The City of Sydney is expanding its outdoor dining program by closing down a set of inner-city streets to make room for al fresco dining throughout summer. Several streets in suburbs such as Redfern, Glebe and Darlinghurst will be shut across a number of summer weekends, all to encourage people to visit local restaurants and bars. The Summer Streets program will make its way around the city throughout January and February, popping up in different spots from 11am until late. The first weekend of the program will kick off on Darlinghurst Road and Macleay Street on Saturday, January 22, before moving over to Redfern Street on Sunday, January 23. Following this, Crown Street in Surry Hills, Glebe Point Road and Pyrmont's Harris Street will all host their own Summer Streets events. "Being able to shop, dine or drink on our footpaths and roadways make it easier for us to enjoy those things and support local businesses in a COVID-safe way," City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. "Expanding outdoor dining remains an essential part of what we're doing to support business through these challenging times. People want to get out of the house and enjoy what Sydney has to offer, safely. We're now closing off entire streets and hope the extra space will give people a safe way to support local businesses and re-engage with their community." Green Square Plaza will also be getting in on the fun, hosting a nighttime-only extension of Summer Streets from 6pm on Saturday, February 19. Venues on the participating streets are being encouraged to spice things up during their suburbs' applicable day by adding special deals to the menu or holding one-off events. You can view a program of pop-ups and events happening on each street's specific day at the City of Sydney website. [caption id="attachment_784797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sunshine Inn, Redfern Street, Casandra Hannagan[/caption] SUMMER STREETS DATES Saturday, January 22 — Darlinghurst Road and Macleay Street, Darlinghurst Sunday, January 23 — Redfern Street, Redfern Sunday, February 6 — Crown Street, Surry Hills Saturday, February 12 — Glebe Point Road, Glebe Saturday, February 19 — Harris Street, Pyrmont and Green Square Plaza, Green Square
The Imperial Erskineville's revamp has brought the inner west a lot to love — a new rooftop bar, a veggie-focused menu, regular drag shows, DJ sets and LGBTQI+ inclusive parties, plus signature cocktails in honour of iconic queens. The venue will add a new queen to that list this weekend with Karen's Martini Bar. It's a Will & Grace-themed pop-up that'll take over the space from October 5–7 and sling $9 martinis — that's right honey. Fans of the 1990s show already know that a new season will premiere on October 5, and the bar celebrates its renewal in truest fashion. First up, choose from character-themed cocktails like Karen's pink martini or Jack's espresso martini, both at just $9 a pop. The food menu will be New York City inspired, too, and each dish is paired with your choice of cocktail — think combos like the martini and hot dog ($20), martini and oysters ($24) or a shared meal of two martinis and a pepperoni pizza ($38). Then you've got the real Karen making an appearance (in the form of drag queen Krystal Kleer) to 'prop up the bar' from 4–7pm daily. And back-to-back reruns of the show will be played on large projector screens throughout the weekend, with prizes on offer to boot. Karen's Martini Bar will be open Friday from 5–8pm and Saturday through Sunday from noon–8pm.
To say it's been a crazy year in Australian politics almost feels like an understatement. But amidst all the scandals and the spin, it's easy to forget that sometimes, politicians are human beings who get angry and emotional. And when they do, it makes for some great speeches. A lot of the time, these speeches either don't get mentioned in the media or are reduced to 15-second grabs that don't give you a sense of what a politician is like in real life. Written by Katie Pollock and Paul Daley and produced by PolitiFact's Peter Fray, The Hansard Monologues is a play that takes all the most "troubling, emotional and radical" speeches made in the 43rd Parliament of Australia and re-creates them, with actors David Roberts, Camilla Ah Kin and Tony Llewellyn-Jones playing various politicians. They will, of course, be tackling Julia Gillard's famous misogyny speech, as well as Malcolm Turnbull's thoughts on marriage equality. There's some other interesting ones in there by disgraced MPs Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper, following their scandals. According to the writers, they continued to work on the play right up until the parliamentary recess, so the leadership spill will definitely get a mention.
Thanks to its not-so-inventive title, there's no need to worry about who the main players in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl are. There's the 'me' of the moniker, i.e. movie-loving high schooler Greg (Thomas Mann). There's his classmate and filmmaking partner-in-crime, Earl (RJ Cyler), who he describes as a colleague rather than a buddy. And then there's the unwell Rachel (Olivia Cooke), who Greg's mother forces him to befriend upon hearing that she has cancer. If you think it all sounds like a recipe for a coming-of-age effort steeped in feelings, peppered with pop culture references and always working towards everyone learning something, well, you'd be right. And the movie is as contrived and cliched as it sounds, even if it does strive to conjure up several layers of emotions. It won the audience award at both the Sundance and the Sydney film festivals — as well as the grand jury prize at the former — so it seems to be working on someone. Greg prides himself on neither fitting in nor standing out, which also means he doesn't really connect with anyone. Spending time with Rachel, rather awkwardly at first, threatens to change that. His world opens as hers starts to end, and for once, he can't avoid the consequences of actually caring about something. So, he channels his efforts into working with Earl on their latest short film following a series of comic recreations of classics, with previous efforts including Senior Citizen Cane and The 400 Bros. Movies about movie buffs, which are consequently littered with knowing nods and sly winks to movies gone by, can make for painful viewing for even the most avid cinephiles in the audience. Surprisingly, the affection for the medium that Me and Earl and the Dying Girl shows is actually among its most genuine and least calculated elements. Indeed, filmmaker Alfonso Gomez-Rejon played in similar territory with his previous effort, the remake/update/next instalment that was horror offering The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Both features share a winning way of making a love of movies part of their celluloid (or digital, as is more likely these days) fabric. Sadly, the alternating slivers of authenticity, ingenuity and subtlety evident in the cinema shout-outs are absent when it comes to the main event of chronicling the impact Rachel's circumstances have upon Greg — and almost as an afterthought, upon the scarcely used sidekick Earl's character clearly is, too. Stereotypical subplots abound as much as untraditional camera angles, yet all seem as flimsy and ill-deployed as the high-profile supporting cast (with Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon and Jon Bernthal among the actors briefly sighted). It should all add up to more, especially when you consider that the script is written by Jesse Andrews, who penned the bestselling young adult book of the same name that Me and Earl and the Dying Girl adapts for the screen. Alas, trying too hard to convey both quirkiness and sentiment, including in the performances, just doesn't hit the mark the film is clearly aiming for.
Blockbusters like The Hobbit may sell out screenings on Boxing Day, but no film session sells out like a St George OpenAir Cinema session sells out. There's something bewitching about the opportunity to watch a big screen and Sydney Harbour's landmarks in one sightline. Advanced tickets go within hours. Fortunately, their limited door sales provide some hope. Tracks, starring Mia Wasikowska, has been announced as the opener for St George Openair Cinema 2014. It's based on the epic true story of adventurer and memoirist Robyn Davidson, who walked solo from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean in the late '70s, becoming an accidental celebrity in the process. Given that the film's official release is set for March 6, the Friday, January 10, screening at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is reason for serious excitement. The dynamic program features another 14 premieres and previews. One of the major drawcards is bound to be Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, scheduled to screen on Thursday, January 30, which tells the late, great leader's story, based on his autobiography, with Idris Elba starring as Mandela and Naomie Harris as his wife, Winnie. On the other hand, Thursday, January 16, will see the telling of a true story of quite a different kind, when a preview of Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street screens. The film recounts the tale of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), who spent his twenties bathing in luxury after founding successful firm Stratton Oakmont, before spiralling into corruption, power lust and drugs. Then there’s Jean-Marc Vallee’s Dallas Buyers Club, another real-to-life work, portraying the promiscuous, homophobic Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), whose attitudes change dramatically when he’s diagnosed with AIDS and told he has only 30 days to live. It’s screening on Friday, January 24. If Tracks leaves you craving another dose of Wasikowska, then catch her on Sunday, January 19, in Only Lovers Left Alive. In a vampire story directed by Jim Jarmusch (Mystery Train, Coffee and Cigarettes), she plays a wild younger sister who brings chaos into the world of her older sibling, Eve (Tilda Swinton), a super-cool vampire who’s been living a debauched yet blissful existence with her devoted rock guitarist boyfriend (Tom Hiddleston) for hundreds of years. While we’re discussing unconventional romances, Spike Jonze’s (Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are) funny, futuristic Her promises a few surprises. It depicts the story of a sensitive writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with a female voice (Scarlett Johansson) via an advanced operating system. And if you've ever wanted to see Woody Allen act as a pimp, then John Turturro's Fading Gigolo has you covered. European cinema gets a look in, with the spectacular Italian film The Great Beauty, one of the most acclaimed works on this year’s Cannes program. Disillusioned journalist, Jep (Toni Servillo), whose dreams of becoming a novelist remain unfulfilled, spends his nights partying aimlessly with Rome’s elites, until an unexpected event alters his perspective. Plus, there’s a couple of French romantic comedies: Regis Roinsard’s ‘50s-style directorial debut, Populaire about a champion typist (Deborah Francois) who inspires her charismatic boss’s (Romain Duris) competitive streak, and Cedric Kaplisch’s Chinese Puzzle, which visits both France and New York while exploring the complications of sperm donation. If action and drama are more your bag, there’s Jason Reitman’s Labor Day, Daniel Schechter’s Life of Crime (based on Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name) and J.C. Chandor’s All Is Lost, starring Robert Redford.
Your mates at Concrete Playground know how much you guys love Nutella. Sydney lost its collective shit (and rightfully so) over those damn Tella Ball milkshakes, and Melbourne eats so much of the stuff they caused a temporary nation-wide shortage. As addictions go, we suppose it could be worse. Point is, when we heard there was going to be a toaster-shaped Nutella food truck rolling around the country, we figured you'd want to hear about it. Especially since all the goodies on board will be free. The food truck menu has been devised by Alistair Fogg, the man behind Sydney's Nighthawk Diner. Think stewed winter berries with Nutella and toasted coconut, raisin toast with Nutella and berries, and a crepe stack with Nutella and crispy bacon. It's only one item per customer per day, unfortunately. Let's just say at this stage, we're not ruling out the possibility of trailing the truck from town to town like the insatiable groupies we so clearly are. The road trip begins in Sydney's Wynyard Park on Wednesday, June 15. Other stops in the Harbour City include Parramatta's Centenary Park (June 16), Sydney Uni (June 17) and Glebe Markets (June 18), before the long haul down the Hume Highway. They'll stop along the way before arriving at Melbourne and then, finally, Geelong. Find the complete list of dates, times and locations for the Nutella Road Trip at the official Facebook page.
Looking for the next wave of Australian choreography? Just after a solid cultural night out in Sydney? This one's for you. Four of Australia’s boldest new choreographers have joined forces to present their latest and most ballsy work for this year's instalment of New Breed at Carriageworks. The show made its global premiere at Germany’s famous Festspiele Ludwigshafen last week. Now, it’s on its way to Carriageworks for a first workout in front of Aussie audiences. Only seven performances are planned, so you’d best get your mitts on tickets super-quick. New Breed is the product of a brilliant collaboration between Carriageworks and the Sydney Dance Company. The idea is to give a leg-up to the next generation’s most impressive dance talents. After all, launching a career on your own can be tough. So, Carriageworks's associate director of programming Lisa Ffrench teamed up with Sydney Dance Company's artistic director Rafael Bonachela to scope out four of Australia’s most promising youngsters: Bernhard Knauer, Daniel Riley, Fiona Jopp and Kristina Chan. Each of these gifted, creative creatures was given six months to come up with a new dance piece. To help them along, they had access to Sydney Dance Company — both its beautiful studios and its ridiculously skilled ensemble. Now, you get to lap up the results. New Breed presents the works — Knauer’s Derived, Riley’s Reign, Jopp’s so much, doesn't matter and Chan’s Conform — as a four-part show. It’ll be on every evening between Tuesday, December 8 and Sunday, December 13. Saturday, December 12 will see two shows, with a matinee from 2pm. Image credit: Peter Greig.
Jamie North's work is bound to be unlike any art practice you've seen before. Using a single exposed column as a clue, the sculptures featured in his newest exhibition, Terraforms are modelled on the pillars encased in Sarah Cottier Gallery. However, from the slick base upwards the pillars slowly disintegrate, housing micro-environments of many different plant species. Mirrored by the hard glossy floor, it is as if these sculptures are caught in a process of premature decay, invoking a poetic image of ancient ruins being reclaimed by nature. There's even a few companion columns shaped like the remnants of a gate. Through his practice, North addresses how landscapes are impacted by industry. The accelerated erosion of his sculptures could be interpreted as an ominous reflection of the way we ceaselessly churn through limited resources. In this way, the temporal jolt that comes with this ruinous aesthetic seems to frame humanity retrospectively. In spite of the monolithic appearance of these structures, they are actually built of industrial waste. There is a sharp irony wherein organic life is supported by coal ash and steel stag. However, North also undermines the monumentalism that has captivated civilisation and infers towards the fallacy of building something that will last forever. The colossal structures of our time are destined to crumble and be re-absorbed back into the landscape they once colonized. North seems to create a microcosmic, gallery-tailored version of this cyclic power struggle between natural and artificial. Chiselling down the centre of these pillars, North plants the seeds of environmental recuperation. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Australian plant life and unless you're an ecology buff, the subtleties between species might be lost. As greenery clings to concrete, it also reaches upwards and outwards, becoming entwined with other shoots. Combined with the rough composite material of the pillar's core, we are witnessing a back-to-basics blossoming of little ecosystems. There is a deep sense of time and process embedded in these works, as well as an organic re-modelling of structures in anticipation of sustainability. In addition to North's sculptures, there is an accompanying pair of black and white photographs. Aptly titled Moving Mountains, the glistening contours of these steel slag mountains create the impression that loose stones are sliding forward. Importantly, this is an example of manmade geography, perhaps an example of the kind of monumentalism North negates with his sculptures. Nevertheless, these images reinforce his preoccupation with the various phases of industry. North is keenly aware of how we manipulate environments, rehearsing the way in which materials are extracted from nature, refined, accumulated, used, and potentially re-used.
Films about humanity's affinity with animals are films about our ties to the natural world — and doesn't Blueback splash that truth around. Plunging from The Dry into the wet, writer/director Robert Connolly reteams with Eric Bana for another page-to-screen adaptation of a homegrown book; this is another movie inseparable from its landscape, too, again exploring the impact people have upon it. This time, however, Bana isn't the star. He's memorable as larrikin abalone diver and fisherman 'Mad' Macka, and this Tim Winton-based feature would've benefited from more of his presence, but the Dirty John actor is firmly in supporting mode. Set against the enticing Western Australian coast as the author's work tends to be, this is a picture about the sea's thrall, existential importance and inherent sense of connection — as filtered through the bond between a girl and a wild blue groper, plus the evolving relationship between that same child and her eco-warrior mother. Mia Wasikowska (Bergman Island) plays Blueback's fish-befriending protagonist as an adult, with the text's Abel becoming Abby here. Radha Mitchell (Girl at the Window) shares the screen as Dora, her widowed mother, early in the film's year-hopping timeline. Still, in their second of three movies in succession — arriving before upcoming The Dry sequel Force of Nature — Connolly and Bana dip back into familiar territory. Obvious swaps are evident, including a beachside rather than a farming community, and atrocities against the planet and its wildlife instead of crimes against people, but it's easy to see Blueback's appeal as a reunion project. Among the key differences as Abby and Dora fight to save their town and its aquatic treasures, still battling wrongs to strive for what's right: this is an overtly and eagerly family-friendly affair. When Blueback introduces Abby, she's a marine biologist trying to stop the earth's coral reefs from being destroyed. Then comes a call from home about her mum. In Longboat Bay, Dora (played in her elder years by Liz Alexander, Clickbait) has suffered a stroke — and, in a too-neat move, that medical situation is used to inspire Abby's memories of why she chose her line of work in the first place. While Winton's novella initially hit shelves in 1997, justifying someone caring for the environment is a very 2020s touch. Being concerned about the planet doesn't require an origin story for a second, but they're the tales that flicker across screens in droves of late. Not all heroes wear capes, yet movies about valiant deeds and worthy attitudes keep feeling obliged to couch them in such terms. Wasikowska is sincere and affecting as the older Abby, her performance bathed in equal parts melancholy and determination, but Blueback's best sequences don't always involve the Judy & Punch and Crimson Peak talent. Connolly has cast his three versions of Abby well; taking on the character as a pre-teen and then a high schooler, and conveying resolve buoyed by curiosity and youthful hope in the process, Wolf Like Me's Ariel Donoghue and screen debutant Ilsa Fogg are each commanding and compelling. The biggest scene-stealers? The intricate mechanised puppetry by Creature Technology Company, which brings the movie's namesake to life, plus Rick Rifici's (Facing Monsters) wondrous underwater cinematography. Indeed, Blueback's lack of subtlety about Dora's health is so unnecessary because the film's strikingly shot and staged moments between a kid and a mesmerising fish communicate everything that needs saying anyway, and genuinely make the audience feel as Abby feels. Having read Winton's book over the past quarter-century isn't a prerequisite for knowing how Abby and Blueback's connection flows. Although this is just the latest movie sparked by the writer's prose — see also: Dirt Music, Breath and anthology The Turning in the past decade alone, the latter of which Connolly produced and Wasikowska directed a segment of — spying Winton's usual love of water, the WA coast, the environment and coming-of-age tales isn't, either. The author's regular hallmarks float through Blueback, but a child forging a sense of fellowship with another critter, loving their domain and discovering themselves along the way is its trusty anchor. Cinema in general, and Australian cinema specifically, is so fond of this storyline that the resulting flicks are practically their own genre. Where the two versions of Storm Boy, the Red Dog pictures and Oddball have all paddled before, this feature now swims (with ripples of overseas efforts Free Willy and Pete's Dragon as well). On a varied resume that spans The Bank, Balibo, and TV shows The Slap and Barracuda, too, Connolly also helmed Paper Planes. Consequently, as that film illustrated with its underdog chronicle about mastering a new skill in the pursuit of childhood glory, he knows a thing or two about working with well-worn all-ages formulas that've been sweeping over screens for generations. As glaringly as the sun bouncing off a glistening expanse of blue as far as the eye can see, oh-so-much about Blueback fits an easy template. Chief among them: the conflict between the younger Dora and shady developer Costello (Erik Thomson, How to Please a Woman), who wants to snap up the land that Abby's family's shack stands on, reshape the shoreline to the detriment of its marine life and make a bundle, all with help from nefarious spearfishers. Thankfully, there's also an ocean's worth of heart beating within Connolly's current release, especially whenever the titular creature makes an enchanting appearance. An unflinchingly earnest movie about valuing the natural world and stopping its decimation, as told with visual splendour that helps make its point through spectacular below-the-sea imagery, yet struggling with nuance: yes, add Avatar: The Way of Water to the lengthy list of films that Blueback recalls. This Aussie feature premiered on the festival circuit before James Cameron's 13-years-in-the-making blockbuster, though. It's also a quieter and more tender experience. Nonetheless, while scenic lensing by Nude Tuesday's Andrew Commis catches the eye on dry land as well, Blueback similarly gets caught adrift above the tide. Blunt eco-focused flicks aren't going anywhere, however, and nor should they. As Dora and Abby do for their patch of sand, friendly groper and the blue rock we all call home, this movie is campaigning — broadly, simplistically yet still engagingly, and as a fable for viewers young and old alike.
There's a universal expectation that docos are meant to run the gamut from confronting all the way to absolutely horrifying. In its 97 minutes of screen time, The Family manages to traverse the whole scale, leaving you absolutely chilled to the bone. Rosie Jones's poetic documentary is about one of Australia's most notorious cults, known as 'The Family'. It operated in and around Melbourne from the mid 1960s, under the leadership of a bizarre woman whose look appears to have been modeled on Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove. Anne Hamilton-Byrne drew power and money to herself, wielding her impressive charisma, emotional manipulation, and yoga to amass new followers. Before long they were snatching babies directly from hospital wards and were administering LSD to adults and children in order to convince them that Anne was their God. Dramatic panning drone shots of Lake Eildon, eerie piano music, and old footage of children in matching outfits running through the woods creates a very True Detective aesthetic that matches the horror of the events. The film churns your guts, growing more and more tense as events unfold, leaving you shaken when it finally ends. But where the documentary differentiates itself is with the surfeit of interviews with survivors. Many of the children who grew up at the cult's residence at Lake Eildon (a two-hour drive from Melbourne) are adults now, with children of their own, and they each speak candidly and emotionally about the toll their childhood had on them and how they now relate to their new families. The story of the cult itself is fascinating and grotesque, but the humanity and candour of the victims is absolutely redeeming. Jones doesn't always succeed in translating a messy chain of events and conflicting accounts into a digestible, linear format. At times it can feel as though the film circles back on the same events – although even then, the story is so consuming that you'll be willing to forgive the repetition. Moreover, unlike many documentaries, The Family hits close to home, with the familiar sites and sounds of country Australia compounding the sense of unease. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_KeVkZ_JhM
Roll up, roll up, to Sydney's stupendous new funhouse/cocktail joint: Archie Brothers Electric Circus. Libations, laser tag, burgers and bowling, the Archie Bros have it all. Not that we're surprised. What else would you expect from the team behind Holey Moley? Set to open in early December on Doody Street in Alexandria, this circus-themed venue has got everything your inner child could possibly desire. Old school dodgem cars? Check! Arcade games? Check! A 3D interactive theatre ride? We don't even know what that is, but check! The space is anchored around a tricked-out cocktail bar with a carnival-ride aesthetic. That's where punters will find a selection of boozy beverages including an array of extravagant spiked shakes. Seriously, these drinks look insane. They'll also be serving food with American Diner-style vibes. The intriguing sounding Lion Tamer Burger comes with Saucy Fries, while the Fire Breather Hotdog should appeal to those who like it hot. Archie Brothers Electric Circus opens for business on Thursday, December 7. Find it at 55 Doody Street, Alexandria. For more information, visit their website.
Typically Newtown is the suburb praised as a hub of avant-garde and edgy goodness — the happenin' jewel in the inner west crown. However, Erskineville is carving out a solid cultural identity with the return of Tiny Stadiums Festival, presented by PACT Centre for Emerging Artists. Back for its sixth year, this idiosyncratic ten-day festival has been a breath of fresh air for Sydney's performing arts scene. Over the festival period, the suburb will be transformed into a cross section of live art, with performers inundating every nook and cranny. From bars and rooftops through to gardens and shopfronts, there will be an overflow of artistic projects, expanding into the twilight hours for the first time in the festival’s history. Tiny Stadiums is part of a handful of small-scale festivals that are sidestepping the rigid infrastructure and funding strains of big arts events. For the second year in a row, it will be curated by the collective Groundwork, who have shifted the focus to a distinctly community flavour. As well as challenging the way people navigate the heart and peripheries of the suburb, Groundwork's Maria White explains that the event is also “an opportunity to showcase the work of young and emerging artists working under the banner of visual arts, performance and installation”. Oozing with quirk, PACT’s double bill is sure to set a strong tone, balancing the critical with the entertaining. From the inventive mind of writer and director Nick Coyle, Blue Wizard is a play revolving around the exploits of a gay intergalactic wizard. And Kenzie Larsen will be welcomed back, clutching at social interactions in her full-length piece called Friend Ship, a performance exploring the mechanics of making friends. There will also be an assortment of unique and immersive hybrid art practices on show. For example, dance artist, Natalie Abbott’s collaboration with a body builder at the Imperial Hotel is a ‘bend and stretch’ initiative that will encourage you to engage with your inner diva. Also, Imogen Semmler will be working with vets, scientists and entrepreneurs in order to track the movements of Erko’s stealthiest felines and answer the age-old question, where do cats go when they leave the cat flap? Expect to see some truly unusual spaces being put to use. "Hossein Ghaemi is serenading us from the rooftops of Erskineville village," says White. "This will be a Tiny Stadiums first. Ghaemi's singers will be dressed in his signature otherworldly style, their voices floating through the air at dusk. Other artists are responding to Erskineville's unique geography and experiences. "Jen Hamilton and Craig Johnson are cheekily exploring the food politics of this increasingly gentrified area," says White. "Since Woolworths decided to simply name its new Erskineville supermarket erskineville earlier this year, Hamilton and Johnson have looked at notions of public space, privatisation, global supply chains and urban farms in order to tell a story about food and labour in the 21st century." A new addition to the festival is Tiny forums, consisting of craft workshops and symposiums with Sydney’s leading curators and artists, who will be discussing the intersection of public spaces and community-based art. And to keep the fire burning, Albert Tucker Slow Coffee will be setting up shop in PACT’s leafy courtyard. Filling the gap between the theatre and the street, Tiny Stadiums is quickly becoming an annual staple in Sydney’s arts program. It is a hyperlocal celebration of live art, aiming to reach both the intended audience and the coincidental passer-by.
Established in 1992 on the site of a historic Maccabean Hall, the Sydney Jewish Museum was established by a generation of Holocaust survivors who made Australia their home post-World War II. The vision was to create a space to share the history and customs of the Jewish faith, as well as documenting stories of the Holocaust and broader human rights issues. Alongside the permanent exhibitions, it also regularly hosts film screenings, Holocaust survivor talks, book launches and discussions. The space also has a cafe and a resource centre and library, which houses an extensive collection of books, journals, videotapes and audiotapes for use in educational programs.
Monster burgers and homemade Italian pastries aren't the type of things you'd usually find at an RSL Club; however they'll soon be on the menu in Rooty Hill's local establishment. The Sherbrooke Street mainstay is launching a new venue, Made By The Hill, with Chur Burger and Pasticceria Papa moving in. Throwing open its doors on July 28 with a huge two-day launch party, Made By The Hill is a blend of bar, cafe, burger joint and lounge area, complete with room for entertainment. The open-plan space is the culmination of more than 12 months of planning, and aims to bring a city-style hangout to Western Sydney. Think Scandinavian-influenced interiors as designed by TomMarkHenry, aka the folks behind The Darlo Country Club, 1888 Certified and Bondi's Best. Food-wise, expect Pasticceria Papa's baked ricotta cheesecake, cannoli and pistachio biscuits, plus a cafe menu slinging seven types of pizzas, paninis and baguettes, and meat and cheese boards. Chur Burger's addition to the fold brings their usual meat-and-bread behemoths, chilli salt-laden chips and creamy milkshakes — and yes, Chur's Mac Daddy with grilled beef, a mac 'n' cheese pattie, hot smoky barbecue sauce, jalapeno mayo and fresh jalapenos is on offer. The bar will serve up a 12-option cocktail menu, ranging from old favourite like espresso martinis and both red and white wine sangria to chilli and watermelon margaritas and dragonfruit and strawberry sours. A selection of red, white, sparkling and rose helps round out the drinks options, as well as small batch and boutique brews. Find Made by the Hill at 55 Sherbrooke Street, Rooty Hill from July 28. For more information, check out their website.
The distinction between American and Australian cop dramas is about as close to black and white as you can get before literally stripping them of colour. Thematically, the US genre is driven by 'heroism' — brave (and usually maverick) police officers who go above and beyond the line of duty to save anything, from a family member to an entire city. Not so in Australia. Here, it is 'corruption' that most frequently forms the basis of plot lines, reflecting either a sorry state of confidence in our law enforcement agencies, or acceptance that action films don't really work in Australia (ie: Mission Impossible II). The latest offering, Felony, takes place in Sydney's inner west and was written, produced and starred in by Joel Edgerton. Edgerton plays Malcolm Toohey, a hero cop whose near miss during a drug raid (he's shot by a fleeing suspect in the film's frantic opening scene) leads to a heavy night of drinking alongside the other officers involved. Later, as he drives home (narrowly avoiding an RBT arrest thanks to a 'cop to cop' password), he accidentally knocks a young boy off his bike and makes the split-second decision to lie about how he came to be first on scene. From that moment on Felony becomes a story about the toxicity of deception and its capacity for infecting all those who are touched by it. It's one of those films that almost immediately registers in that part of your brain where uncomfortable truths reside, refusing to let you dismiss the story as 'mere fiction'. It's all very real, and human and confronting in its simplicity. One lie builds upon another so quickly that you soon find yourself gasping for air on behalf of the characters, and you can never shake the feeling that it will all eventually come crashing down. Worse, you can't quite decide if you want it to. Edgerton managed to pull together an impressive cast to star alongside him, including Tom Wilkinson as the senior cop spearheading the coverup, Jai Courtney as Wilkinson's eager young partner and Melissa George as Edgerton's wife; however, it's Edgerton who most impresses. He neatly captures his character's confusion, fear, conflict and self-loathing without ever threatening to overplay any of it, and his performance is strong enough to rise above the occasional misteps in the script. The ending is unnecessarily symmetrical, certainly, and there's a subplot that goes confusingly AWOL somewhere in the third act, but overall it's a solid film with an excellent turn from its lead. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qjHvfnB8SRI
Australians have always liked cheese, and we have everything from dedicated fromageries and festivals dedicated to the dairy foodstuff to cheese wheels filled with pasta and bottomless raclette sessions to prove it. Our stomachs are working overtime to digest all the lactose — and, honestly, we've never been happier. And the love affair continues with this latest cheesy announcement. Bon Fromage — a festival specifically celebrating European cheese — is returning in 2020, and it's making a few changes. Like plenty of events this year, it's moving online and going national. So, more cheese for everyone, obviously. The whole thing will be taking place from Saturday, November 21–Sunday, November 29. First and foremost is cheese, cheese and more cheese — which you can order in gourmet tasting packs until Sunday, November 15. They'll then be delivered to your door, ready for you to devour. And if you're wondering what you'll be feasting on, each pack comes with half a kilo of cheese made in France, plus a recipe booklet and cheese tasting notes. But the virtual cheese festival isn't just about eating so much cheese that you puke. Masterclasses will be held on different varieties of cheese, the history of cheese, cooking with cheese and, we assume, the correct way to draw a cheese fondue bath for yourself. You can also obviously use the who event as an excuse to buy some cheese yourself and watch along.
UPDATE: APRIL 1, 2020 — This event was originally scheduled to take place between May 19–31, but was rescheduled due to government restrictions related to COVID-19. Reading all seven of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books in 70 minutes? Not even Dumbledore himself could conjure up that kind of magic. Seeing the entire saga play out on stage in the same amount of time, with room for a quidditch match too? Well, thanks to Potted Potter (the Unauthorised Harry Experience), that's another matter entirely. If you don't have the time to reread your favourite novels, are looking for a quick refresher before the new Fantastic Beasts film hits cinemas in 2021 or would just like a brief wander through the entire story for the fun of it, then this comedic production has you covered. The show was created by double Olivier Award Best Entertainment nominees Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner in 2005 — and has been touring ever since. In it, the two performers relive the wonder of the boy who lived and recreate the terror of He Who Must Not Be Named — and whiz through it faster than you can say "accio books!" (or almost that fast). And, if you somehow still have no idea what all the Harry Potter fuss is about, consider this the ultimate primer. Of course, Potted Potter is a parody, so it comes with plenty of laughs when it returns to the Seymour Centre in June 2021. Evening shows will run Tuesday to Saturday, with additional afternoon shows on Saturday and Sunday. Best to book in advance because the show's previous trips to Australia have sold out. Images: Scott Joe.
If you're in the market for some timeless elegance, a well-loved local label is dishing up the goods this weekend. On Saturday, September 15, online womenswear boutique Brie Leon is digging through the archives for its next hometown sample sale, featuring a tidy range of jewellery, bags and one-off designs from its covetable past collections. We're talking bracelets, earrings, zodiac pendants, sunnies, totes and a whole lot in between. They'll be going cheap, priced at 80 percent off, on show at the loading dock of Marrickville furniture workshop Timbermill, from 8am. The label is best known for its slow fashion leanings and owner Janine Zafra's unique curation of well-made and thoughtfully produced pieces. It's a go-to for stylish goodies that'll buck all those trends and last you a lifetime. The Brie Leon Sample Sale will run from 8am–2pm.
Whether you're a foodie in search of the best and freshest ingredients for Christmas dinner or just after some wine and chocolates to take to said dinner, Eveleigh Farmers' Christmas Market makes a perfect holiday pit stop. This weekend, over 80 stallholders and artisan food producers from all over NSW will be gathering at Sydney's only all-weather farmer's market and selling various Christmas dining essentials like seafood, ham, turkey, wine, Christmas cakes and puddings, cherries and handmade sweet treats — all fresh, seasonal and homemade. You've also got the option to pre-order for collection on the day — handy if you're short on time or just don't want to miss out on the homegrown goodness.
Turn Sydney's urban jungle into an urban jungle gym: play deviator by notorious Western Australian new media art collective pvi. Their site-specific project is here as part of the International Symposium on Electronic Art and runs from June 11-16. Over the course of an hour, using a smartphone provided, participants (or deviators) seek out hidden audio instructions and perform up to 15 interventions and interactions, turning the world into a playground. You could find yourself guerrilla pole-dancing or playing spin the bottle in public or sack racing or WHO KNOWS what else. You will, if you do it. But this is more than just a game. This is a call to arms (and legs) to get people out onto the streets, to reclaim them for revolutionary fun, to ignore commerce and to start a new narrative. What does playing a game mean as an adult? How can games alter your reality and open up new possibilities? deviator is inspired by psycho-geography, by modern-day revolution, anti-materialism and political interventionism. This is an opportunity to stop signing petitions on Facebook and start engaging with what's really happening, or not happening, and to start making it happen. Deviator is part of the Switched On season at Performance Space, which is part of ISEA (itself under the umbrella of Vivid this year). The works featured each take something from the electronic world and combine it with other practices such as theatre, dance and sound. You'll be able to watch as experimental dance meets motion-sensing technology in Breathing Monster by French choreographer Myriam Gourfink, consider how a person sits through dialysis in Body Fluid II (Redux) and consider what human society should put down for posterity with the launch of the Forever Now project, to be concluded at MONAFOMA 2014. Image by Lucy Parakhina.
When someone asks where the party at, Motorik answer. The Sydney-based dance collective and record label are known around the traps for throwing the most outrageous of raves in secret locations. After three years of warm-ups and killer releases, they're ready to get epic for their third birthday this Saturday at a 'secret base location'. With the 15th release coming up for the label — a casual facemelter of an EP from The Presets' K.I.M — and their own show on the brand new FBi Click, Motorik have a bunch of reasons to get messy. They've also released the next instalment of their 'Under the Influences' mixtape series with K.I.M, streaming over here. Andrew Santamaria from Motorik took us through his top five tracks to gear you up for Motorik's epic birthday bash right here.
Don't let Monday morning scare you away from a Sundate. This Sunday, impress them over tasty treats from a delicatessen that's quickly becoming a Sydney institution, then hit the Dendy in Newtown for a two-for-one movie. First stop: feel those old timey vibes at Continental Deli, and try something new like the succulent octopus with sobrasada, stracciatella, radicchio and salsa verde, or play it safe (but well) with one of their cheese and charcuterie plates. Second stop: head down to the Dendy on King Street, and grab two movie tickets for $22 after 5pm — there's also usually some sort of deal at the snack bar should your tum still be a-rumblin'. Nothing rounds out the week like a good feed and a night at the movies. Newtown's certainly the spot for a Sunday night done right. Image: Kimberly Low.
I don’t want to start with a lame joke about how this film festival will be wheely good. Nor do I want to talk about how there are so many good films to choose from that you might find yourself in a fixie. I guess it’s just that, with so many bike puns to choose from, you might tyre of it.OK, enough. This year’s Bicycle Film Festival means a jam-packed five-day season with six film programs, a Joyride art show and even a street party. The first of the programs on Friday 13 November will screen Where Are You Go, a feature length film for which directors Benny Zenga & Brian Vernor spent four months on the Tour D’Afrique, the world’s longest bicycle race, and Made in Queens, a ten-minute short documentary about a group of Trinidadian cyclists in Queens. The second program of the evening will show eleven bike-themed short films from the USA, France and Italy.Saturday 14 November begins with a street party and ends with an after party. In between that, you can catch thirteen more short films and the feature-length I Love My Bicycle: The Story of FBM Bikes. The film, directed by Joe Stakun, tracks the rise of bike company FBM (Fat Bald Men), begun by Steve Crandall in the 90s as a reaction to the commercialisation of BMX. Switzerland, Canada and Spain get a look in on Sunday 15 November, with two short films about cyclists versus nature (Virtuous Chapter 10 and -40°C) and the feature-length 7 Deserts, in which Spanish cyclist Sergi Fernandez literally crosses seven deserts on a solo trip. Later that evening, those who missed Made in Queens and Where Are You Go have the chance to catch up on their viewing.The international BFF comes but once a year, so don’t miss your chance to see some of the best bike-centric films from around the globe — if you think you can handle it. Ticket prices for this event vary, season passes are available.
There are several truths to the Michael Bay Universe: 1. Magic Hour (i.e. the brief period just after sunrise or before sunset) lasts for approximately 22 hours in any given day. 2. Everything is explosive. Even Water. Especially water. 3. All explosions go predominantly 'up' and emit firework-like flares. 4. A shot should never go for more than three seconds, because, what is this, a Steve McQueen film? 5. There's nothing funnier than people who aren't Cool-Arse Playaz from Da Street speaking like they're Cool-Arse Playaz from Da Street (see: grandparents and/or cars). 6. Pretty girls wear heels. Even if they're ice-skating. Even if they're mountaineering. Even if they're spelunking. Even if they're blowing stuff 'up' or being blown up. 7. The higher the heel, the shorter the skirt. 8. The shorter the skirt, the lower the cut of the top. 9. Physics is bullshit, and should apply to neither action sequences nor breasts. 10. Blow something else up. Make sure it goes 'up'. The thing about the Bay Universe, though, is that it's so much fun. Big, dumb and fun. You know what you're going to get when you buy your ticket, and you get total value for money when you do. On that front, Transformers: Age of Extinction doesn't fail to deliver. Just on length alone, you're getting almost three hours of film, which is an hour too long from a critical standpoint, but from a Bay Movie perspective, it's the promise of several hundred more explosions, car chases and outrageous racial stereotypes. As for plot (and yes, there is one…just...), Transformers: Edge of Extinction picks up the story several years down the track from where the initial Shia Labeouf trilogy left off. Our new hero is Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), a Texan inventor whose ranch is in receivership and whose predictably hot teenage daughter (Nicola Peltz) is on the cusp of graduation. Around the world, all the Transformers — Decepticon and Autobot — are being hunted down by the CIA (led by Kelsey Grammer), and a mysterious third-party Transformer/bounty hunter named Lockdown. It's an uncomfortable alliance through which each party furthers its own sinister agenda, and which threatens to end all life on earth. As the inexplicably overweight truck that even more inexplicably smokes cigars would say, "bummer, dude" (refer to Truth No.5). There's nothing especially new here, save for the 3D, which is, admittedly, extensive and impressive, as well as the introduction of Dinobots, which fans of the comics/cartoons will doubtless appreciate. The performances are solid despite a laughably bad script, most notably from Stanley Tucci as the unscrupulous tech billionaire. The film's highlights centre almost exclusively around Lockdown, who makes for an outstanding villain, not in the least because his character actually has one. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to blow something up. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ubGpDoyJvmI
If your days spent working from home and social distancing could do with a few more adorable animals, you'll be happy to know the internet is filled with many. Melbourne's zoos are live streaming their penguins, leopard cubs and giraffes, Sydney's aquarium brought us playtime with Pig the dugong and a Queensland wildlife sanctuary has cams on its koalas 24/7. Now, Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo have launched their own television station: Taronga TV. As well as three 24/7 live-streams focused on the zoos' sumatran tiger cubs, seals and elephants, the station is releasing daily videos across its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels. Already online: some adorable koala content, virtual hangs with the world's largest lizard, penguin feeds, baby monkeys, otters and even a video of a hippo doing a backflip. Yes, hippopotamuses — those giant water-dwelling mammals that generally weigh around 1000 kilograms — can do gymnastics better than me. https://youtu.be/qy9tc9zkN_Y As for what's to come, the zoo is promising a lot of behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, chats with keepers, stories from the Wildlife hospitals (including how it x-rays a seal), conservation work and workshops. There's a heap of kid-focused content, too, if you have any littlies at home at the moment. Both Taronga Zoos are temporarily closed to the public. Taronga TV will release videos daily on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and via its website. Top image: Rick Stevens
Art & About is slowly turning every street, laneway, building site and intersection into a canvas for creativity and storytelling. As a part of this initiative comes Project Five, Volume Five — a month-long presentation of outdoor street art in Sydney’s iconic Darling Harbour. Encompassing the best in live art, music and with a huge range of family-friendly activities, Project Five is an exciting, contemporary celebration of arts, also functioning to provide funds to support the artists of tomorrow. The core of Project Five is a public art exhibit lasting the entire month and showcasing 16 large-scale works created by renowned Australian artists Jodee Knowles, Rone, Numskull and Adnate. Then, on the weekend beginning 27 September, contemporary Sydney artists will transform the Village Green into an open-air studio, painting live works as thousands watch on. The unique artworks created during the three-day event will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going towards the further development of the Information and Cultural Exchange’s digital arts program. Although now the fifth time that the Project Five event has been held, this marks the first time it has featured as a part of Sydney’s Art & About Festival, with aMBUSH Gallery and Darling Quarter teaming up to promote the community collaboration initiative.
Seeing the restored print of the 1948 Powell & Pressburger classic The Red Shoes is like seeing it for the first time. And, if it really is your first time taking it in, how I envy you! Following two and a half years of restoration work propelled by Martin Scorcese, editor Thelma Schoonmaker and the team at the UCLA Film & Television Archive, The Red Shoes absolutely sings on screen. The colours dazzle as much as the actual story, which remains elegantly suspenseful and haunting. Based loosely on a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, this is the story of the intersection of three very driven personalities: a dancer, a composer and a ballet director. It is not the happy tale of collaborative fulfilment however; it is the story of the passionate obsession behind creative ambitions and the ruthless choices demanded between art and life. It is also a glimpse into the netherworld of a ballet company at work, so realistic due in part to the casting of both actors and real dancers. The titular ballet — choreographed and performed by Robert Helpmann and Leonide Massine — is shown in one of the most stunning scenes ever marked upon film, each frame dripping into the next. At its center, naturally, are the red shoes that contain more magic and horror than Dorothy's. If you are the kind of film lover who is glancing longingly at your flat screen television as you read this review, thinking "I'll just wait for the blu-ray", I advise you to start this article over, up there at the first paragraph, and to pay attention this time. Of course a film as stunning as this will be wonderful any way you watch it but please, pirouette to the popcorn counter and see this masterpiece on the big screen while you can. * To begin this repertory run at the Chauvel with appropriate fanfare, Kevin Powell, son of co-director Michael Powell will introduce the film on opening night, Thursday March 18th at 6:30pm. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tSgar55BfPw
For whatever reason, Vin Diesel and the gang have yet to take their globe-hopping Fast and Furious franchise to New Zealand. But if they do, they'll be racing in the tyre tracks of a couple of Mini-focused homegrown films. Back in 1981, Goodbye Pork Pie saw a ragtag bunch of misfits careen across the country's two islands in a tiny yellow vehicle. Driving into remake territory with a newer model, Pork Pie takes the idea out for another spin. When struggling novelist Jon (Dean O'Gorman) fails to win his girlfriend back at a pal's wedding, he decides to try again after she heads down south to Invercargill. Luckily, he crosses paths with Luke (James Rolleston), who's driving a stolen car and fleeing a troubled past. Recently unemployed fast food worker and animal rights activist Kiera (Ashleigh Cummings) soon hops in as well, and the trio of strangers are suddenly on the road to adventure – albeit with the cops hot on their trail, the media going mad, and the entire nation seemingly watching their every move. Will they all become friends, learn life lessons and grow into better people on their journey? Will you see so many shots of a glistening Mini that you'll think you're watching a car commercial? Will the film showcase just as many scenic New Zealand sights as the Lord of the Rings films? The answer to all three of these questions is a resounding yes. Still, what Pork Pie lacks in surprises, it endeavours to make up for in jovial road trip vibes. Put it this way: if you were stuck travelling for a couple of hours with nothing but this movie for entertainment, you wouldn't mind. Even if they don't always prove the best long-haul companions on-screen, it helps that the three central performers make the most of their roles. None of their characters are particularly well-developed, but the genuine rapport between the energetic O'Gorman, charismatic Rolleston and spirited Cummings more than helps pass the time. Writer-director Matt Murphy boasts a significant connection to the original — it was helmed by his father Geoff Murphy, and Matt was part of the crew. It shouldn't be surprising then that the remake focuses on two things that made the first outing memorable: stunts and humour. In terms of the former, prepare for a standout dash through Wellington that happens to involve a coffin, and cars and trains colliding (but not in the way you might expect). As for the latter, it's more warm smiles and light chuckles than belly laughs. The gags are mostly conventional, but then that's Pork Pie to a tee: affable, enjoyable, but not quite as freewheeling and frenetic as it thinks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPJpLfKG1AI
If a critic's role is to truly explore their chosen field, not only examining the obvious and popular but also unearthing the new and unknown, then consider Jonathan Gold the king of Los Angeles cuisine. Sure he knows all the regular haunts, but he's more interested in the venues less visited. He sees the city as a hotbed of tastes and textures, with the eclectic eateries off the beaten path more vibrant and varied than their well-known, well-heeled counterparts. Indeed, Gold's penchant for smaller, harder to find establishments that reflect their respective communities is what has endeared him to LA restaurateurs and readers alike, while also catapulting him to broader fame and recognition. He freely admits that he became a food writer completely by accident, and yet he's been plying his trade for more than two decades. In 2007, he became the first and only food critic to win the Pulitzer Prize. City of Gold tells his tale, though Laura Gabbert's documentary doesn't just take the standard biographical route. There are no shortage of friends, or thankful chefs and owners, willing to sing his praises — and Gold himself doesn't shy away from sharing his own upbeat anecdotes. But the movie's real focus mirrors its subject's true quest. As his humble beginnings – munching his way along the 15-mile Pico Boulevard from downtown LA to Santa Monica – demonstrate, the Los Angeles Times scribe is more concerned with the experience than the ingredients. Gabbert's skill is in doing the same, honing in on Gold's travels around town in his trusty Dodge truck more than she does the minutiae of the menus he consumes. Accordingly, City of Gold ambles along with a relaxed air, lurching from one topic to another while its images roam around the city. Thankfully, even when delving into his childhood, background as a music writer and notorious reputation for procrastination, the film doesn't suffer from its sprawling approach and casual attitude. Insights into the history of LA, the art of criticism and the advent of online consumer review sites also earn a mention, but never do they distract from the feature's main thread. Instead, they flesh out the 96-minute look at a guy uncovering the flavours of his hometown with a commitment to authenticity — and not just because it's his job, but because it's his passion. His enthusiasm, though delivered in his particularly unflashy fashion, proves infectious, with the film sharing that same tone of celebration. That adoration doesn't just extend to its portrayal of Gold, but to the places he champions, with his negative opinions glaringly absent. As Gold reads his own reviews of gastronomic gems, it's easy to believe that his is a life of devouring only the tastiest culinary creations. Basically, if you think being a food critic sounds like the perfect job, this documentary will do very little to change your mind.
When Australia's international borders reopen to the world in November — and when Aussies are permitted to fly overseas for holidays again from Monday, November 1 — that'll only fix one problem when it comes to travelling the globe. Obviously, being allowed to leave the country for a getaway is a big step, especially after more than 18 months of doing exactly that being banned. But being permitted to enter whichever destination you're heading to is obviously just as important. Different countries have different rules about who can visit — and, crucially, the requirements also vary regarding vaccination status. Also, once you've made it into your destination, the conditions might also vary regarding showing you're vaxxed to step inside venues and attend events. Accordingly, proving that you've been double-jabbed isn't something you'll only need to do at home — in New South Wales and Victoria under their reopening roadmaps, for example. So, the Australian Government is launching an international travel certificate that shows if you've been double-vaccinated. It'll become available for use from Tuesday, October 19. As announced on Sunday, October 17, the 'International COVID-19 proof of vaccination' certificate will be provided to Aussies and Aussie visa holders — as long as you have a valid passport, and also your COVID-19 vaccination has been recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). You will still need to request one, though, which you can do either by accessing your Medicare account through My Gov or using the Medicare Express app. If you're wondering how it'll work when you're travelling, the new certificate includes a secure QR code that border authorities around the world can access, letting them confirm your COVID-19 vax status. It'll also be marked with a visible digital seal for security purposes, and has been designed to meet the new global standard for these types of passes — as specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization and conforms with World Health Organization guidance. For more information about showing your vaccination status for international travel, visit the Services Australia website.
20,000 Days on Earth is a documentary that's fiction. Though it's by no means the only documentary to question the form and take things meta, it is one of the most boldly experimental ones out there. It's a work that's highly constructed from start to finish — and since it's constructed with and about Nick Cave, there's plenty of fun to be had. The film imagines the 20,000th day on earth of the Australian-born, UK-based singer and raconteur. It's a day that includes him talking to his shrink, recording an album, helping archivists make sense of his historical record, lunching with his pals, driving Kylie Minogue around Brighton, and playing at the Sydney Opera House. A pretty great day, really, particularly for its impossibilities. Running throughout is, naturally, Cave's own music, rumbling out of the studio and guiding his path through the world. Instead of clarity and chronology, what you get in 20,000 Days on Earth is a fragmented sense of biography that is sometimes deeply insightful, sometimes electrifying and sometimes frustrating. Major characters in the life of Nick Cave, such as collaborator Warren Ellis and The Proposition star Ray Winstone, appear without context or label, meaning that to really follow this winding ride, you have to be au fait with the life of Cave. If you're not, just let it go; there are plenty of moments here that are plain entertaining regardless, while a live performance montage set to a frenzied, ever building version of 'Jubilee Street' is near rapturous to witness. The conversation between Cave and Minogue feels painfully intimate and revealing, despite all the scripting that frames it. Artists-turned-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have basically conjured a new format here, one that's wondrously poetic and imaginative. There's a sense that it could be applied to tell nearly anybody's fragmented, personal tale, though having the flair and flamboyance of Cave certainly helps. Eavesdropping on a conversation with Cave is right up there with the high points of cultural consumption. 20,000 Days on Earth gets points for pure brio. It's not like anyone would want every documentary to be made this way, but it sure is an interesting divergence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ap0_y5EGttk
Fans of aggressive trap tunes, get ready for NYC rapper A$AP Ferg's upcoming show in Sydney. Part of the lauded Harlem-based hip-hop collective A$AP Mob (which also includes award-winning artist A$AP Rocky), Ferg first got serious recognition with his debut solo album Trap Lord back in 2013, taking home the Rookie of the Year BET Hip Hop Award. Since then, he's released four more records, with the most-recent Floor Seats dropping late last year. The hip-hop heavyweight will be taking the stage at The Star Sydney's multimillion-dollar events centre on Friday, March 6. You'll also catch support act Triple J Unearthed artists Triple One, who hail from the inner west, plus Marquee DJs Sabio and K-Note. If you just want to catch A$AP Ferg perform, nab a general admission ticket for $65. Or, if you're keen to make a big night of it you can opt for a VIP ticket, which will set you back a cool $250 per person. You'll get express entry into the gig; access to the VIP lounge; a three hour food and drinks package; and express entry into Marquee afterwards to keep the good times going. Looking to take things to the next level? Round up 27 of your mates and grab a private suite for killer stage views — but prepare to splash some serious cash (pricing available on enquiry). There are only three available, each coming with a range of snacks — think sushi, sashimi, lamb cutlets and crispy pork belly. Drinks-wise, you'll be ordering from the VIP bottle service menu, which has an extensive range of OTT champagnes and spirits. And you'll get priority entry into the concert as well as into Marquee, naturally.
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.
Put down your Kit Kat, for we’ve just discovered a break that's even better than snappable chocolate-covered wafers: smashing stuff. To be more specific, we mean smashing stuff with a baseball bat — and it's a legitimate, all above-board activity at new Melbourne pop-up, The Break Room. Currently housed in the back of a Brunswick shoe warehouse-turned-espresso bar Kines, an appointment at The Break Room is a five-minute, sweaty task that puts you behind thick, plastic walls, wields you with a pink baseball bat and some protective headgear and lets you go to town on some very satisfyingly smashable items. For the moment, they’re using plates and glasses as collateral. But if anyone can produce it, our ‘ultimate smashable’ would be a ceramic Matryoshka filled with glitter. The Break Room was born in a moment of frustration (and through the efficacy of podcasts) by founder Ed Hunter, after he realised that everybody wants to blow off steam in their own way. And while some might prefer to hit the gym, Hunter is inviting you to hit some crockery off a stool instead. Speaking of the stools, notches of pink residue from the so-coloured bats have been passionately left on them; reminders that other members of the baseball bat cathartic club (do I hear badges?) have bashed their way to sanity before you. For anyone studying their swatch patterns, the pink is Baker-Miller, and has been used in correctional facilities across America to help calm violent inmates. Yet Hunter heeds that The Break Room’s goal isn’t violence, but rather to reduce stress and harness those destructive tendencies in a controlled and fun way. A video posted by The Break Room (@thebreakroom) on Feb 10, 2016 at 8:46pm PST At $50 to smash your way to calmness for five minutes, this emotional outlet may seem a bit on the spenny side, but the beauty is in the fact that you’re not breaking your own stuff — and some other guy will be picking up the pieces after you. These pieces are, in fact, added to the pile that hides further out back, where both shattered crockery and snapped pink swords from liberated brethren lay, which is a good indicator that the allocated time is probably ample. So wait until the shutters go down, don your best Joaquin Phoenix impersonation and swing away at those inner aliens of yours by taking your aggression out in some organised chaos. The Break Room is currently located in Brunswick, Melbourne and is open from 3pm every day. For more information, visit thebreakroom.com.au.
A hatted favourite in New Zealand, White + Wongs is a new addition to Sydney's hospo scene, arriving at the city's latest dining precinct. This colourful spot located at 25 Martin Place doesn't stray too far from the formula that's made it such a success across the ditch, with an eclectic menu that draws influences from classic street food from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. On Monday, September 26, the inner-city eatery is celebrating International Dumpling Day with a pair of dumpling offers. The first is an all-you-can-eat dumpling menu that will set back diners $25 a head. You'll be served dumplings yum cha-style for an hour, and be able to sample as many dumplings as you can from both White + Wongs' standard dumpling menu and its Fun Dumpling Menu. On the Fun Dumpling Menu, you'll find weird and wonderful takes on dumplings including mac and cheese xiao long bao, Vegemite and emu dumplings, prawn and parmesan toast, and hot fried jam doughnut buns. While you're indulging in bottomless dumplings, you can also pull together three of your closest dumpling-loving friends to share the 10-inch giant xiao long bao which has been added to the menu. Each giant dumpling is filled with pork mince and a pork-based broth and can feed four people. It even comes with a straw so you can suck out the soup before you cut it open. There will only be 30 available on the day for $35 a pop, so make sure to preorder your giant dumpling in advance. The festivities kick off at 11am and go until late. Make sure to book a table at the White + Wongs website if you're heading in for the dumpling feast.
Believe it or not, the season is almost over, folks. Summer is just around the corner which means that, soon enough, the temperature gauge is going to start doing some crazy things. So we best make the most of the outdoors while we can bear to be outside for longer than a few minutes. As Spring Carnival draws to a close, we've teamed up with Australian Turf Club to bring you five top-notch ways to celebrate the season this week. [caption id="attachment_746601" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kirsten Muller[/caption] BROWSE THE STALLS AND HAVE A BOOGIE AT THIS COMMUNITY FESTIVAL When? Sunday, November 10 The inner west's beloved Newtown Festival will see Camperdown Memorial Park crawling with stalls, performers and activities. The family- and dog-friendly festival is just five bucks entry (paid at the gate) and proceeds go to the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre to help support people who are doing it tough in the area. As well as doing something good for the community, you'll get to enjoy the Heaps Gay Karaoke Closet (a tent dedicated to dress ups and lots of karaoke), the Eco Village and the Sassy Treats Dog Show. There'll be over 200 food and market stalls, more than 100 roaming performers and a music lineup showcasing artists who've each got their own connection to the Newtown community, including The Delta Riggs, Godtet, Lola Scott and The Buoys. HAVE A SPOOKY SLEEPOVER AT COCKATOO ISLAND When? Friday, November 8 If one night of Halloween just isn't enough for you, prepare to get well and truly scared at Cockatoo Island's Overnight Fright Experience. Amping up the island's regular haunted history night tours, the overnight experience starts with a two-hour guided walking tour of the island — delving into its (creepy) history as a prison, dockyard, reformatory, school and wartime port — before finishing up with a horror film screening at the world-heritage listed Convict Precinct, and a (probably not distracting enough) treat of hot chocolates and marshmallows to roast over the fire. After all that, do your best to fall asleep in a deluxe camping tent. [caption id="attachment_749061" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul McMillan[/caption] SIP CHAMPAGNE ON THE LAST WEEKEND OF EVEREST CARNIVAL When? Saturday, November 9 There's one more chance to enjoy the best part of spring at Rosehill Gardens, as the Everest Carnival draws to a close with Golden Gift Ladies Day on Saturday, November 9. So put on something swish, and step into a palm-studded oasis at Rosehill Gardens for champagne, cocktails and sets from DJs like Steph Luxe. The bar will be serving refreshments like Canadian Club cocktails, Pimm's on tap and Iron Jack beer, and a food precinct packed with some of Sydney's best food trucks. For something a bit more special — like a birthday you've left a little too late to organise — you can add a bar platter or deluxe picnic hamper to your ticket, or book in for a long lunch for $155 per person. Don't forget to stop by the pampering station for a touch up before heading to the afterparty at Rosehill Bowling Club. [caption id="attachment_702354" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Takashi Murakami by Claire Dorn[/caption] EXPLORE THE ART GALLERY OF NSW'S LATEST EXHIBITION When? Any day Summer blockbuster exhibition Japan Supernatural is an exploration of the spirit world of Japanese art. Made up of more than 200 pieces, the immersive experience involves paintings, sculpture, prints, film, animation, comics and games. Highlights include a monumental piece by Tokyo-born Takashi Murakami, historical works by artists such as Katsushika Hokusai (best known for Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji and Great Wave off Kanagawa) and Utagawa Kuniyoshi, plus art by photographer Miwa Yanagi and contemporary pop artist Chiho Aoshima. CATCH A NEW FLICK AT THIS OUTDOOR CINEMA BY THE HARBOUR When? Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, November 10 The American Express Openair Cinema is back on the harbour, set up in Pyrmont's Metcalfe park until December 8. Food truck Mr Papa will be on site slinging Peruvian street food, burgers, fries and grazing platters, or you can grab popcorn and drinks from the bar. This week catch Joaquin Phoenix in Joker on Friday, November 8, or Sunday night comedy The Dead Don't Die starring Bill Murray. Doors open at 6pm each night so you can snag a good spot, with live music performances until the film starts after sunset. The best part? It's dog friendly. Everest Carnival runs until November 9 at Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick. For more information, head this way. Image: Felipe Neves.
For the dessert fiends at Gelato Messina, it isn't enough to sit in the chain's brand-new Marrickville headquarters in Sydney and dream up every kind of wild and delicious ice cream flavour that anyone could possibly think of. The Messina crew do that, and often, of course. But they also apply their sweet treat-loving minds to creating next-level limited-edition specials, often taking a beloved dish, adding gelato and then giving it another twist. Here's the latest: Messina's Vovovroom, aka its frosty version of Iced Vovo biscuits, which it has indeed made before. This time around, it's adding mango. Why? The better question is: why not? So, first everyone's favourite childhood biscuit is getting the gelato treatment — again. But because that's already been on Messina's menu, it's now adding in a flavour that most folks love just as much. Wondering what exactly the end result entails? It comes filled with layers of toasted coconut and mango gelato, plus mango salsa and shortbread. Then, it's topped with piped Italian meringue and desiccated coconut. Yes, the end result looks like the bikkies you know and love — but in a mango hue, obviously, and in a scoopable form. Messina's mango Vovovroom gelato tubs can only be ordered online on Monday, April 17 for collection between Friday, April 21–Sunday, April 23 Messina now opens its orders at various times for various places, so you'll want to hop online at 9am for Queensland and Australian Capital Territory stores, 9.15am for Victorian shops, and at either 9.30am, 9.45am or 10am depending on where you are in New South Wales. Gelato Messina's Mango Vovovroom gelato tubs will be available to order on Monday, April 17, for pick up between Friday, April 21–Sunday, April 23 — head to the Messina website for further details.
Even if you know Bendigo inside out, you'll experience it in a whole new light during Bendigo Uncorked Week. For ten delicious days, the town's historical buildings will host an array of creative events dedicated to foodies and winos looking to try something new. Bendigo is known for its robust shiraz and cabernet sauvignon drops thanks to deep soil and high sun exposure. But the festival seeks to highlight the region's full and distinct offering which also includes chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc and sangiovese. Get started at Bendigo Heritage After Dark on Friday, October 12. This intimate experience will see you head into the Fortuna Villa's Gold Crushing Room to try 40 wines from the Bendigo region to the sweet sounds of live music. The following day, you can spend a few hours wandering through seven heritage buildings in central Bendigo, where several local vineyards will be serving boutique drops alongside a selection of tasty bites. After dark, settle in at Burnt Acre Vineyard for a six-course banquet with matching wines, including the sold-out 2015 Burnt Acre shiraz. Once you sip it, you'll know why it sold out (and won best shiraz at last year's Bendigo Uncorked Week). Other escapades planned across the festival include an evening of traditional north Italian fare and a night at the movies hosted by Sandhurst Ridge Wines. Check out the rest of the program here. To discover more events and spring experiences in regional Victoria visit: Your Happy Space.
Unfolding over 200 kilometres, the country's largest outdoor gallery will soon play host to the new Silo Art Hotel — a luxury, street art-themed pop-up getaway located in Sea Lake, near the northwest corner of the art trail's looped route. Announced today, Monday May 17, the Silo Art Hotel will give visitors an opportunity to spend the night just a short hop away from the trail's many spectacular visual offerings. Located beside the vivid pink waters of Lake Tyrrell, the hotel is crafted from three repurposed shipping containers, two of which have been transformed into luxe suites. The third has been reimagined as a heated open-air swimming pool, ideal for weary travellers after a long day spent exploring the region. It's all appearing for just one month, from June 11–July 12 this year. A joint effort from Visit Victoria and street art collective Juddy Roller, the Silo Art Hotel will offer some visual splendours of its own with the Matt Adnate Suite and Drapl & Zookeeper Suite each kitted out with never-before-seen artworks from their respective namesake artist. Adnate concepted and created the mural on the Sheep Hills silos in 2016, while Drapl & The Zookeeper are behind the collaboration that has graced the Sea Lake silos since 2019. A colourful mural by Rosebery silo artist Kaff-eine will adorn one side of the pop-up swimming pool. [caption id="attachment_812361" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Sea Lake silos, featuring artwork by Drapl and The Zookeeper.[/caption] The Silo Art Hotel design is the work of Contained — the same crew behind The Wine Down pop-up winery hotels. The two self-contained hotel rooms boast high-end features including fancy Cultiver linen and robes, Australian-made toiletry products and a mini bar stocked with local goodies. Each room will also boast a private deck, ensuite bathroom and reverse cycle heating and cooling. The Silo Art Trail has been slowly and steadily expanding since its conception in 2016. It currently features 10 large-scale artworks, painted onto towering silos dotted across the state's Wimmera Mallee region. The Silo Art Hotel will pop up at Sea Lake from June 11–July 12. Rooms are $275 per night Sunday through to Thursday, and $375 per night from Friday to Saturday. Head to the website to book your stay.
Yulli's Brews finally opened its own (100-percent vegan) Alexandria taproom back in July, and now it's giving Sydney's inner west another reason to celebrate with the launch of Yulli's Brewery Markets. On the third Sunday of each month, the brewery will invite local merchants, artisans and independent makers to display an array of homewares, smallgoods and other handmade items. The market will begin this Sunday, November 18. Among the products for sale will be indoor plants, bespoke ceramics, vintage clothing and heaps of preserves, condiments and jarred goodies. Yulli's own eats will be up for grabs too, including ready-made dumplings, kimchi and other pickled veg (all vegan, of course). The market opens at 9am, with a barbecue of vegan hot dogs welcoming guests alongside the stallholders. But the day really kicks into gear at 11am when live acts take the stage and the bar starts slinging its namesake brews. The full brewery menu is available from noon, too.
If your idea of trifle is Aeroplane Jelly, Madeira cake from the nearest supermarket, tinned peaches and cheap rum, think again. Pastry chef and owner of Enmore's Saga Andy Bowdy — whose peanut butter and banana sundaes (once served at Hartsyard) are the stuff of legend — has reinvented the dessert, especially for Christmas. His festive trifles made their debut in 2017 and they're back for a second round. In Bowdy's words, "I know a trifle can be a little controversial, but lets face it — a trifle is basically a cake in a bowl." If you've ever sampled his cakes, you'll take that as good tidings. Exceptionally good tidings. These trifles are not just cakes, but OTT masterpieces, loaded with all kinds of goodies, like baked cheesecake chunks, caramelised popcorn and salted caramel drizzle. On the Christmas trifle menu are four options. One of them is the Ted, a blackforest-inspired concoction of chocolate fudge cake, white chocolate mascarpone, morello cherry compote and Nutella cremeux, topped with candied hazelnuts, choc-hazelnut crumb and fresh cherries, and infused with a cherry and bourbon soak. Meanwhile, the Philly takes its cue from peaches and cream. Think layers of vanilla sponge, maple custard, vanilla chantilly and peach and rosemary compote, spiked with peach and bourbon jelly, and topped with brown sugar pecans, Anzac crumbs and fresh peaches and raspberries. There's also the Jacoby's, a tropical explosion of vanilla sponge, passionfruit curd, pineapple white rum jelly, coconut custard and vanilla chantilly, with caramelised pineapple, coconut chew, milk crumb and fresh passionfruit and pineapple. Then, for Italophiles, the Tiramisu. It's not the only OTT trifle making the rounds this Christmas either, Gelato Messina's famed Christmas coma has also returned. Andy Bowdy's Christmas trifles can be ordered online now and collected from Saga, Enmore, from December 1–24. Each cake is $195 and feeds 18-22 people.
A twisty tale of high-stakes British espionage — one that spans secret identities, torrid affairs, country-hopping missions and a world-in-peril situation, too — Operation Mincemeat desperately wants its audience to know about its 007 ties. When it introduces a man by the name of Ian Fleming (Johnny Flynn, The Dig), it lets the moment linger. It drops more than a few mentions of his fondness for writing about spy intrigue as well. And, when he refers to his boss Admiral John Godfrey (Jason Isaacs, Streamline) as M, the film even has him explain why. Fleming is also the movie's narrator, literally spinning a cloak-and-dagger story from the get-go. Plus, seeing him tapping away at a typewriter is a common image. Every single touch forms part of the feature's warm, well-meaning nod to the Bond, James Bond author's early years; however, it's also a tad distracting and unnecessary. Fleming is immersed in the IRL covert mission that Operation Mincemeat explores, and removing him would've been inaccurate, but the details themselves are fascinating enough without getting viewers thinking about tuxedos and shaken-not-stirred martinis. Operation Mincemeat is a war film, set in the darkening days of 1943. It's also just as much a heist film. Whether you've only ever seen one Ocean's flick, have memorised every single word of Reservoir Dogs, or loved Baby Driver or Widows in recent years, if you've seen one caper movie you know the setup: gather a gang together, work out the nitty gritty of a bold but tricky plan, endeavour to put the scheme into action, then weather whatever comes (be it success, failure or a bit of both). Adapting Ben Macintyre's book, which also spawned a 2010 documentary, screenwriter Michelle Ashford (Masters of Sex) is well aware of this formula. With director John Madden (Miss Sloane) behind the lens, Operation Mincemeat doesn't shy away from all of the heist basics for a second. But as with all the gratuitous Bond nods, a cracking real-life tale remains a cracking real-life tale — the kind that no one, not even Fleming, could convincingly make up. The titular gambit came about as much of the Allies' efforts in World War II did: as an effort to do whatever was needed to defeat Hitler. Britain needed to make its way into occupied Europe, but everyone involved knew it — including the Germans — ensuring that any standard move would've been oh-so-easy for the Nazis to predict. Enter the operation that might've been codenamed 'Trojan Horse', except that that label would've been much too obvious. The plan: getting documents about the Allies' purported and wholly fictional scheme to invade Greece to their enemies, misdirecting them, so that the invasion of Sicily could proceed with little resistance. The crucial detail: drifting those papers into Spain, where they could be reasonably expected to end up in German hands, by placing them with a corpse dressed up to look like a British military officer. Making that ruse stick — ensuring that the Nazis didn't smell a plant, specifically — was never going to be a straightforward move. It's one thing to nail the logistics of transporting the cadaver and its faux materials to the right place, and another completely to find a body that works, forge all the necessary documentation and build up a backstory so believable that it'd stand up to enemy scrutiny. As a result, Godfrey isn't keen on the operation, which was reportedly conjured up by Fleming, but it still gets the go-ahead anyway. Tasked with both fleshing and carrying it out are Naval Intelligence officers Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth, Supernova) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen, Succession), who amass a team of helpers including Fleming, Montagu's trusty chief secretary Hester Leggett (Penelope Wilton, Downton Abbey: A New Era), plus MI5 clerk Jean Leslie (Kelly Macdonald, Line of Duty). No heist plot ever sounds as exciting as it is when boiled down to a big-picture overview, and that's true of Operation Mincemeat. It's thrilling on-screen, though, including when it dives into the tiniest of gripping specifics. Don't trust anyone who tells you they lack attention to detail and don't care otherwise; when the minutiae is this compelling, focusing on every decision made, each item required, and every possible setback and struggle flows swiftly and easily. Body decomposition rates and submarine routes prove both essential and captivating, but it's the quest to establish the fictitious Major William Martin's personal life that's even more engrossing. That's how the widowed Jean comes into the narrative, and how the best of the movie's subplots starts to unfurl, with Cholmondeley sporting a crush but the married Montagu striking up a rapport instead. Another narrative thread, this time about Godfrey's suspicions that Montagu's dilettante brother Ivor (Mark Gatiss, The Father) might be a Communist sympathiser, is far less critical. Operation Mincemeat is a saggier movie with it included — but rolling out a ripping true tale, then occasionally bogging it down needlessly, is this spy caper's approach from start to finish. Thankfully, courtesy of Ashford's witty scripting and Madden's snappy helming, the handsomely shot feature always remains solid enough to mostly float rather than drag. And it does look the polished period- and mood-appropriate picture, too — with help from cinematographer Sebastian Blenkov, who managed the same with 2016's Their Finest — and engagingly balances its dark hues and dripping tension with cosy "keep calm and carry on"-style determination. Still, it's easy to wonder if Operation Mincemeat would've come together as skilfully as it has — aside from its few soggier inclusions — with any other cast. Enlisting men who've played romantic leads in Jane Austen adaptations works out nicely, spanning Firth and Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice's Mr Darcy on TV and in film, respectively) as well as Flynn (Emma's Mr Knightley); silent yearning is silent yearning, whether over matters of the heart or for one's country and its success in global conflict. Macdonald is also as delightful as ever, and handles the love-triangle subplot with the grace and emotion it calls for. Indeed, it too might've felt superfluous if it wasn't so sincere, and didn't offer a lower-stakes example of the deceptions people spin and cling to — and the fictions they happily escape into — to keep buoyant. In fact, if viewers needed any other proof that this definitely isn't a Bond movie and really didn't need to emphasise its links to 007 so forcefully, unpeeling Operation Mincemeat's layers makes it as clear as a gleaming Aston Martin's bulletproof glass.
When you think Tennessee Williams, you usually think steamy southern towns and tragically romantic, sweeping plantations upon whose porches wasted women have their nervous breakdowns. What you don't automatically think of are rainbow streamers. But Simon Stone's production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Belvoir is a reinvented sort, and its set — a revolving turntable bisected by a dense curtain of the party-supply staple — wants to remind us that we're here under the pretence of celebration. It's the 50th birthday of family patriarch Big Daddy (Marshall Napier). He's also dying of cancer and everyone knows it but him and his overprotective, loving, stickybeaky wife, Big Mama (Lynette Curran). The inheritance of their grand plantation is, therefore, a matter on everyone else's minds. Maggie (Jacqueline McKenzie) believes it's the right of her husband, Big Daddy's favourite son, Brick (Ewen Leslie), and that it will put their faltering relationship back on track. Ageing football hero Brick is in the depths of alcoholism, self-flagellation and denial of his sexuality and cannot want for a thing like land ownership. Brick's rather square brother Gooper (Alan Dukes) thinks it would be best left to him, and his wife, Mae (Rebecca Massey), keeps exploiting their brood of six children to win the favour of their grandparents. Sadly it's Maggie who's most affected by the kids' parading, as what she really wants is a child, something she has no chance of getting as long as her husband despises her. This Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is part of a raft of productions that take classic texts and transport them to the unspecific contemporary, a place where accents are Australian but other textual references to place remain foreign. It's a legitimate approach, especially given how often audiences recoil from off accents. The aim is to find and communicate the heart of the play, and it's worked most successfully in The Wild Duck and Strange Interlude (both Stone's work). Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a (literally and metaphorically) colourful production with swags of charm, but unfortunately, it doesn't quite present us with the raw, beating heart it was searching for. There seem to be pieces missing in conceptualising how (or whether) this story fits into a modern world. As it is, it's hard to understand the root of some of the characters' anger and repression. The actors, too, are a bit discordant. McKenzie might just be too adorable for the role of Maggie, coming across quite flatly sweet, flighty and garrulous — more bird than titular cat. The usually fabulous Leslie is good, but his Brick just seems morose, without that seething edge to make you think his depression matters to the outcome of things. Napier stepped into his key role at the last moment to replace an ill Anthony Phelan and had to keep his script on hand at opening, but a few nights on, when we finally made it along, his Big Daddy is commanding. Sandalled and Hawaiian-shirted, vociferous yet nuanced, he almost has a Hunter S. Thompson vibe, which is, of course, immensely watchable. As for that streamer-curtained set, it might have been better in theory than practice. While it creates a multifaceted entrance for the actors, it's also wafty and tangly and all up a distraction. This might sound like a litany of errors, but nevertheless Cat on a Hat Tin Roof is an entertaining and clever production. The story's beautiful tragedy is in the longing and lack of fulfilment evinced in Brick and Maggie, and it cuts through — just not to the depths it was aiming for. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof moves to the Theatre Royal from April 10-21.
Celebrate Mardi Gras at Forrester's with a two-hour bottomless brunch hosted by drag performer Queen Millenia Alcox on Saturday, February 26. Kicking off from midday, you're invited to start your weekend with two hours of drag, music, drinks and a hearty menu of Forrester's dishes. Alongside classics of a brunch spread like focaccia, salad and roast vegetables, highlights from the menu include butternut squash dip, sweetcorn and mozzarella croquettes, beer-battered fish and chilli lamb skewers – all of which will be accompanied by bottomless rosé and a show from Alcox and her partners-in-drag Raquel and Victoria Mami. Bookings can be made for groups of four or more, and will set you and your friends back $99 per person, or $109 a head if you want to add prosecco and Moon Dog Pale Ale to your free-flowing drinks options. Top image: Kitti Gould
"Today is a good day to die," announced Kiefer Sutherland in Flatliners circa 1990. The film's opening line was moody and cheesy all at once, and set the scene for the blend of sci-fi and horror to follow. Before he was battling terrorists as Jack Bauer, a blonde-locked Sutherland played a medical student convinced that he could kill himself, find out what happens next, come back to life and get famous. Even with Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon among the cast, the final product was far from memorable. Both Sutherland and that line of dialogue pop up in the new remake, the latest Hollywood rehash no one was dying for. His involvement is amusing, though not intentionally so, while the repeated phrase feels as routine and obligatory as it inescapably is. If only the entire movie had fallen into the first category, rather than the second. With director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and writer Ben Ripley (Source Code) taking an average-at-best flick from almost 30 years ago, ditching the '90s brooding, ramping up the backstory and exposition, and throwing in some raucous party scenes because, hey, it's 2017, it was never going to be a good day for this film. This time around, Ellen Page's Courtney takes centre stage. While she says her obsession with near-death experiences is all in the name of science, an introductory car crash makes her personal motivations clear. Stressed-out classmate Sophia (Kiersey Clemons) and ladies' man Jamie (James Norton) are initially tricked into helping, but prove eager to follow in her footsteps when she returns with a better memory, a desire to knock down walls, some nifty piano playing skills and a need to bake bread. Yes, really. Ray (Diego Luna) only stumbles across the heart-stopping scheme when things go wrong, and Marlo (Nina Dobrev) literally follows him into the hospital's basement. But soon they're caught up in things as well. It's a silly premise, with the group forced to face some very obvious consequences. Dying isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when it's accompanied by haunting reminders about their various sins. Ripley's script cares not for surprises, and Oplev shows the same lack of concern for anything other than going through the motions. Even if you haven't seen the original Flatliners, if you've seen any other spooky flick that flirts with shuffling off this mortal coil, prepare yourself for a journey into been-there, done-that territory. While it's easy to decry the growing trend towards pointless remakes, Flatliners isn't terrible just because it needlessly revives a forgettable film from a bygone era. Likewise, it'd be easy to bemoan the fact that such a talented cast has been saddled with such crumby material, but wasting Page, Clemons and Luna in particular isn't the movie's main problem. None of that helps, but the killer jolt is the film's lack of energy. While its characters take a zap to the heart to step into the afterlife, Flatliners doesn't have a pulse to begin with. Flat and bland in style, plot and emotion, it's a work completely devoid of interest and scares as a result. The only thing that stands out in Luna's man-bun — and even it has nothing on Bacon's mullet in the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQB35rkRSM0
The good guys behind Astral People have teamed up with Strawberry Fields to do what they do best, which is amassing some of the freshest electronic artists around to invigorate Sydney's underground electronic scene and make us realise what we've been missing while dancing to bastardised remixes of Gotye. This time they're bringing four of the most exciting acts around right now for Land of the Giants. The inaugural event will see Tycho (USA), Baths (USA), Prefuse 73 (USA) and Synkro (UK) go head to head at The Metro Theatre in November, prefacing the myriad of major summer music festivals with a boundary-pushing four-headed audio experience said to span continents, planets and timeframes. Swirly San Franciscian Tycho will have a full band in tow to assist with generating the dreamy transcendental vibes as his makes his Australian debut. Intricate L.A. producer Baths will also be testing the waters here after knocking our socks off with his first album Cerulan, which he released two years ago at the tender age of 21. Synkro and Prefuse 73 will be bringing, respectively, the obligatory yet atypical dubstep and the lush glitchy beats. Land of the Giants will take place at The Metro Theatre on Saturday, November 24. Tickets are less than $50 and are on sale now through The Metro website. Concrete Playground has two double passes to Land of the Giants up for grabs. For a chance to win, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au by 5pm Thursday 8 November. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tVTrZjY2K5I
Break out your stretchiest attire, prepare to start quoting Homer Simpson and make a beeline to your new Tuesday night dinner spot. Every week, Bondi's Panama House is serving up an all-you-can-eat taco feast — and it'll only set you back $25 per person. Their taco menu includes seared duck, 'tinga' chicken, market fish, rare kangaroo and pork chicharron — plus smoked mushrooms and thyme goat curd for those that don't partake in meat, as well as chickpea and salsa for those who don't eat any animal products. Washing it all down with a margarita or some Tecate is also highly recommended — and cheap — with the former (with tequila, hibiscus curaçao, lime oil and fresh lime juice) on offer for $12 and the latter for $4. Image: Richard Mortimer
Journey back to the golden age of French cinema at the inaugural edition of the Alliance Francaise Classic Film Festival. Held over four days at Event Cinemas in George Street and Hayden Orpheum in Cremorne, this fledgling festival will showcase half a dozen iconic titles from the oeuvre of legendary screen actress Catherine Deneuve, whose poise and versatility have made her a staple of France's film industry for more than 50 years. Working chronologically, the program begins with a pair of 1960s musicals in the form of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort, the latter of which will open the festival on Thursday, September 3. Also from this period comes Luis Bunuel's sexually provocative Belle de Jour and Jean-Pierre Melville's A Cop. Jumping forward a few decades, historical epic Indochina earned Deneuve a Best Actress nomination at the 1992 Academy Awards, while 2010's ensemble comedy Potiche shows how talented she remains even after all this time.
UPDATE OCTOBER 11: Archie Brothers is currently closed under NSW's current public health orders. You can stay up-to-date with the latest restrictions at the NSW Health website. Since 2017 in Sydney, a trip to Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq has meant stepping inside a circus-themed arcade bar that's primed for kidulting. And, that's still the case; however, once a month from May until November, the chain is ramping its core concepts of circus, arcade fun and nostalgic activities for adults up a few levels. Run by Funlab, the group also responsible for Holey Moley, Strike Bowling and B. Lucky & Sons, Archie Brothers is kicking off a new Showtime event series. After launching on Friday, May 7 in Alexandria, it'll take place on the second Saturday of each month, turning the venue into an adults-only circus and cocktail pop-up. From 7–10pm each month, attendees can expect stilt walkers, magicians, burlesque and beverages — and tarot card readers, face painters, jugglers and snake charmers as well. The carousel-themed Archie Brothers bar will be pouring Showtime Disco Mirror Ball cocktails, which combine Red Bull, passionfruit, cranberry juice, triple sec, whiskey and lime, while the rest of the chain's usual drinks list will be on offer, too. Food-wise, the theme park and American diner-inspired menu will span sandwiches, pizzas, sliders, onion rings, mac and cheese and other dishes. And, all of Archie Brothers' usual games and activities will be on the agenda, as will prizes. So, you'll be whipping out your Mario Kart skills, hitting the dodgems, bowling and just generally mashing buttons in May, and again come June 12, July 10, August 14, September 11, October 9 and November 13. Then, you'll be trading all the tickets you amass for gaming consoles, 90s paraphernalia and more (and there won't be any kids around vying for the same goodies). Images: Zennieshia Butts.
