For the dessert fiends at Gelato Messina, it isn't enough to sit in the chain's brand-new Marrickville headquarters in Sydney and dream up every kind of wild and delicious ice cream flavour that anyone could possibly think of. The Messina crew do that, and often, of course. But they also apply their sweet treat-loving minds to creating next-level limited-edition specials, often taking a beloved dish, adding gelato and then giving it another twist. Here's the latest: Messina's Vovovroom, aka its frosty version of Iced Vovo biscuits, which it has indeed made before. This time around, it's adding mango. Why? The better question is: why not? So, first everyone's favourite childhood biscuit is getting the gelato treatment — again. But because that's already been on Messina's menu, it's now adding in a flavour that most folks love just as much. Wondering what exactly the end result entails? It comes filled with layers of toasted coconut and mango gelato, plus mango salsa and shortbread. Then, it's topped with piped Italian meringue and desiccated coconut. Yes, the end result looks like the bikkies you know and love — but in a mango hue, obviously, and in a scoopable form. Messina's mango Vovovroom gelato tubs can only be ordered online on Monday, April 17 for collection between Friday, April 21–Sunday, April 23 Messina now opens its orders at various times for various places, so you'll want to hop online at 9am for Queensland and Australian Capital Territory stores, 9.15am for Victorian shops, and at either 9.30am, 9.45am or 10am depending on where you are in New South Wales. Gelato Messina's Mango Vovovroom gelato tubs will be available to order on Monday, April 17, for pick up between Friday, April 21–Sunday, April 23 — head to the Messina website for further details.
The lights drop, the cinema falls silent, and Channing Tatum's butt cheeks fill the screen. Either Ice Age 4 went in a bold new direction, or this is Magic Mike. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Magic Mike is a film about male strippers. It wants to be more than that; it wants to be a tale of temptation, immorality and even love, but at its heart (and butt) it remains all about the stripping, which is actually a good thing. Based largely on Tatum's own experiences as an 18-year-old football star turned stripper, Magic Mike follows the eponymous leading man as he teases and tantalises scores of screaming women inside Florida's raunchy Xquisite strip club. The costumes are outrageous; the routines, even more so; and every performer's body is sculpted, buffed, waxed, and spray-tanned to perfection. It's a film where, unlike The Full Monty, the stripteases are played to impress rather than amuse, and thanks to some exceptional choreography, they stand out as the best scenes. Tatum also produced Magic Mike, though he cast British actor Alex Pettyfer to play the semi-autobiographical role of Adam. Together they achieve a believable chemistry, with Tatum the charismatic mentor and Pettyfer the naive rookie first drawn to and then corrupted by the allure of sex, drugs, and Village People. The true star of Magic Mike, however, is club owner Dallas, played to ostentatious perfection by Matthew McConaughey. Maintaining his unbeaten run as 'most shirtless actor in Hollywood', McConaughey combines caricature with calculated menace in a performance that could well earn him an Academy Award nomination. Ultimately, there's not a whole lot of plot to speak of, and despite a few dark scenes, it's certainly one of Soderbergh's most lightweight pictures. That said, Magic Mike is also terrifically engaging and marks another big tick against Tatum's name, whose recent string of hits might finally have the naysayers biting their tongues.
The annual reason to not entirely obliterate yourself on New Year's Eve, Field Day, has announced its return for 2022. And while international touring isn't quite back to normal — so there's no Cardi B or Tyler, the Creator leading the bill this year — the New Year's Day festival will bring some of Australia's biggest live acts to The Domain. Field Day's 2022 lineup features a heap of festival favourites: Peking Duck, Hayden James and Mallrat, for starters. You'll also be listening to Masked Wolf, Allday and Hot Dub Time Machine — and they're just a few of the highlights (full lineup below). Adapting to the times, and to New South Wales' pandemic rules, this year's Field Day will require all patrons to either show proof of double COVID-19 vaccination to enter, or to show a negative COVID-19 result from a test taken within the 72 hours before arriving at the festival. [caption id="attachment_579492" align="alignnone" width="1279"] Aleksandar Jason[/caption] FIELD DAY 2022 LINEUP Allday Anna Lunoe ASHWARYA Choomba Golden Features Hayden James Hot Dub Time Machine Mallrat Masked Wolf MAY-A Peking Duk Image: Field Day/AP Photography.
For fans, the news that Peter Conistis's CBD settling ground-cum-Sydney's Hellenic Club headquarters, Alpha, has opened its doors for Saturday and Sunday lunches can be nothing but great. For everyone else, it's good news too: Alpha has the potential to become a fabulous, lazy winter weekend lunch spot if it can fill all its seats. Less than half capacity on our visit, the place is huge and needs a buzz to suit, yet it's comfortable and gleams with warmth like the Greek isles from which it hails. Step in from the grey of Castlereagh and you're instantly bathed in the whites and creams of the Med, complemented by impressive fishing net light shades dividing the tall, spacious dining room from the intimate and casual outside section looking onto the street. At the back of the restaurant is a large bar complete with sit-up dining and drinking. We took a seat on one of the plush, multi-cushioned central banquettes and, when in Rome (well, close enough) began with pita ($2 per person), hommous ($8), taramosalata ($11) and a bottle of Viognier ($90) from the northern Greek town of Epanomi. The hommous and taramosalata hit the mark, especially smeared over the hot, soft and crispy-where-it-counts pita (obvious warning alert: don't fill up on this). We had barely had a slice each by the time our twice-cooked octopus arrived ($25), but in all fairness it was ready to go: the succulent flesh fell apart with each chew, accompanied by melt-in-your-mouth white beans and the floral, fruity flavours of the wine. Next came one of Alpha's arguably favourite dishes, the spanakopita, aka spinach, leek and filo pie ($20). A telltale sign of good Greek, the pastry was just the right level of moist but light enough to avoid dryness and that all too familiar feeling-like-a pig-syndrome when you've still got another dish coming. Said dish in question was the spiced, slow roasted lamb shoulder (the small yet not small version at $35) with roast potatoes and tzatziki. You can imagine it just fell off the bone. We also added a side of wild greens immersed in the holy trinity of garlic, chilli and olive oil, which were a standout ($10). Finishing off, we squeezed down both the chocolate hazelnut baklava ($12), which was my personal favourite until I crunched into an overpowering lump of clove that must have missed the full mixing process, and the strawberry and raspberry loukoumi delight ice cream slice with filo cigars ($14). The latter was refreshing and not too heavy, but also not the best colder-weather choice. Already established in the city as a go-to for good Greek, it's clear that if the team here really want to make weekend lunches work all they have to do is put arses on seats (and perhaps work on dish timing a little). Food, drink and service all get a big fat Greek tick here. We just need the big fat Greek atmosphere too.
Seven premieres, thirteen previews and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’s 21st birthday are all part of the 2015 St. George OpenAir Cinema programme. Australia’s most legendary tour bus will celebrate her coming-of-age with a special Australia Day screening. And you’re invited to kit-up for the occasion, with the most outrageous tiaras, wigs, feather boas and heels you can lay your hands on. Opening night, happening on January 7, will double as the hotly-anticipated Australian premiere of The Theory of Everything. Featuring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, it recounts the early life of Stephen Hawking and his relationship with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Changing the mood entirely, but just as likely to draw crowds, will be the Australian premiere of crime-comedy-drama Inherent Vice. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Punch Drunk Love, Boogie Nights, The Master) and starring Joaquin Phoenix as detective Larry 'Doc' Sportello, it’s an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's hilarious novel, which places a twisted crime case in the bizarre, surfer, stoner world of late '60s psychedelia. There's five more premieres to look forward to this summer: Jon Stewart's directorial debut, Rosewater, which tells the true story of journo Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal), arrested in Iran for espionage; Samba, the emotive yet humorous story of a love affair between a stressed-out executive-turned-immigration worker (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and a migrant from Mali (Omar Sy); Clouds of Sils Maria, in which Juliette Binoche plays an internationally-renowned actor who returns to the play that she acted in as a teen, but in a reversed role; The Rewrite, a romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant as a one-time successful screenwriter turned failure; and Diplomacy, a World War Two drama based on the historical events that prevented Paris’s destruction. All in all, 42 films will screen between January 7 and February 21. Tickets go on pre-sale on Monday, December 8, at 9am.
Alpha is a buzzing institution located in the heart of the CBD, next door to The Hellenic Club, slinging some of the best Greek food in Sydney. And now, it's home to one of our city's newest and smallest bars: Baraki. Baraki is colloquial Greek for 'small bar' and CEO Arthur Balayannis and Executive Chef Peter Conistis aren't kidding. Seating just eight people at the bar (with additional seating technically outside of the bar), the venue adjoining Alpha is heavily inspired by the famed Brettos bar in Plaka — one of the most historic neighbourhood in Athens. Inside, you'll find European liqueur, whiskey, Australian gins and, of course, ouzo as well as lesser-known (but very Mediterranean) raki, mastiha and rakomelo. A concise cocktail menu by Baraki bar manager Irek Luty has a evidently Greek focus, with drinks like the Cretan Warrior made with Toplou tsikoudia, cardamom, lime and cucumber and the Purple Poseidon, which includes Hendricks gin, Skinos mastiha, lavender and wild mountain tea. [caption id="attachment_717388" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joe Cheng[/caption] For something to eat, Conistis is creating an ever-changing meze menu, with small plates such as dolmades stuffed with sour cherry and lemon; pastourmas, spiced cured beef with pears and lentil salad; karpouzi, watermelon and raki served with sheep's feta; and toursi, a dish with grilled marinated eggplant, black garlic and dill alongside dips and olives. Located on the ground floor of a historic Victorian building on Castlereagh Street, Alpha's weekday cafe transforms into Baraki after lunch and is the perfect spot for a post-work or pre-dinner tipple. Find Baraki on the ground floor at 240 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. It's open from 12pm till late Monday—Friday, and from 5pm on Saturday. Images: Joe Cheng.
Nothing says 'I love you' like 3D-printed, artist-design chocolates, right? That's what Melbourne-born artist Ryan L Foote is banking on this holiday season. He's created a whole new meaning to Christmas chocolates by creating a range that digitises his otherwise classic chocolatier techniques. Chocolates by Ryan L Foote will launch with three 3D-printed collections — inspired by Australia, Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific (which includes singe origin chocolate grown in Vietnam, Indonesia, The Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Australia). The artist has spent the past two years living between Australia and Hong Kong, and his chocolates collections reflect this. In the Australian collection, there are flavours like avocado smash, white chocolate with wattleseed, lemon myrtle cream with macadamia nut, finger lime with hazelnut, and spicy chocolate with mountain pepperberry. The Hong Kong collection includes egg tart, buttery pineapple bun, red bean ganache, salted coconut, milk tea and even preserved three-year-old mandarin rind flavours. The chocolates' unusual contemporary design takes inspiration from architecture, Pacific geological formations and natural minerals — making these sweet treats standout from your average convenience store variety. Alongside the chocolates are 3D-printed porcelain cups and crystalline-glazed plates that have also been designed by Foote. You can pre-order for your loved ones at the Kickstarter campaign now, with orders shipping out for Christmas. Chocolate pledges range from $20 to $477, with gifts starting at a box of drinking chocolate and ending at a deluxe entertainment box that includes three boxes of chocolate, one box of drinking chocolate and two porcelain cups, plates and serving platters. You've got to really love your family to go for that one, though. Chocolates by Ryan L Foote are available to pre-order through Kickstarter campaign until November 18. After that, you'll be able to buy them from chocolatesbyrlf.com .
If you had to pick the toppings for a perfect french toast, berry compote is almost certainly a go-to. Caramelised apple and crumbled pistachio also sound pretty good. What you probably wouldn't immediately think of is brie — yet the French cheese joins the aforementioned trio on the plate for one of the signature all-day breakfast menu items at Surry Hills' Dad and the Frog cafe. Co-founders Daniel Ng (the 'Dad') and Baptiste Viard (the Frenchman who is apparently fine with being referred to as the 'Frog') highlight this twist on a brunch classic when asked for the best dish on the menu. "It's like a kiss from Normandy," enthuses Viard. Passion is at the heart of Dad and the Frog's success, with the cafe becoming a much-loved part of the Surry Hills community since its opening in 2022. Ng conceived the idea during Sydney's first lockdown in 2020. By the time lockdown hit again in the following year, he knew he needed a business partner who shared his experience, passion and vision. Enter long-time friend and colleague Viard, who, like Ng, had years in hospitality under his belt and knew the value and secret to a phenomenal cup of coffee. As well as serving up world-beating cups of joe, you can get menu items as diverse as buttermilk fried chicken burgers, kimchi chicken toasties, and kabocha salads, not to mention that sweet and savoury french toast concoction. Dad and The Frog is also fully licenced, offering beers, wines and cocktails, including a killer espresso martini made with Toby's Estate beans. Viard and Ng's have created a charming space to spend time and relax, hence Dad and the Frog's top-quality ingredients, welcoming feel and al fresco dining area. With all this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the twosome won the coveted Toby's Estate NSW Local Legends award for 2023. Now, we're asking the pair to pay it forward and shout out some of their local favourites around Sydney. Outside of Dad and The Frog, where's your favourite local spot to grab a feed? Viard: You must visit Chez Crix. Upstairs at Cricketers Arms – a touch of French-ish charm. The ambience and the food are like a little journey to France without the jet lag. Ng: My wife and daughter are big on ramen, so we'll often find ourselves rotating between my local spots like Ichiban Boshi, Chaco Ramen, and Rara. Where's your favourite local spot to grab a drink after work? Viard: Lokal Wine on Fitzroy Street. It's not just about the drink; it's the company, the stories, the atmosphere. The wines, they speak of places far away, but the warmth, that's all Sydney. What's the most underrated spot for dinner in your area? Ng: Vacanza Pizzeria. It has quality toppings, and the pizza dough is spot on. They're my first choice for pizza in Sydney. We'll usually grab a couple of boxes and drive over to the beach or a cliff with a view like Clovelly and eat our pizzas while sitting in the boot of our car with an ocean view. Viard: You must try Bar Chaplin, tucked away and unassuming but with a menu that will transport you. A treasure hunt for the curious! Where do you like to go to escape in nature nearby? Viard: Centennial Park, hands down. It's like stepping into another world. Great for a walk with my dog, Mia, a picnic, or just to sit and breathe. It's my little escape from the hustle. Ng: I'm an amateur spearfisher, and I love bringing my family to Kurnell. I park the car on the beach and go for a snorkel with my daughter or out for a spearfish with my mates. We'll bring back our catch and cook it up on the beach. If you had a friend come to visit, where's the first place you would take them? Ng: I'd take them through the walking parts of Sydney. Into the Inner West, Newtown for some thrift shopping and a Mary's burger for lunch. Then onward to Surry Hills for dinner and bar hopping. Viard: Straight to the heart of Surry Hills! To feel the pulse of this vibrant neighbourhood, to see the art, to taste the life here. A walk through the streets, a coffee from Dad & The Frog in hand, stories flowing. What are some other local small businesses you think people should support? Viard: For a workout, it's Befit in Double Bay, where you'll find me after a long day at work. Sam, Joe and their team are local legends. Need a haircut? Hair Show by Jim Ajouz; he's an artist with scissors. And for the fashion? Teamm8. Michal, the owner, dresses half the neighbourhood, including us! Ng: We definitely need to give Teamm8 a shout-out. Apart from a tailored suit, I wore their underwear on my wedding day, so that's saying something! Otherwise, ByKai on Hutchinson Street in Surry Hills does an incredible smoked trout. It's a product that I reserve for a special occasion when entertaining at home. Dad and the Frog is the Toby's Estate Local Legends winner for NSW in 2023. For more information on it or other cafes that serve Toby's Estate, visit the website.
A friendly new neighbourhood eatery has just popped up in Balmoral for the warmer months. Eddy's is the Bathers' Pavilion team's new Italian-style restaurant that's making itself at home on the corner of Awaba Street and The Esplanade from October till January. Your spring and summer dips at Edwards Beach have just been taken up a notch for the next four months, with this pop-up venue offering dine-in breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus a hefty takeaway menu. Expect an ever-changing culinary range, with highlights popping up throughout the day like ricotta hotcakes for breakfast, fried calamari for lunch, and spaghetti aglio e olio or chicken schnitzel for dinner. Co-owner and Managing Director of Bathers' Pavilion Jess Shirvington has taken over the sunlit site, jumping at an opportunity to give Balmoral residents an Italian-inspired hangout spot right on the beachfront — even if only for a few months. "We wanted to create a fun new local go-to for the whole family to enjoy over the warmer months," says Shirvington. "It's a little bit enoteca-meets-milk bar, a little bit aperitivo-meets-sandy feet and wet bums." Leading the kitchen is Head Chef Dan Webb who joined the Bathers' Pavilion team during its recent L'Enclume residency. Webb has pulled together a menu of crowd-pleasing eats with the help of Bathers' Bistro Executive Chef Perry Hill. "We look forward to taking excellent care of all our Balmoral locals and beachgoers, from those who would like to sit down for a three-course meal to stopping by for a snack and glass of wine for aperitivo, and those who are just looking for a gelato to cool down or a slice of pizza on the run," says Webb. The drinks list includes wines starting from $10 a glass, Italian spritzes, and a summer-ready cocktail list featuring bellinis, bloody marys, negronis and tommy's margaritas. Eddy's will begin by opening for breakfast, lunch and dinner Wednesday–Sunday throughout October and November, before changing to seven days a week from December until the end of January. Eddy's is located at 2 Awaba Street, Mosman. Head to the restaurant's website for more information.
For 73 years now, since the film first danced into cinemas in June 1952, there's never been a bad time to see the musical delight that is Singin' in the Rain on the big screen. Head to the Randwick Ritz's session at 2pm on Sunday, September 7, 2025, however, and you'll be doing more than revelling in movie magic and playing tribute to an all-time classic. The Gene Kelly-, Debbie Reynolds- and Donald O'Connor-starring Singin' in the Rain was David Stratton's favourite film. Accordingly, at a session presented by Sydney Film Festival — where Stratton was the Director between 1966–83 — the iconic flick is getting a spin to honour one of its biggest fans, as well as a glorious figure in Australian film culture, after his death in August 2025. Heading along means being a part of this ode to Stratton, and also trying not to tap your toes to the movie's musical numbers such as 'Good Morning', 'Make 'Em Laugh', 'Gotta Dance' and, of course, the titular 'Singin' in the Rain'. If you've somehow missed the 1920s-set film so far, Singin' in the Rain charts a story of romance and stardom, as silent film star Don Lockwood (Kelly) tries to adjust to the age of talking pictures, and aspiring actress Kathy Selden (Reynolds) tries to make her big break. It was actually crafted around a heap of existing songs, such the eponymous track, 'Make 'Em Laugh' and 'Good Morning'. Outside of the cinema, you can also check out Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz's star on the Australian Film Walk of Fame.
The Makers and Shakers Market is cooking up a big return to Sydney this May, complete with more than 100 stalls filled with handmade goods — spanning everything from clothing to candles. Shoppers at the two-day market at the White Bay Cruise Terminal will be able to peruse stalls featuring Australian-made wares, and also participate in creative workshops and product tastings. Also a highlight: having a drink at the outdoor bar. Vendors include sellers such as Albatross Ceramic, a ceramics studio that designs functional tableware that looks like fruit and vegetables; and The Social Outfit, a slow fashion company that provides employment and training in fashion industries to folks from refugee and new migrant communities. Obviously, the list goes on. This edition of Makers and Shakers is a joint venture with The Slow Fashion Market, an event dedicated ethical and sustainably made clothing. And, it has been certified by the Australian Made campaign, which means that it will showcase only genuine locally made products. It all takes place from 10am–5pm on Saturday, May 7–Sunday, May 8, with entry to the market costing $5 for adults. Photo credit: Alana Dimou
When you think of French composer Claude Debussy, you're more likely to arrive at the dreamy, mellifluous 'Clair de Lune' than the melodramatic stampede of opera. But at the turn of the 20th century, the French composer decided to dabble. Adapting Maurice Maeterlinck's play about a woman found wandering in the forest by a prince, Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande added to his already burgeoning reputation as an innovator. It was written in part as a response to the popular operatic traditions of the second half of the 19th century — and, more specifically, Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. In contrast to these dramatic works, Pelleas and Melisande favours subtlety. It is devoid of arias and has a libretto written in prose rather than verse, creating an ethereal atmosphere that is dark in its eeriness. It has made Pelleas and Melisande, Debussy's only opera, completely original and one that completely revolutionised the art form. To mark the 100th anniversary of Debussy's death, Victorian Opera is staging a two-night run of the opera at St. Kilda's Palais Theatre. Featuring Siobhan Stagg as Melisande, Angus Wood as Pelleas and the Australian National Academy of Music orchestra, this is a great chance to remember (or get to know) one of the seminal works of this symbolist composer. Tickets to Pelleas and Melisande start from $35. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Victorian Opera website.
The crew behind the beloved pizza shop My Mother's Cousin is carving out a claim to be the go-to hospitality group for anything dough-related in Sydney's south. Not content with running one of the area's best pizzerias, the team is back with another standout venue in the form of Self Raised Bread Shoppe. Decked out in retro signage and awnings accompanied by a chequered lino floor and wood panelling, this welcoming cafe and bakery has just arrived on Jubilee Avenue in the Sydney suburb of Carlton. After perfecting the art of pizza dough at My Mother's Cousin, the team has brought their skills ten minutes further south to this bustling street just down from Jubilee Stadium. On the counter, you'll find a sizeable glass cabinet with that day's baked wares for sale. Expect kouign-amanns, croissants, filled doughnuts, tarts and cinnamon buns all ready to satisfy your carb-centric morning cravings. Those with less of a sweet tooth can opt for focaccia topped with tomato and ricotta, sausage rolls or a selection from the made-to-order sandwich menu. If you're heading in before 10.30am and on the hunt for something hot and hearty you have two choices. The first is the egg, cheese and potato hash on a milk bun with your choice of peppered ketchup or the specialty house sauce plus the optional addition of sausage — a perfect combo for a Sunday morning after a big night. The other option is your classic sourdough grilled cheese with mushroom as an optional added extra. From 10.30am until close, the sandwich selection expands to include mortadella, turkey, ham, and salami hoagies; tuna sandwiches loaded with dill, onion, cheese and pickles; a vegetarian delight that loads up ciabatta with artichoke, onion, rocket, parmesan and mayo; or a classic panko-crumbed schnitzel sambo on white bread. The final element of this hub for all things tasty is a four-door fridge and a set of shelves loaded up with deli good and refreshing drinks. Hot sauces, cold meats, sardines, olives, burrata, eggs, coffee beans and cans of iced tea — whatever you're on the hunt for, Self Raised is stocked up for your smallgoods needs. Self Raised Bread Shoppe is located at 45 Jubilee Avenue, Carlton. It's open 7am-2.30pm Wednesday–Saturday and 8am–2pm Sunday. Images: Melanie Colwell
'Escape room' has been a bit of a loaded term for the past 18 months or so. We all know how crucial lockdowns are to stopping the spread of COVID-19, but we've all dreamed about escaping our own four walls during stay-at-home stints, too. And, if you're a fan of actual escape rooms — the themed spaces where puzzle buffs track down clues, solve mysteries and try to sleuth their way out the doors — you haven't had too many chances to enjoy your favourite pastime during the pandemic. You mightn't be able to head to a physical escape room at the moment — you could be in lockdown in Sydney or Brisbane, or it hasn't been a priority after Melbourne's last stay-at-home stretch, for instance — but one Australian venue wants you to keep enjoying its mysteries within your own house. Arcadium Adventures set up shop in Spring Hill in Brisbane in 2020, complete with a bar and different spaces for patrons to puzzle their way through. Now, it's also releasing online mystery kits for you to enjoy at home. A Most Mysterious Convention is the first kit in a planned series, and it'll task you with figuring out a secret message — all by printing out and reading the materials provided, and also by doing some cutting and punching of holes (with a hole punch, of course). You'll be solving puzzles in the process, too, with the whole experience expected to take between 90–120 minutes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arcadium Adventures (@arcadiumadventures) If you get stumped, you can also access the Arcadium Archives online for hints and clues as part of the $20 kit price. And, if you'd prefer to get a physical copy that you don't have to print out yourself, you can get one posted to you for $28. Obviously, you now have something else to add to your to-do list while you're spending more time at home. Yes, your streaming queue can wait for a few hours of puzzles. For more information about Arcadium Adventures' A Most Mysterious Convention kits, or to buy one, head to the venue's website. Top image: Arcadium Adventures.
What do bread, bagels, pasta, pastries, biscuits and beer have in common? Other than the fact that they're all delicious, they're all also made from grains. And, they'll all be on offer at Sydney's latest food festival, which is dedicated to the humble crop behind so much of what we eat today. If snacking on artisan bread, downing a plate of penne and washing it down with a pint of lager is your idea of a delicious multi-course meal, then the Grains Festival has you covered. Taking place in the very fitting space that is The Flour Mill of Summer Hill — aka a working flour mill until 2009 — from 10am on Sunday, July 1, the event celebrates grain-based food and beverages in an array of forms. And carbs, obviously. Bringing their best grain-focused fare are the likes of Knafeh, Brooklyn Boy Bagels, Brasserie Bread, The Bread and Butter Project, Adamo's Pasta, The Farm Wholefoods and more, while Young Henrys, Cake Wines, The Grifter Brewing Company and Capital Brewing Co will be on drinks duty. With the area set to become a foodie precinct as part of its redevelopment, the festival is really all about getting folks to visit the new space — but it'll also feature playdough for any younger attendees, plus live tunes for everyone. Grains Festival takes place from 10am on Sunday, July 1 at The Flour Mill of Summer Hill, 2 Smith Street, Summer Hill. For more information, visit the event's Facebook page.
Long before the perfect teeth and diamond necklaces of Pretty Woman there was Klute (1971). A landmark film for New Hollywood, the film centres around the New York prostitute Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda), a psychologically lost but certainly prodigious woman who finds herself embroiled in a missing persons case, and to her surprise, a thorny predicament. Fonda, who received an Oscar for her performance as Daniels, manages to fold an emotionally complicated character together in such a way so as to make it both utterly believable that she would a) be a prostitute and b) have to escape the malicious intent of a man who wishes to silence her indefinitely. Directed by Alan J Pakula, the film is triumph for cinematographic innovation with its stripped back overhead lighting and unusual camera work. Best seen on a screen bigger than the one you're reading this on.
No doubt you've heard that the world's favourite rich-kid band, the Strokes have dusted themselves off and are back in the studio. Not sure how it's going down, especially after watching their first studio diary video, which Julian Casablancas is completely absent from. Julian said recently that "it's way more collaborative", so obviously he's letting the boys start off the proceedings whilst he's off touring his solo work. In the four-year interim between albums, it's not just Julian who has gone off on a solo tangent: Albert Hammond, Jr. has released two albums of sunny pop and Nikolai Fraiture put out a solo album which was far more expansive than any of the Strokes stuff. Maybe these diversions will all play a part in the next album from the NYC supergroup. From the sounds of things on the studio diary it's going to be more of the same sharp-edged guitars and driving drum beats, but it's a bit early to call it. We will have to wait to see how it sounds when they come to our shores. They are rumoured for Splendour (and it's not the most ridiculous rumour, as Secret Sounds, who own the festival, are presenting the tour), but if you want to catch them in Sydney you'd better hop to it as the tickets go on sale on Monday, April 12, at 9am. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wcye5kvbgAs
The monopoly supermarkets once held over us food eaters has waned in recent years. Market halls are becoming the logical response to people's renewed interest in small batch, bespoke, local, sustainable, organic produce, because who wants to spend hours traipsing all over the city looking for the good stuff? Not us. Luckily, Sydneysiders now have a providore marketplace which brings all the aforementioned things together in one location for you to pack into your roll-along nanna trolley. As well as housing Archie Rose Distillery, Black Star Pastry, Three Blue Ducks and Italian restaurant Da Mario, The Cannery also offers everything you need to live a wholesome, healthy life together in one place. The huge 4500-square-metre retrofitted warehouse in Rosebery has a greengrocer, a butcher, a baker, a coffee roaster, restaurants and a cooking school. It's been in development for some time. The first stage saw Grain Organic Bakery, Zeus Street Greek, 5th Earl and The Choc Pot open their doors, then came Vive Cooking School, organic grocer Wholefoods House, artisan butcher Kingsmore Meats and Welcome Dose Specialty Coffee. It also landed a sustainable bottle shop, The Drink Hive, which features refillable beer and wine stations, and regular market days on weekends.
Winter is upon us, the gloves and beanies are out of storage, and it's time to start loading up on sweets and carbs. That's how every June starts — and, this year, Krispy Kreme wants to help with the latter. How? By giving away an extremely excessive number of doughnuts. You're probably now wondering what constitutes an excessive amount of doughnuts. No, polishing off a packet by yourself doesn't count, at least in this instance. Krispy Kreme's giveaway is going big, with the chain slinging 100,000 original glazed doughnuts in conjunction with National Doughnut Day. Whether or not you're a big fan of food 'days', we're guessing you are quite fond of free doughnuts. To snag yourself a signature glazed freebie, head to your closest Krispy Kreme store around Australia — other than in the Northern Territory — on Friday, June 3. That gives you 33 places to flock to, with Sydneysiders able to hit up 12 stores stretching from Penrith to the CBD, Victorians needing to visit nine locations from the airport to the city, and Queenslanders given eight different doughnut shops to pick from (with the most central in Albert Street in the CBD). And, in Perth, you can head to one of four Krispy Kreme stores. The National Doughnut Day deal isn't available at BP outlets, 7-Eleven stores, Jesters or Woolworths, or via online orders or third-party deliveries. There's also a limit of one freebie per person, and the giveaway only applies to the original glazed variety. The 100,000 doughnuts will be spread across the participating stores, so you'll want to get in relatively early if you want to kick off your Friday with a free sweet and doughy treat. Obviously, whether you nab one or not is subject to availability. Krispy Kreme's free doughnut giveaway is happening in the chain's stores around the country on Friday, June 3. To find your closest shop and check its opening hours, head to the Krispy Kreme website.
When a show is named after a space battleship, it's instantly worth paying attention to. And when it tracks a war between humanity and an android race known as the Cylons, it isn't going to be short on intrigue. That's especially true when the flesh-and-blood side of the equation hail from a distant star system, and originally live across a group of planets known as the Twelve Colonies — and their very survival is at stake. That's the tale that Battlestar Galactica tells, and has in multiple shapes and forms since 1978. With no disrespect meant to the original series and its 1980 sequel, the reimagining that first hit screens in 2003 has become the version of record. The latter started as a miniseries, then served up four seasons of sci-fi drama, political battles, space-set adventures and all-round entertaining television until 2009, making stars out Katee Sackhoff and Jamie Bamber in the process.
A new venue from Sydney hospitality giant Merivale is on its way to the collective's Ivy precinct. MuMu is the latest venture from beloved local chef Dan Hong and will operate as a sibling venue to his hugely popular Ms G's. Like Ms G's, MuMu will be serving up south-east Asian street food-inspired dishes. Ms G's has been serving up its fresh takes on classic south-east Asian dishes in Potts Point for over a decade, garnering a cult following among Sydneysiders. Now, fans of the restaurant and fans of Dan Hong can rejoice, with MuMu's set to open for lunch, dinner and late-night eats next month. [caption id="attachment_639414" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ms G's[/caption] While the restaurant doesn't have an opening date yet, it's expected to open on George Street in December this year and will be serving its exciting feeds and tipples seven days a week from midday until 2am. Patrons can expect a menu that shares similarities to Ms G's offering. A lively cocktail menu will also be on offer, with a slushy machine pouring Ms G's fan-favourite yuzu slushies. The upcoming Merivale opening will form part of the expansion plan of its Ivy Precinct, which hosts some of the CBD's best restaurants and takeaway spots. The precinct has grown rapidly over the last few years, with four venues announced for the area back in 2019, including the likes of Bar Totti's, Little Felix and Jimmy's Falafel. The inner-city row of venues also plays host to Uccello, Bar Topa, Ash St. Cellar, and the titular Ivy. MuMu will open in the Ivy Precinct at 330 George Street, Sydney in December 2021. It will be open 12pm–2am Monday–Sunday. Top image: Merivale
UPDATE: March 10, 2022 — Due to recent flooding in northern NSW, North Coast Festival of Flavour has been postponed. We will update you when new dates have been confirmed. Perched within World Heritage-listed rainforest at the base of Wollumbin (Mount Warning) in the Tweed Valley, you'll find the picturesque Mavis' Kitchen and Cabins. The sustainable and holistic venue contains a much-loved restaurant, an organic kitchen garden and eco-friendly cabins surrounded by 25 acres of stunning farmland. And, it's hosting an immersive food and art experience as part of the North Coast Festival of Flavour in March. On Saturday, March 26, Mavis Kitchen and Cabins will transform into an immersive dining destination bringing food, nature and art together at Mavis' & The Night Garden. Wander through the sparkling forest and explore a myriad of colours and art across the grounds including luminous light sculptures courtesy of artist Kit Webster. As you explore the grounds you can enjoy delicious canapés and cocktails concocted by the brains at Byron Bay Bees. Then, indulge in a three-course fire-cooked dinner. And, if one food- and art-filled event isn't enough, consider planning a whole weekend loaded with tasty eats and visual treats throughout the Tweed Valley. Mavis and the Night Garden will take place on Saturday, March 26, as part of the North Coast Festival of Flavour. For more information and to book your ticket, visit the website.
When you consider the ever-inflating costs associated with owning your own patch of urban paradise, it’s little wonder that people are turning to a more compact way of living. In response, quirky micro houses are appearing in cities around the globe, as architects and owners turn their attention to designing houses with simplicity and sustainability in mind. Many designers have been influenced by Japanese architects like Yasuhiro Yamashita, who has responded to the challenge posed by space constraints by creating small but comfortable and functional living quarters like his Lucky Drops house in Tokyo. As more and more attractive alternatives to traditional homes pop up each week, we take a look at some of our favourite not-so-grand designs. Small House in Tokyo, Japan Tunnel Vision in Manhattan, New York Small House Surry Hills, Sydney Steel Life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Lucky Drops in Tokyo, Japan
Roman-style pizza plays a hefty part on Maybe Frank's menu every day of the week. Come Wednesdays, however, pizza is the main attraction — as you'd expect at the Surry Hills and Randwick eateries' all-you-can-eat pizza evening, which has returned after the pandemic. For $20, you can indeed feast on all the slices that your stomach can handle. You can choose from 11 different flavours (and potentially even try them all if your stomach is roomy enough). Start with a simple margherita and classic capricciosa, perhaps, and move on to the decadent four-cheese number and a tartufo, which comes with porcini and truffle oil. You'll get salad and a Nutella slider as part of the deal, too. The only requirement for the all-you-can-eat pizza night is that you purchase a drink. And you'll want to try the cocktails, which are as good as any bar in the city. As an added bonus, $10 negronis and spritzes are available all night. If you don't want a drink, you can also get the bottomless deal for $25 a head. [caption id="attachment_645487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maybe Frank Randwick[/caption] All-you-can-eat pizza is available at both Maybe Frank Surry Hills and Randwick. Top image: DS Oficina
Next time team bonding is on the agenda, think outside the cubicle and bring your colleagues to one of Sydney's finest establishments in their golden hours. These American Express-accepting venues offer an array of options for D&Ming that'll seriously put the mate in workmate. Bond over brews overlooking the harbour on a well-placed Sydney terrace or sip on something fancy at a sultry cocktail bar — either way, you'll be dishing on the highs and lows of the workweek in places ideal to help you and your co-workers relax. We've picked value-for-money happy hours, which means you won't see your hard-earned buckaroos go to waste on drinks that are too exxy to actually enjoy. You'll also be able to stock up on Amex points, too. The spread of places covers rowdy, classy or chill hangs — whichever you prefer to take the sting out this week's deadlines. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
Two hospitality heavyweights who previously collaborated at ARIA have teamed up to open a restaurant in Hunters Hill. One is chef Simon Sandall and the other restaurateur Susan Sullivan. Both spent 17 years at Matt Moran's MorSul Group, where Sandall was executive chef and Sullivan general manager. Their new eatery Boronia Kitchen is devoted to fresh produce, house-made ingredients and a relaxed atmosphere. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are on offer, as is a cornucopia of takeaway dishes for people too tired or busy to cook. With them in mind, Sandall prepares a daily round of savoury pies, salads, free-range rotisserie chickens and house-smoked salmon. If you have time to take a seat, drop by at brekkie for toasted brioche with ricotta, figs and honey or baked eggs with spinach, tomato and chilli on sourdough toast. Come lunchtime, offerings include a roast porchetta baguette with tomato, sage, rosemary and crackling; and salad of lamb with cauliflower, quinoa, chickpeas and pomegranate. At dinner, the menu changes altogether. Start with seared scallops with wilted chard and XO sauce, followed by duck confit with a duck croquette, peas, almonds and mint, then a native-infused dessert, such as baked cumquat with wattle seed clafouti and vanilla ice cream. "As much as possible we have stuck to the ideal of home-made ingredients – from the chutney in our sandwiches to the to the tomato sauce served with our pies," said Sandall. The wine list, curated by sommelier Luke Sullivan, focuses on small-batch producers who express their region. There's a mix of classic Australian varieties and international drops. Boronia Kitchen is now open at 152 Pittwater Rd, Hunters Hill, from Tuesday–Sunday, 8am–10pm.
At this point, we should really just be running an updated list of which Sydney pubs Merivale now owns. In the past six months alone, the hospitality group has acquired Marrickville's Vic On The Park, The Colloroy on the northern beaches, The Tennyson on Botany Road and — just two weeks ago — Bondi's Royal Hotel. The latest one to be tacked onto the end? Woollahra's Hotel Centennial. As far as we know the Oxford Street pub was not up for sale — it had just appointed new executive chef Tom Deadman in October and launched a summer series last week. Merivale will take over the venue from December 12 and bring in its two chefs from up the road: Danielle Alvarez from Fred's and Ben Greeno from The Paddington. The pair will head up the venue's dining room and bar menu. With the Centennial and the Royal — which is set to be the group's first Bondi venue — Merivale seems very much se to spread its brand across the eastern suburbs. And, well, every inner-city suburb in Sydney. Image: Google Maps.
For one week only, Georgie Wine Bar is teaming up with Maybe Sammy to present Francesca: a gnocchi pop-up bar that's bringing a taste of New York's Little Italy to the Sydney CBD. Happening as part of Maybe Cocktail Festival, this event will combine steaming bowls of fluffy gnocchi with imaginative Italian-inspired cocktails. Four indulgent gnocchi varieties are on the menu, all inspired by New York's legendary Italian dining scene and named for cult 1980s flick Bianco, Rosso e Verdone. Cheese lovers should go for the creamy Bianco, while those who can't go past a traditional tomato sugo can tuck into the Rosso. Then there's the Verdone, made with fresh green pesto. Can't decide? Opt for the Tricolore, which gives you a little of all three. The menu also includes a selection of classic Italian starters and desserts. To match these pillowy creations, Maybe Sammy has come up with a cocktail list of Italian classics with a twist. Think: reimagined takes on a bloody mary, garibaldi, bellini and more. Can't stick around for long? You can pop in for a plate of gnocchi and beer, wine or soft drink of your choice for $18, plus there's a grab-and-go window for gnocchi al desko. To get Georgie ready for Francesca's takeover, she's undergone a bit of a makeover. From the moment you walk in, you'll feel like you've been whisked away to Little Italy via red-and-white tablecloths, piles of chilli, and artworks featuring Mutti tins.
UPDATE, August 9, 2021: Due to recent COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns, The Empire Strips Back's 2021 season has been postponed to 2022. The Sydney shows will now take place on Friday, February 4 and Friday, February 11. This article has been updated to reflect that change. In 2011, in this very country and galaxy, a pop culture favourite gained a singing, stripping burlesque parody. It's the mash-up that was bound to happen. Who hasn't looked at George Lucas' space opera, its sprawling drama and ample spectacle, and wondered what a steamier, funnier version with more visible butt cheeks would look like? Russall S Beattie clearly did, and had a good feeling that other people would give it a shot. The Empire Strips Back was the end result. It became a hit around Australia, then took itself overseas to much acclaim. Now it's returning home for a 2021 tour — once again showing local audiences that lightsabers aren't the hottest thing in the Star Wars galaxy. The saucy show promises "seriously sexy stormtroopers, a dangerously seductive Boba Fett, some tantalising Twi'leks, a delightfully lukewarm Taun Taun, a lady-like Skywalker [and] the droids you are looking for", according to its website. Apparently Yoda doesn't get the sexed-up treatment, but there is plenty of song, dance, acrobatics and — because it's burlesque — the removal of clothing. A dancing Chewie and Han is just the beginning of this cheeky take on Star Wars cosplay. Given that it's got an upbeat soundtrack, the costumes are extremely detailed and the show throws out lots of references to George Lucas' original plot, it's not surprising that local audiences — presumably the same ones that pack out Star Wars parties and large-scale screenings with a live orchestra — have latched onto the production. Heading to the Enmore on Friday, February 4 and 11, The Empire Strips Back sits alongside Dame of Thrones in Beattie's pop culture parody stable — so if you've already seen one of your fantastical screen obsessions get the burlesque treatment, then you know what you're in for. If you're super keen, you can also nab a Wookieerotica magazine online: a 116-page, 70s-style men's mag, just casually featuring all of your favourite jedis, siths, ewoks and other Star Wars characters. Either way, it could be a great introduction to burlesque or Star Wars, depending on which way you're coming at it. Images: Jon Bauer, Leslie Liu and Josh Groom.
Not someday, but in July next year, The Strokes will head to Australia to play Splendour in the Grass' long-delayed 20th-anniversary festival. And in news that'll have you partying like it's the 00s again, the New York rockers have also just announced two sideshows: at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion and Melbourne's John Cain Arena. Hitting up Melbourne first on Tuesday, July 26, before heading to Sydney on Thursday, July 28, the gigs will mark the band's first Australian headline shows in a decade. Clearly, The Strokes will have plenty to play — 2021 marks 20 years since their seminal debut album Is This It was released, and since everything from the title track and 'Hard to Explain' to the extremely catchy duo that is 'Last Nite' and 'New York City Cops' first got stuck in the world's heads. Since then, the Julian Casablancas-led group have put out five other studio albums, including The New Abnormal, their latest, in 2020 — which nabbed them the Best Rock Album Grammy Award earlier in 2021. When it comes to seeing one of the most influential bands of the past two decades, don't go making bad decisions, missing out, and realising that you only live once — and putting your heart in a cage. If you want to start drinking juiceboxes in preparation, that's up to you. The Strokes will be supported by The Chats and The Lazy Eyes on their solo shows, after headlining Splendour in the Grass on Saturday, July 23. THE STROKES 2022 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES Melbourne — Tuesday, July 26, John Cain Arena Sydney — Thursday, July 28, Hordern Pavilion The Strokes will tour Australia in July 2022. Pre-sale tickets go on sale at 12pm AEDT on Monday, November 8, with general tickets on sale at 9am on Tuesday, November 9. For further details, head to the tour website. Top image: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.
Sydneysiders, you're in for a treat this spring and summer. Quick Brown Fox has announced that it will be running a program dubbed After Hours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Starting from 3pm until late, guests can enjoy the establishment's airy courtyard and coveted alfresco streetside seating while sipping on refreshing spritzes spanning Aperol, elderflower and rossini. Meanwhile, Head chef Daniel Grey has curated a new Mediterranean-inspired snacks menu comprised of anchovy toast with housemade fermented chilli mayo, appellation oysters served natural or with a Champagne vinaigrette, grilled miso burnt butter King Prawns, eggplant with a sticky tamarind peanut glaze, and more. Check out Quick Brown Fox's website for more details and bookings. [caption id="attachment_877339" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Quick Brown Fox - Supplied[/caption] Top images: Quick Brown Fox - Supplied
Electro dance trio RÜFÜS know a thing or two about touring. Currently on the road for their national Worlds Within Worlds tour, the Sydney threesome have whipped up thousands-strong crowds with their euphoric melodies at many an Aussie festival over the past few years. This time, however, the triple j favourites have collaborated with Red Bull and Melbourne art and design studio ENESS, creators of otherworldly interactive light installations. The ENESS wizards have done their light-fuelled thing in unexpected spaces worldwide — from the streets of Mumbai to the French Alps. Now bringing both creative teams together, RÜFÜS combine material from their debut album Atlas with a 12,000-LED-strong backdrop. Operated in real time, the hyperreal set responds to the music in a fusion of virtual projections with physical space. It's a perfect complementary partnership for the trio's escapist dance sound. The Worlds Within Worlds tour is also RÜFÜS' last hurrah in Oz before heading to Berlin to work on their next record. It's worth checking out, especially if Vivid Sydney didn't quite satisfy your appetite for trippy light installations. (Really, can that ever be satisfied?)
UPDATE, December 9, 2020: Yesterday is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Dreaming of music stardom but spending a decade gigging around seaside Essex pubs, Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is nobody's John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison or Ringo Starr. No one's except his lifelong friend and dedicated manager Ellie (Lily James), who thinks he's the fab four all rolled into one, and has remained by his side with a devotion that can only be explained by romantic affection (although Jack, of course, is blissfully unaware). Then, after a disastrous festival appearance, the aspiring singer-songwriter is hit by a bus during a global power outage. It's chaotic, and yet it's also a stroke of good luck. When he next whips out his guitar among friends, strumming and crooning The Beatles' 'Yesterday', he discovers that no one recognises what he's playing. "It's no Coldplay," one pal remarks. A lack of music knowledge doesn't explain his mates' obliviousness. As a quick internet search shows, the world knows nothing of John, Paul, George or Ringo (or Oasis, understandably). So springs Yesterday's terrific concept, as well as Jack's clearcut path to fame and fortune. Passing off The Beatles' work as his own, all his troubles seem so far away — if he's ever had a ticket to ride, this is it. Ed Sheeran (playing himself) hears his tunes, takes Jack under his wing and unleashes him on the public. A gleefully amoral Hollywood record executive, Debra (Kate McKinnon), helps capitalise upon his growing popularity. Releasing tracks like 'Let It Be' and 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand', he's soon bigger than, well, the band that no one has ever heard of. Arriving in the same year that has seen The Twilight Zone make a comeback and Black Mirror keep kicking on (and taking on pop music, too), Yesterday's premise is rife with smart satire, not to mention commentary about how the times are a-changing and cultural history along with it. The key word there is 'premise'. It's worth remembering that this jukebox musical is written by Love Actually's Richard Curtis, who has made feel-good romance a staple of everything from Four Weddings and a Funeral to Notting Hill to About Time. As a result, all his latest film and protagonist really need is love, apparently — and Jack and Ellie's will-they, won't-they dance is the least interesting part of Yesterday. It's easy to forgive the script for thinking that today's listeners could hear 'She Loves You' and 'Hey Jude' at basically the same time and think they're equally excellent, as unlikely as that would be. It's much harder to overlook the fact that the film just uses its promising gimmick (and excellent soundtrack) for nothing more than an average rom-com. Patel, playing the latest in Curtis' long line of flustered everyman characters, radiates genuine charisma. He's a joy to watch — and the fact that Yesterday embraces diversity, unlike the writer's previous work, is a pleasing development. James, nowhere near the star of the show as she was in the similarly music-driven, nostalgia-dripping Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, is less convincing, but her chemistry with Patel is enough. It's telling, though, that both are outshone by McKinnon. Watching the SNL star upstage everyone she's working with has become a regular occurrence, and she's operating on such a zany comic level here that you can be excused for wishing the movie took her lead. Indeed, in a film about a man first squandering his potential, then finding an opportunistic way to make the most of an incredibly strange situation, Yesterday seems all too content to stay in the first category. None of these issues make Yesterday a bad movie — just a blandly pleasant, overly sweet, happily lighthearted and hardly memorable one. It's the cinematic equivalent of tapping your toes to an ace playlist that you know is trying to entice you onto your feet, but just never being inspired to get up and dance, let alone scream, twist and shout. But perhaps the picture's most perplexing element is its choice of director. Or, more accurately, the lack of impact that the usually vibrant and energetic Danny Boyle has. Only in swift scene transitions, large titles splashed across the screen, upbeat montages and a few instances of recreating Beatlemania does the filmmaker behind Trainspotting come close to making his presence felt. Boyle has dallied with love and music before in both A Life Less Ordinary and Slumdog Millionaire, and they're each vastly more vivid and lively. His skill with the soundtracks to his prior movies, including the pulsating drug-fuelled film that brought him to broader attention, is worlds above his work here. If Yesterday slots into his usual oeuvre, however, it's because it's a heist flick of sorts. The director keeps making them, focusing on characters who take what isn't theirs for their own gain, and pull the wool over someone's eyes in the process. And while this alternative-universe piece of Beatles worship blasts the same kind of tune, clearly, it's also guilty of playing just as fast and loose with the audience — selling them a quirky 'what if?' caper, but delivering a corny, business-as-usual romance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6jfp78Ho3k
While seltzers are all the rage right now, there's a new boozy beverage coming for the crown of hottest drink on the market: alcoholic kombucha. One local brand crafting the fermented favourite has welcomed the warmer weather by opening a hard kombucha tasting room — Sydney's first. Local Manly brand Bower is giving you the chance to sample its summer-ready bevs at its limited-time tasting room pop-up, open six days a week at 5 Marine Parade. You have until Sunday, December 10 to head in to chat with the Bower crew about the drinks and taste-test the range. The hard kombucha is double fermented, organic, gluten-free and comes in two flavours: Summer Fling (watermelon and mint) or Sunset Passion (passionfruit and raspberry). If you're already sold, you can purchase them from the Bower website — but if you want a tester first, head to the Northern Beaches while the tasting room is open.
Every show wants to go out with a bang. But the Sydney Festival's Bullet Catch is guaranteed to each night — when a member of the audience fires a gun at performer Rob Drummond. A mix of theatre and magic show, Bullet Catch casts Drummond (who also wrote and co-directed) as William Wonder, a magician reflecting on the notorious trick that involves catching a bullet between the teeth and that (surprise surprise) is said to have killed several who've attempted it. In particular, he looks back on the case of one William Henderson, whose death in front of 2,000 people in 1912 was rumoured to have been a suicide. And that's where Bullet Catch evolves into something bigger, as its series of warm-up illusions meanders into a philosophy lecture on free will, scientific endeavour and existentialism. Apparently Drummond is a hugely engaging performer, who spurred Stephen Fry into tweeting, "Wow! Bullet Catch, what an experience at The Shed. Rob Drummond is utterly spell-binding. Shoot someone in the face for a ticket." Want more Sydney Festival events? Check out our top ten picks of the festival. Image by Niall Walker.
Watching a scary film on Halloween is pretty much required but instead of plopping down on the couch with Netflix, head to the Hayden Orpheum for their special Halloween screening of The Silence of the Lambs. Even if you've seen this classic many a time, it's still guaranteed to scare the living daylights out of you. And if it's still on your must-watch list, what better time to cross it off than All Hallows Eve? Afterwards, stroll over to nearby Thiq Bar to calm your pounding heart with one of their heavenly pastrami burgers. A milk bun stuffed with house-smoked pastrami, Gruyere cheese, and sauerkraut, this is decadence at its most delish. Halloween plans, sorted.
Casting a biopic can't be easy. The awards-courting label that hangs over the genre that's earned Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), Will Smith (King Richard), Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Renée Zellweger (Judy) and Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) lead actor and actress Oscars over the past decade alone can't make the task any less tricky, either. Then, when music bios get a spin — which is often — the weight of recognition and fandom is an especially heavy factor. Does the actor resemble the star that they're playing physically or in spirit? Can they? Will their attempt to slip into someone else's mega fame read like a triumphant ode or a faded facsimile? Will they try to inhabit rather than impersonate? Is doing the real-life person justice even possible? The questions go on. Even with those queries in mind, Back to Black has chosen its lead well. In Industry's Marisa Abela, who has just six prior acting credits on her resume before now — Barbie is the latest; Man in a Box, her first, came when she was only 11 — the Amy Winehouse-focused film has someone who looks the part beehive or not, and convincingly lives and breathes it behind a north London accent. She sings it, too, when the picture weaves in her own vocals atop Winehouse's music. But casting isn't the only key element for a biopic. The dance that a feature is taking through a well-known figure's life needs the material and the approach to support its central performance — the lyrics and tune to match with sheer talent, in music terms. If they fall flat, so does the flick. And unlike a bad song for an exceptional singer, there's no second chances in this realm. So echoes the big refrain of Back to Black: no matter her significant efforts, Abela as Winehouse is given as by-the-numbers a ditty to croon, and a beat to hit, as the music biopic genre has ever pumped out. It's impossible to know what the subject of the film would think of it, of course, but the movie from director Sam Taylor-Johnson (A Million Little Pieces) and screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh (Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool) portrays her as someone who hated formula, which the picture itself does not. At their most routine, biographical features boil people and their achievements down to standard plot points that could be swapped into any such flick about any such folk with a sliver of fame. The names change, and the eras, but the details are virtually interchangeable. Dispiritingly, that's on full display here in a tale about supreme potential, the worldwide success to go with it, haunting demons that can't be shaken and a premature death. As a result, everyone knows what'll happen in Back to Black even if you somehow don't know a thing about Winehouse going in. Here, she's an outwardly plucky but inwardly vulnerable teen with a killer set of pipes who has a rocky time of it in the spotlight, in love and with addiction through her twenties until she heartbreakingly joins the 27 Club. If that was the movie's one-sentence pitch to get the green light, it's also all that Taylor-Johnson and Greenhalgh — who worked together before on 2009's Nowhere Boy, which was about John Lennon's adolescence — have committed to. To flesh it out, they've also made the broadest strokes, drawn from the most-obvious details and spun a narrative that's one-note. In this telling, which holds itself up as a tribute, Winehouse's on-again, off-again romance with Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O'Connell, Ferrari) becomes her defining trait, not her voice. When they meet in a pub, bonding over drinks and pool, and bantering with enough woozy charm to get the entire bar drunk from proximity, Fielder-Civil introduces her to 60s girl group The Shangri-Las, one of her influences. Their first breakup is then the inspiration for the iconic album that gifts the movie its name. The end of their marriage during his incarceration, plus the news that he has started a family with someone else, are poised as developments that she can't get over. There's so little to Winehouse without him in this account — and so much that doesn't directly involve him, such as her early years and even recording Back to Black, is rushed through or relegated to a quick montage — that the movie might as well be called Amy & Blake (it's no Sid and Nancy, though, or even Pam & Tommy). Winehouse is "no Spice Girl", the film has her stress, but she is little more than Blake's girl in its eyes — and regardless of the strength of their love throughout their tumultuous romance, that's hardly the complete Winehouse story. Back to Black gives its protagonist a strong connection with the grandmother (Lesley Manville, The Crown) that she idolises and considers a style icon, and an unwavering sense of what she wants her career to be, but neither earns enough attention to overtake the picture's Blake-centric angle. When it comes to Winehouse's father Mitch (Eddie Marsan, Franklin), the main aim seems to be contrasting with his depiction in Senna and Diego Maradona director Asif Kapadia's Academy Award-winning 2015 documentary Amy. There's no depth there, or to much in Black to Black, as it also puts too much emphasis on its subject's maternal desires and not enough on the ugliness of becoming paparazzi-hounded tabloid fodder, or of addiction. The only place that you'll find complexity: Abela's performance and Winehouse's jazz-pop sound. It's no surprise, then, that the film is at its best when it's recreating gigs, or that they're the next most-prominent part of the movie after the Amy-Blake love story. But unlike in Bohemian Rhapsody or Elvis — or 2024's fellow music biopic Bob Marley: One Love — the concert scenes feel less designed to get audiences soaking in the sensation of watching a stunning talent, transporting them to those moments like they're there in-person, and more about adding a few easy highs to a tale told as an inescapable tragedy. Taylor-Johnson and Greenhalgh, the latter of which also penned the excellent Joy Division-focused Control, used Winehouse's lyrics and interviews as their guide to making the feature, but they've still filtered it through a view that sees the outcome of her life as inevitable. To that, to the well-worn bio template, to making her time with Blake its point of interest and to much more about Back to Black, there's only one response — and it's the same that Winehouse gave to going to rehab.
In a reverse manifestation of 'Big Yellow Taxi', one cement-filled corner of the city is about to get a very green makeover. A 2000-square-metre rooftop car park is set to be transformed into a lush public urban farm and cafe. Located atop a ten-storey parking lot on the city side of the Yarra across from the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Melbourne Skyfarm project is the brainchild of urban farming company Biofilta, along with The Sustainable Landscape Company and local protection group Odonata. It's being built with the help of a $300,000 grant from the City of Melbourne Urban Forest Fund, as well as support from the MCEC. An inner-city oasis inspired by the likes of New York's famed Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm, the groundbreaking green space will boast a working farm and orchard, a beekeeping set-up, an educational centre, and a 90-seat licensed terrace cafe and events space serving the fruits of the farm. When it opens in 2020, visitors will be able to get a close-up glimpse with regular guided tours, take expert-led workshops on a swag of nature-focused topics, or simply kick back with an after-work tipple while soaking up the view. The farm itself will run on one of Biofilta's state-of-the-art, water-efficient systems, creating an expected haul of over five tonnes of fresh produce each year. Much of that will be given to local food charities, while a portion will be showcased — along with native ingredients and Victorian food and wine — throughout the menu at the on-site cafe. A design hub and high-tech education centre will focus on creating sustainable solutions to the challenges faced by our natural world, exploring concepts like zero waste living, renewable energy, and urban biodiversity. The farm will be located in the $450 million Seafarers Place precinct that's currently going up on the north side of the Yarra, just south of Clarendon Street near Wurundjeri Way. The project, led by developers Riverlee, will restore the wharf and historic Shed 5 site and turn it into apartments and and Australia's first 1 Hotel. Melbourne Skyfarm is currently undergoing City of Melbourne planning approvals, but it's expected to be up and running by late 2020. If it sounds familiar, that might be because a similar project is currently underway at the new Burwood Brickworks, which is set to open later this year. A smaller urban farm led by Pastuso chef-owner Alejandro Saravia will also be featured atop the new 80 Collins development. Melbourne Skyfarm will open at the Seafarers Place site sometime in 2020. We'll keep you updated on any further developments.
Six String is the first craft brewery built on the Central Coast and their beer is an ever popular facet of Sydney bottle shops and craft venues for good reason — its core range is all award-winning, which includes the Coastie, golden ale, pale ale and dark red IPA — all of which you can, and should, try at the tasting bar. The best reason to visit, though, is for the seasonal releases, many of which you can only try in Erina. They'll sort you with pop-up restaurants and food trucks as well, so you can keep your hanger at bay and enjoy the beery fruits of the Six String labour.
Oh boy, get ready to feel some feelings. The latest album from singer/songwriter Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie) deals with the death of his wife and has been described as more an aural document of grief than an album. Full of devastating lyrics, it's a beautifully honest depiction of loss. Not unlike Elverum, Julie Byrne writes with tremendous introspection and insight. But the central relationship of writing is with nature and the perspective that the vastness of the world forces on an individual. With her rich, hushed voiced and finger-picked guitar, Byrne makes you feel humbled and powerful all at once. Image: Jonathan Bouknight
As Vivid Sydney turns five, it's vastly extending its brightly coloured reach to cover more physical ground and generate more creative ideas. In 2013 Fort Dennison, Walsh Bay and the Inner West will also get a heavy splattering of neon light and artistic innovation as the festival adds more precincts to the Vivid family. Sydney's own Spinifex Group will be the artists behind the Lighting of the Sails, the jewel in Vivid's dazzling crown, with the rest of the foreshore welcoming a global assemblage of lighting designers to the walkable stretch spanning Campbells Cove to Walsh Bay. Interactivity is key this year, with Customs House featuring a dance floor so visitors can make the building move. The festival's LIVE section will celebrate the Opera House's increasingly enthusiastic approach to popular music, populating the Kraftwerk-headlined lineup with homegrown and international acts. Empire of the Sun are premiering their second album Ice on the Dune, which was announced in true theatrical style with a bizarre video last week. Other acts include legendary soul crooner Bobby Womack, Underworld's Karl Hyde, the Sunnyboys, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon, folk-rock tribute Sounds of the South and the 45-piece Heritage Orchestra — performing the Bladerunner score. More will be announced in the upcoming weeks. And hosting a mammoth 136 events this year is the Jess Scully-curated Vivid Ideas. Level six of the MCA will be taken over by 100 of them, with further talks and workshops spread through the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Seymour Centre, Sydney Museum and more. Semi-Permanent, Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Australian International Design Festival are getting involved in 2013, along with a slew of events supporting this year's film and photography motif. Reportage and Sydney Film Festival are two exciting additions, and a talk by Chris Ying of Momofuku-McSweeney's foodie mag Lucky Peach should give discerning ramen enthusiasts plenty to get psyched about. Want more Vivid? School up on our ten best ideas to visit at Vivid Ideas and read what Vivid Ideas festival director Jess Scully told us about Sydney living. And of course, check out the Vivid website for the full program of events.
The sniffles have set in, you're 100% up-to-date with everything on Netflix (though that's not necessarily a terrible thing) and getting out of bed in the morning is pretty much impossible — sound like you? Well, it's time to get out of that winter funk. The chilly season isn't all bad; there are roasts in the oven, Game of Thrones is back and some of your favourite pubs now feature open fires so you can warm the cockles over a pint by the fire. To those naysayers who think that winter marks the end of fun activities in general, we're about to show you how wrong you are. We've joined up with Hahn to round up a bunch of places you can escape to in your city on the weekend or on a needed personal day. Plus, these escapes won't even involve long drives and heated arguments about the speed limit on the Hume Highway. So, grab your coat and gloves and trot off to some fun winter adventures in your own town. Escaping has never been so easy. THE BARBECUE ESCAPE There's nothing like a huge amount of hot, chargrilled meat to warm you up from the inside out. You can try to avoid any winter rain showers to get all the snags cooked at the same time on the barbecue, or even better, get someone else to do the barbecuing for you. Opting for the latter, you can sit down and relax with a frosty cold Hahn while someone else smokes, grills and barbecues some tasty meats for you. Also, like any good barbecue joint, the convivial atmosphere should warm the heart, too. Where? Dig into the good stuff at Surly's in Sydney, Fancy Hank's in Melbourne and The Smoke BBQ in Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_618412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lucas Dawson.[/caption] THE SPORT ESCAPE Your morning run is a lot harder now that it doesn't get properly light until like midday, we know. But don't fret; there are still ways of keeping active that won't have you freezing your extremities off. The trick here is being inside. Think mini golf with a bar thrown in, so you can reward yourself with a few beers after a tough game against your Bumble date, or even rock climbing you can do safely in wet weather with mobile reception, too. You could also consider a proper competitive sport session like badminton or table tennis to get those endorphins up, and work out your frustrations over how loudly your colleague Tina chews. Where? Head to Holey Moley, a mini-golf bar located in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. You can have a game of badminton or table tennis at Sydney's Olympic Park Sports Halls, and climb away at Sydney's Nomad, Melbourne's Hardrock and Brisbane's Urban Climb. THE WATER ESCAPE Not much can beat a hot bath in winter. It's okay if you can't fit a bathtub in your apartment though, because sourcing a large, hot body of water in your city is actually pretty easy. Though a visit to some natural hot pools is the dream winter activity, don't underestimate the heated regular pools you can access during the colder months. Head to an indoor — or even some outdoor — heated pools for a cruisy, wonderfully warm dip, or maybe a few lazy laps. It's also a good time of year where treating yourself to a spa day is less of an indulgence and more necessity, so go for gold. Where? Take a dip at the outdoor, heated Fitzroy Swimming Pool in Melbourne, the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Sydney (which also has a sauna and steam room) and the super retro Spring Hill Baths in Brisbane. Spa-wise, head to the star-speckled Day Spa by Chuan at The Langham in Sydney, Japanese oasis Onsen Ma Spa in Melbourne or try a float session at Brisbane's Beyond Rest. THE HOTEL ESCAPE The classic indulgent getaway, of course, is shooting off to a hotel for a night — and the ultra-indulgent way of doing it is to chuck a sickie and go mid-week. Even if you live pretty close to the city, there's nothing wrong with a minor change in scenery for a night. A staycation is a completely valid life choice and there are plenty of luxe hotels from Brisbane to Sydney to Melbourne that'll make you feel like you're living the high life — that beer-and-room-service-in-the-bath life. Another viable option is to pack your own slab of beer and check into an Airbnb instead. There's no room service, but you'll get the whole place to yourself. Where? Book into this super lush apartment at Potts Point in Sydney, The Olsen in Melbourne for a boutique, arty feel, and Spicers Balfour Hotel in Brisbane for an art deco-inspired space with a modern twist (and rooftop bar). THE ART ESCAPE Art galleries and cinemas were built for the type of people who like being inside when it's raining (which is quite possibly all of us), so they're the perfect option for a daytime escape. Art galleries set in gardens just outside the city limits, or cinemas showing foreign films not found anywhere else, are all excellent options for a bit of cultural development. See some art or cinema you normally wouldn't on your next day off — take in a bit of modern art or an obscure German film to really make you ponder your existence as a storm wails outside. Plus, most cinemas these days are licensed too, so for an extra good time you can even take a beer along with you. Where? See modern art, architecture and gardens at the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen in Melbourne, discover abstract art space Factory 49 in Marrickville in Sydney and check out Australian and international contemporary art at TWFINEART in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. For arthouse cinema, your best picks are Cinema Nova in Melbourne's Carlton, Golden Age in Sydney and the Regal Twin cinema in Graceville, Brisbane. Plan your winter escape, and make sure to grab a cheeky Hahn or two on the way.
El Camino Cantina is known for its colourful interiors, cheap Tuesday tacos and giant margaritas. This August and September, its outpost in The Rocks is celebrating the latter with a month-long celebration of the frozen cocktail. From Tuesday, August 25 to Saturday, September 12, the inaugural Ritapalooza will feature 15 limited-edition margaritas, as well as margarita tasting paddles and food and drink specials. Nerd, Hubba Bubba and Coco Loco margaritas will be on offer alongside classics like mango, strawberry and tropical, as well as one-metre-long, 13-flavour paddles. Tacos will be going for $7 — and just $4 on Tuesdays — throughout the three weeks, and the ten-cent Wing Wednesday tradition will be on offer, too. If you're happy to risk it for a 'rita, you can spin a wheel — one spin for $2, three for $5 — with prizes including a Tex-Mex Fiesta voucher, a metre-long tasting paddle and a bottle of premium 1800 Tequila to take home.
Later this year, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia will turn into an otherworldly space, all thanks to large-scale sculptures and architectural installations made out of brightly coloured fabric by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh. But that description also applies to its current exhibition Ultra Unreal, which is taking over the cultural institution from Friday, July 22–Sunday, October 2 — complete with hyper-real artworks that blend myth and reality into visions of the possible future. The free showcase has taken up residence on The Rocks venue's first level, heroing work by six artists and collectives: Club Ate from Sydney; Korakrit Arunanondchai and Alex Gvojic, who work across Bangkok and New York; London-based Lawrence Lek; Shanghai's Lu Yang; and Saeborg from Tokyo. And while using the traditional tales that humanity has long told itself as a way to explore what might come is an approach obviously loaded with potential both visually and thematically, Ultra Unreal's roster of talent are all concerned with worldbuilding and nightlife ecosystems. [caption id="attachment_862175" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lu Yang, installation view, Ultra Unreal, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] Accordingly, when you walk through the exhibition, you'll be peering at multi-sensory works that reflect upon the kinds of worlds we have, do and want to inhabit — and what goes into them, and the tales that spring up around them. That examination covers everything from religion, neuroscience and ecology through to artificial intelligence, gaming and queer club cultures, too, as created by artists who are drawing upon their own experiences and politics. In pieces by Club Ate and Saeborg, for instance, the politics of the dance floor are pushed to the fore. Club Ate has crafted a video, sound and textile installation called Ang Idol Ko / You are My Idol, which finds inspiration in Filipinx mythologies and club cultures — while Saeborg's installation Slaughterhouse unsurprisingly gets dark, using a brightly coloured rural world filled with livestock that first began as a series of costumes and performances for Tokyo nightclub Department H, all to explore gender-based power and control. [caption id="attachment_862174" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saeborg, Slaughterhouse, 2020–22, installation view, Ultra Unreal, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, latex, wallpaper, synthetic polymer paint, sound, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Anna Kučera.[/caption] Also featuring: Saeborg's Pootopia, which has been dubbed a "dung beetle paradise"; Yang's new series of works, which are set in digital worlds filled with genderless avatars and include his latest avatar DOKU; Arunanondchai and Gvojic's immersive installation No history in a room filled with people with funny names 5, which comes to Australia for the first time; and Lek's Nepenthe series, including an augmented reality project that lets visitors enter new worlds on each of the MCA's levels. Ultra Unreal is kicking off with a weekend of artists events, too, including a night of club-inspired performances, music and screenings on Friday, July 22. [caption id="attachment_862178" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Club Ate (Justin Shoulder, Bhenji Ra, and collaborators), ANG IDOL KO / YOU ARE MY IDOL (detail), 2022, installation view, Ultra Unreal, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, 2-channel video, HD, colour, sound, fabric, image courtesy and © the artists, photograph: Anna Kučera[/caption] Ultra Unreal is on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 140 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney, from Friday, July 22–Sunday, October 2. Top images: Saeborg, Pootopia (detail), 2020–22, installation view, Ultra Unreal, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, latex, wallpaper, synthetic polymer paint, sound, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Anna Kučera. Korakrit Arunanondchai and Alex Gvojic (with Tosh Basco), No history in a room filled with people with funny names 5 (detail), 2018, installation view, Ultra Unreal, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, 3-channel video, HD, colour, sound, resin casts of Basco's head and Arunanondchai's grandfather's hands, seashells, plants, soil, mirror, laser, LED, haze, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Anna Kučera. Lawrence Lek, Geomancer, 2017, installation view, Ultra Unreal, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, single-channel video, HD, colour, sound, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Anna Kučera.
Back in 2019, Sydney fine-dining institution NEL introduced tastebuds to a whole new culinary world: a decadent Once Upon a Time degustation inspired by all things Disney. Unsurprisingly, it provided a magical meal and proved a massive hit, returning in 2020 and 2022 with themed dishes created by the Surry Hills' restaurant's created by Executive Chef and namesake Nelly Robinson. Come winter 2023, it'll be back again for a fourth chapter. Amid NEL's creative spreads, this one now feels like a tasty tale as old as time — repeatedly popping up amid KFC-inspired dinners, Moulin Rouge!-themed and Christmas degustations, and one heroing native Australian ingredients as well. But whenever it unleashes its 11 courses upon plates, the Once Upon a Time serves up new and fresh dishes riffing on the Mouse House's favourites. Accordingly, even if you've been before, you haven't feasted your way through the latest menu. An alfredo linguini that nods to Ratatouille? Yes, that twist on the classic dish — and flick — featuring a lasagne-style structure layered with confit vegetables, pasta sheets, béchamel, mozzarella cheese foam and basil dust is on the lineup. So is The Tugley Wood, which combines mushrooms and fresh Australian truffle to nod to Alice in Wonderland. And when things get sweet, there's a honey-soaked sponge with a nest of honey curd topped with bee pollen, then served in a honey pot, that Winnie-the-Pooh would clearly covet. As for what else will be bothering your appetite in the best possible way, discovering the full range is part of the fun of heading along — no matter whether you're a Sydneysider with more than a few nights' experience tucking into Robinson's creations or a Disney fan keen to make a date on a future interstate trip. NEL doesn't need a reason to bring back the Once Upon a Time menu again and again — it was always going to be popular — but Robinson still keeps finding plenty of inspiration in the Disney theme. "The team and I had a blast creating and curating this one. It was so much fun to create a whole new menu around some of my favourite films and we have carefully crafted dishes to bring out each diners' inner child. Indeed, we paired it with fun cocktails and some sensational wines, too," he explains. The Once Upon a Time menu's fourth chapter will start serving on Tuesday, May 30 and run for eight weeks only, with bookings available now. Price-wise, this childhood-inspired feast will require an adult salary, costing $185 per person, with beverages matched for an extra $165. Reserving a spot ASAP for dinner Tuesday–Saturday from 5.15pm is recommended — this unsurprisingly always books out. NEL's Once Upon A Time (Chapter Four) degustation is on offer for eight weeks from Tuesday, May 30 at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to book, head to the NEL website.
Today, intricately painted portraits line art gallery walls. Tomorrow, it'll be selfies. In fact, a new Los Angeles museum is dedicating its entire space to the snaps we all take of ourselves. Called The Museum of Selfies, it'll open for a limited time from January. The upcoming addition to LA isn't the first place or exhibition championing the cause, with a site in the Philippines taking that honour, but it is jumping on board with gusto. As well as showcasing selfies in all of their guises, attendees can expect hands-on installations that chart their history, play with common themes and — of course — encourage plenty of snap-taking. Bucking the trend in other galleries in recent years, selfie sticks are certain to be welcome. Highlights will include an Iron Throne made out of those very items, like Westeros would have if it had the technology, plus set-ups dedicated to food selfies, bathroom selfies, rooftop selfies and more. Narcissism, the rise of deaths attributed to selfies and contemporary artists' takes on selfies will also feature, mixing the psychological, societal and creative, plus something designed to make the Guinness Book of World Records. https://www.instagram.com/p/BcDNtLYlR0T/?taken-by=themuseumofselfies Overall, the museum aims to document, probe and challenge our fascination with the self-portrait form, as well as the perception of it in these iPhone-wielding times. Are selfies art? What makes your selfie-filled Instagram feed any different to artist self-portraits on canvas? Why can't we stop taking them? They're just some of the questions that'll be under consideration. The timing comes hot on the heels of a recent study on the concept of 'selfitis', which proposes that excessive selfie-snapping might be a mental disorder. According to research out of Nottingham Trent University, anyone taking at least three selfies a day could be afflicted. Whether or not you're convinced, visitors to The Museum of Selfies are certain to hit that target the moment they walk in the gallery's doors. Via Mashable/Time Out.
Everything is a multiverse these days, or so it increasingly seems. Marvel has one, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently in cinemas to remind us all of that fact if we somehow forgot after Spider-Man: No Way Home. Rick and Morty loves them as well. Even if the term isn't mentioned explicitly, everything from French delight Petite Maman to The Matrix franchise flirts with similar territory. And yes, the list goes on — but nothing else is quite like Everything Everywhere All At Once. Don't know why that's the case? There's a vast array of reasons, including star Michelle Yeoh getting to play multiple versions of the same character, earning a far worthier showcase of her talents than the likes of Boss Level and Gunpowder Milkshake have provided of late, and also working in a nod to her Crazy Rich Asians-era IRL self as well. Plus, there's the wonderful return to cinema by Ke Huy Quan, aka Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom's Short Round and The Goonies' Data, who makes a fantastic double-act with Yeoh. Also a highlight: a world where everyone has hot dogs for fingers; another where Ratatouille is real, but with raccoons; and another still that's a sparse realm where life only exists in sentient rocks. Weird, wild and wonderful from its first frame to its last, Everything Everywhere All At Once stands out in a heap of ways — and, if you haven't seen it yet or you're keen to give it a revisit, you can now watch one of the best films of 2022 so far from your couch via digital platforms from Thursday, May 26. Fast-tracking flicks big and small to digital is our new pandemic-era reality, and this gem is the latest to make the leap — while it's still showing in cinemas, too. It looks fabulous on the big screen, but if the ease of checking it out at home suits you better, that's also now an option, as it also has been with The Batman, West Side Story, Dune, The Matrix Resurrections and more in the past few months. Written and directed by the Daniels, aka Swiss Army Man's Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once really does take its name seriously. Here, almost anything that can happen does, all while laundromat owner Evelyn (Yeoh) just wants to get the tax office off her back, save the family business and make the most of her dad's (James Hong, Turning Red) visit from China. In the middle of a punishing audit by IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween Kills), and already feeling chaotic after her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) brought her girlfriend Becky (Tallie Medel, The Carnivores) home, Evelyn learns that the fate of the universe is at stake. Of course, only she can save everything — and while that setup might sound familiar, this funhouse of a feature never takes the expected path. Check out the trailer for Everything Everywhere All At Once below: Everything Everywhere All At Once is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review.
The days are shorter, the cold winds stronger and we can be sure of one thing: winter is here. While in Australia that may not have the dramatic effect it does in Game of Thrones, we can be sure that a plethora of dark and delicious beers are coming into their own now that the colder months are upon us. Here follows, in no particular order, a guide to the top ten brews to help you through the wintry season. MODUS OPERANDI BREWING, FORMER TENANT RED IPA Mona Vale's finest, Modus Operandi Brewing, is known for its big, bold, hop-driven beers and this glorious red IPA is no exception. Expect big fruity notes of passionfruit and mango, owing to the liberal dry hopping with Galaxy and Mosaic hop varieties, giving way to a burst of bittersweet red grapefruit flavour. Underpinning this maelstrom of hops is an incredibly well-balanced malt base with notes of earthy caramel and biscuit. The finish is piney and botanical, giving just a hint of the beer's namesake — the 'former tenant' of the brewery's site was a marijuana grower — which makes this beer a complex and rewarding brew from the first to last sip. $14.50 for a 500ml can or $48.99 for a four-pack at Beer Cartel. PHILTER, CARIBBEAN STOUT Philter has something of a knack for busting out surprisingly different beers with each new release. Having already nailed an XPA, a session red ale and a lager, it's no surprise that its latest offering is something to get excited about. Though the name might indicate some sort of coconut-infused-rum-barrel-aged craft beer experiment, the flavour is far more approachable, drawing inspiration from the tradition of fruitier stouts common in the Caribbean and surrounding areas. Weighing in at an impressive 7% ABV this beer pours midnight black with rich notes of cocoa, dried fruits and a hint of nuttiness. $10 for a 375ml can or $33.99 for a four-pack at Beer Cartel. BATCH BREWING CO, ELSIE THE MILK STOUT Milk stouts continue to grow in popularity among Australian beer drinkers, and once you've had a glass of Elsie, it's not hard to see why. Combining a complex malt bill, flaked barley, rolled oats and lactose, this beer offers a balance of sweet and roasty notes such as chocolate and coffee with a beautiful creaminess. Coming in at an approachable 4.3% ABV this is a great beer for those looking to cross over to the dark side this winter. $12.50 for a 640ml bottle at Beer Cartel. YOUNG HENRYS, MOTORCYCLE OIL HOPPY PORTER Brewing powerhouse Young Henrys continues to impress with the latest addition to its taps and tinnies. In keeping with the tattooed-up, beard sporting-style it's known for, the charmingly titled Motorcycle Oil is at once in your face, yet reserved, well balanced and approachable. The initial flavour is roasty with delicate hints of chocolate, coffee and a touch of caramel, giving way to a big hop character featuring citrus and medium pine notes. Sitting at 5.8% ABV it offers big flavours but in a balanced and welcoming beer — sure to please lovers of hops and malt alike. $8.99 for a 500ml can or $29.99 for a four-pack at Dan Murphy's. FRENCHIES, ASTROLABE RED BIÈRE DE GARDE Based on a style that originated in Northern France, bière de gardes are bound by a common malt-accented flavour, but, beyond that, each brew offers a wealth of idiosyncrasies. Frenchies Astrolabe pours a beautiful ruby colour with plenty of caramel malt up front followed by notes of cherry and berries with hint of pear. Finishing with a moderate bitterness, this beer is dangerously sessionable, masking its 7.4% ABV with ease and charm. $12 for a 440ml can or $40.99 for a four-pack at Beer Cartel. WAYWARD BREWING CO, FURIOUS GNOME ESB The name alone should be enough to win people over. But coupled with Wayward's reputation as one of Sydney's finest breweries, it's a must-try this season. Furious Gnome pays homage to classic British ESBs like Fuller's and Old Speckled Hen through its caramel and toffee dominated palate, with a biscuity dryness and rounded out by an earthy and ever so lightly spicy hop bitterness at the end. A great malt-accented interpretation of the style — sure to please thirsty expats and newcomers to the style alike. $11.50 for a 640ml bottle at Bucket Boys. MORNINGTON PENINSULA BREWERY, MORNINGTON BROWN ALE A classic English-style brown ale, this moreish brew from Mornington Peninsula Brewery offers an enticing aroma of toffee and dried fruits (think sultanas, raisins and dates) owing to the imported English malts that make up its base. On the palate, expect toffee and chocolate notes with a balanced sweetness and a slightly nutty finish. At 5% ABV, it's perhaps a little stronger than the beers which inspired it, yet is still supremely sessionable and well matched with nutty cheeses like gouda, as well as roasted meats. $3.99 for a 330ml bottle, $23.94 for a six-pack at Dan Murphy's. BRIDGE ROAD BREWERS, CELTIC RED IRISH RED ALE A longtime staple from the old hands at Bridge Road Brewers down in Beechworth, the Celtic red ale is a wonderfully delicate balance of caramel malts with a light roastiness and a dryer finish that you'd expect for the style. Pouring a deep amber, this beer is initially sweet with toffee and burnt sugar notes, followed by a subtle kick of noble hops to bring you back for another sip. At 5.3% ABV, it's a wonderful Aussie interpretation of a true Irish-style red, malty and sweet but wonderfully well balanced. $4.19 for a 330ml bottle or $15.49 for a four-pack at Dan Murphy's. STAVES BREWERY, ARDENNES TABLE BEER BELGIAN PALE ALE Named after a yeast strain sourced from the Ardennes region of Belgium, this delicate and well-balanced beer from the Glebe's charming Staves Brewery is not to be missed. Opening with lightly sour fruity notes, coupled with a gentle spiciness from the yeast, this Belgian-style beer is the perfect brew for when the sun is out, but the wind has an edge to it. The Glebe brewpub also features live music and comedy, whilst owner Steve Drissell is often found manning the taps, ready to share a laugh and his impressive beer knowledge with the punters. Ardennes Table Beer can be purchased in store at Staves Brewery, 4-8 Grose Street, Glebe. BADLANDS BREWERY, DRAUGHTY KILT SCOTCH ALE Scotch ale is a style not often replicated on Aussie shores, yet a handful of flattering imitators of the malt-driven Scottish style exist. And Orange's Badlands Brewery has long been at the forefront. Copper red in colour with toffee and caramel notes and a hint of vanilla giving way to a light burst of candied orange and date, this beer features a restrained bitterness that really allows its rich malty flavours to shine. At 5% ABV it's relatively light for a Scotch ale, but that just means you can enjoy more of it. $11 for a 500ml bottle at Beer Cartel. For alternative stockists in your city, check the breweries' websites. Top image: Frenchies
Never forget that the first American version of Godzilla thwarted the titular behemoth by using "an internet". That's the ridiculously awful 1998 film's legacy (well, that and fruitlessly trying to follow in Jurassic Park's footsteps more than its own Japanese predecessors). Deploying the same logic, Reddit should probably be the saviour in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It isn't, but that might've proven more interesting. Continuing the new US-made series that began with 2014's Godzilla and will link up with Kong: Skull Island once next year's Godzilla vs Kong comes around, this 'MonsterVerse' sequel actually does take a few cues from its late-90s American counterpart — more than any movie should, and not to its benefit. Some come through in the story, including a routine finale in a sporting arena. Others are evident at the human level, corralling yet another array of dull, feuding characters scrambling all over the place. But the main similarity is something that all US Godzilla reboots have struggled with: not knowing what to do with its hulking star. It's unsurprisingly strange to watch people quaking in the famous kaiju's shadow, whether in awe, fear or both, while the film they're in focuses on their reactions instead of the towering figure. King of the Monsters ups the creature factor considerably, giving Godzilla friends (Mothra), frenemies (Rodan) and foes (King Ghidorah) amongst a 17-strong cohort of havoc-wreaking 'titans'. At a narrative level, it doesn't just lean into the idea that more of these giant, city-levelling critters exist — it makes that very notion its premise. Alas, the film prefers to explain that supersized lizards, insects, pterodactyls, mammoths and three-headed dragons are frightening via clunky dialogue and pained faces, rather than offer much monster-on-monster action. Taking over from Godzilla's Gareth Edwards, writer-director Michael Dougherty has a background in horror thanks to Trick 'r' Treat and Krampus, but misappropriates one of that genre's key elements. Watching scared folks react to mysterious bumps and jumps in the night works a treat, all thanks to the powers of suggestion and imagination, however the same isn't true when your whole movie screams "Aaaaaaah! Fucking huge monsters! And so many of them!" Five years after Godzilla emerged from the earth's depths to battle a massive unidentified terrestrial organism, humans are basically yelling the aforementioned line. The government wants to know how many titans exist so that it can exterminate them. Shadowy outfit Monarch, led by scientists Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins), plead that people and Godzilla can live together, and that maybe good ol' Zilly could even save us all. Also working for Monarch in a Chinese facility, paleobiologist Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) appears to feel the same way, creating a bioacoustics system that can communicate with the creatures. When she's kidnapped, along with her technological breakthrough and her teenage daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), another group enters the fray. Overseen by British soldier turned eco-terrorist Alan Jonah (Charles Dance, because every movie has to feature someone from Game of Thrones), their aim is to let all of the titans loose, watch as they do their worst and hope that the ravaged planet is reborn in the aftermath. Thanos would be proud. Also popping up is Emma's kaiju-hating ex-husband Mark (Kyle Chandler), who once worked at Monarch, has a bone to pick with Godzilla and loves yelling about it while trying to rescue his daughter. And so everyone fights over what to do, with the shouting getting louder as Jonah keeps awakening more and more titans. Human noise isn't what anyone wants from King of the Monsters, though. And if someone does want to watch people squabble in the face of literally existence-shattering critters, the last live-action Japanese Godzilla, 2016's Shin Godzilla, delivered just that in a smart, thoughtful and engaging way. Here, the paper-thin, consistently cliched story doesn't justify so much chatter. Indeed, it feels as if it's been written to slot in beside the big beasty battles, then hurriedly padded out and over-extended when those massive monster melees didn't turn out as planned. Godzilla and Ghidorah do go head-to-head, more than once. Mothra and Rodan get to flap their wings, and brief clips of other creatures are glimpsed as well. King of the Monsters doesn't completely shy away from its prehistoric giants, but they're never the main attraction — or even much of an attraction at all. There's welcome reverence and respect directed Godzilla's way, however the movie barely acknowledges the character's metaphorical significance, preferring to show its love via a few impressive wide shots instead. And while simply pairing it with its fellow iconic figures in the same picture is inherently exciting, King of the Monsters essentially rests there. When it comes to the film's frays, they arrive packaged in dim, dark, Game of Thrones-esque lighting, blighted by ugly special effects and hardly serving up a spectacle. In fact, the battles feel rushed, busy, and never as fun and lively as you'd expect given the whole titan-versus-titan situation. Hollywood is never going to admit that it just doesn't quite get Godzilla, but perhaps it should. Or, maybe it should stop trying to style American Godzilla flicks after whatever else happens to be popular recently — Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a clear influence on King of the Monsters, as is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it isn't a coincidence that the film taps Stranger Things' Brown for her big-screen debut. 65 years after the enormous lizard-style gargantuan made its initial appearance in the first Japanese Godzilla, it deserves better than by-the-numbers franchise-extending entries. The kaiju genre deserves better too, but at least it has Guillermo del Toro's great Pacific Rim. The fact that King of the Monsters delivers its most thrilling aspect in its credits — the sounds of the original, exceptional, still rousing Godzilla theme, not the obligatory post-reel stinger — screams louder than the movie's humans, and than Godzilla's own roars as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW3xYYJ6NoE
