Adapted from the title of the 2008 Haruki Murakami book What I Think About When I Think About Running (itself adapted from the title of Raymond Carver's 1980 short story, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love), What I Think About When I Think About Dancing is an interdisciplinary project comprised of a series of residencies, exhibitions, performances and a publication. This is a mammoth project. Twenty-three dance and visual artists have been brought together "to question the meeting place of dance and visual arts across cultures, communities and by individualsâ€. Eleven of them (including Brian Fuata and Agatha Goethe-Snape, Gabriella Mangano & Silvana Mangano, Brown Council and renowned innovative UK choreographer Rosemary Butcher) will create new works on site through the residency program. A further four (Kate Murphy, Mitch Cairns, Christian Thompson and Shigeyuki Kihara) will present new works. And, if that line-up was not enough to convince, work by acclaimed Australian artists The Kingpins, Shaun Gladwell and David Noonan and emerging artists Laresa Kosloff and James Newitt, will also feature. The Project launches on Friday 27 November with the opening of the exhibition and performance showings by Fuata and Goethe-Snape, Mitch Cairns, The Kingpins, Brown Council and Rosie Dennis. Image: Kate Murphy Count me in 2009 digital video still single channel HD video installation with stereo sound Courtesy the artist and BREENSPACE, Sydney https://youtube.com/watch?v=WGaZUqjBDBE
It's been a big couple of days in Sydney. Regional travel was given the green light, beauty salons and cultural institutions were allowed to reopen and the city's hospitality venues could welcome up to 50 patrons through their doors from yesterday. Because of the latter, a lot more venues have been opening said doors — as 50 customers is a bit more financially viable than ten — and one of those is Bondi Beach Public Bar. The Campbell Parade pub isn't simply reopening, either. It's reopening and offering a whopping 50 percent off all food and a range of beer, wine and cocktails — all day, every day until the end of June. This means, when you head in from 5pm on Wednesday, June 3, you'll be able to dig into $5 tacos, $10 burgers and $15 steaks, as well as $5 select wines and beers and $10 margaritas and espresso martinis. BBPB is also bringing back the tunes. While you can't get up and dance — no mingling allowed at hospo venues just yet — you can sit and shimmy along to DJ Levins on Fridays and Public Affection on Saturdays. The inaugural party on Saturday, June 6, will see DJs Charlie Chuxx, Parihaka and Pink Lloyd will be spinning the decks from 6pm You can either book a table or walk in, with 50 seats available in each of the Public Bar, dining area and heated outdoor area (150 in total), which is in line with current regulations. Bondi Beach Public Bar is reopening from 5pm on Wednesday, June 3 and is offering 50 percent off all food and some booze until the end of June.
When a French store slashed the price of Nutella a couple of years ago, customers went wild. Brawling and rioting was reported. So, yes, it's safe to say the chocolate hazelnut spread has more than a few fans. Here in Australia, we've had a Nutella food truck, a Nutella festival and a Nutella dessert bar. And, from Friday, April 10 to Sunday, April 12, a dedicated Nutella menu at Salt Meats Cheese as well. Available for delivery from the chain's Drummoyne and Cronulla stores in NSW, and Surfers Paradise and Newstead stores in Queensland, the seven Nutella-filled items are here just in time for the Easter long weekend (which most of us will be spending predominantly indoors eating Nutella, it seems). Fancy a Nutella calzone, in both peanut butter ($14) and Oreo ($18) varieties? Nutella and banana-topped pizza? Nutella panna cotta ($14)? Nutella Toblerone cocktails? A half-litre ($30) of Nutella espresso martini? Of course you do. To order, you'll need to download Salt Meats Cheese's new app and pray you're in the delivery zone. The Nutella menu is available for delivery from Salt Meats Cheese stores in Cronulla and Drummoyne in NSW, and Surfers Paradise and Newstead in Queensland.
Back in 2019 and 2020, Bong Joon-ho had a huge couple of years. Not only was the South Korean filmmaker responsible for 2019's best movie in Parasite, but that same thrilling flick nabbed the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and took out Sydney Film Festival's top prize. Oh, and it cleaned up at the Oscars, too. Parasite isn't just a one-off, either. For more than two decades, the acclaimed director has been making smart movies that continually surprise and delight — and continually defy categorisation. Bong delved into real-life murder mysteries in 2003's Memories of Murder, reinvented the creature feature with 2006 standout The Host, and used 2009's Mother to explore an unnerving family relationship. And, alongside Parasite, they're all getting a big-screen run at Golden Age Cinema & Bar's new The Best of Bong Joon-ho season. Only picking four of Bong's movies to showcase must've been tricky — but all four in the spotlight are masterpieces. You can catch them at the Surry Hills cinema on Friday nights in August at 8.30pm, with Memories of Murder also getting a second showing at 8.20pm on Sunday, August 28.
Combine your love of cheese and crepes this June as Four Frogs Creperie's Sydney outposts host a month of cheesy celebrations in collaboration with Surry Hills cheese specialist Fromaggi Ocello. Starting Tuesday, June 1, Cheese Month will take over Four Frogs Circular Quay, Randwick, Mosman and Lane Cove digs with a special month-long menu featuring limited-time galettes. Each galette created by the Four Frogs French chefs wraps a different mix of cheese and local fresh ingredients in a thin savoury crepe. Packed into the La Savoyarde, you'll find reblochon cheese, onion, potatoes and speck, while inside the L'Auvergnate is leek fondue, creme and runny egg mixed with fourme d'ambert, a natural blue cheese. Four Frog crepes and galettes are made from the restaurant's own buckwheat flour, sourced from a local farm in Orange, while Ocello handpicks its cheese from Europe, bringing some of the rarest and tastiest cheeses to Sydney. To ensure your spot, book a seat at your closest Four Frogs.
Electronic festival Let Them Eat Cake managed an eight-year run of tune-filled New Year's Day parties before COVID-19 hit pause on its 2021 edition. But, you can bet it's making up for that skipped beat, announcing today that the festival will return for a huge comeback outing on Saturday, January 1, 2022. The much-loved music and arts celebration returns to its Werribee Mansion home in just over six month's time. It is Australia's first New Year's Day festival that has been announced since the pandemic hit. Organisers, Novel — the same minds behind Pitch Music & Arts and Smalltown — are yet to reveal full details about the event's music lineup, though they're aiming high, with festival director Daniel Teuma saying, "We want to ensure this is our best one yet." Teuma also hinted that the musical offering will be largely local, saying "with the uncertainty around international borders re-opening, we decided to take a more sensible approach to the lineup. We can't say too much, but we are confident our 2022 edition will have something for everyone." The crew at Full Throttle Entertainment will be making the music side of things extra memorable, installing what's set to be the biggest sound system in town on New Year's Day. There'll also be a diverse lineup of food vendors, curated specifically to complement the tunes, artworks and visuals under the organisers' new, more cohesive approach. Delivering a finely tuned COVID-Safe festival has been top of the planning agenda — Let them Eat Cake 2022 will activate the sprawling Werribee Mansion grounds in a whole new way, with improved traffic flow and more opportunities for exploration beyond the main stage set-up. Under current public health guidelines, the new-look event would be allowed to safely host up to 7500 attendees. Let Them Eat Cake will descend on Werribee Mansion on Saturday, January 1, 2022. Pre-registration for tickets opens from 4.30pm Tuesday, June 22, with pre-sale tickets up for grabs on July 6 and general tickets available from July 7. The full program will be announced in September — hit the website for details and to buy tickets. Top Image: Duncographic
Holy heck - have you seen the Art & About program? It's out of control. We've curated a list of ten excellent happenings to help you navigate this massive month-long festival of art in unusual places. Go on, get amongst it, this is your city in spring. 1. Friday Night Live: Art & About Opening Night Art projects like Renew Newcastle and Alaska Projects have taken charge of disused urban spaces and empty shopfronts. Art & About enlarges this idea to all vacant spaces. Can’t every grey wall, lonely corner and public mall be a site for creative action? Opening night sees Martin Place morph from shadowy wind tunnel to massive street party. The Bamboos, Van She, Rufus and Jingle Jangle are on the line up, with more to be announced. Martin Place will be scattered with pop up bars and food trucks, and the city's main galleries will be open late for our sauntering pleasure. It’s programmed by Stephen Pavlovic of Sydney-based music label Modular, the crew behind such artists as Cut Copy, Ladyhawke and The Avalanches. And best of all, it’s free. So cheers - to art in unconventional places, and to free art and music events that are accessible to everyone. 2. Moveable Feast: Art & About Closing Night A car-free George Street. It's a dream many Sydneysiders hold, and one that will come true on October 20, if only for a night. Closing night party is replacing George Street's usual gridlock of petrol-fuelled monsters with food trucks, dining tables, DJs, outdoor art installations and big screens. It's a celebration to mark the closing of a festival that pulls art out of galleries and into unusual places in the city. And it's a Moveable Feast, not just of tasty international street food, but of art, live music, documentaries, shorts and feature films. Delicious. The next step? Booting cars out of George Street for good. 3. WIND events Are Tim Knowles' creations in WindGrid the birds that have escaped the empty birdcages in Angel Place? The UK artist is installing a shifting ceiling of white paper aeroplanes above Taylor Square that has been likened both to weather vanes and bird flocks. The criss-crossed canopy moves with the wind, casts shadows on the pavement and animates an otherwise motionless patch of sidewalk. Knowles is also hosting a free tour of the city, guided only by the wind. Book here for WindWalk. 4. I Wish You Hadn't Asked Artist James Dive has inverted the everyday and created a house that rains on the inside. The concept brings to mind the inevitable decay of manmade structures and civilisations, and nature returning to how it's always been. Dive, however, has likened it more to a dying love affair: "There is a moment in a relationship when something is said, or done, that can’t be taken back; then the rot sets in." It's an installation that will continue to rot and devolve over the course of the show, so make time for multiple stopovers. And don't panic - raincoats are provided. 5. Hyde Park events Hyde Park is the site of a stream of Art & About happenings. First up, a large-scale photography competition, Sydney Life, will be occupy the main, dappled walkways. Stroll through on your lunch break, or join Sydney Life judge Sandy for a free tour of the show on Friday, September 21, 7-8pm or Saturday, October 13, 2-3pm, starting at Archibald Fountain. For those up late, Craig Walsh, Steven Thomasson and the Australian Museum are illuminating the giant canopies of Hyde Park south with light projections. Emergence is yet another free cultural event bringing the city to life at night. Our suggestion? Head down with some friends, some long necks, lie down and find a face in the trees. A show of kid photographers under eleven years of age called Little Sydney Lives is an opportunity to see the city from the perspective of our tiniest citizens. And finally, there's the four night pig-out otherwise known as the Night Noodle Markets. They're from 5pm to 10.30pm each night from October 15-19. Check out the website for a full list of the stalls and their street food menus. 6. City Space and Laneways Four teams of creative thinkers, including artist Caroline Rothwell and curators Vi Girgis and Adam Porter, have installed a collection of sculptures in public places. The works include shadowy, ghostly, bronze sculptures of hooded younguns and a wilderness trail in Barrack St. They're designed to jolt us out of the blahblahblah of daily city life and give us a new perspective on otherwise blank expanses of bricks-and-mortar. 7. Streetware 3 Part of the City of Sydney's public art program, Streetware takes place around Taylor Square and Oxford St. It's first project is by Reko Rennie, an Aboriginal artist, who will be stencilling and spraying 1-5 Flinders St with a geometric, vibrant work informed by the traditional markings of the Kamilaroi people. We can't wait to see Reko's neon text, 'Always was, always will be', emblazoned across Taylor Square. 8. The Great Crate How's this for a living public art project that engages local residents and non-artists? Thousands of packs of edible plants are currently being distributed to the people of Alexandria, Beaconsfield, Roseberrry and Waterloo. They'll be grown at home then replanted in a giant cube of recycled crates in Green Square. The installation will continue to grow into an urban jungle above the airport-rail network. At the show's conclusion on Saturday October 20, the plants will be dismantled and given away freely to residents. 9. Last Drinks The old bohemian Hotel Australia is being hijacked by visual and sound artists using photos, films and audio to present an alternative oral history of this part of the city. There's a free guided tour at 6pm, September 27 with artists Sarah Barns and Michael Killalea. Meet outside the Commercial Traveller’s Association building at Martin Place. 10. Mystery gigs: Play Lunch Hook up with Art & About on Facebook and Twitter to get the lowdown on weekly secret gigs in unusual places. This set of Friday lunchtime sessions is curated with Modular Music and will be revealed each Wednesday at 5pm.
Been scheming about taking Vivid Sydney to the next level this year? If you've got some cash stashed away for the festival, swap out the crowds at Circular Quay for front-row views of the illuminated Harbour Bridge, a water taxi and dinner literally in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Yep, we're talking Fort Denison. This year, the island outpost is inviting you to join its Vivid celebrations. Dubbed Dinner De-Lights, the evening starts with you wandering around Circular Quay, before jumping in a specially chartered water taxi for a giddy, wind-in-your-hair-lights-in-your-eyes ride to the island. Along the way, check out Vivid's famous boat parade up close. Once you're there, you'll take a mini tour of the Martello Tower before settling into your seat for dinner, which will afford epic views of the lighting of the Opera House's sails (which will this year feature work by artist Ash Bollard) as well as the Harbour Bridge. Dinner De-Lights is happening every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night throughout the festival. Bookings cost $118 per person, which includes a two-course dinner, the tour and the water taxi ride there and back.
Attempting to give our exploits a facelift in winter can seem an insurmountable task. The challenge: the loud call of nights inside tucked under a blanket with something warm at hand. Here to help you overcome this seasonal hurdle is Pepe's Winter Beach Lodge, the red-hot event delivering an elevated winter experience from Friday, July 15 till Sunday, September 4. Courtesy of coastal digs Pepe's on the Beach and Fireball, the lodge will see you spend three sensational hours in magical surrounds, with photo ops, canapés and cinnamon-laced whisky aplenty. If you've got mates in The Gong hassling you to visit, or you just need to escape the city, now's the time to make the trip. The headlining attraction? Two luxe igloos — one decked out in all-white, the other pink — sitting pretty beachside, awaiting you and your crew. Think of the warm up you'll get sharing a fishbowl of Fire & Ice Sangria (or Fireball Pink Lemonade or Arctic Blue Passionfruit Mojito) with your pals and helping yourself to delicious morsels (like mushroom arancini and pork and fennel sausage rolls) from the confines of your private igloo. There's no stress if an icy abode isn't up your alley, joining the arctic fun is a lineup of Fireball-infused bites in Pepe's dining room. Slow-cooked beef ribs with Fireball barbecue glaze and chimichurri perhaps? Or maybe ruby tuna ceviche marinated in the sweet 'n' spicy spirit with salsa and tostadas alongside. Got a hens do? Birthday bash? Thursday night that needs enlivening? Grab some mates, book an igloo and heat up your winter exploits at Pepe's Winter Beach Lodge. Igloos are available seven days a week, are suitable for up to six guests and cost between $350–500 per session. Your booking includes three hours in a private igloo, six Fireball shots, two cocktail fishbowls, canapés and dessert. Head to the website for more information and to book your igloo.
Taking its title from the French euphemism for orgasm, The Little Death wears its risque approach as a badge of honour. Erotic fetishes furnish six slight vignettes, purporting to normalise types of between-the-sheets behaviour; as the saying goes, everyone's doing it. Alas, more than parodying private peccadillos is needed to turn apparently twisted trysts into a smart sex comedy. Edginess doesn't equal astuteness, nor does painting with sitcom-style strokes cover ill-explored content. Any Questions for Ben? and House of Lies' Josh Lawson writes, directs and stars in an effort destined to be labelled a physicality fuelled Love Actually. Four couples monopolise the anthology feature, each with relationship issues. Maeve (Bojana Novakovic) wants Paul (Lawson) to fulfil her rape fantasies. Rowena (Kate Box) finds herself aroused whenever husband Richard (Patrick Brammall) cries. Phil (Alan Dukes) finds Maureen (Lisa McCune) at her most attractive when she is sleeping. Dan (Damon Herriman) and Evie (Kate Mulvany) make a foray into roleplaying that backfires. As the linking device between the tales, a new neighbour (Kim Gyngell) makes visits to disclose he's a registered sex offender. A final segment tackles phone sex and disability, as the hearing-impaired Sam (T.J. Power) places a call aided by operator Monica (Erin James). Finding farce in intimacy is far from a new conceit; however, it isn't enough to simply bring up taboo topics in contrived circumstances, especially in a superficial manner devoid of depth, discussion or development. Courting controversy and causing a reaction appears the film's only ambition, not thoughtfully examining sources of sexual satisfaction rarely addressed, or contemplating the human core of our deepest desires. Indeed, in pursuing broad and easy amusement, characterisation is absent — particularly regarding women. Unacceptable categorisations and implausible choices prevail, rendering female protagonists naive, cruel, selfish or complaining, whilst attempts to place Maeve and Rowena in charge of their destinies are undone by one-note personalities. Men, contrastingly, are presented with sympathy, even when potentially crossing the line. Consider Paul planning an elaborate rape upon request, and Phil drugging his wife to escape her nagging, the feature skirting around the latter's creepy consequences. The last standalone story may boast sincerity and sweetness otherwise lacking, followed by awkwardly offering comeuppance, but a late burst of heart and consequences can't overcome the bulk of the film's horrific skewering of kinkiness in rom-com confines. Though the ensemble cast toils valiantly and Lawson helms competently, each is poorly served by sketches neither dark nor different. Alas, The Little Death is not the subversive work it intends, instead just gratifying a too-neat account of the same offensive, over-used stereotypes of middle-class sex and romance. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BnnhesQ8Rxc
Phil Spencer is a 29-year-old man who has never thrown a punch. While that's news that probably shouldn't be story-worthy (come on dudes, nobody should be throwing punches), Spencer's stand-up/storytelling show You and Whose Army? takes this idea and runs with it. He uses his own stories of growing up in the 'slums' of rural South Oxfordshire and moonlighting as a drug dealer in Glasgow to craft a darkly comedic meditation on our relationship with violence. Spencer has teamed up with Sydney singer-songwriter Richard Cuthbert, who provides musical accompaniment to Spencer's autobiographical adventure. The pair sold out a bunch of intimate shows at The Newsagency in January this year. If you missed out then, you can catch them again (in their last Australian hurrah before heading off on a UK tour) next Wednesday night at Giant Dwarf — Sydney's newest venue for the particular mash-up of stand-up and storytelling that's become so popular around the city over the past few years.
When the 23rd Biennale of Sydney takes over the city next March, attendees will be forgiven for having water on their minds. The returning art event famously showcased Ai Weiwei's 60-metre inflatable boat back in 2018, but in 2022 it's calling its entire program Rīvus, which means 'stream' in Latin. The Biennale is embracing its titular notion in a number of ways, too. Announcing not just its theme but its first 59 participants for the event, organisers also revealed that it'll use its array of artworks and activities to form conceptualised wetlands and imagined ecosystems. The plan isn't just to feature these watery places in paintings, sculptures and installations, but to "follow the currents of meandering tributaries, expanding out into a delta of interrelated ideas," as a statement by the Biennale's 2022 Curatorium explains. This year, Artistic Director José Roca, Art Gallery of New South Wales Head of Learning and Participation Paschal Daantos Berry, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia curator Anna Davis, Information and Cultural Exchange First Nations programs producer Hannah Donnelly and Artspace curator Talia Linz are overseeing the Biennale program, which'll run from Saturday, March 12–Monday, June 13, 2022. And if you're wondering what their theme will entail in a practical sense, specific artwork details haven't been revealed as yet; however, the Curatorium advises that the lineup will include "river horror, creek futurism, Indigenous science, cultural flows, ancestral technologies, counter-mapping, queer ecologies, multispecies justice, hydrofeminism, water healing, spirit streams, fish philosophy and sustainable methods of co-existence". The first roster of participants charged with bringing all of these notions to life spans folks from six continents and 33 countries — complete with a heavy local component — and includes artists, designers, architects and scientists. Yes, that's a diverse range of skill sets, ranging beyond visual arts into other fields, which is why the Biennale has opted for the term 'participants'. [caption id="attachment_807271" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Julie Gough, Manifestation (Bruny Island), 2010. Installation view of Littoral (2010), curated by Vivonne Thwaites, Carnegie Gallery Hobart. Courtesy the artist. Photograph: Julie Gough. Copyright © Julie Gough.[/caption] Exactly where the event will take place is yet to be revealed, except in one instance, with the Biennale setting up shop by the harbour at The Cutaway at Barangaroo Reserve for the first time — fittingly given the watery theme. And if it feels like Sydney only just enjoyed the last Biennale, there's a reason for that. After the 2020 event was forced to take an unforeseen break due to the pandemic, it wrapped up later last year than initially planned. FIRST BIENNALE OF SYDNEY 2022 LINEUP A4C Arts for the Commons Ackroyd & Harvey Robert Andrew Ana Barboza and Rafael Freyre Badger Bates Milton Becerra Cave Urban Hera Büyüktaşcıyan Tania Candiani Yoan Capote Casino Wake Up Time Carolina Caycedo Alex Cerveny Erin Coates Cian Dayrit Melissa Dubbin and Aaron S Davidson Matias Duville Clemencia Echeverri Embassy of the North Sea Juliana Góngora Rojas Julie Gough Rex Greeno and Dean Greeno David Haines and Joyce Hinterding Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe Dale Harding Joey Holder Marguerite Humeau Aluaiy Kaumakan Pushpa Kumari Eva L'Hoest Mata Aho Collective Clare Milledge Yuko Mohri Moogahlin Performing Arts with Aanmitaagzi Big Medicine Studio New Landscapes Institute New-Territories _ S/he _f.Roche Leeroy New Wura-Natasha Ogunji Mike Parr Marjetica Potrč Caio Reisewitz Tabita Rezaire Duke Riley Abel Rodríguez Teho Ropeyarn Diana Scherer Dineo Seshee Bopape Komunidad X Sipat Lawin Kiki Smith Paula de Solminihac STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors) and Jiva Parthipan Jenna Sutela Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Leanne Tobin Barthélémy Toguo Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi Hanna Tuulikki Gal Weinstein Zheng Bo The 23rd Biennale of Sydney will run from Saturday, March 12–Monday, June 13, 2022. Entry will be free, as always. We'll keep you posted on the whole artist lineup and exhibition program when they're announced. Top image: Carolina Caycedo, Yuma, or the Land of Friends, 2014, digital print on acrylic glass, and satellite images, 580 x 473 cm. Installation view at the 8th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, Museen Dahlen (2014), Berlin. Courtesy of the artist.
In sad news for Australia's creative scene, it's just been announced that SXSW Sydney has come to an end. Launched in 2023 as the first international spinoff of the Austin-born South by Southwest Festival, the event explored music, film, gaming, technology and entrepreneurial spirit through fascinating panel discussions, trade shows, performances and more. Describing the announcement as "bittersweet" on Instagram, the festival said in a statement that the decision "reflects a changing global environment that is impacting major events, festivals and cultural programs worldwide." Going out on a high note, SXSW Sydney said it attracted over 63,000 out-of-region attendees and recorded a 35 percent year-on-year growth in international visitation between 2024 and 2025. "SXSW Sydney would not have been possible without our partners, Destination NSW and SXSW, as well as those who contributed to the event — our speakers, sponsors, volunteers and attendees. SXSW Sydney was an unforgettable three-year journey, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the people who joined us for it," said Co-Managing Directors Simon Cahill and Jono Whyman. While the festival's foray into Asia-Pacific was short-lived, each year's lineup was stacked with incredible talent and experiences. The 2025 edition featured celebrated filmmaker Paul Feig and emerging superstar Ninajirachi, while 2024 was headlined by keynote addresses by Nicole Kidman and Chance the Rapper. "SXSW Sydney represented an ambitious and meaningful extension of the SXSW brand, and we are incredibly proud of what was built in partnership with the Sydney team, Destination NSW, and the broader creative community," said Jenny Connelly, Director in Charge of SXSW. Although the festival explored a possible path forward with the NSW Government and SXSW's global owners, Penske Media Corporation, it was ultimately decided that prevailing market conditions made the Sydney event no longer viable. Says Connelly: "While the event will not proceed in 2026, we are grateful for the collaboration, creativity, and commitment that defined SXSW Sydney." Head to the website for more information.
The last time Cockatoo Island’s gritty industrial spaces were transformed it was by Outpost, a street art explosion of graffiti, paste-ups and sticker art from more than 150 artists across the world. A few of the exhibits still remain, but in February the island will see its topography permeated with installations exploring the territory in a uniquely Australian context. Drawing Lines in the Sand is compromised of six projects engaging with Cockatoo Island as both a symbolic space and a physical one, delving (literally) into its history as a former imperial prison, industrial school, reformatory and gaol. Tunneling under convict-quarried shafts, journeying into the salt-encrusted tunnels of a 17th-century salt mine and filling abandoned storage spaces with a maze of scaffolding plated in 24 karat told, all idiosyncratic installations are connected through a reflection on conditions of interiority and exteriority particular to the Island Continent. Examining the legacy of “the Western colonialist tropism of island territories as condensed sites of acquisition, containment and control,” it’ll also give you something to think about next time you’re lounging in the sun sipping a cold beer from The Island Bar.
Do something way more interesting than sitting at home thinking about the weekend this Thursday night. Head over to Work-Shop in Redfern and learn the beautiful, ancient Japanese dying technique of Shibori. Much fancier than tie-dye, Shibori turns pre-reduced indigo crystals into a blue dye, which is then used to generate unique patterns and designs on material. Led by artist Jess Organ, you'll learn four different methods, and create four unique patterns and styles on the fabric of your choice. The creative class is a great opportunity to revamp old, but still useable clothing and furnishings. Bring old shirts, tablecloths and scarves, and breathe new life into them, making one-of-a-king indigo masterpieces. Image: Lester Lost.
UPDATE, December 16, 2022: Top Gun: Maverick will be available to stream via Paramount+ from Thursday, December 22. As dripping with jingoism, machismo, militarism and sweat as cinema gets — and there really was oh-so-much sweat — 1986's Top Gun was a dream of a recruitment ad. The US Navy's aviation program couldn't have whipped up a stronger enlistment campaign in its wildest fantasies. Even if it had, getting Hollywood's gloss, a star who'd still be box-office catnip four decades later and Kenny Loggins' second-best movie tune (slipping in behind Footloose, of course) probably would've felt like a one-in-a-billion longshot. But all of the above, plus a lurid sheen and homoerotic gaze, didn't make Top Gun a good film. Loggins' 'Danger Zone' remains an earworm of a delight, but the feature it's synonymous with took a highway to the cheesy, cringey, puffed up, perpetually moist and aggressively toxic zone. The one exception: whenever Tony Scott's camera was focused on all that flying, rather than a smirking, reckless and arrogant Tom Cruise as a portrait of 80s bluster and vanity. Gliding into cinemas 36 years after its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick is still at its best when its jets are soaring. The initial flick had the perfect song to describe exactly what these phenomenally well-executed and -choreographed action scenes feel like to view; yes, they'll take your breath away. Peppered throughout the movie, actually shot in real US Navy aircraft without a trace of digital effects, and as tense and spectacular as filmmaking can be in the feature's climactic sequences, they truly do make it seem as if you're watchin' in slow motion. Thankfully, this time that adrenaline kick is accompanied by a smarter and far more self-aware film, as directed by TRON: Legacy and Oblivion's Joseph Kosinski. Top Gun in the 80s was exactly what Top Gun in the 80s was always going to be — but Top Gun in the 2020s doesn't dare believe that nothing has changed, that Cruise's still-smug Maverick can't evolve, and that the world the movie releases into hasn't either. Early in the film — after Harold Faltermeyer's famous Top Gun anthem plays, text on-screen explains what the titular elite pilot training program is all about, a montage of fighter planes kicks in and then 'Danger Zone' sets an upbeat tone; that is, after the flick begins exactly as the first did — Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell (Cruise, Mission: Impossible — Fallout) is given a dressing-down. Still as rebellious as his call sign makes plain, he's just wantonly disobeyed orders, flown a ridiculously expensive hypersonic test plane when he's not supposed to and caused quite the fallout. "The future is coming and you're not in it," he's told, and Top Gun: Maverick doesn't shy away from that notion. As its opening moments show, along with a touch too many other nostalgia-steeped touches elsewhere this sequel hasn't wholly flown on from the past; however, it actively reckons with it as well. Still hardly the navy's favourite despite his swagger, megawatt smile, gleaming aviators and unfailing self-confidence — well, really despite his need for speed and exceptional dogfighting skills in the air — Maverick is given one last assignment. His destination: Fightertown USA, the California-based Top Gun program he strutted his way through all those years ago. There's an enemy nation with a secret weapons base that needs destroying, and his talents are crucial. But, to his dismay, Maverick is only asked to teach. Given a squad lorded over by the brash Hangman (Glen Powell, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood), and also including Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis, Grey's Anatomy), Payback (Jay Ellis, Insecure), Fanboy (Danny Ramirez, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro, Stumptown), Bob (Lewis Pullman, Outer Range) and the frosty Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw (Miles Teller, The Offer), he's tasked with training them to fly like he does, navigate a Star Wars-style impossible path that zips speedily at perilously low altitudes and, ideally, still survive the supremely dangerous mission. Yes, Bradley Bradshaw is a real name this franchise has given one of its characters. And, he's the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards, Inventing Anna), Maverick's beloved wingman in the original movie, whose death he hasn't come to terms with. Also, stressing that chip-off-the-ol'-block link via Hawaiian shirts, a moustache and a barroom 'Great Balls of Fire' singalong is among Top Gun: Maverick's clumsiest and most needlessly wistful moves — second only to its shirtless team-building beach football scene. Luckily, it's easy to excuse some such blatant nods backwards when interrogating why Maverick is like he is, what cost that's extracted from him and those in his orbit, and how he might climb beyond it is one of the film's main concerns. Plus, one of the feature's other blasts from the past, Maverick's reunion with his ex-adversary Iceman (Val Kilmer, The Snowman), couldn't be more movingly handled. Again, recognising that Maverick's heyday, and everything it instilled in him, has long been and gone proves as crucial in this sequel as those sensationally balletic jets swooping and spiralling above. Cruise's heyday as a mega movie superstar isn't yet behind him, though, and Top Gun: Maverick is also better for knowing that his hyper-committed showmanship is now rare. So, Kosinkski leans heavily on the Tom Cruise of it all — aka the spectacle that's a given when he's in action mode — while unpacking the Maverick of it all. That's how the film zooms deeper than the initial flick, especially into its protagonist, with screenwriters Ehren Kruger (Dumbo), Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle) and Christopher McQuarrie (the last two and upcoming two Mission: Impossible movies) imparting a convincing sense of human drama. Top Gun: Maverick still sports patriotism and militarism so thick it'd show up on radar. It's still sweaty, albeit not as much as the Fast and Furious franchise these days. And it still has a thin but charismatic romance, this time with Jennifer Connelly (who gets a winning music moment if you know what she was starring in back in 1986). And yet, it also faces the fact that flag-waving patriotism and testosterone-fuelled bravado are relics. Even better: while Top Gun: Maverick's exploration of loyalty, duty, camaraderie, bromance and facing your mistakes to be a better person comes second to its stunning aerial scenes, none of those themes completely fade from mind when the movie hits the sky. They're meant to up the stakes, and genuinely do. Indeed, Gun: Maverick's underlying emotions feel as authentic as the astonishing visuals that repeatedly defy gravity. With the latter, it comes as no surprise that Kosinkski's TRON: Legacy cinematographer Claudio Miranda does the honours, again delivering an astounding sight. Similarly, that such edge-of-your-seat sequences are stitched together by McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible editor Eddie Hamilton won't raise an eyebrow. Action cinema rarely gets more thrilling than this — and an action movie that's this visibly wondrous and entertaining, knows it's walking in familiar footsteps but puts in a bold effort to make this return trip mean something is electrifying and, yes, breathtaking.
If you want to add some social justice to your Tuesday night pub feed, head in to Paddo Inn next month. The Oxford Street venue is presenting Inn Talks, a series of expert-led panel discussions that are accompanied by wine, snacks and networking. Coming up on August 13 is a discussion on fashion sustainability and why it is so important, as well as how to be more ethically minded with your fashion choices. On the panel is fashion journalist Rosie Dalton, Vogue's sustainability editor-at-large Clare Press (and presenter of the Wardrobe Crisis podcast), award-winning sustainability fashion designer Jade Sarita Arnott (Arnsdorf) and responsible fashion strategist Melinda Tually (director of NDLESS: The New Normal). The series is being held to support Dress for Success Sydney, a not-for-profit organisation that benefits unemployed women — through donating work clothing, mentoring, job-search skills, career coaching and networking to those who need it. The event will run from 6–8.30pm and cost $55, with each ticket including canapés and a flute of Veuve Clicquot. If you miss on this round, the final discussion in the series will take place in September. Details on that one haven't been released yet, so keep an eye on this space.
Frequently, when Jungle Collective hosts one of its huge sales in Sydney, it fills a warehouse with indoor plants — and jungle vibes. But between Wednesday, March 2–Sunday, March 6, it's going virtual with its weird and wonderful pieces of greenery instead. And, it's hosting its biggest online plant sale ever. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. You'll just be doing your shopping online via the Jungle Collective website rather than heading in-store. More than 250 different species will be on offer, which is a hefty range — and, nationwide, there'll be more than 20,000 plants on offer, too, with prices starting at $10. While this is a 100-percent online event, you do still need to register for free tickets in advance. Once you've nabbed yours, you can drop into the sale whenever you like — with early bird access open on the Wednesday night for those who RSVP, and the sale open to everyone from Thursday–Sunday. As for deliveries, your plants will make their way to you over the following week between Thursday, March 10–Friday, February 18, with more details given when you make your purchase. Delivery costs $15–30 depending on your area, with orders within 25 kilometres driving distance nabbing free delivery if you spend $150 — and everyone living further away getting $15 off. Or, if it's easier, Jungle Collective is also doing pick-ups as well. You'll just need to be able to head to its Alexandria warehouse at Bourke Road from 4–6pm on Monday, March 14.
Good food is good for the soul, but it's not every meal that's just as good for the community and the world. That level of karmic feedback is reserved for meals like Good Karma (Korma), the annual charity dinner hosted at Newtown's Delhi 'O' Delhi, back for its third year this Thursday, September 18. The one-night-only event showcases the highlights of Delhi 'O' Delhi's menu, featuring dishes like chermoula tandoori prawns, Bengali fish curry, and a decadent almond kulfi to finish. Each course comes with a matching wine, and every dish gives back to the world with donations to The Kids' Cancer Project. There will also be raffles and prizes throughout the evening providing further opportunities for donations. 75 percent of all ticket sales on the night will go to supporting young cancer patients, a cause that's deeply personal for Delhi 'O' Delhi founder Javed Khan, who said "I lost my elder brother in India to stage four cancer at the age of 53, just seven months after his diagnosis. Witnessing the challenges faced by patients at Tata Memorial Cancer Centre in Mumbai was confronting, but seeing children bravely fighting this dreadful disease was truly heart-wrenching. I returned to Australia determined to make a difference for young cancer warriors." The dinner will be available for all diners on Thursday, September 18 from 5.30–11pm. Tickets are $95 per person, $125 for matching wines. If you can't make it on the evening but would still like to donate, you can visit the fundraising page here.
Biannual art and design markets The Finders Keepers is returning for its autumn/winter iterations, bringing shoppers the latest and greatest from its stellar lineup of Australia's most creative makers. The Eora edition is taking over The Cutaway — the staggering sandstone-walled space in Barangaroo — from Friday, July 29 to Sunday, July 31. Joining the creatively charged stalls is a tasty range of food and beverage offerings — all the makings of a prime day to get out, have a chat with artists and support the industry. At the core of the conscious shopping space is a focus on helping you discover and connect with the next wave of independent and emerging artisans — specifically, local designers. So, you can expect to find everything from jewellery, fashion and ceramics to leather goods and body products. And, for the market's return to Sydney after more than a year, there's a swarm of new makers joining the long-held faves. Confetti Rebels will have you sorted for all of your slogan-tee needs, Bea Bellingham is back and bringing her playful ceramic creations along and newcomer Jus Gudi will have its boldly printed, consciously created fashion pieces at the ready. Plus, you'll be able to peruse the bright and upcycled apparel from Deadly Denim, the 2022 Finders Keepers Indigenous Program stall. The legendary ladies from SIP'ER will be slinging top-notch vinos, Yulli's will have you sorted on brews and whisky and Brookie's Gin will send you home with their premium tipples. As well as nabbing a ticket to enter — which is just $5 for daily general admission — be sure to remember that the market is completely cashless. So check (then check again) that you've got your digital (or plastic) payment methods at the ready — it would be a travesty to leave empty handed. The Finders Keepers Autumn/Winter Markets take place on Friday, July 29 (4–9pm), Saturday, July 30 (10am–5pm) and Sunday, July 31 (10am–5pm) at The Cutaway, Barangaroo. For more info and to check out the full vendor lineup, head to the website. Images: Samee Lapham
A nearly three-tonne block of ice will be suspended above Sydney Harbour slowly melting over the course of the day as part of Sydney Festival's free arts program. On this huge block of water? A series of performance artists utilising it as a temporary stage before it disappears. Thaw will take place above the harbour over three days between Friday, January 14 and Sunday, January 16. Each day at 10am, a new block of ice will be suspended and the performers will ascend into the sky accompanied by a score from Alaskan composer Matthew Burtner. Come 8.30pm each night, the performance comes to an end when the last piece of ice returns to water. Making powerful statements on climate change and sustainability, Thaw has been created by local theatre and arts company Legs on the Wall in collaboration with Sydney Opera House. Each performance is free to view from Circular Quay for the duration of the day, however to witness the thrilling conclusion, its recommend you head over around 7.30pm. You can also view it via live stream as part of the Sydney Festival's digital program. Alongside the set of performances will be a pair of free talks from climate leaders and community members presenting a series of ten-minute speeches adressing climate change and how was can take action against it. Images: Shane Rozario. Image courtesy of the artists and Mona Foma.
The Sydney Seafood School is running its inaugural First Nations seafood demonstrations led by Luke Bourke alongside the National Indigenous Culinary Institute (NICI). Bourke is a sous chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill, alumni of the NICI, and with his brother Samuel works with the organisation to promote the use of native Australian ingredients in cooking. Joining Bourke at the demonstration will be NICI CEO Nathan Lovett and South Coast Seaweed's Sarah Thomas. South Coast Seaweed is an Indigenous-run company that harvests golden kelp and educates people on seaweed's longstanding role in First Nations dishes. The demonstration will be taking place on Monday, October 10 from 6pm until 8pm at the Sydney Seafood School inside the Sydney Fish Markets. The dishes being cooked as part of the demonstration will be kept a secret but native ingredients including seaweed, lemon myrtle and Davidson plum will be used with local seafood. Included in the $160 ticket will also be free parking at the fish markets, canapes, tastings and a welcome drink. All profits from the tickets will also be donated to the NICI. Top image: Sydney Seafood School, Franz Scheurer
When you've been in the movie-slinging game for a whopping 85 years and you're eager to celebrate that huge milestone, how do you go about it? By screening films, naturally. But Ritz Cinemas isn't just commemorating the occasion with a couple of flicks. It isn't even content with a handful, or a week or so's worth. No, this grand Randwick picture house is truly living up to its age with a three-month program spanning 85 different titles. Starting on Sunday, July 24 and running through till Sunday, October 16, the Ritz's 85 Films in 85 Days lineup does indeed feature a little bit of everything, with one movie showing each day. This huge retrospective covers the cross-section of features that've graced the cinema's screens over the years, and is unsurprisingly the venue's biggest retro offering ever. It all starts with the 1937 version of A Star Is Born, harking right back to the Ritz's first year. From there, a different year is covered each night, all in chronological order. There are too many highlights to mention them all — all 85 films are standouts — but The Wizard of Oz helps round out the 30s selection, Fantasia and Citizen Kane kickstart the 40s, and the 50s lineup includes Rashomon, Singin' in the Rain and Rebel Without a Cause. From the 60s, you can check out the OG West Side Story, Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, while the 70s spread boasts Pink Flamingos, Young Frankenstein, Dawn of the Dead and Alien. 80s cinema fans can look forward to Blade Runner, Stop Making Sense, Back to the Future and Blue Velvet; 90s aficionados can make dates with Strictly Ballroom, Clueless, Trainspotting and Fight Club; and 00s devotees have In the Mood for Love, Lost in Translation, Brokeback Mountain and Inglourious Basterds among their choices. From the 2010s, there's also Drive, Frances Ha, Get Out and Parasite — and, obviously, the list goes on. Wrapping things up: the first Aussie big-screen session of The Green Knight, which is worth waiting 85 days for.
CBD bar About Time is all about the idea that nothing lasts forever and good things must come to the end. It opened in late 2021 in a soon-to-be-demolished building in Sydney's CBD. Situated on the corner of Hunter and Bligh Streets, the venue will only be open until the site's demolition later this year to make way for the new Hunter Street metro train station. So it will go out with a literal wrecking ball. Each Saturday, the bar combines two of Sydney's favourite things, bottomless brunch and 90s/naughties nostalgia with Baby Got Brunch. The weekly party features a selection of the best eats on the About Time menu, free-flowing drinks and hits from the 90s and 00s. You can enjoy a bangin' barbecue spread over an equally banger-filled soundtrack full of era-defining classics from the likes of Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Blink 182 and Salt-N-Pepa. Your spread of nostalgic snacks will kick off with crudité, French onion dip and Jatz alongside pulled pork croquettes. From there, things will get a bit heftier with slow-cooked pork shoulder served with apple sauce, lamb forequarter with garlic sauce and an array of sides including bread rolls, potato salad and wedge salad. It will really feel like an old-school family gathering minus the paper plates. Rounding out the meal and offering a fully loaded dose of nostalgia is a serving of Viennetta for dessert. And, there's also a vegetarian version of the brunch on offer. Drinks-wise, guests will be treated to two hours of bottomless wines, beers and cocktails. On the cocktail menu are coconut and mango margarita slushies, Haku bloody marys, Roku gin creations, Bati watermelon daiquiris and grape and thyme bellinis. The full experience will set you back $95 per person, or you can opt for a reduced selection of drinks for $20 less.
Following a successful launch last year that filled the dance-sized hole in our hearts during a time when clubs and music festivals were banned, the Sydney Opera House's free dance classes are returning for a second year. The classes offer the opportunity to fill your afternoons with dance across four nights in April. Running across two weeks, Every Body Dance Now takes over the Opera House's Studio with attendees learning a mix of dance styles ranging from disco jazz and line dancing through to Bollywood, Latin and contemporary hip-hop. There's also a Boy Band Bootcamp session for anyone who's ever daydreamed of being in the Backstreet Boys or BTS. Starting on Saturday, April 9, the classes will be run by dancers, choreographers, performing artists and educators. Classes will run for an hour each, with two to three classes occupying each afternoon of the program kicking off from 3pm on weekends or 4pm–4.30pm on weekdays. This way you can drop in for an afternoon dance fix or head over to Circular Quay after work to shake out the day's energy. If this is your first foray into organised dancing, there's no need to worry, as participants of all fitness, age and abilities are invited. The classes are free, but registration is essential, which you can do over at the Sydney Opera House website from 11am on Wednesday, March 23. Images: Daniel Boud
Activewear fans, we've got some big news: P.E. Nation is bringing back its warehouse sample sale — but, this year, it's all online. The athleisure experts hosted their first ever sample sale in 2016 (and everything sold out in the first day) but, luckily, you don't have to worry about being crushed in a throng this year. You just need to have your mouse at the ready. Whether you're stocking up your own balcony-gym wardrobe (or WFH outfit, if we're totally honest) or doing a solid for sporty loved ones, you'll find an extensive array of swim, activewear, accessories, sweaters and jackets available from 12pm on Thursday, April 16 — and all for 60 percent off. There'll be accessories from $40, tops and bottoms from $60, outerwear from $140 and snow (for those future holidays) from $230. Remember the age-old advice of when it comes to sample sales, you need to get in quick. Given the following the label has amassed since General Pants Co. design director Pip Edwards and former senior Sass & Bide designer Claire Tregoning joined forces, its functional, fashionable bits and pieces are bound to be popular. So, keep an eye on the website. P.E. Nation's Online Warehouse Sale goes live on Thursday, April 16. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
El Camino Cantina likes tacos, which isn't new news to anyone in Sydney that's hit up the chain over the past few years. But on one specific day, it's ramping that taco affection up a notch and giving the people what we want. If you're heading to a Tex-Mex bar and eatery, then you're clearly after a taco feast — and, ideally, you want them cheap. Enter World Taco Day's all-day $1 taco special, which is exactly what it sounds like. Head by on Tuesday, October 4 and you can tuck into a highly affordable feed at The Rocks, Entertainment Quarter and Manly. Bookings are essential, and the deal runs from open till close — but there is a caveat. You'll need to buy a drink to get up to five $1 tacos. Fancy more? Then get another beverage. El Camino Cantina is known for its OTT margaritas, after all. [caption id="attachment_742918" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kai Leishman[/caption]
Remember the name Rasmus King. Based on 2022's slate of Australian films and television shows, that shouldn't be hard. The Byron Bay-born newcomer hadn't graced a screen, large or small, before this year — and now he has no fewer than four projects pushing him into the spotlight before 2023 arrives. Most, including surfing TV drama Barons, capitalise upon the fact that he's a pro on the waves IRL. Two, 6 Festivals and the upcoming sci-fi featurette What If The Future Never Happened?, get his long blonde locks whipping through the Australian music scene. The latter is based on Daniel Johns' teenage years, actually, and has King playing that pivotal part. If he's half as impressive in the role as he is in father-son drama Bosch & Rockit, Silverchair fans will have plenty to look to forward to. When writer/director Tyler Atkins opens his debut feature, it's in the late 90s, along Australia's east coast, and with King as eager surfer Rockit — son to weed farmer Bosch (Luke Hemsworth, Westworld). Sometimes, the titular pair hit the surf together, which sees Rockit's eyes light up; however, Bosch is usually happy tending to his illicit business, making questionable decisions, and coping with splitting from his son's mother Elizabeth (Leeanna Walsman, Eden) with the help of other women. Then a couple of unfortunate twists of fate upend Rockit's existence, all stemming from his father. Begrudgingly, Bosch is pushed into stepping outside his drug-growing comfort zone by an old friend-turned-cop (Michael Sheasby, The Nightingale) and his corrupt partner (Martin Sacks, Buckley's Chance). When a bushfire sweeps through the region shortly afterwards, he's forced to go on the run to stay alive. Bosch & Rockit approaches Bosch's absconding from Rockit's perspective, adopting the line that the former gives his boy: that they're going to Byron for an extended holiday. Atkins doesn't feed the same idea to its audience, but ensures that viewers understand why a bright-eyed teenager would take his dad at his word — not just because he doesn't know what Bosch does for a living, which he doesn't; or he's naïve, which he is; but also because he's eager to hang onto his biggest dream. There's sorrow in King's spirited performance, with Rockit more affected by his parents' split, bullying at school and the isolation that comes with finding solace in the sea, usually alone, than Bosch has the shrewdness to spot. There's earnestness as well, because what struggling kid who's desperate for the kind of love that genuine attention signifies, as Rockit visibly is, won't blindly believe whatever fantasy their dad or mum sells them for as long as possible? King does a magnetic job of conveying Rockit's inner turmoil, and expressing his uncertainty, too. There's an effortlessness to his portrayal, whether Rockit is lapping up Bosch's presence like a plant swaying towards the sunlight, listlessly left to his own devices when his dad decides he'd rather chase Byron local Deb (Isabel Lucas, That's Not Me), or finding a kindred spirit in Ash (Savannah La Rain, Surviving Summer), another restless and yearning teen vacationing under less-than-ideal circumstances and feeling like she's alone in the world. Avoiding formulaic plotting isn't Bosch & Rockit's strong suit, however, as the film makes plain at every turn. That's evident in both of its namesakes' trajectories, for starters — with Bosch a small-time crim falling afoul of the wrong people, with help from bad luck, then trying to start anew; and Rockit an innocent kid stuck with subpar parents, forced to grow up faster than he should, but hanging onto whatever he can. When a wave tumbles over a surfer's head, crashing towards the shore, it's both a new revelation and a routine occurrence every single time — and, as well as showing that sight whenever Rockit takes to the ocean, aka frequently, that's also how Bosch & Rockit feels. The depths in its two central performances, Hemsworth's included, can't completely sweep aside the film's well-worn storyline, but the feature's sincerity goes a long way. A movie can be sentimental and still ring true, too, which this repeatedly does. Knowing that you're having your heartstrings pulled isn't just blatant, but almost instantaneous, and yet this tender tale is still easy to drift along with. While King proves Bosch & Rockit's biggest asset, Hemsworth's impact can't be underestimated — and shows why he has never just been "the other Hemsworth". Like his brothers, his early career weaved through local soaps (Neighbours in his case, which Chris and Liam also popped up on), plus other Aussie TV series (including Blue Heelers, All Saints and Tangle). As his siblings are, he's now best-known for his overseas success, with Westworld forever altering his resume as the Thor franchise has for Chris and The Hunger Games did for Liam. Here, there's a weight and texture to Luke's empathetic work as the well-meaning, perennially hapless Bosch that ranks it among his best, and is crucial to the film. Atkins also ensures that his audience understands why Rockit wants to be with his charismatic yet careening dad, even when he does know better. Indeed, scenes where Hemsworth and King banter, whether slinging the most Aussie curse-filled exchanges each other's way or bickering in public, are among Bosch & Rockit's standouts. It's lucky that its key duo bring so much to their portrayals; elsewhere, Bosch & Rockit is undeniably scenic, but never surprising. Often, Ben Nott's (How to Please a Woman) cinematography looks like a postcard — especially when the picture lingers on the obvious shots, such as the famous Cape Byron Lighthouse, or loiters on dolphins and whales while its characters frolic along the coast. Of course, those pieces of card sent from holiday spots usually come bearing heartfelt statements behind the eye-catching gloss, a trait that Bosch & Rockit also shares. Little about growing up is simple, nothing about parenting is, and love and hope can't help anyone escape either reality — all notions that resonate from this straightforward, always-familiar but also evocative film.
The 2018 Alliance Française French Film Festival might be one year short of a major milestone, but the Gallic cinema showcase is still celebrating its 29th iteration in style. As always, that means a feast of films is on the agenda at the crowd-drawing and -pleasing annual event — 47 features, two documentaries and one televisions series, in fact. Touring the country from February 27, starting in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Parramatta and Casula, this year's AFFFF will bookend its program with amusement. The festival kicks off with comedy C'est la vie! from The Intouchables duo Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, before coming to a close with rom-com 50 Is the New 30. In-between, everything from acclaimed efforts to star-studded dramas to the latest work from master directors will grace cinema screens around Australia, celebrating the best in French film from the past 12 months. Sitting high amongst the highlights are the AIDS activism-focused BPM and the Juliette Binoche-starring Let the Sunshine In, which will both receive a nation-wide run after screening at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival. In the high-profile camp, they're joined by a Marion Cotillard double, with the acclaimed actress featuring in last year's Cannes opening night pick Ismael's Ghosts and comedy Rock'n Roll; romantic drama The Return of the Hero with Mélanie Laurent and The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin; Isabelle Huppert in coming-of-age effort Reinventing Marvin; and Gael Garcia Bernal in If You Saw His Heart. Or fans of prominent French filmmakers can get their fix courtesy of François Ozon's Double Lover and Xavier Beauvois' The Guardians, marking the latest flicks from the respective directors of Frantz and Of Gods and Men. The Artist's Michel Hazanavicius tackles an icon, turning the life of Jean-Luc Godard into Redoubtable, while Laurent Cantet jumps from 2008 Palme d'Or-winner The Class to thriller The Workshop. Elsewhere, actor-director Mathieu Amalric helms and features in Barbara, about an actress starring in a biopic about a famed chanteuse. AFFFF 2018 will also shine a spotlight on queer cinema for the first time, to celebrate marriage equality, and also include its usual selection of family-friendly fare for younger cinephiles. And, for those keen on catching some TV on the big screen, three episodes of Paris, Etc will whisk you away to the French capital, following the lives and loves of Parisian women.
Paperbark, the Scandi-inspired vegan restaurant opened by the Alfie's Kitchen team in Waterloo in August 2018, wants more of your company this summer. Every Sunday afternoon in January, the eatery is opening for a long, lazy, all-vegan brunch. Get started with a fancy share plate, such as eggplant and pepperberry dip with crisps, or salt-and-vinegar potato churros, before moving onto mains. Here, there's a caraway bagel by Iggy's, layered with tomato, pickled cherry, nectarine and fermented chilli jam, shiso and riberry, as well as an oyster mushroom burger with heirloom tomato, avocado and chipotle onion relish and hand-cut chips, among other colourful, plant-based creations. Come dessert, you'll have just one simple yet refreshing option: mango sorbet with lemon myrtle and macadamia. If you're one of those people who gets hives when trying to choose from menu options, go, instead, for peace of mind with the kitchen menu. For $50, you get three courses: avocado and paperbark-smoked celeriac; followed by cauliflower, radicchio and cabbage; and then a sweet finale — chocolate and passionfruit. Meanwhile, the drinks menu offers an array of delightful signature cocktails. Anyone worse for wear after an overly-merry Saturday evening will find remedy in the efficacious bloody mary (jalapeño vodka or tequila with tomato and fermented chilli) or the tangelo-infused mimosa. There's also a white russian made with macadamia mylk, espresso and cacao vodka; a margarita infused with pink peppercorn and lemon myrtle; and a twist on a negroni: a sprightly concoction of finger lime gin, amaro, eucalyptus and vermouth. For the moment, the brunch is only happening every Sunday in January, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that it's extended for, at least, a few months longer. Paperbark is open for brunch every Sunday from 12–6pm until the end of January. Find it at 18 Danks Street, Waterloo. Images: Kitti Gould.
'Hold Me Down' is the only song Sydney three-piece Mansionair have released. Ever. But it's got 5.5 million hits on YouTube and has peaked at number one on Hype Machine. Not bad for a first go. The Sydneysiders have also just been signed to CHVRCHES' label, Goodbye Records. (By the way, CHVRCHES seem to be on to a good thing with that one. Earlier this year they signed the baby-faced, angel-voiced Irish teenager SOAK — she plays the kind of hauntingly beautiful, emotionally complex acoustic tracks that will make you question your emotional development at her age, and now, and into the future.) Mansionair's debut EP will be released on October 13, but if you fancy yourself as someone with their finger on the musical pulse of this city — or you're just a fan of the mellow and mesmerising sounds of 'Hold Me Down' — get yourself along to their upcoming three-date string of shows, supporting Movement. If CHVRCHES' endorsement and the hype around the song are anything to go by, it's doubtful you'll be able to experience them in such an intimate setting again.
De La Soul. Tricky. Caribou. Kool & the Gang. Lamb. Kate Nash. Toro Y Moi. Tunng. Four Tet. You Am I. How do you describe a festival when the lineup speaks for itself? I'll give it a go anyway. Playground Weekender is a four day extravaganza in arguably the most gorgeous festival location near Sydney, Del Rio's Riverside Resort on the Hawkesbury. We're talking lush green bush land, a sparkly river and all the trimmings of a 'Riverside Resort' - nine hole golf courses, tennis courts, riverside chalets and kangaroos that serve you cocktails. Add yoga, the Club Tropicana (!) swimming pool, cabaret, cinema, beauty salon and a 24 hour general store... A moment please, while I pick my jaw up off the floor.
As a child, I equated riding a bike with my younger brother’s cup-cake fuelled birthday parties at the Centennial Park Bike Track. Not so cool. Now as an adult (and after attending the Deus Bike Swap Meet for the Bicycle Film Festival last weekend), bike riding has become something entirely different Now, riding a bike is very cool. Sydney collective GreenUps have decided to pay tribute to all things bike in their September drinks this Tuesday (September 1). The crew are taking over the Alexandria Hotel, Sydney, with bike valet, bike films and photography, tune-ups, giveaways, prizes for ‘best bike’ and (as always) green drinks for green minded Sydneysiders. Couriers, fixed-gear wheelers, BMX Bandits, bush bashers and leisure riders all welcome!
Surry-loving songsmiths, sharpen your pencils. The Surry Hills Festival first program announcement is here and the standout of the scattering of events announced so far is the inaugural Surry Hills Song Competition. The SHF organisers are inviting you to pen an original song about whatever it is you love about Surry Hills; that tree-lined sanctum of good coffee, the so-stylish-it-hurts set and sometimes insurmountable slopes, or the colourful history that predates all of that. You have until August 22 to work on your composition, which you can submit here. If you're selected as a finalist you'll perform your love letter to Surry on festival day, for the chance of Queen-of-Surry-Hills, Conchita Wurst-levels of stardom, relative to the size of the suburb, o'course. If you're hoping to play a longer set on the day, get hoppin'. Applications for artistic performers and musicians close Friday at 5pm. For those not so handy with chords and lyrics, there's plenty to look forward to, with hints of more participatory events for pretty much anyone who can do anything from disco dancing to storytelling. On the agenda thus far are a dance-a-thon, a collaborative art project and something called Surry Hills Lives — a series of projections, prettying up walls of the neighbourhood leading up to festival day. The project will feature images from the 1960s doco Living on the Fringe, which filmed the people of the area back in the days when it wasn't quite as affluent, alongside your own neighbourhood snaps and local stories — see the website for more details on how to contribute your own piece of Surry history. Festival day isn't till September 27 and the rest of the program is due to drop bit by bit as that date approaches, but now's the time to make sure you can get the day off from your Saturday job. Surry Hills Festival is an event that transforms the whole suburb into a one-day playground, doubling as a fundraiser for the community projects run by the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre. Advice: banish the beanie and treat the festival as a kind of unofficial welcoming of the warmer spring days to come.
ARTBAR is the MCA's after-hours offering for those who like their art with a soundtrack and a bar. It had its second birthday in May, celebrating two years of Friday night art, music and performance with a fancy display of bright lights and projections curated by Ross Manning. For the July edition, ultra colourful sugar-coated dreamscape creators Pip & Pop (Tanya Schultz) are at the helm, and the theme is Japan. There'll be opportunity to fantasise away in front of Schultz's kawaii fairyland-style work and get lost in the dark digital ocean of Tabaimo's MEKURUMEKU, which is currently on display within normal daylight art gallery hours too. The MCA has definitely got a good thing going with ARTBAR. There's a general consensus that art is cool, but doing it all with a glass of red in hand and a DJ in the background is that little bit cooler. Fortunately, everyone's favourite cultured night out since Jurassic Lounge ended isn't going anywhere, with monthly happenings planned for the rest of the year. Read our review of Tabaimo's MEKURUMEKU here.
This play one that you are never quite sure you want to watch until you do – and then you wonder how you could have considered missing it. A sole actor occupies the stage for one taut hour, conveying the story of a German woman’s attempt to survive the occupation of Berlin post-WWII. What makes it so frightening is that it’s a true story, written by an anonymous woman who was only identified after her death. The stage, however, is startling in itself: a pure white page, with a single line of the protagonist’s diary scrawled across it. Against this bleak landscape, Meredith Penman is uncomfortably honest in her role. It is not a happy story, filled with loss, fear, confusion, rape and despair, but the strength that Penman expresses encourages warmth and empathy on the audience’s part. Image: Nick Bowers.
Hitchcock had Cary Grant. Kurosawa had Toshiro Mifune. Now, in the modern era, Jaume Collet-Serra has Liam Neeson. The duo have worked together on four films to date: Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and now The Commuter. This most recent collaboration features all the familar trademarks: Neeson plays Michael MacCauley, a regular, everyday insurance salesman with a complicated past and a fractious family situation, who suddenly finds himself thrust into a high octane, race-against-the-clock scenario complete with double crosses, mysterious messages and plenty of dead bodies. This time around Neeson finds himself on a train. Beyond that, The Commuter runs disappointingly close to the far superior Non-Stop. Just as it was on that terror-threatened plane, Neeson is again tasked with identifying an important passenger about whom he knows nothing. Non-compliance will result in the sudden and violent deaths of those around him. There's an early appearance by a femme fatale (here, the wildly underused Vera Farmiga), a claustrophobic fight scene and, of course, a comically over-the-top climax. But while Non-Stop managed to keep things relatively fresh, The Commuter just feels tired and increasingly incoherent. Collet-Serra's films are often described as modern day B-movies. Whether that's meant as an insult depends on the critic – but either way, it's hard to argue that they don't fit the label. His films are wild rides that focus more on adrenalin than story; Hitchcockian pastiches that thoroughly entertain but don't always hold up under scrutiny. His best film by far is also his most reserved: The Shallows, starring Blake Lively, was a deliciously tense woman-vs-shark thriller that proved to be one of the most enjoyable (and surprising) hits of last year. By comparison, while the filmmaker's collaborations with Neeson have unquestionably borne excellent fruit, their limitations must also be acknowledged. Neeson is a terrific actor with an extraordinary body of work behind him, yet that same gravitas works against him when playing the everyday Joe roles Collet-Serra continues to give him. He's too intense to pull off folksy charm, whilst workmanlike barroom banter ("another day, another dollar") sounds ridiculous coming out of his mouth. The truth is, while Taken remains something of a gold standard in the annals of contemporary action flicks, attempts to replicate it with the same leading man have largely fallen short. The Commuter offers fine entertainment for a switched off brain, but little more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWexI9YiLSc
From the creators of the nationally successful Polo in the City series comes the more summery Polo by the Sea, set to ride into Palm Beach on Saturday, January 10 at Hitchcock Park. Celebrating nine years of PITC, the team now count more than 15,000 in attendance over their mostly sold-out events — and we'd like to hope less dramatic horse thieving than a Gossip Girl Vanderbilt charity polo match. Having raised significant thousands for various charities, creator Janek Gazecki's polo matches took out a few Best State Event trophies at the Australian Event Awards last year. Seems the offhand comment 'polo is the new racing' might have some weight to it. The oceanic version of the city polo 'do, Polo by the Sea was first staged on the Gold Coast in 2013 with the aim to replicate the success of PITC in coastal towns and holiday destinations. The last two events attracted some big name guests — apparently even some royal faces. This time around, Palm Beach PBTS has wrangled some of Australia's best polo players to team up on the day — while you avoid dropping the Grange on your beige chinos. With a front row beer garden dubbed the 'Polo Lounge', live music and everyone's favourite 'fashion on the field', knowing the actual rules to polo isn't really that necessary (just make new buds with those in the know). Importantly, polo days mean superbly executed opulence; we're talking seaplane transfers from Rose Bay to Careel Bay, front row VIP tables, designer-briefed social photographers. Yep, your paycheck might be entirely going on this excursion, but guys, there'll be horsies. If you're wondering what to wear, it's this and only this:
Wooden Shjips are a trance-rock quartet featuring a guy called Dusty, a guy called Ripley and a guy called Nash. The band as we know them today formed in 2006 yet draws on the sound of '60s and '70s bands like The Doors and electric Neil Young, and they all grew up on the East Coast of the United States yet devoted their latest album to the romanticism of the American West. But do you think Wooden Shjips care about things like time and space barriers? As if. Their maximum-volume psych transcends both those things to bring audiences a listening experience that is timelessly captivating, sort of like watching an ageing stoner rock his head back and forth in a smoky garage. Often equated to the Japanese phenomenon called maboroshi, which means something along the lines of “phantom” or “illusion”, these guys exist in a dream state of their own fabrication in which anything is possible. And after six years they have, consciously or unconsciously, developed a signature sound that powerfully fuses spaced-out desert rock with the groove-friendly timbre of 1970s boogie. Helping transform their Sydney audience in to a hypnotic state will be psychedelic shoegazers The Laurels, and the trippy synths of Daniel Stricker (Midnight Juggernauts) and Chris Ross’ (ex Wolfmother) new project DCM.
The latest release from perpetually weird yet quintessentially American rock outfit Dirty Projectors is easily their most listenable yet. But that doesn't mean the band is tending towards the mainstream as they celebrate their 10th birthday. Multi-instrumentalist and driving force David Longstreth has seen each album as a chance to take risks, and when you've built your reputation on being rather odd it's a risk to make an album heavy on catchy hooks and cohesive lyrics. It's one that pays off on Swing Lo Magellan. The album is still an intricate layer cake of highly charged hooks, tender melodies and the orchestral vocals of singer Amber Coffman. And if we're running with a cake theme you could even call it the musical Heston Blumenthal Exploding Chocolate Gateau — it's rich and probably required expensive power tools to assemble, yet still retains a surprising amount of pop and is damn easy to devour. Last time Dirty Projectors were here they played the Metro Theatre, but the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall is far more befitting of their exquisite orchestration. See them play it as part of the Sydney Festival on 21 January. Read our list of the 12 best things to see at the Sydney Festival in 2013. https://youtube.com/watch?v=o_qFaFl7JVc
It has been an immensely tough few weeks for southeast Queensland's Binna Burra Lodge, with the beloved Gold Coast hinterland site devastated by bushfires at the beginning of September. While the heritage-listed venue is currently planning its reconstruction process, including when it'll welcome patrons back through the doors, the iconic spot has announced a piece of good news — a new climbing attraction that'll open in 2020. While a specific launch date is yet to be revealed — unsurprisingly, given that the 86-year-old site is in rebuild and fundraising mode — Binna Burra Lodge will become home to Australia's first commercial via ferrata. The Italian term translates to "iron path", and is used to describe cliff-face climbing routes that use steel cables, fixed metal rungs, bridges and ladders to let folks of all skill levels to make the journey. Receiving $1.48 million in funding from the Queensland Government, the via ferrata will open up a section of cliff that's usually only accessible to highly experienced rock climbers (and even then, only by using special equipment). When it launches, anyone will be able to scale the track safely, enjoying its adventurous thrills and impressive views, with 30 people at a time able to use the system. Binna Burra Lodge expects that its new addition will be popular, anticipating that more than 50,000 Australian and international visitors will flock to the region as a result. The via ferrata will join the site's range of existing outdoor activities, which — when the venue becomes operational again — include bushwalking, abseiling, flying fox, archery, camping and trekking through the hinterland. [caption id="attachment_742692" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Binna Burra Lodge's sky lodges, before September's bushfires. Via Binna Burra Lodge.[/caption] Via ferratas are common in Europe, especially through the Alps — and particularly in the Dolomites in Italy, as well as throughout Austria, Germany and Switzerland. If you're wondering how they work, they typically rely upon a length of steel rope, which is affixed to the rock at certain intervals. Climbers then attach themselves to the cable, while also stepping on metal pegs and rungs, and using ladders and bridges, to make their way through the course. Binna Burra Lodge's via ferrata is expected to open in 2020. For more information, visit the site's website. To donate to the venue's reconstruction fundraising campaign, visit the GoFundMe page. Top image: Binna Burra Lodge.
Blackcat Productions is creative Sydney duo Phoebe Meredith and Maeve Marsden, and Blackcat Lounge is their ballsy month of cabaret tunes, tales and talent. Presenting them as part of Sydney's Mardi Gras performances, Meredith and Marsden have lined up a veritable who's who of queer local talent. Blackcat Lounge is not drag, and it's not burlesque. But when you've got acoustic, beer-fuelled versions of classic Disney songs or some of the greatest male musicians of the 20th century reinvented as sassy femme cabaret, you don't really need crossdressing or any shock tactics. The production will kick off on Valentine's Day with cabaret, art, food, booze and love before launching into four weeks of performance nights. Lady Sings It Better will take the belief that you shouldn't mess with a good thing and turn it upside-down via saucy reinterpretations of tunes by everyone from Michael Jackson to Queen, while genre-defying songsmith Brett Every will be singing his own heartfelt lyrics. Find out what happens when you mix burlesque and ukelele courtesy of the sultry Lauren LaRouge, or catch all the lads performing at once as The Blackcat Boys. Better yet, save some cash and get a five-show pass. When it's Mardi Gras, more is more.
Neon Indian’s debut album Psychic Chasms could have easily fallen victim to the short attention span of our fickle friend The Internet. It was almost dangerously hyped — indie bloggers went mental for it, it then got mentions on a million “Best of 2009” lists and it had a nice back story of an initially anonymous composer sitting in his bedroom writing songs, probably surrounded by Class B drug paraphernalia and half-finished mugs of Kool-Aid. That composer actually turned out to be Alan Palomo, a 20-year-old Mexico native who moved to Austin, Texas in 2007. And Neon Indian's music didn’t get sucked into a digital abyss because it’s the sound that matters and the sound is magic. Sure it subscribes to all those words like “retro”, “lo-fi”, “synth-pop” and “chillwave” that are now banded about by people who probably don’t even know what “fi” is short for, but it’s also unquestionably progressive. Neon Indian’s latest album Era Extraña is testament to this, a darker collection of songs that would provide a fitting atmosphere if you were completely isolated in a dark Helsinki winter battling an inner Werner Herzog monologue. Or, you know, if you were hanging out at The Standard with a couple of friends and a cold beer.
Indie rock success story Death Cab for Cutie have released what’s arguably their most ambitious record yet since they last visited Australia in 2009. Codes and Keys is the seventh album from the small-time solo project-turned-Grammy award nominated four-piece, and is proof that they haven’t let the hype get to their heads. While some bands tend to play it safe after moving from bedroom-recorded cassettes to big shiny studios, Ben Gibbard, Chris Walla, Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr have used each studio session as an opportunity to explore a new sound. Which is a good thing for Codes and Keys, since it was recorded in eight different studios over its sporadic fabrication. Still containing plenty of warm indie fuzzies, their most recent sound is less reliant on guitars and meditations on failed relationships and more focused on layering different sounds. It’s uncertain whether that’s a direct result of Gibbard’s split from Manic Pixie Dream Girl Zooey Deschanel or whether the band is just growing up, but it does mean loyal fans will find something satisfyingly fresh (and also that Gibbard is officially single). On Friday they're playing at The Enmore Theatre with our own Dappled Cities, which means this will sell out. Oh wait, it already has — get tickets for the second Saturday show here.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Disney has announced a new release date for Mulan, with the film now hitting cinemas on July 23, 2020. UPDATE, MARCH 13: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Disney has announced that Mulan will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, March 26, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. In Chinese history, the legend of Hua Mulan dates back to the sixth century. At the movies, the formidable female warrior first fought her way across the big screen in a 1927 silent film. The character is no stranger to the page, stage or cinema, but many folks know the tale thanks to Disney's 1998 animated musical. Now, as it has done with everything from Alice in Wonderland to The Jungle Book to Aladdin, the Mouse House is turning the story into its latest live-action remake. Once again, Mulan (played by Chinese American actor Liu Yifei) will evolve from dutiful daughter to kick-ass combatant, all to protect her family in a time of war. She's originally due to be married off to a husband chosen by a matchmaker, until the Emperor of China issues a decree stating that one man per household must serve the Imperial Army as it endeavours to fend off northern invaders. To save her ailing ex-soldier father from having to fight, Mulan disguises herself as a man, takes on the name Hua Jun and becomes an icon. Forget rousing tunes and talking dragons voiced by Eddie Murphy — this time, the tale hits the screen without the singing and smart-talking sidekicks, but with plenty of sword-swinging, arrow-flinging antics. In New Zealand director Niki Caro's (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife) hands, this version of the story goes heavy on the action and empowerment, as seen in the spectacularly choreographed scenes in the just-released first trailer. As well as Liu (whose resume includes The Forbidden Kingdom and The Assassins), the new Mulan features Jet Li as the Chinese Emperor, Gong Li as a witch, Donnie Yen as the protagonist's mentor, Jason Scott Lee as a villainous army leader, and Yoson An (The Meg, Mortal Engines) as her fellow fighter and love interest. The film hits cinemas next year — check out the teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ON04GCwKs After being delayed from its original release date of March 28, 2020, Mulan will now open in Australian cinemas on July 23, 2020.
You've feasted upon endless bags of crustacean at The Norfolk's House of Crabs. Now Cleveland Street's seafood palace is delving into another, more traditional means of all-you-can-eat tomfoolery: yum cha. For one whole day of serious feasting on Sunday, June 7, House of Crabs is throwing its own oceanic version of yum cha. Expect lobster doughnuts with XO mayo, salt and pepper bug meat with lime, prawn toast with okra and popcorn, steamed Alaskan crab legs with creole butter, clams with black bean sauce and celery, alongside 'The Boil' (South Australian mussels, Little Neck clams, Queensland prawns, Blue Swimmer Crab, Snow Crab and King Crab). If seafood isn't your only yum cha preference, there'll be buttermilk chilli chicken ribs, charcoal chicken skewers, grilled corn with cotija cheese, pulled pork buns and steamed pork and truffle dumplings. Being a long weekend Sunday, you'll want to grab one of the Norfolk's Bloody Marys or a sweet, sweet Fire Engine and get cracking. Just remember, be assertive, be polite and pace yourself. — just look at this lobster doughnut: House of Crabs' Yum Cha is happening on Sunday, June 7 from 11am. To book, email the team.
UPDATE, March 4, 2021: Moonlight is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. "At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you're going to be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you," Miami drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali) tells nine-year-old Little (Alex Hibbert). They're warm words of wisdom offered by someone who wouldn't be seen as a substitute father figure in most movies — and given to a shy, bullied boy desperately in need of a guiding hand. Their connection, defying expectations and complicated by Little's crack-addicted mother Paula (Naomie Harris), forms much of Moonlight's first chapter, but their interactions will influence the entire film. As the story progresses, Little grows into awkward teenager Chiron (played by Ashton Sanders), a young man who still struggles with who he is and how he feels. Then, finally, he transforms into the hardened, Atlanta-based Black (Trevante Rhodes), styling himself in Juan's image. He'll keep trying to forge his identity, while grappling with the different visions of masculinity around him, as well as his own sexuality. As he comes of age, he'll also be shaped by his mother's troubles, the nurturing presence of Juan's girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monáe), and his friendship with his classmate Kevin (played by Jaden Piner, Jharrel Jerome and André Holland over the years). Written and directed by Barry Jenkins from an unstaged play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight is a film of moments and mindsets, one that values sensations and textures more than any other storytelling tool. Jenkins constructs the emotions and experiences of his protagonist from the people, places, dreams and encounters that define him at any given point, plus his ongoing quest to find a persona, a companion, and a space that provides comfort and solace. Narrative-wise, it might sound slight. Thematically, visually and in its performances, Moonlight is a powerhouse. Stressing how things left unseen and unsaid are as crucial as sights glimpsed and words uttered, every frame, look and line of dialogue proves a piece of the puzzle that is Chiron in his various guises. Often, Jenkins and his college roommate turned cinematographer James Laxton make the audience stare into the eyes of their leads, conveying a pain and a yearning that borders on contagious. More frequently, the filmmaking team adopts their character's perspective, gazing into a world teeming with uncertainty. Subjectivity reigns, such as when the dialogue and imagery fall out of synch during moments of distress, or when a painful memory is cast in heightened, almost neon hues. Even when the film peers in from the outside, the little things still matter, be it green blades of grass spied up close, a hand grasping at sand during an intimate exchange, or a man removing the armour-like grill from his teeth. Jenkins seamlessly brings all of the above together, creating a cinematic symphony of the patterns and rhythms that come with deciding who you're going to be. However, he also crafts a sensitive stage for his three lead actors to infuse their protagonist with heart and soul, as a poor, black, queer boy becomes a man. Though matched in every scene by exceptional co-stars — including the charismatic, stereotype-defying work of Ali, as well as the quiet tenderness of Holland — the main trio are never anything less than devastating.
It’s no secret which part of the world Bethany Consentino is talking about when she sings “We were born with the sun in our teeth and in our hair” and questions how you could possibly live anywhere else. But it is testament to her charm that even those whose Instagram feeds consist almost solely of Bondi Beach are willing to listen to her latest 45-minute love letter to California without harbouring any feelings of resentment. Or maybe it’s just that it’s easy to graft pretty much any of Consentino’s sentiments on to our own. Her lyrics about boys and heartbreak and nostalgia seem appropriate whether you’re feeling a little emo or just a little bored. And even though most of the fuzzy reverberation and endearing sloppiness bleeding through Best Coast’s debut has been removed, The Only Place is still homey rather than slick. Supported by our own Pear Shape and Queensland’s Dune Rats, their Metro Theatre show will be a melting pot of blissed-out benevolent vibes.
The discrepancy between Perfume Genius' Twitter feed and his music is incredible. As Mike Hadreas he channels his often unnerving honesty into a series of vulgar 140-character trivialities about everything from fondling the f*** out of zits to applying cheapo L'Oreal BB cream. As Perfume Genius he channels it into beautifully harrowing lamentations on serious personal traumas ranging from prostitution to drug addiction. Lyrics about traumatic past experiences aren't unique, but Hadreas' ability to convey them with warmth and lucidity is something special. His second album Put Your Back N 2 It tackles some big issues, but carrying them are tender vocals, delicate piano playing and a solid understanding of basic human fears that shape us all. And at his live show you also get a sense of the other side of Hadreas — the joker who pops his zits and rags on cheap cosmetics — making it an even more genuine look into the singular musician's mind. Read our list of the 12 best things to see at the Sydney Festival in 2013. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OOpkr8uNWpk
