Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtVe_8CS6vU RADIOACTIVE Even without sourcing and quoting an exact number, it's obvious that an immense amount of people owe their lives to Marie and Pierre Curie's research on radioactivity. Without their work — Marie's passion project, which she reluctantly agreed to collaborate on with Pierre after they first crossed paths in Paris — cancer treatment would've likely been vastly different over the past century. The results for scores of cancer patients would've been as well. But the pair's discovery of two new elements, radium and polonium, also led to disturbing side effects and cataclysmic events that changed the course of history in other ways. Radioactive touches upon both, from life-saving oncology usage and the ability to conduct x-rays on World War I battlefields to the bombing of Hiroshima and Chernobyl's nuclear reactor meltdown. Via the inclusion of clips in a 50s hospital, in Japan, in the Ukraine and at a nuclear bomb test in Nevada in 1961, this becomes a far more thoughtful feature than its usual biopic trappings often indicate (and make no mistake, much of the script reads from the biopic-101 playbook). It might seem strange for a film about Marie to leap forward at different moments, jumping to years and decades past her death in 1934, all to show how the physicist and chemist's work made and continues to make a colossal impact upon the world. But that's the most interesting thing about Radioactive: its willingness to contemplate both the significant benefits and proven dangers of Marie (Rosamund Pike, an Oscar-nominee for Gone Girl) and Pierre's (Sam Riley, Rebecca) pioneering discoveries. The latter is tasked with vocalising this battle in his acceptance speech for their shared 1903 Nobel Prize in physics, acknowledging the struggle but opining that "mankind will derive more good than harm". As directed by Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and adapted from Lauren Redniss' graphic novel about the Curies, Radioactive film doesn't simply take Pierre at his word, however. It shows his radiation sickness, and Marie's. It touches upon the backlash when news of radioactivity's health effects started becoming widely known. And those aforementioned flash-forwards to both positive and negative applications of the Curies' research keep the same conversation going, because Radioactive doesn't try to offer a right or wrong answer. Something can be two things at once, after all, as this often-probing movie shows in a variety of ways. Read our full review. https://vimeo.com/451401547#at=17 BRAZEN HUSSIES Chatting to activists involved in Australia's women's liberation movement during the 60s and 70s, Brazen Hussies doesn't lack in witty and wise ladies making pivotal points. But it's filmmaker Margot Nash (The Silences) who offers one of this documentary's most telling observations, and the one that crystallises exactly why this movie had to be made. "History has to be told over and over again," she advises. She's a talking head in the film, rather than the writer or director behind it — those roles fall to first-timer Catherine Dwyer — but she couldn't encapsulate Brazen Hussies' purpose any better if she was the doco's driving force. As the feature explains, it's easy for people to overlook this chapter of history, and the fact that it all happened so recently. It's easy to forget that women's lives were drastically different, as was the way they were regarded by the world around them. Brazen Hussies surveys pay inequality, legal abortion, funding for childcare, the way both queer women and Indigenous Australian women are treated, society's abhorrence of female sexuality and the first Advisor on Women's Affairs to a head of government anywhere in the world — plus everything from tackling domestic violence and the victim-blaming that can go along with it, to the simple struggle to survive that single mothers faced as well. But this happens in tandem with a historical recounting of Australia's actual fight for women's liberation, with Dwyer inspired by working on 2014 documentary She's Beautiful When She's Angry (which did the same from a US perspective). She examines what drove the more than 25 women she counts among her eponymous group to act and what they achieved, of course. At every moment, however, she's just as interested in how they battled for that change. Having access to a treasure trove of materials helps considerably in this engaging, informative and impassioned film. If the doco's talking-head lineup is impressive, it's bested only by the immense range of archival images and footage that Dwyer and editor Rosie Jones (director of The Family) splice together. With the rest of the filmmaking team, the pair sifted through more than 4000 photographs, journals, artworks and posters, and 800-plus news clips, documentaries and dramatic movies — and, unsurprisingly, Brazen Hussies is all the more detailed for it. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roo8p8sDX24&feature=emb_logo A LION RETURNS Following the clandestine return of a radicalised Muslim man to Sydney to see his dying mother, A Lion Returns is a film about extreme actions and the consequences they bring. And yet, as written and directed by Serhat Caradee — marking his second feature after 2009's Cedar Boys — it's a movie driven primarily by talk about those actions. Indeed, its opening third takes place in a car outside the Alamein family residence, where brothers Omar (Danny Elacci, Trust) and Jamal (Tyler De Nawi, On the Ropes) reunite in secret while their relatives gather inside. Before academic Omar can work out how to usher Jamal inside without anyone else seeing, especially their father Yusef (Taffy Hany, East West 101) who is likely to call the police, the siblings discuss everything that has led them to this juncture. Omar outlines the grim health predicament their ailing mother Manal (Helen Chebatte, Alex & Eve) faces, with hospice her next step. He also demands answers from Jamal about why he left his own wife (Jacqui Purvis, Neighbours) and young son to fight in Syria, makes his brother explain exactly what he did during his time with the Islamic State and tries to ascertain what he hopes to achieve by making a comeback. A Lion Returns is so dialogue-heavy — and so driven by two- and three-way conversations about bonds of family, faith, the lengths one will go to for both and the repercussions that follow — that it could've easily graced the stage instead of the big screen. But there's an intimacy to this independent, low-budget, shot-in-ten-days Australian drama about ripped-from-the-headline matters that's cinematic. Set in an ordinary vehicle and a just-as-standard suburban home, and unfurling in real time, its visuals mightn't provide an overt spectacle; however, the connection that Caradee evokes with his complicated characters, and with the complex ideas and themes they discuss and sift through, benefits from the film's ability to get literally close to the animated chatter happening within its frames. This is a feature that makes every move possible to place its audience in the heat of the moment with its arguing family members, to share their tension and to confront the same thorny issues with them, and does so with precision. There are few surprises, narrative-wise, as not only Jamal's abandoned loved ones but the defector himself grapple with his choices and the shadows they've left overseas and at home, but A Lion Returns excavates a difficult situation with assurance and poise, as well as with passionate performances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPie_hKO6pM IP MAN: KUNG FU MASTER It's unlikely that filmmakers will ever get sick of making movies about Ip Man, much in the same way that they never seem to tire of bringing the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula to the screen. Ip Man was a real person, though. A martial arts grandmaster in the kung fu style known as Wing Chun, his life spanned fascinating chapters in both mainland China and Hong Kong, including a stint with the police force and training Bruce Lee — and it has also spawned many a film over the past couple of decades as a result. Ip Man features in movies about Lee, naturally. He has been the driving force behind the Donnie Yen-starring Ip Man, Ip Man 2, Ip Man 3 and Ip Man 4: The Finale, too, and Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster as well. And, first in The Legend Is Born – Ip Man, then in Kung Fu League and now in Ip Man: Kung Fu Master, he has been played by wushu champion-turned-actor Dennis To (who actually had a minor role in Ip Man and Ip Man 2). In Ip Man: Kung Fu Master, To steps into the famed figure's shoes during his law enforcement stint in Foshan. First, he's the subject of a revenge scheme by the daughter of a mobster who is killed in police custody despite Ip Man's best efforts to ensure otherwise. Then, he's targeted by the Japanese army as they make their presence known in the period between the first and second Sino-Japanese wars. Both elements of the story intertwine — as does the birth of Ip Man's first son, and his need to protect his family as multiple parties endeavour to hunt him down — but writer/director Li Liming is far more interested in the movie's frenetically choreographed martial arts scenes than its narrative. Indeed, anything that doesn't involve fighting often feels like filler. There's no doubting the impact of Ip Man: Kung Fu Master's balletic displays of flying fists, though, or how stylishly they're shot. They can't substantially lift a film that'll never be the go-to Ip Man movie, or even one of the best flicks about him either, but they're the standout elements of an otherwise average movie. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; and October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle. The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always and The Craft: Legacy. Top image: A Lion Returns via Bonafide Pictures.
Since late in 2019, when Disney launched its own streaming platform, fans of its animated classics, beloved hits and many, many super-popular franchises have been able to binge their way through the Mouse House's back catalogue from the comfort of their couch. For a few weeks in October and November, however, movie buffs are being asked to leave their houses to check out a selection of the company's famed titles — all thanks to the new pop-up Disney+ Drive-In that's coming to Sydney. Yes, a streaming service is running a drive-in. Or, to put it another way, a product designed to get everyone watching on small screens at home is now endeavouring to lure viewers out to watch its flicks on a big screen from their cars. That's a very 2020 situation, with Disney+ teaming up with Openair Cinemas to make it happen. The drive-in will arrive in Sydney — at the Northern Private Carpark of Bankwest Stadium, to be specific — on Thursday, October 22, screening films every night (except Tuesdays) until Sunday, November 15. As for what'll be screening, the Disney+ Drive-In is working through the Mouse House's hits, screening single features each night. On the bill: Star Wars flicks The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, plus throwback titles like 10 Things I Hate About You, Mrs Doubtfire, Mighty Ducks and Edward Scissorhands. If you really love your Disney movies, you can also expect live-action and animated versions of Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as sing-along Moana, The Little Mermaid and the first Frozen film. You can croon tunes to The Greatest Showman, too, and watch Pixar's gorgeous Coco. Plus, Marvel fans can look forward to Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue80QwXMRHg Popcorn, snacks and drinks will be available onsite — or you can bring your own. It's strictly a no-alcohol affair, though. And, ticket-wise, you'll be paying per car; however, prices vary depending the number of people in your car. Disney+ Drive-In presented by Openair Cinemas hits Sydney, at the Northern Private Carpark of Bankwest Stadium, on Thursday, October 22 — with its season running until Sunday, November 15.
More than 15 years after it opened, and over 35 years since the opening of its first iteration, Rockpool Bar & Grill has firmly entrenched itself as a bona fide legend of Sydney's — indeed, Australia's — dining landscape. Despite being one of the most awarded restaurants in the country, recognised by reviewers and guides from around the world, the glamorous Sydney restaurant is not content resting on its laurels, having undergone several changes in the past few months alone including all-new seating (and an increased capacity to boot), a revamp of two of the private dining rooms, and the introduction of an intimate new 12-seat wine room. This month, the Hunter Street hotspot unveils perhaps its most significant new addition since moving to its current digs in 2009 in the form of Rockpool Lounge, a stylish 50-seat lounge bar perched above the main dining room. This brand-new space welcomes both diners looking to extend their evening and those looking for a cosy spot for a nightcap, with the venue open until 1am seven days a week. Rockpool Lounge's cocktail menu has been crafted by Bar Manager Leonardo Zuccardi Merli, and centres around modern twists on classic recipes. Signatures include a frozen dirty martini enhanced with house-made olive brine infused with black, green and Taggiasche olives, and a velvety smooth coconut negroni. There's also an excellent selection of highballs available from Thursday to Sunday based on classic mixed drinks like the Horse's Neck, made with cognac and ginger ale, and the zingy Lounge V&S, in which vodka is elevated with jalapeño and lime soda. Merli also spotlights a number of forgotten classics — appletini, anyone? Complementing the cocktails is a wine list showcasing over 40 selections by the glass from both established and emerging producers from around the world. Regular visitors will be rewarded with the Spirits Club selection, a monthly-rotating list of limited-edition releases curated by the bar team. On the food side, Executive Chef Santiago Aristizabal's South American-leaning menu has been created with both the afternoon pitstop and after-dark nightcap in mind. Pull for snacks like Don Bocarte anchovy on smoked tomato toast, wagyu brisket empanadas served with pebre, and blue corn tacos topped with grilled prawn and guajillo chilli. Heartier plates include wood-fired Cape Grim fillet with Café de Paris butter and the signature Rockpool cheeseburger with double-smoked bacon and special sauce. Those looking to linger a little longer can also order from the main restaurant's à la carte menu. Rockpool Lounge's stylish setting combines understated elegance with comfort. Guests enter the first-floor space via a private elevator and are welcomed into intimate clusters of chesterfield armchairs and plush velvet lounge chairs, while sleek black suede stools line the bar for those preferring an up-close bar experience. In the afternoon, the Lounge is bathed in natural light from its tall windows, offering scenic views of tree-lined Bligh Street, while after dark, live music fills the space on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9.30pm onwards. Rockpool Lounge is located on Level 1, 66 Bligh Street, Sydney. It's open from 12pm–1am Monday–Friday, and 5.30pm–1am Saturday–Sunday. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: Steven Woodburn / Christopher Pearce.
Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck trying to save the world from an asteroid? That's so 1998. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence attempting to stop a comet from wiping out life as we know it? That's the premise of Netflix's new disaster comedy Don't Look Up, which thankfully isn't a sequel to the aforementioned Armageddon. Instead, it's the latest film from The Big Short and Vice director Adam McKay — and it's set to hit the streaming platform in December. If it sounds familiar, that's because Don't Look Up was one of the big-name movies on Netflix's lengthy list of new flicks heading its way in 2021, as it start teasing back in January. And yes, while plenty of the films named back then have already hit the platform given the year is now nine months in — movies such as Malcolm & Marie, The White Tiger, The Dig, The Woman in the Window, Army of the Dead and Moxie — the streamer really is making us all wait for its starriest picture of 2021. DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Lawrence (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) play astronomy professor Dr Randall Mindy and his grad student Kate Dibiasky, who discover that a Mount Everest-sized comet is orbiting our solar system — and that it's on a direct collision course with earth. So, with just six months left until impact, they endeavour to tell everyone they can about the planet's impending demise, all by embarking upon a media tour. But the President (Meryl Streep, The Prom) and her son and Chief of Staff (Jonah Hill, The Beach Bum) barely seem to care, and neither does the public. Also featuring on-screen as the former "king of the world" and Katniss Everdeen try to save the world: Timothée Chalamet (Little Women), Cate Blanchett (Where'd You Go, Bernadette), Mark Rylance (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Tyler Perry (Those Who Wish Me Dead), Ron Perlman (Monster Hunter), Himesh Patel (Tenet), Melanie Lynskey (Mrs America), Kid Cudi (Bill & Ted Face the Music) and Ariana Grande. Yes, as seen in the just-dropped teaser trailer, this film does have quite the cast. Don't Look Up will hit Netflix just in time for your Christmas break, dropping on Friday, December 24. It'll also screen in some cinemas before that, if you'd like to see it on the big screen. And if you're wondering how the film will fare tonally, McKay looks like he's in The Big Short and Succession mode, rather than harking back to his Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Step Brothers days. That said, Blanchett does play a TV host, so maybe the filmmaker will have audiences thinking about Anchorman as well. Check out the teaser trailer for Don't Look Up below: Don't Look Up will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, December 24, and in selected cinemas earlier in December. Image: Nico Tavernise/Netflix.
This burger-centred eatery in Redfern boasts a one-of-a-kind concept that injects a dose of fun into Sydney's familiar surroundings. Upon venturing to Suburgia, you'll find that the menu spans from the Eastern suburbs all the way through to the heart of the West — and you're guaranteed to spot a familiar name. The self-proclaimed "best burger spot in the 'burbs" is home to a huge menu of inventive dishes. Peruse the selection and you'll spot a stacked beef burger with bacon jam assigned to Ashfield; a beetroot and truffle mayo burg for Marrickville; a sweet and spicy chicken burger with gochujang mayo, barbecue sauce, pineapple and bacon in honour of Redfern; and plant-based varieties representing Ingleburn, Petersham, Ultimo and Edgecliff, to name a few. Surburgia's menu doesn't end there — this Chalmers Street locale has the whole shebang. You'll also be met with desserts like apple berry bombs, slices of mud cake and sticky date pudding, alongside a hefty selection of toppings for loaded fries. Plus, there is also a rotating menu of monthly specials that you can pick from. Previous instalments have included the likes of a Turkish-inspired Iskender Surprise, which combined sujuk, za'atar, labne and a tomato relish; the schnitzel-starring BIG Caesar with onion rings, anchovies, bacon and garlic butter; and a seafood-focused riff on a loaded hot dog that paired pepper squid, prawn takoyaki and fish with a chilli seafood salad, miso and yuzu mayo.
Talking to an audience, or one-to-one, former-billionaire Chris Anderson still comes across as pretty approachable. Anderson is curator — and owner — of the smart, global talk-fest, TED, where talks are notes-free and never more than 18 minutes long. Anderson was in Australia last weekend for TEDxSydney's 2012 collection of talks about robots, quantum computing, imaginary friends and the durability of dirty words. After all but one of the other speakers had taken to the stage, Anderson spoke briefly about TED-Ed, which combines videos and mash-ups into a kind of "magic blackboard", and the Worldwide Talent Search for TED2013. After he left the stage, Concrete Playground was lucky enough to sit down with Chris Anderson for almost exactly a TED Talk's worth of time. You come across, from a distance, as very gentle. Do you find that helps you run a big conference like TED? I don't think anyone's ever asked me that before. Interesting. I think I probably am gentle. Maybe I'm gentle. There's lots of ways to run a business. And I do many of them really badly: but I do have a great team. And TED has a life of its own. So, it's amazing to see it take off around the world. Every day is a surprise. Teenagers get ignored a lot in public. Why did you pick teenagers as your target for TED-Ed? Well, our existing talks are aimed at adults and are certainly devoured by a lot of university-age students. And a little bit in schools. But they're not optimised for school use. They're too long. They displace too much class time. They're aimed at adults. And so, given that ideas matter most for people whose world views are still being formed, and given how important education is to everyone's future, we kind of have no choice, but to do something for that age group. And we spent a lot of time thinking about it. And talking to teachers, and listening. And this is where we've ended up. We've got a lot of interest among 18 and up. And we just wanted to move down. And maybe, if this is successful, we'll continue the trip down. Towards, you know, birth. [laughs] What was school life like for you? You talk a lot about better ways of education. Is that informed from a bad experience or a good experience when you were younger? I was brought up in an international school in the Himalayas in India. And it was a fabulous experience, actually. In fact, if I had a wish … if every kid could spend a few years in an international school, a lot of issues would go away. Because, without even trying, you end up a global soul. And, you know, all the big problems in the world are essentially global problems. So, it would be nice if the people who were trying to solve them were taking a global perspective instead of a tribal perspective, which is why we can't solve a lot of what's out there. So, no — it was a wonderful experience. It was lots of time outdoors. Lots of time in nature. And an incredible cast of characters in the school. So, it was great. I watched the TED-Ed talk 'Questions no one knows the answers to'. I really enjoyed that one. When do you think we might know the answers to some of those questions? You're in a good position to have an idea. There was a bunch of different questions thrown into there. I mean, one of the questions — about 'Why aren't we seeing alien life?' — I think there really is chance that in the next fifteen years that we learn a lot on the question. There's a lot of technologies coming online that will allow real spectroscopic information from nearby planets. We might be able to detect vegetation. There's a lot of things that might show up. And we're involved in this project right now to open up, crowd-source, the search as well. To get millions of people looking for signals, not just a few scientists. I would die happy, if we found real contact with another intelligent species out there. It would be totally thrilling. What do you think might be some of the new questions, once we get rid of the old ones? I certainly think it's right that the more we know, the more questions we have. Reality is infinitely complex. And you have to just view it as: each step of the journey is interesting, exciting and useful. I think I've said before that learning something is a different psychological process to consuming something. That most things we do have a law of diminishing returns. You eat ice-cream, and the fourth and fifth taste aren't quite as nice as the first taste. Knowledge — it actually works the other way. The more you know about the world, the more your sense of wonder explodes. And that's actually really cool. That gives me a lot of hope for the future of TED for one thing. You've said before that there's always one talk that really surprises you. What really surprised you today? I thought the talk on quantum computing was mind-blowing. And if quantum computers come along, all bets are off as to what that means for technology. Charles C Mann wrote a great book called 1491 updating America's pre-Colombian history with things he thought every kid should know. What do you think that grown-ups, kids, should know at the moment, much more generally? I think one of the things is how flawed and quirky human nature is. We don't yet have that mental model. A lot of kids are brought up to believe that they're special snowflakes, or [that] their only job in life is to find their passion and it'll all be okay. And the truth is we're really complex biological machines. And we do a lot of things amazingly, and we do a lot of things really badly, actually. Because we evolved for a different era, and a different set of environmental requirements. And so, knowing that, and learning to navigate around that is a really important part of education. What are you reading right now? Do you have time to read? Less time. I think that's probably true of everyone. We're launching this TED Books initiative, based on shorter books. On the idea that most ideas don't have to be expressed at 80,000 or 100,000 words. They can actually be expressed in maybe 20,000 words. So, TED Talk: 2,500 words. TED book: 20,000 words. Then, non-fiction book: 80,000 words. So, there's a sort of niche there. And it means that you can sit down and read in an hour and a half. I think that's actually a great length. So that's what I'm reading right now: we're going to be publishing these new TED books, one every two weeks. And I'm reading a lot of those. And they're pretty cool. Are you happy? I am happy. Most of my life I've been happy. They say it's seventy percent hard-wired, and the rest is magic. I'm unbelievably lucky —I've got one of the world's most enjoyable jobs, surely. And you know I get to see this thing growing in a way I couldn't have imagined. I'm married to an amazing woman who's a much better impacter of the world than I am. [laughs] So, yeah. I'm a lucky person. Photo by the amazing Enzo Amato, and additional assistance by Tully Rosen.
When Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival debuted in 2022, Louis Tikaram from Stanley in Brisbane was on the lineup. In 2024, the chef from the standout Sunshine State restaurant has curated the program. He has ties to the area, growing up on a 110-acre farm in Mullumbimby before hopping from Sydney's Tetsuya's and Longrain to E.P & L.P. in Los Angeles and then the Queensland capital's go-to Cantonese fine-diner — and he's now doing his part for this culinary fest's second event. Caper returns with a few changes. The festival has expanded its lineup from a four-day weekend to a ten-day run, and also moved from spring to autumn, taking place from Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 26. But its focus remains on celebrating food and culture in its seaside New South Wales home and the surrounding region, whether you're keen to eat, drink, listen to live tunes, or enjoy a drag night and trivia show. Tikaram's program is filled with fellow culinary names, including when the opening party takes over Three Blue Ducks. On the bill just for that night alone: Dave Moyle from Salty Mangrove (who organised the first Caper), Jason Saxby from Raes on Wategos, Ben Devlin from Pipet, Matt Stone from You Beauty, Mindy Woods from Karkalla, Karl and Katrina Kanetani from Beach Byron Bay, Pepsi Nakbunchuay from Bang Bang, Robbie Oijvall from Lightyears, Bruno Conti from The Hut, Marcello Polifrone from Harvest and, of course, Darren Robertson from the host venue. At the other end of the fest, the closing-night event will see Tikaram, Hawaiian chef Kanetani, Ross Magnaye from Serai Kitchen in Melbourne and Jedd Rifai from North Byron Hotel hone in on Hawaiian buffet-style snacks. In-between, long lunches, a yakitori party and a five-course smoke-fuelled feast are all among the fellow Caper highlights. Some meals will get you eating seaside. Other events are serving up an Italian-inspired aperitivo hour or a gin garden party. With Tikaram doing the honours again, you can also tuck into east-meets-west canapés at Byron Chinese restaurant Hutong Harry's. Whatever you're heading to, the North Byron Hotel is the fest's official watering hole, hosting tunes, cooking demonstrations, and cheese and wine tastings. If you've got a ticket to the fest, you'll score a drink coupon for a complimentary beverage, too.
Acclaimed Martin Place Restaurant AALIA has been serving innovative Middle Eastern cuisine for only a short while. The venue opened just last year but has already cemented itself as one of Sydney's top spots for luxurious Middle Eastern dinners. The lavish inner0city spot is continuing to push the boundaries in 2023 with its three-month Chef Series which will see some of Australia's top chefs reimagine the AALIA menu. Kicking off the series is culinary legend Mark Best who will bring his forward-thinking flair to the AALIA kitchen for one night only on Monday, July 24. Expect a menu that balances the signature with the inventive. Think carp makanek (like a Lebanese sausage) with harissa and a magra lamb rack with dried quince. Plus, a sweet finale of walnut sujuk with dulce chocolate and lime-cured pumpkin. Next, Melbourne chef Khanh Nguyen will be bringing some South East Asian flavours to the AALIA kitchen on Monday, September 11. The collaboration will fuse together Australian-Vietnamese and Middle Eastern cuisine, for a truly unique culinary experience. Then to finish it off, Dave Vurheul of Embla and Saison Vermouth will be bringing his light touch to the restaurant with an elevated menu showcasing simple ingredients. The final chef series dinner will be on Monday, October 9. Spots at the dinners range from $110–120 per person. Book in now to secure your spot.
Looking for a new burger adventure to spice up your hump day? Make your way to Xi'an Biang Biang in Chinatown to try their rougamo. This ancient meat sandwich dates back to 221BC, making it the world's oldest hamburger, sandwich, pie or whatever else you think this exciting dish most resembles. The version served at Xi'an Biang Biang is made from a disc of pastry stuffed with pulled pork, which has been stewed in soup for hours. The result: crispy, crunchy goodness paired with meltingly tender meat. Prepare to be more than impressed. Image: Letícia Almeida.
A book described as "a modern story of sex, erotica and passion. How the sexiest sales girl in business earns her huge bonus by being the best at removing her high heels," might not be anything to write home about. But what if the author of said book was someone's dad, and that someone decided it would be hilarious to read a chapter every week to the entire world, with some incredibly funny friends providing commentary? Jamie Morton did just that with his father's (pen name: Rocky Flinstone) erotic 'novels', the Belinda Blinked series. And so the audacious and pants-wettingly hilarious podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno was born. Since its premiere in 2015, the podcast about "the best/worst erotica ever written" has racked up over 150 million downloads. And now, off the back of an HBO Original Series featuring a "lost chapter", Morton and his pals James Cooper and Alice Levine are bringing their hilarious smut back to Sydney in 2020. As part of a huge world tour, the live show will treat 'Belinkers' to two shows at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, January 8 and Thursday, January 9 (with the second added due to overwhelming demand). Team Porno will read unreleased material from the erotic saga while throwing in a few surprises and interactive elements. Now four books deep — with the fifth due to be cracked opened on Monday, September 9, 2019 — the series follows the sexual escapades of Belinda Blumenthal who works in the sales and marketing department of a pots and pans company. There have been leather rooms and nipples as big as Titanic rivets, anti-erotic ridiculousness with sales reps and young-ish men, references to pomegranates and the popping of vaginal lids, and one truly disgusting flaking prosthetic appendage. If you're a fan of the show, the live incarnation should make you very happy. As Belinda says, "When you get what you want, you feel great." Tickets go on sale at 1pm on Thursday, July 18, 2019
There are many things that are great about The Great, and the fact that it tells you what to exclaim whenever you're enjoying it, just received good news about it or simply can't stop thinking about it is one of them. For two seasons so far, this historical satire has bandied about "huzzah!" like it's the only word worth saying. And, come May, it'll do so again when its third season finally drops. The Great was renewed after its second batch of episodes arrived late in 2021, and now season three finally has a release date. Mark Saturday, May 13 in your diary for your next binge — following the rise and reign of Catherine the Great, including her marriage to and overthrowing of Emperor Peter III, with only the slightest regard for the actual facts, this show has a concept that's all killer, no filler, after all. [caption id="attachment_771188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ollie Upton /Hulu[/caption] Season three will once again feature Elle Fanning (The Girl From Plainville) as Catherine and Nicholas Hoult (The Menu) as Peter, and again step into their chaotic life together. Their nuptials have always been tumultuous, but season two threw everything from attempted murders to mass imprisonments at the couple — and kept disrupting their dynamic as Catherine continued to work towards the name that's a part of history, and also inspires the show's title. So, this time around, expect more of Peter figuring out what it means to play First Husband, and Catherine expanding her influence and reputation beyond just Russia. That, and visions of Peter's late father (Jason Isaacs, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris), life lessons, attempts to build a new country and the usual scheming. While the series has always been supremely confident in its blend of handsome period staging, the loosest of historical realities and that savage sense of humour (it does spring from Oscar-nominated The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara, after all), it felt even more comfortable in its skin during its second season. And smoother, too, yet just as biting. So, hopefully that will remain the case in season three as well, all while it keeps seesawing tonally and proving as sharp as a shot of vodka — or several. Fanning and Hoult will be joined by returning co-stars Phoebe Fox (The Aeronauts), Adam Godley (Lodge 49), Gwilym Lee (Top End Wedding), Charity Wakefield (Bounty Hunters), Douglas Hodge (I Hate Suzie Too), Sacha Dhawan (The Prince), Bayo Gbadamosi (War of the Worlds) and Belinda Bromilow (Doctor Doctor), too, because this is a show with a phenomenally great cast. There's no trailer for The Great season three as yet, but you can check out the trailer for season two below: The Great season three will be available to stream in Australia via Stan from Saturday, May 13.
UPDATE, March 11, 2022: Once Upon a Time In Hollywood is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Every Tarantino film has one: an image that so impeccably captures its essence, it instantly symbolises the movie as a whole. In Reservoir Dogs, it arrived via a slow-walking crew of criminals. In Pulp Fiction, it came in the form of a twisting Uma Thurman and John Travolta. In Inglourious Basterds, it could only be Melanie Laurent's unflinching act of rebellion. They're the sights that blaze fiercely with the spirit of their respective pictures, all while burning themselves into viewers' retinas. Set in 1969, as the swinging sixties came to an end and Charles Manson altered Los Angeles forever, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood boasts one also. The honour goes to Margot Robbie's stellar portrayal of Sharon Tate as she sits in a cinema, watching 1968's The Wrecking Crew with a paying audience, and delighting at the crowd's response to her performance. Crosscut with the antics of Once Upon a Time In Hollywood's two other sublime leads — Leonardo DiCaprio in charmingly crumbling mode as fading TV star Rick Dalton, and Brad Pitt as his stunt double and best buddy Cliff Booth — the movie-going scene ranks among Robbie's longest in the film. The lack of dialogue she utters throughout the picture compared to her male co-stars has sparked some backlash, but it's unwarranted. This is a flick that cuts to the core of its leading lady again and again. Here, Robbie's version of Tate is excited and radiant as she soaks in her cinema experience. In a savvy touch, Tarantino uses genuine snippets from The Wrecking Crew to let everyone soak in the actual Tate, too. And, as we watch Robbie both playing Tate and watching Tate, we feel the character's nerves and exuberance, and understand what's running through her heart and mind. Moreover, we do so while knowing that her real-life fate couldn't clash more starkly with this moment. It's a startlingly layered scene — all the more so after seeing what comes next — but that's Tarantino's ninth stint as a director in general. It's also warm and thoughtful, in a movie that similarly earns that description. Although such a tone contrasts with the filmmaker's usual hectic, stylised, talky vibe, it shouldn't come as a shock. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood sports a fairytale title, and basks in the glow of Tinseltown from five decades ago. Tarantino fashions a love letter to a period that has definitely passed by, as lensed in sunny hues by his regular cinematographer Robert Richardson. However the picture's feel has another flavour and meaning, as does the energy emanating from Tate's time staring at the big screen. A film of hope, lament, farewell and recognition all in one, it realises that spying the past through rose-coloured lenses and yearning for its comfort amidst upheaval is inevitable. It also knows something just as important: that change is equally inescapable. Long past his prime-time heyday and only just beginning to realise it between drinks, Dalton isn't coping well with his own evolving status. When a producer (Al Pacino) tells him that he keeps being cast as television villains to bolster the next generation of heroes, and that he should get into spaghetti westerns instead, the actor doesn't take the blunt disclosure well. As Dalton tries to prove that he's capable of more (to himself, mainly), Booth rolls with the punches, despite his own bleak professional prospects. Lately, he's a driver, gofer and righthand man to his famous pal, rather than his stand-in, yet little fazes him. When Dalton starts bubbling with enthusiasm over his new neighbours, Tate and her husband Roman Polanski, Booth barely seems to care. And, when he picks up a hippie hitchhiker (a scene-stealing Margaret Qualley) who's part of Manson's (Damon Herriman) flower child entourage, he enters their unnerving world without breaking a sweat. History dictates where Once Upon a Time In Hollywood ends up, in a manner. In the revisionist mode that served Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight so well, Tarantino dictates the specific details within his admittedly slim narrative, as well as the time spent luxuriating in them. With no disrespect to his previous films, he's at his most intricate, mature and laidback, crafting a picture — and people within it — that audiences want to spend as much time with as possible. Filled as it is with movies within the broader movie, comic flashbacks and stars galore (such as Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Timothy Olyphant, Bruce Dern, Dakota Fanning, Lena Dunham, Luke Perry and Maya Hawke), it's easy to fall in step with the film's rambling pace, enjoying each moment as it arises. Incessantly keen to splash his affection for celluloid history across the screen as always, Tarantino is in his element recreating Hollywood's golden days, its big names and LA's gleaming sights, and nodding to westerns once again. But, befitting a flick about weathering seismic personal, cultural and societal shifts, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood is a glorious character piece first and foremost. Tate, Dalton and Booth remain the key to the film, and the driving force behind its hangout air. With the often dancing, smiling Tate, Tarantino presents a self-possessed woman content in her skin and life, yet at threat by the darkening tides around her. Through Dalton and Booth, a duo with as many grin-inducing gifts as firm flaws, he finds fractures — some glaring, some hidden — in their facades that mirror the world around them. Exceptional performances assist — including the overflowing delights of pairing up DiCaprio and Pitt for the first time — but perhaps Once Upon a Time In Hollywood's smartest move comes from building such compelling, revealing, deeply felt characters. The film has character, too. Roving leisurely and unravelling shaggily, it waits a beat to notice a woman's bare feet on a sun-dappled car dashboard. It peers down at an ostensibly abandoned ranch once used for western TV shoots, relishing its beauty even in a display of tension and menace. It revels in the humour of showing Booth jump onto Dalton's bungalow roof in just three bounds, and later during his face-off against Bruce Lee (Mike Moh). These types of flourishes give the movie a different kind of character to Tarantino's usual oeuvre. He's more assured and ambitious, less ego-driven and gimmicky, and more judicious with his expertly choreographed violence and witty banter. Again, that's no slight to a fantastic filmography that also spans Jackie Brown, Kill Bill and Death Proof, but the change of pace suits the writer-director, the era he's wading through and his chosen story perfectly. It also shapes what just might be his best work yet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsL_spv4yEw
Sydney isn't short on stylish neighbourhoods, but Potts Point Village just feels that bit more special. A walkable grid tucked behind the chaos of Kings Cross, this compact neighbourhood is calm, leafy and lined with independent stores, design-led spaces and venues run by people who have genuine passion for their craft. It's one of those areas that rewards visitors who like to browse slowly, eat thoughtfully and spend hours chatting to a shop owner about their latest pieces. Whether you're here to refresh your wardrobe, hunt down an obscure bottle of orange wine or find a really good wedge of French cheese, Potts Point Village does the job. Here's how to spend a day wandering through this one-of-a-kind precinct. Arida, 75 Macleay St If byfreer is about quiet luxury, Arida is all about drama. This long-standing boutique is home to some of the biggest names in international fashion, including Mahsa Label, ASPESI, Karl Lagerfeld and Rosa Maria Jewellery. Plus, it has an equally sharp edit of interiors and accessories. Browsing in here is about knowing what you like and wearing it well. byfreer, Shop 2/101-103 Macleay St This little fashion boutique is the work of Australian designer Lesley Watson, whose outerwear, dresses, knitwear and denim pieces toe the line between fashion and function. The vibe is clean, beautiful and made with high-quality fabrics. If you want to add something special (and locally made) to your wardrobe, start here. Penny's Cheese Shop, Shop 6/127-139 Macleay St It's not an exaggeration to say this is one of the best cheese shops in Sydney. Penny Lawson (cheesemonger, sandwich genius and all-round local legend) has created a space that feels like a tiny slice of Europe right in the middle of Potts Point Village. The toasties are famously good, the cheese fridge is well-stocked, and Penny's always got a recommendation if you're overwhelmed (you will be). But be quick, nothing lasts long here on a busy Saturday morning. Heidi & Hart, Shop 3/28 Macleay St Just down the road (technically in Elizabeth Bay), you'll find Heidi & Hart, a family jeweller with a reputation for bespoke craftsmanship and serious sparkle. Founded by Heidi Onisforou and Benjamin Hart, the brand specialises in fine jewellery for life's milestones. Whether you're looking to buy or just browsing, this place makes the experience feel personal. Greg Natale, Shop 2/115 Macleay St Greg Natale's flagship store is a monochrome lover's dream. The designer's black, white, and marble showroom is part homeware store and part mood board for a dream house you didn't know you wanted. Whether you're picking up a candle, a bowl or a centrepiece, it's a feast for the eyes. The Grumpy Baker, 73 Macleay St If you're after a low-key breakfast or a quick pastry pit stop between shops, The Grumpy Baker has you covered. There's strong coffee, baked eggs, and freshly baked bread all served from a corner spot that fills up fast. Grab a window seat or take your food to go and wander down Macleay Street. Becker Minty, Shop 7/81 Macleay Street Positioned just off Macleay Street, Becker Minty is one of those rare stores that's both intimidatingly beautiful and totally welcoming. It's home to an eclectic mix of fashion, jewellery, art, perfumes, gifts and pieces for your home – all curated with a sharp eye that the Sydney design community loves. You never really know what you'll find here, which is half the fun. Macleay on Manning, Shop 1/85 Macleay St Macleay on Manning is a Potts Point staple, and somewhere you absolutely have to stop by while wandering the streets. This homeware and gift shop has been here for over 20 years and still feels unique and interesting. You'll find design books, ceramics, candles and cards – maybe even a leopard print coat or pair of Tom Ford sunglasses. It's got everything you buy for other people but secretly want to keep for yourself. Dear Saint Éloise, 5/29 Orwell St Every Saturday spent walking around Potts Point Village must end with a wine bar (it may as well be the law). Dear Sainte Éloise is the perfect spot. The wine list celebrates bottles from Australian and European wine regions, the snacks are just enough to keep you going until dinner, and the staff know their stuff without making a big deal about it. The Butler, 123 Victoria St Potts Point Village gets even better as the sun goes down. At The Butler, you'll find delicious modern Mexican food, strong cocktails and even better city views. The restaurant is effortlessly elegant, great for big groups, and so stylish it'll make you want to redecorate your apartment immediately. Potts Point Village is a neighbourhood made up of people who care about quality, craft and style. Whether you come for the fashion, the food or just a decent glass of wine, you'll leave already planning your next visit. Find out more on the Potts Point Village website. By Jacque Kennedy
Your weekend breakfast plans have been sorted with the arrival of Tita, a bustling new Filipino cafe that's opened in Marrickville. The Illawarra Road venue is the latest venture from the beloved Donut Papi crew, bringing hearty silogs and a new contender for Sydney's best breakfast muffin to the Inner West. The cafe has opened in place of Gluten Free Friends, the celiac-friendly establishment that the team decided to part ways with in January, citing the pressure currently on the hospitality industry as the reason for the pivot and rebrand. In its place, Kenneth Rodrigueza, Karen Rodrigueza-Labuni and Christopher Palamara have opened Tita — Filipino for aunt or aunty — a homely love letter to Filipino breakfast, with a fun and colourful fit-out, and more of the Donut Papi crew's signature sweet treats. The space has been given a quick refresh with the addition of a few trinkets and knick-knacks in homage to the team's 'titas', and some adorable kitsch vinyl covers sporting different fruits on the tables and chairs. The core of the Tita menu is the silogs, a classic Filipino breakfast plate made up of sinangag (garlic fried rice), a fried egg, pickled green papaya and mixed veggies with your choice of protein. There's the longsilog featuring the spiced Filipino longganisa sausage; the tapsilog, which pairs the rice with soy and garlic-marinated beef strips, and tocilog; bringing a sweet char siu-style pork belly to the fold. If the silogs are the star of the show, the breakfast sandwiches are a standout supporting cast. In place of your standard English muffin, the Tita team has made their muffins from pandesal, a sweeter bread reminiscent of a dinner roll. This is paired with a range of fillings, including the longganisa which returns on the signature sambo alongside egg, cheese, banana ketchup and mayo. There's also a deluxe spam muffin and an egg, cheese and hashbrown variety for the non-meat eaters. Plus, you'll find sides like cheesy chismosa chips, queso chicken nuggets and pork spring rolls. Then there's the doughnuts, sweet treats and other baked goods — another major drawcard of the Illawarra Road spot. Tita is the only spot in Marrickville where you'll find bibngka basque cheesecake wrapped in banana leaves, or pandalisa filled with Tuyo (dried herring) and topped with Everything Bagel seasoning. There's plenty of ube to be found on the menu as well, including ube soft serve, ube cheesecake, ube lamingtons and and ube affogato. "We try not to put too much ube [on the menu], but people are crazy about it," said Rodrigueza. Sometimes you've just got to give the people what they want. The last piece of the Tita puzzle is the coffee, with your classic brews made from Gabrielle Coffee beans available in tandem with a couple of Filipino-inspired drinks. There's the Manila latte, a take on the Spanish latte that you'd find over in The Philippines, mixing iced vanilla latte and condensed milk. And then there's a Calamansi Cold Brew, a variation of the viral orange juice and espresso mix that uses its namesake fruit instead. Tita Carinderia Shop 4/359 Illawarra Road, Marrickville. It's open 9am–4.30pm Wednesday–Friday and 9am–3pm Saturday–Sunday. Follow along on Instagram. Images: Luisa Brimble
If Neighbours wasn't already famously taken as a title of an Australian TV series, it could've also fit Last Days of the Space Age. Set in the 70s in Perth, the eight-part Disney+ show incorporates everything from US space station Skylab and workers striking for their rights to the battle for gender equality, the nation's treatment of Indigenous Australians, grappling with trauma and the immigrant experience — plus Miss Universe and the Cold War as well. Navigating all of the above: three neighbouring families in the Western Australian capital's suburbs. Judy (Radha Mitchell, Troppo) and Tony Bissett (Jesse Spencer, Chicago Fire), Sandy (Linh-Dan Pham, Blue Bayou) and Lam Bui (Vico Thai, Total Control), and Eileen Wilberforce (Deborah Mailman, Boy Swallows Universe) are all good neighbours and good friends. The teenagers in the three households — aspiring astronaut Tilly Bissett (Mackenzie Mazur, Moja Vesna), her surf-loving sister Mia (Emily Grant, RFDS), her best friend Jono Bui (debutant Aidan Du Chiem) and new arrival Bilya Wilberforce (Thomas Weatherall, Heartbreak High) — also all go to school together. Those connections sit at the heart of the series — and, as almost everything that the Bissetts, Buis and Wilberforces know starts to change, their neighbourly ties couldn't be more pivotal. Mitchell and Spencer are more than a bit familiar with this type of situation on-screen. While their careers have taken them overseas for decades — Mitchell has Phone Booth, The Crazies, two Silent Hill films, Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen on her resume; Spencer featured in 173 episodes of House before his Chicago Fire stint; both also co-starred with a 00s-era Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire and Uptown Girls, respectively — they share a past on Neighbours. Last Days of the Space Age is Spencer's big return to homegrown TV, in fact, and his first major Australian small-screen role since playing Billy Kennedy. Ramsay Street's antics aren't set in 1979, of course. Spencer can see the symmetry with the Aussie television role that brought him to fame in the 90s and his latest show, however, he tells Concrete Playground. "The writing quality is a little bit more involved, but that's up to you to decide," adds Mitchell. As Last Days of the Space Age's Judy and Tony, the pair play not just a married couple but also colleagues at the Doull Power Plant, where Tony has been leading the worker strike for six months. When Judy is promoted and tasked with negotiating an end to the union action, their family dynamic is unsurprisingly shaken up. Aided by directors Bharat Nalluri (Boy Swallows Universe), Rachel Ward (Rachel's Farm) and Kriv Stenders (Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan), creator David Chidlow (Hidden, Moving On) unfurls the Bissetts' upheaval alongside the Bui family's efforts to build a new life after arriving from Vietnam. With the Wilberforces — and with 1979 marking 150 years since Perth was founded — the series also confronts the impact of colonisation. Game of Thrones fans will spot Iain Glen (Silo) among the cast as well, as Judy's father Bob. Also included in the clearly ambitious series, which enthusiastically embraces its era and its tonal rollercoaster: Tony's journalist brother Mick (George Mason, Exposure) covering the beauty pageant, where USSR contestant Svetlana (Ines English, Dead Lucky) is a frontrunner under close watch by her KGB minder Yvgeny (Jacek Koman, Prosper). With Last Days of the Space Age available to stream via Disney+ since Wednesday, October 2, we chatted with Mitchell, Spencer and and French Vietnamese actor Pham about what excited them about the show's bold mix of elements, the fight to be treated fairly that thrums through the series, balancing its tones, Mitchell and Spencer's homecoming, Pham connecting to her roots, Neighbours and more. On What Excited Mitchell, Spencer and Pham About Starring in Last Days of the Space Age Jesse: "I was in the States, I just had my first child and this script came across my desk — and I love period dramas. It was my first chance to play a father with two daughters, so I felt like I was looking into my future a little bit. I knew nothing really about unions or the history of unions, but my character's a very passionate union leader, so I researched that — and there's a whole pretty awful history of treatment of workers back in the day, and workers' rights. But the whole project felt like a really interesting ensemble. It was quite quirky, but it was ultimately about families, and families fighting for each other — and societal change and how they coped with that. And it was really well-written. Then I got to Australia and it was a great cast, and it was a great experience to bring it off the page and bring it to life on the screen." Linh-Dan: "I think when I choose projects, there's always something personal, somehow, unconsciously. And this one was very clear: it was about reconnecting with my roots, basically. Even though my parents didn't go through what the Bui family has gone through, I managed to talk to some of my relatives about it, and it reopened the conversation — and also discovering the hidden pain, the trauma, was my way to get into Sandy. The script was actually so amazing anyway, and period pieces are so interesting. To go back: first of all, Australia, I love traveling; 70s outfits, hello disco. So it was a no-brainer for me." Radha: "There's so much in all of the storylines, and this sense of community, and all different parts of the fabric of the Australian identity being reviewed, in a way, because we have an opportunity to have a bit of distance between now and 1979. I thought that was really an interesting mirror to history, how we've constructed our sense of identity and where we're going to go with it now. Looking through the lens of that period, I thought was really interesting. And I liked all the characters. I felt it was written with a really compassionate, kind perspective. There's so much snarky nastiness in the media lately, that it was nice to just be involved in a story that was trying to put something positive into the world. So I felt very aligned to all those aspects of the script." On Mitchell and Spencer's Homecoming — and the Joy of Not Needing to Imitate US Culture Radha: "It was a little bit of a sense of coming back home, maybe, for me and Jesse — that we were able to bring some of where we've come from to where we are now. It felt like a bit of a contribution for me, being able to come home and do something that I felt aligned to." Jesse: "Every Australian actor I know — because a lot of work is international, and for a lot of actors too — but every actor I know always loves to go home and try to do a project. Because you spend a lot of time learning about throwing yourself into other cultures, and more or less trying to imitate authentically who they are, and where they are in certain points in time and stuff. So to bring it back to something that's much more familiar is just a pleasure. Things are much, much more tangible. It's accessible. There's still challenges, but it makes it very, very fun. And especially when there's good writing and good casting — I know a lot of actors who are always trying to go back to their home countries and do it. And this was an opportunity to do that. So I grabbed it." Radha: "It's interesting — an imitation. That is true when you're working in the US." Jesse: "I mean, you don't think about it. You don't want to think about that." Radha: "Yeah, but you're imitating the culture, whereas here, I feel like this is our culture, talking about things that we're part of." On Whether Making a Show About Neighbours After Acting on Neighbours Feels Like a Full-Circle Moment Radha: "I think Jesse would say so." Jesse: "Yeah, a little bit. There was a little bit of that. Although, yes and no, because the dynamics, the themes that run through the show, the dynamics between the characters, is just a little different to Neighbours, but there is a similarity there." Radha: "We are neighbours in the show." Jesse: "I mean, we're next door to each other." On the Series' Resonant and Repeated Focus on Fighting to Be Treated Fairly Jesse: "I think it's a human trope. Everyone's fighting a hard battle against themselves and in society. It's something everyone can relate to. And it's enjoyable to watch, I think, characters have obstacles — to come up against them, sometimes fail, but sometimes find a way around that and breakthrough for a transformation. That's what this show is all about. It's about transformation, courage and ultimately hope." Radha: "But it's subverted, I guess, in a great way by this crazy stuff that's going on in history, and the crazy costumes. And all this stuff, there's a sincerity to it, but there's also an irreverence about the storytelling, which I think attracted me to it." On Balancing the Mix of Warmth, Tragedy, Humour and History Radha: "That's the challenge in the discovery. I think we were on set thinking 'what is this? Is this a comedy?'." Jesse: "Right. Right." Radha: "'Look at your outfit, man. I can't even look at you without laughing' — but here we are, we're doing this very serious scene." Jesse: "But that's life as well, when it's this tragedy but it's also kind of funny — a bit of black humour or quirky sort of humour. There's always a million shades of grey, which is better than just one colour. And yeah, that was a challenge. And we were always trying to figure out what the tone is in the scene and where you were with the character." Radha: "Even Bharat [Nalluri], who was the first director for the series, was like 'wow, okay, we're really going to create this together, the tone'. And we felt comfortable that he had recognised that that was part of what we were doing — that it couldn't be just taken for granted. I think that's what makes the series unique, that it's got its own tone, its own voice — and I think that was what we created." On How Pham Approached Playing a Character Caught Between Making a New Life and Grappling with Trauma Lin-Danh: "Well, you go deep. I think somehow what your parents instil in you, your family, your surroundings, you feed yourself from all of that, and it's the mystery also of acting, sometimes. Actually, my aunt had written a story about her side of the family, a book she self-published. I did read about that. And it was ups and down all the time, her first few years in France where she lost everything and she refused to go back to Vietnam, and had to fend for herself with her three kids. They were boat people, met some pirates. So, you just talk to these people and you feed off it. It feels a bit selfish and sometimes like I'm forcing a little bit. But they were very generous and we had great conversations with my family that I had not really had kept in touch with. So that's how I got through Sandy." On Mitchell's Take on Judy Being Pulled in Every Direction Both at Work and at Home — and Finding Herself in the Chaos Radha: "I just wanted to keep her really real. And I felt maybe what was charming about her is that she didn't want to do all these things. They were just happening and she was discovering her talents in action, but she wasn't ambitious at all. It was just happening, it was her nightmare that she was going to be doing all these things, and yet she was discovering herself in them. I thought that was really interesting about her. She wasn't this empowered woman — she was somebody discovering her power. And the conflict around that at home, and the challenges of having teenage daughters that just don't want to listen to you, I think it sort of played itself out. And maybe even my own personal bias against it — just feeling that I like these emancipated female characters, so to cut my own wings in the role was really interesting for me. I think those were the challenges, and I was lucky enough to be working with great actors, and we created this wacky little family together. And then the friendships around that, I think layered it with this — I think Linh-Dan was saying it was a feminist show in a way, and I don't think it is only, but it certainly celebrates the relationships between women and the details of women's lives in a kind of intimate way. I think that's one of the beautiful parts of the storytelling." Last Days of the Space Age streams via Disney+ from Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Images: Joel Pratley, Tony Mott and Mark Rogers.
"Superheroes, they're just like us" has been an unspoken refrain humming beneath what feels like millions of caped-crusader tales that've reached screens in recent decades. Possessing great powers doesn't mean inherently and instantly knowing how to wield power, or greatness, or how to navigate the daily elements of life that don't revolve around possessing great powers, as movies and TV shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe and beyond have kept stressing amid their planet-saving, evil-vanquishing, existence-defending battles. Even as it dispenses a much-needed antidote to superhero worship's saturation of big- and small-screen entertainment — even as it has made distrusting the spandex-clad and preternaturally gifted its baseline — The Boys has also told this story. Across the entire extent of human history, what's more recognisable than power and dominance bringing out the worst in people? As brought to Prime Video from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comics series of the same name by showrunner Eric Kripke (Supernatural) since 2019 — with season two arriving in 2020, season three in 2022 and now season four streaming from Thursday, June 13, 2024 — The Boys has stared unflinchingly at the grimmest vision of a world with tights-adorned supposed saviours. This is a series where murder at the hands of supes, which is then covered up by the company profiting from elevating them above the masses, is an everyday reality. It's a dark satire. It's gleeful in its onslaught of OTT violence and sightings of genitals. But with what it means to grapple with the struggle to hold onto humanity firmly at its core since its first episode — and likely right until its last, which will hit with its fifth season, Kripke has announced — The Boys remains a mirror. It has never been hard to see where art imitates life in this account of its namesake rag-tag crew saying "enough is enough" to the US' downward spiral. With flying, laser-eyed, super-strong, supernaturally speedy and otherwise-enhanced beings commercialised by a behemoth of a company called Vought International, The Boys has never been subtle at pointing its fingers at the many ways in which pop culture and the corporations behind it hold sway. The show's parallels with American politics in its portrait of a factionalised nation torn apart over a polarising leader who considers himself above the law are equally overt. Of course, the series is just as blatant in unpacking the consequences of letting the pursuit of power run riot. In its narrative, in chasing supremacy above all else, humans and supes really are just like each other — a truth season four doesn't ever let slip from view. At the end of 2022's batch of episodes, Vought's invincible leader Homelander (Antony Starr, Guy Ritchie's The Covenant) — the chief of its prime superhero team The Seven, but also calling the shots everywhere — unleashed his fiery gaze upon a supporter of his ex-colleague Starlight (Erin Moriarty, Captain Fantastic). The watching world saw the fatal ramifications, as well as the shattered pretence that caped crusaders can do no harm. But in a culture war, most folks' downright murder is Homelander and his devotees' justified act and fuel for more horrors. While there's no humanity in the Captain America-esque figure's quest to rule — and to his son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti, Boy Kills World), who is just learning to use his abilities, the unhinged ringleader is scathing in his perspective of people as disposable toys — does battling back by Butcher (Karl Urban, Thor: Ragnarok), Hughie (Jack Quaid, Oppenheimer), MM (Laz Alonso, Wrath of Man), Frenchie (Tomer Capone, One on One) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara, Bullet Train) need to entail resorting to the same mindset? As it thrusts its reflection of IRL US politics even further into focus not just via Homelander's trial, but also a presidential election and the certification of its results, The Boys season four proves as bleak and brutal as the series can get (although this is a show that treats every season as a challenge to top the last, so expect season five to double down again when it surfaces). Can only oblivion await? Again, as The Boys tells of a fight for control where the media is weaponised, fascism threatens democracy, billionaires pull strings and an oligarchy is the preferred outcome for many — a dictatorship for some, too — the comparisons with today outside the screen couldn't be more glaring. There's also an urgency to this season above and beyond its predecessors. Taking Homelander's sadistic lead is the status quo within Vought, where the ultra-brainy Sister Sage (Susan Heyward, Hello Tomorrow!) and conspiracy theorist Firecracker (Valorie Curry, The Lost Symbol) are the fresh faces among The Seven. The former is charged with masterminding a new world order, and the latter is enlisted to corral the internet public to the cause. Among The Boys themselves, Butcher now has mere months to live and encouragement (via Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Walking Dead) egging him on to take the most-drastic actions. For the whole gang, death, trauma and past mistakes haunt their every move. And if Hughie and co stick to the path that they're on, what they're rallying for — and against — could fade out of sight. If it sounds as if the fourth season of The Boys is as jam-packed as one of the series' orgies — with characters, including returning The Seven members A-Train (Jessie T Usher, Smile) and The Deep (Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl), Vought PR head-turned-CEO Ashley (Colby Minifie, I'm Thinking of Ending Things), and supe-in-hiding politician Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit, Where'd You Go, Bernadette); with storylines weaving them all in, too — that's because it is. And, it's that full to the brim before connecting to the events of college-set spinoff Gen V, which dropped its first season in 2023 and has already been renewed for season two, becomes part of the plot. The Boys has never been short on ambition, either, as is especially the case the bigger that the franchise and its stakes get. For all of its similarities with real life, the buzzing chaos pulsing through its scripts and vibe, and the feverish determination to emphasise the point with raucous, gross-out violence and comedy, The Boys as a show practices what it preaches: it doesn't forget the humanity coursing through its frames itself. Staring into a mirror is an empty gesture if you don't feel like you truly see a person staring back, after all. From the most-empathetic traits to the most-sociopathic, this cast takes its job of reflecting what makes us human — for better and so often for worse — seriously. Its two acting MVPs haven't changed, however, including as big names continue to make cameos. Starr and Urban are exceptional once more, still tussling to prove the idea beating at The Boys' heart: that Butcher and Homelander, and their respective crews and crusades, aren't fated to be two sides of the same coin. Check out the trailer for The Boys season four below: The fourth season of The Boys streams via Prime Video from Thursday, June 13, 2024. Read our reviews of The Boys season three and Gen V.
Setting our minds alight for another year, Vivid Ideas is the integral third part of the Vivid Sydney ethos. Dedicated to connecting industry with emerging talent and global leaders in over 100 events, the 18-day program will see events focused on discussion and creative collaboration. This year sees exiting keynote talks running alongside major industry events like Song Summit, X Media Lab and SPARC Design and partnerships with the Sydney Film Festival. While it's extremely difficult to pick and choose from this year's unique Ideas program, we've highlighted what are set to be some of the most exciting events of 2012. Check out the full program to see all the amazing things going down. 1. Bridging The Digital Divide When: May 28, 7.30-9pmWhere: The Vivid Ideas Exchange (The Forum)Price: $15 Grappling with some of the most complex ideas of the Festival, Bridging the Divide presents Young Australian of the Year and founder of Robogals network Marita Cheng alongside an expert panel discussing new systems for building an educated, imaginative workforce. Focusing on the importance of digital skill development, innovative thinking and how e-learning can change how and who has access to the creative economy, the panel's discussion looks to shed fascinating light on the future of creative ideas. 2. Etsy Success Sydney When: June 2, 9am-6pmWhere: The Vivid Ideas ExchangePrice: $100 Etsy Success is a full-day extravaganza engineered to help designers and creative entrepreneurs connect, learn new skills and make their businesses more sustainable. Featuring the much-touted keynote speech from Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson, the program also showcases a host of other awesome people including TMOD and Veggie Patch's Georgie Swift and Milenka Osen, panel discussions on online etiquette, DIY media and PR and workshops covering the basics of product styling and photography. The ticket also covers all-day catering and a cocktail reception for mingling purposes. 3. Awesome Soup When: June 2, 7.30-9.30pmWhere: The Vivid Ideas Exchange (The Forum)Price: $30 Dedicated to furthering the pursuit of awesomeness in Sydney, Awesome Soup helps turn vague, meandering thoughts into reality. Hosted by the Awesome Foundation, Awesome Soup awards a $1000 no-strings-attached grant to the best submitted application. Previous winners have included he Green Bans Art Walk and Exhibition, a project to develop the world's smallest patch synthesiser, and Physique, a weekly '80s themed aerobics night. Places are limited, but sure to be, well, awesome. 4. Portfolio Masterclass 1 When: June 3, 1-3.30pmWhere: The Vivid Ideas Exchange (The Forum)Price: $15 Having an impressive portfolio is vital for aspiring creatives. The Portfolio Masterclass is designed to provide insights and tips for those who've just finished study or are looking at taking a step up from a junior role, focusing on building your online presence and standing out from the crowd in some of the most fiercely competitive industries around. Developed by The Loop, the Masterclass sessions provide an invaluable opportunity for up-and-coming creatives to hear from leading figures in creative industries. 5. Shane Smith (VICE) Interview When: June 5, 9pmWhere: The Vivid Ideas ExchangePrice: $15 Shane Smith is the CEO and founder of the media behemoth that is VICE, which has been producing unique content across print magazines, books, films and online for the past decade. Shane joins Vivid via video link from New York to discuss the next chapter in the VICE story and his experiences in creating the Vice Guide to... series. 6. Conversation: Henry Holland and Jessica Fletcher When: June 6, 7-8pmWhere: The Vivid Ideas Exchange (The Forum)Price: $25 Designer, businessman and blogger Henry Holland is the golden boy of British fashion. Collaborating with intimidatingly well-dressed luminaries such as Agyness Deyn, Alexa Chung and Pixie Geldoff, he has gone on to launch his own fashion house and work with companies like Pretty Polly, Levi's and Superga. Alongside Henry, House of Holland's International sales director Jessica Fletcher will chat about the role of celebrity in fashion. 7. rage: Celebrating 25 Years When: June 6-16, 10am-6pmWhere: CarriageworksPrice: Free Australia's ever-steadfast hollering night-owl, rage has been beaming into living rooms across the country for 25 years. To celebrate, a large-scale installation of televisions is being set up in Carriageworks. The exhibition will pay homage to the legacy and influence of the world's longest-running music television program. Celebrating the advances in music video technology since the '80s, the exhibition will feature videos from at home and abroad, as well as archived footage of guest hosts such as Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave and the bedroom-eyed Tim Rogers. 8. FailCon When: June 7, 10am-4pmWhere: The Vivid Ideas Exchange (The Forum)Price: $99 Failure is a wonderful thing. That's the premise behind this year's FailCon, an event which celebrates the fact that people make mistakes and that it's important to learn about the stuff-ups and the miseries in order to ensure future success. Commencing in San Francisco in 2009, FailCon has created a global niche for itself, where technology entrepreneurs, developers, designers and investors can come together to learn from their mistakes. This year's speakers feature Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Tim Ross of radio's Merrick and Rosso, and Matt and Pip, founders of creative networking community The Loop. 9. Keynote: Jake Nikell (Threadless) When: June 7, 7-8.30pmWhere: The Vivid Ideas Exchange (The Forum)Price: $25 Threadless is the crazy-successful website encompassing an online community of 1.8 designers, design afficionados and T-shirt wearers. Jake Nickell, who co-founded the website back in 2000, has been instrumental in creating a platform for emerging designers and creatives to connect and gain international exposure, with over 1000 designs submitted, voted on and bought every week. Jake will be travelling from Chicago to chat about the Threadless story and explaining how to nurture high-quality user generated content. 10. YouTube Superstar When: June 7, 6-8pmWhere: CarriageWorksPrice: Free Presented by MusicNSW and Carriageworks, YouTube superstar is all about the art of making unforgettable music videos. Some of Australia's leading clip directors such as KROZM and SPOD share their advice to musicians, filmmakers and stylists, and Madeline Palmer, producer and programmer for ABC TV's rage, offers her thoughts on what makes a video a success and what stands the test of time.
Say 'aye' if you trust the word of the Chaser crew, and watch tumbleweed drift between our internet connections. The team have made us laugh, think and scoff all at once, and a quick look at the Museum of Words website — both puzzling and tongue-in-cheek — will tell you that this Charles Firth creation is no different. The two-week exhibition premieres on Saturday, November 16, at a Potts Point terrace hidden along Challis Avenue. Basically, Australian words and passages written by Australians will be mounted in a museum-style format (audio tours and all) with, err, "only the best words that Australia — and Sydney — has to offer". Supported by the City of Sydney in conjunction with Sydney Writers' Room, it will leave use punters to reflect upon the meaning of words taken out of context. Apparently. This writer can't help but think the website's pulling her leg. Is this a joke on the art world? A mock of the ridiculous things Australian faces have said (see: Alan Jones)? An actual linguistic study? An investigation into Australian and Sydney culture? No? Who can tell. Maybe we'll rock up to the Potts Point terrace come Saturday, November 16, to find we've been punk'd by one of the masters. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IKjxGMGH_LU
In Busted, artist Shannon Field continues his investigation of gender and what it is to be cast amongst that most problematic and misunderstood of tribes, the Australian heterosexual male. Using multiple mediums and a direct visual style akin to Outsider or Naïve artists, in Busted Field reconstructs the visages of a number of key characters from our colonial past and questions what role this past has played in the construction of the contemporary Australian masculine identity. Alongside a number of convict first-fleeters are well known figures such as Elizabeth Macquarie and Burke and Wills. That dynamic duo seems a particularly appropriate choice in a discussion of Australian masculinity. Nothing says ‘she’ll be right’ or ‘no worries’ like an impromptu trip from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria led by someone with little to no skills in exploration. The resulting images are by turns visceral, alarming and wryly humorous. The nature of masculinity is a fraught topic to take on, and those of us who have zero ability to produce a rugged crop of facial hair in the time between breakfast and smoko should go just to thank Field for his efforts and concerns for our plight. Everyone else should just go for the art. Image: Shannon Field, Lydia Munro 2011
"Most people say don't meet your heroes, but she exceeded all my expectations," Cailee Spaeny tells Concrete Playground. The Priscilla star's idol? Sofia Coppola. In the Devs, Mare of Easttown and The Craft: Legacy actor's biggest role yet, and the Lost in Translation, Somewhere and On the Rocks' filmmaker's latest moving, mesmerising and meticulously made picture, Spaeny plays the movie's namesake for the director that she's loved since she was a teenager. Winning her Venice International Film Festival's Volpi Cup for Best Actress, she's teamed up with her dream helmer to explore the teen experience and beyond of one of the most-famous women in the world, who was also in one of the best-known romances, marrying and divorcing a music superstar whose celebrity is virtually peerless: Priscilla Presley. Coppola knows how to bring tales about teenage girls to the screen, and to do so with the emotion, care and lived-in specificity that makes audiences feel like they're being seen — as Spaeny once did. Priscilla joins a directing resume that initially moved into features with 1998's The Virgin Suicides, and has spanned The Bling Ring and The Beguiled as well. In Marie Antoinette, the filmmaker's only other biopic to-date, she also took a name that everyone knows, jumped into her story when she was just 14 years old, then charted her complicated time by the side of a man with influence and power. Spaeny co-stars with Marie Antoinette's lead Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog) in the upcoming Civil War, in fact, and suspects that she put in a good word to help her get her Presley part. A performer who made her film debut in 2018's Australian-shot Pacific Rim Uprising, which was one of four movies that she had in cinemas that year (the others: Bad Times at the El Royale, On the Basis of Sex and Vice), Spaeny also believes that the right work finds you at the right period. That's especially the case with leading Priscilla, where Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) co-stars as Elvis, and which sees the two portray the blue suede shoes-wearing singer and the woman who fell for him when they were in West Germany — she was a schoolgirl residing there because her dad was in the army, while Elvis had been drafted — so swiftly after Baz Luhrmann's Elvis had Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Olivia DeJonge (The Staircase) do the same. "I always think roles come to you in your life at certain times to sort of help you in your own personal life, in your own journey," Spaeny shares. "I was just getting out of a really intense relationship that went on for about five years. I was in it very young. And I was trying to process those emotions and where I gave a piece of myself up, and how I grew from that. I processed all that and put it into the movie and her story, and the decisions that she made, and the mistakes she made, and where she got it right, where she got it wrong. It's always cathartic playing roles, but this one especially hit me in a real way that I'll always take with me." What was it like to physically transform into Priscilla? "It was something. I didn't look like myself. I think I just looked at myself in the mirror and I went 'okay girl, get it together, you've got to pull this off," Spaeny advises. "Everyone had put so much hard work into it. You see the hours and the sleepless nights. All the blood, sweat and tears that goes into every department: costumes, hair, makeup, production design. All the work Sofia put in, that Jacob put in. So when I saw myself in those costumes, I think it's just like 'okay, it's game time'." "It was fun. It was stressful. It was life-changing. There were lots of tears. There were lots of laughs. It was an experience that I will take with me for the rest of my life, and it's given me so much — much more than I ever thought it would. And I feel really lucky and I hope that everyone enjoys it when they go and see it, and they see all the heart that we put into our film," continues Spaeny. The movie opened in Australia on Thursday, January 18, then does the same in New Zealand on Thursday, February 1. Also covered in our round-table chat with Spaeny: preparing to play Priscilla, including meeting the woman herself; getting the part, and her past experiences auditioning for the filmmaker; why Coppola is her dream director; being born to love Elvis by being born in Tennessee; and seeing Priscilla for the first time while sitting next to Presley. ON HOW SPAENY PREPARED TO PLAY PRISCILLA PRESLEY "I tried to do as much as I could do preparing for this role. Taking on playing a real person, especially one who's still around, there is enormous responsibility. And also working with my dream director Sofia Coppola — she's been my dream director since I was 14 years old — I felt a lot of pressure. I mean, I always I hope that I always work hard on every project that I do, but this was another level. So you just do everything you can. You have as many conversations as you can with the director. The script is based off of her [Priscilla Presley's] book that she wrote in 1985, and I had that on me the entire time. Then I got the honour to sit down with Priscilla Presley herself, so I got to take in the woman herself and look into her eyes, and hear her tell these stories about this chapter in her life. That gave me more than I could have ever imagined. Taking that with me, and also having her support and having several conversations down the line during prep, and asking her all different kinds of questions and just getting to be around her in general, gave me so much. And then, taking time to have conversations with Jacob Elordi, who plays Elvis, and making sure we were on the same page and just making sure we felt comfortable around each other — that was a big part of the process, too. You just try to get everything you could possibly get into your brain in the amount of time you have, and you've got to cross your fingers and jump out of the plane and hope for the best, hope that you'll land on your feet. But also to have the level of collaborators and artists that we had on this set in terms of cast and crew was extraordinary. I think anyone who works with Sofia, because of the environment she creates, everyone brings their A-game and wants to work really hard for her and do their best. I think you really see that in this film." ON WHAT MAKES COPPOLA SPAENY'S DREAM DIRECTOR — AND THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH HER ON PRISCILLA "I think the thing that really struck me, especially living in the Bible Belt in America being a young girl, a church girl, trying to navigate myself and my emotions — you've got so much going on inside you when you're a 14-year-old girl, and I think I'd never seen teen girls depicted in the way that Sofia represents them. The way that she doesn't underestimate young women, and how she gives them a voice to have wants and needs, and dark sides and be sexual — I just felt like everything that was in my brain just got unlocked, and that I had permission to be complicated. I think that was something that really stuck with me and cracked me open. I think that working with her was just a lot of pressure to get it right. I'm thinking in my head 'am I going to be the reason this is going to be the first bad Sofia Coppola film?'. I mean, it's just very overwhelming, but she's kind and had my back every step of the way." ON GETTING THE PRISCILLA ROLE AFTER AUDITIONING FOR PAST SOFIA COPPOLA FILMS "I know that Sofia wanted to find one actress who was going to be able to play from 14 to 27 — and I was 24 when I filmed the movie, but I look really young. I think that it was really important. You see it sometimes where you see films push the age, like they don't really look that young, but it's fine. Or they really don't look that old, but it's fine. But I think it was really important, especially in the beginning, for her to feel 14. I think she had to genuinely feel that age. So I think from a casting standpoint for Sofia, that was something that she was looking for. It's not really something I think about too much, but I'm glad it worked in my favour. I've been auditioning for her — she gave me my one of my first callbacks ever when I was 16 years old. So I think her casting director knew of me for a long time, and Sofia knew of me for a bit. I don't know if she even remembers that. I don't know. But I knew her casting directors remembered me and one of her producing partners remembered me. And then I auditioned for two other things for Sofia. Then this project came up and I got a call [saying] 'hey, can you meet Sofia in New York for coffee?'. Didn't know what it was, met her there, was really nervous. We started talking and I had no idea — I was just like 'what is this about?'. Then she pulled out her iPad and started showing me photos of Priscilla Presley, and asked me if I knew the story. I didn't, which was surprising because I was such a huge Elvis fan growing up. But then I went away and I was filming a movie with Kirsten Dunst, and Kirsten is such a longtime friend and collaborator and muse for Sofia. And I think Kirsten put in a good word for me. So there were talks about maybe doing a chemistry read with whoever was going to be playing Elvis, but that didn't end up happening. She just locked this in. She locked me and Jacob in, and said 'we're going for it'. We didn't have any read. We didn't do any sort of chemistry test. We just hit the ground running. I think that's the one thing about Sofia: she's really soft-spoken and kind, but when she knows what she wants, she knows what she wants. And when she sees it, she has it in her head. Everything is in her head. That's what makes her so brilliant and also exciting to work with." ON THE CHALLENGES OF STEPPING INTO PRISCILLA'S SHOES — AND WHAT MAKES HER STORY SO RELATABLE "The biggest challenge for me, obviously, is having to play a real person who at the end of this is going to watch the film. I had that time with Priscilla, and something funny happens — it's like at first, the movie's first, [and] how you're going to play this, [and] making this movie for Sofia. Then you sit down in front of the woman herself, you're right across from Priscilla, and almost all of that goes to the back burner. You just are like 'I want to protect this person. I want them to feel safe. I want them to feel like they identify with this story. I just want to protect them'. She's been through so much in her life, and you just want this to be done right by her. So that was the biggest challenge. In terms of the things that I related to, I think that what's so interesting about this story, and what I found so surprising, is that you think 'well, I'm not going to relate to Priscilla Presley, she's lived this one-of-a-kind life that no one could ever really compare with' — but she goes through such an emotional journey. Falling in love and doing everything she can, giving everything up to try to make that work, and [being] desperate to find a path and a way out to be with the love of her life, and then realising that that's not going to happen, and all the pain that he's going through and the confusion he's dealing with, and how that then transfers to her, and then she realises she wants something more for her life — I think those moments are universal. And there's some milestones that she goes through that I think a lot of young women can relate to. I think that's why it's gotten the response that it has, is because of that — because I think young women or women in general, or anybody, can see this story and find themselves somewhere." ON FIRST DISCOVERING ELVIS "I think the second I was born, Elvis was just playing. My mum had a shrine of Elvis in her home. She named one of her kids' middle names after Elvis. We went to Graceland growing up. We had his number-one hits on the CD in the car. It was just always around. In America, Elvis really is such a symbol — especially, especially in the South. And I was born in Tennessee. You just know Elvis. You're born, you know Elvis. I think especially where I came from, you just didn't have a choice: it was Jesus and Elvis." ON SITTING NEXT TO PRISCILLA AT THE FILM'S WORLD PREMIERE AT THE VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL "I had a couple opportunities to watch the movie before Venice, but I was just too nervous to watch myself in this movie. There's too much pressure and I just knew that if I would see the film, I knew I was going to spiral, so I didn't want to. I kept putting it off. Then I got to Venice and I asked them 'hey, can you pull me out when the movie starts? I don't want to see it'. And then I just had a voice in my head and I'm going 'Cailee, what are you doing? You're at the Venice Film Festival. You're with your dream director. Priscilla's here. You're celebrating this movie with these people that you care about. This is such a dream come true'. I brought my sister with me. I'd never been to Venice before. I'd just rode a gondola earlier in the day. It was such a dream moment. And I was like 'what am I doing? I'm going to not watch the film cause I'm scared? That's so lame'. So I told them 'okay, yes, I'll watch it'. But then they sat me right next to Priscilla Presley. Then I'm watching the movie going 'oh my god, what have I done? How am I going to watch this film while I'm sitting right next to the person who I'm playing?'. It was so bizarre and so surreal, and I was white-knuckling it the entire time I was watching the film. Sometimes I'd close my eyes during some scenes. But then the movie ended. We got the reception that we did. Then it was the first time that Priscilla turned to me and said 'you did it, that was my life and that was a great performance'. So to get that feedback from her was everything." Priscilla opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, January 18, then does the same in New Zealand on Thursday, February 1. Read our review.
Underground restaurant Spice Temple has been creating exciting new takes on traditional Chinese dishes for more than 15 years. And now, it's bringing its innovative approach to yum cha. Happening every weekend, this is brunch reimagined. While inspired by Hong Kong, where yum cha began, Spice Temple does away with bustling trolleys and focuses on big, bold, vibrant flavours. The menu travels through China's many diverse regions, from Sichuan to Hunan to Xinjiang. Start with raw yellowfin tuna with blackened chilli dressing, before moving onto steamed dumplings filled with Moreton Bay bug and scallop shumai. Among the boiled delights are prawn wontons and pork and white pepper dumplings with chilli vinegar sauce. Meanwhile, the fried selection offers prawn toast with sweet and sour sauce, and pork and garlic chive buns. Come dessert, try egg custard rolls and you tiao with condensed milk and cinnamon. Yum cha at Spice Temple is launching on Saturday, May 17. Bookings are available every Saturday and Sunday between 11am–3pm.
Acclainmed chefs Cuong Nguyen (Penelope's, Hello Auntie) and Jack Kulusai and Tanya Boonprakong (Porkfat) are joining forces for an exclusive two-night dinner series. Taking place on Monday, May 20 and Monday, May 27, Chu Fat marks the second iteration of Nguyen's Chef Series collabs. Diners can expect intense flavours and inventive combinations for $85 per person. [caption id="attachment_956129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Chad Konik[/caption] The menu begins with snacks and light bites such as tamarind wings with lime gel, garlic and chilli, and a Thai mortadella with toasted brioche 'pork toast'. Next, indulge in calamari noodles doused in a southern Thai-style curry sauce, and sweet pork and gkapi rice served in a clay pot, before moving to a main serve of dry-aged wagyu ribeye with smoked tamarind and a side of snake beans. You'll finish with a dessert of choux filled with a kaya sticky rice diplomat and pandan sherbet. Find out more about the collab at the Hey Chu website, and book your spot for either May 20 or May 27 via the reservations page. [caption id="attachment_956128" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Chad Konik[/caption]
It's no secret that here at Concrete Playground, we love an event or two (hundred). Every single day, our fair city is buzzing with cool, classy and downright crazy happenings. Sure, the daily grind can often leave you wanting to crawl straight into bed at tools down, but that inner culture vulture of yours needs to be fed. So, we've teamed up with uberPOOL to round up the best things to do in Sydney after work tonight. Rather than heading straight home, check out a taco and tequila fiesta, a late night exhibition or a mini film festival and have something interesting to talk about at work tomorrow. And with Uber's newest service, which allows you to share rides with people heading in the same direction as you, getting to these events has never been easier — or cheaper (see: free). To celebrate the Australian launch, the ride-sharing service is giving you five free uberPOOL trips in select Sydney suburbs until Friday, May 11 (to be booked between 4pm and 8pm), so you can save your precious dollars for all the excellent events below. The day is still young, so figure out what you'll be doing tonight, order that uberPOOL at the closing bell and pat yourself on the back for not succumbing to the call of your usual mid-week Netflix and binge session.
Started in 2007, Underbelly Arts is the festival weekend that's a fortnight, that's a biennial. Probably Sydney's leading event for fresh interdisciplinary and interactive art, it is better known to audiences as those big days of playtime on atmospheric Cockatoo Island. But Underbelly Arts doesn't spend two years sleeping; it uses that time to foster the development of new work, a lot of which has come to fruition by festival time. The festival is divided into two crucial parts. Following the week-long Lab, which brought visitors onto the island to see the works in progress and be art guinea pigs, the second part — the Festival weekend — is on. It consists of two days of performances, art and adventure for the visiting public, held on August 3 and 4. The same works are on each day, although the Saturday is augmented by talks and panels by day and parties by night, while the Sunday adds some kid-friendly activities to the schedule. The Art Workers make reference to Chaplin’s Modern Times in Art Work, and Abdul Abdullah and brother Abdul-Rahman explore their past Bankstown digs in Project HOME. Art Month 2013 co-curators Penelope Benton and Alexandra Clapham will unpack Tableau Vivant, the latest incarnation of their ongoing art dining projects; Applespiel will weave alternative takes on the idea of 'history', the adjective 'true' and the place 'Cockatoo Island'; while Andrew Burrell and Chris Rodley channel Jonathan Harris for Everything is Going to Be Okay :) Brixels revitalises the idea of Breakout, as well as the idea of playing Breakout on a wall, Nothing to See Here reshapes the city’s landmarks with ideas from an unbuilt Holocaust memorial, while the Lot engage with Cockatoo Island’s landmarks in Mammoth: the Anti-Artifact Project. Tickets are on sale now. The Festival sold out last time around and, all in all, it's an even bigger lineup in 2013. Read more about eight pioneering Underbelly Arts projects in our feature. By Zacha Rosen and Rima Sabina Aouf. Image by Prudence Upton.
"I love it here. I fucking love it!" Same, Logan Roy, same. Those words are yelled with fiery passion by Brian Cox as Succession's patriarch, and they're part the first sneak peek that HBO has just dropped at the award-winning series' upcoming fourth season. "This is not the end. We're tearing the opposition. I'm going to build something better, faster, leaner, wilder," Cox also shouts. So, season four will clearly see Logan Roy doing what Logan Roy does, all while navigating the sale of his media conglomerate Waystar Royco to a tech visionary played by Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman). Unsurprisingly, that business move is going to cause some Roy family angst. It was back in 2021 when HBO announced that Succession would return for a fourth run, after its third season proved that exceptional — and popular. Set to arrive sometime in 2023, with an exact date yet to be announced, season four will also see the Roys working out how their lives will look after the Waystar Royco deal goes through. Given that the whole show has always been about Logan's children Kendall (Jeremy Strong, The Trial of the Chicago 7), Connor (Alan Ruck, Gringo), Shiv (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman) and Roman (Kieran Culkin, Infinity Baby) trying to be named his successor, no one is going to adjust to the new status quo easily. For viewers, it'll mean more power struggles — aka more of what Succession has always done best. If you're a fan of twisty TV shows about wealth, privilege, influence, the vast chasm between the rich and everyday folks, and the societal problems that fester due to such rampant inequality, there's been plenty of ace examples of late, including The White Lotus and Squid Game. No series slings insults as savagely as this Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Writers Guild and Directors Guild Award-winner, however. No show channels feuding and backstabbing into such an insightful and gripping satire of the one percent, either. HBO's brief sneak peek at Succession season four, running for just ten seconds, can be found in the US network's latest promotional video to showcase its upcoming slate — and there's plenty more to get excited about. That includes The White Lotus' soon-to-release second season, which starts airing on Monday, October 31; game-to-TV adaptation The Last of Us; a four-part documentary about Shaquille O'Neal; and season four of Barry. And, there's The Idol, from The Weeknd and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson; more Perry Mason, Gossip Girl and The Sex Lives of College Girls; another season of Winning Time — The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty; Larry David's latest antics in the long-running Curb Your Enthusiasm; and the Elizabeth Olsen (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)-starring Love & Death. Also on the list: the return of Our Flag Means Death, Starstruck and Hacks, as well as Tokyo Vice and Minx — and newcomer Full Circle, which is directed by Kimi and Magic Mike's Steven Soderbergh. Check out the HBO clip below: I fucking love it here. New originals, returning series, and more are coming soon to HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/7P2oOSu7CD — HBO Max (@hbomax) October 17, 2022 Succession season four will arrive sometime in 2023, including via Foxtel, Binge and Foxtel On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand — we'll update you with exact details when they're announced. Check out our review of season three.
Contrary to what the name initially suggests, Girls With Gems sells a lot more than fine jewellery (although, it does sell that, too). In addition to stocking gorgeous gold pieces from By Charlotte and Amber Sceats, this Double Bay boutique is also home to Australian staples like Faithfull the Brand and British imports like Hunza G. Girls With Gems is the place to head when you want to treat yourself to something special, need a new-season wardrobe refresh or need an update on your well-worn luxury basics. Images: Arvin Prem Kumar
In the first season of Severance, which was one of the best new shows of 2022, celebrations were marked with waffle parties, egg bars and melon bars. In the upcoming second season of the Apple TV+ sci-fi mindbender, there must be more festivities on the way. The streaming platform has finally unveiled its debut glimpse at the series' return, with Adam Scott's (Loot) Mark — well, his innie — holding blue balloons in Lumon Industries' labyrinthine hallways. There's no full trailer for Severance season two as yet, but snippets of footage are included in a just-dropped compilation trailer for Apple TV+'s upcoming slate. While the segments relating to the series don't give away much about what's going on in the biotech company that has a drastic way to enforce work-life balance, they do represent a step closer to the show returning. No release date for the second season has been locked in so far, however. Science fiction has proven one of Apple TV+'s strengths, with Silo in 2023 also one of the best new shows of that year. The first new footage from the Rebecca Ferguson (Dune: Part Two)-starring dystopian series' second season is also included in the platform trailer, putting a big focus on Tim Robbins' (Castle Rock) IT head Bernard addressing a crowd inside the titular structure. As with Severance, there's no confirmed release date for Silo season two, but you can start getting excited about another plunge into an underground chamber with 10,000 inhabitants anyway. Apple TV+'s new teaser covers the second season of page-to-screen drama Pachinko as well, and of Shrinking with Jason Segel (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny). The first will return in August, with the second still yet to reveal when it'll be back. Season four of Gary Oldman (Oppenheimer)-led British spy dramedy Slow Horses also received a sneak peek. Among the service's upcoming new shows, Bad Monkey and Lady in the Lake both feature. Vince Vaughn (Curb Your Enthusiasm) leads the former an ex-Miami cop who is now a health inspector, but thinks he's found a way back to his old job. Natalie Portman (May December) stars in the latter, which puts the disappearance of a young girl in Baltimore in 1966 at its centre. Also scoring a glimpse: movies Fly Me to the Moon with Scarlett Johansson (Asteroid City) and Channing Tatum (Magic Mike's Last Dance), Wolfs with George Clooney (Ticket to Paradise) and Brad Pitt (Babylon), and The Instigators with Matt Damon (Drive-Away Dolls) and Casey Affleck (Oppenheimer). The first two have a date with cinemas before making their way to Apple TV+, while The Instigators will be available to stream in August. Check out Apple TV+'s new trailer for its upcoming slate below: New TV shows and movies will continue to hit Apple TV+ throughout 2024 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue.
What's your favourite thing about Twin Peaks? Other than the fact that it's back and just as damn fine as ever, of course. We know, we know, there's just too much to choose from. Any list would have to include Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper, cherry pie and coffee, and David Lynch's inimitable approach on screen and off — as well as the haunting music. From those first distinctive notes of composer Angelo Badalamenti's theme tune, to the ethereal sounds of Julee Cruise's Falling — a number one hit in Australia at the time — the show's soundtrack keeps echoing through our minds. That's not going to change for the next four months, or ever. In fact, Xiu Xiu will ensure the series' score gets permanently lodged in your brain when they return to Australia. As The Giant would say, it is happening again. After wowing Brisbane crowds back in 2015 during the gallery's mind-bending, once-in-a-lifetime David Lynch: Between Two Worlds exhibition, the American experimental group are back and heading to Sydney to once again interpret the iconic music through their mix of post punk and synth pop for a final time. Prepare to amazed, delighted and even a little disturbed by this new take on Twin Peaks' chaos, drama, fear, noise, sidelong leering glances, arms turned into trees, mysterious glass boxes and Mr Jackpots. Performing live at Carriageworks at 8pm on June 29, Xiu Xiu's show also comes with a serious warning: BOB (or is it Cooper?) will be conducting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rrK6UvAkLs
Few countries are as geographically diverse as Australia. We have snow-capped mountains, tropical rainforests, red deserts and long-stretching beaches. At these idyllic locations are some of the country's most luxe experiences, letting us explore all that our country has to offer. With the holiday season fast approaching, why not give the gift of travel to the luxury lover in your life? After all, you can't really top a trip away. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to round up ten of indulgent experiences to get your mate (or whoever, really) who loves a fabulous gift. Whether you book them in for a high-flying feed at Australia's most boundary-pushing museum or get them a voucher to a five-star hotel, these experiences provide a much-needed dose of escapism. Play your cards right and you might score an invite, too.
Is this the Nordic design collaboration to end all Nordic design collaborations? For a new limited-edition collection that'll hit stores worldwide on Thursday, March 9, Swedish furniture retailer IKEA and Finnish design house Marimekko are joining forces. Even better: when this duo teams up, they're taking inspiration from Nordic nature, sauna culture and self-care rituals, and giving off big treat yo'self vibes. Actually, the best news of all might be that nothing in this 26-product range will cost more than $119. That price will get you a birch bench or a birch mirror, but everything from towels and shower curtains to glassware and candles is also on offer — all either featuring or inspired by Marimekko's prints, naturally. The range's name, BASTUA, gives away its focus: the term means sauna in Småland, the region in Southern Sweden where IKEA originates from. And, this gorgeous teamup marks a first for Marimekko — the first time that it has designed a set of prints exclusively for a brand collaboration. "Collaborating with Marimekko was a natural choice for IKEA as we are both committed to enabling a better everyday life at home, and with the BASTUA collection, it begins with focusing on wellness first," said Henrik Most, Creative Leader at IKEA, announcing the new range. "The collaboration encapsulates the sensations of endless summers and the simple and aesthetic beauty of Nordic nature in furniture and accessories for the home." To answer perhaps the most important question that arises every time that IKEA unveils a new collection, yes, the iconic FRAKTA bag has also been given a Marimekko makeover — as it has with rainbows and pink frills in the past. With the BASTUA collection heroing a print inspired by the large rhubarb leaves that are often found growing next to Finnish saunas, IKEA's trusty carrier will spot that image in red, green and pale blue hues. Wondering what else you'll be filling that FRAKTA with? The towels, robes and IKEA's first-ever sauna bucket obviously take the theme as seriously as possible, as do the elderflower-, rhubarb- and sweet vanilla-scented candles. Elsewhere, the range also gleans inspiration from Nordic furniture design, which is where the side table, bench, trays and glasses come in. Unsurprisingly, this is a while-stocks-last collection — so getting in fast on launch day, with items on sale in-store from 10am and online from 9pm AEDT, is highly recommended. IKEA and Marimekko's BASTUA collection will hit IKEA's shelves on Thursday, March 9 — in-store from 10am and online from 9pm AEDT.
If you haven't already checked out this summer's blockbuster exhibition Japan supernatural: 1700s to now at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, there's something you should know: it's packed with paranormal creatures. Yōkai and yurai — mystical and ghoulish — characters are depicted in every drawing, painting, video work and graphic installation. There are 180 works about the spirit world, from rare books by 18th century folklorist Toriyama Sekien to Japan's most famous manga artist, Mizuki Shigeru. It's a world where fans of Studio Ghibli films and Brothers Grimm fairy tales will be equally inspired. If you have been to Japan supernatural it's likely you've been wonderstruck by the expansive works of contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, but we think you should look a little closer on your next visit to the Art Gallery — as there are a few creepy beings that rear their (sometimes long, snake-like) necks across multiple works, from sumo wrestling kappa (who have a terrifying backstory) to the eyeball that likes to sip sake. Concrete Playground spoke with Assistant Curator Yuki Kawakami to find out more about five particularly haunting characters in this exhibition. [caption id="attachment_756754" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toriyama Sekien, 'Night procession of the hundred demons (Hyakki yakō zu)' (1772–81), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection[/caption] THE MYSTERIOUS LONG-NECKED WOMAN One of the first pieces you'll encounter at the Art Gallery's huge exhibition is a painted handscroll called Night procession of the hundred demons (Hyakki yakō zu) (1772–81). It's by Toriyama Sekien — a folklorist who is also a bit of an enigma. Kawakami tells us, "This particular painting is extremely rare, and though there's not that much written about Sekien, he's very well known for his depictions of these yōkai." Rokurokubi — or the Long-Necked Woman (pictured on the right) — is a shapeshifting yōkai. By day, the spirit has a perfectly ordinary human form, but by night, the spirit's neck extends, snaking around in the dark to look for bugs and oil in lamps for a late-night snack. The Long-Necked Woman is also known to attach herself to unsuspecting men. "She's depicted in a cheeky way. She draws men through her beauty; her characteristics are trickery and the act of seduction. She's just a boss woman, a man eater," says Kawakami. Rokurokubi can be found in multiple works. For bonus points, look out for her alleged lover, another long-necked creature called the Look Over Monk. Rumour has it they have a lovechild called Tōfu-kozō (Tofu Boy) who always carries a plate of tofu. [caption id="attachment_756766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 'The heavy basket (Omoi tsuzura)' from the series 'New forms of thirty-six ghosts (Shingata sanjūrokkaisen)' (1892), National Gallery of Australia, Canberra[/caption] THE WATER-DWELLING, ORGAN-STEALING KAPPA Oh look, here's the Look Over Monk — the one with the third eye. Now draw your gaze to the green, frog-like creature that appears to be lurking in a basket. That's a kappa. Kawakami says, the kappa appear in different forms and with different names like kawataro. If you bank in Japan, you may recognise the cheeky fella as the mascot of one of the country's leading banks. But don't be deceived, these water-dwelling yōkai have a sadistic story. It's said they reach inside human bodies through the rectum to snatch at your organs. You can find the kappa in Sekien's Night procession of the hundred demons (Hyakki yako zu) and also in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's The heavy basket (Omoi tsuzura) from the series New forms of thirty-six ghosts (Shingata sanjurokkaisen). "In this one it's quite menacing and cheeky. He also likes to challenge people in a game of sumo. There are drawings of kappa against kappa engaged in sumo by the river." The creatures have elements of frog, turtle and monkey about them — and the popular cucumber sushi rolls, kappa–maki, are named for the creature's apparent love of cucumbers. Note the pool of water on their heads: "When there's no liquid, that's when they lose their powers," says Kawakami. [caption id="attachment_756861" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 'The old woman retrieves her arm (Rōba kiwan o mochisaru zu)' from the series 'New forms of thirty-six ghosts (Shingata sanjūrokkaisen)' (1889), Art Gallery New South Wales[/caption] THE CACKLING ONE-ARMED DEMON WITCH Japan supernatural is all about manifestations of the paranormal in Japanese folklore, art, literature, theatre and film. In this exhibition you'll also meet another volatile creature, that of the oni — demon-like and menacing, but not necessarily evil. "You can tell a character is not a ghost [or yōkai] because of the claws and the green face. The oni are depicted either by green, blue or red skin — and the claws," says Kawakami. Ibaraki-doji, or the Cackling One-Armed Demon Witch, is found in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's The old woman retrieves her arm (Rōba kiwan o mochisaru zu). Yoshitoshi was born in Edo (now Tokyo) and he was known for images of violence and ghoulish works after a period of possible mental illness. Other demon-like qualities to look for are curled toenails and fingernails. Be especially watchful during the twilight hours, when these spirits and demons are more likely to present themselves to us humans. "It's an oni, but they dress so beautifully — they have style." [caption id="attachment_756870" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chiho Aoshima, 'Off to Memorial Service' (2009), 'The Tree Where Moimois Gather' (2009). Both colour on Japanese rice paper.[/caption] THE DOE-EYED AND DISTANT MOIMOI Chiho Aoshima is part of Kaikai Kiki, the artist collective run by internationally famous artist Takashi Murakami. She's based in Kyoto, and during her time as an assistant at Murakami's studio he noticed her own yōkai drawings and he encouraged her to do more. "What I find interesting about her work is that she's really into the relationship between nature, death and humans," says Kawakami. "She likes Japanese cemeteries." A recurring character is the Moimoi, which comes in various shapes and forms. One is pictured as a black blob walking through a cemetery — like in Off to Memorial Service (2009), above — and in another she appears to embody city buildings, trees or entire beaches. "When I asked [Aoshima] where she gets the Moimoi from, she said she sees a lot of the Moimoi in herself. Whether it's a sense of isolation, or a sense of calm or peace. I read it as a sense of loneliness living in the contemporary world. She also says that when she passes she would want to become part of nature, so you see a strong relationship between nature and death in her work." [caption id="attachment_758406" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mizuki Shigeru 'Kyoto' (2008), from the series 'Fifty-three stations of the Yōkaidō (Yōkaidō gojūsan tsugi)' (2008). Art Gallery of New South Wales, Yasuko Myer Bequest Fund 2019. Mizuki Productions.[/caption] THE SAKE SIPPING, BATH-LOVING EYEBALL MAN Mizuki Shigeru is probably the most famous manga artist/historian in Japan. He created a manga series based on yōkai lore that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. "Anyone from the 1960s onwards would easily recognise these characters. The main character is called Kitarō — and his father is the Eyeball Man, called Medama-Oyaji." Kitarō doesn't have an eye on his left socket, and in the manga drawings you can see Medama-Oyaji popping out of Kitarō's eye socket to offer him advice. "He also likes to take baths in a little bowl, and he drinks sake." Shigeru brings a playfulness to his depictions of the yōkai: mysterious creatures that are often mischievous. In The Fifty-three Stations of the Yokaido he places the yōkai within the stations of familiar cities like Kyoto and Tokyo, which you can find on the Art Gallery's walls until March. 'Japan supernatural: 1700s to now' runs until March 8, 2020 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Tickets are available to buy online. Top images: Installation view of the exhibition 'Japan supernatural' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carter. Artworks © Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Look around you. While you sneakily read this article at work, pay close attention to your surroundings. Are they dull? Do you have a baller view or is it beige cubicles far as the eye can see? Have you the requisite poster of a cat hanging off a ledge, reminding you that life is a struggle for even the most noble of animals? Yeah. Same. But it needn't be like this. People are resigning themselves to the fact that if we have to spend so much damn time at work, we might as well work in a nice environment. Cue Muse, Surry Hill's newest contemporary coworking space. Muse is determined to balance the creative and career aspects of life, with a coworking space packed extras that will make you actually want to go to work. Their calendar is littered with yoga classes, social and networking events, art classes and exhibitions and professional workshops. And best of all it's open to all levels of membership, from permanents to hot deskers. So if you want break up a work day with a yoga workout, sign up for a casual day and try it out. They're looking for freelancers in the creative industries to go hand in hand with their art-centric functionality — and they offer great spaces for photoshoots and events too, just FYI. Stripped-back brick, minimalist office furniture and moody, sophisticated lighting makes the whole office feel like a page out of an interior decorating magazine, and not the dull pre-fab offices we were promised as children. The whole thing is quite inspirational. And Friday afternoon drinks on their private rooftop terrace? Also inspirational. Very inspirational.
Sailing across Sydney Harbour is already something special. But charting a course with an Australian culinary legend and feasting on standout local seafood? Now that's our idea of a good time. Opening for bookings at 12pm on Friday, April 10, the Booking.com Seafood Sail invites a pair of lucky guests to board their own private houseboat — the 72-foot Sir Thomas Sopwith — for a unique culinary escape guided by chef Peter Gilmore. However, before you settle into the yacht for a two-night stay, this seafaring adventure begins on land at the recently revealed and long-awaited Sydney Fish Market. Just named by Time as one of the World's Greatest Places for 2026, Gilmore will take you on a private behind-the-scenes tour of this world-class facility. Plus, he'll help select a catch of the day, ready to be elegantly served on board when the time is right. "As a chef, I've always believed the best way to understand a place is through its markets — it's where a destination's true flavours live. Showcasing my home city at the new Sydney Fish Market is something I'm genuinely excited about. After so many years at Bennelong and Quay, I've spent countless hours choosing seafood and learning what makes each species special, so sharing that process firsthand feels incredibly personal," says Gilmore. Leaving behind the market, you'll saunter onto this beautiful vessel, complete with private cabins, bathrooms and shower facilities, plus a spacious saloon and full galley kitchen. Meanwhile, a generous deck is primed for seafood dining with unbeatable harbour views. With that in mind, Gilmore will join the guests on board to guide them through a refined cooking session, teaching fin-to-tail techniques, before unveiling a five-course feast. Think a sampling of Sydney's finest seasonal picks, including Sydney Rock Oysters, half shell scallops with XO sauce, and yellow fin tuna sashimi. Then, once you're stuffed from lunch, you'll have plenty of time to unwind as your personal skipper navigates the harbour's famed sights. Onwards along the coastline, you'll moor at Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont to embark on an unforgettable two-night stay. Ready to voyage in luxury? The Booking.com Seafood Sail will be listed as a two-night stay on Sydney Harbour and will be bookable on a first-come, first-served basis for a Booking.com Genius traveller and a guest. Priced at $19.74, this symbolic price is a simple nod to the year that the Sir Thomas Sopwith hit the high seas for the first time. Booking.com's Seafood Sail is available for reservations from 12pm on Friday, April 10, on a first-come, first-served basis. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
We're lucky to have access to Clarice Beckett's work today. Beckett painted hundreds of paintings during the 1920s and 30s, before passing away in 1935 at the age of 48. Following her death, her artworks disappeared for decades before being rescued by Dr Rosalind Hollinrake, who salvaged 369 of Beckett's paintings from a shed in rural Victoria. From Saturday, February 27 until Sunday, May 16, the Art Gallery of South Australia is presenting the most comprehensive Clarice Beckett retrospective ever, exhibiting nearly 130 of the artist's works, including pieces from the private collections of Russell Crowe and Ben Quilty. Beckett's work focuses on capturing the everyday world through muted and pastel tones and with a focus on natural light. In The Present Moment, these works are thematically displayed to chart the chronology of one single day — starting with sunrise and ending with nightfall. Accompanying the exhibition is an workshop for those wanting to learn about Beckett on Saturday, March 27 and a series of mindfulness workshops offering tai chi, yoga and relaxation classes while surrounded by artworks every Wednesday in April. Tickets to the exhibition run from $20, while the workshops will set you back $35. Images: Installation view: Clarice Beckett: The present moment, Art Gallery of SouthAustralia, Adelaide, 2021. Photo: Saul Steed.
The 2014 Sydney Festival is almost upon us and Carriageworks' offering is shaping up to be one of the highlights. Sydney's cultural stalwart will present Chance, a large-scale installation by French superstar artist Christian Boltanski. The industrial-looking work is made up of scaffolding throughout which images of newborn babies will be woven. Visitors will be able to move throughout the enormous structure — it will be over 50 metres long and 8 metres tall — as the images slide through the scaffolding like a giant newspaper press. Two large clocks will be placed within the installation, charting births and deaths as they happen in real-time. At midnight, the clocks will summarise the final count of births and deaths for that day. Chance eloquently examines memory, loss and the fragile human condition. The work centres around the idea that, from conception to expiration, chance plays a defining roll in how our lives play out. The site-specific work will be accompanied by a game. Casino slot-machine type devices will be presented in a few places around Carriageworks. When you press a button, the machine will present spliced images of various faces. On occasions where the various images match up, the lucky visitor will receive a prize. This mega installation will be the first major work the artist has ever presented in Australia and will respond to the architecture and massive open spaces of the Carriageworks building. The "poet advocate for the dispossessed" is one of the major players in the international art scene and his works reside in many of the world's best collections of Contemporary art. The installation will also be accompanied by a talk on Thursday, January 9, 6pm, between Boltanski and uber art critic Dr Andrew Frost. The talk is free, but bookings are essential. See the Carriageworks website for details. Image: Christian Boltanski, Chance. Image courtesy of Carriageworks.
Sydneysiders have always liked cheese, but in recent years things have gotten serious. Dedicated fromageries have popped up across our fair city and recently we've enjoyed events featuring gin and cheese, wine and cheese and even vegan cheese. Our stomachs are working overtime to digest all the lactose — and, honestly, we've never been happier. And the love affair continues with this latest cheesy announcement. France (or more specifically, a Parisian centre for cheese, which is a real thing) is bringing Bon Fromage, a free two-day festival celebrating European cheese, to Sydney. The whole thing will happen at Carriageworks on October 14 and 15. First and foremost is cheese — the venue will be transformed into a cheese marketplace and wine bar from 11am till 6pm each day. Organisers will be bringing in half a tonne of cheese for the festival, and it will all be free of charge. Just to recap: free entry and free cheese. But the cheese festival isn't just about eating so much cheese you puke. Masterclasses will be held on how to match cheese with wine, how to tell the difference between varieties and, we assume, the correct way to draw a cheese fondue bath for yourself. There will also be a collection of stalls selling cheese for you to take home and eat later. The festival is supported by the European Union, presumably to get Australians on board with the European cheese industry. To us, this seems like a bit of a misfire because we're evidently already very invested in cheese, from Europe or elsewhere. But whatever — we'll be there regardless.
You've got a new CBD restaurant to make a beeline to as soon as the office bell rings. And it's run by a lineup of Sydney hospitality legends. The duo behind Love, Tilly Devine and Dear Sainte Éloise, Matthew Swieboda and Nathanial Hatwell, have teamed up with chef Scott Williams (Bacco Osteria e Espresso, MoVida) and front-of-house star Felix Colman (Dear Sainte Éloise) to open Angel Place's new pasta joint and minimal-intervention wine bar: Ragazzi. Just as Love, Tilly Devine champions Aussie drops and Dear Sainte Éloise focuses more on the French, Ragazzi does the same for Italian varieties — showcasing small Italian producers and Australian wineries that use Italian grapes. Though classic Australian and French wines are also up for grabs here, too. The 38-seat wine bar features textured concrete walls, leather banquette seating and a ten-seat, wraparound brass bar. It serves up daily-changing wines by the glass, along with a whopping 300 by the bottle — so there really is a heap to choose from. To round it all out (or kick-start it all), there are also 20 different amari and aperitifs. Alongside the natural wines is a succinct food menu that changes regularly and showcases regional Italian pasta dishes. Expect the likes of agnolotti dal plin served in a broth with white asparagus, maltagliati with cuttlefish and broad beans, and cavatelli with pipis and sausage. The sausage is made in-house using whichever meat is available on the day. [caption id="attachment_747368" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To for Buffet[/caption] This focus on no-waste and nose-to-tail eating is present throughout the menu, with Williams sourcing whole cuts of meat and breaking them down to create a range of dishes. At the moment, you'll find pork belly used in croquettes, pork cutlets served as a main and other parts of the animal turned into a pork and fennel sausage. When in season, expect sea urchin to be a regular feature on the menu, too, with Ragazzi receiving deliveries from a south Sydney diver. While pasta is the star of the food show here, Williams also showcases the Spanish cooking techniques he learned in the kitchens of Madrid and Barcelona. So, expect to dig into Spanish-inflected bar snacks, such as Cantabrian anchovies on sourdough, on the regular. A few simple salads (such as shaved cabbage with hazelnut and pecorino) make the cut, too, along with daily-churned gelato for dessert. Regazzi has been bustling from the start, so do yourself a favour and make a booking here. Ragazzi is now open at Shop 3, 2–12 Angel Place, Sydney. Hours are Monday through Friday from 11am–midnight and Saturday from 3pm–midnight. Images: Nikki To for Buffet
Whether you're somewhere near or somewhere far, there are scores of ways to acknowledge just how incredible your mother (or grandmother or aunt) is with some good old-fashioned spoiling. But, fellow mama-lovers, if you've let the annual celebration of maternity known as Mother's Day (Sunday, May 9 btw) slip your mind this year, we're here to help out. We've picked out our favourite mum-worthy gift ideas—from the reliable candles and cocktails, to personalised luggage and DIY pottery classes—so you can just stick to worrying about what you're going to write in the card. After all, this is your once-a-year opportunity to show your ma how much she means to you, so the pressure is absolutely on. [caption id="attachment_785836" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NRMA Glamtainer by Shan Rose Photography.[/caption] FOR THE TRAVELLING MUM After last year's lockdowns, we've all got some missed travel opportunities to make up for, mum included. So what better time to treat her to a little getaway? If she's a snow bunny or beach-lover, NRMA's new luxury 'glamtainers' should do the trick — there are now four of the beautifully repurposed shipping container stays operating, with the original two located at Ocean Beach Holiday Resort and the other pair landing at Jindabyne in time for the winter season. Or perhaps she'd fancy a trip to the Gold Coast for a couple of nights in this gin-themed caravan, from Camplify and The Botanist Gin. Weekend stays include a bottle of gin and all the trimmings for whipping up some dreamy cocktails. If wine's more her thing and a jaunt to the Mornington Peninsula is on the cards, you could treat her to this memorable Red Balloon experience, involving a vineyard tour, wine tasting and five-course lunch at the renowned Montalto Estate. And no matter where she's headed, you can ensure your mum's holiday-ready with a piece of personalised luggage from July. Right now, the brand's including a complimentary Mother's Day card with each order and offering free personalisation, too, so you can get mum gifted all at once. FOR THE FOOD (AND BOOZE) LOVING MUM She's cooked countless dinners and birthday cakes for you and the rest of the fam—now, it's mum's turn to be treated to a little culinary indulgence. The minds behind the annual Mould Cheese Festival are slinging a range of home-delivered offerings that'd have any dairy fiend salivating—from curated cheese boxes filled with top Aussie picks, to a DIY cheesemaking kit. If mum's a fan of variety, swing past Good Day People's online store and order one of their non-boring hampers to be dropped to her door. There are lots of fun curations for food-loving folks here, catering to palates both sweet and savoury with treats from the likes of chocolate brand Hey Tiger, Wondaree nuts and Drunken Sailor condiments. Meanwhile, for those who can't take mum out for a drink IRL, the cocktail experts at the Everleigh Bottling Co have a range of classy pre-batched libations available for delivery. Choose from sips like the classic martini, a chic Manhattan, or maybe one of the new spritzed French 75 cocktails. [caption id="attachment_810524" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Active Truth's new Brolga range.[/caption] FOR THE OUTDOORSY MUM If some great outdoors action is on the cards, have mum looking her best, with one of the new activewear pieces from Active Truth. The Aussie label has teamed up with Indigenous artist Bobbi Lockyer for this limited-edition Brolga collection, featuring high-waisted leggings and crop tops in a gorgeous hand-painted print. For more rugged outdoors adventures, take a peek at these latest offerings from Kathmandu—the nature-loving mum always has room in their collection for a new rain jacket, cosy down vest or pair of hiking boots. Once you've sorted her wardrobe, she can check out our pick of must-try Aussie mountain hikes—perhaps with her favourite child (aka you) along for company. And for the adrenaline junkie, there's plenty of high-flying fun to be had on a skydiving adventure; like this heart-pumping Red Balloon experience that'll have mum enjoying a tandem freefall over stunning coastline off Wollongong, 90 minutes south of Sydney. [caption id="attachment_810528" align="alignnone" width="1920"] tbh. skincare products.[/caption] FOR THE SELF-CARE MUM A spot of self-care and mindful pampering never goes astray, and we're sure mum would agree. You can help brighten up her skin and her bathroom cabinet with a few of the latest colourful goodies from cult skincare brand tbh. The sustainability-focused company is only young, but it's already causing a big splash with its innovative, science-driven products. If you want her to think of you when she's curled up with a good book and a cuppa, try one of these very cuddly customisable cushions from Hommey. There are over 160 colours, fabrics and shapes to choose from, plus you can score an extra 20 percent off for Mother's Day (use MOTHERSDAY20). And that relaxing bath is sorted thanks to a new limited-edition collaboration from booze-free winemaker Non and luxe candle label Maison Balzac. The gift pack features a bottle of exclusive Non wine, a specially matched scented candle and a QR code linking to a curated playlist—all designed to be enjoyed simultaneously for an immersive sensory experience. Find it at Blackhearts & Sparrows stores nationwide, as well as Winona Wine in NSW and Wine Republic in Melbourne. Or for a twist on the classic Mother's Day bouquet, check out this clever match from LVLY—a locally-grown flower arrangement paired with a pack of Rise and Shine yoga cards illustrated by Georgia Perry. FOR THE CREATIVE MUM Say thanks for all the decades of motherly support by helping her indulge her own creative side. For a bit of at-home fun, you can treat her to one of Crockd's DIY pottery kits, available for delivery Australia-wide. The classic box comes with enough clay and equipment for two (so you can join her), and whatever pieces you make can be air-dried at home, without the need for any fancy kiln. Otherwise, sign her up for one of Class Bento's sprawling list of creative workshops and classes, running both online and at various locations across Australia. You'll find everything from perfume-making and mosaic workshops, to a class that teaches you how to create your own botanical-infused phone case. And if mum's got a creative eye, we're betting she'll also appreciate these sweet new designs from Aussie jewellery label Elle Haitch. Expect hoops, necklaces and chic rings for all tastes. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Top image: The Everleigh Bottling Co by Gareth Sobey.
When you've ushered the world into Vincent van Gogh's work — getting them not just peering at it but stepping through it thanks to an immersive 360-degree experience — what comes next? For the folks at Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, it's now Claude Monet and his impressionist peers' turn. Hot on the heels of Van Gogh Alive touring the country, and even hitting up some cities multiple times, Monet in Paris is set to dazzle from winter 2023. This exhibition will enjoy its world premiere in Brisbane, hitting Northshore Hamilton for two months from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, August 6. While further stops haven't yet been announced, the River City stint is being hailed as its global debut — and it will tour Australia afterwards. Art lovers can look forward to wandering around the 2500-square-metre Grand Palais, a marquee custom-designed by Australian theatre designer Anna Cordingley, with the venue set to feature six breakout spaces, a cafe, multiple bars and a gift shop. Of course, it's Monet and his pals' creations that's the big drawcard. Featuring Monet's Water Lilies, getting attendees dancing with Edgar Degas' ballerinas and just whisking visitors into 19th-century Paris' bohemian vibe — with detours to the French countryside — there'll be plenty to see. Fans of Van Gogh Alive know how it works from there, with iconic paintings projected large — pieces not just by Monet and Degas, but also from Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt and more. Once again, that means using Grande Experiences' state-of-the-art technology, which is behind those beamed images. And, there'll also be a classical score soundtracking the experience. "The team at Grande Experiences are absolutely thrilled to premiere Monet in Paris in Brisbane in June," said Founder and CEO Bruce Peterson. "Produced in the same immersive multi-sensory format as the hugely successful Van Gogh Alive, this very new and unique experience will captivate and enthral audiences young and old as we enjoy many of the colourful works of art from the French masters of the 19th century, combined with a wonderful musical score and special aromas permeating throughout the venue," he continued. If Monet in Paris sounds familiar, that's because Grande Exhibitions also run Melbourne's digital-only gallery The Lume, which has been hosting the similar Monet & Friends Alive since October 2022. Monet in Paris' debut season will run from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, August 6 at Northshore, Brisbane, with ticket pre-sales from Thursday, March 9 and general sales from Tuesday, March 14. For further details, head to the event's website. Images: Grande Experiences.
As if Bondi Road wasn't already a hub for top-notch eats (see: Totti's, Carbon, The Corner House, Mikey's), the bustling eastern suburbs street has just welcomed an exciting new Argentinian restaurant. Zama is now open on the same corner as The Corner House and Totti's, wafting the distinct smell of a fiery charcoal grill out onto the main road. "Bondi Road is the only location I considered for Zama," says co-owner Duncan Fredrich. "Over the past few years, so many acclaimed names within the Sydney hospitality scene have popped up along the strip — I'm honoured to be part of it." Zama is the passion project of hospo newcomers Friedrich and his partner David Holder, alongside Head Chef Fredrick Bernard. Bernard brings experience from two of the city's best steakhouses to the restaurant, having previously worked across Porteno and Woodcut. Together, the trio has crafted a menu that showcases the kitchen's centrepiece: a custom-built parrilla grill. "Everything is cooked with Argentinian charcoal on the parrilla, giving our grilled dishes a unique, smokey flavour," says Bernard. Highlights emerging from the grill include whole baby snapper, chorizo, grilled peppers with a sherry vinaigrette, butternut pumpkin served with stracciatella and brown butter, and a couple of top-notch steaks topped with chimichurri. But, before you get to the mains, make sure to start your meal with a couple of traditional Argentinian empanadas. Australian and Argentinian wines lead the way on the drinks list, as well as a few carefully curated cocktails. Cheers to the meal with a spicy margarita as you tuck into your empanadas, before turning your attention to a full-bodied red to pair with your wagyu sirloin. The fitout has been kept relatively simple, drawing on the beachside cocktail bars of Tulum to bring the intimate space to life with rattan lighting, bamboo roofing and plenty of greenery. Zama is now open at 273 Bondi Road, Bondi, operating Tuesday–Saturday 5pm–late.
There's no opera quite like Wagner's Ring Cycle. Totalling 15 hours of brilliance, the lengthy production is being split into four nights of powerful, operatic wonder at QPAC later this year — all ticket packages include tickets to all four parts. Even if you've seen it before, we're sure you've not seen anything like this upcoming rendition, which is brought to Brisbane by Opera Australia. From Friday, December 1– Thursday, December 21, the production from Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng will bring together performers from here and abroad. The version places Wagner's classic interpretation of Germanic mythology into a futuristic, parallel-universe setting, using digital art to create virtual landscapes. Breathtakingly original, the music is led by French conductor Philippe Auguin, who has headed up The Ring Cycle on numerous occasions. If you're an opera buff or just a fan of fantasy, futurism, timeless tales and truly epic theatre, this is an unmissable cultural event.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. BULLET TRAIN Buy the ticket, take the ride, strap in for an onslaught of frenetic locomotive-bound fights: that's high-octane action-comedy Bullet Train on- and off-screen. Set on a shinkansen hurtling from Tokyo to Kyoto, in as stylised a vision of Japan that anyone not named Quentin Tarantino has ever thought of, this neon-lit adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka's 2010 page-turner Maria Beetle couldn't be more onboard with its central concept. That premise isn't snakes on a plane, but rather assassins on a train — plus one snake, one of nature's hitmen, actually. Cramming all those killers onto a single engine sparks mayhem, banter and bodies, not to mention chaotic frays in the quiet car and almost every other space. And when it works, with John Wick and Atomic Blonde's David Leitch steering the show, Tarantino and Guy Ritchie alum Brad Pitt as his main passenger, and a lifetime's worth of references to Thomas the Tank Engine slotted in, Bullet Train is as OTT and entertaining as it overtly wants to be. It doesn't always completely work, however; every journey, zipping along on a high-speed train or not, has its dips. Still, there are plenty of moving parts trying to keep the movie in motion — and plenty of plot, for better and for worse in both instances. In his second 2022 action-comedy after The Lost City, Pitt plays Ladybug, who is back riding the hired-gun rails after a zen break packed with new-age self-help platitudes. That's what he spouts to his handler (Sandra Bullock, The Unforgivable) by phone, in-between rueing his bad luck, as he tries to carry out what's supposed to be an easy job. All that Ladybug needs to do is take a briefcase, then disembark at the next station. But that piece of luggage is being transported by British assassin double-act Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The King's Man) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta), as they escort a Russian mobster's son (Logan Lerman, Hunters) home. To up the hitman ante, the shinkansen is also carrying The Prince (Joey King, The Princess) and Kimura (Andrew Koji, Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins), who have their own beef, as well as the revenge-seeking Wolf (Benito A Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny, Fast and Furious 9). As is always the case whenever anyone asks "are we there yet?" IRL, there's more: more twists and turns to the narrative, more bickering, more familiar names facing each other down, and a mass of flashbacks to events minutes, hours, days and months earlier, most of which make the leap from the page via Zak Olkewicz's (Fear Street: Part Two — 1978) screenplay. Wondering if the scribe and Leitch have seen Kill Bill, or the Pitt-starring Snatch, or the 90s attention-grabbers that were Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as they bring Isaka's novel to the screen is thoroughly pointless. But, after The Gray Man, Bullet Train is the second big, star-studded, midyear action flick that's pieced together from familiar components, only to boast the cast and visual spectacle to carry it off more often than not. What a treat Pitt is, and has been for more than three decades — because that's how long it's been since Thelma & Louise thrust him to fame. Bullet Train draws upon his Ocean's Eleven brand of chattering, casual, happy-go-lucky charisma, even with Ladybug grappling with an existential crisis over his chosen profession. Pitt is comic, but never reaches Burn After Reading's goofiness. Amid the navel-gazing and bromides, he's still calm, collected and supremely capable at holding his own, but never to a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood extent. Although Leitch doesn't give Pitt his own John Wick or Atomic Blonde, it's as crucial a piece of casting. Neither of those two flicks would be the gems they are without their specific stars, and Bullet Train similarly wouldn't have hit the marks it does without its bucket hat-wearing biggest name and his detailed performance. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26; June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Firestarter, Operation Mincemeat, To Chiara, This Much I Know to Be True, The Innocents, Top Gun: Maverick, The Bob's Burgers Movie, Ablaze, Hatching, Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time and Murder Party.
Sydney is a city made for sparkling wine. There's no better beverage to match summery climes, dreamy harbour vistas and pretty beaches. Whether you're shaking off a long day at work or dissolving into the evening after a leisurely Saturday, the best time to drink it is at sundown. Now that the warmer months are here, Chandon S is popping up in venues all over the place with dedicated outdoor spaces, lounges and bar carts. This summery drop is a blend of Yarra Valley sparkling wine and orange bitters — an aromatic combination of blood and navel oranges, fresh ginger, gentian root, vanilla pods, cinnamon quills and cardamom. Here's where to find this refreshing tipple and soak up every drop of the sunny season.
We know that most of you want to have your say in the postal vote on marriage equality, but we also know that you're probably going to put it off until the last minute. So do the organisers of the Festival for Marriage Equality, which is why they're encouraging as many people as possible put in their vote, en masse. After the success of the Yes Rally over the weekend, Sydney's activist collective Reclaim the Streets has organised the largest collective 'yes' voting event, with thousands expected to rock up at Prince Alfred Park on Saturday, September 23, to put in their vote together. After posting your vote at Strawberry Hills Post Office just across the road, you'll be able to get amongst eight stages until sunset, including Deeper Than House, Swerve Saturdays, SYD DEF JAM, INPUT, Roots Odyssey, Rabbit Prawn Kollective, The Church of Screaming Electro and Umami. If you enrolled to vote — which Sydney bars went to get to great lengths to make sure you did — you'll receive your form at some point in the next five to seven days. Just take it along to the event to sign, seal and deliver it off to the government. If you can't make it, make sure you put in your vote before October 27 as the final deadline is November 7. The Festival for Marriage Equality will take place on Saturday, September 23. Meet at 1pm at Prince Alfred Park, Chalmers Street, Surry Hills for a 2pm vote at Strawberry Hills Post Office across the road. For more info, check the Facebook event. Image: Yes Rally for Marriage Equality by Letícia Almeida.
Helping kick off 2019's host-free Emmy awards, Bryan Cranston might've uttered the most obvious line of the night: "television has never been this damn good". You'd expect an event dedicated to celebrating and rewarding the year's best TV shows to make that claim, of course — that's really the whole message behind the glittering annual gala. Still, it doesn't render the Breaking Bad star's statement any less accurate. This year's newly minted crop of Emmy winners definitely make that point, and what a crop they are. Sure, the ceremony itself always serves up plenty of its own highlights — Phoebe Waller-Bridge's complete and utter shock at winning not once, not twice, but three times; Jharrel Jerome's earnest excitement at winning over his big-name fellow nominees; and Michelle Williams' impassioned and inspiring speech about women being respected in their profession, for example — but it's their TV programs that we'll all be talking about for years to come. Indeed, from hitman comedies, to multiple depictions of historical tragedies, to everyone's favourite dragon-filled epic fantasy series, this year's winners are reason enough to spend a week or several on your couch. Or, to be more realistic, to add all of the below shows to your various streaming queues and eventually work your way through them. (We haven't told you to watch 2019 Drama Series recipient Game of Thrones, though, because we're sure you've already done that.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX2ViKQFL_k FLEABAG What it's about: When Fleabag's eponymous London resident turns to the camera, talks about her messy life and just generally looks exasperated, she's one of the most relatable characters ever committed to the screen. Unhappy, uncertain and surrounded by chaos in all of her relationships — romantic, platonic and with her family members — she's the complicated, charismatic protagonist for today's frenzied times. Not only creating and writing the series based on her one-woman Edinburgh Festival show, but starring as Fleabag as well, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is simply revelatory. And while the British comedy only spans two six-episode seasons, it packs more into its short run than most shows manage with twice, thrice or even ten times as many instalments. Won: Comedy Series, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Writing for a Comedy Series (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Directing for a Comedy Series (Harry Bradbeer). Where to watch it: Amazon Prime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8 CHERNOBYL What it's about: Venturing back 33 years to the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever seen, Chernobyl is a horror story of the most gripping and galvanising kind. The central explosion, caused when the titular power plant's reactor became unstable, is terrifying. The fallout — both in terms of radioactive debris falling from the sky, and the intangible ramifications — is just as fear-inducing. What truly cuts to the bone in this exceptional miniseries, however, is the bureaucratic arrogance and wilful ignorance that follows. There's nothing more chilling than seeing people hold others' lives in their hands and choose to do absolutely nothing. To convey that message, the five-part series also benefits from superb writing, direction and performances, including from Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson. Won: Limited Series; Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Johan Renck); Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Craig Mazin). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3F9n_smGWY WHEN THEY SEE US What it's about: Another huge true tale. Another huge cast, including Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome, Michael K. Williams, Joshua Jackson, Blair Underwood, Vera Farmiga and John Leguizamo. Another powerful mini-series. When They See Us steps through the story of Central Park Five — a case that's endlessly infuriating and shocking. In April 1989, Trisha Meili was raped while jogging, while eight other people were attacked across New York. In the aftermath, five African American and Hispanic American teenagers were prosecuted, convicted and jailed, only for their charges to be vacated when the real culprit confessed more than a decade later. From Selma to 13th, director Ava DuVernay has become one of the most crucial voices in interrogating America's oppressive and unjust past, and this stellar drama proves a worthy addition to her resume. Won: Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie (Jharrel Jerome). Where to watch it: Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir1_hjemxNA BARRY What it's about: Airing its second season this year — and thankfully already renewed for a third — Barry boasts one of the best comedy premises on television. An ex-soldier and sharpshooter still haunted by his overseas military experience, Bill Hader's titular character has been putting his skills to use as a hitman since he returned from active duty. It's a natural fit, but then he heads to Los Angeles and discovers acting. Watching Barry try to leave his death-dealing past behind, and watching the chaos that springs for both his new thespian pals (including Henry Winkler) and his old gangster contacts (such as scene-stealer Anthony Carrigan) continually makes for both hilarious and dramatic viewing. Won: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Bill Hader). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVTZhOLpXjI KILLING EVE What it's about: At the Golden Globes back in January, Sandra Oh picked up a shiny prize for British spy thriller Killing Eve. At the Emmys, it was her co-lead Jodie Comer's turn to nab a gong. One plays an MI5 investigator charged with tracking down a psychopathic killer, while the other portrays the seductive assassin that she's chasing — and where their interactions go from there is best discovered by watching. Twisty, innovative and unafraid to do what it damn well likes with a well-worn genre, the highly acclaimed adaptation of Luke Jennings' Codename Villanelle novellas is also the second of this year's winning shows to bear Phoebe Waller-Bridge's fingerprints (she's an executive producer, and wrote four of the first season's episodes). Won: Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Jodie Comer). Where to watch it: Stan (season one) and ABC iView (season two). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_5fqDZCjQo THE ACT What it's about: Perhaps you've heard about Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose. Perhaps you even read Buzzfeed's piece about them, 'Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom To Be Murdered'. You'd remember if you have — while true-crime tales are far from uncommon at the moment, especially on-screen, this one definitely stands out. Drawing upon on the aforementioned article for its first season, The Act steps into a story of abuse, death and Munchausen syndrome by proxy that really has to be seen to be believed. Patricia Arquette picked up an Emmy for playing the abusive Dee Dee; however, she's in exceptional company, with the series also starring Joey King, AnnaSophia Robb, Chloë Sevigny and Calum Worthy. Won: Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie (Patricia Arquette). Where to watch it: Google Play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hAXVqrljbs OZARK What it's about: Just a couple of months ago, when the final batch of episodes from Arrested Development's fifth season dropped, no one really cared. That might sound harsh; however, it's a case of sad but true. Don't worry — star Jason Bateman certainly has enough to keep him busy elsewhere. Since 2017, he's been leading, executive producing and sometimes even directing Netflix crime drama Ozark. In fact, he just won an Emmy for the latter. Following a financial advisor who moves his family from Chicago to a quiet Missouri town after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, this is one of Netflix's quiet achievers. That it also features the always-exceptional Laura Linney, as well as this year's Supporting Actress in a Drama Series winner Julia Garner, also helps. Won: Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Julia Garner), Directing for a Drama Series (Jason Bateman). Where to watch it: Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXd_1FXw6TI POSE What it's about: New York's drag ballroom scene comes to the small screen in Pose, and the result is one of the liveliest shows on television. As energetic and inclusive as you'd expect given its setting, it's the latest series created by Nip/Tuck, Glee and American Horror Story's Ryan Murphy — although it clearly owes its biggest debt to seminal 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning. Story-wise, Pose follows a motley crew of queer and nonconforming African American and Latin American characters as they they vogue, dance and pose their way through performances, with each competitor vying for glory for their house. After diving into the community during the 80s in its debut run, the show's second season jumped forward to the 90s. No matter what decade he's in, as the resident emcee, Tony winner and now Emmy recipient Billy Porter continually steals the show. Won: Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Billy Porter). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9TKHvvaMfE SUCCESSION What it's about: Meet the Roy family. Patriarch Logan (Brian Cox) started a media and entertainment conglomerate, turned it into a huge success and now wields considerable wealth and power; however, his health is failing. Because this is a family business, his children Siobhan (Aussie actor Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin), Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Connor (Alan Ruck) are all waiting in the wings — although Logan still needs to work out who'll do what when he's no longer working. If this sounds more than a little like the real-life Murdochs, well, you won't be the first to make that connection. Satirical as well as dramatic (and a compelling example of both genres, too), it's the latest series from Peep Show, The Thick of It and Black Mirror writer Jesse Armstrong. Won: Writing for a Drama Series (Jesse Armstrong). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_w3UNHPIXQ FOSSE/VERDON What it's about: It might be based on the biography Fosse by Sam Wasson, but this eight-part series focuses on two pivotal real-life figures, as the show's different moniker makes plain. It's impossible to explore the career of director and choreographer Bob Fosse without telling the tale of actor and dancer Gwen Verdon, after all, with their lives linked both professionally and personally. The ups, the downs, the enormous commitment to their work, and the huge productions such as Cabaret, Chicago and All That Jazz — they all form part of Fosse/Verdon. So do exceptional performances by Sam Rockwell as Fosse and Michelle Williams as Verdon, as well as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood standout Margaret Qualley as another dancer pivotal to their stories. Won: Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie (Michelle Williams). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now.
Australia's annual week-long celebration of the history, achievements and diverse culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is back this July. Running from July 7–14, this year's festivities are centred around the theme of 'Voice. Treaty. Truth.', coinciding with the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages. During the week, the city will be united with fairs, art shows, parties and performances showcasing Indigenous Australian culture and highlighting the strength, power and importance of its past, present and future. And many of them are free — from lunchtime screenings to public installations — so it's a great chance to enjoy our country's diverse culture without spending a cent. The celebration of Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander culture isn't just restricted to this week, either. To continue learning about, and celebrating one of the oldest cultures on the planet, you can watch shows and documentaries on SBS's National Indigenous Television, join the conversation at Aboriginal-led website Common Ground and visit local Indigenous art centres.
One of the most stylish hotel chains there is has finally opened its doors Down Under, ready for sleek-as-hell winter Sydney staycations and interstate getaways. Ace Hotel has built itself up a cult following since opening in 1999, with the boutique chain going for a luxe-vintage vibe — and now, after announcing its first Australian site back in 2019, dropping a sneak peek in 2021, and revealing its food and drink lineup earlier this year, the brand's 18-storey Surry Hills outpost is open for business. This isn't just the US chain's first Aussie location. It's also its first in the Southern Hemisphere. The brand kicked off in Seattle, then spread to Portland, New York, Los Angeles, London, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Chicago in the US, and opened its first international location in London in 2013. And, before the pandemic, it was probably on your must-stay list thanks to its great bars, pools, cool branding and merchandise, and quirky locations — such as a converted Denny's and a historic YMCA building. Each Ace Hotel is individually designed to reflect its surroundings. In Sydney, its new venue has been designed in partnership with Flack Studio — and it's making the most of its Surry Hills location. That spot: the site of Australia's earliest kiln discovery, where convict potter Jonathan Leak produced domestic pottery as early as the 1820s. It then became the Tyne Building, with the brick structure constructed in 1916 as the factory and distribution centre of Washington H Soul Pattinson Chemists. Decor-wise, think: minimalist designs, warm and earthy tones, and cues aplenty taken from them Australian landscape. Standout touches include an ochre-red marble staircase reaching up from the lobby, burnt orange and tan hues in the ground-floor sunken lounge and a heap of greenery. And, an impressive art collection. On display, you'll find pieces by everyone from Tony Albert, Sydney Ball, Glenn Barkley, Karen Black, Barbara Cleveland, Laith McGregor and Sanné Mestrom through to Julia Gutman, Nadia Hernandez, Joanna Lamb, James Lemon, Nabilah Nordin, Jahnne Pasco-White, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran and Justene Williams. The venue also boasts an artist-in-residence program, which'll launch soon, as curated by Nina Fitzgerald of The Impact Lab. Ace clearly boasts plenty to look at as soon as you walk in its doors — and it's also home to a number of spaces to hang out in, too. Open now is the site's lobby cocktail bar in that aforementioned sunken lounge, plus ground-floor neighbourhood restaurant Loam. In the coming weeks and months, they'll be joined by laneway cafe and bar Good Chemistry; Kiln, a rooftop restaurant and bar by chef and partner Mitch Orr; and a wine program by P&V Wine's Mike Bennie. Obviously, staying in impressive surroundings is the main drawcard — and the cosy yet chic rooms here fit the bill. There's 257 of them, with some allowing pets. Among the features: custom lighting, furniture and fixtures; an in-room vinyl collection curated by Efficient Space's Michael Kucyk; Deiji Studios robes; and minibars packed with wares from local providers. Already planning for your first Ace Hotels experience? Under high-season rates, rooms start at $359. Find Ace Hotel at 47–53 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney.
Hailey Bieber's minimalist skincare brand Rhode is officially making its way Down Under. The cult label, which helped define the "glazed doughnut skin" aesthetic and has since expanded into colour cosmetics, will launch across Australia and New Zealand from Thursday, February 12, 2026. The move marks a major milestone in Rhode's global expansion — and it's not a small one. According to the brand, Australia leads the world in total sign-ups on Rhode's international waitlist, making this one of its most anticipated rollouts yet. From mid-February, Rhode's full lineup will ship directly to both countries via rhodeskin.com, while its exclusive retail partnership with MECCA will see the brand debut online and in flagship stores — including MECCA Bourke Street in Melbourne and MECCA George Street in Sydney — from Thursday, February 12, followed by most stores on Friday, February 13. [caption id="attachment_1016016" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MECCA's Bourke St Flagship.[/caption] The arrival brings Rhode's signature pared-back aesthetic to local shelves: think glossy grey displays, soft lines and the brand's cult lineup of peptide-powered skincare and hybrid makeup. Fans can expect to shop everything from its viral Peptide Lip Treatment to its barrier-boosting moisturisers, blushes and serums. "We are proud to announce our global expansion to Australia and New Zealand, bringing the world of Rhode to even more places and faces," said Hailey Rhode Bieber, Founder, Chief Creative Officer and Head of Innovation. "When launching into the Australian market, we looked for a globally aligned partner — and MECCA was that perfect fit." Since launching in 2022, Rhode has quickly become a category-shifting force in beauty, topping EMV (earned media value) charts and inspiring countless product dupes. Its formulas are science-driven yet stripped back — an antidote to the overcomplicated, 12-step routines that have dominated the skincare conversation. "Rhode isn't just a bestselling brand, it's a cultural force shaping how a new generation thinks about skincare," said Marita Burke, MECCA's Chief MECCA-MAGINATIONS Officer. "We couldn't be more excited to welcome Rhode to MECCA and to our incredible beauty-obsessed community." The brand's philosophy centres on accessibility, efficacy and barrier health — formulated for all skin types and designed to simplify, not overwhelm. "We wanted to create products that really work, in a way that's accessible to everyone," Bieber has said previously. Founded in 2022 and acquired by e.l.f. Beauty in 2025 for USD$1 billion, Rhode's expansion signals a new chapter in global reach — and for Australian skincare fans, an end to the import waitlist era. Rhode launches in Australia and New Zealand from February 12, 2026. Explore the full range via rhodeskin.com or in-store or online at MECCA. Images: Supplied | Getty
Swizzle sticks at the ready, drinks aficionados. After the success of last year's inaugural Maybe Cocktail Festival, the event is returning in April 2024 with more than 30 international bartenders and 20 events serving world class beverages over a week-long celebration of booze, hospitality and craft. Coming from the PUBLIC Hospitality group and the Maybe Sammy team — no stranger to legendary bar feats, having topped the list of the 500 best bars in the world in 2023 — the festival will hit venues across Sydney and showcase acclaimed bartenders and cocktail-slinging spots from Italy, England, Mexico, Scotland, China and, of course, some of the best of the Australian bar scene. [caption id="attachment_925486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steve Woodburn[/caption] The impressive lineup (with highlights listed below) has been curated by Maybe Cocktail Festival Director and Director of Hospitality at PUBLIC, Stefano Catino, with an even bigger showing of international guests turning up for year two. "Last year we held 16 events and they were all packed so this year we've curated extra events and flown out even more international bars and bartenders," says Catino. He also emphasises the importance of making the festival events affordable: "Nineteen of the 21 events are free to attend which is very important to us. The cost of living is high and it's very expensive for Australians to travel overseas so this festival will give people the opportunity to drink cocktails from an amazing bar in Rome or try a Tommy's Margarita from the gentleman who created it, without the cost of a plane ticket." Yes, tequila fans will delight in the opportunity to have an audience with San Francisco native Julio Bermejo, creator of the Tommy's Margarita — the signature marg at legendary tequila bar and restaurant Tommy's Mexican. Other noteworthy bars involved in the program include Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy (which ranked #3 on The World's 50 Best Bars list for 2023) and the history-rich New York staple Dante. The events will be held at a haul of venues including Maybe Sammy, Dean & Nancy on 22, Sammy Junior, El Primo Sanchez, Kasbah at The Strand, Ricos Tacos, Busby's, The Lady Hampshire, and both Alpha and Beta at 28 Castlereagh Street. Maybe Cocktail Festival 2024 bars (so far) Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City) Caretaker's Cottage (Melbourne) Freni & Frizioni (Rome) Argo (Hong Kong) Panda & Sons (Edinburgh) Julio Bermejo (of Tommy's Mexican, San Francisco) Dante (New York City & Los Angeles) The Donovan Bar (London) Kwãnt Mayfair (London) Millie Tang (Brisbane) La Punta Expendio de Agave (Rome) Re– (Sydney) Byrdi (Melbourne) - #61 The World's 50 Best Bars 2023 Tayēr + Elementary (London) Bar Leone (Hong Kong) Gucci Giardino 25 (Florence) Bar Nouveau (Paris) Origin Bar (Singapore) The Maybe Cocktail Festival will take place across Sydney between Wednesday, April 9–Sunday, April 14. The full program of events will drop in March, so watch this space. Main image: Steven Woodburn.
