This article is part of our series on the diverse highlights of NZ's Canterbury region, from city to snow. To book your Christchurch trip, visit the 100% Pure New Zealand website. Bars on buses, pop-up public buildings and shipping container shopping centres — it's what you expect to see in some of the most cutting-edge cities in the world, but is it what you expect to see on the South Island of New Zealand? This is the land of the long white cloud's inventive, industrious and inspiring city of Christchurch today. Excitement and opportunity are stirring everywhere in a city with a fresh slate. It's in the small bars that have appeared in deserted streets, the designers who have started working a disused tannery and the locals who just want to contribute to the new incarnation of their city. For most, it's an inspiring time to be in New Zealand's second largest city, and there's no better time to visit. Here are four areas in which the city is thinking laterally and pulling off big things. Hospitality: C1 Espresso Christchurch is catching up to Auckland and Wellington in the cool stakes and forging its own rep for great coffee, small bars and a focus on local produce.. "We're all starting again and we've got an opportunity to redefine ourselves," says Sam Crofskey, owner of High Street's C1 Espresso. Pioneering the second wave coffee movement through to the third in Christchurch since 1996, C1 is famous for its pneumatic tube system that delivers burgers and fries to you at 100 km/hr. While there is something very Fifth Element about it, but this system is actually more in tune with the past than the future, as the tubes are part of the building's former life as a bank. "There is so much opportunity in the city," Sam says. "You can open a bar in an alleyway or upstairs above a shop or whatever." And people are. Bars specialising in whiskey, craft beer and local wine have popped up in unlikely places and are almost always buzzing with crowds. Retail: Re:START A temporary structural solution is driving the retail industry: shipping container shopping. Re:START encouraged retailers to establish temporary spaces in shipping containers to grow their businesses. Located in Cashel Square, Re:START has been one of Christchurch's biggest successes. (It's also home to Dimitri's, possibly the best souvlaki in the South Island.) In addition to what's happening in the city centre, retail has found an unlikely home-away-from-home in the industrial side of town. Ten minutes drive from the CBD in Woolston, an old tannery has become the new home of Christchurch's boutique designers and retailers. After owning the site for near on 20 years, Alasdair Cassels was able to redevelop the space into an arcade-like shopping mall, aptly dubbed The Tannery. Giving designers a place to create and sell their wares, The Tannery became a meeting place as well as a shopping destination — at a time when the city had nothing else like it. Art: Gap Filler Colour flows through Christchurch in the form of street art. From almost any vantage point you're bound to be in viewing distance of at least two pieces of work, with murals painted on the sides of buildings both abandoned and inhabited and outdoor installations littered over disused blocks. What's happened in Christchurch has shown that adversity exemplifies creativity. Seeing a way to breathe new life into the city, artists have used bare walls to redefine the mood and vision of the urban area. A mural painted We got the sunshine lights up Madras Street, a super-size Rhone portrait sits on one side of Cathedral Junction and local artist Wongi 'Freak' Wilson has left his mark all over town. As well as this, 'Gap Filler' projects are placed all over the city, activating vacant spaces with interactive installations. Walking around, it's likely that you'll hear someone playing the drums (in the Sound Garden), see someone having a boogie in front of a washing machine (at the Dance-O-Mat) or sitting on a giant Astroturf couch. Once a super conservative city, Christchurch now thrives on new work that will continue to shape and develop with it. If you're an artist with a crazy idea, Christchurch is the one city that might just let you do it. Infrastructure: Cardboard Cathedral As well as Re:START, which can be moved at any time, the Cardboard Cathedral is an incredible example of how great transitional architecture can be. Erected as a place of worship by emergency architect Shigeru Ban, the structure is made largely from cardboard tubes and looks like a picture of perfect symmetry from the inside. It's temporary, but it's meant to last around 50 years. But permanency is the ultimate goal, and plans for infrastructure and urban living are well underway. New Christchurch looks like it's going to be one hell of a city. Feature image and Rhone mural image courtesty of Jocey K, Cardboard Cathedral courtesy of Forgemind ArchiMedia via photopin.
SBS has launched their newest cooking program, The Chef's Line, employing a competition format that gives an inside look at how commercial kitchens really operate. The nightly program follows four amateur cooks and four professional chefs over the course of a week as they battle it out to prove who does it best. Every week, the show features four chefs from a particular restaurant, ranging from the apprentices and the chef de parties, to the sous chef and the head honcho. Each night, the contestants go head to head with one member of the chef's line, and the contestant with the least impressive dish is graciously shown the door. On Thursday nights, the last amateur standing unleashes their skills against the head chef. The dishes are judged blindly by Australian food icons Dan Hong, Mark Olive, and Melissa Leong, who take turns each night to either taste and decide the winner, or get about the kitchen, having a chat with the competitors. The week culminates with program host Maeve O'Meara heading to the restaurant in the spotlight for a behind-the-scenes peak at their chef's line in action. It's a pretty interesting twist on something viewers have seen plenty of lately — aka the contemporary cooking competition — as there's less emphasis placed on drama and things going wrong. Instead, The Chef's Line has the kind of vibe you'd expect when a few mates cook up some wicked food in the kitchen. With the relatively small number of contestants getting a complete refresh each week, there's no time to develop a narrative arc of intrigue and cutthroat competition, so the show relies on simply showing some home cooks making rad dishes while hanging out with chefs who make the same dishes for a living. Which, really, is what a cooking show is all about: good food and good people make for good watching. With a multicultural focus, the program brings a new cuisine to the fore every week, ensuring a swathe of various challenges as contestants aim for authentic, global dishes. Week one ran from April 3, championed Vietnamese cuisine, and took its chef's line from the guys behind Dandelion in Melbourne, as led by Geoff Lindsay. "It's a really wonderful way to celebrate diversity," said the program's creator, Chris Culvenor, calling the unique format a "celebration of the diversity of Australian food culture." The Chef's Line airs on weeknights on SBS at 6pm. If you're keen on the great dishes whipped up on the show, recipes will be made available from sbs.com.au/thechefsline.
UPDATE: October 9, 2020: Just Mercy is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes and Amazon Video. When Walter McMillian was arrested in 1987 for the murder of a white teenager Ronda Morrison, the African American man was immediately sent to Alabama's death row. Before his was convicted and sentenced — before his trial even started — he spent 15 months among men condemned to die for their crimes. This move, orchestrated by the Monroeville sheriff's office, was extraordinary. It also speaks volumes about the way McMillian was treated from the moment he was cuffed. It's a minor detail in Just Mercy, the legal drama that tells his story, and McMillian is by no means the only person the tactic was used on — but if a suspect is saddled with such a fate before their day in court, how can justice ever truly prevail? That's one of the questions that lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) both ponders and seeks to redress in Just Mercy, with the movie exploring his tale as much as McMillian's (Jamie Foxx). Another issue the crusading attorney tackles: why black defendants are instantly assumed guilty, but the same rarely applies to white culprits. This is a film filled with fervour, charting the Stevenson's efforts to save a man facing execution. It's also an indictment of the inequities of America's legal system, and of US society as a whole. Those two aims are intertwined, of course. The minutiae of McMillian's case remains heartbreakingly familiar, as does Stevenson's accompanying battle for fairness — because in situations like this, the names may change but the details usually stay much the same. When the feature introduces Stevenson, he's an idealistic Harvard student meeting his first death row prisoner. Realising how much he has in common with the incarcerated young man — and seeing the difference lending a kindly ear makes — he commits to fighting against unjust death sentences when he graduates from college. After securing federal funding, crossing paths with the similarly passionate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson) and starting an organisation called the Equal Justice Initiative, he moves to Alabama in 1989 to do exactly that. McMillian's case is still the talk of Monroeville and, although it takes time to convince the imprisoned man himself, it's soon Stevenson's priority. Even audiences with zero prior knowledge of McMillian's plight can guess what comes next. A plethora of evidence proves his innocence, while just as much illustrates how little the folks that put him behind bars cared about his legal rights — or about true justice. Confronted with these facts, everyone involved in the local legal system sports an uncaring attitude, including the new prosecutor (Rafe Spall) who refuses to reopen the case. Adapted from Stevenson's own memoir by writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton with his The Glass Castle co-scribe Andrew Lanham, each of Just Mercy's revelations, speeches and courtroom showdowns plays out as expected; however, that's actually part of what makes this earnest movie pack a punch. Just Mercy boasts much that other films would envy, such as an emotive true tale, serious subject matter that's sadly still relevant today and a top-notch cast. Eyes blazing, his voice calm yet commanding, and compassion driving his every move, Jordan is especially fantastic as Stevenson — and he's matched by a restrained but no less resonant Foxx as a man resigned to the lie of the land in the deep south. But the feeling that this has all been seen before is used to particularly compelling effect here. It's something that Cretton is clearly cognisant of, as he was when he focused on troubled teens living in a group home in the excellent Short Term 12. Layering in other cases, such as that of fellow death row prisoner Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan), the filmmaker draws attention to the unending spate of real-life stories such as these. That's not a new revelation, but it bears heavily on a movie that's already weighty anyway. Indeed, in the feature's most powerful scenes, Cretton makes viewers face the ultimate consequences of a legal system predicated upon prejudice rather than justice. His is a measured and polished film both visually and tonally, but it purposefully lingers as one character inches towards their state-sanctioned end — lurking over every step and staring at the pain in the condemned man's expression, all to evoke a concerted sense of discomfort. This approach is far from understated, although neither is Just Mercy in general. Sincerity and deliberation don't have to go hand-in-hand with subtlety, after all. These types of tales might've reached pages and screens so often that they've become standard (McMillian's hometown of Monroeville was also the place where To Kill a Mockingbird's Harper Lee grew up, as the feature points out repeatedly), but this one firmly demonstrates why the fact they've become so routine also remains undeniably rousing, moving and devastating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78k9Mhgzy74
Step into your local arthouse theatre these days and you'd be hard pressed not to find a regional film festival going on. From established cinematic powerhouses like France, Germany and Japan, to less spotlighted industries such as Poland, Indonesia and Serbia, the sheer amount of world cinema on the cultural calendar means there's almost always an alternative to the latest blockbuster out of Hollywood. As long as you don't mind reading subtitles, that is. In 2014, the line-up is getting that little bit more crowded, with the inaugural edition of a brand new festival highlighting the films from Europe's frozen north. Covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the first annual Scandinavian Film Festival is set to put the kvikmynd in kvikmyndahátíð. One area where contemporary Scandinavian cinema really seems to excel is the crime genre. Case in point, the Easy Money trilogy, starring Joel 'RoboCop' Kinnaman as a uni student turned drug runner. All three films will screen at the festival — see them before the scheduled US reboot featuring Zac Efron. From across the bridge in Denmark, meanwhile, comes police thriller The Keeper of Lost Causes, one the highest grossing films at the Danish box office last year. Continuing the dramatic thread, Metalhead, out of Iceland, tells the story of a pre-teen girl who copes with her brother's accidental death by taking on his identity. Sounds a little strange, sure, but the film has drawn rave reviews on the international festival circuit and scored a record-breaking 16 nominations at Iceland's prestigious Edda Awards. Thankfully, despite the region's chilly climate, not everything on the program is so severe. Finland's August Fools is a rom-com set against a Cold War era backdrop, while opening night features the informatively titled Swedish comedy The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. For more information about the Scandinavian Film Festival, visit their website. It's on at Palace Cinemas on the following dates: Canberra Tues 8 July - Sun 20 July Sydney Wed 9 July - Sun 27 July Melbourne Thu 10 July - Sun 27 July Brisbane Fri 11 July - Sun 20 July Adelaide Wed 23 July - Thurs 31 July Perth Thu 24 - Wed 30 July Byron Bay Fri 25 - Wed 30 July
Messina's next guest for its monthly Messina Eats pop-up is Melbourne's Mr Miyagi. The inventive Japanese eatery hit Sydney for the first time ever last August, and now its heading back up north with some new dishes. This time round, the Windsor eatery is serving up three dishes in edible waffle baskets. Choose from a bowl filled with fried chicken, ramen noodles and spicy Japanese mayo, one with slow-cooked pork and popcorn, and a third with truffled mushrooms and tomato tempura. Make sure you order a side of Miyagi's wasabi fries, too. Not to be forgotten, Messina will join in, too, with its take on a melonpan — a sweet Japanese bun with a cookie dough crust. Here, it's stuffed with strawberry sorbet and vanilla gelato. You'll find it exclusively, alongside Mr Miyagi's waffle bowls, in Messina's Rosebery HQ on Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30. Messina Eats will be open from 12–9.30pm or until sold out.
The apocalypse is something we fear, right? The desolation and destruction caused by a cataclysmic event is something we surely would not want to witness. Yet we seem to have a weird fascination with Armageddon, dedicating a significant amount of time to it in film, video games and those pub conversation about which of your friends has the best zombie survival plan. Now Lori Nix, a Kansas-born artist, has shared her deep wonderment with Judgement Day in her exhibition The City, which depicts New York City devoid of humanity, scarred by the apocalypse. "My childhood was spent in a rural part of the United States that is known more for its natural disasters than anything else," says Nix on her website. "For a child it was considered euphoric." This informed her project The City, which imagines "a city of our future, where something either natural or as the result of mankind, has emptied the city of it's human inhabitants. Art museums, Broadway theaters, laundromats and bars no longer function. The walls are deteriorating, the ceilings are falling in, the structures barely stand, yet Mother Nature is slowly taking them over. These spaces are filled with flora, fauna and insects, reclaiming what was theirs before man's encroachment." Nix portrays this reclamation through a series of photographed dioramas that she painstakingly constructs, right down to the most minute detail. Some of you may have heard of the The City before and that is because Nix began the project in 2005. However, each diorama takes approximately seven months to construct, followed by three weeks to shoot the final image of it, and so the series is ongoing. It has come to the fore again as the latest nine photographic works in the series are currently on exhibition at ClampArt, NYC until November 16 to coincide with the release of her first book. Explore our favourites in the gallery below and head to Nix's website to see the full collection. Via Gizmodo.
Environmentally conscious drinkers of Sydney, rejoice — and permanent marker this event in your diaries. NZ vodka brand 42BELOW is taking over This Must Be The Place for a series of collaborative events dubbed Waste-Free Weekender. Throughout the weekend — Thursday, Saturday 12 to Saturday, September 14 — Adelaide cocktail bar Maybe Mae will be serving up tipples aimed at raising awareness about food and drink waste. Co-owner Ollie Margan and his team will demonstrate some savvy preservation techniques and use local, recycled ingredients in concoctions like Beets by Mae and the Coastal Cruiser. Also on the lineup, legendary Instagram illustrator Struthless will lead Paint & Piss(take): a cheeky twist on the traditional paint and sip classes, where you can get some tips on unapologetic illustrating while enjoying an environmentally friendly cocktail. You can sign up for (free) tickets to the two sessions — 4.30pm on Thursday and Friday — here. If eating is more your thing (respect), Acre Eatery is stepping in on Saturday, September 14 from 10am–1pm, for a Wasteless Brunch. An urban farm and eatery, Acre Eatery will be dishing up a menu using ingredients leftover from the restaurant's Camperdown kitchen. Spaces for the brunch are super limited, so be quick to register here for your chance to sip bloody marys and eat well. And if all that isn't enough, Trash Bash will see DJs such as Bleeding Knees Club, Paul Mac and Kato spinning recycled and second-hand records late into each night of the Waste-Free Weekender.
As part of the New South Wales Government's response to Sydney's current cluster of COVID-19 cases, face masks became compulsory on public transport across Greater Sydney on Friday, June 18, with the new requirement presently in place until 12.01am on Thursday, June 24. Since then, more cases have been identified, so New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has today, Sunday, June 20, announced that the mask mandate is expanding. The requirement to wear masks will be extended in two ways. Firstly, the public transport rule will expand beyond Greater Sydney and the Blue Mountains, where it is currently in effect, and will now apply to the Wollongong and Shellharbour areas. Secondly, people in seven local government areas in Sydney will now need to wear masks indoors in public settings — with the latter coming into effect immediately. The LGAs covered: City of Sydney, Inner West, Randwick, Bayside, Canada Bay, Waverley and Woollahra. So, if you live, work in or visit those areas, you'll need to wear a mask inside in hospitality venues, shops and any indoor situation where you aren't eating or drinking. Basically, unless you're at home, you'll need to mask up indoors. "It applies to all indoor venues, excluding when you're eating and drinking — so if you're going shopping, to the cinema, sitting at a conference, any place where you can't guarantee social distancing proximity with others," the Premier said Premier Berejiklian also noted that the indoor requirement "will apply effective immediately"; however, compliance won't be enforced until 4pm today. For now, the mandate will apply for the same time as the public transport mask rule — so until 12.01am on Thursday, June 24. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1406419359233241089 Sydneysiders elsewhere are still encouraged to don a mask when they are indoors in public — even though it isn't being made compulsory anywhere outside of the seven named LGAs. "At this stage, we didn't want to make the decision to have compulsory indoor mask-wearing across all Greater Sydney, but if the situation changes overnight, that is an option we will have to consider," the Premier said. If you're wondering if more restrictions might be in store, Premier Berejiklian advised that "what we've asked people to do today is as far as we will go, but I will say that if cases continue to emerge in the community, we will need to consider going further — but I hope that isn't the case." Overnight, NSW reported two new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, with 44 cases — both local and overseas-acquired — currently being treated in the state. And, as it always does, NSW Health has been updating the COVID-19 venues of concern list, and will continue to do so. Anyone who has visited these venues during the times specified are required to get tested and self-isolate as per NSW Health's instructions. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Lunch breaks in South Eveleigh are going to get a lot more entertaining with Kylie Kwong's latest venture, Lucky Kwong, tipped to open its doors on Tuesday, May 25. Unlike the now closed, much-loved institution Billy Kwong, Lucky Kwong will be set up canteen-style: visitors will need to order and pay at the counter and takeaway isn't only available — it's welcomed. The Australian-Cantonese eatery focuses on accessibility, so the team won't be taking bookings and the venue is strictly walk-in only. "For me, Lucky Kwong is all about true nourishment. This eatery is a celebration of everything I love in life with care, community, collaboration and delicious, life-giving food at its heart," Kwong said in a statement. "This is a big shift for me as a restaurateur." [caption id="attachment_812604" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lucky Kwong's steamed prawn dumplings with Sichuan chilli and Jiwah native mint.[/caption] You can expect offerings including steamed savoury pancakes with fried egg, Asian herbs and caramel-tamari, plus some of Kwong's signature dishes like her steamed prawn dumplings with Sichuan chilli dressing . Uncle Jimmy's steamed noodles with brown rice vinegar dressing and caramelised pork belly with Davidson's plum will also feature on the curated menu. Daily rotating specials are set to showcase local producers and culinary collaborations with other chefs, so you'll always have an excuse to drop in during the week. The Lucky Kwong team will source organic herbs and vegetables from a newly created garden in collaboration with South Eveleigh Aboriginal mentor and proud Cudgenburra and Bundjalung man, Clarence Slockee. Slockee and his crew at Jiwah will also provide the eatery with native edible plants for its menu. "Beyond being a great gathering place for delicious food, I want Lucky Kwong to nourish and feed people's spirit, to be a force for good. It's a simple and humble offering that is very clear in its intention and motivation to positively contribute to society," Kwong said. Lucky Kwong will be set in the historic Locomotive Workshop, and joins the likes of Matt Whiley (Scout) and Maurice Terzini's (Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, Ciccia Bella) groundbreaking new sustainability-focused bar, Re. in the South Eveleigh precinct. Lucky Kwong will open at 2 Locomotive Street, Eveleigh on Tuesday, May 25, Monday- Friday 11am–2.30pm. You can check out Lucky Kwong's website here.
Still sad because you missed The Avalanches much hyped comeback show at Splendour? Well, start saving your pennies because they're back for the Falls Music & Arts Festival. They're just one of the artists who have just been announced in the full 2016 lineup, alongside Childish Gambino, London Grammar, Grouplove, Broods, Jamie T, Parquet Courts and heaps, heaps more. As always, Falls will be heading to Lorne in Victoria for four nights, and Marion Bay in Tassie and Byron Bay on the NSW coast for three nights over New Year's Eve. They'll also be setting up shop in Fremantle for the first time with Falls Downtown, a two-day city festival slated to take place over the weekend of January 7-8. If you're seriously strapped for cash, it's time to warm up those vocal chords because The Falls Festival folks are giving you the chance to win VIP tickets for you and three mates. All you have to do is serenade the world with your favourite song from the 2016/17 lineup and upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #fallskaraoke. Get cracking. FALLS FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP Childish Gambino (No Sideshows) London Grammar (No Sideshows) The Avalanches Violent Soho Matt Corby Alison Wonderland* Catfish and the Bottlemen* Fat Freddy's Drop* Ta-ku The Rubens* The Jezabels Ball Park Music Grouplove Bernard Fanning* Jamie T Broods Tkay Maidza Grandmaster Flash Illy MØ Hot Dub Time Machine DMA's AlunaGeorge Booka Shade Client Liaison Vallis Alps Parquet Courts City Calm Down LDRU* Modern Baseball Tired Lion* Remi* RY X Marlon Williams* Lemaitre Shura *Not Playing Fremantle Tickets for Falls Festival 2016/17 will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, August 30 via their website.
Add three more names to the hefty list of big music stars heading Australia's way in 2023: Ice Cube, Cypress Hill and The Game. In what's basically a 90s and 00s hip hop and rap fan's dream come true, the trio are teaming up on the same bill for an Aussie arena tour, hitting stages Down Under in autumn. This isn't just any old nostalgia-dripping tour, either. It'll also mark the 30th anniversary of two influential albums: Ice Cube's Lethal Injection and Cypress Hill's Black Sunday. The former was the N.W.A member's fourth solo release, and included singles 'Really Doe', 'You Know How We Do It' and 'Bop Gun (One Nation)', while the latter gave the world 'Insane in the Brain', 'Hits from the Bong', 'When the Shit Goes Down' and 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That'. Expect to hear plenty of those songs get a whirl in late March — and plenty more — starting at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, then jumping to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. For Ice Cube, the tour marks his first visit to Australia since 2018, when he became the first-ever rap artist to headline at the Sydney Opera House. "I love performing in Australia. It's been four long years since my last visit and I can't wait to return for a couple of history-making shows in 2023," said the rapper, aka O'Shea Jackson Sr (and yes, his son O'Shea Jackson Jr did play him in N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton). Ice Cube and Cypress Hill will be joined by The Game, who came to fame in the 00s in the West Coast scene. The US talents will also feature Aussie talent in support, with exactly who else will take to the stage yet to be announced. ICE CUBE, CYPRESS HILL AND THE GAME 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Thursday, March 23 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Saturday, March 25 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Sunday, March 26 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, March 28 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre Ice Cube, Cypress Hill and The Game will tour Australia in March 2023. Ticket pre-sales start at 2pm local time on Tuesday, November 22, with general sales from 2pm on Wednesday, November 23. Head to the tour website for further details.
We all love a good day trip, but when it comes to experiencing the wintry delights of a powder-covered ski resort, it's hard to beat an overnight stay right there atop the mountain. Clicking on those skis in the morning, opening the front door and launching straight into the thrill (or perhaps spill) of it all is a pretty sweet deal. Minimal travel time, maximum snow. So, we've rounded up a few of NSW's best on-snow stays, to help take your next winter escape to a whole new level. From luxury mountain lodges, to private self-contained chalets, here are eight ski-in ski-out stays you can book right now. NSW's latest COVID-19 restrictions allow regional travel within the state from June 1. While all NSW ski resorts are preparing to reopen as soon as possible, Deputy Premier John Barilaro said that they may need a little time to put COVID plans into place so you should get in touch before visiting. That said, this year's ski trip will look a little different to usual, as resorts and operators strive to meet current public health protocol, with limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings set to continue. SMIGGINS HOTEL, PERISHER Gently sloped and protected from the weather, Perisher's Smiggin Holes village is a favourite for beginner snow-trippers. And Smiggins Hotel is located right there at its centre, offering a whole range of top-notch ski-in ski-out accommodation options. It's a modern resort set-up, based just metres away from all the area's chair lifts and t-bars — simply coast out the front door and straight into a choose-your-own-ski-adventure each day. There's a variety of hotel rooms and chalet apartments to suit different groups, while the onsite snow sport school and hire shop will have you mountain-ready, without stepping foot outside of the hotel. Plus, the newly renovated hotel deck is ready and primed for apres-ski sessions around the fire pit. NUMBANANGA LODGE, PERISHER Owned and operated by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, this self-contained six-sleeper lodge offers the full snow experience, sitting pretty on the outskirts of Smiggin Holes. With ski-in ski-out access, it's mere metres away from the village's assorted ski lifts, lessons and hire joints, so you can get up and at 'em within minutes of cruising out the front door. Numbananga Lodge is also primed for group snow adventures, featuring three cosy bedrooms and a fully-kitted kitchen. And if you are after a night on the town, simply hop on your board or skis and glide over to suss out the village's many apres-ski options. Following the government's easing of travel restrictions, NPWS is working towards reopening its accommodation and visitor services. Many sites are set to become available from June 1, with the booking system expected to reopen in the days prior. Check out the website for updates. [caption id="attachment_771410" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] KOSCIUSZKO CHALET HOTEL, CHARLOTTE PASS As Australia's highest snow resort, Perisher's smaller neighbour Charlotte Pass is a winning option for snow bunnies keen to feel on top of the world. And the 90-year-old Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel is one of its most popular ski-in ski-out stays, offering killer views, loads of history and a ripper location close to the village's chair lifts. Comfy rooms overlook either the valley or the mountain, and when the day is done, you'll find a whole collection of onsite bars and eateries for those apres-ski activities — including a cocktail bar complete with roaring fire. Keep an eye on the calendar, too, for regular gigs, bingo sessions and trivia nights. [caption id="attachment_771411" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SNOWBIRD LODGE, CHARLOTTE PASS Handily located for those embracing the less hectic pace of Charlotte Pass village, Snowbird Lodge is a quaint ski-in ski-out retreat within eyeshot of the ski lifts. This one's a relaxed, rustic set-up, with a range of heated ensuite rooms overlooking the white curves of the valley. Though for even better panoramas, check out the sprawling top-floor common room, with central log fire and nightly party vibes. Meanwhile, the licensed dining room will keep you well fuelled for all those on-snow adventures, kicking off with a classic English-style breakfast each morning. And sore muscles are in for a treat, too, with a spa and sauna housed right onsite. SKI IN SKI OUT CHALETS, THREDBO With a name like that, there's really no doubting it. Ski In Ski Out's sleek chalets boast some prime real estate, located right amongst the action of Thredbo Village. We're talking, smack bang on the Supertrail and offering dreamy views across the snow-topped gum trees. There are 25 luxury chalets to choose from, ranging in size from one to four bedrooms. And, while they don't come cheap, they sure will save you time when it comes to getting up the mountain each day. The accommodation's decked out stylishly and for maximum cosiness — think, wood fireplaces, high-end bath products and even the odd private jacuzzi, which you'll be able to jump into just minutes after cruising in from the slopes. RIVER INN, THREDBO A win for novice snow-trippers especially, River Inn is Thredbo's only ski-in ski-out hotel, handily positioned within stumbling distance of Friday Flat — a dedicated beginner-friendly area. It's also perched right beside the Gunbarrel chair lift, so you're primed to beat the crowds and be among the first on the slopes each morning. Here, there's a range of different ensuite rooms to suit various group sizes, with daily breakfast included the rate. After a big day carving up the mountain, you can look forward to a soak in the hotel's heated spa. Or, head straight to the Bavarian-themed restaurant to warm up over a hearty feed and a few beers. BARRAKEE SKI LODGE, PERISHER Just a 50-metre glide from the North Perisher t-bar, you'll find the cosy escape of Barrakee Ski Lodge — a popular ski-in ski-out stay with over 50 years under its belt. It's comfy and modern, with a range of different room options and plenty of stunning white mountain greeting you from out the window each morning. The lodge has its own sauna, bar and games room for kicking back after a day on the slopes, as well as a cranking log fire cosying up the communal lounge each night. And you won't need to venture anywhere else to get your culinary fix — Barrakee's onsite restaurant is helmed by a former personal chef to the Prime Minister of Australia. TAMBAROORA SKI CLUB, PERISHER A picture-perfect, self-contained lodge sitting right in the heart of Perisher Valley, cosy Tambaroora Ski Club is the kind of ski-in ski-out accommodation you'll want to snap up quick for your next group snow trip. It sleeps six and is hidden among the trees, with a front door that opens right onto the slopes and an enviable location just a quick cruise from the Perisher Quad Express chair lift. The Ski Tube rail terminal is also just a few hundred metres away, for those who've parked off-snow. Inside, the chalet's set up with a full kitchen ideal for post-ski cook-ups, and while there's no TV or wifi, you've got your pick of board games to keep your crew entertained beside the lounge heater each night.
Attention fans of bands, booze and blissing out. Tickets for the 2015 Secret Garden Festival — a.k.a. the most mysterious festival tickets money can buy — are on sale. That's Friday, November 14 from 9am, kids. For those unfamiliar with the concept behind Secret Garden — and to you I must ask: really? — the gist of it is this: Two days. A secret lineup that's not revealed until well after the event has sold out. Shenanigans including and not limited to dress-ups, pop-up bars, art installations, confetti cannons, costume-making, and camping in the grounds of a 3000-acre dairy farm just north of Sydney. Facts that we do know about the 2015 edition of the most enigmatic music event on the Sydney calendar is that it'll take place on Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 at the festival's once secret, now regular destination 'The Farm', and that admission is $185 for both days, or $125 for just the Saturday. And, as usual, it's all a not-for-profit fundraiser for the Sarah Hilt Foundation — a local charity raising money for sufferers of meningococcal. Despite the clandestine line-up, tickets to Secret Garden 2014 sold out within hours of going on sale. If you're keen for 2015, prep your bank account and flex those page-refreshing muscles now. Predictions are these tickets won't last much past lunch.
Bondi Beach is set to become home to another killer restaurant, with Finland's biggest celebrity chef Tomi Bjorck to open Blanca Bar & Dining. You may not have heard of Bjorck, but everyone in Finland has. Aside from stints in the kitchens at both Quay and Longrain, he's been head judge on MasterChef in his native Finland and owns four restaurants in Helsinki and one in Sweden. Late last year though he relocated to Sydney, and has since partnered with chef Samuel Cole (ex-Dinner by Heston Blumenthal) to bring the new restaurant to life. The pair will join Bill's Bondi, Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, A Tavola Bondi and Gelato Messina Bondi in the Hall Street dining precinct little known as The Hub. Blanca won't be riding on the success of Noma and 'Nordic' food though; Bjorck told Good Food that the new Australian venture will feature more than "just Nordic cuisine" with a wide-ranging menu and "strong pastry" (whatever that means). Some of Bjorck's other ventures include the Soil Wine Group, a company that imports quality wines for fine dining restaurants and designs menus for Finnish airline Finnair. The celebrity chef is currently in Europe launching LIQ, a line of liquorice with flavours including salted caramel and orange and black pepper. As for other details on Blanca, Bjorck and Cole have remained tight lipped about the project, but have said that 80-seat venue will open sometime towards the end of this year, or the start of 2017. For more developments, we suggest keeping an eye on the Blanca Instagram. Via Good Food. Image: Bjorck's Helsinki restaurant, Boulevard Social.
This article is sponsored by our partner lastminute.com.au. Dreaming of a trip to New York? Win NYE in NYC for you and a lucky friend thanks to lastminute.com.au. Stay in the centre of the action. To make the most of your NYC stay, choose digs that are slap bang in the middle of the Manhattan action. Affinia Manhattan is a good mid-priced option or if you're in the market for something special on the Upper East Side The Surrey is fabulous. For all NYC accom check out lastminute.com.au's range here. If you like a spectacle, tap the costume and burlesque scene. Prohibition-era fashion and Gatsbyesque entertainment is the flavour of the decade in NYC, and you can easily get a hit of it by attending one of the regular parties hosted by Dances of Vice, Wit's End or the weekly Floating Kabarette at Galapagos in Brooklyn. Twice a year, Governors Island (a free five-minute ferry ride from lower Manhattan) comes alive with the Jazz Age Lawn Party hosted by Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra. Between Charlestons, you're likely to spot (and be spotted by) photographers like the Sartorialist, Bill Cunningham and many other notables in dapper ensembles (Baz Luhrmann was spotted by a friend last year). A visit to some legendary sources of thrift shopping like Brooklyn Flea, Beacon's Closet and Housing Works will be necessary for your costume. And just for fun. Nowhere does speakeasies like Manhattan. Enter Chinatown's creepiest alley, Doyers Street, and listen for the sound of music behind a pile of trashcans; that’s Apotheke. Concealed deep in a hotdog shop lurks the luxe cocktail bar Please Don't Tell. And you'd easily miss Little Branch but for the line of chic folk loitering outside its low-key entrance on a Saturday night. Dress me up! New York's H & M, Anthropologie, Madewell and Urban Outfitters megastores are fabulous, but blogs are a great resource if you want to get off the beaten track of clothes shopping. Racked and Refinery29 give a heads-up on designer sample sales as well as new store openings and events like the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show. The East Village, LES and Williamsburg have great boutiques if you like unique, offbeat pieces. Need vintage glasses to complete your Woody Allen vibe? Moscot and Fabulous Fanny's will have just the ones for you. Crafty? Visit M & J Trimmings for sequins and studs galore. People are the key. New York is all about community. As the world's gathering-point, it attracts a very receptive sort of crowd. So make friends at bars. Get on OKCupid and talk to people. You might get invited to a party or find out about something cool happening just round the corner. It doesn't really matter where you end up, because everything that happens in NYC makes for a good story. Prepare to walk. And walk and walk. NYC is truly a pedestrian city, which is fantastic because it puts you in the thick of the action. At the risk of sounding like a grandma, make sure you have sturdy and comfortable shoes. Buy a wallet-sized subway map at a bodega and venture underground — the subway has some of the best buskers in the world, from Mariachi bands to break dancers to elderly beat poets. Brunch! On the weekend, brunch is an NYC institution. The Spotted Pig, Hundred Acres, Kittichai and every trendy restaurant up and down the Westside have special brunch menus, often with bottomless cocktails ahoy, so you can sag out into the sunlight afterward, happy as a clam. Casually go see high-profile musicians play for cheap. Check the line-up at Bowery Ballroom, Le Poisson Rouge and the Rockwood. Midnight diner meals are compulsory. Try Veselka, Seinfeld's Tom's or Katz' Delicatessen. Drunk? Order Disco Fries. Harness the power of social media. From tuning into the Facebook feeds of your NYC-based friends, or friends of friends, to searching Twitter hashtags like #bestofnyc to simply liking a fan page about regular events like the incredible storytelling series The Moth, there's infinite platforms to give you info on what’s happening right now. Walk the High Line and explore its surrounds. On the top of the Standard Hotel you'll find Le Bain, a bar with one of the best views in town plus bartenders dressed as tennis pros, circular pink waterbeds, astroturf and Nutella crepes. It's also a hop from the Chelsea gallery district and many designer flagship stores. If this list doesn't satisfy you, there's always tips from SNL's Stefon.
Approaching at 128 BPM, Stereosonic will take over the Sydney Olympic Park for two heated, fist-pumping days of electro, techno and house music. Maybe 'getting shredded' isn't an idea you subscribe to, but good techno and house music is. Luckily, aside from the buzz headline acts like Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Steve Aoki and Skrillex, promoters have placed an emphasis on local acts — and there's no shortage of genuine talent. After presiding over the official Grammys afterparty in LA (as you do), Alison Wonderland is coming back to Australia for Stereosonic alongside Sydney project What So Not (Flume and Emoh Instead), triple j presenter and DJ Nina Las Vegas, electronic dance regulars The Aston Shuffle, and UK power duo Disclosure (for a DJ set only). Porter "boy genius" Robinson is adding the Australian sweatfest to his list and punters will get to see NYC's RL Grime, who has worked epic wonders with artists as diverse as Big Sean and How To Dress Well. Let the summer festival season begin. Tickets are still available via ticketmaster.com.au. $149.95 for Saturday/Sunday tickets only or $234.95 for a two-day ticket.
Australia has more festivals per capita than anywhere else in the world. That makes us spoiled for choice and overwhelmed by indecision. It also makes a list of the best festival experiences spectacularly difficult to compile. But here is Concrete Playground's shortlist of Sydney's ten best festivals to help you get the best out of the forthcoming warmer seasons. Watch this space – we'll be updating it as line-ups are announced and dates are set in stone. In the meantime, get ready to dance kids, because summer's coming. 1. St. Jerome's Laneway FestivalThe Laneway Festival was a massive revelation when it came to Sydney in 2006. After beginning life as a teeny tiny festival in Melbourne, Laneway has grown and now travels all over Australia as well as New Zealand and Singapore. And the heart of Laneway's success lies in their ability to present a line-up of consistently amazing, impeccably curated acts in some truly beautiful locations. In 2010 the Sydney event moved to the beautiful, albeit slender, site of the Sydney College of the Arts at Rozelle, which becomes pretty magic once the skies begin to darken and the lights refract upon the sandstone. It's generally a pretty sweaty affair, what with being held in the middle of February, but the crowd is always relaxed, and while there'll generally be an ironic hipster beard bristling against you in the crowd everybody is having way too much fun to mind. The acts over the past two years – Florence & The Machine, The xx, Echo & The Bunnymen, Beach House, Deerhunter – have been some of the best at any festival in the country, and 2012 has presented the kind of lineup that strikes you with awed stuttering: Feist, Laura Marling, Austra, Cults, M83, The Horrors, Toro Y Moi, and on it goes. It's a hundred different kinds of amazing. Where: Sydney College of the Arts, Rozelle When: 5th February, 2012. Web: sydney.lanewayfestival.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=r-hMISLG8nY 2. Sydney FestivalI remember having read some very scathing things said about the Sydney Festival in a Melbourne newspaper a couple of year ago. They seemed to be insinuating in a not-so-subtle manner that Sydney was making a futile attempt to encroach on their territory as Australia's arts capital. But they were right to be afraid. The reinvigorated Sydney Festival has completely transformed our city in summer (note the flagpoles which every year proclaim just that) and it's made Sydney a truly amazing place to be in January. The whole city is turned into a summer wonderland, there's something amazing to do every single night, and people flood The Domain to see sophisticated performances while merrily sipping beer, cider, goon or all three. But mostly what the Sydney Festival does is bring us some truly spectacular performers – Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, Emmylou Harris, Camera Obscura and this year's headliner, PJ Harvey, who is perhaps my favourite musician of all time. The Sydney Festival now has a total audience of about 1 million, making it the most attended cultural event in Australia. Every year the festival grows and improves, and with the state government recently giving the Festival a heap of cash to extend their program, it makes the prospects for this summer's partying very exciting indeed. Where: Numerous venues around Sydney When: January 8th - 30th, 2012 Web: sydneyfestival.org.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=NyEWTinjDQ0 3. Playground WeekenderThere are many things that are exciting about Playground Weekender, but here are my two favourites: one, you can sleep in a tepee, surrounded by other tepees; and two, you get there on a ferry. An hour and a half out of Sydney, on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, this is one of those festivals where you can let loose the kid inside of you. Spread over three days, Playground Weekender features a good mix of international and local acts – 2011 featured Kool & The Gang, Cut Copy and Caribou – but selected in such a way that you won't find yourself running frantically from one stage to the next in what's always a failed juggling act. Falling at the end of February when even the most enthusiastic festival punters are over the sweaty drunken crowds, Playground Weekender bills itself as a chilled alternative to ease you out of the festival season. Which is not to say there's no crazy, glitter-bodypaint-induced fun – Playground Weekender also features Australia's largest fancy dress party, as well as a swimming pool, cocktail bar, cabaret act and market stalls. All beside a river, with a whole lot of excellent music. Where: Del Rio Campgrounds, Wisemans Ferry When: 1st-4th March, 2012. Web: playgroundweekender.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z5ExV8ABNNU 4. Peats Ridge FestivalPeats Ridge is the New Year's party to attend if you, like many of us, abhor December 31st in Sydney spent desperately trying to find a spot which at once allows you to see some fireworks and not get vomited upon. Peats Ridge is an hour north of Sydney, a leisurely drive up the road if you will, surrounded by bushland and rivers. While the line up is always good – this coming festival's headliners include Gotye, Stanton Warriors and the Dum Dum Girls - it's also more than just music, with artists and performance events popping up all around you. But the best thing of all is the Fancy Dress Masquerade Ball they throw on New Year's Eve, which promises a party of Dionysian proportions. Peat's Ridge is certainly not the biggest live-in camping festivals in the country – it's half the line up of Falls, half the terrain of Woodford and half the distance from Pyramid – but it easily competes as one of the best New Year's options in the country and, for all intents and purposes, one of the best camping festivals as well. Where: Glenworth Valley, Peats Ridge (about an hour north of Sydney) When: 29th December 2011 - 1st January, 2012 Web: peatsridgefestival.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=IRcUfuxel9Y 5. VividVivid does many things – 'lights, music and ideas' is its rather broad tagline – but if you know only one thing about it, it's that it turns the Opera House into a delightful psychedelic canvas which can entrance you for hours. Vivid is just about the only winter festival we've got, and while still young at three years old, it's made itself a permanent fixture on the Sydney calendar. Each year's festival program follows the whims and fancies of a specially chosen curator – in 2010 it was Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, and in 2011 it was Modular Records founder, Steven Pavlovic. Each curator brings a different vision to the event, so sometimes you're greeted with unexpected surprises: I have distinct memories from 2010 of chanting monks and blind men in suits. 2011 saw a series of parties held at the Opera House, as well as performances from Architecture In Helsinki, Bat For Lashes, OFWGKTA and two nights of The Cure playing three of their most influential albums in their entirety, tickets for which sold out in five minutes or something equally absurd. Like Sydney Festival, Vivid is the kind of festival which immerses the entire city for weeks at a time, and we're very glad to have it. Where: Various venues in the city When: May - June 2012. Exacts dates to be announced. Web: vividsydney.com https://youtube.com/watch?v=14e1507YOLs 6. Changing LanesChanging Lanes, the brainchild of FBi Radio, turns two this year, so in the scheme of things it's really just a baby. But babies are awesome, and this one's growing fast. Presenting local Sydney music, DJs, fashion, art and food, Changing Lanes is a festival which is uniquely focused on the city. It happens in the streets and the laneways, trading in the grass fields maliciously prickling with bindis for the sprawling concrete of inner Sydney. In 2010 Changing Lanes flooded the backstreets of Newtown with a line-up of emerging Sydney-based creatives, but due to some problems with Marrickville Council this year's Changing Lanes has been duly relocated to the heart of Surry Hills. Changing Lanes is one of the most affordable festivals that Sydney has to offer and also probably the only one which is uniquely concerned with supporting emerging local talent, and because it's all in the name of raising money for FBi you can happily construe a giddy afternoon of dancing and getting drunk on Devonshire Street as an act of benevolent altruism. Where: Around Devonshire St, Surry Hills When: September 17, 2011 Web: changinglanesfestival.com https://youtube.com/watch?v=G1E9intPdz8 7. Harvest FestivalSo, let's be honest – we don't know a lot about Harvest Festival yet, but, oh my god, it sounds freakin' amazing. This is Harvest's first year, and it's designed to be the definitive music-lovers festival. Its plan is to essentially take your typical three day festival, cut out the filler, leave the best bits and pack it into one day. For their first line-up they've really managed to set the benchmark, by not only gathering together bands such as The National, The Flaming Lips, TV On The Radio, Bright Eyes and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but convincing Portishead to return to Australia for the first time in fourteen years. They're also limiting capacity and duly excluding children, because let's face it, kids at music festivals can be awkward. Playing out in the greenery of Parramatta Park, they also promise ambient lighting and visual effects, art installations, cocktail bars, and neo-cabaret stars, which are my favourite kind of cabaret stars. If Harvest knows what they're doing, they look like they could pose a serious challenge to Laneway, but either way, we're very pleased to welcome them to the fold. Where: Parramatta Park, Parramatta When: November 13, 2011 Web: harvestfestival.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=CYlQxftpc7M 8. Secret GardenThe Secret Garden is a small, boutique festival, modelled on the kind of tiny countryside festivals you find in the UK. Secret Garden are hoping to inspire the same kind of deal in Australia. By spreading the word through Chinese whispers, they're hoping to maintain a small and familial vibe, so that if you don't know the person standing next to you, the chances are that your friend will. More importantly, all profits are donated to the Sarah Hilt foundation to raise money for sufferers of Meningococcal disease. Gathering together a good selection of local music, dance and performance, it brands itself as being magical, mysterious and enigmatic. But last year it was on a farm in Camden, which when you say it sounds less mysterious. More than anything else though, Secret Garden is a weekend-long party, with free alcohol, trippy art installations and people in fancy dress (many of whom you can see in a video from the Concrete Playground Photobooth at Secret Garden below). It's the kind of festival that gives you the chance to sleep in a tepee and cavort amongst trees decorated to give you the impression you may or may not be on acid. It's kind of like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland rolled into one ephemeral weekend. Where: A private property in Camden When: March 2012. Exact dates to be announced. Web: secretgardenfestival.com.au 9. ParklifeParklife is pretty much Sydney's definitive indie-electro festival. You have your music, mud, the hint of illicit substances in the air, shirtless gentlemen in fluoro shorts, and Kate Moss impersonators circa Glastonbury 2005. Parklife started out in 2000, all with the aim of sharing music in outdoor greenery close to the centre of the city. While it has grown exponentially since then, it has stayed true to its purpose, and resides at the beautiful Kippax Lake as a part of the Centennial Parklands. Last year's line-up featured Missy Elliott, The Wombats, and Kele of Bloc Party fame, while this year brings us The Gossip, Santigold and Lykke Li. Parklife has become one of Sydney's biggest festivals, and tends to be pretty heavily monitored by police and sniffer dogs, which along with all the semi-naked chaps can seem a little off-putting at times. But with generally stellar line-ups and a crowd that only wants to dance, Parklife still maintains its status as one of the city's best festivals. But be warned – it seems to rain nearly every year at Parklife: channel Paddington Bear and invest in some gumboots. Where: Kippax Lake, Centennial Park When: October 2, 2011 Web: parklife.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=ODuppszMX_s 10. Good VibrationsGood Vibrations is the touring live music event owned by the mega-wealthy (but currently embroiled in controversy) Justin Hemmes. Launched in 2004, Good Vibes has been setting feet a-dancing for many years now, focusing on quality electro and hip hop acts. Past headliners have included James Brown, Kanye West, Deadmau5, Busta Rhymes and Phoenix. It is also another festival which has a reputation for being wet – in the form of both rain and sweat, and which also has a pretty strong police presence. Last festival was a little wounded by last-minute cancellations from Janelle Monae and Cee-Lo Green, and so it's been decided to move Good Vibrations from its usual February time slot to one in December, when people are not even beginning to think about de-toxing and are just gearing up for the summer. Where: Centennial Park, Sydney When: December 2012. Exact dates to be announced next year. Web: gvf.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=hBUmHYbjZb0
While it's nice to admire the custom decorative pieces in our homes, it's sometimes easy to forget that a lot of hard work went into creating them. If you've ever obtained items from Workshopped or followed the careers of designers from previous Workshopped exhibitions, now is your chance to find out the entire process behind their award-winning creations. Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design is on now at Object, Australia's centre for contemporary design. Twelve designers are coming together to share the story behind creating their projects, from conception to finished product. The question of what success means to each designer will also be explored, as all of their designs have been considered successful. Resolved features designers ranging from watchmaker Ben McCarthy to Zoe MacDonell, an artist who uses fabric and furniture as her canvases. If you're worried you might not make it to the exhibition, catch the online mini-documentary series that gives a peek into what you'll see at the exhibition.
Renowned Enmore Road eatery Hartsyard is saying goodbye to its owners, with Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Walsh set to begin a new culinary adventure in the coming months. The Inner West venue's loss is The Old Clare's gain, with the pair heading to the historic Chippendale hotel. Lee and Walsh have been at the helm of the restaurant since they took over from previous owners Gregory Llewellyn and Naomi Hart in 2018. Under the guidance of Lee and Walsh, the restaurant cemented itself as a Newtown favourite with casual fine dining centred around char-grilled delights. Lee told Concrete Playground that new owners expected to take over Hartsyard on Enmore Road; however, nothing has been locked in yet, and the venue will close in late August until a fresh set of custodians can take the reins. Hartsyard fans need not to worry, though, as the duo will bring favourites from the Hartsyard menu and a range of exciting new dishes to multi-space hotel and rooftop bar The Old Clare. The move to The Old Clare will see them revamp the food and drink offerings across both the hotel's ground-floor watering hole The Clare Bar and its popular poolside rooftop bar. [caption id="attachment_706210" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old Clare Rooftop[/caption] Lee also revealed that they would eventually be expanding The Old Clare's hospitality offerings into a new space next to neighbouring venue and Walsh's former workplace Automata. "We have always said Hartsyard is our little playground, I mean, we have had Soo MUCH FUN!" [sic] a message from the pair on Instagram stated. "It's time for us to move forward to create something new and exciting for all of you." If you'd like to experience Hartsyard under the guidance of Lee and Walsh, you still have two more months, with the duo's final service at the restaurant set for Monday, August 29. Until then, the a la carte menu will be reduced and a best-of tasting menu traversing some of chef- and fan-favourite dishes from the past four years of Hartsyard, for $120 per person. Head to Hartsyard's website to reserve your spot. [caption id="attachment_735826" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Hartsyard is located at 33 Enmore Road, Newtown. It's currently open from 6pm Friday–Monday. Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Walsh's last service at the restaurant will take place on Monday, August 29.
Current world events don't make the prospect of international travel seem particularly appealing at the moment. The truth is though, cinema has been taunting travellers for decades. Whatever holiday you might have planned, there's a horror movie just waiting to convince you otherwise. Heading to a cabin for a quiet weekend? The Evil Dead and The Cabin in the Woods have news for you. Venturing across the Australian outback? That's where Wolf Creek comes in. Seeking out a gorgeous beach? Whatever you do, don't watch The Shallows. Stopping at a roadside hotel? Didn't turn out so well in Psycho. Bound for Europe? Hostel made a whole trilogy about what you can expect. With a name that combines Germany's largest city with the connection that can arise between hostages and their captors, Berlin Syndrome initially appears to traverse similar terrain as the movies mentioned above. Indeed, the film starts with Brisbanite Clare (Teresa Palmer) arriving abroad, chatting to fellow backpackers and wandering the streets. An aspiring photographer, she snaps everything from famous buildings to everyday folks along the way. Then she meets Andi (Max Riemelt), a German schoolteacher who opens with a line about strawberries, takes her for a scenic walk, and intrigues Claire enough that she changes her plans to jump to her next destination. They have a fun night out together, go back to his apartment, and...things go south from there. It should all sound familiar, of course. That's Berlin Syndrome's aim, for two reasons. Based on the book of the same name, directed by Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland (Somersault), and adapted by screenwriter Shaun Grant (Jasper Jones, Snowtown), the film's entire premise relies on several elements that many movies have already covered — a dream vacation gone bad, and a romantic spark that turns sinister. But the movie also takes scenarios that have been done to death and thrusts them into unexpected territory. It's not a spoiler to say that Clare awakes the next morning to find that she's locked in Andi's flat, and that he's removed the SIM card from her phone. Nor does it give the game away to reveal that he has trapped her on purpose. After spending its setup revelling in the excitement and openness of travel, Berlin Syndrome dedicates most of its running time to the opposite extreme with an expert command of tension. At the same time, the film unpacks Clare's complicated response, as she seesaws between fighting back and slowly settling into a twisted version of domesticity. Behind the camera, Shortland crafts a film of juxtapositions, both in terms of tone, and in the sites of Andi's apartment versus the city outside. But there's no one better at getting to the heart of the film's internal conflict than Palmer. The Aussie actress has had a huge year or so, popping up in everything from the bad Point Break remake to the locally made war flick Hacksaw Ridge. But she's in career-best form here as she conveys Clare's inner turmoil. Likewise, it takes considerable skill for Riemelt to make Andi more than a straightforward villain. Welcome to Berlin Syndrome, a murky, confronting trip. Deep dive into Berlin Syndrome's core themes and read our feature examining how modern filmmakers like Cate Shortland are tackling complex issues of psychological manipulation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceVBDJNHL0k
Not be outdone by their neighbours, whose own festival du film celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the latest line-up at the Audi Festival of German Films is guaranteed to give the French a run for their money. Presented by the Goethe-Institut in conjunction with Palace Cinemas, the 2014 festival boasts a selection of more than 50 German language films, as well as parties, lectures, special screenings and Q&As. Just a few of the highlights include Marc Rothemund's The Girl with Nine Wigs, about a young woman struggling with a cancer diagnosis; Constanze Knoche's simmering family drama, Visitors, about the strained relationship between a father and his three adult children; and Jan-Ole Gerster's black and white, day-in-the-life dramedy Oh Boy, which scooped up the top prize at the 2013 German Film Awards. The Audi Festival of German Film is in Sydney and Melbourne from March 27 to April 11, and in Brisbane from March 28 to April 3. Thanks to the festival, we have six double passes to give away in each city, valid for a session of your choosing. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au For the full Audi Festival of German Films program, see the festival website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xlyt_IRWM30
Every year since 1987, when March rolls around, the Texan city of Austin becomes a hive of activity for fans of film, music, creativity, culture, technology and everything in-between. That's no longer the case in 2020, however, with this year's South By Southwest now cancelled for the first time in the event's 34-year history. In the same week that new Bond movie No Time to Die had its release date pushed back from April to November, the reason for SXSW's cancellation is obvious, with concerns mounting about the effect of the coronavirus COVID-19 — especially in such a busy, public, highly populated space as a large-scale, highly attended music and film fest. SXSW organisers scrapped the 2020 event after the City of Austin basically made the decision for them. "The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the City's directions," the festival announced in a statement. With SXSW 2020 due to take place next week from Friday, March 13–Sunday, March 22, speculation that the event wouldn't go ahead had been mounting over the past few days. In fact, a Change.org petition calling for the fest's cancellation due to the coronavirus outbreak received more than 55,000 signatures. Before the event was officially canned, plenty of high-profile parties had already dropped out of attending the festival — including Amazon, Netflix and Apple, all of whom had scrapped screenings of upcoming films and TV shows; music groups like Sony, Universal and Warner Music; and speakers and guests such as Trent Reznor, the Beastie Boys and Ozzy Osbourne. [caption id="attachment_764009" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Shelley Hiam[/caption] SXSW's powers that be are currently exploring their options — to either reschedule this year's event, or provide a "virtual SXSW online experience". It's highly unlikely that this is the last time that COVID-19 will have this effect on the entertainment industry. Large swathes of cinemas have been temporarily shuttered in China, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Italy and France; theme parks have been closed in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo; and the latest Mission: Impossible movie shut down its production in Venice. Music tours have been cancelled throughout Asia, too, and plenty of questions hang over forthcoming events elsewhere in the world — such as Coachella in April and the Cannes Film Festival in May. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: David Brendan Hall.
You're soon about to lead an existence in which you carry chicken salt and vinegar in your bag at all times. Australian hot chip vending machines are about to be all up in your grill. Again, slower. Hot. Chip. Vending machines. According to the ABC, the Perth-based Hot Chips Company have been cooking this up for the last five years, inspired by Australian '90s models and similar developments in Dubai, Japan, the UK and Belgium. They've been working with WA potato processor Bendotti Exporters to create the perfect take-away solution for late night snackery — reppin' the Western Australian potato industry while they're at it. Stephen Bendotti (of Bendotti Exporters) told the ABC the chips will be freshly cooked while you wait, all inside the machine. "You put your money in and it goes from frozen to the fryer and in your cup within two minutes and 20 seconds," he said, with an aim to whittle that waiting time down to two minutes. And in case you're freaking out over the hefty price of Perth airfares to try this out, these babies are going national. According to the ABC, Bendotti's friends over at WA Chip are going to roll them out Australia-wide. So how long will we have to wait for the mighty hot chip robots? Apparently we're looking at national distribution by December 2015, with trials and development continuing until then. We're still waiting on details for condiments, salt options and cost, so watch this space for your chippie deets. Via ABC. CORRECTION 29/1 3:15PM : We initially ran this story reporting that these were Australia's first hot chip vending machines. They aren't, in fact, the first, as numerous models have made their way through Australian cities since the '90s. Apologies for the wrong info, we got way too excited about the prospect. Image: will ockenden via photopin cc
For the second year in a row, Darling Harbour's Tumbalong Park is getting in on the Vivid Sydney action with the introduction of Tumbalong Nights. From Thursday to Saturday throughout the festival — plus Sunday, June 11 — you can enjoy performances from the very heart of the Light Walk. The 12 nights of free live music span exciting up-and-coming artists through to established Australian faves of all kinds of sounds and genres. The program will kick off with a night of hazy pop for fans of the sounds of Lana Del Ray and Lorde with the dynamic duo of shoegaze hitmaker Hatchie and local indie-pop group Egoism on Friday, May 26. [caption id="attachment_899339" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hatchie by Lissyelle[/caption] Other highlights include legendary Yolngu supergroup Yothu Yindi with Ziggy Ramo on Saturday, May 27; an R&B match made in heaven of Kaiit and Chanel Loren; a night of hook-heavy ballads with Dan Sultan and Cala Wehbe on Saturday, June 10; and Japanese cult-producer Cornelius with support from psych-rock band Nice Biscuit. On Friday, June 2, triple j is celebrating 15 years of Unearthed High with a one-off showcase of some of the best artists to come out of the annual program featuring Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Lastlings, JACOTÉNE and Arno Faraji. Plus, each Saturday during the festival, there'll be free kids music from 5pm as a curtain-raiser for the main acts, with Zindzi & the Zillionaires, Junkyard Beats, Peter Combe and the Bellyflop in a Pizza Band, and Tiptoe Giants all popping up. Explore the program at Vivid's website. Top image: Destination NSW
Imagine a space bustling with bartenders creating new drinks and learning innovative techniques. Then, imagine a space where you can pull up a stool to be whisked away on a tasting journey. This is the scene Orion Leppan Taylor and Mitch Bloomfield are envisioning with their new Cocktail Lab in Wollongong. The 26-year-old south coast locals pitched the concept to Idea Lab — an initiative run by Beam Suntory, which awards grants to change-making hospitality ventures. The pair won $20,000 to help turn their plans into reality. The pair currently work at Wollongong's Breakout Bar and Escape Rooms, which is where they're planning to build the new Cocktail Lab. "It'll be a space where we can educate the bar scene of Wollongong from an industry perspective," says Leppan Taylor. "But also, where we can run classes, educate and broaden [the public's] palates." While Leppan Taylor is now the bar manager at Breakout, he was brand new to hospo when he joined the venue three years ago. "As a bartender, I've had to self direct. But a big part of that has been [being connected to] the great community we have here," he says. "There are people I can reach out to if I'm hitting a wall, or running into problems, who are very open with volunteering their time and expertise." Bloomfield was also a fresh face behind the bar when he first came to Breakout. With a background in entertainment, he was more familiar with the escape room side of the business. "I got thrown straight into a Christmas hospitality period, which I had never experienced before. So it was very much the deep end," he says. A previously under-utilised space at Breakout will become the new Cocktail Lab, which will be fitted out with sleek prep benches and storage cages filled with bar equipment like centrifuges. With a little luck, Bloomfield says the Cocktail Lab should be open by March 2021. "We're familiar with the idea of Heston Blumenthal going very technical and science-y to try and do interesting things with ingredients," says Leppan Taylor. "At the end of the day, flavours, aromas and everything that goes into a drink is just a different series of chemical compounds," he says. When the lab opens, the pièce de résistance will be a rotary vacuum — a tool for redistilling liquids, which can infuse drinks with exciting new flavours. During the week, bartenders will be able to come in and use the space and equipment for research and development. "Or, to create ingredients they can take back to their own bars," says Leppan Taylor. However, for those who don't work in the industry and just want a fun, new place to go come Friday night, the public will be able to come to the Cocktail Lab for spirit tastings, cocktail classes and well-made tipples. "The goal is also to broaden the customers' vocabulary a little bit. So when they see something on a menu that has 'centrifuged' it doesn't look intimidating. It'll be something they're excited to try." The team hopes the venue will attract interest from bartenders further afield, too, as the local bar scene evolves. "There's a bit of an underdog mentality in the community," says Leppan Taylor. "Part of the reason we all like to support and help each other is because we have this feeling we're all in it together. We want to show we have the knowledge, expertise and experiences comparable to anywhere else in Australia." Top image: Mitch Bloomfield (left), Orion Leppan Taylor (right) in the new Cocktail Lab space in Wollongong.
Not be outdone by their neighbours, whose own festival du film celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the latest line-up at the Audi Festival of German Films is guaranteed to give the French a run for their money. Presented by the Goethe-Institut in conjunction with Palace Cinemas, the 2014 festival boasts a selection of more than 50 German language films, as well as parties, lectures, special screenings and Q&As. Just a few of the highlights include Marc Rothemund's The Girl with Nine Wigs, about a young woman struggling with a cancer diagnosis; Constanze Knoche's simmering family drama, Visitors, about the strained relationship between a father and his three adult children; and Jan-Ole Gerster's black and white, day-in-the-life dramedy Oh Boy, which scooped up the top prize at the 2013 German Film Awards. This year's program also has something of a historical focus, with 2014 marking an important centennial. As part of the Goethe-Institut's year long commemoration of the millions of lives lost during World War One, artist Justus Neumann will present a lecture on Karl Kraus's satirical play The Last Days of Mankind, followed by a screening of the acclaimed naval drama Odyssey of Heroes. A more joyous milestone is the quarter century that has passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The festival's evening-long celebration will include two documentaries, separated by a live multimedia performance piece by Berlin cabaret band The Beez. For the full Audi Festival of German Films program, see the festival website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xlyt_IRWM30
We've seen some cool ideas for putting solar cells in novel places, and everyone agrees that being able to better harness the sun's energy would go a long way to solving our energy problems. But perhaps it's time we thought a bit bigger than solar-charging furniture... a lot bigger. Like, evil-scientist scheme big. It just so happens that scientists at Japan's Shimizu construction corporation (who aren't evil — probably) have been thinking big for us. They are proposing that we use the moon as a giant solar farm, laying the surface with a ring of photo-voltaic cells to capture some of the 13,000 terawatts of solar energy that hits the moon each day, then beaming it back to earth via laser or microwave. Although LUNA RING sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, the technology required for such a project already exists. What keeps the project from becoming a reality immediately is the, pardon the pun, astronomical cost. Such a massive venture would have an incalculable benefit for the entire world, and would probably require the co-operation and support of the entire world. Given that the world can't organise a football tournament without a few problems, this might be one world-saving project that never gets off the ground. Which would be a great shame. [via geeksaresexy]
A huge celebration of food, music and culture is coming to Liverpool in the form of Eat Your Heart Out — a collaboration between local creatives and Liverpool City Council. The one-day festival will feature a stellar line-up of musicians, artists, artisans and chefs to open the newly revamped Macquarie Mall. The team at FBi Radio has curated a music program that lauds local artists who will showcase their talent on Macquarie Mall's stage. Some of the emerging artists to be showcased are hip-hop crew Soul Benefits, indie-electronic trio Okenyo and Triple J's 2017 Unearthed winner Rebecca Hatch. To complement the energy on stage there will be an altering, sensory light installation presented by Soft Centre and an array of art and design stalls by Sydney-based artisans. There will also be a collection of food trucks forming a mobile food court for the day, with old hands and newbies alike settling in to share their fodder. Miss Mabel's combines seasonal, organic and free-range produce with Asian, Mexican and Deep South cooking styles, while Sakura on Wheelz will offer an extensive, traditional Japanese menu. Fried chicken specialists at Dirty Bird Food Truck will dish up Dirty Wings, Crack Burgers and shoestring fries, and The Donut Dealer will be true to their name and offer an array of extravagant, rotund doughy treats. Along with the festivities at Macquarie Mall, just over the way in Bigge Park, there'll be a host of family-friendly activities: jumping castles, circus skills and a touch-to-play water park to occupy the oldies — um, we mean littlies. Activities at Bigge Park will kick off at noon until 6pm, and the opening act at Macquarie Mall will start at 3pm and go till late.
If you've ever worn a little black dress, then you owe Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel a big thank you. Depending on your choice of suit, bag and perfume, you might owe her some gratitude there as well. The French designer's influence upon 20th-century fashion extends far and wide — and, even though she passed away in 1971, her imprint can be felt in the 21st century as well. So, when the NGV International sends some love her way at its next blockbuster exhibition, it'll have plenty to cover. Displaying at the St Kilda Road gallery from Sunday, December 5, 2021–Monday, April 25, 2022, Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto will arrive fresh from its current stint at Paris' Palais Galliera. Its stop in Melbourne is its first international jaunt, in fact. On show will be pieces from the French venue, as well as from the Patrimoine de Chanel, the fashion house's heritage department. More than 100 garments will grace the NGV's walls and halls, with the exhibition charting her career. You'll also be able to see what Chanel achieved with perfume, jewellery and accessory design, too. Some pieces will date back more than a century, given that the fashion icon opened her first boutique in Deauville in 1912, before making the leap to her own Parisian couture house in 1918. Expect to check out everything from black threads — obviously — to lace gowns, wool jersey and tailored tweed suits, and an array of beaded garments. As you peer at Chanel's designs, you'll see how womenswear developed, and both how and why she's left a mark that still lingers today. [caption id="attachment_819495" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Gabrielle Chanel (designer). Dress, spring–summer 1925, silk guipure lace, silk organza flower. Patrimoine de Chanel, Paris. Photo © Julien T. Hamon.[/caption] The NGV is also adding its own Chanel pieces to the exhibition, such as a white lace Evening dress that dates back to 1933, and a shirred red silk velvet and marabou-lined evening cape from around 1924–26. They'll form part of a showcase that's split into themed sections, with different parts devoted to her early work, the way her design language evolved in the 1920s and 1930s, the iconic scent that is Chanel No 5, and how the brand's pieces have favoured a look best described as "austere luxury". Also getting their own themed strands: suits, accessories and jewellery. To launch Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto, which will be ticketed — and will be the first-ever exhibition in Australia that'll solely focus on Chanel's contributions to fashion and culture — the NGV is bringing back its black-tie NGV Gala, which'll take place on Saturday, December 4. If you decide to wear a little black dress while you're checking out all things Chanel this summer, you'll likely have plenty of company. Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto will display at the NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne from Sunday, December 5, 2021–Monday, April 25, 2022. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the gallery's website. Top image: Anne Sainte-Marie in a Chanel suit, photograph by Henry Clarke, published in Vogue US, 1955, retouched by ARCP. ParisMusées. © Henry Clarke, ParisMusées /PalaisGalliera/ADAGP. Copyright Agency, 2021. Installation Images: Tom Ross and Sean Fennessy
The 2011 Parklife lineup was finally revealed this morning on Triple J. The festival, which reaches Australian shores in September, is headlined by Santigold, Gossip, Lykke Li, the Naked and Famous, Digitalism and the Streets. The lineup is heavy on female and also on dubstep artists with Magnetic Man, Joker & MC Nomad and Flux Pavillion all playing this year. The full lineup for Parklife 2011 is as follows: Gossip Lykke Li Santigold Death From Above 1979 Duck Sauce Katy B The Naked and Famous Crystal Fighters Example Digitalism Adrian Lux The Streets Simian Mobile Disco Magnetic Man Nero SebastiAn Diplo Mstrkrft Sebastien Tellier Little Dragon Gold Fields Mylo Wolfgang Carter Joker & MC Nomad Feed Me Tensnake Kimbra The Aston Shuffle Flux Pavillion Yacht Club DJs Harvard Bass Tickets go on sale 12pm Thursday June 30. For pre-sale click here. The various festival dates: Melbourne on Saturday, September 25 Perth on Sunday, September 26 Brisbane - Saturday, October 1 Sydney - Sunday, October 2 Adelaide - Monday, October 3 https://youtube.com/watch?v=i8QxOEFzAXo
UPDATE, August 20, 2021: Promising Young Woman is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Promising Young Woman would've made an excellent episode or season of Veronica Mars. That's meant as the highest compliment to both the bubblegum-hued take on the rape-revenge genre and the cult-status private detective series. Make a few casting swaps, and it's apparent how the latter would tackle this tale. Actually, as Veronica Mars fans know, the beloved TV show repeatedly examined the way women are treated in a patriarchal society, and the privilege afforded the wealthy, white and male at the expense of everyone else. It also explored rapes on college campuses in its third season, spanning the impact upon victims, the aftermath and the culture that's allowed such attacks to proliferate. Promising Young Woman writer/director Emerald Fennell clearly isn't blind to these parallels, even casting Veronica Mars stars Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Chris Lowell (GLOW) in her feature debut. Don't go thinking the Killing Eve season two showrunner and The Crown actor is simply following in other footsteps, though. At every moment — and as channelled through Carey Mulligan's fierce lead performance — the brilliant and blistering Promising Young Woman vibrates with too much anger, energy and insight to merely be a copycat of something else. When Mulligan's character, Cassie Thomas, is introduced, she's inebriated and alone at a nightclub, her clothing riding up as she slouches in her seat. Three men discuss women over beverages by the bar, complaining that they can't hold meetings at strip joints due to the objections of a female colleague. They notice Cassie while chatting, with one commenting, "they put themselves in danger, girls like that". Voicing worries she could be taken advantage of by guys who aren't as nice as him, Jerry (The OC's Adam Brody) checks she's okay. A shared Uber ride follows, as does the offer of a drink at his place and, despite Cassie's out-of-it state and his supposed chivalry, Jerry's sexual advances. But when Cassie snaps her eyes open wide, asks what he's doing in a firm voice and reveals she isn't actually drunk, the night takes a turn — something Jerry didn't anticipate, just as he didn't ever entertain he was that kind of man, but one familiar to the medical school dropout-turned-coffee shop employee he's trying to bed. Colour-coded names and tallies scrawled in a notebook illustrate this isn't a first for Cassie; it's her weekend routine. Fennell's script drip-feeds details about its protagonist's motivations for her ritualistic actions, the reason for ditching her studies seven years prior and why she spends her weeknights staring at photos of her childhood best friend; however, the specifics aren't hard to guess. Since moving back in with her parents (The Mortuary Collection's Clancy Brown and Like a Boss' Jennifer Coolidge), Cassie has taught lessons to opportunistic men hiding behind faux gallant facades — the type of guys who'll tell a woman they don't need so much makeup, then try to ply them with liquor when they're already sauced and take off their clothes while they're passed out, as Neil (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bad Neighbours 2) does. But then ex-classmate Ryan (Bo Burnham, The Big Sick) walks into Cassie's workplace. She spits in his coffee and sparks still fly, but it's the news that someone from their past has returned to town that changes her vigilante quest. In its much-talked-about trailer and in the film itself, Promising Young Woman makes stellar use of Italian quartet Archimia's orchestral version of Britney Spears' 'Toxic'. It arrives late in the movie, but anyone who saw the promotional clip knows it's coming — and that forewarning doesn't undercut its power, or how expertly it encapsulates the entire feature. Fennell wants viewers to fill in the pop song's words themselves, rolling around lyrics such as "a guy like you should wear a warning" and "poison paradise" in their heads. She wants everyone pondering toxic masculinity, and how heat-of-the-moment passion is often used to nullify consent concerns, too. Often dressed on her nights out like she could've stepped out of a music video, Cassie is on a self-given mission of vengeance against sexual violence, so Promising Young Woman deploys every method possible to reinforce that idea. Another 00s track, Paris Hilton's 'Stars Are Blind', accompanies a romantic sing-along that segues into an affectionate montage of Cassie and Ryan's dating honeymoon — and using a song by an objectified celebrity whose sex life has been so frequently dissected and shamed that no one now bats an eyelid obviously isn't accidental either. Fennell's savvy, provocative and downright fearless choices just keep coming. Indeed, there's a relentlessness to Promising Young Woman overall that mirrors the persistence of grief and pain after trauma — and that remains the case even when the film makes big tonal swings, which always reflect the highs and lows of Cassie's emotional rollercoaster ride. Through cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (Monsoon, Beats), the movie weaponises its pastel, peppy and popping Instagram-friendly imagery, crafting a vicious flick about a dark subject that's gorgeous to look at. It fills its frames with vibrant surface sheen, as sighted at bars and in Cassie's outfits, then peels back their allure, making its audience constantly grapple with the contrast. Promising Young Woman never lets its protagonist's rage subside either, including in a bold finale that's one of its very best touches. It's furious from start to finish, Cassie is always inflamed, and sharing that feeling even in the film's most overt setups and obvious scenes (which are also some of its most entertaining) is a foregone conclusion. And, of course, Fennell has also made the smart decision to cast Mulligan, and to draw upon her near-peerless ability to express complex internalised turmoil. It's one of the reasons that she's such a standout in everything from An Education and Drive to Shame and Wildlife, and it's once again on display in this sharp, strong and formidable portrayal. No woman brings sexual assault upon themselves, with this whole intelligent and astute revenge-thriller rebuffing the bro-ish bar guy's early observation in every way possible, and meting out punishment to those who think similarly. But Mulligan's performance as Cassie hammers home the dangers of that wrong notion in a manner that ensures Promising Young Woman is than just a female empowerment fantasy. She scorches, sears and resounds with such burning truth, and so does the feature she's in as a result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdaJcoKk0s
While New South Wales started easing out of lockdown a few months back, life definitely hasn't returned to pre-COVID-19 normality. Slowly, however, more and more restrictions are continuing to relax — including, as just announced today, Tuesday, October 13, current caps on outdoor venues and events. As revealed by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, from Friday, October 16, restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs will be able to adopt the one-person-per-two-square-metre rule outside, but only if the business has an electronic QR code to track patrons. Indoor areas and venues will remain at the present level, which is one person per four square metres. In terms of events, outdoor music performances will be able to have up to 500 people in attendance, all seated, in a boost for live gigs. These concerts will still need to adhere to the one-person-per-four-square-metre rule — and each event will need to have an organiser, and a COVID-safe plan in place. That 500-person limit includes both the audience and the performers. [caption id="attachment_762529" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] Commenting on the changes, NSW Minister for Health and Medical Research Brad Hazzard advised that the plan is to "bring back life to New South Wales" — and that more restrictions will be eased in the future. He noted, though, that any additional steps "must be done in a COVID-safe way". The news comes just a couple of weeks after NSW also changed patron caps at indoor arts venues, such as theatres, cinemas and concert venues, up to 50-percent capacity to a maximum of 1000 tickets. And, prior to that, the state announced that its major stadiums could also host 50-percent capacity crowds, but only for major outdoor events, a move that came into effect on October 2 to coincide with the NRL finals season. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Trent van der Jagt.
Multiple media collide in SCREAM, the latest high-octane offering from European hyper-creative collective Chicks on Speed. Fresh from their residency at ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany, for this exhibition the Chicks have hatched an interactive app that lets spectators participate in the artwork. A combo of live performance and technological mayhem, SCREAM centres on a huge sculpture that plays canvas to the iPad-controlled whims of the viewer, who can pick and mix the audiovisual elements that are projected into the space. The work is a logical progression from the Chicks' Objekt Instruments, which landed here during Mardi Gras. Colliding art, fashion and music, you can see them firsthand at the Red Rattler on March 8. SCREAM is part of Art Month 2013. Check out our guide to the festival's ten best events here.
These days we have access to unprecedented amounts of information in a multitude of mediums. Gone are the days when organisations could just rely on a good story or startling statistics to get their message across. In our increasingly visual culture, a story just ain't a story and information just isn't newsworthy unless it's accompanied by some darn good imagery. The 2020 VISION project takes all of this into account. The multi-media conservation project, the most ambitious of its kind to date, has gotten together 20 of the UK's best professional wildlife photographers and assigned them an area of conservation to document using visual media. The photographers have been assigned areas all over the isles — sustainable fishing on the border between England and Scotland, restoring the wetlands at Somerset Levels and even an attempt to 'rewild' the River Thames. The work of these photographs will be assembled into a outdoor audio-visual multi roadshow at the end of this year. The project hopes to capture the visual imagination of the British public, making an emotional rather than a scientific argument for conservation, and to get the message across that the health of the natural environment has a significant impact on the health of the individual. Information worth remembering.
Netflix's algorithm has clearly figured out one of the most obvious facts about humankind: we all really love dogs. That was obviously the idea behind the streaming platform's 2018 canine-centric documentary series — and the show sent viewers so barking mad that it's coming back for another season. Called Dogs, the thoroughly feel-good series follows different puppers in different places around the world, as well as the two-legged folks who care for, groom, dress and even fish with them. Of course, the adorable balls of fluff are the real drawcards. The six-episode first season dedicated its frames to canines in Syria, Japan, Costa Rica, Italy and the US, each with their own stories to tell. One episode explores life in a dog sanctuary in the Costa Rican rainforest, and another relays the tale of a Siberian Husky trapped in Syria after his owner was able to flee to German. Yet another jumps into Japan's love of cute pooches — dog strollers are a common sight on the streets of Tokyo, after all. In a statement provided to Variety about the show's renewal, executive producers Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil) and Glen Zipper (The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man) championed Dogs' human impact — especially "the ability to explore some of the most important human stories through relationships with our best friends". They continued: "it's been amazing to see how much these episodes have touched audiences and critics across the globe. Most importantly, our fans have become part of our extended family and we are honoured to bring them a fresh set of stories that will allow us to connect with them yet again." Check out the first season trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pLCmLgjiJ8 If you can't get enough when it comes to cute canines, you won't be complaining about the show's impending return — although when it'll drop, and how many episodes the second season will span, hasn't yet been revealed. And if you have your own pooch who deserves some Netflix attention, the series is also on the lookout for canine talent. Just hit up the show via Twitter or Instagram. Australia and New Zealand didn't feature the first time around, after all. Dogs' first season is now available on Netflix. Via Variety. Images: Netflix.
Death is everywhere in The Book Thief: sometimes shown, usually implied and — every so often — speaking as its narrator. There is death in the film's opening scene, and there is death again at its end, yet early denunciations have labelled it 'Holocaust lite' or 'Holocaust kitsch', with one critic going so far as to call it "a preposterously sanitised portrait of hardship and war". If these criticisms (of which there have been many) were to be distilled into one pure, refined quibble, it would be that The Book Thief is simply too nice for a story that, at least in part, touches upon the Holocaust. Is it Schindler's List? No, but let's be clear: it's not even remotely trying to be. Directed by Brian Percival (Downton Abbey), this is a PG film, based on a young adult novel and told from the perspective of a 13-year-old German girl. Neither the bestselling book by Markus Zusak nor the film adaptation ever set out to tell the same old conventionally harrowing and affecting war narrative, because — presumably — that story has already been told so many times before. Instead, it presents the moving, imaginative and even charming tale of a child's profound love of literature and its ability to transport, enlighten, incriminate, incite and inspire its reader. That child is Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse), who's put up for adoption after her communist mother is forced to flee the Nazi purge. Liesel's brother dies en route to their new home with the elderly Hubermanns (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson), and from the outset it's clear she has an ally in the playful Hans and a challenge in his irascible wife Rosa. She also quickly befriends her snowy-haired neighbour and champion runner Rudy (Nico Liersch), whose idolisation of African-American sprinter Jesse Owens places him at odds with local the Nazi Party officials. Most importantly, though, Liesel begins to learn how to read, and together with Hans she quickly discovers the infinite joys and rewards to be found in books. Her first is picked up on the day of her brother's funeral, the next, rescued from the ashes of a book burning event. Each book tells a story, yet also has a story of its own, and none more so than the copy of Mein Kampf possessed by Max (Ben Schnetzer), a Jewish man kept safe and hidden by the Hubermanns. Which brings us again to the accusation of 'Holocaust kitsch'. Max's torment is prolonged and palpable, drifting close to death on multiple occasions through exhaustion, malnourishment, exposure and the unremitting threat of discovery. Worst of all, he spends — quite literally — years living in the Hubermanns' basement without even a single opportunity to breathe fresh air or once see the sky. Had The Book Thief been told from his perspective, it would have been every bit the despairing and wretched tale so many apparently seek, yet it would not have been the tale told to Zusak by his grandparents and which he, in turn, wished to tell the world. If many of these critics are to be believed, the only way you're permitted to tell a Holocaust story is through bleak imagery, solemn dialogue and a complete lack of tenderness. The Book Thief, much like 1997's Life Is Beautiful, offers a different perspective. Through the extraordinarily talented Nelisse, we see a scared, confused and compassionate girl attempting to make sense of the senseless. The horrors befalling so many around her aren't explicitly shown, but our knowledge of them, matched with the meticulously recreated settings, contributes to a beautiful and largely original tale of one family's bravery, decency and humanity. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hEnLF-pCybw
We know exactly what we are talking about when it comes to Ronny Chieng; he’s brilliant, and we’re not the only ones who think so. He won best show at last year’s Sydney Comedy Festival, the Director’s Award at the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and supported Dave Chappelle, one of the biggest names in the business, on his tour of Australia. He’s even been nominated for Cleo Bachelor of the Year. So do yourself a favour and buy a ticket to find out why he deserves every one of these accolades. Ronny Chieng performs May 8 and 15. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
The Film Festival has always been an important part of Mardi Gras, providing a platform for films that might otherwise fly under the radar. This year is no different, and the festival will show off Marta Cunningham’s directorial debut, Valentine Road, about the tragic murder of gay 15-yea- old Larry King, and Free Fall, the story of two German cops who take the term ‘partners’ to a whole new level. Also included are celebratory screenings of Australian classics The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel’s Wedding. Want more Mardi Gras events? Check out our top ten picks of the festival.
We all like to feel like a rockstar every once in a while. It's why we suit up to head to the theatre, to that new restaurant, or for a night out with your favourites. But true rockstars also live the lifestyle at home, not just in the VIP room of a nightclub. With help from our partner Moët & Chandon, we've come up with seven creative ways to lift your hosting game at your next dinner party or take your chilled out night on the couch to absolute baller status. Just think of us as your personal assistant, which is very Mick Jagger of you. [caption id="attachment_657569" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jadt[/caption] ORDER IN, BUT MAKE IT GOURMET A low-key night at home bingeing the latest season of Peaky Blinders or Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (no judgement here) doesn't have to mean a microwaved dinner and a $7 bottle of wine. When you're living it up, the world is your oyster — or your perfectly cut rectangle of raw tuna. Order a sushi or sashimi platter, edamame and all, from your favourite Japanese joint (check out our picks of the best ones in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne), and instead of pairing it with a beer, pop open a bottle of Moët & Chandon Rosé Champagne. The minerality and acidity of the wine pairs well with the freshness of the fish. To make the night extra special, hook up one of those little projectors to your laptop and, voila, you have your own in-house cinema. [caption id="attachment_758794" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daria Shevtsova[/caption] DIY YOUR NEXT BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH Bottomless brunches are all the rage right now. It seems like every bar or cafe offers a similar deal, but instead of arranging to meet your mates in the city we're betting you can do it one better at home. Invite your crew around for a feast with stacks of fluffy pancakes, bowls of fresh fruit, sticky maple syrup and bottles of rosé champagne. Keep the pancakes warm and fresh by covering them with a clean tea towel and popping them in a 90-degree oven until you're ready to eat. Keep the bubbles on ice and don't forget the strawberries for your pancakes. [embed]https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX1tyCD9QhIWF[/embed] GET SOME SWAG TUNES GOING Whether you're having people round for brekkie, lunch, dinner or wine and cheese, it's crucial to pick the right tracks to create the right mood. Put together your own list of tunes, or have a scroll through Spotify. There really is something for every occasion — like this selection of bossa nova covers for your next dinner soiree, or these summer jazz jams ideal for when you're sipping bubbles on your balcony on a warm afternoon. For something a little louder, there's a poolside party mix, all of rock's biggest legends in one playlist, and these bangers (above) that'll make you feel like a boss. Don't be shy with the soundsystem and crank up the music. [caption id="attachment_758750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erik Dungan[/caption] TAKE YOUR CHARCUTERIE PLATTER TO THE NEXT LEVEL The high life is about having the best of the best, so head to your local deli for some proper charcuterie — try La Parisienne Pates in Melbourne, Omeio Artisanal Deli in Sydney and Brisbane's Rosalie Gourmet Market. Moët & Chandon Rosé Champagne pairs remarkably well with cheese and red meat, as it's made by mixing pinot noir and meunier grapes the flavour combinations work with mortadella, jamon and prosciutto, as much as they would with strawberries, olives and a fragrant goat's cheese. [caption id="attachment_758779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rene Asmussen[/caption] HIRE A PRIVATE CHEF Save yourself from a cooking disaster and hire a professional to get the job done. Do you think Post Malone, Lizzo or the guys from Metallica do their own cooking when hosting a dinner party? Definitely not. There are plenty of services around Australia that will help you find a personal chef for your occasion, and the prices often match what you'd spend on a meal at restaurant — except this time there's no reason to rush you through your courses. Plus, you have the benefit of looking like a rockstar to all your guests. Check out At Your Table or Take A Chef, who operate around the country, or Intertain, which is available in Sydney and Melbourne only. [caption id="attachment_734878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mud Australia[/caption] GO OTT WITH YOUR TABLE SETTING It's not enough to hire a private chef and pick the perfect playlist if you're going to serve food on a mismatched selection of op-shop plates. Start with a dark linen tablecloth, cloth napkins and personalised place cards, so your guests feel like rockstars too. Make sure you have matching crockery — you can get some gorgeous sets to suit all budgets from places like Kmart and Ikea, but when you want to invest in quality tableware we suggest shopping at Made In Japan or Mud Australia. Finish it off with candles, metallic cutlery, fresh-cut blooms and, if you're dining al fresco, Moët & Chandon rosé goblets. [caption id="attachment_758791" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bruce Mars[/caption] TURN LEFTOVERS INTO A MIDNIGHT SNACK FIT FOR A KING Nothing makes you feel like a grub quite like snacking straight from the fridge in the middle of the night. It's time to give midnight snacking the respect it deserves. It doesn't have to be a three-course meal, but you can easily revamp your leftovers by reheating them in the oven (never the microwave), throwing together an omelette, casserole or salad — or just sticking with cold pizza. Whatever you come up with, do yourself a favour — set the table, pop on some tunes, use a plate and pour yourself a glass of rosé champagne (if you didn't already polish off the bottle). Moët & Chandon's Rosé Impérial is a fruity and elegant champagne with gooseberry, raspberry and wild strawberry notes. Find out more here.
Sunny summer days and the new year are (unfortunately) still a fair while away, but you don't need the clichéd calendar date to set some new goals. In fact, if the global pandemic has thrown a bit of a spanner in your routine, now may be just time to get back into gear. As they say, there's no time like the present — there you go, another cliché to follow instead. But rather than focusing on a singular aspect like diet or exercise, why not look at your health holistically? Yep, we're talking 'healthy living' and, no, it's not just for Byron Bay dwellers and yoga lovers (not that we're jealous or anything). Simply put, it's about balance — from what you eat right down to getting enough sleep. To help you kick-start — or restart — your health resolutions, we've teamed up with the folks at nutritious ready-made meal delivery service Macros to bring you six simple lifestyle changes. Because we all know healthy habits don't happen overnight. SIGN UP TO A SUBSCRIPTION-STYLE MEAL DELIVERY SERVICE First things first: food. No one's saying all those takeaway dishes and baked treats over lockdown weren't delicious, but, by now, you may be craving something more nourishing. Food is what fuels us, so changing your diet is one of the biggest hacks to the so-called healthy life. It may be obvious, but there's a reason it can be tricky. Not all of us have MasterChef-like skills and meal prepping takes time. Not to mention how pricey clean eating can be if you don't know where to begin. One way to cut out the guesswork and set yourself up with a fridge full of dietitian-designed and super-tasty dishes is by signing up to a meal delivery service. Macros, for example, ensures every meal is prepared by chefs and delivered fresh, not frozen, so you can simply pop it in the microwave when you're ready to eat. Think the likes of massaman beef curry, cottage pie, spaghetti bolognese and herb-crusted salmon, ready in a matter of minutes. Macros has seven different plans to cater to your goals, too. If you don't live at the gym, then Macros' 'Weight Loss' plan, with low-carb meals that have less than 350 calories (if you're counting), is a solid option. Otherwise, the 'Balanced' plan is great for those looking to switch to a cleaner diet, without shedding kilos. You can also tailor your plan to suit your dietary needs, be it plant-based, dairy-free, low-carb or paleo. And, to top it off, it's a pretty affordable option, with meals starting from $8.70. Right now, you can also nab $50 off your first order, too — just sign up here. GIVE MINDFULNESS A GO If you consider mindfulness a bogus pastime, think again. From simply soaking in the tub to daily meditation, taking time to clear your head and reduce stress is a solid base for a healthier lifestyle. Think of it like this: if food is your body's fuel, then mindfulness is your mind's tonic. And, to really achieve a healthy lifestyle, you need both, on top of physical exercise, of course. Plus, amid COVID-19, we're increasingly realising what it means to keep calm during a crisis. So, where to start? Mindfulness and meditation apps are both beginner-friendly and convenient — and these days there are plenty to pick from. Headspace is one of the better-known ones and for good reason; it makes mediation accessible, even if you're a bit of a novice. Or, you can be guided by neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris with his app Waking Up. If getting enough shut-eye is an issue, try Calm, which includes meditation sessions, audio snippets of Bob Ross's The Joy of Painting and stories narrated by none other than Matthew McConaughey. Practices such as tai chi and yoga can help improve mental clarity, too, by combining meditation with movement — so, if you find sitting still hard, maybe give these a try. You can even add adorable animals into the equation and get bendy with baby goats, or your pooch as you downward dog in your living room, both of which are a surefire way to get a quick serotonin hit. GET PICKLING Feel bloated or sluggish? It could be your gut telling you something — literally. While everyone's body is different, fermented foods can be great for most people's gut health and keeping everything regular. The age-old preserving technique naturally ferments food, creating healthy probiotics that help strengthen your gut microbiome. It's a good way of extending food's shelf life, too. Instead of raiding the health food store and splashing some serious cash, you can make your own with everyday fridge and pantry items. Beets, beans, cucumbers, onion, fennel, cabbage, zucchini, carrots... you get the idea. Most pickling involves vinegar (white or apple cider), salt, a bit of sugar, spices and the veg of your choosing. Alternatively, get yourself a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) and some black tea and try making your own kombucha. If you'd rather learn from the pickling pros, Sydney-based cafe and picklery Cornersmith runs a bunch of hands-on and, at the moment, live Zoom classes, where you can pick up tips on how to ferment, pickle and preserve pretty much anything. HAVE FUN WITH YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE No one said exercise had to be boring. You may have your go-to activity, but, sometimes, getting out of the bed in the morning or hitting up the gym after work can be a struggle. We get it, life gets in the way. However, to avoid fitness fatigue, why not inject some fun into your routine? Feel like a big kid again and bounce non-stop at an indoor trampoline park, or scale to new heights at a rock climbing gym. For the latter, you'll need a partner in crime, so you can socialise while you sweat, otherwise, for a more solitary climb, try bouldering. Martial arts is another great way to train, from karate to jiu-jitsu, taekwondo and krav maga, all of which have become increasingly popular over recent years. Keen to improve your rhythm? Dancing is a great way to get your heart pumping, as well as tone muscle, whether it's ballet, salsa, ballroom or hip-hop dancing. You can even get your groove on in your living room with 80s-style aerobics by way of Retrosweat or Aerobics Oz Style. And, if you're lucky enough to live near the ocean, stand-up paddle boarding is great for your core, or you could give surfing lessons a crack. Basically, there's no end to the fun you can have while also training and conditioning your body. GET OUTDOORS AND HIT THE TRAILS It's hard to beat a vigorous bushwalk or long-distance run along the coastline, with the sun shining, the wind in your hair and stunning surrounds to distract from your own panting. Plus, it leaves you feeling pretty rejuvenated. While, yes, the physical exercise plays a massive part, being outdoors is undeniably good for the soul. And, after spending more time indoors this year, many of us have a new appreciation for being surrounded by nature. So, next time you're thinking of jumping on the treadmill, why not run in your local park? Or, if you can, take a hike in a national park, do laps in an ocean pool, kayak down a river or head out on a scenic bike ride. If you're after something a bit more restorative, forest bathing or shinrin-yoku (nature therapy) is another way to get a dose of vitamin D, just with less cardio. You simply spend time in nature, whether it's taking a stroll in any natural environment or finding a lush and peaceful spot in which to meditate. The physiological and psychological activity has benefits such as improving your immune and nervous systems, reducing blood pressure and heart rate, and improving mental health, energy levels and sleep patterns. Combining mindfulness with nature, the Japanese practice is the perfect antidote to our tech-filled and often sedentary lifestyles. TREAT YOURSELF While pampering may seem a tad extra, giving your body a little TLC is also called self care. So, treat your body like the temple it is and give it a rest every now and again. From beauty therapies to relaxing remedies, there are plenty of ways you can look after your body — outside and in. Feeling a bit lacklustre? Mani-pedis, haircuts and facials are sure to give you a boost. Then there are massages, of course, with benefits including reduced blood pressure, easing migraines and headaches, aiding pain relief and stiffness, and lowering stress levels. But, different styles address different issues, so it's important to listen to your body. Swedish and aromatherapy massages, for example, are great if you're stressed out; whereas lymphatic ones help rid your body of toxins by draining your lymphs. If you've been upping your exercise or have muscular pain, then consider deep tissue, sports, reflexology or Thai-style massages, which will help alleviate aches, increase flexibility and reduce recovery time. A healthy lifestyle starts with the food that fuels you. To help make that part easy and fuss-free, Macros delivers nutrition-packed meals straight to your door. And, if you need to, you can also pause or skip a week of your subscription at no extra cost. Better yet, Macros is currently offering $50 off your first four deliveries. So, start your health kick ASAP and sign up here.
Celebrities use Twitter to rave about who they're sitting next to at the Oscars, teens use Twitter to 'follow' the celebrities, and the remaining account-holders use Twitter to let everyone else know exactly what they're doing at any given moment of the day. However this January and February Twitter became much more than a social network to let your friends know what you had for breakfast — just ask the thousands of young activists in Egypt whose tweets resulted in an unprecedented method of recording history as it happened right before their eyes. Tweets from Tahrir documents each day of the violent revolution in Egypt that ended hundreds of lives, focusing on the uprisings in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The twist: every word and picture of the book is taken from tweets posted by Egyptians either in the heat of conflict or prior to staging a revolution, capturing instant reactions to the demonstrations like no other form of journalism has been able to. Quite the change from updates about Lady Gaga's outfit. Activists Alex Nunns and Nadia Idle edited the 160 pages full of uncensored fear, distress and eventually the excitement of victory, and have organized the 140-character tweets into chronological order, allowing readers to fully grasp the ups and downs of the historic events as they happened. This groundbreaking compilation of 'citizen journalism' will be published on April 21, and readers will be able to experience the drama and ecstasy of the story as it unfolded.
If December approaches and a new festive film isn't hitting cinemas, is it really Christmas? In 2020, as in pretty much every year before it, we won't find out the answer to that question. Heading to the big screen just in time for the merriest portion of this year's calendar is rom-com Happiest Season — the newest addition to the hefty lineup of holiday-themed movies competing for your eyeballs whenever the tinsel, trees and twinkling lights come out. Following in the footsteps of 2019's Last Christmas, 2018's The Grinch, 2017's A Bad Moms Christmas and 2016's Bad Santa 2 and Office Christmas Party — just to name a few recent festive flicks — Happiest Season plunges viewers into one couple's seasonal experience when they decide to meet the parents over the holidays. Abby (Kristen Stewart) heads home with Harper (Mackenzie Davis, Irresistible) to meet the latter's mother (Mary Steenburgen, The Book Club), father (Victor Garber, Dark Waters) and other relatives. The catch: Harper's folks don't know that she's gay, or about her relationship with Abby. Also, Abby was actually planning to propose at Christmas dinner. While Happiest Season is heading to streaming in the US, it'll hit cinemas in Down Under on Thursday, November 26. That's when audiences are in for some heartfelt and amusing holiday antics as Harper and Abby try to navigate their tricky situation — if the film's just-dropped trailer is any indication, that is. Happiest Season's star-studded cast also includes GLOW's Alison Brie, Parks and Recreation's Aubrey Plaza, Schitt's Creek's Dan Levy and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Burl Moseley. It's directed and co-written by a familiar face, too: actor-turned-filmmaker Clea DuVall, who has appeared on-screen in everything from The Faculty and Girl, Interrupted to Veep and The Handmaid's Tale. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_jjELPpKkk&feature=youtu.be Happiest Season opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, November 26.
Hop on your bike and cycle down to Centennial Park to enjoy the inaugural East Side Ride on Sunday, April 21. This free community event is hoping to promote green living through an array of entertaining activities and workshops that range from edible gardens to bike polo displays, which you can enjoy whilst eating something from one of Sydney's eclectic food trucks. All this will take place amidst the backdrop of live jazz, reggae and soul from the delicious Directions in Groove, Kingtide and Lily Dior. There really will be something for everyone. The event, organised by EastsideFM and made possible by a $10,000 Environmental Grant from the City of Sydney, is hoping to promote green living inititatives, and Lord Mayor Clover Moore hopes that this begins with everyone cycling to East Side Ride to educate people "about how cycling can help tackle traffic congestion and keep you healthy". So trade those four wheels for two and ride on down for a feast of food, fun and entertainment. Main image by NealeA.
The wildest and most remote places in New South Wales are now in the palm of your hand. On Tuesday, August 28, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service announced the launch of its new, free mobile app, which provides guides to more than 225 national parks. It includes maps, things to do and places to stay in and around all of the national parks. And most information is downloadable, so, if you're heading beyond reception, you'll be able to save all the details you need to your mobile. Say goodbye to paper maps. But do remember that your device's battery might not last the distance of the multi-day hike you're planning. Whatever outdoorsy escapade you're hoping to conquer, you'll find it: from picnic areas and swimming spots to walks and cycle paths to places of cultural and historical significance. Covered, too, are the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's numerous accommodation options, including campgrounds, 19th century cottages and lighthouses. Last, but not least, is a bunch of less fun but nonetheless necessary information, such as the whereabouts of toilet blocks and sources of drinking water. Whenever you find an adventure, sleepover or toilet block that appeals to you, save it among your favourites, for easy access at a later date. The app, available now, is free to download to iOS (via the App Store) and Android devices (via Google Play). Ready to get going? Use the geolocation services help you to find a national park nearby. Images: D Parsons
In 2013, three women escaped from a home in Cleveland, Ohio, then shocked the world by revealing they'd been kidnapped and kept prisoner by one man for over a decade. It's hard not think that their harrowing tale may have played a part in the conception of writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's latest thriller, Split, which begins in a very similar fashion. Three young girls, all in their teens, are drugged and abducted in broad daylight outside of a shopping mall, only to wake up imprisoned in a bunker with no idea where they are, who took them, or why. That is, until they meet Dennis. Played by James McAvoy, Dennis is a cold, meticulous and physically brutal force. He's nothing like Patricia, the matronly British lady (also played by James McAvoy), who assures the girls they'll not be touched or harmed in any way. Then there's Hedwig (played by...James McAvoy) who's just a small boy who loves to dance to Kanye, and Barry (James McAvoy) a fashion designer constantly reassuring his shrink that everything's under control and…well…you get the idea. Rest assured though, this isn't some sort of Eddie Murphy costume romp where he's playing every character. Rather, McAvoy plays a collective of 23 distinct personalities competing for 'the light' within the body of one man named Kevin. Within this extraordinary case of DID (dissociative identity disorder), some personalities want the girls freed, whilst others appear to be preparing them for the arrival of the yet unseen 24th identity which they refer to only as 'the beast'. The burden of carrying the film, unsurprisingly, sits almost exclusively with McAvoy, whose performance more than rises to the challenge. Shyamalan actually filmed each of Kevin's identities as though they were portrayed by a different actor and the technique absolutely pays off. Each one feels different, and you soon think of them accordingly. Some you fear, others you warm to and none feel at all like the man playing them. The other performance of note comes from Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch). Introduced as a loner from the opening scene, Casey resists the others' suggestions of attempting an escape in favour of befriending the more approachable identities within Kevin, sparking additional conflict within an environment already dripping with tension. Taylor-Joy's a terrific actress with a long future ahead of her, and it's her scenes with McAvoy where Split is at its best. Filmed almost entirely in extreme closeups – a device that leaves audiences wondering what unseen menace might be lurking just off screen – McAvoy's unpredictability keeps the levels of menace high, while Taylor-Joy's enormous, soulful eyes speak volumes when words aren't (or can't) be spoken. Ever since The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan has been plagued by the expectation that his films will feature an unpredictable twist, a promise on which he's been mostly unable to deliver. Depending on your perspective, the finale of Split either sheds itself of that expectation entirely or doubles down and hits you with something even larger. Maybe it's both. Either way, the end result is almost certainly Shyamalan's best film since his breakout; a welcome return to form and an exciting precursor to whatever comes next. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84TouqfIsiI
Hosting your own craft beer-tasting event is a great way to discover the breadth and variety of the good stuff in a fun and highly convivial situation. Plus, you'll appreciate your casual Friday tipple more than ever. If you're a fan of the James Squire craft beer range, chances are you enjoy talking the ears off of your buds about your favourite type and why you think they should try them. Alternatively, you may be a devotee of one or two beers in the range and are now ready to explore a little further, with a mate or two coming along to keep you company on your journey. Either way, we've got all your home-hosted beer tasting ingredients right here. Friends Don't look at us like that. Obviously you're going to invite buds, this is a beer tasting. Four or five would be a good number for a tasting, this ain't a keg party. Food You don’t have to serve up a Michelin-starred degustation menu, but snacks provide the dual purpose of keeping alcohol levels lower and cleansing the palate between tastings. Make sure you don't choose food that could overshadow the taste of the beer. Having water on hand is also a good idea. Beer You could say this is somewhat a crucial element. You could go full throttle and sample the full range of nine James Squire craft beers and two James Squire Orchard Crush ciders or maybe you'd prefer to taste just a handful. Depending on which approach you choose, you could consider buying some of the beers (One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale, Nine Tales Amber Ale and The Chancer Golden Ale) in 568mL Friendship Pint format rather than six packs of the standard 345mL bottles. To keep costs down, you could suggest that each guest/participant/contestant/buddy ol' pal supplies one of the beers. Glasses The aim of the night is to taste rather than scull, meaning proper beer tasting glasses would be ideal. However, if you don't have any of these to hand (and since you don't live in James Squire Brewbar, that’s hardly surprising) any glass will do. You'll earn bonus craft beer cred points for having the 'right glass' for each style of beer (have a look over JS's Guide to Glassware Etiquette), but it's not the end of the world if you don't. Pour about three fingers worth into each glass, allowing the aroma to fill the rest of the space. Remember, the night is about tasting the beer, not simply drinking it and gettin' crunk. Materials You’ll need to provide pencils or pens, along with paper or notecards. If you’re a particularly efficient and overly-excited host, you could create a print a simple tasting score sheet with spaces for notes on appearance, aroma, flavour, mouth feel, overall impression and final total score. Guidelines Each beer should be judged in the same way, as follows: - On pouring, immediately sniff the beer to detect initial aromas. Write these down in the 'Aroma' section of the score sheet – e.g., 'nutty malt' or 'citrusy hops'. - Note the beer's appearance, particularly its colour (golden, copper, etc.), clarity (cloudy, clear, etc.) and head characteristic. - Taste the beer by taking a sip and keeping it in the mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Note both the immediate finish and aftertaste, the malts and hops and the balance. - Assess the mouth feel — this includes body, carbonation level and alcoholic warmth. - Write down your overall impression and give a final score for each beer. For more detailed judging information, head over here. Now there's nothing left to do except begin the tasting — and enjoy. Image credits: *vlad* via photopin cc, oskay via photopin cc, nahlinse via photopin cc, Fixed in Silver via photopin cc.
As far as crowd-pleasing music goes, it's hard to top a Fleetwood Mac playlist. Formed in the late 60s, the British American rock band cemented itself in musical history with now-classic tunes like 'Little Lies', 'The Chain', 'Dreams' and more. Sadly, the band members themselves have hung up their guitars, but that doesn't mean we can't continue to enjoy their hits live. Thanks is due to Concerts By Candlelight, the event series you've no doubt heard about on social media. The concert group is rolling out the 2025 event program and the first item on the agenda is The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight. With a live band and a cast of West End singers performing all the hits (and selling out shows in the UK), the tour is hitting Australia and New Zealand throughout February and March. After a series of shows across the ditch, The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight will kick off an Australia-wide tour. First up is QLD, with the concert hitting the Gold Coast and The Star Theatre on Friday, February 28. Then, on Friday, March 7, it's Sydney's turn at Darling Harbour Theatre — followed by a stop at Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday, March 11. Later that week, it crosses the country to PCEC Perth for a show on Friday, March 14, before finishing at Her Majesty's Theatre for an Adelaide performance on Friday, March 28. The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight will tour across cities in Australia and New Zealand from Friday, February 14 to Friday, March 28. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website.
In 2006’s Night at the Museum, the exhibits and dioramas of New York City's Museum of Natural History sprang to life, surprising freshly hired evening security guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller). In 2009’s Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Larry returned to save enlivened treasures being shipped off to storage in Washington, D.C., stumbling upon a power battle between magically resurrected pharaohs in the process. The films, mixing an everyman protagonist with an exaggerated situation, established an easy formula of heroics and humour, history and fantasy, and quests and chaos, as suitable for all ages. Now, once more adhering to the blueprint but transporting the action to London, the trilogy crawls towards its conclusion with Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. Here, the perpetually bumbling Larry is thrust into trouble once more when an important event goes awry as a result of his animated mannequin friends. The tablet that endows the appearance of life into the museum’s trinkets is starting to corrode, courtesy of an Egyptian curse. Only specimens housed in Britain hold the answers to stopping the rot, reinstating the spell and rescuing the likenesses of famous figures from reverting to a permanent state of wax. Adding to the antics are Larry’s English counterpart, nightwatchwoman Tilly (Rebel Wilson), and an arrogant Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens), both endeavouring to thwart the visitors’ efforts for their own reasons. Returning director Shawn Levy (This Is Where I Leave You) and new scribes David Guion and Michael Handelman (Dinner for Schmucks) aren’t concerned with offering any unexpected detours in the events that follow, repeating the beats of the earlier films with a heightened emphasis on outdated pop culture jokes. Indeed, that the feature’s biggest source of laughs — and its best surprise cameo – stems from an internet meme gives an indication of the level of comedy cultivated, as does the prominence of online cat videos to the plot. Even the usual reliance upon slapstick wavers, for worse, not for better. The odd-couple banter of Owen Wilson as an old west cowboy and Steve Coogan as a Roman soldier is similarly toned down. Elaborate staging aside (best manifested in Secret of the Tomb in an uncharacteristically excellent M.C. Escher-inspired sequence), the biggest lure of the Night of the Museum series has always been its extensive cast. Performers express enough energy to keep the movie bubbling along; however, for reasons inconsequential to the content itself, it is Robin Williams’ return as Teddy Roosevelt that stands out. His last on-screen appearance evokes both sweetness and sorrow that far exceeds the average franchise swansong he is saddled with.
Okay, it hasn't exactly turned out to be the hot vax summer we deserve, but one thing we can be thankful for is the return of live music. And after a tough couple of years for the Australian music industry, there's probably never been a better time to celebrate homegrown talent. For all of January, The Rocks will be celebrating summer — and our incredible live music scene — with a month-long series of events. Rounding things out will be Sweet Summer Sounds, a two-week mini festival of live gigs featuring over 50 local music acts. The best part? It's absolutely free. The jam-packed bill bound for First Fleet Park includes the eclectic sounds of three-piece collective Haiku Hands who have garnered a global fanbase thanks to genre-bending tunes and big-energy live shows; and electrifying Western Sydney rapper, producer and engineer Kwame, Triple J's Unearthed Artist of the Year in 2018 who has shared a stage with heavyweights including Skepta and Migos. [caption id="attachment_839264" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mia Wray by Lisa Businovski[/caption] Also taking to the Sweet Summer Sounds stage is the excellent Melbourne singer-songwriter Mia Wray, whose 2020 debut single 'Work for Me' was plugged by Elton John on his Beats 1 radio show; Northern Beaches indie-folk band Sons of the East (who are set to embark on a headline tour of Europe and North America later this year); and the alluring, cinematic sounds of Melbourne three-piece Telenova. To complete the festival experience, you can stay fuelled thanks to a pop-up prosecco bar, Bubble Bambino, as well as stalls slinging burgers, falafels and loaded hot dogs — each perfect for an afternoon session in the sunshine soundtracked by some of Australia's most exciting musical acts of the moment. For the full lineup and gig times, head the The Rocks website.
Music festival fans, it's time to take your horse to the old town road — hat down, cross town, livin' like a rock star. New South Wales end-of-year staple Lost Paradise has announced its return for 2022, and it's making a comeback with two huge headliners: Lil Nas X, clearly, as well as Arctic Monkeys. Do you wanna know what you're now doing this New Year's Eve? This Glenworth Valley event now has the answer. Between Wednesday, December 28–Sunday, January 1, it'll unleash a massive lineup that also includes Jamie xx, Ocean Alley, Spacey Jane, G Flip and Pinkpantheress, as well as Peggy Gou, KiNK, Ben Böhmer and Mall Grab doing DJ sets. And yes, it shares quite a few acts in common with the also just-announced Falls Festival bill for 2022 — but if you can't make it to Byron Bay, you now have another option. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lost Paradise (@lostparadiseau) Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become a go-to way to see out one year and welcome in another — and with its just-dropped roster of talent for 2022, that's set to be the case across its four-stage setup again this time around. Also on the bill: artistic experiences, talks, workshops, wellness, and food and drink, all as part of a four-day camping festival. So, there's plenty to get excited about, and to tempt you to make the journey an hour out of Sydney. While the full rundown of activities hasn't been revealed as yet, past fests have included yoga, fashion and art markets, and a food and drink hub with communal tables for dining and an array of cuisines for feasting upon. And, camping-wise, options span everything from rent-a-tents to luxury glamping. Lost Paradise 2022 will introduce a ban on single-use plastics, too — which'll mean that you'll need to acknowledge the 'Paradisian Pledge' to minimise pollution and leave the campsite with no waste in order to purchase tickets. Also, this year's event will only use building materials built from 100-percent recyclable materials, and produce zero landfill. Of course, it's the music lineup that'll get you to Lost Paradise in the first place — the fest's first event since being forced to cancel in 2019 due to the New South Wales bushfires. So, enough chatter; here it is: LOST PARADISE LINEUP 2022: Artist lineup: Arctic Monkeys Lil Nas X Jamie xx Ocean Alley Spacey Jane G Flip Pinkpantheress Cub Sport Genesis Owusu Young Franco The Vanns MAY-A Furnace & The Fundamentals King Stingray Pacific Avenue Telenova 1300 Stumps Big Twisty & The Funknasty Egoism Yung Mtyr Lazywax Elsy Wamayo Eagle Eye Jones Abby Bella May Greatest Hits Sweetie Liyah Knight Coconut Cream Liquid Time Casual Fan Electronic lineup: Peggy Gou Mall Grab Ben Böhmer Folamour DJ Boring KiNK HAAi TSHA CC:DISCO! Heidi X Club. Flava D Shanti Celeste Moxie Loods Wax'o Paradiso Wongo Little Fritter Merve Luen Ebony Boadu Ayebatonye Crush3d James Pepper Elijah Something Latifa Tee Willo Dameeeela Mincy Conspiracy Crew Luke Alessi Troy Beman Mintox Waxlily Uncle Ru Girlthing Dj's Cleo Clutch 4 Love Roxy Lotz Madami Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley from Wednesday, December 28–Sunday, January 1. Pre-sale tickets are available from Tuesday, May 10 with general tickets from Wednesday, May 11. For more information, head to the festival's website. Top image: Jordan Munns.
