Megan Washington has a voice that sets your heart racing. She makes sorrow seem soft and lovely, but lists a thousand indecisions and revisions to be considered before curling into somebody. She took the title of The Tour of Laughter and Forgetting from Milan Kundera's 1979 book, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. There is no doubting that Washington, whose album I Believe You, Liar went platinum in February, has her own perspective on the moral order of things. While Washington is creatively rich but "strapped for cash," she claims that she writes music for herself, not for others. Born in Papua New Guinea but a Brissie girl from age 11, her concept of pop culture was limited to fickle flights of fancy before she completed six years study at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. The bespectacled songstress then went down south, carving a niche in Melbourne’s music scene with her self-released EP titled Clementine. Her clever yet catchy indie-pop songs are sweetly brimful of contradictions; her lyrics are free of self-consciousness yet seek to make the personal universal. Washington was crowned the breakthrough artist of 2010 at the ARIA Awards and has completed a successful run of summer festivals. Her guitar-plucked ballad, Lightwell, is one of the more intimate songs on new compilation When I First Met Your Ma and her plaintive voice is hold-me-closer haunting. Supported by Lissie and Deep Sea Arcade, Washington will provide a tonic to whatever ails you at the Metro on Thursday.
Initiated by Sydney Institute students and presented by A Series of Fortunate Events, Bizarre Bazaar has a cult following of style-conscious Sydneysiders. The twilight fashion market reclaims a Sydney laneway (or, on colder occasions, an indoor space) on odd Thursday eves to showcase the quirky garments and new collections of numerous local designers, including ATAT, Moons of Apollo, Roger and Peach, Blessed are the Meek and Auckland Stockholm. Bizarre Bazaar also plays host to pop-up bars, meaning that you can pick up a bevvy after pawing over discounted threads and channelling Patsy Stone in the free photo booth. So break open your piggy bank and bring your designer dreams to the latest Bizarre Bazaar location, if for no other reason than to collect your free goody bag and chill out to crispy beats.
Games in the Backyard was, by all accounts, a highly successful play when originally performed in Israel. Which is hardly surprising given its source material. Edna Mazya’s script is based heavily on the actual events of the 1988 gang rape of an Israeli teenager by a group of slightly older boys. And, as effective art often does, Games examined a cultural sore spot, picking apart a fictionalisation of the rape itself and its fallout. In the play's version of events, 14-year-old Devori (Jessica Palyga), impressionable and vaguely rebellious, is manipulated over the course of an evening by four older boys who cross her path at a local playground. Pushed into increasingly sexualised games and eager to prove herself as more experienced than she is, Devori’s control of the situation is rapidly eroded until she's in a helpless spot. These events are juxtaposed throughout with moments from the boys' subsequent trial, where their lawyers and prosecutor are played — pointedly — by the same actors as the rapists and victim. The same attitudes surface again within a dynamic that’s sometimes changed, but often not. Devori’s legal alter ego is frequently subject to familiar patterns of harassment by the group of boys turned lawyers. Games engages heavily with the victim-blaming that often surrounds sexual assault. Devori is played as a flirt and transgressor, but the play is adamant that this doesn’t change the nature of what happens to her. In the context of the original crime, that would have been a fiercely relevant statement to make. (In reality, the perpetrators were initially acquitted — to public outcry — before four were ultimately convicted on appeal). But severed from that controversy, this production loses something. ATYP's marketing for the play claims it will leave you questioning your judgement — that the situation isn't black and white — but I’m not sure how. Netta Yashchin's direction downplays anything that could conceivably be construed as consent on Devori's part, making it abundantly clear that the boys are committing a crime from the get-go (if you don't catch it, the rape is dramatised in full late in the production and leaves no room for confusion). Despite physically committed and believable performances by the cast, this leaves the did-they-or-didn't-they questions raised during the trial sections feeling disingenuous and the play's overall tone bordering on shrill. Which comes across as a missed opportunity, given that bullshit questions about rape victims' dress or manner still get asked with tiresome frequency. This is a play that’s very forthright about responding to a particular set of those questions, but absent that context, it's like hearing only half of a heated argument.
It's the end of the year, and it seems Sydney's galleries have been saving the best for last. This month will see both international and local art celebrated: Grayson Perry will arrive at the MCA for his first major survey in the Southern Hemisphere, and Sydney's emerging and established artists will be showcased around the city. Reflect on a year's worth of art and them go out with a bang at December's best art exhibitions.
Whether you're battling a hangover or simply cruising through a lazy morning off work, there's no doubt Sunday brunch is king of all the weekend feeds. And when the kitchen team from Hartsyard is on the pans, you're in professional brunch hands. While the Enmore eatery has long been a favourite for after-dark eats, Hartsyard chefs Niki Waples and Gregory Llewellyn are now flexing their brunch muscles as well, plating up an AM-friendly version of their much-loved, refined American fare. For the occasion, the duo designed a menu with 'lazy Sunday session' written all over it, starring treats like lump crab on steamed buns, hoecakes teamed with salmon roe and crème fraiche, and of course, that famous fried chicken. We're even being promised a brunch-style riff on the beloved Hartsyard poutine, featuring a hangover-worthy combo of fried egg, hot chips, and a beer and cheese sauce. To match, there will be American-style, bottomless filter coffee, though you might fancy turning your brunch into a boozy one, with the help of a few Mimosas, Bellinis, or Bloody Marys. Kick-ons involve $2 oysters and crafty cocktails from 4pm at sister bar, The Gretz. To attend the brunch, all you need to do is book a table, or rock up and hope for the best.
Arcadia Unbound has a large and incredibly loyal following — and for a good reason. The store has moved locations a few times but owner Garry Einstein has been working in the comic book sphere since the 90s. Incredibly knowledgeable and true fans of the art form, the team at Arcadia Unbound are friendly, approachable and happy to point you in whatever direction your particular tastes take you. The store has a great selection of comics, action figures, trading cards and other pop culture paraphernalia and, most importantly, very reasonable prices. For those who still enjoy physically flicking through comics, Arcadia Unbound is a true gem of find.
When Winnie-the-Pooh moseyed into a slasher movie in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, the film endeavoured to prove that there's room in the pop-culture honeypot for multiple takes on AA Milne's beloved bear. More horror flicks are coming, because of course they are. But, embracing the usually cuddly figure's sweet and innocent side, so is a supremely nostalgic, family-friendly stage musical from Disney. Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation debuted back in 2021 Off-Broadway, then took the Hundred Acre Wood and its famous felt residents to Chicago, back to New York, on a tour of the US and to London. The next stop on the Mouse House-created show's itinerary: Australia, including the Sydney Opera House's Playhouse from Wednesday, July 19–Sunday, July 23. Hailing from American Australian producer, writer and director Jonathan Rockefeller, Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation brings Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Owl and Tigger to life with puppets — life-sized versions, which look as cuddly and fuzzy as anthropomorphic stuffed toys should. Also joining them is Christopher Robin, in a production that brings together a heap of songs from past Winnie-the-Pooh movies. Again, this is a firmly all-ages affair, so expect plenty of young Winnie-the-Pooh devotees in attendance.
Well, this sounds entirely delightful. The Bookbinder comes to Belvoir from Trick of the Light Productions, a small New Zealand outfit who appear to specialise in puppetry, modelmaking and reaffirming the existence of magic. A chap who has made his living binding books is after a new apprentice. He's pretty sure there's one in the audience, but they need to be made of strong stuff. You see, the last boy who wanted to become his apprentice was sent on a quest and we're not entirely sure what happened to him. Whether we'll find him or be gobbled up by monsters is anyone's guess. If you hadn't gathered already, this is theatre aimed at a younger audience. But as a joyful, simple and complete diversion from the broken-down shitfight of adult life, it might be just the ticket you need.
At first glance, mid-week raving and healthy living don’t seem to go hand in hand. The energetic people behind Morning Gloryville are here to turn that preconception on its head with their ingenious way to start your day in style. From 6.30 to 10.30am on the last Wednesday of the month at Paddington Uniting Church, Morning Gloryville will host a monthly all-ages, drug- and alcohol-free rave to kickstart your day. Music will be pumping with an eclectic mix of '90s dance, jungle beats and soul tunes; you’re encouraged to jump around and shake those cobwebs loose before heading to work. Local DJs Klue, DJ Tricky and Person Three will be storming the decks, along with a dance team to get the party going. But it’s not just the furious dancing that's helping you start your day off on the right foot. The Morning Gloryville sessions will also include yoga, massage, fresh smoothies and healthy food. The recommended dress code is simply 'dress to sweat', but loads of colour and festivalwear is also encouraged — anything to help you seize the day. The only real rule is sobriety; let your inner dance monster show the world what it’s made of unimpeded by plonk. The Morning Glory rave was started in London’s Shoreditch — where else — by Sam Moyo and Nico Thoemmes. "We’ve noticed the habit that when people start getting really serious jobs or have a family, or if they want to live free of alcohol and drugs, then they almost stop partying and stop dancing in that way. We thought that was a shame," says Thoemmes. "Morning Glory is a revolution of conscious clubbing. For us it’s really important to get people embodied and dancing and moving freely." It has since gathered a global following with offshoots in Barcelona, New York, Tokyo, Amsterdam and now Sydney.
You’ve probably heard about the anti-burqua mural in Newtown. Artist Cigdem Aydemir was opposed to it and, in fact, lodged a complaint. In the course of her opposition, she attended a public meeting in Erskineville where a man raced up on stage wearing a niquab of his own. Tearing it off, he declared things hidden underneath niquabs were a security issue. (A longer account is here.) Finding the idea absurd, Aydemir — who had worn a hijab herself for 10 years — has spent the years since that meeting stuffing more and more ridiculous things under black veils in the name of art. Extremist Activity documents her attempts. For Blue Room a curved, pointed umbrella draped with black cloth walks down a street, looking for conversation, while Extremist Activity (ride) covers a rickshaw completely in black fabric: two game passers-by lift the corner and hop in for a ride. In the Extremist Activity (shop) series, she wanders around a supermarket with a magnificent protrusion (a shopping trolley) under her clothes, absconding it until the cash register. Other photos show her smuggling a room, a full-size swing set and a stepladder under her clothes, until, finally, Extremist Activity (mount) has her niquab enveloping an enormous climbing sphere in Victoria Park. A pair of eyes — serious, yet ridiculous — stare out from under the needle where her body brings the black fabric to a point. Last Saturday, Aydemir staged a performance (video) at the gallery where she encouraged the general public to climb underneath a giant, communal niquab, each face peering out of holes in the cloth. (Unfortunately, no more performaces are planned during this show.) The feeling from under the cloth — that this was a giant kids’ game of parachute — perfectly captured the feel of her wider show: pointed, absurd and lots of fun. Image: Extremist Activity (ride), 2011 by Cigdem Aydemir. Lambda print, 55 x 36.5 cm, performance in Sydney. Photograph by Alex Wisser.
Thanks to the success of Beef, the past year has been huge for Ali Wong. It was back in April 2023 that the hit series arrived, getting audiences obsessed and sparking plenty of accolades coming Wong's way. She won Best Actress Emmy, Golden Globe, Film Independent Spirt and Screen Actors Guild awards for playing Amy Lau, who has a carpark altercation with Danny Cho (Steven Yeun, Nope) that neither can let go of — and that changes both of their lives. The last 12 months have also been massive for the American actor and comedian onstage, all thanks to her Ali Wong: Live tour. Wong has been playing to full houses in the US, and also in Paris and London — and Sydney audiences can see her this winter at three gigs from Thursday, July 18–Saturday, July 20 at the ICC Theatre, Sydney. [caption id="attachment_893741" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Cooper/Netflix © 2023[/caption] Behind the microphone, Wong's comedy career dates back almost two decades, including three Netflix stand-up specials: 2016's Baby Cobra, 2018's Hard Knock Wife and 2022's Don Wong. And, as an author, Wong also has 2019's Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life to her name. On-screen, Wong doesn't let go of grudges easily, at least in Beef. In rom-com Always Be My Maybe, she's also been romanced by Keanu Reeves. Tuca & Bertie had her voice an anthropomorphic song thrush, while Big Mouth sent her back to middle school. Beef, on which Wong was also an executive producer, earned just as much love for the show overall — including the Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series; Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television; Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series under 40 minutes; Film Independent Spirt Award for Best New Scripted Series; and PGA for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television. [caption id="attachment_946690" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Cooper/Netflix © 2023[/caption]
Having been a constant presence on Pittwater Road for nearly ten years, White House Flowers was a Manly institution. It recently moved to Brookvale, with founder Kye Carqueville passing the reins over to Mel Anderson and Jess Hapl. It's hard to miss, with vibrant bunches of flowers spilling from the store's interior onto the pavement outside. The team favours slipper orchids, ranunculus, and hydrangeas, but are always experimenting and exploring new palettes and designs. You'll want to have these blooms in your house at all times.
Autumn weather is a real sweet spot for outdoor activities. The temperature hasn't dropped so far you need to heavily rug up, but you're also not running the risk of a sweltering summer day. For those in the shire looking to get out-and-about this autumn, a weekend-long market is popping up in Cronulla from the team behind the Ryde Wharf Market. Originally slated for Easter, the event was postponed due to heavy rain. Cambridge Markets is returning to Sydney's south coast this weekend, taking place at the coastal Don Lucas Reserve and featuring over 180 stalls from a range of vendors. If you're heading down for a bite to eat, you'll find food stalls serving Israeli, Spanish, Thai, Italian and South American cuisine, as well as locally grown produce to take home and whip up your own culinary creation. As with any good market, there will be a range of stalls selling handmade goods from designers, brands and producers such as sustainable Sydney fashion company Saint Jane, Savannah Estate winery, vegan dip maker TLV and local distilleries Buffalo Vale and Mobius. Live music will soundtrack the weekend and the kids will be thrilled by the rides and amusements. Market organiser Madelienne Anderson expresses the importance of local markets and their role in supporting small businesses. "By supporting the sort of micro businesspeople who sell at our markets, they are helping a wide network of families to thrive, and buying things they can't get elsewhere," Anderson says. The markets will be open 10am–3.30pm on both Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16.
A new all-day cafe has just popped up on Oxford Street with a dreamy pastel interior and a line-up of Italian eats. To celebrate its opening and the co-owner's birthday, Poppy Planet is giving away free coffee all month. All you have to do is head inside and mention the phrase 'Happy Birthday' when ordering your coffee and you'll be treated to your caffeine fix free of charge. Along with your free coffee, feel free to pick up one of the cafe's tasty brekkie items including zucchini fritters, granola in a cup and a stacked bacon and egg roll, or come back for dinner where you'll find a range of antipasti, pasta and spritzes. The free coffee promotion is limited to one per person so choose which day you're in need of a free coffee pick-me-up carefully, just make sure you take advantage of the promotion before the end of this month.
If it weren't for the spellbinding work of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle), the artistry and sheer beauty of anime may never have received the global recognition it so sorely deserves. And while the fantastical world of EVANGELION is yet to gain Miyazaki levels of cinematic attention, it has managed to garner the sort of cult following of which only sci-fi fans appear to be capable. It's story about a 14-year-old boy taking on intergalactic aliens with the help of a giant, piloted robotic humanoid, makes it easy to see why the mere utterance of the word "Evangelion" tends to have comic book fans frothing at the mouth. For a unique insight into how these hand-drawn masterpieces become silver screen magic check out the Evangelion Art Exhibition, which drops into Sydney soon, and Melbourne later this month. With an amazing collection of original production art, character drawings, tapestries, books and filmic artifacts, this unique exhibition will take you behind-the-scenes into the mysterious world of Japanese animation and the far-out universe that is Evangelion. Get your hands on a copy of EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE or EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE if you want to find out what the fuss is all about. The Evangelion Art exhibition is open 11-4, Monday to Saturday.
Forty Licks, a Hanoi-style eatery and cocktail bar, is set to open its 75-seat basement digs next week. It'll be dishing up Vietnamese noodle soups and street food, as well as cocktails with Asian ingredients, underneath York Street from Monday, May 13. Chef Joel Manton is in the kitchen, where he's using his classical French training to recreate dishes he learnt to cook while living in Hanoi. The menu includes the likes of banh da (tapioca crackers) served with blue swimmer crab, young coconut escabeche and betel leaf; and a hot and sour seafood soup (canh chua hai san) of ocean jacket cheeks, scallop and king prawn. A selection of banh xeo (pancakes) also make the cut — with varieties including sautéed king prawn and fried bean curd with hot mint and galangal. A dedicated barbecue and rotisserie section features Lao-style spicy pork sausage served with fermented chilli and fried sticky rice. A spicy lemongrass version of pho, called bun bo hue, is on the menu, too. As is cha ca la vong, a popular Hanoi street snack of grilled kingfish marinated in turmeric and fresh dill, served over noodles. [caption id="attachment_720829" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Loucas[/caption] Award-winning Sydney bartender Kurtis Bosley (who has just opened Corrretto Dee Why) is on drinks and has created a Vietnamese-inspired cocktail list to match the menu. On it, you'll find the Lick Me Forty (tequila, dandelion and burdock bitters, vanilla syrup, egg white and lemon), the Hanoi Sour (bourbon and ginger liqueur mixed with a Peruvian purple corn beverage, lemon and pecan bitters) and the Sesamum (Bacardi Carta Blanca, pandan syrup, cucumber and lime). Alongside the cocktails is a biodynamic-focused wine list of Australian and international drops. The venue's golden and bright yellow hues are thanks to local design firm GSBN Studios, which created a tiered dining room that is meant to emulate the look of Vietnam's rice paddies. Expect sculptural bamboo installations as the main feature, along with exposed sandstone and timber aplenty, with a mix of high table and booth seating on offer. Find Forty Licks at 24 York Street, Sydney from Monday, May 13. Opening hours from May 13–17 will be dinner only, then Monday–Friday from 11am–late thereafter. Images: Jason Loucas.
Hendrick's Gin and The Adventurists have teamed up with Concrete Playground to offer CP readers 2 x double passes to a quintessentially British occasion taking place at the Justice & Police Museum at Circular Quay on Saturday – Afternoon Tea with a Legend of Adventure. A group of fellow intrepid explorers and the premium gin brand have joined forces to host a most curious and adventuresome event featuring Jon Muir, one of Australia's greatest adventurers, as a speaker. The very epitome of legend, Jon Muir will tell his esteemed tales of exploration and adventure. For more details about the Afternoon Tea, the 'Legend of Adventure' headline speaker Jon Muir and info on nabbing your tickets, please visit www.afternoontea.theadventurists.com. To enter, just make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and phone number. Entries close at midday, November 11, 2011.
If laughter is the best medicine, why are doctors and pharmacists still allowed to practise their quackery? Surely I can limp my broken leg into David O'Doherty's show and, with the final pants-saturating guffaw, dance about in the aisle like a Southern revivalist on ice? The day that Des Bishop banters about the craic in his spiritual homeland is the day I regenerate my crystallised kidney and you can bet I'll be happy for it. So, when the laugh clinic hits Sydney next year, expect a mass healing greater than anything provided by Dr Jesus. Whether its groin pimples cured by Jason Byrne, or Dom Irrera's sure-fire lung cleanser, you will go home happy from this Festival. And if you don't, Shane Mauss will inject you with his own brand of "shut up and stop whining" that will guarantee no-one will ever have to hear about how sick you are, ever again. Though, maybe go see a doctor before spreading your communicable filth at the Opening Night. Just in case.Image by Julia Andersonhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=Vi0LhopENCg
Concrete Playground is proud to present The Ballad Of Genesis And Lady Jaye as part of this year's Sydney Underground Film Festival. Genesis Breyer P-Orridge was already notorious as a performance-artist when he met Lady Jaye and fell in love. Many people feel consumed by their partner, so close to the other that it's like one soul, one mode or even one identity. Genesis felt so close to Lady Jaye that he began gender reassignment surgery: piece by piece making himself look more and more like his partner, until the similarity was uncanny and he began to think of himself as a she. And in this process Marie Losier found them — or was found — and began to document the transformation on video. The resulting doco is The Ballad Of Genesis And Lady Jaye. Genesis narrates the film, Lady Jaye having died suddenly in 2007. Marie kept shooting footage for two more years. And while documentaries can take imperceptible perspectives or subtle sides, The Ballad is clearly Genesis' point of view. This isn't a film that charts a simple story, but every love story is unique in its way. In The Ballad those differences just become a little bit more obvious. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2SAxfmJGQ04
You might not have wrangled a trip to Japan for its famed cherry blossom season this year — or can't make to Auburn's Cherry Blossom Festival — but you can find some blossom magic unfolding right in the middle of the city. World Square is embracing some serious flower power for its annual Cherry Blossom Festival, serving up a program of free events up until Sunday, September 1. You'll be transported from Sydney to Japan thanks to the festival's augmented reality experience, which will allow you to join a Taiko drumming circle and even get up close and personal with some virtual Nara Park deer. Elsewhere in the program, you can learn to craft an origami bookmark, take an expert-led calligraphy workshop, catch a traditional dance performance and even discover the secrets of anime illustration. Meanwhile, there will be $10 Cherrytini cocktails, a Hokkaido Pafu pop-up serving up cheese tarts with special toppings, and limited-edition sakura soft serve ice creams from Oh Matcha. That's all among a blizzard of real and faux blossoms, of course. The festivities will run from 8am until 10pm each day.
We're not big fans of food celebration days, but we are big fans of doughnuts. Especially free ones. And this Friday, June 1 — 'International Doughnut Day', if you will — Butter is giving away a few hundred doughnuts to mark the occasion. Yep, as well as being a shrine to fried chicken and Champagne, Butter also pumps out hot fluffy cinnamon numbers on the reg. Haven't tried them? This is a good chance — the team will be handing out 100 free doughnuts at both its Surry Hills and Parramatta stores from 11.30am. You don't have to buy anything else to nab one, but, as is custom, there will only be one freebie per person. A word of warning: you'll need to get in early. Nothing draws a crowd like free doughnuts.
Things are really kicking off with one of world football's biggest events coming to town — and we've got a pitch for you. Football teams from around the world are descending upon Aussie soil to duke it out for the FIFA Women's World Cup, so it should be your top priority to tune into all of the action. With the month-long fare taking over Sydney, you'll be searching for a spot to celebrate the wins, nurse the losses or simply feel the electricity of each game alongside other avid fans. If you need an assist, Kitanda Bev's & Bites has got you covered. In true Brazilian fashion, the cosy hangout spot is celebrating all things FIFA-related with screenings of the Brazil team's games paired with exciting specials. On Monday, July 24, the vibrant bar and eatery will be opening just for Brazil's first game. The game is kicking off at 9pm, but you can head in from 6pm and be treated to an exclusive World Cup menu. the offer includes $10 skewers, with a choice between halloumi, rump steak and the specialty chicken hearts, plus $10 croquettes. There will be a happy hour that will run for the whole night, so you can sip on $15 caipirinhas and $16 beer jugs as you enjoy the match against Panama. Brazil's second match is going down on Saturday, July 29, but if you were hoping to head in for that match, the Surry Hills favourite is already booked out. Rounding out the group stages, Brazil will take on Jamaica on Wednesday, August 2. For this match, Kitanda is offering its weekly Wednesday deal of $10 croquettes and spritzes with happy hour between 5–7pm. Head to Kitanda's Instagram to keep up to date with more deals and screenings as the tournament continues into the finals. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kitanda Bevs & Bites (@kitanda_sydney)
It's easy to DIY print these days, what with relatively cheap digital printers for when you want to turn those Fiji photos into a trio of canvases for the living room wall. But what if you're after something with a more hand-made aesthetic? Cue The Rizzeria, a collective of Sydney self-publishers and printmakers based in Marrickville's creative studio space Join the Dots. The group owns a RP3700 Risograph, a machine that can photocopy or receive files via a computer, like its digital counterparts, but that prints using a custom-made stencil, one colour at a time. The gradual process of layering the eco-friendly ink means some layers mismatch, adding character to the finished piece. Lucky for us, the Rizzeria team regularly make the machine publicly available through open workshops, like September's Print It Yourself. Just bring along a design (or use one of the templates available) and let the experts guide you through the hands-on process to create your own invites, posters, CD covers, greeting cards and more. Check out Rizzeria's Intagram for some inspiration.
Based heavily on the Mossad’s extraordinary real-life capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960, The Debt combines a compelling factual premise with absorbing fictional elements reminiscent of Franklin J. Schaffner’s The Boys From Brazil. It tells the story of three Israeli agents sent to East Berlin in 1966 to track down and capture the notorious Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, aka the "surgeon of Birkenau" (played by Jesper Christensen of Casino Royale). Vogel’s real-world equivalent, Josef Mengele, infamously conducted cruel experiments on concentration camp victims during the War before successfully evading capture for the rest of his life in South America, and Christensen’s performance eerily captures every last bit of that same guile and malevolence. The Debt’s story unfolds over two different eras: the ‘present day’ of 1997 in which the now elderly agents live as national heroes revered for their past courageous efforts, and protracted flashbacks to 1966 East Berlin where the brazen events actually took place. Each agent is played by two actors in the film: one young, one old, with a clear emphasis on shared mannerisms rather than physical similarities. Paired up are Helen Mirren with Jessica Chastain, Ciaran Hinds with Sam Worthington and Tom Wilkinson with Marton Csokas, with the younger cast definitely afforded the better half of the script. Their scenes covering the confirmation of Vogel’s identity are utterly tense and unsettling, while those dealing with his capture are gripping and action-packed. Chastain’s performance is the standout, with her interactions opposite Christensen offering the movie’s most engaging scenes. Worthington on the other hand seems entirely miscast, especially given his world-beating inability to do accents, however he brings a solid physicality and vulnerability to his character that sits well enough with the story. Mirren, as always, is a delight to watch on screen although her scenes lack much of the depth that her younger counterpart enjoys. Written by Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn and Peter Straughan, the script was adapted from the 2007 Israeli film Ha-Hov and directed by John Madden of Shakespeare in Love fame. It’s an unconventional story in that the heroes aren’t out to save the world, nor even their own country. Instead, they’re simply out to cover their own tracks and it’s that selfish nature of their motivations that presents an uncommon, ambiguous and fascinating morality tale for a movie of this nature.
Even though the weather has been quite mild for winter, the chilly nights have been a bit of a buzzkill for outdoor events in Sydney. But with spring ready to shine its rays of sun all over our pale faces — and the nights getting incrementally longer — the folks at Luna Park prepare to launch the second season of their rooftop cinema. Running from September 7-30, the cinema will be worth battling any weather for; from the rooftop of Luna Park you'll have an unobstructed view of a lit-up Sydney Harbour. Plus, they'll provide blankets to keep you cosy and noise-cancelling headphones so you can hear the film over the clamour of the Wild Mouse. The cinema comes complete with a rooftop bar serving up wine, warm pretzels and, of course, popcorn. Over the course of three weeks the cinema will show a mix of new releases, family-friendly films (during the school holidays) and the requisite Labyrinth.
UPDATE: APRIL 29, 2020 — Banff Mountain Film Festival 2020 Tour has rescheduled its Sydney screenings to Wednesday, July 29–Wednesday, September 9. The below article has been updated to reflect this. In need of some new procrastination material? Well, you're in luck. Google image search 'Banff' and spend a few minutes (or half an hour) taking in the gorgeous pictures of snow-capped mountains, aqua water and towering pines. It's impossible to not daydream about holidaying somewhere far-flung and exciting while ogling these picture-perfect views, as we're sure you'll agree. Thankfully, you'll have the opportunity to slip into this magical world without ever leaving Sydney. A selection of venues are hosting Banff Mountain Film Festival's 2020 tour — the event's latest stopover, after beginning back in 1976. Its stunning cinematography attracts film buffs and adventurers alike, making the festival mighty popular across the world today. Every November, hundreds of films enter the competition with the cream of the crop chosen to entertain and amaze festival goers. Some of the featured flicks battled it out in categories including Best Film on Mountain Sport, Best Film on Mountain Environment, Best Film on Mountain Culture, Best Film on Exploration and Adventure, People's Choice Award and more. Check them out at Chippendale's Seymour Centre between Wednesday, July 29–Sunday, August 2, Cremorne's Hayden Orpheum between Wednesday, August 19–Saturday, August 23, and at the Randwick Ritz from Tuesday, September 8–Wednesday, September 9.
It was true in the 90s, and it remains that way now: when Jim Carrey lets loose, thrusting the entire might of his OTT comedic powers onto the silver screen, it's an unparalleled sight to behold. It doesn't always work, and he's a spectacular actor when putting in a toned-down or even serious performance — see: The Truman Show, The Majestic, I Love You Phillip Morris and his best work ever, the sublime Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — but there's a reason that the Ace Venture flicks, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber were some of the biggest movies made three decades back. Carrey is now a rarity in cinemas, but one franchise has been reminding viewers what his full-throttle comic efforts look like. Sadly, he's also the best thing about the resulting films, even if they're hardly his finest work. That was accurate in 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's the same of sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 — which once again focuses on the speedy video game character but couldn't feel like more of a drag. The first Sonic movie established its namesake's life on earth, as well as his reason for being here. Accordingly, the blue-hued planet-hopping hedgehog (voiced by The Afterparty's Ben Schwartz) already made friends with small-town sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden, The Stand). He already upended the Montana resident's life, too, including Tom's plans to move to San Francisco with his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter, Mixed-ish). And, as well as eventually becoming a loveable member of the Wachowski family, Sonic also wreaked havoc with his rapid pace, and earned the wrath of the evil Dr Robotnik (Carrey, Kidding) in the process. More of the same occurs this time around, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 taking a more-is-more approach. There's a wedding to ruin, magic gems to find and revenge on the part of Robotnik. He's teamed up with super-strong echidna Knuckles (voiced by The Harder They Fall's Idris Elba), in fact, while Sonic gets help from smart-but-shy fox Tails (voice-acting veteran Colleen O'Shaughnessey). Gone are the days when an animated critter's teeth caused internet mania. If that sentence makes sense to you, then you not only watched the first Sonic the Hedgehog — you also saw the chatter that erupted when its initial trailer dropped and the fast-running creature's humanised gnashers looked oh-so-disturbing. Cue a clean-up job that couldn't fix the abysmal movie itself, and an all-ages-friendly flick that still made such a ridiculous amount of money (almost $320 million worldwide) that this follow-up was inevitable. The fact that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 arrives a mere two years later does indeed smack of a rush job, and the end product feels that way from start to finish. That isn't the only task this swift second outing is keen to set up, with bringing in fellow Sega characters Knuckles and Tails the first step to making a Sonic Cinematic Universe. Yes, with Morbius reaching theatres on the exact same day as Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it's an ace time for sprawling start-up franchises sparked by a quest for cash rather than making great cinema — an ace time for the folks collecting the money, that is, but not for audiences. Both otherwise unrelated movies are flimsy, bland and woefully by-the-numbers, and seem to care little that they visibly look terrible thanks to unconvincing CGI. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also falls victim to one of the worst traits seen in family-appropriate pictures: being happy to exist purely as a distraction. That means pointless needle drops that shoehorn in pop hits for no reason other than to give kids a recognisable soundtrack to grab their attention, and an exhausting need to whizz from scene to scene (and plot point to plot point) as if the film itself is suffering a sugar rush. Also covered: unnecessary pop-culture references, including inexplicably name-dropping Vin Diesel and The Rock, and also nodding to all things Indiana Jones. Sonic the Hedgehog 2's fondness for dashing through its sequences and setpieces like it's racing against a clock could be seen as a simple case of the film endeavouring to emulate its protagonist — but it also runs for over two hours, so truly delivering a turbo whirlwind isn't on returning director Jeff Fowler's mind. Rather, the feature seems to flit by at a breakneck pace so that nothing could possibly linger, which is one of its few attempted gifts to viewers. The other is still Carrey, although he can't carry the movie this time around. To be specific, he doesn't appear to want to. He also seems to be leaning heavier on easy gimmickry rather than genuine goofiness, but he's happily still in anarchic mode. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 definitely can't match him, though, despite zipping as much chaos across the screen as it can (and as hurriedly as can). Try as it might, the film doesn't make anyone forget its inane Hawaiian wedding scenes, which earn far too much focus because they shouldn't receive any. In the year 2022, second-time Sonic writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller — plus newcomer John Whittington (The Lego Ninjago Movie) — somehow thought it was okay to rely upon bridezilla tropes in the name of supposed humour, and the result is unfunny and lazy. This narrative choice also gives The White Lotus' Natasha Rothwell a thankless part, but then no flesh-and-blood actor who's playing it straight fares well here. That leaves Carrey, and also the voice work behind the movie's primary colour-toned animated creatures. Schwartz still sounds as if he's doing Parks and Recreation's Jean-Ralphio right down to a "the woooorst" joke, but Elba's line readings at least raise a smile by being so self-serious. Throw in an over-emphasised message about the importance of family like this is a stealth Fast and Furious flick — yes, clearly the title would fit, and there's also that Vin Diesel and The Rock mention — and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 just keeps getting more and more derivative. It knows it, actually. It even makes a gag about it. But as with almost everything it serves up, throwing things at the screen like blazes and being well-aware you're doing it doesn't make for an entertaining, average or even passable-enough time at the movies. Image: courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.
THE Rodriguez is coming back to Australia. Touring nationally this October and November, the 72-year-old enigmatic legend was last here in 1981 playing with Midnight Oil, after touring in the late '70s to small success. Now he's riding a wave of newfound support back to our biggest venues, thanks in part to two South African fans. Most people had no idea who Sixto Rodriguez was until the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man dropped in 2012, prompting longtime fans to shake a fist and spin a bitter "I told you so." A self-taught guitarist, Rodriguez played around the traps in Detroit during the '60s but saw no real success in the States with his two albums Cold Fact (1969) and Coming from Reality (1971). Different story in South Africa, where he was pretty much bigger than Elvis — inspiring South African anti-Apartheid activists and musicians alike (unbeknownst to Rodriguez himself). One of music's most mysterious heroes, Rodriguez was even thought to have died until two Cape Town fans in the late 1990s, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom went to find out if the rumours were true (cue Oscar-winning doco). The man also has a cheeky bachelor's degree in philosophy from Wayne State University, he ran for political office and he's had to work construction jobs to support his family. Undeniable and relatively unknown legend. Rodriguez will play Brisbane Convention Centre, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne's Palais Theatre, Adelaide's AEC Theatre and Perth's Kings Park and Botanic Garden. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qyE9vFGKogs
Forget the fact that you might find it hard to pronounce their name, when you hear their music you’ll be doing all your talking with your feet as you groove on down to their hip swaying beats.These Colombian natives are bringing their swinging soulful tunes to Sydney for the first time, and you better start watching re-runs of So You Think You Can Dance so you can catch up on your moves. No one could stand being a wall flower when this five piece hits their groove.You can catch Aterciopelados supported by Watussi at the Metro Theatre or as part of the Darling Harbour Fiesta Festival on the October long weekend. Salsa will no longer just be a thing that to eat with corn chips.
It’s called Dracula Untold — a curious title in light of the fact that an IMDB search shows it’s already been told over 200 times. But perhaps there’s something new here? Nope. Did you know Dracula was originally Vlad the Impaler? Yep. Did you know his dastardly turn to darkness was a result of the death of his beloved Mina? Yep. Did you know he ‘vonts to sarrrrk your blaaaard’? Of course you did. Here’s the critical thing: a guy whose nickname includes the words “the Impaler” is not a nice guy. He’s an impaler. He impales people. Yet Dracula Untold sets out with the task of humanising a monster for the purposes of... what, exactly? There isn’t an ‘evil bias’ that needs to be redressed for the sake of balance. Nobody's crying out for Pol Pot to get a heartwarming movie of the week to ensure ‘his side of the story’ is told. Some people are simply savage wretches and wretches they will remain. In short: let villains be villains. Here, the villain isn’t Dracula, but instead the Turkish sultan ‘Mehmed', determined to claim 1000 young Transylvanian boys for his army. Sultan ‘Meh’ would be far more appropriate. He, like the rest of the film, is bland and unthreatening, afforded only a smattering of flavourless lines to occasionally remind us he’s a cold and unfeeling dictator. In response, Vlad opts to become a cold and unfeeling vampire to stop him and save Transylvania’s people. He’s a 19th-century Batman in that he’s a night-time vigilante capable of literally morphing into bats when he needs to get anywhere. The special effects are good, but who cares? This is a film that — lame pun absolutely intended — sucks.
First, the bad news: after a tumultuous week, Sydney's Night Noodle Markets have pulled the pin on its plans for this week. Now, the good news: this isn't a cancellation but a rescheduling, with the event shifting its run to Wednesday, October 12–Sunday, October 16. In a statement posted on Instagram today, Friday, October 7, organisers said that they're "not going to let La Niña rain on our parade. We are pausing for a few days to let the park dry out." "We reopen on Wednesday 12th October at 5pm and run all week until Sunday 16th October. We can't wait to see you next week for more deliciousness". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Night Noodle Markets (@goodfoodmonth) The beloved event finally returned this week for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic, opening at a new home in Prince Alfred Park on Tuesday, October 4. Sadly, the markets then received yet another dose of bad luck courtesy of the heavy dose of rain that's struck Sydney over the last couple of days. After cancelling Wednesday night's festivities at the last minute due to the weather, organisers' hands were again forced on Thursday, calling the event off for the second night in a row. Now, in unsurprising news, the whole week is a write-off. This isn't the first time that La Niña has had an impact on the markets this year; the event was originally set to make a comeback in March, but had to be postponed then due to wet weather. When the markets return from Wednesday, October 12, it'll again host stalls from the likes of Gelato Messina, Hoy Pinoy, Brendan Pang's Bumplings, Bangkok Street Food, Shallot Thai, Roll Up, Raijin, Calabang and Donut Papi — the best of which we've previewed for you. The postponed Night Noodle Markets will run from 5–10pm Wednesday, October 12–Thursday, October 13; 5–11pm on Friday, October 14; 4–10pm on Saturday, October 15; and 4–9pm on Sunday, October 16. Make sure you follow the event on Instagram for regular updates or any further news. The 2022 Sydney Night Noodle Markets will run from Wednesday, October 12–Sunday, October 16 in Prince Alfred Park, Chalmers Street, Surry Hills. To stay up-to-date with any further changes, head to the event's Instagram page.
If you're a fan of The Wire, love house music, live in Sydney and are free tonight, you'll be very happy with this little nugget of news. Idris Elba is playing an impromptu DJ set in Sydney tonight. Yep, that guy. We all know Idris Elba — perhaps not by his name, but definitely by his face. He's played Stringer on The Wire, Heimdall in Thor and Nelson Mandela in the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World for 2016. In addition to all that, the Golden Globe nominee is also a talented musician and a deft hand behind the decks. He's in Australia to shoot the new Thor instalment at the moment, and the newly reopened Goodbar has managed to secure him for his Australian DJ debut. Huge. It's all taking place tonight (yes, tonight, Thursday, September 29) at the Oxford Street venue, in their downstairs room The Underground. For those not already acquainted with Elba's musical endeavours, he was apparently deep in the house music scene before everything took off as an actor — but now he's made time to get back into the studio, pumping out a new track 'Hiatus'. In addition to this, Elba just dropped some killer DJ sets at Output in New York, Egg LDN as well as Glastonbury and Eastern Electrics. Some people are just too good at everything. Doors open at 8pm with supports from local acts Nicky Night Time and Handles (Yolanda Be Cool). Oh, and did we mention entry is totally free? Yeah, it's free. So best to get down there early. Idris Elba will play a DJ set on Thursday, September 29 at Goodbar, 11a Oxford Street, Paddington. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
What do dumplings and Bruce Lee have in common? Everyone loves them. Seriously, give me a person who doesn't love a bit of dramatised karate and a plate of xiao long bao. Perhaps that's why they've both found their way into Sydney's newest pop-up: a Bruce Lee-inspired dumpling and beer bar. The pop-up is being spearheaded by Kansas City Shuffle, a cafe that opened in The Rocks last year. Starting on Thursday, March 17 and running for 12 weeks, the pop-up will operate out of the space next door every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 4-7pm. There will be an array of delightful dumps on offer, including pork buns and other steamed varieties — all matched with Young Henrys beer, which will be on tap. Bruce Lee comes in the form of (non-edible) mini figurines, which, with fortune cats and lanterns, will make up the kitsch Chinese restaurant interior. After the dumplings are all done and dusted (i.e. eaten), the space will be used for Kansas City Shuffle's full restaurant and bar concept, which will be an expansion of the cafe. Going by their epic fried chicken burger, it's set to be pretty tasty. But first, get in on those dumplings as swiftly (and as stealthily) as a Bruce Lee karate chop. Kansas City Shuffle's dumpling and beer pop-up is located at 195 Gloucester Street, The Rocks, and will start on Thursday, March 17 and run for 12 weeks. It will be open Wednesday to Friday from 4-7pm. For more info, keep an eye on their Facebook page.
Dance and classical aren't music genres you'd usually find swirling around in the same basket — unless you have a particular bent for the orchestral 'Sandstorm' covers found in the depths of YouTube. Synthony — A Generation of Dance Music is here to prove that the disciplines go hand in hand. Touring Australia since 2019, the event is returning to Sydney on Saturday, October 28 — and not just to any venue. It'll see a 60-plus piece orchestra join forces with a selection of DJs and live performers on Cockatoo Island, all to play the biggest dance tracks of the last 30 years. Expect the venue to take a few cues from the nightclub scene, with lights, lasers and mapped video all part of the experience — and a selection of dance floor bangers note-for-note. The lineup includes live performances from Ilan Kidron from The Potbelleez, Savage, Emily Williams, Cassie McIvor, Mobin Master and more — and The Metropolitan Orchestra, of course — with Madison Avenue's Andy Van on hosting duties.
The fifth recipient of Object Galleries Living Treasures title, Australian ceramicist Jeff Mincham is a craftsperson of the highest order. Since he first exhibited his work in 1976 at Adelaide's famous Jam Factory, Mincham has continued on with his dedicated practice for over three decades, working, exhibiting and experimenting with techniques and methodologies. His practice, largely influenced by the ancient Japanese technique Raku which he has both taught and followed, depends on temperature and fire. Having worked with this method for near on two decades, Mincham, impressively, moved to another way of working in the mid 1990s, focussing on drawing from the local scenery. Having spent most of this time operating from a studio in the picturesque Adelaide Hills, it seems natural that his work should have come to evoke the landscape in which he dwells, ceramics being such an organic form of art. Mincham's influential work in ceramics, with it's ferocious and delicate textures and assemblages of light and seasons, is being honoured with a traveling exhibition that starts its first of twelve locations at Sydney's Object Gallery. It is accompanied by a monograph of the artist's work, edited by Margot Osborne. Jeff Mincham, A Good Strike, 2009. Photographer: Grant Hancock
The diverse and highly acclaimed British troubadour Elvis Costello, whose career spans three decades, is back in Australia this year to perform from his back catalogue, which plays like a one-man pop encyclopedia. Costello last graced Australia's shores in 2009 when he was here performing solo shows, and is now here as part of the headlining bill for Byron Bay's Bluesfest this coming Easter. In 2010 Costello released, National Ransom, with The Imposters, who join him on tour for what is anticipated to be a spectacular concert experience, in what is surely the prettiest of Sydney's theatres. Almost completely impossible to classify into a musical genre, Costello might have been relegated completely to the underground if his tunes weren't so damn catchy. And in this sense, he's actually a bit of a punk. Not the stereotypical 'ripped jeans down with Thatcher' kind of punk, but in the attitude of not caring what anybody else thinks. Elvis Costello has always been unique and demonstrated that he's never cared what's playing on the radio. He just wants to make whatever music he wants to make. A punk in thick-rimmed glasses and a dapper suit. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tpprOGsLWUo
Some of the best visual artists in the world are about to be let loose on The Galeries in Sydney's CBD. Preceding the launch of art book Curvy 7 at Lo-Fi, artists from the collection will be hanging their art in the Galeries' steep, vertical alleys. Curvy is an annual collection of works from the best female visual artists around the world. Co-curated this year by street-artist Fafi, and Sarah Lerfel (of ecclectic, cool-hunting storefront Colette, Paris), previous editions are much sought after and occaisionally reprinted. Running from Friday the 19th of November, Curvy artists in the exhbition will include the surgical Kaitlin Beckett, Breakbot animator Irina Dakeva, human-animal hybridiser Melissa Haslam and Aussie ex-pat Rilla Alexander — whose work has included beautiful, stylised animal artwork for Spain's Museo del Prado from Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly delights. Art will be suspended mid-air, will be for show and sale in shops below, and for three Thursdays — the 9th, 16th and 23rd of December — will be created live in a texta-only art battle from 6-9pm. So if you like your shopping with a serve of kick-ass art, Curvy at The Galeries is the place to be. Fafi sticker image by Mindsay Mohan.
Not your typical fun run, the Sydney Mud Run lets 6000 runners and thrill-seekers get mud-soaked for a cause. The event features a slippery, obstacle-ridden course where victims — ahem, participants — slide, crawl, jump, wade and even belly flop through mud over a 7km course. There's man-made mud pits and natural bog holes — even a 70m mud slide. “The funds raised will contribute to vital cancer research, prevention programs and support services for cancer patients and their families,” said Rory Alcock from charity partner, the Cancer Council NSW. With this fun and active event, the organisation has set the challenge of beating last year's fundraising amount of $54,000.
There are some pretty epic events on offer over the upcoming Australia Day long weekend. But no schedule is quite as epic as that of the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel. With a line-up set to stretch over three days, gear up for beach volleyball, crab racing, beach cricket, stand-up paddle board races, live DJ sets and an Aussie BBQ featuring the special 'Watson's Bay Sausage'. And okay, we're not really sure what an 'epic water trampoline' is, but we know it is running all weekend and sounds really, really rad. Those keen on the stand up paddle races will need to register online here.
Located inside an old brewery, Vine Providore is the perfect antidote to commercial bottle shops that populate the inner west nowadays. The stock is especially hand-selected sourcing labels from across the nation's and the worlds' best wine regions. All budgets are catered for — from just a few gold coins to big-spender status. Staff are knowledgeable and passionate, keen to guide customers to the perfect pairing. They are also apt at hunting down rare and hard-to-find labels. If you're all about discovering new drops, Vine holds regular beer and wine tastings on Friday and Saturday nights featuring some new and lesser-known favourites. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
We're going to trust this party on name alone. It's called The Velvet Cave Rave, people, and it's taking place at a super-secret venue in Sydney. In case you're not familiar with The Velvet Cave, expect a full night of next-level experimental music you've probably never heard before and extravagant light installations in a pre-requisite industrial warehouse. Showcasing international and local live artists and rare vinyl DJs, the lineup features live performances from the likes of Lucy Cliche, Orion and Buzz Kill and DJ sets from Ryan Grieve and Julian Sudek. We're not sure how to, but you should be prepared to get lost in the sounds of synthwave, hyperdelic, goth, Italo disco, Kraut, and techno amongst other genres.
Feeling a little dusty on Sunday morning? Two words: Grumpy Donuts. There's no headache these spectacular conglomerations of perfect dough and sugary brilliance cannot handle. Check to see if there's a weekly special on for a chance to try a tasty, new creation, otherwise, count on a tried-and-tested favourite, such as The Buttered Toast (yep, that's brekkie and dessert right there). Once you're done devouring, pop down the road to The Lady Hampshire to laze away the day in the sun-speckled garden where you can catch the match of the day on a massive screen. And if you're feeling particularly ravenous today, take a peek at their pub grub menu reminiscent of that found at The Lady's beau, The Lord Gladstone. Image: @quinntessences / Instagram.
Hail is something remarkable; it is the kind of film which completely reimagines how powerful cinema can be. Attracting attention when it won the Age Critic's Award for Best Feature Film at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival, it is one of the most powerful films this country has produced in the past couple of years. The film is fundamentally a love story. Danny (Daniel P. Jones) gets out of jail and moves back in with his girlfriend Leanne (Leanne Letch). They love each other in a way that is disarming and moving even in its simplest guises, existing in a world of the everyday: smoking, eating together, arguing, and making up. And then suddenly everything good is taken away from Danny, and eaten up with malevolence, he embarks on a journey of vengeance and violence. Hail is the first feature from director Amiel Courtin-Wilson, best known for the documentaries Bastardy and Catch My Disease. The film is the product of a six-year collaboration with Daniel P. Jones. Danny had only been out of prison a few days when they first met at Melbourne's Plan B theatre company on a project designed to rehabilitate prisoners. Hail is inspired by Danny's real life, with the love interest in the film, Leanne, played by Danny's real-life partner. The struggles he faces, like trying to get a job and simply trying to deal with the bastard tormenting him in his head, are a distillation of Danny's life in the years since he left prison. Fiction intrudes halfway through the film, although the boundary between fiction and reality, between documentary and feature film is increasingly blurred. And although Danny and Leanne aren’t professional actors, Hail doesn't have that lingering trace of awkwardness that other films have when non-professional actors are fed dialogue that doesn’t sit easily in their mouths. While the first half of the film can feel laborious at times — a little like listening to the argument of two people holding a bag of goon on the last bus home at night — the second half sweeps you up, proving what a remarkable film this really is.
Remember the days when you could swim up to a pool bar and order a cheeky margarita? On holiday we'd aim for life to be as slow and simple as possible, ideally with a salty rimmed drink in hand and a gripping read to look forward to. Well, as we can't travel very far right now, it might be fun to bring those holiday vibes to your home with the flavours of your favourite beachside tipples — namely margaritas, mojitos, daiquiris and piña coladas. And it's easier than you think. If you have a cocktail shaker, ice and a few spirits lurking in the cupboard, you're already halfway there — and now that French brand Monin has added a range of its 'bartender in a bottle' mixes and syrups to Amazon for around $13 a bottle, with free delivery for orders over $39, all you need is to add your desired flavours to your virtual cart and you could be shaking up a creamy piña colada without touching a pineapple. Considered bartender staples, Monin's premixed cocktail flavours are made with real fruit juice and nothing artificial, so in the strawberry daiquiri mix you're tasting ripe strawberries and lime that's coloured naturally, as well as vegan and gluten free. And with the minty, tangy mojito mix you can skip the muddling step entirely and just add rum, or whip up a non-alcoholic soda by adding carbonated water. Like the daiquiri mix, it's also made with natural ingredients and it's halal, kosher and dairy free, too. Order your preferred mix on Amazon, then load up a tropical island playlist and slip on some floaty linen ready for your stay-at-home staycation. For some inspiration, see the below recipe for a zesty margarita with a hint of orange. MARGARITA INGREDIENTS 45ml Monin Le Mixeur Margarita Mix 45ml blanco tequila Fresh orange and good quality salt for the rim METHOD Add Monin Le Mixeur Margarita mix and tequila to a standard cocktail shaker. Let those liquids make friends for a while as you press the rim of your glass into a freshly cut orange. Dip the rim into a plate of salt to coat the glass all the way around. Add ice to your cocktail shaker and rigorously shake. Strain the cocktail into a glass. See the full range of Monin products on Amazon. Top image: Tanialee Gonzalez.
Wondering how, exactly, Numskull managed to execute his epic seven-storey Here Now mural for Art and About? Whether or not you caught him in action in situ between September 8 and 19, you can now see the whole event in one fell swoop. A brand new and utterly awesome time-lapse video has compressed the entire process, step-by-step, into thirty crowded seconds. It's pretty much poetry-in-motion. Watch the Sydney artist contemplate the enormous space, paint bucket in hand, before he completes the job at breakneck speed. It's probably fair to say that the video's out-of-control (and super fun) tempo is pretty much the opposite of the artwork's message, which is actually a call for stillness. "Modern society is fast paced," Numskull (real name: Elliott Routledge) states on the Art & About site. "Time is precious and often neglected. We need to slow down, take it all in and start living in the moment. This mural will inspire onlookers to challenge their perspective about how precious life's moments are." If you're looking to take a break, while basking in Here Now’s brilliant colours and striking typography, get yourself to 307 Pitt Street before Art and About packs away on Sunday, October 12. You'll catch the best view from the corner of Park and Pitt Streets. Art and About is on from September 19 – October 12.
Ahh, globalisation — the force that means Sydney now enjoys the same cheap thrills as all the rest of the world. While you can get Prada knockoffs, dodgy thermals and T-shirts from Zara, Topshop, Uniqlo and Gap; good ramen at Ippudo; and decent teishoku at Yayoi, it's Taiwanese import Hot Star Large Fried Chicken that delivers the most fun for the least buck. A small takeaway-only shopfront on the dingy, cold end of Liverpool Street, Hot Star does very little to live up to its name. The colour scheme is contact-lens-brand blue and the staff wear surgical masks that make you think they are fighting bird flu, not frying chicken. The simple menu is laid out confusingly. There are two flavours (original and spicy, $7.90), two kinds of fries (curly and sweet potato, $3.90), as well as mushrooms (??, $4.90) and chicken 'bites' ($5.90) that completely defeat the purpose of 'large fried chicken'. Having ordered, we are given plastic bags to hold. The purpose of this is revealed as bagging a piece of fried chicken the size of Western Australia is like getting a sleeping bag into a condom — between you and the store attendant it's a two man job. But it is worth it. The spicy chicken is a brilliant, powdery Mars red, while the pale expanse of the original chicken resembles a vast, pocked lunar landscape (but with a much higher water content). The breast meat is remarkably juicy, and while the seasoning on the original chicken puts the Colonel's secret recipe to shame, the moderate heat of the spicy chicken does become a challenge after the first 200 square centimetres. In the end, we realise that the only advantage the Colonel has are the wet wipes that accompany his meals. Unfortunately, the 'curly fries' come as a bag of greasy, smashed-up spirals. On the other hand, the excellent sweet potato fries have a sugary seasoning (insidious? ingenious? I'm not sure), and serve as the dessert that, perversely, such a large, salty meal always calls for to balance the palate and delay the inevitable food coma. Better value for money than those Zara skinnies in your cupboard with the broken fly zipper, Hot Star is the best of Sydney's international chain store imports. Or did that fly zipper only break after your face-sized fried chicken? You'll find Hot Star Large Fried Chicken in our list of the best fried chicken in Sydney. Check out the full list here. Appears in: The Best Fried Chicken in Sydney for 2023
You know that feeling where you're begrudgingly up before dawn only to have your heart warmed by a surprise sighting of a hot air balloon set against the sunrise? Well this one's for you — and if you haven't ever experienced such a dawn, this one is really for you. In April, the Canowindra International Balloon Challenge sees the skies above the historic central-west town come alive with the roar of burners and the kaleidoscope of colourful hot air balloons in the atmosphere. The full event takes place over a whole week in April, with official balloon competitions happening throughout the week. The comp involves a number of difficult tasks, the most entertaining of which is the key grab — the aim is to fly your balloon in to try and pluck a large novelty key from the top of a flagpole, with the winner receiving some major dollar bills. There'll also be a campfire cookout and concert on Anzac Day evening (25th April). The final Saturday night sees the Balloon Glow and Night Market, where balloon operators light up their burners in the dark and in time to music.
You can always tell when spring is inbound. When the air warms, chefs and winemakers answer with fresh seasonal menus and wine releases. Pepito's celebrates with a one-night-only takeover by fearless women from opposite ends of the world — an acclaimed from Madrid and a cult winemaker from the Adelaide Hills. [caption id="attachment_1019364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] This marks the highly anticipated spring drops from Amber Ochota, the woman behind cult label Ochota Barrel. At the forefront of Australian minimalism, the wine studio has produced youthful vinos with whimsical names for spring. These include a textured white Gewurz, 'Weird Berries in the Woods', a bright wild-fermented grenache named after The Green Room Vineyard in Onkaparinga Hills and a balanced Chardonnary vintage, 'Control Voltage'. The Peruvian taberna-style spot is handing the kitchen over to Chef Danitza Gabriela of Manifesto 13, who is putting together a special five-course Italo-Peruvian tasting menu for the event. The exact dishes are still under wraps, but expect big fusion flavours — think a salsa-spiced ox tongue carpaccio with Sardinia flatbread, 'salsa carapulcra' guanciale gnocchi and sweet potato stracciatella. [caption id="attachment_1019363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption]
Glamping is a nice change of pace but if you're looking to truly leave the luxuries of everyday life behind, go on a good ol' fashioned bush adventure in Kinchega National Park, about a 90-minute drive from Broken Hill. Here, you'll find fascinating wildlife, majestic river red gums, the Darling River and a rich Indigenous history. Be sure to pay a visit to the historic woolshed and complete the 2.3-kilometre Homestead billabong walk. Make Emu Lake campground your base for exploring the park. It's pretty bare-bones here, so be prepared to take everything you need. There are picnic tables, barbecue facilities and non-flushing toilets on-site, plus hot showers and bore water are available at the nearby Shearers' Quarters. Make sure to book in advance and keep an eye out on park alerts. [caption id="attachment_852405" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kinchega Woolshed, Broken Hill City Council[/caption] Top image: Destination NSW
