The Rocks is serving up all your Christmastime needs in its cobblestone streets this holiday season — from bespoke gifts and decorations to joyful holiday feeds. The historic neighbourhood's annual Christmas Markets will run every Friday through Sunday from December 3–19. Not only that, but The Rocks will be decked out to the nines, transforming the precinct into a Christmas wonderland. There'll be ambient lighting at the First Fleet Park stairway as you head into The Rocks, alongside Christmas trees, lamp post decorations and fairy lights along George Street. Plus, a variety of live music will also take over The Rocks, with a mixture of Christmas covers and feel-good tunes. The Rocks' usual shops will be done up in your standard red-and-green, silver-and-gold hues, too. There'll also be plenty of festive treats from street food vendors, so you can refuel on some tasty snacks, then keep working through your gift list. Once you've got all your shopping done, you can head to Broomfields pop-up pie shop, which is opening alongside the market and running all the way until February. Open on Playfair Street, the pie shop is serving up buttery pies with mash, gravy and cold beers Thursday–Sunday. It even has a turkey, pork and sage Christmas Pie. The Christmas Markets will be open from 4–9pm Fridays, 10am–9pm Saturday and 10am–5pm on Sundays. Images: Anna Kucera
A cucumber is more or less responsible for Andrew Mowbray's obsession with the gourd. Wandering around his garden one fateful morning, he made a rather unusual discovery. Between his fence and a tree, a cucumber was growing, but as a result of being squashed on both sides, it looked more like a hard, green pancake - 'pressed flat with rounded edges and completely trapped'. Finding the form 'formally interesting' and 'architecturally amazing', he started thinking about how he might be able to re-create it in a manner that would not be threatened by decomposition. Research led him to the Lagenaria gourd, which won't come as a surprise to those acquainted with the robust plant. When people initially came up with the idea of cultivating plants, the Lagenaria gourd was one of the first with which they experimented. Once dried, it becomes as tough as wood, making for a trusty container, bottle, ladle or birdhouse. The West Africans were the first to transform it into an instrument, and the concept soon spread through Asia, the Americas, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. The gourd is one of the few plants that we grow for aesthetic and practical purposes, rather than to feed ourselves. Now, Mowbray is taking its functionality to new heights, by transforming the gourd into a building block. He grows each one in an acrylic container, which is cubic, with semi-circular depressions enabling the development of 'nubs or buttons'. A modular unit' can be created by locking several of them together. At the same time, he is exploring the sculptural potential of the gourd's form, through emulation with plaster, cement and other materials. [VIA Inhabitat]
If your end-of-summer plans usually involve hitting up St Jerome's Laneway Festival for a day of tunes, rejoice: the beloved annual event is here with a new round of dates for 2024. Actually, it wants you to mark your calendar not once but twice. Exactly when and where it'll take place next year has been revealed, and so has when the lineup will drop. If you're all about who'll be playing, you will still need to wait until Tuesday, September 5 to get the details. So, for now, just know that Laneway has locked in returns in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, all in February. There's a bit of stability to next year's list of venues, after 2023 took Laneway to a heap of new spots. The festival started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s will kick off at Brisbane Showgrounds on Saturday, February 3, then head to Sydney Showground on Sunday, February 4 — so, exactly where it took place this year. Still in Australia, Laneway also has a Friday, February 9 date with Bonython Park in Adelaide on the agenda, then a Saturday, February 10 run at The Park, Flemington in Melbourne and a Sunday, February 11 wrap-up show in Wellington Square in Perth. Again, these are all the same locations that 2023's fests hit up. Over in New Zealand, the event will take over Western Springs in Auckland on Tuesday, February 6. That date means that it's moving to Waitangi Day. And 2024's venue comes after 2023's Auckland Laneway stop was cancelled due to due to the Auckland floods. As for the lineup, start guessing. In 2023, HAIM, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers headlined, in what marked a comeback for Laneway for the first time since the pandemic began. Before that, in 2020, the roster of talent was headed up by the likes of The 1975, Charli XCX and Earl Sweatshirt, as well as a host of local favourites like Ruel, DMA's and Ocean Alley. LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2024 DATES: Saturday, February 3 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 4 — Sydney Showground, Sydney / Burramattagal and Wangal Land Tuesday, February 6 — Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Friday, February 9 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Saturday, February 10 — The Park, Flemington, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Sunday, February 11 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar St Jerome's Laneway Festival will tour Australia and New Zealand in February 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, and to register for ticket pre sales (which kick off at 11am local time on Tuesday, September 12) — and check back here for next year's lineup when it drops on Tuesday, September 5. Images: Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
Staying in, getting cosy and inviting your friends over to watch a stack of TV shows has become a tried-and-tested winter pastime — but what if you've seen everything that's out there? Firstly, of course you haven't. But thanks to the huge range of content available, it can often feel that way. Perhaps you've just worked your way through all of the stuff that you know about and just can't bring yourself to keep scrolling through pages of options. Plus, we all know how picking a new show can go down when you're in a group and everyone has a different must-see priority. That's where we come in — we've teamed up with Aussie internet service provider MATE to take the stress out of choosing what to watch. If MATE can get you easily sorted with NBN access (with no contracts and locally based support teams), then we can make whiling away the hours with your pals and a TV screen much simpler. Gather the gang, microwave some popcorn, and put someone in charge of drinks and other snacks — you and your squad have a date with these seven ace shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQaCxIJX0J0&feature=youtu.be GLOW Big hair, big drama, colourful costumes, strong women: that's the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (or GLOW). In the 80s, when putting anyone other than men in the ring was considered a mere novelty act, GLOW emerged to prove that notion wrong. Now, three decades later, Netflix's series of the same name charts the ups and downs on both sides of the ropes. Starring Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin as struggling actors who find their place among GLOW's formidable ladies, as well as Marc Maron as the director who helps turn the all-female concept into a TV series, the show finds the perfect balance between comedy, drama and OTT wrestling action. Even better — when the third season hits at the end of July, taking the gang to Las Vegas, Geena Davis joins the cast. Where to watch: Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpDUMdULVZg DETROITERS It has only been out for mere months, but Netflix's I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson has already proven one of the most bizarre and brilliant comedies in recent years. The sketch show isn't Robinson's first amusing outing, however. He also spent a couple of seasons on Saturday Night Live, and co-starred in (and co-created and co-produced) the hilarious sitcom Detroiters. Featuring opposite Veep's Sam Richardson, Robinson plays a Detroit advertising agency creative with more than a few out-there ideas — but that term describes his life working beside his best pal anyway. While it screened in the US in 2017, the show's ten-episode first season is a new arrival to Stan, includes guest stars such as Jason Sudeikis and Keegan-Michael Key, and is sidesplittingly funny. Where to watch: Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1UjEaO4qd8 COLONY Given the current state of the world, dystopian sci-fi can scratch a cathartic itch — at least aliens haven't landed and taken over the planet, right? That's the premise behind Colony, which follows a Los Angeles family of five as they try to navigate the new world order under extraterrestrial rule. The otherworldly visitors are happy to let a few chosen humans keep the rest in their place with force, which headstrong cop Will Bowman (Lost's Josh Holloway) and his wife Katie (The Walking Dead's Sarah Wayne Callies) are willing to risk their lives to fight against. As well as giving Holloway another chance to unleash his no-nonsense charms, the series is suspenseful, engaging and relevant. Two seasons are available on Netflix, and keep an eye out for the third. Where to watch: Netflix. YOUNG AND PROMISING It's been two years since Girls wrapped up and, if you're still feeling the show's absence, it's time to head to Norway. With four seasons available to stream on SBS On Demand, Young and Promising is the Scandinavian equivalent. It's not a remake, but given that it follows struggling millennials Nenne (Gine Cornelia Pedersen), Elise (Siri Seljeseth, who is also the show's writer) and Alex (Alexandra Gjerpen) as they chase their dreams, it tackles similar themes and dramas — especially since they're all trying to work in creative arenas. Norwegian TV isn't just about Nordic noir, after all, as the series' highly relatable central trio try to balance love, work and life in general. Where to watch: SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfe5xQ1M7Jw JEOPARDY! 2019 has been huge for Jeopardy!, the highly addictive American game show that gives contestants the answers and asks them to respond with the questions. The program hit its 35th year, and also welcomed a professional Las Vegas gambler as a contestant — who bet big, won big and made series history. But there's never a bad time to watch Jeopardy! — or is there a bad episode for that matter. Netflix keeps cycling through the show's past, so you can catch some retro 80s, 90s and 00s fashions while you're playing along at home and battling your mates. At the time of writing, the season premieres for the show's first 32 years are all available, as are the episodes from the time that host Alex Trebek asked two of Jeopardy!'s biggest-ever winners to test their skills against a supercomputer. Where to watch: Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfSUxKtgMDw YOU CAN'T ASK THAT The idea behind ABC's You Can't Ask That is so simple, it's almost surprising that someone hasn't thought of it before. In each episode, a range of traditionally marginalised Australians answer questions — and yes, as the title makes plain, they're the kind of queries people are usually afraid to ask. Basically, it's a Reddit AMA on TV. With each episode focused around a specific subset of the population, the thought-provoking series gives its subjects a chance to challenge stereotypes, counter discrimination and tell their own tales. Across four seasons so far, everyone from Indigenous Aussies, the short-statured, ex-prisoners, the terminally ill and refugees to ice users, former cult members, folks over 100, priests and carnival workers have featured. As well as opening your eyes, the show is certain to get you and your friends talking. Where to watch: ABC iview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzsy-haNy1E PEEP SHOW If you haven't seen this classic British sitcom by now, then it's time to address that gap in your viewing. Peep Show first aired back in 2003, but its view of share house life never gets old — or any less relevant. Comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb play south London friends Mark and Jeremy. One is awkward and uptight, the other free-spirited and irresponsible, and they both make terrible decisions about their lives. With nine seasons each spanning six episodes each, the pair's antics cover bad jobs, different girlfriends, huge fights, chaotic weddings, crazy parties, children — and just generally trying and failing to be adults. Oh, and before she won an Oscar for The Favourite, Olivia Colman also co-starred. Where to watch: Netflix. Make home internet usage hassle-free by signing up to MATE. For more information on packages, visit the website. Top Image: Detroiters.
These dream-like pictures look as though they could be from the set of Inception, but they're actually screenshots from Google Earth. Artist Clement Valla zooms into Google Earth at certain angles to reveal a surrealist vision of our world, capturing the images he finds. The only editing effects applied by the artist are basic color adjustments and cropping. A particular penchant for bridges and roads has resulted in an extraordinary collection of screenshots. “I am collecting these new typologies as a means of conservation – as Google Earth improves its 3D models, its terrain, and its satellite imagery, these strange, surrealist depictions of our built environment and its relation to the natural landscape will disappear in favor of better illusionistic imagery. However, I think these strange mappings of the 2-dimensional and the 3-dimensional provide us with fabulous forms that are purely the result of algorithmic processes and not of human aesthetic decision making. They are artifacts worth preserving.” [Via PSFK]
James Bond might famously prefer his martinis shaken, not stirred, but No Time to Die doesn't quite take that advice. While the enterprising spy hasn't changed his drink order, the latest film he's in — the 25th official feature in the franchise across six decades, and the fifth and last that'll star Daniel Craig — gives its regular ingredients both a mix and a jiggle. The action is dazzlingly choreographed, a menacing criminal has an evil scheme and the world is in peril, naturally. Still, there's more weight in Craig's performance, more emotion all round, and a greater willingness to contemplate the stakes and repercussions that come with Bond's globe-trotting, bed-hopping, villain-dispensing existence. There's also an eagerness to shake up parts of the character and Bond template that rarely get a nudge. Together, even following a 19-month pandemic delay, it all makes for a satisfying blockbuster cocktail. For Craig, the actor who first gave Bond a 21st-century flavour back in 2006's Casino Royale (something Pierce Brosnan couldn't manage in 2002's Die Another Day), No Time to Die also provides a fulfilling swansong. That wasn't assured; as much as he's made the tuxedo, gadgets and espionage intrigue his own, the Knives Out and Logan Lucky actor's tenure has charted a seesawing trajectory. His first stint in the role was stellar and franchise-redefining, but 2008's Quantum of Solace made it look like a one-off. Then Skyfall triumphed spectacularly in 2012, before Spectre proved all too standard in 2015. Ups and downs have long been part of this franchise, depending on who's in the suit, who's behind the lens, the era and how far the tone skews towards comedy — but at its best, Craig's run has felt like it's building new levels rather than traipsing through the same old framework. In No Time to Die, Bond does need to look backwards, though — to loves lost, choices made and lingering enemies. Before Billie Eilish's theme song echoes over eye-catching opening credits, the film fills its first scenes with the past, starting with returning psychiatrist Madeleine Swan's (Léa Seydoux, Kursk) links to new mask-wearing villain Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek, The Little Things). There's patience and visual poetry to these early minutes amid Norway's snowy climes, even while littered with violence. No Time to Die is a lengthy yet never slow feature, and Bond first-timer Cary Joji Fukunaga doesn't begin with the pace he means to continue; however, the director behind True Detective's stunning first season establishes a sense of meticulousness, an eye for detail and an inclination to let moments last — and a striking look — that serves him exceptionally moving forward. Back in post-Spectre times, Bond and Swan enjoy an Italian holiday that's cut short by bomb blasts, bridge shootouts and other attempts on 007's life — and Fukunaga is quickly two for two in the action camp. No Time to Die segues commandingly from slow-building and foreboding to fast, frenetic and breathtaking in its two big opening sequences, setting itself a high bar. At this point, the narrative hasn't even properly kicked into gear yet. That happens five years later, when Bond is alone and retired in Jamaica (in a nice nod to where author Ian Fleming wrote his Bond stories). His old CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright, Westworld) comes knocking, new politically appointed offsider Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen, The Many Saints of Newark) in tow, asking for the now ex-MI6 agent's help to foil the latest nefarious plan — involving a DNA-targeting virus fuelled by nanobots, of course — that's been hatched by terrorist organisation Spectre. No Time to Die has plenty of time for other magnificent action scenes, albeit fewer than might be expected; a lengthy list of characters, both new and recognisable; and the type of beats that allow Bond ruminate over his accumulated baggage, even when a few routine inclusions also pepper the script. Spectre, the film, gave 007 enough woes from the past — and actually making him grapple with it all, rather than merely throw fists, explode watches and unleash machine-gun fire from his Aston Martin's headlights as though he doesn't have a history, gives this follow-up palpable heft and resonance. In Craig's hands, Bond has become a person first and a suave action figure second. The character still falls into the second category, unsurprisingly, because that's still the gig. But in this iteration, the franchise has evolved past the kind of flicks that gave rise to Austin Powers, Johnny English and their fellow parodies — welcomely so. Indeed, the best sequence in the film takes a stock-standard Bond setup, gives it a firm update and offers Craig's Knives Out co-star Ana de Armas a killer introduction. There are no bikinis involved as per past series instalments, or double-entendre names. Instead, this team-up between Bond and fledgling CIA operative Paloma takes them to a Spectre party in Havana, lets her steal every second with devastating high kicks, fabulous timing and witty dialogue, and shows the fingerprints of Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge — one of No Time to Die's four co-screenwriters. Paloma definitely isn't a stereotypical 60s–90s-style Bond girl, either, and neither are Swan, Moneypenny (the returning Naomie Harris, The Third Day) and replacement 007 Nomi (Captain Marvel standout Lashana Lynch). Everyone is human here, not just Bond himself. In a cast anchored by Craig and his blend of gravitas, pathos, sensitivity, duty and calm, there's barely a weak link. As M and Q, Ralph Fiennes (The Dig) and Ben Whishaw (Little Joe) only pop up briefly, but leave an imprint. Malek isn't a Bond baddie for the ages, yet he makes a chilly demeanour go a long way and easily one-ups Christoph Waltz (Alita: Battle Angel). So much of what makes No Time to Die such a thrill stems from Fukunaga's perceptive choices, however — with ample help from Hans Zimmer's (Wonder Woman 1984) urgent and pulsating score, plus Linus Sandgren's (an Oscar-winner for La La Land) gorgeous globe-hopping cinematography and penchant for long takes (and one particular and glorious upside-down shot). Franchise familiarity bubbles away in the film's veins, expectedly, but Fukunaga knows what to shake, stir, change and challenge, and what makes a moving, ambitious and entertaining farewell.
Truffle season is nearly upon us and Sydney's top eateries are reminding us why every dish should have (at least) a touch of this luxe ingredient. From truffle-topped pasta and waffle fries to truffle-infused dumplings and gelato, you can find this decadent fungus all over the city this winter. There's even a few venues going all out with truffle degustation dinners, too. With so many tasty options to choose from, we've narrowed down the list to set your truffle priorities straight. Sweet or savoury, you won't be disappointed with these six dishes — they'll make you forget all about that winter chill. TRUFFLE EGG SANDO, DEVON CAFE At its locations in Surry Hills, Barangaroo and North Sydney, Devon Cafe is serving up a dedicated truffle menu this season. While the exact dishes vary from place to place, one item that caught the attention of our taste buds is the truffle egg sando ($20). Combining fluffy white bread, omelette, mushroom pâté and shaved truffle, this is a tasty a twist on a Japanese classic. It'll be available at both Barangaroo and North Sydney shops from June 2 through to the end of August. If you're keen on something sweet to end the meal, try the cafe's truffle sundae ($23) — truffle-infused soft serve, honey and sea salt, served in a waffle cone or cup and topped with frosted corn flakes and more fresh truffle. TRUFFLE AND FOIE GRAS GELATO, GELATO MESSINA HQ July is the perfect time to check out Gelato Messina's Creative Department — the gelato fiend is adding truffles to all of its dishes for a ten-day series of eight-course gelato degustation dinners. Head chef Remi Talbot has sourced elite perigord black truffles from nearby Parkesbourne Produce farm. Expect brioche and foie gras gelato with black truffle sauce; pistachio and black truffle gelato with matcha and white chocolate fudge; and grilled kumquat sorbet with koji cream, wattleseed and black truffle. Paired with each is an equally creative non-alcoholic drink, like the lemon myrtle and macadamia bubble tea, or the pineapple, white soy and shiitake sparkling. The degustation will only be available in Sydney from July 4–13 and tickets are $160 per person. These dinners are known to sell out remarkably quickly — with only eight seats per night — so grab yours here. BLACK TRUFFLE XIAO LONG BAO, NEW SHANGHAI New Shanghai is celebrating all things truffle across its Westfield Sydney, Chatswood and Ashfield venues with a dedicated menu of Chinese favourites — all given a truffle twist, of course. We're most excited to try the black truffle xiao long bao ($12.9 for four), which arrive in jet black dumpling wrappers. Think of that soup dumpling taste you know and love, then taken to the next level with that distinct truffle flavour. Other special menu items on the list include truffle and mushroom wonton soup ($14.9), black truffle pot stickers ($16.9 for five) and truffle fried rice $19.9). We reckon you should aim for truffle overload and order the lot. It's available from the start of June until the end of truffle season. FOUR-COURSE TRUFFLE FEAST, FRATELLI FRESH This winter, Fratelli Fresh will showcase the decadent fungus with a series of four-course truffle feasts. The tasting menu will cost you a pretty reasonable $69 per person and includes the likes of truffled potato veloute, ricotta agnolotti in a truffle butter and parmesan sauce and wagyu rump with truffle mash and braised leeks. Finish off with a particularly tasty sounding truffle-infused tiramisu. The truffle-fueled dinner will hit Fratelli Fresh Bridge Street on June 17, Westfield on June 18, Crows Nest on June 19 and Alexandria on June 20, starting at 6.30pm each night. To book, head here. [caption id="attachment_723666" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] TRUFFLE WAFFLE FRIES, THREE WILLIAMS One signature truffle dish that can be found throughout eateries this season is truffle fries. And Three Williams is putting its own spin on the popular menu item, using waffle fries as the base and topping them with a gooey three-cheese sauce, fresh truffle and chives ($22). It's part of the Redfern cafe's dedicated truffle menu, which also features truffle peking duck with angel hair pasta in a ginger-infused cream sauce ($38), truffle mac and cheese-stuffed croissant with jamon and poached egg ($35) and an especially decadent brioche french toast with truffle ice cream, gold feuilletine and chocolate brownie ($29). The new menu will launch on Saturday, June 1. [caption id="attachment_723663" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] TRUFFLE-TOPPED HAM HOCK CARBONARA, OTTO SYDNEY Returning for its second year, Otto Sydney will again offer a special truffle service throughout the winter season. This means guests can add freshly shaved truffle to any dish on the menu. The kitchen staff will finish off your dish tableside— or, if you're really lucky, head chef Richard Ptacnik will come out himself to adorn your dish with truffle. Pictured above is the ham hock carbonara, lovingly topped with big ole' shaving of this delectable stuff. But you don't have to stop there. Truffle-topped beef tartare with horseradish and capers? Yum. Potato gnocchi with braised lamb shoulder and shaved truffle? Done. A non-traditional seared scallops with this black fungus? Go for it. The restaurant is expecting to start offering truffles mid-June and price will depend on the market. Last year, truffle service was $25 for five whole grams of the stuff. Top images: Truffle sundae, Devon; Truffle french toast and pasta, Three Williams by Kimberley Low.
There's never been a better time to sport a healthy interest in true crime, as your streaming and podcast queues can probably attest. The genre is hardly new, but thanks to the likes of Serial and Making a Murderer (and S-Town, Dr Death, Teacher's Pet, Dirty John, The Case Against Adnan Syed and The Bundy Tapes too, to name just a few), exploring real-life tales about untoward acts is positively booming. These days, you can nearly shape your whole media diet around true crime. And, especially in the podcast space, there's almost something new to discover every day. Eager to dive into the latest and greatest grim stories? Looking for something fresh to pipe into your ears, but don't know where to start? Here are six newcomers that you should begin listening to ASAP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dZIf8RpN1A MONSTER: THE ZODIAC KILLER When it comes to creepy unsolved mysteries, the Zodiac Killer sits at the top of the heap. Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, an unidentified man murdered victims across northern California, then claimed responsibility by writing to local newspapers — and, to this day, the culprit has not been caught. Before he made Mindhunter everyone's favourite Netflix series, David Fincher explored the story in his excellent 2007 drama Zodiac. He's not the only person obsessed with the case, with the team behind 2018 hit podcast Atlanta Monster (aka Tenderfoot TV and HowStuffWorks) delving into the story in its latest season. The two groups are really just taking turns chronicling fascinating terrain (the second season of Mindhunter focuses on the Atlanta Child Murders, too). However, if you can't get enough of these bleak, disturbing real-life tales, then Monster: The Zodiac Killer is a must-listen, with hosts Payne Lindsey and Matt Frederick stepping through the minutiae in intricate detail across 15 episodes. Listen to Monster: The Zodiac Killer here. MAN IN THE WINDOW: THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER If you're looking for even more California crime stories, then add Man in the Window: The Golden State Killer to your list. For more than a decade between 1974–86, the murderer, rapist and burglar wreaked havoc across the state, with at least 13 deaths, more than 50 sexual assaults and over 100 break-and-enters to his name. For those who've been following true crime news over the past couple of years, you'll know that this case picked up again in 2018 in a big way. If you're not aware of the particulars, this riveting podcast, which started back in June, will take you through all of the historical and recent ins and outs. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Paige St John is behind it, as are Wondery and the LA Times (the folks who brought us Dirty John). A word of warning, though: if you're spooked out by hearing actual evidence, including phone calls made to victims, then you'd best steel yourself in advance. Listen to Man in the Window: The Golden State Killer here. GHOSTHUNTER Since the birth of cinema, movies have often taken inspiration from reality, especially at its most twisted. Now, a crime-fuelled mystery can become the subject of a documentary, then get turned into a podcast by its filmmaker. That's exactly what has happened with Ghosthunter. It first brought the story of Sydney's Jason King to the big screen last year, and has now been expanded upon in audio form. Director Ben Lawrence is behind both versions of this far-from-ordinary tale, which is the result of spending seven years delving into King's life. Press play for an account of a security guard who doubles as a ghost hunter — yes, really — and keep listening for police investigations, court dramas, family secrets, difficult traumas, murky mysteries and estranged figures from King's history. It unfurls over five parts, and we can guarantee that you won't guess where it's all going. Listen to Ghosthunter here. SHREDS: MURDER ON THE DOCK True crime podcasts can take a plethora of shapes and forms; however, three kinds tend to stand out. The first unravel the cases of notorious serial killers. The second sift through stories that are just so astonishing, they can only stem from actuality. The third examine not only blood-curdling crimes, but just as horrific miscarriages of justice. Ticking both of the latter two boxes, the BBC's Shreds: Murder on the Dock revisits the Cardiff killing of Lynette White, the subsequent charging of five black and mixed-race men with her death, and what became — at the time — the longest murder trial in British history. The specifics of White's last moments are awful, with the 20-year-old's body found on Valentine's Day back in 1988. The circus that followed is equally chilling, including another record-breaking feat: the largest police corruption trial in British criminal history. Listen to Shreds: Murder on the Dock here. THE BURIAL FILES Whether you're a local who regularly commutes through the spot, or an out-of-towner who has just whizzed through it once or twice on the airport train, you'll never look at Sydney's Central Station the same way once you've listened to The Burial Files. Before it was a busy transport hub, it was the city's first major colonial-era cemetery. Yes, on the spot that a quarter of a million people transit through every single day, the remains of around 30,000 people were interred between 1820–1900. Unsurprisingly, this macabre history is the source of many a story, which the podcast delves into with the help of historians, archaeologists, forensic experts and even railway enthusiasts. The result of years of research, The Burial Files stems from the State Library of NSW, and from curator Elise Edmonds, who reveals details you'd never know otherwise — including about the mass exhumations of most of the site's bodies at the turn of the 20th century. Listen to The Burial Files here. [caption id="attachment_738014" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Pendulum[/caption] PENDULUM A few months back, 7 News jumped into the podcast game, getting listeners whipped into a frenzy with The Lady Vanishes. Pendulum is the network's second foray into the field — and into an Australian case that still deserves plenty of attention decades after it happened. This time around, 21-year-old Queenslander Margaret Ann Kirstenfeldt is in the spotlight. The mother of a seven-month-old, she was found with brutal, fatal injuries in the coastal town of Sarina back in 1978, with theories swirling about the incident ever since. Initially treated as a rape and murder, a pathologist then deemed her injuries self-inflicted; however, one top cop on the case was never able to accept that finding. Diving deep into a shocking death, Pendulum also speaks with Kirstenfeldt's husband and mother, while pondering if the perpetrator is still out there. Listen to Pendulum here. Top image: Ghosthunter
Winterland is Sydney's coolest festival. Get it? Coolest? Winterland? Yep, awesome. There's just nothing like a good kitschy pun. Especially when said kitschy pun is accompanied by ice skating, mulled wine, German bratwurst, Italian hot chocolate (that's the thick one), karaoke, Winterland markets curated by the Finders Keepers, evenings of live music, a crafternoon and oh so much more wintery goodness. Throughout July, CarriageWorks is celebrating winter in Sydney by making it good and European-like. Forget about thinking that ice skating is lame; it's not. It's rad. Thursday nights are for live music (July 29 2SER presents new and unsigned bands), Friday nights are for discos on ice, Saturday nights are for music, karaoke and changing the world. The ice rink, markets and cafe and bar are open on Thursday and Friday nights, all day Saturday and school holidays. And this is all just the tip of the iceberg. CarriageWorks is just about the coldest place in Sydney as it is, so bust out your mittens and get into Winterland.
Art + Soul is an exhibition with a voice. Coinciding with a soon to be aired 3-part documentary series on the ABC that explores indigenous Australian art and culture, this showcase of over 100 works and objects is more than just paintings on a wall. Both the exhibition and documentary use three major themes — 'home and away', 'dreams and nightmares' and 'bitter sweet' — to explore the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders, with contemporary artistic expression. Featuring 40 artists including Destiny Deacon, Richard Bell, Mervyn Bishop, Tommy McRae, Ricky Maynard, Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, Judy Watson, Brenda L Croft, Emily Kam Ngwarray, John Mawurndjul, Naata Nungurrayi and Rusty Peters, Art + Soul aims to honour the past with a keen eye on the future. In the words of Hettie Perkins: "my father once said 'we know we cannot live in the past, but the past lives in us'". https://youtube.com/watch?v=Nrp0Cy0ooVM
We've been whining about much-needed change in the TV industry for awhile now. Audiences are downloading and streaming content more than ever. Legislators are waving their fingers and threatening us with angry letters. And local Australian content is suffering huge drops in viewers simply because they're not catalogued in Netflix. It's a weird time for TV, but some networks are doing better than others. In a landmark move, the ABC has just announced it's launching an iView-only series next month... but it's a little more niche than you might expect. Launching on September 20, Wastelander Panda, is a "post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi western" about a panda. The main character is a tough loner with an earnest Aussie accent and a heart of gold. This "bamboo eating Mad Max" battles corrupt tribespeople, lives off the land and, conveniently, it never seems to come up that he's an enormous anthropomorphic creature surviving well out of his natural habitat. Co-produced by Epic Films and Madman Productions, this project has been in the works for awhile now. In 2012, the prologue for the series racked up thousands of views on Vimeo and even found its way to Buzzfeed (as often happens with videos of talking animals). Now, the first series consists of six ten-minute episodes to be released in full on September 20. It's a strategy that the ABC have been flirting with for awhile now. Earlier this year, the entire first reason of Jonah From Tonga was released on iView during the weekend ahead of its first episode airing on TV. It was a huge success for the site as they saw traffic increase by 50 per cent while it was streaming. Elsewhere, the strategy has been championed by US giant Netflix. Original productions like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and the most recent season of Arrested Development are released in the same desperately unhealthy, but wholly satisfying way. All in all, we're happy about the move. It shows Australian industry is finally willing to start catering to our viewing habits. And, although the panda's eyes are a little soulless and terrifying, we couldn't think of a better face for the digital revolution. Via Gizmodo.
This iconic American diner blows out its candles for another year, and you're invited to help celebrate. A Surry Hills icon, The Soda Factory will be serving up a States-inspired menu of eats for attendees to the birthday bash, plus cocktails (on the house) from 6-8pm. Fans of the joint will know what to expect, and first-timers will be in for a finger-licking treat. No strangers to a good ol' fashioned shindig, The Soda Factory is bringing over a mystery guest DJ to get the party properly started. Previous surprise guests have included Ladyhawke and Grandmaster Flash, so there's every reason to expect the big guns. Since first opening its doors back in 2013, the venue has become famous for its Monday Movie nights, Tuesday's Dollar Dawgs and Fat Bubba's Chicken Wednesdays. With the final list of names playing to be announced the morning of, clear your Wednesday night plans for this Soda-style celebration.
This March, French street artist and TED Prize winner JR exclaimed to the conference audience that he wished to "turn the world inside out." Well, he wasn't kidding. JR launched "Inside Out" immediately, a project aimed to inspire change in the world by teaching others to first embrace personal identity. He encourages anyone and everyone across the globe to send in pictures of themselves, which he will then put up in various places of significance. First stop: Tunisia, whose oppressive totalitarian leader Ben Ali was recently overthrown. Although the end of Ali's rule was a victory for the country's citizens, many are still left hopeless and the government is certainly still a mess. So, JR brought the photos of friendly faces to the troubled Tunisia, and pasted them over posters of Ali's face and all throughout the country to spark hope for the future in the hearts of the suffering community. This is just the beginning of JR's journey to inspire a worldwide whirlwind of change. We tip our hats to you, JR, because not only have you reminded thousands of people of the power of art, but you've certainly began to turn the world inside out in the most wonderful and inspiring way.
New Zealand is known for high quality produce, but because the Southern Island of Aotearoa is home to barely over one million people, we think they might need some assistance in consuming all that can be foraged from its land, air and sea. Here are some of Concrete Playground's best gastronomic reasons to head across the Cook Strait. Land Even in drier months the landscape in New Zealand is a lush green. The abundance of grass for four legged animals means that the human animal at the end of the chain ends up with a healthier and tastier meal. It starts with lamb. It has to. Although current statistics show that the person to sheep ratio in New Zealand has dropped to 7:3, that still works out as more than 32 million sheep. When driving around the South Island it is easy to spot numerous woolly winter bottoms peaking out from the green terrain. New Zealand is, of course, one of the largest exporters of lamb in the world. Carnivores will also enjoy the strong flavoured venison provided by the fields of delicate looking deer. At Wanaka’s Botswana Butchery you can start with a Southland Venison Carpaccio followed by a slab of Fiordland Venison Top Side. Other wintery game meats include rabbit and hare. Air Then there are the birds. There are foreigners such as ostrich and pheasant. One of the New Zealand natives however is the Titi, also known as the mutton bird. The Rajuira Maori have rights to gather these birds from the southernmost region of New Zealand - their bounty being served in only a spattering of restaurants. Queenstown’s Fishbone Bar and Grill serves them pan roasted with kumara chips when they’re in season. The dark meat of the seabird retains the flavour of its fish filled diet. Even after soaking and boiling the flesh in fresh water a strong salty anchovy taste lingers. Sea With nearly 6,000 km of coastline the choice of salt water fish is immense. The ocean sourced Hapuka and Blue Cod are also joined by fresh water counterparts. The Akaroa Cod is cooked to perfection at the Pegasus Arms bar in Christchurch. It is served with a homemade aioli and a super intense tomato sauce for chip dipping. As the cool winters defrost into the spring months of September and October the whitebait season begins. It demands regular roadside stops to fill up on whitebait fritters. You’d hope for one with minimal egg to just bind together a generously fish-packed patty. Housed in a little stall near the end of Fyffe Quay in Kaikoura, the Kaikoura Seafood BBQ offers a delicious version along with a great variety of whatever other fresh seafood could be found in the ocean that morning. It seems even those guarded by shells are not safe from hungry seafood lovers. The coastal town of Kaikoura is named after its famed crayfish. Kai (‘eat’) Koura (‘crayfish’) is an order that only seems fair to obey when visiting the seaside settlement. One can also choose from the monstrous Green Lipped Mussels and the Paua, the abalone whose pearly opal shell is valued as much as its mushroom-like flesh. The Green Dolphin Restaurant & Bar in Kaikoura has a hearty seafood stew giving you a chance to try a whole variety of seafood in one, huge, meal. The plump New Zealand Bluff oysters are widely regarded as the world’s best. Developing in the pristine cold waters of the Foveaux Strait they are large creamy mouthfuls of the ocean. Each year the seaside town of Bluff, from which the oysters take their name, has a festival to celebrate and enjoy the delicacy. With South Island dining establishments including the Cuisine Restaurant of the Year 2011, Riverstone Kitchen in Oamaru, as well as one of Rick Stein’s favourites, Fleur’s Place in Moeraki, its world class produce is sure to be used to its full potential. The waistline may shudder but at least the conscience is clear – you’re simply there to help out after all.
Head west to Penrith to catch the first ever touring exhibition from the Maruku Arts archive, which is based at Mutitjulu, near Uluru. The carvings and artefacts communicate the stories and law of Anangu culture. "Punu (carved objects made of wood) is a significant and prolific artform in Central Australia and its production and display are integral to the maintenance of culture and to the sharing of knowledge,” says Louise Partos, executive officer of Artback NT. There are 88 punu objects, as well as sculptures, audio and video, representing three generations of artists. Explore at your own leisure with the bespoke mobile app.
This spring and summer you'll be able to immerse yourself in the wilderness without leaving the city, when the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition takes over the Australian Museum. More than 100 photographs will transport you to spectacular scenery and put you eye-to-eye with Australian sea lions, New Holland honeyeaters and green sea turtles. As well as being completely captivating, the images show the incredible natural diversity of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. To go beyond the images, head along to a night talk. On Thursday, September 6, finalist Kirsten Woodforth will be chatting about her photo Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo Preening and the impact of human destruction on animal habitats. On Thursday, October 11, catch Justin Gilligan discussing his photographing adventures, which have taken him to Lord Howe, Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. There'll be opportunities, too, for you to improve your skills, thanks to a series of wildlife photography workshops, to be hosted by Daniel Smith of Digital Camera Warehouse. Both beginners and enthusiasts are covered. The entries are judged on timing, patience, artistry and technique by photography veterans, and the winner will be announced on the eve of the show's opening at the South Australian Museum, which produces the exhibition Image: Matthew Smith.
Ahead of the much-anticipated opening of Redfern's The EVE Hotel, hospitality group Liquid & Larder (The Gidley, Bistecca) has officially launched the hotel's two stunning venues, each with its own fascinating concept. Situated amid The EVE's stunning rooftop oasis, Lottie is a contemporary Mexican restaurant and mezcaleria that combines the familiar with more than a few surprises. Guided by head chef Alejandro Huerta, his time spent working in acclaimed kitchens like Copenhagen's Noma and Mexico City's Pujol has made him the ideal candidate to lead Lottie's culinary experience. Alongside group executive chef, Pip Pratt, the duo's uncompromising commitment to quality ensures Mexico's rich heritage will be displayed with passion and care. What's more, the entire menu is gluten-free. "I feel like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be. I've loved working closely with Pip to help bring this menu to life, showcasing some of the best Mexican flavours and local ingredients that will challenge what Sydneysiders think of Mexican cuisine," says Huerta. "I'm excited to showcase new dishes, some inspired by my upbringing, and continue to evolve the Lottie dining experience as we welcome our first guests to our rooftop haven." Yet this place is only half of the story when it comes to The EVE Hotel's food and drink offerings. Liquid & Larder have looked to another continent to conceive Bar Julius – a European-inspired neighbourhood bar. Nestled into leafy Baptist Street, visitors can expect dawn-to-dusk dining where a midday martini or a 3pm espresso is a welcome order. Led by head chef Will Francis, it's the kind of place you can fritter away a weekday with only the occasional glimpse across to your laptop. But don't expect to drag out your work day here – a no laptops after 5pm policy makes sure Bar Julius is ripe for good cocktails and good times with friends. You'll be knocking off early anyway, as daily happy hours from 4–5pm feature top-notch specials like $2 oysters, $12 negronis and $6 Tanqueray gin and tonics. If you're more of an early starter, breakfast is just as good, with menu highlights including croque madames, French omelettes and pork hock toast soldiers. Designed by local architecture practice SJB, there are hints of European charm throughout, with a rich palette of burgundy, marble and leather fostering a warm but lively ambience. Meanwhile, Australian timbers, bold patterns and playful artwork bring a local flavour to the design. Together, this inviting combination makes it a natural fit for those hanging out for breakfast or checking in for cocktails with post-work pals. [caption id="attachment_988198" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988199" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988189" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988190" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988191" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] Lottie and Bar Julius are located in The EVE Hotel Sydney at 8 Baptist St, Redfern. Head to the website for more information.
There can never be enough summertime barbecues, but why not make your next one something a little special? Sure, there are heaps of spots to fire up the barbie around Sydney, but — in the interest of making the most of it — trade in your usual go-to for someplace new. Our pick is down in the Sutherland Shire at Woronora's Burnum Burnum Sanctuary. The reserve is pristine and remote, so you and a date (or some mates or your family) can enjoy an exclusive getaway here. Its barbecue facilities and sheltered eating areas boast gorgeous riverside views — and you can soak it all in with snag in one hand and a local craft brew in the other. There are plenty of nearby bushwalking tracks to explore before or after you eat — check out Eagle Rock, which is also frequented by blue tongue lizards, miniature wrens and black cockatoos. There's playground equipment for the little ones, too.
Hamilton isn't the only hit musical from the past few years that took a few cues from historical events, paired a well-known chapter of history with toe-tapping tunes and made on-stage magic. Another theatre show that did just that: SIX the Musical. First premiering back at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, then jumping to London's West End, this hit takes inspiration from one of the most famous sextets there's ever been — because even if you don't know much about Britain's past kings and queens, you likely know that Henry VIII had six wives. The Tudor monarch's love life has inspired plenty of pop culture content over the years — including 00s TV series The Tudors and 2008 movie The Other Boleyn Girl — but this one takes the pop part rather seriously. It's presented as a pop concert, in fact, with Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr all taking to the microphone to tell their stories. Each woman's aim: to stake their claim as the wife who suffered the most at the king's hands, and to become the group's lead singer as a result. Winner of 2 Tony Awards, including Best Original Score, SIX the Musical has become a global phenomenon — its studio album has racked up more than 500 million streams across all platforms worldwide and over 3 billion views on TikTok. The electrifying production is returning to Sydney for the second time this year due to overwhelming demand, following a record-breaking 15-week run at Sydney Opera House over summer. You can catch the encore for a strictly limited five-week run from Friday, August 26–Saturday, October 1 at Theatre Royal Sydney. Hitting the stage: Kala Gare (Rent) as Anne Boleyn, Loren Hunter (Strictly Ballroom: The Musical) as Jane Seymour, Kiana Daniele (Dirty Dancing) as Anna of Cleves, Vidya Makan (Green Day's American Idiot) as Catherine Parr, Phoenix Jackson Mendoza (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Catherine of Aragon and Chelsea Dawson (Shrek the Musical) as Catherine Howard. Tickets for this encore run are available to purchase directly from the venue here — you can also save with a four-ticket bundle offer for selected shows, which you can book here.
Picture this: chill tunes, cool drinks and tasty snacks as a cruisy Saturday arvo ends with a sunset on Sydney Harbour. That's got the vibe meter maxed out on our end. And this is more than just a pretty picture — it's a little something called Cockatoo Island Sunset Sessions, which runs every Saturday evening from January 21 until April 1. If you're not familiar, the Sunset Sessions live music series (formerly known as Campfire Sessions) is a Sydney summertime fave. Each session sees a pair of up-and-coming acts perform in the twilight serenity of Cockatoo Island against the spectacular backdrop of Sydney Harbour. The 2023 series spotlights home-grown Aussie, LGBTQIA+ and First Nations talent, including Hayley Mary, Aodhan, June Jones, Carla Geneve, Ashli and Dominic Breen. It's a diverse and multi-genre lineup suited to just about any music taste. And you don't need to worry about the trip home after because you can stay the night in Cockatoo Island's waterfront campground, which caters to different group sizes and levels of luxury. The best part? You can win an overnight experience for two during the 2023 Sunset Sessions series. The prize includes a double pass to a performance of your choice and a Deluxe Camping Package for two (that's all of the camping and none of the work), valid for an overnight stay in the island's award-winning campground. Quite the summer date night, no? Enter the giveaway below: [competition]883520[/competition]
After an undeniably successful run serving Campos coffee and compressed cool to Redfern locals, the people behind Coffee Tea & Me have set up shop on Potts Point's busy Macleay Street. Like its sister, it's cosy, kitsch and worth a visit. True to its name, there's not much room for much else than coffee, tea or you, but that's part of the charm. Plus the space is well utilised with cute furnishes like teeny chairs constructed from belted magazines, half-stool-half-bike-peddle seats and two modest tables made all the more delightful thanks to colourful pannikins for drinking water. The coffee itself is a fine balance of bitter-smooth and served quickly from the well-staffed La Marzocco machine sharing the floor space, in turn creating a refreshing communal vibe. Even on busy Sunday mornings with queues reaching the pavement, you won't wait long. Tea lovers can pick from seven or eight T2 varieties all sat in a row above the counter along with a couple of Monin syrups. Yes, they do hazelnut lattes. Food comes in the form of bagels: steamed, flat-toasted and with a very decent array of filling options. The smoked salmon and avocado was just the right amount of crispy, not too dry and tasty ($7.90). With the "choose any bagel and get your coffee for $1" deal, you'll leave with a satisfied stomach and a far from bad taste in your mouth. There are also devilishly rich $5 caramel slices (best shared between two), chocolate brownies (also $5) and a selection of petit fours like pistachio cake bites for those more sweet than savoury. If you don't mind literally rubbing shoulders with your neighbours, then Coffee, Tea & Me is the perfect people-watching spot if you can nab a pew. However, if this unassuming little gem can get outdoor seating permission, there's not doubt it will do wonders.
He's an Australian treasure, he's one of Hollywood's recent villainous go-tos and he definitely isn't in Voyagers. That'd be Ben Mendelsohn, who comes to mind anyway while watching this sci-fi thriller. In a softer mode, the Rogue One and Ready Player One star could've played Colin Farrell's part here. That's not why Voyagers makes him pop into viewers' heads, though. Rather, it's because his brand of slippery menace still slinks through this space-set flick, all thanks to its most vivid performance. Should an upcoming movie ever need a fresher-faced version of Mendelsohn's latest bad guy or next morally complicated figure, Dunkirk, The Children Act and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch's Fionn Whitehead needs to be on speed dial. He channels Mendo perfectly as Zac, one of 30 test tube-bred teenagers who are rocketed into the heavens as humanity's last hope for survival. In the latter half of the 21st century, Earth is near-uninhabitable, so he's on an 86-year mission to a newly located planet. The young Humanitas crew's main purpose is to beget the next generations who'll colonise their new home — but, after learning that he's being drugged into obedience, Zac decides not to play nice. Ten years in, when the quieter Christopher (Tye Sheridan, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) realises that the drink they all call 'blue' contains an unidentified compound, the decision is easy. First Christopher, then Zac, then the rest of their shipmates all stop sipping it and start letting their hormones pump unfettered for the first time in their intricately designed and highly controlled lives. Richard (Farrell, The Gentlemen), the lone adult and the closest thing any of the crew have ever had to a father, is suddenly treated with suspicion. Christopher and Zac begin testing boundaries, indulging desires and flouting rules, too — and realising that they're both attracted to dutiful Chief Medical Officer Sela (Lily-Rose Depp, Crisis). Then an accident changes the dynamic, with the two pals challenging each other while fighting to lead. Factions are formed, chaos ensues and the very folks entrusted with saving the species are now simply trying to outlast each other. The fact that Whitehead's performance recalls Mendo as strongly as it does is fitting; almost everything about Voyagers brings another movie or story to mind, actually. When it comes to warring youths, Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner all get a nod. In the space film genre, Solaris, Passengers and High Life do as well. The list goes on, increasing with each of Voyagers' foreseeable twists and turns. When the infighting starts revolving around a potentially mysterious presence, for instance, the feature nudges its audience to think about Alien and Prometheus. In spacewalking beyond the Humanitas, Gravity and The Midnight Sky get a look in (among a hefty roster of past flicks that've also stepped into the inky sky, of course). When the picture simply lingers within the spaceship's stylish but restrictive walls and ripples with unease, 2001: A Space Odyssey casts a shadow. And, in its musings on parenthood, Interstellar and Ad Astra spring to the fore. Still, as it shuffles, jumbles and reassembles much of its bulk from recognisable parts pilfered from elsewhere, a number of interesting ideas sit at the heart of Voyagers. Yes, they've been tackled in various ways before, but they still leave an imprint. Writer/director Neil Burger has both Limitless and Divergent to his name, so he's no stranger to big-thinking science fiction flicks that contemplate intriguing ideas while also following in other footsteps. Here, he wonders not just if life has any meaning, but if there's any genuine meaning to life when a person's function in the bigger picture has already been determined from their first breath right up until their last. He also ponders exactly what humans have spent our entire existence as a species surviving: whatever external forces have come our way, or the ongoing, never-ending repercussions of our very worst impulses? It doesn't offer up any new answers to these trains of thought, or give themes and topics like paranoia, claustrophobia, toxic masculinity, nature versus nature and free will a particularly fresh spin, but Voyagers remains resonant enough. It has a timely relevance, arriving after the globe has spent a year indoors trying to stay alive, and its picture of easy self-destruction is both undeniably blunt and unmistakably effective. Films like this keep hitting screens because we're all aware that humanity's worst enemy is itself. That's a truth we'll never stop grappling with, in fact. As a result, predictability always comes with the territory — because humans have proven such predictable creatures. Accordingly, it isn't the least bit surprising that Voyagers sticks to the familiar, and doesn't provide much of a different take on the age-old realisations at its core (even as Zac tries to lie, bully and manipulate his way to power in a manner reminiscent of recent world leaders). Nonetheless, the feature's ruminations still hit home, even amid all of its winks to other movies. Also convincing is the film's set design, which weaponises its grey surfaces and seemingly endless corridors, transforming every corner and passage into a maze literally of humankind's own making. Voyagers' gleaming overall look wavers between sterile and slick, in another canny touch — this is a movie about finding middle ground between lives of unthinking compliance and primal hedonism, after all. And, cast-wise, Sheridan, Depp and Farrell do what they need to with their straightforward parts. Like Whitehead, Sheridan also helps sum up the movie overall, too. He already faced off against the real Mendo in Ready Player One, so he leaves viewers enjoying his calmly commanding efforts and remembering other flicks. In a picture that's both derivative and engaging, that seems to be Voyagers' chosen mission. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zadWJ8tPmnU
If you've ever worn a little black dress, then you owe Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel a big thank you. Depending on your choice of suit, bag and perfume, you might owe her some gratitude there as well. The French designer's influence upon 20th-century fashion extends far and wide — and, even though she passed away in 1971, her imprint can be felt in the 21st century as well. So, when the NGV International sends some love her way at its next blockbuster exhibition, it'll have plenty to cover. Displaying at the St Kilda Road gallery from Sunday, December 5, 2021–Monday, April 25, 2022, Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto will arrive fresh from its current stint at Paris' Palais Galliera. Its stop in Melbourne is its first international jaunt, in fact. On show will be pieces from the French venue, as well as from the Patrimoine de Chanel, the fashion house's heritage department. More than 100 garments will grace the NGV's walls and halls, with the exhibition charting her career. You'll also be able to see what Chanel achieved with perfume, jewellery and accessory design, too. Some pieces will date back more than a century, given that the fashion icon opened her first boutique in Deauville in 1912, before making the leap to her own Parisian couture house in 1918. Expect to check out everything from black threads — obviously — to lace gowns, wool jersey and tailored tweed suits, and an array of beaded garments. As you peer at Chanel's designs, you'll see how womenswear developed, and both how and why she's left a mark that still lingers today. [caption id="attachment_819495" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Gabrielle Chanel (designer). Dress, spring–summer 1925, silk guipure lace, silk organza flower. Patrimoine de Chanel, Paris. Photo © Julien T. Hamon.[/caption] The NGV is also adding its own Chanel pieces to the exhibition, such as a white lace Evening dress that dates back to 1933, and a shirred red silk velvet and marabou-lined evening cape from around 1924–26. They'll form part of a showcase that's split into themed sections, with different parts devoted to her early work, the way her design language evolved in the 1920s and 1930s, the iconic scent that is Chanel No 5, and how the brand's pieces have favoured a look best described as "austere luxury". Also getting their own themed strands: suits, accessories and jewellery. To launch Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto, which will be ticketed — and will be the first-ever exhibition in Australia that'll solely focus on Chanel's contributions to fashion and culture — the NGV is bringing back its black-tie NGV Gala, which'll take place on Saturday, December 4. If you decide to wear a little black dress while you're checking out all things Chanel this summer, you'll likely have plenty of company. Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto will display at the NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne from Sunday, December 5, 2021–Monday, April 25, 2022. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the gallery's website. Top image: Anne Sainte-Marie in a Chanel suit, photograph by Henry Clarke, published in Vogue US, 1955, retouched by ARCP. ParisMusées. © Henry Clarke, ParisMusées /PalaisGalliera/ADAGP. Copyright Agency, 2021. Installation Images: Tom Ross and Sean Fennessy
Want to experience a slice of Jamaica in Sydney? There's a rum-fuelled adventure happening in Sydney over November and December you should lock into your diary. Fine purveyors and makers of rum for over 265 years, Appleton Estate have launched The Appleton Trail in Sydney, three weekends of rum-tasting, storytelling and celebration of Jamaica's long-loved spirit. After Paddington's Village Inn and before the final stop at Taylor's Rooftop in the city, the final stop of The Appleton Trail will be at Sweethearts Rooftop Barbecue in Kings Cross. Like the other stops on the Trail, expect a Jamaican-themed pop-up hideaway with specially-created rum cocktails, paired with Jamaican food, and hosted by a Jamaican dancer — all to make you feel like you’re finally on that well-deserved island holiday. There'll even be a Jamaican music DJ on both nights, who'll be accompanied by a steel drum player on the Friday night. You'll be able to try the Appleton Estate Signature Blend – the original Appleton Estate rum — alongside the Reserve Blend, Rare Blend 12 Year Old, 21 Year Old Jamaica Rum and 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum – the world’s oldest barrel-aged rum. Plus, Appleton have taken it upon themselves to create four signature cocktails for the event. If it’s refreshment you’re after, try The Grand Discovery with Appleton Estate Signature Blend, white peach, fresh lime and almond flavours. For something a little more berry-infused, The Trail Less Travelled combines Appleton Estate Signature Blend, pomegranate and cranberry juice, with fresh lemon and cherry. As well as the cocktails, Sweethearts will also have some additions to their menu just for the occasion — think Jamaican jerk chicken burgers and jerk chicken wings — so arrive hungry. The event will start on Friday at 6pm and 4pm on Saturday for those looking to maximise tropical rum times.
Solar power. Who needs it? Well, we do — and pretty desperately. To generate it though, we need those pesky black solar panels to be fitted to people's roofs and properties and anywhere we can find a space for them. This can be a little hard without overtaking natural environments and farmland. But France have found thousands of kilometres of space perfect for solar panels: their roads. After researching and testing the idea in carparks over the past year, the country has unveiled its first solar-powered road — and the world's. Stretching over a one kilometre expanse in Tourouvre-au-Perche in Normandy, the trial site features 2,880 panels and will be used by 2,000 motorists a day, generating 280 megawatts of energy per year. Ideally, that'll be enough to keep the town's street lights glowing during the two-year test run. The road is made from a silicon-coated surface called the Wattway system, which is comprised of 7mm photovoltaic panels stuck on top of existing road surfaces. Both its thinness and ease of application to existing roads make it the best option of its type, with the idea of paving roads with solar panels first floated by Scott and Julie Brusaw via a crowdfunding campaign to pave American parking lots with the things in 2014. The French project is a collaboration between transport infrastructure company Colas and France's National Institute for Solar Energy, as sanctioned by France's Agency of Environment and Energy Management. If the Normandy installation goes to plan, they're hoping to bring solar power to 1000-kilometres of roads in the country over the next five years. They're also promising to try out the idea around the world, with other trials planned inNorth America, Europe, Africa, and Japan. Here's hoping they're all successful, and that the project makes its way over here. As anyone who's stood barefoot on asphalt on a hot day knows, that stuff stores a lethal amount of heat. Via: Mental Floss. Image: COLAS – Joachim Bertrand. By Lauren Vadnjal and Sarah Ward.
The historic Bridge Street basement formerly home to Burns Philp & Co will be transformed into a nostalgic Japanese restaurant from beloved Sydney chef Mike Eggert. Merivale's latest opening will arrive in early 2024, with Good Luck Restaurant Lounge taking elements from Eggert's Totti's while celebrating big Japanese flavours. The inspiration for the venue comes from a Good Luck Pinbone pop-up that Eggert ran back in 2017. This new CBD eatery will function as somewhat of a spiritual successor to that now-closed diner, incorporating a similar mix of Italian and Asian culinary techniques and dishes. [caption id="attachment_931518" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Eggert, Steven Woodburn[/caption] "Pinbone leaned into a mix of Italian and Chinese cuisine, but Good Luck takes more inspiration from Tokyo," says Eggert. "Think Totti's, but then add soy, dashi, vinegar with fresh herbs, citrus and chilli." Accentuating the menu will be a fitout that takes inspiration from 1970s Japan. Merivale boss Justin Hemmes took control of the space that once acted as a bustling lumberyard, with the goal of transforming it into a diner that transports you back to Tokyo some 50 years ago. Expect to find live seafood tanks, two wine rooms, a bar, and a selection of both private and semi-private spaces accompanying the expansive Good Luck Restaurant Lounge dining room. "It's going to be a fun vibe — maybe a bit wild but not stuffy or elitist. It's got that feel where you know you'll lose track of time... it's just great food with a side of party." Good Luck Restaurant Lounge is set to open at 11 Bridge Street, Sydney in 2024. Follow its progress at the venue's Instagram.
North London’s latest incarnation of alternative rock and roll is about to roll into town, and we’re certainly happy to have them. They've just released their debut album, My Love Is Cool, in June this year, with producer Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Black Keys) at the grungy helm. Haven't heard 'em yet? Single ‘Moaning Lisa Smiles’ is particularly dark and seductive, and ‘Giant Peach’ has us positively hooked on Ellie Rowsell’s vocals. We have a feeling that out of all the newcomers coming to Splendour this year, Wolf Alice are going to be one of those gigs you’ll kick yourself in years to come for missing out. So don’t.
Last time North Carolina-raised producer Porter Robinson came for a visit he was performing a DJ set. This time around, we're getting the whole live set. Robinson was responsible for one of the biggest club anthems of last year: ‘Lionhearted’, a euphoric, all-encompassing sonic experience that will make you happily giddy. Unsurprisingly, Robinson’s 2014 debut album Worlds, runs in a similar vein, and has continued to break the internet with ‘Sad Machine’ and ‘Sea of Voices’ — both tunes that have received millions of Soundcloud plays. Robinson will be joined by local goalkickers Wave Racer and Cosmo’s Midnight. If you’re looking for a gig to dance your socks off to, you’ve found it.
Completed in June 2024, the $4.3-million upgrades to Wollemi National Park's popular glow worm tunnel aren't much to look at. That is to say, the improvements to the once-slippery pathway and the new handrail preventing accidental stumbles into web-covered walls have been discreetly designed to keep visitors' eyes fixed above them on the bioluminescent light show taking place on the disused rail tunnel's craggy ceiling. Installing the new safety features had to be painstakingly executed under extraordinary conditions to preserve the peace of the resident glow worm colony. Workers had to transport more than 350 tonnes of materials by hand through dense rainforest for more than a kilometre and any materials too heavy to be carried had to be flown in by helicopter. To mitigate the risk of fume emissions, excessive vibrations or chemical spills damaging the delicate tunnel habitat, none of the typical equipment that might usually be deployed on a construction project could be used — only hand-operated tools. Special lighting solutions, using only red light — a colour the glow worms are unable to see — were also installed to allow workers to see in the otherwise pitch-dark, 387-metre-long tunnel. Time-lapse cameras tracked changes in the colony's glow intensity to monitor the worms for signs of stress. Thanks to these efforts, park officials were confident that the worms remained blissfully unaware of the construction taking place just metres away. [caption id="attachment_969812" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Wollemi National Park Glow Worm Tunnel prior to the upgrades.[/caption] While making upgrades to the tunnel were challenging, they were also necessary. The tunnel, which was once part of the now-defunct Wolgan Valley Railway line and has been disused since 1932, is an ideal habitat for the glow worms because of the small stream that runs through it. However, slippery conditions posed a potential risk to visitors coming to view the natural wonder, so a new raised walkway built on top of the stream now offers a far safer environment while preserving the running water that is so essential to the habitat's conditions. Beyond the tunnel, there have also been major improvements to facilities throughout the Glow Worm Tunnel precinct to make its somewhat remote location within Wollemi National Park more accessible. These include the completion of 5.7 kilometres of upgraded walking tracks, new picnic tables, a new toilet block and an expansion of the car park. An estimated 50,000 visitors are expect to make use of the new facilities annually. "The new path through the wonderful Glow Worm Tunnel makes it safer and easier for visitors to access and importantly, minimises disturbance to the glow worms," NSW Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said. "I want to congratulate the team from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for conducting this work under such delicate conditions and keeping the glow worms safe in the process." The Wollemi National Park Glow Worm Tunnel is now open to the public. Visit the Wollemi National Park website for more details. Images: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services.
Want to ring in New Year with Young Henrys, picnic rugs, smoked meats, massages and an entire dessert garden by Anna Polyviou? Your NYE dream date might just be the new harbourside NYE party New Year's Eve Above the Harbour. Taking place at the south-eastern side of Circular Quay in the Tarpeian Precinct, NYEATH will take over a spacious site adjacent to the Royal Botanical Gardens, complete with green, rolling lawn perfectly positioned for those multimillion-dollar Sydney fireworks. It's a more laidback NYE party than others in the area, with picnic rugs and a lavish outdoor dining experience from the culinary team behind the five-star Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney. Ticketholders can feast all evening, with four pop-up food stands planned for the night. There'll be Asian-inspired street food, American-style smokehouse meats, fresh seafood and salads, and (the clincher) an entire dessert carnival by the hotel’s celebrated executive pastry chef Anna Polyviou. Of course, you'll be after a bev or two to ring in the new year, and everyone's favourite Newtonian brewers Young Henrys are on board with their beloved craft beers. The YH crew will be serving a special batch of session beer, a fruity pale ale exclusively available on the night. The event's meant to take the stress out of hectic Sydney NYE parties, so you don't have to get there early, fight crowds, pack picnics or smuggle booze. There'll be a hair and makeup station for both ladies and gents, alongside masseuses available all the way until midnight. You'll probably see midnight more invigorated than when you arrived — instead of drunkenly, tiredly missing the whole bloody thing. Tickets to NYE on the Harbour are $395 including the unlimited five-star food & beverage package, but we're giving one reader and a friend the chance to go along for free — and to name Young Henrys' special NYE Above the Harbour beer. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with the name you'd give to the beer and why. In addition to naming rights and your 2x GA tickets, you'll also get to take home a case of Young Henrys tinnies. Entries close November 22, and the winner will be drawn on November 23.
Despite the many different varieties of margarita available, only one is the undisputed best — no matter which tequila-soaked flavour it actually is. That type of marg: a free marg. And for three weeks from Wednesday, February 15–Tuesday, March 7, 10,000 of them are up for grabs around New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. International Margarita Day is upon us for another year, hitting on Wednesday, February 22, and tequila brand Altos is celebrating. That's where the hefty giveaway comes in, but starting early and running for a couple of weeks after the date itself. Days commemorating different foods are really just an excuse to sell more dishes, drinks and/or ingredients, but this is an occasion — and stack of freebies — worth saying cheers to. Exactly how many bars are pouring free 'ritas across the three-week period varies per state, but Sydneysiders can head to Employees Only, Watsons EQ, Coogee Beach Club, Marrickville Bowling Club, Club 77, Chula, Mejico, Kid Kyoto, Applejack Group's venues and more. For Melburnians, you'll want to make a date with places like Maeve Fox, Death or Glory, Fitzroy Beer Garden, Fable, Mejico, Public House and Common Man. Brisbanites, pop Emporium, Southbeach Social, Victoria Park, Brooklyn Standard, Pig 'n' Whistle West End and others on your list — and Adelaide residents, you're heading to Republic. [caption id="attachment_698575" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Employees Only[/caption] There are a few caveats, as always comes with these types of giveaways. You do need to sign up online first, which'll get you a voucher for that free marg and entry into a competition to win a trip to Mexico. Altos is calling the promo a Mexican wave, because if you get a friend to sign up as well, you'll score an extra entry in that contest. That — and those free cocktails — is excuse enough to get clicking and sipping. [caption id="attachment_869703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mejico[/caption] Altos Tequila's margarita giveaway runs from Wednesday, February 15–Tuesday, March 7. For more information, to register for your free drink and to find your nearest venue, head to the brand's website.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we highlight the Gili Beach Resort located on Indonesia's Gili Trawangan island. If you're itching to get away and ready to book an island holiday now, on Concrete Playground Trips we have a fabulous lineup of deals on great stays across Indonesia and packages on incredible Bali getaways that you can't find anywhere else. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? This accommodation is made for big groups of people looking to experience laid-back (but still pretty damn luxurious) island living, without spending exorbitant amounts of money. THE ROOMS Both multi-level timber villas have four enormous bedrooms — each with extra-large double beds, ensuites and balconies overlooking the private pool and beach. You'll feel like you're living in a postcard when staying at this character-filled resort. And because there are only two villas on the property, you'll be getting brilliant service from the staff. You'll also have your own fully-kitted-out kitchen with a few indoor and outdoor dining areas (including tables and chairs right on the beach). There are also multiple spots made just for lounging – either choose the pool, the beach or one of the terraces. Roll from one spot to the other during a lazy day of drinking, eating, napping and sunning yourself. FOOD AND DRINK The staff at Gili Beach Resort will greet you every morning with a big breakfast, and the restaurant next door will also deliver to your door all day long. This restaurant is known to be incredibly good and the French chef serves up an ever-changing menu but the focus is — unsurprisingly — all about the fish of the day dishes at this island haunt. But that's not all. On your first night at Gili Beach Resort, you get an epic BBQ and private bonfire made for you by their team — they go above and beyond when it comes to service. They'll even help you with your grocery list and enlist a horse-pulled cart to help you manage a big shop (there are no motor vehicles on this island so all transport is either man or animal powered). THE LOCAL AREA The resort is located on the quieter side of Gili Trawangan, one of Indonesia's three Gili islands. These small islands are best known for their sandy beaches lined with large trees and the coral reefs full of colourful marine life. It's not unusual to find turtles swimming in front of your villa (with snorkelling equipment available to guests too). You're also fairly close to town – either a short walk or an even shorter bike ride (also provided as part of your stay). Find a local beach bar or restaurant for sunset and enjoy great Indonesian cuisine and inexpensive but powerful cocktails. Alternatively, you can go hiking up into the forests and get some unbeatable views of the surrounding islands or walk around to quieter beaches to find your own remote paradise. Whatever you're up for, the incredibly accommodating staff will make it happen for you. THE EXTRAS For small additional costs, the team at Gili Beach Resort will bring just about any brilliant experience right to you. They'll organise massages on your balcony overlooking the sea, horseback rides along the coast and traditional Indonesian cooking classes in your own villa. The friendly and attentive service is one of the resort's most well-known traits. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
It takes place in New York, not London. The era: modern times, not centuries back. Fleet Street gives way to Washington Heights, the demon barber to a masseuse nicknamed "Magic Hands", and pies to empanadas. There's still a body count, however, and people end up in pastries as well. Yes, The Horror of Dolores Roach namedrops Sweeney Todd early, as it needs to; there's no denying where this eight-part Prime Video series takes inspiration, as did the one-woman off-Broadway play that it's based on, plus the podcast that followed before the TV version on Friday, July 7. On the stage, the airwaves and now via streaming, creator Aaron Mark asks a question: what if the fictional cannibalism-inciting character who first graced penny dreadfuls almost two centuries back, then leapt to theatres, films and, most famously, musicals, had a successor today? Viewers can watch the answer via a dramedy that also belongs on the same menu as Santa Clarita Diet, Yellowjackets and Bones and All. Amid this recent feast of on-screen dishes about humans munching on humans, The Horror of Dolores Roach is light yet grisly, but it's also a survivalist thriller in its own way — and laced with twisted attempts at romance, too. That knowing callout to Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street comes amid an early banquet of knowing callouts, as The Horror of Dolores Roach begins with a play based on a podcast that's wrapping up its opening night. Newspaper clippings in actor Flora Frias' (Jessica Pimentel, Orange is the New Black) dressing room establish that the show takes its cues from a woman who got murderous in the Big Apple four years prior, and helped get unwitting NYC residents taking a bite out of each other. Meet the series' framing device; before the stage production's star can head to the afterparty, she's face to face with a furious Dolores (Justina Machado, One Day at a Time) herself. The latter isn't there to slay, but to haunt the woman spilling her tale by sharing the real details. Two decades earlier, Dolores was a happy resident of Lin-Manuel Miranda's favourite slice of New York, a drug-dealer's girlfriend, and a fan of the local empanada shop. Then the cops busted in while she was helping her beau, who was conveniently absent, with The Horror of Dolores Roach's namesake refusing to snitch and getting a 16-year sentence in return. When she's released after serving that entire stretch, gentrification has changed the neighbourhood. Also, her other half is nowhere to be found. Only Luis Batista (Alejandro Hernandez, New Amsterdam) remains that remembers her. His dad owned and ran the empanada joint, Luis was the teenaged delivery boy with a big crush on Dolores, and he couldn't be keener on letting her stay with him in his basement apartment below the store. After the best part of two decades inside, Dolores only dreams of the straight and narrow, and of putting the massage skills that she learned from her cellmate — which were quite a hit, hence the new moniker — to use in a legitimate job. Getting a paycheque isn't easy, but when Luis says that she can operate an unlicensed setup out of their flat, customers flock to get their shoulders kneaded. While it isn't the future that gave her something to look forward to behind bars, it'll do; however, the upscaling trend that's sweeping the community soon poses a threat. When Dolores offs her first victim, she's reacting; The Horror of Dolores Roach takes eating the rich literally. There's about as much subtlety to the series as slathering an empanada in whichever sauce takes your fancy, plus a mix of clashing tones on par with the guava and cheese variety that Dolores adores. But a show about turning people into pastries Sweeney Todd-style isn't aiming to be nuanced. Neither is a program that also namechecks producer Jason Blum, or heavily uses its narration to adapt its play and podcast roots for the screen. When Marc Maron (To Leslie) gleefully plays an uncaring landlord, and 80s music icon Cyndi Lauper a grey-locked private detective who could waltz out of this and into Only Murders in the Building, no one is going for understated, either. That's one of the reasons that The Horror of Dolores Roach proves tasty and entertaining: it's actively and openly trying to be a lot, and it sinks its teeth in hard. "I'm not the monster you're making me out to be," says Dolores to Flora, though, a statement that The Horror of Dolores Roach doesn't just give lip service to. The series knows that its protagonist is a serial killer, makes it plain from the outset and doesn't excuse it. And yet, it also knows that that can be true, and that Dolores can be a victim herself. Indeed, the show has the many horrors that are splashed her way firmly on its plate. She's betrayed and taken advantage of to land in prison, then judged and cast aside afterwards; she suffers for America's fondness for mass incarceration; she's robbed of a huge chunk of her life for weed only for it to start to be legalised while she's doing her time; and she's among the Washington Heights residents pushed out by the well-to-do. Again, none of this justifies Dolores' choices, but it adds flesh to the cutthroat world that The Horror of Dolores Roach constantly sees as it is. Having the always-great Machado play Dolores also helps ground the series. Much around her may get cartoonish, but the Six Feet Under, Jane the Virgin and Queen of the South actor always anchors the story in a woman seeing her life spiral in the worst possible ways. She's as adept at mining darkly comic laughs as she is tragedy, boasts pitch-perfect reactions to the series' gore, and makes a great pair with the lively Hernandez. Actually, she's stellar opposite everyone — Maron, Lauper, Pimentel, The Rehearsal's K Todd Freeman as the usual meat merchant and Dispatches From Elsewhere's Kita Updike as Luis' sole empanada-slinging employee included — and, like The Horror of Dolores Roach itself, bloody great. Check out the trailer for The Horror of Dolores Roach below: The Horror of Dolores Roach streams via Prime Video from Friday, July 7.
For 69 years, the Sydney Film Festival has screened and celebrated the latest and greatest in international cinema in the Harbour City. Since 2009, it has also handed out a prestigious award to the absolute best of the best. The list of flicks that've won the fest's Sydney Film Prize for "audacious, cutting-edge and courageous" movies is impressive, including everything from Nicolas Winding Refn's Bronson and Only God Forgives through to Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. Now, at the 2022 festival, Lukas Dhont's Close has joined them. Fresh from nabbing the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Dhont's sophomore feature has picked up this year's SFF $60,000 gong from a lineup of 12 contenders. Close dives into a teenage friendship between two 13-year-olds that's tested when they're teased and taunted about their closeness by their classmates — and also marks the filmmaker's second movie to screen at the Sydney fest, after Girl in 2018. "I want to express my incredible gratitude for the recognition that our film Close receives at this year's Sydney Film Festival. Thank you to the festival for expressing its love for the film, the jury for choosing it among all these outstanding pieces, and its first Australian audience for opening hearts and spirits to a film that comes from deep within," said Dhont. "We wanted to make a film about friendship and connection after a moment in time where we all understood its necessity and power. I decided to use cinema as my way to connect to the world. And tonight I feel incredibly close and connected to all of you." This year's Sydney Film Prize was decided by a jury comprised of Australian actor David Wenham (The Furnace), the SFF Official Competition Jury President, plus Jennifer Peedom (director of River and Sherpa), Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (the Bangladeshi filmmaker behind No Man's Land, which screened at SFF 2022), Semih Kaplanoğlu (the Turkish director-producer of Commitment Hasan, also screening at this year's SFF) and Yuka Sakano (Executive Director of Tokyo's Kawakita Memorial Film Institute). In winning the Sydney Film Prize, Close follows in the footsteps of the aforementioned Parasite, the 2019 recipient, as well as fellow past winners There Is No Evil (2021), The Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008). Announced as the Sydney Film Prize-winner at SFF's 2022 closing ceremony, Close is just one of this year's award recipients. The street dancing-focused Keep Stepping won the $10,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary, while Filipino doco Delikado nabbed the fest's second-ever $10,000 Sustainable Future Award. Also, the $20,000 Deutsche Bank Fellowship for First Nations Film Creatives went to filmmaker and performer Kylie Bracknell (Fist of Fury Noongar Daa), and film composer Caitlin Yeo (Wakefield, Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks) received the $10,000 Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award. And, in the Dendy Short Film Awards, Donkey won the Yoram Gross Animation Award and the AFTRS Craft Award, while The Moths Will Eat Them Up scored the Dendy Live Action Short Award and the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director. Four shorts were highly commended, too: 2166 in the Yoram Gross Animation Award field, Ghosted in the Dendy Live Action Short Award category, and Stonefish and Yao Yao Goes to Little Bay for the Best Director prize. The 2022 Sydney Film Festival ran from Wednesday, June 8–Sunday, June 19, with the festival screening four days of encores until Thursday, June 23.
There hasn't been much to look forward to in 2021, but we're all eagerly anticipating one big thing. That'd be the moment that 11.59pm on Friday, December 31 passes by, ticking over to 12.00am on Saturday, January 1, 2022. And, because it's actually almost that time of year, plenty of events have started announcing their New Year's Eve plans so you can work out how to spend that long-awaited moment. Here's another one: Annus Finis, MONA's first-ever NYE shindig. Taking place from 6.30pm on Friday, December 31 (obviously), this New Year's Eve party will take over MONA's lawns and main stage with live tunes, food and drinks, and the general kind of end-of-year shenanigans that every NYE get-together needs. Here, that also means an all-Tasmanian lineup, with Indigenous singer-songwriter Denni, hip hop artist Greely and audio visual artist and DJ Dameza helping do the honours. Also on the bill: Medhanit, Too Many Jasons, Scraps, Silver Fleet Ships, and what's being described as "an absurdist, anarchist ensemble boasting some of Tasmania's most talented performers" who'll pair up punk and Japanese influences. So, if a trip to Tassie is now on your NYE agenda — with the state reopening to double-vaccinated arrivals in mid-December, handily — you now know how can say goodbye to 2021. As for what you'll be eating and sipping, MONA's burger bar Dubsy's will be dishing up its diner-inspired fare, and the Moorilla Wine Bar will be doing both food and drinks. "Here at MONA, we love to throw a party, and I think we're pretty good at it," said MONA CEO Patrick Kelly, announcing Annus Finis. "We're excited to see our lawn full of punters again, and hopefully we can cast some MONA magic over New Year's Eve after what has been another challenging year for tourism and events, saying goodbye to arguably the worst year since 2020." MONA has also already announced that it's bringing back Mona Foma in January — so if you can't spend NYE in Tassie, you still have options for a 2022 trip to the Apple Isle. Annus Finis will take place at MONA from 6.30pm on Friday, December 31. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the MONA website. Images: Mona/Jesse Hunniford.
Mitch Cairns, Janet Laurence, Brown Council and Tom Polo are just some of the big names you could stand to collect if you front up to Queen Street Studio's fundraiser this Saturday. And, who doesn't love a fundraiser? Especially when it's raising funds for a non-profit organisation that supports artists by managing studio spaces, establishing and running artists' residencies and facilitating professional development programs. Throwing your money at SpaceAID 2010 means more studio space for more artists, with Queen Street's long-term view to secure permanent spaces. Queen Street Studio already runs four spaces, including FraserStudios in Chippendale and Heffron Hall in Darlinghurst, but it needs more. So, if you're in a benevolent mood, or your walls are just looking a little spare, get yourself to the fundraiser and help support Sydney's independent art scene. rsvp@queenstreetstudio.com RSVP essential Image: Tara Marynowsky: Piper
Australia's two most populous cities have once again ranked highly among the world's most liveable cities. Very highly, in fact. Melbourne, which had seven years at the top between 2010-2017, has come in second, with Sydney a spot behind at number three. Vienna for the second year running has taken the top spot on The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global 2019 Liveability Index, which was announced today. The index ranks 140 cities on stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment, giving each city a rating out of 100. Melbourne has retained its 98.4 score (the same as 2018), while Sydney has increased from 97.4 (and fifth place) to 98.1. Melbourne's score for culture and environment was one of the highest, 98.6, second only to Vancouver, which scored a perfect 100 in the category. According to the EIU, Sydney's ranking had climbed thanks to its: "improvement in its culture and environment score, reflecting an increased focus on combating and mitigating the impacts of climate change." The report talks directly to the city's 'Sustainable Sydney 2030' strategy, which was announced earlier this year by the City of Sydney and outlines goals to make the city "green, global and connected". The only other Australian city to make the top ten was Adelaide, coming in at number ten, while Perth and Brisbane claimed 14th and 18th spot, respectively. Rounding out the top five, were Osaka at third and Calgary at fourth, with both retaining the same rankings as last year. You can read the full Economist Intelligence Unit's Global 2019 Liveability Index over here.
Pastry fans of Sydney, it's time to get excited because the world-beating Lune Croissanterie is coming to Sydney with two pastry-filled stores. We already knew about one of them after the first-ever Sydney location was confirmed last year. But now, that initial Darlinghurst outpost will also be joined by a second Lune in Martin Place. Lune Sydney number two will open at 1 Elizabeth Street, Martin Place as part of the new Sydney Metro Martin Place tower that the Macquarie Group is currently developing. The bakery and cafe will join a host of yet-to-be-confirmed dining and retail offering in the precinct (which we're told will include premium restaurants, espresso bars and fashion retail). "This exciting deal marks a significant milestone for both Lune Croissanterie and the Martin Place metro development," says Michael Tuck of Colliers who secured the deal between Lune and the metro site. "This prime location, with its activated street frontages and high foot traffic, is the perfect setting for Lune Croissanterie's venue." The 100-square-metre CBD site will join the previously-announced 300-square-metre flagship store at 60 Oxford Street. This expansive first venue will boast al fresco seating, with Australian developer TOGA Group confirming the Darlinghurst space will spill out onto neighbouring backstreets, Foley and Burton Street. We haven't received an opening date for the Darlinghurst spot just yet, but we'll be sure to update you when it's locked in. As for Martin Place, both the metro tower and Lune are expected to open next year. It's been a big decade for the brand, after starting out as a tiny store in Melbourne's Elwood back in 2012. Since then, Lune has expanded into a converted warehouse space in Fitzroy (with perpetual lines out the front), opened a second store in the Melbourne CBD and then launched in Brisbane in 2021. And, amid all that, it was even dubbed "the finest you will find anywhere in the world" by The New York Times. Lune Croissanterie's second Sydney store will open at 1 Elizabeth Street, Martin Place in 2024. It'll join the flagship Sydney store which is expected to open at 60 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst in the Oxford & Foley development at some point this year. Images: Marcie Raw.
It might come as a surprise, given Australia's questionable internet speeds, but Melbourne has claimed the ranking of tenth smartest city in the world, with Sydney snapping at its heels in spot number 12. Headed up by international parking app company Easy Park, the 2017 Smart Cities Index analysed 500 cities worldwide, ranking the top 100. Other Australian cities that made the cut were Perth at number 41 and Adelaide at number 61. The key factors used in the study looked at digitalisation (including 4G connectivity, access to Wi-Fi hotspots and high smartphone usage) and knowledge-based mobility and transport (considering the prevalence of ride-share apps, smart parking and traffic sensors). Sustainability, online access to government services, and significant levels of citizen participation were also taken into consideration. Over 20,000 urban planning and technology experts were then asked to provide opinions about their own cities. Melbourne scored highest of all the countries for 4G connectivity, with Sydney and Perth making up the rest of the top three. Melbourne and Adelaide also ranked especially well when it came to citizen participation. Unsurprisingly, no Australian cities broke the top 20 for internet speed. While San Francisco topped the class with a perfect score of 10, Melbourne ranked number 26, with Sydney at 29 and Perth clocking in at 31. See the full table of results for the 2017 Smart Cities Index here. Photo via Wikimedia.
If you make a trip down to Hobart next year, don't expect to find plastic straws, cups or takeaway containers at its many cafes and markets. The City of Hobart last night voted to pass a by-law banning the sale of all single-use plastics. The by-law targets straws, cutlery, cups and containers that are less than a litre in size, and sold directly to customers. Buying a plastic bottle of Coca Cola, for example, will still be OK. Businesses will be given six months-to-one-year to phase out single-use plastics, and, after that, will be fined. Tasmania implemented a statewide single-use plastic bag ban in 2013 and, according to the Council's research, a third of local businesses already use some form of compostable packaging. The city is also aiming to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030. https://www.facebook.com/CityofHobartOfficial/photos/a.1046261538728203/2315932898427721/?type=3&theater While the law has been passed by the Council, its exact start date depends on the outcome of a public consultation period to be led by the state government. Then, likely in late 2019 or early 2020, Hobart will become the first Australian state to ban single-use plastics. South Australia is considering a statewide ban, but this has not yet passed through state government. Overseas, Europe has pledged to stop using such items by 2021, building upon similar decisions in the UK and France, while Australia is working towards banning all non-recyclable packaging by 2025. Locally, Victoria is currently phasing out plastic bags, and Queensland enacted a plastic bag ban in 2018. NSW is the only state yet to commit to a statewide plastic bag ban. But, after the City of Hobart's decision, maybe the City of Sydney will consider taking matters into its own hands. The City of Hobart's single-use plastic ban will
When Guillermo del Toro last made a movie for Netflix — and last made a movie, too — Pinocchio not only streamed via the platform, but had a date with cinemas, where all of the director's films should be seen, first. The same plan is in place for the filmmaker's next picture, thankfully, the streamer has just announced. Del Toro officially adapting Frankenstein after riffing on it across his career? Now that absolutely demands the big-screen treatment. Netflix has revealed that the Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight)- and Jacob Elordi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North)-starring take on Mary Shelley's horror masterpiece will release in select picture palaces on Thursday, October 23, 2025. To watch it at home, it'll be available to stream from Friday, November 7, 2025 Oscar-winning The Shape of Water director del Toro will be the first to tell anyone, as he did at Neflix's annual Tudum event for 2025, that he's long had an obsession with Frankenstein, that he's been weaving that affection for it into his work since he first hopped behind the camera and that making his own adaptation of the gothic-horror masterpiece is a dream come true. "This is, for me, the culmination of a journey that has occupied most of my life," he advised the crowd at the time. So far, from its trailer and images, that love for Shelley's now 207-year-old novel is evident in every frame of del Toro's Frankenstein. "I first read Mary Shelley's book as a kid, and saw Boris Karloff in what became, for me, an almost-religious stage," he continued at Tudum while accompanied by Isaac and co-star Mia Goth (MaXXXine). "Monsters have become my personal belief system. There are strands of Frankenstein throughout my films — Cronos, Blade, Hellboy, big time on Pinocchio, and a long, long [list], et cetera." Isaac portrays the feature's namesake, aka Victor Frankenstein, the scientist driven by tragedy to attempt to conquer the line between life and what exists beyond it. As the trailer notes, "only monsters play god". As Victor advises himself, "in seeking life, I created death". Also uttered in the movie's debut sneak peek, reinforcing its theme: "what manner of creature is that? What manner of devil made him?". Goth is Elizabeth, Victor's fiancée. From there, Christoph Waltz (Old Guy), Ralph Ineson (The Fantastic Four: First Steps), Charles Dance (The Day of the Jackal), Lars Mikkelsen (Dalloway) and del Toro regular Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, Pinocchio) are also part of the cast. Frankenstein will never stop entrancing filmmakers, as it has James Whale back in 1931 when Karloff played the monster, Mel Brooks (Dracula: Dead and Loving It) with 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein, Kenneth Branagh (A Haunting in Venice) on his 1994 take, Danny Boyle (28 Years Later) with his stage adaptation, Tim Burton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) via Frankenweenie and Yorgis Lanthimos (Kinds of Kindness) in Poor Things, plus Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter) with 2026's The Bride!, just to name a few other examples. Check out the trailer for Frankenstein below: Frankenstein is releasing in select cinemas on Thursday, October 23, 2025 — and streaming via Netflix from Friday, November 7, 2025. Images: Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.
Rumbling through the streets of Sydney's city and inner western suburbs, you might have spotted a bright red bus adorned with a pop-culture mural. That'd be Frank's Original Philly Cheesesteak & Dogs, the latest venture from local restaurateur Antonio Tarzia. Back in 2012 while living in Philadelphia, the home of the cheesesteak, Tarzia was struck by the community's love for the cheesy roll that first created by Italian immigrants back in the 1930s. Given Australia's recent obsession with burgers and deep fried chicken, Tarzia wanted to give his hometown another North American late-night food alternative. "Antonio wanted to bring this to Australia as an Italian-American alternative to a kebab," says Frank's co-owner Carmelina Catanzariti. "And the response has been phenomenal." The first Frank's store opened in Wetherill Park in July 2017 – right next door to Tarzia and Catanzariti's restaurant Grano and cafe The Factoria. Just ten months later, Frank's went mobile with the addition of the vintage Mercedes bus. There are also plans in the works to open a second Sydney storefront and expand to Melbourne by year's end. Philly cheesesteaks are serious business in the States, and Tarzia and Catanzariti wanted to make sure that everything was done the right way when bringing the concept to Australia. While they use premium Australian rib eye for the steak, a great cheesesteak also relies on its bread and cheese. Frank's imports the original hoagie rolls direct from Philadelphia, while also flying in the infamous Cheez Whiz straight from the USA. On the menu, the signature sandwich is the mushroom cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and onion. You'll also find hot dogs and trumped up cheesesteaks such as the Pizza Cheesesteak, which adds mushrooms, peppers and bolognese sauce to the mix. Staying true to the American fast food mantra, you'll also find loaded fries and deep fried Oreos on the menu, too. Keep an eye on Frank's Facebook and Instagram to find out where the bus is setting up shop next, or visit the permanent shopfront at 1003 Canley Vale Road, Wetherill Park.
Barangaroo might be known best for its dining scene, but that's not where its offering ends. Positioned on the corner of Shipwright Walk is the latest outpost of fashion and homewares provider Collector Store. The store delivers the same thoughtful design locals have come to love from its original location in Surry Hills. Expect well-made apparel from brands like American Vintage alongside textiles, ceramics and homewares from Tom Dixon and Norman Copenhagen. Forget you're in the big smoke and spend your lunch break exploring this haven of aesthetically pleasing goods.
Up until now, fancy-schmancy apartments have been surprisingly hard to find at Bondi Beach. But, with QT's latest hotel having opened in the former Swiss Grand Hotel site — now known as a Pacific Bondi Beach — that's a first world problem of the past. As promised, QT Bondi delivers the kind of glamour that the Eastern Suburbs prides itself on. There are no fewer than 69 super-sized apartments and studios, all dreamed up by Australian design extraordinaire Nic Graham (celebrated for his work on the QT family and in-house dining spots like Gowings and Parlour Lane Roasters). At the poshest end, there are the Gould Suites, which come with one bedroom, city views, kitchenettes, balconies, specially-designed furniture, complimentary wifi and movies. The starter rooms are also rather lush, featuring king-sized beds, as well as views, kitchenettes and balconies. Meanwhile, the lobby is dotted with commissioned paintings created by Aussie-born, London-based artist Shaun Gladwell. Unfamiliar with the location? Well, we can assure you it's prime real estate, just across the road from the main beach — you can dash to the sand without shoes. And QT Bondi is just one element in the precinct: visitors (whether they're staying at the hotel or not) can also explore a bunch of eating, drinking and shopping adventures, from Anita Gelato to Scoop Wholefoods to Saturdays NYC. This listing was included as part of our partnership with QT and is not a review.
It's hard to believe that Australia has been without rock legend Chrissy Amphlett for almost one year; she sadly lost her battle with breast cancer at age 53. Blender Gallery is having a photographic exhibition, #ITouchMyself, curated in conjunction with her husband Charley Drayton and the Cancer Council NSW to honour her memory. The exhibition will feature previously unseen images of Amphlett taken by renowned rock 'n' roll photographers, including Ian Greene, Tony Mott, Sandrine Lee, Jasmine Hirst and Tony Notarberardino. Prints are available for purchase, with a percentage of the proceeds donated to Cancer Council NSW. Her most famous song with band Divinyls, 'I Touch Myself', inspired the exhibition title. Amphlett used the song as rallying cry for self-examination in her later years of life, hoping to inspire greater awareness of breast cancer and early cancer detection. Image by Jasmine Hirst.
Music is an integral part of Brisbane's identity, with many of the country's most beloved musicians getting their start in the Queensland capital. Powderfinger, Ball Park Music, Kate Miller-Heidke, Waax, The Go-Betweens and many more spent their formative years gigging around the city. From the punk scene that emerged in the seventies and eighties to the thriving Fortitude Valley suburb and multiple music festivals held each year, Brisbane is also something of a cultural hub. Whether you're a local wanting to support Australia's live music scene or are heading to the Sunshine State and need a steer for your itinerary, here's a curated list of live music venues to check out in Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_1029305" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] LiveWire Located in The Star Brisbane, LiveWire is your destination for headline entertainment and a vibrant mix of weekly events. Whether you're into live music, drag bingo, or music trivia, the variety on offer ensures there's always something exciting happening. One act to watch out for is on Friday, October 24, when Brisbane musician Jarryd James will perform his hits, including his ARIA award-winning song "Do You Remember," at LiveWire. Several other singers, DJs and artists perform at LiveWire every week, so check out The Star Brisbane's schedule to see what's on. Looking for a pre-gig tipple? Head to one of The Star Brisbane's cocktail bars, the panoramic Cicada Blu and 360º bar Cherry, before the performance and get into the party spirit. If you'd prefer dinner before dancing the night away, Cucina Regina is The Star Brisbane's Italian eatery. It offers hand-stretched pizzas and delicious homemade pasta. Meanwhile, Aloria is a rooftop restaurant with a European-Australian menu and delicious cocktails. For those making a weekend of it, consider a stay at The Star Brisbane's five-star hotel. If you're a music lover, The Star Brisbane is a one-stop shop for drinks with your mates, dinner with a view, and a free gig to top the night off. [caption id="attachment_1029306" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Marlon Trottman[/caption] Fortitude Music Hall The Fortitude Music Hall was built to offer the city of Brisbane a middle ground venue between its small dive bars and larger sports stadiums. Located in the city's CBD entertainment precinct, Fortitude Valley Music Hall is a 3000-person venue that hosts a number of international and local acts. In 2025 and 2026, acts such as Royel Otis, Noah Cyrus, CMAT, Ben Folds, and Travis will take to the stage, making Fortitude Music Hall a venue to add to the top of your live music list. Fortitude Music Hall is located in the middle of the buzzing Brunswick Mall, giving you a number of options for a pre-gig beverage or takeaway on the way home. [caption id="attachment_1029307" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Triffid[/caption] The Triffid If you're looking for live music and pints on tap, head to The Triffid. Located in Newstead, the venue is within walking distance of the buzzy Fortitude Valley area and has everything a music lover could want. Housed in a converted World War II aircraft hangar, The Triffid has an indoor venue and a smaller stage outside in the beer garden, making it an excellent spot for a Sunday session. The venue was created by Powderfinger bassist, John Collins, who knows the importance of fostering local acts and building a community around music. As a result, The Triffid is a hub for music fans—plus, their beer garden serves a mean hot chips if you're looking for a snack to pair with your pint. The Tivoli Originally built in 1927 as the Adams Bakery, today The Tivoli (or The Tiv, as locals call it) is one of the city's most beloved music venues. The Tivoli has hosted some of the country's most prolific artists, such as Powderfinger, Silverchair, Missy Higgins, and Paul Kelly, as well as international acts including Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Bob Dylan. Housed in an art deco building, the Fortitude Valley venue combines heritage, charm, and a roster of iconic acts all in one place. Head to the Jubilee Hotel for a pint and pub meal before the gig, or, if you're after something a little more elevated (literally), the Soko Rooftop Bar is a great shout. [caption id="attachment_1029308" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Crowbar Brisbane[/caption] Crowbar A favourite among punk, metal and rock fans, the Crowbar has endured a lot in recent years. After launching in 2012, the venue sadly closed during the pandemic. Thanks to the locals' efforts, Crowbar Brisbane has moved to Ann Street in the Valley and is once again a thriving music venue. No need to make multiple bookings if you're heading to the Crowbar, as the venue offers burgers and barbecue at its bar and restaurant as well as a selection of local beers on tap, making it an easy stop on a night out. This list scratches the surface of iconic venues in Brisbane, Australia's unofficial music capital. Be sure to check out each schedule and make a booking to support live and local music. Explore more at The Star Brisbane. Lead image: LiveWire at The Star Brisbane. Guests must be 18 years or over to enter LiveWire and the casino.
Last year, just as the pandemic started shutting down our regular routines, a handy browser plug-in popped up to make life a little more bearable. That'd be Netflix Party, which helps you watch movies with your mates while still social distancing — synchronising everyone's playback so you're truly watching each and every frame at the same time. That's all well and good if you're watching via a browser, and you're watching Netflix. If you and your pals are keen on an iOS alternative that'll slide right into your chats and span other platforms, you'll soon have one. As part of its big iOS 15 announcement, Apple has revealed that it is launching a new Facetime feature called Shareplay. It'll allow you to view films and TV shows together and in sync — and listen to music as well — complete with shared playback controls. So, once you and your friends are on a Shareplay session, anyone can pause whatever you're watching or hearing. Also, you won't all need to be using an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV to access the service. Apple also announced that it's going to extend Facetime calls beyond its own devices, so folks who use Android or Windows devices will be able to access the application via their web browser. A heap of other platforms will be integrated into Shareplay, if you're wondering what you and your crew will be able to binge together. They include Disney+, TikTok and Twitch, as well as Paramount+ — which will launch in Australia this August. You'll obviously all need to subscribe to whichever platforms you're planning to view or listen to — so this won't be a way to watch The Mandalorian on your mates' account. Shareplay will work with Apple Music and Apple's own range of movies and TV shows, naturally, and you'll also be able to share your screen via the feature to view other apps together. Other updates slated for iOS 15, which is expected to start rolling out from spring 2021, include redesigned notifications, a big Safari revamp, a Live Text function that'll be able to read handwritten writing in photos, enhanced features in Apple Maps and ramped up privacy controls. The weather and notes apps are getting a makeover, too, and there'll also be a new Live Translate feature as well. Apple's iOS 15 is expected to start rolling out from spring 2021. For further details, head to the Apple website.
On Thursday nights, Yulli's Brews in Alexandria transforms into a jazz den with the arrival of the Tilly Street Trio. Long-time friend of the Yulli's team, Tilly sings jazz standards, accompanied by her two loyal band members. You can usually count on a surprise guest or two, too. Tilly gets started at 6.30pm and finishes up two or three sets later. In between listening to her smooth vocals, taste your way through Yulli's own drops, from the Norman Australian Ale to the Margot Dry Apple Cider. Meanwhile, the food menu is completely vegan. Start with steamed miso cabbage dumplings, before moving onto gyros, which comes in four varieties: The Australian, The Greek, The Korean and The Vietnamese.
Even if you enter Bridge of Spies unaware of its director, it soon becomes obvious that Steven Spielberg is at the helm. Tom Hanks popping up on screen, as he did in Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal before this, offers one such indication of the man behind the camera, although the clues certainly don’t stop there. The way the story is handled, the heavy-handed score that tells audiences what to feel rather than trusting the storytelling to do so, as well as the almost overbearing sense of righteousness that infuses every scene, all do plenty to give away the Spielberg touch. Under his guidance, the actor many likely wish was their dad lives up to that fantasy as an ordinary, upstanding guy driven by a desire to do what's right. Hanks’ character, the real-life James B. Donovan, is a tax lawyer taken out of his comfort zone, yet always guided by his strong moral compass. He's asked by the government to undertake the unpopular role of representing Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a Soviet agent found on U.S. soil, at his controversial and highly publicised espionage trial. Next, Donovan is tasked with negotiating Abel's return to his homeland in a trade for captured American operatives. And yes, for anyone wondering about the movie's name, at one point the spies really do stand on a bridge – although the film's moniker speaks more to the network that springs up between warring sides. As he journeys to the unsafe streets of post-WW2 Berlin to broker a deal, Donovan's involvement must remain secret and officially unsanctioned — at least as far as the public and the record of the time are concerned. Accordingly, Bridge of Spies never misses the opportunity to bluntly idolise its protagonist, nor stress the strength of his character as he rallies for a person, an approach and good old-fashioned due process when no one around him will share his views. That's not to say that any of these points are unreasonable, or that the praise isn't earned. It's just that Spielberg, initial screenwriter Matt Charman, and script tinkerers Ethan and Joel Coen (yes, the brilliant minds behind Fargo, The Big Lebowski and Inside Llewyn Davis) rarely let the story breathe beyond their laudatory viewpoint. Given that they certainly take their time unraveling all the necessary information and intricacies, it's an approach that proves both distracting and disappointing. Of course, Spielberg crafts a polished film regardless, and one remarkably visually textured from its almost silent opening. Hanks, too, remains a likeable, reliable lead. The real star of the show though, other than the actual events that the movie didn't need to depict in such an emotional fashion, is Tony and Olivier award-winning theatre actor Rylance. If the rest of the feature seems to strive to simplify something complex for the sake of sentiment, he's proves the humanised and genuinely heartfelt opposite. Audiences could be forgiven for wishing that the rest of the film followed his lead, and was more like Spielberg's blistering Munich and less like his sappy War Horse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2x3r1m2I4
