Huge news: South by South West (SXSW) is coming to Sydney in October of 2023 for its first festival outside of its longtime home in Austin, Texas. The world-renowned festival has been bringing together big names and rising stars in tech, film, music, gaming, culture and education industries since it first began in 1987. Now, it's heading Down Under for the first time, with its week-long edition in Sydney set to become the official location of SXSW's annual Asia-Pacific installment. Running from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22, 2023, the new iteration of SXSW will fill the city with more than 1000 sessions, screenings, performances, parties, networking events and activations over eight days. The Sydney iteration of the festival will bring a wide variety of events hailing from the US edition, but with a greater emphasis on creatives and thinkers from the Asia-Pacific. "Focusing on the creator industries in the Asia-Pacific region, SXSW Sydney will celebrate what's next in culture, tech and the regions thriving creative economy," SXSW Sydney Managing Director Colin Daniels said. "Put simply, SXSW is the Olympics of events for the creator industries, and we are thrilled to bring this legendary festival of gaming, music, screen, tech and innovation to Sydney in 2023," CEO of SXSW Sydney's event producer TEG said. Alongside the Sydney edition of the festival, SXSW will continue its usual programing in Austin with a 2023 festival locked in for March. The festival returned in-person earlier this year after an online iteration in 2021 due to the pandemic. It was headlined by talks from Mark Zuckerberg, Lizzo and Neal Stephenson; performances from Dolly Parton and Beck; premieres of films such as Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Lost City and upcoming A24 horror movie Bodies, Bodies, Bodies; and a Q&A with the cast and crew of Donald Glover's critically acclaimed TV show Atlanta. [caption id="attachment_854807" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atlanta Season 3 premiered at SXSW 2022 with a cast and crew Q&A.[/caption] Over the years, SXSW has featured appearances from the likes of Barack Obama, Dave Grohl, Jordan Peele, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga and Arnold Schwarzenegger to name just a few — as well as large-scale activations. It also acted as an important space for young musicians, filmmakers and creatives to cut their teeth. The festival has had a close relationship with Australia over the past few years, with Sounds Australia running the Australia House showcase at the festival since 2018 featuring up-and-coming Australian musicians. Major Australian musical exports including Flume, Alison Wonderland, Nick Murphy, Tkay Maidza, Gang of Youths, RUFUS DU SOL and Courtney Barnett have all made appearances at SXSW over the years You can head to the SXSW Sydney website to register your interest for the 2023 event and stay up-to-date as new information emerges over at the festival's Instagram. South by South West will host its inaugural Sydney festival Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22, 2023.
Daft Punk have never been averse to some commercial collaboration, and now they've teamed up with perhaps the biggest and most recognised soft drink company in the world. It's just been announced that Coke will release two limited edition bottles in silver and gold, entitled 'Club Coke,' as a tribute to the French electro duo's robot helmets. The bottles will begin production in March 2011, and will be coupled with the launch of the Daft Coke website. Naturally, the bottles will almost solely be available in clubs, where shiney things are always the best things, and will no doubt be the source of many a French hipster's pick-up line. They'll also be sold at the very chic, high-end store Colette in Paris as a collector's box set (although how long can you keep Coke for? Or is Coke like baked beans, and strong enough to survive nuclear holocaust?). Daft Punk have previously collaborated with Adidas and The Gap to sell stuff, so the Coke venture doesn't come as much of a surprise. But surely the real question, and one that everyone seems to be ignoring, is: does it taste like Daft Punk? https://youtube.com/watch?v=86vQMkR9raI
Dracula's castle is the place that nightmares are made of, as anyone who has read Bram Stoker's iconic 1897 gothic novel or seen a vampire flick knows. Nestled in the Carpathian mountains in the heart of Transylvania, it's also a place you can actually spend a night in. Well, it's a 14th century mountain-top manor that served as the inspiration for the creepy dwelling in the book, but you get the picture. Close enough, right? No, the fictional master of the undead isn't pulling his own What We Do in the Shadows-style caper; it's not a share house, and there won't be a doco crew there filming everything. And no, you don't have to willingly get lured in by a charismatic recluse who can turn into a bat, or turn up to help him with legal matters (but hey, if you want to pretend that you're Keanu Reeves in the 1992 movie, go for it). Instead, it's as simple as hitting up Airbnb to win a chance to stay at Bran Castle in Romania. The accommodation-sharing service has offered up shark tanks, van Gogh's bedroom, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' secret lair and an Abbey Road slumber party with Mark Ronson before, so you shouldn't be surprised. Now that's how you celebrate halloween. Plus, the evening will be hosted by the great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker himself, Dacre Stoker, who actually wrote a sequel to the bloodsucking classic in 2009. After riding in a horse-drawn carriage at sunset, probably seeing swooping bats and hearing howling wolves, he'll answer your knock at the door — and once he does, you're trapped until dawn. As an expert on Transylvanian lore, he'll guide you through lamp-lit corridors, creepy nooks, squeaky staircases and secret passages. There's 57 rooms in total, including lofty tower lookouts, deep dark crypts, a grand dining room perfect for an intimate candlelit dinner, and luxurious velvet-trimmed coffins to sleep in. Entrants must be 18 and over, and it goes without saying that anyone who is easily frightened shouldn't bother. For more information, visit the castle's listing on Airbnb.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and put on that festival you've always wanted to give a red hot go? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of ten bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. For Brett Louis, co-founder and curator of Melbourne's ambitious festival Sugar Mountain, a 'Sine Metu' way of life is the only way. Thanks to Brett's meticulous curation over the years, Sugar Mountain has broken new ground with its blend of music, art and food — redefining what a festival can be (without fearing it won't work). We had a chat to Brett about his own business of taking chances. You can read the interview over here. Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Brett's being a total legend and helping us give away a VIP Sugar Mountain Experience for two, so you can see for yourself what happens when bold humans take big creative chances with big payoffs. Enter here to win.
Is hip-hop alternative? Or does it just have trouble getting gigs at the Opera House? Whether you’re up to speed or yet to be sold on the genre, the Platform Hip Hop Festival is returning to the Carriageworks' concrete halls for its fourth year to educate your senses. With Nick Power in the papers calmly elucidating the heritage of strong women in Aussie hip-hop, and lithe Sydney Dance Company director Rafael Bonachela praising breakdancing’s vitality on the same page, it seems a lot less like alternative, and more like the rest of Sydney has finally caught up. If you're new to the genre, there's plenty of room to learn as you go.The festival offers a series of free Hip Hop classes every Saturday, with sessions for dance and beat-boxing. If you're past just getting started, you also can check out the masterclasses run by B*Boy Storm. There's photography in the foyer, Saturday Graffiti tours around Newtown and Redfern if you prefer your art in situ, and all-day festivals-within-the-festival Freak the Technique and Platform Rocks the Block. Most events are free, all of them appeal and none leave much excuse for missing out.
Need a little swing in your step? Whether you feel like you were born to jive, or you're just after a fun activity that's a bit different, swing dancing could be the answer. Each Monday, Swing Patrol holds swing dance classes in the Church Hall of St Stephens. Head to the beginners class at 7pm for the basics of swing dancing and once you have those down, the intermediate class at 8.15pm will up your game will more challenging routines. Swing Patrol has built a huge community over the years with students performing at markets, parties, and events all over the world. Even if your aspirations are less global and more just getting a dose of wholesome retro fun, at just $16 a pop, these classes are a good place to look.
After hoards of beachgoers flouting mass-gathering rules forced the closure of Bondi Beach a month ago, the popular Sydney spot is preparing to reopen — with some restrictions. Unlike Randwick City Council's Clovelly, Coogee and Maroubra beaches, which reopened earlier this week for exercise purposes, Waverley Council's beaches will only open for the public to access the water for ocean swimming, surfing, paddle boarding and kayaking. From Tuesday, April 28, Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama will be open from 7am to 5pm on weekdays, but will remain closed on weekends. Fences will remain in place around the three beaches, with specific 'Swim & Go' and 'Surf & Go' entry and exit points, which will be managed by Council Rangers. While Bondi and Bronte will be open for surfing and swimming, Tamarama and Mackenzies Bay will be surfing only. Lifeguards will patrol all beaches during the opening times. In a statement released today, Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos said that while the ocean is reopening, "land-based activities" remain off-limits. "Waverley's beaches remain closed to all land-based activities including social gatherings, sunbaking, walking and jogging," Masselos said. As the government's two-person gathering rule is still in place, you can only go swimming or surfing with a maximum of one friend or the members of your household. Disobeying this restriction — and leaving your house for a non-essential reason — could still see you cop a $1000 on-the-spot fine. If Sydneysiders don't follow the council's rules, Masselos said the beaches could close again. "If residents do not adhere to the conditions of these measures or follow the instructions of our Rangers or Lifeguards, then the Council will have no choice but to remove all access to the water," she said in the statement. Elsewhere in Sydney, Manly, Shelly, North Steyne, Queenscliff and Dee Why beaches are currently closed until at least Tuesday, April 28, but other northern beaches spots are open for exercise only with some lifeguard patrolling — check here for the most recent updates. Sutherland Shire beaches, which temporary closed over the Easter long weekend, are also open for exercise. All of the city's rock, ocean and regular pools are still closed. Bondi and Bronte Beach will open for swimming and surfing only during 7am–5pm on weekdays from Tuesday, April 28. You can find out more over at the Waverley Council website.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've been under the weather. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are eight that you can watch right now at home. JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 Almost a quarter-century has passed since Keanu Reeves uttered four iconic words: "I know kung fu". The Matrix's famous phrase was also the entire movie-going world's gain, because watching Reeves unleash martial-arts mayhem is one of cinema's purest pleasures. Notching up their fourth instalment with the obviously titled John Wick: Chapter 4, the John Wick flicks understand this. They couldn't do so better, harder, or in a bloodier fashion, in fact. Directed by Keanu's former stunt double Chad Stahelski, who helped him look like he did indeed know wushu back in the 90s, this assassin saga is built around the thrill of its star doing his violent but stylish best. Of course, The Matrix's Neo didn't just know kung fu, but gun fu — and Jonathan, as The Continental proprietor Winston (Ian McShane, Deadwood: The Movie) still likes to call him, helps turn bullet ballet into one helluva delight again and again (and again and again). Picking up where 2019's John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum left off, and once again so expertly and inventively executed that it's mesmerising, John Wick: Chapter 4 saddles its namesake with a new adversary: the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård, Barbarian), emissary of the death-for-hire business' powers-that-be, aka the High Table. After Wick puts the assassin realm's head honchos on notice during an early trip to the Middle East, the series' latest nefarious figure wants rid of him forever, wasting no time laying waste to the few things left that John loves. The Marquis has company, too — seeking a big payday in the case of the mercenary known as Tracker (Shamier Anderson, Son of the South), who has his own devoted dog; and due to a familiar deal with Caine (Donnie Yen, Mulan), a martial-arts whiz who is blind, and an old friend of John. That said, Wick has pals in this clash between the hitman establishment and its workers, which doubles as an eat-the-rich skirmish, including Winston, the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne, All the Old Knives), and the Osaka Continental's Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada, Bullet Train) and Akira (Rina Sawayama, Turn Up Charlie). John Wick: Chapter 4 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BEAU IS AFRAID Beau is afraid. Beau is anxious. Beau is alone. Beau is alive. Any of these three-word sentences would make a fitting name for Ari Aster's third feature, which sees its titular middle-aged figure not just worry about anything and everything, but watch his fears come true, concerns amplify and alienation grow — and then some. And, in the Hereditary and Midsommar filmmaker's reliably dread-inducing hands, no matter whether Beau (Joaquin Phoenix, C'mon C'mon) is wallowing in his apartment solo, being welcomed into someone else's family or stumbling upon a travelling theatre troupe in the woods, he knows that he's truly on his own in this strange, sad, surreal and savage world, too. More than that, he's well-aware that this is what life is inescapably like for all of us, regardless of how routine, chaotic or grand our individual journeys from emerging out of our mother's womb to sinking into death's eternal waters happen to prove. Aster has opted for Beau Is Afraid as a moniker, with this horror-meets-tragicomedy mind-bender a filmic ode to existential alarm — and, more than that, a picture that turns catastrophising into a feature. Psychiatrists will have a field day; however, experiencing the latest in the writer/director's growing line of guilt-dripping celluloid nightmares, so should viewers in general. Even with Chilean The Wolf House helmers Cristóbal León and Joaquin Cosiña lending their help to the three-hour movie's midsection, where animation adds another dreamlike dimension to a picture book-style play within an already fantastical-leaning flick frequently running on dream logic, Aster embraces his favourite deranged terrain again. He makes bold choices, doesn't think twice about challenging himself and his audience, elicits a stunning lead performance and dances with retina-searing imagery, all while pondering inherited trauma, the emotional ties that bind and the malevolence that comes with dependence. Beau Is Afraid is available to stream via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BROKER No matter how Hirokazu Kore-eda's on-screen families come to be, if there's any actual blood between them, whether they're grifting in some way or where in the world they're located, the Japanese writer/director and Shoplifters Palme d'Or winner's work has become so beloved — so magnificent, too — due to his care and sincerity. A Kore-eda film is a film of immense empathy and, like Like Father, Like Son, Our Little Sister, After the Storm and The Third Murder also in the prolific talent's past decade, Broker is no different. The setup here is one of the filmmaker's murkiest, with the feature's name referring to the baby trade. But showing compassion and humanity isn't up for debate in Kore-eda's approach. He judges the reality of modern-day life that leads his characters to their actions, but doesn't judge his central figures. In the process, he makes poignant melodramas that are also deep and thoughtful character studies, and that get to the heart of the globe's ills like the most cutting slices of social realism. It isn't just to make a buck that debt-ridden laundromat owner Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho, Parasite) and orphanage-raised Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won, Peninsula) take infants abandoned to the Busan Family Church's 'baby box' — a chute that's exactly what it sounds like, available to mothers who know they can't embrace that part for whatever reason — then find good families to sell them to. There's a cash component, of course, but they're convinced that their gambit is better than letting children languish in the state system. In Kore-eda's usual kindhearted manner, Broker sees them with sensitivity. Even if blue hues didn't wash through the film's frames, nothing is ever black and white in the director's movies. The same understanding and tenderness flows towards mothers like So-young (Lee Ji-eun, Hotel Del Luna, aka K-Pop star IU), whose decision to leave Woo-sung (debutant Park Ji-yong) isn't easily made but puts Broker on its course. Broker is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. PEARL 70s-era porn, but make it a slasher flick: when Ti West's X marked the big-screen spot in 2022, that's one of the tricks it pulled. The playful, smart and gory horror standout also arrived with an extra spurt of good news, with West debuting it as part of a trilogy. 30s- and 40s-period technicolour, plus 50s musicals and melodramas, but splatter them with kills, genre thrills and ample blood spills: that's what the filmmaker behind cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers now serves up with X prequel Pearl. Shot back to back with its predecessor, sharing mesmerising star Mia Goth (Emma), and co-written by her and West — penned during their two-week COVID-19 quarantine period getting into New Zealand to make the initial movie, in fact — it's a gleaming companion piece. It's also a savvy deepening and recontextualising of a must-see scary-movie franchise that's as much about desire, dreams and determination as notching up deaths. In one of her X roles, Goth was magnetic as aspiring adult-film actor Maxine Minx, a part she'll reprise in the trilogy's upcoming third instalment MaXXXine. As she proved first up and does again in Pearl, she plays nascent, yearning, shrewd and resolute with not just potency, but with a pivotal clash between fortitude and vulnerability; when one of Goth's youthful X Universe characters says that they're special or have the X factor, they do so with an astute blend of certainty, good ol' fashioned wishing and hoping, and naked self-convincing. This second effort's namesake, who Goth also brought to the screen in her elder years in X, wants to make it in the pictures, too. Looking to dance on her feet instead of horizontally, stardom is an escape (again), but Pearl's cruel mother Ruth (Tandi Wright, Creamerie), a religiously devout immigrant from Germany turned bitter from looking after her ailing husband (Mathew Sunderland, The Stranger), laughs at the idea. Pearl is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. POLITE SOCIETY Fists fly in Polite Society. Feet as well. When the latter aren't suspended in mid-air attempting to execute stunning kung-fu stunts, they just might be busting out their best Bollywood dance moves. Words are screamed and shouted, often between sisters Ria (Priya Kansara, Bridgerton) and Lena Khan (Ritu Arya, The Umbrella Academy), who are thick as thieves until they suddenly aren't. Schoolyard fights rumble like they've spilled straight out an action movie, which budding stuntperson Ria dreams of being in. Showdowns with Lena's future mother-in-law Raheela Shah (Nimra Bucha, Ms Marvel) could've burst from a Quentin Tarantino film. Espionage missions are undertaken by high schoolers, as are heists at a spectacular Muslim wedding in a lavish London mansion. Lena scoffs down a whole roast chicken on a public footpath like it's the only thing she's ever eaten. Ria and Lena free themselves from their angst by letting loose in their living room to The Chemical Brothers' dance-floor filler 'Free Yourself'. And being a dutiful member of her community is the absolute worst fate that could await an ass-kicking British Pakistani teenage girl. In other words, a little bit of everything happens in Polite Society, the anarchic and eye-popping debut feature from We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor. That includes nods to Jackie Chan movies and The Matrix, plus Bond-style antics and Ennio Morricone-esque music drops. Add in riffs on Get Out, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-inspired wuxia, video-game flourishes, musical dance numbers, and nudges in Jane Austen and Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan's directions. Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Kill Bill leave imprints. When it examines intergenerational pressure, so do Everything Everywhere All At Once and Turning Red. Whatever this high-energy charmer throws at the screen, it always serves the narrative. It also showcases Manzoor's lively and bold filmmaking eye. But more importantly, Polite Society is the spin-kicking whirlwind it is because that's what it feels like to be a schoolgirl training in martial arts, yearning to pack a literal punch, desperate to become anything but what society demands and tired of being dictated to — and saddled with cultural expectations but determined to propel along one's own path in general, too. Polite Society is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. OF AN AGE You Won't Be Alone isn't just the name of Macedonian Australian writer/director Goran Stolevski's debut feature, which hit cinemas in 2022. It's also a phrase that applies now that his second film is here. Of an Age initially premiered in the same year as well, bowing in Melbourne International Film Festival's opening-night slot — and, while it tells of growing up queer in 90s Melbourne, falling in love for the first time, then sifting through the aftermath a decade later, it's a glorious companion piece to its predecessor. No one is chosen by a sorceress here. The place isn't Macedonia, the period isn't the 19th century and supernatural shapeshifting isn't part of the narrative. But even just a mere duo of movies into his helming career, Stolevski makes pictures that profoundly ruminate upon two of life's purest truths: that absolutely everything changes and, consequently, nothing completely lasts forever. 1999 is inching towards becoming Y2K when Of an Age begins, and 17-year-old Nikola aka Kol (Elias Anton, Australia Day) is only hours from taking to the floor at a Melbourne dance championship. That's how his day is meant to pan out, at least, and what he's preparing for when the film meets him practising his smooth ballroom moves in his suburban garage — conjuring up visions of John Travolta in a flick made famous two decades prior, in fact. Kol's ordinary morning fever breaks, however, thanks to friend and dance partner Ebony (Hattie Hook, Savage River) and her bender of an evening. She's awoken on the beach in Altona with no idea where she is, scrounging up change for the payphone call to say she thinks she'll miss the recital unless Kol can pick her up. To attempt to make his big performance, he has to convince Ebony's older brother Adam (Thom Green, Eden) to play taxi — and he's still all aflutter with anxiety, and just the inertia of being so keyed up from endeavouring to sort things out, when he slides into the twentysomething's brown car and feels sparks fly instantly. Of an Age is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. EVIL DEAD RISE There will be blood in Evil Dead Rise, the latest addition to the Evil Dead fold, and not just inking The Book of the Dead's pages. There's gallons of it, in fact, with assistance from an elevator overflowing with crimson liquid. Writer/director Lee Cronin is clearly happy to jump from his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground to this beloved horror franchise while giving The Shining some love as well. And yet, nods to past Evil Dead films and scary fare in general aren't the main point of Evil Dead Rise, even though they're still there — loudly when "dead by dawn", words that are also part of Evil Dead II's title, is yelled. It shouldn't feel so rare to see a feature that isn't solely kept beating by gobbling up as many pieces of its predecessors as possible, but that's these nothing-must-die times. (When intellectual property is revived repeatedly by Hollywood's intonations, bringing back Evil Dead over and over couldn't be more appropriate.) Familiar swooping and whooshing camerawork kicks Evil Dead Rise into gear, though, knowingly so. In a clever touch, it stems from a is doing the shooting, not due to supernatural nefariousness. There's a remote abode in the woods — an A-frame shack this time, levelled up to match 2023's travel aesthetic — and unsettling things afoot; however, the bulk of the film takes place a day earlier. That's when guitar technician Beth (Lily Sullivan, Picnic at Hanging Rock) cuts out a the worldwide tour to surprise her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland, New Gold Mountain). The latter is a tattoo artist and mother of three who has recently been left parenting solo, and is interrupted dying her hair 'cool mum' red when her sibling arrives. There's baggage between the pair, but there'll soon be viscera as well when Ellie's teenage son Danny (Morgan Davies, Blaze) finds a certain text — and, because he's a budding DJ, some dusty vinyl sporting words that no one in an Evil Dead movie should be saying or hearing. Evil Dead Rise is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE SUPER MARIO BROS MOVIE It took 30 years, plus a warp pipe from live-action to animation, but Super Mario Bros finally gained a cinematic mushroom. While these are peak product-to-screen times — see also: The Last of Us, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, Tetris and Air, plus the upcoming Barbie, BlackBerry and latest Transformers flick — Nintendo's plumber siblings were long flushed out of movies thanks to their underperforming first outing. 1993's Bob Hoskins (Snow White and the Huntsman) and John Leguizamo (Violent Night)-starring film, the first-ever live-action video game film, isn't terrible. It followed its own dark path and hit its own wild blocks, something that stands out even more now that slavish obsession to intellectual property and franchise-building is king. If 2023's The Super Mario Bros Movie is a response to its predecessor, it's a happily dutiful one, doing its utmost to copy the video game. The strongest feeling it inspires: making viewers want to bust out their old NES or SNES or Game Boy, or emulators of any of them, or Nintendo's current Switch, and mash buttons as the red-capped, moustachioed, overalls-wearing Mario. In images that look like they've been ported straight from consoles, Italian Americans Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt, Thor: Love and Thunder) and Luigi (Charlie Day, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) essentially find themselves in the Super Mario Bros version of The Wizard of Oz. Like the 90s flick, they're also transported to another realm where a villainous creature lusts for power— Bowser (Jack Black, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) here, with an army of the turtle-like koopas doing his bidding. A sewer flood whisks Mario and Luigi out of their own world, after they try to fix it to drum up customers for their plumbing business. On the other side of the tunnel, Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom and Luigi ends up Bowser's prisoner. Cue a quest, including along the rainbow road, to reunite the brothers, stop Bowser and keep him away from Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu) — who definitely isn't a damsel in distress, but the target of Bowser's obsessive affections. The Super Mario Bros Movie is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March, April and May, too. You can also peruse our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies, plus movies you might've missed and television standouts of 2022 you mightn't have gotten to.
COVID-19 restrictions across New South Wales have been easing over the past few months, including loosened rules for restaurants, bars, cafes and eateries, and on caps for-home gatherings. But if you're the type of person who not only likes hanging out with your mates at bars and pubs, but standing up while you're knocking back cold ones, sipping wine or enjoying a cocktail, you'll be particularly pleased with the latest announcement. Today, Wednesday, March 17, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet have revealed that the state's residents can now drink while vertical indoors, with the change already in effect. Accordingly, your days of only being seated while you're having a few beverages have finally come to an end. If you feel like saying cheers to that, it's understandable. The news wasn't unexpected. Back in February, Premier Gladys Berejiklian had noted that standing up while you drink inside at a pub or bar would be back on March 17 "if everything goes well". And even though NSW has reported two locally acquired cases in the past few days — including one overnight — the rule about only sipping while you're sitting has still been scrapped. [caption id="attachment_779825" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] Nothing else is changing at present. If you're hanging out to hit the dance floor, that's still off limits — unless you're at a wedding, where 30 people can make shapes at once. But loosening the dancing rules, and letting more people attend weddings funerals, are under consideration for future rule changes. As always, NSW residents are asked to continue to get tested immediately if you experience even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms — and to keep an eye on the list of locations linked to the current locations linked to cases, and monitor for symptoms, get tested and/or self-isolate if you've visited any of the named spots. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Images: Cassandra Hannagan.
Babe. I have something to tell you. These words strike the fear of God in your heart. It's a phrase that leads to downing a bottle (or two) of wine, running red lights, calling friends to babble, faking a sickie so you can curl up under the doona and cry all day. But you wouldn't expect it to put lives at risk, to end up in hospital, to involve the federal police and the government or other such escalations. In Wish You Were Here, expectant couple Dave (Joel Edgerton) and Alice (Felicity Price) decide to go on holiday to a remote coastal village in southern Cambodia. They intend to suck the last remaining marrow of their youth while they still can, along with another couple, Alice's younger sister Steph (Teresa Palmer) and her new boyfriend, Jeremy (Antony Starr). This quartet of sun-kissed, lithe-limbed and wealthy Sydneysiders spend their first blissful days in a heady exotic montage: racing scooters along the highway, gormandising snakes on skewers, handling harmless tarantulas and lying on the beach musing on life's possibilities before embarking on a drug-fuelled hedonistic frenzy. In the course of this crazy night, one of them goes missing for reasons that will shake their lives to the core. The performances were so real that I was filled with anxiety for the characters and I missed them once the film concluded. This is no surprise since the director, Kieran Darcy-Smith, and his lead actress, co-writer and wife Felicity Price lived and breathed the film for several years — even discussing it in the shower together. Of the film concept, born from a true events within her social circle, Felicity says, "We did this so people walk out thinking, 'My god, this could be you or I.'" So next time you hear that phrase, brace yourself harder than before. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WVw1f43xF2M
It's time to talk about science. Year after year, Sydney is overtaken by a free celebration of the unseen force that guides our life and universe. The Sydney Science Festival is returning in force for 2024 with a series of insightful events and activations by Powerhouse across Sydney. With the festival just around the corner, let's take a look at the various events to catch, plus where to find them. [caption id="attachment_965913" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Powerhouse Castle Hill, image by Hamish Mcintosh[/caption] Saturday, August 10 — Castle Hill Science Day If you have any young and curious minds in your life, the opening event of the Sydney Science Festival 2024 is the perfect occasion for you and any junior scientists you know. Taking place at Powerhouse Castle Hill from 10am — 4pm, the day will be packed with activities and events organised around the celestial themes of this year's festival. Some events run all day, like Sky Broadcasts, where you'll be able to work with artist Lauren Brincat to create messages to be sent to space; there's also Star Emissions, an activity led by artist Michaela Gleave that'll see you interpret the views of telescopes from Sydney Observatory into a star map. You could also learn about the search for signs of life on Mars, listen to readings of well-known books Stellarphant by James Foley and Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers at 10.30am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2pm, or join tours of the museum and storage facility throughout the day. [caption id="attachment_965918" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Susmita Mohanty at the 2006 Mars Desert Research Station. Courtesy: Susmita Mohanty[/caption] Tuesday, August 13 — Space for Earth with Susmita Mohanty and Celestial Emu Tuesday night will see the first keynote speech of the festival take place, with UTS hosting a night of fascinating conversations between two experts. This keynote event keeps your eyes trained on the sky with a conversation between Dr Susmita Mohanty and Professor Janna Levin. Dr Mohanty is a leading voice in the world of commercial spaceflight, with the unique claim as the only entrepreneur to found three space companies on three continents. Her greatest achievements are founding the first space startup and space think tank, respectively, based in India. She'll be joined by Professor Janna Levin, the Claire Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Columbia University. They'll be discussing Dr Mohanty's work, India's growing space industry, how to build habitats on new worlds, and the tech powering the future of spaceflight. [caption id="attachment_965914" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] 'Celestial Emu', 2023, directed by Olivia Costa, courtesy of Powerhouse.[/caption] Also kicking off on Tuesday night is Celestial Emu, a ticketed arts event that runs for two nights at Sydney Observatory. This event is an exploration of First Nations knowledge and storytelling regarding the night sky. The evening involves a screening of Celestial Emu, a short film about the Emu Constellation, a dark space of 'dust lanes' between the stars of the Milky Way galaxy. There'll also be sky tours (pending cloud cover), a conversation with artist Gail Mabo (daughter of legendary Torres Strait Islander land rights activist Eddie Mabo), a performance from Wiradjuri/Gadigal performer and songwriter Akala Newman singing in Gadigal and a Powerhouse pop up shop. [caption id="attachment_965915" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Still from 'Unseen Skies', 2021. Directed by Yaara Bou Melhem[/caption] Wednesday, August 14 – Our Crowded Skies with Moriba Jah, Trevor Paglen and Dagogo Altraide Aside from Celestial Emu, which continues this evening, Wednesday will see another keynote talk take place, this time hosted in Parramatta Town Hall. With the focus still firmly locked on the skies above, Our Crowded Skies will be a conversation between three experts regarding the growing cloud of junk and satellite objects above Earth. The guests for this event include Moriba Jah, an Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas, and the Chief Scientist at the space company Privateer. He'll be joined by Trevor Paglen, an American artist, geographer and author who specialises in the topic of mass surveillance and data collection. Leading the conversation is Australian content creator Dagogo Altraide, aka ColdFusionTV, who develops science documentaries on his YouTube channel. Together, the panel will discuss the cloud that encircles Earth (invisible to the naked eye) and what it contains, from the debris we left there to the 'invisible' satellites that watch our every move. [caption id="attachment_965916" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dr Susmita Mohanty and crewmate at Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, USA, Crew #26. Courtesy: Susmita Mohanty[/caption] Thursday, August 15 — Passport to Space with Susmita Mohanty and Maya Nasr Thursday night will move the conversation to Parramatta Town Hall. Dr Susmita Mohanty will return for her second panel of the festival, this time joined by Dr Maya Nasr for Passport to Space. They will tackle a question of particular importance in a world where space is becoming readily accessible: is space travel accessible for everyone? As mentioned, Dr Mohanty is a leading voice in the cutting-edge space industry and brings her expertise from multiple ongoing projects to any space-focused conversation. Her fellow guest, Dr Nasr, is a US-based remote sensing scientist of Lebanese descent, who has worked in NASA for projects like the Perseverance Rover, Cassini-Huygen spacecraft and OneWeb. Together, they'll discuss their careers and achievements, the challenges they've faced and their shared vision for the future of space exploration — all to envision an industry that offers improved representation and opportunities for all. [caption id="attachment_965919" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Xin Liu, image by Steve Boxall[/caption] Friday, August 16 — Bodies in Space with Katherine Bennell-Pegg and Xin Liu The Friday night will see the final keynote of the festival take place at UTS, with a conversation on space and our place in it, with more of an emphasis on the latter this time. The experts for the evening are Katherine Bennell-Pegg and Xin Liu, and they will joined by returning moderator Professor Janna Levin. Katherine Bennell-Pegg is the Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency and the first-ever Australian woman to become a certified astronaut after graduating from the European Space Agency. Her fellow speaker, Xin Liu, is an artist and engineer with titles and credentials at institutes all over the world, experience in zero-gravity performances and the proud (former) owner of a wisdom tooth sent to space. Moderated by Professor Levin, the duo will discuss their work and experiences, comparing knowledge to build a clearer picture of the many effects that zero gravity and space have on the human body. [caption id="attachment_965917" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Family Science Day 2023. Image: Andy Roberts[/caption] Saturday, August 17 — Family Science Day Ending as it began, the Sydney Science Festival concludes with another day for the whole family, co-presented by Powerhouse and City of Parramatta. Taking over Parramatta will be a hands-on program of scientific activities and discovery for all ages across Parramatta Square PHIVE Parramatta and Parramatta Town Hall. At PHIVE, you'll be able to meet and chat with leading scientists from Western Sydney University and UTS, learn about poetry and have a go at your own space-themed piece of writing, get an intro to coding with robots and learn just how hard it is to build in space (with a little help from Minecraft). Meanwhile, at Parramatta Town Hall, astronaut and Australia's leading space advocate Katherine Bennell-Pegg will talk all about her life, career and her recently fulfilled childhood dream: become a certified astronaut. And finally, at Parramatta Square, you can catch live demonstrations from Western Sydney University students, engineers and researchers on their work on cognitive neuroscience, AI and space technology or a live robotics demonstration by students and engineers from the UTS Robotics Institute between 10am — 3pm. Sydney Science Festival will take place across various Sydney venues from Saturday, August 10 to Saturday, August 17. Registration is essential for all events. For more information and to register for events, visit the website. Top image: Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Courtesy of Collins Aerospace.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney 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 over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-M4qEmF268 FREAKY Blumhouse Productions has already turned Groundhog Day into a horror flick via Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U. It gave 70s TV series Fantasy Island an unsettling makeover, too, with downright awful results. Now, it's Freaky Friday's turn. Body-swap movies span far beyond films starring Jodie Foster (in 1976) and Lindsay Lohan (in 2003), but given that Freaky sets the bulk of its action on a Friday, it's clearly nodding in the obvious direction. The movie begins with a prelude on Wednesday the 11th (yes, not only will most of the chaos go down on a Friday, but it'll happen on Friday the 13th). In the opening scene, four small-town high schoolers do what teens do in the first moments of slasher flicks: talk, party and make out in an empty old mansion, then get killed by a mask-wearing psychopath. Before the quartet meets that fate, its members explain who is responsible. The Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) is known to have terrorised the area but, due to a lack of recent murders, the serial killer has mostly become an urban legend of late. Not only is the Butcher real, as writer/director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day and its sequel) and his co-scribe Michael Kennedy (Bordertown) quickly show, but he steals a cursed Aztec dagger that lets him swap bodies with his next victim. So, when shy teen Millie (Kathryn Newton, Big Little Lies) crosses his path, she wakes up in his very tall and male guise the next morning — and vice versa. That's great news for the Butcher, who can now blend in with the adolescents that he likes to murder. It's a troubling predicament for the bullied high schooler that suddenly looks like him, though. Given that Freaky sports a big twist right there in its premise, no one should expect a surprise-laden narrative here. It does add some depth to its high-concept horror-comedy idea, including calling out society's accepted notions of male power and making it plain that women are never seen in the same fashion, but the movie proves a patchwork affair overall. In other words, sometimes things fall into place entertainingly, and sometimes they don't. The slick, fast-paced flick is particularly engaging when it ramps up either the gore-splattered horror or the over-the-top comedy, though, and it sports top-notch lead casting choices. Indeed, without either Vaughn or Newton, it might've resembled The Hot Chick meets the worst Nightmare on Elm Street sequels rather than Freaky Friday meets Friday the 13th. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW_3aaoSOYg HILLBILLY ELEGY Adapted from the 2016 memoir that shares its name, Hillbilly Elegy is filled with Acting and a Message. Yes, those words should be capitalised. It's an awards-seeking showcase for its two big-name stars, Amy Adams and Glenn Close — neither of whom have an Oscar on their mantles despite 13 nominations between them (six for Adams, seven for Close). It's also a sombre-toned, melodramatic attempt to explain, presumably to the so-called 'coastal elites' that are often characterised as the enemy of ordinary Americans by certain sections of the country's media, that folks crudely nicknamed 'hillbillies' or 'rednecks' are people, too. And, although Ron Howard sits in the director's chair and screenwriter Vanessa Taylor also co-wrote The Shape of Water, Hillbilly Elegy is about as subtle as an Appalachian-born grandmother yelling at teenagers to get off her porch or she'll shoot them. That's something that happens in the film. There's a difference between unpacking stereotypes and propagating them and, despite its obvious intentions, Hillbilly Elegy falls firmly in the second category. A deglamourised Adams plays drug-addicted ex-nurse and single mother Bev. With just as much frizzy hair, Close steps into the shoes of Bev's mother, Mamaw, who gave birth to her when she was 13. Their lives haven't been easy, although they've each constantly strived to do what's best for their poverty-stricken family. Adams and Close give big, overt performances that make their character's struggles known in every fierce glare and public meltdown, but even their visible efforts — and the work they're putting in is always forcefully apparent — can't lift this simultaneously earnest and bland affair. The true tale is all actually seen through the eyes and memories of Bev's son and hardworking Yale law student JD (Gabriel Basso, The Big C). When his mum overdoses while he's trying to secure a summer internship with a prestigious firm in DC, he heads back home, looking back on his childhood (where the character is played by Paterson's Owen Asztalos) across both the hill country of Jackson, Kentucky and also the downtrodden Middletown, Ohio in the process. The real-life JD literally wrote the book, but all those words inspire here is formulaic, mawkish, over-the-top and often fittingly beige-hued awards-bait that noticeably says little about the world that it so superficially feigns to explore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYUO1xmwxTQ THE COMEBACK TRAIL It's never a great idea to fill a screenplay with verbal references to cinematic masterpieces gone by. If your movie doesn't come anywhere near close to matching Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho or Orson Welles' Touch of Evil, for instance, you've already inspired an unflattering comparison. Those classic titles are mentioned early in The Comeback Trail, and it's well and truly evident by then that this comedy will never sit in their company. Its predecessor certainly doesn't, with this Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones and Zach Braff-starring, 1970s-set film based on a 1982 movie of the same name. Here, De Niro and Braff play an uncle-nephew pair of movie producers, Max Barber and Walter Creason, who are known for making average-at-best flicks and even inspiring protests at their premieres — and it doesn't take long for viewers to wonder if the inescapably cheap-looking The Comeback Trail is indicative of the terrible and unsuccessful features pumped out by its central pair. After the aforementioned picketing of their latest release, the duo owe $350,000 to gangster Reggie Fontaine (Freeman). Max could sell a beloved script to a rival producer (Emile Hirsch) to rustle up the funds; however, he stumbles upon another plan instead. Soon, he's in even more debt to Reggie, but with a scam in mind — setting up a suicidal old western star, Duke Montana (Jones), for a big accident so that he can claim an insurance payout. Naturally, nothing pans out as it's supposed to, in a film filled from start to finish with laugh-free moments. Max and Walter try to explain to their female director (Kate Katzman) that she's a bad fit because they're making a manly film, which was never going to be funny. Max gets kicked by the horse he's trying to use to injure Duke, and that inspires zero hilarity, too. Contrived, predictable, strained and grating, The Comeback Trail squanders the three acting veterans among its cast. In fact, it makes you wish they'd be more selective with their on-screen choices. De Niro has worked with filmmaker George Gallo before, with the latter writing 1988 comedy Midnight Run, but their reunion couldn't be more painful — and De Niro couldn't be further away from his excellent efforts in The Irishman just last year. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive and Brazen Hussies. Top image: Hillbilly Elegy via Lacey Terrell/Netflix.
Elton John summed it up perfectly: when Marilyn Monroe died in 1962, her candle burned out long before her legend ever would. Six decades since her passing, the actor remains a Hollywood icon. Like Elvis, she may as well be mononymic. Her face is instantly recognisable, and still everywhere. Ana de Armas just received an Oscar nomination for playing her, after Michelle Williams earned one back in 2012 for also stepping into her shoes. And, the Some Like It Hot, Gentleman Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire star is also the subject of a sizeable exhibition heading to Australia for the first time: Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon. This Marilyn celebration will make its Aussie premiere at Sydney Town Hall, in the Lower Town Hall, from Saturday, July 1–Sunday, September 24. On display: more than 200 artefacts spanning Monroe's life, including handwritten notes, personal letters and other possessions. [caption id="attachment_905883" align="alignnone" width="1920"] New York Sunday News via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] This is the largest Marilyn collection of its kind. Indeed, the objects set to grace the showcase stem from Ted Stampfer, owner the world's largest range of Marilyn items. With Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon, he's aiming to share insights into Monroe as a person, not just a celebrity — spanning her time in the spotlight, of course, but also back when she was Norma Jeane Mortenson. Stampfer will be on hand on opening day providing a curator's tour, as part of an events program accompanying the three-month memorabilia exhibition. Friday-night sessions will feature music and entertainment, and film screenings will also be part of the lineup, letting attendees experience Marilyn's movie magic for themselves. [caption id="attachment_905881" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Jasgur, Ted Stampfer[/caption] As it celebrates the woman who scaled the heights of fame, became a household name, but received horrific scrutiny for her sex-symbol status and her love life — focusing on her hard work, not the stories spun about her — this'll be the only time that Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon will open to the public in this form. "With rare insights and exclusive access to Marilyn's personal belongings, this exhibition offers a unique glimpse into the private world of this cultural icon," said Stampfer. "From humble beginnings to Hollywood stardom, Marilyn Monroe remains an enduring cultural icon, whose life continues to fascinate and intrigue us to this day." [caption id="attachment_905878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ted Stampfer[/caption] Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon will display at Lower Town Hall, Sydney Town Hall, 483 George Street, Sydney, from Saturday, July 1–Sunday, September 24 — head to the exhibition website for further details.
Whenever cold weather hits, spotting Uniqlo fans isn't hard. The brand's puffy jackets and vests are a winter favourite all around the globe, after all. Indeed, the chain has put a lot of fabric and oh-so-much down out into the world, as seen on rugged-up torsos everywhere. But, as part of a new sustainability drive, the company is looking to cut down its environmental impact. If you have a Uniqlo down-filled coat or vest rolled up in its handy bag and sitting on your shelf, but you know you're not going to wear it again, the company now wants you to bring your unwanted pieces of clothing back to one of its stores. Australians can head in, return their worn down jackets and vests, and receive a $10 voucher for their efforts, with the clothing then being recycled via the chain's new Re.Uniqlo program. The $10 voucher offer is only available until June this year, you can only use them in-store (not online) and you'll have to use it on replacing your old down products with something new. But the down recycling project is here to stay, in an attempt to stop the jackets and vests ending up in landfill. As part of its efforts to make sustainable apparel, Uniqlo will expand the scheme to other clothing items down the line, too. View this post on Instagram A post shared by UNIQLO AUSTRALIA (@uniqloau) If you're wondering how those returned items will be reused, Uniqlo is also launching a range of recycled down jackets in early April. They're made from 620,000 coats that were already collected in Japan since last September, and use the down and feathers previously in that big batch of jackets. For more information about Uniqlo's down recycling project and other recycling plans, head to the brand's website.
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and the second teaser trailer for the new movie has just dropped. You can watch it here courtesy of Beyoncé. Yes, Beyoncé is in the new Lion King. Releasing in mid-2019, the film will once again tell the tale of Simba, who's set to take over the pride from his father Mufasa, only for his malicious uncle Scar to get in the way. You know where it goes from there — and you'll be hearing the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as his childhood pal Nala, and James Earl Jones as his dad. Yes, the latter is reprising his role from the original film. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 18, 2019. We'll share the full-length trailer when it hits the internet.
What starts with an anthology drama that tells eight tales by Western Sydney writers, then ends with Wes Anderson's latest? That'd be the 2021 Sydney Film Festival. Finally set to return to the city's big screens for a full festival run, the annual cinema showcase will unleash a lineup of 233 titles between Wednesday, November 3–Sunday, November 14 — beginning with Aussie effort Here Out West and ending with The French Dispatch. They're SFF's bookends for the year; however, with a full program that hefty — with 111 feature films, 50 documentaries and 72 short films, in fact — there's obviously much, much more where they came from. And, yes, the fest will be returning the State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Cinemas Newtown, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne and Ritz Cinema Randwick quite a bit later than usual. The 2021 event will be making its debut at Palace Central Broadway, Palace Chauvel Cinema Paddington and Palace Norton Street Leichhardt a few months after it originally planned, too, after this year's event initially shifted from its usual June dates to the end of August, then moved again to November due to Sydney's lengthy lockdown. And, while the 2020 festival completely moved online, the 2021 event is actually going hybrid. So, Sydneysiders can get their movie fix in-person for 12 days, complete with those quick jogs down George Street to dash between sessions, before checking out SFF On Demand from Friday, November 12–Sunday, November 21. Thanks to the latter, 56 feature-length films and 13 shorts will be available to watch digitally — not just locally, but nationally as well. During the fest's physical run, program highlights include the Timothée Chalamet-starring new version of Dune, 2021 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner Titane, Pedro Almodóvar and Penelope Cruz's latest collaboration Parallel Mothers, Broadway-to-cinema adaptation Dear Evan Hansen and Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's latest A Hero. Still among the big-name titles, Aussie drama The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson sits among SFF's competition lineup, as does Memoria, the Tilda Swinton-starring English-language debut of Cemetery of Splendour filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul; and Petite Maman, the latest film by Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Céline Sciamma. Or, there's Jane Campion's new film The Power of the Dog, which stars Kirsten Dunst and Benedict Cumberbatch; televangelist biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye with Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield; the Will Smith-led King Richard, about Venus and Serena' Williams' father; and Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish in The Card Counter. Two Berlinale Golden Bear winners are on the bill as well, thanks to 2020's There Is No Evil and 2021's Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. And, SFF has kept a heap of its initially announced titles — from way back in June — such as Undine, Christian Petzold's Berlin-set, fable-inspired romance; and New Zealand's The Justice of Bunny King, which stars Essie Davis (Babyteeth) and Thomasin McKenzie (Old). There's also 2020 Sundance hit Zola, which is based on a lengthy 148-tweet Twitter thread; The Kids, which sees Australian filmmaker Eddie Martin (All This Mayhem) explore Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids; and three-time Sundance 2021 winner Hive, the first film to ever win the fest's Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Directing Award. Obviously, the list of standouts just keeps on keeping on. Wash My Soul in the River's Flow hones its focus on Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, following the couple as they prepare for 2004's Kura Tungar — Songs from the River — a collaboration between the First Nation artists, Paul Grabowsky and the Australian Art Orchestra; River is the latest musing on the planet we all call home by Sherpa director Jennifer Peedom; Cow sees American Honey director Andrea Arnold explore the existence of a dairy cow, and Bergman Island is the Tim Roth and Mia Wasikowska-starring new drama from Mia Hansen-Løve (Things to Come). Also, Fist of Fury Noongar Daa dubs the Bruce Lee-starring Fist of Fury in an Aboriginal Australian language, and becomes the first feature to ever do so; SBS documentary Strong Female Lead, about media coverage of Julia Gillard's stint as Prime Minister, gets a big-screen berth; and SFF's usual lineups of family-friendly fare, wild and wonderful genre flicks, Aussie documentaries and features from talented female European filmmakers all return. Whether you're attending SFF in-person or watching along via SFF On Demand — or both — you'll clearly have plenty to watch in November. The 2021 Sydney Film Festival will now take place between Wednesday, November 3–Sunday, November 14. For further information, head to the festival website.
Just a few short weeks ago, when we were craving comedies to watch, we noted an important fact: that Parks and Recreation's Leslie Knope knows how to handle herself in a pandemic. She's already done so once, in a fifth-season episode of the beloved sitcom — and, while the show came to an end in 2015, viewers are about to see how the Pawnee, Indiana resident copes with the coronavirus. In a one-off special to raise money for US charity Feeding America, the cast of Parks and Recreation are reuniting to tackle COVID-19. And, more importantly, they'll be showing the world how their adored characters are managing at the moment. Adding another scripted instalment to the series, the show's stars will be resuming their on-screen alter egos, courtesy of a brand new episode that follows Leslie's (Amy Poehler) efforts to keep in touch with her friends while everyone is social distancing. The whole gang will be back, including not only Poehler as Leslie and her Making It co-host Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, but Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate-Dwyer, Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer, Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt, Jim O'Heir as Jerry/Garry/Larry/Terry Gergich and Retta as Donna Meagle. Although Rashida Jones' Ann Perkins and Rob Lowe's Chris Traeger left the series halfway through its sixth season, they'll be back as well, Variety reports — and you can also expect a few other yet-to-be-revealed guest stars from the show's original run, too. https://twitter.com/parksandrecnbc/status/1253461556102197251 As Poehler reveals in the above video announcing the news, it was all filmed individually from each cast member's home. That means that when this Parks and Rec special hits US screens on Thursday, April 30 (with an airdate Down Under yet to be announced), it'll look a little different to the show's usual episodes. Of course, no Parks fan will mind. Indeed, if you fall into that category, a new episode is literally the best news you could receive right now — so start making waffles, gather all the bacon and eggs you have, and make sure you've got plenty of whisky on hand. A Parks and Recreation Special airs on Thursday, April 30 in the US. There's no word yet about screening details Down Under, but we'll update you when they come to hand. Via Variety.
Already on Saturday, August 14, the New South Wales Government has reported 466 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, and announced the introduction of stricter new stay-at-home rules for Greater Sydney. That's not the end of the day's news, with the entire state now set to enter lockdown from 5pm today — for at least a week in regional NSW, with a current end date of 12.01am on Sunday, August 22 given for areas outside of Greater Sydney. "To protect the people of NSW from the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, new restrictions will be introduced for all of regional NSW," said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Health in a statement. "Following updated health advice from NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant, stay-at-home orders will apply to all people who live in regional NSW. This means the whole of New South Wales will be under stay at home restrictions from 5pm today." Following the press conference today, I received health advice concerning multiple regional NSW areas. As such, from 5pm tonight, all of regional NSW will go into a seven-day lockdown. This means the whole state is in strict lockdown. pic.twitter.com/urND0bYfkT — Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) August 14, 2021 The Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour regions have already been in lockdown since the end of June, and several regional areas in NSW are also under stay-at-home conditions presently — including in Byron Bay and Northern Rivers, Armidale, Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook, Cessnock, Dubbo, Tamworth, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Narromine, Walgett and Warren. Any regional areas that are currently in lockdown but were due to have stay-at-home rules lift during the next week will now remain locked down until Sunday, August 22, while Greater Sydney's lockdown will continue until at least Saturday, August 28 as outlined at the end of July. Under the newly announced rules for regional NSW, everyone is required to remain at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave, just like in Greater Sydney. Work is a permitted reason to head out of your house, but only if it is not practicable to do your job from home. Also, no visitors from outside your household are allowed to come to your home, including family and friends — other than for very select reasons. So, regional NSW residents can only have one person over at one time, and only to fulfil carers' responsibilities, for care or assistance, or compassionate reasons, the latter of which covers people who are in a relationship but don't live together. Also coming into effect: the closure of all hospitality venues other than for takeaways, and the closure of retail premises except for a small list that sell essentials. Supermarkets and grocery stores, other shops that mainly sell food or drinks to consume at home, chemists and pharmacies, kiosks, and places that primarily sell office supplies, pet supplies, newspapers, magazines and stationery, alcohol, maternity and baby supplies, and medical or pharmaceutical supplies can remain open, as can places that sell hardware, building and landscaping supplies, and timber, garden and plant items. Vehicle hire places, mobile phone repairs shops, service stations, banks, post offices, laundromats and dry cleaners can also stay open. ⚠️ STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS FOR REGIONAL NSW FROM 5PM TODAY ⚠️ To protect the people of NSW from the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, new restrictions will be introduced for all of regional NSW, effective from 5pm tonight until 12.01am Sunday 22 August 2021. pic.twitter.com/Y68KKV0wVf — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 14, 2021 Anyone who leaves their home must carry a mask with them at all times, too — and they must be worn in most situations. So, that means masking up in all indoor venues outside of your own home, while working outdoors, in outdoor markets and at outdoor shopping strips, and while lining up outside to pick up products like coffee and food. As has been the case since the beginning of the pandemic, NSW residents are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. Regional areas of New South Wales will go into lockdown from 5pm today, Saturday, August 14 until at least 12.01am on Sunday, August 22. Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour remain in lockdown until at least 12.01am on Saturday, August 28, with new lockdown rules coming into effect in these specific areas from 12.01am on Monday, August 16. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Game of Thrones might be coming to an end, but HBO isn't done with secrets, scheming, lies, bickering, battles and betrayal just yet. After all things Westeros wraps up later this month, the network is returning to Monterey, California — with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz and Meryl Streep. Put any one of those actors on screen and viewers will follow. Stick them all in the same TV program, and it's set to become one of the biggest shows of the year. Yes, Big Little Lies is back for a second season, and it's added three-time Oscar winner Streep to its latest dose of murky mysteries, tested friendships and life-altering events. And more lies, obviously. If you missed the huge Emmy and Golden Globe-winning first series back in 2017, it follows a group of women whose children all go to the same school. Oh, and who all got caught up in a murder tale, naturally. Based on the book by Australian author Liane Moriarty, it originally aired as a one-season once-off, but its enormous popularity (and a hefty swag of awards) has helped bring the drama back for another series. While an initial teaser dropped in April, HBO has just released the first proper look at the new season. Unsurprisingly, the drama has been ratcheted up a few levels, with the arrival of Streep's new character hardly helping matters. Witherspoon, Kidman, Dern, Woodley and Kravitz were all among the cast the initial time around, but Streep joins the fold as Mary Louise, the visiting mother-in-law to Kidman's Celeste. And, like everyone else, she doesn't quite expect she'll hear the truth when she starts asking questions about the previous season's developments. Also hopping on board is director Andrea Arnold, of Fish Tank, Wuthering Heights and American Honey fame, who is helming all seven episodes in the season season. She takes over from C.R.A.Z.Y., Dallas Buyers Club and Wild filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée, who did the same for the first season. Check out the new full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCWevZV945M Big Little Lies airs on Foxtel Showcase weekly from Monday, June 10. Image: Jennifer Clasen/HBO.
Six seasons and a movie. That's how long everyone who loved sitcom Community — its cast and crew included — hoped that the community college-set comedy would run. Alas, when the show wrapped up after 110 episodes in 2015, it only achieved the first part of that goal. And while a film doesn't appear to be in the works in the immediate future, the Greendale gang are all reuniting for a virtual table read. After Parks and Recreation banded its cast together for a new one-off special episode to raise money for charity during the COVID-19 pandemic, Community is following in its footsteps — although its cast and crew won't be performing fresh material. Instead, they'll be reading through the season five episode 'Cooperative Polygraphy', Variety reports. Cast members will join forces via an online video call, stepping back into their old roles. That means that Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong will all be present. Fresh from hosting the Tiger King post-series special via video chats, Joel McHale will be involved as well. And, in news that'll have all Community fans singing "Troy and Abed in the morning", Donald Glover will be, too. Glover left the series partway through the fifth season. They'll be joined by Community creator (and Rick and Morty co-creator) Dan Harmon, as well as a special guest: Game of Thrones and Narcos actor Pedro Pascal. The latter will read the part originally played by Walton Goggins when the episode aired. Screening in full via Sony Pictures TV's Community YouTube channel at 7am AEST on Tuesday, May 19 (2pm Pacific Time on Monday, May 18 in the US), the reunion will also feature a Q&A with the cast — and fans will be asked to donate to José Andrés' World Central Kitchen and Frontline Foods. If you're now in the mood to binge your way through Greendale antics in the lead up, all six seasons of the series is now streaming on Netflix, too — and on Stan in Australia. Check out the Community season one trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4W4L9TLJa8 The Community virtual table read will air via Sony Pictures TV's Community YouTube channel at 7am AEST on Tuesday, May 19 (2pm Pacific Time on Monday, May 18 in the US). Via Variety. Image: Netflix.
It's hard to believe that already a year has passed since Sydney inner-city commuters were introduced to the lightning-fast Sydney Metro line. Having already been gracing the northwest with high-speed underground travel since 2019 — on Monday, August 19, 2024, the line extended into Sydney's Lower North Shore and CBD. This upcoming Tuesday marks one year of service and over 66 million trips for the extended line, and commuters will have to get up early if they want to join the celebrations. The eight new stations, stretching between Chatswood and Sydenham in a speedy 22-minute commute that sees driverless trains barreling through tunnels to arrive every four minutes in peak hours. Each station featured architectural details inspired by the local suburb, and some are already packed with eateries for passing commuters (with Martin Place and Victoria Cross leading the charge on that front). Haven't ticked them all off yet? Here's our ranking. On Tuesday, August 19, Train Set 29 will reenact its first-ever journey, travelling the length of the M1 line, starting at Sydenham Platform 1 at 4.54am, and travelling all the way up to Tallawong over the course of an hour. It's a significant anniversary for Sydney public transport, and the Metro line isn't done expanding yet. The next planned opening will be a line connecting Sydenham to Bankstown via Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Belmore, Punchbowl and more, which is planned to open by the end of the year. Then, a Sydney Metro West line will connect the CBD to Parramatta via Pyrmont, Five Dock, Burwood, Strathfield, Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead. Several proposed lines are also in the works, which could link the Western Sydney Airport to St Mary's, Schofields to Tallawong, Koragarah and La Perouse to the city and more. The commemorative birthday metro will depart Sydenham at 4.54am on Tuesday, August 19. For more information on the Sydney Metro, visit the website.
UPDATE: June 14, 2020: Amazing Grace is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube. In January of 1972, Aretha Franklin walked into Los Angeles' New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, stood in front of Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir, and started singing. For two nights, she turned a place of Christian worship into somewhere heavenly for everyone — because you don't need to have faith to recognise a transcendent experience. Those lucky enough to be there, including Mick Jagger and Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts on the second evening, were understandably ecstatic. As the Queen of Soul recorded her latest gospel album, the crowd sang and cheered, with many moved to tears. And, for nearly half a century, their joy was the stuff of legend. Music fans, even those who don't consider themselves aficionados of the genre or who weren't yet born, have long wished they could've been there That envy wasn't just sparked by stories, or by the success of Franklin's resulting album, which is still the biggest-selling disc across her entire recording career. In addition, it stemmed from wondering what could've been. As the two shows left attendees rapturous, filmmaker Sydney Pollack recorded the whole thing with the intention of turning it into a documentary, however technical problems and legal issues got in his way. After 47 years and a lot of wrangling, the concert doco now exists. It's a case of better late than never, obviously. An exceptional film, as well as a hefty reminder about the importance of following standard filmmaking procedures (Pollack didn't use clapperboards while he was shooting, making it immensely difficult to synchronise his audio and visuals), Amazing Grace was definitely worth the wait. Directed by Pollack but brought to completion in the years after his 2008 death by editor Alan Elliott, this is a concert doco of the highest order. For the first time, the entire world can watch one of the finest performances by one of the finest singers ever to unleash their vocal cords — and understand why Franklin, this record and the shows it sprang from are all so revered. There's nothing quite like seeing someone at their very best, which Amazing Grace firmly demonstrates. And yet, the movie's power runs much deeper. This is a snapshot of collective reverence, respect and euphoria, radiating from Franklin's passionate gaze, floating through the air with her melodious voice and infecting everyone in earshot. Solely focusing on its star and those in the room with her, it's a portrait not just of two memorable gigs, but of the way that great art transforms those making and witnessing it. The act of peering intimately at Franklin, who manages to seem both serene and determined whether she's holding a prolonged note or taking a moment's pause, is truly one of bearing witness. So too is seeing the effect that she has on her audience when she's belting out a tune (when she's not singing, she barely says a word). To appreciate all of the above requires something that every concert demands, yet is becoming all too rare, especially with today's gig-goers increasingly filming on their phones first and watching the show in front of them second. Amazing Grace is a testament to many things, including Franklin and her prodigious talent, a community not often seen on-screen, and the perseverance required to actually get this movie into theatres — but it also proves an ode to simply being in the moment. When you're so lost in what you're doing that nothing else matters: that's what Amazing Grace immortalises. The world around Franklin and her on-lookers could've completely disappeared and no one would've have noticed — not the charming Reverend Cleveland, who emcees the proceedings; not her father CL Franklin, who kicks off the second night with a few words; and not even Pollack, who is sometimes spotted flitting around the church. Capturing this is one thing; conveying it to Amazing Grace's viewers and making them feel the same way is another entirely. Both feats are achieved here, perhaps never more so than when Franklin unfurls all 11 minutes of the documentary's titular track. How sweet the sound — and sight, and experience — indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7WthSspQ4
For the first time, Darling Harbour's Tumbalong Park is getting in on the Vivid Sydney action with the introduction of Tumbalong Nights. From Wednesday to Saturday throughout the festival, you can enjoy performances from the very heart of the Light Walk. From rising Aussie starlets like Stevan and Elsy Wameyo to established acts like Haiku Hands and Donny Benét — and long-time festival favourites like Hot Potato Band — there's a diverse array of musical talent at Tumbalong Nights in 2022, plus short film screenings on offer too. What's more, every single one of these events is completely free. Music will start at 8pm on Wednesdays and at 7pm from Thursday to Saturday. Plus, head down with your minis a bit earlier on Saturdays for some of Australia's best acts for children as part of Vivid Kids at Tumbalong from 5pm.
If you haven't heard the news, South by South West is officially coming to Sydney for its first festival outside of Texas later this year, and details of its massive gaming-focused arm of the conference, officially titled the SXSW Sydney Gaming Festival, have now been revealed. Running for the length of the festival, the gaming program will feature a Sydney edition of a global esports tournament, an indie game showcase, a tabletop game expo, hands-on demonstrations for AR and VR creations, panels, performances, a social hub and an investment summit for pitch sessions and general industry hobnobbing. The headline event will be the Intel Extreme Masters, which will arrive at the Aware Super Theatre from Friday, October 20-Sunday, October 22 following massive iterations in Katowice, Rio de Janeiro, Dallas, and Sydney back in 2019 when the event sold out Qudos Bank Arena. The longest-running pro gaming tour in the world, Intel Extreme Masters is the gaming world's equivalent of the World Cup or the Olympics and will bring some of the world's leading esports pros to Australia. The Indie Games Showcase will place the spotlight on 150 independent games from Australia, New Zealand and the globe, with sessions diving into the world of the indie open to both industry and general audiences. You can catch sneak peeks of a new animated word game called Gubbins, a highly stylised adventure puzzle game called Birth and a restaurant-set time management game called The Chef's Shift among the 150 titles. If you prefer your games more tangible, there will be a dedicated tabletop festival within the conference with exhibitors, demos, seminars, stage sessions and a freeplay area all dedicated to IRL card, roleplay and board games. [caption id="attachment_906082" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gubbins[/caption] This is just the start of the gaming section of the SXSW Sydney program with more to be announced closer to the date. Beyond gaming, the world-renowned fest is bringing together innovators and venue-fillers from across a heap of industries between Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22. There's been an initial announcement of keynote speakers and musicians, plus a heap of local artists and a pair of parties so far, with more to come. On the previously announced section of the program, you'll find speakers like Chris Lee (also known as Lee Sung-Su), the Chief A&R Officer and former CEO of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment; The Genesis Machine author and Future Today Institute founder Amy Webb; and Saudi women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif — plus a heap of musicians like Redveil, Connie Constance, Otoboke Beaver, Wallice, Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie, Teenage Joans, Phoebe Go, MALI JO$E, Ashli. [caption id="attachment_906083" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Birth[/caption] The festival will take place within a walkable precinct within the Sydney CBD, Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more. Think of the fest's footprint as a huge hub, with festivals within the bigger fest, exhibitions, talks, networking opportunities and streetside activations popping up everywhere. So far, venues named include Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, UTS, Central Park Mall, the Goods Line Walk, The Abercrombie and Lansdowne Hotel. SXSW Sydney will run from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues — head to the festival's website for further details. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
Fancy prancing through fields laced with the charm of provincial France? It's just casual summer weekendery when So Frenchy So Chic is in town. The ever-popular one-day French festival is waltzing back to Bicentennial Park in Glebe for its seventh year running on Saturday, January 18. If you haven't been before, expect an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties, including (but not limited to) gourmet picnic hampers, tartlets and terrines, offensively good wine and croquet all to a chill French soundtrack. So Frenchy hinges around a solid lineup of eclectic artists you may be yet to meet — and ones you might've, too. If you haven't heard of Corine and her brand of French disco-electronica, consider this your introduction. And, while you've likely heard of French pop royalty Lou Doillon, given that she's been on the bill before, this time she'll be playing tracks from her latest album. Don't miss Nouvelle Vauge either, with the group bringing their chilled-out covers of new wave hits to town for their third So Frenchy appearance. Also on the lineup is up Senegal-born French folkster Tété, as well as a blend of beats, tango, bossa nova and jazz from Gotan Project co-founder Philippe Cohen Solal, who'll do a DJ set. If you're not the most organised of picnickers, So Frenchy is putting on the works again with fancy picnic boxes and cheese plates. Filled with brioche buns, gruyere tarts, crusty baguettes, quiche lorraines, parfait, cheeses and more, the picnic boxes are one to preorder if you don't want to miss out. But So Frenchy won't let you go hungry; there'll be a huge banquet of seafood, charcuterie, pastries and more available on the day. And of course, there'll be plenty of Laurent Perrier Champagne, French beer, and rosé, red and whites wines as well. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $84 a pop. If you've got kids, you'll be happy to know that the whole thing is very family friendly, and children under 12 can get in for free. Images: Liz Sunshine.
As Sydney approaches the five-year anniversary of the lockout laws — which have led to the closure of 176 music venues across the city — another arm of the industry is facing potentially strangling regulation: music festivals. Earlier this year, after advice from the government's expert panel on music festival safety, the NSW Government released its strict new music festival licensing regime. While it will not be officially introduced until March 1, the 'interim guidelines' have already led to the cancellation of two NSW festivals: Mountain Sounds and Psyfari. Byron Bay's Bluefest, which is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in the coastal NSW region this April, has also threatened to leave the state. The festival's director, in a scathing letter to Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, "Will the last festival to leave NSW please turn out the light of culture in this soon to be barren state?". You can read the full letter here. In response to this, a rally to defend the city's live music scene — particularly live music festivals — has been organised in Hyde Park on Thursday, February 21, from 6–8pm. Organisers of the rally have criticised the government's "knee-jerk regulation" and lack of consultation with members of the industry, saying "festivals are being used as a scapegoat for years of failed drug and alcohol policy". They're demanding the State Government review its regulations and consult with members of the industry to create more effective and transparent policies. A corresponding petition, calling for the same actions, has garnered over 114,000 signatures. The rally is shaping up to be a bit of a music festival in its own right, too, with the lineup featuring the Rubens, Cloud Control, Urthboy & Bertie Blackman and Ocean Alley, who's song Confidence topped this year's Triple J Hottest 100. A range of big-name industry experts will be talking, including Julien Hamilton from the Presets; Michael Chugg, founder of Chugg Entertainment and Frontier Touring; as well as City of Sydney Councillor Jess Scully. At time of publishing, 23,000 Sydneysiders had registered their interest in attending. While the rally isn't directly call for pill-testing — there was a separate rally for that last month — the NSW Government's new music festival licensing regime follows the death of five young people from suspected drug overdoses at NSW festivals. The NSW Government is continuing to ignore increased calls for pill-testing as a harm-minimisation technique at festivals, but Groovin' the Moo in Canberra has just been given the go-ahead to host Australia's second-ever pill-testing trial. Image: Kimberley Low.
A film festival that brings the best and brightest new Japanese movies to Australian cinemas each year is a film festival to cherish. Also ace: a film fest that features a solely digital lineup of flicks and TV shows from Japan that you can check out from your couch. So, while it isn't time for the IRL Japanese Film Festival for 2024 yet — it last hit locations around the country across September–November 2023 — the Japanese Film Festival Online will keep you entertained this winter. Both fests serve up a handy way to view the latest and greatest Japanese fare without hopping on a plane, but only the online version lets you do so from home. Running from Wednesday, June 5–Wednesday, July 3, 2024's version will feature 23 films and two TV dramas, the latter serving up 20 episodes. And, you'll be able to check out for four Japanese horror shorts, too, all of which initially debuted in 2023 at the first-ever Horror Film Competition in Japan. The other big drawcard: Japanese Film Festival Online screens its program for free. Accordingly, this lineup won't test your budget, whether you're keen on I Am What I Am, which stars Drive My Car's Toko Miura; Anime Supremacy!, about a new director and a hotshot facing off while making their own competing anime; Single8, a Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans)-influenced picture about Star Wars-loving teens making their own movie; or classic anime Kimba the White Lion from 1966. Film lovers will be catching the movies on the program between Wednesday, June 5–Wednesday, June 19. Fellow feature options include Father of the Milky Way Railroad, a biopic about poet and novelist Kenji Miyazawa; magazine drama Kiba: The Fangs of Fiction; Baby Assassins, where teen assassins are forced to give up the murderous life; and The Handsome Suit, about a magical outfit. TV fans will be tuning in from Wednesday, June 19–Wednesday, July 3, with 2017's Rikuoh starring Kôji Yakusho (Perfect Days), and stepping inside a traditional Japanese sock company — and 2015's Downtown Rocket based on Shitamachi Rocket novels about an ex-aerospace researcher who leads a factor that he inherited. While you won't pay a thing to watch, you do still need to register via the fest's website. Won't be in Australia at the time? The fest is available in 27 countries.
Since first opening its doors back in 2013, Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar has proven a home for interesting and eclectic movies, screening new independent and arthouse fare alongside offbeat retro favourites. It's the kind of venue that shows flicks you won't see in multiplexes, all in boutique surroundings. And if you like its taste in films — or you're Melbourne or Brisbane-based cinephile who regularly wishes they could experience Golden Age's program, too — then you'll definitely like their latest venture as well. As plenty of other companies and cinemas have been doing during the COVID-19, Golden Age is getting into the streaming game. Now available online, Movie Night by Golden Age Cinema showcases movies that've graced the venue's screens over the years, as well as others chosen by the cinema's programmers. That includes a curated selection of recent and new releases, with extra films added to its lineup every week. At the time of launch, the service's range features The Trip to Greece, which was supposed to release in cinemas but has been fast-tracked to streaming instead; 2019 favourites Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Parasite; and thoughtful documentary For Sama, which hit the big screen earlier in 2020. Viewers can also revisit Bong Joon-ho's excellent monster movie The Host, see Nicolas Cage milk an alpaca in Color Out of Space, and enjoy Robert Pattinson's recent stellar work in High Life and Good Time. Spanning award-winners, cult favourites, fashion docos and collections of Asian, Aussie and European cinema, Movie Night's highlights also include 2018 Cannes Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters, adorable cat documentary Kedi and masterful German comedy Toni Erdmann — as well as Sydney Film Festival prize-winner Aquarius, Australian drama Judy & Punch, and docos about Yayoi Kusama, Roy Halston Frowick and Alexander McQueen. https://www.facebook.com/OurGoldenAge/photos/a.472586509492206/2993131060771059/?type=3&theater Films are available to watch on a pay-per-view basis, with prices varying per movie — from $4.99 for an older title to $19.99 to something brand new (such as The Trip to Greece). And, for Sydneysiders eager to physically return to Golden Age, it's also opening its doors for private screenings of up to ten people from June 1 — so you and your mates can pick a film to watch on the big screen, then get the whole place to yourselves for three hours. For more information about Movie Night by Golden Age Cinema — or to watch a movie — visit the streaming service's website. Top image: Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Madman.
Already scheduled to headline Listen Out 2013, dance music's brothers-of-the-moment have just announced that they'll be gracing us with sideshows in both Sydney and Melbourne. Over the past 12 months, the UK-born and raised siblings have emerged from their bedrooms to dominate the dance charts and sell out international tours. That's especially impressive given that the youngest of the two, Howard (18), is only just out of school uniform and his brother, Guy, recently celebrated his 21st. Not only have party-goers been keeping the boys on high rotation, they've also won a few critics' (often hardened) hearts. The ever-revered Pitchfork awarded Disclosure's debut album, Settle, with a whopping 9.1/10, while UK radio host Zane Lowe described it as his "favourite album of the year so far". Featuring a selection of guest vocalists (including Ed McFarlane of Friendly Fires, Jamie Woon, Jessie Ware and AlunaGeorge's Aluna Francis), Settle represents a move towards balancing the duo's two major stylistic influences: dance and pop. "The main thing we tried to do with it is get a mixture of the more clubbier sides of the music we do with the more sample based stuff that's made for the dance floor and then kinda the other side of it, which is the more pop structured songs with vocals," Howard told the Listen Out team in a recent interview. "We wanted to take a balance between those things." https://youtube.com/watch?v=4nsKDJlpUbA
It was a year ago now that Sydney's North Shore was blessed with a new opening, and a long-awaited one, too. Bar Infinita has taken over the local Italian dining scene from its Gordon home, and it's already celebrating its first birthday. In a fantastic convenience, that birthday just so happens to fall on National Tiramisu Day, so we lucky diners are getting some deliciously themed specials to celebrate. Typically, the birthday celebrant isn't the one giving the gifts, but who are we to complain in the face of tasty treats? Cocktail aficionados should swing a booking on Thursday, March 20 and get into $5 Tiramisu Martinis. Come Friday, March 21, Bar Infinita's famous Nonnas Tiramisu takes centrestage, and is free for all bookings between 5pm and 6pm. That's right, free tiramisu — that's not your Nonna's happy hour special. [caption id="attachment_995404" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Take Studios[/caption] If you miss the initial offering, the birthday celebrations are continuing through the weekend with a limited-edition Pistachio Tiramisu on Saturday, 15% takeout discounts on Sunday, and a set menu wine dinner on Monday, March 24. Those are the specials, but Bar Infinita has a hell of a lot more than just tiramisu going for it. In fact, it hasn't lost a puff of steam since its opening. Chef Francesco Iervolino (who has previously worked at Surry Hills' Firedoor and Mosman's Ormeggio) helms the menu, which is packed with high-end Italian classics and fuelled by a wood-fire oven. But there's not a slice of pizza in sight here, with that oven instead going to work cooking up some seriously top-notch steaks. And carb fiends fret not; the lack of pizza is made up for with bowls upon bowls of pasta and inventive antipasti.
UPDATE, March 15, 2021: Deerskin is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. You've heard the first words uttered in Deerskin before, but it's unlikely that you've heard them in this specific order: "I swear never to wear a jacket as long as I live". In the film's opening moments, three people exclaim the phrase as they dump armfuls of clothing into a car boot. Watching on, Georges (The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin) makes sure that they say the sentence in exactly the right way. The film offers no further explanation at this point, as if these dramatic declarations are the most normal thing in the world. Next, though, it shows Georges putting his own brown corduroy jacket in a public toilet, flushing, and leaving the bowl clogged and overflowing. His subsequent destination finally helps clarify what's going on, at least in part — with Deerskin's protagonist buying himself a new secondhand jacket made from the eponymous material. How far would you go for the perfect piece of clothing? And can one ideal fashion item completely change your life? They're two completely relatable questions that Deerskin ponders, after aspiring filmmaker Georges takes a strong liking to said Italian-made vintage fringed deerskin jacket. And, we mean strong. Obsessed, fanatical and passionate, even. In the way that anyone can, but that vain, middle-aged, just-divorced men are stereotypically known to, Georges is certain that this one luxurious object is perfect for him. In fact, he thinks he just can't live without it. It doesn't matter that said coat costs him nearly €8000, a price tag that most would stumble over. Similarly irrelevant: that the jacket looks just a tad too small while he's wearing it. Instead, how it makes Georges feel is far more important than any logical drawbacks — to him, at least. Also pivotal is how it catches the attention of small-town waitress and wannabe film editor Denise (Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Adèle Haenel). The latest feature by the inimitable Quentin Dupieux (also known, in his electronic music guise, as Mr Oizo), Deerskin luxuriates in Georges' devotion to the newest addition to his wardrobe. Again, that's putting it mildly. The film revels in this fixation to a purposefully absurdist, always amusing and even sometimes comically unnerving extent, especially when it comes to the character's ultimate goal: that his will be the only jacket remaining in the world, and he'll be the only person wearing it. When Georges is told that it's the jacket of his dreams before he makes the hefty purchase, it's one of many similar statements to come. When two women at a bar comment on it, he says that "it's no ordinary jacket", for example. Later, when one of them remarks on his overall appearance, he asks "don't you see my killer style?". And in bed that night, playing with the video camera that came with the coat as a package deal, he vocally and effusively lavishes praise upon the inanimate item. The above paragraph stresses the point, but so does Deerskin. If you're going to make a movie about a man's crazed fetish for a jacket, his willingness to do anything for it and his belief that it's the only jacket that should exist from this point forward — and his outlandish, even violent actions to make sure that's the case as well — there's no room for being subtle. This is a concept that requires the same level of commitment as Georges' to his beloved possession, and Dupieux doesn't hold back. That's his nature anyway, with Deerskin the latest of the writer/director's movies to fixate on an inanimate object. If you saw the French filmmaker's 2010 cult hit Rubber, about a homicidal car tyre, then you'll know just what kind of weirdness he both relishes in general and unfurls here. Dupieux makes films that instantly seem ridiculous, yet both express and interrogate their central idea with smarts as well as a sense of humour, and Deerskin couldn't better fit the bill. Still, while this French Alps-set horror-comedy is a typical Dupieux movie through and through, a few things particularly stand out. Indeed, from a resume that also includes 2012's Wrong, 2013's Wrong Cops and 2014's Réalité, this might just be the filmmaker's most accessible film to-date. The deadpan performances, including from a fantastic Dujardin, are a delight. The commentary about consumerism, male egos and the potential brutality of both at their most over-the-top proves as funny as it is astute — and even though it's also rather obvious, it's constantly entertaining. Also, the fact that the movie well and truly knows that it's stretching a thin basic idea to its most overblown extreme means that everything is a joke, and the film is all the better for it. Then there's the visual symbolism, the lingering shots, the beige-hued colour palette and the editing, too, all of which follow their own rhythm as much as anything Dupieux has ever made. But, perhaps the most impressive element of this warped, weird, always beguiling movie is that — despite the all-round offbeat premise — Dupieux never forgets that he's actually fashioning a love story here. Yes, it's a twisted, troubled romance between a man and his jacket (and, later, his deerskin hat, shoes and pants as well), but it's a romance nonetheless. In a feature that'd make a great double with Peter Strickland's In Fabric, every element of this sublimely silly, sometimes savage, 100-percent suede-coveting film is crafted with that in mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_u4YDiGH3k
After launching a pint-size spinoff specialising in build-your-own bowls back in August, swish Japanese joint Sake is already launching a second iteration of Saké Jr. Opening this week in Grosvenor Place in the CBD, the "fast-casual" eatery will offer rice, noodle, salad and bao bun-based bowls, along with breakfast options, 'grab and go' items, smoothies, coffee, kombucha and beer. Open 7.30am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 6pm on weekends, Saké Jr sells itself on a healthy menu that is "honest, sustainable, affordable and convenient — and absolutely packed with flavour". Charging full steam ahead, this is their third Sake Jr to open this year, with the first two already open at Westfield Sydney and in Melbourne. For example, workers blazing through the CBD at breakfast time grab an acai, seasonal fruit or berry and yuzu muesli bowl, and wash it down with a cold-pressed juice or smoothie. Later in the day, you can make your own lunch. Just choose a base (like mix greens, udon noodle sticks or brown rice), decide on a protein (be it grilled chicken, popcorn shrimp, wagyu beef or tofu and shiitake), chuck in some veggies (such as wakame seaweed, steamed edamame, charred corn with garlic shots or crispy Brussels sprouts) and your choice of sauce and garnish. Voila! Further beverage options include nut milk, craft beer, house wine on tap, and sake (of course) by the glass. And if you're not sold on the idea, why not try it for free? To mark their grand opening, the first 500 people through the door after 11am today (Thursday, November 4), will receive a complimentary bowl. If you miss it though, they're planning on rolling out 100 of these joints nationally over the next five years — so you might get your chance to nab another free bowl pretty soon. Sake Jr is located at Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, The Rocks. For more information visit sakejr.com.au.
Close out your Anzac Day in style with a musical feast from the guys that did the Malcolm in the Middle theme. They're doing an intimate gig at the Upstairs Beresford, playing their classic album Flood all the way through, just for you and 399 others. See the rest of our ten best things to do this Anzac Day.
Prosecco, you've probably been drinking a lot of it in your Aperol cocktails this summer — we don't blame you, it's delicious — but there's so much more to the bubbly Italian wine than being a splash in a spritz. Indeed, prosecco is a tasty tipple in its own right. But, to fully experience its nuanced beauty, you must go directly to the source. That's where the King Valley comes in. Located in northeast Victoria, the region is known for its irrefutably fresh produce and first-rate vino — there's even a place called Prosecco Road that's packed with neat rows of prosecco vines and rivals Northern Italy when it comes to beauty. So, to help you plan your extra bubbly getaway, we've partnered with the purveyors of fizz at Dal Zotto Wines to bring you some top prosecco-filled experiences to have in the King Valley. Get ready for one helluva bubbly weekend. EAT AND DRINK First things first, you'll need to get your prosecco fix, so head to Dal Zotto Wines. Nestled among soaring gums and rolling hills, the charming cellar door is a real family affair. Patriarch Otto Dal Zotto planted the first prosecco grapes on the property back in the 90s (which just so happen to be the very first prosecco vines in Australia) and released Australia's first prosecco in 2004. Now his sons, Christian and Michael, continue to craft quality vino, while matriarch Nonna Elena maintains the on-site kitchen garden that provides seasonal produce for the trattoria. It's all about la famiglia here, and you can taste it in every bite and drop. Work your way through the five different styles of prosecco, before tucking into homemade pizza, antipasto and charcuterie. All the produce you'll taste is grown and handpicked from the garden and — alongside the knock-out prosecco — is the real hero here. Don't forget to grab a couple bottles of your favourite bubbly to-go; you'll need it over the weekend. Trust us. If you're after something a little more substantial — and we mean substantial — head to Gamze Restaurant and Smokehouse Door in Milawa. Occupying a converted 150-year-old tractor garage, the smokehouse slings all kinds of mouth-watering meat and deliciously stodgy food, as well as local wines and craft beer. Go straight for Felix the Dog, a footlong grilled kransky with fried onion, sauerkraut and barbecue mayo, which is sure to satiate even the hungriest of travellers. While there's no prosecco here, there is a juicy 2016 Dal Zotto Cuore Del Re available by the glass and bottle. Finally, be sure to stop by Milawa Cheese Factory for a cheese and wine flight. Located in the town's historic butter factory, Milawa Cheese Company has been slinging wedges of the good stuff since 1988 and only uses artisanal cheesemaking methods. Every wheel is made by hand and preservative free, so you can only imagine the incredible flavour. In addition to the comprehensive cheese offering, there's also an on-site restaurant Milawa Kitchen and the Walnut Tree Collection gift shop. But, really, who needs gifts when you can take away cheese? SEE AND DO While it may be tempting to spend the whole weekend wining and dining, there are also heaps of fun outdoor adventures to embark on in the King Valley. Not only will you be exposed to the idyllic countryside, but sweating it out will make you feel as though you've earned the prosecco to come. Plus, those feelgood exercise-induced endorphins never go astray. Start with a trip to Paradise Falls. True to its name, it's an idyl buried deep in the Alpine National park, just outside of Cheshunt. Misty falls, mighty rocks and Australian natives to boot, this peaceful oasis is the perfect place to while away a day. And, since there are picnic facilities, you can pack a bottle of Dal Zotto prosecco and some gooey cheese and have yourself a fancy little lunch. The best part? It's only a 20-minute return bushwalk to the falls and back. If you'd prefer to check out the sites on two wheels, take the Milawa Gourmet Bike Ride. The ten-kilometre 'Pedal to Produce' route will take you past some of the region's famed gourmet food stores and give you the opportunity to procure some local treats while, of course, sampling the goods at renowned local eateries along the way. The journey will take around an hour, depending on how leisurely you pedal, and can be tackled by people of all fitness levels. Next, stop by the King River for a spot of fishing. Now, we're not suggesting you go full Rex Hunt, but casting a line can be super relaxing. There's a top-notch fishing spot at Upper King River Road, where the river meets Lake William Hovell. While you're awaiting your perfect catch — a rainbow trout or redfin, perhaps — you can take in the lush forest surrounds. How's the serenity? Finish up with a picnic by the river's edge, featuring the gourmet goods from your bike ride, a bottle of bubbles and, who knows, maybe a fish? (BYO barbecue or sashimi knives.) STAY After all that eating, drinking and sightseeing, you'll need a place to rest your weary head. Luckily, there are plenty of twee country cottages to stay in around the King Valley — one of the cutest being Cortes Cottage. Set on one of Australia's oldest operating walnut farms Valley Nut Groves, this secluded weatherboard home exudes relaxed rural vibes and is a lovely place to unwind. Comprised of two bedrooms — one with a queen-sized bed, the other with two singles — the cottage has all the creature comforts, including a clawfoot bath, record player, fully equipped kitchen and that all-important rainfall shower. It's a house built for chilling — but if you're itching for an adventure, take a short 15-minute stroll through the paddock till you reach Ovens River. Go for a swim, skip rocks, cast a line — the choice is yours. To finish the weekend on a high, we suggest popping a bottle of prosecco and watching the sunset by the river Start planning your trip to King Valley, first stop: Dal Zotto for a glass of bubbly perfection. And once you're there, share your first Dal Zotto drink experience to Instagram and hashtag #FirstDZ to go in the running to win a year's worth of Dal Zotto prosecco and many more weekly prizes.
Among Australia's claims to fame, our love of a good shoey ranks right up there. We're not only a land girt by sea — we're a nation unrestrained by the idea that you can only drink booze from glasses. Fancy sipping alcoholic seltzer from a trophy instead? A coffee mug? A plastic hat? Whatever else you happen to own that holds a standard jug worth of alcohol? If you're in Melbourne, Moon Dog Brewing has the giveaway for you. When free drinks are on offer, no one needs to dress up the concept. Mention free booze, and we're all already sold. Still, Moon Dog has whipped up something special to celebrate not only the first day of summer, but also the arrival of the brewery's world-first post-mix machine for Fizzer, its alcoholic seltzer line. So, come Wednesday, December 1, it's pouring free Fizzers to everyone who brings their own vessel to Moon Dog OG in Abbotsford between 4–6pm and to Moon Dog World in Preston from 3–6pm. On the menu: freshly poured Fizzers in tropical crush, peach iced tea, raspberry sorbet and piney limey flavours. And yes, by vessel, Moon Dog means container — something that can hold booze naturally. There are a few caveats, unsurprisingly. Firstly, your chosen vessel needs to be clean. Secondly, it'll only be filled to the standard jug amount — so, to 1140 millilitres. Also, it needs to be watertight, and everyone only gets one vessel per person. Bring the best, most creative vessel to either venue and you'll also win a slab of Fizzer delivered to your door. That's worth scouring the cupboards for, clearly. If you're reading this from Sydney or Adelaide and you'd also like a free Fizzer, here's some good news for you, too: Moon Dog is doing giveaways in those two cities — and at other venues around Melbourne — but you'll have to stick to sipping your drink out of an ordinary schooner instead. At three Sydney spots, four Adelaide bars and three other places in Melbourne, the freebies will also be limited to the first 50 folks through the door from set times. Either way, kicking off summer by saying cheers to a free beverage obviously ticks a key box: starting the season as you mean to go on. Suddenly thirsty? Here's where you can nab your free drink on Wednesday, December 1: VICTORIA Moon Dog World, 32 Chifley Drive, Preston — 3–6pm Moon Dog OG, 17 Duke Street, Abbotsford — 4–6pm Concrete Boots Bar, 381 Burnley Street, Richmond — 4–6pm Lulie Tavern, 225 Johnston Street, Abbotsford — 4–6pm Yorkshire Stingo, 48 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford — 4–6pm NEW SOUTH WALES Sneaky Possum, 86 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale — from 12pm The Unicorn, 106 Oxford Street, Paddington — 5–7pm The Townie, 326 King Street, Newtown — all day SOUTH AUSTRALIA Stag Public House, 299 Rundle Street, Adelaide — from 12pm Lady Daly Hotel, 126 Port Road, Hindmarsh — from 12pm Uni Bar, Union House, Ground Floor of The University of Adelaide — from 12pm Cry Baby, 11 Solomon St, Adelaide — from 12pm Moon Dog Brewing's free Fizzer giveaway takes place on Wednesday, December 1 at a range of Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide venues. For further details, head to the Moon Dog website.
A specific kind of Chinese street food in on its way to Kensington Street Precinct in Chippendale. You'll win no prizes from us for guessing the specialty at Holy Duck!, although if you get there on opening day $1 sliders should suffice. "Holy Duck! is modern street food at its best," said co-owner Kaisern Ching, who also owns the neighbouring Chefs Gallery. "We've put a contemporary spin on the menu, dishing up duck and other Chinese favourites in a way that's going to appeal to a new generation of diners." Standout menu items include crispy and roast duck pancakes with spring onions and hoisin sauce, duck spring rolls with mushroom and chilli plum dipping sauce, and whole duck with signature sauce and pickled garden vegetables. They've also got a duck burger, which comes with cucumber, spring onion and orange hoisin sauce. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLgYPKbNvVE Contrary to what you might think, they do serve some duckless dishes, including steamed bao with braised pork belly, cucumber, mustard pickles, chilli sauce and fried onions, popcorn chicken with brown sugar glaze and toasted sesame, lotus root chips with nori powder, and rice bowls with your choice of chicken, pork and... yes, duck. Holy Duck! is set to open this Friday December 9, and to celebrate they'll be selling $1 duck sliders to the first couple hundred punters through the door. So get quacking. Find Holy Duck! at The Old Rum Store, 2-10 Kensington Street, Chippendale. For more information visit www.holyduck.com.au.
Just like their killer villains, some horror franchises never seem to die. In 2021, two big recent sagas have released their latest instalments, with Spiral: From the Book of Saw and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It keeping their respective spook-filled realms going. Alas, neither movie was anywhere near either series' best, but the fact that both Saw and Conjuring flicks are still reaching screens is a great testament to James Wan. The Australian filmmaker has been a key figure behind both franchises, directing their early instalments and still earning executive producer credits now — as he's followed the tried-and-tested path from horror movies to Hollywood blockbusters. Wan mightn't have been behind the lens of Spiral and The Devil Made Me Do It, but he is returning to his favourite genre this year — after detouring into action with Fast & Furious 7, Aquaman and the upcoming Aquaman 2. His latest flick Malignant will hit cinemas in September, marking his first horror film that isn't attached to an existing franchise since the initial Conjuring movie released back in 2013. This time around, he's playing with nightmares — but of the daylight variety. Malignant's protagonist Madison (Annabelle Wallis, Boss Level) keeps having visions of disturbing murders, only to find out that they aren't just figments of her imagination. Also complicating matters, as seen in the just-dropped trailer: the fact that, as a kid, she told people that she was speaking to the devil. The suitably moody and dark-hued trailer teases out this exact scenario, throws in a few bumps and jumps, but obviously leaves the key details for horror fans to discover when the film hits the big screen. Wan co-wrote the story behind the movie, with screenwriter Akela Cooper (upcoming Conjuring Universe sequel The Nun 2) penning the script. And, cast-wise, Maddie Hasson (Mr Mercedes), George Young (Containment), Michole Briana White (Songbird), Jacqueline McKenzie (Palm Beach), Jake Abel (Son of the South) and Ingrid Bisu (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) all co-star. Check out the trailer for Malignant below: Malignant opens in Australian cinemas on September 7.
If you thought you were going to have to head all the way down to Melbourne to catch The Book of Mormon, think again. It looks like Trey Parker and Matt Stone's hit musical is bringing its hilariously irreverent self to Sydney. At least, that what's all the signs are pointing to, with a series of vague posters popping up on bus shelters across Sydney this week, including this one on Crown Street in Surry Hills. Announcing simply that 'the mormons are coming', the teasers are pretty short on facts, though they've inspired plenty of locals to jump over to the website and sign up to the email list for first dibs on any info that does surface. Even The Book of Mormon's publicity company is keeping hush and refusing to comment on the prospect of a Sydney run. Looks like we'll just have to sit tight and wait for confirmation. Written by South Park and Team America's notoriously puerile creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez of genius grown-up muppet show Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is probably one of the most lauded comedies ever to have centred on the Church of Latter Day Saints, African missions, AIDS, bum jokes and super ironic racism. If it wasn't so smart and so funny, few would forgive it. But since it is, The Book of Morman has picked up nine Tonys, four Olivier Awards and a Grammy since it debuted in 2011, and has been called "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years". If you've been among the throngs to see the musical in New York, Chicago or London, then you'll be plenty excited that your Melbourne friends will now get the chance to go learn all the idiosyncratic details of Mormonism, meet war criminal General Butt-Fucking Naked and know the true meaning of the hakuna matata-like saying 'Hasa Diga Eebowai'. The Book of Mormon is due to wrap up in Melbourne on November 19. We'll keep you updated on any official announcements.
If you live with your significant other, it's likely you've already reached the stage where you dine together in PJs with unwashed locks and something distracting playing in the background. And while there's no shame in being comfortable, perhaps you'd like to bring a sense of occasion back to your date nights? And, if you're visiting your date for dinner, maybe you'd like to take the pressure off your partner by ordering takeaway for one night during lockdown. While ordering-in share dishes like tacos, curries and decadent desserts will bring you both back to the dining table for some all-important eye contact time and fresh conversation (we bet your chat game is starting to dry up), you might want to spice things up a little more. If you usually reach for a white wine to pair with your takeaway pizza, or a beer to wash down those dumplings, we've got some more unexpected drinks to match with your meals. We've teamed up with Pernod Ricard to bring you four at-home dining suggestions that you can order (booze included) to your door, so you can pop that well-worn cookbook back on the shelf and try your hand at boozy iced tea or whisky highballs next time date night rolls around. [caption id="attachment_744418" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Baja[/caption] SHARE CITRUSY-SWEET TACOS AND BOOZY ICED TEA You may not be able to plan a casual weeknight date at one of your favourite Mexican restaurants right now, but you can recreate the experience at home. Instead of cracking into a tropical lager to knock back with your fiesta-worthy feast, try making a jug of spiked iced tea that you can share along with a selection of meaty or vegetarian tacos. Include a squeeze of lime or a side like pineapple salsa, as the citrus pairs particularly well with the zesty fruit flavours of a single malt whisky in that iced tea. What to order: In Melbourne, you can get Mamasita's DIY taco packs via Mr Yum with prawn, jackfruit and barbacoa beef options, or El Sabor's nachos and burritos via Deliveroo. In Sydney, order the chargrilled chicken or beef brisket tacos from Mejico via Deliveroo, or takeaway vegan and gluten free cauliflower or stir fried oyster mushroom corn tortillas from Bad Hombres. Brisbane's The Burrito Bar has pulled pork, steak and crispy fish tacos, which you can order in from Deliveroo, or swing by Baja, which has takeaway set up for its Mexican-inspired menu. Pair with: The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve and T2 Iced Tea. Order a packet of Packs a Peach loose leaves as it creates a fruity cocktail that's naturally sweet, so there's no need to add sugar. [caption id="attachment_745926" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mary's Burgers by Nikki To[/caption] PAIR A JUICY BURGER WITH WHISKEY DRY AND LIME Just because it's date night, doesn't mean you have to use cutlery. If you're feeling the call of comfort food, and want to move onto that episode of Unorthodox without having to stack the dishwasher, make your date night feed a handheld treat. Order a couple of new-to-you burgers and go splitsies, that way you can taste-test beyond your go-to patty and (as no one else is around to judge you) go large on the sides. A simple whiskey cocktail, such as a classic ginger and lime mixer, helps cut through the fat with a refreshing aftertaste. What to order: In Brisbane, you can order a wagyu or soft shell crab burger from Yuzu Burger and Co in Milton, or a vegan and gluten free Biggie from Lord of the Fries, both on Deliveroo. In Melbourne, you can get Huxtaburger's Andrew (grilled or fried chicken, bacon, cheese, jalapeños) for $14, or Royal Stacks has its Prince Harry, Queen Bey or Regina George patties — both available on Deliveroo. In Sydney, Ume Burger is slinging its karaage, fish katsu and cheeseburgers to your door, as is Mary's with its signature beef patties, plus mushroom and chicken options. Pair with: a highball glass of Jameson Irish Whiskey, dry ginger ale and a wedge of lime. [caption id="attachment_728897" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colonel Tso's cauliflower at Daughter in Law by Peter Tarasiuk[/caption] COSY UP WITH CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND A CURRY Feeling that wintery chill? Warm yourself from the inside out with an elegant Indian takeaway. Though a cold beer or creamy lassi is a more traditional pairing for a spicy subcontinental feed, you might want to try matching a fruity, full-bodied red wine with a mild lamb-based curry, such as rogan josh. The backbone of tannins and subtle oakiness makes for a wine you can take from the dining table to the couch after your belly-warming banquet. What to order: In Sydney, Indu delivers a Kashmiri-style lamb shoulder curry, and Darlinghurst's Malabar has lamb shank rogan josh as well as a creamy lamb khurumah made with cashew nuts and a touch of mint. In Brisbane, Halims Indian Taj Restaurant has madras, vindaloo, nariyal and korma, which can all be made with lamb as the hero ingredient. All three of which can be ordered to you door via Deliveroo. And, in Melbourne, you can get Daughter in Law's Kashmiri-style lamb rogan josh (or its famed Colonel Tso's cauliflower dish, pictured), or lamb biryani from Mukka in Fitzroy. Pair with: a bottle of St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon — expect mint and blackcurrant aromas with a silky mouthfeel. [caption id="attachment_716965" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lukumades[/caption] INDULGE IN PLAYFUL CHOCOLATE DESSERTS AND GROWN-UP HIGHBALLS If you're snatching meals between Zoom calls, or bickering over whose turn it is to do the supermarket run, it's possible that you've lost some childlike joy in your day-to-day life with your partner. We get it — there's a lot to juggle right now. To bring back some of that fun and frivolity, make your date night especially decadent with a chocolatey dessert (or, forget the mains altogether). If a boozy nightcap is in order, match your malty or dark, bitter chocolate snacks — such as a warm chocolate brownie — with a whisky highball. The spirit's nutty and vanilla flavours are a grown-up complementary tipple to your otherwise nostalgic sugary snack. What to order: In Melbourne, go all out with handmade Greek doughnuts from Lukumades, including oreo, twix and tella classics. In Brisbane, Cakes & Sh!t has oreo cheesecake and double choc brownies with toasted marshmallows. Sydneysiders and Melburnians can stock up on Koko Black choccies, and diners in every city can have Gelato Messina's tiramisu tarts delivered to your door. Pair with: a classic highball made with Chivas Regal Extra, which has a toffee and milk chocolate flavour. Right now, Pernod Ricard is offering a $10 Deliveroo voucher for every $50 spent on a select range of its wine and spirits — bought online or in-store at its partner liquor stores. Find out more, here. Top image: Bad Hombres.
For the past few months, the New South Wales Government has been handing out $25 food and entertainment vouchers as part of its Dine & Discover program. The scheme aims to get the state's residents out of the house and patronising both hospitality businesses and cultural institutions, with four vouchers available to everyone in NSW over the age of 18 — two $25 vouchers to use at restaurants, cafes, clubs and other food venues, and another two $25 vouchers specifically for performing arts, cinemas, amusement parks and the like. After rolling out the scheme statewide from mid-March, Dine & Discover was meant to come to an end on Wednesday, June 30, which gave folks in NSW more than three months to use their vouchers. But with the deadline just a few weeks away, the State Government has announced that it is extending the program for another month — to give NSW residents even more time to apply and then head out. Haven't used any of your vouchers yet? Still have a couple left to redeem? Haven't registered? Either way, you now have until Saturday, July 31. That's the big change — however, you can also now redeem both types of vouchers seven days a week, including on public holidays. The vouchers can be used at a hefty number of participating COVID-safe registered businesses, with the full list available on the Service NSW website. You still can't use them on tobacco, alcohol or gambling, though — and you can only use each voucher once, including if your transaction totals less than $25. You'll also need to use all of your vouchers separately, actually, because the idea is to get NSW folks heading out several times to several different places. And, they have to be redeemed in-person while you're spending time out of the house. No, that doesn't cover takeaway. [caption id="attachment_779831" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] To access the vouchers, you'll need a MyServiceNSW account — and the corresponding Service NSW app, so you can use the vouchers digitally. Wondering where to visit once you've registered? We've put together a rundown of deals that'll help you get the most out of your vouchers. The Dine & Discover program was announced as part of the NSW Government's State Budget 2020–21 in a bid to help NSW's hospitality and entertainment businesses, which have had a rough run during COVID-19. Originally called Out and About, the program is designed to encourage folks to head out of the house, have a meal, and see a movie or show. And, to do so on multiple occasions. The NSW Government's Dine & Discover scheme will now run until Saturday, July 31. For more information, visit the government's website. Top image: Kitti Gould
Sydney Beer Week is back. If you're finding it hard to choose between the many beer-themed activities and events to attend, check out our top picks for this year's festival of froth, featuring tap takeovers, amazing food and even a little bit of exercise (don't worry there's always a beer at the end). From hop heads to sour freaks, there's something for everyone happening across Sydney's best breweries, bars and restaurants from October 26 through November 4.
If your mid-week after-work drinks routine is starting to get a little stale, spice things up this month at the Art Gallery of NSW's series of free after-work drop-in workshops, taking place as part of its Masters of Modern Art from the Hermitage exhibition. Running from 5.30–8.30pm on Wednesdays in November, this Art After Hours series is the perfect way to banish the hump day blues, feed your creative side and experience first hand the colours, lines and shapes that defined the modernist art movement. You can Paste with Picasso on November 14, where you'll create your very own cubist collage inspired by Picasso himself. If a needle and thread is more your thing, Sew with Sonia on November 21 invites you to sew, stitch or weave with textiles and paper, inspired by the vibrant geometric designs of Sonia Delaunay. Or head along to Make with Matisse on November 28 and create a brightly coloured, fantastical landscape à la Henri using a variety of collage techniques. While you get crafty, DJ Kali (Picnic) will be providing a soundtrack of disco and soul to get the creative juices flowing. Novices are welcome and materials are provided, so all you need to do is grab a drink, enjoy the music and get crafty. Maybe you'll even be able to turn one of your creations into a Christmas present — but if not, check out A Very European Christmas at the gallery on Wednesday, December 12, where you can enjoy drinks and live music, shop for a unique gift and take part in a festive art-making workshop. Modern Makers Workshops will take place on November 14, 21 and 28 from 5.30pm. No bookings are required.
Global ice cream company Ben & Jerry's is best-known for its chunk-filled scoops and bizarre flavour titles like Schweddy Balls and Dave Matthews Band. After releasing an over-the-top creation for both ice cream and burger lovers earlier in the year, the brand has now unveiled its latest frankencreation in its Fast Food Series. The Dough-licious Pizza is the ice cream-pizza hybrid that no-one asked for. Available by both the slice and as a whole pizza, the creation features a baked base made from Ben & Jerry's cookie dough and comes filled with a layer of the brand's chocolate chip cookie dough or chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. From there, you get the choice of two toppings — from chunky cookie dough pieces to brownie chunks, crunchy nuts and chocolate-dipped pretzels — plus a drizzle of either hot fudge or caramel sauce. Of course, hardcore ice cream lovers can push the boat out and select all of the above. The pizza is the second in a series of crossbreed creations from Ben & Jerry's inspired by Australia's favourite fast foods. The Impossible To Eat Burger was described as "the messiest ice cream ever". The 'Dough-licious Pizza' is available for a limited time at Ben & Jerry's shops and Scoop Stores across the ACT, NSW, Qld, Vic and WA. It's also available to order on Uber Eats.
When a musical becomes a Broadway sensation, FOMO tends to sink in for theatre fans Down Under. Rave reviews might start pouring in, and awards as well, but seeing whichever production has New York talking usually requires a Big Apple trip — an expensive endeavour even for the biggest stage aficionado. The other option: waiting patiently for NYC's brightest shows to head Down Under. It happened with Hamilton, finally, and now it's happening with Dear Evan Hansen. A six-time Tony Award-winner, Dear Evan Hansen premiered in the US in 2016, then made the leap to the big screen in 2021. The next stop, back in stage form, is Sydney, with Sydney Theatre Company putting on the musical's Australian debut as part of its just-announced 2024 season. Michael Cassel Group is also behind the Aussie premiere, which will play at the Roslyn Packer Theatre from Saturday, October 12–Sunday, November 17, 2024. The two organisations are already teaming up on The Picture of Dorian Gray's upcoming run in West End in London next year — starring none other than Succession's Sarah Snook, too — following joining forces to take the STC show to Melbourne in 2022. With Dear Evan Hansen, STC and Michael Cassel Group will follow the titular anxious teen. He's advised by his therapist to pen letters to himself to highlight the good aspects of his day; however, when one of his notes ends up in a similarly lonely classmate's hands, it sparks a complex chain reaction. Created for the stage by songwriting and composing duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — who nabbed an Oscar for La La Land's 'City of Stars' — with playwright Steven Levenson (Fosse/Verdon), the musical spins a coming-of-age story about a plethora of high school struggles. "This will be the first new, original production since the show's phenomenal Broadway debut. This is a real coup for Sydney, and we couldn't be in better hands than with the brilliant Dean Bryant at the helm — one of the best musical theatre directors in the country, and loved by STC audiences after his superb work recently on Hubris and Humiliation and Fun Home," said Sydney Theatre Company's Artistic Director Kip Williams. "Words fail to truly capture the profound impact Dear Evan Hansen has had on audiences and I am thrilled to be partnering with Sydney Theatre Company to create an entirely new version of the show for Australia," added Michael Cassel. "There are no other contemporary musicals that capture the challenges of being a teenager in such a distinguished way with such a phenomenal score." There's no word yet as to whether the STC production of Dear Evan Hansen will tour to other Australian cities — so start crossing your fingers. Check out the trailer for the Dear Evan Hansen film below: Sydney Theatre Company's production of Dear Evan Hansen will play the Roslyn Packer Theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay in Sydney, from Saturday, October 12–Sunday, November 17, 2024 — with tickets available in stages via Sydney Theatre Company from Tuesday, September 19, 2023. Images: Universal.
Small wine bars might be all the rage in Sydney right now, but Mudgee’s had it covered since 1923. Back when we were cruising around in Ford Model Ts, a 22-year-old by the name of Robert Roth bought a terrace on Market Street. He turned it into a general store, selling the odd tipple on-the-sly to a particularly parched farmer or two. But the authorities pressed him to go legal and NSW welcomed one of its first-ever wine bars. He must’ve known what he was doing. Ninety-one years later, I’m here on a Saturday evening, and Roth’s Wine Bar (30 Market St, Mudgee; (02) 6372 1222) is buzzing. It’s part Sydney-sass and part Melbourne-funky. Think candles, couches, live music and an easy-to-chat-to crowd. You can buy beverages with genuinely country names like 1080 (yes, it’s also a fox bait) and Lucjet, plus there’s an extensive, 80 percent local wine list. ORGANIC AND LOCAVORE In fact, drinking and eating locavore-style is what this town is all about. Just ask David Lowe. Not only is he a sixth-generation Mudgeean, he’s also a passionate advocate of intelligent farming and regionalism — and the man behind Lowe Wines (Tinja Lane, Mudgee; (02) 6372 0800). They’re certified organic and biodynamic. “I’ve only ever wanted to be a winemaker,” he says. “It’s what gets me up in the morning.” When David was just 14, he started digging out the cellar by hand. A visit is not merely a tasting; it’s an immersive experience. The spacious cellar door offers views over the vineyards and a 40-minute self-guided walking trail incorporating a biodynamic compost, rescue donkeys and a recycled ‘chook palace’. The events menu, coordinated by David’s partner and food legend Kim Currie varies from ten-course vintage birthdays (the next one’s coming up on April 12) to monthly, often sold-out winemakers tables to Iron Chef-inspired comps. THE GRAPE PIONEERS Lowe Wines is but one of 40 wineries in the Mudgee locale, where winemaking’s been going on for 150 years. That’s more variety than most mortals can handle over the course of a boozy weekend — but without the crowds, bucks’ parties and mini-buses that tend to frequent bigger regions like the Hunter. Most winemakers still have time to chat at the cellar door. At Vinifera (194 Henry Lawson Drive, Mudgee; (02) 6372 2461), where Spanish wines are the specialty, Debbie McKendry tells me that she and her husband Tony planted the vineyards in 1994. “Our first grapes were tempranillo, chardonnay and cabernet,” she recalls. “At that stage nobody knew what tempranillo was. There were only about four people with it. We decided that Mudgee had a similar climate to the Rioja region in northern Spain and that it would be something different.” I try a dark, tangy, spicy Gran Tinto (a combination of ganarcha, graciano, tempicynillo and cabernet sauvignon) and an excellent, marmalade-y, apricot-y dessert wine dubbed ‘Easter Semillon’. Outside, the sunny lawns tempt a lazy afternoon of badminton, croquet and Jenga. There are more drops to sample, however, so move on I must. In fact, the Vinifera property is also home to Mudgee’s first boutique distillery, Baker Williams ((02) 6373 9332). Distiller Nathan Williams and his partner Helen developed a “fascination” for high-quality spirits and liqueurs while travelling in the US. They set up Baker Williams in December 2012 and, in a short time, have developed a well-balanced yet fittingly indulgent butterscotch schnapps, a refreshing coffee liqueur sourced from local beans and a rouge vert jus. The “first ferment of whiskey is out the back,” Nathan tells me. “We’ll be starting distillation next week.” Vinifera’s Mediterranean focus is also shared at Di Lusso (Eurunderee Lane, Mudgee; (02) 6373 3125) and Mansfield (Eurunderee Lane, Mudgee; (02) 6373 3871). The former is a specialist in all-things Italian. Think a seasonal menu, woodfired pizzas and impeccably landscaped grounds. Plus, they've recently released an exceptional vermentino reserve. The latter presents a complex tasting list visiting a diverse array of grapes and crossing the entire Mediterranean. Current standout is the 2010 touriga nacional, a Portugese drop. For further wine adventures, there’s Moothi Estate (85 Rocky Waterhole Road, Mudgee; (02) 6372 2925), which lies southeast of the town and is one of Mudgee’s highest vineyards. The food platters are generous and the pinot grigio particularly drinkable. Just off the Castlereagh Highway, stop into Optimiste (Horseflat Lane, Mullamuddy; 0428 640 800), where an entire homestead is dedicated to tasting. So you can kick back on a couch in the loungeroom, or on the shady verandah, trying up to 11 different grape varieties. Potentially dangerous if you’re on the way home to Sydney. CUTE CAFES WITHOUT THE QUEUES Having had a coffee in three different cafes, I’m wondering if the barista police deal out especially harsh penalties around here. Standards are astoundingly high. A local blend from Yarrabin Road Roasters is on the menu at intimate, French-style cafe-by-day, wine-bar-by-night Alby + Esthers (61 Market St, Mudgee; (02) 6372 1555). It’s chocolatey, spicy and has its origins in Brazil, Ethiopia, Columbia and Sumatra. The bigger, eclectically outfitted Butcher Shop Cafe (49 Church St, Mudgee; (02) 6372 7373) (yes, it was once a butcher’s), bustling with locals, offers a less intense experience but it’s still a fine Saturday morning starter. For breakfast, a suitably creamy eggs Benedict is to be found at the roomy, white-painted, French-farmhouse spirited Market Street Cafe (Market Street pedestrian crossing, Mudgee; (02) 6372 0052). The menu is keep it simple; do it well. For dinner, I head to the Wineglass Bar and Grill inside the Cobb and Co. Boutique Hotel (97 Market St, Mudgee; (02) 6372 7245), where I discover a long local wine list and an especially good fractured chocolate meringue and raspberry dessert. EVERYWHERE AN ART SHOW "We have a very strong, active art community here," Helen Harwood tells me. I'm standing in the Fairview Artspace (6 Henry Lawson Drive, Mudgee; (02) 6372 2850). It's a cosy cafe/gallery. After or before caffeinating and snacking, you can wander through several rooms where permanent and temporary works are on show. This month, Lewisham-based artist Filippa Buttitta's Lost Child in the Bush is the centrepiece. It's a contemporary reimagining of the images imprinted in the Australian consciousness by works like Frederick McCubbin's Lost (1907) and Joan Lindsay's Picnic at Hanging Rock. For Indigenous art (as well as a host of natively sourced foods and products), there's the Indigiearth Showroom (1/55 Market St, Mudgee; (02) 6372 1878). It's a 100 percent Aboriginal-owned and -operated business, powered by Sharon Winsor. SALTWATER SLEEP SPOT About 7 kilometres north of the township, a winding, climbing dirt road leads to Wombadah Guesthouse (44 Tierney Lane, Mudgee; (02) 6373 3176). Henry Lawson’s schoolteacher, Mr John Tierney, was the original property owner. His homestead was lost in a fire, but the new building features four truly king-sized rooms (with beds to match) offering ridiculously beautiful views over the Mudgee Valley. An idyllic organic olive grove makes up the foreground. “We’ve been here for ten years,” Ray Whitfield, who runs Wombadah with his wife, Kaye, tells me. “It’s what we always wanted to do.” You can tell. Every detail is taken care of, from the luxurious linen to the handmade toiletries to the ample, home-cooked breakfast. Behind the house, there’s a shimmering in-ground saltwater pool and spa, backdropped by forest. If only there weren't another 34 wineries to investigate.
When everything in the world has fallen into tiny, cracked pieces, the absurdist playwright always seem to be there to try and build it back up again, or at least offer a witty commentary on the whole debacle. The Turquoise Elephant, opening at Griffin on October 14, promises not to buck the trend, with playwright Stephen Carleton's work poised to have deliciously scathing dig at modern life. The play follows the story of three women, all of whom are drowning in the world's problems, but can't seem to agree of any of them. Much in the tradition of Absurdists like Dario Fo and Ionesco, Carleton says of the play, "Every time you think things can't get any more ludicrous, another catastrophe occurs." The Turquoise Elephant is brought to life by director Gale Edwards, a legend of the Australian theatre, who has directed most things you've heard of and everything you haven't.
Benny Sweeten is a man with many hats — a hospitality master if you will. His resume includes Rose Bay Diner, Surry Hills' Joe Black Cafe and, more recently, Kansas City Shuffle in The Rocks. His latest venture Tuxedo is an extension of the Kansas City Shuffle space, which occupies the old Cadbury Chocolate Factory on Gloucester Street. Half cafe, half bar, Sweeten saw an opportunity to expand the space and combine two of his passions: coffee and alcohol. Thus creating Sydney's first specialised espresso martini bar. Opening Thursday, August 18, the bar will open from midday, with an evening session running from 5-7pm. Capacity for the evening sesh will be limited to 50 punters. It will launch with seven different martinis, including the Cadbury Chocolate Martini (an ode to the original owners of the venue) as well as a traditional take on the drink, which will be on tap. Some wilder versions with extravagant garnishes include The Candy Man — a blend of amaretto, vodka, Kahlúa and espresso served in a glass rimmed with sprinkles — and the a cold drip martini, which comes topped with a mini cinnamon doughnut. Freakshake or cocktail? You decide. For those who can't handle caffeine post 5pm, don't fret — a decaf version of the martini will be available too. And if you don't like something, you can just let the team know. Sweeten is keen to get customer feedback to help finalise the cocktail menu. The food menu at Tuxedo takes cues from adjoining sister venue Kansas City Shuffle, offering bites of their superfood snack menu. Think house-smoked salmon and quinoa with asparagus, smoked beef brisket fortune tacos, a shrimp cocktail and — this is what we're most excited for — a tiramisu made with Mr Black coffee liqueur. The vibe of the place is yet to be determined — its inner city location means the establishment has a strong business crowd, however the table tennis and pool tables give it a more relaxed feel amongst elements of the old chocolate factory. Word on the street is that Young Henrys will be pairing up with the venue in the near future to collaborate on a beer-based espresso martini, for those who need their beer injected with coffee too. Tuxedo is located at 195 Gloucester Street, The Rocks. The bar will open on Thursday, August 18 at 5pm. For launch, the bar will be open noon till 7pm, but they're looking to extend operating hours as the weather warms up. For more info, visit their Instagram.
Once upon a time, an imaginary photographer named Franz took imaginary photos for an imaginary journal, which came to find itself in a highly imaginative photo exhibition: A Glimpse at Anti-Terra. A melange of film noir photographs line the walls of the small but prestigious MILS gallery, which sits like a wedge of cake on Randle Street, Surry Hills. The brainchild — a haunting, oneiric and whimsical collection of work — can be attributed to a very real person: 24-year-old, Libran, Ukranian lawyer and photographer, Vladimir Kravchenko. Despite this being his first solo exhibition of both analogue and digital work, capturing a world beyond this one is something Kravchenko achieves best: landscapes slide off the edge of the Earth, upside-down puddles reflect the sky and ghostly shadows elide your vision. The fine grain tones and contrasted shadows are testimony to that eccentric, Eastern European stark obscurity that lives someplace deep inside our minds. Each untitled artwork delivers you, with immediacy, into the odd and explicit moments that define Franz's life; as does the accompanying narrative penned by Kravchenko. The combination is somewhat intoxicating as you find yourself stalking Franz, as he stalks the Earth and the people in it. From the window of a dismal grey block apartment, a woman appears with pert breasts and an Amelie bob framing red lips. Far below, dunes of shiny blonde sand replace what would otherwise be a street path. According to the narrative, it is the apartment that Franz can no longer climb to see Fredericka, "Now that she was gone, her window gained a sinister air and he knew that it was not just her absence, it was something else, some quirk in space altering the view." Aptly named, this Kafka-esque character goes through aspects of stark misery but also comedy whereby his friend Karl appears in a single portrait with a side part and top buttoned shirt, clasping his own head with wonder. Franz observes, "Eggs Benedict was Karl's favourite breakfast and he found the idea that his head also resembles an egg an endearing one." I shall never think of eggs Benedict quite the same way again. MILS Gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday 12-4. Image by Vladimir Kravchenko.
With a weekly listenership of 1.7 million and a strong following since 1995, the popular weekly hour-long radio program This American Life is due to make its debut in Australian cinemas. Filmed on a stage in New York City, This American Life — Live! is a packed show featuring stories by host Ira Glass, writers David Sedaris and David Rakoff, comic Tig Notaro and Snap Judgment host Glynn Washington, plus live music by OK Go. This live experience will encompass things you could never do on the radio, such as a new short film by Mike Birbiglia, dance by Monica Bill Barnes & Company, original animation, projected illustration and more. Glass is excited to see how it turns out; "We've built this line-up of stories mixed with super visual things," he says. "It's going to feel like the radio show but also totally unlike anything we've done before." A must-see event to be permanent-markered in. This American Life — Live! will screen in Sydney at the Cremorne Orpheum, Dendy Newtown, Chauvel Paddington and Riverside Theatre Parramatta. https://youtube.com/watch?v=iDDUB379juo
If the kids in your life have lots of energy heading into the school holidays, or you want to relive the era of jumping castle parties from when you were the kid in your parents' life, look no further. With hours of fun for the whole family (and a momentary well-deserved break for parents), everyone's favourite inflatable obstacle course, Monster Jump Sydney, is returning to the Entertainment Quarter this July. Running from Saturday, July 5 to Sunday, July 20, this ultimate school holiday activity is perfect for getting outdoors and active. The 280-metre inflatable obstacle course boasts over 30 challenges. You'll find yourself sliding and jumping, climbing walls and slides, jumping over hurdles, and ducking under and around inflated barriers while putting a whole lot of concentration into staying upright. Whether you're racing friends to see who is the fastest or you prefer to enjoy the course at your own pace, Monster Jump will get the adrenaline pumping. Unlike other obstacle courses, there's no mud or sharp edges here, only one of the best cardio exercises you've done in months. And this year, the action will be turning up a notch with the introduction of the Monster Sports Jam Inflatable. Perfect for sport-lovers or the kind of people who find a way to make things competitive, pick your game and take on a range of epic sporting challenges. Try your luck at basketball, a jousting station, or even a wrecking ball, just to name a few. Tickets to Monster Jump Sydney are based on preset two-hour session times, so come ahead of time to get your wristbands before your time slot. Session times are 10am-12pm, 11am-1pm, 12pm-2pm, 1pm-3pm, and 2pm-4pm. Tickets to Monster Jump Sydney are available on the website now. Make sure to pre-book to secure your preferred session time and avoid missing out. Images: Supplied.
