Dear Dear Evan Hansen: don't. If a movie could write itself a letter like the eponymous figure in this stage-to-screen musical does, that's all any missive would need to communicate. It could elaborate, of course. It could caution against emoting to the back row, given that cinema is a subtler medium than theatre. It could advise against its firmly not-a-teenager lead Ben Platt, who won one of the Broadway hit's six Tony Awards, but may as well be uttering "how do you do, fellow kids?" on the big screen. It could warn against shooting the bulk of the feature like it's still on a stage, just with more close-ups. Mostly, though, any dispatch from any version of Dear Evan Hansen — treading the boards or flickering through a projector — should counsel against the coming-of-age tale's horrendously misguided milk-the-dead-guy narrative. When the most interesting thing about a character is their proximity to someone that's died, that's rarely a great sign. It's the realm of heartstring-tugging illness weepies and romances where partners or parents are bereaved, sweeping love stories are shattered and families are forever altered, and it uses the sickness or death of another person purely as a prop to make someone that's alive and healthy seem more tragic. That's worlds away from engaging sincerely with confronting mortality, loss, grief or all three, as so few movies manage — although Babyteeth did superbly in 2020 — and it's mawkish, manipulative storytelling at its worst. Dear Evan Hansen gives the formula a twist, however, and not for the better. Here, after a classmate's suicide, the titular high schooler pretends he was his closest friend, including to the dead kid's family. A anxious, isolated and bullied teen who returns from summer break with a fractured arm, Evan (Platt, The Politician) might be the last person to talk to Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan, one of the Broadway production's understudies). It isn't a pleasant chat, even if Connor signs Evan's cast — which no one else has or wants to. In the school library, Evan prints out a letter to himself as a therapy exercise, but Connor grabs it first, reads it, then gets furious because it mentions his sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick). Cue days spent fretting on Evan's part, wondering if he'll see the text splashed across social media. Instead, he's soon sitting with Cynthia Murphy (Amy Adams, The Woman in the Window) and her husband Larry (Danny Pino, Fatale), who inform him of Connor's suicide — and that they found Evan's 'Dear Evan Hansen' note on him, and they're sure it's their son's last words. With his high school misery amply established through catchy songs, and his yearning to connect as well, Evan opts to go along with the Murphys' mistaken belief, including the idea that he and Connor were secretly the best of pals. As penned for both theatre and film by Steven Levenson (Tick, Tick... Boom!) — with music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman) — this plot point is meant to play with awkwardness and longing, but it's simply monstrous. Indeed, the longer it goes on, with Evan spending more time with Connor's wealthy family than with his own mum Heidi (Julianne Moore, Lisey's Story), a nurse always working double shifts, the more ghastly it proves. It's lazy writing, too, because this isn't just a tale that defines its lead by their connection to a deceased person; it's about someone who intentionally makes that move themselves, then remains the recipient of all the movie's sympathies. It'd be generous to wonder if Dear Evan Hansen feels more nuanced and earnest writ large on the stage — genuinely reckoning with Evan's actions, which see him become a viral sensation and inspiration, rather than merely excusing his lies because he's lonely, and also dismissing Connor as mostly angry and unliked. Or, if perhaps the theatre version highlights the potential dark comedy in such abhorrent choices being made by a teen that desperate to fit it and be found by others. Either way, it wouldn't change the movie's approach. Director Stephen Chbosky has a history with disaffected youth thanks to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which he adapted from his own novel. Via the same film, he also has form with oversimplifying details to evoke strong emotional reactions. That's Dear Evan Hansen all over, no matter how unconvincingly it tries to be an uplifting tale of self-acceptance. Platt's casting doesn't help; he played a college student almost a decade ago in Pitch Perfect, and was never going to pass for a high schooler under a camera's gaze, especially with such emphatic and mannered overacting. He's inescapably forceful, appears to think he's still in a theatre and really just resembles an adult satirising teens. While Dear Evan Hansen sings heartfelt ballads about sociopathic behaviour, and bakes cognitive dissonance deep into its frames as a result, it'd be far too magnanimous to see Platt's performance as a response to the musical's many thematic and tonal mismatches. His co-stars can't save the film, but they surround him with far better work — especially from the reliably impressive Dever, plus Adams and Moore making the most of their thin parts, and also Amandla Stenberg (The Eddy) as one of Evan's high-achieving but also struggling classmates. Those standout supporting performances illustrate one of the movie's most unfortunate traits, apart from the story it's working with: its constant and incessant self-sabotage. Among the cast and the film's aesthetic choices, there's occasionally enough that hits its marks, but that can't balance out everything that doesn't. The fluid and kinetic camerawork busted out for early number 'Sincerely, Me' delivers another prime example, noticeably contrasting with the feature's otherwise static look and mood — only for the latter to return once it's done. Of course, lively cinematography and choreography could never overcome Dear Evan Hansen's questionable narrative and wildly misplaced sentiments, or its misfire of a central portrayal, but so many of the picture's choices feel like it's writing hate mail to itself.
Now in its fourth year, the Macedonian Film Festival continues to provide an interesting counterpart to Hollywood and sees the Balkan nation punching above its weight on the cinematic stage. The two features on offer include Punk's Not Dead, a black comedy about a group of aging rockers coming together for a reunion show. Promising to be a darkly funny, decidedly un-PC affair, it's already been praised by Variety as having "more than its fair share of cantankerous charms". There's also a VIP cocktail party to celebrate the film's Saturday night screening. Award-winning Mothers, unusually combining both feature drama and documentary in a three-part film, is the other feature screening and comes with impeccable pedigree, having previously appeared in programs at the Berlin and Toronto International Film Festivals. Director Milcho Manchevski has previously had success with this kind of format; his brilliant three-parter Before the Rain won a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. Image from Mothers (Majki).
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, travel is in no one's immediate plans — and the airline industry is responding accordingly. In Australia, that means a huge drop in the number of available flights, both overseas and within Australia, with Qantas announcing that it's grounding aircraft and slashing services for the foreseeable future. In a statement, the 100-year-old Aussie airline revealed that it will cut flights from the end of March until the end of May, at least. International flights will be cut by around 90 percent, while domestic flights will fall by approximately 60 percent. Both moves come in response to Australia's current containment and quarantine measures, including the requirement that all international arrivals into the country must self-isolate for 14 days — and, unsurprisingly, the steeply dropping demand for air travel both internationally and domestically. In total, around 150 aircraft will be taken out of service across both the Qantas and Jetstar brands. At present, the company will also stick to its previously announced reductions from late May to mid-September — with capacity cut by 25 percent by using smaller aircraft and reducing the frequency of flights — although that could obviously drop further depending on how the coronavirus situation develops in the next two months. While Qantas hasn't revealed exactly which routes will be affected by the huge 90-percent cut, it's sensible to assume that all of them will. Big changes already announced and operational include postponing the launch of the new Brisbane–Chicago route, sending all Sydney flights to London via Perth rather than Singapore (which, yes, means experiencing that whopping 17-hour non-stop trip from Perth–London), and completely suspending all flights from Sydney–Shanghai and Melbourne–Bangkok. Given the extent of COVID-19's impact, all other airlines are obviously in a comparable situation. While Virgin Australia hasn't updated its plans since March 13, it too has begun reducing services — by six percent overall, including by eight percent internationally. Worldwide, the scenario is the same. Air New Zealand is reducing its capacity by 85 percent overall, and its trips across the Tasman to Australia by 80 percent. Airlines in America, Britain, Europe, Asia and, well, basically everywhere are taking similar measures — as is to be expected as countries everywhere begin to close their borders. For more information about Qantas and Jetstar's reductions, visit the company's website. For further details about Virgin Australia's plans, visit its website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Are you a coffee enthusiast? Do you believe that a yawn is a silent scream for coffee? Is your blood 73 percent coffee? If you even slightly indicated yes to any of those, the Aroma Festival is perfect for you. Coffee connoisseurs will descend on The Rocks like beans into a grinder when the festival returns for its 18th year. Cafes will be showcasing their best blends in a bid to win your votes and the title of Aroma Cup People's Choice. The Australian Specialty Coffee Association will be hosting workshops throughout July on latte art, home brewing and more. There will even be coffee cup readings on the day if you're the type of person who plays with the dregs at the bottom of your espresso. Don't let the daily grind bring you down. Head to The Rocks, try some of Sydney's best local brews and steep yourself in the intoxicating scent of coffee.
What begins in Milan, then heads to Puglia and the Italian Alps, plus Naples, Sicily, Tuscany, Florence and Rome, too? An impressive getaway, and also the 2023 Italian Film Festival. What dives into history, includes love and treasures, and also soul-searching journeys, stunning threads, labyrinths and great art? Again, a dream holiday, and also Australia's annual celebration of Italy's best and brightest on the big screen. Running from Tuesday, September 19–Wednesday, October 18 at Palace Central, Palace Norton St, Palace Verona and Chauvel Cinema in Sydney, 2023's IFF will open with The Last Night of Amore, which is where the fest's jaunt to Milan comes in, and one of its thrillers as well. Making its Australian premiere after a successful stint at the Italian box office, writer/director Andrea Di Stefano's (The Informer) police flick stars Pierfrancesco Favino (The Hummingbird) as it tells of an about-to-retire honest cop facing a chaotic, crime-riddled, corruption-fuelled situation. Also among the event's spotlight flicks, Kidnapped sits in the centrepiece slot, recreating the tale of the Vatican's abduction of a young Jewish boy in the 19th century, plus as the scandal that unsurprisingly followed. As part of a focus on actor, filmmaker and screenwriter Massimo Troisi, 1994's The Postman, the talent's two-time Oscar-nominated final film, will close out the fest with a 50s-set whirlwind of love and friendship. There's more where they both came from — more special-presentation and special-event movies, and more of Troisi's work. First, the features getting some extra IFF love. Starring Josh O'Connor (Mothering Sunday) and directed by Alice Rohrwacher (Futura), La Chimera heads to 80s-era Tuscany as a British archaeologist gets caught up in ring selling stolen Italian wares — while Beautiful Boy's Felix van Groeningen shares directing duties with his The Broken Circle Breakdown co-screenwriter Charlotte Vandermeersch on The Eight Mountains, which stars Luca Marinelli (Martin Eden) and Alessandro Borghi (Devils), and won 2022's Cannes Jury Prize. Also, Burning Hearts dives into crime and revenge in black and white, Carravagio's Shadow features Riccardo Scamarcio (John Wick: Chapter 2) as the eponymous painter, and documentary The Genius of Gianni Versace Alive unravels its namesake fashion designer's career. With IFF's Troisi retrospective, viewers can see three more of his films: 1981 comedy I'm Starting From Three, his debut as both a big-screen actor and director; Nothing Left to Do But Cry, where he acts opposite and travels back in time with Roberto Benigni (Pinocchio); and the cinema-adoring Splendour, also featuring the late, great Marcello Mastroianni. And, there's also Mario Martone's (Nostalgia) doco Somebody Down There Likes Me, about his exploration of Troisi's movies. Elsewhere on the bill, Nanni Moretti (Three Floors) directs himself playing a director grappling with today's streaming reality in A Brighter Tomorrow; Strangeness enlists Toni Servillo (The Hand of God) as Literature Nobel Prize-winning playwright Luigi Pirandello; The First Day of My Life also features the prolific actor, this time in the latest effort from Perfect Strangers' helmer Paolo Genovese; and both Like Sheep Among Wolves and Prophets sit among the fest's thrillers. The list goes on, including the family-friendly Supernova and The Properties of Metals, plus comedies Orlando and My Shadow Is Your Shadow. And, there's the music-focused My Soul Summer featuring Italian X Factor-winner Casadilego.
Sydney record label Rice Is Nice is getting in early on their party of the year entry. On Sunday, January 18, they'll be carting five of their favourite bands down to The Vic for a monumental live music bash. Topping the lineup is Geelong five-piece The Frowning Clouds. Influenced by old-school bands like The Kinks and The Beatles, they're developing a reputation for their seriously solid songwriting and charismatic live shows. Next up is Adelaide indie shoegazer Summer Flake (aka Stephanie Crase), delivering her mellow, atmospheric combo of vocal harmonies and guitar sounds, and then three-piece post-punkers Terrible Truths. Rounding up proceedings will be Sydney trio The Weak Boys, with their tales of drunken shenanigans, 'fucken landlords' and unrequited love for Diane Keaton, as well as Melbourne's Darts, who'll be playing a bunch of new material. The action kicks off at 1pm and it's all free.
The Persian International Film Festival, now in its second year, collects films from Persian-speaking communities in Iran and Afghanistan. Persia may seem like an unlikely subject for a festival, but it boasts one of the most miraculous film scenes in the world, with masterpieces like The Circle and Kandahar emerging despite serious censorship and a lack of funds and film-making infrastructure. The jewel in the crown of this year's selection is probably Abbas Kiarostami's beautifully melancholy Like Someone In Love, a film which demands your patience but also richly rewards it. The opening night film, A Respectable Family, described as Iranian noir, played at Cannes Film Festival to strong reviews, while big things are expected from the comedy Chicken With Plums, from Marjane Satrapi, who previously wrote and directed the film based on her Persepolis, one of the defining graphic novels of the last 20 years. As a bonus, both opening and closing night films come with Persian tea and sweets. This year the festival celebrates 50 years of Persian film with retrospective screenings, like the modern classic Color of Paradise; Turtles Can Fly, a searing and often surreal look at the upheaval in Iraq in the days before the 2003 invasion; and The Cow, a classic, fable-like tale of a man who loses his beloved animal. https://youtube.com/watch?v=YcvCAZvY7nw
If you were a cool cat in London in the 1950s — equally at home in a blues club, art gallery or high-end fashion house — chances are you were cruising around on your own modified motorcycle. Known as 'cafe racers', young people would make their own modifications to standard-issue motorbikes and tear around the city, racing each other from bohemian coffee house to bohemian coffee house with jaunty scarves whipping around their ears. Whether you missed out on this era or you were right there in the thick of it, Throttle Roll will throw you right back in the deep end with over 12 hours of music, bikes, food and drink planned for The Projects Enmore on May 11, including musical performances from blues rockers The Snow Droppers, rockabilly legends Wes Pudsey and the Sonic Aces and gyspy swing sweethearts The Cope Street Parade. Cafe racers retain a loyal following and bring together enthusiasts from the devout to the weekend warrior — motor mechanics, art directors, curators and musicians alike. And in a coup for motorcycle enthusiasts, Throttle Roll involves some of Australia's most respected workshops, including Desmoclinic, Deus Ex Machina, Rocker Classic Motorcycles, Drifter Bikes, Rene9ade Motorcycles, Trojan Classic Motorcycles, RB Racing Evolution Custom Industries, DNA Custom Cycles, Mean Machines, Motociclo, Gasoline Scooters and Rising Sun Workshop. The organisers proclaim that the event will be family, pet and all-weather friendly, and unlike a typical motorcycle show, there will be no judging or awards, just fame and notoriety. Image: Cope Street Parade.
Guys, it's okay. The fruitless days of trying to teach yourself all the moves to 'Single Ladies' in your bathroom mirror are over. In a move that seems simultaneously complete genius (filling a gap in your life you didn't know was there and now desperately need filled) and kind of dangerous (because, like, how will they ever top this?) Goodgod have announced their first ever beginners' dance class, and it's dedicated to angel-among-mortals and Queen of the World Beyonce. There's been no word on which Queen Bey classics instructor Amrita Tennant will be bestowing upon your unworthy pleb body in the hour-long class, but get ready for some serious hair flicks and endorphin-release. Personally, I'm tempted break out my gold power suit and top hat in the hope that this routine will make the cut. (I just hope they have a wind machine.) If the promise of learning to dance like an actual queen isn't enough, there'll be drinks, projections (hopefully of Beyonce's face/body/general aura) and cocktail jugs to win. Invite your friends, or don't, and prepare yourself for the colossal levels of jealousy and respect from them next time you're out and bust out these bootylicious moves.
It's wise to approach modern French comedies with a sense of caution. Given legendary director Francis Veber (The Dinner Game, The Valet) sadly doesn't appear to be working on anything new, the majority of recent French comedic releases in Australia have been the likes of last year's interminable Le Chef, misfire Paris-Manhattan and the recent laugh-free Fly Me to the Moon. It's with utmost trepidation that I approach anything with the words 'comedy' and 'French' in the description. The Gilded Cage may not 'break' the curse as such, but it sure bends it. It follows a Portuguese family that has been living in France for the past 30 years, dreaming of one day returning to their home. The patriarch, José (Joaquim de Almeida) is a respected foreman for a construction company, and the matriarch Maria (Rita Blanco) is the concierge for a building of upper-class toffs. Both José and Maria have a reputation for being the most accommodating people, so willing to help others out that their friends and children suggest they are being taken advantage of. When José’s estranged brother dies, the family is given a will promising them a large property in Portugal, along with a healthy income from the deceased brother’s business. It’s too good to be true, but before they can make plans, the word gets out. Everyone discovers the nicest family in Paris is about to leave and embarks on a ridiculous series of lies and manipulations to keep them in their lives. Most of the gags aren’t necessarily laugh-out-loud, but it's at least amusing even when it’s not being hilarious. It’s not the most inspiring of distinctions, but given the recent state of French comedies, “amusing” is more than welcome. It’s interesting watching it with an Australian audience, because many of the jokes hinge on the difference between the French and Portuguese languages, and although some of the jokes hit, others only really make sense if you actually speak at least one of the languages. And ending the film on a gag that requires an in-depth knowledge of celebrity Portuguese soccer players probably isn’t the best way to ensure international crossover appeal. On the other hand, Dodgeball was filled with Lance Armstrong jokes (now largely outdated), and no prizes for guessing which is the more popular sport across the globe. Still, for all the odd cultural references, the film is charming and feelgood and pretty funny. If you’ve been burned by bad French comedies in recent times, this should certainly help mend those wounds.
The Nike She Runs campaign has hit the ground running since its debut event in 2012. On Saturday, May 3, thousands of women will once again get together at Centennial Park for the third annual event. Previously named She Runs the Night, last year's event transformed Centennial Park into an interactive light and sound show, with DJs to keep up the excitement. Registration is open via their Facebook page, which has grown to a whopping 150,000 likes. As the only night running event open to women only, you can expect the 10k run to have more than last year's 6,000 participants. Women of every ability are encouraged to join the event to share their love for, and feel safe, running at night. So put your best foot forward and don't miss the May 3 event.
With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in New South Wales, Australia's internal borders have become a hot topic yet again. Since the new northern beaches cluster first came to light on Thursday, December 17, a number of states have changed their border arrangements — with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announcing today, Sunday, December 20, that his state is closing its borders to all of Greater Sydney and the Central Coast. Victoria is declaring both of the two regions a 'red zone' under its new border entry system, which came into effect at midnight as Friday, December 18 ticked over to Saturday, December 19. Originally, just the northern beaches received that designation — which means folks from the area are "not eligible to apply for a Victorian Border Crossing Permit and are prohibited from entering Victoria" — but that has now been expanded. Greater Sydney and the Central Coast will become red zones from midnight tonight (as Sunday, December 20 becomes Monday, December 21), which means that anyone who lives in, has visited, been in, or travelled through from either area who wants to go to Victoria will not be permitted to enter. As Premier Andrews explained, "nobody who is from those parts of Sydney, or Greater Sydney, or has visited that part of Greater Sydney will be allowed to travel back to Melbourne or any part of Victoria". If people who have been in those NSW regions do arrive in Victoria and receive an exemption to enter, they'll be required to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days. An exception applies to Victorians who are returning home, as they'll receive an extra day — until midnight on Monday, December 21 — to return; however, they must quarantine in their homes. After that, though, the same rules apply to Victorians. "The door will close for home quarantine for Victorians on midnight Monday night," the Premier said. "If they don't get back in the next day and a half then, regardless of whether you are Victorian or not, you will go into 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine." If you're wondering what that means on the roads around the New South Wales-Victorian border, a hard border will be put into effect, which Premier Andrews also explained. "There will be 700 members of Victoria Police who will have various checkpoints, many, many checkpoints along the New South Wales–Victoria border. There will be a permit system, so if you want to travel to Victoria by road you will need to get a permit. You will need to get another permit if you had one issued yesterday, because circumstances have changed." But, residents of border communities won't require permits. "For local communities, all the local government areas on the New South Wales side of the border and on the Victorian side of the border will have freedom of movement. Just by simply showing your driver license to show where you live and you are from that bubble, if you like, you will be able to move back and forth," said the Premier. As for how long the aforementioned changes will be in place, an end date wasn't given. Although the NSW Government has set 11.59pm on Wednesday, December 23 as its planned date to end the northern beaches lockdown, the request for Sydneysiders to cancel all non-essential activities and the new ten-person cap on gatherings at home, Victoria isn't working towards that date regarding the border. "They will not be open on midnight Wednesday night. I want to be clear on that... these arrangements will not be lifted on midnight Wednesday night," Premier Andrews advised. The move comes as NSW recorded 30 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, December 19. Victoria has now gone 51 days without any local COVID-19 cases. From midnight on Sunday, December 20 anyone who has visited the Greater Sydney and Central Coast areas in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Victoria unless they are a returning resident or are entering for one a few essential reasons. For more information, head to the Victorian Government coronavirus website.
Australia's leading festival on gender All About Women is returning to the Sydney Opera House for its seventh season in 2019. This year features an especially impressive lineup of emerging female voices from around the globe, brought together for one day of talks, workshops, panel discussions and live podcast recordings. As usual, the festival will coincide with International Women's Day, taking place on Sunday, March 10. This year's cutting-edge topics include: 'feminism outside the Western world' with Arab-Australian human rights advocate Sara Saleh; 'female anger and desire' with US author Soraya Chemaly; 'toxic masculinity' with writer Clementine Ford (author of Boys Will Be Boys and Fight Like a Girl); 'problems with wokeness' by UK fashion stylist and cultural commentator Ayishat Akanbi; and 'hip hop feminism' with the US journalist who coined the term, Joan Morgan. The 2019 lineup has been curated by the Sydney Opera House's Head of Talks and Ideas Dr Edwina Throsby, and includes Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Emily Steel — who investigated the sexual harassment claims against Fox News and Vice News. Steel will talk alongside other heavy-hitters, including Indian activist Sohaila Abdulali, television presenter Osher Günsberg, German philosopher and former war correspondent Carolin Emcke and gender politics author Gemma Hartley. The podcast hub will return with live recordings of cult shows, including the New York Magazine's The Cut on Tuesdays, Slate's The Waves and The Guardian Australia's The Witch Hunt. Other highlights include an exhibition on 'mental load' by French comic artist Emma and a free public event where attendees will imagine 'a collective feminist future'. Interactive workshops are also on the docket and include carpentry and flower arranging. All About Women 2019 tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday, December 14 and start at a $33 per session. The full program will be announced in January, so keep an eye on this space. Images: Prudence Upton and Yaya Stempler.
Flock to the city's best Asian eateries to experience some of the seriously tasty set menus they will be serving up as part of the annual Chinese New Year Festival. That's right people, Lunar Feasts is back and from as little as $20 per person, you can eat your weight in wontons at favourite spots like Din Tai Fung and Chinese Noodle House. The more money you fork out (or should that be chopstick out?), the more decadence you can expect, with the likes of Ms G's and Fu Manchu offering multicourse delights of sambal octopus, kimchi and an included sweet treat for about $50. Most restaurants have both lunch and dinner options and some menus include an alcoholic beverage as part of the deal. Bookings are a must at all restaurants, so if you don't want to be left with the dregs of the green tea, get out your red paper envelopes and secure your place now.
Each year, we all anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, that includes the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and for dessert fiends, it also includes Gelato Messina's annual Christmas cake. We hope you like a certain quintessential Australian dish, because that's what is on the gelato chain's menu again. Yes, Messina is bringing back its version of the trifle. The Christmas Coma will return for its fourth year running — and this time it's particularly decadent. In fact, it's a gelato rocky road trifle, and it comes in a pack with a dulce de leche sourdough panettone, as made in collaboration with Sonoma Bakery. First, the epic ice cream creation. In 2020, the Christmas Coma will once again feature layer upon layer of everything that is good about Christmas — but instead of being soggy and slightly regrettable, this one will have you licking the glass bowl. So what's in it? Well, Messina is going with layers of cherry flummery, rocky road crunch, coconut cream, chocolate mud cake and milk chocolate gelato, then topping it with caramelised peanuts and glace cherries. Plus, it'll come with some Messina brandy custard to douse all over the mess. And, it all serves 20–30 (or less if you really commit). With the 750-gram sourdough panettone, you'll be getting a spiced brioche whipped up by Sonoma's executive pastry chef Alejandro Luna and his team. It takes 36 hours to make, and it's stuffed with Messina's dulce de leche and chocolate, plus Italian dried fruits, nuts and spices. All of the above comes in a Christmas Coma mega pack, which costs $200 and can be pre-ordered from a yet-to-be-revealed date in the week commencing Monday, November 9. Sign up to Messina's VIP list, and you'll get access to a 24-hour pre-sale window before pre-orders open to everyone, too. You'll then be able to pick up your Christmas Coma between Friday, December 18 and Thursday, December 24, all within regular store opening hours — and from all Gelato Messina stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane except The Star. It comes in a Messina cooler bag and, if you keep it in there all sealed up, can survive for up to one hour. In each of the last few years, the trifle sold out super fast, so we suggest you don't wait on this one. The Christmas Coma will be available to order from sometime during the week commencing Monday, November 9. Keep an eye on the Messina website for further details — or sign up to Messina's VIP list to get access to a 24-hour pre-sale window before pre-orders open to everyone.
Twenty-five years ago, a TV sitcom about six New Yorkers made audiences a promise: that it'd be there for us. And, as well as making stars out of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer, the hit series has done just that. Sure, Friends wrapped up its ten-season run in 2004, but the show has lived on — on streaming platforms, by sending an orange couch around Australia and by screening anniversary marathons in cinemas. In news that was bound to happen someday — no pop culture entity truly comes to an end in these reboot, remake, revival and spinoff-heavy times — it looks like Friends is going to live on in a much more literal sense, too. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that a deal is in the works to bring back the show for a reunion special on HBO's new streaming platform HBO Max. Naturally, if it happens, all of the gang will be involved. Almost certainly set to be called 'The One with a Reunion', the special will be unscripted — which means that Aniston and company aren't likely to actually step back into Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe and Ross's shoes; rather, they'll chat about their experiences on the show. Still, they'll all be on-screen at the same time celebrating the series that so many folks love, which is probably enough for fans. And, really, who knows what could spring from there. We're purely speculating, but if other big 90s sitcoms like Will & Grace, Mad About You and apparently Frasier can make a proper comeback, then surely everyone's favourite Central Perk regulars can as well. Friends creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman are also slated to join the reunion special, if it comes to fruition. If you're wondering when it could happen, THR notes that it'll largely depend on the relevant parties' schedules — although HBO Max is due to launch in the US in May 2020, so perhaps it'll be sooner rather than later. For folks Down Under, there doesn't seem to be a current plan to bring the streaming platform to our shores. Instead, the company appears to be continuing to focus on its existing arrangements with local channels and streamers for the time being. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
If you casually visited a swamp at twilight at the full moon, encountered an otherwordly swamp queen who hypnotised you into a state of delirium and tried to coax you into murky waters, she'd probably sing you something like Willow Beats' newest single 'Merewif'. The Sydney duo's latest release features lyrics derived from stories of Hare Krishna folklore which, combined with shore-lapping wave sounds, twisting synth and solid baseline, give the whole thing a disturbed nursery rhyme vibe (in a good way, not a Ring Around the Rosy way). You can get a little closer to this weird futuristic fantasy as the uncle-niece duo set off on a national tour this August. The Aussie dates will be their first live appearances in seven months, long anticipated by the very respectably-sized fanbase the two won with the release of their debut EP Alchemy last year — along with their elemental, naked dancing-inducing sets at Falls and Strawberry Fields. 'Merewif' is the first release from their forthcoming Willow Beats EP (due for release later in the year), which means there's plenty of mystical, lush electronica from this duo to look forward to. For now, catch them at Goodgod on August 9. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PLKF8b_bpSw
Who knew ballet and rock music make such a beautiful team? The newest production from the Australian Ballet, Chroma, features four contemporary works and proves that ballet is not just classical orchestration and frou-frou. The White Stripes combine with contemporary costume and minimalist set design to make this not your mum’s ballet. The quadruple bill takes its title from one of the works within, Chroma, a legendary piece originally created by Wayne McGregor for The Royal Ballet of London and using the aforementioned music from the Whites. McGregor’s ballet differentiates itself from the classical style, with jerky movements meant to push the limits of the dancers’ bodies. “The movement can be freaky at times and shows off every joint our bodies have, sometimes all at once," says Daniel Gaudiello, the male lead in Chroma. "The body is such an amazing instrument and you witness it at its limits." Also slated for performance are twin pieces choreographed by Jirí Kylián, Petite Mort (also featuring Gaudiello) and Sechs Tanze, as well as a new original work, Art to Sky, by the Australian Ballet's resident choreographer Stephen Baynes. The contemporary dances by Kylián and Baynes are paired with the classical music of Mozart and Tchaikovsky, creating a blend of old and new ballet styles. Chroma is on at the Sydney Opera House from April 29 to May 17, and thanks to the Australian Ballet, we have two double passes to the May 5 performance of Chroma 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. Read the rest of our interview with lead male Daniel Gaudiello here.
The Abercrombie is back! The storied corner pub and haven of electronic music is reopening in December thanks to Solotel who will be reviving the Ultimo venue, reintroducing its packed dance floors and 24-hour license to Sydney's nightlife. Mark Friday, December 23 in your diaries, as that's the date the pub will swing open its doors and kick things off in true Abercrombie fashion with a 36-hour-long party that will stretch from 5pm on the Friday all the way until 5am on Christmas Day morning. "There's a strong sense of responsibility reopening the Abercrombie given that formative memories of generations of Sydney partiers, including myself, were forged here," Solotel CEO Elliot Solomon says. "We're ecstatic to welcome back some of the OG club crews like Purple Sneakers. We're also very aware that there's a generation of kids who haven't been able to experience those heady clubbing days in Sydney, for various reasons. This new era for The Abercrombie is focused on helping to redefine the fabric of Sydney's nightlife as well as provide a platform for the next generation of party crews and clubbers to create their own culture-defining experiences." [caption id="attachment_880223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elliot Solomon, Zoe Simmons and Mike Rodrigues[/caption] The expansive space will boast three mini-venues within the overarching title of The Abercrombie. The main bar and beer garden will play home to regular events hosted by some of the best tastemakers and party crews from around Sydney, Australia and the world. When the beats aren't firing, this area will serve as a friendly neighbourhood haunt with beers and cocktails on tap, pizza by the slice and Italian mains for those that may get peckish. Head upstairs and you'll discover a sleek cocktail lounge and rooftop bar called Casa Rosa. The food here draws from the Mediterranean and the DJs will be spinning Italo-disco classics until the early hours of the morning. Rounding out the trio of offerings is Lil Sis. This final piece of the puzzle is located in the adjoining terraces next to the pub. Here you'll find a cosy wine bar serving up classic drops and new-world, minimal-intervention wines, both of which can be enjoyed on-site or be taken away. [caption id="attachment_880221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Who[/caption] All three venues will open on December 23, with Solotel and the Abercrombie team pulling together a who's-who of party people for the massive opening party that will set the stage for a bumper summer on Broadway. Just a few of the names making appearances across the bar's first 36 hours include Astral People DJs, dameeeela, Andy Garvey, Mike Who, Nomad Radio, Pure Space, Lovejoy, Ayebatonye and original regulars of the space back in its previous lifetime, Purple Sneakers DJs. Following this, you can expect a full run of events taking over the venue between Boxing Day and New Year's Day with the likes of House of Mince serving up the party on the day after Christmas, and Motorik closing out the year with a secret international headliner on New Year's Eve. Following its closure in 2014, Solotel purchased the venue in 2016 and has been working with H&E Architects (Barangaroo House, Chiswick) and Michael Delany (Cafe Fredas, Club 77, Piccolo Bar and SHADES) to revamp the beloved bar and nightclub. Inside, the 100-year-old pub tiles have been restored, a world-class Funktion-One speaker system has been installed alongside LED lights from Babekuhl, and a DJ pyramid stage has been erected. This centrepiece stage can be used for pub-style seating, nightclub-style dancing podiums or to accommodate live music. Head to the Solotel website to stay up to date with all of the upcoming events in-store for The Abercrombie. [caption id="attachment_880222" align="alignnone" width="1920"] dameeeela[/caption] The Abercrombie will reopen at 100 Broadway, Chippendale on Friday, December 23. It will be open 10am–2am Monday–Tuesday, 10am–3am Wednesday–Thursday and Sunday, and 10am–5am Friday–Saturday, plus 24 hours for special events.
One of the best known and most important figures in Australian history is Woollarawarre Bennelong, a senior Eora man who was captured by Governor Phillip in 1789, but then escaped, later becoming an interlocutor between Indigenous Australians and European settlers. His curiosity, diplomacy and humour were legendary, and played a major role in ensuring his community survived the trauma of invasion. Now Stephen Page, Bangarra's artistic director, has put Bennelong's story into an epic new dance piece that's about to tour the nation. Expect to be immersed in powerful soundscapes, stunning design and extraordinary movement. Bennelong will premiere at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, June 29 and run for a month, before heading to Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne. Check out the trailer below. Image: Vishal Pandey.
When Darth Vader told Luke Skywalker that they're more than just mortal enemies, it became one of the most famous lines of dialogue in movie history (and one of the most mis-quoted). If you've seen Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, you'll know that it's a powerful, memorable moment that changes the shape of the entire space saga. Even if you haven't, you know what we're talking about. Now, imagine just how epic it'll feel when you're watching the flick on a big screen and listening to John Williams' iconic score played by a live orchestra. Yes, The Force is strong in Sydney once more, with Sydney Symphony Orchestra staging the next in their Star Wars screening and performance on July 27 at the ICC Sydney Theatre. Jedis, wookiees and droids alike can expect a night of tussles between the Rebels and the Empire, Luke learning his true parentage, Han flirting with Leia and getting frozen in carbon, Chewbacca being awesome, R2-D2 being adorable and C-3PO being annoying (well, he is). Plus, it's the flick that marks the first appearance of Lando Calrissian and the first time 'The Imperial March' is heard. If you're thinking that it's a great time to be a Sydney fan of the George Lucas-created franchise, then you're right.The Last Jedi is still fresh in everyone's memories, Solo: A Star Wars Story is only two months away and these types of special events keep on coming — we've got a good feeling that Return of the Jedi will eventually get the same treatment as well. Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back will screen at the ICC Sydney Theatre on July 27, 2018. Grab tickets here.
We thought it was pretty cool when we found out you can rent a cave off Airbnb. We got pretty excited when 'Van Gogh' put up his room for rent in Chicago, and we were a little horrified (and, y'know, curious) to know that beds were up for grabs in the Catacombs. But Airbnb have taken their farfetched ideas on where to spend a night to a whole new terrifying level — they're holding a competition to win a night's sleep surrounded by sharks. Blending two things that most of us don't ever want to associate with each other — sharks and sleep — Airbnb are offering three lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) winners and their guests the chance to spend the night in the Aquarium de Paris. They will sleep in a suspended circular room inside the tank, meaning they will be literally surrounded by 35 circling sharks all night long. Who even needs nightmares? Naturally, the listing for the night at the aquarium has a few house rules. Guests are advised to refrain from taking selfies, avoid seeing Jaws in the nights prior to the visit and to "keep heads and feet in the bedroom at all times". The Airbnb host is freediver and underwater photographer Fred Buyle (we checked out his profile, and he seems legit). He'll introduce the guests to their neighbours for the night, take them on a tour of the aquarium and even get in the tank and "dance" with the sharks. The best news about all of this is that Airbnb will fly the winners to Paris from anywhere in the world. To enter, you've just got to tell Airbnb a little about yourself, where you live and why you belong with the sharks for a night in 550 words of less. Enter here by 11.59pm CET on April 3. Let's hope your Airbnb reviews are good ones.
If you thought the full possibilities of the sci-fi genre had been plumbed by that episode of Doctor Who the other week where the human space colony of the 29th century have to vote every five years to 'protest' or 'forget' the secret exploitation at the heart of their thriving space society ('cause I totally did) — think again. This Session #3 of the Creative Sydney festival rips the sci-fi playbook out of the hands of its nerd guardians and tosses it back and forth between hi-tech jocks and lo-fi hipsters. Dorkbot, Even Books and the Australian Theatre for Young People guide the evening on its way, and that should assure you you're in good hands. Toy Death — not content with instruments they didn't invent themselves nor the frequencies of sound accepted by established science — will be playing their repurposed toys, Beef Knuckles will be supplying Robot Love comics with space for you to fill in the blanks and Radar Synthesizer and Dubtable will be setting the mood with impressive installations. Your robot dance moves are, just this once, encouraged. This session is presented by Concrete Playground. To guarantee your spot, register on the Creative Sydney website.
The new Sydney label/collective/party No Good have been killing it so far this year. Off the back of their monthly sessions comes the boutique festival No Good: Winter, the first in a series of quarterly events from the people who promise to bring you sounds you’ve never heard before — and all of them local. The label prides itself on uncovering the most inventive and influential new music from this city, so fittingly the lineup is a super diverse mix of emerging Sydney talent. Bands, DJs, rappers and producers will come together for the full-day affair, headed up by Rainbow Chan and Maatzi. Think new music that’s variously haunting, synthy, playful, psychedelic, dreamy and plain weird. It's all happening this Queen's Birthday long weekend at the Petersham Bowling Club, and, contrary to the name, it’s a pretty good excuse to get down on a Sunday.
In 1961, on an assignment from the New Yorker, superstar academic Hannah Arendt travelled to her native Germany to cover the trial of Adolf Eichmann, 'architect of the Holocaust'. Instead of being struck by his coldness or inhumanity at the trial, Arendt found Eichmann an "unimpressive" and "unremarkable" figure who presented himself a bureaucrat who merely followed orders. Her reaction was not the one she expected, nor one many people wanted to hear, but her bafflement went on to inform a work which helped readers understand how an almost unfathomably dark chapter in human history had unfolded. The main focus of the biopic Hannah Arendt is the fallout after that article (which was expanded into a book) 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. Read our full review of Hannah Arendt here. Hannah Arendt is in cinemas on Thursday, March 13, and thanks to Curious Distribution, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=WTQNWgZVctM
Returning for its seventh year, Sydney Beer Week — which has this year dropped the 'craft' from its name — celebrates beer in all its golden greatness this October. Running from Friday, October 20 through to Sunday, October 29, the ten-day celebration is packed full of events and activities that will grasp the interest of beer novices and connoisseurs alike. These will take place at several locations across Sydney — and there's quite the list to choose from. One notable event is the Hair of the Dog Breakfast, where the Rocks Brewing Company will throw a mighty six-course breakfast paired with eight beers promising to be one of the best hangover cures we've heard of. You'll need it if you're heading to any of the other events, like the kick-off party full of brews and food trucks at the Australian Maritime Museum. Or The Grifter Brewing Co.'s dog-friendly event at their Marrickville brewery. You can find the full event list on the Sydney Beer Week's website, but to make it a little easier we have picked five events that we think are worth checking out. There's no doubt SBW will leave you better quenched, better fed and better educated in beer-related matters than it found you.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and start that business you've always wanted to give a red hot go? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. Dreaming big is easy. Following through on that dream — that's where the hard work begins. Junky Comics' owner Vlada Edirippulige knows this, but a year after opening her own store, she wouldn't have it any other way. Also known as illustrator Junky and as a member of local band Major Leagues, her commitment to boosting Brisbane's arts scene shows just what can happen when you embody 'Sine Metu', set your mind to something and throw caution to the wind. We had a chat to Vlada about how taking a big chance has paid off in a big way. You can read the interview over here. Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Vlada's being a total legend and helping us give away $1000 worth of rare comic books from her own Junky Comics collection, so you can see for yourself what happens when bold humans take big creative chances with big payoffs. This whopping prize includes the complete Walking Dead series 1-23, Hip Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor, the complete Scott Pilgrim colour hardcover series and The Complete Wimmen's Comix. Enter here to win. And enjoy Jameson responsibly, folks.
Translated from Italian, Primavera means 'spring'. It makes sense then, that the opening of the MCA's Primavera 2013: Young Australian Artists exhibition traditionally coincides with the commencement of spring: the season of regeneration, growth and beer in the afternoon. It also makes sense that this is an exhibition featuring artists in the 'spring' of their careers — eight Australian artists under 35, on the cusp of becoming majorly recognised. Now in its 22nd year, Primavera 2013 is curated by Robert Cook (Curator of Modern and Contemporary Photography and Design at the Art Gallery of Western Australia) and presents a mixed bag. Cook approached his task fluidly, choosing artists he admires and works that specifically respond to the MCA's Level 1 North Gallery space. The works are diverse, ranging from photography to video, sculpture, painting and performance. Some, such as Thomas Jeppe’s Vista Verticals (2013) are intended as "purpose-built gallery interventions", others are more traditional bodies of work. But questions you might expect to find answers to in such a setting, like 'What are young Australian artists doing, and doing well?' 'What are they affected and influenced by on a broader socio-cultural level?' 'What new mediums and visual languages are being explored, challenged and invigorated?' 'What are their politics?' are left largely unarticulated. Despite initial misgivings at the lack of curatorial cohesion, there's a lot of punch packed into this show. Standout works include Melbourne-based artist Jess Johnson's trippy geometric posters, reminiscent of science-fiction comic book iconography. The exhibited body of work, titled Of course, things go bad (2013), is technically proficient and visually mesmerising, presenting a portal into a disquieting Gregorian-period inspired world. She presents what can be interpreted as visions of an outdated future imagined from a distant past; flat, symmetrical shrines that make you feel like you’re standing on a threshold between reality and fantasy. There's also Jackson Eaton’s beautifully reflective photographic series Better Half (2007-13), both conceptually and visually affecting. By taking duplicate photos of himself and his partner and then his father and his step-mother in near-identical scenes, Easton tells a unique personal story through a lens that lends itself to a broader questioning of identity and the uniqueness of one’s experiences. And Heath Franco. WTF. This guy is a 'crazed fucker'! Or at least he is in this trilogy of high-impact video works. TELEVISIONS (2013), YOUR DOOR (2011) and DREAM HOME (2012) feel on the surface like a mishmash of mumbo-jumbo psycho-babble. But on closer inspection, the explicitly kitsch visual language, with Franco at the centre, reveals itself as a powerful portrait of repressed identity. Putting his subconscious and everything that goes with it — the confronting, the bizarre, the nonsensical — out into the open, not only does Franco present a subversive comment on his own somewhat twisted insides but it feels intrinsically Australian on a disturbingly resonant level. Kusum Normoyle, meanwhile, presents a series of video performance interventions, mounted to the walls and scattered throughout the gallery. What she is doing, is screaming in public. Her opening night performance, screaming through a horrifically loud, distorted PA in the foyer of the MCA in front of a crowd of well-dressed elderly art appreciators was priceless. The videos are also great. Image: Jackson Eaton, Untitled (Public Art A) from the series Better Half (2008). Image courtesy and © the artist.
Australia's real-time restaurant deals app, EatClub — which was launched by celeb chef Marco Pierre White — is now offering $5 takeaway dishes from a heap of inner city restaurants this week. From Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20, you can score a $5 feed. All you have to do is redeem a takeaway deal, then use the app's ordering and payment feature to complete your order. To give you an idea of what's part of this sweet deal, you could be tucking into a cheeseburger from Burger Project, fried chicken from Banh Mi from Mr Bao Buns and Banh Meats & Co rice noodle salads, plus eats from Fish & Co, Yay Pot, Remicone and Chapayom — all for just a fiver. This is in addition to all the deals the eateries already offer as part of the app's aim to fill restaurant tables on quieter nights while also offering diners to eat out for up to 50 percent off. So, overall, you'll be able to score a delicious feed for less than a trip to your local chicken shop. To get involved, you just have to update the app, or download it if you're a newbie. Then claim a takeaway deal from any venue displaying a $5 icon on the map, select order and pay via the app and take your pick of a cheap treat (and anything else your heart desires). The chefs will whip it up in the kitchen, ready for you to pick up in no time. Make sure you download the EatClub app here.
Just in time for your summer binge sessions, streaming platform Stan has revealed their next huge addition: a hefty lineup of films and TV shows from The Walt Disney Company. From Friday, December 14, the Australian service will welcome the wonderful world of Disney to its selection. And, that doesn't just mean Disney's own animated and live-action efforts, but movies and series from Disney-owned companies Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, too. Whether you want to enjoy gorgeous animated stories, jump into the Marvel Cinematic Universe or head to a galaxy far, far away, the Disney range will bring a heap of your favourites to Stan — think all three Toy Story flicks, the live-action likes of Maleficent and Cinderella, this year's big superhero hits Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, and both Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Want to catch up on the original The Lion King before the new version comes out next year? Fancy watching all three Thor films? They're also on the lineup. Other Disney and Pixar titles heading Stan's way include Wall-E, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Cars, Cars 2, Monsters Inc., Monsters University, The Incredibles and Big Hero 6 — and, if you just can't let it go, Frozen as well. From Marvel's slate, the three Iron Man movies, the first two Captain America films and the initial Ant-Man are all on the bill, and the first two Avengers flicks alongside Infinity War. For younger viewers, animated shows including Tangled: The Series, Star Wars Rebels and Duck Tales will also hit Stan's queue. That's your holiday viewing sorted — and while you can reasonably expect that this big batch of Disney content will be available for a while, it's likely a short-to-medium term arrangement, given that Disney is launching its own streaming platform in 2019. Stan's Disney lineup will be available from Friday, December 14.
You swing by Starbucks before work, longing for a latte or flat white to bring you to life before a morning full of meetings. The barista hands over your cup of energy for the day and with a smile on your face you continue your journey to the office. You finally lift the cup to take a sip, and much to your dismay instead of enjoying the first taste of caffeine your tongue is brutally scalded by the piping hot liquid. You now have a temporary lisp and food is tasteless for the next three days. Not anymore — Coffee Joulies have come to the rescue of burnt tongues everywhere. The coffee-bean sized capsules are made of a thermodynamic, non-toxic material surrounded by stainless steel and are designed to cool hot beverages three times faster than normal and maintain a "perfect" drinking temperature for twice as long. How does it work? The Joulies are made to melt at about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (coffee is typically brewed at 90, give or take), and as they melt they absorb that extra heat from the drink. When the drink starts to cool down, the Joulies release that heat and begin to re-solidify. They may be called Coffee Joulies but they work for any hot drink, tea, hot chocolate, you name it.
Electric drills and blenders are not often considered for the tender symphonies of song. Indeed OH&S police will advise ear protection in case of exposure. But for the curious among us who are lingering through Bunnings and drumming past construction sites, maybe it is time to embrace these daily noise offenders. A new ensemble will be plugging in 12 heavy metal power tools at the Red Rattler Theatre. Accompanied by trumpeter Scott Tinkler and pianist Adrian Klumpes, the computer-controlled orchestra will be a world's first in the use of the DeMiXerphone — allowing control over any electrical appliance in pitch, timbre and rhythm. Bring earphones and expect a loud and power-hungry performance. It's enough to make Tim the Tool Man weak at the knees.
"You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?" Jack Nicholson's (How Do You Know) version of the Joker asked in 1989's Batman, just because he liked the sound of it. Here's another question: have you ever seen the Tim Burton (Wednesday)-helmed, Michael Keaton (The Flash)-starring classic caped-crusader movie on the big screen with a live orchestra playing its score? Whatever your answer to the first query, you can soon respond to the second with a hearty yes. To celebrate 35 years since the superhero classic initially reached cinemas, Batman is making a silver-screen comeback Down Under to see out 2024 and start 2025 — and in each of its six stops, including in Sydney, it's giving the film's tunes the symphonic treatment. It's Batman in concert, with the movie playing the Harbour City on Friday, January 10, 2025 at ICC Sydney Theatre, complete with The Metropolitan Orchestra picking up their instruments as the flick screens. They'll be busting out Danny Elfman's Grammy-nominated score, which is just one of the feature's music highlights. The other: songs by the one and only Prince. As well as marking three-and-a-half decades since the picture debuted, these concert screenings also commemorate 85 years of the character on the page — and have been announced just as Burton and Keaton reteam again for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Keaton's stint in Bruce Wayne's slick suits by day and Batman's cape by night kicked off a big-screen four-movie series that ran from 1989–1997, and also saw Val Kilmer (Top Gun: Maverick) and George Clooney (IF) inhabit the role — a character played elsewhere by everyone from Adam West and Christian Bale (Amsterdam) to Ben Affleck (Air) and Robert Pattinson (The Batman). As part of a global tour of events, only Batman going the concert route so far, not Batman Returns, Batman Forever or Batman and Robin. If you're keen to dress up to attend, that's encouraged — and there'll also be merchandise on sale.
A Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard falls for the superstar singer he's been hired to protect. It's pegged as one of cinema's most iconic love stories, with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner first tugging at our heartstrings back in 1992. And now, The Bodyguard is set to come alive for the Australian stage, with producers David Ian, Michael Harrison and John Frost today announcing they'll be bringing their award-winning musical show Down Under next year. Set to kick off in Sydney in April 2017, this local production of The Bodyguard — which follows the just-as-awesome news that Moulin Rouge! will finally be made into a stage show — comes off the back of a wildly successful and star-studded run in London theatres, and record-breaking UK tour, which commenced in February this year. Based on the eponymous Warner Bros. film and adapted for the stage by Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris, The Bodyguard musical features all those epic Houston tracks that audiences fell in love with the first time around. According to co-producer Frost, the emotionally-charged storyline, along with those "soaring ballads" — like 'Queen of The Night', 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' and the legendary 'I Will Always Love You' (you know the ones) — were simply destined for the stage. The album is still the biggest selling movie soundtrack of all time. Yep. Still. The Bodyguard The Musical will come to Australia in 2017, and will start its national tour in Sydney. More details, including tour dates and additional cities, will be released soon. If you're a keen bean, a waitlist for priority tickets is now open at thebodyguardmusical.com.au.
Technology just keeps getting smaller and smaller. UK game developer David Braben has created the prototype for a mini computer, so tiny and efficiently manufactured that it could be provided to school kids for free. It's called the Raspberry Pi USB computer, and it functions as a real PC, with USB and HDMI ports meaning you can hook it up to a keyboard and television screen in no time. The Raspberry Pi Foundation exists to promote the study of computer science and related topics, especially at school level, and to put the fun back into learning computing. "We plan to develop, manufacture and distribute an ultra-low-cost computer, for use in teaching computer programming to children. We expect this computer to have many other applications both in the developed and the developing world," reads a description of the Pi project on the foundation Web site. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pQ7N4rycsy4 [Via Mashable]
For the past 11 years, Australians that are fond of a tipple have been familiar with one particular figure: two standard drinks per day. Equating to 14 drinks per week, that's the maximum number of standard beverages that Aussies were told they should consume to minimise the risk of health repercussions from their boozing, as per the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) guidelines on the subject. But that amount has just been revised as part of the first revamp of those recommendations since 2009. Now, as initially flagged this time last year but officially confirmed today, Tuesday, December 8, by the NHMRC, only ten drinks per week is recommended. Staying within that number will "reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury" in healthy men and women, the organisation advised. And if you're wondering how many of those ten tipples you should have in one sitting, the NHMRC says you shouldn't exceed four standard drinks on any single day. If you need a reminder, a standard drink is defined as ten grams of pure alcohol, no matter what type of beverage you're sipping. That's around 285 millilitres of full-strength beer or a can of mid-strength beer — and 100 millilitres of wine or a single shot of spirits. Sticking within the new guidelines — which aren't rules or laws, but recommendations — means that you'll have "less than a one in 100 chance of dying from an alcohol-related condition", Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly says. "Every year there are more than 4000 alcohol-related deaths in Australia, and more than 70,000 hospital admissions. Alcohol is linked to more than 40 medical conditions, including many cancers," he explains. Just how many bevvies you should have a week and a day comprises the first guideline. You'll already be well aware of the other two. They recommend that children and people under 18 years of age should not drink alcohol — which has been legislated, of course — and that women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding shouldn't either. The change to the number of standard drinks recommended per week came about after a wide-ranging analysis and review by the NHMRC — into "health effects of drinking alcohol, modelling, data on Australian drinking patterns and best practice guideline development processes", the statement about the change advises. An Alcohol Working Committee was formed, featuring independent health experts such as doctors, medical and public health professionals, researchers and consumer representatives, to guide the development of the new guidelines. And then the NHMRC Council, which includes the Chief Medical Officers of the Commonwealth and each state and territory, endorsed the new guidelines. Alcohol industry body Alcohol Beverages Australia has already voiced its unhappiness about the new recommendation, while the Cancer Council has come out in support of the changes — with the latter noting that three percent of cancers diagnosed in Australia are caused by alcohol. For more information about Australia's new guidelines for reducing the health risks from drinking alcohol, head to the National Health and Medical Research Council website.
When Percy Fawcett gazes upon the Amazon in The Lost City of Z, he does so with wonder blazing in his eyes. A real-life geographer, soldier and explorer played here by Charlie Hunnam, Fawcett is dispatched from Britain to South America to survey the border between Bolivia and Brazil, only to become beguiled by his new rainforest surroundings. Many movies would explain his reaction through dialogue alone, but James Gray's latest effort works in more than just words. The filmmaker behind The Immigrant and We Own The Night, Gray is known for crafting precise, painterly visuals. It's little wonder that his excursion through tropical greenery shares Fawcett's fondness in each and every frame. To watch The Lost City of Z is to stare deep into the splendour of untamed nature, and to appreciate the mystery and allure that comes simply from looking. The colour and movement; the locals and the wildlife; the sense of how different it is to early 20th century England — it's all there, in cinematographer Darius Khondji's striking images. It's an essential touch, given that examining the mindset that inspired Fawcett's repeated treks into the jungle is one of the movie's main aims. If there were ever any doubts that Gray would be able to jump from his urban-set back catalogue to the grandness of the Amazonian wilds, they're quickly dispelled. When we first meet Fawcett, he's a young army officer hunting stag for sport. He's considered talented, yet a shadow hangs over his family name thanks to his drunken father. Asked to do the Royal Geographic Society's bidding on the other side of the world, he soon leaves his wife Nina (Sienna Miller) and infant son for trampling through luscious growth, with Corporal Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson) and on-site guides for company. If he hadn't fallen for the Amazon's magnetism, as well as a story about a lost city teeming with gold, his jaunt might've ended with a happy return home. But Fawcett is haunted by his desire to find the fabled locale — and prove that advanced civilisation exists beyond western society — even if it costs him his life. As the film's existential adventures continue, Pattinson gets grimy, Tom Holland pops up, as does Italian acting legend Franco Nero. Ultimately though, The Lost City of Z belongs to Hunnam, who wipes King Arthur from our memory. Poised, passionate and persistent, with ample charm thrown in, he plays his protagonist as an imperfect but still decent man driven by a multitude of motivators. The character is also surprisingly progressive, breaking from the racist, sexist, classist, jingoistic and colonialist attitudes of his peers. In short, he's the sort of person you'd be willing to follow through dense foliage. Just as seeing is believing when it comes to Gray's mesmerising sights, Hunnam ensures viewers feel the calling coursing through Fawcett's veins. Accordingly, The Lost City of Z becomes more than just a dazzling account of a real-life trek through uncharted terrain. That's not to say that it doesn't impress as an intimate adventure flick, an exploration of fevered obsession, or as a textured and thoughtful biopic — in fact, it succeeds as all three. But what lingers most of all is an understanding of why people chase even the most challenging and unlikely of dreams, what they hope to find, and how such mysteries leave their mark on history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2RYbGgBQeM
The word 'squelch' is not usually one I'd use to summarise something in a complimentary way, but Andrea Arnold's adaptation of Wuthering Heights definitely squelches, and does so wonderfully. This latest version of Emily Brontë's doomy frustrated romance presents the obsessive relationship between Cathy (Kaya Scodelario) and Heathcliff (James Howson) in disturbing intensity, removing the framing device of the traveller to observe the story directly and with a greater focus on the traumatic childhood through which the two bonded. Allowing the viewer to actually see how they ended up the way they did is a powerful choice that brings a psychological believability to the story that hasn't always been evident in other versions, and the representation of the physical setting of the story conveys how integral it is to the events taking place within it, as well as being cinematically beautiful. It's fairly generally accepted now that Wuthering Heights is not really a very romantic story, that it is cruel and strange and its central lovers are neither of them particularly nice people. What gets less play, though, is that the landscape which forms such a part of the story and characters is as crazy as they are: it's very easy to take all the talk of the moors and isolation and even wild storms as romantic, but this film manages to convey the inconvenience and discomfort of the severity of the conditions as well as the grandeur and beauty of all that howling space. We see and — courtesy of wonderfully evocative sound design by Nicolas Becker — hear rain falling relentlessly and mud gripping at footsteps. That's one kind of squelch, where the land is holding onto the characters and making it hard for them to move forward. Another squelch is the sickening and distressingly regular sound of someone being hurt: If the landscape is as crazy as its inhabitants, its population is as violent as the weather. Heathcliff, particularly, comes in for horrible brutality and the depiction of the abuse is unflinching, with crunches and squishes prefiguring contusions. The physical violence and the violence of the landscape are given a corollary in the violence of will that seems to be the thematic driver of the film, from the rigid Christianity of Mr Earnshaw (Paul Hilton) to the sullen resentment of Hindley (Lee Shaw) to the contrasting malleability and thus weakness of Edgar (James Northcote) and Isabella Linton (Nichola Burley). This is a hard film to watch but one that is hard not to admire, where you don't really like anyone but have sympathy for them all, and the horrible and the beautiful are of the same materials. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kUWOCd894-Q
By this stage, most of us have come to terms with the fact that jetting off to USA or Europe is a seriously long slog, made worse by unavoidable (sometimes long, always painful) stopovers. But that European or American trip could soon become a whole lot more bearable, with Qantas not only working towards launching direct flights between the east coast and both London and New York by 2022, but beginning to run trial journeys this year. In October, November and December, the airline will pilot three ultra long-haul research flights, using new Boeing 787-9s. The aircraft will simulate two routes that are at the heart of Qantas' proposed new non-stop plan, which is called Project Sunrise, flying from New York and London to Sydney. That New York trip will mark the first world's first flight by a commercial airline direct from the Big Apple to Sydney, while the London jaunt will be the second time such a journey has been made. The last time the latter happened was back in 1989, when Qantas made the trek on a Boeing 747-400 with just 23 people on board. Don't go packing your bags, though — the aim is to gather data about inflight passenger and crew health and wellbeing, with only around 40 people making the trip. They'll be comprised of crew and Qantas employees, and they'll be fitted with wearable technology devices to monitor their monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, physical movement and use of the entertainment system during the flights. The results will then be assessed by scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre. Pilots will also take part, working with Monash University researchers to record their melatonin levels before, during and after the flights, as well as their brain wave patterns and alertness — to help ascertain the best work and rest pattern when they're commanding those long-haul services. While spending nearly a day on one single plane is better than jumping on and off different vessels multiple times, it's not without its physical, mental and emotional toll — as anyone who has made the trip with Qantas from Perth to London knows, which is what makes this testing so important. Announcing the trial, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce explained that, "for customers, the key will be minimising jet lag and creating an environment where they are looking forward to a restful, enjoyable flight. For crew, it's about using scientific research to determine the best opportunities to promote alertness when they are on duty and maximise rest during their down time." Back in 2017, Qantas first revealed that it was exploring non-stop routes from Sydney — routes that would eclipse those direct flights between Perth and London, which launched in March 2018. Since then, the airline has been pursuing the idea enthusiastically, putting out a call for aircraft that can handle the trip and widening their plan to include departures to and from Brisbane as well. In numbers, the planes will need to be able to handle more than 19 hours in the air (around 20 hours and 20 minutes between Sydney and London, and 18-hours and seven minutes from Sydney to New York). The airline has done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the lengthy routes are actually possible. Now it just needs the aircraft, with Airbus and Boeing both pitching vessels (A350 and 777X) that are capable of doing the job. Qantas is expected to announce their decision, including whether the whole project will progress to making commercial flights, by the end of December 2019. Right now, the world's longest direct flight clocks in at over 19 hours, with Singapore Airlines flying 15,322-kilometres along its Singapore-to-New York route. Previously, the journey from Doha and Auckland earned that honour, taking around 18 hours to travel 14,529 kilometres.
Dial your Christmas spirit up a notch at this year's Sydney Living Museum's Christmas Fare. With over 40 of Sydney's best artisan food producers, this annual Christmas Fare will host some of the state's finest edible creations and provide plenty of inspiration for the looming Christmas lunch. Sample something sugary from Sweetness the Patisserie or Carlson’s Handcrafted Organic Fruit Cordials, take a bite of a freshly baked good from The Bread & Butter Project or Brooklyn Boy Bagels, and betray family tradition with a Christmas pudding from PUD Inc. Deli-food favourites Cornersmith, Hands Lane, Kitchen by Mike, The Jam Bandits, Steph’s Gourmet Foods and Pecora Dairy will all be on hand and the American-obsessed The Nighthawk Diner, Bar Pho and Feather and Bone will have stalls for a more substantial feed. To wash everything down, Young Henrys craft beer will be a-flowing as will the wine from Freemans Vineyard. Entry is by gold coin, which will also allow access inside the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. Eat, drink and be merry — the Christmas season has spoken.
Supper Club is the new series of one-off dining experiences popping up over the June long weekend. Sydneysiders will be treated to dinner and a show featuring the likes of Archie Roach, Mark Olive and the former team behind Goodgod Small Club's The Dip. For those looking for a more sultry night of crooned ballads and and heart pasta dishes, head to Mary's Underground on Saturday, June 12. 'Dinner at Nonna's' will transform the Circular Quay bar with the help of eccentric singer-songwriter Donny Benet. Benet will bring his nostalgic 80s-style pop in collaboration with Toby Stansfield, Head Chef of Fabbrica Pasta Shop, who will be in charge of the nights carb-heavy menu. Guest can expect to be serenaded by Benet while tucking into homemade pasta and sauces with Italian wines.
A glorious handful of Australia's most celebrated restaurants will be waking up with a big ol' smile this morning, finding a spot amongst the mightily prestigious World's Best Restaurants list overnight. Sydney's Sepia and Quay nabbed a highly coveted spot on the list, as well as Victoria's Brae, with the top 51-100 announced separately for the first time ever. Judged by international critics and industry heavyweights, the World's Best Restaurants is a worldwide poll holding some pretty heavy weight. Sydney's longtime culinary leader Quay came in at 58, while super Sydney hotspot Sepia (who was just voted by Australia's top chefs and restaurateurs as Best Restaurant in Australia in the Australian Financial Review Top 100 Restaurants) came in at 84. Dan Hunter's Birregurra restaurant Brae in Victoria came in at 87, a win for the non-CBD-dwelling establishment. The top 50 has yet to be announced, in fact, it's a first that the World's Best list organisers have revealed the 51-100 list already. The top 50 will be announced in London next Monday, at a super fancy awards ceremony with probably insane function food. Who's up for the top spots? Last year's list saw Copenhagen's Noma take out the top spot, followed by El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain and Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. There are high hopes for Ben Shewry's Attica, which came in at second in the AFR Top 100 and hit number 32 in the World's Best list last year — the only Australian restaurant in the Top 50. The Top 50 World's Best Restaurants will be announced next Monday, June 1. For this year's 51-100 list, head over here. Via Good Food.
Singled Out is a multicoloured series of portraits offering a glimpse of what it's like to fly solo. It's predicted that, by 2020, one in three living arrangements in the city will be that of one-person households, and this show is a unique and contemporary exploration of single life in Sydney. In collaboration with some of Australia's most well-respected playwrights, creative producer and new work director Augusta Supple (The Mayday Playwrights Festival, A View From Moving Windows) has created a rollicking, illuminating adventure into the private lives of people we just may recognise. As these lives unfold, collide and intersect, we begin to understand the joys and complexities of solitary living in a vibrant city. Playing as part of the 2013 Reginald Season, Singled Out is more than a sketch of individual lives — it's a unique celebration about life in the big smoke, minus a plus one.
If you happen to be in Thailand in February and you spy Harry Potter's Jason Isaacs, Mission: Impossible's Michelle Monaghan, The League's Leslie Bibb and all-round icon Parker Posey, congrats: you will have spotted some of the cast of The White Lotus season three in the country to film the hit HBO show's next batch of episodes. The best new series on TV in 2021, and one of the best returning series of 2022 as well, The White Lotus is heading to the Asian nation after spending season one unleashing ultra-lavish hell in Hawaii and season two getting scathing in Sicily. Season three's location isn't new news, but the fact that Isaacs (The Crowded Room), Monaghan (The Family Plan), Bibb (God's Favourite Idiot), Posey (Beau Is Afraid), Dom Hetrakul (The Family) and Tayme Thapthimthong (Thai Cave Rescue) will be experiencing a chaotic getaway — or somehow involved with a White Lotus hotel — is a fresh development. [caption id="attachment_934932" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Crowded Room[/caption] The Mike White (Brad's Status)-created, -written and -directed series will also bring back a familiar face from its first season, as it did in season two. As fans of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning drama know, sadly Jennifer Coolidge (We Have a Ghost) won't be returning, unless the anthology series tells a prequel in the future, gets the undead involved or makes heavy use of flashbacks. Someone she spent a heap of screen time with in The White Lotus' debut season is popping up again, however: Natasha Rothwell (Wonka) as Belinda Lindsey, the spa manager who had been hoping to get Coolidge's Tanya McQuoid to invest in her dream business. Rothwell, Isaacs and company will obviously have more company, but that's the full list of cast members that've been revealed for now. No storyline details have been unveiled, and neither has a premiere date — but you'll be waiting till 2025 to see what happens in The White Lotus realm next. [caption id="attachment_934934" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Beau Is Afraid[/caption] The show will shoot its third season in Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok, with HBO partnering with the Tourism Authority of Thailand "to support the filming and promotion of the third installment", the US network advised. Yes, expect everyone you know to want to vacation in Thailand as a result. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the country's Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, certainly does. "Thailand has long been considered one of the world's favourite filming locations. The White Lotus project will certainly strengthen the kingdom's status as a preferred filming destination and a beacon of experience-based tourism, inspiring even more visitors to amazing Thailand," Kiatphaibool said in a statement. Based on past seasons, the nation will backdrop a searing — and supremely entertaining — takedown of one percent, their lavish getaways, their deep-seated problems, and the gross inequality between the haves and have nots. And, it'll spark sleuthing, given that someone winding up dead has been part of all prior seasons as well. HBO announced that it was bringing The White Lotus back for a third go-around mere episodes into season two. Originally, the show was meant to be a one-and-done miniseries, but it was that excellent (and that popular) that it's now running with the anthology setup. White has hinted at focusing on "death and Eastern religion and spirituality" in season three. "It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus," he said in a clip at the end of season two's finale. There's obviously no trailer yet for The White Lotus' third season, but you can check out the trailers for seasons one and two below: The White Lotus' third season will arrive sometime in 2025, but doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. The first and second seasons of The White Lotus are available to stream via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our full reviews of season one and two. The White Lotus images: Fabio Lovino and Mario Perez / HBO.
There's a lot to be learnt from ladies of a certain age. No doubt you've picked up some pearls of wisdom from the grandmothers in your life over the years, whether they're about how best to iron a button-up shirt or the ways of the wider world. A workshop series, Nanna Knows Best, aims to share some of that nana knowledge with the community and teach young'uns about that all-important, old-fashioned manners stuff. It's a crash course in communication, etiquette and presentation and it's led by deportment expert Pat Woodley, who held the titles of Miss NSW and Miss Australia back in 1951. We've heard it before: our generation is a pack of socially awkward, obnoxious web-dwellers more comfortable on our smartphones than conversing IRL (or on the phone). But Woodley is fairly optimistic about our capacity to regain the social skills of days gone by. She promises to school young folk in conversing confidently and 'boosting their powers of attraction'. Apparently that last bit's about more than having a smokin' Tinder profile.
The Hindu festival Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth, held every three years on the banks of sacred Indian rivers. The festival welcomes pilgrims and visitors alike — visitors including Sydney photographer and documentary-maker Stephen Dupont. Dupont's resulting series of photographs, The White Sheet Series No. 1, will be exhibited at the Black Eye Gallery this month. It features black-and-white portraits taken in the midst of Kumbh Mela, displayed in frames of hand-printed textile stamps collected by the artist during his time on the subcontinent. The series is a natural step for Dupont, whose opus consists of photography and film that features fragile cultures and marginalised people. He has been exhibited in London, Paris, New York and Shanghai and this return to his hometown is an opportunity for Sydneysiders to see his newest work, which is, more than anything, a celebration of people and place.
With restaurant doors closed to dine-ins and weekend getaways on hold, lots of Victorian producers are living life on the back foot right now. But of course, there's always room in your life for some locally made or -grown goodies, pandemic or otherwise. And now, you can find countless ways to support our homegrown heroes from the comfort of your couch, with the Victorian Government's new Click for Vic campaign. This new website's all about celebrating Victorian businesses and encouraging users to continue shopping local via a curation of online stores. Scroll through to find a handy edit of local booze brands, coffee merchants, fashion retailers, makers and creatives, food producers and more. You can hone in on giftwares to find that special pressie, take a virtual shopping tour of your favourite weekend destination, or browse a selection of eateries offering takeaway and pick-up fare. [caption id="attachment_775941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maha on Providoor[/caption] Click for Vic's also partnered up with a handful of other specialised sites to help keep Melburnians connected to their local producers, all of which can be accessed here as well. The Regional Pantry's online store is stocked with a range of goodies from all Yarra Valley producers, while High Country At Home showcases products from across the High Country region, along with expert-led virtual experiences like gin appreciation sessions and cooking classes. Co-Lab Pantry is slinging ready-made meals and pantry staples from a lineup of much-loved Melbourne venues, and over at Providoor, you can order chef-prepared dishes from favourites like Supernormal and Bomba, designed to finish and devour at home. Plus, you'll find a sprawling selection of homewares, gifts, fresh produce, booze and more, to browse and buy online from the Victorian Country Market website. Set up like a virtual marketplace, this one's easy to shop by category or region, with a broad lineup of offerings promising hours of retail therapy. Shop a huge range of local wares by heading to the Click for Vic website. Top images: Co-Lab Pantry
Nab some post-work bevvies for a steal at Chinatown's Arisun. The eatery has been a mainstay of Sydney's culinary scene for more than thirty years, with a menu that combines Japanese and Korean flavours. During their daily happy hour, which runs from 3.30–5.30pm, snag a can of beer for only $5.90, a high ball for $9.90, soju for $11.90 and beer jugs for $22.90. Open until 12am from Monday–Thursday and until 2am on Friday and Saturday, the Korean restaurant is an ideal spot for group hangs that last well into the night, with plenty of shared plates, beer towers and Korean fried chicken platters. Head to the restaurant's website for more details.
Whether you were one of those iso bakers tending to your sourdough starter, or simply glued to MasterChef's elimination challenges these last months, there's certainly been something comforting about spending more time in the kitchen right now. And someone who's made a career out of joyfully sharing his passion for at-home cooking is The Living Room co-host and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! winner for 2020, Miguel Maestre. The Murcia-born, Australian chef is well known for repping Spanish cuisine, as well as for his flamboyant presenting style. He's the author of best selling cookbooks Miguel's Tapas and Spanish Cooking, as well as being the ambassador for Stockland Shopping Centres and the owner of Maestre Enterprises — one of Australia's largest Spanish food importers. But not everything Miguel cooks is Spanish leaning. In this live-stream cooking class, he'll show you how to make an easy, midweek meal that'll take just 15 minutes to knock up at home. Miguel's Chicken San Choy Bow borrows from Hong Kong origins and is a zesty crowd-pleaser, plus he'll show you a veggie option and some handy cooking skills along the way. You'll also learn how to whip up Miguel's Fudgy Chocolate Cake with chocolate glaze, as another family favourite. Cook along with Miguel from 6pm AEST on Thursday, June 18. The online cooking class is free to watch, and you can find all the necessary ingredients here. Simply click through to the Facebook event post and click 'going' to make sure you're updated with the live-stream link on the day. And if you're keen to share your prep ahead of or during the event, use the hashtag #stocklandfood for your chance to win a gourmet hamper worth $300. Competition ends at 6pm AEST on Sunday, June 21.
If Four Weddings and a Funeral can come back as a television series, then it appears that another beloved rom-com from the past few decades can too. Continuing a trend that's never going to end — aka building pop culture's future out of its past — How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days is the latest flick getting the small-screen remake treatment. And we do mean small, given that streaming platform Quibi is behind the series. Founded by ex-Disney and Dreamworks bigwig Jeffrey Katzenberg, the newcomer won't launch until next year, but it's being designed as a short-form, smartphone-only service. That means content broken down into eight–to–ten minute chunks for ease of viewing when you're somewhere other than the couch. So, How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days isn't just getting a modernised do-over, but one that'll unfurl in bite-sized pieces. Few details about the rom-com remake have been announced as yet, although it'll be penned by The Mindy Project writer Guy Branum. The underlying premise has been given a bit of a makeover, focusing on an online columnist and an advertising executive who need to prove that they can be monogamous, as TVLine reports. Who'll be stepping into Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson's circa 2003 shoes, and whether either will pop up, will be revealed down the line. A release date hasn't been set as yet either, although Quibi is set to drop in April 2020. If and when it'll be available Down Under also hasn't been announced. Until more details hit, check out the trailer for the original How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFGr2_cOOTk
