Sydney's CBD has landed a major dose of the Tokyo-esque practical and compact, with the former Bar Century space reopening in May as The Capsule Hotel, a three-storey, luxury boutique stay. The George Street cheap drinks den, which closed in 2016, was taken over by developer Walter Guo, who invested a massive $5 million on a full interior refurb, carried out by interior design consultants Giant Design. The heritage building has somewhat retained its vintage fit-out but with more of a nod to the futuristic space-like capsules of The Fifth Element. The bar and hotel are running as separate entities, with the first two levels acting as The Century Bar, while the top three floors of the building are dedicated to the capsules. Each of the 70 capsules contains a large flatscreen TV and entertainment system, Wi-Fi, and a climate control panel. Guests can choose from single or deluxe beds with entry from either the side or the end of the capsule. The communal facilities include a kitchen space, breakfast bar, lounge area, rooftop terrace and individual bathrooms. If you're worried about security, don't be — each capsule is fitted with a secure lock and the security desk runs 24-hours. But let's set the record straight — The Century is not a hostel, and it's not aimed at overindulgent locals that can't seem to make it back home. "The accommodation, which is not quite hotel nor hostel, is aimed at solo travellers looking for something more private than a typical backpackers and those who want the designer hotel experience on a budget," says Christopher Wilks, an associate at Giant Design. It's set to sit well within your budget, with prices ranging from $50-90 a night. Which, depending on how far from the CBD you live, could be a lot cheaper than a cab home at 1am.
You've heard it before: how you choose to ring in the new year is a sign of how you'll spend the rest of the year. If you would like to spend 2024 sipping top-shelf champagne and snacking on oysters and caviar (you bougie thing, you), we have just the thing. Dear Sainte Éloise is hosting a special New Year's Eve party so you can bid adieu to 2023 in style. The Potts Point diner will be open from midday, serving a seafood-heavy menu and hard-to-find wines. The set menu ($130pp), designed by DSE's new head chef Elias Selloum, kicks off with small bites like kangaroo tartare and buckwheat blinis topped with caviar and crème fraîche. And, because no summery celebration is complete without them, there'll also be oysters with a Sichuan mignonette. Next up, enjoy heirloom tomato salad with Meredith Dairy goat's curd, nori and basil oil, and house-whipped foie gras parfait served with Fabbrica sourdough. The main is French Provençal-style bouillabaisse, stuffed with seafood galore — think John Dory, blue-eye trevalla, clams and mussels. It'll all wrap up with a classic summer dessert: roasted peaches with lavender crumb, salted caramel and yoghurt. Sample drops throughout your meal from DSE's well-curated wine cellar, like pineau d'aunis, a rare red wine from France's Loire Valley, and Brisson-Lahaye champagne. Dear Sainte Eloise will be open on December 31 from 12pm–12am (last available booking is 8.30pm). Bookings are essential and can be made via the website. Images: Trent van der Jagt
UPDATE, SATURDAY, MAY 23: Snowpiercer, the series, will hit Netflix Down Under from Monday, May 25. The below article has been updated to reflect this. On a futuristic earth that's been rendered a frozen wasteland, a constantly hurtling train plays host to the world's only remaining people. Humanity's attempts to combat climate change caused their dire predicament, leaving the speeding locomotive as their only solution — and instead of banding together, the residents of the Snowpiercer have transported society's class structure into the carriages of their new home. That's the story that drives Bong Joon-ho's 2013 film Snowpiercer, which marked the acclaimed South Korean writer/director's first English-language film, and one of the movies that brought him to broader fame before Netflix's Okja and 2019's Cannes Palme d'Or-winning and Oscar-winning Parasite. As well as boasting a smart, immersive and all-too-timely concept — and unpacking its underlying idea in a thoroughly thrilling and involving manner — the flick was a star-studded affair. Among the jam-packed cast: Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ed Harris and Bong's frequent collaborator Song Kang-ho. Given how great its premise is, it's hardly surprising that Snowpiercer has now been turned into a US TV series. First announced back in 2016, it'll finally speed across screens in May 2020 — including Down Under, where it'll drop new episodes weekly from Monday, May 25. While Snowpiercer, the series, doesn't feature any of the film's high-profile lineup, it does include a few big names of its own, such as Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly and Tony-winner Daveed Diggs. Alongside Frances Ha's Mickey Sumner, Slender Man's Annalise Basso and The Americans' Alison Wright, they inhabit Snowpiercer's new world order. The planet outside the titular train may be a dystopia with a temperature of -119 degrees celsius, but everyone from the wealthy to the poor have been put in their place inside. Of course, that's until matters such as class warfare, social injustice and the politics of trying to survive start to fester almost seven years into the circling vehicle looping journey. Parasite is being turned into an American TV series, too, by HBO; however, that's a little further off — especially with film and TV production currently out of action during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the interim, revisiting the world of one of Bong's other excellent films will help fill the gap. And, if you need to watch or rewatch the original flick itself, Snowpiercer, the movie, is currently streaming on both Netflix and Stan. Watch the Snowpiercer series trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lFMpmwn_hQ Snowpiercer, the series, will hit Netflix Down Under from Monday, May 25, with new episodes airing weekly. An exact start date hasn't been revealed yet — we'll update you with further details when they come to hand. Images: Netflix.
There are two types of wolves in this world: the shirtless ones trying to kiss high school girls and the real ones trying to tear people’s throats out. Thankfully The Grey deals with the latter in this tense, snow-shrouded thriller by director Joe Carnahan (The A-Team). Liam Neeson heads up the cast as John Ottway, a scowling loner marksman employed by an oil company to keep its workers safe from animal attacks. When his plane goes down in the Alaskan wilderness he and the other survivors must make their way back to civilisation whilst staving off both the unforgiving weather and a ravenous pack of wolves. “What do you call those ones that eat berries and grass and shit?” asks one of the men. “Not wolves” replies Ottway grimly, and he’s not kidding. The Grey’s predators are utterly terrifying, picking off the survivors one by one like raptors from Jurassic Park. Stirred into defensive frenzy they act like incensed hornets after a stone’s been thrown into their nest, only in this case the survivors are the stone. These dogs are calculating, ruthless and absolutely enormous (the sound of one taking down its victim was like an NFL linebacker sacking his opposing quarterback). For a film that on paper reads almost exactly like 1997’s The Edge (where survivors of an Alaskan plane crash were stalked by a bear as they tried to return home), Carnahan has somehow achieved a very different feel in this piece. While The Edge was something of a ‘Jaws in the forest’ story The Grey almost plays like a war film in which battle lines are drawn, attacks are made from the flanks and wallets are collected from victims like dog tags off fallen soldiers. It’s one of those absorbing movies where even the restful scenes are full of tension and beneath every breathtaking shot by Masanobu Takayanagi lies an uncomfortable, lurking menace. Neeson’s performance exemplifies this quality, with his now familiar alpha-male grit underscored by a wonderfully restrained vulnerability.
UPDATE, December 1, 2021: The Power of the Dog is screening in select cinemas, and also streams via Netflix from Wednesday, December 1. Don't call it a comeback: Jane Campion's films have been absent from cinemas for 12 years but, due to miniseries Top of the Lake, she hasn't been biding her time in that gap. And don't call it simply returning to familiar territory, even if the New Zealand director's new movie features an ivory-tinkling woman caught between cruel and sensitive men, as her Cannes Palme d'Or-winner The Piano did three decades ago. Campion isn't rallying after a dip, just as she isn't repeating herself. She's never helmed anything less than stellar, and she's immensely capable of unearthing rich new pastures in well-ploughed terrain. With The Power of the Dog, Campion is at the height of her skills trotting into her latest mesmerising musing on strength, desire and isolation — this time via a venomous western that's as perilously bewitching as its mountainous backdrop. That setting is Montana, circa 1925. Campion's homeland stands in for America nearly a century ago, making a magnificent sight — with cinematographer Ari Wegner (Zola, True History of the Kelly Gang) perceptively spying danger in its craggy peaks and dusty plains even before the film introduces Rose and Peter Gordon (On Becoming a God in Central Florida's Kirsten Dunst and 2067's Kodi Smit-McPhee). When the widowed innkeeper and her teenage son serve rancher brothers Phil and George Burbank (The Courier's Benedict Cumberbatch and Antlers' Jesse Plemons) during a cattle-run stop, the encounter seesaws from callousness to kindness, a dynamic that continues after Rose marries George and decamps to the Burbank mansion against that stunning backdrop. Brutal to the lanky, lisping Peter from the outset, Phil responds to the nuptials with malice. He isn't fond of change, and won't accommodate anything that fails his bristling definition of masculinity and power, either. In a career-best, awards-worthy, downright phenomenal turn by Cumberbatch, Phil is all hawkish menace and bravado; he viciously calls his brother 'Fatso', his initial taunting of Peter over paper flowers and effete mannerisms is all the more ferocious for its dinner-table audience, and he's effusive in his admiration for Bronco Henry, the man's man who taught him everything he knows. Indeed, Phil's hyper-masculine air, complete with threatening and mocking banjo-plucking, soon drives Rose to drink. He'd rather still be bunking in with George, as they have for the quarter-century they've run their inherited ranch. He'd rather scare everyone away by failing to bathe, unless he's stealing off to a secret water hole — and by mixing his Yale classics degree into his sneering, too. The key to Cumberbatch's commanding performance isn't softening Phil or playing up his charisma, but conveying the battle of repression and self-resentment raging within; the cattleman has long tanned his own public persona, but he's as complex as rawhide. Adapting Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name, Campion gives Phil's chomping misery ample company: in the sauced Rose, in the intimidating attitude that rolls around the ranch like a stubborn tumbleweed, and in Peter when he returns from his medical studies for the summer. The Power of the Dog lets this unhappy stew fester, adding grit to its brew with each passing scene and deepening its rich character studies in the process. The film's only misstep is pushing George aside, although the fact that his passivity — his main trait alongside tenderness — earns him less attention is an incisive touch. Rose becomes a supporting player as Phil and Peter's initially antagonistic relationship finds deeper dimensions but, in Dunst's hands, this is still an intense portrait of a woman heartbreakingly accustomed to being at others' whims. As a raw-boned young man who proves exacting and steely inside, Smit-McPhee isn't just similarly exceptional — he's revelatory. So much of The Power of the Dog hinges upon loaded moments where little appears to occur beyond interpersonal manoeuvring — where observing Phil, Rose and Peter's fraught dance is the most gripping thing in the film's frames. And while that back-and-forth is compulsively captivating, especially thanks to the feature's tremendous performances, the movie springs an unforgettable kicker that makes everything preceding its final scenes blister anew. Campion hasn't helmed a mystery, but she's masterful at lacing her feature with careful clues. She's meticulous with her unfurling, and with the herd of emotions it unleashes. From the get-go, she's also painstaking in her handling of tone and tension — so much so that there's never a second of The Power of the Dog that isn't on edge, particularly when Jonny Greenwood's ominous score grinds, twangs and bounces, the Radiohead guitarist setting the mood as firmly as he did with There Will Be Blood 14 years back. Westerns frequently canter through conflict, finding quarrels baked into the rough countryside. They also gallop into overt clashes about who's permitted to roam over, control and truly exist upon all that land. The Power of the Dog is a domestic melodrama as well as a western, but it's still a tale of dominance, yearning and survival in a remote place — and of people fighting for space, be it by oozing the macho toxicity expected of powerful white men, seeking safety in a sturdy marriage or extracting one's own path through the muck. Handsomely lensed and hauntingly patient, Campion's film is both classic and subversive, the two extremes that recent examples of the genre tend to oscillate between. Like Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain and Kelly Reichardt's Meek's Cutoff — both soaring modern westerns — it's aware of its past and also firmly of the moment, too. Viewers should expect nothing less of Campion, the first woman to win the Palme d'Or back in 1993 with The Piano — only this year did Julia Ducournau become the second thanks to Titane — and also the second-ever female Best Director Oscar nominee. She's already won Venice Film Festival's equivalent of the latter for her efforts here, and deserves at least another Academy Award nomination as well. Campion approaches filmmaking like she's stitching together a delicate tapestry layered with feeling, texture and insight, and the results are exquisite and immaculate. In this case, she's braided The Power of the Dog as intricately and determinedly as Phil plaits the rawhide lasso he becomes obsessed with — and ensures that it also cuts as sharply and devastatingly as the bull castrations he undertakes with his bare hands. Top image: Kirsty Griffin/Netflix.
Giant Dwarf just took out a 2014 SMAC Award for curating the best arts programming in Sydney, and now they’re celebrating their first birthday with a showcase offering a repeat of the best bits of their year. Brought to fruition by the team behind The Chaser, Giant Dwarf is a space that provides a permanent platform for Sydney’s underground comedy and theatre talent. Last year Giant Dwarf hosted a variety of performances from some of our city's brightest emerging stars — plus some surprise celeb guests you never thought you'd see reading their disturbing fanfic. On February 27, Giant Dwarf revisits some of these highlights of its opening year, with David Marr telling the story about how his marriage ended over a game of cards (from Story Club), Tracey Spicer confessing her seven deadly sins, Jordan Raskopoulos from Axis of Awesome presenting an Erotic Fan Fiction that "cannot legally be described in a press release", Rhys Nicholson's newest jokes from Comedy(ish) and Sam Campbell's TOD Talk on the axolotl. Also contributing on the night are venue regulars Zoe Norton Lodge, The Bear Pack and the Yarramadoon Public School Debaters. In the short time in which Giant Dwarf has been operating, the space has hosted some memorable performances that previously hadn't had a regular home or audience, sitting awkwardly outside of both Sydney's theatre and comedy scenes. It's now a beloved institution, with the aforementioned SMAC on its mantle. Says Giant Dwarf and The Chaser's Craig Reucassel, “We intended to burn it down for the insurance, but now I actually love it.”
Want to spend a Sunday soaking in rays with live music, theatre performances, and a top-notch food and drink lineup — all for a good cause? You're most certainly in luck. Sydney hospo favourite Odd Culture Group (Odd Culture, The Duke of Enmore) is throwing a free street party to raise money for its historic Woolloomooloo theatre next month. Located within one of our favourite pubs in Sydney, The Old Fitz Theatre has been a vital space within Sydney's arts scene for over two decades now. To celebrate all the exciting things the theatre has in store and to ensure the space continues to thrive for another 20+ years, Odd Culture Group is hosting a day of art, eats and bevs out the front of The Old Fitz on Sunday, February 11. A Streetparty Named Fitz will take over Dowling Street from midday until 7pm on February 11. On the day, you can expect a pair of performances from the theatre for a preview of its upcoming season, plus a live set from red Wiggle Murray Cook's band The Soul Movers, DJ Aunty Jonny on the decks, and roaming performers popping up throughout the crowd. In charge of the food for the day will be Odd Culture Group Executive Chef James MacDonald who has created a summer barbecue menu inspired by New Orleans cuisine (the setting of A Streetcar Named Desire). There will be jambalaya, smoked meats and veggies, smoked cheeseburgers and loaded fries. Once you've indulged in your savoury eats, head to the Mapo Bus and pick up a gelato — talk about summer perfection. [caption id="attachment_716745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mapo Gelato, Kitti Gould[/caption] Odd Culture has called on some high-profile friends to assist with the day's drinks. A pop-up bar will feature slushies and spritzes created by Matt Whiley (Re), Evan Stroeve (The Waratah) and Eduardo Conde (El Primo Sanchez), as well as margarita seltzers and Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin and tonics. "It means so much to us to work alongside Odd Culture to ensure that the Fitz remains a local favourite and a home for experience-seekers all over Sydney to return to," says The Old Fitz Theatre's Emma Wright. "As a small, independent theatre space, support from the community and opportunities to reach beyond our 55-seat space make a world of difference and help us continue to champion independent artists and stories within this iconic space." [caption id="attachment_937223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old Fitz Theatre, Sydney Fringe Festival[/caption] A Streetparty Named Fitz will hit 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo, from 12–7pm on Sunday, February 11. To find out more and register your interest, head to the Odd Culture Group website.
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. DRIVE MY CAR More than four decades have passed since Haruki Murakami's debut novel reached shelves, and since the first film adaptation of his work followed, too; however, the two best page-to-screen versions of the author's prose have arrived in the past four years. It's easy to think about South Korean drama Burning while watching Drive My Car, because the two features — one Oscar-shortlisted, the other now the first Japanese movie to be nominated for Best Picture — spin the writer's words into astonishing, intricately observed portraits of human relationships. Both films are also exceptional. In the pair, Murakami's text is only a starting point, with his tales hitting the screen filtered through each picture's respective director. For Drive My Car, Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi does the honours, taking audiences riding through another of the Happy Hour, Asako I & II and with Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy helmer's layered, thoughtful and probing reflections on connection. Using Murakami's short story from 2014 collection Men Without Women as its basis, Drive My Car's setup is simple. Yes, the film's title is descriptive. Two years after a personal tragedy, actor/director Yūsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima, Silent Tokyo) agrees to bring Chekhov's Uncle Vanya to the stage in Hiroshima, and the company behind it insists on giving him a chauffeur for his stay. He declines— he'd asked to stay an hour away from the theatre so he could listen to recorded tapes of the play on his drive — yet his new employers contend that it's mandatory for insurance and liability reasons. Enter 23-year-old Misaki Watari (Tôko Miura, Spaghetti Code Love), who becomes a regular part of Yūsuke's working stint in the city. Drive My Car doesn't hurry to its narrative destination, clocking in at a minute shy of three hours. It doesn't rush to get to its basic premise, either. Before the film's opening credits arrive 40 minutes in, it steps through Yūsuke's existence back when he was appearing in a version of Uncle Vanya himself, married to television scriptwriter Oto (Reika Kirishima, Japanese TV's Sherlock) and grappling with an earlier heartbreak. His wife is also sleeping with younger actor Takatsuki (Masaki Okada, Arc), which Yūsuke discovers, says nothing about but works towards discussing until fate intervenes. Then, when he sits in his red 1987 Saab 900 Turbo just as the movie's titles finally display, he's a man still wracked by grief. It's also swiftly clear that he's using his two-month Hiroshima residency as a distraction, even while knowing that this exact play — and Oto's voice on the tapes he keeps listening to — will always be deeply tied to his life-shattering loss. This prologue does more than set the scene; there's a reason that Hamaguchi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Takamasa Oe (The Naked Director), directs so much time its way. Where tales of tragedy and mourning often plunge into happy lives suddenly unsettled by something catastrophic or the process of picking up the pieces in the aftermath — typically making a concerted choice between one or the other — Drive My Car sees the two as the forever-linked halves of a complicated journey, as they are. The film isn't interested in the events that've forever altered the plot of Yūsuke's life, but in who he is, how he copes, and what ripples that inescapable hurt causes. It's just as fascinated with another fact: that so many of us have these stories. Just as losing someone and soldiering on afterwards are unshakeably connected, so are we all by sharing these cruel constants of life. Read our full review. BENEDETTA What do two nuns in the throes of sexual ecstasy gasp? "My god" and "sweet Jesus", of course. No other filmmaker could've made those divine orgasmic exclamations work quite like Paul Verhoeven does in Benedetta, with the Dutch filmmaker adding another lusty, steamy, go-for-broke picture to his resume three decades after Basic Instinct and more than a quarter-century since Showgirls. His latest erotic romp has something that his 90s dives into plentiful on-screen sex didn't, however: a true tale, courtesy of the life of the movie's 17th-century namesake, whose story the writer/director and his co-scribe David Birke (Slender Man) adapt from Judith Brown's 1986 non-fiction book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy. For anyone that's ever wondered how a religious biopic and nunsploitation might combine, this is the answer you've been praying for. Frequently a playful filmmaker — the theories that Showgirls is in on its own joke keep bubbling for a reason — Verhoeven starts his first film since 2016's Elle with that feature's more serious tone. The screen is back, the words "inspired by real events" appear and the score is gloomy. When Benedetta's titular figure appears as a girl (played by Elena Plonka, Don't Worry About the Kids), she's the picture of youth and innocence, and she's also so devoted to her faith that she's overjoyed about joining a convent in the Tuscan village of Pescia. But then villains interrupt her trip, and this pious child demonstrates her favour with the almighty by seemingly getting a bird to shit in a man's eye. It isn't quite as marvellous as turning water into wine, but it's its own kind of miracle. As an adult (Virginie Efira, Bye Bye Morons), she'll talk to strapping hallucinations of Jesus (Jonathan Couzinié, Heroes Don't Die), too, and use her beloved childhood statuette of the Virgin Mary as a dildo. There is no line between the sacred and the profane in Benedetta: things can be both here, and frequently are. Case in point: on her first night at the convent, after a bartering session between her father (David Clavel, French Dolls) and the abbess (Charlotte Rampling, Dune) over the girl's dowry for becoming a bride of christ, a statue of the Virgin Mary collapses upon Benedetta, and she shows her sanctity by licking the sculpture's exposed breast. So, 18 years later, when she's both seeing Jesus and attracted to abused newcomer Sister Bartolomea (Daphné Patakia, Versailles), they're the most natural things that could happen. To Benedetta, they're gifts from god, too. She does try to deny her chemistry with the convent's fresh novice at first, but the lord wants what he wants for her. Unsurprisingly, not everyone in the convent — the abbess' daughter Sister Christina (Louise Chevillotte, Synonyms) chief among them — agrees, approves or in believes in her visions. Verhoeven puts his own faith in crafting a witty, sexy, no-holds-barred satire. That said, he doesn't ever play Benedetta as a one-note, over-the-top joke that's outrageous for the sake of it. His protagonist believes, he just-as-devoutly believes in her — whether she's a prophet, a heretic or both, he doesn't especially care — and he also trusts her faith in her primal desires. His allegiance is always with Benedetta, but that doesn't mean that he can't find ample humour in the film or firm targets to skewer. The hypocrisy of religion — "a convent is not a place of charity, child; you must pay to come here," the abbess advises — gets his full comic attention. Having the always-great Rampling on-hand to personify the Catholic Church at its most judgemental and least benevolent (at its money-hungry worst, too) helps considerably. Indeed, what the veteran English actor can do with a withering glare and snarky delivery is a movie miracle. Read our full review. DEATH ON THE NILE Some folks just know how to rock a moustache. When Kenneth Branagh (Tenet) stepped into super-sleuth Hercule Poirot's shoes in 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, he clearly considered himself to be one of them. The actor and filmmaker didn't simply play Agatha Christie's famously moustachioed Belgian detective, but also directed the movie — and he didn't miss a chance to showcase his own performance, as well as that hair adorning his top lip. You don't need to be a world-renowned investigator to deduce that Branagh was always going to repeat the same tricks with sequel Death on the Nile, or to pick that stressing the character's distinctive look and accompanying bundle of personality quirks would again take centre stage. But giving Poirot's 'stache its own black-and-white origin story to start the new movie truly is the height of indulgence. Branagh has previously covered a superhero's beginnings in the initial Thor flick, and also stepped into his own childhood in Belfast, so explaining why Poirot sports his elaborately styled mo — how it came to be, and what it means to him emotionally, too — is just another example of the director doing something he obviously loves. That early hirsute focus sets the tone for Death on the Nile, though, and not as Branagh and returning screenwriter Michael Green (Jungle Cruise) must've intended. Viewers are supposed to get a glimpse at what lies beneath Poirot's smarts and deductive savvy by literally peering beneath his brush-like under-nostril bristles, but all that emerges is routine and formulaic filler. That's the film from its hairy opening to its entire trip through Egypt. At least the moustache looks more convincing than the sets and CGI that are passed off as the pyramids, Abu Simbel and cruising the titular waterway. It's 1937, three years after the events of Murder on the Orient Express, and Poirot is holidaying in Egypt. While drinking tea with a vantage out over the country's unconvincingly computer-generated towering wonders, he chances across his old pal Bouc (Tom Bateman, Behind Her Eyes) and his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening, Hope Gap), who invite him to join their own trip — which doubles as a honeymoon for just-married heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot, Red Notice) and her new husband Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer, Crisis). Poirot obliges, but he's also surprised by the happy couple. Six weeks earlier, he saw them get introduced by Linnet's now-former friend and Simon's now ex-fiancée Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey, Sex Education). That awkward history isn't easily forgotten by the central duo, either, given that Jackie has followed them with a view to winning Simon back. Boating down the Nile is initially an escape plan, whisking the newlyweds away from their obsessive stalker. But even as the group — which includes jazz singer Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo, Wild Rose), her niece and Linnet's school friend Rosalie (Letitia Wright, Black Panther), the bride's own ex-fiancé Linus Windlesham (Russell Brand, Four Kids and It), her lawyer Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal, Victoria and Abdul), her assistant Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones), her godmother Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie) and the latter's nurse Mrs Bowers (Dawn French, The Vicar of Dibley) — adjust to the change of schedule, two things were always going to happen. The pouty Jacqueline can't be thwarted that easily, of course. Also, the fact that there'll soon be a murder for Poirot to solve is right there in the movie's moniker. Read our full review. MARRY ME Romantic comedies are all about timing. Whoever pairs up in whichever film, they share moments: meeting-cute at just the right time, going on life-changing dates, coming to big realisations in tandem and such. Marry Me lives for those kinds of incidents, but the film's timing itself is also unfortunate. Based on Bobby Crosby's webcomic and subsequent graphic novel of the same name — with the former dating back to 2006 — it arrives on the big screen at a time when Starstruck has already delightfully riffed on Notting Hill's tale about an everyday person falling for someone super famous, and when reality TV's Married at First Sight has been making people who've just met get hitched since 2013 (and in versions made in multiple countries), too. If Marry Me managed to transcend its Starstruck/Notting Hill-meets-MAFS premise, it could reach cinemas whenever and it wouldn't matter; however, even Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson's charms can't make that happen. Releasing a rom-com starring Lopez and Wilson in 2022 does toy with time a little, though. Its source material doesn't date back 25 years, to when its stars were both in Anaconda, but its broad strokes could've still fuelled a late-90s addition to the romantic-comedy genre. That's how creaky it feels; of course, that timing would've meant spinning a story without livestreamed concerts — and livestreamed lives, outside of films such as The Truman Show and EdTV — but it also would've rid the movie of one of its biggest crutches. Marry Me finds it too easy to blame too many character choices on the always-online, always-performing, always-oversharing mentality that's now the status quo. It too lazily uses the divide between constantly broadcasting one's every move via social media and happily living life offline to fuel its opposites-attract setup as well. It's no wonder that the movie always feels shallow, even for an obvious fairytale, and even as the script attempts to layer in knowing nods to how women like its central popstar are treated by the world whether or not they record and share every moment they're awake. That singing celebrity is Kat Valdez, aka Lopez playing a part that could've easily been originally penned with her in mind. Kat is a global superstar who, to her dismay, is known as much for her hits as for her personal life. That said, she also willingly combines the two in the track 'Marry Me', a duet with her fiancé Bastian (Colombian singer Maluma) that the pair plan to get married to during a show livestreamed to 20 million people. But moments before Kat ascends to the on-stage altar, news that Bastian has been unfaithful spreads across the internet. Sick of being unlucky in love — and just as fed up with being publicly ridiculed for her romantic misfortunes — she picks out Owen's middle-school maths teacher Charlie Gilbert from the crowd and weds him instead. He's just holding a banner with the movie's title on it for his pal and fellow educator Parker Debbs (Sarah Silverman, Don't Look Up), and he's accompanied by his daughter Lou (Claudia Coleman, Gunpowder Milkshake), but he still says yes. Director Kat Coiro (A Case of You) knows the kind of glossy, crowd-pleasing, comfort-viewing fare she's making and has a feel for that exact niche, but no one is served well by John Rogers (The Librarians), Tami Sagher (Inside Amy Schumer) and Harper Dill's (The Mick) paper-thin script. Worlds away from their last respective big-screen roles in Hustlers and The French Dispatch, Lopez and Wilson do what they can with the fluffy, frothy material, but make viewers wish they had something better to work with. Charismatic casting can keep formulaic rom-coms afloat, and this pairing frequently does, but it can't hide Marry Me's surface-level skimming of anything that could've given it depth. What's expected of women, especially in the public eye; the struggle to keep believing in love when past relationships have silenced your hope; the chasm between the dream of fame and the reality: fleshed out, they all could've helped make Marry Me sing something more than the same old romantic-comedy tune. SIMPLE PASSION To watch Laetitia Dosch in Simple Passion is to watch a woman flipped and flung about by the forces of love and lust, sometimes literally, while proving steadfastly willing to flail and even flounder in the pursuit of her desires. After appearing in films such as 4 Days in France, Gaspard at the Wedding and Of Love and Lies, the French Swiss actor plays Hélène Auguste, a Parisian university lecturer caught in the throes of her most profound sexual relationship yet. Alas, Russian diplomat Aleksandr Svitsin (ballet star Sergei Polunin, The White Crow), the man she can't get enough, has a wife and another life in a different country. He also alternates between showing up unannounced for marathon lovemaking sessions, ghosting her texts and standing Hélène up on hotel rendezvous, a dynamic that leaves her as tussled and tumbled as their rumbles between the sheets. Passion is the perfect word for what she feels, as the movie's moniker proclaims — but the other term in its title couldn't be more loaded. Hélène's attraction to and obsession with Aleksandr is simple in its most primal form. Whenever the couple are in bed — or on whatever other surface fits the task in her sunny home, as writer/director Danielle Arbid (Parisienne) eagerly depicts — everything just clicks. But when more than flesh against flesh is involved, it isn't merely complicated; the infatuated Hélène may as well be an errant rose petal caught in a gusty breeze on a glorious day. The passion that she holds so dear, that makes her feel like something other than a single mother with a straightforward life, and that seems so perfect when coloured by post-coital bliss, is also a whirlwind that can thrust her in any direction at any time without notice. She wants to bask in the glow that her affair with Aleksandr ignites, not just internally and emotionally but in the way it makes everything about her existence seem brighter, and yet that happiness is always at his mercy. Arbid adapts Annie Ernaux's novel of the same name with a key, calm and clear-eyed aim: steeping her film deep within Hélène's mindset so that every frame reflects her longing and desire, and her passion at its most simple and complex alike. As its lengthy sex scenes linger on Polunin's body, the feature firmly sports a female gaze — the yearning that Hélène feels for Aleksandr filters through every image, whether the couple is getting physical, she's peering at the stoic face that so infrequently betrays what he's thinking, or she's taking her time cataloguing his tattooed torso. Simple Passion is explicit, and often, including with Hélène's ecstatic moans as its soundtrack. It's sensual, soulful and emotional, though, traits that equally apply in the dead space between the dates that its protagonist anticipates breathlessly. Indeed, Arbid and cinematographer Pascale Granel (The Wild Boys) capture the way that she stares around her house as she keenly awaits any sign from Aleksandr with the same intimacy and delicacy. That's a pivotal touch; stylistically, Hélène is never defined by Aleksandr, but by her own feelings. Dosch is remarkable as Hélène, turning in a rich and subtle performance that's both physically expressive and deeply internalised, and usually at the same time. Her body speaks its own language when she's with Aleksandr, while her face coveys everything that bubbles inside — sometimes hope and joy, sometimes despair and listlessness — whether she's revelling in his presence or rueing his absence. In fact, she so sensational that she helps the film patch over easy choices that, in hands less meticulous and careful than Arbid's, would threaten to put Simple Passion in the 50 Shades of Grey and After franchises' company. Of course Hélène is a literature professor, because female-focused features about thorny affairs that spring from the page to the screen love the field. Of course the movie's pop-music cues are heavy-handed. Of course Polunin operates in one register, even if his off-screen infamy lends more texture to his character. Nonetheless, when Simple Passion rises to its seductive and astute peaks, it showers the screen in sparks. WYRMWOOD: APOCALYPSE Add The Castle to the list of influences flavouring Australian zombie franchise Wyrmwood: here, as in the beloved homegrown comedy, it's the vibe of the thing. Starting with 2014's low-budget labour of love Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead and now continuing with Wyrmwood: Apocalypse, this bushland-set saga has atmosphere to spare. Free-flowing gore, a crash-and-bash urgency and a can-do attitude splatter across the screen in abundance, too. They're key factors in all movies about a dystopian future ravaged by the undead, but filmmaking siblings Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner ask that mood and tone to do much of their series' heavy lifting. The Wyrmwood films blast away with affection for all of the zombie flicks that've preceded them, and all of the outback thrillers, Ozploitation fare and mad scientist-fuelled tales as well — and they couldn't be more blatant about it — but, even with that teeming passion and prominent energy, they still prove less than the sum of their evident sources of inspiration. As its predecessor did, Wyrmwood: Apocalypse nonetheless makes a smart move or two within its sea of well-worn concepts and overt nods. The strongest and savviest here: casting Shantae Barnes-Cowan and Tasia Zalar, and pointing the camera at them at every chance possible. The former takes on the shuffling, brain-munching masses fresh from battling vampires in the outback in Aussie TV series Firebite, and turns in another fierce and formidable performance. The latter arrives with The Straits, Mystery Road and Streamline on her resume and, while playing a character who needs rescuing — a half-human, half-zombie at that — she could never be described as a damsel in distress. Indeed, Barnes-Cowan and Zalar help set this sequel's ferocious tone as much as the gritty, go-for-broke aesthetics that the Roache-Turner brothers and their returning cinematographer Tim Nagle gleefully and eagerly covet. Writer/director/editor Kiah and writer/producer Tristan still stick with the most obvious protagonist, however: Rhys (Luke McKenzie, Wentworth), a special forces soldier who also happens to be the twin of a crucial figure from the prior film. He weathers dystopian life by holing up in a fenced-in compound where he uses a pen full of zombies to his advantage — aided by various contraptions, plenty of chains and shackles, plus blood-dripping carcasses as incentives — and by driving a Mad Max-style vehicle to round up undead test subjects for The Surgeon (Nicholas Boshier, The Moth Effect). In fact, after crossing paths with Zalar's Grace, he delivers her for military-approved experiments, but Barnes-Cowan's Maxi soon demands that he help set her free. Rhys has been operating under the assumption that The Surgeon and his armed pals had humanity's best interests in mind, despite all glaring appearances otherwise, a misguided belief that Maxi quickly vanquishes. Wyrmwood: Apocalypse also weaves in ex-mechanic Barry (Jay Gallagher, Nekrotronic) and his sister Brooke (Bianca Bradey, The Pet Killer), survivors of the first film, and toys with zombies controlled by virtual reality, too. Just like its heaving pile of influences, Wyrmwood: Apocalypse doesn't lack in moving parts — although that isn't the same as telling an engaging story, which the sequel doesn't ever muster up. Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead already echoed too loudly with been-there, done-that touches; this follow-up positively screams, especially for fans of both horror and science fiction who've seen all the same movies that the Roache-Turners clearly have. Unsurprisingly, while Bosher steals scenes by pure force in his attempt to one-up even the craziest of past on-screen mad scientists, everything around Barnes-Cowan and Zalar — McKenzie's supremely standard leading role included — frequently feels like filler in an familiar wasteland. BLACKLIGHT In most movies, Liam Neeson's Blacklight character wouldn't be the protagonist. Secret FBI fixer Travis Block likely wouldn't even be given a name. Instead, he'd merely be a brief presence who popped up to help other on-screen figures — the federal agents he gets out of tricky situations, for instance — as they went about their business and connected the script's necessary plot points. Turning someone who'd usually be seen as disposable into its lead is this action-thriller's one good idea, but the flattened henchman scene in Austin Powers gave the notion more thought than the entirety of Blacklight demonstrates. There's a difference between thrusting a character to the fore and fleshing them out, especially when a film is happy to define them solely by the actor in their shoes. Here, Travis Block is another prosaic entry on Neeson's action resume first and foremost. When Blacklight begins, Block has spent his career doing whatever FBI Director Gabriel Robinson (Aidan Quinn, Elementary) has asked. Typically, that's assisting on-the-books operatives struggling with off-the-books missions — and Block is great at his job. But when he's tasked with aiding the suddenly erratic Dusty Crane (Taylor John Smith, Shadow in the Cloud), he begins to see more in the rogue agent's story than his old Vietnam War pal Robinson wants to share. Crane has quite the wild tale to tell, tied to the assassination of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-style politician Sofia Flores (Mel Jarnson, Mortal Kombat) and filled with dark government secrets, and he's eager to share it with scoop-chasing reporter Mira Jones (Emmy Raver-Lampman, The Umbrella Academy). That's exactly what Block is supposed to stop, with his new crisis of conscience putting his daughter Amanda (Claire van der Bloom, Palm Beach) and granddaughter Natalie (debutant Gabriella Sengos) in peril. Spotting similarities between Blacklight and Neeson's other recent work isn't just a sign of spending too much time watching the Irish actor's features of late. His latest release shares a filmmaker with Honest Thief, which reached cinemas less than 18 months ago — and writer/director Mark Williams doesn't stretch himself or his star in their second collaboration. Another flick that's solely about getting Neeson to deploy the no-longer-special set of action skills he's been trotting out since the Taken films became such hits, Blacklight is dispiritingly bland and by the numbers, even within the growing pile of movies that fit the same description (see also: The Marksman and The Ice Road in the past year). It isn't just that first-time co-scribe Nick May's formulaic script ticks every expected box, and that Williams' every directorial choice sticks to the easy and obvious as well. Flatter than the weary gaze emanating from Neeson at every turn, the film persistently suffers from a lack of life and energy. Melbourne dubiously stands in for Washington DC, and the conspiracy-fuelled action that takes over its streets and buildings is even less convincing; whether tracking foot chases or crashing along roadways, the movie's set pieces are perfunctory at best. And while the subplot involving Travis' yearning to spend more time with Amanda and Natalie is meant to add depth amid the routine blows, it's as flimsy and implausible as everything else in the narrative (especially when Amanda can't fathom why her dad, whose personality is solely defined by his work, family and having OCD, has a paranoia problem). The twists surrounding Robinson prove just as laboured, and Neeson and Quinn's long-standing on-screen rapport — dating back to 1986's The Mission — can't bolster the dialogue or the dynamic between their. Indeed, when Neeson utters resigned lines about making poor career choices, it rings with truth for all of the wrong reasons. 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 October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; and February 3. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West and Jackass Forever.
Boat Harbour is not your typical beach. Far from offering a lazy day in the sun, this is one of the last beaches in Sydney where you can drive your 4WD. Located on the northeastern side of the Kurnell peninsula, the 150-metre beach is accessible via 4WD-friendly sand dunes which, once traversed, spit you out onto Boat Harbour, with its calm and shallow waters. On weekends, this strip of sand fills up with families bringing their barbecues and gazebos down to set up for the day (driving onto the beach means no gear-laden walks from the car park). The beach is unpatrolled but is known for its calm waters, making it a popular destination for stand-up paddleboarding, line fishing and snorkelling, too. And, if you don't feel like getting wet, check out the sea life in the rock pools that hug the shoreline instead.
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. As usual, rumours have run wild in anticipation of the lineup announce, but the details for Splendour 2017 are finally here. And we're happy to report that some of the rumours were true. As announced by triple j, there's no Lorde or Frank Ocean, but LCD bloody Soundsystem will be Splendouring — it will be the reunited band's first return to Australia since they played Big Day Out back in 2011. The lineup also doesn't state that Splendour is their only show, so stay tuned for news of a national tour (hopefully). It also seems that, happily, the predictions for The xx and Queens of the Stone Age were correct too. Joining them is one heck of a lineup that includes HAIM, RL Grime, Banks and Two Door Cinema Club, along with Future Islands and LA hip hip artist Schoolboy Q, who will be doing one-off Australian shows at the festival. Australian artists on the bill include Tash Sultana, King Gizzard, D.D Dumbo, Dune Rats, A.B Original, Big Scary and more. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2017 LINEUP The xx Queens of the Stone Age LCD Soundsystem Royal Blood HAIM Sigur Rós ScHoolboy Q (only Aus show) Vance Joy Two Door Cinema Club Peking Duk RL Grime Bonobo Father John Misty Catfish and the Bottlemen Tash Sultana Paul Kelly Stormzy King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard George Ezra Future Islands (only Aus show) Banks Bernard Fanning Dune Rats Cut Copy Ásgeir Allday Meg Mac Rag 'N' Bone Man Thundamentals Lil' Yachty San Cisco Client Liaison Real Estate Dan Sultan Vallis Alps D.D Dumbo Maggie Rogers Tove Lo POND Big Scary The Smith Street Band Oh Wonder A.B. Original Dope Lemon The Kite String Tangle Young Franco Julia Jacklin Kingswood Amy Shark Luca Brasi The Lemon Twigs Vera Blue Slumberjack Bad//Dreems Bag Raiders Topaz Jones Middle Kids Ocean Grove Confidence Man Bishop Briggs Late Nite Tuff Guy Julien Baker Kilter Lany Hockey Dad Kirin J Callinan Airling Cosmo's Midnight Gretta Ray Moonbase The Peep Tempel Tornado Wallace The Murlocs Mallrat Luke Million The Wilson Pickers Romare Jarrow Good Boy Kuren Oneman Winston Surfshirt Set Mo HWLS Harvey Sutherland and Bermuda CC:Disco! Enschway DJHMC Nite Fleit Alice Ivy Willow Beats Willaris. K Mookhi Plus... Swindail Dena Amy Andy Garvey Planète Sam Weston Super Cruel Christopher Port Lewis Cancut Kinder plus triple j Unearthed winners Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 21, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday, July 19. Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 6 at 9am sharp AEST. More info will soon be available at the official Splendour In The Grass site. Image: Bianca Holderness.
UPDATE, May 1, 2021: I Am Greta is available to stream via Stan, Docplay, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. If a single image can sum up the current crucial battle against climate change, it's a picture — any picture — of Greta Thunberg. Since deciding to skip school to protest outside Sweden's parliament back in August 2018, the braid-wearing teen has become the face of a movement. She isn't the first person to sound an alarm about the dire state of the planet, to vehemently speak truth to power or to gain widespread attention, but her determined, no-nonsense approach really isn't easily forgotten. Sometimes, it's directed at ordinary Stockholm residents going about their days while she strikes. As she has garnered increasing attention, Thunberg has trained her stare on crowded United Nations' conferences, too, and at attendees with the capacity but not necessarily the inclination to make a difference. She has also met face to face with world leaders, but she knows that politicians usually only share her gaze for a photo opportunity. Demonstrating patiently, speaking passionately, shaking hands for the cameras: all of these moments are captured by documentary I Am Greta, which surveys Thunberg's ascension from everyday Swedish 15-year-old to one of the best-known figures fighting to save the earth. The film acts as a chronicle, starting with her activism on her home soil, following her efforts as she's thrust to fame, and culminating in her trip across the Atlantic Ocean via yacht to present at 2019's UN Climate Action Summit, where she gave her iconic "how dare you" speech. But as the title indicates, this doco is just as concerned with Thunberg's home life as her public impact. Accordingly, while filmmaker Nathan Grossman has an array of recognisable footage at his disposal in this slickly packaged affair — packed protests, widely seen speeches, British parliament addresses, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron — he interweaves it with quieter, intimate and unguarded moments. Including material preceding her present status as a household name, I Am Greta watches Thunberg prepare for big events, spend time with her beloved dogs and horses, eat meals with her family, and get escorted around the world by bus, train and boat by her father Svante. These snippets help paint a picture of the teenager behind the activism, and much of it is highly relatable. She adores her pets, finding their presence soothing. She obsesses over every detail of every speech, even when her dad is reminding her to rest and eat. She happily calls herself a nerd, explains the helpful side of her Asperger syndrome diagnosis ("it might be good if everyone had a tiny bit of Asperger's, at least about the climate," she shares), talks through details of past episodes of selective mutism and notes that being bullied isn't a new part of her life. Viewers looking for something more revealing in Thunberg's daily existence will be disappointed, as will anyone eager to discover details that haven't been covered in many a profile, or keen for in-depth facts and figures. But by purposefully and repeatedly stressing that its subject is simply a young woman who feels passionate about doing everything she can to raise awareness about climate change, and to motivate the world's powers-that-be to act before it's too late, I Am Greta makes an immensely potent statement. It's one that Thunberg has vocalised on many occasions with words as direct as her glare, and it resonates just as strongly here. It shouldn't take a teen skipping school and inspiring millions more around the world to follow in her footsteps to get people talking, thinking and enacting solutions to counteract the earth's warming. Thunberg shouldn't need to be a leader in this space. At the beginning of the film, during her time spent sitting outside Swedish parliament, she acknowledges that she likely knows far more about climate change than the overwhelming bulk of Sweden's politicians — and that firmly shouldn't be the case. Also cutting through astutely is Thunberg's continued recognition of how, as her fame increases, the global response by naysayers encapsulates so much about the status quo and the lack of government action. She calls out politicians who chat and get snapped in pictures but do nothing to follow through, with Grossman letting viewers see the pageantry alongside Thunberg's perceptive observations. She reads trolling comments, too — and I Am Greta says plenty when it shows figures such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison either attacking Thunberg, childishly insulting her, discounting her message or saying that the planet's younger generations should stick to studying instead of fighting for their futures. It isn't ever explicitly said, but I Am Greta also makes another pivotal point, and it applies not only to its central figure but to the rousing film itself. In addition to emphasising that the steadfast eco-warrior is a teen tackling a topic that so many of her elders have happily ignored for decades, this documentary understands that its audience already knows how they feel about Thunberg. It also recognises that its viewers are just as aware of which side they fall on when it comes to combating climate change. As a result, this movie isn't going to convert skeptics and Thunberg's critics, or alter her fans' thinking, and it isn't trying to. It'd rather show the work to effect change in action, and let that speak volumes. Indeed, what echoes here is that simply doing the right thing — doing something, in fact — is essential regardless of any obstacles and opposition, whether urged by Al Gore, David Attenborough, Aussie doco 2040, your best mate, your neighbour, a stranger or Thunberg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwk10YGPFiM
Two decades ago, Bill Nighy won two BAFTAs in the same year for vastly dissimilar roles: for playing a rock 'n' roll singer belting out a cheesy Christmas tune in Love Actually, and also for his turn as a journalist investigating a political scandal in gripping miniseries State of Play. The beloved British actor has achieved plenty more across his career, including collecting an eclectic resume that spans an uncredited turn in Black Books, a pivotal part in Shaun of the Dead, and everything from Underworld and Pride to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (plus stepping into David Bowie's shoes in the TV version of The Man Who Fell to Earth). Somehow, though, Nighy made it all the way into his 70s before receiving a single Oscar nomination. He didn't emerge victorious at 2023's ceremony for Living, but his recognition for this textured drama isn't just a case of the Academy rewarding a stellar career — it's thoroughly earned by one of the veteran talent's best performances yet. Nighy comes to this sensitive portrayal of a dutiful company man facing life-changing news with history; so too does the feature itself. Set in London in 1953, it's an adaptation several times over — of iconic Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's 1952 film Ikiru, and of Leo Tolstoy's 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich, which the former also takes inspiration from. That's quite the lineage for Living to live up to, but Nighy and director Oliver Hermanus (Moffie) are up to the task. The movie's second Oscar-nominee, Nobel Prize-winning screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro, unsurprisingly is as well. Also the author of The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, he's at home penning layered stories with a deep focus on complicated characters not being completely true to themselves. When those two novels were turned into impressive pictures, Ishiguro didn't script their screenplays, but he writes his way through Living's literary and cinematic pedigree like he was born to. A man of no more words than he has to utter — of no more of anything, including life's pleasures, frivolities, distractions and detours, in fact — Williams (Nighy, Emma.) is a born bureaucrat. Or, that's how he has always appeared to his staff in the Public Works Department in London County Hall, where he's been doing the same job day, week, month and year in and out. He's quiet and stoic as he pushes paper daily, overseeing a department that's newly welcoming in Peter Wakeling (Alex Sharp, The Trial of the Chicago 7). It's through this fresh face's eyes that Living's audience first spies its central figure, adopting his and the wider team's perspective of Williams as a compliant and wooden functionary: a view that the film and its sudden diagnosis then challenges, as Williams does of himself. As Ikiru was as well, and as The Death of Ivan Ilyich's name made so apparent, this is a tale of a man dying — and, while confronting that fact, finally living. In Hermanus and Ishiguro's hands, sticking close to Kurosawa and his collaborators before them, this story gets part of its spark from a simple request by local parents for a playground. Before learning that he has terminal cancer, Williams behaves as he always has, with the women making their plea sent from department to department while he does only as much as he must. Afterwards, grappling with how to capitalise upon the time he has left, he wonders how to leave even the smallest mark on the world. Living isn't about a big, impulsive response to one of the worst developments that anyone can ever be saddled with during their time on this mortal coil, except that it is in Williams' own way; when your reaction to hearing that you have mere months left to live is "quite", any break from routine is radical. This isn't a cancer weepie, not for a second. It also isn't an illness-focused film where someone's health struggles come second to the feelings and changes experienced by those around them. Williams' colleagues notice his absence when he stops showing up to the office, of course. One, the young Margaret Harris (Aimee Lou Wood, Sex Education), accompanies him on unexpected away-from-work outings and advises that she'd nicknamed him 'Mr Zombie'. Living is about those instances — the fancy lunches that Williams treats himself to, the nights out drinking with new pals (Tom Burke, The Wonder) he never would've contemplated before, the flouting of his lifelong monotonous routine, and the efforts to go above and beyond that he's now willing to take — rather than about an ailing man's family and acquaintances facing loss. Indeed, given that Williams doesn't want to interrupt his son (Barney Fishwick, Call the Midwife) and daughter-in-law (Patsy Ferran, Mothering Sunday) with his condition, Living is firmly invested in someone navigating their swansong on their own terms. At the heart of this ruminative film, and Williams' post-diagnosis behaviour, sits one of the most fundamental existential questions there is. Knowing that death is looming so soon and so swiftly, what can possibly provide comfort? That's a query we all face daily, most of us just on a longer timeline — context that makes Williams' way of coping both resonant and highly relatable. Life is filling each moment with anything but reminders that our here and now is fleeting, albeit not in such a conscious and concerted manner. Living's boxed-in imagery, constrained within Academy-ratio frames and gifted a handsome, period-appropriate but almost-wistful sheen by Hermanus' Moffie and Beauty cinematographer Jamie Ramsay (also the director of photography on See How They Run), helps visually express a crucial feeling: of being anchored within a set amount of space and discovering how to make the most of it. When Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, Yojimbo and Ran great Kurosawa stepped through this terrain, he did so with one of his frequent players: Takashi Shimura. There's a particular sense of potency in telling this tale with a familiar figure, as Nighy also is, hammering home how truly universal this plight is no matter the specifics. Nighy's performance toys with what viewers have come to know and expect from him, however. He's in reserved rather than twinkling and instantly charming mode — still, muted and melancholy, too — a facade for his character that says oh-so-much about the dedicated life that Williams has weathered, the solace he's found in it, his handling of his current situation and also the film's post-World War II setting. Conveying the difference between being and relishing so effortlessly and also so heartbreakingly, Nighy is a marvel, and one that the movie around him lives for.
Powerhouse Late will get a special spin next Thursday for SXSW Sydney. Established artists and up-and-comers from across the globe will bring free live music to Powerhouse Ultimo for one night only. [caption id="attachment_921573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Dillon Gibbs[/caption] From 5–9pm on Thursday, October 19, you can catch sets from hugely popular Indonesian singer-songwriter Isyana Sarasvati, South Korean synth-pop group ADOY and Aussie rockers Dust on Stage 1. Stage 2 will welcome rising local musos Tiffi, POOKIE, Big Skeez and SUPEREGO, while Stage 3 will host electronic artists Nuum, Moss and Sonic Mutations in their debut live performance. Grab a cold one from the Young Henrys bar between tunes before you venture onto the museum's interactive exhibits. Use VR to play with 3D models of the museum's collection in the Victorian Reality exhibit or wander through a 360-degree projection room and write your own message with mist in the multisensory Atmospheric Memory. Powerhouse Late is free, but registrations are recommended and can be made at the Powerhouse website. Top image: Jordan Munns
There's something curiously comforting about a classic British spy film. They've an indescribable charm to them, a sort of old-world authenticity that very few others seem capable of capturing. Doubtless much of that is owed to so many of England's finest espionage writers having actually served in her intelligence services. Both Ian Fleming and Roald Dahl, for example, operated as intelligence officers during WWII, and even Christopher Marlowe is thought to have carried out covert activities at the behest of Sir Francis Walsingham. Not even they, however, can match the experience of writer John Le Carre who penned the novel upon which Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is based. Le Carre (whose real name is David Cornwell) served as an intelligence officer for both MI5 and MI6 during the 1950s and '60s, leaving to becoming a full-time novelist only after his cover was blown by the now infamous KGB double-agent Kim Philby. The incident so affected Le Carre that it formed the central theme of Tinker Tailor, a labyrinthine thriller about a suspected KGB mole within the highest ranks of MI6 and the secret internal operation to root him out. There's very little to dislike about this movie. For one, it boasts an extraordinary cast of England's finest, so much so that veteran John Hurt only receives about 10th billing when the credits begin to roll. Leading the charge is Gary Oldman as George Smiley, a disgraced former agent charged with the unenviable task of investigating his friends and erstwhile colleagues. It's a sublimely subtle performance, with Oldman's haggard fragility masking a cool and understated menace. There to assist him are Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch and his Dark Knight Rises co-star Tom Hardy, while the four subjects of the investigation come in the form of Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds and David Dencik. Like all classic spy stories, Tinker Tailor is intensely complex and certainly not a film for the easily distracted. Directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In), it requires one's complete attention if there's to be any chance of keeping up with the continuous plot twists, industry jargon and disjointed narrative; however, the reward is entirely worth it. Le Carre refreshingly eschews the spy gadgetry, satellites and obfuscation of modern intelligence in favour of a very human story about friendship and betrayal, exploring the motivations behind treason and the emotional strain it places on all parties to the deception. Betrayal is, after all, the very marrow of the world in which these characters exist, and Alfredson masterfully taps into it in order to produce this sleek, intimate and taut psychological thriller. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Aco15ScXCwA
Tomorrow, Woollahra's Hotel Centennial will reopen with Merivale at the reins. Not more than a month ago, the Centennial was abruptly bought by Merivale's pub collector Justin Hemmes for $15 million. And after a turnaround of only three weeks, the Oxford Street watering hole will open again on Wednesday, December 13. Ben Greeno has been brought on as executive chef. The Brit has had a varied back-of-house career, having worked the kitchens at Momofuku Seiobo, Noma and London's Michelin-starred Sat Bain. More recently, he's been at Merivale co-acquiree The Paddington and its classic chicken shop adaptation next door. He'll be joined by Danielle Alvarez of Fred's, who has collaborated with Greeno on the bar and dining room menus, along with head chef James Evangelinos of New York's Musket Room and Megan Sullivan of est., who'll manage the floor. The Centennial's food pickings will move towards meats and breads inspired by the Mediterranean. It'll be strong on the seafood, offering delicacies such as wood-fired squid with aioli and cherry tomatoes, and grilled flounder with seaweed salsa verde. There will also be flatbreads with toppings like minced lamb, merguez, yoghurt and pickled chilli, and fennel, greens and garlic cream. Other dishes will include rib eye, steak frites and, in classic Greeno style, whole-roasted chicken. Of course, it wouldn't be a Sydney pub in 2017 without charcuterie and cheese boards to graze on. And desserts will include the new — a lemon verbena custard tart with fresh stone fruits — and the old, like waffles with banana caramel sauce and whipped cream, which is a Hotel Centennial classic. Regarding decor, there will be no significant changes to the interior — after all, it was only three years ago that Anthony Medich purchased the dive for $6 million, giving it a new vibe and vastly changing the clientele. An overhaul of the front bar is set to begin in the new year. The Centennial is Merivale's latest acquisition. The group also last month bought Bondi's Royal Hotel, and is set to reopen The Collaroy on Sydney's northern beaches in the new year. Hotel Centennial will open to the public on Wednesday, December 13 at 88 Oxford Street, Woollahra. It will be open Monday to Saturday noon till midnight and Sunday noon till 10pm. For more info, visit merivale.com.au/hotelcentennial.
They say the world is your oyster, and the folk on the New South Wales South Coast take it very seriously. So much so that they're putting on a festival to celebrate and showcase that salty, slippery, seafood delicacy. The Narooma Oyster Festival, set in the heart of Australia's 'Oyster Coast' will take place on a glorious Saturday on the 5th of May. Head to the Big Oyster Bar where you will be able to feast on delicious oysters from eight south coast estuaries on the banks of the stunning Wagonga Inlet. If you're after a cool $500 in pocket money, the oyster shucking competition could be up your alley, but if you're new to the whole game, there are shucking demonstrations as well. For the most committed of oyster lovers out there, there is The Ultimate Oyster Experience, where you'll enjoy an exclusive master class guide by a local grower and sample Angasi, Pacific and Sydney Rock Oysters with complementing wines.
The pandemic has been going for more than 18 months. August has just started and Greater Sydney is in the middle of an ongoing Delta outbreak while Brisbane's initial three-day lockdown has been extended until Sunday. So much — and so many small businesses — are relying on the vaccine rollout, so some heroes are offering rewards to those who get jabbed, as a thank you and to encourage the community to book an appointment. In Melbourne, the Prince Alfred Hotel is offering free pints to folks who've been vaccinated and now Marrickville craft brewer Hawke's Brewing Co is taking things up a notch. Deemed the 'Jab & Slab', the inner west beer-maker is offering full slabs of its fan favourite Hawke's Larger to the first 250 Sydneysiders who prove they've been vaccinated. All you have to do is book your first vaccination appointment with a healthcare provider and post a photo of you with your freshly jabbed arm to Instagram, tag Hawke's in the post and if you're within the first 250 people to post, the brewery will send you a slab of Marrickville's finest. "We should have been breaking vaccination records months ago. But apparently, it wasn't a race and now half the country has been impacted by lockdown again. If Bob [Hawke] was still with us and calling the shots, we'd be well on the way," David Gibson, Hawke's co-founder says. Of course, you have to be of legal drinking age to participate and Hawke's will check your vaccination record once they've confirmed you're one of the first 250. The full info on how to participate is available on Hawke's Instagram page. Australia's vaccination efforts have been plagued by plenty of issues since the beginning of the year. Recommendations around who should get the AstraZeneca and Pfizer shots have changed a few times, but at this point, all adults living in Sydney are encouraged to contact their GP and receive their first dose of either vaccine. At the time of writing, just 15.7 percent of Aussies have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 17.7 percent of the population have had one dose. Follow Hawke's Brewing Co on Instagram for more information on the 'Jab & Slab' campaign.
For movie and theatre buffs alike, there is nothing better than walking into a dark room full of strangers chatting amongst themselves in anticipation of what they are about to see, and a story that moves you, amuses you and shakes you to your core. In 2023 Sydney Theatre Company is offering that and so much more — but should you have any confusion about which production is the best one for you, we've made recommendations based on movies you would've seen. It's time to break down that fourth wall and come face to face with some of Australia's greatest performers. With Sydney Harbour as a backdrop, the Wharf Theatres and Roslyn Packer Theatre are your one-stop shop for a fun night out. Hubris & Humiliation by Lewis Treston | Muriel's Wedding (1994) Does a camp, Australian rom-com make you want to say, 'you're terrible Muriel'? Then Hubris & Humiliation by Lewis Treston is the play for you. Like Muriel's Wedding, this play follows a naive wallflower and a riotous entourage of friends and family members as they embark on a journey to find "their plus one" while unexpectedly finding their true selves in the process. This production also features a few of the hallmarks of Muriel's Wedding: musical numbers, bogans, excellent new best friends and the occasional shirtless man. It's also destined to be a classic piece of Australian pop-culture. Hubris & Humiliation imitates the style of Jane Austen with playwright Lewis Treston admitting "I indulged in fanciful daydreams in which Jane Austen and I were like-minded besties – wryly amused by the romantic travails of others but secretly yearning for love ourselves". This satire explores Sydney's gay scene, family, and commitment and, in true Aussie style, provides humour when you least expect it. Kick off Sydney WorldPride by watching a story about queer love and finding yourself along the way; Hubris & Humiliation is playing now at Wharf 1 Theatre. Book your tickets now. Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? | Triangle of Sadness (2023) If the movie that received an 8-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival and a recent Best Picture Oscar nomination was your choice for top film, consider this your reminder to buy your ticket for The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? A satirical black comedy that gives us a peek into the lives of those that 'have it all' only to see it fall apart. While the stories are different, Ruben Östlund's film Triangle of Sadness and The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? explore what happens to powerful people when they are stripped of their dignity. The Tony Award-winning play by theatre legend Edward Albee is absurdist, wickedly funny and guaranteed to have you leaving the theatre questioning your morality and your level of tolerance for those you love. Expect the unexpected in this tragic yet comical satire starring Claudia Karvan and Nathan Page and absolutely do not read anything about it before you go see it. The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? is on stage from Thursday, March 2 at Roslyn Packer Theatre and you can book tickets now. August Wilson's Fences | If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) Love, the strength of family and overcoming obstacles made 2018's If Beale Street Could Talk one of the most talked about films of the year. Its raw insight into the lives of African Americans in the 1970s was the perfect example of society tearing a family life apart — and featured some incredible performances. A voyage of emotional performances is what you'll get with Fences, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play written by lauded American playwright August Wilson that explores the obstacles that we place on ourselves. You'll meet Troy, a man who had his dreams crushed when he lost his chance to play Major League Baseball and his committed wife Rose, who supports him even at the hardest of times. This is the Australian premiere of a show that's delighted audiences overseas, so is a must-see for any theatre lover. Fences is on stage from Saturday, March 25 at Wharf 1 Theatre and you can book your tickets now. Julia by Joanna Murray-Smith | The Iron Lady (2011) For a lot of people, Meryl Streep gave the stand out performance of the year in 2011's The Iron Lady. The biographical drama tells the story of Margaret Thatcher, from her humble beginnings to being the first woman to take the office of prime minister in Great Britain, thereby being thrust onto the world stage. Decades later, Australia welcomed its first female prime minister Julia Gillard. Then in 2012, she made a speech that proved that times might have changed but misogyny in politics had not. Though being on opposite sides of politics, they shared the similarity of being judged by gender, not their work. Julia by Joanna Murray-Smith provides an insight into the person behind the public mask. This intimate and compelling play explores the career that compelled Gillard to share the 'misogyny speech' with the world and will be fronted by the excellent Justine Clarke in the title role. To experience it for yourself, Julia is on stage from Thursday, March 30 at Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre. You can book here. Do Not Go Gentle by Patricia Cornelius | Interstellar (2014) If you loved the high stakes, sci-fi film Interstellar, then Do Not Go Gentle is a play you need to see. Interstellar sees an all-star cast saving the world in their search to find a safer home, but the heart of the story is in the depiction of human frailty and a race against the clock. Do Not Go Gentle has one other message: to live life to the fullest. Patricia Cornelius introduces us to seven characters, one of whom starts to tell a story of Robert Scott's historic but failed attempt to reach the South Pole. The characters are taken on a journey that forces them to face their fears and failings and show resilience in the face of adversity. Inspired by the Dylan Thomas poem of the same name, this play encourages its cast and audience to "Rage Rage against the dying of the light". Do Not Go Gentle is on stage from Tuesday, May 23 at Roslyn Packer Theatre and you can book tickets now. For more information on Sydney Theatre Company, their theatres and their 2023 productions, visit the website.
When you see the names Bombshell Betty, Fleetwood Smack, Sexy Slaydue, OMG WTF and Puss 'n Glutes, what comes to mind? If you're thinking of dangerous chicks on skates, then you'd be on the money. Two US teams, New York Gotham and LA Derby Dolls, are heading to Australia for Roller Derby Xtreme (so extreme they don't need an extra 'e') and will be joined by some of our own local roller derby gals. If the only time you've heard of roller derby is from Whip It, picture that, but a little bit more full on. Usually the Aussie teams use a flat track, but this one will be a banked 35 degree dangle track made just for the event (and which tours with them). Pick a team (maybe based on the best costumes) and join in with the cheering and shouting of the true fanatics. There will be giant US sport-style screens to watch instant replays and the US's number-one roller derby commentator, Dump Truck. For those of you who have no idea what the rules are or what exactly is going on, there will be a touch-pad scoring system, designed to simplify the rules for the spectators. With lines like "once you have her, you have to control her and keep her there" coming from Gotham's blocker Fisti Cuffs, you know it'll be far from boring.
Cavalier started as a hole-in-the-wall espresso bar. Now, it's a greenery-filled, 40-seat cafe pairing laid-back vibes with fine-dining flavours that's quickly become a go-to for lower north shore locals and workers alike. Cavalier 2.0 — as the latter has been dubbed — comes four years after husband and wife duo Sara and Harry Kolotas first opened the smaller Cavalier in St Leonards around the corner. Whether or not you're one of the cafe's many regulars, you'll feel like you are when you head in. "My staff and I love to have a chat and to have personal relationships with our customers." says Sara. "That's what people remember the most about a visit to Cavalier." [caption id="attachment_742950" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] Designed by Sydney's Decor Project, the fit-out evokes a 'modern Australian' theme — as does the food, to an extent — with earthy tones, sunburnt red walls, Tasmanian oak furniture, red gum-coloured benches and a stone counter top. The bigger location has allowed for a bigger kitchen, too, from which Harry is whipping up cafe classics like toasties and salads, as well as some more creative dishes. He's using skills from his fine-dining background and fresh produce to elevate the menu beyond standard cafe fare. The chicken in the salad ($19) is house-brined and sous-vide, comes atop a bed of fresh sprouts (sourced daily), sweet potatoes and house-roasted nuts, and is tossed in Harry's secret french dressing. Another signature dish is the thickly sliced, macadamia-encrusted french toast ($21), which is doused in caramel sauce and topped with whipped mascarpone. As seasonality implies, the menu changes regularly. Recent specials have included sticky glazed short rib ($39) with truffle cauliflower cream; pork neck toasties ($25) topped with a poached egg and bechamel sauce; and a mushroom carbonara ($26) made with orecchiette and XO sauce. This can all be paired with a range of coffees — cold brew, white, batch and even tasting flights — chai and tea. [caption id="attachment_742956" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] While Cavalier 2.0 is a daytime cafe first and foremost, it's also hosting a series of invite-only dinners. "We opened Cavalier 2.0 not only to accommodate more people, but also to start offering special dinners," says Sara. Those dinners will be held every Friday and Saturday from October 18 through December 20 — the nine-course feast set to cost around $95 a head — and the only way to get an invite is to head into Cavalier 2.0 beforehand and have a chat. "The reason for this isn't for exclusivity," explains Sara. "It's really just reinforcing us wanting to have a personal relationship with all of our customers — it's like you're coming to dinner at my house." For fans of Cavalier 1.0, the neighbouring cafe will continue to serve up its much loved jaffles and takeaway Sample coffees every Sunday and Monday. Cavalier 2.0 is located at 545 Pacific Highway, St Leonards. Opening hours are Monday through Friday from 7am–2.30pm and Saturday from 7am–2pm, with invite-onlydinners happening every Friday and Saturday from October 18 through December 20. Cavalier 1.0 is located at 34 Oxley Street. Images: Trent van der Jagt
Every summer since 1977, Sydney Festival transforms the city into a celebration of arts and culture for one month, bringing new creative experiences to our theatres, parks, historical buildings and streets. And in 2020, Sydney Festival returns from January 8–26 with a program of world premieres and more than 70 new and diverse works created by established and emerging artists from all over the globe. Highlights from this year's program include Joan Didion's The White Album — the seminal essay will be brought to life on stage at Roslyn Packer Theatre from January 8–12, investigating the American counterculture of the 1960s. There's also a reboot of a 70s cabaret that changed Australian theatre, Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined, which is considered a must-see for fans of drag and cabaret (January 7–26). If comedy's your thing, First Nations theatre companies Ilbijerri and Te Rēhia have joined forces to put on a riotous production, BLACK TIES, at Sydney Town Hall from January 10–18. The play shows what can happen when families from either side of the ditch come face to face at a wedding reception — with hilarious results. Seekers of the avant-garde will want to check out Tennessee's Holly Herndon, who has received universal plaudits over the last decade for her forward-thinking, boundary-pushing take on sound creation. The musician uses code to create unique, custom-made digital instruments, and she'll be in the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent (January 16) off the back of her latest full-length, Proto. On the operatic dance front, Carriageworks has you covered with Nino Laisné and François Chaignaud presenting Romances Inciertos, Un Autre Orlando, a journey through the history of Spain featuring Baroque music, flamenco and cabaret (January 21–26). And award-winning Australian choreographer Stephanie Lake will create a symmetrically satisfying work featuring 50 bodies moving as one in Colossus (January 16–19). As always, one of the big crowd-pleasers at Sydney Festival will be a free art installation at Darling Harbour. Dodecalis Luminarium will be a large-scale, neon-lit maze by the UK's Architects of Air (whose works are also appearing at Mona Foma next year). Though the installation will be free to enter every day of the festival (January 8–26), you can also purchase tickets to skip the inevitably long queue. Of course, this barely scratches the surface of what's on offer — including hip-hop dance acts from western Sydney, a food-focused storytelling feast at Carriageworks and a 30-year revival of Aboriginal stage musical Bran Nue Dae at Riverside Theatre — so be ready to clear your schedule for January and start planning your tickets in advance as many of these events will sell out before the new year. Images: Alan Parkinson, Mark Pokorny, Timothee Lejolivet, Courtney Stewart, Garth Oriander & Mark Gambino.
Tired of table manners? Fed up with forks? You're going to love Drink N Dine's newest project. They're inviting diners to put on a bib, get their hands dirty and tuck into a seafood experience, American crab joint style. Opening on November 1 above The Norfolk, Cleveland Street, the House of Crabs will offer a boil menu. In other words, you choose your seafood (crab, prawn or clam) and your preferred sauce (Cajun, oriental, Mexican or lemon pepper). Both are cooked and served in a bag. You and your friends gather around a communal table and use your fingers to extract whatever fleshy goodness you can. If boiled isn't your style, then you can opt for the snack menu. Smoked ocki tacos, crabs on acid, buffalo cucumber, lobster fries, creole corn and lobster rolls are all on the list. More substantial non-boiled meals include blackened snapper, fried chicken, steak and salsa creola. As far as beverages go, New Orleans is the theme, with hurricanes, peach cobblers and blackberry mint juleps on offer, as well as a handpicked selection of beers and wines. You'll be able to get your finger licking fix Tuesday through to Saturday, from 6pm until late, and Friday between midday and 3pm. Both bookings and walk-ins will be made welcome. The House of Crabs opens on November 1 at Level 1, 305 Cleveland Street, Redfern (above The Norfolk).
Charles Dickens was more familiar with humanity's taste for idle gossip and scandal than most. Nevertheless, he may have been surprised to discover the amount of his private life that's been publicly aired in the 21st century — a carefully concealed extramarital affair, for instance. This new play by Sport for Jove touches on another little-known aspect of Dickens' days — his founding of a home for 'fallen' women — and its residents. In the 1840s a handful of women with pasts they're told they'd rather forget, spend their remaining weeks in London practicing the Victorian arts of being 'ladylike' — needlepoint, cooking and cleaning. They are bound for Australia, destined, so they are told, for a fresh start. But as the departure date nears, they begin to wonder if the opportunity is quite what it seems. Fallen's London may be devoid of Dickens' iconic characters, but it also foregoes the simple morality of many of his tales. Instead, it offers a look at the way 19th century society brought shame on women who were driven to, or chose to take unconventional paths. Image: Sarah Walker.
It's easy to get swept up in generic Christmas hubbub. Department stores are playing 'Jingle Bells', stockings need to be stuffed, and sooner or later you find yourself buying a relative socks. No one needs anymore socks. Just stop. Now's your chance to break that pattern and become one of those oh-so-cool gift givers. The ones who remember the hints dropped over the past few months and give a gift so great it elicits forceful high-fives all through the festive season. Give a friend a box set of Breaking Bad. After five seasons, an impressive array of industry accolades, and an unquantifiable number of gasps from its captive global audience, it's safe to say that everyone loves Breaking Bad. The hysteria eventually got so bad that people were forced to develop anti-spoiler apps during its final season; it's now acceptable to work from a blue-meth themed cookbook for your next dinner party. Now, thanks to our friends at Universal and Sony, you can re-gift a friend all that magic for the super appealing price of free. We have 10 collector's edition DVD or Blu-Ray box sets of the entire Breaking Bad collection to give away. Who needs to wait for the Australian release of Netflix? Start your session of post-finale binge-watching right now. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Australians across the country have spent the last year adapting to a slew of changes, including restrictions and lockdowns that keep popping up to slow the spread of COVID-19. Yes, we're all getting really good at the whole social distancing thing. But, even if you have plenty to watch and a go-to list of takeaway joints to keep your stomach satisfied, everyone could always use a top-up of warm and fuzzy feels. Whether you're currently under stay-at-home conditions in Melbourne, or you just need to brighten up your day elsewhere, the good folks at Zoos Victoria have your back. They're still live streaming the daily antics of an assortment of adorable wildlife, from both Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Instead of venturing out to the actual zoo, you can now get your cute animal fix from the comfort of home, by simply jumping online. But WFHers, be warned — these small-screen heartthrobs are pretty much guaranteed to steal hours of your time. You can tune in to watch Melbourne Zoo's three fluff-ball snow leopard cubs as they spend their days playing and exploring alongside mum Miska, or the giraffes being all leggy and graceful, munching leaves pretty much non-stop. Keep an eye out here for some humans of the species zookeeper, too, offering a bit of entertainment of their own. You can also prepare to be charmed by the penguins splashing in and out of their pool, especially old mate Ed the Fiordland penguin, who's apparently quite partial to being in the spotlight. All of these cuties seem to love a good close-up. And over at Werribee Open Range Zoo, it's the lions on show, alternating between roaming their enclosure and getting in some serious sunbaking time. The zoos themselves are currently closed due to Melbourne's seven-day lockdown and, at this stage, will reopen on Friday, June 4 — but even a COVID -19 cluster can't stop you from peering at these critters from your couch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wb6o3QvrxY Catch Zoos Victoria's animal live streams over on the organisation's website and on its social media channels.
When the weather is frosty in Sydney, the city's annual film festival entices movie buffs indoors. When it's sunny and summery, Westpac Openair Cinema wants you to see a flick under the stars. Catching a film at one of Sydney's favourite outdoor cinema spots is a warm-weather tradition, combining new and recent big-screen flicks with spectacular panoramic views of the city, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge — and it'll be back for yet another stint of harbourside cinema from January 2023. The dates to pop into your diary immediately: Sunday, January 8—Tuesday, February 21, with Openair's next run spanning 40 nights. Checking out a silver-screen highlight with a stunning backdrop will be on the agenda at Mrs Macquaries Point as usual; however, exactly what you'll be seeing hasn't yet been unveiled. Every movie that graces the cinema's big screen has to hold its own against the gorgeous sights glittering away behind it, of course, but Openair usually has the program to match. In an email to subscribers, the team behind the beloved event did drop a few names of movies that've caught their attention, and that "would be pretty awesome experiences on Sydney Harbour", though. On that list: Elvis, Top Gun: Maverick, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Fire of Love, Ticket to Paradise and Moonage Daydream — plus the upcoming Don't Worry Darling, Bros and this year's Palme d'Or-winner Triangle of Sadness. The event's array of dining experiences will also be broader this year — but again, exactly what that entails (and if Kitchen by Mike will be behind the cinema's meals, as it was in 2022) hasn't been announced. As happens every year, tickets are likely to go quickly when they go on sale. Across the summer of 2018–19, more than 40,000 tickets sold within the first two days of pre-sale — so put it in your diary ASAP. Westpac Openair 2023 runs from Sunday, January 8—Tuesday, February 21. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, December 12 — and we'll update you with further details about the lineup when it is revealed. Top images: Fiora Sacco.
Western Sydney's getting a grand $100 million performing arts centre — and it's set to be funded by the profits from Rooty Hill RSL's pokies. Slated to be the largest of its kind in the area, the Western Sydney Performing Arts Centre (WSPAC) has commenced construction across the road from the RSL, which will use part of the huge revenue pulled in from its gaming room floor to cover the entire cost of the theatre project. Which is...conflicting, to say the least. And Rooty Hill RSL chief executive Richard Errington has some lofty plans for the venue, which will feature a state-of-the-art 2000-seat proscenium arch theatre and a pedestrian air bridge linking the existing club. "Our objective was to provide something equal to the Sydney Opera House or the Lyric Theatre or the Capitol Theatre, so we can attract the same kind of shows they do," he told The Sydney Morning Herald. "Anything the major theatres can provide, we can now also accommodate in this amenity." Sounds ambitious, right? But Rooty Hill RSL should have no trouble footing the bill for this one, last year reporting an uncomfortable annual revenue of $89.1 million, two-thirds of which came from pokies profits. The club boasts 726 gaming machines, which is the largest collection of any of its NSW counterparts. This isn't the first time questionable cash has been used to fund arts projects — remember when the Biennale came under scrutiny for its relationship with Transfield? — and the centre will undeniably be a significant addition to Sydney's arts scene. We just can't help but feel icky about it. It's expected to open its doors late 2019, with plans for a five-star hotel next door also on the agenda. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Come summertime, the celebratory spirit is taking over the entire state, thanks to massive events like ALWAYS LIVE. For the third year running, this festival celebrates the diversity of music in Victoria, with a mix of international headliners and local musicians taking to stages statewide from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, December 8. Some of the unmissable (and exclusive) events in ALWAYS LIVE are taking place on the final weekend. One of those is Yerambooee, a unique celebration of First Nations culture and community. This free event on Saturday, December 7 at 7pm, is hosted by elders and performers from Wurundjeri, Woi-Wurrung and Yolgnu peoples. The stage will be a nine-metre sand circle laid down in Fed Square — representative of a meeting ground filled with river sand — for a gathering unlike anything else on the festival program. Beginning with a welcome from Aunty Joy Murphy, performers will take to the stage with song, dance and music for a celebration that encourages the audience to join in — with music inspired by Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) — the final work of the late Yolgnu musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. Yeramboee will take place in Federation Square on Saturday, December 7. For more information, visit the Always Live website.
Jiggle your way into 2017 at LazyBones Lounge in Marrickville, where live reggae band King Tide will be keeping up the positive vibes until after midnight. If you haven't yet experienced the ARIA-nominated Tide, expect a stream of soul-infused rock steady and reggae, influenced by Toots and the Maytals, Delroy Wilson, Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh. The band's self-described mission is "making people dance, have a really good time and go home with some lovin' on their minds". They've played loads of festivals over the past few years, from Subsonic and The Great Escape to Womadelaide and Peats Ridge. Supporting King Tide on either of their show will be Lazybones Lounge's resident DJ DJ Nothing, who'll be on the decks from 9–10pm and then from midnight till 3am. Meanwhile, on the venue's first level, you'll find DJs Ted Vassell and The Sunday Dub Club Crew, from 9pm till 3am. Image: King Tide.
If you like celebrating October German-style, a trip to Europe at the right time of year is likely on your must-do list. For those who can't take a boozy overseas holiday this year, Oktoberfest in the Gardens has you covered. There'll be steins. There'll be schnitties. There'll be lederhosen-wearing revellers — and if you're keen to dress the part as well, that's up to you. The Australian Oktoberfest event has been in the Bavarian-themed game for 14 years now, with its 2024 run in seven cities solely taking place in October. Clear a Saturday, whether you live in Perth or Adelaide, where the fest will kick off on Saturday, October 5; on the Gold Coast or in Melbourne, where it's time to say "prost!" on Saturday, October 12; Brisbane or Newcastle, which'll be downing brews on Saturday, October 19; or Sydney, where the tour wraps up on Saturday, October 26. This series of German shindigs isn't small, with 65,000 people expected to attend across the full slate of events this year. At each, the kind of beer- and bratwurst-fuelled shenanigans that Germany has become so famous for at this time of year are on offer. So, if you have a hankering for doppelbock and dancing to polka, it really is the next best thing to heading to Europe. Oktoberfest in the Gardens boasts a crucial attraction, too: as well as serving a variety of pilsners, ciders, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, it constructs huge beer halls to house the boozy merriment. When you're not raising a stein — or several — at the day-long event, you can tuck into pretzels and other traditional snacks at food stalls, or check out the hefty array of entertainment. Live music, roving performers, a silent disco, rides and a sideshow alley are all on the agenda. "We say it every year, but this year's Oktoberfest celebrations will be bigger than ever before. It's amazing how this event has continued to grow across the country," said Ross Drennan, co-founder of Nokturnl Events, which runs Oktoberfest in the Gardens. "Last year, we added additional cities to the tour and introduced even more fun activations. The response was overwhelming, with record-breaking sales." Oktoberfest in the Gardens 2024 Dates and Venues: Saturday, October 5 — Langley Park, Perth Saturday, October 5 — Pinky Flat, Adelaide Saturday, October 12 — Broadwater Parklands, Gold Coast Saturday, October 12 — Catani Gardens, St Kilda, Melbourne Saturday, October 19 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Saturday, October 19 — The Station, Newcastle Saturday, October 26 — The Domain, Sydney Oktoberfest in the Gardens tours Australia in October 2024 — head to the event's website for further details, plus tickets from Wednesday, July 31.
Unlike the movie, we'll keep this short and to the point. A Million Ways To Die In The West is not a good film. Not unless, that is, you're a 15-year-old boy, in which case, it's the best goddam movie you've ever goddam seen! Consider the ingredients. This is 116 minutes of hot girls talking about sex and their 'great tits', fart sound effects aplenty, semen finding its way onto faces, characters swearing like it's going out of style and Neil Patrick Harris's character emptying his gastro-afflicted bowels into a stranger's hat for a full 45 seconds, before then farting some more and repeating the deed into another man's hat. Soiler Alert: he then kicks it over so that you get to see the liquid faeces in all its comedic glory. The man behind it all is Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, whose voice is the median strip between Brian and Peter Griffin, and whose last (and first) film Ted was a surprise hit. Here, he's upped his involvement. A lot. MacFarlane wrote, directed, produced and starred in A Million Ways To Die in the West, and to say he's overreaching is beyond generous. This is pure self-indulgence, particularly given the extraordinary amount of screen time he occupies despite having a top-shelf cast around him (Liam Neeson, Charlize Theron, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Amanda Seyfried and, of course, Doogie). The most frustrating thing is that scattered throughout the film are pockets of oustanding comedy. Early on, MacFarlane and Ribisi 'assume the position' and pretend to fight during a bar brawl so as to discourage anyone else from coming their way in what is a terrific moment, and a recurring gag about nobody smiling in the newly invented 'photo' experience is as amusing as it is astute. The problem is, these moments are so scarce than can be counted on one hand. Like, a leprous hand...with two fingers, and maybe a thumb stub. There's no denying MacFarlane's talents, but here they were stretched beyond their means. The supporting cast does its best to do exactly that, but can do only so much with so little screen time and a script that requires more cursing than acting. Again, this is not a good film. Save your money — even if you're a 15-year-old boy. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2sOa-2EhbTU
What boasts a hefty lineup of First Nations talent, is all about celebrating Blak excellence in music and culture, and will take over Hanging Rock for one spring Sunday? Australia's newest music festival. What features a jam-packed lineup hand-picked by Briggs (with a thank you to Paul Kelly), and includes Baker Boy, Jessica Mauboy, Thelma Plum, Christine Anu and more on the bill? That same must-attend event, aka First & Forever. The day-long, picnic-style fest will make its debut on Sunday, November 27 in the Macedon Ranges spot, and sport a clear focus: showcasing and highlighting First Nations artists and performers. Indeed, the 20-plus acts announced so far spans an impressive range of names, featuring everyone from Budjerah, King Stingray and Sycco through to Alice Skye, Busby Marou, Electric Fields, Ziggy Ramo and Barkaa. [caption id="attachment_872292" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Georgia Wallace[/caption] The specific Hanging Rock venue has been named The Gathering Place for the event, acknowledging the people of the Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung who have long met there, and also the power of Country. First & Forever is also paying tribute to the late Archie Roach by dubbing its stage the 'Uncle Archie Stage'. If this seems like the kind of festival that Australia should've always had, that's because it is — and it came about via a chance meeting between Briggs and late Mushroom founder Michael Gudinski AM. "For years I'd had an idea for a First Nations-led contemporary music festival, something cool and boutique that was really about the music and culture," said Briggs. "When Gudinski called me about a similar idea he'd had, we found this really collaborative working relationship. We both had a passionate approach to Melbourne, Victorian music, and amplifying Blakfellas' stories. MG got the ball rolling. After he passed, the ball was in my court. I had to take it home." Adds Kelly: "My last conversation with Michael just over a week before he died was backstage at Archie [Roach's] concert. [MG] was bubbling with ideas for a new project, a big concert with headlining First Nations artists... he urged me to get involved. I said no to Michael many times over the years and I said yes lots. I'm glad I said yes this last time." [caption id="attachment_862591" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Morgan Sette[/caption] FIRST & FOREVER 2022 LINEUP: Baker Boy Budjerah Jessica Mauboy King Stingray Sycco Thelma Plum Alice Skye Busby Marou Christine Anu Dan Sultan Electric Fields Emma Donovan Tasman Keith Ziggy Ramo Barkaa Birdz Dameeeela Jess Hitchcock Jk-47 Kardajala Kirridarra Kobie Dee and more First & Forever takes place on Sunday, November 27 at The Gathering Place, Hanging Rock, in Victoria's Macedon Ranges. Ticket pre-sales start at 11am AEDT on Tuesday, October 11, with general sales from 11am AEDT on Friday, October 14. For more information, head to the festival website.
After confirming the plans last year, and introducing the legislation to parliament back in June, the Victorian Government has followed through with its promised statewide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags, with the ban finally coming into effect on Friday, November 1, 2019. Considering supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths began enforcing their own nationwide plastic bag bans over a year ago — and local shopping spots including the Queen Victoria Market and South Melbourne Market both scrapped plastic over the last couple of years — you've probably already got a solid collection of reusable bags ready to go. If not, we suggest you invest, tout de suite. Victorian retailers — including supermarkets, corner stores and your favourite vintage shop — can now be fined for supplying customers with any single-use lightweight plastic shopping bags (with a thickness of 35 microns or less), including those made from biodegradable or compostable plastic. Under the new law, even individuals who run a small business online or as a market stall could be fined a maximum of $6000. [caption id="attachment_663522" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Queen Victoria Market banned plastic bags earlier this year.[/caption] Plastic bags that aren't included in the ban include garbage bags, bin liners, animal waste bags and those thin 'barrier bags' you get with your fruit and veggies. Although if want to do your extra bit for the environment, you can get reusable cotton or mesh produce bags from homewares stores, supermarkets and online retailers — the same spots where you'll find reusable takeaway containers, drink bottles, straws and cutlery. When disposing of that stockpile of old plastic bags, remember that these, and other soft plastics, must be kept out of your kerbside recycling bin — instead, you can recycle them (and things like glad wrap, zip lock bags and plastic food packaging) at most supermarkets through REDcycle. So get in the habit of always carrying around a reusable bag whenever you leave the house — keep a stash in your car, or there are plenty of options that fold up nice and small and won't take up much space in your handbag or backpack for those spontaneous purchases. As well as being a big win for the environment, the ban brings Victoria into line with South Australia, the ACT, the NT, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, who have all banned single-use plastic bags. NSW is now the only state that hasn't committed to a ban, after a bill proposed by NSW Labor failed to make it through the lower house last week. Victoria's single-use plastic bag ban kicks in on Friday, November 1. To find out more, head to the Victorian Government website.
A few years ago the gin and tonic seemed like a basic drink order saved only for times of limited choice or hot days when there was no cold beer within reach. But the rise of Australia's own boutique gin production has changed that quite rapidly, with small-scale distillers — like Sydney's Archie Rose and Melbourne's Four Pillars, to name a few — creating some distinctive and downright delicious gins in our own backyard (Pinot Noir gin, anyone?). The latest weird and wonderful gin creation comes from South Australia's Applewood Distillery. They've just released a limited run of one-off Green Ant Gin, which is infused with — you guessed it — green ants. How does it work? Like all gin, it's made up of a selection of botanicals. But along with the usual juniper berries and orange peel, the essence of ants has also been thrown in. That's because ants release a pheromone during the distillation process, which produces a flavour that complements the other botanicals. According to Applewood, the green tree ants give the gin a "lime-licked burst of intense green flavour". While this is the first gin made with green ants we've heard of, Applewood's not the first people to use the tiny insects in gin — Copenhagen's Nordic Food Lab produces an Anty Gin that costs a bomb per bottle, and last year Victoria's Bass and Flinders Distillery released their Angry Ant Gin made with ants sourced from Western Australia. As a general rule we don't allow green ants anywhere near our mouths, but we'll probably make an exception for this one. Bottles are currently going for $120 on Applewood's online store. There's only 300 of them though, so you may have to snatch one up stat.
First, the Dirty John podcast brought the tale of John Meehan to listeners' ears. Then, as tends to occur with true-crime hits, it was turned into a dramatised television series. Now, as also often happens when a TV show strikes a chord, it's kicking on for a second season — focusing on a completely different case, and once again heading to Netflix Down Under. Launching in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, August 14, Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story steps into the story of its eponymous figure. If it sounds somewhat familiar, that's because the events covered date back to the late 80s. In the early 90s, they even inspired an episode of Law & Order. More recently, Los Angeles Times podcast It Was Simple: The Betty Broderick Murders also explored the details — with the same publication behind journalist Christopher Goffard's original Dirty John podcast. Starring Amanda Peet and Christian Slater as as Betty and Daniel Broderick, as well as Legion's Rachel Keller in a pivotal role, The Betty Broderick Story is another Dirty John tale about sex, lies and murder. Here, a seemingly idyllic marriage first breaks down, then gives rise to a double homicide. If you don't already know the ins and outs, this is also another true-crime case best discovered by watching, with the mini-series unfurling the minutiae across eight episodes. Prepare for quite a few ups and downs, obviously. The eight-episode series has just finished its week-to-week run on US television, but Netflix will drop all eight episodes at once. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE-GwkeZQmI Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story drops on Netflix Down Under on August 14, 2020. Top image: Isabella Vosmikova/USA Network.
The laneways of Melbourne have been the unofficial training ground and creative home for Australian street art, in all its variety and forms. Over the years, as street art has changed and evolved, it has moved beyond the laneways and in with some unlikely bedfellows — galleries, governments and businesses. A recent example of this is the collaboration between one of Melbourne's most prominent and talented street artist, Drab, and product design company Buzz Products. Drab's street art has not only graced the walls of Melbourne's laneways but also been part of exhibtions and festivals in Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand. He also worked with locals kids in Woorabinda Queensland to paint murals as part of the Indigenous Hip Hop Project. However, this recent collaboration with Buzz Products has really expanded his artistic repertoire. Literally. The exterior of the Buzz Products has been transformed from a boring blank wall into Australia's largest paste up street art. Using 56 sheets of paper, 40 litres of glue and taking two days to complete, this piece of street of art is 27 metres long by 8 metres high. It gives the urban landscape a much needed lift, and the good residents of Abbotsford in Melbourne something to gawk at on their trainride home.
Earlier in 2020, when events worldwide started cancelling, postponing and rescheduling due to COVID-19, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)'s Dark Mofo was sadly one of many that had to pull the plug. It's also just one of the annual festivals that the venue holds but, thankfully, MONA's summer event will be forging ahead — and, if the first sneak peek at its program is anything to go by, Mona Foma's 2021 festival is returning in a big way. Come January, arts and music fans will be able to soak in the fest's eclectic sights and sounds across two weekends — and in two locations. Although Mona Foma was originally held in Hobart, where MONA is located, the event made the move to Launceston in 2019. In 2021, however, it'll split its program between both Tasmanian cities. Launceston will be up first, from January 15–17, with Hobart getting the nod the next week from January 22–24. After revealing back in September that Mona Foma would definitely return next year, MONA has now announced two parts of its 2021 lineup — one per city — which is great news for everyone who loves arts, culture, festivals, lights, lasers, gorges and warehouses. [caption id="attachment_790928" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Aqua Luma, Robin Fox. Photo Credit: Nick Roux. Image courtesy of the artist and and Mona (Museum of Old and New Art), Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] First up, in Launceston, the city's Cataract Gorge will host the latest work by audio-visual artist Robin Fox. Yes, that means the site's landscape will be taken over by an immersive installation, called Aqua Luma — which'll be making its world premiere, will run on a 20-minute cycle from 9.30am–11.30pm, and will be free to attend. Aqua Luma will feature multiple components, too, all adding to one impressive experience. First, it'll include 12 metre-high water jets that'll erupt in time with subharmonic frequencies. Also, there'll be lasers tracing geometrical patterns in the watery mist. Basically, you'll feel like you're standing beneath a canopy of light and sound — and there'll be an electronic composition sent straight to your smartphone as well. [caption id="attachment_790934" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] K&D Warehouse, Hobart, Tasmania. Photo Credit: Mona/Jesse Hunniford. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona (Museum of Old and New Art), Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Over in Hobart, Mona Foma is turning the site of former hardware store K&D Warehouse into a gallery — with exhibition No Place Like Home filling the entire place with video installations, art and sculptures all selected by Mona curator Emma Pike. You'll be able to wander through one of the city's best-known buildings, which dates back 118 years, and see works by artists such as Tony Albert, Zanny Begg, Andy Hutson, Rachel Maclean, Nell, Ryan Presley and Phebe Schmidt. Entry will cost $10 per person. Revealing Aqua Luma and No Place Like Home, Mona Foma curator Brian Ritchie said that the festival was excited about hosting "installations in two of the state's most dramatically different but equally beloved locations". He continued: "Robin Fox has been involved in every festival program since Mona Foma's inception, so it's appropriate that he has created a new work to address a year like no other. While at K&D Warehouse, the art will take you over the rainbow after the storm that was the year 2020." If you're wondering what else the event has in store, Mona Foma's full program will be released on Monday, December 7, with tickets going on sale at 8am the next day. Of course, before you go making big plans for a weekend getaway down south, you'll want to keep an eye on Tasmania's current border restrictions — which, at the time of writing, requires 14 days in quarantine for non-Tasmanian residents entering from a location considered medium-risk, such as Victoria and South Australia. Restrictions on Victorians are due to ease on Friday, November 27, however. Mona Foma will take place from January 15–17, 2021 in Launceston, and from January 22–24, 2021 in Hobart. We'll update you when the full program is announced on Monday, December 7 — but head to the festival website in the interim for further details. Top image: Cataract Gorge, Launceston, Tasmania. Photo Credit: Rob Burnett. Image courtesy of the artist and Visit Northern Tasmania.
For almost a quarter-century, Jamie Oliver has been sharing his culinary tips with audiences worldwide. This November, he'll dish up a chat about all that time spent in and around kitchens — on-screen, by releasing recipe books and thanks to his stint in the restaurant business — at Sydney Opera House. The Naked Chef, Oliver's Twist, Jamie's Kitchen and Jamie's Comfort Food star is heading back Down Under for an Aussie-exclusive discussion, returning to the Harbour City after selling out a talk at the same venue in 2015. Back then, Oliver brought his Food Revolution with him, and cooked up a storm live while making his Opera House debut. This time, he's in conversation with Melissa Leong about the 24 years since The Naked Chef first hit television — and all the pukka cuisine he's whipped up since. "Every time I visit Australia it feels like a big old hug — it's a real home away from home for me and I'm so excited to be back this year for this event." said Oliver, announcing the chat. "I can't wait to sit down with you all for good chats about good food and good times, have a laugh, and take some questions from the audience. And, it is such a privilege to be at the Sydney Opera House, what a setting. I hope to see you there." While there's clearly no shortage of topics for Oliver to touch on when Saturday, November 11 hits, when he takes to the stage in the famed venue's Concert Hall — the British chef has those two-plus decades of TV shows, those 70-plus eateries in 22 countries, and oh-so-many recipes to mention, for starters — this once-off event is timed around two specific things. Firstly, he's launching a campaign about creating "a happier, healthier world through the joy of food". And secondly, he's just released his new cookbook 5 Ingredients: Mediterranean. Attendees at this Sydney-only talk will also learn what keeps Oliver inspired and motivated, why he loves cooking so much and about his passion for getting in the kitchen. He's the latest big-name chef discussing his career onstage in Australia this year, following on from Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, Oliver's fellow Brits Marco Pierre White and Nigella Lawson, and viral recipe queen Alison Roman. Jamie Oliver in conversation with Melissa Leong will take place in Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall on Saturday, November 11, 2023 — with ticket pre-sales fro 9am on Wednesday, August 23, and general sales from 9am on Thursday, August 24. Images: Jamie Oliver Enterprises / Paul Stuart.
If you missed out on the huge Marrickville warehouse plant sale, be sure to clear Saturday, March 3 immediately. Because there's another one on its way. The Jungle Collective is a Melbourne nursery that stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. After holding its first wildly successful Sydney market earlier this month, it's gathering the leftover plants, tracking down new ones and throwing a one-day indoor plant party. While we don't know what plants will be available this time, previous sales have had everything from hanging pot plants to palms for the garden to a giant Bird of Paradise. Have a reputation for killing your cacti? Overwatering your ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the night to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. This one will be held in a different location, which hasn't been announced yet. Due to expected demand, the sale will be held in four sessions over the day (8–10am, 10am–12pm, 12–2pm and 2–4pm), and attendees will need to register for free tickets . Best get in quick for an early session though — the last Sydney market was incredibly popular.
Starting this May, Sorry Thanks I Love You will provide free weekly yoga classes at its Westfield Sydney location, guided by certified instructor Jen Yan. The classes are open to yogis of all skill levels, as part of the store's dedication to creating community and promoting wellness. Situated in the CBD, Sorry Thanks I Love You is a concept store that fuses fashion, community, design and art together in a stylish space with a cafe. "We welcome anyone and everyone to step into our world of retail rebellion and step out refreshed," says Sorry Thanks I Love You's Jasmin Ozolins. "We don't do things by halves, and no matter their level, yogis can expect our classes to be of the same calibre as the world-class designers with whom we work." The classes will be held every Wednesday at 6.15pm from Wednesday, May 8. Mats and water will be provided, along with an herbal tea after class. While classes are free, registration at the website is essential.
Earlier this year, the Newtown legends at Young Henrys took the sustainable brewing game to the next level. The beer brand added a glowing bioreactor among its tanks, with the plan to drastically reduce the brewery's carbon emissions. The 400-litre bioreactor is filled with microalgae, which consumes carbon dioxide (one of the main byproducts of the brewing process) and produces as much oxygen as one hectare of Australian forest. Now, as part of National Science Week, Young Henrys has teamed up with the UTS Deep Green Biotech Hub to host Beer & Algae: Brewing a Greener Future. The free online event will take place on Thursday, August 20 from 5.30–7pm. It'll begin with a virtual tour of the brewery, hosted by YH Co-Founder and Director Oscar McMahon and UTS Research Associate Dr Janice McCauley. Then an interactive panel discussion will take over and explore practical steps toward sustainability in various industries — including urban farming, fashion and, of course, brewing. Moderated by Triple J's Lucy Smith, the panel will include Professor Peter Ralph (Executive Director of the Climate Change Cluster (C3) and Founder of the Deep Green Biotech Hub) alongside YH Head Brewer Jesse Seals, Pocket City Farms Founder Emma Bowen and Fashion Designer Dr Mark Liu. While the live streamed event is free, registration is a must.
UPDATE, December 7, 2020: Game Night is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Game Night is a comedy of such extreme highs and lows, if you plotted it on a graph it would look like the EKG of a heart attack victim. It's a film with some outstanding moments, as well as some truly awful ones. It's got terrific characters alongside characters so thin and underdeveloped they barely feel like characters at all. It takes a familiar setup, only to dispense with it far sooner than you'd expect. It is, in short, an epic mixed bag, one that some will regard as a disappointing film with redeeming qualities, and others as a great farce let down by its weaker moments. Neither perspective is strictly unfair, but the latter perhaps feels closer to the mark – especially since the film never pretends to be anything more than what it is. Game Night is directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the same duo responsible for both the awful Vacation reboot and the surprisingly funny Horrible Bosses series. It stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as Max and Annie, two competitive trivia nerds who fall in love via their mutual love of games and who, once married, host regular game nights for their friends (Lamorne Morris, Billy Magnussen and Kylie Bunbury). Things go awry, however, when Max's older, more handsome and definitely more successful brother Brooks (Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler) returns home and raises the stakes by hosting a kidnap game in the vein of a murder-mystery night. The twist? Brooks gets kidnapped for real right in front of them and the players have absolutely no idea. The scenes that follow centre almost exclusively on that easy source of dramatic irony, with the characters bumbling around absent any idea of how much danger they're in. But, as we mentioned above, Game Night shows its cards on that front before things get too tired, and instead invents newer, fresher story threads to carry things forward. Performance wise it's all very familiar territory for Bateman, playing the outwardly-polite, inwardly-screaming suburbanite he's inhabited ever since Arrested Development. McAdams is similarly likeable if also largely unchallenged, saving her best stuff for the film's few (relatively) serious moments. We also get some fun cameos from the likes of Danny Huston, Michael C. Hall and Sharon Horgan – although the scene-stealer award goes to Jesse Plemons, whose creepy neighbour character lands a near-perfect laugh-per-line scorecard. At its best, Game Night is laugh out loud funny, subverting some classic comedy tropes and delivering scores of killer one-liners. On the flip-side, its secondary characters are flat and underwritten (Magnussen's in particular), throwing down the kinds of punchlines you can see coming a mile off. Even so, it's probably one of the better Hollywood black comedies we've seen in the last few years, and ultimately entertains enough to justify the price of admission. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNtLIcyjsnI
As NSW prepares to wind back some restrictions later this week, the state has today, Tuesday, May 12, announced that zero new cases were recorded overnight — the first time it has done so since the pandemic was declared. Since COVID-19 was first reported in Australia at the end of January, 6948 cases have been recorded across the country (as at 9pm on Monday, May 11), bringing with it 97 deaths and a drastic change to life as we know it. As the coronavirus has spread, travel has been banned and restrictions on everyday movement have been implemented, good news has been few and far between of late, which makes the past weeks' significant drop in reported cases across NSW — and Australia — a welcome development indeed. At a press conference this morning, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that zero new cases had been reported overnight "for the first time since we took records", and 6048 people had been tested in the past 24 hours. Huzzah. While the Premier said it's a positive outcome, she also said it was important to maintain a "high level of testing as the restrictions are eased". [caption id="attachment_770066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NSW Health[/caption] "We want to see the testing numbers get closer to the target of 8000," the Premier said. "And we're asking everyone to come forward especially as the winter months are approaching and people will be developing flu-like symptoms — please assume you have the coronavirus, don't assume it's just a cold or just the flu." From this Friday, May 15, Sydneysiders can have five visitors in their home; outdoor gatherings of ten people are allowed; and cafes, restaurants and outdoor pools and gym equipment can reopen with some restrictions. You can read more about the relaxed restrictions set to come in place over here. As these relaxed rules come in place, though, Sydneysiders are encouraged to practice social distancing measures and good hygiene, and, as the Premier said, get tested. To show the prevalence of COVID-19 cases in your area — or areas you plan to travel to for exercise or to see friends — the NSW Government has released an interactive heat map that shows confirmed cases and number of tests administered by postcode. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Government website. Top image: Julia Sansone
When a big tour is announced, it's always worth paying attention to the dates around the shows in your city. Has whoever is taking to the stage spread out their gigs? Is there room to add more concerts? If you're worried about a huge demand for tickets, that's handy information to notice. When Drake announced his next trip Down Under for early 2025, for instance, the gaps between his visits to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane stood out — handily so, it proves, with more shows now added to the tour. Here's the latest headlines: Drake has added an extra gig in each of the New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland capitals, and before general ticket sales even kick off. It'll be his first trip this way since 2017 — and yes, you're still going to have 'Hotline Bling', 'Too Good', 'Passionfruit', 'Nice for What', 'In My Feelings', 'One Dance' and 'Laugh Now Cry Later' stuck in your head, as you have since the tour was first revealed. The Canadian artist is bringing his Anita Max Win tour Down Under, and is now playing ten shows in four cities across Australia and New Zealand. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, this is what's next. The five-time Grammy-winner will head this way in February and March, kicking off at Rod Laver Arena in the Victorian capital for three nights. The following week, it's the Harbour City's turn at Qudos Bank Arena, again for a trio of gigs. After that, Drake will play two nights at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, then another two at Spark Arena in Auckland. The Degrassi: The Next Generation star last hit the stage in this neck of the woods on his Boy Meets World tour, and eight years will have passed between those shows and his 2025 visit. The platinum-selling singer is fresh off his 2023–24 It's All A Blur Tour, which saw him chalk up over 80 soldout shows in North America. On that last visit, Drake had four studio albums to his name: 2010's Thank Me Later, 2011's Take Care, 2013's Nothing Was the Same and 2016's Views. He's doubled that since, so expect tunes from 2018's Scorpion, 2021's Certified Lover Boy, 2022's Honestly, Nevermind and 2023's For All the Dogs, too. The Anita Max Win tour's announcement wasn't new news if you've been paying attention to Drake's social media, where he's been teasing details — but now consider it all officially locked in and even bigger. Drake's 'Anita Max Win' Tour 2025 Australian and New Zealand Dates Sunday, February 9–Monday, February 10 + Wednesday, February 12 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, February 16–Monday, February 17 + Wednesday, February 19 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, February 24–Tuesday, February 25 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Friday, February 28–Saturday, March 1 — Spark Arena, Auckland Drake is touring Australia and New Zealand in February 2025, with various ticket presales from Tuesday, December 2, 2024 at various times — and general sales from 12pm local time on Friday, December 6, 2024. Head to the tour website for more details. Images: The Come Up Show via Flickr.
Fervent fans of The Roots, listen up! Don't worry if you don't have the cash for Falls or you can't make Southbound Festival — they’ve just announced they'll be playing two sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne with Australian MC Urthboy as a special guest. So that's two more chances to see The Roots jam out their first Australian gig since 2007. You will no longer have to resort to watching episodes of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to get your fill of Questlove's magic. Expect to hear a lot from their most recent album, Undun (2011), whose reverse narrative arc followed the short life of Redford Stephens and featured play-it-compulsively songs like 'Kool On', 'Make My' and 'The OtherSide'. Even if you don't know much about The Roots, if you’re remotely fond of hip hop or neo-soul then this is a rare opportunity to see one of the most influential, visionary, long-loved groups to ever emerge from Philly (in 1987 and still kicking!) up close and personal. Tickets go on sale soon. Tour dates: Sydney: Friday, December 27 – Hordern Pavilion (tickets on sale Tuesay, 8 October, at 2pm) Melbourne: Saturday, December 28 – Festival Hall (tickets on sale Thursday, 10 October, 9am)
With the impact of COVID-19 continuing to be felt worldwide — including in Australia, where mass gatherings of over 500 people will be banned from Monday, March 16 — everyone could use a little light in their lives at present. It won't be coming from the usually radiant Vivid Sydney, however, with with luminous annual festival cancelling its 2020 event. In a short statement, the festival advised that "unfortunately, Vivid Sydney 2020 has been cancelled on the recommendations of the Australian Government and health authorities regarding non-essential, organised gatherings of more than 500 people". On Facebook, it provided further details, explaining that "the decision to cancel was not taken lightly. Vivid Sydney must follow the advice of health officials to ensure the health and safety of attendees and everyone involved with the event". https://www.facebook.com/vividsydney/posts/10157962724233397?__xts__[0]=68.ARDCG3xavDcAqXRBAMsOQFLAELmPpU30KHOxyVUHdZu89RSXER3aX4D_3zDac5pbbNJl2ZTc_VaqfYBHQYNSiDtRBAUl28cnDPxalb0vo7lHb9UB8aNWiuTYoISPxaze2CONivIjqSCbEkHHseUClqUPfeEIXcv7Q30mBjMhERyy_eDWaXZhMGiEBrJ3TKXs8LpKZxmKEFNPTzijXwphkPsnYnbncLeJq42WBnYHuMClxpyYjJ-2FDUiweW4A-NokSf41hQacoQCUdBhzgAbXSrKx4ydI1kNRXQ_u6ny9g5npB7qpXBU2uJdKSuWGgWHAC9iQzufm7x38A&__tn__=-R The 2020 event was slated to take place from Friday, May 22–Saturday, June 13, and had already announced its first headliner for the year: US neo-soul singer and poet Jill Scott. Vivid was due to release its full lineup of gigs, installations, light shows and other cultural events this month. Last year, the event attracted more than two million attendees, so its cancellation in the current circumstances doesn't come as a surprise — especially as other events are doing the same both locally and globally. Vivid joins a growing list of scrapped events and closed venues, with large swathes of cinemas shutting across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and theme parks doing the same in Asia, Europe and the US as well. We've also seen the cancellation of Texan music and film festival South by Southwest and postponement of Coachella. More locally, both the Grand Prix in Melbourne and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Tasmania's Dark Mofo and the Sydney Royal Easter Show have all been cancelled. Vivid Live 2020 will no longer take place from Friday, May 22–Saturday, June 13. For more information, visit the event's website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Hamilton Lund.
From the CBD to the west, Sydney Festival will take over the city yet again this January, with over 130 art, music, theatre, comedy and cultural events happening across three weeks, between Wednesday, January 6 and Tuesday, January 26. Get your calendar ready, it's going to be a busy 21 days. Things will look a little different from previous years, with all 2021 events adhering to COVID-19 safety guidelines, including capacity limits and social-distancing regulations. The festival, however, is a big step for the city's culture and nightlife, marking a slow return to normality. 2021 will be the festival's last year under the helm of Artistic Director Wesley Enoch, with Olivia Ansell taking over in 2022. Due to border closures, Enoch has had to craft an Australian-only program, calling on the best established and up-and-coming talent the country has to offer. [caption id="attachment_789697" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'The Rise and Fall of Saint George' by Peter Rubie[/caption] Highlights of the newly announced program include a pop-up stage at Barangaroo; the telling of Evonne Goolagong's life story, which will see Sydney Town Hall transformed into a tennis court; an installation of large floating bees around Vaucluse House called Hive Mind; an homage to musical legend George Michael starring Paul Mac; and the return of the festival's Blak Out program, promoting and uplifting First Nations voices and storytelling throughout the festival. The Barangaroo pop-up titled The Headland, will see a 32-metre-wide stage, larger than both the Capitol and Sydney Lyric, constructed in front of Sydney Harbour. The stage will operate over 16 nights, playing host to performers and musicians such as the Bangarra Dance Company, Sydney Symphony and Paul Mac, all for just $25 a ticket. Taking to smaller stages across the city, including The Lansdowne, Factory Theatre and Tokyo Sing Song, will be a whole bunch of Australian favourites including Christine Anu, Urthboy, E^ST, Alice Ivy and Emily Wurramara. [caption id="attachment_789696" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Hive Mind'[/caption] Alongside the giant bees taking residence in Vaucluse, visual art will consume the city, with exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and outside Customs House, Circular Quay, where a new large-scale immersive experience from audio-visual artist Matthias Schack-Arnott will be set up for the public to interact with. The festival will also see the return of long-running favourites, such as Parramatta Park's Sydney Symphony Under the Stars and Barangaroo's The Vigil on Australia Day eve. Sydney Festival 2021 runs from January 6–26 at venues across the city. For further details and to buy tickets, visit the Sydney Festival website. Tickets are on sale now. Top image: The Headland stage and 'Sydney Symphony Under the Stars' by Victor Frankowski
