The Sydney Mardi Gras is almost upon us and, along with it, a feast of new queer cinema is about to descend upon the city. For 29 years now, the Mardi Gras Film Festival has added the latest LGBTQIA+ movies to Sydney's big celebration, and it's doing the same again in 2022 — but, as happened in 2021, it's going hybrid with both physical and online screenings. Accordingly, if you're a Sydneysider who's keen to get your big-screen queer film fix between Thursday, February 17–Thursday, March 3, you can, with the fest showing at Event Cinemas George Street, and holding one one-off sessions at Hayden Orpheum, Cremorne and Event Cinemas in Parramatta and Hurstville. But if you feel more comfortable watching from home during the current Omicron outbreak or you're a fan of LGBTQIA+ movies located elsewhere in Australia, you'll also be able to enjoy MGFF digitally as well. The fest's 2022 lineup spans 119 films from 37 different countries, covering 32 narrative features, 15 documentaries, four episodic screenings, a retrospective and nine programs of shorts — so yes, there's more than a bit to watch. That said, different flicks will play in cinemas and on-demand, as happens with hybrid fests, but more than half of the program will be available for those playing along at home and interstate. Opening the fest on the big screen is Wildhood, which is set in Canada's Atlantic Provinces and hails from MGFF's focus on First Nations filmmaking for 2022. In-cinemas only, it's joined by high-profile international film festival circuit highlights such as Great Freedom, an immensely moving drama about a man's experiences being imprisoned under Germany's former law criminalising homosexuality; and Benedetta, which follows a 17th-century nun who shocks her convent with visions, wild power plays and lesbian affairs, and happens to be the latest feature by Basic Instinct, Showgirls and Elle director Paul Verhoeven. Or, there's the Carrie Brownstein and St Vincent-starring mockumentary The Nowhere Inn, which has them both play versions of themselves, and The Novice, about a queer student on a university rowing team. Other standouts include Mexican magical realist drama Finlandia; documentaries about queer comic creators, lesbians in post-punk 80s London and American artist Keith Haring; and closing night's B-Boy Blues, which is based on the celebrated novel o the same name.
When word arrived in 2021 that Sydney was getting a new European-focused film festival, it couldn't have been better news for movie lovers. Europa! Europa is all about showcasing flicks from across the whole continent, so you can see the latest and greatest titles from France, Spain, Italy, Romania and more all at the one event — and, when it debuts at the Ritz Cinemas in Randwick from Friday, February 4–Sunday, February 27, it'll kick off with one mighty fine program. Opening the lineup is The Souvenir Part II, sequel to 2019's exceptional The Souvenir — which means that Europa! Europa is launching with the new team-up between rising star Honor Swinton Byrne and her mother Tilda Swinton. The follow-up picks up where the first movie left off, with Swinton Byrne's aspiring filmmaker attempting to cope with the tragic events of the last flick, all while she shoots her next project. Once again directed by British helmer Joanna Hogg, it'll start the festival in sublime form. (And if you're keen to see the original, it's on the bill as well.) Also bookending the fest: closing night's France from inimitable writer/director Bruno Dumont (Joan of Arc, P'tit Quinquin). A satire of the media industry, it stars No Time to Die and The French Dispatch's Léa Seydoux as a journalist forced to navigate the aftermath of injuring a pedestrian in a traffic accident. Other standouts include 13 films that were submitted as their country's entries for this year's Best International Feature Film Oscar, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina's social-realist fairytale The White Fortress and North Macedonia's Sisterhood, which is about toxic friendships — and a number of titles that wowed last year's Cannes Film Festivals, like Norwegian supernatural thriller The Innocents and the Before Sunrise-esque train-set love story Compartment No 6. Or, there's also Andrea Arnold's (American Honey) Cow, aka the most gripping and moving documentary portrait of a dairy cow's life that you're ever likely to see; Earwig, the English-language debut of acclaimed French director Lucile Hadžihalilovic (Innocence, Evolution); Vortex, which sees Climax filmmaker Gaspar Noé swap his usual wild fare for an Amour-style look at ageing; and No Fucks Given, starring Blue Is the Warmest Colour's Adèle Exarchopoulos as a flight attendant for a low-cost airline.
First, the sad news: Melbourne Queer Film Festival doesn't run year-round. That makes its in-person festivals all the more special, of course, but hitting a Melbourne cinema isn't the only way to get your MQFF fix in 2022 — including if you live beyond the Victorian capital. Spreading its program of LGBTQIA+ movies as far and wide as it can, MQFF also has an online component this year called MQFF+. Streaming from Monday, November 21–Sunday, November 27, it features 25 films that you can watch from home. Yes, that's more than half of the physical lineup, complete with many of the fest's big highlights. On the bill: the Brazilian titles that both launched and wrapped up the fest in-person, aka opening night's Private Desert, about a genderfluid blue-collar worker in an online relationship who goes missing; and closing night's Uýra: The Rising Forest, focusing on trans-indigenous artist Uýra. Or, among other highlights, movie lovers can check out Blitzed!, about the eponymous London nightclub, with Boy George, Princess Julia and Spandau Ballet sharing their memories; Black as U R, a documentary about the lack of attention paid to the black queer community; Youtopia, exploring the inadvertent formation of a hipster cult; and My Emptiness and I hones in on a young trans call-centre worker. Films are available individually, or with three- and five-movie passes — with the latter giving cinephiles a discount.
Pair the wonders of the night sky with the sweet sound of the cello at a new experience from Blue Mountains Stargazing. Taking over the Wentworth Falls lookout in the Blue Mountains from 8.30pm on Saturday, December 10, this symphonic stargazing session will feature live performances from local cellist Emily Williams and celebrated didgeridoo player Charlie McMahon. Attendees will arrive to experience the sunset over Jamison Valley before being treated to the music of Williams and McMahon. From there, an astronomy workshop will be led by astrophysicist Dimitri Douchin with the assistance of laser guides. The workshop will feature constellation storytelling; star observation using the naked eye, telescopes and binoculars; and a Q&A with Douchin. As you gaze up at the sky, you'll also be treated to a free hot chocolate before Williams returns for a final cello performance. Tickets will set you back $110 for adults, $80 for children and $90 for concession tickets.
The 90s were great. That shouldn't be a controversial opinion. Whether you lived through them or have spent the last couple of decades wishing you did — aka binging on 90s pop culture — Oxford Art Factory's New Year's Eve shindig will indulge both your retro and your festive urges. Drinks, tunes, fashion: expect all of the above at the No Scrubs: 90s and Early 00s party from 9pm on NYE. Of course, it's up to you to make sure the clothing side of thing is covered, and to get into the spirit of the season. If you want to use Mariah Carey as a style icon, it'd be fitting. Whatever you choose to wear, there's a costume competition giving away more than bragging rights. Expect to unleash your inner Spice Girl and Backstreet Boy too. TLC, Destiny's Child, Savage Garden, Usher, Blink-182, No Doubt — we'd keep listing artists, but you all know what you're getting yourselves into. Entry costs $30.19 in advance, with the fun running through until 3am. That price includes a free glass of sparkling on arrival, and you'll pay for your 90s- and 00s-inspired cocktail specials from there. Top image: Destination NSW.
One person's favourite film can be another's cinematic nightmare, and vice versa, but every ten years the British Film Institute's Sight & Sound magazine names the best flicks ever made anyway. From a wide-ranging poll, it compiles a list of the 100 greatest movies of all time — and if you're a movie buff, you'll know that 2022's rundown is newly upon us, stacked with stellar pictures and has been sparking plenty of debate. Simply perusing and arguing about these kinds of rankings is one way to engage. Using the poll to fill in gaps in your cinema knowledge is a better way, and Golden Age Cinema & Bar is here to help. From Thursday, December 28 till the end of summer, it's screening a selection of titles currently considered the greatest of the greatest. If you haven't seen them, you're in for a treat. If you have but not on a big screen, you are as well. Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time: A Selection includes this year's number-one pick, of course — and there really isn't anything else like Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (which we also recommended to you back at the beginning of the pandemic when we were all streaming flicks about loneliness, isolation and confinement). Other highlights on the clearly stacked bill include Stanley Kubrick's masterpieces 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining, the always-stunning Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut, the mafia dramas ofThe Godfather and Goodfellas, recent heartbreaker Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Studio Ghibli's gorgeous My Neighbor Totoro and Jane Campion's Oscar sensation The Piano. Or, there's David Lynch's Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and Vertigo, and Claire Denis' Beau Travail, because Golden Age has curated a mighty impressive shortlist. Including Casablanca, In the Mood for Love, Rashomon, The Red Shoes, The Apartment, Blade Runner and Citizen Kane, too, there's 33 films on the lineup in total.
Whisky and oysters and Mapo, oh my. On Sunday, November 26, The Rocks will be the setting for the launch of Waterford Whisky: Waterford Single Farm Festival, hosted by whisky haunt The Doss House. Entry to the festival is free, and you can expect pop-ups from plenty of local producers, including freshly shucked oysters from East 33, baked goodies from organic bakery Infinity Bakery, specially-made whisky and cocoa gelato from Newtown favourite Mapo, as well as toasties and snacks courtesy of The Doss House. Also on the agenda for the day are Waterford Whisky Cocktails, whisky-tasting flights and traditional and contemporary Irish music performed live. Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky is making waves and breaking traditions in the spirits world. Not only does it drop the traditional 'e' found in Irish whiskey, but it is also the first on the island to bring in traceability to showcase its dram's terroir (or téireoire as it calls it, a combination of the Irish for Ireland, Éire, and terroir) and produce the world's first biodynamic whisky. It is the brainchild of Mark Reynier, former head of Bruichladdich and Renegade Spirits, who will be attending the launch festival and hosting an intimate masterclass tasting of the never-before-seen range, which includes the aforementioned biodynamic whisky, a certified organic whisky, a single farm origin tipple, and a super smoky peated number. Tickets to the whisky masterclass will set you back $70.14, plus the booking fee, places are extremely limited, so be sure to book your spot on the website. The Doss House isn't the only place you will be able to find Reynier this summer. He's hosting Waterford Whisky tastings across the eastern coast. Starting at The Gresham, Brisbane, on November 23; then The Oak Barrel, Sydney, on November 27; then on to 18th Amendment, Melbourne, on November 28; before finishing up at The Elysian, Melbourne, on November 29. The Doss House has a very close connection to Waterford Distillery; owner Ciara Doran's family farm back in Ireland is one of the hundred Irish growers supplying barley to Waterford. The single-origin whisky made from these grains is yet to be released, but it is a full-circle moment for Doran and her family as her venue was chosen as the site for the official launch of the whisky in Australia. Images: Alana Dimou
Edgar Wright's Don't and Rob Zombie's Werewolf Women of the SS must be on their way to the big screen soon. With Thanksgiving's arrival, three of the five films teased as trailers in 2007's Grindhouse — and at the time only conceived to exist as those faux trailers — have come to full-length feature fruition. So, the double of Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof didn't just give the world biochemical zombies and a murdering stuntman, but Machete, Hobo with a Shotgun and now Eli Roth's turkey-holiday slasher horror. In this first stint behind the lens since 2021 documentary Fin, plus 2018's vastly dissimilar Death Wish and The House with a Clock in Its Walls before that, the Cabin Fever and Hostel filmmaker knows the right mood: when you're plating up a film that began as a gag ad, leaning into both tropes and a knowing vibe is the best choice for carving a path forward. There's a downside to the joke beginning and happy winking now, though: Thanksgiving sure does love sticking to a tried-and-tested recipe. Roth and screenwriter Jeff Rendell, both returning from 16 years back and sharing a story credit, have taken to the whole "Halloween but Thanksgiving" approach with the utmost dedication — because it's as plain as a roasted bird centrepiece that that's what they've purposely cooked up. The mood, the nods, the derivation: they don't add up to a new masterpiece, however, genre-defining, cult or otherwise. But there's something to be said for a film that commits to its bit with this much relish, so bluntly and openly, and with the tongue-in-cheek attitude that was baked into the Grindhouse package slathered on thick. And yes, the image that no one has forgotten for almost two decades returns, alongside other signature shots from Thanksgiving's proof-of-concept sneak peek. As they splatter around gore, not gravy, plus guts that don't belong to poultry, Roth and Rendell have given themselves a task: reverse-engineering an entire feature from a spoof trailer that made fun not just of holiday horror flicks, but of Roth's part in torture porn's boom. They're also eager to ensure that their picture locks in its place on the occasion-centric viewing calendar. The raucous Thanksgiving slides in before Black Christmas and New Years' Evil, dates-wise, and joins a roster that also spans My Bloody Valentine and April Fools' Day. This slice of the scary-movie spectrum isn't small, both in general and with past Thanksgiving-themed fare — for the latter, see also: Blood Rage, Black Friday, Blood Freak, ThanksKilling and Boogeyman, and more — but, blatantly angling for sequels as well, Roth and Rendell don't just want to dish up one serving. Thanksgiving could go by Black Thursday, the shopping opportunity that's also been dubbed Grey Thursday and Brown Thursday, because that's when and why its carnage commences. The place is still Plymouth, Massachusetts, and the slasher who'll start offing teens still nabs disguise cues from pilgrims — wearing a John Carver mask specifically, which noticeably resembles not just Plymouth Colony's first governor but V for Vendetta's Guy Fawkes mask — but the 2022-set opening is all about a crushing trip to score bargains. At RightMart, the masses gather when it's traditionally dinnertime, demanding with increasing ferocity to be let inside. The shoving and shouting becomes a stampede after the crowd sees Jessica Wright (Nell Verlaque, Big Shot) and her friends enter early because it's her dad Thomas' (Rick Hoffman, Billions) store. For some, the results are fatal, whether via being caught underfoot, copping shards of glass or getting scalped by trolleys. In adding to the bowl while spooning in pieces from horror classics, Roth and Rendell take inspiration not just Halloween but from Dawn of the Dead — aka that shopping spree gone savage — as well as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. If Thanksgiving was a feast itself, it'd be everything from dark and light meat with cranberry sauce to sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie smashed together in a blender. Here's another mission on Roth's list: crafting killer setpieces and slayings, with the Black Thursday onslaught at the top of the heap. Not every death is inventive, but this movie and its director are all about the audience impact, with endeavouring to incite cheers, screams and laughs their stuffing and seasoning. That said, Thanksgiving is strongest when it's fresh out of the oven, then dutifully works through its recreated offings from the Grindhouse trailer and soon proves content with a stock-standard cat-and-mouse game. The bulk of the flick occurs a year following the RightMart riot, when Jessica and her fellow survivor pals Gabby (Addison Rae, He's All That), Evan (Tomaso Sanelli, Holly Hobbie), Scuba (Gabriel Davenport, Mistletoe Time Machine) and Yulia (Jenna Warren, The Young Arsonists) get tagged in a creepy social-media post. Then a diner employee turns up dead not long after waiting on them, a spree begins, and Sheriff Newlon (Patrick Dempsey, Disenchanted) and his colleagues aren't much help. Although biting into consumerism's worst impulses is on the menu, as is satirising the chase for viral fame in these always-posting times, the themes and plot aren't the main course. That status goes to upping the body count with bloodthirsty and grisly enthusiasm. The key thing to be thankful for here is that Thanksgiving's creative forces are patently having schlocky fun, including with their McDreamy casting, practical effects and some visual moments — and they don't ever stomach being subtle about it. Ditching the throwback look hasn't meant scrapping the 70s-esque tone or toning down the revelling in getting gruesome. There's a difference between appreciating how much enjoyment went into whipping up the movie and consistently having more than a by-the-numbers time with it, though. Excited chefs can still cook average meals with sprinklings of flavour, as Roth does. There's also one goal that Thanksgiving threw out with the bones: creating a picture that doesn't make viewers certain that they saw most of the best bits in that years-ago trailer.
For most, there isn't much in Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel The Color Purple that screams for the musical spin. Broadway still came calling. On the page, this tale always featured a jazz and blues singer as a key character. When it initially reached the screen in 1985 with Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) directing, it also worked in an anthem that earned an Oscar nomination and has been much-covered since; Quincy Jones composed the film's score and produced the movie. But if the idea of lavish song-and-dance numbers peppered throughout such a bleak account of incest, rape, domestic abuse, racism, injustice, violence and poverty feels like hitting a wrong note, claims otherwise keep springing. First arrived 2005's Tony-winning stage adaptation, then 2015's also-awarded revival. Now, joining the ranks of books that became movies, then musicals, then musical movies just like the new Mean Girls, a second feature brings Walker's story to cinemas — this time with belted-out ballads and toe-tapping tunes. With each take, The Color Purple's narrative has predominantly remained the same as when it first hit bookshelves, crushing woe, infuriating prejudice and rampant inequity included. Musicals don't have to be cheery, but how does so much brutality give rise to anything but mournful songs? The answer here: by leaning into the rural Georgia-set tale's embrace of hope, resilience and self-discovery. Ghanaian director Blitz Bazawule follows up co-helming Beyoncé's Black Is King by heroing empowerment and emancipation in his version of The Color Purple — and while the film that results can't completely avoid an awkward tonal balance, it's easy to see the meaning behind its striving for a brighter outlook. When what its characters go through as Black women in America's south in the early 20th century is so unsparing, welcoming wherever light can pierce the gloom is a human reaction, and how Celie (American Idol-winner Fantasia Barrino in her feature film debut) copes. Although the sun streams, there's little that's merry about The Color Purple's protagonist's existence when the latest movie begins, or afterwards. On her second pregnancy to her bullying father Alfonso (Deon Cole, Black-ish), who sees her as mere property, the teen Celie (fellow first-timer Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, who was a writer on Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies) knows that this baby will be snatched from her again. But at least she has her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey, The Little Mermaid) to dote on, cling to and protect — until she doesn't. Celie is traded to farmer Mister (Colman Domingo, Rustin) for a cow and a couple of eggs, after he asks for Nettie. The younger sibling soon comes knocking on the door after Celie is burdened with cooking, cleaning, mothering his existing kids and weathering more abuse; however, the sisters are forced apart when Mister still can't get what he wants. Heartbreak is The Color Purple's baseline: over Celie's abhorrent treatment by her dad, and then by Mister; at two girls with nothing else to rely on being torn so cruelly from each other; and at the onslaught of pain that keeps streaming, and widely. With Sofia (Oscar-nominee Danielle Brooks, Peacemaker), the wife of Mister's son Harpo (Corey Hawkins, Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter), Celie meets someone who is unapologetic about her place in the world — even in such a harsh and discriminatory world — only for the xenophobic use of the law to cut her down. With aforementioned crooner Shug Avery (Taraji P Henson, Abbott Elementary), who Mister would prefer to have by his side, she finds more than a push towards self-confidence, a true confidant and friendship; alas, happiness in any form is so frequently fleeting. This Marcus Gardley (I'm a Virgo)-penned The Color Purple might package its championing of persistence and sisterhood with emotion-dripping songs, but it still shares much with its big-screen predecessor beyond its plot. Many holdovers come via personnel. Spielberg and Jones return, both as producers. Oprah Winfrey does the same, swapping from playing Sofia in her acting debut the first time around, which earned her both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. Another of the original movie's key cast members pops up for a cameo appearance. Also a blatant commonality: that film iterations of this story continue to tamp down The Color Purple's queer romance. 'What About Love?', a duet between Celie and Shug, is a dreamy picture-stealer. As Shug helps Celie to finally value her own desires, Barrino and Henson make a glowing pair. There's passion in their rousing relationship — but if 2024 isn't the time to make their love more than a footnote, then when? Alongside getting audiences yearning for more of Celie and Shug together, that standout tune epitomises a facet of the film that's evident from the very moment that anyone starts singing: this is a stagey production. When musical numbers are pitched as lively escapist fantasies, which isn't rare, Bazawule appears to be making the choice purposefully. Again, although it doesn't always go as smoothly as planned, the reasoning tracks. For Celie and Sofia in particular, finding ways to persevere through everything that they endure, and to retain or regain any sense of spirit, means confronting big emotions. And just as it does in a theatre rather than a cinema, The Color Purple as a musical goes big when those feelings are released through song. (The movie also gets overly enthusiastic with its editing, which proved the case when Jon Poll took on the same role on The Greatest Showman as well.) Even when the exuberant tone doesn't land and emphasising the sets is clunky, Bazawule has compiled an exceptional cast. Barrino and Brooks reprise their turns from the stage, with considerable tasks following in Whoopi Goldberg (Harlem) and Oprah's footsteps — but their expressive performances, which make everything that courses through both Celie and Sofia ripple from the screen, are each rich, raw and resonant. Henson is entrancingly sultry and fierce as Shug, Bailey caring and determined as Nettie, Domingo monstrous but damaged as Mister and Hawkins accommodating as Harpo. Louis Gossett Jr (Kingdom Business) and Jon Batiste (an Academy Award-winner for Soul's score) also make an impression in small parts. This lineup of talent is reason enough to have The Color Purple flicker and echo as a movie musical. And when this reclamation of a grim tale shines brightest, it shines in the same way that Celie's life eventually does: through the right company.
If you were to see a fridge standing in the middle of Bondi Beach, what would you do? And, perhaps more importantly, what would you hope to find inside? On Saturday, January 20, you can put this situation to the test IRL — and we can tell you now that gelato awaits, plus flavoured milks. Gelato Messina and Westinghouse are teaming up on a giveaway, so one of the latter's refrigerators will indeed be onsite. You'll need to head to Campbell Parade opposite Roscoe Street between 10am–4.30pm, but getting in quick is recommended as the freebies are only available while stocks last (and any chance to grab some Messina for nothing is bound to be popular). On the menu: mini ice cream pops in choc jersey milk and coconut passionfruit varieties, as well as choc malt, dulce de leche and strawberry flavoured milks. One person will also win the fridge itself, so you might end up treating your kitchen as well as your tastebuds.
When Song Kang-ho hasn't been starring in Bong Joon-ho's films, he's been featuring Park Chan-wook's and Kim Jee-woon's, plus Lee Chang-dong's and Hong Sang-soo's as well. One of Korea's acting greats boasts a resume filled with the country's directing greats — so getting the Memories of Murder, The Host, Thirst, Snowpiercer and Parasite star, plus Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Lady Vengeance and Secret Sunshine talent, to play a filmmaker for his The Good the Bad the Weird and The Age of Shadows filmmaker feels like perfect casting even before Cobweb starts spinning its reels. Song's career highlights are already many, complete with a Cannes Best Actor Award for working with Japan's Hirokazu Kore-eda in Broker. Here, he's reliably and rakishly charming in a movie-making ode and on-set farce. For his own director Kim, Song plays a director Kim — but on-screen version Kim Ki-yeol is living in the 70s, and also in a rut. Once an assistant to a famed and acclaimed helmer who has passed away, now he's openly mocked by critics for his trashy fare in one of Cobweb's first scenes. He's made most of a masterpiece, however, or so he believes. The only thing that's required to ensure it's a complete classic is two more days to undertake re-shoots. His film is meant to be finished, but he's adamant that the cast and crew reteam (and his producer foot the bill) to ensure that the creative visions that keep haunting his dreams can become a feted triumph. Convincing everyone that he needs to isn't the only tricky feat, with challenges upon challenges unspooling the longer that the fictional Kim and his colleagues spend bustling. Also involved amid the lights, cameras and action: Shinseong Film Studio's Chairwoman Baek (Jang Young-nam, Project Wolf Hunting), who's hardly enamoured with Kim's new plan; Mido (Jeon Yeo-been, Glitch), the heir to his mentor's company; and actors Min-ja (Lim Soo-jung, Melancholia), Ho-se (Oh Jung-se, Revenant), Yu-rim (Jung Soo-jung, Crazy Love) and Madam Oh (Park Jung-soo). Cue doubts, shaky promises, unexpected alliances, philandering, secret pregnancies, squabbles about prominence, allergies to fake blood, fires, stars trying to juggle shooting the movie and a TV drama, and a supporting actor so wedded to stepping into a detective's shoes that he's deducing on the side between takes. It's an anything-that-can-go-wrong-will situation, and equal in careening chaos to two other recent behind-the-scenes filmmaking comedies: One Cut of the Dead and remake Final Cut, just without the zombies and single-shot gimmick. In both that 2017 Japanese hit and its 2022 French do-over, a commitment to keep filming and making art regardless of the cost thrashed around the picture as heartily as the flesh-eating undead. Courtesy of a script co-written with Shin Yeon-shick (1seung), Kim Jee-woon's characters share that determination without such pronounced life-or-death stakes. Bringing a cinematic reverie to fruition is a leap of faith, as Cobweb understands. When it works, it's not just magic but alchemy. "Here's to the ones who dream" might've been crooned by Emma Stone in La La Land rather than in this fellow tribute to that dream, but the sentiment fits. While Cobweb finds plenty of amusement in the on-screen Kim's madcap last-dash scramble to make the motion picture he'll always be known for, it also respects the passion, yearning, gumption and quest. There may be no shuffling masses to contend with, but there are movie-chomping censors who must approve every element that's destined to grace celluloid. For Song's Kim, zombies might've been nicer to deal with. The all-business Baek is all about toeing the line. Without the censors' tick, not a frame will reach audiences — and careers can crumble via blacklisting, too. Kim won't compromise on his tour de force, except that the whole whirlwind reshoot is a constant exercise in compromise. As various solutions spring up to stop the authorities' interference, including persuading them that the new ending will give them an "anti-communist film", setting Cobweb five decades back is a choice with meaning. Harking back to the days when South Korean cinema IRL was at the mercy of the state under the Yusin system rather than truly driven by artists, the film applauds the dedication and the hustle that sees any picture exist, and especially one under such circumstances. Cobweb's cast also deserve praise, with Song unsurprisingly chief among them, as he tends to be in whatever he's in. His selling task is twofold: swaying the production-within-a-production's on- and off-screen players to give their all to crafting his movie the way that it dances through his head, and whether or not it seems to make even a bit of sense; and getting Cobweb's audience invested not just in the madcap mania that Kim Jee-woon can't stop embracing, but emotionally. His co-stars are also up to going along for the ride, particularly Jeon as Kim's co-conspirator in pulling the whole gambit off. Both Song and Jeon get moments as actors playing actors, when Kim and Mido's respective fervour sees them resolved to step in front of the camera to guarantee the performances they want. He's best known for A Tale of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life and I Saw the Devil, but Kim Jee-woon is no stranger to dark comedy, as he eagerly plies here. His regular cinematographer Kim Ji-yong, who has been working with the director on and off since A Bittersweet Life, is equally acquainted with lavish lensing — and while Cobweb isn't as ravishing as his efforts on Park Chan-wook's 2022 stunner Decision to Leave (because almost nothing is), it remains an arresting sight as it flits from the black-and-white of Kim Ki-yeol's noir-esque Hitchcock-meets-soap opera flick to the retro period sheen of his existence. Don't go expecting to know exactly what the on-screen Kim is so feverish about, though. His counterpart splashes around the OTT movie inside the movie in fits and bursts, but it suits. Believing that Song's Kim believes in it is easy in a film this savvy, entertaining and adept at weaving its many strands.
There's no shortage of ways to celebrate Halloween, whether scary movies, eerie art, a trick-or-treating stint, playing with Lego or themed mini golf is your thing. Here's a particularly tasty one: getting dressed up in costume and scoring a free Krispy Kreme doughnut. The chain is known for giving away its round treats, including handing out 100,000 of them each National Doughnut Day. For Tuesday, October 31, it isn't locking in an exact number of doughnuts that'll be on offer — but it will give one to everyone who turns up to a Krispy Kreme store dressed for the occasion. If that isn't an excuse to don your spookiest outfit, then what is? To snag yourself a signature glazed freebie, head to your closest Krispy Kreme store in Sydney — there's 17 stores stretching in NSW from Penrith to the CBD — on Tuesday, October 31 while wearing a Halloween-appropriate costume. You'll receive one original glazed doughnut per person, and you don't have to buy anything else to nab the treat without paying a cent. Of course, Krispy Kreme is hoping that you will be possessed by the Halloween vibe while you're in-store — or beforehand — and treat yourself to something from its themed range. On offer until Tuesday, October 31: four different varieties.
One of 2023's most-anticipated films is hitting Palace Cinemas' big screens on Saturday, October 28. That flick: Strange Way of Life, the latest work by inimitable Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers). It's a 30-minute short, hence the fact that it won't get the usual silver-screen release — and it's also a sublime queer western starring Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight) and Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us). Almodóvar? Hawke? Pascal? Queer western? Yes, that's Strange Way of Life, which is why it's such a must-see. It made its Australian debut at this year's Sydney Film Festival, heading to our shores straight from premiering at Cannes — and now it's showing in the Harbour City again at Palace's Fashion Focus Premiere sessions at Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central. In this bite-sized film, Sheriff Jake (Hawke) and rancher Silva (Pascal) share a history, working together as hired gunmen a quarter-century ago. Then, circumstances bring them back together; however, a reunion isn't the only reason they've crossed paths again. "The strange way of life referred in the title alludes to the famous fado by Amalia Rodrigues, whose lyrics suggest that there is no stranger existence than the one that is lived by turning your back on your own desires," explains Almodóvar. Tickets cost $25 for Palace Movie Club members and $30 otherwise, for sessions that include a glass of prosecco or wine upon arrival — and are all about celebrating not only the short, but also the costumes designed by Anthony Vaccarello, with fashion house Saint Laurent producing the film. Also on offer: an interview with the one and only Almodóvar before the short plays. Palace Norton Street and Palace Central are doing drinks at 6.45pm and the screening at 7pm, while the times are 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start at Palace Verona.
Bond and big-name festival hits. Everyone from Paul Mescal and Lily James and to Olivia Colman and Colin Farrell. Established and up-and-coming filmmakers from across the UK. That's the British Film Festival's 2022 lineup, which'll hit Sydney's Palace Norton, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema from Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16. Get ready to catch Mescal's latest post-Normal People role, Aftersun, then check out a rom-com starring James (Pam & Tommy) with Shazad Latif (Toast of Tinseltown), before seeing the Australian premiere of Colman's (Mothering Sunday) newest movie Joyride. As always, it's a star-studded affair, including opening with Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, as set in the world of French fashion, with Oscar-nominated Phantom Thread actor Lesley Manville in the titular role. At the other end, that aforementioned rom-com What's Love Got to Do With It? will wrap things up, with James and Latif joined on-screen by Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande). Other standouts include The Banshees of Inisherin, which reunites In Bruges writer/director Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and his stars Farrell (After Yang) and Brendan Gleeson (The Tragedy of Macbeth); plus the Bill Nighy (The Man Who Fell to Earth)-starring Living, about a terminally ill man in the 1950s. Also on the complete bill, and a huge inclusion: Empire of Light, the new film from 1917, Skyfall and Spectre's Sam Mendes. Skyfall will also play as part of the Bond retrospective, but the director's latest has been called a love letter to cinema — because charting a romance in an old picture palace in the 1980s was always going to earn that description. An Emily Brontë biopic, aptly named Emily, and directed by Australia actor-turned-filmmaker Frances O'Connor (The End), also sits on the lineup — as do more sea shanties in song-filled sequel Fisherman's Friends 2: One and All. Or, there's Rogue Agent, which dramatises conman (and fake undercover MI5 agent) Robert Freegard's IRL story; In From the Side, about an affair between two members of a fictional South London gay rugby club; and Aisha, focusing on a young Nigerian woman seeking asylum in Ireland. As for that shaken-not-stirred contingent, it celebrates six decades since Dr No, the first movie in the 007 franchise, initially graced cinemas — and includes 14 films, with tickets $13 for each. The title that started it all is well and truly on the lineup, as are the fellow Connery-led You Only Live Twice, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball; Roger Moore-era titles Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun; On Your Majesty's Secret Service with Australia's Bond George Lazenby; Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill; Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough with Pierce Brosnan; and Daniel Craig's Casino Royale and Skyfall.
If high-concept horror nasties get you grinning even when you're squirming, recoiling or peeking through your fingers, then expect Smile to live up to its name — in its first half, at least. A The Ring-meets-It Follows type of scarefest with nods to the Joker thrown in, it takes its titular term seriously, sporting one helluva creepy smirk again and again. The actual face doing the ghoulish beaming can change, and does, but the evil Cheshire Cat-esque look on each dial doesn't. Where 2011's not-at-all spooky The Muppets had a maniacal laugh, Smile does indeed possess a maniacal, skin-crawling, nightmare-inducing leer. In the film, the first character to chat about it, PhD student Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey, Bridge and Tunnel), explains it as "the worst smile I have ever seen in my life". She's in a hospital, telling psychiatrist Rose Cotter (Mare of Easttown's Sosie Bacon, daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick), who clearly thinks she's hallucinating. But when the doctor sees that grin herself, she immediately knows that Laura's description couldn't be more accurate. Toothy, deranged, preternaturally stretched and also frozen in place, the smile at the heart of Smile isn't easily forgotten — not that Rose need worry about that. Soon, it's haunting her days and nights by interrupting her work, and seeing her act erratically with patients to the concern of her boss (Kal Penn, Clarice). Rose upsets a whole party at her nephew's birthday, too, and makes her fiancé Trevor (Jessie T Usher, The Boys) have doubts about their future. There's a backstory: Rose's mother experienced mental illness, which is why she's so passionate about her work and her sister Holly (Gillian Zinser, The Guilty) is so dismissive. There's a backstory to the diabolical frown turned upside down also, which she's quickly trying to unravel with the help of her cop ex Joel (Kyle Gallner, Scream). She has to; Laura came to the hospital for assistance after her professor saw the smile first, then started beaming it, then took his own life in front of her — and now Rose is in the same situation. It springs from debut feature writer/director Parker Finn's own 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept, but given how quickly Smile's nods to other horror flicks come — and how blatant they are — it's hardly astonishing how little in its narrative comes as a surprise. A malignant terror spreading virally on sight? A single-minded pursuer that can hop bodies, but always chases its new target with unyielding focus? Yes, as already mentioned, a J-horror franchise and its American remake are owed a huge debt, as is David Robert Mitchell's breakout 2014 hit. And yes, there's no way not to think of a certain Batman adversary each time that eerily exaggerated smirk flashes (given how many times the Joker has featured on-screen, it's downright inescapable). But when Smile is smiling — not just plastering that unnerving grin far and wide, but frequently directing it straight at the camera (and audience) — the fear is real. It's an odd experience, the feeling of knowing how obvious every aspect of a movie's narrative is, yet still having it spark a physical reaction. Finn deploys jump-scares that do genuinely invite jumps. His film goes dark and grim in its look and atmosphere, tensely so, and with cinematographer Charlie Sarroff (Relic) adoring soft, restrained lighting that one imagines the realm between life and death could have. He knows when to let a moment and a shot hang, teasing out the inevitable but still making sure the payoff is felt. And, among all of that, the mood is Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar)-level bleak. The biggest kudos goes to (and the biggest responses come from) that hellish expression that could pop up anywhere on anyone, though. When Smile stops smiling, it's a blander movie — and although the fact that much of it is spliced together from elsewhere, and what isn't is largely generic, doesn't ever slip from view, that's also when the feature gets heftier. A movie that gets its main eerie motif shocking and scaring to a spine-tingling degree, has enough technical nuts and bolts working as well, but ticks oh-so-many recognisable boxes otherwise, can also have something weighty to ponder — and Smile is that movie. Wading through trauma and its longterm effects is a horror genre favourite, with this film's version ruminating on the way that childhood struggles haunt with unshakeable and infernal malevolence. Making that force visible through a suicide-inducing, chomper-baring spirit isn't subtle, but nothing brandishing Smile's smile is overly trying to be. Layering in multiple generations multiple times in multiple ways is an effective touch, too. Still, Finn always seems to be playing with the easiest pieces and emotions, and making the easiest moves; those different instances of trauma, spread across lead, supporting and bit-part characters, also scream of dropping as many breadcrumbs as possible for potential sequels. Smile will likely start a franchise — it has the bones to, even just with its twisted lips and the notion that distressing formative incidences leave a mark. Those smirks can keep adorning and plaguing other faces, and that pain can keep bubbling up. That said, anyone who follows in Bacon's footsteps will have a task ahead of them, especially in conveying how seeing the unhinged grin frazzles and wearies. Aided by camera placement and lighting, Smile's protagonist does indeed come across as a woman fraying in every aspect of her expression and her physicality. Watch enough horror movies and you'll know that showing extreme alarm too often comes down to widening eyes, an agape jaw and a bloodcurdling shriek in by-the-numbers fare; however, there's palpable exhaustion in Bacon's performance that speaks not just to being terrified but tired of spending a life battling many kinds of demons. Gallner's sturdy support also leaves an imprint, and one of Smile's actual surprises comes if you're a Veronica Mars fan expecting him to keep playing the shady or nefarious part — something that hasn't just happened once in his career. As that stroke of casting shows, and Bacon's, there's more than enough in the film that clearly works, but there's still just as much that's almost-dispiritingly standard. Something that's an indisputable delight, a word that can never apply to all of the movie's accursed beaming: realising that plenty of Rose's story fits the lyrics of 'Footloose'. She's been working so hard punching her card. She gets a feeling that time's holding her down. She might crack if she doesn't cut loose — all while something is taking ahold of souls. Dancing isn't banned here and the elder Bacon doesn't pop up, but any flick that's legitimately unsettling and brings Footloose to mind is always going to deserve a hearty grin.
It's no secret that we've all been hiding away inside this winter. But now, with the warmer weather and our bottled-up good-time vibes, we're all raring to go, ready to re-emerge from our hibernation. And here to help in a major way is an epic late-night music and entertainment event. With the help of the NSW Government's CBDs Revitalisation Program, Solotel is hosting Sydney All-Nighter on Saturday, September 17. Across a whopping 16 venues, the country's top DJs and live acts will be welcomed to stages Sydney-wide. The best bit? Entry to each of the venues is totally free. [caption id="attachment_868624" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maria Boyadgis[/caption] You can get your party on everywhere from Marly Bar and Goros, to the Paddo Inn, The Bank and Parramatta's Albion Hotel. Each venue will be flooded with eager Sydney folk looking to reintroduce themselves to the night life. And this series of parties isn't just big, it's also super diverse, so you're sure to find your music tribe at one of them. Check out pop singer-songwriter-musician Montaigne performing live against the Sydney Harbour backdrop at Opera Bar, or a DJ set by electronic band Northeast Party House at The Golden Sheaf in Double Bay. Elsewhere, Harvey Sutherland is playing a special vinyl DJ set at newly opened Rekōdo, the restaurant and vinyl bar at Barangaroo House. But that ain't all — there will be stand-out performers entertaining crowds at The Clock, Dusk Club, The Courthouse Hotel, Public House Petersham, The Regent and The Erko (which is dedicating the night to all things chilli). Plus, Kings Cross Hotel is transforming into a multi-level LGBTIQ+ party with takeovers by GiRLTHING and Canned Fruit, while House of Mince is hosting a queer party at Darlo Bar. Sydney All-Nighter was created to get people back out at night and experience the best of Sydney's vibrant music and nightlife culture — so grab your gang, register online and get ready to support these late-night venues. Sydney All-Nighter takes over on Saturday, September 17. Head to the website for more information and to register your attendance. Top images: Jess Gleeson (Montaigne), Nick McKinlay (Harvey Sutherland)
It has been a couple of years since The Jungle Collective first started taking over Australian warehouses and slinging plenty of plants, all thanks to its huge sales in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. These leafy excuses to fill your home with greenery always have a bit of a celebratory vibe, so the outfit's next New South Wales outing should come as no surprise — it's hosting a plant sale house party. While all of those gorgeous green babies are the main attraction — and more than 170 varieties of them, too — browsing and buying in an old heritage building isn't something you get to do every day. It's happening twice, across the two days of Saturday, February 9 and Sunday, February 10. You'll pick up everything from fiddle leafs and monsteras to giant birds of paradise and rubber trees, as well as oh-so-many ferns and hanging plants. You'll also be able to shop for designer pots, get expert advice from the horticulturalists onsite, listen to jungle tunes and even nab a $5 discount if you show up in jungle-themed attire. It's all happening at 260 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, with two-hour sessions held at 8am, 10am, 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, plus 10am and 12pm on Sunday. While entry is free, you'll need to secure a ticket to head along — they'll be available from midday on Monday, February 4.
Combining art classes with alcohol — it's what Cork & Chroma is all about. And for five nights, Sydney's source of boozy creativity is taking its wine-fuelled sessions outdoors to Good Food Month's Night Noodle Markets. Between Thursday, October 11 and Friday, October 19, South Australian winery Brands Laira will set up a pop-up crafty cellar door at the Hyde Park markets. Cork & Chroma will have everything set up for you to create your winery-inspired masterpiece, so all you need to do it get comfy at an easel, drink vino and snack on Asian snacks. Tickets cost $60, and include talented folks giving you expert art advice, some wine and food from the market, as well as all the supplies that you'll need on the evening. The classes run from 6–8pm and bookings are essential. Consider it a ready-made date idea or just a nice way to experience the Night Noodle Markets without having to queue up at each stall.
Given the size of Sydney Fringe Festival's 2018 program, it's no surprise that it'll all culminate in a decadent, magical, art-fuelled closing event: The Last Supper. This extravagant feast, taking place on Sunday, September 30, is promising live performers, live music and a plethora of indulgent dishes — under the stars in Kensington Street Festival Village. First, you must choose which restaurant's delights you would like to feast on, be it Olio's Sicilian delights, Eastside's whimsical creations, Mekong's inventive Southeast Asian fusion or the French wonders of Bistrot Gavroche. Then, on arrival at the dinner, you'll be ushered to your seat at a long table, accompanied by up to 12 of your hungry disciples. Over two glorious hours, your chosen eatery will deliver multiple courses, designed especially for the festival. Expect to find yourself surrounded by snake charmers, fire twirlers and rain dancers. Keep an eye out, too, for tango musicians and Fringe Festival headliners, who'll be making surprise appearances. For anyone who prefers a moveable feast, Spice Alley's myriad of street food vendors will peddle tasty fare, while Gin Lane will serve spirits infused with foraged local ingredients and Handpicked Cellar Door will offer its wines for tasting. Whichever way you experience The Last Supper, you're encouraged to 'dress on the wild side' and dance, dance, dance. The Last Supper will take place on Sunday, September 30. The ticketed meals are available across two sessions, 5pm and 7.30pm, and cost $60 per person. To nab a seat at the table, visit the website.
Sydney's much praised Ume Burger has extended its repertoire to Japanese-inspired hot dogs, having launched Ume Dogs at Melbourne's HWKR food hall last month. Now, owner Kerby Craig will bring it back home to give Sydneysiders a taste for one day only on Friday, September 28. The pop-up will take over Edition Coffee Roasters' new Haymarket digs from 5.30pm, where Craig will be slinging his wood-smoked pork frankfurts alongside snacks by the Edition team. Dogs include the classic Ume (wagyu mince sauce, kewpie mayo, minced onion and cheese) and the Kansai (pickled wakame, kewpie, tonkatsu sauce, snow crackers and bonito flakes). Plus kimchi dogs with crunchy noodles and curry dogs with red pickles. Edition's coffees will of course be up for grabs, too, and beats by DJ Andrew Levins will add party vibes to the food offering. After the pop-up, Ume Dogs will only be available down in Melbourne for now — so best nab a taste while you can.
It's in Newtown that you'll find some of Sydney's best locally brewed beer, most epic sweet treats and greatest bowls of ramen. And to celebrate the suburb's delectable contributions to the city's foodie scene, the Newtown Good Food Fair is returning for a fifth year on Sunday, October 14. Organised by the Newtown Precinct Business Association, the event brings together more than 30 of Newtown's brewers, bakers, growers and chefs. These include Young Henrys, Black Star Pastry, Queen Chow and Gelato Messina, just to name a few. For your gustatory convenience, they'll all be gathering in two easy-to-reach spots: Newtown Square and nearby Eliza Street. It all kicks off from 11am at both locations with the above food and drinks, as well as live music, and continues until 4pm at Newtown Square and 6pm at Eliza Street.
If seasonal change has left you in a dizzy headspin of new colours and fabrics and prints and jackets — or if, y'know, you just like some fancy new clothes now and then — you'll be pretty pleased to know that the Big Fashion Sale is coming back to Sydney for four days this October. The name pretty much says it all. This thing is big. You'll find thousands of lush items from past collections, samples and one-offs from over 50 cult Australian and international designers, both well-known and emerging, including Opening Ceremony, Isabel Marant, Kenzo, Marni, Phillip Lim, Karla Špetić, Adidas, Kowtow, Matteau Swim and more. With discounts of up to 80 percent off, this is one way to up your count of designer while leaving your bank balance sitting pretty too. Prices this low tend to inspire a certain level of ruthlessness in all of us, though, so practise that grabbing reflex in advance. This is every shopper for themselves. The Big Fashion Sale will be open 9am–8pm Thursday, 9am–6pm Friday and Saturday, and 10am–5pm Sunday.
Tipples and tunes is a familiar pairing, as everyone that's been to a music festival or a jazz bar knows; however the combination doesn't get much swankier than this. At Vino & Violins, you'll tuck into a four-course meal, drink matched wines and listen to the classical stylings of musicians from the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Taking place at The Bridge Room from 6pm on Thursday, October 18, the event is hosted by Barossa winery Peter Lehmann — so expect the vineyard's wines, plus dinner whipped up by chef Ross Lusted. You'll find out just what will be served on the night, but it will start with canapés. Wine expert Malcolm Stopp will be MCing proceedings, while ACO violinists Aiko Goto and Thibaud will be providing the live soundtrack. Actually, the musicians will be doing more than that. Rather, they'll be playing pieces specifically chosen to reflect the vino, playing with characteristics such as flavour, body and style. Tickets cost $90 for what promises to be a sensory meal.
Three decades ago, a New York City cop just wanted to spend Christmas in Los Angeles with his estranged wife. He arrived at Nakatomi Plaza with little else on his mind — but before the night was out, he'd be crawling around in vents, battling German terrorists, and proving that absolutely no one messes with John McClane and his loved ones. Of course, that's the plot to Die Hard. With the action classic turning 30 this year, you'd better believe that the Ritz Cinema is celebrating. On Friday, November 23, it's hosting McClanefest, which will screen the first three films in the franchise in one huge marathon. Even better — Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder and Die Hard with a Vengeance will all screen in glorious 35mm, so you'll be able to see every inch of their explosive excellence (and plenty of Bruce Willis doing his thing in a white singlet, too). Tickets cost $25 (or $20 for cinema members), and it all kicks off at 7pm and runs until after 2am. If you're thinking "aren't there five films in the series?", well, you're right. But no one wants to revisit the awful (and awfully titled) Live Free or Die Hard and A Good Day to Die Hard.
Popcorn, choc tops and cinema under the stars — it's all coming to Woolwich's Clarkes Point Reserve for the first time. Between Friday, September 28 and Monday, October 1, the Woolwich Open Air Cinema will crank up the projector and play four films over four nights. Get a dose of Pixar nostalgia with Finding Nemo, go over-the-top with Crazy Rich Asians, snuggle up to your nearest and dearest with a rewatch of Notting Hill and remember how young Matt Damon looked 21 years ago — and how great an actor the late Robin Williams was — thanks to Good Will Hunting. Gates open at 4pm each day, with the movies kicking off at 6.15pm — so if you arrive early, you have plenty of time to soak in the lower north shore surroundings. Picnics are welcome, but you can't bring your own alcohol; however, there's a bar selling not only snacks, but wine, beer, spritzes, and gin and tonics, as well as cheese and charcuterie platters for two, porchetta rolls, vegetarian baguettes, and chicken and chorizo paella. Image: Mary and Andrew via Flickr.
UPDATE: APRIL 14, 2020 — Due to popular demand, Salt Meats Cheese's one-kilogram cheese wheel pasta can now be delivered to your door, every day. Cheese and pasta go together like few food combinations. As great as they both are individually, a particularly enticing alchemy of flavours occurs when they join forces. But simply sprinkling grated mozzarella or ground parmesan over your spaghetti is yesterday's news. Eating pasta served out of a cheese wheel is what it's all about now. Salt Meats Cheese has long been hopping on everyone's current favourite Italian culinary bandwagon with its dish — and while Australia's restaurants and eateries are currently in takeaway and delivery-only mode, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on your cheesy pasta fix. Every day, you can order one kilogram of brie cheese spaghetti for $39 from its Drummoyne store — and have it brought to your home via Salt Meats Cheese's new app. While you're sitting at your own dining table, you'll be able to tuck into the cheesiest bowl of pasta you're ever likely to taste, with each serving designed for two people. Flavour-wise, there are a few available, because even a meal like cheese wheel pasta can use a few additions. Just classic cheese is on the menu, as are black truffle sauce, carbonara and a supremely indulgent four-cheese sauce. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find one-kilogram bowls of gnocchi, vegan pizza, wine and desserts. Download Salt Meats Cheese's new app for iOS and Android. Delivery is available from 5–9pm.
At its locations in Surry Hills and North Sydney, Devon Cafe is serving up a dedicated truffle menu again this winter. It's a sizeable menu, and one item that caught the attention of our taste buds is the truffle egg sando ($20). Combining fluffy white bread, omelette, mushroom pâté and shaved truffle, this is a tasty a twist on a Japanese classic, and it's available through to the end of August. If you're keen on something sweet to end the meal, try the cafe's truffle sundae ($17.50) — truffle-infused soft serve, truffle honey and sea salt, served in a waffle cone or cup and topped more fresh truffle. Also on the menu this year: a truffle latte ($7.50), curly fries with parmesan and truffle ($19), truffle-topped mi goreng ($35) and a wagyu rice dish topped with truffle ($36). With Sydney's current COVID-19 restrictions, cafes are allowed one person per four square metres, so we recommend you make a booking before heading in. Devon's truffle menu is available at its North Sydney and Surry Hills cafes.
In response to COVID-19, film festivals around the world have been making the shift to online programs for 2020 — and Australia's fests are no different. Sydney Film Festival is doing just that, as is the Melbourne International Film Festival. Also going virtual: the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival. HRAFF's addition to the digital fold is called Humankind, and it runs between Monday, May 18–Sunday, May 24. Each day, it'll screen a different film online. And yes, while that means that the fest's lineup is quite small, it's also mostly free. Although registering for tickets is still required, six of the seven movies on the program will be made available to viewers without paying a cent. You can opt to donate, though, if you can spare $2, $10 or $50. On the bill: poignant New Zealand drama Whale Rider; documentary No Time for Quiet, about the Girls Rock! camp in Melbourne; and fellow music-focused doco Her Sound, Her Story, which explores the experiences of women in the industry. Or, you can check out environmental documentary Tomorrow, which is co-directed by Inglourious Basterds star Melanie Laurent; Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, about the African American poet and activist; and Backtrack Boys, which dives into a jackaroo-led youth program. Humankind is also screening excellent Aussie doco In My Blood It Runs, which tells the tale of 10-year-old Northern Territory resident Dujuan — and tickets to watch it online cost $15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmahNqD3Dvw&feature=youtu.be
Pick your favourite movie, change the concept slightly and Hollywood's next big hit could be born. It worked for The Fast and the Furious, which took Point Break's storyline, swapped surfboards for cars and spawned a hugely successful franchise, and it somewhat works in Little as well. Sequels and spinoffs aren't as likely to follow in the current case, but this age-swap comedy serves up a bit of fun with its reversed take on 80s classic Big. To be accurate, it serves up a highly predictable tale, themes to match, a few laughs, energetic performances and a star-making turn from 14-year-old Marsai Martin. Best known for TV sitcom Black-ish, Martin is a comic force to be reckoned with as Jordan Sanders, a character she shares with Regina Hall. The younger actress plays the 13-year-old version of the hotshot technology entrepreneur — both when she was originally a bullied, anxious, science-loving teenager suffering the ultimate humiliation at her school talent show, and when the tyrannical thirty-something is turned back into her adolescent self by a kid waving a magic wand. As an adult, Jordan has been coping with her youthful torment by becoming a rich, unpleasant control freak, unleashing much of her intimidation upon her long-suffering assistant April (Issa Rae). Then she picks on a child, wakes up to discover that she's now a child again herself, and is forced to enlist April to act as her legal guardian. Obviously, there's no question that writer-director Tina Gordon (who also helped pen What Men Want) and her co-scribe Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) have seen Tom Hanks dance around on a walking keyboard in Big. The link is right there in Little's name. Martin has too, and that's where the film actually sprang from. The teen actress watched the movie, came up with a twist and pitched the idea to the right person. Now she's starring in the end product. She's also an executive producer on the picture — the youngest ever in Hollywood. Thanks to this origin story, there's a shameless feeling of familiarity to the flick — yet it's by design, rather than through arrogance, ignorance or laziness. The film's pace is breezy and its tone is bouncy, creating a feel-good, upbeat, self-empowering vibe, which should surprise no one. The expected jokes and messages also arrive on cue. Indeed, Little is well-aware that everyone knows where it sprang from, that it's never going to be original, and that plenty of other body-swap comedies have also done something similar. As a result, it rarely contemplates breaking the mould. More than that, it doesn't think it needs to. The film does pair its concept with the African-American experience, and calls out the fact that these kinds of antics usually only involve white characters, but it's otherwise content to stick to the formula. And while playing it safe is rarely the path to big-screen success, there's a reason for Little's approach. Instead of stepping into new territory, the movie adheres to the template, relying on its cast to add much-needed personality. In exaggerated mode, Hall has a ball. Finding the sweet spot between affable and awkward, Rae does as well. In the precocious Martin's case, she shines brighter than her character's oversized sunglasses and glitzy outfits. Without her, all of the film's cliches and tropes would take centre stage, from Jordan's initial shock at her sudden transformation, to the inevitable makeover montages, to the just-as-expected learning of life lessons. But while they're still all blatantly apparent, Martin's spark goes a long way. Crucially, she inhabits her character like an adult placed in a kid's body, rather than a child playing dress-up imitating someone older. With the younger Jordan strutting around in designer clothes, confidently ordering whisky at a bar and even flirting with her teacher when she's sent back to school, it's a vital difference, and it shows. Little still belongs to one of today's most pervasive and worrying trends — where everything can, should and must be rehashed over and over and over again — but it finds a way to stand out. In the crowded age- and body-swap genre that counts everything from 13 Going on 30 and 17 Again to Freaky Friday and The Change-Up, that too makes a difference. A big one, fittingly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWzxkqHn6D4
It's Cinco de Mayo time again, and with the holiday always comes a slew of Mexican food offerings. For the occasion, Neutral Bay's SoCal is bringing back its all-you-can-eat taco night on Tuesday, May 7 — so best start making room in your stomach now. For $30, you can tuck into as many tacos as your tum can handle. Think varieties like fish with pineapple and coriander salsa, smoked brisket with sweet chipotle and tofu with kimchi and daikon slaw. For drinks, the bar will be slinging margaritas for a tenner all night, too. You'll need to book a table between 5–10pm for the deal. And we suggest you do so soon — last year booked out very quickly. It's all part of the venue's second Taco and Tequila Fiesta, which celebrates Cinco de Mayo with a week of festivities.
Every Monday, Salt Meats Cheese Broadway serves up slices upon slices of pizza for its weekly all-you-can-eat night. It's a time when gluttony isn't a sin — but if you're vegan, you might've been holding back. Fancy as much pizza as you can handle, but without any animal products? And pasta, too? Then mark Tuesday, May 14 in your diary. From 5pm, SMC will serve up unlimited vegan slices and bowls for $25. The only catch is that you'll have to buy a drink as well, but you can choose from both booze and non-alcoholic options. As for the pizza lineup, patrons can choose from multiple varieties, all of which come topped with not-zzarella cheese. Pizzas include the margherita, eggplant with basil salsa, and roasted potato with garlic and rosemary. Or, opt for the vegetariana, which combines tomato, zucchini, eggplant and roasted red capsicum — or a slice of truffle and mushroom. If you'd like gluten-free bases, too, that'll cost you an extra $5.
There's a feeling that all wine lovers know — the feeling of tasting a new drop that's never before touched your lips, savouring the flavour and realising how delicious it is. Multiply that by 12, and that's what Bonnie's latest Wine Safari night is all about. You'll taste sup new tipples. You'll enjoy never-before-sampled natural wines. You'll be quite happy, obviously. The third in the Bondi venue's ad-hoc series, this night is all about Lucy Margaux by Anton Van Klopper, so prepare for fresh drops from one of the country's best natural wine labels. From a Pinot Noir Pet-Nat to a Chardonnay to a Merlot — and to vino with names like Sangiovese Stupefacente and Aussie Bum and the Frog, too — a dozen varieties will be there for the tasting from 6pm on Tuesday, March 26. Attendees will also be able to buy bigger portions of each wine by the glass from $16, and nab takeaways. Also heading to the hangout inside Bondi Beach Public Bar are the evening's hosts: Van Klopper, Marie-Sophie Canto (The Dolphin Wine Room), Gabrielle Webster (Icebergs Dining Room & Bar) and James Hird (Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, The Dolphin Hotel). Food-wise, their colleague Monty Koludrovic will be cooking up three kinds of red pizza frittatas.
So, you're the eager kind of bastard (not the Snow type, mind you) who likes to throw spoilers in the face of your lessers? Lucky for you, the Game of Thrones edition of Since I Left You trivia is here, so you'll be able to use that smug mouth to win. Or die. Lovers of the books and returning TV series (April 15 – permanent maker it in your calendar) should make a date with the CBD bar, with a GoT trivia night happening on Tuesday, April 9. Costume is not mandatory, but that's part of the fun. White walkers, maesters, red priests, naked extras and dung-faced peasants will also most likely be in abundance, so if you really want to impress you'll need to think outside the boxset (someone had better turn up as the animated map of the opening credits, is what we're saying here). Food and drink will be available for purchase — with $15 carafes of wine available all night — and host of prizes are on offer. If you're keener than a Stark heading back to Winterfell, booking a table for your team at info@sinceileftyou.com.au is necessary. And don't delay — it's winter soon.
Getting arty while sipping tipples has fast become everyone's favourite thing to do, and for plenty of good reasons. It's creative, it's fun and it's the equivalent of reliving your primary school art classes as a wine-sipping adult. And, while there's no shortage of places and sessions popping up for the imbibing artists amongst us, Boozy Finger Painting promises something different on a number of levels. As the name suggests, you'll be unleashing your crafty talents using your fingers — and truly feeling nostalgic as a result. For $70, Work-Shop will supply the canvas, paint, gloves if you don't want to get too messy and a primer on what to do, plus two glasses of Cake red wine. Then it'll let you loose. You can also BYO tipples if you think you'll need more liquid inspiration — and you can also use body parts other than your fingers if you'd really like. The next sessions take place as Work-Shop's Sydney HQ from 6.30pm on select Friday evenings between June and October.
Restock your reading pile without paying a cent — yes, Free Comic Book Day is back for 2019. First started in the US in 2002, the event has grown into an annual international celebration, paying tribute to comics and graphic novels in all of their forms. Each and every year, Kinokuniya gets in on the action. This year, the CBD store will be giving away more than 13,000 free comics; however that's just the beginning of the shenanigans. Expect an explosion of pop culture in The Galeries, including a cosplay competition, an artist's alley — where some of Sydney's top creators will sketch pieces for fans — and an incredibly timely Star Wars trivia comp. 2019's Free Comic Book Day does fall on Saturday, May 4, after all. You'll also be able to pick up a free tote showbag (all those comics need to go somewhere) if you register in advance for the early bird queue, take part in a nanoblock building comp, and nab 20 percent off all graphic novels and manga. The fun starts when the store opens, with Kinokuniya trading from 10am–7pm.
The 90s were great. That shouldn't be a controversial opinion. Whether you lived through them or have spent the last couple of decades wishing you did — aka binging on 90s pop culture — Oxford Art Factory's New Year's Eve shindig will indulge both your retro and your festive urges. Drinks, tunes, fashion: expect all of the above at the No Scrubs: 90s and Early 00s party from 9pm on NYE. Of course, it's up to you to make sure the clothing side of thing is covered, and to get into the spirit of the season. If you want to use Mariah Carey as a style icon, it'd be fitting. Expect to unleash your inner Spice Girl and Backstreet Boy too. TLC, Destiny's Child, Savage Garden, Usher, Blink-182, No Doubt — we'd keep listing artists, but you all know what you're getting yourselves into. Entry costs $10 on the door, with the fun running through until 3am.
Until Sunday, March 3, Carriageworks is playing host to the latest exhibition by American artist Nick Cave, which explores issues of gun violence, gender politics and race relations in America. Until is his largest solo presentation, and marks the same achievement for the Eveleigh venue — and now, as part of Sydney Festival, it's getting two after-hours art sessions. Until Later will see Cave's pieces combine with talks, live music and DJs spinning tunes, adding an extra layer to the works and installations gracing Carriageworks' walls. Taking place from 7pm on Monday, January 14 and again at the same time on Monday, January 21, it's your chance to explore the exhibition in a different way. It's also far from your usual Monday night activity. Tickets cost $39, and both dates boast impressive lineups, so head along to see Mojo Juju and Ngaiire one week, then Nakhane and Charlotte Hatherley the next. Each session will also include an in-conversation chat hosted by Wesley Enoch and featuring Ayebatonye Abrakasa, while Ayebatonye will also be behind the decks. Image: Zan Wimberley, 2018.
It's a case of new year, new idea at the Australian National Maritime Museum in January, with the Darling Harbour spot hosting its first series of after-hours waterside parties. Head by on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the month and sunset shindigs await at Summer Lates — with DJs spinning tunes, food and drinks available to purchase, and the museum's exhibitions open as well. Yes, a boozy night at the museum is in store on January 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26. You'll be able to wander through the world of sharks at On Sharks & Humanity's showcase of artwork, step into an a story about the fight for recognition of Indigenous sea rights via Gapu-Monuk Saltwater, and venture to the ocean's depths thanks to James Cameron's Challenging the Deep. Like the parties, the first two exhibits are free to enter; however peering beneath the sea with the director of the Titanic does attract a $12–20 fee. Timing-wise, the waterfront bar will start serving up summery cocktails from 5pm, running through until 10pm — and you'll be able to enter the museum until 8pm. Teaming up with Surry Hills' Fishbowl, ANMM is putting on a tasty salad menu for the occasion. Think salmon sashimi with beets, edamame and kale; free-range chicken with coriander, cucumber, roast sesame dressing and and wasabi peas; and hand-pressed tofu with radish, shallots and a miso tahini dressing.
For nearly six decades, Robert Redford has sparkled on the silver screen, dripping charm across the original The Great Gatsby, solo seafaring drama All Is Lost and everything in between. His resume is as sizeable as his charisma, but as his acting career reportedly comes to an end, the 82-year-old's allure couldn't shine brighter. The primarily 1980s-set The Old Man and the Gun is the story of two men: a real-life thief and the detective on his trail. It's also a tale that's intricately attuned to its leading man. Seeing Redford rob banks and stage heists once more feels like the perfect swansong for a talent who became a star thanks to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting. Likewise, that the movie is all about doing what you love couldn't feel more fitting for his final on-screen role. After stating that The Old Man and the Gun would be his last performance, Redford somewhat walked back those comments with a 'never say never' attitude. If this does turn out to be the four-time Oscar nominee's final hurrah in front of the camera, he's leaving viewers with a treasure of a filmic goodbye that keeps its scale small and intimate, but boasts a big heart as it ponders big existential matters. A loving tribute and a wistful take on a true story combined, The Old Man and the Gun recognises that pursuing a passion is what life is all about and, if you're able to do just that, it changes everything. Much to cinema's great benefit, Redford has chased his dream through acting since 1960. The man he's playing here did the same by walking into banks and demanding their money. Dressed respectably, hat, jacket, tie and all, Forrest Tucker's (Redford) modus operandi is always the same. He steps into a financial institution, steps up to a member of staff and courteously asks for their cash. He gestures gently towards the gun under his arm, all while conducting his stick-up politely, smoothly and with a smile. Afterwards, once he's waltzed out with the loot without customers noticing, bank employees routinely tell the police how nice he is. In his 70s and out of jail again after one of his many stints inside, Tucker is still doing what he does best, usually with long-term pals Teddy (Danny Glover) and Waller (Tom Waits). Sparking up a romance with widow Jewel (Sissy Spacek) doesn't change Tucker's love for his chosen profession, and neither does the sleuthing of determined Texas cop John Hunt (Casey Affleck). Drawn from a 2003 New Yorker article with the same evocative name, Hunt's, er, hunt for Tucker helps shade in some of the latter's backstory. But this isn't about documenting all of the details, with getting a sense of the eponymous old man more important than working through his biography. That's what Jewel does, as their relationship progresses even after Tucker is upfront about his line of work. The film follows her cues, offering a casual stroll through the twilight years of its likeable and kindly criminal. Shot in warm tones on 16mm stock, and given the nostalgic sheen of someone reflecting on fond memories, it may be a bank robber drama, a detective quest and a romance all in one — but it's first and foremost an affectionate yarn about its engaging protagonist and his dedication to remaining true to his outlaw self. In other words, The Old Man and the Gun fits snuggly into the oeuvre of writer-director David Lowery, who has amassed an impressive resume with his four movies to date. Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Pete's Dragon and A Ghost Story might seem worlds away from the filmmaker's latest effort, and from each other, but the yearning need to remain true to oneself sits at the centre of each. Lowery also excels at splashing emotion across the screen subtly but powerfully. It's there when he lingers on the twinkle in Redford's eye, and when he documents Tucker's many prison escapes by using footage from across the actor's career. And, it's evident in the film's other standout performance. Harking back to her breakout role in Badlands, Spacek once again falls for someone who's committed to doing wrong, and once again gleams, this time like her character's name. That makes The Old Man and the Gun a gorgeous and entertaining ode to not just one cinema legend, but two. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWybz4vdaFs
Can you think of a better way to spend a muggy, summer night than with an outdoor movie and quality food by the harbour? From November 21 to December 16, American Express is bringing its outdoor cinema to Sydney's inner-city coastline. The new Pyrmont spot is the newest location for the pop-up cinema, which is hosting outdoor events in 12 locations across Australia and New Zealand this year. Movies on this big screen will include just-released hits like Bad Times at the El Royale, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born and Boy Erased, as well as classic — including Dirty Dancing, Elf and Love Actually. The event will kick off with an advanced screening of Robin Hood, too. Salt Meats Cheese will be supplying the movie bites, with a daily menu of antipasti and woodfired pizza, and drinks will be on offer from Urban Alley Brewery, Pimm's, Giesen Wines and Black Devil Cider. In addition, there will be more than 20 events across the installation, including live music performances, DJs and trivia Oh, and it's a dog-friendly space, so you don't need to leave part of your family at home. Plus if you're an Amex user you'll get 15 percent off selected tickets, plus a blanket. American Express Openair Cinemas will also pop-up in Sydney's inner west (Jan 11–Feb 17) and Bondi (dates to-be announced)
This week, Sydney welcomes Melbourne-based artist Ash Keating for a live install of Gravity System Response, his first public project in Sydney. Keating has shown around Australia and internationally, including at the National Gallery of Victoria and in Tokyo, Seoul and Jogyakarta, but it's a rare chance to see him in action. Especially to watch his unique process of using the high-pressure force of fire extinguishers to spray paint metres into the air. Part outdoor mural, part performance art, Gravity System Response draws on Keating's background in graffiti, video, conceptual work and performance art to create "camouflage paintings" in response to the colours and energy of the space around them. The name of the work is a reference to the gravity effect of working with paint so high up. Keating plays with gradient and drips, making decisions on the fly as he lets the work "build itself". As well as an exploration of energy, abstraction, gravity and colour, Gravity System Response is a celebration of the place of art and public space in cities; it aims to support a vibrant, open city full of art, music and culture. The work is set to be a timely piece as Sydney debates how (and when and how late) we use public spaces and the role that art has to play in the life of a city. Keen to see it all come to life? The live-action artmaking is taking place at The Domain from Wednesday, December 5–Thursday, December 6, between 11am–2pm. Keep an eye on the Facebook event to find out more details, including the exact location. This new work is presented by the City of Sydney's Art & About program and curated by Billie and Elliott Routledge of Funstudio.
Fancy a trip to China, but can't afford the airfare? Well, luck is on your side, because Chatswood is hosting a three-week-long cultural festival to ring in the Year of the Pig. From 29 January to 19 February, the lower north shore suburb will be filled with food, festivities and floats as it celebrates the Chinese New Year. Highlights include a Golden Market in Chatswood Mall (Jan 29–Feb 8) with 35 stallholders serving up everything from dumpling to flowers; Celebration Day (Feb 9), one of Sydney's largest Chinese New Year celebrations; and the Lunar New Year Twilight Parade (February 16) with impressive floats and dragon dancing moving through Chatswood's main streets. Foodies can head on one of the Taste of Asia tours, which travel through Chatswood's many multi-cultural eateries, with guests feasting on everything from Taiwanese bao to Chinese dumplings to authentic Malay and heat-packing tom yum. Kidults (and actual children) can head to a night at the movies with Flicks for Piglets screened every evening, including both Chinese and English family films. And it's all free, no passport required.
Is your aesthetic still stuck in the greys and navy blues of winter? Well, you should hotfoot it to Precinct 75 — its upcoming design market will help you transition into summer. Across one day December, the market is returning to the St Peters creative precinct to celebrate local independent labels. Both Precinct 75 tenants and guest will be there, including homewares designers Saarde Hoem and Upcycle Studio. Or snag yourself a sweet-smelling real Christmas tree (which'll be available from the precinct for the rest of the month, too). Food stalls from Rice Pantry, Sample Roasters and Buttercream Bakery will keep you fed, while Precinct 75's Urban Winery and Willie The Boatman will be doling out the vino and beer, respectively. Sydney Vegan Market will also be popping up no the day, serving up a slew of plant-based eats and drinks. If you need a midway shopping break, there will be plenty of action to keep you occupied with live music and indoor plant advice — and lots of green babies available to buy — available from the Mega Pop-Up Plant Sale. Even better, with free entry for you, your mates and the pooch — yes, pets are welcome — you'll have more money to spend on some new wares. Precinct 75 Summer Design Fair will run from 9am–4pm.
Summer means sunshine, saying goodbye to wearing many layers of clothing at all times and stepping out into the great outdoors as often as possible. It also means the return of market-friendly weather. With that in mind, the folks at Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel and Cambridge Markets are joining forces for a festive fling. There'll be food. There'll be shopping. There'll be rides, fun and hangouts aplenty. Head on down to Robertson Park on Friday, December 7, because that's when Watsons Bay Christmas Twilight Market will be taking over. As well as browsing and buying in scenic surroundings, expect 120 stalls and many gourmet food stations. Those eager to head home with a full basket will find local designer fashion, homewares, ceramics and jewellery on offer from 3pm until 9pm. Those keen to fill their stomachs can eat their way through Vietnamese pho, pork sliders and more. Arrive hungry, leave satisfied — and with a heap of new items.
Spring is here, flowers are blooming and you just want to fill your house with plants. Head on over to Sydney's latest greenery-filled pop-up and you can do just that. In fact, it's called The Green. Located in Banksmeadow, a 15-minute drive south of the CBD, The Green will be slinging ferns, figs and other foliage from 9am–5pm on Saturday, October 20. Prepare to feast your eyes on a heap indoor and courtyard plants, including succulents, with the majority of the stock on sale for between $10–30. Entry is free, but you will need a ticket to attend — and if you'd like to do more than shop, you have a few options. You can also attend free terrarium and succulent bowl demonstrations, or you can book yourself in for a paid terrarium or kokedama workshop and take your own green creation home with you for $49–59
As the brains behind Ms. G's, and executive chef of Merivale's multi-venue Establishment, Dan Hong is no stranger to innovation. But things are about to get extra crafty when he's joined in the Ms. G's kitchen by some big-name international comrades, for an exclusive series of whisky-inspired food collabs. The first of these kicks off next week, with the help of groundbreaking LA chef Kris Yenbamroong. The mind behind legendary Thai street food restaurants Night + Market and Hong will each deliver an experimental menu of snacks, available across two rollicking weeknight parties on October 10 and 11. We're talking bites like rock oysters with sweet and sour pig's head jam, condensed milk-marinated pork skewers, fried chicken and papaya sandwiches and a whisky coconut sorbet. Guests will enjoy a parade of the pair's game-changing dishes, alongside DJ tunes and a series of Chivas Regal cocktail concoctions crafted exclusively for the events. There'll also be the chance to road-test some special booze blends at whisky stations set up throughout Ms. G's. Your $90 ticket includes all food, four Chivas Regal cocktails, entertainment, a whisky blending experience and your own blended whisky to take home. The Blend series continues next month, when Hong will joins forces with longtime mate Jowett Yu (Hong Kong's Ho Lee Fook) and Louis Tikram from LA hotspot LP & EP. They'll host a couple of similar shindigs on November 12 and 13, this time plating up an adventurous Asian-fusion mash-up. A third and final (and yet-to-be-named) guest will be heading Down Under for two nights in December — we'll update you as soon as they're announced. Images: Dimitri Tricolas, Nikki To and Laure Joliet
Heated outdoor spaces are a hot commodity while the weather's still a bit nippy. They offer a rare occasion to enjoy some fresh air even when the warmth from the sun has vanished. Luckily, The Grounds of Alexandria has you sorted. The venue holds regular after-dark music events held in its fairy light-lit urban garden, and the next instalment is all about blues and mulled wine. Go straight from work and grab a glass from 6.30pm. Music will be going throughout the night — the soulful Frank Sultana will be complemented by the upbeat harmonica tunes from duo Sweet Jelly Rolls. Dancing is encouraged. The $30 ticket price includes entry and the music, with food and drinks available to purchase from the kitchen — think cheese and charcuterie boars, burgers and other dishes from the barbecue. It's a top date idea or, alternatively, one for you fam — kids under 12 get in for free.
Everyone loves digging into a bowl of hearty, cheesy, carby pasta — whether it's the middle of a drizzly winter today or the peak of summer. But sometimes, depending how fancy you go, they can set you back nigh $30. For World Pasta Day (a thing, it seems) Fratelli Fresh is shunning exxy bowls and instead celebrating with a day of $10 pastas. All eight Fratelli Fresh stores — Alexandria, Bridge Street, Crows Nest, Darling Harbour, Entertainment Quarter, Macquarie Street, Walsh Bay and Westfield CBD — will be offering all pasta dishes on their menus for only a tenner. All day. Choose from crab spaghettini, classic spag bol, linguine with chilli and garlic, ricotta ravioli with burnt butter and a next-level fettuccini with duck ragù (among others). Pretty lovely considering some of these dishes are usually priced at up to $35 price tag. Book your spot for lunch or dinner via the website.
Not all street festivals are held in the inner west. Sure, it's got Marrickville Festival and Leichhardt's Italian Festa, but the lower north shore has Crown Nest Fest. And it's no small affair — each year, the one-day festival brings in over 50,000 punters. This year — its 28th — will see Willoughby Road lined with over 200 stallholders hawking food, drinks and other goodies. Bands will play throughout the day across four stages, and you can expect local haunts like The Hayberry, Johnny Bird and Double Cross to get involved, too.
When Best F(r)iends: Volume One hit screens earlier this year, it was the film that had to happen. Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero couldn't just give the world the so-bad-it's-amazing gift that is The Room and leave it at that, after all. And thanks to the surprisingly watchable flick's name, we all knew what would be coming next: Best F(r)iends: Volume Two. Yep, the duo's first disasterpiece became the basis for Sestero's ace behind-the-scenes book The Disaster Artist, and then the oh-so spot-on movie adaptation of the same name — and now their second effort is wrapping up with its second part. Prepare to throw plastic gold teeth rather than plastic spoons at the screen, or just show up wearing a bloody shirt. If you want to say "oh hi" to someone, that's obviously allowed. For those that missed the return of Wiseau's long, greasy locks in Best F(r)iends: Volume One, it sees the world's most distinctive actor play a mortician, with Sestero also starring as a drifter who starts selling off gold teeth extracted from dead bodies. It's somewhat inspired by a true story, with Sestero writing the script based on a road trip he really took with Wiseau. The man forever known as The Room's Mark also says that Best F(r)iends: Volume Two his favourite thing he's ever doneis . If you're so filled with excitement that you feel like storming onto a rooftop and throwing a bottle, don't stress — just like the first part, the second film is coming to Sydney. It'll screen at the Hayden Orpheum at 7pm on Thursday, December 6. Even better, Sestero will be in attendance to answer all of your questions. Just don't ask him how his sex life is, obviously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTu9N40E_MI
