Some Pixar movies bring childhood obsessions to big screen, as seen in the Toy Story and Cars films. If you loved monsters as a kid, the Monsters, Inc flicks definitely also count. Other features made by the beloved animation studio explore exactly what it feels like to be a child — as seen in the wonderful Inside Out, of course, and now in the company's upcoming release Turning Red. Marking the first feature from writer/director Domee Shi, who won an Oscar for her delightful 2018 short Bao, Turning Red takes its moniker literally. Many Pixar flicks do (see also: Finding Nemo, Up, Brave and Onward, for instance). Here, 13-year-old Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang, also making her movie debut) is an ordinary teen who gets embarrassed by her mum Ming (Sandra Oh, The Chair) fairly often, and can find adolescent life a bit overwhelming. So far, so relatable — but when she's overexcited by all of the above, Mei Lee also happens to turn into a fluffy red panda. If you're thinking about the Hulk but red, female, younger and more adorable, that's the kind of vibe that the trailer gives. Disney does own both Pixar and Marvel, so that isn't a big leap. Just how Mei Lee copes with those sudden transformations is exactly what the flick will cover, obviously — and while the film was originally destined for cinemas, viewers will now be able to see the end result via Disney+ instead. The Mouse House has just revealed that Turning Red will take the same route as the past two Pixar releases, Soul and Luca, and head straight to its streaming platform. So, you'll be sitting on your couch to grab another dose of heartwarming animated cuteness, with the film due to drop on Friday, March 11. Check out the trailer below: Turning Red will be available to stream via Disney+ on Friday, March 11. Top image: © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Variety shows are back and doesn't comedian and radio presenter Scott 'Dools' Dooley know it. After selling out shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and taking off overseas, the funny man is leaving NYC and crashing Giant Dwarf with all of his talented friends. Over four Wednesdays (he obviously has a lot of friends), Dools will curate a selection of stand up, musical comedy, sketches and other fun bits featuring the likes of Tom Ballard, Genevieve Fricker, Matt Okine, Dools' secret best friend and loads more. He's also dipping into his musical friends' talents by calling upon The Delta Riggs, One Day, Wil Wagner from The Smith Street Band and Nina Las Vegas to provide the live tunes. Each night will be led by a makeshift news desk run by The Roast's Alex Lee and Ben Jenkins from The Checkout. For $25-30 a ticket or $90 for entry to all four shows, audiences can also enjoy DJ Joyride on the decks and live Tinder romance updates courtesy of Angus Truskett from Green Light Boys (which will hopefully resemble something like this).
Apologies to backyard cricket, barbecues and water sports. Sure, they're ace things to do in summer in Australia, but movie buffs only have eyes for one outside activity. That'd be outdoor cinemas — and if you're keen on North Sydney's version of this under-the-stars stint of cinematic fun, Sunset Cinema is once again taking over North Sydney Oval from Friday, December 8—Saturday, March. North Sydney will enjoy a three-month stint packed with viewing options. In addition to Christmas movies such as Elf, Love Actually, Home Alone and The Nightmare Before Christmas, the lineup covers standouts such as Past Lives, The Boy and the Heron, Ferrari, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 and perennial favourite 10 Things I Hate About You. With Saltburn, The Marvels, Barbie, an advance screening of the Mean Girls musical, Wonka, Priscilla and Poor Things also on offer, the list clearly goes on. BYO picnics are encouraged, but if you want to enjoy a sparkling, cocktail or brew throughout the film, the onsite bar will be serving a range of drinks. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be hot food options, which you can order online and then pickup, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn.
The Emirates British Film Festival is back for another year, with more Benedict Cumberbatch than ever before. The Sherlock star gives a sure-to-be-Oscar-nominated performance in The Imitation Game, about mathematician Alan Turing, the man who cracked Nazi Germany's Enigma code and, in doing so, helped turn the tide of the war. The historical thriller is one of 15 recent films on the festival program, which kicks into gear at select Palace Cinemas this week. Other standouts include the Belle & Sebastian-infused musical God Help the Girl and the intense action-drama '71, set on the streets of Belfast during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. There are also new films from acclaimed directors including Liv Ullmann, Ken Loach and Mike Leigh, in the form of Miss Julie, Jimmy's Hall and Mr. Turner, respectively. The contemporary contingent is bolstered by a selection of six beloved classics from the 1960s. Get a dose of kitchen-sink realism with Billy Liar, go on the run with Michael Caine in The Italian Job or experience full-blown Beatlemania with A Hard Day's Night.
Trust a mockumentary about the undead to keep coming back in new guises. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's What We Do in the Shadows first came to light as a short film in 2005, then made its way to cinemas in rib-tickling feature-length form in 2014, and currently has both a werewolf-focused sequel and a US television remake in the works. As first announced back in 2016, it's also getting a Cops-style TV spinoff — one that starts airing in New Zealand this month, and has just released its first trailer. Slated to air on New Zealand's TVNZ 2 from July 11, Wellington Paranormal doesn't spend more time with everyone's favourite Wellington-dwelling bloodsuckers, even though Waititi and Clement conceived the six-part series. Instead, it follows police officers Karen O'Leary and Mike Minogue, who WWDITS fans might remember came knocking at the vampire share house's door. With the help of Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), the cop duo will keep trying to keep the city safe from supernatural happenings — and we're sure viewers will keep watching. When Wellington Paranormal's existence was first revealed, Waititi described the show as "Mulder & Scully but in a country where nothing happens" on Twitter, should you need any more reason to get excited. For Australian viewers looking to catch the show, local airing details haven't yet been announced, but watch this space — once you're done watching the below trailer, of course. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=WRO2QfESbEI
It just got real dark in Sydney. And in Sydney during the warmer months, that only means one thing: a storm is coming. So if you're currently reading this from somewhere dry, warm and cosy, we suggest that you keep it that way for the rest of the afternoon. And not just any old wet weather, either. The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that severe storms, damaging winds, flash flooding and large hail is on its way, which is looking to affect Sydney, Hunter, Central Tablelands and parts of the Mid North Coast, North West Slopes, Central West Slopes and Northern Tablelands. Taking a peek at its nifty colour-coded map, below, it looks like the northern beaches is going to be worst hit, too. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1198825623004815360 With storms come falling trees (and sometimes falling powerlines) and the State Emergency Service is advising locals to move cars away from trees, secure loose items and keep clear of fallen power lines. As always, it's suggested you don't walk, ride or drive through flood waters, either. https://twitter.com/Ausgrid/status/1198826958869561344 The wild weather looks to continue into tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26, with the BOM forecasting an 80 percent chance of showers in the afternoon and a possibly severe thunderstorm in the evening. The rest of the week is expected to be sunny and in the high-20s, before more wet weather and possible storms return on the weekend. As Sydney prepares for level two water restrictions — and dam levels dip below 50 percent — the rain is very much needed, but the storms could be problematic for firefighters who continue to fight blazes across the state. RFS spokesman James Morris told the SMH that the rain was "hampering containment efforts" and the lightning strikes could prove "a ticking time bomb". Stay dry out there. And remember to check Live Traffic, Transport Info and BOM for warnings and updates.
The epitome of grace and good taste, a finely crafted suit can make all the difference in a number of occasions. No longer relegated to the bland en masse uniform of the corporate nine-to-fiver, the suit is experiencing a resurgence as a statement of personal style, flair and elegance. But how do you know which suit is right for you or should be worn at which occasion? Indochino has made picking the details of your suit nice and simple to build your own personal touch to your corporate, formal or marital attire. The brand lets you customise your suit from shoulder to cuff, pockets to hems. But if you need some guidance in figuring out how to get started, that's where we come in. Here, we've broken it all down for you. Find out about the importance of each part of the suit and how best to accentuate (or downplay) these elements for the strongest effect — no matter the occasion. [caption id="attachment_725467" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Indochino Spring/Summer 2019.[/caption] COLOUR The most immediate impact of your suit will be its colour. Suits, like all clothing, are inherently linked to eras and fashion. Certain colours can accurately indicate the period in which they were popular — think bright blue a couple of years ago, black during the late 90s and early 2000s and, for the more out there, aubergine, brown and fawn from the 70s. Nowadays we see mostly grey, navy and black but occasionally, a colourful number comes along that makes for a great statement. Indochino offers a wide variety of colours that allow for versatility across a number of occasions; a forest green might be a good choice for someone wanting a suit that's a little outside the box but still maintains a level of formality and style. For the occasion where you can be a little bolder, you may choose a purple hue for more effect. And, of course, there are the classic blues, greys and blacks available, too. You could always go with a pattern as well, with multiple patterns like checked, herringbone and striped available — plus there's always a vibrant pocket square and/or tie that can take your look up a notch. [caption id="attachment_725466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Indochino Spring/Summer 2019.[/caption] LAPELS Essentially there are three types of lapel: notch (the standard), peak lapels (usually found on double-breasted jackets) and shawl, wherein the collar and lapel are made from one piece of fabric. Indochino recommends notch or peak lapels in slim, normal and wide for suits and offers shawl lapels for its tuxedos, as these are always found on traditional dinner jackets and tuxedos, giving a sense of elegance and grandeur. The width of one's lapels is often indicative of style and era — think of the wide Saturday Night Fever-style from the 70s versus the Mad Men-esque slim lapels of the 60s. Another thing to look for is the height at which the lapel joins the collar (the gorge). Currently, the trend seems to hark back to the 60s when gorges were high in order to enhance the slim silhouette of the suit. Another thing to note about lapels (who knew there was so much to know): the lapel hole, made to hold flowers — or a fob or pocket watch if that's more your style. You could even attach a brooch if you want to add some personal flair on a special occasion. You've got a lot of options; now you just need to decide the style (and decade) you're going for. [caption id="attachment_727121" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Indochino Spring/Summer 2019.[/caption] BUTTONS For such a seemingly innocuous detail, buttons bring a suit all together depending on colour and count. Brown buttons tend to be the go-to, with black reserved for black or dark suits and cream for lighter suits. And when it comes to counting 'em, the number of buttons on the front of a jacket is traditionally indicative of your profession, though now, it's more about your style preferences. The most common count on a single-breasted suit is two, though three-button fronts come and go with trends. But the most important thing to remember is the button rule that's accepted the world over: if a jacket has more than one front button, the lowest shouldn't be buttoned. POCKETS Invariably, all suits will have an outer breast pocket, which is always on the left and undoubtedly stems from the fact that most people are right-handed. For the most part, these never have a flap but are made from a single piece of fabric which is folded and sewn into the body of the jacket — a welt pocket. Most jackets will also have at least two 'side' pockets, located above the hip and usually made with a fabric 'flap'. Traditionally the flaps are straight but can be angled to achieve a more rakish look. Slim fitting jackets often have a smaller version above the right hip pocket, which sits almost in the jacket's waist. These are referred to as ticket pockets, because, fun fact, their original purpose was for carrying one's theatre tickets. Inside the jacket, there are usually two breast pockets and often a lower inside ticket pocket. Maintaining the clean line of the suit should be top of mind when wearing a suit, so try not to put too much in them. TROUSERS Well-fitting trousers can make or break the look of a suit. Just think of that suit from year ten formal that just looked a bit silly all bunched up at the ankle and saggy in the seat. You're no longer 16; this look won't cut it. These days, most suits favour a particularly slim leg, though depending on the suit, baggier cuts are also in style, but generally with a higher waist. Broadly speaking, baggy trousers are to be worn with baggy jackets and slim with slim, and for the most part, don't have cuffs. Now that you know where to start, let Indochino help you through the rest of your suit customising journey here. Plus, from now until September 30, 2019, the brand is offering its premium custom suits at a discounted price of $599 for all Concrete Playground readers. Use code CONCRETEPLAYGROUND to receive the discount.
Oh Christmas, what a time. A time for love, a time for giving, and of course, a time to lose your shit amongst the writhing throngs of desperate last-minute shoppers. Joy. Luckily for us, this year WineMarket have put together some pretty nifty packages, including a whole host of multi-bottle specials. Throw in easy-as-mince-pie one- or 1-2 day delivery on selected sets, and you really can get Christmas sorted this year, minus the stress plus a whole lot of delicious booze. Take the methode traditionelle Grandin Grande Reserve Brut NV, for example. These six tasty sparklings, made the same way as Champagne but with fruit from outside the region, come in at practically half the price of their French cousin. And, individually packaged in festive red metal presentation tubes, they’re right fancy too ($119.40 for six). Another great option to give is the six-pack of Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz Merlot, again individually packaged so no need to wrap. Just in case you haven’t heard of Wynns, this yummy mellow-textured fruity number is crafted by award-winning winemaker Sue Hodder, from her 5-star James Halliday-rated winery ($191.40 for 12). But, if you really want to treat the vino connoisseur in the family, you can also secure a bottle of Penfolds Grange 2010, sporting accolade after accolade, for $639 (usually $785). But, if variety is the festive spice of your silly season, you’re covered with all manner of combos, including ten reds and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label ($99), 13-bottle stock-up essentials ($99) and a fabulously titled Impress the In-Laws package of award-winning, 90+ rated reds ($120). Cheers to that. WineMarket is offering a discount exclusively for Concrete Playground subscribers. Get $50 off orders over $120 (excluding freight) using the voucher code CONCRETEXMAS at the checkout. Hurry: offer ends 11.59PM 21/12/2014 (AEDT). Voucher can only be used once per customer. Excludes orders solely consisting of beer, champagne, cider or RTDs, and purchases from WineMarket must not be re–sold commercially. Not valid with any other promotion. Not redeemable for cash. WineMarket reserves the right to cancel orders made outside of these terms and conditions. Standard WineMarket T&Cs apply.
Between his turn as that delightfully arrogant savant Sherlock, his somehow 19th-century visage and his whimsical name befitting a penitent clerk at the Ministry of Magic, Benedict Cumberbatch has us all infatuated. He's the stuff Tumblrs are made of. But as well as his roles in Sherlock and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mr Cumberbatch recently starred in a production of Frankenstein that blew minds when it went on stage in London and has been talked about with gleeful conjecture the world over. And now we can see it, courtesy of National Theatre Live, which captures British stage shows for the screen. The new adaptation, directed by Danny Boyle (127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, Trainspotting; perhaps you've heard of them), is known for night after night switching the casting of its fatefully intertwined two leads, Frankenstein and his monster, between Cumberbatch and co-star Jonny Lee Miller (Boyle's Trainspotting alumnus). It's also known for its explosive opening scene, in which the creature experiences his birth on stage — naked, alone and having pushed through a membrane — and it continues to follow the tale from his isolated, rejected point-of-view. Both versions of Frankenstein will show on Sydney screens in June — with Benedict as the creature on Saturday, June 9, and Sunday, June 10, and Jonny in the role on Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24. Participating cinemas include the Dendy Newtown and Opera Quays, Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Chauvel and Riverside Theatres. There's been unprecedented demand, so book ahead. https://youtube.com/watch?v=zuYDiaT-mtg
No matter where you are in Australia, you probably spent the majority of 2020 in your own state — and in your own bedroom — thanks to interstate border restrictions. Limits on domestic travel have still been popping up in 2021 so far; however, if you're still keen to see more than your own backyard this year, Virgin Australia is selling 1.9 million fares to destinations around the country. And, those cheap flights are starting at $75 for a one-way ticket. Hang on, Virgin? Yes. The same airline that, less than 12 months ago, entered voluntary administration. It has since been sold to US private investment firm Bain Capital, launched a comeback sale in early July and its voluntary administration officially ended on Tuesday, November 17. Virgin's current Let the Good Times Fly flight sale runs until midnight AEST on Monday, February 8 — or until sold out. In the sale, you'll find cheap flights on a heap of routes to destinations across the country, with travel dates spanning from March to September 2021. If you've been waiting to book your first getaway for the year, now might be the time. Discounted flights span both economy and business, and include seat selection and checked baggage. Some of the routes on offer include Sydney to Ballina from $75, Brisbane to Proserpine from $84, Melbourne to Hobart from $99, Brisbane to Darwin from $165, and Melbourne to Hamilton Island from $179. The discounted flight sale is timed to coincide with Queensland reopening its border to New South Wales, which came into effect on Monday, February 1. Virgin is also increasing the frequency of trips between the two states, including between Sydney and the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Hamilton Island and Brisbane. As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights became mandatory in Australia in January. Virgin is also waiving change fees and allowing unlimited booking changes between now and June 30, 2021 — extending a scheme that was initially due to end at the end of January. Virgin's Let the Good Times Fly flight sale runs until midnight AEST on Monday, February 8 — or until sold out. Find out more about current interstate border restrictions over here.
Vegan NSW will be taking over Sydney Olympic Park with a market full of vegan and plant-based eats this October. The monthly plant-based market will return with stores ranging from vegan Greek eats to ethically-sourced artisan good from the likes of The Vegan Wog, Koshari Korner and Green Gourmet. New stallholders arriving in time for the market's October leg include Auntie M's Filipino Street Food and Crave Desserts. Entry to the markets is free and you can bring your pooch as it will be a dog-friendly affair. Vegan musicians will be setting the mood with performances throughout the day, and it's encouraged you bring your own picnic rug to set up in the Cathy Freeman Park, as well as your own cup, container and cutlery in line with the market's environmentally sustainable ethos.
Lords, ladies, history buffs and fantasy fans alike, rejoice: St Ives' medieval fair is returning for a sixth year. The weekend festival will transform St Ives Showground into Medieval Europe with immersive encampments which represent seven centuries of history: the Vikings, Byzantines, Crusades, the Hundred Years War, the Wars of the Roses and into the 17th Century. To complete the experience, a plethora of historical recreations will take place including the only solid lance jousting event in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring European and Australian jousting masters — yes, people still joust. The program also includes a Trebuchet catapult, markets, traditional folk music, longbow archery demonstrations and displays in which trained birds of prey recreate the medieval practice of hawking and falconry. If all that makes you thirsty, grab a serve of mead or craft brew from tavern, which is open from 11am–5pm daily. The public is encouraged to come in costume, so polish your armour, don your finest cloak and prepare for a weekend of royal revelry. See you thither.
They've made bespoke cocktails catered to each drinker's DNA, hosted anatomical whisky tastings where spirits were sipped from actual people, and served a beating pig's heart as a starter. Yes, it's safe to say that Sam Bompas and Harry Parr know how to liven up a meal. Calling the duo food artists might be a bit of an understatement, however, particularly given that they're not just experimenting with what we consume in a creative, unexpected and delicious way. At the heart of everything from their edible fireworks to their molten lava barbecue to their 200-course dinner party sits an interrogation of our eating and drinking habits, including the one thing carnivorous folks easily overlook: the food chain. Indeed, London diners heading along Bompas & Parr's next event won't be able to forget where their lunch came from. In the kitchen at Sea Containers restaurant, they'll see just what path their meal takes to their plate, and play quite the considerable part in it. At Kill It, Eat It, attendees will devour a crustacean-heavy feast — after, as the name gives away, they kill the crabs destined for their stomach. We'll give you a moment to think about this next-level eating experience because it's quite the confronting concept. Of course, it's supposed to be. It's one thing to know but not really engage with the idea that you're munching on something that was once alive. It's another to have an active hand in it. The 16 people per session that are willing to face their food in the most visceral and primal way possible, as well as their role in eating living creatures, will journey through a number of steps: looking closely at crabs and the role they play in the ocean, learning about the ways they're sourced and caught, and discovering the the 'biologically most efficient and humane method' of ending their lives. They'll then receive their own live crustacean, prepare it, kill it in a RSPCA-approved manner, cook it and de-shell it. Afterwards, participant's crab will be dressed by the restaurant's chefs and served as part of the group meal alongside sea-inspired cocktails. An expert in fisheries and seafood cultivation will be on hand during the event, and attendees will receive a guide to help them replicate the process at home. Chatting with Concrete Playground in advance of their 2015 Wild at Heart event at Dark Mofo — which involved roadkill jerky, drinks served from actual skull cups, roasting just-hunted wild deer and the aforementioned blood-gushing pig's heart — Bompas explained that "when you start feeding people, you become quite aware of just how thin that line of civility is that divides us from the animal kingdom." It's clearly something that, with his culinary partner-in-crime Parr, he's still exploring. Bompas & Parr's crustacean-focused classes will take place on April 23 and 30, and they're just the first toe into the water of a planned Kill It, Eat It series. We'll let your mind ponder just what might come next. As Parr explains, the workshops are designed to provoke the ultimate question at the heart of every carnivorous diet: "if you want to eat animals, shouldn't you be prepared to kill them yourself?"
If you're thirty-plus (either chronologically, or in terms of your musical tastes) and finding triple j increasingly unsuitable to your aural palette, then you're probably going to love the ABC's latest move. Yesterday afternoon, the broadcaster announced that, as of 5pm, digital music channel Dig had come under triple j's management. Essentially, the plan is to revamp Dig as a 'triple j for over-thirties'. In other words, the program will be shaped by the types of artists that originally informed the triple j ethos. Think Tex Perkins, Eskimo Joe, Nick Cave and their musical progeny. About 75 percent of the playlist will be comprised of new music (triple j's is about 90 percent that way) and the other 25 percent will be made up of classics familiar to '70s and '80s babies. Each week, there'll be a minimum of four pre-recorded, guest-programmed segments. Anticipated curators include Billy Bragg, Sarah Blasko, Adalita, Missy Higgins, Bernard Fanning, Tex Perkins, David Bridie, Eskimo Joe, Clare Bowditch and Moby. During the next six months, Dig is asking listeners to let the station know exactly what they want to hear, and how they want it presented. The channel will be officially launched in its new format in April 2014. "Over the last few years, there have been many voices calling out for a station like this," commented Dig Music's content director Meagan Loader, "and the input of those voices during this initial stage is hugely valuable. We are so excited to be able to evolve with our listeners and create something truly unique." Dig Music is available online at www.digmusic.net.au, on mobile phones via the ABC Radio App, and through both digital radio and television.
Sydneysiders who have been to Fairfield Council in the city's west will no longer be able to enter Queensland, with the Sunshine State declaring the region a NSW COVID–19 hotspot. Fairfield joins the neighbouring councils of Liverpool and Campbelltown, which were announced as hotspots back on Tuesday, July 14. On July 10, Queensland opened its borders to visitors from all states and territories — except Victoria, which is also declared a hotspot — but from 1am on Monday, July 27, visitors from Fairfield will be turned away at the border. Returning Queensland residents or those entering for a range of essential reasons will be required to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. The move comes as a cluster of 46 positive COVID-19 cases are linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, which is part of Fairfield. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1286184350870982657 The NSW Government sent out a health alert directing anyone who visited the restaurant between Thursday, July 9 and Sunday, July 12, or on Tuesday, July 14, to get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. While NSW recorded 19 new cases in the 24 hours leading up to 8pm on Wednesday, July 22, Queensland recorded zero and has just three active cases. When asked what classifies a hotspot, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has previously said, "It's when there's clearly a growing numbers of cases and there's community acquisition of cases — so we've seen that here." From 1am on Monday, July 27, anyone who has visited Fairfield City in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Queensland unless they are a returning resident or are entering for one a few essential reasons. Those who have visited Sydney councils Campbelltown and Liverpool, as well as Victoria, are also subject to the same rules. For more information, head to the Queensland Government website. Image: The Queensland-NSW Border at Tweed Heads via WikiCommons.
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: Encanto is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and will be available to stream via Disney+ from December 25. Five years after Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney first teamed up on an animated musical with the catchiest of tunes, aka Moana, they're back at it again with Encanto. To viewers eager for another colourful, thoughtful and engaging film — and another that embraces a particular culture with the heartiest of hugs, and is all the better for it — what can the past decade's most influential composer and biggest entertainment behemoth say except you're welcome? Both the Hamilton mastermind and the Mouse House do what they do best here. The songs are infectious, as well as diverse in style; the storyline follows a spirited heroine challenging the status quo; and the imagery sparkles. Miranda and Disney are both in comfortable territory, in fact — formulaic, sometimes — but Encanto never feels like they're monotonously beating the same old drum. Instruments are struck, shaken and otherwise played in the film's soundtrack, of course, which resounds with energetic earworms; the salsa beats of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' are especially irresistible, and the Miranda-penned hip hop wordplay that peppers the movie's tunes is impossible to mentally let go. Spanning pop, ballads and more, all those songs help tell the tale of the Madrigals, a close-knit Colombian family who've turned generational trauma into magic. This is still an all-ages-friendly Disney flick, so there are limits to how dark it's willing to get; however, that Encanto fills its frames with a joyous celebration of Latin America and simultaneously recognises its setting's history of conflict is hugely significant. It also marks Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature — dating back to 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — but its cultural specificity (depictions of Indigenous, Afro Latino and Colombian characters of other ethnicities included) is its bigger achievement. The focal point of their jungle-surrounded village, the Madrigals are the local version of superheroes. They live in an enchanted home, complete with a magical candle that's burned for three generations, and they each receive special powers when they come of age. The latter wasn't the case for Encanto's heroine Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), though, and that absence of exceptional abilities has left the bespectacled teen feeling like an outcast. Plus, with her young cousin Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers, #BlackAF) now going through the ceremony, Mirabel's perceived failings linger afresh in everyone's minds. But then la casita, as their supernatural home is known, starts cracking — the flame begins to flicker as well, as everyone's powers waver with it — and it looks like only its most ordinary inhabitant can save the day. Encanto doesn't refer to the Madrigals by any term you'd hear in a Marvel movie, but the imprint of Disney's hit franchise remains evident. Thankfully, director Byron Howard (Tangled), and co-writers/co-helmers Charise Castro Smith (Sweetbitter) and Jared Bush (Zootopia) have sprinkled in a few fun abilities — because mixing up a template sits high among the feature's powers, even when those generic underlying pieces can still be gleaned. Accordingly, one of Mirabel's sisters, Luisa (Jessica Darrow, Feast of the Seven Fishes), is super strong, but the other, Isabela (Diane Guerrero, Doom Patrol), makes flowers blossom with her loveliness. Similarly, while their aunt Pepa (Carolina Gaitán, The Greatest Showman) controls the weather, their mother Julieta (Angie Cepeda, Jane the Virgin) heals through cooking. In one of the most surprising moves ever made by all-ages film, Encanto also nods to Gabriel García Márquez and his novel One Hundred Years of Solitude (superheroes, Disney not-quite-princesses and Colombian magical realism, together at last!). It works because Encanto meaningfully ponders inherited woes and the weight of family expectations, and grounds them in past struggles and the cycles they kickstart. That's the Madrigals' story, as tied to Abuela Alma (María Cecilia Botero, Nurses). And, while delivered in bright and bouncy packaging, it includes noting how the pressure to excel and enchant has caused fissures. Indeed, due to her uncle Bruno (John Leguizamo, Playing with Fire) — who no one is supposed to discuss, as the aforementioned track trills — Mirabel isn't the only Madrigal wrongly deemed to have let the family down. Vibrant, rich, tender, sincere and lively (the songs, pace and lush computer-generated animation just keep earning the term): add in familiar, still, and that's Encanto. Perhaps it's an apt combination, considering that finding beauty in the seemingly standard is one of the movie's key messages. Or, maybe it's just what was always going to happen when the Mouse House mashed up such recognisable parts — there's plenty about Mirabel's tale that's pure Disney 101, too, and we've all enjoyed the childhood viewing to prove it — into a gorgeous and heartfelt love letter to Colombian culture. Either way, the movie remains a modest charmer and, with Beatriz's yearning yet resilient vocal performance worlds away from Rosa Diaz's growl, and her co-stars helping to make the picture melodic several times over, it's winningly cast as well. Encanto is also the fourth feature bearing Miranda's fingerprints in 2021, after In the Heights, fellow animated effort Vivo and his filmmaking directorial debut Tick, Tick… Boom!. Thanks to both his and Disney's involvement, it'll likely take the reverse route traversed by two of those titles and, The Lion King and Mary Poppins-style, end up on a stage sometime in the future. Such a production would inherently lack the creative cinematography that assists in making Encanto such a visual treat — especially in the imaginative journey that Mirabel takes in the movie's second half — but it'd dazzle as a live-action show anyway. One of the film's other joys is the fact that it's poised, fashioned, animated and sung like it's treading the boards already, and that why that's the case — why it exudes big musical energy, even when it feels like its threatening to overdo it at first — is cannily baked into its narrative.
Fans of Trainspotting will probably want to check out Filth, the new film adaptation of the 1998 Irvine Welsh novel. Jon S. Baird directs James McAvoy as Bruce Robertson, a bipolar, misanthropic junkie detective (role of a lifetime) who, when he's not awash in drugs, alcohol and sex games, spends his time plotting the downfall of his fellow colleagues. In his quest to trump them and secure a coveted promotion, he stops at nothing — stealing their wives, exposing their darkest secrets. Oh, and there's a murder to be solved, too. Things escalate to the point of madness, with plenty of manipulation, hallucination and downright insanity. McAvoy won critical praise for his performance upon the film's UK release and is supported by some stellar UK actors including Jim Broadbent, Jamie Bell and Eddie Marsan (who was so good in Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky and Paddy Considine's Tyrannosaur). The film will no doubt give a typically Welsh-ian insight into the grim, violent underbelly of Edinburgh — with a few laughs. Filth is in cinemas on November 21, and thanks to Icon Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Whenever Jamie Oliver utters the words "I wish you could smell this," during his television cooking escapades, often people toy with the notion of throwing their set out the window. Because we can't Jamie, we can't smell that pukka steak sarnie. Until now. The not-so-Naked Chef is heading to Sydney for an onstage cooking hootenanny you'll be able to smell with your own nostrils. One of the world's best-loved chefs, Jamie Oliver, is coming to Australia, bring his Food Revolution with him. The 39-year-old culinary master will make his Opera House debut in the Concert Hall on Sunday, March 29, cooking live on stage for Ideas at the House. After nabbing a swag of Emmy's for his ABC show Jamie's Food Revolution, Oliver is intending to get back to basics with Sydney, wanting to show you how to cook delicious, healthy-ish noms with the freshest ingredients. Maybe he'll stop by Jamie's Italian for a little surprise cook-up. A longtime crusader against malnourishment and unhealthy eating, the Ministry of Food maestro is bringing his quest for better food education to Sydney, so you'd better listen up. With less cooking at home, less veggies on our plates (only 5.5 percent of adults eat the recommended daily intake of both fruit and vegetables) and more boxes of processed shit lining our shelves, Australia's slowly becoming one of the most unhealthy places in the world — even though on the surface we're apparently all about the superfoods, kale and pressed juices. Obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of premature death and illness in Australia. Yep, fact. So Oliver's taking it upon himself put Australia back in the kitchen. "I’ve been working in Australia for 15 years now and recently, through the amazing work of my Ministry of Food Centres and trucks, as well as my partnership with Woolworths, I’ve really got to know and understand the scale of the problem in your beautiful country," says Oliver. "You guys have access to such incredible fresh produce but still there are millions of Australians who don’t know how to feed themselves and their families properly. This show is designed to inspire real change so I hope you’ll join me and together we’ll make a real positive difference, while having loads of fun at the same time." Oliver's Food Revolution makes the latest cooking-focused event for Ideas at the House. Over the last three years, the likes of Michael Pollan, Yotam Ottolenghi and Alice Waters have made their culinary philosophies known on the Sydney Opera House stage.
There are plenty of ways to see out one year and welcome in the next. There are plenty of music festivals that offer that experience, too. But Woodford Folk Festival truly is an event like no other. When it sets up shop in southeast Queensland, it turns a patch of the Moreton Bay region into a thriving and heaving arts, music and culture village — and it's finally back to do it all again to farewell 2022 and greet 2023. Back in May, the festival announced that it would indeed return this year, hosting its first fest since 2019. And, it revealed its dates: Tuesday, December 27, 2022–Sunday, January 1, 2023. Now, it has also just locked in who'll be in the bill. It's an enormous lineup, as it always is — but it starts with Boy and Bear, Jaguar Jonze, Dani Im, John Butler and Electric Fields. Also on the program: The Black Seeds, The Black Sorrows, Gabriella Cohen, Spinifex Gum and Urthboy. Given that there's always around 2000 artists putting on 1600-plus shows across the festival's 25 stages, in venues that range from a 25,000-seat amphitheatre to chilled-out hangout spots, the list truly does go on. Whoever piques your interest, or even if you're just keen on a Woodford experience — for the first time, tenth or more — prepare to catch a heap of bands, wander between arts performances and get a little muddy, all around 90 minutes north of Brisbane. The festival will once again take over its Woodfordia parklands base, which now boasts a lake. And, as always, the fest's lineup spans everything from music, art, circus and cabaret to yoga, dance and comedy, plus spoken word, comedy, workshops, bars, cafes and restaurants. Tickets are already on sale, whether you'll be slumbering at one of the fest's multiple campgrounds or just heading along for the day. Whichever fits, you'll have company — more than 120,000 people attended and participated each year in pre-pandemic times. Find highlights from the 2022–23 lineup below, and check out the full list of acts and activities on the Woodford website. WOODFORD 2022–23 LINEUP HIGHLIGHTS: Alysha Brilla Andrew Small Anna Smyrk Ashley Watkins Band of Frequencies The Black Seeds The Black Sorrows Boy & Bear Catherine Britt Coterie Dami Im Dya Singh Electric Fields Electrik Lemonade Emma Donovan & The Putbacks Emily Lubitz Eric Bogle Fred Smith Gabriella Cohen Grace Petrie with Ben Moss Greg Sheehan Hello Tut Tut Hollow Coves Hot Potato Band Inn Echo Jacob Jolliff Band Jaguar Jonze The Jellyman's Daughter John Butler Keyim Ba Lior & Domini Liz Stringer Mama Kin Spender Marlon x Rulla Mia Wray The Monks of Tibet The Moving Stills Neil Murray Parvyn The Paul McKenna Band Rachel Bailman Rich Davies & The Low Road Sorong Samarai The Spooky Men's Chorale Spinifex Gum The Steele Syndicate Super Massive Tenzin Choegyal William Barton Urthboy Yirrmal The 2022–23 Woodford Folk Festival will run from Tuesday, December 27, 2022–Sunday, January 1, 2023 at Woodfordia on the Sunshine Coast. For more information, head to woodfordfolkfestival.com Images: Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr.
If the impending winter chill has you dreaming of cosy nights spent quaffing drams of whisky, there's a new Melbourne-made creation that deserves a spot in your spirits collection. The team at the city's own Starward Whisky has just unveiled the latest edition of its Ginger Beer Cask series — and this spicy little number promises to keep those winter blues at bay. The sixth annual iteration of Starward's ginger-based program is its most experimental yet — French and American oak barrels were used to brew a citrus-filled ginger beer, which was then left to soak up maximum flavour. Next, the casks were emptied and then refilled with a blend of apera (a fortified wine) and single-malt whisky that had been previously aged in red wine barrels. The result is a boldly-flavoured ginger-forward drop with aromas of orange and dark chocolate, and a juicy taste full of vanilla and pineapple accents. Starward's experts say you can try the whisky any way you please, but they particularly recommend sipping it straight, perhaps alongside some good-quality dark chocolate. Either way, it's safe to say you can expect a very good drop — the last Ginger Beer Cask edition took out a gold medal at the World Whisky Masters, as well as a bronze at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition. The special-edition spirit is always quick to sell out, and this year's release is pegged to be no different. In fact, after five increasingly popular runs, Starward is this year using a ballot system to determine who gets first dibs on buying the limited number of bottles available. To be in with a shot, register online before Sunday, May 9. Any remaining bottles will then be available to the general public for purchase on World Whisky Day on Saturday, May 15. And if you'd like to try before you buy, it'll be on the tasting roster at Starward's Port Melbourne distillery bar for a limited time. To get first access to Starward's Ginger Beer Cask #6, register for the ballot online by Sunday, May 9. Ballot holders will then get a few days to purchase a bottle, before any remaining stock goes on sale to the general public on Saturday, May 15. A 500-millilitre bottle will set you back $119, and will be available via the distillery's online store or at its Port Melbourne distillery shop.
As the federal government continues to drag its feet resettling refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict (Australia had managed about 6000 by last November. Canada by comparison, was at well over 30,000), it falls once more to the non-political professions to show the government where the hands go on the humanitarian clock. This time, it's hospitality's turn. On February 27, UNICEF Australia will partner with ten of the country's best chefs for a charity dinner celebrating Syria's strong culinary tradition. Three Blue Ducks in Roseberry will host the posse of gastronomers as they prepare a banquet comprising their signature dishes with a few Syrian flourishes. If you've never been at the mercy of za'atar, pomegranate, Aleppo pepper or tamarind, this could well be a revelation. Tickets are a steep $320 per person (plus booking fee), which includes canapés, cocktails on arrival, a shared Syrian-inspired feast and wine. It may seem on the surface like you're paying for the food, but ten professional chefs jammed into a single kitchen also suggests a night of great theatre. Bennelong's Pete Gilmore, Long Chim's David Thompson and The Bridge Room's Ross Lusted will be in the fray, with Paul Carmichael from Momofuku Seiobo and Ester's Matt Lindsay contending for next use of the colander with equal ferocity. If you've ever wanted to see Kylie Kwong trying to slice potato with steel wool or fighting a pitched battle for the top shelf of the oven, this could well be your chance. While the top guns will have their turn on February 27, UNICEF Australia is encouraging anyone with passing knowledge of an oven to contribute. Restaurants and cafes can produce a limited edition 'Syria' version of a favourite dish, of which a portion of the proceeds will go to UNICEF. For those who deal in culinary delight on a slightly smaller scale, bakes sales are your recommended course. While you're waiting for the oven to pre-heat, there's more information here.
It's the American cable TV network everyone knows by name in Australia, even though it doesn't air here. We all know its famed television static intro clip, too. That'd be HBO, which keeps carving out a place in TV lovers' hearts because it just keeps delivering must-see television programs. The latest example: Scenes From a Marriage. If you know your classic Swedish TV, that name will be familiar. If that doesn't apply to you, this new miniseries is adapted from an iconic work by one of the best Swedish filmmakers ever — the late, great Ingmar Bergman. As its name makes plain, Scenes From a Marriage steps inside a relationship, and finds that it's hardly a picture of domestic bliss. This new version also stars two supremely watchable leads: Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Isaac was last seen on our screens saving the galaxy and fighting evil in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. Chastain last popped up in IT: Chapter Two and the straight-to-digital Ava. And if pairing them up sounds familiar as well, that's because they've already navigated a complex and fraying marriage in 2014's A Most Violent Year. Given how that turned out — phenomenally, that is — seeing the duo team up again promises to be a treat. HBO is positioning this miniseries as a "re-imagining", which means that it shouldn't fastidiously stick to the original's beats — and it'll jump to contemporary times. It'll still explore love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage and divorce, though. Writer/director Hagai Levi (In Treatment, The Affair) does the honours behind the lens — and, if you're keen for a sneak peek, HBO and Foxtel, which'll both air and stream the series in Australia, have just released a teaser trailer. The full series will drop sometime this September. And yes, thanks to everything from Watchmen, Chernobyl and The Undoing to I Know This Much Is True and Mare of Easttown, HBO has had a particularly great run with its miniseries recently. Obviously, that's yet another reason to be excited about Scenes From a Marriage, too. Check out the trailer below: Scenes From a Marriage is set to air on and stream via Foxtel in Australia sometime this September — we'll update you with the exact date when it is announced.
If the pandemic hadn't hit, Sydneysiders would've been able to peer at more than 150 items from Tutankhamun's tomb this year, all without leaving town. So would've Australians visiting the Harbour City, too, because Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh was due to display at Sydney's Australian Museum in 2021 — until the events of the past 15 months or so happened. While the King Tut showcase was sadly cancelled — with that news coming through back in March — the Australian Museum will still be diving into Egyptian history in the near future. Come summer 2023, the venue will play host to Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs. This time, there'll be more than 180 rare artefacts on display, all connected to a different pharaoh, including animal mummies, royal masks, amulets and other golden treasures from the ruler's tomb. Focusing on Egypt's third pharaoh from its nineteenth dynasty — a ruler also known as Ramses II, who reigned from 1279–1213 BCE — this showcase is set to be big. It'll be the largest collection of Ramses II items to ever leave Egypt, in fact, and will also mark the first time in more than three decades that items connected with the pharaoh have left their home country. So, as well as experiencing a slice of history, you'll be able to take a peek at objects that no one has seen outside of Egypt for 30-plus years. Created by World Heritage Exhibitions and supported by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will also let attendees enter the ruler's temples — virtually, via the first walkthrough of its kind. And you'll be able to watch the first full-length documentary that's ever been made about Ramses II's tomb, too. [caption id="attachment_816405" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Grey Nurse Shark at Magic Point off Sydney, Eric Schlogel[/caption] The exhibition will receive funding from New South Wales' 2021–22 budget, as part of $40 million that's being committed to get major cultural exhibitions from around the world to come to the state in the next four years. Also nabbing financial support from the state government, and also coming to the Australian Museum: Sharks, which the site is developing itself. As the name makes plain, it's all about the aquatic animals, and it's set to display at the venue from winter 2022 until summer 2023. "This funding will also help the Australian Museum to premier and globally tour one of the largest, most ambitious glimpses into sharks that any museum has ever produced," said Director and CEO of the Australian Museum Kim McKay AO. "The Australian and Pacific relationship with sharks is completely unique — we know them, we understand them, we live with them every day, and we're going to share this with the world." Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will display at the Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, in the summer of 2023 — with exact dates and details yet to be announced. Sharks will display at the venue from winter 2022–summer 2023, with further details still to be announced. We'll update you with more information about both exhibitions when it is announced.
Wearable art meets wearable music with this trendy idea from New York company Parte LLC. Playbutton is an mp3 player embedded in a badge, each one storing pre-recorded content like an album or mix-tape. Album artwork is printed on the badge, making your music taste an integral part of your fashion statement. Sure, you can't change the sequence of the music or download new content, but that's pretty much the entire idea. It's only fitting to hark back to older forms of music consumption (like listening to an entire album, rather than buying individual songs) when teaming it up with a retro-style fashion accessory. Each Playbutton weighs just 0.8 grams, making it 175 times smaller than a traditional iPod; and bands like Mount Eerie, Bubbles and Opening Ceremony are already on board. In fact all proceeds from the sales of Open Ceremony's Playbutton go to Musicians on Call, a non-profit in New York that brings live and recorded music to hospital patients who are unable to leave their beds. [Via NOTCOT]
Sydney boasts one of the most unique coffee cultures in the world, and two homegrown brewsters are taking this culture to a new, nocturnal level. An open challenge to espresso martinis the world over, say hello to Mr Black, the world’s greatest coffee liqueur. Having taken out the gold medal at London International Wine and Spirits Competition, Phillip Moore and Tom Baker are combining with Nixon Cafe in Surry Hills to host The Grind House, a caffeinated pop-up nightspot showing off the very best that Mr Black can offer over three nights. The Grind House opens up this Friday, and plays host to Dale Bigeni, the artist behind the unique design on each Mr Black bottle, who will create live art all night. Led by Mischa Bonova of Rockpool fame, a team of the city’s finest mixologists will pump out Mr Black cocktails, all set to the beats of DJ Belvedere. The $45 ticket price on opening night gets you a night of beats, booze and art plus three Mr Black cocktails of your choosing. So maybe only have three double espressos beforehand. The Grind House runs over three nights from June 12 to 14. Tickets for opening night are available here.
"Who wants to play tennis at Thredbo in the middle of winter on a Saturday night?" said nobody ever. Thredbo has picked up on this silence and decided to join forces with Smirnoff and erect an enormous snow dome on the Thredbo tennis courts on Saturday, July 20, that will allow skiers, boarders and snowman builders to party deep into the winter night. Once you step inside the Smirnoff Honey Wonderland, you will be transported to a tropical winter world, much like Narnia was except instead of a war there will be a once-in-a-lifetime party featuring ice sculptures, live snow graffiti, UV bubbles and a host of projections that are set to dazzle those who enter the dome. Transforming the structure into a dance dome will be Alison Wonderland (DJ Set), D Cup, SOSUEME DJs, Peking Duk, Kid Kenobi, Goldfields (DJ set), KIM (The Presets), Beni, Sampology (AV Set), Sufar (Rufus DJ Set), Purple Sneaker DJs and other special guests. So if you're planning on heading to Thredbo, leave the tennis racquet out of your luggage and pack your party pants in its place. 18+ Event | Drink Responsibly | DrinkIQ.com
UPDATE, September 19, 2020: RBG is available to stream via DocPlay, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. It's hard to pick just which moment is more endearing: seeing US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lifting weights in the gym wearing a 'super diva!' jumper, or seeing women six decades her junior plaster her glasses-rimmed face across their t-shirts, bags and even skin. Actually, RBG is filled with scenes that top both. Whenever the octogenarian is spied doing what she does best — fighting for women's rights and progressive ideals, first as a lawyer and then as a judge — this documentary lights up. Still, if there's anything that beats just simply witnessing Ginsburg in action, it's watching as she howls with laughter after seeing Kate McKinnon's Saturday Night Live impersonation of her for the first time. That's the kind of film that RBG is — jam-packed with segments that equally inform and entertain, well aware of what Ginsburg stands for, and unashamedly celebratory about her impact and achievements. Co-directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West had each separately interviewed the justice previously, and felt that the time was right for a documentary paying tribute to her life's work. They couldn't have been more accurate, astute or ahead of the curve. Consider the end result not just an ode to an American icon, but a reminder that change is possible, that battling for it is worthwhile, and that both remain the case in today's fraught and fractured US political climate. If you've missed the Notorious RBG memes, the aforementioned SNL skits, and both the praise and vitriol slung Ginsburg's way (including some of the latter from America's tweeter-in-chief), don't worry. RBG fills in the gaps, and doesn't assume that viewers have an intricate knowledge of the US judicial system or the movie's central figure. Rather, it tackles Ginsburg's tale from two angles. As a birth-to-present day chronicle, the film steps through her childhood and her opposites-attract college romance with husband Marty, as well as her determination to juggle law school with motherhood and everything that has come since. As an exploration of her specific legal influence, it delves into several cases in detail, focusing on those that she argued in front of the Supreme Court prior to joining its ranks. Ginsburg's biography, her legal contribution and each of the individual cases featured could easily furnish their own documentaries, but Cohen and West know how to balance these various components. More than that, they know how to insert Ginsburg's personality into the film, and shape it with her drive and spirit. Given that the justice is known for being reserved and serious (when she's not living her lifelong dream of starring in an opera), that might sound easier said than done. But there's humour, heart and a big helping of grit to this highly accessible movie, even when it's largely assembled through talking heads, archival footage and snippets of Ginsburg's recent speaking appearances. Indeed, RBG mimics its eponymous figure in several ways. Like the justice, it's small, smart and striving; thorough and proficient; and eager to make the world a better place than it currently is. The documentary is also a testament to something that isn't always championed quite so enthusiastically: simply working hard, getting things done and not worrying about any fanfare. With the #MeToo movement and the current recognition that gender equality is in a much worse state than it should be, the film couldn't come at a better moment, but capitalising upon the present mood is purely a stroke of good fortune. While Cohen and West knew Ginsburg was gaining a cult following when they first conceived of their project five years ago, they couldn't foresee they world they'd release their film into. Doing what's necessary and right just because there's a need for it — well, that couldn't be a more Ginsburg-esque move. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TnaEg91qIA
It may be hot outside, but it's not quite 'our city in summer' until the Sydney Festival starts up on January 9, bringing with it a tidal wave of performance, music, art and other festivities. Its 2014 program is a massive conglomeration of 104 events, featuring 722 artists from 80 companies across 17 countries. Look out for a much bigger festival garden (so big, in fact, it's now the Festival Village) in Hyde Park, the return of music venue Paradiso at Town Hall and everyone's favourite duck, and a version of Stonehenge that you can bounce on. Yes, bounce on. Hive + 100 Million Nights Nothing screams 'arts festival' like a work that ticks all the mediums at once. Electronic super duo Canyons are collaborating with celebrated visual artist Daniel Boyd to present 100 Million Nights, a multisensory performance making its way around the country. Boyd's digital artwork is presented as a three-panel video installation, in front of which Canyons perform live as a four-piece band. Also included is another sight and sound work by former Battles frontman Tyondai Braxton. Hive will blend modular synthesisers, sound design and percussion with custom built "architecturally designed" illuminated platforms. January 21 at the Sydney Opera House Sacrilege Sacrilege is a life-size inflatable recreation of Stonehenge. That’s right. The enigmatic monument that’s perplexed historians for years has been "reimagined" as a bouncy castle that all and sundry can hop around on. Take that, reverence. After premiering at the London Cultural Olympiad, Sacrilege is now taking over a big whack of Hyde Park. It's 34m long, so there should actually be room for the jumping hordes. January 8-26 at the Festival Village Festival Village We all know Hyde Park is much better when conceived as a kind of Midsummer Night's Dream: a magical, atmospheric hub bounded by strings of lights. This Sydney Festival promises a Festival Village in Hyde Park is the ultimate garden bar, thrice as sprawling as last year's Festival Garden. It's your one-stop summer destination, with Sacrilege for arty exertion; the Spiegeltent, Village Bandstand and Rekorderlig Gazebo for all your entertainment needs; and Gelato Messina, Food Society, Jafe Jaffles and Woofys hot dogs for sustenance (just behold these custom-made Messina creations). Entry is free and the Village gates are open until 2am. January 9-26 at Hyde Park North Dido & Aeneas In the vein of last year's Semele Walk, Dido & Aeneas combines exquisite dance, costumes, singing, music and stagecraft to tell a passionate love story. By Henry Purcell, the Baroque score was described by festival director Lieven Bertels as having "topped the emo charts for almost 350 years now". Most headline-grabbingly, the show is an 'underwater opera', opening with a dance that takes place inside a 7500L water tank. Be prepared; tickets are expensive, but you can see why. January 16-21 at the Lyric Theatre Amadou & Mariam's Eclipse To be a part of Amadou & Mariam's Eclipse, you have to leave the sense upon which you probably feel most dependent — your sight — at the door of the Town Hall. For the entire show, the room will be immersed in pitch-black darkness. Through the course of the show, performers Amadou and Mariam, who met in the 1970s at the Bamako Institute for the Young Blind, sing, play, tell stories of their home in Mali and spray some scents in your direction. January 9-11 at the Town Hall La Voix Humaine La Voix Humaine is like the opposite of Dido and Aeneas. Instead of 60 performers and a whole bunch of stage magic, you get one woman pleading with her lover down the phone line after a break-up. Adapted from the script by legendary poet and film directer Jean Cocteau by Amsterdam's world-renowned Toeneelgroep, it's a chance to peer in to someone else's world, at perhaps its most tense moment. January 9-13 at Carriageworks Hot Dub Time Machine When it played for free at last year's festival, Hot Dub Time Machine caused a crush at the gates of the Spiegeltent. This year, the festival's wised up and programmed more of it, with a $20 cover charge on most occasions. If you can go, do go. Over the course of one long set, Sydney DJ Tom Loud spins, mixes and mashes his way through the story of dance music — since 1954. The catch is that the entire operation is 'powered' by energy generated by the crowd. Whether you're dancing, singing, talking or yelling, you'll be helping to keep the action rolling. January 10 at Parramatta Opening Party; January 11 at Summer Sounds in the Domain; and January 11, 18 and 25 at the Spiegeltent. Andrew Weatherall According to Resident Advisor, Andrew Weatherall was the world's first "proper punk DJ". It might be the first (and last) time that "proper" and "punk" are used in the same sentence, but there's no arguments that Weatherall has earned such a distinction. He's remixed a list of names as long as the Nile, from Bjork to the Manic Street Preachers to My Bloody Valentine to James. His live shows are famously hypnotic, seductive affairs, combining post-punk, dark electro and house. January 26 at the Spiegeltent I, Malvolio A sometime Royal Shakespeare Company director and an original theatre maker of great repute, Tim Crouch drags the “notoriously wronged” steward from Twelfth Night out into the limelight. By the end of that play, Malvolio has been bullied, tricked into thinking his mistress is in love with him, publicly humiliated and institutionalised) And Crouch thinks all of you out there were part of the problem, complicit in Malvolio's torment. The result is a sort of deranged stand-up routine in which Crouch rants at the audience while wearing dirty long johns. From reviews the world over, we know it's hilarious. To see him go full pelt, come to the adults-only show on January 18 at 10pm. January 16-19 at Carriageworks Sun Ra Arkestra Before David Bowie wrote ‘Life on Mars?’, before Vangelis released Albedo 0.39 and even before the original Star Trek, Sun Ra was preoccupied with outer space. But for someone who believed he didn’t belong here, he contributed more than his fair share. The Solar Arkestra, formed in the 1950s, was the first big band to explore total collective improvisation. Underpinned by Sun Ra’s philosophy, which combined ancient Egyptian spirituality with space age possibilities, the group also became known for its striking theatrical elements — sci-fi headdresses, multicoloured robes, metallic capes and dancers were all part of the show. With Sun Ra having passed away in 1993, the Arkestra now performs under the directorship of legendary saxophonist Marshall Allen. January 18 at the State Theatre. And also... There are 104 events all up at the Sydney Festival — so we couldn't go without mentioning a few more of our favourites. Magic/theatre show Bullet Catch calls for you to pull the trigger; Othello: The Remix is a charming "ad-rap-tation"; Forklift features dancers who also hold heavy machinery licences; Amanda Palmer is playing a mere ten Spiegeltent shows; Big Star’s Third sees the cult album played in all its broken, twisted beauty by an all-star band; Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, etc) unite for a collaborative performance; Christian Boltanski’s mega installation Chance fills the space left by last year's Waste Not; and 13 Rooms hit artist Roman Ondak is back for Kaldor Public Art Project 28. By the Concrete Playground team.
Residents of Auckland, Adelaide, Wellington, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane, rejoice — you're living in some of the world's most liveable cities. Thanks to lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions, life in both Australia and New Zealand has been far from normal over the past year and a half; however, six Down Under spots have ranked in the top ten in The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global 2021 Liveability Index. Auckland took out first place, unseating Vienna, which nabbed the top spot for three years between 2018–20. Adelaide came in third, Wellington placed equal fourth and Perth ranked sixth. Also, Melbourne tied for eighth — after coming in second in 2019, and topping the list between 2010–2017 — while Brisbane closed out the top ten. The six Australian and NZ cities were joined by Osaka, which ranked second; Tokyo, which tied for fourth with Wellington; and Switzerland's Zurich and Geneva, which came in at seventh and equal eighth respectively. The annual index ranks 140 cities on stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment, giving each city a rating out of 100. Auckland achieved a score of 96.0 overall — and, at the other end of the list, Damascus in Syria scored 26.5, ranking in 140th spot. It'll come as no surprise that the overall liveability score dropped seven points compared to before the pandemic — or that cities fared better if they had implemented strong border closures, been able to handle the health crisis and/or rolled out vaccines quickly in response to COVID-19. According to the EIU, Auckland soared to the top thanks to "the city's ability to contain the coronavirus pandemic faster and thus lift restrictions earlier, unlike others around the world." The dominance of Australian and NZ cities also came about because "tight border controls have allowed residents to live relatively normal lives." Just missing the top ten: Sydney, which came in 11th. It had ranked third back in 2019. That's hardly a big slide, though, with Vienna now sitting 12th — and the EIU noting that Frankfurt, Hamburg and Dusseldorf, all in Germany, have had the biggest falls among all 140 cities. To read the full Global 2021 Liveability Index, head to the Economist Intelligence Unit's website.
As Sydneysiders, we love a place where we can bring our furry friends — especially when those places sell alcohol. It really does make for a perfect day, and Sydney Beer Week understand this. So for the festival's penultimate day, Grifter Brewing Company and New Zealand Brewery Parrot Dog are joining forces to make for a fun afternoon for both you and your pooch — you'll be able to sip that refreshing brew with your fluffy mate. Head on down to Grifter this Saturday, October 28 with your pup for pints at bar prices.
The Robin Hood Hotel is launching the first in a series of film director-focused events, starting with he of the exactly symmetrical compositions, Wes Anderson. It will be an evening of art and cocktails dedicated to the prolific indie filmmaker. The evening's sponsored by Campari (who's up for one on the rocks a la Steve Zissou?) and All In Brewing Co, who'll be offering exclusive tastings of their new Bill Fucking Murray Malt Liquor at the event. "We’re inviting everyone to get dressed up for the event and come along to enjoy a few of our new cocktails while taking in some art," says licensee Luke Prou. The only fault that we can find in this otherwise perfectly valid excuse to make like Margot Tenenbaum and pair a Lacoste polo dress with a fur coat (fake, of course) is that the whole thing has to fall in the middle of summer. Extra ice with that Campari?
Already made your way out of a serial killer's lair in Sydney? Panic not, a brand new escape room-style adventure is about to land in Sydney. And, instead of trapping you within four walls, it challenges you to get into a room, steal a piece of art and get out with it. Art Heist is the latest project of the Jetpack Theatre Collective, who specialise in out-of-the-box theatrical experiences. Before now, they've managed to chase their audiences through mazes, row them across lakes and transform them into a herd of stampeding rhinos. For Art Heist, Jetpack has built Wade Gallery, a fictional art space in Dulwich Hill. Inside lies a masterpiece titled The Fat Dragon, which is coveted by Adrian Bailey, an unknown benefactor. Acting as one of his thieves, you'll have 45 minutes to steal it for him. Along the way, you'll be deciphering clues, getting around guards, avoiding alarms and squeezing through air vents. The guards aren't just statues or robots, but actual actors, who'll be responding in real time to your moves — that's part of what what sets Art Heist apart from established escape rooms. "With a stressful political climate and incredibly fast-paced news and social media cycle, it can be invigorating to lose yourself in pretending to be somewhere and someone else," said Jim Fishwick, director of Art Heist. "And when culture is now so available on a phone, what does it really mean to go to a theatre or go to a gallery? It's the social connection with the people you're with and the presence of the art around you." Art Heist is at 404 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill, from 1 June–30 July. It runs on Thursday and Friday, 5.30–8.30pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, 1.30–8.30pm. New sessions start each hour.
Love the great outdoors but not the sleeping in a tent bit? Parks Victoria hears you, so it's piloting a new accommodation option across the state's most iconic parks. Introducing Canopy eco sleeper pods. Despite the name, the structures look much more like tiny houses than like the Japanese-style capsule hotels the name evokes. The 'eco' part is spot on, though — each pod has been designed with sustainability in mind, using eco-friendly, low impact materials with a focus on energy efficiency and minimal impact on the surrounding landscape. The pilot program will run from April through July, starting off in Point Nepean National Park. Four pods will be tested during the pilot, two from JAWS Architects and Pod Matrix and two from Oscar Building and Troppo Architects. Of course, this means the pods will come in a variety of styles — with and without kitchen and bathroom facilities, along with 'off-grid' models which are fully self-sufficient with electricity and running water. While still in pilot phase, people are encouraged to stop by to view and provide feedback on the pods, specifically on aspects of design, amenity, accessibility, visual impact and visitor experience. You are also able to register interest for an overnight test stay in one of the Point Nepean pods. If the pilot is successful, you can expect Canopy to pop-up in national parks across the state. For more information on the project or to provide feedback, visit the website here.
2023 marks eight years since one of the greatest living American directors last released a film. While he did direct an episode of Tokyo Vice's first season in 2022, Michael Mann hasn't had a movie flicker across the big screen since 2015's Blackhat. Thankfully, that's changing with a picture that also gives the world Adam Driver as a race car driver-turned-sports car entrepreneur: Ferrari. Mann adds Ferrari to a resume that also includes 80s masterpiece Thief, The Last of the Mohicans and Heat in the 90s, plus Collateral, Miami Vice and more. For Driver, the film proves another case of living up to his name on-screen. He's played a bus driver in Paterson, and piloted a spaceship in the Star Wars sequel trilogy as well as 65. So, zipping through the Italian streets here fits easily. As both Ferrari's first teaser trailer and just-dropped new full sneak peek show, Driver is behind the wheel in a film that focuses on its namesake when he's an ex-racer. As adapted from Brock Yates' book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Cars, The Races, The Machine, Mann's movie hones in on specific chapter of Enzo Ferrari's life: 1957, as potential bankruptcy looms over his factory, his marriage is struggling after a heartbreaking loss and his drivers approach the Mille Miglia race. Accordingly, Ferrari promises to peer behind the Formula 1 facade, into Enzo's relationship with his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz, Official Competition), the death of their boy Dino, and the son Piero with Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley, Robots) that he doesn't want to acknowledge. If you know your racing history, you'll also know that 1957's Mille Miglia — which spanned 1000 miles across Italy — was its last due to multiple deaths during the event. So, that race won't be an insignificant part of the film. Set to release at Christmas in the US and on January 4, 2024 Down Under, Ferrari also stars Patrick Dempsey (Disenchanted), Jack O'Connell (Lady Chatterley's Lover), Sarah Gadon (Black Bear) and Gabriel Leone (Dom). Check out the trailer for Ferrari below: Ferrari releases in cinemas Down Under on January 4, 2024. Images: Lorenzo Sisti / Eros Hoagland.
This month, Woolloomooloo's 100 percent vegan Alibi Bar and Kitchen is adding a boozy vegan shake offering to its Dirty Greens bar menu. That means you'll be able to tuck into plant-based versions of American diner favourites, complete with an OTT milkshake made with Gelatissimo vegan gelato. Available from Saturday, March 7, to Saturday, April 4, the For Goodness Shake range features three different boozy shakes, starting with the Pot of Gold — caramel mud cake gelato is mixed up with Irish whiskey, almond milk and vanilla, and topped with vegan whipped cream, cranberry shortbread, toasted hazelnuts, honeycomb and a peanut protein ball. Chocolate lovers might go for the Triple Threat, starring triple choc gelato, macadamia milk, hazelnut liqueur, Amaretto and vodka, with hazelnut spread, waffle cone, toasted marshmallow and a vegan 'Snickers' stacked up on top. For something a little fruity, the Tropicolada is coconut cherry choc gelato, ten-year-old Caribbean rum, falernum syrup, tropical purée and lime zest and is complete with Persian fairy floss, rainbow sprinkles and a ginger and macadamia cookie. These specialty cocktails come in at $20 a pop, or make it a combo with a burger for $29 — the deal comes with either the Alibi Burger (an Alt. Meat Co patty in a potato bun with lettuce, tomato, pickles and aioli) or the Chick'n Waffle Burger with slaw, pickles and a house-made smoky hot sauce. Elsewhere on the Dirty Greens menu, you'll find mac 'n' cheese bites, cheeseburger spring rolls, hot dogs made with Alt. Meat Co sausages, 'pepperoni' pizza and more. The Dirty Greens bar menu and the 'For Goodness Shake' range is available from 4–11pm every Tuesday to Sunday.
If you've ever listened to a true-crime podcast, decided that you'd make a great Serial host yourself and started wondering how you'd ever follow in Sarah Koenig's footsteps, then you should be watching Only Murders in the Building. The Disney+ series follows three New Yorkers who basically follow that same process. Here, actor Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), theatre producer Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and the much-younger Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) are all obsessed with a podcast hosted by the fictional Cinda Canning (Tina Fey, Girls5eva). They find themselves bonding over it, in fact. And, when someone turns up dead in their building, they decide that they can sleuth their way through the case by getting talking themselves. First hitting streaming last month, and now dropping new episodes week-by-week, the series has been unfurling its first season in a very entertaining fashion. It's exceptionally well-cast, and makes makes the most of its main trio's mismatched vibe. It's filled with hearty affection for everything it jokes about, resulting in an upbeat satire of true-crime obsessions, podcasting's pervasiveness and the intersection of the two. It adores its single-setting Agatha Christie-lite setup, it's always empathetic, and it also loves peppering in highly recognisable co-stars and guest stars such as Fey, Nathan Lane (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), Amy Ryan (Late Night) and even Sting. With the latter, it isn't above making puns about not standing so close to him, or just serving up jokes on that level in general. Yes, it's a delight. And, although it's only five episodes in so far, Only Murders in the Building has just been renewed for a second season. So, if you'd like more of a show that's basically Knives Out, but a sitcom and also a little goofier, you're in luck. Expect another round of murder and podcasting. Expect another suspicious death in the show's Arconia building, too, given the series' title. That's great news for viewers, but probably not for the apartment block's residents — other than Martin, Short and Gomez's characters, that is. Exactly what the next season will cover and when it'll arrive hasn't yet been revealed; however, co-creator and executive producer John Hoffman said that "to carry on our show's wild ride of mystery-comedy-empathy is too exciting for words." Streaming as part of Disney+'s new Star expansion, which launched in Australia back in February this year, Only Murders in the Building enjoyed Star's most-watched premiere among its original series. So, it clearly already (and deservedly) has plenty of fans, all ready not just for the next five episodes of season one, but for another season afterwards. Check out the trailer for Only Murders in the Building below: The first five episodes of Only Murders in the Building's first season are available to stream now via Star on Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly. Read our full review. The show will return for a second season, but exactly when that'll be hasn't yet been announced. Images: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu.
In a festival full of buzzing crowds and street vendors, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is offering a more calming experience as it hosts Saturday morning Tai Chi classes. Conducted by Fiona Maiyin Thockloth from the Inner Peace & Wellbeing Centre, the lessons take an hour out of your weekend and promote mental clarity in the beautiful garden surrounds. It's a popular class, so make sure you get there 15 minutes early to sign up. If you want to keep learning over the Chinese New Year festival, try fan dancing and other workshops.
Australia's theatre scene hasn't had much to smile about in 2020; however, before the year is out, some venues around the country will kick back into gear with a little help from their friends. Well, with Friends! The Musical Parody to be specific — with the comedic, song-filled satire of everyone's favourite 90s sitcom touring the country in November and December. Scheduled to kick off in Melbourne before being there for audiences in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, Friends! The Musical Parody will spend time with Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe, of course. Here, they're hanging out at their beloved Central Perk — and sitting on an orange couch, no doubt — when a runaway bride shakes up their day. Call it 'The One with the Loving, Laugh-Filled Lampoon', or 'The One That Both Makes Good-Natured Fun of and Celebrates an Iconic Sitcom'. Yes, no one told you that being obsessed with the Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer-starring show about six New Yorkers would turn out this way — with on-stage skits and gags, recreations of some of the series' best-known moments, and songs with titles such as 'How you Doin?' and 'We'll Always Be There For You'. That said, no one told us that being a Friends aficionado would continue to serve up so many chances to indulge our fandom 16 years after it finished airing, including via an upcoming reunion special that'll gather the TV series' main cast back together. A hit in New York and Los Vegas, Friends! The Musical Parody was actually due to make its way around the nation from August–September, but then came the COVID-19 pandemic. If you already had a ticket for an earlier date, you'll be, contacted about the rescheduled dates. FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Comedy Theatre, Melbourne: Wednesday, November 4–Saturday, November 7 Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane: Thursday, November 19–Saturday, November 21 Regal Theatre, Perth: Saturday, November 28 Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide: Friday, December 4 Riverside Theatres, Parramatta: Thursday, December 17–Saturday, December 19 https://www.facebook.com/friendsthemusicalau/photos/a.1094246727578341/1225756067760739/?type=3&theater Friends! The Musical Parody tours the country from Wednesday, November 4–Saturday, December 19. For further details, and to buy tickets, visit the production's website.
Australia will soon get to see The Wind Rises (Kaze tachinu), the supposedly final work from Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro), who based the film on his own manga comic of the same name. Set in Japan pre-WWII, the critically acclaimed animated drama follows the life of a young flight-obsessed engineer who designs Japanese fighter planes, a plot inspired by the real-life creator of the Mitsubishi A5M and A6M Zero, Jiro Horikoshi. As the highest grossing Japanese film of 2013, The Wind Rises also took out the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. It sounds like a must-see for Studio Ghibli fans and aviation nerds, plus those keen to experience what sounds like the last film from a truly legendary animator. The film will play in Japanese and English, with respective subtitles. Its English language cast includes Joseph Gordon Levitt, Elijah Wood and Emily Blunt. The Wind Rises is in cinemas on Thursday, February 27, and thanks to Madman Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
The Carriageworks Unplugged + Uncomplicated sessions fill the last Saturday of every month with hours of free music. The venue already runs its own kitchen garden to stock the cafe, and for their second session of the year they're planting trees for your entertainment. Or entertaining you for the benefit of trees. As part of their ongoing mission to turn public entertainment into foliage, Music for Trees is putting on a full five hours of music. The event covers Carriageworks' cavernous foyer, letting you sit at the bar, eat at the cafe or simply dot yourself among the equally cavernous beanbags spread around the vaulted concrete space. Saturday's line-up features all-local artists, including the upbeat Liz Martin, guitar duo Tom Hespe and Rich Mason, Emad Younan, often harmonious Bhanglassi, James Brennan and the Brutal Poodles. If you like their sounds, you can donate something to Music for Trees, who'll change every dollar into funding for five seedlings in places where people can't afford to plant. So come to Everleigh and convert an afternoon of blissful sloth into a grove of beautiful saplings.
Just ten short months ago, seeing a new high-profile movie was a rather straightforward affair. When a big-screen release date was announced for a film, that's generally when it would hit theatres, perhaps with a few minor shifts here and there. But then, as we all know, the pandemic hit. Film release dates started being postponed and have kept up that trend, with big-name flicks pushing their openings back by around a year in some cases. And, recognising that the cinema industry mightn't return to normal worldwide while COVID-19 is still spreading, a few of those eagerly anticipated movies have been making the jump to streaming instead. Add Soul, Pixar's latest film, to the latter category. Instead of releasing in cinemas, it'll now head straight to Disney+ in December. If your Christmas plans usually involve lots of food and then some couch time, you'll be able to feast your eyeballs on the animation studio's new all-ages effort, as it'll hit the Mouse House's streaming platform on Friday, December 25. This isn't the first time that Disney, or even the Disney-owned Pixar, have taken this leap. Earlier in 2020, Pixar's Onward was moved to Disney+ once cinemas started closing down worldwide. Disney also sent terrible fantasy flick Artemis Fowl straight to streaming mid-year, as well as the phenomenal live recording of hit musical Hamilton. The same happened with its big-budget live-action version of Mulan, too, albeit with an added cost involved on top of the normal Disney+ subscription price. With Soul, viewers won't have to fork out anything extra, with the film available as a regular part of the streaming platform's catalogue. And if you're a big fan of Pixar's fondness for layering eye-catching imagery over a shared existential question — what it means to be alive and to feel, regardless of whether you're a toy, bug, monster, fish, superhero, car, rat, robot, dinosaur or emotion — this is clearly great news. As viewers can't help noticing, the animation powerhouse has been leaning into its favourite idea with plenty of force of late. Inside Out focused its attention on the emotions warring inside the heart and mind of a young girl, guiding her every thought, feeling and decision, while Coco drew upon the Mexican Day of the Dead, following a young boy as he wandered through the world beyond the mortal coil. Now, with Soul, Pixar looks to be borrowing from and combining parts of those two movies. It hones in on a school teacher who dreams of becoming a jazz musician, then falls down an open manhole and into a dark realm that looks rather like the afterlife. His titular essence is detached from his body, comes across a far more cynical counterpart and, in the process, starts wondering what it really means to have a soul. Jamie Foxx voices jazz-lover Joe Gardner, who is already musing on life's important questions — why is he here, what is he meant to be doing and what existence is all about — before his accident. Once he has tumbled down the manhole, he spends his time bantering with 22, voiced by Tina Fey. As well as whipping out a nifty cowboy dance, 22 doesn't think that life on earth is all that great. Audiences can expect to tag along on Joe's metaphysical journey, and to enjoy Foxx and Fey's comedic double act. The film also features the vocal talents of Questlove, Phylicia Rashad and Hamilton's Daveed Diggs, and boasts a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. And if you're wondering where the movie's central idea comes from (other than Pixar's back catalogue), writer/director Pete Docter started thinking about the origin of our personalities when his son was born more than two decades ago. Docter also helmed two of Pixar's big hits — and big emotional heavy hitters — in Up and Inside Out, nabbing Oscars for Best Animated Feature for both. Check out the trailer for Soul below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOsLIiBStEs Soul will start streaming on Disney+ on Friday, December 25, as part of the streaming service's regular subscription offering.
Billboards are traditionally known for their advertising, but in a world first, Peruvians prove they can offer an alternative function: producing water out of thin air. The University of Engineering and Technology in Lima, the second largest capital city in the world set on a desert, has developed this incredible billboard, which could improve the health of hundreds of citizens. The contraption contains generators that capture the air's humidity, which due to the lack of rain in the region is usually at 98 percent. This is then treated through air and carbon filters, condensed into purified water, and stored in tanks to be accessed by taps at the base of the billboard. Because so many people in the area source their (often polluted) water from wells, this potable water is a real help to the millions of residents of the city. The billboard produces 9450L water over a period of three months, which is enough clean water to cover the consumption of hundreds of families each month. The multifunction billboard does also advertise for the University that developed it — but then, this innovative, life-saving creation does warrant the right to brag just a little bit. Take a look at this video to find out more about how the billboard works and the effects it's had on the people of Lima. Via PSFK.
Surrounded by slabs of concrete, a neglected parking spot doesn't seem like the first choice to showcase an artist's latest collection. However, buried metres underground, a few innovative Sydney-based creatives had a classic light-bulb moment back in 2011. With just 5x5m of lifeless, grey cement and a burning desire to revive unused urban spaces, ALASKA Projects was born. For the fifth year running, photographer Samuel Hodge will be transforming this artist-run initiative with his most recent series, Skate or Die. In his usual offbeat style, Hodge's playful exploration of self and sexuality will come to life in one of Sydney's most unexpected and unassuming micro-galleries. Fresh from gallivanting around the likes of Berlin and Oslo for a string of multimedia projects, Hodge's return down under has seen his work take on a unique, worldly quality. ALASKA's one-of-a-kind design seems only fitting for an artist with an aesthetic as peculiar and distinctive as this. The exhibition opens on Wednesday, January 14, from 6-8pm. The gallery is then open on Saturday and Sunday 1-6pm or by appointment.
Unless you're Gene Kelly, there aren't too many of us that are happy when it rains. But that's the point of this collaborative exhibition hosted by craft bevvie curators MoCU and curated by the founder of the Alaska Projects, Sebastian Goldspink. Eight Australian artists, including Bridie Connell, Jason Wing, Kate Scardifield, and Lauren Webster, have been commissioned to create the works for the exhibition. "Each of the pieces being created is dark in tone but share a sense of light," Goldspink said, revealing the dichotomous nature of the artworks that highlight their own internal oppositions. This quality of internal dissonance, however, serves to show that there is a unifying characteristic of craftsmanship behind each piece. It's all about the craftsmanship for MoCU, too, who will be providing artisan wines and craft beer and cider matched to the artworks. Studio Neon head chef Aaron Teece will also be on-hand with a specially created canapé menu. Entry is $10 and includes a drink and a canapé.
It's no secret that staying active — and comfortable — while pregnant can be a bit of a struggle. Lifestyle brand Active Truth knows this all too well — it's run by two Brisbane mums, Stevie Angel and Nadia Tucker, after all. They've created award-winning maternity activewear that you can wear all day, every day throughout your pregnancy. Supporting women of all shapes, sizes and pregnancy stages, these leggings come in sizes small through 3XL and can be worn through every trimester, as well as post-natal. The duo created a compression fabric that provides secure support and is especially designed to help ease some of the pains and strains experienced during pregnancy. The tights will stay in place throughout your workout, too, and the compression fit assists in reducing leg swelling and soreness to boot. Available in black, dark navy and leopard print, the leggings range in four lengths, from bike shorts to full leg. Plus Active Truth products even come with pockets, so you can leave the house with nothing but your phone. The waistband can be worn up as high rise or as hip huggers and is flexible to fit all mums. If you're pregnant — or hoping to be in the near future — you can jump online now and grab a pair with the brand currently running a 20 percent discount on all orders (just enter ATMAMA20 at checkout). Active Truth also offers free express shipping worldwide — and uses compostable packaging, no less. Active Truth is currently offering 20 percent off all orders (enter ATMAMA20 at checkout) and free express shipping. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Why settle for a tree-house when you can have a tree-in-the-house? We're not talking about your average Christmas decoration, but four storeys of architecture wrapped around a living, adult-sized fir tree. This one may well call for a revision of our top ten tree-houses for grown-ups. A. Masow Design Studio have installed the invention in the Almaty Mountains, Kazakhstan. Cylindrical in shape, the tree-in-the-house features hardwood floors, a spiral staircase and glass walls and ceiling. A hole through the middle provides room for the trunk and branches, as well as a neat method for the disposal of organic waste. According to the designer, Almasov Aibek, the creation offers an immersive natural experience, encouraging us to "feel more fusion with nature and give up some unnecessary conditions and things", and to cultivate "spiritual and creative development ... It was to be a place where you could sit with a friend and discuss ideas and philosophise". A. Masow Design Studio's other visionary works include the isolated, solar-powered ImagineHouse; a minimalist loft in New York City; an energy-efficient art gallery on Manhattan; and a design centre for Astana, Kazakhstan. Via PSFK.
Family-friendly favourite Taronga Zoo is undergoing a midyear transformation this June, reimagining the zoo as a winter wonderland complete with pop-up food stalls, hot chocolate and an openair ice rink. That's what's on the agenda at Taronga's Frozen Zoo, which will kick off from Saturday, June 25 and run for the duration of the school holidays. Sydneysiders looking to get out and about this chilly season can head to Mosman for the zoo's 3500 animals, stunning city views and a spin around the ice rink. Set in front of the zoo's heritage gates, the pop-up rink is designed for all ages, from little skaters getting their footing on the ice for the first time through to adult skating aficionados. And with the zoo open daily until 8pm, the winter activities also offer an idyllic date spot for couples looking to mix things up from the regular dinner-and-movie night. The ice skating sessions will run for 45 minutes, with access to the rink ranging from $20–23. To access the Frozen Zoo, you don't need to buy a ticket to Taronga; however, if you want to head to both, you can package all your tickets together and score a discount. Alongside the winter activations, the zoo also offers a high ropes course and countless animal exhibits, including Taronga's two latest family members: Taro the tree kangaroo joey and Humphrey the koala joey. If you need some extra time to explore the place and you're looking for a one-of-a-kind staycation, Taronga is also home to a 62-room eco-retreat. The retreat is located in a sanctuary where koalas, wallabies, red kangaroos, echidnas and platypus live, so you can wander out to spot some at your own leisure, or else join a tour of the still-quiet zoo at sunrise. [caption id="attachment_816458" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taro the Tree Joey, Guy Dixon[/caption] Frozen Zoo will run Saturday, June 26–Sunday, July 11, 10am–8pm seven days a week. Taronga Zoo is located at Bradleys Head Road, Mosman.
How great is this party? If you've watched the first season of Apple TV+'s The Afterparty, you'll know that that statement applies in multiple ways. It's part of a song within the sleuthing series. Also, one of its on-screen figures believes the phrase sums up an entire genre of tunes, aka party bangers. And, it's also a great way to describe the whole show so far, which is indeed ace. The team at Apple's streaming platform clearly agree with the latter, too — because they've just renewed the star-studded murder-mystery program for a second season. And if your inner investigator is wondering how that'll work given that The Afterparty's first run of episodes, which just wrapped up on Friday, March 4, felt self-contained, we have two words for you: Detective Danner. That's the character played by Tiffany Haddish (The Card Counter), and she'll be back for season two. While she had top-notch company the first time around — a killer cast that also included Sam Richardson (Detroiters), Ben Schwartz (Space Force), Zoe Chao (Love Life), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project), Dave Franco (If Beale Street Could Talk), Jamie Demetriou (The Great) and John Early (Search Party) — this time she'll be poking into a new case, so you can likely expect a whole new roster of names to join her. Presumably, some sort of afterparty will still remain part of the concept — unless there'll be a change of name. If you haven't yet watched the first season, it's set at an afterparty (obviously) at obnoxious autotune-abusing pop star Xavier's (Franco) lavish mansion following his 15-year high-school reunion. When he winds up dead, everyone is shocked but no one is overly upset, which gives the determined Danner plenty of suspects. Of course, while the settings change, and the motley crew of characters involved as well, plenty of whodunnits share the same premise. Take a ragtag group of folks, pop them all in the same spot, kill one off and then start asking questions — that's it, that's the formula. It works for boardgame Cluedo, it worked for Agatha Christie and her lengthy list of Hercule Poirot novels and stories, and it's also been behind everything from Knives Out and The Translators to Only Murders in the Building in the past few years. So, letting The Afterparty have another run at it should be easy for writer/director Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie). Exactly when The Afterparty's second season will arrive, who'll be getting killed and which other recognisable faces will star haven't yet been revealed. For now, keep your fingers crossed for another batch of episodes that twist in its their own directions, tell their tale with flair and approach the show's overall idea with a savvy sense of humour. Check out the trailer for The Afterparty below: The first season of The Afterparty is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. We'll update you with details about the second season's release date when it's announced.
While working with one of the first female master gin distillers in the world, Joanne Moore of Greenall's Gin, to develop a bluffer's guide to the botanical drop and to get the lowdown on some top gin drinks to make at home, we were inspired by Joanne's story. She's helped pave the way for female distillers and within a heritage company like Greenall's. So, we thought we'd have a look at some other ladies who are also shaking things up, making things happen and pioneering some pretty excellent projects. We've sourced the creme de la femme from a wide range of careers and corners of the globe and asked them, well, pretty much everything from where French mademoiselles hide their croissant crumbs (though, spoiler alert, we still don't know) to how to actually master the barbecue to what it takes to go head-to-head with Tommy Shelby of Peaky Blinders. Here we present some inspiring women to put on your radars — if they're not there already, that is. JOANNE MOORE — MASTER DISTILLER, GREENALL'S GIN Joanne Moore is one of the world's first female master gin distillers, and seventh master distiller for Greenall's, which has been in operation since 1761 — making it Britain's oldest gin distillery. Knowing that she wanted to work with one of the oldest and most revered gin distilleries in the world, Joanne started her way in quality control, where she learned about the production process. Raw ingredients, distilling and bottling eventually led her into the wonderful world of botanicals and creating gins. Around the same time as the Peaky Blinders were creating their fictional gins, Greenall's was creating a single powerful enterprise: they were distillers, rectifiers, wine and spirit merchants, importers, brewers, maltsters and ale, beer and porter merchants. And as much as we'd like to believe it's all sipping and nattering for a master distiller — though, we're not necessarily saying it's not, either — it does take years of expertise. A typical day for Joanne can involve approving samples on the Greenall's tasting panel (raw ingredients or finished products), taking customer visits, doing house tours or hosting masterclasses. Joanne's advice for anyone getting into distilling is "do it for the right reasons…You won't be an expert immediately, but have fun, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. That's how we evolve and learn." [caption id="attachment_668102" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Tarasiuk.[/caption] KATE REID — FOUNDER, LUNE CROISSANTERIE Kate Reid can't remember her first ever croissant, but estimates that "it sure as hell wouldn't exactly have been an artisan one!" She's come a long way since to prove what one innovative woman unbound to traditional methods can truly achieve. Slung in the back streets of Fitzroy, Lune is notorious for selling out of its creations (think cruffins with lemon curd and twice-baked black forest beauties) plus it's been said with authority that the croissanterie is serving up quite probably the best croissants in the world. Yet, when Kate started Lune, she realised her stint in France (where she trained at top Parisian boulangerie Du Pain et des Idees) saw her learning only 15 to 20 percent of the entire artisan craft. "My background in engineering played a big part in the development of techniques. I would change one variable at a time and analyse the differences it made to the final baked product. If it was an improvement, it would become the new baseline technique. "This has the bonus knock-on effect of not being tied to a century-old classic French technique; all of our processes are always up for improvement and development," she says. And when it comes to any advice for us antipodeans oneating a pastry like a French mademoiselle, the whole 'no crumb left behind' sort of deal is still a mystery to her, too. But if anyone were to work it out, it'll surely be Kate. [caption id="attachment_668103" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Izzy Gramp.[/caption] LISY KANE — CO-FOUNDER, GIRL GEEK ACADEMY AND LEAGUE OF GEEKS To those thinking the only roles for women in STEM involve being the social bridge (here's looking at you IT Crowd's Jen Barber), then think again. In a global movement aimed at encouraging women to learn technology and build more of the internet, the Girl Geek Academy (GGA) squad has more arms and intelligence than an octopus. Co-founder Lisy Kane has also curated the first ever Australian all-female game-making day #SheMakesGames and was recognised by Forbes in the prestigious top 30 list, Forbes 30 Under 30 2017: Games. "Whether directly or indirectly, I'm now on the map and I get invited to provide keynotes at really prestigious industry events in Australia, the US and the UK. Through these opportunities, I get to hold myself up as a young woman in the game dev industry and show other young women that it's normal to be a girl in games. That's exactly the image we need to project out there to help bridge the gender gap in the industry." [caption id="attachment_668101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Madeline Kate Photography.[/caption] JESS PRYLES — PITMASTER AND CO-FOUNDER, AUSTRALASIAN BBQ ALLIANCE Having co-founded the Australasian BBQ Alliance, Jess Pryles is an internationally respected authority on live fire cooking and barbecue and has been breaking the outdated barbecue code (see: male-dominated) for the past ten years. She explains how there's so much more to the title of pitmaster than one may realise. "Generally, the term is bandied about and there's no regulation for it. But there's a consensus that it should be reserved for someone who has reached the top of their art and not just somebody who happens to be a barbecuer," says Jess. Jess was lured into the craft when she had her first taste of intensely smoked meat in Texas. "It's such a different experience for the palate that it became this 'aha' moment." She's now whipping up everything from beef tongue that perfectly falls apart for tacos to whole deer neck that she makes into smoked venison stock. Her advice on smoking meats and firing through to the top? "You've got to have a tremendous amount of patience. It's expensive and laborious, and the reality is, you [need to] cook and fail, and do it again and again and understand how to troubleshoot. That's what it takes." [caption id="attachment_668104" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Greg Holland.[/caption] SIOBHAN MCGINNITY — MUSICIAN AND AUDIOLOGIST, MUSICIANS FOR HEARING The most sensory gigs happening in Australia right now could rightly be the Musicians for Hearing events. Established by Siobhan McGinnity, the company presents live music translated into Auslan and performed in tandem by interpreters. Her quest involves helping raise awareness and creating connections — plus, bridging an ironically unheard of gap in healthcare: hearing. Siobhan found her way into audiology by stumbling into a clinic and quizzing the doctor. She's now on the path to specialise in rehabilitating hearing loss and balance disorders. "I want to work in a niche area: protecting musicians and their hearing," she says. And with one in six Australians being affected by some sort of hearing loss — 74 percent of musicians with a form of hearing injury — it makes sense we should care about how we appreciate music. The gigs according to Siobhan are "a music fruit salad" — rock, pop, contemporary, hip hop, you name it — and funds raised from events being donated overseas toward hearing care in countries like Cambodia. "It's the most beautiful thing seeing people who are deaf and hearing standing side-by-side and being able to communicate through music," says Siobhan.
