How safe do these two activities sound to you? (a) Walking through a crowded urban centre with your phone screen five inches from your nose. (b) Walking alone through deserted areas of The Rocks at night. Well, surprise! You're about to do both, and you'll survive without a bruise on you. This is The City of Forking Paths, the Biennale of Sydney's first 'legacy' work that the City of Sydney gets to keep. It's really something. By Canadians Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, it's a 'video walk' that leads you on an artist-hijacked journey through some familiar (and not so familiar) places. This is an interesting use of the technology. Unlike what we typically think of as augmented reality, the app does not supplement the world you're walking through; it replaces it, with footage shot earlier by the artists. Some shots appear as ordinary, observational documentary; some are staged interventions into normality. Combined, they create a poetic in-between place that has you thinking about The Rocks' history, its present, your relationship with technology and your relationship with the world around you — despite, or because of, your removal from it. By keeping step with Cardiff's breathy, introspective narration, you keep step with the visuals (more or less). Don't worry about bumping into people; it turns out, people will amiably duck out of the way of oblivious weirdos who can't lift their eyes from their phones. Cardiff and Miller have been developing their sound walks for decades now, and it feels like they have been able to reach new levels of fullness in their practice with today's technologies. The rambling, exploratory, almost stream-of-consciousness nature of their work remains (although that's not to say anything's an accident; the sound and video production is immaculate and precise). By engaging the visual sense so totally, however, they've been able to create a truly exceptional feeling of immersion. Cardiff's monologue becomes your monologue. If you're lucky, it rattles you completely and allows you to step beyond yourself. In order to get the full effect, you really must follow the instructions for intended use and keep the device held up vertically in your line of sight, aligning it with your peripheral vision as much as possible. You also need good-quality, noise-cancelling headphones, as the sound design is essential to the work, and your dinky earbuds won't cut it. As easy as it might be to download the app direct to your phone (it's Android and iPhone compatible), you're probably best off borrowing an iPod Touch set from Customs House, where headphones from sponsor Harman/Kardon are provided. Live actively in your city and give this artwork a go. Don't let it fall to tourists alone. It's a remarkable piece with more stress-releasing power than after-work drinks. And with The Rocks destined to look quite different a few years from now, it's an artwork with a potent, evolving legacy. The City of Forking Paths is GPS-activated and time-locked and will only function from Customs House after dusk.
If anything is going to get us over our cultural cringe, it must be this serious, big-budget-ish adaptation of the Tomorrow series, a collection of YA novels that's as dear to generations of young Aussie hearts as almost any imported phenomena. And it's a whole lot bloodier than Twilight. The adventures, penned by John Marsden, filled seven instalments between 1993 and 1999 and later a spin-off, The Ellie Chronicles. In case you missed it, Tomorrow, When the War Began follows Ellie Linton (Caitlin Stasey, far away from Neighbours) and her motley band of teenage friends, all residents of the fictional country town of Wirrawee, who venture out on a camping trip to a very remote location. There, they swim, flirt, billy-cook two-minute noodles and observe a fleet of small planes passing overhead in the dead of night. Returning to a deserted, damaged town, they discover that the planes were part of an invading force that has chosen coastal Wirrawee as a strategic base from which to wage war on Australia. With their families imprisoned at the town showgrounds, scant access to information and their lives in peril, the group become guerrilla resistance fighters. If the premise asks you to suspend belief, it rewards you for your effort. Although it's bookended by some stilted dialogue and inappropriately upbeat end credits, the film gets the important things right: explosions and emotional resonance. Tomorrow, When the War Began remains a universalising rather than a narrowing experience, which asks its audience to confront the violence of war and relate to young people living under occupation. Writer/director Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean, Australia) makes not-heavy-handed moves to make sure this comes across; Ellie's silent reflection over a mural of Australia's colonial settlement is one particularly poignant moment in a narrative where the invaders' nationalities are deliberately obscured (although, in a movie, they do have to have faces, and, yes, they're Asian). It's amazing that this film balances the genres of rollicking buddy adventure and war drama while hurtling along at quickening speed and without needing to cling to nationalism or blokiness to find its course. And the explosions: well, they're great. Save your cynicism; this is one to get excited about. https://youtube.com/watch?v=f_KhErNyiq8
One seminal pop musician. One major public event. Two 'where-were-you-when-it-happened' tragedies, made even more tragic by a subliminal sense of shame, the sneaking suspicion that we had contributed to the demise of a pop icon and the disintegration of an American dream by supercharging them with social importance. In his confronting new exhibition, Daniel Askill juxtaposes the death of the 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson, with the atrocities of 9/11. His premise is that we have created a world of false idolatry where images, scenes and people zoom in and out of focus depending on popular perception, rather than inherent importance. Askill's recurrent theme — explored in We Have Decided Not to Die and Artefacts From The Fifth Ritual — is that contemporary culture has become a profit driven industry which blatantly and unapologetically follows the same rules of production as any other producer of commodities. Askill contends that the growth of capitalism and the growth of mass entertainment are inextricably intertwined, leading to an indiscriminate whorl of 'modern worship.' Through a large-scale, looping installation, Askill uses slow motion video tableaux to replicate the way major events are played out in mass media. Modern Worship deals with how social fragmentation undermines any sense of cultural community because, in Yeats' words, the "centre cannot hold". Through his art, Askill exposes how human tragedies become hyper-reality, and how cultural exploitation is so much a factor in the destruction of public ideals.
JANIS, just like its namesake Janis Joplin, promises to be big, loud, here, change, make and take, and talk to the past and the future. What’s it all about? Discussing the gender inequality in the arts. And who's the woman behind it? Kelly Doley. She started it up to look at female art practice, including curating, writing and art projects. So female voices in the art world to be “heard a little louder and to take up more space in the artworld, and subsequently, in the annals of art histroy.” The first JANIS, titled JANIS#1 showing at Alaska Projects will exhibit the works of cross-disciplinary artists, including Kelly Doley’s own works. The other female artists involved are Sarah Contos who looks at themes of disillusionment and unfulfilled desire — with a cheeky twist, Hannah Furmage, Zoe Robertson, Marian Tubbs and Justene Williams. And alongside this exhibition, a published work will include writing from Brown Councillor Diana Smith and Amanda Rowell. Oh yeah, and did we mention there will be a special beer served on the night inspired by Janis Joplin called Crude Oil? Doesn't sound like a light beer. Opening night: Wednesday, February 6, from 6-8pm. The exhibition is open Saturdays and Sundays 1-6pm.
Fresh from making two of his last four films in Australia — Lion and Hotel Mumbai — Dev Patel is heading somewhere completely different. Stepping back to medieval times, he's jumping into the fantasy genre, messing with Arthurian legend and swinging around a mighty sword, all thanks to the dark and ominous The Green Knight. Based on the 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Green Knight casts Patel as Sir Gawain. Nephew to King Arthur (Sean Harris), he's a knight of the Round Table and fearsome warrior. The character has popped up in plenty of tales, but here, he's forced to confront the green-skinned titular figure in an eerie showdown. As the poem explains, the Green Knight dares any other knight to strike him with an axe, but only if they'll then receive a return blow exactly one year and one day later. Just how closely this film adaptation will stick to that story is yet to be seen — however the just-dropped first teaser certainly looks more than a little moody, brooding and creepy. Patel is in great company, with The Green Knight also starring Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton and Dunkirk's Barry Keoghan. Games of Thrones' Kate Dickie pops up as Guinevere, while her co-star Ralph Ineson — whose also known from the Harry Potter flicks, The Witch and the UK version of The Office — plays the Green Knight. And, it's the latest film by an impressive — and always eclectic — writer/director, with David Lowery's filmography spanning everything from Ain't Them Bodies Saints and Pete's Dragon to A Ghost Story and The Old Man and the Gun. Check out the teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoJc2tH3WBw The Green Knight will release in the US sometime over America's summer, but it doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when it does.
Alongside its huge Japan Supernatural: 1700s to now exhibition, the Art Gallery of NSW is hosting another exceptional show this summer — and this one's free. From Saturday, November 9 until February next year, the gallery is dedicating an entire exhibition to celebrated contemporary Australian artist Ben Quilty and his work over the past 15 years. Simply entitled Quilty, more than 70 pieces will showcase his work from the early 2000s onwards — including his intimate looks at his own reflection, his time spent as an official war artist in Afghanistan, poetic visions of the Australian landscape and his response to other topical events, including the last American election. Quilty's expressive portraits, both of himself and of others — such as executed Bali Nine drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran — are quite a striking sight. His Rorschach paintings are too, unsurprisingly. And, they're designed not just to catch the eye, but to explore the dark undercurrent of violence and themes of displacement. Including paintings inspired by his visits to Lebanon, Syria and Greece, the exhibition marks the first major survey of Quilty's artistic output in a decade. On Wednesday, November 13, Quilty will be in conversation with ABC Radio presenter Robbie Buck in a special edition of Art After Hours. After the talk, you can catch some live tunes, too. Image 1: Photograph: Daniel Boud. Image 2: Ben Quilty. Rorschach after von Guérard. 2009. Oil and synthetic polymer paint on linen (12 panels) / 230.0 x 804.0 cm (overall). Acquired 2009, TarraWarra Museum of Art. Courtesy the artist. Photograph: Jeremy Dillon.
A celebration of flavour all too overlooked comes to the Newtown Hotel on April 9 in the form of a cheese making and cider tasting workshop that might become one of the trendiest pairings since Jennifer Lawrence’s face literally met the red carpet. In conjunction with Cornersmith Picklery (the education space/grocery store addition to the much-loved Marrickville cafe of the same name) and Young Henrys Brewery located just around the corner, this intimate night school, held in the upstairs cinema area, asks you to get your hands dairy by having a crack at making your own cheese while sipping on the aforementioned local beer and cider. Cornersmith’s resident cheese-maker Kristen Allan will be on hand to guide you through crafting ricotta, labneh and even yoghurt, while Dan and Kristen Hampton from Young Henrys will be there to enlighten you on the booze. Plus it will all kick off with a sampling of Cornersmith products around the communal table.
Created in 1983, run by artists and housed in Woolloomooloo's historic Gunnery Building since 1992, Artspace hosts a range of exhibitions that explore the spectrum of artistic disciplines. Residencies are expertly curated with a focus on the contemporary, meaning that you'll always experience something to challenge your preconceptions of what art can be. In its lifetime, Artspace has been home to presentations by names as diverse as Marco Fusinato, Justene Williams and Chicks on Speed. And, with its commitment to boundary-pushing works and reciprocal relationships with its artists, you can bet that future exhibitions and the artworks gracing its walls will be just as thrilling.
When blissed out, soon-to-be-married American couple Nica (Hani Furstenberg) and Alex (Gael Garcia Bernal), set off on a hiking adventure in Georgia's remote Caucasus Mountains, they have little idea that their seemingly idealistic world is about to be profoundly challenged. To all appearances, the two share an unshakeable connection — spiritually at ease yet sexually charged. Nica is spirited and independent, and Alex adores her. They toy with language games, compete playfully over who is fastest or strongest, and are in free pursuit of their mutual wanderlust. Local guide Dato (Georgian actor and real-life expert mountaineer Bidzina Gujabidze) leads them through one breathtaking scene after another. Then, halfway through the film, a single event (not to be delineated here, for fear of giving too much away), corrupts the couple's bond, raising questions of trust, betrayal, and guilt. The Loneliest Planet, loosely based on Tom Bissell's short story Expensive Trips Nowhere, continues the minimalist style established in Russian-born, American-raised director Julia Loktev's second feature, Day Night Day Night(2006). Dialogue is sparse and we learn next to nothing of the specific details that conventionally define character — history, family, education, career, values and so forth. Nearly everything that we do know, we discover through action and we interpret through the camera's positioning. Loktev is a big fan of the long shot. Numerous scenes portray Nica, Alex and Dato "together alone", united by their common journey yet divided, both spatially and emotionally. The deeper the trio move into Georgia's rugged, unpredictable wilderness, the more vulnerable and exposed they appear. Cinematographer Inti Briones successfully captures the striking undulations of the landscape, contrasting shadowy valleys with verdant grassy hills and creating ominous campfire scenes through single source lighting. Loktev's intention is to carry us into the film's mental and physical world, one in which time seems to stretch on forever and all conviction has been thrown into doubt. We identify Nica and Alex as representative of a 'type' — the earnest backpacker, keen to escape insular Western existence but overwhelmed when 'the wild' presents them with more than they'd bargained for. Nica demonstrates the behaviour of a self-sufficient, modern woman, yet Alex's failure to meet her expectations causes bitter disappointment. The film explores some of the grey areas arising from the breakdown of traditional dichotomies: West versus Other, male versus female, impulse versus duty. However, while Loktev's aims are admirable, her approach is risky. The limited development of the characters threatens to undermine our emotional engagement and the snail-paced tempo can seem laboured at times. Just as lovers ensconced in a romantic affair might potentially struggle with the vagaries of reality, a filmmaker engrossed in a concept may run the risk of occasionally losing sight of the viewer's experience at the point of reception. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SIIMFHcC1Fc
After a horror run over the last three years, another major cancellation has hit the Australian festival scene. This time, The Grass Is Greener has been forced to cancel its new Canberra and Geelong gigs, and four of its acts won't be appearing at the remaining Gold Coast and Cairns dates. 2023 was slated to be a big year for the fest, which made its debut in Cairns back in 2016. This year, it was due to expand outside the Sunshine State, including heading to Canberra and Geelong as part of its planned four-date run — and, it had locked in multiple international headliners. The festival has sadly had to scale back last-minute, citing a range of reasons including weather forecasts, rising costs and the event industry post-COVID. "The reason for cancellation doesn't rest upon a single factor. Rather, it's related to the culmination of multiple elements that have affected not only us but our industry partners and siblings across the entire event industry in the COVID/post-lockdown period," a statement from The Grass Is Greener team reads. [caption id="attachment_856350" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Curdin Photo[/caption] The statement continues: "From an event standpoint, especially heading into these new markets, a festival team relies on certain milestones to enable us to run events successfully. What's more, the weather warnings we're receiving from Canberra and Geelong have also played a large role in this decision. While the shows were selling slower than predicted, we still had full intention of seeing them through — loss or otherwise. However, when coupled with the chance that sites might not even be built due to the impending weather, we knew we had to make a call as soon as possible." While this is sad news for those in the ACT and Victoria, it's not all doom and gloom. The festival will still be going ahead in the Gold Coast on Saturday, October 22 and Cairns on Saturday, October 29 with the likes of YG, PNAU, Alok, Wafia, Boo Seeka and Wongo. ONEFOUR, Ty Dollar $ign, Zhu and Maya Jane Coles have dropped off the bill, however, and won't be playing the Gold Coast or Cairns. [caption id="attachment_856349" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] Refund information for folks with tickets for the two cancelled dates will be made available in the next 7–14 days, or Canberra and Geelong ticketholders can use their tickets to gain access to the Gold Coast and Cairns festivals. The festival's statement also mentions that tickets will be valid for YG's Melbourne sideshow on Monday, October 31. YG was billed to appear with Ty Dolla $ign at his Margaret Court Arena show on that date. Be sure to check the festival and YG's Instagram pages for up-to-date info on this sideshow. [caption id="attachment_812356" align="alignnone" width="1920"] PNAU. Image: Pat Stevenson[/caption] THE GRASS IS GREENER 2022 LINEUP: Alok Aluna Boo Seeka Brux Crush3ed Little Fritter Wongo Market Memories Mood Swing & Chevy Bass Pnau Sidepiece Sticky Fingers TDJ YG + more THE GRASS IS GREENER 2022 DATES: Saturday, October 22 — Doug Jennings Park, Gold Coast Saturday, October 29 — Cairns Showgrounds, Cairns The Grass Is Greener has cancelled its Geelong and Canberra dates. It will now hit the Gold Coast and Cairns with reduced lineups this month. Head to the festival website for more information. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
Art and beer are truly important things. Australian art and Australian beer? Even better. The Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks will be celebrating its 100th birthday this Friday with a specially brewed craft beer and its inaugural Aussie Art Prize. The Australian relocated to its current address on Cumberland Street in the 1900s after being ruined by The Plague. The Plague is just the worst. The Hotel has operated and remained undisturbed for 100 years, becoming one of the oldest and most iconic establishments in Sydney — and one of the original drinking spots in the country. The Australian has always been a proud supporter of local brewers, launching the Annual Australian Beer Festival in 2004 and stocking over 130 boutique Australian brews. As part of the big ol' beery festival, the lovely crew at The Australian brewed and released their own special edition Rocks Lager to mark the centenary. Attendees of the festival were encouraged to brew a one-off heritage beer in honour of the 100 year milestone. Plus, for the 100-year date, The Australian is encouraging local artists to submit their interpretations of the theme 'Icons of the Rocks'. Cheers.
Just over two weeks ago, the Australian Government announced a ban on non-essential mass gatherings of more than 500 people. Tonight, Sunday, March 29, that number has dropped to two. During an announcement made after the latest national cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that any public gatherings should be limited to two people, excluding family members. If you're not with those you live with — your parents, children or partner, for example — you should only be with one other person. The previous limit was ten. States and territories will decide if this is an enforceable limit. On-the-spot fines are currently in place in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, for individuals and businesses not following other COVID-19 containment regulations, such as self-isolation and unlawful mass gatherings. It was also announced that public playgrounds, outdoor gyms and skate ramps will close from Monday, March 30. The new two-person limit on public gatherings does not apply to weddings (which have a current limit of five people) and funerals (which have a limit of ten), but it does apply to group bootcamps. The Prime Minister also reiterated that Australians should only be leaving their homes for one of four reasons: shopping for what you need — such as food and other essential supplies — "as infrequently as possibly"; for medical care or compassionate reasons; to exercise, in-line with the new two-person limit; and for work or education if you cannot work or learn remotely. Another new announcement made tonight and set to be expanded on by individual states and territories over the coming days is a moratorium on evictions for the next six months. Which means that individuals and businesses cannot be evicted from their residential or commercial properties for not paying rent. The Australian Government also urges anyone that does leave their house to follow its social distancing guidelines. 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. Top image: Kimberley Low
Continuing its support of groundbreaking female artists, CURVY will launch its eighth collection in exhibition and hard-copy form this May. Both the book and the exhibition feature the works of women artists the globe over, spanning over 40 countries from Israel to Ecuador. Each year, CURVY offers readers and attendees the opportunity to witness the latest batch of creative female talent. This year's exhibition will kick off the Semi-Permanent 2012 program in an incredible artistic display. Select works will be available for sale at this one-night event, as well as the CURVY 8 book itself ($40).
A solid fixture in the Art Month calendar is Collectors' Space, which offers the chance to catch a sneaky glimpse into some covert private collections. From IT professionals to celebrity chefs, it’s a diverse bundle of participants this year. Clinton Bradley, Kylie Kwong and Nell, Sue Cato, Max and Gaibrielle Germanos, and Noel McKenna will be sharing their hidden treasures. Brimming with personal stories and passions, this annual showcase (and its mini program of talks and events) ought to inspire the investor in you. In addition to Collector’s Space, there will be a variety of Buy Art tours taking punters behind-the-scenes of commercial galleries and providing key pointers on how to get cracking. This event is one of our top ten picks of Art Month. Check out the other nine here.
UPDATE: June 18, 2020: Queen & Slim is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Queen & Slim starts with a Tinder date in a diner, as a criminal defence attorney (Jodie Turner-Smith) and a Costco employee (Daniel Kaluuya) exchange small talk. Sparks hardly fly but, when the next day breaks, they've gone from swiping right to driving across the country together — after a ripped-from-the-headlines altercation with a white police officer (Sturgill Simpson) that turns them into fugitives, complete with their faces splashed across newspapers and televisions. So, having fled from Ohio to New Orleans with every cop in the area on their trail, of course the titular characters are greeted with an obvious comparison. When Queen's uncle Earl (Bokeem Woodbine) agrees to give the pair a temporary place to hide, he comments, "well, if it isn't the black Bonnie and Clyde". From a stranger, another reference is slung the duo's way: "are y'all the new Black Panthers?". The debut feature by music video director Melina Matsoukas — a Grammy-winner for her work on Rihanna's 'We Found Love' and Beyonce's 'Formation' — Queen & Slim wears its nods on its sleeves, and its topicality as well. Combining an all-too-frequent real-life situation with cinema's "lovers on the run" genre, it's a statement piece that not only conveys an attention-grabbing story, but explores the constantly relevant issue of race relations in America. The movie's big-screen predecessors haven't been short on societal and political commentary. Whether charting true events in Bonnie and Clyde or skewering mass media sensationalism in Natural Born Killers, this field is full of films with something to say. And Queen & Slim joins a long line of recent features interrogating subjects such as racism, prejudice and police brutality in the US, too, including the Kaluuya-starring Get Out, plus The Hate U Give and If Beale Street Could Talk. But in blending its various parts into one provocative and passionate package, this is a supremely stylish and powerful addition to its various filmic folds. They're never actually called by the eponymous names — and their real monikers aren't revealed until late — but Queen and Slim's fortunes change when they're pulled over for a minor traffic infringement. As the script by Master of None star Lena Waithe makes clear, their troubles also begin because of their skin colour. Soon the cop has been shot, Queen is injured and Slim is driving away as fast as possible. He actually wants them to turn themselves in but, thanks to her job, she's adamant that they'll never be treated fairly no matter what they do next — which means that they may as well abscond. Initially, Queen and Slim are ordinary folks victimised by institutional discrimination, then forced to fight back. Soon, they're public enemy number one to law enforcement but heroes in the black community, which helps as they attempt to escape to Cuba via Florida. Given that it focuses on two people dashing across the US, Queen and Slim is a road movie; however it has as much time for the many faces the central pair meets along the way as it does for the scenery, and for their growing bond with each other too. With this in mind, some choices don't completely work — crosscutting a sex scene with a "black lives matter"-style protest in support of the two fugitives, for example — but generally, Matsoukas and Waithe convincingly capture how racial prejudice makes an imprint. From the inciting incident and panicked neighbours calling the cops on people of colour, to riots and other displays of solidarity, Matsoukas and Waithe cover a broad and necessary spectrum of scenarios. Perhaps 'cover' isn't the right description. It's accurate, yet Queen and Slim never feels like it's assembling its array of episodic escapades by ticking its way through a list. Rather, this is a feature that wanders through a snapshot of African American life in a feverish and heightened fashion, all while seething with anger and intensity, pondering trauma and history, and never forgetting that, in its own way, it remains a date movie. In mood rather than meaning or political substance, Quentin Tarantino-written 90s crime flick True Romance casts a shadow. Queen & Slim exudes the same kind of cool, and the same type of affection for its thrown-together couple. And, as sleek and expressive as anything she's done before, Matsoukas's glossy visuals — as lensed to dream perfection by Tat Radcliffe ('71), and paired with the film's velvet, tiger stripe and snakeskin-heavy fashion choices — feel cut from a similar cloth. To some, it might seem jarring to see Queen & Slim's story unfold with such eye-catching, intoxicating imagery. Earl's scantily clad girlfriends certainly stand out, but they also encapsulate one of the movie's main messages: about judging based on appearances only. The same can be said of the white couple (Flea and Chloë Sevigny) who help Queen and Slim. Actually, the same applies to the entire film. Telling an outrage-filled tale in a visually gleaming way, Queen & Slim's potency never falters, with no small amount of credit due to British model-turned-actor Turner-Smith and the always impressive Kaluuya. They're not just dynamic but dynamite as the reluctant outlaws — and, crucially, they turn in raw, textured performances that ensure their characters are people first, and victims, heroes, potential martyrs and countercultural symbols second. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRMPdhQBlWs
Maybe you have a bit of a soft spot for a good Christmas Panto. Or maybe you'd like to treat the little people in your family to some fun. Either way, you can head along to the Sydney Story Factory for The Quartercorn, Mr Sinister and the Stolen Fairy Tales, a show written and performed by the children and adult volunteers from the centre. Directed by Uma Kali Shakti and written by last term's Thursday after-school class, the play follows two schoolkids who, on their first day at a new school, discover all the other students are fairytale characters with a serious case of memory loss. There's a Princess, a villain called Mr Sinister, a magical creature called Quartercorn and NAPLAN testing. There's singing and hopefully a few opportunities to heckle the bad guy and shout out "He’s behind you!" All profits will go towards the creative writing workshops at the factory. The show is on Thursday and Friday at 6pm, plus Saturday at 2.30pm.
So you've wrangled some IKEA furniture together and propped a few struggling houseplants in the corner, but your walls are still looking tragically bare. Whether you've just moved into a new place or been in the same apartment for years, art is something that's often left to the bottom of the homewares list. The Other Art Fair Sydney is here to help you inject some colour and energy into your space. The international festival is all about making art inclusive and accessible, with artworks for as low as $100. The multi-day fair will be returning to The Cutaway in Barangaroo for another year from Thursday, October 12 to Sunday, October 15 with a lineup of 120 independent artists, DJs, performances and food and drink options. To celebrate the return of this art-filled affair, we've teamed up with The Other Art Fair to give away a luxe staycation for two. The winner will score two tickets to opening night on Thursday, October 12 along with a $250 voucher to put towards whatever art catches their eye. They'll also get $50 worth of food and drink vouchers to spend while they're there. Then they'll get to kick back in style with a night at the waterside Ovolo Woolloomooloo. [competition]915083[/competition]
Sydney's city skyline is set to welcome a dazzling new addition, as work officially kicks off on a 50-storey glass skyscraper they're calling Quay Quarter Tower. The tower, which will be located at 50 Bridge Street, is part of a $2.7 billion development AMP Capital has planned for a 11,000-square-metre Quay Quarter Sydney precinct, just near Circular Quay. The precinct will be made up of residential space, shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. The building clocks in at a soaring 200-metres tall and is designed by Danish architects 3XN. And, if plans are anything to go by, it's set to be one impressive-looking tower, featuring five "shifting glass volumes" set on top of each other, with atrium space and some cracking views across the Harbour. At the base of the tower, there'll be an urban green space and a 5000-square-metre lifestyle, services and food retail precinct. On top of that, it will be mostly office space. If all goes to plan, it's expected to be completed by late 2021. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Quay Quarter Tower is just part of an estimated $4.8 billion worth of projects currently being built around the CBD. Via smh.com.au
Auckland four-piece Tiny Ruins are embarking on a mini-tour of Australia playing three gigs in Sydney and Melbourne. Mid-tour, they'll be releasing an EP titled Hurtling Through, which was recorded in Brooklyn earlier in the year. Originally a vehicle for the solo work of singer-songwriter Hollie Fullbrook, over the years Tiny Ruins has morphed from a one-woman side-project into an indie sensation with mainstream appeal. Don’t expect Fullbrook to account for the band’s success; the seemingly shy singer/songwriter hasn’t changed things up, instead sticking to her tried and true formula of crafting haunting, melancholic ballads. Ballads so beguiling that the band’s debut album, Some Were Meant For Sea, was recognised as one of the five best albums of 2011 by the BBC World Service no less. Simply put, this is beautiful, bittersweet, halting music. If that sounds like something you’d like to see, you can’t go wrong with Tiny Ruins.
Since 1990, every child has wished for one thing: to get stranded home alone so they could relive the ultimate 90s Christmas movie. No one really wants to spend the festive season without their family — especially when their mum is Schitt's Creek legend Catherine O'Hara — but we've all wanted to follow in Macaulay Culkin's footsteps. Admit it, we've all yelled "keep the change, ya filthy animal!" in hope, too. Expect that line — and the entire seasonal cinematic treat that is Home Alone — to echo through the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall when 2024's festive season rolls around. Here's one way to relive the movie: watching it play in the hefty venue with a live soundtrack. As part of its just-announced season for next year, Sydney Symphony Orchestra is bringing the film back to the big screen in the best possible way, aka in concert, and welcoming the merriest time of the year in the most appropriate fashion. Home Alone made a star out of Culkin and, yes, made every 90s kid (and 00s and 10s kid as well) hope their family went on holidays without them. It truly is the best movie there is about an eight-year-old who outsmarts two burglars while living it up without his parents and siblings — and while it charts Kevin McCallister's antics, it also boasts a rousing Oscar-nominated score by iconic composer John Williams. That's what the SSO will bust out from Friday, December 6–Sunday, December 8, 2024 (and there's your essential end-of-year viewing taken care of next year). If your response to the above news is to hold your hands to your cheeks and exclaim, then you'll know that Home Alone isn't just any old Christmas flick. It's one of the highest-grossing Christmas films of all time. And, it's spawned sequels great (Home Alone 2: Lost in New York) and forgettable (all the other ones, including 2021's Home Sweet Home Alone). The adored picture is also one of three that SSO will play through as it graces the silver screen in 2024. The other two: the glorious classic that is Singin' in the Rain, plus the animated delights of How to Train Your Dragon. Gene Kelly and wet weather will get their turn across Friday, April 12–Saturday, April 13, while Hiccup is in the spotlight on Saturday, August 24 — both also at Sydney Opera House. The three events sit on a growing roster of movie-themed performances for the SSO, including concerts focused on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, 100 years of Disney flicks, Black Panther, The Princess Bride and Hans Zimmer in 2023. Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Home Alone in Concert will take place from Friday, December 6–Sunday, December 8, 2024 at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. For more information about SSO's 2024 season, and tickets, head to the organisation's website.
This Sydney Festival favourite returns to Parramatta Park for another evening of gorgeous music by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the open night skies. Grab your friends, family, or current flame, pack a picnic and a blanket, and relax into the summery dusk for a night of music that will make you feel a bit like you're living in a film. The orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Northey, will run through some classics from the likes of Rossini, Strauss and Tchaikovsky, as well as some John Williams film scores that you're likely to recognise. The whole thing goes for three hours, so be sure to pack a good haul of snacks and drinks. Image: Victor Frankowski.
March can often arrive with a pang of seasonal realisation — summer's done. But there are some who resist the change, especially those intent on creating an entire beach festival in Coogee. You'll quickly forget any farewells to the sunnier months at the Coogee Foreshore Festival, a seaside celebration transforming Coogee Pavilion's ground floor into a burgeoning marketplace. It's just one tasty, beachy adventure in five weeks of March into Merivale. "This year, we have upped the ante to deliver a jam-packed five-week festival of the senses," says Justin Hemmes, Merivale CEO. "March into Merivale will show you how to live larger every day of the week as food, wine, adventure and surprises explode together in over 50 amazing events." The festival kicks off with a lavish launch party on Wednesday, February 25, which will showcase the best nosh and drinkies from over 20 Merivale venues all in one event at ivy. From Ash Street to Palings, you'll be able to stroll through the stalls for $45 entry, handpick your favourite Merivale snackery and maybe meet the chef. Then there's the new Coogee Foreshore Festival on Sunday, March 15. Set at one of our favourite openings from 2014, the $45-a-head festival will see Merivale pop-ups such as Papi Chulo, Mr Wong, El Loco and sushi e all taking their spot along the promenade, while roaming entertainment, a Deus surfboard-shaping stand and face painting bubbles inside. Weeknights are a thing to look forward to during March Into Merivale. Monday Detox will see free Lululemon yoga sessions every Monday night at ivy Pool Club (with $25 healthy dish and mocktail specials at Papi Chulo, The Fish Shop, Coogee Pavilion, The Beresford Hotel and Uccello). Tuesday Date Nights includes two courses for two at the same Merivale establishments, plus a bottle of San Pellegrino and a choice of beverage from Villa Maria, Chandon or Heineken, from $45 per person. Throughout the festival, diners with a love of adventure can book a 'Mystery Dinner'. You could end up in any Merivale eatery, from the grand dining room at est. to Potts Pott hangout Ms.G’s. Wednesday Showcase Events will see a dessert-only feature night at Establishment, Merivale Wines tastings at ivy, a European-focused night in ivy's laneway and an Asian cuisine 'Wok On!' party with hip hop, neon installations and stalls taking over Establishment. Savoir Fare Thursday is the fanciest of them all — and one for true Merivale enthusiasts — where Merivale kitchen masters including Dan Hong, Peter Doyle, Jordan Toft, Danielle Alvarez and Jeremy Strode will each take a turn to host their ultimate dinner party at ivy Private Dining Room, and hand over their skills to budding chefs while they're hosting (from $150 per person, limited 22 seats available each event). For the sweet tooth, Merivale’s queen of pastry, Lorraine Godsmark, will be taking weekly masterclasses at $80 per person. Weekends are where the party really ignites for MIM. Each Friday night will see a different Merivale venue picked for the 'Friday Surprise' — it'll be Establishment, ivy Pool Club, Slip Inn, Palings or Beresford. The 'surprise' can be anything from opera to impromptu cabaret, so be prepared. Saturdays will see a string of Merivale parties from Pacha Sydney's new Maison de Fous to the Beresford’s Mardi Gras Party. Then you'll dust it all off with Sunday Brunch, Merivale-style — Breakfast a la Française (Felix, 1 March), Mardi Gras Recovery Brunch (Beresford, 8 March), BBQ Brunch (Papi Chulo, 22 Mar) and Brunch Italiana (Uccello, 29 March). It's $55 per person including a set brunch feast and a glass of Chandon Rosé. Summer might be done according to the calendar, but there's no reason to dwell in melted daiquiris and uneaten Christmas chocolate. Forward march to autumn.
Both Mondays and the winter season have a pretty iffy rep; constantly scorned for following sunnier, happier, seemingly more leisurely times. But wintry Mondays are about to become something to look forward to; with one Sydney establishment taking it upon themselves to sweeten the start-of-week deal with a good ol' fashioned free movie night. Manly Wharf Hotel is transforming their main bar into a mini seaside cinema every Monday night from tonight until September. Locked in for Monday nights from June 1 to September 29, Manly Wharf Hotel's new weekly Monday Night Movies series combines bean bags, $10 movie meals and plenty of popcorn with one pretty excellent film program running on the hotel's two-metre TV — we're talking cult favourites, sleepover classics and a few 'movies you should have seen by now'. Kicking off with perfect seaside film Jaws on June 1, the lineup includes surf classic Big Wednesday, White Russian-accompaniment The Big Lebowski, immortal tearjerker The Notebook, George Miller's original Mad Max, Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs and plenty more. It's a pretty cheap and easy way to start your week off on an effortlessly good note, with the Wharf Hotel kitchen cranking out a $10 movie menu just for Monday nights — think pub classics like barbecue chicken or Margherita pizzas, veggie, beef and chicken burgers. Or you could pop into the Burger Liquor Lobster pop-up and nab a cheeky lobster roll. There'll be $10 Tooheys New and Hahn Super Dry jugs and $10 weekly cocktails — also in jugs. Best bit? You can order from your bean bag; the MWH staff will be running a Gold Class-like in-seat service (without the Gold Class price tag). MANLY WHARF HOTEL MONDAY NIGHT MOVIES PROGRAM: Monday June 1 Jaws Monday June 8 Big Wednesday Monday June 15 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Monday June 22 The Wolf of Wall Street Monday June 29 The Big Lebowski Monday July 6 Pulp Fiction Monday July 13 The Notebook Monday July 20 Ocean’s Eleven Monday July 27 Thelma and Louise Monday 3 August The Blues Brothers Monday 10 August Reservoir Dogs Monday 17 August Legend of Ron Burgundy Monday 31 August Wayne’s World Monday 7 September Fight Club Monday 14 September The Hangover Monday 21 September Mad Max Monday 28 September Silence of the Lambs
Having won over the hungry hordes with his recent takeovers of (the now-closed) Bar Brosé and Casoni, Ételek chef Adam Wolfers (ex-Yellow) is now set to move into Enmore's The Gretz. Running the kitchen for one day only, he'll be teaming up with owner-chef Gregory Llewellyn to create a cornucopia of Jewish Hungarian bar food. "Expect to see lots of fun snacks with a main focus on vegetables and seafood," Adam says. Look out for storm clams with crushed potato and bay oil, as well as barbecued oysters with walnut, fennel and red wine. Then, of course, there's the mighty lángos: a Hungarian fried bread snack that Wolfers will serve with smoked sour cream, dukkah and caviar. As expected, it goes damn well with beer — and The Gretz offers a good selection of local craft drops, including Yulli's blood orange pilsner and Willie the Boatman's Corn Ale.
2021 swarmed with historic achievements for women in film, including Nomadland's Chloë Zhao becoming the first woman of colour and only second woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Director, that category's nomination of two female filmmakers for the first time in its then 93-year history and the Cannes Film Festival awarding the Palme d'Or to a woman — Titane's Julia Ducournau — for only the second time. But before all of that, Kosovo-born writer/director Blerta Basholli achieved something at the Sundance Film Festival that'd never been done either: winning the US fest's World Cinema Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Best Director gong for Hive. It was a well-deserved feat for a movie that'd stick in memory even without such an achievement, and it's easy to see why Sundance's jurors and viewers responded with such a show of support. A powerhouse of a true tale that's brought to the screen with a devastatingly potent lead performance, Hive is simply unshakeable. In Basholli's first feature, to peer at star Yllka Gashi (Kukumi) is to look deep into a battler's eyes. Hive directs its attention her way frequently. The also-Kosovan actor plays Fahrije Hoti, a woman who has never been allowed to stop fighting, although the men in her patriarchal village would prefer she'd keep quiet. They wish she'd just attend to her duties as a mother and do what's expected. They think she should be a silent, compliant wife, although there's a significant problem with that idea. With her husband missing for years due to the Kosovo War, she can't be a meekly obedient spouse even if that was in her nature — which it isn't — because the man she loves is gone, no sign of him either dead or alive has been recovered, and she's trapped in limbo as she waits, tries to keep caring for her family and endeavours to go on. Those dismissive, misogynistic attitudes flung at Fahrije by her community join the litany of roadblocks that she's forced to rally against with every word, thought and breath she has. In her husband's absence, her father-in-law Haxhi (Çun Lajçi, Zana) is eager to maintain the status quo, but Fahrije has been trying to make ends meet anyway, all in a town — and amidst a male-dominated culture — that couldn't be more unsympathetic to her plight. She isn't alone, however, with many of the locale's other women also widowed due to the conflict, and similarly expected to survive without upsetting traditional gender roles. So, with the beehives that she dutifully attends to unable to keep providing enough income to pay her bills, the enterprising Fahrije and her friend Nazmije (Kumrije Hoxha, The Marriage) decide to start a female-run co-operative to make and sell ajvar, a pepper relish. A picture of stinging resilience, unflappable fortitude and baked-in sorrow, Gashi is phenomenal as Fahrije. Not only does Hive keep gazing her way but, thanks to the raw compulsion of her performance, viewers eagerly do the same. The skill required to play stoic but also persistent, passionate and simmering with internalised pain can't be underestimated, and watching Gashi navigate that balance like it's the only thing she knows — because, for Fahrije after her husband's disappearance, it now is — is affecting on a gutwrenching level. Lived-in fury and resolve buzzes through every facet of her portrayal, all as the woman whose shoes she's walking in weathers derision, violence and attempted sexual assault for daring to dream of attempting to support herself. It comes as no surprise that various film festival prizes have been sent Gashi's way among Hive's collection of accolades, with ample merit. Such masterful and moving work is never an actor's alone, though — and, behind the lens, Basholli puts in just as magnificent an effort in making Fahrije's story, and Gashi's performance along with it, so commanding and all-consuming. Both the filmmaker and her lead play with reality, drawing upon the real-life Hoti's stirring and inspiring experiences; however, Hive could never be mistaken for a standard biopic. Basholli's script may trace a familiar narrative arc, as many tales of rallying against adversity and oppression do, but nothing about her film feels as if its beats are being faithfully hit to chart a straightforward path and evoke an easy emotional reaction — not at any time, and not even once. Instead, the meticulous care that's been put into every exactingly staged and observed scene is evident at every moment, resulting in a movie that's not just rousing but thoroughly lived-in. Understated in its style and unfurling of its story alike, if the blistering Hive shares similarities with any other features, it's with the work of Basholli's fellow Kosovan filmmakers who've also used their movies to grapple with the impact of the war, the way women have historically been treated, the dynamics within relationships as a result, the reality of life in the post-conflict Balkan republic and/or bits of all of the above. Perusing the country's list of Academy Award submissions paints that picture clearly, including 2014's Three Widows and a Hanging, 2018's The Marriage and 2019's Zana — all films that are as culturally specific about their setting as any can be. But, again, Hive is its own achievement. Perhaps it's more accurate to see Basholli's film as building upon the portrait that past features have started to shade in of her homeland, complete with its own layers and colours. It also adds to the snapshot-within-a-snapshot that've depicted what it means to be a woman on Kosovan soil as well. Defiance, determination, sporting both in the face of dispiriting and overwhelming forces that want the opposite of what's truly in your best interests, rebelling against convention and the patriarchy, doing just what needs to be done: that's what pulsates through Hive, Gashi's performance and Basholli's directorial choices. So does a shatteringly astute exploration of wading through grief so thick that it may as well be an ocean — of honey or ajvar, take your pick. That's where this deeply resonant film's intimate stares in its protagonist's direction pierce even sharper, seeing everything she's feeling, and just her in general, when so few in her midst will. It's why its scenes of Fahrije and her fellow widows disregarding everything they're told, soldiering on despite the backlash they receive physically and emotionally, and just sitting and making their pepper relish are so fierce and unforgettable, and yet also hopeful, too.
Grab your woollies and get ready to celebrate all things chilly at the Bathurst Winter Festival. The two-week event celebrates the magic of the colder months — just because it's winter doesn't mean you can't get out and have a fun time. Bathurst will light up in a blaze of colour as interactive light installations project onto the town's historic architecture. Rug up and head along to the Winter Playground, where you can get your Nancy Kerrigan on at the ice-skating rink. Kids and adults alike will enjoy riding the giant ferris wheel. Held on the first and second Saturday, there will be two twilight Festival Nights. The first, Ignite the Night, will kick off the festival with local tunes and stunning light shows scattered around the village. The second, Brew and Bite, features twilight markets, with gourmet food trucks and lots of the all-essential mulled wine.
UPDATE, October 29, 2020: Halloween is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. The boogeyman is back, and his warped face mask, stolen mechanic's overalls and gleaming kitchen knife too. But Michael Myers' return isn't the entire point of the latest (and second greatest) Halloween. While the creepy convicted killer stalks the streets of Haddonfield, Illinois as if he's never left, Jamie Lee Curtis' resourceful and determined Laurie Strode is back as well — and in the current version of events, she's spent four decades preparing for this very moment. Once a 17-year-old babysitter targeted by an escaped criminal asylum patient on October 31, Laurie is now a silver-haired, gun-toting grandmother. Living in a compound-like property in her hometown, she's so intent on facing her attacker that she has dedicated years to this very purpose. Laurie's now-adult daughter Karen (Judy Greer) resents her for the impact that it had on her childhood, while teenage granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) is caring but concerned. Regardless, Laurie knows that Michael will come for her — and when he again breaks free en route to a new psychiatric facility, she's proven accurate. Carnage ensues, just as it did in John Carpenter's original slasher classic. As Haddonfield trick-or-treats like it's any other Halloween in any other place, Michael adds more notches to his body count, Laurie lies in wait and Allyson follows in her grandmother's footsteps like it's 40 years earlier. Directed by David Gordon Green (Stronger) and co-written with frequent collaborator Danny McBride, 2018's Halloween knows how to incite bumps, jumps and screams, many of which will be gloriously familiar to seasoned Halloween buffs. But, with Carpenter's blessing and a new musical score from the horror maestro and composer, this take on the franchise also knows how to carve its own path. Now reaching its 11th instalment, Halloween unleashes the series' fourth different timeline, ignoring everything else except the initial 1978 flick. Black Mirror just announced that it's making a choose-your-own-adventure episode, but this franchise has been doing it for decades. Viewers can pick the cultish thread that eventually connects the first five sequels (including the Michael-free Halloween III: Season of the Witch), Laurie's first big return in Halloween: H20 and its terrible follow-up Halloween: Resurrection, or Rob Zombie's two remakes, however the series' next chapter is the most thrilling, perceptive and satisfying. Green and McBride are clearly fond of Carpenter's seminal work, stripping the saga's underlying suburban nightmare back to its terrifying basics, while contemplating the consequences of terrible trauma. Their film recognises the scariest fact of life: that truly awful things happen for absolutely no reason, and that they cast a dark shadow. That makes 2018's Halloween a powerful account of the ways that horrific acts shape the lives of survivors, as well as a celebration of women rallying to reclaim their own story. Nothing robs inexplicable terror of its potency quite like its intended victims refusing to be defined by fear. Thankfully, this Halloween isn't just thoughtful — it's thoroughly entertaining, even when it's hitting recognisable notes. Balancing the old and the new is a game that this sequel plays as well as Michael plays cat-and-mouse, from subverting genre tropes initially established by the series, to lovingly nodding to its many predecessors. When the true crime podcasters (played by Jefferson Hall and Rhian Rees) who kickstart the film's narrative visit Haddonfield's cemetery, and when Laurie calls new doctor Sartain (Haluk Bilginer) the "new Loomis", franchise devotees will want to cheer. When the movie turns Laurie into Michael's boogeyman, rather than vice versa, everyone will want to applaud. Of course, as plenty of horror shockers have demonstrated over the last 40 years — including a few Halloween follow-ups — it's not enough to simply work through the Halloween checklist. While 2018's Halloween does that with finesse and fondness that goes beyond mere fan service,it also feels the part thanks to its unsettling atmosphere and ample blood splatter. There's lingering menace in Michael Simmonds' (Nerve) cinematography, both when it's mirroring old shots from the original and bringing its own flourishes. Collaborating with his son Cody and godson Daniel Davies, Carpenter's score reworks the iconic synth and piano-heavy music that has served the series so well, but with a suitably bleaker tone. They both contribute to the sequel that Carpenter's seminal picture has deserved for all of these years. That said, 2018's Halloween does present a conundrum. It's the perfect culmination to the long-running franchise but, more than any other chapter, it leaves the audience pumped for more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL_I2vNwkXQ
It may sound like a cliché, describing a filmmaker as courageous. But when it comes to Jafar Panahi, it really is the only word that fits. For years, Panahi's films, including The Circle and Offside, drew the ire of censors in his native Iran for their frank depictions of the hardships felt by people, and particularly women, under the nation's conservative regime. This came to a head in 2010 when he was arrested on propaganda charges and later slapped with a 20 year ban from filmmaking – a ban he has been defying ever since. Tehran Taxi, which won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival back in February, is Panahi's third film to be made under these restrictions, following This Is Not A Film in 2011 and Closed Curtain in 2013. Those films were shot in secret in his apartment and beachside villa, respectively. This time he's a little bolder, shooting surreptitiously from the inside of a cab as he drives it around the city, capturing his conversations with various passengers – including a schoolteacher, a lawyer and a thief – with a small dashboard camera. Whether these characters are real people or actors (or a combination of both) is intentionally left unclear, as Panahi playfully blurs the line between documentary and fiction. It's this playfulness and good humour that is key to the movie's success. In Panahi's previous two films, you can sense his frustration and feelings of helplessness – and given his situation, you can hardly hold that against him. They're fascinating works, and important, but more by virtue of their existence than their content. They feel like therapy, not films. Tehran Taxi, on the other hand, plays like a movie in its own right. Here, Panahi mixes the meta elements of his recent output with the shrewd social commentary of his pre-arrest work, all buoyed by a lightness and a cheekiness that makes it accessible to audiences far beyond the arthouse. Indeed, much of Tehran Taxi plays like a straightforward comedy. In one segment, a friendly vendor of pirated DVDs attempts to partner up with Panahi, reasoning that more people will buy his wares – including copies of Midnight in Paris and The Big Bang Theory – if he's working with a famous filmmaker. In another segment, Panahi must ferry two panicked, superstitious old women across town, so they might return their goldfish to a sacred spring in order to buy themselves another year of life. But the most delightful scenes belong to Panahi's young niece Hana, whose lively repartee with her uncle – after he picks her up an hour late from primary school – will leave you smiling from ear to ear. Of course even beneath the humour, Panahi's rebellious spirit shines through. Hana, we soon learn, wants to make a film herself, but she's baffled by the instructions of her school teacher, who insists that movies mustn't discuss political or economic issues, and that the students should remove anything dark or unpleasant. "There are realities they don't want shown," explains her uncle. In another scene, they give a ride to a friend of Panahi's, human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is on her way to visit the family of a woman who has been imprisoned for trying to sneak into a volleyball game. Yet even the film's more more serious moments, or in its abrupt, unsettling ending, Tehran Taxi leaves viewers with a sense of hope. It's a film that throws the hypocrisy of oppressors back in their face, and does so with a wry sense of humour. We'll end this review with a quote from filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, who headed the Berlin Festival jury that awarded Panahi top honours. "Instead of allowing his spirit to be crushed and giving up, instead of allowing himself to be filled with anger and frustration, Jafar Panahi created a love letter to cinema. His film is filled with love for his art, his community, his country and his audience." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOAOxsHVTYk
With a new superhero movie hitting cinemas every month, or near enough, you can be forgiven for feeling a bit fatigued with the general premise. With box office domination comes more of the same; however the genre's popularity is also inspiring creative takes on the concept — and in the case of Brightburn, something dark and creepy. You mightn't recognise the movie's moniker, given that it stems from an original script rather than an existing comic book property, but Guardians of the Galaxy writer/director James Gunn is the producer's chair. The first release with his name on it after he was fired from the Marvel franchise earlier this year, it was written by his brother Brian and cousin Mark. Brightburn also features a cast led by Elizabeth Banks, who starred in Gunn's pre-Guardians horror flick Slither. Directed by David Yarovesky (who also has a Guardians credit, appearing on-screen as a goth ravager), the premise starts in familiar territory. A child from another world crashes to earth, and is taken in by a caring couple (Banks and The Office's David Denman). But before you start thinking about Superman, this is a horror movie — and it definitely doesn't feature the man of steel. Brightburn opens in Australian cinemas on May 23, 2019 — check out the trailer below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lCimwXO0-U&feature=youtu.be
He's been hailed as the king of documentaries, known for his fearless deep dives into the boldest of subjects, from sex trafficking to religious extremists and just about everything in between. And now, Louis Theroux is stepping out from in front of the camera and onto the stage, venturing Down Under for his second Aussie speaking tour this summer. In January, the intrepid BBC filmmaker will hit Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, here to share his secrets in new show Louis Theroux Without Limits. The fearless journalist will be joined by local media personality Julia Zemiro for a two-hour on-stage adventure, dropping insights into his extraordinary life and behind-the-scenes secrets from his impressive catalogue of work. With more than two decades of filmmaking experience and multiple awards under his belt, Theroux has a knack for digging deep and getting people to spill the beans, telling it exactly how it is. From the opioid epidemic and the San Fernando Valley porn industry to the Church of Scientology, his work has given him countless fascinating stories to dish up on this latest speaking tour. "Australians are obviously connoisseurs of the weird side of life," Theroux said in a statement. "I look forward to coming back to share even more memorable moments and extraordinary stories from the people I have encountered in my films." He was last here in 2016, when he took his (sell-out) speaking tour to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. While you wait for Louis to head Down Under, you can catch his new series of documentaries on BBC Knowledge from Thursday, June 27. You can check out a teaser for the new show Louis Theroux Without Limits here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bcgv0S4Wj8&feature=youtu.be LOUIS THEROUX WITHOUT LIMITS 2020 DATES Sunday, January 12 – Riverside Theatre, Perth Monday, January 13 – Convention Centre, Adelaide Wednesday, January 15 – Brisbane Convention Centre, Brisbane Thursday, January 16 – Royal Theatre, Canberra Friday January 17 – State Theatre, Sydney Sunday, January 19 – Plenary Theatre, Melbourne Tickets to Louis Theroux Without Limits go on sale at 9am on Monday, June 24. You can sign up for pre-sale on the website.
UPDATE, August 3, 2020: Downhill is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. "Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." They're the wise words of cinema's current king, aka multi-Oscar-winning Parasite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, who made the above comment to a room full of Hollywood heavyweights at this year's Golden Globes. It's just a statement of fact — and while you could say that the folks behind Downhill have taken his advice, they've really just followed a frustrating trend. Remaking Swedish movie Force Majeure, they've read the subtitles, then decided that the world desperately needs an English-language version of Ruben Ostlund's (The Square) exceptional 2014 Cannes award-winner. This isn't the first time a great movie in a language other than English has received the remake treatment. And, as the likes of 12 Monkeys, Insomnia, The Departed, Let Me In and Gloria Bell have demonstrated, such a path doesn't always end badly. But Downhill is such a broad and simplistic adaptation of a savage and stunningly complex film that it only seems to be motivated by three factors. The first: money, cashing in on Force Majeure's modest success. The second: teaming up Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell. The third: taking a great concept and dumbing it down for the widest possible audience. Who needs a sharp, smart exploration of festering marital troubles and engrained gender roles — in Swedish, no less — when you can plonk a fighting, holidaying couple in a cross-cultural comedy? That appears to be writer/directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's (The Way, Way Back) favoured approach. The setup: on vacation in the Alps, the Stauntons have skiing and bonding firmly on their minds. Then, over what should be an uneventful lunch, a controlled avalanche completely changes their getaway's vibe. Snow rolls towards the chalet where Pete (Ferrell), Billie (Louis-Dreyfus) and their kids (Julian Grey and Ammon Jacob Ford) are discussing their soup options, and it doesn't seem to be stopping. Billie throws her arms around her sons, but Pete grabs his phone, jumps up and bolts. When the incident is over — leaving everyone shaken, frosty but unharmed — Pete's family can't quite look at him the same way, especially when he claims loudly and angrily that he didn't abandon his nearest and dearest in the face of a possible disaster. As the movie's title makes plain, things do go downhill. It was a risky move, giving this film that particular name, because the whole feature proves a definite slide from the original, too. Instead of subtlety and even ambiguity — and instead of cleverly and amusingly pondering humanity's inherent fight-or-flight response, today's multifaceted readings of masculinity and the passive aggression that lingers in all relationships — Downhill keeps everything as overt and obvious as possible. Cue ample bickering, absolutely no room for intricacy or doubt, and scene after scene devoid of either tension or laughs. When younger couple Zach (Zach Woods) and Rosie (Zoe Chao) arrive, for example — as secretly invited by Pete — they're supposed to reflect the audience's discomfort at watching a marriage potentially implode. Instead, the scene just plays like a bad sitcom outtake. As actors, Faxon (Ben and Kate, Married, Friends from College) and Rash (Community's Dean Pelton) have experience in the genre; however there's nothing funny about Downhill's stilted feel. In another altercation, when Billie and Pete report their experience to the resort's security team, a scene that's supposed to ripple with awkwardness and unease just seems pointless. Actually, it does have a purpose: giving a brief snippet of screen time to Game of Thrones favourite Kristofer Hivju, who actually had a sizeable role in Force Majeure and is clearly the only actor Downhill deems worthy of returning. The less said about Miranda Otto's stereotype-baiting, forcefully accented performance as an over-sexed hotel manager, the better. It's the type of character that should've disappeared from screens decades ago, although it does typify much about Downhill. At every turn, this remake strips out its source material's depth and richness in favour of the easiest, most cartoonish option — and for viewers who haven't seen Force Majeure, another superficial and formulaic flick about an unhappy marriage and Americans marvelling at cultural differences overseas is hardly high on anyone's must-watch list. You wouldn't guess that Succession and Peep Show creator Jesse Armstrong helped pen the script, or that Louis-Dreyfus is one of Downhill's producers. In the latter's defence, she does rank among the film's highlights. While Billie is tasked with navigating scenarios that manage to be both derivative and over-the-top — losing her cool before a helicopter ride and getting steamy with a hot Italian ski instructor — there's always weight to Louis-Dreyfus' performance. The same can't be said of Ferrell, who seems to be stuck in Daddy's Home mode, but Faxon and Rash have lucked upon the perfect distraction technique. By virtue of the movie's snowy, picturesque setting, whenever anything falls flat, they just relish the scenery. In a film that's constantly on a downward trajectory, that happens often. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY5SrKf_2ic
The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, announced his retirement from his political role in March. He didn't tape a goodbye show, like Oprah, so the announcement was duly recorded but largely ignored by the media. Given that the Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader as well as a figure of some political controversy, this may not reflect particularly well on the priorities of modern journalism. However, the Dalai Lama has always been known as much more than simply the head-of-state of the Tibetan government. To his admirers, he is an icon of endurance; a spiritual guru, a figure of serenity. To his detractors, he is an anachronism; a ditherer, “not the brightest bulb in the room”. Despite his persistent attempts to renounce his political functions in order to pave the way for a new generation of political leaders, he has become such a popular - some might say populist - figure that no one else could slip easily into his sandals. As a South African official once lamented, "To say anything against the Dalai Lama is equivalent to trying to shoot Bambi”, or switching off a certain goodbye special. Like Oprah, he is known for the pinpoint accuracy of his perceptions about people and politics; he may relinquish his power, but not his influence. To honour his upcoming visit to Australia, Customs House is mounting a series of large scale black and white portraits of the Dalai Lama taken by Victorian photographer David Roberts in 2007. This means that Sydney-siders will have an opportunity to sit for a moment with the meditative man, and study his portrait for traces of his spiritual magnetism. Image: David Roberts, 2007
It looks like we can all forget about the promised 2019 completion date for Sydney's new southeast light rail project, as the NSW Government has found itself embroiled in a legal battle with the Spanish subcontractor heading up the build. And it's already slowing down progress considerably. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has declined to share details about the delays, though said the state would "not be held to ransom" by builder Acciona, which is taking Transport for NSW to court for the tidy sum of $1.2 billion. The company's demanding the extra money because it claims it was misled about the complexity of utility work involved in the project. The two are heading to the NSW Supreme Court this Friday, with Acciona proceeding with a go-slow on work in the meantime, though Transport Minister Andrew Constance told parliament "we are not going to tolerate a go-slow so that we write a cheque to hit the accelerator". Testing on a stretch of the new 12.7-kilometre route from Circular Quay to Randwick and Kingsford began in February, with a view to have trams running on it next year. At this stage, that looks very unlikely. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Keen to get a big ol' dose of culture by the beach? A new arts prize has landed in Sydney's Northern Beaches, so you can check out some epic art right after (or before) a dip in the ocean. Dubbed the Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design Prize, it was open to both established and emerging creative talents, receiving more than 800 entries. And, until Sunday, December 12, you can see the top 226 finalists across three of the beaches' top arts spaces: Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Curl Curl Creative Space and Mona Vale Creative Pop-Up. The inaugural multi-venue exhibition displays contemporary works by Australian artists and designers, all offering unique perspectives on the natural world and our current environmental challenges. With eight categories — ceramics and small sculpture; functional design; wearable design; digital work, film and video; interdisciplinary collaboration; painting; works on paper and photography; and young artists and designers — there's a lot to see. So, you may want to set aside a few hours to hop between each venue. After you've seen all the works, you can even vote for you favourite work in the People's Choice Awards. On top of the exhibition, there are events that'll take your art viewing to greater depths. At Curl Curl Creative Space, you can catch a workshop on creating art with nature on Sunday, December 5, at 3pm. Otherwise, head to Mona Vale Creative Pop-Up and hear from the young finalists on their works and their hopes for the future. The inaugural Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design Prize is on display across Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Curl Curl Creative Space and Mona Vale Creative Pop-Up until Sunday, December 12. The exhibition is open from 10am–5pm, Tuesday–Sunday. [caption id="attachment_834184" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Works L-R: Ivy Whiteman, Why the Sea is Boiling Hot; Gemma + Richard Rasdall, Table Lamp; Karina Teh, Citrus Prism; Susan Milne, Greg Stonehouse and Justin Martin, Gwabba Maia - Place of Joy at the Environmental Art & Design Prize 2021, Curl Curl Creative Space.[/caption]
"What if it's a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing?" a climate-change denier asks at a climate summit in one memorably epigrammatic USA Today cartoon. His ironic declaration seems to capture the buzz around current trends in the sustainability movement, where the community of old is combined with the technology of the new, gelled together with a heavy dose of ingenuity and comes out signposting of a future we'd be happy to live in. The works on display at Try This at Home might be part of this happy future. The exhibition invites artists and collectives to creatively address the issue of sustainable living. A part of the Curating Cities project, it will branch out of its home at Object's Project Space to mingle with We Make This City in Taylor Square, facilitate discussion on the blog, and otherwise encourage and inspire people to play along at home. The exhibition includes a very practicable bike-powered home cinema system by Magnificent Revolution Australia, which, if you pedal hard and fast enough, will allow you to watch a documentary on the carbon-neutral CO2penhagen music festival; the very scientific Natural Fuse (2008) from Haque Design + Research, which uses hooked-up plants to offset your personal energy consumption through carbon sequestration; and the very participatory 6 Jars project from the Makeshift Collective, encouraging you to replace processed, packaged goods with homemade alternatives and share them within your neighbourhood group. The set-up isn't as attractive as it could have been, and it's not quite as cosy as the "living room" they were going for, but the projects on show at Try This at Home will fire up your imagination and leave you with something — be it a jar of date balls or a shiny idea — to take home at the end.
If The West Wing, The Social Network, A Few Good Men and Steve Jobs taught us anything, it's that Aaron Sorkin knows how to write dialogue. With his work often rapid-fire in pace, passionate in tone and frequently delivered via his trademark walk-and-talk scenes, Sorkin demonstrates a winning way with words unlike anyone else in the business. With Molly's Game, however, he's faced with a new challenge. Sure, he knows how to pen intelligent stories that flow with their own almost-hypnotic rhythm. But does he know how to direct them as well? Like much of Sorkin's output, the success of Molly's Game comes down to the folks doing the talking. Invariably, his wordy scripts shine brightest when they're brought to life by exceptional actors. With a knack for his timing, sharpness and smarts, Jessica Chastain proves a perfect match. Indeed, Molly's Game might have Sorkin's name and stamp all over it, but this is Chastain's picture through and through. Whether she's rattling off skiing and gambling statistics in voiceover, bantering back and forth with her also-excellent co-star Idris Elba, or working poker rooms filled with the rich and famous, she is the movie's true trump card. In her latest impressive performance as a formidable woman in a male-dominated realm (see also: Zero Dark Thirty, A Most Violent Year and Miss Sloane), the two-time Oscar nominee plays Molly Bloom, the real-life former Olympic-level skier turned poker magnate. Stripped of her sporting dream after a horrific accident, Bloom heads to Los Angeles to "be young for a while in warm weather." When she takes on an admin job to pay the bills, she has no idea that she'll also be running her boss' weekly card games. Before long, she's in charge of her own underground gambling empire, and later being chased down by the FBI. Sorkin's film is based on Bloom's tell-all book, Molly's Game: From Hollywood's Elite to Wall Street's Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker. That title may be a bit of a mouthful, but it also explains why Sorkin was so attracted to the story (other than a fondness for verbosity). Power, success, the pursuit of both, and the intersection of idealism and corruption are common themes in his other screenplays, and they're all present here. As such, he's in very comfortable territory with a dynamite true tale that's topical, entertaining and filled with astute insights about human psychology and behaviour. Throw a stellar star and a stacked support cast — Michael Cera, Kevin Costner, Chris O'Dowd and even Stranger Things' Joe Keery — into the mix, and Molly's Game must've seemed like an easy winning hand. And it is, almost. In addition to its slick visuals, the film reflects some of Sorkin's best tendencies — a recent Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay is proof of that. Unfortunately it also suffers from some of his worst. Indulgence is one such grating trait, with moments of repetition and near-constant chatter blowing the running time out to 140 minutes. Sentimentality is another, with the writer-director happy to hit hard in his dialogue, but happier still when it comes with a warm glow as well. Still, when Chastain is unleashing her fast-paced narration or trading pithy chatter with Elba, you'll be able to overlook many of the film's flaws. And thankfully, that happens a lot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVMkOuZOMe0
Celebrate the new year in style with two absolute legends of hip hop. You might know Talib Kweli from the amazing album he made with Mos Def in the late '90s — Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star — but he has been making intelligent, insightful and lyrically rich music for almost two decades. A born communicator and natural performer, Kweli comes armed with tunes from his new album Prisoner of Conscious, which features the likes of Miguel, Kendrick Lamar and Busta Rhymes. Joining him on this massive double bill is Dead Prez, one of the most respected outfits in the history of the genre, who follow in the footsteps of Public Enemy, KRS-One and 2pac by using brilliant, banging tunes to address the impact of unthinking consumerism, rampant sexism and homophobia in hop hop. Their signature tune, 'Hip Hop', is an incredible example of their fiercely intelligent art — the perfect answer to all that crass, commercial crap about cars, chains and clubs. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1U3q9zgYaUA
After a three-year gestation period, 24 Frames Per Second is finally here. Carriageworks has commissioned artists, dancers, choreographers and filmmakers from across the globe to create 24 artworks at the intersection of dance, film and art. The multidisciplinary installations will invite you to explore a broad range of subjects, from pack mentality to longevity. You might find yourself in a field of broken glass and reflecting light or viewing a film about walking the fine line between sanity and madness. Ever thought about how dance is used to enter altered states within a spiritual context? How about the heightened state of conscious at mass demonstrations? This is just a few of the interesting pieces to see at the exhibition. There won't just be installations; a series of public programs and artist's talks will be happening over the duration. Get yourself down to Carriageworks and use those well-oiled brain cogs.
How much do you know about Australian Jewish culture? Jessica Bellamy (writer of Sprout and Bat Eyes) knows a lot, she’s just written a play about it, and she's preparing to cook you a Jewish dinner. It's Shabbat Dinner, an immersive play directed by Anthony Skuse (4000 Miles, Punk Rock) which looks at the place of women, family and food in contemporary Jewish culture. The play weaves in traditions and rites over the course of a Shabbat dinner prepared by Bellamy herself. As the feast is served to you and the performers, everyone becomes involved in the story. While you eat you take part in the creation and eventual disintegration of a new community. Like Bellamy's previous works, it promises to be poetic and questioning. Shabbat Dinner plays at the Bondi Feast festival from July 23-26. Dinner is included in the $15 ticket and vegetarians are catered to. Image: Bondi Feast.
It's been a nice week. Maybe you've been readying to discard your (semi)malfunctioning umbrella and pack away your raincoat, but, pause and take a look out the window — Marge, the rains are 'ere. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the city is expected to be hit with about 70mm of rain over the new three days. If you take a look at its radar, it looks like the first of it could hit any minute. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1047379035733614592 According to the SMH, if this prediction is correct, it'll be the most rainfall the city — and parts of the state — has seen in more than three months. Just last month, Australia experienced its driest September on record. This rain, while slightly annoying for umbrella-less commuters, will be welcomed by NSW farmers, with 100 percent of the state currently in drought. With the majority of the rain (30–50mm) expected to hit tomorrow — Thursday, October 4 — we suggest snagging yourself a poncho or two if you plan on heading along to the opening night of the Night Noodle Markets.
Modular, the legendary Australian label, is returning to Vivid LIVE in 2012 to take over the Studio and showcase three mavericks who tread the boundaries of rock, dance and pop – London's Tom Vek and Adam Bainbridge (aka Kindness) and Australia's Jonathan Boulet. Tom Vek and Kindness have both re-emerged this year with a distilled sound — Vek a mix of post-punk, electronics and deadpan wit, and Kindness a dreamy take on new wave, funk and disco. Even with their critically acclaimed debut releases, both have surpassed hype and expectation to refine their song craft in the studio. On the local front, Jonathan Boulet is the Australian equivalent of these British producers, working solo to create wide-scope anthems with a penchant for percussion, culminating in his heavier live grooves that are "always pushing to be louder and bigger". Returning to transform the Studio into a series of euphoric club sounds weaving between progressive and pop, this year's show will sound just as good as it looks. https://youtube.com/watch?v=RMsWWNgH--I
Didn't think the inner west needed another place to drink craft beer? Well, meet Staves Brewery: the newest in the new wave of microbreweries popping up in the area. Snugged next to the Broadway Shopping Centre on Grose Street, this is possibly the most unconventional spot for a brewpub yet. In fact, there's nothing to denote the speakeasy-style brewery apart from the words 'bar' and 'brewery' painted on the otherwise frosted windows. The building itself still has features from its steel fabrication workshop days, which adds to the industrial, alleyway feel of the fit-out. To be fair, brewing is an industrial process, and the simple, barrel-focused interior is reminiscent of an English pub of old. It's not such a surprising venture from British owner Steven Drissell, whose impressive rap sheet boasts competitive beer judge, long time craft beer enthusiast and, of course, brewer. The space will ultimately be a fully functioning brewery, but while Drissell gets the space ready to brew his own batches of craft, Staves is operating as a brewpub. For now, the eight taps will house a ton of local talent, like Wayward and Batch, as well as Holgate and some other Victorian favourites. But the craft selections aren't chosen with just the pros in mind. The beer menu caters to a wide range of people and tastes, says Drissell. "I've had people come in asking for the closest taste to Corona — I cater to people wherever they are on their craft beer journey." Whether you're a beer geek searching for the next big craft beer or just looking to learn something new, Staves has the pint for you. "Once you go craft, you never go back," says Drissell with a cheeky smile. "Newcomers may not know that yet, but I sure do." The brewery name game is more than just the Aussie pronunciation of Drissell's first name. It also refers to the thin piece of wood on a cask barrel and the lines on sheet music, essentially summing up what the bar is all about: music and brewing. Combining his two great loves in the one venue, Drissell aims to create the ultimate bar for inner westies. The plan is to make Staves the go-to for great craft — both the music and beer kind. And live music and Staves' own brews aren't the only things to come — an upstairs pizza kitchen is also in the works. While it gears up, Staves will only be open weekends, with live music from 4pm every Sunday. So, when given the choice between grocery shopping and heading next store for some tunes, pizza and craft beer...well, you get where we're going with this. Staves Brewery is located at 4-8 Grose Street, Glebe. At the moment, it's open Thursday to Friday 4pm – midnight, Saturday 11am – midnight, and Sunday 11am – 10pm with live acts from 4pm. Find out more at stavesbrewery.com
"Darling it's better down where it's wetter" isn't just a line The Little Mermaid fans have had stuck in their head for the last two decades. Come the beginning of 2019, it's also the first thing likely to pop into the minds of anyone heading to one particular Norwegian restaurant. Set to open in the coastal village of Båly in the country's south, Under will plunge hungry patrons into watery surroundings, offering more than just the usual scenic vistas. At this eatery, diners will be tucking into their dishes underwater. To be specific, they'll be feasting on seafood under the sea — if you're going to open a space underneath the ocean, you have to serve up the fish, which is just what head chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard will be doing. Visitors will descend down three colour-coded levels to sip sparkling tipples in a champagne bar that boasts views of the shoreline, before enjoying meals in the completely submerged dining room. The latter sits five metres below the water's surface, and is surrounded by panoramic acrylic windows for quite the aquatic view. For those wondering about pressure and safety, metre-thick concrete walls will keep everyone nice and dry, in a structure designed by architecture firm Snøhetta. Describing the space as "a sunken periscope", the building will be constructed not only to wow those stepping foot inside, but to fit in with its surroundings. The grey exterior colour scheme will blend in with the rocky coastline, and coarse surfacing will encourage molluscs to cling on. Indeed, over time it's hoped that Under will become an artificial mussel reef. As well as offering a memorable place to eat, the project also aims to champion biodiversity, functioning as a research centre for marine life. This will include informational plaques educating visitors about the area, helping to expand not only the list of places you've tucked into a meal, but your knowledge. Start planning your 2019 Scandinavian trip now. Images: Snohetta.
UPDATE, April 16, 2021: Crawl is available to stream via Netflix, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Part creature feature and part disaster movie, Crawl is a gleeful ripper of a thriller. Not only unleashing a ferocious hurricane upon its father-daughter duo, but a congregation of snapping alligators as well, its premise is simple — what the film lacks in narrative surprises, however, it makes up for in suspense and tension. That's the holy grail of fear-inducing flicks. Regardless of the concept, if a movie can make the audience feel as if they're in the same space as the characters they're watching, enduring every bump and jump, and sharing their life-or-death terror, then it has done its job. By playing it straight, serious and scary, Crawl manages to exceed its Sharknado rip-off status to craft a highly effective battle between humans, animals and the elements. The film introduces aspiring swimming star Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) on a wet and windy day, although she initially misses the wild weather warnings while she's doing laps at training. A panicked call from her sister (Moryfydd Clark) doesn't rattle the no-nonsense young woman, and nor does the news that her divorced father Dave (Barry Pepper) isn't answering his phone. Still, thanks to a few unresolved daddy-daughter issues nagging at her conscience, Haley is quickly driving down the blustery highway, flagrantly ignoring police instructions and heading to their old family home. It's no spoiler to say that she discovers more than she bargained for down in their basement, with Haley soon trying to save the injured Dave, stay alive herself, fend off ravenous gators and stay ahead of rising flood waters. In telling this tale, writers Michael and Shawn Rasmussen (The Ward) haven't met a cliche they didn't love, an emotional beat they didn't want to hit, or a convenient twist of the narrative screws that they didn't want to turn. It can't be overstated just how much of Crawl, in a story sense, plays out exactly as expected. Plot developments and character decisions all stick to the usual formula, as does animal behaviour and storm surges (if you're a screenwriter, it's possible to control the very forces that your protagonists can't). But it's worth thanking the cinema gods that Alexandre Aja is sitting in the director's chair — and that he knows a thing or two about creature features and horror movies. While the French filmmaker has both hits and misses to his name (including Haute Tension, remakes of The Hills Have Eyes and Piranha, and the devilish Daniel Radcliffe flick Horns), here he masters the art of conveying an alligator's menace. Of course, it could be argued that much of Crawl's work is easy. Along with sharks, gators already rank among the most frightening beasts on the planet. Courtesy of their teeth, speed, size and power, just thinking about them gives plenty of people the shivers — so, on paper, all that an unsettling film need do is place the scaly critters front and centre. And yet, as too many Jaws wannabes have shown since Steven Spielberg's massive hit created the concept of the blockbuster as we know it, it's not enough just to throw a bunch of attacking animals at some clueless folks. As more comic takes have demonstrated in Sharknado, Snakes on a Plane and the Birdemic movies, it's not enough to write off the whole scenario as simple silliness either. There's an existential basis to the genre's underlying idea, unpacking how humanity truly copes when it's made to face nature. As a species, much of our sense of collective worth stems from our ability to shape and control our world, and yet we can't stop weather systems from morphing into destructive hurricanes, or hungry reptiles from doing what they're designed to do. Mainly lurking in the Kellers' dank, dark, rat-infested crawlspace, Crawl leans into the primal side of pitting people against the environment. Aja takes every chance to emphasise the scampering threats eager to gobble up Haley and Dave. With assistance from his regular cinematographer Maxime Alexandre, he ramps up the unease, deploying tried and tested filmmaking techniques such as low shots, quick cuts, point-of-view perspectives, dim lighting, and ample movement and shadow. A couple of gory kill sequences add to the mood, as does the movie's approach to its swirling winds and rushing water. Indeed, amid the rampant CGI, there's a sense of awe for the havoc that alligators and hurricanes can each wreak, which only heightens the stressful atmosphere. Unsurprisingly, fear and tension radiates through the film as a result — and through its key duo, too. Although Scodelario and Pepper are given about as much room for character development as their cold-blooded foes, they still bring a naturalistic air to their performances, portraying anxious everyday folks just fighting to survive by doing whatever it takes. No matter what's thrown at us, or how, or where, that's what making humanity grapple with our surroundings boils down to, after all. In fact, given the state of the planet, Crawl's central theme not only proves frightening and fuels an effective thriller, but also feels unnervingly prescient. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4WuVXo_XAM
As of Monday, November 6, Black Star Pastry will have another branch — and brand new headquarters. You'll be able to wander along Bent Street in Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter at any time of day and see the Black Star creative process in motion. That's right, the cake masters from both Newtown and Rosebery are moving digs, into a transparent 500-square-metre factory floor in the EQ. "We'll be doing all our cake production there," says Black Star's founder and owner Christopher The. "We'll be bringing the two teams together in one spot. It's going to be amazing...It's a part of town that's getting a lot of energy invested into it. We like to go to places that are just on the cusp of booming." To keep up with demand and to allow staff members more time to be creative, The has invested in some whizz-bang machines — and you'll be able to watch them in action. "There's an ultrasonic cutter, an egg-cracking machine that separates yolks from whites and a crazy pressure cooker that we'll put our mixes in," The says. If you're anxious that Black Star is going to turn into a mechanised behemoth, fret not. The says he's definitely keen to maintain the "hand-made quality and feel" on which Black Star has built its reputation. Just next door, there'll be a cafe, which The describes as very similar to Rosebery. However, you can expect an expansion of the savoury menu and "a futuristic, alien mothership futuristic feel" — what that means, we're not quite sure. Plus, unlike Newtown, there's no shortage of parking in the EQ car park. The opening of Black Star Moore Park, brings the company's total number of outlets to four. You'll also find them in Newtown, Rosebery and the CBD within Kinokinuya Books. Black Star Pastry Moore Park will open at Bent Street, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park on Monday, November 6. For more info, visit blackstarpastry.com.
Just like planning overseas getaways for certain parts of the year — now that they're allowed again, that is — Australian cinema lovers can base their annual calendar around which parts of the globe they'd like to peer at. As autumn hits, the French Film Festival kicks into gear around the country. Midyear, when things are frosty, the Scandinavian Film Festival usually arrives. When spring is in full swing, it's Italian Film Festival time. And, from February 2022, summer will now end with a movie-going trip to Europe. Kicking off on Friday, February 4 and running through until Sunday, February 27, Europa! Europa is the new Aussie film fest that'll bring Europe's latest flicks to our screens. Debuting in Sydney and Melbourne, it'll focus on fresh new flicks from the entire continent — and pair them with live music and special events across its three-week run. While it's too early for the festival's program just yet, Europa! Europa will launch its 2022 lineup with a keenly anticipated title that gives a firm idea of how the event means to go on. That'd be the acclaimed, Cannes-premiering French feature Benedetta, which tells the tale of real-life 17th-century Tuscan nun Benedetta Carlini. The reason there's a film about her? She believed she saw visions of Christ, and also had in a sexual relationship with a fellow sister at her abbey. Benedetta also hails from Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, who has quite the attention-grabbing resume — including directing the original RoboCop and Total Recall movies, sticking with sci-fi for Starship Troopers, and spearheading 90s erotic thrillers courtesy of Basic Instinct and Showgirls. He also helmed the Isabelle Huppert-starring revenge thriller Elle in 2016, too. Consider it a vision of things to come at Sydney and Melbourne's newest film fest, which hasn't announced its venues yet, either, but'll host its launch screenings on Sunday, January 16 at Elsternwick's Classic Cinemas in Melbourne and Randwick's Ritz Cinema in Sydney. Check out the trailer for Benedetta below: Europa! Europa will screen in Sydney and Melbourne between Friday, February 4–Sunday, February 27, 2022, following program launch screenings on Sunday, January 16 at Elsternwick's Classic Cinemas in Melbourne and Randwick's Ritz Cinema in Sydney. We'll update you with the full lineup when it is announced.
With free trams, great coffee, even better bearded men and now a potential smoking ban, Melbourne's really upping the stakes in its claim to become Australia's most progressive city. Melbourne City Council have today announced plans to make the CBD completely smoke-free by 2016. This would make Melbourne the first city in the world to implement such comprehensive measures. Of course, it would also make us home to the most disgruntled business types — sitting forlornly on a milk crate on Degraves just won't look the same if you don't have a durry in hand. This news comes after a successful bid to make The Causeway — one of the cheeky laneways between Bourke and Little Collins — smoke-free, alongside six similar bans."I think there's overwhelming support to progress smoke-free areas given the great success we had with The Causeway," city councillor Richard Foster told Fairfax Radio this morning. "I think we're going to actually attract people to Melbourne by being one of the first in the world to go smoke-free." Though Cr Foster maintains he has majority support on the idea, not all politicians are on board. Premier Denis Napthine strongly opposes the proposition, deeming it "totally unworkable" and "totally unreasonable". Similar disdain can also be heard from the city's street traders. After all, smokers still flock to outdoor seating in our city's cafes for the iconic coffee and cigarette combo. In its current imagining the plan would ban smoking for both pedestrians and footpath diners in the areas between Flinders Street, Spencer Street, Spring Street and Queen Victoria Market; though there would be designated smoking areas most likely in the form of shelters. Smokers seen breaking the ban would be met with on-the-spot fines, though the prohibition would be understandably difficult to police. The plan is similar to that which has recently been implemented in our inner-city universities. Both RMIT and the University of Melbourne are currently smoke-free and offer rather meagre designated areas for insistent smokers. The issue was debated widely by students as both a move towards a safer and healthier environment and an infringement on smokers' civil liberties. Of course, should the issue be taken city-wide the debate would only intensify. So far, public reaction on social media has been fairly positive. Even Lord Mayor Robert Doyle is on board so long as the changes are "incremental". If there's ever been a time to quit, this is probably it. Life as a smoker is getting more and more outlawed by the day. Via The Australian. Photo credit: Orin Zebest.
Is this the real life? Yes, Queen — the legendary rock band behind hits Bohemian Rhapsody, Don't Stop Me Now and We Will Rock You — is coming to Australia. And, they are hoping to rock you. Two of the original band members Brian May (lead guitar) and Roger Taylor (drums) will be heading Down Under, along with long-time collaborator and frontman Adam Lambert — a Grammy nominated American singer who has been touring with the group since 2011 — keyboardist Spike Edney (who's been performing with the band since the 80s), Neil Fairclough on bass and Tyler Warren on percussion. Lambert will be performing Queen hits — made famous by iconic moustached frontman Freddie Mercury, who passed away in the early 90s — from across the band's 15 albums. John Deacon, the band's original bass player, retired in the late 90s will also not be part of the Australian tour. [caption id="attachment_696706" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody[/caption] Queen rose to prominence in the 70s and 80s, with their famed Live Aid performance — oft referred to as one of the greatest concerts in rock history — happening at Wembley Stadium in 1985. But, the band has once again been in the spotlight with the release of the Rami Malek-starring film Bohemian Rhapsody. After the biopic was released, the song 'Bohemian Rhapsody' reentered the US top 100 — for the third time. While the Aussie Rhapsody Tour — hitting Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast in February 2020 — won't star Mercury (or Deacon), it's set to be one rockin' show. With tickets most likely to sell out, put the below dates in your calendar ASAP. QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT 'THE RHAPSODY TOUR' 2020 DATES Brisbane — Suncorp Stadium, Thursday, February 13 Sydney — ANZ Stadium, Saturday, February 15 Melbourne — AAMI Park, Wednesday, February 19 Perth — Optus Stadium, Sunday, February 23 Adelaide — Adelaide Oval, Wednesday, February 26 Gold Coast — Metricon Stadium, Saturday, February 29 Queen + Adam Lambert The Rhapsody Tour pre-sales start on Wednesday, April 10 with general sale from Monday, April 15. For all sale times, head to the Ticketek website. Image: Queen + Adam Lambert, 2014. Photo: Diana Kat, Wiki Commons.
Sydney Olympic Park is set to become the stomping ground of some of the world's best tennis players, with Sydney International serving up thrilling summertime action this January. Previous years in the tournament's rich history have featured many of the sports most admired characters including Roger Federer, Martina Hingis, Juan Martin Del Potro and Lleyton Hewitt. And this year's tournament will be no different, with Australia's top-ranked tennis stars, eight Gram Slam champions, eight of the world's top ten female players and a whole host of next-generation players taking to the court from Sunday, January 6 to Saturday, January 12. Defending women's champion — and current world number four — Angelique Kerber will return to battle it out for 2019 honours, while men's defending champ Daniil Medvedev will be fighting to take home the trophy again. Current women's US Open champion Naomi Osaka will also be in attendance, and Ash Barty and Alex de Minaur are set to be the hometown favourites. There'll be plenty of action off-court, too. Between matches, you can catch your favourite players, including Stefanos Tsitsipas and Simona Halep at the autograph counter. Meanwhile, the ANZ Tennis Hot Shots program will also be hosting free tennis lessons for the young ones and racquet giveaways. Plus, getting to the tournament is easy — 2019 ticket holders are granted free train access to and from the Sydney International Tennis Centre. Tickets are available as single sessions, three-day flexi passes or multi-session packages. Kids under 15 years go free to all sessions except finals. For more information and to purchase tickets, head this way.
The first two rules of fight club have long been respected by the Secret Wars community. An underground movement growing stronger every year, it has fostered some of the worlds greatest street artists and draws battle lines between rival artists competing for bragging rights. You won't hear about it on the TV or in the newspaper, but peer down the sidewalk at the fading paint stains and you'll see remnants of a recent war. As it has already done in Europe, the Secret War is gaining momentum here in Sydney. Now the rounds are over and the final four are ready to make their mark. Yes, it's finals time, so lets brush up on the rules: Two artists are placed side by side, whether in hotel foyer or abandoned meat factory. They battle with black acrylics on a fresh white canvas. Their time is 90 minutes — no pencils, no preparation. The winner is crowned through the votes of two guest judges and an important crowd-vote. The first semifinal is taking place at Name This Bar between good friends Jon Doe and Creon. Get ready by watching the paint fly at last year's final on the streets of London.
