The idea of fashion as an art form is something that gets debated quite a lot — can something so commercially driven and seasonal ever make a lasting impact? That’s the idea that the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation wants to explore with their latest initiative, Feel and Think: A New Era of Tokyo Fashion. The exhibition consists of five elaborate installations by Japanese fashion designers ANREALAGE, Theatre Products, mintdesigns, SASQUATCHfabrix and writtenafterwards, as well as artist conversations, film screenings, a runway show and pop-up store at SCAF headquarters in Paddington. The exhibition was previously held in Tokyo but has been expanded into five site-specific installations at the National Art School Gallery in Darlinghurst, which has a long history of art-based fashion, boasting Akira Isogawa and Romance was Born as alumni. While many of the installations are constructed around their latest collections, this is done with wit and elements of kitsch and often makes statements beyond 'look at the pretty clothes'. Perhaps the work that embodies these things the most is the one by Sasquatchfabrix. Located at the entrance to the gallery, it’s a large buffalo with a skin constructed entirely from stitched-together fragments of what appear to be leather jackets. It’s visually fascinating in itself, even before the 'I see what you did there' realisation dawns on you. Cattle, leather, get it? I was a bit slow on the uptake on that one. The second floor of the exhibition takes you to an intriguing work by avant-garde label Anrealage featuring two side by side shop displays with identical layouts — except for the fact that one contains short, wide mannequins with short, wide clothing and the other contains towering, elongated versions of the same display, including a skinny typewriter and spindle-legged display table. The installation by Theatre Products experiments with interactivity, with visitors invited to scan the clothes on display, and creates an interesting contrast between the carefully constructed clothes and shoes, all tagged with large barcodes that produce a loud, echoing beep when scanned. The word 'anarchic' is being used a lot in promotional material for Feel and Think, but the better way of describing its general feel? 'Self-aware'.
When Yours and Owls announced that it wasn't going ahead in 2024, joining the long list of music festivals scrapping plans for this year, it thankfully only put its fun on hold for a year. Returning in 2025 was always the intention, and now that big comeback has dates. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2. Yours and Owls didn't completely sit 2024 out, however. Earlier in October, it held a pre-party, aka the event you put on when you can't put on the full festival experience at your usual time of the year because it doesn't work for your headliners' calendars. So, a tunes-filled shindig still took over the University of Wollongong campus — complete with Golden Features, Peking Duk, Alice Ivy, Anna Lunoe and more — to keep things warm for next year. [caption id="attachment_965220" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] There's no word yet as to who'll be taking to the stage when Yours and Owls starts autumn 2025 in the best possible way, but organisers have advised to expect details soon. It's been a rollercoaster ride of a few years for the fest. It only turned into its new site in 2023 after it was forced to cancel in 2022 when La Niña flooded its Stuart Park venue. Affectionately labelled 'Gong Christmas', Yours and Owls moved to UOW as part of the fest and university's three-year partnership, with the all-weather solutions available at the campus cited as one of the driving factors behind the team-up — plus the uni's picturesque green spaces and a mutual commitment towards carbon-emission reduction. [caption id="attachment_906428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Gleeson[/caption] 2023's Yours and Owls featured Oliver Tree, Chet Faker and Descendents, and also Hilltop Hoods, Earl Sweatshirt, Golden Features, Ocean Alley, Flight Facilities and Pendulum — so expect 2025's fest to be worth waiting for. Confirmation that the event will be back next year follows locked in details for the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 for a heap of fellow festivals, such as Laneway, Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. [caption id="attachment_906426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ruby Bowland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_906427" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Yours and Owls will return to Wollongong on Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. Head to the festival website for more details.
UPDATE: AUGUST 30, 2019 — Sonic Youth guitarist and vocalist Kim Gordon has cancelled her Antidote appearance due to health reasons. Ticket holders will receive a refund from the Sydney Opera House. Antidote is now only running for one day, on Sunday, September 1. Antidote — the Sydney Opera House festival of ideas, action and change — will return for its third round this August, bringing with it an all-star lineup of the world's leading minds and pioneering creatives. They'll facilitate and lead the necessary conversations of our time during a day of talks on Sunday, September 1. This year, the festival has partnered with the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, which will co-curate two sessions focusing on authoritarian environments, free speech and debates on society's most controversial issues, as well as a panel on climate change (and whether the media has reported on it accurately). Other key topics in this year's program include 'fake news', national identity, the weaponisation of social media, creative responses to political and social turmoil and the surveillance of 'big data' and the resurgence of binge cultures. Included on the massive international lineup are Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie, Rappler founder Maria Ressa (one of TIME Magazine's People of 2018), Black Lives Matter activist and co-founder of Campaign Zero DeRay Mckesson, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll, and Russian cyber security journalists (and co-founders of the respected Agentura. Ru) Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan. Also making appearances is Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korea deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom; Mausi Segun, the executive director of Human Right Watch's Africa Division; and Lina Attalah (TIME Magazine's New Generation Leader), co-founder of Egyptian newspaper Mada Masr. Australian heavy hitters to join the party include ABC International Affairs analyst Stan Grant, The Guardian journalist Brigid Delaney and The Sydney Morning Herald's national editor Tory Maguire, who will host a live recording of the podcast Please Explain. On Monday, July 15, a second round of speakers were announced, including Denise Ho, a key figure in Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement, The Washington Post's Beijing Bureau Chief Anna Fifield, CEO of First Peoples Disability Network Damian Griffis and Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent. New panels have been added, too, and see the addition of talks on alternative models of housing, the economics of disability, the mapping of Australia's colonial frontier massacres and pop culture obsessions. Antidote's popular workshop series will return, too, featuring a collective tarot reading, a 'how to' hairdo tutorial for dads, native tea making and a free Auslan workshop thanks to the Deaf Society. In terms of interactive art, you'll find a free exhibition by Delhi-based photographer Gauri Gill on the Western Boardwalk, a short film about social connections in the Lounge and Sydney artist Jason Phu's public performance work, which features a "procession of masked 'spirits' protesting against humanity's impact on the earth". Watch out for that one. Image: Letícia Almeida
The Yarra Valley is set to score its first big name hotel, with IHG announcing plans to open one of its new 'voco' accommodation sites there in 2021. The 170-room hotel, which has nabbed a hillside address in Lilydale, will feature its own on-site gin distillery, natural amphitheatre, mirrored maze, lavender farm and a providore selling local produce. Across one quirkily designed main building and 20 standalone cabins, it'll boast a gym, a restaurant and multiple bars with views across the region. Less than an hour out of Melbourne, it's in a prime location for visitors hitting the Yarra Valley's famed wine region and is on the way to popular ski field Mt Buller. Launched in June, voco is IHG's newest brand, pitched at delivering accommodation options that are upscale, yet fun. The same group has announced it'll be opening a Holiday Inn in Coburg in 2020, and has plans for 22 more hotels to launch across Australasia. voco is slated to open at 486 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale in 2021.
Flipping through a newspaper, feeling the flimsy paper in your hands and finding your fingerprints smudged with ink might by a dying ritual; however The Wall Street Journal is hoping that people still want to take the time to sit, peruse and consume the news at a leisurely pace. Instead of hanging out at a cafe rifling through physical pages, readers can now enter an architect-designed virtual New York apartment to get their news fix thanks to the publication's just-launched VR news app. WSJ VR is the newspaper's new virtual reality app for Google's Daydream platform, ushering news junkies into a different kind of reading experience. Now available to download via Google Play, it allows users to view a wall filled with a live feed of breaking news, watch interactive 360-degree videos and see a visualisation of real-time market data, all in swanky digs designed by architecture firm Michaelis Boyd. Interactive storytelling is the WSJ's main focus, particularly allowing "the Journal's reporters and editors to take readers and viewers of our journalism anywhere in the world," said Andy Regal, WSJ's Global Head of Video, in a statement. Whether that's something anyone actually wants is yet to be seen, but it's certainly quite different to scrolling through newsfeeds on a smartphone screen. Users can do more than read, watch and see the news while they're using the app; they can also engage with the space — which is based on a mix of the firm's real-life residential projects — on a 360-degree axis. Accordingly, even if you're not keen on staying up-to-date on global events and financial developments in the most immersive way possible, the app also offers views of the New York City skyline — and it's cheaper than a plane ticket. Via Dezeen.
If you didn't miss a single chapter of Dr Death and you spend more time on Audible than you do with your friends, then this extravaganza is for you. Meet Audiocraft Podcast Festival, a three-day happening dedicated to podcasts. Whether you make them, listen to them or obsess over them, there are talks, panel discussions and workshops for you. Highlights include a session on true crime podcasts with Stephanie Van Schilt (Sisteria) a performance by Avery Trufelman of 99% Invisible, and a live recording of Hey Aunty!. Other names to look out for include Ian Chillag of Everything is Alive (Radiotopia), Mark Pesce of The Next Billion Second (PodcastOne) and Travis De Vries (Broriginals). The action will kick off on Friday, May 31 with an opening night listening party at Forest Lodge's Harold Park Community Hall. A full day of talks will then take place at AFTRS the following day, where you'll learn about everything from pitching to the future of podcasts and recording the sound of icebergs in the Antarctic. On Sunday, the talks will move to The Calyx at the Royal Botanic Garden and will feature a showcase of some of the best moment's from Radiotopia's podcasts. There'll also be a host of workshops happening across the three days, for those keen on creating their own audible series. Image: Bryce Thomas.
Keeping the romance alive can be difficult when your girlfriend is thousands of miles away and sometimes phonecalls, frequent visits and even video chat don't cut it. But Walter C. May has officially upped the ante on romantic gestures with this viral love letter. With his roommates, who just happen to be a band called the Daylights, May wrote a song called "I Hope This Gets To You", filmed silvery hands coming together to form faces that mouth the lyrics and unleashed it upon the Interwebs. It's already been tweeted by Katy Perry. May is hoping this video reaches his girlfriend, who's on the other side of the country at grad school, solely through the power of the viral internet, because he wants to show his lady that they "can feel close without having to be close every day." All together now: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EjgtxVxE14A [via Gizmodo]
First, the bad news: if you don't already have a ticket to Laneway Festival 2025 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to see Charli XCX, Djo, Beabadoobee, Clairo, Barry Can't Swim, Remi Wolf and more, they've completely soldout. Now, some good news: in each of the three east coast cities, Laneway has just announced official afterparties. The small club shows will feature STÜM, RONA. and Fcukers, plus others, with the lineup varying per location — and it's your next chance to get in on the Laneway action. The dates for the three shindigs are obviously the same as the Laneway dates in each destination. Accordingly, Brisbane's turn comes on Saturday, February 8, then Sydney's on Sunday, February 9 and Melbourne's on Friday, February 14. As for venues, River City revellers are headed to The Brightside, Harbour City residents to Oxford Art Factory and folks in the Victorian capital have a date with The Night Cat. In Brissie, STÜM, DJ Ivan Berko, nate sib and Cyber DJs will be taking to the stage. Sydney's gig features RONA., Fcukers doing a DJ set, DJ Ivan Berko popping up again, and both Loosie Grind and BEMAN. And in Melbourne, RONA. and DJ Ivan Berko are back, as is nate sib, alongside Laneway Festival's own DJs. Tickets are limited — so, like all things Laneway, getting in fast is recommended. As for the festival itself, if you've been lucky enough to nab tix, its lineup also features BICEP doing their CHROMA AV DJ set, Olivia Dean, Eyedress, Skegss, Hamdi, Joey Valence & Brae, 2hollis, Ninajirachi, Julie, Girl and Girl, and more. For its 2025 season, the event started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s is also headed to Bonython Park in Adelaide and Wellington Square in Perth in Australia — but without afterparties. Laneway Festival 2025 Afterparties Saturday, February 8 — The Brightside, Brisbane, with STÜM, DJ Ivan Berko, nate sib and Cyber DJs Sunday, February 9 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, with RONA., Fcukers, DJ Ivan Berko, Loosie Grind and BEMAN Friday, February 14 — The Night Cat, Melbourne, with RONA., DJ Ivan Berko, nate sib and Laneway Festival's DJs Laneway Festival 2025 Dates and Venues Thursday, February 6 – Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Saturday, February 8 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 9 — Centennial Park, Sydney / Burramattagal Land & Wangal Land Friday, February 14 — Flemington Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Saturday, February 15 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Sunday, February 16 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar [caption id="attachment_975321" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harley Weir[/caption] Laneway Festival 2025 Lineup Charli XCX Beabadoobee Clairo Barry Can't Swim BICEP present CHROMA (AV DJ set) Djo Remi Wolf Olivia Dean Eyedress Skegss STÜM RONA Hamdi Joey Valence & Brae 2hollis Fcukers Ninajirachi Julie Girl and Girl + Triple J unearthed winners [caption id="attachment_975961" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Guido Gazzilli[/caption] St Jerome's Laneway Festival is touring Australia in February 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details and tickets. Afterparties are being held at the fest's east coast stops — with tickets on sale for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's events now. Laneway festival images: Charlie Hardy / Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
With Irma Vep, French filmmaker Olivier Assayas (Wasp Network) retraces his own footsteps, turning his cult-favourite 1996 movie of the same name into an Alicia Vikander-starring HBO miniseries. There's more to that act both on- and off-screen, and Assayas couldn't be having more fun with the whole concept. But first, David Lynch's Twin Peaks deserves a mention. No, not just because it's always worth thinking about. When that cult-favourite series returned in 2017 after a quarter-century gap, it ended its 18-hour run by asking "what year is this?". That query made complete sense in the show's narrative with its Lynchian logic; however, it's also as perfect a comment on the state of entertainment today as anything could utter. In Lynch's hands, Twin Peaks was never going to feel like slipping cosily back into the past to rehash old glories. Almost everything else that's hit screens of late can't make that claim, though. Among 2022's big box-office successes so far sits the latest Batman flick, the 28th Marvel movie, a 36-years-later sequel, the 11th Wizarding World instalment, yet another Spider-Man film and more Ghostbusters; what year is this indeed? Irma Vep doesn't belong in their company, however. It slides into streaming queues knowing the everything-old-is-new-again status quo, and probing, challenging and satirising it. It also jokes about whether an episodic project aired on TV can really be a movie, playfully riffing on the chatter about Twin Peaks' third season — and it's one of the best things to reach television since that masterpiece. Streaming weekly in Australia via Binge since Tuesday, June 7, and in New Zealand via Neon from Tuesday, June 14, Irma Vep also requires some unpacking. The term 'layered' has rarely ever applied to a show quite as it does here. So, Assayas remakes his own film — and the resulting series follows a director remaking one of his own past flicks as a TV project, too. In all versions of Irma Vep, the movies and shows being made are also remakes of 1915–16 French crime effort Les Vampires. It was a ten-episode, seven-hour cinema serial, and it's supremely real. Indeed, by first helming a feature about remaking Les Vampires, and now a series about remaking a movie that remakes Les Vampires (which, IRL, is also a remake of a movie that remakes Les Vampires), Assayas keeps remaking Les Vampires in his own way. The nested dolls that are Irma Vep's meta setup just keep stacking. The 1996 Irma Vep starred Maggie Cheung, who'd later become Assayas' wife, then ex-wife — and the 2022 Irma Vep haunts its on-screen filmmaker René Vidal (Vincent Macaigne, Non-Fiction) with visions of his ex-wife Jade Lee (Vivian Wu, Dead Pigs), who, yes, led his movie. If you're a fan of word puzzles, you might've also noticed that Irma Vep is an anagram of vampire; that said, Les Vampires isn't actually about bloodsuckers, and nor is any iteration of Irma Vep. To add to the list, while Cheung played a version of herself, Vikander (Blue Bayou, The Green Knight) plays fictional American star Mira — a name that's an anagram of Irma. You can also take that moniker literally, because mirroring is patently a pivotal aspect of Irma Vep in every guise. This lengthy roster of links, nods and connections isn't done yet, with René clearly a fictionalised version of Assayas, and the latter finding inspiration for Mira elsewhere in his career. Two of his recent gems, the sublime duo that is Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper, both starred Kristen Stewart — and spotting similarities between her professional and personal lives and Mira's is oh-so-easy. In fact, Mira signs up for René's new Irma Vep after leading huge Hollywood hits, then yearning for more complex and substantial work. She also has a famous actor ex, Eamonn (Tom Sturridge, the upcoming The Sandman), and moved on with her now-former personal assistant Laurie (Adria Arjona, Morbius). As delightful as it is for diehard cinephiles, knowing all of the above isn't essential before watching Irma Vep 2.0. It helps put viewers on its wavelength, though — and this is a show that's all about wavelengths. René can't find his, with the production plagued by insurance woes, actors demanding either big sex scenes (Sorry Angel's Vincent Lacoste) or crack (Proxima's Lars Eidinger), and a financier who only stumped up the cash to get Mira to front his new perfume line. Amid that chaos, and after finishing promotional duties on her last blockbuster (and running into the now-married Laurie in the process), Mira attempts to plunge as deeply as she can into her role. She adores the black velvet catsuit that costume designer Zoe (Jeanne Balibar, Memoria) has fashioned — almost as much as Zoe visibly adores her — and, even under her new assistant Regina's (newcomer Devon Ross) watchful eye, immerses herself in playing Irma Vep far more than the script requires. Everyone's sinking their teeth into something here, or trying to, just as Assayas bites into a smart and savvy satire about the entertainment industry. Everyone's feasting on something, too, including Hollywood's insatiable need to devour itself one sequel and remake at a time. Irma Vep tackles these ideas, and parodies the incessant lust for more and more screen content, the perils and perks of fame, on-set antics and plenty of online discussion about cinema over the past decade, all while musing on the lines between art and reality as well. Oh, and while throwing in a wonderful Emily in Paris gag. But Assayas is an arthouse auteur above all else, and he's always grounded and naturalistic rather than campy and farcical — even when Irma Vep is hilarious, which is often. In contemplating why we consume art, or make it so that others can (and for others still to capitalise upon), he also revels in both dissecting and simply hanging out among behind-the-scenes shenanigans. If that wasn't all phenomenal enough — and equally thoughtful, playful and savagely clever — Irma Vep is hypnotically lensed like it belongs on the big screen. It also shimmers with the full force of Vikander at her absolute best (yes, better than her Oscar-winning turn in The Danish Girl). There's such an earthiness to her performance that it hardly feels like watching a performance at all. She's acting, of course — Irma Vep doesn't add that layer to its pile — but she inhabits Mira with relaxed effortlessness, whether she's projecting the cool, calm and collected movie-star persona, showing the character's vulnerabilities, or diving into the allure that the series-within-a-series version of Irma Vep holds. Macaigne, the always-impressive Lacoste and Eidinger, and Balibar and Ross also do their utmost, because this show isn't short on standouts. But that key combination of Assayas, Vikander and all things Irma Vep is what dreams are made of, as is one of 2022's most glorious new TV shows. Check out the trailer for Irma Vep below: Irma Vep streams week by week in Australia via Binge since Tuesday, June 7 — and in New Zealand via Neon from Tuesday, June 14. Images: Carole Bethuel/HBO.
There's plenty to love about Shoalhaven: white sand beaches, primo snorkelling spots and a plethora of picturesque holiday homes. Next time you're road tripping through the area, you can refuel between swims and hikes at The Growers in Worrigee. Sprawling across 450 indoor and outdoor seats, the new restaurant and bar opened is from the team behind Acre Artarmon, The Greens and Taffy's, Tully Heard Consulting, so you can safely assume it's going to be lush. In the kitchen, chef Patrick Haney is plating up produce from the surround areas, including Batemans Bay oysters, Milton Beef and smoked goods from Eden Smokehouse. The kitchen does its own smoking, too, with woodfired pizzas coming topped with smoky chicken ($24) and a dedicated Smokehouse turning out the likes of pulled pork empanadas ($14), prawn tacos ($16) and chipotle chicken wings ($18). There are also plenty of options for those with dietaries, thanks to vegan cheese, gluten free pizza bases and vego cauliflower burgers ($23). Like the food, the drinks also have a local focus with cocktails starring spirits from Distillery Botanica, beers on offer from Jervis Bay Brewing Co and Bentspoke and a lineup of NSW wines. You can choose to eat and drink inside the restaurant or in the expansive outdoor garden, which is filled with plant-covered pergolas, a fire pit and play areas for children. While each space is unique, it has all been designed by Pony Design Co using plenty of natural timber, greenery and textured stones.
In his guise as Benoit Blanc in both 2019's Knives Out and 2022's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Daniel Craig has pointed the finger at an array of well-known faces. With third film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery officially on the way, that list is set to grow. The first three folks joining it: Andrew Scott (Ripley), Josh O'Connor (Challengers) and Cailee Spaeny (Civil War). If you weren't already excited about Blanc's next case, which is set to arrive on Netflix in 2025, then you should be now. The news that Wake Up Dead Man is on its way still relatively fresh, with the sleuthing saga's writer and director Rian Johnson announcing it via social media on Saturday, May 25 — and casting details have started arriving mere days later. [caption id="attachment_868527" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.[/caption] As reported by Variety, there's no word yet as to who Scott, O'Connor and Spaeny are playing opposite No Time to Die's Craig. But joining Wake Up Dead Man's suspect pool comes in a big year for fans of all three Down Under, with Scott's All of Us Strangers, O'Connor's La Chimera and Spaeny's Priscilla all reaching screens this year — plus the aforementioned Ripley, Challengers and Civil War, too. With the third Knives Out flick locking in a date with the small screen next year, the series continues its three-yearly pattern. Who else the filmmaker that also brought audiences Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi and TV's Poker Face (which has been renewed for a second season) will get Blanc investigating hasn't been revealed, and neither has much else about the movie. "I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. There's a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies," Johnson did note. [caption id="attachment_951454" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Challengers, Niko Tavernise © 2024 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.[/caption] Exactly when in 2025 the flick will hit, and also whether it will reach cinemas before arriving on Netflix, also hasn't been announced. But, the streamer is teasing that this will be Blanc's "most dangerous case yet". So far, Johnson has plunged his detective into a familiar scenario twice, but always ensured that the end result was anything but routine. His trusty setup: bring a group of people together in a family home, mode of transport or lavish vacation setting, then watch on when one thing that always occurs in a whodunnit happens. That'd be a murder, in a formula that Agatha Christie also loved, as book-to-film adaptations Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice have shown. The author's play The Mousetrap and recent flick See How They Run, which riffs on it, make the same point. And, so does this clearly Christie-inspired franchise. [caption id="attachment_936946" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Priscilla[/caption] The cast across Knives Out and Glass Onion has been impressive. Chris Evans (Pain Hustlers), Ana de Armas (Ghosted), Jamie Lee Curtis (Haunted Mansion), Michael Shannon (The Flash), Toni Collette (Mafia Mamma), Don Johnson (The Collective), Lakeith Stanfield (The Changeling), Christopher Plummer (Departure), Katherine Langford (Savage River) and Jaeden Martell (Mr Harrigan's Phone) all featured the first time around. In the second flick, Edward Norton (Asteroid City), Janelle Monáe (Antebellum), Kathryn Hahn (Tiny Beautiful Things), Leslie Odom Jr (The Exorcist: Believer), Jessica Henwick (The Royal Hotel), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Kate Hudson (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) and Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) all co-starred. If you saw either — or any murder-mystery involving a motley crew of characters brought together in one location when someone turns up dead — then you'll know how this movie series works from there. There's a standout setting, that big group of chalk-and-cheese folks, threats aplenty and just as much suspicion. Check out the title announcement video for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery below: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will release sometime in 2025 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Read our reviews of Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Via Variety. Top image: All of Us Strangers, photo by Chris Harris, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 Searchlight Pictures.
Will Dune movies just keep getting better and better? Here's hoping that's as natural an outcome as spying sand as far as the eye can see across Arrakis. When Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) followed in David Lynch's footsteps with 2021's Dune, he made a new version of one of the most unfairly maligned sci-fi films ever crafted, and managed what Alejandro Jodorowsky sadly couldn't (see: excellent documentary Jodorowsky's Dune) — and a new science-fiction cinema classic arrived and stunned. Villeneuve's picture, which scored ten Oscar nominations and six wins, only told part of Dune's story. Cue Dune: Part Two to keep the tale going. War has arrived on the franchise's spice-laden planet, and Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Bones and All) and the Fremen are ready to fight. The former doesn't just want to face off against the folks who destroyed his family, but for the sandy celestial body, with Zendaya's (Euphoria) Chani at his side. That's the tale teased in not one but two trailers for the Dune sequel, with the second just dropping and filled with swirling tension. "This world is beyond cruelty," says Paul in the latest sneak peek, surveying the grim status quo. But he has a plan: "he who can destroy a thing has the real control of it." The first film had Paul head to Arrakis because his dad Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight) had just been given stewardship of the planet and its abundance of 'the spice' — aka the most valuable substance in the universe — and then get caught up in a bitter battle with malicious forces over the substance. It also saw Paul meet the population of people known as the Fremen, including Chani, plus Javier Bardem's (Lyle, Lyle Crocodile) Stilgar, which is who he and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo) are with in Dune: Part Two. Expansive desert landscape, golden and orange hues (again, Villeneuve helmed Blade Runner 2049), sandworms, the director's reliable eye for a spectacle and Hans Zimmer's (The Son) latest likely Oscar-winning score: they've all shown up in the new film's two glimpses so far. So have some of the franchise's new players, with Austin Butler ditching his Elvis locks as Feyd Rautha Harkonnen, the nephew of Stellan Skarsgard's (Andor) Baron Harkonnen. Christopher Walken (Severance) and Florence Pugh (The Wonder) also join the saga as Emperor Shaddam IV and his daughter Princess Irulen. From the first film, Josh Brolin (Outer Range), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Beau Is Afraid) and Charlotte Rampling (Benedetta) return, while Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future) also joins the cast. Off-screen, Villeneuve has brought back not just Zimmer, but Oscar-winning Australian director of photography Greig Fraser (The Batman), Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermett (Vice), Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker (The Unforgivable), Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert (First Man) and Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (Song to Song). Check out the latest Dune: Part Two trailer below: Dune: Part Two will release in cinemas Down Under on November 2, 2023.
In 2013, three women escaped from a home in Cleveland, Ohio, then shocked the world by revealing they'd been kidnapped and kept prisoner by one man for over a decade. It's hard not think that their harrowing tale may have played a part in the conception of writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's latest thriller, Split, which begins in a very similar fashion. Three young girls, all in their teens, are drugged and abducted in broad daylight outside of a shopping mall, only to wake up imprisoned in a bunker with no idea where they are, who took them, or why. That is, until they meet Dennis. Played by James McAvoy, Dennis is a cold, meticulous and physically brutal force. He's nothing like Patricia, the matronly British lady (also played by James McAvoy), who assures the girls they'll not be touched or harmed in any way. Then there's Hedwig (played by...James McAvoy) who's just a small boy who loves to dance to Kanye, and Barry (James McAvoy) a fashion designer constantly reassuring his shrink that everything's under control and…well…you get the idea. Rest assured though, this isn't some sort of Eddie Murphy costume romp where he's playing every character. Rather, McAvoy plays a collective of 23 distinct personalities competing for 'the light' within the body of one man named Kevin. Within this extraordinary case of DID (dissociative identity disorder), some personalities want the girls freed, whilst others appear to be preparing them for the arrival of the yet unseen 24th identity which they refer to only as 'the beast'. The burden of carrying the film, unsurprisingly, sits almost exclusively with McAvoy, whose performance more than rises to the challenge. Shyamalan actually filmed each of Kevin's identities as though they were portrayed by a different actor and the technique absolutely pays off. Each one feels different, and you soon think of them accordingly. Some you fear, others you warm to and none feel at all like the man playing them. The other performance of note comes from Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch). Introduced as a loner from the opening scene, Casey resists the others' suggestions of attempting an escape in favour of befriending the more approachable identities within Kevin, sparking additional conflict within an environment already dripping with tension. Taylor-Joy's a terrific actress with a long future ahead of her, and it's her scenes with McAvoy where Split is at its best. Filmed almost entirely in extreme closeups – a device that leaves audiences wondering what unseen menace might be lurking just off screen – McAvoy's unpredictability keeps the levels of menace high, while Taylor-Joy's enormous, soulful eyes speak volumes when words aren't (or can't) be spoken. Ever since The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan has been plagued by the expectation that his films will feature an unpredictable twist, a promise on which he's been mostly unable to deliver. Depending on your perspective, the finale of Split either sheds itself of that expectation entirely or doubles down and hits you with something even larger. Maybe it's both. Either way, the end result is almost certainly Shyamalan's best film since his breakout; a welcome return to form and an exciting precursor to whatever comes next. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84TouqfIsiI
The shock of unkempt hair, the Irish brogue, the misanthropic attitude: there's no mistaking Dylan Moran for anyone else. It was true in beloved British sitcom Black Books, when his on-screen alter ego abhorred mornings, ate coasters and claimed that his oven could cook anything (even belts). And it's definitely true of the comedian's acerbically hilarious live shows. Moran is no stranger to Australia, and last headed our way in 2019. Whether you've guffawed at his bleak wit live or you've always wanted to, you'll be able to see him on Saturday, May 8, too — thanks to a streamed version of his Brisbane show from his last visit. Expect the kind of deadpan gags, wine-soaked insights and blisteringly sharp one-liners that've kept him in the spotlight since 1996, when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Edinburgh Fringe's Perrier Award. Dr Cosmos once again features Moran's grumpily lyrical musings on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life, which you can watch for $18 from your couch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMfRpM5PJRw
Sydney chicken wing chain Wingboy has already made its mark in Randwick and Darling Square. The local upstart is based on the time-tested combination of saucy wings and cold beers — and it's now spreading its footprint to the Inner West, launching a third restaurant on King Street in Newtown. Opening its doors on Monday, June 19, Wingboy Newtown has taken over the former digs of Mr Crackle's now-closed fried chicken shop Thirsty Bird. While the offerings here don't go above and beyond what you'd expect from a cheerful chicken wing shop, it's all about nailing the finer details. There's an impressive list of 13 different sauces that you can choose to douse your chicken or cauliflower wings in, all made in-house each day. Fans of the classic can opt for buffalo, Korean gochujang or Louisiana-style wings, while more adventurous diners can turn their attention towards honey sriracha, sweet and sour plum or extra extra hot asskickin' varieties. [caption id="attachment_903268" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wingboy Darling Square[/caption] You'll also find plenty of choice on the beer menu. Tiger and Newtowner will be pouring — with the Tiger available in a huge three-litre beer tower — while there's also plenty of craft tinnies to try including Young Henrys Motorcycle Oil, Heaps Normal, Capital Brewing Rock Hopper IPA and Brookvale Union Ginger Beer. If you're not a fan of a brew, there's a variety of margaritas, negronis and wine to pair with your wings. Wingboy also loves a deal. For two hours (4–6pm) every Monday and Tuesday you can nab $1 wings and $5 Tiger schooners, on Wednesday nights there's bottomless wings and fries for $35, and on Thursday nights you can order a whole kilogram of wings for just $20. Plus, every Friday and Saturday, you can round up your friends for two hours of free-flowing wings, tenders, fries, slaw, tap beer, house wine and soft drinks for $70 per person. Wingboy Newtown will open at 226 King Street, Newtown on Monday, June 19, operating from 12pm–late Monday–Sunday.
The ultimate date night is inbound, and it's only running for ten nights this October. Taronga After Dark is a brand new late-night experience perfect for couples or mates who want to see what Taronga Zoo is like after sundown. From Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 12, you'll be able to wander through lantern-lit trails, enjoy cocktails under the stars and have incredible encounters with wildlife that come alive at night. You can also see the nocturnal routines of the reptiles and amphibians, or check out sunset seals at dusk for a wild presentation from the zoo's aquatic residents. For families, there's a magical mermaid show and a fluro fun zone, and for thrill-seekers, add on an illuminated Wild Ropes Adventure climb. For the adults, the Archie Rose sunset bar is the perfect pit stop while exploring. You can also refuel at one of the nearby food trucks, serving a range of sweet and savoury options, and enjoy some live acoustic tunes as you watch the sun set over Sydney Harbour. If you're looking to take your date night up a notch, why not make it a wildlife getaway? Opt to stay at Taronga Zoo's Wildlife Retreat, the onsite eco-conscious hotel with luxurious rooms, high-end amenities, modern Australian dining, and breathtaking Sydney Harbour views throughout the site. The Wildlife Retreat surrounds what is known as the Sanctuary, a beautiful native wildlife enclosure created exclusively for guests of the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga. This thoughtfully designed habitat envelopes guest bedrooms for a truly immersive wildlife experience — you may even wake up with a koala outside your window. Whether you're planning a unique catch-up with friends or a magical date night under the stars, Taronga After Dark is a one-of-a-kind way to explore the zoo in a whole new light. Buy your tickets and find out more about the event on the Taronga Zoo website.
NSW has now gone two weeks with no cases of community transmission of COVID-19. As a result more restrictions are easing. As well as gyms and tattoo parlours reopening this Saturday, June 13, Sydneysiders will be allowed to have gatherings of up to 20 people in their homes and outside. While hospitality venues have been allowed to have up to 50 people since June 1, gatherings in homes have been restricted to five visitors, with outdoor gatherings limited to ten. At a press conference this morning, Thursday, June 11, Premier Gladys Berejiklian made the announcement, saying despite the lack of community transmission Sydneysiders should not yet let their guards down. "We cannot forget the virus is still among us, the virus is deadly, it's contagious and while these restrictions are being eased let's be vigilant." As well as allowing Sydneysiders to have 20 guests in their homes and gather in groups of up to 20 outside, from Saturday, food courts will also be allowed to reopen for diners "in a socially-distanced" way, the Premier said. The Premier also hinted to more restrictions being eased "imminently". "We'll have a whole lot more to say in the next few days — in the next week — about what July looks like," the Premier said. When gyms open on Saturday, class sizes will be restricted to ten people, with a maximum of 100 people per venue, and tattoo and massage parlours will be allowed to have up to ten clients at a time. Indoor pools and saunas will be able to reopen with restrictions, too, following the reopening of outdoor pools and ocean pools back on May 15. As announced yesterday, adult — and kid — community sport is set to kick off again on July 1, but the government is yet to outline restrictions for spectators. For more information about what you can and can't do in NSW under current COVID-19 restrictions, head to the NSW Government website. CORRECTION: JUNE 11, 2020 — This article previously stated that gatherings in homes are currently limited to ten, but this is incorrect. You may currently have up to five visitors in your home — outdoor gatherings are limited to ten. It has since been updated.
Two beloved Sydney institutions are coming together for a celebration of the Lunar New Year. Across two Sundays — January 22 and 29 — Hello Auntie is taking over Philter's Marrickville brewery for a lineup of Vietnamese street food feasts. Hello Auntie's Chef Cuong will be manning the grill across both days, along with a very special guest: his mum Linda, who opened the first Marrickville restaurant with him back in 2015. The dynamic duo will be whipping up flavour-packed eats including banh uot — combining barbecue pork, fried onions, braised shallots and garlic stem, wrapped in rice noodle sheets and topped with a fried egg. Also on the menu will be king prawns and green papaya paired with roasted peanuts and ginger vinaigrette; char siu fried chicken wings with Vietnamese mint salsa; and the Bo La Lot burger, which piles a pork and veal patty, betel leaf, onion, tomato, mustard and mayo onto a bun. "The Bo La Lot Burger has been a favourite staff meal at Hello Auntie for a while and I've always wanted to share it with the public," Cuong says. Hello Auntie will also be in charge of creating some LNY ambience by decking out the brewery in Vietnamese decor. The pop-up will run across the two days from midday until 6pm with the last orders at 4.45pm.
Just one day after NSW introduced a range of new eased restrictions — allowing for regional travel, 50 people in hospitality venues and the reopening of cultural institutions and beauty parlours — the Government has announced another change. From Saturday, June 13, Sydneysiders will once again be able to go to gyms, fitness centres, dance studios and tattoo and massage parlours. Class sizes will be restricted to ten people, with a maximum of 100 people per venue, and tattoo and massage parlours will be allowed to have up to ten clients at a time. Indoor pools and saunas will be able to reopen with restrictions, too, following the reopening of outdoor pools and ocean pools back on May 15. A second set of eased restrictions will be introduced from July 1, when community sports will kick off, starting for those 18 years and younger. The reopening announcement was made today, Tuesday, June 2, by Deputy Premier John Barilaro who said, "we all know that physical fitness is important to, of course, your mental fitness and that's why it's timely that we've made this announcement". NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard was also at the announcement and addressed concerns Sydneysiders may have about the delay in reopenings. "The community might say 'why can't you do everything today?'... we want to see how each of these opening up moves impact on the transmission rates. It's wise to be careful," Hazzard said. The state has had an increase in six new cases over the past 24 hours, with all of them from travellers who are currently in hotel quarantine. Hazzard once again encouraged Sydneysiders to download the COVIDSafe app and anyone with even mild symptoms to go and get tested. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Government website.
Scottish collective Camera Obscura make deliciously delicate whistful folk pop with notes of country and soul. Their 2006 album Lets Get Out Of This Country is the perfect recipe for a bad day; put it on your stereo and float away. The band have performed in Sydney a few times already, but seeing them outdoors under the shadows of the Hyde Park Barracks for Sydney Festival's Becks Festival Bar will be the perfect way to hear their music. With a beer in hand and the warm summer breeze on your back, you won't have a care in the world. Before the show, make sure you grab a copy of their new record My Maudlin Career and familiarise yourself with some of their new songs. It will make singing-a-long at the show (you know you'll want to) a whole lot easier. Special guest support is Slow Club (UK) and DJs Kate Jinx and Paul Gough https://youtube.com/watch?v=O3CkfvYMCWM
Now in its fourth year, Sydney 's annual French Christmas market is a celebration of Gallic culture, food and artistry, offering a diverse blend of local and imported goods. This year's event will feature charming wooden chalets filled with artisan Christmas gifts, pop-up French wine bars — including a champagne and oyster bar — ooey-gooey raclette stations and twinkling festive lights. Best of all, entry is completely free. Taking over Haymarket's Belmore Park between December 13–22, visitors can enjoy freshly baked croissants, macarons and crepes while exploring stalls featuring French-themed homewares, clothing, and accessories. In addition to the food and shopping, Jolly Market offers a festive, family-friendly atmosphere with live music and cultural performances, making it a fun outing for all ages. Whether you're looking to indulge in French culinary delights or find a special gift, this yuletide fair provides a taste of France in the heart of Sydney.
Muogamarra Nature Reserve, a hidden oasis of native wildflowers located near Cowan, is closed to the public for most of the year in order to protect its fragile ecosystem and its First Nations cultural heritage. But every now and then, it opens for everyone to enjoy for a limited time. That time is about to arrive for 2024, with the reserve welcoming guests for six weeks from Saturday, August 17–Sunday, September 22. The reserve is a thing of beauty, playing home to more than 900 species of native wildflowers that fill the area with a sea of vibrant colours when they bloom. Waratahs, angophoras, old-man banksias, pink boronias and native orchids — they're all here among the site's expansive bushlands and rainforests. [caption id="attachment_962237" align="alignnone" width="1920"] J Spencer[/caption] You can also catch a glimpse of First Nations rock engravings, and take in expansive views of Hawkesbury River, Berowra Creek, Bar Island, Milson Island and Spectacle Island. If this all sounds right up your alley, you've got a couple of options when planning a trip to Muogamarra Nature Reserve. You can book one of four different guided tours led by experienced NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) volunteers, who will take you through the reserve, teaching you about the floral wonders surrounding you. [caption id="attachment_962239" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pan Goldie[/caption] The tours each cover different sections of the park, and range from three to ten kilometres of walking. Or, if you want to tackle the reserve by yourself, you can also reserve a time slot for a self-guided tour. Slots for both are limited, so the NPWS is encouraging anyone keen to explore the wildflower haven to get in quick. Each of the four guided tours and the self-guided tours are available to book at different dates and times. Head to the NSW National Parks website to see the selected dates and to make a booking. [caption id="attachment_962236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] J Spencer[/caption] Muogamarra Nature Reserve is located three kilometres north of Cowan Station, on the western side of the Pacific Highway. It will reopen to the public for 2024 across selected dates between Saturday, August 17–Sunday, September 22. Head to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website for more details. Top image: J Spencer.
If you're heading to Bondi Beach to catch some waves, soak up the rays or enjoy a quick dip this month, you may notice a new addition to the familiar beach-facing stores. From Thursday, December 7, you'll spot a limited-time pop-up store at 80 Campbell Parade that'll be offering up Ksubi's coveted denim goods until Saturday, December 30. Open from 10am to 6pm daily, you'll be able to explore a limited-edition range of the brand's products, from its signature denim staples and kidswear to previously archived designs that are returning as Aussie exclusives — and that's not all. Ksubi was born in the Northern Beaches in 1999, and to celebrate its return to Sydney, the pop-up will also be hosting free parties every Friday and Saturday throughout December. To kick off the celebrations, the globally renowned brand is partnering with Kosta's Takeaway on Saturday, December 9, where the beloved sando deli will be slinging its famed creations from 1–3pm. The following week, Momentum Mag will be spinning tunes from 4–7pm on Friday, December 15, and then the Ricos Tacos crew will take over the Saturday food slot from 1–3pm on Saturday, December 16. Lovejoy will handle the sunset music session on Friday, December 22, with Burger Park joining the pop-up's food lineup on Saturday, December 23. And to round out the year, Bodega Collective will curate the soundtrack on Friday, December 29, while Pizza Oltra's slices will close out 2023's culinary lineup on Saturday, December 30. And if you just can't get enough of Ksubi, don't fret. It'll be back in March of next year with its flagship Australian store at 113 King Street in Sydney's CBD.
If you've spent one too many nights wandering hungry around Circular Quay, dodging dodgy fish and chips and bad pizza, you'll welcome this news. The watery end of Sydney's CBD is finally sorting itself out, scoring a slew of decent eateries. It's part of a new $60 million development on Alfred Street called Gateway Sydney — and it opens at midday today, Thursday, September 1. The new precinct has been transformed by Woods Bagot Architects from a very average walk-past-worthy food court into a slick new dining area. Today just the ground floor opens, which features Gelato Messina's first CBD store (sorry Gelatissimo), Four Frogs Creperie (ham and cheese galettes for brekkie, yes please) and a new outlet for Adriano Zumbo's pastries. Also opening today is Roll'd, Workshop Espresso, The Gozleme Co. and health food outlet Urban Orchard, among a slew of others. You can enjoy it all sitting at banquette-esqe burnt orange seats, benches or out on the little park that's been created on the Loftus Street side. Some of the outlets even have their own cafe-like seating areas. The ground floor will be open from 7am until 5pm each day. The other two levels are still in the works and have yet to open, but the second level — which will house Neil Perry's second incarnation of his Burger Project, Chat Thai, a 50-seater sushi train and 2015 World Barista champions, Canberra's Espresso Room, to name a few — will open next week. It's set to be more of a dining affair, and will open for dinner as well. But that's not all. Remember that new rooftop venue that Salt Meats Cheese and Shuk last month announced they'll be opening later this year? That's slated to open in October. The project is being developed by DEXUS Development Group, and the DEXUS Wholesale Property Fund own 100 percent of the new precinct. "The intent was to open up the Circular Quay end of the CBD, which we have done with great respect to the existing environment," said Liann Lim, development manager for city retail at DEXUS. "The surrounds set a spectacular stage for a dramatic dining experience to unfold, with each of our retailers serving their dishes with an element of theatre." So is this the start of Circular Quay's renaissance? It could well be. Last week the Pullman opened Hacienda, an impressive new vista bar overlooking the harbour. Finally it looks like Bulletin Place will be getting some company. The first round of Gateway Sydney venues are now open, with more to open next week and over the next few months. For more info on the development, visit gatewaysydney.com.au. Images: Mark Sherborne and Lauren Vadnjal.
As the colder months approach and more days inside are on the horizon, you might be thinking it's time to give your pad a little refresh. Creating a beautiful living space will help you cherish more time spent at home — but actually creating that personal space can feel like a daunting task. Sure, your Pinterest board is a work of art and you binge celebrity house tour videos on YouTube. But, when it comes to recreating that stylish feel in a small space or a rental (without dropping $400 on a cashmere pillow), it's hard to know where to begin. Luckily, we have interior designer Steve Cordony on our side. In partnership with Samsung, Steve has given us some top tips to help you create the home of your dreams no matter how tight the budget or space you're working with is. START WITH A MOOD BOARD Good news: your endless scrolling on Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram isn't all in vain. In fact, according to Cordony, this is step one for any design project. "My approach is always the same. No matter if I am styling a tablescape or a whole house, I always mood-board reference images and visuals that create an overall concept, and subsequently blueprint, for the project," he says. Collect your favourite design images to form your own aesthetic. Whether you are drawn to a colourful, eclectic style or you're more into neutrals and minimalism, creating a mood board will help you establish the look you are going for. DEVELOP YOUR OWN 'STYLE DNA' While creating a mood board is an excellent way of getting inspired, it's important to not get too swept away with what's in vogue. "Just like your fashion choices, you should never try to be 'on-trend' rather than create your own unique style for your home," Cordony explains. Sure, trends are fun. But if you're on a budget, it won't be worth investing in something that'll soon feel outdated. Instead, find styles that resonate with you personally and fit in with your lifestyle. Once you develop your own sense of style, you'll know how to adapt to changing design trends and create a space that is both contemporary and timeless. As Cordony puts it: "Because I have a strong sense of my style DNA, I can allow these changes to develop and shift my work, but never alter it." FUSE THE PRACTICAL AND AESTHETIC The most important element of design is ensuring your space coincides with your lifestyle. This means choosing a couch that elevates your space while being comfortable, not opting for fabrics that look nice but are impossible to clean, and having a functional space that suits your Netflix ritual. Let's face it, the TV is a pretty central component of any home but can be tricky to style. "So many spaces I visit always try to hide it which often makes it look out of place," Cordony says. With the option to have the legs on or off, Samsung's The Serif TV will easily adapt to your personal style. "The reality is television is part of most people's everyday lives. And with incredible technology and design options at our fingertips, styling an interior with the TV in mind, and thinking of it as a piece of art or sculpture, allows you to fuse practicality and aesthetics, which is the hallmark of a successful interior," Cordony explains. PLAY WITH LIGHT For those working with a less-than-ideal smaller space, a few easy changes can brighten things up. Cordony's tip? "Keep it light! A white paint like Porters Popcorn or Dulux Vivid White instantly creates a crisp background to build your space and bounces light from wall to wall," he says. And, don't forget the magic of the mirror. "Mirrors are my go-to tip for making spaces feel larger than they are, as well as choosing bigger furniture rather than petite pieces to mirror the smaller scale space". SMALL DETAILS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE According to Cordony, simple changes can make a world of a difference when refreshing your space. "My biggest budget styling tip is hardware — think new door and joinery hardware. They will instantly lift any space and create a bold statement with a metallic accent," he says. Cordony is also a believer in the basic rule of thirds to create layers and contrast in a space. Understanding placement can make a big difference to your space without breaking the bank. "If you have amazing pieces but they're all spread out with no thought or consistency, then your eye has too many places to travel and often items get overlooked," he tells us. Instead, he suggests making smaller scenes with contrasting objects. "Creating vignettes in the space and thinking about balance and layering is key to a well-curated interior". If you're looking to add a touch of designer aesthetic to your living space, check out the products Steve Cordony used in our recent styling videos. To find out more about Samsung's The Serif, created in collaboration with celebrated industrial designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, visit the Samsung website. Images: Jarrad Shaw
A new boutique wine shop has opened in the North Shore with an outstanding selection of 1000+ bottles representing some of the world's most acclaimed and emerging wine regions and producers. Hunters Hill Wine Room is the brainchild of Adrian Filiuta, one of just six Australian's to have earned the Master Sommelier rank. Adrian has made the move to in-store curation after a lengthy career in-venue as the Group Sommelier for Merivale across the group's myriad restaurants and pubs for over decade. Consequently, he knows better than most the range required to adapt to price, palate and occasion of wine-drinking Australians, and the selection at Hunters Hill Wine Room has been curated with that range in mind — whether you're after a drop to go with a weeknight dinner or you're a hardcore aficionado after a collectible vintage. Regardless of what you're after, the best thing to do is take advantage of Adrian's expertise and just ask him for a recommendation. We recently hit him up with a few questions in the lead up to Hunters Hill Wine Room opening its doors. CONCRETE PLAYGROUND: What wine regions seem to be surging in popularity? I feel like there's more Greek wine on restaurant wine lists than ever before... ADRIAN FILIUTA: "That is definitely the case at Le Foote. They have an amazing selection of Greek and Mediterranean wines. Island wines are definitely becoming more popular, as I think consumers are linking it to experience and travel. I've also seen Italy going through a big resurgence from north to south." "In our back yard [I'm seeing] heaps of excitement with lighter shiraz, and grenache from old bush vines in SA — higher toned, elegant, perfumed, delicious. Lastly, I feel there is a growing consumer awareness of natural/organic/bio wines, and not so much how it tastes but more about how is it farmed and who are the people behind the label." Wine is still a bit of an intimidating category - particularly for younger drinkers who are just starting to get a taste for it. What's the best way for burgeoning wine-drinkers to ask you about what to drink if they're still finding their feet? "Yes it is, even so when you dine at a nice restaurant with a big wine menu. But here's the exciting part. Sommeliers love to geek about wine and flavors. I suggest be open/clear about your personal taste, what you like to drink. Do you usually like a spritz, a Bloody Mary or a martini…this helps understand your palate profile." What's a bottle in the shop that you're reaching for if there's a particularly special occasion? "Champagne for sure, and if is a grower champagne even better... something like A. Levasseur or Chartogne-Taillet punch above their weight in terms of value. Otherwise Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is my go-to." Hunters Hill Wine Room is now open at 35 Alexandra Street in Hunters Hill. Open seven days, the trading hours are Sunday and Monday from 11am-7pm, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11am-8pm, and Thursday to Saturday from 11am until 9pm. For more details visit the website.
In the world of astronomy, 2018 is ending as it began. After kicking into gear with an extremely rare supermoon, the year is coming to a close with another impressive sky show: the comet 46P/Wirtanen. Given the festive time of year and the hurtling celestial object's green colour, 46P/Wirtanen has been dubbed the 'Christmas comet'. It's expected to be the brightest comet of 2018 and, while it's already a presence in the night sky, it'll be at its most vivid and glowing between December 14 and December 18. If you want to spy it at its absolute brightest — and on its closest approach to earth — NASA recommends looking up on Sunday, December 16 (in the evening down under, continuing through until the morning of Monday, December 17). If you're wondering how close it'll be, 46P/Wirtanen will be 11.7 million kilometres away, which equates to 30 times the distance to the moon. As for how vibrant it'll be, the comet should range between 3 and 7.5 on the naked-eye magnitude. At the upper end, that's dimmer than the brightest stars but still visible without binoculars or a telescope. At the lower end, you'll need one of the aforementioned pieces of equipment to help you see it. However you're choosing to take a gander, you'll be peering at a comet that was first discovered in 1948 by American astronomer Carl A. Wirtanen. It measures approximately 1.2 kilometres in diameter, and completes its orbit every 5.4 years, but it's not expected to venture this close to earth again for another 20 years. For the best view, the ABC advises looking north-east, and using either binoculars or a DSLR camera. You might also want help from an online chart to get you looking in the right spot, with The Comet Wirtanen Observing Campaign offering a guide. Heading as far away from city lights is also recommended, as it always is when the sky is putting on a spectacle. If you're thinking of camping out, you might want to consider making a weekend of it. 46P/Wirtanen's brightest spell comes two days after the impressive Geminids meteor shower, which is expected to be visible from late evening on Friday, December 14 through to the early morning on Saturday, December 15. The Virtual Telescope Project will also be streaming live images of 46P/Wirtanen between December 12 and 17. 46P/Wirtanen will be at its brightest during the night of on Sunday, December 16. Image: Stephen Rahn.
Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney isn't known for changing things up. In fact, many diners come here because they know exactly what they are getting every time they visit — and that's usually one of Sydney's best steaks. But right now, the chefs have been given permission to really experiment with Rockpool's food offering through its new series of degustation dinners. Every Friday and Saturday night until Saturday, July 20, you can book in for Rockpool's nine-course spread that's exclusively served in its semi-private dining rooms. These aren't available to walk-ins, and there's a highly limited number of seats up for grabs each week. If you manage to get a spot, you'll be treated to a selection of mostly meat and seafood dishes that have been dreamt up by Executive Chef Santiago Aristizabal. You can expect bites like its prawn and carrot crepe with saffron and curry leaves, paspaley pearl with green gazpacho and smoked bullhorn pepper oil, rare Cape Grim fillet and bone marrow on toast and Davidson plum doughnuts topped with smoked vanilla ice cream. The nine-course degustation comes in at $195 per person, with several wine-pairing options available starting from $85 — something we highly recommend for those wanting to really treat themselves. Those dining a la carte can also try something new by ordering one of its luxe new tableside dishes. The NSW rock lobster thermidor is carted over on a trolley and drizzled in flames right before your eyes. And the 1-kilo, pancetta-wrapped $350 chateaubriand steak (for four to five people) is also finished and carved up tableside. It's decadent and expensive, but Rockpool is a legendary restaurant in Sydney that's known for sourcing only the best quality produce. It costs to try food this good. But if you can afford it, it is a real treat.
Although the menu spans many regions of the sub-continent, Billu's Indian Eatery in Sydney specialises in south Indian cuisine. Located in the heart of Harris Park, Billu's is the ideal place to bring the family or that someone special to sample Indian cuisine at its absolute finest. This includes dishing up dosas — rice flour pancakes stuffed with the filling of your choice, be it potatoes, spicy chicken or cottage cheese. Be sure to order the biryani, too. Whether you opt for prawn, vegetables or meat, it's one not to miss. The mains include bhuna gosht, a traditional Indian mutton made with goat's meat slowly cooked with onion, yoghurt, lots of whole spices, and ghee. If seafood is more your thing then dive into the goan fish curry, a warm and tangy curry which blends spice with coconut to bring out the subtle sweetness made famous in Goa. Alternatively the prawn vindaloo is ideal for those who know how to handle their spice. Served with brown onion gravy and hot vindaloo sauce, this one is not for the weak stomached. For those who have specific dietary requirements, Billus Indian Eatery caters to most dietary requirements, including gluten-free and vegan options, all packed with incredible combinations of flavour. For vegetarians the highlights include vegetable dumplings made from potato and cottage cheese or the dal tadka, a delightful mix of yellow lentils with a variety of spices, garlic, ginger and roast chillies. Finish off with classic Indian desserts such as moong daal halwa, jalebi rabri, motichoor lad parfait or just opt for some mango ice-cream instead. You definitely won't be leaving this beloved Sydney Indian restaurant hungry. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Spending your days in classrooms might be behind you, but binge-watching your way through school-set hit Australian TV shows is something that you never grow out of. When Heartbreak High first arrived on television in the 90s, it became one of the nation's classic teen series. When it returned in 2022 via Netflix, the new Heartbreak High revival also had everyone turning up. Your next date with its dramas: April 2024. 2020s-era Heartbreak High was promptly renewed the show for season two when its first season proved a huge smash. In 2023, Netflix advised that school would be in session again sometime this year. Now, the streaming platform has announced that term starts again on Thursday, April 11, 2024 for the International Emmy-, AACTA- and Logie-winning show. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix Australia & NZ (@netflixanz) Hartley High will be reopening its gates, "rack off" will be the strongest insult there is again and more than just nostalgia for the OG 1994–99 series will be on the agenda. And, as announced last year, there'll be new faces among the students. Sam Rechner (The Fabelmans) will play country boy and classic cinema fan Rowan Callaghan, and he's destined for a love triangle. Also, Kartanya Maynard (Deadloch) joins the Hartley crew as Zoe Clarke, who has big thoughts on celibacy — she's in favour — as part of a gang of Puriteens. Plus, in new news, Bump's Angus Sampson is joining the show as Head of PE Timothy Voss. On the returning crew, character-wise: Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect), Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman), Darren (screen first-timer James Majoos), Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud), Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), Malakai (Thomas Weatherall, Troppo), Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween), Ant (debutant Brodie Townsend), Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Missy (fellow newcomer Sherry-Lee Watson). [caption id="attachment_938095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heartbreak High S2. (L to R) Gemma Chua-Tran as Sasha, Ayesha Madon as Amerie, Sherry-Lee Watson as Missy, James Majoos as Darren, Chloe Hayden as Quinni in Heartbreak High S2. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024[/caption] Season one started with Amerie becoming a pariah at Hartley after a big revelation — an "incest map" plotting out who's hooked up with who throughout the school — and also struggling with a sudden rift in her friendship with bestie Harper. Attempting to repair her reputation, she called on help from her new pals Quinni and Darren, all while working through her crush on Dusty and developing feelings for Malakai. And that's just the start of the Heartbreak High revival's season one story. In season two, everyone will back for a second term after doing some growing up over the holidays, and Hartley is now the lowest-ranking school in the district. Netflix is teasing that threesomes, chlamydia and burning cars will be distant memory for the gang — but there'll still be teen chaos, of course, or this wouldn't be Heartbreak High. [caption id="attachment_869123" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HEARTBREAK HIGH[/caption] It was back in 2020 that Netflix initially announced that it was bringing the series back — and yes, it sure is a 2020s-era take on the Aussie classic, including everything from friendship fights, yelling about vaginas from the top of a building and throwing dildos at walls through to consent, crime, drugs and police brutality. The original Heartbreak High was a massive deal, and was filled with now-familiar faces, including Alex Dimitriades, a pre-Home and Away Ada Nicodemou, and Avengers: Endgame and Mystery Road's Callan Mulvey as Drazic. It painted a multicultural picture of Australia that was unlike anything else on TV at the time. And, for its six-year run across two Aussie networks, the Sydney-shot show was must-see television — not bad for a series that started as a spinoff to the Claudia Karvan and Alex Dimitriades-starring 1993 movie The Heartbreak Kid, too. Check out the trailer for the Heartbreak High revival's first season below: Heartbreak High season two will arrive on Thursday, April 11, 2024. The show's first season is available to stream now via Netflix. Read our full review.
The cold weather won't stop many from scoring a scoop of ice cream, but sometimes, a warmer bite just feels right. With this in mind, it's a good thing Gelato Messina is back with a new edition of its cult-favourite cookie pie. Made in collaboration with Tony's Chocolonely, this is the ideal chance to discover the brand's mission to end exploitation in the cocoa industry. Designed to be baked fresh at home, this feel-good cookie pie offers the ultimate treat for when you're rugged up on the couch. Plus, this inventive dessert hits all the marks of a winter treat: golden on the outside, gooey on the inside, and loaded with Tony's beloved milk and dark chocolate pieces. Crafted in-house by Messina's pastry team, expect each pie to resonate with the same thought and care as the brand's top-notch gelato. Speaking of, this molten delight is best served with a scoop of your go-to Messina flavour on top, helping to create your dream combination. Available from all Messina stores and for delivery from Monday, July 7, these limited-edition treats are served first-come, first-served. Just don't expect them to last long. Priced at $25 each, you're welcome to bundle with 500ml, 1L or 1.5L tubs of Messina gelato, so you can scoop at home until your heart and tastebuds are content. If you're keen to brave the cold weather, single-serve cookie pies will be served in all Messina stores (except Circular Quay and The Star) from Monday, July 14. Available from 5pm every Monday–Thursday throughout winter, these smaller portions are priced at $12, with your choice of gelato scoop making your after-dark adventure more than worth it. Plus, the team is getting in the mood by launching Brownie Points, a limited-edition flavour created to pair with your pie. Think salted milk chocolate gelato, lashings of caramel and Tony's double-choc brownie rolled into a toothsome scoop. It's available from all Messina stores from Saturday, July 12–Saturday, July 19, or until sold out. Tony's Chocolonely and Gelato Messina's cookie pie is available from all locations and for online delivery from Monday, July 7. Head to the website for more information.
If peering at an artist's work is the same as peering into their soul, then staring at a self-portrait is like peeking through a wide-open window. Perhaps Rembrandt believed this? The 17th-century artist certainly loved putting his likeness on paper, whether he was picking up a brush or pencil, or getting etching. Perhaps you can ponder this very notion at Rembrandt — True to Life, which is bringing the Dutch Golden Age master's works to Melbourne's NGV International to brighten up Australia's winter. From Friday, June 2–Sunday, September 10, the St Kilda Road gallery will be home to a wide-ranging exploration of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's work — so expansive, in fact, that it's the most-comprehensive Rembrandt exhibition to display Down Under in 25 years. On loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, 1659's Self-Portrait is one of the star attractions, and one of around 80 images of himself he's thought to have made. Created when the artist was 53 (and three years after he'd declared bankruptcy), it sits alongside ten etched self-portraits. Combined, they let True to Life attendees chart how he saw himself, and conveyed his soul to the world, over three decades. Etchings comprise a significant portion of the NGV's ode to Rembrandt, with more than 100 from its own collection at the heart of the impressive retrospective. In addition to helping to detail his self-perception, they showcase his innovations as a printmaker and also illustrate how widely and deeply he splashed around his artistic talents. If you're heading to a Rembrandt exhibition, you want to see his paintings, of course, an instinct that the showcase capitalises upon. Thanks to pieces borrowed from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Louvre in Paris, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Teylers Museum in Haarlem as well, the artist's prints are placed in context with his paintings. You'll see how they're connected no matter the subject or theme as True to Life steps through not just his portraits, but also his landscapes, scenes of daily life, depictions of religious motifs and nudes. Among his scenery-focused works, his largest landscape etching The three trees, which dates back to 1643, is a drawcard. From his pieces that hone in on the human form — never idealising them — Diana at the bath, an etching from 1631, is another highlight. Taking its cues from passages from the Gospel of St Matthew, 1648's well-known piece The Hundred Guilder Print is also on display as part of the exhibition's survey of Rembrandt's fascination with faith. His two largest prints similarly fall into the same category: The three crosses from 1653 and Christ presented to the people from 1655. Because the artist transformed them both by making continuous adjustments, True to Life shows them in two different states — early and late side by side. "The NGV is home to the most important collection of works by Rembrandt in the southern hemisphere and this NGV-exclusive exhibition celebrates one of our major strengths: our outstanding print collection. Rembrandt was a master printmaker and his experimentation in the medium reveals his insatiable curiosity and sheer versatility as an artist," said Tony Ellwood AM, the NGV's Director. While taking in all of the above, art lovers will journey through Rembrandt's life from Leiden in the 1620s to his waning years in Amsterdam in the 1660s. On hand to assist: a recreation of his cabinet of curiosities, which featured everything from his own prints and drawings through to musical instruments, weapons, shells and natural objects. Rembrandt's version helped spark his creative impulses, and the NGV has taken its assortment of pieces from its collection, as well as the Melbourne Museum and the State Library of Victoria. Rembrandt — True to Life displays from Friday, June 2–Sunday, September 10 at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Head to the gallery's website for further details and tickets. Images: Installation view of Rembrandt: True to Life on display from 2 June-10 September at NGV International, Melbourne. Photos: Tom Ross.
Canberra will be filled with all things art, architecture and design between Wednesday, November 2–Sunday, November 20 as Design Canberra makes its grand return with hundreds of events and activations. The festival will present a wide-ranging program across its 19 days, spanning public art, exhibitions, symposiums, workshops, studio tours and a food festival. The symposiums will kick off early with talks centred around public art on Sunday, October 29. From there, there will be a series of discussions on Canberra's role in the worlds of design and art on Friday, November 4, followed by 'Transforming Canberra' on Saturday, November 5, which will explore the future of the city with keynote appearances from Elizabeth Farrelly, author of Killing Sydney, and Canberra Museum and Gallery Senior Curator Virginia Rigney. If you're looking for an immersive hands-on experience at the festival, head to the open studios and workshops. A range of acclaimed Canberra-based artists ranging from glass blowers and cabinetmakers to ceramicists will be opening their personal studios to the public, demonstrating the processes that go into their artistry, and giving the public a sneak peek into what they're currently working on. As for the workshops, there will be both adult- and kid-focused classes, with sessions focusing on the likes of stitch meditation, spoon carving, zine-making and a special multi-day kids workshop based on designing the future of Canberra. A public art trail has popped up around the city. Wander through the City West until Sunday, November 20 and you'll discover an array of free outdoor artworks from six local craftspeople. These artworks range from huge pieces that have overtaken buildings to intimate works hidden among trees. Architecture fans, head out on one of the festival's architecture tours, or some of the most stunning and innovative houses in Canberra with the open homes program. Design Canberra has also come together with The Forage to add a bustling food festival and drink to the festivities. On Saturday, November 5, The Forage Food Festival will be bringing together 20 local vendors including Let's Do Yum Cha, Super Bao, Hungry Brown Cow Burgers, Canberra Distillery and a roving sangria cart from Skeehan Brothers Sangria Cart from 2–7pm in Civic Square. If all of this wasn't enough, there will be a heap more tours, talks, exhibitions and competitions popping up, as well as a festival hub shop selling works from artists involved and a limited-edition grapefruit Designer Gin made by Canberra Distillery. If you're from out of town and you're looking for an excuse to head to the nation's capital, luxury inner-city hotel A by Adina is offering 15-percent off all bookings during the festival. The stunning accommodation is located right among the action and boasts in-room cocktails from Maybe Sammy, two gyms and ARC — one of Canberra's best cafes — in its lobby.
In 2011, The Cure took to the Sydney Opera House stage to perform their 180-minute programme Reflections as part of Vivid Live. Now, the post-punk luminaries are returning to the iconic venue to headline the festival once again — this time, however, they'll be performing their 1989 album Disintegration. The Sydney show will be a world premiere and an Australian exclusive, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the landmark album. The gothic rock-style record contains hits such as 'Lovesong' and 'Pictures of You', and, while it won't be a three-hour music marathon, it's expected to be equally impressive. Robert Smith — teased hair, lipstick, eyeliner and all — will take to the stage alongside the band's four other members across four nights in May. The Cure made some of the most critically acclaimed music of the 80s, including Disintegration, and has been credited with influencing many contemporary musicians such as Lorde and Interpol. [caption id="attachment_708546" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Smith by Andy Vella.[/caption] Headline acts of the huge annual festival of music and light over the past seven years have included Solange, Morrisey and Kraftwerk with the ballots for all three selling out. To get your hands on tickets for the 2019 show, you'll also need to enter a ticket ballot. To do so, head to the Sydney Opera House's website between now (Tuesday, February 19) and midnight on Sunday, February 24 and register. Successful applicants will be notified on Thursday, February 28. No other live music acts have yet been announced for Vivid Live 2019 — with the rest of the lineup expected to be announced in the upcoming weeks — but if it continues anything like it has started, this year is going to be a banger. The Cure will perform four shows at Vivid Live 2019 at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall between Friday, May 24 and Tuesday, May 28. Registrations for the ticket ballot are now open. Images: Andy Vella.
It could potentially be the final film for Studio Ghibli. And by gum, it looks like our hearts will be firmly in our hands. Set for limited release across Australia on May 14 for two weeks only, When Marnie Was There could be the last Ghibli feature film ever; after the Japanese animation legends announced the possibly permanent closure of their film division last year. Spirited Away creator and Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki retired from filmmaking before the 2013 release of The Wind Rises, and fellow Ghibli head Isao Takahata's Academy Award-nominated film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya didn't fare too well at the box office outside Japan. So we've got big hopes for the studio's last wild feature-length ride, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty). When Marnie Was There following the life of a lonely girl, Anne, whose foster parents decide to send her to the country to stay with distant family. After stumbling across a strangely familar old mansion, she meets Marnie, the mysterious girl who lives there. Ghibli magic ensues. Check out the trailer here: When Marnie Was There is set for limited release across Australia on May 14 for two weeks only, screening in both original Japanese language and English dubbed versions. Check your local cinema listings.
If you've found yourself hankering for an Italian beef sandwich after watching The Bear or been inspired to devour a damn-fine slice cherry pie thanks to Twin Peaks, then you'll know that TV shows and movies can influence your culinary choices. You mightn't have expected Yellowjackets to be on that list, however. When a series follows a group of teenage girls stranded in the wilderness after a plane crash, then forced to get creative — and cannibalistic — to survive, then IRL menu options don't normally jump out. Trust Sydney's NEL to challenge that perception with its latest imaginative 11-course degustation. The Harbour City fine-diner has taken inspiration from pop culture before, including via its popular Disney-inspired feasts and its Moulin Rouge!-themed spread. Among the restaurant's other limited-time degustation menus as well — KFC-inspired dinners, Christmas meals, heroing native Australian ingredients and more — taking cues from Yellowjackets certainly stands out, though. On offer: dishes that dig into the wild and primal reality that the hit show's characters find themselves in. The fact that NEL has dubbed the four-day-only pop-up menu 'Eat Your Heart Out' says plenty. [caption id="attachment_991129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kailey Schwerman, Paramount+[/caption] "To be approached to create a Yellowjackets-inspired menu just felt like the perfect next venture for NEL Restaurant," said Chef Nelly Robinson about whipping up an inventive feast that aims to plunge diners' senses into Yellowjackets' world — not just via sights and sounds, but also via tastes. "For anyone that knows us, they understand we are about pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and getting to ask the questions of 'how do we make an ear appetising?' or 'how can we get someone to dig into a brain?' was a very exciting quest. The answer is obviously in the flavours, and while it might not be visually 'conventionally appetising', the flavours and aesthetics will most definitely leave you speechless." Across a three-hour experience that'll be on offer between Tuesday, March 4–Friday, March 7, 2025, think: digging for truffles, then tucking into the aptly named Salmon over River Misty (a moss- and salmon-heavy dish) and also seeing how NEL comes up with its own take on the show's darker survivalist scenario. Some dishes will nod to the diet consumed in the series, whether via heart-shaped servings, working in liver or plating up "something a little more ear-y". If you're feeling adventurous enough, you will need to try your luck not only in terms of testing your tastebuds, but to score a seat. Sittings are only available via entering for a chance to win on the NEL website between now and 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. So, attending is free — but only if your name is selected. If you're not located in Sydney, travelling there is at your own expense, but the Yellowjackets dinner at NEL will be on the house. For those who haven't dived into the series so far or need a refresher, Yellowjackets instantly proved one of the best new shows of 2021 when it debuted courtesy not just due to its killer setup — but it does tell a tale that fascinates from the outset. The thriller hops between the 90s and 25 years later. Across two seasons until now, life and friendship have proven complex for Yellowjackets' core quartet of Shauna (The Tattooist of Auschwitz's Melanie Lynskey as an adult, and also No Return's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (I'm a Virgo's Juliette Lewis, plus Companion's Sophie Thatcher), Taissa (Law & Order's Tawny Cypress, and also Scream VI's Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Misty (Wednesday's Christina Ricci, and also Atlas' Samantha Hanratty). The trailers for season three also put it this way: "once upon a time, a bunch of teenage girls got stranded in the wilderness ... and they went completely nuts." The full setup: back in 1996, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private aircraft, Shauna, Natalie, Taissa, Misty and the rest of their teammates entered Lost territory. The accident saw everyone who walked away stuck in the forest — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. Season three starts streaming in Australia via Paramount+ on Friday, February 14, 2025. Check out the trailer below: NEL's Eat Your Heart Out degustation will be available from Tuesday, March 4–Friday, March 7, 2025 at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to go in the running for a seat — which is only available to competition winners, with entries open till 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 — head to the NEL website. Yellowjackets season three starts streaming in Australia via Paramount+ on Friday, February 14, 2025.
Dust off your skinny jeans. In news that we hope doesn't trigger memories of the era of Sydney's lockout laws, legendary DJ collective Bang Gang is returning to Club 77 this month. The Friday night party starters are returning to the subterranean Darlinghurst club to help it celebrate its 28th year. The Sydney-born collective that helped define a generation of dance floors is reuniting for the first time in over ten years, and they'll be taking over their spiritual home for one massive night on Friday, May 16. It's part of a month-long birthday program for 77 that brings together past legends, rising selectors and the club's own residents, in a celebration of the past and future of Sydney's club culture. Some context for younger readers: Friday nights in the 2000s were ruled by Bang Gang. Known for their high-energy sets and bold selections, the crew made Club 77 ground zero for Sydney's early-internet-era electro scene, and came to embody the sound and spirit of a generation. "It gives me this kind of excitement that's hard to explain — not nervous or anxious, just that fuck-me-this-moment-can't-come-soon-enough kind of excitement," shares Bang Gang member Dangerous Dan ahead of the upcoming gig. "The Club 77 crowd has always been there for one reason — to dance. It's dark, it's loud, and you can't really talk much anyway. But they know what's up. That's my favourite kind of crowd." Sydney — indeed, the world — looked very different when Club 77 first opened its doors in 1997. The club stared down lockouts, lockdowns, licensing crackdowns and the ever-fluctuating tides of the city's live music and nightlife scene. These days, it's where you'll find some of the sharpest programming in the city, and May's stacked birthday lineup proves it: alongside Bang Gang, you can catch returning heroes like Phil Smart, Robbie Lowe and Dreems, as well as next-gen selectors like Mowgli, Deepa, Ciara, Aquenta, DJ D.Dee and more. Whether you were around for the Bang Gang days or are part of the newer set keeping the party going, this month presents a rare opportunity to experience a slice of Sydney nightlife history in one of the city's most iconic nightlife destinations. All of Club 77's birthday events are free to enter with guest list registration before midnight, and $25 thereafter. To sign up for the guest list and to check out the full program, head to the Club 77 website. Top image: Benjamin Weser.
If good things come to those who wait, then three-storey beachfront haunt Manly Greenhouse must be destined for greatness. The multi-faceted waterfront venue has space for a whopping 400, boasting a foliage-heavy coastal-style fit-out by award-winning studio Luchetti Krelle. It boasts a super lush setting befitting the name, including some pretty special collaborative efforts from illustrator Beci Orpin and the greenery experts at The Plant Room. Downstairs, The Greenhouse is your go-to for casual eats at any time of day. The menu's got a modern Italian bent, starring pizzas done in the woodfire oven, and pasta dishes like pappardelle with slow-cooked brisket. Other bites might include the likes of crab bruschetta, a bone-in grass-fed Riverina sirloin, and mushroom and provolone arancini served with garlic aioli. The cocktail lineup's another nod to Italy, starring classics like the negroni, an Aperol spritz and the Cafe Frizzante, a blend of sparkling water, cold brew, vermouth and Campari. A sprawling selection of Aussie wines sits alongside a few key Italian varietals, and two Hope Brewhouse collaborations headline a crafty list of beers. One level up, The Grill's food offering will be guided by the kitchen's charcoal grill, matched with a largely natural wine lineup curated by Lo-Fi Wines co-founder James Audas. And the icing on this cake is the rooftop, where panoramic ocean views and a healthy dose of greenery prove a breezy backdrop for signature cocktails, toasted sandwiches and an edit of bar snacks from the menu downstairs. Looks like the Steyne has some competition.
Let's call it the sitcom effect: when you watch enough episodes of a TV comedy and suddenly get inspiration to change your life. Maybe you binged Friends and started hanging out in coffee shops more often. Perhaps you saw Parks and Recreation and became obsessed with breakfast foods, working for the parks department, whisky and tiny horses. Or, Schitt's Creek might've had you wanting to open your own motel or apothecary, or star in a horror movie about attacking crows (or just saying "eww" a lot). Whichever fits, we've all been there. Taking a few cues from upcoming sitcom Killing It mightn't be the best idea, though — unless you want to start hunting snakes. That's exactly what the series is about, because TV comedies really can be about anything. And if you're wondering why it should pique your interest beyond its concept, we're sure its off- and on-screen talent will do just that. The last time that Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici made television together, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was the end result — with Goor one of its co-creators and Del Tredici an executive producer. If that's not enticing enough, their new reptile-focused show also stars The Office's Craig Robinson (another B99 alum, too), as well as Aussie comedian Claudia O'Doherty (Love, Sarah's Channel, Our Flag Means Death). Robinson keeps his first name on-screen here, playing a man with a dream — chasing the American dream, in fact — but very little luck. Then he gets in a rideshare driven by O'Doherty's Jillian, and is quite shocked when she stops mid-trip to casually swing a hammer at a python, as you do. It's a lucrative business, she informs him in her Aussie accent, and he's soon as intrigued as you likely will be while watching the series' first trailer. Killing It isn't just about snake hunting, though. Like most shows and movies that ponder the American dream, it's also about class and capitalism. And yes, it's just the kind of series that was always likely to land in this post-Tiger King world — because the combination of critters, cash and entrepreneurship is rife with possibilities, and also has plenty to say about the US today. Stan subscribers will be able to watch the results from Friday, April 15, which is when Killing It starts streaming — arriving at the same time locally as it does in the US. Also, whatever premise it had, any series that teamed up Robinson and O'Doherty was always going to be a must-see — slaying snakes or not. Check out the trailer for Killing It below: Killing It will start streaming in Australia via Stan on Friday, April 15. Images: Skip Bolen/Peacock.
On Sunday, January 20, Sydney staged a huge march through the city streets, with thousands waving witty (and moving) signs to protest violence against women around the globe. Australia was just one of 30 countries taking part in the third annual #WomensWave march — protests were also held in in France, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and across the USA. According to Destroy the Joint, an Australian group that researches and records the number of women killed by violence, 69 women died due to violence in Australia in 2018. This year's march was, unfortunately, timely, following the murder of exchange student Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne just last week, and Maasarwe was the focus of many of the event's speeches and signs. Speakers at the event included Yumi Stynes, host of SBS documentary Is Australia Sexist? and ABC Radio podcast Ladies, We Need to Talk; Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull; Bhenji Ra, indigenous queer artist and activist; Jane Brock of Immigrant Women's Speakout and 1 Billion Rising; and Aunty Norma, a Wiradjuri woman and activist. It's estimated 3000 Sydneysiders marched from Hyde Park to Belmore Park, calling on the Australian government to address gender-based violence and to continue working towards equality for women. Words by Jasmine Crittenden.
Who'll win orb-topped trophies? Who'll wear what? Who'll make the best, funniest and most rambling speeches? Whenever January hits and the Golden Globes approach for another year, they're the standard questions. Here's another: where can Australians watch the red carpet action and the ceremony? In 2023, the answer to that last query is streaming — and, to be specific, Stan. The Aussie platform has nabbed the exclusive broadcasting rights to this year's Golden Globes, covering both the pre-show and the awards themselves. Both will be streamed live on Wednesday, January 11, starting at 11am AEDT / 10am AEST for the arrivals and 12pm AEDT / 11am AEST for the gongs themselves. [caption id="attachment_884053" align="alignnone" width="1920"] CleftClips via Flickr[/caption] This'll mark the first time that Stan has aired the Golden Globes, which be beamed into your streaming queue from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. On hosting duties: comedian Jerrod Carmichael. Nominated: a hefty list of the past year's best movies and TV shows, because these awards cover both. Among the big-screen contenders sits everything from Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Banshees of Inisherin to Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Elvis. On the small screen, The White Lotus, Severance, Only Murders in the Building, Abbott Elementary, Wednesday and more are vying for accolades. Australians have also earned a hefty showing among the nominees, including Baz Luhrmann's Best Director nom for Elvis, and Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman and Elizabeth Debicki all picking up acting nominations (for Tár, Bablyon, The Son and The Crown, respectively). If you're wondering who'll be presenting awards rather than trying to win them, expect to see Ana de Armas (The Gray Man), Billy Porter (Cinderella), Colman Domingo (Euphoria), Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween Ends), Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll), Nicole Byer (Nailed It!) and Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) among the folks taking to the stage. Of course, the fact that the 2023 Golden Globes take place on a Wednesday isn't the best for parties — although they will hopefully liven up the middle of your week. The 2023 Golden Globes will be announced on Wednesday, January 11 Australian time, streaming via Stan from 11am AEDT / 10am AEST for red carpet arrivals and 12pm AEDT / 11am AEST for the ceremony itself. Wondering who's nominated? Read our rundown of this year's nominees.
Venues serving up Vietnamese soup are not exactly few and far between in Sydney. But as any regular soup slurper would know, there is pho and then there is pho. And Pho Pasteur definitely falls into the latter category; the type of pho that leaves both bellies and souls satisfied. This Chinatown eatery is definitely not skimping on options; there are over ten pho varieties plus a selection of other soup and dry noodle dishes. The broth is the complex balance of sweet, savoury and salty that would be impossible to mimic at home, particularly for the price. If you want to branch out, the menu does expand out to feature the finest of Vietnamese cuisine including stir-fries, grilled skewered meats and rice paper rolls. The dining room is tightly packed and constantly bustling which adds to the authentic vibe. Images: Kitti Smallbone
Maybe you love nothing more than telling simulated people what to do. Perhaps a fantasy universe is your favourite place to escape to when you're mashing buttons. More than a quarter-century back, virtual critters might've been your go-to pastime. The Sims, World of Warcraft and Neopets have all made an impact on the gaming world, and on audiences. All three are also scoring plenty of love when Game Worlds takes over the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. For five months from mid-September 2025 till February 2026, this video-game exhibition will shine a spotlight on 30 iconic titles — and make attendees feel like they're stepping inside some of them, too. Expect everything from original concept art and never-before-seen designs to rare objects to fill the Federation Square site's Gallery 4. Expect to be able to get playing, rather than just peering, as well. [caption id="attachment_997869" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] Although the full lineup of games featured hasn't been revealed as yet, they'll span from the 70s until now, and 20 of them will be playable. Demos, games from years gone by, trying to break speed records: they're all part of the setup, which will include international hits, new Australian releases and everything in-between. "As the home of videogames in Australia, Game Worlds celebrates the continuous evolution of this century's defining artform. It builds on ACMI's multi-decade experience in making video-game exhibitions, and our long-term support of the Australian video-game sector through preservation, education, industry partnerships and our dedicated Games Lab," said ACMI Director & CEO Seb Chan, announcing the exhibition. "Whether you love games as much as we do or have never picked up a controller, Game Worlds gives fresh insight into video games and their cultural impact." [caption id="attachment_997868" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World of Neopia[/caption] As Chan referrenced, ACMI has staged major video-game showcases before. This is its third, in fact, following 2008's Game On and 2012's Game Masters. Since the latter, the venue has also hosted smaller gaming exhibitions, such as 2017's Code Breakers — where women in the industry were the focus — and 2024's Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition. Earlier in 2025, it celebrated 25 years of The Sims across one nostalgic weekend. As it regularly does with its showcases, the gallery will pair Game Worlds with talks, film screenings and other events, family-friendly activities among them. [caption id="attachment_997870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] [caption id="attachment_997871" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blizzard Entertainment[/caption] Game Worlds displays at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Thursday, September 18, 2025–Sunday, February 8, 2026. Head to the venue's website for more details. Top image: Electronic Arts.
The silly season may be over, but that doesn't mean the country's (or your) cultural calendar is looking too bare. Some of the year's most exciting and immersive art exhibitions have opened their doors across the nation this autumn. Which is particularly exciting, because interstate borders are all fully open for the first time since the start of the pandemic — and there are cheap flights aplenty. So, get out your diaries and plan trips to walk over giant Monet artworks, visit Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' and explore decaying rooms filled with street art. We've rounded up the best art exhibitions happening across the country this autumn.
When you've just made the best new TV show of 2022 so far, how do you respond? If you're Apple TV+ and you've had the streaming world obsessing over Severance for the past two months, you double down, thankfully. In waffle party-worthy news, the instantly addictive Adam Scott-starring thriller has just been renewed for a second season. No one needs to be listening to defiant jazz today, clearly. If you've missed the series so far, there's no better time to catch up — it drops its ninth and final season one episode this week, on Friday, April 8, and it's as phenomenal as everything in the show so far. The setup: a hellish office that'll feel familiar to anyone whose spent the nine-to-five grind sat at a desk, and yet is even more unnerving than your worst nightmare. And if you're wondering why the latter is the case, that's because Lumon Industries, the company as the series' centre, uses the futuristic technology that gives the program its title. #Severance has been renewed for Season 2. https://t.co/SbEtvE1yj1 — Apple TV (@AppleTV) April 6, 2022 What is severance? It's a drastic work-life balance solution — the kind that Black Mirror might've dreamed up, or could've been used if Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was about punching the clock instead of romance. To be specific, it's a brain implant that separates parts of your mind, leaving one section to solely focus on work and the other to live the rest of your life free from knowing what you get up to in business hours. That's the situation that Macrodata Refinement division employee Mark S (Scott, Big Little Lies) has willingly signed up for, all to help process his grief over the death of his wife. And he's happy with the scenario until his work BFF Petey (Yul Vazquez, The Outsider) leaves suddenly without saying goodbye, and new staff member Helly (Britt Lower, Future Man) comes in to replace him — and instantly starts questioning the insidious setup, the rules and restrictions needed to keep it in place, and why on earth her "outie" (as the outside versions of Lumon employees are known) agreed to this in the first place. Taking cues from the likes of Devs, The Truman Show, The Matrix, The Office and Office Space — and serving up a surreal workplace that often feels like the green-hued employment-focused version of Twin Peaks' red room — Severance has constantly delivered both intrigue and surprises throughout its first season so far. That remains the case in its final season episode as well. And, while this largely Ben Stiller-directed show has been diving deep into a mind-warping mystery that sounds like heaven but quickly proves anything but, it has also been smartly and savagely probing what it means to be a slave to the wage in 2022 — and what employers expect in return for a paycheque. Exactly when Severance will return for season two hasn't yet been revealed, but the fact that it is coming back is worth celebrating with a music/dance experience. Apple TV+ usually brings its hits back quickly, though — Ted Lasso backed up its first season the following year, for instance — so fingers crossed that Severance will be the best show of 2023 as well. Check out the trailer for Severance below: The first eight episodes of Severance's first season are available to stream via Apple TV+, with the ninth dropping on Friday, April 8. Season two doesn't yet have a release date, but we'll update you when it does. While you're waiting, you can also read our full review of Severance season one.
Every neighbourhood needs a reliable Thai restaurant. For Potts Point, it's Llankelly Thai. The laneway restaurant is perfect for when you and your mates desperately need a catch-up but you're all on a budget. It likes to pride itself on simplicity, offering up food that always tastes great. The service is friendly and relaxed and they're open every day for lunch and dinner. The lunch special runs from 11:30 in the morning until 4:40 in the afternoon and it is a great place to swing by with a group of mates or colleagues. The laksa chicken is prepared in a homemade laksa based soup, paired with your choice of vegetables including carrot, broccoli and beansprouts before being topped with dried red onion. Alternatively the wanton soup with chicken wontons, vegetables and egg noodles is especially delicious. Vegetarians might enjoy pumpkin and tofu stir fry served with rice. The dinner menu is more eclectic but still has a traditional approach. Start with a roasted duck salad tossed in lychee with tomato, cucumber, shallots and chilli jam dressing and the tom yum noodle soup with Thai herbs and bok choy. For a main, the brave can try the spicy panang curry with bamboo, chilli and basil leaves, while a gentler option is the massaman with slow cooked beef, coconut milk and roasted peanuts. As you'd hope, the chef recommendations are spot on. Our favourite being the 'Holy Duck' — a stir fried roasted duck with chilli, mixed vegetables, pumpkin and basil. Llankelly Thai is the kind of Sydney restaurant you head to for classic and tasty Thai eats in a laidback setting. It's not trying to invent the wheel. That ain't necessary when the food tastes this good.
Neil Watkins' latest performance is a contemporary Irish story that resonates with audiences globally through an exploration of the universal themes of loneliness and hope. Oh, and it's about wanking. But this story doesn't just rely on our natural curiosity towards graphic material, as clearly it's not that difficult to hold an audience's attention for 60 minutes when you're talking about whacking off to internet porn. What makes The Year of Magical Wanking unique is its promise to be as hauntingly sad as it is hilariously charming. The leading performance artist — and former Alternative Miss Ireland — plays Maverick, a 33-year-old homosexual with a Jesus complex. A self-confessed wanker from the beginning, his monologue addresses his self-destructive struggle with foul sexual fantasies after a life of being subjected to intolerant parents, HIV and abusive sexual relationships. Performing barefoot with no mask save for a warrior-like streak of makeup beneath each eye, he's literally laid bare before the audience as he takes them on his journey towards self-acceptance. Director Phillip McMahon has a long association with The Abbey Theatre, who brought us Terminus last year, and was named a person to watch in 2012 by the Irish Times. The play itself was nominated for Best New Play and Best Performer at Dublin Fringe 2011. Presented by both Mardi Gras and daring queer Irish theatre company THISISPOPBABY, The Year of Magical Wanking will give audiences something more enduring than just a good laugh. Though there will, no doubt, be plenty of those, too.
This highly budget-friendly eatery helps form a delectable pocket of eats within the Prince Centre where dumplings are king. It's the plates and baskets pan-fried and soupy dumplings that attract the crowds and the sticky special braised eggplant that keeps them coming back. If you feel as if you must branch out to try something different (a hard task if you're prone to food envy), order the chewy house-made noodles that seem almost bottomless. And if you're lucky, you'll be serenaded by the violinist.
