If you haven't eaten a hopper, you need to rectify that immediately. A type of bowl-shaped pancake made with rice and coconut milk and traditionally filled with an egg and other toppings, the Sri Lankan street delicacy has been labelled the next big thing in food. And with good reason — these things are bloody delicious. Now, after a successful pop-up last year, food precinct Tramsheds is getting its very own eatery dedicated to the humble hopper. Opening today — Friday, February 10 — Hopper Kadé is a new eatery from Ruvanie de Zoyza, who over the past ten months has been selling her hoppers at markets around town. "We are thrilled Sydneysiders love hoppers as much as we do," de Zoyza said. "Now that we will be serving them regularly from our permanent home, we are hoping to satisfy the demand." The menu at Hopper Kadé features three different types of hoppers: a white hopper made with white rice and coconut milk, a red hopper made with fermented red rice and coconut milk, and a string hopper, which is made with steamed white rice noodles. As for toppings, you can choose from a number of variants both savoury and sweet. The Ozzie comes with caramelised salted bacon, tomato relish and a free-range egg, while the crispy chicken option includes fried chicken, egg and a spicy date and tamarind sauce. The Naana-Tella, meanwhile, is piled high with banana and drizzled with Nutella. Alternatively, customers can build their own from scratch, with additions ranging from marinated beef to seasonal fruit to spicy yoghurt and green pepper mayo. Hopper Kadé is open 9am till 9pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Artist Lane at Tramsheds, 1 Dalgal Way, Forest Lodge. For more information, visit www.hopperkade.com.au.
When two locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were identified in Sydney late last week, involving a man in his 50s and his wife, the New South Wales Government reimplemented a number of restrictions in the Greater Sydney region. In effect since 5pm, Thursday, May 6, the current rules regarding at-home gatherings, singing and dancing indoors, standing up to have a drink and wearing masks were due to end at 12.01am tomorrow, Monday, May 10 — however, they'll now remain in place for another week. Announced this morning, Sunday, May 9, by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, the restrictions continue to apply to the Greater Sydney area, which includes the Central Coast, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the region down to Illawarra. They'll now be extended until 12.01am on Monday, May 17. If you need a refresher, a 20-person cap is in place for gatherings in homes in Greater Sydney — and that includes children. Outside of the house, drinking while standing up is no longer allowed at pubs, clubs, restaurants and the like, and neither is dancing or singing at indoor venues. At weddings, dance floors can still operate, but they can only accommodate 20 people at once. https://twitter.com/GladysB/status/1391198751369228289 Masks will continue to be mandatory in some situations, but the rules are being tweaked slightly there. They're no longer required in retail or hospitality situations — unless you're a customer-facing staff member, or you're in the gaming area. Covering your face remains compulsory on public transport, though, and at public indoor venues such as theatres, hospitals and aged care facilities. The restrictions are being kept back in place after the two new NSW cases occurred in people who haven't been overseas recently, and don't work in hotel quarantine, border or health roles. Last week, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said that the sequence from the new case matches a case in a returned overseas traveller, but NSW Health hasn't been able to directly connect the two people as yet. That remains the same today, which is why restrictions are being extended. In a tweet, Premier Berejiklian explained that "as the 'missing link' case hasn't been identified, we're keen to prevent a super-spreading event". Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week — and, if you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, to follow the instructions regarding testing and self-isolating. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
A glass of wine can have 27 different acids, 23 kinds of alcohol, 16 types of sugar, 80 esters and aldehydes and a crapload of minerals and vitamins. What does that mean? For a drink made solely by fermenting grape juice, wine is incredibly complicated. Many of us don't know a $400 bottle of jammy oaked Red from a cocktail of goony nail polish. Looking at a menu with 400 options can be quite embarrassing sometimes. The Keystone Group wants to help us out. They've launched a new 'wine school' headed by award-winning sommelier Sarah Limacher. The classes held at The Winery teach the basics of wine tasting, wine matching and how to order a wine that you'll like. Sarah says the classes are unpretentious and ultimately she just wants everyone to have a good time. The $25 classes come with ten wine tastings and food, so that’s highly likely. School's on at 6.30pm on the last Tuesday of the month.
Charlie Chaplin once said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Thankfully, the good folks over at the Sydney Comedy Festival agree wholeheartedly and are back again to ensure we don’t waste the 27 days spanning April 20 to May 17. Returning for its 11th year to venues across the city, the festival brings a chock-a-block comedy calendar catering to all comedyphiles. From side-splitting stand-up to sit-down storytelling, sketch shows and improv, they’ve covered the entire comedy spectrum. While there are a stack of stellar shows — including the always popular Gala and Cracker nights — we’ve narrowed it down to ten you can’t afford to miss if you don’t want a wasted day. Check out our top ten shows to see at the Sydney Comedy Festival.
Looks like a few Black Keys-lovin' Bluesfest ticketholders will be reconsidering their Easter long weekend plans, The Black Keys have cancelled all Asia Pacific shows due to injury. Drummer Patrick Carney has sustained a serious shoulder injury, so the duo have cancelled all forthcoming concerts in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, part of their Turn Blue world tour, cancelled up until April 23. "We are very sorry to have to cancel our upcoming performances through April 23," the band said in an official statement. "Patrick sustained a dislocated and broken shoulder in January that required surgery. Working with the doctors, surgeons and physiotherapists since January, we had expected Patrick to be ready to return to touring in April. The recovery process and physical therapy has taken longer than anticipated and unfortunately Patrick is still unable to perform and needs additional time to heal. We thank all of our fans for their ongoing support and we look forward to getting back on the road as soon as possible.” "We were incredibly excited about the shows that were about to happen but there is no way around cancelling the tour with the extent of Pat’s injury," said Brian Taranto from Love Police Touring. "You just can’t have The Black Keys with no drums. We sincerely apologise for the hassle this cancellation will cause fans.” The cancellation isn't good news for Bluesfest in particular, coming just weeks after headliner Lenny Kravitz also pulled out of Bluesfest and his Australian shows due to conflicting touring commitments. All tickets (outside of Bluesfest Byron Bay) will be refunded — wherever you bought them from. Rescheduling ain't happening. For Bluesfest refund policies, visit bluesfest.com.au. CANCELLED TOUR DATES April 2 Riverstage - Brisbane, Australia April 3 Bluesfest - Byron Bay, Australia April 5 Rolling Green - Rochford Wines Yarra Valley, Australia April 7 Margaret Court Arena - Melbourne, Australia April 10 Qantas Credit Union Arena - Sydney, Australia April 11 Rolling Green - Bimbadgen Winery Hunter Valley, Australia April 14 Red Hill Auditorium - Perth, Australia April 16 Entertainment Centre Theatre - Adelaide, Australia April 18 Horncastle Arena - Christchurch, New Zealand April 19 Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand April 22 Studio Coast - Tokyo, Japan April 23 Studio Coast - Tokyo, Japan
Can't be stuffed hitting the kitchen on Christmas Day? Or maybe you're hunting a spot to enjoy some post-lunch cocktails with the crew? Luckily Sydney's got no shortage of cafes, restaurants and bars that are dishing up the goods, even on December 25. Here are a few spots that are open and ready to whet your whistle and fill your belly on Christmas Day, 2021. [caption id="attachment_700692" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Neptunes[/caption] EATS Above Par, Sydney: 5.30–10pm Anason, CBD: midday–10pm Bake Bar, Randwick: 6am–5pm Bathers' Pavilion, Balmoral: 8am–5.30pm Black Bar and Grill, Pyrmont: midday–3pm and 5.30–10.30pm Botswana Butchery, CBD: midday–5pm Cucino Porto, Pyrmont: 5-9.30pm El Camino, Manly: midday–9pm El Jannah, Various Sydney Locations, : 11am–11pm Fratelli Fresh, Manly, Entertainment Quarter and Darling Harbour: 11am–3pm Flying Fish, Pyrmont: 5-10.15pm Harbord Hotel, Freshwater: 7am–late Harbourside Seafood Restaurant, The Rocks: midday–4pm Il Pontile, Woolloomooloo: midday–3.30pm and 6–10pm Infinity at Sydney Tower, Sydney: midday–2pm and 6pm-late Neptunes, Brighton-Le-Sands: 7am-11pm Otto Sydney, Woolloomooloo: 11.30pm–2pm Quay Restaurant, The Rocks: midday–1.30pm Sokyo, Pyrmont: midday–2.30pm and 5.30–9.45pm Tayim, The Rocks: midday–3pm [caption id="attachment_780053" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Esteban La Tessa[/caption] DRINKS Bar Tikram, Pyrmont: 4pm–late Continental Deli Bar Bistro, Newtown: midday–4pm Customs House Bar, Circular Quay: midday–8pm Munich Brauhaus, The Rocks: midday–4pm Willie the Boatman, St Peters: midday-6pm The Winery, Surry Hills: midday–3pm
In 1961, Hannah Arendt (Barbara Sukowa) was one of the world's leading academic writers and thinkers, a rock star figure at the university she taught and a fiery leading light amongst the Manhattan intelligentsia. Having escaped from her native Germany as the persecution of Jewish people began though, the spectre of the Holocaust was never far from her thoughts. An opportunity to return to her homeland arises when the New Yorker commissions her to travel to Germany and cover the trial of Adolf Eichmann. Known as the 'architect of the Holocaust', Eichmann was a high-ranking Nazi lieutenant responsible for transporting Jewish people to concentration camps. After the fall of Berlin, he had escaped to South America before being rounded up by Mossad agents and returned to Europe for the 'trial of the century'. Instead of being struck by his coldness or inhumanity at the trial, however, Arendt instead finds Eichmann an "unimpressive" and "unremarkable" figure, who presents himself as a bureaucrat who merely followed orders. Her reaction was not the one she expected, nor one many people wanted to hear, but her bafflement at Eichmann's approach to the trial went on to inform a work which helped readers understand how an almost unfathomably dark chapter in human history had unfolded. The process of writing has long been a difficult one to capture on screen and Hannah Arendt is not immune to this problem, settling for ho-hum shots of Sukowa sitting at a typewriter, endlessly smoking cigarettes, or looking deep in thought as her magazine editors pound the phones, eager for the elusive first draft. The film's main focus, however, is not the process of thinking through the trial and writing the controversial article (it was later expanded into a book) but the fallout after it was published. Many thought it a betrayal of her own Jewish heritage or a slanderous, self-serving provocation. The university where she once received gooey-eyed affection from her adoring students asks her to justify her continued employment there and social schisms spring up as former friends and allies turn against her. Directed in solid, determinedly no-frills style by Margarethe Von Trotta, Hannah Arendt is a reminder that a work which is now almost universally accepted as a key insight into the horrors of the Holocaust and the operation of a genocidal machine was considered incendiary and worse at the time of publication. Still, it's not until a late scene where Arendt faces a hostile crowd at a public speaking engagement that this seems to really get to the heart of what made her such a vital figure. For a film centred on a fearless, headstrong character who many saw as arrogant, there's something just too polite about Von Trotta's biopic, a film likely to inspire but not really satisfy, further curiosity in Arendt's work. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WTQNWgZVctM
Chiswick has long been a staple in the Sydney culinary scene — for ten years, in fact. So, from Friday, May 6, Chiswick will be marking that milestone with a month-long celebration. There's plenty to celebrate. As well as being known for its picture-perfect grounds, Chiswick is home to one of Sydney's only kitchen gardens with produce grown on site — which means that it serves up a seasonal menu that exudes a welcome balance of innovative fine dining and a warm sense of homeliness. Unsurprisingly, it has quickly found itself at the heart of the Woollahra community as a result. Creator Matt Moran and his team are releasing a digital recipe book to commemorate the big birthday, and also doing special-edition Providoor boxes. But if you're keen to head in, you'll find the venue looking even more stunning thanks to Sydney floral design studios Wilder and Hermetica, which'll both be styling some large-scale elaborate works. And, then there's the birthday menu, which will continue to echo Chiswick's planted-to-plated philosophy. Moran has collaborated with newly appointed Head Chef Taylor Cullen to create a lineup that honours Chiswick's signature dishes and gives diners a peek into what the next ten years might have in store. Expect bara-masalata with flatbread, grilled peppers with harissa, and butterflied trout with roe and Chiswick garden herb dressing — plus slow-roasted lamb with hummus, tabouli and mint salsa, and a fig and macadamia bombe alaska to finish things off. Price-wise, Chiswick's tenth birthday collective menu will set you back $90 per person. Top image: Steven Woodburn.
Secret Garden Festival might be the most secretive festival to grace the summer scene, and tickets for the next instalment are on sale on Thursday, November 14. As per every previous year, the lineup and location are still a complete secret, so the cash dropped for one of these tickets is a lucky dip that commits you to a whole weekend of booze, bands, friends and fun. Once again, the first day is a theme day. The 2013 festival celebrated the theme of Secret Garcon, where Friday festival goers dressed up in their favourite Cosplay attire. 2014, however, is a whole new ballgame. The Friday celebrations will be Farmers vs Zombies: a band of 'zombies' will be let loose on gardeners, who will be armed only with Nerf weapons (BYO Nerf weapons) and are expected to clear the yard in two hours, when the festival proper kicks off. Badass. The rest of the festival is given over to all manner of entertainment, including bands, artists and various other performers doing various other things. As vague as that sounds, it's mysteriously exciting. The best dang thing about the whole deal is that the entire festival is not for profit. All proceeds from tickets, food and drinks bought at the festival go towards the Sarah Hilt Foundation, which supports victims of meningococcal. So the more you drink, dance and stuff yourself, the more you're helping the community. Tickets start at $120 for one day, or $185 for both. Additional costs are involved for hiring tents, the Friday morning banquet and a bus to and from and the Farmers vs Zombies. Update 18 February: Here's the full lineup for 2014. Ariane - Awesome Tapes from Africa (CAN) - Blank Realm - Cosmo's Midnight Day Ravies - Del - Dusty Fingers - DZ Deathrays - Ernest Ellis – Joyride - Ken Davis Ambassador For The Future - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Levins - Love Bombs - Mighty Mouse (UK) - Mike Who - Roland Tings - Roof – Shag Shantan Wantan Ichiban - Slowblow & Softwar - Steve Smyth – Sweetie True Vibenation - Tyson Koh & Smokey LaBeef - Wordlife (DJ Set) - Yo Grito's Dance-Off! They join the first announcement acts: Bloods - Client Liaison - D.D Dumbo - Donny Benet & The Donny Benet Show Band Elizabeth Rose - Goldroom (USA - DJ Set) - Lancelot (Live) - Little May – Nantes Olympia – Palms - Papa Vs. Pretty - Richard In Your Mind - The Rubens - Ryan Hemsworth (CAN) - Shining Bird - Straight Arrows – Sures - The Trouble with Templeton - World’s End Press
Picture this: you're having a lazy evening at home in front of Netflix, and you promise yourself you'll power through just one — and only one — more episode before tapping out for the night. How many times have you broken that promise? Let's face it, you'd probably prefer not to count. And if you're like us, you probably also reach for the Ben & Jerry's for a quick sugar fix to keep you going. Convenient it may be, but healthy? Not so much. Next time you're planning a lazy night in, level up your snack game with something more wholesome (and equally delicious). We've teamed up with Yumi's to compile a collection of quick, easy and delicious alternatives to your favourite couch-time snacks. Here's what to dig into next time you're doing Netflix and chow. INSTEAD OF CHARCUTERIE...ASSEMBLE A GRAZING PLATTER Look, there's nothing wrong with a well-prepared charcuterie board — piles of delicious deli meats, indulgent cheeses, pâté and preserves, salty crackers, and the odd smattering of fruit. Add some variety with crunchy crudites — and, of course, dip. Yumi's have a huge range of dips that are all dairy and gluten free, and packed with real ingredients. We love the classic sweet potato and cashew dip, while the classic hommus is also excellent — variations like the rocket and almond pesto are also winners. They're great paired with fresh veggies (think carrots and cucumber), but perhaps even better with Yumi's selection of preservative-free and ready-to-eat falafel or veggie bites. We recommend zapping them in the microwave for a minute. INSTEAD OF ICE CREAM...MAKE SORBET Real talk: telling yourself that you're having just one more scoop of ice cream is the same as telling yourself you'll only watch one more episode before heading to bed. Before you know it, it's an ungodly hour and you're staring at the bottom of an empty tub. Lessen the lactose by making a swap for an easy, refreshing homemade sorbet — no churning required. You'll need to dice and prefreeze your favourite fruit — mango, cherries, pineapple or banana always work a treat, while store-bought, prefrozen berries are great for a quick win. Then, pop a cup (or two) in a blender with three to four tablespoons of sugar or maple syrup, and blitz until smooth. You can balance out the sweetness with a hint of lemon or lime juice, too. [caption id="attachment_815090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Margarita Zueva (Unspalsh)[/caption] INSTEAD OF PIZZA...MAKE BRUSCHETTA An evening on the couch with a juicy series lined up and a big, cheesy pizza — is there a better way to Netflix? Perhaps not — but there are healthier ways (that also don't rely on Uber Eats). Making your own pie is simple as can be, especially with so many types of premade bases available in just about any supermarket, including ones that cater for just about every dietary requirement. Crank up the oven and lather your base with tomato paste (you can even make your own, should you wish), cheese and your choice of toppings. Feel like something more refreshing? It's hard to go wrong when you make your own bruschetta. Pick up a crusty baguette, whack it under the grill, give it a rub with some olive oil, garlic and salt, and then load it up with fresh diced veggies, herbs or deli meats. It's an easy — and delicious — way to make sure you get in your five a day. [caption id="attachment_815095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charles Deluvio (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF SALTY CHIPS...MAKE VEGGIE CHIPS Love the salty crunch of potato chips? Us too — so we also know how hard it is to know when to stop. For a healthier alternative, leave the prepackaged morsels in the supermarket aisle and pick up some sweet potato or kale instead. It couldn't be more simple to get snacking, either. Just slice up your veg, toss it in some olive oil and pop it in the oven until crispy. Kale is full of good things, from beta-carotene to help eyesight, and Vitamins C, K and E. As for sweet potato, it's loaded with antioxidants, fibre and Vitamin A — it's also lower GI than a regular potato. Want some extra flavour? Kale chips are even better when tossed in a bit of za'atar, while sweet potato and paprika is a spicy match made in heaven. Dip liberally in some hummus and you've got yourself a serious snack. [caption id="attachment_815092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anshu A (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF BIKKIES...MAKE OATMEAL COOKIES We stan a Tim Tam as much as the next sweet tooth. And don't get us started on our ongoing love affair with an Iced Vovo. But of course, they're not the healthiest treats to snack on. If you too have trouble keeping your mitts out of the bikkie tin, try your hand at making your own oatmeal cookies. They're surprisingly easy to put together and will easily satisfying any sweet cravings. The benefits of trading sugar for oatmeal are plentiful — oats are higher in fibre, can stabilise blood sugars and are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. There's also the added benefit of the warm aroma of freshly baked goods waiting through your house. [caption id="attachment_815093" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Abbie Whiddett (Unsplash)[/caption] INSTEAD OF CAKE...MAKE CACAO BALLS There's a better way to get your gooey chocolate fix. Enter date and cacao balls. They're ridiculously easy to make, and they last longer than cake does, too (though if they disappear from the fridge quickly, we won't blame you). There are a heap of health benefits, too — dates are high in antioxidants and fibre, and can also improve bone health, while cacao has been shown to help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. For more wholesome snacking, check out the full range of Yumi's falafels, veggie bites and dips.
After the success of last year's foray, the East Village Gourmet Food Festival is set to become an annual event, with Joynton Park being taken over again by every foodie’s dream. Double the size of last year, the festival will have stalls from a host of Sydney vendors, including Darlinghurst’s darlings Foley Lane and the Chinese stylings of East Ocean Restaurant. Allpress Espresso will be serving up the coffees and Italian deli Salt Meats Cheese will don the barkeep’s garb, dishing out cocktails, craft beers and vino. At 7pm, things are taken up a notch with everybody’s favourite Thai joint, Longrain, hosting the Long Dinner — a banquet set up under the starry cosmos with all the guests at one, big table. With live music for adults and a petting zoo and face painting for the kids, the festival caters to the most diverse demographic of gastro-gurus. There’s even a makeshift dog park for the furry connoisseur.
Some colours only exist in nature, as much as paints, dyes and pixels attempt to pretend otherwise. The raging reds, blazing oranges and burning yellows seen in A Fire Inside's bushfire footage are some such hues — and, away from the safety of a cinema screen, no one should ever want to spy these specific searing tones. They're haunting enough as it is to look at in a movie. Taking up entire frames of on-the-ground footage shot during the summer of 2019–20, they're scorching in their brightness and intensity. This documentary about the national natural disaster just two years ago, when swathes of Australia burned for months, deploys those apocalyptic colours and the imagery containing them sparingly, notably; however, even when they only flicker briefly, those shades aren't easily forgotten. After everything the pandemic has delivered since the beginning of 2020, just as the 'Black Summer' bushfires were cooling, that chapter of history might seem far longer ago than just a couple of years. A Fire Inside is also an act of remembrance, though. Directors Justin Krook (Machine, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead) and Luke Mazzaferro (a producer on Girls Can't Surf and The Meddler) firmly look backwards, pushing these events back to the top of viewers' memories. That said, they also survey the situation since, as the rebuilding effort has been complicated and elongated by COVID-19. This approach also enables them to survey the lingering aftermath, including the homes that still haven't been rebuilt, the people still residing in makeshift setups, and the emotional and mental toll that's set to dwell for much longer still. Accordingly, what could've merely been a record of a catastrophe becomes a portrait of both survival and resilience. Unsurprisingly, interviews drive this Australian doco, focusing on people in two camps: the afflicted and the volunteers. Folks in each group chat about their experiences, and the lines between them frequently blur. Firefighter Nathan Barnden provides the first and clearest instance; the film's key early subject, he saved seven strangers and retained his own life in an inferno on the very first night that the fires reached New South Wales' far south coast, but also lost his cousin and uncle to the blazes the same evening. Barnden claims Krook and Mazzaferro's attention for multiple reasons, including his initial youthful eagerness to pick up a hose — following his father, who had done the same — as well as his candour about his distress in the months and now years afterwards. Often overlooked in tales of such events, that kind of emotion sears itself onto the screen with unshakeable power, too. A Fire Inside spends time with others affected, residents and volunteers alike. RFS captain Brendan O'Connor saved his community, alongside his crew, but suffered in his personal life — and his is just one of the film's stories. Krook and Mazzaferro don't loiter on the same kinds of details over and over again, but whether talking to food bank staff, backpackers helping with re-fencing damaged farms or locals who saw everything they belonged succumb to the flames, the duelling sensations of both endurance and loss remain throughout their doco. The mood: careful, caring, sensitive and poignant. This is a movie that conjures up every sentiment expected, but also one that earns every reaction. Heartbreak and hope seesaw, and recognising that back-and-forth ride is one of the film's canny touches. Just as astute, and as important, is the question simmering at A Fire Inside's core: why? That query isn't directed at the fires, with their cause naturally receiving oxygen during the movie's discussions, but is instead aimed at everyone who chose to help then and since — no matter on what scale. The answers are complex, which the documentary acknowledges in its format, structure and editing. It lets its lineup of chats all sit side by side, weaving them together and jumping between them, and the effect resembles a filmic mosaic. In interview after interview, the movie doesn't seek to come up with a definitive reason, but to present the range of responses, covering the impulses, thoughts and feelings, as well as the realities behind them. Tributes to bushfire volunteers and victims have taken many forms since 2019, such as concerts raising money and faces plastered across the Sydney Opera House sails. But A Fire Inside takes those gestures of appreciation to another level — and, as it dives so heartily into the ramifications of assisting during the fires and since, it ensures that all of that gratitude goes hand in hand with recognition. Saluting such selfless acts inherently involves noting them, of course. Still, realising that the toll keeps persisting, that the shock and trauma doesn't instantly subside when the flames are extinguished, and that volunteering is also an act of emotional labour isn't always as innate. A Fire Inside sees that as clearly as it perceives those red, orange and yellow hues, and as acutely as it finds as both grief and inspiration in the ashes.
Peace, love and picklebacks, another Sydney venue has decided to throw in the towel. This time, it's the long-loved Darlinghurst bar, The Flinders. Announcing their closure on Facebook this evening, the owners have directly blamed the lockouts for the closing of doors. "It's been a good run but Barry got us in the end," the team posted at 6pm. "We know it's sudden but please come in tonight and pour one out for your fallen homie. Thanks for all the good times. Peace, love, and picklebacks, from all of us at the Flinders." This announcement comes just months after Kings Cross venue The Backroom directly blamed the Barry O'Farrell-led government and their lockout legislation for the closure, prompting the controversial (and let's be honest, straight-up jerk-style) #notearsshed response from the former Premier. Jason Ryan, owner of The Flinders, talked to us about the lockouts in January 2014 after the opening of The Hide wine bar upstairs. When asked about how the bar would be affected by the proposed legislation changes (i.e. the lockouts), Ryan already knew the impact on the hotel. "We have already begun the awful task of reworking rosters and cutting back staff in preparation. The effects on our business will be dramatic … The Flinders is a safe and well-established late-night venue. We have also just invested large amounts of money into trying to develop The Hide, our new bar upstairs." "At the moment we are reliant on the cash flow from late-night business to support and pay for this investment," he said. "Now that late-night trade is being severely compromised, it’s a real worry as to whether we can sustain cash flow over the next few months whilst developing the rest of the business. This may ultimately jeopardise the future of The Hide. We hope people we still turn out in force at The Flinders for the lock-in!" The Flinders are shutting up shop super speedily, even holding a closing party tonight on Thursday, January 8. This seems a super fast closure for such a longtime Sydney bar. Very sad stuff. Throw back a few Picklebacks with the Flindies crew tonight at 63-65 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst.
If your idea of a good Thursday night involves tasting some of the best wines NSW has to offer in the company of the makers themselves, then keep reading. As part of the revamped Citi NSW Wine Awards, Outstanding on the Pier is a new event taking place on Pier 2, with the sparkling waters of Walsh Bay as a backdrop. It showcases the 120 wines that were selected as 'top wines' for 2013, with over 60 NSW wineries from varying regions being represented. You'll be able to meet some of the makers and sample a smattering of seasonal state produce (think Brasserie Bread, Alto Olives, Pepe Saya butter, a bit of Southern Highlands Lamb). Make sure to vote for the People's Choice Award to be in the running to win a special prize, including a selection of this year's top wines. Outstanding on the Pier is on October 31 at Pier 2, 13 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay from 5.30-8.30pm. Tickets are $40 from nswwine.com.au. Thanks to the Citi NSW Wine Awards, we have five double passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
The little black dress is dead, viva la little brown dress; it’s more dapper, younger cousin. Actually, it’s a project designed to curb textile consumption thanks to a garment re-styled and worn over an entire year.This is one of the many ideas featuring at Fashioning Now, an exhibition and symposium at UTS Gallery during Sydney Design 09. The exhibition will showcase innovative research projects and explore the issue of fashion and sustainability, particularly the way clothing is produced, used and discarded.Another work includes the disappearing dress - one that slowly dissolves over 28 days to become nothing more than liquid. In addition, an array of garments, photography, fashion illustrations and time-based media targeted at the Australian design community will highlight the need for alternative modes of material production.
Diehard fans of The Simpsons will remember season three, episode ten — the one in which bartender Moe steals Homer's secret, cough medicine-filled cocktail recipe and starts selling it at his bar as the 'Flaming Moe'. If a cough syrup-induced haze has always sounded like your kind of fun (or you're just a huge Simpsons fan) you're in luck. This classic episode will come to life this April when the Flaming Moe's Pop-up Bar opens its doors in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. It'll be an immersive experience with 'Moe' behind the bar slinging bottomless cocktails and all of the show's best characters in attendance, too. We doubt the bar's namesake cocktail will actually contain the grape-flavoured, children's cough medicine depicted in the show, but no information on the recipe has been revealed just yet. If its purist Simpsons, the drink will at least include some unholy combination of tequila, peppermint schnapps and creme de menthe — all lit on fire for good measure. For beer drinkers, Duff-inspired brew will be on tap as well. And, to round out the night, there will also be Simpsons trivia, with themed prizes up for grabs. Dates are not yet announced and details are slim, but we do know that the pop-up will open for just one day in each city. You can sign up for pre-release tickets here, which you best do because space will surely be limited.
As far as blockbuster citywide exhibitions go in Australia, there's none quite as ambitious as the Biennale of Sydney. Celebrating its 21st edition with brand new artistic director Mami Kataoka (chief curator of Tokyo's Mori Art Museum), the Biennale is bringing out the big guns next year. With controversial Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei at the top, the lineup for the 2018 Biennale has dropped. Running from Friday, March 16 until Monday, June 11, the Biennale will see around 70 artists exhibiting around Sydney over 12 weeks — with 21 announced in the first release today. Weiwei will make his triumphant return to Australia following his wildly successful Melbourne double-bill exhibition with Andy Warhol last year. If you remember, he had quite the public falling-out with Lego so expect anything and everything from his Biennale involvement. Weiwei joins the likes of French multimedia artist Laurent Grasso, sculptural artist Haegue Yang, Australian contemporary artist Brook Andrew and Finnish video artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila, among significantly impressive others. While the Biennale's exhibition title won't be announced until July, artistic director Kataoka says this year they've done away with a specific theme or concept. Instead, they're focusing on perspectives from a broad range of artists from around the world. "Next year's Biennale will explore multiple viewpoints in search of a state of equilibrium," she said. "Rather than focusing on a specific concept or theme, the exhibition will suggest multi-layered perspectives of the world and its histories simultaneously." Kataoka says the Biennale experience will be "a journey; a walk through microcosms of the world today based on the stratum of history, human knowledge, emotions, desires and beliefs". A little vague, but we're still psyched. FIRST BIENNALE OF SYDNEY 2018 LINEUP: Eija-Liisa Ahtila Ai Weiwei Brook Andrew Oliver Beer Anya Gallaccio Laurent Grasso N.S. Harsha Mit Jai Inn Kate Newby Noguchi Rika Nguyen Trinh Thi Ciara Phillips Koji Ryui Semiconductor Yasmin Smith George Tjungurrayi Nicole Wong Wong Hoy Cheong Yukinori Yanagi Haegue Yang Jun Yang The 21st Biennale of Sydney will run from Friday March 16, until Monday June 11, 2018. We'll keep you posted on the whole artist lineup and exhibition program. Images: Ai Weiwei and Mit Jai Inn.
Looking for a novel (and free) way to celebrate the end of the working week? Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority is turning The Rocks and its laneways into a strange and mysterious playground over eight Friday nights during November and December. Taking Rocks Square as its centre, the Rocks Village Bizarre aims to take its visitors by surprise, changing its theme weekly and placing unexpected experiences around every corner. The event's creative director Michael Cohen says, "It's more than just an event; it's a weekly adventure into weirdly wonderful." Amongst the myriad of things to do will be a sprinkling of intriguing places to drink (including a 1920s speakeasy experience thanks to Gin Mill Social), silent discos, bingo games, open air peddle-powered YouTube battles, a birds-only 'hole-in-the-sky' pop-up bar, night markets, old school barbers offering haircuts, magicians, fortune telling, love potions and a constant stream of roving performers. Sounds pretty wacky, right? Budding filmmakers may be keen to get involved in the festival's Bike Shorts Film Competition. There are two categories depending on your experience level, so you can enter either a five-minute standard short or a 15-second micro short. The prizes are pretty awesome, too. Get all the info here. When the inaugural Village Bizarre event launched last year, we wrote: "The Rocks has proved an unexpectedly difficult area to rejuvenate. Home to winding laneways, heel-cracking cobblestones, quaint colonial haunts, and shady histories, it should be the atmospheric epicentre of cultural life in this city ... Now the most promising sign of change yet has come." The marquees and pop-ups of the Village Bizarre were the wardrobe to Narnia on those nights, and sure enough, we've found more and more reasons to loiter in The Rocks ever since. Here's to a new season of inspired happenings. Get the full events listing at The Rocks Village Bizarre website. To watch the teaser video, click here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nv9-R9V7Uoo
Leave your Hunters and your oversized sunhat behind to spontaneously frolic and make out with strangers. Pepa Knight, Jinja Safari's co-frontman, is launching his solo career with the announcement of a 2015 album release. But fans won't have to wait until next year to take off their shoes and enjoy that unmistakably JS-popularised brand of atmospheric, drum-thumping pop. On Friday, November 28, the first collection of Knight's solo recordings, Hypnotized Vol. 1, will be released — following on from his two critically-acclaimed singles 'Rahh!' and 'Clams'. Throughout November, Knight will be performing a series of headline shows to celebrate this first half of his highly-anticipated double album. Presented by Artists Voice and Rare Finds, the confirmed dates include appearances in Melbourne, Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle and Brisbane. In the coming weeks, Knight will also be releasing another single in support of the tour, giving fans a further insight into the infectious, whimsical sounds of his debut solo effort. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ysx8lssBeIE
The first day of March marks the first day of autumn, but when you're at El Loco, it's never not summer. So if you are a fan of spicy tortilla, colourful flags, icy margaritas, floral oilcloth, or general happiness, chase the ephemeral form of Sydney's favourite Mexican cantina to its new home in the Slip Inn courtyard. If you made to the pop-up at Sydney’s Opera House, you’ll know the deal: kitschy decor, a killer snack menu featuring Dan Hong's, infamous tacos and cheese-drowned hot dogs, and a "secret taco" that always tends to increase in appeal as the bucket of Coronas diminishes. Everything is priced around the $6-10 mark, including a few additional items made exclusively for the CBD's brightest pop-up. Between Wednesday and Saturday there will be live entertainment kicking on until last Coronas are called, which on weekends will be well after midnight. El Loco at Slip Inn is located at 111 Sussex St, Sydney CBD and will be open Monday to Thursday from midday till midnight and Friday and Saturday from midday till late, until March 31.
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is giving 2018 the best possible send-off with a killer New Year's Eve party. Overlooking the picturesque shoreline of Sydney Harbour, it's the prime place to spend the final sunset of the year. You'll be presented with a stellar lineup of musical talent, food and drinks, plus an awesome vantage point to catch the midnight fireworks. Don't fret about the tunes — the setlist's in safe hands as Aussie producer MUTO headlines the bash. Hailing from Sydney's Northern Beaches, he's been selling out shows across Australia over the last year and played to a packed out audience at Splendour in the Grass. Joining MUTO will be local DJ and producer Jesse Porsches. Expect his grooves to keep the dance floor lively well into the night, featuring collaborations with the likes of Flume, Tkay Maidza, Skepta and Booka Shade. A general admission ticket will set you back $134.28. But if you want to take your New Year's Eve to glamorous levels, consider a VIP ticket ($287.28), which offers exclusive bar and balcony access. You'll also enjoy roaming canapés — think mini fish and chips, salmon poké bowls and chicken noodles — a cocktail on arrival and a two-hour beverage package featuring Heineken, white, red and sparkling wine. You can also add ferry and bus transfers back to Manly, Bondi or Rose Bay to your ticket, which means less stressing about rideshare surging at the end of the night. To purchase your ticket to Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel's NYE Party, head to the website. Images: Daniele Massacci.
Usually when a festival dedicated to espresso martinis pops up, it takes over one place. Such boozy fests only tend to run for a day or so, or a weekend, too. But one of Australia's big hospitality chains is ditching both of those norms, because this drink needs a whole week and more than 200 pubs countrywide to truly get buzzing. Who needs sleep when there's caffeinated cocktails to sip and celebrate? The event: ALH Hotels' Espresso Martini Festival, which'll take over venues in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory from Monday, March 13–Sunday, March 19. If you're wondering why, the reason is the same that most food- or drink-themed fests pop up. Yes, there's an occasion dedicated to the beverage in question, with World Espresso Martini Day upon us on Wednesday, March 15. For the week around the espresso martini-fuelled date, ALH Hotels will pour Grey Goose espresso martinis no matter what time you drop by. Fancy a pick-me-up over lunch? After-work bevvies with your colleagues? A cruisy weekend session giving you some extra perk? They're all options — just don't expect to be tired afterwards. Among the venues taking part in NSW, Sydneysiders can hit up the Summer Hill Hotel, Kirribilli Hotel, New Brighton Hotel, The Ranch and Harlequin Inn. Victoria's list spans Young and Jacksons, Moreland Hotel, Elsternwick Hotel, The Croxton and Balaclava Hotel, too. In Queensland, options include Breakfast Creek Hotel, Brunswick Hotel, Oxford 152, Indooroopilly Hotel, Stones Corner Hotel and the RE in Brisbane, plus spots both up and down the coast. The full list also features pubs in SA such as the Watermark Glenelg, Royal Oak and Esplanade Hotel; venues in WA, complete with Hyde Park, the Belgian Beer Cafe and the Albion Hotel; and four places in the NT. [caption id="attachment_870392" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Breakfast Creek Hotel, Andrew S (Flickr)[/caption] ALH Hotels' Espresso Martini Festival runs from Monday, March 13–Sunday, March 19 at venues around the country — head to the pub chain's website for the full list and further details.
There is never a bad time to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But if the urge strikes while you're actually sitting through a movie — and that sudden desire is sparked by glimpsing scenes from the beloved late 90s and early 00s TV show playing in said movie — that's not a great sign. It's a reality with The New Mutants, however, with the latest entry in the X-Men series letting its audience see Buffy clips on more than one occasion. Never subtly deployed, the snippets link in with the film in a number of ways, because this too is about a ragtag group of teens with supernatural abilities fighting off a range of baddies. In fact, one of the many villains in The New Mutants closely resembles the demons in Buffy's famed dialogue-free episode. In case you don't spot that yourself, the movie serves up scenes from the show that overtly stress the similarities. That's the level this long-delayed franchise flick is operating on: happily derivative, happy to call attention to how derivative it is, and seemingly unconcerned if it leaves its viewers desperately wishing they were watching a television program from more than 20 years ago instead. The 13th film in the X-Men saga, The New Mutants kicks off with a traumatic incident involving Native American 16-year-old Dani Moonstar (Another Life's Blu Hunt). She survives the chaos that destroys her reservation but, when she awakens in a hospital run by Dr Cecilia Reyes (Kill Me Three Times' Alice Braga), she can't remember any of the details. She also isn't permitted to leave. Dani is told she's in a facility for kids just like her and, given the franchise and the film's name, the meaning is clear. Her fellow patients (Emma's Anya Taylor-Joy, Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams, Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton and Trinkets' Henry Zaga) are all well-aware of their extra-special skills, though. Dani doesn't even know what she's capable of — but the fact that her arrival coincides with a series of unsettling altercations that target her new pals gives everyone a few clues. By trapping five teenagers in an eerie, inescapable facility, trying to placate them by promising that they'll soon be able to venture to greener pastures if they just dutifully stomach what they're being subjected to for now, but taunting them with pain and terror while they wait, The New Mutants' entire premise explains exactly where the X-Men franchise currently sits — unintentionally, yet rather astutely. Logan aside, things haven't been great for the series of late. Actually, that's an understatement. Fans have sat through average and awful chapters in the hope that something better will come in the future, only to be met by more of the same (or worse). Yes, Deadpool and its sequel were hits, but squarely of the one-note, overdone, easily tiring variety. And the less remembered about the overblown and underwhelming X-Men: Apocalypse and the instantly forgettable Dark Phoenix, the better. A routine mashup of teen, horror and superhero tropes, The New Mutants doesn't improve the saga's fortunes. To be accurate, though, it doesn't really try to. As directed and co-written by The Fault in our Stars filmmaker Josh Boone with co-scribe Knate Lee, it takes a concept that's equal parts The Breakfast Club and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, adds in angsty adolescents just coming to terms with their hormones and superpowers, and serves up a thoroughly flat and by-the-numbers affair. The film's troubled history is well-documented, with the movie first announced five years ago, cast four years ago and shot three years ago, then pushed back release-wise several times over a period of almost two and a half years — but, now that The New Mutants has finally reached screens after surviving cast member changes, script rewrites, reshoots, the Disney acquisition of Fox and the pandemic, that messy journey to cinemas proves the most interesting thing about it. Endeavouring to mutate the familiar superhero formula in even the slightest way is a worthy aim, of course, which is one of the reasons that the very idea of this film has always stood out. The Marvel characters that The New Mutants is based on date back to the early 80s on the page, and giving them a horror-driven spin has seemed an inspired choice since the movie was first announced. Alas, combining one genre's cliches with another's, as the end result does, hardly makes for entertaining viewing. Indeed, although it's suitably moody in the stock-standard way seen in every creepy psychiatric facility-set flick, The New Mutants is generic to an oppressive extent. Filled with up-and-comers circa 2016, the movie's cast can't particularly help either. Williams tries, and the sensitivity she brings to shapeshifter Rahne Sinclair is noticeable. With Moonstar, she also navigates a romantic subplot that touches upon the film's most thoughtful (albeit still glaringly obvious) point — that the persecution of mutants because they're different mirrors plenty in our reality, including the treatment of queer teens. But, with Taylor-Joy in cartoonish territory as Russian sorceress Illyana Rasputin, and Heaton and Zaga simply hitting their respective characters' one note over and over again, any slivers of depth, substance or just plain interest that The New Mutants does manage to rustle up are short-lived. Also fading fast: any hopes that, 20 years since the first X-Men movie released, this franchise has much life left in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_vJhUAOFpI
This year hasn't been great for anyone; however, if you're a Parks and Recreation fan, a few tiny slivers of happiness have poked through. First, the Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman-hosted crafting series Making It finally hit screens Down Under. Then, the entire Parks and Rec main cast reunited for a one-off, COVID-19-related new episode. And now, Making It is returning for a second season. Premiering in the US in 2018 but only airing its first season on Australian screens via Foxtel earlier in 2020, Making It sees Poehler and Offerman them step into the competitive reality TV show realm. That domain isn't for everyone, but even if you usually completely abhor the genre, its manufactured dramas and its saturation across the small screen, you'll be smiling heartily at Poehler and Offerman's kind-hearted, extremely likeable and all-round nice show. Focusing on DIY crafting, and celebrating both great craftsmanship and genuine camaraderie, it's basically Project Runway — but hosted by Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson. With Poehler and Offerman leading the charge, it's warm-natured, filled with crafting puns and other gags, and showcases folks trying to do their best, helping each other and enjoying themselves. Basically, it's the feel-good, light-hearted viewing we could all use at the moment. And, when there's a stereotypical moment of heightened tension, it's because Making It is overtly making fun of reality TV's usual theatrics. When you're not watching Poehler and Offerman hang out in a tiny house — yes, really — viewers can soak in the talents of contestants who happen to be handy with a glue gun, great at woodworking, skilled at working with felt and other such crafty endeavours. The competitors complete two tasks per episode, with one person sent home at the end of each episode. The last person standing at the end of the season is crowned the show's 'Master Maker' and wins $100,000. If you watched the first batch of episodes and instantly wanted more, Making It's eight-episode second season will start streaming via Binge from Friday, July 31, with new episodes dropping weekly — and, like season one, this is a case of better late than never. Expect the show's contestants whip up everything from mailboxes and costumes to holiday wreaths and pet homes, and to laugh quite often at Poehler and Offerman's jokes. While the star duo do the hosting — and do it well, naturally, even picking up an Emmy nomination for their efforts — the judging falls to Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson and window-dresser and fashion commentator Simon Doonan. Check out the second season trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhWFiFfrbY0 Making It's second season will be available to stream via Binge from Friday, July 31, with new episodes dropping weekly. Top image: Making It.
Turning 40 is a big deal for anybody, and no less so for one of Sydney's most iconic buildings — the Sydney Opera House. And there's no better way to celebrate than with a huge concert under the shade of the famous sails in the newly renovated Forecourt. The 40th Anniversary Concert comes as part of a month-long celebration of all things Bennelong, and kicks off with a slew of notable Australian musicians, such as alt-queen Sarah Blasko, piano pop princess Megan Washington and roots rock guru John Butler. The concert will close with a homage to the illustrious beginnings of the Opera House, with a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony — 'Ode to Joy', for the less classically educated of us — the piece that opened the Opera House in 1973. The performance combines the collective talents of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia and the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. In order to celebrate Danish architect Jørn Utzon's infamous design, Australia's own Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will return home with her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, to bear witness to the festivities. The Sydney Opera House is a brilliantly unique construction that has become synonymous with our Emerald City around the whole, wide world, and the 40th Anniversary Concert promises to be a fitting celebration of four decades of Bennelong Point's most famed resident. In order to celebrate Danish architect Jørn Utzon's infamous design. Australia's own Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will return home with her husband, Crown Prince Federik, to bear witness to the festivities. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IyzF4dRpqow
Oh hi Mark! Best known for his immortal role in Tommy Wiseau's cult classic The Room, actor Greg Sestero is headed to Australia. Part of a publicity tour to promote his tell-all book, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside the Room, Sestero's visit will hopefully shed new light on what is undoubtedly one of the worst films ever made. For the uninitiated, The Room is a low-rent romantic drama written, directed, produced by and starring the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau. Full of undercooked subplots and nonsensical dialogue, the movie made less than $2000 during its initial LA-only release but has since been resurrected by a devoted cult of fans. These days the film plays late-night engagements in theatres all around the world, loyal viewers bombarding the screen with a mix of abuse and plastic spoons. Sestero (or 'Sestosterone', as he is affectionately known) will be in Sydney on Thursday, July 10, for a special event at the Hayden Orpheum that includes an interactive script reading, an audience Q&A session and a behind-the-scenes documentary that explores the making of this unintentional comic gem. The Room will screen afterwards, as a separate event. Whatever you do, though, be sure to leave your stupid comments in your pocket. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Eh9lC7IBJvI
Break out the 'feel old yet?' memes, because everyone's favourite Surry Hills tequila den, Tio's Cerveceria, is turning ten years old on December 12. To celebrate that nice round milestone, the crew from Tio's will be treating patrons with their most valuable source of currency: free margaritas. Kicking off from Tuesday, November 30 up until Friday, December 10, the bar will be giving away $1000 worth of margaritas to the tequila- and mezcal-loving hordes of Sydney. You just need to keep an eye on Tio's Instagram for a chance to enter, then turn up and claim the alcoholic spoils of victory. A birthday party to mark the decade in the trade will be going down at the bar on Sunday, December 12, with margs for $10, Grifter tins for $5 and a lineup of DJs. So grab your drinking buddies to reminisce on those hazy nights where you've woken up flecked with popcorn kernels (and move any of your early commitments on the following day). Find Tio's at 4/14 Foster St, Surry Hills. It's open from 5pm–12am, Wednesday to Sunday. All images: Nikki To.
What can a bunny police officer and fox con artist teach humans about equality, diversity, fairness and keeping an open mind? In Zootopia, quite a lot. Yes, audiences are supposed to get a few giggles out of a cute, fluffy rabbit trying to enforce law and order, and nod knowingly when they see a sly predator pulling street-wise scams. But they're supposed to interrogate their initial reactions to these animal stereotypes as well. Breaking down preconceptions and teaching viewers not to form opinions based on appearances is the animated effort's main intention — quite complex material for young viewers to process. Thankfully, the feature's main message comes wrapped in a cop and crime caper that's as smart and weighty as it is colourful and amusing. When a movie combines anthropomorphic critters, bright imagery, references to Chinatown and The Godfather, and a first-rate Breaking Bad gag, the phrase "fun for all ages" really does apply. Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) are the respective big-eared and quick-witted creatures riding Zootopia's wave of thoughtful, frenetic entertainment, with the two crossing paths on Judy's first day on the force. When Nick pulls the wool over the newbie cop's eyes, it just adds to her woes (instead of catching bad guys, she's writing parking tickets). Of course, you can't keep an eager bunny down, particularly when the city is overrun with missing person cases. Quicker than you can say "odd couple", Judy and Nick have reluctantly teamed up to locate an absent otter, prove Judy's police prowess, and help Nick find his true calling. From there we go zipping around Zootopia's imaginative setting, segueing between observational jokes and sight gags, and listening to a stellar voice cast that includes Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, JK Simmons and Octavia Spencer. Directors Byron Howard, Rich Moore and co-director Jared Bush handle the balance of laughs and drama with the energy and emotion needed — but given that the trio boasts the likes of Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6 on their resumes, that's hardly a surprise. Indeed, when Zootopia is firing on all cylinders, it hits the majority of the targets it aims for. In the same way that animated films about people can get to the core of common issues and emotions in a way that live-action efforts can't always manage, there's something both perceptive and powerful about seeing common prejudices and problems played out by animals. The movie may tread a fine line between calling out stereotypes and reinforcing them in some parts — such as a scene set in a sloth-filled car registration department — but it mostly falls on the right side of the equation. And crucially, while Zootopia doesn't shy away from its important underlying statement, the upbeat, insightful offering doesn't overplay its hand or overstay its welcome, either.
Sitting in the front rows of the SBW Stables, your feet possibly on the stage, you're always somehow part of the show, and its best plays remind you of this brilliant awkwardness. In the party you're invited to tonight, you're a wallflower struggling to read the lips of two pairs of new acquaintances who are just out of earshot, secluded by pop music, easily bewitching and clearly starting something. When the music cuts out, they're in hotel rooms about to cheat on their spouses. Their conversations, like their rooms, overlap and sometimes, pointedly, intercut. Affairs are all the same. But the unhappy couplings around them, we're about to see, are each unhappy in their own dark and somewhat Lynchian ways. Griffin aren't dawdling in season 2011; they're playing their trump card in the very first hand, remounting one of the most successful works to ever premiere on its stage. First put on in 1996, Andrew Bovell's Speaking in Tongues went on to win an AWGIE, build renown through performances the world over and, five years later, be adapted by the playwright into the even more successful, AFI-sweeping film Lantana. It's a now classic text of adultery, mystery, death and deceit that builds a meaningful (although, by current trends at least, insanely coincidental) web among its nine characters, in four couples, portrayed by four actors (Lucy Bell, Caroline Craig, Andy Rodoreda and Christopher Stollery). There's an Australian forthrightness among its intricate, theatrey flourishes, and it comes out intensely poetic in both language and structure: a philandering husband "smells like the backyard of a petrol station, like the sweat of another woman"; a man with a pair of beautiful brown brogues returns to break your heart. This production, directed by Griffin's fresh artistic director, Sam Strong, harnesses the full power latent in the script and allows its cast to distinguish each of their conflicted individual characters and make a devastating impression in the moments they move as one. The extra oomph comes from the use of set (designed by Dayna Morrissey). The first act's contemporarily sparse, greige, catch-all interior punctuated by an ample pouffe is in the second stripped to the abstract to evoke mystery and death through haze and ash-like floors, and it hides a surprise. The effect of sharing this small space with these actors and these interactions is completely consuming, and the best way to start your theatregoing year.
UPDATE: April 27, 2020: The Biggest Little Farm is available to stream via Google Play and YouTube. Say goodbye to your inner-city digs, pack up your belongings and head to the country — it's time to swap your concrete playground for a grassy, tree-lined, animal-filled one. That's how you might be feeling after watching The Biggest Little Farm, the warm and informative documentary that charts a just-married Californian couple's quest to follow all of the above steps in the name of a better life. John and Molly Chester's dream is simple, at least on paper. They want to run their own farm, relying on traditional methods and doing so in harmony with nature. One-crop spreads, soulless egg factories and the general type of commerce-driven farming that has become common today aren't for them. Instead, their rural utopia boasts a broad array of creatures and hundreds of different types of edible plants, creating a mini-ecosystem that supplies everything the pair eats — and everything that Molly, a private chef and food blogger, could ever need to cook with. The fact that a film exists about their efforts, and that it's helmed by John himself — a cinematographer and Emmy award-winning director when he's not working the land — signals the obvious: that the Chesters turned their vision into a reality. Spanning most of the past decade, The Biggest Little Farm chronicles the ups and downs of attempting to transform an unwelcoming 200-acre patch of soil into a thriving natural farming haven, all by following the advice of biodynamic farming guru Alan York. Taking over an abandoned farm, they strip away most of the existing crops, replacing them with new ones. They wait as the greenery grows, and as their newly acquired menagerie of chickens, pigs, ducks, sheep, dogs and other diverse critters all play their part. (Of paramount importance: the animals' poop, of which there's plenty.) First laughed at by their friends and family, the Chesters' support system expands, as does the farm they call home and the business side of the equation. Bookended by wildfires, with flames threatening to encroach upon the property an hour outside of Los Angeles, The Biggest Little Farm bubbles with timeliness — and not just because of Australia's current catastrophic blazes. The documentary actually first started screening at international film festivals back in 2018, coming in third in the audience choice award in Toronto that year, but the attitude it celebrates is a clear reflection of the growing recognition that much about humanity's current existence is harming the planet. Accordingly, as proved the case with Aussie doco 2040, watching the Chesters' plight proves educational, inspirational and aspirational. Their passion is infectious, whether they're helping birth calves, tending to an ailing pig or endeavouring to save their chickens from coyotes. The movie doesn't aim to take viewers through their feats step-by-step or teach audiences exactly how to follow the same path, but it does show what's possible for anyone willing to try. When the film leans into the adorable, heartwarming side of such an idealistic venture, cuteness abounds. An outcast rooster befriends a sow, oinking piglets run riot, and dogs lick lambs as if they were cleaning their own offspring. John doesn't shy away from the tougher realities of farm life, though — including wildlife predators, birds pecking through most of their fruit, a tricky snail infestation and serious animal health issues. First and foremost, however, he's viewing his experiences through a firmly upbeat, affectionate, resilient and persistent lens. This is a true tale that starts with a promise to a just-adopted dog, which John saves from an animal hoarder with more 200 critters and pledges to give a loving home, after all. When that pup barked so much that the couple got evicted, that's when John and Molly decided to chase their farming dreams. The movie's positive spin lends itself to lively animated sequences, bringing Molly's fantasies to the screen a suitably colourful, affable way. Still, as engaging as this rich, gentle documentary is — and as likely as it is to make you wish you could take the Chesters' lead — that jovial mood also results in a few overtly cliched touches. The film's music drips with sentiment, as if it doesn't quite trust that the on-screen critters are enough by themselves. The brightly coloured hues do more than just capture the farm's sights, literally painting a vibrant, sun-dappled picture. And, when it comes to the difficult reality of actually funding this sizeable venture (and making an independent doco about it at the same time), concrete details are glaringly absent. Plus, the personal voiceover sometimes verges on cloying. Worse: the reaction to someone's ill health and its impact on the farm plays as selfish, as if this parcel of land is more important than another person. These are all minor issues, but they do stop a valuable movie about eco-conscious living from being truly great rather than just very good. You'll still want to pack your bags and leave the rat race far behind, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcQKWkpPB3U
This article is sponsored by our partners, Toshiba. If one of Sydney’s favourite sushi restaurants and the leader in technological innovation have a food baby, how is it delivered? Via roller-coaster obviously. Last weekend Toshiba teamed up with the sushi maestros at Zushi, taking over District 01 in Surry Hills with their sushi roller-coaster. The gateway to Sydney’s latest pop-up was indicated by the crowd spilling out from within and the glowing red light hinting at the #seriouslyjapanese experience to be had inside. While I waited briefly, falling victim to mounting anticipation akin to riding an actual rollercoaster, I tried my hand at a number of Toshiba tablets and laptops on display for each guest’s enjoyment/technological literacy enhancement. Stunning Geisha girls emerged from the red lantern forest to seat us around the roller-coaster’s loop, ensuring front-row viewing and immediate access to our dinner upon its arrival. We sat, taking in a year’s quota of Hello Kitty and nodding hypnotically to the wave of the Lucky Cat, before examining the menu (also the waiter), which came in the form of the Toshiba Encore 2 tablet. Yes, we were in the future. With all other aspects of our experience perfectly managed (comfort, atmosphere, cultural awakening), choosing what to eat was by far the biggest challenge, with pre-calculated FOMO being the only tool of help. The maki with soft shell crab and tempura prawn? The salmon soba noodles with yuzu dressing? Or the delectable motley sushi and sashimi plates? I went for the latter, and just moments after putting finger to screen, my sushi was seen whizzing (yes, whizzing) down a 25m roller-coaster from above, flying 360 around a poll, gaining speed on the final decline before it nailed the last bend and slowed to a halt right in front of me. Ta-da! The assortment of nigiri and maki was packed with both the freshness and flavour Sydneysiders expect and love from Zushi, and a perfect ratio of salmon, avocado, kingfish and tuna I didn’t even know I appreciated. The sashimi being inhaled next to me was equally generous in size and delightfulness, and the maki and soba zooming past predictably incited palpable food envy. While I’m not sure every sushi train station will be upgrading to this high-octane delivery system, Toshiba and the guys at Zushi have proved they know the real definition of fusion.
If you haven't experienced a sweat-inducing, VHS-style aerobics class made popular by the likes of Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons, we recommend you change that ASAP. Luckily, we've got you covered. In partnership with Good Food Month, we're hosting a series of early morning retro aerobics classes. Whip out the hot pink and turquoise lycra, tease up your hair and get ready for fitness queen Shannon Dooley's Retrosweat, Palm Springs edition. Dubbed 'Not Another Manic Monday', these classes will get your heart pumping as you high-kick your way into a new week with beats and moves from one of the most outlandish decades — when bum bags, acid wash and power suits were king. What's more, the Good Food Month version of the '80s workout will bring out the So Cal vibes that'll make you crave a whiz down Venice Beach with your skates, high cut leotard and pastel leg warmers. Why's that? Because this year's Good Food Month will see Hyde Park transform into Hyde Park Palms, a Palm Springs-inspired food, drink and party hub. Feeling a bit intimidated by this much energy exertion on a Monday? Don't worry, after the 50 minutes of high intensity, '80s moves, you'll be given a 'naughty' takeaway brekkie courtesy of Black Star Pastry and cake creative Katherine Sabbath, to keep you buzzing the rest of the day. You can buy your tickets now for one of the aerobics classes, or even better, enter our competition to win a double pass to a Not Another Manic Monday session on October 16 or October 17. Words: Quinn Connors and Jonathan Ford.
If one of the joys of crowdfunding is being able to find out about cool ideas from the get-go rather than finish line (and it is), then today's announcement by Underbelly Arts of a matched group Pozible campaign is the equivalent of a basket of kittens at an ice-cream stand. The biennial festival, probably Sydney's leading event for fresh interdisciplinary and interactive art, is better known to audiences as that one big day of playtime on atmospheric Cockatoo Island. But Underbelly Arts doesn't spend two years sleeping; it uses that time to foster the development of new work, which you can now sample. Eight Underbelly Arts participants have launched Pozible campaigns today, with every dollar they earn through successful campaigns to be matched by the Keir Foundation (up to a value of $2500 per project). "[Crowdfunding] is a natural fit for these eight projects, all of them great ideas with ambitious plans," says artistic director Eliza Sarlos, "The next step is making them happen, and I can't think of a better way to do that than speaking to your audience at each stage of development, and bringing them into the process of art in the making — two ideas already central to what Underbelly Arts is." It's the first time this funding model will be trialled in Australia, and it's aimed not at replacing the traditional government grants and sponsors but augmenting and feeding them. It's your chance to do a bit of layman's philanthropy before festival day in July, get invested in some of the (rather epic) works and maybe get a (suitably offbeat) reward. We've profiled the eight projects below. zin's Party Mode A surprise party for everyone? This young Sydney collective promises to throw the bash of the season — clashing your usual zonked-out party mindset into the political narrative that continues to go on around you. They're putting on a series of politically charged parties this year that will be a whole lot of in your-face/food-for-thought fun. This one prompts you to think about information security...and they're not telling us much else. Plus, if you have a spare $1000, send it their way and you can have your own zin's PARTY MODE at your place. Cockatoo Island Ghost Story American Horror Story: Asylum meets art gallery audio guide, this look at Cockatoo Island's sinister past is not one for the faint of heart. Before The Island bar, the island was Biloela Public School and Reformatory for Girls, which rose from the ruins of prison to infamy during the tail end of the 1800s. Home to orphans and young girls unfortunate enough to be deemed delinquent, it was described as "simply a hell upon Earth; the abominations and acts of cruelty there practised being for the most part utterly unfit for publication" (until now) by the Brisbane Courier Mail in 1874. This is a smart phone only affair (sorry old-schoolers) based on a geolocative mobile phone app that will guide you through Cockatoo's dark side. Additionally, 19th-century institutional practises are a wonderful antidote to Austen-itis and other cases of severe nostalgia. Stations of the Southern Cross Applespiel will return to Underbelly Arts with a look at all things Australian: past, present and future. Five stations (that is right, one for each of the stars on your favourite festival tattoo) spread across the island will culminate in a journey through time, space, mediums and, judging by their intro video, wordplay. This all sounds great, but the "mentoring from Steve Le Marquand on how to be really Australian" as mentioned on their pledge page has feature-length-movie potential. Yes, he is that guy from Two Hands who has swagger in rugby short and waxes lyrical about sawn-off shotguns (if "yeah shotties are good mate" is Aussie for wax lyrical). Chip in just $25 for this Stations of the Southern Cross, and Applespiel will name a thing of your choice (pet, child, theory, etc). Project HOME Brothers Abdul Abdullah and Abdul-Rahman Abdullah are coming over from Western Australia to reimagine their family home on Cockatoo Island. It will be the premier collaboration of two artistic brothers, a sculptor and an Archibald-nominated painter, as they go autobiographical to give us the Abdullah childhood experience. The duo have identified nine as an age of awakening: as a person, and as person who has to negotiate a broader national context to build their identity — and it's also the age difference between them. The brothers will be building house with personal and found objects to explore these ideas. I met you on a city that isn't on the map What would you do if you had three minutes to live? Cry? Us too. But We Do Not Unhappen is giving us all the chance to experience those last moments before the nuclear/zombie/solar-flare/global warming apocalypse with a lived-experience game across Cockatoo Island that will encourage strangers to collaborate. They will use their raised funds to research, plan and build a 'hub', fit for touring, to create (and then spread) the experience of impending doom. To reward you for your contribution, they'll make you into a mannequin or a video installation, or, if you're really generous, abduct you and a friend off the street for funsies. Tableau Vivant Co-artistic directors of Art Month 2013, Penelope Benton and Alex Clapham, are looking backward and forwards with their living picture installation. Drawing on the popular French art form of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this pair will explore ideas of spectacle, pop culture and food with a whole lot of colour, flair and feasting — all around the dinner table. Nothing to See Here In terms of visual identity/signifiers Sydney Harbour Bridge is a big one. Our harbour city is undoubtedly a harbour-bridge city, but artists Amy Spiers and Catherine Ryan are giving us a chance to see the harbour ditch the coat hanger and go nude. The pair will erect a viewing platform and then, somehow, blank out the bridge from view. An ode to the controversial suggestion of artist Horst Hoheisel to destroy the Brandenburg Gate as a memorial to the Jews murdered during the Holocaust, this project aims to highlight the invisible histories of modern Australia, such as those of Indigenous peoples and asylum seekers. Any money raised in excess of the target will go towards commissioning essays by Australian writers to accompany the project. In Deep Water Kate Sfetkidis, live performer and lighting designer, is bringing the bottom of the ocean, and all our childhood dreams of marine biology, to the surface at Cockatoo Island. Submerging a series of built jellyfish (and other deep sea critters) lights in darkness with an accompanying soundscape, she will give us a chance to see the light from some of our planet’s darkest corners. Plus if you check out the project blog, you can see a Vampire Squid — a pre-historic relic that can turn itself inside out when startled — which is the critter our fingers will be crossed for come opening day. By Ruby Lennon and Rima Sabina Aouf
Given the effort they put into creating, curating, collating and copying their wares, it seems kind of weird that the makers of zines would be the kind to abbreviate words. Like, "Okay, guys, we've edited and self-published a niche interest periodical, sure, but we don't have time to pronounce the syllables 'mag' and 'a'. That's where we draw the line!"? But, then again, eccentricity and arbitrary decision making are part of the beauty of zine culture, wherein anyone with access to words and/or images and a means of putting them together can be a publisher. There are political zines and poetry zines and zines about spoons and zines about people spooning. Often stumbled across in cute indie stores and venues or tracked down online, zines also enjoy a good gathering and the MCA and the Sydney Writers' Festival are, as has become their annual tradition, throwing them another party with the 2018 MCA Zine Far on Sunday, May 6. Head along and do some collecting — you can buy or barter — or just have a look at what people are into and up to. The fair is free, as is the public program attached to it. Rock up on the day to attend zine community panel discussions and workshops on collage and writing.
Like all significant art forms, dance is a medium that transcends language, culture and geography. This November — after an Aussie debut in Melbourne — The Australian Ballet will bring Instruments of Dance to the Sydney Opera House's Joan Sutherland Theatre. Audiences are in for an exploration of the contemporary dance canon from three distinct corners of the globe, showcasing ground-breaking modern dance from the world's top choreographers. Each choreography talent has created a work inspired by musical scores by contemporary composers who work in very different musical fields. The resulting performance will be a spectacular showcase of modern dance and the music that inspires it. First on the bill is Justin Peck, the resident choreographer of New York City Ballet who is making his Australian debut. Everywhere We Go is a nine-part ballet set to a score commissioned from acclaimed singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. Expect 25 dancers streaming in and out of complex group formations and expertly executed pas de deux bringing the energy of Hollywood and Broadway to the classical stage. Next up, Wayne McGregor's all-male Obsidian Tear explores the dark shadows of the planet and psyche. McGregor, who is the resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet, has created a performance that touches on a range of disciplines — from geology to mythology to the powerful effects of emotion on the body — set to a suite of violin works by Finnish conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. A range of fashion designers including Gareth Pugh and the legendary Vivienne Westwood have been enlisted for the costuming, ensuring a true visual feast. Finally, The Australian Ballet's own resident choreographer Alice Topp will present her new work, the appropriately titled New Work. The piece continues the celebrated choreographer's journey into the emotional core of the lived human experience, and features Australian design and a commissioned score by AACTA Award-winning composer Bryony Marks. Sound like something you want to see? We've teamed up with The Australian Ballet to give away one double-pass to what promises to be a spectacular showcase of 21st century ballet. You and a lucky plus one will score a premium double-pass to a performance between Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 26. Keen? Just drop your details below. [competition]877301[/competition]
Whenever you're in a traditional art gallery, reaching for your camera can result in serious pangs of guilt. You know it's wrong, but you just want to take a little memento home with you. Next thing you know, the security guard is hauling you out the door by the collar and your photograph appears in the gallery blacklist. Well, it's not always that bad. But Canadian artists Brad Blucher and Kyle Clements aren't fans of the taboo against taking photos of artworks. Their project Take a Picture seeks to change the way audiences interact with art. Blank canvases on the surface, the artworks use a series of LED lights to create simple images invisible to the human eye. The paintings can only be unlocked for the viewer when photographed by a digital camera device. The artists explain that the series "explores the relationship between the ubiquity of digital cameras and social media, which encourages all aspects of daily life to be documented and shared, and the culture of art museums and galleries, which strictly prohibits photographing works of art." https://youtube.com/watch?v=810DLIu0uBg [Via PSFK]
It's official — Neil Perry's Rosetta is coming to Sydney. Perry posted an image on Instagram yesterday, announcing that the restaurant's second location is in the works at Grosvenor Place in the CBD. The much-loved Melbourne original has been teasing Sydneysiders for years, offering up authentic Italian cooking from both the country's northern and southern regions. Come this autumn, we too will boast our own version of this high-class Italian affair. Word of the restaurant's migration to Sydney was first heard back in November when Urban Purveyor Group acquired the Rockpool Group to form the Rockpool Dining Group. Their combined portfolio of eateries became 47 venues overnight, and they expect their portfolio to grow to more than 80 venues in 2017 alone. They've recently launched two take away spinoffs, Fratelli Famous and Saké Jr, and plan to open 100 of each (yes, of each) over the next five years. Plus, Perry's Burger Project plans to keep expanding, with one opening in Brisbane last month and another in Parramatta this week. Rosetta will be in good company, with Perry's fine-casual dining restaurant Eleven Bridge just down the block. We personally can't wait to dig in to some buttery, handmade pasta and fresh seafood dishes that the Melbourne location is known for, along with the expertly curated and extensive wine menu from Italy's best regions. Bring that carb food coma on. Rosetta is set to open this autumn at Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, Sydney. Watch this space for updates on the restaurant's official opening.
UPDATE, Friday, June 21, 2024: Anatomy of a Fall is available to stream via Stan, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. The calypso instrumental cover of 'P.I.M.P.' isn't the only thing that Anatomy of a Fall's audience can't dislodge from their heads after watching 2023's deserving Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner and 2024's five-time Oscar-nominee. A film that's thorny, knotty and defiantly unwilling to give any easy answers, this legal, psychological and emotional thriller about a woman on trial for her husband's death is unshakeable in as many ways as someone can have doubts about another person: so, a myriad. This is a movie about truth that's really a feature about trust and perception. Indeed, delivering a definitive solution and explanation isn't filmmaker Justine Triet's focus. Helming her fourth full-length picture and becoming an Academy Award contender for Best Director in the process, the French talent doesn't serve up neat true crime-style closure, either, but she unflinchingly knows that the world has been conditioned to want every query and mystery — every uncertainty as well — wrapped up conclusively and categorically. The scenario conjured up by Age of Panic, Victoria and Sibyl's Triet is deeply haunting, asking not only if her protagonist Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller, Sisi & I) committed murder, as the on-screen investigation and courtroom proceedings interrogate, but digging into what it means to be forced to choose between whether someone did the worst or is innocent — or if either matters. While the Gallic legal system and its specifics provide the backdrop for much of the Anatomy of a Fall, the real person doing the real picking isn't there in a professional capacity, or on a jury. Rather, it's 11-year-old Daniel (Milo Machado Graner, Alex Hugo), who has a visual impairment, finds his dad Samuel (Samuel Theis, Softie) in the snow with a head injury outside their French Alps home on an otherwise ordinary day, then becomes the key witness in his mum's case. Returning from a walk with his dog Snoop, the boy didn't see what happened, but he's the closest thing that detectives have to an onlooker. Novelist and translator Sandra is introduced with that clanging version of one of 50 Cent's best-known songs echoing, a graduate student (Camille Rutherford, The Night of the 12th) interviewing her about her work and successful career in the family's remote chalet and, as he undertakes renovations upstairs, teacher Samuel turning up the soundtrack to distracting levels. Within an hour in the film's timeline and mere minutes for viewers, the latter will be dead via a fall from the home's topmost floor. When the inquiries start, Sandra says that she was asleep post-chat. Already, a wealth of details give rise to questions. Was Samuel blasting tunes to sabotage his wife's discussion? Also, why that particular track? Sipping wine as she talked, was the bisexual Sandra flirting? Did that raise her husband's ire? Do his and her actions alike that day scream volumes about the state of their marriage? Did she really not hear the incident? Was it an accident, suicide or was she responsible? Anatomy of a Fall is always a film about questions, too — and the reality that, in life-and-death situations and everyday circumstances, they never stop springing in any relationship. The police can't make a clearcut decision either way based on the available evidence, hence the presumption of murder, Sandra as the prime suspect and the shift to court. Fittingly co-writing the script with her IRL partner Arthur Harari (Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle), Triet's poising of Anatomy of a Fall's opening moments as fuel for scrutinising Sandra and Samuel's union is savvy is another way: it sets up an entire feature where their wedded bliss — or lack thereof, as quickly becomes apparent — is probed, audited and analysed. The stakes are immense, but pondering how any long-term romance can hold up to such a dissection is one of the film's many takeaways. The questions swirl again, sifting through infidelities, guilt over the accident that caused Daniel to lose his sight, the division of household tasks, gender roles, mental health, professional rivalries, at-any-cost moves, past fights and how the couple's son was caught in the middle long before he's now asked to say whether his father, who homeschooled him, was killed by his mother. A picture as intelligent and exacting as this — and as taut, tense and tenacious — isn't short of unforgettable elements. Again, the whole feature earns that description, as does its unpacking of intimate connections. Also high on the list: the performances that are so crucial in telling this tale of marital and parental bonds, especially from one of Germany's current best actors. Although her similarly astonishing portrayal in The Zone of Interest is following Anatomy of a Fall to screens Down Under, arriving in February 2024, Toni Erdmann and I'm Your Man's Hüller is two for two in movies that initially debuted globally in 2023, collected awards at Cannes (The Zone of Interest picked up the Grand Prix, aka second place in the festival's official competition), rightly received Oscar attention and are anchored by her complex portrayals of women who refuse to meet anyone's expectations but their own. Here, she steps into an icy and complicated figure's shoes with the same surgical precision that Triet applies to rifling through the character's home life (that Sandra would rather speak English with her spouse despite him being French and them living in France isn't just a minor tidbit). In flashbacks to disagreements with Samuel and with her freedom on the line, Anatomy of a Fall's accused is unwaveringly unapologetic in her insistence to put herself first — as it's plain that both the prosecutor (Antoine Reinartz, Irma Vep) and defence attorney (Swann Arlaud, About Joan) on the case can see — and Hüller at her steeliest best, always devastatingly naturalistically so, is formidable in the part. She's the one with the Academy Award nod for acting; however, the up-and-coming French talent playing her son is also exceptional. In fact, as Daniel, who couldn't be more conflicted about the nightmare situation that he's been thrust into, Graner is a revelation, frequently via his expressive face and posture alone. If Scenes From a Marriage met Kramer vs Kramer, plus 1959's Anatomy of a Murder that patently influences Anatomy of a Fall's name, this would be the gripping end result. Tearing into a relationship — and tearing it apart — feels nothing less than brutal in Triet's hands; every realisation about human nature in love and life that resounds along the way feels decidedly accurate, though. There's an aspect of Gone Girl to her masterful feature, too. While this isn't a film with a "cool girl" monologue, the societal expectations placed upon women, and on mothers, are firmly pushed to the fore. Take note of the fact that cinematographer Simon Beaufils (Antoinette in the Cévennes) is often looking up at Hüller as well: whatever Sandra did or didn't do, whatever Daniel does or doesn't choose to believe, and wherever audiences land — again, there's no simple resolution here — being a victim, or allowing herself to be seen that way, isn't part of the character's anatomy.
For those considering a trip down to Sydney for Mardi Gras this year, Virgin Australia is sweetening the deal by offering a glitter-filled flight from Brisbane full of drinks, drag and DJs. The Pride Flight is a one-way flight from Brisbane to Sydney that will include bottomless beverages, DJs spinning classic pride tunes and mid-air drag performances hosted by Sydney drag queen Ms Penny Tration of Ru Paul's Drag Race. As you would expect, passengers will also be travelling on Virgin's most bright and colourful aircraft, decked out in glitter and rainbows. The flight will leave from Brisbane at midday on Friday, March 5, just in time for the final weekend of Mardi Gras which will include the 2021 parade, hosted in the SCG for the first time this year to abide by COVID-19 restrictions. An array of parties, talks, performances and an Oxford Street protest are all also scheduled for the first weekend of March. Check out Mardi Gras' full program at its website. Tickets for the 200-seat flight went on sale at 6am on Thursday, February 11 and are sure to be snatched up quickly. An economy seat on the flight will set you back $150 one-way or you can upgrade to business for $350. Passengers will have to organise their own less glitter-filled flight home following the weekend's celebrations. Of course, Sydneysiders wanting to experience the one-off flight can also head up to Brisbane prior to the Friday event. Virgin Australia is also currently waiving change and cancellation fees for bookings made before Friday, April 30, meaning you can book your Pride Flight ticket and your return ticket without the stress of hefty fees if a snap border closure or a change in your personal schedule ruins your Mardi Gras plans. Virgin Australia's Pride Flight will fly from Brisbane to Sydney at 12pm on Friday, March 5. Tickets are on sale now from the Virgin Australia website.
Vivid Sydney is almost here — which means the city is at full capacity with enough art, music and entertainment to keep you warm over winter. Instead of spending all your time looking at the lights and crowds at Opera Bar, head over to Kings Cross Hotel, because the venue is teaming up with Vivid once again to throw parties on each Saturday of the festival. On May 25, June 1 and June 8, the hotel fill its seven levels with bands, DJs, artists and performers. Expect to party until you can party no more, because each night celebrates something new. Find yourself boogying on the rooftop to an all-female lineup led by Nina Las Vegas on the first Saturday, cutting shapes to some fresh music from electronic label Clipp Art on the second, and then rounding it all out with a curation of Australia's hip hop and dancehall up-and-comers. Best of all, entry is 100 percent free.
The Wool Modern exhibition is part of the Prince of Wales' Campaign for Wool, and aims to dissolve any preconceptions about the wool industry by demonstrating a new, fashionable, 21st-century platform for the natural fibre. Featuring the "modern, innovative, and avant-garde" use of wool throughout today's creative industries, Wool Modern promises to upstage your thick winter socks. Prominent Australian fashion and interior designers — including Collette Dinnigan, Romance Was Born and Akira Isogawa — will display their creations among industry greats such as Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. Wool Modern will be held on Pier 2 & 3 April 25 - May 1. From there, it will be transplanted to the nearby Queen Victoria Building on George Street, where it will remain through June.
“You steer my life into something I can't describe,” Toro Y Moi sings on dynamite new single “So Many Details”, a burbling, sunny slice of space-age lover's rock which hints at yet another new direction for the South Carolina native. The title proves a bit of a misdirect; this is Toro Y Moi again working in impressionistic mode, favouring gauzy, dreamy mood over specifics, and ranks with past earworms like “Go With You” and “New Beat”. Initially emerging as a key figure in chillwave's Indian summer of 2010, Toro Y Moi has since proved a harder figure to pin down, his prolific output both harking back to his early bedroom pop recordings and turning to the likes of avant-pop leviathans Animal Collective for inspiration. With some promising new songs and the irresistible new single providing a fine teaser for the release of his next record, 2013's Anything in Return, his show at The Standard looks like one not to miss.
Take your cricket skills beyond your fence this Boxing Day at The Greens, North Sydney. From midday to 4pm, the 125-year-old bowling green will be transformed into one big public pitch, where backyard rules will apply. In between bats and bowls, you'll be able to contemplate your next strategy while gazing out over the venue's cracking harbour views. If you're keen to stick to the sidelines, or you need some refreshments to give your play the edge, there'll be $40 antipasto baskets and bottles of Chandon Summer Brut on offer. The Greens' regular menu is also good for sampling, featuring some pretty exotic sharing plates, such as oxtail croquettes with sweet pimento dipping sauce ($11) and house cured ocean trout with housemade pickled cucumbers, caper berries, quail eggs, and lemon creme fraiche ($14). For drinks, the bespoke cocktail menu includes yuzu daiquiris and tequila and chamomile sours (served with chamomile flowers on the side).
Nakkiah Lui is a new Australian voice very worth your sitting still and listening to, whether in the theatre, on TV's Black Comedy or on Twitter. She writes about life, love, politics and institutionalised racism in her new play, Kill the Messenger, and because director Anthea Williams just couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role, she'll be playing herself. Cue suddenly extra-awkward sex scenes. We loved Lui’s debut full-length play, This Heaven, also at Belvoir, and can't wait for the sharp stab of heartache and anger sure to come with this one, a very personal story about how racism becomes just a part of the system. Lui was writing about the death of a man turned away from a hospital emergency room when her own grandmother fell through the floor in her home — a home that was left in disrepair by the Aboriginal Housing Office. The two stories, and Lui's questioning of them (and of their place in the theatre), become intertwined in Kill the Messenger, a night of self-reflexive theatre not to miss.
When Virgil Oldman (Geoffrey Rush) celebrates his birthday, he does so dining alone in a high-end restaurant, staring disconsolately at a special cake baked in his honour as other patrons titter at the pitiful spectacle. Lonely as he is, Virgil has carved out a fine career as an art auctioneer and is widely respected as the best at what he does and valued for his fine eye and penchant for detail. In his fastidiously maintained home, he keeps a whole wardrobe full of top-end designer gloves, the perfect accessory for a man who likes to keep life at arm's length. The wardrobe leads into a sanctuary of his most treasured possessions, a secret stash of portraits of women. He has secured these valuable gems in league with his only real friend, Billy (Donald Sutherland), an art collector who conspires with Virgil to win valuable works at auction, sold under value to 'the best offer'. When he is engaged to value the collection of antique furniture owned by Claire (Sylvia Hoeks), a young woman whose parents have died, he goes to the spectacular but run-down old property but finds to his frustration that Claire is not there. He continues to visit the property to attend to his work, but Claire is a ghost, always finding excuses not to meet him. Eventually, he finds that a young woman has in fact been in the house all along, but is in hiding. Concealed behind a wall, she tells him she has not left the house since she a traumatic experience she had as a teenager. Sensing a kindred spirit, Virgil gets drawn into her life, against his better judgement. As Virgil becomes more familiar with the house, he finds scattered wheels and cogs of a mysterious machine, which he takes to Robert (Jim Sturgess), a twinkle-eyed, raffish young man with a busy love life and a flair for repairing old things. Increasingly Virgil comes to confide in Robert and seeks the younger man's advice on the twin mysteries of the contraption and the elusive Claire. Becoming entranced by Claire's ethereal beauty and isolation, Virgil's usually perfect work performance begins slipping, the sign of a man losing control of his ordered life as he grapples with the foreign emotional landscape of human connection. Writer/director Giuseppe Tornatore has made an exquisitely told story with a cruel sting in its tale. Rush delivers a beautifully judged and involving performance as a man whose austere and detached approach to life is thrown into disarray, while Sylia Hoeks is ideal as the mysterious Claire. While some elements of the story's final act probably don't stand up to closer scrutiny, the overriding impression as the credits roll is one of complete heartbreak, making The Best Offer one of the best feel-bad films in recent memory. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WCfXq3nFDUM
This article is part of our series on the 17 most unique things to have come out of Japan. Check out the other 16. The opening of Australia's first cat cafes have whipped up quite a frenzy over the last year, but in Japan, cat cafes are old news. The nation has long been obsessed with pet therapy — when you’re living in a crowded area, working long hours and can't keep an animal of your own, there’s nothing like a quick snuggle to relax and re-energise. Since cats, Japan has moved onto a plethora of other creatures great and small, from goats to rabbits to reptiles. Wherever you are, you need never eat or drink without a side of cuddles. At Sakuraoka Cafe, in Tokyo, two goats by the names of Chocolat and Sakura have been in residence since 2010. They inhabit their own private barnyard, within the eatery, so you can lean over for pats and nuzzles at your leisure. Meanwhile, at Usagi-to-Cafe in Nagoya, there are rabbits available for cuddles at the rate of 100 yen per minute. But the mother of all Japan’s animal cafes is probably Cafe Little Zoo, found in the Chiba prefecture just outside of Tokyo. There’s a bunch of different snakes, iguanas and a ball python. If reptiles aren’t your thing, you can choose from a slew of feathered friends, including owls and falcons.
Local fitness legends Flow Athletic want to kickstart your post-Easter indulgence reboot to celebrate their very first birthday. Highly generous fitness fans they are, Flow are giving away presents on their own party day. Combining yoga, strength and cardio in one innovative exercise space, Sydney's Flow Athletic has created a unique fitness venue for gym-goers who want to shake things up a little. The centre of significant buzz on opening, the last year has seen Flow frequented by a wave of pro athletes, gym junkies and beginners alike. You can check out the space at their Open Day on Saturday May 3 and take a free 30 minute rapid class on the hour at 10am, 11am and 12pm. You'll be able to choose your own gym adventure - spin, yoga or strength - or hit up all three if you're feeling particularly post-Easter guilt-ridden. And because the fitness crowd turn up to each other's parties to celebrate, Flow's Open Day will be supported by pop-up stands from Stylerunner, Botanica handcrafted cold-pressed juices, The Nail Lab and more. If you can't make it on Saturday because you're making All The Excuses, Concrete Playground has teamed up with Flow Athletic to get you off the couch and equipped to explore your city more energetically. We've got 20 complimentary session passes to Flow to give away. To be in the running, email us with your name and address at win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Visit Flow Athletic, Level 1, 134 Oxford Street Paddington or www.flowathletic.com.au for more information. https://youtube.com/watch?v=l0xvrz0nMFE
When it was announced in April last year that German supermarket giant Kaufland was expanding to Australia, it was surprising news. Now, almost a year later, the chain has made an announcement that's even more surprising: it's not expanding to Australia. In a total 180, Kaufland today revealed to the public and its 200 local employees that it would make an "orderly withdrawal" from the Australian market. The reasons for why it has decided to pull the plug on Australia are still a bit vague, with a short statement merely saying that the company wants to concentrate on its "European core markets in the foreseeable future". The withdraw won't be so simple, either. With plans to open a slew of stores across Australian — including 14 in Victoria and three in Queensland — Kaufland has already purchased numerous properties and even, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, started construction on a store in Adelaide and a huge 115,000-square-metre distribution centre in Melbourne. The Australian reports that the company has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars here. In the statement, acting CEO Frank Schumann apologised for the "disruption" the decision will cause. Launched in 1984 and now with 1200 European stores to its name, Kaufland is owned by the Schwarz Group — the world's fourth largest retailer. The chain is big in Germany and parts of Eastern Europe, but this was set to be its first foray into a Pacific market as an alternative to Aldi. The withdrawal has shocked the retail sector — and while it might be good news to Woolworths and Coles, it certainly doesn't reflect well on the current state of the Australian retail market.
For the past three years, Elisabeth Moss has been doing her best to smash and subvert an oppressive patriarchal society, all thanks to The Handmaid's Tale. For seven seasons before that, she had a somewhat similar task in Mad Men, just within the world of 1960s advertising. So if someone has to go face-to-face with an unseen foe in The Invisible Man — an imperceptible figure that happens to be her controlling ex-boyfriend, and that no one else believes exists — then she's a great candidate. As the just-dropped first trailer for this monster movie remake shows, the classic Invisible Man premise has had a thoroughly 21st-century update. Moss plays Cecilia, who's had to flee an abusive relationship with her scientist ex (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, The Haunting of Hill House), but can't escape him that easily. He turns up dead and leaves her a fortune; however strange things then start happening around her. Celia is convinced her violent former lover is behind it — and not only that, but that he's still around, but invisible. Of course, everyone else just thinks she's crazy. Yes, it's HG Wells' sci-fi novel filtered through the concept of gaslighting, in a movie that looks set to stand out from its predecessors — such as the famous 1933 horror version and its many sequels, and 2000's Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon. The Invisible Man marks Universal's latest attempt to revive its iconic monster pictures from the 1920s–50s, after trying to create a Dark Universe series with Dracula Untold and the Tom Cruise-starring version of The Mummy. In fact, a different take on The Invisible Man was initially announced a few years back that'd tie into both of the aforementioned films, with Johnny Depp slated to turn see-through. But then The Mummy crashed at the box office and the studio changed its plans, with Universal now focusing on standalone remakes of its famous horror characters rather than an interconnected on-screen universe. Alongside Moss and Jackson-Cohen, this iteration of the out-of-sight figure also features Australian actress Harriet Dyer (Killing Ground), Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton) and Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time). Prolific producer Jason Blum is pulling the strings, and, fresh from the action thrills of Upgrade, Aussie filmmaker Leigh Whannell sits in the director's chair. Also, if any of the movie's surroundings look familiar, that's because it was shot in Sydney. Check out the trailer below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLAJyugYEiY&feature=youtu.be The Invisible Man releases in Australian cinemas on February 27, 2020.
