Tucked amongst Glebe's lush residential precinct, Glebe Point Diner has cemented itself as a neighbourhood favourite. The crowd is a mix on a Saturday night with couples, families and large groups generating a gentle hum of chatter throughout the restaurant. Think dim lighting, an open plan and atmosphere aplenty and you've got the picture. In summer, diners are sure to fight over the tables outside, complete with comfy cushions, but you can't go wrong with a seat at the bar where you can watch the chefs in action. Food wise, Glebe Point Diner focuses on quality not quantity. The menu is small, with only a handful of entrees, mains and desserts, but this helps you narrow down the choices. The fare offered is shaped around seasonal produce. To start, the Thirlmere duck liver pate with pear preserve and toast ($18) is a triumph. For something lighter, the cured petuna ocean trout with frisee ($18) is delicious. Also, try the lamb ribs with coriander, chilli and lime juice ($6) if it's on the specials board that day. For the mains, it's hard to go past the Barossa Valley Berkshire pork shoulder, slow roasted for 12 hours with apple slaw and crackling ($32). The pork falls apart when you prise it gently with your fork and it's damn succulent. Combined with the fresh apple slaw and crunch of the crackling, it's an impressive offering. For poultry enthusiasts, there's the roasted chicken with rosemary butter, sugarsnap peas and corn ($32). What really made the night was the doughnut with salted dulce de leche ice cream and chocolate fudge sauce for dessert ($15). And the good news is that it's big enough to share. The serving size of the dishes reflects the neighbourhood diner theme. It's a place to go to have a homemade meal, drizzled with fine dining but without all the pretension. Glebe Point Diner is perfect for a casual graze, an intimate first date or a well-overdue catch up with mates. The place might be a little wallet-heavy, but hey we reckon it's worth it.
If you happen to be in the Illawarra region on a Sunday, then make tracks to Bulli Showground. From 9am–2pm on the second Sunday of every month, the space is filled with local makers selling artisanal produce and wares. The stallholders rotate but you can expect to find baked goods from Flour Water Salt and Common Ground Bakery, handmade bath goods, art, fashion and live music. Foragers Markets also hosts a weekly after-dark street food market from 5–9pm every Thursday and a fresh market on Fridays between 9am–2pm, both in Wollongong's Crown Street Mall.
In 1977, Robyn Davidson decided she would walk west from Alice Springs until she hit the Indian Ocean, taking with her only her beloved dog and four camels. She was determined to do this alone, but, finding herself in need of money, was forced to allow National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan to document her journey. Davidson was told the trek would be suicide, but, undeterred, she set out anyway on her perilous, eventful journey. Filmmakers have been trying to adapt Tracks since the early 1980s, with even Julia Roberts attached in 1993. This is the sixth (and, clearly, the only successful) attempt to bring Davidson's story to the screen, and one has to wonder: what's with all the fuss? Davidson's story is certainly remarkable in terms of human achievement, but given our cinema is notoriously awash with characters undertaking dangerous walks across the unforgiving Australian landscape, do we really need one more? 'Need' is probably too strong a word. It's made. It's here. And all told, it's pretty good. Mia Wasikowska is especially impressive as Davidson, imbuing her with a determination required to sell the character. She delivers lines with a certain brand of confidence so rare in Australian acting. Lines of dialogue that would clearly clang noisily to the ground when delivered by others float effortlessly from Wasikowska's mouth. It's pretty clear why she's enjoyed such international success. Adam Driver, best known from Lena Dunham's Girls, is equally superb as Smolan. Driver is a compelling presence, and though his character is an irritant to Davidson, he is a welcome presence to us whenever he appears. The film's biggest problem is the lack of motivation. Davidson may have felt a compulsion apropos of nothing, but the rules of film are different. If we're to invest in this journey, feel sympathy for our heroine, we need to feel some portion of what she feels. We need to care. And "I felt like it" doesn't quite get us there. This, naturally, almost undermines the entire movie. It's difficult to relate to someone doing something seemingly pointless the hard way, for the sake of doing it the hard way. I suspect Davidson's memoir does a better job selling us on this, but the audience should not be expected to read the book first. That said, it's a testament to the film that it can survive this misstep so well. John Curran's direction is effective and tangible, and Marion Nelson's screenplay depicts Davidson's isolation particularly well. Mandy Walker's superb cinematography makes the landscape seem terrifying and seductive all at once. Title cards at the end inform us what happened next, and give the proceedings an annoying retroactive feeling of unearned worthiness, souring this reviewer at the worst possible moment. Despite this, Tracks is an engaging, beautiful film that overcomes its flaws impressively. https://youtube.com/watch?v=RyDCfuYTX_U
Feeling like you need a little more fabulousness in your life? Get set for this summer, when Australia and New Zealand score their very first taste of stand-up from Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness. Emmy Award-nominated television personality, hit podcaster and hairstylist to the stars, the multi-talented Van Ness is bringing his Road to Beijing tour to our corner of the world, hitting Auckland, Christchurch, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in February 2020. Van Ness is perhaps best known for his role in Netflix's new Queer Eye reboot, where he's guru for all things grooming, hair and self-care. He also starred on the popular Emmy Award-nominated Game of Thrones recap series Gay of Thrones, and has a podcast called Getting Curious, which recently took out the iHeart Radio Award for Best LGBTQ Podcast. Outside of all that overachieving, Van Ness is also combining two other passions – figure skating and stand-up comedy – to hilarious effect, for his Road to Beijing stage show. Inspired by a lifelong goal of becoming a figure-skating prodigy in time for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the live show is set to deliver a healthy dose of realness, mixed with plenty of feel-good stand-up. Though it's only his first comedy tour, Road to Beijing has proved a sell-out success, as it hits venues across the UK and the US. [caption id="attachment_671749" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Queer Eye team at Yass in NSW[/caption] ROAD TO BEIJING TOUR 2020 DATES Auckland — The Civic, Sunday, February 16 Christchurch — Town Hall, Tuesday, February 18 Brisbane — BCEC Great Hall, Thursday, February 20 Melbourne — Plenary Theatre, Saturday, February 22 Perth — Riverside Theatre, Tuesday, February 25 Sydney — First State Super Theatre, Friday, February 28 Tickets for Jonathan Van Ness' Road to Beijing tour go on sale at 2pm on Friday, August 2 via TEG Dainty.
Muggle, rejoice: if you've been hanging out to flex your 'wizarding skills' in the new Harry Potter augmented reality game, your time to shine has arrived. Tapping into the same style of virtual smartphone experience made hugely popular by Pokémon Go, WB Games and Niantic have launched the beta version of their Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game — but only in New Zealand and Australia. Locals with a smartphone can now download the app and start their own Harry Potter adventure, as part of a testing phase that'll help developers shape the final product. It means users might have to put up with a few bugs and off-kilter graphics, but that's a small price to pay for getting to play the game before the rest of the world. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite works a whole lot like Pokémon Go, swapping out the animated monsters and gyms for content and characters from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises. They're featured in an augmented reality 'Wizarding World', which is mysteriously appearing in the muggle world due to some unforeseen calamity. As a player, you'll kick start your adventure as a newbie in the Statute of Secrecy Task Force. You'll be called on to whip up potions, cast spells and use your wand to overcome the traces of magic appearing through your smartphone, popping up in front of real-world locations. You'll collect potion ingredients along the way, and earn special rewards for finding 'Foundables' and returning them to the wizarding world. Scattered through the game, you'll also discover virtual 'inns' where you can recharge your 'spell energy', multi-player wizarding challenges taking place in 'fortresses', and 'portkeys' that can whisk you away into an immersive 360-degree, augmented reality experience, in settings like Ollivanders Wand Shop. The beta version of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is now available to download for free to iOS (via the App Store) and Android devices (via Google Play) if you're in Australia or New Zealand.
Before setting up Hampden Deli, owners Nick Gardner and Stevie-Lee Bounader spent years in fine dining restaurants. Head Chef Nick trained at Nelson Bay's Zest, before working at some of Sydney's best restaurants, including Quay and Tetsuya's, where he was sous chef. So when you slip into this cosy deli, cage and cooking school in Kangaroo Valley for brekkie, take high expectations with you. The tight menu — which offers just two or three dishes at one time — features classics transformed into gourmet delights. Among them are an bacon and egg roll, with brown sugar bacon, local eggs, cabbage, fermented chilli and, surprisingly, Kettle chips, and the Eggs Royale: a muffin layered with local eggs, smoked salmon, Avruga 'caviar', maple hollandaise infused with coffee beans and chives. Cruising by at lunchtime? Linger over a grazing board, loaded with meats, cheeses, breads, croutons and house-made pickles, accompanied by a glass of local wine. Or grab a takeaway snack and keep going — the counter is crowded with sangas, salads, quiches and some very impressive pastries that are made in-house each morning. If you're lucky, you'll time your visit with the deli's cinnamon cream buns or one of its salted caramel cube croissants filled with wattleseed cream. There's also a busy events schedule, with special dinners, masterclasses and workshops taking place every couple of weeks. Images: Tammie Seidel, Take Five Photography.
There's the truth, and then there's the tale that is told, a divide Kill the Messenger acknowledges. Driven by journalistic duty, Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) unearths a scandal, though once his report is published, the press turns their attention to him over the facts. The surrounding film falls prey to the same trick, presenting an intriguing character study but skirting over the damage done. Webb is a small-time player for a small-time paper, yet unafraid of turning big leads into big headlines. In California in 1996, he receives a tip about a deal involving the nation's intelligence agency and crack dealers in South Central Los Angeles. Covertly supporting the Nicaraguan Contras in their fight against their country's socialist rulers, the CIA is accused of assisting their US drug racket. Webb scours through sources from South America to Washington to substantiate his story, all ignored when governmental denial thrusts him into the spotlight. With Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Oliver Platt as Webb's editors, Rosemarie DeWitt as his wife, and Michael Sheen, Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta as furtive figures, a competent cast fills in the details, in what remains a portrait of Webb's rise and fall. As compelling as he has ever been, Renner retains focus, matching his physicality to the transformative plight of a determined crusader victimised for doing the right thing. Often framed from afar or shown in hand-held close-ups, his recreation of Webb constantly looks over his shoulder with good reason. "We would never threaten your children," he is told in his only official face-to-face meeting with the CIA, and the feature's best display of tension. Based on Nick Schou's 2006 book of the same name, alongside Webb's own 1998 manifesto Dark Alliance, Kill the Messenger harks back to a host of conspiracy thrillers and whistleblower dramas in its newsreel compiles offering background information and incendiary montages setting the emotional tone. Better known for helming episodes of Dexter and Homeland, director Michael Cuesta sticks to the standard in evoking an air of unease and flitting between episodic jaunts in a quest for justice, his feature fervent in sentiment but fleeting in impact. All eyes stay on Renner's rising rage in his potent portrayal; however, the feature's message remains murky, swelling in telling of personal conflict but fading in spanning the extent of the scenario. That the most damning revelations are told as a post-script may indicate the difficulty of condensing the complicated true tale, but it also speaks to the same selectivity the film ostensibly rallies against. Kill the Messenger shouts the story of someone who refused to be silenced, yet favours an impassioned underdog account over a thorough consideration of its central media machinations. https://youtube.com/watch?v=14tFIJIp1bs
Aqua Ignis Bathhouse is redefining communal bathing in Australia, as an architectural and cultural landmark in the Blue Mountains. Rooted in its cultural connection, Aqua Ignis positions itself as a ritual practice — one that is immersive and deeply sensory. Designed by Korean-born, Germany-raised architect Siki Im, the project serves as a departure from traditional Australian spa culture. Instead of framing bathing as a luxury escape, Aqua Ignis prides itself on offering a more elemental experience. The bathhouse, conceived as both a sanctuary and sculpture, sits low within the landscape, utilising stone and water to immerse guests in a spatial meditation on contrast and flow. The space invites guests to experience bathing as not an out-of-the-blue activity, but a journey that moves through the elemental transitions of stillness and sociality. Expert guides lead guests along two contrasting pathways inspired by the ancient Eastern philosophies of Yin and Yang. Yin flow represents a quieter, more reserved journey, featuring a steam room, a magnesium-rich thermal bath, and silent reflection zones. Yang flow begins with a dry sauna, followed by a cold plunge and communal rest spaces. Each space has been carefully crafted to engage the body through the use of temperature and texture. At the same time, the architecture amplifies the emotional experience, utilising natural light, acoustics, and materiality to heighten awareness of oneself and one's surroundings. The opening positions Aqua Ignis as one of the most significant new wellness destinations in Australia, and a powerful example of how architecture can shape not just space, but behaviour and emotion. Find out more about Aqua Ignis and make a booking. Images: Supplied
As restrictions continue to ease and Sydney's cultural calendar begins to fill up, the city's theatres are starting to come alive with shows, performances and gigs once again. But, if you've been to a theatre any time in the past couple of months, you would've noticed quite a few empty seats — even at sold out shows. Under current NSW restrictions, indoor entertainment facilities, including theatres, music halls and dance halls, can only have a 75 percent capacity audience and a maximum of one person per two square metres. In exciting news for theatre-goers, however, one Sydney venue has just been given the go-ahead to perform shows to a full house. Sydney Theatre Company (STC) has become the first live performance venue in the state allowed to host shows with 100 percent capacity audiences, with NSW Health granting the company an exemption from the current Public Health Order. https://twitter.com/SydneyTheatreCo/status/1367610943564251139 This means, STC will be able to have a full house for Playing Beatie Bow at Wharf 1 Theatre from Tuesday, March 9, and for Appropriate and Fun Home at Roslyn Packer Theatre when they open later this autumn. New seats for these performances will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday. As performances at Sydney Opera House and Seymour Centre are not covered by these exemptions, STC's Home, I'm Darling and The Wharf Revue will remain at 75 capacity. As part of the STC's COVID-19 Safety Plan, masks are currently mandatory for all theatre-goers 12 years and over. You can check out all the company's safety protocols over here. [caption id="attachment_802326" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Playing Beatie Bow' at Wharf 1 Theatre by Daniel Boud[/caption] The announcement comes as NSW records its 47th consecutive day of no locally acquired cases of COVID-19. The state's restrictions were last eased back on Friday, February 26, when indoor private gatherings were allowed to increase to 50 and cinemas could return to 100 percent capacity. Seated outdoor entertainment facilities are currently allowed to run at 100 percent capacity with a max of one person per two square metres. More restrictions — including allowing vertical drinking — are expected to be announced on Wednesday, March 17. Sydney Theatre Company will be allowed to host 100 percent capacity audiences at its Roslyn Packer, Wharf 1 and Wharf 2 theatres. Additional tickets for Playing Beatie Bow, Appropriate and Fun Home will go on at 10am on Tuesday, March 9 via sydneytheatre.com.au. Top images: The Wharf Theatres by Hugh Hamilton and Brett Boardman.
Been dreaming and scheming about taking Vivid Sydney next level this year? We've got your plans sorted. Hint: they involve front row views of the illuminated Harbour Bridge, a water taxi and dinner literally in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Yep, we're talking Fort Denison. This year, the lonesome, mid-Harbour outpost is inviting you — and up to 140 of your friends, give or take — to join its Vivid celebrations. Dubbed Dinner De-Lights, the evening starts with you wandering around Circular Quay, before jumping in a water taxi for a giddy, wind-in-your-hair-lights-in-your-eyes ride to the island. Along the way, check out Vivid's famous boat parade up close. Once you're there, you'll take a mini tour of the Martello Tower before settling into your seat, to ooh and aah for epic views of the Circular Quay's Dress Circle display, as well as the Harbour Bridge, taking breaks only to tuck into a delish dinner. Dinner De-Lights is happening every night throughout the festival. Couples and small groups can book on Friday and Saturday evenings for $112.50 per person, which includes a two-course dinner, the tour and the ferry ride there and back. Huge groups (between 40 and 140 people) can book the whole place on weeknights, and from $150 per person you'll get a three-course dinner, drinks, a tour and the ferry. So if you're contemplating a Vivid wedding...
Stay tuned. More info coming soon.
Sweat, skin, sex, schisms, secrets and survival: a great film by French auteur Claire Denis typically has them all. Stars at Noon is one of them, even if her adaptation of the 1986 novel of nearly the same name — her picture drops the 'the', as a certain social network did — doesn't quite soar to the same astonishing heights as High Life, her last English-language release. Evocative, enveloping, atmospheric, dripping with unease: they're also traits that the two flicks share, like much of the Beau Travail, 35 Shots of Rum and White Material filmmaker's work. Here, all the sultriness and stress swells around two gleamingly attractive strangers, Trish (Margaret Qualley, Maid) and Daniel (Joe Alwyn, Conversations with Friends), who meet in a Central American hotel bar, slip between the sheets and find themselves tangled up in plenty beyond lips and limbs. Shining at each other when so much else obscures their glow, Stars at Noon's central duo are jumbled up in enough individually anyway. For the first half hour-ish, the erotic thriller slinks along with Trish's routine, which sees perspiration plastered across her face from the Nicaraguan heat, the lack of air-conditioning in her motel and the struggle to enjoy a cold drink. The rum she's often swilling, recalling that aforementioned Denis-directed feature's moniker, hardly helps. Neither does the transactional use of her body with a local law enforcement officer (Nick Romano, Shadows) and a government official (Stephan Proaño, Crónica de un amor). Imbibing is clearly a coping and confidence-giving mechanism, while those amorous tumbles afford her protection in a precarious political situation, with her passport confiscated, her actions being scrutinised and funds for a plane ticket home wholly absent. Trish is a freelance journalist, albeit without much in the way of gigs, as the snarky response she gets from an editor (John C Reilly, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) on a video chat shows. Cue trading coitus for cash; when she's first flirting with the white-suited Daniel at Managua's Intercontinental Hotel, however, she's as interested in the free drinks, comfort and cool surroundings as the $50 price she puts on a night together. They click, then go their separate ways in the morning. But after she spies him talking with a Costa-Rican cop (Danny Ramirez, Top Gun: Maverick), she offers words of warning. Daniel says he works in oil, and his situation in the region is as tenuous and thorny as hers — details of which are largely talked around in both cases, in a picture concerned with characters, emotions and sensations over plot mechanics. In a script penned by Denis with Andrew Litvack (High Life) and Léa Mysius (Farewell to the Night) from Denis Johnson's text — which drew upon his time in Nicaragua and Costa Rica in the early 80s, trying to become an international political reporter — there still remains ample story to go around. Car chases, police threats, assassinations, border runs, collateral damage and CIA offers flesh out the narrative, as does the late arrival of a sharp-talking American (Benny Safdie, Licorice Pizza). Creating a tinderbox environment to ignite around Trish, Daniel, and their dance of lust, loyalty and love is all that politics-fuelled intrigue's main aim, though. Stars at Noon updates the book's time period to now, with masks, vaccinations and testing anchoring it firmly in the COVID-19 age, but there's a timelessness in the way that specifics about controversial articles, election troubles, spying and foreign meddling come second to feelings and flesh. Some things stay the same no matter the period or players, Denis contends, and means it in multiple manners. Fans of the filmmaker's past work — even just viewers of it — will know that she loves dwelling in this fraught, fragile and fiery space, where things can change in an instant in a personal and existential fashion alike. Denis sees life that way in general; we aren't all writers who've fallen afoul of foreign regimes and are now getting by via sex work, or businessmen patently not doing what we say we are, but being plunged into messes of both our own and others' making is a universal fact of being alive. By focusing on white characters in a location where they instantly stand out, the West Africa-raised Denis also continues the contemplation of colonialism and privilege she's placed on-screen since her 1988 debut Chocolat ("having sex with you is like having sex with a cloud," Trish notes to Daniel here, on account of the Brit's pale complexion). Chaos swelters as thick as the humidity wherever the westerners go, but these outsiders create far more for everyone they meet, especially everyday locals. Just like in a 90s-era erotic thriller, which this often resembles, the calmest place to be in Stars at Noon is loitering in Trish and Daniel's shared embrace in bed or swirling around an empty dance floor; whichever Denis is focusing on, and cinematographer Eric Gautier (The Truth) as well, the experience is lingering as well as rhythmic and woozy. Sometimes rain clatters down around the film's core duo, sometimes the lighting beaming above couldn't be more seductive — and frequently Tindersticks, who've scored Denis' work for two-plus decades now, add a dazed but urgent mood. The tension, the uncertainty, the desperate solace that having even a tenuous and tricky physical connection with someone else can bring: they all become almost tangible and definitely palpable. Playing their parts with the requisite spark, Qualley and Alwyn melt stickily into each other, and viewers watching take their lead with the movie. That deeply intimate focus pushes the Cannes Grand Prix-winning Stars at Noon out of Graham Greene-esque, The Quiet American-style territory. Also, with her screaming in the streets as she struts and saunters barefoot in sundresses and singlets, Trish is anything but hushed. In one of the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and My Salinger Year actor's best performances yet, Qualley exudes tenacity and flightiness — two traits that keep somersaulting the more Trish is with Alwyn's suave and enigmatic Daniel. Cannily, Qualley and Alwyn feel thrust together rather than destined, a truth on-screen and off- (High Life's Robert Pattinson was initially cast, then Black Bird's Taron Egerton). Indeed, there's a volatility to Stars at Noon, and to the romance at its centre, that's equally apt. When you're surveying life's instability — one of its basic and unavoidable truths — getting the film itself in the same kind of lather is no small feat.
Twas the night before the 1st of January and all over the place, every creature was stirring, preparing their face. They rose from their graves and wandered around, and headed to the Annandale to boogie on down. This New Year's Eve, be seduced by the rockin sounds of DJs Jay Katz, Miss Death and Dialbolik as the Annandale hosts The Sounds of Seduction. Raise the dead and come forth as your favourite zombie-fied celebrity. Get on your gore, decompose your clothes, and thriller up your New Year's Eve.
Getting married just after meeting, grappling for power, bloody coups, assassination plots: welcome to supposed wedded bliss The Great-style. For two seasons now, the nuptials between Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning, The Girl From Plainville) as Catherine and Peter III (Nicholas Hoult, The Menu) have been anything but ordinary in this historical satire, and rarely worth exclaiming "huzzah!" about (although viewers know how much the series loves saying that very word). So, it should come as no surprise that the royal couple have enlisted professional help in the just-dropped trailer for the show's upcoming third season. The Great was renewed for season three after its second batch of episodes streamed late in 2021, and will arrive Down Under on Saturday, May 13. This time around, after season two threw everything from attempted murders to mass imprisonments at the pair — and kept disrupting their dynamic as Catherine continued to work towards the name that's a part of history, and also inspires the show's title — its main duo is trying to make things work. Hence the couples therapy, but obviously resolving all of their issues won't be quite that simple. So, expect more of Peter figuring out what it means to play First Husband, and Catherine expanding her influence and reputation beyond just Russia. That, and visions of Peter's late father (Jason Isaacs, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris), life lessons, attempts to build a new country and the usual scheming. The show's all killer, no filler concept since season one: following Catherine's rise and reign, with a heavy focus on what that means for her marriage to Peter. It does so with only the slightest regard for the actual facts and with a big reliance upon hilarious wit, which is one of the reasons that it's such a delicious watch. While The Great has always been supremely confident in its blend of handsome period staging, the loosest of historical realities and that savage sense of humour (it does spring from Oscar-nominated The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara, after all), it felt even more comfortable in its skin during its second season. And smoother, too, yet just as biting. So, hopefully that will remain the case in season three as well, all while it keeps seesawing tonally and proving as sharp as a shot of vodka — or several. Fanning and Hoult will be joined by returning co-stars Phoebe Fox (The Aeronauts), Adam Godley (Lodge 49), Gwilym Lee (Top End Wedding), Charity Wakefield (Bounty Hunters), Douglas Hodge (I Hate Suzie Too), Sacha Dhawan (The Prince), Bayo Gbadamosi (War of the Worlds) and Belinda Bromilow (Doctor Doctor), too, because this is a show with a phenomenally great cast. Check out the trailer for The Great season three below: The Great season three will be available to stream in Australia via Stan and in New Zealand via Neon from Saturday, May 13.
One of the most interesting fixtures on the increasingly crowded calendar of Sydney film festivals, Possible Worlds presents the best of Canadian cinema, and for the first time this year, the program has been expanded to also include some gems of American independent film. Run by Sydney non-profit company The Festivalists, who are also behind a series of film-related events including the excellent short film night Kino and Jurassic Lounge, this year's program is a strong and diverse selection. Here are our picks of the best films to catch. https://youtube.com/watch?v=YBn5dgXFMis Frances Ha An apprentice dancer living in New York, the titular Frances (Greta Gerwig) is thrown into a kind of turmoil when her best friend and enabler Sophia (Mickey Summer) moves out. Cue affecting riffs on friendship and the creative life and a rambling but immensely likeable tale of finding a new place and staying true to your impulsive self in the face of career malaise. Shot in gorgeous black and white, this is new high water mark for its indie darling star and co-writer. Friday, 9 August, 6.30pm, Dendy Newtown https://youtube.com/watch?v=j8QyS9RjJKk Stories We Tell Already a critical and popular hit on the festival circuit, Stories We Tell is Canadian actor/director Sarah Polley's very personal documentary about her family history. The man she grew up believing to be her father turns out not to be her biological parent and she sets about uncovering the truth in a gripping, moving and constantly surprising film which is as much about the art of narration and who has ownership of a story as much as it is about the particular subject matter. Probably one of those works where the viewer actually benefits from knowing little about it going in, rest assured this is a film you will not easily forget. Thursday, 8 August, 6.30pm, Dendy Opera Quays https://youtube.com/watch?v=Uj5gwL6tH9U You Make Me Feel So Young For anyone who loved Like Crazy, this impressionistic, black-and-white slice of life is one not to miss. The loose story sees Justine (Justine Eister) and Zach (director Zach Weinstraub) move to a new town where the latter has landed a job at a cinematheque. Slowly, their relationship starts to fray, with subtle emotional shifts captured by experimental camera work which often focuses on small details as the action or the dialogue takes place off screen. With naturalistic, improvised sounding dialogue and an artfully ambivalent narrative, this is cinema as pure voyeurism. Friday, 9 August, 6.30pm, Dendy Newtown https://youtube.com/watch?v=JfNsJTRkbQM The Fruit Hunters Beyond the mass-produced apples and oranges that populate supermarket shelves, there exists a 'secret paradise' of exotic fruits. Montreal director Yung Chang uncovers a subculture of obsessives (including actor Bill Pullman) who travel the world in pursuit of unusual and often beautiful fruits, bid at auctions for prize delicacies and meticulously tend to their own boutique orchids. The historical shifts in how we produce and consume fruit are also explored in this unexpectedly fascinating and sumptuously shot documentary. Thursday, 15 August, 6.30pm, Dendy Newtown The Wait After her mother dies, a grief-stricken Emma (Chloe Sevigny) receives a mysterious phone call claiming she will return. Believing this means she will come back to life, she decides to keep the corpse at the family home, where she lives with Angela (Jena Malone). Angela is recovering from a breakup and her fortunes seem to be on the improve when she meets lugubrious local Ben (Luke Grimes), though he too gets drawn into the strangeness in this unsettling affair, which is bolstered by terrific performances from its two stars and a pretty, sweeping score from Owen Pallett. Friday, 16 August, 8.30pm Dendy Newtown Possible Worlds is on from August 8-18 at the Dendy Newtown and Opera Quays. Check out the full program and buy tickets on the festival website.
Everyone needs a holiday to look forward to. With 2025 now officially into its second month, and everyone's Christmas breaks feeling like a lifetime ago, planning your next getaway is a self-care essential. Fancy heading overseas, but not too far, to either laze around on a beach or see some mountainous sights? Enter Virgin's latest sale, which focuses on short-haul international flights. Trips to Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and New Zealand this year just got cheaper — and you've got five days to grab a bargain. So, get your suitcases ready and book that annual leave. Fares start at $439 return, and are available until midnight AEST on Friday, February 7, 2025, unless sold out earlier. The cheapest option is Melbourne–Queenstown return, but you can also head there and back from Sydney for $469. Next comes Brisbane to Port Vila in Vanuatu from $479, while trips to Bali from Melbourne start at $499 and kick off at $509 from the Gold Coast. Or, get to Queenstown and back from Brisbane from $549 — or to Fiji from Sydney for $569, from Brisbane for $589 and from Melbourne for $599. Other deals include Sydney–Bali from $619, Brisbane–Bali from $659 and Brisbane–Samoa from $689. This sale began at 12.01am AEST on Monday, February 3, 2025, with prices covering Virgin's Economy Lite option. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, these deals are for periods between Monday, February 17, 2025–Friday, December 12, 2025, with all dates varying per route. As always, inclusions also differ depending on your ticket — and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's February 2025 international flight sale runs until midnight AEST on Friday, February 7, 2025 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Applejack Hospitality, the restaurant group behind beloved venues like The Butler and Forrester's is opening an expansive new venue on Mount Street in North Sydney. Boasting capacity for 300 people, RAFI is set to open in September in the North Sydney business district with multiple indoor and al fresco areas. Some of the many different spaces across RAFI will include a semi-al fresco glasshouse coined The Arbor which will be connected to a large indoor dining room by a geometric island bar, a chef's kitchen which will host a variety of dining experiences and a series of greenery-filled outdoor terraces placed in the centre of the North Sydney highrises. "We set out to create a space that was youthful and playful. Drawing inspiration from exuberant colours and patterns, our design reflects Applejack's energy and warmth," lead designer and longtime Applejack collaborator Luchetti Krelle said. Food-wise the menu will be driven by local seafood and fresh veggies cooked over the kitchen's charcoal grill. Yuzu tuna, crispy potatoes with sea urchin, toothfish with chickpea miso and dry-aged duck crown accompanied by plum and mustard leaves are just a few of the inventive dishes slated for the menu. "Our food is meant to surprise and nourish with simple dishes creatively combined to be as tasty, nutritious, and sustainable as possible," Executive said Head Chef Matias Cilloniz, who has arrived in Sydney from Peru to head up RAFI's kitchen. "Our team is focused on delivering an amazing experience starting at sourcing our produce with care to pouring a glass of wine, honouring the produce, the producers, and our team, while our guests enjoy themselves." With two months until the doors open, RAFI is taking bookings for those that want to be the first to discover the new venue. You can book for groups of seven or fewer for dates from Thursday, September 29. RAFI will open in late September at 99 Mount Street, North Sydney. It will be open from midday to midnight, Monday–Saturday.
Glebe Point Road is a continually evolving strip of international cuisine. You can get anything you want, without having to pay high fine dining prices. But this street also doesn't have the clout of hotter spots in the city. It also has a fair share of clever Latino restaurants. The newest on the strip is Despana, a Spanish tapas joint that's open from breakfast to 11pm, which is quite a stretch of time. Perhaps there's a siesta for staff in the middle of the day? The set-up is fairly simple: a few red lights, a few bulls' heads on the wall in case you didn't know where you are, a wall of wooden logs, and a small bar. The impression is that the concentration is on the food. A tapas place rises and falls on the speed of the dishes served, and the timing. The plates come out thick and fast from a sharing menu of five tapas for $21 per person, from safe bets like patatas bravas to a small collection of croquettes, chorizo, and manchego on one plate with lemon aioli. Rounded off with chorizo in cider, veal and pork meatballs, and chicken skewers marinated with lemon, thyme, and pepper, it's a neat little evening meal. Actually, the centrepiece is the sangria, brewed for four hours, and dynamite in a jug, followed by churros and a hot chocolate dip. There's obviously also expected dishes such as paella on an evolving menu, with plenty of room to manoeuvre.
Don't let Monday morning scare you away from a Sundate. This Sunday, impress them over tasty treats from a delicatessen that's quickly becoming a Sydney institution, then hit the Dendy in Newtown for a two-for-one movie. First stop: feel those old timey vibes at Continental Deli, and try something new like the succulent octopus with sobrasada, stracciatella, radicchio and salsa verde, or play it safe (but well) with one of their cheese and charcuterie plates. Second stop: head down to the Dendy on King Street, and grab two movie tickets for $22 after 5pm — there's also usually some sort of deal at the snack bar should your tum still be a-rumblin'. Nothing rounds out the week like a good feed and a night at the movies. Newtown's certainly the spot for a Sunday night done right. Image: Kimberly Low.
We're here today to conduct an experiment: To see if it's possible for me, as a man of 22 years of age and of sound mind and body, to spend a week ordering food from a convenience store without even leaving my home 7-Eleven presented me with this challenge, and who would I be to refuse? Now that the road trip-snack-central convenience store chain has brought its catalogue of food, essentials and treats to Menulog, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to nobly abandon all kitchen duties for a week and instead attempt to exist by only eating meals ordered from my local 7-Eleven through Menulog. I would spend the hours from Monday morning to Friday night eating food exclusively bought from 7-Eleven, with only emergency exceptions permitted. Sunday: Stocking up on Essentials For the Week My week began with planning and preparation, particularly for the most important meal of the day. Breakfast. I take breakfast very seriously, and I like it balanced. For the week ahead, I was going to need the following: Zymil Lactose-Free Milk 1L Carman's Muesli Classic 500g 7-Eleven Maxi Wholemeal Bread 850g Chobani strawberry Greek yoghurt pouches x5 Pace Farm Free Range Eggs 12pk Ben and Jerry's Choc Chip Cookie Dough 450g 7-Eleven Protein Bar Salted Caramel Bread, milk, eggs — the bare essentials. Muesli and yogurt are great for weekday breakfasts since they're quick, easy, and delicious. Eggs are also good if I need something substantial, especially if I want to make my favourite easy but big breakfast: scrambled eggs on toast. I know what you're thinking, but I can explain. Protein bars are for emergency snacking. And the ice cream? Come on, let's stop pretending ice cream isn't an essential. It was ordered and delivered in the one bundle and delivered pretty quickly too, the ice cream probably helped to keep everything else cold. Monday: Starting Simple Day one started with a lovely bowl of muesli and a yoghurt pouch, enough to fuel through the start of the day. I was feeling confident on the way to work and the plan for the day was to keep it simple. Lunch: 7-Eleven Ham, Cheese and Tomato Sandwich, Bundaberg Ginger Beer When lunch rolled around, I wasn't feeling particularly hungry, so I picked the classic convenience store menu item: the sandwich. And what sandwich is more beloved than ham and cheese? Ordering just a sandwich felt like criminal behaviour though, so I added a drink, too. Dinner: 7-Eleven 100% Aussie Beef Pie Speaking of classics, what's more classic than a beef pie? As an Aussie, I love a good pie but my hopes weren't high for the convenience store version. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavour, the substantial filling and the flaky crust. A moreish delight that was as easy as it was delicious. Tuesday: Feeling Indulgent Monday was a success. I was feeling good. But, if I wanted to subsist on sandwiches and pies, I'd go back to uni. It's time to level up this challenge. After the same breakfast as the day before (I do love routine), I decided to dive deeper into 7-Eleven's menu. Lunch: 7-Eleven Hot Bites Mac & Cheese, Nobby's Porky Bits When I think of the word 'indulgent', one of the first things that comes to mind is mac and cheese. It's a simple yet beloved dish that never fails to delight, and this is no exception. However, on reflection, I can see that my palate is still tuned to the uni diet, especially since I added the pub snack classic Nobby's Porky Bits as an extra crunch to accompany the bites. Dinner: 7-Eleven Southern Fried Chicken Wrap Emboldened by my urge to enjoy the menu's full extent, I chose to get something with more depth. I chose the southern fried chicken wrap, which, with its combo of chicken, veggies and smokey mayo, proved to be a complete experience of crunch and indulgence that had some of the depth my lunch lacked. At the recommendation of our 7-Eleven contact, I customised it slightly with a spin in the sandwich press, which took it from great to elite. Wednesday: Balance Is Key That was fun (and tasty), but I was starting to feel the effects of the lack of balance in the diet. Just because I'm limited to the meals ordered from 7-Eleven on Menulog doesn't mean I have to limit myself to simple (but delicious) carb-heavy eats. To shake up the muesli monotony for breakfast, I instead went with fried eggs on toast for breakfast, which never disappoints. Lunch: 7-Eleven Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich, Liquid Death Sparkling Water That's why I chose to return to the most sacred of all food forms: the sandwich. This time, a stacked chicken schnitzel sandwich (toasted by my own grand design). It had a lot going for it, with enough veggies to keep my conscience quiet alongside lovely schnitzel. And to feel fancy, a can of Liquid Death that caught my eye by the branding alone and turned out to be the most refreshing and interesting sparkling water I've ever drunk, tasting more like water than the usual mineral flavour. Dinner: My Muscle Chef Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Remember what I said about balance? By dinnertime, I was hungry for something that put protein first. I'm a carnivore, after all. I opted instead for the always delightful My Muscle Chef Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl, perfect for cosying up on the couch and watching Shōgun, come at me, gym bros. After an episode or two I had room for more, so I enjoyed a date with that tub of Ben and Jerry's before bed. Thursday: The New Normal The home stretch had begun. I was starting to lose interest in the routine elements of my menu, which was making me come to terms with the habits I supposedly loved. So, on Thursday morning, I treated myself to a little treat in the form of a latte and an Original Glazed® Krispy Kreme. Lunch: 7-Eleven Spinach & Ricotta Roll It made sense to return to another Aussie classic today. I started this journey with a beef pie, so why not throw a sausage roll in the mix? One problem. I don't really like sausage rolls, un-Australian, I know. The next best thing for me is a spinach and ricotta roll, which helps eliminate the recurring meat out of the diet, too. It was as hearty as I needed, with a lovely cheesy flavour and a warmth that survived the delivery. Dinner: 7-Eleven Asian Style Chicken Noodle Salad In keeping with my (slightly) healthier choices in these final 48 hours, I decided to come as close as I could to a full-blown salad and opt for the Asian-Style Chicken Noodle Salad. This was the right call. Its zesty hit of sesame chicken goodness carried me through the evening. Friday: A Grand Finale At last, my week of scientific study on the modern convenience diet was coming to an end. I was pleasantly surprised with the week, but soon, I'd return to the joys of preparing my own food rather than waiting for it to arrive with a knock at my door. But I had one day left, so I was going to make the most of it. Starting with, at long last, my specialty (but basic, I'm no gourmet chef) scrambled eggs. Lunch: 7-Eleven Spicy BBQ Beef Brisket Wrap It was a brave swing here, I know, but the idea of anything with beef brisket always catches my attention. My fatal mistake was missing the keyword 'spicy' as I do not handle spice well. Thankfully, it was not immediately as hot as I was worried about, being more of that smokey barbecue spice than actual chilli. Dinner: DIY Charcuterie Board — Nobby's Original Beef Jerky, 7-Eleven Vintage Cheese and Pretzels, 7-Eleven Savoury Snack Mix To me, nothing says 'celebration' quite like a good charcuterie board. So, to celebrate the end of my experiment, I created a board using only the ingredients 7-Eleven could provide me: jerky, vintage cheese pretzels and a savoury snack mix. My presentation didn't look the best, but it tasted good, and it went down well. The saltiness of the pretzels, matched with the creamy vintage cheddar, was pleasantly complemented by every carnivore's favourite trail snack, beef jerky. And like that, it was over. I never expected to take part in an experiment like this, but I genuinely was impressed by the range of options available and the quality of what I found on offer. 7-Eleven is available for delivery through Menulog now. Delivery not available in all areas and product availability may vary per store.
UPDATE: MARCH 30, 2020 — When you're mostly living on pantry staples, a treat is more than deserved — and you can't go past this Clovelly patisserie's insane creations. You can order savoury pies, bread, eclairs and chocolate-dipped croissants to your doorstep via the Bopple app. It is currently closed to dine-in customers. When you're mostly living on pantry staples, a treat is more than deserved — and you can't go past this Clovelly patisserie's insane creations. You can order everything from savoury pies and bread to eclairs and chocolate-dipped croissants to your doorstep via the Bopple app — or takeaway from the store if you do want to venture outdoors.Sydneysiders with a sweet tooth should make tracks to Clovelly, where renowned pastry chef Yves Scherrer is now pumping out his goods at new patisserie and bakery Madame & Yves. Scherrer — who's opened the venue with partner Jennifer — has worked across several of Sydney's fine dining institutions, creating stunning desserts at the likes of Sokyo and now-closed restaurants Est. and Ananas Brasserie. He also recently coached the Australian World Pastry Cup team — which went on to win sixth place worldwide — and is the man responsible for Sake's much Instagrammed dragon egg dessert. While the dragon egg will not make an appearance at Madame & Yves, a few of Scherrer's other famed creations will grace the menu — including the salted caramel eclairs from Ananas and the white sesame gelato from Sake. The leaves room on the menu for a whole heap of new creations, like the matcha yuzu roll (matcha sponge, mascarpone yuzu cream, yuzu whipped ganache, shiso leaf gel and choux pastry) and the piña colada tart (coconut mousse, lime curd, rum-flambéed pineapple and sweet pastry). Expect cakes, tarts, fresh bread and pastries aplenty. There is a whole host of croissants, from the classic ham and cheese, to a Ferrero version filled with hazelnut and dipped in chocolate. There's also a sizeable list of handmade gelato and sorbet on offer, including vanilla bourbon, pineapple yoghurt and lemongrass varieties. You'll also notice a focus on native and seasonal Aussie ingredients here, with no artificial colours or additives to speak of. Patrons can see an environmental focus elsewhere in the shop, too — notably in the biodegradable plant-based packaging and the Green Caffeen swap-and-go cup cups. For those coffees, the patisserie has teamed up with social enterprise Madding Crowd Coffee, a small-batch Sydney roaster which donates a portion of profits back to charity (and whose beans come in reusable tins). The Clovelly Road shop is small, which means you can watch the team of pastry chefs in action from the open kitchen as you order at the counter. There are a few outdoor tables, too, made for morning coffees and croissants. Find Madame & Yves at 343–345 Clovelly Road, Clovelly. It's open daily from 7am–5pm.
If you're looking for an intimate spot in the Northern Beaches where you can catch up with friends over a glass of white, red or even skin-contact wine, look no further than Manly Corso's new small bar Henry G's. Designed to look like a pint-sized library or a wealthy family's reading room with over 2000 antique books on the shelves, the bar comes from the Saga Group — the crew behind Northern Beaches mainstays Donny's Bar, InSitu and the Market Lane Live series. The bar is named after Henry Gilbert Smith who built Manly Wharf and contributed to the Corso, Hotel Styne and St Matthews Church in the 1800s. The influential figure has been honoured with a spot specialising in all things vino, as well as pintxos and tinned fish. "We wanted to deliver a venue where patrons could take one step off the Corso and immerse themselves in a world of exceptional wines and pintxos, all while paying homage to Manly's history," says Saga Group's Pete Jenkins, Jorja Thomson and Steve Helms. The 170-strong wine list includes more than 20 drops by the glass, ranging from Mumm Champagne and Provence rosé to a skin-contact sauvignon blanc and a chilled red from France's Comte Tolosan. Accompanying the pinots and rieslings on offer is a Bentspoke-heavy beer menu, a handful of wine-fermented beers, and a sizeable selection of cocktails with a focus on sours. The Vauxhall Gardens sour is particularly attention-grabbing, combining Buffalo Trace, machine rosso, fig and raspberry sherbert, and citrus. Feeling peckish? Start with a serve of gildas before moving on to the Henry G's specialties: the pintxos. Load your slice of thick-cut bread with cured pork tartare, crab salad, crushed spicy tomato and sardines, or torn burrata and padron peppers. Tinned fish also feature heavily on the snack menu, with sardines, scallops, mussels, squid and tuna belly all on offer. Plus, Henry G's is an ideal nightcap spot, with the ability to pair your Manhattan with a sweet treat like the brunt Basque cheesecake. Henry G's is located 11 The Corso, Manly. it's open 4pm–late Tuesday–Saturday and 4–10pm Sunday. Head to the bar's website for more information.
For a country that's girt by sea, as our national anthem reminds us, Australia has become rather obsessed with waves of the artificial kind in the past few years. Melbourne has its own Urbnsurf surf park, Sydney is set to score one this year, and the brand is looking to set up shop in Brisbane and Perth as well — while Melbourne also boasts a theme park with a wave pool, and other different man-made spots have also been earmarked for Sydney's north and the Gold Coast. Oh, and Kelly Slater is meant to be opening a surf ranch on the Sunshine Coast, too. Indeed, "who needs real beaches?" seems to be the current line of thinking — and it's also behind Surf Lakes, a regional Queensland surf park that's been up and running for a few years, but only for testing. Now the operation has been given the go-ahead to develop its Yeppoon site by both the Queensland Government and the Livingston Shire Council, which puts it on-track to add facilities for the public. Yes, that means that within 12–18 months, it'll ideally be welcoming in anyone and everyone to live out their Point Break dreams beyond the ocean. The Capricorn Coast venue was built as a prototype facility designed to give a new kind of technology a whirl, and uses a central mechanism that sends waves from the middle of its 200-metre by 150-metre lake towards the edge. With the water lapping over eight distinctive breaks, it produces more than 2000 surfable waves per hour, including some measuring more than two metres in height. When it launched in Yeppoon, Surf Lakes also had some high-profile support, with Aussie surfers Mark Occhilupo and Barton Lynch the park's two ambassadors. But opening to the public was always floated as part of the venue's overall mission — and, depending on timing when it does open its doors to everyone, it might make it the first operational surf lake in the world. Wannabe Johnny Utahs (because we all want to be Keanu, admit it) can expect a spot that'll cater for beginners and pros alike, covering folks who've never hopped on a board before — including via learn-to-surf lessons — plus those well-experienced at hanging ten. The site is also set to include shops, places to nab food and drinks, and other outdoor and fitness activities around the lake. And, for those making the trip north for a holiday, there'll be glamping-style accommodation as well. Announcing the news, Surf Lakes International Chief Executive Officer Aaron Trevis said "our long-term aim has always been to take our wave-making technology to the world, allowing people from all walks of life to be able to experience the joys of a surfing life in a safe environment. We hope the Yeppoon site can be one of, if not the first Surf Lake open to the public." Surf Lakes is aiming to open its Yeppoon site at 662 Yeppoon Road, Mulara to the public within 12–18 months — we'll update you with further details when they're announced, and you can head to the company's website for more information in the interim.
When it comes to eating your way through a few scoops of ice cream, no one really needs an excuse. But when there's free ice cream on offer, well, that's obviously as good a reason as you're ever going to get. And it just so happens that Ben & Jerry's is serving up exactly that across Australia until Sunday, November 15 — including at its own stores in Blacktown, Chatswood and Manly, plus at Hoyts venues in Blacktown, Broadway, Penrith and Wetherill Park. We hope you like your ice cream stuffed with dough — cookie dough, that is — because that's what's on the menu. To celebrate 30 years since it first started mixing cookie dough into its desserts, Ben & Jerrys is whipping up 35,000 free scoops from its dough-filled range. Yes, you'll have to choose between the old favourite that is chocolate chip cookie dough, the caramel and peanut butter-heavy 'The Tonight Dough' and the 'Totally Baked' flavour with bits of brownies, too. Or, you can opt for 'Boots on the Moooo'n', with toffee and sugar cookie dough; 'Peanut Butter Half Baked', which is clearly self-explanatory; and a non-dairy version of choc-chip cookie dough. To score your free ice cream, you'll need to register online first. You'll also need to select a times and a location — and then you can get licking.
Art & About is slowly turning every street, laneway, building site and intersection into a canvas for creativity and storytelling. As a part of this initiative comes Project Five, Volume Five — a month-long presentation of outdoor street art in Sydney’s iconic Darling Harbour. Encompassing the best in live art, music and with a huge range of family-friendly activities, Project Five is an exciting, contemporary celebration of arts, also functioning to provide funds to support the artists of tomorrow. The core of Project Five is a public art exhibit lasting the entire month and showcasing 16 large-scale works created by renowned Australian artists Jodee Knowles, Rone, Numskull and Adnate. Then, on the weekend beginning 27 September, contemporary Sydney artists will transform the Village Green into an open-air studio, painting live works as thousands watch on. The unique artworks created during the three-day event will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going towards the further development of the Information and Cultural Exchange’s digital arts program. Although now the fifth time that the Project Five event has been held, this marks the first time it has featured as a part of Sydney’s Art & About Festival, with aMBUSH Gallery and Darling Quarter teaming up to promote the community collaboration initiative.
The Farnsworth Invention tells the story of the fight for the patent for television. The battle plays out between two poor-boys-come-good, Philo T Farnsworth (Damian Sommerland) and David Sarnoff (Patrick Connolly). In the early 1920s, RCA manufactured radios, and made a radio network to go with them called NBC. As Television became a tantalising inevitability, Philo Farnsworth worked to bring this vision to life, while Sarnov competed, as the head of NBC, to beat him to it. While Sommerland and Connolly's lead characters each draw you into the ins and outs of their competition, the best part of this production is the ensemble itself. Each player has few enough roles to play, but their strength lies in the way their presence crowds around the two leads. Most of the cast is on stage most of the time, tittering and gasping at the action, and leaving you with a sense of the fears and buzz that permeated that era's preoccupations, much as present-day media moguls and disasters occupy us today Explaining complex systems is a specialty for writer Aaron Sorkin, best known as the author of the Social Network and the West Wing. Here, he takes what might have been a dry story, interesting only to technology wonks, and made it engaging. As his leads explain the inventions behind cathode-ray televisions, it's easy to understand the intricacies of a TV's phospherecent image. Throughout, the play uses science and music as metaphors for technology and its uses. Farnsworth is more interested in making a TV, but Sarnoff has a stronger vision for what to put on it, despite Farnsworth's own musical talent which straddle both fields. The Farnsworth Invention lets you join them there, in an evening where art explains, and argues about, science with you. And leaves you excited about it to boot.
Ricardo Cortés, who illustrated the hugely popular adult bedtime reader, Go The F*ck to Sleep, has released a third edition of his previously sold-out book, It's Just a Plant. This book is for the kids this time, but it's just as controversial, telling the story of a young girl's educational journey as she comes to understand cannabis, explained to her by her parents, a doctor and a kind gang of Rastafarians. The book covers difficult concepts like crime and the medical use of drugs in a thoughtful, non-propagandist manner, with beautiful illustrations to accompany. It's also an excellent way to guide your way through the awkward conversation you'll have to have if your kid catches you enjoying a sneaky joint.
As Sydney-based hip hop artist, DJ and singer-songwriter Joyride will tell you, creativity isn't always something you can switch on and off. "For me, there's no set routine to get my head into a certain space, but I think that's just because I'm always kind of there," he muses. "It's not like you make a decision and go, 'okay, I will now create'." "But that's not to say it's easy. It's still quite difficult, all the time," Joyride's quick to concede."You're always thinking about it, always thinking about ways to present things to other people to make it palatable and to get an idea across. You don't just stop doing that. You don't stop seeing inspiration in things." We sit down with the artist to talk creating for the opinions you respect, 'f---ing' with people's perceptions and wearing trusted clothing. On paper, this artist's own creative space sounds pretty near perfect — a comfy studio in Sydney's colourful, creatively charged inner west, sitting above a mate's pub. But for Joyride, the best creative stuff is less a product of time and physical space, than of the people in his life — both familiar friends and those imagined audiences. "A big part of my inspiration comes from who I intend the thing I'm making to be for," he explains. "I've found recently that if I tailor what I'm making to people whose opinions I respect, people that are close to me, people that I work with, then everything else kind of falls into place. It's kind of reverse engineering inspiration. And it has made making shit a lot easier." "People have different ideas about why we create, but at the end of the day it's a realistic look at having this as a profession, and your number one goal has to be to stir something in enough other people," he says. "I love entertaining, I love making things so that other people get something from it, you know?" It's a similar end-focused attitude that informs Joyride's sense of style and influences his wardrobe picks on the daily. "I consider fashion as a fun and interesting way to say who you are without saying a word," he says. "That's the purpose, right?" "If we're going to cover ourselves with something, why not do it with something that says who we are?" Joyride asks. "And why can't we then subvert that and play with it, so that we can f--- with people's perceptions of who we are? Have fun with it and control that a little bit." For this artist, denim's a wardrobe staple for its staying power. "I've got a few pairs of knock-about jeans and one pair goes back to 2011 — I've still got them and I still wear them," he admits. "I feel like jeans are the kind of garment that just sticks with you. In a world of planned obsolescence, denim is a stayer." "Those old mateys are my favourites," confesses Joyride. "You probably clean out your closets maybe once, twice a year, and these have made it through. They're for, like, when I'm spending time with trusted friends. I want to wear trusted clothing." Check out Joyride's work here, and find the denim that brings out the creative, innovator and gamechanger in you at The Iconic. Images: Letícia Almeida.
In 2026, Flickerfest Short Film Festival will celebrate its 35th year as a highlight in the cultural calendar. The curated programme, which takes place from Friday, January 23 until Sunday, February 1, showcases around 200 short films, including 42 world premieres and 41 Australian premieres, giving Sydney audiences a first look at the industry's creative talents. Alongside Flickerfest's outstanding lineup, the festival has also partnered with Specsavers for the third year running to support emerging filmmakers. The competition invites filmmakers to create a 30-second short film in the spirit of the brand's recognisable "Should've Gone To Specsavers" ad, which has been gracing Australian screens for over 15 years. "The partnership is about getting people to think creatively and giving opportunities for emerging filmmakers," says Flickerfest director, Bronwyn Kidd. "It has evolved from a script competition to people producing their own 30-second ideas. It encourages people to get a team together and make something." From all of the entries, five finalists have now been selected, with each short film set to be showcased at Flickerfest and awarded $20k in prize money. One entrant, however, will win a major prize — $50k cash to help launch and support their creative career. While the finalists have been handpicked by a judging panel, the winner will be chosen by the general public. Voters are also in with a chance at some prize money. Voters are also in with a chance at some prize money. Tell us, in 25 words or less, why your favourite 30-second short film deserves to win. You'll then go in the draw to score a $1000 Digital Visa Gift Card. Perhaps the winner will be Edvard Christie's wine blunder with The Expert? Hannah Dougherty's hilarious crime mystery, Sketch Artist? Or the unique animated short, Garbologist? Justin Villar's The Chase makes for a thrilling TVC, while Muraya Moore's Fishtank nails the creative brief. Watch and vote for the five Flickerfest finalists at the Specsavers hub and go into the running to win $1000 — all while supporting the Australian film industry. See the full Flickerfest programme and find more information here. Lead image credit: Flickerfest
If you were planning to start your hot girl summer by catching Megan Thee Stallion's first-ever live shows in Australia, Festival X comes bearing bad news: the American rapper is no longer heading Down Under. Mere days out from the event's first 2022 stop, organisers have announced that the performer is no longer on the bill, and that she won't be replaced. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Megan Thee Stallion will not be able to travel to Australia to perform at Festival X," the Festival X team advised in a statement. "Whilst our goal is to present the best experience for fans, despite our best efforts, it will not be possible to find a replacement at such short notice. However, with over 30 artists making up this year's line-up — including Calvin Harris, Don Toliver, Boys Noize, Green Velvet, Nina Kraviz and so many more — we are looking forward to catching you on the dancefloor for Festival X and officially kicking off summer 2022!" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Festival X (@festivalxworld) The lineup change comes after a chaotic few years for Festival X, which debuted back in 2019 with Calvin Harris leading the bill, but hasn't been able to return since until now due to the pandemic. The Scottish DJ headlines the 2022 fest again, joined by Don Toliver. Festival X has five stops in its sights between Saturday, November 26–Sunday, December 4, all huge outdoor gigs — playing Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, Bonython Park in Adelaide, Sydney Showground and Perth's Claremont Showground. Anyone with ticketing concerns due to Megan Thee Stallion's cancellation is advised to submit a request to Moshtix customer service before 5pm on Friday, November 25. Tickets are still available for all five Festival X dates around the country — and you can check out the current lineup below: FESTIVAL X 2022 LINEUP: Calvin Harris Don Toliver Boys Noize Green Velvet John Summit Luude MaRLo Nina Kraviz Sub Focus (DJ set and ID) Tchami Wilkinson (DJ set) Anna Lunoe Babyface Mal Badrapper Blastoyz Choomba Cosmic Gate Franky Rizardo Haliene Key4050 featuring John O'Callaghan and Bryan Kearney Laura King Len Faki Nifra Nora En Pure Prospa Sunset Bros Taglo Tyson O'Brien FESTIVAL X 2022 DATES: Saturday, November 26 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Sunday, November 27 — Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Friday, December 2 — Bonython Park, Adelaide Saturday, December 3 — Sydney Showground, Sydney Sunday, December 4 — Claremont Showground, Perth Festival X 2022 tours the country from Saturday, November 26–Sunday, December 4. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
Since 1960, boundary-pushing artists and cultural performers have been sharing their talent and creativity at Adelaide Fringe. As an open-access festival there is no curatorial team which means that all creatives are welcome and invited to share their talents with the arts-loving crowd. The annual event highlights exactly what grassroots art is all about — fostering inclusivity, self-expression and community belonging. This makes it especially special for the young (and young at heart), who are invited to immerse themselves in the wonder and spectacle of the Adelaide Fringe program. Introduce your kids to the magic of the Fringe this year with the following standout family-friendly events that'll unlock their imagination. DUSTY FEET MOB Experience dance storytelling with Dusty Feet Mob: a collective of young Aboriginal performers hailing from Port Augusta. Through dance and song, they celebrate identity and culture, as well as share stories that promote healing and awareness for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities alike. Their performances are grounded in cultural learning and knowledge passed on by family members and mentors — all dedicated to strengthening young people's connection to their culture. WEREWOLVES If interactive theatre is your thing, then you'll love being part of the Werewolves experience. Take a journey into Millers Hollow, where trouble is afoot as werewolves stalk innocent villages. Each morning, another death occurs and it's up to the villagers — that'll be you — to find the werewolves who may be hiding in plain sight. Each audience member is given a card with their role, before the game master whisks you away on an adventure to solve the mystery and save the village. The experience is rated G, but there are descriptions of violence throughout, so the show is better suited for ages ten and above. 360 ALLSTARS This global phenomenon has been seen by over a million people worldwide with sold-out runs in Edinburgh, on Broadway and at the Sydney Opera House. Discover the thrills for yourself when 360 ALLSTARS land at Adelaide Fringe this year. Picture hair-raising athleticism with high-energy performers delivering jaw-dropping flips, BMX tricks, breakdancing, acrobatics and more. It's a great one for the kids, but you'll also walk away inspired to dust off that skateboard from your teen years and practise some kickflips. (We can't be held responsible for any injuries sustained.) PETER PAN — A NEVERLAND ADVENTURE This classic tale never gets old. As the winner of last year's Best Children's and Family Show Award, it's no wonder that Peter Pan — A Neverland Adventure is returning for another run at the Wonderland Spiegeltent. A combination of flying acrobatics and astounding feats take your breath away as you follow J.M. Barrie's beloved characters on their adventure to the land where nobody grows up. It's an absolute must for young and old alike. [caption id="attachment_935443" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Rabin[/caption] FRINGE FOR KIDS If your kids are easily distracted, keep them entertained at a variety show where they can cheer, stomp and clap along to music, dance, drag, circus and magic performances. At Fringe for Kids, there's a fresh lineup every day, so you'll always be kept on your toes if you return for a second or even third visit — and you may have to do just that, as your kids won't stop talking about it. 80's LADIES Share some of your beloved childhood hits with the kids in your life. We're talking Whitney, Madonna, Cyndi — all the iconic ladies of the era that you know and love, reimagined by singer Chloe Castledine and her team of musicians and dancers in 80's Ladies. Dress in your brightest neon for the occasion and shimmy the night away to non-stop bangers at The Moa at Gluttony. TRASH TEST DUMMIES CIRCUS A stalwart of the Adelaide Fringe scene, the Trash Test Dummies Circus has been entertaining local crowds for years, even taking home Best Children's Presentation in 2015. Their slapstick and visual comedy includes ballet, acrobatics, balloons and everything a discerning kid seeks in their entertainment. It'll be a cackling good time featuring plenty of knee slaps and bin jokes that you simply were not prepared to laugh at. CLASS CLOWNS Put your teen's quippy comebacks to good use at Class Clowns, where aspiring comedians will take the stage for a chance to perform at the National Grand Final during the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The national high school competition encourages teens to share their funny insights through their choice of comic medium — be it sketch, stand-up, music or physical comedy. Even if you're not performing, drop in to see the future of Aussie comedy on display. Book your FringeTIX now at the Adelaide Fringe website.
The Wire isn't an anthology series in the traditional sense. It focuses on the same Baltimore police detectives each season — as led by Dominic West and Wendell Pierce — but sees their investigations overlap with a different element of the city's daily life. In the first season, it peers into illegal drugs. In the second, sea freight and the ports are in the spotlight. Across subsequent seasons, the focus falls on city government, the education system and newspapers. Dense, intricate, devastatingly smart and oh-so-involving, the result is one of the best shows that HBO has ever made — and a series on par with The Sopranos in terms of its influence. It was created and primarily written by former Baltimore police reporter David Simon, so it knows its stuff. Also, among its A+ cast, keep an eye out for particularly exceptional work by Idris Elba and a very young Michael B Jordan (and for Isiah Whitlock Jr's over-extended pronunciation of "sheeeeeeeee-it".
When Sex and the City scored a sequel series back in 2021, it let fans of the HBO hit reunite with its beloved New York-based characters; however, not everyone was present and accounted for. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon all returned, as did many of the men in their lives. But Kim Cattrall has been sitting out And Just Like That... — until season two arrives this winter. Variety reports that Samantha Jones is a part of the show's new batch of episodes, albeit just in a cameo. Cattrall (How I Met Your Father) will only be in one scene, chatting with Carrie (Parker, Hocus Pocus 2). And, it's believed that she shot her contribution solo, without interacting with her longterm co-stars. [caption id="attachment_791681" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sex and the City[/caption] As well as dropping that news, And Just Like That... has just released its full trailer for season two. Unsurprisingly, there's no sign of Cattrall. But the sneak peek does explain why John Corbett (To All the Boys: Always and Forever) is reprising his role as Aidan Shaw, adding to the series' parade of Sex and the City faces. Cosmos at the ready, obviously. Your next excuse to sip vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice and lime juice will arrive from Thursday, June 22 on Binge in Australia and Friday, June 23 on Neon in New Zealand. If you've spent any part of the past two-and-a-half decades dreaming about being a fabulously dressed Big Apple writer who seems to do very little work but can still afford a fantasy wardrobe — or if you've just filled it drinking a lot of pink-coloured cocktails — then you'll already be excited. And, you'll know that when the first season of And Just Like That... arrived, it did so 17 years after Sex and the City wrapped up its HBO run. Two years later, the show will explore more of Carrie, Miranda (Nixon, The Gilded Age) and Charlotte's (Davis, Deadly Illusions) lives and friendships in their 50s, when things are even more complicated than they were two decades ago. Season two will also feature Sara Ramírez (Madam Secretary), Sarita Choudhury (Ramy), Nicole Ari Parker (Chicago PD), Karen Pittman (The Morning Show), Mario Cantone (Better Things), David Eigenberg (Chicago Fire), Evan Handler (Power), Christopher Jackson (Space Oddity), Niall Cunningham (Poker Face), Cathy Ang (My Best Friend's Exorcism) and Alexa Swinton (Old), all similarly returning from season one. A reminder: due to Kim Cattrall's absence so far, And Just Like That... has been badged as a "new chapter' in the Sex and the City story, rather than an additional season of the existing 1998–2004 program. Parker, Davis and Nixon are also executive producers on And Just Like That..., alongside Michael Patrick King, who worked as a writer, director and executive producer on the original (and on the two terrible 2008 and 2010 Sex and the City movies). Check out the full trailer for And Just Like That..., season two below: And Just Like That... season two will start streaming via Binge in Australia from Thursday, June 22 — and from Friday, June 23 on Neon in New Zealand. Images: HBO.
Who is Barbara Cleveland? That's the point of the latest video piece by Brown Council, a portrait in honour of one of Australia's infinitely talented yet often forgotten performance artists. This is Barbara Cleveland seeks to define Cleveland, a performance artist who disappeared mysteriously in 1981. This video installation explores the voice of Cleveland with care and intrigue, bringing to light a mythic feminist, unfairly left out of the Australian art history books. Blending fact with fiction, history with memory, the piece also delves into an exploration of art history on the whole. Namely, who is written in and out of it? And why do these calculated misrepresentations even occur? This is Barbara Cleveland is the work of Brown Council, a company renowned for national and international projects, with recent showcases featured among the likes of Cambridge Junction (UK), Forest Fringe (UK) and Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney). This Is Barbara Cleveland is part of the You're History season, something of a birthday party for Performance Space, but don't worry about bringing a gift. They're actually giving you the presents: wrapped-up pieces of performance, visual art, dance, music and more, celebrating their big 3-0. Also showing is the bite-sized art of 30 Ways with Time and Space, the journey into mad methodologies in The Directors' Cuts, a creative send-off to analog TV and plenty more.
Pastels and poop. Step inside Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience and that's what awaits. The colour scheme is soft and soothing, but the point of focus is literal crap (well, fake versions). If you've ever called something "cute shit" before, those words have never applied quite as they will here. This Japanese-style installation takes its cues from not only Japan's kawaii poop trend, but from the Unko Museum's sites across the nation, including in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Shizuoka. Now, Unko Museum is making its Australian debut in Melbourne — originally slated to open in December 2023, but now adding some adorable crap to summer from Wednesday, January 17, 2024. The focus: "max unko kawaii", aka "the maximum cuteness of poop". Also one of the mains attractions: getting everyone taking snaps and filling their social-media feeds, so expect a heap of pastel emoji-esque shit to fill Instagram. Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience is split into zones and areas, spanning displays to take pictures of and other inclusions that are more immersive. Think: images of poop projected around the place, snapping selfies with poop props and flying poop, and retro-style games with a poop theme in a space called the Crappy Game Corner. Pastel-hued toilets are also a feature, lined up along a wall under a sign calling them "my unko maker". So are neon poop signs, giant poops, a ball pit where the balls are shaped like poops, poop hats, walls filled with toilet seats, glowing poop lights and a towering toilet-shaped doorway. Plus, exiting through the gift shop here means picking up kawaii poop merchandise and souvenirs. In Japan, as at October 2023, 1.4-million people had flushed the interactive experience into their itineraries. In Australia, Melburnians and tourists who now want to add some poo to their next Victorian visit can expect to spend 30–60 minutes revelling in endearing crap, in a family-friendly experience — because poop is for everyone.
After years of hype, Australia's first surf park is finally set to to open this summer — and its bringing some of Sydney's top chefs with it. Urbnsurf Melbourne has teamed up with Darren Robertson, Andy Allen and Mark LaBrooy to bring the fifth instalment of their farm-to-table eatery Three Blue Ducks to our city. "We all love Melbourne and we all surf, so when [the Urbnsurf team] met with us about this space, we felt it was well suited, and was also quite different from our other venues," says Robertson, who co-owns the current Three Blue Ducks in Sydney, Byron Bay and Brisbane. Located around the corner from Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, the all-day restaurant will built inside the two-hectare surfing lagoon. The two-level venue will boast high ceilings, a big open bar and an expansive, greenery-filled deck out front — so diners can watch the surfers in action. As with other Three Blue Ducks outposts, the open kitchen will feature a woodfired pizza oven, a rotisserie grill and a charcoal pit, all helping to prepare a signature menu of sustainably and ethically sourced eats. Seasonal ingredients will be sourced from local farms, wineries, craft breweries and other artisans around Victoria. A dedicated kitchen garden will also grow herbs and native Aussie plants, including lemon myrtle and salt bush. [caption id="attachment_591172" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Three Blue Ducks Rosebery[/caption] "We'll move down to Melbourne in the coming weeks and just get to know suppliers through farmers markets and visits to the farm — then write the menu based on what we find," says Roberston. Many of the venue's favourite dishes will make an appearance, though the exact details are still in the works. We're hoping for the the corn fritters with guacamole, fermented cabbage, herb salad, labneh and poached eggs for brekkie; and the coal-roasted lamb with parsnip purée for dinner. Other likely contenders include whole steamed fish and roasted chook served with salads, ferments and pickles. For drinks, Sydney's Single O has again signed on for the coffee side of things. And beer, wine and kombucha will all be served on tap. The tap drinks tie in with the team's ongoing commitment to sustainability, with an onsite composting facility and limited use of plastic also in the plan. Three Blue Ducks and Urbnsurf are due to open in summer 2019 along Airport Drive, Melbourne Tullamarine. Keep an eye on this space for updates closer to. Top Images: Three Blue Ducks and UrbnSurf's founder Andrew Ross; Wavegarden San Sebastian by Ed Sloane (courtesy of Urbnsurf); and Three Blue Ducks Rosebery.
A quiet corner of Darlington is now home to its very own roastery, courtesy of coffee enthusiast and former Australian Barista Championship judge Cedric Kim. The 32-seat cafe offers quality eats, backyard seating and, most importantly, bottomless coffee for all. Customers can choose from all-you-can-drink batch or cold brew for just $7 — a nearly unheard of perk on Sydney shores. To keep his offering constantly evolving, Kim sources fresh beans from Alexandria's Collective Roasting Solutions every week. At the moment, the milk blend coffees use beans from Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia and Guatemala. The single-origin offer changes every week, too — right now those beans are from Burundi, Africa. "I want my customers to really get a sense of different characteristics of beans from all around the world," says Kim. Filtered, iced and pour over (using the high tech GINA) also make the menu. If you're not feeling like a coffee, there's also a house-blend brown sugar chai — steeped for 12 hours and brewed with almond milk — smoothies, gelato milkshakes and fresh juices on offer. [caption id="attachment_729547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tanya Saint James[/caption] In the kitchen, Head Chef Muhammad (Obi) Owais takes the freshness of his food very seriously — the cafe receives a daily delivery from a local supplier and uses only those ingredients on the day. You'll find the Ivy Bruschetta (sourdough toast rubbed with garlic and topped with multi-coloured cherry tomatoes, boconccini and basil) and the Roaster's Eggs (free-range poached eggs and chorizo in a house-made tomato sauce with sourdough), along with a smoked pulled pork burger, which has already become a neighbourhood favourite, according to Kim. "People lick the plate all the time," he says. For vegetarians, the polenta sounds especially tasty, served with a mix of wild mushrooms and a poached egg and drizzled with truffle oil. Set in the residential side of Darlington, Kim wasn't looking to draw a big crowd with this venture. "I didn't want a main road shop because I want people coming in bit-by-bit and seeing that we do things differently," says Kim. "I want to really focus on making the best possible coffee, and if we are crazy busy it just won't work." Terra Cotta Roasters is now open at 1/74–80 Ivy Lane, Darlington. Opening hours are 7am–3pm daily. Images: Tanya Saint James
With a history that trips back almost a century, the heritage-listed Balmoral Bathers' Pavilion is pretty hallowed turf. So, it's only fitting the historic waterside venue has an impressive cast of Sydney hospitality and design gurus overseeing its next phase of life. The art deco beauty reopened in October 2019 after an extensive ten-week makeover, with some new and old hospitality elite at the helm. The beachside venue now sports a fancy fit-out by award-winning design studio Luchetti Krelle, whose works you'll have spied at the likes of Manly Greenhouse, Verandah Bar, Banksii and the Sydney Opera House lobby. Expect lots of white tablecloths, sea-toned stripes, plants and lots of light from the venue's epic floor-to-ceiling windows. Bathers' gives you a few options: the bistro, the bar, the kiosk and the fine dining restaurant. The Bathers' Bistro is your more casual option, and it's open for brekkie, lunch and dinner. But, prices still aren't exactly cheap — smashed avo is $22, and mains like grilled Yamba prawns and fish pie will set you back around $35–45. For something a bit more special, you'll want to make a reservation in the venue's fine dining offering, The Good Room. The menu changes daily, but expect lots of seafood and cuts of duck breast and lamp rump. It's a set menu deal here, with two courses for $90 and three for $110. You'll also have 350 wines to choose from and an ocean view from wherever you sit. For snacks, you can grab a seat in the adjoining bar, and, on Sunday afternoons, the terrace becomes a champagne bar, so you can indulge in Louis Roederer, prawns and steak frites alongside panoramic views of the ocean. If you're just after a post-swim feed, there's also the option to grab a hamper or fish and chips from the downstairs kiosk. A visit to the upstairs gallery is also an option. Front-of-house star Cam Fairbairn has jumped on board to head up the service side of things, filling a void we've all been feeling since the closure of Rushcutters Bay favourite Acme earlier this year. In the kitchen, four years on from a previous stint at Bathers' Pavilion, Cameron Johnston (St Claude's, Jonah's) makes his return, stepping into the role of co-head chef of the venue's fine dining restaurant, alongside Peter Gong (Catalina). Kumiko Endo, with stints at Attica, Tetsuya, Fujisaki under his belt, joins the gang as head pastry chef, while Jess Mead (Acme, Kingdom of Rice) takes on the task of restaurant manager. Owner-Chef Serge Dansereau has overseen the Bathers' Pavilion site for the past 20 years and confirmed earlier this year that he's been granted a new lease for the next two decades. So you can expect to have more than a few Sunday sessions here. Images: Nikki To.
You'd be hard pressed to find a Jewish Sydneysider that doesn't have time for this Bondi kosher butcher. Don't be fooled by its modest shopfront; Eilat is a tidy little business down on O'Brien Street that's been serving up worthy produce conforming with kashrut dietary law for over 31 years. They also deliver to most surrounding suburbs and offer cooked specials if your mother-in-law's popping over for a last-minute surprise visit. One of Sydney's best butchers.
Let's call it the "Nicolas Cage plays" effect: when those three words combine, almost anything can follow and viewers will be obsessed. Dracula, himself, an expat Aussie surfer, a man that no one can stop dreaming about, Superman, a truffle hunter and a dad milking an alpaca are just some of the recent ways to end that sentence. In Longlegs, the pivotal phrase wraps up with the movie's title. It's the key name in the case that a just-out-of-the-academy FBI agent has been assigned. Nothing can prepare audiences for Cage's performance, however, even if you've seen him in everything from Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Vampire's Kiss to Wild at Heart and Face/Off, and then Mandy and Willy's Wonderland. Little can prepare you for this instant-classic and supremely unnerving addition to the horror canon, either. In making Longlegs, Maika Monroe and Osgood Perkins were well-equipped, though, thanks to a decade separately linked to the genre as an actor and a filmmaker, respectively. The former came to prominence with 2014's It Follows, a follow-up to which is on the way. The latter made his directorial debut with 2015's The Blackcoat's Daughter, then added 2016's I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and 2020's Gretel & Hansel to his resume. Perkins is tied to horror by blood, too, as well as from his work on-screen, where he was stepping into a young Norman Bates' shoes at the age of nine. His father is Anthony Perkins, aka the elder Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, plus three sequels — one of which he helmed himself — in the 80s and 90s. Cage, Monroe, Perkins: that's a helluva pedigree for any movie. Longlegs doesn't squander it. Whether it's opening in 70s or unfurling its bulk with pitch-perfect 90s details, Perkins has whisked up a can't-look-away cinematic nightmare — one with a namesake that takes some thematic cues from Darth Vader in a way, he tells Concrete Playground. That's a connection that likely no one would make if he didn't join those dots himself. That said, it also speaks to the impact of a figure that lingers over an entire feature while deployed judiciously. The trailers for Longlegs are just as careful with their teasing, and Perkins was with Monroe as well: on-set, she saw Cage as Longlegs properly the first time that Agent Lee Harker, her character, does. Mentioning the best-known villainous force in a galaxy far, far away is also an aptly leftfield clue for a movie that does indeed play out like a puzzle, not just for Monroe's Harker and her boss Carter (Blair Underwood, Origin), but for everyone — and a feature that can never be accused of making obvious choices. Perkins has also described Longlegs as a "horror movie mixtape", and it fits a flick that's about unsolved murders, detectives chasing the culprit, the occult and Satanism, mysterious codes, unsettling dolls and creepy barns, each adding to the components waiting for audiences to piece together. The response so far in the US alone hasn't just been warm, but hypnotised and huge. Neon, the US distributor that's also brought Parasite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Possessor, Titane, Spencer, Moonage Daydream, Triangle of Sadness, Infinity Pool, Anatomy of a Fall, Ferrari and Perfect Days to screens in America, broke its box-office record for a debut weekend when the movie opened there a week before Down Under. The only film that beat it in takings: the all-ages-friendly minion power of Despicable Me 4, so the exact opposite of this haunting thriller. Now it's Australia and New Zealand's turn to meet Longlegs — and we chatted with both Perkins and Monroe about it, including about where inspiration came from for Perkins for a character as immediately unforgettable as Longlegs, plus Monroe's career path to the movie. Also covered in our round-table discussion with the duo: the genesis of the film's story, Monroe's reaction when it initially came her way, building a presence like Longlegs with Cage and Perkins' route to the genre. On What Inspired the Character of Longlegs Osgood: "For me, it starts with Darth Vader, and everything goes forward from there. And when I say it starts with Darth Vader, it starts with the quality of 'ohh, the villain is really the star of their own story, the star of their own situation. They're doing the best that they can with what they've been dealt'. And so with someone like Cobble, with Longlegs, the idea is not how do you make him sinister, but what about him isn't sinister? The sinister parts and the sort of evil parts and the kind of villainous parts is de rigueur. That's got to just be part of it. That's mandatory. Where you pull and stretch the rubber band is like, well, where is he pathetic? Obviously he's powerful, but where is he weak? Obviously he's invested — well, where is he unsure? So when you start to create these binary positions, much more can exist between those poles. If you have a villain who's like this all the time, and that's not — you don't see a lot of that anymore, but everybody has their pluses and their minuses. And I guess even a serial killer is ultimately still a person who shit's happened to, not good. And when you pluck them out of their habitat, they're probably pretty pathetic." On What Came to Mind First When Perkins Was Conjuring Up the Film's Story Osgood: "It's what I think would be fun about something like this. And usually that comes in through music, and imagery evolves as you work with other people. The first thing that happens is the dialogue and the way the movie sounds and what people are talking about, and what words they're choosing to use. I'm a big words guy. I don't believe in thinking about writing. I only believe in actually writing. Those are very different entities for me. So it starts with the words, and it starts with words that I like, and it starts with the title like Longlegs that I like. And then it starts with the way that he talks and the things he chooses to say, and it grows out of that." On Monroe's Initial Reaction to the Movie When the Script Came Her Way Maika: "I read a whole lot of scripts, and it is few and far between that you read something that just grabs you immediately. The writing was so good. It was so vivid. And, probably similar to audience members watching the movie for the first time, I really thought that I had a grip on where it was going and understanding, and I was like 'okay, awesome, a nostalgic crime-thriller'. And then a little past halfway through, all of a sudden it turned into a whole other beast, and it just felt so unique and fresh." On How Much of Longlegs, the Figure, Was on the Page — and How Much Came Together During the Shoot Osgood: "We worked together on it, and of course there's the contribution of hair, makeup, special effects makeup, wardrobe, production design. Everybody's gratifyingly pulling towards the same goal, which is to make something cool, something that has a music to it, something that has a pulse or that vibes stronger than anything else around it. That's the whole trip that we're on. And with Nic, with the character of Longlegs, most of it is on the page when he gets it. The way he looks is written. And then we've got to figure out a way to make that look right. So it becomes about literally taking one piece at a time. Like the chin, it's too much, it looks like Dick Tracy, so take it down by half. I don't need these scary things around the eyes because that makes it look a little too like Halloween costumes, so let's take that down. Let's look at this — the hair should be poufy. We're talking about glam rock, so let's exaggerate that a little bit. It just becomes about taking all the little pieces and sewing them together. And luckily for me, I have a collaborator in one of the great all-time movie presences who's really as focused and deliberate and deep as you want them to be." On Monroe's First Proper Meeting with Longlegs Maika: "It definitely felt intense, and pretty much we would do a take and I would just step out of the room — and I would go in if there were notes or something, but I just think it was nice for us to keep our space. Then after we finished filming that day, it was actually his [Cage's] last day. We were sitting across from each other and they were taking some still photos, and we just started chatting. It was the first time I heard his actual voice, and he was just saying to me 'I'm just such a fan. I love all your movies'. And I was just like sitting there like 'is this really happening?'. It was crazy. It was very surreal." [caption id="attachment_924171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] It Follows[/caption] On What Monroe Makes of Her Career So Far After 15 Years On-Screen and a Decade on From It Follows Maika: "There's just so many ups and downs, and there's no rhyme or reason to this industry. You book this big movie and you're like 'this is it. This is going to be it'. And it isn't. And then you do this tiny film, and all of a sudden it turns into to something that was never expected. I think at the end of the day, I am just so insanely grateful. I have to step outside and sort of look at where I'm at. And if I were to talk to my 13-year-old self, I would have never believed this, that I'd be sitting here right now and just the people I've been able to work with — it's just surreal and just very lucky. On Perkins' Path to Directing Horror Movies Osgood: "I think like any kid who grows up and sees their dad doing the thing, there's either the raging impulse to do the same thing and to try to find out, do a little bit of a detective search on your dad by trying to go in their footsteps of — and I think for me, it was certainly part of that. The horror genre to me is just the most delightful. It's the most delicious. It's the most profane and absurd, romantic, poetic, endless, concealed genre of all of them. It really contains everything. It contains love. It contains comedy. It contains adventure and science fiction, and it's all sort of embedded in there. So I don't necessarily think of myself as a horror director, because I don't know that I think of myself as a horror fan. I can't remember the last horror movie I paid for to see in the theatre. I don't really care about it, it's not really interesting to me. To me, I'm more looking to do something expansive, and the horror genre allows for all realms of thought and expression. And there's so many little signifiers that you can connect to, like serial killer or procedural crime, or it's an axe murderer or whatever it is — you can go in and people have an idea about it, and an emotion attached to it. And then you can create your own thing based on the model." Longlegs opened in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Read our review.
Black Springs Cabin is one of four beguiling stays on Budgee Budgee Farm, a beautifully secluded, gum-lined 33-acre property just outside of Mudgee. From the outside, the lodging transports you back in time and gives big frontiersman energy thanks to a rustic facade of raw timber, brick and corrugated iron. Step inside, however, and thoughtful contemporary creature comforts like quality linen, attractive lighting, a Nespresso machine and walls adorned with artwork make the space feel anything but dated. While the term 'cabin' might imply limited space, once inside you'll immediately appreciate the generous size of the main living area which features a luxurious king bed positioned fireside for those cold country evenings that make Mudgee such an appealing destination for winter weekenders. [caption id="attachment_904521" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A spacious bedroom-living area with wood fireplace[/caption] For the uninitiated, Mudgee is a three-and-a-half hour drive from Sydney and has earned its now-stellar reputation as a destination for lovers of great produce and wine. Sheltered in the Cudgegong River Valley and surrounded by fertile farm land, the region is the third largest grape-producing area in the state, primarily for red varieties like shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. If you do book a stay during cooler months, you'll be kept warm by the indoor wood-burning fireplace that's fuelled by a pile of pre-chopped wood. For the marshmallow-inclined, there's an outdoor fire pit (an ideal spot to partake in the spoils of the region's rich winemaking history), and there's also a freestanding claw foot bath which, if you time it properly, provides an incredible vantage point from which to watch the sunset. As the essential amenities go, the kitchen includes an electric stovetop, fridge, microwave, toaster and kettle, and there's a BBQ out back if you want to keep things completely self-contained for your stay. Alternatively, Black Springs is an easy 15-minute drive to the cafes, restaurants and wine bars of charming Mudgee village that are well worth seeking out, as are the nearby vineyards and producers like Pipeclay Pumphouse, Small Batch Brewery and Robert Stein Winery. Black Springs Cabin is recommended for a couple's weekend away when your main criteria includes being surrounded by nature, unwinding in stylish comfort and peaceful seclusion. You can book now through Airbnb. Image credit: Amber Creative Now you can book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations everywhere.
When Amy Schumer starred in Trainwreck back in 2015, audiences may have felt a sense of niggling deja vu. If you'd watched Inside Amy Schumer or any of her standup shows, you knew exactly the kind of character you were getting — not that that was a big problem, necessarily, since seeing the comedian and actress take her usual persona to the big screen was part of the appeal. But even the funniest folks can only coast on the same material for so long. That's not to say that Schumer doesn't throw herself into her latest film with gusto, but rather that her character, the aimless, self-absorbed, recently single Emily, offers very little that's new. The same is true of the film in which she resides, which plays out exactly the way you expect it to. Drunken pick-up attempts? Tick. Gags about intimate personal grooming? Tick. One-liners that only work thanks to Schumer's delivery? Keep ticking. A hard-partying character suddenly forced to address her messy existence? Of course that's what Snatched is about. The film kicks into gear when Emily's cat-loving mother Linda (Goldie Hawn) discovers, via Facebook, that her daughter has been dumped. Emily, for her part, is upset, although seemingly more about her impending, non-refundable vacation to Ecuador than the breakup itself. After trying and failing to find a friend to accompany her on her adventure, Emily discovers an old photo album filled with snaps of a once-carefree Linda travelling in her younger years. So she decides to invite her mother along instead. With a title like Snatched, it's not a spoiler to say that the duo soon find themselves kidnapped by local criminals. Frankly, it's hard to spoil much about this film, given how formulaic it all feels. From the predictable interplay between mother and daughter to the uncomfortable stereotypes about South America and its inhabitants, the uninspired script by Ghostbusters scribe Katie Dippold leaves one person with a huge job. And no, it's not director Jonathan Levine – the man behind The Night Before, Warm Bodies and 50/50 stays mostly on auto-pilot here. Instead, it's Hawn who does the bulk of the heavy lifting. It has been 15 years since the actress was last on screen, but the comic force of the '80s and '90s has lost none of her flair. A committed supporting performance by Joan Cusack aside, it's hardly surprising that Hawn's rapport with Schumer is far and away the best thing about this routine jaunt through the jungle. If all Snatched does is inspire you to seek out some of her earlier work, then at least it will have achieved something of value. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcyeYFXdHNQ
Melbourne's gentlemen of synth-pop are out spreading the good vibes and, as always, packing out the dance floor. Cut Copy's fourth album, Free Your Mind, was released last year and is probably the closest thing they have to a concept album, as it is hugely influenced by the Summers of Love in 1967 and 1989 according to lead singer Dan Whitford. It's strange to think that it's been 10 years since Cut Copy's debut album, Bright Like Neon Love, was released but at the same time exciting to see a band that tackles new ground while staying true to their original ideals. If their latest performance at this year's Golden Plains is anything to go by, punters can expect plenty of the new stuff and past favourites such as 'Hearts On Fire', 'So Haunted' and 'Need You Now'. Touch Sensitive and Nile Delta will be joining Cut Copy for a night that is sure to be all about the lights and music. Read our interview with Cut Copy. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xPRJVKtrCCk
No one simply likes Caramilk. Cadbury's caramelised white chocolate is adored, obsessed over and flat-out loved with undying passion, whether it's being served in standard block form or being worked into cocktails. We could keep listing more words of utter and complete devotion — and keep outlining other different ways to eat the cult-favourite dessert, too — but you get the picture. When it comes to this specific type of choccie, there's no such thing as too much. Love Caramilk? Like ice cream as well? Then you'll want to sink your teeth into Cadbury's new collaboration with Peters Ice Cream. The resulting dessert is as straightforward as it sounds, but hey, when it comes to making Caramilk ice creams on sticks, there's really no need to overcomplicate matters. Available in Australian supermarkets from today, Monday, July 26, the new Caramilk desserts coast Peters' ice cream with the beloved chocolate. So, no more needing to choose between a few squares of the smooth and creamy chocolate and something frosty. The look a little like Magnums, but in that golden Caramilk hue — and, if you're already a fan of the chocolate, they're certain to tempt your tastebuds. They come in individual servings and in boxes of four, so you can either pick up some to share or stock up on dessert for the next few days. Getting in quickly is recommended, though, given how popular all things Caramilk typically prove. Cadbury's Caramilk ice creams are now available in supermarkets — and will set you back $4 each, or $8.50 for a four-pack.
Sometimes, you can read a book and imagine exactly what a TV adaptation would look like. Anyone who thumbed their way through The Southern Vampire Mysteries before it was turned into HBO's True Blood can't make that claim, however. Created by Six Feet Under's Alan Ball, this undead-focused horror series drips with mystery, lust and gothic excess. And blood, obviously. It's a show set in a world where vampires aren't just a fantasy — and at a time when a synthetic product that shares the show's name has allowed them to live side-by-side with humans, in theory. At the centre of this vamp-fuelled intrigue sits small-town Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who happens to be telepathic. She also happens to fall in love with 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). When their romance attracts the attention of the area's vampire sheriff (Alexander Skarsgård), that's when the drama begins.
"Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" They're the questions that the full trailer for Wicked poses in its first moments. The rest of the sneak peek, the film it's for, and both the musical and the book that it's based on all explore those queries through the tale of Glinda (Ariana Grande, Don't Look Up) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Pinocchio). Film lovers, you're going off to see the witches, the powerful witches of Oz, when Wicked soars from the page and the stage to the screen in 2024. The famous and beloved theatre musical adapts a book that takes inspiration from The Wizard of Oz, and has been a show-going favourite for more than two decades thanks to composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman. Now, it's heading to cinemas as a two-part movie. The first instalment, now just called Wicked rather than Wicked: Part One, arrives in November with director Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) behind the lens. Grande dons pink and Erivo sports the requisite green in both the first teaser trailer for the movie — which arrived amid the annual Super Bowl sneak-peek frenzy (see also: Deadpool & Wolverine) — and also for the just-dropped complete sneak peek. Haven't caught the stage show on its current Australian run, including in Sydney since 2023 and in Melbourne from March 2024 , with Brisbane to come? Defy gravity in your local picture palace before the year is out instead. In the two trailers for the film, Glinda tells Elphaba "don't be afraid". "I'm not afraid," is the fellow witch's response. "It's the Wizard who should be afraid of me." As for why, the second trailer steps through more of the plot — complete with renditions of 'Popular' and, yes, 'Defying Gravity'; Elphaba getting her black witch hat; flying monkeys; hues of pink and green aplenty; and meeting the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum, Asteroid City) in Emerald City. Wicked follows the Land of Oz's witches, with telling their untold tale the musical's whole angle. On the stage, the show has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Joining Grande and Erivo in bringing Wicked to the cinemas is quite the who's who-style cast. Alongside Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh (A Haunting in Venice), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Ethan Slater (The Marvellous Mrs Maisel) and Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) also feature. As for when the second Wicked movie will also get flickering, it's due in November 2025. Check out the full trailer for Wicked below: Wicked releases in cinemas Down Under on November 28, 2024.
Following on from January’s Now Now, July’s Next Next Mini-Festival of Exploratory Sound and Music is taking over Serial Space in Chippendale for four short, tightly woven sessions of music, debate and electronic art. For the last few weeks, they've been hosting the Splinter Orchestra, a not-so-small band that boasts a 35-strong roster. It's been rehearsing, exploring and getting the measure of the space, before it plays whole and divided into parts as the acoustic spine of the festivals ecclectic corpus. The Splinter Orchestra has one performance to itself (having previously warmed up at an open session where the audience was asked to come along and make noises of its own). The festival also features Serial Space's fifth Great Debate, cheerily trashing the festival's bread and butter: That Experimental Music is Boring. A proposition which will be debated by a pretty lively line-up. Then Ivan Lisyak's album launch follows some more-serious discussion of music and sound, finding help from all quarters including Peter Blamey's loud lower case sound, Jon Hunter's dreamy twang and Blamey & Emily Morandini's electronic art to sit in company with the music.
No half-half. No ham and pineapple. Only Italian mozzarella. Only Italian toppings. It might sound like you're back in the classroom, but dining at Rosso Pomodoro is an authentic Italian experience that tops any biology lesson — the lengthy queues a sheer reflection of why. The restaurant is small and in typical Italian form can be a tad noisy. Nonetheless, it's all about the pizzas that are reassuringly crispy and slightly blistered. We could go on and on about all the delicious pizzas at Rosso, but absolute standouts would have be the bresaola with rocket and parmesan ($22) and the calzone with salami and olives. Vegetarians will be delighted with the Funghi ($19), but it's the Della Casa with Italian sausage, hot salami, baby spinach and parmesan that takes the cake (or pizza?).
Trendy trio Kitty, Daisy and Lewis make retro-inspired soulful tunes mixed in with a dash of modern funk. Their already impressive repertoire of appearances at Falls, Meredith, Sydney Festival and the Big Day Out is being added to over the next few months with concerts in both Melbourne and Sydney before they head up to the beloved Byron Bay for Australia's largest and most renowned blues and roots festival, Bluesfest. Hailing from north-west London, the trio derive a lot of their inspiration from the swinging melodies of the '40s, '50s and '60s and have been described by NME as "the sound of yesteryear, but also a band for the future". To jump on the bandwagon and see what all the hype is about, take a look at the Kitty, Daisy and Lewis official Australian tour trailer before snapping up tickets while they're still available. https://youtube.com/watch?v=F2Litp_kgkw
Anthony Lister's figures are amalgamations of superheroes, shimmering colours and body parts. Lister describes the appeal of four-colour comic characters as almost godlike — heroes in a kind of mythology. And if mythology is really about family at heart, then Lister's family is odd, powerful and roughly formed. His figures put on a spare head or a fresh pair of arms as casually as a new coat. They stand powerful and heavy; comfortably composed with a revelatory style not too far from comic legend Bill Sienkiewicz. Lister has been collected by Taschen and curated by the National Gallery, and now he comes to the Chalk Horse Gallery in the form of solo show Memories Not Included. His hero figures will be on display along with darker, less defined pieces flush with shadowy palettes and neon stains. There'll also be some in situ work unique to the gallery space. Lister's figures demand attention, but they're not interested in yours. They look ready to walk off the walls to go out in search of whatever takes their mood. Don't let them get away before you've had the chance to get a look.
