Pyrmont's Quarrymans Hotel was on our radar when it had a facelift back in 2017. Now, it's had another upgrade — this time, though, the craft beer den has expanded upward, opening The Rooftop, a Palm Springs-inspired bar and lounge, on the hotel's top level. Designer Matt Woods (Bloodwood, Devon Cafe) is channeling poolside, resort feels with pastel pink walls, textured timber flooring and bright, airy spaces. The indoor section better resembles a posh beach house with multiple rooms filled with plush leather couches and chairs, coffee tables and bookshelves, along with modern globe lamps and large-scale artwork on the walls. Venture outside for a mix of bar, bench and table seating, checkered umbrellas and hanging greenery, plus a cacti garden and succulents on each table. While downstairs focuses on craft beer, The Rooftop is more of a cocktail affair. The list starts with creations like the house spritz, made with grapefruit vodka and lemon myrtle kombucha, and the Palma Rosa — a combo of tequila blanco, rosé, ruby grapefruit juice and ginger syrup. You'll also find a selection of wines by the glass, here, and a few taps dedicated to the likes of Young Henrys, Balter and Stone & Wood. In terms of food, the rooftop menu combines pub grub with a touch of Baja California — think chicken tacos with salsa fresca and guacamole, or a salmon poke salad with ginger and mentsuyu sauce. Fried chicken burgers with Old Bay fries and buffalo wings make the menu, too. The Rooftop is now open on the top level of the Quarrymans Hotel at 214-216 Harris St, Pyrmont. Open Wednesday through Sunday from noon until late.
Most of us are spending a lot of time at home at the moment, meaning we may have more time to cook, but prepping meals to scoff down in your home office isn't how all of us wish to spend our Sundays. And, while you can still head down to your local pizza joint to pick up a takeaway feed or order from Uber Eats, you may be craving more nourishing food as time goes by while you're in isolation. Thankfully, healthy food delivery service Nourish'd is dropping off nutrition-packed meals to doors across the country. Its main selling point is the variety of gluten, dairy, preservative and sugar free dishes on its menu. Nourish'd delivers fresh, chef-prepared dishes to your door and is suitable for anyone looking for a tasty, nutritious meal without all the prep work. It'll also save you a trip to the supermarket, so you can practise social distancing without skipping your daily quota of veggies. You'll be tucking into a diverse range of meals, too, with everything from a nourishing chickpea dahl to pad thai, jerk chicken, veggie lasagne and chipotle shredded beef on the 55-dish menu. So, you can say goodbye to eating the same leftovers day-in and day-out. There are options for vegans and vegetarians; those on diets such as keto and paleo; and people with allergies and intolerances. Prices start from $11 per dish, with six different packs available. You can opt for the ease of a subscription-style service, delivered to your door weekly, or the flexibility of one-off orders, meaning you can tailor it to suit your needs, as well as your dietaries. Plus, you don't have to commit to anything longterm. Nourish'd is available across NSW, Qld, Tas, Vic, ACT and SA, with orders delivered every week. Meal plans start at $69.35 per week. For more information and to sign up, head here. 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.
It's hard to remember a time when Sydney's access to Greek food was limited to semi-formal restaurants or a cheeky late-night gyro. Zeus Street Greek Street well and truly changed that in the last few years, offering contemporary Greek food in a casual setting. The Rosebery outpost in The Cannery kicked off a succession of spin-offs (14 in NSW and counting), and was also one of the first eateries to set up shop in the burgeoning foodie precinct. Zeus is known as the 'God of hospitality' and the team here have it in droves. Pitas are the staple. The meat is prepared in the traditional souvla style: charcoal grilled on long skewers and then stuffed into a fluffy wrap with tomato, tzatziki, onion, paprika and chips. Classic cuisine favourites spanakopita and haloumi are available as sides, too. But make sure you leave room for dessert — the loukoumades will make you lick the plate.
Sappho's is a cafe and wine bar as well as a secondhand bookshop, and it has the loyal custom of many of the local Sydney University students. The little shop has a huge range of books packed into every shelf, ranging in subject matter, and it has been hosting regular poetry nights for the last couple of years. You're always certain to find what you're looking for, and often in really nice editions: some of the copies from the 50s and 60s are so well kept you'll want to frame them. You're welcome to sit with a book and a glass of wine, or a jug of sangria, until the wee hours under the shade of the jasmine and banana trees. Image: Daniel Boud/Destination NSW.
Artists Jamie Cole and Murat Urlali use euphemisms and visual linguistics to challenge societal rhetoric, politics and stigma in Misplaced and Dangling, currently showing at Camperdown's Artsite Galleries. Part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2020 celebrations, the exhibition addresses ways of moving forward while still reflecting on the past. Cole's pop art-inspired works are bright and powerful, using a mix of collage, comic and stencil-art styles to cover everything from first loves to discrimination towards people with HIV. Urlali, on the other hand, draws on ancient Persian enamel techniques in his kitsch and overtly camp representations of the city of Rome. The exhibition is open from 11am–5pm every Thursday to Sunday until Sunday, March 1.
Sydney's ever-luxurious and all-inclusive floating villa, Lilypad, has finally reopened almost two years after a fire destroyed the original build. Situated in the tranquil waters of Palm Beach in the Northern Beaches, the second iteration of Lilypad boasts plenty of additional lavish features including an onboard sauna, cosy fireplace and dreamy Mediterranean-inspired terracotta accents. After facing flooding, wild weather and COVID-induced delays, it's safe to say that Lilypad II was worth the wait. "You couldn't have picked a harder time to undertake something like this, both the weather we had in Sydney for the build period and COVID — because workforces were getting wiped out left, right and centre. Everything was hard," Founder and Owner Chuck Anderson says. Not just a pretty face, the resort-style villa runs completely off solar power energy and has been engineered to remain stable, while still embracing the natural movements and rhythms of the ocean below. An outdoor, roman-tiled shower, linen bedding by Cultiver and furniture by McMullin & Co completes the tonal, overwater escape. "What's incredible now as technology has advanced in solar and battery technology, you're not compromising on luxuries. Once upon a time, maybe ten years ago, if you were to try to attack what we've created you would have had to make some concessions in terms of what's onboard," Anderson says. Bookings include a private concierge, private tender transfers, a self-drive luxury personal vessel for exploring the surrounds, paddleboards, floating daybeds, chef-prepared meals and full access to the onboard wine cellar. But the luxuries don't come cheap, with prices starting at $1,950 per night in low season. The designer floating villa can also host events for up to 18, if you're looking for a unique space for your next special function. On the creation of both Lilypads, Anderson explains, "The intention for both Lilypad and Lilypad II was to combine innovative design with traditional craftsmanship and modern luxuries to build a unique and exceptional space. I wanted to pay homage to the unspoiled environment in which Lilypad resides and allow guests to feel totally immersed in this awe-inspiring space." Anderson also hinted at other Lilypads popping up around Australia in the future, so if you're looking for an elevated holiday in your backyard, keep an eye on this space. One-night stays are available until September, excluding weekends. Two-night stays are available from September to April and across weekends. You can book via the Lilypad website.
Stepping back to its titular year, 1985 is filled with signs of its time — from Walkmans playing Madonna, to bars pulsating with synth, to fashion choices that couldn't come from any other period. And yet, for all of the exacting music choices, production design decisions and costuming touches, it's the film's cinematography that grounds it so firmly in the past. With director of photography Hutch shooting on grainy 16mm, Yen Tan's third stint as a director feels like it was made in the era it depicts, then subsequently unearthed now. That couldn't be a higher compliment. This is how many low-budget movies looked three decades ago, with 1985 not only meticulously recreating the same aesthetic, but quietly nodding to the wealth of queer cinema that came before it. Framed with precision, those speckled monochrome images serve another purpose, too. A film's style can say as much as its story, which is never in doubt here. 1985's black-and-white visuals overflow not only with visible texture, but with meaning and emotion — as seen in its loaded shadows, inky contrasts and jittery flecks. How better to convey a world where so much is left unsaid than to cloak it in grey? How better to express existential turmoil than to strand its protagonist between light and dark? And how better to show someone striving to soak in every last detail than to make each grain jostle for attention? Every inch of 1985 looks and feels as it should — like Adrian Lester (Cory Michael Smith) has returned to his Texan hometown at the height of Reagan's America not just for Christmas, but with much more serious matters on his mind. The 20-something hasn't been back to Fort Worth since he left for New York, where he can express his sexuality openly, and his family haven't forgiven his absence. While Adrian's homemaker mother Eileen (Virginia Madsen) understands more than she'll ever utter, his Vietnam veteran father Dale (Michael Chiklis) openly seethes with hurt and hostility, and his pre-teen younger brother Andrew (Aidan Langford) clearly wishes he'd had a role model over the past few years. Awkward is one way to characterise this stilted reunion; caught between the conservative religious rhetoric spouted by the Lesters' favourite radio station and the reality of Adrian's new life is another. Conceiving the narrative with co-editor Hutch, but penning the screenplay solo, Tan treads delicately around the obvious. Given that his protagonist is a gay man in the mid-80s, and that a climate of fear is evident from the outset, it's hardly surprising that AIDS leaves an imprint on this tale. Given the historical context, it's not difficult to guess where the film is headed either, however the movie's slow reveal is as much about reflecting Adrian's experience as it is about both storytelling and chronicling a pivotal period in the past. When a person is faced with tragedy, their perspective changes forever, and yet the minutiae of everyday life cruelly and relentlessly goes on. 1985's power and poignancy stems from this fundamental truth, as Adrian goes home, sleeps in his childhood bed, spends time with his family and hangs out with his high-school girlfriend (Jamie Chung), all while knowing what no one else does: although he steadfastly wishes otherwise, nothing can ever really be the same again. In taking such an internalised journey — even one so astutely made tangible via stylistic flourishes — 1985 is fond of lingering in certain moments. This patient approach is noticeable, even in such a concise 85-minute movie, but it also has another function. As led by Gotham's Smith and ably supported by Madsen, Chiklis, Langford and Chung, this is a film anchored by exceptional performances that live and breathe when they're given the room to do just that. (Often, visually, Tan literally gives them space by peering at his actors in long and medium shots.) What comes to the fore, too, is the complexity of these characters, who never adhere to one-note archetypes despite initially appearing otherwise. That's another essential truth that 1985 conveys perfectly: no matter how transparent a person's facade may seem, you can never truly know just how they're afflicted by pain and heartbreak underneath. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw5LfaKTKoI
Few countries are as geographically diverse as Australia. We have snow-capped mountains, tropical rainforests, red deserts and long-stretching beaches. At these idyllic locations are some of the country's most luxe experiences, letting us explore all that our country has to offer. With the holiday season fast approaching, why not give the gift of travel to the luxury lover in your life? After all, you can't really top a trip away. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to round up ten of indulgent experiences to get your mate (or whoever, really) who loves a fabulous gift. Whether you book them in for a high-flying feed at Australia's most boundary-pushing museum or get them a voucher to a five-star hotel, these experiences provide a much-needed dose of escapism. Play your cards right and you might score an invite, too.
Artists often attempt to picture the world from alternative views and odd angles in order to get a fresh perspective on the quirks and idiosyncrasies of everyday life. For Canadian photographer Laurel Johannesson the world is at its most bizarre and beautiful when viewed through water. While swimming in Lido di Venezia in Italy, Johannesson found herself fascinated by the dream-like world of mirror images, refracting light and warped figures that emerged when she began taking photographs while submerged in water. The resulting photographs provide a mesmerising insight into our world, familiar yet somehow alien in their distortion, with the artist seeing the dream-like vulnerability of the images as alluding to "the equation between desire and voyeurism". And by printing on metallic paper and laminating the images with a thick layer of acrylic, Johannesson was able to enhance the already otherworldly quality of the photographs. For those of us that cannot see the images in the flesh, here is a virtual tour through Johannesson's fascinating new exhibit.
Opera on a regular stage is one thing, but opera performed on a floating openair theatre atop Sydney Harbour, under the stars? Well, that's some unforgettable stuff. Especially when it's Giuseppe Verdi's famed classic La Traviata that's being given the overwater treatment. The glamorous three-act show is the latest production announced as part of Opera Australia's Handa Opera series, set to return to this unique stage in March and April 2020. Handa Opera has pulled over 400,000 guests since debuting with La Traviata back in 2012, its mix of drinking and dining options, breathtaking views and nightly fireworks making it one of Sydney's must-try cultural offerings. It's also considered one of the world's best openair opera venues. [caption id="attachment_714402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handa Opera's 'West Side Story' by Prudence Upton[/caption] The upcoming season will see director Constantine Costi heading up a bold new production of La Traviata based on celebrated director Francesca Zambello's original. It tells the famously heartbreaking tale of a free-spirited Parisian courtesan and her tragic love affair with a nobleman. Expect to be wowed by a glittering nine-metre-high chandelier decked out with 10,000 crystals on stage, while world-class performers deliver soaring renditions of legendary tunes like 'Sempre Libera' and 'Brindisi'. Carmen, Aida and La Bohème are just some of the hits to grace the Handa Opera stage in recent years, with 2019's production of West Side Story selling a huge 62,000 tickets. La Traviata on Handa Opera will run from Friday, March 27 to Sunday, April 26. Tickets are on sale from the Opera Australia Box Office from Tuesday, July 16. Handa Opera's 2012 'La Traviata' by Lightbox Photography
As announced back in April, 2022's Biennale of Sydney will focus on bodies of water, all under the theme Rīvus — which means 'stream' in Latin. But when the citywide event unleashes its 23rd program, it won't be bringing its H2O-centric artworks to one of its usual venues. Water might be on everyone's mind at the Biennale, but Cockatoo Island and its ocean surroundings aren't being called upon this time around. Instead, the Biennale of Sydney 2022 has unveiled a list of exhibition venues that includes the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Circular Quay, Information + Cultural Exchange, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, National Art School in partnership with Artspace, The Rocks and Walsh Bay Arts Precinct including Pier 2/3. And, as also revealed earlier in the year, it'll still have a big presence by the harbour — setting up shop at The Cutaway at Barangaroo Reserve for the first time instead. The full program won't be announced until February, if you're wondering what'll be catching your eye at all these spots. But the Biennale's Curatorium — which includes Artistic Director José Roca, Art Gallery of New South Wales Head of Learning and Participation Paschal Daantos Berry, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia curator Anna Davis, Information and Cultural Exchange First Nations programs producer Hannah Donnelly and Artspace curator Talia Linz — has provided a few sneak peeks. A big drawcard: The Waterhouse, the event's big public program that'll be filled with talks and experiences. So, you'll be able to take self-guided walks as part of a series called Space In-Between, which'll also include site-specific exercises created at a number of the Biennale's venues by Roca, Julie Gough, Pablo Helguera, Astrida Neminas, Hanna Tuulikki and Tais Rose Wae. This includes mindful walking, where you'll pay particular attention to the surrounding landscape — and, in great news for wheelchair users and users of other mobility devices, the series will be fully accessible. [caption id="attachment_750113" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Liam Cameron[/caption] Also on the bill: Building Blocks, where you'll be able to learn more about art-making processes and the working methods behind them. A three-hour experience featuring Arts for the Commons, Cave Urban, Paula de Solminihac, Clare Milledge and Diana Scherer, it'll include a communal meal where everyone will be encouraged to share water stories together. Then there's Gesture — with artists Angie Goto and Sue Jo Wright, who are deaf, guiding audiences through the exhibition purely by using their bodies to draw attention to artworks, spaces and everyone taking part. Plus, two-day symposium River Conversations will get people talking about water — with attendees travelling down the Parramatta River on the first day, and spending the second at Barangaroo. The lineup has been curated in collaboration with water law and policy specialist Erin O'Donnell and legal anthropologist Alessandro Pelizzon, and will feature local and international First Nations voices such as Badger Bates, D Harding, Justice Md Ashraful Kamal, Bradley Moggridge, Dr Anne Poelina and Leanne Tobin. As for who else is taking part across the three-month-long event, the Biennale also revealed its first roster of 59 participants earlier in 2021, with the list spanning folks from six continents and 33 countries — complete with a heavy local component — and including artists, designers, architects and scientists. And if it feels like Sydney only just enjoyed the last Biennale, there's a reason for that. After the 2020 event was forced to take an unforeseen break due to the pandemic, it wrapped up later last year than initially planned. The 23rd Biennale of Sydney will run from Saturday, March 12–Monday, June 13, 2022. Entry will be free, as always. We'll keep you posted on the whole artist lineup and exhibition program when it's announced in February. Top image: The Biennale of Sydney's public program participants including (from left) Cave Urban (Sophie Lanigan, Juan Pablo Pinto,Mercurio Alvarado and Jed Long), DavidHaines and Joyce Hinterding and Clare Milledge, pictured with Lleah Smith (centre), Curator ofPrograms and Learning, at The Cutaway, Barangaroo. Photograph: Daniel Boud.
Sydney, your after-dark drinking options just got a caffeine-fuelled twist. Kahii After Dark is the new cocktail experience that's landed at Kent Street kissaten and wine bar Kahii, and it's shaking and stirring an intriguing selection of tea- and coffee-based cocktails right now. Kahii After Dark is helmed by Fumiaki 'Fumi' Michishita, who cut his teeth tending bar at celebrated Tokyo cocktail dens Bar Triad and Bar Tram, — more recently, he led the charge at Kahii's sister venue Kuro. At Kahii After Dark, he's designed an autumn cocktail menu — available until the end of June — that brings the elegance and craftsmanship of Japanese cocktail culture in a heritage-listed CBD space that once was home to Thomas Edison's National Phonograph Company. The menu champions the subtle, complex flavours of tea and coffee. On it, you'll find thoughtful and deeply drinkable serves that span a range of flavour profiles, from the bright yet subtly earthy Roasted Highball — a mix of barley shochu, hojicha distilled water and shiso — to the seriously punchy Toma-Tea-Ni — a bold, umami-laden reimagining of the martini featuring gyokuro green tea, clarified tomato water, white port and bonito. The menu also explores the floral notes of tea and coffee — they are plants, after all — through drinks like the Mariage Roses, an aromatic twist on the classic jack rose that pairs calvados and fresh pomegranate juice with Mariage Frères' signature Marco Polo black tea. Meanwhile, Between the Sips is an aromatic mix of Hennessy VS, sandalwood-infused rum, triple sec, lemon juice, elderflower and a spike of decaf, for those who prefer their after-dark coffee hit sans caffeine. You'll want to save room for dessert, too — the Tiramisu Rubino is a combination of mascarpone, raspberry and a whisper of blue brie that channels the rich comfort of its namesake dessert.
Long considered Australia's go-to whale-watching spot, Queensland's Hervey Bay is now the world's first whale heritage site, too. Located a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Brisbane, the Fraser Coast city was bestowed the prestigious honours at this year's World Whale Conference, which was held in coastal locale over the past week — receiving the accreditation not only due to its considerable whale population across the second half of each year, but thanks to its respectful and responsible embrace of the animals throughout the community. Established by the World Cetacean Alliance, the Whale Heritage Site scheme aims to recognise places that "preserve cetacean species and their habitats". More broadly, the initiative is designed to promote the globe's most responsible whale and dolphin-watching destinations; help protect marine habitats by supporting local communities, especially when it comes to sustainable practices; and assist the development of spots that depend on the sea, particularly by encouraging folks to appreciate the significance of whales in the area. If you've ever headed north to spy the majestic creatures — or even just for a holiday — it's impossible to spend time in Hervey Bay without being reminded of its whale-focused eco-tourism industry. From July to November each year, humpback whales head up from Antarctica, using the site to rest and socialise on the way to their breeding grounds in the Whitsundays. Then, towards the end of the season, they pass by again on the 5000-kilometre journey back down south — which is when whale-watchers can see mother whales spending time teaching their young calves in the local waters. Naturally, there's no shortage of whale-watching tours in the area. Visitors can also head to the Fraser Coast Discovery Sphere, which, as well as featuring a 12-metre-high whale sculpture and a full-sized reproduction of a whale skeleton, explores and celebrates humpback whales and their place in the region. And, each July and August, the city also hosts the annual Hervey Bay Whale Festival. Already quite the tourist drawcard, the new WHS accreditation is expected to attract more visitors, unsurprisingly. Nearly 60,000 people went whale-watching in the region last year, Fraser Coast Tourism general manager Martin Simons told the ABC. While Hervey Bay earned the first whale heritage site slot, it's not the only spot to receive the nod, with The Bluff in Durban in South Africa named the second WHS site. Other locations under consideration include Vancouver Island North in Canada, Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand, Mosaic Jurubatiba in Brazil and Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Images: Mark Seabury via Visit Fraser Coast.
Sydney is now home to a dedicated Harry Potter-themed store. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is set to return to Melbourne's stage this year. It looks like a new HP-related TV show is in the works, and Japan is due to score a theme park dedicated to the titular wizard. Yes, if you're a fan of the wizarding franchise, there are plenty of ways to keep indulging your love. Another one is coming, too, thanks to Harry Potter: The Exhibition. If the name sounds familiar, that's because it has existed since 2009 — and came to Sydney in 2012. Come 2022, however, a huge new version will start making its way around the planet, in a partnership between Warner Bros Consumer Products and Imagine Exhibitions. This time, Harry Potter: The Exhibition will cover all things Fantastic Beasts-related, too, if that's how you've been getting your magical fix over the past few years. In total, the big HP showcase will span between 929–1858 square metres, and feature everything from props and costumes from the ten movies to-date to installations that recreate the world of the books and films. While exact details of what'll be on display haven't been revealed as yet, the exhibition is set to "present beautifully crafted environments that honour the beloved characters, settings and beasts seen in the films while exploring the filmmaking magic that brought them to life" according to Imagine Exhibitions' statement announcing the new tour. The company also advises that Harry Potter: The Exhibition will "celebrate the most iconic moments of the films and stories of Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and the expanded Wizarding World". Just where it'll be heading hasn't been announced so far either, but the showcase will tour to multiple regions, including cities in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. So, you can start crossing your fingers that a visit Down Under will be among its stops — or saying "accio exhibition" as often as you like. For now, Australian fans can stream the eight original films as they've just hit Binge. And, for a refresher on how the movies wrapped up, you can also check out the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mObK5XD8udk&utm_keyword=referral_bustle Harry Potter: The Exhibition will start its world tour from sometime in 2022 — we'll update you with further details when they're announced. Image: Warner Bros.
When most folks scream, they're not powering up their life force, or ki, in battle. Most folks aren't Dragon Ball Z's Goku, however. If you're a fan of the anime, you've probably wished you were at least once or twice, and bunch of gatherings at Australian public spaces will let you scream out your non earth-saving frustrations. Yes, 'Scream like Goku' sessions are a real thing, and they're exactly what they sound like — which, we're certain will be loud. Starting in New York last week, Dragon Ball Z aficionados have been amassing around famous landmarks and letting their voices be heard. We'll let you decide whether they're endeavouring to fend off Frieza, trying to become a Super Saiyan, or just yelling their love (or all of the above). A host of other US sites are slated to follow, as well as Singapore — and Australian Dragon Ball Z fans have been quick to jump into the mix. The first local session is scheduled at 4pm tomorrow, Saturday, September 9, at none other than the Sydney Opera House — because if you're doing to scream in public, you'd better make it count. Over 3000 people have said they're attending in the Facebook event, with another 10,000 'interested'. More gatherings are planned for Sydney's Hyde Park on September 23, and Newcastle's Nobbys Beach on September 24, while Melbourne's Federation Square joins the fun on September 10 — almost 5000 people are planning to rock up to that one. Someone has started a campaign to get screamers to the Wheel of Brisbane on October 7, but so far there's not many potential attendees. Dressing up is encouraged, even if you just throw on something orange. If you're not sure how you should be screaming, let this build up some inspiration. Even if you're not a Dragon Ball Z fan, screaming at the top of your lungs with hundreds of other people is bound to be cathartic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRsjCWNXtRE Image: Leticia Almeida.
The Anchorage Port Stephens is as waterfront as it gets. Many suites come with their own north-facing balcony or terrace, giving you dreamy views of the bay, foregrounded by the Anchorage Marina and backdropped by Corrie Island. The spacious interiors take inspiration from The Hamptons. Think crisp, white linen and pale timber furnishings, splashed with blues and oranges. There's a variety of rooms on offer, from anchorage rooms to one- and two-bedroom loft suites to self-contained villas. The pool's right on the water, too, and comes with a dedicated bar, letting you sip between dips. But, for a serious wind-down, book yourself a signature massage in the day spa. Get there an hour early to kick back in the jacuzzi and sauna. Breakfast is served in the form of an Olympian-sized buffet in the Anchorage's poolside Kitchen Galley. Say yes to eggs-cooked-to-order. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, too. But you may opt to check out the other onsite restaurant, The Wild Herring, instead, which specialises in locally sourced seafood with expertly paired wine. [caption id="attachment_774059" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption]
All year, you might have been bookmarking, dog-earing, Evernoting, Goodreads-saving a towering pile of books to read with all that spare time you never seem to properly find on a weekend. It's often a lofty idea, spending a few hours, hours, doing nothing but perusing a solid narrative on your sand-flecked beach towel, shaded by your nifty new beach tent. But folks, summer's officially in full swing and unless you work in radio broadcasting or public transport you're probably about to land yourself with a good few days of holiday lazing. Grab one of our favourite new releases and make yourself comfortable — we've been churning through Man Booker Prize winners, hilarious biographies and homegrown coming-of-age tales aplenty. THE SELLOUT — PAUL BEATTY For a book recommendation you can trust (sorry lusty Aunt Beryl) you won't be disappointed by this year's Man Booker Prize winner The Sellout by Paul Beatty. The plot follows an African American's plight to reinstitute segregation and slavery into his hometown of Dickens (yes, you heard that correctly.) Naturally, it's a satire and Beatty uses his well-developed wit to broach the thornier issues of racial identity, injustice and legacy. Hilarious, sometimes uncomfortably so. Get it before it does actually sell out. — Erina Starkey DO NOT SAY WE HAVE NOTHING BY MADELEINE THIEN If you don't know much about China's Cultural Revolution, you're not alone. It's been half a century since the movement was launched by then-chairman of the Communist Party Mao Zedong, and accounts of what actually happened are hazy; many of them have been suppressed or altered. Madeleine Thien's new novel delves into one part of this tragic time in history, namely the persecution of musicians at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The book switches between the narration of Li-ling, who is growing up in Vancouver in the '80s and '90s, and the complicated narrative of her father's life in China during the revolution she is piecing together after his death. For such tragic subject matter, Thien is incredibly eloquent and at times even surreal in her writing. It results in a book that is one hell of a compelling read as well as an important incidental history lesson. — Lauren Vadnjal THANKS FOR THE MONEY: HOW TO USE MY LIFE STORY TO BECOME THE BEST JOEL MCHALE YOU CAN BE BY JOEL MCHALE Have you been holding back, not fully realising your potential as the best Joel McHale you can possibly be? Well, put your own unique personality aside for a high-achieving second and brush up on life skills from the Hollywood gadabout behind Community's Jeff Winger. This tell-all memoir's so ambitious and life affirming, it has a trailer. Watch it, or perish in your Joel-McHale-machete-slicing-a-watermelon-midair-less existence. Chapters delve into boyhood head injuries, almost killing Chevy Chase and parental sex lives — you've been warned. — Shannon Connellan THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS BY MARK FROST It's happening again. That show you love really is coming back in style. Twin Peaks fans have waited 25 years to dive back into David Lynch and Mark Frost's television show, and while the third season won't reach screens until 2017, the latter has gifted us the perfect stopgap. Every one of The Secret History of Twin Peaks' 362 pages is filled with a dossier of details, secrets, and other tidbits that make the town, its mysteries and its eccentric inhabitants even more intriguing (and, just like the owls, little here is what it seems). As a bonus, why not pick up a copy of unauthorised Twin Peaks cookbook Damn Fine Cherry Pie too, and get some Twin Peaks-themed kitchen inspiration. Cherry doughnuts, fish percolator supper or fire walk hot tea smoked salmon, anyone? — Sarah Ward SWING TIME BY ZADIE SMITH Swing Time, Zadie Smith's latest novel, sees the award-winning author trying a few new things. It's her first book with a first-person narrator and it's set partly in West Africa — a departure from her other novels that are primarily set in the US and UK. Like all Smith's books, Swing Time offers a poignant reflection on the messy nature of human relationships and asks a lot of thought-provoking questions. Lyrical, witty, and enthralling, this is a holiday read you won't be able to put down. — Yelena Bide SEINFELDIA BY JENNIFER ARMSTRONG Seinfeldia is a tribute to those who erect a festivus pole every December. It's for people who can't look at a marbled rye loaf without feeling awkward. It's for those of us who make subtle references to the Bubble Boy, the Soup Nazi and the anti-dentite as if its the most natural thing in the world. Written by Jennifer Armstrong, Seinfeldia documents the evolution of one of the most popular sitcoms to grace our TV screens. Armstrong examines its progression from banter in a Korean supermarket, to an unknown struggling sitcom at the risk of cancellation, to the show that has permeated its way into popular culture, decades after it was conceived. The book examines the real-life inspirations for the quartet, and the evolution of the characters (ahem) quirks, as well as the one-off characters who built their careers around their Seinfeld roles. — Natalie Freeland ROLLING BLACKOUTS BY SARAH GLIDDEN Rolling Blackouts is comics-journalism nonfiction by author and artist Sarah Glidden, who follows her news-gathering friends from the Seattle Globalist across 2010-era Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Glidden's reporting flips the camera, showing the harsh dilemmas involved in covering people in danger, working low-budget news and pushing distant editors to publish unsexy, important stories. But this meta-journalism approach is strongest when it takes you behind the scenes of actually getting interviews: the interviewees' aspirations and desperation in talking to reporters, their misgivings and rational anger. Parts road trip, reportage and quick-read comic. — Zacha Rosen THE RED WAKE BY KURT JOHNSON Russia and the USSR is an area that has always felt complex, gritty and interesting to me, and with some old Cold War sentiment creeping back into the news I was super glad to find myself working on a book that took me right to its red heart. The Red Wake draws you in with personal anecdotes and beautiful description and sends you on your way knowing a hell of a lot more about the complicated social and political history of the area, in the style of Anna Funder's Stasiland. More than anything, this book made me want to travel around Russia and the 'Stans, through bleak grey towns still riddled with the bullets of uprisings, to the ruins of Pripyat near Chernobyl, to try to catch a glimpse of a rocket launch in the Kazakh desert, and to a town where abandoned fishing trawlers sit on the now dry bed of the Aral Sea, a gulag or two in the distance. — Lex Hirst (Disclaimer: Lex Hirst works for Penguin Random House, the publisher of this book.) OUR MAGIC HOUR — JENNIFER DOWN Our Magic Hour, the debut novel from Melbourne writer Jennifer Down, is an affecting story of the harsh realisations occasioned by our mid-twenties. Audrey, a cool girl in the truest sense, loses her best friend to suicide, and travels from Melbourne to Sydney and back again, in a journey that mimics her attempts to grasp and process this life-altering event. Down writes equally of significant moments and unremarkable days with sparing beauty. Particularly adept at depiction of place, Down made me wonder if I hadn't sat across from Audrey on the train to Redfern, bumped elbows with her at a bar in Bondi. Down is the kind of writer that you'll be lucky to get on at the ground floor with, she is only going up. — Maggie Thompson. HOT MILK — DEBORAH LEVY Set in the small coastal town of Almería in Southern Spain, amidst the hot desert sand and jellyfish-filled ocean, Hot Milk follows Sophie and her mother Rose as they visit the famed Dr Gomez and his assistant Nurse Sunshine in the hope of uncovering the mystery of Rose's ailing health. This hard-to-put-down novel has a hilarious undertone of sly humour, an enigmatic cast of characters, and a vividly painted landscape that will ensure that even if you can't make it to the beach this summer, Hot Milk will take you there. It's a cracker. — Katie Mayor. HONOURABLE MENTION: FAT BRAD: THE COOKBOOK BY LONG PRAWN Have you ever noticed how much Brad Pitt eats in his movies? He's like some sort of human garbage disposal, slamming down burgers, cookies, chips, Twinkies and whatever else he can find into his (perfect) cakehole. He eats without restraint, without delicacy, as we all should sometimes, and for that reason he's the central figure in a new cookbook called (appropriately but incorrectly) Fat Brad. The team from Long Prawn have collaborated on the project with photographer Ben Clement, PractiseStudioPractise, Tristan Ceddia, Ali Currey-Voumard and Mietta Coventry. The cookbook is a tongue-in-cheek collection of recipes based on Brad's most iconic food moments on film. You'll find instructions for a knuckle sandwich (Fight Club), game bird with taters and Guinness gravy (Snatch), Bellagio Shrimp Cocktail (Ocean's 11), roast turkey drumstick and Grecian salad (Troy) and bloodied roast (Mr and Mrs Smith) amongst others. As well as being straight-up hilarious, the Fat Brad cookbook is also just a really good looking (like its namesake) addition to your cookbook shelf. It's the first in a series of pop culture cookbooks by the Long Prawn crew, so keep an eye out and grab your Fat Brad: The Cookbook here. — Imogen Baker
Located on a busy three-lane St Peters road, The House of Music & Booze is the bustling Inner West home of Sydney event group The Music and Booze Co. The crew behind the likes of King Street Crawl and Welcome Day have moved into the former White Horse Hotel building, fostering a vibrant space for live music, dance parties and hospo pop-ups. The pub's sunny courtyard even played host to DOOM JUICE's cellar door for a while there. The venue is split into a few different spaces. There's the aforementioned courtyard, a central bar area with a kitchen and an adjoining indoor alleyway perfect for packed DJ sets, and the 200-capacity band room where you'll find the big-name (or more likely medium-name) acts. Expect music of all forms here, with local favourites Triple One, Floodlights, Caitlin Harnett & the Pony Boys, COFFIN, The Hard Ons, Jack Ladder, 1TBSP and Plams all having graced the stage previously. Head to The Music and Booze Co website to check out all of the upcoming gigs. Behind the bar is a classic combination of Sydney wines and brews featuring bevs from DOOM JUICE, Grifter and Four Pillars. You can also book out the whole venue for parties, weddings and work functions. Any booking of over 30 means you'll also be offered control of the DJ decks so that your musically-inclined friends or the birthday girl can get up and set the mood with a killer set. Images: Sophie Joyce
As Sydney continues its obsession with Omakase and fine dining — despite the cost-of-living crisis — venues like The Star's Sydney hatted Japanese Omakase restaurant Sokyo Sydney are leading the charge in offering luxe culinary experiences without busting your budget. Developed by executive chef Daniel Kwak, Sokyo is serving up a limited-edition tasting menu inspired by Haku Vodka, a craft spirit from the House of Suntory. The $100 menu offers a taste of omakase dining for a third of the price and is available Mondays to Thursdays fin July and August. Where's This Special Offer Available? The special menu is being served at Sokyo, The Star Sydney's high-class Omakase restaurant. The usual Omakase experience is $300, but this special Haku Vodka-inspired menu will get you in the door for just a third of that, and it includes a bespoke Haku martini. Sokyo's culinary offerings are spearheaded by executive chef Daniel Kwak. Daniel joined Sokyo in 2013 and has been pivotal in establishing it as one of Sydney's top Japanese restaurants. Born in Korea, he grew up immersed in the restaurant industry. After studying culinary arts and working in Fiji, he moved to Australia in 2008, plying his trade at Waqu Japanese restaurant. Daniel joined Sokyo as a Junior Sous Chef in 2013, focusing on creating perfectly balanced, umami-rich dishes and has worked up the ranks. What's on the Special Menu? The experience begins with a delicate salmon tartare featuring fresh Tasmania's Storm Bay salmon, crispy senbei (rice cracker) and a subtle heat from karashi su miso. Next on the menu is the toro crispy rice, combining rich, fatty toro and spicy tuna with the crispiness of Hokkaido rice. It's dressed with a special Haku Vodka-infused soy sauce, made especially for this menu collaboration. Following this is the panko-fried oyster, where two crispy panko-coated Pacific oysters are matched with sweet and tangy piquillo peppers. Premium caviar can be added for an additional touch of luxury. The fourth dish features wagyu kushiyaki — a luxurious combination of wagyu beef and foie gras enhanced with salted maple syrup made with Haku Vodka. The meal concludes with the Sokyo Cornetto, a mini cone filled with spiced sultana ice cream and chestnut. It's a fun novelty dessert to end the decadent culinary journey. But if you're still snacky, you can add the house-made Sokyo mochi ice cream for an additional $7. What's the Special Martini? It wouldn't be a Haku Vodka-inspired menu without an elevated vodka cocktail. The signature serve for Haku Vodka is a martini. As part of this brand collaboration, Sokyo's bartenders have created a bespoke martini that complements the special tasting menu while celebrating Haku Vodka. The result, the Hana Momo martini, is a bright and zesty number with Haku Vodka, peach liqueur, yuzu, orange bitters and garnished with aromatic dehydrated orange. The bright citrus notes of yuzushu in the accompanying Hana Momo Haku Vodka martini cuts through the richness of the wagyu and fish dishes with a clean, smooth finish that refreshes the palate. What's Haku Vodka? Haku Vodka is a Japanese craft spirit made entirely from Japanese white rice. It boasts a soft, rounded and subtly sweet flavour profile. Named 'Haku', which translates to white' and brilliant' in Japanese, this vodka exemplifies the artistry involved in creating a clear, clean-tasting spirit. Filtered through bamboo charcoal, Haku Vodka serves as the ideal foundation for Sokyo's team to explore a symphony of flavours, textures, and aromas. Haku Vodka is produced at the Osumi Distillery in Kagoshima, Kyushu, a seaside city renowned for its pristine waters and traditional craftsmanship. This region imparts a sense of natural tranquillity and purity to the vodka. The serene coastal environment of Kagoshima has also inspired our culinary story at Sokyo. How to Nab a Spot? In order to sample this delectable menu at Sokyo, you must make a reservation on the website. The menu is only available until the end of August. Each reservation includes the five dishes plus a complimentary Momo Haku Martini and will set you back $100. You can always add another round of the tasty tipples if you like for $27. The Sokyo x Haku Vodka set menu is available Mondays to Thursdays in July and August. Make your reservation on the website. Haku Vodka's signature serve is the Haku martini — a drink that showcases the craftsmanship, nuanced flavour and exceptional quality of the premium Japanese liquid. To learn more, head to the House of Suntory website. Image Credit: Jude Cohen
Got some extra coin you're keen to throw in the direction of the Australian art scene? Firstly, good on you. Secondly, you may as well get something (other than warm fuzzies) in return. As part of Art Month Sydney, the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) is organising The Sandpit, a big ticket ceramics workshop/fundraiser hosted by celebrated young artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran. Recognised for his unsettling sculptures that explore themes of gender, sexuality, politics and religion, the Sri-Lankan born, Sydney-based artist — who won the 2015 Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Award — will lead a small hands-on class in the Ceramics Lab at UNSW Art + Design. There are just 15 spots available, so when we say small, we mean small. Tickets are on a first come, first serve basis, so make sure you get in quick. Of course at $560 a head, entry to The Sandpit isn't cheap. But you can at least rest assured that the money will be put to good use, with $450 of every ticket going to support NAVA's advocacy for the visual arts. Plus you get a free lunch... and who doesn't like a free lunch?
Every February for the last ten years, Secret Garden Festival has taken over a forest outside Sydney, turning it into a magical natural wonderland with a 48-hour extravaganza of music, drag, food and art. It's always a banger. If you've been, you might have found yourself dancing on a cosmic suspended flying saucer dance floor, partying with drag queens at Camp Queen, getting a smooch at the kissing booth or even getting married. But, like all good ones, the party has to come to an end sometime. And for Secret Garden, the time is this year, with organisers announcing that the 2019 festival will be the last one ever. The announcement, which was made to gardeners in a Facebook post this morning, confirmed that 2019 will be the festival's last outing. According to the team, the decision to call it has been in the works for a while — and it's bowing out while everyone's still having fun. "I always knew Secret Garden wouldn't be around forever — in fact, it's gone on way longer that I thought it would," says founder Clare Downes, who started the festival on her family's farm back in 2009. "I really wanted to ensure we go out on a high. A big bang finale." [caption id="attachment_693852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Kissing Booth at the 2015 festival.[/caption] Clare says the Secret Garden team has "achieved what we set out to achieve". Over the years, the festival has created a legendary safe space for Sydneysiders to escape into nature for a weekend of dancing, dressing up and spending time with mates. Plus, any profit that the festival makes has always been donated back to charity — which, after the last ten years, adds up to almost $500,000. While this is definitely the last Secret Garden to be held at the Downes Family Farm, the team has said the the festival "may reappear in some form in the future". But the good news is that there's still one more party to go — and it's set to be all-time. We can't tell you what to expect for the festival's upcoming iteration — as is custom, the lineup won't be announced until tickets sell out and most of the other details remain a secret until the moment you arrive — but the theme has been dubbed One Last Night in Paradise. Costumes are mandatory, and, considering it's the last one ever, you can expect that the Secret Garden team will go all out. Secret Garden's last ever festival is happening over the weekend of February 22–24. You can snap up tickets here.
Guzman y Gomez has no shortage of venues in NSW, but it's continuing its expansion and opening one more in the Inner West on Wednesday, June 14. And to celebrate, it's offering up $5 burritos and burrito bowls, plus free coffee all day. Taking place in-store at the new Marrickville shop, the $5 eats and free coffee will be available from 7am–10pm. So, you can pop by on your lunch break, swing past after work or, even start your day with a burrito and a coffee for less than you might pay for your daily almond cappuccino from your local cafe. The new GYG location is 223–225 Marrickville Road, a few doors down from Lazybones Lounge and just around the corner from another cheap eats specialist Marrickville Pork Roll. If you can't make it down on the day, you can claim one free burrito at any time by signing up for GYG's rewards system GOMEX on its app.
Soon your canine companion could be the envy of his naked four legged friends, thanks to an unusual and highly adorable collaboration between a pair of local fashion labels and Guide Dogs Australia. On sale from today, Elk and Gorman have created an exclusive dog range of coats and accessories, to help keep your pooch looking on point. For their part, Elk have designed a range of durable high end leather collars and leads. Gorman's contribution, meanwhile, comes in the form of four distinct winter coats in four different sizes and print styles. And yes, before you ask, they've also designed matching coats for dog owners. 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of these new items will go directly to Guide Dogs Australia. "We're proud to be working with such progressive and innovative designers whose great sense of social responsibility will enable us to raise funds for breeding, raising and training more Guide Dogs," said Guide Dogs Victoria CEO Karen Hayes in a statement. "There have been many requests over the years for Gorman to do dog coats in our prints," said Gorman founder and creative director Lisa Gorman. "But this cause gave us very good reason to put it into action." You can pick up some new threads for your pupper at Elk and Gorman shopfronts, or from their respective online stores. Find their websites here and here.
If you’ve been teetering on the brink of comic book and superhero fatigue, meet the movie that just might push you over the edge. In the case of the latest version of Fantastic Four, it’s not just the fact that every month seems to see a new film in the genre reach cinemas (or the knowledge that this particular content was translated to the screen just last decade). It's also the feature's embrace of cliché, grim tone and a complete lack of energy that causes it to grate, and then some. Fantastic Four is yet another gritty reboot of a superhero origin story. In case you can’t remember the 2005 film of the same name and its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (or in case you’ve willingly forgotten them), the series mythology concerns a quartet of friends who get genetically altered and gain superpowers — stretchy limbs, rock-like skin, bursting into flames and invisibility. The characters first created in 1961 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are now brought back to the big screen by Chronicle writer/director Josh Trank. Reed Richards (Miles Teller), Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) and Johnny Storm (Michael B Jordan) travel to another dimension and come back changed, with the latter's sister Sue (Kate Mara) also caught up in the fallout. Their one-time friend Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) goes with them...but doesn’t fare quite so well. With X-Men: Days of Future Past writer Simon Kinberg and The Lazarus Effect's Jeremy Slater helping on the script, Trank’s take is as stern and serious as his cast are young and fresh-faced — think Fantastic Four filtered through the template of a teen drama, even if the actors are slightly older than that. Outcasts come together, trouble ensues, and everyone tries to come to terms with their trauma in a manner not unlike many after-school specials. Yes, life lessons are also learned, including the all-important “never drink and teleport” and “don’t touch the green, glowing goo”. It all makes for as low-key, downbeat affair as comic book adaptations have seen, with the cast the saving grace. The presence of the five key players — plus Reg E Cathey as Johnny and Sue's father — is a welcome one, although their performances hardly live up to the great work they've delivered in the past. Bell's version of the Thing is the feature's highlight, though we hear much more of the actor than we see. In his brooding brute of boulders, a glimpse of the emotion Trank is aiming for is apparent, albeit only briefly. That Teller and co. hardly shine could be a reflection of the stilted dialogue they’re spouting, (including a blatant one-line rip-off of Ghostbusters) as well as the unengaging series set-up they're immersed in. When all the lab scenes, messy action and cheap-looking special effects ultimately build up to the bestowing of the group’s name (aka the movie’s title), disappointment isn’t the only emotion you'll be feeling. As a concept, there’s plenty of interest in Fantastic Four — and yet filmmakers keep floundering in bringing it to the screen. A sequel is already slated, of course, and here's hoping that it tells a new tale with a smattering of enthusiasm, rather than blandly rehashing familiar territory.
New movies always come out on Thursday. Except for one special week of the year, where they come out on Boxing Day, whatever day that might be. It's just another one of those baffling Christmas traditions of which we're terribly fond. In 2013 distributors will be releasing some of their biggest titles — as well as some oddball underdogs — to duke it out on Australia's mass movie-going day. We've seen them all and can report back that some will ease your festive hangover, indigestion and sunstroke more pleasantly than others. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rETaWDZ57v0 Short Term 12 (Sydney and Melbourne only) For when you're with: people who take an expansive view of 'Christmas cheer' It scores: five stars This SXSW Film Festival winner was number one on Buzzfeed's list of 'movies you probably missed in 2013 but definitely need to see', so if you get in quick, you can make it the no.1 movie you outsmarted Buzzfeed on instead. Short Term 12 is the kind of film that feels like a well-edited version of real life — though probably not a life that is familiar to you, if you grew up in safe, loving circumstances. Compulsively watchable and super emotional, it revolves around the kids and their barely adult supervisors at a temporary foster care facility. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ksrkKXoEJbM The Railway Man For when you're with: people with an even more expansive view of 'Christmas cheer' It scores: four stars Based on true events, The Railway Man tells the story of Eric Lomax — a WWII British signalman forced to work upon the infamous Burma line after the Japanese overran his base. Lomax (Colin Firth) was subjected to extraordinary brutality and torture by his captors, the effects of which continued to torment him decades after the war's end; one conflict over, another unceasing. Events finally came to a head in 1980 when Lomax discovered his chief tormenter was still alive and working as a tour guide in the very complex in which he had dispensed his horrors. For a film that covers some terrifically dark elements in excruciating detail, The Railway Man remains an overwhelmingly tender offering that won't feel at all out of place for the post-Christmas period. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rD8f9kn7D2U Philomena For when you're with: more than just your mum It scores: four stars Be not fooled by the marketing materials, which make the film look like an aged-up version of The Trip with Judi Dench in place of Rob Brydon. (Although, thinking about it, that would be brilliant.) Philomena is a terrifically made, entertaining work that stands head and shoulders above many of the films being forced upon us this Christmas. Based on a true story, Philomena follows ex-political spin doctor Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), who, in an attempt to revive his journalism career, chases the "human interest story" of Philomena (Judi Dench) an elderly woman searching for her long-lost son, who was taken from her by Catholic nuns. As the pair investigates, the truth behind the forced adoption becomes all the more shocking. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ve8mc6UNSk The Secret Life of Walter Mitty For when you're with: anybody who can silence their inner cynic It scores: three and a half stars Funny, optimistic, life-affirming and full of pretty pictures and massive special effects, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is the ultimate Hollywood product and is something of a passion project for Ben Stiller, who directed, produced and stars in it. The film follows a quiet Life magazine staffer as he learns to seize the day. When Walter can't find a hyped photo negative, which the photographer has described as capturing the "quintessence of life" and which is wanted for the final magazine cover, he sets off on a worldwide hunt, using the few clues he has. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OPVWy1tFXuc The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug For when you're with: the same people with whom you've seen everything Peter Jackson It scores: three stars The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a marked improvement on last year's An Unexpected Journey. For one thing, it doesn't take an hour for something to happen. Instead, after a brief yet engaging flashback to the first encounter between Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Thorin (Richard Armitage), the film explodes into life with a pursuit of the Dwarf Dozen et al, and remains — by and large — a pursuit to the end. This is a film with enough action to entertain and enough Tolkien to satisfy; however, it ultimately feels more 'distraction' than 'attraction'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TbQm5doF_Uc Frozen For when you're with: children, animation geeks and winter-weather fanatics It scores: three stars When Disney finally bought Pixar in 2006, the deal essentially saw Pixar's creative team taking control of Disney's animated output. Given the strong quality control Pixar has over its products, this was no bad thing. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen — a story Disney has been trying to adapt since the 1940s — the film follows two princesses, one of whom accidentally creates a permanent winter, and the other of whom has to save them from it. It's a far cry from the insufferable toy-selling, pop-culture spewing, catchphrase-ridden films churned out during at the beginning every school holiday period, but nor does it hit the heights of Disney's best output. By Rima Sabina Aouf, Tom Glasson and Lee Zachariah.
The past month of wet weather — it rained 23 out of 31 days in March — has been a real buzzkill (nay, disaster) for outdoor events in Sydney. But we've got a good feeling about April, and so do the folks at Luna Park as they prepare to launch their brand new rooftop cinema. Launching an outdoor cinema in April is ambitious, but it's sure to be one worth braving questionable weather for; from the rooftop of Luna Park you'll have an unobstructed view of a lit-up Sydney Harbour. Plus, they'll provide blankets to keep you cosy and noise-cancelling headphones so you can hear the film over the clamour of the Wild Mouse. Over the course of three weeks (which coincides with school holidays), the cinema will show a mix of new releases, family-friendly films and the requisite Dirty Dancing. Full program is below. LUNA PARK ROOFTOP CINEMA 2017 PROGRAM Friday, April 7 — Fantastic Beasts (2016) Saturday, April 8 — Passengers (2016) Monday, April 10 — Trolls (2016) Tuesday, April 11 — The Edge of Seventeen (2017) Wednesday, April 12 — Dirty Dancing (1987) Thursday, April 13 — Hidden Figures (2016) Friday, April 14 — Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Saturday, April 15 — Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) Monday, April 17 — Sing (2016) Tuesday, April 18 — The Space Between Us (2017) Wednesday, April 19 — The Notebook (2004) Thursday, April 20 — Logan (2017) Friday, April 21 — Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) Saturday, April 22 — Ghostbusters (2016) Monday, April 24 — Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017) Tuesday, April 25 — Dance Academy (2017) Wednesday, April 26 — TBC Thursday, April 27 — La La Land (2016)
When Respect first breaks out its titular track, it's the original Otis Redding version that echoes in the background. The song plays in the Franklin household as Aretha (Jennifer Hudson, Cats) and her family listen, and the scene bubbles with anticipation for the thing everyone watching knows will come. Shortly afterwards, the Queen of Soul tinkers at the piano in the deep of night, her excitement buoyant after hearing her first big hit 'I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)' on the radio. Her sisters Erma (Saycon Sengbloh, Scandal) and Carolyn (Hailey Kilgore, Amazing Stories) join in, and they're all soon rearranging Redding's tune into the single that cements Aretha's status as a music superstar. For the entire film up to this point, viewers have also heard the Franklins, including patriarch and preacher CL (Forest Whitaker, City of Lies), refer to Aretha using a nickname. "Ree" they call her again and again, and soon "ree, ree, ree" is exactly what Erma and Carolyn sing on backing vocals. It's a neat and also exuberant moment. Respect quickly segues to Aretha and her sisters crooning 'Respect' at Madison Square Garden to a rapturous crowd, but watching the track come together has already proven electric. Something can be orderly and expected and potent and rousing all at once, as this movie happily demonstrates regarding its namesake — but for most of its 2.5-hour running time, Respect is content to careen between inescapably formulaic and occasionally powerful. In other words, Respect is a standard music biopic. The genre will never stop expanding — films about Elvis, Madonna, Boy George, Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston are currently in various stages of development — but flicks about famous musicians have peppered cinemas with frequency recently. Thankfully, Aretha's stint in the cinematic spotlight doesn't merely shuffle through a greatest hits album like Bohemian Rhapsody. All her well-known songs are accounted for, though, and it definitely doesn't strive to shake up the template as Rocketman managed so vividly. And with Judy and The United States vs Billie Holiday still fresh in filmgoing music-lovers' memories, Respect can't help feeling like it's striking the same beats. The faces and tunes change, but the overall journey remains undeniably similar. The fact that so many iconic female singers' stories navigate comparable paths is a horrible indictment of the way women have long been treated in the music industry; however, the fact that the movies telling their tales can't completely shake that air of familiarity can never quite do them justice. Respect begins with young Aretha (lively debutant Skye Dakota Turner) being roused from sleep by her father to sing at one of his well-attended house parties. It's 1952, and to an audience that includes Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, she breaks out a rendition of the latter's 'My Baby Likes to Be-Bop' — and "she's 10 but her voice is going on 30" is the shared reaction. This obviously isn't the last time that Aretha unleashes her astonishing voice in Respect, and that everyone in earshot reacts accordingly. When she's accosted by an unnamed man in her bedroom afterwards, it isn't the last time the film veers between highs and lows, either. First-time feature director Liesl Tommy and screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson (Fosse/Verdon) repeat that pattern, embracing it as comfortably as their key figure croons any song she chooses. But where their subject transcends every ditty she trills, Respect can't be said to do the same. Even viewers unaware of the ups and downs of Aretha's life will still know where each second of the film is headed. The choice to end with 2016 footage of the real-life singer piping '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' is a classic biopic touch, of course, but it's preceded by far more predictable choices again and again. Accordingly, as a child Aretha wrestles with her mother's (Audra McDonald, Beauty and the Beast) untimely death, and her own abuse, to evolve from singing in church for her father and family friend Martin Luther King (Gilbert Glenn Brown, Stargirl) to starting her career under her dad's ferocious guidance. From there, she struggles to turn her early Columbia Records releases into successes, yearns to make music that means something to her and defies her father by marrying small-time producer Ted White (Marlon Wayans, On the Rocks). The children she has as a teenager remain with her family as her path leads to Atlantic Records, veteran record producer Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron, Joker) and recording with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section in Alabama, which is where early hits like 'Respect' and 'Ain't No Way' come to life. But her marriage to Ted isn't happy, and coping with his violence takes its toll. So does touring, recording and working non-stop, including when she weds her tour manager Ken Cunningham (Albert Jones, Mindhunter), and later decides to make her best-selling gospel album Amazing Grace. It's never a smart idea to remind your audience that a better movie exists on the same topic, so the decision to recreate parts of Aretha's Amazing Grace performance — as also seen in the magnificent documentary of the same name that only reached cinemas in 2019 — is misjudged. This section of Respect does let Hudson shine, and Aretha's music do the same, though. Alongside the dazzling costuming, they're the film's biggest assets the whole way through. While the script sticks to well-worn territory, cramming its subject's story to fit the usual music biopic mould and giving the entire affair a handsome period sheen, Hudson injects power and presence into her portrayal. The Dreamgirls Oscar-winner has the talent to do Aretha's songs proud, too. But she also makes viewers wish that everything around her performance, the tunes she's singing and the clothes she's wearing didn't fall victim to the usual cliches. This film has ample respect for the woman at its centre, but it also approaches the act of bringing her life to the screen like it's simply taking care of business.
Nearly twelve months after announcing the location for Australia's first Pride Centre, the Victorian Government has revealed the designs for the St Kilda structure. Local firms Grant Amon Architects and Brearley Architects & Urbanists will be responsible for what's certain to prove an important and influential building, both in its appearance and thanks to its status as a dedicated LGBTI hub. The St Kilda outfits were selected from a pool of 18 submissions, with the finished product due to open at 79-81 Fitzroy Street in 2020. The building will house up to ten major resident organisations — including JOY FM, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Midsumma Festival, the Victorian Aids Council, LGBTQI Multi Culture, Multi Faith, Team Melbourne and the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives — and also offer flexible and multi-use spaces. Among them: a health service, library, training room and meeting rooms, as well as a café and bar, a theatrette and a gallery. "We wanted the winning design to be a building that our LGBTQI community can be proud of owning, a place of celebration and a safe sanctuary," said Jude Munro AO, Chair of the Victorian Pride Centre board. "This design is inspirational and more than satisfies these criteria. Our aim is for the Pride Centre to be a catalyst for the revival of Fitzroy Street and to fit into the St Kilda design vernacular which this design does superbly." Modelled after San Francisco's LGBTI Community Centre, the Victorian Pride Centre will receive $15 million in State Government funding, plus $13 million from the City of Port Phillip. "It will be a space for the community and LGBTI organisations to share ideas, collaborate and celebrate our diversity — it's also at a key site the Pride March goes past," said Minister for Equality Martin Foley. For more information, visit www.pridecentre.org.au
The warm weather can be such a tease. As soon as the season changes and ushers in day after day of blue skies and warm breezes, we start dreaming of swapping real life with beach days and road trips out of town. The reality may be a little different (thanks to work, uni or general life commitments) but, thankfully, Sydney is brimming with ways to soak up every last drop of springtime fun. To mark the commencement of its Spring Carnival, we've teamed up with Australian Turf Club to bring you five top-notch ways to celebrate the season this week. SNAG A BARGAIN AT THIS DESIGNER SALE When? Thursday, September 19 A new season doesn't always need to call for an entire wardrobe overhaul — but a few new pieces for all those fabulous spring events you've got coming up can't hurt, right? Especially when you're getting them for such a bargain. Across four days this week, Paddington Town Hall will be filled with thousands of luxury fashion items with whopping discounts of up to 80 percent off. We're talking designers like Romance Was Born, Isabel Marant and Alexander McQueen. With the opportunity to grab coveted labels for (relatively) low prices, you can expect this to get a little chaotic — we hope your reflexes are sharp. EAT AND DRINK YOUR WAY AROUND THIS HARBOURSIDE FESTIVAL When? Friday, September 20 Next Friday marks the kick-off of the annual Pyrmont Festival. For the second consecutive year, inner-city area's bars and restaurants will team up with winemakers and producers from regional NSW town Orange for a series of degustations and one-off events. Throughout the festival, you'll be able to sample drops from across the Orange wine region from Porter's Liquor Pyrmont daily and at local cafe Call Me Harris' sunset bar on Fridays from 5pm. Meanwhile, TAP Gallery will be open from 2pm each day to showcase works from local artists. Also be sure to make tracks down to Pirrama Park next weekend for the two-day festival for your chance to sample delightful regional produce and meet the makers. HEAD TO THE OPENING DAY OF THE EVEREST CARNIVAL When? Saturday, September 21 With arrival of spring, so too comes the commencement of Sydney's racing carnival season. And the Colgate Optic White Stakes Day will be kicking off the 2019 Everest Carnival in a big way. Head to Royal Randwick this Saturday, September 21 for a day of food, fashion and off-track entertainment. It will also see the launch of the Pony Palms, a new Palm Springs-inspired area featuring palm trees, a pool, private cabanas, cocktails and a roster of live performances. This weekend will include a DJ set by Set Mo, featuring Woodes, plus sets by Yolanda Be Cool and Sarah Roberts. EXPERIENCE NATURES INDOORS AT THIS NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION When? Any day Sometimes mother nature doesn't get the memo that winter is over. So, if the temperature gauge takes a bit of a dip this week, you can experience nature at the Powerhouse Museum's Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition. Until October 20, the museum is showcasing more than 100 captivating scenes of nature from across Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. You'll be able to get eye to eye with crested-horn sharks, short-beaked echidnas and flying foxes — all while staying dry and warm. ENJOY A RECOVERY SUNDAY SESSION AT THE FERNERY When? Sunday, September 22 If your big week of spring activities have left you feeling a little weary, make tracks to The Fernery in Mosman for a laidback afternoon of eating, drinking and activities. To ring in the warmer weather, the greenhouse-inspired rooftop bar is hosting a series of retro-French events. You can pair a French rosé or champagne with a decadent loaded croissant filled with oozy brie and truffle or sweet chocolate cookie crumble. While you tuck into these OTT treats, you can play a few rounds of pétanque and watch the sunset. Everest Carnival runs from 21 September to 2 November at Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick. For more information, head this way. Top Image: Felipe Neves.
When you can't venture to a crowded pub to watch your favourite sport on the big screen, recreate the best parts of game day in your own home instead. Whether you're into the AFL or NRL, you can take inspiration from these five suggestions to amp up the at-home viewing party to suit your code. We've partnered with leading bourbon brand Jim Beam to bring you tips on entertaining your mates without missing any of the highlights. [caption id="attachment_786097" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] COOK UP YOUR FAVOURITE PUB CLASSICS First thing's first: food. Any good party host knows you need to plan ahead when it comes to feeding your guests, but that doesn't mean you need to spend heaps of cash or lean on the same-old chips and dips combo. Give yourself a theme and opt for handheld, small bites. For example, buffalo wings with blue cheese dipping sauce and loaded potato skins with bacon and sour cream for easy-to-serve snacks that you can prep in advance and your friends can graze on throughout the game. Make a classic hot dog more grown-up with fresh lettuce, jalapeños and mustard, or create a nacho topping station so everyone can serve themselves when they're peckish. [embed]https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7pS5D5MnYe11rtrRcjeMTk?si=d6yoaggsQnaTvog48eh0IA[/embed] CREATE A PUB PLAYLIST Channel the mood of your local, wherever that may be. If yours usually busts out Powderfinger, Crowded House and Paul Kelly, lean into the theme and create your own playlist that's two parts nostalgia and one part fresh Aussie hits. Or, if you want to pretend you're at the Gabba for this year's AFL Grand Final, pull together a playlist that honours the local acts taking to the stage come Saturday, October 24. Brisbane bands Sheppard and Cub Sport will be performing, along with singer-songwriter Thelma Plum and Rockhampton's blues duo Busby Marou. Plus, Sydney's DMA's and Adelaide-based duo Electric Fields. If you're short on time, head to one of the act's own selections, like DMA's Radio above. More of an Amy Shark fan? The indie-pop star is headlining this year's NRL grand final and the Gold Coast artist has a sweet playlist of equally cool Aussie acts like East, Lime Cordiale and Wafia that you can find here. [caption id="attachment_786936" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dan Burton[/caption] PULL OUT THE LAWN GAMES When you're drinking at the pub there's often time for playing games and getting competitive — whether that's around the pool table or facing the dart board. Bring a sense of playful competition into your get-together with bocce, giant Jenga, Finska, Twister — or whatever games you might have stored away at home. Create a break-out zone away from the TV so your friends can dive into an active game whenever the mood takes hold. Don't have any games at home? You'll find a good selection of outdoor games at Opus, which has free delivery if you spend over $75, and at Sunnylife, which has a $12 flat rate for delivery. [caption id="attachment_787026" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaleidico[/caption] PLAN A SURPRISE PUB QUIZ FOR HALF TIME No one wants to listen to the game analysis come half time, so bring all your sports fanatics together over some brain teasing. Can you name the date of the very first AFL match? What's Daniel Ricciardo's driver number? How many times has Dylan Alcott represented Australia at the Paralympics? Who is Australia's fastest female bowler? No matter what sport you're celebrating on the big screen, you can test your collective knowledge in a quick quiz to lighten the mood. Create one of your own, or hit up the sports quiz of the week from The Guardian, or the ABC's news quiz for a mix of sport and general knowledge. Or, if you want to play along live, Jay's Virtual Pub Quiz runs weekly quiz sessions on YouTube. [caption id="attachment_784939" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] STOCK UP YOUR BAR Rather than making sure there are enough glasses in the house, or having to fight over space in the fridge for cold drinks, make things easier on you and your guests by filling up your bath or a bucket with ice and stocking it with premixed drinks. That way everyone can dip into the bathroom or kitchen for a fresh bevvy when they like, and you don't have to worry about chopping citrus for cocktails, or smashing glasses you don't have time to replace. Jim Beam has a range of premixed drinks to suit all your mates' tastes. You can pick up a pack of seven Jim Beam & Cola cans for $29 at BWS stores. Or go one better and enter Jim Beam's competition to win your own Tiny Stillhouse, which comes decked out with bluetooth speakers, a mini fridge, four bar stools, an esky, bar mats, a Jenga set, a case of Jim Beam and Cola and a bottle of Jim Beam White Label to really up the ante for your next get-together. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
There's no spy quite as recognisable as Bond, James Bond. After the novels by Ian Fleming shook and stirred readers worldwide, 26 feature films have captured that same feeling for moviegoers over 60 years on screen. Nowadays, it's hard to find someone who doesn't recognise that iconic introductory line, drink order or pistol-packing pose. If you are a devotee of all things Bond, you'll want to spend the first weekend of February with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and its first show of 2024: An Evening with James Bond. Music is among the most striking qualities of the Bond films and the spy's on-screen appearances, and finally you have the chance to hear all your favourite moments from the score performed live when, after selling out shows in Europe, An Evening with James Bond comes to Sydney. The performances will take place at the Chatswood Concourse on Saturday, February 3 and Sunday, February 4. Expect orchestral covers of some of Bond's most memorable tunes — from the powerful vocals of Shirley Bassey in the late 60s and early 70s for Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker to the chart-topping Skyfall by Adele and the melancholic sounds of Billie Eilish in 2021's No Time to Die. Don't hesitate as tickets are likely to sell out. M is telling you to take the bloody shot! An Evening with James Bond is taking place in the Concert Hall at Chatswood Concourse on Saturday, February 3 and Sunday, February 4, 2024. For more information or to get your tickets, visit the website.
Lords, ladies, history buffs and fantasy fans alike, rejoice: St Ives' fully immersive medieval fair is returning for a fifth year. The weekend festival will transform St Ives Showground into Medieval Europe with immersive encampments which represent seven centuries of history: the Vikings, Byzantines, Crusades, the Hundred Years War, the Wars of the Roses and into the 17th Century. To complete the experience, a plethora of historical recreations will take place including the only solid lance jousting event in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring European and Australian jousting masters — yes, people still joust. The program also includes a Trebuchet catapult, markets, traditional folk music, longbow archery demonstrations and displays in which trained birds of prey recreate the medieval practice of hawking and falconry. If all that makes you thirsty, grab a serve of mead or a custom ale inspired by female jousting champion Lady Caroline from Victorian craft beer legends Two Birds. You also have the option to upgrade your ticket to the VIP Royal Court Experience ($95). Guests will be escorted by a horse-drawn carriage to a kingly, long table meal serving roast suckling pig, parsnip pies, spatchcock and other old world delicacies. The public is encouraged to come in costume, so polish your armour, don your finest cloak and prepare for a weekend of royal revelry. See you thither. St Ives Medieval Faire takes place September 22–23. Tickets range from $45 for one day to $63 for the full weekend. For further program information and to purchase tickets, visit the website.
When Cillian Murphy first came to widespread fame two decades ago, it was for acclaimed British director Danny Boyle while pondering the end of life as we know it, with zombie masterpiece 28 Days Later the spectacular end result. Since then, he's become a regular for fellow UK filmmaker Christopher Nolan and, in their latest collaboration after The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Dunkirk, Murphy again faces an apocalyptic scenario in Oppenheimer. Set to be 2023's most explosive movie, Nolan's first flick since Tenet explores a little thing called the atomic bomb. Focusing on J Robert Oppenheimer as the name makes plain, this biopic keeps promising a tense time at the movies — in its first teaser, initial full trailer and just-dropped new sneak peek — as befitting a situation where the world risked total annihilation in order to be saved. Yes, Nolan is going back to the Second World War again, focusing on the eponymous American physicist, aka the man who helped develop the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. Charting Oppenheimer's life, his part in birthing the atomic bomb and how it changed the world — and the fallout — should make for gripping viewing, as viewers will see from July 20, 2023. Oppenheimer's story also includes heading up Los Alamos Laboratory, plus observing the Trinity Test, the first successful atomic bomb detonation in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. Nolan is always in serious mode, but this is a solemn affair even by the Memento, Interstellar and Dark Knight trilogy filmmaker's standards. And, it looks like quite the sight, in no small part thanks to being shot in IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film photography, including sections in IMAX black and white analogue photography for the first time ever. Based on Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin's Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the film boasts an all-star cast, including Emily Blunt as the physicist's wife, biologist and botanist Kitty (reteaming Blunt with Murphy after A Quiet Place Part II) — plus Matt Damon (The Last Duel) as General Leslie Groves Jr, director of the Manhattan Project; Robert Downey Jr (Dolittle) as Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the US Atomic Energy Commission; and Florence Pugh (The Wonder) as psychiatrist Jean Tatlock. Also set to pop up: Josh Hartnett (Wrath of Man), Michael Angarano (Minx), Benny Safdie (Stars at Noon), Jack Quaid (The Boys), Rami Malek (No Time to Die) and Kenneth Branagh (Death on the Nile). Oh, and there's Dane DeHaan (The Staircase), Jason Clarke (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Olivia Thirlby (Y: The Last Man), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Matthew Modine (Stranger Things) as well. Check out the latest trailer for Oppenheimer below: Oppenheimer will release in cinemas Down Under on July 20, 2023. Images: © 2022 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
It's no secret that lockdown has put our evening meals into sharp focus. And, although it may be a highlight for some, for others, dinnertime cooking creativity has definitely dwindled. If you're feeling uninspired by your regular rotation of recipes, we've got a little something that'll gnocch your socks off. Starting Thursday, September 9, you can take part in an online gnocchi making class, courtesy of our pals from Pizzini Wines' A Tavola cooking school. The 75-minute interactive workshop will teach you how to make soft, pillowy potato parcels with expert guidance from Katrina Pizzini, who heads up A Tavola. She'll show you how to make gnocchi from scratch — and by the end of the class you'll be serving up delicious plates of potato-y pasta slathered in napoli and burnt butter sage sauces. To make sure you've got all the gear, Pizzini Wines will send you a supply pack loaded with a potato ricer, gnocchi paddle, homegrown potatoes, flour, pasta, fresh herbs, and recipe cards. Plus, you'll also get two bottles of delicious Pizzini wine to wash it all down. All you need to bring are some pantry staples such as eggs, butter, olive oil, sugar, parmesan, salt and pepper. Sound like a top-tier way to level up your mid-week dinner duties? Art of Gnocchi Making will kick off at 5pm on September 9, September 15 and September 16. For more information and to book, visit the website.
Marrickville’s popular, idiosyncratic creative district might well find itself under threat if a controversial rezoning of the Victoria Road precinct gets the green light. The new proposal would see 18.03 hectares of industrial land turned into residential or mixed residential-industrial and the creation of 3,080 new apartments. This could mean bad news for some of Sydney's favourite venues — the Factory Theatre, the Red Rattler, the Vic on the Park, Bourke Street Bakery Marrickville and a host of other Sydney arts spaces, all of which lie within this area and could potentially be subject to tweaked licensing/noise restrictions. Since its introduction, the proposal has provoked increasing concern among community members and planning staff. In late August, a 600-strong petition voicing opposition was submitted to Marrickville Council. Regardless, on September 3, a 6-5 Council vote sent the proposal to the Department of Planning gateway process. In the eyes of Greens Councillor Max Phillips, this move presents two significant problems. One, it means that Council will now be seen as endorsing the rezoning. Two, it did not allow time for "proper community consultation" or for "important information... [to be] made available to revise the proposal". A council spokesperson told Concrete Playground, "Council considered that the proposal should be investigated further to see if it has merit," and that it is too early to predict consequences of the rezoning. "There are many, many steps to go through before we would know what might be the results of rezoning, if indeed the rezoning was adopted," she said. However, Phillips says that we can certainly speculate. "This is a truly massive proposal," he said. "It's almost the area of Barangaroo... Over the past two years, there's been some change in the use of the industrial area. Some of the manufacturing industries have moved elsewhere and we've seen some new ones move in, particularly the creative industries and the boutique, artisanal food industries... Part of what has attracted them is cheaper rent.. and the grittiness and character of the area. One of the fears that the Greens have is that the rezoning may disrupt that revitalisation." High-density residential housing often means dull, template-based architecture, as well as changes that raise alarm bells for arts practices, including traffic congestion and noise complaints. Jamie Ferguson, director of The Red Rattler, is deeply concerned. "The Red Rattler loves the diversity of the area and its semi-industrial landscape," he explains. "It suits our grassroots approach, style of gigs, performances and our parties. There's no question a venue like The Rat or other startup creative businesses and spaces wouldn't work if they were situated amongst nasty high-rises with convenience stores on every corner." What's more, Ferguson feels that public consultation has been sorely lacking. "The whole situation is really quite puzzling, and a surprise to The Rat," he says. "On the one hand creative arts spaces are being praised for adding to the vibrancy and diversity of the area, yet on the other hand conservative Councillors have shown their position by considering a review of the current zoning, which is very disappointing. There's certainly been no thorough community consultation." That said, it it's all far from over yet. To express your response to the proposal, you can contact the Marrickville Council, get in touch with particular Councillors and check out the Mayoral Minute dedicated to the rezoning, which is Item One at the Council’s September 16 meeting. You can also call or email the Marrickville Greens and keep an eye out for community meetings and petitions. Want to voice your opinion in person about the future of Marrickville's Victoria Road precinct? A Greens-run forum has been called for September 30 at The Red Rattler, kicking off at 6:30pm.
You can never have too many occasions to eat cheese, but this Sydney cheese festival isn't just keen to shower cheese fiends with creamy goodness. A collaboration between Bruny Island Cheese Co. cheesemaker Nick Haddow and the organisers of Pinot Palooza, Mould wants dairy lovers to explore and devour the mild, hard and soft bites that Australia's best cheese wizards have to offer. Returning for a second year, the festival will paint Carriageworks yellow on Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25. Alongside unlimited tastings of Australia's best cheeses — there will be over 50 types, with the lineup yet to be announced — it'll feature flavoursome fare from cheese specialists too. Think of it as a cheese tasting trip around Australia without leaving Wilson Street. Of course, snacking on samples and purchasing slices and slabs to take home with you are just two ways to enjoy cheese. The fest will have cooking demonstrations, masterclasses and talks so you can stretch your cheese knowledge as well as your cheese stomach. And it wouldn't be a cheese festival without beverages to wash it all down with, so expect a bar serving Aussie wines, whisky, beer and sake — all of which match nicely to a bit of cheese. There will be an evening session on Friday from 4–8.30pm and two sessions (from 11am–3pm and 4–8pm) on Saturday. Tickets cost $40–45 + booking fee, which includes tastings.
Mudgee's Blue Wren winery is creating minimal intervention drops in an elegant farmhouse setting. Don't expect to find a wine counter here, though — instead, guests gather at tasting tables and enjoy their wine seated. The flights are $10 for five wines, with the vineyard growing shiraz, verdelho and merlot grapes. During the cooler months, tables near the open fire are prime real estate, while in summer you can take your wine out to the garden and farm. It grows herbs, fruits and edible flowers for the in-house restaurant, The Chef's Kitchen, and is home to a cherry farm and bee hives — as well as duck, geese, chooks and heaps of blue wren birds (naturally). While The Chef's Kitchen is currently closed for renovations, you can still nab lunch Friday through Sunday from noon—3pm. And you can even stay overnight in a newly renovated farmhouse, complete with an elevated deck and pool.
Ben & Jerry's aren't afraid to put their ice cream where their mouth is, and not just by devouring their own creamy frozen desserts. In their latest show of support for marriage equality in Australia, the sweet treat makers are giving away free ice cream cones to celebrate this week's historic passage of legislation. Between 5.30pm and 9.30pm on December 11, visitors to Ben & Jerry's Aussie stores can pick up a frosty scoop without spending a cent. The offer applies at the chain's seven New South Wales, five Victorian, four Western Australian, one South Australian, two Australian Capital Territory and five of its six Queensland stores. If you're wondering why one misses out, that's because their Movie World digs aren't open once the park closes at 5pm. It's not the first time the brand has demonstrated their values with ice cream, as anyone who asked for a double dose of New York Super Fudge Chunk this year would know. When the fight for marriage equality was still under way, they instituted a same-flavour ban across their stores, refusing to put two scoops of the same ice cream variety on a single cone until the country's LGBTQI+ citizens were given the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. Now that the plebiscite has been and gone, 61.6 percent of respondees voted yes and lawmakers followed through, the ban has been lifted. Ben & Jerry's history of supporting marriage equality also includes their 2013 launch of the I Dough, I Dough ice cream flavour and campaign. Grab a free ice cream cone from Ben & Jerry's stores across Australia from 5.30pm to 9.30pm on December 11. For further information, visit the event Facebook page.
UPDATE, November 20, 2020: Maiden is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. "Her name is Tracy Edwards, and her dream is to compete in the world's toughest yacht race with the world's first all-women crew." They're the words of a British television presenter in the mid-80s and, as seen in documentary Maiden, they're dripping with condescension. Edwards decided to enter an entirely female team into the prestigious Whitbread Round the World yachting race after first taking part in 1985–86, when she was the cook to an all-male group. During that initial voyage, she was treated poorly — unsurprisingly given the era and the sport's male bias at the time. But those patronising, dismissive, chauvinistic attitudes and insults were like a red rag to a bull, motivating the passionate lover of the open sea to compete again on her own terms. The only way for Edwards to truly sail the 33,000 nautical miles from Southampton, England, and back — via Uruguay, Western Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay again and then America — was to recruit 11 other women to make the journey with her. The 27-year-old knew she'd be instantly mocked, and mocked she was. She assembled a committed crew of women for the 1989–90 contest, and found a boat called Maiden, but no one would sponsor them, support them or even take them seriously. In the media, they were mercilessly made fun of ("tin full of tarts," one journalist called them). In the yachting realm, their male peers bet that they wouldn't finish the race's first leg, let alone all six over its eight-month duration. At every turn, they were belittled, underestimated and considered a sideshow (and when they dared to be seen in swimsuits at one point on their watery trek, they were also shamelessly objectified). With this chapter of sporting history now sailing across the cinema screen 30 years later, one thing should be obvious: Maiden's voyage through the Whitbread race is a story worth telling. It's the ultimate underdog tale, as well as a rallying cry against sexism that's no less relevant today than when the fearless skipper and her dedicated crew hit the seas. As chronicled via archival clips and contemporary interviews by filmmaker Alex Holmes, his doco makes all of the above plain, giving this plucky story and the gutsy gals who made it happen the treatment and respect that both deserve. Holmes' task is a relatively easy one, admittedly; with real-life events this gripping, this tale almost tells itself. Recognising this fact, the director steps through the specifics in a linear, unfussy but deftly edited fashion, deploying the formidable Edwards as his anchor. He starts with her backstory, explores how teenage rebellion led her to the freedom of venturing across the world's oceans, and then follows her Whitbread efforts — from her initial inspiration to the white-knuckle on-the-boat reality in the team's secondhand vessel once the race began. Even when the film leans heavily on talking heads, the details are riveting; however the documentary steps up a gear once it weaves grainy home-video footage from Maiden's journey into the mix. Candid and unfettered as it captures women doing battle with the water ("the ocean is always trying to kill you; it doesn't take a break," Edwards notes, looking back), it puts viewers right there on the yacht with the all-female crew. The fist-pumping, cheer-worthy highs and tense, dangerous lows of Maiden's trek are best discovered by watching, with the yacht's trip serving up the kinds of thrills usually penned by Hollywood. Indeed, it's incredibly surprising that a dramatisation hasn't hit the big screen already. Never forgetting or downplaying just how appallingly Edwards and company were treated three decades ago, Holmes' doco does more than simply relive or revel in their tale. Crucially, it also gives the film's subjects a voice, letting them relay the nitty gritty of their experiences in their own way. Back in the 80s, they were asked about squabbles, surviving without makeup and whether a round-the-world yacht race was the best place for the fairer sex, all while the men were were asked about strategies, tactics, skills and accomplishments. Redressing that egregious wrong — and showing the determined sparks still gleaming in these women's eyes — this rousing and exhilarating documentary proves a stellar snapshot of an inspiring feat, a rebuke against gender stereotypes and misogynistic attitudes, and a fierce portrait of persistent ladies telling the world that they'll do whatever they damn well like wherever they damn well like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjFXdXSmGZ8
Given the calibre of the venues at Sydney's Tramsheds, we were expecting the growers market to be somewhat spectacular. And, the folks behind the huge Harold Park development did not disappoint. The European-inspired growers market on Artisan Lane, have become the heart of the foodie precinct. Boasting two fully functional kitchens, and room for 76 people, Artisan Lane plays host to a mix of markets, workshops, master classes, and innovative food pop-ups. With a lineup of classes set to cover everything from butchery and fish filleting, to brewing beer. But the growers market is where it's at. The markets are run in collaboration with Bodega 1904 — a restaurant inside the precinct, from the folks behind Porteño and Bodega — so, naturally, the food is delicious. Discerning foodies will be able to get their hot little hands on a grand array of tasty nosh, like Pepe Saya's handmade butter and stunning floral works by Thorny Roses Florists. Among the local vendors holding stalls each week are foodie favourites Brickfields Bakery, Broomsfield Pies, Russolini Seafood and Gj Fine French Foods, to name but a few. Proceeds from vendor stall fees are donated to a different charity each week, nice. During the markets, which run from 8am to 2pm every Sunday, there are wine tastings with Bodega 1904, more wine tastings with Chamber Cellars, and culinary masterclasses that kick off at 11am. You can learn about fresh produce (and eat plenty of it), sip with sommeliers, chat to cheesemakers, chefs and authors. While you're there, check out one of the restaurants inside the precinct — you'll find everything from spicy fried chicken to freshly baked bread and boudin noir.
When St Jerome's Laneway Festival announces its lineup each year, it gives music fans a hefty piece of good news. But, that's never the end of the story. As well as taking to the stage for the fest's main shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, plenty of artists on Laneway's bill do sideshows — and the 2024 batch of gigs has just been announced. If you're keen to catch Steve Lacy, Raye, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and AJ Tracey doing their own concerts, now you can. Also on the list: Blondshell, Faye Webster, d4vd, Paris Texas, DOMi & JD Beck and Hemlocke Springs. The one caveat: as can be the case with festival sideshows Down Under, this batch is not only east coast-focused, but almost all about Sydney and Melbourne. Still, you now have more chances to hear 'Bad Habit and 'Escapism', including the former at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall for two big shows — which is where Unknown Mortal Orchestra will bust out their tunes for one night. If you're wondering about Stormzy and Dominic Fike, they're doing exclusive Laneway tours. Accordingly, if you want to see either (or both), you'll only catch them at the fest. Also, Lacy is exclusive to Laneway in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, hence the Sydney-only sideshows. [caption id="attachment_916473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Callum Walker Hutchinson[/caption] LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2024 SIDESHOWS: BLONDSHELL Friday, February 9 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne Sunday, February 11 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney FAYE WEBSTER Wednesday, January 31 — The Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne Thursday, February 1 — Metro Theatre, Sydney STEVE LACY Wednesday, January 31–Thursday, February 1 — Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA Tuesday, January 30 — Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney Thursday, February 1 — Odeon Theatre, Hobart Friday, February 9 — Forum, Melbourne AJ TRACEY Friday, February 2 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Thursday, February 8 — Forum, Melbourne PARIS TEXAS Thursday, February 1 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Thursday, February 8 — Night Cat, Melbourne DOMI & JD BECK Friday, February 2 — Brunswick Picture House, Brunswick Heads Friday, February 9 — Factory Theatre, Sydney Sunday, February 11 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne D4VD Friday, February 2 — Liberty Hall, Sydney Thursday, February 8 — Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne HEMLOCKE SPRINGS Friday, February 2 — Night Cat, Melbourne Wednesday, February 7 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney RAYE Wednesday, January 31 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Thursday, February 1 — Forum, Melbourne St Jerome's Laneway Festival will tour Australia and New Zealand in February 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details and tickets. The festival's sideshows run throughout January and February, with ticketing dates depending on the show — find out more via the Steve Lacy tour website, Unknown Mortal Orchestra tour website and Handsome Tours.
From the youthful rough and tumble of 1973's Mean Streets, to the bona fide masterpiece that is 1990's Goodfellas, to the Boston-set crime machinations of 2006's The Departed, Martin Scorsese's filmography is filled with gangster movies. Throw in 1996's Casino as well, and the acclaimed director has basically become synonymous with the genre. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his latest film once again steps into the mobster fold — or, given Scorsese's penchant for working with the same actors over and over again, that it tasks a heap of familiar faces with getting down and dirty in America's criminal underworld. In the pipeline for years (since back before 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, in fact), The Irishman corrals Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel into quite the true tale — of organised crime in the US post-World War II, as experienced by union official and hitman Frank Sheeran. De Niro plays the main role, while Pacino plays notorious union boss Jimmy Hoffa, with the movie particularly interested in the ongoing mystery that is the latter's disappearance. If that's not exciting enough, there's also the fact that Pesci — who won an Oscar for Goodfellas — makes his first on-screen appearance in almost a decade. The rest of the cast features plenty of big names, too, including Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Jack Huston and Jesse Plemons. And, because The Irishman's story spans decades, there's also the movie's use of 'de-ageing' special effects, with De Niro and Pacino playing their characters in both their younger and older versions. With the film releasing via Netflix sometime this spring, the fact that a filmmaker of Scorsese's calibre is making a huge, star-studded, potentially Oscar-worthy movie for the streaming platform is also notable, as well as a sign of the times. For those keen to see the great director's first flick since 2016's Silence on a big screen, watch this space (and probably cross your fingers, too). The Irishman will premiere at this year's New York Film Festival in September, and receive a limited theatrical release in the US; however, whether Netflix will pop it into cinemas Down Under has yet to be revealed. Check out The Irishman's first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3hh68LpkWQ&feature=youtu.be The Irishman will hit Netflix sometime this spring — we'll update you with a release date when it's announced.
Assumptions are dangerous. You can never say everyone is normal. You can never say your home is permanent. You can never say you really know and trust your loved ones. You can never say all the lyrebirds are dead. Cate invites June over for birthday dinner. It sounds like a pleasant arrangement, but what would have been a nice house in the 'burbs with a laid table, sauvignon blanc, cultured chatter and cake has become something altogether different. Every Australian's worst nightmare has struck them. Like the insidious acrid tendrils of fire smoke, the atrocities of Black Saturday creep into Lyrebird, written by award-winning writer Amelia Evans and directed by recent NIDA graduate Jemma Gurney. A vast wasteland of charred remains stretches out beyond these five connected yet displaced friends and family, who now live in caravans and use Port-a-Loos. Forced to hang in limbo, homeless, "until the insurance comes through," they must wait. And wait they do. June (Lucy Miller) convincingly fills the stage as the bubbly family wrecker and shares both tension and laughter with Cate (Sara Zwangobani), the bitter zipped-mouth housewife. The absent patriarch, Tim (Jordan Kelly), lets his eyes drift above and beyond the audience, always searching and hopeful. Meanwhile, the younger playmates, Jess (Maeve MacGregor) and Henry (Christian Willis) awkwardly contend with snap, sex, death, alcohol and early adulthood. Evans, who grew up in a national park in Kinglake, muses, "It's so much bigger than us; the bush is so overwhelming, so much more significant than these little humans." Set designer Gez Xavier Mansfield re-creates this nebulous yet thrilling phenomenon of the bush on stage through unusual materials and fabrics, conveying a burned-out environment that you can almost smell. Experimental and powerfully atmospheric, sound designer Nate Edmondson's ghost-like echoes, incongruous whizzing, birdcalls and siren trills from 'Heart of Glass' by Blondie leave you filled with a wistful, hollow abandonment felt only in the bush. No-one knows how each of us would deal with this tragedy until it happens. Some bitterly retreat, some become jolly and reckless, others remain in control or fret, and the odd one goes mad and eats lasagne off the ground. As despair brings people closer, it also lances the truth — a truth ready to ignite and reveal itself. Assumptions are much too dangerous. I think I heard a lyrebird call...
Kitty Green doesn't just direct films that demand attention; she makes movies where paying the utmost notice to small moments and details couldn't be more pivotal. With her 2013 debut Ukraine Is Not a Brothel, she deployed her documentarian's eye to explore protest group Femen with revealing and probing intimacy. With 2017's bold and unforgettable Casting JonBenet, Green honed in on the minutiae that can swirl around a crime — especially when true crime has become its own genre, sparking non-stop theories even decades later — all while structuring her picture around holding auditions for a film about the infamous case that shares the feature's name. The Melbourne-born filmmaker moved into fiction with 2019's The Assistant, and now stays there with The Royal Hotel. The shift has still seen Green unpacking reality. The Assistant is a #MeToo movie set in a film production company's office where sexual harassment at its head honcho's hands has become distressingly normalised. The Royal Hotel sprang to life after Green watched Australian documentary Hotel Coolgardie, about two Finnish women encountering the worst of Australia's drinking culture while working in Western Australia's Denver City Hotel, with the director then inspired to dramatise the situation. Diving into insidious everyday horrors in topical thrillers: that's Green's fictional niche right now, even with both The Assistant and The Royal Hotel born from facts. Getting three-time Ozark Emmy-winner Julia Garner playing women confronted with problematic gender dynamics and power imbalances in ominous spaces is also her current terrain — as is peering as closely and intently as Green can. "People keep asking about how my background in documentary helps, and I'm not sure it does really," Green tells Concrete Playground about taking her cues from Hotel Coolgardie this time around, and how her time making docos factors in. "I mean, I think maybe it affects what I watch and my references, and what sort of inspires me." "I really like the close stuff. I like movies that are about these tiny moments. That's something you can't really do in documentaries, because have to stay wide because you don't know what will happen. But with a fiction film, you can really hone in on a facial expression or gesture or a glance — these kinds of little moments that can make you know that a woman in that space feels very uncomfortable, but often get missed by the environment at large. So I was able to amplify those moments with a fiction film." The Assistant spends a day in the life of Garner's Jane, lingering claustrophobically in her New York workplace as the junior staffer navigates the impact of her boss' actions, as well as the hostilities engrained in the industry for women in general. The Royal Hotel finds its terrors in an outback pub where backpackers man the bar, with Garner's Hanna and Jessica Henwick's (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) Liv the latest arrivals at the titular mining-town watering hole. In both, unsettling men surround young women doing a job, with The Royal Hotel's male cast reading like a who's who of Australian talent. In her first Aussie-made feature, Green enlists Hugo Weaving (Love Me) as the pub proprietor, with Toby Wallace (Babyteeth), James Frecheville (The Dry) and Daniel Henshall (Mystery Road: Origin) among the regulars. "It's been good to have it back home," Green explains of the film, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, also played Toronto and London, then opened the first-ever SXSW Sydney Screen Festival and the 2023 Adelaide Film Festival. "Honestly, we screened it in the US, in Canada, in Spain and in the UK, and I feel like while they seem to really enjoy it and it seemed to play really well, I think it there's an element, a lot of kind of nuances, that they miss. There's a lot of Australian humour that they don't really pick up on over there." With The Royal Hotel now showing in Aussie cinemas — and The Assistant a must-see since it first arrived a few years back — we spoke to Green about taking inspiration not only from Hotel Coolgardie, how her two fictional features pair well together and the importance of casting, as well as adopting a female perspective on Australia's drinking culture, working Kylie Minogue's 'The Locomotion' onto the soundtrack and the hope to do a third film with Garner. ON BEING INSPIRED TO MAKE THE ROYAL HOTEL AFTER WATCHING HOTEL COOLGARDIE "I was just immediately struck by Hotel Coolgardie, and just the dynamics at play in it. And I had seen Australian drinking culture on film before, but I haven't seen it through the eyes of two young women, foreign women, who didn't understand the rules of it and were trying to make sense of it. So that to me was really interesting and great territory for a film to take place. It became the jumping off point for our screenplay. I worked with co-writer Oscar Redding (Van Diemen's Land), who lives in regional Australia. The two of us threw around a lot of the dialogue and figured it out that way. But mostly it's based on our own experiences of being in pubs and seeing things happen, and stories our friends told us. You basically soak a bunch of things up, it sits in your brain, and then you figure out what you want to use, and what's fun and what works, and what adds to the tension. It's definitely never one thing. It's all come from a few different places, I think." ON THE ROYAL HOTEL'S PARALLELS WITH THE ASSISTANT "You always want a challenge with the next project you take on, but I also liked the idea that I could work with Julia again. It was something I knew could work in a similar way — that is, a character trying to make sense of her environment. But with The Royal Hotel, everything is up. Everything is wilder and weirder and stranger — a lot more noise and craziness. So it was a fun challenge to take on." ON RETEAMING WITH JULIA GARNER FOR THE SECOND FILM IN A ROW "We worked really well together on The Assistant. And often we don't get the biggest budgets in the world, so we have to work quite quickly. So there's a shorthand that we have, we have this ability to communicate — you don't have to discuss things at length. We get each other, in a way, so that really works. So I was hoping to work with her again, and this project, when I saw Hotel Coolgardie, I was like 'ohh this could be a role for Julia which is interesting to me' — putting her in that environment was interesting to me. So yeah, it just fit. I dragged her out here, and she did it, which was great. She was excited about the project. I think landing here, we drove them [Garner and Henwick] straight out to the middle of nowhere, and I think they were a bit freaked out for a moment there. We kind of had to live the movie a little bit. We put them up in pubs nearby our shooting location, so they really had the full experience — which, I think they had a great time, but it took them a second just feel comfortable in the place and figure out who the people were. Yeah, it took a minute, but they really, honestly, they had such a good time, the two of them. They were so happy." [caption id="attachment_927983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Royal Hotel[/caption] ON CASTING THE ROYAL HOTEL'S MEN "The set was a pretty warm and loving place. When you call cut, it feels very safe. That was something we intentionally tried to create, which was making sure we cast the right men, essentially, to play those roles — who understood the sensitivity of the material. I think we got the right people and it was able to feel good for everyone. We wanted them all to feel a little different. We wanted them all to have their own energy. They all bring something something different. And they're all wonderful and warm and kind lovely people, which was great, too. We knew we needed someone cheeky and young to play Mattie, and Toby Wallace was available and a sweetheart, and understood what we're trying to do. Then James [Frecheville], I'd loved in Animal Kingdom, so it was exciting to get to work with him. And Dan [Henshall] was in Snowtown and was absolutely terrifying, so I knew that he could deliver in terms of Dolly. We have fun with that because I think Australians come to it with that understanding. Americans don't, but they still find him really intense. He's not like that in real life, though. Somehow we convinced them all to say yes, and put ourselves together a lovely group." ON SEEING AUSTRALIA DIFFERENTLY BY EXPLORING THE OUTBACK AND COUNTRY'S DRINKING CULTURE THROUGH THE EYES OF WOMEN "That became the agenda, I guess, in a way, but it wasn't a political thing. It was more just this is a story I want to tell, and this is something I have experienced in ways, and it felt real and it felt honest. It was about getting the right collaborators who understand what you're doing. I know that when we were pitching it around, people wanted more violence, they wanted Wolf Creek, but we weren't going to give them that. You have to just find the right partners that understand the project, and the mission statement, and once you've got the right collaborators, it should fall into place, really, from there." ON AVOIDING TURNING HANNA AND LIV'S EXPERIENCES INTO WOLF CREEK "We were looking at the type of behaviour that's the entry point for sexual violence — like how do we prevent it from ever getting to that point? And so the film is about trying to figure out when you can speak up for yourself, when you can say no before the behaviour crosses the line — just when it's dancing on the line. So the aim of it is to prevent that sort of behaviour from ever happening. If we can be a little more responsive a little earlier, then maybe we can create safer spaces for everyone. Essentially, this is the conversation that we want to have." ON PUTTING THE ROYAL HOTEL'S AUDIENCE IN HANNA'S SHOES "That's what they do really have to. They do that with The Assistant, too. I think a lot of these, it's about the behaviour that gets missed in big spaces like that where there's a lot going on. It can be someone creepy, but other people wouldn't really notice it — but Hanna's character would. So it's giving audiences a glimpse of what it's like to be that person behind the bar who's a little worried and feeling a little uncomfortable and not sure how to express it." [caption id="attachment_927984" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Royal Hotel[/caption] ON A QUINTESSENTIAL AUSSIE PUB AS A SETTING, BACKDROPPED BY THE AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE "When you're coming to a project, it's about what's the right environment for some drama and some tension, and I think an Aussie pub is a great one. Not only is it for the interior of this pub, and the claustrophobia of it and all these men — there's 60 miners in that pub and two young women serving them, just that kind of dynamic is interesting to me — but also the exteriors, and this idea that they're in the middle of nowhere in the remote setting adding to that tension, and the isolation making it feel a little terrifying. It just was a really great starting point for a story. The isolation really adds to the tension. It's nice to keep a lot of the action in the bar, and to feel that claustrophobia of being kind of trapped in there. But also the idea, that even though they're not claustrophobic outside, it's somehow just as terrifying but for very different reasons. The contrast of the two spaces was really interesting to play around with. I haven't made an Australian film since film school, so it was nice, if I'm going to make an Australian film, to take advantage of the uniqueness of the landscape and play around with that." ON GETTING KYLIE MINOGUE'S 'THE LOCOMOTION' ON THE SOUNDTRACK "It was about going 'if you're going to teach some foreigners about Australia, where do you begin?'. And so Kylie Minogue, swimming in a water hole, seeing a kangaroo — ticking a few of those boxes." ON POTENTIALLY MAKING A THIRD FILM WITH GARNER TO ROUND OUT A THEMATIC TRILOGY "We would love to do a third one. We've just got to figure out what that should look like and how to get that done, and how to make sure it's a little different. If we're going do it again, we need to play around with it. I mean, hopefully we get to get a chance to do it. It'd be great to work with Julia again." ON WHAT GETS GREEN EXCITED ABOUT A PROJECT "It has to feel like something — often it's something like a gut instinct, and it's something that I feel in my bones, like a story that needs to be told. And often it's because I haven't seen it elsewhere, or it's something that I want say. With The Assistant, we were looking at the larger picture — the news was focusing on Harvey Weinstein and we were saying that we want to look at something wider, like at the systemic problem, sexism in the industry, and how that creates an unsafe workspace and contributes to all of that sexual violence. So then with The Royal Hotel, it was looking at, I guess, just looking at my own discomfort in some of those spaces and how we can voice our concerns a little more, and kind of ripping that apart. Generally, it's just something that gets me interested in something [where] I feel like 'oh, I want to say something here'. That's the starting point, and then there's a lot of people involved. It takes a village to get a movie to the screen, so it changes as it goes, but often I go in with the kernel of an idea that I think is interesting." The Royal Hotel opened in Australian cinemas in November 23. Read our review. Images: Neon / Transmission / See-Saw Films.
Wander down Cronulla's The Esplanade and you'll find a bright white all-day diner welcoming in locals and visitors from all edges of town. The friendly neighbourhood restaurant Bobby's comes from the team behind Bangor Tavern, pulling from the flavours and aesthetics of the Mediterranean while celebrating seafood just metres from rolling waves and white sand. The venue opens its doors at 7am each day, accommodating surfers and early morning beach-goers with coffee and breakfast bites. Around lunchtime, the full menu is rolled out and that's when things really begin to fire up. Executive Chef Pablo Tordesillas (Totti's, Otto) and Head Chef Shaun Baker (Bills, Yan Restaurant) have created a menu of fresh ocean-to-table creations, leaning on staples of modern Australian diners and bold Mediterranean dishes. There are plenty of crowd-pleasing options for a gorgeous summer's day: ultra fresh oysters, prawn rolls, barramundi burgers and cuttlefish linguine. Fish and chips and rump steak are on offer for those who like to have their own main, or if you're in the mood to share you can order a whole snapper or spatchcock for the table, then pair it with a series of share-friendly starters. As for the drinks, the Mediterranean theme continues here with hospo mainstay Alex Cameron moving over from French favourites Franca and Armorica to curate a list of European wines and cocktails designed to pair well with seafood on a hot Cronulla day. Limoncello spritzes and a pineapple and lime negroni both grace the cocktail list, while the Horn Iced Tea freshens up its Long Island counterpart with the addition of Aperol and prosecco.
Roast is quickly taking over Sunday menus all over Sydney. Head to Bistro Moncur in Woollahra for Dewsbury pork belly with duck fat potatoes, Watson's Bay Boutique Hotel for traditional delights with harbour views, and Forrester's in Surry Hills for The Big Yorkie. Now, Argentinian restaurant Casa Esquina in Balmain has a launched a roast you can eat with your hands. The secret? It fits into a tortilla. As you settle in, your table will be covered in share plates of flame-roasted chicken, succulent porchetta, Old Bay fries with chipotle aioli and mixed leaf salad dressed in black pepper-garlic vinaigrette. Spoon a little (or a lot) of each into a warm tortilla, top it with house-made salsa espanola — and voila, you'll have a roast keeping your fingers warm. This feast will set you back 60 bucks a pop, and it's made for sharing. So, get some mates together and book in anytime after 5pm on a Sunday.
Obsession-worthy desserts and Gelato Messina go hand in hand, whether you can't get enough of the brand's revolving ice cream lineup or you're especially fond of its one-off treats. Here's one of the latter to tempt your tastebuds, and take you all the way back to your tuckshop days: a new cookie pie, this time in a honey joy version. No need to eat cereal for breakfast — instead, you can get your fix in this indulgent dessert, which'll also clearly serve up plenty of nostalgia. It features a choc chip cookie base, vanilla custard and crunchy honey joys. The word you're looking for? Yum. It's been a couple of years since the gelato chain first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and it sure does love bringing the OTT dessert back over and over. No, we're not complaining. We all need an extra dose of sweetness every now and then, clearly, including during a particularly frosty winter. Hang on, a cookie pie? It is indeed a pie, but it's made of cookie dough. And it serves four-to-six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, whacking it in the oven for 20–25 minutes at 160–180 degrees , so you get to enjoy that enticing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. This time around, the Frankenstein's monster-style honey joy cookie pie really is exactly what it sounds like — and you can buy it by itself for $28, or in kits with some of the cult ice creamery's famed gelato to go along with it. You can opt for a 500-millilitre tub for an extra $12, a one-litre tub for an additional $21 or a 1.5-litre tub for an extra $23. If you're keen to get yourself a piece of the pie, they're available to preorder online on Monday, August 1. And, because Messina's specials always prove popular, the brand staggers its on-sale times. Accordingly, folks in Queensland and the ACT are able to purchase at 9am, Victorians at 9.15am, and New South Wales customers split across three times depending on the store (with pies from Surry Hills, Bondi, Randwick and Miranda on sale at 9.30am; Brighton Le Sands, Tramsheds, Parramatta and Darlinghurst at 9.45am; and Darling Square, Newtown, Norwest, Rosebery and Penrith at 10am). The catch? You will need to peel yourself off the couch and head to their local Messina store to collect your order. The pies will be available to pick up between Friday, August 5–Sunday, August 7. You can preorder a Messina honey joy cookie pie from Monday, August 1, to pick up from all NSW, Victoria and Queensland Gelato Messina stores.
Acclaimed Martin Place Restaurant AALIA has been serving innovative Middle Eastern cuisine for only a short while. The venue opened just last year but has already cemented itself as one of Sydney's top spots for luxurious Middle Eastern dinners. The lavish inner0city spot is continuing to push the boundaries in 2023 with its three-month Chef Series which will see some of Australia's top chefs reimagine the AALIA menu. Kicking off the series is culinary legend Mark Best who will bring his forward-thinking flair to the AALIA kitchen for one night only on Monday, July 24. Expect a menu that balances the signature with the inventive. Think carp makanek (like a Lebanese sausage) with harissa and a magra lamb rack with dried quince. Plus, a sweet finale of walnut sujuk with dulce chocolate and lime-cured pumpkin. Next, Melbourne chef Khanh Nguyen will be bringing some South East Asian flavours to the AALIA kitchen on Monday, September 11. The collaboration will fuse together Australian-Vietnamese and Middle Eastern cuisine, for a truly unique culinary experience. Then to finish it off, Dave Vurheul of Embla and Saison Vermouth will be bringing his light touch to the restaurant with an elevated menu showcasing simple ingredients. The final chef series dinner will be on Monday, October 9. Spots at the dinners range from $110–120 per person. Book in now to secure your spot.
Over the past four months, since Sydney's northern beaches cluster started just before Christmas, the New South Wales Government has implemented and changed the rules around wearing face masks multiple times. They've been mandatory on public transport since the beginning of January, for instance, even after the rules eased for other settings in late January and again in February. Come 12.01am on Monday, March 29, however, it'll no longer be compulsory to cover your face when you're travelling around town. Today, Wednesday, March 24, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that mask rules will be easing when next week rolls around. Donning a face covering will stop being mandatory on public transport, which means that they won't be required in any situation across the state. They'll move to being strongly recommended instead — so if you can't guarantee social distancing somewhere, you're advised to wear them. The news came as part of a press conference to announce a swag of other relaxed restrictions, all of which will come into effect on the same date — including allowing dancing again and scrapping limits on at-home gatherings. Announcing the eased mask requirements, Premier Berejiklian stressed that more relaxed restrictions mean that NSW residents need to abide by the usual social distancing and hygiene protocols that have become part of everyday behaviour during the pandemic. "If you are feeling unwell you need to get tested and stay home. Stay home. Don't go anywhere," she said. "Because we need to do everything we can as we are easing restrictions to make sure we keep the virus at bay if it does escape and it does get into the community." Masks will no longer be mandatory while using public transport in NSW from 12.01am on Monday, March 29. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
