The Supernatural Amphitheatre may have banned Native American headdresses, but they'll soon have to make an unexpected exception — Golden Plains 2015 will feature the Village People. That's right, it's been nearly 40 years since the height of their fame, but the Village People are still coercing you to stay at the YMCA. Get ready to raise your cowboy boot. The full lineup which has just been released is nothing if not diverse. The Village People are proving disco isn't dead, your emotional teenage heartthrob Conor Oberst will be there bringing the indie rock, classic local tunes will be had with Something For Kate, even seminal Australian punk legends Radio Birdman will be in attendance. As always, the local lineup is strong. Off the back of her first national headline tour, Courtney Barnett will be the perfect soundtrack to your afternoon chill session. You can expect some unsavoury antics while watching The Bennies, and local favourites like Twerps, Banoffee, and Milwaukee Banks will also be hitting the stage. Aside from your Bright Eyed boyfriend and the Village People, other international acts include Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit and Pavement follow-up project Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks. As always, you'll have to enter the ballot if you want in on this glorious gathering. The festival will run from March 7-9 and tickets will be $328.80+bf. It's the same festival you know and love — no dickheads, no need to hide your goon sacks, no problems. The second-draw ballot closes on 9pm on Tuesday, October 21. Welcome to the sounds of your summer. Full lineup: Aldous Harding Banoffee Black Vanilla Bombino Conor Oberst Courtney Barnett Dj Shadow & Cut Chemist Felice Brothers First Aid Kit Graveyard Hits La Pocock Milwaukee Banks Neneh Cherry With Rocketnumbernine+ Nick Waterhouse Oblivions Parquet Courts Radio Birdman (featuring Rob Younger, Deniz Tek, Pip Hoyle, Jim Dickson, Dave Kettley, Nik Rieth) Sharon Van Etten Sleep D Soil & “Pimp” Sessions Something For Kate Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks The Bennies The Meanies Theo Parrish Total Giovanni Twerps Village People
It seems a pretty hard task to follow Hannah Gadsby's international smash-hit show, Nanette. After all, the one-woman stand-up performance copped serious praise on its 18-month travels across Australia and the UK, even scooping the top honours at both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It also spawned its very own Netflix special. And when Gadsby used the show to announce she was quitting comedy for good, we thought that was it. In the end, the beloved Aussie comedian managed to back it up with her follow-up Douglas. While Nanette pulled apart the concept of comedy itself, dishing up an insight into Gadsby's past, Douglas took comedy fans on a "tour from the dog park to the renaissance and back". It hit stages across Australia and New Zealand in late 2019 and early 2020, and then made its way to Netflix a year ago. Now, Gadsby is returning the the stage for a four-night, six-show run of her latest set Body of Work. The new live show is a reflection of the last two years, from the devastating bushfires to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gadsby looks back over these events, which've have dictated every aspect of life, and also looks towards the future. Getting things started across the six shows will be the equally funny Zoë Coombs Marr. Plus, if you're the type that doesn't like to miss their bedtime, there are early sessions popping up on the weekend, kicking off at 5pm on Saturday, December 11 and 4pm on Sunday, December 12. [caption id="attachment_797497" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton Lund[/caption] First image: Jim Lee.
To celebrate Halloween and mark the Newtown Hotel’s birthday in style, The Preatures and Tokyo Denmark Sweden are performing live in what sounds like an awesome October 31st (for those of you not in possession of nose-bleed seats to Beyoncé, that is). You may have heard Sydney rock ‘n' rollers The Preatures on triple j. Their singles 'Take a Card' and 'Is This How You Feel' are pretty damn catchy. And they are the master of the memorably kooky music video (see the video tab). They'll be performing songs from their second LP due out later this year and supporting them are up-and-coming dance act Tokyo Denmark Sweden, who have made waves with their singles 'Lights Off' and 'When It Breaks'. Guaranteed sweaty dancing. Plus, in what sounds like too-good-to-be-true news, the Newtown Hotel has generously deigned to make the event free as a thank you to their loyal locals (with a little help from Carlton and Bulmer’s) will be shouting everyone beer and cider from 6.30-8.30pm. It’s going to get full fast, so arrive early.
With Campari as your host, this year's Negroni Week launch party is set to be a big one. In 2022, the yearly event — which sees the best bars and restaurants around the world put an imaginative twist on the iconic drink while giving back to charity — is holding a glass to 10 big, aperitivo-loving years. On Sunday, September 11, Campari — that essential ingredient of a classic negroni — is inviting fans to explore the bitter orange cocktail and its history. A bespoke negroni menu will be accompanied by free canapés and giveaways at swishy King Street cocktail bar Earl's Juke Joint. And that's just the beginning. After you've found your way into the bar (cleverly concealed behind the Betta Meats shopfront for the uninitiated), you'll be able to sip your way around four imaginative iterations of negroni. And $1 from each sale of the $15 serves is going to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. DJ Levins will be spinning tunes and dishing out good vibes, setting the tone for the week of nationwide festivities that will follow. Accompanying the delicious bevs? Canapés by the masters at Continental Deli and pizza by the slice from Bella Brutta circulating the room from 5–9pm. What's more, Campari will be giving punters the chance to win merch and more during the evening. The party will be running on a first come, first serve basis, so mark your diary now. Campari's Negroni Week launch party will hit Earl's Juke Joint on Sunday, September 11. Head to the website for more details and to register your attendance. Images: Daniele Massacci
Come November, if you're keen on travelling to a galaxy far, far away, you won't need to visit your local cinema. Disney is getting into the streaming game and, when it launches its new Disney+ platform, it'll do so with the first-ever live-action Star Wars spinoff television series, The Mandalorian. One of the most anticipated shows of the year on this (or any other) planet, The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter who hails from the planet Mandalore and roams the outer reaches of the universe. His bullet-firing antics happen far from the prying eyes of the New Republic, with the series set after the fall of the Empire — that is, after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi but before Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. If the basic premise isn't enough cause for excitement, then the stacked cast will help — it includes Game of Thrones' Pedro Pascal and Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito, plus Nick Nolte, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Ming-Na Wen and none other than legendary director and occasional actor Werner Herzog. Behind the scenes, The Mandalorian also boasts plenty of big names, with The Lion King's Jon Favreau calling the shots (as the program's creator, writer, showrunner and executive producer), and Taika Waititi among its series' directors. Waititi will also voice a new droid, called IG-11. After announcing the show last year, then keeping the details as secret as possible, Disney has slowly been revealing bits and pieces about the series in recent months. If you've been keener than Han Solo in any cantina in the galaxy to get a glimpse, the Mouse House dropped its first trailer for the series back in August, and has just followed up with a brand new second sneak peek. Given all of the above details — the cast, the concept, the place in the Star Wars timeline — plus the fact that the show hits in a matter of mere weeks, Disney isn't being quite as shy this time around. Expect space beasts, spaceship battles, bounty hunter dramas and folks getting frozen in carbonite in the new clip, as well as more of The Mandalorian's number one asset. Yes, that'd be Herzog and his inimitable voice, which once again get a workout in the latest trailer. Check out the new preview below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmI7WKrAtqs The Mandalorian will hit Disney+ when it launches Down Under on November 19.
Little Red have changed my life. No longer can I enjoy a Coca-Cola like I used to now that I have Little Red's infectious ditty on how to do it right. Little Red remind us of a sweeter era — girls in poodle skirts bopping to doo-wop, and taking your gal to the milk bar, filling your cola with ice and kissing like it's 1965. Their pop, like the soda, is sparkling, sweet and utterly addictive — just try to stop yourself smiling. The little band from Melbourne are: Adrian Beltrame (guitar/vocals), Dominic Byrne (vocals/guitar), Quang Dinh (bass/vocals), Taka Honda (drums) and Tom Hartney (vocals, percussion). Together, the all singing troup will have you all dancing the night away at the Oxford Arts Factory with their catchy hooks and old-fashioned rock 'n' roll. Having teamed up with producer Scott Horscroft (The Temper Trap, The Presets, Silverchair) for the release of their upcoming album, Little Red are touring their way through a string of single launches before taking their pop tunes to foreign shores. So make sure you make the most of the local lads while they are still here and travel back to a sweeter time.
Roll that rusty penny farthing out of your garage, don your leather goggles, brave the elements, and peddle your way down to Taylor Square and Forbes Street for ye olde Sydney Rides Festival, opening on Saturday, October 13, with a street fair. Not only is there a chance to spin alongside fashion stalls, snack stops, riding games, and live entertainment, but there is a little somethin' for everybody: for the novices, riding demos; the cheapskates, free tune-ups; the ladies, an exclusive course in inner-city cycling confidence; the kids, a school fete with farm animals (on bikes?!); and the lazy, bike valet parking. The two-week festival will be all over the city, so you can spend your weekends and lunch breaks cycling around on yer Mongoose, BMX, Giant, Norco, Bianci, the kiddie wheels you stole from your neighbour's yard, or what have you. Come on, join the joyride.
Welcome to the new breed of combat movies. In Eye in the Sky, soldiers fight terrorists from the comfort of their desks, while the bulk of the people debating which course of action to take, and even those actually carrying out the strike, aren't on the front lines, but watching on from other continents. Their task is seemingly simple: apprehend two extremist ringleaders in Kenya. In the UK, Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) oversees operations, with her mission changing from a capture to a kill when she discovers a suicide attack may be imminent. On the ground in Nairobi, undercover agent Jama Farah (Barkhad Abdi) spies on the culprits, manoeuvring an insect-sized camera into their safe house. His aren't the only images of the scene, with two Las Vegas-based drone pilots (Aaron Paul and Phoebe Fox) looking on with their fingers on the trigger. But when a nine-year-old girl (Aisha Takow) wanders into the target zone, Powell is forced to seek advice from her superiors, including the supportive Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Alan Rickman) and a raft of indecisive politicians worried about the potential ramifications. The mechanics and morality of war are the movie's main concerns — and while many a cinematic dissection of conflict has probed the same topic, director Gavin Hood (Ender's Game) has crafted a film that's purely a product of its time. Technology is key, both in the way the story unfolds for the characters, and the way it is presented to the audience. Powell and the majority of her colleagues observe matters from the safety of their own countries, yet can take lives at the press of a button. Viewers share the same position, and see the same intercut spy cam, drone and satellite footage — though they can only watch on with a combination of horror, anxiety and flabbergasted amusement, unable to intervene or do more. Indeed, Eye in the Sky is designed to inspire many a question, and leave everyone pondering the various troubling answers. That it succeeds isn't simply a result of the film's intelligent approach to its subject, but of its tone: part military thriller, part bureaucratic farce. Viewers will find themselves inching towards the edge of their seats, even as they chuckle grimly as yet another person in power tries to avoid making a hard decision. There's no ducking the films more heavy-handed elements, including an intrusive score, conveniently increasing stakes, and the blatant attempt to evoke an emotional reaction by placing a child in peril. But there's also no avoiding its effectiveness, both in contemplating a difficult subject and constructing an exercise in tension. The considered mood Mirren brings to her pivotal role proves the perfect weathervane for the film's fortunes, and of the way in which it achieves its aims. She's the movie's robust centre, brimming with as much texture as toughness. Among the rest of the cast, Paul plays his part with the right amount of worry and uncertainty, while the late Rickman's trademark wry charm gets a fitting final outing. Given the intensity of the situation that surrounds them, that they provide the complex feature with convincing portrayals is no small feat.
Just as it turns three year old, Newtown's Flour Drum will expand its hours and start serving up dinner as well as its much loved breakfast, lunch and baked goods. Since opening at the south end of King Street in 2015, the cafe has served solid indulgent fare like banoffee pancakes and lamb ragu pappardelle. And Flour Drum hopes to keep patrons on into the evening as it launches dinner service for the first time in August. Chef and co-owner John Ageletos will drawn on culinary inspiration from across the world for the new menu of comforting classics. So what can you expect? Squid stuffed with fragrant rice and herbs —a modern twist on the traditional Greek squid dish that his gran would make for him — and a crispy duck 'wonton ravioli' that will see Italian and Hong Kong cuisines collide. The pappardelle will make another appearance here with pork, along with a massive shepherd's pie with the whole lamb shank on the bone inside. Expect to pay around $14–29 per dish. If you thought the current cakes and cookies at Flour Drum were delicious, then you'll think this after-dinner dessert is on fire — literally. The flaming bombe alaska features house-made vanilla bean creme brûlée ice cream surrounded by toasted hazelnut sponge cake and meringue, which is then flambeed while being served. The new menu will also have one or two weekly vegan specials and a drinks offering to match. You'll be able to pair your meal with biodynamic wines from Brackenwood Vineyard, beers and cocktails. Flour Drum is located at 531 King Street, Newtown. It will open for dinner from Thursday to Saturday from early August.
Taste of Sydney isn't just a case of 18 of the city's best restaurants setting up persnickety stalls in Centennial Park (though that's a pretty good start for any festival). It's 18 of the city's best restaurants setting up stalls and serving their latest and greatest culinary experimentations. Think chipotle tuna carpaccio, duck and burnt cinnamon burek and whatever happens when you combine "carrot, yoghurt and liquorice" (this last one's from Cafe Paci, so the scary-sounding result is almost certainly great). They're tasting-sized portions, so design-it-yourself degustations are the name of the game as you wander through the park. This year, the lineup features Bentley Restaurant and Bay, the aforementioned Cafe Paci, Monopole, Pei Modern, Porteno, Sake Restaurant and Bar, MoVida, 4fourteen, Ananas, Biota Dining, Bloodwood, Cafe Paci, Efendy, Jonah's, Otto Ristorante, Popolo, The Cut and Yellow. Each participating venue will serve up some classics, but there'll also be festival exclusives and one particularly innovative "icon dish" per station. The latter is available on a first come first served basis, so get scarfing. To build up your appetite, it's all interspersed with pop-up bars, cooking demonstrations, a La Maison Maille mustard shop and (randomly) a butterfly house sponsored by Dimmi. Here are 15 of the most impressive dishes we're making room for already.
Over the past few years, Gelatissimo has whipped up a number of creative flavours, including frosé sorbet, gelato for dogs, and ginger beer, Weet-Bix. fairy bread, hot cross bun, cinnamon scroll and chocolate fudge gelato. Most recently, it made a bubble tea variety, and a gelato featuring Belgium's Lotus Biscoff cookie butter spread, too. For its latest offering, the Australian dessert chain is taking inspiration from other well-known sweet treats hailing from overseas — in case you've always wanted some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or Hershey's Kisses in your ice cream. Yes, those very combinations are now on the menu, all as part of Gelatissimo's new American-inspired Flavours of the USA gelato range. Just launching this week, the lineup includes three new flavours — so if you needed an excuse to treat yourself to multiple scoops, you just might've found one. First up, it's pretty easy to guess how Gelatissimo's Peanut Butter Cup Made With Reese's flavour will taste. It uses peanut butter gelato, plus some Hershey's cocoa powder, then adds a ripple of chocolate that features roasted peanuts and big chunks of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Not feeling quite so nutty? Chocolate Kisses Made With Hershey's is basically an excuse to eat chocolate, some more chocolate, and then even more chocolate. It's made with chocolate gelato — and the gelato itself is made with Hershey's kisses and Hersey's cocoa powder — which is then drizzled with more melted Hersey's Kisses. Lastly, Gelatissimo is pairing crushed candied pecans with bourbon caramel swirls in a flavour called, unsurprisingly, Bourbon Caramel and Pecans. While this is a US-inspired range, the boozy flavour comes via a collaboration with West Australian distillery Whipper Snapper, infusing its Upshot Whiskey into the gelato. Gelatissimo's new range just hit stores on Friday, October 9, with the three new flavours currently available nationwide. That said, they're only on offer for a limited time, although the chain hasn't specified an exact period — but you can nab them either by going into a shop or via delivery. Gelatissimo's Flavours of the USA range is available from all stores nationwide for a limited time.
Everything written about the film Catfish tells you that the less you know about it the better. From what we can make out it's a documentary about a charming New York photographer-type, Nev Schulman, who meets a pretty girl on Facebook after her sister does a painting of one of his photos. We follow him as his friends start documenting the relationship and travel with him interstate to meet her. And then there is a twist. While Catfish touts itself as one of a wave of films trying to keep up with the kids by focusing on Facebook and the way it has changed how we conduct relationships, everyone still enjoys a good old fashioned twist, and it's this more than anything else that makes you really want to see it. Just try your hardest to stay away from Google. As it happens, we have 30 double passes to sneak preview screenings of Catfish this weekend to give away. The film will be officially released here on Australia Day, so if you can't stand the curiosity, taking us up on this might ease the tension a little. To win one of 30 double passes, simply subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. Entries close Thursday, January 20 at 5pm. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BuE98oeL-e0
UPDATE, November 26, 2020: Diego Maradona is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Football god? Addict, scoundrel and swindler? Diego Armando Maradona has been called all of the above. From champion to crook and superstar to scum, he's been labelled better and worse, with his status as a walking contradiction rarely lost on anyone in his orbit. The famed Argentinian soccer player himself recognises it. During his playing heyday in the 80s and 90s, he was known to tell people that he was Maradona on the field but Diego away from the spotlight. In Asif Kapadia's probing documentary about the sportsman, Maradona's career is further summarised by another juxtaposition: "a bit of cheating and a lot of genius". While that sentiment applies broadly, the line refers specifically to his "hand of god" moment in the 1986 World Cup. During a quarter-final against England, he scored a pivotal goal by illegally using said appendage. Argentina won the game and went on to claim the entire tournament, all with Maradona as team captain. He knew what he'd done, as he admitted years later and again explains in Diego Maradona. Anyone under the misapprehension that sports players always stick to the rules — and never do whatever they can, testing the limits to see what they're able to get away with — might well be shocked. But that's Maradona, especially when he was the world's most acclaimed and expensive player, an international headline staple, and a hero not only on home soil, but in Naples where he ruled the turf for seven seasons. He describes his chosen sport as "a game of deceit", after all. In setting his sights on the polarising footballer, Oscar-winner Kapadia does what he's always done so expertly in his other celebrity-centric documentaries. In Senna and Amy, the British filmmaker trawled through a treasure trove of archival material to tell his subject's stories, knowing that their own words — and their own actions at the height of their respective success — will say more than anything else can. The same overall approach applies to Diego Maradona, but three crucial differences distinguish the director's latest picture. Maradona is still alive, firstly. His voice, not just from then but now, features prominently in the film as a result. Lastly and most importantly, his isn't a gone-too-soon tale of tragedy. If they were still here today, Ayrton Senna and Amy Winehouse's own contrasts might've become more evident, however their deaths gave their lives a recognisable narrative. Still kicking, even if he's long, long past his prime goal-scoring days, Maradona can't follow the same distinct trajectory. Faced with this predicament, Diego Maradona leans into the inescapable truth. It doesn't seek to celebrate, condemn, lionise or lament, but to present Maradona as he's been perceived by the world — both as one of the greatest soccer players of all time (if not the greatest player of all time), and as a womaniser, drug abuser and crony of the Italian mafia. Although the film focuses primarily on the decade surrounding his SSC Napoli stint, he's also seen as a stocky kid who grew up in absolute poverty, then a multi-millionaire living the life of luxury. He's the breadwinner from his teenage years onwards, and a man quick to squander a fortune. Colleagues, coaches, trainers and other industry folk lavish praise on Maradona's immense speed, skill and football smarts, then call out his arrogance, selfishness and swagger. He adores his family, but happily turns his back when scandal wafts through the air. In both his personal and professional lives, the list goes on; in fact, the doco can't cover it all. If his story was fiction, the endless incongruities would seem like overkill. If it was a soccer match, a commentator would dub it a game of two halves. As Senna and Amy have so grippingly demonstrated, there's something equally fascinating and relatable about famous figures whose plights have ended sorrowfully — stars who've soared and then crashed in the most final way, all while chasing their dreams. The same applies to someone as contradictory as Maradona, who embodies humanity's competing, fighting urges in one incredibly well-known package. Whether you're a diehard soccer fan, you flinch at the thought of calling the world game 'football' or you couldn't care less about sport at all, it's this truth that holds viewers' attention in Diego Maradona. As the movie delves into the eponymous Argentinian's life for two hours, it lays bare Maradona's labyrinthian nature. And, while his highs and lows have reached far beyond the levels that most will ever experience, who doesn't feel like they're multiple things all at once? Mirroring the grainy footage at his disposal, Kapadia doesn't smooth out Maradona's edges. The footballer is never a sympathetic hero in this entertaining and insightful film, nor a clear-cut villain. If maintaining that balance sounds like a significant feat given all that's known about Maradona and all there is to his tale, it's one that the director handles with his usual storytelling and technical prowess. Corralling the same crew that worked on his past two docos (particularly editor Chris King and composer Antonio Pinto), he weaves his audio and visuals together with silkiness reminiscent of Maradona's own on-field best. With revealing interview snippets heard rather than seen, and the picture steadfastly maintaining its gaze on its main man through both media clips and home videos, Kapadia crafts a jam-packed yet nuanced and thoughtful portrait. Yes, that's a juxtaposition again. Even decades after his career triumphs and subsequent fall from god-like standing, Maradona will never shake them, as Diego Maradona unpacks with aplomb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjfeSdHP2ZQ
When Kendrick Lamar was announced as Spilt Milk's 2025 headliner, festivalgoers had all the right words to say courtesy of the man himself. "DAMN" and "LOVE" also apply to his other Australian gigs this summer. Not content with taking to the stage Down Under in Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and on the Gold Coast, the acclaimed hip hop artist has also locked in solo stadium shows on his next Australian trip, as part of his Grand National tour. After making its way around North America and Europe, Lamar's latest string of live dates is heading to Melbourne and Sydney. In the latter, he's playing Allianz Stadium on Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11, 2025. [caption id="attachment_1008775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Shamus/Getty Images[/caption] December clearly suits Lamar for a jaunt Down Under — that's when the Pulitzer Music Prize-winning musician also made the trip in 2022. Lamar is one of the most-critically acclaimed and successful hip hop artists of our generation. He currently has 22 Grammys to his name, plus an Academy Award nomination for one of his contributions to the Black Panther soundtrack. He won the 2017 Triple J Hottest 100 and, when he nabbed his Pulitzer in 2018, he also became the first ever artist to take out the prestigious award for contemporary music. GNX, his most-recent studio album, dropped in November 2024 — with his extensive catalogue also spanning 2011's Section.80, 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city, 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly, 2017's DAMN and 2022's Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Updated Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
This article is part of our series on the 17 most unique things to have come out of Japan. Check out the other 16. If you’re a committed singer-in-the-shower, here's one way to relax your inhibitions during a karaoke session. At Tokyo's Lovenet, there’s a karaoke room that comes with a hot tub, known as the ‘Aqua Suite’. For ¥25,000 per hour (around AU$261) up to six people can jump in the water at any one time and find out how what a little heat does for their vocal abilities. There’s space in the room for an extra eight singers. And if you forget your swimmers, you can buy some on the spot for ¥1,000 (that’s about AU$10). The Aqua Suite is but one of 33 themed rooms in the Lovenet. For Stanley Kubrick fans, there’s the Heaven room, where the white-as-white interior and underground crystals bring to mind A Clockwork Orange’s Milk Bar. For something more intimate, reserve the cosy Morocco Suite, which accommodates only two people. Then there’s the brightly coloured Candy Room. Karaoke in a hot tub hit the UK in 2013, when the Hot Tub Cinema folks, who have been up and running since 2012, decided to extend their warm, watery formula beyond movies. However, rather than setting up a room, they run their hot tub events as one-off, ticketed shindigs. Find the Aqua Suite at Lovenet, 3F-4F Hotel Ibis, 7-14-4 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Open Monday to Saturday 6pm-5am, closed Sunday and holidays. To book phone +813 5771 5511.
Only one Australian festival this summer can whip it, whip it good. When Good Things returns for 2023, it'll hit Sydney with new-wave icons Devo on the bill. The 'Girl U Want' band will be celebrating 50 years since first forming in 1973, and also saying goodbye on a farewell tour that'll mark their last-ever Australian shows. Devo's famous energy dome hats will be on display at Centennial Park on Saturday, December 2 on a jam-packed Good Things lineup that is brimming with nostalgia-inducing acts — including Fall Out Boy. The group behind 'Sugar, We're Goin Down' and 'Uma Thurman' are festival headliners, playing both tunes dating back to their 2000s heyday and recent tracks. From there, Good Things keeps rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' with Limp Bizkit; will see Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor hit the stage solo; and is guaranteed to burst with punk energy thanks to Pennywise. Bullet for My Valentine, Taking Back Sunday and I Prevail are also on the bill, plus Enter Shikari, Pvris, Behemoth and Sepultura. [caption id="attachment_913268" align="alignnone" width="1920"] swimfinfan via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] Fresh from featuring a reunited TISM in 2022, Good Things boasts a packed roster of local names in 2023, too, celebrating Australian alternative rock with Spiderbait, Frenzal Rhomb, Jebediah and Eskimo Joe. On both the international and homegrown front, the list goes on, including Hanabie, While She Sleeps, Magnolia Park, Short Stack, Boom Crash Opera, Luca Brasi and more. And yes, this is a fest where you can likely hear 'Whip It', 'Dance, Dance', 'Society' and 'Buy Me a Pony' live on the same day, plus 'The Last Fight', 'Leaving Home', 'Punch in the Face' and a very non-George Michael cover of 'Faith' as well. GOOD THINGS 2023 LINEUP: Fall Out Boy Limp Bizkit Devo (The Farewell Tour celebrating 50 years) I Prevail Bullet For My Valentine Corey Taylor Pennywise Spiderbait Slowly Slowly Enter Shikari Behemoth Sepultura Taking Back Sunday PVRIS Bloom Boom Crash Opera Eskimo Joe Frenzal Rhomb Hanabie Jebediah Luca Brasi Magnolia Park Make Them Suffer Ocean Sleeper Royal & The Serpent Short Stack Slaughter To Prevail Stand Atlantic Tapestry The Plot In You While She Sleeps Top image: Drew de F Fawkes via Wikimedia Commons.
The world's most unpredictable duo is back. This time around, the girls are armed with their new "Objekt Instruments" — handmade technology that traverses the territory between the functional and the aesthetic — and some new tunes from their soon-to-be-released electroclash album, Scream. During the past year, they've played at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary's tenth anniversary; hosted their first pop-up shop in Osaka, Japan; and "lectured" at the Milan Art Fair. They're currently completing a two-month residency at Artspace, Sydney, and one half of the team, Melissa Logan, has started researching for a PhD in Biological Arts at UTS. If you've never witnessed Chicks on Speed before, prepare yourself for an outrageous, irreverent hybrid of art, video, fashion, technology and music. In the words of Logan, they're all about "getting to the blatant points and not pussy-footing around." https://youtube.com/watch?v=g_1kziD6Lec
When Wollongong's Yours and Owls last took place back in April 2021, it ticked a couple of huge pandemic-era boxes. Due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, it was the first major music festival that New South Wales had seen in over a year — and it was the first to allow dancing as well. Plenty has happened in NSW over the past seven months, including more lockdowns and restrictions; however, the fact that Yours and Owls is announcing its 2022 plans today, Wednesday, November 10, really couldn't be more fitting. Just two days ago, NSW's rules for double-vaccinated folks eased again, and now permit dancing once more — so this two-day fest has revealed who you'll be making shapes to in Stuart Park from Saturday, April 2–Sunday, April 3. Topping the bill: Hilltop Hoods, Benee, Bliss & Eso, Flight Facilities, The Jungle Giants, Peking Duk and Violent Soho, giving festival-goers quite the array of big-name acts to look forward to. And yes, you should've spotted that Benee will be making the trip from New Zealand, thanks to international border restrictions easing. The hefty lineup goes on, including Faker, Ruby Fields, San Cisco, The Meanies, Sycco and more. Yours and Owls' 2022 fest is moving to a bigger site, too — well, back to a familiar site — both in terms of space, and being able to accommodate more people. Yes, that's your early April plans sorted — and because you're here for the full lineup, you can check out the details below. YOURS AND OWLS 2022 LINEUP: Hilltop Hoods Benee Bliss & Eso Flight Facilities The Jungle Giants Peking Duk Violent Soho (The Return Of) Faker Harvey Sutherland Jack River Lastlings Late Nite Tuff Guy LDRU Luca Brasi Hiatus Kaiyote Ruby Fields San Cisco Arno Faraji Barkaa Big Twisty & The Funknasty Budjerah The Bouys Fergus James Floodlights Hope D Jen Cloher Karate Boogaloo King Stingray The Meanies Miiesha Ninajirachi Nyxen Private Function Surprise Chef Sycco The Terrys Vlossom 1300 Alter Boy Babitha Bakers Eddy Boom Child Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys Clamm Clypso C.O.F.F.I.N Death By Denim Good Lekker Nooky Rest For The Wicked The Rions Shady Nasty Sophiya To Octavia Amends Bored Shorts Charbel Chimers Chloe Dadd Classic Club Camel Drift Hellcat Speedracer Imaginary People Kitten Heel Lizzie Jack & The Beanstalks Miners The Morning Mood Nosedive Nothing Rhymes With David Placement Private Wives Proposal Radicals Satin Cali Sesame Girl Solo Career Stephen Bourke Topnovil L N T G Jennifer Loveless Toni Yotzi Ayebatonye DJ Plead Barney In The Tunnel Foura Body Promise Randy Knuckles Cover Sound System Beachcombers Wilder & Pryor Yours and Owls will take place on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 at Stuart Park, Wollongong. Ticket pre-sales will kick off at 8.30am AEDT on Tuesday, November 16, with general tickets on sale at 8.30am on Thursday, November 18. For more information about the event, head to the festival's website.
It's impossible to think about Christmas without also thinking about ornament-adorned trees; however, the traditional towering variety isn't always practical. Perhaps you don't have space in your apartment. Maybe you're keen on the real thing, but just can't make it to market, farm or nursery to get one. Or, you could have a four-legged friend (or several) that's fond of scaling anything that reaches up into the sky. Even if you've found a place for the same old plastic tree that you trot out every year, you're probably still wishing that you could gaze up at the real thing — which is where Floraly comes in. The Australian plant delivery service focuses on sustainable blooms and even offers monthly subscriptions, and it introduced a Christmas offering in 2019. Because it's that time already, it's getting festive again in 2020, too. The big drawcard: living trees. If you're happy with a pint-sized version, then this tiny plant is about to make your festive dreams come true. 'Tis the season to order a 60-centimetre-tall tiny tree that comes with decorations and a pop-up pot, wait for it to be delivered, then feel mighty jolly. Sourced from farms in Victoria and New South Wales, and able to be sent Australia-wide, Floraly's trees also arrive with soil, fairy lights, baubles and a tree-topper — so they really do look like miniature versions of your ideal Christmas centrepiece. There are two versions available, so you can opt for red baubles and a gold star for the top, or go with white decorations and a silver star In line with Floraly's eco-conscious mindset, its trees still have their root system intact. That means that once Christmas is over, you can replant them, keep them for some year-round merriment and then enjoy their splendour next year. The trees also come in fully recyclable packaging, further reducing their environmental impact. If you're keen, you can order a small bundle of greenery from the Floraly website for $79. Fancy sending a tiny tree as a gift? You can do that too, including as part of packs with T2 tea, Gelato Messina spreads, Endota body care products, and champagne and chocolate. Floraly's tiny Christmas trees are available to order now by visiting the service's website. Images: Floraly
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre isn't the best chance to see Aubrey Plaza slink around swanky locales filled with the one-percent in the past year. That honour goes, of course, to her award-nominated turn in the second season of The White Lotus. Plaza's new action-comedy also isn't the best recent movie to cast the deadpan talent as enterprising, resourceful and calculating, and see her plunged into a dangerous, largely male-only realm, all while putting a scheming plan into action. That film is the exceptional Emily the Criminal, which sadly bypassed cinemas Down Under. And, thanks to her star-making turn in Parks and Recreation, wannabe franchise-starter Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre definitely isn't the finest example of her wry comic talents, either. But in a rarity for writer/director Guy Ritchie and his typically testosterone-dripping capers — see: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and The Gentlemen — Plaza is the gleaming gem at the centre of this formulaic flick. Putting in a more vibrant performance than the scowling Jason Statham isn't hard, but this is firmly Plaza's picture. Ritchie's go-to leading man still plays Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre's namesake, though: the improbably titled super-spy Orson Fortune, an off-the-books agent who does jobs the British Government can't officially be involved with. Handler Nathan Jasmine (Cary Elwes, Best Sellers) has one such task, recovering a just-stolen item known as 'the handle', which the powers-that-be don't want going to nefarious parties. But, in a mission that first requires collecting a contact at Madrid's airport, then gets far more chaotic quickly, Fortune will have to work with a new team. And, he'll have to jet around the globe with stops at Cannes, in Turkey and more, doing an aspiring Bond and Mission: Impossible act, but in a film that never even threatens to shake or stir the espionage genre. It also doesn't venture beyond mixing Ritchie's beloved bag of tricks together, reading like an effort to split the difference between his last two movies: The Gentlemen and effective revenge thriller Wrath of Man. On-screen, enter Plaza as American tech wiz Sarah Fidel, plus British rapper and actor Bugzy Malone (The Gentlemen) as righthand man JJ Davis. To cosy up to a fake-tanned Hugh Grant (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) as international arms dealer Greg Simmonds, also enter Josh Hartnett (The Fear Index) as Hollywood acting big-shot Danny Francesco. The gambit: Simmonds adores Francesco so much that he's bought a car the latter is famous for driving in a movie, so the thespian is the crew's in, with Fidel undercover as his girlfriend and Fortune pretending to be his stern-faced manager. Accordingly, their fresh-faced ring-in will have to inhabit the role he's been born to: himself, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent-style, but without the extra meta layer of a game and entertaining Hartnett actually genuinely doing the same thing. (Nods to everything from Halloween H20, The Faculty and The Virgin Suicides to Sin City and Penny Dreadful would've been a welcome touch here.) When Statham and Ritchie reteamed for Wrath of Man — which Hartnett also co-starred in — it was the first time they'd collaborated in 16 years. Crucially, and one of the primary reasons it worked so well, it was a lean, mean affair that didn't just feel as if its two key figures were simply doing what they've always done together, even though it was indeed another heist flick. The same can't be said about Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, which endeavours to hoodwink its audience by sometimes similarly adopting a straight-down-the-line tone. That ruse doesn't stick, however, in a film that couldn't paint any more blatantly by Ritchie's usual numbers. He's dallied with spies before, in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre wishes it was that as well. With its first-billed talent and director comfortably on autopilot, it's no wonder that Plaza, Hartnett and Grant provide the movie's personality. While they don't merely stand out because everything else around them is so routine, a feature this stock-standard puts anything that deviates from its template under a massive magnifying glass. When Plaza isn't engagingly and savvily tackling everything that's thrown Fidel's way, from Fortune's gruff, dismissive demeanour to the Cockney-accented Simmonds' overt attentions — plus chatting modern art as an early distraction technique, and getting thrust into the middle of gunfights and car chases in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre's third act — the film screams for her presence. Hartnett is also having a great time, as is Grant. It never mentions it, but consider this another ode to the Paddington franchise, too, making its audience wish they were rewatching Grant's OTT villainous portrayal in Paddington 2 instead. In a storyline penned by Ritchie with Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies, who've both contributed to his past three films in a row now — and do the same with the upcoming The Covenant, which is also due in cinemas in 2023 — Simmonds is in business with violent Ukrainian heavies. Avoiding the movie's MacGuffin from ending up in their hands is the plot's main point, after all. That helps spark those glossily lensed (by Alan Stewart, also a Wrath of Man and The Gentleman alum) but predictable action sequences, and the reported reason that Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre was delayed from its initial 2022 release dates. Whenever it arrived, this was always going to be perfunctory, especially when it wrings zero tension out of the narrative's must-find object. Ritchie and company keep the specifics to themselves for much of the feature, but that doesn't make anyone care what it is — or invest in anything that's going on, a rivalry with a fellow mercenary group led by the one-step-ahead Mike (Peter Ferdinando, The Curse) included. Covert operatives are meant to slip in, get their high-stakes jobs done and leave their marks none the wiser, at least until their quest is safely achieved. Although that never happens on screens big or small, spy stories themselves aren't supposed to be largely unmemorable as well. Again, Plaza isn't. Neither are Hartnett and Grant, but Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre's high-profile supporting players can't make the picture anything more than average. Here's hoping that any sequel, if it eventuates — which this flick advocates for instantly in its moniker, premise and, naturally, its final scenes — realises where its focus should truly be. Bond mightn't be likely to serve up a female lead yet despite Daniel Craig's farewell, but pushing Plaza to the fore, and changing its title in the process, would be any future Operation Fortune instalment's best move.
Have you ever needed to convey an important message to someone in a big way, but sweated to find the perfect gift to do so? Maybe you needed to say, 'sorry for being a jerk', 'thanks for being a great mate', or simply, 'I love you'. Well, perhaps not surprisingly, there’s a website to fix that problem. Sorry Thanks I Love You is an online store that’s working to reignite the culture of giving. By taking a short personalised shopping quiz based on the person in mind (with questions such as ‘What were they like a kid?’ or ‘What would they do with 24 hours in NYC?’), Sorry Thanks I Love You has everything you could ever need to help you say any of those five little words (you'd hope). The site features handmade accessories, homewares, gourmet foods, fresh flowers from boutique florists and craft beverages sourced from around the world. And now you can see and try out all these goodies for yourself at Sorry Thanks I Love You's pop-up store in Martin Place, open right up until Christmas. The store will feature tons of products, including knives carved from Scandinavian reindeer antler, hand-woven Kashmiri scarves and traditional Japanese furoshiki wrapping cloths. Gourmet goodies include wheels of Bruny Island cheese and premium single malt whisky distilled in highland Tasmania, which you can taste test in the store. You'll also find colourful wares from the iconic Finnish design brand Marimekko.
Genuine medical condition or convenient excuse for bad behaviour? Sex addiction has become a controversial affliction, but Thanks for Sharing comes firmly down on the former side of the argument. The directorial debut of Stuart Blumberg, who also co-wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for The Kids Are All Right, explores the travails of a number of sufferers linked by their attendance at a sex addicts support group. The youngest member of the group is Neil (Josh Gad), who ruins his promising career as an emergency room doctor when he is caught filming up the skirt of his supervisor. After he appears in court on sexual harassment charges, he is directed to attend the support group for his addiction, where he meets the slick, charismatic Adam (Mark Ruffalo) and the group's de facto leader, the somewhat smug Mike (Tim Robbins), a middle-aged man who has battled multiple addictions and come out the other side with a beatific demeanour and a gentle cynicism. Low on self-esteem and fond of lying and defensive wise-cracking, Neil initially struggles to complete the work prescribed by the group, but is forced to confront the truth of his situation when he is adopted as something of a mentor to a new recruit to the group, the self-destructive Dede (Pink, credited as Alecia Moore). Meanwhile, Adam starts seeing the driven Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow), but is reluctant to reveal his past after she tells him her last relationship disintegrated because her ex was an alcoholic. Adam seeks guidance on this new development from Mike, whose estranged son Danny (Patrick Fugit), is suddenly back in town. Danny has battled a drug addiction but views the group therapy with suspicion and even hostility, leading to an uneasy truce with Mike, who suspects his son may not be as rehabilitated as he claims. Not everything in Thanks for Sharing works — a subplot involving Adam's ex-girlfriend Becky (Emily Meade) is a melodramatic misfire. It also has a curiously dated look and an often daggy sense of humour at odds with the potentially edgy material. Yet there's much to admire here, including the strong central storyline and the committed performances. Josh Gad, recently the only good thing in the disastrous Jobs, is again terrific, while pop star Moore is an absolute revelation, bringing both a convincing toughness and a poignant vulnerability to the role of Dede. While Thanks for Sharing doesn't shy away from the potentially life-wrecking consequences of its characters compulsions (a scene where Mark Ruffalo fights his urges in a hotel room is particularly effective), ultimately this is a much softer film than the similarly themed Shame. That's not a failing however; more a reflection that Blumberg's film is just as interested in the makeshift community that forms amongst the addicts as the often harrowing details of their addictions. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1jg6oroeg7s
This article is sponsored by our partners Thredbo. The inaugural Efterski Festival lineup promises 'Big Beats'. While the world's craziest free-skiiers are providing entertainment in the air, a selection of homegrown and international acts will be creating the party at ground level. Kele Okereke and Aussie duo Hermitude share the headline spot. Transported into public consciousness via Bloc Party, Okereke released his debut solo album, The Boxer, in June 2010, under the name 'Kele'. Lately, he's also been busy writing — blog posts for the Guardian and a series of "sexually charged" short stories. At Efterski, however, he'll be spinning a DJ set. Hermitude is one of the most-talked-about success stories of the past twelve months on the domestic front. After releasing HyperParadise, the two-man electronic production team played a sold-out tour, before winning the 2013 Australian Music Prize. Other major names on the programme include indie dance crossover trio RUFUS, whose recent exploits include supporting Van She and Yuksek; EMI-signed, "more beats, less croquet" DJ Alison Wonderland; World's End Press, whose blend of traditional instrumentation and live electronics have been winning over Triple J, BBC6 and Bill Brewster; the SOSUEME DJs, described as "the insanity of the club taken on the road"; and garage-pop-surf-punk pair the Bleeding Knees Club. At Thredbo's Alpine Hotel, Rekorderlig will host both its hot pools and the Club Mod stage, where festival-goers can deny the external sub-zero temperatures with a warm cider, a swim and sets from Australia's finest Modular artists. A limited number of three-day festival passes are selling for $50, and accommodation-plus-music packages start at $165.
Fans of ballet and modern dance may want to pirouette into Bodytorque, the annual show created and performed by the up-and-comers of the Australian Ballet. It's traditionally a chance for the company’s young dancers and choreographers to experiment with new ideas, push boundaries and make an impression, and this year’s season takes technique as its theme. The program features six pieces of the likes of Mode.L, an abstract work set to Igor Stravinsky’s Octet for Wind Instruments featuring three female and two male dancers. “There are three movements within the piece and I have really tried to let the music dictate my choreographic style, which is quite classical but with a modern twist, to best showcase both the dancers and the score," says Halaina Hills, coryphée with the Australian Ballet and choreographer of Mode.L. "The theme for this year was technique. I wanted to show dance as literally that — no emotion, just pure movement.” After seven years with the company, this marks the choreographic debut for Hills, who is a ballerina first and foremost. "It has been a really bizarre experience to be on the 'other side'," she says. "Having my dancers look at me, waiting for me to tell them what to do certainly took some getting used to. But I have loved being able to take the images from my mind and translate that into movement that I can see in the flesh.” Being a dancer accustomed to having no responsibility other than showing up to rehearsal warmed-up and ready to work, the huge amount of preparation involved in her choreographic role made an impression. “I spent hours and hours every day at home creating, thinking and analysing what I wanted and how I was going to get it.” Sydney can sometimes feel quite isolated artistically and anyone that’s lived in a European capital has no doubt encountered the occasional (misguided) sniff of scorn towards our colonial cultural efforts, but Hills sees the dance scene over here as fruitful and exciting. She identifies a trademark gutsiness and characteristic openness in our dancers. “I think Australians definitely work with a great focus and willingness to try anything. That's what I have experienced working with other choreographers as a dancer, and now as a choreographer working with dancers. Being so far removed from Europe and the USA, we have to create our own style and I think we do that really well.” Along with Mode.L are five more pieces: Polymorphia, In-Finite, Finding the Calm, Tinted Windows and The Art of War. The fashion design of Toni Maticevski and music of Jonny Greenwood make exciting appearances. The entire show is just over 100 minutes long, so this may be the ideal bite-sized introduction to ballet for the uninitiated. Those interested in a bit of behind-the-scenes banter can meet the choreographers and artistic director David McAllister in a free Q&A on Saturday, November 2, at 6pm.
Sydney theatre, musical and fairytale fans, one of your wishes is about to come true — and yes, it involves a fairy godmother. Finally coming to Australia in 2022 after the pandemic delayed its planned 2021 run, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical version of Cinderella is heading our way. Get ready for glass slippers and pumpkin carriages to take over the town, with the show dancing its way into the Sydney Lyric Theatre from Sunday, October 23. First premiering in New York in 2013, this version of the adored fairy tale features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a couple of the best-known names in musical theatre history. The pair actually wrote their songs for a 1957 television production, which starred a pre-Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music Julie Andrews. (If you've seen the 1997 TV movie with Brandy and Whitney Houston — which remade that original small-screen flick — then you've already seen a version based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's original efforts.) Now, the Broadway production is making the jump Down Under. Don't expect the exact same story you're used to, though — as you read as a kid, and saw in Disney's classic animated film and its live-action remake. Here, Cinderella is a contemporary figure, but living in a fairytale setting. While she's still transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, the tale has been given a firmly modern spin. Shubshri Kandiah (Aladdin, Fangirls) will play Ella, Ainsley Melham (Merrily We Roll Along, Aladdin) has been cast Prince Topher and Silvie Paladino (Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables) will sparkle as Marie, the Fairy Godmother. Also set to feature in the Australian production: Tina Bursill (Doctor Doctor, Wentworth) as Madame, Ella's stepmother, as well as Todd McKenney (The Boy From Oz, Shrek) as Sebastian, the Lord Chancellor. The cast will be working with a production penned by playwright Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, Sister Act) based on Hammerstein's work — which was, of course, adapted from the fairy tale about a young woman dreaming of a better life. The Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won one, for Best Costume Design. In the US, Carly Rae Jepsen played Ella for a stint, while The Nanny's Fran Drescher also took on the role of Madame, Ella's stepmother, for a period. Top image: Original Broadway production of Cinderella by Carol Rosegg.
It's been four years since Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water turned a creature feature into a love story, and won the filmmaker the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars in the process. That's four years that movie fans have had to wait for his next dance with horror — because the director behind everything from vampire flick Cronos and dark fantasy Pan's Labyrinth to kaiju-versus-machine effort Pacific Rim and gothic haunted house feature Crimson Peak sure does love twisting genre staples in his own ways. Viewers love his work for doing just that, too, and del Toro's long-awaited next film looks set to continue the trend. With Nightmare Alley, he's forgoing Mimic's bugs, The Devil's Backbone's ghosts and Blade II's bloodsuckers in favour of spinning up psychological thrills in a carnival — and, as seen in the just-dropped first teaser trailer for the film, doing so with quite the impressive cast. Here, Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born) plays carnival worker Stan Carlisle, who has a gift for using the right words to get people to do what he wants. That's a savvy — and manipulative, obviously — skill, and it proves even more so after he teams up with psychiatrist Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett, Where'd You Go, Bernadette). Adapting William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel of the same name — which was already turned into a movie back in 1947 — Nightmare Alley also features Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse), Rooney Mara (Mary Magdalene), Toni Collette (Dream Horse), del Toro regular Ron Perlman (who starred in the director's original Hellboy movies) and The Shape of Water's Richard Jenkins. And, as the trailer shows, it's embracing its setting in a big way. Throughout his almost three-decade filmmaking career, del Toro has always given his features quite the entrancing look (see: everything mentioned above), and that doesn't seem to be changing here. Expect things to get dark, story-wise, when the movie hits cinemas Down Under in January 2022. Expect big tops, carnival rides, Dafoe spruiking attractions, blindfolds, blood, fire and plenty of brooding looks, too, based on the trailer alone. Check out the Nightmare Alley trailer below: Nightmare Alley releases in Australian cinemas on January 20, 2022.
After making his fortune at the card tables as a professional gambler, David Walsh launched MONA as something to give back to the community. Three years later it's become a national icon, boosted Tasmania's economy and given rise to one of Australia's best festivals. Now, despite labelling gambling as "mostly immoral", Walsh has plans in the works to build a mini-casino at his much-loved Tasmanian gallery. Yes, this is confusing. In its defence, Walsh's vision for the space goes far beyond the sad state of affairs you see on an average night at Star City or Crown. Designed for the more refined gambler, the space would be "a little high-roller, tourist-only, no-pokie casino". The entire operation would consist of nothing more than 12 cards tables. Basically, it'd be the perfect place for Bond villains to hang out should they ever find themselves in Australia. To add to this eye-patch wearing, cigar-puffing, international art smuggling cartel theme, Walsh has stated he would call the casino Monaco. While a cute play on the gallery name, the choice could also be a knowing wink at the ritzy Monte Carlo casino the nation is known for — a site coincidentally used in many Bond movies. Regardless, these plans have a long hard road to becoming a reality. At present, the Federal Group (owners of Wrest Point Casino) have an exclusive license on casino operations in Tasmania and Walsh's plans would require an overturning of the license by the state government. Walsh has reportedly made initial contact but is sceptical about his chances. At one point, the MONA owner was banned from Wrest Point for card counting. If the plans were to go through, the gallery would undoubtedly enjoy a large boost in funds. At the very least it would be an un unconventional solution to the impending cuts to Australia's arts industries and a welcome salvation for Walsh himself who has bankrolled the gallery since its inception. But honestly, the outlook doesn't look great. You can't blame an eccentric, art-loving millionaire for chasing the dream. Via The Guardian and The Mercury.
Held around International Women's Day since 2013, Sydney Opera House's All About Women festival does what many other talk-heavy events historically haven't. Across a huge lineup of speakers, it pushes ladies to the front, putting them on stage to chat about their fields of expertise and their experiences, as well as a broad range of topics that are relevant to women. Now well and truly part of Sydney's annual cultural calendar, the event is returning in 2020 to do what it does best — with an impressive new range of female voices on the program. Taking place on International Women's Day itself — Sunday, March 8, 2020 — AAW 2020 is honing its focus on the post-#MeToo era. Yes, that's a still a rather sizeable realm, and the fest's range of topics is similarly broad. Across one jam-packed day, you can hear discussions about everything from body positivity to sexual assault, plus astrophysics, neuroscience, social justice and alcohol, too. Add Lindy West to your must-see list — and if you've binge-watched TV comedy Shrill, which is based on her memoir, you've probably already done just that. The comedian and writer will chat about white male mediocrity, where feminism is headed and politics in pop culture, as well as a subject that'll be familiar to her fans: ignoring societal pre-conceptions and feeling comfortable in your own skin. [caption id="attachment_753369" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lindy West, shot by Jenny Jimenez.[/caption] Among AAW's headliners, she's joined by Chanel Miller, who has been making a big impact in the US in a very difficult area. A sexual assault survivor herself, her memoir Know My Name helped increase awareness and discussion about the way such cases are handled by colleges and the American courts. She'll be chatting about speaking up, making a difference and fighting for change. While the festival's full lineup won't be revealed until January, other highlights include Princeton University astrophysics professor Jo Dunkley, who'll unearth the pioneering women who've made vital contributions to the field; plus cognitive neuroscientist Gina Rippon, who'll discuss research that shatters the idea that men and women's brains function differently. Elsewhere, journalist Azadeh Moaveni will shine a light on women who join the Islamic State, while Sanam Maher will delve into gendered abuse — as seen in the Pakistani 'honour' killing she documented in her text A Woman Like Her - The Short Life of Qandeel Baloch — with Aussie author Jess Hill. Attendees can also listen to Wild Swans author Jung Chang as she explores her best-selling work, learn more about the cultural knowledge that's passed on by generations of women in First Nations communities, hear about efforts to set up feminist utopias in the 70s and dive into the complicated relationship that women can have with alcohol. Or, see Betty Grumble, Megana Holiday, Iya Ya Ya and Stelly G completely disregard the sexist notion that women are meant to be well-behaved in The Working Bitches — and get interactive at digital exhibition My Mother's Kitchen, which asks eight LGBTQI+ individuals to share their childhood kitchen stories. All About Women 2020 will take place on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at the Sydney Opera House. Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday, December 6, with pre-sales starting from 9am on Tuesday, December 3. The final program will be announced in January, so watch this space. Image: Prudence Upton.
In 1977, Robyn Davidson decided she would walk west from Alice Springs until she hit the Indian Ocean, taking with her only her beloved dog and four camels. She was determined to do this alone, but, finding herself in need of money, was forced to allow National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan to document her journey. Davidson was told the trek would be suicide, but, undeterred, she set out anyway on her perilous, eventful journey. Filmmakers have been trying to adapt Tracks, the book she wrote about her experience, since the early 1980s, with even Julia Roberts attached in 1993. This is the sixth (and, clearly, the only successful) attempt to bring Davidson's story to the screen. Mia Wasikowska stars and is impressive as Davidson, imbuing her with a determination required to sell the character. Adam Driver, best known from Lena Dunham's Girls, is equally superb as Smolan. Driver is a compelling presence, and though his character is an irritant to Davidson, he is a welcome presence to us whenever he appears. Read our full review of Tracks here. Tracks is in cinemas on Thursday, March 6, and thanks to Transmission Films, we have five double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=RyDCfuYTX_U
It's the 32nd year for Australia's largest folk art and music festival. And like a vintage wine, the artistic line up gets more and more complex and impressive as the years go by. This year there'll be over 2000 artists in 400 acts across visual, performance and spoken word formats. Catch folk, rock and pop musicians including John Butler, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Beautiful Girls, Husky, Holy Holy, Canadian band The East Pointers, Timberwolf and Montaigne. Personalities such as Dr Karl, Tracey Spicer and Noel Pearson are among an exhaustive selection of speakers, presenters and comedians doing what they do best and you'll be mesmerised by at least 20 dance and performance acts. You can also try your hand at artisan crafts from pottery to tattoo art to Maori basket weaving — or even just go on a bush walk with a professional nature enthusiast through Woodford's beautiful surrounds. And as usual, you'll welcome in the new year alongside thousands of others with an epic fire display. The crowd is expected to reach over 132,000 this edition, so get your name on a ticket before they become scarce.
Griffin Theatre is out to reinforce its reputation as the incubator for new work in Sydney with a fully Australian 2013 season that includes the first writer/director team to emerge from the company's Studio residency program. The pairing is Duncan Graham, the playwright behind 2011's bewildering and spooky monologue Cut, and director Tanya Goldberg (Way to Heaven), who'll be kicking off the Main Season with their new urban thriller, Dreams in White. Also in the season is Melissa Bubnic's 2011 Patrick White Playwrights' Award-winning Beached, about a morbidly obese boy being followed by a reality TV crew, and Van Badham's new The Bull, the Moon and the Coronet of Stars, a mythically charged subversion of the rom-com. In what's become an anticipated tradition under artistic director Sam Strong, following on from Speaking in Tongues and The Boys, one play from the annals of SBW Stables history will be revived. In 2013 it's John Romeril's The Floating World, a cruiseship-set story of xenophobia and the legacy of war last seen on this stage in 1975. There's equally thrilling stuff in the Independent Season, which includes the Tennessee Williams/Gone with the Wind/drag cabaret synthesis that shook up a suburban Melbourne shed (Sisters Grimm's Summertime in the Garden of Eden), a dreamy Lally Katz number that'll be hoping for a Sydney reincarnation in which it can spread its wings (Return to Earth), and the world premiere of Vivienne Walshe's poetic 2012 Griffin Award winner (This Is Where We Live). "The plays all offer very different experiences," says Strong, "but they all do things you can only do in a theatre. More importantly, they do things you can only do in our theatre.” This is the last season to be put together by Strong, who will pop back to direct The Floating World. His successor, Lee Lewis, will take on The Bull, the Moon and the Coronet of Stars, while other directing talent in the mix in 2013 includes Shannon Murphy, Paige Rattray, and Susanna Dowling. Basically, this is a season where women are kicking arse all over the shop and there's still at least one play to which you can take your dad without complaints. Subscription packages (or, alternatively, a new membership option for the commitment-averse) are now available through the Griffin website.
Is there any social situation more painfully awkward than being in the presence of a couple having an argument? The hair-curling passive-aggression. The teeth-grinding fake smiles. The years and years of squabbles and resentment finally coming to a head. And you, sitting there, wanting nothing more than to evaporate into thin air. Imagine that experience stretched out for two whole hours, and you'll have a rough idea of what it's like to watch Force Majeure. The single worst date movie to come out of the European arthouse circuit since Charlotte Gainsbourg become intimately familiar with a pair of rusty scissors in Antichrist, Ruben Östlund's probe of a marriage in crisis is at once brilliant and impossible to bear. Part piercing relationship drama, part deliciously mean-spirited black comedy, the film follows a wealthy Swedish family on a skiing holiday in France. In the opening scene, we see them lining up on the slopes for an impromptu family photograph. Perfect husband. Perfect wife. Two impossibly perfect kids. But disaster can strike even the most photogenic of families — and in Force Majeure it quite literally does. The four are sitting down to lunch when snow begins to cascade down the mountain. A controlled avalanche suddenly no longer under control, the white wall barrels towards the balcony restaurant. Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) seizes the children in her arms and looks desperately towards her husband, Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke)... just in time to see him running in the other direction. That is, until everyone realises it was all just a false alarm, at which point he slinks quietly back to the table so the four of them can finish their meal. It's an ingenious setup to one of the most uncomfortable films you're ever likely to see. At first, no-one wants to talk about what happened. So it hangs in the air, like a fart you're too embarrassed to admit to. Inevitably, though, it has to be addressed. Forced jokes lead to tight-lipped denials which in turn lead to public accusations. Östlund clearly delights in the opportunity to make his characters — along with his audience — squirm in their seats. Scenes invariably run longer than feels natural, until you're practically begging for the director to cut away. It's especially tough to watch because deep down, you can't help but wonder about what you'd have done in the same situation. Yet the film isn't so much scathing of Tomas's split-second reaction as it is of his refusal to own up to it. As a merciless, darkly comedic takedown of masculine delusion, Force Majeure would make for an ideal double feature with the recently released Gone Girl. Frankly, these Swedes make their American counterparts look positively meant-to-be. https://youtube.com/watch?v=3nTJIc_e6Ns
After a tumultuous start to the year, Australia's arts and cultural industries are slowly starting up again. Over the past few months, the Australian Government's ban on non-essential gatherings, social distancing rules and the mass closure of indoor venues saw many major events around the country cancelled or postponed. One such event was the acclaimed 22nd Biennale of Sydney, which opened on March 14 and closed only ten days later. Now, the citywide free arts festival has announced it'll be kicking off (again) from June 16, following the reopening of NSW art galleries, museums and libraries on June 1. This year's lineup of 100-plus artists are examining a poignant issue close to the heart of Australia: First Nations sovereignty and intergenerational trauma. The 2020 Biennale is entitled Nirin, which means 'edge' in the language of western NSW's Wiradjuri people. The theme is timely, for two reasons: the 2020 blockbuster falls on the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's voyage to Australia — and it will be helmed by a new First Nations artistic director, famed Sydney-born, Melbourne-based interdisciplinary artist Brook Andrew. In a statement announcing the festival's reopening, Biennale of Sydney's Chief Executive Officer Barbara Moore said, "now, more than ever, we need art to connect, collaborate and heal – all core themes of Nirin." Andrew has selected an impressive lineup of artists and creatives — many of them First Nations — from around the world to exhibit at the Art Gallery of NSW (June1–September 27), Woolloomooloo's Artspace (June 1–September 27), Campbelltown Arts Centre (June 1–October 11), Cockatoo Island (June 16–September 16) and the MCA (June 16–September 6). The National Art School, which was originally part of the program, will remain closed to the public for the foreseeable future, so the Biennale is currently looking to relocate its works to a new space. On the lineup, you'll find the Southern Hemisphere premiere of Arthur Jafa's Golden Lion-awarded work The White Album, Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens's immersive work symbolising the disproportionate number of incarcerated Indigenous Australian women and a large-scale political protest piece by Pitjantjatjara artist Kunmanara Mumu Mike Williams (who passed away last year). [caption id="attachment_759715" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arthur Jafa, Still from The White Album (2018). Photo courtesy the artist and Gavin Brown's enterprise, New York/Rome; commissioned by the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA). © Arthur Jafa, 2018[/caption] Cockatoo Island will be home to a wide range of works, including Ghanaian-born artist Ibrahim Mahama's sprawling installation of coal sacks; Tony Albert's interactive greenhouse, where you'll be invited to write and plant messages; and Tlingit/Unangax̂ artist Nicholas Galanin's excavation work that'll 'dig up' the land beneath the shadow of Hyde Park's Captain Cook statue. Elsewhere, Ahmed Umar's ceramic sarcophagus will be shown at the MCA; DJ Hannah Catherine Jones will perform an audiovisual work inspired by pop-culture, poetry and provocative imagery; Andrew Rewald's evolving community garden will take over NAS; and Leisa Reihana's multi-channel video installation and film will explore the history of Māori and South Pacific Islander peoples. During its physical hiatus, Biennale of Sydney launched a digital program, which will continue. Nirin Wir — a program of free and ticketed events taking place all over the city, from the Blue Mountains to La Perouse — has been postponed until further notice. The 22nd Biennale of Sydney will now officially run from June 16–September 6 2020. The Nirin exhibitions are free. While Nirin Wir is postponed, you can catch the digital program here. Top images: Josep Grau-Garriga 'Retaule Dels Penjants and Màrtir', installation view (2020) in the Grand Courts at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, photograph by Zan Wimberley; Lisa Reihana 'Tai Whetuki - House of Death Redux' (2016) at The Walters Prize, Auckland Art Gallery; and Andrew Rewald 'Alchemy Garden'.
Get ready to decide for good you're never having children. Golden Age Cinema and Bar is showing Richard Donner's iconic '70s horror flick The Omen. The film centres around little creepster Damien Thorn, a child so monstrous and disturbed his nanny hangs herself at his fifth birthday party. It's guest-presented by The Grifter Brewing Co, who will be serving their velvety, six-malted winter brew on tap to complement the general dark freaky ominous vibes of the evening. (The beer is also called The Omen. Eek.) Since opening their art deco halls to film buffs last September, Golden Age has paired you-won't-find-it-in-a-multiplex cinema and wine, beer, snacks and cocktails with names straight out of old Hollywood. We applaud them on the spot-on spooky theming of this event, and advise you to maybe take some tissues to clean yourself up after you slop The Omen (that's the beer) down your front from all that shrieking and hiding behind your hands. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vVK42hD9IaY
Ask a cyclist why they risk death on two wheels to get around town, and their response might mention the green credentials of biking: infinite miles per gallon, fewer resources used in manufacturing, no resources required to repair the damage to roads caused by bikes... But what if you wanted to take your eco-cycling to a whole new level? What about all that CARBON in the carbon fibre? One of the world's leading bike manufacturers has come up with a solution. Trek have a recycling program using waste carbon fibre products to make new bike frames, and keeping the waste from landfill. If that's not green enough for you, you could opt for a bike made from nature's own carbon fibre: wood. Audi have partnered with specialist bike manufacturer Renovo to create a range of luxury bikes with hardwood frames. But if you prefer to have an eco-bike that's not associated with a car company, why not grow your own? Bamboo bikes have been around for a while as a cycling curio, and are now getting the full cycle-bling treatment by the likes of Calfee. Or, if you're into DIY, there's even an instructables page on how to build one yourself.
Balmy summer evenings should only be spent outdoors. As darkness descends, roll out that picnic blanket, grab a basket of snacks and settle in; it's Sunset Cinema season. Now in its third year at North Sydney Oval, IMB's annual under-the-stars event is set to deliver Sydneysiders eight weeks of open-air entertainment. Blown up on the state-of-the-art inflatable screen are a stellar selection of new releases and crowd favourites. Opening with the hit action flick The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, the program sports something for everyone. Get swept away in the code-cracking world of The Imitation Game, or belt out the ballads of Disney's soon-to-be classic Frozen (that's right, in sing-along style). With beanbags, gourmet burgers and an on-site bar, you'll struggle to settle for an ordinary cinema experience after these laidback screenings.
Sitting on the toilet can be a time of contemplation for a lot of us. If your mind ever wanders to the sustainability and style of your toilet paper, Wipe That has you covered. This new sustainable startup has launched a quirky new Christmas collection of bamboo toilet paper that will ease any stress about the environmental impact of your toilet breaks, and make a great gift for friends and family as the holiday season approaches. The star of the Christmas collection is a stylish little character named Poocci. Brought to life by graphic designer Bernardo Henning, Poocci plays off a certain luxury fashion house, rocking a chain and sunnies in order to brighten up your toilet paper. What was once Australia's most in-demand grocery store item is now a cutting-edge fashion statement (of sorts). Non-recycled toilet paper is a major cause of deforestation worldwide, so if you haven't made the switch, now's the perfect time to embrace the wonders of bamboo. The planet and your tush will thank you. All of Wipe That's three-ply toilet paper is environmentally friendly, vegan, plastic-free, and scent-free. It has also partnered with Australian revegetation project Carbon Neutral to ensure a tree is planted for every sale it makes. This new collection means that toilet paper is no longer a dud present come Christmas time. Your eco-conscious relatives will love it, or you can grab a pack for yourself to impress those who might be visiting your place for holiday celebrations. Stock is limited for the Christmas collection, so jump on the pre-sale if you'd like to get your paws on this loo roll. Each 36-roll box is available for $58, contains a personalised Christmas card and is available to be delivered Australia-wide between December 1–14. Outside of the collection, Wipe That offers sustainable toilet paper on a one-off or subscription basis, as well as eco-friendly laundry detergent sheets. You can shop Wipe That's entire range at the website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
One moment, you're watching Diego Luna sit down two rows in front of you in a cinema that seats 1600 people. The next, you're spotting Maggie Gyllenhaal and Patrick Stewart on the street. That's life at the Berlinale, or Berlin International Film Festival, which took place from February 9 to 19 — and it matches all of that star power with a massive, jam-packed program of movies. In its 67th year, Berlinale had everything in its 400-title-plus program, and we mean everything. Want big, mainstream efforts such as T2 Transpotting and Logan? Indie Aussie flicks like Emo the Musical and Monsieur Mayonnaise? A sci-fi retrospective and the world premiere of the 3D version of that other T2 — that is, Terminator 2, not the Aussie tea company or Trainspotting sequel? Geoffrey Rush getting an award? Charlie Hunnam traipsing around the jungle? Two movies filled with famous faces arguing over a meal? A flick about utopian world without men? A 1993-set Spanish coming-of-age effort that makes an impact? Another great entry in Romania's new wave? Yes, the festival delivered on all of the above and then some. Yes, you already know that the list goes on. Of course, not everyone can be there to experience films galore, below freezing temperatures, mulled wine aplenty and a newfound pretzel addiction. Don't worry, that's where we come in. We went, we watched, and we're excited about all of the movies that'll hopefully make their way to Australia at festivals or in general release. In fact, we can't wait to watch these ten again. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME If this film sounds more than a little familiar, that's because we were already mighty excited about it when it screened at Sundance. Oh boy, did Luca Guadagnino's (A Bigger Splash) latest and best feature to date more than deliver. Let us put it this way: when you're watching a 17-year-old become infatuated with his father's handsome research assistant, played by Armie Hammer, you're feeling every single emotion he's feeling. And, you're falling head over heels for everything about this masterpiece as well. Call Me By Your Name is the kind of effort that couldn't be more seductive, from the sumptuous sights of its scenic Italian setting to the summertime heat — and sizzling sentiments to match — that radiate from the screen. Keep an eye on Timothée Chalamet, too, who plays the teenager in question. If this movie is any guide, he should become one of cinema's next big things. A FANTASTIC WOMAN A Fantastic Woman? Yes, this sensitive drama and Berlinale best screenplay winner places one front and centre. A fantastic film? You bet. After using a compassionate gaze to explore the world of an older lady trying to find happiness in Gloria, Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio turns his attention to Marina (Daniela Vega), a waitress and singer whose life is thrown into disarray when tragedy strikes. The family of her much older lover are horrified, judging her transgender status rather than daring to let her into their lives — or let her mourn. The movie doesn't make the same mistake, in an effort that proves empathetic and engaging from start to finish, complete with an exceptional lead performance and one perfect song cue. THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE No one makes films like Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki. Sure, that's true of many directors, however the balance of deadpan humour and heartfelt drama he cultivates time and again isn't an easy one, even if he makes it seem otherwise. In this year's Berlinale Best Director winner The Other Side of Hope, Kaurismäki tackles the subject of refugees in Europe as Syrian Khaled (Sherwan Haji) finds himself in Helsinki, applies to stay and is forced to pursue other options when he's hardly given a hearty welcome. The tale of an unhappy salesman turned unlikely restaurant owner intersects with Khaled's plight, and so does absurdity, but in the filmmaker's warm but insightful way. THE PARTY It all seems so simple: gather a group of excellent actors together, stick them in a few rooms, give their characters plenty to argue about and watch what happens. At its most basic, that's what The Party does over 71 entertaining, black-and-white-shot minutes — of course, it does more than that as well. The scenario sees Kristin Scott Thomas' Janet securing a plum political appointment, with her friends and family — played by Timothy Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy and more — all gathering around to celebrate. As something other than joy starts seeping through their get-together, writer/director Sally Potter crafts a lively and hilarious comedy filled with sparkling dialogue and intent on unpacking the political climate in Britain. ON BODY AND SOUL When On Body and Soul took home Berlinale's top award, the Golden Bear for Best Film, the Hungarian feature caught everyone by surprise. That's the beauty of film festivals, though — little turns out as expected, including a contemplative, surreal romantic drama set in a Budapest slaughterhouse. Writer/director Ildikó Enyedi takes her time to spin a tale of austere lives and vivid dreams, letting the emotion build at a slow and steady pace, as well as glimmers of humour. While it won't be for everyone, two things other than its accolade and its filmmaker make it stand out: just how it brings its absurd yet ultimately still relatable story to a close, and its corresponding performances. CASTING JONBENET Good news and bad news, everyone keen to watch the second full-length effort from Australian filmmaker Kitty Green. On the one hand, it's headed to Netflix in April. On the other, the film really does provide an astonishing viewing experience if you ever get the chance to see it in a cinema. As the name gives away, murdered six-year-old beauty pageant queen JonBenet Ramsay sits at the centre of this documentary — however, a regular true crime offering, this most certainly isn't. Instead, in an approach that results in disarmingly revealing insights about how we filter the events of the world through our own experiences, Green asks the people of Ramsay's home town of Boulder, Colorado to audition for a film about her case, then captures their responses. SPOOR Even if you don't know it, you're already familiar with the work of Polish filmmaking great Agnieszka Holland. Over the past decade or so, she has helmed episodes of everything from The Wire to The Killing to House of Cards — and while we can say that the flavour of all three can be glimpsed in her latest feature, Berlinale Silver Bear winner Spoor, don't go expecting something as straightforward or obvious as that may sound. A series of deaths, an investigation in an insular community and the political fallout provide the storyline for this moody and sometimes amusing feature that flits between mystery, thriller, black comedy and even fairy tale elements. Another Agnieszka also deserves acclaim, this time lead actress Agnieszka Mandat who puts in a more than memorable performance. I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO In I Am Not Your Negro, Samuel L. Jackson lends his voice to the words of American essayist James Baldwin. He does an outstanding job at capturing the tone and passion required, but it's the text itself, rather than the star uttering it, that's truly remarkable. Stepping through the state of race relations in the U.S. by focusing on the lives and deaths of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., every syllable spoken couldn't be more perceptive — or, even though they were written decades ago, still relevant today. It's little wonder that the film was nominated for best documentary at this year's Oscars, with director Raoul Peck matching the verbal content with an illuminating compilation of footage from the '50s and '60s. ON THE BEACH AT NIGHT ALONE Last year, South Korean director Hong Sang-soo's two most recent films (Right Now, Wrong Then and Yourself and Yours) played at various Australian film festivals. Yes, he's prolific. Expect his latest, On the Beach at Night Alone, to pop up this year — and, amazingly, he has two other features due out in 2017. That might mean that he returns to the same themes of love, identity and fulfilment again and again, and plays with the same kinds of structural devices, but every one of his efforts has their delights. Here, one of them is the fact that he riffs on his own rumoured real-life circumstances, relaying a narrative about the fallout of an affair between an actress and a director. Another is the leading lady herself, Kim Min-hee, who both sits at the centre of his own scandal and puts in a revelatory, Berlinale best actress-winning turn. GOD'S OWN COUNTRY The words "Yorkshire-set Brokeback Mountain" have been bandied about with frequency regarding God's Own Country; however, thankfully they're accurate in the very best way. Set on a struggling farm, it's a film of sprawling landscapes and surging urges — with both weathering hardships but proving rich and resonant. Forced to take care of everything due to his father's ailing health, to say that scowling, constantly booze-soaked Johnny (Josh O'Connor) is frustrated is an understatement, but, slowly and tentatively, the arrival of handsome Romanian farm-hand Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) helps brighten his unhappy days. First-time writer/director Francis Lee takes a raw, realistic approach to everything from the animals scenes to the feature's underlying emotions, with heart-swelling results.
This week, Bunnings Warehouse is supercharging its usual sausage sizzle, to support a community of Aussies doing it pretty tough. Tomorrow — Friday, August 4 — all of the hardware giant's NSW and ACT stores will host a special pre-weekend edition of their legendary snag sessions, raising coin for the Buy A Bale initiative, supporting drought-affected farmers. The initiative, part of the charity Rural Aid, lets you buy essentials — such as, yes, hay, as well as water, diesel and hampers — for farmers doing it rough. Which a lot of farmers are. Some areas of the country have been struggling with a years-long drought, and, more recently, NSW farmers have been dealt an "unforgivingly dry winter". All of the day's sausage profits will go towards helping struggling farming families across Australia, at a time when bushfires, a lack of rain and changes to live exports have made life on the land seriously hard. Grab a snag in bread and show them some love. Buy a Bale sausage sizzles will run from 9am–4pm across all Bunnings Warehouses in NSW.
It’s the cornerstone of any self-respecting diet. Now, Cuckoo Callay is celebrating the noble pig with the launch of their inaugural Bacon Festival — an event that’s sure to sizzle. Starting February 9, the Newtown cafe will modify their menu, showcasing the best our porky pals have to offer. There’ll be bacon burgers, bacon ice cream and even a bacon Bloody Mary. Sourcing their pork from Marrickville-based suppliers Black Forest Smokehouse, the Cuckoo chefs have put together eight delectable dining options, none of which sound remotely good for your heart. The Ultimate Bacon Breakfast features five different types of pig, including bacon steak and bespoke bacon sausage. The Piggy Popcorn chicken brioche burger, meanwhile, is a veritable farmhouse reunion. In case your arteries weren't strained enough, there's also a selection of sweeter options, such as Cuckoo’s Bacon Waffles. Naturally, they come topped with bacon caramel ice cream and rashers covered in chocolate. The cafe's got you covered on the beverage front as well, with an absurd bacon milkshake to accompany their bacon cocktail. Suffice it to say, the Bacon Festival is not vegetarian friendly. Keep your snouts on the Cuckoo Callay Facebook page for the full menu, which is set to be made available in early February.
Step into your local arthouse theatre these days and you'd be hard pressed not to find a regional film festival going on. From established cinematic powerhouses like France, Germany and Japan, to less spotlighted industries such as Poland, Indonesia and Serbia, the sheer amount of world cinema on the cultural calendar means there's almost always an alternative to the latest blockbuster out of Hollywood. As long as you don't mind reading subtitles, that is. In 2014, the line-up is getting that little bit more crowded, with the inaugural edition of a brand new festival highlighting the films from Europe's frozen north. Covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the first annual Scandinavian Film Festival is set to put the kvikmynd in kvikmyndahátíð. One area where contemporary Scandinavian cinema really seems to excel is the crime genre. Case in point, the Easy Money trilogy, starring Joel 'RoboCop' Kinnaman as a uni student turned drug runner. All three films will screen at the festival — see them before the scheduled US reboot featuring Zac Efron. From across the bridge in Denmark, meanwhile, comes police thriller The Keeper of Lost Causes, one the highest grossing films at the Danish box office last year. Continuing the dramatic thread, Metalhead, out of Iceland, tells the story of a pre-teen girl who copes with her brother's accidental death by taking on his identity. Sounds a little strange, sure, but the film has drawn rave reviews on the international festival circuit and scored a record-breaking 16 nominations at Iceland's prestigious Edda Awards. Thankfully, despite the region's chilly climate, not everything on the program is so severe. Finland's August Fools is a rom-com set against a Cold War era backdrop, while opening night features the informatively titled Swedish comedy The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. For more information about the Scandinavian Film Festival, visit their website. It's on at Palace Cinemas on the following dates: Canberra Tues 8 July - Sun 20 July Sydney Wed 9 July - Sun 27 July Melbourne Thu 10 July - Sun 27 July Brisbane Fri 11 July - Sun 20 July Adelaide Wed 23 July - Thurs 31 July Perth Thu 24 - Wed 30 July Byron Bay Fri 25 - Wed 30 July
Messina's next guest for its monthly Messina Eats pop-up is Melbourne's Mr Miyagi. The inventive Japanese eatery hit Sydney for the first time ever last August, and now its heading back up north with some new dishes. This time round, the Windsor eatery is serving up three dishes in edible waffle baskets. Choose from a bowl filled with fried chicken, ramen noodles and spicy Japanese mayo, one with slow-cooked pork and popcorn, and a third with truffled mushrooms and tomato tempura. Make sure you order a side of Miyagi's wasabi fries, too. Not to be forgotten, Messina will join in, too, with its take on a melonpan — a sweet Japanese bun with a cookie dough crust. Here, it's stuffed with strawberry sorbet and vanilla gelato. You'll find it exclusively, alongside Mr Miyagi's waffle bowls, in Messina's Rosebery HQ on Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30. Messina Eats will be open from 12–9.30pm or until sold out.
The apocalypse is something we fear, right? The desolation and destruction caused by a cataclysmic event is something we surely would not want to witness. Yet we seem to have a weird fascination with Armageddon, dedicating a significant amount of time to it in film, video games and those pub conversation about which of your friends has the best zombie survival plan. Now Lori Nix, a Kansas-born artist, has shared her deep wonderment with Judgement Day in her exhibition The City, which depicts New York City devoid of humanity, scarred by the apocalypse. "My childhood was spent in a rural part of the United States that is known more for its natural disasters than anything else," says Nix on her website. "For a child it was considered euphoric." This informed her project The City, which imagines "a city of our future, where something either natural or as the result of mankind, has emptied the city of it's human inhabitants. Art museums, Broadway theaters, laundromats and bars no longer function. The walls are deteriorating, the ceilings are falling in, the structures barely stand, yet Mother Nature is slowly taking them over. These spaces are filled with flora, fauna and insects, reclaiming what was theirs before man's encroachment." Nix portrays this reclamation through a series of photographed dioramas that she painstakingly constructs, right down to the most minute detail. Some of you may have heard of the The City before and that is because Nix began the project in 2005. However, each diorama takes approximately seven months to construct, followed by three weeks to shoot the final image of it, and so the series is ongoing. It has come to the fore again as the latest nine photographic works in the series are currently on exhibition at ClampArt, NYC until November 16 to coincide with the release of her first book. Explore our favourites in the gallery below and head to Nix's website to see the full collection. Via Gizmodo.
Environmentally conscious drinkers of Sydney, rejoice — and permanent marker this event in your diaries. NZ vodka brand 42BELOW is taking over This Must Be The Place for a series of collaborative events dubbed Waste-Free Weekender. Throughout the weekend — Thursday, Saturday 12 to Saturday, September 14 — Adelaide cocktail bar Maybe Mae will be serving up tipples aimed at raising awareness about food and drink waste. Co-owner Ollie Margan and his team will demonstrate some savvy preservation techniques and use local, recycled ingredients in concoctions like Beets by Mae and the Coastal Cruiser. Also on the lineup, legendary Instagram illustrator Struthless will lead Paint & Piss(take): a cheeky twist on the traditional paint and sip classes, where you can get some tips on unapologetic illustrating while enjoying an environmentally friendly cocktail. You can sign up for (free) tickets to the two sessions — 4.30pm on Thursday and Friday — here. If eating is more your thing (respect), Acre Eatery is stepping in on Saturday, September 14 from 10am–1pm, for a Wasteless Brunch. An urban farm and eatery, Acre Eatery will be dishing up a menu using ingredients leftover from the restaurant's Camperdown kitchen. Spaces for the brunch are super limited, so be quick to register here for your chance to sip bloody marys and eat well. And if all that isn't enough, Trash Bash will see DJs such as Bleeding Knees Club, Paul Mac and Kato spinning recycled and second-hand records late into each night of the Waste-Free Weekender.
As part of the New South Wales Government's response to Sydney's current cluster of COVID-19 cases, face masks became compulsory on public transport across Greater Sydney on Friday, June 18, with the new requirement presently in place until 12.01am on Thursday, June 24. Since then, more cases have been identified, so New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has today, Sunday, June 20, announced that the mask mandate is expanding. The requirement to wear masks will be extended in two ways. Firstly, the public transport rule will expand beyond Greater Sydney and the Blue Mountains, where it is currently in effect, and will now apply to the Wollongong and Shellharbour areas. Secondly, people in seven local government areas in Sydney will now need to wear masks indoors in public settings — with the latter coming into effect immediately. The LGAs covered: City of Sydney, Inner West, Randwick, Bayside, Canada Bay, Waverley and Woollahra. So, if you live, work in or visit those areas, you'll need to wear a mask inside in hospitality venues, shops and any indoor situation where you aren't eating or drinking. Basically, unless you're at home, you'll need to mask up indoors. "It applies to all indoor venues, excluding when you're eating and drinking — so if you're going shopping, to the cinema, sitting at a conference, any place where you can't guarantee social distancing proximity with others," the Premier said Premier Berejiklian also noted that the indoor requirement "will apply effective immediately"; however, compliance won't be enforced until 4pm today. For now, the mandate will apply for the same time as the public transport mask rule — so until 12.01am on Thursday, June 24. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1406419359233241089 Sydneysiders elsewhere are still encouraged to don a mask when they are indoors in public — even though it isn't being made compulsory anywhere outside of the seven named LGAs. "At this stage, we didn't want to make the decision to have compulsory indoor mask-wearing across all Greater Sydney, but if the situation changes overnight, that is an option we will have to consider," the Premier said. If you're wondering if more restrictions might be in store, Premier Berejiklian advised that "what we've asked people to do today is as far as we will go, but I will say that if cases continue to emerge in the community, we will need to consider going further — but I hope that isn't the case." Overnight, NSW reported two new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, with 44 cases — both local and overseas-acquired — currently being treated in the state. And, as it always does, NSW Health has been updating the COVID-19 venues of concern list, and will continue to do so. Anyone who has visited these venues during the times specified are required to get tested and self-isolate as per NSW Health's instructions. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Still sad because you missed The Avalanches much hyped comeback show at Splendour? Well, start saving your pennies because they're back for the Falls Music & Arts Festival. They're just one of the artists who have just been announced in the full 2016 lineup, alongside Childish Gambino, London Grammar, Grouplove, Broods, Jamie T, Parquet Courts and heaps, heaps more. As always, Falls will be heading to Lorne in Victoria for four nights, and Marion Bay in Tassie and Byron Bay on the NSW coast for three nights over New Year's Eve. They'll also be setting up shop in Fremantle for the first time with Falls Downtown, a two-day city festival slated to take place over the weekend of January 7-8. If you're seriously strapped for cash, it's time to warm up those vocal chords because The Falls Festival folks are giving you the chance to win VIP tickets for you and three mates. All you have to do is serenade the world with your favourite song from the 2016/17 lineup and upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #fallskaraoke. Get cracking. FALLS FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP Childish Gambino (No Sideshows) London Grammar (No Sideshows) The Avalanches Violent Soho Matt Corby Alison Wonderland* Catfish and the Bottlemen* Fat Freddy's Drop* Ta-ku The Rubens* The Jezabels Ball Park Music Grouplove Bernard Fanning* Jamie T Broods Tkay Maidza Grandmaster Flash Illy MØ Hot Dub Time Machine DMA's AlunaGeorge Booka Shade Client Liaison Vallis Alps Parquet Courts City Calm Down LDRU* Modern Baseball Tired Lion* Remi* RY X Marlon Williams* Lemaitre Shura *Not Playing Fremantle Tickets for Falls Festival 2016/17 will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, August 30 via their website.
Attention fans of bands, booze and blissing out. Tickets for the 2015 Secret Garden Festival — a.k.a. the most mysterious festival tickets money can buy — are on sale. That's Friday, November 14 from 9am, kids. For those unfamiliar with the concept behind Secret Garden — and to you I must ask: really? — the gist of it is this: Two days. A secret lineup that's not revealed until well after the event has sold out. Shenanigans including and not limited to dress-ups, pop-up bars, art installations, confetti cannons, costume-making, and camping in the grounds of a 3000-acre dairy farm just north of Sydney. Facts that we do know about the 2015 edition of the most enigmatic music event on the Sydney calendar is that it'll take place on Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 at the festival's once secret, now regular destination 'The Farm', and that admission is $185 for both days, or $125 for just the Saturday. And, as usual, it's all a not-for-profit fundraiser for the Sarah Hilt Foundation — a local charity raising money for sufferers of meningococcal. Despite the clandestine line-up, tickets to Secret Garden 2014 sold out within hours of going on sale. If you're keen for 2015, prep your bank account and flex those page-refreshing muscles now. Predictions are these tickets won't last much past lunch.
While it's nice to admire the custom decorative pieces in our homes, it's sometimes easy to forget that a lot of hard work went into creating them. If you've ever obtained items from Workshopped or followed the careers of designers from previous Workshopped exhibitions, now is your chance to find out the entire process behind their award-winning creations. Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design is on now at Object, Australia's centre for contemporary design. Twelve designers are coming together to share the story behind creating their projects, from conception to finished product. The question of what success means to each designer will also be explored, as all of their designs have been considered successful. Resolved features designers ranging from watchmaker Ben McCarthy to Zoe MacDonell, an artist who uses fabric and furniture as her canvases. If you're worried you might not make it to the exhibition, catch the online mini-documentary series that gives a peek into what you'll see at the exhibition.
Renowned Enmore Road eatery Hartsyard is saying goodbye to its owners, with Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Walsh set to begin a new culinary adventure in the coming months. The Inner West venue's loss is The Old Clare's gain, with the pair heading to the historic Chippendale hotel. Lee and Walsh have been at the helm of the restaurant since they took over from previous owners Gregory Llewellyn and Naomi Hart in 2018. Under the guidance of Lee and Walsh, the restaurant cemented itself as a Newtown favourite with casual fine dining centred around char-grilled delights. Lee told Concrete Playground that new owners expected to take over Hartsyard on Enmore Road; however, nothing has been locked in yet, and the venue will close in late August until a fresh set of custodians can take the reins. Hartsyard fans need not to worry, though, as the duo will bring favourites from the Hartsyard menu and a range of exciting new dishes to multi-space hotel and rooftop bar The Old Clare. The move to The Old Clare will see them revamp the food and drink offerings across both the hotel's ground-floor watering hole The Clare Bar and its popular poolside rooftop bar. [caption id="attachment_706210" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old Clare Rooftop[/caption] Lee also revealed that they would eventually be expanding The Old Clare's hospitality offerings into a new space next to neighbouring venue and Walsh's former workplace Automata. "We have always said Hartsyard is our little playground, I mean, we have had Soo MUCH FUN!" [sic] a message from the pair on Instagram stated. "It's time for us to move forward to create something new and exciting for all of you." If you'd like to experience Hartsyard under the guidance of Lee and Walsh, you still have two more months, with the duo's final service at the restaurant set for Monday, August 29. Until then, the a la carte menu will be reduced and a best-of tasting menu traversing some of chef- and fan-favourite dishes from the past four years of Hartsyard, for $120 per person. Head to Hartsyard's website to reserve your spot. [caption id="attachment_735826" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Hartsyard is located at 33 Enmore Road, Newtown. It's currently open from 6pm Friday–Monday. Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Walsh's last service at the restaurant will take place on Monday, August 29.
Not be outdone by their neighbours, whose own festival du film celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the latest line-up at the Audi Festival of German Films is guaranteed to give the French a run for their money. Presented by the Goethe-Institut in conjunction with Palace Cinemas, the 2014 festival boasts a selection of more than 50 German language films, as well as parties, lectures, special screenings and Q&As. Just a few of the highlights include Marc Rothemund's The Girl with Nine Wigs, about a young woman struggling with a cancer diagnosis; Constanze Knoche's simmering family drama, Visitors, about the strained relationship between a father and his three adult children; and Jan-Ole Gerster's black and white, day-in-the-life dramedy Oh Boy, which scooped up the top prize at the 2013 German Film Awards. The Audi Festival of German Film is in Sydney and Melbourne from March 27 to April 11, and in Brisbane from March 28 to April 3. Thanks to the festival, we have six double passes to give away in each city, valid for a session of your choosing. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au For the full Audi Festival of German Films program, see the festival website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xlyt_IRWM30
