Take your protein pills and put your helmet on. Picture yourself face to face with David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust 1972 bodysuits, Kansai Yamamoto’s trouser suits for the '73 Aladdin Sane tour, the Union Jack coat designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the '97 Earthling album cover, props from Jim Henson's Labyrinth. We know, you're sweet to start freaking out. Opening next July, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will play host to the acclaimed David Bowie is exhibition, celebrating the kickass career of the man himself. Created by London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the exhibition is a Bowiephile's dream — an unprecedented collection of over 50 stage costumes alongside tour sets (including the designs for the '74 Diamond Dogs tour), handwritten set lists and lyric sheets, Bowie's own sketches, rare live and interview videos, musical scores and diary entries, photographs and album artwork. Basically, if you're a Bowie fan, this is next level squealworthy material. "The mystery of David Bowie as an enigma is so lovingly explored in this incredible immersive exhibition you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped inside the mind of this astonishing cultural and pop icon," says ACMI Director & CEO, Tony Sweeney. "Bowie is a figure whose social and creative influence and significance far exceeds his status as a pre-eminent rock performer and in David Bowie is, his incredible career is showcased in glorious detail." Presented exclusively in Australasia by ACMI as part of Melbourne Winter Masterpieces, the exhibition explores Bowie's influences and legacy in a lengthy narrative layout (tracing Ziggy Stardust through Berlin and Thin White Duke phases), delving into his career as a musician, of course, but also reminding fans of his top notch cult film career, stints as a writer and his lifelong ability as a stage performer. V&A curators and brains behind the whole Bowie show, Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, handpicked over 300 objects and films for the exhibition — a research process we're pretty damn jealous of. "The exhibition looks in-depth at how Bowie’s music and radical individualism has both influenced and been influenced by wider movements in art, design, film and contemporary popular culture over an incredible 50-year career and demonstrates how Bowie has inspired others to challenge convention and pursue freedom of expression," they said. The exhibition comes to Australia under a furious amount of buzz — its world premiere this March in London became V&A's fastest selling exhibition ever, recording record numbers of over 311,000 visitors. As the exclusive venue for David Bowie is, ACMI have crafted a specially-curated program of talks, screenings, live performances and special events to pair with the Major Tom-a-thon. David Bowie is will open at ACMI on 16 July 2015 as part of the Victorian Government’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series. Tickets go on sale to the general public in November 2014. To register for exclusive pre-sale ticket opportunities, visit acmi.net.au/bowie.
From the ruthless world of magazine publishing to the blood and guts of an Aussie hens weekend gone supremely wrong: that's been Aisha Dee's journey of late. There's far more to the Gold Coast-born actor's career so far, of course, including coming to fame as a teenager back in 2008 courtesy of The Saddle Club, subsequent parts on Dead Gorgeous and Sweet/Vicious, and showing up in St Vincent-starring satire The Nowhere Inn. Still, on screens big and small alike, she's been garnering attention for navigating pressure-filled situations — and revelling in them. In Sissy, her latest role and her return to Australia after years working in the US, Dee is in positively savage territory. She plays the titular character, better known as @SincerelyCecilia on Instagram to the tune of 200,000-plus followers. Liking and subscribing is what her devotees do all day, responding to her calming and inspiring missives about being yourself and finding your bliss, and Cecilia's whole sense of self is built on that online adoration. Sissy is a comedy, too, with writer/director duo Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes having ample fun parodying the wellness and influencer industries. That said, when the movie's namesake attends a bachelorette shindig for her long-lost childhood BFF, old torments resurface and this proves firmly a horror flick as well. Dee wasn't initially approached to play Cecilia. When the script came her way, she was earmarked for Fran, fiancée to Emma, Cecilia's primary school bestie. But Dee felt an instant bond with Sissy's eponymous figure. She felt protective of her. "Honestly, I read the script and immediately I felt like I had to defend Cecilia," she tells Concrete Playground. "I cared so deeply for her. I really felt really connected to her and had a lot of empathy for what she was experiencing in the moment, and how easy it would be under those circumstances to kind of just slip and fall." Once you've seen Sissy, Dee's words obviously come with a caveat: clearly, she hasn't found herself in the exact same situation, behaving in the exact same way. But in a film that happily, smartly and entertainingly rips into a whole heap of targets — with humour and as a slasher flick alike — she makes Cecilia a compelling protagonist amid all the chaos. It's a bold performance, because The Bold Type isn't just an entry on Dee's resume. The international film festival circuit heartily agrees, with Sissy premiering at SXSW 2022, enjoying its Australian premiere in June at the Sydney Film Festival, and doing the rounds everywhere from Melbourne and Perth to South Korea and Scotland since. Dee hit the Harbour City midyear with the movie, which is now in cinemas across Australia — and chatted to us about social media, knowing that she had to play Cecilia, preparing for the part in hotel quarantine, making a different kind of Aussie movie and getting an opportunity she didn't think would happen. ON SOCIAL MEDIA'S PREVALENCE — AND SILLINESS "The film doesn't offer solutions, but I do think it poses questions and forces us, in a way that feels quite uncomfortable, to question our own relationship with social media and how we interact with it. I think it's hard to be a human in the world right now and not have some kind of relationship with social media, because it is such a prevalent part of our society now. Personally, I don't use social media in the same way [as Cecilia] — I wish I was better at it, it's not something that comes super naturally to me, to be posting on Instagram all the time. My relationship with social media has always been really about creating boundaries, because I find it a very triggering environment in terms of even just having the confidence to post something. I second-guess myself a lot, and I get very existential. Every time I post something, I'm like, 'well, what's the point? What is Instagram? What is a telephone?'. It's all pretty silly." ON NEEDING TO PLAY CECILIA "It was towards the end of 2020 — and, you know, we were all there for 2020. I had been in LA for most of that year, really only seeing a select few people and kind of feeling quite isolated socially, a bit awkward, and reexamining a lot of my relationships. And my manager sent me this script. Initially they wanted me for the role of Fran, and I could see that, because Fran felt really similar to a couple of characters I had played before. But literally, I couldn't shake the feeling that I felt like Cecilia was my little sister or my best friend, or just someone that I loved so deeply and cared so deeply for. It wasn't something that I planned or knew was going to happen when I read the script, but I felt like I had to honour it. I called my manager and I said 'please tell them that I really love the script, but I just don't feel connected to Fran as a character — but I feel really connected to Sissy, tell them that I love Sissy'. I said that knowing it was kind of presumptuous but not expecting them to ask to meet me at all, but they were really into the idea. I think they had had someone very different in mind — she was described as having blonde hair and being very petite and pale, and I am none of those things — but I just felt like something felt right. ON DRAWING ON 2020'S CHAOS FOR THE PART — HOTEL QUARANTINE AND ALL "There's the year of 2020 as a whole. But then, in order to get back home to Australia, I had to do two weeks of quarantine in hotel quarantine where you literally see no one. It is the most extreme version of isolation. I was on a really low floor in this big tall building, and every day at like 12pm, I would lose the sun. I would be out my window — like I needed the sun and I needed the fresh air, and I felt like I was going absolutely insane. So while I was in quarantine, I was actually sending Hannah and Kane, the writers and directors of the film, I was sending them videos as Cecilia. Just every morning I would wake up and do a different kind of like sermon or meditation or something, just because I did't really have anything to do. Getting out of quarantine, I definitely felt like Bambi on ice a little. I felt very awkward. I'm an awkward person to begin with, but having those two weeks alone in a room — it wasn't intentional but I do think it kind of leant itself to getting into some kind of headspace." ON RETURNING HOME TO MAKE A DIFFERENT KIND OF AUSSIE MOVIE "Something that jumped out to me when I was reading it was the way that there was this really heavy female gaze on the movie — which I think is rare for genre films to have such a strong female gaze. And beyond just Cecilia the character, you had a very small cast that consisted of an interracial lesbian couple, a gay man with disability and an Asian woman. And the only man that you really saw was a queer man." I loved this this. I just loved the world that I could see imagining it and reading it. It didn't feel like any other Aussie movie that I had seen. It really reflected the colourful, diverse, beautiful Australia that I know. I think unfortunately, up until kind of recently, Australian film and television really hasn't reflected that same colourful melting pot that like we all know actually exists here — so that was another big reason why I wanted to be a part of it." ON GETTING AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY "I definitely had hoped that I would be able to play a character like this. But, being realistic, opportunities like this don't come up every day for someone who looks like me, especially in the Australian film space. So I had always hoped that maybe I would be able to play a role like this, but the fact that the opportunity was actually presented to me is really, really, really cool. I guess it kind of was on my bucket list. But when I think about it, I don't know that I ever could've anticipated that this would be an opportunity that I would've had. And to me, it really meant nothing whether people were going to see it or they weren't, it didn't matter to me — because with independent film, you really are rolling the dice, chances are nobody's going to see it. The fact that like it's doing such big things is really cool. I think that honestly it's a testament to what can happen if the Australian film industry embraces diversity the way they should." Sissy released in Australian cinemas on November 3. Read our full review.
Still trying to work out how to do New Year's Eve? With Sydney putting on some of the best parties on the planet, deciding is no easy feat. Lucky, one of Sydney's best and buzziest CBD spots, The Morrison is giving you multiple choices. If you're in the mood for something a bit fancy — that isn't going to wipe out your bank account — opt for The Morrison's three-course dinner. For a clean $99, you'll score three courses and a glass of champagne. The feast includes freshly shucked oysters, king crab and caviar lettuce tacos, whole roasted fish of the day, slow cooked pork hock and Sean's dropped pavlova, among other deliciousness. What's more, you'll find yourself inside The Morrison's beautiful, indoor-outdoor Conservatory. When the sky's clear, the enormous retractable roof is whisked away, leaving you with a pretty, pretty ceiling of stars. There are two sittings — 5.30pm for early birds (or those with post-dinner plans) and 9pm for night owls. Meanwhile, for those too jittery about midnight to sit, there'll be a more straightforward party going on in the Main Bar from 7pm. Beloved beatsmith, one half of Wordlife and Motorik crew member, Sydney's own Kato will be manning the decks — so don't think you'll be sitting idly while midnight rolls around. And, for $99, you'll get three hours' worth of drinks and canapes. Plus, you're free to pop out and watch the fireworks at either 9pm or 12pm (or both) — post-midnight re-entry is guaranteed.
Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its first artist announcement for 2018, and heading the stampede is a pair of legendary musical figures: Lionel Richie and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, who will play with his band The Sensational Space Shifters. Plant's performance at the five-day Easter long weekend festival just outside of Byron Bay will mark 50 years since he first performed with Led Zeppelin, so the gravity of the performance is sure to be pretty huge. Other acts taking to the stage Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm over the weekend include Aussies Tash Sultana and John Butler Trio, Swedish duo First Aid Kit and what will surely be a captivating set by José González. Bluesfest returnees Joe Louis Walker, Dumpstaphunk and Eric Gales are on there too. Anyway, here's the full lineup. Better start making Easter plans because tickets are already on sale. BLUESFEST 2018 LINEUP Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters Lionel Richie The John Butler Trio Tash Sultana The New Power Generation Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers First Aid Kit Jose Gonzalez Morcheeba Gov't Mule Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real The California Honeydrops Eric Gales Bobby Rush Dumpstaphunk Joe Louis Walker Rick Estrin & The Nightcats + more to be announced. Bluesfest 2017 will run March 29 to April 2 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here. Image: Andy Fraser.
Gotta love this grass-roots, crowd-sourced internet art project. Corpus Libris is an ongoing photo essay on books and the bodies that love them, in which participants create visually quirky creations by superimposing images of the human body found on book covers over their own bodies. Creator of the project Emily Pullen says "It began as a fun little photo essay on a Thursday night while working at Skylight Books in Los Angeles. As we kept going and going, I realized that many, many more people could enjoy and create similar photographs. The possibilities are practically endless!" The most successful images strike a balance of perspective, positioning the book so the image is the same size as the human holding it – check them out below: [Via Flavorwire]
Sydney's first theatre, opened in 1796, was the brainchild of released convict Robert Sidaway. Three shillings and sixpence would buy a front box, and those out of cash could swap flour, meat or spirits for a seat. By early 1800, Sidaway, who'd been transported to Australia for life for committing grand larceny, was presenting Shakespeare's plays. A few months later, the colonial authorities shut the theatre down for its perceived "corrupting influence". A hundred years later, the arts are perceived as playing a key role in deepening connections between officialdom and the public. In the eyes of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority CEO, Catherine Gallagher, "The Foreshore Authority is always looking for inventive ways to interpret history, and the arts offer us a way to think and look at the world differently." The SHFA's latest project is one of its most ambitious and exciting yet. On April 12, a four-storey windmill will pop up in The Rocks, operating for one month as both a wheat grind and an arts venue. The extravaganza of events focuses on The Rocks' history and physical surroundings, incorporating music, art, food, architecture, history, storytelling, science, and technology. Highlights include Bell Shakespeare's scenes from Henry IV, Penguin Plays Rough's presentation of Rocks-themed stories from new writers, and audio shows from both FBi Radio and artist Jane Ulman. For a hands-on experience, visitors can attend workshops with the likes of The Rizzeria, Make-Space for Architecture, and Craft NSW. Green thumbs will have the opportunity to learn about wheat cultivation with Gardening Australia's Costa Georgiadis and get their hands dirty with the windmill's sustainable garden. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Nearly all events are free; however, spaces are strictly limited. Online registration, available from March 11, is essential.
Sydneysiders and dogs go together like smashed avo and toast, Bondi and backpackers or Circular Quay and unintentional photobombs. While you can now take your pup along with you to some pubs and cafes, other activities are less accommodating. Take yoga, for example. Want to up your practice, but don't want to leave your furry pal at home alone? Cue Hot Dog Yoga. The Double Bay studio allows well-behaved pooches to relax in the airy reception with Pavlova the Maltese concierge (and maybe try out a few poses of their own) while their human works on their own downward dog. And it's celebrating its first birthday with an entire day of free yoga classes. On Saturday, October 13, you'll be able to attend any of the dog-friendly studio's classes for free. Classes on the day start at 8am and run through till 4pm, range from beginner to expert classes, mellow to power flow, and are held in a heated room (the studio has rain showers, too). There'll also be a heap of treats (for humans and good dogs), discounted pass and lucky draw prizes available on the day. To register your spot head to the Hot Dog Yoga website.
In Paris, 1971, the shaggy-haired, inscrutable Gilles (Clement Metayer) finds himself swept in political unrest that has fermented since the riots of May 1968. He and his friends are key figures in an underground movement that sells leftist newspapers, meets in secret and carries out targeted attacks. When his beautiful but enigmatic girlfriend Laure (Carole Combes) abruptly leaves the country, he quickly takes up with the spirited Christine (Lola Créton) instead. Together with Christine and a loose group of friends, he takes part in a street protest which is broken up by sickening violence by the police. The group then up the ante by attacking their school, where armed with Molotov cocktails, they graffiti slogans and drop political pamphlets. Their plans come unstuck, however, when a security guard is badly injured. With the school searching for the culprits, they decide that it is unsafe for them to stay, and instead hightail it to Italy until the volatile atmosphere cools off. Away from the volatility of their home city, the pace slackens and the film’s focus turns from the political to the personal. As old relationships fray, new ones form as the painter Alain (Felix Armand) meets a wealthy American girl, Leslie (India Salvor Menuez), who is now into spirituality and enlightenment. Seemingly untroubled by fear at their recent escape from France and at a loss for what to do next, the group attend political film screenings, debate philosophy, make art, smoke constantly and generally exude ennui. It makes for a strangely low-key portrait of an era of upheaval. Interestingly, the tableaus of beautiful youths lounging about in skinny jeans and unbuttoned shirts often looks more like a Calvin Klein advert than a political gathering, possibly because fashion has long since co-opted the look so associated with youthful rebellion in this era. Increasingly drawn into arguments with Christine about their next move and whether they should get involved with filmmakers working in the revolutionary movement, Gilles still thinks of the estranged Laure and goes to meets her at her decadent and druggy new lodgings. There he shows her an artwork he has done before setting it on fire, having explained it existed for her eyes only. After May’s failure to engage is surprising given the emotional heft of writer-director Olivier Assayas’ previous work, including his last film he wrote, the superlative Summer Hours. The height of the film’s obtuseness is the performance of Hugo Conzelmann as Jean-Pierre — even when blowing up a car he maintains the blankness of a mannequin. In perhaps the film’s most telling scene, Christine says to the perpetually aloof Gilles “I can’t tell if you’re in love with me”. She will not be the only one guessing at the inner workings or motivations of these characters. After May is a fitfully interesting but ultimately frustrating portrait of a time and place.
Because we can't all go to Fashion Week, and because we wouldn't all be comfortable if we were to go, there's Fashion Weekend Sydney, now in it's seventh season. Australia’s biggest shopping, catwalk and beauty event that's open to all, it's running from Thursday, May 16, to Sunday, May 19. The event is perfect if you're in the mood to shop for a new wardrobe, watch a runway show featuring premiere and up-and-coming designers or learn some new beauty tips. The weekend features some of Australia’s leading designers including Natasha, Rodeo Show, Bec & Bridge, Christensen Copenhagen and more. Guests can buy over 100 designer brands for ridiculously reduced prices of up to 70 percent off. A highlight of the event is the glam catwalk show, including over 100 looks from various designers. This shopping and catwalk extravaganza will be accompanied by The Beauty Hub, which boasts a TONI&GUY Style Bar, Sally Hansen Nail Salon and NP Set Makeup & Lash Bar, all offering special offers and promos. After being pampered and emptying your wallet, guests will have the opportunity to have photographs taken at the Photo Studio. There are a number of different ticket options that you can choose from, and they can be purchased on the Ticketek website.
Future Totoros and Ponyos may not eventuate; Studio Ghibli have announced a hiatus to their animation feature film department. Surrounded by rumours of an outright closure, Studio Ghibli's general manager, Toshio Suzuki, announced the movements on Japanese television today as a "brief pause". Responsible for the likes of Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo and My Neighbour Totoro among many, many other beloved tales, the animation studio is reassessing its filmic future. The news comes just under a year after legendary, Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement in September 2013 and released his final film The Wind Rises in February this year. Differing translations of Suzuki's announcement caused minor havoc online (notably fuelled by so-called Ghibli insiders at Japanese website News Cafe and subsequently quashed by Kotaku). Although most thought the studio was closing its doors for good, newer, more accurate translations cleared things up. "On what to do with Studio Ghibli’s future, it is by no means impossible to keep producing [movies] forever," said Suzuki on the TBS program Jonetsu Tairiku. "However, we will take a brief pause to consider where to go from here." Producer and co-founder Suzuki stepped into Miyazaki's shoes and became general manager when the director retired from Ghibli last year, joining forces with other Studio half, director Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies). So why is Ghibli shutting up shop? It seems to be a matter of money, a fair reason to reassess in a Michael Bay-peppered, box office landscape. According to Anime News Network, Studio Ghibli's latest film,When Marnie Was There opened at number three over the first weekend (July 19 - 20) with 378,790,697 yen (US$3,721,297) on 461 screens. That seems like a whole bunch, but the international market isn't so kind to arthouse-designated Ghibli. Marnie is set to hit US cinemas some time next year, with Australian release dates still TBC. Ghibli haven't covered up their financial struggle, most notably considering 2013's The Tale of Princess Kaguya a flop with tiny box office numbers (a huge step down from 2002's Acadamy Award-winning hit Spirited Away, which took US$274,925,095 worldwide). Suzuki said the studio is considering "housecleaning" or restructuring internally. While this doesn't entirely rule out a future shutdown, it seems the pause is centred around rebuilding the studio, managing copyrights and trademarks and possibly freelancing out projects — a good sign for Ghibli fans. But Kotaku has assured fans that Studio Ghibli is not dead yet, so we'll keep those good vibes delivered via Kiki and keep fingers crossed. Via Anime News Network, Kotaku and Hypable.
Since the first jabs started being put in arms around Australia at the beginning of 2021, two words have monopolised the discussion about the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout: AstraZeneca and Pfizer. They're two of the companies with jabs approved for use in Australia so far, and it's their shots that folks who've been vaxxed to-date have been receiving. But from September, a third company's vaccine will be available to everyone rolling up their sleeves. On Monday, August 9, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration gave the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine approval to be used in Australia. As announced in a press conference by Prime Minster Scott Morrison, the TGA "has given provisional approval for the use of Moderna for Australians aged 18 and over." In its own statement explaining its decision, the TGA advised that "the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has shown strong efficacy preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and severe COVID-19 in clinical trials." Elsewhere around the world, the vaccine has also received approval or authorisation to use in emergency situations in countries such as United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (@TGAgovau) has provisionally approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia.https://t.co/Yr7dj0G0ja pic.twitter.com/Kp0EMpck7V — Australian Government (@ausgov) August 9, 2021 Partly funded by a donation from the one and only Dolly Parton, Moderna's vaccine is actually the fourth to get the nod in Australia, following AstraZeneca, Pfizer and a jab from Johnson & Johnson — the latter of which hasn't been included in the country's vaccine rollout so far. Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna jab is an mRNA-based vaccine. So, it uses a synthetic genetic code called RNA, which tells the cells in our bodies how to make the coronavirus' unique spike protein. Then, once our bodies have done just that, making the protein that's encoded by the mRNA vaccine, we're able to recognise the spike protein as being foreign to our system and launch an immune response against it. Two doses of the Moderna vaccine are required — and while the AstraZeneca jabs are recommended four–12 weeks apart, and the Pfizer jabs three weeks apart, Moderna's should be administered within 28 days of each other. Wondering what that the Moderna approval means in terms of boosting Australia's vaccine ability (because actually getting a jab isn't particularly straightforward as part of the country's slow-moving rollout)? The Prime Minister advised that Australia will be adding 25 million doses of Moderna to the 125 million doses of Pfizer and 53 million doses of AstraZeneca that are already part of the vaccine campaign. "We will have ten million of the Moderna doses arriving before the end of this year. The first one million doses is on track to arrive next month and will go to pharmacies. Then we will have three million in October, three million in November and three million in December," he said. With the addition of the Moderna vaccine, the Prime Minister also noted that he expected that 70-percent of eligible Australians would be fully vaccinated by the end of 2021 — the threshold at which the second phase of National Cabinet's National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response is set to kick in. At that stage, which applies both when Australia reaches that figure and each state and territory does as well, restrictions will be eased on folks who've had the jab, including around lockdowns and border controls. Lockdowns are expected to be less likely, low-level restrictions will still help minimise the spread of cases and assist contact tracing, inbound passenger caps for unvaxxed returning Aussies will be restored to previous levels and more vaccinated returning Aussies will be allowed to come home. For more information about the Therapeutic Goods Administration's approval of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, head to the TGA website.
Australians really love prawns — and Ballina Prawn Festival knows it. They've dedicated an entire day in honour of everyone's favourite crustacean, and that day is November 11. Set in Ballina's Missingham Park on the banks of the Richmond River, the day will be marked by parades, music, rides and all the prawns you can eat. The festival stalls will be sizzling prawns of all sizes while events happen in every direction, including a prawn shelling competition and a signature dish competition. There will also be a boat parade celebrating the prawn industry, fireworks, amusement rides, live music and sand castle building. Yeah, it'll be the truest form of an Aussie-as day.
If you're in the mood for something a little bit different to a barbeque or day at the beach for Australia Day (and crowds don't bother you), head to the Festival of the Voice at The Rocks. As well as markets and food, it's all about the bands. Oh, and the karaoke. George Street will be renamed 'song street' for the day, and will be jam packed with musos, including award-winning Ash Grunwald and Indigenous singer-songwriter Gurrumul. DJ Shantan Wantan Ichiban, electronic-soul duo Sietta, Dubmarine, indie-folk Tin Sparrow, gothic soul and rock 'n' rollers The Preatures, indie-rock/Brit-pop boys Battleships, and Godfrey Uke and his Orchestra will also be playing. If gypsy tunes are your thing, The Margaret St. Project and their Lolo Lovina Caravan will get you going. And if you prefer to be in front of the microphone, the Karaoke Bandstand in The Rocks Square might appeal. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZtDXezAhes8
What's better than one new Edgar Wright movie in a year? Two new flicks by the Scott Pilgrim vs the World, The World's End and Baby Driver filmmaker, of course. And, that's exactly what 2021 is delivering. Neither of the British director's latest movies fits his usual type, either — as phenomenal documentary The Sparks Brothers has already demonstrated, and the trailers for Last Night in Soho keep showing as well. Wright does indeed have a comfort zone, as his fans well and truly know. He first caught the film world's attention with zom-rom-com Shaun of the Dead, after all, and also toyed with both horror and comedy in Hot Fuzz. But he hasn't ever dived headfirst into mind-bending psychological thriller territory before, which is where Last Night in Soho dwells. No one is set to kill the undead to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' here. That said, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit) does play a singer in 60s-era London who appears to be a ghost. In the movie's initial teaser trailer, her character Sandie pops up when aspiring fashion designer Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie, Old) manages to venture back in time. Mysteriously travelling six decades into the past, Eloise looks in the mirror and sees Sandy's reflection, rather than her own. Both that initial sneak peek and the just-dropped new full trailer are filled with neon hues and an all-round trippy mood. In a feature that seems to take plenty of cues from horror and thriller flicks from the time it is set, things appear to get even more lurid as well. Impeccable period-appropriate set and costume design, vibrant pink lighting aplenty and an all-round dreamy feel also feature in the trailers so far, as Eloise finds herself coming face to face with her idol while plunged into a ghost story. Similarly playing a pivotal part: The Crown and Doctor Who's Matt Smith, who pops up alongside Taylor-Joy in the film's eerie 60s-set scenes. Whether following small-town cops in Hot Fuzz or jumping into the heist genre with Baby Driver — or directing late 90s/early 00s sitcom Spaced, too — Wright's work always stands out visually, and Last Night in Soho clearly promises to continue the trend. And, because the director loves his standout soundtracks, this one looks set to continue the trend. Expect glorious 60s-era tunes, obviously. Check out the full trailer for Last Night in Soho below: Last Night in Soho is slated to release in Australian cinemas on November 18. Images: Parisa Taghizadeh / Focus Features.
Wandering around Manly on a Sunday is a cute idea but everyone knows that going on foot is just something bikeless losers do. If you don't already possess a set of wheels, Manly Bike Tours have you covered with a wide range of bikes for hire including cruisers, road bikes, kids' bikes and tandems. There are a number of tracks suitable for all skill levels — including the scenic 'Sydney Harbour National Park Explorer', the more strenuous 'Mountain Bike Manly Dam' and the stunning 'Bike the Beach' ride. You'll be equipped with a map, and then you're free to ride along at your own pace. Also, because you're not part of a larger guided tour, you can stop any time for snacks or a break, or to just take in the view for as long as you like.
Stephen Hawking is an extraordinary individual. The problem with that — with all extraordinary individuals — is that over time they come to be viewed not as people but as the sum of their accomplishments. The greater the endeavour, the less we tend to know about the beating heart and restless mind behind it. Often it's not until they're visited by tragedy or professional disgrace that we're reminded of their humanity, and yet, in Hawking's case, not even the onset of motor neurone disease or an extramarital affair could detract from his almost super-human status. The Theory of Everything, then, serves as a fitting reminder that beyond the maths lies a man, brilliant — yes — but still just a man: mortal, flawed and confounded by love. Adapted from the book Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen, The Theory of Everything offers us a portrait of Hawking from the perspective of his first wife, Jane (Felicity Jones), and it is, in effect, a love story. Two love stories, rather: the conventional tale between a pair of enamoured Cambridge students, and the stranger yet better known one of Stephen’s infatuation with the universe. Both are heartwarming, exhilarating and profoundly complicated. In the role of Hawking’s wife, Jones is sublime. Her performance is an accomplished blend of fierce determination to see her husband survive, and private frustration at the professional sacrifices that selflessness wrought. As for Redmayne, perhaps the most fitting compliment is that it is now impossible to look at him and not see the professor. It is an extraordinary example of transformation, both physical and performative. Redmayne, like the man he portrays, is robbed of that which most actors find essential: movement, first, then sound. Yes, there is the iconic digital voice to accompany the performance, but voiceover is no more useful to an actor at the time of recording than a ping pong ball affixed to a green screen to denote what will eventually come to be. With the disarming smile of Redford and the ‘everyman-ness’ of Hanks, Redmayne is the acting equivalent of an unputdownable book, almost daring you to try to look away. For a film entitled The Theory of Everything, the story is, in the end, almost infinitesimal. Ours is a galaxy of some 400 billion stars in a universe roughly 13.8 billion years old. On such a scale, humanity is scarcely perceptible, an insignificant evanescent blip of history in which a single, unsettled romance between two people is as close to nothing as science will permit. And yet it is also everything, because it contains within it some of the finest qualities that define the human existence — that showcase the unconquerable spirit and boundless possibilities of the mind. Hawking’s accomplishments almost defy belief, even if they’d been achieved without disability, and while they’re acknowledged in this film, the focus is not on the ‘what’, but the ‘who’ and the ‘how’. Moving, astounding and, perhaps most of all, enlightening, The Theory of Everything is a sensitive yet unsentimental engagement with genius and the actualities of love.
Director Takashi Miike transports us back in time — not only into the cruelly executed hierarchy of the 17th century samurai but also into Japanese cinema's Golden Age. His expressive tale of solitary heroism moves with an arthouse patience and poise, and the violence is deeply affecting, rather than for effect. In this respect, Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai represents a departure from the spectacularly bloody epics for which Miike is known, such as 13 Assassins and Audition. This should come as no surprise, though, for those intimately acquainted with the prolific Japanese director's work, which includes at least 70 productions. His filmmaking has never been confined to creativity-crunching limitations — he's dabbled with comedy, children's films and period drama. A story-within-a-story structure propels the narrative. Hanshiro (Ebizo Ichikawa), an out-of-work samurai, seeks permission from the House of Li to commit seppuku (honourable self-disembowelment). Suspicious that Hanshiro might be another in a line of poverty-stricken warriors who have been attempting "suicide bluffs" for financial gain, the feudal lord, Kageyu (Koji Yakusho) regales him with the tale of Motome (Eita). A young man who came seeking a few coins to save his dying family, Motome was forced to self-disembowel on a bamboo sword, having already sold his own. What Kageyu does not realise is that Motome and Hanshiro knew each other well. Hanshiro is on a mission to avenge Li's lack of humanity and expose the lie beneath the front of "honour", which enables the condemnation of the lower classes to unemployment, sickness and death. Miike does not hold back in his critique of sadism. Putting aside broad-brush depictions of bloodletting, he reaches his viewers through specific experiences and emotional investment in character. Motome's horrendously slow suicide is depicted so viscerally, it's not easy to keep your eyes on the screen. As his increasing physical and mental agony is mirrored by the gradual snapping of his pathetic bamboo sword into impossibly blunt pieces, the feudal authorities seem to have no limits on their capacity for brutality. Cinematographically, Hara-Kiri inhabits a shadowy world. Symmetrically positioned characters and 17th-century architecture frame the drama. Contrast is subtle, rather than extreme, achieved through the natural rhythms of day and night and the passing of the seasons — bursts of spring sunshine, fiery autumn leaves and silent snow showers — intensified by Ryuichi Sakamoto's restrained yet haunting score. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai is one of Miike's finest, saddest and most important films. It's a brave depiction of a brutal world whose romantic mythology has often curtained a pitiless and unjust reality. https://youtube.com/watch?v=R-sp6Xw0jJU
In 2020, when Gelato Messina decided that we'd all be much happier at home if we could bake and eat the company's OTT desserts, it kicked off its parade of tasty specials after Easter. So, while fans of sweet treats have been able to tuck into everything from cookie pies in choc chip, red velvet, choc-hazelnut, and peanut butter and jelly varieties to full tubs of both Iced VoVo gelato and Messina's own take on the classic Viennetta ice cream cake over the past year, we didn't get anything to pair with our chocolate eggs. Thankfully, that's changing in 2021. Up next: a hot cross bun version of the brand's sticky snails. Basically, it's their interpretation of a Cinnabon-style scroll, then combined with an Easter favourite. It's another of Messina's limited releases, and it'll be available at all of its stores for a very short period. Wondering what exactly Messina's hot cross bun sticky snail entails? Well, that spiced sticky hot cross bun dough is filled with choc chips and vanilla custard. Crucially, raisins aren't included — but it is topped with a cinnamon malt caramel. The sweet bake-at-home bite to eat can only be ordered online on Wednesday, March 17. It will set you back $65, which includes a one-litre tub of the brand's triple choc gelato hot tub, too — which features milk chocolate gelato, toasted white chocolate mousse and with Ecuadorian dark chocolate crack. Once you've placed your preorder, pick up will be available between Thursday, April 1–Sunday, April 4 from your chosen Messina store. And, after you've got the hot cross bun sticky snail safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 20–25 minutes at 160 degrees and voila. Gelato Messina's hot cross bun sticky snails will be available to order on Wednesday, March 17, for pick up between Thursday, April 1–Sunday, April 4 — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
The Kings Cross Hotel is about to be transformed into an immersive wonderland as part of this year's Vivid Sydney festival. As part of the truly epic Vivid Music program (which includes the world premiere of Björk's digital project), the hotel will be in full swing with a slew of live music, theatre and cabaret throughout the three weeks of the festival from May 27 until June 18. On Friday and Saturday evenings, some of Sydney's cabaret pros will be setting up shop in the Hotel's plush Red Room as part of Avant-Cabaret. Grab yourself an opulent cocktail and see some of Sydney's best take the stage, from burlesque beauties Zsa Zsa La Fine and Betty Grumble, award-winning Aussie cabaret star Tom Sharah, David Bowie Unzipped's Jeff Duff, the inimitable, unmissable and highly glittery Matt Format, tale spinners Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen, King of Dance Moves Brendan Maclean and more. [competition]575107[/competition]
More than once during Why Are You Like This, aspiring drag queen Austin (Wil King) attempts to shut out the world by scrolling through memes on his phone. Although the six-part ABC sitcom he's in isn't doesn't show him looking at any of the images that give the series its title, you can bet that he'd stumble across them. He'd have to. It's the internet — they're unavoidable. And, he'd likely do one of two things when he did find the memes on his screen: either flick past hundreds without giving a single thought to how they might relate his life, or keep viewing one after the other until he melts down because they hit a little too close to home. Irreverent and astute, honest yet hilarious, drawn from reality but also willing to poke as much fun as possible: that's Why Are You Like This' niche. Focusing on characters that can hardly be described likeable but are instantly recognisable, the series takes aim at the minutiae of 21st-century life. Witheringly funny, it knows that simply existing right now involves constantly being online, and also navigating the never-ending onslaught of expectations, information and opinions that comes with it. And, without flinching, it's also aware that just getting through the day in this non-stop environment can feel relentless and hellish. That's the situation that the show's three main figures, each in their early 20s, all find themselves facing in every one of Why Are You Like This' episodes. The days tick by, and the personal and professional problems just keep coming. It's a familiar laundry list, including getting fired, battling with colleagues, money troubles, hiding boyfriends, losing moon cups and trying to spark a workplace revolution but ending up getting other people sacked. So, yes, this trio is just like the rest of us — and they're just as glued to their phones while they're weathering everything from sudden social media backlash to dealing with frenemies. Penny (series co-creator Naomi Higgins, Utopia) wants to be an ally to everyone, a commitment that exhausts anyone who comes into her orbit. Her bestie Mia (Olivia Junkeer, Neighbours) matches that determination with both self-assurance and a self-serving mindset; if she's sticking up for anyone, it's always herself. Rounding out the trio is Penny's housemate Austin, the aforementioned fan of distracting memes. Alas, his glittery outfits, super-sized personality and blistering cynicism can't always hide his internal crumbling. Across the show's first season, these three friends keep trying to stand out in their own ways. They also routinely demonstrate both their best and worst traits in the process. In one episode, Penny goes overboard while trying to prove that she's Mia's closest friend. In another, Mia helps a new work colleague turn her cosplay hobby into cash — to take advantage of the sad men objectifying her — with creepy repercussions. And, when Austin gets tired of Penny's Marie Kondo obsession, it doesn't end well for her beloved belongings. The result: a must-see comedy that's as satirical as it is candid and relatable. Why Are You Like This knows that everyone and everything is awful at all times, leans in, and finds both the humour and the insight in that realisation. And, in terms of the series' style of comedy, the fact that Higgins created the show with lawyer and illustrator Humyara Mahbub and Aunty Donna's Mark Samual Bonanno says plenty. Indeed, like 2020's standout Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun, Why Are You Like This is ridiculously easy to binge in one sitting, then start re-binging again. Check out the trailer for Why Are You Like This below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw_iVa6bZgs Why Are You Like This is available to stream via ABC iView.
Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is just your typical 15 year-old girl. She Lives in a remote hut in Finland with her ex-CIA father (Eric Bana), speaks half a dozen languages, is proficient in martial arts and can shoot the wings off a fly from fifty yards. So she's typical in the way any girl might be — assuming that girl has been raised from birth to be an assassin. It seems a questionable approach to home schooling until you learn that both Hanna and her father have been marked for death by corrupt CIA agent and oral-hygiene-fetishist Marissa Wiegler (played by Cate Blanchett), resulting in a nasty case of kill or be killed. Directed by Joe Wright, Hanna is a tense and often violent thriller that marks a solid departure from his last three films (The Soloist, Atonement and Pride and Prejudice). It's a dark, gritty and largely soulless picture that closely mirrors both the characters and the bleak European locations within it. Ronan absolutely shines in the lead, with the juxtaposition of her ethereal beauty and remorseless killing resulting in some moments of exhilarating action and unexpected comedy. Much like Chloë Moretz’s character Hit Girl from Kick Ass, Hanna kills quickly and she kills often, but she does so without the same sense of joy. Killing is instead pure necessity, with her father constantly reminding her to “adapt or die”. It's a film where you see a young girl cornered in a dark alley by a group of heavily armed men, and you feel genuinely nervous for the men. All the music for Hanna was provided by dance duo The Chemical Brothers, doubtless inspired by the success of Daft Punk’s brilliant original score from last year’s Tron, and at times it gives the movie an almost music video feel — especially during one of the key chase sequences. While the film ultimately lags towards the end due to an unnecessary plot twist, its sleek action scenes and solid performances make it definitely one worth catching if you can.
This is the third time that John Waters has toured Looking Through a Glass Onion — his biographical combination of music and words about the life of superstar ex-Beatle, John Lennon. Waters plays Lennon in a plain suit on a bare stage, band around him. To look only at the costumes, this is Letterman or Conan O'Brian: suits, a band, a bald band leader. But the visuals are only scaffolding. Waters wears Lennon easily, catching his rhythms and attitude. His builds a Lennon who is likeable, human and irreverent. Lennon's songs are juxtaposed with Lennon's life, which is sometimes abrupt, but more often adds extra juice to the music. The first half rushes through Lennon's early years and his time with the Beatles. The second half has it easier, with only ten years to span. Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono stands out during the second act, and is handled especially well. Yoko got a lot of blame for the break-up of the Beatles — mostly for the crime of being Asian or a woman. Waters paints her as a whole person — neither strife, nor phenomenon. All through Looking Through a Glass Onion, Waters' script delivers people from superstardom down to person. He strips the fame from Lennon and returns a likeable man in midst of a whirlwind. The real Lennon had little of the slow gravitas often adopted in the glare of public life. He just seemed to be himself. As a listener, you know — you just know — Lennon's songs mean something to you. Looking Through a Glass Onion gives you some idea of what they meant to the man who wrote them, as well. By end of the show, John Waters owns the meaning of John Lennon, if only a version of it. Lennon as a whole person, and taking up a person's space. No more, no less. Looking Through a Glass Onion runs Tuesday to Sunday, until December 12.
Shouts out to Picnic Touring and Events for putting on one of the most exciting shows of the year. Picnic presents the Australian debut of TIMELINE, the Underground Resistance all star crew live and direct from Detroit. Brrraaapp. The Underground Resistance collective began in 1990 and has become a living representation of the original spirit of techno — music that looks to the future, that's underground, experimental and radical in its aesthetic and technological vision. Born in a city with a rich musical history and known for its industrialisation of the automotive industry, the UR developed their unique live show with influences from jazz instrumentation and the regimented sounds of techno kicks and snares. They'll deliver 25 years of dance music history to the stage at the Imperial Hotel, with support from some of Sydney's own legend status DJs Simon Caldwell, Ben Fester and Kali. Music starts at 10pm and finishes up with at sunrise.
Since 5pm on Saturday, December 19, Sydney's northern beaches suburbs have been under stay-at-home orders, as part of the New South Wales Government's efforts to stop the area's growing cluster of locally acquired COVID-19 cases. The requirement for folks in the region to remain at home other than for one of four essential reasons was given a target end date, though, of midnight on Wednesday, December 23 — but Premier Gladys Berejiklian has just revealed that the restrictions won't simply be coming to an end. Instead, on a day that saw seven new cases linked to the cluster diagnosed in the past 24 hours, Premier Berejiklian revealed that the northern beaches will be split into two zones — and each will have different rules. At her daily press conference, the Premier advised that the area will be divided into a northern and southern section, using the Narrabeen Bridge and the Baha'i Temple as a boundary. The north half extends north from the bridge and east from the temple, while the south half obviously spans in the opposite directions. For those in the north — which sounds like something that'd be said in Game of Thrones, not in reality — the current restrictions remain in place for the foreseeable future, with no end date currently given. That said, there is a very slight change coming into effect from Thursday, December 24–Saturday, December 26. Folks will be able to have five visitors over including kids during those three days, as long as their visitors live in the peninsula zone. Accordingly, leaving the house to visit people in the area will be added as a fifth reason to head out — alongside work if you can't do it from your house, for essential shopping, for exercise and for compassionate reasons (which includes emergency medical treatment or to visit an isolated relative). This change is only in effect until midnight on Saturday, December 26. Come Sunday, December 27, no visitors will be allowed again, with the rules reverting to the present current stay-at-home conditions. And, during the three-day reprieve, people can't enter or leave the northern beaches' northern zone — so it's only folks within it that can interact with each other on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In the lower half of the northern beaches, residents can have ten visitors plus kids from Thursday, December 24–Saturday, December 26. That does include folks from the rest of Greater Sydney, too — but not from the peninsula zone in the north. If you live in the southern part of the northern beaches, though, you can't leave your house unless it's for one of the original four reasons, or to visit someone else in the same northern beaches area. As for what happens afterwards in this zone, the government has said that it will make an announcement on Boxing Day. Premier Berejiklian announced a minor reprieve from restrictions for Greater Sydney over these three days, too — letting the rest of the city have ten people over plus kids, like the southern half of the northern beaches. Since news of the first northern beaches cases back on Thursday, December 17, NSW Health has been updating a long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week — which Sydneysiders are asked to check frequently and, if you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days after your visit. There is also a series of new pop-up and drive-thru clinics now located on the northern beaches. If you need a reminder, the symptoms to look out for are coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste. You can find a rundown of testing clinic locations online as well. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
How does an underwater opera work? Is it through air pockets? Scuba gear? Gillyweed? All your questions will be answered and then forgotten in the majesty of Dido & Aeneas, the Sydney Festival's first big 'get' for 2014, announced today. First performed in 2005, the work is from Berlin dance-theatre guru and former Schaubuhne artistic director Sasha Waltz and her company, and has been much acclaimed in its performances across Europe. The Australian exclusive performance will mark the first time the show will have toured to the Asia-Pacific. That delay may have something to do with the stage design that definitely breaks the standard baggage allowance. The first part of the show is a dance that takes place inside a 7500L tank. The opera then unfolds in a dry-land spectacle with 60 performers that Neues Deutchsland called "in the best sense overwhelming". In the vein of last year's Semele Walk, Dido & Aeneas combines exquisite dance, costumes, singing, music and stagecraft to tell a passionate love story. By Henry Purcell, the Baroque score was described by festival director Lieven Bertels as having "topped the emo charts for almost 350 years now". It's performed on stage by renowned German chamber orchestra Akademie fur Alte Musik, who will play on rare Baroque instruments that sometimes have to be sourced locally so as to avoid the strain of travel. The Sydney Festival is your main chance in the year to see big-deal international productions, and Dido & Aeneas is one big, awe-inspiring deal. Dido & Aeneas is on at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 16-21 January. Tickets go on sale today at noon from the Sydney Festival website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=u7nKmm7a71Q
There's a film festival for everything these days, so it seems, but few offer cinematic treats of the truly weird, wonderful and WTF variety. That's where the Sydney Underground Film Festival comes in, serving up a feast of film delicacies unlikely to be seen elsewhere — and not just likely but actively striving to make jaws drop in astonishment. Now in its seventh year, and forging ahead thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign earlier in 2014, SUFF boasts an enticing mix of boundary-pushing genre fare, provocative documentaries, experimental efforts and just general freaked-out film fun. From September 4–7, the festival takes over The Factory Theatre, Marrickville for four days of movie madness and once again adventurous audiences are spoiled for choice. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TJew_11l6n8 OPENING NIGHT FILM + PARTY: HOUSEBOUND Opening night picks aren't always indicative of a film festival's overall vibe, but Housebound promises to set a pleasingly playful tone in one of SUFF's many programming coups. A hit at SXSW and the Melbourne International Film Festival, ranking third in the latter's audience awards, the New Zealand horror-comedy mixes the tried-and-tested genre trope of the haunted house with an offbeat sense of humour and off-kilter mother-daughter hijinks. Think spookiness, silliness and a smile-inducing example of combining laughs and scares. There's more than just a film on offer, too — opening night also features pizza, drinks, and a performance by Renny Kodgers. https://youtube.com/watch?v=B6fyb8vW6Y8 THE GREEN INFERNO Every underground film festival needs a little bit of cannibalism, and at SUFF, that requisite dose of flesh-eating comes from Eli Roth. He had fun with the creepy cabin cliche in Cabin Fever, made audiences think twice about overseas backpacking holidays with Hostel, and ranked amongst Quentin Tarantino's Nazi-hunting brigade in Inglourious Basterds — and now he takes on infamous Italian effort Cannibal Holocaust. Part homage, part comedic spin on the age-old tourists in trouble storyline, The Green Inferno is born of the filmmaker's obvious affection for the history of the genre. The screening at SUFF also marks perhaps the only opportunity in Australia to see the film on the big screen. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9hFg-_SESpo THE DOG Dog Day Afternoon is rightfully considered a cinema classic, the combination of Sidney Lumet's direction and Al Pacino and John Cazale's performances producing one of the best works of their respective careers. The story the film relates, of a bank-robbing crook caught in a standoff with police after attempting to steal cash for his wife's gender reassignment surgery, is memorable — but what about the story behind the story? Focusing on John Wojtowicz's actual escapades, The Dog tells the true tale, as shared with documentarians Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren over several years. There's fact, there's fiction, and then there's an account of events so crazy and chaotic that it can only stem from reality. https://youtube.com/watch?v=RdFu2jd6Y3E WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL? Sion Sono's anarchic ode to all things film has done the festival rounds for more than a year; indeed, the Japanese director's next feature, Tokyo Tribe, is about to start doing the same thing. Any chance to see his joyful genre mash-up projected large within the darkened confines of a cinema, however, simply must be taken. There has never been a love letter to the mania of the movies quite like Why Don't You Play in Hell?, nor will there be again; the gleefully rebellious effort offers a fun and frenetic feat unlikely to ever be repeated. That the narrative concerns a filmmaking collective called The Fuck Bombers as they become ensconced in a Yakuza war gives just a taste of the mirthful mayhem. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PdfL_MvOT8U WETLANDS A teen sex comedy swimming in bad behaviour and bodily fluids is nothing new, but this is no ordinary excursion through adolescent hormones. Wetlands is based on the cult German-language novel by author Charlotte Roche, a book deemed so disgusting that letters pleaded for it never to be made into a movie — and it is one such protest that introduces David Wnendt's big screen adaptation. The film's focus on a spirited female protagonist — the pithy Helen (Carla Juri) — offers one obvious point of departure from the norm; howeverc it is its valuing of honesty amongst its overt comedy that proves its most refreshing aspect. Closing out SUFF in sticky style, Wetlands will certainly spark many a post-screening conversation. SUFF runs from September 4-7 at the Factory Theatre, Marrickville. Check out the festival website for the full program.
Since they first won our hearts and tickled our senses of humour on Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have inspired two reactions. Audiences either want to be them or be best friends with them, though the former is impossible and the latter highly unlikely. 30 Rock, Parks and Rec and their Golden Globes co-hosting gigs didn't lessen this desire, so their latest collaboration offers the next best thing. For two hours, Sisters re-teams the charismatic comedic twosome, throws an outlandish party and invites everyone to witness the mayhem. Fun is high on the agenda, and laughs are too — aka everything anyone could want when two of their favourite stars join forces once again. But even with such a pedigree, there's a difference between an enjoyable film and an excellent one, just as there's a difference between meeting expectations and exceeding them. Sisters' director Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect) and writer Paula Pell (another SNL alum) know their leads will put a smile on most people's faces simply by sharing screen time. They're also aware that the movie doesn't need to do much else. Accordingly, Sisters takes a well-worn scenario, adds a few just-as-recognisable issues, and hopes that the charm and hilarity of Fey and Poehler wins out. Unsurprisingly, it does. The two play mismatched siblings forced to finally say goodbye to their childhood and face everything maturity entails. Fey's free-spirited hairdresser and single mother Kate can't hold down a job or find a permanent place to live, while Poehler's responsible nurse Maura has dedicated her post-divorce life to her job. They're summoned to their family home in Florida when their parents (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest) decide to sell. But before the sale goes through, the girls decide to throw one last party. Adults behaving like teenagers may have worn somewhat thin, now that every second film is obsessed with states of arrested development. Still, you can trust Fey and Poehler to make the most of the concept. They're game for whatever comes their way — and plenty does. Sure, the script reverses their roles from Baby Mama, their last big-screen pairing, and then relies upon the usual march of escalating big-screen silliness. Yet even when the parade of outrageous antics seems familiar, nothing ever feels stretched or tiresome thanks to the central duo's winning chemistry and all-round energetic performances. Moreover, while the leads are never anything less than a delight to watch, in a feature that's as much a reunion movie as it is a party movie, they're certainly not the only humorous highlights. Maya Rudolph threatens to steal every scene she's in as Kate and Maura's high school nemesis; Ike Barinholtz affably plays against type as Maura's love interest; and John Cena continues to amuse outside of the WWE arena. The movie's attempts to traverse darker territory aren't quite as successful as its jokes, though it's nice that there's something more to the film than Fey and Poehler acting wild and cracking wise. Though it's execution is slight and clumsy, the movie's initial nostalgia for times gone by blossoms into the bittersweet epiphany we all eventually have: that youthful dreams don't always come to pass. Sisters is the type of film best consumed with an eager crowd. There's little that's unexpected here, with the film largely content with letting two of the funniest people on the planet do their thing. And you know what? That's okay. When it comes to laughs, Sisters well and truly delivers — and throws in a great dance routine set to Snow's 'Informer' as well.
Everyone knows that SXSW is a haven for music, including unearthing new talent. The festival's screen side, showcasing your new favourite movies and TV shows, is just as famous. So is the fact that all manner of well-known names take to its stages to get chatting — plus the event's all-round focus on tunes, tech, innovation, films, television, games and culture, as Sydney first experienced in 2023. SXSW's Down Under leg also lets the community get behind the microphone, via a part of its conference programming called Session Select. More than that, it allows you to choose what makes it into this portion of the fest's lineup. All you need to do is vote, which is now open for 2024. [caption id="attachment_923287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] It was in late 2023, after the inaugural SXSW Sydney proved a hit — and featured everyone from Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker and Chance The Rapper to Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb and Nicole Kidman onstage — that the Australian event confirmed that it'd be back in 2024. If you're wondering who'll be on the bill from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20, nothing else has been announced so far. But make your picks among the Session Select candidates and you can help shape the conference portion. You'll be choosing from proposed sessions from over 1000 organisations and folks, hailing from 35 countries. Whether you're interested in hearing more about and from Concrete Playground, TikTok, Reddit, Aussie airlines Qantas and Virgin Australia, Getty Images, or a bunch of Australian and international universities, you've got options. That's obviously just the start of a list that also spans Google, Meta, Leonardo.ai, Canva, Xero, Tourism Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission and plenty more. [caption id="attachment_923316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul McMillan[/caption] Whatever earns your vote, topics set to feature at the conference cover AI, the future of work, climate and sustainability, food, lifestyle and beauty, and the creator economy, for starters. In total, there's 23 tracks, all picked to reflect what's garnering conversation right now. The chosen sessions will start being announced from this month. Early-bird tickets to SXSW Sydney 2024 have also gone on sale, including platinum badges, which gets you into all SXSW Sydney events in the conference, and at the games, music and screen festivals; tech and innovation badges; and music, screen and game festival badges. There's also a new Under 25s option for the latter two — tech and innovation, plus music, screen and game — which offers a discount if you fit that age group. [caption id="attachment_923286" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] 2023's SXSW Sydney notched up 287,014 attendances from 97,462 unique attendees. Those figures came from 34,975 total tickets, with folks from 41 countries heading along to 1178 sessions. Among its wealth of highlights, last year's SXSW Sydney featured Brooker chatting about his hit series and technology's future; Chance The Rapper talking about 50 years of hip hop; Coachella CEO Paul Tollett discussing his own fest; Kidman exploring her work as a producer on the likes of Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and Love & Death; the Australian premiere of Kitty Green's The Royal Hotel; and the world premiere of The Wiggles documentary Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles. The full lineup spanned a 700-plus strong bill of talent, covering over 300 sessions, and featuring more than 300 gigs across 25 venues. From talks and concerts to films, TV shows and games, there was no shortage of things to see. That's all in store again in 2024. SXSW Sydney 2024 will run from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details, tickets and to vote for Session Select conference sessions. If you're be interested in attending Concrete Playground's panels, please visit the voting pages for New Rituals: The State of Socialising and Hospitality and Appetite for Distraction: Youth, Information and the Digital Age in 2024 to show your support. Voting closes on Monday, April 22, 2024. Images: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney.
NAIDOC Week happens in the first full week of July every year, and this year there's a packed program of events to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. One of the biggest drawcards is NAIDOC in the City, which invites Sydneysiders down to Hyde Park for an afternoon of festivities on Monday, July 7. The event is a sensory delight (seriously). Two underground earth ovens will be temporarily installed in the park, cooking up slow-cooked samplers of crocodile, kangaroo, emu, chicken and fish (as well as corn and sweet potato, representing your serving of veg). Chefs from Goanna Hut and Fred’s Bush Tucker will be up from 5am prepping the ovens, which use rocks heated by fire to cook the foods under a blanket of banana leaves, branches, wet hessian and sand. While you're there, watch traditional dance, try weaving or seashell art, and hear music from the likes of Marcus Corowa, Evie J, Jimblah and Horrorshow with Georgia Humphries. If you're feeling active, you can even make your way there by way of bicycle tour (bookings essential). Aboriginal guides from the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority will lead you around some of our city's most historic sites, finishing up in Hyde Park so you can join in on the fun. There's plenty else going on throughout the week, too. See John Pilger's Utopia at the Opera House or take a wander through the Art Gallery of NSW. Their special edition Art After Hours on July 9 features pop group Pirra, actor Luke Carroll and a tour of the Yiribana collection.
Turning the cute and cuddly into the rude and crude isn't a new concept. Everything from Greg the Bunny to Meet the Feebles to Ted has been there and done that with varying degrees of success, while the irreverent Who Framed Roger Rabbit bounced through somewhat similar terrain as well. It's not a lack of originality that proves The Happytime Murders' undoing, however. Rather, it's failing to realise that an amusing (albeit well-worn) premise still needs some fluff in its felt. He might come from a puppetry pedigree, but almost every single joke in Brian Henson's new film offers a variation on the same thing: what if puppets drank, did drugs, swore and had sex? Henson, son of The Muppets mastermind Jim Henson and director of both The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, wasn't responsible for The Happytime Murders' script. That honour goes to Todd Berger (It's a Disaster, Cover Version), although there's little in the way that Henson executes the screenplay that extends past playing up the obvious. In fact, other than flesh-and-blood stars Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Elizabeth Banks, the movie's best touch actually springs from the writer's pen. In a film that endeavours to dive into nostalgic territory only to tear it apart in a sea of filthy fabric, having misbehaving puppets snort sugar as their substance of choice is a clever inclusion. Something sweet becomes something toxic, mirroring the picture's own gleeful approach. Made of blue material and sporting a gloomy attitude to match, Phil Philips (voiced by Bill Barretta) roams Los Angeles' streets as a wizened gumshoe. In short succession, two events change his life: he's hired by a seductive new client, and, working her case, he's found at the scene of a violent crime in a puppet porn shop. Before you can say "an octopus fondling cow udders" (something that happens in The Happytime Murders in graphic detail), another killing occurs, and Phil is teamed up with police detective Connie Edwards (McCarthy) to get to the bottom of it all. That the murder victims were all stars on 80s puppet TV show The Happytime Gang complicates matters, as does the fact that Phil was once the LAPD's first puppet cop (and Edwards' partner). While the puppet body count keeps climbing, little else in The Happytime Murders evolves across its mercifully brief running-time. From start to finish, it thinks that toys ejaculating silly string and having Basic Instinct moments is the height of humour. And let's be clear — we're not saying that puppets behaving badly can't be funny, just that it wears not just thin but threadbare here, and incredibly quickly. To give them credit, the filmmakers do try to branch beyond the Team America-style debauchery, setting their story in a world where the plush are treated like second-class citizens, dubbed 'felties' by their 'meat sack' oppressors and given no respect, in an attempt to parallel real-life racial discrimination. And yet, as well-meaning as that part of the story is, it's simply used to set up more debased jokes. It's also hardly unique, especially if the aforementioned Who Framed Roger Rabbit was one of your childhood favourites. Similarly working against the limp film is its unconvincing appearance, which never sells the idea that humans and talking pieces of cloth are actually interacting. There's an awkward, stilted feeling emanating from every scene, and it speaks volumes that the movie's most entertaining sequence involves Bridesmaids co-stars McCarthy and Rudolph and absolutely no characters fashioned from floppy material. Of course, a lot of hard work and skill went into making the furry figures come to life, as behind-the-scenes footage over the picture's closing credits shows. But, as the otherwise unseen green-suited puppeteers manoeuvre stitched-together toys, their efforts contribute to a stitched-together film that can't survive on a rote noir storyline, some human energy and too many gags about puppets gone wild. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ8R5xJeYfU
Love birds, it's time to get creative. As February 14 looms and restaurant reservations book up, planning the perfect night can seem like an impossible feat. Luckily, the Watson's Bay Hotel crew can do it all for you. Impress your other half by tucking into a picnic basket of goodies, all while watching the night descend over Watsons Bay beach. Packed ready to go, this takeaway feast contains your usual picnic essentials plus a bottle of bubbly and selection of canapes. For a classic candlelit dinner, there's the 50 Shades of Bay Feast for Two, and couples sharing a mushy snap of themselves with the hashtag #50ShadesofBay to Instagram go into the running to win an evening in the Hotel's Grand Harbour Suite (prize to be drawn during the night).
After nine years of keeping Ultimo locals well-fed with burgers, hot 'n' sticky chicken wings and fish tacos, Pub Life Kitchen is shutting up shop. The eatery — which is one of Sydney's OG burger joints — will go out with a bang on Wednesday, October 11 with the final PLK Experiment, before closing altogether on Saturday, October 14. "The experiment will be a big thank you to everyone who's eaten at Pub Life Kitchen," says owner Jovan Curic. "It'll also probably be the most expensive event I've put together to date because there'll be a lot of free burgers." There's no word yet on just how many free burgers there will be, but when Pub Life Kitchen is done and dusted, Curic won't be resting on his laurels. He'll continue to oversee Superior Burger, the burger joint he opened in Wakeley a year ago, and get behind the Superior Express, a 1950s Austin bus that puts Superior Burgers on wheels. "My business partner found the bus in a yard and has spent two years customising it," says Curic. "We're not doing the regular food truck run, but, instead, go where we get booked." On top of that, there are plans to expand operations in western Sydney, with the opening of a bistro in January 2018. Moving away from Pub Life Kitchen is, according to Curic, a "natural evolution". "Pub Life Kitchen has been around for a while and things became very burger heavy." Watch this space for what he does next. Pub Life Kitchen will do its last service on Saturday, October 14 at 265 Bulwara Road, Ultimo. For more info on that and its last PLK Experiment, visit the Facebook page.
You might remember the excitement when Wolfmother set the main stage of Homebake 2005 on fire playing songs from the then newly released, debut self-titled record. Fast-forward to 2009 when two founding members have left the fold and creative whiz kid Andrew Stockdale played a low-key gig at Oxford Art Factory with three new musicians.The quartet is now armed with a behemoth of a sophomore record Cosmic Egg, named after a favoured yoga pose. Recorded over a two-month spell in LA with English producer Alan Moulder, this will be the second time Sydneysiders have heard the new songs live.The supports include Brisbane rockers, Yves Klein Blue (whose own debut record continues to impress fans and critics) and Australian Music Prize Winner, Jack Ladder. Each ticket also grants the buyer free introductory membership to the group’s new official fan club, The Wolfies. May fans howl and delight in Wolfmother’s newest moon.https://youtube.com/watch?v=NiRnAO0QJ0E
If you've been saving your money the last couple months and are wondering where to spend it, head down to the Makers and Shakers Market on Saturday, April 13. Making its return to Sydney, it'll feature more than 50 high-quality stalls, so you'll definitely find something you like. The market provides an open platform for local makers to sell their handmade wares, gourmet foods and lifestyle products. Start your shopping at 10am with a kombucha from Mailer McGuire then wander to Clay Canoe for stunning ceramics and to Cardigan Threads for chunky, colourful jewellery. Finish up with a visit to You Are Brave to add some new textiles to your home — and that's just a taste of the goodies on offer. While you're wandering the stalls, tackle your post-shop hunger with some toasted sandwiches from Mister Toast, doughnuts from Nutie and Donut Papi, plus many more delicious foods. The market will run from 10am–3pm, tickets are $2 and kids under 12 are free. Image: Alana Dimou.
There's nothing quite like a true story, whether it's a wild, chaotic, so-strange-it-can-only-be-true kind of tale or an informative, eye-opening yarn. That's Antenna Documentary Film Festival's cinematic bread and butter, with the Sydney-based event rolling out a new lineup of factual flicks for ten fests now — and it's celebrating hitting that big milestone with an impressive 2022 program. When the festival returns from Wednesday, February 2–Sunday, February 13 — hitting up Dendy Newtown, Palace Chauvel, Palace Verona, MCA Australia and Powerhouse Museum — it'll do so with a lineup of 50 features and shorts, as well as a day-long industry chat about the medium. The big highlight is all those feature-length docos, of course, including the 13 movies in the fest's official competition. Among the titles competing for the event's $10,000 prize, Charm Circle serves up a portrait of eccentric New York family navigating and has been likened to Grey Gardens — and also opens the festival. In terms of other competition standouts, it's joined by homegrown effort The Lake of Scars, which heads to regional Victoria; Courage, which explores the protests against the 2020 Belarus presidential election; and The Bubble, which ventures to a Florida retirement home with 155,000 retirees, 54 golf courses and 70 swimming pools. Or, elsewhere throughout the program, Jagged dives into Alanis Morissette's career; The Real Charlie Chaplin uses audio recordings, reconstructions and personal archival materials to traces Charlie Chaplin's Hollywood stardom; Sisters with Transistors celebrates pioneering women in the electronic music scene; and The Most Beautiful Boy in the World unfurls the story of Death in Venice actor Björn Andrésen, who earned that nickname as a the 15 year old. Yes, it's a great year for docos about the entertainment industry. Plus, you can see Sundance award-winner All Light, Everywhere, which examines the shared histories of cameras, weapons, policing and justice; The Gig Is Up, which ponders the gig economy; and the Cannes-awarded A Night of Knowing Nothing, which contemplates university student life in India. Antenna Documentary Film Festival 2022 runs from Wednesday, February 2–Sunday, February 13 at Dendy Newtown, Palace Chauvel, Palace Verona, MCA Australia and Powerhouse Museum. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the festival's website.
As Australians gear up for a postal vote on the issue of same-sex marriage, Melbourne City Council is showing its unequivocal backing of marriage equality by lighting up the Melbourne Town Hall in rainbow colours for the next two nights — just as it did in the wake of last year's Orlando nightclub shootings. Along with the municipal building's temporary makeover on Wednesday, August 16 and Thursday, August 17, the Council has also arranged a message in support of marriage equality to be screened up on Swanston Street's Young and Jackson Hotel's iconic rooftop sign for an hour from 11am today, and on rotation between Monday, August 21, and Sunday, September 17. We'll see even more of its endorsement in the coming weeks too, with local businesses offered window stickers backing the campaign. It all comes after Melbourne City Council last night endorsed a motion to campaign in support for marriage equality and to promote respectful dialogue surrounding the debate, with Lord Mayor Robert Doyle AC clear about the message they're hoping to send out. "When I think of Melbourne I think of equality," Doyle said. "I want Melbourne to take pride in its tolerant, welcoming, diverse culture. I believe all of our residents should have the opportunity to marry, if they wish." Melbourne City Council's a long-time supporter of marriage equality, having unanimously voted to back same-sex marriage back in 2015 and called on the Federal Government to legislate for it.
Last month, McDonald's spread some lockdown cheer for a few days, offering burger-loving customers free delivery for an entire weekend. From now until the end of June, it's doing the same. Sharing the fast food love, the huge chain is doing free home delivery on orders over $25 via UberEats — every single weekend. If you're craving a Quarter Pounder or a box of chicken McNuggets and you don't fancy leaving the house, that's obviously great news. To get your hands on a burg, some fries, a Happy Meal, McFlurry or a hot fudge sundae — or anything else on the chain's regular menu — with no extra delivery cost, head to UberEats' website or use the UberEats app and enter the weekly code. This week's code, valid until Sunday, May 11, is MACCAS2U; however it will change each week. To get the new details every Friday, you'll need to head to Macca's Facebook page. The entire transaction will be contact-free, including when it hits your doorstep. And, if you're after a few household staples, Macca's is also delivering milk, plus six-packs of English muffins and its gourmet buns. Or, of course, you can ignore whatever time of day it is and go straight for a McMuffin, hash brown and some hot cakes. McDonalds is offering free delivery across Australia on orders over $25 made via UberEats, with the special available every weekend until the end of June. To order, head here and use the weekly code. Until Sunday, May 11, the code is MACCAS2U, with new codes announced every Friday via the Macca's Facebook page. Images: McDonald's.
This year has been anything but normal, and the trend is continuing into Christmas. Because of a recent outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches, COVID-19 restrictions are (once again) impacting what we can and can't do, and who (and how many people) we can see for the festive occasion. For the first time in 2020, Sydney is broken up into different areas with different restrictions. As the majority of the cluster is located in the northern part of the northern beaches, this is where the strictest restrictions are. Next, comes the southern half of northern beaches; then Greater Sydney — which, currently, includes the Blue Mountains — the Central Coast and Wollongong; and, finally, the rest of NSW, which has the most relaxed restrictions. The recent outbreak, which currently includes 104 cases, has led to the NSW Government tightening restrictions across all of Greater Sydney, but the good news is that some of them are being temporarily relaxed between Thursday, December 24 and Saturday, December 26. What that does mean, though, is that it's all a little confusing. To help you plan your day — and ensure you're not slapped with a $1000 on-the-spot fine — we've broken down exactly what you can do, region by region. NORTHERN NORTHERN BEACHES Sydney's northern beaches suburbs have been under stay-at-home orders since Saturday, December 19. They were initially flagged to end on midnight last night, Wednesday, December 23, but instead the NSW Government has split the northern beaches into two zones — a northern and southern section, using the Narrabeen Bridge and the Baha'i Temple as a boundary — each with different rules. You'll find a map from the NSW Government showing the two areas below. For those in the north — which sounds like something that'd be said in Game of Thrones, not in reality — the current restrictions remain in place for the foreseeable future, with no end date currently given. That said, there is a very slight change coming into effect from Thursday, December 24 until midnight on Saturday, December 26. Northern northern beaches residents will be able to have five visitors over, including kids, during those three days, as long as their visitors live in the zone. Accordingly, leaving the house to visit people in the area will be added as a fifth reason to head out — alongside work if you can't do it from your house, for essential shopping, for exercise and for compassionate reasons (which includes emergency medical treatment or to visit an isolated relative). Come Sunday, December 27, no visitors will be allowed again, with the rules reverting to the present current stay-at-home conditions. And, during the three-day reprieve, people can't enter or leave the northern beaches' northern zone — so it's only folks within it that can interact with each other on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. SOUTHERN NORTHERN BEACHES In the lower half of the northern beaches, residents can have ten visitors plus kids from Thursday, December 24–Saturday, December 26. That does include folk from the rest of Greater Sydney, too — but not from the peninsula zone in the north. If you live in the southern part of the northern beaches, though, you can't leave your house unless it's for one of the original four reasons, or to visit someone else in the same southern northern beaches area. As for what happens afterwards in this zone, the government has said that it will make an announcement on Boxing Day. GREATER SYDNEY, CENTRAL COAST AND WOLLONGONG In a bid to contain the stop the spread of the outbreak across Sydney, the NSW Government tightened gathering restrictions on Sunday, December 20 for Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong. Initially set to expire at midnight last night, the new caps for gatherings at home and in indoor venues were extended indefinitely — but there's a very minor change in place for December 24, 25 and 26. If you're keen to have folk over to your house, that's limited at ten people. At all other indoor settings other than the family home — which includes hospitality venues — the one person per four-square-metre rule is in effect. And, a cap of 300 people remains for big venues, even if a large space can hold more than that and still abide by the density requirement. From Thursday, December 24–Saturday, December 26, the ten-person limit doesn't include children under the age of 12. So, you can have ten adults and however many kids under 12 at your house. But, you can only have one group of people over on each day — so you can't have different lots of ten people and children coming over at different times. This very minor change stops at midnight on Saturday, December 26, with the hard ten-person rule — for visitors of all ages — back in effect from Sunday, December 27 until further notice. These new restrictions do not impact outdoor public gatherings, however, with the current limit of 100 people remaining. THE REST OF NSW For everyone outside of Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Wollongong and the northern beaches — and those who haven't been told to isolate after visiting a hotspot — the restrictions for indoor gatherings are much more relaxed. In the rest of NSW, you may have up to 50 visitors at your home at a time (including adults and children) and there's no daily limit on how many visitors you may have. If you do go over the 50-person limit, though, every single person present could possibly be slapped with a $1000 on-the-spot fine. Like Greater Sydney, public outdoor gatherings are restricted to 100. Hospitality and other indoor entertainment venues can have a limit of one person per two-square-metres. For more information about current restrictions and the developing northern beaches outbreak, head to the NSW Government website.
Surry Hills is a familiar terrain to many of us: late at night, wandering home in search of that soft, warm pillow. Yet to an unlucky few these lonely streets are their home, and they wander in circles with nowhere else to go. Imagine, if you just stopped for a moment, the people you would meet here and the stories they could tell. It may be something like Intersection. The upcoming show put on by the MilkCrate theatre combines a cast of professional actors with a group of homeless and disadvantaged members of the community alongside the Sydney Street Choir to put on an authentic community production. The show charts the meeting of two people at a crisis shelter in Surry Hills and tracks their story through the back streets of Sydney to Mission Australia and Taylor Square before heading back home to the Edmond Eager Lodge. We, the audience, will literally follow them on this journey which puts us all at a crossroad. The philosphy of the show is very much on raising awareness, like the many workshops that the Milkcrate theatre put on throughout the year. But keep a lookout for the post show banquet which happens every year — where else can you eat with the stars of your show, after walking a mile in their shoes?
This summer, The Rocks Homegrown Christmas 2024 is set to be the ultimate spot for Christmassy festivities and good ol' catch-ups in the lead-up to the all-important day. Whether you're looking to unwind after work, planning something fun to do with friends, or are simply keen to get your hands on some bespoke gifts, head down to The Rocks for a quintessentially Aussie Christmas. Homegrown Concert Series Grab a picnic rug, head down to Tallawoladah Lawn, sit back and enjoy a celebration of Aussie music with the Homegrown Concert Series. At these intimate summer music events, you can expect some of Australia's best homegrown talent performing their original work, as well as a sprinkling of Christmas with a few covers of popular songs. The lineup includes ROSHANI and Triple J Unearthed's PEPTALK and Betty, as well as seasoned performers at The Rocks Markets, Big Wheels and Jess Beck. The perfect way to relax after a long lunch or to get the vibes started before a night out. When: Saturday, December 14, Sunday, December 15, Saturday, December 21 and Sunday, December 22 from 3.30pm – 6.30pm. Where: Tallawoladah Lawn (in front of the MCA) The Rocks Markets – Christmas Edition Everyone loves The Rocks Markets, and the Christmas edition is (somehow) even better. Perfect for finding last-minute pressies, you can wander around the many stalls and choose unique gifts from local artisan makers, food, jewellery, illustrations and lots more. To avoid crashing mid-shop, get some sustenance from yummy street eats – you will find Spanish paella, fresh juices, handmade chocolates and Italian focaccia, just to name a few. When: Every weekend from Saturday, November 30 – Sunday, December 22, from 10am – 5pm. Where: George St, The Rocks Christmas Connections The festive season is all about community and connecting with people, new or old. The Christmas Connections series by Conscious Connection is your chance to connect with like-minded people at one of three picnics at Dawes Point Park. All you have to do is book your ticket for the small price of $20, which you essentially get back in the form of a $20 gift voucher to spend at The Rocks Markets during your picnic. And for all the dog owners out there, a special 'Paws + Pals' picnic is all about connecting dog owners with new pals who also have dogs, with some hilarious activities for you and your pup. When: Sunday, December 8 from 11am – 1pm, Sunday, December 15 and Sunday, December 22 from 12pm – 3pm. Where: Dawes Point Park Christmas Decorations One of the things we love most about The Rocks is the way it transforms come Christmas time. It's the ultimate place to get in that summery, festive mood. Just walking around the streets you'll not only see the classic Christmas tree, but Australian-style, decorated in native florals and custom decorations by First Nations artists. You will also stumble across mini Christmas Villages, each modelled after historic buildings in The Rocks and hand-painted by local artist Nico Nicoson. Spending a day or even just half an hour here is guaranteed to get you feeling that laid-back holiday vibe that can only mean one thing – an Aussie Christmas. When: Monday, November 18 to Wednesday, December 25 [caption id="attachment_982196" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] Laneway Cinema There's nothing better than an outdoor cinema sesh during summer. You get to watch a movie while still making the most of the cracker weather – what could be better? And The Rocks' Laneway Cinema has got to be one of the most unique out there. It's free, and unlike most open-space outdoor cinemas, it's nestled within the beautiful, cobbled streets the locale is known for. Perfect for a midweek hang when you feel like something chill, but you still want to do something. Sit back and enjoy a film with some popcorn. Entry is free, so all you have to do is walk in. But for the best seats in the house, be sure to register for your free ticket or arrive early. When: Wednesday, 4 December (Planes, Trains & Automobiles), Wednesday, 11 December (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) and Wednesday, 18 December (Home Alone 2: Lost in New York). Doors open at 5.30pm. Where: Atherden St, The Rocks Festive Feasting If there is one time of the year that you have permission to eat out and indulge in food and drink, it's Christmas. And, The Rocks have got a lot of festive feasting options for you and your mates or for a family lunch, perfect for Christmas catchups. We're talking extravagant set menus, classic pub meals or casual cocktails. There's something for everyone. Some top picks include fresh seafood at Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant, wood-fired grill at Pony Dining and contemporary Asian Fusion at Luna Lu. Our tip? Hit up The Argyle for a fun way to round off the night. Where: The Rocks When: Everyday Christmas Gifting This is the place where you'll find those extra special gifts that make everyone say, "Wow! Where did you get that!?" There are so many stores here, each with distinct offerings. Take a look at the Christmas Gift Guide or simply walk through the lanes and you will find goodies from candles, First Nations art, clothing or unique jewellery, among plenty more. The Rocks has also compiled guides on gifts for her, gifts for him and affordable gifts under $50 to help you out. Some of our go-to's include Aesop Gifts and DUX Collection Christmas Gift Packs For the art aficionados – unique gifting at the MCA store, art by Shazia Imran and whimsical gifts by Squidinki. Where: The Rocks When: Everyday Visit The Rocks Homegrown Christmas 2024 from Friday, November 15 2024 to Wednesday, December 25 2024. To learn more about the event and giveaways visit the website. Images: Anna Kucera, Cassandra Hannagan.
UPDATE, March 4, 2022: Crimson Peak is available to stream via Netflix, Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. "Beware of Crimson Peak," an eerie voice warns Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska). Thankfully, audiences need not heed the same warning. The gothic offering that shares its name with a crumbling mansion atop clay-filled heights is a dark delight that haunts with its unsettling mood and enchants with exquisite imagery. Coming from the mind of Guillermo del Toro, that shouldn't be surprising. In the writer/director's ninth and latest feature, as co-written with Don't Be Afraid of the Dark's Matthew Robbins, he dives further into all things scary and sublimely staged than he perhaps has before — and that's with the likes of vampire fare Cronos, ghost tale The Devil's Backbone and spellbinding fantasy Pan's Labyrinth on his resume. His protagonist, Edith, finds her way to the titular locale courtesy of tragedy and romance. In late 19th-century New York, British baronet Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) sweeps the aspiring author off her feet, much to the disapproval of her wealthy industrialist father, Carter (Jim Beaver). Kindly childhood pal, the smitten Dr Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam), also looks on in dismay, with neither the charming Thomas nor his terse sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) warmly welcomed. When Edith accompanies the siblings to their dilapidated home, only to be met by sinister happenings, their secrets start to be revealed. Crimson Peak is the type of slow-building, richly evocative effort that feels torn from the pages of literature, as it is designed to. That the dialogue namechecks Jane Austen, Mary Shelley and Arthur Conan Doyle gives a firm indication of the balance of elements del Toro aims for, combining romance, horror and mystery. Make no mistake, though, the movie is more than just the sum of his influences. From the atmospheric unease to the heaving themes of love and loss to the overt sensation of yearning, there's never any doubt that is del Toro's film through and through. He inspires an unrelenting sense of tension that bursts forward whenever something untoward graces the feature's frames, but never subsides even in quieter moments. He also conjures the type of devastating detail that demands to be seen on a big screen. Whether transitioning between scenes with iris wipes, looking down on snowy ground laced with scarlet footsteps, watching colour-coded ghostly entities peer around corners or enjoying a fast-paced waltz with a flickering candle in hand, the movie is a sight to behold. With Crimson Peak such an effective exercise in tone, texture and aesthetics, it certainly proves a relief that the story does more simply justify its look and feel, and that the cast do more than wander through sumptuous surroundings. The deep red hue of the film's name references both the blood that flies freely as well as the focus on the luminous Wasikowska and the enjoyably unnerving Chastain, resulting in an effort where jump scares are modest, surprises few and the characters' inner workings made apparent from the outset, yet emotions run as deep as narrative intrigue, and attention never wavers. Pacific Rim this ain't. Del Toro is at home once again making sensually charged, period-set, haunted house fare. Intimate and intricate in the best possible ways, Crimson Peak is something sumptuous, spooky and gorgeously gothic to savour — as is superbly complex leading man Hiddleston, who almost anyone would follow into such creepy surroundings.
Sydneysiders will have to wait a little longer before sipping Re's inventive cocktails is on the menu again — and construction delays are the cause. The zero-waste bar was initially slated to open up inside The Norfolk Hotel on Tuesday, May 14, but since announcing that date, the Redfern pub has had to postpone its relaunch. Re's boundary-pushing approach to sustainability has seen the bar earn a spot among Sydney's best bars, and has received acclaim on lists spanning the world's best bars multiple times. Hence, the postponement of its long-awaited reopening is bittersweet news. Now, the standout spot is set to welcome guests from sometime between mid-May to the end of the month. No open date has officially been confirmed as yet, so stand by for further details. The cocktail bar's revitalised menu for its sleek new digs at The Norfolk will feature its familiar game-changing cocktails made from discarded bread or chicken feet, alongside new inventions — including a Ricos Tacos-inspired tortilla-inspired cocktail, a Busby's-centred 'Dirty Bore' with salted focaccia butter vodka, a boozy Derrel's-style mango lassi cocktail and more. As for its upcoming food lineup, each dish will showcase the highest-quality local ingredients that can be consumed whole. You'll spot dishes like the squid ink and calamari duo, as well as yellowfin tuna paired with marigold. When Re reopens, you'll find it at The Norfolk, 305 Cleveland Street, Redfern. Keep an eye on the venue's website for more information. Images: Sam McAdam.
Whatever Frightened Rabbit are afraid of, we should all be glad that it clearly isn't being excellent at making music or coming to Australia. Having graced our shores last year for Groovin' the Moo and a run of sold-out sideshows, the Scottish indie rockers are back again to continue their festival-sideshow combination. After performing their heartfelt anthems at St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in Sydney, the band will be gracing the Metro Theatre on Thursday, February 6, for an intimate set that is not to be missed. Make sure that you pack your singing voices as well as your dancing shoes as the band's choruses demand to be chanted until the Metro transforms into a cavern of uplifting sound. With such a short gap between their last two visits, it could be a while until we see them again. Even if that wasn't the case, don't be a frightened rabbit and miss this. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KY4j8Ow-CTs
UPDATE, March 30, 2021: Raya and the Dragon is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also currently available to stream via Disney+ with Premier Access (so you'll pay $34.99 extra for it, on top of your usual subscription fee). It'll hit Disney+ without any extra fee on June 4. Featuring a vibrant animated spectacle that heroes vivid green and blue hues, a rousing central figure who is never a stock-standard Disney princess and lively voice work from an all-star cast, Raya and the Last Dragon boasts plenty of highlights. The Mouse House's new all-ages-friendly release also embraces southeast Asian culture with the same warm hug that Moana gave Polynesia and Pixar's Coco sent Mexico's way — and it's always detailed, organic, inclusive and thoughtful, and never tokenistic. But perhaps its biggest strength, other than the pitch-perfect vocal stylings of Awkwafina as the playful, mystical half of the film's title, is its timing. Disney first announced the feature back in August 2019, so the company can't have known what the world would suffer through from early 2020 onwards, of course. But a hopeful movie about a planet ravaged by a destructive plague and blighted by tribalism — and a feature that champions the importance of banding together to make things right, too — really couldn't arrive at a more opportune moment. COVID-19 has no place in Raya and the Last Dragon; however, as the picture's introductory preamble explains, a virus-like wave of critters called the Druun has wreaked havoc. Five hundred years earlier, the world of Kumandra was filled with humans and dragons living together in harmony, until the sinister force hit. Now, only the realm's two-legged inhabitants remain — after their furry friends used their magic to create the dragon gem, which saved everyone except themselves. That's the only status quo that Raya (voiced by Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran) has ever known. Her entire existence has also been lived out in a divided Kumandra, with different groups staking a claim to various areas. With her father Benja (Daniel Dae Kim, Always Be My Maybe), she hails from the most prosperous region, Heart, and the duo hold out hope that they can reunite the warring lands. Alas, when they bring together their fellow leaders for a peaceful summit, Raya's eagerness to trust Namaari (Gemma Chan, Captain Marvel), the daughter of a rival chief, ends with the Druun on the rampage once again. Directors Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), co-directors Paul Briggs and John Ripa (both Disney art and animation department veterans), and screenwriters Qui Nguyen (Dispatches From Elsewhere) and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) mightn't have had much of a tale to tell if Raya and Namaari had gotten on without a hitch from the get-go. But the latter's early betrayal of the former, and her quest to steal the dragon gem, serves more than a key storytelling function. This is a movie about believing not just in yourself, but in others, and it doesn't shy away from the reality that trusting anyone comes with the chance of peril and pain — especially in fraught times where the world has taken on an every-person-for-themselves mentality and folks are dying (or being turned to stone, which is the Druun's modus operandi). If the narrative hadn't been willing to make this plain again and again, including when it picks up six years later as Raya tries to reverse the devastation caused by Namaari's actions, Raya and the Last Dragon wouldn't feel as genuinely affecting. Rolling around desert wastelands on her giant armadillo-meets-pill bug Tuk Tuk, Raya's mission involves collecting every part of the now-fractured gem — which has been scattered across Kumandra — as well as investigating a legend about Awkwafina's Sisu. It's rumoured that the aquamarine-coloured dragon still lives, and Raya is as intent on finding it as she is on piecing her homeland back together. Tracking down the perennially optimistic Sisu actually happens quickly (it's right there in the movie's buddy-comedy moniker, after all) and the film is all the better for it. So giddily buoyant that she's like a teenage girl, the friendly creature becomes the supportive, exuberant cheerleader encouraging Raya to be her better self and to see the best in others, and their match-up — and the meeting of stellar vocals behind them — works a treat. That said, there is an episodic feel to the pair's jumps from place to place, as they enlist the help of a baby pickpocket, plus orphaned ten-year-old and boat restaurant proprietor Boun (Izaac Wang, Good Boys) and lonely warrior Tong (Benedict Wong, The Personal History of David Copperfield). If you're cynical or even just practical, you can also see how all these characters and settings could give rise to their own toys, other merchandise and spinoffs, too. And yet, this is always a deeply moving feature, thanks to its commitment to recognising the risks as well as the rewards of placing your faith in others, its warmly beating heart, and the complexities of Raya and Namaari's relationship — which is never straightforward, and puts the one-note rivalries between young women so often seen in live-action high school-set movies to shame. A familiar Disney formula is at work underneath, and noticeably, but those easily spotted aspects provide Raya and the Last Dragon with its skeleton rather than driving every detail into well-worn territory. Also hitting the mark: the film's comic notes, especially through Awkwafina's voice performance; its balance of world-building fantasy and epic adventure, and of both hopeful and melancholy tones; and the way it equally plays like a fable and also feels ideally suited to the current moment. Tran, Chan and the rest of the movie's cast, including Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) as Namaari's mother, are just as wonderful, and the feature's finale leaves an imprint. Amid these fine-tuned elements and the always-breathtaking imagery also lingers another message, and one that's just as important as the flick's missive of unity. Clouds of familiarity linger over Raya and the Last Dragon, but they never hide the movie's many charms — because judging something based on its most obvious traits is ill-advised within this touching tale, and when it comes to the film as a whole as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T4GIqEYyNk&feature=youtu.be Top image: © 2020 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
The MCA's summer music series Sounds on the Terrace is back for the fifth year running. And, this time round, the gallery is teaming up with Young Henrys — the Newtown brewers will curate the music lineup and, you guessed it, add a healthy dose of craft beer to the drinks list. The first session kicks off on Wednesday, November 1, with dreamy electronica from Matilda Abraham and ethereal soundscapes from E for Echo. The following three gigs will take place monthly until April 2018. It's no coincidence that Sounds on the Terrace is concurrent with the MCA's Lights on Later program either. In between beers, tunes and bites created by the MCA Cafe, you can take a wander through the gallery, which, from November 1, will house Pipilotti Rist's Sip My Ocean exhibition. This isn't the first time the Young Henrys crew has been called upon for their musical tastes. Over the past few years, they've worked alongside You Am I, DZ Deathrays, Josh Pyke and Sydney Symphony, among others.
One of the world's most visited multi-sensory experiences will come alive in Sydney this spring From Friday, September 18, Van Gogh Alive will see more than 3000 large-scale images of the Dutch master's works projected onto walls, columns and floors at The Royal Hall of Industries in Moore Park. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which, for the past 15 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 140 cities across the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. The family-friendly experience will create the sensation of walking right into Van Gogh's paintings. Famous works including The Starry Night and Sunflowers are presented in fine detail using Grande Exhibitions' state-of-the-art technology combining 40 high-definition projectors, while a classical musical score accompanies the vibrant colours in cinema-quality surround sound. The exhibition has already wowed audiences at 50 cities throughout the northern hemisphere and parts of South America — and was was initially meant to be unveiled in Melbourne this year inside a new multimillion digital art gallery in Melbourne called The Lume, but, because of the city's strict lockdown, the Australian premiere will now happen in Sydney. Van Gogh Alive runs at The Royal Hall of Industries, adjacent to the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park from Friday, September 18 for a limited time. Tickets will cost $30 per person and go on sale at midday on Friday, August 21 via vangoghalive.com.au.
Mona Foma, MONA's wild and weird summer music and arts festival, is back for 2018. And this time around, it's set to eclipse all previous incarnations, with the festival adding a program of Launceston events to its usual Hobart lineup. Further to the announcement of the MONA hotel and the move to Launceston back in July, this beefed-up presence also heralds the festival's biggest, most eclectic program to date, thanks largely to funding from the State Government. The Mofo 2018 lineup is a cracker, delivering 11 days of thought-provoking art and music to Tasmania's two largest cities and celebrating creativity and personal expression in all forms. Running from January 12 to 14, the Launceston leg will see singer-songwriter Gotye join the Ondioline Orchestra to pay homage to renowned French electronic composer Jean-Jacques Perrey (January 12 and 13), as well as a dance performance by Canada's The Holy Body Tattoo, scored live by post-rockers Godspeed You! Black Emperor (also January 12 and 13). Mofo's northern run will culminate with a huge, free party on January 14. To follow, January 19 to 21 will mark Mofo's final MONA appearance for a while, so it's exiting with a bang. The museum's outdoor stage will feature performances from the likes of punk poet Moor Mother, all-female Argentinian act Fémina and a collaboration between Tassie bassist Nick Haywood and The Hobart Liberation Orchestra. Martin Blackwell will deliver a 24-hour continuous performance soundtracked by an array of global instruments, while the MONA tennis courts play host to a challenging fashion runway courtesy of SAAKA's Hunger for Gluttony. Elsewhere in Hobart, the Violent Femmes will perform with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, a one-day mini-Mofo will pull together local acts like Comrad XERO, Crypt Vapor and Phillipa Stafford, and the festival's official after-party Faux Mo will take over a huge new waterfront space at MAC2. Mona Foma 2018 will take place at venues across Launceston from January 12–14, at MONA from January 19–21 and across Hobart from January 15–22. Tickets are available here from Monday, October 16.
Maybe viewing old episodes of Aerobics Oz Style helped you stay active during 2020's first long lockdown. Perhaps you've been obsessed with the now-iconic Key & Peele aerobics meltdown sketch for years, as everyone should be. Or, you might've watched the excellent Kirsten Dunst-starring On Becoming a God in Central Florida and got bitten by the water aerobics bug. Whichever fits — or even if none of the above applies to you — leotards, exercise and all things 80s haven't been far from our screens in recent years. And, they'll feature again in a big way in Apple TV+'s new ten-part dark comedy series Physical. Set in the decade that's always going to be synonymous with leg warmers, Physical sees Rose Byrne make the leap from hanging out with talking CGI rabbits in terrible book-to-screen adaptations to getting hooked on aerobics. She plays Sheila Rubin, a San Diego housewife who has always played her dutiful part as expected, but struggles with her self-image and her sense of self in general. Then, the only form of exercise that TV shows and movies seem to think that anyone did back in the 80s suddenly enters her life. Cue a journey that brings Sheila success, sees her forge her own path beyond being a wife and mother, and also turns her into a lifestyle guru. As seen in both the first sneak peek last month and the just-dropped new trailer, she obviously won't be posting about her daily life on social media — but this show is set in the peak VHS era, so expect videotapes to play a part in the story. Physical is set to start streaming on Friday, June 18, and will drop its first three episodes in one hit before releasing the rest weekly afterwards. Naturally, big hair and spandex are set to play a huge part in the supremely 80s-looking series. Alongside Byrne, the show stars Rory Scovel (I Feel Pretty), Dierdre Friel (Second Act), Della Saba (Ralph Breaks the Internet), Lou Taylor Pucci (American Horror Story), Paul Sparks (The Lovebirds) and Ashley Liao (Fuller House). Desperate Housewives and Suburgatory's Annie Weisman created, wrote and executive produced Physical, and serves as its showrunner, while Cruella's Craig Gillespie, Dead to Me's Liza Johnson and Love Life's Stephanie Laing all enjoy stints in the director's chair. Check out the latest trailer trailer below: Physical starts streaming via Apple TV+ on Friday, June 18.
When you enter she's already there, sitting small and restless amid the expanse of cool, eggshell-white tile, beige packing boxes and gleaming appliances. This room is a model of edge-of-town housing developments; an arena for a single-act battle of deeds, words and undercurrents; and purgatory for one woman at the twilight of her years. Playwright Tommy Murphy's much-anticipated follow-up to Holding the Man and Saturn's Return, Gwen in Purgatory was developed under the Philip Parsons Award and directed and guided to fruition by Neil Armfield at Company B. The result is an immaculate production of a finely tuned script. At its centre is 90-year-old Gwen Houlihan (Melissa Jaffer), lifelong resident of Queanbeyan, cloistered in her new digs and caught in a web of technologies that have kept moving faster as she has slowed down to a shuffle. Literally. Her phones are ringing and she just can't reach them in time. It's funny, but you don't want to laugh too hard; as well as being absurd, Gwen's situation is all too real, as is her pain. And the staggered arrival of her surviving children and grandchildren — Daniel (Nathaniel Dean), Peg (Sue Ingleton) and Laurie (Grant Dodwell) — isn't the balm you'd hope. They each bring their family-spun neuroses and mixed intentions as they dodge their looming duty of care and fill the room with tension. In the background, ingeniously, floats Father Ezekiel (Pacharo Mzembe), a young, Nigerian priest plugging Australia's ecclesiastic skills shortage. He has come to tend to his congregant but spends most of the play observing the interaction of the Houlihans — like us in the audience but saintly. A number of things raise this way above your average Aussie cringe-comedy. Foremost is a script in which there is verbosity yet no syllable of excess; every word is meticulously plotted, resonates and interlocks in surprising ways and comes back to bite its characters. And what characters: written with warmth, rendered with devotion, they evoke empathy even at their nastiest. It's wholesome, somehow, so you can probably take your actual grandma — although you may think twice about leaving her at the end of the evening. Image by Heidrun Lohr. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xZ25xCi17BY
It's been quite a year of events for the MCA, what with their involvement with Vivid, their Future Classic summer Sunday sessions and yoga on the roof. But for the year's last instalment of MCA ARTBAR driven by Audi, the MCA is going all out with indigenous artist Adam Hill (a.k.a. Blak Douglas) curating the 2015 finale. In what have been some of our favourite nights this year, the MCA's monthly parties are an always-excellent after-dark extravaganza of art, music, food and booze. A perfect combination, really. November's Blak Douglas-directed event — aptly named Blakout — will include performances by Ursula Yovich, Leah Flanagan, MC Boomali and the Rising Sun Trio, interactive artworks by Aroha Groves and Adam Gezcy, and a slam poetry workshop taken by Luka Lesson. If you want to partake in some discussion, there'll be a special BlakChat roundtable, along with a few film screenings for those who want to simply wine and watch. We even hear that some pole dancing will be going down. Of course, a ticket gets you entry into the MCA so you can see their current exhibitions — it'll be your last chance to see Primavera 2015 and Matthys Gerber, both closing December 6 — in a different light, after the sun goes down. But the best place to be is the rooftop bar, where DJ Black President (a.k.a. Leo Tanoi) will be shooting vibes until 11pm.
