When Kate Mercer (Charlotte Rampling) starts to interrogate the lifetime she has spent with her husband Geoff (Tom Courtenay), she's not just dissecting her own relationship. She's also pondering one of humanity's great concerns. The pair argue about times gone by as they plan the party for their 45th wedding anniversary, and while the details prove specific to their situation, the broader questions they raise are universal. 45 Years echoes the thought everyone has had at least once: how well can we ever really know those closest to us? The Mercers' predicament arises, as these worries often do, after a blast from the past interrupts their present. When Geoff receives word that the body of his former girlfriend has been found, frozen in ice for half a century, his devastated reaction causes Kate to re-assess their romance. The duo should be commemorating their lengthy union, but instead they're drifting apart. In their countryside home, he's sorting through old photos and wallowing in memories, and she's looking at everything they've ever shared with fresh eyes. 45 Years tells of roads not taken, of buried doubts unearthed, and of the consequences of choices. But more than that, it tells of two people trying to understand their connection with each other. It might seem like a simple topic, as well as an oft-seen one; however Andrew Haigh's effort, adapted from the short story In Another Country by David Constantine, never comes across as just another relationship drama. Indeed, while bickering wives and husbands are hardly uncommon in film, marital issues take on a different tone and texture when they stem from such an extensive bond. With that in mind, 45 Years understands the closeness and complexity that can only come with time, as well as the heightened devastation unexpected revelations can cause. It's another insightful, empathetic offering from writer/director Haigh — and given that he previously delved into the first flourishes of love in Weekend, the poise and perceptiveness he demonstrates at the opposite end of the temporal scale can't be underestimated. Ever the intimate filmmaker, he once again strands his protagonists largely in a single setting, often letting scenes play out with minimal edits. He knows that his audience can see what will happen next; his films find their power and poignancy not in surprises, but in waiting for the expected emotions to unfurl. As a performers' showcase, 45 Years excels, with its central portrayals perfecting the requisite balance of affection and uncertainty. While Rampling proves the more animated of the pair, both convey the film's underlying contemplation of the true nature of personal connections. Together, they're the image of the couple everyone does and doesn't want to be. A long-term on-screen duo has rarely felt as real as this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXAnjA9tAnQ
For artists whose work deals in spiritual matters — be that Christianity and the Holy Trinity, Ancient Greece's Titans and Titanesses, Mother Nature or reflections on suicide — the biennial Blake Prize is Australia's biggest award. Its goal is not to preach or proselytise, but to encourage people to talk. At the same time, it aims to reflect our nation's extraordinary religious diversity. This year, 594 entries poured in, from Australia, as well as New Zealand, the United States, Ireland, France, Germany and Switzerland. From February 13, the 83 finalists will show at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre for five weeks. The winner, to be announced on February 12, will take home a cool $35,000, while one emerging artist will receive $6000. 2014's winner was Richard Lewer, for Worse Luck I’m Still Here, a new media work telling the story of Herbert Bernard Erickson, a pensioner from Perth who survived a suicide pact in 2012.
If you know your Bingo Bronson from your Al Dente Dentist, your 6 on the party scale from your 10, this one’s for you. NYC’s best main squeezes and partners in crime are paying Goodgod’s pop culture trivia a visit — and word is it’s going to be at least an 8.5. There are major and minor prizes (including Belly Bao food and punch jugs) up for grabs throughout the night, but in the end there can only be as many winners as there are Wholefoods in Brooklyn (one). Does this call for an impromptu marathon in preparation? Maybe. (We’re not condoning sickies, but Ilana might.) Goodgod trivia is free to enter and starts 8pm. But if you’ve attended previously, you’ll know tables at this thing can go fast. So beat the #FOMO, get there early, and chow down on some Belly Bao (brain food Abbi and Ilana would approve of) while you wait.
With its cracking wine scene and passionate local producers, Orange is one of Sydney's favourite autumn weekenders. But finding time out to make the 260 kilometre trip isn't easy. So in May, the town will be coming to you — or, more specifically, to the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel. A follow-up to the inaugural We Heart Orange, held in 2014, the event incorporates a month's worth of Orange-inspired happenings. From May 1, the hotel's drinks list will gain a slew of bottles from Orange-based wineries, including Logan, Philip Shaw, Ross Hill, Heifer Station and 15 others. You'll be able to sample them any time during the month. But if you're looking to boost your wine knowledge, pop in on May 14 or 28 for an evening masterclass, to be hosted on the hotel's top deck, complete with water views. The headline act is the Taste Orange Food and Wine Festival, set to take over Robertson Park on Saturday May 16 and Sunday May 17. Wander around all day trying gourmet produce and wine, which will be travelling in from the country for the weekend. For best value, book yourself some tasting sessions before you go — $30 buys ten x $3 coupons and a complimentary glass. We Heart Orange will wrap up on May 29 with a grande finale, when Racine Restaurant pops up in the Hotel's Sunset Room for one night only, with executive chef Shaun Arantz presenting a specially curated menu.
In October 2013, graffiti artist Banksy travelled to the United States for a month-long ‘residency’ on the streets of New York City. Every day for 31 days, the anonymous artist revealed a new work somewhere in the five boroughs, sending art lovers, journalists and local law enforcement into a frenzy. Produced for HBO, Chris Moukarbel’s documentary Banksy Does New York chronicles this city-wide scavenger hunt in a mostly engaging fashion, although it unfortunately lacks much of the sardonic energy of the artist whose work it follows. In some ways, you’ve got to feel sorry for Moukarbel and company, given that their film’s most obvious compatriot is Exit Through the Gift Shop. Directed by Banksy himself, that film has the distinction of being one of the best documentaries of the past decade — unique, funny, audacious and with a surprising amount to say about the nature of art, hype and commerce. Banksy Does New York, on the other hand, was made without the artist’s involvement, and as such plays like a much more conventional film. Not that there’s anything particularly wrong with that. Although the doco’s execution is a little by the numbers, Banksy still makes for a fascinating subject — as do the crowds of New Yorkers who flock to see his art. Pieces in his New York residency range from relatively simple stencilled graffiti to elaborate installations and performances. His most overtly political works include a fibreglass Ronald McDonald statue scowling at a real-life shoeshine boy and a truck full of wailing stuffed animals parked outside a city butcher. At times, you wish Moukarbel would engage more critically with the artwork, rather than simply documenting it for an audience. Various people interviewed in the film offer their opinions on the artistic and commercial value of Banksy’s work, from a pair of rabid fans who post their Banksy-hunting to YouTube to a writer for the New York Observer who dismisses it as “art that hits you over the head.” Yet the debate remains fairly surface level. For this reason, how much you like the movie will largely depend on how much you like the art. For the record, we like it quite a bit.
Rarely have I been given reason to reassess my opinion of Gordon Gekko, the ruthless stockbroker of Oliver Stone’s 1987 film, Wall Street. Rarer still has been the opportunity to consider his philosophy of rampant acquisition to the detriment of all else as anything approaching moderate. Melissa Bubnic’s Boys Will Be Boys, directed by Paige Rattray for Sydney Theatre Company, gave me both of these things. The play’s setting is a currency trading firm where the smiles are fake, the money is real and any part of your back that isn’t impervious to daggers probably needs your attention. Attempts to picture Gekko in this office conjured only various images of Michael Douglas’s head on a stick. This play is fast and mean and left me the bewilderment of the recently scammed. Priya (Sophia Roberts), a young businesswoman, is looking to become involved in finance. She talks the talk, but Astrid (Danielle Cormack), her mentor and an old hand at the currency trading game, recognises a dangerous naivete sitting alongside Priya’s potential. As she learns the ropes and cuts a few throats, Priya, like so many before her, realises that her material gains are unlikely to offset the staggering losses she is experiencing in the markets of morality and self-respect. At the same time, Astrid is negotiating a complicated relationship with a prostitute, Isabelle (Meredith Penman). Their deepening connection prompts many a conversation comparing their chosen professions and the pragmatic and fickle nature of both. A portrait of their boss, Arthur (an insanely charismatic Tina Bursill), looking the spitting image of David Bowie, coolly surveils the office as the real McCoy stalks in and out intermittently. David Fleischer has done an excellent job designing the office; fluorescent lights and cheap ceiling panels are offset by the stylish layout of the room, which has a professionally spartan quality to it (think corporate Zen garden). The cast is all female, though the characters are not. While Rattray has suggested that we are seeing "despicable women acting like men", there is very little of the adolescent machismo that tends to permeate similar male-dominated narratives here. Instead, there is an unrelenting, if not always overt savagery, focussed by pointed humour that refuses to dissipate the tension. "I remember you before Botox, that’s how old I am," and other zingers ricochet around the space, threatening to start small blazes where they land. Breaking up the office politics are Astrid’s occasional forays into cabaret, which are really a series of snide, irony-laden commentaries on society’s (mis)perception of the modern woman. Her broad accusations of female stereotyping are driven home by the rest of the cast, who during these intervals, shed complex characters to become flouncing, leotard-clad chorus girls. Boys Will Be Boys is fantastic — a tight and merciless show. Give these people your money; they know how to get the most out of it. Images by Brett Boardman.
When a Gossip Girl leaves the world of backstabbing teen chatter behind, she becomes an ageless woman. Well, at least, that's the path Blake Lively has taken. After flirting with a few supporting film roles around the television series that made her famous, she has found a star vehicle. It feels fitting that Lively plays Adaline Bowman, a character most notable for continuing to look strikingly youthful even as the years pass. That's the type of obvious film The Age of Adaline is as it tells a lovesick tale of a long life half lived. Even when heavy-handed narration is explaining the movie's gimmick through cosmic forces and lightning strikes (yes, really), it takes the most earnest path. Adaline was born in 1908, growing from a child into an adult in an unremarkable fashion. She marries, becomes a mother and then a widow, before an unusually snowy evening sees her car veer off the road. After the accident, she's inexplicably trapped at the age of 29 and immune to the ravages of time. As the decades roll by, Adaline changes her identity and moves around to avoid arousing suspicion, with only her daughter, Flemming (first played by Cate Richardson, and then by Ellen Burstyn), aware of her secret. A celebration of eternal youth, this is not, with the film taking a more dramatic approach to remaining young in appearance but getting older in the heart. The Age of Adaline is a gentle story of sacrifice and yearning told as such, gliding slowly by as it recounts Adaline's fate. It's also a sentimental account of the power and necessity of love, as her lonely life is changed on the eve of her 107th birthday. That's when she meets philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman), his instantly smitten perseverance threatening to crack through her time-hardened shell. Cue the kind of sweeping, star-crossed romance typically relegated to the cheesiest, sappiest movies, though much better made, more genuine in its emotions, and with stronger-written characters here. The usual suspension of disbelief is required, and the standard complications arise, involving reconciling the past with the future. It's a considerable change of pace for director Lee Toland Krieger, making his first feature after his breakout hit Celeste & Jesse Forever; however, he never flounders in such drastically different territory. Indeed, he takes to telling a leisurely love story with elegance and enthusiasm, never more so than in his affectionate eye for period details. From the costumes to the sets, this is a movie as handsome as it is unashamedly heartfelt. As for Lively, she may be the star of The Age of Adaline, looking the part and acting suitably restrained, but she's far from the film's shining light. Instead, that honour goes to Huisman, ramping up his Game of Thrones charm to maximum levels. Though he shows up late in the game, Harrison Ford also does well as a blast from Adaline's past. They're exactly the kind of modest highlights that help the movie stick together so well, making something that could've been silly surprisingly sincere from start to finish — and somewhat timeless, too, as far as old-fashioned fantasies are concerned.
What’s a Queen’s birthday long weekend for if not an excuse to throw a big loud party with lots of punk music where everyone sits around giving each other stick 'n’ pokes*? The Lansdowne have well and truly capitalised on that opportunity, with their long weekend mini festival God Save the Queen (which is just the smutty antidote you need to years of anachronistic colonial rule by one enormously and disproportionately wealthy and powerful stuffy English family over this country, and so many others). A ticket gets you an afternoon and evening of, among lots more, The Snowdroppers’ twangy swampy blues (with just the right amount of harmonica) and The Art’s genre-tipping hard rock. And when you inevitably find yourself wanting to ink up? (It’s that kind of music, after all.) You won’t have to go far, as King Street Tattoo will be there on the day doing flash tats for cheap. There’s no work on Monday, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to lay in bed and contemplate any regrettable and/or permanent decisions. *Disclaimer: The King Street folk are licensed professionals with proper equipment. Move along.
We know exactly what we are talking about when it comes to Ronny Chieng; he’s brilliant, and we’re not the only ones who think so. He won best show at last year’s Sydney Comedy Festival, the Director’s Award at the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and supported Dave Chappelle, one of the biggest names in the business, on his tour of Australia. He’s even been nominated for Cleo Bachelor of the Year. So do yourself a favour and buy a ticket to find out why he deserves every one of these accolades. Ronny Chieng performs May 8 and 15. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
For anyone with even the slightest claustrophobic tendencies, submarines probably don't sound too appealing. Nor will 12 men headed for wet depths, fighting over a pile of Russian gold and trapped in a secondhand vessel barely fit to sail. In fact, it sounds quite torturous. That's the predicament at the heart of Black Sea, an underwater heist film bursting with pressure of both the deep-sea and crammed-together varieties. When veteran salvage captain Robinson (Jude Law) is given his marching orders after more than a decade of service, he cottons on to a guaranteed get-rich-quick scheme. Rounding up a crew of other discarded workers, he heads to the ocean floor to trawl for a treasure trove once meant for the Nazis. Everything that can go wrong does, to paraphrase Murphy's law. Tensions rise between the half English, half Russian shipmates, with loud-mouthed diver Fraser (Ben Mendelsohn) particularly unhappy about splitting the loot with his comrades. The presence of the American representative (Scoot McNairy) of the mission's wealthy backers only makes everyone anxious. And the rusty, submerged boat springs more than its fair share of breaks and leaks on its voyage. There's a formula at work, filled with dire circumstances, desperate deeds and double-crossing, but there's also the involvement of director Kevin Macdonald, whose skills can't be underestimated. Few filmmakers make terse tales like the man behind Touching the Void and The Last King of Scotland, with Black Sea a worthy, if workmanlike addition to his growing resume. Macdonald styles the movie not as a gold-snatching drama or a watery adventure, but as a horror movie steeped in greed. His film lays bare humanity's most self-serving motivations in an every-man-for-himself display of selfishness and survival, while heightening the oppression of the enclosed space. With its sustained atmosphere of unease and kill-or-be-killed progression, Black Sea is surprisingly more than a little reminiscent of that other great trapped-in-close-quarters effort: Alien. Yes, really. The end result makes you sweat, even though guessing where the story is heading isn't difficult. And in a feature that really is about the journey rather than the destination, top marks must also go to cinematographer Christopher Ross (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll), who contrasts the many jumps and slides through cramped hallways with an unsettling awareness of the dark depths that surround the submarine. Then there's the excellent cast, led by Law continuing his recent hot streak of good performances in things that aren't called Sherlock Holmes. He ensures Robinson avoids coming across as stir-crazy; with a weathered face and a furrowed brow, he's simply willing to do whatever it takes to turn every losing hand he is dealt into a win. While McNairy plays to type, as does Australia's latest great acting export, Mendelsohn, watching both doing what they do the best is never unwelcome. Claustrophobia, be damned: these are fine folks and a finessed film that you'll want to sink to the bottom of the ocean with.
It was only a matter of time before pop-up cinemas became a thing. First there was the whole outdoor trend, then came along rooftop bar screenings. Now movie aficionado Andrew Mercado is introducing Backdoor Cinema, coming soon to a bar, alleyway or backyard near you. The Backdoor Cinema experience is a nod to old school styles of storytelling. Expect some pretty classic advertising, intermissions and some potentially politically incorrect cartoons. In an effort to jazz up the movie experience, Backdoor Cinema will be showcasing an array of golden oldies in Australian Cinema throughout the '50s till the '80s in various locations throughout Sydney. The first instalment will be held on September 9 at the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville. In lieu of its 40th anniversary, Backdoor Cinema will be presenting the notorious Australian soap opera film Number 96 in all of its bell-bottomed, sideburned glory. Mercado wants this movie experience to be a complete 360 from the traditional movie route. Firstly, moviegoers are encouraged, nay required to dress up in the style of the era of the movie being showcased. Secondly, audience participation is strongly encouraged. For Mercado, the more audience participation, the better. "Who doesn’t love a dress-up and yelling out at the screen?” asks Mercado. "And just because the end credits start rolling on a movie doesn't mean the night should finish with people scurrying home. In a pub setting, we plan on cranking up the music and keeping the vibe going so that patrons can have another drink and a dance."
Sure, you've seen plenty of films before — but have you smelled one? Well, here's your chance. The inimitable Odorama experience sends all kinds of scents towards willing nostrils, and it's coming to Sydney's Golden Age Cinema. The film to smell above all others? Why, it's John Waters' Polyester, of course! The cult film to end all cult films, and one intended to be as picturesque as it is pungent, Polyester is the ultimate scratch 'n' sniff movie. When it was released in cinemas in 1981, audiences were famously given numbered Odorama cards to scratch at specific moments, unleashing a wave of odours — some pleasant, some not so. The full bouquet of Polyester features smells ranging from dirty shoes to pizza to new car. Starring the one and only Divine, the film offers a frenzied tale to match its fun gimmick, delving into the anarchic lives of the Fishpaw family. Francine's world is falling apart, and trouble just keeps on coming. Her husband, Elmer (David Samson), is a polyester-clad pornographer having an affair with his secretary (Mink Stole). Her daughter, Lu-Lu (Mary Garlington), is pregnant by her delinquent boyfriend, Bo-Bo (Stiv Bators). Her glue-sniffing son, Dexter (Ken King), could possibly be the sought-after 'Baltimore foot stomper'. Francine's sole ray of sunshine comes in the form a Corvette-driving suitor, the dashing Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter). Since 1981's screenings of Polyster, Odorama has had few outings, so this is an very rare treat. Seeing and smelling Polyester takes cinema to another level. Steel your senses for a trip to the movies like no other. Warning: this may not suit those with weak stomachs. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fwtbY9zfOMA
Peer through the glass and into the diverse world of European cinema, at the 9th annual Windows on Europe Film Festival. Run by The Festivalists — the same team who brought you Possible Worlds, Jurassic Lounge and the Sydney Film Festival Hub — this week-long festival at Dendy Opera Quays features 16 films from across the European Union, including Austrian documentaries, Hungarian social horror movies, impenetrable Finnish arthouse flicks and more. Amongst the more intriguing titles on this year's program, Romanian tragicomedy Domestic reveals the everyday absurdities of life in contemporary Bucharest; while '80s-set Czech film Fair Play follows the story of an aspiring Olympic sprinter, who learns that the State-sponsored medical team has been feeding her steroids without her consent. Beer lovers, meanwhile, should check out the quirky documentary Irish Pub, which includes with free pint of Guinness with every ticket. For the full Windows on Europe program, visit their website.
Gearing up for one last hoorah, celebrated partystarters Yacht Club DJs are hitting the road for their nationwide farewell tour set to be a shindig like no other. Lining up 14 shows in the space of just three months, Ballarat-born pair Gaz Harrison and Guy Chappell will be spinning their way from coast to coast for one final escapade. The past six years have seen these two tackle some seriously epic projects. Regulars in both Sydney and Melbourne, the crew have three stellar appearances at farmland Victoria’s iconic Meredith Music Festival under their belt, after supporting the likes of Haim and Mumford and Sons abroad. From all reports, these guys know how to put on a killer show. Sydneysiders can nab a slice of 'The Hooroo! Tour' in mid-November at the Oxford Art Factory. Faithful fans and newcomers alike, it's a mighty fine excuse to dust off those dancing and/or boat shoes.
Melbourne four-piece The Harpoons have just released their debut album Falling For You, which features singles such as the utterly gorgeous 'Unforgettable' and slightly more chilled gem 'Can We Work This Out'. To celebrate this long-awaited LP, they’ll be playing shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. The Harpoons consist of brothers Jack and Henry Madin, stunning vocals from Bec Rigby and man about town Martin King (you might remember him from the likes of Oscar and Martin) Sweet one moment, breathtakingly soulful the next, get ready to go through a kaleidoscope of emotions and feel all the feels. The Harpoons pair flawless vocals with hypnotic beats and Aunty aptly described them as the R'n'B of both today and yesteryear. Their album launch at Good God will include other favourites like That Feel and Yon Yonson.
Art and beer are truly important things. Australian art and Australian beer? Even better. The Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks will be celebrating its 100th birthday this Friday with a specially brewed craft beer and its inaugural Aussie Art Prize. The Australian relocated to its current address on Cumberland Street in the 1900s after being ruined by The Plague. The Plague is just the worst. The Hotel has operated and remained undisturbed for 100 years, becoming one of the oldest and most iconic establishments in Sydney — and one of the original drinking spots in the country. The Australian has always been a proud supporter of local brewers, launching the Annual Australian Beer Festival in 2004 and stocking over 130 boutique Australian brews. As part of the big ol' beery festival, the lovely crew at The Australian brewed and released their own special edition Rocks Lager to mark the centenary. Attendees of the festival were encouraged to brew a one-off heritage beer in honour of the 100 year milestone. Plus, for the 100-year date, The Australian is encouraging local artists to submit their interpretations of the theme 'Icons of the Rocks'. Cheers.
Ever wanted to watch Simon Pegg recreate Eat Pray Love? Then you're in luck. It may head to China, Africa and Los Angeles in a quest for contentment, but there's little in Hector and the Search for Happiness that wasn't first seen in that well-known book turned film — other than numerous references to Tintin, that is. Pegg plays the titular therapist, living a seemingly satisfactory life with his devoted girlfriend, Clara (Rosamund Pike). He thinks he is happy, until a dream featuring Hergé's boy adventurer starts him wondering about the meaning of the word. His practice is flourishing and patients accept his guidance willingly, yet he's no longer certain his orderly existence qualifies him to dispense advice. Broadening his horizons becomes the obvious course of action, as Hector sets off around the world in the pursuit of exhilaration and enlightenment. Food, spirituality and romance ensue in the adaptation of psychiatrist-turned-author François Lelord's novel of the same name, in an effort comprised of episodic encounters with thinly drawn characters. A wealthy businessman (Stellan Skarsgård), ruthless drug lord (Jean Reno), former flame (Toni Collette) and distinguished professor (Christopher Plummer) cross Hector's path, each imparting life lessons. To ensure audiences are paying attention, every piece of wisdom Hector gleans is also emblazoned on the screen in scribbled handwriting. In a travelogue film brimming with platitudes, it feels fitting that what is seen in Hector and the Search for Happiness — scrawled statements of supposed knowledge aside — fares better than what is heard. The feature's central performances are amiable, with Pegg more earnest than usual, and Pike luminous, though barely used. From the UK to the US and everywhere in between, the far-flung settings are handsomely and brightly photographed. Alas, a likeable cast and lush images can't overcome trite and troubling material that shouts its sentiments as loudly as it can. Though poised as a warm comedy, there's little that's funny about a script sketchily espousing "be yourself" teachings likely to be found in fortune cookies and overdosing in schmaltz as Hector mingles with babies and the dying — and they're the less concerning elements. Insensitive cultural tourism reinforces stereotypical perceptions and highlights the film's privileged perspective, as does the handling of Hector and Clara's relationship, with marriage and parenthood posed as the real sources of happiness. Coming from the director of Hannah Montana: The Movie and Serendipity, Peter Chelsom, the feature plays out like a cartoonish fairytale, but the lack of serious intent and the overt adherence to formula doesn't excuse its offensiveness or laziness. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty did soul-searching globetrotting before, and better. Hector and the Search for Happiness merely wades along the shallow and sugary edges of the self-help pond. https://youtube.com/watch?v=JElca1Latos
Written by One Man, Two Guvnors farce-spinner Richard Bean and directed by Louise Fischer, Harvest is about four generations of Yorkshire pig farmers struggling to keep their farm and put food on the table over the course of the 20th century. This might sound like staid material, but in an Australian theatrical landscape littered with countless rejiggings of Greek myths, Shakespeare and other classics, it’s rather nice that for this production at least, Hamlet’s aversion to physical labour appears to have gotten the better of him and Menelaus must have forgotten his wellies. On the other hand, Harvest is also four generations of Yorkshire pig farmers ‘owting’ and ‘nowting’, with varying degrees of success over the course of two and a half hours. Conversation is dominated by pigs, paddocks and ploughing (with the occasional nod to procreation), and though there’s no shortage of wit, there are relatively few surprises and not quite enough plot to justify a time span of 90-odd years. There are two constants in Harvest. The first is William Harrison (Jeremy Waters), a perennial scamp whose dream it is to oversee a thriving pig farm. With time’s passing, he transforms from a 20-year-old lad squabbling with his brother over which of them should fight in the First World War to a mischievous wheelchair-bound centenarian who still knows his way around a shotgun. Waters’ performance is very well executed, retaining the roguish essence of his character despite significant physical transformations. Bishanyia Vincent’s Laura, who is also called upon to age 60 or 70 years, is equally impressive. A wonderfully sniffy performance is turned in by Peter Eyers, whose Lord Agar is a lurking toff attempting to reclaim the Harrisons’ farm, which his father lost in a bet many years ago. The second constant is the modest sandstone cottage in which this large chunk of time passes. Bethany Sheehan has constructed the set with a great deal of care and detail; for every few decades that elapse, a small army of cast members march on in a blackout and age the house appropriately — linoleum covers the stone floor and a television takes the place of the wireless. The kitchen table, an ongoing joke due to the travesty of its positioning, remains, for the most part, exactly as is. Harvest may not quite work as a generations-spanning epic, but there are several nice moments throughout and the cast work hard to keep it chugging along. Bean has chosen a difficult location for his play and is well aware of it. As a middle-aged William remarks in the second half, “Pig farms are known for their dangerous levels of excitement. We should put a sign up.”
One of the permanent markered events in the Sydneysider spring calendar, Newtown Festival remains one of Sydney's go-to events for grass lawn sprawlers, like-nobody's-watching dancers and festival food stall enthusiasts — and it's still only a gold coin donation. The always-anticipated festival in Camperdown Memorial Park will this year be celebrating the Day of Independence for Australia's newest micronation, 'Newtown Republic'. Heh. Themes. Sitting at the top of the lineup are shiny handclap-triggering foursome Deep Sea Arcade, beloved punk rockers Straight Arrows, reggae-driven hip hop crew Astronomy Class and epic prog-rock favourites sleepmakeswaves. Magical Mystery Tour-like psychedelics Richard in Your Mind, rascally garage punk trio Bloods and Sydney's suavest disco-funk-cranking-epic-shoulder-pads-wearing smooth talker Donny Benet will be hangin' out too. Country bluegrass supergroup The Morrisons will soundtrack your spring festival meandering, Day Ravies will psych you out, newcomer East is a definite bright spark to catch, party-triggering hip hop crew Daily Meds will be an undoubtedly must-see set, while sassy vintage rock-n-rollers The Fabergettes will be sure to have you mum dancing like a boss. This is just the start of the huge local lineup — we haven't even talked about the dog show. Or the live art hub with Phibs, Peque and Unique painting all day. Or the writer's tent with talks from Dr Karl and the Moriarty Sisters. With over 80,000 people making their way through the gates every year, Newtown Festival remains one of Sydney's best local 'how sweet is Sydney' ops — also still raising funds for the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. Newtown Festival 2014 is on Sunday, November 9.30am – 5.30pm in Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Newtown. Entry is by gold coin donation, there's no glass or BYO and there's no entry after 5pm. For more info head to the festival website. Top image: Newtown Festival.
Sydney's go-to spot for pork-fuelled splendour, Swine & Co., are taking cues from Don Draper et al, launching a brand new night set to transport Sydneysiders to Manhattan's Upper East Side circa 1960. Wednesday night at Swine Bar is now known as Swine Royale, inviting you to dapper up and indulge in a game or two of blackjack, Mad Men-inspired cocktails and all those celebrated savoury eats you've travelled across the city for — including those infamous house pork crackling chips. With the last-of-the-last Mad Men — part two of season seven, CAHMAAHHHHN — on the way for 2014, general Mad Men buzz (and inevitable costume party themes) is about to enjoy one last hurrah at Swine & Co. Head chef Michael Box has created a special Swine Royale menu theme, while shiny new bar manager David Lloyd has used the MM team's favourite spirits as a starting point to inspire a stunning range of cocktails available only on Wednesdays. Try an R&R (Rittenhouse, Amaro Averna, Licor 43 espresso and agave), a Breakaway (chilli and basil-infused 42 Below, tomato, Worcestershire, fresh horseradish and lemon) and more classy specimens, all $18 each. Fresh out of coin to try more of Lloyd's elixirs? A few rounds of blackjack on the art deco mezzanine level, beside the Champagne bar, could win you free drinks. That's worth brushing up for. Swine and Co.'s Royal Nights launch from November 19 through to December 17. Find the Swine Bar housed in the former Bank of New South Wales; 16 O'Connell Street, Sydney.
It's bands like Bloods that make you proud of the Australian music scene. Their crazy addictive fusion of pop and garage punk are just the kind of tunes for letting loose on the dance floor, with their catchy guitar riffs and gritty vocals calling back to an era of Joan Jett bad-assery. After previously supporting bands like the Dum Dum Girls and DZ Deathrays, it's great seeing Bloods embarking on a nationwide headline tour of their own to promote their debut album. While they've released a steady stream of singles and EPs since first coming onto the scene in 2011 – Golden Fang, We Are Bloods, among others — it was only this year that the trio have finally put together their first full-length, Work It Out. It has everything you'd expect from a Bloods record: hook-filled headbangers spliced with a couple of mellow slow burners (just to catch your breath a little). Bloods are one of the most loved local live acts around right now, and for good reason. Catch 'em in these cosy venues before they get snapped up by the big ones. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9QNxOsDeot8
The Vic Hotel Enmore is kicking off the long weekend with the traditional Bad Friday. Hosted by The Music Booze Co and FBi this marks the fifth year of a long weekend event that has in the past filled the Vic's courtyard with the likes of The Preatures, Sticky Fingers and DMA's. This year's solid lineup includes Gang of Youths, the Lulu Faes, Flowertruck and many more, with DJs playing all arvo. Add to the mix that famous Vic spit roast and it's a darn attractive way to spend your afternoon off in the (fingers crossed) sunshine.
Pointless, derivative follow-ups to profitable Hollywood films aren't exactly a recent concept. The first big-screen sequel can be traced back to 1916's The Fall of a Nation, which attempted to cash in on the popularity of D.W. Griffith's silent (and incredibly racist) epic The Birth of a Nation after it stormed theatres the year before. While in that case the sequel was a commercial failure, the seeds of soulless corporate greed had been planted. Suffice it to say, studio executives have been laughing their way to the bank ever since. So why the film history lesson? I guess it's to point out the fact that, even in the context of Hollywood's long legacy of artistic bankruptcy, it takes a particular brand of cynicism and greed to make a comedy sequel, about three working guys sticking it to The Man, for the sole purpose of exploiting the financial success of the original. The fundamental hypocrisy of Horrible Bosses 2 is staggering, although admittedly that wouldn't be nearly as much of an issue if the movie was actually, y'know, funny. Unfortunately, not even the proven chemistry of its cast can redeem this formulaic comedy con-job, one that's totally unworthy of your time and, perhaps more importantly, your money. Directed with barely a shred of visual personality by the same hack responsible for such yuck-fests as Sex Drive and the Adam Sandler statutory rape comedy That's My Boy, the second film in the Horrible Bosses please-don't-let-it-be-a-trilogy reunites idiot protagonists Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day). This time out, they're their own bosses, until they make the mistake of partnering with a German businessman (Christoph Waltz) who swindles them for everything they've got. So they decide to kidnap his son Rex (Chris Pine), because after all, if the previous film taught us anything, it's that there a no consequences to your actions and that crime definitely pays. Bateman, Sudeikis and Day are all talented comedians, but there's only so much they can do with such a formulaic and puerile screenplay — incidentally, for any aspiring screenwriters out there, any time your opening scene steals a sight gag from Austin Powers: Goldmember, it's probably time to go back to the drawing board. The best moments in Horrible Bosses 2 have the feel of cast improvisation, but are few and far between. The same can't be said, unfortunately, of jokes at the expense of women, gay people and ethnic minorities, although to be honest these moments feel born more of laziness than genuine malice. Then again, on further reflection, that might actually be worse. Say what you will about the woeful sequels to The Hangover, but at least they were unrepentant in their nastiness. Horrible Bosses 2, on the other hand, manages to be both offensive and bland. The good news is that we'll probably only have to sit through two more sequels and a Jennifer Aniston spinoff before the whole thing finally goes away.
In Sydney, the words 'waterfront' and 'secret' are seldom found in the same sentence. But Little Fish Bar has done a fine job of pulling off the contradiction. Huddled up next to its much bolder mothership, Flying Fish Restaurant, on Pyrmont's historic Jones Bay Wharf, the bar breaks the propensity for Harbourside ostentation with its cosy, casual, hideaway feel, yet still delivers all the views. And this summer, it is set to take on an even more enchanting dimension when the Little Fish Summer Gin Garden pops up. Filled with lush vines, bursts of colour and a stair garden packed with flowers and herbs, the space will take on a kind of tropical oasis feel. To mark the occasion, Bar Manager and gin guru Adrien Charpentier has put together a brand new gin menu. Heading it up is, of course, Little Fish's famous Audemus Spirit's Pink Pepper Gin, all the way from France. You can't try this drop anywhere else in the country. In fact, only 500 bottles have been released worldwide. It's best served with just a dash of tonic, to bring out the nine botanicals found inside, which include pink peppercorns, juniper, cardamom and a honey distillate. Other premium gins on the 'Botanical Plot' menu are local drop 'The Cutglass' (from The West Winds, Dalkieth), G'Vine (from Cognac, France) and Monkey 47 (from Loburg, Germany). If that's all sounding too adventurous, you can always stick to a tried and tested classic, like Hendrick's, Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray No.10. Alternatively, give matters a shake-up with a choice of three delicately balanced 'Medicinal Cocktails': Lady Lavender (G’Vine gin, Rossi D'Asiago Limoncello, Lillet Blanc, tonic, lavender); Gin Bramble (The Botanist gin, lime, crème de cassis, sugar syrup, raspberry); and Rosemary Winds ('The Cutlass' gin, Noilly Prat, lemon, orgeat syrup, sugar syrup, rosemary, chilli, bitters). For snacks, Flying Fish Executive Chef Stephen Seckold has come up with a bunch of gin-loving dishes. These include freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters with gin and cucumber granita; handpicked cheeses and condiments; and a 'Chef’s Garden Menu' that will change every week. Some of the front-runners are spanner crab croquettes with fennel aioli; cider-braised chorizo, tarragon and crisp potato sandwich; and half-shell scallops with grilled herbs and rose dressing. Little Fish Summer Gin Garden (Jones Bay Wharf, 19-21 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont) will pop up from Saturday 15 November through to Friday 19 December. Opening hours are Monday, 5pm-10.30pm; Tuesday-Saturday, noon - 9.30pm; and Sunday, noon-4pm. To brush up on your gin skills (and perfect your Casablanca quotes) before heading along, check out our ‘Bluffer’s Guide to Gin’.
You know those muggy, dusky nights in the height of summer when all you can hear is cicadas? The heat of the day's subsided but something about it lingers, and relief only sets in when the massive southerly that hits after dark raises goosebumps on your skin, and weirdly you find yourself reaching for a jumper. Well, Sport for Jove are about to launch into their sixth season of outdoor summer theatre, with a double bill of magic and the spirit world that seizes that summer twilight feeling and runs with it, through the forest at the Everglades Garden, Leura. Susanna Dowling directs Shakespeare's cautionary fairy story A Midsummer Night's Dream. The characters — young lovers and dreamers — enter a forest world between sleep and waking, on the shortest night of the year. The fragile bonds of family, friendship and love are broken, while the Fairy Kingdom is upended and entangled with the human world in a war over a mortal child. And with Arthur Miller's parable of mass hysteria, The Crucible, director Damien Ryan creates a haunting site-specific production of the modern classic. Drawing a parallel between the Salem witch hunt of 1692 and the McCarthyism gripping the US in the '50s, this play is a timeless (and timely) reminder of the evils of ignorance, and the deadly combination of hatred and power. If the season trailer's anything to go by, this will be some seriously edge-of-your-seat, immersive, electric-as-the-summer-evening-air theatre.
In celebration of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture held on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people in Sydney, Koori Radio 93.7FM presents the annual Yabun Festival. The largest one-day celebration of its kind, the festival seeks to showcase some of the best Indigenous music, speakers and creative talent in the country. Get cultured in traditional dance as performers kick up the dust; wander the market stalls of Corroboree Ground; or be enlightened by some of Australia's leading artists, authors and thinkers at the SpeakOut Tent.
For Australian and Canadian artists, it's difficult to escape the influence of isolation — along with the sense of natural abundance that comes from being part of a tiny population inhabiting a massive land area. Both Ben Frost, who was born here but now lives in Reykjavík, and Canadian Tim Hecker, whose calls Montreal home, create electronic music of epic proportions and striking contrasts. Where Frost combines classical minimalism with punk and metal, Hecker explores the crossroads of dissonance, melody and noise. Their getting together may well produce earthquakes. Ben Frost and Tim Hecker is one of our top ten picks of the Sydney Festival. Check out our other favourite events over here.
Balmy summer evenings should only be spent outdoors. As darkness descends, roll out that picnic blanket, grab a basket of snacks and settle in; it's Sunset Cinema season. Now in its third year at North Sydney Oval, IMB's annual under-the-stars event is set to deliver Sydneysiders eight weeks of open-air entertainment. Blown up on the state-of-the-art inflatable screen are a stellar selection of new releases and crowd favourites. Opening with the hit action flick The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, the program sports something for everyone. Get swept away in the code-cracking world of The Imitation Game, or belt out the ballads of Disney's soon-to-be classic Frozen (that's right, in sing-along style). With beanbags, gourmet burgers and an on-site bar, you'll struggle to settle for an ordinary cinema experience after these laidback screenings.
David Lynch has dabbled in as much music as he has weird, weird television, film and art — the 68-year-old's quite the multitasker. Having delved into versions of Roy Orbison, David Bowie and Chris Isaak's work, Lynch has continued to gleefully haunt and hypnotise audiences over an epic career. So now, as part of the epic Music at the House program to hit the Sydney Opera House this summer, a tribute to the Twin Peaks mastermind, 'In Dreams: David Lynch Revisited' will see Australia’s Mick Harvey (ex-Bad Seeds) and Sophia Brous (Brous), New York City-based Cibo Matto and Irish-chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan venture through Lynch's covers, original music, as well as his work with Angelo Baladamenti. New additions to the Lynchy lineup have just been announced. In what will be his only Sydney performance, Polaris Prize-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist and dreamboat vocalist Owen Pallett will join the 'In Dreams' lineup, as will Sydney's tale-weaving, ARIA-winning Sarah Blasko, ever-eclectic Sydneysider Kirin J Callinan and celebrated harpist Marshall McGuire. Check out the rest of the Music at the House program here.
Join your favourite little person — and delight your own inner child — at this adaptation of Kit Williams' much-loved children's book, brought to life onstage by playwright Kate Mulvany. With music performed live by Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, Masquerade follows the courageous adventure of a little boy and his mother who find themselves in an imagined world where the moon loves the sun and hidden treasure, riddles and talking hares collide. It's sure to be a beautiful adaptation by Mulvany, who credits the book with helping her through her own childhood experience with cancer.
Revving up for a string of final tour shows, for the 14th time in fact, Cell Block 69 are putting on a Christmas bash that's worth cancelling your weekend plans for. A revival '80s rock band like no other, this eight-piece act will be delivering their power ballads, synth pop classics and 'Totally Awesome Rock Hits' at their annual festivities once again. 'The many faces of Corey Tour 2014' sees the band's members (all sporting the first name 'Corey') hit the Oxford Art Factory in spectacular style. Renowned for their psychedelic strobe-lit performances, Cell Block 69's shows call back to the sell out stadium gigs of their iconic predecessors. Well, in their minds at least. Part parody, part homage rock group; these guys are a whole lot of hilarious. Spending your Saturday night rocking out to a smoke-filled spectacle of unparalleled excess, get ready for a night of headbanging beats and cringeworthy dance moves.
Whip out those leg warmers, it's time to get physical. Brand X and Electrofringe are putting on an art-meets-sport event guaranteed to get the blood pumping. Game Set Patch is the name of the game; showcasing sport-inspired art, live music-scored aerobics and Jane Fonda's unmistakable workout vids. Hosted by sports-venue-turned-studio-space Tempe Jets on Holbeach Avenue, gear up for an afternoon of good ol' fashioned fun. Ride into the day with the bike brigade (hitting the road from the Sydney Park stacks at 1:45pm), and descend into this sweaty celebration of music and art in Tempe. Collarbones/Black Vanilla's Marcus Whale brings back your repressed PE-class nightmares with his noise beep test, while Sydney duo Fishing will be providing the raging dance set needed to raise heart rates all round for an aerobics session. Prefer a slower pace? Set yourself up in Spoonty's e-games lounge, grab a 'gym and tonic' and load up on some homemade protein bars to keep spirits (and energy levels) high. Fitness fanatics and couch potatoes, consider yourselves both taken care of. Image: The Royal Tenenbaums.
Find out what a late night party looks like when Elizabeth Rose is in charge. The beats-cranking Sydneysider is curating a trio of discotheques, the first of which is locked in for the Civic Hotel on March 27, with the final two hitting Melbourne and Brisbane over the Easter Weekend. For each party, she's inviting her favourite local DJ talent to commandeer the decks, kicking off shenanigans before Rose delivers her own midnight set. It's high time Rose celebrated. Over the past twelve months, this young producer's been racking up one impressive achievement after another. First, FBi Radio named her 'Next Big Thing', then QANTAS gave her its 'Spirit of Youth' prize, and then her second EP reached #1 — on both the iTunes AU Electronic chart and triple j. In the meantime, she was singing on tracks for Flight Facilities and The Aston Shuffle. All of that led to Universal Publishing snapping the young DJ up with a publishing deal. So she's throwing you a party. What a legend.
If you could travel back in time via a Delorean, phone booth, hot tub or some other nifty gadget, what would you do? Making the world a better place, rewriting dark chapters in history and solving global problems are great responses, but they’re also the replies people think they should give. Be honest: if you thought no one was watching or judging you, what would you really do? Many films about temporal trickery actually answer this question accurately, understanding that we’re all just pursuing our own happiness. That excellent adventure Bill and Ted took was a by-product of trying not to fail their history class, after all. The slackers wanted to hang out, chase girls and dream of rock 'n' roll stardom — without worrying about Ted being sent to a military academy. Project Almanac might start with science wiz David (Jonny Weston) attempting to impress his way into a college scholarship, but that doesn’t last. After building a time machine from a blueprint found in his basement, David, his friends (Sam Lerner and Allen Evangelista) and younger sister (Virginia Gardner) chase fun, success, popularity, money, revenge and romance. Sure, David would like to reunite with his father, who passed away a decade ago and shares links to his new toy, but he’s more interested in ensuring his schoolyard crush, Jessie (Sofia Black-D'Elia), falls in love with him. So far, so standard, including the butterfly-effect-style realisation that actions in the past have consequences in the present, and that selfish deeds always have repercussions. Also standard is the approach chosen, and not just in affectionate name-checking of — and offering homages to — all the other time travel films you know and love. Sci-fi meets party movie wasn’t enough in the familiar stakes, so Project Almanac throws found footage into the mix as well. Think Chronicle crossed with Project X, without the surprise of the former and with the excess of the latter. It’s a gimmick plastered over a gimmick, seemingly justified because everyone everywhere apparently films everything these days — or so the movies tell us. For the first-time filmmaking team, it’s an excuse to cover up obvious plot points and generic teen tropes with a frenetic, frenzied style. Sometimes it works, the handheld, hurried camerawork matching the energy of the characters, copying their largely carefree point of view, showcasing the likeable cast and allowing the feature to rush through numerous fun situations such as winning the lottery and going to Lollapalooza. There’s a hollowness that lingers in the selfie-esque imagery, though, like putting on a fake smile and pretending that you’re enjoying yourself. Michael Bay’s name has featured heavily in Project Almanac’s marketing, not because of any giant, intergalactic, transforming robots or a semi-clad Megan Fox, but because of his involvement as a producer. Perhaps it is fitting that his brand of always shiny, sometimes entertaining emptiness is being used to draw people in. Like the believable motivations of the teens within the film in jumping into the past to seek pleasure and act in self-interest, that’s certainly honest.
Combining the holy trinity of music, performance and film together under one roof, Jumpboard Productions presents Live Live Cinema, a showcase of talent paired with a screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1963 horror film Dementia 13 and Herk Harvey’s 1962 cult classic, Carnival of Souls. Brought to life by New Zealand composer Leon Radojkovic, with multiple instrumentalists, actors and a foley artist, the films will be reinterpreted and a new, live soundtrack developed. To give some background, these films are usually produced with an ensemble performing the soundtrack; however, Live Live Cinema is producing all audio, dialogue and sound effects live. The result? An all immersive audiovisual environment that celebrates film, music and live performance all at once.
Ever wanted to get your mitts on Ryan Gosling's washboard abs without doing prison time for assault? This one's for you! In an undeniably genius move by the wax museum that takes our rising Celebrity Worship Syndrome to the next level, Madame Tussauds is taking you far away from your planned Valentine's Day Notebook solo sobfest and putting you right in front of the man of your erotic, erotic dreams: Ryan Gosling. And his 'interactive abs'. MT's are bringing the actor's dreamy but creepo wax figure out to Sydney to join the permanent A-List Zone on show from February 15. But if you turn up a day early with roses and heart in hand on Valentine's Day, there's a free pop-up photo booth where you can pose with ol' mate Gosso and create your very own "take-home Hey Girl meme" — actual quote. Suppress that bile, you know you want one. Needless to say, get ready to line up early and with angry, horrific Goslovers. According to the MT's team, this is "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gaze into the A-lister's baby blue eyes, and even take a sneak peek under his suit to have a feel of his famous washboard abs!" Feel 'em! And no jail time for you! Hooray! Oh, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt's wax figs will be lurking around too, but y'know. 'Interactive abs.' The Ryan Gosling pop-up photo booth runs Saturday 14 February, from 11am to 3pm. Then the A-List Zone opens Sunday, February 15 (ticketed). Find Madame Tussaud's in front of the IMAX Theatre in Darling Harbour.
Purveyors of fine pork and Prosecco Swine & Co. have earned the bragging rights as both one of Sydney's fanciest after-work hangs and the go-to for pork lovers wanting to fork out with their fork out. After twelve successful months of Milk Fed Macleay Valley suckling pig, wagyu brisket Reubens and Mad Men-themed nights, Swine & Co.'s art deco-styled walls have seen a significant amount worth celebrating. So they're going all out and giving their first birthday a Hollywood theme, taking it back to the '50s and keeping things classic. Head chef Michael Box is creating specially-designed morsels for the occasion, while bar manager David Lloyd will be shaking the usual drinks menu up with bespoke cocktails. Horns-happy jazz outfit The Martini Club will be sassing up the joint with their particular brand of yazz alongside local DJs. And if you've ever wanted to see a Marilyn Monroe impersonator sing 'Happy Birthday' to a porky restaurant mascot, this is your kind of party. Swine & Co.'s first birthday is open to all, all you have to do is register for the guestlist here and arrive before 6:30pm.
Seems Sydney's monarchs of dumplingdom weren't content with being top of the bao chain. They needed to get a little more height. Din Tai Fung is set to open a pop-up dumpling bar in the Sydney Tower Eye, celebrating Chinese New Year. Yep, on the Observation Deck. If you like your dumplings with extra chilli and a terrifyingly glorious 360 degree panoramic view of Sydney (stretching 80km in all directions, 300 metres from the ground) get to the elevator. Up top, DTF will be serving up their signature pork and vegetarian buns, black sesame dessert buns and specially created lychee-mint bevs. But most importantly, the pop-up will function as a key venue to grab those adorable little lamb buns we had a kitten over last week. Seriously. LOOK AT THEM. Of course, you can't just waltz into Sydney Tower Eye. It's $18.55 per person if you book online ($26.50 in person, ouch), so you're kind of playing for the view while you nom. But you won't just find Din Tai Fung up there. Celebrating Chinese New Year, the STE Observation Deck will be converted into a little Chinatown with decorations and daily traditional Chinese lion dance performances from 2-2.30pm. Visitors will also be able to share their Chinese New Year wishes on a wishing wall. Din Tai Fung will be open in the Sydney Towere Eye between 11.30am-2pm and 5:30-8:30pm from February 19 to 22.
Maru stuck in too-small cardboard boxes. Grumpy Cat being genuinely unable to help the shape of his own face. Lil Bub hangin' with Whoopi Goldberg. Sure, you could load all three of these superstars on your screen right now, but what if some know-your-freakin-audience genius decided they'd take things next level make an entire film festival of internet cat videos? Celebrating their love of cats and videos of cats doing stupid, stupid things, RSCPA NSW are hosting the first ever International Internet Cat Film Furstival in Australia. Presented in conjunction with Minneapolis's Walker Art Centre, this why-hasn't-this-already-happened-here event stems from the globally-toured Internet Cat Video Festival. "Cats are the second most searched topic on the internet and millions of cat internet videos are shared around the world every day — think Colonel Meow, Grumpy Cat and many, many more. We have gathered the best of the best together and we want to share them with you under the stars," say the straight-up legendary RSCPA team. Genius, I mean who doesn't want to watch a giant screen version of Maru screwing up again? And again. And again. From short films to six-second Vine videos, the screening will visit all your favourite feline celebrities and raise funds for the RSPCA. But the night won't just be sitting and pointing every time Grumpy Cat hates on life or Colonel Meow looks like the demon from the end of Fantasia. You can visit the 'Cattoo Parlour', nom on some tasty food truck treats or throw back some milk in the Cat's Meow Club (for a little extra kibble).
Andy Bull is on one big ol' ride. The Sydney-based singer/songwriter has been unfathomably busy over the past year, juggling tour dates and life commitments while penning and producing his second album, Sea Of Approval. Released in July, the 29-year-old's newest record is a brilliant blend of insightful lyricism and exquisite electro pop. Bull's unique vocals and his knack for catchy hooks have caught the ears of listeners Australia-wide. Bull's latest three singles have notched up hours of radio play; you've definitely heard his voice on the airwaves. 'Talk Too Much', 'Keep On Running' and 'Baby I Am Nobody Now' have helped build anticipation for his second LP, which was almost entirely written and self-produced by Bull. We spoke to the Sydneysider not long after the announcement of his national tour in support of Sea Of Approval, hitting the Metro this Saturday. An insightful young pop virtuoso with a unique take on the creative process, Bull took us through his penchant for DIY, staying sane in the business and dealing with second album demands. Check out the interview here. Supported by New Navy + Vigilantes. All ages. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7sqR15lBVkE
The CBD establishment that houses legendary bookshop Kinokuniya, The Galeries Victoria is bringing more joyful words into our lives with an intriguing art exhibition, paying homage to some of the most memorable movie quotes of all time. Think about the great '90s movies we grew up on, the expected and the unexpected — this temporary gallery will showcase it all. The exhibition is called Based on a True Story and was created by The Writing artist Tania Debono. Debono is well-known in the art world for her colourful and unique approach to typography as artwork. The showcase is being held in The Galeries' public art space, Lane Four. Revered quotes are splashed across the walls in a three-dimensional mural that celebrates the power of film and the actors that immortalised those epic lines. The iconic quotes lining the exhibition walls were the amalgamation of communal input and social commentary. The exhibition is a visual nod to the great writers who have had a significant impact on the film industry — and in some cases influenced the way we talk today (essentially every line in Mean Girls). See if you can match them all to their movies. Based on a True Story will be running until November 1 at the Galeries Victoria. Entry is free.
When Jurassic Park opened in 1993, Steven Spielberg presented us with dinosaurs of such terrifying and spectacular realism, they've not been bested in the more than two decades since. So too the giant, wreathing CGI tornados of 1996's Twister, upon which Spielberg acted as executive producer. Special effects have come a long way since then, and one unfortunate corollary has been the proliferation of movies based on them rather than bolstered by them. Consider the latest offering: Into The Storm — another 'nature attacks humans' film where the only twist is it wasn't directed by Roland Emmerich. Here, a series of twisters are on a collision course with a small American town, imperilling not only its inhabitants but also the storm chasers determined to film from within the eye of the tornado. Some kids get stuck in a mill, more get trapped in their school and… that's it. There's the plot. Storm come. Storm big. Storm destroy. Most annoying of all, this is another addition to the found footage genre of film — an entirely unnecessary device that's almost always ignored as soon it becomes too difficult to explain how or why someone was filming every single moment (in this case, a dramatic shot of 747s swirling around inside a giant tornado was not, presumably, filmed by a pigeon with a Go-Pro). Found footage also has a knack for making even decent actors look rubbish, as is the case here with Richard Armitage, aka The Hobbit's Thorin Oakenshield. His dialogue, whether scripted or improvised, seems horrifically forced throughout, representing a sort of poor-man's Frank Underwood narration. There is one drawcard here, and it's the weather. The menacing skies are spectacular and the force of the winds is well captured in the action sequences, yet it's nothing we'd not already seen all the way back in 1996. So, if it's a twister film you desire, save your money and revisit the only one actually worthy of the name. https://youtube.com/watch?v=A_kj8EKhV3w
For the last four years or so, the Blue Mountains' Russell Fitzgibbon and Doug Wright aka Fishing have been shaking up the Sydney electronic music scene with Hookz mixtapes, applaudable live shows and a killer debut album Shy Glow, featuring members of Cloud Control (lead singer Alister Wright is Doug's brother), Collarbones and Guerre. In June, the Sydney duo held an audiovisual overload of an album launch party at The Basement as part of VIVID; now they're trekking through the country's major cities to showcase their much-anticipated debut LP. Fishing's style has been self-described as 'RAVE' and their most recent music video (featuring several shirtless males, strobe lights and lots of lasers) is testament to this. They've supported the likes of local faves like Elizabeth Rose, Safia and the now-disbanded Snakadaktal, and are set to play OutsideIn later in the year. If their massive raver set at Splendour in the Grass this year is anything to go by, you're in for a humdinger of a party. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HwgWQBLdUwk
It’s a '70s vibe with '50s tunes that the trusty Paddington watering hole The Unicorn and its downstairs den Easy Tiger are rockin’. Or, more accurately, rollin’. New night Roller Dog Thursdays features slick roller-skating waitstaff to take your order of $10 all-you-can-eat hotdogs. And trust us, if you're going to be gorging yourself on hotdogs, having waitstaff on wheels to bring them to you isn't just a gimmick; it's a necessity. Some of the finger-licking bites you can expect include spicy frankfurts served with bacon, cheese and fried jalapenos (Spicy Gambino), a pork and fennel sausage with prosciutto, cabbage and bocconcini (Italian Gangster) and a hot dog trying its very best to be a taco (Mexican Bird Man). Forget about waiting a whole year for the next hot dog eating competition: Roller Den Thursdays is the new time for you and your belly to get reacquainted.
Let’s face it; doing crazy stuff is always better when there’s a good cause to back up the bonkers. Case in point: Abseil For Youth, in support of the Sir David Martin Foundation (SDMF), is calling up to 250 fearless folk to scale down the 33-storey BT Tower building in the CBD on Friday, October 17, and Saturday, October 18. Now in its fifth year, this time around Abseil for Youth is aiming to raise $400,000 for the Triple Care Farm rehabilitation program, which tackles addiction, homelessness, mental health issues, depression and self-harm in seriously disadvantaged youth. The SDMF, established by then Governor of NSW Sir David himself, relies entirely on community and individual generosity to help raise funds for said projects. So if the opportunity to see Sydney from a whole new angle tickles your fancy, you too can help improve the lives of young people across Australia. To register, go to the Abseil for Youth website.
For seven years now, Oxford Street's long-thriving, immersive, experimental, multifunctional venue has been bringing its Warhol-influenced inspiration to Sydneysiders. It's since become a favourite for many a major touring artist, as well as the go-to for innovative mini-festivals, music-meets-art extravaganzas and all-round good times. To celebrate, OAF is hosting a massive, multi-roomed party — and entry is absolutely free (just make sure you RSVP online). On the main stage, a seriously solid lineup of Australian DJs and producers will deliver electronic, tropical vibes all night long, with appearances from Kilter, Oscar Key Sung, Hatch, Kanyon, Meare, Phondupe, Le Fruit DJs and Geoffrey James. But if live bands and sleazy rock are more your thing, there'll be plenty of satisfaction in the Gallery, where you'll find yourself face to face with The Gooch Palms, Flyying Colours, The Upskirts, The Dandelion, Smaal Cats and Dr GODDARD — OAF's got some great friends. To carry home a long-lasting memento of the evening, visit the Hunter and Fox Tattoo Parlour, which will be inking on a first-come, first-served basis from 8pm. Image: Hermitude, Meg Hewitt.
Rizzy’s 18th Birthday Party isn't your standard boozy 18th. Part film, co-directed by S. Shakthidaran and Guido Gonzalez, and part nice 'n' close live music experience, Rizzy is the first in a connected series of works by Shakthi as part of his role as Carriageworks’ first-ever associate artist. Through his work as founder and artistic director at CuriousWorks, Shakthi engages with marginalised communities, empowering them with the tools they need to artistically tell their own stories. Eleven years ago, Shakthi met co-director Guido at one such project in south-western Sydney and it’s a story from Guido’s past that inspired this modern coming-of-age tale with a south-western Sydney twist. “It’s like [there's] an escapist, dream-like stability to your world just after high school, and everything seems possible, and as you navigate your way into adulthood, the force of reality intrudes,” Shakthi explains. The film was shot over two days with an acting ensemble of talented Sydney artists and with the help of 20-30 young people from the CuriousWorks community program. Although many projects that CuriousWorks is involved in focus on refugees and new immigrants, Rizzy is unique in that it focuses on second-generation immigrants. “You walk down a street in Western Sydney and you meet the whole world," says Shakthi. "I feel like it’s that next phase, like contemporary youth culture is about all of us together, post-race, post-everything and having a truly diverse Australian identity." Technology is a huge part of the work he does, and Shakthi is very excited about the opportunities that technology affords in telling stories. For the rite of passage story that Rizzy represents, Shakthi says, “What’s really exciting about new technology is that we’re still in this emergent phase and it’s the most democratic that we’ve ever had — that’s the big difference,” he says. “The opportunity is there I think for huge diversity in our storytelling landscape.” With a band in the middle, surrounded by audiences on four sides whose attention is directed to screens where they will view multichannel projections, audience-to-story intimacy at Rizzy will be at an all-time high. And that’s exactly how Shakthi wants it. “It’s like being in a lounge room with your closest mates and sharing music and film that you love, but your lounge room is really well equipped,” Shakthi laughs. Blending Western Sydney youth culture and popular contemporary art, Rizzy’s 18th Birthday Party is one party where you’ll want to arrive on time. Rizzy’s 18th Birthday Party is on at Carriageworks from October 1-4. Tickets are $35, available via Ticketmaster here.
If you’ve missed waking up with Tom every weekday morning since he left triple j, then now is the time to reconnect. Wil Anderson describes him as “one of the most original, fearless and hilarious voices in Australian comedy”, and that guy knows a thing or two. So get yourself down to The Comedy Store and catch Ballard's latest work of art. Be quick though; it will sell out. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
A young British soldier gets separated from his regiment and has to make his way back to safe terrain amid the height of the Troubles in Belfast. That’s the basic set-up of war-time thriller '71, a film that epitomises the murkiness of the conflict that it depicts. Performance, character, cinematography and story are cloaked in an air of uncertainty and mistrust, with people on both sides of the camera keeping their cards held close to their chests. The result is a film that’s heavy on atmosphere but never quite comes together as a compelling whole. The movie begins with a squad of British soldiers being dispatched to the Northern Irish capital. Their assignment is to help quell growing unrest in the city, where clashes between Protestant loyalists, Catholic nationalist and various factions of the IRA have transformed entire neighbourhoods into war zones. The magnitude of the conflict is made clear on the platoon’s first mission, when a house search sparks a riot. In a hasty retreat, Private Gary Hook (Jack O’Connell) is accidentally left behind — trapped in dangerous territory and surrounded by people who want him dead. Director Yann Demange does great work establishing the look and feel of Belfast circa 1971. The empty grey streets leave you feeling queasy during daylight hours, and hum with danger at night. It’s a quality reminiscent of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, a comparison driven home by David Holmes’ pounding score. Handheld camerawork further enforces the sense of immediacy, particularly during the film’s sudden, unflinching moments of brutal violence. Unfortunately, the docudrama approach comes at cost. O’Connell, recently seen in Unbroken, does a lot with very little dialogue, but ultimately we know almost nothing about his character. That goes double for the people hunting him, and triple for the double agents and soldiers trying to coordinate his rescue. For the most part, the ancillary characters — the reluctant young revolutionary, the unscrupulous spy — feel more like archetypes than they do real people. Screenwriter Gregory Burke hints at more complex plot machinations concerning people further up the food chain, but it never amounts to anything of substance. So the film fluctuates between gripping and strangely uninspiring — commanding your attention during certain key sequences, but leaving very little impression after the fact.
Whether you spent your entire primary school education grinning smugly from the King square or languishing in Dunce position, you still have a point to prove, right? Here’s your chance. The Oxford Tavern is hosting a handball competition inside a pub. Inside a pub! And, as if that weren’t kickass enough, the champion wins his/her height in cheeseburgers. His/her height in cheeseburgers! Officially known as the Inner West Handball League, the contest kicks off next Thursday, March 19, at 7pm. The rules are exactly as you would have, or should have, followed them at school. That’s four squares, labelled King, Queen, Jack and Dunce (some rebellious schools included Ace as the server). When someone gets out, everyone moves up one rank. There’s no double-bouncing, no fulls, no using any part of your body except your hand to hit the ball, no grabbing, no rolling and no hanging out in other people’s squares. And bullying is absolutely not permitted. Spots are limited, so if you’ve got the goods, you’d better email forbes@drinkndine.com.au as soon as your super-fast reflexes allow it. For the rules, check out Fennell Bay Public School's hella sick PDF. For 'tips', watch ol' K-Rudd do some damage at Brisbane High School.
