Chocolates are often a last-minute gift option. You've forgotten a big occasion, your choices are limited and you know that the recipient of your present has a sweet tooth. Gelato Messina's Mother's Day chocolates don't fall into that category, however — and not just because you need to order them in advance. There's boxes of chocolates and then there's this annual box of chocolates, which puts the gelato chain's winning way with desserts into action without ice cream. In 2024, Mother's Day is happening on Sunday, May 12, in case it temporarily slipped your mind. And if you pick up this showstopper, you'll be vying for favourite-child status. An important note: back when Messina first started doing Mother's Day choccies, they came filled with gelato. That hasn't always been the case, though, and isn't this year. 2024's chance to win brownie points is a box of eight chocolate bars, each made in-house by the dessert brand's chocolatiers — and each sporting a brand-new flavour. Is your mum a salted caramel fan? Raspberry caramel? Passionfruit yuzu caramel? There's three bars covered. Other varieties include cannoli and hazelnut, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate brownie and cafe latte. And if your mother has always wondered what tea and biscuits would taste like in chocolate form, they can now found out. It's not just the filling that's different on each bar. So is the outer shell, ranging from 65-percent dark chocolate, light milk chocolate, raspberry chocolate and coffee white chocolate to passionfruit chocolate, strawberry chocolate, earl grey tea chocolate and milk chocolate with brownie crumbs. So, your mum will have quite the variety to feast on. And hey, if she doesn't like one of the flavours, maybe she'll share it with you. Each box costs $55 a pop, and will be available to order from 12pm AEST on Monday, April 29 for delivery, or for pick up at the brand's Marrickville store in Sydney. Gelato Messina's 2024 Mother's Day chocolate bars are available to order from 12pm AEST on Monday, April 29 for delivery, or for pick up at the brand's Marrickville store in Sydney.
Urthboy thundered his way into 2016 with his brand new album, The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat, inspiring one four-star review after another and making feature album on triple j. So, if you couldn't get your mitts on a ticket to one of the preview gigs, here's your chance. Get there in time to check out the supports. First up will be Sydney's Okenyo, whose voice you'll know from Urthboy's 'Second Heartbeat' and in the second slot is L-FRESH The LION, Western Sydney's beloved outspoken hip hop artist who recently signed to Elefant Traks — you might have heard his single '1 in 100,000'. This is one our our top ten picks of Vivid gigs you should buy tickets to right now. Check out the whole list.
It doesn't matter how good your cast is if you don't give them a compelling story to tell. That's the lesson of My Old Lady, the motion picture debut of playwright Israel Horovitz. An obvious stage-to-screen adaptation that shows little consideration to the differences between the two, it's a film so stuffy and slow-moving that it makes its geriatric headliner look positively spritely by comparison. The great Maggie Smith plays the old dame in the title, a 92-year-old British expatriate named Mathilde Gerard, who lives in a spacious Parisian apartment thanks to a peculiar French real-estate law called a viager. Under the arrangement, Madame Gerard receives regular cash instalments from a buyer, who will eventually gain full ownership of the property when the old lady finally dies. It's a fantastic deal for her, but a right pain in the arse for Matthias Gold (Kevin Kline), a deadbeat New Yorker who inherits the building in his estranged father's will. So Matthias skulks around Paris, trying to figure out a way to sell his newfound property while contending with his stubborn new tenant and her hostile adult daughter, Chloe (Kristen Scott Thomas). But soon the comic setup gives way to something much more serious. Information comes to light regarding the relationship between Matthias' father and Gerard, unscrewing the lid on a can of Daddy Issues in the process. It's interesting subject matter, to be sure. The problem is that Horovitz doesn't know how to translate his material to the screen. A vast majority of the truly relevant action takes place inside Gerard's apartment — and no number of aimless shots of Paris can disguise the film's origins on the stage. The dialogue itself feels better suited to the theatre as well, with a number of theatrical monologues in the movies' second half running unnecessarily long. At least it goes without saying that all three of the film's main actors are fantastic. Frankly, it's hard to think of a single bad performance across their entire combined body of work. In truth though, none of their characters are particularly easy to like, each one of them consumed by a mixture of blind entitlement and self-pity. That's the other lesson to be learned from My Old Lady. When a film's central conflict comes down to bickering over a $9 million deed, it's difficult to feel much sympathy for anyone involved.
If you live in Australia and you love French cinema, then you already have a hefty chunk of autumn blocked out in your 2023 diary. To help cap off 2022, the annual Alliance Française French Film Festival locked in its dates for the year ahead, when it'll take its movie-adoring show on the road throughout March and April. What's even better? Unveiling the initial 15 titles that'll be gracing its big screens in Aussie capitals, and also a heap of regional locations. Among the first titles revealed, both variety and high-profile names feature heavily. Among the latter, there's a big focus on France's leading ladies, such as Juliette Binoche (The Staircase), Marion Cotillard (Annette), Virginie Efira (Benedetta), Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future), Laure Calamy (Call My Agent!), Noémie Merlant (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) and Isabelle Adjani (The World Is Yours). And, AFFFF already boasts its usual smattering of homegrown box-office sensations and up-and-comers, aka already-proven hits and the talents who'll be making them in years to come. Get ready for zombies, comedies, Cannes titles, acclaimed filmmakers, Oscar contenders and more. One big highlight: Final Cut, a French remake of Japanese cult hit One Cut of the Dead from The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius, starring Bejo and Romain Duris (Eiffel), and a movie that is playful with that whole setup. If you missed the original, it follows a film crew making a zombie special that's being broadcast live — but then things get real. Selected as France's submission to this year's Oscars, in the Best International Feature category — and already named on the Academy's shortlist — Alice Diop's Saint Omer is another absolute must-see. The documentarian draws from true events to craft a drama about a young Parisian journalist and novelist attending murder trial, then wading through the complexities it surfaces within her own family history. Acting icon Adjani is part of the cast for Masquerade, which has the honour of opening this year's AFFFF. Directed by La Belle Époque's Nicolas Bedos, and playing at last year's Cannes Film Festival, it tells of glitz, glamour and a far-less-glossy underbelly in the Côte d'Azur, as led by Pierre Niney (Yves Saint Laurent). Or, film fans can also look forward to One Fine Morning, the latest film by Bergman Island's Mia Hansen-Løve, this time a family drama starring Seydoux; The Innocent, as written and directed by, and starring, Louis Garrel (A Faithful Man), based on his own experiences and featuring Merlant; and Other People's Children, an Efira-led effort about being a stepmother that's also inspired by director Rebecca Zlotowski's (Planetarium) own life. And, Efira pops up again in Paris Memories, which is set in the aftermath of Paris' November 2015 terrorist attacks, and is helmed by Proxima director and Mustang screenwriter Alice Winocour. Binoche features in Winter Boy, the new film from Sorry Angel's Christophe Honoré, an autobiographical drama focusing on 17-year-old Lucas (newcomer Paul Kircher). As for Cotillard, she's part of the cast of Brother and Sister, playing a stage actor and sibling to Melvil Poupaud (Summer of 85). And, after proving so astounding in 2022's Full Time, Calamy appears in two of AFFFF's 2023 titles: Two Tickets to Greece, a comedy about estranged childhood friends heading off the eponymous country, as hailing from fellow Call My Agent! alum Marc Fitoussi and also starring Kristin Scott Thomas (Slow Horses); and the 1974-set Annie's Fire, which follows a working-class mother of two who unexpectedly falls pregnant at a time when abortion isn't legally accessible. Rounding out this first drop of titles: November, one of the biggest French box-office hits of 2022, with Jean Dujardin (Deerskin) playing the lead anti-terrorist squad investigator into the Paris 2015 attacks; Notre-Dame on Fire, about the 2019 blaze; Everybody Loves Jeanne, a comedy about self-doubt; and Lie with Me, as based on Philippe Besson's award-winning autobiographical novel. Notching up its whopping 34th year, AFFFF will play Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart — plus Byron Bay, Parramatta, Victor Harbour, Bendigo, the Gold Coast and Margaret River. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATES: March 7–April 5: Sydney, NSW March 8–April 5: Melbourne, VIC March 8–April 5: Perth, WA March 9–19: Hobart, TAS March 9–April 5: Canberra, ACT March 15–April 12: Brisbane, QLD March 16–April 5: Byron Bay, NSW March 23–April 19: Adelaide, SA March 29–April 2: Parramatta, NSW March 29–April 16: Gold Coast, QLD March 31–April 2: Margaret River, WA April 3 and 10: Victor Harbour, SA April 21–23: Bendigo, VIC + encore dates in some cities The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, March 7–Tuesday, April 25, 2023. For more information, visit the AFFFF website. Check back here on Wednesday, February 1 for the full program.
Well, it's happening. After months of hostility from taxi drivers and general confusion about what the future of the taxi industry should look like, the NSW government looks set to announce some pretty big state reforms — which, according to reports, will legalise the much loved and lauded ride sharing, ice cream delivery, kitten appreciation service, Uber. The Daily Telegraph last night reported that, in reforms to be announced today, Uber drivers would be required to pay a licence fee for the first time, and would be subject to criminal record checks and vehicle inspections. Basically, they'd be forced to operate under same regulations as regular taxi drivers. In an attempt to compensate regular cab drivers for suddenly losing their monopoly over the market, the cost of taxi plates would become significantly cheaper. They'd also retain the sole right to use taxi ranks and be hailed on the street. How exactly existing drivers will be compensated for the drop in value of their plates is not yet known, and would be decided by Cabinet next month. The decision to legalise Uber seems like it was inevitable, if not a little surprising — especially considering the New South Wales Road and Maritime Services effectively put the company on notice in September. It comes two months after the ACT made the move to legalise and regulate Uber and its drivers, and if the same does indeed happen in Sydney and NSW, it will surely see the rest of the country look towards integrating the ride sharing service into their taxi system. Via The Daily Telegraph.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next escape. In this instalment, we go to The Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart, Tasmania, where you'll encounter hundreds of artworks adorning the walls, views of the harbour and boutique interiors with exposed timber beams and walls of hand-cut stone that nod to the building's former life as a waterfront jam factory. Stay here as part of one of our curated itineraries on Concrete Playground Trips that includes a four-nights stay with daily breakfast included, scenic flights for two over Wineglass Bay, and Posh Pit tickets to MONA. Book it now. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Located in the Hunter Street precinct, this building is one of the oldest waterfront warehouses in Hobart named for the one-time building owner who started working in the former jam factory as a 12-year-old kid, working his way up the ranks until he eventually took over the business and ultimately made the jam trade his bitch. While art hotels are no longer new-news, the Henry Jones does has the claim to fame as Australia's first dedicated art hotel and the extensive collection of works and ongoing artist in residence program upholds its place as a leader within the onslaught of art-devoted stays that has followed. There are some 400 artworks throughout the property with a strong representation of emerging Tasmanian artists. Stroll the hallways, guest rooms, drinking and dinings options and public spaces, including The Packing Room Gallery, which hosts a roster of themed exhibitions. THE ROOMS At the Henry Jones Art Hotel no two rooms are the same. Organic materials, tones and polished timber meets rich accents of primary colours and thoughtfully curated decor in each of the hotel's lodgings. In many rooms, large harbour-facing windows let in natural light to show off sleek contemporary design elements amid the building's original features. Like much of Hobart, it's a collision of old and new influences. As for the details: luxurious bedding, original artworks and beautifully-appointed modern bathrooms complete with ample fluffy white towels. There's also the requisite free wifi and in-room coffee machine, and in some rooms you'll find an ultra-deep Kohler bath tub for soaking between strolls and sampling the sensational local dining scene. FOOD AND DRINK Speaking of dining, the in-house offering is a step above your usual hotel lobby bar. There's the IXL Long Bar, for innovative cocktails and snacks. At the front of the hotel is the Landscape Restaurant and Grill with a menu by Head Chef Nathaniel Embrey designed around the Asado grill and inspired by the region's exceptional local produce and artworks of legendary landscape artist John Glover that surrounds diners. Then there's the hero of the lineup: Peacock & Jones. Culinary Curator Ben Milbourne (chef and former Masterchef Australia contestant) and Head Chef Julian Volkmer (MONA) have crafted a menu that celebrates the very best of seasonal Tasmanian produce from sea urchin to truffles. And, of course, the drinks program showcases a carefully considered selection of Tasmanian wines, whiskies and spirits. [caption id="attachment_869996" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maria Island[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA It's no secret that we are serious devotees to all that Tasmania's got on offer. Here's a quick guide to some of our Hobart favourites, and a more comprehensive exploration of all the flavours of Tassie can be found here. Head to The Henry Jones Art Hotel website to book a stay or, if you'd rather we sort your itinerary for you, book our curated Bucket-List Hobart Getaway here.
Not all travel has to include wild adventuring. Sometimes, we want to go an easy holiday that doesn't include hours behind the wheel of a car or pushing our bodies to their limits. Instead, we can explore a new city (or our own) at whatever speed we like — staying in a luxurious hotel, taking things at a stroll and taking in the best of local culture. This is what a city break is all about. To help you find the perfect one, our team of editors has curated these travel packages. Whether you're on the lookout for a city staycation or vacation, find your favourite option and book it through Concrete Playground Trips now. [caption id="attachment_683983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] STAYCATION IN PERTH AND ITS SURROUNDS Perth, glorious Perth. It's hard not to fall in love with this city when visiting. In fact, the whole state is a treasure trove of bewitching riches. Head to Western Australia's capital to find a thriving city full of great food and culture, surrounded by gorgeous natural landscapes that every Australian must see. And our Perth travel deal will take you to the best bits. We'll put you up in the Adina Apartment Hotel at Perth Barrack Plaza — in the heart of the city — and let you explore the local area at your own pace. We've also organised a day trip to Rottnest Island (friendly quokkas, pristine white sand beaches and clear blue water await) and a tour around The Pinnacles. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_890077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Devang Sahani (Unsplash)[/caption] A LUXE BEACHSIDE BREAK IN ADELAIDE Adelaide's beachside burb of Glenelg is seriously underrated. Found just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, this area is home to long beaches lined with great restaurants and boutique stores. It's so close to the city but boasts the laid-back culture and energy of the best Aussie coastal towns. Our Adelaide city break takes you to this part of South Australia, with the Stamford Grand Adelaide hosting you for three nights. During this time, guests can explore Glenelg at their own leisure — potentially catching a tram into the CBD, too. The highlight of this trip that takes it from great getaway to something seriously special is the four-hour wild dolphin swimming tour run by a team of marine biologists. Jump in the waters — they'll have wetsuits for you — and get right up and close with these ultra-curious ocean mammals. It's an unforgettable experience. BOOK IT NOW. THE ULTIMATE HOBART FOOD, WINE AND ADVENTURE HOLIDAY There is so much to see and do when visiting Hobart, but we have somehow managed to pack a heap of its top experiences into one exclusive five-day holiday. Our trip will have you gliding over Wineglass Bay in a scenic flight that drops you off on Maria Island where you'll go on a guided wildlife tour, then feast on a gourmet lunch. On another day, you'll visit the one and only MONA. Slowly explore the museum, get a private tour (with tastings) at the onsite winery and have a lazy long lunch with even more vino included. It's a truly epic way to see the iconic museum and its grounds. You'll also get a couple days to wander around Hobart, checking out galleries, boutique stores and a heap of the city's brilliant restaurants and bars. BOOK IT NOW. A LUXURIOUS SYDNEY STAY You can easily do Sydney on a budget and have a wicked time. But sometimes you really want to treat yourself. That's when you book our opulent Sydney getaway. For two nights, two guests will stay at the five-star Crown Towers Sydney. Enjoy unbeatable views across the bay, taking in all the sites from day to night — either from your room, the rooftop pool or one of the seriously impressive on-site restaurants. With this deal, you'll also get $100 credit to spend however you like within the Crown Towers Sydney. Did someone say, 'massage time'? BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Steven Groeneveld (Unsplash)
In US, the middle of 2024 has been dubbed the "summer of Shyamalan". The seasons don't fit Down Under for such a catchy alliterative term to apply, but it's still a big time for the Shyamalan family on the big screen. In August, M Night Shyamalan's Trap, his 16th feature, has a date with cinemas. One of its stars: Saleka, aka M Night's eldest daughter, with the IRL R&B singer playing a musician in the serial-killer thriller. Cinephiles needn't wait until then for a Shyamalan-driven horror movie, though, with the Ireland-set and Dakota Fanning (Ripley)-led The Watchers marking the film directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan. Ishana isn't new to the genre that's clearly in her genes — she says that working in it "felt very inevitable", she tells Concrete Playground — after initially making an imprint as a director and writer on TV's Servant, which M Night was the showrunner on. But this is her first feature, and it both continues the family tradition and champions her own interpretation of eerie screen stories. Based on the novel by AM Shine, The Watchers embraces the gothic side of horror as it unfurls its story in an expansive forest that's a beacon for stray souls. Fanning's American-abroad Mina finds much among its trees, including Madeline (Olwen Fouéré, The Tourist), Ciara (Georgina Campbell, Barbarian) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan, We Are Lady Parts); a bunker called The Coop that's their only form of shelter; and the titular creatures who observe their every movement each night. When the woodland won't let you leave, no one can escape it by daylight and danger lurks at night, however, Mina and her new roommates risk being consigned to remaining lost. If Mina's moniker seems like a clue that there's a twist coming — another Shyamalan trait — it springs from Shine's pages. The character has a sister called Lucy, though, a change that Ishana did make in adapting the book for the screen. Yes, there is indeed a surprise at the film's core as it charts its characters attempting to work out why they're stranded, what's watching them and how to leave the remote thicket peppered with warning signs about points of no return, and also darkened burrows in the ground, but nods Bram Stoker's way are an illustration of how Ishana has taken her influences from far beyond her dad's filmography. "It was actually a very unintentional thing," she explains of the names. "I didn't think about Dracula until much later, and I think it's one of those things where you're subliminally inspired by various things. I realised I had named the sister Lucy later, and I was like 'oh my god, those are the two names'," she notes. "But gothic literature and just gothic art in general was a big, big influence and driving factor of this particular movie. It's a style that I love, and I think it's just so, so wonderful and fun. So I very much structured the story to feel like a gothic piece — so I think it's all just intertwined in that way." [caption id="attachment_961260" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marion Curtis / Starpix for Warner Bros.[/caption] Still, viewers can be forgiven for spying what Ishana has inherited from M Night on The Watchers, and where a lifetime of having a father making horror movies has shaped her as a filmmaker. The writer/director behind The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, The Visit, Split and Glass is also one of the picture's producers. Supernatural horror movie? Tick. An inescapable sense of tension as suspense drips? Tick again. Audiences waiting for the pieces of the film's puzzle to fall into place? Tick once more. Narrative-changing revelations? A haunted feel to the feature's lead performance? A strong visual command? Just keep ticking. One thing that Ishana, who was a second-unit director on her dad's Old and Knock at the Cabin, definitely hasn't continued is M Night's fondness for popping up on-screen in his own movies. "Absolutely not. I'm very afraid being in front of the camera. There was one thing I was thinking I could do as a joke, but then I was like 'that's not me — I can't, I can't cameo'," she says. She was keen to give her father a part, but it didn't pan out. "I wanted to put him in the movie actually, but I didn't get to do it." What did Ishana learn from being surrounded by filmmaking from birth? From working on Servant, too? Was getting behind the lens always her path? Why did Shine's book strike a chord? Also, how was Studio Ghibli great Hayao Miyazaki an influence? With The Watchers opening in Australian cinemas on Thursday, June 6 and in New Zealand on Thursday, June 13, we spoke with Ishana about all of the above and more, including about this Shyamalan-heavy period at the flicks, telling original tales and the expectations that come with her surname. On How Writing and Directing Episodes of Servant Prepared Ishana for Making Her First Feature "It was such a wonderful, wonderful experience for me. I think coming right out of film school and going to Servant, I was very much able to treat that as a second film school. And I think just the style of the show, being so restrained and limited, gave all the filmmakers on that project the ability to play with form and technique as your main languages there. So I really felt throughout each episode that I was able to think very specifically about those base elements of filmmaking, like shot-making and what specifically I wanted to get out of these performances. That was very much, I think, an archetypal film experience for me." On Ishana's Initial Response to AM Shine's Book "The book was brought to us by a producer to read it for consideration. I had no context to know what it was about, just had the cover and the synopsis on the back, and just started reading it — and it was just something that I felt incredibly locked in on. I thought it was just such masterful storytelling within the book, and had all of these tonal elements that I was interested in playing with in my exploration of the genre space as well. And then by the end of the book, it becomes this really masterful depth-specific world. And I just fell in love with it, so it felt inevitable in that way." On the Shared Feeling of Claustrophobia That Simmers in Both The Watchers and Servant "I think the process has been very much about leaning into my own fears — which, yeah, I'm afraid of finding myself in situations like that. As a human being, your mind just goes to those places of 'what if I was trapped somewhere? What if I couldn't get out?'. So those ideas I think all felt very, very, quite real and and relatable to me. I haven't thought too much about if that's something that's specific to me or just what I feel. Overall, I think I often have anxiety of being stuck in various forms of my life. One of my main fears as I navigate the world is being trapped in some feeling or with people that I'm scared of. So that is definitely something that I feel quite personally in my life — always the feeling of needing to get out of a place and the ability to move." On Ishana's Approach to Cultivating a Mood and Vibe in Horror "To me, I think the guiding principle was always to just lean into the visuals and energies that I felt love for, that I felt seduced by. A lot of times, horror or survivalist pieces like this have a very similar aesthetic, which is bleak and stripped down. So I was really interested in exploring that same feeling, but in much more maximalist, grandiose visual language. So that was one of the most-interesting things about it to me — how do you create a tone that feels completely fresh in this experience that we've seen a lot in film?" On Playing with Shadows and Light Visually in The Watchers — and Using Imagery to Reflect the Film's Themes "It became very clear to me early on that the movie hinges on daylight and darkness, and that contrast between between light and dark, which is obviously a very classical painterly technique to use — that chiaroscuro approach to the work. But it very much was embedded into the concept of the movie. Even on the book, on the novel itself, the tagline is 'stay in the light' there. So I was really interested in playing with that element of it. I had talked a lot with my DP [Eli Arenson, Lamb] and my production designer [Ferdia Murphy, The Last Girl] about creating this very classic, literal. stage-like approach to our hero space in the movie, which is The Coop, which you see as where they've been trapped. So that was very much something that we went in and wanted to do, where it was distinctive pools of light that our characters are moving in and out of, and it feels like they have that feeling when you don't really control the space that you're in." On Considering Hayao Miyazaki a Source of Inspiration for The Watchers "I grew up watching the Miyazaki films and they, throughout my life, have been a very spiritual thing for me. So I'm always aspiring to mimic that feeling that I feel when I watch them, which is one of wonder and innocence. I felt when I read the book that it had exactly that thing, which is this sense of a character going on an adventure and experiencing a new world. That was very, very exciting for me and gave me a lot of peace to know that I could enter the filmmaking space with something that felt really wondrous to me — so more in the vibe of what I'm trying to achieve with the movie, which I think just carries you into other worlds and hopefully, hopefully has that same feeling." On Deciding to Go Into the Family Business of Filmmaking "It was something that came to me much later in life as I was about to go to school and deciding what I wanted to do as my future. I'd always move through different art forms and known that I had wanted to be an artist in some way — and then it was only later in my life when I was able to even visualise the possibility of myself being a filmmaker. It came very much as a product of all the various things that I love doing going up. And so it felt very much like a surprise to me that this was the thing I was interested in." On What You Learn When Making Movies Is All Around You From Birth "My whole life has been a process of watching and listening to my dad as he's moved through his creative journey, and that's been just so wonderful, I think, to see the morals that he's built and the preciousness with which he regards the art form. So I really think I could've come into filmmaking already with that emphasis on technique and approach to the art-making process. So it was really wonderful, I think. I tried to honour his approach to filmmaking, which is respecting it as much as possible, and that it takes an incredible amount of emotional stability and persistence and work. I really am lucky that I have that visual to touch base with when I'm struggling with the experience myself." [caption id="attachment_961268" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marion Curtis / Starpix for Warner Bros.[/caption] On The Watchers and Trap Forming a Season of Shyamalan It's very interesting. He and I talk about it all the time because it is so anomalous, I think, that there's these two movies are coming out so close to each other. They're very, very different movies. They exist in completely different spaces, which I think is quite cool that they're not of the same world. All things happen for a reason, so my hope is that they can both artistically speak to each other and can communicate. But overall it's just a wonderful thing that we have this space within a giant summer to put out two original movies — I think that's just a wonderful, wonderful thing." On the Shyamalans Making Original Movies at a Time When Existing Intellectual Property and Long-Running Franchises Dominate "It's a different world for sure, and I'm definitely pondering it all the time. I think both he and I value that classical experience of going into theatre with a bunch of people who are different than you and watching something very specific that you didn't know anything about, and feeling the same way about it. I think we both believe that there is this power of a collective original experience where you're seeing some fresh cutting-edge stuff. It's definitely something that I will try to preserve that space as well. And I see a lot of other young filmmakers doing the same, so it makes me quite hopeful for the future of movies, that we can have all different flavours of things." On the Expectations That Come with Ishana Following in M Night's Footsteps — Especially in Horror "The genre for me felt very inevitable. It's just always the art that I've been drawn to and that I've made has played in this slightly darker space. So that felt there was no other option for me than to enter a similar space to him. There's definitely opinions and expectations — and I think I love that feeling. There's something to prove, and having to cut my own space into the creative spirit is a really intriguing challenge for me. So I'm just trying to do the best I can and be as creatively honest as possible, and then I hope things things will go as they should." The Watchers released in Australian cinemas on Thursday, June 6 and hits New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, June 13. Read our review.
Cool. Cool cool cool. If you were to ask Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi, Mythic Quest) his thoughts on the latest Community news, that might be his response. It should certainly be yours — because the six-seasons-and-a-movie prophecy is officially coming true, with American streaming service Peacock just announcing that a Community film is in the works. Abed shouted that "six seasons and a movie" line in the community college-set comedy, in fact, and the character will indeed return for the new flick. Variety reports that Joel McHale (The Bear), Alison Brie (Happiest Season), Gillian Jacobs (Minx), Jim Rash (Home Sweet Home Alone) and Ken Jeong (The Pentaverate) will also star, meaning that Jeff Winger, Annie Edison, Britta Perry, Dean Pelton and Ben Chang will all grace your screen again. There's no word yet on whether Donald Glover (Atlanta) will be singing "Troy and Abed in the morning once more, though — or if Yvette Nicole Brown (Big Shot) will also make a comeback. Ordered 🤝 #sixseasonsandamovieOnPeacock pic.twitter.com/IrxVYSHT9n — Peacock (@peacock) September 30, 2022 this hits a little different today...doesn't it? https://t.co/QUbbDXX3oS — IT'S HAPPENING! SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE! (@CommunityTV) September 30, 2022 Exactly when the Community movie will drop — and where it'll be able to be seen Down Under — hasn't yet been revealed either, but perhaps this isn't the darkest timeline after all. When the series wrapped up after 110 episodes in 2015, it only achieved the first part of its six-seasons-and-a-movie goal; however, fans have held out hope of seeing the Greendale gang again ever since. In 2020, that did happen in another way — during an early-pandemic virtual table read of season-five episode 'Cooperative Polygraphy'. .@alisonbrie @kenjeong @dannypudi @YNB @donaldglover @GillianA @peacock @SonyTV @CommunityTV pic.twitter.com/ynVqgaPuQD — Joel McHale (@joelmchale) September 30, 2022 Community creator (and Rick and Morty co-creator) Dan Harmon will be back for the movie, too, as a writer and executive producer, but exactly what it'll cover hasn't yet been announced. If you're now in the mood to binge your way through the beloved show's past antics in excitement (and anticipation), all six seasons of the series are available to stream via Netflix Down Under — and on Stan in Australia. Check out the Community season one trailer below: Exactly when the Community movie will arrive, and how it'll be available Down Under, are yet to be reavaled — we'll update you when further details are announced. Via Variety. Image: Netflix.
Putting the fun into fundamental learning, the Two Up talk series is a weekly event at Work-Shop HQ in Redfern. Two experts from completely disparate fields of interest will take the stage for 15 minutes to educate the audience on their topic of choice. Unique subjects are covered, stimulating ideas are thrown around and collaboration is necessary. The first talk event is on Sunday, September 21, and will cover trash cinema and South American cooking, by Josh Wheatley and Andrew Levins respectively. Having completed his PhD on the topic at the University of Sydney, Wheatley looks past the stilted facade of glossy Hollywood blockbusters and analyses the underappreciated Z-grade films that dwell in the gutter of cinema history — the trashier the better. Andrew Levins, of The Dip fame will be providing some insight into South American cooking through an exploration of the culture that comes with local cuisine. Start off the working week with some useful (or, at the very least, interesting) knowledge that you can whip out at parties next weekend.
If the idea of dancing to techno in a lurid club on a Saturday night is repulsive to you, then get excited because The Chip Off the Old Block has got you covered. For the month of August, Saturday nights at The Chip will be dubbed Whisky Business and Old School Saturdays. It's all about the music, without any of the headache-inducing thudding beats and creepy guy grinding on you. But it's not just any music. There's old school rap, R&B and hip hop. We're talking Ice Cube, TLC, Busta Rhymes, Mary J Blige. It's all happening. Bust out your best Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: it's time to party like it's 1999. As the name implies, the whisky will be a flowin', with whisky specials on from 8pm until 10pm. It's guaranteed fun when Ice Cube is involved. It's not the only welcome themed night at the Chip. Try Bend It Like Tuesdays (Young Henrys brews, bhajis and samosas), Game On Wednesdays (Snap. Spoons. Gin Rummy. Dominoes. Jenga. Go Fish. Etc. With a complimentary glass of house wine for your first win), Trip In & Chip In Thursdays (DJ Trip Off and mulled Young Henrys cider infused with sloe gin) and Chipper Fridays (house wine and beer $5, with a side of Chips Off The Old Block for $8).
The CBD establishment that houses legendary bookshop Kinokuniya, The Galeries Victoria is bringing more joyful words into our lives with an intriguing art exhibition, paying homage to some of the most memorable movie quotes of all time. Think about the great '90s movies we grew up on, the expected and the unexpected — this temporary gallery will showcase it all. The exhibition is called Based on a True Story and was created by The Writing artist Tania Debono. Debono is well-known in the art world for her colourful and unique approach to typography as artwork. The showcase is being held in The Galeries' public art space, Lane Four. Revered quotes are splashed across the walls in a three-dimensional mural that celebrates the power of film and the actors that immortalised those epic lines. The iconic quotes lining the exhibition walls were the amalgamation of communal input and social commentary. The exhibition is a visual nod to the great writers who have had a significant impact on the film industry — and in some cases influenced the way we talk today (essentially every line in Mean Girls). See if you can match them all to their movies. Based on a True Story will be running until November 1 at the Galeries Victoria. Entry is free.
For artist Sarah McCloskey, there was never really a question whether or not she would pursue a career in art. "There's never been another thing that I've been interested in," she says. Growing up in Perth, McCloskey explains that she "always, always had a pencil in [her] hand". After graduating from high school, she completely immersed herself in that world. She worked part-time in an art gallery and started a university degree in fine art, all while steadily honing her craft. In February 2019, she moved to Sydney to pursue being an artist full-time. It was one of several choices that McCloskey has made over the last decade in a bid to shape her career and find her unique creative voice. This year, McCloskey joins a slew of visionary creatives collaborating with Miller Design Lab — the home of creativity and self-expression built by Australia's leading minds in design, art, technology and fashion. The platform is a celebration of our nightlife and its impact on culture to deliver exceptional moments to you and your home. Here, we speak to McCloskey about seeking new challenges that shape her creative voice and finding inspiration. There's something that's really clear when talking to McCloskey: she isn't afraid of facing a challenge. In fact, she welcomes it. "I think the things I feel most proud of come from throwing myself into something new and giving it my best shot," she says. Although the bulk of her current work is painting murals, it's a relatively new medium for her after concentrating on graphite illustrations for the first part of her career. Explaining how she fell into the medium, she says, "I just was lucky enough to be working in a space and surrounded by some people who had been painting walls for decades." Since then, McCloskey's painted murals for several arts festivals, including Wonderwalls Festival in Port Kembla. But there are plenty of tricky aspects of it. "They were some of my largest walls and had tight timeframes. I learned a lot and was super proud. I do love painting murals, but I definitely feel it afterwards. Especially if I'm painting something really big in a short amount of time in the sun or the rain.....It is pretty physically taxing." Acknowledging that she can't continue with murals long-term, she started "dipping her toe" into yet another new challenge last year: oil painting. And she began with what she describes as "a pretty vulnerable choice to paint a sad selfie". Now, rather than seeing the cancellation of much of her upcoming mural work at festival and events (due to COVID-19) as a setback, McCloskey's taking it as an opportunity to keep forging ahead in her career path. "I'm in the studio constantly and actually putting time into some oil paintings that I've had sitting here waiting for me to finish. I want to build up a body of work with a view to have an exhibition." One of the most recent oil paintings that McCloskey has produced was for Miller Design Lab, which she describes as "pretty true to my style... which is very much portrait-based. I do have an interest in strong colour palettes, so I chose neon to be my light source, which is something I hadn't done before." Delving further, McCloskey explains how customisation plays a role in her process. "Through the years, I would take a photo reference [from Pinterest or Instagram] and tweak it to make it my own... I like to keep the realistic aspects and the things that make it recognisable, especially if it's a face, but turn it into something that doesn't really exist in this world. Through painting, especially murals, that's something I do using colour and other botanical elements." It's no surprise then that McCloskey considers nature a huge source of inspiration. She mentions the Royal Botanic Garden and Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden as two of her favourite places in Sydney to visit. And, when the sun goes down, the inspiration keeps flowing. "The nightlife of the city is that perfect time at the end of the day when everybody gets to go out and connect with people. Whole creative industries exist in the night for our pleasure and entertainment, and being able to get out amongst that is an amazing way to recharge." For Sarah, that means tracking down live music. "I'm always that person who is trying to drag all my friends to some gig. That's the perfect place to see a bunch of other creative people in their element on a stage. I always feel pretty motivated by that — seeing people smash it in their own creative field. I'm not a musician at all but seeing one is like 'Fuck yeah, I'm going to go and be good at my thing now'." For more, check out Sarah McCloskey's collaboration with Miller Genuine Draft here. For more ways to celebrate your city's nightlife and recreate its energy in your own space, head this way. Images: Reuben Gibbes
Solar power. Who needs it? Well, we do — and pretty desperately. To generate it though, we need those pesky black solar panels to be fitted to people's roofs and properties and anywhere we can find a space for them. This can be a little hard without overtaking natural environments and farmland. But France have found thousands of kilometres of space perfect for solar panels: their roads. After researching and testing the idea in carparks over the past year, the country has unveiled its first solar-powered road — and the world's. Stretching over a one kilometre expanse in Tourouvre-au-Perche in Normandy, the trial site features 2,880 panels and will be used by 2,000 motorists a day, generating 280 megawatts of energy per year. Ideally, that'll be enough to keep the town's street lights glowing during the two-year test run. The road is made from a silicon-coated surface called the Wattway system, which is comprised of 7mm photovoltaic panels stuck on top of existing road surfaces. Both its thinness and ease of application to existing roads make it the best option of its type, with the idea of paving roads with solar panels first floated by Scott and Julie Brusaw via a crowdfunding campaign to pave American parking lots with the things in 2014. The French project is a collaboration between transport infrastructure company Colas and France's National Institute for Solar Energy, as sanctioned by France's Agency of Environment and Energy Management. If the Normandy installation goes to plan, they're hoping to bring solar power to 1000-kilometres of roads in the country over the next five years. They're also promising to try out the idea around the world, with other trials planned inNorth America, Europe, Africa, and Japan. Here's hoping they're all successful, and that the project makes its way over here. As anyone who's stood barefoot on asphalt on a hot day knows, that stuff stores a lethal amount of heat. Via: Mental Floss. Image: COLAS – Joachim Bertrand. By Lauren Vadnjal and Sarah Ward.
John Sugar adores cinema. It makes sense, then, that the Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin)-led Apple TV+ series about the Los Angeles-based detective loves movies just as devotedly. Sugar is styled like a classic film noir. It splices in clips from the genre's pictures, other Hollywood-set fare and fellow retro titles, swinging from The Big Heat, Kiss Me Deadly, Sunset Boulevard and Double Indemnity to Sherlock Jr and The Thing. It watches Sugar watch flicks. It listens to him drop references to and wax lyrical about them in his evocative narration. It pays tribute to its influences eagerly — and it gives its audience a helluva post-viewing watchlist. Sugar is also set in Tinseltown, going all in on LA noir like many of the movies that it references — and also The Big Sleep, Chinatown, LA Confidential and Under the Silver Lake as well — with its tale of a PI looking for a missing woman. The show's namesake might be introduced in Tokyo, where he has the case of a yakuza gangster's kidnapped grandson to solve, but he spends the bulk of the series in the City of Angels on a gig that his handler Ruby (Kirby, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) advises against. He can't say no for the ultimate cinephile reason: one of his film idols is doing the hiring. But from the moment that iconic movie producer Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell, Succession) puts him on the books and in search of his granddaughter Olivia (Sydney Chandler, Don't Worry Darling), Sugar may as well be in a twisty flick himself. A cinema-heavy pedigree behind the lens brings Sugar to streaming queues, too. Creator Mark Protosevich made his debut with the script for sci-fi thriller The Cell back in 2000. Director Fernando Meirelles came to prominence, complete with an Oscar nomination, for co-helming City of God. Executive producer Simon Kinberg wrote Mr & Mrs Smith back when it was a Brad Pitt (Babylon)- and Angelina Jolie (Eternals)-starring movie, not a 2024 TV show, and has a wealth of X-Men titles on his resume. A mystery fan himself, he also produced recent Agatha Christie adaptations Murder on the Orient Express and A Haunting in Venice, executive producing Death on the Nile in-between. Speaking with Concrete Playground, Kinberg notes that this detective series that's also a genre-bender and a love letter to LA noir equally has character study in its list, crucially. "I'm hoping that the audiences fall in love with John Sugar. Definitely feel intrigued, and tense in all the right ways about the suspense and the mystery and the danger of the show — the things that we love about detective stories — but I think ultimately, I hope that they fall in love with how complicated and nuanced and ultimately surprising John Sugar is as a character," he says. "When I think about my favourite television shows — and often my favourite movies, but definitely my favourite shows — it always comes back to character. And I believe that the construction of John Sugar with the portrayal by Colin is something that will grip audiences and make them love the show." Sugar might be at the heart of the series, naturally, but there'd be no Sugar without Ruby. In the show's second-billed part, Kirby adds to a killer resume that's also no stranger to detective tales thanks to 2019's fourth season of Veronica Mars. The Good Place, Why Women Kill, Love, Killing Eve, Hacks and Barry all sit among her past credits — but none had her basically playing a take on a legendary page and screen character. "I was really excited by Ruby. I was excited for Ruby before I even read about Ruby. Ruby was pitched to me as 'Ruby is to Sugar what M is to James Bond', and I felt like I loved that description of that relationship, because I knew that it would be a relationship that was layered and that had shifting power dynamics, but also was strong," she tells us. We chatted with Kirby and Kinberg about the eight-part first season of Sugar, which is available to stream in full now. On the agenda: their initial responses to its premise, which isn't afraid of twists, surprises and veering into science fiction — and also Farrell leading the show, what keeps drawing people to mysteries, the research that goes into playing the righthand woman to a PI, what gets them each excited about a new project and more. On Kinberg and Kirby's First Response to Sugar's Genre-Bending Angle on Detective Stories Simon: "Mark Protosevich, the creator of the show, had written the first script. And so I read that first script and was just so drawn to a lot of things, but primarily Sugar himself as a character. I loved the combination of this chivalrous, strong, capable leading man side with this vulnerable, human, innocent, kind side, too. I just thought that mashup between different elements was really interesting. Then I liked a similar mashup within the tone between classic Hollywood storytelling, like very film noir, obviously detective storytelling, with something fresh and new and different and bold. So I fell in love with the pilot script, and we got involved at that point, and then brought in Colin and then brought in Fernando, and then built the whole show. But yeah, it was just reading a script where I felt like 'this is a voice and tone and character I haven't seen before'." Kirby: "I actually read the script after I had been cast in the role, so I came into this project with blind faith, which is daunting. But I think that knowing the creatives involved, it felt like a calculated risk. I knew that Colin was attached to it. He was attached to it as an EP and as an actor before I before I became part of the process. And knowing his body of work — I've watched Colin for a very long time, and I think that he is an actor that does incredible work. There's incredible quality and passion there. But at the same time, there is such diversity in the roles he's taken. So I knew that this would be a project that, if he put his name on it, it would be something that would be really exciting and really new. And then knowing that this would be a neo-noir, that piques your interest, because it's not every day that you tackle that, that there are people that can tackle such a huge concept. It's very high-concept to be able to do a noir, but then to make it feel contemporary, to make it contemporary, to have it tackle contemporary issues and have a contemporary cast. And then on top of that you layer in a brilliant director like Fernando Meirelles, and I think that you have a winning formula. So whether or not you've read the script, I think that it's a project that you can get behind very early on." On Casting Colin Farrell as Sugar — and Finding a Rhythm with Him On-Screen Simon: "He was one of the first people we thought of for it because he does have that duality in in himself as a man and in his work as an actor — which is, he is very leading man and gorgeous and charismatic and witty and strong, and yet he's also vulnerable and human and flawed and fragile and sweet and innocent. That is who Colin is as a person, and it is what he brings to the character of Sugar. And he read the script and and flipped out for it as well. We met with him and immediately could see that he not only could do it as an actor, but had a natural affinity for it as a person." Kirby: "Colin is very personable, he's amiable, he's incredibly generous as a human and that really translates when you start working with someone — because the easier your chemistry is off screen, the better it will be on screen, I have found. And so for me, I think just having a really good rapport with him —we spent a lot of time there, and the majority of my scenes are either alone or with Colin — just spending long days together, in your down time you're chatting and things like that, and I think that lends itself to what you see on screen." On Working Through the Layers to Ruby's Relationship with Sugar Kirby: "I think that they have a really beautiful relationship. They have a deep connection. They've known each other for a very long time. There is a lot of trust and care and love there. But at the same time, it's a relationship that is complicated, which it is always is complicated when you are in a relationship that is both professional and personal. You find that that adds an additional layer to a friendship that not everyone has experienced, and doesn't always understand how complex that can make certain decisions." On Kinberg Being a Detective and Mystery Fan, and What Appeals to Him About the Genre Simon: "I grew up reading detective fiction. Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christies were huge for me when I was a kid. And then ultimately more hard-boiled writing like Jim Thompson, James Ellroy, that whole generation of crime writers. I think there's a few things. One is I am someone who genuinely struggles with OCD, and there is an OCD element to detectives where they are really good at, and sometimes overwhelmed by, seeing clues in everything. So they're very attuned to the details of our world, which is something I live through. So there's that element. But the other part of it is, even when I was a kid, I looked at the world — and the world was even more this now — but I looked at a world that was chaotic, that had a lot of disorder in it. And I loved the idea that there was this sort of angel of restoring order. That detectives were there — and where, out of the chaos and muddle and mystery of life, they found order and they found truth. So that for me was always part of what was compelling about detective stories: that at the very end, there was going to be an answer, and it was going to be objective. And if you were clever and you paid attention, you could arrive there with the detective." On Thinking About Why People Are So Drawn to Mysteries While You're Making a Mystery Kirby: "I am guilty of it myself. I am very drawn to a mystery and to a documentary and a thriller, and things like that. But I think part of that is because there is so much that is unknown in our world, both on a huge, cosmic level, but also on a personal level. And I think that uncovering a mystery and figuring things out gives you a sense of control in a world that I think can feel often quite chaotic and quite out of your control. So I think that why people gravitate towards these stories is it feels very satisfying to ask a question and get a definitive answer. And these shows present something, there's a question, there is a mystery afoot, and when you figure that out you find the answer — and there is absolutely something that is completely gratifying for audiences in that." On the Affection for LA Noir and Classic Cinema That Sugar Splashes Through Its Frames Simon: "It's a huge part of the DNA of the show, this love letter to classic American cinema, specifically film noir stories. It was in the script — not the clips, the clips in the show were something that Fernando Meirelles and his editor Fernando Stutz [The Sympathizer, which Meirelles also directed episodes of] discovered in post. In the edit, they actually just started inserting these clips into it and it brought even more life into the show and made what was implicit in its homage very explicit. So yeah, it's a huge part of the show. It's a show that's for cinema lovers, but it's also for people that maybe don't know this genre of film and can discover it and learn about it by watching the show, and maybe it'll have them delve back into those classic movies. It was something that excited all of us because you were cutting to these old clips from old movies while juxtaposing them with something really modern and really new. And that juxtaposition, that dance between the old and the new, is very much at the core of the show." On the Research That Goes Into Playing the Righthand Person to a Private Detective Kirby: "For me, a lot of the research was researching the genre, because I am familiar with film noir but I don't have this film school encyclopaedic knowledge of the genre. So it was really helpful for me to take suggestions from Mark, and go in and watch Chinatown — and I had a book that was given to me at the beginning about the history of noirs and some of the biggest touchstones within that genre. That was really helpful, because I think once you start to know the tropes and the archetypes in that world, you can also start to subvert those characters and make them contemporary." On What Gets Kinberg and Kirby Excited About a New Project Simon: "A great character. It's always a great character. Sometimes people ask me this and I'll be like 'what would get you excited if you were at a party and you met somebody, a new friend, a new partner, whatever it is? You met somebody that you wanted to see again, they got you excited, and you went told your friends the next day — I just met this great woman/man/person last night'. It's the same thing for me when I read something or I hear about something, I'm like 'oh, that's an exciting person I just met and I want to spend more time with that person'. Because it's a lot of time that you're investing. Whether it's a feature or or a show, it's years of your life. So it always starts from character for me." Kirby: "Good storytelling gets me excited about a role. Creative people, creative collaborators get me really excited. So coming into a project where I know the way people work and I've seen their work, like this — I don't have to have seen this type of thing from the creators, I just have to have seen something that gets me excited. In this, knowing Fernando was attached, and being such a huge fan of City of God and his previous work, got me so excited. I think that sometimes we are in dire need of just good simple stories that that show genuine human connection — and then you can add all the other layers on top of it and that just serves to heighten the experience." Sugar streams via Apple TV+. Read our review.
"Justin Bieber is the future of rock music." Iggy Pop It may sound like the start of a Tui billboard is actually part of a new Amnesty International Belgium anti-torturing campaign featuring Karl Lagerfield, the Dalai Lama and Iggy Pop. Stop Torture quotes these celebrities saying the unlikeliest statements of their careers while looking like they've just been 240/242d pretty badly. Amnesty International Belgium director Philippe Hensmans explains, "For us it was a quirky but not sloppy way to attract public attention to [the] tragic reality [of torture], which often happens in the greatest secrecy." In addition to being inhumane, torture is also ineffective. "The history has shown that tortured people are often willing to say anything for the pain to stop – the whole truth, only a part or its opposite... Torture a man and you can get him to say anything." The UN adopted the Convention Against Torture in 1984, but many governments like the US, Mexico, North Korea, Philippines and Nigeria are still torturing today. "Governments around the world are two-faced on torture - prohibiting it in law, but facilitating it in practice" says Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General. Check out the campaign posters below. "The summit of elegance is a hawaiian shirt with jandals." Karl Lagerfield "The future of rock and roll is Justin Bieber." Iggy Pop "A man who doesn't own a Rolex watch by the time he's 50 has failed in life." Dalai Lama Article via The Independent
Some people collect stamps; others are passionate about coins; but we think if you're going to spend so much time thinking about one thing, it should be extraordinary. It should be something prolific and inspired — something that has the capacity to change the course of people's lives. For Ryan Beitz this something is VHS copies of the timeless 1994 Keanu Reeves classic, Speed. That may not be his exact reasoning, but regardless of motivation this guy now has upwards of 500 copies in his collection. What started out as a bizarre bulk buy from the op shop has now led to Beitz founding The World Speed Project, a group whose end goal is to collect every copy in existence. "The World Speed Project is satisfied by a compulsion to repeat [things]," said Beitz in an interview with VICE. "When you get one, you want to get another! And another! And another! Like the bus in Speed, we collectively cannot — and will not — stop." The group don't stop there, either. The WSP also want to take their message to the streets. Launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund it, they hope to convert an existing van into a small sized replica of the bus from their favourite film, and travel around the country while building their collection. Asking for a mere $2,500, WSP want to not only change their vehicle cosmetically, they also crucially need to fix the speedometer. Because how else will they avoid the 50mph marker, duh? Faced with increasing media scrutiny, Beitz is increasingly optimistic about his mission. "I think the World Speed Project is awesome in the truest sense of the word," he said. "It's larger than life. Imagine all of [the tapes] in one place! It’s uncompromising." If you share his unbridled joy, or maybe just have a morbid curiosity, you can donate to the bus fund here or send your VHS tapes to the address below (assuming you're willing to part with your most cherished possession). Chairman Ryan Beitz, The World Speed Project, 20204 SR 195 Pullman, WA 99163 USA Via Vice.
It's been five years since Taylor Square's rainbow crossing was removed in the middle of the night, without a word of warning. But the future's looking a whole lot brighter, with the City of Sydney announcing the installation's return, just days out from the 40th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. With the support of NSW Roads and the RMS, the colourful crossing is set to grace the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets, with construction due to kick off in October. Lord Mayor Clover Moore has applauded the move, calling it "a powerful acknowledgement of the importance of our LGBTQI community and history". The original rainbow crossing was installed in February 2013, but was removed two months later by the NSW Roads Minister amidst safety concerns. Residents have since spent years petitioning for it to be reinstated — this Change.org petition got over 16,000 signatures — so this is undoubtedly welcome news to the LGBTIQ+ community and commuters that pass through Taylor Square each day. The new installation, which will also incorporate a local street upgrade and coincide with "a trial to prioritise pedestrian movements ahead of vehicular movements", will be in place for six months, before a safety review is undertaken by the RMS. If it ticks all the boxes, this rainbow icon will be sticking around permanently.
The return of Spilt Milk for 2025 was already massive news, after the Australian music festival sat out 2024. This year's events in Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and on the Gold Coast just got even bigger, thanks to a huge lineup headlined by Kendrick Lamar. DAMN. LOVE. Quoting those album and song titles fits right now, with the Pulitzer Music Prize-winning musician heading Down Under in this same year that he put on a helluva Super Bowl halftime show. Just as he did in 2022, Lamar has a December date with Australia, playing 2025's run of Spilt Milk fests across two weekends — hitting two locations on each. It all starts on Saturday, December 6 at Victoria Park in Ballarat, before venturing across the country to Claremont Showground in Perth on Sunday, December 7. Then, it's Canberra's turn at Exhibition Park on Saturday, December 13, followed by a trip to the Gold Coast Sports Precinct on Sunday, December 14. That's a headliner worth waiting a year for — and Lamar has company from Doechii, Sara Landry, Dominic Fike and ScHoolboy Q for starters. Also on the bill: d4vd, Nessa Barrett, Sofia Isella, Skin On Skin, sombr, Club Angel, The Dreggs and The Rions, plus more. The lineup comes just a day after Spilt Milk confirmed its 2025 comeback — after skipping 2024 because, as organisers said at the time, it "couldn't get you the Spilt Milk you deserve this year". Instead, it still popped up in a few cities to throw events it dubbed house parties, with Troye Sivan, Glass Animals and G Flip leading the lineup while the full Spilt Milk experience was on hold. In 2025, festivalgoers can also look forward to the return of sing-alongs at Guilty Pleasures, plus country bar Howdy Howdy and the Bus Da Move party bus. The art component will feature artists from Studio A. Originally only popping up in Canberra, then expanding to Ballarat, then the Gold Coast and finally also to Perth, multi-city one-dayer Spilt Milk had cemented its spot as a must-attend event on the annual Aussie calendar before it took a year off, including for its lineups — and for its food offering as well. Its 2025 return is immense, not just due to its now-dropped lineup, but because not every fest that sat 2024 out has made a comeback. Sadly, both Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass have scrapped their events in both years. Spilt Milk 2025 Lineup Kendrick Lamar Doechii Sara Landry Dominic Fike ScHoolboy Q d4vd Nessa Barrett Skin on Skin sombr Baby J Chance Peña Club Angel Don West Ennaria Esha Tewari Lyric Mia Wray Ninajirachi Rebecca Black Rum Jungle Sofia Isella South Summit The Dreggs The Rions Spilt Milk 2025 Dates and Venues Saturday, December 6 — Victoria Park, Ballarat Sunday, December 7 — Claremont Showground, Perth Saturday, December 13 — Exhibition Park, Canberra Sunday, December 14 — Gold Coast Sports Precinct, Gold Coast Spilt Milk is returning in December 2025, heading to Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast — with ticket requests open from Friday, May 2, the presales from Thursday, May 8 and general ticket sales from Friday, May 9 (at 8am AEST for Canberra, 9am AEST for Ballarat, 10am AEST for Perth and 11am AEST for the Gold Coast). Head to the festival website for more information Spilt Milk: Jordan K Munns, Mackenzie Sweetnam, Jess Gleeson and Billy Zammit.
Each of Australia's capital cities has a different shtick. Melbourne's just happens to be a 24-hour culture — or, at least, the closest Australia has to it. It's got all-night public transport on weekends, late-night opening hours for the National Gallery of Victoria's new Triennial and the city's White Night festival will return for its annual all-nighter in 2018. If you haven't been down to White Night before, here's how it works. From 7pm, much of Melbourne's CBD is closed to cars. From then on, the streets give way to pedestrians, who are free to wander between temporary installations, live music and on-street projections — as well as in and out of galleries and cultural institutions — up until the sun comes up at 7am the next day. It's the Australian version of Nuit Blanche, which was founded in France in the 80s. Next year's festival — which will shut down the city for 12 hours on the evening of Saturday, February 17 — features work from a tonne of both local and international artists. Expect to see neon pups, two Burning Man installations and one laneway covered in snow. There are far too many works to list, but here are a few highlights you'll want to look out for. A giant shimming silver net that will hover above Federation Square for White Night (and two weeks afterwards). Drag queens singing from balconies above Collins Street. A laneway filled with virtual neon 'dogs' and another filled with falling 'snow'. A tree that lets you write temporary messages on it with the light from your phone Two installations straight from Burning Man: a fire-breathing serpent outside Melbourne Museum and a giant mechanical insect that doubles at a DJ booth. Mini gigs performed from multiple balconies above Swanston Street. A 360-degree dome in Alexandra Gardens that will feature mesmerising projections. Stories from Australian detention centres projected onto the NGV's façade. White Night will also head out to Victoria's regional centres. It will return to Ballarat on March 17 for a second year, and will take to the streets of Bendigo and Geelong for the first time later in 2018. White Night 2018 will take over Melbourne from 7pm on Saturday, February 17 until 7am on the morning on Sunday, February 18. For more information, visit whitenight.com.au/melbourne.
What makes for a great speaker at a music conference? Experience and insight, obviously, and also plenty of stories from their time in one of the most exciting creative industries there is. Unveiling the first folks that'll grace its stage in 2023, BIGSOUND knows this. When you enlist ROC Nation's Omar Grant, who was once the road manager for Destiny's Child and now shares the President role at Jay-Z's entertainment agency — and also helped Rihanna's album ANTI become the smash it is — you're after a whole heap of wisdom and tales. Brisbanites and music obsessives hitting the Sunshine State capital between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 can look forward to Grant's chat, which means listening to one of the top names in the American music industry. And if you're keen to show off your own musical talents, he will indeed be looking for new discoveries. "Australia is at an exciting place right now musically and I can't wait to head down under to discover some great new artists," said Grant. "Some of the most innovative artistry in the world comes from Australia — and in an industry that's often so caught up online these days, getting in a room with passionate music people and discovering real talent performing live is a true privilege." While the full speaker roster hasn't yet been revealed, let alone the music bill, Grant has company in this debut drop. Also coming to Brisbane: Michele Ronzon from Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records, Hazel Savage from Soundcloud, Flighthouse's Ash Stahl and JKBX's Scott Cohen. Ronzon has overseen talent including Machine Gun Kelly, YUNGBLUD and Alesso; the Australian-born Savage was behind music AI company Musiio; Stahl is CEO of quite the hefty TikTok agency; and with Cohen, BIGSOUND is bringing in a royalties technology expert. In what'll be its 22nd year, the event has also started revealing some of the decision makers visiting the River City in search of deals. On the list: Netflix's Manager for Soundtracks, Strategy and Operations Andy Kalyvas, who heads to the fest fresh from working on Oscar-winner All Quiet on the Western Front; Paramount Television Studios' Vice President of Music Vanessa Palmer; and Downtown Music Publishing's Director of Sync and A&R Cabrea Casey. [caption id="attachment_851422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] In total, BIGSOUND 2023 expects to welcome in over 100 international and national buyers, agents, music supervisors, bookers and other industry decision makers, all taking over Fortitude Valley as the event always does. And yes, deals are firmly in the fest's spotlight. "We approached this year's BIGSOUND with a singular vision: deals mean meals," advises programmer Tom Larkin. "Every person we are bringing to Australia can further an artist's career immeasurably. Whether that's formalising a global partnership or simply giving them a piece of advice that could transform their ability to create a sustainable career, BIGSOUND 's focus is to provide real results for Australian artists." Elsewhere, the huge music-fuelled celebration will keep doing what it always does: showcasing impressive acts, artists and bands, which usually sees more than 150 talents hit its stages at 20-plus Brisbane venues. If you're a BIGSOUND regular, you'll know that this entails filling as many spaces as possible with musos, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest tunes and talent the country has to offer. Past events have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Thelma Plum, Tash Sultana, Sampa the Great, Courtney Barnett and Cub Sport to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Baker Boy, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Methyl Ethel, Tones and I, Spacey Jane and The Jungle Giants, so BIGSOUND's program is usually a very reliable bellwether. If your spring routine usually involves bar-hopping around Brisbane while listening to bands — whether you're a local or you head north for the event — mark your calendars accordingly. And if you're an artist looking to take part in the event in general, applications are now open until Tuesday, May 2. BIGSOUND 2023 will take place between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information — or to apply to take part if you're an artist — visit bigsound.org.au. Images: Lachlan Douglas / Bianca Holderness.
If you like your spirits dark and your booze collection could use a top-up, then we know an excellent Aussie choice to add to that shopping list. Melbourne distiller The Gospel just cleaned up in the 2023 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) earlier this week. The Brunswick-based producer took out a gold medal in the prestigious awards, earning a score of 96 points from the judges for its signature Straight Rye Whiskey. That impressive effort resulted in the sip being the highest-awarded Aussie whiskey in the entire competition. But wait, there's more. The Gospel's score also saw it become the equal second highest ranked rye whisky in the world. Not too shabby for a small distillery located in the backstreets of Melbourne's inner north. Judges described the drop as being "decadent and complex", noting: "the palate is harmonious and well-balanced, leading to a memorable finish." And it wasn't the only Gospel creation that impressed, with the team's Solera Rye Whiskey nabbing its own silver medal at the awards. This year's IWSC pulled more than 4100 entries from across the world, with more than 250 expert judges tasked with sipping, critiquing and awarding them. Thought to be Australia's only dedicated rye whiskey distillery, The Gospel crafts its booze using unmalted rye from just one farmer, who's located in South Australia's Murray Mallee region. It's helmed by Ian Thorn, the first maker in Australia to score Master Distiller accreditation. If you're keen to sample more of the distillery's work, The Gospel's also just dropped a new limited-edition cacao husk liqueur for Easter, made in collaboration with the chocolate masters at Mork. The Gospel Straight Rye Whiskey is available to buy from the website, as well as at select bottle shops across Australia.
What's better than watching a heap of top Australian talent sit around and talk about music? Watching them do all of the above while answering questions, competing for points and just generally being funny, too. That's the concept behind ABC TV show Spicks and Specks, which took a few cues from the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, pit Aussie musos and comedians against each other, and has proven a hit several times over. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it will be again this year. As fans will already know, Spicks and Specks just keeps coming back; however, that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. As first announced last year, the show is returning for a full season — and, as the broadcaster has just revealed, it'll kick off on Sunday, April 18 at 7.40pm. You'll be able to watch it on TV when it airs, or stream it via iView afterwards. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ABC TV + iview (@abctv) Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough are all settling back into their old chairs, obviously; however, who'll be joining them as guests hasn't been revealed. Still, you can add playing along with the show from your couch to your end-of-weekend plans from next month. Spicks and Specks will return to ABC TV for a regular full season from 7.40pm on Sunday, April 18. You'll also be able to stream the series via ABC iView.
Paddington's Piermarq Gallery is hosting the newest exhibition by Endcount, an Australian-based duo which takes a fine art approach to raise awareness about endangered species. A collaboration between French painter Aurelie Perthuis and UK-born engineer Joe Bramwell-Smith. Their artistic focus combines research, fine art, code, digital art, printing and painting to create a modern portrayal of the human impact on extinction rates. Endcount's second series focuses on endangered birds of Australia. Their complex process began with building an app which uses the the IUCN Red List — a source which documents the total number of a threatened species remaining in the wild — to create a digital image of these numbers. Once the digital version is generated, it is printed on a canvas and painted, providing an even greater depth to the pieces. The result is a morosely beautiful and thought-provoking body of art that depicts the fragility of these species while also appealing to our scientific reasoning. Through their multimedia approach, Endcount is able to aptly create data visualisation for these IUCN findings and evoke an emotional response to a problem that too often goes overlooked. The work will be on display until Saturday, November 5.
Do you remember how Nokia got us feeling all nostalgic by re-releasing its iconic 3310 handset earlier this year, only to crush our dreams by making it available only in 2G? Well now owner HMD is righting its wrongs, last night relaunching the much-loved phone in 3G, complete with the device's hit game, Snake. That's right, the best-selling handset is set to make a proper comeback, Snake and all. It will be released in Australia from mid-October. A new-school riff on a handset first released back in 2000, this little guy comes in two distinct matte colours (azure and charcoal), retails at just $89.95 and boasts a six-and-a-half-hour talk time. It also features a new-and-improved customisable user interface, with an online browser that has Facebook and Twitter capabilities. Best of all, it's got an extra long battery life — just like they used to make 'em back in the day. So you'll be able to text your mates and play Snake all night. The reborn Nokia 3310 3G will be available this October from JB-Hi Fi, Harvey Norman and on pre-paid through Vodafone and select Optus retailers. For more info visit nokia.com.
If you've walked the back streets of Newtown and Erskineville, you've probably stumbled upon one of several random little parks that are in blocks between houses and sweet but decidedly empty. Performance Space and Sydney Festival have a solution to that: put An Art in it. With Micro Parks, they've commissioned four new installations and performances to fill the scattered spaces, which you can seek out by aid of a map, which you can download or pick up from the Carriageworks base. Leslie Knope would surely approve. In 2012 Performance Space brought us some of the best site-specific works (that's the quirky stuff that makes its stage outside of a theatre) in Sydney, and we're thrilled they'll be continuing with that mission in 2013. January's Micro Parks will feature dance by Martin del Amo and Julie-Anne Long, tea ceremonies by Sarah Goffman, social sculpture by Kate Mitchell, and performance by Jess Olivieri and the Parachutes for Ladies before returning with new works in new 'hoods later in the year. Read our list of the 12 best things to see at the Sydney Festival in 2013.
"So, how long have you been dead?" If you're a vampire being interviewed, that's the kind of opening question that's bound to come your way. More queries obviously have to follow, but it's a helluva ice-breaker — and, in the new Interview with a Vampire TV series, it's slung Louis de Pointe du Lac's way. Set to arrive in October — in Australia via AMC+ from Sunday, October 2, with New Zealand details still to be announced — this new small-screen adaptation of Anne Rice's 1976 gothic horror novel of the same name sparks plenty of questions itself, too. No, Brad Pitt doesn't play Louis, as he did almost 30 years ago in the 1994 movie. No, Tom Cruise doesn't play fellow vamp Lestat de Lioncourt again either. And you can guess the answers to your next two queries: no, Kirsten Dunst isn't back as Claudia, and neither is Christian Slater as the interviewer. All those characters feature here, though, with the Interview with a Vampire series retelling Louis, Lestat and Claudia's tale. If you remember the flick — the film that helped push Dunst to fame as a child, well before she was an Oscar-nominee for The Power of the Dog — you'll know that it steps through the undead trio's not-quite-lives (being eternally undead might be the better way to describe it). This time, Jacob Anderson — aka Game of Thrones' Grey Worm — is the New Orleans resident who can't resist the offer to live forever. Playing Lestat to his Louis is Australian actor Sam Reid (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson). As for child vampire Claudia, Bailey Bass (Psycho Sweet 16) does the honours, with the always-welcome Eric Bogosian (Succession) as probing interviewer Daniel Molloy. Like plenty of other upcoming movies and TV shows did — such as The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, House of the Dragon, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, John Wick: Chapter 4 and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Interview with the Vampire dropped its first sneak peek at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. With Louis' story starting in the 1900s, it's big on period details and costuming, plus a sweeping mood. And yes, reviving 90s movies as a series is a trend that shows no signs of dying — like interviewed vampires — given that Interview with the Vampire will hit streaming queues less than two months after the new TV version of A League of Their Own does the same. Also, Interview with the Vampire joins the film-to-TV vampire ranks, too, alongside Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows. Check out the Interview with the Vampire trailer below: Interview with the Vampire will start streaming in Australia viaAMC+ from Sunday, October 2. We'll update you with New Zealand details when they become available. Images: Alfonso Bresciani/AMC.
It's a sad point in the yearly calendar when the chilly weather hits and invites to Aussie backyard barbecues stop rolling in. But it does pave the way for you to lend your taste buds to the grilled offerings of our global barbecuing buddies. American barbecue is about as A-grade an alternative as you'll get, particularly when the mercury drops a few notches (thanks to the smoky and juicy flavour cues). And The Oxford Tavern is the place to get it. The Petersham pub takes the business of barbecuing very seriously for its Black Betty BBQ sessions, which emulate the style of barbecue typical to the US's southern states. Meat is prepped and rubbed with spices three days in advance and cooked 'low and slow'. The menu is priced by 100-gram servings, so if decision-making isn't your strong suit (or you're just really hungry), load up your plate with juicy beef brisket, tender lamb ribs, a smoked 1/4 chicken and perhaps a smoked snag. All orders come with slaw and cornbread but you'll want to add on burnt end beans ($6) for good measure. The Black Betty smoker operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until sold out. Our advice? Get there early so you don't miss out, and wear stretchy pants. Starting Thursday, June 14, Black Betty BBQ sessions will run seven days a week. From 5pm, Monday–Friday; and 12pm, Saturday and Sunday until sold out. For more info, head to theoxfordtavern.com.au.
It's official: the first underground section of Sydney's $16.8 billion WestConnex project is set to open this Saturday, July 13. It's starting with the new M4 Tunnels, which are planned to cut traffic on Parramatta Road by up to 20 minutes. The twin tunnels span 5.5-kilometres from Homebush to Haberfield, spanning three lanes in each direction and linking up to the already widened M4 Motorway. That distance will bypass 22 sets of traffic lights and, by 2021, is expected to reduce the overall volume on Parramatta Road by 53 percent. These tunnels have been under construction for three years and cost $3.8 billion alone, so they'll be hoping this forecast comes to fruition. It'll cost $4.27 to take the tunnels the full distance from Haberfield to Homebush (with no initial toll-free period), and $7.89 to go all the way to Parramatta along the widened M4. The road is still toll-free west of Parramatta. You can check out all the detailed costings over here. [caption id="attachment_730676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NSW Government[/caption] Still in the works for the WestConnex project are the new M5, the M4-M5 Link Tunnels and the Rozelle Interchange — which will connect Sydney's west and southwest with the city and airport via a continuous 33-kilometre motorway. While supporters of the motorway (including NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian) see this first opening of WestConnex as a win that will cut travel time for those living in Sydney's west, the project has had heavy opposition from Sydney's inner-city communities — who see WestConnex as an environmental and infrastructural nightmare. Opponents specifically question the NSW Government's decision to invest so much into a project that encourages more cars on the road, instead of one that creates more public transport options. The project has also been seen as a threat to residential neighbourhoods, including the felling of 500 trees in Sydney Park, as reported by the SMH. For or against, it's happening in three days' time, so get ready. The WestConnex M4 Tunnels will open this Saturday, July 13 with tolls starting immediately. For more information, head to the NSW Government's website.
Two decades ago, a new Christmas tradition was born: watching a whole heap of stars revel in romance, comedy and the festive spirit in what's now the quintessential British seasonal rom-com. It was back in 2003 that Love Actually debuted on the big screen, bringing with it familiar faces, songs and eight intertwined tales. Everyone knows how that went, especially given that no one has stopped talking about it since. When the end of the year hits, if you get 'Christmas is All Around' sung by Bill Nighy (Living) stuck in your head, then you're definitely aware of Love Actually's popularity. If you've ever held up a piece of cardboard to tell the object of your affection that to you they're perfect, you do as well. Missed it on the big screen 20 years back, whether you gave it a pass or weren't old enough to be interested in English romantic comedies? It's now returning to cinemas in December to celebrate its anniversary. Getting festive watching Nighy, Hugh Grant (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Liam Neeson (Retribution), Colin Firth (Empire of Light), Laura Linney (Ozark), Alan Rickman (Eye in the Sky), Emma Thompson (Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical), Keira Knightley (Boston Strangler), Martin Freeman (Secret Invasion), Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Man Who Fell to Earth) and Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) in the same movie on the silver screen hasn't been absent from anyone's calendars of late. Outdoor cinemas give Love Actually a spin at this time of year, and an in-concert version does the rounds. But instead of getting one-off sessions here and there, the film is heading back to picture palaces in general release from Thursday, December 7. Accordingly, your December routine — one that's shared by many — can now include hitting up your local like it's 2003 again to revisit the Richard Curtis-written and -directed flick. Love Actually marked Curtis' first effort as a helmer after penning the screenplays for the Grant-starring Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones' Diary, and also writing for Blackadder and French and Saunders. On offer: interweaved Yuletide stories of romance, with Christmas and love all around everyone from rock 'n' roll singers, the Prime Minister of the UK and long-married couples to film stand-ins and school kids with crushes. Love Actually's anniversary season will screen the movie in a new 4K presentation, and feature ten minutes with the feature's cast and crew as they look back on their involvement in the film. Check out the trailer for Love Actually below: Love Actually will return to cinemas from Thursday, December 7, 2023.
Based on Leslye Headland's play, Bachelorette is a comedy that tells the story of three best friends from high school turn bridesmaids. Their less-attractive friend, Becky (Rebel Wilson), is getting married, and the competitive Regan (Kirsten Dunst) accepts her role as maid of honour. Gena (Lizzy Caplan) is on a mission to confront her high school ex after he left her bitter with a broken heart, whilst Katie (Isla Fisher), the last of the bridesmaids, adds some extra laughs with her sometimes ditzy personality and impulsive sass. Bachelorette combines humour, drunken romance and the dynamic of female relationships in a raunchy and intoxicated weekend that these women will certainly never forget. The film will be released in cinemas November 1. Thanks to Hopscotch, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway. To go in the running just subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Here's what it will look like when the Sydney Light Rail finally launches into action in 2019. The brand new trams, dubbed the Citadis x05, are the world's longest light rail vehicles to date and we're the very first city to nab 'em. Built in France and Spain by Alstom, the trams ring in at 67 metres and can carry 450 passengers, which is nine times the capacity of a bus. The new schmick design was unveiled in Randwick on Tuesday, August 1 by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Andrew Constance, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. "It is a really exciting day to be standing here with the first of our world-class light rail vehicles and offering the people of NSW a glimpse of this innovative, modern vehicle," said Premier Berejiklian. Despite its behemoth size, the Citadis x05 is pretty efficient. Compared with your average bus, it uses four times less energy, as well as ten times less energy than a car. It's also very, very wheel-friendly — think loads of room for prams and wheelchairs, double doors, low floors and easy-to-reach intercoms. All in all, there will be 30 tram sets operating in the CBD and South East Light Rail, which will run from Circular Quay and the CBD through Surry Hills, Moore Park and Kensington, ending in Randwick and Kingsford. You can expect to see the Citadis x05 getting some test runs around town later this year. Sure, from the outside the tram basically looks like every other modern light rail vehicle we've seen. But, even though Sydney is still obviously behind Melbourne on the tram scene —and, let's be honest, in a lot of ways — we can finally firmly lay claim to having the best of something other than beaches. Which are amazing and unbeatable.
Juniper has come a long way — from curing stomach pains and repelling snakes to burning sprigs to ward off the plague, and on to its most common use today in our beloved gin. To dig deep into the history of the botanical tipple, we spoke to master distiller Joanne Moore from Greenall's Gin (produced at England's oldest gin distillery — G&J Distillers) for advice on bluffing our way through junipers and genevers to get to the good stuff: gin. WHY DOES GIN HAVE AN EMOTIONAL REPUTATION? There are two sorts of people who drink gin: one, that after a touch grazing the lips, starts to bare their heart and soul and drags you into a D&M, and the latter, a shark-fresh-outta-water sort who can sink snooker balls like it ain't nobody's business. So what's the deal, Joanne? "I think this stems from the poor reputation of gin following the gin craze of the early 18th-century when there was no regulation around making it. The result was a lot of 'gins' of dubious quality being drunk, which was immortalised by William Hogarth's infamous painting of Gin Lane. There's nothing in gin that would make you cry any more than if you drank the same quantity of another product with the same alcohol level." [caption id="attachment_663983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Letícia Almeida.[/caption] THE TASTE OF A GOOD GIN First up, genevers. We know this to be the drink that begat gin; the older Dutch spirit cousin you might say. But what else should bluffers know about gin to charm all their mates? "London dry gins, such as Greenall's original, are traditionally distilled white spirits, made from three building blocks: grain spirit (in Greenall's case, English wheat), botanicals and water. The only botanical we have to use to be legally defined as a gin is juniper berries, and for london dry, this should be the predominant aroma. "A good gin should have recognisable juniper notes — after all, that's what legally defines a gin — so, it should be dry, not overtly sweet, balanced and have a good soft mouthfeel. It shouldn't be too harsh or burning to the taste. "Much like wine tasting, gin tasting uses the same basic principles. Aerate your glass and nose the aromas, as your sense of smell signals to your brain what you are going to taste. There's no need to hold the spirit in your mouth like you do with wine though, just sip and enjoy," says Joanne. [caption id="attachment_638855" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Brook James.[/caption] A PERFECT TIME AND PLACE Like rosé to spring, red to winter and white to summer, is there a best time to drink gin? "That's a difficult one to answer as it all depends on the individual, how they feel and what sort of day they have had — do they want a long drink like a refreshing G&T, a cocktail or a short drink? For me, that's the real beauty behind gin. It's so versatile that you can drink it responsibly in lots of places," says Joanne. AN OPTIMAL VESSEL Now we know when we should be drinking gin, but what about how we should be drinking it? Are there certain vessels that are better than others? "It could be argued that for the optimum drinking experience, you need a glass with a narrow neck to allow the concentration of aromas to be appreciated. Plus, glass as a material is better suited than say, plastic, as it doesn't contain any elements that could potentially react with your spirit and leach into your drink." [caption id="attachment_663977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Letícia Almeida.[/caption] HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT G&T A classic gin and tonic can be traced back to when colonial Britain spread its tentacles across the world and the English encountered a whole range of new tropical diseases, including malaria. To try to combat the disease, troops in India were given rations of the very bitter cinchona bark, which contains quinine, a treatment for malaria. And from there, these wily soldiers mixed their rations with sugar, soda water and gin to make it more palatable. Now, when mates come over to celebrate being malaria free — or really for any occasion — we tend to go for a splash mighty enough to fill half a glass. What's the best way to mix up a good ol' G&T? "Gin is best served chilled with a good quality mixer and appropriate garnish to bring out the key flavours. For mixing a classic G&T with Greenall's gin, we recommend using some good quality tonic such as Fever Tree, lots of ice and a wedge of lime to bring out the rounded juniper notes, warm earthy spice and mature citrus notes of our Greenall's Original gin recipe. "It's also important to mix the gin and tonic to avoid layering flavours. Mixing allows the two to marry together and complement each other." WHAT'S TRENDING? Throughout gin's long life many trends have come and gone. There have been gins made with ants and seaweed, gins bottled with flecks of gold and turkey-flavoured gin (yes, really). Luckily, the latest trend is a bit more palatable (or, if we may, palette-able). While gin may traditionally be clear, that's no longer the hard-and-fast rule. And gin's colour of the moment is pink. Was it inspired by Regina George's midweek mantra? The millennial colour of the moment? A certain animated feline detective? We don't know. But we do know that it certainly adds an extra shade to your G&T. And, in the case of Greenall's Wild Berry gin, it tastes good too. This variation of the pink libation is made with natural blackberry and raspberry flavouring. As you'd expect, it has berry notes (on the nose and tongue) but the combination with juniper botanicals gives the drink a warming spice and slightly peppery after tones. [caption id="attachment_663980" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Letícia Almeida.[/caption] AND FINALLY, SHAKEN, STIRRED OR THROWN? The martini is the quintessential gin cocktail, a blend of gin and vermouth mixed to the drinker's exact specifications. But when you order a martini should you ask for it shaken, stirred or thrown? Many people will tell you there is a definitive answer, but the only difference is that the ice breaks into smaller chips and waters down the martini when you shake the cocktail. Joanne say, "too much ice doesn't dilute gin, but it does keep it chilled, dulling the effect of the alcohol in the mouth and making for a more pleasant drink." So tosh to them; drink it how you like, we say. Grab a bottle of Greenall's, throw that dry martini, aerate until it breaks into tiny droplets, serve in a chilled glass and don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong. Header image: Brook James.
Raunchy, dazzling and sharpy satirical, Siren Theatre Co's H.M.S. Pinafore is a romp of a remake that received rave reviews when it premiered at the Hayes Theatre in 2019. Now, as part of Sydney Festival, you can see director Kate Gaul's hilarious caper at Riverside Theatres over ten sequined shows that come with a content warning. H.M.S. Pinafore is one of Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas, which features star-crossed lovers, tongue twisters and mistaken identity — plus all the classic tunes 'I'm Called Little Buttercup' and 'He is an Englishman'.
Whether you're celebrating Galentine's Day, Valentine's Day or Singles Awareness Day this February, we're betting that a holiday to look forward to would make the occasion even better. So is Virgin Australia, and it only has sunny, summery spots in mind. The focus of its latest flight sale: trips to Queensland. Destinations from the Gold Coast up to Cairns are covered, and dates with plenty of sun, surf and sand between autumn and spring, too. Starting on Wednesday, February 14, this is a one-week-only sale — so you've got until 11.59pm AEST on Tuesday, February 20 to get booking, unless sold out earlier. More than 300,000 fares on offer. While the sale is focused on one part of the country, you still have options in terms of departure points and destinations. Within Queensland, you can leave or arrive in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Hamilton Island, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Mt Isa and Proserpine. And, around the rest of the country, flights to and from Adelaide, Alice Springs, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Sydney are available. One-way fares begin at $69 — which'll get you from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast and vice versa, and also from Brisbane to Cairns and Brisbane to Proserpine (to hit The Whitsundays) or the reverse. Other sale flights include Sydney–Gold Coast from $79, Brisbane–Hamilton Island from $86, Melbourne–Cairns from $115 and Adelaide–Gold Coast from $119. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the travel periods depend on the leg — but the general range is from Wednesday, March 6–Thursday, September 12. The sale has the backing of the Australian and Queensland governments' Tourism Recovery Package, to help the Sunshine State's tourism industry after ex-tropical cyclone Jasper. Only select fares cover seat choice and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing back in 2021 that it now splits its economy flights into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. Virgin's Queensland summer sale runs from Wednesday, February 14–11.59pm AEST on Tuesday, February 20 — or until sold out. 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.
Attention all wannabe heroes: something big is coming. This March, much-loved comic company Marvel will bring its world-class Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. exhibition to Melbourne. The immersive exhibition, held at Federation Square, will give would-be caped crusaders the chance to delve into the history, engineering, genetics and technology behind Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and the rest of their superhero team. Visitors will also undergo training, as if they were learning to become agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and can explore bespoke equipment and costumes including the Hulkbuster suit, Captain America's uniform and shield, Iron Man's MK armor and Thor's hammer, Mjölnir. Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. combines complex science and technology, developed by Marvel to help bring the successful film franchise to life. Space agency NASA have also contributed to the interactive experience, helping to enhance its scientific authenticity. After successful stints in cities including New York, Seoul and Paris, the exhibition will now head Down Under for the very first time. It'll be open 11am–6pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11am–10pm Thursdays, 10am–10pm Fridays and Saturdays, and 10am–6pm Sundays between March 16 and July 15. Last year Marvel broke records when it brought its Creating the Cinematic Universe exhibition to Brisbane, drawing in close to 270,000 fans. Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. is expected to be even bigger.
The third season of The Bear is a season haunted. Creator and writer Christopher Storer (Dickinson, Ramy) — often the culinary dramedy's director as well — wouldn't have it any other way. Every show that proves as swift a success as this, after serving up as exceptional a first and second season as any series could wish for, has the tang of its prior glory left on its lips, so this one tackles the idea head on. How can anyone shake the past at all, good or bad, it ruminates on as Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw) faces a dream that's come true but hasn't and can't eradicate the lifetime of internalised uncertainty that arises from having an erratic mother, absent father, elder brother he idolised but had his own demons, and a career spent striving to be the best and put his talents to the test in an industry that's so merciless and unforgiving even before you factor in cruel mentors. Haunting is talked about often in this ten-episode third The Bear dish, but not actually in the sense flavouring every bite that the show's return plates up. In the season's heartiest reminder that it's comic as well as tense and dramatic — its nine Emmy wins for season one, plus four Golden Globes across season one and two, are all in comedy categories — the Faks get to Fak aplenty. While charming Neil (IRL chef Matty Matheson) is loving his role as a besuited server beneath Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings), onboard with the latter's commitment to upholding a Michelin star-chasing fine-diner's front-of-house standards and as devoted to being Carmy's best friend as ever, he's also always palling around with his handyman brother Theodore (Ricky Staffieri, Read the Room). They're not the season's only Faks, and so emerges a family game. When one Fak wrongs another, they get haunted, which is largely being taunted and unsettled by someone from basically The Bear equivalent of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Boyles. For it to stop, you need to agree to give in. In Storer's hands, in a series this expertly layered, this isn't just an amusing character-building aside. Joining the Disney+ menu Down Under on Thursday, June 27, 2024, season three opens with an episode called 'Tomorrow', setting the action on the titular day following the soft relaunch of Carmy's pride and joy. Season one followed his immersion in The Original Beef of Chicagoland, which his elder sibling Mikey (Jon Bernthal, Origin) ran before his death, and the call to turn it into the restaurant that Carmy has always wanted. Season two charted the hard yards traversed to make the plan happen and bring The Bear to fruition, culminating in an unveiling to family and friends that had them raving about the food while The Bear's staff were in bedlam. With Carmy, who was stuck locked in the fridge for most of the big hurrah, then ended it with his girlfriend Claire (Molly Gordon, Theater Camp) out of his life and his relationship with Richie at a new low, the third go-around asks how you whisk that difficult kickoff — and all previous difficulties — out of your brain and somehow move forward. The Bear has been posing a version of this question from the outset, because it's one of existence's defining queries: how does anyone go on when our heads are swirling with the pinnacles and plunges, achievements and traumas, and riches and missteps gone by? This is a show that sees baggage and, Station Eleven-style, remembers damage. So, how could Carmy, Richie, Carmy and Mikey's sister Natalie (Abby Elliott, Cheaper by the Dozen), their pseudo-uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt, Chicago Med), and The Beef's loyal staff Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, IF), Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) carve a path — any path — after losing Mikey? With newcomer chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2), after they ensured it was still a place that he'd approve of, how could they pivot to The Bear? And with Jimmy's money backing them and the culinary world watching, how can they now guarantee that their new restaurant not just simmers but boils? 'Tomorrow' is a tone-poem first instalment to The Bear's third course, flitting through Carmy's history — the other kitchens that he's been employed in feature heavily — to establish how being haunted will season everything that follows. It's a mindset episode, and a smart and absorbing one, as his time working for the unpleasant David Fields (Joel McHale, Animal Control), the kindly Andrea Terry (Olivia Colman, Wicked Little Letters) and the IRL René Redzepi at Noma all flash up. Its mood then turns haunting itself, persisting atmospherically as Carmy makes some blunt decisions solo about what the restaurant will be and do, then Syd, Richie and the crew are confronted with his choices. The Bear will now operate under a list of non-negotiables. It will change its menu entirely daily. It'll actively seek Michelin's covered five-pointed endorsement. It isn't overtly stated, but it will also exist in a state of fear over what a review by the Chicago Tribune might deem it, be it innovative, excellent, delicious, confusing, overdone or inconsistent. The aftertaste of what's come before, and how impossible it is to cleanse it from your palate, lingers in every moment of kitchen and dining-room chaos — of which there's a buffet — alongside every plot strand. Syd struggles with the realisation that she's still the entree to Carmy's main, clicking the button on the partnership agreement that will formalise her stake in The Bear and whether to leave what she's toiled so hard for to take a new opportunity. Richie has the reality of his ex-wife (Gillian Jacobs, Invincible) moving on to deal with. The pregnant Nat's due date speeds closer. Marcus endeavours to cope with his grief by focusing on the job. Tina's route to The Beef gets its own episode. And The Computer (Brian Koppelman, the creator of fellow TV series Billions), Jimmy's no-nonsense numbers guy, has thoughts as The Bear keeps booking out and generating buzz but battling financially. Season three's performances in roles not only lead and supporting but also among the guest stars — well-known names pop up again, some returning, some new — remain delectable. Leading the show, no one better provides the faces of those tormented by their choices, hopes, yearnings, chances, mistakes and regrets, sometimes as motivation and sometimes as an anchor for Carmy, Syd and Richie, like the one-two-three punch of White, Edebiri and Moss-Bachrach. No one on- or off-screen across the whole series shows any sign of being plagued by living up to the one of the best new shows of 2022 and best returning shows of 2023, or knowing what to do, either. Although the second and third seasons of The Bear have had the program's own past to match, doing so hasn't been a problem to-date, including when Storer can so effortlessly segue between experimental and classic, and wide-spanning to ultra-focused as well. One of the reasons that the exploits of Carmy and company satisfied audiences from the show's initial arrival is its authenticity, understanding the pressures and anxieties, plus the hustle and bustle, of the hospo grind at the sandwich-diner level and the cream-of-the-crop tier alike. The Bear is equally as emotionally astute and frenetic beyond the kitchen, as every spoonful of its third season reminds viewers. The reality of trying to make it as a chef, cook, restaurateur and server collides with the reality of simply trying and being; it's a perfect recipe. In the show, the feeling of sitting down to your dream meal but proving incapable of dislodging your inner mayhem is inescapable. For those watching, The Bear is the streaming equivalent of the ultimate dish — and, because we all have our own internal turmoil, also the cure for being haunted across its superb 14 hours now over three seasons. Check out the full trailer for The Bear season three below: The Bear streams via Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand, with season three dropping on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Read our review of season one and review of season two. Images: FX.
If you're going to launch a brand new online school encouraging creativity in girls, it doesn't hurt to have Marina Abramovic's backing. Or Yoko Ono's. Or Pussy Riot's. Or Sia's. Or Every Strong Awesome Wonderful Lady Doing Amazing Things Right Now. The School of Doodle did just that. A brand new, free online school geared to infuse a little creativity into girls' educations, the School of Doodle has launched a Kickstarter campaign with the support of some of the world's most high-fiveworthy women. The Portland-based (of course) SOD team (lead by Melbourne-born expat Kate Johnson) see an unacceptable lack of arts education in US schools, one they've particularly seen as detrimental to young girls' learning processes. "The arts are being cut from schools and yet all the research shows that when teens' creativity and imaginations are fortified, they excel and stay in school longer as well as develop the necessary skills for future success," says the SOD Kickstarter page. "After extensive research and interviews with teens, teachers and education reform experts, we believe that a girl’s imagination is a right and not a privilege. And, if we don’t fight to protect it, the next generation (of women and men) will suffer." The team have pooled their savings and started building their free online high school, but found funds wanting to finish the website (the key to the whole shebang). So the team looked to Kickstarter, bringing quite the flurry of famous friends to the party. Rounding up 28 all-round goal-kicking women like Marina Abramovic, Yoko Ono, Pussy Riot, Sia, Kim Gordon, Yayoi Kusama, Sarah Silverman, half the cast of Orange is the New Black and too many more to list without their inspirational faces, SOD had each fearless female submit an original doodle of their own devising. Kickstarter backers can nab an individual doodle or a colouring book with the whole series. Here's the backing team, it's honestly like scrolling through a glorious tunnel of oestrogen-charged high-fives: Right? What. A. Lineup. So once you've sent your Kickstarter backing funds, what can students actually learn at the School of Doodle? The team describe the whole thing as "part classroom and part content platform original programming, created by both teens and professionals, to engage and inspire imagination." The self-directed, free curriculum is made up of lessons called 'Daily Doodles', which end with a 'Doodle Challenge' each session for students to start putting their sweet knowledge into practice. The whole philosophy runs on creative confidence and 'being loud' through the 'three paths to imagination': Dabble, Dig, Do. If you're lurking in the dreaded so-called 'Dabble' stage (we've all been guilty of Dabbling), the team have put together a library of 'How Do' videos to get your creative juices flowing. And who's teaching these 'Daily Doodles'? This is where shit really gets cray. Salman Rushdie, Kim Gordon, John Baldessari, Yinka Shonibare, even Abramovic herself are all crafting lessons. Free lessons. From these guys: Best looking faculty lounge ever. Sure, there are no grades — students earn 'Doodle Dollars' that can be saved up and spent on live online expert chats, field trips (or 'dream trips') and other bits and pieces that 'aid imagination' (not in the Parklife way). But if Abramovic, Sia and Pussy Riot see value in a free online school boosting girls' creativity, we're on board for Doodle. Throw some cashola at the School of Doodle over here and nab one of those famously-penned doodles. Via Artnet.
Last month the National Gallery of Victoria launched the first ever major survey of Australian fashion. Featuring over 120 works from more than 90 designers, 200 Years of Australian Fashion not only had us wowed with the scale, diversity and sheer beauty of the threads on display, but also contemplating the thread that runs through each product born of the Australian fashion industry. It's quite a unique industry to be in — isolated, out of season and catering to a completely different market to the global fashion players. But out of this, a new innovative and creative approach to fashion has been born. It's certainly seen successes, from Collette Dinnigan being the first Australian invited to show at Paris Fashion Week in 1995 to Dion Lee, who last year showed his fifth season at New York Fashion Week. Is it our position in the global market that defines our aesthetic? We asked local designers Perks and Mini and Pageant as well as the NGV's Curator of Fashion and Textiles Paola De Trocchio to define how they see Australian fashion. [caption id="attachment_566323" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Tom Ross[/caption] AMANDA CUMMING AND KATE REYNOLDS, PAGEANT Do you think there is an Australian aesthetic in fashion? There is a casualness and subtle eclecticism about the way Australian's dress. It's offbeat and relaxed! Do you think Australia's distance from the rest of the world has influenced our fashion? As designers, this distance can be challenging but it also gives us the freedom to create our own rules. The fashion industry in Australia is still young and not set in tradition, which we feel creates more flexibility and creativity through design. Is there a designer or particular time period that defines Australian fashion for you? We really admire Dion Lee and feel that he has helped to shape the global image of Australian fashion. His designs always push the boundaries and his textile development is impressive! What would you like to see local designers doing? As designers we feel it's important to be aware of your surroundings and reflect on current culture. It's really important to be authentic, as originality is key to a strong vision. [caption id="attachment_566350" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Perks and Mini[/caption] SHAUNA TOOHEY, PERKS AND MINI Do you think there is an Australian aesthetic in fashion? No. But I do think there is a uniquely Australian attitude to fashion. I think it tends to be more relaxed, it doesn't follow rules and is more forgiving. Do you think Australia's distance from the rest of the world has influenced our fashion? Yes, distance and also seasonal difference has had a big effect on Australian fashion. However, as the world be comes more global, seasons drop earlier and climate change affects weather, I think this will have less influence. Is there a designer or particular time period that defines Australian fashion for you? Growing up with rave and street culture, the stand outs for me are Galaxy Abyss and Funk Essentials both by Sara Thorn and Bruce Slorach. What would you like to see local designers doing? My favourite designers are ones where you can see their unique signature in there clothes. Too often you see garments where the neck label could be lots of different brands/designers and it would be believable. I would love to see designers finding their own unique vision and expressing that in their clothing so well that each piece is recognisably theirs. [caption id="attachment_566322" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Wayne Taylor[/caption] PAOLA DI TROCCHIO, CURATOR, FASHION AND TEXTILES AT THE NGV Do you think there is an Australian aesthetic in fashion? What Australian designers have in common is a sense of adventure, resilience, and courage. This can translate to bold, sophisticated and innovative design with a streak of rebellion. Do you think Australia's distance from the rest of the world has influenced our fashion? I think it has caused our designers to be incredibly innovative with their business systems and structures. For example, recognising that they could not compete with and did not even desire to fit into established fashion conventions from the context of Australia, DI$COUNT UNIVER$E launched their brand online through their blog, redefining the rules of what a fashion label could be. MaterialByProduct's engagement with the concept of luxury and artisanal hand production can be seen as suited to systems of production in Australia, where the majority of the businesses are small-scale enterprises with low-production capacity. Is there a designer or particular time period that defines Australian fashion for you? Australian fashion is evolving as we are as a nation. The earliest dress in the exhibition is from c.1805. Its raised waist and slim skirt are known as the empire line. Its Indian muslin fabric acknowledges the immediate network of trade between India, Australia and Britain. It situates the origins of Australian fashion within the broad context of Britain's aspirations towards the Empire and within a network of international trade. Since then Australian designers have continued a dialogue with the wider world that has echoed politics, trends, social movements, trade and identity. I think what is fascinating about Australian fashion is how Australian designers look inwards to find within them their unique voice, whilst looking out and engaging with the wider world. What would you like to see local designers doing? Thriving. I think they are doing incredibly well and I look forward to seeing them reach greater heights. 200 Years of Australian Fashion is now showing at NGV Australia until July 31. For more information, visit ngv.vic.gov.au. Top image: Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee wearing Linda Jackson's Tutti Frutti dress, 1975. Photograph by Ann Noon.
The world's first wandering institution dedicated to showcasing the creative efforts of ordinary folks is coming to Australia. That'd be the Museum of Everything, which will head to Tasmania for a ten-month stint filled with pieces that you won't find in any other gallery. Launching during MONA's Dark Mofo in June, then running through until April 2, 2018, the Museum of Everything, the exhibition will feature over 1500 works in themed spaces, taking visitors on an informal journey through human making. Drawings, sculptures, paintings, ceramics, collage, photography, assemblage, found objects and installations will all be on display during its first trip to our shores. Starting in London in 2009, and touring to Paris, Venice, Moscow and Rotterdam since, the Museum of Everything aims to improve the profile of art that falls outside of the usual channels. Forget famous names — you won't find them here. Instead, lining its walls are works crafted by untrained, unintentional, undiscovered and and otherwise unclassifiable artists from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Indeed, the people responsible for the kind of pieces favoured by the travelling display are compelled to channel their creativity into new, different and experimental works, but they don't fit the conventional definition of artists. As founder James Brett explains, "our artists do not create for the markets or museums. They make because they must and— from Henry Darger to Nek Chand Saini — have something vital to say about the essence of their lives". The Museum of Everything will exhibit at MONA from June 11, 2017 to April 2, 2018. For more information, visit the MONA website. Image: George Widener, c. 2007, Courtesy of The Museum of Everything.
Cinemas and choc tops go together like movies and superheroes — these days, you can't have one without the other. But if you don't eat animal products, pairing a frosty (and readily available) dessert with your film-going isn't usually on the menu. Until now. Much to the delight of vegan cinephiles, Event Cinemas has launched a new vegan ice cream range. In Sydney and Brisbane, the chain is now slinging two flavours of vegan choc tops from its snack provider Parlour Lane. Instead of dairy, these cones are filled with coconut-based ice cream that's been handmade by Aussie dairy-free producer Over The Moo. There will be two flavours to choose from — chocolate and salted caramel — that are both topped with vegan chocolate. The choc tops are $6.50 for the moment, and are only available at selected sites — so NSW residents should make a movie date with the big screens at Bondi Junction, Glendale, Miranda, George Street, Macquarie and Tuggerah, while Queenslanders should head to Chermside, Pacific Fair, Robina and Kawana. If you're fond of cruelty-free, dairy-free ice cream, you can add these to the growing list of vegan dessert options. Just this year, vegan Magnums, Cornettos and Weis Bars, plus four new dairy-free Ben & Jerry's tubs, hit supermarket and convenience store freezers. Lord of the Fries also added to its vegan lineup, expanding from meat-free burgers, hot dogs and yes, fries, to include a new range of vegan ice cream sandwiches. Now we just need a gluten-free option and all the dietary requirements of cinema-goers will be covered. Parlour Lane's vegan choc tops are now available for $6.50 at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction, Glendale, Miranda, George Street, Macquarie and Tuggerah in New South Wales, and at Chermside, Pacific Fair, Robina and Kawana in Queensland.
Overnight, Jimmy Fallon lived out every '90s kid's dream — he danced with the Fresh Prince. Oh yeah, and he hosted his first Tonight Show, inducting him into late night history forever. But who's to say which makes him more successful? The Tonight Show is a big deal, and some still had their doubts about Fallon. Even after proving himself as a host for five years on Late Night, many just couldn't shake that first impression of him as the baby-faced goofball who screwed up every SNL skit by laughing. (Seriously, he even laughed through Will Ferrell's classic cowbell scene). In last night's show, Fallon played up this doubt in a clever bit about celebrities making $100 bets against him even making it to the Tonight Show. Cue appearances by Robert DeNiro, Tina Fey, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey (WHAT?), Joan Rivers, Seth Rogen and a spiteful Stephen Colbert. But, after an emotional opening monologue and a solid first show, it's clear Leno's legacy is in good hands. With his backing band, The Roots, travelling over from Late Night, it's been clear for awhile now that Fallon loves himself some hip hop. We saw it at the end of last year too when Justin Timberlake came by for a duo in the History of Rap. This was reinforced further with last night's show, as Will Smith dropped in for an excellent demonstration of the Evolution of Hip Hop Dancing. Pulling moves like 'the running man', 'the pop and lock', 'the MC Hammer' and 'the I'm about to breakdance', Fallon showed he's not scared to bring some fresh ideas to the much-coveted show. He even finished it off with a twerk. I doubt Leno would have ever pulled that off.
There may be a lot of prospects for high speed travel, like Elon Musk's Hyperloop, but when we can travel between continents without the agony long haul flights, that's when we'll know the future is well and truly here. And while we wait for teleportation to make it to the molecular mainstream, we'll have to settle for second best: high speed supersonic air travel. Looking to bring back supersonic travel to the people, Sir Richard Branson is set to make high speed transatlantic passenger flights (relatively) affordable and accessible. Working with a Colorado aviation startup called Boom, Branson — under The Spaceship Company (an arm of Virgin Galactic) — wants to create a new plane that can fly at supersonic speeds of up to 2335 kilometres per hour. That would see the flight from NYC to London take a mere three and a half hours (rather than the seven hours it takes now). That's essentially a Sydney peak hour commute. Supersonic air travel has already been achieved by the passenger plane the Concorde, which provided flights between London and Paris to New York, Washington and Barbados between 1969 and 2003. It was decommissioned due to the $20,000 per trip price tag; by comparison, the Boom is set cost only $5000 USD. According to Boom founder and chief executive Blake Scholl, this new plane will be more cost effective by having have less seats and being more fuel efficient. Scholl also told The Guardian that, aside from the London to NYC route, they would also be concentrating on getting up trips from San Fran to Tokyo and LA to Sydney. It's all very ambitious, but the first Boom plane is expected to be tested by the end of 2017. Via The Guardian. Image: Boom.
Face it. There's nothing, nothing more heartbreaking than going out for a casual walkie with your beloved dog, grabbing a cheeky gelato cup at the beach and not being able to share it with your pooch. Much whimper. Such fail. Too long, too long have pups been shunned from ice creameries simply because the pockets in their dog hoodies rarely hold money and dairy products make them incredibly ill. Enough! No longer will this integral gelato market and prime branding opportunity be ignored. Gelatissimo are stepping up and doing what should have been done years ago (because trending topics). They're releasing a range of doggie gelato that can be enjoyed by both pets and owners alike — please avoid sharing though. Please. Importantly, the gelato is gluten free and flavoured peanut nougat (which is a dogwide favourite ice cream flavour, apparently) and gentle on puppy tums. From March 26, you can grab a scoop from 18 Gelatissimo stores (including Balmain, Bondi Beach, Central Park, Coogee, Cronulla, Newtown, Watsons Bay, Wagga, Manuka, Lane Cove, Lygon Street, Coolangatta, Mackay, Mooloolaba, Noosa, Toowoomba, Norwood and Surfers Paradise). Alright we so know it's a bit much and most of us don't have a weekly budget for dog iced treats, but think of it more as a treat for yourself that you can share with your pupper (if they whimper at you enough). Image: Mochi and Miranda @justanotherdogblog.
Plastic shopping bags might seem to last forever, but Australian's reliance upon the pesky, flimsy carriers has an expiration date. In a massive move for the industry — and a huge hug for the environment — the country's supermarkets are ditching single-use plastic bags from 2018. Three grocery chains have announced that they'll be banning the bag: Woolworths, Coles and the New South Wales-based Harris Farm. The big two will phase out plastic bags over the next 12 months, with Woolies' plans also including Big W and BWS, while Harris Farm will remove them from checkouts by January 1, 2018. Rather than offer shoppers free carriers, the supermarkets will sell thicker, reusable options for 15 cents per bag. The move will impact Woolworths and Coles locations around the country — bringing New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia into line with South Australia, ACT, the Northern Territory and Tasmania, where state-wide plastic bans are already in place. Over at Harris Farm, their range will also include single-use paper bags, as well as the free cardboard boxes they've been providing to customers for the past decade. Getting rid the ever-present items everyone has too many of is just the latest example of Aussie businesses putting the planet first, rather than prioritising convenience, money or simply maintaining the environmentally unfriendly status quo. Brisbane's Crowbar banned plastic straws last year, Closed Loop has been trialling ways to recycle takeaway coffee cups, and reusable coffee cups have been gaining popularity all over the place — with some cafes offering discounts, and others banning disposable containers completely. Via the ABC.
There aren't a whole bunch of things that can beat a day in the sun with a drink in your hand. Recognising the need to slake that thirst, Canadian Club is bringing their Racquet Club back for the summer, dosing out refreshing Canadian Club, dry and lime by the water with a screen showing the tennis. The Racquet Club celebrates Australia's biggest annual summer sporting fixture, the Australian Open. After keeping punters hydrated in Melbourne last year, the pop-up will this year extend to Sydney and Brisbane as well. The club will set up at The Bucket List on Bondi Beach for a whole month, from December 29 to January 30, and overlooking Sydney Harbour at Cruise Bar from January 3 to January 30. The pop-up bar will carry Canadian Club on tap and a whole slew of Canadian Club cocktails (the grapefruit Summer Spritz is our favourite), and will be decked out in all the tennis memorabilia that they can find. Plus, when the Open starts on January 16, there'll be a big screen showing every game, loud and live. Sports, beach and Canadian Club? See you there.
If you managed to nab a ticket to Paul Kelly's Making Gravy tour last year, then you were one of the lucky ones. If you weren't and have been lamenting ever since, you can stop. The songwriting legend has just announced that he'll be performing the show all over again this December, in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (on Gravy Day itself, December 21). Like the song, the tour — now in its third year — is becoming a bit of an Aussie Christmas tradition. Time to start thinking about getting the tinsel and ugly jumpers out of storage. As in 2018, you can expect to hear a stack of songs from Kelly's four-decade long career. Listen out for all the hits, from 'Dumb Things', from the album Live, May 1992, to 'Love Never Runs On Time' from Wanted Man (1994). The Christmas classic 'How To Make Gravy', first released in 1996 on an eponymous EP, is on the menu, too. The tour will coincide with the release of Kelly's new greatest hits album Songs From The South (1985–2019), his collaborative avian-inspired album 13 Ways To Look At Birds and a book of poetry he's curated, called Love Is Strong As Death. Kelly won't be hitting the road alone, either — he's inviting a bunch of special guests. He'll be joined by ARIA Award-winning rocker Courtney Barnett, Aussie Eurovison finalist Kate Miller-Heidke, NZ singer Marlon Williams and Gamilaraay songstress Thelma Plum (in Sydney only). [caption id="attachment_737416" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mia Mala McDonald[/caption] MAKING GRAVY DATES 2019 Perth — Optus Stadium, Saturday, December 7 Melbourne — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Thursday, December 12 Sydney — The Domain, Saturday, December 14 Brisbane — Riverstage, Saturday, December 21 Paul Kelly Making Gravy pre-sale tickets will be available from midday on Tuesday, August 20 with general sales from midday on Friday, August 23. Perth, Sydney and Brisbane tickets will be available via Ticketmaster with Melbourne's via Ticketek. Top image: Cybele Malinowski
It just got real dark in Sydney. And in Sydney during the warmer months, that only means one thing: a storm is coming. So if you're currently reading this from somewhere dry, warm and cosy, we suggest that you keep it that way for the rest of the afternoon. And not just any old wet weather, either. The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that severe storms, strong winds, heavy rainfall and large hail is on its way, which is looking to affect the Metro, Illawarra and Hunter regions. Taking a peek at its nifty colour-coded map, below, it looks like Sydney is going to be worst hit, too. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1103073062612844546 With storms come falling trees (and sometimes falling powerlines) and Ausgrid is telling customers to top-up their phones before the storms hit — just in case — and to stay well away from any powerlines that have been knocked over. The wild weather looks to ease later tonight. At the moment, public transport looks to be running on time and no major roads have flooded, but this could change when peak hour hits. Stay dry out there. And remember to check Live Traffic, Transport Info and BOM for warnings and updates. UPDATE: MARCH 6, 2019 — At 12.35pm, the BOM released a severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds over the next several hours. Those in the Metropolitan, Central Tablelands, Hunter, Illawarra and surrounding areas are advised to move their cars under cover, secure loose items and stay indoors during this time. Image: Live Traffic NSW.
For loved ones that prefer their flowers edible, Gelato Messina is once again happy to oblige. It has created a new frozen floral creation, dubbed The Tart Breaker: a limited-edition gelato rose cake, which will be released exclusively for Valentine's Day this year. The red rose cake is complex inside and out — in true Messina fashion. It's a chocolate tart shell filled with layers of Basque cheesecake gelato and dulce de leche, topped with petals made from hand-piped burnt vanilla chantilly. Yes, it's as decadent as it sounds. The rose cake will cost you $69 — likely less than a big bouquet of (non-edible) V-day roses — and can be cut into 6–8 slices, which can serve 6–8 people or just you and your partner; the decision is yours, we're not here to judge. Orders are only available for pickup on the days leading up to Valentine's Day. The Tart Breaker is available to pre-order from all Messina outposts except The Star from Monday, February 1 for pick up between Friday, February 12–Sunday, February 14.
Spend a Saturday getting your hands dirty, or rather, floury. Pasta Emilia, which moved from its original home in Bronte to Surry Hills in 2012, is not just a restaurant, but a cooking school as well. With local, organic ingredients at your fingertips, you'll learn how to make pasta the traditional way. That includes creating the best flour mix, fashioning it into dough and stretching it into sheets. Alessandro Grisendi, who's been making pasta by hand for fifteen years, will teach you how to make all kinds of pasta, from ravioli and cappelletti, to linguine and strozzapreti. And when your work is done, you'll sit down to a hearty lunch, including pasta, a veggie salad and glass of organic wine.
