Boasting an outrageously talented cast of young actors, including River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland and John Cusack, few films have captured the magic or intransigence of youth better than Rob Reiner’s nostalgic coming-of-age drama Stand By Me. Adapted from Stephen King’s autobiographical novella The Body, Stand By Me takes place in the summer of 1959 in a small, out of the way town in Oregon. With a full weekend at their disposal, four young boys embark on an adventure through the back roads of their community in search of a dead body rumoured to be hidden in the nearby swamp. It’s a sort of ‘road movie on foot’, complete with significant rites of passage, ridiculous childhood hijinks and, occasionally, some deeply tender moments. Richard Dreyfuss features as the film’s narrator, reminiscing from the perspective of one of the boys now in his middle age. “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12,” he observes at one point. “Jesus, does anyone?” – and therein lies the heart of Stand By Me. Each of the four boys carries with him the shame of some social stigma, be it abusive parents, physical deformity or simple obesity, yet as a group they’re confident and unassailable, loved unconditionally by each other in a way not found back home or by the township. Filmed almost thirty years ago, Stand By Me remains a poignant, moving and uplifting testimony to the capacity for friendship and the joy of childhood adventure. The team behind the much-anticipated event Downtown Drive-In has announced Carriageworks in Sydney’s Eveleigh, just three kilometres from the Sydney CBD, as the location for its three-night season, which will run from November 29 to December 1, 2012. A seldom-used section of the 120-year-old heritage listed building will form the perfect backdrop for the Back Roads USA season of films. The films to be screened include On The Road, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Raising Arizona, Stand By Me and Vanishing Point. Downtown Drive-In will also feature a custom menu with individual items designed by The Dip, Sydney’s favourite American-style diner, playfully paying tribute to the films and shared Americana settings and atmosphere. Major sponsor Audi will supply a range of luxury cars for the ultimate drive-in experience. The cars will also feature razor-sharp sound from audio partner Bang & Olufsen. Entry into Downtown Drive-In will cost $50 for vehicles of up to four people. Walk-in deck chair seating is also available near the screen, at $25 per person. For more information on the film schedule, drive-in experience and participating partners, visit www.downtowndrive.in
Just when you thought you were all Harvest sideshow-ed out, along comes Beck and announces his only Australian gig outside of his frenetically anticipated headline one. The exceptionally talented and artistically scrupulous musician will play the Sydney State Theatre on Wednesday, 14 November. It will be the closest thing you will get to a sonic run-down of his almost 20-year career, and even though cramming two decades of musical innovation into one show is almost as unrealistic as attempting to write about it, it will be worth every cent of however much tickets end up being when they're released next Friday. Since releasing catchy, off-kilter anthem "Loser" back in 1994 Beck has proved his mastery of music via eight studio albums and many more boundary-pushing collaborative projects. His latest release is so good it's actually inaudible to human ears. What you probably can hear, however, is the sound of your bank account groaning under a heavy but very good-sounding weight. That you should ignore. https://youtube.com/watch?v=VkCg-3nxT8E
Before Batman squared off against Superman and the Avengers started fighting amongst themselves, another group of not-so-average folks brought their battles to the big screen. Since 2000, the X-Men franchise has charted the many clashes and intermittent truces of Professor Charles Xavier, his friend-turned-nemesis Magneto, and their respective groups of disagreeing mutants. Sixteen years later, they've graced nine films, including the original trilogy, two Wolverine spin-offs, two other excursions into the characters' backstories and this year's smash hit Deadpool. With such a sizeable history, of course their latest conflict seems familiar. But it also feels every inch its own. Indeed, there has always been a specific vibe to the X-Men movies: outcast-oriented dramas mixed with bombastic action, while always retaining a distinctive emotional core. Director Bryan Singer is at the helm of his fourth instalment, while writer Simon Kinberg is back for script number three. It should therefore come as no surprise that the '80s-set X-Men: Apocalypse once again charts outsiders looking to find their place in a makeshift mutant family. Ten years after the main events of X-Men: Days of Future Past, Professor X (James McAvoy) yet again locks horns with Magneto (Michael Fassbender), with the recently unearthed Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) — an ancient, god-like being considered the first-ever mutant — the cause of their latest conflict. The former is intent on stopping the new threat, re-teaming with CIA agent Moira Mactaggert (Rose Byrne) and later shape-shifting mutant Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). The latter, in the wake of his own personal tragedy, once again embraces his destructive streak and sides with the fresh force of global devastation. With teenage incarnations of Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) also featured, X-Men: Apocalypse doesn't lack in subplots, characters or attempts to set up future sequels. Nor does it miss any opportunity to thrust a CGI-heavy fray to the fore, or to sprinkle in a few much-needed doses of humour – particularly when returning favourite Quicksilver (Evan Peters) is involved. Instead, the one thing absent is the added element the film so obviously strives for: a heightened sense of grandeur. Conveying the personal stakes motivating the main players may not be an easy feat in such a busy effort, yet it's something the movie achieves in a touching manner. Dialling up the gravity of the entire situation proves far less simple or successful. Sadly, the titular villain is the main culprit weighing the feature down. If X-Men: Apocalypse shines whenever the usual suspects share screen time, it lags when the newfound enemy starts making big speeches. In stark contrast to the actor's typical output, poor Oscar Isaac is barely allowed to make a mark, with his makeup and digitally altered voice sapping his natural charisma. Thankfully McAvoy and Fassbender continue their stellar form across their trio of prequel films, while Peters once again threatens to steal the show. When you're watching them, you're in vintage X-Men territory, even if the movie desperately wants to be something more.
The history of cinema is haunted by oh-so-many movies about oh-so-many ghost-riddled abodes, and the often-troubled and bereaved folks dwelling within them. The first clever move The Night House makes is recognising it's floating into busy spectral waters, then ensuring its tension stems from its living, breathing protagonist as much as the frights and fears she's forced to face. The film's second stellar step: casting Rebecca Hall (Godzilla vs Kong) as that central figure. An always-welcome addition to anything she's in — see also: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Christine and Tales From the Loop in just the past few years — she plays her tormented part here with brooding sorrow, reluctant vulnerability and a sharp, smart edge. She knows that grappling with loss involves being jolted in many different directions, and being subjected to bumps and jumps of the emotional kind, and that it's never easy to surrender to. Indeed, many of The Night House's surprises come from Hall as Beth, a schoolteacher whose life has been turned upside down by her husband Owen's (Evan Jonigkeit, The Empty Man) unexpected suicide. Clearly normally a no-nonsense type whether she's guiding pupils, dealing with their parents or navigating her personal life, she probes and questions everything that comes her way. As a result, her reactions — including just to herself — are constantly complex, thorny and compelling. Since Owen's passing — using a gun she didn't know he had, and tainting a rowboat usually tethered to the lake house he built for them himself — Beth has cycled through the familiar stages of mourning. When she returns to work to her colleagues' astonishment, including her close friend Claire's (Sarah Goldberg, Barry), she's blunt with the oblivious mother of one of her students. At drinks, she also shocks her co-workers by discussing Owen's suicide note, admitting her home now seems different and obsessing over how much she really knew her husband. That last written missive ties back into one of Beth's past traumas, and her own dealings with the end that awaits us all. When she's alone at night, she's not sure that she can trust what she sees and hears, or tell whether she's awake or dreaming. Filling her time by sorting through Owen's things, she's also unsure what to make of the eerie sketches and books about the occult that sit among his possessions. And, she's thrown even further askew when she finds photos of brunette women that could be her doppelgängers; plans for a home just like hers, but mirrored; and a cascade of tidbits that cast her memories of her marriage into disarray. Also among The Night House's savvy moves: understanding that grief really does change everything. Not only has Beth's life lost one of its brightest lights, but everything Owen once illuminated now keeps being cloaked in shadows he's not there to extinguish. She can't ask him about what she's uncovering, or feeling, or what it's digging up inside. She can't rely upon him, either, or keep trusting what she thought she'd already learned about him during their marriage. And, as being touched by death tends to evoke, she's spiralling down an a well of existential malaise. All ghost and haunted house movies are about confronting mortality, as are a long list of horror staples — zombies, vampires, serial killers, monsters and the like — and The Night House has a strong sense of terror about the the fact that life doesn't extended forever. Director David Bruckner (The Ritual) and screenwriting duo Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski (Super Dark Times) infuse their film with foreboding, with Beth's demons, and also with a heightened state of anxiety. Cultivating an unsettling atmosphere via creepy sights, just as unnerving sounds and music cues, and Hall's showcase performance, they fill 108 minutes with the unease that lingers in us all, but that we spend the majority of our days burying deep inside. That horror craftsmanship — the bristling, needling score by Ben Lovett (The Wolf of Snow Hollow); the exactingly timed sonic assaults that litter the sound design; the sinuous and disorienting cinematography by Elisha Christian (Max Richter's Sleep) — is expertly calibrated. The Night House is a movie made with horror style as well as smarts, and it's meticulously engineered to coax the desired response out of its audience. Looking for what's not there, and also what loiters when in spaces defined by their emptiness, is one of the movie's visual charms. Bruckner enjoys teasing, too, knowing that viewers will always want more time studying Hall's face and winding through Beth's labyrinthine home, and yet never falling too in love with one or the other. And, while there's never any guessing who the camera and the film adore, he populates The Night House with well-weighted portrayals all over. There are no cartoonish bit-parts and supporting performances, with Vondie Curtis-Hall (Harriet) bringing concern and sincerity as Beth's neighbour, Stacy Martin (Vox Lux) giving a source of mystery flesh and blood, and Goldberg as nuanced as Barry fans will recognise. So many of his choices are nicely judged; however, when it comes to The Night House's plot twists, Bruckner is less careful about becoming prey to indulgence. Even though they're grounded in relatable, palpable sentiments, stirrings and musings, some of the movie's developments feel muddled, and also threaten to undercut the fine-tuned work going on elsewhere. Some of the repeated nightmarish symbols get splashed across the screen one or two too many times as well, although a love of all things hellishness is next leading Bruckner, Collins and Piotrowski to remaking Hellraiser. Here, when The Night House ruminates over psychological, existential and atmospheric horrors, it's as gripping as Hall always is. When it's less focused on being haunted by absence, and by death, it's a sillier, less shrewd and involving movie. While set in a house by a lake, it never stoops to Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock sending each other love letters, thankfully — but it also steps back from being as bleak at the last minute as it needed to be.
In a brief, early sequence, Dead Men Tell No Tales appears to achieve something quite remarkable. Immersing Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) in a bank heist, it feels like the filmmakers have cottoned onto something that helmers of previous Pirates sequels never managed to grasp: a little bit of Sparrow goes an awfully long way. Yes, even here, the rum-swilling pirate remains as ridiculous as ever. But as his crew drags a safe through the streets while he tries to evade capture, you at least get the feeling that his latest adventure will be about more than just him. Sadly, it doesn't last. The truth is, time has not been kind to Depp since the first Pirates of the Caribbean hit back in 2003 and earned him an Oscar nomination. Or, to be more accurate, Depp has not been kind to Depp. Audiences have been accosted by his Sparrow shenanigans not only in Dead Man's Chest, At World's End and On Stranger Tides, but in almost everything else he's made in between. From Alice in Wonderland to The Lone Ranger to the nigh unwatchable Mortdecai, Depp's penchant for outlandish overacting has kept him firmly in the same mode. If it was beginning to grate a decade ago, it's positively painful now. Point is, make sure to enjoy this movie's early moments while they last. While the fifth film in the franchise ostensibly endeavours to switch its gaze to the next generation, the fact remains that an overabundance of Sparrow threatens to sink the whole ship. The wobbling seafarer finds himself in demand, with young upstart Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) and mysterious astronomer Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) both requiring his help in their hunt for Poseidon's trident. Meanwhile, ghostly pirate hunter Salazar (Javier Bardem) is also on Sparrow's trail, hungry for revenge. Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) pops up, as do a few family ties, although the plot isn't really the main focus of this dip back into choppy waters. Just as amusement park attractions are more about thrills and theme than narrative, so too is Dead Men Tell No Tales. Taking the helm after impressing with the ocean-faring Kon-Tiki, directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg soon lose control of their vessel, serving up bland nautical action alongside their predictably unbearable protagonist. Given that this franchise has been surfing a downwards trajectory from the outset, we shouldn't really be surprised by the failure of this latest outing. An initial burst of energy, a couple of new faces and Bardem reliably playing the villain are all promising signs, but they're not enough to turn sea trash into treasure. Hold onto your hats though, me hearties, as it seems the franchise won't be walking the plank just yet. Like plenty of other big-budget sequels of late, Dead Men Tell No Tales appears as though it's just treading water for another installment. Next time, maybe follow Sparrow's lead and load up on rum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dhAxBe3uqk
Russia’s nomination to the 2014 Foreign Language Oscar race is every bit as slow and imposing as its title would suggest. Ostensibly named for the enormous blue whales whose bones scatter the shoreline of the small coastal town of Pribrezhny, the name Leviathan more readily refers to the unfeeling, unyielding behemoth of the Russian bureaucracy that devours everything in its path. Acclaimed director Andrey Zvyagintsev does a masterful job capturing the misery of life under such a corrupt and broken system. Of course, whether that’s something you actually want to watch is a different question entirely. Don’t get us wrong: there’s plenty to appreciate about Zvyagintsev’s latest feature. Chief among them would be the raw, brutish performance of Aleksey Serebryakov. A mainstay of the Russian screen industry, Serebryakov plays Kolya, a quick-tempered auto mechanic who runs afoul of Pribrezhny’s mayor (played by Roman Madyanov), who wants to seize the valuable headland currently occupied by Kolya’s house. In order to fight back, Kolya calls on Dimitriy (Vladimir Vdovichenkov), a friend from his days in the army and now a high-powered lawyer in Moscow. Through Kolya’s struggle, Zvyagintsev presents viewers with a scathing critique of contemporary Russian society — a grim, vodka-soaked landscape of dodgy politicians with little concern for the citizens who put them in office. It’s compelling for a time, in a depressing sort of way, watching the poor, emasculated Kolya gain inches only to be set back miles. Those hoping that the prevalence of religious imagery might signal a David and Goliath ending are likely to leave the cinema disappointed. The hopelessness of Kolya's situation is reflected in the work of cinematographer Mikhail Krichman, who favours wide lenses, static camera work and a colour palette overpowered by greys. Unfortunately, as Leviathan plods past the two hour mark, you too may begin to feel overpowered. For all his insight, Zvyagintsev isn’t trading in a particularly nuanced brand of bleakness, his message driven home with all the dull, repetitive pounding of a sledgehammer, or waves crashing endlessly on the shore. Leviathan is arduous by design. But that’s little conciliation when you’re struggling to sit through it.
Any good 'twist movie' carries with it two inescapable truths: joy to behold, bitch to review. The best to which a critic can aspire is circumspection bordering on indifference, tempered like a card shark sitting on an unbeatable hand. That task becomes even more formidable when the twist itself provides the basis for the entire plot. In those cases, as it is with Steven Soderbergh's latest (and supposedly last) film Side Effects, even just stating what the film's about in the broadest possible terms discloses more than can ever be justified. Ultimately, there's little more that can be said beyond "This film is great and you really ought to see it." And yet, sufficient as that review might be, in this instance Side Effects' name and tagline — "One pill can change your life" — helpfully offer at least a permissible insight into the movie's umbrella theme: prescription drugs. Its main character Emily (Rooney Mara) flits back and forth from one antidepressant to the next like they were competing brands of cereal, forever in search of that consequence-free panacea to her daily "poisonous fog bank rolling in". Her well-intentioned psychiatrist (Jude Law) dutifully doles out each prescription, just as eager to cure her melancholy yet also candidly advocating certain medications over others in exchange for those companies' generous consultancy fees. However, just as Side Effects appears to be establishing itself as the fictionalised version of similarly themed documentaries like Generation RX and Prescription for Disaster, it takes such a sudden and monumental shift that the audience audibly gasped in our screening. From that moment on, Soderbergh (who also filmed and edited the movie under pseudonyms) has you questioning and requestioning everything you see and hear, grasping for clarity, and staving off paranoia like the very characters before you. If indeed this is to be his swan song, then we can take solace in knowing he's left us with another gripping, intelligent, and complex psychological thriller befitting both his status as an auteur and his extraordinary back catalogue of films.
The natural wine scene is no stranger to a great party, although those festivities were in pretty short supply last year. But this winter, it's all kicking off again with a bang, as new natural wine shindig Huge Moves takes over the legendary Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. Join in the fun on Monday, June 14 — which is a public holiday — as Joel Amos (Drnks) and renowned sommelier James Hird (co-founder of Rootstock) host this huge tasting party dedicated to celebrating top-notch natural vino from around Australia and beyond. Across two sessions (11am–2pm and 3.30–6.30pm), attendees will have the chance to sample an expansive curation of wine from the likes of Little Reddie, Giorgio De Maria and Momento Mori, all while chatting to some of the industry's leading producers, growers and importers. Then, over in the Icebergs Bar, the fun continues into the night — with DJs and plenty more opportunities to mingle with the experts. There'll be plenty of snacks available from the Icebergs kitchen, which you can match to drops from the day's exclusive wine rotation, starring top festival picks. And if you really fall in love with something, you'll find a pop-up bottle shop from Drnks slinging a range of bottles to go. Tickets cost $65.
Surry Hills restaurant Nomad has just as much street cred for its wine as it does for its next-level Middle Eastern cuisine. As well as having an extensive wine list and an in-house cellar door, the restaurant also has a monthly wine delivery service. And now its adding another notch to its vinous belt, launching its very own wine school. Kicking off on Saturday, July 21, the restaurant will run a series of monthly classes, diving deep into all things wine, hosted upstairs at neighbouring China Heights Gallery. Sessions, which will run for 5.5 hours one Saturday a month, will be capped at 20 students and led by Nomad's Director of Wine Simon Howland. They'll cover everything from wine tasting 101 to an exploration of how climate and geography can impact the final product, with a focus on Australian wines. The classes will also involve some actual wine tasting (naturally) with participants getting to sample around 12 wines throughout each class. And, there'll be food — a seasonal lunch and an afternoon cheese feast will both be provided courtesy of the Nomad kitchen. Those wanting to take a slightly smaller bite out of Howland's wine knowledge can opt instead for one of the monthly weeknight masterclasses, which'll clock in at a tidy 90 minutes. Each of these relaxed sessions will hone in on a particular theme — think, What is Natural Wine? and Festive Wines — presented via a guided tasting of six wines, with cheese and charcuterie. Nomad's Saturday Wine School classes cost $250 a session and Weekday Masterclasses are $150 each. To book into a class, email simon@nomadwine.com.au. NOMAD WINE SCHOOL SCHEDULE SATURDAY WINE SCHOOL Saturday, July 21 Saturday, August 18 Saturday, September 1 Saturday, October 6 Saturday, November 3 WEEKDAY EVENING MASTERCLASSES Tuesday, July 24: Nomad Winter Wines Tuesday, August 14: What is Natural Wine? Monday, September 3: Nomad Spring Selection Tuesday, October 9: Winemaker or Vineyard, Who Really Makes the Wine? Tuesday, November 26: Nomad Festive Wines
Jaan Tallinn, founding programmer of Kazaa and engineer of Skype, knows technology well. It's because of this that Tallinn knows exactly how rapidly it's expanding. Soon, technology won't just be tablets and smartphones and little luxuries for consumers; Tallinn argues that this explosive growth in technology has replaced human evolution in the way that it will shape our world — the intelligence stairway. At some point, technological developments will be self-sustaining — that is, that they will no longer require the input of humanity — and this can lead to a Skynet-esque situation. There are two solutions to this. The first is not really a solution; it's more clinging to the hope that the self-spawning robots will follow Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. The second is much more practical, and involves a mass coordination of technological development to limit the growth of artificial intelligence to prevent this. Think about it: this is a real threat. It's a little bit cool, but mostly frightening.
Several of Sydney's villages are getting on the Good Food Month bandwagon with their own events, from Paddo's William Street Festival to Newtown's Good Food Fair. The good folks of Potts Point are inviting you to join them for a small bar hop. You'll spend the evening roaming from one bar to another, sampling signature cocktails, fine wines and craft beers, matched with tasting plates. The first hop is sold out already, but tix are still going for the second. Your adventure will include stops at Jangling Jacks, where the drinks are named after legendary locals, speakeasy-inspired Parson's in leafy Kellett Street and and Waterman's Lobster Co. where the lobster rolls are named according to US states. Tickets cost $95 and include a drink and a snack at each of the three venues.
Throw on the best gown your local op shop has in stock, because Heaps Gay and Vivid Sydney are throwing a fancy schmancy party. Taking over Sydney Town Hall on the Queen's Birthday long weekend, the inaugural Heaps Gay Qweens Ball has been billed by its organisers as "the experience of a lifetime". There'll be music by the likes of Electric Fields, Yo Mafia, Handsome and Imbi the Girl, as well as art, burlesque, drag shows, an homage to the Sydney leather scene and a whole lot more. Oh, and did we mention the whole thing is sponsored by Young Henrys and 42 Below? Needless to say, there'll be libations aplenty, as the party kicks on well into the night.
Swords, sandals, speeches and spectacle: in a Ridley Scott-directed epic, all are to be expected. It comes as no surprise that Exodus: Gods and Kings has each in abundance. Men fight, moral dialogue dominates, and 3D computer-generated imagery delivers everything from palaces and now-fallen monuments to parted seas and giant waves. What might come as a surprise is that Scott’s latest round of swinging steel fares better than it perhaps should. The veteran helmer’s vision of the tale from the Old Testament Book of Exodus falls between his lauded Gladiator and less applauded Kingdom of Heaven. Repetition reigns in an over-extended, blood-soaked effort, but so does a strong sense of character and contemplation. For those unfamiliar with biblical narratives, the story of Moses swaps between sides in one of the greatest tussles in Judaism. In Egypt circa 1300 BC, a punishing regime saw the empire’s 400,000 Hebrew inhabitants worked to death as slaves — a system that had been in place for over 400 years. Moses (Christian Bale) grew up alongside Pharaoh-in-waiting Rhamses (Joel Edgerton), unaware of his true heritage. Upon discovering he belongs to the people his friend so willingly exploits, he is exiled, but remains unwavering in his quest for change. So far, so standard — at least where film depictions of the oft-covered pseudo-sibling-rivalry circumstances are involved. Indeed, standard is an apt description for a feature that goes through the motions in relaying its well-documented plot points. Moses and Rhamses argue. God sets Moses on a mission. Plagues — a river of blood, frogs, locusts and more — try to convince Rhamses of the right decision. Bale’s involvement, as culturally questionable as his and other casting may be, provides a stirring central performance and a strong protagonist. In channelling the conflict at the heart of the story, he broodingly expresses the impact of Moses’s many battles — with himself, his origins, his identity, and the notion of faith. In an effort that muses at length about these issues, he offers an eloquent manifestation of the inherent struggle. The film suffers whenever he isn’t on screen, though such instances are rare. Elsewhere, the rest of the cast doesn’t fare as well, more as a result of a script tinkered with by four writers than anything else. With eyeliner aplenty, Edgerton simmers with corruption and confusion, and Ben Mendelsohn hams it up (in an unlikely Animal Kingdom reunion). Ben Kingsley is quiet but convincing as a symbol of the oppressed, but many other big names — Aaron Paul and Sigourney Weaver, most notably — are given little to do. The less said about the squandering of talented actresses such as Golshifteh Farahani and Hiam Abbass, the better. Thankfully, among the clumsiness and the bulging roster of familiar faces, Exodus: Gods and Kings finds the midway point between the overblown and unnecessary, and the interesting and epic. Come for the biblical action, stay for the powerful lead performance, and witness an average but still engaging take on a famous tale.
Much has been written about Sydney's newest ARI, Alaska Projects. Having only been around for four months (and already nominated for a SMAC Award, which must have happened within the first week of the Alaska launch date) it seems that Sydney loves to feel like it is oh-so-underground. You know, an artspace in a carpark — so effing cool. And with 400 people along to Samuel Hodge's opening last week it looks as though the people speak volumes. But then again, anywhere where you can drink and smoke and look at art and be in a carpark sounds pretty good to me. We all want to feel like we live in New York sometimes. I may sound a little cynical and to tell you the truth, prior to visiting Alaska Projects I was. ARIs come and go but Alaska has just a touch of magic in the form of director, Sebastian Goldspink. As MCA VSO alumni (you may also remember him from here) he really has the gift of the gab and unlike most jaunts to art galleries in this city (ARI or otherwise) a visit to Alaska is met with the warm, extended hand of Seb, "Hi. Have you been to Alaska before? Do you know Sam's work? Let me talk you through the show." Which is suitably refreshing. And welcoming. And inclusive. And not at all the usual blank stare of nonchalance that you would expect from a gallery director running a space in a carpark in Kings Cross. Anyway, if you venture down to Alaska over the next week you will find the sprawling archive of Samuel Hodge’s Euro-hued post-Vice photographs. As a commercial photographer who also sees himself as a visual artist many of the photographs are outtakes from fashion shoots and other banal made moody everyday moments. A couple are particularly striking, the rest didn’t change my life, but might change yours. Either way, I would well recommend searching out Alaska on a Sunday afternoon when the Level Two car park doubles as the backpacker car market. Expect to exit the lift and be faced with some sort of Buffy vampire lair — backpackers nestled at plastic tables, munching on rice crackers, practicing their sideways glances of 150, 000 kms. 2 bedder conversion. New tyres. 3 months rego. Gold, Charlie, gold. Samuel Hodge runs until Sunday 22 January. Alaska Projects is open Thurs-Fri 6-8pm and Sat-Sun 1-6pm.
Behind the mysterious billowing silk that marks Spice Temple's iconic entrance is a shrine to the chilli to which every lover of the sweet burn must make pilgrimage, and there's never been a better time to do so than Wednesday, May 28. Masters of the chilli Neil Perry and Andy Evans are presenting a one-night-only Some Like It Hot dinner, showcasing the fiery fruit in dried, fresh, salted, pickled and fermented forms in a menu that's set to sizzle. From crispy chicken laced with heaven-facing chillis to red braised pork belly with dried chillis and quail eggs to whole fried chillis with lap yuk and Sichuan black beans, one thing's for sure: this dinner is not for the faint of heart. Since even the most seasoned aficionados will feel the fever-pitch heat, there's a carefully matched boutique beer flight and a flavoursome green apple granita to cool you right back down. For bookings or further details contact Donna Tsakonakas at Spice Temple Sydney on (02) 8078 1888 or visit rockpool.com.
We might be in our last month of summer, but that doesn't mean the good times need to end any time soon. So, to help you round out the sunny season with a bang, fun Aussie clothing brand Barney Cools has teamed up with local hospitality group The Sydney Collective to bring you four epic Sunday sessions. First up, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel will be throwing down an afternoon of tunes this Sunday, from 4–8pm, with local legend POOLCLVB as a special guest behind the decks. Tickets will cost you a cool $49, but you get a Red Bull cocktail on arrival, plus fish and chips and a pizette to line the stomach. And, of course, that covers the tunes and stunning water views, too. There'll also be a bunch of Barney Cools giveaways going around, so you could also land yourself some new threads. Snap up tickets here. Then, on February 14, head to Manly's Daniel San with your date or mate for an untraditional — and less stuffy — Valentine's Day. The lineup will see Barney Cools' disk-spinners playing some hot tracks from 3–7pm. Tickets to this Sunday soiree cost $45 and include a selection of sushi rolls, plus a tropical, Red Bull-infused cocktail. You can nab tickets here. Following that, there'll be more DJs playing at south Sydney institution Northies from 3–7pm on February 21. These tix start at a reasonable $10, which, yes, also includes a Red Bull cocktail. And again you can expect some giveaways and epic ocean views. Head here for tickets. Then, finishing up the series from 3–7pm on the last day of the month, will be a session at Mona Vale's Park House. Held in the Truck Stop, the event will see more chair-dancing, more Red Bull cocktails on arrival and more Barney Cools giveaways. Tickets are sold in tables of four ($156), six ($234) and 12 ($468), so round up the crew to farewell summer with an arvo of cold ones and killer tunes. Get your tickets here. Barney Cools Endless Summer Series runs every Sunday in February.
Usually when you head to a food truck gathering, only the folks doing the cooking stay inside their vehicles. But nothing is all that usual at the moment, so the Bella Vista Hotel has launched a Food Truck Drive-Thru — where attendees head along and pick up plenty of delicious dishes from meals-on-wheels kitchens, all while remaining inside their cars. Running every Thursday–Sunday evening until Sunday, June 28, this foodie event features ten food vendors, with the likes of Fire and Brimstone BBQ, Burger Head, Pizza-ology and Cluckn Chicken slinging their wares. All you need to do is drive up, add your car to the line and scan a QR code to order. Then, your food will be brought to you, ready for you to take home. Unlike food truck gatherings before the COVID-19 pandemic, you can't hang around at this one — you'll just need to grab your food and head off, with no onsite eating permitted. But, you will be able to collect everything from pizza, burgers and chook pieces to gozleme, cakes and cannoli. There'll also be shake-and-serve cocktails on offer, plus long neck beers. Just remember to bring your card, as all transactions are cashless. The Bella Vista Hotel Food Truck Drive-Thru runs every Thursday–Sunday until Sunday, June 28 — open Thursdays–Saturdays from 5–9pm and Sundays from 5–8pm.
Known as 'The Man Who Shot the Seventies', Mick Rock is the photographer behind some of rock's most iconic images, embodying rock 'n' roll by more than just name. Beginning his career in 1972 as the official photographer of David Bowie, Rock was the man who chronicled the rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust. Throughout the seventies, he continued to photograph some of music's most influential stars, creating album covers for Lou Reed's Transformer, Syd Barret's The Madcap Laughs, Iggy and the Stooges' Raw Power, Queen's Queen II and the Ramones' End of the Century. Rock also shot and produced several music videos, including 'Life on Mars', 'Space Oddity' and 'Jean Genie'. His work captures the spirit and defines some of the most groundbreaking bands in music history. Recently Rock has worked with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Johnny Marr, the Chemical Brothers and Kate Moss, and his retrospectives on Glam Rock and the psychedelic-era have been acclaimed worldwide. This month Blender Gallery is presenting Mick Rock - EXPOSED!, a retrospective of Rock's work across the past four decades. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cYMCLz5PQVw
At first, Mike Mills' semi-autobiographical new indie flick, Beginners, seems like just another kooky romantic comedy featuring a lot of bad timing and translation gags. Think Amelie, except with Ewan McGregor in the main role and a gay subtext. But this time the comedy has a bittersweet edge; a recurrent note of sadness which reminds you that no one ever gets an unlimited amount of days, months or years in which to sort out the vagaries of their relationships. As a wise Jack Russell terrier, whose telepathic pronouncements punctuate the storyline, is at pains to point out to Oliver, the protagonist, it is never too late to find a sense of joie de vivre – and to doggedly hang onto it. In 2003, when the film begins, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is sorting through the possessions of his father Hal (Christopher Plummer), who has just died of cancer. Oliver is a habitually dejected graphic designer with a talent for self-sabotage in relationships; he has a tendency to explain himself through self-consciously twee statements like, "My personality was created by someone else and all I got was this stupid t-shirt." In voiceover, Oliver reveals that after a forty-five year marriage his hitherto 'straight' father had come high-kicking out of the closet and enjoyed a lively liberated five years in the Southern Californian gay scene. Mills grafts a conventional love story onto Oliver's tricky journey of grief and self-realisation when he meets the lovely French actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent), at a costume party. Oliver and Anna embark on a whimsical but wary relationship, complete with tears, laughter, sharp-worded recriminations – and random roller-skating through the rococo halls of a ritzy Los Angeles hotel. Oliver's memories of his father and the perfunctory kisses that peppered his parents passionless marriage, inform his hesitant approach to Anna; through flashbacks, writer-director Mills' explores the effect of the profound social changes of the past fifty years on people's sense of 'right' and 'wrong'. Beginners is visually stunning and the storyline, while sentimental, is seldom sappy. Olivers' self-destructive nature inevitably leads him to spurn Anna when she gets too close, but the idea that you can leave someone without going anywhere is intriguing, intelligent and powerfully realised by the consummate cast. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KplqiAHYnHo
First, they realised that folks liked to strut their stuff on the dance floor in their own way — free from judging eyes, glaring sources of illumination, restrictive outfits and the need to learn specific steps. So it should come as no surprise that No Lights No Lycra have hit the jackpot with their next idea. Now, knowing that there's more to the season of roses and chocolates than the usual romantic gestures, they're throwing an anti-Valentine's Day dance party. Taking over the Paddington Uniting Church Hall from 7.30pm on February 14, Feelin' Myself — The Anti V-Day Party is a space for everyone to come together and show their love through movement. Just what kind of affection you're expressing and celebrating as you listen to a mix of breakup and better-off-alone tunes, well, that's up to you. If you're attached, you can both hit the floor and avoid all of the usual Valentine's Day cliches — sure, you'll have to nab a ticket in advance, but there's no fancy outfits, worrying about a restaurant booking, trying to snag the best picnic spot or the like. If you're solo, you can groove with your gang or bust a move alone, free from the usual romance overload.
In 1981, SBS broadcast Women of the Sun, a historical production in more ways than one. Exploring the lives of four Aboriginal women from the 1820s to the 1980s, it earned acclaim for not just delving into female Indigenous experiences of the past, but for becoming the first television program ever to do so. 35 years later, Winyanboga Yurringa follows in the show's footsteps, this time bringing the female connection to country to the stage — and into the 21st century. Written and directed by playwright and recipient of the 2015 NSW Aboriginal Art Fellowship Andrea James, the performance draws on real-life stories to explore what's known in Aboriginal culture as women's business. Cue contemplations of identity, appearance, belonging, finding partners and tackling prejudice. The play depicts a revelatory camping trip as the six main characters interrogate their links with their homeland, heritage and with each other, as guided by their auntie, sister and cousin Neecy. It's a complex and compelling theatre work starring Kylie Coolwell, Alexis Lane, Angeline Penrith, Tessa Rose, Pamela Young and Matilda Brown. Presented by Carriageworks and Moogahlin Performing Arts. Image: Bindi Cole.
Beat the winter chill down by the water at a new pop-up chalet and whisky bar right on the harbour. Open until September 30 at Pier One Sydney Harbour, the Chivas Lodge on the Pier boasts all the comforts of an alpine lodge, from the opulent Chivas Regal Whisky cocktails and matched winter dishes right down to the roaring open fire. Get your skis on, stat. Tapping into the stores of the iconic Scottish distillery, libations at the lodge will include Chivas Regal served five ways, either neat or on the rocks served with homemade chocolate infused with orange and coriander, as well as six custom-made cocktails. These concoctions include the Nuts & Curd (Chivas Regal 12, lemon curd, fennel, honey syrup and Frangelico) and the Aged Bobby Burns (Chivas, Bénédictine and vermouth). The lodge will also play host to a number of regular and one-off events. Thursdays will feature complimentary tasting plates to go along with the liquid refreshments, while Fridays will welcome live saxophone performances and DJ sets along with three minute angel massages. Chivas ambassador Rachel MacDonald will host whisky masterclasses on select dates, while chef Joel Bickford will serve up a special whisky degustation dinner on the evening of September 15.
All it takes is the sight of a figure standing by a riverbank for Embrace of the Serpent to lure viewers in. The man, Karamakate (Nilbio Torres), isn't the only point of focus in the film's opening frames – in fact, the entirety of his dense, foliage-filled surroundings attract just as much attention, as does the stunning black-and-white photography that surveys every leaf and branch. It's his patient stance amidst such a thriving natural environment, however, that dares viewers to unearth more about him, the place he calls home, and the manner in which their stories intertwine. As a young shaman in the Amazon in 1909, Karamakate greets a canoe paddled by two men with caution. The local guide Manduca (Miguel Dionisio Ramos) doesn't worry him, but Theo (Jan Bijvoet), the German explorer with him, gives him pause. The outsider is ill, and only Karamakate knows how to locate the rare flower that could heal him, though it's a task that'll take the trio into the dangerous depths of the jungle. Later, as an older man in the 1940s, Karamakate (now played by Antonio Bolivar Salvado Yangiama) assists an American named Evans (Brionne Davis) on a similar voyage. Images of a slithering snake demonstrate the literal meaning of the movie's title, though writer-director Ciro Guerra and his co-scribe Jacques Toulemonde Vidal have the powerful squeeze of another predator on their minds. As the duo fashion a poetic road movie (or river movie, to be more precise) inspired by the diaries of real-life explorers Theodor Koch-Grünberg and Richard Evans Schultes, they ponder the impact of colonialism upon the traditional culture. Though their tone is peaceful and their images pristine, their condemnation of Western interference is clear. It's fitting that Embrace of the Serpent flits between past and present, since it also finds contrasts in a plethora of other pairs. As audiences watch Karamakate assist his two different companions, they don't just witness a film that compares the old and the new. They also traverse a blend of history and myth, broach the gap between the physical and the philosophical, dissect the clash between nature and technology, and discover what happens when the dreamlike and the devastating collide. It takes not just skill but artistry to craft a feature that's so loaded with potency and beauty. Every frame here leaves an impression, while still allowing viewers to soak everything in at an unhurried pace. Thanks to the visually wondrous efforts of cinematographer David Gallego, watching Embrace of the Serpent proves an experience that values just that. And while Guerra's underlying statement is never hidden, it's never shouted, either. Indeed, this is a film of waiting and uncovering something special. Sharing Karamakate's initial patience is recommended — and will be rewarded by one of the most distinctive movies in recent years.
Pull on your seamed stockings and pin your victory rolls in place — Sydney's Fifties Fair is set to descend upon Rose Seidler House in Wahroonga for its 21st year running. On Sunday, August 21, the iconic house and its gardens will be transported back to their heyday, with a carefully-curated selection of stalls selling authentic '50s fashion, furniture, kitchenalia and knick knacks, as well as a hair styling and a best-dressed competition. There'll also be a vintage car display for those who know their Fleetwood Cadillacs from their Jags and a killer music lineup headlined by The Hi-Boys to keep you dancing all arvo-long. When all that dancing makes you hungry, tuck into some deliciousness from Porteño and Daisy's Milkbar, then wander through (and marvel at) the house in all its mid-century architectural glory, complete with original furniture and fixtures. To help you get there, there'll also be a free vintage shuttle running between the house and Turramurra Station. Plus, if you book your tickets early (before August 7), you'll go into the draw to win four nights at the incredible mid-century home, Bel-Air, in Berry on the South Coast. It's a bona-fide '50s dream.
Thirteen years ago, an orange-and-white clownfish swam away from his home and into our hearts. He wasn't alone, with his anxious father Marlin (Albert Brooks) just as endearing, and forgetful blue tang Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) an ideal comic offsider. Charting a child's adventurous first steps in the world and a parent's fear of the dangers that might come, their tale was always bound to strike a chord. Pixar know it as one of their biggest hits; you know it as Finding Nemo. If that film coined a catchphrase, it'd have to be "just keep swimming," which was Dory's favourite piece of advice. It is far from surprising that the line pops up again in the sequel to the animated feature, or that returning writer-director Andrew Stanton and co. have taken it to heart. Indeed, Finding Dory is the movie equivalent of paddling along and letting the current sweep you forward. Cheerfully content to ride in its predecessor's slipstream, it just keeps swimming, with the film's irrepressibly upbeat nature ensuring it stays bubbly and buoyant. Nemo (Hayden Rolence) going astray again would've been a stretch, so this time, it's Dory who wanders beyond the patch of ocean the central trio calls home. In fact, it turns out that she's done so before — not that she can really recall. When Dory starts getting flashbacks of her loving mother and father (Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy), she decides to follow her memories. Marlin and Nemo join her epic swim to the Marine Life Institute in California, where Dory believes her parents might be waiting. A crafty octopus (Ed O'Neill), near-sighted whale shark (Kaitlin Olsen) and some sun-loving sea lions (Idris Elba and Dominic West) pop up along the way. Still, Finding Dory belongs to its key trio. In fact, the strengths of the film spring from spending more time in their company — particularly Dory, who might be a bit absent-minded, but is never treated like a joke. Time and again, Pixar films find the right blend between emotional insight and character-driven comedy, and both are on display here. Brought to life by energetic voice work, bright CGI visuals and well-placed, action-packed interludes, the movie thoughtfully fleshes out the makeshift family at its centre. Of course, while Finding Dory represents the animation studio at its kind-hearted best, it also demonstrates their increasing fondness for rehashing old stories. There's much about this follow-up that feels a little too familiar. Returning to bathe in warm, well-known waters can certainly be fun, but for all its easy comforts and nostalgic pleasures, it's not quite as vibrant the second time around.
Learn how to cook crocodile the right way, take a trip to Goat Island and get taught how to weave when the Blak Markets hit Barangaroo Reserve on Saturday, July 9. Held as part of NAIDOC Week, the event will bring together more than 20 stallholders, selling and demonstrating Indigenous arts, crafts, skincare and bush foods. Expect to meet Cheryl Davidson, creator of extraordinary paintings, gift cards and baskets, as well as Clair Bates, whose jewellery is inspired by a childhood spent in the bush in Western NSW. Glen Timbery will also be onsite with his boomerangs, handcrafted using a technique that has been handed down through his family for the past 193 years. There's also ample opportunity to learn a thing or two. Renowned chefs Clayton Donovan and Black Olive will be holding outdoor cooking demos, and Fred's Bush Tucker will be showing punters how to traditionally prepare barramundi and crocodile. Free workshops will run throughout the day as well, giving you the chance to try your hand at weaving or shell art. Haven't been down to Barangaroo yet? Well, you'll be able to take an Aboriginal cultural tour around Barangaroo Reserve and catch a boat to nearby Goat Island — all for free. And be sure to catch the live entertainment, which will be running all day until 4pm. There'll be performances by the all-female Djaadjawan Dancers, the winner of the NCIE Talent Quest, Yaama Boys and Koomurri Dancers with songman Cecil McLeod.
They say that you should start the day in the best possible way — they being your mum, anyone older and wiser, every self-help book and everyone that's ever given you advice. For some, that involves exercise. For others, it involves a tasty meal. Or, why not head to The Green Lion and do both? Yes, stretching then snacking is on the menu at Sydney's first entirely vegan pub from 10am on February 12. The mindfulness and movement part of morning will be overseen by experienced yoga teacher Nichol, who has over eight years and 200 hours of teaching up her sleeves. When it comes to the morsels you'll be munching on, only the best cruelty-free dishes will do. The selection hasn't been revealed yet, but given that The Green Lion is the home of the vegan Big Mac, expect it to be something special. Eager brekkie yoga fans best get in quick, though, with attendance limited to 10 participants.
Deep space and chilling dystopias will dominate the screen at the third annual SciFi Film Festival. Taking place at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick, this year's program features a striking selection of new release science fiction, featuring Kristen Stewart, Mark Strong, Kate Mara and more. The festival opens on Wednesday, October 19 with the Australian premiere of Equals, a futuristic drama starring Stewart alongside Nicholas Hoult, Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver. Other standouts in the four days that follow include Approaching the Unknown, a one-man space epic that offers a more "intelligent, meditative answer to the bombastic feel-good blast of The Martian," as well as the latest film in the Purge series, the appropriately titled The Purge: Election Year. The program also features a number of short films, plus Star Trek documentary For the Love of Spock that should pair nicely with a retrospective screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Cosplay is highly encouraged, FYI.
Did you wear out many VHS tapes re-watching your favourite movies as a kid? Don't worry, you're not alone. There's a type of fanatical viewing that comes with childhood, as we immerse ourselves again and again in the stories that we love most. For Owen Suskind, however, this rite-of-passage ran even deeper. Diagnosed with autism at the age of three, Owen threw himself into Disney flicks. For him, they weren't just entertainment. They were a way of learning how to process the world. That's the real world narrative that Life, Animated explores — and the heart-warming details are worthy of an animated musical. When the documentary begins, Owen is 23 and getting ready to leave home, an achievement that family members credit to his singular obsession. As he grew up, titles such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Peter Pan helped him understand those around him, giving him the tools he needed to forge a life of his own. Taking his cues from the best-selling book by Owen's father Ron, Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams (short documentary Music by Prudence) recounts this moving story, combining home video with new footage in order to chronicle both Owen's childhood and his big move into his own assisted-living apartment. As the film unfolds, Ron and his wife Cornelia step through their two-decade journey, while Owen offers his own thoughts on his favourite films and the role they played in his coming-of-age. Unfortunately, while there's plenty of emotion to be felt here, Williams doesn't trust the audience to feel it on their own. His filmmaking tactics are as heavy-handed as they are steeped in easy emotion, and as repetitive as Owen's own viewing habits. Not only that, but by including countless moments from the movies that Owen loves, Williams trades far too heavily on viewer nostalgia, rather than actually focusing on the true tale he's meant to be telling. As a result, Life, Animated also struggles with tone, wavering between compassionate and self-congratulatory. Interestingly, the documentary's most effective sections aren't the interviews or Disney clips, but animated recreations of the Suskinds' lives provided by artist Mac Guff. These moments convey the underlying sentiment with much more subtlety than you'll find elsewhere. A cautious comment by Owen's older brother Walter, worried about someday having to take responsibility for his sibling's care, also stands out. As magical as Mickey Mouse's output may be, reality still leaves a stronger impression.
The Black Arts Market has a new home at Carriageworks this November, featuring a huge 55 stallholders and 93 Aboriginal artists from Australia's southeast region. The two-day market is a showcase of the cultural heritage of southeastern Aboriginal Australia. The market showcases artists who have transformed their traditional knowledge and skills into contemporary artworks and products of wonderful and inspiring diversity. Artists include shell artist Esme Timbery (whose work earned her the inaugural Parliament of New South Wales Indigenous Art Prize back in 2005), Aboriginal florist Flannel Billy, who will be creating native floral arrangements on-site, and Uncle Greg Simms, who'll demonstrate wood carving techniques and Tasmanian artist Netty Shaw, who creates baskets woven from kelp (seaweed). The market is co-curated by Hetti Perkins (former senior curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art at the AGNSW) and Sydney-based Aboriginal artist Jonathan Jones, who recently presented barrangal dyara (skin and bones), a vast sculptural installation in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the artists and learn about southeast Australian Aboriginal cultural practices, as well as purchase works, which will include homewares, ceramics, weavings and contemporary visual arts. The Black Arts Market will run from 9am-5pm on Saturday November 12 and 10am-6pm on Sunday November 13. Image: Esme Timbery, Sydney Harbour Bridge, 2002. Photo by Jenni Carter.
Movie versions of best-selling young adult literature have become an exercise in taking the good with the bad. For every aspect book-to-film adaptations get right — presenting an intricate vision of a dystopian future, and championing strong female protagonists, for example — there are just as many elements that fail to hit the mark. The trend of splitting final instalments into two features typifies the latter, resulting in more screen time but less satisfaction. With The Divergent Series: Allegiant, the series' penultimate chapter proves its worst to date. Indeed, it's little more than filler. Having cottoned on to the manipulated, artificially manufactured status of her closed-in, factionalised Chicago society, series protagonist Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is now determined to discover just what lurks beyond the city's imposing walls. With her trusty band of rebels by her side, including her boyfriend Four (Theo James), brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and the duplicitous Peter (Miles Teller), Tris hatches a plan to find the real puppet-masters behind the only way of life she has ever known. Cue a battle between the past and future, right and wrong, and any other opposing forces that returning director Robert Schwentke can throw into the mix. Allegiant endeavours to place its feisty heroine in the grey zone between two sides and mindsets, as illustrated not only by the rift between the crusading Evelyn (Naomi Watts) and the kindly Johanna (Octavia Spencer) back in Chicago, but also in the machinations of controlling newcomer David (Jeff Daniels) out in the wider world. Yet it does so in as blunt a manner as possible. The film is loaded with obvious clashes, be it between the bonds of love and family, moving forward or retaining the status quo, or spaces of dusty desolation and shiny innovation. These conflicts are designed to liven up a narrative that is largely treading water while waiting for the final film, but they're ultimately unsuccessful. Equally problematic are storylines about superior DNA strands, child soldiers and Truman Show-like surveillance, all of which add complication but are never especially compelling. Ramping up the bickering and the subplots also comes at the expense of the series' already tenuous sense of character. If Tris and her pals felt thinly drawn in Divergent and Insurgent, and more than a little similar to their counterparts in the likes of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner franchises, then this time around they're positively flimsy. Once again, that leaves Woodley to act grim and concerned, James to fulfil the eye-candy quota, Elgort to do very little, Teller to steal all the best lines, and all four to look very bored while doing so. Three films in, they're going through the motions, which may as well be the movie's motto. Of course, a big finale is due to be delivered by 2017's The Divergent Series: Ascendant. However with Allegiant's trying aspects clearly outweighing any lingering sense of intrigue about the underlying concept, an important question springs to mind. No, it's not whether the franchise can be redeemed, but rather if we should even care either way.
SoCal Neutral Bay is taking over its sister restaurant Bondi Hardware across the bridge to bring you food and drink specials at both venues throughout September. Bondi Hardware was converted into a bar from a hardware store in late 2011 and pays homage to its rustic DIY roots with exposed brick, timber and a tool display wall. Its normally Italian-inspired menu will be complemented by SoCal's, which evokes the food you'd find on HWY 101 in Southern California. That means $4 tacos on Taco Tuesdays and $1 wings on Wings Wednesdays will be on offer at both Bondi Hardware and Neutral Bay, and both venues will go head-to-head on the final Wednesday of the month in a Wings Competition – where you could win free wings for a year. Hit up the SoCal/Bondi Hardware collab on Mondays for $12 margaritas, Negronis, old fashioneds or mezcal cocktails, or try Thursday for a $10 margarita. They have your weekends covered too, with $35 bottles of wine on Saturdays, and $8 bloody Marys and $30 rosé sangria carafes on Sundays. What a way to welcome spring.
They're the scenes every dog owner pictures when they leave their beloved pooch home alone. Maybe their loyal canine sits by the door, pining for human company. Maybe the crafty critter jumps on the furniture and makes a mess. Maybe it does a bit of both. With an excellent understanding of the bond between people and their furry companions, The Secret Life of Pets turns these imaginings into an animated adventure. If Toy Story swapped kids' playthings for the dogs, cats, birds and bunnies (and assorted other animals) that people of all ages adore, this highly entertaining movie would be the end result. Terrier Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) is the apple of his owner Katie's (Ellie Kemper) eye. Or least he is, until she brings him home a shaggy rescue mutt as a brother. Not only is Duke (Eric Stonestreet) bigger, he's determined to take Max's bed, his food bowl, and – the smaller dog worries – his place in Katie's heart. Before long, the tussle between the unhappy new housemates spills onto the streets during their daily walk, with the duo soon finding themselves scooped up by dog-catchers. Enter former magician's rabbit Snowball (Kevin Hart) and his motley crew of discarded beasts, who not only prove skilled at escaping to their secret underground lair, but are also plotting to overthrow humanity. There's knowing humour in everything Despicable Me director Chris Renaud and his co-helmer Yarrow Cheney assemble in this jovial animal jaunt, with the script from fellow Despicable alums revelling in anarchic but endearing comedy that trickles down to the smallest details. And it really is the little things that help The Secret Life of Pets showcase its modest charms, as demonstrated by the supporting characters. Both nodding to and twisting stereotypical traits and behaviours, the film features everything from a hamster (voiced by Renaud) who can't find his way out of a building's vents, to a pampered Pomeranian (Jenny Slate) who turns feisty when she discovers that Max is in trouble. More quirky creatures pop up, sporting recognisable celebrity tones, including Lake Bell as a cat, Hannibal Buress as a dachshund and Albert Brooks as a grumpy hawk. Each inspires a few funny sequences and sight gags, in a film that's otherwise content with the usual pop-friendly soundtrack, pop culture references and riffs on other movies. Indeed, with an action-packed homewards trek that's reminiscent of Finding Dory, and a wiener-oriented musical number that's better than anything in Sausage Party, much about The Secret Life of Pets feels familiar. There are no Zootopia-like musings about diversity and acceptance here — but there is a whole lot of awww-inducing love. Such fuzzy feelings will no doubt help viewers in overlooking the film's flaws. This is a movie that's as swift as a dog chasing a ball, as light as a budgie fluttering around an apartment, and as cute as an over-fed cat lounging in the sun. And, for its brief 87 minutes, that's mostly enough. Just make sure you leave time to visit a pet store after the movie, or scurry home to hug the four-legged friends you already have.
For one magnificent spring day, Surry Hills will turn itself over to its beloved annual festival this Saturday, September 24. You can expect the usual explosion of creativity and music, with pop-up spaces, laneway experiments and hidden pop-up bars complementing all-day live music and markets in Shannon Reserve and Ward Park. And it's all free, free, free. Heading the music lineup are Brisbane band Hey Geronimo, who'll be playing in Ward Park at 5pm. Over at Shannon Reserve after that, producers Lanks and Wishes will take the stage, followed by Sydney outfit Castlecomer. When you're not kicking back to the music, you can get active on guided tours of Surry Hills' creative spaces and architecture, along which you'll meet all kinds of local artists and creatives. Plus, there'll be heaps of other things happening to keep you entertained, including roving art performances, projections and plenty of food stalls.
Run, jump and roll your way into the Sydney Opera House this September to see a brand new stage work from the champions of Western Sydney's underground parkour scene. Straight from the streets of Fairfield, Jump First, Ask Later combines the fluid movement of free running and contemporary dance in an explosively physical performance that explores "violence, migration, redemption and the collective freedom these artists discovered by mapping their city through dance". On stage at the Opera House's Studio Theatre from September 22 to October 2, this troupe of six young performers from one of the most culturally diverse parts of Australia will traverse the theatre, springing and vaulting over obstacles in a 50-minute performance produced by the Powerhouse Youth Theatre and dance company Force Majeure. Expanding your understanding of both athleticism and dance, the show shapes up as a must-see for fans of either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekt4QkjKnEw
If you're even remotely tuned in with the world around, you'll have a skerrick of curiosity as to how it all works. Sydney Science Festival is your best opportunity to get down to the nuts and bolts of our big wide world and beyond, from 3D printing to subatomic particles and into deep space — and have a few beers with real scientists while you're at it. To find out how makers across New South Wales are drawing inspiration from science, get along to the Sydney Mini Maker Faire at the Powerhouse on August 13-14. Expect to meet game-changing, 3D-printing designers, genius coders and, hopefully, a return of last year's interactive brain light. The festival's rock star exhibition is Collider. It'll take you on a behind-the-scenes journey through the discovery of the 'God particle', the subatomic particle also known as Higgs boson that is responsible for giving mass to matter. You'll learn all about the Large Hadron Collider, a 27-kilometre long ring of magnets with superconducting powers that can force particle beams travelling nearly at the speed of light to crash into each other. Another exhibition worth checking out will be Winning Sky Photos, showcasing top-notch entries in the David Malin Awards, an annual photo comp for amateur photographers and astronomers. The talks component of the program is headlined by celebrated professor Brian Cox's 'A Journey Into Deep Space'. He'll be delving into questions we've been trying, unsuccessfully, to answer for thousands of years, like are there aliens? What happened before the Big Bang? How did life start? Meanwhile, at 'Biohacking: Why should we care?' Genspace co-founder and director Dr. Ellen Jorgensen will be chatting with a bunch of experts. Then, at BAHFest, a series of wannabe scientific theorists will compete for glory, presenting their 'Bad Ad Hoc Hypotheses' to a panel of scientists, hosted by Alex Lee (The Chaser's Election Desk and The Checkout) and featuring science-loving favourite Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. Opening night shenanigans will take place at the Powerhouse on Thursday, August 11, with a free, adults-only launch party, hosted by Lisa Harvey-Smith, starring festival ambassador Dr. Alan Duffy and filled with music, performances and presentations. Image: Greg Rakozy.
If you've ever dined at Yellow, Potts Point, you'll know that the team is pretty damn keen on a veggie or two. In fact, in February 2016, the restaurant announced its lunch and dinner menus were going 100 percent vego. So, to usher in the beginning of summer, Yellow is visiting Newtown's Hartsyard to team up with the crew for an animal-friendly feast. Taking care of the menu will be Yellow's self-confessed plant nerds Gregory and Adam Wolfers. You can expect all sorts of weird and wonderful veggies, as well as a bunch of heirloom varieties. Meanwhile, Ned Brooks of Brooks and Amos will be coming up with a slew of matching wines. The banquet is just $90 per head (including drinks) and there'll be two sittings — at 6pm and 8.30pm. Either way, you'll be joining your fellow diners at Hartsyard's friendly communal tables. Bookings are essential.
Melbourne playwright Ross Mueller takes a knife to contemporary office politics and bureaucracy with his new work, A Strategic Plan. Under the tagline "failure is not on the whiteboard", the play follows Andrew, a former rock musician, as he sinks into, then begins drowning in, the bureaucratic swamp of running STACCATO, a youth music oufit. Justin Smith's Andrew doesn't have full Dude status, but there is something distinctly Lebowskian about him. The board smells blood immediately and begin a hellish barrage of acronyms, forms, legislation and snide remarks. A Strategic Plan promises a masterclass in how to kill a dream in the 21st century. The play is, on the surface, a comedy. But director Chris Mead says it would be a mistake to write it off as a 'funny play'. "There are great jokes in there but there's also a deeper emotional truth inside the play which is about how brave you're going to be to live the life you want to live."
Sydney Carnival has again taken over Royal Randwick — this year with their greatest entourage of food trucks yet. If like us, you're always a tiny bit more interested in food than what actually happens at these events, head to the Truckstop. It has options to suit every palate and diet, from freshly shucked oysters at The Shuck Truck to South American street food by Caminito and Mexican classics by Cantina Movil. They've even got Nathan's Famous Hotdogs in tow, serving up original New York-style dogs. Whether you're looking for a dainty dish to keep your races outfit in tip-top shape or are looking to go all out with an over-sized burrito, Truckstop has you covered. All you need to access this delectable range of food trucks is a general admission ticket into the racecourse. If you'd prefer to hang around the bar rather than participate in watching the race, there are pop-up bars from Canadian Club, Heineken and Chandon open to all. If you're feeling a little luxe, the more exclusive Moët & Chandon and Makers Mark Whisky bars are reserved for members only. Tickets to The Championships are on sale via the Australian Turf Club website.
This play about the Iraq War shies away from WMDs, oil and 9/11. These considerations, after all, are somewhat abstract to a big cat. That's right — Rajiv Joseph has entrusted his commentary on George W. Bush's appalling expedition into Iraq to a philosophising tiger. Bengal Tiger..., as the name suggests, is set in Baghdad's zoo, where a large feline is trying to unravel the mysteries of human conflict. His musings are not helped by the constant planning of his guards, Kev and Tom, two disillusioned Marines. They're scheming to get rich by finding Uday Hussein's fabled gold toilet seat. Then the ghosts start showing up. Yet another in a long line of baseless, gung-ho military disasters for America (and Australia), the Iraq War was a sustained campaign of needless destruction. I've yet to find anyone who can make sense of it, except as an exercise in corruption and greed. Perhaps it's time to listen to the tiger. Image: John Marmaras.
A film about a man experiencing time in reverse shouldn't be forgettable. When it comes to The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, however, maybe it's somewhat fitting. The eponymous Aussie isn't Benjamin Button — in this curious case he ages normally, but was born with all of his memories, progressively losing them with each passing day. That means that he can remember everything that will happen, but not what has previously occurred. Alas, for viewers, this is a case of life imitating art, with the final film failing to stick in your mind for very long once the theatre lights come up. It's not that the underlying idea behind writer-director Cris Jones' first feature doesn't stand out. One of the great things about temporal trickery and mind-bending sci-fi is that new concepts just keep coming — and Aussie filmmakers have been heartily trying their hand at them recently, as the ambitious Predestination and the excellent The Infinite Man have shown. Sadly, Otto Bloom just doesn't do much with its premise other than wrap it up in faux-documentary packaging and attempt to tell a contemplative tale of life, death, love and loss. A cult figure who dabbles in art and gathers a following as a motivational speaker, Otto Bloom is called plenty of things over the course of his life. Jones begins the film with a whirlwind of news headlines and talking heads, and indeed, it seems there is no shortage of folks willing to offer their two cents about Bloom's strange existence. The most interesting and important of these is Dr Ada Fitzgerald (played by Rachel Ward in the interview segments and her daughter Matilda Brown in flashbacks). She first met Bloom in the '80s, named his unique condition "retrochronology", and swiftly fell for his charms. But romancing a man who only remembers your future, not your past or present, proves more than a little bit tricky. Both Ward and Brown thoroughly steal the show in their shared role, so much so that you may find yourself wishing that the film was more about Ada instead of Otto. When neither actress is on screen, we're left with Spin Out and A Few Less Men star Xavier Samuel, continuing his spate of underwhelming roles in similarly underwhelming local films. We're told over and over that his protagonist is supposed to be enigmatic. Unfortunately, he just comes off as dull. But that's The Death and Life of Otto Bloom in a nutshell: intriguing on paper, underwhelming in execution. Much of the film's struggles stem from its approach and structure, with the movie never making a convincing argument for pretending it's a doco. Well, maybe it does — without the repetitive to-camera chatter from the likes of the cop that first came across Bloom, his eventual manager, a fascinated philosopher and an art critic, the movie would've been even more short and slight. Either way, it's still thoroughly disappointing.
This 20th Biennale of Sydney keynote address will be delivered by Boris Charmatz, director of the Dancing Museum, and one of the dance world's most fearless innovators. The museum's physical home might be Rennes, France, but, as Charmatz says, the concept of the museum is a "nomadic idea, which can move elsewhere, shelter time, void and talk, nudes, things political, discussions, works and fantasies, and sometimes even, all of it at the same time". To that end, he's spent the past twenty years taking dance across unexplored frontiers to public spaces around the world. And now, he's coming our way. Speaking at Carriageworks at 6.30pm on Saturday, March 19 to launch the 20th Biennale of Sydney, he promises to ask all the big questions, and explore the importance and evolution of street dance, permeable choreography and "contemporary stress about togetherness". Rather than telling crowds what to you think, he'll be offering ideas and possibilities. Afterwards, Charmatz will be joined by the 20th Biennale's artistic director Stephanie Rosenthal for a 20-minute chinwag, followed by the Sydney premiere of his 2014 work manger, which recently appeared at London's Tate Modern. Image: Boris Charmatz, ‘Manger’, 2015
Every few months or so, Hollywood throws a few of its stars into the sea. Whether they're forced to conquer towering swells or left to float and flounder until rescue, the end result is usually the same: men battle nature, treading the very fine line between sinking and surviving in the process. Favouring disaster over drifting, The Finest Hours relates the details of the SS Pendleton. To date, the US Coast Guard's mission to bring the ship's crew to shore remains the greatest small boat rescue operation in history. Like many such stories, the true tale behind the film stems from a combination of bad weather, bravery and luck both good and bad. On the day Massachusetts crewman Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) intends to ask his superior officer (Eric Bana) for permission to marry his sweetheart (Holliday Grainger), a storm strikes. Two tankers are ripped in half by the hurricane-force winds and giant waves. With most of their colleagues tending to one vessel, it's left to Bernie and a tiny band of offsiders (including Ben Foster and Kyle Gallner) to jump onto a modest 36-foot boat to try and aid the other. Sadly, daring and noble deeds don't always inspire films filled with the same spirit, even when they're made with the best of intentions. The Finest Hours is set in 1952 and looks the period part. Unfortunately, the '50s are currently plastered across the screen in everything from Brooklyn to Hail, Caesar!, and frankly those offerings provide richer old-school depictions of the decade, and not just in a visual sense. Here, director Craig Gillespie keeps his tone as flat as his images are dark. Given that he also helmed the tender Lars and the Real Girl as well as the remake of Fright Night, his lack of energy is both surprising and disappointing. What The Finest Hours lacks in liveliness, it attempts to make up for in CGI-enhanced thrills. But while the splashing and crashing spectacle of the second half provide decent entertainment, they can't quite gel with the more intimate, character-based moments. It's never a good sign when the killer storm seems more subtle than the bulk of the people caught in its midst. Thank goodness for the sections devoted to the men on the struggling ship, as anchored by Casey Affleck. In his second impressive outing in as many movies following his turn in Triple 9, he endeavours to save his fellow sailors and keep The Finest Hours coasting along. The on-board drama he's immersed in might cycle through as many cliches as the rest of the film and the wet-and-wild genre in general, but it's the only part of the action presented with any tension or urgency.
Burger lovers of Sydney, rejoice — Harpoon Harry is back in business. After temporarily closing due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the Surry Hills spot is back doing what it does best. And, it's doing so with a mighty tasty deal, too. To celebrate firing up the grill once again, it's serving up burgs at $10 a pop all day every day in June. Usually, the special only applies on Wednesdays; however, as we all know, there's absolutely nothing usual about 2020 so far. That price applies to all three burgers on the menu, so you can take your pick — between the fried chicken burger with hot sauce, coleslaw, lettuce, tomato and pickles; the wagyu with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and Harry's sauce; and the crumbed eggplant 'schnitty' with grilled haloumi, lettuce, tomato, pickles, charred onions and aioli. And, your tenner will also score you some fries — with the burgs and chips combo on offer daily from 11.30am. Bookings are recommended, but you can also just walk on in.
UPDATE: June 6, 2020 — On Saturday, ten minutes before the Stop All Black Deaths in Custody rally was scheduled to start, the NSW Court of Appeal overturned the Supreme Court's decision to prohibit the rally. The protest is now an authorised public assembly and will go ahead at 3pm. UPDATE: June 5, 2020 — On Friday, the NSW Police won a Supreme Court bid to prohibit tomorrow's Stop All Black Deaths in Custody rally. Justice Desmond Fagan said that the rally was "a very undesirable idea", according to the ABC, and "the exercise of the fundamental right of assembly … is not taken away by the current public health order, it is deferred." Organisers of the event have said the protest will still go ahead. This Saturday, June 6, rallies will be held across Australia in protest of Black and Indigenous deaths at the hands of police, both locally and in the US. Held in solidarity with the protests currently happening in the States — in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis — and in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the Sydney rally is also a call to action on the systemic mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by police. Since 1991's royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, another 432 Indigenous Australians have died in custody, including Dunghutti man David Dungay Jr, who's 2015 death draws many parallels to that of Floyd. Organised by the Indigenous Social Justice Association, Anticolonial Asian Alliance and USYD Autonomous Collective Against Racism, the Sydney protest is called Stop All Black Deaths in Custody: Vigil for George Floyd. It'll be held from 3–5pm, starting at Sydney Town Hall, and will also be live-streamed on Facebook and Zoom for those who can't attend (with links set to be posted on the event post on the day). While NSW's COVID-19 cases are declining, we're still in the midst of a pandemic and rally attendees are encouraged to practise social distancing measures, with the organisers suggesting everyone wears a mask, stands 1.5-metres apart and does not attend if they are feeling unwell. If you have even mild symptoms, it's strongly encouraged you go and get tested. If you can't attend, but would still like to do your part, you can donate to an Indigenous Australian charity or organisation — including to the family of Dungay Jr, who are currently raising money to cover legal costs — and educate yourself on Australia's Indigenous history. To help start with the latter, here are 13 films by Indigenous Australian filmmakers you can stream.
Sydney's intimate, boutique Golden Age Cinema is teaming up with Four Pillars Gin for a mini booze and film festival. Each Wednesday night in February, the 56-seat Surry Hills spot is hosting double bills paired with gin cocktails. It's quite the lineup, too, with a little something for everyone on the bill. The festival is called Hot Summer Nights, so that's the kind of tone it's going for — whether coming-of-age tales, love stories, thrillers or dramas are hitting the screen. First up on February 5 is 60s great The Graduate, followed by seminal 90s classic Reality Bites. Or, if you're heading along with your significant other, perhaps February 12's pair of True Romance and Romeo + Juliet will appeal. The next week, on February 19, Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window will screen, accompanied by Spike Lee's iconic Do the Right Thing. Then, wrapping it all up on August 28 is countercultural romance Zabriskie Point and the adult film industry epic Boogie Nights. These dark cult flicks will all get a beverage to match, made with Four Pillar's juniper spirits. The first screenings each evening kick off between 6.05–6.15pm, then the second start at 8.30pm — but we suggest you get there a little earlier for the drinks. Tickets are $22.50 for each film.
Erskineville's LGBTQIA+ haven The Imperial Hotel is doing it up big for Mardi Gras, boasting two straight weeks of parties, events and pop-ups. Coming up this Sunday, February 23 is a celebration of all things queer fashion when the Mardi Gras pop-up market takes over the main bar from noon–5pm. You'll be able to pick up everything you need — and so much more — for parade day on February 29. On the day, expect vintage and sparkly threads with a locally made, eco-friendly focus. A wide range of Aussie designers and LGBTQIA+ businesses will set up shop — you can nab swimwear from Frida Las Vegas, vintage dresses from The Crown Street Project, vegan beauty products from Sweet Cherry Soda and recycled plastic jewellery from Maraca Club. Plus, you'll find all-out festival wear from Nevada Clothing and handmade wooden accessories from Frank Wood. Alongside the market, there'll be a patch-making and embroidery workshop for beginners, which you can attend for a donation and by RSVPing to rowanyeomans@gmail.com. And from 1–5pm, the UK's Whitley Neill will be offering complimentary gin tastings in the Priscillas Glasshouse upstairs. Once you're all decked out, you can stick around for that night's downstairs Zodiac-themed dance party. For more details, check out the Imperial's full Mardi Gras program here. Top image: Trent van der Jagt
It's no accident that you've never seen a big-screen adaptation of Cinderella in which the stepsisters hack off their own toes to try and fit into the glass slipper. Or that Disney's animated classic The Little Mermaid decided to switch the pitiable death of Hans Christian Andersen's protagonist for a happy ending. Over the last few decades, there has been a concerted effort in popular culture to de-fang fairy tales, replacing the blood-spattered morality of the Grimm brothers with a jamboree in which everyone gleefully walks away knowing a little more about themselves. Despite this widespread plot-wangling, there remains a fairytale that refuses to be brought into the mainstream stable. Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince tells the story of a bird bound for Egypt who — spoiler — blinds a regal statue (at its insistence), before literally dropping off its perch. Then, a workman learns a heartbreaking lesson about the melting temperature of lead. There's more to it, but you can perhaps understand why Wilde's prince never made a cameo in the Shrek films. These idiosyncrasies, however, are what queer theatre company Little Ones thrive on. Its adaptation takes Wilde's brutally sad tale of Victorian-era inequality, punches up the eight-page plot and laces it with a love story between Janine Watson's glamour-dripping Prince and Catherine Davies' roller-skating Swallow. The Happy Prince played at La Mama in 2017 to full houses and fairytale reviews. Stephen Nicolazzo also took a Green Room Award for his direction. It's coming to Griffin, but not for long. So if Disney's latest live-action Aladdin has more shiny nostalgia-ridden sweetness than you can stomach, the dying ember of decency at the heart of this tale could be just the palate cleanser you're after. The Happy Prince will run at SBW Stables Theatre from Tuesday, June 25–Sunday, July 6. To purchase tickets, visit Griffin Theatre's website. Image: Pia Johnson.
Earlier this year, Manly's Chica Bonita jumped the harbour and opened a stunning new restaurant in the CBD. It had a beautiful Mexican-inspired design, tacos topped with both Mexican and Australian ingredients and a neat lineup of margaritas. But, there was no sign of the famed burrito that'd been served up at its Manly store for almost a decade. Thankfully, the carby, cheesy, steak-filled rolls have now arrived in the CBD — and Chica Bonita is about to start serving them up to-go. From Monday, June 24, CBD workers will be able to ditch their soggy sandwiches for a desk lunch that'll make many a colleague jealous. To celebrate the launch of its new takeaway lunch menu, Chica Bonita CBD is giving away 100 of its signature burritos from 11.30am. To snag yours, you'll need to sign-up via the website, then get ready to line up for a free California Burrito, filled with carne asada steak, guacamole, cheese and fries. Yes, fries. If you're a meat-free eater, there'll also be a (free) vego option. If you miss out, you'll still be able to try the new takeaway lunch dishes, which include three other burritos (all $14), stuffed with either sweet potato and quinoa, squid and chorizo or roast chicken and three-chilli salsa. Elsewhere on the menu you'll find carne asada-topped fries ($15), baby corn with fermented chilli mayo ($14) and three different burrito bowls: lamb barbacoa ($17), duck carnitas ($19) and crispy eggplant ($17).
July is the perfect time to check out Gelato Messina's Creative Department — the gelato fiend is adding truffles to all of its dishes for a ten-day series of eight-course gelato degustation dinners. Head chef Remi Talbot has sourced elite perigord black truffles from nearby Parkesbourne Produce farm. Expect brioche and foie gras gelato with black truffle sauce; pistachio and black truffle gelato with matcha and white chocolate fudge; and grilled kumquat sorbet with koji cream, wattleseed and black truffle. Paired with each is an equally creative non-alcoholic drink, like the lemon myrtle and macadamia bubble tea, or the pineapple, white soy and shiitake sparkling. The degustation will only be available in Sydney from July 3–13 and tickets are $160 per person. These dinners are known to sell out remarkably quickly — with only eight seats per night — so grab yours here.
