This latest lower north shore Sunday session lets you spend a decadent afternoon eating loaded croissants, sipping bubbles and playing a casual game of pétanque as you watch the sunset. Greenhouse-inspired rooftop bar The Fernery is hosting a series of retro-French events across four Sundays, starting September 15. While you enjoy free rounds of the game — which is often played among the rolling vineyards of Provence — you can sip French rosé ($12 a glass) and Lanson champagne ($99 a bottle). Punters can also pair these drinks with one of the OTT croissants. Choose from one filled with oozy brie and truffle, or the sweet chocolate cookie crumble version — with each freshly baked pastry costing $17. For those hungry for something a little more substantial, the menu will also include steak au poivre with frites: a perfectly cooked peppercorn-crusted steak served with a creamy pan sauce and sweet potato chips ($28). Croissants and Pétanque runs from 11am–6pm.
Looks like Australians aren't the aggressive booze-hounds we've all been told we are. New research from government report Australia’s Changing Drinking Habits, shows we're actually drinking less alcohol than we did 40 years ago — a whopping 25 percent less. Plus, alcohol related violence has decreased by 30 percent in New South Wales over the last six years. Thirty percent. Hmmm, so we're apparently drinking less, and drunkenly hitting people less. #lockouts If you're rolling your eyes and searching for our credible sources right now, take a little gander at the ACDH report, generated by the Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA) —an advocacy organisation affiliated with Drinkwise, representing all off-licence retail liquor stores across Australia (so yes, they've got a pretty vested interest in changing certain legislation). In results published by FoodProcessing.com.au this week, the report uses existing Australian Government data to disprove leg-to-stand-on beliefs that alcohol consumption and alcohol-related violence are on the rise. Between 1974-75, Australians consumed an average of 13.1 litres of alcohol per person. This has severely declined since the early '80s, to 9.9 litres in 2012-13. If you think this is just down to adults drinking less and those pesky good-for-nothing teenagers drinking more, you're way off. According to the report, almost three-quarters of all Australian minors drink no alcohol at all. The amount of young people abstaining from drinking has increased from 56 percent in 2007 to a huge 72 percent in 2013. Smirnoff Blacks and UDLs, you're almost out of a job. So we're all apparently drinking less in Australia, young and older. But now to the biggie: alcohol-related violence. The ACDH report shows that alcohol-related violence has decreased 30 percent in NSW over the last six years. Decreased. The report also shows that "consumption is falling at a time of significantly greater footprint of liquor store outlets in Australia," — the number of liquor licences has gone up by 16 percent, even though Australians are apparently drinking less. Looks like we're going to have to look elsewhere to entirely blame alcohol for violence — more licences and less assaults means there is a lack of evidence to connect violence to alcohol availability, according to Terry Mott, CEO of ALSA (the representative body who generated the report). Mott's positive about Australians and their drinking behaviour, telling FP he thinks we're making better choices than ever when it comes to the drink. "Australia's drinking habits have changed significantly over the course of the four decades; we are more educated about alcohol and we are making much better choices than we ever have before," he said. "The majority of Australians consume alcohol responsibly and enjoy the social benefits it brings. It is important to distinguish between the moderate consumption of alcohol by the overwhelming majority of Australians and the misuse of it by a small minority." With this in mind, most Australians are all for cleaning up the mess that comes with alcohol-related problems. While the report shows 85 percent of people polled could get behind greater enforcement of penalties for drunk drivers and 82 percent support enforcement for violation of the ol' RSA (bartenders serving intoxicated customers), only 28 percent support raising the price of alcohol. Big things to think about, for you and the government alike. Check out the report Australia’s Changing Drinking Habits, available from the Australian Liquor Stores Association's website. Via FoodProcessing.com.au.
Russian cinema was relatively unknown in Australia until the Russian Resurrection Film Festival came along. This year the largest festival of Russian cinema outside of the mother country is celebrating a decade of cinematic offerings, returning to silver screens across the nation this July and August. Whilst originally appealing primarily to Russian expats, the festival has grown immensely in popularity, now fascinating a broad audience of cinephiles and Russophiles. The line up for this year's anniversary event features a collection of Russian cinematic riches, intricately blending the contemporary and the classic. It will showcase 18 new films, including two world premieres, Marathon and The Geographer. Other contemporary highlights include the animated delight The Snow Queen, which tells the heartwarming tale of a quest to save family, art and the hearts of people everywhere; Legend No. 17, the highest grossing Russian film in history, which explores the life of ice hockey legend Valery Harlamov and how he captivated a nation; Metro, Russia's first big-budget disaster blockbuster, which keeps the audience in suspense as a flood rages through the Russian underground; and the romcom Love With an Accent, an optimistic and slightly absurd film in which love knows no borders as Russia and Georgia bury the hatchet. If you prefer a classic take on Russian cinema, then the two retrospective programs on offer at the festival are for you. The first takes a look at the work of the celebrated producer/director Valery Todorovsky and features his cult hits My Stepbrother Frankenstein, Vice and Hipsters, among others. The second takes a nostalgic tour through 'Comedies from our Childhood' and features Beware of the Automobile, Gentlemen of Fortune and the timeless Ivan Vasilievich – Back to the Future. Cinema lovers in Sydney will be able to experience the festival from July 24 until August 7. Most of the screenings will take place at Paddington's Chauvel Cinema but Event Cinemas Burwood will also experience some Russian culture, offering screenings of The Snow Queen, Marathon and The Conductor. Peruse the program and see what makes you want to don your ushanka and journey to the cinema. Image from Hipsters. https://youtube.com/watch?v=jpfcuU6taTE
Like a stack of Melbourne's large cultural institutions, the National Gallery of Victoria has temporarily shut its doors to the public in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But, you can now feast on some of the NGV's art offerings from afar, thanks to its newly-launched virtual programming. A series of online galleries, virtual exhibition tours and eBooks are now free to access via the NGV's website and social media channels. And if you're having a crack at the whole social distancing thing, or stuck in self-isolation, that's a serious boredom-busting win. Over on the new NGV Channel, punters will find a growing haul of virtual content to explore. Right now, you can join a free, curator-led tour of Collecting Comme and the NGV's Indigenous art collection Marking Time. From Saturday, March 21, you'll be able to digitally explore around KAWS: Companionship In The Age Of Loneliness and then, from Saturday, March 28, Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines. [caption id="attachment_742493" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaws, What Party (2019) photo by Tom Ross[/caption] On the NGV app, there are also guided tours of NGV International and NGV Australia artworks, narrated by curators, artists and special guests. Thanks to a lengthy digitisation project, much of the 75,000-strong NGV Collection is also online for your viewing pleasure, so you can take a peek at the likes of the Spirit of Herbarium couture dress by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Christian Dior, or Katsushika Hokusai's 1830 piece The great wave off Kanagawa. It's easy to search by artist or artwork name, and even boasts a few pieces that aren't usually accessible. Those craving some new reading material can dig even deeper with a bunch of new eBooks and curatorial essays available free online, exploring exhibitions like Collecting Comme and Japanese Modernism. In a first, the almost 60-year-long back catalogue of Art Journal of the National Gallery of Victoria is also yours to browse at your own pace online. And don't forget, there's a whole lot more going on over on the NGV's socials and under the hashtag #NGVEveryDay, with regular insight videos and mini talks from the curators. Top image: Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines, NGV. Photo by Tom Ross.
The humble face mask is about to enjoy a peak in popularity, after the NSW Government strongly recommended Sydeysiders start wearing face coverings, at a press conference over the weekend. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has outlined four key situations where masks should be worn: if you're in an enclosed space and can't social distance, such as at a supermarket or on public transport; if you're working a customer-facing job, such as hospitality or retail; if you're attending a place of worship; and if you're in an area where there is high levels of community transmission. Some NSW businesses are also calling on Sydneysiders to mask up, including Woolworths, Bunnings and — most recently — Uber. The ride-sharing app sent out an alert to Uber users last night, Thursday, August 6, saying the company "now recommends wearing a face cover in NSW when riding or driving with the Uber app". https://twitter.com/_samanthateague/status/1291499784964956161 It's not the only change Uber has made during the pandemic, either. Early on — back in April — Uber announced it was distributing tens of millions of masks to drivers around the world and it launched an in-app COVID-19 hub. To improve hygiene and social distancing, Uber also no longer allows riders to sit in the front seat and it encourages hand-washing/sanitising before getting in the car. The announcement comes as the rate of community transmission has increased over recent weeks in NSW, with 12 new cases recorded in the 24 hours leading up to 8pm on Wednesday, August 5. Ten of those are linked to known cases and two are under investigation. With cases confirmed across a number of suburbs, NSW Health is asking anyone who lives in or has visited the following areas in the past 14 days to get tested if they have any symptoms: Bankstown, Cambelltown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Liverpool, Parramatta, Potts Point, Carnes Hill shops, Prestons, Bonnyrigg, Wetherill Park, Mt Pritchard, Cabramatta and Perisher. You can find out closest testing clinic over here. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Getting comfy on the couch is nothing new for avid readers. Staying in to attend Brisbane Writers Festival is, though. Like many other events in 2020, the annual celebration of all things literary is going virtual this year, serving up a week-long celebration of the written word that's being delivered digitally. Called Brisbane Writers Festival 2020: Room to Dream, the fest runs from Monday, August 31–Sunday, September 6, with seven events on the agenda. Each day, two artists will respond to the theme as part of a call and response-style presentation that's available to watch via the BWF website. Also, checking out their readings, poetry, art and dance is completely free. First up is poet Alison Whittaker and dancer and choreographer Katina Olsen, offering up a piece that's being described as "a fusion of feelings". Also on the bill: Vietnamese Australian author Vivian Pham's words brought to life with artworks by Vietnamese illustrator Camelia Pham; a collaboration between award-winning novelist James Bradley and writer and video game enthusiast Shastra Deo; and real-life partners Chris Flynn (author of Mammoth) and Eirian Chapman (an illustrator). The list goes on, which is reason enough to tune in each day — and to get your BWF fix before it returns as a physical event from May 7–9, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLEw15OmF0M&feature=emb_logo Brisbane Writers Festival 2020: Room to Dream runs from Monday, August 31–Sunday, September 6 via the BWF website.
Being The Drums means being one of the most hardworking bands around at the moment – since they skyrocketed in hype in 2009, The Drums haven't slowed down, incessantly touring and releasing two LPs in that time. They've visited antipodean shores before, working the festival circuit and are about to do it for the third time – this time around for St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in Australia. Singer Jonny Pierce took some time out to talk to Kirstie Sequitin about the rise and rise of the band, recording Portamento in their kitchen and getting lost in translation in Poland. Hi Jonny, how are you? Hey there, how you doin'? I'm good thank you, how's your day going? It's going pretty good, I'm down in Puerto Rico right now, just wrapping up my first real holiday since we started the band and heading back to wintery New York City tomorrow morning. It's a little fast to be leaving but I'm also ready for it – I'm having a really hard time actually relaxing. My mind is constantly reeling so I think it'll actually feel better to sort of, do something creative again. This is the first time, actually, that we've had time for a break… we've had just under a month off. That's the longest time that we've had off since we started three years ago. Because we've just been going going going, even a month feels like a very long time. I feel like we all feel somewhat refreshed and excited to come to Australia, which is a change from sort of the, the, how we were feeling a few months ago when we were wrapping up a very long three-year tour. So Australia will kind of be the first stop after your holidays then? It will, absolutely, yeah. It'll be nice to continue this warm weather, actually. I really didn't like warm weather as a child - I was always drawn towards the cold winters but uh, getting older, so, things change I suppose. You've been coming to Australia every year basically since you started – doing the festival circuit and your sideshows and tours and whatever – how do you feel about coming here so often? Do you like it here? Well, we've always had a really warm reception in Australia so it is a place that we look forward to going… and you know there are some places that we've gone a few times and every time it feels the same but there's always this… it feels like every time we've been to Australia there's been this mounting electricity in the air. It's that sort of thing that keeps you on the road. It seems that the fans there are a bit more rowdy than most of the places which really gets us through the show and makes us excited and makes us sort of play the best show possible. And it's nice to go somewhere where people speak English, to be quite honest (laughs). We spend a lot of time sort of, pointing at venues, and… a lot of sign language. So it's sort of nice to just be able to talk to people. Yeah. "We… like… being… here…" Yeah, exactly. Or like, memorising the words Thank You in every language. It seems that I think I know it and I walk up on stage confidently and it completely slips my mind. I end up asking my guitar player how to say thank you in Polish and he tells me – he gives me an answer that's almost right but just wrong enough to make me look foolish and for the entire set I'm saying thank you wrong… (laughs) Oh, that's awesome. Literally happens non-stop. You were saying before that you being in Puerto Rico is the first holiday that you've had since you guys have started – so how does it feel to be on the road for three years? Do you feel like you've enjoyed those three years or do you feel like it's a bit of a burden? Well, when we first started writing songs for this band and recording, we were living in the middle of nowhere in Florida and it was just Jacob and I – we wrote the Summertime EP and then we recorded most of the first album and that whole time we thought we'd be the only two people who would ever hear it. And out of nowhere, we were asked to play a show in New York City – you know, we had a MySpace page and that was it – so we went off to New York and played the show and the next day we were getting calls from record labels and managers and booking agents. Right from the very first show that we played it was a non-stop whirlwind up until a month ago. At the beginning everything is exotic and exciting and surreal and there's nowhere to really feel like you can put your feet down because the whole time it just felt like we were floating and being hyped up as we were. You don't even really feel anything: we didn't have time to feel excited, we didn't have time to feel angry, we didn't have time to feel anything which is just so, so wild. And then about a year into it, the dust starts to settle a little bit and our feet started touching the ground and you sort of have a clearer vision of what you are as a band and we realised where we had landed. It was really exciting, we felt really grateful for everything – and we still do – but, you know, the reality was… none of us were home, ever, and we were always all together and you don't think about those things when you start a band. You think, 'Oh, we'll play a couple of shows here and there, and I'll keep my bartending job and you'll keep your retail job and that will be enough…' you just jump into it because it's exciting. It's very simple - we just spent too much time together and things started to get a little bit ugly. To me, when things get dramatic and ugly, to me it's a really exciting time to be creative, because I think the best art comes through hardship, and that sort of anger and bitterness really gave Portamento a darker texture that I think we were hoping for. So I think, without really saying it, we were all welcoming the drama. Since then, when we finished Portamento and released it, I think we all felt something break… it was just a unifying experience and I think what we all really learned from the whole thing was to give each other space and to respect each other's opinions. Jacob, Connor and I are all really stubborn, bull-headed people and I don't think this band would exist or be able to survive if we weren't that way. I think it's those three dynamic, clashing heads all the time that… that's where the ideas come from. I'm grateful for all of that and I wouldn't want this to be easy and comfortable because I think that's the number one way to lose your creative spark. Yeah, definitely. (And then the line gets cut and Kirstie's heart breaks a little bit. But he calls her back!) Hello! I don't know what happened there. Alright, so I always read the fact that you guys produced Portamento in your kitchen – is that true? Mmhmm. Do you think that for your next efforts you'll go into the studio? Or do you think you'll continue this kind of, very DIY sensibility. Um, I don't know. We didn't do things DIY because we thought we should – we did things DIY because it was the only option when we started. We were completely broke – we didn't have cars, we didn't really have friends, we were living in this small apartment complex in Kissimmee, Florida, riding my bike to work, a 36-mile round trip every day, that sort of thing. We were really broke. So we just downloaded recording software illegally (laughs) and borrowed our friend's guitar and used an old synthesizer that Jacob's mum gave him and bought a $25 microphone from RadioShack and just recorded things that way. With Portamento we just decided that we were really happy with how the first album turned out. We were trying to record things as professionally as we possibly could but because we didn't have the right gear and the right know-how to do it, we sort of landed on a certain sound by accident but we really learned to love it and call it our own. For Portamento we didn't want to stray from that. We kept it the same way and didn't buy any new equipment or any new recording gear, we just decided to make another record how we made the first. And The Drums, I think so far our heart has been into doing it on our own, but that's just because that's sort of how it happened and I think however we go about the next album – whether we get a producer or we do it ourselves again, or we co-produce, I'm not really sure – whatever it is, you can bet that it's because that's what we want to do. That's the number one thing for us, to never look back and feel like we've made a long list of compromises. So if we work with a producer it's because we feel like we should for the next album and not because someone tells us we should. It's about feeling really natural about everything. Alright, I think that's all I've got for today – thank you so much for your time Jonny and thanks for calling me back after I dropped out there. No problem at all, thank you. Have a great time in Australia, et cetera et cetera. Oh, and have fun in Puerto Rico! Oh, thank you, I will - we have had a really nice time. I lied to this man and told him I had a boating license so I've been taking his boat out every day. So, so far you know that I've been downloading illegal software and lying to people in Puerto Rico – it's not all bad, I swear. The Drums will be playing at St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in Australia. This interview was originally conducted for Scene Magazine.
When it comes to prime spring drinking turf, Chiswick's sprawling green lawn is up there with the best. And you can bet it's set to get a solid workout this summer, as the Woollahra restaurant sets up a pop-up bar for outdoor drinks throughout February. Join in the al fresco fun from 5.30–7.30pm each Wednesday in February and make the most of those balmy pre-sunset temperatures with some hard-earned hump day knock-offs. The pop-up Bombay Sapphire bar will be slinging a selection of ice-cold gin cocktails, including a G&T ($10), a Passionfruit Collins ($14), and a Summer Twist with gin, peach bitters and mint ($12). There'll also be 4 Pines pale ales ($10) and house-made orange coconut soda ($5) — if gin isn't your thing. And, to cap it off, there'll be live acoustic tunes setting the mood, games of bocce, plus some free canapés making the rounds.
One of Sydney's rare heritage gems, and custodians of the former General Post Office (GPO) building, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney invites guests to experience its historic charm firsthand in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the iconic building it calls home. To celebrate, guests can indulge in a Heritage Afternoon Tea and a Heritage Stay package, each offering unique historical immersion alongside quality hospitality, available for bookings until Saturday, May 31. The Heritage Stay Package is an overnight retreat celebrating the heritage and history of the General Post Office (GPO). It includes a one-night stay in a Heritage Wing room and a buffet breakfast for two at The Place Restaurant, as well as a Heritage Afternoon Tea for two at The Bar and two bespoke Postmaster's Break cocktails. Guests will also be treated to a postcard-designed cake and a guided heritage tour (available from Tuesday to Saturday only), which offers a one-of-a-kind insight into the rich history of the building. The package is available for stays booked before Saturday, May 31. If it's the mention of afternoon tea that's got you most excited, you can head over to The Fullerton Hotel for just that, sans-stay. Inspired by 19th-century high society traditions, The Heritage Afternoon Tea will transport you back in time via your tastebuds. A curated menu combines British and Australian flavours (yes, that includes finger sandwiches) with a contemporary twist. This package is available daily from 12pm to 4pm until Saturday, May 31. For more information or to book your Afternoon Tea or Stay Package, visit the Fullerton Sydney website. Images: Supplied.
The term "passion project" is usually thrown around when a filmmaker tries to make something near and dear to them, but doesn't quite achieve the success they'd hoped for. Fences clearly meets the first half of that definition, with Denzel Washington directing and starring in a stage-to-screen adaptation of the play he previously won a Tony award for on Broadway. With the aid of his co-star Viola Davis, who also follows the project from the theatre to film, Washington crafts a picture full of commanding lead performances and blistering drama. And yet, like so many passion projects, it's never quite everything that it could be. Just why that's the case is apparent from the outset, when Pittsburgh garbage collector Troy (Washington) returns home on a Friday afternoon with both his pay packet and a bottle of gin in his hand. The working week is over, and so he's jovial, tipsy, talkative, and cheekily playing up for his dutiful wife Rose (Davis) and his long term friend and work colleague Jim Bono (Stephen Henderson). It's the type of performance-centric opening scene designed to make an impact, and in a theatre it would certainly cause an immediate splash. On film, it simply offers the first of many reminders of the movie's origins on the stage. In a script written by the late August Wilson based on his own Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Troy unleashes his thoughts, problems and memories upon Rose, their teenage son Cory (Jovan Adepo), his first son from a previous relationship Lyons (Russell Hornsby) and his brother (Mykelti Williamson). He wants to become a driver, while Cory yearns to pursue a football career against his father's wishes, and Rose remains suffering but still poised in the middle. The more Troy talks as time passes, the more revelations are in store. Slowly, his bravado and bluster fades. The almost constant chatter continues, only quieter, with the characters weighed down by their mounting troubles. If that sounds like a whole lot of arguing, that's because Fences doesn't shy away from the spoken word. The script serves the film's cast well, and each player delivers their lines with passion and conviction. Above all else, this is an actor's showcase. Washington perfects the transformation from confident to wearied, while Davis charts the opposite trajectory. The space where they collide is the place where pride is undone, legacies are shattered, hearts are broken, and racial and socio-economic truths are exposed. Distilling all of that into their performances, it's almost enough just to watch them circle around each other for 139 minutes. Of course, the key word there is almost. As a filmmaker, Washington obviously believes in the strength of the scenario and the acting it inspires. In a way, that's the problem, since it means his direction ends up feeling rather stagey. Given that the film's characters are both fenced in and trying to burst beyond their confines, a sense of constraint comes with the territory. And yet, for all its attempts at intimacy, the end result still keeps viewers at a distance. Fences feels more like a great play captured on camera, rather than a great movie in its own right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtkjUJoSPa4
Remember show and tell in primary school? The Maker Faire is a bit like a grown-up version of that, except it’s less about Disneyland vacation photos and more about science experiments and arts and crafts. Founded by the US-based Make magazine, the Maker movement is all about celebrating the DIY ethic, resourcefulness, innovation and imagination, and it’s coming to Australia in the form of the Mini Maker Faire. The first Australian event was held at the Powerhouse Museum in 2013, and it will return this year. The first Maker Faire was held eight years ago in San Mateo, California. Since then, the Maker movement has spread all over the world, with events in Detroit, New York, Newcastle (UK), Rome and Tokyo, and over 200,000 attendees worldwide. Whether you’re a scientist, artist or foodie, there’ll be something for you.
5 Loaves 2 Fish (5L2F to the cool kids) dishes up wholesome breakfasts, lunches and desserts until 4pm each day from its light, airy Neutral Bay space. The minimalist space — with white painted brick walls and greenery hanging from the ceiling — mimics the menu that celebrates punchy flavours with a clean-eating lens. Here, you can expect cafe classics with a twist — think scrambled eggs with XO sauce, blue swimmer crab and Korean chilli oil on Brickfields sourdough or corn fritters, with a turmeric kick, served with grilled halloumi, avo, smoked salmon and a poached egg. If you fancy something light and fresh, opt for one of the delectable salads, like the poke bowl with ponzu cured salmon, super grains, heirloom tomatoes and edamame or slow-roasted cauliflower and chickpea bowl with sweet potato tahini. The speciality coffees are praised by diners, so be sure to order one — dining at home means you can even decant it into your favourite mug.
Melbourne masquerades as New York in Predestination, the latest film from German-Australian directing duo Michael and Peter Spierig. Reuniting the twin filmmakers with their Daybreakers star Ethan Hawke, this slickly produced time-travel noir attempts to put its own distinctive spin on one of sci-fi's most thoroughly exploited sub-genres. There are plenty of intriguing concepts beneath the movie's stylish surface, although often their delivery leaves a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, some old-school vibes — and an astounding, career-making performance from actress Sarah Snook — ensures Predestination is worth your precious time. Adapted, and expanded, from Robert A. Heinlein's 13-page short story All You Zombies, much of the first half of the film takes place in a dive bar in New York, where a time-travelling secret agent (Hawke), on the trail of a terrorist mastermind, is working undercover serving drinks. One evening, he strikes up a conversation, seemingly at random, with a sullen young man named James (Snook), who bets the barkeep a bottle of whiskey he's got the best story the place has ever heard. And it's certainly a corker of a yarn. James, it would seem, began his life as Jane, abandoned by unknown parents on the steps of a Cleveland orphanage. A bright, tough young woman, Jane very nearly becomes one of the first female astronauts, only to be ruled out by an unexpected pregnancy. The father of the child abandons her soon after, although the shock is overshadowed by a revelation from her doctor: it turns out Jane has a second set of fully functioning (albeit internal) male reproductive organs, and that complication from her pregnancy will leave her no choice but to transition into a man. How James's incredible story is connected to Hawke's manhunt isn't immediately clear — although it's obvious from the cryptic way the brothers frame the flashbacks – always obscuring certain faces — that the cogs will eventually interlock. The second half of the film, wherein Hawke offers James the chance to travel back and change his past, is positively overflowing with time paradoxes and plot twists. The problem is, anyone with even a passing familiarity with time-travel stories will see them coming at least three scenes before they do. It's not that the revelations aren't interesting on an intellectual level; they just never result in the dropped jaws and shocked gasps that the Spierigs would obviously like. Still, if their script could use some polish, they succeed in delivering style. From Hawke's fedora and six-shot revolver to his portable time machine disguised as a violin case, the feel of Predestination is a particular brand of retro-futuristic cool. Likewise, the narrative device of two strangers swapping stories across the bar has an enjoyably hardboiled quality to it and helps disguise the fact that the entire first half of the movie is basically one giant dump of exposition. It also helps a great deal that Snook is the one who's delivering it. Hawke brings his typical mix of wryness and intensity, while Noah Taylor is dapper is his seemingly all-knowing handler. But it's the Adelaide-born actress who clearly runs away with the film, ranging from tough and emotionally guarded to devastatingly raw. So affecting are the scenes immediately before and after James' transition that you could almost do away with the time travel story altogether. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVOpfpYijHA
UPDATE: February 1, 2022 — Theatre Royal Sydney is currently running a two-for-one offer on platinum or gold tickets for selected performances of Girl From the North Country. Check terms and conditions below for details. Following multiple sell-out seasons since debuting in London in 2017, Girl From the North Country has become one of the most critically acclaimed productions of our generation. Making its Australian premiere at the 2022 Sydney Festival, and kicking off from Wednesday, January 5 at the recently unveiled new Theatre Royal, Girl From the North Country takes place in a guesthouse in the US state of Minnesota in 1934. The story revolves around owner Nick, who is deeply in debt; his wife Elizabeth, whose mind is fraying; and their pregnant daughter Marianne — as well as a bible-slinging preacher and a boxer endeavouring to make a comeback. For Bob Dylan fans, the name of this musical will be familiar. It's the title of one of the legendary folk singer's 1963 songs — a tune that features in this musical, naturally. Indeed, the entire show uses Dylan's tracks, including everything from 'Like a Rolling Stone' and 'Hurricane' to 'Slow Train' and 'I Want You', all weaved throughout a story of American life during the Great Depression. The debut Aussie season will star Lisa McCune (The King and I, South Pacific), Zahra Newman (The Book of Mormon, Wentworth), Terence Crawford (Escape From Pretoria, 1984) and Helen Dallimore (Wicked, Legally Blonde). Terms and Conditions: Offer subject to availability. Available for selected performances up to and including Sunday, February 13, 2022. Limit of two tickets per transaction. Transaction fees apply.
If there's one thing Sydneysiders like more than food (and that's a big 'if'), it's food with a view. A new rooftop bar opens nearly every week, but few could compete with this. To celebrate Chinese New Year, local favourite One Tea Lounge & Grill is opening a 'Sky High Bao Bar' in the Observation Deck of the Sydney Tower Eye. The Observation Deck, of course, is at the top of Sydney Tower — Sydney's tallest building by about 50 metres — and provides unparalleled views of the city. One Tea Lounge have become famous mostly for their ramen burgers, but the pop-up bar will be serving their (also popular) 'baogers' instead — specifically, matcha baogers with braised pork rib. Dessert will be cookie shots filled with creamy matcha white chocolate in both green tea and 'Red Fortune' flavours. On top of your standard Observation Deck views, the pop-up also includes a photobooth and a Wishing Wall for people to send well wishes to their loved ones. The pop-up will be open from 12–3pm Monday to Thursday and 12–5pm Friday and Saturday.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. BULLET TRAIN Buy the ticket, take the ride, strap in for an onslaught of frenetic locomotive-bound fights: that's high-octane action-comedy Bullet Train on- and off-screen. Set on a shinkansen hurtling from Tokyo to Kyoto, in as stylised a vision of Japan that anyone not named Quentin Tarantino has ever thought of, this neon-lit adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka's 2010 page-turner Maria Beetle couldn't be more onboard with its central concept. That premise isn't snakes on a plane, but rather assassins on a train — plus one snake, one of nature's hitmen, actually. Cramming all those killers onto a single engine sparks mayhem, banter and bodies, not to mention chaotic frays in the quiet car and almost every other space. And when it works, with John Wick and Atomic Blonde's David Leitch steering the show, Tarantino and Guy Ritchie alum Brad Pitt as his main passenger, and a lifetime's worth of references to Thomas the Tank Engine slotted in, Bullet Train is as OTT and entertaining as it overtly wants to be. It doesn't always completely work, however; every journey, zipping along on a high-speed train or not, has its dips. Still, there are plenty of moving parts trying to keep the movie in motion — and plenty of plot, for better and for worse in both instances. In his second 2022 action-comedy after The Lost City, Pitt plays Ladybug, who is back riding the hired-gun rails after a zen break packed with new-age self-help platitudes. That's what he spouts to his handler (Sandra Bullock, The Unforgivable) by phone, in-between rueing his bad luck, as he tries to carry out what's supposed to be an easy job. All that Ladybug needs to do is take a briefcase, then disembark at the next station. But that piece of luggage is being transported by British assassin double-act Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The King's Man) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta), as they escort a Russian mobster's son (Logan Lerman, Hunters) home. To up the hitman ante, the shinkansen is also carrying The Prince (Joey King, The Princess) and Kimura (Andrew Koji, Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins), who have their own beef, as well as the revenge-seeking Wolf (Benito A Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny, Fast and Furious 9). As is always the case whenever anyone asks "are we there yet?" IRL, there's more: more twists and turns to the narrative, more bickering, more familiar names facing each other down, and a mass of flashbacks to events minutes, hours, days and months earlier, most of which make the leap from the page via Zak Olkewicz's (Fear Street: Part Two — 1978) screenplay. Wondering if the scribe and Leitch have seen Kill Bill, or the Pitt-starring Snatch, or the 90s attention-grabbers that were Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as they bring Isaka's novel to the screen is thoroughly pointless. But, after The Gray Man, Bullet Train is the second big, star-studded, midyear action flick that's pieced together from familiar components, only to boast the cast and visual spectacle to carry it off more often than not. What a treat Pitt is, and has been for more than three decades — because that's how long it's been since Thelma & Louise thrust him to fame. Bullet Train draws upon his Ocean's Eleven brand of chattering, casual, happy-go-lucky charisma, even with Ladybug grappling with an existential crisis over his chosen profession. Pitt is comic, but never reaches Burn After Reading's goofiness. Amid the navel-gazing and bromides, he's still calm, collected and supremely capable at holding his own, but never to a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood extent. Although Leitch doesn't give Pitt his own John Wick or Atomic Blonde, it's as crucial a piece of casting. Neither of those two flicks would be the gems they are without their specific stars, and Bullet Train similarly wouldn't have hit the marks it does without its bucket hat-wearing biggest name and his detailed performance. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26; June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Firestarter, Operation Mincemeat, To Chiara, This Much I Know to Be True, The Innocents, Top Gun: Maverick, The Bob's Burgers Movie, Ablaze, Hatching, Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time and Murder Party.
For many, it's not really Easter unless you've scoffed your bodyweight in hot cross buns in the lead-up. And, thankfully, you don't have to forego that tradition this year, either. A stack of local Sydney bakeries are here to fix your cravings, self-isolation or otherwise, launching handy hot cross bun home-delivery services all across town. Jump on the phone or the web to make an order and within hours you'll be tucking into some handcrafted Easter buns, plump with fruit, loaded with spices and slathered with lashings of butter. From the traditional glazed version, to some crafty new-world remixes, here's our pick of hot cross buns you can now get delivered straight to your door. If you are going out to pick up takeaway, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health. HOT CROSS CRUMPETS BY MERNA X PEPE SAYA A collaboration between Australia's famous cultured butter maker Pepe Saya and arguably the country's best crumpets (don't @ us) Crumpets by Merna, these bunny-shaped hot cross crumpets are the hybrid you didn't know you needed, but now you most certainly want. Boxes of six crumpets with 225 grams of butter ($20) are available for delivery across Sydney. If you want yours before Easter, you'll need to order before 11.59pm on Tuesday, April 7 (if you miss the cutoff, your crumpets will arrive between April 14–17). Delivery is free for orders over $50, so stock up while you're there. How? Order online. HOT CROSS BUNS FROM FLOUR & STONE If you're cooped up at home and in need of some sweet, Easter-themed relief, artisan bakehouse Flour & Stone has your back. As always, this time of year sees it spinning out daily batches of fresh hot cross buns, loaded with confit orange, dried fruit and warm spices, and finished with a sticky fruit glaze. And you can get these freshly baked beauties dropped off straight to your house. They'll cost you $4.50 each, $25 for a six-pack or $48 for a box of twelve, with delivery fees dependent on your location. Drop-offs are available weekdays and if you place your online order before 1pm, it'll be sent out the next day. How? Order online for delivery or pick up from Woolloomooloo store. NOT X BUNS BY SONOMA Sonoma's hand-crafted breads and pastries have long had a cult following among Sydney's sweet-tooths and carb-lovers. And now, thanks to a new home delivery service, they're all yours to enjoy from the comfort of your couch, with just a few clicks. Of course, that includes much-loved seasonal creation, the 'Not X Bun' — a riff on the classic hot cross bun featuring mixed fruits, sweetly spiced dough and an orange glaze, each emblazoned with a signature 'S'. There's also a newly debuted chocolate version, infused with cocoa and spiked with dark chocolate chunks. If you're within four kilometres of most Sonoma bakeries, you can jump on the Bopple app, order a $22 six-pack of either buns and have them to your door quick sticks. How? Pick up in-store or order via Bopple. GLUTEN FREE HOT CROSS BUNS BY WHOLEGREEN BAKERY Break out the butter and get ready to toast — Wholegreen Bakery's dairy-free, gluten-free hot cross buns are back for another season. Every bit as tempting as their regular cousins, these treats will be sailing out of the oven every day until April 12, loaded with raisins and currants, heavy on aromatic spices and sporting that lush glazed crust. They'll set you back $4.50 each, or $25 for a six-pack, with deliveries to a bunch of Sydney suburbs available from April 6 to 9, for a $16.50 flat rate fee. To get some buns in your life ASAP, hit the website or order over the phone. How? Order online or call (02) 9664 2211 for pick up. HOT X ECLAIRZILLA FROM MADAME & YVES This Clovelly bakery and patisserie is only new, but already its handmade Easter goodies are causing a buzz. There's the traditional spiced fruit version and another loaded with chocolate chips, both featuring a sticky coffee glaze. But for some extra wow factor, see the 'Hot X Eclairzilla' — a 40-centimetre-long eclair-style treat that's studded with dried fruit, soaked in a spiced syrup, piped full of burnt butter cream and finished with a spiced mascarpone whip. At $32, this one's big enough to feed six, while the regular buns are $21 for a six-pack. All of them are available to order via Bopple, with a $2.50 drop-off fee for addresses within 2.5 kilometres of the store. There's a minimum order of $30. How? Order via Bopple. HOT CROSS BUNS FROM BRICKFIELDS Chippendale's legendary corner bakery is making iso life a whole lot more bearable, with delivery services that'll drop artisan breads and baked goods to your doorstep. Which means you can now enjoy its signature croissant-base hot cross buns in a hurry, without even leaving the house. The classic Easter treats are available via Bopple or Deliveroo by the half-dozen ($19), or you can grab a solo serve ($3.50) either toasted or fresh. Both platforms have a delivery fee of $9. And if you're really stocking up, Brickfields is also offering free home delivery via its own online store, for all orders over $50. How? Order online or via Bopple or Deliveroo. CHOCOLATE HOT CROSS BUNS FROM VILLAGE ON CLOEY This charming neighbourhood cafe and its sibling bakery might be known for their Portuguese custard tarts, but their hot cross buns are up there with the best. Village on Cloey and Tuga Pastries are celebrating Easter season with two varieties of handmade buns: a classic fruit-filled number, all spiced, glazed and golden; and a chocolate-infused edition that's sure to have sweet-toothed folk swooning. If you live in a nearby suburb and fancy some Easter buns dropped to your door, simply send through your order via private message on Instagram. At this stage, there's a minimum purchase of $35 and zero delivery fee. How? Pick up in-store or order delivery via Instagram DM.
“They are built on the idea of leisure, dreams, escape and entertainment,” says artist Anna Carey, reflecting on the connections between the three cities that occupy her exhibition Blue Angel. “The spaces were created to be reinvented — built for a good time not a long time. For some, these cities were a place of temporary escape, but many have made the escape permanent.” Anna Carey takes photographs of her home town, the Gold Coast, as well as the architecturally similar Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where she recently spent time travelling. The catch? She also builds the environments in the photographs, making finicky cardboard dioramas of buildings pulled from memory and her imagination. All three cities, having featured in countless films, hold various associations according to our collective memories and interpretations. We feel as though we know them well, and yet, how many of us can claim an intimate knowledge? Carey explains, “The art making becomes a process of overlapping multiple memories to create hybrid spaces drawn from and common to all three cities ... Even though the cities are very similar, each has a unique culture, expressed through its urban landscape. "The Gold Coast lifestyle is occupied with the outdoors because of its subtropical, natural landscape ... Los Angeles is similar because of the hills and the ocean; however, it is a much larger city and has a massive entertainment industry. Las Vegas is a place to indulge, with a variety of shows, spas, restaurants and gambling.” Influenced by an array of artists, “past and present”, Carey identifies a select few that she comes back to continually, finding “something new in the work every time”. These include Ed Ruscha, who photographs Los Angeles obsessively, using his camera as a means of documentation; Francys Alys, who “creates urban fictions”, attempting to “reflect the rhythm and narrative” of Mexico City; and Rachel Whiteread, because “her work House is genius”. Carey’s Blue Angel exhibition is on display at Sydney's Artereal (747 Darling Street, Rozelle; (02) 9818 7473) from May 7-31, 2014.
Finding what we want, when we want it, has never been easier. Whether we're scrolling through social media or doing a quick search for something we heard about on a podcast, discovering new brands and products — and getting your hands on them almost straight away — is simpler than ever before. So, what does this all mean for the future of brick-and-mortar stores? In a competitive market of tech-driven retailers and powerhouse big brands, small businesses are looking forward to the future. With so many retailers to choose from, consumers are demanding faster and more personalised service at competitive prices. For small business owners, the challenge to keep up proves complex and demanding — but also very exciting. To give you a taste of how entrepreneurs are meeting this evolving climate head-on, we've teamed up with the City of Sydney as part of its Retail Innovation Program. Learn how five Sydney entrepreneurs are responding to the changing nature of retail and their predictions for what lies ahead in the years to come. [caption id="attachment_734254" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] KOA RECOVERY: ALIGNING WITH AND SUPPORTING LIKE-MINDED BUSINESSES Building a business often means forging an untrodden path. For many entrepreneurs, their big idea speaks to a gap in the market. Koa Recovery began three years ago when director Shaun Button suffered a nasty back injury and discovered a slew of innovative recovery facilities in the US. "There have been so many challenges along the way," explains Button. "Some of the biggest challenges arose because Koa Recovery was the first of its kind in Australia... we've been navigating the unknown every day." Button believes that the future of retail will revolve around partnership and collaboration. With the rising prominence of online retailers, creating hubs for similar businesses to connect and thrive together will prove essential to everyone's success. Button also raises the importance of partnering with the right businesses for the most mutually beneficial outcome. "If you're using influencers, choose ones who are going to educate your audience and see the same vision you see. Align yourself with brands who have a similar approach and support your way of doing things." [caption id="attachment_734256" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] POP-UP FINDS: DESIGNING WITH ZERO WASTE IN MIND Temporary events and pop-up installations take plenty of manpower to put together, from securing a space to bringing in stock, signage and furniture. But, what happens when its time to pack everything away? Kim and Taryn Hoang saw this as a golden business opportunity, so they co-founded the pop-up experience platform Pop-Up Finds. Together, the pair has designed flat-pack furniture rentals for shopping centres in Melbourne, Sydney and Hong Kong. The duo think this concept of brands sharing and recycling resources as the future of retail spaces. "We saw a lot of waste in the pop-up and events industry, as brands were purchasing furniture to use as a one-time event and then throwing it away or storing it in their warehouse never to be used again," explains the duo. "We modelled our business so brands can use our services instead and not worry about the environmental wastage they were causing." [caption id="attachment_731474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] THE CRUELTY-FREE SHOP: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING AGILE Over the past two decades Jessica Bailey, founder of The Cruelty-Free Shop, has witnessed the everchanging landscape of Australia's retail industry. "We started as a tiny online shop just doing food," reveals Bailey. "Now, we've expanded to become a one-stop shop offering cruelty-free versions of fashion, shoes, cosmetics, wine, instant meals and groceries." Learning to adapt to emerging technologies has proved crucial to Bailey's business success. From offering click-and-collect services to keeping tabs on overseas retail trends, she believes it's all about being open to new possibilities and never being afraid to challenge the status quo. In the years to come, Bailey hopes to see the emergence of innovative technology that will streamline the shopping experience, like shops that don't have traditional point-of-sale systems, but rather "door barcode readers that automatically charge your account as you leave". [caption id="attachment_734258" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] MODSIE: USING TECH TO IMPROVE SHOPPING EXPERIENCES From fakes to frauds, the world of online luxury fashion proves troubled terrain. To create a safe and secure place to buy authentic and high-quality products, Josephine de Parisot and Ashish Das co-founded Modsie. In a nutshell, it's a luxury second-hand online store where you can sell unwanted pieces and buy pre-loved products at reasonable prices. Since launching in 2016, Modsie has grown from a mere handful of items to 2000 active listings with a combined value of over $3 million. Today, the brand hosts occasional pop-ups and events but is putting its attention towards data-driven digital marketing and retail experiences. "Artificial intelligence is transforming the interaction that customers are having with their retailers. Data and AI algorithms are also revolutionising the retail space with, for example, product recommendations, QR codes to get additional information about products and even facial recognition to bypass the traditional checkout process," de Parisot says. [caption id="attachment_731483" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] CITIZEN WOLF: LEVERAGING OFFLINE EFFORTS TO BUILD TRUST WITH CUSTOMERS Making a purchase online is a transactional experience. You see it, you like it, you buy it and a few days later the product turns up on your doorstep. But, opening the package is often a roll of the dice. For Zoltan Csaki and Eric Phu, co-founders of the ethical made-to-order basics label Citizen Wolf, giving customers access to the range in-store has always proved a priority. Despite using a 'magic fit algorithm' to help online shoppers find their perfect fit, the pair believe a large part of their success stems from educating customers about the production process offline. It's about allowing shoppers to touch their fabrics in-person and try on a range of cuts to make an informed purchase that will stay with them for years to come. "I think that's the challenge when you're doing an online-only play. It's really hard to truly understand what your customers are saying and what they want. So, the shop for us has always been about that, a space to talk to people," Csaki explains. Learn more about the City of Sydney Retail Innovation Program here. Image: Kimberley Low.
If you're looking for a luxe yet relaxed way to usher in the new year, Double Bay’s Pink Salt has the goods. The Mediterranean-inspired restaurant-bar will be celebrating with a gourmet extravaganza whipped up by executive chef Mark Williamson and creative in-house mixologist Brandon. Two ways of partaking are on offer; the first is a three-course, sit-down meal. After being greeted with a complimentary glass of Champagne, you'll be treated to an array of starters, mains and desserts. They're made for sharing, to maximise sampling opportunities. For drinks, Brandon has conjured up a special New Year's Eve wine and cocktail menu. Tickets are $125 per head. Sittings will be happening between 6pm and 10pm, while the canapé party will start at 7pm and finish off at 11pm. You’ll no doubt be tempted to stay for the midnight countdown, though, with Pink Salt staying open until 3am. You’ll find Pink Salt at 53 Cross Street, Double Bay. For bookings and more information, call 02 9328 1664 or visit www.pinksalt.com.au.
Sydney's home of perfect-for-every-occasion artisanal gifts Sorry Thanks I Love You (STILY) has been hosting free in-store yoga classes for the past four years. Now, with the closure of gyms across the country and increased social distancing, it's bringing them online. And, yes, they'll still be free. Running every Monday night at 6pm AEDT (for the foreseeable future), the Instagram live classes will be streamed on STILY's Instagram page and hosted by Misch Gomez. They'll run for an hour and give you a chance to wind down and get out of that Twitter hole (at least temporarily). If you don't have a mat, you can even roll out a towel — and get ready to get bendy. A benefit of doing the class at home, as STILY has pointed out, is that there's "no one noticing if you pause to take a sip of your gin and tonic". Well, except your cat, dog or green baby. [caption id="attachment_739127" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joey Clark[/caption] Top image: Rita Ince
"You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?" Jack Nicholson's (How Do You Know) version of the Joker asked in 1989's Batman, just because he liked the sound of it. Here's another question: have you ever seen the Tim Burton (Wednesday)-helmed, Michael Keaton (The Flash)-starring classic caped-crusader movie on the big screen with a live orchestra playing its score? Whatever your answer to the first query, you can soon respond to the second with a hearty yes. To celebrate 35 years since the superhero classic initially reached cinemas, Batman is making a silver-screen comeback Down Under to see out 2024 and start 2025 — and in each of its six stops, beginning in Melbourne then heading to Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Hobart and Sydney, it's giving the film's tunes the symphonic treatment. It's Batman in concert, with the movie playing, plus John Foreman's Australian Pops Orchestra, Southern Cross Symphony, Perth Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and The Metropolitan Orchestra picking up their instruments as the flick screens. They'll be busting out Danny Elfman's Grammy-nominated score, which is just one of the feature's music highlights. The other: songs by the one and only Prince. As well as marking three-and-a-half decades since the picture debuted, these concert screenings also commemorate 85 years of the character on the page — and have been announced just as Burton and Keaton reteam again for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. For the Batman Live in Concert sessions, audiences can follow the bat signal to Melbourne's Regent Theatre across Thursday, October 24–Saturday, October 26; AEC Arena in Adelaide across Wednesday, November 13–Thursday, November 14; Perth's PCEC Riverside Theatre on Friday, November 29–Saturday, November 30; the BCEC Great Hall in Brisbane from Tuesday December, 3–Wednesday, December 4; MyState Bank Arena in Hobart over Friday December, 13–Saturday, December 14; and ICC Sydney Theatre on Friday, January 10. Keaton's stint in Bruce Wayne's slick suits by day and Batman's cape by night kicked off a big-screen four-movie series that ran from 1989–1997, and also saw Val Kilmer (Top Gun: Maverick) and George Clooney (IF) inhabit the role — a character played elsewhere by everyone from Adam West and Christian Bale (Amsterdam) to Ben Affleck (Air) and Robert Pattinson (The Batman). As part of a global tour of events, only Batman going the concert route so far, not Batman Returns, Batman Forever or Batman and Robin. If you're keen to dress up to attend, that's encouraged — and there'll also be merchandise on sale. Batman Live in Concert Dates: Thursday, October 24–Saturday, October 26, 2024 — Regent Theatre, Melbourne with John Foreman's Australian Pops Orchestra Wednesday, November 13–Thursday, November 14, 2024 — AEC Arena, Adelaide with Southern Cross Symphony Friday, November 29–Saturday, November 30, 2024 — PCEC Riverside Theatre, Perth with Perth Symphony Orchestra Tuesday December, 3–Wednesday, December 4, 2024 — BCEC Great Hall, Brisbane with The Metropolitan Orchestra Friday December, 13–Saturday, December 14, 2024 — MyState Bank Arena, Hobart with Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Friday, January 10, 2025 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney with The Metropolitan Orchestra Batman Live in Concert is touring Australia from October 2024–January 2025. Head to the event website for tickets and further details.
Aussie duo Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam of Kllo are stopping by Sydney for a one-off show for this year's Vivid. The two will perform a catalogue of songs from their lauded debut album Backwater as well as, we're told, a few sneaky new songs. The meat of this coming-of-age album, which dropped in October 2017, was written on the road, in hotel rooms, while the band experimented with their style and grappled with their constantly changing inner and outer landscapes during their extensive 2016 tour. The result is a raw, yet polished production that blends elements of UK garage, 90s R&B and electro-pop and is laced with the smoky, soulful serenading that Kllo is known for. After emerging on the scene with their 2014 EP, Cusp, Kllo's music has continued to gain recognition, momentum and maturity, with Backwater delivering deeper, more emotive lyrics from Kaul and synth-heavy, experimental beats from Lam.
The energetic and soulful Jake Bugg made a name for himself with his self-titled debut album, becoming the first male artist to debut at the top of the UK charts with a first release. His unique blend of folk, pop and rock tunes has astounded audiences worldwide, and his shows in Australia last year lived up to the hype. This April, the 19-year-old rock star in the making is bringing his act back here to show off his sophomore album, Shangri La. The album recruited legendary producer Rick Rubin, as well as other stalwarts of the music industry, including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. The sound is classic Bugg, with a renewed, revved up energy. Having already sold out in Melbourne, the Sydney show at The Enmore on April 20 is on sale now, but tickets are sure to go fast. So get in quick to make sure you see the prodigy who is sure to continue climbing the charts for a good while yet. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Veq6GQHU3is
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. Last year, over 7000 garages opened their doors to bargain hunters, and they're doing it for the fifth time on October 25. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year, so register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week trends predicted a move toward sportswear this season, but French label le coq sportif have been running this trend for years. If you're getting somewhat inspired by the peloton pizazz of the Tour de France, you should cycle down to the The Rocks and get amongst the everyday sportswear of this new boutique. The label's second Australian concept store is open for business and launching its exclusive 'Atelier du coq' service, where you can customise your own garments with traditional retro sporty flocking techniques. The personalising service has only two other locations worldwide, Paris and London, and lets you handpick your own colour, design and base combinations for your very own sweet get up. Housed in a heritage-listed, square-pane windowed space on George Street in The Rocks, the newest le coq sportif store is an adorable space decked out with exposed pipes, polished wooden floorboards and cream-washed walls. Tackling the classic don't-touch-the-walls heritage-listing conundrum, the team have created hovering hanging space from metal piping (much like the Denham pop-up next door — they're both owned by Hilton Seskin, owner of Topshop and Glue). Le coq sportif is no spring chicken in the sportswear market. Founded in 1882 by Émile Camuset, the company started producing fashion in the '40s. The brand don't just preach their love of sportswear, they practice with the actual pros; sponsoring football, boxing, cycling and tennis teams worldwide. The brand finds a subtle balance between legit, performance-inspired sportswear and sport-inspired casualwear — and they've now got a crack team of Australian designers on board, who are cranking out casual collections like the wonderfully retro Aussie women's winter line. But you came here to customise, let's get on it. It's a pretty straightforward, relatively quick process. First, pick your design. In a process not dissimilar from choosing your own tattoo design, flick through a portfolio of 20 archival le coq designs and choose your poison. There's a significant amount of retro love in the options — the logo of the Zaire Leopards, the first sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the World Cup in Germany in '74; the Saint Etienne football team logo and the most popular of the bunch: the original '70s le coq sportif rooster logo. Next, pick your base. Whether you're an oversized jumper type of chiller, a snug sporty t-shirt enthusiast or a sucker for a deep v-neck, you've got all your grey marles, nautical navys and bright sporting greens to choose from. Then, pick your flock. Using a particularly furry type of retro flock, you can choose between around eight different colours to print your design on your base. We went for a white flock on navy for a classic, boaty vibe and a pink flock on grey marle for wearable '90s nostalgia. After you've locked everything in, your friendly neighbourhood le coq sportif teamster sends the design from the computer to the flock printer. Then it's time to Zen out and carve out the vinyl with a scalpel. When your design's looking top notch, it's time to pop the design in the centre of your garment and send it off to the press for a quick heating party. Then, the moment of truth. Now you're done, ready for some street strutting in your new customised threads. All up, the whole thing will cost under $100. T-shirts are $50, colour v-necks are $60 and jumpers are $90, flocking included. Not a bad price for your own personalised threads. Le coq sportif can be found at 79 George Street, The Rocks; (02) 8252 9703; www.lecoqsportif.com.au. Still shopping? Head next door to the Denham pop-up.
This epic, never-before-seen work asks one important question: how much of our true selves do we really share with the world? Created by Force Majeure in partnership with Dance Integrated Australia, it brings together artists with and without disability. And it's semi-autobiographical, sharing some of the performers' real life experiences on stage. Prepare to be moved, confronted, warmed and carried towards deeper empathy. The cracking cast includes contemporary dancers Marnie Palomares and Jana Castillo, actor Gerard O'Dwyer, actor and disability advocate Alex Jones and Auslan interpreter Neil Phipps. "Off The Record is such a unique work," says Jones. "It's about shaking the discomfort out of people's skin and learning how to really understand people with disability." "We've found five extraordinary, talented artists who are prepared to share deeply personal stories and to give a voice to things that are rarely discussed," says Force Majeure artistic director Danielle Micich. Off The Record is the second piece to have been commissioned under New Normal, Carriageworks' national arts and disability strategy, which is supported by the NSW Government. Another eight works, covering performance, music, dance and visual arts, will be developed over the next three years. In addition to the shows, an all-day masterclass will be held on Saturday, August 13. Open to artists and those who work within the arts, attendees will gain insights into the creative process that went into the work's creation. Image: Gregory Lorenzutti.
2019 will mark the last-ever edition of the beloved community event Newtown Festival, with organisers Newtown Neighbourhood Centre (NNC) pulling the plug on the festival after 40 years. According to a statement on NNC's website, the festival had grown too large over its final few iterations and is no longer financially viable for the not-for-profit to continue running. "Over the last 40 years, Newtown Festival has experienced significant growth, with many more businesses, sponsors and people attending the event. While this has been exciting to witness, this large-scale financial endeavour has eclipsed the resources, capabilities and purpose of NNC," the statement reads. "After years of careful consideration, which involved reviewing a number of possible funding scenarios and business cases, as well as community consultation, NNC's board has made the decision to discontinue the festival. The board did not come to this conclusion lightly and acknowledges how much the festival will be missed by residents, and NNC itself. We will instead participate in three key events led by Inner West Council to drive awareness of the services we provide." [caption id="attachment_746600" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Simpson[/caption] From humble beginnings, the festival grew to the point where it hosted hundreds of stallholders and musicians in 2019, as well as more than 40,000 punters, boasting a lineup featuring The Delta Riggs, The Buoys and a Heaps Gay karaoke closet. Over the years, up-and-coming bands cut their teeth on the free festival's stage and beloved musicians brought crowds to Camperdown Memorial Park, with the likes of The Kid LAROI, All Our Exes Live in Texas, L-FRESH the Lion, Jinja Safari, Gordi, Palms and Nooky all performing over the years. NNC will continue to push for inclusivity and the arts within the Inner West, while the spirit of Newtown Festival won't be lost, with other community events like SummerFest, Marrickville Music Festival, St.Anmoré, Fair Day, Yabun and the Beer Footy and Food Festival all going strong. [caption id="attachment_746602" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Simpson[/caption] Head to the Newtown Community Centre website for more information on the not-for-profit and to read the statement about Newtown Festival. Top image: Kirsten Muller.
We've all got that one friend whose media diet exists solely of documentaries. They're usually, to be honest, the most interesting of us all wielding their accumulated eccentric knowledge. However, documentaries and doco-style films have long become mainstream and the capitalist marketplace has heard our hungry cries for more. Introducing DocPlay, the new Netflix for docos. It's an Australian and New Zealand-based service that lets you stream documentaries directly. Their libraries are stuffed full of all the big names — Blackfish, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Advanced Style — complemented by some niche Aussie and international titles with a big emphasis on music. A premium member fee of $6.95 a month (or $69.95 a year) will grant you access to their ever-growing library. And if sign up to a free account, you'll get access to their rotating selection of docos. This week features Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens, Academy Award winner The Cove, Ai Wewei: Never Sorry, and A Complete History Of My Sexual Failures amongst others. Not bad, not bad at all. If you don't want to cough up though, you can expect ads aplenty. It's still a pretty fresh service and can only get better with time. But anything that enables us to while away a Sunday watching back-to-back docos can only be good thing.
Feeling like a bit of low-key self-improvement? Want to change the way you approach each day? Or, do you just need a bit more balance in your life? We agree that it's important to bring positive changes into your life, but why start with the big stuff? Vincent Van Gogh once said, "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." So, start with the small. To help you out, we've teamed up with our mates at Coopers to bring you a list of 'easy wins' — small things you can do to make your day, your week and your life just that little bit better. And, yes, savouring an easy drinking Coopers Dry is a good start. MONDAY: ATTEND A COMEDY NIGHT Need a good laugh? Well, local comedy nights are guaranteed to get you cackling. Sure, you might have some hit and miss moments, but small-scale comedy nights are a great way to check out your area's comedic chops. Plus, it's an easy date idea that's not just 'going for a drink'. Who knows, you might even be inspired to get up there yourself (but only if it's in open-mic format, please). On Mondays, laugh the blues away at The Comedy Lounge at Cafe Lounge in Sydney, Quick Bites at Boney in Melbourne or The Sit Down Open Mic Club at Newmarket Hotel in Brissie. TUESDAY: WATCH THE SUNRISE We know it's tough, and it doesn't have to be Tuesday, but pick one day a week — maybe when you have a late start or a bit of extra time — grab yourself a takeaway coffee, and watch the world wake up slowly. Living in Australia, we're blessed with a ton of easily accessible scenic views in and around most of our major cities. Start a day an hour or so earlier this week, and welcome the morning with a view. By the time everyone else is rushing off to start the day completely stressed out of their minds, you'll be calm, relaxed and focused. Great spots for this include, Wendy's Secret Garden in Sydney, Brighton Beach in Melbourne or The Redlands Bayside in Brisbane. While it's a little too early for beer, earmark the spot and head back after work for a sundowner. WEDNESDAY: WALK TO WORK Now, if your commute is massive, we're not suggesting you load up a supply donkey and trek through the night — but if there's a point you can walk from, do it. If your walk to work is half an hour or less, try to make this choice a couple of times a week. It's a great way to break up the monotony of the working week and stay fit and healthy. And, you'll actually look forward to going to work — hear us out — since you won't have to join the squished sardines on the train, you can stretch your legs and pump up the volume on your motivational playlist. Fresh air, exercise and good tunes — it's a winning formula. Plus, fewer cars on the road means peaceful streets and lower carbon emissions — an easy win, for a brighter future. [caption id="attachment_640628" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Riley Street Garage, Sydney.[/caption] THURSDAY: PUT AWAY YOUR PHONE ON DATE NIGHT There's no denying that the smartphone is an invaluable part of modern life, but it's far too easy to get lost in the pixels and waste away a day (or night) on your phone scrolling and swiping and tapping. So, you've booked a nice restaurant for you and your partner (or bestie) to enjoy together? We reckon it's time to ditch the phones and focus on each other — just like the good old days. Give your dining partner your undivided attention instead of staring aimlessly at your feed and scrolling into the Insta-abyss. You'll be surprised how easy and rewarding this is. FRIDAY: GO TO THE THEATRE Sure it's great to veg out, watch every new original Netflix series that's been released and completely disengage. We get it, it's important to turn the mind off. But, it's also important to keep it stimulated — our parents did say too much TV would turn the brain to mush, right? Look to the theatre. It's like IRL television and it doesn't have to be inaccessible, overly artsy and incredibly dull. There are multitudes of theatre companies both mainstage and independent doing exciting, hilarious, terrifying and incredibly entertaining work. Check out your local theatre and catch a mid-week independent show, support emerging artists and indulge in the thrill of live performance. Great examples include The Old Fitz in Sydney, Red Stitch Actor's Theatre in Melbourne and La Boite in Brisbane. SATURDAY: INVITE YOUR NEIGHBOURS FOR BARBECUE AND BEERS If you're stuck in that uncomfortable smile-and-wave phase with your neighbours, we have a solution. Ditch the awkwardness and invite them round for a low-key barbecue. Grab a case of Coopers Dry to break the ice, and knock the froth off a couple with who could be your new best mates. Meeting new people is a great way to build confidence and sharpen your social skills, and where better to do it than in the comfort of your own home. You'll gain some new friends that are literally a stone's throw away. NB: we do not condone the throwing of stones at neighbours. SUNDAY: PLAY A GAME OF POOL Everyone likes pool, even more so when it's free. The pool table is a great leveller and icebreaker, chuck a few coins down, grab some beers, and get to know some new mates down at your local. Brush up on your skills or just have a laugh — the free pool is usually available on quieter nights in most venues and always makes for a nice night of mild-mannered fun. Make it a weekly thing and, who knows, you might discover your hidden talents as a pool shark. Best spots for cheap (or free) pool on Sunday are The Rose Hotel in Sydney (free), The Rainbow Hotel in Melbourne ($2) and Tomcat in Brisbane (free). Kick off your 'easy wins' by enjoying a Coopers Dry, or two, with your mates.
Donut Papi is no stranger to new and inventive flavours. The Sydney favourite has been creating doughnuts packed with flavours like pandan, matcha, milo and bittersweet calamansi since its pre-Redfern days as a mainstay at Sydney markets. Since opening a brick-and-mortar store, the doughnut haven has been able to push its creations into even more experimental territory. The latest new flavour combo from Donut Papi is a collaboration with Cointreau that's given your typical circular treat a boozy makeover. The limited-edition range includes two unique flavours — both centred around the humble margarita. The first is orange Cointreau margarita flavoured, which takes a plain doughnut and adds orange glazed icing, plus a pipette of Cointreau to inject into the doughnut. Flavour number two combines a ginger glaze with coconut flakes and its own pipette of Cointreau, of course. The easiest way to get your hands on these limited-time desserts is to head in-store to Donut Papi's Redfern Street home where you can pick up an individual margarita doughnut for $8 a pop or $63 for a nine-pack. While you're there you can also nab a signature pandan and coconut-glaze doughnut, a blueberry bear claw or a sticky cinnamon scroll. Donut Papi also delivers to postcodes within 15 kilometres of its Refern digs. You can check out the full list of postcodes the store delivers to at the FAQ page. The margarita doughnuts will be available until Saturday, September 10, meaning you can purchase a cheeky nine-pack of these boozy treats to bring along to any Father's Day celebrations you have lined up, or send some to the father figure in your life if they live in the inner-city or the Inner West. Donut Papi is located at 34A Redfern Street, Redfern. Its Cointreau margarita doughnuts are available until Saturday, September 10.
My Friend Dahmer isn't joking about its title. Exploring Jeffrey Dahmer's high school years during the 1970s, the film adapts the graphic novel of the same name, which was written by one of the serial killer's classmates and acquaintances. That said, based on the events depicted on-screen, it doesn't feel quite accurate to call John 'Derf' Backderf one of Dahmer's pals. Describing anyone as a friend of the teen who'll ultimately rape, murder and dismember 17 men doesn't feel quite right, for that matter, as the movie makes clear. "I like to pick up roadkill, but I'm trying to quit," Dahmer (Ross Lynch) tells one of his classmates. Every time the town doctor (Vincent Kartheiser) jogs past his house, he pays more attention than he should. In his garden shed at home, he likes to dissolve dead cats in acid. At school, when he's not keeping to himself, he's making odd noises and causing scenes in the hallways. It's the latter behaviour that piques the interest of aspiring artist Derf (Alex Wolff) and a few other students, inspiring them to form the 'Dahmer Fan Club' and to recruit its namesake as a member. The group encourages Dahmer's over-the-top performances, sneaks him into club yearbook photos as a prank, and even talks their way into meeting with the US Vice President. But behind the seeming camaraderie, Derf and the gang are still laughing at the new pal even when they're also laughing with him. Eventually they push the joke too far, before abandoning the guy they've been calling their mascot. There's nothing simple about Dahmer's adolescent years, as My Friend Dahmer shows. In addition to being repeatedly humiliated by the people he thinks are his friends, he struggles to cope with his sexuality, his mother's (Anne Heche) mental illness and his father's (Dallas Roberts) eventual absence. Still, there's something much too familiar about writer-director Marc Meyers' approach to this story. While the film doesn't ever try to justify or excuse the heinous deeds Dahmer would go on to commit not that much later in his life, it does draw a very short line between the treatment Dahmer is subjected to and his inner turmoil. The details might stem from reality, but the position the picture seems to take — that Dahmer was odd, but essentially an average guy until he was bullied — feels both superficial and uncomfortable, particularly given how often the same kind of sentiment is splashed across newspaper headlines to explain killings, attacks and mass shootings. Of course, watching a film about a notorious murderer's formative years shouldn't be an easy experience. Nor should empathising with a confused, tormented kid who'll go on to commit brutal crimes, including cannibalising some of his victims. The guilt and regret that the real-life Derf has obviously tussled with over the past four decades are infused into the movie, albeit in skin-deep fashion. Clumsy foreshadowing certainly doesn't help, especially since everyone knows how Dahmer's tale pans out. Whether it's someone remarking that Dahmer isn't going to bite, his mother declaring that their family eats their feelings, or an angry teacher furiously attempting to remove him from school photos, all these incidents just convey the obvious, showing absolutely no signs of depth. Segueing from Disney star to serial killer, a well-cast Lynch adds nuance where it's needed. Crucially, his performance pits Dahmer in the middle of two extremes — ostensibly normal but misunderstood and mistreated at one end, fated for horrific deeds at the other. In fact, the young actor captures a mood of ambiguity that the film around him can't completely master, offering up a portrayal that's never sympathetic but never filled with overt judgement either. Wolff is also impressive as Derf, although the character is sometimes painted in the same overly neat manner as much of the rest of the movie. Indeed, from a visual perspective, My Friend Dahmer looks like a picture-perfect portrait of '70s high school angst, as often laid out in wide shots that mimic Derf's graphic novel. But demonstrating that something darker lurks beneath the surface isn't as profound as the film seems to think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP4yqd90BT0
As summer kicks off in Victoria, the Victorian music industry is gearing up for its biggest event for the year: ALWAYS LIVE. This festival celebrates the diversity of music in Victoria, with a mix of international headliners and local musicians alike taking to stages statewide from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, December 8. When the festival nears its conclusion on the final weekend, some of the most anticipated events will be taking place. One of those is Garage Band, or rather the culmination of Garage Band since it's a longer-term initiative running as a part of ALWAYS LIVE, coming together for a free concert at Bunjil Place and Federation Square on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8. Since its inception in 2021, the program has run yearly to find and elevate young musicians from across Victoria with professional coaching. The 2024 class of Garage Band includes 30 artists and bands, and as usual, every musician is between 16 and 21. The artists will refine their skills through workshops and mentorship during the festival. Ten artists will perform at Bunjil Place on Saturday, December 7, while twenty artists will be found on multiple stages in Fed Square on Sunday, December 8. With individual artists and after-school indie bands in equal amounts, it's the perfect chance to get up close with the next generation of Aussie musicians, and it's free, so really, there's no reason to miss it. Garage Band will take over Fed Square on Sunday, December 8. For more information, visit the ALWAYS LIVE website.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. BROS Buy this for a dollar: a history-making gay rom-com that's smart, sweet, self-aware and funny, and also deep knows the genre it slips into, including the heteronormative tropes and cliches that viewers have seen ad nauseam. Actually, Billy Eichner would clearly prefer that audiences purchase tickets for Bros for more that that sum of money, even if he spent five seasons offering it to New Yorkers in Billy on the Street while sprinting along the sidewalk and yelling about pop culture. Thinking about that comedy series comes with the territory here, however, and not just because Eichner brought it back to promote this very movie. Starring and co-written by the Parks and Recreation and The Lion King actor — with Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the Bad Neighbours franchise's Nicholas Stoller directing and co-scripting — Bros both presents and unpacks the public persona that helped make Billy on the Street such a hit: opinionated, forceful and wry, as well as acidic and cranky. No one person, be it the version of himself that Eichner plays in the series that helped push him to fame or the fictional character he brings to the screen in Bros — or, in-between, his struggling comedian and actor part in three-season sitcom Difficult People, too — is just those five traits, of course. One of Bros' strengths is how it examines why it's easy to lean into that personality, where the sheen of caustic irritability comes from, the neuroses it's covering up and what all that means when it comes to relationships. The movie does so knowingly as well. It's well aware that Eichner's fans are familiar with his on-screen type, and that even newcomers likely are also. Accordingly, when Bros begins, Eichner's in-film alter ego is shouting about pop culture and being adamant, grumpy and cutting about it. In fact, he's on a podcast, where he's relaying his failed attempt to pen a script for exactly the kind of flick he's in. A mainstream, studio-produced gay romantic comedy that starts out riffing on the difficulties of making a mainstream, studio-produced gay romantic comedy? Yes, that's Bros. ("Am I going to be in the middle of some high-speed chase and all of a sudden fall in love with Ice Cube?", Eichner asks as the feature's protagonist Bobby Lieber.) A film about a gay man known for a biting and droll disposition, starring a gay man similarly known for that type of biting and droll disposition? Yes, that's Bros as well. It's also a movie that makes fun of Hallmark rom-com schmaltz while featuring one of the US network's go-tos — that'd be Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen, A Shoe Addict's Christmas, Christmas in My Heart and The Mistletoe Promise's Luke Macfarlane — and a flick blasting Schitt's Creek some scorn while charting a comparable queer storyline. So, it's a feature that wears its obviousness and its contradictions in tandem, purposefully and proudly. Eichner's Bobby is 40, just received an LGBTQIA+-community Best Cis Male Gay Man award and has a dream gig setting up America's first national queer history museum. Rom-com logic, which Bros heartily subscribes to, means he has to discover his seeming opposite in a memorable way: a gay dance party where he complains to shirtless probate lawyer Aaron Shepard (Macfarlane) and finds sparks flying. How Stoller and Eichner handle this scene says plenty about the film, and the authentic view of gay romance, dating and sex it's committed to. Neither man — Grindr-swiping, emotionally unavailable, hardly content as they both are — is anything but himself. For Bobby, that means awkwardly flirting, getting furious when Aaron disappears mid-conversation, tracking him down and telling him about it, but also being non-committal and even angry for being attracted to him. For Aaron, it involves continuing to breeze around the party like nothing out of the ordinary has happened; "I'm supposed to fuck him and his husband later," he tells Bobby about two other buff, sweaty guys on the dancefloor as they're chatting. Read our full review. THE WOMAN KING Since 2016's Suicide Squad, the DC Extended Universe has tasked Viola Davis with corralling super-powered folks, including villains forced to do the state's bidding (as also seen in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker) and regular world-saving superheroes (the just-released Black Adam). In The Woman King, however, she's more formidable, powerful and magnificent than any spandex-wearing character she's ever shared a frame with — or ever will in that comic-to-screen realm. Here, she plays the dedicated and determined General Nanisca, leader of the Agojie circa 1823. This is an "inspired by true events" tale, and the all-female warrior troupe was very much real, protecting the now-defunct west African kingdom of Dahomey during its existence in what's now modern-day Benin. Suddenly thinking about a different superhero domain and its own redoubtable women-only army, aka the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Dora Milaje in Wakanda? Yes, Black Panther took inspiration from the Agojie. If you're thinking about Wonder Woman's Amazons, too, the Agojie obviously pre-dates them as well. Links to two huge franchises in various fashions aren't anywhere near The Woman King's main attraction, of course. Davis and her fellow exceptional cast members, such as Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die), Thuso Mbedu and Sheila Atim (both co-stars in The Underground Railroad); The Old Guard filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood and her grand and kinetic direction, especially in fight scenes; stunningly detailed costumes and production design that's both vibrant and textured; a story that still boasts humour and heart: they all rank far higher among this feature's drawcards. So does the fact that this is a lavish historical epic in the Braveheart and Gladiator mould, but about ass-kicking Black women badged "the bloodiest bitches in Africa". Also, while serving up an empowering vision, The Woman King also openly grapples with many difficulties inherent in Dahomey's IRL history (albeit in a mass consumption-friendly, picking-and-choosing manner). It's under the cover of night that Nanisca and the stealthy, feline-quick Agojie first show The Woman King's audience exactly what they're capable of, as camped-out male slavers from the rival Oyo Empire are swiftly and brutally dispensed with during a mission to free abducted Dahomean women. From that vivid opening, the female-led The Woman King on- and off-screen lets viewers know what it, Davis, Prince-Bythewood and their collaborators are capable of, too. Potent, ferocious, mighty: they all fit. When it comes to the film's protagonist, she's fierceness personified, yet also always nuanced. In a role that'll likely garner her award nominations at the very least, to go along with past Oscar nods for Doubt, The Help and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom — and her win for Fences — Davis is tremendous in the part, in battle and otherwise, exuding world-weariness, raw strength, and the kind of resilience that's only forged by navigating deep horrors. After the film's initial rescue gambit, the Agojie are down in number. Abandoned to Dahomey's King Ghezo (John Boyega, Small Axe) because she won't marry men who beat her, headstrong Nawi (Mbedu) becomes a new recruit. As the teen trains to become permanently accepted among them, including by the resolute and mischievous Izogie (Lynch) and Amenza (Atim), Nanisca endeavours to bend the ruler's ear about future battles and policies. The Oyo will keep attacking, and keep trying to trade Dahomey's populace into slavery. A Portuguese-Brazilian aristocrat (Hero Fiennes Tiffin, After Ever Happy) knows that he can profit off the Dahomey-Oyo tensions, and gain slaves to hawk along the way. Also, Dahomey itself isn't above selling Africans into subservience themselves. Nanisca has other concerns, too: getting revenge over a heartbreaking chapter of her past, the pain and sacrifice she still bears as a result, and instilling the Agojie's brand of sisterhood in Nawi. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28; August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22 and September 29; and October 6, October 13 and October 20. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise, Clean, You Won't Be Alone, See How They Run, Smile, On the Count of Three, The Humans, Don't Worry Darling, Amsterdam, The Stranger, Halloween Ends, The Night of the 12th, Muru, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, Black Adam, Barbarian, Decision to Leave and The Good Nurse.
Bar Topa has been awarded Overall Winner for Best New Bar in our Best of 2018 Awards. You can check out all the other winners over here. Spanish tapas culture is reimagined with flavours from all over the Mediterranean for Merivale's vibrant new culinary offering, Bar Topa. Opening in late July on Palings Lane, in the Ivy's dining precinct, the pint-sized tapas bar has just a handful of seats, with standing room for around 40 diners. Perching with a wine in hand and snacks to share is the way to go here, just like in Spain's tapas bars. In the kitchen, Head Chef Lauren Murdoch is heading up a two-part, snack-heavy food offering. Displayed at the counter, you'll find small bites like whipped salted cod, or sliced jamón on crisp bread, while the tapas menu features a heftier selection of dishes hot off la plancha — the Spanish-style grill. Expect plates of sautéed chicken livers, cuttlefish cooked with parsley, garlic and olive oil, whole sardines, and of course, that classic patatas bravas. A modern rustic fitout of terracotta and green terrazzo is authentic yet modern, and a collaboration between stylist Amanda Talbot and designer George Livissianis. There's an innovative approach to drinks, mirroring the food menu of bite-sized snacks, with most cocktails, beer and wine served as half-pours. Meaning punters have the chance to sample more of the menu. A range of $8 half-size cocktails includes sips like the Marques — made with Pali Cortado sherry, Campari and sweet vermouth — and the La Perla, blending Altos Reposado tequila and pear liqueur. Otherwise, match those tapas with sangria from the tap, mini $4 beer or a 100-millilitre serve from the short, snappy wine list.
Childish Gambino (real name: Donald Glover) is no ordinary artist. The American do-it-all, who took his stage name from a Wu-Tang Clan name generator, has a stacked resumé which includes Golden Globe winner, Grammy winner and Star Wars character. It should be no surprise then that his live show is not your average stand-behind-a-microphone experience. Glover announced via Twitter this morning that he is bringing his concert experience PHAROS to New Zealand this year. Described as an immersive virtual reality, multi-sensory concert experience, the event will be held over three days from November 23–25 at an undisclosed location near Auckland Airport — Concrete Playground Auckland's calling the vines and rolling pastures of Villa Maria Estate. The festival was first held in Joshua Tree, California, where Glover debuted material from Awaken, My Love inside a VR dome with collaborators. Episodes of his award-winning series Atlanta screened inside an amphitheater and an "Illumination Forest" projected art from inside the dome. Mystery is a big part of the experience; the first edition saw attendees seal their phones in lock bags for the duration of the concert. Glover told Vanity Fair that PHAROS is "meant to be a communal space—a place that evolves and reacts to the culture". "We aren't tied to a format and that lets us adapt in a way that others can't. We're selling real intimacy. We protect the experience and it becomes something you genuinely share with the people around you and you take away something special. We're looking at expanding the world in 2018—there will be more artists involved." Tickets are on sale now via the PHAROS app. Source: Vanity Fair.
What will inspire you to spend your Sunday nights busting out your music trivia knowledge, and also playing along with one of the most-beloved Australian TV shows there is? The return of Spicks and Specks for 2024. Back in 2023, the ABC announced that it was bringing the series back for a new season after it took the past year off — and you can now mark Sunday, June 9 in your diary for the big comeback. Among everything that the ABC has ever broadcast — news, entertainment, after-school kids shows, oh-so-much Doctor Who and late-night music videos to keep you occupied after a few drinks all included — the Adam Hills-, Myf Warhurst- and Alan Brough-led Spicks and Specks is up there among the favourites. If you're keen to watch a heap of top Australian talent sit around and talk about tunes again, this season's guests from the music side of things include Anthony Callea, Marlon Williams, Elly-May Barnes, Nooky, Montaigne and Dan Sultan, as well as Mark Seymour, Oli from Lime Cordiale. Among the comedians, Hamish Blake, Tommy Little, Steph Tisdell, Abbie Chatfield, Shane Jacobson and Jenny Tian will feature. Plus, Adrian Eagle, Gut Health and Lime Cordiale will perform. Here's how it works, if you've forgotten: the show's contestants answer questions, compete for points and just generally be funny, too. That's the concept behind the series, which takes more than a few cues from the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, pits Aussie musos and comedians against each other, and has proven a hit several times over. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it keeps being resurrected. As fans already know, Spicks and Specks has enjoyed more comebacks than John Farnham, although that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Hills, Warhurst and Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. In 2022, ten new episodes hit. The new season will air at 7.30pm on Sunday evenings via ABC and ABC iView — and new segments will also be part of the fun. T0 tide you over until June, here's a classic clip from past Spicks and Specks runs: Spicks and Specks will return to ABC TV and via ABC iView from 7.30pm on Sunday, June 9, 2024.
A spectacular showcase of ballet arrives at West HQ's Sydney Coliseum Theatre this July with the debut of the Sydney International Ballet Gala. The performance will be a dazzling display of artistry, elegance and technical precision that promises to move ballet lovers and newbies alike. With a repertoire choreographed by some of the world's most acclaimed creatives, the powerhouse performance presents hundreds of years of ballet history on the one stage. You'll see excerpts from some of the greatest works of classical ballet, as well as highlights from the contemporary canon, performed by principal dancers and soloists from celebrated companies including The Australian Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Berlin State Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and more. The genuinely global company of dancers taking to the stage will include The Australian Ballet's Grace Carroll and Bryce Latham, Julian MacKay, Principal Dancer with the San Francisco Ballet and Mayu Tanigaito, Principal Dancer with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. The gala also features three world premieres and three Australian premieres, each created by internationally acclaimed choreographers. The Sydney International Ballet Gala is a celebration of dance taking place at the fantastic Sydney Coliseum Theatre, a state-of-the-art auditorium that is as aesthetically beautiful as it is technically brilliant. The 2000-person multi-mode theatre is the first of its kind in Greater Western Sydney and is a landmark cultural destination for the area. For more information on the Sydney International Ballet Gala and to book tickets, head to the website. Want to win your way in? We're giving away four tickets to the showcase and dinner at Chu Restaurant by China Doll — head to our competition page to enter.
Every five years, Australia undertakes a national census to collect information about everyone in the country. It focuses on people, obviously. But a similar annual initiative takes a snapshot of the nation's birdlife — and, in the perfect event for a year that's seen us all literally spending plenty of time in our own backyards, you can take part. It's called the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, a descriptive moniker that tells you exactly what you'll be doing. From Monday, October 19–Sunday, October 25, all you need to do is head outside — into your yard, out on your street, at your local park, at the beach or wherever else you're likely to spy some birds — and spend 20 minutes counting all the winged creatures you can see. You'l need to note not only the number of birds, but also the types of each species. By spotting everything from magpies, rainbow lorikeets and kookaburras to whatever that bird is that sits outside your window and trills noisily to wake you up each morning (we've all been there), you'll be helping out BirdLife Australia, the country's largest bird conservation organisation. In its effort to stop bird extinctions and protect birdlife in general, the charity is committed to better understanding which flapping critters are found where throughout the nation. So, with that in mind, it has been running the Aussie Backyard Bird Count since 2014. To participate in the countrywide bird survey, you can either submit your count online via the event's website, or download the free Aussie Bird Count app and provide your data that way. BirdLife Australia asks that you only count birds that you can identify, rather than guessing what type of bird is fluttering around your yard — but both the website and the app include a field guide to help. [caption id="attachment_786211" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sydney Park Wetlands, City of Sydney[/caption] The Aussie Backyard Bird Count runs from Monday, October 19–Sunday, October 26. For more information, visit the event's website.
Following up on its sold-out 2021 debut, Naturellement is ready for a comeback, taking over Galleria Ettalong Beach for two incredible days of top-notch drinking and dining. Guided by renowned drinks guru and P&V Merchants' owner Mike Bennie and Kristy Austin, the founder of creative experience agency We Are Neighbourgood, expect 120 artisan beverages alongside inventive cuisine and chef-led masterclasses. Running from Saturday, May 17–Sunday, May 18, Naturellement's lineup brings together some of the most exciting artisan, natural, organic and small-batch drinks producers from every corner of NSW. Plus, there's a huge range of local food purveyors getting involved too, with 30 operators hand-picked from the Central Coast and beyond. Think SABI-WABI, Majama Wines, Harkham, Ten Minutes by Tractor, Jilly Wine Co, Meredith by Mem and many more. As for the culinary program, it's just as epicurean. Acclaimed chefs and sustainability advocates like Alanna Sapwell-Stone (The Eltham Hotel) and Matt Stone (Ciao Mate, You Beauty) will showcase their cooking skills and impart their seemingly endless knowledge to the crowd. Meanwhile, Jake Kellie (Arkhe, Singapore's Burnt Ends) has made the trip up from Adelaide to show why he's considered the master of the flame. Ettalong Beach's historic Galleria makes for the perfect event space with its labyrinth of piazzas, laneways and eateries, decked out with decorative arches and marble statues. As you wine, dine and listen alongside some of the best in the business, DJs and live music will amp up the atmosphere and ensure the community vibes soar off the charts.
Throttle Roll is an annual celebration of all things custom motorbike culture. And apparently when you're rocking around the clock, time speeds by pretty fast, because it's that time again. In the best rockabilly getup they can muster, bike enthusiasts will head to The Vic in Enmore on Saturday, May 10, for Throttle Roll. And with a family- and pet-friendly vibe, this event is firmly on the cuddlier side of motorbike culture. It'll be kicking off first thing on Saturday for the riders, who can meet at 8.30am along Princess Highway, Tempe for a ride south to Stanwell Tops and back in time for The Vic's festivities at noon. With roots and rockabilly music provided by Pat Capocci, The Drey Rollan Band, Papa Pilko & The Bin Rats, The Tequila Twins, Big Blind Ray Trio and a handful more — and with more than 70 bikes on display — Throttle Roll is the largest festival of its kind in the country. Sunday will see the Australian film premiere of Why We Ride and the latest from Stories of Bike from 7pm, while the bikes stay on display all weekend. A spit roast will keep everyone's engines running high over the two days.
For 13 years, Message Sticks has been bringing the best of Indigenous film to the Sydney Opera House. Now, buoyed by its successes — including premiering Warwick Thornton's much-lauded Samson and Delilah and winning Best Australian Film Festival at the IF Awards in 2009 — it's expanding to include an exciting array of music, talks, dance, storytelling and art. The fusion of contemporary arts practices gives festivalgoers a unique brush with Indigenous culture and traditions. Each day at dusk you can gather for Dancestry, which brings the ritual and communion of traditional corroboree into the present day with dance, song and ceremony. An Icons concert will unite the legendary Shane Howard, Neil Murray and Archie Roach on one stage, while Tri Nations brings together amazing female performers from three first nations, and Casey Donovan leads her band in a tribute to Mama Cass (from the Mamas and the Papas). On the talks front, you can see Gary Foley and Larissa Behrendt discuss the tent embassy, Margaret and David being Margaret and David as they talk about Indigenous cinema, and plenty more. But oh, the films. They're still there, grouped into two free blocks of weekend viewing, and with an emphasis on crosscultural stories of Indigenous plights. On Sunday, you can catch two features: Toomelah, Ivan Sen's story of mission life that made the grade at Cannes, and, out of Canada, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, which shares the lessons of another Indigenous struggle, capturing a 78-day armed standoff between the Mohawks, the Quebec police and the Canadian army. On Saturday it's more an onslaught of shorts, including the likes of Nalingu (Yours and Mine), based on writer/director Billy McPherson's real experience picking up a hitchhiker with an eerie connection to his family, and The Russians Are Coming, the quirky story of how, for 10 days in 1820, a group of wayward Russian sailors and local Maoris became mates. The latest project from the Black Arm Band, dirtsong — a collaboration through music, language and image — will close the festival on Sunday, April 1. Image from Toomelah by Ivan Sen. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BNqJEsdZmJU
If you're a culture vulture that's looking to up the party at your next museum trip, listen up. Together with Vivid Sydney, the Australian Museum is answering your calls with Jurassic Lounge: Heroes. Once again, the Sydney venue's grand halls and hidden corners are being transformed into a stage set for thrilling live performances, disco dancing and after-dark antics. On Saturday, June 18, a stellar lineup of DJs, drag queens, dancers and dinosaurs await. Partygoers can boogie down to Soul of Sydney DJs or get their groove on with Sydney drag royalty at a silent disco. There'll be drop-in art classes with scientific illustrator Celia Curtis (where you'll get the chance to artistically discover nocturnal beasts) and the opportunity to get gory at the autopsy of a T-rex (from the talents at Improv Theatre Sydney). Gramophone Man will be joining his unique musicalities with The Space Cowboy's Mutant Barnyard (which is, yes, a curious collection of taxidermy animals including a two-headed calf) and critters from Deep Sea Astronauts will be roving the museum's halls. [caption id="attachment_856643" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Diabolique Photography[/caption] All that the Australian Museum asks is that you dress up as your hero. Whether that means your don a cape or a lab coat, grab Ash Barty's racket or a health worker's scrubs — pay tribute to the champion in your eyes and get yourself ready for a night of out-there excitement. Sip a cocktail mixed by the gin-lords at Archie Rose and enjoy entry to all permanent collections, too — the museum will be all yours for after-hours wandering. With face-painting, sideshows and the people-pleasing Jurassic World by Brickman, it's gearing up to be the party of the season. Still have a Discover NSW voucher handy? Head to the museum in person to redeem and grab your (free) ticket — then get ready to party on the Government's dime. Jurassic Lounge: Heroes will take place from 6.30–10pm on Saturday, June 18. For more information and to book tickets, head to the website. Please note, it's an 18+ event and all weapons (real or fake) are strictly prohibited. Top images: Sarah Wilson (first); Diabolique Photography
Maybe you loved her on Saturday Night Live. Perhaps you adore Parks and Recreation like it's a member of your family. Or, you could've watched and rewatched Baby Mama and Sisters over and over again — or binged your way through Making It, her competitive crafting show. However you became an Amy Poehler fan, 2021 is shaping up to be a great year. The talented comedian and actor is co-hosting the Golden Globes again with Tina Fey, Parks and Recreation has just hit Netflix and, come early March, Poehler's latest movie will also make its way to the streaming platform. That flick is called Moxie, and it both co-stars Poehler and marks her second stint as a feature filmmaker. It also heads back to high school — because popping up in Mean Girls, which Tina Fey wrote the screenplay for, clearly wasn't enough of a blast from the past. Poehler obviously isn't packing her school bag. Instead, she plays the mother to a teenager, Vivian (Hadley Robinson, I'm Thinking of Ending Things). The 16-year-old has always been quiet and studious, and tried to to avoid attracting any unwanted attention from her classmates. But, after finally realising that she's had enough of the toxic behaviour that runs rampant at her school, she takes a few cues from her mum's past, starts an underground zine and starts fighting for change. From the just-dropped first trailer, Moxie slides easily into the high-school genre; however, it also gives it a riot grrrl spin. Plus, as well as Poehler and Robinson, the film's cast includes Alycia Pascual-Peña (Saved By the Bell), Lauren Tsai (Legion), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Daniel Isn't Real), Josephine Langford (After We Collided), Clark Gregg (Agents of SHIELD), Ike Barinholtz (The Hunt) and Marcia Gay Harden (The Morning Show) — and it's based on the he novel by Jennifer Mathieu. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf34qI1hjKU Moxie will be available to stream via Netflix from Wednesday, March 3. Top image: Colleen Hayes/Netflix © 2020
Before the pandemic, it was one of the annual highlights of Sydney's art calendar. If you don't live in the Harbour City, it has long been reason enough to book in a weekend spent walking around Bondi. And, in 2022, for the first time since 2019 — for obvious reasons — super-popular free outdoor exhibition Sculpture by the Sea is finally making a comeback. The dates to lock into your calendar: Friday, October 21–Monday, November 7. That's when Sculpture by the Sea will unveil more than 100 large-scale artworks by Australian and international sculptors, all along Sydney's two-kilometre Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk. While the full lineup of artists hasn't been revealed for 2022's event as yet, keen Sculpture by the Sea attendees can start looking forward to the return of a few exhibition favourites. On the lineup: Marina DeBris and Stephen King, recipients of the Helen Lempriere Scholarship; and Danish artist Naja Utzon Popov, the first person to nab the new $15,000 Friendship Society of Denmark, Australia and New Zealand Danish Artist Award. [caption id="attachment_860366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katja Grinling[/caption] 2022 will mark the exhibition's 24th year and, as always, it's set to draw a crowd. In 2019, Sculpture by the Sea attracted approximately 450,000 visitors over three weeks, with the same number of art lovers expected this time around. "It is great to be planning to stage the exhibition without the spectre of almost certain cancellation hanging over our heads," said David Handley, Sculpture by the Sea's founding CEO and Artistic Director. "The excitement is building as the artists, our staff and everyone who supports us financially believe the exhibition will go ahead." Indeed, the event's return won't just unleash a heap of eye-catching sights upon Sydney, and give locals and tourists alike an excuse to soak in the scenery as well — it'll cap off an understandably tumultuous few years for the exhibition. Sculpture by the Sea tried to make a comeback in October 2021, but had to scrap those plans due to the pandemic, marking the second year it went through that process. In 2020, the event initially planned to go ahead as normal in October, then aimed for an early 2021 berth. It did successfully stage a CBD spinoff, Sculpture Rocks, in autumn 2021, however. [caption id="attachment_860364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Jensz[/caption] That said, even before the current global health situation interrupted its annual plans, it had been already been an eventful period for Sculpture by the Sea. To rewind a little, in mid-2019, organisers were at loggerheads with the Council over the construction of a new path, and were scoping out alternative locations for the long-running art exhibition. In fact, it was only early in 2021 that the parties came to an agreement to remain in Bondi until 2030, with the organisers and Council agreeing to a ten-year deal. Amid all of the above, the Sculpture by the Sea team also branched out this year, opening the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. It's a permanent 100-kilometre collection of outdoor art along the Snowy Valleys Way, passing through the towns of Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba, the hamlet of Tooma, plus the Tumbarumba wine region's cellar doors. So, as well as checking out what dazzling delights this year's array of sculptures in Bondi has to offer come spring, you can add even more huge art to your must-see list — and your travel list, too — in the Snowies whenever you like. [caption id="attachment_860363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danai Kotsaki[/caption] Sculpture by the Sea is will return to the Bondi–Tamarama coastal walk from Friday, October 21–Monday, November 7. For more information, head to sculpturebythesea.com. Images: Henrique Fanti / Clyde Yee / Charlotte Curd.
It's that time of year again — the City of Sydney is putting 1000 trees up for grabs. For free. Over 12,000 trees have been planted since 2005, with the inner city area home to over 44,000 trees across its streets, parks and city properties. The City of Sydney is inviting locals down to Sydney Park this Saturday, April 7 as a way to encourage residents to help reach the government target to increase the urban canopy by 50 percent by 2030. There will be small species like hibiscus right through to 15-metre-tall jacaranda trees, and food-bearing types like lemon, lime and pistachio trees. Enjoy a sausage sizzle while you peruse the freebies, chat to clued-up staff and choose which ones to adopt. To prep, check out the website for the tree species that will be available on the day, along with caring instructions. If you're an inner city slicker and don't have a backyard, no wukkas — balcony horticulturists can use this tip sheet for growing trees in pots.
Instagram, the photo-sharing iPhone app, has allowed users to export their Instagram photos to other social networking sites from the start. Until now, however, users weren't able to import photos to Instagram. Thanks to a new partnership with Hipstamatic, all that has changed. The two iPhone photo apps are pairing up to allow photos taken on either app to easily upload to Instagram's network. Both Instagram and Hipstamatic seek to marry the romance of old-fashioned photography with the iPhone camera. Instagram enables users to snap a photo on their iPhone and to transform the look and feel of it with their choice of filter. The edited photo may then be uploaded to the Instagram site, as well as to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, all for free. Last week, Instagram reached 27 million users, making it one of the most popular photo-sharing services, as well as one of the fastest-growing social networks. In a similar vein, Hipstamatic allows users to choose the lens, flash, and film they want to use to take their photo, creating an old-fashioned image. The initial app costs $1.99 in Apple's app store, and additional lenses and films are available for in-app purchase. "When we launched, it was all about Facebook and Flickr and Twitter, and now we're seeing a huge shift in our user base toward Instagram," Hipstamatic co-founder and CEO, Lucas Buick, told Fast Company. "We've never been a social networking company, but we clearly benefit from social networks. So this will be the first app outside of Instagram that lets you into their network. That's pretty cool for us." Each Hipstamatic photo pushed into Instagram will be tagged with an attribution to Hipstamatic. "It's a step in the direction that we're testing out," says Instagram CEO and cofounder Kevin Systrom. "We've been very careful about making sure that Instagram photos are about what's happening right now in your life, and we want to allow for more of those photos to end up on Instagram regardless of where they're taken." The partnership is set to be unveiled today, so get to snapping photos happy hipsters. [via Fast Company]
If school camp flying fox left you scarred for life, it's time to jump on a Taronga-bound ferry and start the healing process. Strung high above the ground in the zoo's wild bush lands is Wild Ropes, an adrenalin-pumping rope course. You'll climb, swing and soar from one challenge to the next, tiptoeing across bridges, scuttling through tunnels, scrambling up aerial rock walls and hanging out on a hoverboard. In between extraordinary feats, keep an eye out for koalas, kangaroos, emus and wallabies down below. And, when you're pausing to get your breath — and calm — back, check out the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House from whole new, dizzying angles. All in all, there are four courses to conquer: two for scaredy cats and two for madmen. Once you've dominated the lot, you'll have smashed at least 40 obstacles. Not bad for a day at the zoo. If you've got little ones (or you've been asked to babysit your nieces and nephews over the holidays), you can now bring them with you. The adventure park has just launched two children's courses, which are appropriate for rugrats as young as three. To celebrate the launch of the new, mini courses — and just in time for the holidays — we're giving away a discount for all Monday to Friday bookings until December 16. Just use the code 'wildcp' at checkout to receive 20% off. (For the code to be valid, you'll need to make adult and junior bookings separately and only book up to four tickets.) Wild Ropes is open between 9.45am and 3.45pm, seven days a week, 364 days a year. Tickets start at $37 for adults and $20 for children, and we recommend booking online in advance. Things can get busy.
Discover a dazzling rotating showcase of works from Australia's top video and sound artists at this free exhibition by Enigma in its immersive black box space on The Thirsty Mile — Sydney Festival's pop-up precinct. Expect an unforgettable melding of music, noise, colour and creativity via installations conceived by John Gillies, Philip Samartzis, Martin Walch, Sean Williams, and Max Lyandvert. In January 2025, Oren Ambarchi's Black will open, followed by Angelica Mesiti's Prepared Piano for Movers (Haussman). Mesiti's installation features two removalists lifting a grand piano up six flights of stairs, drawing inspiration from a 19th-century painting of three young men scraping floors. The exhibition offers a compelling blend of media, including sound, video, and visual art, transformed within an innovative space.
