It begins with an ad in the classifieds: "Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed." Anyone who's ever seen Craigslist knows that's pretty much par for the course, but for sleazy magazine writer Jeff (Jake M. Johnson), it throws up two irresistible opportunities: an amusing puff piece during an otherwise slow news week, and a chance to hook up with an old flame living in the same town from where it was placed. He selects two interns, the dour Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and studious Arnau (Karan Soni), and together they head off to the beachside community of Ocean View to track down the advert's mysterious author. That man turns out to be Kenneth Calloway (Mark Duplass): an awkward loner and paranoid grocery story clerk who's convinced he's cracked the secret of quantum-mechanical travel. When Jeff's cynicism sees him immediately rejected as a possible partner, it falls to Darius to befriend the man based on her boss's logic that since they're both weird, perhaps they'll get along. And as it turns out, eccentric outsiders do attract just as powerfully as opposites. Darius quickly warms to Kenneth's tender idiosyncrasies, even as questions over his mental stability linger, and by the time the film builds to its inevitable climax in which Kenneth's time machine has its moment of truth, you come to realise you no longer even care if it works. Like 2012's other sci-fi hit Looper, this is a time-travel movie where the time travel is entirely incidental to the storyline and characters. Just as Looper explored the 'what' of the concept (what consequences might time travel bring, intended or otherwise?), Safety Not Guaranteed asks 'why?'. Why would you go back, assuming you could, and why yearn for second chances when new and possibly better opportunities keep showing up right in front of you? Regret, of course, is the answer, and it's what drives each of the film's four principals, from Kenneth's literal time travel to Jeff's symbolic one — seeking out his high school sweetheart in the hope of recapturing faded former glories. It's a film of excellent performances all round, but Plaza offers the standout. Her disillusioned 20-something shtick initially plays like a cut-and-paste job from Parks and Recreation; however, she imbues Darius with an unexpected depth and warmth that utterly enchants. Duplass is also fantastic, making Kenneth feel somehow terribly familiar for a person we've almost certainly never met. Soni and Johnson provide fine supporting performances, and all four characters develop wonderfully over the 85 minutes in a testament to the actors and screenwriter alike. Safety Not Guaranteed is an inspired and heartwarming tale that's almost certainly the surprise indie hit of the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=73jSnAs7mq8
Australia might be working through a few issues, but delivering top-shelf world-class cocktail bars sure ain't one of them, as again proved at last night's World's 50 Best Bars awards in London. Now in its ninth year, the prestigious awards ranked Sydney bar The Baxter Inn at number 45 in the world. Melbourne's Black Pearl came in at number 22, the same spot it claimed in 2016's list. This year, however, the bar backed it up with a few extra accolades, scooping the gong for Best Bar in Australasia and honoured with the title of Legend of the List, for its efforts in making the cut each year the awards have been held. Taking out top spot, along with the title of Best Bar in Europe, was The American Bar at London's Savoy Hotel. This is a win for us Aussies also — the international cocktail icon just announced it'll take over The Black Pearl and Sydney's Eau De Vie for a series of pop-ups later this month. London again proved the most represented city in the list, honoured with eight top 50 placings. The World's 50 Best Bars awards is voted by a group of over 500 industry experts from across 55 countries.
A cinema plays a key part in Twisters. Frankenstein flickers across its screen, but mother nature proves not only more of a monster, but also an audience member worse than folks who can't manage to spend two hours in a darkened room without their phones. There's a knowing air to featuring a picture palace in this disaster-flick sequel from Minari director Lee Isaac Chung and The Boys in the Boat screenwriter Mark L Smith, reminding viewers how deeply this genre and this format are linked. Almost three decades ago, as co-penned by Michael Crichton fresh off Jurassic Park's mammoth success, 1996's Twister packed movie theatres worldwide to the tune of nearly half-a-billion dollars, doing so with a spectacle. No matter if its sequel reaches the same heights at the box office globally, it too delivers better-on-the-big-screen sights, chief among them Chung and cinematographer Dan Mindel's (Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) naturalistic imagery. For those unaware going in that the filmmaker behind six-time Oscar contender Minari — a helmer who received a Best Director Academy Award nomination for his gorgeous and heartfelt work, in fact — is also steering Twisters, it isn't hard to guess from its look, including in its opening moments alone. The movie begins with storm chasers doing what they enthusiastically do. It also kicks off with a horror turn of events thanks to a tornado that exceeds their expectations, and with the crew's survivors afterwards struggling with trauma that'll later drive them forward. In these scenes and beyond, this isn't a picture of visual gloss and sheen, as witnessed right down to its lighting. Twisters remains polished, of course. It also can't tell its tale without CGI. But a choice as pivotal as valuing a genuine aesthetic tonef over a gleaming one has a massive impact. Usually gifted at reading where a whirlwind is headed, hailing from Tornado Alley and introduced with her college pals attempting to demonstrate that her passion project can tame superstorms, Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Where the Crawdads Sing) makes it out of the Twisters' first big tempest alive. Five years later when the feature swiftly picks up, she has swapped field work for sitting behind a New York desk as a meteorologist, however. Then her old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos, Dumb Money) tracks her down with a proposal: return to Oklahoma by his side, with his business using portable radars to scan the squalls. She's hesitant — her efforts to avoid going home have been keenly felt by her mother (Maura Tierney, The Iron Claw), too — but eventually agrees to lend her skills in predicting tornado paths to Javi's team for a single week. As Kate quickly learns, wild swirls aren't just associated with the weather when she's back rushing after gales with the wind literally in her hair. Javi's ultra-professional squad has a fierce rivalry with cowboy-style "tornado wrangler" Tyler Owens (Glen Powell, Hit Man) and his ragtag posse of offsiders, who YouTube their every move, have a hefty online following as a result, sling merchandise with his face on it, seem as cavalier as anyone can come and are eager to discover if they can shoot fireworks into a storm. If it initially appears as if there's an experts-versus-amateurs, experience-versus-influencers battle at the heart of Twisters, Chung and Smith never skew that simplistic. Rather, one of their themes is valuing knowledge but not gatekeeping or snap judgements — and, as its debut twister reinforces from the outset, recognising the importance of diving beyond first perceptions. Vortexes wow, threaten and devastate. Opposites-attract type characters do exactly that. Not everyone's motives are what they might seem. Personal histories demand overcoming as much as the gusty uproars spiralling around America's centre. Those expected plot mechanics don't play out perfunctorily, though, for a few reasons. The story behind the script is credited to Powell's Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, who was previously eyed to helm here — and while there's a few familiar beats evident in the last flick in cinemas boasting his involvement and this one, a different need for speed pulses through, as well as a different contemplation of soaring versus being grounded. In what shouldn't feel like such a rarity for a disaster film but does given where the genre typically heads, Twisters also cares about its figures, the sense of awe that gets them bounding into danger, the clash between the environment and those who live within it, the effect of climate change, the human toll that tornadoes wreak, the communities affected and intimate stories set shaped by America's landscape. While Twister isn't the only movie that springs to mind when thinking about Helen Hunt (Hacks) and the late Bill Paxton (The Circle), it's up there with the instant selections. Edgar-Jones, Ramos and Powell each enter Twisters on recent rolls of standout roles that respectively cover Normal People, In the Heights and Anyone But You, and all add this to their list of memorable parts. Matching Chung's approach and visuals, there's an earthiness and sincerity to Edgar-Jones' performance as the movie's haunted and wounded action hero. Ramos, as innately charming an on-screen presence as Powell, ensures that his complicated character is always empathetic. Dialling up the swagger, then the charisma and thoughtfulness, Powell equally navigates a textured arc with confidence. Albeit in support — and adding flavour as a group more than individually — the film's savvy casting also extends to The Crowded Room's Sasha Lane, Love Lies Bleeding's Katy O'Brian, Nope's Brandon Perea, Pantheon's Tunde Adebimpe, Totally Killer's Kiernan Shipka, Bad Sisters' Daryl McCormack and Pearl's David Corenswet. Making certain that Twisters' spinning furores don't blow its people, their emotions and their everyday lives away — including when that's a grimly inescapable element of the narrative, because disaster movies always have a body count — still requires those tempests to thunder with full cinema-shaking sound and fury. Getting personal here isn't a case of skimping on effects, then, even if cows don't fly this time. Instead, Chung adds his clear affection for character, for seeing his main players react to the wonders around them Spielberg-style (the iconic The Fabelmans filmmaker is an executive producer), and for portraying the US terrain so routinely ravaged by the weather to digital and practical wizardry that values the sensory and intense (as also aided by editing from Terilyn A Shropshire, The Woman King). No one wants a storm to strike twice, but this franchise has achieved it — and as gets yelled within its frames, does its utmost to notch up another feat. "We've gotta get everyone into the movie theatre," it shouts; that's exactly where this flick is a sight to behold.
It may have taken 15 years and two full blown reboots, but the Spider-Man movies finally have a decent villain. Gone are the Green Goblins and anthropomorphic sandpits, replaced at long last by...a guy. Just a guy; a vulnerable, human, salt-of-the-earth labourer trying to carve out a little something of his own amongst the rubble and ruin of a post-Avengers New York City. Played by Michael Keaton, Adrian Toomes is an ordinary character in an extraordinary world, whose bare bones simplicity helps ground this refreshingly low-key entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And low-key is the key to this movie's appeal. Spidey (Tom Holland) isn't a world saver, but a hero for the little guy; intervening in grocery store holdups and helping grandparents with their luggage. The problem is that he wants more. He's fought alongside Iron Man and taken on Captain America, and the expectation of future avenging is what drives his daily routine. Expectation, however, soon falls short of reality, as he's told by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) that which no teenager ever wishes to hear: "you're not ready". What's worse is that Stark is plainly right. Thing is, gaining super-powers doesn't mean you automatically gain super skills, and Spidey/Peter Parker is a superhero still very much in the training wheels phase. It's a clever device by director Jon Watts, whose hero – like a giraffe attempting its nervous first steps – repeatedly fumbles his landings, misses his web castings and wreaks low-level havoc in suburban backyards while chasing down the bad guys. Paired with raging hormones in a body that's also transforming in a more typically teenage way, and Peter makes for an immensely likeable lead. It helps that Holland makes for a far more plausible teen than either Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield. The teenage superhero setup has always given Spiderman an added complexity (one perhaps only shared by Superman), in that his public persona is painfully weak and nerdy. Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark get to be billionaire playboys when they're not battling criminal kingpins, but Peter Parker is perceived as a weedy, bookish, scatter-brained dork who rolls over for bullies and can never keep an appointment. His life would be immediately and immeasurably better if he simply revealed his true, courageous self. But to do so would invite sudden and deadly peril upon all those he cares about. That dilemma, in turn, passes on to the audience, as you find yourself grappling with your desire to see Spider-Man take down the villains but also make his date with the dream girl. Even better, it all comes without another version of Uncle Ben's 'great power comes with great responsibilities' speech, or another retelling of Parker's spider-bite origins. Spider-Man: Homecoming is a film that knows what we already know, and just gets on with telling its story. If there's a drawback to all of this, it's that the final product feels a little bit childish. Yes, it's a film about a teenage superhero, but plenty of movies have captured the teenage experience without feeling like they were written by teenagers as well. There's far too much 'whoa, awesome, dude, bro, cool' going on here for our liking, although thankfully the adults (Downey Jr, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei and Keaton) provide plenty of counterbalance. Minor flaws aside, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a fun cinema experience, and a refreshingly human story amidst the surfeit of superhero movies that continue to flood our screens. Oh, and yes, there are the additional Marvel scenes – so if you're so inclined, remember to stay through to the very end of the credits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9DwoQ7HWvI
A trip to Potts Point Vintage is like stepping back in time. As well as the menswear and womenswear you'd expect (unusually for a vintage store, there's a roughly 50/50 split), you can find taxidermy, too — and sometimes furniture and oil paintings. It's little wonder that the store, owned by fashion obsessive Arnold Kieldgaard, regularly supplies items to the Australian film industry for scenes looking to get that period feel just right. Whether you're trawling for designer heels, historic couture or — the store's specialty — a vintage wedding dress, the treasure trove that is Potts Point Vintage is sure to provide, from the 19th century onwards. Images: Kitti Smallbone
Rosebery’s Kitchen By Mike has been a revelation with its back-to-basics food, which uses radical simplicity and topnotch ingredients to great effect. They host this event, where the affable Mike teams with Grant (Three Blue Ducks) and Matt (Hands Lane) teach you how to make your own jams and preserves. Throw in live music and a charcuterie dinner and it sounds like a winner. Check out the rest of our top ten picks of Good Food Month here.
It's been an interesting year for zombies. Not that they'd know — I mean they're zombies, but still. On television, they've been stabbed, shot, crushed, burned, shredded, stomped on and driven over by the characters of The Walking Dead. In film, though, they've been loved by a cute girl (Warm Bodies) and will soon have their own police force (RIPD). So for director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace), World War Z represented an opportunity to make zombies scary again... and help people forget about Quantum of Solace. Based on the novel by Max Brooks (Mel's son), World War Z follows the traditional zombification of earth via an unknown contagion. The rapidity of the contagion's spread is matched only by humanity's descent into anarchy, and both are disturbing in their separate ways. Caught in the middle is former UN investigator Gerry (Brad Pitt) and his family. After an initial and harrowing escape to an aircraft carrier, Gerry agrees to seek out the contagion's 'patient zero' in exchange for his family being kept safe. It's the perfect device for introducing the personal element into the story without having to lug the family around in every scene and slow things down. Touché, writers. Touché. Early on in the piece, Gerry advises a terrified family that "movement is life", and it proves helpful advice both for the characters and the film. World War Z is a fast-paced, globetrotting adventure from start to finish; one in which even the zombies are fleet of foot. Only two countries - North Korea and Israel - seem to be managing the crisis (albeit by radically different methods), and the jet-setting between those and other locations allows for some spectacular set pieces. Sitting on just an M-rating, World War Z does well to maintain the scare factor despite the lack of gore, and the 3D is cleverly (and sparingly) used to add greater dimension to the large-scale action sequences. Pitt's performance is largely understated and, if anything, could have used a touch more fear given the enormity and horror of the crisis around him. Still, he looks the part and brings some quality star power to this impressive genre-piece. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4EC7P5WdUko
La Traviata is billed as part opera, part protest, part drag show. One wonders whether a simpler approach might have helped the Sisters Grimm land a few more of their punches. Okay, full disclosure: I’m no opera fan. In answer to any question regarding Giuseppe Verdi’s 17th-century opera, I will readily give the same reply I give to any enquiry about any opera from any era: “Oh yes. That’s the one with the viking helmets, isn’t it?” That said, this latest offering from queer theatre collective Sisters Grimm, while entertaining in parts, feels quite confused about what it is trying to achieve. La Traviata (directed and co-created by Declan Greene) is a ‘plundering of the canon’ which takes one of the most frequently performed operas in Australia and uses it as a lens through which to examine the state of the arts. A (literal) paint-by-numbers backdrop, an unironed sky-tarp, an inflatable swan and bouquet-adorned exercise balls are part of a set design by Marg Horwell that, in addition to some fabulously bizarre period costuming (also by Horwell), turn Downstairs Belvoir into a garage sale sanctioned by Queen Victoria. Satire and parody obviously play a large part in proceedings (don’t take my word for it — ask the giraffe). Both the operatic form and the excesses of major Australian arts companies are skewered. But for a show relying so heavily on Verdi’s source material to frame, among other things, debates about Australian arts funding, there is surprisingly little effort expended to situate the audience within this narrative. Unlike, say, Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men in Tights, which retells the famous myth with frequent comedic pit-stops, here, a couple of sentences quickly scrolling across a small, wall-mounted screen at the start of each act provide little context for the deconstruction that follows. Pacing also becomes an issue once we get into the back end. The first half is manic, bursting with energy and comedy. But the transition to a relatively sober second half is a rough one. The stage is stripped, of props and verve, and an audience Q&A session feels vaguely like an admission of defeat. Michael Lewis’s finale is impressive, but after the thorough razzing of opera that we’ve just witnessed (can Emma Maye Gibson’s transformation from opera singer to ape really be read any other way?), it seems disingenuous to hope that an audience would appreciate its beauty. The cast — Ash Flanders, Emma Maye Gibson, Michael Lewis and Zindzi Okenyo — all work feverishly throughout the show. But ultimately La Traviata doesn’t feel like it has its hooks deep enough in Verdi’s work or the political issues to really make it sing.
It's not everyday that you hear the words 1000 litre pool, inner-city backyard and theatrical garments uttered in the same sentence. Yet this is exactly what artist Meg Cowell does. Inspired by the forgotten pieces of clothing strewn about the footpath from somebody’s big night, she set about recreating these pieces of women's clothing (with the addition of couture). She did this through the use of a pool of water to allow buoyancy and an unusual method of display. They end up as illuminated pieces of fabric, which exist in blackness, with only a hint of the water that they are floating within remaining. The result is ghost-like, and the viewer is left with a tactile and emotive image. The pieces of fabric end up looking as if they are “inhabited” by bodies, with movement being created by carefully arranging the clothing with balloons, and being sewn into place. The yellow bustle Girclee print Lens Mist in particular took a few days to position before it was able to be photographed with such a long exposure. While shooting this series, Cowell, who graduated with honours in photography from the University of Tasmania in 2007, had to overcome the difficulties of photographing fabrics in water in her small inner-city backyard. She says this is because the “water adds its own organic force and shifts the fabric in ways that are impossible to control. Because of this, each shot takes about a week to make.” She was “constantly up and down the scaffolding manipulating a collar or adjusting a piece of lace to be "just so". There was “also a certain aspect of mischief in my productions as many of the hired garments are 'dry clean only'," says Cowell cheekily. This added an “element of drama to my process, especially as the owners took my credit card details as bond against damage. My methods for getting around this involve a hair dryer, tissue paper and a pair of straitening irons.” Which are hardly the usual concerns for the average photographer. But luckily it paid off and no bonds were lost. See more of Meg Cowell's photography in our feature gallery.
What exactly is the best thing about Christmas? Whether your answer is the beach weather, the presents, or the simple joy of getting the family together for a summer barbecue, no-one can deny that the silly season food on offer is an enormous plus. This year, foodie precinct Saporium will be bringing the Christmas feast and all of your last-minute Christmas shopping needs to you on December 10 and 11 — coinciding with the Merry Mary Xmas version of the Rosebery Block Party happening on Sunday in the same location. The two-day holiday market will include a collaboration between Gelato Messina and Archie Rose Distilling Co., which will see the return of a childhood favourite: ice-cream spiders. Plus, special guests DJ Levins and ACME chef Mitch Orr are teaming up to combine their love of food and music for an Eats & Beats set at the VIVE Cooking School. On the Monday, visitors to the market will be offered a free tour of Archie Rose's award-winning distillery, and have the opportunity to enjoy a delicious menu including pork belly burgers by neighbours Three Blue Ducks and beers by Young Henrys. And for all of us who have yet to find that special something for our great aunt Mildreds, an enormous array of artisan gifts, trinkets and stocking-stuffers will be up for grabs from rows of stalls of emerging artists and independent brands. The market will be kicking off from 10am on both days, and kicking off late into the afternoon.
Fiftysomethings Nick (Jim Broadbent) and Meg (Lindsay Duncan) are in a rut. He has just been terminated from his job as an academic after making an inappropriate comment to a female student. His wife, a biology teacher, is going through her own career issues. More importantly, their marriage is fraying at the seams. As a way of reviving their flagging relationship, they take off to Paris for a break, returning to the city where they honeymooned many years before. They initially arrive at a hostel which they had stayed at years ago, but Meg turns up her nose at the Spartan accommodation and they up sticks to a more glamorous hotel, where they are offered a beautiful penthouse where Tony Blair once stayed. Meg is overjoyed. Nick is less sure. "As long as you change the sheets first," he snips. Gradually, they begin to explore their new surrounds and are by turns charmed by the fabled city and agitated by old resentments and simmering tensions which have built up in their relationship. The two-hander expands when they run into Morgan (a terrific Jeff Goldblum), a slick but somewhat glib academic and author who was something of a mentee of Nick's, but who has gone on to enjoy mainstream success which eluded his older colleague. He shoehorns them into attending a dinner party with his coterie of cosmopolitan pals, a development which intrigues the vivacious Meg but leaves the anxious Nick more perturbed than ever. Le Week-End feels more like a snapshot in time than a traditional three-act story, as long-held frustrations wane as they wander through the city. The couple sense that they may have stayed together out of routine and fear of being alone rather than any great attachment. With their children having finally moved out of home, what, if anything, will keep them together? Nick suggests that he needs Meg, is hopeless without her. She wonders if a childlike dependence is a healthy basis for their ongoing relationship. Le Week-End is set in the world's most romantic city and was directed by Roger Michell of Notting Hill fame, but this is no Hollywood confection. Instead, it has a messiness, looseness and a real honesty. Paris often looks more tired than idealised. While not as flat-out brilliant as Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise trilogy, those films seem an obvious touchstone in their improvised-feeling dialogue and clear-eyed focus on the tribulations of long-term relationships. Broadbent and Duncan are tremendous as Nick and Meg, characters who are contradictory, vulnerable and at times, frankly irritating. It's rare to see older actors on screen who aren't supporting figures or comic relief, but real, flawed people. https://youtube.com/watch?v=t0jzTSKr3VY
When the Scream franchise posed the question it'll forever be known for, it skipped over a key word. Ghostface is clearly asking "do you like watching scary movies?", given the entire point of frightening flicks is seeing their thrills and chills, and being creeped out, entertained or both. We all know that's what the mask-wearing killer means, of course, but the act of viewing is such a crucial part of the horror-film equation that it's always worth overtly mentioning. Enter new slasher standout X, which splashes its buckets of viscera and gore across the screen with as much nodding and winking as the Scream pictures — without ever uttering that iconic phrase, though, and thankfully in a far less smug fashion than 2022's fifth instalment in that series — and firmly thrusts cinema's voyeuristic tendencies to the fore. That name, X, doesn't simply mark a spot; it isn't by accident that the film takes its moniker from the classification given to the most violent and pornographic movies made. This is a horror flick set amid a porn shoot, after all, and it heartily embraces the fact that people like to watch from the get-go. Swaggering producer Wayne (Martin Henderson, The Gloaming), aspiring starlet Maxine Minx (Mia Goth, Emma), old-pro fellow actors Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow, Pitch Perfect 3) and Jackson Hole (Scott Mescudi, Don't Look Up), and arty director RJ (Owen Campbell, The Miseducation of Cameron Post) and his girlfriend/sound recorder Lorraine (Jenna Ortega, doing triple horror duty in 2022 so far in Scream, Studio 666 and now this) are counting on that truth to catapult themselves to fame. Hailing from Houston and aroused at the idea of repeating Debbie Does Dallas' success, they're heading out on the road to quieter climes to make the skin flick they're staking their futures on, and they desperately hope there's an audience. X is set in the 70s, as both the home-entertainment pornography market and big-screen slashers were beginning to blossom. As a result, it's similarly well aware that sex and death are cinema's traditional taboos, and that they'll always be linked. That's art imitating life, because sex begets life and life begets death, but rare is the recent horror movie that stresses the connection so explicitly yet playfully. Making those links is Ti West, the writer/director responsible for several indie horror gems over the past decade or so — see: cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers — and thrusting a smart, savage and salacious delight towards his viewers here. Yes, he could've gone with The Texas Porn-Shoot Massacre for the feature's title, but he isn't remaking the obvious seminal piece of genre inspiration. In this blood-splattered throwback, which looks like it could've been unearthed from its chosen decade in every frame (and was actually filmed in New Zealand rather than Texas), West pays homage to a time when flicks like this did pop up with frequency — while slyly commenting on what's changed to shift that scenario. He also explores the process of filmmaking, of putting both sex and death on-screen, and the conversation around both, all while his characters decamp to a quiet guesthouse on a remote property where they start making the film-within-the-film that is The Farmer's Daughter. Upon arrival, gun-toting, televangelist-watching, pitchfork-wielding owner Howard (Stephen Ure, Mortal Engines) is instantly unfriendly. Wayne hasn't told him why they're really there, but he's soon snooping around to see for himself. Also keen on watching the bumping 'n' grinding is Howard's ailing wife Pearl, who he warns his guests to stay away from, but is drawn to the flesh on show. There's a genius stroke of casting in X that deserves discovering while watching, and speaks to one of the movie's other thematic obsessions. As West ponders the heyday of the type of flick he's making — and the picture within it as well — he contemplates what kinds of bodies we fetishise and find horrific. Desire and shame are flipsides of the same coin, and Pearl's lust towards her young and virile visitors contrasts with Maxine's insecurity, too, although the latter remains determined to use nature's gifts to shoot her shot. X doesn't always cut especially deep, but its musings on commodifying and worshipping youth and beauty still pierce, particularly when aided by such a committed and compelling turn by Goth, charismatic work from Henderson, Mescudi and Snow, and a crucial spurt of slipperiness from Ortega. That said, nothing carves as forcefully and gleefully as the film's many expertly staged death scenes. Knocking its pretty young things (and in Wayne's case, a tad older) off one by one, X revels in and relishes the art of depicting movie's kills. In fact, that depictions of erotica and mortality can be art is another of the film's fascinations. Viewers watch the two out of curiosity, titillation, and a mix of shock and allure, but find far more in porn and horror when they're executed with exacting eyes. Accordingly, as shot by West's frequent cinematographer Eliot Rockett — an alum of The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers as well — X's atmospheric and textured imagery makes this point inherently in all of its retro-styled glory. Every element in the movie is meticulous about its timeframe, right down to Maxine's Linda Lovelace-esque appearance, and never in the service of mere nostalgia. West's love of slow-burn horror setups also plays an influential part, teasing things out before the army of money shots. So too does his knowledge that whatever his audience imagines in their head will always be more shocking than what he commits to celluloid — yes, even with ample amounts of guts still strewn all over the place in the second half, and often. A pivotal moment about a third of the way through, and perhaps X's best, says plenty: in a lake by their cabin (because West eagerly nods to Friday the 13th also), Maxine swims while a snapping alligator closes in behind her. The film peers down on this scene patiently from above, basking in stillness as the mood turns tense, unsettling and terrifying — and serving up one helluva sight. In other words, West makes X a flick that viewers don't just want to peer at the sleaze and the nasty body count, or to see people get screwed in multiple ways, but because it's so smart, savvy and spectacularly staged while straddling and embracing that fine line between pleasure and pain. "We turn people on and that scares 'em," Bobby-Lynne says early, and it's a fitting mantra for the movie overall. And when it climaxes, it firmly leaves audiences wanting to watch more. In great post-viewing news, West has already shot a prequel called Pearl as part of a planned trilogy.
While the boilermaker might be the combination of choice for those looking to mix their grains, it's not the only way to get a fix of your favourite brew with a tasty dram. Until the end of June, Glaswegian whisky Auchentoshan (pronounced ock-un-tosh-un, for the phonetically cautious) is steering this boozy union to a clever new place, reimagining the age-old Scottish 'hauf an' a hauf', as a refreshing cocktail for the discerning scotch-sippers of today. Until the end of June, a number of joints around Sydney will be serving an Auchentoshan & Ale, which is not a beer, not a whisky, not even a boilermaker, but something refreshingly different, says brand ambassador Michael Nouri. Smooth, uniquely triple-distilled and a great whisky for cocktails, Auchentoshan American Oak complements a blend of pale ale, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, making one warming, yet refreshing drink. It's a new way of drinking two birds with one stone — that's how the saying goes, right? Find out where you can sip your own Auchentoshan & Ale in Sydney below. PAPA GEDE'S, CBD This CBD cocktail bar takes inspiration from the deep south of the US of A, from the witch doctors of the bayou, and offers potions and elixirs that range from rum-based tiki drinks, to refreshing juleps and absinthe mixers. With an extensive and elaborate cocktail menu, adding one more is no chore for the expert drink slingers. NORSK DOR, CBD A fairly new player on the scene, Pitt St's Norsk Dor takes its inspiration from the Scandinavian north, creating a menu that draws from Norse tradition. The bartenders are used to interesting combos, with drinks on the menu like their Danske Delight combining tequila, beetroot and citrus. And considering the warming property of whisky, the Auchentoshan & Ale slots right in with the cocktails at this cosy underground bar. SODA FACTORY, SURRY HILLS One of Sydney's favourite party haunts, Soda Factory also boasts a cocktail list that expertly twists classic drinks into fresh, new combinations. Grab a brew and ale combo while soaking in the live tunes that this bar-behind-the-hotdog-shop so lovingly provides. BITTER PHEW, DARLINGHURST No stranger to a variation of delicious drops, Darlinghurst's Bitter Phew boasts twelve taps of rotating brews and a healthy smattering of whiskies from all around the world. These expert cocktail slingers know exactly how to craft a drink with perfect balance, so the Auchentoshan & Ale is in safe hands. WEBSTER'S BAR, NEWTOWN After recently revamping their style to reflect the original hotel, Webster's in Newtown has redesigned their role in Sydney's whisky scene, as well. The cocktail bar on the middle level boasts one of the biggest collections of whiskies in town, and the cocktail list shows they know their way around a mixed drink or two. Learn more about why whisky and beer go so well together, and get yourself down to one of these Melbourne haunts for an Auchentoshan & Ale.
Speaking to all dudes who can't get dates, WINGMAN is a new exhibition that traces one Auckland man's attempts to find love in the city of Sydney. Mark O'Donnell isn't good at much, but he is an artist, so he pulled himself up by his bootstraps, chose some appropriately arty spaces to pick up (the MCA, the Biennale), and documented it all for your viewing pleasure. Was he punching above his weight? Or was he just putting himself out there? O'Donnell's efforts are apparently reminiscent of 'lekking' — the courtship ritual of the Prairie Chicken, which combines "dancing, calling, and displaying plumage". We're not sure if we're looking forward to seeing what that looks like in human form, but it's bound to be interesting. The exhibition is presented by New Zealand's Dog Park Art Project Space and features work by improvisational artist Daphne Simons alongside O'Donnell's, as well as a bunch of other talented kids, all selected to frame the ideas behind WINGMAN.
Every year as a kid my primary school took a bunch of jumpy, allergy-prone inner-west kids into the bush and made them walk for hours, skinned knees and sunburn be damned. There would always be a talk during the day, where, on the one hand, you could sit down, but on the other, you had to listen to park rangers carrying on about rock paintings and culture and just how old everything was. And we all sat patiently sulking, staring vacantly at some of the oldest artifacts of human civilisation, waiting for the icy poles we had been promised. Thing is, a lot of the time in Sydney we tend to forget the amazing and unique culture and historical heritage which is all around us. As a friend of mine said, "it still feels like school." The Discovering Country initiative is working to change all of this, with an art exhibition celebrating the environment, history and indigenous culture of Sydney Harbour. The exhibit brings together some of Sydney's most talented landscape photographers, working with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Aboriginal Discovery Rangers, who provide information about Sydney's indigenous culture and the native environment. The project aims to contribute funds to further develop the opportunities of the Tribal Warrior Association, which is revitalising Aboriginal culture and empowering disadvantaged indigenous people. And it doesn't feel like school at all.
A great story doesn't always make for a great movie, even if it is true. Sometimes the real-life details just don't work on the screen. Sometimes it’s the outcome that fascinates, rather than the build up. Though Woman in Gold tells of a battle to reclaim artwork stolen by the Nazis, pitting an elderly Jewish woman and her inexperienced lawyer against the Austrian government, it's the latest example of a tale that doesn't quite engage in film form. That the feature doesn't seem to know which part of the story it wants to focus on is part of the problem. That it relies on heavily tugging at heartstrings, movie-of-the-week-style, doesn't help either. After her sister's death in 1998, and after six decades living in America following the Second World War, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) is motivated to reclaim her family's history. Pining for a famed portrait of her aunt that hangs in a Vienna gallery, she enlists the services of Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) to help convince her homeland to give it back. Given that the picture is considered the Mona Lisa of Austria, they're not willing to part with it easily. Those suffering from a bit of deja vu are probably thinking back to The Monuments Men, which also delved into war-time art theft, or Philomena, which also sent an older lady on a soul-searching, truth-uncovering trip with a younger male companion. Indeed, Woman in Gold might be based on reality, but it's really a compilation of every other similar effort, including underdog legal battles, melodramatic attempts to face the past, and period-set historical dramas. There's no subtlety to director Simon Curtis' approach, handsome as the feature might look and heartfelt as it might feel, or to writer Alexi Kaye Campbell's speech-heavy script. With that in mind, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the performances are just as blatant and transparent. The odd couple pairing of Mirren and Reynolds has its limits, and the dialogue they're saddled with doesn't give them much room to move. Both play their roles as stereotypes, although they do have more to do than Katie Holmes and Daniel Brühl, who pop up in thankless supporting parts. What results is a movie noble in its intentions, lush in its images and inspirational in its real-life basis, but decidedly dull in putting it all together. When the titular portrait is the most convincing part of the film, you know there are issues. Woman in Gold, the picture, might shine, but Woman in Gold, the movie, is a paint-by-numbers reproduction.
How do you start one of the most-anticipated film events on Sydney's annual calendar? For Westpac Openair Cinema, that's a familiar question. The answer in 2023: with the new movie by an all-time great, and one of the 2023 Oscar frontrunners: Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. The prolific director's latest comes hot on the heels of 2021's West Side Story, which also received some Academy Award love via a swag of nominations and a win for Ariana DeBose for Best Supporting Actress. When The Fabelmans launches Westpac Openair's new season on Sunday, January 8, the next batch of Oscar nominations won't yet be out — but it'll still begin the beloved harbourside cinema's 2023 run in a glorious way. The Fabelmans follows a teenager who wants to become a filmmaker, and takes loose inspiration from Spielberg's own childhood and early years in the business. Gabriel LaBelle plays that 16-year-old, with Michelle Williams (Venom: Let There Be Carnage) and Paul Dano (The Batman) as his parents, and Seth Rogen (Pam & Tommy) as his dad's best friend. After already locking in its dates — with its 2023 season running until Tuesday, February 21 — and announcing that Kitchen by Mike's Mike McEnearney will be behind its food range just like in 2022, Westpac Openair Cinema doesn't reveal its full 40-night lineup until Monday, November 28. But alongside announcing The Fabelmans, the event advised that both the also cinema-focused Empire of Light and the Cate Blanchett-starring Tár will also grace its giant 350-square-metre cinema screen at Mrs Macquaries Point. And, so will #MeToo drama She Said, the Emma Thompson-led Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, and The Lost King with Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan. Those six films join a trio of other already-unveiled titles: this year's Palme d'Or-winner Triangle of Sadness, the Harry Styles- and Florence Pugh-starring thrills of Don't Worry Darling and the fashion-focused Mrs Harris Goes to Paris. And, back when the dates were first announced, the team behind the beloved event did drop a few other names of movies that've caught their attention, and that "would be pretty awesome experiences on Sydney Harbour", though. On that list: Elvis, Top Gun: Maverick, Fire of Love, Ticket to Paradise, Moonage Daydream and Bros. Whatever other flicks fill out the bill, they'll play at one of Sydney's favourite outdoor cinema spots, which comes complete with spectacular panoramic views of the city, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. As happens every year, tickets are likely to go quickly when they go on sale. Across the summer of 2018–19, more than 40,000 tickets sold within the first two days of pre-sale — so put it in your diary ASAP. Westpac Openair 2023 runs from Sunday, January 8—Tuesday, February 21. Check back here on Monday, November 28 for the full lineup — with tickets on sale on Monday, December 12. Top images: Fiora Sacco.
Given the effort they put into creating, curating, collating and copying their wares, it seems kind of weird that the makers of zines would be the kind to abbreviate words. Like, "Okay, guys, we've edited and self-published a niche interest periodical, sure, but we don't have time to pronounce the syllables 'mag' and 'a'. That's where we draw the line!"? But, then again, eccentricity and arbitrary decision-making are part of the beauty of zine culture, wherein anyone with access to words and/or images and a means of putting them together can be a publisher. There are political zines and poetry zines — and zines about spoons and zines about people spooning. Often stumbled across in cute indie stores and venues or tracked down online, zines also enjoy a good gathering — and the MCA and the Sydney Writers' Festival are, as has become their annual tradition, throwing them another party with the 2019 MCA Zine Far on Sunday, May 5. Head along from 10.30am to do some collecting — you can buy or barter — or just have a look at what people are into and up to. The fair is free, as is the public program attached to it. Rock up on the day to attend zine community panel discussions and workshops on zines as a field book.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SCREAM Twenty-six years ago, "do you like scary movies?" stopped being just an ordinary question. Posed by a wrong-number caller who happened to be a ghostface-masked killer with a fondness for kitchen knives, it was the snappiest and savviest line in one of the 90s' biggest horror films — a feature filled with snappy and savvy lines, too — and it's now one of cinema's iconic pieces of dialogue. It also perfectly summarised Scream's whole reason for being. The franchise-starting slasher flick didn't just like scary movies, though. It was one, plus a winking, nudging comedy, and it gleefully worshipped at the altar of all horror films that came before it. Wes Craven helmed plenty of those frightening features prior to Scream, so the A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills Have Eyes director was well-equipped to splash around love for the genre like his villain splashed around entrails — and to eagerly and happily satirise all of horror's well-known tropes in the stab-happy process. If you've seen the 1996 film or its three sequels till now, you've bathed in all that scary movie affection. You might've gleaned the horror basics from their rules and references; the OG film even had its characters watch Halloween and borrows the 70s classic's stellar score for key scenes. Geeking out over spooky cinema is the franchise's main personality trait, to the point that it has its own saga-within-a-saga, aka the Stab movies, and its fifth entry — also just called Scream — wouldn't dream of making that over. The famous question gets asked, obviously. Debates rage about the genre, enough other horror films are name-checked to fill a weekend-long movie marathon, cliches get skewered and dissected, and there's a Psycho-style shower scene. 'Elevated' horror standouts The Babadook, It Follows, The Witch and Hereditary earn a shoutout as well, but Scream itself just might be an elevator horror flick. It isn't set in one, but it crams in so much scary movie love that it always feels like it's stopping every few moments to let its nods and nerding-out disembark. In other words, you'd really best answer Scream's go-to query with the heartiest yes possible, and also like watching people keep nattering about all things horror. Taking over from Craven, who also directed 1997's Scream 2, 2000's Scream 3 and 2011's Scream 4 but died in 2015, Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett task their next generation of slasher fodder with showing their devotion with all the subtlety of a masked murderer who can't stop taunting their prey. That'd be Ghostface, who terrorises today's Woodsboro high schoolers, because the fictional spot is up there with Sunnydale and Twin Peaks on the list of places that are flat-out hellish for teens. The same happened in Scream 4, but the first new attack by the saga's killer is designed to lure home someone who's left town. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) hightailed it the moment she was old enough, fleeing a family secret, but is beckoned back when her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega, You) receives the feature's opening "do you like scary movies?" call. Soon, bodies are piling up, Ghostface gives Woodsboro that grim sense of deja vu again, and Tara's friends — including the horror film-obsessed Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown, Yellowjackets), her twin Chad (Mason Gooding, Love, Victor), his girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ammar, Jappeloup), and other pals Wes (Dylan Minnette, 13 Reasons Why) and Amber (Mikey Madison, Better Things) — are trying to both survive while basically cycling through the OG feature again, complete with a crucial location, and sleuth out the culprit using their scary movie knowledge. Everyone's a suspect, including Sam herself and her out-of-towner boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid, The Boys), and also the begrudging resident expert on this exact situation: ex-sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette, Spree). The latter is the reason that morning show host Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, Cougar Town) and initial Ghostface target Sidney Prescott (Skyscraper) make the trip back to Woodsboro again as well. Read our full review. KING RICHARD In King Richard, Will Smith does more acting than expected with his back to the on-screen action. He does more acting in general — while the Ali and Concussion star can be a transformative performer, here he feels like he's overtly playing a part rather than disappearing into a role — but the way his eponymous figure handles his daughters' matches instantly stands out. Richard Williams is a tennis parent who despises the usual tennis parent histrionics. At the time the film is set, in the early 90s, he has also coached Venus (Saniyya Sidney, Fences) and Serena (Demi Singleton, Godfather of Harlem) since they were four years old, and penned a 78-page plan mapping out their futures before they were born. He's dedicated his life to their success; however, he's so restless when they're volleying and backhanding that he can't bring himself to watch. These scenes in King Richard are among Smith's best. He's anxious yet determined, and lives the feeling like he's breathing it, in some of the movie's least blatantly showy and most quietly complex scenes as well. The Williams family patriarch has wisdom for all occasions, forged from a tough childhood in America's south, plus the hard work and hustle of turning Venus and Serena into budding champions, so he'd likely have something to say about the insights gleaned here: that you can tell oh-so-much about a person when they're under pressure but nobody's watching. If he was actively imparting this lesson to his daughters — five of them, not just the two that now have 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them — and they didn't glean it, he'd make them watch again. When they see Cinderella in the film, that's exactly what happens. But his courtside demeanour is teachable anyway, recognising how all the preparation and effort in the world will still see you tested over and over. King Richard mostly lobs around smaller moments, though — still life-defining for the aforementioned trio, matriarch Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country) and the rest of the Williams brood, but before Venus and Serena became women's tennis superstars. It unpacks the effort put in to even get them a game, set or match and be taken seriously in a sport that's whiter than the lines marking out its courts, and the chances, sacrifices and wins of their formative years. From cracked Compton courts and homemade hype videos to seizing every hard-earned opportunity: that's the tale that King Richard tells. But, despite making a clear effort to pose this as a family portrait rather than a dad biopic, it still shares an approach with Joe Bell, director Reinaldo Marcus Green's prior film. It bears one man's name, celebrates him first and makes him the centre of someone else's exceptional story. In screenwriter Zach Baylin's debut script, Richard's aim is simple: get Venus and Serena to racquet-swinging glory by any means. His DIY tapes are bait for a professional coach, but attracting one is easier said than done for a working-class Black family without country club connections facing America's inbuilt racism and class clashes, and tennis' snobbery — even if Richard knows his daughters will reach their goals. A turning point comes when, after strolling into a practice match between Pete Sampras and John McEnroe, Richard convinces renowned coach Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn, Scandal) to watch his kids play and take on Venus for free. While she's swiftly impressing on the junior circuit, her dad becomes concerned about her psychological and emotional wellbeing, so he next works his persuasive act on Florida-based coach Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal, The Many Saints of Newark) — with a strict no-competition rule. Read our full review. LIMBO Describing a dance and a state of uncertainty alike, limbo is one of those always-intriguing words. Many terms boast multiple meanings, but this one skirts two ends of the spectrum — the party-fuelled joy of a parade of people trying to pass under a bar while bending over backwards, and the malaise of being stuck waiting and not knowing. Both require a degree of flexibility, though, to either complete physical feats or weather the fickleness of life (or, in limbo's religious usage, of being caught in an oblivion between heaven and hell). It's no wonder then that British writer/director Ben Sharrock chose the word for his second feature, following 2015's Pikadero. His Limbo lingers in a realm where men are made to contort themselves, biding one's time anticipating a decision is the status quo and feeling like you've been left in a void is inescapable. The fancy footsteps here are of the jumping-through-hoops kind, as Limbo ponders a revelatory question: what happens when refugees are sent to a Scottish island to await the results of their asylum applications? There's zero doubting how telling the movie's moniker is; for Syrian musician Omar (Amir El-Masry, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) and his fellow new arrivals to Scotland, there's little to do in this emptiness between the past and the future but wait, sit at the bus stop, check out the children's playground and loiter near the pay phone. That, and navigate the wide range of reactions from the locals, which veer from offensive to thoughtful. Everything about the situation demands that Omar and his companions make all the expected moves, but it also forces them to potter around in purgatory and stomach whatever is thrown at them to do so. In Omar's case, he's made the trip with an actual case — physically, that is, thanks to his prized possession. He's brought his grandfather's oud with him, which he rarely lets slip from his grasp, and so he feels its weight where he goes. It's a canny part of Limbo's script in two ways. Whatever they're fleeing in search of a better life, every refugee has a case to be welcomed into safer lands that they carry around with them, but Sharrock manifests the idea in a tangible sense. With Omar's musical dreams, which the beloved oud also represents, in limbo as well, the ever-present instrument additionally acts as a constant reminder of the sacrifices that asylum seekers make in leaving their homes, even when there's no other option, and the costs they pay when they're met with less-than-open arms, then left waiting for their new existence to begin. Just as the term limbo means so much, so does that oud — and so does the feature it's in. A film can be heartbreaking, tender, insightful and amusing all at once, and Limbo is indeed all of those things. It's both dreamlike and lived-in, too, a blend that suits its title and story — and also the mental and emotional state shared by Omar and his other asylum seekers as they eke out their hope and resilience day after unchanging day, all while roaming and roving around an island that may as well be another world. The Scottish landscape around them looks like it could grace a postcard, and Sharrock has cinematographer Nick Cooke (Make Up) box it into an almost-square frame to make it resemble vacation snaps. That choice of 1.33:1 aspect ratio also confines the movie's characters in another fashion, of course, offering a blatant visual flipside to the holiday-perfect splendour; being trapped anywhere is bleak, even if it appears picturesque. Read our full review. GOLD Gold's title doubles as an exclamation that Australian filmmakers might've made when Zac Efron decamped to our shores at the beginning of the pandemic. Only this outback-set thriller has put the High School Musical, Bad Neighbours and Baywatch star to work Down Under, however, and he definitely isn't in Hollywood anymore. Instead, he's stuck in "some time, some place, not far from now…", as all-caps text advises in the movie's opening moments. He's caught in a post-Mad Max-style dystopia, where sweltering heat, a visible lack of shelter, a cut-throat attitude, water rationing, and nothing but dirt and dust as far as the eye can see greets survivors navigating a rusty wasteland. But then his character, Man One, spots a glint, and all that glisters is indeed gold — and he must guard it while Man Two (Anthony Hayes, also the film's director) seeks out an excavator. Exactly who stays and who goes is the subject of heated discussion, but Gold is an economical movie, mirroring how its on-screen figures need to be careful about every move they make in such unforgiving surroundings. As a filmmaker, helming his first feature since 2008's Ten Empty, Hayes knows his star attraction — and he's also well-aware of the survivalist genre, and its history, that he's plonking Efron into. Almost every male actor has been in one such flick or so it can seem, whether Tom Hanks is talking to a volleyball in Castaway, Liam Neeson is communing with wolves in The Grey or Mads Mikkelsen is facing frosty climes in Arctic. Although Gold purposefully never names its setting, Australia's vast expanse is no stranger to testing its visitors, too, but Hayes' version slips in nicely alongside the likes of Wake in Fright, The Rover and Cargo, rather than rips them off. The reason such tales persist is pure human nature — we're always battling against the world around us, even if everyday folks are rarely in such extreme situations — and, on-screen, because of the performances they evoke. Efron isn't even the first import to get stranded in sunburnt country in 2022, after Jamie Dornan did the same in TV miniseries The Tourist, but he puts in a compellingly internalised performance. Man One's minutes, hours and days guarding an oversized nugget pass with sparing sips of H20, attempts to build a shelter and altercations with the locals, including of the two-legged, canine, insect and arachnid varieties, and the toll of all this time alone builds in Efron's eyes and posture. His face crackles from the sun, heat and muck, but his portrayal is as much about enduring as reacting, as both Efron and Hayes savvily recognise. Writing with costumer-turned-scribe Polly Smyth as well as directing solo, Hayes puts more than just survival on Gold's mind, though: when the titular yellow precious metal is involved, greed is rarely good. Here, staying alive at any cost is all about striking it rich at any cost, and also about the paranoia festering between two new acquaintances who've randomly stumbled upon a life-changing windfall — as heightened by the film's stark, harsh, post-apocalyptic setup. When a third person (Susie Porter, Ladies in Black) enters the scenario, Gold grimly lets its life-or-death and lucky break elements keep clashing, but also pairs Man One's desperation with the mental decline that blistering in the sun, being parched with thirst and starving with hunger all bring. Greed proves perilous in a plethora of ways in the film's frames, including inside its main character's head. Read our full review. THE 355 They're globe-hopping, ass-kicking, world-saving spies, but women: that's it, that's The 355. When those formidable ladies are played by a dream international cast of Jessica Chastain (Scenes From a Marriage), Lupita Nyong'o (Us), Penélope Cruz (Pain and Glory), Diane Kruger (In the Fade) and Fan Bingbing (I Am Not Madame Bovary), the tickets should sell themselves — and Chastain, who suggested the concept and produces, wasn't wrong for hoping that. Giving espionage moves the female-fronted spin that Bond and Mission: Impossible never have isn't just this action-thriller's quest alone, of course, and nothing has done so better than Atomic Blonde recently, but there's always room for more. What The 355 offers is an average affair, though, rather than a game-changer, even if it so evidently wants to do for its genre what Widows did for heist flicks. The film still starts with men, too, causing all the globe's problems — aka threatening to end life as we know it via a gadget that can let anyone hack anything online. One nefarious and bland mercenary (Jason Flemyng, Boiling Point) wants it, but the CIA's gung-ho Mason 'Mace' Browne (Chastain) and her partner Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) head to Paris to get it from Colombian intelligence officer Luis Rojas (Édgar Ramírez, Jungle Cruise), who's gone rogue and is happy to sell; however, German operative Marie Schmidt (Kruger) is also on its trail. The French connection goes wrong, the two women get in each other's ways, but it's apparent — begrudgingly to both — that they're better off together. They need ex-MI6 cyber whiz Khadijah Adiyeme (Nyong'o) to help, while Colombian psychologist Graciela Rivera (Cruz) gets drawn in after making the trip to stop Luis going off the books. No stranger to covert affairs or formidable women after penning Mr and Mrs Smith, but helming only his second movie following the awful X-Men: Dark Phoenix, director/co-writer Simon Kinberg spreads the action across several continents — including a foot chase in Marrakesh and an auction in Shanghai, which is where Lin Mi Sheng (Fan) joins the story. Scripting with TV veteran Theresa Rebeck (Smash), his big setpieces all play with the film's gender focus, mostly dissecting how women are so often overlooked in various situations; the indifference given wait staff, the invisibility of women in male-dominated societies and the way they're meant to be pure eye candy at black-tie occasions all earn the movie's ire. But these sentiments, like everything else in the feature, are blatant and straightforward at best. The mood the movie vibes with: "James Bond never had to deal with real life," as Cruz is given the misfortune of uttering. The 355 should be better — with its dialogue, clearly; with its girl-power, girl-boss, girls-can-do-anything messaging; and at celebrating more than five women, or even showing them. (If you were going to pick five ladies to do the job, though, this casting is spot-on.) It could use a sense of style and charm beyond Nyong'o's suits and the gang's personality-matched auction outfits, and its over-edited action scenes put Kinsberg two for two with tanking a crucial part of his directorial efforts to-date. Women can star in mediocre action movies as well, however. That isn't meant to be the picture's big push for gender parity, but The 355 is also exactly what seemingly millions of bland men-led actioners have been serving up for decades upon decades. It packages it up in an Ocean's 8-meets-Bourne approach, or a more self-serious Charlie's Angels, but these run-of-the-mill flicks have long been everywhere, just without as much oestrogen. The Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises have their own, too. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; and January 1 and January 6. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man and Red Rocket.
The place: earth in the near future. The situation: a frozen planet chilling at a frosty -119 degrees celsius, as caused by humanity's attempts to combat climate change. The only solution: a constantly hurtling 1001-car train that plays host to the world's only remaining people. But, instead of banding together on the speeding locomotive, the residents of Snowpiercer have transported society's class structure into the carriages of their new home. That's the story that drives Snowpiercer — on both the big screen and on TV. First came Bong Joon-ho's 2013 film, which marked the acclaimed South Korean writer/director's first English-language film, and one of the movies that brought him to broader fame before Netflix's Okja and 2019's Cannes Palme d'Or-winning and Oscar-winning Parasite. Then, unsurprisingly, came a US-made television series, which was first announced back in 2016, and then finally started speeding across screens — including Down Under, where it's available via Netflix — from May this year. In both forms, Snowpiercer boasts a smart, immersive and all-too-timely concept — and unpacks its underlying idea in a thrilling and involving manner. While the TV version isn't as great as Bong's film (because, honestly, how could it be?), it takes the same dystopian concept, heightens the suspense and drama, and serves up both a class warfare-fuelled survivalist thriller and a murder-mystery. Think constant twists, reveals and reversals, cliffhangers at the end of almost every scene, and a 'Murder on the Snowpiercer Express' kind of vibe. Indeed, it's rather addictive — and, after just wrapping up its first season, the show has dropped its first teaser for its second batch of episodes. Once again, Hamilton's Tony Award-winning Daveed Diggs leads the charge, playing an ex-detective who has spent seven years in the tail end of the train and is dedicated to overthrowing the status quo to achieve equality for all. Also aboard is Jennifer Connelly as the engine's all-seeing, ever-present head of hospitality, with the likes of Frances Ha's Mickey Sumner, Slender Man's Annalise Basso and The Americans' Alison Wright all part of Snowpiercer's new world order as well. And, in the new trailer, they're all facing a significant change. They're also about to meet a new adversary, as played by none other than Game of Thrones' Sean Bean. Just when Snowpiercer's second season will arrive is yet to be revealed — although it's safe to say it won't start dropping until 2021 at the earliest. Just how long Bean will survive in his latest role, well, that's something you can start pondering right now. Watch the Snowpiercer season two trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xEFQpBc3Nc Snowpiercer's second season will hit Netflix Down Under at a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll update you with further details when they come to hand.
As the tourism industry has undergone a pretty massive shake-up in the last few years, with jet-setting becoming increasingly accessible and technology only making it easier to see the world, it's time to figure out what's best for the industry and how it can meet the needs of everyone. From December 7 to 8, REMIX Sydney Summit 2017 will host more than 100 industry leaders across cultural institutions, technology start-ups, policymakers and media visionaries. And at this year's event, the discussion of cities is high on the agenda, as some of our favourite destinations look for ways to bring in tourism dollars, all while keeping the locals happy. Finding a solution isn't easy, but to try and make sense of it all, Remix Summit will host Future Tourism — Embracing a Changing Traveller. This panel discussion will present perspectives from Airbnb's ANZ Country Manager Sam McDonagh, Lonely Planet's Director of Global Communications Laura Lindsay, Sydney Opera House's CMO Christina Erskine, the ABC's Big Ideas Presenter Paul Barclay and our very own Rich Fogarty, founder of Concrete Playground. To get you up to scratch on what's pushing the travel industry forward, and some of the growing pains it faces, we have a word with some of the esteemed panellists below. [caption id="attachment_649090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hiking Horseshoe Bend, Arizona.[/caption] What are some of the most exciting developments in cultural tourism? Sam McDonagh: Airbnb is at the cutting edge of innovation when it comes to tourism and travel. The increasing trend we are seeing is that Airbnb travellers want to experience the places they are visiting in a deeper and more authentic way... Airbnb Experiences — local activities crafted and led by local people — are now available in 40+ cities across 26 countries, and in every continent except Antarctica. These people-powered travel activities are addressing an opportunity in the market for guests to live like locals, expanding Airbnb's offering beyond the homes and neighbourhoods where people can choose to stay, and into the local activities people can choose to do when they get there. Laura Lindsay: It is really exciting to see how travel is becoming more accessible than ever... Travel is a great way for people to appreciate other cultures and it's really encouraging to see that international travel is growing, alongside an increased awareness of the need for sustainability. At Lonely Planet, we are always encouraging travellers to broaden their horizons to discover new destinations and experiences — close to home and further afield. The growth in accessibility of many destinations around the globe should help with growing tourism numbers in a sustainable way and something that recommendations for lesser known destinations can help with. [caption id="attachment_627580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Badu Gili at the Opera House.[/caption] Christina Erskine: I'm most excited by experimental artistic collaborations that lead you to discover an unexpected city, space or community. Immersing yourself in niche pockets of a culture and genuinely connecting with locals is energising and uniting, particularly now. Banksy's wild Walled Off Hotel in Palestine, Hobart's alt-culture festival Dark Mofo or the now well-established — but no less extraordinary — immersive experience Sleep No More in NYC all do the same thing for me: engage my senses, provoke conversation and challenge perceptions about a culture. At the Sydney Opera House, we strive to reimagine experiences that live up to the promise of the building. Whether it's Badu Gili that shares ancient First Nations stories through nightly sunset projections onto our sails or our backstage tours which draw back the curtain on the inner-workings of this world-famous performing arts centre and World Heritage-listed architectural masterpiece. Rich Fogarty: Companies like Cool Cousin, Airbnb and Tinder make connecting with locals quicker and easier than ever before. This means that your experiences on the ground are more authentic and long-lasting because you're not just making memories, but friendships, too. This gives both locals and travellers a greater sense of community, belonging and connectedness, which can only make the world a better, happier place. Those connections that technology can now expedite for us will hopefully make us more tolerant, empathetic and open-minded as a global community. You rarely meet a well-travelled bigot. [caption id="attachment_648683" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arc de Triomf in Barcelona.[/caption] Anti-tourist sentiments are growing in places like Berlin, Barcelona and others — is there an ideal way to balance the needs of locals and the wants of tourists? Sam: We believe that locals and tourists can very happily co-exist, and the home-sharing community of Airbnb is a great example of this. There are of course infrastructure challenges that do occur in popular tourist destinations all around the world — whether that's between Christmas and New Year in Lorne, Victoria where the community sees a spike in visitors during the holiday period, or in Barcelona, Spain where the population is 1.6 million but they receive more than eight million tourists each year. So, of course, there will be challenges on the accommodation front. Specifically in Barcelona we've seen phenomenal growth in Airbnb Experiences — giving locals an opportunity to welcome tourists to their wonderful city, share their passions and interests with them and at the same time make a little extra cash. Laura: Each city is different and experiencing a unique set of challenges, but it's vital that there is a dialogue between businesses, governments and travellers to ensure that travel is managed in the most responsible way possible. Context is key. Yes, there is an increasing number of reports of over-tourism, but stories of content tourists and business owners don't sell papers or get clicks. It is important to remember that travel is about more than cruise ships; there are millions of genuine and mutually beneficial interactions happening all over the globe as a result of travel. The travel industry needs to help encourage balance and smart solutions — like Peru's limited ticketing for Machu Picchu to ensure that much-loved tourism hotspots aren't loved to death. [caption id="attachment_649092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cinqe Terre, Italy.[/caption] Christina: It's important for destinations to focus on sustainable growth and maintaining close, consultative relationships with their local communities to create experiences that complement the needs of locals and visitors. For the Opera House [one of the world's busiest performing arts centres] balance is key. In addition to putting on almost 2000 performances and hosting 500,000 tour patrons each year, the Opera House is committed to environmental and social sustainability, whether that's delivering on our Conservation Management Plan, working toward recycling 85% of our operational waste, becoming carbon neutral by 2023 or our industry-first Reconciliation Action Plan. When sustainable growth is coupled with effective marketing, the balance can start to be achieved. Rich: It's important for the companies driving demand to collaborate with local governments on the creation of contemporary, commonsense policies and practices when it comes to nightlife and accommodation in particular. It's also on us, as travellers, to be mindful of the people and places we're visiting. Education and empathy are important drivers for building sustainable tourism practices. We may also need to get used to more places enforcing quotas like those employed on the Inca Trail and planned for the Cinque Terre coastline. It's vital that hotspots like those retain their natural beauty for generations to come. [caption id="attachment_648685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Travelling Nice, France.[/caption] What are your respective companies and organisations doing to pursue the 'future of tourism'? Sam: At Airbnb, we believe in a world where anyone can belong anywhere in the world, and we are constantly evolving to meet the needs of our guest and host community. We want to deliver an inclusive and global end-to-end travel platform, and Airbnb Experiences — the most significant shift in the company's nine-year history — is the first step in addressing the feedback from our community about the future of tourism. We are constantly evolving and will continue to do so. Laura: At Lonely Planet, two of our three core business values are focused specifically on this: the belief that responsible travel can be a force for good and that we should always look to broaden our horizons. By providing informed context and unbiased accounts of the way travel can impact on destinations and their communities, Lonely Planet's content can help travellers to decide how their choices will affect places and help to ensure that travel has a positive impact on the world... Lonely Planet covers 95% of the planet and we know that every destination has something to offer the traveller. We encourage the community of travellers to consider a broader range of places to visit through campaigns such as Lonely Planet's Best in Asia — our annual selection of the most timely places to visit in Asia as selected by our experts for the region; Gansu in China recently topped the 2017 list. [caption id="attachment_646567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Streets of Tokyo.[/caption] Christina: We're in the midst of our Decade of Renewal: a program of major building works and organisational change to prepare the Opera House for future generations of artists, audiences and visitors ahead of our 50th anniversary in 2023. Each year it's estimated that 70% of international visitors to Australia visit the Opera House, and we anticipate that attendance will continue to grow. We're constantly evolving our tourism offerings and experiences to adapt to the changing needs and tastes of our international and local visitors, such as engaging Chinese audiences with Mandarin language tour products (along with tours in six other languages) and acknowledging foodies with our new culinary experience Taste of the Opera House. Rich: Concrete Playground is looking at ways that we can play a bigger role in the travel process, particularly during the planning stage. We want to extend our voice and network so that we can provide connection to local voices in global cities so that our readers can uncover insights and ideas for their travels on a platform they already know and use. [caption id="attachment_648684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nashville, Tennessee.[/caption] Which global city do you think has the best balance for locals and tourists? Sam: While I might be biased, I believe Sydney is an international city that is set apart from others on a couple of fronts, including our availability of locally sourced produce and the proximity of the harbour and wonderful beaches to the CBD — you could be in a meeting in the city in the morning and do the Bondi to Bronte walk in the afternoon. These experiences are readily accessible and make Sydney one of the world's most unique global cities. With more than 50 percent of Airbnb listings in NSW located outside of traditional accommodation hotspots, we are seeing tourism expand outside Sydney and into the regions, opening access to these culturally diverse areas and having a significant economic impact on local communities. Laura: What a question! There is no one perfect city but some cities do it very well. We just selected Seville as our number one city worldwide to visit in 2018 for a great blend of exciting events focused on the city's artistic heritage and a laidback local culture fuelled with sherry and tapas. I also spend a lot of time in Nashville for Lonely Planet, as we have an office there and the music scene is such an intrinsic part of the city's culture and one that appeals to locals and tourists alike — it's a pretty unique atmosphere. [caption id="attachment_649089" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brooklyn Bridge Park, NYC.[/caption] Christina: Cities where locals genuinely welcome and embrace the traveller, which have the support and protection of their governing tourism bodies are able to achieve the best balance. San Francisco does this well. There's a sense of energy and innovation in the city. San Francisco embraces community activism, is at the forefront of the environmental movement and celebrates people from diverse cultures and communities. It was also the lead city to partner with the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, pledging to harness the economic benefits of tourism without damaging the environment or harming local culture. Rich: New York. Having been both a tourist and a local there, it's perfect for both. The city is just so big, bold and vibrant that everyone just fades into the background and becomes part of the bigger picture. Even though Manhattan itself is such a tiny bit of real estate, there's something for everyone. [caption id="attachment_648686" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Streets of Shanghai.[/caption] What's your favourite country or city to visit and why? Sam: As Airbnb's ANZ Country Manager, I obviously have a soft spot for Australia and New Zealand, but a very close third favourite country would be Italy — its people, food and deep cultural history. Travel around Italy is easy and you can go from the Amalfi Coast to Tuscany via Rome in just a few short hours. Laura: Working at Lonely Planet, my answer to that question changes regularly — I love travelling and am always on the search for a new favourite! Most recently, Belize absolutely blew me away — a postcard-perfect island lifestyle, coupled with the friendliest locals I've ever met and once in a lifetime wildlife encounters with howler monkeys and manatees; Belize I think will be pretty hard to beat! [caption id="attachment_649088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lake Braies, Sudtirol, Italy.[/caption] Christina: Growing up as an expat kid in China in the early 90s left me with a deep fascination and curiosity for the country. The fusion of old and new world China in Shanghai, contrasted with its French colonial history, makes for a dynamic and unconventional city to explore. My Shanghai hit list includes staying at the URBN Hotel, exploring the M50 art district and photographing art deco architecture in the Hongkou district. Rich: Italy is hard to beat. From the mountain refuges of the Sudtirol to the beach clubs of the Amalfi Coast, it's just so epic and beautiful at every turn. The food is the best in the world and the people are generally incredibly friendly. The Maldives would be a close second. Hear more from Sam McDonagh, Laura Lindsay, Christina Erskine and Rich Fogarty at Remix Sydney Summit 2017 from December 7–8. Don't miss the Future Tourism – Embracing a Changing Traveller panel discussion on the Main Stage, December 7 at 2pm.
Seeing the Wallabies test their mettle — on their own turf — against one of the Northern Hemisphere's best teams is always a huge occasion but things promise to be particularly spicy this time around. This will be the first time the Welsh team has visited our shores since 2012, and Australia will be out for revenge on Saturday, July 6 following a comprehensive defeat during a disappointing 2023 World Cup campaign. The Wallabies have replaced coach Eddie Jones with former Ireland head Joe Schmidt and will be looking to build up momentum given the Rugby World Cup will be taking place in Australia in only three years. The Wallabies' chances are looking good, too — Wales lost all of their matches in this year's Six Nations Championship and were saddled with the wooden spoon for the first time since 2003. Both teams are sleeping giants looking to start a new cycle, and you can watch it all unfold at Allianz Stadium on July 6. Images: Rugby Australia
At SXSW Sydney, the spotlight is not just on music, cinema and innovation but also on the future of food, explored through a program that will tantalise your taste buds and champion culinary diversity. From thought-provoking panel discussions about the future of hospitality to live podcast recordings, the lineup of events aims to engage both food lovers and industry professionals. So, whether you're a passionate foodie, a hospo veteran or simply curious about the culinary arts, the SXSW Sydney food program invites you to explore, savour and connect with the creative minds shaping the future of food. Here are our picks of the must-catch events at this year's fest. Go Out and Be Good: A Way Forward for Hospitality with Ben Shewry and Hamish Blake Thursday, October 17, 1.30–2.30pm ICC Sydney Explore a path forward in hospitality with Ben Shewry, acclaimed Chef/Author/Owner of Attica, and Hamish Blake, comedian and host of Lego Masters and the How Dad's Dad podcast. Join them for a lively conversation at SXSW, where Hamish interviews Ben about his latest book, Uses for Obsession. They'll share their passion for food and restaurants, reflecting on everything from Bolognese to Lasagne. This personal and hilarious session promises thoughtful insights on thriving in business, fostering joy, and navigating the complexities of an imperfect world while building new friendships along the way. Milk: The World's Most Controversial Superfood Wednesday, October 16, 4.45–5.30pm ICC Sydney It's in our coffee, on our cereal, and comes in almond or oat forms. Often hailed as the "perfect" food or condemned as a toxic environmental threat, our choices reflect culture, biology, and fashion. Perspectives on this miracle liquid are shaped by gender, politics, and geography. However, its image is complicated: it has historically kept people poor, subjugated women, and fuelled medical careers, all while being blamed for climate change and health issues. In this exploration, Matthew Evans delves into the unbelievable story behind this ubiquitous beverage, tracing its journey from beloved staple to controversial pariah. Plate it Forward: A Quest to Become the First Hatted Social Entrepreneurship Monday, October 14, 3–4pm ICC Sydney Shaun Christie-David, founder of Colombo Social and Plate It Forward, will share his organisation's ambition to become the first hatted restaurant recognised as a social enterprise. He'll share how this initiative merges culinary excellence with social upliftment, transforming every meal into a meaningful mission. Focusing on sustainable practices and education, Shaun's work creates pathways to stability for marginalised individuals. With over 200 transformation stories, he highlights the impact of meaningful employment. Shaun will discuss how their recognition has galvanised community support and sparked positive change, offering a blueprint for those looking to combine culinary success with social responsibility. Waste Potential: The Future of Food, Hidden in Waste? Monday, October 14, 4.30–5.30pm ICC Sydney Food waste presents a $1 trillion challenge globally, with Australia alone losing $36.6 billion worth of food each year. This represents not only a significant loss but also a missed opportunity for up-cycling and sustainability. How can we leverage circular economy principles to improve food production and waste management? To explore solutions for reducing food waste, join Ronni Kahn AO, Founder of OzHarvest, Francesca Goodman-Smith from End Food Waste Australia, and Tom Williams, Co-founder and CEO of climate-tech company Number 8 Bio. Together, they will discuss innovative strategies to advance sustainability in our food systems. New Rituals: The State of Socialising and Hospitality Tuesday, October 15, 3–4pm ICC Sydney How is the hospitality landscape evolving? What shifts are occurring in consumer expectations and how are businesses adapting? In this session, Concrete Playground will present insights from their annual research on socialising and events, conducted in August 2024. Following this, a panel of experts will delve into key themes and trends, sharing their experiences and discussing how they are adjusting their products and services to align with changing consumer demands. Join us for an exploration of the future of dining and hospitality as we navigate these transformations together. Podcast Recording: Three Food Memories Friday, October 18, 5–6pm ICC Sydney — Podcast Stage The things you find out when you ask people about their food memories can be soulful, spicy, sensational, sour, and often sublime. Host Savva Savas, literally breaks bread with his guests to discuss memories that reveal far more about themselves than simply the food they've tasted. For the full lineup of the 2024 SXSW Sydney events, visit the SXSW website.
A Noel Coward play, a series of Haydn string quartets, a concert by Clannad — wait, is this Melbourne Festival? It is, but it's the new-look Melbourne Festival, now in its first year under new artistic director Josephine Ridge. Ridge's goal with her first program has been to broaden the festival's appeal. While there will as always be a range of offerings on the weirder side of wonderful, from an epic dramatisation of a verbatim phone conversation (Nature Theater of Oklahoma's Life and Times), to an artist who makes playable musical instruments out of disarmed assault weapons (Pedro Reyes), the 2013 program is also aiming to draw in audiences who may normally have seen Melbourne Festival as not their thing. An expanded music program is a big part of that, bringing an eclectic range of acts from pop bands such as British India and Polyphonic Spree to a celebration of ska, a classical program put together with the help of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Richard Tognetti and a concert in the dark by blind artists Amadou and Mariam. This year also sees a greater focus on commissioned works, both from local artists such as Eddie Perfect and Daniel Schlusser and from big international names such as British choreographer Hofesh Shechter. Other guests of note include much-loved Indigenous singer Archie Roach, who will be playing in a grand welcome to country to kick the festival off, Hollywood legend John Landis and celebrated French ballerina Sylvie Guillem. There’s plenty for free and even if you can’t get yourself to a single film screening, gallery exhibit, concert or performance, the art will be coming to you anyway, via a series of decorative 'art trams'. Ridge has just come from nine years working on the Sydney Festival, an event which she says seems to draw more emotional engagement from its audience, compared to the intellectualised response typical of Melbourne. She’s hoping this year to bring a bit of that passion south, with a program that truly gets into Melbourne's heart. Tickets for the Melbourne Festival are on sale on Friday, 16 August. For tickets and the full program, see the festival website.
The world begins behind your neighbour's walls... Tatia Rosenthal's film is a coarse series of vignettes about a group of characters who are linked predominantly by their apartment block. The characters include a lonely old man; a beggar turned angel; a model with a hairless sexual fetish and her obsessive quick-to-please lover; a juvenile man who chooses his tiny mates over his fiance; an unemployed guy; a depressed man and a naive child who thinks his piggy bank is alive. The narrative is jerky (perhaps the result of being adapted from short stories by Etgar Keret) but this is an intriguing pastiche of the ordinary, unusual and surreal. The excellent stop-motion animation is enhanced with an all-star cast of Australian talent lending their voices (including Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush, Claudia Karvan, Samuel Johnson, Joel Edgerton, Barry Otto and Ben Mendelsohn lending their voices) but $9.99's biggest drawback is that the social observations made lack much insight or depth. We have 10 double passes to give away thanks to ICON films! Email your details to hello@concreteplayground.com.au for your change to win. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pYVldJuB5Zc
November's Paint17 at Artereal showcases three solo installations from artists Lionel Bawden, Gary Smith and Teelah George, revealing a variety of approaches to contemporary painting. Known for his sculptural works, Bawden's The Kandinsky has two sides continues his penchant for transforming commonplace everyday materials — in this case, the humble cereal box. Painted on the two large sides with common phrases often exchanged between Bawden and his loved ones (from "it's bin night" to "we need milk") the cereal boxes appealed to him for their "squishy fragility" and "promise of exhaustion." You may have caught Teelah George at this year's Primavera 2017. With Reclining suite her background in textiles is again evident, as the series of paintings expresses the sensation of a languid layering and museful weaving. You'll also see Gary Smith's Alchemy, a collection of intensely colourful, viscously textured paintings inspired by a rush of musical improvisation suggesting a return to the abstract for the artist.
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and another new teaser for the movie has just dropped. While it's not the first teaser or trailer to drop — we've been blessed with not one, not two, but three already — this time we finally get to hear Nala voiced by Queen Bey herself. Yep, if you didn't already know, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter will be voicing Nala, while Donald Glover is Simba and James Earl Jones is his dad. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. Here's the new teaser with Beyoncé as Nala: https://youtu.be/CQCUnDjYn50 The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 17, 2019.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, New South Wales did not close its borders to domestic travellers — until last week. On July 1, NSW banned Melburnians from one of the 36 (now 40) "hot zone" suburbs from travelling into the northern state. From 11.59pm on Tuesday, July 7, NSW is closing its border to all Victorians. It's the first time in 100 years the border between the two states has closed — the last time was in 1919 during the Spanish Flu. The move comes as Victoria's coronavirus cases continue to spike, with 127 new cases recorded in the past 24. This is the highest daily total for the state since the pandemic began (previously it was 111 on Saturday, March 28). Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says that a permit system will be in place for those who have essential travel to NSW, including for those who live in border communities and need to cross the border for work or essential health services. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is expected to announce more details about the permit later today, Monday, July 6. Premier Andrews says the decision to close the border was made after a phone call earlier today with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Berejiklian. "All of us agreed that the best thing to do was to close the border," Premier Andrews said. "That closure will be enforced on the NSW side, so as not to be a drain on resources that are very much focused on fighting the virus right now across our state". Victorians in the aforementioned 40 hotspots suburbs are now under strict stay-at-home orders until at least Wednesday, July 29, and the residents of nine public housing towers are in "hard lockdown" for five days from July 4. At the moment, Victorians from hotspots are required to quarantine for 14 days if they enter NSW — just like returned international travellers — and if they don't, could be slapped with an $11,000 fine and spend up to six months in jail. The same rules apply for NSW residents who visit Victorian hotspots, too — when you head back over the border, you'll need to quarantine and, if you don't, you'll risk the same fines or jail sentence. Whether or not these same rules, and punishments, will apply to all Victorians — and NSW residents who visit anywhere in Victoria — are expected to be announced later today by the NSW Government. You can find out more about the status of COVID-19 at the NSW Health and Victorian Department of Health and Human Services websites.
Silk Cut is a brand of cigarettes that was known for its minimalist design. Cut Silk is not that. Although they may share similar silky smooth textures and subtle tones of elegance, the Cut Silk Dance Band will not cause harm to you or those around you and they can be advertised legally. For the final time this year, the Cut Silk band — made up of members from Moon Holiday, Canyons, Motorik and Touch Sensitive — team up at Freda's to bring you a repertoire of early disco house covers. Resident selector Wild Sunset will be curating the evening's playlist with intentions to change the perspective of live performance from the artist and audience relationship, to a party atmosphere in celebration of music and dance.
While Australians are practising social distancing in a bid to contain COVID-19, Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan wants people to "binge on study" rather than "bingeing on Netflix". And the government is helping you do just that by slashing the prices of some online short-course degrees and diplomas. Hosted by "world-class universities and private providers", the reduced-price courses will start in early May and run for six months. They'll allow unemployed Aussies to retrain in "national priority areas", such as nursing, teaching, health, IT and science — areas in which the country is going to to need trained workers "as we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic", Tehan said in a statement. The price of the courses will be cut significantly, too, with Tehan telling SBS that "the cost of these courses has been reduced by over 50 percent, and in some instances up to 74 percent." In an interview with ABC Radio on Monday, April 13, Tehan revealed that six-month courses in nursing, teaching, counselling, English, maths, foreign languages and agriculture will be $1250, while allied health, other health, IT, architecture and building, science engineering, medical science and environmental studies will set you back $2500. Similarly to other university courses, you'll be able to get a HELP loan, which you'll then repay when you start earning above a certain threshold. There'll be two types of short-courses available, according to Tehan: graduate certificates with some prerequisites and diploma certificates that require no prior learning. "You could either use them to reskill, or you can use them to change careers, or just to start learning," Tehan said in the interview. To enrol in one of these six-month courses, you'll need to apply directly to a university — but you may need to wait a couple of weeks. As Tehan told ABC Radio, "courses [are] being developed as we speak, which will be ready to go in the early weeks of May". Swinburne University, which already has a range of online teaching courses, says in a statement on its website that it's "working with the Federal government and developing short courses in the priority areas of teacher education, health, mental health and counselling, aged care and information technology" and more information will be available in coming weeks. The cheap courses are part of the Federal Government's higher-education relief package, which also includes $18 billion in domestic student payments (regardless of enrolments) and $100 million in regulatory fee relief and six-month exemptions of loan fees associated with Fee-Help and VET Student Loans for students. In NSW, TAFE has already begun offering 21 fee-free short courses to help people diversify their skills during COVID-19. Six-month online courses in 'national priority' areas are to be offered at public and private universities across the country from early May. To enrol, you'll need to apply directly to a university.
Annabelle opens with unnecessary intertitles, advising that dolls are liked by children and collectors, and used in occult rituals. Next, the spin-off from The Conjuring links to its predecessor, revisiting that feature's introductory snippet of three housemates quivering in fear over a frightening figurine. So far, so standard — and so it continues in the same obvious, uninteresting vein. The scene is set for haunted horror cliches centred on a possessed porcelain plaything, sans punch or personality. A year prior, doctor-in-training John (Ward Horton) bought it to complete the antique collection of his pregnant wife, Mia (Annabelle Wallis). When murderous satanic cultists break into their Santa Monica home, it is the doll they covet, leaving it splattered in blood. Strange things soon start happening around the house, but moving to a Pasadena apartment doesn't solve their problems. Even throwing Annabelle away proves pointless, while seeking the assistance of a friendly bookstore owner (Alfre Woodard) and local priest (Tony Amendola) just immerses others in their supernatural troubles. As things go bump in the night, lights flicker and doors slam, Annabelle doesn't deviate from run-of-the-mill scares, employing the same techniques as its predecessor. What's missing is subtlety and suspense, with everything telegraphed so far in advance that eliciting genuine jumps becomes impossible. The usual inexplicably moving items are handled well enough, though the same can't be said for cheap-looking CGI as demonic forces manifest. Lingering shots of the titular toy benefit from slow panning and zooming; however, simply staring at something isn't particularly terrifying. The Conjuring isn't the only film cinematographer-turned-director John R. Leonetti unsuccessfully attempts to imitate — and sadly, it isn't Child's Play's off-kilter chaos he evokes, either. Though the movie's central mother gives birth early, the idea of her home alone, afraid and exercising her maternal protective instincts recalls Rosemary's Baby, albeit dulled and dumbed down, not to mention plagued by highly questionable character decisions. When Annabelle resurfaces from the trash, wouldn't disposing of her again be the clear option? Sure, the feature would be over, but so would its patchy pastiche of poorly rendered tropes. Leads Horton and Wallis do little to lift B-movie writer Gary Dauberman's script, their wooden reading of equally stilted dialogue giving the film a TV movie-of-the-week flavour. As they talk about ignoring the bizarre occurrences because they've moved their clothes, furniture and good memories to their new apartment and should keep playing happy families, it's hard not to laugh, particularly with nothing remotely spooky offered as distraction. Making a bad horror film is forgivable; making a bland one, less so. Where Annabelle best succeeds is in enthusing audiences for next year's The Conjuring sequel, hopefully a blatant departure from this and the proper follow-up the series deserves. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZlCkrl7ZRjU
To watch films written and directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi is to watch people playing a part — in multiple ways. That's one of the key truths to features not only by the Japanese filmmaker, but by anyone helming a movie that relies upon actors. It's so obvious that it doesn't usually need mentioning, in fact. Nonetheless, the notion is as essential to Hamaguchi's pictures as cameras to capture the drama. He bakes the idea into his films via as many methods as he can, pondering what it means to step into all the posts that life demands: friend, lover, spouse, ex, sibling, child, employee, student, classmate and the like. Hamaguchi loves contemplating the overt act of performance, too — his Best International Feature Oscar-winning Drive My Car, which also nabbed its helmer a Best Director nomination at this year's Academy Awards, hones in on a play and the rehearsals for it in dilligent detail — but the auteur who's also behind Happy Hour and Asako I and II has long been aware that the art of portrayal isn't just limited to thespians. Shakespeare said it centuries back, of course. To be precise, he had As You Like It's Jaques utter it: "all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players". Hamaguchi's Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, his second film to reach cinemas in mere months, definitely isn't a French-set comedy; however, it lives and breathes the Bard's famous words anyway. Here, three tales about romance, desire and fate get a spin. This trio of stories all muse on chance, choice, identity, regret and inescapable echoes as well, and focus on complex women reacting to the vagaries of life and everyday relationships. They're about sliding into roles in daily existence, and making choices regarding how to behave, which way to present yourself and who you decide to be depending upon the company you're in. While Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy mightn't ultimately mimic Drive My Car's Oscars success, it's equally masterful. In the first segment — dubbed 'Magic (or Something Less Assuring)' — model Meiko (Kotone Furukawa, 21st Century Girl) discovers that her best friend Tsugumi (Hyunri, Wife of a Spy) has just started seeing her ex-boyfriend Kazuaki (Ayumu Nakajima, Saturday Fiction). She's told in a sprawling taxi chat, which makes for stellar early sequence, and then she grapples with her complicated feelings while musing on what could eventuate from there. Meiko also heads straight to her former paramour, which was never going to simplify the situation. Her mantle to bear: either remaining the picture of a supportive pal by failing to tell Tsugumi about her past with Kazuaki, or laying out their history and forever shifting the dynamic. It's a devastating tale in how intricately it understands the push and pull of bonds that splay in different directions, and how we hold ourselves in various ways depending on who we're with. Next, in 'Door Wide Open', college student Nao (Katsuki Mori, Sea Opening) is enlisted to seduce Professor Sagawa (Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Tezuka's Barbara) as part of a revenge plan by her lover Sasaki (Shouma Kai, Signal 100). She's forced into the part — which blatantly requires her to play a part — by the entitled Sasaki, all because the professor won't give him a passing grade. Nao is married, adding further shades to the roles she's inhabiting at any given time. She's also wholly uncomfortable with the position that her boyfriend has placed her in, but it still leads to authentic connections and revelations. Another of Hamaguchi's strong and frequently repeated truths: that the pretences we all sport, for whatever reasons we adopt them in any particular circumstances, are often barriers to genuine emotions and attachments. Finally, in a world where the internet has been eradicated due to a virus — making third chapter 'Once Again' a piece of science fiction, too, and as quietly fantastical as the feature gets — Natsuko (Fusako Urabe, Voices in the Wind) and Nana (Aoba Kawai, Marriage with a Large Age Gap) cross paths. The former has returned home to attend her high-school reunion, bumping into the latter within moments of getting off the train, with the two women instantly thinking that they were classmates decades ago. Thanks to the preceding portions of the film and also Hamaguchi's filmography in general, it's instantly clear that this scenario won't be straightforward, either. Nana invites Natsuko back to her house, the two chat and reminisce, but neither is all that confident about their shared history in a segment that tenderly but candidly examines role-playing as a two-way street, and also deception as a social grace. Hamaguchi's resume is littered with other obsessions beyond the fictions people spin to get through their days — to themselves and to each other, and willingly and unthinkingly alike — many of which also pop up in Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy. Coincidence has a role in each of the movie's trio of intelligently and painstakingly plotted narratives, and destiny and fortune as well (as the name makes plain). The tangled web that romance weaves, and the sticky strands that represent alluring exes, also leave a firm imprint. So does seduction, and not always in its usual and most apparent form. All three of the picture's sections could stand alone, but each could've been fleshed out to feature length as well; as they exist, they leave viewers wanting more time with their lead characters. Commonalities ebb and flow between them, though, because this is a smart, astute and savvily layered triptych that's brought to the screen with everything that makes Hamaguchi's work so empathetic, warmly intimate and also entrancing. On the list: a canny knack for domestic drama that spies the revelatory in the seemingly ordinary and mundane; a willingness to let dialogue guide each story, yet never by resorting to only speaking in exposition dumps or lazily telling over showing; and, to help with that crucial last component, piercing and haunting long shots by cinematographer (Yukiko Iioka, Listen to Light) in every chapter. Indeed, each portion of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy almost resembles a full-length film as it is courtesy of these trademark traits, which make the entire movie seem deeply lived-in. It should come as no surprise, then, that Hamaguchi's cast fares just as brilliantly. With the filmmaker's patent fascination with performance on full display, the restrained yet meticulously textured portrayals he exacts from his cast are uniformly excellent. They're more than that; in a beguiling piece about playing parts, and that makes the process of adopting a role its very reason for flickering, peering at its actors feels like peering at reality at its most soulful, insightful and also playful.
A trip to The Corner Shop has never been so glamorous. Instead of a carton of milk and some red frogs, expect to come back with a treat from their exquisite collection of Australian and international designer labels including Isabel Marant, Kenzo, Helmut Lang and Sarah and Sebastian. There are two of these chic boutiques and we love them both, although we may prefer the William St boutique just because it's actually on a corner. Stocking other fancy frills like Frame Denim, Chloe Shoes and Celine Eyewear, the Corner Shop will leave wallets lighter while enlightening the sartorial soul.
UPDATE: April 15, 2020: Aladdin is available to stream via Disney+. Let's get the obvious reference out of the way: in remaking the 1992 classic, Disney's live-action Aladdin doesn't venture to a whole new world. Instead, the company's latest rehash of its back catalogue adds literal, visible flesh to everyone's favourite makeover concept (Blue Eye for the Street Rat Guy, basically), as well as a few minor twists and an extra song. Relaying the same tale again isn't necessarily an issue, on paper. Storytellers have been doing the same thing since time began, as have filmmakers for more than a century, with re-interpreting familiar narratives, adapting them to different contexts and seeing them afresh all part of human nature. But what Aladdin lacks is a purpose beyond the obvious. It's a glossy new version with actors instead of animation; a shiny, nostalgic replica that's definitely entertaining enough. However it never tries to soar on its own magic carpet. One line of thinking, of course, is that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Another is that faithful do-overs of beloved hits (including Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast and Dumbo, plus the forthcoming The Lion King) are just Disney's safety-driven success strategy. These are risk-averse filmmaking times, so the latter approach is understandable. When fans mobilise online en masse to cry about women with lightsabers and demand that a television show be remade because it didn't end the way they personally wanted, simply giving viewers what they already like is the all-too-sensible option. Accordingly, Aladdin circa 2019 is exactly what it was always going to be, with all of the expected ups and downs that entails. Yes, it'll make you want to revisit the original. No, Will Smith can't match Robin Williams, but he doesn't always try to. Surprisingly, while there are no geezers spouting Cockney rhyming slang (and no Jason Statham, sadly), director Guy Ritchie's penchant for energetic spectacle generally fits. The story, for those who didn't spend their childhoods rewatching the animated flick endlessly and committing the details to memory, charts Agrabah urchin Aladdin (Mena Massoud), his newfound love for Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and the lamp-dwelling Genie (Will Smith) who can make dreams come true. Aladdin is merely a kind-hearted petty thief with a cheeky monkey for a best friend, with Jasmine only able to marry royalty — and her sultan father (Navid Negahban) is hardly fond of breaking tradition. Complicating matters even further is nefarious advisor Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), who exerts his own influence — with the help of his all-seeing parrot Iago (voiced by Alan Tudyk) — to try to seize the throne. With Genie's wish-granting assistance, Aladdin pretends to be a prince to secure Jasmine's hand, but securing the kingdom becomes just as pressing a concern. There's a timely female empowerment thread to this version to Aladdin, as seen in its new song, as well as Jasmine's rallying against her lack of agency. Barely tinkering with the initial flick's script, Ritchie and co-scribe John August (Frankenweenie) aren't trying to break the mould — or enchanted lamp — yet it's a welcome albeit fairly obligatory touch. Where the director best exerts his influence is in teaming with cinematographer Alan Stewart (Mary Poppins Returns) to bring Agrabah to vivid, jewel-toned life, watching Aladdin sneakily parkour himself around the city and giving the musical numbers the requisite bounce. Where the tunes are concerned, established crowd-pleasers such as 'Prince Ali', 'Friend Like Me' and 'A Whole New World' prove the high points they're meant to be, which sums up the film's fortunes perfectly: its hits are already known, and making sure they don't crash compared to the original is the primary plan. That could sum up Smith's tactics also, or at least that's how it initially seems. He's less comfortable and convincing when he's overtly mimicking Williams at the outset, but serves up an engaging and amusing Genie once he makes the character his own (and when he isn't sporting a distracting shade of blue). Indeed, if viewers had three wishes for the Aladdin remake, and one of them was for a great cast, that has largely been granted. Crucially, Massoud makes a suitably charismatic rapscallion, and Scott brings poise and radiance to a star-making performance, helping you forget that she was in the awful Power Rangers movie. The true scene-stealer, though, is ex-Saturday Night Live star Nasim Pedrad as Jasmine's handmaiden Dalia. It's a move that'd never happen, but if this adequate yet never arresting Aladdin revival sparked a spin-off about its two main ladies just being great and taking on the world, it'd justify its existence several times over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foyufD52aog
The Sydney Fringe Festival has announced its 2016 program, and this year its thematic sprawl is matched only by its geographical reach. With Festival Director Kerri Glasscock placing emphasis on the importance of discovering "new places, sounds, people and genres", this year's Fringe comprises over 300 ticketed events and commandeers close to 50 venues over 11 suburbs throughout the city. Darlinghurst will be one of the first suburbs to find itself under creative governance. To celebrate the opening of the festival, Fringe will take over Stanley Street for an epic street party on Saturday, September 3. Fringe Ignite will see shops, bars and cafes on the strip transformed into pop-up live music and performance venues, all of which will be curated by Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and composer Barney McAll. It's also followed by a drag disco at Oxford Street's Midnight Shift from 9pm. And that's just the start of it. This year, the festival will run from 1-30 September with a series of coordinated artistic invasions taking place throughout the month. Performances hit all points of the compass, from Melita Rowson's Giant Worm Show to the 17-piece Sirens Big Band. Rose Callaghan's Attention Deficit…Ooh a Pony! is just one plank in a raft of comedy acts, while dance and visual arts are strongly represented by Melbourne City Ballet and Polixeni Papapetrou, respectively. The Yoganauts — four heroes who introduce kids to the superpower of yoga, naturally — will be returning to ensure younger audiences lose their minds too. On the Thursday, August 11, musician and Festival ambassador Elana Stone will spearhead the carving out of a new artistic precinct along Parramatta Road. Aptly named Off Broadway, an army of local independent artists will descend to reinvigorate a part of the city that is often mistaken for the Soviet Union. Close by, the beautiful new Camperdown Commons urban farm site will also become a vassal state to the arts with a range of events, and Camperdown Park will host a vintage cricket picnic. The festival isn't going out with anything other than a bang either. The closing weekend will see last year's sold out Silent Dinner Party — where diners eat a three-course meal in total silence — will make a return, and, for the first time ever, Fringe will host a mini music festival at Glebe's waterfront Bicentennial Park. The call is to party, but make no mistake – this is annexation by art. Batten down the hatches or pledge your allegiance to culture in the streets this September. For the full Sydney Fringe Festival program, visit sydneyfringe.com. Image: Belina Dipalo.
Suffice to say, there are plenty of high adrenaline activities to fill your itinerary with in Port Stephens. But as a day of jam-packed fun comes to end, you'll want to wind down with something more relaxing — but still a little extra (after all, you're on holidays). Blue Water Sailing offers this in the form of its Sunset Sail, a two-hour cruise around the Port Stephens waterways as the sun goes to bed. Snuggle up to your favourite person and feast on freshly shucked oysters, a cheese platter and local wine as you watch the sky put on a golden- and pink-hued show. Tickets cost $149 and can be booked here. The company also offers sailing lessons and full-day private tours to Broughton Island if you're keen to do a little more exploring. Images: Destination NSW
An eccentric alchemist's den now dwells on Cleveland Street; a realm where regular ingredients are turned into hearty nosh, where you'll find 'remedies and elixirs for curious souls'. Time for you to meet the elusive Dr Faustus, the brand new eatery just opened at 380 Clevelenad Street, Surry Hills. Sharing a name with a 16th century Christopher Marlowe play — in which a German scholar, Dr Faustus, dabbles in dark magic in his quest for scientific knowledge and power — this is one quirky new Sydney brunch spot. The creation of Sydneysider Adam Kane, Dr Faustus looks like its been on Cleveland Street for decades — low, brassy ceiling fans, glass-doored wooden cabinets of oddments, varnished tabletops, polished cement flooring, stained glass detailing, old bottles holding freshly-picked flowers. You'll find laboratory-grade flasks, mason jars and metal plates inside; the bizarre collection of the elusive Dr Faustus. Hearty, quirky Australian cafe food is the go at Dr Faustus, from blood sausage with red onion and apple salsa, to zucchini fritters on iceberg lettuce. Breakfasting? You've got some pretty solid options here — eggs three ways (pickled hen egg, quail egg, caviar), the Our Way BLT (bacon, onion, gruyere, foie gras 'smear'), Welsh Rarebit (Guiness bechamel, aged cheddar, Worcestershire sauce and egg). Lunching at Dr Faustus means a Taco Salad (ground chicken, romain, olives, corn, tomatoes, avocado and the immortal chipotle dressing), a Brussels sprout Caesar, and pulled mushroom with kale-slaw. Yep, kale-slaw. Then there's the ultimate brunch sandwich, the New Orleans classic Muffuletta — topped with a big ol' pickle. Get down to see Dr Faustus for an infusion of hearty grub, fresh coffee by Californian barista Mark Fransen and a solid spot to shelter from the summer rain. Find Dr Faustus at 380 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills. Open Monday to Sunday 7am - 5pm.
When Andrew Haigh surveys the world, he sees its small, quiet stories. Peering deeply at everyday life, the British filmmaker finds tales that couldn't be more commonplace — and, as a result, are often simply overlooked. In queer romance Weekend, he spots two men meeting for the first time, connecting and spending three unforgettable nights together. In melancholic drama 45 Years, he gazes at long-married retirees taking stock of a past gone too quickly. And in Lean on Pete, he trains his soulful stare not only at a struggling teenager, but at the horse that the boy loves unconditionally. That said, it's not just Haigh's willingness to tell these tales that makes his filmography stand out. It's how the writer-director explores these stories that's just as important, with his pictures overflowing with empathy. Haigh couldn't look more kindly, warmly and thoughtfully at the characters in his movies, especially Lean on Pete's 15-year-old protagonist Charley (Charlie Plummer). The lanky boy is someone that the world doesn't see, just like his beloved steed, whose winning days are long behind him. In patient moments that show the unspoken bond between teen and animal, in detailed wide shots that place them both within harsh surroundings, and in rare close-ups that make plain the pain in both of their eyes, Haigh notices, cares and feels for them both. Lean on Pete isn't really Charley's horse. He belongs to trainer Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi), but when Charley stumbles upon them at the local racetrack, the boy finds a kindred spirit in the ageing sprinter. As a respite from his desolate home life — where the dad he idolises (Travis Fimmel) is more interested in his job and girlfriend (Amy Seimetz) and regularly leaves the teenager alone in their ramshackle house — Charley begins to work for Del. While the boy doesn't shy away from hard tasks, it's Pete that keeps him coming back. Jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny) tells him that "horses aren't pets", but that's not what Charley sees in Pete. Rather, he sees his first real friend. With the film based on Willy Vlautin's novel of the same name, Charley and Pete aren't Haigh's original creations, however that's part of the point of Lean on Pete. Its protagonist is every person who's found more kindness on four legs than on two, every soul that's been cast adrift by society, and every child living in less-than-ideal conditions. And, when Charley's father ends up in hospital, the boy's already difficult life becomes even more so. When he takes off in Del's trailer with Pete in tow, hoping to find his estranged aunt, there's even more heartbreak in store. The second of this year's stellar films about young men, desolate plains and caring animals (after fellow festival favourite The Rider), Lean on Pete is an exquisitely tender and affecting picture. Haigh's handling of loneliness, isolation and tragedy is raw yet delicate yet devastatingly authentic, in a movie that's always sensitive yet never sentimental. Scene by scene, it builds a compassionate portrait of life in the margins in America's midwest that dares to look where others don't. Assisted by lingering and visually striking observational shots by cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck (Hold the Dark), the film crucially doesn't avert its gaze when the going gets tough. Of course, with Plummer to focus on, why would Haigh look away? Last seen being kidnapped in All the Money in the World, the young actor carries Charley's woes with few words but with a world of hurt evident in his every move — and with just as much love beaming from his face when Pete is by his side. It's another great internalised performance under Haigh's direction, and a portrayal that does what only the best can. Not only does Plummer feel like he's walked across America's heartland and straight into this film, but he makes it seem like he's not even acting. Haigh might see Charley, but his lead actor lives and breathes him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdJonibBDx4
It has been nearly two years since streaming platform Shudder — and AMC Networks, the American company behind it — told scary movie fans in Australian and New Zealand exactly what they wanted to hear. Back in October 2018, it was announced that the dedicated horror service would make its way Down Under; however, as anyone who likes unsettling flicks and spine-tingling TV shows will have noticed, that hasn't actually occurred — until now. In a case of better late than never, Shudder has finally launched to Aussie and New Zealand viewers — joining an ever-growing streaming landscape, but also providing a very specific lineup. Forget anything that doesn't cause goosebumps, chills, thrills or a generally unnerving, suspenseful feeling, as it doesn't belong here. Instead, you can watch your way through new and classic horror movies, as well as horror-focused television programs. Yes, Shudder takes its chosen genre very seriously. Film-wise, that includes retro favourites such as Hellraiser, several Halloween movies and Maniac Cop; newer releases like It Follows, New Zealand horror-comedy Housebound and creative Japanese zombie film One Cut of the Dead; and fresh platform exclusives such as The Beach House and Host. On the TV front, expect to binge your way through the TV adaptation of The Dead Lands, a new anthology series based on 1982 film Creepshow and a self-explanatory five-part documentary series called Cursed Films. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4LZBEVlSXA If you already have a Netflix, Disney+ and/or Apple TV+ subscription and you're wondering whether you really need to add another, rest assured that Shudder's selection continues — so whether you want to revisit Swedish great Let the Right One In, check out Aussie slasher The Furies, or hear from George Lucas, Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott in James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction, you'll be covered. Shudder's curated collections also handily compile films on certain topics or themes, should you really love monster movies, tales of possession or haunted house flicks, or want to watch more horror features by female filmmakers. In terms of price, Shudder is offering a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. After that, you'll pay either $6.99 if you opt for a month-by-month account or $69.99 if you sign up for a year. For more information about Shudder — and to sign up — visit the streaming platform's website.
It's a little distressing just how good this band is, especially when the two brothers that make up Drenge look like they are only 12 years old. The first time I heard this record, I thought for sure that these were some grizzled old Manchester punks still hanging onto that glorious period of English post-punk in the late '70s and early '80s, still playing their Smiths and Wedding Present cassettes and raging against Margaret Thatcher. And maybe the bit about the cassettes is true, but as you can see, the Loveless brothers (Eoin and Rory) are anything but grizzled. They've been called "Sheffield's Black Keys" by some lazy critics who can only count to two, but rather than coming from a blues kinda background, Drenge is a stripped-back, turned-up combination of all things metal and grunge, with elements of Black Sabbath and The Melvins everywhere — though mostly in the furious guitar overdrive on every track. Their debut album is all killer, and they are absolutely going to tear GoodGod apart. If you're after a sweaty, thrashing headbang over summer, you couldn't ask for a better one than this. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8sqJIdcKsrs
Last night, the best chefs in the world descended on the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore for the annual World's 50 Best celebrations. And while there were plenty of Australians present at the awards — including the event's host, Australian journalist and TV personality Annabel Crabb — no local restaurants made the top 50. Australia's highest ranking restaurant was Attica in Melbourne, which came in at number 84 in the long list announced last week. Fellow Victorian Brae also came in at 101. This year, the list expanded to 120 for the first (and only) time, as a one-off nod to San Pellegrino's (the award's primary sponsor) 120th anniversary. The top five restaurants for 2019 were dramatically different from previous years as former World's 50 Best winners — including Eleven Madison Park and Osteria Francescana — were barred from the list, and instead added to a 'Best of the Best' lineup. The top gong, for the first time in the event's 17-year history, went to a French restaurant: Mirazur. Run by Argentinian-born chef Mauro Colagreco, whose cooking is also inspired by his Italian grandparents, Mirazur is located in an old 1930s villa in the French Riviera, near the Italian border. And, we're guessing it's going to be pretty hard to get a booking there for the next little while — so, we suggest planning a French vacay for 2020 (or beyond). Rounding out the top five were Copenhagen's Noma at number two, which reopened in a new space with a new seasonal menu last year; Spain's Asador Etxebarri at number three; the soon-to-close Gaggan in Bangkok at number four; and fellow Danish restaurant Geranium at five. Other new and notable additions to this year's list include a first-time inclusion for Dominique Crenn's famed San Francisco spot Atelier Crenn and NY's Cosme, by the 2019 Best Female Chef Daniela Soto-Innes, which was the highest ranked US restaurant. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzI0i_OlDGg/ The winning restaurants were chosen by a 1000-strong global voting panel which, for the first time, had an equal gender balance. Five restaurants led by females made the top 50, the same number as last year. You can check out the full list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants here and read more about the long list here. First image: Mirazur by Nicolas Lobbestael.
Kiss winter goodbye with the sweet lush tones of Winter People. Let the gentle acoustics lull and coo-coo you, the a cappella melodies make your heart swoon and the bopping of violin bows hypnotise your consciousness. This Saturday October 13th at the Factory Theatre Winter People are celebrating the release of their debut album A Year At Sea with a national album tour. The six-piece band, with a total of two violin players and five vocalists, is led by singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist, Dylan Baskind, and since their beloved singles “Gallons” and “Wishingbone” received high circulation on the Js for a while back in 2010/11, Winter People have blossomed further. A Year At Sea been reared by some notoriously talented godparents; recorded by Tim Whitten (Augie March, The Go-Betweens), produced by Brooklyn extraordinaire Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Frightened Rabbit) and mixed by Rich Costey (The Shins, Foster the People, Bloc Party). The result: A child prodigy that performs the gymnastics of Fleet Foxes, the algorithms of Radiohead, the oratory skills of Bon Iver and the lyricism of Jeff Buckley. Winter People will thaw your soul as if you truly have spent a lonely Year At Sea.
If jungle vibes inside an inner-west warehouse sounds like your perfect outing, head along to the Jungle Collective's indoor plant sale on January 26 and 27. It's the latest greenery-filled market from The Jungle Collective, a Melbourne nursery that stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. After opening up its warehouse, which isn't usually open to the public, for a few markets on home turf, they're trucking their way up to St Peters for another warehouse sale here. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden, a Fiddle Leaf or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. Have a reputation for killing your cacti? Overwatering your ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the night to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. Here, you can be inspired by greenery aplenty, and learn to incorporate plants into your home and living spaces, while browsing and soaking up some tunes. Due to expected demand, the sale will be held in four sessions on Saturday (8–10am, 10am–noon, 12–2pm and 2–4pm) and two on Sunday (10am–noon and 12–2pm) and attendees will need to register for free tickets. Plus, if you wear beach-inspired attire, you'll get $5 off your purchase.
If you died a little death of burger-induced happiness at August's Barrio Cellar x Pub Life Kitchen Burger Pop-Up, it might be time to resurrect your satisfied self and head over to Camperdown's Deus Ex Machina. The two burger champs are coming together once again for a summer burger residency at the motorcycle brand's multi-purpose space, and it opens this Friday, November 27. The residency will see inner-west Sydneysiders full and fed right through to January. This time, however, the two Sydney legends won't be pitted against each other in a battle of hamburger juice and mustard — they'll be teaming up to create the ultimate burger joint. If you're not familiar with the two halves of this delicious equation, get acquainted. Pub Life Kitchen have earned their stripes in burgery, serving seriously excellent creations inside Ultimo's tiny Lord Wolseley Hotel, and have been known to put everything from Dorito fried chicken to chilli jam doughnuts on their buns. Barrio Cellar, while probably known more for their tacos and tequila, have been flipping some pretty excellent burgers in the CBD since June. Just look at this. A photo posted by Barrio Cellar (@barriocellar) on Sep 17, 2015 at 5:22pm PDT Deus Ex Machina is located at 98-104 Parramatta Road, Camperdown. For more information on the pop-up, visit Pub Life Kitchen's Facebook page. Via Good Food.
The Sydney Lyric Theatre has played host to some of the biggest stage productions to come to Sydney in the past two decades, including Book of Mormon and the upcoming Pippin the Musical. As it is based inside The Star, you also have plenty of pre- and post-show dining options at your fingertips, including Flying Fish, Sokyo and Momofuku Seiōbo.
Over the last few years, we've seen a certain literary crime-solver follow the action-packed route with Robert Downey Jr, then stalk around modern-day London as Benedict Cumberbatch, and head to America in the guise of Jonny Lee Miller. We've seen Sherlock Holmes in his prime, puzzling over clues and cracking cases. We've seen him save the day, struggle against a nemesis or two and even shoulder a few rough patches. What we haven't seen is the famous "elementary!"-exclaiming figure later in life — well, until now that is. Enter Mr. Holmes, an effort that explores what comes next for the cantankerous detective with the brilliant analytical mind. Set in 1947 and adhering to the original timeline for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation, the latest filmic take on the ace investigator sees him older, wiser and a little worse for wear. His deductive skills still put others to shame, but his 93-year-old memory is failing. After a trip to Japan, Sherlock (Ian McKellen) returns to his seaside farmhouse buoyed with hope that he's found the answer to his ailing state; yet even his great intellect can't conjure a solution to getting long in the tooth. As he attempts to gather his wits to write his own version of his last-ever case, he shares his knowhow with Roger (Milo Parker), the young son of his housekeeper (Laura Linney), with the boy eager to learn everything he can from his idol. Watson might be absent, and Baker Street isn't a primary place of interest, but no rendering of the legendary detective would be complete without a cryptic situation (or several) to unravel. Just don't expect a traditional whodunit, because that's what this film is not. Piecing together the tale Holmes is jotting down — as well as the secretive details of his recent overseas jaunt — actually prove the feature's least intriguing parts. In a film that's more character study than mystery, the real enigma in need of untangling is Sherlock himself. Other recent screen incarnations have fleshed out the person behind the reputation, though not in such a delicate and delightful fashion as McKellen's hobbling, grumbling curmudgeon. His super sleuth isn't just a formidable brain packaged with some unsociable traits; he's a fragile elderly man facing a short future while looking back on a life he's no longer all that certain about. It feels fitting, then, that director Bill Condon lets his star steal the show in their second collaboration after 1998's acclaimed Gods and Monsters. In adapting Mitch Cullin's novel A Slight Trick of the Mind and trawling through its driving theme of accepting mortality, the filmmaker hones in not just on matters of the busy head, but those of the unfulfilled heart — and he has the perfect lead for the job. Condon also boasts a fine eye for the warm hues needed to colour Mr. Holmes' interpretation of the icon's golden years, and a feel for the stately rhythm required for what amounts to a hero's last chapter. Yes, his film is old in its protagonist and old-fashioned in its nature, but it's also an elegant, enjoyable alternative to the recent spate of rousing revisionist takes. That dispelling myths about the fictional hero becomes the film's running joke speaks to the vibe he's going for — and when it comes to Sherlock on screen, it's a vibe that's more than welcome.
If you're a Triple J aficionado, you've no doubt heard Clubfeet's 'Heartbreak' by now. Released in January this year and featuring the sultry vocals of "oriental disco heathen goddess" Chela, it's been topping many a request list for weeks. Groove driven yet melancholy tinged, ‘Heartbreak’ is the single from Clubfeet's sophomore LP, Heirs and Graces. Keys player Montgomery Cooper has described the album as "the kind of record where you come home from a big night out and you put it on". Heirs and Graces maintains the sweet, highly spirited pop feel of Gold on Gold, which earned Pitchfork's praise, but the tunes are more tightly structured and the electro explorations delve into darker, more compelling realms. From all accounts, Clubfeet's live shows are designed to get you up and dancing. This month’s appearance at the OAF, featuring Collarbones, Chela, and Ego, is sure to be no exception.
Maybe you first heard of Peloton when US President Joe Biden assumed office, with his use of the company's technology-enabled equipment giving rise to questions about its potential White House security risks. Perhaps you've seen the mocking ad created by Ryan Reynolds' Aviation American Gin, or the recent Saturday Night Live spoof. Or, you could just really like expensive additions to your home gym setup, or getting guided through your workout routine by an instructor without having to leave the house. Whichever fits, Australians will soon be able to get their hands on the brand's indoor bikes and take part in its streamed classes, with the company announcing plans to launch Down Under. An exact date hasn't yet been announced, but Peloton will be rolling out its equipment and at-home workouts in Australia some time in the second half of 2021. Presumably, it won't be doing so by using its controversial 2019 TV commercial, which received considerable backlash and gave rise to the aforementioned parodies. Australians will be able to choose from two Peloton bikes first up, and neither comes cheap. The Peloton Bike will cost $2895, while the Bike+ will set you back $3695. If you're wondering what the difference is, the latter comes with a bigger screen that can rotate 360 degrees, and with a better sound system — because connecting to the Peloton app and streaming its workouts while you're hitting the pedals is all part of the process. You will need to pay extra to access the company's content, which'll cost $59 per month. On offer: instructor-led classes, motivational tracks and curated playlists, with the latter featuring the likes of Beyoncé and The Beatles. The sessions cover cycling, obviously, as well as running, strength training, high-intensity interval training, yoga, barre, pilates, dance cardio, bootcamp and meditation. Time-wise, they span from five to 60 minutes in length and, in terms of skill, range from beginner to advanced. The Peloton app does also include material that doesn't require the brand's equipment, if you're eager to give it a try without breaking your budget. Peloton is also setting up physical showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne, should you want to give its bikes a test run in person. The brand also makes treadmills, although when they'll be available in Australia hasn't yet been announced. When Peloton heads Down Under, it'll set up shop in its fifth country worldwide, after the US, the UK, Canada and Germany. Peloton will launch in Australia sometime in 2021, and set up showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne. For further details, keep an eye on the company's website.
For one week each September, Brisbane becomes Australia's live music capital — even if a Melbourne survey generally claims otherwise. When BIGSOUND hits the city, it seems like every venue in Fortitude Valley is packed to the rafters with bands, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest the country's music scene has to offer. And given this year's complete lineup, expect that to be the case once again. After unveiling its first 76 acts for 2019 last month, BIGSOUND has revealed who else it'll play host to between September 3–6. As always, it's a hefty bunch. Mojo Juju, These New South Whales, Adrian Eagle, imbi the girl and Cry Club join a bill that already includes the likes of Bad//Dreems, Electric Fields, SCABZ, Outright, Milan Ring, LOSER, Tones & I and Tasman Keith, plus yergurl, EGOISM, Stevan, Laura Imbruglia and Concrete Surfers. Yes, the list goes on, with 147 artists gracing the event's stages in total. BIGSOUND has also announced its full range of venues, reaching 18 all up, all across Fortitude Valley. Attendees can expect to get cosy in smaller spaces including Black Bear Lodge and Heya Bar, tap their toes at big stages like The Zoo, The Brightside, and Crowbar, and enjoy the night air at outdoor spots such as The Valley Drive In, The Elephant Hotel and Ric's Big Backyard. As previously revealed, this year's talking heads will include keynote speaker Terry McBride, CEO and co-founder of Nettwerk Music Group, which includes Canada's largest independent record label, artist management and music publishing company; and British TV and radio presenter Abbie McCarthy, from BBC Music Introducing, Radio 1 & 4 Music, and Good Karma Club. This is a conference as well as a festival, after all — although, you can choose to hear wise words of wisdom, dance all night, or both. [caption id="attachment_636255" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bec Taylor[/caption] Past BIGSOUNDs have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Tash Sultana and Courtney Barnett to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Methyl Ethel and The Jungle Giants, so its program is usually a very reliable bellwether of current and up-and-coming talent. Even better — the festival's four-night $85 (plus booking fee) Rainbow Pass nabs you access to 270 music showcases at the 18 venues. To view the full BIGSOUND 2019 lineup, visit the event's website. BIGSOUND 2019 runs from September 3–6 at various venues around Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For further details or to buy tickets from 9am on Monday, June 27, visit bigsound.org.au. To discover what to do, see, eat and drink while visiting Brissie for the annual event, check out our weekender's guide to Brisbane during BIGSOUND. Top image: Kult Kyss at BigSound 2018.
