Missed Coldplay's sole Down Under stop in 2023, when they played exclusively in Perth? Didn't nab tickets when the British group announced 2024 shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland? Caught the Chris Martin-fronted band's Glastonbury set via the livestream and started wishing you could catch them live next time that you had the chance? Ahead of their upcoming Australian and New Zealand visit, Coldplay have dropped more tickets for their late-October and November concerts. The limited number of additional tickets are on sale now, releasing at 8am AEST and 10am NZST on Tuesday, September 24. There's no extra shows, just extra seats for their four already-announced dates in the Victorian capital, four in the Harbour City and three in Auckland. [caption id="attachment_926978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Lee[/caption] It'll be all yellow at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday, October 30–Thursday, October 31 and Saturday, November 2–Sunday, November 3, then at Accor Stadium across Wednesday, November 6—Thursday, November 7 and Saturday, November 9–Sunday, November 10, before heading to Eden Park on Wednesday, November 13 and Friday, November 15–Saturday, November 16. Coldplay's current tour kicked off in March 2022, meaning that the band will have been on the road for almost three years when they make their return to Australia and Aotearoa. Packed stadiums have also been awaiting; when the Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland gigs were initially announced, every show between then and October 2024 had already sold out, with the group hitting up Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, Athens, Bucharest, Budapest, Lyon, Rome, Düsseldorf, Helsinki, Munich, Vienna and Dublin before their return trip Down Under. When they take to the stage in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, the British band will play their first shows in each city since 2016. Fans can look forward to a setlist that covers Coldplay's 27-year history, including everything from 'Clocks', 'Fix You' and 'Sparks' to 'A Sky Full of Stars', 'Viva la Vida' and 'The Scientist. On all dates, Ayra Starr, Shone and Emmanuel Kelly are on supporting duties. Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour Australia and New Zealand Dates 2024 Wednesday, October 30–Thursday, October 31 + Saturday, November 2–Sunday, November 3— Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Wednesday, November 6—Thursday, November 7 + Saturday, November 9–Sunday, November 10 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Wednesday, November 13 + Friday, November 15–Saturday, November 16 — Eden Park, Auckland Coldplay is touring Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2024, with new tickets available online now. Head to the tour website for further details. Images: Anna Lee.
Before the pandemic, compiling a travel bucket list was limited only to your imagination. Now, after years of international border closures, and also the shutting down of overseas travel into and out of many countries, it's also guided by COVID-19 rules, requirements, restrictions and entry procedures. But if you've been keen to add Bali to your itinerary, the Indonesian island has good news: it's now open to double-vaccinated Australian and New Zealand tourist without quarantine. Back in February, Bali started welcoming back select tourists — including folks from Down Under — but with a shortened isolation period, requiring arrivals to quarantine for five days once they hit the island. Now, since Monday, March 7, that rule has been scrapped. There's still mandatory testing, as well as a few other procedures to abide by, but you no longer have to factor in a lengthy stint confined to your hotel before your getaway genuinely kicks into gear. Firstly, the new rules only apply to travellers who have had at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine — and, in the 48 hours before you get to Bali, you also need to get a PCR test (and, obviously, it needs to return a negative result). Then, thanks to Bali's newly implemented Visa on Arrival program, you'll fill out the paperwork and pay the fee (around AU$50) when you hop off the plane, and also take another PCR test. You will need to isolate until you get a negative result from that one, but that's clearly better than spending five days in quarantine. Upon arrival, you'll also need to show proof of a paid hotel booking for four days/three nights, as well as health insurance that covers COVID-19 up to at least US$25,000. And, you'll have to download the Bali COVID app as well. Then, three days after you get there, you're required to take another PCR test as well — but there's no isolation requirement attached. Countries covered under Bali's Visa on Arrival program since Monday, March 7 include Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Italy, Turkey and UEA, with the scheme expanding to 42 nations on Monday, March 21. Indonesia has also just dropped its quarantine requirement nationwide, effective from the same date. That yearning you now feel? It's the need to pull out your dusty suitcase, get packing and book yourself a beachy Bali holiday. For more information about the requirements for travelling to Bali, head to the Indonesian Government's website.
If you didn't know that The Outsider was based on a book by Stephen King, you'd guess rather quickly during the show's first episode. A child is found dead, a town is understandably shocked and scandalised, and all of the evidence points detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) towards local Little League coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) — except that just as much evidence also shows that Terry was miles away at the time the murder took place. Throw in a strange hooded figure who keeps hanging around the Maitlands' house, plus a private detective (Cynthia Ervio) with preternatural deductive abilities, and The Outsider combines crime and horror in an instantly absorbing fashion. It's a must for King fans, whether you've read his 2018 novel or not. It's also absolutely essential for Mendo lovers, with the Aussie actor breaking away from his recent villainous blockbuster roles and putting in quite the performance.
At the 2024 British Film Festival, when you're not watching movies starring Saoirse Ronan, Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh and Barry Keoghan, you'll be catching the latest performances from Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Pierce Brosnan and Helena Bonham Carter. There's never any lack of big-name talents gracing the screen at Australia's annual celebration of the UK's latest and greatest contributions to cinema, but this year's is particularly jam-packed — so much so that there's not just one feature boasting Ronan among its cast, but two. Blitz, which sees the Foe, Little Women and Ammonite actor team up with 12 Years a Slave, Widows and Small Axe filmmaker Steve McQueen, is the British Film Festival's 2024 opening-night film. Playing Down Under fresh from also launching the London Film Festival, the period drama heads back to World War II, and starts the fest's month-long run from Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, December 8 with one of the year's must-see movies. At the other end of the festival, the also highly anticipated We Live in Time will close out the event's seasons in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Byron Bay and Ballarat. Pugh (Dune: Part Two) and Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven) lead the romance from Brooklyn filmmaker John Crowley, which follows a couple's relationship across a decade. The second Ronan-led flick on the full 2024 British Film Festival comes courtesy of page-to-screen adaptation The Outrun, where the four-time Oscar-nominee plays a recovering addict — and there's plenty more highlights on the program from there. Hard Truths sits in the fest's centrepiece slot, reuniting iconic director Mike Leigh (Peterloo) with his Academy Award-nominated Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Surface). Also boasting the coveted pairing of an impressive helmer and an exceptional on-screen talent: Bird from Andrea Arnold (American Honey), which is where Keoghan (Saltburn) pops up. As for Fiennes (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar), he stars with Juliette Binoche (The New Look) in The Return, a British spin on Homer's Odyssey — and also in papal thriller Conclave with Citadel's Stanley Tucci, Killers of the Flower Moon's John Lithgow and Spaceman's Isabella Rossellini. Law (Peter Pan & Wendy) plays King Henry VIII opposite Alicia Vikander (Irma Vep) as Katherine Parr in Firebrand, while Brosnan (The Last Rifleman) and Bonham Carter (One Life) feature in romance Four Letters of Love. Other standouts include the century-hopping dark comedy Timestalker from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace alum Alice Lowe, the Gillian Anderson (Scoop)- and Jason Isaacs (Archie)-led The Salt Path, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (You Hurt My Feelings) facing death in Tuesday, and Kelly Macdonald (Operation Mincemeat) and Damian Lewis (Billions) in vampire comedy The Radleys. For music fans, there's a dedicated themed sidebar featuring both Blur: To the End and Blur: Live at Wembley Stadium — one about the band's most-recent chapter, the other a two-hour concert film — as well as the Led Zeppelin-focused The Song Remains the Same and The Rolling Stones-centric The Stones and Brian Jones. This year's British Film Festival is also peering backwards via retrospective sessions of Ratcatcher, the debut feature from You Were Never Really Here's Lynne Ramsay; the Bonham Carter- and Dame Maggie Smith (The Miracle Club)-starring A Room with a View; and classic British historical dramas such as A Man for All Seasons, Heat and Dust, The Lion in Winter and Kenneth Branagh's (A Haunting in Venice) Henry V. British Film Festival 2024 Dates and Venues Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, December 8 — The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino and Pentridge Cinema, Melbourne Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, December 8 — Palace Regent Ballarat Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, December 8 — Palace Electric Cinemas, Canberra Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, December 8 — Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, December 8 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, December 8 — Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Leederville and Windsor, Perth Wednesday, November 6–Sunday, December 8 — Palace Byron Bay Thursday, November 7–Sunday, December 8 — Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Chauvel Cinema and Palace Central, Sydney The 2024 British Film Festival tours Australia in November and December. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Australia is teeming with ace things to do every single week, which won't be news to Concrete Playground readers. It's also filled with stellar and stunning places to head, which won't be a revelation either. Still, every year, the Australian Interior Design Awards names and celebrates the best of the best when it comes to indoor spaces to hang out, live and work in. And, 2022's dazzling crop of winners have just been announced. Back in April, AIDA unveiled its 2022 shortlist, which was filled with impressive spaces in hospitality, residential, workplace, retail and public settings. Whittling down those contenders to a list of winners must've been a tough gig, but it's one that the judges clearly relished. Their picks are spectacular, naturally. [caption id="attachment_858619" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Troy Sivian's house. Image: Anson Smart.[/caption] Nabbing the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design: Clare Cousins Architects for Stable and Cart House in North Melbourne, which the jury said was "sublime in every way". Located within a 1920s brick warehouse, the home also took out the Residential Design category, and was singled out for the way it "beautifully balances the retention of an existing building with very bold and practical new insertions". If that's not enough home inspo for you, the 2022 Residential Decoration Award went to Flack Studio for Troye Sivan's house, also in Melbourne. Yes, you'll want to live there. Indeed, making sure that the tri-level abode, which has big London vibes and was originally a 19th-century hardball court, reflects its famous occupant was a big reason why it scored a gong. The home boasts a "strong sense of the client's character through a beautiful curation of art, furniture, lighting and objects in a way that doesn't feel forced or contrived," the jury said. [caption id="attachment_858637" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arkhé. Image: Timothy Kaye[/caption] Announced at a dinner the Hyatt Regency Sydney on Friday, June 17, AIDA's 2022 winners also include Studio Edwards for Finesse Shoe Store — still in Melbourne, this time in Collingwood — which took out the Retail Design field. As well as displaying and selling rare and limited-edition kicks, the sneaker store is clearly quite the covetable space itself. Up in Sydney, YSG Studio nabbed the Interior Design Impact gong for Edition Roasters in Haymarket, while Adelaide's Arkhé claimed the Hospitality Design Award for Studio Gram. [caption id="attachment_828028" align="alignnone" width="1920"] View of Eucalyptusdom showing commissioned work Pyriscence: After Fireby Anna May Kirk. Image: Zan Wimberley.[/caption] Back in Melbourne, the Monash Robotics Lab scored the Public Design prize, with Studio Bright doing the honours. Meanwhile, Sydney's Powerhouse Museum took out the Installation Design category for exhibition Eucalyptusdom, a win for SJB in collaboration with Richard Leplastrier and Vania Contreras. In that same field, one of the most luminous new additions to the Australian art scene also picked up a commendation: digital-only, multi-sensory art gallery The Lume, with Decibel Architecture behind its stunning design. [caption id="attachment_858618" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Lume.[/caption] For the full Australian Interior Design Awards 2022 winners list, head to the AIDA website. Top image: The Lume, Decibel Architecture.
"Sadder than destitution, sadder than a beggar, is the man who eats alone in public," Jean Baudrillard famously wrote in his 1986 book, America. "Nothing more contradicts the laws of man or beast, for animals always do each the honour of sharing or disputing each other's food." Marina van Goor, the founder and designer of Eenmaal, a pop-up that made a lightning-quick, 48 hour appearance in Amsterdam last week, begs to differ. 'Here, you can dine in pleasant solitude,' she explains. 'Eenmaal is an exciting experiment for those who never go out dining alone, as well as an appealing opportunity for those who often eat alone at restaurants.' In fact, the only tables available at the restaurant were those for one. It was the first establishment of its kind in the world. Working in conjunction with Dutch branding agency, Vandejong, van Goor was hoping to lessen the negative stigma associated with spending time alone in public spaces. Even though we know that more and more people are now living on their own, many individuals still feel insecure about making a solo trip to a cinema, theatre or restaurant. The name Eenmaal translates (loosely) to 'One Meal' or 'One Time', with the sign pictured below reading, 'You come with one, You sit with one, You eat with one.' [via PSFK]
Summer might be over, but the New South Wales art world is already looking forward to the next, following the announcement of two major exhibitions to launch this October as part of the 2018–19 Sydney International Art Series. The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia will host an extensive retrospective by renowned South African photographer David Goldblatt, while the Art Gallery of New South Wales will feature artworks from Russia's State Hermitage Museum — considered to have one of the world's most important collections of modernist European paintings. Running until March 2019, David Goldblatt will dive deep into the life and work of one of recent history's most legendary photographers, covering a career of more than sixty years. Goldblatt is best known for his portrayal of South Africa's tumultuous history, especially surrounding apartheid. As the photographer's first major retrospective in the southern hemisphere, the exhibition will feature Goldblatt's most famous photo series, along with early vintage prints, never-before-seen footage from his personal collection and a new feature-length documentary. As MCA Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE explained, "visitors will discover an extraordinary artist whose documentary eye has not strayed from the complexities of his country of birth, but resonates with other global histories (including Australia's own) through narratives of race and racism, and industry and the land." David Goldblatt will run at the MCA from October 19, 2018, until March 3, 2019. Modern masters from the Hermitage is at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from October 13, 2018, until March 3, 2019. Image: David Goldblatt, A plot-holder, his wife and their eldest son at lunch, Wheatlands, Randfontein. September 1962 (3_4907), 1962. Image courtesy the artist and Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg © the artist.
Last week we discovered a new site called Posse. Posse pitches itself as a social search engine that'll help you find the favourite places of your friends and friends of friends, no matter where you are in the world. Imagine if you're travelling to Berlin, for example; you'd normally have to think through which friends have been there before and email or call them to ask for recommendations for the best bars, restaurants, clubs, shops and places to hangout. Posse is really useful because it guides you via social network on the fly without actually having to ask anyone. I used it on Saturday to find a breakfast spot in Manly, and ended up going to In Situ on Sydney Road. I hadn't heard of it before, but they did great coffee and was a real find. Posse is pretty creative in the way it works. When you join, you get your own 'street' to list your five favourite places in the world. The site creates a hand-drawn depiction of your favourite shops, then if you zoom out, you discover a whole town that's made up of the streets of your Facebook friends. When you comment on your friends' places, you earn bonus spots to add more favourite places to your street. We also like Posse because it's such a positive community. People only add places that they really love so the recommendations are top notch. The retailers that you add are notified; sometimes, they send little gifts through the site to thank people for listing them. So you never know, you might end up with a bottle of wine, or a dinner from one of your favourite restaurants. We think Posse is an awesome idea and here at Concrete Playground we've all made our ultimate streets. Check out our CP editor Rima's street here, our music editor Hannah's street here, and some of my favourite hangouts on my street here. Posse are giving you the chance to win a $300 night out for you and your posse at The Victoria Room. To enter the competition, login at www.posse.com and nominate your 4 favourite restaurants, bars, spas or shops.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbE96sCJEjo MINARI Although they can frequently seem straightforward, films about the American dream aren't simply about chasing success. The circumstances and details change, but they're often movies about finding a place to call home as well. Such a quest isn't always as literal as it sounds, of course. While houses can signify achievement, feeling like you truly belong somewhere — and that you're comfortable enough to set your sights on lofty goals and ambitions that require considerable risks and sacrifices — transcends even the flashiest or cosiest combination of bricks and mortar. Partly drawn from writer/director Lee Isaac Chung's (Abigail Harm) own childhood, Minari understands this. It knows that seeking a space to make one's own is crucial, and that it motivates many big moves to and within the US. So, following a Korean American couple who relocate to rural Arkansas in the 80s with hopes of securing a brighter future for their children, this delicately observed and deeply felt feature doesn't separate the Yi family's attempts to set up a farm from their efforts to feel like they're exactly where they should be. The result is a precise, vivid, moving, and beautifully performed and observed film told with honest and tender emotion — so much so that it was always bound to be equally universal and unique. When Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun, Burning) introduces his wife Monica (Yeri Han, My Unfamiliar Family), pre-teen daughter Anne (first-timer Noel Cho) and seven-year-old son David (fellow newcomer Alan S Kim) to their new 50-acre plot, he's beaming with pride. He's bought them "the best dirt in America," he says. It might only span a trailer, a field and a creek, but he's certain that it will revolutionise their lives. Although both Jacob and Monica still spend their days in a chicken sexing factory to pay the bills, Jacob is confident his agrarian dream will reap rewards. The path he's chosen isn't a glossy fantasy, though. From trying to work out where best to build a well to provide water for his crops, to endeavouring to convince stores to buy his wares, Jacob weathers more than his fare share of struggles. Monica's worries about their isolation, and about money, also weigh heavily, as she'd rather live in a larger city as part of the Korean diaspora. Also joining their daily woes in a movie that eschews overt conflicts for everyday dramas: Anne and David's attempts to fit in, the latter's heart murmur and the change that sweeps through the family when Monica's mother Soonja (Youn Yuh-jung, Sense8) comes to live with them. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg7QTqm_i4o THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS Northern Italy's woods are abundant with truffles, especially the tuber magnatum — otherwise known as the white variety. But before these highly sought-after morsels can make their way into kitchens, onto plates, and into many a willing and eager mouth, someone has to spend their time and expend their energy finding the edible fungus. Accordingly, The Truffle Hunters introduces viewers to multiple elderly men and their adorable dogs who all do just that, with their lives revolving around roving the forest and searching out the prized food. It might sound like a relaxed pursuit — as walking through trees with your pet pooch to fill your pockets with a delicacy is bound to — but it's a highly competitive endeavour, and one that the documentary's central figures are intensely passionate about. For Aurelio, the only thing he loves more than foraging for truffles is Birba, his canine partner in the hunt. The cantankerous Angelo has become disillusioned with the way that the industry has evolved over time, so he now attacks his typewriter with gusto instead, using it to chronicle his myriad woes and complaints. Then there's Sergio, who enjoys his task with his dogs Pepe and Fiona by his side. As for Carlo, his beloved pastime is forbidden by his wife. Unperturbed, he routinely sneaks out at night to search with a torch in hand. Cycling between these men's stories, directors Michael Dweck (The Last Race) and Gregory Kershaw (cinematographer on The Last Race, and also on this) chart their individual efforts. The titular subjects try care for their canines, argue with others encroaching on their turf, type missives about how the world has changed and, in Carlo's case, keep absconding by moonlight. Their hounds remain a focus, including their efforts to avoid poison baits. Devoted to capturing the pooch perspective however they can, Dweck and Kershaw aren't above using puppy cam as well. Seeing truffle hunting from a dog's viewpoint may be an easy gimmick, but it's also both a joy and a thrill — and emblematic of the film's fondness for flavour and character above all else. Narration is absent, talking heads don't clog up the screen, and no one is on hand to describe the ins and outs of the business in the spotlight, with Dweck and Kershaw favouring immersion rather than explanation. It's a fitting approach, and a purposeful one, even if the documentary takes on a relaxed air from start to finish. The Truffle Hunters is a leisurely movie that's content to chronicle its subjects' easy-going lives, lean into their eccentricities and survey their lush surroundings — and, even clocking in at just 84 minutes, it's an unhurried gem of a film — however, it's also carefully compiled. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3REMs9I9Tg FIRESTARTER — THE STORY OF BANGARRA More than three decades since it was first formed, Bangarra Dance Theatre is still going strong. In just the last ten years alone, the Sydney-based organisation has unleashed the beauty and potency of works such as Blak, Patyegarang, Lore, OUR land people stories, Bennelong and Dark Emu across Australia's stages, and repeatedly confronted the nation's colonial history head-on in the process. As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts outfit, it can't avoid it. It similarly can't ignore the impact that the country's past has had upon Indigenous culture, and the trauma that's rippled across generations as a result. And so, as excellent new documentary Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra tells the company's tale, these struggles are firmly part of the narrative. Co-directors Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Top End Wedding) and Nel Minchin (Matilda & Me, Making Muriel) know their power. Indeed, the two filmmakers are well aware that they can't step through Bangarra's history without placing the acclaimed dance theatre in its rightful social, political and cultural context. What audiences have seen on stage over the years is stunning, astonishing and important, of course, but all of those exceptional performances haven't ever existed in a vacuum. For those unacquainted with the details of Bangarra's origins, evolution, aims and achievements, Firestarter recounts them, starting with its leap out of the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association and the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre. Actually, it jumps back further, not only stepping through Bangarra's predecessors, but also charting how Stephen, David and Russell Page became its most famous names. Just as it's impossible to examine the dance company's accomplishments and influence without also interrogating and chronicling Australia's history, it's simply unthinkable to do so without focusing as heavily on the Page brothers as Blair and Minchin choose to. Stephen would become Bangarra's artistic director, a role he still holds. David was its music director, while Russell was one of its best dancers — and their path from growing up in Brisbane in the 60s, 70s and 80s to helping shape and guide an Aussie arts powerhouse is a pivotal component of Bangarra's overall journey thus far. If it sounds as if Firestarter has been set a hefty task — doing triple duty as a celebration, a record of Australia's past and a portrait of three siblings with dreams as big as their talents — that's because it has. But this dense and yet also deft documentary is up to the immense feat, and dances through its massive array of material, topics and themes as skilfully as any of Bangarra's performers ever have. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HZAnkxdYuA THE LITTLE THINGS Before you've even seen a single frame of a film, much can sometimes be gleaned by merely knowing who's in it — if they've been cast to type. The Little Things features Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto, which means it can brag that it stars three Oscar winners, as its trailer does. This 90s-style serial killer thriller has also happily deployed its trio of main players exactly as you'd expect. So, adding yet another cop to his resume, Washington plays unflinchingly dedicated and determined, as well as a character who's far from perfect. Malek has a much shorter acting history, but once again combines the blend of awkwardness and meticulousness that seeped from his pores over four seasons of Mr Robot. As for Leto, he's asked to mine not just his recent cinematic past, but also his overall status in popular culture. From his overcooked take on the Joker in Suicide Squad to the misplaced swagger that's defined his off-screen persona and his rock stardom with Thirty Seconds to Mars, he's hardly widely beloved. The Little Things wants everyone watching to remember that, and perhaps to even stoke the flames of their existing Leto hatred. It works; he's been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his greasy-haired turn, and he's so one-note and over-the-top that it's near-impossible to fathom why. Washington's Joe 'Deke' Deacon was once a well-admired Los Angeles detective; however, when writer/director John Lee Hancock (The Blindside) begins The Little Things, his central character is now a deputy sheriff in Kern County. Deke's current and former colleagues all see that shift as a step down, but he's just as dogged in his new job — and, when he's reluctantly sent back to LA to collect evidence for an important trial, then gets brought in on a new case by Malek's hotshot newcomer Jim Baxter while he's hanging about, he's downright unrelenting. A number of women have been found murdered, and in gruesome circumstances. Baxter doesn't realise it, but the details prove familiar to Deke from years earlier. As the pair's new investigation leads them to repair store employee Albert Sparma (Leto), neither Deke nor Baxter is willing to rest until they solve the case. Off-putting and unpleasant from the moment he's first seen, the creepy, possibly psychotic Sparma likes being seen as a suspect, though, and enjoys toying with the men following him. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e9w0IL2U0c&feature=emb_logo DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER For everyone of schooling age, the onset of warm weather means a lengthy break from classes, teachers, and the child and teenage version of the daily grind. It's a time of freedom, of never needing to worry about what day of the week it is, and of roaming around like there's no tomorrow. For Daniel Bagnold (Earl Cave, True History of the Kelly Gang), he's looking forward to leaving his suburban British existence far behind for a few weeks by visiting his father in Florida. As an added bonus, his librarian mother Sue (Monica Dolan, The Dig) — who he's constantly embarrassed by — isn't coming with him. Then his dad's new life, wife and soon-to-arrive baby daughter get in the way of Daniel's plans, leaving the 15-year-old stranded at home and unhappy about it. He'd be content holing up in his room, listening to metal and fantasising about starting his own band, but Sue is adamant that he tries to find a job. She also complicates Daniel's days by going out on a date with one of schoolteachers (Rob Brydon, The Trip to Greece). That's the leisurely story at the heart of Days of the Bagnold Summer, a coming-of-age comedy driven more by mood than by narrative developments. It has an overall arc, watching on as Daniel and his mother reconnect; however, this adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name is at its best when it sinks into the annual season of teen dreams and disappointments. First-time feature filmmaker Simon Bird is no stranger to the subject, having spent three seasons and two movies starring in The Inbetweeners. Fans of that franchise's irreverent humour will find themselves in far more laidback territory here, though — and watching a film that, visually and tonally, strives to offer a Wes Anderson-esque view of adolescence. Days of the Bagnold Summer's meticulously framed widescreen images don't ever feel like a cheap imitation, thankfully. Rather, they're artful and probing, especially when they manage to peer on at Daniel and Sue doing different things in the same household space. Indeed, this is a movie with a keen sense of how living in the same place and weathering the same struggles doesn't always make two people a family if one of them is determined to resist the concept. It's that insight, always tinged with bittersweet emotion, that helps Bird's feature strike a chord. Working with a script adapted by fellow first-timer Lisa Owens, he also finds the right balance between deadpan quirkiness and lived-in naturalism. Also assisting is Cave, son of Nick, who wears Daniel's malaise like a second skin — and the soundtrack by Belle and Sebastian, which is perfectly pitched. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1aOK-4UmoM ZAPPA Not everyone can brandish the swagger and charisma of a rock star, but that might actually be the easiest part of the job. To truly earn the term is to genuinely stand out from the ever-growing crowd and, often, to become the kind of music icon that can be referred to with just a single word. Frank Zappa was that kind of figure. Almost three decades after his death in 1993 to cancer, he still is. His music isn't for everyone, but his talent is undisputed, and he has more than 100 albums (62 released while he was alive, and 50 that've hit stores since his passing) that showcase his efforts as a singer, songwriter, composer, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist. While he was alive, he also amassed an enormous archive of materials from across his career, spanning his work with his band Mothers of Invention, his collaborations with other artists and, of course, the 1982 hit single 'Valley Girl' that he recorded with his then 14-year-old daughter Moon Zappa. Combine all of the above, and you get Zappa. Lively, detailed and riveting, this documentary attempts the difficult feat of condensing Frank's life and impact into 129 minutes — and, regardless of whether you're already a fan or not, it does an impressive and engaging job. You could say that Alex Winter — yes, the star of the Bill and Ted franchise that's not Keanu Reeves — took on an easy task when he decided to direct Zappa. Thanks to all the footage, songs, clips and photos at his disposal, as well as the participation of Frank's family, friends and colleagues, he definitely wasn't short on material to weave into this wide-ranging chronicle. Candid chats, eye-popping claymation and home videos all feature, and the film zips happily from one to the other with enthusiasm. But great documentaries don't just splice together the obvious bits and pieces, then throw in a few left-field choices. They explore and examine their subjects, even when they're celebratory. And, in Zappa's case, they wholeheartedly interrogate a man seen as a genius by some and considered too out-there and inaccessible by others. There are moments in the film that prove both viewpoints. There are others that appear to veer off on tangents, but firmly showcase the breadth of Frank's musical experimentation along the way. In his sixth stint as a documentarian (with Downloaded, Deep Web and The Panama Papers among the other titles on his resume), Winter circles and leaps through his central figure's existence and enigma, and it's never anything less than fascinating viewing. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4 and February 11. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic and Another Round.
UTS produces all sorts of interesting things: plausible, yet probably false, rumours about its infamous tower being designed to prevent student protests, projects to bring the expert to the everyday and a chunky design department that produces architects, fashionistas and animation. That final component is being brought to the fore for four short days in September, as UTS hosts its 2011 Sydney International Animation Festival. Though popular sites like YouTube, Vimeo — or even Atom Films — made what was once the domain of late-night TV or occasional film festivals into the sort of thing you can get a hold of with the click of a mouse, the flicker of bright colour on a blank screen still works better in company. The festival has brought together animated films from across the world and closer to home. Its international program of Global Greats shows shorts from across Europe, Asia and North America, including I Love You by Waking Life animator Katy O'Connor and the squirrel-worrying Traumdeutung. France gets a special focus with graduation programs from French animation super-school Supinfocom jostling for attention with all the latest shorts from across Korea's venerable animation industry. Also up are nights of local action from UTS and further afield, an evening of stranger stuff and shorts ostensibly reserved for children. Stills from I Love You by Katy O'Connor. https://youtube.com/watch?v=JKcWG-x1q5w
Vivid Sydney is about to beam into town again. The lights, music and ideas festival takes over Sydney for three transformative weeks from Friday, May 24. Each year there's a veritable buffet of things to see, and while venues like the Sydney Opera House are the flashy golden children of the city, there's also a heckin' lot going on in the quiet achievers around town. Vivid's XǀCelerate program sees to that, presenting the kind of intimate, creative gigs and club nights that small live music venues in Sydney do best. Think David Bowie tributes, birthday parties and local acts just hitting their stride. Best of all, a fair whack of them are budget friendly. Read on for your guide to Vivid's best music events that'll cost you less than a pineapple. PURPLE SNEAKERS' 13TH BIRTHDAY AT THE LANSDOWNE The Lansdowne plays host to Purple Sneakers' 13th birthday festivities, as the cult music blog partners with FBi Radio and UNDR Ctrl to return to their roots of throwing banging parties. The night will feature Purple Sneakers DJs as well as a mix of local acts across two stages. Expect to hear Mickey Kojak, Fishing, Kota Banks, Rebel Yell and Close Counters, among many more. Nab your ticket for $31, and open your ears to some of the best acts Australia has to offer. Purple Sneakers' motto is #TrustedForTaste — count on that as well as having a generally beaut night. Saturday, June 15 — $31 LABYRINTH AT THE SODA FACTORY We all miss David Bowie – may the Starman rest in peace – and this event taking place at Surry Hills' Soda Factory is a way of keeping his star burning. Commencing with a screening of the 1986 film Labyrinth starring Bowie as the goblin king, the night will unfurl into a multifaceted tribute to Bowie, with musicians tackling his classic hits. Since we can't see him perform live, this is a pretty good second best — especially for the reasonable price tag of free. Wear your best Bowie-themed attired and let's dance. Monday, June 3 — free KIM CHURCHILL AT OXFORD ART FACTORY Kim Churchill lives on the road — a road that, happy day, crosses through our town during Vivid, bringing Churchill to the Oxford Art Factory on June 7. He's been letting the processes of travelling and writing seep into each other, and emerged with the Berlin EP — an ode to place that concentrates on the interaction between nature and the man-made. He'll have you yearning to take off to the European summer (once Vivid is over, of course). Tickets are $34. Friday, June 7 — $34 GOLDHEIST AT THE VANGUARD Goldheist is one part Kate Bush, one part Imogen Heap, and all parts delightful. She'll take to the stage at The Vanguard in Newtown on May 30 with her new single, 'Wayfarer'. Inspired by her adventures on the road and sending out dream-pop vibes, Goldheist captures musical portraits of Australia and its people. The granddaughter of late ex-PM Malcolm Fraser, Goldheist (real name Hester Fraser) previously completed a project in tribute to her grandfather, The Camellia Tree, and uses her voice to call for changes to Australia's policies towards asylum seekers. Tickets are only $11, so you'll have enough change from a $20 note to grab a wine, too. Sunday, May 30 — $11 TOO RAD AT POTTS POINT HOTEL The Australian music scene is full of artists with something important to say. Come and see some of the game-changers perform at Too Rad at the Potts Point Hotel. The lineup takes in young and gutsy Fijian-Australian artist Jesswar, huge stage presence Miss Blanks from Queensland, and Gumbaynggirr man Tasman Keith. A snapshot of the new directions in Aus hip hop, the night is rich in female and Indigenous voices. First-release tickets are $18 and second-release $23. Friday, June 14 — $23 To get to these and other gigs, book your tickets here.
No doubt you've heard that the world's favourite rich-kid band, the Strokes have dusted themselves off and are back in the studio. Not sure how it's going down, especially after watching their first studio diary video, which Julian Casablancas is completely absent from. Julian said recently that "it's way more collaborative", so obviously he's letting the boys start off the proceedings whilst he's off touring his solo work. In the four-year interim between albums, it's not just Julian who has gone off on a solo tangent: Albert Hammond, Jr. has released two albums of sunny pop and Nikolai Fraiture put out a solo album which was far more expansive than any of the Strokes stuff. Maybe these diversions will all play a part in the next album from the NYC supergroup. From the sounds of things on the studio diary it's going to be more of the same sharp-edged guitars and driving drum beats, but it's a bit early to call it. We will have to wait to see how it sounds when they come to our shores. They are rumoured for Splendour (and it's not the most ridiculous rumour, as Secret Sounds, who own the festival, are presenting the tour), but if you want to catch them in Sydney you'd better hop to it as the tickets go on sale on Monday, April 12, at 9am. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wcye5kvbgAs
As so many excellent documentaries have before it, Baby God tells a tale so astonishing it can only be true. It also steps through a story that's harrowing, horrifying and downright nightmarish. For more than three decades, couples eager to start a family went to Dr Quincy Fortier, seeking his help to have children when they couldn't conceive. Alas, the Las Vegas-based fertility specialist assisted them in a thoroughly unwanted way: by secretly inseminating women hoping to become mothers with his own sperm. Directed and produced by documentarian Hannah Olson (whose next project is about the Diamond Princess cruise ship and its COVID-19 outbreak), Baby God really has to be seen to be believed. It dives into shocking circumstances, and isn't always easy to watch as a result, but it's gripping from start to finish. Olson explores her subject's history and the details of his crimes, and also surveys the aftermath through his biological children.
If you missed out on the chance to reenact the Office Space printer smashing scene back at the Smash Brothers' pop-up earlier this year and haven't made it to its new Alexandria digs yet, the break room experts are giving Sydneysiders a third chance to smash — and this time it'll be free. Smash Box will pop up in the Rhodes Waterside shopping centre from October 8–21. It's a mini-version of the Smash Brother's warehouse, which opened earlier this month next to Alexandria Park. With Smash Box, you'll be escorted into a 4.5-metre box with protective gear and at bat. 'Smashers' also get to choose the tunes, and they'll be blasting that music to hype you up even further. As this is just a pop-up, the smashable items are limited to a six pack of bottles, so sadly no printer this time. If that isn't enough — and, depending on your stress level, it may not be — you can opt for more, with every additional six costing $5. The pop-up is part of the shopping centre's Festival of You, which also includes two weeks of workshops and events centred on unwinding and de-stressing. Smash Box will be open 11am–3pm, Monday–Wednesday; 11am–3pm and 4pm–8pm, Thursday; and 11am–4pm, Friday–Sunday.
Uncut, unreleased and unseen movie footage provides fans with a unique and fascinating insight into the creative process of cinema's great artists. By taking a trip behind-the-scenes, the viewer is transported into the magical world of film, revealing the true genius of an actor's performance, a white-knuckled chase scene or a director's creative vision. Whether it be peeking into Francis Ford Coppola's famously meticulous nature or into the technical trickery that made it possible for Michael J. Fox to ride a hoverboard in Back To The Future II these astounding pieces of footage lift the veil on some of the mysteries of movie-making and demonstrate how some of the most iconic scenes in movie history became a reality. The Seven Year Itch While not all of us can claim to have seen Marilyn Munroe's 1955 rom-com about the perils of monogamous relationships, just about everyone with access to a television has seen that iconic scene where Marilyn coos and caws seductively as her dress billows around her waist. At only 17-seconds this footage of Marilyn and director Billy Munroe creating one of cinema's most iconic images is simply mesmerising. The Godfather Voted by the International Movie Database as the greatest film of all time, The Godfather is a melange of spectacular performances and sublime scriptwriting all brought together by Francis Ford Coppola's uniquely sympathetic vision of the Italian-American mafia. This collection of completed scenes, interviews with the stars and crew commentary takes us on a fascinating tour of this 1970s masterpiece. Frenzy The macabre and majestic character of Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most mysterious figures in film history. This behind-the-scenes footage from the making of his 53rd film Frenzy shows Hitchcock in his element: watching his production with keen intensity and directing his lead actress Barbara Leigh-Hunt moment-by-moment through her death scene. It is a remarkable insight into the man who more than any other has shaped the direction of modern cinema. Avatar James Cameron has created an unthinkably successful career out of pushing the technical possibilities of film and writing some of the cheesiest, most cringe-inducing dialogue ever to grace the silver screen. With his 2009 sci-fi epic Avatar, Cameron launched a 3D revolution with his green screen wizardry and original use of motion-capture technology. This B-roll footage clearly shows why Cameron is seen as the most innovative technical director working in the industry today with his giant action sequences particularly demonstrative of the immense amount of work required in post-production to create his bombastic epic. The Exorcist Often seen as the scariest film of the 20th Century, The Exorcist combined innovative production techniques, a frightening-as-all-hell soundtrack and an incredibly daring performance by child actor, Linda Blair, to bring the world this terrifying story of a young girl possessed by a demon. This eerie behind-the-scenes footage, taken by cinematographer Owen Roiza for his personal collection, is a compelling vision of the film, showing how the make-up artists were able to transform a cute 12-year old into a demonic monster and how a small country cottage was transformed into a veritable hell-on-earth. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Here is one for every pock-marked teenager who ever dreamed of owning a lightsaber: a backstage look at George Lucas' final chapter of the Star Wars trilogy (the original one, not those god-awful, cash-grabbing prequels). All the gang are here: Luke Skywalker, R2D2, Jabba the Hutt, C3PO and, of course, Princess Leia in her infamous and oft-parodied slave outfit. If you have ever wondered how Lucas was able to create those thrilling lightsaber battles and wow the world with his intricate sets of spacecrafts and flying bounty hunters then this seven minutes of grainy Super 8 footage is a perfect starting point. Back To The Future II For every kid growing up in the 1980s, Michael J. Fox riding a hoverboard was the coolest thing since flared jeans and Huey Lewis. This footage demonstrates how Steven Spielberg's sci-fi protege, Robert Zemekis was able to use skateboards, wooden props and cable suspension to transform Fox into an unlikely teen idol. Set in 2015, we still have our fingers crossed that these hoverboards will be available in your local Toys-R-Us in the years to come. The Rocky Horror Picture Show Mullets, male eyeliner and fishnet stockings abound in this behind-the-scenes look at the camp, cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Interviews with the stars, creators and writers behind this risque rock musical reveal a host of characters that are as weird and wonderful as their on-screen counterpoints. If you've ever wondered what prancing around in drag singing 'Time Walk' for three months feels like then watch out for the interview with Tim Curry, the man who made Dr. Frank-N-Furter into a household name.
There's a divide in Italy, the North and the South. Sharper than the Sydney-Melbourne rivalry, the North is epitomised by the industrialised Milan of the original Italian Job, the South by the feudally impoverished Basilicata of the post-war Christ Stopped at Eboli. Both South and North dominate the selection at this year's Italian Film Festival. The South has staked out opening and closing nights, with Welcome to the South focusing on the regions' rivalries and John Tutturo's musical Passione confining itself to the southern, Vesuvius-shadowed town of Naples. Borderline Rome is represented by Son's Room director Nanni Moretti, who offers absurd comedy Habemus Papam about a new and reluctant Pope. The House by the Medlar Tree, based on the same book as neorealist classic La Terra Trema, tells a generational story in a small fishing village, while in A Second Childhood, a love story brings past into present as an older man's memories fade and draw him slowly to childhood, with his lifelong partner along for the journey. As Venice slowly empties of its residents, its everyday things displaced by tourist needs, documentary Six Venice follows six Venetians and through them tells the story of the modern city. Sorelle Mai was shot over ten years, with Good Morning Night star Marco Bellocchio's family as its actors, and from closer to home comes an internment story from World War 2 era Australia in We Stick Together.
In a suburb beyond a suburb beyond a city at the water's edge, an ageing woman (Abi Rayment) keeps her ward locked up in an attic room. This captor sometimes seems a crone or an ogre, but more frequently she is a fearful, religious victim of a world that's been cruel. The captive girl, Emily (Michele Durman), has been brainwashed to believe her backyard is a wild forest and the world beyond it is dead and rotten. What's more, she doesn't realise she's no longer a girl at all; she's a woman, old enough to kiss and love and choose and err and bear children of her own. This modern story with fairytale underpinnings is a new work from Sydney playwright Kendall Feaver that plays off our ongoing fascination with kidnapped children and isolationist cults. Its premise may seem highly contrived, but under the eye of director Kai Raisbeck, The Hiding Place soon starts to slyly charm you. It happens around when Patrick (Philippe Klaus) unwittingly breaks into Emily's house and comes to befriend her, bringing slivers of our reality with him: outer space, the composition of stars, the passing of birthdays, touching. Fragmented, these pieces form a fantasy of their own, as Patrick has a tense home life with his father (Paul Hooper) that he'd rather escape. The bittersweet script has some real moments of clarity and poetry, not least of which is the way it locates the source of magic as the artificial weight we place on otherwise everyday things. There is, however, a heavyhandedness in the production that sometimes drowns these moments rather than allowing them to simply connect. Nate Edmondson's sound and Sara Swersky's lighting design shows remarkable flair and potential for sensitivity, but there's a little too much of it this time around. You can practically hear the speakers and switches flicking on. It’s the meaningful resolution The Hiding Place contains for its two conflicted familial pairs that ultimately makes it rewarding. This is boosted by the very honest performance of Hooper, who makes it easy to empathise with his tough-copper single dad just trying to do right and for whom you'll surely be barracking to get a chance to be a hero.
From the Grounds of Alexandria's resident pig, the postcard-happy sands of Surfers Paradise and the hallowed turf of Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia's a genuinely Instagrammable place. Inevitably, there's a few prime snap-happy spots that get a little more filtered love than others; for obvious tourism reasons but also for kickass food on the table reasons. Sydney dominated the list, with seven in the top ten — a number it clearly can thank Vivid Sydney for. Using geotag data, the Daily Telegraph has revealed the ten most Instagrammed places in Australia for 2014. The results were taken from the geotags added by 'grammers (if you glazed over before, that's the latitude and longitude of your current location with your photo) and compiled into a top ten list. Here's the places you whacked a sweet filter on this year. Australia's Ten Most Instagrammed Places For 2014 10. Coogee Beach, Sydney The Pool in Coogee. #coogee #coogeebeach #aussie #australia #aussieadventure #australiansummer #summer #december #beachtime #sydney #sydneycity A photo posted by Daniela Valencia (@danyvalencia88) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:55am PST 9. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Hallowed ground. A photo posted by @tonikchurch on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:31pm PST 8. Circular Quay, Sydney Lights on and crowds out at #vividsydney. A video posted by Concrete Playground Sydney (@concreteplayground) on May 5, 2014 at 4:12am PDT 7. St Kilda Beach, Melbourne A photo posted by Claudia (@claw_dear) on Dec 12, 2014 at 2:27pm PST 6. The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney Thanks to all our 'grammers who tag #thegrounds as their location when they visit! @instagram has just named us the 6th most geo-tagged destination in the country alongside some big tourist icons. Thanks for the love. Keep tagging, you guys rock! (One of our fave images from @chriscourt) A photo posted by The Grounds of Alexandria (@thegroundsofalexandria) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:45pm PST 5. Surfers Paradise Beach Waking up to this isn't too bad #visitsurfersparadise #surferssnaps photo: @absolomphotography A photo posted by SurfersParadise (@visitsurfersparadise) on Oct 10, 2014 at 7:11pm PDT 4. Bondi Beach "Double trouble" - last night. Sydney is in for another run of storm and rolling clouds. If you decide to go out and shoot, be safe ! I might be out there again... #frothers #frothersgallery #franckgazzola #mynikonlife #d4s #amazing #weather #extreme #bolt #lightning #flash #clouds #cloudporn #sydney #australia #seeaustralia #crazy #ocean #sea #eclair #orage A photo posted by Franck Gazzola (@franckgazzola) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:15pm PST 3. Sydney Harbour Bridge spinal tap // #sydney #sydneyharbourbridge #architecture #architectureporn #bridge #bridgeporn #blue #colour #street #streetphotography #citylife #igerssydney #icu_aussies #tv_pointofview #rsa_streetview A photo posted by John Appleseed (@thateightieskid) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:04pm PST 2. Darling Harbour, Sydney #australia #sydney #darlingharbour#instaaustralia #instasydney #nightview #instatravel #instatrip #??????? #????#?????????#??#?? #?? A photo posted by @kumasuca on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:35am PST 1. Sydney Opera House VIVID Sydney 2014 #vivid #vividsydney A photo posted by Photos of VIVID (@photosofvivid) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:03pm PST Via Daily Telegraph.
If you've been spending your sudden abundance of couch time binging your way through your streaming queue, you've probably become acquainted with Joe Exotic over the past couple of weeks. Clearly, that isn't the name that he was born with. But given the mullet-wearing zoo owner's over-sized personality, love of big cats and line of work — founding and running The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma, which was home to hundreds of tigers, lions and other large felines, between 1999–2016 — he obviously decided that the moniker fit. That's the story that Netflix's Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness tells. Well, in a tale that spans lions, tigers, eccentricity, polygamy and killing-for-hire, that's really just the beginning. Joe Exotic's life has encompassed such a wild series of events that, thanks to the docuseries' success, a dramatised version is now in the works — but if you just can't get enough in the interim, you can also take part in Isolation Trivia's Tiger King-themed edition. For the online quiz night's next event, it's dedicating its focus to Joe Exotic, his rival Carole Baskin, and all the ups and downs that ensure their stories are so strange that they can only be true. Run by Man vs Bear and Not On Your Rider's Aimon Clark — who'll be donning a mullet wig for the occasion — it'll live stream from 6.30pm AEST on Saturday, April 11. To play along like the cool cats and kittens you are, head to the event's Facebook page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acTdxsoa428 Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is now streaming on Netflix. Images: Netflix
Reading that daily horoscope might be enough of a foray into astrology for some, but what about a whole hotel dedicated to the celestial study? If the moon positions itself correctly, true buffs might be compelled to start planning that weekend away now — because Sydney is set to get the world's first ever astrology hotel. The Ultimo officially launches next month with a collection of newly refurbished rooms, which include single, studio, trio, family and pet-friendly courtyard rooms. But keen astrologers will have to wait a bit longer to get the low-down, as the hotel has given next-to-no hints as to what's involved with this, er, innovative hotel concept. That said, if it's anything like Switzerland's Park Hotel Weggis, which has offered a 'Park and Stars' package in the past, guests can probably expect individual astrological readings and consultations, and perhaps even a dinner created with their astrological sign in mind. Located at 37 Ultimo Road in Sydney's CBD, The Ultimo is set to open next month — and their full set of offerings will be unveiled on Wednesday, February 8. We'll update this story once we know the details.
The very beginning of Nick Broomfield's new Whitney Houston documentary features voiceover from one of the singer's friends talking about how she died. We all know the story: one of the most talented voices of our time succumbed to substance abuse and drowned in a bathtub. But her friend posits that while drugs were involved, perhaps they weren't the root cause. Perhaps Whitney Houston died of a broken heart, she says. This sad idea settles over the rest of the film like a cloud, as Broomfield recounts the story of a supremely talented yet obviously troubled young woman surrounded by people unable or unwilling to get her the help that she needed. The Whitney we first see is so young that it's difficult for us to believe she'll become the woman in the bathtub. She's bubbly and bright, singing in her gospel choir at church (led by her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston). That trademark smile is instantly recognisable. She's just a kid with a huge voice, and she's happy. But that huge voice soon proves to be both a blessing and a curse. Signed at the age of 19, Whitney was thrown into the deep end of an industry that had its own plans for her, moulded into a pop princess by a team of men who worked at Arista Records. Interviewing some of them in the present day, it seems the muscle memory of their puppeteering is still fresh. Her old management team still talks about her like an object rather than a person, and there's little doubt that their level of control over Whitney contributed negatively towards her mental and physical health. You're left feeling sad and frustrated, wanting to call these men into account. Why didn't they help her? Whitney: Can I Be Me uses a large amount of footage from the singer's 1999 world tour, some of which is absolutely staggering. At this point in her life her voice was still in prime condition – the effort she puts into every single song leaves her drenched in sweat; her calling card "I Will Always Love You" works the audience up into a frenzy; while her ability to "caress notes", as the Arista representatives say, is unrivalled. In a time where there was no Beyoncé and certainly no Janelle Monae or Nicki Minaj, Whitney's music was a carefully crafted brand of pop, and was often sent back to the studio for being "too black-sounding". The movie's title becomes a sad realisation that hits you mid-way through. As much as this is a story about Whitney losing her life, it's also about her losing herself. The sweetest parts of the film come from home video footage of Whitney just sitting around eating takeaway and watching movies, or acting out silly scenes with her husband Bobby Brown. In these moments, we're reassured that she has friends and family who love her. And yet ultimately, these relationships all fall apart. Even Robyn, her childhood friend who stuck with her for years, eventually fades away. A lot is made in the film about Robyn and Whitney's relationship, and whether it was more than just a friendship. But regardless of whether Whitney was gay, or bisexual, we get the feeling Robyn is one of the pillars in her life. That they parted ways mid-tour seems to just weaken Whitney's grip on her voice, her health, and her increasingly unhappy marriage. The footage of her being interviewed by Diane Sawyer in 2002 about her addictions is especially moving. When asked what her biggest devil was, she replies that it is herself. Whitney: Can I Be Me paints a tragic portrait of a woman who didn't have the right people around her, nor the drive to get herself the help she required. To add to the grey cloud, Whitney's daughter Bobbi Kristina lost her life in 2015 in eerily similar circumstances. Sadly, the film feels more like a story about this pattern of unhappiness than it does a celebration of the singer's talent – a shame for a woman who had so much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G2fY0xci_c
It has been 11 art-filled years since Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art first opened its doors, and the creative riverside hub just keeps going from strength to strength. Fresh from hosting a huge Yayoi Kusama exhibition, GOMA is preparing to unveil its illuminating new permanent work: a brand new light installation by artist James Turrell. You might be familiar with the Arizona-based artist's work if you've been to Mona or the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). He's the one behind the sky-centred installations at both galleries — at Mona, the gazebo-like Armana lights up at sunrise and sunset each day, and at the NGA in Canberra, Within without acts as an outdoor viewing chamber to enhance your view of the sky. All up, Turrell has created 80 'skyspaces' like these around the world. Brisbane's Turrell piece isn't a standalone structure like these other two Australian works. Instead, the work will light up GOMA's eastern and southern white façades from within the building with a pattern developed by Turrell especially for the location. It's been described as "an ever-evolving pattern of intensifying and diffusing coloured light" by GOMA director Chris Saines, and when lit, it will make the gallery visible from across the river and around South Bank's cultural precinct. The plan is to light up the gallery from dusk until midnight each evening — and while the tunnel was originally set to be installed by late last year, it'll officially start glowing from 7pm on April 20, with Turrell in attendance. And while it's a new addition to GOMA, it's also a feature that ties into the gallery's history. As Saines explains, "during the development of GOMA, lead architects Kerry Clare, Lindsay Clare and James Jones envisaged an artist-illuminated 'white box' on the gallery's main pedestrian approaches. More than a decade on, Turrell's architectural light installation realises the potential of GOMA's white box façade, and completes a major aspect of the architects' original design intention." By Lauren Vadnjal and Sarah Ward.
Cool nomenclature combines with music, dance, storytelling, humour and animation in RRAMP: The Collector, the Archivist & the Electrocrat. Employing the romantically grotesque animation of Ahmarnya Price, it tells the story of the Collector, the tall lady-of-the-house, and the unsuspecting band members she recruits. RRAMP: The Collector, the Archivist & the Electrocrat is part of the Performance Space season Show On. Read about the other shows here.
Tucked away on a quiet street in Collingwood, Loose Leaf is the dream project of Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler. With a combined portfolio that includes backgrounds in horticulture, permaculture and design, the pair harmonise creativity with a deep-rooted connection to the natural environment in their multi-use space. Loose Leaf operates as a thoughtful retail space for flowers and plants, as well as a studio for Wona to bring to life her organic sculptural practice and teach seasonal workshop classes. “We want people to use the space in a non-retail sense as well," she explains. “If we could make it like an indoor park that people might want to hang out in, that would be pretty cool.” The minimal aesthetic of the white-walled, high-ceilinged warehouse space is balanced by an abundance of natural life. Plants thrive in every corner, hang from the ceiling (almost as though levitating) and climb the walls. An ever-changing offering of seasonal flora fills the front of the space, where Wona creates and sells her masterful bouquets and arrangements. While the botanical haven is certainly an aesthetic delight, Charlie and Wona believe strongly in the greater therapeutic benefits connecting with nature can provide. “There are physical health benefits of having plants in your house," Charlie explains. "They can filter the air by taking out gases and chemicals so it’s healthier to breathe, but there’s also research to show that they can improve mental health”. “I’ve always been interested in horticulture therapy,” Wona adds, “When something is dying and you can bring it back to life, it makes you feel so good. It’s beautiful to watch the life cycle of something.” You need only step off the street into their bright space to feel the benefits; it might even work its magic when you're standing across the road. Despite the location only a hop, skip and a jump away from the hubbub of Smith Street, the air feels cleaner upon entering Loose Leaf. The incredible internal landscape combined with Wona and Charlie’s genuine desire to share their passion for “reconnecting with nature” allows their space to feel warm and welcoming. Sharing a cup of tea with the pair amongst their plants seems to be the perfect antidote to the stress of the daily grind. As well as the physical environment, Loose Leaf will be releasing a publication as a continuation of the voice of the space. “For the first year we plan to do a series of single theme based publications,” Charlie tells me. “We like the idea of connecting creativity and nature together, and letting each one inspire themselves." After making more than one trip to Loose Leaf to hang out with the always helpful and humble couple, Concrete Playground asked Charlie and Wona for a few ideas on how to be the best plant owner you can be ahead of the indoor season. Know Your Ability to Commit As far as picking your perfect plant friends, like any relationship, a lot depends on how much you are willing to give. With both high and low maintenance options for any environment, there’s no need to fear keeping something alive other than yourself. In fact, some plants prefer to be left alone. “One plant we’ve got is called the Zanzibar Gem, and the marketing is that it ‘thrives on neglect’,” Wona assures me. “It can deal with low light conditions and not much water." The Zanzibar Gem is added to my mental greenhouse. “We’ve spent a few years researching what works and doesn’t for us from our perspective," she says. "A lot of our plants we’ve picked because they are easy to care for and have actual signs of when they need to be watered or when they need fertilising." Of the choices in their home, she says, “[the plants] will start to talk you in very obvious ways … for example with Devil’s Ivy, the leaves will start to get droopy when it needs water. They can deal with a little more neglect … although we don’t encourage people to neglect their plants!” Location, Location, Location Equally as important as choosing a level of care you’re willing to commit to is the area and conditions your plants will be living in. “It really depends on what room they’re in”, says Charlie. “If you think about it in an outside sense, you get plants growing in the canopy of a jungle with very low light, or you can get plants growing in the desert with lots of sun and not much water”. He adds, “We have microclimates all around our house … the north of your house might feel a bit like Spain, but on the southern side it might be a bit more like Hobart. You can pick the right plant for each microclimate." Give a Little Lovin' In terms of caring for your greenery, things like fertilising and repotting can help extend the life and size of your plant. It's important that you look after your little guy (or don't, if it's a Zanzibar Gem). “Potted plants need fertilising because they’re not getting the nutrients replenished like they do nature, like when it rains or when trees drop their leaves," Charlie told me. "Inside plants obviously don’t get that so you need to give them some plant food. “By growing the size of the pot you’ll allow the roots to get bigger, and … there’s normally a direct reflection with what’s above the soil from what’s below” I admitted I had never repotted a plant. “Massage at the edge of the pot to help the plant come out more easily," he says. "You can massage the roots a little bit to help loosen them, put the plant in the new pot with the new soil.” Charlie and Wona's excitement for sharing the Loose Leaf love is tangible and inspiring. And while I may not be ready to commit to maintaining the exotic indoor jungle I envision just yet, I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to bring the pot plants in my bedroom back to life.
Imagine taking a photo with your fingers. A prototype for a new type of camera, known as the Ubi-camera, has been created by researchers at the IAMAS, allowing you to do just that with the help of a small device. By connecting the little device to your index finger the rectangle becomes the viewfinder. Then, by pressing down on the device with your thumb, you are able to take a photo. A built-in range sensor depicts the amount of space between the photographer's face and the camera. For example: if you put your face close to the camera you can create a wide angle shot and if you move your fingers further away this will give you a close up photo. The infrared technology range sensor still has a few glitches, such as the difficulty to detect faces, that developers hope to overcome in the near future. [via Mashable]
UPDATE, September 24, 2020: Arctic is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Whether stranding Sandra Bullock in space in Gravity, casting Robert Redford adrift in All Is Lost or pitting Liam Neeson against wolves in The Grey, survival thrillers rise and fall on the strength of their performances. You can now add Mads Mikkelsen to the list of actors testing their mettle against the elements — and add him to the ranks of stellar near-solo portrayals as well. His character, Overgård, is trapped in the Arctic Circle. Snow and rock stretch out as far as his weary eyes can see, the remnants of a crashed plane provide his only shelter, and greeting each morning relies on his wits and will. As a result, much of Arctic involves looking at his weathered, determined face, and it paints a compelling picture. Details are hard to come by in Arctic, which thrusts viewers into the thick of Overgård's plight from its opening frames. He's first spied scraping away at the ground to create a giant SOS sign, then tending to his icy fishing holes, and then cranking the transmitter he hopes will attract the attention of any aircraft that happen to fly nearby. The specifics of his situation — why, when, how — aren't offered, and they aren't important. All that matters is his dogged fight to survive. Before long, however, he's not the only person trying to endure oppressively frosty climes. A helicopter appears like something out of Overgård's dreams, but then it swiftly crashes, leaving an injured and unconscious woman (Maria Thelma Smáradóttir) in his care. While the scenario might sound familiar, The Mountain Between Us this isn't. Arctic is concerned with survival and nothing more, with no rosy backstories or blossoming romances. Writer-director Joe Penna and his co-scribe Ryan Morrison understand the most crucial aspect of their chosen genre: that there's nothing more powerful than watching a tale of life and death play out in the actions and expressions of a desperate protagonist. Faced with challenge after challenge — finding food, abiding the cold, attending to injuries, contending with polar bears, staving off frostbite and more — Overgård becomes the ultimate everyman. The circumstances he's navigating might be nightmare fuel for most, but the mechanics of soldiering on when the world is sparse, conditions are harsh and a disaster could wipe you out are both potent and relatable on an existential level. The key, unsurprisingly, is Mikkelsen. The Danish star has played a grimy drug dealer in crime franchise Pusher, a suave Bond villain in Casino Royale, a persecuted teacher in The Hunt and a cannibalistic sociopath in TV series Hannibal, amassing a hefty resume and becoming one of the finest actors working today. Monopolising the screen in Arctic, he's at his best as a man confronting his worst experience and persevering by any means necessary. His performance is one of loaded silence and telling physicality; of saying more by saying nothing. The exertion as Overgård battles the inhospitable conditions, the care as he treats a stranger's wellbeing like his own, the desolation as he thinks his quest will never end — Mikkelsen ensures that viewers always share the ride on his character's emotional rollercoaster. Indeed, when there's a talent like Mikkelsen leading the charge, it's easy to overlook Arctic's generic moments. Much about the film fits the survivalist playbook, yet it never feels routine — just recognisable. And when the movie's star isn't stealing the show, Brazilian first-timer Penna and his cinematographer Tómas Örn Tómasson have the ideal substitution, with Iceland's frozen vistas telling their own intricate tale. As lensed with an awareness of the landscape's stark beauty as well as its evident dangers (and often viewed in wide and aerial shots that emphasise its enormous size), Arctic's vast expanse of ice and snow perfectly reflects Overgård's inner state. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjlJm_SJc3Y
Let's call it the "Nicolas Cage plays" effect: when those three words combine, almost anything can follow and viewers will be obsessed. Dracula, himself, an expat Aussie surfer, a man that no one can stop dreaming about, Superman, a truffle hunter and a dad milking an alpaca are just some of the recent ways to end that sentence. In Longlegs, the pivotal phrase wraps up with the movie's title. It's the key name in the case that a just-out-of-the-academy FBI agent has been assigned. Nothing can prepare audiences for Cage's performance, however, even if you've seen him in everything from Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Vampire's Kiss to Wild at Heart and Face/Off, and then Mandy and Willy's Wonderland. Little can prepare you for this instant-classic and supremely unnerving addition to the horror canon, either. In making Longlegs, Maika Monroe and Osgood Perkins were well-equipped, though, thanks to a decade separately linked to the genre as an actor and a filmmaker, respectively. The former came to prominence with 2014's It Follows, a follow-up to which is on the way. The latter made his directorial debut with 2015's The Blackcoat's Daughter, then added 2016's I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and 2020's Gretel & Hansel to his resume. Perkins is tied to horror by blood, too, as well as from his work on-screen, where he was stepping into a young Norman Bates' shoes at the age of nine. His father is Anthony Perkins, aka the elder Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, plus three sequels — one of which he helmed himself — in the 80s and 90s. Cage, Monroe, Perkins: that's a helluva pedigree for any movie. Longlegs doesn't squander it. Whether it's opening in 70s or unfurling its bulk with pitch-perfect 90s details, Perkins has whisked up a can't-look-away cinematic nightmare — one with a namesake that takes some thematic cues from Darth Vader in a way, he tells Concrete Playground. That's a connection that likely no one would make if he didn't join those dots himself. That said, it also speaks to the impact of a figure that lingers over an entire feature while deployed judiciously. The trailers for Longlegs are just as careful with their teasing, and Perkins was with Monroe as well: on-set, she saw Cage as Longlegs properly the first time that Agent Lee Harker, her character, does. Mentioning the best-known villainous force in a galaxy far, far away is also an aptly leftfield clue for a movie that does indeed play out like a puzzle, not just for Monroe's Harker and her boss Carter (Blair Underwood, Origin), but for everyone — and a feature that can never be accused of making obvious choices. Perkins has also described Longlegs as a "horror movie mixtape", and it fits a flick that's about unsolved murders, detectives chasing the culprit, the occult and Satanism, mysterious codes, unsettling dolls and creepy barns, each adding to the components waiting for audiences to piece together. The response so far in the US alone hasn't just been warm, but hypnotised and huge. Neon, the US distributor that's also brought Parasite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Possessor, Titane, Spencer, Moonage Daydream, Triangle of Sadness, Infinity Pool, Anatomy of a Fall, Ferrari and Perfect Days to screens in America, broke its box-office record for a debut weekend when the movie opened there a week before Down Under. The only film that beat it in takings: the all-ages-friendly minion power of Despicable Me 4, so the exact opposite of this haunting thriller. Now it's Australia and New Zealand's turn to meet Longlegs — and we chatted with both Perkins and Monroe about it, including about where inspiration came from for Perkins for a character as immediately unforgettable as Longlegs, plus Monroe's career path to the movie. Also covered in our round-table discussion with the duo: the genesis of the film's story, Monroe's reaction when it initially came her way, building a presence like Longlegs with Cage and Perkins' route to the genre. On What Inspired the Character of Longlegs Osgood: "For me, it starts with Darth Vader, and everything goes forward from there. And when I say it starts with Darth Vader, it starts with the quality of 'ohh, the villain is really the star of their own story, the star of their own situation. They're doing the best that they can with what they've been dealt'. And so with someone like Cobble, with Longlegs, the idea is not how do you make him sinister, but what about him isn't sinister? The sinister parts and the sort of evil parts and the kind of villainous parts is de rigueur. That's got to just be part of it. That's mandatory. Where you pull and stretch the rubber band is like, well, where is he pathetic? Obviously he's powerful, but where is he weak? Obviously he's invested — well, where is he unsure? So when you start to create these binary positions, much more can exist between those poles. If you have a villain who's like this all the time, and that's not — you don't see a lot of that anymore, but everybody has their pluses and their minuses. And I guess even a serial killer is ultimately still a person who shit's happened to, not good. And when you pluck them out of their habitat, they're probably pretty pathetic." On What Came to Mind First When Perkins Was Conjuring Up the Film's Story Osgood: "It's what I think would be fun about something like this. And usually that comes in through music, and imagery evolves as you work with other people. The first thing that happens is the dialogue and the way the movie sounds and what people are talking about, and what words they're choosing to use. I'm a big words guy. I don't believe in thinking about writing. I only believe in actually writing. Those are very different entities for me. So it starts with the words, and it starts with words that I like, and it starts with the title like Longlegs that I like. And then it starts with the way that he talks and the things he chooses to say, and it grows out of that." On Monroe's Initial Reaction to the Movie When the Script Came Her Way Maika: "I read a whole lot of scripts, and it is few and far between that you read something that just grabs you immediately. The writing was so good. It was so vivid. And, probably similar to audience members watching the movie for the first time, I really thought that I had a grip on where it was going and understanding, and I was like 'okay, awesome, a nostalgic crime-thriller'. And then a little past halfway through, all of a sudden it turned into a whole other beast, and it just felt so unique and fresh." On How Much of Longlegs, the Figure, Was on the Page — and How Much Came Together During the Shoot Osgood: "We worked together on it, and of course there's the contribution of hair, makeup, special effects makeup, wardrobe, production design. Everybody's gratifyingly pulling towards the same goal, which is to make something cool, something that has a music to it, something that has a pulse or that vibes stronger than anything else around it. That's the whole trip that we're on. And with Nic, with the character of Longlegs, most of it is on the page when he gets it. The way he looks is written. And then we've got to figure out a way to make that look right. So it becomes about literally taking one piece at a time. Like the chin, it's too much, it looks like Dick Tracy, so take it down by half. I don't need these scary things around the eyes because that makes it look a little too like Halloween costumes, so let's take that down. Let's look at this — the hair should be poufy. We're talking about glam rock, so let's exaggerate that a little bit. It just becomes about taking all the little pieces and sewing them together. And luckily for me, I have a collaborator in one of the great all-time movie presences who's really as focused and deliberate and deep as you want them to be." On Monroe's First Proper Meeting with Longlegs Maika: "It definitely felt intense, and pretty much we would do a take and I would just step out of the room — and I would go in if there were notes or something, but I just think it was nice for us to keep our space. Then after we finished filming that day, it was actually his [Cage's] last day. We were sitting across from each other and they were taking some still photos, and we just started chatting. It was the first time I heard his actual voice, and he was just saying to me 'I'm just such a fan. I love all your movies'. And I was just like sitting there like 'is this really happening?'. It was crazy. It was very surreal." [caption id="attachment_924171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] It Follows[/caption] On What Monroe Makes of Her Career So Far After 15 Years On-Screen and a Decade on From It Follows Maika: "There's just so many ups and downs, and there's no rhyme or reason to this industry. You book this big movie and you're like 'this is it. This is going to be it'. And it isn't. And then you do this tiny film, and all of a sudden it turns into to something that was never expected. I think at the end of the day, I am just so insanely grateful. I have to step outside and sort of look at where I'm at. And if I were to talk to my 13-year-old self, I would have never believed this, that I'd be sitting here right now and just the people I've been able to work with — it's just surreal and just very lucky. On Perkins' Path to Directing Horror Movies Osgood: "I think like any kid who grows up and sees their dad doing the thing, there's either the raging impulse to do the same thing and to try to find out, do a little bit of a detective search on your dad by trying to go in their footsteps of — and I think for me, it was certainly part of that. The horror genre to me is just the most delightful. It's the most delicious. It's the most profane and absurd, romantic, poetic, endless, concealed genre of all of them. It really contains everything. It contains love. It contains comedy. It contains adventure and science fiction, and it's all sort of embedded in there. So I don't necessarily think of myself as a horror director, because I don't know that I think of myself as a horror fan. I can't remember the last horror movie I paid for to see in the theatre. I don't really care about it, it's not really interesting to me. To me, I'm more looking to do something expansive, and the horror genre allows for all realms of thought and expression. And there's so many little signifiers that you can connect to, like serial killer or procedural crime, or it's an axe murderer or whatever it is — you can go in and people have an idea about it, and an emotion attached to it. And then you can create your own thing based on the model." Longlegs opened in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Read our review.
After spending time at Gelato Messina Rosebery, Rocker and Grifter Brewery, Toby Wilson and his adored Sydney taco truck Ricos Tacos have found a permanent home in Chippendale. Located on Meagher Street, the new bricks-and-mortar outpost sees Ricos expand its always-reliable menu, and allows Wilson to experiment with new dishes and flavours. Wilson began serving up tacos to Sydneysiders in 2016 at Ghostboy Cantina, which first set up in the Dixon House food court before moving to Tio's. From there, he went on to become a prolific member of the Sydney hospitality scene, starting Bad Hombres in Surry Hills, and also running kitchens out of The Duke of Enmore and The George, before taking his tacos on the road with the Ricos food truck. At the centre of the menu in Chippendale is, of course, the tacos. You'll find Ricos classics like chorizo, potato and egg, with a rotating list of specials and one-off creations mixing things up. The most exciting addition to the menu at the Chippendale restaurant is tortas. These Mexican sandwiches generally come on long crunchy bread rolls similar to those used with banh mi; however, Wilson's version more closely resembles a burger, with his tortas served on soft milk buns. Inside the buns you'll find the likes of house-made chorizo paired with black beans, fermented chilli, charred tomato salsa and pasilla mayo — or beer battered fish with a healthy serving of the mayo, as well as salsa roja and salted cabbage. Another fresh set of eats that Wilson has brought to Ricos: a brunch menu. The restaurant initially opened late in 2021 following a hasty ten-day renovation in order to open a takeaway window during lockdown, and this initial setup offered breakfast and lunch, giving Wilson and co the opportunity to experiment with some new early-morning items. The result has been the addition of breakfast tacos, crispy-brown hash browns, and rich stacks of pancakes topped with chorizo syrup and butter. Now open for dining with a simple but playful interior complete with a mural by Mike Delaney, Wilson's former business partner at The George, Ricos is only looking to grow from here. Eventually, the plan is for the opening hours to be pushed back, moving breakfast to brunch and introducing dinner. Once evening service is up and running, beers from Ricos' good friends over at Grifter will be added to the menu, as well as seltzers from Cantina OK!, but for now patrons can quench their thirst with a hibiscus iced tea that Wilson has created in collaboration with Tea Craft. "In Mexico, one of the most common drinks you'd get at a taco joint would be a hibiscus iced tea. So I asked Arthur at Tea Craft to play around with it and make me one that had lemon myrtle in it," Wilson says. "It's refreshing and herbal and sweet, and it has a lot more complexity than what it's like without the lemon myrtle." Some exciting collaborations are also on the horizon. Wilson teased the possibility of getting members of the No 92 Glebe Point Road and Maiz crews in for team-up. "They're never really super-lucrative nights, but it's just great to share knowledge and stuff," he says. " You might even pick up one ingredient that they put in the salsa that you never tried before and it changes things. And at the very worst, you get to hang out with a mate." Ricos Tacos is located at 15 Meagher Street, Chippendale. It's currently open 8am–2pm Thursday–Sunday, with plans to expand into dinner hours. Images: Nikki To
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
Gardening enthusiasts will be able to spend even more time with Mother Nature in this wonderful garden shed, a collaboration between architect Ville Hara and designer, Linda Bergroth. While greenhouses are usually inhabited by plants, this one is nice enough for you to sleep amongst the greenery. A prototype built at Bergorth's summer cottage in eastern Finland features a wooden floor and solar panels for power lighting. Bergroth also added a mattress so that the greenhouse can become a spare bedroom during the summertime, when she wakes up overlooking the water. Safety glass windows line the walls and roof, and have automatic openers to control the temperature inside. The back of the garden shed features a storage compartment where all tools can be placed compactly. Surprisingly, this entire garden shed can be assembled using a screwdriver. This neat piece of architectural innovation proves that simplicity is often the key.
The past two years have been chaotic for Australia's theatre scene — but thanks to big-name productions such as Hamilton, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Come From Away, Jagged Little Pill the Musical and Girl From the North Country, the show has gone on when it could. Big-name musicals have kept echoing, clearly, with another high-profile show soon to hit both Melbourne and Sydney: four-time Tony-winner An American in Paris. The Broadway and West End smash already kicked off its Aussie shows in Brisbane in January, and now it's set to sing and dance its way to Melbourne and Sydney, with a Perth leg also locked in and Adelaide dates set to come. This vibrant production adapts the 1951 film of the same name to Australian stages — so yes, if you're a fan of classic movies (and classic big-screen musicals starring none other than the inimitable Gene Kelly at that), then that's why the show's name sounds familiar. Story-wise, the musical follows an American soldier in Paris — because its moniker is that straightforward. Set at the end of the Second World War, it charts US GI's Jerry Mulligan's exploits as he falls for a French woman. Well, he is celebrating the end of the combat in the notably romantic city, after all. [caption id="attachment_828886" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tristram Kenton[/caption] Bringing the Oscar-winning 71-year-old film to the stage, this version of An American in Paris is directed by acclaimed contemporary ballet choreographer Christopher Wheeldon — and adapted for theatre and choreographed by him, too. The Aussie run is also being staged in collaboration with the Australian Ballet, so expect to see some of their dancers helping to bring the musical to life. George and Ira Gershwin's songs make the leap to the theatre as well, including 'I Got Rhythm', 'S Wonderful', 'But Not For Me' and 'They Can't Take That Away From Me'. Initially, An American in Paris debuted in Paris — where else? — in 2014, before hitting Broadway, Boston and West End. 'AN AMERICAN IN PARIS' AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2022: Friday, March 18–Sunday, April 24 — State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Friday, April 29–Sunday, June 12 — Theatre Royal, Sydney Saturday, July 9–Wednesday, July 27 — Crown Theatre, Perth Dates TBC — Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide An American in Paris will continue its Australian tour from Friday, March 18, 2022. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the musical's website. Top images: Darren Thomas.
If the insanely beautiful Field of Light installation had you ready to blow two months' wages on flights to Alice Springs, the latest addition of light-focused cultural events in the outback might just nudge you over the line. For the first time, Parrtyeme - a Festival in Light will illuminate Alice Springs for ten nights this September. Announced by the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Adam Giles this week, Parrtyeme — which comes from the Arrernte word parrtma meaning 'light up' or 'lighting up' — will be the first Indigenous festival of its kind. Featuring both contemporary and traditional indigenous artworks, the festival will also be Australia's biggest light installation, covering 2.5 kilometres of the MacDonnell Ranges. Among the works, you can expect to see a series of large illuminated 1950s-style circle skirts based on the watercolour artwork of Lenie Namatjira, who's the granddaughter of artist Albert Namatjira. Vivid eat your heart out. The festival will run for ten nights later this year in the Alice Springs Desert Park (about a ten minute drive from the centre of Alice Springs), from September 23 till October 2. It's a collaboration between the NT Government, AGB Events (who are known for their work on Vivid) and local Aboriginal artists. And if all goes well, they hope that the Parrtyeme will become an annual event. Parrtyeme will take place from September 23 until October 2, 2016. To register your attendance, visit parrtyemeaustralia.com.au.
One of 2023's big blockbusters ended by leaving viewers wanting more, and by design: when Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One wrapped up its 163 minutes of espionage antics, everyone already knew that Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two was on its way. Originally, the latter was meant to arrive in June 2024, less than a year after the first film. But audiences will now need to wait until 2025 — including to see Tom Cruise's (Top Gun: Maverick) latest batch of death-defying stunts. Instead of hitting cinemas on June 28, 2024 in the US, the eighth flick in the spy franchise now has a May 23, 2025 release date. Down Under, that likely means a move from June 27, 2024 to May 22, 2025, given that movies release here on Thursdays rather than on Fridays in America. Both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are reporting that the film's name may change as well. So, chaotically, it mightn't be called Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two, although it will still follow on from Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One. The change of dates comes amid Hollywood's ongoing actors' strike, adding a new big-name flick to the list of films moving back their releases. Another second part that's done the same: Dune: Part Two. Hollywood's on-screen talents are on strike to fight against diminishing residual payments for performers, and to establish firm rules about the future use of artificial intelligence in the industry, among other improvements to working conditions. When they took action in mid-July, SAG-AFTRA's members joined their counterparts in the Writers Guild of America, who were striking since May but have since resumed work. On Paramount's slate, the next Mission: Impossible isn't the only film that's shifting dates. A Quiet Place: Day One will also now release in June 2024, not March — and the next SpongeBob SquarePants movie will move from May 2025 to December 2025. As for what's in store Mission: Impossible-wise, you can bet that world-hopping intrigue, explosions, chases, fights and Cruise wearing masks all pops up when Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Missions Force team return. So will a cast that also includes Simon Pegg (The Boys), Ving Rhames (Legacy) and Hayley Atwell (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). There's no trailer yet for the next Mission: Impossible, but you can check out the full sneak peek at Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One below instead: The next Mission: Impossible movie will release in cinemas Down Under on May 22, 2025. Read our review of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. Via: Hollywood Reporter / Variety. Images: Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Prepare for a serious rainbow chalk shortage in Sydney: DIY chalk rainbows are popping up across the city in Newtown, Paddington and Redfern following the State Government's removal of the rainbow crossing on Oxford Street. The movement started with a Facebook photo of radio presenter James 'Breko' Brechney colouring in a chalk rainbow outside his home. The photo soon led to Brechney creating the Facebook group DIY Rainbow Crossings and the #DIYRainbowCrossings hashtag going viral on Twitter. "I was pretty down like a lot of people when the Rainbow Crossing was ripped up," said Brechney. "The DIY chalk crossing idea really just came to me overnight ... I got my sister and housemate in on the act and when we finished our one in Surry Hills we took a few photos for Facebook and the whole thing went crazy. Everyone's now doing their own DIY Rainbow Crossings all over Sydney and I love that because it's less work for me!" The Oxford Street crossing was initially created by the City of Sydney Council as part of the 2013 Mardi Gras celebrations, and soon became a much-loved attraction, with people posing for photos while walking across it. Despite calls to make the crossing permanent from the community and local politicians such as Lord Mayor Clover Moore and State Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich, NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay made the decision to remove the crossing. Community radio station FBI Radio has decided to get in on the action as well, chalking up their own rainbow outside the front door of their station in Redfern. "It's just a fun, little nice thing, a sign of how Sydney people are joined together when they think a wrong has been done," said program director Caroline Gates, who was inspired to join Brechney's 'chalk revolution' after seeing his Facebook photo. "We've got a volunteer group, and I just said 'Hey, anyone want to make a rainbow?'" she says. "I think a nice thing about people getting out a bit of chalk and making their own is just saying 'Screw the government, this is what we feel and what our community is'." The removal of the crossing took many Sydneysiders by surprise after road workers in Ultimo were redirected to Oxford Street to perform 'emergency road works' late on Wednesday night, as passers by booed and shared photos of the disappearing rainbow on social media. "I think people really connected with some vibrancy in our city," said Brechney. "I think the State Government has really got themselves pigheaded about removing it when it was clear, even to people initially opposed, that it was truly a fabulous addition to Oxford Street." DIY rainbow crossing behind the Newtown Hotel. DIY rainbow crossing behind the Newtown Hotel. DIY rainbow crossing in front of FBi Radio. Photography by Anita Senaratna and Rima Sabina Aouf.
Michelangelo's David means a whole lot of things to Western culture. He's a perfect specimen of the Renaissance man, all toned and taut and towering. He's a biblical hero; defeating Goliath in awe-inspiring fashion and becoming the original underdog. We've marvelled at his perfection for generations and now, he may be brought down by the fact he has weak ankles. It's poetic, really. Italian researchers have recently found a number of weak spots in the iconic statue's ankles they claim could be fatal — in as much as anything can be fatal to a statue — in the coming months. At a whopping 5,572kg, the BBC report David could collapse under his own weight if disturbed by as much as nearby roadworks. With microfractures also appearing in his legs and supporting tree stump, David's prognosis doesn't look great for a number of reasons. Firstly, the marble Michelangelo used is of a poor quality and fragile at the best of times. Secondly, his pose is naturally off-centre and La Gazetta del Sud reported that he was positioned on a dangerous angle in the city's main square for three centuries. Thirdly, he's 510 years old. You'd be showing some wear and tear at that age too. This isn't David's first time in the wars either. During a riot in 1529 he lost the lower half of his left arm and in 1991 he suffered a smashed toe at the hand of another artist. These injuries have all been restored and David regularly undergoes superficial restorations in the way of cleaning. But addressing these structural problems is a whole separate issue — is it our place to interfere or should we let David go out gracefully? Some historians have previously argued that David should go into hiding in order to retain his aura and if that is to happen, now seems like the opportune time. "I'd like to see [it] disappear for a couple of hundred years, so it's expunged from our consciousness and our popular references," said historical novelist Sarah Dunnant. "[Then] it can be found again — like the Statue of Liberty at the end of the Planet of the Apes — and seen again with a sense of awe." Maybe this is the answer. David's been on his feet for an awfully long time and perhaps he deserves a break. Surely any attempts to amend the structural integrity of his marble would end in some kind of humiliating amputation or plaster leg cast. At what point do we let history run its course? Picture it: the man who slew Goliath in one mighty blow taken down by his Achilles' heel. How appropriate. Via BBC and ABC.
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy head up a stellar cast in Tanya Wexler's offbeat comedy Hysteria, based on the true story of Dr. Mortimer Granville — the man who created the world's first vibrator, back in 1880. In a search to cure the baffling female medical condition of the day, 'hysteria', the young doctor (played by Dancy) and his new boss Dr. Dalrymple (Jonathon Pryce) create the 'feather duster', offering women intimate manual relief from their condition – and, by chance, generating a surprising increase in business. The film is a joyful and light-hearted take on the birth of the sex toy, likely to put a knowing smile on a few faces in the audience. Concrete Playground has ten double passes to give away. To be in the running to win a pair of tickets to Hysteria, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Detroit chef Kyle Hanley has created a ten-course meal based entirely off Radiohead's classic 2000 album, Kid A. For one night only, a pop-up restaurant will host 36 guests to enjoy the menu, drink pairings and a full stream of the album . Hanley, who studied music before becoming a chef, told Huffington Post when he listens to music he hears "textures and colours" and explained that Radiohead are a very textural and "very visceral band”. "Most people put out CDs, and this is an actual album," he said. "One song flows into the next, and we kind of want to do the same thing with the courses." The menu includes pan seared scallops and Pfalz Riesling paired with opening track 'Everything In Its Right Place', black caprese and a glass of Alto Adige Kerner to accompany the title track 'Kid A' and mousse dou with blackberry pâte de fruit Niepoort LBV port to see out the album alongside 'Motion Picture Soundtrack'. See the full menu below. Everything in Its Right Place: Pan-seared diver scallop, yuzu fluid gel, fried cellophane noodle, lemongrass ponzu, chili oil. With Pfalz Riesling. Kid A: Black caprese. With Alto Adige Kerner. The National Anthem: Pan-seared lamb chops, crispy pig ear, blood orange reduction. With 100 percent Mourvedre. How to Disappear Completely: Oil-poached monkfish, white asparagus, white balsamic vinaigrette, daikon sprouts. With Leelanau Good Harbour Golden Ale. Treefingers: Tomato granita. With cilantro-infused gin, jalapeno syrup, fresh lime, sea salt, chilli oil. Optimistic: Maple sugar-seared duck breast, pink peppercorn gastrique, orange juniper pearls, shredded confit. With Anderson Valley Knez Pinot Noir. In Limbo: Shades of Bouillabaisse. With Cava VallDolina. Idioteque: Arugula salad, sous-vide egg, lardo croutons, manchego crisps, crispy pancetta, smoked sherry vinaigrette, Meyer lemon foam, caper dust. With Mezcal Chartruese sour, dash of Ango. Morning Bell: Meyer lemon sorbet. With gin and tonic. Motion Picture Soundtrack: Mousse dou with blackberry pate de fruit Niepoort LBV port. Via Huffington Post.
Gone are the days when travel restrictions, including on travel through both domestic and international borders, meant that making the most of your own backyard was the only way to get out of the house. If you're a Brisbanite, playing tourist in your own town shouldn't just be something you're doing because you have to, though — and if you need an extra incentive in August, a heap of $20 tourism deals are coming to help. When we say a heap, we mean it. More than 5000 deals will be on offer from Monday, August 1–Wednesday, August 31, covering the kinds of experiences that every Brissie resident should've had but mightn't have gotten around to yet. Always wanted to take a cocktail cruise along the river? Head to Moreton Island for a stint of quad biking? Climb and abseil your way around the city? They're some of the tourism activities covered. You don't need to be a local to take advantage of the deals, either, if you have a trip to the Sunshine State in your future — you just need to have Brisbane City Council's free Brisbane app. That's where the deals will be available, and you can download the app from Apple's app store and Google Play. Different $20 specials will drop every single day across August's 31-day span, giving you motivation to check in with what's up for grabs daily. The reason behind the deals? Like plenty of other efforts to get locals exploring their home turf during the pandemic — such as travel vouchers and staycation giveaways — the aim is to get Brisbane residents and visitors out and about to support local businesses. "Brisbane businesses and tourism operators have faced unprecedented times over the past two years with COVID and devastating floods having huge impacts on their livelihood," said Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, announcing the deal scheme, which has been badged 'Rediscover Brisbane'. "Rediscover Brisbane will give residents and visitors access to great deals to get out and about in our great city, while also injecting $370,000 into some our top tourism attractions," continued the Lord Mayor. "From Moreton Island adventure and river cruises to mini golf and food and wine tours, these $20 deals will be up for grabs at the click of a button." Rediscover Brisbane will feature more than 5000 $20 deals from Monday, August 1–Wednesday, August 31 on tourism experiences around Brisbane. To access the deals via the Brisbane app, head to the app's website.
By popular demand, Paper Bird's weekend brunch is back in action. It's returning this weekend on Saturday, April 7, and will be available every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm. The old brekkie menu has been completely reimagined by chefs and co-owners Ben Sears and Eun Hee An to better complement their all-day offering. This means contemporary East Asian-style dishes that take inspiration from Korea, China and Japan. Expect dishes like a pork katsu sandwich served on thickly sliced white bread with a side of slaw; pipis with miso butter and rye toast; XO arancini; and crab wontons with chilli and black vinegar. With the 10am liquor licence comes a cocktail list designed, by co-owner Ned Brooks, for morning sipping. On it there's a Korean bloody mary and a Campari and iced filtered coffee concoction. Also available is an 85-label, natural-leaning wine list, sake and craft beer, along with coffees by Single O. The offering is a welcome change-up to your typical Aussie brunch and we'll happily usher in its return. Images: Alana Dimou
How best to celebrate the impending arrival of gin season? With the launch of what might just be the most fashionable gin going around, of course. Developed by famed UK bartender Tony Conigliaro (London's Colebrooke Row, Bar Termini and Untitled Bar), the new Goldy Gin is being launched this week in collaboration with two very familiar local names — Icebergs restaurateur and designer Maurice Terzini, and influencer, friend and fellow fashion heavyweight Justin O'Shea. "The Goldy Gin brand is concerned with a few things; authenticity, value, taste and fun," O'Shea explained. "So all of the partners in this project have to stand for these attributes." Primed for gin and tonics or classic cocktails, it's a no-fuss creation that's straight to the point, clocking in at 44% alcohol by volume. With big-name bars like Lou Lou's and Soho House in London, and Paris' Hemingway Bar and Caviar Kaspia already fans, the gin is gearing up for a huge global launch, right here in Australia this week. Terzini and O'Shea will be hosting Goldy tastings at bars across Sydney and Melbourne over the coming days, with a launch party set to take over The Dolphin in Sydney this Thursday, November 16. Image: Zackery Michael.
Tame Impala had a busy 2019, headlining Coachella festival (alongside Childish Gambino) and Byron Bay's Splendour in the Grass. And it looks like 2020 is going to be equally jam-packed for Perth's favourite psychedelic outfit, with the band announcing their biggest ever Australian and NZ tour. Kicking things off in Auckland in April, the band will then hit up some of Australia's big stadium arenas — performing at Brisbane's Entertainment Centre, Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, before heading to Adelaide and back to their Perth hometown. Led by Tame brain and frontman Kevin Parker, the band will perform songs off their highly anticipated fourth album The Slow Rush, which is set to drop on February 14, as well as their Aria chart-topping 2015 album Currents. In light of Australia's catastrophic bushfires, Parker has also announced that the band will donate $300,000 from the tour to bushfire relief charities. Such big shows deserve one heck of a support, too, and you'll get it in Texan instrumental three-piece Khruangbin. The trio's music is described as a mix of Thai-surf punk, Persian rock and 80s Algerian symphonia, and if you'd like to know just what that sounds like you can listen to their 2019 album Hasta El Cielo. [caption id="attachment_758160" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Khruangbin[/caption] TAME IMPALA 2020 AUSTRALIA AND NZ TOUR DATES Auckland — April 16, Spark Arena Brisbane — April 18, Brisbane Entertainment Centre Sydney — April 20, Qudos Bank Arena Melbourne — April 23, Rod Laver Arena Adelaide — April 25, Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena Perth — April 28, RAC Arena Tame Impala Fan Club, Laneway Presents, Chugg members and Frontier members pre-sales kick off at midday on Thursday, January 23. General tickets go on sale on Tuesday, January 28 10am local time for Australia and midday local time for NZ. Top image: Neil Krug
Sure, you can zag with style and some tremored precision when you're out and about, but what you really want is to dance scruffy, like you do among the lingering curls of steam by the bathroom mirror. There's an evening of dance that gets your problem. A homegrown night out that's spawned a worldwide movement which many know, but few have seen. Hosted at Curiousworks, Sydney's inner-city hive of pan-urban storytelling, No Lights No Lycra invites you to dance away the evening with your groove on and the lights off. One year on, the evening has pulled its weekly socials into a monthly omnibus, guaranteeing you a consolidated wave of soothing vibes from the speakers and a bigger vibe from a bigger crowd. Proceeds from the night itself go to support Curiousworks' good work helping Sydneysiders to tell their own tales themselves. So if you want to dance your secret mirror-dance with all of the passion and none of the shame, No Lights No Lycra waits for you the first Thursday of every month with all embracing arms, and some judiciously closed eyes. Image by masochismtango.
With all of the festive parties and end-of-year lunches happening at the moment, we hardly need another reason to say sayonara to the summer diet. But if you're a sugar fiend looking for an excuse, this one's for you. Family-run baking business Donut Papi has packed up its market stall and opened permanent digs in Redfern. Owner Kenneth Rodrigueza started Donut Papi in 2015, enlisting the assistance of his siblings and placing his primary focus on wholesale. It quickly built up a cult following via food markets and social media — with a little help from none other than Nigella Lawson, who regrammed a photo of their product line-up on Instagram. In the current food climate, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking "does Sydney really need another dedicated doughnut store?" If the lines of customers outside Donut Papi's new Redfern Street store across opening weekend proved anything, then the answer is a resounding yes. And, not just because it was handing out free treats to the first 100 customers. Boasting distinctive flavour combinations that have been inspired by Asian ingredients, Donut Papi has carved out a unique spot in the market. Its pandan and ube custard-filled doughnuts are among its most popular creations, with black sesame, matcha and strawberry sakura also popping up on the menu on occasion. The team have also created the Redfern Velvet to pay homage to their new home. Having previously shared a commercial kitchen, which restricted the team's cooking time, Rodrigueza is hopeful that this new permanent space will provide the freedom for not only more products, but also greater creativity. "There's still a lot of ingredients I want to use for doughnut flavours... hopefully we can add more baked goods or maybe even a brunch menu." Donut Papi is open from Wednesday to Sunday at 34a Redfern Street, Redfern. Visit their website and Facebook page for further details.
Apologies to your usual streaming queue — and to everything from the past month you're still trying to catch up with, too — but if you're a horror fan, there's only one acceptable way to spend your viewing time during October. Filling every spare second with unnerving flicks new and old is what the lead up to Halloween is all about. Scary movies work all year round, of course, but this is their season. Here's one to add to your list for your next couch session: Jordan Peele's Nope, the comedian-turned-filmmaker's third stint behind the camera, and a movie that's just as great as his Oscar-winning Get Out and equally exceptional Us. Yep, when it comes to making the leap from an iconic sketch comedy series to helming horror fare — and having a hand in bringing everything from BlacKkKlansman and the ace latest Candyman flick to Hunters and Lovecraft Country to our eyeballs, too — the former Key & Peele has been having a helluva time of it. Nope only hit cinemas in mid-August, and it's actually still showing on the big screen — so it joins the list of films that've been fast-tracked to digital while still gracing picture palaces. That's no longer a rarity, given that everything from Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, Spencer and West Side Story through to Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and Elvis have done the same thing this year. Still, the timing of this digital release couldn't be better, especially if you've spent the first few days of October working out which chilling movies you're going to enjoy all month. The film reteams Peele with Get Out star and Judas and the Black Messiah Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya, with the latter playing Haywood's Hollywood Horses trainer OJ. His family ranch is proudly run by the only Black-owned horse trainers in show business (with Hustlers' Keke Palmer as his sister Emerald), with their connection to the industry dating back to the very birth of cinema. But their remote patch of inland California soon becomes home to a disturbing discovery — and the fact that everyone spends a fair amount of time either looking up in horror or running away from something chilling in the sky in the trailers says plenty. Emerald decides that they need to capture what's happening on film, which is where Michael Wincott (Veni Vidi Vici) and Brandon Perea (The OA) come in — one charged with standing behind the lens, the other selling tech equipment. And, the Haywoods aren't the only California residents seeing this uncanny presence in the sky, with neighbour, rodeo cowboy and former child star Ricky 'Jupe' Park (Steven Yeun, The Humans) also peering upwards. As with all of Peele's celluloid nightmares so far, the less you know going in, the better. Get ready for a whirlwind of unsettling imagery, though, including fields of colourful inflatable tube men waving in the breeze, the creepiest of clouds and shadows, and a big leap into X-Files territory. Check out the full trailer for Nope below: Nope is currently screening in Australian cinemas (and NZ cinemas), and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video in Australia, and Neon, Google Play and iTunes in NZ. Read our full review.
The quest of Neil Young to revive the magic that has been squeezed out of digital music has now been realised with the launch of his portal listening device and digital music service called Pono [meaning righteous in Hawaiian]. Young has been working on the service and music player for last several years, chasing the goal of restoring music to its original artistic quality – as it was in the studio. The 128GB triangular, touchscreen gadget named PonoPlayer makes use of zero-feedback circuitry, a minimum phase digital filter and a whole lot of other technical stuff to eliminate the “unnatural pre-ringing” that can often be heard on digital tracks. The PonoPlayer comes alongside the online music store PonoMusic.com , which will offer downloads of songs formatted from artist-approved master recordings. Young officially launched both products at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas with a Kickstarter campaign complete with video endorsements from a plethora of music stars and offering preorders of the PonoPlayer at a discounted price. Pledgers are given the option to purchase a special edition “Artist Signature Series” PonoPlayer with autographs from the likes of Young himself, Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, as well as being pre-loaded with the artist’s all-time favorite two albums. Just don't ask Mr Young about what cut he gets, things will just get awkward.
Still looking for that perfect romantic gift to satisfy your lover’s expectations this Valentine’s Day? Don’t sweat it - Instructables.com has the perfect solution for those who are in a creative drought. DIY beef jerky briefs are sure to provide a deliciously amusing experience this 14th of February. Forget about gag-candy underwear. These hand-made meaty undergarments are packed with protein and are guaranteed to cause some heat in the bedroom. Fun- Check. Sexy – Check. Practical – Check. All you need is some ground beef, a few flavourings to taste, a dehydrator and a little time, effort and love and voila – Valentine’s Day sorted. For vegetarians, or those unwilling to jeopardise their sex life today it’s probably best to stick to the old roses and chocolates combo.
Let's face it, for most of us the number one reason to go on holiday is, well, to eat. And when we travel, we want to know the best of the best to maximise our often limited time in a city. This is especially true in Adelaide, which, though small, is packed with cafes, eateries, bars and restaurants, some of which are easily the best in the country. We're bringing you the top five foodie experiences in Adelaide so you can live it up with the limited time you'll likely have. NATIVE AUSTRALIAN FARE AT RESTAURANT BLACKWOOD While Restaurant Blackwood's big sister, Orana, is perhaps the most renowned restaurant in Adelaide, its downstairs sister is, in our opinion, just as impressive. Both restaurants focus on using native Australian ingredients in ways you've probably never see before — think saltbush crisps and kangaroo puffs to start. The smoked pumpkin ($19), served with wild spinach and fresh goats cheese, reinvents the way you think about simple veg, while the creamy broth of the Goolwa cockles ($35) demands extra bread for dipping purposes. As in Orana, the ingredients are bush-foraged and fresh as can be. Blackwood may not be laid back, but it is relatively casual compared with Orana and is an ideal start to a night exploring the bustling Rundle Street. BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITA AT PINK MOON SALOON Pink Moon Saloon is possibly the coolest looking bar in the city — located in the site of a former service laneway, the space best resembles a log cabin set in between two tall city buildings. Just in October 2016, the team won Best Bar Australia/Pacific at the London Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. The space is well matched for Adelaide's blooming small bar scene and, while the vibe itself is worth the visit alone, the cocktail are where it's at. The menu is inventive and playful — think a spiced wine sour and a tangelo ginger julep ($18 each). Our favourite is by far the blood orange margarita ($19). The perfect tangy-sweet combination, the drink is miles away from the classic and yet is still reminiscent of the Mexican mainstay. If you're peckish, the food menu is also well designed for drink-induced nibbling. Try the barbecue pork belly in a lettuce cup or smoked trout on cuttlefish ink toast ($8 each) to keep the hangover at bay. [caption id="attachment_584445" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lucas Richarz.[/caption] DIY PLOUGHMAN'S LUNCH AT CENTRAL MARKET Adelaide's Central Market is quintessential to the city's food scene and is very much the root cause of why Adelaide became such a foodie haven to begin with. Opened in 1869, the 'old world' market still draws such a demand that it's still boasting a 29-vendor waiting list. Central Market even houses the oldest pizza joint in town — Lucia's, opened over 50 years ago and a true Adelaide institution. The market acts as melting pot of cuisines, from Latvian to Korean and everything in between, making it the perfect spot to DIY a top-notch ploughman's. First, head to Barossa Fine Foods for your free-range, ethically sourced meat component. Next, hit up Say Cheese, which has been around for 20 years and is, as the name suggests, dedicated to all things cheese. While they have an impressive international selection, go for the local — when in Rome, after all. They also have plenty of locally-made smallgoods to accompany your ploughman's. Finally, check the Wild Loaf for freshly baked sourdough, find a seat and dig in. ECO-CONSCIOUS BRUNCH AT CAFE TROPPO The leafy Cafe Troppo is set in an airy eco-building and they've taken such planet-friendly design as their mantra — spanning from the mismatched, crafty tableware to the eco-friendly cleaning products and locally sourced produce. The building itself looks like a grounded treehouse and the menu is seasonal, using the maximum amount of South Australian ingredients. Dishes include a poached pear toastie with ricotta, honey and walnuts ($9), along with a harvest bowl of fresh grilled veggies, organic feta and topped with a poached egg ($15). The coffee is also ethically sourced, fair-trade and organic, while the teas are single origin and hand-blended in the Barossa Valley. If you're after a boozy brunch, the two beer taps house local craft brews like Little Bang and Big Shed — two of the best in the region. COLD PRESSED JUICE FROM THE TAP AT THE MARKET SHED The Market Shed is a gem among markets. Open on Sundays only, Adelaide's certified organic market has quickly gained much love since opening last November. While the stalls include vegan and organic waffles from Live a Little and woodfired pizza from Little Orange Arancini and Pizza Bar, the only way to start your trip among these exquisite stalls is at Juice Quest — situated right up front and boasting some seriously delicious, hangover-curing drinks, these cold-pressed juices will prepare you for all else that is in store. Even more epic is that they've just started kegging said juices and are poured straight from the tap going forward. Drink on, organic-loving friends. Drink on. Marissa Ciampi travelled as a guest of the Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival.
Asteroid City isn't 2023's only new Wes Anderson film. Wonka, if it does hit cinemas and isn't delayed to 2024 due to Hollywood's current strikes like the also Timothée Chalamet-starring Dune: Part Two, won't be the year's sole Roald Dahl adaptation, either. Adding a second title to both piles is The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which sees filmmaking's foremost fan of symmetry and pastels take on a tale by the author who has defined many a childhood. Instantly excited? The end result arrives in September. Netflix is bringing this 40-minute film to streaming, via a world-premiere slot out of competition at the Venice Film Festival first. Viewers at home will get to see the flick mere weeks after it plays the prestigious event, with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar landing on the small screen on Wednesday, September 27. The story? It's one of seven in Dahl's 1977 book The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, telling of a wealthy man who is so fond of wagering that he comes up with a crafty plan. After discovering a guru who can see without using his eyes, he decides to learn to the same to cheat while having a bet. Playing the gambler for Anderson is Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), as part of a cast that also includes Dev Patel (The Green Knight), Ben Kingsley (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Richard Ayoade (The Souvenir: Part II). In glorious news for The Grand Budapest Hotel fans, Ralph Fiennes (The Menu) also reteams with the director. Fingers crossed for more line readings that are so completely perfect that they're unforgettable. [caption id="attachment_914800" align="alignnone" width="1281"] The Grand Budapest Hotel[/caption] In fact, Fiennes is stepping into Dahl's own shoes in the film, as well as playing a policeman. All five announced high-profile cast members are doing double duty, which sounds wonderfully Andersonesque. Anderson directs, writes and produces, while the filmmaker's regular cinematographer Robert D Yeoman and composer Alexandre Desplat also notch up their second of his projects this year — so it'll definitely look and sound like an Anderson film. There's no trailer yet for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, but you can enjoy the Asteroid City and The Grand Budapest Hotel clips instead in the interim: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar will be available to stream via Netflix from Wednesday, September 27. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar images: courtesy of Netflix.
Join Cake Wines and their 'uncomplicated' approach to wine as they launch their second pop-up bar in the disused Cleveland St Theatre. Cake will host a number of events beginning at 6pm on Thursday night with the brand's Archi Bottle Prize awards. A live FBi Radio broadcast will be held on Friday night, and the bar will also be open from midday to midnight on Saturday as a part of the Surry Hills Festival in Prince Albert Park. As you sit and enjoy the Archi-Bottle Prize you can sip on your choice of Shiraz, Rosé, Chardonnay, Lucky Duck cider or Little Creatures Beer and chow down on gourmet food from Jafe Jaffles. For every bottle of Cake Wine purchased, 25 cents of the sale goes back to FBi and 4ZZZ Radio stations. And thanks to Cake, two Concrete Playgrounders will win a bottle of Pinot, redeemable at the bar. To go in the running just subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au
