With 2012's Wadjda, Haifaa al-Mansour became the first female filmmaker from Saudi Arabia to make a full-length movie. Fittingly, she achieved the feat via a powerful tale about a girl breaking boundaries — by fighting to ride a bicycle in the street, an activity that's by no means routine in the Middle Eastern country. A hopeful yet truthful film that depicts the present-day reality for Saudi women, while also remaining committed to dreaming of a different future, al-Mansour's directorial debut marked the first-ever feature shot entirely in her homeland, too. Accordingly, she smashed barriers in multiple ways, including both on- and off-screen. Nine years later, she demonstrates the same spirit again with The Perfect Candidate. After exploring another female trailblazer in 2017 biopic Mary Shelley, then pondering the beauty standards imposed upon women in 2018 rom-com Nappily Ever After, al-Mansour delivers the ideal companion piece to her applauded first picture — this time focusing on a young Saudi doctor who tackles her town's misogynistic and patronising attitudes by running for local council. No matter the day or situation, the ambitious Maryam (debutant Mila al-Zahrani) is repeatedly reminded that women aren't considered equal in her community. In one of The Perfect Candidate's early scenes, an elderly male patient writhes in agony, but is more upset about the fact that she'll be treating him — until Maryam's condescending boss proclaims that male nurses can easily step in and do the job for her. When her recently widowed musician father Abdulaziz (Khalid Abdulraheem) goes away on tour, she attempts to fly to Dubai for a medical conference and subsequent job interview that would see her move to Riyadh. Alas, she's stopped from departing because her dad hasn't updated her travel permit, and she can't leave unless he rectifies the paperwork. A male cousin (Ahmad Alsulaimy) in a role of authority within the government might be able to assist, but even the bonds of blood aren't enough to get her through the door to his office. He's interviewing and approving candidates for the municipal election, so Maryam puts her name forward just to progress past his secretary. That still doesn't help her make her flight, but it does send her in a different direction. While already struggling to convince her employers to pave the road to the town's emergency medical clinic, she decides to run to fix that specific problem — and the more backlash she receives for putting herself in contention, the more determined she is to campaign for change. The Perfect Candidate is filled with moments that convey Saudi Arabia's strong and strict gender divide. The film might start with Maryam driving — a right that was only granted to Saudi women in 2018 — but engrained patriarchal attitudes nonetheless shape every aspect of the character's life. "Keep her away from me! Don't look into my eyes!" the aforementioned patient screams, and horrifyingly so. The reactions from airport staff and bureaucrats when she tries to travel without her legal guardian's approval aren't as blunt, but they still infuriatingly endeavour to put Maryam in her societally deemed place. When she releases a video announcing her candidacy, even her younger sister Sara (Nora al-Awad) is mortified, not to mention embarrassed by the scathing comments sent Maryam's way by women and men alike. During a TV interview with a male journalist, she's asked if she cares about female issues, such as gardening. Naturally, she isn't impressed. And at an event to sway male voters — one where tradition dictates that she can't address them directly, forcing her to rely on new friend Omar (Tareq Ahmed al-Khaldi) to play host — she's instantly dismissed because she's a woman and mocked because her late mother was a wedding singer. When Maryam is glaring daggers at dismissive colleagues from beneath her niqāb, swapping fierce words with her public detractors or doing her best to care for patients that abhor her presence simply because she's a woman, first-timer al-Zahrani is a furious force to be reckoned with. But again and again, she also relays the weariness that lingers beneath every concerted effort to overcome the boundaries applied to Maryam due to her gender. Indeed, two of the film's very best scenes — and two of al-Zahrani's firm highlights — swing from one extreme to the other. The ferociousness that echoes from the screen during Maryam's television appearance sits in stark contrast to the baked-in exhaustion and exasperation that's evident when she's sitting alone in her family's courtyard on election night. Al-Mansour guides nuanced and multi-layered performances out of the bulk of her cast of newcomers, and constantly has Patrick Orth's (Toni Erdmann) naturalistic cinematography peer at them closely, but she has unearthed a powerhouse portrayal from her magnetic lead performer It would've been easy for al-Mansour and al-Zahrani to lean exclusively on anger, dismay and indignation — Maryam's, as well as the audience's — to fuel The Perfect Candidate, but that's not the only approach they take. The sights seen, attitudes expressed and scenes witnessed also help dive into the daily minutiae for Saudi women, including glimpses of the rare occasions when they're permitted a reprieve from male oversight. Both heated and warm exchanges between Maryam, Sara and their elder sister Selma (Dae al-Hilali) are intimately observed. So too are the wedding receptions and parties that the latter sibling stages in her job as an events planner. And the film provides broader context as well, by also spending time with Maryam's worrying father during his travels. He isn't simply concerned about his daughters' choices, but also about the need for him to even play the culturally demanded role as their guardian. Abdulaziz doesn't ever steal the movie's focus, but his subplot does make it plain that the oppressive status quo is also unwieldy for those who just want the best for their children. As penned by al-Mansour and producer/co-writer Brad Niemann, The Perfect Candidate's script may hit plenty of foreseeable narrative beats; however, this rousing, spirited and gripping feature equally unpacks life in Saudi Arabia today, avoids painting it as straightforward or clear-cut, and agitates passionately for change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GC--RZ3jOo
Two sets of unsavoury characters meet in a Boston warehouse in the dead of night to exchange a suitcase full of money for a truck full of guns. It should be a simple swap, but inevitably the deal goes pear-shaped and bullets begin to fly. As premises go, the one at the heart of Free Fire could hardly be any simpler. But it's that simplicity, in part, that makes this pitch-black action comedy work as well as it does. Taking the glamour, if not the glee, out of violent big-screen gun battles, Free Fire draws more on slapstick comedies than it does Hollywood shoot 'em ups. No one here is a particularly good shot, with the characters spending the bulk of their time huddled behind makeshift barriers nursing flesh wounds and screaming obscenities. Every injury is another punch line, as foot chases slow to a stumble and eventually a crawl. At times, you may wish director Ben Wheatley did a better job maintaining a sense of visual geography – it's not always clear which character is where or who it is they're shooting at. Then again, the film is fundamentally about confusion, so perhaps that's the point. A percussion heavy jazz score accentuates the sense of chaos, while driving home the fact that the shooters are making things up as they go. But more important than being able to keep track of who did the shooting is whether you actually care about the people getting shot. The script is a little thin when it comes to character development, but a strong cast helps flesh out what's on the page. Armie Hammer as a smooth talking sales rep, Brie Larson as an inscrutable mediator, Cillian Murphy as a soulful IRA lieutenant and Michael Smiley as his uptight comrade lead an ensemble that also includes Sam Riley, Jack Reynor and Noah Taylor. Only Sharlto Copley, as an ostentatious arms dealer, crosses the line into caricature, although thankfully he's funny more often than he's annoying. Ultimately though, how entertaining you find Free Fire will largely depend on how much you can laugh at people getting killed and/or maimed. Although considerably less nasty than some of Wheatley's earlier films such as Sightseers and A Field in England, this is still a decidedly dark affair. It's probably for the best than it only runs for an hour and a half. You can only go so long with a concept like this before the laughs are replaced with a sense of unease that's not anywhere near as fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDD3I0uOlqY
The 90s are the decade that keeps on giving — to nostalgic Australians, at least. On any given weekend under regular circumstances, you can usually find a party dedicated to kicking it old school-style. And, at the moment, you can still get retro with Isolation Trivia's 90s Music Trivia edition. Know everything there is to know about the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, grunge, 'Gangsta's Paradise' and chasing waterfalls? Then, come 6.25pm on Thursday, June 4, it's time to put your 90s-loving brain to the test. The Isolation Trivia folks will be asking the questions, your lounge room will be doing the hosting and you'll be slinging back your answers — if you wannabe the trivia champ, that is. No bookings or registrations are required — all you need to do it hit up the event Facebook page when it's time to strut your stuff. Our tip: prepare to channel Alanis when your competition gets something wrong — aka to have 'You Oughta Know' stuck in your head. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcyTyilmYY
Does a whole room packed full of vintage tees sound like your idea of sartorial heaven? Well, the guys at Frankie's Pizza and Surry Hills' Storeroom Vintage have heard your wish, teaming up to host the Frankie's Vintage Tee Market this Sunday, October 1. Kicking off at 4pm, the bar's main room will be filled to the brim with pre-loved, original tees, courtesy of Storeroom Vintage's latest haul of threads, sourced fresh from the US. There'll be fun casual finds, stacks of affordable retro pieces and even some super rare band tour tees to ensure you're primed for festival season. Of course, shopping can be thirsty work, so the Frankie's crew will be on-hand with all their usual goodies, including happy hour pizza prices and drink deals from 4–6pm. Image: Katje Ford.
It's a tradition well-known to many Australians: wake up on the weekend, make a beeline for your closest Bunnings, down a snag in bread. It's also a tradition that's been around since the 90s, and one we've been missing for seven very, very long months since Bunnings postponed its sausage sizzles back in mid-March because of rising concerns around COVID-19. In good news for Sydneysiders, the weekend ritual is about to make its long-awaited return this month. First relaunching in some states and territories back in July, the charity sizzles are set to roll out across NSW from Saturday, October 10. Each year around 40,000 sausage sizzles are hosted at Bunnings stores, help raising much-needed funds for local charity groups and sporting teams. Community groups that had sizzles pre-booked will be prioritised, with 130 already booked in for the first weekend back. When they do return, there will, of course, be social distancing and hygiene measures in place — measures we're all very used to at this point — including spaced queues, increased cleaning and separate ordering and pick-up points. Bunnings sausage sizzles are set to return in NSW from Saturday, October 10.
Tanks have featured in countless war movies yet rarely been the focus of those films. Slow, hulking and claustrophobic, they lack the 'glamour' of planes, the scale of battleships and the vulnerability of the lone soldier. Two rare exceptions are 1943's Sahara and 1988's The Beast of War, both of which centred on lone tank crews bravely engaging the enemy against seemingly impossible odds. In that vein, Fury is a fitting new addition. In the closing stages of the Second World War, a single US tank (baring the nickname from which the film takes its title), is tasked with holding a vital crossroads deep behind German lines. Its crew (Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña and Jon Bernthal) is a hardened bunch of veterans dutifully falling under the command of 'Wardaddy' (Brad Pitt), and none of them take kindly to their new, fresh-faced draftee Norman (Logan Lerman), whose mobile armoured experience consists of knowing how to operate a typewriter. Norman's initiation is quick and uncompromising. His first job is to wipe down the tank's interior and scrub away the fleshy remains of his predecessor. Then its straight into action, where the true horrors of the conflict are seen, felt and heard all around. One thing Fury does exceptionally well is demonstrating precisely how devastating a tank was to anything less than another one (unless that other one was the German 'Tiger', whose forward-facing armour made it invulnerable to all US counterparts). "Ideals are peaceful", explains Wardaddy, "history is violent", and the sound of enemy shells tearing holes through the sky as they blaze past or into the American units is a terrifyingly violent experience. Indeed, all the combat scenes in Fury are brutally graphic, offering a Saving Private Ryan level of gruesome reality to the war experience. Bodies are burned, shredded and liquified, yet what truly confronts is the matter-of-factness with which the other soldiers regard it all. This is the final stage of the conflict, remember, by which time most troops had experienced years of dehumanising savagery. "It's just war!" one of them explains to Norman, whose revulsion to the death around him is neatly reflective of the audience's. If there's a problem with Fury, it's Pitt's character, Wardaddy. It's not just that he's unlikeable and almost impossibly calm under pressure, he's also a war criminal. The Hague Conventions are blatantly ignored as he periodically executes POWs, including one particularly sadistic sequence used to familiarise Norman with killing. 'Ideals are peaceful', yes, but they're also binding, and in what may well have been the last war fought for noble reasons, robbing your hero of his morality has a flow-on effect to the rest of the film. Corny jingoism has no place in the post-Private Ryan universe, and it's good to see the darker side of the Allied war effort not being overlooked, but as the credits roll it's hard not the feel like director David Ayer ultimately retreated from that position and allowed his star to reclaim a little bit of the Hollywood treatment. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WYm2Jru6Wzc
While the Aussies and the Kiwis duked it out for bragging rights over the invention of a humble chocolate-coated coconut-covered cake, the team at Tokyo Lamington quietly entered the chat and threw Japan into the mix. Sure, they weren't claiming to have created the nostalgic Antipodean dessert but they've certainly been responsible for redefining it — adding creative flourishes like Yuzu Meringue and Matcha Strawberry (and later Pumpkin, Banofee and even Fairy Bread Popcorn). Today, almost three years after their non-traditional flavours first popped up Down Under (and following an appearance on Masterchef Australia) Tokyo Lamington are taking their square-shaped specialities a little further west with a temporary Tokyo Lamington at Bankstown Sports Club store. Just like the treats themselves, this pop up promises to be short but seriously sweet — with half a dozen and full dozen boxes available for a limited time from Friday to Sunday, 11am-2pm (for $46 and $90, respectively). And, if anything from previous partnerships is an indication, we suspect that lamington-lovers will snap them up quickly, so we suggest heading over sooner rather than later. For more information on the Tokyo Lamington at Bankstown Sports Club collaboration, visit the website or follow on Instagram or Facebook.
Fancy a Tassie wine-tasting extravaganza, but can't find the time (or cash) to make the trip? How about a quick hop over to Darlinghurst instead? If you can get there with 50 bucks to spare on Saturday, August 27, you'll be living the Apple Isle dream. That's because one-day wine festival Vin Diemen is coming back to Sydney for a second year. Your ticket will get you a take-home wine glass and access to the creations of a whole slew of Tasmanian winemakers, who are crossing the strait to show us what their island is made of. Expect to sample some of the best Pinot Noir in the nation, alongside top-shelf Chardonnay, Riesling and sparkling — cold climate varieties get a better go in Tassie than nearly anywhere else in Oz. And giving the wines the respect they deserve will be a bunch of tasty Tasmanian morsels, including fresh salmon from Huon and cheesy noms from Bruny Island Cheese.
Other than Christmas Day's requisite feast, no one likes cooking at the end of the year. If you're not so fond of getting in the kitchen on December 25, that's okay, too. So, as 2020 dwindles to a close, takeaway is firmly on the menu. And if you're keen to both support local eateries and keep an eye on your bank balance, Deliveroo has announced a handy special for the festive season. From Monday, December 21–Sunday, December 27, the delivery service is offering Australians free delivery from a sizeable range of local restaurants. In total across the country, more than 130 eateries and restaurants are on the list — including Gelato Messina, Mary's and Royal Stacks. With Sydney's northern beaches area currently experiencing a COVID-19 cluster — and subject to stay-at-home public health orders from 5pm, Saturday, December 19 until midnight on Wednesday — Deliveroo is also kicking things off early in the region. Free delivery is already available in the area, including from I Love Pizza, BenBry Burgers, Banana Blossom, DeVita: Tastes of Napoli, Chat Thai in Manly and Little L in Mona Vale. To ensure that all of the eateries involved aren't missing out on revenue or left out of pocket, Deliveroo is footing the bill for the free delivery — in terms of the delivery fees, that is. Obviously, you'll still need to pay for whatever you'd like to eat; however, you won't have to fork out more on top to get it brought to your door. If you're in Sydney's northern beaches and you're suddenly hungry, or you're in the rest of the country and you're thinking ahead, orders need to be placed via the Deliveroo app. Deliveroo's free delivery is on offer from Saturday, December 19–Sunday, December 27 in Sydney's northern beaches area — and from Monday, December 21–Sunday, December 27 across the rest of the country — via the Deliveroo app.
Butter just keeps giving Sydneysiders more reasons to go absolutely crazy for it. The cult favourite is already a palace of fried chicken, sneakers and champagne — and every now and then it adds ramen to that list as well. If you're particularly fond of slurping down its brothy bowls, then you'll be immensely excited about its ongoing celebration of all things warm and soupy. The chain won't just be serving up one type of ramen, it'll be lining up six limited-edition versions. The series of limited-time ramen creations begins with Executive Chef Julian Cincotta once again whipping up Butter's super-popular fried chicken ramen. It combines fresh thick-cut ramen noodles, a marinated soft-boiled half egg and enoki mushrooms in a chicken and dashi-based broth, and includes Butter's crispy fried chicken tenders, too. But, it's just the first round in the chain's new Butter Ramen Club Tour. After that, a different ramen created by a different chef will feature each month until October. Among the chefs jumping on board are Ume Burger Head Chef Kerby Craig with a miso-based tare, corn and Butter's chicken broth and Rising Sun Workshop Director Nick Smith, who will be bringing a bowl filled with Butter's fried chicken with a burnt ends glaze. Louis Tikaram from Stanley in Brisbane will give Sydneysiders a taste of his spice fragrant ramen — which'll use a mix of Cantonese and Japanese flavours, and Butter's fried chicken before Cincotta returns with a French dip ramen fried chicken sandwich. Finishing things up is LP's Quality Meats owner and Head Chef Luke Powell, who'll be doing a smokey small-good number. Butter Surry Hills, Parramatta and Chatswood will all be plating them up, but each venue will only be making a limited number each day. Still, if you're fond of both ramen and fried chicken — and who isn't? — it's an easy way to pick what you'll be eating each month.
Sweet Bird Andsoforth is about a group of friends caught in that awkward place between adolescence and adulthood. Playing with the imaginary pleasures of their undecided futures, they are burning unchannelled energy in a town “where there is no common youth club, no pub and no café… and not a trace of city.” Yet it is proving a surprisingly hard place to leave. The friends are realising that, regardless of their choices, they're still going to have to continue to deal with a strange, consumerist world where it’s an act of courage to take any kind of artistic or emotional plunge. The script of Sweet Bird Andsoforth was written by a 22-year-old German playwright called Laura Naumann, and the play has never been produced - until now. Praise must go to the translator, Benjamin Winspear, for his lyrical and stimulatingly surreal dialogue, while director Laura Scrivano makes the most of a group of young actors who have energy, versatility and vivacity to burn. Hanna Sandgren's set design features a sloping stage ideally suited to drunken staggers and individualistic swaggers. The hillside slant is particularly effective when characters leave or re-appear - when Bomb (Alex Millwood) and Tiny (Geraldine Hakewill) decide to chase life's “beautiful moments” together, they quite literally leap off the edge. This original production had a three-week creative development period at Fraser Studios in 2010 before securing its four-week season as part of ATYP's Under the Wharf program. Initially developed with the support of World Interplay, it is innovative and ballsy theatre, vividly recalling a period of time we can all relate to: we've all been 18. With particularly strong performances from Geraldine Hakewill and Michael Cutrupi, it's accessible but poignant, a rare combination which engages as well as challenges the audience.
Youtube is one of the great purveyors of human achievement with performances from Gaga to this guy. But the rule is, you have to share. Call me old-fashioned but I get a dirty feeling after watching a video thats been seen by 100,000,000 others. I don't feel special or loved and there's always the chance of catching a virus. I like something unique, something undiscovered, something never-before seen. On July 31st BondiFM is hosting The World's Largest Busk for all those who want to reconnect with their performer — more than 230 of them in fact. A day to appreciate human performance with everything from singing and dancing to gaga-impersonating and magical orchestras. It will be the last day of Bondi's Winter Magic Festival, a month long festival with films and ice-skating on the picturesque sands of Bondi. It's all for a good cause too. Not only can we steal the world busking record from the British, but also donations are going to the music-teaching SoundSchool. So sign-up to share your talents with the world or just come along and watch. And come prepared with loose change and a video camera to record any impromtu Fails.
With Biennale 2016 out of the bag, the unofficial fringe exhibition, SafARI, is preparing for take-off. On Saturday, November 7, the organisers will reveal their program with a titanic launch party at Freda's. Leading the festivities will be teaser performances from official 2016 artists Angela Garrick, presenting An invitation to vent your frustrations about the weather, and Grace Blake (with Greg Holden), with Psychedelic visuals meets imperfect hardware clubby techno. Meanwhile, a slew of musical acts will keep your ears happy with original tunes and sound experiments, including Matthew Brown's 'dark megalithic techno', Wet Kiss's bedroom pop, Orion delivering 'Sydney's answer to New Order', Dominic Talarico's Aaliyah and Arthur Russell-influenced songs, and The Mullumbilical Brothers DJs. Young Henrys and Freda's will be providing support in the form of cheap drinks and tasty morsels. Tickets are $10 online before the event, or $15 on the door.
In 2017, one filmmaker had viewers around the world swooning. From the moment that Luca Guadagnino's big-screen adaptation of Andre Aciman's Call Me By Your Name premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and then the Berlinale, it wowed audiences, made a star out of Timothée Chalamet and had everyone talking about Armie Hammer's dancing skills. So the news that the acclaimed director is serving up another Italy-set coming-of-age drama is firmly — and understandably — cause for excitement. This time, Guadagnino is doing so on the small screen, courtesy of new HBO mini-series We Are Who We Are. It's set in 2016, and follows two American teenagers living on a US military base with their parents. Jack Dylan Grazer (IT: Chapter Two) stars as 14-year-old Fraser Wilson, a new arrival from New York with his mothers Sarah (Chloë Sevigny, Queen & Slim) and Maggie (Alice Braga, The New Mutants) — while first-timer Jordan Kristine Seamón plays Caitlin Poythress, a veteran of living on the base with her older brother Danny (Spence Moore II, AP Bio), father Richard (Scott Mescudi, aka Bill & Ted Face the Music's Kid Cudi) and mother Jenny (Faith Alabi, Cold Feet). Also featured in this eight-episode tale of friendship, teen angst, first love and finding one's identity are Francesca Scorsese (daughter of iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese), Ben Taylor, Corey Knight, Tom Mercier (Synonyms) and Sebastiano Pigazzi — with the cast blending well-known names and faces with plenty of newcomers. We Are Who We Are started airing in the US on September 14, but it'll head to Aussie screens via SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand at a yet-to-be-revealed date. If you're in the need of a virtual trip to Northern Italy, as directed by the filmmaker also behind I Am Love, A Bigger Splash and the 2018 Suspiria remake — and co-written by Guadagnino with Paolo Giordano (The Solitude of Prime Numbers) and Francesca Manieri (Daughter of Mine) — then add this to your future must-watch list. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6VAQ6LdnKs&feature=emb_logo We Are Who We Are will screen on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand at a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll update you with further details when they come to hand. Top image: Yannis Drakoulidis/HBO.
If crossing the Harbour Bridge is part of your daily routine, you might want to look up on Thursday, September 26. To help celebrate 21 years since BridgeClimb Sydney started letting folks scamper up to great heights, Diplo will be scrambling up top, busting out his decks and spinning some tunes — becoming the the first-ever high-profile international artist to perform atop the towering structure. The US DJ, songwriter and producer will be in the country to perform at the Listen Out festival across late September and early October, but has added this sky-high gig to his itinerary. That said, just what time he'll make the climb and how long he'll play for haven't been revealed. And no, sadly you can't buy tickets to attend. Instead, you can keep an eye out for footage afterwards, with the stunt designed to get folks talking about BridgeClimb. The company is certainly keen to mark its 21st birthday in a big way — earlier this month, it announced a sale on climbs, throwing back to 1998 by offering tickets for $98. Unsurprisingly, they've since sold out. While Diplo will become the first super-famous musician to get beats pumping 134 metres above sea level, he will follow in the footsteps of plenty of other famous faces who've previously made the climb, including Ben Stiller, Hugh Jackman and Heidi Klum. Diplo will play on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at an undisclosed time on Thursday, September 26. While tickets aren't available, you can keep an eye on BridgeClimb Sydney's Facebook page for footage.
It's not every restaurant that casually nabs a hat in their first year, but Saké Double Bay have raised many a celebratory sake since opening in December 2014. Now, they're gearing up to ring in their first birthday with a special culinary escapade on Wednesday, January 27 — with seven courses of wildly contemporary Japanese cuisine. The work of Urban Purveyor Group (the team behind Ananas Bar and Brasserie, Bavarian Bier Cafe, The Cut Bar and Grill), Saké has been kicking goals at 33 Cross Street, beneath the InterContinental Hotel for a year now. This stunningly-designed Double Bay establishment has been serving the contemporary Japanese cuisine and cocktails Saké is already celebrated for — joining sister venues in The Rocks (six-times hatted) and Brisbane, alongside its Melbourne counterpart. We're talking 'gramworthy new-style sushi to significantly impress your date. Saké's first birthday celebrations are the perfect chance to meet new executive chef Wayne Brown (formerly of Saké Hamer Hall), who's created a special seven-course dinner shared menu with matched beverages for a cheeky $150pp. Kicking off at 7pm, you'll be treated to the likes of Aylesbury Duck tataki with puffed skin, nashi pear, mustard seed and ume caramel; Petuna ocean trout confit with pakchoy, citrus ponzu gel and nori rice chip and a spectacular dessert from the Sake collection dubbed 'White Nitro', with frosted milk, white chocolate and stone fruit. Each dish will be paired with handpicked wines and sake from Japan, Spain, France, Hungary and the Canberra District.
Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become an end-of-year staple — and the Glenworth Valley event returns from December 28, 2018 to January 1, 2019 for another packed year. The fest's fifth annual lineup will see more than 50 acts take to the stage across a huge five days, with artistic experiences, talks, workshops and classes also part of the camping festival. Of course, it's the music that'll tempt festival-goers to make the journey an hour out of Sydney. With The Kooks, Tash Sultana, Joey Bada$$, Pnau, Dune Rats and M.I.A. leading the charge — the latter in her only New South Wales show — there's plenty to get excited about. Attendees will dance their way between four stages, all returning from 2017. Arcadia is where the main action is, Lost Disco will focus on bass, techno and dance music (and eye-catching visuals by 3D mapping artists), and Paradise Club will party on right into the night with DJs and surprise guests. Then there's My Mum's Disco, which not only features a digital jukebox pumping out 15,000 nostalgic beats and guilty pleasures, but sing-alongs and more to accompany the tunes. Think bingo, karaoke and the general feeling that you're hanging out at a mighty huge Aussie backyard shindig. In-between catching live sets and making shapes, Lost Paradise offers patrons a heap of other activities, including three days of chats and sessions at the fest's Shambhala Fields. Everything from African dance and forest bathing to hula hooping and massage is on the agenda, as well as a dedicated yoga and meditation tent. Or, hang out in Hammock Haven, find something to read at the Lost Library, take a ride on an art car, go shopping at the Lost Bazaar bohemian fashion markets or head to the new Holy Cow Chai Tent. It's a carnival-themed space that's all about chilling out over breakfast bowls and — as the name suggests — brewed chai, plus other beverages. Still on the food and drink front, Lost Village boasts communal tables for dining and an array of cuisines for feasting upon. On-site craft beer container bars will serve up craft booze, while Milky Lane and Cold Rock are on the culinary lineup menu alongside dim sum, pizza, Japanese and Southern-Indian street-food, and more. Camping-wise, there are two options: The Glamping Gypsy Fields or The Eco-Tent Village. The former includes luxury toilets and showers, a breakfast cafe, cocktail bar, furnished hangout spaces and a grooming parlour, while the more budget-friendly latter lets you take your pick from tents made out of recyclable cardboard, basic canvas tents and reusable canvas tents with foam mattresses. LOST PARADISE 2018 LINEUP The Kooks Tash Sultana M.I.A Joey Bada$$ Pnau Bicep (Live) Dune Rats Ball Park Music Vera Blue Kink (Live) Winston Surfshirt Peggy Gou Foals (Dj Set) Willaris. K Young Franco Bob Moses Sg Lewis Lime Cordiale Chaos In The Cbd Furnace & The Fundamentals Anna Yotto Human Movement Dom Dolla Cut Snake Cc:Disco! Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Groove City Flava D Genesis Owusu Klp Bontan Krystal Klear Loods Young Monks Pacific Avenue Wallace Thunderfox Milan Ring Clews Majun Bu The Jim Mitchells Rackett Shantan Wantan Ichiban Clypso Motorik Vibe Council Ebony Boadu Lex Deluxe Sportsuncle Ru Matt Ringrose Dibby Dibby Soundsystem Images: Boaz Nothman, Cai Griffin, Jordan Munns and Nathan Bonnici.
Sydneysiders have a new al fresco food event to add to their calendars this sunny season as some of the city's best-loved chefs come together for the inaugural EatSummer twilight market. Helmed by the team at Cambridge Markets (who also run Watsons Bay Spring Market, Rose Bay Farmers Market) and curated by food journalist Elizabeth Meryment, the event will grace the Entertainment Quarter's Heritage Park on Saturday, November 18. And it's bringing with it a drool-worthy lineup of food, drink and entertainment, headlined by a strong lineup of chefs from restaurants like Lucio's, Ume Burger, Mr Bao, Barzaari, Indu, Lotus and Anason. A dedicated 'dessert alley' will showcase six of Sydney's finest sweet-focused vendors, to be announced next month. Meanwhile, four themed bars will include a cocktail-slinging pop-up run by local craft gin distillery Archie Rose, to be enjoyed alongside EatSummer's program of live tunes, DJ sets and performances. More EatSummer dates are planned for the coming months — we'll keep you posted as they're announced. EatSummer will take place from 3–10pm on November 18, at Heritage Park, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. Tickets are $10 and available here. Image: Ume Burger.
A charcoal barbecue, a brand new head chef and a beer garden that's channeling the vibe of a Latin festival are three reasons why you should get yourself to Newtown's The Bank Hotel pronto. Yep, the long-standing inner west hang is finally getting a revamp, and you're invited to celebrate at the launch. Zac Smart, all the way from Neutral Bay's SoCal, has taken over the kitchen. He's brought with him a barbecue, but, unlike so many of Sydney's others, it's not an American affair. Instead, you'll be getting spicy, Latin-influenced flavours. Think chimichurri, romesco sauce, chancaca, chilli and fresh herbs. Star dishes include piquillo peppers with mushrooms and pinto beans, BBQ corn with tomatillo salsa and manchego, and octopus with romesco. The Bank's classic beer garden will kept its relaxed vibe, but the back has gained more of a festival spirit so you can kick back in Latin-inspired style when you arrive. The warm-up party, slated for Wednesday, August 31, will start at 6pm. Get there early, because cocktails and samples from the menu will be handed out on a first come, first serve basis. DJ Gonzo will be on the decks.
Feeling a little chilly, Sydneysiders? There's a reason for that. We're only halfway through autumn, but a significant drop in temperature has been making the city shiver today, Monday, April 12 — with this morning marking not only Sydney's coldest of 2021 so far, but also its frostiest since September 2020. At 6.30am this morning, the mercury sat at 9.7 degrees. The minimum temps so far in April have hovered between 13.5–19.2 degrees, so it's quite a bit colder than usual. And, the Bureau of Meteorology reports that the apparent temperature went down to four degrees at 7am this morning, so it felt even chillier still. While the mercury will hit the 21-degree maximum mark today — and continue to sit between 11–29 degrees right through until Sunday, April 18 — today's frostier sensation comes as a result of a cold front over the weekend. As a result, BOM advises that temperatures across the state are expected to be around five degrees lower than the April average today. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1381352894277033988 To put the colder temperatures in context, Sydney's mean April minimum is 14.8 degrees. Typically, the mercury doesn't start dropping much further until May, which sports a 11.6-degree average minimum temperature — and in June, naturally, where the minimum hovers around 9.3 degrees Obviously, we're at the point of the year when saying "winter is coming" is warranted — but rest assured that it has been genuinely colder than normal to start today. For more information about Sydney's weather forecasts and recent temperatures, head to the Bureau of Meteorology's website.
When The Incredibles first leapt onto cinema screens 14 years ago, it earned its title several times over. Exploring the exploits of a super-enhanced family trying to live a normal life, the movie served up an all-ages superhero story with smarts and heart. Moreover, the savvy Pixar flick successfully predicted two things. Back in 2004, when no one had even heard of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man was played by Tobey Maguire and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy hadn't yet made its mark, The Incredibles pre-empted society's current love of caped crusaders. Indeed, that film began at a time where spandex-clad folks like Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) are constantly seen, heard and talked about. But it also foresaw the flipside to this obsession, recognising that the public's love of costumed crime-fighters has its limits. In the world of the movie, everyone listing 'saving the world' as their occupation was banned when the world had had enough. If you've been caught up in superhero fever over the past decade, only to catch a case of superhero fatigue as more and more comic book heroes soar across our screens, you can surely recognise all of the above. In fact, blending fantastical elements with relatable components was one of The Incredibles' greatest super powers. Caped crusaders are just like us, the picture made clear – attempting to juggle their personal and professional lives, battling to achieve their dreams, and fighting for their place. And while long-awaited sequel Incredibles 2 repeats the same basic premise, the franchise's canny ability to combine cartoon antics with cutting societal commentary ensures this is no mere rehash. Picking up where the first film left off, Incredibles 2 sees its central family — Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr, Elastigirl aka Helen, and kids Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) — trying to fend off burrowing, bank-robbing villain The Underminer, then coping with the aftermath. No one is happy about their efforts, and the fact that people with enhanced abilities are still illegal means a life without crime-fighting awaits. Enter telecommunications company head Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener), with a plan to restore the heroes to their former glory. With Elastigirl leading the charge, the siblings have masterminded a rebranding campaign designed to make super folk popular again. And, thanks to body cameras and media appearances, this revolution will be televised. Drama comes in the form of an incredibly apt nemesis: Screenslaver, who interrupts Elastigirl's broadcasts with mind-controlling signals and raves about humanity's reliance on screens. Accordingly, Incredibles 2 slings statements about today's social media saturation, the valuing of appearances, and the fact that we live in a society where someone is always watching — for better or worse. It's a movie about the power of perception, one that rallies against making, filming or viewing something simply because you can. They're all observations that apply to the picture's specific story, to the broader superhero realm, and just to life in general. Plus, thanks to a subplot following Bob's attempts to hold the fort at home while Helen is off championing the caped crusader cause, the film also has plenty to say about gender equality and the role of women. Still, none of this would mean anything if returning writer-director Brad Bird didn't pair his story with engaging action, a playful tone and genuine emotion. Although not for people who are sensitive to flashing lights, an early strobe-lit confrontation ranks among the most inventive scenes in a superhero flick — animated or live-action — while an altercation between Jack-Jack and a racoon is just as memorable. Filled with both zippy battles and quiet character moments, Incredibles 2 mostly gets the balance right, even if it does feel a little padded towards the end. Interestingly, Bird (whose CV also includes The Iron Giant, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland) is the only person in Pixar history to assume total control for scripting and helming any of the company's features without any co-writers or co-directors. The result is not only one of Pixar's original standout movies, but its best sequel in nearly a decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5qOzqD9Rms
Each Saturday from September 18, Fabbrica Pasta Shop is turning its attention to a different carb-heavy treat — bread. Ragazzi's high-end pasta and wine shop will transform into a pop-up bakery with fresh loaves of sourdough, baguettes and fougasse. A range of focaccia will also be on offer, coated in the likes of Quinby's chilli oil and black sesame, cacio and asparagus or rosemary and pink salt. Alongside the bread, an array of sweet and savoury Saturday treats will be on offer. Pick up a sausage roll, a prosciutto cotto and provolone tart or oomite scrolls. If you're more of a sweet tooth, you can opt for chocolate or custard bombolini, cinnamon buns, hazelnut chocolate tarts or kumquat frangipane crostata. All these tasty offerings are baked in-house by Fabbrica Baker Aniruddha Bhosekar. Each week the menu is different, so head to the Fabbrica Instagram to check what will be on offer before you swing past. Images: Trent van der Jagt/Buffet Digital
3D printing: is there anything it can't do? Given that houses, office buildings, custom bikes, portable living pods, cupcakes, pizza, food in general, pot plants, toothbrushes, casts and prosthetic feet for ducks can all be printed these days, it doesn't seem like it. And while piling different flavours of chocolate on top of each other mightn't be the most revolutionary thing the technology has gifted us, it's certainly one of the tastiest. Two Sydney companies, design firm Universal Favourite and sweet treat wizards Bakedown Cakery, have joined forces to create Complements. They're staircase-shaped for the easiest possible stacking, and they come in flavours that give Japan's Kit Kats a run for their money. Fancy shortbread, fairy floss, watermelon, blackcurrent or matcha — or a combo of a couple? Single origin dark, vanilla, cookies and cream, cherry, strawberry, lemon and pistachio pieces are also available. Which ones go best together? Experimenting to find that out is the whole point. Universal and Bakedown said that they wanted "to create something outside the box that could be paired in endless combinations" — which sounds like a great reason to eat more choccies to us. Sadly, the bad news is the modular chocolate creations aren't actually for sale. Sorry. In better news, you can win a box of them from the Complements website — all you have to do is come up with your best new flavour pairing. Get dreaming.
It's been, quite literally, a colourful year for Sydney's LGBTI community. There was the rainbow crossing controversy that spawned a million DIY chalk rainbows across Sydney and the world, and Ashfield Council recently created a permanent rainbow in Summer Hill. The Rainbow Crossing ain't coming back anytime soon, but it's gotten people thinking about other permanent symbols made for Oxford Street that might recognise and celebrate queer culture. Now, the City of Sydney Council is holding the Rainbow Rights in the Spotlight forum for the LGBTI community to get their thoughts on what they'd like to see there. The forum will be hosted by Bernie Hobbs, with guest presenter James Brechney (DIY Rainbow Crossings creator), Geoff Thomas (Australian Marriage Equality), Nelson Tang (Wear It Purple), Gina Wilson (OII Australia) and Lainie Arnold (Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby). Although the main focus of the forum will be to discuss a permanent LGBTI symbol on Oxford Street, it will also be a chance to talk about other issues in the area.
When it comes to movies, we sometimes use 'Hollywood' as a pejorative. We might employ it to mean schmaltzy, unrealistic, vapid and other similar unpleasantries. But when I say The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is the ultimate Hollywood movie, I mean it's the good side of Hollywood, all packaged and wrapped up in time for Christmas. Funny, optimistic, life-affirming and full of pretty pictures and massive special effects, the film is something of a passion project for Ben Stiller, who directed, produced and stars in it. It's adapted from a 1939 short story by Jamie Thurber that's been reshaped entirely beyond its basic premise. The film follows a quiet Life magazine staffer as he learns to seize the day. As the head of the negative assets department, Walter is responsible for selecting and processing the works of their world-roving star photographers, chief among them the shamanistic Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn). But Walter has never experienced this wide world for himself, after the blows of life turned him timid. Instead, he imagines epic adventures for himself — diving into exploding buildings to save a dog, hiking the Arctic and, in a high point of the film, living a backwards Benjamin Button-like life with the woman he loves. That he 'zones out' while engaged in these daydreams does not help his social standing in cutthroat New York. Life doesn't exist any more, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is set in the dying days of the monthly magazine. Ted Hendricks (a disconcertingly bearded Adam Scott) is brought in to oversee the move from print to online and the accompanying rafts of redundancies, and Walter is firmly in his sights. Unfortunately, Walter can't find Sean's 'negative 25', which the photographer has described as capturing the "quintessence of life" and which is wanted for the final cover. Given new courage by love — in the form of colleague Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) — he sets off to track down Sean and the missing negative, using the few clues he has. Iceland is his starting point for a very big adventure that sees his latent resourcefulness and cool coming to the surface. For a mainstream, very feelgood film, it's the weird quirks that make The Secret Life of Walter Mitty loveable. Aside from the interjecting daydream worlds, Walter is shadowed by an over-caring eHarmony customer service representative, Todd (Patton Oswalt), who's determined to help him succeed in love. Their phone chats, coming at inevitably odd times throughout the film, are always funny and welcome. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is really ideal New Year's rather than Boxing Day fodder, egging you into living fully and booking that adventure holiday you've been putting off. There's so much focus on travel as a means to self-realisation, in fact, that it's ultimately to the film's detriment. It's simplistic; skateboarding down the valley of an active volcano might make you a more open person, or it could make you a twat. All outcomes are possible for the intrepid traveller. But that shouldn't ruin the journey of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It's a charmer with a good heart and a healthy dose of unrealism. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ve8mc6UNSk
More than just a culinary fad, the trend towards eating locally grown produce serves a number of important purposes. Fresher ingredients, supporting producers in the region, reducing the work and toll required to transport food, eating seasonal fare — the list goes on. They're some of the motivations behind Grown Local, a dinner shining a spotlight on New South Wales' finest with a food and drink menu completely sourced from within the state. Every dish eaten and beverage consumed at the Newtown dinner, which takes place at Bloodwood Restaurant & Bar at 7pm on October 24, will be made from NSW-grown ingredients. Yes, every single one. Leading the charge is Wildflower Brewing & Blending, who'll be pouring a beer made especially for the event. A collaboration tipple brewed at Batch Brewing in Marrickville, everything in their new beverage comes from the state, including malt from the Voyager Craft Malt in the Riverina, hops from Ryefield Hops in Bemboka and yeast harvested by Wildflower. Unsurprisingly, it's the first beer that's ever been brewed with all NSW ingredients. Food-wise, the NSW brew will help wash down dishes made with seasonal, NSW-grown produce, as well as kangaroo sausages from The Sausage Factory. With Bloodwood's team doing the honours and whipping everything up into a feast, a delicious, locally minded dinner is certain to be the end result. Tickets cost $65 per person. That sense of homegrown pride you'll feel is an added bonus. Image: Sarah-Jane Edis
One of the most popular parts of the Sydney Fringe Festival program, the Sydney Fringe Comedy Festival is all about checking out the new, the emerging and the unexpected. Both upcoming talents and old hands presenting fresh material are among the 100-strong program. And, every night from Tuesday, August 29 till Sunday, October 1, you'll find a bunch at the Factory Theatre, which acts as the comedy festival hub. "The best way to enjoy Sydney Fringe Comedy is to come down ... grab a drink and something to eat, and then take a chance on a comedian that you've never seen before. We run multiple sessions each night across five venues and we try to keep the ticket prices as low as possible," said program director Shane Smith. Just some of the big names to have cut their teeth at Sydney Fringe are Aaron Chen (Best Newcomer, Sydney Comedy Festival and MICF 2017), Tom Walker (Best Newcomer, MICF 2016), Rhys Nicholson (Barry Award nominee, MICF 2016) and Ronny Chieng (Director's Choice, MICF 2014, ARIA Awards 2015 nominee and Helpmann Awards 2015 nominee). Most tickets are a steal, at $10-15. Peruse the program and snap yours up over here.
Cinemas in Melbourne have been given the go-ahead to reopen, but that doesn't mean that you need to farewell that groove in your couch — or, if you're located elsewhere in Australia, that you need to miss out on one of the Victorian capital's top film festivals. After its physical event for 2020 fell victim to March's COVID-19 lockdowns, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival is returning with MQFF Interrupted, a largely online fest that's streaming nationally from Thursday, November 19–Monday, November 30. Film buffs around the country can look forward to 17 features and 40 shorts, all telling lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer stories. And it's an impressive lineup — whether you're keen on Aussie teen rom-com Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt), haunting British thriller Make Up, trans drama Lingua Franca, American vampire comedy Bit or Georgian romance And Then We Danced. Melburnians can also attend an in-person event, thanks to a Coburg Drive-In screening of Happiest Season. It stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as Abby and Harper, a couple who head to the latter's parent's place for Christmas dinner — but said folks don't know that Harper is gay, let alone about Abby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxx76RnyVIo&feature=emb_logo
The festive season is officially upon us, with decorations going up and parties happening all around town. In celebration of the most wonderful time of year, The Strand Arcade is hosting an evening of Christmas-themed frivolity. All Things Bright and Beautiful will take place on Thursday, December 6 spanning the arcade's three floors. On level one, grab a Belvedere vodka cocktail, featuring native hibiscus flower and lemon myrtle, then set off for a wander through the stores. As you shop, The Accent Strings string trio will serenade you with joyous Christmas tunes from the air bridge and a calligraphy station will provide complimentary Christmas card calligraphy for any purchases you make on the night. Plus, native floral posies will be given out to the first 100 guests. Holiday sweet treats will also be on offer, with Romolo Espresso e Cucina slinging lavish gold-flaked cannolis on the ground level. As you peruse, be sure to look up at The Strand's suspended ornament display and its 27,500 twinkling Christmas lights, all drawing inspiration from the Australian landscape and highlighting the building's heritage. Highlights include three blossoming eucalyptus branches suspended from the ceiling and a four-metre-high gumnut pod sculpture on the ground floor — both of which will remain on display throughout the Christmas season. All Things Bright and Beautiful will take place on Thursday, December 6 from 5–8pm. Get your shopping list ready by checking out the directory of shops on The Strand Arcade's website.
New adaptations of acclaimed classics, tributes to iconic directors, topical thrillers and plenty of glimpses of Berlin — that's what's on the program at this year's German Film Festival. Like its fellow country-specific counterparts (such as the French and Spanish film fests), this showcase of cinema serves up the latest and greatest movies its chosen nation has to offer. In 2021, after sitting out 2020 for obvious years, that means that 30 films will be lighting up the big screen at Palace Norton, Chauvel Cinemas and Palace Central from Tuesday, May 25–Sunday, June 13. A number of GFF's big highlights this year all follow a common thread, because they're linked to the great New German Cinema director Rainer Werner Fassbinder in one way or another. That includes a 40th anniversary screening of Lola, which'll screen via a glorious new 4K restoration; biopic Enfant Terrible, which sees Oliver Masucci step into Fassbinder's shoes; and Berlin Alexanderplatz, a new screen version of Alfred Döblin's 1929 novel — which Fassbinder famously adapted into a miniseries back in 1980. Celebrating today's German greats as well, GFF will kick off with Next Door, the filmmaking debut of actor Daniel Brühl (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier). No spotlight on movies from the European nation would be complete without an appearance by the inimitable Nina Hoss (Pelican Blood), of course, which comes courtesy of drama The Audition. And, there's also Exile, starring Toni Erdmann's Sonia Huller; Fabian: Going to the Dogs, which is set in pre-World War II Berlin; and romantic comedy I'm Your Man, which follows a scientist who agrees to live with a humanoid robot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWEoRYylwwI&feature=emb_imp_woyt Top image: Berlin Alexanderplatz.
As you reach for your lumpy knits to combat the incoming winter chill, Sweethearts Rooftop Barbecue are helping with the shift in seasons by inviting you to curl up with a cocktail and tuck into a hearty meat platter. From now until the end of August, the venue will be transformed into a German-inspired winter wonderland. The rooftop hot spot will be launching a new menu crammed with tasty Deutschland delights, including schnitzels, bratwurst, pretzels and oodles of sauerkraut. To sweeten the deal, there will also be a delectably gooey apfelstrudel, courtesy of Keystone's executive pastry chef, Vincent Gaden. Driving home their reputation as one of the Cross's foremost stomach-fillers, this is a change of flavour that should fare well with the after-work crowd and party-goers alike. Our dark and delicious friend Jagermeister is at the heart of this operation. The cocktail crew at Sweethearts will be whipping up a range of mixed drinks featuring Jagermeister Spice, a new winter flavour tempered with spicy cinnamon and smooth vanilla. You can stave of a frosty evening with a Jager Spice Espresso or perhaps a finger-tinglin' Jager Spice Toddy. Paired with a mouthwatering meat menu, it looks like you'll be in safe hands this winter. Danke Sweethearts!
Attention Sydney foodies, fans of Japanese cuisine and connoisseurs of fine dining. Get ready to savour the flavours of omakase dining as Concrete Playground and Haku Vodka offer you the chance to win a $2500 restaurant voucher to omakase restaurant Besuto. Omakase literally means 'I'll leave it to you', and when you sit down at one of the 14 counter seats at the intimate (and hatted) restaurant, you'll have found yourself left in truly exceptional hands. The harbourside restaurant, Besuto, sits in the Quay Quarter Lanes precinct. It is co-owned by Joel Best (chef, seafood expert and self-professed Japanophile), Hirofumi Fujita (an expert sushi chef) and Tomi Björk (the Finnish celebrity chef), who made an elite Japan-meets-Sydney dining experience their mission. [caption id="attachment_886842" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Declan Blackall Photography[/caption] "I love sitting down at a seat and allowing the chefs to decide what is going to be served," Best starts. "It's the best of the best of the day. Besuto is a passion project cos I love sitting in the chair." Accompanying this journey is a curated drinks menu and, right now, a bespoke Haku Martini. With the central ingredient of Haku Vodka — a craft spirit from the House of Suntory — the cocktail delivers umami notes through an infusion of nori, dry vermouth and a garnish of pickled ginger. The Haku Martini will be served during an exclusive 15-course menu at Besuto from Tuesday, October 3 until Friday, November 3. If you aren't the overall winner of the $2500 restaurant voucher to Besuto, you need not worry. Ten runner-ups will score a bespoke Haku Vodka Gift Pack (valued at $60 each) with a 200ml bottle of Haku, two martini glasses and two Haku martini pins. To be in with a chance to win this delectable dining experience or score a runner-up gift pack, fill out the form below. [competition]921507[/competition]
The democratic and daring artist-run gallery known as Firstdraft has some extraordinary offerings on hand this month. Diverse exhibitions feature creatures ranging from ambiguous objects to musical monsters. Marc Alperstein's abstractions lie somewhere between object design and colour-field, wreaking havoc with signification and the senses. Patterned material plays with optical illusion, confusing the ways in which we read and interpret objects. Be Jones' materials are slightly more mucky, blending the natural and the found into a new chaotic, disintegrating environmental possibility. In Ceremony, Julian Day has collected old and disused keyboards and employed them as organs, which combine to form a breathing body of sound. The gentle sound waves of each instrument, coaxed out via weighting on the keys, build and blend with each other to create a warm, dense sound-world — a musical atmosphere. This ensemble, which he titles An Infinity Room (or A.I.R for short), will perform on August 12 at 6pm for a mere $10 donation. Justin Shoulder has similarly created a creature, many in fact, but his own physicality forms the necessary body for these. In I Am Raining, Shoulder pursues his fascination with 'Fantastic Creatures', including Chimeras, Vampire demons and Fire Gods, and the collective mind from which they emerge. Between these four exhibitions, the artists question and clarify, soothe and disturb, surprise and affirm. Image: Julian Day, Ceremony, 2010
Backyard cricket, barbecues and water sports are all Aussie summer clichés for a reason: they're good, wholesome fun. Another one? Outdoor cinemas. And we're here to tell you the very good news that Canberra's version of this al fresco activity is returning for another season. Sponsored by IMB Bank, Sunset Cinema will take over the Eucalypt Lawn at the Australian National Botanic Gardens from November 28—January 12. Whether you're planning a cosy date night or easy family outing under the stars, this year's extensive program has something for everyone. The nostalgic lineup ranges from cult films like The Big Lebowski and Love Actually to the latest Hollywood blockbusters including A Star is Born and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, plus special advance screenings of Instant Family and Storm Boy. Family-friendly options include Smallfoot, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and even The Lion King. BYO picnics are encouraged, but if you want to enjoy a sparkling or brew throughout the film, the on-site bar will be serving a range of Grant Burge wine and Young Henrys craft beer and cider. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be plenty of the requisite movie treats like popcorn, chips chocolates and lollies, plus an on-site dining menu of bigger bites. Tickets start at $20 for adults, with a premium $40 lawn lounge package on offer, too — it includes entry, a prime-viewing bean bag reserved on the lawn, a beverage of your choice and a box of popcorn. To see the full program and purchase tickets, visit the Sunset Cinema website.
Stepping into Berlin's Markos Dance Academy on a grey, rainy 1977 day, Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) is a picture of nervous excitement. The former Ohio Mennonite clutches at her meagre belongings with equal parts eagerness and apprehension, her eyes darting keenly. But once she's through the school's doors, she's willing to surrender to whatever comes her way. It's an attitude that everyone watching Suspiria should take note of, for Susie is the perfect viewer surrogate in this delightfully dark, seductive, twitchy and witchy remake. Like the American in Germany pursuing her dream and accepting everything that happens next, giving yourself over to the movie's horrors and charms is truly the audience's only option. If ever a remake yearned to be judged on its own merits, it's Suspiria. After the sun-dappled Italian vistas and melancholic romance of his sublime Call Me By Your Name, filmmaker Luca Guadagnino takes Dario Argento's iconic 1977 film — and really takes to it. Made with evident love for the original, but never trying to slavishly recreate it, Guadagnino's Suspiria is a new dreamlike interpretation of an already dreamlike classic. It's the feverish nightmare you might have after letting the initial flick needle its way into your brain and mix with your own subconscious. Perhaps that's what happened to Guadagnino and his second-time screenwriter David Kajganich (A Bigger Splash). Either way, their protagonist also experiences her own disturbing nocturnal visions, and they're gloriously unhinged. In a city still grappling with the aftermath of catastrophic conflict three decades on, where Red Army Faction terror attacks have become a daily occurrence, bad dreams are the least of Susie and her fellow dancers' concerns. Amid preparations for the academy's latest show — a re-staging of a piece created by head teacher Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) after the Second World War — their star goes missing. It's with an air of unease that the unsettled group moves forward after Patricia's (Chloë Grace Moretz) disappearance, which the school's teachers link to the far-left RAF's disorder in the streets. Thankfully, newcomer Susie is both willing and able to step into Patricia's shoes, with her breathy passion more than catching Madame Blanc's eye. While Argento's Suspiria teased out its big twist, Guadagnino's version lays it all out on the dance floor from the outset. Rather than a company of dancers, complete with experienced instructors overseeing the next generation, this is a coven. Rather than training for their next recital, they're readying their new sacrifices for a ritual. Removing the mystery around the film's otherworldly elements doesn't remove the mystery from the film, however. With an elderly psychiatrist (an actor credited as 'Lutz Ebersdorf') searching for Patricia with the eventual help of Markos dancer Sara (Mia Goth), there's intrigue aplenty. The intense teacher-pupil, pseudo mother-daughter bond between Susie and Madame Blanc also keeps everyone guessing. Scored to Thom Yorke's moody tunes and edited with a sense of anxiety, Suspiria isn't a character study. It doesn't probe the recesses of Susie's mind to explore what makes her tick, or delve deeply into Madame Blanc's motivations. Instead, it largely leaves its key duo at the mercy of the movie's macabre plot. That's what horror movies typically do, as seen in this year's other dance-horror flick, Gaspar Noe's Climax. Nonetheless, Johnson and Swinton instantly demand the audience's attention, drawing viewers in in much the same way that their characters are drawn to each other. The combination of vulnerability and determination that made Johnson the best thing about the Fifty Shades trilogy is firmly on display, as is Swinton's well-established allure in multiple guises. Everything else that Guadagnino and Kajganich place within Suspiria's frames is also designed to reel the audience in; to encourage surrender, if not willingly then by force. A movie as densely layered as the rhythmic yet jarring dance moves that it thrusts to the fore, Suspiria is laden with intoxicating, inescapable detail. Thematically, it delves into the scars of war, the historical subjugation of women and the way that one childhood moment can shape someone's life. In its aesthetics, it's an all-out horror onslaught that evolves from creepily atmospheric to violently sensual to gleefully bloody (oh-so-bloody!) across its 152-minute running time. The film's strong visuals shouldn't come as a surprise, although not for reasons that original Suspiria fans might expect. Where Argento's movie glowed with deep jewel tones, Guadagnino favours grim shades enlivened by more than a dash of red. With a filmography that also includes Swinton in I Am Love, and both Swinton and Johnson in A Bigger Splash, Guadagnino has long known how to throw gorgeous pictures across the screen. He's not the first filmmaker to demonstrate that horrific imagery can also be bewitching but, aided by the suitably restless camerawork of cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Call Me By Your Name), he makes the case in a stunning fashion. Two scenes stand out — Susie's telekinetic audition, and the movie's over-the-top climax — but the entirety of Suspiria stamps itself onto viewers' eyeballs. Perhaps Susie and her cackling company won't be the only ones having lurid, disturbing and spellbinding dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q6jwH5_MKQ
In Steven Soderberg's hands, smooth criminals have fleeced casinos, a stripper with a heart of gold has strived for a better life, and unlikely underdogs have fought for the American dream. Now, the man behind Ocean's Eleven (and Twelve and Thirteen), Magic Mike and Erin Brockovich jumps into the hillbilly heist game. It's a welcome return to the familiar for someone who just pulled off a bait-and-switch of his own — supposedly retiring from cinema after Side Effects in 2013, only to make TV film Behind the Candelabra and stellar medical television series The Knick. Without giving too much away, his recent trajectory has more in common with his latest movie than it might initially seem. The fact is, changing one's fortune is a recurrent theme in Soderberg's stories, as are hard-working folks bucking against the system. Logan Lucky doesn't just happily join the fold, but does so with a knowing smile — at one point, a news report even refers to the caper as "Ocean's 7-11". Set in West Virginia, the charming film follows three siblings who decide that sticking up a big NASCAR race is the answer to their problems. Construction worker Jimmy (Channing Tatum) has the insider know-how from working on a site nearby, and the motivation after discovering his ex-wife (Katie Holmes) is moving across the state line with his daughter (Farrah McKenzie). Car-loving hairdresser Mellie (Riley Keough) has transport sorted, which just leaves one-armed Iraq war vet turned bartender Clyde (Adam Driver) to worry about the supposed Logan family curse. But the trio can't blow their way to riches without demolitions expert Joe Bang (Daniel Craig), who happens to be incarcerated. So it is that Logan Lucky becomes a heist flick and a jailbreak film — as well as an exploration of blue-collar workers struggling to get by, a cops versus crims game of cat and mouse, and a touching story about the importance of family. Throw in plenty of affectionate Southern gags and perhaps the best Game of Thrones joke you're ever likely to hear, and the movie proves a jam-packed package of humour, thrills and feeling. Two things are particularly crucial in Soderberg's working-class pseudo-remake of his glitzy prior hits. Firstly, whether surveying shambling abodes, spying rust spots on well-worn trucks, or poking fun at someone's lack of computer skills, Logan Lucky approaches its characters and their socio-economic situation with warmth. Secondly, though it steps through the usual caper conventions — getting the gang together, resorting to backup plans and avoiding the law — it does so with such zest and vibrancy that you'll forget that you've seen this kind of movie countless times before. Ultimately, it all comes back to Soderbergh. There's a reason his return to the big screen is worth celebrating, and it's not just his penchant for characters making their own luck or his ability to pull together a killer cast. Tatum is never better than when he's being guided by the director, but Logan Lucky is a testament to Soderberg's own skills. Not just directing, but lensing and editing (under well-used pseudonyms) as well, he's a craftsman through and through. Come for the zippy comedy about ordinary people mastering their own destinies. Stay for the entertaining filmmaking masterclass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eqC27nxHJ4
Chippo’s new eatery marks two firsts. Named Automata, it’ll be first hotel to open at the revamped Old Clare Hotel and it is chef Clayton Wells’ first solo venture. “I wanted to create a restaurant with the intention of showcasing local produce in a way that combines fine dining style food that I love to cook, with a casual restaurant feel that I enjoy eating in. I want people to be able to dictate the dining experience themselves, whether a leisurely lunch on a Sunday or a quick post-work dinner,” Wells said. This might be Wells’s first solo ride, but he’s a man of experience. He’s worked at Tetsuya’s, London’s Michelin-starred Viajante and Quay (under Peter Gilmore), and used to be sous chef at Momofuku Seiobo. Set to open on September 16, the 60-seater will be serving dinner Wednesday through to Saturday and lunch on Sunday. Five ever-changing courses ($88 + $55 for optional matching wine) will be on offer, with the focus on unusual ingredients, put together in a modern, innovative manner, without too much fuss. To give you an idea, the opening menu is promising storm clam, rosemary dashi, cream and dulse; steamed bass groper, cured roe emulsion, seaweed; partridge, witlof, burnt apple and caper; and pumpkin seed, tangelo and sea buckthorn. Meanwhile, designer Matt Darwon (aka Matt Machine), The Rag and Bone Man’s Paul Firbank and Lizzie Gosling (UK) consulted on Automata’s 6-metre high interior that plays with the theme of machinery. Expect aircraft piston lights and a stunning chandelier made of a former aircraft radial engine. Automata is one of three high-profile restaurants opening at the new hotel on the Old Clare/Carlton United Brewery site. UK chef Jason Atherton will open the 120-seater Kensington Street Social, and Briton Sam Miller (former executive sous chef at Copenhagen’s Noma) will also open his first solo restaurant, Silvereye, on the second floor.
If you've had a particularly hard week and you're looking for a way to treat yourself, you've come to the right place. To celebrate National Bubble Tea Day today, Burwood Chinatown is giving away 1,000 free boba from the likes of Chatime, CoCo, King – T, Milk Flower, The Burwood Hotel and The Moo over two days. 500 bubble teas from some of the best chains in Sydney will be given out from 6pm on Friday, April 30 on a first-come, first-served basis at Burwood Chinatown Grounds. If you miss out, you'll have a second chance on Saturday, May 1 with another 500 milk teas, fruit teas and yoghurt drinks up for grabs from 6pm. Bubble tea is a tea-based drink, traditionally using black or green tea but vendors offer many creative options. The word 'boba' is a reference to the black, chewy tapioca balls commonly found in bubble tea, but can also be used colloquially to describe the entire drink and toppings.
This year marks the anniversary of some pretty important historical events, including 50 years since the legendary Woodstock Music Festival and 100 years since the US imposed Prohibition. Neither of those are particularly worth celebrating — but we know of one that is. This year is the 150th anniversary of Moët Impérial. So, this Saturday, June 22, Moët & Chandon is throwing a big ol' party to mark the occasion. Sydney's main Grand Day party will go down at the 50s-inspired CBD cocktail bar Maybe Sammy. It'll start at 6pm with a Champagne tower — which will offer a complimentary glass for all guests — and live jazz by The Gypsy Swingers. If you're keen to kick on afterwards, the cocktail bar will be offering glasses of Moët Impérial for $20 or bottles of the premium Champagne for $99 — which is a solid $56 less than usual — all night. Earlier in the day, you can head to Royal Randwick for the Moët & Chandon Grand Race Day, where you'll receive a complimentary bottle of Moët Impérial for bookings of four or more in the venue's Grandview Restaurant. Bottles of the Champagne will also be available in the general admission area for $99 each. To be part of the global festivities, head to Maybe Sammy on Saturday, June 22. For more information on Moët & Chandon Grand Day, head this way.
If Hartsyard's fried chicken, pulled pork, lamb ribs and poutine have formed your four main food groups for the past six years, it's time to say goodbye. The much-worshipped Newtown eatery is about to go through a metamorphosis. On December 23, it'll disappear into hibernation, only to reemerge a couple of weeks later as a new, more whizz-bang version of itself. It'll be Hartsyard 2.0. Out of the kitchen will be the deep frier, along with all the aforementioned staples. In their place will appear a charcoal grill and a revamped, tightly edited menu featuring just ten or so dishes. "After six years, we just decided it was time to head in a new direction and change things up a bit," said head chef George Llewellyn. "Sydney embraced us when we launched and before we knew it we were a runaway train serving more fried chicken and softies than I thought was possible." Now Llewellyn wants to focus on the food he "really likes to cook" and, he hopes, "people will want to eat". Though we don't have any nitty gritty details, we do know you can expect loads more veggies, as well as seafood and duck. To mark the change, the space will receive a bit of a makeover, with new art, new furniture, a coat of paint and a floor polish. Llewellyn's partner and co-owner Naomi Hart will continue to lead the Hartsyard team, in collaboration with general manager Mark Rowland, so you can continue to count on warm service and a friendly atmosphere. Meanwhile, there's no change afoot at The Gretz, Hartsyard's sister venue down the road. Hartsyard will remain open until Saturday, December 23 at 33 Enmore Road, Newtown, and reopen in January 2018. For more info, visit hartsyard.com.au.
This weekend, Mardi Gras is rounding out its 41st year with a downright epic finale and nothing's going to rain on its parade. Least of all, some pesky lockout laws. That's right — the NSW Government has again agreed to ditch Oxford Street's usual lockout restrictions on Saturday, March 2, as the famed strip plays host to the annual Mardi Gras Parade and the massive crowds of revellers it pulls. For this one night only, venues in the area will be allowed to let punters through the door beyond the usual 1.30am or 2am cut-off, though they can only serve alcohol according to their usual time restrictions — for most, that's 3am. Some venues, with half-an-hour live entertainment extensions, will be pouring and shaking till 3.30, including Stonewall, Oxford Art Factory and the Cliff Dive. The lockout exemption zone, highlighted below, will stretch from the Burdekin Hotel — on the corner of Oxford and Liverpool streets — up to Victoria Street and across to the corner of Flinders and South Dowling streets, where the Taphouse is. [caption id="attachment_709775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of the NSW Government.[/caption] The lockout laws were first relaxed last year after a request by Liberal City of Sydney councillor Christine Forster. She wrote to Premier Gladys Berejiklian saying the move would "be a particularly poignant gesture of reconciliation given the historic passing of Australia's same-sex marriage legislation on 7 December 2017." This year, Cr Forster took to Facebook again to call for the lockouts to be relaxed for the full week leading up to the parade, but was unsuccessful. Mardi Gras 2019 celebrations runs from February 15–March 3, with the parade taking place on Saturday, March 2. Image: Jeffrey Feng.
Free stuff might not fix everything, but the organisers of Wine Machine are hoping it'll help cool a fraction of the heat they've copped in the past three days. They're offering two free gigs to disgruntled patrons of the musical festival's NSW leg. The Hunter Valley festival was dealt a big blow over the weekend, when a freak electrical storm put an early end to the event, shutting things down just before DJ and co-founder Hot Dub Time Machine made it on to the stage. And those in charge have copped some slack for the way the situation was handled, with festivalgoers complaining about shoddy evacuation processes, as well as lengthy bar lines and wait times during the festival. In now-deleted social media comments published in Tone Deaf, festivalgoers slammed organisers for their lack of concern for patrons' safety, apparently more focused on getting people out quickly than on the dangerous lightning. Attendee Samuel Brady labelled it the "worst event ever", saying, "a tree came down in front of us and a guy broke his leg. So much for duty of care". A heavy police presence caused more complaints, while stacks of patrons called out Wine Machine's hefty food and drink queues, with some saying they waited in line in the sun for over 45 minutes. In an updated statement released yesterday, Wine Machine Hunter Valley event organisers said the evacuation was initiated in consultation with medical, safety, police and emergency services officers, saying, "the safety of all patrons, artists, and staff is of absolute priority". They also called for feedback on the day's police and security methods, which can be submitted here. The statement also addressed bar queues, blaming lengthy wait times on NSW's strict new festival licensing restrictions, management by external operators and an incident between two staff mini-buses. In the wake of this, Hot Dub Time Machine has promised to make up for his missed performance, with two free shows for Wine Machine attendees. "We wanted to make it up to you with this small token of our appreciation," the DJ said in a statement, announcing a full-length show at the Enmore Theatre on April 11, followed by Newcastle's Exhibition Centre on April 12. The gigs are exclusively for Wine Machine ticket holders, who'll each receive an email with registration details for the coming shows. Read Wine Machine's full statement below. Statement from the organisers of Wine Machine Hunter Valley Over the weekend 11,000 patrons attended the Wine Machine event at Roche Estate in the Hunter Valley. Toward the end of the event, personnel in the Event Control Centre who had been monitoring weather all day were made aware of an extreme storm cell rapidly approaching the event. The decision to evacuate was made in consultation with event medical, safety, police and emergency services officers and evacuation procedures were initiated circa 2130, 90 minutes prior to the scheduled end of the event after The Presets performance but prior to Hot Dub Time Machine's performance. The extreme weather system included torrential rain and a high multitude of lightning strikes within close proximity. The safety of all patrons, artists, and staff is of absolute priority. Evacuations of this nature in such extreme conditions are never pleasant. If you have feedback on the method by which police and or security managed this please email the WM team at cellarmaster@wine-machine.com and we will come back to you personally. We take reports of over aggressive behaviour very seriously and will investigate accordingly. We must also address bar lines earlier in the day. It must be noted the venue Roche Estate was a dry hire and not responsible for the bars. There were a number of external operators managing the event. Due to the current climate in NSW, severe licensing conditions were placed upon the event limiting drinks to two per person causing unacceptable congestion at the bars. Adding to this were staffing issues from our external bar operators Prime Collective who've issued the following statement: "Whilst licensing restrictions played a significant role in bar congestion at the Wine Machine NSW event, we must unreservedly apologise for our role in this and take full responsibility. Two of our staffing mini-buses carrying 32 staff were reportedly involved in an incident whilst en route from Sydney resulting in bars being under staffed. We are currently investigating the circumstances of this and following up on the conditions of those staff involved. If you would like further information on this or the licensing restrictions please email us: info@primecollective.com.au and we will come back to you." Event medical, police and safety officers have commended the attendees of the event for an otherwise very well behaved crowd with minimal presentations and detections for an event of this size. Lastly, stay tuned for an announcement from Hot Dub Time Machine who is planning to throw a complimentary make-up show for those disappointed he didn't get to play.
Everyone loves a good chat, and who wouldn’t love a chat about life’s big questions with charming director Wesley Enoch? But a chat in front of a packed main stage theatre under a glaring spotlight? This is a tete-a-tete for a special kind of performer. 20 Questions is the handiwork of Enoch and Eamon Flack. A surprise Indigenous guest will brave the upstairs theatre to answer Enoch’s questions every Monday night until mid-August. The performer has been briefed that they are to answer questions but has no idea what the questions will be. The questions range from “are you happy?” to “do you get sick of white guilt”, with a range of fun and reflective questions in between. iPad in hand, Enoch sets the example as a generous host, requesting our full support of the guest at the top of the show. Twenty-five-year-old Casey Donovan steps through the gold curtains onto the stage in stilettos. The crowd applauds. She’s nervous, we’re nervous. The questioning begins. If you've ever seen Donovan sing, or were lucky enough to see her in the 2010 production of The Sapphires (directed by Enoch), you’ll know she is comedic, soulful gold on stage, but we don’t get the best of her in this setting. Enoch’s structure relies heavily on the guest’s improvisation skills, which Donovan doesn't quite bring to the floor, answering many questions with coy evasion. When Enoch invites her up to the mic to sing, it’s a relief and a pleasure to hear the phenomenal voice that launched her into the public domain at age 16 on Australian Idol. Her singing is the highlight of the evening. This talk show/counselling session is probably better suited to a cabaret setting than the main stage and would also suit cabaret prices. It feels odd that an unrehearsed Q&A with a minimal set would warrant full-price tickets. At bare minimum, the show is a nice chance to reflect on what your own answers to Enoch’s questions would be. It’s always nice to think about death, for example. It’s difficult to assess the merits of the show given the guest will be different each Monday. Enoch has certainly undertaken a high-risk enterprise with so much relying on the individual guest. No doubt with a more seasoned performer up in the spotlight, it could make for a wild, heartfelt ride.
It's been more than 18 months since the world first got a glimpse of Dev Patel going medieval, all thanks to the initial sneak peek at The Green Knight. The action/fantasy-thriller sees him mess with Arthurian legend, swing around a mighty sword and giant axe, and head somewhere completely different after filming two of his last four movies in Australia (Lion and Hotel Mumbai) — and also stepping into a Dickens classic set in Victorian England (The Personal History of David Copperfield). A second trailer for The Green Knight dropped earlier this year, and the movie released in the US in July; however, if you're an Aussie fan of Patel, medieval thrillers or both, you're currently still waiting to see the dark and ominous-looking film. Thankfully, that delay is about to come to an end, with the movie set to stream locally via Amazon Prime Video from Thursday, October 28. Based on the 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the film casts Patel as Sir Gawain. Nephew to King Arthur (Sean Harris, Mission: Impossible — Fallout), he's a knight of the Round Table and fearsome warrior. The character has popped up in plenty of tales, but here, he's forced to confront the giant green-skinned titular figure in an eerie showdown. As the poem explains, the Green Knight dares any other knight to strike him with an axe, but only if they'll then receive a return blow exactly one year and one day later. Based on all of the movie's trailers so far, this adaptation looks to be sticking to that story rather closely — and the end result also looks more than a little moody, brooding and creepy. Patel is in great company, too, with The Green Knight also starring Alicia Vikander (Earthquake Bird), Joel Edgerton (Boy Erased) and Barry Keoghan (Calm with Horses). Games of Thrones' Kate Dickie pops up as Guinevere, while her co-star Ralph Ineson — who is also known from the Harry Potter flicks, The Witch, Gunpowder Milkshake and the UK version of The Office — plays the Green Knight. Originally set to release in 2020 until the pandemic hit, The Green Knight is the latest movie by impressive and always eclectic writer/director David Lowery. His filmography spans everything from Ain't Them Bodies Saints and Pete's Dragon to A Ghost Story and The Old Man and the Gun — and The Green Knight isn't like anything on his resume so far. Check out the trailer below: The Green Knight will be available to stream in Australia via Amazon Prime Video from Thursday, October 28.
If you're looking for ways to cut back on your weekly coffee budget and you want to help out a good cause, Sorry Thanks I Love You's inner-city store is the place for you every Friday. Originally launched online in 2015 before setting up a brick-and-mortar store and then moving to Westfield Sydney, Sorry Thanks I Love You is all about gifting differently, offering a range of items that are unique and thoughtfully designed to give to your best friend, a family member, your partner or even yourself. The emphasis here is on handmade, expertly designed products that tell a story. All of the creations in the space are unique, so you're in very little danger of doubling up on gifts for your mate. Among the clothes, accessories and homewares, the retailer also runs a cafe within the store. And, while the focus of the shop is on helping you find the perfect gift, it also gives back, donating to the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse cancer treatment centre. In order to encourage donations, Sorry Thanks I Love You is offering up its Single O coffee for a gold coin at the end of each work week. Each Friday morning, anyone who comes in-store to get their morning coffee can pay with a gold coin donation to the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse. That's right, you can pick up your daily cup of joe for as little as $1 and know the money is helping out. The promotion kicked off last year, but has been extended indefinitely after its success. STILY is aiming to raise enough money for 100 patient visits to the Lifehouse's psychology and counselling services, one gold coin at a time. While there will be a moneybox where you can donate your physical coins, you can pay via EFTPOS if you don't carry cash. You can also chip in online via STILY's website.
Next time you're out on the town on the weekend, when 1.30am rolls round and you're at a loss at where you can go (and get into), you'll have another option. Chippendale's Lansdowne Hotel has just had a new 5am lockout-free licence approved for Friday and Saturday night. The multi-room bar, live music venue and pizzeria was resurrected in 2017 by local hospo legends Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham (Mary's Newtown, Mary's Underground, The Unicorn Hotel), and now they're helping to pump a little fun back into the early hours of the weekend. It's not the only venue doing so either, with nearby favourite Freda's recently having its licence extended till 4am, too. Collectively, it's a big win for Sydney. With a reported 176 venues having closed since the lockout laws were introduced to curb alcohol fuelled-violence four years ago, this slight loosening of the State Government's vice-like grip on the industry can only mean good things. While Chippendale isn't in the lockout zone, its bars have still been impacted by the State Government's strict late-night and live music policies. [caption id="attachment_626498" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lansdowne Hotel by Bodhi Liggett[/caption] To celebrate its new licence, the Lansdowne is bringing one of LA's biggest parties to Australia for the first time. A Club Called Rhonda is an extravagant and inclusive party — described as a "pansexual paradise, a haven for all identities and inclinations" — known for its art, music and pumping dance floors, which has danced its way across LA, San Francisco, New York, Canada and Berlin. You can get a little feel for it by watching this short YouTube doco. Smyth and Graham have teamed up with Maurice Terzini (Icebergs, The Dolphin) and A Club Called Rhonda Founders Loren Granich and Gregory Alexander to throw Rhonda Intl 'A Night in LA' on Saturday, August 24. The two-storey party will run from 9pm all the way through till 5am (yes, a full eight hours), with guests told to expect an over-the-top night with local artists and to-be-announced international DJs — oh, and lots (and lots) of glitter, lasers and colour. As an added bonus, you'll be able start the party with cocktails from award-winning bartender Yael Vengroff. The 2018 American Bartender of the Year, who is currently the bar director at The Spare Room inside LA's Roosevelt Hotel, will be whipping up drinks from 9–10.30pm. Vengroff will also be making an appearance at the Rhonda Intl recovery session at The Dolphin on Sunday, August 25 from 7–9pm. Rhonda Intl 'A Night in LA' will run from 9pm–5am on Saturday, August 24 a The Lansdowne, with the venue open till 5am every Friday and Saturday thereafter. Tickets for the party are $40 and can be purchased via The Lansdowne website. Top images: A Club Called Rhonda
If digging for bling isn't your thing, how about searching for dinosaur fossils? At the Australian Opal Centre, visitors are welcome to register for Lightning Ridge Fossil Digs, which give you the chance to discover opalised fossils buried for over 100 million years. With the next dig scheduled for August 2022, you can sign up for six days of adventure alongside some of Australia's leading palaeontologists and researchers. Previous excavations here have resulted in several world-first discoveries, so your trip might just make history. Places are strictly limited, so if you want to spend a week fossicking for fossils, book your spot now. Image: James de Mers, Pixabay
Sydney hospo favourite Odd Culture Group (Odd Culture, The Duke of Enmore) is throwing a free street party to raise money for its historic Woolloomooloo theatre. So if you want to spend a Sunday soaking in rays with live music, theatre previews and a top-notch food and drink lineup — all for a good cause — you're in luck. Located within one of our favourite pubs in Sydney, The Old Fitz Theatre has been a vital space for Sydney's arts scene for over two decades now. To celebrate the exciting things the theatre has in store and to ensure the space continues to thrive for another 20+ years, A Streetparty Named Fitz (good name) will take over Dowling Street out the front of The Old Fitz from midday until 7pm on Sunday, February 11. [caption id="attachment_937223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old Fitz Theatre, Sydney Fringe Festival[/caption] On the day, you can expect a pair of performances from the theatre for a preview of its upcoming season, plus a live set from red Wiggle Murray Cook's band The Soul Movers, DJ Aunty Jonny on the decks, and roaming performers popping up throughout the crowd. Odd Culture Group Executive Chef James MacDonald has created a summer barbecue menu inspired by the cuisine of New Orleans (the setting of A Streetcar Named Desire). There will be jambalaya, smoked meats and veggies, smoked cheeseburgers and loaded fries. The Mapo Bus will also be on deck for all your gelato desires. Some high-profile friends have been called on to assist with the day's drinks: a pop-up bar will feature slushies and spritzes created by Matt Whiley (Re), Evan Stroeve (The Waratah) and Eduardo Conde (El Primo Sanchez), as well as margarita seltzers and Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin and tonics. A very good time for a very good cause. What's not to love?
Australia's answer to a certain cult American burger chain, Down N' Out is this week moving up and out, launching its first standalone restaurant in Ryde. The new venture comes just over a year after owners Archie Saliba and Ben Kagan first introduced the Down N' Out concept to Sydney via a pop-up — which later saw them take over the kitchen of The Sir John Young Hotel — with a menu of US-style burgers, deep fried cheese patties and loaded 'tiger fries'. Now, Down N' Out's graduating to digs that are completely their own, opening the doors to a space outside Top Ryde Shopping Centre this Saturday, September 23. This one's a little more polished than the CBD kitchen, though the comic book theme, the small bar feel and the soundtrack of soul, funk and hip hop remain. In fact, fans needn't worry about too many changes at all — the menu at Down N' Out 2.0 is a pretty close match to the original, right through to that infamously fiery hot sauce. Thankfully, the epic weekly burger specials aren't going anywhere either. The biggest change is that you'll now be able to wash those burgers down with a decadent Down N' Out shake, in flavours like Oreo and salted caramel. Pending liquor licence, a range of wild and wacky cocktail creations could also be on the cards. You'll find Down N' Out at 95 Blaxland Road, Ryde, from this Saturday, September 23. It'll be slinging burgers daily, from 11am-9pm. Image: Bodhi Liggett.
