Start practising your royal wave: it's time to bid farewell to The Crown. Netflix's hit regal drama is wrapping up with its upcoming sixth season, which now has both a release date and a first teaser trailer. If you're wondering when to get watching, you have two dates to put in your calendar. The Crown's final season is being split into two parts, with both arriving before 2023 is out. The first four episodes will stream from Tuesday, November 16, and then the second from Saturday, December 16. As well as saying goodbye to the series overall, viewers will also be moving on from The Crown's time in the 20th century in this sixth and final season. Although the just-dropped initial sneak peek is all about the past, permanence and legacy — Claire Foy (Women Talking) and Olivia Colman's (Heartstopper) versions of Queen Elizabeth II both feature, in fact — the hit show will embrace the 21st century in its latest run. Accordingly, The Crown will cover the early days of Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship, and focus on the man currently second in line to the throne after Queen Elizabeth II's passing in 2022. Screen debutant Ed McVey takes on the role of Prince William, while newcomer Meg Bellamy is slipping into Middleton's shoes. The show's sixth season will follow the IRL pair's first meeting at university in St Andrew's, starting the story that's played out in plenty of headlines and a ridiculous amount of worldwide media coverage since 2001. While everything that's popped up in the series draws its details from history — dramatised history, of course, but still history — this next instalment is bound to feel even more familiar. Getting closer to our current time will do that. When The Crown began, it kicked off with Queen Elizabeth II's life from her marriage to Prince Philip back in 1947. The first season made its way to the mid-50s, the second season leapt into the 60s, and season three spanned all the way up to the late 70s. In season four, the royal family hit the 80s, while season five covered the 90s. Just like in season five, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton dons the titular headwear in season six, while Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce wears Prince Philip's shoes — and Princess Margaret is played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki returns as Princess Diana, with The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West as Prince Charles. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons has changed a few times over the past few years. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. Check out the first teaser trailer for The Crown season six below: The Crown's sixth season will hit Netflix in two parts, with the first four episodes streaming from Tuesday, November 16, and then the second from Saturday, December 16. Images: Alex Bailey / Keith Bernstein / Netflix.
Whilst Twitter likes to keep things short and sweet, Facebook has rocketed in the other direction - and users can now post status updates, messages and wall posts to over 60,000 characters long. Importantly, Facebook also highlight that this is roughly one ninth of a novel. I guess this may become useful if authors begin transcribing their works to their fans over Facebook in nine segments. In September 2011, Facebook upped it's character limit from 500 to 5,000. These numbers seem miniscule and rather pathetic with today's gargantuan 60,000 character limit. The possibilities are almost endless. So if you ever break up with your girlfriend, Facebook now allows you to spill all of your emotions in one long, complex status update. Hopefully 60,000 characters will be enough for you to say how you feel. [via Mashable]
It'll take more than a quick day trip to immerse yourself in this otherworldly temperate rainforest, but it's worth multiple return visits to experience every side of the ancient landscape that's part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Take the six-kilometre Aeroplane Hill walking track to breathe the high country air among the subalpine woodlands and enjoy sightlines to the faraway coast, before settling in at the secluded Wombat Creek campground for a night under the stars. Take a dip in the reviving waters of the Allyn River at Ladies Well in the foothills of Barrington Tops, surrounded by mossy sun-warmed boulders, or spend a day paddling through white water and calm pools on the Barrington River. Image: Destination NSW
It has been a turbulent year for major music events, culminating in the last-minute cancellation of Bluesfest just last month. But some good news for music festivals and festival-goers in New South Wales has finally come through, with Wollongong's Yours and Owls set to become the first major music festival the state has seen since March of last year — and, less than three weeks out from the festival, the NSW Government has just granted it approval to allow dancing. Back in March this year, Yours and Owls was given the green light to hold the festival on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18. Shortly after that announcement, event organisers laid out their plan for a music festival in the COVID-era. The original idea was to have attendees split into four zones and seated surrounding two rotating stages, with each stage containing its own LED screen, bar, food stalls and amenities as well as a smaller stage for local bands. While the zones are staying, further consultation with the NSW Government after the recent rolling back of restrictions across the state has resulted in Yours and Owls being able to open up the dance floor. As part of its revised COVID-safe plan, the festival has also been moved from its spiritual home of Stuart Park and moved down the road to a larger site at Dalton Park in Fairy Meadow. The two-day festival will feature heavy hitters like What So Not, Tones and I, Hayden James and DMA's, as well as beloved Wollongong locals Hockey Dad — and an undercard spanning from Sydney dance-pop trio Haiku Hands to Melbourne punk group Slowly Slowly. DMA's, Hockey Dad and Tones and I's performances will serve as bookends to the state's festival drought in a way, after all three acts performed at one of NSW's last pre-pandemic festivals, Laneway 2020. If you've forgotten how to dance over the last 12 months, you can refresh your moves with Hayden James' video for 'Something About You' below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mVJJvx04_w Yours and Owls will take place on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 at Dalton Park, Wollongong. Tickets are still available via Moshtix, starting at $129.95 for a one-day pass or $219.95 for the weekend. You can find the full lineup, plus info on the zones and the event's COVID-safe plan, on the festival's website.
This may not be a revelation worthy of a David Attenborough doco, but after years of hotel sleuthing, boutique travel experts Mr & Mrs Smith tell us they have the check-in patterns of men and women down pat: he sizes up the entertainment system while she susses out the bathroom situation. Then, after flicking on remotes and getting a whiff of Aesop toiletries, both gather to scope the contents of the minibar. When those half serves of wine and teeny bottles of gin won’t do, we suggest checking into one of these stylish wine region stays, all within cork-popping distance of world-class vineyards. 1. MONA Pavilions, Hobart Where: 655 Main Road, Berriedale, Tasmania What: Pinot noir and aromatic whites It may be the head-scratching artworks in the museum that draw crowds to MONA, but this multi-tasking maverick has much to keep you entertained once the gallery shuts its oversized doors. Situated on the edge of Hobart’s Derwent River, MONA Pavilions mixes a serene setting with ultra-contemporary pavilions and original art from luminaries such as Arthur Boyd and Brett Whiteley. There’s also lip-smacking restaurant Source and a cellar door that offers tastings of Moo Brew beers and elegant Moorilla Estate wines, made using cool-climate grapes from Huon and Tamar Valley. Book through Smith and you’ll get a private cellar door tasting and a bottle of Muse Series wine. More info 2. Spicers Vineyards Estate, Hunter Valley Where: 555 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin, New South Wales What: Semillon and shiraz Just a two-hour drive north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is the ultimate wine-lovers getaway. Give yourself an early mark on Friday afternoon to beat the throngs on the F3, then check into Spicers Vineyards Estate, an adults-only sanctuary set among shiraz and merlot vines. Pop open a bottle of the estate-grown wine (free if you’ve booked through Smith), before slipping into the double spa bath. After a wow-worthy dinner in the hotel’s restaurant Botanica, a country-chic space mere metres from your suite, nab a spot by the fireplace in the cosy communal lounge. The next day, after a fortifying breakfast in the dining room, let Spicers staff arrange a bespoke tasting tour to standouts such as Keith Tulloch, Tyrrell’s and Andrew Thomas. More info 3. The Louise, Barossa Valley Where: Seppeltsfield Road, Marananga, South Australia What: Shiraz and grenache The Barossa may be best known for its big, ballsy reds and Teutonic tendencies, but there’s refinement to be found in the vale, too. Boutique hotel the Louise is a case in point: 15 sleekly styled suites with spa baths and private courtyards, plus one of Australia’s finest regional restaurants, Appellation. Reception can help arrange cellar door visits to Penfolds, Henschke and other regional heavyweights – bring a high tolerance level for intellectual wine-speak as you taste the best Barossa drops (expect to hear ‘toasty’, ‘berry’, ‘liquorice’ and ‘tobacco’ used at least thrice daily). Smith bookings score a bottle of sparkling wine on arrival, the perfect pre-dinner pep-up. More info 4. Empire Retreat & Spa, Margaret River Where: Margaret River region. 1958 Caves Road, Yallingup, Western Australia What: Sem-sauv blancs and cabernet Housed in an old stone farmhouse among rows of chardonnay and cabernet vines, Empire Retreat & Spa is a soul-soothing sanctuary in the heart of Margaret River. There are 10 modern-rustic rooms located in and around the central lodge, ranging from contemporary Lodge Suites to Luxury Villas, which feature a sunken lounge area, spa bath and courtyard shower. Hop between Margaret River’s surf beaches and cellar doors, such as Moss Wood and Vasse Felix, then head back to Empire. Here, fireside couches beckon for a grazing plate and a glass of wine (you’ll nab a bottle on arrival if you book through Smith), and the decadent day spa delivers sigh-inducing treatments including the three-hour Opulence session. More info 5. North Bundaleer, Clare Valley Where: RM Williams Way, Jamestown, South Australia What: Riesling all the way There’s more than a lilting hint of Victorian luxe to North Bundaleer, a lavishly decorated homestead on a 400-acre sweep of farmland. This is a decadent, all-inclusive affair, with meals and drinks included in the room rate, including evening canapés, killer Clare Valley wines and an open bar. Oh yes. Lord it up in the Red Room Suite, home to a canopied four-posted, sitting room with open fire and a bath and shower in what was once the conservatory (how very Cluedo). Nearby, notable locals include Sevenhill, Crabtree and O’Leary Walker for refined riesling and elegant reds. If you need to work off all of that indulgence, climb to the top of Maslin Lookout for sublime sunset views. More info
Johnny Stimson is explaining through music what human men and human girls should do, The Swiss just want to connect and St. Lucia are ready to elevate your entire weekend. 1. 'HUMAN MAN' - JOHNNY STIMSON Johnny Stimson may not be a name many have heard of yet, but it won't stay that way for long if he keeps making melodies as catchy as this. 'Human Man' is groovy, there is no denying it, and the soulful vocals and hooks that Stimson lays down will have your toes tapping all weekend long. 2. 'WELL ABSOLUTELY' - BODY LANGUAGE This latest offering from Brooklyn outfit Body Language is feelgood music at its finest. The boisterous vocals and upbeat nature of this synth pop hit make it suitable for all occasions, and if this is anything to go by, be sure to keep an ear out for their upcoming album Grammar, due September 10. 3. 'CONNECT' - THE SWISS Adelaide duo The Swiss this week dropped the video for their party anthem 'Connect', and it accents the track perfectly. Every beat constructs the next step on the Japanese-animation-themed clip, and you can be sure that every beat will move your feet as soon as you hear it through the stereo. The best part is that you can download it here for free. 4. 'IMPOSSIBLE LIKE YOU' - HOLY HOLY 'Impossible Like You' is an example of excellently constructed modern rock and roll. The vintage '70s sound is perfect for a relaxing Sunday afternoon, as are the haunting vocals that add raw emotion to the newest single from Australian act Holy Holy. Just download it (another freebie), close your eyes and listen on repeat. 5. 'ELEVATE' - ST. LUCIA Whilst it may not be summer in this hemisphere, this track sure makes us wish that it was. This tropical pop number is a teaser of what to expect of St. Lucia's highly anticipated debut album, When the Night, due to drop in October this year. Whilst you may have to wait a few months for the full offering (and for summer), you can enjoy this track liberally in the meantime — just don't get too immersed and throw on your finest sun-inspired outfit only to catch a cold.
Jeez Frozen was a terrific film. Catchy tunes, loveable sidekicks, a woodsman hero and – at its heart – two sisterly princesses thrown into turmoil after one of them discovers her power to manipulate ice and flees to establish an unforgiving frozen kingdom in the north. Jeez The Huntsman: Winter War isn't a terrific film. No tunes, stilted sidekicks, a woodsman hero with a comically bad Scottish(?) accent and – at its heart – two sisterly princesses thrown into turmoil after one of them discovers her power to manipulate ice and flees to establish an unforgiving frozen kingdom in the north. Perhaps you could forgive the makers of The Huntsman for trying to leverage some of the success of the former. After all, it is the ninth highest grossing film of all time. But 'beautiful girl doing cool shit with chilly water' isn't enough to constitute an entire story. You still need, well, 'a story', and it's on that front where The Huntsman: Winter War really falls apart. It begins with Liam Neeson's voice telling us we're about to see a prequel to 2012's Snow White & The Huntsman. And Neeson – like the proverbial mirror on the wall – does not lie. But then, about half an hour in, The Huntsman: Winter War suddenly turns into a sequel, making this about as close as a film will ever come to possessing a literal 'plot twist'. Eventually deciding it's set after Snow White has vanquished the evil Ravenna (Charlize Theron), we find our Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) moping about the South and mourning the loss of his wife (Jessica Chastain), before committing to foil the evil ice queen Freya (Emily Blunt) in her attempt to secure the famous mirror. The rest of the movie is little more than a collection of special effects, shaky fight scenes and a few funny lines from dwarf sidekicks Nick Frost and Rob Brydon. Theron, it must be said, lights up every scene she's in, reminding us that she is still absolutely the fairest and most interesting in the land. Alas, her screen time is also the most restricted, reducing her menacing smile and genuinely engaging relationship with her sister to mere bookends around an otherwise entirely dull affair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W65ndip7MM
What's better than eating a meal cooked up by the acclaimed chef behind the world's best restaurant? Enjoying his delicious fare... in the sky. Forget land — and forget planes, hot air balloons, or any other form of air-based transport that might've come to mind, too. This dangling dinner straps patrons into an all-in-one kitchen and table, hoists them into the air with a crane, and lets the dining fun begin. The aptly named Dinner in the Sky has been around since 2006; however, to mark its third year in Mexico, it enlisted Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana in Modena to help celebrate. The man behind the first Italian restaurant to be crowned the globe's number one eatery took 88 people 45 metres in the clouds over Teotihuacán to feast on a 90-minute meal on January 4 and 5, with dishes with names like "the crunchy part of the lasagne" and "oops I dropped the lemon cake" on offer. https://www.instagram.com/p/BO56cnyBf1P/?taken-by=milenayanes The concept has popped up, literally, in 45 countries so far, suspending folks over scenic sights in Monaco, Casablanca, Las Vegas, London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Venice, Toronto and more for the ultimate meal with a view. The 2017 season will head from Mexico to Brussels, then around the United Kingdom and France, but it doesn't come cheap. Dinner with Bottura set patrons back US$2000 per head. Via: Design Boom / El Universal.
Resembling vintage photos from a bygone era, these time-aged Postcards from Above are actually aerial images taken from Google Maps and reworked by Hungarian art director, Akos Papp, ad agency at BBDO New York. Instead of just using Google Maps as a directory tool, Papp takes snaps of businesses, schools, shipping yards, airports and more, retouching them to look of a 1950s postcard. Papp was inspired by the idea of being able to show loved ones the various foreign places he has travelled using mesmerising aerial imagery, and creates a pleasant reminder of a way we once communicated. Here are 12 examples from Akos Papp's collection.
If you're looking for new activewear from a local brand, look no further than Active Truth, which is offering big promotion as part of the Boxing Day sales. The Aussie retailer is offering $50 off your shop when you spend over $200, or $100 off when you spend over $300. If you order now you'll also nab free express shipping, so you'll have your activewear at your doorstep and be ready to hit the gym in no time. Active Truth is accessible to gym-goers of all shapes and sizes, with a wide range of activewear from XS to 3XL, as well as a selection of active maternity wear and swimwear. The brand is also committed to sustainable business practices, including using locally sourced Merino wool. The promotion will run up until Wednesday, December 30. Jump onto the Active Truth website to browse the catalogue and score an end-of-year deal to help motivate you to stick to your 2021 fitness regime. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
There are some marketing ideas that are so bizarre, so outrageous and so goddamn random, they're bound to work. The beloved Sydney sinners at Poor Toms Gin are currently executing one such campaign, and it's proving to be very effective. Basically, if you call 1800 GINSUS, say "Forgive me Ginsus for I have sinned,", and proceed to confess your juiciest sins to a most-certainly-non-ordained figure, Ginsus, he will bestow both forgiveness and free gin upon you (#blessed). The best/worst confessions are being anonymously published on the 1800 GINSUS website, and the winners will pick up a bottle of Poor Toms limited edition strawberry gin. Plus, the biggest sinners are in with a chance to win the mantle of best confession and a $600 prize pack — which is probably a better prize than your local church is offering for your confessions. Makes perfect sense to us. Some of the things confessed are so mouthwatering they truly deserve a bottle of gin — even if it's just to wash away the shame. Confessions published so far include "I made out with my first cousin," "I rubbed one out at work", "I got mad at my friends for suggesting my boyfriend looked like my father (he did)", "I told my sister I was too drunk to help her move [house] but I was not drunk at all", and "I made out with someone on the grass and rolled in dog shit. We went back to his tent and had sex then I stole some of his clothes to replace my dog shit clothes”. If you've got a sin to get off your chest, this really is a win-win — all those shameful experiences you've be keeping secret can now be transferred into sweet gin... which may or may not fuel the creation of more shameful experiences and so on. It's the sweet, sinful circle of life. For your chance to win some Poor Toms gin, call 1800 GINSUS and start confessing. The hotline will be open until midnight Tuesday, December 15. For more info, visit the 1800GINSUS website.
While Budapest is praised for its "courteous drivers", Savannah, Georgia for its "animated guides in seersucker suits" and Cambodia's Siem Reap for its "resiliency and kindness", Auckland and Melbourne have taken out the top spot as the two friendliest cities in the world. Run as a Reader's Choice award by Condé Nast Traveller and focused on how a visitor feels in each city, the Friendliest and Unfriendliest City in the World poll asks readers to submit reviews of each city with a focus on the overall warm fuzzies generated by their experience. "Everything from location (no one likes an airport city) and political perception (everyone watches the news) to size and basic language barriers can make a destination unattractive to tourists and be a factor in their evaluation of a place's 'friendliness'." Praised as a "friendly bunch" with a "wonderful sense of humour", Melbourne was awarded the friendly blue ribbon for being "one of the classiest cities in the world", boasting an "abundance of parks and fabulous public art." CN also gave high-fives to Melbourne's food, nightlife and hotels. Tied for the top spot, Auckland's residents were given big ups. "The people are friendly, and their humour and view on life is something to aspire to attain." Positioned as the "ideal starting place" to see New Zealand, Auckland was given the thumbs up for being a "clean, youthful, adventurous, beautiful city," and was praised for its "clear air," "fresh food," and "amazing culture." Although Brisbane and Wellington didn't make it in the top ten, Sydney came in at number five; tied with Dublin. Sydney was praised for being super friendly ("They’re always so helpful, and they love Americans!") and its ever-applauded nosh: "Sydney is also home to the best food in the world. Don’t visit without stopping by at the spectacular Quay for Chef Peter Gilmore’s nature-inspired cuisine." Here's the list of amicable cities, double numbers are ties. THE FRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 1. Auckland, New Zealand 1. Melbourne, Australia 3. Victoria, BC, Canada 4. Charleston, South Carolina, USA 5. Dublin, Ireland 5. Sydney, Australia 7. Siem Reap, Cambodia 8. Cape Town, South Africa 9. Savannah, Georgia, USA 9. Seville, Spain 11. Budapest, Hungary 11. Salzburg, Austria But what of the jerks? The Unfriendliest Cities in the World side of things is a little hairier, with no Australian or New Zealand cities making the cut. Up high. Nassau in the Bahamas was dissed for feeling "unsafe... and mundane," while Morocco's Monte Carlo was called "conspicuous consumption at its worst," and "just too rich for my blood." Beijing got a bad wrap for being a "smoggy, crowded city," while Marseilles (one of three French cities in the top five) was flagged for pickpockets and Johannesburg took out the top unfriendly spot as "a city of crime and contrasts." THE UNFRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 1. Johannesburg, South Africa 2. Cannes, France 3. Moscow, Russia 4. Paris, France 5. Marseille, France 6. Beijing, China 7. Frankfurt, Germany 8. Milan, Italy 9. Monte Carlo, Monaco 10. Nassau, Bahamas Via Condé Nast Traveller.
Brazil certainly seems to have it going on at the moment. Not only are they in possession of the world's 8th largest economy and have come out of the GFC relatively unscathed, they are also playing host to the 2014 World Cup and the Olympics in 2016. Brazil is shaping up to be the place to be (or at least watch on TV) over the next few years. And if the winning design of the Rio 2016 Olympic Park Urban Masterplan is anything to go by, it looks like it is going to be quite an attractive place to be as well. Announced last week by the Brazillian Municipal Olympic Company and the Brazil Architects Institute, the Olympic Park's winning design by British firm AECOM combines both utility and aesthetics, providing a strong vision for the games, but perhaps more importantly, a strong vision for how the space can be strategically and sustainably used after the Olympics. Inspired by Brazil's rainforests and unique flora and fauna, the winning design consists of five villages, parks, sporting facilities and exceptional transport facilities. It also works with and protects the environmental features of the area, in particular a local lagoon. Brazilians have always had a reputation for knowing how to throw a damn good party. And with these designs they''ll have another great place to do it too. https://youtube.com/watch?v=JdLRuwczjwc
iAustralia's COVID-19 vaccination rollout has been unfurling at a snail's pace, and amid much confusion — especially regarding which jabs are available to Aussies under 40. They're not the only dilemmas when it comes to getting vaxed, however. Actually being able to access the vaccine is a big issue, obviously, but getting to and from appointments might also be causing you troubles if you don't drive and aren't too keen on catching public transport. To help make travelling to vaccination appointments easier, ridesharing service DiDi is offering discounted rides to hubs and clinics, and to GPs giving the jab — and back as well. The special will give you up to $10 off both trips, with each person getting access to two discounted fares. The discount is available in all areas that DiDi operates in, which includes plenty of places. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra are all on the list, as are Cairns, Coffs Harbour, Geelong, both the Gold and Sunshine coasts, Newcastle, Ballarat, Bendigo, Townsville, Toowoomba and Wollongong. Also included: Bunbury, Bundaberg, Busselton, the Central Coast, Gladstone — Tannum Sands, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Port Macquarie, Rockhampton, Shepparton and Wagga Wagga. All up, DiDi is committing $1 million to the scheme, which'll equate to around 100,000 trips. Folks eager to take advantage of the discounted program — which the company is calling DiDi Vaccinate — just need to jump onto the company's app and complete a short questionnaire to get access. "The recent lockdowns across the country, particularly in Sydney, has shown that Australia's vaccination rollout needs to kick up a gear to avoid future snap lockdowns occurring," said DiDi Australia spokesperson Dan Jordan in a statement. "We're happy to be able to play our part in supporting the vaccination drive as we are aware that not everyone has easy access to a vaccination hub, so we're trying to make the process as easy as possible to support Australia's full recovery from the pandemic." DiDi Chuxing launched in China in 2012 and has quickly become a huge player in the global ridesharing game — it has since bought out Uber's Chinese operations and has stakes in numerous companies, including Ola, Taxify, Lyft and Grab. To get your two discounted DiDi Vaccinate trips, download the service's app (for iOS or Android).
After such a long wait, it's only fitting that Australia's first batch of legalised same-sex marriages be celebrated with a healthy dose of fanfare. So on January 9 — the first day that Aussie same-sex couples can formally tie the knot — Sydney Festival will play host to a massive communal wedding reception, celebrating a huge moment in Australian history. And, it's free. Setting up in the Meriton Festival Village in Hyde Park from 6-8pm, the Love Is Love Wedding Reception will be a far cry from your average wedding, featuring the likes of karaoke carousel, JOF's 10-minute dance parties and even a hot pink swimming pool. After you take a dip and belt out some of your own tunes, Sydney DJ Charlie Villas will have guests breaking a sweat on the dance floor as he spins classic wedding bangers well into the night. Of course, you can't have a wedding without some celebratory cake, so some of Sydney's best-loved dessert maestros have been busy creating their own bespoke wedding cake designs for the event. While supplies last, there'll be a five-tier rainbow pavlova from Black Star, a limited-edition salted caramel and fior di latte creation from Messina, and an epic vegan cake from My Little Panda Kitchen's Annabelle McMillan. Those rocking fabulous wedding get-ups can enjoy free glasses of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne to match, though it's first in, best dressed for both the cake and the bubbly. Celebrate the Love Is Love Wedding Reception at Hyde Park North (entry via Central Ave Walkway) from 6-8pm on Tuesday, January 9.
Kevin Spacey finally had his moment in the Cranston-less sun, Billy Bob Thornton nabbed gold for his terrifying, terrifying role in Fargo, Boyhood quite rightly cleaned up, Keira Knightley wore a dress it took 30 people to make and Emma Stone and Lorde wore pants to make every fashion magazine have a social media kitten about. PANTS?! EGADS. But apart from the red carpet scrutiny and award-giving, here are the bits from that made the 72nd Golden Globes worth it, having just wrapped up at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. When Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Fired a Bill Cosby Joke Straight Off the Bat "We're gonna make it a party... what are they going to do fire us?" Cahmaaaahhhn, it's their third year presenting, all bets were off. When The New Yorker's Bob Eckstein Started Live Drawing the Event Even though no one really understood them, classic New Yorker. Check them out here. When Ricky Gervais Couldn't Help But Insult the Whole Audience (Again) "I wouldn't want to insult any of you rich, beautiful, overprivileged celebrities." Then does. When Prince Popped In Presenting this year's Best Original Song to John Legend and Common for 'Glory' from Selma, the legend himself dropped by with one of his fluffiest fros yet. When Everyone Freaked Out Over Jared Leto's Braid HuffPost called him 'a rockstar, award-winning actor and apparently, hairsyle maven'. FFS. When Benedict Cumberbatch Photobombed Meryl Streep and Margaret Cho Taken by Michael Keaton. Too good. When Kevin Spacey Dropped an F-Bomb Accepting Best Actor in a TV Drama "This is just the beginning of my revenge... I cannot believe I fucking won." When Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader Didn't Nail a De Niro Impersonation Remained flawless in everyone's eyes. When Wes Anderson Accepted his Globe for Best Picture (Comedy/Musical) in a Purple Velvet Bow Tie "Wes Anderson is here tonight for the movie Grand Budapest Hotel. Per usual, Wes arrived on a bike made of antique tuba parts." — Amy Poehler. When You Didn't See Any of This Because You Were Working or Eating or Something, Anything Happy Globes y'all. Forward march to the Oscars. Image credit: justingaynor via photopin cc.
You've already heard us extol the virtues of the Sailors Club. And if you've been waiting for the opportune moment to act upon our giddy praises, this long weekend could be your time to dine. Introducing the Sunday Club (yes, a club within a club; the Russian Doll of clubs), Rose Bay's answer to your typical Sunday roast. It also answers all those classic Sunday afternoon questions you did not even realise you possessed. For example, 'Do I enjoy absolute views of the Rose Bay Marina after a big weekend?' You do. 'Do I wish to sacrifice a large percentage of my income to enjoy said views?' You don't. 'Is there a way to satisfy both desires simultaneously?' Most definitely. From 3pm each Sunday, enjoy pulled pork sandwiches accompanied by a glass of Hills Cider for an economical $15. Want your meal to reflect your aquatic surroundings? Then slurp down half a dozen oysters and a glass of Laurent-Perrier for $25. Whether you're looking to sunbake on the Sailors Club deck or recline in the lounge bar, the Sunday Club is the ultimate way to farewell the long weekend.
For six weeks at the end of 2023, cinema will join sun, surf and sand as one of the best things to enjoy at Bondi Beach. From mid-November, Sunset Cinema is heading to the iconic Sydney spot, setting up shop at Bondi Pavilion. There'll be movies under the stars. There'll be bean bags to sit on. There'll be a bar serving boozy beverages, food trucks dishing up bites and popcorn — of course — as a snack option, too. Sunset Cinema is no stranger to Sydney. Over the summer of 2022–23, it screened flicks in St Ives and also North Sydney, with a season at the latter also on the itinerary again from January 2024. Getting its projectors whirring at Bondi Pavilion is a brand-new addition to its lineup, however, and an exciting one — with exactly what you'll be watching still to be announced. Film lovers will be heading to Dolphin Court for their al fresco flick fix from Thursday, November 16–Saturday, December 23, with Sunset Cinema screening from Monday–Saturday. If the lineup is anything like the openair cinema's past Sydney runs, attendees can expect recent box-office hits, new arrivals on the big screen, festive flicks leading into Christmas and retro favourites. On the bill last season: everything from Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Strange World, Don't Worry Darling, The Menu and Everything Everywhere All At Once to Elf, Love Actually, Home Alone and The Nightmare Before Christmas. "We are excited to bring our unique brand of entertainment to the Bondi community this summer," said Sunset Cinema's General Manager Brad Garth, announcing the Bondi Beach season. "The Sunset Cinema movie experience is all about delivering quality entertainment that everyone can enjoy. We can't wait to launch the perfect summer event at Australia's most iconic beach." Sunset Cinema will take its openair flicks to seven locations across Australia's east coast over the summer of 2023–24, including Wollongong, Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne. At all stops around the country, BYO picnics are encouraged; however, the event is fully licensed, which means alcohol can only be purchased onsite. And if you don't pack enough snacks, that's where the hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn, come in. Sunset Cinema will hit Dolphin Court, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach from Thursday, November 16–Saturday, December 23 — screening from Monday–Saturday. Head to the Sunset Cinema website for further details. Top image: Bondi Pavilion.
Few actors have splashed into Hollywood like Maria Bakalova. Few actors have had Sacha Baron Cohen completely change their lives, too. Jump back to 2020 and the Bulgarian talent was 24, working since she was 12, but a fresh face internationally. Then, mere months into 2021, she was the Oscar-nominated breakout star of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan — for playing Borat's teenage daughter Tutar Sagdiyev with fierce comic commitment that upstaged everyone around her, even Baron Cohen. How do you follow up that kind of whirlwind? For Bakalova, the challenge is seeking out interesting approaches, "because at the end of the day, all of the scripts, all of the stories have been written back in the day," she tells Concrete Playground from a hotel room in New York. "It's only the way that this production company, this director of photography, this filmmaker are going to share the story that's the difference between stories that have been the same over and over and over," Bakalova notes. Cue Bodies Bodies Bodies. Bakalova is spot on; there's much that's familiar about the latest horror gem from audience-darling studio A24. It brings together a group of wealthy twentysomethings in an empty mansion, where a party naturally ensues. It strands them with an encroaching hurricane, but that's the whole reason they're drinking tequila by the pool anyway. As the Halina Reijn (Instinct)-directed film's name makes plain, there are soon bodies, bodies, bodies, starting when the gang play the Mafia- and Werewolf-style game that also shares the movie's moniker. Avoiding becoming the next victim, pointing fingers among themselves while looking for the culprit, working through their Gen Z baggage: if you've seen a slasher flick, a whodunnit or Euphoria, you've seen plenty of Bodies Bodies Bodies' components before. Bodies Bodies Bodies isn't the film that audiences expect from there, though. It's savage, hilarious, playful, twisty, raucous and chaotic all at once — and it makes the utmost of a cast that enlists Bakalova as Bee, the quiet, working-class girlfriend to Amandla Stenberg's (Dear Evan Hansen) Sophie, and the outsider in the group of rich kids played by Pete Davidson (The Suicide Squad), Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby), Chase Sui Wonders (Generation) and Myha'la Herrold (Industry). It's another movie-stealing performance and, with Bodies Bodies Bodies opening in Australian cinemas on September 15, Bakalova chatted us through fangirling over A24, seeking out a character far removed from Tutar and, yes, playing Bodies Bodies Bodies with her costars. ON DECIDING WHAT TO DO AFTER BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM "To be honest, I believe that most of the actors I like and most of the people that I look up to — I have been acting for a while, because I started when I was 12, it's been 14 years so far — most of the people that I admire in their work have always wanted to have longevity. That's pretty relevant to me as well. So that's why I always try to find something that is different than what I did before, something that is completely the opposite of my last character. Reading the script of Bodies Bodies Bodies and seeing that there is a character like Bee — somebody that is exactly the opposite of Tutar in Borat, the role that took me to America and made people somehow relate to me and root for the character — was challenging and interesting to approach and try to work on. Because she has nothing in common with Tutar, and she has nothing in common with myself. And I wanted to work with A24 as well — a lot. I love most of their movies, if not all of them. I believe they're all of them, but to not sound like a creeper, I will say most of them. Plus, I loved Halina's work. She's also a theatrically trained actress, as I am, and I was interested to work with her. I always like to work with women in charge, because every time you see a movie that has been led by a woman, there is this specific sensitivity that somehow triggers you in a different way. So with this script, with Halina in charge, with all of these female characters involved, I was excited to explore what's happening." ON GETTING DRAWN INTO BODIES BODIES BODIES' TWISTS "I was very happy to read a script where people are speaking the way that we're speaking. Bee is not the most outspoken person in the script, but the dialogue itself is just beautifully written, so all my respect towards Sarah DeLappe [Bodies Bodies Bodies' screenwriter]. You see these people, you hear them, you feel them. You see a real person in front of you. So I was excited while I was reading it, and I was questioning myself: 'Who is it? Who is it? You have to know! You have to feel it! You have to sense it!'. And at the end of the script when I get to the point that, 'oh my god, it's this!'. It's quite relevant to the decade that we live in, because we're all a little bit manipulated by some of the tools that we have access to. And we often forget to communicate, and just sit down and discuss what's happening — 'who are you, why are we friends, why are we a couple, what are we doing now?'. You just jump and judge and start blaming each other because the trust doesn't exist and you're not honest with each other. I was very thrilled by the script and the twist at the end, because that's what's the most exciting part of every single script that you're reading — you cannot wait to get to the end and see how this mystery will be solved." ON PLAYING THE OUTSIDER OF THE GROUP — AND FINDING AUTHENTICITY "I respect Bee's decisions — some of her decisions… She's way smarter than people think she is, and way stronger than their perception of her. The only similarity between me and Bee is that we're both from different countries, but that can be universal as well, because every one of us has felt sometimes where you're in a place and around people that you do not really know, do not really relate to, and you try to belong. So as much as she's similar to people like me, like Halina, as newcomers to this new big beautiful country dreamland, it's also a universal feeling of the desire to belong somewhere with someone. The process of Bodies Bodies Bodies has been really interesting because we got to work, to experiment, to think, and then shoot for a very quick period of time — and work with one location and a lot of settings, a lot of physical blocking. That's difficult for a theatrical play, which of course came from Halina and her desire to make this as authentically as possible — and with as long takes as possible. And Jasper Wolf, our director of photography, has just been a dream because he was following every single movement and every single decision we make in the moment. He captured things that haven't been written, haven't been rehearsed, they just happen in this moment, because Halina never said — not never, but a lot of times — she didn't say cut or stop, and we just kept going." ON PLAYING BODIES BODIES BODIES WITH THE CAST OF BODIES BODIES BODIES "We were shooting in this humongous, tremendous villa in the middle of Chappaqua [in upstate New York] in the woods, and we were staying at this very scary hotel around Chappaqua. Every single night, we wanted to spend time together rehearsing — and just hold hands and tell each other that we're worth it, we're loved and we're good, we're not bad people, because we were traumatised by the movie we were shooting somehow, and by the horrible people that we had to play. One of the nights we wanted to play Bodies Bodies Bodies, or as we call it, Mafia or Werewolf. And if was very interesting. I think it made us more into the game. And it was one of the first nights we were together, so it was interesting to explore what happens there." ON HOW LIFE HAS CHANGED SINCE BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM "It became more bicoastal, universal. I've been working like crazy ever since I was a child, and trying to do as many things as possible — if they're good quality — but I just want to keep working, it makes me happy. It makes me happy to have the chance to portray all of these different people and try to think like them. And maybe somehow, it makes me understand people more, because I have to read the lines of this character, create their backstory and believe them. When you get the chance to explore different characters and their reasons, you are not so judgemental when you meet people in real life. That's why I'm passionate about acting and working. But the biggest change is that I hope people will pay more attention to people from my region of the world, people like me, people who haven't been in the spotlight yet and haven't been given a chance." Bodies Bodies Bodies screens in Australian cinemas from September 15. Read our full review. Images:Erik Chakeen / Gwen Capistran / The cast and crew of Bodies Bodies Bodies / A24.
If all you want for Christmas is a trip further than your own backyard — or city — Virgin's latest sale is here to help. Jumping in on all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts set to tempt your wallet over the next few days, the airline is slinging 700,000 cheap flights for both domestic and international destinations. So, whether you're keen to see your mates interstate or head overseas on a holiday, you've got options. Among the domestic routes, one-way fares start at $49 — which'll get you from Sydney to Ballina, from Melbourne to Hobart, or from Adelaide to either Hobart or Launceston, for instance. Other sale flights include Brisbane–Launceston from $59, Sydney–Maroochydore from $65 and Melbourne–Gold Coast from $79. And if you're wondering when you'll need to travel, you can book trips between January 1–March 30, 2022. Internationally, return fares cover getaways to either Bali or Fiji — including from Sydney (from $509 to Bali and $459 to Fiji), Melbourne ($479 and $489) and Brisbane ($489). They're available for travel between March 27–June 23, 2022, with Virgin Australia set to resume its short-haul international services in the coming months, starting with Fiji flights from December 16. As always when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. They went on sale today, Friday, November 26; however, they're only available until midnight AEST on Monday, November 29 or sold out, whichever arrives first. Only some fares cover seat selection and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing back in August that it is now splitting its economy flights into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights also became mandatory in Australia in January. And, depending on where you're travelling to and from — both domestically and internationally — you'll obviously need to check border restrictions and any entry requirements. Virgin's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale runs from today, Friday, November 26–Monday, November 29 — or until sold out. Find out more about current Australian border rules via the Australian Government's Health Direct website and its Smart Traveller website.
Gold Class is for suckers. Its tagline is "the same blockbuster movie that's showing everywhere, but more expensive." And in fine print: "food not included in the price *evil laugher*." Brown Class is the antithesis of Gold Class, so it must be good. The film club that sounds like a depraved sex act focuses on the gems film distribution forgot and flicks with cult appeal. The Perth-based group organises both cinema events and (legal!) downloads. Now they're expanding out to Sydney and Melbourne with a mini film festival that celebrates the '90s with its signature themes of video games, basketball, skateboarding, hiphop, wrestling and graffiti. Check out Doin' It in the Park (2012), a doco about the influential pick-up basketball scene in New York; Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters, which chronicles the various characters who quest for level 30; and How to Sell a Banksy (2012), an interesting companion piece to Exit Through the Gift Shop. In Sydney, the films will screen at occasional microcinemas the Red Rattler, the Factory Theatre, and the AV Union, Leichhardt. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_zf8X-Nzm44
For residents of Australia and New Zealand, taking an overseas holiday hasn't really been on the agenda for much of the pandemic due to strict international border controls in both countries. Since April, however, the trans-Tasman bubble has let Aussies take a getaway in NZ and vice versa, all without having to go through quarantine upon arrival. But, with COVID-19 cases growing across Australia again, and the Greater Sydney area and all of both Victoria and South Australia currently in lockdown, NZ has just suspended the arrangement. Announced today, Friday, July 23, by NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the pause applies to quarantine-free travel to and from all Aussie states and territories. This isn't the first time that the bubble has been put on hold with all of Australia, with the same thing happening at the end of June. It has been paused with individual Aussie states before, too, as is currently the case with New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. This time, though, the nationwide suspension will stay in place for at least the next eight weeks. The pause will come into effect from 11.59pm NZT / 9.59pm AEST today for Australians entering NZ. For New Zealanders heading home, managed return flights will run for the next seven days; however, to get on one, you'll need proof of a negative pre-departure test. And, if you've been in NSW, you will still have to go into managed quarantine for 14 days. Folks who've been in Victoria must self-isolate upon return, and also have a negative Day 3 test. "There are now multiple outbreaks, and in differing stages of containment, that have forced three states into lockdown. The health risk to New Zealanders from these cases is increasing," Prime Minister Ardern said. "We've always said that our response would evolve as the virus evolved. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is the right decision to keep New Zealanders safe." https://twitter.com/covid19nz/status/1418393858795196419 When NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern first announced the two-way bubble between Australia and New Zealand back in April, she noted that it could and would be paused if and when outbreaks occur — so none of the suspensions so far, including this one, are surprising. The NZ Government advised that this current pause "will give Australia time to manage its current outbreaks, while giving New Zealand health officials the time to monitor the situation, assess travel developments in other countries and consider different quarantine-free travel settings while ensuring New Zealanders are safe." To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
Mercedes-Benz drivers will soon be able to send text messages, listen to music, change radio channels and update their status on social networks right from the front seat of their car. The company recently announced that they will be integrating Apple’s Siri interface into the electronics systems in their vehicles, allowing drivers to access their iPhone apps using voice commands alone. Mercedes-Benz is the first carmaker to use Apple’s Siri voice command technology in their vehicles. The program, to be known as Drive Kit Plus, will translate the iPhone’s screen onto the in-car system screen, and will come with popular apps such as Twitter, Facebook and Aupeo Personal Radio pre-installed. The new in-car feature will launch next month at the 2012 Geneva auto show. [via PSFK]
If you're reading this article, you almost certainly know about food and craft beer matching and you may know about locations and craft beer matching, but have you heard of (or tried) books and craft beer matching? There are a number of elements to this growing trend. In the US, for example, book bars are becoming part of the urban landscape. Operating on the same principle as book cafes, only with craft beer instead of coffee, these establishments have a strong craft element. The books stocked are often non-mainstream, much like the beers served to accompany them. Elsewhere in North America — Canada, to be precise — beer and book clubs are being formed "for those who like to read a good book, drink a good beer, and maybe combine the two once in a while". Meeting at various pubs within a certain area, these gatherings bring a craft beer twist to the traditional book club. And then, of course, there’s the internet — where all manner of unlikely combinations get together. You'll find blogs about the right beer to drink while following the adventures of your favourite comic book hero, or about craft beers to match to certain authors. But in sites like Book and Beer, you'll also find recommendations for a particular beer to enjoy with a particular book. (For the record, the author — Jason Hensel, a writer, musician and comedian living in Dallas — reckons American Gods by Neil Gaiman is best enjoyed with a glass of James Squire Jack of Spades Porter.) So which book (or series of books) is best suited to the various beers in the James Squire craft beer range? Get reading and sipping this summer, there's Kerouac-paired beers afoot. F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby "It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard drinking people." Pair with James Squire The Chancer Golden Ale. Joseph Heller: Catch-22 "He knew everything there was to know about literature, except how to enjoy it." Pair with James Squire Jack of Spades Porter. Ian Fleming: The James Bond series "You only live twice: Once when you're born. And once when you look death in the face." Pair with James Squire Four 'Wives' Pilsener. J.R.R. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings "Ho! Ho! Ho! to the bottle I go, to heal my heart and drown my woe." Pair with James Squire Nine Tales Amber Ale. Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Crime and Punishment "The darker the night, the brighter the stars." Pair with James Squire One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale. Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo "All human wisdom is contained in these two words: wait and hope." Pair with James Squire Stowaway IPA. Jack Kerouac: On the Road "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars." Pair with James Squire Orchard Crush Cider. Ian Rankin: The Inspector Rebus series "Rebus drank his coffee and felt his head spin. He was feeling like the detective in a cheap thriller, and wished that he could turn to the last page and stop all his confusion, all the death and the madness and the spinning in his ears." Pair with James Squire The Constable Copper Ale. Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves "Open Sesame!" Pair with James Squire Hop Thief American-style Pale Ale. Jon Cleary: The Sundowners "Do me a favour, will you? If you're gonna be a drover, look like a drover. Get rid of that silly flaming hat." Pair with James Squire Sundown Australian Lager (what else?).
When a musician announces a big Australian and New Zealand leg of their world tour, then postpones just two weeks out, then doesn't set new dates, you can be forgiven for wondering if they'll be making it Down Under at all. In the case of Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye, the answer is no for now. His Aussie and NZ trip has been cancelled for the moment, with ticketholders to receive refunds. The artist was due to hit the stage across both countries in November and December 2023, but rescheduled at the beginning of November without revealing when he'd arrive instead. Since then, there's been no news until now. If you have a ticket, you'll get your funds back in full automatically via whichever method you used to pay. "The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn Tour for Australia and New Zealand is still in process of being rescheduled," says the statement on the Ticketek website, leaving hope that the tour might be announced again in the future. "Whilst we continue to work through the rescheduling process with the artist, tickets for the existing 2023 tour will be cancelled. All purchased tickets will receive a full refund," the message continues. Back in November, Australia and Aotearoa was advised that the postponement was "due to unforeseen circumstances", in an announcement credited as a statement from The Weeknd to his fans. "New dates will be announced next year and current tickets will be valid for the new shows," said the message at the time. "Refunds will be available for those unable to attend the new dates. Deeply disappointed but can't wait to be there with you!" it went on. The Canadian singer-songwriter and The Idol star was due to play two shows at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, then head to Sydney for three gigs at Accor Stadium. After that, he had four shows locked in for Marvel Stadium in Melbourne — and then it was meant to Eden Park in Auckland's turn. An arena spectacular, The Weeknd's global tour has notched up soldout shows far and wide when it has been taking place. In the UK, The Weekend saw 160,000 folks head to London Stadium across two nights, smashing the venue's attendance record. And in Milan, he became the first artist to sell out the Ippodromo La Maura for two nights. Those feats are just the beginning. In Paris, the 'Starboy', 'I Feel It Coming', 'Can't Feel My Face', 'The Hills' and 'Blinding Lights' artist scored Stade de France's biggest sales this year — and in Nice, the 70,000 tickets sold across his two shows are the most in the city's history. The reason for the whole tour, other than just because, was to celebrate The Weeknd's 2020 record After Hours and its 2022 followup Dawn FM. Obviously, he has been playing tracks from 2013's Kiss Land, 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness and 2016's Starboy as well. The Weeknd's 'After Hours Til Dawn Tour' 2023 — Cancelled Dates: Monday, November 20–Tuesday, November 21 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Friday, November 24–Saturday, November 25 + Monday, November 27 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Friday, December 1–Saturday, December 2 + Monday, December 4–Tuesday, December 5 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Friday, December 8–Saturday, December 9 — Eden Park, Auckland The Weeknd is no longer touring Australia and New Zealand. The shows have been cancelled, with refunds set to be issued — head to the tour ticketing website for more information.
One tells of a woman seeking passion instead of a loveless marriage. The other follows star-crossed lovers held back by their respective families' long-simmering feud. Beloved on the page, and rarely far away from a screen or stage, they're two of the most famous stories of the past few centuries. And, both Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet are among the big highlights of the Australian Ballet's just-announced 2022 season. Anna Karenina will kick off the Australian Ballet's year with stints in Melbourne (from February 25–March 9) and Sydney (April 5–23). Here, in a co-production with the Joffrey Ballet that had its world premiere in Chicago in 2019 and then debuted locally in Adelaide this year, Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece comes alive with ex-Bolshoi Ballet dancer Yuri Possokhov's choreography. The story remains the same, with its eponymous figure seeking happiness but finding ruin — but you can expect quite the sweeping and sensuous production. Dancing with the Bard, the Australian Ballet's version of Romeo and Juliet will then close out its 2022, with Shakespeare's most famous duo also taking to the stage in Melbourne (October 7–18) and Sydney (December 1–21). Clearly, there's nothing like bookending a year with two stone-cold classics. John Cranko's production has been regular in the company's repertoire ever since it premiered back in 1974, in fact, and will again turn medieval Verona into a sumptuous onstage realm — all set to a score by Sergei Prokofiev that dates back to 1935. [caption id="attachment_830095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Toussaint[/caption] Both Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet were originally meant to be highlights of the Australian Ballet's 2021 season, but we all know how this year has turned out. Also in the same camp: Harlequinade, a comedy by Marius Petipa, who choreographed Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. It'll bring its story of young lovers Harlequin and Columbine to Melbourne only (from June 17–25). As well as this rescheduled trio, plenty of other highlights will pirouettes across the stage, including Kunstkamer, which was created at Nederlands Dans Theater and has never before been performed by another company; and triple bill Instruments of Dance, which includes a nine-part ballet designed for 25 dancers and set to a score by Sufjan Stevens. And, there's also Counterpointe, which'll take its focus on ballet's extremes to Adelaide only — plus a regional program that'll tour Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. [caption id="attachment_830092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Toussaint[/caption] THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET 2022 SEASON: Anna Karenina: February 25–March 29 at Arts Centre Melbourne; April 5–23 at the Sydney Opera House. Kunstkamer: April 29–May 15 at the Sydney Opera House; June 3–11 at Arts Centre Melbourne. Harlequinade: June 17–25 at Arts Centre Melbourne. Counterpointe: July 7–13 at Adelaide Festival Centre. Instruments of Dance: September 23–October 1 at Arts Centre Melbourne; November 10–26 at the Sydney Opera House. Romeo and Juliet: October 7–18 at Arts Centre Melbourne; December 1–21 at the Sydney Opera House. Season packages for the Australian Ballet's 2022 Sydney and Melbourne performances go on sale from 12.01am on Wednesday, October 27. For further details, head to the Australian Ballet website. Top image: Simon Eeles.
We say it every year. We'll say it again this year. On Halloween, there's nothing like watching the exceptional slasher flick that is the OG Halloween, aka one of iconic filmmaker John Carpenter's masterpieces, as well as the movie that helped make Jamie Lee Curtis a star. But when October 31 rolls around — and spooky season in general — there are more flicks to binge at home, including new releases from 2023. So, for your next scary movie-fuelled stint of sofa time, we've picked ten horror movies that'd make a killer streaming marathon — and are all available to watch on subscription-based platforms right now. In this bag of tricks: standout Mexican and Chilean fare, an entry in an ace new slasher franchise, inventive examples of the genre that play with the form and, of course, an evil doll. They're all treats, too. HUESERA: THE BONE WOMAN The sound of cracking knuckles is one of humanity's most anxiety-inducing. The noise of clicking bones elsewhere? That's even worse. Both help provide Huesera: The Bone Woman's soundtrack — and set the mood for a deeply tense slow-burner that plunges into maternal paranoia like a Mexican riff on Rosemary's Baby, the horror subgenre's perennial all-timer, while also interrogating the reality that bringing children into the world isn't a dream for every woman no matter how much society expects otherwise. Valeria (Natalia Solián, Red Shoes) is thrilled to be pregnant, a state that hasn't come easily. After resorting to praying at a shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in desperation, neither she nor partner Raúl (Alfonso Dosal, Narcos: Mexico) could be happier, even if her sister Vero (Sonia Couoh, 40 Years Young) caustically comments that she's never seemed that interested in motherhood before. Then, two things shake up her hard-fought situation: a surprise run-in with Octavia (Mayra Batalla, Everything Will Be Fine), the ex-girlfriend she once planned to live a completely different life with; and constant glimpses of a slithering woman whose unnatural body movements echo and unsettle. Filmmaker Michelle Garza Cervera (TV series Marea alta) makes her fictional narrative debut with Huesera: The Bone Woman, directing and also writing with first-timer Abia Castillo — and she makes a powerfully chilling and haunting body-horror effort about hopes, dreams, regrets and the torment of being forced into a future that you don't truly foresee as your own. Every aspect of the film, especially Nur Rubio Sherwell's (Don't Blame Karma!) exacting cinematography, reinforces how trapped that Valeria feels even if she can't admit it to herself, and how much that attempting to be the woman Raúl and her family want is eating away at her soul. Solián is fantastic at navigating this journey, including whether the movie is leaning into drama or terror at any given moment. You don't need expressive eyes to be a horror heroine, but she boasts them; she possesses a scream queen's lungs, too. Unsurprisingly, Cervera won the Nora Ephron Award for best female filmmaker at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival for this instantly memorable nightmare. Huesera: The Bone Woman streams via Shudder. EL CONDE What if Augusto Pinochet didn't die in 2006? What if the Chilean general and dictator wasn't aged 91 at the time, either? What if his story started long before his official 1915 birthdate, in France prior to the French Revolution? What if he's been living for 250 years because he's a literal monster of the undead, draining and terrifying kind? Trust Chilean filmmaking great Pablo Larraín (Ema, Neruda, The Club, No, Post Mortem and Tony Manero) to ask these questions in El Conde, which translates as The Count and marks the latest exceptional effort in a career that just keeps serving up excellent movies. His satirical, sharp and gleefully unsubtle version of his homeland's most infamous leader was born Claude Pinoche (Clemente Rodríguez, Manchild), saw Marie Antoinette get beheaded and kept popping up to quell insurgencies before becoming Augusto Pinochet. Now holed up in a farm after faking his own death to avoid legal scrutiny — aka the consequences of being a brutal tyrant — the extremely elderly figure (Jaime Vadell, a Neruda, The Club, No and Post Mortem veteran) is also tired of eternal life. The idea at the heart of El Conde is a gem, with Larraín and his regular co-writer Guillermo Calderón plunging a stake into a despot while showing that the impact of authoritarianism rule stretches on forever (and winning the Venice International Film Festival's Best Screenplay Award this year for their efforts). The execution: just as sublime in a film that's both wryly and dynamically funny, and also a monochrome-shot visual marvel. A moment showing Pinoche licking the blood off the guillotine that's just decapitated Antoinette is instantly unforgettable. As Pinochet flies above Santiago in his cape and military attire in the thick of night, every Edward Lachman (The Velvet Underground)-lensed shot of The Count — as he likes to be called by his wife Lucia (Gloria Münchmeyer, 42 Days of Darkness), butler Fyodor (Alfredo Castro, The Settlers) and adult children — has just as much bite. El Conde's narrative sets its protagonist against an accountant and nun (Paula Luchsinger, Los Espookys) who digs through his crime and sins, and it's a delight that punctures. As seen in the also magnificent Jackie and Spencer, too, Larraín surveys the past like no one else. El Conde streams via Netflix. PEARL 70s-era porn, but make it a slasher flick: when Ti West's X marked the big-screen spot in 2022, that's one of the tricks it pulled. The playful, smart and gory horror standout also arrived with an extra spurt of good news, with West debuting it as part of a trilogy. 30s- and 40s-period technicolour, plus 50s musicals and melodramas, but splatter them with kills, genre thrills and ample blood spills: that's what the filmmaker behind cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers now serves up with X prequel Pearl. Shot back to back with its predecessor, sharing mesmerising star Mia Goth (Emma), and co-written by her and West — penned during their two-week COVID-19 quarantine period getting into New Zealand to make the initial movie, in fact — it's a gleaming companion piece. It's also a savvy deepening and recontextualising of a must-see scary-movie franchise that's as much about desire, dreams and determination as notching up deaths. In one of her X roles, Goth was magnetic as aspiring adult-film actor Maxine Minx, a part she'll reprise in the trilogy's upcoming third instalment MaXXXine. As she proved first up and does again in Pearl, she plays nascent, yearning, shrewd and resolute with not just potency, but with a pivotal clash between fortitude and vulnerability; when one of Goth's youthful X Universe characters says that they're special or have the X factor, they do so with an astute blend of certainty, good ol' fashioned wishing and hoping, and naked self-convincing. This second effort's namesake, who Goth also brought to the screen in her elder years in X, wants to make it in the pictures, too. Looking to dance on her feet instead of horizontally, stardom is an escape (again), but Pearl's cruel mother Ruth (Tandi Wright, Creamerie), a religiously devout immigrant from Germany turned bitter from looking after her ailing husband (Mathew Sunderland, The Stranger), laughs at the idea. Pearl is available to stream via Netflix and Binge. Read our full review. SKINAMARINK Age may instil nocturnal bravery in most of us, stopping the flinching and wincing at things that routinely go bump, thump and jump in the night in our ordinary homes, but the childhood feeling of lying awake in the dark with shadows, shapes and strange sounds haunting an eerie void never seeps from memory. Close your eyes, cast your mind back, and the unsettling and uncertain sensation can easily spring again — that's how engrained it is. Or, with your peepers wide open, you could just watch new micro-budget Canadian horror movie Skinamarink. First-time feature filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball has even made this breakout hit, which cost just $15,000 to produce, in the house he grew up in. His characters: two kids, four-year-old Kevin (debutant Lucas Paul) and six-year-old Kaylee (fellow newcomer Dali Rose Tetreault), who wake up deep into the evening. The emotion he's trading in: pure primal dread, because to view this digitally shot but immensely grainy-looking flick is to be plunged back to a time when nightmares lingered the instant that the light switched off. Skinamarink does indeed jump backwards, meeting Kevin and Kaylee in 1995 when they can't find their dad (Ross Paul, Moby Dick) or mum (Jaime Hill, Give and Take) after waking. But, befitting a movie that's an immersive collage of distressing and disquieting images and noises from the get-go, it also pulsates with an air of being trapped in time. It takes its name from a nonsense nursery-rhyme song from 1910, then includes cartoons from the 1930s on Kevin and Kaylee's television to brighten up the night's relentless darkness. In its exacting, hissing sound design especially, it brings David Lynch's 1977 debut Eraserhead to mind. And the influence of 1999's The Blair Witch Project and the 2007-born Paranormal Activity franchise is just as evident, although Skinamarink is far more ambient, experimental and experiential. Ball has evolved from crafting YouTube shorts inspired by online commenters' worst dreams to this: his own creepypasta. Skinamarink is available to stream via Shudder and AMC+. Read our full review. NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU Thanks to Justified, Short Term 12, Booksmart, Unbelievable and Dopesick, Kaitlyn Dever has already notched up plenty of acting highlights; however, No One Will Save You proves one of her best projects yet while only getting the actor to speak just a single line. Instead of using dialogue, this alien invasion flick tells its story without words — and also finds its emotion in Dever's expressive face and physicality. Her character: Mill River resident Brynn Adams, who has no one to talk to long before extra-terrestrials arrive. The local outcast due to a tragic incident from her past, and now living alone in her childhood home following her mother's death, Brynn fills her time by sewing clothes, making models of her unwelcoming small town like she's in Moon and penning letters to her best friend Maude. Then she's woken in the night by an intruder who isn't human, flits between fighting back and fleeing, and is forced into a battle for survival — striving to save her alienated existence in her cosy but lonely abode from grey-hued, long-limbed, telekinetic otherworldly interlopers with a penchant for mind control. With Spontaneous writer/director Brian Duffield's script matched by exacting A Quite Place-level sound design and The Witcher composer Joseph Trapanese's score, this close encounter of the unspoken kind is a visual feat, bouncing, bounding and dancing around Brynn's house and the Mill River community as aliens linger. Every single frame conveys a wealth of detail, as it needs to without chatter to fill in the gaps. Every look on Dever's face does the same, and every glance as well; this is a performance so fine-tuned that this would be a completely different film without her. Bringing the iconic 'Hush' episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to mind, No One Will Save you is smartly plotted, including in explaining why it sashays in silence. Just as crucially — and this time recalling everyone's favourite home-invasion film, aka Home Alone — it's fluidly and evocatively choreographed. There's also a touch of Nope in its depiction of eerie threats from space, plus a veer into Invasion of the Body Snatchers, all without ever feeling like No One Will Save is bluntly cribbing from elsewhere. The result: a new sci-fi/horror standout. No One Will Save You streams via Disney+. TOTALLY KILLER Kiernan Shipka has long said goodbye to Mad Men's Sally Draper, including by starring in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. After her dalliance with witchcraft, she's still sticking with horror in Totally Killer, but in a mix of slasher tropes and a Back to the Future-borrowing premise. There's a body count and a time machine — and 80s fashions aplenty, because where else does a 2023 movie head to when it's venturing into the past? Also present and accounted for: a tale about a high schooler living in a small town cursed by a past serial killer, which brings some Halloween and Scream nods, plus Mean Girls and Heathers-esque teen savagery. And, yes, John Hughes flicks also get some love, complete with shoutouts to Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink star Molly Ringwald. Totally Killer doesn't skimp on knowingly and winkingly mashing up its many influences, clearly, or on enjoying itself while doing so. The end result is a heap of fun, as hailing from Always Be My Maybe's Nahnatchka Khan behind the lens, along with screenwriters David Matalon (The Clearing), Sasha Perl-Raver (Let's Get Married) and Jen D'Angelo (Hocus Pocus 2). Shipka plays Vernon resident Jamie Hughes, who has spent her whole life being told to be careful about everything by her overprotective parents Pam (Julie Bowen, Modern Family) and Blake (Lochlyn Munro, Creepshow) after an October turned deadly back when they were her age. Unsurprisingly, she isn't happy about it. The reason for their caution: in 1987, three 16-year-old girls were murdered in the lead up to Halloween, with the culprit badged the Sweet 16 Killer — and infamy ensuing for Jamie's otherwise ordinary hometown. Pam is still obsessed with finding the murderer decades later, but her daughter only gets involved after a new tragedy. This Jason Blum (The Exorcist: Believer)-produced flick then needs to conjure up a blast in the past to try to fix what happened then to stop the new deaths from occurring. Always knowing that it's a comedy as much as a slasher film (as seen in its bright hues, heard in its snappy dialogue and conveyed in its committed performances), Totally Killer leans into everything about its Frankenstein's monster-style assemblage of pieces, bringing its setup to entertaining life. Totally Killer streams via Prime Video. THEY CLONED TYRONE Jordan Peele's Get Out and Us would already make a killer triple feature with Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You. For a smart and savvy marathon of science fiction-leaning films about race in America by Black filmmakers, now add Juel Taylor's They Cloned Tyrone. The Creed II screenwriter turns first-time feature director with this dystopian movie that slides in alongside Groundhog Day, Moon, The Cabin in the Woods, A Clockwork Orange, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and They Live, too — but is never derivative, not for a second, including in its 70s-style Blaxploitation-esque aesthetic that nods to Shaft and Superfly as well. Exactly what drug dealer Fontaine (John Boyega, The Woman King), pimp Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx, Spider-Man: No Way Home) and sex worker Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris, Candyman) find in their neighbourhood is right there in the film's name. The how, the why, the specifics around both, the sense of humour that goes with all of the above, the savage satire: Taylor and co-writer Tony Rettenmaier perfect the details. Ignore the fact that they both collaborated on the script for the awful Space Jam: A New Legacy, other than considering the excellent They Cloned Tyrone as a far smarter, darker and deeper exploration of exploitation when the powers that be see other people as merely a means to an end. On an ordinary day — and amid vintage-looking threads and hairstyles, and also thoroughly modern shoutouts to SpongeBob SquarePants, Kevin Bacon, Barack Obama, Nancy Drew and bitcoin — Fontaine wakes up, has little cash and doesn't win on an instant scratch-it. He chats to his mother through her bedroom door, tries to collect a debt from Slick Charles and, as Yo-Yo witnesses, is shot. Then he's back in his bed, none the wiser about what just happened, zero wounds to be seen, and going through the same cycle again. When the trio realise that coming back from the dead isn't just a case of déjà vu, they team up to investigate, discovering one helluva conspiracy that helps Taylor's film make a powerful statement. They Cloned Tyrone's lead trio amply assists, too, especially the ever-ace Boyega. Like Sorry to Bother You especially, this is a comedy set within a nightmarish scenario, and the Attack the Block, Star Wars and Small Axe alum perfects both the humour and the horror. One plucky and persistent, the other oozing charm and rocking fur-heavy coats, Parris and Foxx lean into the hijinks as the central threesome go all Scooby-Doo. There isn't just a man in a mask here, however, in this astute and inventive standout. They Cloned Tyrone streams via Netflix. M3GAN Book in a date with 2 M3GAN 2 Furious now: even if it doesn't take that name, which it won't, a sequel to 2023's first guaranteed horror hit will come. Said follow-up also won't be called M3GAN 2: Electric Boogaloo, but that title would fit based on the first flick's TikTok-worthy dance sequence alone. Meme-starting fancy footwork is just one of the titular doll's skills. Earnestly singing 'Titanium' like this is Pitch Perfect, tickling the ivories with 80s classic 'Toy Soldiers', making these moments some of M3GAN's funniest: they're feats the robot achieves like it's designed to, too. Although unafraid to take wild tonal swings, and mining the established comedy-horror talents of New Zealand filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) and screenwriter Akela Cooper (Malignant) as well, this killer-plaything flick does feel highly programmed itself, however. It's winking, knowing, silly, satirical, slick and highly engineered all at once, overtly pushing buttons and demanding a response — and, thankfully, mostly earning it. Those Child's Play-meets-Annabelle-meets-The Terminator-meets-HAL 9000 thoughts that M3GAN's basic concept instantly brings to mind? They all prove true. The eponymous droid — a Model 3 Generative Android, to be specific — is a four-foot-tall artificially intelligent doll that takes the task of protecting pre-teen Cady (Violet McGraw, Black Widow) from emotional and physical harm deadly seriously, creeping out and/or causing carnage against everyone who gets in its way. Those Frankenstein-esque sparks, exploring what happens when humanity (or Girls and Get Out's Allison Williams here, as Cady's roboticist aunt Gemma) plays god by creating life? They're just as evident, as relevant to the digital age Ex Machina-style. M3GAN is more formulaic than it should be, though, and also never as thoughtful as it wants to be, but prolific horror figures Jason Blum and James Wan produce a film that's almost always entertaining. M3GAN is available to stream via Binge and Netflix. Read our full review. THE BOOGEYMAN Teenagers are savage in The Boogeyman, specifically to Yellowjackets standout Sophie Thatcher, but none of them literally take a bite. Grief helps usher a stalking dark force to a distraught family's door; however, that malevolent presence obviously doesn't share The Babadook's moniker. What can and can't be seen haunts this dimly lit film from Host and Dashcam director Rob Savage, and yet this isn't Bird Box, which co-star Vivien Lyra Blair also appeared in. And a distressed man visits a psychiatrist to talk about his own losses, especially the otherworldly monster who he claims preyed upon his children, just as in Stephen King's 1973 short story also called The Boogeyman — but while this The Boogeyman is based on that The Boogeyman, which then made it into the author's 1978 Night Shift collection that gave rise to a packed closet full of fellow movie adaptations including Children of the Corn, Graveyard Shift and The Lawnmower Man, this flick uses the horror maestro's words as a mere beginning. On the page and the screen alike, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian, Boston Strangler) seeks therapist Will Harper's (Chris Messina, Air) assistance, reclining on his couch to relay a tragic tale. As the new patient talks, he isn't just shaken and shellshocked — he's a shadow of a person. He's perturbed by what loiters where light doesn't reach, in fact, and by what he's certain has been lurking in his own home. Here, he couldn't be more adamant that "the thing that comes for your kids when you're not paying attention" did come for his. And, the film Lester has chosen his audience carefully, because Will's wife recently died in a car accident, leaving his daughters Sadie (Thatcher) and Sawyer (Blair) still struggling to cope. On the day of this fateful session, the two girls have just returned to school for the first time, only for Sadie to sneak back when her so-called friends cruelly can't manage any sympathy. The Boogeyman is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. KNOCK AT THE CABIN Does M Night Shyamalan hate holidays? The twist-loving writer/director's Knock at the Cabin comes hot on the heels of 2021's Old, swapping beach nightmares for woodland terrors. He isn't the only source of on-screen chaos in vacation locations — see also: Triangle of Sadness' Ruben Östlund, plus oh-so-many past horror movies, and TV's The White Lotus and The Resort as well — but making two flicks in a row with that setup is a pattern. For decades since The Sixth Sense made him the Oscar-nominated king of high-concept premises with shock reveals, Shyamalan explored the idea that everything isn't what it seems in our daily lives. Lately, however, he's been finding insidiousness lingering beyond the regular routine, in picturesque spots, when nothing but relaxation is meant to flow. A holiday can't fix all or any ills, he keeps asserting, including in this engaging adaptation of Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World. For Eric (Jonathan Groff, The Matrix Resurrections), Andrew (Ben Aldridge, Pennyworth) and their seven-year-old daughter Wen (debutant Kristen Cui), a getaway isn't meant to solve much but a yearning for family time in the forest — and thinking about anyone but themselves while Eric and Andrew don robes, and Wen catches pet grasshoppers, isn't on their agenda. Alas, their rural Pennsylvanian idyll shatters swiftly when the soft-spoken but brawny Leonard (Dave Bautista, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) emerges from the trees. He says he wants to be Wen's friend, but he also advises that he's on an important mission. He notes that his task involves the friendly girl and her dads, giving them a hard choice yet also no choice at all. The schoolteacher has colleagues, too: agitated ex-con Redmond (Rupert Grint, Servant), patient nurse Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird, Avenue 5) and nurturing cook Adriane (Abby Quinn, I'm Thinking of Ending Things), all brandishing weapons fashioned from garden tools. Knock at the Cabin is available to stream via Netflix and Binge. Read our full review. Looking for more things to watch? Check out our monthly streaming roundup, as well as our rundown of recent cinema releases that've been fast-tracked to digital home entertainment of late.
Turning real-life post-September 11 events into a moving and heartwarming musical mightn't seem like an easy feat, but it looks that way when you're watching Come From Away. Dramatising an exceptional story, the production has made that very task an enormous success on Broadway and London's West End, and won Tony and Olivier awards for its efforts. It's also proven a hit already around Australia. Now, audiences in Melbourne and Sydney are set to get another chance to dive into this kind-hearted story — for the third time in the Victorian capital, and the second in New South Wales. As part of its ongoing tour of Australia, Come From Away is heading back to both cities before the year is out. If you aren't familiar with the musical's plot or the actual events that inspired it, it really does tell quite the astonishing tale. In the week after the September 11 attacks in 2001, 38 planes were unexpectedly ordered to land in the small Canadian town of Gander, in the province of Newfoundland. Part of Operation Yellow Ribbon — which diverted civilian air traffic to Canada en masse following the attacks — the move saw around 7000 air travellers grounded in the tiny spot, almost doubling its population. Usually, the town is home to just under 12,000 residents. To create Come From Away, writers and composers Irene Sankoff and David Hein spent hundreds of hours interviewing thousands of locals and passengers, using their experiences to drive the narrative — and, in many cases, using their real names in the show as well. The result is a musical not just about people coming from away (the term that Newfoundlanders use to refer to folks not born on the island), but coming together, all at a time when tensions were running high worldwide. Since being workshopped in 2012, having a run in Ontario in 2013, then officially premiering in San Diego in 2015, Come From Away has become a global smash hit. After opening on Broadway in 2017, it was still running before the theatre district closed due to COVID-19. The musical wowed crowds in the West End, too — and, when it first opened in Melbourne in July 2019, it became the Comedy Theatre's most successful musical in the venue's nine-decade history. Along the way, the show has picked up a Tony Award for best direction of a musical, six other nominations, and four Olivier Awards out of nine nominations. The local production features an impressive cast, spanning Kyle Brown, Zoe Gertz, Manon Gunderson-Briggs, Douglas Hansell, Kat Harrison, Joe Kosky, Phillip Lowe, Joseph Naim, Sarah Nairne, Natalie O'Donnell, Emma Powell and David Silvestri — as well as Kaya Byrne, Jeremy Carver-James, Noni McCallum, Michael Lee Porter, Alana Tranter and Jasmine Vaughns Come From Away also already has a Gold Coast season locked in for July. COME FROM AWAY 2022 AUSTRALIAN TOUR Gold Coast: Thursday, July 7—Sunday, July 31 at HOTA, Home of the Arts — with tickets on-sale now. Melbourne: From August 27, Comedy Theatre — with tickets on-sale from June 6. Sydney: From November 5, Theatre Royal — with tickets on-sale from June 14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zmvy1p2FOE&feature=emb_title Come From Away continues to tour Australia throughout 2022. For further information — or to buy tickets — visit the musical's website. Images: Jeff Busby.
Whether you went for work, leisure or something in-between, if you've recently travelled to the Perth metropolitan area and Peel region in Western Australia, you were probably happy to venture further than your own city. But with the WA capital currently experiencing a three-day lockdown in response to a new COVID-19 case, state governments around the country are implementing new conditions on travel and crossing interstate borders. The situation varies state by state; however, it's the type of thing that has been happening after new cases and subsequent lockdowns of late. It last occurred in March, when Brisbane went into its most recent set of stay-at-home conditions. In New South Wales, a COVID-19 concerns notice has been issued by NSW Health, applying to the the Perth metropolitan area and Peel region from 12.01am today, Saturday, April 24. Anyone coming to NSW who has been in an affected area either on or after that time has to fill out a self-declaration form either before or upon entering the state. If you have been in either region since Saturday, April 17 and you're now in NSW, you're asked to look at a list of exposure sites issued by the WA Government. If you visited them within the time frames identified, you'll beed to follow the actions outlined and also contact NSW Health immediately. It's a lengthy list, spanning shopping centres, restaurants and an aquatic centre, all between Saturday, April 17–Friday, April 23 so far. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1385504424487882754 In Victoria, a number of changes are now in effect. With WA's lockdown coming in response to a Victorian man who tested positive upon his return to Melbourne after spending 14 days in hotel quarantine in Perth, the Victorian Government has listed both Qantas flight QF778 from Perth to Melbourne on Wednesday, April 21 and Melbourne Airport's Terminal 1 between 7–7.30pm on Wednesday, April 21 as new exposure sights. Folks who were on the plane must get tested for COVID-19 immediately, then self-isolate for 14 days regardless of their initial test result, while anyone at the terminal during that timeframe must also get tested for COVID-19 immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received. Plus, anyone who has returned from WA recently is also asked to look at a list of exposure sites issued by the WA Government and, if you visited them within the time frames identified, to contact the Victorian Department of Health immediately. Melburnians can also keep an eye on the local list of exposure sites at the Victorian Government Department of Health website — as it may change if more sites are identified. Regarding the Victorian border, the state has classified the Perth metropolitan area and Peel region in Western Australia as red zones under its traffic light border system, which means that non-Victorian residents can't enter the state without an exception, permit or exemption. Also, anyone currently in Victoria who has been in the metro Perth or Peel region between Saturday, April 17–Friday, April 23, other than to transit through either, is required to isolate, get tested within 72 hours and stay isolated until receiving a negative result. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1385555025590509568 For Queensland, anyone who has been in the Perth or Peel regions on or since Saturday, April 17 and entered the Sunshine State before 11.59pm on Friday, April 23 is required to get tested as soon as possible and self-isolate. They'll also be under the same lockdown conditions that are currently in place in Perth until 2am AEST on Tuesday, April 27. Plus, those coming to Queensland after midnight last night who have been in the same parts of WA since Saturday, April 17 are only allowed to enter under an exemption, unless they're a Queensland resident. Either way, they now have to go into hotel quarantine for up to 14 days. https://twitter.com/qldhealthnews/status/1385569595784790017 South Australia requires anyone who has been in the Perth or Peel regions on or since Saturday, April 17 to get tested and quarantine until getting a negative result. Only returning SA residents, genuine relocations and domestic violence victims are allowed to SA from the two areas from 12.01am Saturday, April 24, and must now get tested and go into self-quarantine. In the Australian Capital Territory, non-ACT residents wishing to travel over from the Perth or Peel regions — who've been there since Saturday, April 17 — now need an approved exemption from ACT Health. You'll also have to quarantine until 2am AEST on Tuesday, April 27. For residents coming back from the two regions, you'll need to complete an online declaration form before leaving, and then to also stay home until the same time. Tasmania won't allow entry from folks who've been to the Perth or Peel regions within 14 days of their arrival, except for people deemed essential travellers — and then you'll need to quarantine for 14 days. If you've been there, arrived in Tasmania since Saturday, April 17 and attended one of the exposure sites listed by the WA Government, you need to self-isolate and contact Tasmania's Public Health Hotline. The Northern Territory now requires testing for anyone who has been to been to the Perth or Peel regions since Saturday, April 17, but only if they went to one of the exposure sites listed by the WA Government. You'll also need to quarantine until you get a negative result. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
It's called Ghostbusters, not franchisebusters — so, four decades after the initial supernatural comedy flick in the series proved a huge hit, of course the saga is still tackling ghouls on the big screen. There was a 27-year pause between 1989's Ghostbusters II and 2016's women-led, excellent and wrongly maligned Paul Feig-helmed Ghostbusters, but then came 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Next up: its sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. As both the initial teaser back in 2023 and the just-dropped full trailer show, familiar faces are everywhere in the fifth Ghostbusters movie — and from past features both recent and classic. Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson: they're all back, teaming up to take on an ancient force that's trying to unleash a second Ice Age. Rudd (Only Murders in the Building) returns as Gary Grooberson, while Coon (The Gilded Age), McKenna Grace (Crater) and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) are back as Callie, Phoebe and Trevor Spengler. Yes, they're the daughter and grandchildren of the late Harold Ramis' Egon Spengler, who became initiated in the family business when they inherited his old farmhouse in Afterlife. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire reverses the last flick's swap, which centred around that eerie abode. So, rather than unfurling in Oklahoma, it returns the series to New York. There, summer is proceeding as normal until an unseasonable chill kicks in. The reason for the plummeting temperatures isn't any old blast of cooler weather, either, which is where the Ghostbusters come in. Also in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's cast: Kumail Nanjiani (Welcome to Chippendales), Patton Oswalt (What We Do in the Shadows), Celeste O'Connor (A Good Person) and Logan Kim (The Walking Dead: Dead City), alongside OGs Murray (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), Aykroyd (Zombie Town) and Hudson (Quantum Leap), plus Annie Potts (Young Sheldon). A certain firehouse pops up as well, as does Slimer, an army of ghosts, possessed possessions, rising supernatural attacks and a new paranormal research centre. The latest film sees Gil Kenan (A Boy Called Christmas) directing. After helming Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jason Reitman (Tully, The Front Runner) — who is the son of Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two movies — co-writes the script this time around. Check out the full trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire below: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
The history of street photography is generating more interest than ever, now that street style blogs influence high-end brands, everyone has a spy camera (read: iPhone), and documentaries like Bill Cunningham: New York have charmed DSLRs into the hands of the populace. But what about when it wasn't just about fashion, but about documenting a moment in cultural history? A new look at the origins of the movement, Everybody Street, gathers a group of seminal New York-based street photographers to examine the method and motivation behind this most candid and telling style of documenting the human race. Street photography takes balls. Imagine approaching a total stranger, even a pretty rough-looking one, to ask for their picture — as Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York (with almost a million followers on Facebook) does dozens of times every day. Henri Cartier-Bresson similarly knew how to be bold and keep in the thick of the action, and that's why his opus includes so many arresting images of the major events of the 20th century. Nowadays the rising generation of street photographers in New York, including Le 21-eme, I'm Koo and An Unknown Quantity keep busy chasing down Soho's trendsetters. Everybody Street, on the other hand, asks veteran photographers Bruce Davidson, Elliott Erwitt, Jill Freedman, Bruce Gilden, Joel Meyerowitz, Rebecca Lepkoff, Mary Ellen Mark, Jeff Mermelstein, Clayton Patterson, Ricky Powell, Jamel Shabazz, Martha Cooper, Jeff Mermelstein, Max Kozloff and Luc Sante all about how they managed to transgress social boundaries to capture iconic images of their milieu. Jamel Shabazz alone is a phenomenal force in the street photography scene, whose chronicling of the '80s hiphop style movement can be seen in the influential monographs Back in the Days and A Time Before Crack. Shabazz — a former corrections officer with a photographer father — used street photography to perform a type of social work: mainly capturing images of African Americans, he helped to spread pride and self-confidence among young men and women who were at risk of getting mixed up in crack culture. By reminding them they were worth being photographed and admired, and taking the opportunity to talk with them about their lives and share his experiences as a corrections officer, Shabazz hoped to steer people away from drugs and crime. In Everybody Street, documentarian Cheryl Dunn honours Shabazz's story and those of other snap-happy New York street-crawlers who dared to step in and chronicle what was happening every day on the street, and make a difference along the way. Everybody Street will be making its world premiere at the Hot Docs International Film Festival in Canada. Further distribution is TBC. Images by Jamel Shabazz. More on his website.
A new Parisian hotel designed by French artist Matali Crasset is offering travellers a completely new hotel experience. Recently opened in the trendy Rue Chardonne area, Hi-Matic Hotel is entirely internet-based and has no traditional staff. Guests are given a unique code when they make an online reservation and that code gives them access to the building. Once inside, guests are able to check in and pay for their stay on computers (that then dispense their room keys). If they become hungry or bored, guests are able to purchase organic foods, books, music and playful objects from vending machines located in the hotel. The aim of the Hi-Matic is to create a new type of hotel - something unique and luxurious but also practical and accessible. The spaces within the hotel are bright and futuristic, with eco-friendly materials such as organic paint being used throughout. The design is simple but striking and effective. All this does not come without a price, however, with rooms starting at AUD$180 a night. [Via Design Boom]
The impending consequences of the earth's dwindling water supply are no mystery. The question that we all need answered, however, is how to replenish it. French physicist Jérôme Kasparian, may have a solution with his new seeding condensation method. 'Laser-assisted water condensation' is a water-collecting technique which employs powerful lasers. At the flip of a switch, a laser pulse carries trillions of watts of energy into the atmosphere, removing electrons from atmospheric molecules. The removal of electrons creates charged particles, which form water droplets as more and more water molecules accumulate and stick to the original particle. Kasparian's method seems a good alternative to other current precipitation-inducing techniques, which are expensive, risky, and environmentally damaging. It isn't a magical cure-all to drought and drinking water shortages, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. https://youtube.com/watch?v=5yjHZr_gn18 [via Mother Board]
Powerhouse Museum Ultimo is set to look a whole lot different thanks to $500-million makeover — and if you're wondering what that might entail, the venue has just unveiled a more extensive look at its proposed revamp. A development plan is currently on display via the NSW Government's website, outlining further details, in what proves the latest step in the venue's complicated recent history. Back in 2015, Powerhouse Museum Ultimo was earmarked for closure, as part of a move to shift the entire facility to Parramatta. Then, when that idea didn't prove popular, the New South Wales Government committed to revamping and revitalising the existing site, allocating $480–500 million to the makeover. Another Powerhouse Museum location will still be established in Parramatta, and is under construction at the moment. Back at Ultimo, its revamp plan is now on public exhibition until Thursday, July 21, revealing details about expanding the museum site, and also creating a comprehensive design outlet for local creatives. A renewed focus on design and fashion is central to the multimillion-dollar overhaul, with plans to bring the Powerhouse's local and international exhibitions to the forefront of its event programming. Another aim: for the Ultimo site to also increase opportunities for creative development, via subsidised studios and workspaces for creatives. [caption id="attachment_859231" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Powerhouse Museum corner of Harris Street and William Henry Street, NSW Planning Portal[/caption] Alongside general refurbishments and cosmetic upgrades, the new-look Powerhouse Ultimo is expected to connect seamlessly with The Goods Line, Darling Square and UTS in a bid to contribute further to the nighttime economy. While exact design proposals are still to come, the report pushes for a rejig of the building's orientation and public spaces at the museum in order to create entrances and courtyards flowing between the Powerhouse and surrounding infrastructure — such as the nearby light rail stop and The Goods Line. The report shows plans to expand the museum site on Harris Street and Macarthur Street, increasing both indoor and outdoor space and allowing "the Museum program to spill outside and engage with the Goods Line and public realm of Ultimo and Haymarket beyond." [caption id="attachment_811875" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Powerhouse Ultimo, Jordan Munns[/caption] "We will create a vibrant public square beside the Goods Line, and creative industries workspaces that will become home for Australian designers," Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said when the renewal was first announced. Following this stage of planning, an architectural competition will be held to establish the final design of the museum, as well as the firm that will work on it. As part of the renewal, a chunk of the Ultimo site's collection will also be relocated to Powerhouse Castle Hill in order to create space for the new design and fashion initiatives being planned for the renovated site. Sydneysiders keen for more detailed information can look through the application on the NSW Government website, or head to one of the drop-in sessions that Powerhouse Ultimo is hosting. The sessions will take place on the afternoons of Thursday, July 7 and 14, plus the mornings of Saturday, July 9 and 16. Powerhouse Museum Ultimo is located at 500 Harris St, Ultimo. For more information about the Powerhouse Ultimo renewal project, head to the museum's website.
Goodgod's the place where people go for the gig and stay for the nachos. An inner-city favourite, the Liverpool Street location is playing host to a night of POP-FRIENDZZZY on Thursday, November 21. From 8pm, San Franciscan Sonny & The Sunsets will be headlining an evening of rock 'n' roll. The foursome will be joined by lo-fi Kiwi kids Surf City, whose forthcoming album We Knew It Was Not Going to Be Like This is making waves in the psychedelic scene. With Sydney bands Adults and Community Radio by their side, they'll be making Goodgod's Danceteria the definite Thursday night go-to on the 21st.
Do you wish you could mix up an Old Fashioned like Don Draper? Do the words "Tiki Safari" make your mouth water in anticipation of the magical Mai Tai? Do you spend your days weighing up the pros and cons of gin and vodka or pondering how tequila can break free from the shackles of salt, lemon and shot glasses? Whether you answered "yes" to all of the above or whether you just like to enjoy the odd cocktail, you will probably be excited to hear about Bar Week. The formerly trade only drinks show is now throwing its doors open to the thirsty public after a decade of showcasing the best in brews, bottles and fancy garnishes to industry professionals. Sunday, September 23 is when the week's flagship event will be staged in the form of Drinks Fest (tickets $25 for either the morning or afternoon session). Amongst those happenings stirring up connotations of the word "seminar" are a pre-noon Tiki Safari, an Irish Whisky Tasting, masterclasses on libations ranging from Cuba's Mojito to Don's Old Fashioned and a hands-on lesson in creative mixology intended to break rules and introduce cocktails back into Aussie households. Many of the day's events are aimed at breathing new life into spirits commonly brought down by false stereotypes. A class called 'Why Everyone Should Love Tequila!' will take skeptics on a taste-test south of the border. To celebrate the broadening of mind and palette, the day will culminate in a sunset BBQ at Cruise Bar next door, offering free entry to all ticket holders. Concrete Playground has 10 double passes to give away to Drinks Fest. For a chance to win, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au Sydney Bar Week will run from 22 to 25 September 2012. For the full timetable of Bar Week events visit www.barweek.com.au/timetable
North and west of Byron Bay is the Tweed hinterland, a land of ancient rainforest, wild rivers and rugged mountain peaks. Twenty-three million years ago, a volcano erupted here, creating a caldera 40 kilometres wide and 1000 metres deep. To see it in all its lush beauty, wake up before sunrise and ride a hot air balloon with Byron Bay Ballooning. This dreamy escapade takes you way up into the air for an hour or so and, on landing, treats you to a champagne breakfast. Image: Destination NSW
International Women's Day is an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable women who've shaped our world. While there will no doubt be many thought-provoking talks, workshops and networking events focused on platforming powerful female voices happening this year, March 8 is also an opportunity for you to look inward, indulge in a little much-needed TLC and spend some time with the most important females in your life. In partnership with Revlon, we've rounded up some of the most empowering experiences that combine celebration with self-care, so you can honor the day while also prioritising your wellbeing. Start the Day with Stretches, Smoothies and Skincare Samples It's the girlhood holy trinity: yoga, brunch and free beauty products. That's what you can expect from our very own Get Up and Glow events happening in Sydney and Melbourne this International Women's Day. In collaboration with Revlon, we're hosting these early-morning events on Saturday, March 8 which will feature a 45-minute yoga flow, snacks and refreshments, and the opportunity to sample the goods from Revlon's Illuminance range. Spanning both skincare and make up, the Illuminance products are packed with skin-loving ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and squalane, to hydrate and nourish the skin. A makeup artist will be there to help you find your perfect shades and provide help tips and tricks to achieve that coveted lit-from-within look. Our goal is to help you feel empowered and ready to tackle the rest of your weekend. To score passes for you and a mate to the event in your city, enter the giveaway here. [caption id="attachment_985808" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sense of Self[/caption] Zen Out With Your Pals in a Bathhouse If you and your pals just want to escape reality for a little while, visiting a bathhouse may be the answer. This age-old tradition is currently having a big moment with sleek wellness retreats redefining relaxation as a social activity. In Sydney, Capybara is our pick. Taking cues from wellness rituals from around the world, including Japanese onsens and Moroccan hammams, this Surry Hills spot offers a communal mineral bath, hot-stone sauna, steam room,cold-plunge pool and heated bench on which you can try an ice scrub. Melbourne's Sense of Self has many of the same facilities in addition to a Sud & Mud kit, which allows guests to try a self-led hammam-style ritual, and a massage studio. Treat Yourself... With a Tech Twist You've surely heard the many benefits of hot and cold therapy by now — it's said to improve circulation, muscle repair and joint mobility. But recovery science has come a long way and there are plenty more technology-driven services available to trial. With spaces in Coogee, Cronulla, Manly and Martin Place, RCVRI has Australia's first zero-gravity flotation bed, which is said to reduce stress and improve sleep and concentration through a 30 or 60-minute 'weightless' session in a stimulus-free room. RCVRI also has high-tech massage guns and pulsing leg compression therapy to soothe muscles after intense activity and hyperbaric chambers for increased oxygen. In Melbourne, Cure HQ Recovery also offers compression and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, plus IV vitamin drips. Venture into the Forest Truly immersing yourself in nature to relieve stress seems like a bit of a no-brainer. But how often do you actually do it? The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is the intentional act of going into nature and connecting with its sights, smells and sounds — no devices stealing your attention, no thinking about work. You can do this pretty much anywhere you please but if you are seeking some guidance, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne hosts two-hour sessions every Sunday, while Forest Minds in Sydney runs private sessions in Lane Cove National Park, Bobbin Head and the Blue Mountains that end with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. [caption id="attachment_785510" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Helena Dolby[/caption] Seek the Soothing Powers of Salt Water Whether your ailments are of a mental or physical nature, there's no denying salt water has some almost other-worldly effect on them. Of course, Sydney has no shortage of ocean pools to have a splash in but International Women's Day seems as good an excuse as any to visit the dreamy McIver's Ladies Baths in Coogee. This heritage-listed tidal pool is a little sanctuary open to "girls only" making it a safe space for many. In Melbourne? The iconic Brighton Sea Baths is the best place to swim about in the salty sea. If you are seeking a women-only swimming space, Collingwood Leisure Centre hosts a leisure program exclusively for women on Saturday nights (note: it's not saltwater). Make the most of International Women's Day by attending one of our Get Up and Glow events, held in partnership with Revlon. To be in the running to score double passes, click here enter the draw.
Plastics, specifically single-use plastics, have been in the spotlight a lot this year. State governments and supermarket chains have banned single-use plastic bags and plenty of bars and eateries across Australia have introduced plastic straw bans. And now, fast food giant McDonald's is taking a stand against single-use plastic straws, announcing it'll start phasing plastic straws across Australia next month. Australia is not the first country in which the fast food chain has introduced this — it started phasing them out in the UK in April this year. But back in Australia, McDonald's will begin trialling paper straws at two restaurants in August, before banning them completely by 2020. There's no exact figure for Australia, but it's estimated that 500 million plastic straws are used and discarded every day in the US — that's enough to fill 125 school buses. Plastic straws are also part of a wider plastics and general waste being experienced globally, with experts estimating that by 2050 there'll be more plastic in the ocean than fish. While the most recent push to ban plastic straws across Australia has been welcomed by many environmental groups, it also has unwelcome consequences for many disabled Australians. As reported by the ABC, many disabled Australians rely on straws to eat and drink, with reusable options not being suitable because of their inability to bend or to be used in beverages above a certain temperature. Users on both sides of the debate have voiced their opinions on Twitter, with some saying the ban is a no-brainer, while others saying it just further marginalises the disabled members of our community. Some users suggest a straws-on-demand policy could be the answer. It has not yet been announced which Australian restaurants will be trialling the paper straws, or when a wider ban will be implemented, but we'll continue to update as more information is released.
New King, new cast of The Crown. The latter isn't a result of the former; however, change has come to the monarchy IRL, and is also clearly on its way in season five of Netflix's hit regal drama. Chaos and scandal is in the air on-screen, in fact, with the series jumping to the early to mid-1990s — aka the era of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage breakdown. In The Crown's just-dropped trailer for its fifth season, things are tense in the House of Windsor. Actually, that's an understatement. As the relationship between the now-current off-screen King and his first wife stretches, strains and snaps, media interest heats up, Queen Elizabeth II has plenty of worries and Diana refuses to simply toe the family line. None of this will be new news to anyone aware of history, just like almost everything in The Crown since 2016, when it started bringing the British royal family's ups and downs from newspaper headlines to Netflix. And, yes, the film Spencer did cover some of the same territory as The Crown season five, just on the big screen, earlier this year — but come Wednesday, November 9, streaming viewers will be able to see how this award-winning series handles it. Also part of The Crown's fifth season: approaching the 40th anniversary of the Queen's reign, the public questioning the role of the royal family and changes on the international landscape. But it seems that the bulk of the new episodes' focus will sit with Charles, Diana, divorce requests, press scrutiny, explosive books and interviews, and the rest of the fallout. This time around, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton dons the titular headwear, while Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce steps into Prince Philip's shoes — and Princess Margaret is played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki takes over the role of Princess Diana, with The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West as Prince Charles. The Crown shakes up its cast every couple of seasons. After starting out with Claire Foy (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith (House of the Dragon) as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (Pieces of a Woman) in its first two seasons, which aired in 2016 and 2017, the series returned in 2019 with Olivia Colman (Heartstopper), Tobias Menzies (This Way Up) and Helena Bonham Carter (Enola Holmes) in those roles. Plus, it added Josh O'Connor (Mothering Sunday) as Prince Charles — and, in season four in 2020, Emma Corrin (Misbehaviour) and The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson joined the cast as Lady Diana Spencer and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, respectively. Netflix's full trailer for season five comes after a first sneak peek back in September, which also honed in on Charles and Diana. Season five arrives two months after Queen Elizabeth II's death in early September, and following a pause in the show's production afterwards. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons, with the latter following the monarch into the 2000s, has changed a few times over the past few years. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. Check out the trailer for The Crown season five below: The Crown's fifth season will hit Netflix on Wednesday, November 9. Images: Keith Bernstein / Netflix
If you wouldn't trust Gumtree, Domain or Craigslist to find you a new roommate, you're not alone. You're probably pretty smart, as well. To help you avoid the slob, the creep, or the no-concept-of-personal-space roommate, Friends With Rooms has created a Facebook roomie-finding app. The app utilises Facebook's social graph to match you up with other people whose profiles contain similar information and interests. Users answer a series of general questions designed to get a more in-depth concept of what type of roommate he or she might be (Do you prefer to stay out late or to rise early?). If you do happen to find a 'match', you can even have a mutual friend vouch for the other person. So rest assured that, thanks to this app, not every roommate has to be like your infamous first-year uni roommate. [via Mashable]
Cannes may be the world's most prestigious film festival, but it sure can be predictable. First of all, you can guarantee there will be a host of big name auteurs strutting around with A-list celebrities, you know the films will largely be about war or poverty — and yes, the critics will of course go crazy for them. With all the glitz and the glamour that comes with such prestige, you can't help but yearn for a little more intrigue. So, to combat all the glowing end-of-festival reports written by the world's best critics, here's a list of the festival's oddities — the things we didn't really see coming. Jean-Luc Godard is still alive, and he's messing with our minds Okay, this may sound insensitive but we just had no idea this guy was still around. It's not totally unreasonable either. Now at age 83, this legendary auteur of the French New Wave has officially reached the time usually reserved for shuffleboard and cryptic crosswords. If he was still making films, we'd kind of expect them to be dawdling black and white tales of an elderly intellectual's battle against his noisy young neighbours. Instead Godard's offering to this year's festival, Goodbye to Language, was a daring formal experiment. In terms of plot, the film is unsurprisingly lacking. In fact Indiewire summarised it simply as a film about a couple and a dog: "She wears clothes only very rarely ... he likes to talk about shit while taking a shit, and the dog is drawn to [some] water." But the buzz around the film came from its unexpected use of 3D technology. At one point in the film, the audience was presented with what reviewers described as "a headache-inducing blur". However, when viewed with one eye closed a clear picture comes into focus. When opening the other eye, a different picture comes to the fore. Who would have thought Godard would be the one to bring Magic Eye books into cinematic reality? Films can basically be shot with Instagram now Another noted formal innovation was by the 25-year-old Canadian wunderkind, Xavier Dolan. His prize-winning film Mommy was shot in an unprecedented 1:1 ratio — the same square size as your average Instagram video. Following the story of a single mother and her 15-year-old son who suffers from ADHD, the film coincidentally shared the Grand Jury Prize with Jean-Luc Godard's Goodbye to Language. The move has created an understandable buzz in the filmmaking industry and has been given incredibly positive reviews by critics and audiences alike. It's been reported that this tight field of vision intensifies the action of the film and gives an effective lens to the character's struggle with ADHD. Not to give anything away, but the screen ratio does however change to full-screen in moments of happiness during the film. It sounds a little corny, but with such a huge prize and stacks of audience approval, Dolan must pull it off pretty well. Ryan Gosling made a film and it sucked I know it seems impossible. Ryan Gosling is supposed to be some kind of superhuman specimen capable of anything except eating cereal, but apparently he's not that great at directing either. Lost River was his very first foray into the director's chair. At first it seemed promising — he recruited his buddies Eva Mendes and Christina Hendricks onto the cast, and the film made its way to Cannes. But after being universally panned by both audiences and critics, it's officially being labelled a flop. Following a single mother's struggles in a new city, the film has harshly been described as both "a student film with an A list cast" and "a cacophony of meaningless motifs stumbling round in service of a plot best summed up by 'woman decides to move house'". Yikes, sorry RyRy. Cinema is dead (according to Quentin Tarantino) We really should have seen this one coming. Between throwing whole scripts away and making films that are basically one giant in-joke, Quentin Tarantino does have a reputation for being a bit of a diva. But before entering a screening of his cult hit Pulp Fiction, the legendary director threw a bit of a hissy fit about digital film. "The fact that most films now are not presented in 35mm means that the war is lost," said Tarantino. He complained that screening films in a digital format is basically the same as watching television in public. "What I knew as cinema is dead," he said. Soon after, Tarantino announced new plans to create a TV miniseries from the unused footage of Django Unchained and did a little dance on the red carpet. So, who knows what this guy will do next. Sometimes sex scenes with Robert Pattinson pay off We know that's an unfair way to put it, but it's true all the same. This year Julianne Moore has won a Best Actress award for her role in David Cronenberg's Maps the the Stars — a satirical filmic look at Hollywood in which Moore has sweaty car sex with Pattinson. Obviously she also entirely deserves the award for her unflinching portrayal of an ageing Hollywood starlet, but seriously... who thought some vehicular good times with RPattz could get you a top gong at Cannes? Better luck next time, KStew.
Over seven years in the making, Bondi Pavilion's massive transformation is finally set to be complete this spring. First announced way back in 2015, the pavilion's multimillion-dollar revamp has been a long-running project of the Waverley Council, which has revealed that the historic building will finally reopen later this year with a host of new food, drink and cultural tenants. "There is such growing excitement in the community about the reopening as more and more of the building and our world-class restoration works are revealed," Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos said. The rejuvenated space will feature an art gallery, cultural spaces, a new area called the Bondi Story Room, a pottery studio, new amenities and an expansive public courtyard, plus the previously announced food and drink tenants. Late last year, it was revealed the team behind Circular Quay's new multi-level venue Hinchcliff House would be at the helm of an all-day cafe, bakery and bistro called Bondi Promenade at the pavilion. The cultural spaces will be available for a multitude of uses by the community including art exhibitions, theatre, workshops and classes, while the Bondi Story Room will offer visitors the chance to look back on Bondi's history via an interactive digital exhibition. The council is taking submissions for the exhibition via the Bondi Pavilion website. During the renovations, the council has also been working with the Gujaga Foundation to ensure that Indigenous cultural heritage is reflected in the Bondi Pavilion, including naming new spaces in the building in the local Dharawal language. The nearly century-old building was first built in the 1920s, replacing the Bondi Surf Sheds with the Turkish and Hot Sea Water Baths in 1929. The current renovations have uncovered the bathhouse's original signage, which has been restored ready for the pavilion opening. While an exact date in spring hasn't been provided for the reopening, expressions of interest to hire the pavilion's Community and Cultural Centre are now open for the dates Monday, October 10 through until the end of the year. Bondi Pavilion is located at Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach and is set to reopen in spring. You can stay up to date with the building's refurbishment at the Waverley Council's website. Images: Tonkin Zulaikha Greer.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia wrapped up last Friday after showcasing the best of local fashion design against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Noticeably absent this year were big names Lover, Josh Goot and Dion Lee, as well all as our well-shod friends from across the ditch like Kate Sylvester and Stolen Girlfriends Club, but often it's the emerging designers who put on the most impressive shows. To celebrate five days of more laser lights and short shorts than you could poke a complimentary bottle of San Pellegrino Aranciata at, here are five exciting local labels to familiarise yourself with immediately. 1. MICHAEL LO SORDO To say rising cool kid Michael Lo Sordo’s show at The Apollo was highly anticipated would be a sweeping understatement. Sydney-based Lo Sordo recently took out the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award for his prodigious grasp of construction, and lived up to the hype with a meticulously tailored collection of soft white shirting, coloured metallic tees and knockout party dresses with graphic prints and gladiator detailing. Buy his pieces at Maubourg, Roots & Wings Design or Adelaide’s Chasing Nel. 2. KAYLENE MILNER Among the six talented graduates showing at the highly anticipated TAFE show was Kaylene Milner. Milner has just been selected for an internship with Diane von Furstenberg, and it's thanks to this patchwork-luxe collection juxtaposing earthy furs with vibrant colours. The young designer also has a gutsy back story — she was flipping through a 2007 Vogue during a uni lecture when she decided to ditch musicology in favour of whipping up a portfolio to submit to the prestigious TAFE. Previous designers to have made their runway debut at the Innovators show include Dion Lee and Emma Mulholland, so expectations are justifiably high. 3. AJE Design duo Edwina Robinson and Adrian Norris staged a confident runway debut which mixed sequins, mesh, fishtail skirts and scalloped micro hemlines — sometimes all at once — without sacrificing the label’s nonchalant elegance. Among the many standout pieces was a heavily sequinned mermaid-inspired gown, fittingly anchored by beaten leather boots with the tongue hanging out. Aje is stocked in Desordre in Sydney and Strada in Noosa. 4. CHRISTOPHER ESBER Most 23-year-olds are navigating life one mistake at a time, but Christopher Esber is not most 23-year-olds. The young Sydney designer was one of the standout newcomers at Rosemount Australia Fashion Week last year, consistently proving himself worthy of the hype that has surrounded his collections since he debuted alongside Dion Lee in 2008. Esber’s clothing is characterised by minimalist design, meticulous tailoring and luxurious fabrics, and this season he's all about clinical whites offset by delicate sheer fabric. 5. AN ODE TO NO ONE Few things kick of a runway show like a holographic laser light display, but you don't want the theatrics to outshine the clothing. Luckily An Ode To No One designer Adi Setiadi is a sartorial genius. Last year he penetrated a market saturated with digital prints by rendering his own in trippy 3D, and this time he paraded an army of sci-fi bombshells in Tron-esque geometric dresses, sharply tailored pantsuits and silks that rippled like water. Setiadi cut his teeth working for iconic Aussie designers Akira and Nicola Finetti before starting An Ode To No One in 2008, but his futuristic aesthetic is all his own.
Step into the light and embrace your own mortality at the unsettlingly-named Festival of Death and Dying. Curated by artist and scholar Peter Banki along with festival dramaturge Victoria Spence, this two-day event will feature a mixture of workshops, talks and performances in order to examine the western fear of death while celebrating all that life has to offer. Standout events on the program include Share My Coffin, a role-playing workshop in which participants will be cast in the role of both mourners and the deceased and End of Life Dreams, a discussion with palliative care physician Dr. Michael Barbato about the experiences of dying patients. Mortality Performance Night will see an evening of long and short performance works from artists including Alice Cummins, Alan Schacher and WeiZen Ho. The Festival of Death and Dying will be held at The Drill Hall in Rushcutters Bay on October 7–8. Image: 'Free falling No.1' from the series Death Suits Me Fine by Paula Mahoney.
The onset of those searing summer rays should remind us that skin cancer is Australia's biggest killer. But national awareness doesn't seem to mirror the scary statistics. In an attempt to rectify this, Pretty Shady is injecting some style into the skin cancer awareness campaign, with sun protection gear you can get your hands on for free — some of it rather covetable and limited edition. Included is a beautifully designed Basil Bangs beach umbrella (there are 50 of those) and a rad Lister-designed tee (just 40). There's also a stack of reversible bucket hats (800), some handcrafted sunnies (800), and a few hundred litres of sunscreen up for grabs. These items ought to help you kick the habit of poolside tanning. Pretty Shady is aiming to be the generation that stops the spread of skin cancer, one summer at a time. With high-profile ambassadors such as Nicole Warne, Anthony Lister and Gossling, they're packing a pretty powerful cool factor. Enter the competition to win Pretty Shady gear and you'll automatically go into the draw to win even more. The five limited edition items will be released one by one. So jump on in as soon as possible to increase your chances of securing a piece of the shady action. And even if you don't win, we encourage you to find a way to, in the words of a much daggier campaign, slip slop slap.
You've read the books, watched the TV series and seen the concert experience. You're looking forward to all of the television spinoffs that are currently in the works and, once international travel resumes, you're keen to take a tour of its sets, costumes and props. Now, Game of Thrones fans, you can add something else to your list: watching George RR Martin's fantasy world on the stage. Yes, Westeros is heading to the theatre, thanks to a new stage adaptation that'll be set at an important moment in the history of the series. And, with a 2023 target premiere date and seasons on Broadway, in the West End and in Australia mooted, it's set to arrive sooner than you might've expected — and closer to home, too. Martin is involved, working alongside playwright Duncan Macmillan (Lungs, Every Brilliant Thing, 1984), who'll be adapting the author's works and writing the play. Overseeing the production is director Dominic Cooke (On Chesil Beach, The Courier), while Simon Painter and Tim Lawson (The Illusionists) are producing the show. If you're wondering exactly what the as yet unnamed theatre production will cover, few details have been revealed — but, unlike Jon Snow, we do know something. Familiar and well-known characters will definitely feature, as will a story centred around "love, vengeance, madness and the dangers of dealing in prophecy, in the process revealing secrets and lies that have only been hinted at until now" according to the press release announcing the play. Martin himself has offered further information. "The seeds of war are often planted in times of peace. Few in Westeros knew the carnage to come when highborn and smallfolk alike gathered at Harrenhal to watch the finest knights of the realm compete in a great tourney, during the Year of the False Spring," he explained. "It is a tourney oft referred during HBO's Game of Thrones, and in my novels, A Song of Ice and Fire... and now, at last, we can tell the whole story... on the stage." Obviously, it's far too early for cast announcements — so just who'll be bringing these dramas to life, and whether any of the TV show's cast members will be involved, is yet to be revealed. If you're wondering whether there'll be dragons, White Walkers or direwolves, that's also yet to be unveiled. Exactly when in 2023 the play will debut also hasn't been advised as yet, or details of the proposed US, UK and Australian seasons. But, thanks to all of those television prequels and spinoffs set to hit the small screen and now this theatre production, you can safely expect to spend plenty more time in Westeros over the coming years. The as yet unnamed Game of Thrones stage production is set to premiere in 2023, with producers aiming for seasons on Broadway, in the West End and in Australia to start. We'll keep you updated when more information comes to hand.
Uniting a handful of the Darlinghurst street's vendors, Nightmare on Stanley Street is the pre-Halloween party for the foodie. Nightmarees can explore both tricks and treats at a haunted mental institution (Kubrick's), the Addams Family mansion (Rupert & Ruby) and a scene from 'Return of the Titanic' (Hazy Rose), with live music from 9.30pm. Tickets include your choice of a Halloween-themed drink or dish at each of the venues. Nightmare on Stanley Street is one of the picks from our Halloween party guide. Check out the rest here.
