aged in French oak barrels, this amber ale sits at six-percent ABV and features a complex palate of malt-accented notes with a light acidity. The most recent release, Wildflower Amber #10 ($22 for a 750-millilitre bottle), is available from the cellar door at 11–13 Brompton Street in Marrickville or online. SHOPPING LIST Wayward Brewing Co Sourpuss Raspberry Berliner Weisse, 330ml, $5.50 each or $17.99 for four (also available at the brewery) Batch Brewing Co Pash The Magic Dragon, 640ml, $12.50 each (also available at the brewery) Wildflower Amber #10 and #11, 750ml, $22 each Hop Topics is our new bi-weekly beer column keeping you up-to-date with the latest beer trends happening around the country. Dominic Gruenewald is a Sydney based actor, writer and self-proclaimed beer snob. Between gigs, he has pulled pints at all the right venues and currently hosts Sydney's longest running beer appreciation society Alestars at the Taphouse, Darlinghurst.
You might not know the name Eddie Marsan, but odds are you'd recognise his face. With a list of film credits that includes The World's End, War Horse, V for Vendetta as well as the Mission: Impossible and Sherlock Holmes franchises, he's the kind of unflashy, underappreciated character actor who disappears into whatever role he's given. Still Life, the new film from Full Monty producer Uberto Pasolini, marks a rare opportunity for Marsan to take centre stage. The result is so beautifully affecting you'll wonder why it doesn't happen more often. Indeed, Marsan's part in Still Life feels like the one he was born to play. A middle-aged London municipal officer, John May's job is to see to the affairs of people who have recently died. He goes about his work with minimal fuss and in return gets little thanks for his efforts. He's a quiet man, dignified but lonely, and seemingly more comfortable around the dead than he is the living. Early on in the film, May's smarmy new boss calls him into his office and informs him that he'll be downsized out of a job. May, being the man that he is, doesn't protest, only asking that he be able to finish his last case: tracking down the relatives of a grizzled military serviceman who just happened to reside in the same crumby apartment block as he does. As the title suggests, Still Life isn't particularly fast paced. Concerned with the sad, solitary minutiae of everyday life, Pasolini's direction is intentionally reserved — the drab whites, greys and blues of May's office and empty flat a reflection of his unremarkable life. Yet the film is not boring or bleak; on the contrary, Still Life possesses a tenderness and humanity that is extraordinarily powerful. It's a film that celebrates selfless acts of kindness, and going beyond the call of duty because it's simply the right thing to do. A few moments skew towards mawkishness, admittedly, but for the most part the balance is just right. In a turn that pays tribute to thousands of unremembered lives, Marsan's performance could hardly be more perfect. It's in large part thanks to his wonderful work that Still Life resonates to the degree that it does. If more filmmakers entrusted their projects to actors like Marsan, their movies would be all the better for it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Gt9CsXrlO8Y
There's a scene in the recently released 20,000 Days on Earth where Nick Cave claims he's genuinely jealous of Warren Ellis for having a piece of Nina Simone's used chewing gum. No ordinary piece of gum, this was what she chewed just before launching into the show of a lifetime. She stuck it on the piano in front of her, wiped her head with a ratty old towel and delivered a performance so phenomenal that its memory captivates Cave and Ellis more than a decade on. In an act of hardcore fandom Ellis grabbed both the towel and gum after her set. Inspired by these small pieces of sentimental memorabilia, Nick Cave and the creators of this semi-fictional documentary are currently curating an online Museum of Important Shit. Composed of user-submitted photographs, the museum documents the small keepsakes and trinkets that stay with us over the years. Whether that be a Polaroid photograph of a high school sweetheart, a lucky charm from your childhood or, on the more disgusting end of the spectrum, an old piece of gum wrapped in an old sweat rag. Validating hoarders all over the world, the collection really romanticises and unpacks the magic of these items. Dealing in "humble signifiers of huge significance," the museum's objective is to "catalogue the things that remind us of those transformative moments that make us who we are, and unlocks the stories connected to them." Comprised of over 200 items, the site currently displays receipts, drawings and a cigarette butt that once belonged to Tom Waits. For those who have seen 20,000 Days on Earth, the museum should come as no surprise. A bizarre blend of fiction and fact, the film is so centred upon the nature of memory that in many ways it emulates one — built on a shaky foundation of small moments and half-remembered stories. In one scene Cave narrates his memories through old photographs and collectables archived now as historical resources. "I've been a great collector of stuff from the start, you know, as a child, with my marbles and bits of string in my pocket," said Cave. "To this day, I keep the writing and photographs and the random ephemera, that over time, unexpectedly, collects meaning and significance. That stuff seems to be a kind of buttress that supports the soft tissue of my life. It feels connected to my soul in some kind of way. These physical things that define particular periods of my life, hold great importance to me. That stuff can unexpectedly reduce you to tears, because unexpected memory has that capacity. We all do it, I suppose, collect stuff, we all have our totems and touchstones that anchor us to our past. Stupid shit, in a way, but important shit." This important shit will be curated in the coming weeks by various actors and creative types including Richard Ayode (of The IT Crowd and recent directorial fame). And, while it may be hard for them to find a similarly profound meaning in all our trinkety junk, it's nice to know we're not the only ones collecting it. Via Wired.
As part of the flurry of new streaming services competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic — with the pay-per-view platform not only screening movies, but pairing them with virtual Q&A sessions as well. Now, between Wednesday, May 27–Tuesday, June 2, it's also hosting an online film fest: the first Virtual Indigenous Film Festival. The event coincides with National Reconciliation Week, and will showcase six Australian documentaries: In My Blood It Runs, The Australian Dream, Gurrumul, Undermined: Tales from the Kimberley, Zach's Ceremony and Namatjira Project. That means you can watch your way through an array of Indigenous stories, spanning everything from everyday tales to culturally significant figures in art, sport and music — and exploring race relations, tradition and the environment in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXa3gw3g4C4 Sessions will also feature guest speakers and expert panelists, such as Gurrumul director Paul Williams, Undermined filmmaker Nic Wrathall, and Zach and Alec Doomadgee from Zach's Ceremony. Viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, with tickets starting at US$6.99, or buy an all-access pass to everything for US$19.99.
Every time Apple makes an announcement (or even announces an announcement), the techno-geeks, Apple-loyalists and the general media feed the Mac hype with speculative articles. Even things that are quite obviously fake leaks are written about because it drives more readers to blogs/sites. And almost every time Apple does make an announcement, we're left a tad underwhelmed - our lofty hopes left largely unrealised. When Philip Schiller, senior vice president of Apple's Worldwide Product Marketing opened the 4S keynote reveal with "don't be deceived because inside, it's all new", it was all over. The most anyone hopes for with iPhone upgrades lies is how it looks. Beyond the literal meaning of Schiller's summation, his statement covers what most people actually care about: having the newest looking iPhone. What makes me feel foolish about this latest reveal is that as dictated by previous iterations, the shape hardly changes at this point; a full update is always preceded by a minor one. And with such a lack of physical change, I'm giving upgrading my iPhone 3GS a second thought. But if any of the previous upgrades are anything to go by, people will still buy the newest iPhone and brave an uncomfortable night's sleep outside the Mac store to make sure they are up-to-date. Even those who point to a 3 percent drop in Apple's share price also point to Apple's consumer savvy, releasing a phone with internal changes before making enthusiasts wait with bated breath for the iPhone 5. So here's what's new on the inside: - a faster processor. The iPhone 4S will be installed with the A5 chip (the same used for the iPad 2). - voice activation software called Siri. This will allow users to make commands like "check voice messages" and even answer questions like "what's the weather like tomorrow?" - a longer battery life (8 hours) - an improved camera (8 megapixels and a video stabilisation tool) https://youtube.com/watch?v=dhdmZ7iNZYo
An energy crisis is looming. We’ve been told that fossil fuels will be gone within the next 50 years. The hunt for alternative sources of energy to run our cars, fuel our industries and feed our countries has begun. Whilst green energy is going from strength to strength, traditional oil companies are looking to more tried and true resources. In light of this, Royal Dutch Shell are constructing the world’s largest man-made floating object. The vessel is being built in South Korean shipyards and is expected to be complete by 2017. When finished, it will anchor off Western Australia, where the vessel will extract the equivalent of over 110,000 barrels of natural gas a day. It will then cool the gas at -162 degrees celsius which condenses it to a sixth of its mass. Whilst the vessel itself will be stationary for a predicted 25 years, the gas will be transported via smaller ships to markets in Asia and Europe. The ship is more of a mini island. It will be over 4 football fields long, will weight six times more than the next largest vessel and can withstand a Category 4 cyclone, the most severe of storms. [via POPSCI]
No, you are not looking at a digitally altered photo. These photos are the work of German painter, sculptor and designer, Cornelia Konrads. She has created amazing displays of 'land-art' that seem to defy gravity. Her work represents the temporary existence of the structures that we build within nature. These displays are the disintegration of the man-made structures right before our eyes. Unique and beautiful, her work is a unique approach to land-art and we are quite impressed. For more of her stellar artwork, check out her website.
UPDATE, March 29, 2021: The King of Staten Island is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. Judd Apatow has a length problem. If one of his manchild protagonists said that, they'd be poking fun at his penis size, but we're actually referring to the duration of the filmmaker's movies. His arrested development-fuelled comedies always clock in at around the two-hour mark, minimum. Whether he's laughing at a middle-aged man's lacklustre love life, an unplanned pregnancy, or a comedian and movie star's near-death experience, the director behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Funny People never does so with brevity. So, returning to his favourite topic after giving it a slight twist in Trainwreck — which swapped his usual floundering male lead for Amy Schumer — it's hardly surprising that Apatow's latest flick feels protracted. Loosely inspired by Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson's life, including what might've happened if he hadn't made it in comedy, The King of Staten Island definitely, noticeably meanders. Thankfully, it's also candid, raw and funny, as well as exceptionally well-cast. Oozing a different kind of BDE — that'd be big daddy's boy energy here, and even big deadbeat energy — Davidson plays 24-year-old Staten Island resident Scott. He still lives at home with his overworked nurse mother Margie (Marisa Tomei) and his college-bound younger sister Claire (Maude Apatow), and he still can't quite cope with the death of his firefighter father on the job 17 years earlier. A high-school dropout who dreams of opening a combined tattoo parlour and restaurant, he spends his time smoking weed with his mates (Moises Arias, Ricky Velez and Lou Wilson), sleeping with but refusing to commit to or publicly acknowledge his lifelong friend Kelsey (Bel Powley), and inking up anyone who'll let him. Then, after making a particularly poor decision involving a tattoo gun and a nine-year-old, he ends up with irate firey Ray (Bill Burr) first yelling on his doorstep, then dating his mum. Born and raised in Staten Island himself, 26-year-old Davidson lost his own firefighter dad in 2001's September 11 attacks — and, unsurprisingly, he co-wrote The King of Staten Island's script with Apatow and ex-SNL writer Dave Sirus. Hanging out with someone who is playing a part, but has also mostly been there and done plenty of what viewers see on-screen, the movie always sports a lived-in vibe as a result. Indeed, rather than just conjuring up relatable comic scenarios for chuckles, it heaves with extra weight and resonance. Scott's aimlessness, his inability to face his feelings about anything and his juvenile response to almost every situation all feel grounded in truth, then unfurled in the film in an unvarnished fashion. And while few folks watching have been in the exact same circumstances, The King of Staten Island leans into the minutiae of its Staten Island experiences and coming-of-age antics with such commitment that they prove universal. That's what personal, specific stories do when they're told frankly, and with warmth and care — including when they pair a tale about a wayward twenty-something grappling with trauma with a hefty stream of bro-comedy jokes. This is an Apatow movie, though, so the usual manchild escapades and humour do apply. That's especially true when the film indulgently watches on as Scott pals around with his buddies, which is where the feature's relaxed length makes itself felt. But, more importantly, The King of Staten Island is a Pete Davidson movie — and that has a considerable impact. Apatow often shapes his films around his stars (see: Knocked Up and Seth Rogen, Funny People and Adam Sandler, and Trainwreck and Amy Schumer); however Davidson might be his best lead yet. He's lanky and loose, as the comedian always is in SNL. He plays the wayward yet vulnerable slacker role with ease and even confidence, too, as he did in the thematically similar Big Time Adolescence. Plus, with a sense that he's willing to not only step into his own shoes, but also laugh and take a look at himself while he's there, he nails Scott's cruising, childish, often dickish demeanour and behaviour. That he does so while the radiant Tomei, determined Powley and, as another firefighter, a laidback Steve Buscemi all leave an imprint is no minor feat. Here, confronting how easy it is for immature, inertia-riddled men not to grow up makes for a canny and amusing semi-autobiographical comedy, as mixed with another of Apatow's hallmarks since his and Paul Feig's Freaks and Geeks days: sweetness. When the film opens with Scott driving down the highway, shutting his eyes for a second and flirting with death, it hints at a much darker, deeper movie that sadly never eventuates — although the feature that does blaze across the screen is steeped in unmistakable sorrow, Apatow has always loved getting sentimental. Still, The King of Staten Island isn't the by-the-numbers addition to the director's resume that it could've been. It undeniably relies upon a formula, but it benefits from Davidson's rougher edges and brutal self-awareness. And, as shot by Paul Thomas Anderson's regular cinematographer Robert Elswit (an Oscar-winner for There Will Be Blood), it benefits from gorgeous, naturalistic 35mm imagery also — fittingly for a film that tasks its lead with peering back at his upbringing, pain, loss, laughs, learnings, quarter-life struggles and all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQqiDZQScVA&feature=youtu.be Top image: © 2020 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. All Rights Reserved.
Drink some cracking beer as you bust a gut with Comedy and Cans at The Bank Hotel. The Newtown pub will be showcasing a handful of hilarious comedians alongside a beer list featuring some of the best tinnies around thanks to Waywards. Headliners are Nick Sun and Ben Russell, supported by Ben Lonas, Billy D'arcy and Jamal Abdul. There's nothing worse than a night in beer-covered clothes, so just make sure you keep that drink steady as you piss yourself with laughter.
Flight of the Conchords returns home for a New Zealand and Australia tour this winter. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, the goofy halves of this comedy and musical duo, announced the tour on their website, saying, "We are finally returning to Australia … mostly to apologise." Fans seem to agree that there is nothing to be sorry for: the original tour dates have already sold out. Luckily, additional dates have been added; make sure to snatch yours up quickly. The pair returns from a lengthy run of success abroad, including a BBC radio series, HBO television series, film appearances and an Oscar. A second and final show, at Sydney Entertainment Centre on July 6, will go on sale at 9am on Thursday, April 26.
There's something about the combination of chocolate and hazelnut that encourages a particularly fierce strain of food fandom. If you're fond of the pairing, you don't just like it — you flat-out love it more than almost every other food there is. That's why everything from Nutella recipe books and hotels to festivals and food trucks keep popping up. It's also why almost every dessert menu seems to feature the spread these days. And, it's clearly why Koko Black has opted for choc-hazelnut as well when it comes to releasing its first beer. This brew has nothing to do with Nutella, but it is chocolate hazelnut-flavoured — as made with Belgian couverture chocolate, plus hazelnuts (obviously). The resulting Belgian stout clocks in at 6.9 percent alcohol by volume, and marks a collaboration between the chocolatier and brewer Modus Operandi. No one needs a reason to come up with this beer-meets-dessert hybrid; however, it takes inspiration from Koko Black's 'nuts to caramel' collection. Yes, that's exactly what you're meant to eat while you're sipping. The choc hazelnut Belgian stout is being released to coincide with this year's Great Australian Beer Spectapular (GABS) in Melbourne, which takes place between Friday, May 21–Sunday, May 23. It'll be pouring as part of a masterclass during the fest, but that's not the only place you'll be able to find it. Head to Koko Black's website now to pick up a hamper featuring the brew — and some chocolate, naturally — or, if you're in Victoria, you can nab a four-pack from selected bottle shops from Sunday. Koko Black and Modus Operandi's choc hazelnut Belgian stout is on sale now via the Koko Black website — and will be sold in selected Victorian bottle shops from Sunday, May 23.
The past couple of years have been tough on all of us. Plus, with life-as-normal coming back at what seems like full speed, we wouldn't blame you if you needed time away from it all. And there's no better way to do that than by escaping to somewhere that feels like a world away from your daily routine. That's where we come in. We've teamed up with Wild Turkey to offer four lucky Aussies the chance to win a $2000 Airbnb voucher for their next weekend away. And with some pretty spectacular Airbnbs that can be found all around this great land, you might have a tough time deciding where to go — and who to take with you. We'll also throw in four cases of Wild Turkey's new Discovery Series to keep the good times going, wherever you find yourself. To be in the running, all you have to do is tell about your favourite off-the-beaten-track destination — the spot you don't tell anyone else about. (Don't worry, we won't tell anyone either.) Need some inspo? Check out our guides to the towns of Lexton, Cunnamulla and Lightning Ridge. [competition]838819[/competition]
Catharsis is crucial in filmmaking, as Jon Favreau clearly knows. The writer, director and star emerges from big-budget cinema to return to the smaller side of Hollywood, seemingly purging his demons and addressing his disappointments in the process. Favreau started his stint behind the lens with Made, and last helmed the underwhelming Cowboys & Aliens, but is best known for Iron Man and Iron Man 2. This journey informs Chef, complete with commentary on the perils of fame, the difficulties of criticism in the digital age, and the creative corruption that comes with working for the big end of town. The parallels are easy and obvious. In Chef, Carl Casper (Favreau) has toiled from humble beginnings to become Los Angeles' premier culinary artist, but a decade working for a profit-focused restaurateur (Dustin Hoffman) sees his menus branded safe, not daring. A scathing review by a prominent food blogger (Oliver Platt) calls out his creative malaise, swirling into a storm of negative press and social media that ushers him out of a job. At first, Carl resists the encouragement of his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara) to start his own food van. Soon, he's rediscovering his passion for cooking and reconnecting with his ten-year-old son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), in a road trip across the continent. With the heavy-handed correlations between Favreau's own fortunes and his on-screen alter ego evident, Chef is the filmmaker's opportunity to assemble something reduced in stature but substantial in content. Every aspect of the film reinforces the connection, not just in the narrative that shouts its thematic similarity, the informal aesthetic that rallies against special effects-driven efforts or the indulgent running time, but also in the brief appearances from fellow Marvel alumni Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson, worlds away from their franchise outings. Though the statement of Chef could have easily overpowered any involvement with the characters, Favreau fleshes out Casper's relationship with the idolising Percy in the film's strongest emotional arc. Understated performances also sell the fictional scenario beyond its autobiographical subtext, with the filmmaker leisurely affable in a rare lead role, and youngster Anthony empathetic but not overly sentimental. Laidback turns from Bobby Cannavale and John Leguizamo round out the likeable cast. As blunt and predictable as it always is, Favreau's offering proves appetising in the undemanding manner of the food trucks it covets — and repeatedly invites the comparison. Fine ingredients abound, including finessed visuals of enticing meals on par with the best food-centric efforts; however, poise and polish are swapped for a handmade feel and celebratory outcome. Gourmet filmmaking this isn't, but nor is it a fast food confection. Instead, the therapeutic and thoughtful Chef serves up palatable passion that's pleasantly rough around the edges. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PZ6e51-ie7w
Screw gas guzzling tankers and utes — Bruges is taking their beer transportation system underground, preserving their UNESCO World Heritage-listed city streets with an extensive, 3.2-kilometre-long beer pipeline that will begin operation in September. This ingenious design is all thanks to the perseverance of Xavier Vanneste, the heir to De Halve Maan (Half Moon), the city's only continuously working brewery. Initially established in 1564, the brewery is an iconic part of the city — and despite urging from financial advisors, Vanneste has long refused to relocate to a more industrial location. His alternative? To build an underground pipeline from the brewery to the bottling plant. The pipeline itself is an incredibly crafty design, with Vanneste hiring tunnelling experts from the oil and gas industry and Belgium's top brewing professor (what a title!) to get the plan just right. The experts laid the pipeline using computer-guided drills, which minimised street digging and further protected the historic city. As you can expect, the budget was a big one. A total of €4 million (that's almost six million AUD) were needed for the project, and over €300,000 was raised through a crowdfunding campaign. Backers who purchased a gold membership will be entitled to a bottle of Brugse Zot Blond every day for life as part of their €7500 donation. Beer for life is a such a legendary reason to donate. As it currently stands, the pipes can fit enough beer to fill 12,000 bottles an hour. The beer will be pumped down the underground pipeline from the brewery in the city centre to the bottling plant three kilometres out of town. Vanneste's ability to get this approved came as a shock to many, especially considering no private company in history has been allowed to lay cable under the city's cobbled lanes and medieval buildings. Luckily, city officials, including mayor Renaat Landuyt, smartly saw the pipeline as an opportunity to sustain employment while maintaining the city's heritage and sharply reducing the number of beer tankers driving in and out. If the pipeline actually works and stands the test of time, Vanneste will certainly go down in history as a beer legend and a champion forward-thinker. We're already hatching dreams of an Australian-wide network of underground beer pipelines and hope one of our many craft brewers is ready to get behind the idea. If a UNESCO city can get this approved, what's to stop the rest of us? Via The Guardian. Image: Ricardo Samaniego via Flickr.
First, the obvious news: in 2021, Falls Festival won't be unleashing a huge end-of-year music lineup. This'll mark the second year in a row that the event hasn't gone ahead, after skipping its usual December/January slot in the summer of 2020–21 due to the pandemic, too. But, come this time next year, Falls will be gearing up for its big comeback. Festival organisers have announced that Falls will return for the summer of 2022–23, so get circling in your diary now. That said, there'll be a few changes — including skipping its usual Tasmanian leg in Marion Bay, and also moving from Lorne in Victoria as well. Tassie is no longer on the agenda for Falls' next fests, while the Victorian event will move to Pennyroyal Plains in Murroon. The latter is only 30 minutes away from Lorne and less than two hours from Melbourne, handily. "It has been a privilege to operate Falls Festival in such beautiful locations and we're so thankful to the Surf Coast Shire, Sorell Council and supporting stakeholders of Lorne and Marion Bay who have shown Falls Festival such incredible support over the years. We hope that our Lorne and Tassie Falls fam will join us at Pennyroyal Plains," said festival promoters Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco in a statement. "Lorne is where Falls Festival started so we want to give a particularly special shout out to the locals there. You have been instrumental in making the festival all that it is today, and we'll always be grateful to the community for their long-time support," the pair continued. Falls spent 27 years in Lorne and 17 in Tasmania. The 2022–23 event will still head to North Byron Parklands in Yelgun and Fremantle Oval in Fremantle — and if you're wondering who'll be on the bill, it's clearly far too early for that kind of news. When Falls was planning to proceed last summer, it was going to champion an all-Australian lineup; however, with the international border situation changing, overseas headliners could be back on the cards. In addition to sitting out the 2020–21 and 2021–22 summers, Falls has had a chaotic few years all round. When it was held in 2019–20, the music festival was impacted by the bushfires, with the Lorne leg cancelled one day in because of extreme and hazardous weather. Falls Festival will return across December 2022–January 2023, taking place at Pennyroyal Plains in Murroon, North Byron Parklands in Yelgun and Fremantle Oval in Fremantle. Further details won't be announced until sometime in 2022 — we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
