From the filmmakers behind Little Miss Sunshine comes an unconventional fantasy romance starring Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) and real-life girlfriend, up-and-coming Zoe Kazan. Ruby Sparks, in cinemas from September 20, tells the story of Calvin (Dano) - a young novelist, who, despite achieving success with in his career, is now struggling with both his writing and his love life. After creating an inspiring fictional character called Ruby things start to look up, then Calvin meets a living, breathing Ruby (Kazan), sat innocently on his couch. Concrete Playground has 20 double passes to giveaway to see Ruby Sparks. For a chance to win, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Bummed you didn't get a Splendour ticket? Angry you bought dozens of Splendour tickets so you could scalp them, and now find yourself holding hundreds of dollars' worth of paper after organisers shut down the re-sale facility over the weekend? Decided not to go this year, thinking you could totally see all the bands you wanted to see when they did their sideshows? Well whoever you are, it's time to whip out those diaries and start making plans — we found the mother of all emails in our inboxes this morning, bursting with sideshow goodness. Listed below are all the details you need for nine bands — electronica wunderkind James Blake, old Splendour favourites Cold War Kids, so-hot-right-now sister act HAIM, MS MR (described to me as "Florence + the Machine, plus Lana Del Rey, with some Kavinsky thrown in"), the R&B-ish indie of Mancunians Everything Everything, Next Big Thing Jake Bugg, LA noise merchants FIDLAR, fast-rising Poms Palma Violets and kings of Florida chill Surfer Blood. And those are just nine of the eleventy-billion bands (we counted!) announced on the full Splendour lineup just a couple of weeks ago. More shows will be announced for the other bands as we get closer to the date. (Though sadly not for The National, Mumford & Sons or TV on the Radio, who are playing their only Australian shows at the festival.) Full ticketing information is on the Secret Sounds website. JAMES BLAKE Fri 26 July – Astor Theatre, Perth Tues 30 July – Sydney Opera House, Sydney Wed 31 July – Palais Theatre, Melbourne Fri 2 Aug – Town Hall, Auckland www.jamesblakemusic.com COLD WAR KIDS Monday 29 July – Metro Theatre, Sydney Tuesday 30 July – The HiFi, Melbourne Thursday 1 August – The Gov, Adelaide Friday 2 August – Capitol, Perth www.coldwarkids.com HAIM Wed 24 July – The Hi-Fi, Sydney Thu 25 July – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne www.HAIMtheband.com MS MR Fri 26 July – The Metro, Sydney Mon 29 July – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne www.msmrsounds.com EVERYTHING EVERYTHING Fri 26 July – The Corner, Melbourne Sat 27 July – The Metro, Sydney www.everything-everything.co.uk JAKE BUGG Thurs 25 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney Sun 28 July – The Corner, Melbourne www.jakebugg.com FIDLAR Mon 29 July – The Corner, Melbourne Wed 31 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney Fri 2 August – Spinoff Festival, Adelaide Sat 3 August – The Bakery, Perth www.fidlarmusic.com PALMA VIOLETS Mon 29 July – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne Tues 30 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney www.palmaviolets.co.uk SURFER BLOOD Wed 24 July – The Corner, Melbourne Fri 26 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney www.surferblood.com
Car sharing service Uber has been making waves of late, but their latest offering is unreservedly tidal. Ahead of the US premiere of Transformers: Age of Extinction on June 27, Uber is giving app users in three American cities the opportunity to ride with Optimus Prime. Though we are unsure whether this Optimus is the talking type, from the image posted by Uber it seems to be the real deal. With an initial roll out yesterday in Dallas, Optimus will soon continue onto Phoenix before a final tour of Los Angeles this weekend. Uber users just open their app and select the ‘Autobots’ option to try their luck at summoning this legendary leader for a 15-minute joyride with the machine of your childhood dreams. This brings to mind local Sydney legend Zac Mihajlovic's recent Batmobile endeavour, in which Sydneysiders can buy joyrides in the Dark Knight's highly coveted date-impressing vehicle. Uber announced their Transformers fantasy come true to users via their blog yesterday, opening with "Get ready for the ride of your life." Hardly an understatement, but it sadly looks as though this ride won’t quite make it to Australian shores for the meantime. As Sam once courageously said to Optimus, "No sacrifice, no victory." Autobots, roll out. Via Mashable and USA Today.
Several of Sydney's villages are getting on the Good Food Month bandwagon with their own events, from Paddo's William Street Festival to Newtown's Good Food Fair. The good folks of Potts Point are inviting you to join them for a small bar hop. You'll spend the evening roaming from one bar to another, sampling signature cocktails, fine wines and craft beers, matched with tasting plates. The first hop is sold out already, but tix are still going for the second. Your adventure will include stops at Jangling Jacks, where the drinks are named after legendary locals, speakeasy-inspired Parson's in leafy Kellett Street and and Waterman's Lobster Co. where the lobster rolls are named according to US states. Tickets cost $95 and include a drink and a snack at each of the three venues.
It's not every day that a neon blue van pulls up in Sydney and starts handing out free food and free drinks. But, in North Bondi from 9am–5pm on Friday, February 19, that's exactly what's happening. Setting up shop at the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, the Ultra Violette Airstream is making its Sydney debut. It's a very brightly coloured van run by the sunscreen brand. And, yes, free protection from the sun's rays is part of the giveaway. You'll also score some free Rollers Bakehouse croissants, ice cream and coffee. Fridays are already great as they are, but that should put an extra spring in your step. Free merchandise will also be on offer, because this one-day-only event is all about reminding you to slop on some sunscreen. Clearly, when it comes to a topic this important, Ultra Violette is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that message sinks in. [caption id="attachment_717602" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kitt Gould[/caption]
Returning this August to tickle the fancies of design nerds Sydney-wide is WORKSHOPPED15 — the 15th iteration of one of Australia’s longest running annual design exhibitions. Showcasing the work of emerging and established Aussie designers, this year the folk from WORKSHOPPED are calling for work that considers design in architecture, looking for designers who are reshaping, redefining and reinventing materials, techniques and forms. Expect the full shebang — complete with pendant lights, fancy fans and other assorted space enhancers — to take over the Supa Centa at Moore Park from August 6-23. (For insiders, there’s also a VIP opening night on August 5.) With over 50 designers bringing their best stuff, the WORKSHOPPED exhibition is the granddaddy of Australian design expos; it was here that Kate Stokes debuted her now-ubiquitous Coco Pendant back in 2010. All of which to say that you’ll want to be there — this is where next big design things are born.
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.
If you identify as female, then you're invited to slip out of your workaday apparel and join a naturist tour of Pipilotti Rist's Sip My Ocean, which is currently showing at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). The event aims to recognise and celebrate diverse experiences of femaleness, as well as to break down barriers between the viewer and the artwork. The only rule is that you can't wear any clothing. Sip My Ocean is the biggest Pipilotti Rist exhibition ever to have hit Australia. For the past three decades, the Swiss artist has been exploring the outer limits of video art and this show covers her journey, from single channel videos created in the 1980s to recent, giant-sized immersive installations. "Pipilotti Rist has mesmerised thousands of MCA visitors — and their Instagram followers! — with her dazzling environments, colourful kaleidoscopic projections, videos and sculptures," said Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, director of the MCA.
Nearly two decades have passed since a pair of Melbourne talents made a low-budget horror flick that became a franchise-starting smash, sparking their Hollywood careers. Thanks to Saw, James Wan and Leigh Whannell experienced every aspiring filmmaker's absolute fantasy — a dream they're still living now, albeit increasingly on separate paths. Wan's latest, Malignant, is firmly grounded in those horror roots, however. Most of the Insidious and The Conjuring director's resume has been, aside from recent action-blockbuster detours to Fast and Furious 7, Aquaman and the latter's upcoming sequel. With Malignant, though, he shows how strongly he remains on the same page as his former collaborator. Anyone who's seen Whannell's excellent Upgrade and The Invisible Man will spot the parallels, in fact, even if Malignant is the far schlockier of the three. Malignant is also an exercise in patience, because plenty about its first half takes its time — and, when that's the case, the audience feels every drawn-out second. But after Wan shifts from slow setup mode to embracing quite the outrageous and entertainingly handled twist, his film swiftly becomes a devilish delight. Heavily indebted to the 70s-era works of giallo master Dario Argento, David Cronenberg's body-horror greats and 80s scary movies in general, Malignant uses its influences as fuel for big-swinging, batshit-level outlandishness. Most flicks can't segue from a slog to a B-movie gem. Most films can't be saved by going so berserk, either. Wan's tenth stint behind the lens can and does, and leaves a limb-thrashing, blood-splattering, gleefully chaotic imprint. Perhaps it's a case of like name, like approach; tumours can grow gradually, then make their havoc felt. Regardless, it doesn't take long within Malignant for Dr Florence Weaver (Jacqueline McKenzie, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears) to proclaim that "it's time to cut out the cancer" while treating a locked-up patient in the film's 1992-set prologue. This is a horror movie, so that whole event doesn't turn out well, naturally. Jump forward a few decades, and the feature's focus is now Seattle resident Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis, Boss Level), who is hoping to carry her latest pregnancy with her abusive husband to term. But then his violent temper erupts again, she receives a head injury, and childhood memories start mixing with visions of gruesome killings linked to Dr Weaver's eerie hospital — visions that Madison sees as the murders occur. Bearing telepathic witness to horrific deaths is an intriguing concept, although hardly a new one — and, that aforementioned first scene aside, it's also the most interesting part of Malignant's opening half. Wan and screenwriter Akela Cooper (Grimm, The 100) play it all straight and obvious, including when the cops (Containment's George Young and Songbird's Michole Briana White) are skeptical about Madison's claims. That leaves only her younger sister Sydney (Maddie Hasson, Mr Mercedes) believing what's going on, and leaves the movie a plodding psychological-meets-supernatural thriller predicated upon routinely predictable but improbable character decisions. It makes the second half feel positively electrifying in contrast, when the big shift in tone comes, but also makes viewers wonder what might've been if that lurid look and kinetic feel had been present the whole way through. When the change arrives — with exactly why and how clearly one of those horror-movie details best discovered by watching — Malignant proves deliriously riveting. It sports a creepy yet slinky vibe, as well as a surging and hypnotic sense of physicality, all attuned to an inventive revelation that's all its own. The script's huge surprise isn't actually hard to pick, but Wan's execution is masterful and mesmerising. Here, the film becomes gloriously slick and pulpy, instead of relying upon the usual gradual zoom-in shots or sticking with an almost-house style (cinematographer Michael Burgess also lensed the Wan-produced Annabelle Comes Home, The Curse of the Weeping Woman and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It). It also evolves from a formulaically jangling score and soundscape to one with nervy purpose, embraces the kind of ridiculousness that'd be downright silly if it wasn't so well done, and adds a fresh sense of spirit to the possession-fuelled side of the genre. Wan has rarely made dull movies, after all, which is another reason that Malignant's long-gestating first section feels like a drag. Indeed, when the sagas his movies have sparked have been at their most generic, he hasn't been at the helm. That said, the fact that Malignant truly needs to grow on its audience, that it's firmly a picture of two halves, and that it starts with the unrestrained, lets it fall away, then sneaks up on the unsuspecting — that really couldn't be more apt once the film spills its narrative secrets. While Malignant isn't a character study by any means, Wallis breathes as much depth as she can into Madison in the movie's flatter half — and, in her third appearance in a Wan-related flick after The Conjuring spinoffs Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation, commits to the lunacy when it hits. Her co-stars have a much more standard time, including acclaimed stuntperson and Quentin Tarantino regular Zoe Bell (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) in a brief appearance, but this isn't a performance-driven film, either. It also isn't all that scary. Although Malignant can be sublimely off-kilter, that isn't the same eliciting genuine bumps and jumps. Still, when a horror flick shocks, delights and takes viewers on the type of wild and audacious ride that Malignant eventually serves up, it stands out. And yes, like much of Wan's work, it'll undoubtedly spawn a franchise.
Brash and irreverent rock outfit Future of the Left have announced that they will be playing a string of shows down under in January 2014. Formed following the dissolution of the beloved post-hardcore band Mclusky, Future of the Left is a Welsh quartet that emerged in 2005. They have since gained a sturdy reputation for the sprawling energy and raw power of their live sets. With a knack for fusing together melody and groove, the band will be sweeping up the eastern seaboard, rewarding their loyal Aussie fan base with raucous performances filled with biting wit and musical mayhem. From their wry song titles to lyrics such as, "I have seen into the future/ Everyone is slightly older" and "Civilised people don't fuck bears/ Civilised people don't play fair", Future of the Left showcase an offbeat, slightly cynical sense of humour armed with heavy riffs. Prepare for a meaty slice of rock 'n' roll and a welcome dose of cheeky laughs. Future of the Left’s forthcoming album, How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident, will be released on October 25, 2013. Tickets are available now through the Handsome Tours website. The tour dates are: Thursday, Janaury 2 The Corner Hotel, Melbourne Friday, January 3 The Annandale, Sydney Sunday, January 5 The Zoo, Brisbane
Throw on the best gown your local op shop has in stock, because Heaps Gay and Vivid Sydney are throwing a fancy schmancy party. Taking over Sydney Town Hall on the Queen's Birthday long weekend, the inaugural Heaps Gay Qweens Ball has been billed by its organisers as "the experience of a lifetime". There'll be music by the likes of Electric Fields, Yo Mafia, Handsome and Imbi the Girl, as well as art, burlesque, drag shows, an homage to the Sydney leather scene and a whole lot more. Oh, and did we mention the whole thing is sponsored by Young Henrys and 42 Below? Needless to say, there'll be libations aplenty, as the party kicks on well into the night.
This is the third time that John Waters has toured Looking Through a Glass Onion — his biographical combination of music and words about the life of superstar ex-Beatle, John Lennon. Waters plays Lennon in a plain suit on a bare stage, band around him. To look only at the costumes, this is Letterman or Conan O'Brian: suits, a band, a bald band leader. But the visuals are only scaffolding. Waters wears Lennon easily, catching his rhythms and attitude. His builds a Lennon who is likeable, human and irreverent. Lennon's songs are juxtaposed with Lennon's life, which is sometimes abrupt, but more often adds extra juice to the music. The first half rushes through Lennon's early years and his time with the Beatles. The second half has it easier, with only ten years to span. Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono stands out during the second act, and is handled especially well. Yoko got a lot of blame for the break-up of the Beatles — mostly for the crime of being Asian or a woman. Waters paints her as a whole person — neither strife, nor phenomenon. All through Looking Through a Glass Onion, Waters' script delivers people from superstardom down to person. He strips the fame from Lennon and returns a likeable man in midst of a whirlwind. The real Lennon had little of the slow gravitas often adopted in the glare of public life. He just seemed to be himself. As a listener, you know — you just know — Lennon's songs mean something to you. Looking Through a Glass Onion gives you some idea of what they meant to the man who wrote them, as well. By end of the show, John Waters owns the meaning of John Lennon, if only a version of it. Lennon as a whole person, and taking up a person's space. No more, no less. Looking Through a Glass Onion runs Tuesday to Sunday, until December 12.
Two immersive nights of music are coming to Carriageworks. In honour of their 40th anniversary, Synergy Percussion is presenting Xenakis vs Pateras, a performance of contemporary percussion scores by renowned composers. The first night will feature Pleiades,which was composed in 1978 by Iannis Xenakis. It combines the different sounds of percussion instruments, ranging from drums to vibraphones. A performance of Australian composer Anthony Pateras' original work Beauty Will Be Amnesiac or Will Not Be At All is presented the next night as a counterpoint to Pleiades. Pateras incorporates many of the same percussion instruments but sound engineer Jérôme Noetinger will overlay an electronica sound using six different channels of electronic sound design. The musicians will be set up on different platforms throughout the space in Carriageworks, allowing the audience to move freely around the room. The mobility of the audience creates a unique musical experience for each individual. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xwndhuUEj2w
Get ready for some action-packed bombastic fun this winter at Australia's hottest new attraction: Monster Jump. The 280-metre-long inflatable obstacle course is set to bounce into the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney over the school holidays on Saturday, July 1. Monster Jump will be running daily up until Sunday, July 16, so book in a session with your crew before the tickets sell out (as they inevitably will). You can bring the whole family to this inflatable wonderland for hours of fun and some healthy competition, whether you want to take your time bouncing your way through the obstacles or racing your mates to see who can finish the fastest. Slide, climb and bounce into school holiday fun with this thrilling family-friendly day out. For more information and to book, visit the website.
Swords, sandals, speeches and spectacle: in a Ridley Scott-directed epic, all are to be expected. It comes as no surprise that Exodus: Gods and Kings has each in abundance. Men fight, moral dialogue dominates, and 3D computer-generated imagery delivers everything from palaces and now-fallen monuments to parted seas and giant waves. What might come as a surprise is that Scott’s latest round of swinging steel fares better than it perhaps should. The veteran helmer’s vision of the tale from the Old Testament Book of Exodus falls between his lauded Gladiator and less applauded Kingdom of Heaven. Repetition reigns in an over-extended, blood-soaked effort, but so does a strong sense of character and contemplation. For those unfamiliar with biblical narratives, the story of Moses swaps between sides in one of the greatest tussles in Judaism. In Egypt circa 1300 BC, a punishing regime saw the empire’s 400,000 Hebrew inhabitants worked to death as slaves — a system that had been in place for over 400 years. Moses (Christian Bale) grew up alongside Pharaoh-in-waiting Rhamses (Joel Edgerton), unaware of his true heritage. Upon discovering he belongs to the people his friend so willingly exploits, he is exiled, but remains unwavering in his quest for change. So far, so standard — at least where film depictions of the oft-covered pseudo-sibling-rivalry circumstances are involved. Indeed, standard is an apt description for a feature that goes through the motions in relaying its well-documented plot points. Moses and Rhamses argue. God sets Moses on a mission. Plagues — a river of blood, frogs, locusts and more — try to convince Rhamses of the right decision. Bale’s involvement, as culturally questionable as his and other casting may be, provides a stirring central performance and a strong protagonist. In channelling the conflict at the heart of the story, he broodingly expresses the impact of Moses’s many battles — with himself, his origins, his identity, and the notion of faith. In an effort that muses at length about these issues, he offers an eloquent manifestation of the inherent struggle. The film suffers whenever he isn’t on screen, though such instances are rare. Elsewhere, the rest of the cast doesn’t fare as well, more as a result of a script tinkered with by four writers than anything else. With eyeliner aplenty, Edgerton simmers with corruption and confusion, and Ben Mendelsohn hams it up (in an unlikely Animal Kingdom reunion). Ben Kingsley is quiet but convincing as a symbol of the oppressed, but many other big names — Aaron Paul and Sigourney Weaver, most notably — are given little to do. The less said about the squandering of talented actresses such as Golshifteh Farahani and Hiam Abbass, the better. Thankfully, among the clumsiness and the bulging roster of familiar faces, Exodus: Gods and Kings finds the midway point between the overblown and unnecessary, and the interesting and epic. Come for the biblical action, stay for the powerful lead performance, and witness an average but still engaging take on a famous tale.
Much has been written about Sydney's newest ARI, Alaska Projects. Having only been around for four months (and already nominated for a SMAC Award, which must have happened within the first week of the Alaska launch date) it seems that Sydney loves to feel like it is oh-so-underground. You know, an artspace in a carpark — so effing cool. And with 400 people along to Samuel Hodge's opening last week it looks as though the people speak volumes. But then again, anywhere where you can drink and smoke and look at art and be in a carpark sounds pretty good to me. We all want to feel like we live in New York sometimes. I may sound a little cynical and to tell you the truth, prior to visiting Alaska Projects I was. ARIs come and go but Alaska has just a touch of magic in the form of director, Sebastian Goldspink. As MCA VSO alumni (you may also remember him from here) he really has the gift of the gab and unlike most jaunts to art galleries in this city (ARI or otherwise) a visit to Alaska is met with the warm, extended hand of Seb, "Hi. Have you been to Alaska before? Do you know Sam's work? Let me talk you through the show." Which is suitably refreshing. And welcoming. And inclusive. And not at all the usual blank stare of nonchalance that you would expect from a gallery director running a space in a carpark in Kings Cross. Anyway, if you venture down to Alaska over the next week you will find the sprawling archive of Samuel Hodge’s Euro-hued post-Vice photographs. As a commercial photographer who also sees himself as a visual artist many of the photographs are outtakes from fashion shoots and other banal made moody everyday moments. A couple are particularly striking, the rest didn’t change my life, but might change yours. Either way, I would well recommend searching out Alaska on a Sunday afternoon when the Level Two car park doubles as the backpacker car market. Expect to exit the lift and be faced with some sort of Buffy vampire lair — backpackers nestled at plastic tables, munching on rice crackers, practicing their sideways glances of 150, 000 kms. 2 bedder conversion. New tyres. 3 months rego. Gold, Charlie, gold. Samuel Hodge runs until Sunday 22 January. Alaska Projects is open Thurs-Fri 6-8pm and Sat-Sun 1-6pm.
Behind the mysterious billowing silk that marks Spice Temple's iconic entrance is a shrine to the chilli to which every lover of the sweet burn must make pilgrimage, and there's never been a better time to do so than Wednesday, May 28. Masters of the chilli Neil Perry and Andy Evans are presenting a one-night-only Some Like It Hot dinner, showcasing the fiery fruit in dried, fresh, salted, pickled and fermented forms in a menu that's set to sizzle. From crispy chicken laced with heaven-facing chillis to red braised pork belly with dried chillis and quail eggs to whole fried chillis with lap yuk and Sichuan black beans, one thing's for sure: this dinner is not for the faint of heart. Since even the most seasoned aficionados will feel the fever-pitch heat, there's a carefully matched boutique beer flight and a flavoursome green apple granita to cool you right back down. For bookings or further details contact Donna Tsakonakas at Spice Temple Sydney on (02) 8078 1888 or visit rockpool.com.
Love birds, it's time to get creative. As February 14 looms and restaurant reservations book up, planning the perfect night can seem like an impossible feat. Luckily, the Watson's Bay Hotel crew can do it all for you. Impress your other half by tucking into a picnic basket of goodies, all while watching the night descend over Watsons Bay beach. Packed ready to go, this takeaway feast contains your usual picnic essentials plus a bottle of bubbly and selection of canapes. For a classic candlelit dinner, there's the 50 Shades of Bay Feast for Two, and couples sharing a mushy snap of themselves with the hashtag #50ShadesofBay to Instagram go into the running to win an evening in the Hotel's Grand Harbour Suite (prize to be drawn during the night).
“Your word is ticket.” “Can you use it in a sentence?” “Get a ticket to this show, now!” This isn't your average night of comedy and it certainly isn't your average spelling bee. I mean sure, words are given to the contestants and they have to spell them correctly, but are all the words real? Probably not. Can they even be used in a sentence? We’re guessing no, but there's sure to be comical consequences aplenty for any incorrect answers. Michael Hing, Alex Lee and Patrick Byrnes are your gamemasters for the evening. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
We might be in our last month of summer, but that doesn't mean the good times need to end any time soon. So, to help you round out the sunny season with a bang, fun Aussie clothing brand Barney Cools has teamed up with local hospitality group The Sydney Collective to bring you four epic Sunday sessions. First up, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel will be throwing down an afternoon of tunes this Sunday, from 4–8pm, with local legend POOLCLVB as a special guest behind the decks. Tickets will cost you a cool $49, but you get a Red Bull cocktail on arrival, plus fish and chips and a pizette to line the stomach. And, of course, that covers the tunes and stunning water views, too. There'll also be a bunch of Barney Cools giveaways going around, so you could also land yourself some new threads. Snap up tickets here. Then, on February 14, head to Manly's Daniel San with your date or mate for an untraditional — and less stuffy — Valentine's Day. The lineup will see Barney Cools' disk-spinners playing some hot tracks from 3–7pm. Tickets to this Sunday soiree cost $45 and include a selection of sushi rolls, plus a tropical, Red Bull-infused cocktail. You can nab tickets here. Following that, there'll be more DJs playing at south Sydney institution Northies from 3–7pm on February 21. These tix start at a reasonable $10, which, yes, also includes a Red Bull cocktail. And again you can expect some giveaways and epic ocean views. Head here for tickets. Then, finishing up the series from 3–7pm on the last day of the month, will be a session at Mona Vale's Park House. Held in the Truck Stop, the event will see more chair-dancing, more Red Bull cocktails on arrival and more Barney Cools giveaways. Tickets are sold in tables of four ($156), six ($234) and 12 ($468), so round up the crew to farewell summer with an arvo of cold ones and killer tunes. Get your tickets here. Barney Cools Endless Summer Series runs every Sunday in February.
Usually when you head to a food truck gathering, only the folks doing the cooking stay inside their vehicles. But nothing is all that usual at the moment, so the Bella Vista Hotel has launched a Food Truck Drive-Thru — where attendees head along and pick up plenty of delicious dishes from meals-on-wheels kitchens, all while remaining inside their cars. Running every Thursday–Sunday evening until Sunday, June 28, this foodie event features ten food vendors, with the likes of Fire and Brimstone BBQ, Burger Head, Pizza-ology and Cluckn Chicken slinging their wares. All you need to do is drive up, add your car to the line and scan a QR code to order. Then, your food will be brought to you, ready for you to take home. Unlike food truck gatherings before the COVID-19 pandemic, you can't hang around at this one — you'll just need to grab your food and head off, with no onsite eating permitted. But, you will be able to collect everything from pizza, burgers and chook pieces to gozleme, cakes and cannoli. There'll also be shake-and-serve cocktails on offer, plus long neck beers. Just remember to bring your card, as all transactions are cashless. The Bella Vista Hotel Food Truck Drive-Thru runs every Thursday–Sunday until Sunday, June 28 — open Thursdays–Saturdays from 5–9pm and Sundays from 5–8pm.
Despite the rapid change we experience in our cities, there are some things that stay the same. And just like clockwork, Melbourne has been named the world's most liveable city in the world The Economic Intelligence Unit's Liveability Index ranks 140 cities on stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment. This marks Melbourne's seventh consecutive year at the top of the charts, and the Victorian Government could barely contain its glee. "Melbourne pipped Vienna for the top ranking, and finished well above Sydney, which did not make the top ten," read the incredibly smug press release issued by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' office earlier today. "This is a win for all Victorians, who contribute so much to making Melbourne the best place to live in the world," said Andrews. "Every Melburnian knows that they're living in the world's greatest city – and this proves it yet again," added Tourism and Major Events Minister John Eren. Rounding out the top five were Vienna, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary, which tied with Adelaide in fifth place. Sydney came in at number 11 — which, for what it's worth Melbourne, is only just outside the top ten.
There's no shortage of heartbreak in Till, a shattering drama about the abduction, torture and lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955. Clemency writer/director Chinonye Chukwu tells of a boy's tragic death, a mother's pain and anger, and a country's shame and trauma — and how all three pushed along America's 20th-century civil rights movement. Heartache lingers in the needless loss of life. Fury swells at the abhorrent racism on display, including in the justifications offered by the unrepentant perpetrators. Despair buzzes in the grief, personal and national alike, that hangs heavy from the second that Emmett is dragged away in the night. Fury seethes, too, because an atrocious murder like this demands justice and change, neither of which was ever going to be easy to secure given the time and place. Indeed, the US-wide Emmett Till Antilynching Act making lynching a federal hate crime only became law in March 2022. Heartbreak builds in and bursts through Till from the outset — and in sadly everyday situations. Emmett, nicknamed Bo by his family, is played as a lively and joyful teen by the impressive Jalyn Hall (Space Jam: A New Legacy). He's confident and cheery, as his mother Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler, Station Eleven) has lovingly raised him to be in Chicago. But even department-store shopping for a trip to the Deep South is coloured by the threat of discrimination. So, as his departure to see relatives gets nearer, Mamie utters a few words of advice. She's stern and urgent, trying to impart to him the importance of adhering to Mississippi's unspoken rules. She implores him not to do anything that could be construed as looking at white people the wrong way, to apologise profusely and instantly whenever he has to, and to heed the different set of norms. "Be small down there," she says — and it's one of the movie's many crushing moments. More devastation follows, in a film that wouldn't need to exist in a better world but is essential viewing in this one. While stopping at a grocery store in the sharecropper town of Money, Emmett talks to white shopkeeper Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett, Cyrano) — a fateful incident with specifics that've long been disputed since, as seen in infuriating testimony in the feature's later court scene. Chukwu depicts Emmett being chatty and charming, commenting that Bryant looks like a movie star. She responds by heading outside to get a pistol. Emmett's cousins and friends are frightened, a reaction that proves well-founded when Bryant's husband and brother-in-law arrive at Mamie's uncle's (John Douglas Thompson, The 355) door a few evenings later. The next time that the film's central teenager is seen, he's a horrendously beaten and barely recognisable corpse. Scripted by Chukwu with producers Keith Beauchamp (director of 2005 documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till) and Michael Reilly, Till isn't called Emmett or Bo, and isn't just the murdered boy's story — because Mamie was determined to make her heartbreak mean something. Accordingly, the movie devotes much of its running time to the aftermath, as Emmett's mother turns unspeakable sorrow into two quests: to try to hold the culprits responsible and to do whatever she needs to stop this from occurring to anyone else. Chukwu's film is sincere and clear-eyed about Mamie's courageous fight and the fortitude it takes, but it never veers away from the loss and hurt behind it. This is a portrait of a woman who became an activist icon, and also an ode to someone who was committed to ensuring that her boy's senseless killing wouldn't be excused or forgotten. When Till does see Emmett again after he's ripped from his family, the feature is careful — but also faithful to Mamie's actions. Chukwu smartly and sensitively chooses not to show the violence that Emmett was subjected to. When farmhand Willie Reed (Darian Rolle, Hard Drive) hears screams from a barn, it's deeply chilling without anyone needing to witness a single blow. And Mamie's cries when she greets her son's coffin are unsurprisingly hard to shake. But America and the globe were confronted with exactly what this crime looks like when Mamie insisted on holding an open-casket funeral, a move that Till both dramatises and copies. Chukwu is still restrained, however, never making a spectacle out of Emmett's maimed face and body. And, she's aware that watching how Mamie and others respond to the bludgeoned boy — seeing their faces crumple in distress and torment, as they naturally do — is equally as powerful. In fact, Chukwu and cinematographer Bobby Bukowski (Archive 81) can barely bring themselves to peer away from Deadwyler, who stuns in frame after frame. With both subtlety and potency, she's the picture of nervous, protective worry even before Emmett leaves — a venture that Mamie is against but her mother Alma (Whoopi Goldberg, Harlem) believes will help him know his roots — and, when he's away, conveys the motherly fear that something awful will eventuate in every look and gesture. Then, when the worst does come, Deadwyler is phenomenal in showing how Mamie summons up strength from enduring such horror. Till is a film of mourning, but it's also a movie about galvanising that mourning. While awards bodies have been woefully inconsistent with recognising Deadwyler's exceptional performance, with the BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild offering nominations but the Golden Globes and Oscars overlooking her entirely, this is a haunting portrayal. The only Black woman employed by the US Air Force's Chicago office when Till begins, as well as a widow and a single mother, there's more to Mamie than living every mum's nightmare and crusading afterwards — and although that isn't the focus of Chukwu, Beauchamp and Reilly's screenplay, Till finds ways to layer in crucial detail. How rich the film appears, especially when it's observing Mamie, Emmett and their modest but happy life in its opening chapter, is a particularly pivotal touch. Amid the dread that Mamie patently feels about Emmett's trip, and the foreboding the audience shares as well, there's such warmth radiating from the screen early on. There's such vibrance, too, because that's the existence she had worked hard to give to her child — one she knows likely wouldn't have been possible in the south. In that and every way it can be, Till is a film about love first and foremost, even when its true tale is so heartbreakingly and irrevocably altered by hate.
Known as 'The Man Who Shot the Seventies', Mick Rock is the photographer behind some of rock's most iconic images, embodying rock 'n' roll by more than just name. Beginning his career in 1972 as the official photographer of David Bowie, Rock was the man who chronicled the rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust. Throughout the seventies, he continued to photograph some of music's most influential stars, creating album covers for Lou Reed's Transformer, Syd Barret's The Madcap Laughs, Iggy and the Stooges' Raw Power, Queen's Queen II and the Ramones' End of the Century. Rock also shot and produced several music videos, including 'Life on Mars', 'Space Oddity' and 'Jean Genie'. His work captures the spirit and defines some of the most groundbreaking bands in music history. Recently Rock has worked with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Johnny Marr, the Chemical Brothers and Kate Moss, and his retrospectives on Glam Rock and the psychedelic-era have been acclaimed worldwide. This month Blender Gallery is presenting Mick Rock - EXPOSED!, a retrospective of Rock's work across the past four decades. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cYMCLz5PQVw
If your new year celebrations are often filled with unrealised expectations and warm beer, this could be the year you vow to make it different — and the perfect solution might be Sydney's Harbour Hoopla, held in the stunning Royal Botanic Garden. It's all going down inside the garden at the Tarpeian Precinct Lawn, meaning it has some of the best views in the city. So, it's the perfect location to see the NYE fireworks, with incredible views of both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Plus, there'll be plenty of carnival-style and interactive entertainment, as well as a DJ once the night gets into swing. Tickets will cost you a casual $350 a pop, but you can't really beat those multimillion-dollar views. You'll also get a picnic hamper, filled with dip, frittata, a chicken or vegetarian main and a cheese platter. For dessert, you'll get a flourless chocolate, Nutella and popcorn torte. And, to get you suitably soused (and well hydrated), there'll be a number of pop-up bars — just make sure you bring cash as there are no e-sales at this shindig. Perhaps what's most exciting though is the fact that — unlike the rest of Sydney — you won't have to head to the CBD early to get the best seats in the house. Gates open at 6pm and the party will continue till 1.30am. It's a BYO rug situation, so make sure you come prepared — and ready to dance your way into the next decade. Harbour Hoopla is happening on New Year's Eve, from 6pm–1.30am. To nab yourself a ticket, head here.
Anton Chekhov famously said that if a gun appears onstage in the first act, it has to go off in the second. The same could be expected of teenagers. We might not have thought things through as a society when we decided that humans still soft, still semi-formed, with hormones that fly like ping pong balls socked by the racquets of sex and existentialism should be forced to sit one exam that will determine so much of their futures. The stress is fierce. It's inevitable that some will snap from the force. Punk Rock, by English playwright Simon Stephens, leads us to question who it will be among its class of sixth formers (year 12s to us) about to take their A-level mock exams (that'd be HSC trials). Will it be the larrikin whose play can tilt into true bullying? The victimised nerd who feels the world coming to its doom? The quirky girl whose mum will "kill" her if she gets a 'B'? The play is misrepresented by both its title and its sometimes tagline, "The History Boys on crack". These teens are not rebellious or angry; they're anxious. Lilly (Darcie Irwin Simpson), William (Sam O'Sullivan), Bennett (Graeme McRae), Cissy (Madeleine Jones), Nicholas (Owen Little), Chadwick (Gabriel Fancourt) and Tanya (Rebecca Martin) are a particularly British public school (er, private school) breed of high achievers who gather in a secluded part of the library to study and socialise. They're searching for a real way to live in the 21st century, though not as real as it's about to get. The brilliance of Punk Rock lies in its vibrant, funny, confessional conversations that ring true without calling on a single 'like' or 'OMG' so often used to mark teens in contemporary texts. You're so subtly drawn in that you barely notice the undercurrents of power constantly at play, and when real menace surfaces, it's chilling. The masterful script has been staged with care and controlled energy by director Anthony Skuse (Lord of the Flies) and the pantsguys team. The sum is an unpatronising acknowledgement of the complexities of teenagerhood and a powerful reminder of why our schooldays are rarely the best of our lives. Due to popular demand, Punk Rock's season has been extended to August 18.
This darling little Darlinghurst boutique is perfect for those who despise sifting through racks to find the good stuff. Alfie's Friend Rolfe is lovingly and meticulously curated, so only the most perfect pieces hit the shelves. Featuring the very best Australian labels (and some international goodies too), this cosy local gem has been clothing and accessorising the fashionable Darlinghurst crowd for more than ten years. They also have personal shopper and wardrobe consultant Catalina Alfaro at the helm, so you're guaranteed to get top-notch style advice as well as a gorgeous shopping experience.
Fast and furious, wet and wild. No, it’s not an ad for a summer roller-coaster ride; it’s the frantic dash in a 12m-long painted boat known as the Dragon Boat Races. Dating back 2000 years, the race was traditionally held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese Calendar to encourage rains for prosperity — the dragon, the symbol of water, was the object of worship for the ancient Chinese. Today, it’s a heart-thumping sport boasting crews of roughly 20 rowers. Grab a waterside seat and watch some of Sydney’s best dragon boat teams battle it out in this highly competitive, thrilling sport.
This year has been anything but normal, and the trend is continuing into Christmas. Because of a recent outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches, COVID-19 restrictions are (once again) impacting what we can and can't do, and who (and how many people) we can see for the festive occasion. For the first time in 2020, Sydney is broken up into different areas with different restrictions. As the majority of the cluster is located in the northern part of the northern beaches, this is where the strictest restrictions are. Next, comes the southern half of northern beaches; then Greater Sydney — which, currently, includes the Blue Mountains — the Central Coast and Wollongong; and, finally, the rest of NSW, which has the most relaxed restrictions. The recent outbreak, which currently includes 104 cases, has led to the NSW Government tightening restrictions across all of Greater Sydney, but the good news is that some of them are being temporarily relaxed between Thursday, December 24 and Saturday, December 26. What that does mean, though, is that it's all a little confusing. To help you plan your day — and ensure you're not slapped with a $1000 on-the-spot fine — we've broken down exactly what you can do, region by region. NORTHERN NORTHERN BEACHES Sydney's northern beaches suburbs have been under stay-at-home orders since Saturday, December 19. They were initially flagged to end on midnight last night, Wednesday, December 23, but instead the NSW Government has split the northern beaches into two zones — a northern and southern section, using the Narrabeen Bridge and the Baha'i Temple as a boundary — each with different rules. You'll find a map from the NSW Government showing the two areas below. For those in the north — which sounds like something that'd be said in Game of Thrones, not in reality — the current restrictions remain in place for the foreseeable future, with no end date currently given. That said, there is a very slight change coming into effect from Thursday, December 24 until midnight on Saturday, December 26. Northern northern beaches residents will be able to have five visitors over, including kids, during those three days, as long as their visitors live in the zone. Accordingly, leaving the house to visit people in the area will be added as a fifth reason to head out — alongside work if you can't do it from your house, for essential shopping, for exercise and for compassionate reasons (which includes emergency medical treatment or to visit an isolated relative). Come Sunday, December 27, no visitors will be allowed again, with the rules reverting to the present current stay-at-home conditions. And, during the three-day reprieve, people can't enter or leave the northern beaches' northern zone — so it's only folks within it that can interact with each other on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. SOUTHERN NORTHERN BEACHES In the lower half of the northern beaches, residents can have ten visitors plus kids from Thursday, December 24–Saturday, December 26. That does include folk from the rest of Greater Sydney, too — but not from the peninsula zone in the north. If you live in the southern part of the northern beaches, though, you can't leave your house unless it's for one of the original four reasons, or to visit someone else in the same southern northern beaches area. As for what happens afterwards in this zone, the government has said that it will make an announcement on Boxing Day. GREATER SYDNEY, CENTRAL COAST AND WOLLONGONG In a bid to contain the stop the spread of the outbreak across Sydney, the NSW Government tightened gathering restrictions on Sunday, December 20 for Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong. Initially set to expire at midnight last night, the new caps for gatherings at home and in indoor venues were extended indefinitely — but there's a very minor change in place for December 24, 25 and 26. If you're keen to have folk over to your house, that's limited at ten people. At all other indoor settings other than the family home — which includes hospitality venues — the one person per four-square-metre rule is in effect. And, a cap of 300 people remains for big venues, even if a large space can hold more than that and still abide by the density requirement. From Thursday, December 24–Saturday, December 26, the ten-person limit doesn't include children under the age of 12. So, you can have ten adults and however many kids under 12 at your house. But, you can only have one group of people over on each day — so you can't have different lots of ten people and children coming over at different times. This very minor change stops at midnight on Saturday, December 26, with the hard ten-person rule — for visitors of all ages — back in effect from Sunday, December 27 until further notice. These new restrictions do not impact outdoor public gatherings, however, with the current limit of 100 people remaining. THE REST OF NSW For everyone outside of Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Wollongong and the northern beaches — and those who haven't been told to isolate after visiting a hotspot — the restrictions for indoor gatherings are much more relaxed. In the rest of NSW, you may have up to 50 visitors at your home at a time (including adults and children) and there's no daily limit on how many visitors you may have. If you do go over the 50-person limit, though, every single person present could possibly be slapped with a $1000 on-the-spot fine. Like Greater Sydney, public outdoor gatherings are restricted to 100. Hospitality and other indoor entertainment venues can have a limit of one person per two-square-metres. For more information about current restrictions and the developing northern beaches outbreak, head to the NSW Government website.
Fun fact: Mudgee is the third largest grape-growing region in New South Wales, housing more than 35 family-run cellars. The city also happens to house a pretty rocking food scene — culinary specialities that the good folks of Mudgee are bringing to Balmoral Beach on August 10 for the 24th annual Mudgee Food & Wine Festival. From 11am-5pm, Balmoral Beach will be covered with marquees and stalls displaying Mudgee's finest fare and wine. Admission is free, with taste packages starting from $20. For the more adventurous, there is also a VIP Marquee 'grazing' event, where guests are able to chat to the producers while enjoying a menu of local and seasonal fare and wine, courtesy of renowned Mudgee chef Rachel McCarthy. Plan on drinking? Event organisers have even organised a shuttle bus to transport you around the northern suburbs. Bookings are essential. Tickets can be purchased here.
Need yet another utterly worthy excuse to indulge this silly season? Well, we've got one — you can stay and play at one of the city's most luxe boutique hotels, West Hotel on Sussex Street, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Located in Barangaroo, this hotel is right in the heart of Sydney — so you're always just a walk away from all the goings on about town. So, if you're in need of a little festive cheer this December, you're in luck. Should you get your mitts on this glorious prize, you and a lover (or a buddy) will be spending two nights in one of the King Waratah Premium Rooms at West Hotel. With breakfast for two and a complimentary mini bar included. It's a treat worth a cool $1,200. West Hotel is perched just a hop, skip and a jump away from the city's best cafes, bars and restaurants — think Skittle Lane, Shortstop, PS40, Banksii and Anason — and has a chic modern aesthetic, with incredibly luxe rooms. In a King Waratah room, you'll be on one of the hotel's top floors, with views over the Barangaroo skyline. You can claim your prize at any point until the end of December (subject to availability), whether you want to use it as a base for exploring the city or to stay put for an ultra-relaxed staycation. This is one prize that's sure to make your mates jealous — unless you can convince them to join you. To enter, see details below. [competition]748583[/competition]
Hanami and Japan go hand in hand, but what if you could indulge in the art of flower viewing (yes, that's what the term translates to in English) a bit closer to home? Well, that's where the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival comes in. It's a celebration of everyone's favourite pink flora in Sydney's west. Between August 17 and 26, the Auburn Botanic Gardens will transform its Japanese Gardens into a beautiful, blooming wonderland. You'll be able to ramp up your appreciation of the fleeting natural phenomena that is cherry blossom season by attending a massive viewing party in the lead up to spring. Tis the season, after all. And taking in the spectacular scenery isn't the only thing you'll be doing. Over the two weekends of the festival (that is August 18-19 and 25-26), you'll be able to get your fill of Japanese entertainment by floating on over to stages filled with sumo wrestling, J-pop performers and Hello Kitty makeovers. On Friday, August 17, there'll also be a food- and sake-filled opening night party. This year, the festival is ramping up its food offering, too. As well as eating your way through an array of Japanese food trucks doling out doses of bao, bento boxes, Japanese hot dogs, gyoza and okonomiyaki, you'll also be able to try a heap of cherry blossom-inspired eats. There'll be pink lotus buns from Tsuru, taiyaki by Otsu, Gelato Messina's Aunty Tomsu's Cherry Blossom Cheesecake and pink sakura burgers. A pop-up izakaya will serve up sake and Japanese craft beer, too, and Sydney's Sakeshop will be selling limited cups of Hanamikura Aya sake — which is made from a yeast extracted from the cherry blossom flower. If you've got a day off and want to skip the crowds, they'll also be opening up the gardens for four days during the week (August 20–24). Entry will cost five bucks, and is free for Cumberland residents. Images: Destination NSW.
Fonts are more cheeky and charming than we give them credit for. Their shared practicality on the computer screen never gets in the way of their distinct personalities. Each character is individual and up for the count. Whether full-bodied or standing slightly askance, they blink back at the cursor and soldier forth to selflessly serve language, rhythm and imagery. We all know the font family, but rarely stop to consider its authority and influence, whether in cascading style sheets or deprecating HTML scripts. We now realise that all roads lead to Times New Roman, and we long ago figured out who shot the Sans Serif, but the typefaces installed on your system surely deserve a indelible tribute outside the Microsoft Corporation. Thankfully (bold tag) Roller Studio is celebrating the release of the second Go Font Urself book, a font-tastic volume featuring type-riffic artworks that highlight the uniqueness of the English language. If loosened letterforms don't excite you, the inclusion of international artists, designers and typographers will, and all proceeds raised at the launch will be donated to the Penrith Museum of Printing. Presented by Kirin First Press Beer, the GFUS* Typography Initiative invites all and sundry to revel in the craft, beauty and creativity of fonts at Roller Studio. Get your caps lock on, rearrange the glyphs of your inner font into a thumbs up gesture, and bag a copy of the book after 6pm. Image: Siggi Eggertsson
At first, Mike Mills' semi-autobiographical new indie flick, Beginners, seems like just another kooky romantic comedy featuring a lot of bad timing and translation gags. Think Amelie, except with Ewan McGregor in the main role and a gay subtext. But this time the comedy has a bittersweet edge; a recurrent note of sadness which reminds you that no one ever gets an unlimited amount of days, months or years in which to sort out the vagaries of their relationships. As a wise Jack Russell terrier, whose telepathic pronouncements punctuate the storyline, is at pains to point out to Oliver, the protagonist, it is never too late to find a sense of joie de vivre – and to doggedly hang onto it. In 2003, when the film begins, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is sorting through the possessions of his father Hal (Christopher Plummer), who has just died of cancer. Oliver is a habitually dejected graphic designer with a talent for self-sabotage in relationships; he has a tendency to explain himself through self-consciously twee statements like, "My personality was created by someone else and all I got was this stupid t-shirt." In voiceover, Oliver reveals that after a forty-five year marriage his hitherto 'straight' father had come high-kicking out of the closet and enjoyed a lively liberated five years in the Southern Californian gay scene. Mills grafts a conventional love story onto Oliver's tricky journey of grief and self-realisation when he meets the lovely French actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent), at a costume party. Oliver and Anna embark on a whimsical but wary relationship, complete with tears, laughter, sharp-worded recriminations – and random roller-skating through the rococo halls of a ritzy Los Angeles hotel. Oliver's memories of his father and the perfunctory kisses that peppered his parents passionless marriage, inform his hesitant approach to Anna; through flashbacks, writer-director Mills' explores the effect of the profound social changes of the past fifty years on people's sense of 'right' and 'wrong'. Beginners is visually stunning and the storyline, while sentimental, is seldom sappy. Olivers' self-destructive nature inevitably leads him to spurn Anna when she gets too close, but the idea that you can leave someone without going anywhere is intriguing, intelligent and powerfully realised by the consummate cast. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KplqiAHYnHo
Internationally acclaimed photo-artist Samantha Everton has gone to extraordinary lengths to source exactly the right antique marionettes, hand-sewn curtains, kingfisher-blue smocks and oddball flourishes for her 2011 Marionettes series. From a distance, her domestic tableaux look like sweet snapshots of well-seamed splendour. Up close, they reveal themselves to be unsettling images of women caught in moments of silent implosion; the unhappy inhabitants of hyper-realities. Marionettes float in airless rooms, clamber up the wall; demonstrate the depths of their despair by plonking face-first into birthday cakes. Their immaculate baby-doll dresses mock the mendacity of modern fantasy, and in most photos a large stuffed bird, such as a duck, observes proceedings impassively. Everton is drawing attention to the difference between picture-perfect worlds and lived experience; her previous bodies of photographic art, namely the Utopia series, the Vintage Dolls series, and the Catharsis series, also illuminate women's psychological and sociological isolation. Everton always captures her images on traditional film using a medium format camera to heighten the surrealism of the narrative content and underlying symbolism. In Marionettes, her characters experience catatonic crisis in stifling settings and the unerring precision of her photographic processes means that we too dive into the shadowy depths of subconscious desire. Come witness these captured moments of implosion — in Blue Day, a woman hangs from the picture-rail in her bedroom, waiting for you. Image: Birthday Cake, Samantha Everton, 2011
The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, announced his retirement from his political role in March. He didn't tape a goodbye show, like Oprah, so the announcement was duly recorded but largely ignored by the media. Given that the Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader as well as a figure of some political controversy, this may not reflect particularly well on the priorities of modern journalism. However, the Dalai Lama has always been known as much more than simply the head-of-state of the Tibetan government. To his admirers, he is an icon of endurance; a spiritual guru, a figure of serenity. To his detractors, he is an anachronism; a ditherer, “not the brightest bulb in the room”. Despite his persistent attempts to renounce his political functions in order to pave the way for a new generation of political leaders, he has become such a popular - some might say populist - figure that no one else could slip easily into his sandals. As a South African official once lamented, "To say anything against the Dalai Lama is equivalent to trying to shoot Bambi”, or switching off a certain goodbye special. Like Oprah, he is known for the pinpoint accuracy of his perceptions about people and politics; he may relinquish his power, but not his influence. To honour his upcoming visit to Australia, Customs House is mounting a series of large scale black and white portraits of the Dalai Lama taken by Victorian photographer David Roberts in 2007. This means that Sydney-siders will have an opportunity to sit for a moment with the meditative man, and study his portrait for traces of his spiritual magnetism. Image: David Roberts, 2007
This is it, folks. The Big Dance. After the Sydney Mardi Gras festival's culmination at the parade that stops the city, the top ticket in town is the one that gets you into the Entertainment Quarter. The party lands on March 4 this year and the bill features twins for the win, with the unavoidably catchy pop stylings of The Veronicas opening the show for indie legends Tegan and Sara. Beats will be curated by a massive mix of DJ talent from home and abroad, including Sylvin Wood, Joelby and the best named DJ ever, DJ Dan Murphy. All American Boy, Steve Grand, will also perform. Image: Sydney Mardi Gras.
First, they realised that folks liked to strut their stuff on the dance floor in their own way — free from judging eyes, glaring sources of illumination, restrictive outfits and the need to learn specific steps. So it should come as no surprise that No Lights No Lycra have hit the jackpot with their next idea. Now, knowing that there's more to the season of roses and chocolates than the usual romantic gestures, they're throwing an anti-Valentine's Day dance party. Taking over the Paddington Uniting Church Hall from 7.30pm on February 14, Feelin' Myself — The Anti V-Day Party is a space for everyone to come together and show their love through movement. Just what kind of affection you're expressing and celebrating as you listen to a mix of breakup and better-off-alone tunes, well, that's up to you. If you're attached, you can both hit the floor and avoid all of the usual Valentine's Day cliches — sure, you'll have to nab a ticket in advance, but there's no fancy outfits, worrying about a restaurant booking, trying to snag the best picnic spot or the like. If you're solo, you can groove with your gang or bust a move alone, free from the usual romance overload.
Strange as it may seem, the difference between a good action movie and a great one isn't actually the action. It's the story. You can have the greatest action sequences of all time, but without a compelling story to back them up they'll end up falling flat, and viewers will struggle to care about why their hero is enduring it all. This characteristic was key to the success of the first Bourne trilogy, which chronicled the relentless attempts of Matt Damon's protagonist to pierce the veil of his amnesia and discover the truth about his past. Less so the follow up, The Bourne Legacy, which again contained outstanding action, but struggled in the later stages when the hero's sole motivation was tracking down medication to keep him functioning as a super soldier. The stakes were lessened, and – as a consequence – so too the audience's regard. As the name suggests, Jason Bourne returns the focus to the heart of this franchise, picking up the story with Matt Damon's character now limping through life in Athens as a bare-knuckle fighter in an illegal gambling ring. When an old face resurfaces and provides him with hacked CIA documents suggesting his past mightn't be as clear-cut as he previously thought, he's forced to resume a cat-and-mouse game with his former employers as they try to kill him, and he tries to find out what they did to him during his recruitment. In that sense, Jason Bourne is back on familiar ground. But with deception supplanting amnesia as the obstacle to his clarity, it's something of a Jason Bourne movie without quite the same level of Jason Bourne magic. As always, the villains – in the form of the CIA and their ominously named 'assets' – spend the bulk of their time in darkened surveillance rooms, delivering almost comically jargon-heavy dialogue with unblinking, stone-cold faces. This time round the team is led by Tommy Lee-Jones as CIA Director Robert Dewey, and Alicia Vikander as his ruthless senior analyst Heather Lee. If nothing else, Jason Bourne is a terrifying insight into the technological capabilities now available to the world's top spy agencies, able to surveil the faces of thousands of people instantly and simultaneously within a riot, remotely shut down the power of a building in Reykjavik, and delete the files off a computer via a mobile phone in the same apartment. The emphasis on technology, however, pulls focus away from the man at the heart of the story, and the movie feels slightly hollow because of it. Director Paul Greengrass's preference for minimal dialogue and frenetic, shaky cinematography is well known. In this film he constantly pushes the limits of continuity, resulting in the need for clumsily inserted markers just to keep the audience up to speed. Maps are helpfully labelled "SEWER SYSTEM" in giant letters, every text message is sent in all-caps, and when Bourne nabs several items from a tech convention, they're beneath signs saying "Remote Surveillance Camera" and "Wireless Tracking Device". It's an unfortunate dumbing down of a traditionally intelligent franchise, feeling almost as though the script notes for the props department somehow ended up on screen. Even the action, whilst constant and thrilling, lacks some of the Magyver-esque charm of the earlier films, in which Bourne improvised lethal weapons out of everyday items like biro pens and rolled up newspapers. In a word, it's all very conventional, taking the franchise out of its genre-defining position and dropping it squarely back into the middle of the pack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v71ce1Dqqns
In 1981, SBS broadcast Women of the Sun, a historical production in more ways than one. Exploring the lives of four Aboriginal women from the 1820s to the 1980s, it earned acclaim for not just delving into female Indigenous experiences of the past, but for becoming the first television program ever to do so. 35 years later, Winyanboga Yurringa follows in the show's footsteps, this time bringing the female connection to country to the stage — and into the 21st century. Written and directed by playwright and recipient of the 2015 NSW Aboriginal Art Fellowship Andrea James, the performance draws on real-life stories to explore what's known in Aboriginal culture as women's business. Cue contemplations of identity, appearance, belonging, finding partners and tackling prejudice. The play depicts a revelatory camping trip as the six main characters interrogate their links with their homeland, heritage and with each other, as guided by their auntie, sister and cousin Neecy. It's a complex and compelling theatre work starring Kylie Coolwell, Alexis Lane, Angeline Penrith, Tessa Rose, Pamela Young and Matilda Brown. Presented by Carriageworks and Moogahlin Performing Arts. Image: Bindi Cole.
Beat the winter chill down by the water at a new pop-up chalet and whisky bar right on the harbour. Open until September 30 at Pier One Sydney Harbour, the Chivas Lodge on the Pier boasts all the comforts of an alpine lodge, from the opulent Chivas Regal Whisky cocktails and matched winter dishes right down to the roaring open fire. Get your skis on, stat. Tapping into the stores of the iconic Scottish distillery, libations at the lodge will include Chivas Regal served five ways, either neat or on the rocks served with homemade chocolate infused with orange and coriander, as well as six custom-made cocktails. These concoctions include the Nuts & Curd (Chivas Regal 12, lemon curd, fennel, honey syrup and Frangelico) and the Aged Bobby Burns (Chivas, Bénédictine and vermouth). The lodge will also play host to a number of regular and one-off events. Thursdays will feature complimentary tasting plates to go along with the liquid refreshments, while Fridays will welcome live saxophone performances and DJ sets along with three minute angel massages. Chivas ambassador Rachel MacDonald will host whisky masterclasses on select dates, while chef Joel Bickford will serve up a special whisky degustation dinner on the evening of September 15.
All it takes is the sight of a figure standing by a riverbank for Embrace of the Serpent to lure viewers in. The man, Karamakate (Nilbio Torres), isn't the only point of focus in the film's opening frames – in fact, the entirety of his dense, foliage-filled surroundings attract just as much attention, as does the stunning black-and-white photography that surveys every leaf and branch. It's his patient stance amidst such a thriving natural environment, however, that dares viewers to unearth more about him, the place he calls home, and the manner in which their stories intertwine. As a young shaman in the Amazon in 1909, Karamakate greets a canoe paddled by two men with caution. The local guide Manduca (Miguel Dionisio Ramos) doesn't worry him, but Theo (Jan Bijvoet), the German explorer with him, gives him pause. The outsider is ill, and only Karamakate knows how to locate the rare flower that could heal him, though it's a task that'll take the trio into the dangerous depths of the jungle. Later, as an older man in the 1940s, Karamakate (now played by Antonio Bolivar Salvado Yangiama) assists an American named Evans (Brionne Davis) on a similar voyage. Images of a slithering snake demonstrate the literal meaning of the movie's title, though writer-director Ciro Guerra and his co-scribe Jacques Toulemonde Vidal have the powerful squeeze of another predator on their minds. As the duo fashion a poetic road movie (or river movie, to be more precise) inspired by the diaries of real-life explorers Theodor Koch-Grünberg and Richard Evans Schultes, they ponder the impact of colonialism upon the traditional culture. Though their tone is peaceful and their images pristine, their condemnation of Western interference is clear. It's fitting that Embrace of the Serpent flits between past and present, since it also finds contrasts in a plethora of other pairs. As audiences watch Karamakate assist his two different companions, they don't just witness a film that compares the old and the new. They also traverse a blend of history and myth, broach the gap between the physical and the philosophical, dissect the clash between nature and technology, and discover what happens when the dreamlike and the devastating collide. It takes not just skill but artistry to craft a feature that's so loaded with potency and beauty. Every frame here leaves an impression, while still allowing viewers to soak everything in at an unhurried pace. Thanks to the visually wondrous efforts of cinematographer David Gallego, watching Embrace of the Serpent proves an experience that values just that. And while Guerra's underlying statement is never hidden, it's never shouted, either. Indeed, this is a film of waiting and uncovering something special. Sharing Karamakate's initial patience is recommended — and will be rewarded by one of the most distinctive movies in recent years.
Pull on your seamed stockings and pin your victory rolls in place — Sydney's Fifties Fair is set to descend upon Rose Seidler House in Wahroonga for its 21st year running. On Sunday, August 21, the iconic house and its gardens will be transported back to their heyday, with a carefully-curated selection of stalls selling authentic '50s fashion, furniture, kitchenalia and knick knacks, as well as a hair styling and a best-dressed competition. There'll also be a vintage car display for those who know their Fleetwood Cadillacs from their Jags and a killer music lineup headlined by The Hi-Boys to keep you dancing all arvo-long. When all that dancing makes you hungry, tuck into some deliciousness from Porteño and Daisy's Milkbar, then wander through (and marvel at) the house in all its mid-century architectural glory, complete with original furniture and fixtures. To help you get there, there'll also be a free vintage shuttle running between the house and Turramurra Station. Plus, if you book your tickets early (before August 7), you'll go into the draw to win four nights at the incredible mid-century home, Bel-Air, in Berry on the South Coast. It's a bona-fide '50s dream.
Alt-rockers Beach Slang and Spring King are travelling our way from either side of the Atlantic for this punk-rock, post-punk, double bill, Splendour sideshow Beach Slang, who hail from Philadelphia, smashed through ten high-powered shows at this year's SXSW, off the back of launching full-length album The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us. This will be their Australian debut, so let's show 'em a good time. Meanwhile, Spring King, from Manchester, caught the attention of Zane Lowe with 2014 single 'City'. Their debut album, Tell Me If You Like To, came out in June. There's more Splendour sideshow action where this came from. Check out our list of sideshows with tickets still available.
Thirteen years ago, an orange-and-white clownfish swam away from his home and into our hearts. He wasn't alone, with his anxious father Marlin (Albert Brooks) just as endearing, and forgetful blue tang Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) an ideal comic offsider. Charting a child's adventurous first steps in the world and a parent's fear of the dangers that might come, their tale was always bound to strike a chord. Pixar know it as one of their biggest hits; you know it as Finding Nemo. If that film coined a catchphrase, it'd have to be "just keep swimming," which was Dory's favourite piece of advice. It is far from surprising that the line pops up again in the sequel to the animated feature, or that returning writer-director Andrew Stanton and co. have taken it to heart. Indeed, Finding Dory is the movie equivalent of paddling along and letting the current sweep you forward. Cheerfully content to ride in its predecessor's slipstream, it just keeps swimming, with the film's irrepressibly upbeat nature ensuring it stays bubbly and buoyant. Nemo (Hayden Rolence) going astray again would've been a stretch, so this time, it's Dory who wanders beyond the patch of ocean the central trio calls home. In fact, it turns out that she's done so before — not that she can really recall. When Dory starts getting flashbacks of her loving mother and father (Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy), she decides to follow her memories. Marlin and Nemo join her epic swim to the Marine Life Institute in California, where Dory believes her parents might be waiting. A crafty octopus (Ed O'Neill), near-sighted whale shark (Kaitlin Olsen) and some sun-loving sea lions (Idris Elba and Dominic West) pop up along the way. Still, Finding Dory belongs to its key trio. In fact, the strengths of the film spring from spending more time in their company — particularly Dory, who might be a bit absent-minded, but is never treated like a joke. Time and again, Pixar films find the right blend between emotional insight and character-driven comedy, and both are on display here. Brought to life by energetic voice work, bright CGI visuals and well-placed, action-packed interludes, the movie thoughtfully fleshes out the makeshift family at its centre. Of course, while Finding Dory represents the animation studio at its kind-hearted best, it also demonstrates their increasing fondness for rehashing old stories. There's much about this follow-up that feels a little too familiar. Returning to bathe in warm, well-known waters can certainly be fun, but for all its easy comforts and nostalgic pleasures, it's not quite as vibrant the second time around.
Your mates at Concrete Playground know how much you guys love Nutella. Sydney lost its collective shit (and rightfully so) over those damn Tella Ball milkshakes, and Melbourne eats so much of the stuff they caused a temporary nation-wide shortage. As addictions go, we suppose it could be worse. Point is, when we heard there was going to be a toaster-shaped Nutella food truck rolling around the country, we figured you'd want to hear about it. Especially since all the goodies on board will be free. The food truck menu has been devised by Alistair Fogg, the man behind Sydney's Nighthawk Diner. Think stewed winter berries with Nutella and toasted coconut, raisin toast with Nutella and berries, and a crepe stack with Nutella and crispy bacon. It's only one item per customer per day, unfortunately. Let's just say at this stage, we're not ruling out the possibility of trailing the truck from town to town like the insatiable groupies we so clearly are. The road trip begins in Sydney's Wynyard Park on Wednesday, June 15. Other stops in the Harbour City include Parramatta's Centenary Park (June 16), Sydney Uni (June 17) and Glebe Markets (June 18), before the long haul down the Hume Highway. They'll stop along the way before arriving at Melbourne and then, finally, Geelong. Find the complete list of dates, times and locations for the Nutella Road Trip at the official Facebook page.
Dwayne Johnson (aka 'The Rock') is an absolute Hollywood powerhouse. Just physically the guy's so strong he looks like he could bench press someone while they were bench-pressing. Yet there's so much more than brute force to this wrestler-turned-box office behemoth. In recent times he's had years (such as 2013) where his films have grossed more than US $1 billion combined. With more instalments of the unstoppable Fast and Furious franchise on the horizon, he's fast becoming the most bankable man in the business. No wonder, then, he's recently been hailed as the official heir-apparent to the king of action – Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then there's Kevin Hart, fast-becoming a movie-making powerhouse in his own right. Since just 2014 he's already churned out thirteen films, prompting Chris Rock to joke at the Oscars that not even porn stars make them as quickly as he does. Hart is increasingly being likened to Eddie Murphy for his style of comedy, his likability and his growing credentials as an action-comedy star. With all that said, the only thing surprising about Central Intelligence is how long it took to actually put Hart and Johnson together. And if you're wondering, yes, the film immediately went to no.1 on the US Box Office. Plot wise, there's very little to speak of. Johnson plays Bob Stone, an unflappable CIA operative who may or may not have gone rogue from the Agency, and who twenty years prior was the enormously fat kid subjected to relentless bullying by just about everyone other than Hart in his high school. On the eve of their school reunion, Stone reaches out to Hart's character, Calvin Joyner – the former class president and guy voted 'most likely to succeed'. Joyner is now a mid-level accountant in the throws of a mid-life crisis. Together, the pair quickly find themselves pursued by the CIA as they chase down some secret classified information. It's a classic odd-couple, buddy action comedy in the vein of the Schwarzenegger/DeVito movie Twins, only with far less class and only the most threadbare of storylines. Both Hart and Johnson throw themselves completely into their roles, without which the film would be a proper stinker. They're both terrifically funny actors, and Johnson's deadpan delivery of ridiculous lines is when the movie is at its strongest. It's just frustrating to see the current kings of action and comedy let down by a movie in which the action is entirely dull and derivative, and the comedy is so absent that the only real laughs come from the outtakes playing over the final credits. It all has a feeling of 'she'll be right, mate', relying far too heavily on the celebrity and charisma of its leading men instead of giving them a clever, considered script through which to showcase all that they're capable of. The film does also boast a handful of 'surprise cameos' that briefly recapture your attention, but they're not enough to cover up the gaping holes in plot or direction. Full of potential yet thin on substance, Central Intelligence is best seen as a challenge to the next writer-director to put this pair together. Imagine how brightly these two stars could shine if only they had a decent script. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxEw3elSJ8M
Learn how to cook crocodile the right way, take a trip to Goat Island and get taught how to weave when the Blak Markets hit Barangaroo Reserve on Saturday, July 9. Held as part of NAIDOC Week, the event will bring together more than 20 stallholders, selling and demonstrating Indigenous arts, crafts, skincare and bush foods. Expect to meet Cheryl Davidson, creator of extraordinary paintings, gift cards and baskets, as well as Clair Bates, whose jewellery is inspired by a childhood spent in the bush in Western NSW. Glen Timbery will also be onsite with his boomerangs, handcrafted using a technique that has been handed down through his family for the past 193 years. There's also ample opportunity to learn a thing or two. Renowned chefs Clayton Donovan and Black Olive will be holding outdoor cooking demos, and Fred's Bush Tucker will be showing punters how to traditionally prepare barramundi and crocodile. Free workshops will run throughout the day as well, giving you the chance to try your hand at weaving or shell art. Haven't been down to Barangaroo yet? Well, you'll be able to take an Aboriginal cultural tour around Barangaroo Reserve and catch a boat to nearby Goat Island — all for free. And be sure to catch the live entertainment, which will be running all day until 4pm. There'll be performances by the all-female Djaadjawan Dancers, the winner of the NCIE Talent Quest, Yaama Boys and Koomurri Dancers with songman Cecil McLeod.
They say that you should start the day in the best possible way — they being your mum, anyone older and wiser, every self-help book and everyone that's ever given you advice. For some, that involves exercise. For others, it involves a tasty meal. Or, why not head to The Green Lion and do both? Yes, stretching then snacking is on the menu at Sydney's first entirely vegan pub from 10am on February 12. The mindfulness and movement part of morning will be overseen by experienced yoga teacher Nichol, who has over eight years and 200 hours of teaching up her sleeves. When it comes to the morsels you'll be munching on, only the best cruelty-free dishes will do. The selection hasn't been revealed yet, but given that The Green Lion is the home of the vegan Big Mac, expect it to be something special. Eager brekkie yoga fans best get in quick, though, with attendance limited to 10 participants.
