The National Indigenous Art Fair will return to the Sydney Harbour foreshore this July to showcase creations by First Nations artists, designers and makers for its fifth annual art market. As always, it will arrive just in time to open NAIDOC Week 2025. On Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6, the Overseas Passenger Terminal will be filled with art by Indigenous creatives from some of the nation's most remote communities — from Bathurst Island and Yuendumu in the Northern Territory to the Tanami Desert of Western Australia and beyond. Running from 10am–5pm on Saturday and until 4pm on Sunday, you'll be able to meet and see the works of close to 100 Indigenous creatives, including those from 30 remote community art centres. There'll also be live performances, discussions, bush tucker tastings, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, children's performances, an interactive weaving circle, and an Indigenous fashion runway, with the entire offering organised to align with this year's NAIDOC week theme — The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. Throughout the ethical marketplace, there'll be stallholders showcasing and selling art, handmade jewellery, homewares, food and more, all made with ingredients, materials and techniques native to their home communities. Even better, all proceeds go directly back to the artist and their community, while the $3 entry fee will also support the artists attending the event. And you can expect to be in good company, with more than 10,000 people typically attending the fair annually. [caption id="attachment_1001897" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Paul McMillan[/caption]
A huge lineup featuring some of the city's best-loved bars, restaurants and hospitality figures are coming together for the return of StickyBeak Festival. The two-day fest has been pulled together by local gin distillers Archie Rose in collaboration with P&V's Mike Bennie, expanding to Carriageworks after a wildly popular inaugural event earlier this year. Back bigger and better, the festival has one-upped that previous event's massive lineup of Sydney favourites, with a who's who of the hospitality scene set to come along to offer food, drinks and insights into their crafts. On the list of vendors: Bloodwood, Baba's Place, Little Lagos, LP's Quality Meat, PS40, Mapo, Ricos Tacos and Bar Planet, just to name a few. From Inner West mainstays to exciting newcomers, each of these hospo crews will be onsite whipping up highlights from their food menu, as well as top-notch cocktails for you to sample. Among all these exciting pop-ups, there will also be a range of workshops and demonstrations. P&V is bringing back its popular Intro to Natural Wine masterclass, while Mem Hemmings of Three Blue Ducks and P&V will be taking a look at the female-led future of Aussie wine with her program Femmes to the Front and the Future of Australian Drinking. Plus, there'll be free talks from Goanna Hut, Vannella Cheese and Grifter Brewing Co. Meanwhile, a vibrant lineup of DJs including local favourites Evie, Deepa, Boogie Monster and Lovebombs will be curating the vibe with their skills on the decks. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $20. [caption id="attachment_738029" align="alignnone" width="1920"] P&V[/caption]
Summer is here, which means that it's time to leave the den that we've crafted for ourselves for our winter hibernation. We need to go outside, and there's no better way to get into the 'outside' than by roughing it under a canvas sheet with fire and nature. But camping doesn't have to be all about being at one with nature; it can be about surviving in the coolest way possible. With this level of bad-assery in mind, here are the top ten gadgets you need to make camping an excellent trip to the great outdoors instead of a terrible trip to the hospital with hypothermia. TENTSILE STINGRAY TREEHOUSE TENT First on your pyramid of camping needs is shelter, and this is the coolest shelter around. The Stingray hangs from the trees, keeping you safe from bugs, animals and all those things that go bump in the night. Going for about AU$850, this genius tent is 4.6 metres square and can hold a whopping 400kg. Now all you have to worry about are the Drop Bears. US$749 from tentsile.com MUSUCBAG LITE Despite having a potential gross-out for a name, this is the 'handiest' sleeping bag you'll ever see. Because it has hands. And feet. Ever get sick of having to get up out of your sleeping bag to get some water or a snack? Fear not, the MusucBag has you covered. Now you can sit around drinking with friends without having to leave the comfort of your bedding. It's like the Snuggie of the camping world. The 'classic' is 119 euros from musucbag.com. TRANSPARENT CANOE For the more sporty of us, summer camping trips are all about getting in or on the water, whether it's the beach or a not-at-all scary lake. For these grand occasions, there's Hammacher's Transparent Canoe. Can't decide between snorkelling or kayaking? Fine, because now you can row your heart out and check out the depths beneath you, all at the same time. US$1900 from the Hammacher online store. BIOLITE CAMPSTOVE Possibly the coolest innovation in heat since the discovery of fire, the BioLite CampStove takes the heat from an internal fire to create electricity that charges phones, tablets, lights and anything else with a power cord. One chamber holds a fire made from twigs that's suitable for cooking, which fuels a generator in another chamber. It's about the size of a drink bottle, affordable and eliminates the need for lighting a giant fire every time you want a cup of tea. The BioLite CampStove is simply one of the coolest inventions in town. US$129.95 from the BioLite online store. KANZ FIELD KITCHEN Camping can seem somewhat less appealing when you think about the fact that it means eating a whole load of tinned spaghetti — it's hard to lug around the gear necessary to cook a decent meal. Instead, why not pack up the portable and awesomely nifty Field Kitchen? It houses a two-burner stove top, cabinets and a prep area, all in less than a metre cubed. Get the fully pimped propane version for US$1640 from the Kanz online store. LIFESTRAW Not only is it important to be comfortable and have your phone charged whilst camping, it's also important to have clean water, which is where the life straw comes in. The straw looks like a little water bottle, and can filter 1000L of filthy, stagnant water into the purest elixir you've ever had. Handy for when you just can't boil up some river water and wait for it to cool. US$19.95 from the Lifestraw store. Plus, for every straw you buy, part of the funds go towards distributing LifeStraw Community institutional water purifiers to schools in Africa. BEAR GRYLLS SCOUT ESSENTIALS KIT Whether or not Bear Grylls really does do all the wicked stuff he appears to on television, there's no doubt that he's the ultimate survival guy, and this kit is all the basics he deems necessary to live outside. There's a scout knife, a first aid kit, a compass and an LED light, just for starters, and it's all packaged up polypropylene case. £35.99 at the Bear Grylls website. VICTORINOX TINKER DELUXE SWISS ARMY KNIFE This isn't just a camping essential; this is a life essential. Everyone needs a Swiss Army Knife because they can do just about anything. Victorinox are always coming up with innovations that already improve on the perfect design, and the Tinker Deluxe is one of the best examples. With a knife, a can opener, scissors, pliers, screwdriver and the always handy bottle opener, this camping/life essential is well worth the $80 it costs to have one. YETI TUNDRA 65 WHITE COOLER The Tundra 65 isn't the cheapest cooler in town, but it sure is the best. It holds 60L, which is about 39 cans of beer. Which is a lot. Plus, the walls are super thick, so it keeps these cans of beer cooler for much longer than your regular old cooler. It may cost a pretty penny, but what a price to pay for beer that's still cold until you've finished the case, which is what camping is all about, isn't it? US$399.99 from Yeti, FESTIVE BRAZIL HAMMOCK Finally, it's essential to touch on the more comfortable side of sleeping outdoors — glamping, if you will. For those of us who really don't like getting dirty or sleeping on a thin mat, glamping is an opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful views outdoors in comfort. And for that, there's the Festive Brazil Artisan Crafted Hammock. Not only is it big enough for two, it's all done up in pretty rainbow colours, and is finished with crocheted draping, hand crafted by Brazilian artisans. At $160, it's the perfect excuse to skip the hike. US$159.99 from Novica.
Trygve Wakenshaw is back with his highly anticipated new physical comedy, Kraken. Wakenshaw's Squidboy took the festival circuit by storm recently, winning Best Comedy at Auckland Fringe in 2013. In his follow-up work Kraken, the NZ-born, Paris-trained clown uses mime, mouth sounds and the audience's imagination to create a wonderfully absurd stream-of-consciousness narrative about fear of change and the ocean floor. It's already caused a fuss at the Edinburgh Fringe. If you've thought you'd never see a culturally relevant mime act this side of 1955, prepare to be amazed.
It's the main reason most of Sydney has made their way to Good Food Month over the last couple of years, and in 2016, the ever-popular Night Noodle Markets are back — and they're bigger and better than ever. Sure, every event says that these days — but the fact that 37 different stalls will converge on Hyde Park for a whopping 18 nights this October makes the claim seem pretty accurate. Among the spoils will be all manner of noodles, dumplings and other delights from Bao Stop, Din Tai Fung, Mamak, Ghost Kitchen, Hoi Pinoy, Sake and — for the first time — House of Crabs and Queenies. For dessert, Gelato Messina will predictably be back with a menu of pure wonder and deliciousness, and Black Star Pasty will team up with N2 Gelato again for some strawberry watermelon cake smash. You can view the full menu here. The markets will run from Thursday, October 6 until Sunday, October 23. They'll be open Monday and Tuesday 5-9pm, Wednesday and Thursday 5-10pm, Friday 5-11pm, Saturday 4-10pm, and Sunday 4-9pm. Entry is free but the place — if other years are anything to go by — will be packed. Want more noms? Check out our other picks of Good Food Month.
Woolloomooloo favourite Flour and Stone is loved among locals and visitors alike for its top-notch pastries, delicious sandwiches and overall simple comfort food. Its counter treats are baked daily and change regularly, with sweet options including a strawberry and rosemary brûlée, a quince and custard tart, a delightfully crunchy rocky road and blueberry scones with jam and cream. If you're after something more savoury try a cheese and chive scone (only available Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), a leek and gruyere cheese tart or a spanikopita. [caption id="attachment_747204" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samantha Mackie[/caption] For something more substantial it also offers a great range of sandwiches, including a sage roasted pumpkin with taleggio, walnut, cavolo nero, bechamel and cayenne pepper; a leg ham option with gruyere, smokey wholegrain mustard and aioli on sourdough; as well as a poached chicken variety with mayonnaise and granny's pickles. The pies here are famous too, with people making the trek from all over Sydney to enjoy one. Options include chicken, leek and tarragon; beef Rendang; dahl-tadka; and a scrumptious pork and caraway sausage roll. Images: Destination NSW/Alan Benson/Samantha Mackie. Appears in: The Best Bakeries in Sydney for 2023
For one very special night the renowned Yangjiang art collective, currently exhibiting at 4a Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, will be taking over the Chinese Garden of Friendship. With DJs throughout the evening and food and drinks by the Grasshopper Eating House, the Yangjiang group will be putting you at the centre of their art with calligraphy, face-painting and intimate performance pieces. In their trademark After Dinner Calligraphy, they will use food scraps from the event to create a large-scale work, and the night will finish with the artists feeding guests an array of tea designed to spark a shift in your physical and spiritual perceptions.
Looking to start your day with something a little different? Head to the southern end of King Street where you'll find fresh and unexpected ingredients being piled onto Brickfields bread or between soft, fluffy milk buns at Rolling Penny. Following a short shutdown in 2022, the bustling Newtown cafe is here to stay, announcing it would reopen just three weeks after it closed its doors with an Instagram post that read: "I guess you don't know what you've got until it's finally gone…" Rolling Penny has built a cult following over the years through its commitment to local produce and interesting takes on breakfast classics, including its stellar brekky rolls that go far beyond your standard bacon and egg affair. While the menu is forever changing, some of the highlights Rolling Penny has served up include grilled artichoke toast; anchovy, caeser dressing, egg and charred broccolini sambos; smoked cheddar rarebit with house pickles; and loaded thick-cut speck and seared scallop burgers. More traditional breakfast items like portobello mushroom or halloumi burgers on milk buns ($14–21) stay consistent on the menu alongside lighter options like Brickfields croissants ($6.50) and housemade quiches ($6.50). Drinks-wise, you'll find Little Marionette Coffee for a caffeine kick start — but it's also a great spot to get a little boozy with your brunch. Pull some friends together and enjoy a mimosa ($12) or a bloody mary ($15) with your mushroom burger in the cafe's sunny terrace courtyard. Plus, Rolling Penny has continually bolstered its love within the community through a range of events and pop-ups throughout its seven years on King Street, even acting as the initial home to Baba's Place prior to opening its Marrickville warehouse restaurant. Appears in: The Best Cafes in Sydney Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Sydney
For one magnificent spring day, Surry Hills will turn itself over to its beloved annual festival on Saturday, September 22. You can expect the usual explosion of creativity and buzz, with performances, laneway installations and hidden pop-up bars complementing all-day live music and markets in Shannon Reserve and Ward Park. And it's all free, free, free. Music-wise, the bill includes something for everyone. There's pop in the form of Chymes, funk from The BIG ILCH, folk courtesy of Microwave Jenny, garage rock via Crocodylus, soul from King Tide and a bit of everything from Joyride. Rackett, Pirra, Iluka and Jackie Brown Jr round out the bill, which will be MCed by Gavin Ivey from Koori Radio and Emily Nicol of NITV — with yet-to-be-announced DJs spinning tracks at the after party. Better yet: as well as a whole heap of beats, roving art performances and plenty of food stalls, all funds raised on the day go to the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre. The festivities actually kick off on September 13 with the ten-day Spring into Surry Hills program. It will see artists curate a trail of projections and installations along Devonshire Street around the theme of 'flower power' to celebrate the birth of the Centre. This will finish up on the Sunday after the festival. Updated July 21.
Regal drama fans, it's time to give The Crown a rest and direct your streaming queue towards a different take on the UK monarchy. The Emmy-winning hit Netflix series isn't the only on-screen source of royal intrigue of late, and you'll find plenty of the same bases covered in Spencer — 90s-era chaos and tension galore, especially — as well as Kristen Stewart doing career-best work playing Princess Diana. KStew just got nominated for an Oscar for the part, in fact, and it's easy to see why. Saying that Spencer director Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Ema) has cast his Diana well, pitch-perfect head tilt and all, is a royal understatement. And, although the film only hit cinemas Down Under in late January, it's doing what many flicks do recently — including Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, The French Dispatch and The 355 in just the past month — and jumping to streaming while it's still showing on the big screen. Your next royal date arrives on Friday, February 18, which is when Spencer will be available to watch with Prime Video subscriptions. Obviously, heading to the cinema will always be the most glorious way to see a movie, but having options regarding when and where you can watch is always welcome. In the bold and enthralling slice-of-life biopic, the year is 1991, the time is Christmas and the place is the Queen's (Stella Gonet, Breeders) Sandringham Estate, where the Windsors converge for the holidays (yes, Spencer is now prime seasonal viewing). As scripted by Peaky Blinders and Locked Down's Steven Knight, the choice of period puts Diana (Stewart, Happiest Season) in one of the most precarious situations of her then decade-long married life, with her nuptials to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing, The Lost Daughter) turning into an "amicable separation" within 12 months. Spencer's focus is on three days, not all that defined the People's Princess' existence before or after, but she can't stop contemplating her past and future. The Sandringham grounds include the house where Diana was born, and those happier recollections — and time spent now with her children (debutants Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry) — give her a glow. Alas, all the monarchical scrutiny simmers her joy to ashes, unsurprisingly. Timothy Spall (The Last Bus), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Sean Harris (The Green Knight) also feature, but Stewart is obviously the star of the show. With two-plus decades as an actor to her name, she hasn't spent her career as a candle in the wind, with her flame both blazing and flickering since her first uncredited big-screen role in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas — but, by Elton John's definition, she's always known where to cling to. After jumping from child star to Twilight heroine and then one of the savviest talents of her generation, she's gleaned where to let her haunting gaze stare so piercingly that it lights up celluloid again and again, too. Spencer joins Stewart's resume after weighty parts in Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, Certain Women and Seberg, and has her do something she's long done magnificently: let a world of pain and uncertainty seep quietly from her entire being. Check out the trailer for Spencer below: Spencer is still showing in cinemas Down Under, and will be available to stream via Prime Video Australia and New Zealand from Friday, January 18. Read our full review. Top image: Pablo Larraín.
Marking its 13th year of celebrating a plethora of the world's best photographers, Australia's Head On Photo Festival is back and ready to showcase new stunning images at two of Sydney's major outdoor venues. The festival has gathered the works of 500 photographers across 107 exhibitions and will spotlight them at the Bondi Pavilion and Paddington Reservoir Gardens. Best of all, it's free for all to attend and enjoy. This year's theme centres on global issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global conflict, refugees, feminism, motherhood, pop culture, the environment, youth homelessness and gentrification. More specifically, the presented photos will provide the public insight into Sahat Zia Hero's life as a refugee in Bangladesh and unveil the reality of Syria captured by 21-year-old Syrian photojournalist Mouneb Taim. To commemorate the upcoming event, the Head On Foundation will host an opening night on Friday, November 4 at the Bondi Pavilion. Judges include Azu Nwagbogu (Founder and Director, African Artists' Foundation) and Kaya Lee Berne (Photo Editor, National Geographic Magazine). Visitors will also be treated to food, drinks and music for a night of fun and entertainment. [caption id="attachment_876615" align="alignnone" width="1920"] © Orna Naor, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival[/caption] Top image: © Kristie Lee, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival
With 1654 stores to its name worldwide, Five Guys' burger joints have become a common sight across America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia — and soon, they'll also be opening in Australia and New Zealand. The cult-favourite chain is making the leap Down Under as part of a master franchise agreement with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, aka the folks behind The Meat & Wine Co, Hunter & Barrel, 6 Head, Ribs & Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen and Butcher and the Farmer. Sydneysiders can start getting excited first, with Seagrass currently looking for suitable locations in the city's CBD. "Our aim is to identify high-visibility ground-floor sites in high-traffic areas," said the company's Chief Marketing Officer David Ovens in a statement. But burger lovers in other states, and in New Zealand, can also prepare their stomachs, with around 20 stores due to launch in Australia alone — although exactly where and when Five Guys will be popping up is yet to be revealed. What we do know is why Five Guys has amassed quite the reputation — and why, given the number of big-name US burger chains with hefty followings, such as Shake Shack and In-N-Out, it stands out. Its made-to-order burgers skew in the classic rather than oversized, jam-packed direction. They come with two hand-formed patties on toasted buns with your choice of toppings (including pickles, grilled mushrooms and jalapeños), plus bacon cheeseburgers that add two strips of bacon and two slices of Kraft American cheese as well. Five Guys also serves up hotdogs, sandwiches, hand-cut fries (with or without Cajun spices) and vanilla milkshakes. Don't go thinking the latter are boring, though — you can add bacon, bananas, peanut butter, salted caramel and even Oreo pieces to your design-your-own beverage. The chain started back in 1986 in the Washington, DC area and, as anyone with allergies should note, only cooks its fries in peanut oil. Five Guys is currently looking for sites in the Sydney CBD, with stores in other Australian states — and in New Zealand — to follow. No opening dates have been revealed as yet — we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
UPDATE, December 17, 2022: Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical screens in Australian cinemas from Thursday, December 8, and streams via Netflix from Sunday, December 25. Mischievous and magical in equal measure (and spirited, and gleefully snarky and spiky), Roald Dahl's Matilda has been a balm for souls since 1988. If you were a voracious reader as a kid, happiest escaping into the page — or if you felt out of place at home, cast aside for favoured siblings, bullied at school or unappreciated in general — then it wasn't just a novel. Rather, it was a diary capturing your bubbling feelings in perfect detail, just penned by one of the great children's authors. When Matilda first reached the screen in 1996, Americanised and starring Mara Wilson as the pint-sized bookworm who finds solace in imagined worlds (and puts bleach in her dad's hair tonic, and glue on his hat band), the film captured the same sensation. So has the song-and-dance stage version since 2010, too, because this heartfelt yet irreverent tale was always primed for the musical treatment. Over a decade later, after nabbing seven Olivier Awards for its West End run, five Tony Awards on Broadway and 13 of Australia's own Helpmann Awards as well, that theatre show's movie adaptation arrives with its revolting children and its little bit of naughtiness. Tim Minchin's music and lyrics still provide the soundtrack to Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, boasting the Aussie entertainer's usual blend of clever wordplay and comedy. Both the stage iteration's original director Matthew Warchus and playwright Dennis Kelly return, the former hopping back behind the camera after 2014's Pride and the latter adding a new screen project to his resume after The Third Day. The library full of charm remains, as does a story that's always relatable for all ages. Horrors and hilarity, a heroine for the ages, a hulking villain of a headmistress, the beloved Miss Honey, telekinetic powers: they're all also accounted for. Matilda devotees since their younger years will spot changes, as there were on the stage. Some minor players have been ditched, and turning the tale's genius namesake into a storyteller herself adds thematic and narrative layers. Fans from the theatre will hear fewer songs, a choice made to fit Matilda the Musical's new format — making it shorter, snappier but no less entertaining and resonant. Indeed, adapting a stage sensation for the screen with everything that filmmaking entails in mind hasn't always been a given, as seen when fellow hits like Cats have made the leap. One of the joys of Matilda the Musical, then, is how kinetic, fluid and visual it proves — how cinematic, really — instead of just pointing a camera at a set like it's a stage. From the moment that Busby Berkeley-esque opening number 'Miracle' begins, there's no doubting that this is a film rather than a filmed stage musical, and that Warchus, Kelly, cinematographer Tat Radcliffe (Queen & Slim) and editor Melanie Oliver (Judy) know it. Twirling, swirling, and peering on from above as new parents and their babies bond, it's a delight of a kickoff. Of course, the sequence also shows how Matilda's birth was hardly welcomed by the selfish and vain Mr and Mrs Wormwood (Venom: Let There Be Carnage's Stephen Graham and Amsterdam's Andrea Riseborough), who don't want a bundle of joy at all. It's no wonder that as a girl (Alisha Weir, Darklands), she escapes into books from mobile librarian Mrs Phelps (Sindhu Vee, Starstruck), and jumps at the chance to finally go to school — where the warm Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch, The Woman King) awaits, but also the strict, cruel and kid-hating Miss Trunchbull (Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande). For almost four decades, this setup — give or take a few details — has seen Matilda work to be seen, accepted and loved in the world. It's fuelled a message about kindness, patience and respect winning out; a satire about uncaring schools and parents, and the disdain shown by the worst of both towards kids who deserve far, far better; and a pigs' blood-free, child-friendly spin on Carrie in its own way as well. That's all still essential in Matilda the Musical's on-screen guise (including streaming, given it's funded by Netflix), as told in a highly stylised, often surreal fashion. This version of Matilda isn't as rascally and impish as the 1996 flick, or the book, but it is playful; think Paddington and Paddington 2, the epitome of all-ages British cinema of late. Paddington 2's wonderful antagonist might spring to mind, too, aka one of Hugh Grant's very best performances. Love Actually stars make stellar enemies in fun for all the family, it seems — not that there was every any doubt about the always-great Thompson as Trunchbull. Her resume already attests that she can do anything, and should, with her prosthetics-wearing, teeth-gnashing, kid-throwing, comically masterful turn here slotting in alongside recent highlights like the aforementioned Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Late Night, Years and Years and The Children Act. Among the movie's purposefully cartoonish portrayals, Graham and Riseborough also nail the task at hand. And as Ms Honey, Lynch is as skilled at playing soft, thoughtful and loving as she is in no-nonsense No Time to Die and Captain Marvel mode. You can't have Matilda without a winning Matilda, though, with Weir energetic even when her character is being derided by her nasty mum and dad, traumatised by Trunchbull, or initially trying to fit in at Crunchem Hall. Her take on the tyke is both vulnerable and enterprising — so just what everyone that's ever buried their nose in the book already pictures in their head, and has long connected to. While anyone who read the novel before the past decade won't have instantly imagined songs and dancing as well, Matilda the Musical similarly plays out exactly as you'd expect there, whether or not you've seen the stage production. Recent decades haven't always been great for new flicks based on Dahl's works, with Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr Fox spectacular, Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory definitely not, Steven Spielberg's The BFG too calculating, and the Anne Hathaway-starring The Witches tame and bland, but Matilda the Musical is more than a little bit lovely. Top image: Dan Smith/Netflix © 2022.
"I will find you. No matter what it takes." So promises Squid Game protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, Deliver Us From Evil) in the clip that fans of the Netflix sensation have been waiting for for years: the first proper glimpse at what's in store when the series finally returns for its second season. One of the best new TV programs of 2021, Squid Game was such a huge smash that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also dropped a teaser trailer for it the same year — but, it didn't include any footage of what's to come. The platform then announced new cast members in 2023, which came with a video; however, again, it wasn't a real sneak peek. To help start 2024, the service has finally unveiled a scene from the show's upcoming return, which it has already confirmed will stream sometime this year. The snippet of Squid Game season two is brief, arriving in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for the year — as it releases every 12 months. In the footage, Seong Gi-hun, aka player 456, answers a phone call while at the airport with his newly crimson locks. He's soon told "you're going to regret the choice you've made". Cue his statement of vengeance; Squid Game meets John Wick, anyone? There's no other new information on season two right now — including no exact release date — but Netflix has also dropped a few images from the forthcoming episodes, complete with neon hues, those pivotal red outfits and familiar symbols. As already revealed, Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) is also back as the masked Front Man. With Lee Jung-jae, he's joined by Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, plus Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two. Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) have all joined the series. New photos from Squid Game Season 2 -- coming this year. Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), Recruiter (Gong Yoo) and Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), and a new character played by Park Gyu-young. pic.twitter.com/8xRC1EvQPr — Netflix (@netflix) February 1, 2024 If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out Netflix's teaser for Squid Game season below: Introducing the very first look at SQUID GAME SEASON 2. Coming this year. pic.twitter.com/fzRzdtHRDY — Netflix (@netflix) February 1, 2024 Squid Game season two will stream via Netflix sometime in 2024. We'll update you when an exact release date is announced. Images: Netflix.
Shadow Baking, the Darlinghurst bakery headed by three Messina chefs, and Messina's sprawling Wonka-esque headquarters came into this world in sync in late 2023, so perhaps the decision to combine them was always going to be the natural progression. Don't worry Darlinghurst locals, Shadow's specialty baked goods aren't passing into memory, as the original store will continue to run out of its Victoria Street digs. But now, you can go to Marrickville to get these treats, too. Messina HQ is always worth the trip. It's home to 40+ flavours of their viral gelato, plus cakes, cookie dough, merchandise and pretty much anything a member of Messina's culinary or marketing teams ever dreamed up. Including a creative degustation space, which has also been swept up in the HQ upgrades, now existing as the new home of Erin, Messina's very own wine bar. Let's break down these changes one by one. First, Shadow Baking. The bakery isn't losing any of the trimmings, and it's bringing some much-needed new touches to Messina HQ with its arrival. Chief among them is air conditioning. Say goodbye to sweltering in the parking lot; now, you can park up on a comfy chair and get out of the heat on any summer (or unseasonably hot autumn) day. Once you're sat, enjoy fresh-baked pastries, exclusive gelato collabs, coffee and even affogatos made with Messina gelato — be sure to try the exclusive pistachio praline or fudge flavours. Coffee and affogato will be available during Messina's opening hours, and as of Thursday, March 20, a new afternoon and evening offering comes in the form of Erin. Named for Messina's country Victorian farm in Erindale, this new space will continue to serve all of the degustation favourites in slightly expanded digs, as well as the come-and-go pre-existing snack bar offering. Erin also holds the self-claimed title of Australia's only restaurant inside a gelato store, and we've yet to hear from anyone who says they did it first. The intention is a creative but relaxed experience, with set menus and à la carte bookings available nightly. The produce, seasonally sourced from the aforementioned farm with a paddock-to-plate ethos, ends up in some appropriately delicious-sounding menu items, often including creative spins on gelato. Think gnocco fritto with jamón serrano and parmesan gelato; Messina jersey beef tartare with parsley, buckwheat and horseradish snow or kaffir lime gelato with dessert lime, lovage snow and garden herbs. On the drinks front, we'll give you a moment to guess. If you guessed gelato cocktails, your prayers have indeed been answered. The starting lineup is strong, including a spicy watermelon margarita, the Nicky Glasses martini (with salted caramel and coffee), a salted coconut and mango daiquiri and even a pepperoni negroni. Beyond cocktails, there's a healthy offering of local wine and beers and a wine launched in collaboration with Doom Juice — a Gewürztraminer and Vermentino blend named Moo-Tang. All in all, an already scrumptious space has reached new, tastier heights, and who knows where Sydney's undisputed lords of gelato will go next. Find Messina HQ at 1 Rich Street, Marrickville – open from 12pm-10.30pm Monday to Wednesday, 8am-10.30pm Thursday, 8am-11pm Friday to Saturday and 8am-10.30pm Sunday. Head to the website for more details.
UPDATE, MARCH 13: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Disney has announced that The New Mutants will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, April 9, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. When it comes to superhero cinema, quantity doesn't equal variety. A new caped crusader flick hits screens every month, or so it seems, but many of them follow the same formula. You know the drill, because you've seen it in everything from Captain America to Wonder Woman and several different iterations of Spider-Man: someone with special abilities grapples with their powers, learns how to put them to best use, then faces off against an evil nemesis — saving the world from destruction and devastation in the process. Accordingly, when something dares to break the mould in even the slightest way, it stands out. That's one of the reasons that Marvel's The New Mutants has gathered quite a bit of attention in recent years. Set within the X-Men universe and based on the comics of the same name, it follows a group of young mutants being held against their will in a secret psychiatric hospital, basically plonking them in horror movie territory. There's still plenty that's familiar about the premise, with the titular super-enhanced folks all learning to use their powers while trying to escape captivity — but the tone and approach of the film is definitely a welcome change. The darker, scarier mood is on full display in the just-dropped latest trailer, which also confirms an important piece of information: five years after it was first announced, four years since it was cast and three years after it was shot, The New Mutants finally looks set to hit cinema screens. That hasn't always been a given, with the long-delayed film originally due to release in April 2018, only to be pushed back to February 2019, then August 2019, and now April 2020. Along the way, it has been through cast member changes, script rewrites, reshoots and the Disney acquisition of Fox — aka the company behind the MCU flicks snapping up the company behind the X-Men movies — so if you were skeptical about it actually seeing the light of day, let this new sneak peek allay your fears. As well as its ominous tone and plenty of horror imagery, The New Mutants boasts an impressive cast — including Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams, Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton, and Glass and The Witch's Anya Taylor-Joy. Obviously, given how long ago the film was first shot, they all look quite a bit younger than their most recent screen appearances. And, behind the camera sits director/co-writer Josh Boone, who last helmed teen weepie The Fault in Our Stars. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otomJ2gKHfQ The New Mutants was due to open in Australian cinemas on April 9, 2020; however it'll now release on a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll update you when one is announced.
Barangaroo's cult-favourite bakery Shortstop is staying open late this winter to host a series of after-dark doughnut-making masterclasses for its adoring fans. Join head doughnut maker Natalie Waugh on July 8, 29 and August 19 and learn all there is to know about creating these trendy desserts. The 90-minute class will see participants rolling, proofing and frying their own doughnuts from scratch. While the doughnuts are rising, you'll also be instructed through making three-types of glaze to finish the tasty treats off. Of course, you can't be expected to make doughnuts without eating some at the same time, so there will be fresh cinnamon doughnuts and batch brew coffee passed around while you bake. Tickets are a pricey $100, but include a box of professionally made doughnuts for takeaway, recipes for Shortstop's special yeast dough and your glaze creations from the night, plus a $10 voucher to the shop. All ingredients will be included, however you need to BYO apron and enclosed shoes are recommended. It's also recommended that you book in ASAP — these classes sell out very fast.
There's another wine festival hitting Sydney — but this one's shining the spotlight on the lesser-known colours and varieties. For Wine De Jour's first event on Saturday, December 2, there's going to be a focus on rosé and skin-contact wine. By bringing together producers from around Australia, the festival's organisers hope to quell some of the misconceptions often made about these special drops. Sweeping claims and assumptions about these varietals will be challenged, such as 'the darker the rosé, the sweeter the flavour' or that 'all orange wine must be bitter, astringent or cidery'. It's run by Glen Cassidy, founder of Cake Wines, and Sydney sommeliers and wine writer Samantha Payne. Over 30 winemakers will join in on the conversation, including Vinteloper, Swinging Bridge, Raidis Estate and Captains of Trade. And due to this huge gathering of different production methods, colours and ethoses you'll walk away more confident and with a well-rounded knowledge of these up-and-coming varieties. Wine De Jour will take place in the carpark out the back of the Cake Wines Cellar Door in Redfern with DJs Boogie Monster and Tom Studdy mixing the music and food provided by neighbours Bart Jr. There are two three-hour sessions on the day: at 3.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets are $46 and include wine tastings.
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn beach right down — although not literally, of course. But 15,000 partygoers will be murdering the dance floor at an iconic coastal spot thanks to a headliner that's having a helluva moment right now: Sophie Ellis-Bextor. She's topping the bill for the 2024 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras' Bondi Beach Party. In 2023, when the first WorldPride ever held in the southern hemisphere took place in Sydney, it brought with it an openair club on the sand from afternoon till evening. A massive 12,000 folks went along to dance by the water, with Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger headlining. In 2024, on Saturday, February 24, Ellis-Bextor will do the honours while everyone is rediscovering their love for 2001's 'Murder on the Dancefloor' thanks to Saltburn. It's the first of two trips Down Under for the British singer this year, as she's supporting Take That on their Australian and New Zealand tour in October and November as well. Ellis-Bextor's discography also includes vocals on Spiller's 'Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)', plus her own 'Get Over You' and 'Hypnotised', all of which she gave a spin on her last visit to Australia in 2022. Then, she headlined Summer Camp in Sydney and Melbourne, and also played Brisbane's Melt Festival. At Mardi Gras 2024's Bondi Beach Party, Ellis-Bextor will be joined by the previously announced Slayyyter, Jay Jay Revlon, Lagoon Femshaymer, Corey Craig, Tyoow, Mama de Leche and Beth Yen. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras' Bondi Beach Party 2024 Lineup Sophie Ellis-Bextor Slayyyter Jay Jay Revlon Lagoon Femshaymer Corey Craig Tyoow Mama de Leche Beth Yen Top image: Cain Cooper.
Get your skates on, Sydneysiders — and you'd best don your brightest, most retro threads, too. It isn't every day that Darling Harbour becomes home to a pop-up roller rink that's hosting a month-long rollerskating festival, so you'll definitely want to dress to fit the part (and to live out your Whip It and Xanadu dreams, obviously). Meet Darling Harbour Rollerama, aka the place to be from Friday, March 25–Sunday, April 24 for anyone with rollerskates or blades strapped to their feet. Open daily across its five-weekend, four-week run, it's bringing all of the essentials. Disco ball? Tick. DJs spinning tunes? Tick again. Roller derby demonstration sessions and Rollerfit classes? Just keep on ticking. Different events will happen on different days, although you'll be gliding around to DJs on most nights. On Saturdays, Rollerfit takes over, serving up rollerskating-based exercise classes that are both fun and great for your fitness. On Thursday evenings, you'll be dressing to a theme other than just retro — with 70s, 80s and 90s-focused nights happening across the program. And, on Tuesdays, skating will cost you less across all sessions. Also, because Darling Square is currently home to Hello Kitty Town, that's being worked into Rollerama as well. So, Monday nights will be Hello Kitty nights — with dressing accordingly encouraged. As well as setting up the rink, which'll be located at the Pier Street Underpass near Darling Square, Rollerama is teaming up with Pumphouse Sydney Forecourt to house three separate bars. One will be a roll-up spot serving barbecue wings, smoked gouda cheeseburger, waffle stacks, and peanut butter and jelly thickshakes — and, on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Sunday afternoons, you won't even need to undo your skates to order as staff will be zipping around to do just that. As for the others, there'll be a shipping container bar with a Rollerama-themed menu, and a Mr Black bar as well. The latter will be located in a vintage airstream trainer, and will pour espresso martinis, but only from Friday, March 25–Tuesday, March 29 and Thursday, April 21–Sunday, April 24. Eateries around Darling Harbour will also be doing specials, so you'll have other food and drink options. Rollerama tickets start from $20 most days, and $15 on Tuesdays — or $25 / $18.75 including skate hire. You can also pay extra for a coaching session if you're a roller newbie.
In the just-dropped full season-three Only Murders in the Building trailer, Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) asks Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated) a key question: "who are we without a homicide?". When you're characters in a murder-mystery comedy who make a podcast about murders in your building, death comes with the territory. So does chatting about it — and both are covered in this latest and lengthiest sneak peek at the show's new batch of episodes. This time, it's actor Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) who has shuffled off this mortal coil — and at opening night of theatre producer Putnam's latest Broadway show. Of course Mora, Putnam and Savage are going to get sleuthing again, as they did with past murders in season one (aka one of the best new shows of 2021) and season two (one of the best returning shows of 2022). And of course scrambling to save Putnam's career is also part of the storyline. Season three stars not only Gomez, Martin, Short and the ageless Rudd, but also the one and only Meryl Streep (Don't Look Up) as it add another bit of murder, a new mystery to solve and plenty of laughs to the winter streaming lineup. The show returns on Tuesday, August 8 with its main trio spending plenty of time on Broadway trying to work out who is responsible for Gilroy's death, and why, with help from Streep as his co-star Loretta Durkin. "Is this really happening again?" asked Putnam in the first teaser trailer for the new batch of episodes. Yes, yes it is. So is the series fondness for big-name guest stars, as viewers will know from both season one and two. Tina Fey (Girls5eva) has been a significant presence, Sting and Amy Schumer have played themselves, and Cara Delevingne (Carnival Row) has also popped up. If you're yet to experience Only Murders in the Building's charms, it follows its central odd trio after they bond over two things: listening to a Serial-style podcast hosted by the show's own version of Sarah Koenig, aka Cinda Canning (Fey); and a death in their luxe abode. Of course, they did what everyone that's jumped on the true-crime bandwagon knows they would if they were ever in the same situation, starting their own audio series that's also called Only Murders in the Building. That's how season one kicked off — and continued, proving a warm, funny, smart and savvy series at every step along the way. In the show's second go-around, another death needed investigating. That time, it was someone the main trio were all known not to be that fond of, so suspicions kept pointing in their direction. Check out the full trailer for Only Murders in the Building season three below: Only Murders in the Building's third season will start streaming Down Under via Star on Disney+ from Tuesday, August 8. Season one and two are currently streaming. Read our full review of season two — and of the show's first season, too.
With 24 percent of London's rush-hour traffic now made up of cyclists, the call for infrastructure upgrades is growing louder. Following the deaths of six cyclists within a fortnight last November, more than 1000 concerned riders staged a 'die-in' outside the Transport for London headquarters in mid-December. Now, architect and cycling fan Lord Norman Foster is proposing a solution: the SkyCycle. It's 135 miles (or 217km) of car-free cycle paths that would be built in the air, supported by pylons, at a height of three storeys, above the routes established by London's current railway lines. Fifteen metres of width would handle up to 12,000 cyclists every hour. More than 3 million people would live and work within ten minutes' of one of SkyCycle's 200 access points. "It's a lateral approach to finding space in a congested city," Lord Foster said. "By using the corridors above the suburban railways we could create a world-class network of safe, car-free cycle routes that are ideally located for commuters." SkyCycle is a collaboration between Foster and Partners, Space Syntax and Exterior Architecture. Space Syntax director Anna Rose compared the system's potential to that of previous major infrastructure changes that have "transformed the fortunes" of London. "Bazalgette's sewer system helped remove the threat of cholera to keep London at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution; the Underground strengthened London's core by making long-distance commuting possible," she said. "SkyCycle is conceived in this tradition as a network of strategic connections from the suburban edges to the centre, adding the much needed capacity for hundreds of millions of cycle journeys every year with all the social, economic, environmental and health benefits to London that follow." However, London is not the final stop. Sam Martin of Exterior Architecture told the Guardian that SkyCycle's ambition is, ultimately, international in scope. "The dream is that you could wake up in Paris and cycle to the Gard du Nord. Then get the train to Stratford, and cycle straight to London in minutes, without worrying about trucks and buses." The catch? The usual — time and money. The current projected cost is £220 million and the construction period is up to 20 years. In the meantime, however, Londoners have been taking advantage of their new cycle super highway. Via Inhabitat.
Watercolours aren’t usually that sexy. Often the domain of octogenarians with a penchant for bridge-peppered landscapes, they don't come to mind when you first think of cutting edge Contemporary art. But still, Paper Works , at Newsagency gallery, is one of the best exhibits I’ve seen in a long while. The show features works on paper by five early career artists: Callum Docherty, Daniel Smith, Jo Ann Cahill, Elisa Malo and Zoe Tubbenhauer. I loved nearly everything on display, but clear standouts were the pieces by Cahill, Tubbenhauer and Docherty. Each artist works with watercolour paints (among other things) and each brings something new and exciting to the medium. Cahill’s use of paint is nothing short of virtuosic. Her works are exquisite, engaging and just plain fun. Adding a fabulously nonsensical, hilarious element to the pieces are their titles. ‘The dog, Max, endowed with intelligence and other special abilities, is at first loveable, but also proves to be a ferocious, unstoppable killer’ was a particular favourite of mine. She trawls the internet for images then appropriates them in her watercolours, turning inconsequential happy snaps –dogs in silly costumes, infant bears trying to break into a car – into jewel-coloured, fairytale-like images. Illustrator and graphic designer Zoe Tubbenhauer creates beautifully delicate, slightly esoteric paintings that sit ‘in limbo between childhood and adulthood’. They reminded me of the lovely pictures that accompanied the Beatrix Potter books many of us read as kids, except Tubbenhauer’s works are a little less optimistic, a little more sinister. I noticed that most of her pieces had sold, and I’m not surprised. Perhaps my favourite pieces in Paper Works were those by Callum Docherty. The artist explains that his images "portray a violently childlike distant world of confusion". I didn’t really see any violence in them, though. They’re childlike, absolutely, but I just saw awesomely surrealist, interesting, beautifully controlled pieces. Each work is made up of these great biomorphic shapes – sometimes executed in monochrome, sometimes in brilliant colours. Newsagency Gallery is a great artist run space in Stanmore. Its sparse furnishings give it a cool, pop-up feel. But it’s based there permanently, so keep tabs on their exhibitions. I definitely will be. Newsagency Gallery is open Saturday and Sunday. You can call for a private viewing on other days 0401 797 746. Image: Bears by Jo Ann Cahill.
#FOMO is a group art show that seeks to answer the age-old question: why can’t we just stay at home on a Saturday night watching reruns of Friends with our simple, earthly possessions and without the pangs of social unease? Artereal Gallery have taken it upon themselves to appropriate the social ill and, in #FOMO, have extended the phenomenon past the fear of missing out on social events, to missing out on owning and consuming artwork. It’s good timing for Artereal Gallery too: ‘FOMO’ has been bandied around for a few years now, but everyone’s favourite acronym really reached internet slang stardom when it was officially included in the Oxford Dictionary alongside words like michelada, omnishambles and selfie (no link needed). #FOMO curator Rhianna Walcott has chosen four emerging and established artists from Sydney to exhibit their FOMO-related art, including performance artist Liam Benson, Criena Court, Tully Arnot and Louise Zhang. Not to be missed. Seriously.
After a successful six weeks, Eric Koh's King Street pop-up — aptly dubbed Work in Progress @erickoh — has been extended until December 23. So you can continue to feast on the Mr. Wong maestro and former Tim Ho Wan dim sum master's perfect dumplings for a few more weeks yet. The pop-up's menu is promising an array of Koh's signature creations, including scallop and prawn shumai, prawn har gau and steamed mushroom dumplings, duck spring rolls and prawn wonton with wasabi mayo. Plus there'll be a neat beverages list to match, covering cocktails, wines and beers. Stay late on Thursdays and Fridays to kick back to local DJs. Work in Progress @erickoh is a sequel to @patrickfriesen, the Papi Chulo chef's fried chicken and noodles pop-up that drew crowds during the 2015 March into Merivale food and wine festival. Planned for just five weeks, it was so bombarded with hungry hordes that it remained open for six months. Not surprisingly, the same has happened with Koh. Koh has been living in Sydney since 2012, when he moved here to set up Mr. Wong, winner of 'Best New Restaurant of the Year' at the 2014 Good Food Guide Awards, the and the 2014 Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Awards. Once he's done popping up in the CBD, he’ll be heading to Enmore to head the much-anticipated Queen Victoria Hotel's new kitchen (recently bought by Justin Hemmes), alongside Papi Chulo's Christopher Hogarth and Patrick Friesen. Eric Koh's Work in Progress dim sum pop-up will be open Monday to Friday from midday till late, with the kitchen cooking between midday and 3pm for lunch, then for dinner between 5.30pm and 10pm until December 23.
A bustling mahjong club with food from one of Sydney's best chefs is opening for one night in the middle of this year's Lunar New Year celebrations. Dan Hong (Mr Wong, Ms G's, MuMu) and actor Remy Hii (Crazy Rich Asians, Blaze) have teamed up to transform Merivale's CBD institution Est. into the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Mahjong Club on Saturday, February 17. Arriving on level one of Establishment, the limited-time venue will have seatings from 1.30–9pm featuring fast-paced games of mahjong as well as a snack flight created by Hong. King crab and scallop dumplings, rock lobster bao and a next-level prawn toast made with otoro tuna belly and finger lime will all feature on the menu, alongside wagyu skewers, chilled truffled noodles paired with caviar, and warm Hong Kong-style egg tarts. Merivale mixologist Jonathan Liu will be spotlighting Johnnie Walker Blue Label through a trio of bespoke cocktails. The Hi-Prosperity will infuse ginger, yuzu, and chrysanthemum; the Blue Wishes will be an apple and rose honey combo topped with champagne; and Peace and Peaches will pair the scotch with clarified coconut milk, peach and pandan. "I have vivid memories of growing up watching my friend's mum play mahjong and spending Lunar New Year with my family, surrounded by food," says Hong. "The menu I've created for the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Mahjong Club pays homage to those memories and traditions, and the ingredients that have important cultural symbolism around Lunar New Year, but each with a fresh new twist — a modern makeover and a few extra extravagant touches." Spots are $170 with three packages available: advanced mahjong players, mahjong newcomers and spectators. These all include a four-dish meal and a cocktail. Plus, there's a $60 package for those who want to experience the pop-up with a cocktail and a complimentary snack.
Memes might not be the first thing that spring to mind when you're thinking of ways to stage a hard-hitting political protest (you know, those times when you do that). But this unassuming cultural phenomenon, initially reserved for LOLcats, has spent over a decade mutating into a medium that netizens now actively use as a form of direct political expression. Straightforward and effective in their output, memes usually consist of a simple (or roughly photoshopped) image accompanied by some witty text using the IMPACT font. Memes are more and more becoming the people's answer to the realm of government-issued propaganda, distilling an issue down to its core message and dispersing it far and wide. Here are five of the best political memes that have recently infected social and mainstream media. CHINA: Free CGC So it would be super-embarrassing if one of the world's largest and most powerful military and security powers let an activist escape house arrest, right? And even more so if he was blind, right? Well this is what happened in April last year, when blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng escaped from house arrest right under the noses of officials. In an effort to keep word from spreading, search terms including his name, as well as related terms like 'CGC' and 'the blind man' were quickly blocked by Chinese online censors. But many web-savvy internet users and Chen supporters came up with creative ways to spread the message and to show their support. 'Free CGC' became a slogan attached to this appropriated KFC ad, which features Chen in his signature sunglasses, looking like the archetypal Western hero, Colonel Sanders. The meme proved a powerful way of dodging The Great Firewall, as images, unlike words are not easily searchable (for similar reasons, our favourite giant rubber duck became a subversive symbol this year). It soon went viral on Weibo (China's Twitter) and everybody found out about what happened. Here's the punchline: Chen sought protection from the US Embassy in Beijing, who allowed him to then seek asylum in the US. Ironic, as whistleblower Edward Snowden recently travelled to Hong Kong to seek asylum from US prosecution for similar offences. Bonus Snowden Meme: TURKEY: The Standing Man Throughout June, a protest movement formed in opposition to Turkey's ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party), who announced plans to redevelop the secularly symbolic Gezi Park located in Taksim Square with an Ottoman-era barracks and a mosque. The initial small-scale protest snowballed into nation-wide anti-government demonstrations after a heavy-handed police response left many seriously injured. But following a wave of arrests in an effort to clear out Taksim Square, performance artist Erdem Gunduz, now known as 'the Standing Man', staged an eight-hour silent vigil where he stood in Taksim Square facing a portrait of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey. This simple symbolism inspired hundreds to join him, and has generated "the standing man" meme on social media. It's kind of like planking's cool vertical brother. Some of the images that best illustrate the development of this meme are collected in this Atlantic article. https://youtube.com/watch?v=QMjK0nmwzKU EGYPT: Harlem Shake In February, an Australian teen known on YouTube as TheSunnyCoastSkate, uploaded this averagely amusing 'Harlem Shake' video, triggering a mass of imitation uploads. Within two weeks, YouTube reported around 12,000 Harlem Shake videos had been posted, amassing more than 44 million views. Whilst the vast majority of these videos are by bored university students in need of an excuse to get krunk and semi-naked in their bedrooms, the video meme has also served as an avenue for political expression in Egypt. In March, protestors in Cairo staged a 400-strong flash mob-style Harlem Shake in front of the main office of the Islamic Brotherhood in what has been dubbed a "satiric revolutionary struggle", sending a powerful anti-conservative message not just to president Mohammed Morsi but also reinvigorating the country's weary press-corps. #TweetLikeAForeignJournalist Disappointment high among Kenyans as electoral body denies them chance to rig elections. #KOT — Major Mouz (@mosesmuya) March 4, 2013 KENYA: #tweetlikeaforeignjournalist In 2007, foreign journalists were accused of misreporting the Kenyan elections, exaggerating and presenting inaccurate information for the sake of dramatic narrative. So what did those savvy Kenyans do to combat the threat of misrepresentation in this year's March General elections? They used the hashtag #TweetLikeAForeignJournalist on Twitter to generate satirical election news. The meme spread rapidly amongst Kenya's 12 million Twitter users, with the groundswell catching out the global media to force more balanced reporting. #TweetLikeaForeignJournalist: Peace erupts in various parts of Kenya. The government is asking the international community to assist. — Vicarius Filli Dei (@Vicarius) March 7, 2013 #TweetLikeAForeignJournalist several foreign journalists reported dead from boredom across the country. — Miss Kibui (@rouzieroze) March 7, 2013 AUSTRALIA: Kevin Rudd wins at Game of Thrones Everyone's saying it, Australian politics is the new Game of Thrones, which is sad for Julia Gillard because she used to like Game of Thrones. But let's face it, K-Rudd has returned to the throne. And with him has arrived a slew of punchy memes, cutting through the onslaught of media babble surrounding the spill, poking fun at the ridiculous state of Australian politics. What with all the recent frontbench backbench slaying, we're just glad nobody's memed it with Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Yet. We'll leave you with these.
Just like most of us, Jetstar enjoys marking the passing of another year spent journeying around the sun. And, also like most of us, it's fond of flight sales. Combine the two and you get the Australian airline's 20th-birthday celebrations, which bring the return of its popular 'return for free' sale — where you buy a ticket to your holiday destination, then the carrier covers the cost of you coming home. This time around, the airline is doing discounted flights across Australia and to a range of international destinations, including in Japan, Thailand, Bali, Hawaii, South Korea and New Zealand. Wherever you'd like to head, the key part of this sale is making your way back Down Under without paying for the flight, which'll also make your holiday oh-so-much cheaper. Running from 12am AEST on Wednesday, May 1–11.59pm AEST Thursday, May 2, or until sold out — with Jetstar members getting an extra 12 hours access to the sale from 12pm on Tuesday, April 30 — it really is as straightforward as it sounds. Whatever flights you opt for as part of the sale, you'll get the return fare for nothing. The caveats: you have to book an outbound fare, then you'll get the return fare for free — and the deal only applies to Starter fares, and only on selected flights. Also, checked baggage is not included, so you'll need to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. Plus, you have to use the same arrival and departure ports for your flights — so you can go from Sydney to Osaka and back, for instance, but can't return via another place or to another city. On the international destinations list: Osaka, Phuket, Bangkok, Bali, Honolulu, Bali, Seoul, Singapore, Auckland and Wellington, to begin with. Prices obviously vary depending on where you're flying from and to, but some include Sydney to Osaka from $548, Melbourne to Singapore from $399, Brisbane to Seoul from $479, Adelaide to Bali from $349 and Perth to Bangkok from $309. Domestic fares span deals such as Sydney to Ballina/Byron from $86, Melbourne to Launceston from $87 and Gold Coast to Melbourne from $125. You'll be travelling within Australia from mid-January to late March next year, and from mid-June this year to late March 2025 if you're going global. Jetstar's 20th birthday 'return for free' sale runs until 12am AEST on Wednesday, May 1–11.59pm AEST Thursday, May 2 — or until sold out. Jetstar members get an extra 12 hours access to the sale from 12pm on Tuesday, April 30. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Since Iron Man first soared into movie theatres in 2008, proved a huge hit and started a massive franchise, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been getting their caped crusader fix on the big screen. But, while this immensely popular superhero realm mentions its preferred medium right there in its name, the MCU has also made the leap to television — including via Disney+'s WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier so far this year. Marvel and Disney+ aren't stopping there, either. A heap of new shows are in the works at the streaming platform, including Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion (about Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury), Iron Heart, Armour Wars, I Am Groot, a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and a series set in Wakanda. Next up, though, is Loki — and, after releasing a sneak peek last year, the Mouse House has dropped a full trailer for the soon-to-premiere show. Obviously, if you've seen a Thor or Avengers movie, then you know who Loki is about. Creative series names aren't part of the package here. So, Tom Hiddleston (Kong: Skull Island) is back as the God of Mischief — and he's enjoying stepping into the trickster's shoes again, if the glimpses so far are anything to go by. Viewers will watch Loki's antics post-Avengers: Endgame, with Owen Wilson (Wonder), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Summerland), Sophia Di Martino (Yesterday), Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country) and Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) rounding out the main cast. When the series starts airing from Friday, June 11, Loki finds himself in a bit of trouble thanks to his previous actions with the Tesseract. The TVA — that'd be the Time Variance Authority — is on his case, which is where Wilson's Mobius M Mobius comes in. Obviously, more time-travelling trickery is in Loki's future from there. We're guessing that Wilson will say "wow" once or twice, too. Check out the full trailer for Loki below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUwwdj6AlBA Loki will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, June 11. Top image: ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Walsh Bay’s Pier One will turn into one enormous, delectable party on Sunday, October 11 when the inaugural Delicious Destinations Festival hits town. As the name suggests, the event is all about celebrating the tastes, sights and sensations that give places their unique character. It’s being run by Pier One Sydney Harbour in collaboration with The Gantry Restaurant and Bar and forms part of Good Food Month 2015. The organisers have invited a bunch of their favourite eateries and regional producers to Sydney for the day. So you’ll be tasting wine from Mudgee, cheese from Orange, oysters from the South Coast and veggies from the Blue Mountains — all without having to travel more than a few hundred metres. Meanwhile, The Grumpy Baker will be baking bread onsite and Cloudy Bay Wines will be hosting their very own lounge. But the Delicious Destinations Festival isn’t all about eating and drinking. You can also expect live entertainment, talks, masterclasses and opportunities to chat with producers and winemakers. Dogs are not only welcome, they’ll also be scoring some pretty special treatment, with the festival’s DOGUE Doggy Corner serving up tasty treats all day. Stay up to date with the festival's latest on Facebook right here.
UPDATE, January 29, 2021: 1917 is available to stream via Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. If you didn't already know that 1917's Sam Mendes directed the last two Bond films, then his new First World War drama makes that plain via its high-stakes plot. The premise: in the penultimate year of the conflict, with a generation of young men at battle, two British soldiers are dispatched into enemy territory to deliver a message. If they don't make it through No Man's Land, across lines of barbed wire, out of booby-trapped mines, over collapsed bridges and past ever-determined Germans — and do so by dawn the next day — 1600 men will charge into a battle that'll wipe them all out. Tragic on its own merits, that needless loss of lives would also severely hamper the Allies' overall efforts. In attempting their crucial task, 1917's central pair can't rely on exploding watches, missile-shooting cars or other 007-style gadgets, of course. Still, the film does sport a particularly action-packed idea in a genre — aka war flicks — that's typically filled with fights, gunfire and explosions anyway. Sending its heroes on a tumultuous journey in the most literal of senses, 1917 also spins a classic adventure narrative within its combat-riddled confines. But, co-scripting with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (Penny Dreadful) and dedicating the feature to his grandfather, a veteran of the war in question, Mendes can be forgiven for taking a minor leaf out Skyfall and Spectre's books. Charting the experiences of Lance Corporals Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay), his film endeavours to show the on-the-ground horrors of war through the duo's gruelling quest. The storytelling gimmickry is obvious, jamming in chaos and peril across a wealth of scenarios, but the overall impact is inescapably immense and heartbreakingly intense. What Dunkirk did for a pivotal World War II event, 1917 does just as commandingly for an entire earlier war. The date is April 6 in the film's eponymous year. First seen stealing a rare moment's rest in a flower-strewn northern France field, Blake and Schofield are soon sent on their not-so-merry way. "Pick a man. Bring your kit", the especially boyish Blake is told, chosen for the mission because his older brother is in the battalion about to chase the seemingly retreating Germans. As weighs heavily in the air during the ensuing trek, the warier, world-wearier Schofield is merely the friend in Blake's closest proximity when the latter receives his orders. Instantly, Thomas Newman's nerve-rattling score kicks into gear. Beginning their walk in the muddy British trenches, Blake and Schofield's hurried footsteps, breaths and snippets of small talk are accompanied by needling beats that echo with tension and urgency. The music sets the appropriate mood, although the movie's second overt piece of gimmickry does that as well — and strikingly. As lensed by Blade Runner 2049's Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins (who, like Newman, also worked with Mendes in his Bond years), 1917 is crafted to look like it's shot in two long takes. Constantly roving and roaming, the film's visuals capture the two soldiers' every move, rarely letting either man's face out of sight. Accordingly, youth and eagerness, pain and sorrow, and carnage and death all flicker across the screen as Blake and Schofield try to make their way through a gruelling ordeal — one that plays out without any reprieve for them or for the audience. When a filmmaker leans so heavily upon such a self-imposed technical constraint, it's usually in the service of immediacy and immersion, with both evident in every exquisitely choreographed and staged second of 1917. Son of Saul, the Academy Award-winning 2015 holocaust film, used the same faux single-shot approach to the same emotionally devastating effect. Single-setting survivalist thrillers like All Is Lost deliver a similar emotional onslaught via restrained means as well. Both cast a shadow over 1917, because there's nothing more harrowing than being forced to stare into someone's eyes when they're enduring utter hell. MacKay, a certain future star going from strength to strength, conveys every iota of Schofield's grit and suffering. It's a performance on par with his second film screening in cinemas at present — True History of the Kelly Gang, where he plays Ned Kelly. Here, his character is an everyman, representing the many that went through the real-life ordeal. Indeed, he looks like he could've easily stepped out of Peter Jackson's recent World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old. But thanks to MacKay's quietly aching portrayal, the audience needn't know much about Schofield to see him as individual, rather than merely one of many. Amid a cast that also features Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Fleabag's Andrew Scott and Chapman's Game of Thrones co-star Richard Madden in bit parts, he's the face of the so-called 'war to end all wars' — and he's just as effective as Mendes' jam-packed narrative and Deakins' stunning cinematography. And, he helps makes 1917's unshakeable case. Whether scrambling along a Turkish hillside in Gallipoli, sailing into the jungle in Apocalypse Now, or meandering over piles of bodies and past despairing soldiers here, the strongest war movies always function as anti-war movies. As illustrated in visceral detail, this is one of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwRL0u87nbc
The Lord Gladstone is set for its next name change. After renaming itself The Lord Gallen, The Lord Jabstone, The Gladsong Hotel and Dark Gladfo for various events and causes, the hotel's next form will celebrate Sydney favourites Gang of Youths as it dons the name The Forbearance Hotel. The name change lines up with a pop-up shop the band will be hosting at the pub to coincide with their Australian tour and new EP. Kicking off in Perth on Saturday, July 30, the angel in realtime tour will arrive in Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena the next week on Saturday, August 6. From August 6–8 the band will also be hosting a pop-up at the beloved Chippendale pub The Lord Gladstone. Taking place in the Good Space Gallery inside the venue, the pop-up will feature an exclusive range of merch that won't be available on the tour as well as beer and wine that the band has created with Golden Child and Atomic Beer Project. The merch will range from clothing (all made with 100-percent recycled materials) and accessories to drink bottles and beer glasses to enjoy Gang of Youths' new US-style pale ale from Atomic. And the wine made with the help of Golden Child is a light red similar to a Beaujolais. The pop-up will be open midday–7pm on Saturday, August 6, midday–8pm on Sunday, August 7 and midday–5pm on Monday, August 9. Images: Ed Cook
Throw us Sydneysiders a bit of sunshine and we'll take just about any inside activity to the great outdoors. Open-air moviegoing, however, is a clear favourite, so you'll be chuffed to learn that the Sydney Hills Outdoor Cinema is returning for a third year. Running for a month from January 12 to February 12 at the Castle Hill Showground, this al fresco event promises summertime cinema at its best. The 20-strong film program — which will show on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights — will cover both new releases and classics, across all kinds of genres. The season will kick off with the Michael Keaton-starring The Founder followed by a screening of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them the next night, and finish up with WWII film Allied, which stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. But, really, the big screen stuff is just a tiny part of what this pop-up event has in store. Most importantly, Bilpin Cider is on drinks duty, with their fully licensed Garden Bar set to serve an assortment of summer-inspired cocktails, local wine, French bubbly, and the label's own collection of ciders. Meanwhile, a pop-up by local Dural café Wolfe & Co. will be taking care of those movie snacks, stepping beyond your usual popcorn selection to offer the likes of prawn cocktail rolls and beef brisket burgers. There's even a range of cheese and antipasto boards, for anyone wanting to really ace that date night situation. Crashmat beanbags will ensure total tush comfort, but if you really want to luxe up your cinema experience, why not try the four-person Koala Class viewing suite, complete with blankets and private butler service? Or you could get eight of your mates together, and shell out for a VIP bell tent — you'll get your own private viewing courtyard, a private butler, cover and all the creature comforts you need to spend a luxe evening under the stars.
Somewhere in the Australian wilderness there's a spot with tall trees, lizards sunning themselves on rocks, the sound of total solitude — and a really expensive tent. We don't know where it is, but if you can find it, it's yours to keep. The tent — along with some $3k kitty of camping goods — has been hidden in a secret campsite somewhere in Australia. It's been put there by outdoor mega brand Kathmandu as part of a new scavenger hunt that leads entrants to the location — if you can find it, you score the whole lot. So how will you find it? Clues to the Hidden Retreat will be released across the brand's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from Wednesday, February 14 up until Saturday, February 24. The clues are said to be cryptic and will specifically test competitors' knowledge of Australian wildlife through the use of images, videos and — randomly enough — poetry. Unfortunately, there's no worm for the early bird in this case — if you do discover the secret location before February 24, you still need to wait and get to the campsite first on that day to win. You'll also have to arrive during the designated 'prize winning window', which is from 7am–12pm. The first to arrive during this window will go home with the gold, winning a seriously decked out campsite package, which will include this three-person tent, a connectable living space and two down sleeping bags, plus a bunch of extra gadgets. Sure, it's a big promo for Kathmandu and it requires a lot of commitment, but if you've got some spare time up your sleeve, the prize will be a big asset for avid (or aspiring) campers. Handy if you want to tick off these beach camping spots this year. The four runners-up will win a smaller campsite package, each valued at over $2000. For anyone else who shows (up to 200 people), you won't go home empty-handed, but will only nab a BPA-free water bottle for your efforts. To be eligible, you must first RSVP to the Facebook event page. Happy hunting.
As a pavement-wandering, car-less pedestrian, I envy the thousands of city spaces hoarded by those four-wheel metal machines. They may soundly take you from A to B, but once you get there, valuable city space goes to waste. What if I paid for the parking space within the city walls — renting, as it were, a tiny patch of land — and then invited some friends to bring lemonade and a frisbee, a tiny dog and a picnic basket? Our 'parking space' would be the urban park of my dreams. This is the premise of PARK(ing) Day. What started as an art installation has turned into a wordwide event. While the original Rebar project questioned how we use our urban spaces, PARK(ing) Day now also stands for creativity, unscripted social interactions, generosity and play. It acts as an 'open source' project that can been adapted to any variety of social issues in the world. Last year more than 700 parks were hosted in 140 cities across 21 countries on six continents with scenes from the wonderful to the wacky. For more ideas on how to start your own park, check out the PARKing Day manual, or else simply join a park nearby. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BYlGlOs5nuA
You've heard the tales. Those mystical, weird-as-blazes stories of entire restaurants manned by robots in Japan, surrounded by glow sticks, frantic lasers, bejewelled dancers and robot battles. The rumours are straight-up true. But don't even think about breaking that piggy bank open for an airfare, the world-renowed Japanese Robot Restaurant from Shinjuku, Tokyo is coming to Sydney for two nights only. This is not a drill. As part of the launch of Contiki’s new 'Japan Unrivalled' itinerary kicking off in March 2015, the travel-lovin' team are bringing one of Japan's major kitschy attractions to you — battling robots included. Set to pop up at 41 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, the Japanese Robot Restaurant is the sum of your wildest, weirdest and wackiest Japanese-inspired dreams — big ol' J-pop beats, choreographed dancers, fluorescent fitout and tasty Japanese food and bevs — and LASERS. So very many lasers. The kicker? The pop-up will see giant futuristic robots doing battle while you nosh. That's right, bigass robots battling. Just, just look at this: Classic weird, wonderful Japan. This is going to be nuts. Robots Unrivalled will perform February 23 and 24 at 41 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. Tickets are $40 +BF per person (max. two tickets per transaction) and your Bento box is included in the ticket price. There are three sessions: 5.30pm, 7.30pm and 9.30pm. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Wednesday, January 28. For more information or to register for tickets head to www.contiki.com/robotsunrivalled. Image: Lindsay Clark, THINK Global School.
Queensland has the Big Pineapple and Big Mango. New South Wales boasts the Big Prawn and the Big Merino, and you'll find the Big Lobster in South Australia. They're just some of Australia's 150-plus big things, because we sure do love giant versions of foods, animals and everyday items — and if you'd like to walk into a huge whale that's also an underwater observatory, that'll be on the cards from the end of 2022, too. Australia already has a couple of big whales, but not like this one. The animal-shaped structure will house the Australian Underwater Discovery Centre, and it'll sit right at the end of the Busselton Jetty in Western Australia. That means that it'll be located two kilometres out to sea — and, when it launches in December next year, it'll become the largest natural marine observatory in the country. The $30 million centre has been in the works since 2017, when Busselton Jetty started looking into ways to increase the capacity if its current underwater observatory — because it can only accommodate 44 people per hour. Now, however, the designs for the new site have been revealed. Marine contractor Subcon has appointed Baca Architects as the project's lead architects, and it's going with a cetacean design that resembles a whale. The design recreates the marine creature in an abstract but still noticeable manner, and will be made to look as if the concrete structure is raising its head over Geographe Bay. When the building comes to fruition, it'll span 900 square metres across multiple levels, and huge windows will be a big feature. Some will measure up to 5.5 metres tall and 12 metres long, letting visitors peer out at the area's marine life — including via a partially submerged window called the 'cetecean's eye'. Attendees will enter from the pier, which is 5.5 metres above the average sea level, then descend down through an art gallery and accompanying exhibition spaces to the observatory on the ocean floor level. Those galleries will mainly focus on new habitats for fish and coral, but underwater sculptures and marine art will be part of the project, too. And, if you'd like to eat beneath the ocean's depths, an underwater dining experience is also set to be included. Project engineers Core Marine have experience with restaurants under the sea, as the company also worked on Norway's Under. The Australian Underwater Discovery Centre will be designed to withstand cyclones and storm surges, including 6.5-metre-high waves, and will feature an outer surface that'll enable barnacles and algae to graft onto the outside, like they would with a real whale. And, as it'll be fabricated onshore, the centre will then get towed out to its location — which is planned to occur in tandem with 2022's annual whale migration. As for Busselton Jetty's current underwater observatory, it's set to become a marine research centre. It'll focus on promoting clean oceans and educating people about ocean climate change. The Australian Underwater Discovery Centre is set to open at the end of Busselton Jetty by December 2022 — we'll update you with an exact launch date when it's announced.
Yeah, yeah it's chilly. We know. We get it. Polar bears get it. Uniqlo gets it. Layer up, ditch that scummy polar fleece rug and get out of the house this weekend. Hardcore weekenders could line up for the Game of Thrones exhibition, while the less queue-enthusiastic should hit up one of these sweet things happening aroundaboutown. At the very least you'll have 'grammable material for your friends still wallowing at home. Justene Williams @ Artspace The Curtain Breathed Deeply is Justene Williams’ most ambitious venture to date. It is an elaborate ecosystem bursting with found objects and messy edges. Flanking the ute-and-genitals centrepiece, there are two tarpaulin curtains embellished with all kinds of materials. There’s some duct tape crosshatching, crinkly gold wrapping paper and plastic discs that look like road reflectors. Behind these mixed media murals are a series of video installations. Put simply, there's a large red room, a blue room and a few other nooks tucked in and around. Williams' brand is a theatre of excess with a taste for the exotic. And The Curtain Breathed Deeply is an immersive sensory experience to say the least. Full of joyous and psychotic energies, it's like being inside the artist's head. It’s a fairly nonsensical universe. But it’s a fun one. When: Thursday, 26 June - Sunday, 10 August Where: Artspace , 43-51 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011 How much: FREE #FOMO #FOMO is a group art show that seeks to answer the age-old question: why can’t we just stay at home on a Saturday night watching reruns of Friends with our simple, earthly possessions and without the pangs of social unease?Artereal Gallery have taken it upon themselves to appropriate the social ill and, in #FOMO, have extended the phenomenon past the fear of missing out on social events, to missing out on owning and consuming artwork. Curator Rhianna Walcott has chosen four emerging and established artists from Sydney to exhibit their FOMO-related art, including performance artist Liam Benson, Criena Court, Tully Arnot and Louise Zhang. Not to be missed. Seriously. When: Thursday, 3 July - Saturday, 2 August Where: Artereal , 747 Darling Street Rozelle NSW 2039 How much: FREE Tiny Ruins If ever your heart could be hugged by a live show, Tiny Ruins will leave yours well and truly cuddled. Following the release of their enchanting folk release Brightly Painted One, the native New Zealanders will head to Australia to crank out their softly spoken repertoire in a national tour. As well as giving their newest album a big ol' run around, Tiny Ruins will revisit tunes from their 2010 release Some Were Meant for Sea as well as their 2013 EP Haunts. Tiny Ruins are no stage hogs, inviting their buds Shining Bird along for the ride this time. When: Friday, 4 July - 8:00pm Where: Good God Small Club , 53 - 55 Liverpool St Sydney How much: $28.60 Poepke’s Archives When it comes to short-lived pop-up outlets, they're aren't really any official rules. Yet it seems that Poepke must be breaking a few with their Archives pop-up this winter. The Paddington boutique is hosting a temporary vendor within the four walls of their existing store. During May, you could submit items for consideration (dry cleaned, of course), from labels Peopke has carried or is currently carrying. Now they're selling them on a consignment basis, and you'll pocket the cash. It's like a giant community garage sale, but instead of scoffing neighbours pretending they're from Antiques Roadshow, they'll just be other Poepke fans hungry for that silk shawl you snapped up last winter. It's part op-shop, part stocktake sale, part elusive event. Whatever it actually is, you'll be able to turn up and nab both unworn and pre-loved clothes, shoes and accessories. When: Saturday, 28 June - Monday, 28 July Where: Poepke , 47 William St, Paddington 2021 How much: FREE My Name is Truda Vitz Staging the stories of holocaust survivors can be tricky business, particularly when pivoting between multiple generations. But theatre can also be a therapeutic means of exorcising the demons of history and finding glimmers of optimism. Written and performed by Olivia Satchell, My Name is Truda Vitz at the TAP Gallery, is a musical and semibiographical play that manages to strike the right levels of light and shade. Directed by Pierce Wilcox, it is a profoundly personal tale that sees a modern-day Sydneysider step into the shoes of the grandmother she never met. When: Wednesday, 25 June - Sunday, 6 July Where: TAP Gallery , 278 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst How much: $20 - $25 Tim's Vermeer Watching a man painstakingly recreate an oil painting doesn't exactly sound like the basis for a winning documentary. Yet in the hands of popular TV double act Penn and Teller, that's exactly what it turns out to be. Told in clear, accessible terms that laymen can understand, Tim's Vermeer is a lively, intriguing look at the line between artist and inventor, one that challenges the very notion that the distinction should be made at all. When: Thursday, 3 July - Wednesday, 30 July Where: Selected Cinemas How much: $15 - $25 The Bourbon's Fourth of July Party Given the American food craze that swept through Sydney last year shows no sign of slowing, it's more than appropriate that one of our top US-inspired venues is throwing a Fourth of July party to celebrate those iconic stars and stripes. Independence Day at The Bourbon — the King Cross landmark with the shady past and shiny, New Orleans-style makeover — will be led by the soulful tunes of Chicago native Doug Williams. James Metcalfe (formerly of Becasse and Charlie & Co) as its head chef will front up a 13-strong canape selection. Southern-inspired Cajun shrimp will be served alongside mini chilli dogs, New York bagels and waffles with chocolate sauce — plus, you can expect a cocktail on arrival, popcorn, fairy floss, cheerleaders, foosball tables and photo booths. When: Friday, 4 July - 6:00pm Where: The Bourbon , 22 Darlinghurst Road Potts Point 2011 How much: $52.79 Bacon and Egg Rolls If any sandwich were to receive an Order of Australia medal, it would be the bacon and egg roll. Artfully combining everyone’s favourite breakfast combo (bacon and eggs) with everyone’s favourite carbohydrate vehicle (bread), this humble sandwich attracts widespread adoration. You can get one for a few coins at a barbecue outside your local Bunnings or for the hefty fee of $16 at Bronte’s chef-hatted cafe Three Blue Ducks. The Bacon and Egg Roll Project blog — run by Concrete Playground reviewer Kara Jensen-Mackinnon and her colleague at The Roast Evan Williams — is dedicated to rigorous B&E taste testing in order to ultimately crown one bacon and egg roll to rule them all. Check out this smorgasbord of their most telling B&E experiences so far. When: Whenever you're feeling the need for crispy, runny goodness Where: These juicy joints How much: $1-16 depending on your level of indulgence
They say the world is your oyster, and the folk on the New South Wales South Coast take it very seriously. So much so that they're putting on a festival to celebrate and showcase that salty, slippery, seafood delicacy. The Narooma Oyster Festival, set in the heart of Australia's 'Oyster Coast' will take place on a glorious Saturday on the 5th of May. Head to the Big Oyster Bar where you will be able to feast on delicious oysters from eight south coast estuaries on the banks of the stunning Wagonga Inlet. If you're after a cool $500 in pocket money, the oyster shucking competition could be up your alley, but if you're new to the whole game, there are shucking demonstrations as well. For the most committed of oyster lovers out there, there is The Ultimate Oyster Experience, where you'll enjoy an exclusive master class guide by a local grower and sample Angasi, Pacific and Sydney Rock Oysters with complementing wines.
Get ready for battle: House of the Dragon is returning in 2024 and, based on the just-dropped first teaser trailer for the Game of Thrones spinoff's second season, things are getting even more fiery. "There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin — and no war so bloody as a war between dragons," Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best, Nurse Jackie) tells her niece Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy, Mothering Sunday) in the just-dropped sneak peek. Also glimpsed in the debut look at the Targaryen-focused show's next eight episodes: dragons, obviously, plus Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Slow Horses) going head to head — and Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith, Morbius) looking brooding while suiting up in armour. Troops preparing to fight, burning soldiers and the Iron Throne (also obviously) all pop up as well, as do serious words about what's to come. Set to arrive in winter 2024 Down Under — because, yes, winter is always coming — House of the Dragon's second season will arrive two years after the first premiered in 2022. Game of Thrones was always going to spark spinoff shows. Indeed, when HBO started thinking about doing a prequel five years ago, before the huge fantasy hit had even finished its run, it was hardly surprising. And, when the US network kept adding ideas to its list — including a Jon Snow-focused series with Kit Harington (Eternals) reprising his famous role, novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg and an animated GoT show, to name just a few prequels and spinoffs that've been considered, but may or may not actually come to fruition — absolutely no one was astonished. So far, just House of the Dragon has hit screens, which jumps back into House Targaryen's history. When it initially roared into streaming queues, it became an instant success. Accordingly, as it delivered more complicated GoT realm relationships, flowing long blonde hair, dragons, stabbings and fights for power — and plenty to fuel a drinking game, as we created — it was quickly renewed for season two. The series kicked off 172 years before the birth of Daenerys and her whole dragon-flying, nephew-dating, power-seeking story, and gave HBO its largest American audience for any new original series in its history when it debuted. If you're thinking that House of the Dragon is basically a case of new show, same squabbles, as it was easy to foresee it would be, you're right. It's pretty much Game of Thrones with different faces bearing now well-known surnames — and more dragons. If you haven't yet caught up with the show so far, it dives into the battle for the Iron Throne before the one we all watched between 2011–19. Paddy Considine (The Third Day) started the series King Viserys — and it's exactly who should be his heir that sparked all the Succession-style fuss. The words "succession" and "successor" (and "heir" as well) got bandied around constantly, naturally. Also, Australian actors Milly Alcock and Ryan Corr were among the stars. House of the Dragon's returning season two cast includes Rhys Ifans (The King's Man) as Ser Otto Hightower and Steve Toussaint (It's a Sin) as Lord Corlys Velaryon, plus Fabien Frankel (The Serpent), Ewan Mitchell (Saltburn), Tom Glynn-Carney (Rogue Heroes) and Sonoya Mizuno (Shortcomings). HBO has also announced new faces for the show's comeback, with Clinton Liberty (This Is Christmas) as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna (Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story) as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew (Warrior) as Hugh, Tom Bennett (Black Ops) as Ulf, Tom Taylor (Love at First Sight) as Lord Cregan Stark and Vincent Regan (One Piece) as Ser Rickard Thorne. They join Abubakar Salim (Napoleon) as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin (Perry Mason) as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox (The Great) as Ser Gwayne Hightower and Simon Russell Beale (Thor: Love and Thunder) as Ser Simon Strong among the season two newcomers. This latest adaptation of George RR Martin's popular fantasy books — based on Fire & Blood, specifically — is bound to continue on for more than just two seasons, but that's all that's confirmed for the moment. Check out the first teaser trailer for House of the Dragon season two below: House of the Dragon streams Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand, with season two arriving in winter 2024 — with an exact release date yet to be announced. Read our full review of season one. Images: HBO.
This year, the Mantra Collective is flipping the Halloween tradition on its head, with a summery, outdoor underground dance party at The Factory Theatre. No shadowy corners or gloomy ghosts here. That said, you're invited to dress the part, with Mantra urging you get your Frankenstein on. An epic, 12-hour music marathon will kick off across three stages at 2pm. Heading it up is Berliner David Gtronic from Kina Music and Ibiza-dwelling TiNi & The Gang, who's recently been getting a lot of love from Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Loco Dice and Dubfire. Making up the rest of the program is a slew of local and international talent, including solo sets from Mantra Collective's Whitecat, Aboutjack and Space Junk, along with performances from Casting Out, Le Brond, and all the way from Mexico City, Kire.
Creators Modular and Carriageworks have spun together a Vivid Sydney event of seriously epic proportions. Between Friday 6 and Monday 9 June, Carriageworks will be transformed into a music-art-food extravaganza, to be headlined by The Pet Shop Boys in the only Australian shows of their 2013/14 multimedia Electric tour. Plus, there'll be a one-off appearance from bizarre yet beautiful experimenters Liars, and a full-day showcase presented by LA indie label Wild Records, whose current darlings include Gizzelle, The Delta Bombers and Luis and the Wildfires. Innovative culinary delights will be provided by Sydney favourite Porteno in pop-up mode — Friday to Sunday from 5pm and Monday from midday. We had a good ol' chat with the lads from Porteno ahead of the weekend, head over here for a sneak peek at the event with rock and roll chefs Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gn-ofIAbv-w
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.
Do you ever find yourself tuning in to your favourite podcast and then tuning back out again because you're fantasising about being on the podcast? Laughing along with the host, practising your hot takes on controversial topics, and, of course, planning your humble-brag post for when you announce it on social media? Come on, we all do it. If you're that passionate about your podcasts, you should consider turning that passion into a profession. Plus, it'll bring you one step closer to an invitation to speak on the podcast of your dreams. Sure, launching into unknown career territory can be daunting, but it can also be rewarding. Luckily, Open Universities Australia (OUA) helps you find a degree to fit your goals, and study it online. So, no matter your physical proximity to the university running the course, or your life commitments, you can make it happen. Whether you're a first-time student, an aiming-to-finisher, or just looking to extend your career options by adding another notch to your belt, we know that half the battle is figuring out what you actually want to study. So, why not use the hours you've already dedicated to your favourite podcasts? Chances are your favourite genre might give you a pretty good clue as to what you're into. Read on to discover eight possible careers based on what you love to listen to. TEACHER'S PET Consider studying: Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice with Griffith University or Bachelor of Criminal Justice with University of South Australia. First up: excellent taste in podcast. Secondly: you're not alone in your ghoulish interest in murders and whodunits. This Aussie crime podcast has taken the world by storm — we seem to be morbidly fascinated in murder, assault and a bunch of gory details. Basically, Teacher's Pet gives you an insight into humanity's dark side. And if that presses your buttons, it could make you a great candidate for criminology or a criminal justice degree. If you're into uncovering bloodthirsty crimes, consider studying a criminology or a criminal justice degree online through OUA. It'll open you up to career opportunities in areas such as policing, correctional services or intelligence analysis. 7AM Consider studying: Bachelor of Communication with Griffith University or with University of South Australia. This news and current events podcast, produced by the crew behind publications The Monthly and The Saturday Paper, is a surefire way to know what's up. If you're an avid listener, it's likely that you're keen to keep up with what's going on in the world. Plus, if you're drawn to its punchy interviews and alternate analysis of news events, then you should strap in for a wild ride in communications and journalism. You'll learn all the tools you need to hold your own in interviews and produce stories that are engaging and that matter. And, when you study online through OUA, any previous relevant work experience you have may be counted, too. SCIENCE VS. Consider studying: Diploma in Science with University of New England. If you were the kid who debunked Santa Claus with cold, hard reasoning, you probably now listen to Science Vs. And, if you get riled up by the hosts debunking science's greatest myths and fads, pitting them against scientists to get to the facts straight, then you should be firing up the bunsen burner. Or, you could start by studying a Diploma in Science. Studying will give you a broad understanding of all things science but, more importantly, train you to think with scientific reasoning. Once you've got that down pat, every day will be like an episode of Science Vs. And, when you enrol through OUA, you can get started on your tertiary path even if you don't have an ATAR or any relevant work experience. STARTUP Consider studying: Bachelor of Business or a Master of Business Administration (MBA), available from a range of universities. Longtime listeners of Startup will be able to appreciate that running a business is not as easy as having a good idea — it takes an amazing amount of grind, too. Sure, there are office ping pong tables, nap pods and fridges full of beer (sometimes). But when working at one, you'll often need to wear a lot of hats. From HR issues and strategic planning one minute to thinking outside of the box and crunching numbers the next, the roles in newer companies are often blurred, so finding the right hat stand can be hard. But, if you're serious about joining a startup or building something of your own, a great place to start is with a Bachelor of Business. Or, you can level-up and undertake a Master of Business Administration. Plus, if you study through OUA, you'll be studying online, which means more time for you to work on your main hustle: building your very own startup. TRAVEL WITH RICK STEVES Consider studying: Language subjects with Australian National University or a Graduate Certificate in TESOL with Bond University. We're very visual creatures — now more so than ever before. So, you wouldn't think a travel podcast would have a hope in hell of hitting 500-plus episodes, let alone have a huge following. But Rick Steves' unambiguously titled podcast, Travel with Rick Steves, tells such rich, practical and linguistically driven stories that virtually transport you to another country instantly. It's also far more informative (and interesting) than envying your mate at Yacht Week via Instagram. So, if this podcast gives you itchy feet, consider planning a more immersive travel experience by learning another language. Or, if you're a native language wiz, consider studying a Graduate Certificate in TESOL so you can help others learn English. Not only will you be able to teach English as an additional language in Australia, but it may also open up teaching jobs around the world. STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW Consider studying: Bachelor of Education in Primary, Secondary or Early Childhood Education with Curtin University. Stuff You Should Know has been around for a while now. Investigating everyday topics and ideas, it teaches you a lot. If you've been tuning in to this podcast, chances are you're a keen learner — and you know a bunch of stuff. So, why not apply all this knowledge by educating the future generation. Your mates are probably bored of you monologuing at them about esoteric topics by now anyway. That said, you'll need a degree to be a teacher. You can undertake a bachelor degree in primary, secondary or early childhood education and, if you struggle to decide between them, enrolling through OUA allows you to study single subjects and make up your mind once you've completed a few. GASTROPOD Consider studying: Bachelor of Food and Nutrition with La Trobe University. Hey, you. Yeah, you over there. The one listening to Gastropod while scrolling through food-based Instagram accounts and eating a cronut. Your love for food is commendable. Not only are you probably able to justify splashing some serious cash at a new restaurant or breaking the bank on your weekly grocery run, but there are also so many career avenues that food can lead you to — think careers in nutrition, public health, agriculture or government. To get there, you can start by studying a Bachelor of Food and Nutrition with La Trobe University online through OUA. Also, studying online means you're not bound to eat at an on-campus cafeteria, which can only be a good thing. Explore hundreds of degrees from leading universities, available online through Open Universities Australia. You could have a new skill by the end of the year. Hop to it.
The Aussie love affair with Scandinavian-designed products is a long-running one. A certain megastore may steal the spotlight sometimes, but this sleek store (and its Mosman counterpart) is harbouring some of the best Nordic designs around. With a range that spans furniture, homewares, clothing and accessories, Nordic Fusion is the place to come when your home is crying out for some well-designed and stylish pieces. Expect to find popular labels like Marimekko, Pappelina and Klippan — plus, you'll get a glimpse of some of Scandinavia's top emerging design houses like Muuto and Menu. It also sells a large range of Nordic food and treats which, we're told, can add to the hygge vibe, too. We can just picture it now: snuggling up on the lounge under a cosy new Klippan blanket with a bowl of Ekströms chocolate pudding.
Since 2012, Sydney has dedicated one day each year to pretending that Japan isn't nearly 8000 kilometres away. Whether you're hopping on a plane to Tokyo in the near future, have always dreamed of wandering around Kyoto come cherry blossom season, or just love sake and gyoza (and who doesn't?), Matsuri Japan Festival celebrates everything the nation has to offer — and it has become Sydney's biggest Japanese celebration in the process. Indeed, last year more than 30,000 people went along to watch traditional and contemporary performances, knock back a few Orion beers, get their matcha fix, sip yuzu lemonade, learn calligraphy and origami, and devour sushi. And with all of that on this year's bill as well, plus karate and sumo demonstrations, audience cosplay, plenty of Japanese food and more, expect the fest to be fun and frenzied when it returns. The 2017 festival takes place from 11am on December 9 at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour. Entry is free, but we can't promise that the accompanying yearning to plan your next holiday won't cost you anything.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. Christmas in July first took hold in Australia back in 1980. An otherwise cheery group of Irish travellers hanging about in the Blue Mountains got teary when they saw snowflakes falling outside their window and, instead of moaning about it, decided to throw themselves a Christmas dinner six months early. Ever since, Australians, especially in mountainous regions, have turned July into an excuse to indulge in Yulefest feasts, knock back an eggnog or three and generally get festive. If there's one place where the celebration takes on an especially Northern Hemispher-ean flavour, it's Thredbo. Between July 20 and 26, the resort will be transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with overloaded Christmas trees, glittering tinsel, fairy lights, baubles, toasty log fires and gallons of mulled warm Winter cider from Rekorderlig. Various eateries will be hosting epic, multi-course feasts, serving up all the European goodies that our ridiculously hot December Christmases often make unpalatable. Think stuffed turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, mince pies, plum pudding and mulled wine. Plus, there'll be a steady stream of live entertainment and, of course, a visit or several from Santa Claus, who, according to rumour, has been waxing his skis in preparation.
In 2018, Surry Hills' acclaimed Belvoir Theatre launched 25A — a new program dedicated to supporting independent theatre and emerging artists. The seven-part season saw shows created and marketed by independent theatremakers on a strict budget of $1500. In return, Belvoir offered up the theatre for free and creators received 100 percent of the box office earnings. After a successful inaugural season, Belvoir has just announced the 2019 program, which will once again take over the Downstairs Theatre. The season will begin on Wednesday, February 6 with a production of the satirical play Tuesday by Louris van de Geer. This show first premiered in Melbourne back in 2012 and explores the concepts of social alienation and suburban life. Subject matters vary wildly throughout the lineup, from the pyschological thriller Extinction of the Learned Response to Te Molimau, a futuristic story of a young woman on a sinking island in the Pacific Ocean. Tickets are priced at an extremely reasonable $25 (online or at the door), with previews costing only $20. Check out the full program below, then head to the website to nab tickets. BELVOIR THEATRE 25A 2019 LINEUP February 6–23: Tuesday March 13–30: Jess and Joe Forever May 7–25: Extinction of the Learned Response June 12–29: The Astral Plane July 11-20: Skyduck: A Chinese Spy Comedy August 7–24: Te Molimau October 16–November 2: Slaughterhouse November 20–December 7: Kasama Kita Image: 'Te Molimau', Taofia Pelesasa.
If war is hell, then military boot camp is purgatory. So told Full Metal Jacket, with Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece making that observation echo and pierce with the relentlessness of machine-gun fire. Now, The Inspection stresses the same point nearing four decades later, plunging into the story of a gay Black man enlisting, then navigating the nightmare that is basic training. This too is a clear-eyed step inside the United States Marine Corps, but drawn from first-time fictional feature filmmaker Elegance Bratton's own experiences. New Yorker Ellis French (Jeremy Pope, One Night in Miami) is the Pier Kids documentarian's on-screen alter ego — an out queer man who has spent a decade from his teens to his mid-20s homeless after being kicked out by his ashamed mother Inez (Gabrielle Union, Strange World), and pledges his post 9/11 freedom away for a place to fit in, even if that means descending into a world of institutional homophobia and racism. It would've been easy for Bratton to just sear and scorch in The Inspection; his film is set in 2005, "don't ask, don't tell" was still the US military forces' policy and discrimination against anyone who isn't a straight white man is horrendously brutal. Life being moulded into naval-infantry soldiers is savage anyway; "our job is not to make Marines, it's to make monsters," says Leland Laws (Bokeem Woodbine, Wu-Tang: An American Saga), Ellis' commanding officer and chief state-sanctioned tormentor. And yet, crafting a film that's as haunting as it is because it's supremely personal, Bratton never shies away from Ellis' embrace of the Marines in his quest to work out how he can be himself. There's nothing simple about someone signing up for such heartbreaking anguish because that's the only option that they can imagine, but this stunning movie is anything but simple. Gulf War veteran Laws is indeed The Inspection's own R Lee Ermey type, seeing Ellis' sexuality as his major malfunction — as do many of the privates training with him, plus Inez. The latter's derision gives agonising context to Ellis' eagerness to don the uniform; being dismissed and denigrated for being gay started at home long before he's at the recruit depot on South Carolina's Parris Island. In fact, Inez's abode, with religious iconography everywhere and her prison-guard hardness festering, is where she unburdens her disappointment during her son's early visit. Unlike for audiences, this isn't the first time he's hearing it. Ellis needs his birth certificate, Inez is as malicious with her words while handing it over as the military's worst, and having a parent who won't accept you for who you are is hell as well. Under the abhorrent Laws, nothing about boot camp in The Inspection comes as a surprise. Played with can't-look-away menace by the ever-reliable Woodbine, he doesn't just set the tone for his charges to follow — he makes punishing any derivation from his perceived norm a cruel and compulsory sport. Accordingly, when Ellis' sexual orientation becomes apparent, it's hazing open season among his peers and superiors. Only drill instructor Rosales (Raúl Castillo, Cha Cha Real Smooth) offers sympathy and kindness. And, in a place where every difference stands out, Muslim enlistee Ismail (Eman Esfandi, King Richard) is largely the only other target. Second-generation Marine Harvey (McCaul Lombardi, Patti Cake$) couldn't relish being a bully more, but it isn't difficult to get the bulk of the cadets sharing his hostility. Writing, directing and also ensuring that cinematographer Lachlan Milne (Minari) shoots with the raw intensity of a memory so unshakeable that it always feels fresh, Bratton stares head-on at his protagonist's distressing ordeal. The physical training is gruelling and grinding, and the abuse fierce and ferocious — but Ellis' determination to stick it out, retain his place and continue asking his mother to attend his graduation is equally as resolute. So is Bratton's, actually, with The Inspection grappling with the contradiction that is shaping one's sense of belonging around an institution that so overtly doesn't want you as you are. His feature is all the better because it refuses to make obvious and unchallenging choices, even when it's at its most arduous and depicting one of cinema's most well-documented routines; IRL, as informs this flick, the filmmaker patently never did either. There's a thick and lingering feeling to The Inspection, too, that peering at this time in Bratton's life was always going to be a thorny process. Based on the details, how could an autobiographical affair like this have proven anything else? His movie depends and thrives on that air, with every move made behind the lens — including whether skewing poetic and dreamlike, or seeping the picture in pain and grimness — letting the knottiness of what he went through, and what Ellis now endures, swish and swirl. Cue those inescapable Full Metal Jacket vibes and the terror that comes with it, but also nods to Moonlight in how The Inspection examines what it means to be Black and gay. Cue, as well, a kindred piece at times to Claire Denis' Beau Travail in visually surveying its military figures and honing in on stolen glances. Bratton was already a talent before The Inspection, and already directing his gaze inwards in a way, earning the Film Independent Spirit Awards' Truer Than Fiction prize in 2021 for Pier Kids and its focus on Black and homeless queer and trans NYC youths. Backing that gong up with a Best First Feature nomination at the same awards in 2023 isn't just his feat alone, however. A contender for two 2019 Tonys for Choir Boy and Ain't Too Proud, and for a 2020 Emmy for Netflix's Hollywood, Pope has also been receiving deserved attention for his debut feature lead portrayal — a simmering, sinewy and soulful turn that nabbed him a Golden Globes nod (albeit losing out to Elvis' Austin Butler) and is as magnetic as performances come. He's powerfully supported by the fear-inducing Woodbine, the subtle work of Castillo and the blistering efforts of Union. Bring It On isn't just the name of a movie she's still well-known for, but a description of how she commits to an emotionally strenuous part in a beautifully complicated film.
As NSW's COVID-19 restrictions start to ease and more Sydneysiders are heading back to work, commuters are once again piling onto the city's public transport network. But, with buses only able to fit 12 commuters and train carriages 35, under the country's physical distancing rules, you may've found it a little more difficult to get to work. To help, the NSW Government has temporarily added an extra 3300 services across the network from Monday, June 1. An extra 3100 weekly buses will provide 37000 more socially distant spots, while 250 weekly train services will add up to 59000 additional spaces — totally almost 100,000 more seats for bums across the city. While the new services will ease some transport tension, the NSW Government is continuing to encourage commuters to avoid travelling during peak hours. Last week, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, "We recommend people who aren't already on the system in the peak, especially on buses and trains, to travel in the off-peak, so after 10am or before 2pm." NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance reiterated this sentiment, saying "please don't travel in the peak — walk, ride your bike or drive instead". With the new capacities, Constance said the city's public transport is only able to carry 550,000-600,000 commuters compared to its usual 2.2 million, which is about 25 percent. [caption id="attachment_772030" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The new decals encouraging socially distancing on a Sydney bus. Photo by Natalie Ratcliffe.[/caption] To help ease some of the congestion, the Government has also launched a pop-up car park in Moore Park, where commuters can catch a shuttle light rail service to the city, and six pop-up bike lanes heading into the city. The real-time public transport apps — including TripView, TripGo, Google Maps and the Opal App — now also show the safe capacity for each service and 400,000 green dot decals have also be rolled out across the public transport system this week, showing commuters where safe, socially distant spots to sit are. To plan your journey and for more information about Sydney transport options, head to the Transport for NSW website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
