Carriageworks, Eveleigh's multifaceted arts precinct, has just announced its lineup for 2018. All our favourites — Biennale, Fashion Week, Night Markets — are returning for another year and there's a host of new artists, food initiatives and festivals added to the program, too. The season will kick off with 8000 metres of vibrant material suspended within the public space. Renowned German artist Katharina Grosse will spend a month creating the immersive artwork entitled The Horse Trotted Another Couple Of Metres, Then It Stopped. In February, there'll be plenty of rainbows and glitter when The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrates its 40th anniversary. Resident company, Moogahlin Performing Arts will present Koori Gras, which includes BlackNulla Cabaret and a series of talks exploring the Indigenous queer experience. Also in February is The Backstories: Moya Dodd, a solo performance by an ex-Matilda and one of the first women on FIFA's Executive Committee. Another highlight is The Howling Girls, a world premiere presented by the Sydney Chamber Opera. The performance, based on real-life events, is a curious story of panic attacks and shared trauma in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Five teenage girls present separately to hospitals, unable to swallow and believing debris from the attack is stuck in their throats. Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda will use sound and light to lead audiences to the point at which art and quantum physics meet in micro macro. American visual artist Nick Cave (no, not that one) will transform the public space into a sea of millions of beads and found objects for Until — the largest scale exhibition Carriageworks has presented to date. Open Frame — an experimental music festival — will return for the 2018 season with a lineup of local and international artists curated by composer Lawrence English. Sydney Writers' Festival will call Carriageworks home for the first time in 2018. There'll also be a rich food program with the continuation of Mike McEnearney's Farmers Markets and the popular Night Markets. A new series, Sydney Mad Mondays — hosted together with René Redzepi's (of Copenhagen's Noma) MAD — will bring together experts from across the food industry to discuss the future of food — think eating insects, test tube meat patties and feeding the world's homeless. To view the full lineup and buy tickets head to carriageworks.com.au.
It's one of the most famous lines in cinema history, and it just keeps proving true. When Arnold Schwarzenegger said "I'll be back" in 1984's The Terminator, he clearly meant it — and so did James Cameron's franchise. Like Skynet-controlled robot killing machines trying to exterminate humanity and take over the world, this series just keeps coming, with 1991's Terminator 2: Judgement Day, 2003's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, 2009's Terminator Salvation, 2015's Terminator Genisys, TV's short-lived Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and animated show Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series to its name. The saga's fortunes have been varied, to say the least, with the last few films hardly leaving anyone clamouring for more. But, no matter how Terminator: Dark Fate turns out, it does have one big trick up its sleeves. While Arnie has been a part of every Terminator movie except Salvation, which was made while he was the Governor of California, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor hasn't had a significant part in the franchise since T2. The character has still popped up on-screen, played by everyone's favourite duelling Game of Thrones queens — that is, by Lena Headey in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and by Emilia Clarke in Genisys — but now the kick-ass Hamilton is making a proper comeback. Timeline-wise, Dark Fate actually takes place after T2, ignoring all of the other sequels. If it's a success, it'll start a new trilogy, although the same was expected of Salvation and Genisys, too. As well as the return of Hamilton as Connor — and Arnie as the T-800, of course — the movie stars Halt and Catch Fire's Mackenzie Davis as a new terminator-human hybrid sent from the future. She's charged with protecting Birds of Passage's Natalia Reyes from the deadly ways of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Gabriel Luna, who plays their not-so-kindly cyborg assassin foe. After writing and directing the series' first two flicks, Cameron returns as a producer, while Deadpool's Tim Miller is in the director's chair. Catch the trailer below — yes, the saga is back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCyEX6u-Yhs Terminator: Dark Fate releases in Australian cinemas on October 31, 2019.
The Museum of Contemporary Art's ARTBAR has become a firm fixture on Sydney's after-dark cultural calendar. For the uninitiated, ARTBAR combines art, music, design and performance for a huge art party on the last Friday of every month, curated by a different artist each time. This month it's Sydney-based artist Jason Wing — and with his theme of United Nations, he's asking the question: what would a country without borders mean? An artist with Chinese and Aboriginal ancestry, Wing will invite both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to respond to the question. There'll be a range of different mediums and art forms for you to peruse; a video work by Latai Taumoepeau and a paste-up installation by Alison Alder are both excellent places to start. Once you get into the swing of things you can have a shot at contributing yourself — go sit in Alex Wisser's staring booth with a stranger, join Keren Ruki's Creative Native craft session, or try your hand at flag making with Deborah Kelly. Not really the art-making sort? That's okay too, as there will be performances by ALPHAMAMA, Tribade Marinade, Ginger and the Ghost and even meditation classes if you need to unwind after a long week. You'll also be able to check out the MCA's two current exhibitions for free; chuck on a VR headset at the Primavera 2016: Young Australian Artists exhibition and gaze at 2016 Archibald Prize winner Louise Hearman's surreal paintings. Plus, there'll be wine and the added bonus of panoramic views of the harbour from the Sculpture Terrace.
After 1000 piled into Mojo by Luke Mangan for the very first Sensasian party, the team have decided to give it another run. A showcase of Asian-inspired creations conjured by Mangan, Sensasian is like a warehouse party with an Asian street market vibe, cocktails and great food — and it's coming back on Thursday, November 19. One of the main events at Sens-Asian is dessert — and Sydney's got some hectic sweet tooths. This time around, expect goodies from gelato connoisseurs N2 gelato, watermelon cake legends Black Star Pastry, 17-year-old Instagram sensation Sweet High Desserts, Instagram cake wizard Cakes by Cliff and MAKMAK Macarons. On the savoury side, Mangan and MOJO head chef Wayne Lee will be doing mashups — think mini hot dogs with kim chi, 'salt 'n' pepa' prawns, Peking duck rolls, Taiwanese fried chicken. Food starts at $15. Wash it all down with a few Singapore Slings and Asahi beer and you're home and hosed.
Enjoy being served by a human being at a cafe or restaurant and being able to ask "what are your specials for today?" whilst you can because food delivery techniques are changing fast. Scrap that, they are dropping fast. After flying drones recently emerged to deliver food to patrons at London's renowned YO! Sushi restaurant and beer to festival revellers in South Africa, a group of innovative Melburnians have decided that wasn't cool enough, so they have decided to deliver double the cool. Not only are they serving delicious jaffles in Flinders Lane, they have elected to do it by parachute. That's right, by parachute. Then they gave their service an excellent pun-moniker: Jafflechutes. COOL. Describing themselves as the world's first float-down eatery, Jafflechutes has a process that sounds simple enough. You select your delicious filling (cheese and tomato; cheese, ham and pineapple; or the all-out cheese, roast beef, dill pickles, mushroom and mustard), pay via Paypal, stand on the 'X' at 349 Flinders Lane at your nominated time and catch your snack. Just be aware, if it gets stuck in the tree, then the people at Jafflechutes cannot stress enough to not climb the tree. Wind gods permitting, delicious pockets of cheese filled dough will be raining down on Flinders Lane tonight from between 10pm and midnight, and whilst they have sold out this time around (the Jafflechuters have got 600+ likes on Facebook since starting their page on August 12), they hope to be back in the near future should everything work out fine. What could possibly go wrong? You can follow Jafflechutes on their Facebook and Twitter.
Growing up, like me, you may have been well into Japanese culture, with no idea it was Japanese. Whether it was Astroboy, Pokemon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mobile Suit Gundam or Hello Kitty, some kind of Japanese culture permeated your subconscious. And that was before we finding out what otaku meant as an adult. At the end of a nondescript, curved food court near the Conservatorium, The Japan Foundation has put together Japan: Kingdom of Characters. The exhibition aims to survey the heroes, villains, memes and icons from Japanese culture which have swept across the world. Which it does, quietly collecting a bevy of personal mythologies and dreams. If all this culture isn't enough by itself, the Japan Foundation is also offering you a series of talks covering character design, cult pilgrimages to fictional characters and more. These talks will alternate with the Foundation's already running Anime film series, screening biweekly. If you like giant robots, jumpsuits or oversize cats, the Japanese Foundation anticipates your need. The Japan Foundation Gallery is open 11-4, Monday to Friday and every second Saturday. (16 and 30 April, 14 and 28 May during the exhibition.) It opens late Wednesday nights, to 8.30pm.
If Game of Thrones has taught us anything, it's that no one is ever happy. After all, this is a world where weddings end in slaughter, kings are poisoned mid-feast, queens casually mention that they wiped out your entire family, killing a zombie leader still can't save a girl from dragon fire, and finally finding love usually comes with betrayal — and the discovery of new relatives. But if every fictional Stark, Lannister and Targaryen has seemed less than chipper across the hugely popular HBO show's eight seasons, they've got nothing on a group of disgruntled fans who absolutely hate the last batch of episodes. These GoT watchers don't just dislike the five episodes of season eight so far. Rather, these folks despise them so much that they're demanding for all of them to be remade. The idea of agreeing to disagree, realising that wrapping up nearly ten years of storytelling was never going to please everyone, recognising that endings are always tricky or just accepting that a few disappointing episodes of your favourite show won't spark a white walker-filled apocalypse is clearly lost on some. The uproar spiked after GoT's latest instalment, the carnage- and dragon-heavy The Bells, which is also the series' second-last episode ever. Plenty of viewers have plenty of opinions about the show's narrative arc, its soaring body count, character development and how the expected showdown between Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) turned out, sparking a Change.org petition to "remake Game of Thrones season eight with competent writers". The petition was actually launched after the preceding episode, but took off in the past week. Thanks to darkly lit battle sequences and a quick glimpse of a modern-day takeaway coffee cup, GoT gripes have been coming in thick and fast this year. At the time of writing, more than 900,000 people have signed up — because "there is so much awful crap going on in the world, people like me need to escape into things like Star Wars and Game of Thrones," explains the petition's originator, Dylan. The main source of misdirected ire are showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who were tasked with conjuring up the show's storylines when it overtook George RR Martin's books. And if you're wondering about the Star Wars reference, that's the pair's next gig, overseeing a new trilogy that'll launch after this year's Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. There's even a second petition now, directed towards Disney, asking for Benioff and Weiss to be pre-emptively removed from the space opera franchise. Online tantrums and outlandish fan service demands like this aren't new, as the backlash to the female-led Ghostbusters and to most women characters in big-name series have shown. Unsurprisingly, both Game of Thrones and Star Wars have specifically been plagued by the latter kind of ridiculous complaints. DC Comics fans also tried to shut down Rotten Tomatoes when they didn't like Suicide Squad reviews, too — before said fans had even seen the film themselves. There are countless more examples, but just because these entitlement-fuelled hissy fits are popping up regularly, doesn't mean they should be considered normal behaviour. Unless Game of Thrones ends with a dragon on the throne, it's never going to make everyone happy. Okay, that idea won't thrill a lot of people either. But not only whining loudly and incessantly because a movie or TV show doesn't meet your specific personal hopes, dreams and expectations, but insisting that it be remade to suit you, is as silly as GoT wrapping up with a resurrected Ned Stark (Sean Bean) as king or everyone learning that they're just a figment of the Three-Eyed Raven's imagination. Game of Thrones' final episode arrives on Monday, May 20, Australian and New Zealand time. Images: Helen Sloan/HBO.
When the New South Wales Government last tightened Greater Sydney's lockdown measures back on Saturday, July 17, it introduced stricter conditions in three specific Local Government Areas where COVID-19 case numbers have been particularly high. Since then, residents of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool LGAs have no longer been able to leave their LGA for work — unless they work in emergency services, healthcare, or the aged care and disability care fields. That rule is now being expanded, with folks in the Cumberland and Blacktown LGAs coming under the same conditions. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the change today, Friday, July 23, advising that "unless people are critical workers from the Blacktown local government area and the Cumberland local government area, who we do not want any workers living in those LGAs to leave unless they are regarded as critical workers." Accordingly, if that's you, you obviously still need to abide by all the other rules that are currently in place across Greater Sydney; however, your ability to leave your LGA for work is now limited as well. For workers in the emergency services, healthcare, or the aged care and disability care fields, if you do need to leave your LGA for work, you'll have to get a mandatory COVID-19 test every three days — even you don't have any coronavirus symptoms. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1418376212662030341 The Premier hasn't announced how long this requirement will be in place in the Cumberland and Blacktown LGAs; however, in revealing today's new COVID-19 case numbers for the entire state — with 136 cases of local transmission reported up to 8pm last night, Thursday, July 22 — she advised that it's unlikely the Greater Sydney lockdown will end on Friday, July 30 as last outlined. "Unfortunately, 53 of those cases were infectious in the community," the Premier said. "There is no doubt that the numbers are not going in the direction we were hoping they would at this stage. It is fairly apparent that we will not be close to that next Friday," she continued. At the moment, in terms of general restrictions, people in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour can only leave their houses for four specific essential reasons anyway: to work and study if you can't do it from home; for essential shopping; for exercise outdoors in groups of two; and for compassionate reasons, which includes medical treatment, getting a COVID-19 test and getting vaccinated. And, since last weekend, only businesses deemed "critical retail" are permitted to remain open. Hospitality and retail venues can only do takeaways, home deliveries, and click and collect orders, and residents in the locked-down areas also aren't allowed to carpool, unless you're in a vehicle with members of your own household. Also, the rules around working from home changed earlier this week. At the moment, employers must allow employees to work from home if the employee is able to do so — or they can face a fine of up to $10,000. You can still only exercise in groups of two outdoors — or as a household. You can also only get sweaty within your local government area, or within ten kilometres of where you live. If you need supplies, only one person from each household can go out shopping each day to buy essential items — and browsing is prohibited, too. No one can have anyone over to their house, either — other than for care purposes, which includes intimate partners. As always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
When the director and lead of one of 2021's best Norwegian films — and best movies from anywhere that year — joined forces again, of course the Scandinavian Film Festival needed to get the resulting picture on its program. Accordingly, Sentimental Value from The Worst Person in the World filmmaker Joachim Trier, once more starring Renate Reinsve (Presumed Innocent), is one of the big highlights at 2025's Australian showcase of cinema from the Nordic region. Stellan Skarsgård (Andor) and Elle Fanning (A Complete Unknown) also feature, and the results won this year's Cannes Grand Prix (the award below the Palme d'Or). At the Scandinavian Film Festival, Sentimental Value is getting the centrepiece treatment. Movies from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland are always in the drawcard at this Aussie fest — so a Norwegian spy drama to kick things off in 2025, then an Icelandic black comedy to wrap things up, are both on the itinerary. This year's national tour will hit Sydney across Thursday, July 17–Sunday, August 10 at Palace Norton St, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema. Launching the fest: Number 24, the latest from The Burning Sea and The Quake director John Andreas Andersen, recounting a true espionage tale from World War II. The aptly named Grand Finale comes in at the other end, spinning a Reykjavik-set story about a struggling chamber orchestra's efforts to endure. Alongside Sentimental Value, Quisling: The Final Days is another of the festival's big-name titles, this time from The King's Choice and Utoya: July 22's Erik Poppe, with the trial of its controversial namesake head of state the film's focus. Cannes favourites, blasts from the past, laughter-inducing fare: they're all on the lineup, then. Add watching Björk's daughter in her first feature role, multiple dates with Danish actor Trine Dyrholm (The Girl with the Needle) and celebrating the 25th anniversary of a Swedish romantic-comedy to the list, too. The first comes courtesy of The Mountain, a coming-of-age and road-trip flick starring Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney. Dyrholm pops up in both the healthcare-centric Second Victims and the David Dencik (Other People's Money)-co-starring Beginnings. And Jalla! Jalla! is marking its quarter-century milestone. Audiences keen to spend Australia's winter feasting their eyes on colder climes from the other side of the world can also look forward to the Faroe Islands-set The Last Paradise on Earth and heading into an Icelandic seafood restaurant with Odd Fish. Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Riders of Justice) leads Way Home, about a Danish father endeavouring to save his loved ones. With heist effort The Quiet Ones, Denmark's biggest-ever robbery makes its way to the screen. Finnish relationship dramedy Sudden Bursts of Emotions, the nation's great Heikki Kinnunen playing 'The Grump' in Long Good Thursday, three siblings returning to the house they grew up in in Everything Must Go, the couch-surfing antics of Live a Little, the beer-brewing sisters of 100 Litres of Gold, My Father's Daughter's focus on a Sámi teenager: add them to your Scandinavian Film Festival list as well.
Looking for a free lunch tomorrow? There is such a thing. If you can get to Martin Place on your lunch break, you'll be able to score a free burger. Deliveroo will be giving out over 2000 of them from midday on Thursday, April 4. They're not just any burgers, either. The burgs on offer will come from the delivery service's top-selling burger vendors, including Mary's, Ume Burger, Belles Hot Chicken, BL Burgers, KFC, Betty's Burgers, 8bit and Neil Perry's Burger Project. From the locally famed Mary's Burger and BL's classic cheeseburger to all things fried chicken from Belles, you'll be able to take your pick from a six-by-four-metre 'billboard' stacked with burgers. Vego options will be available as well. [caption id="attachment_642395" align="alignnone" width="1920"] BL Burgers by Kimberley Low.[/caption] The extensive giveaway is to celebrate Deliveroo selling five million burgers since launching in Australia three years ago. So, whether you're a CBD worker, a Deliveroo devotee or an average punter walking through the city streets, you should probably make a detour to Martin Place. It's first come, first self-served — so you'll want to get there sooner rather than later. The Deliveroo burger giveaway is happening on Wednesday, April 4 at Martin Place, Sydney from 12–6pm, or until sold out.
Maybe you love checking out live bands, especially today's up and comers that'll become tomorrow's huge stars. Perhaps you like hearing the inside word from folks in the music business who've been there, done that and seen everything. For 22 years, BIGSOUND has offered both, operating as both a music festival and a conference — and its 2023 run just nabbed a few more impressive speakers. Back in April, the Brisbane event revealed the first folks that'd be chatting this year, with its initial speaker lineup headlined by ROC Nation's Omar Grant — who was once the road manager for Destiny's Child and now shares the President role at Jay-Z's entertainment agency. Now, the fest has added talents with experience managing Wham! and composing the score for Avatar: The Way of Water. Meet BIGSOUND 2023's two Simons: Simon Napier-Bell and Simon Franglen. The first also managed George Michael and Boney M, wrote music alongside Dusty Springfield, and made a documentary about Michael — and also one about Frank Sinatra. The second is a Grammy-winning composer with experience working with Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Madonna and Barbra Streisand. Plus, among Franglen's screen credits also sits music roles on Titanic, Moulin Rouge!, Skyfall, SPECTRE, Space Jam, Cool Runnings and Se7en. Both will discuss their hefty careers on a conference bill that's just added Clockenflap Festival promoter Cora Chan and South by Southwest's Senior Music Programmer Dev Sherlock, among others, as well. Over the past two-plus decades, BIGSOUND has highlighted Australia's music industry, getting power players sharing their experience and advice, championing emerging talents, fostering crucial connections, and celebrating live tunes and the folks that make them happen in general. In 2023, it'll do so across four days, at 18 venues, with 141 artists getting behind the microphone and via 300-plus showcases, all from Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8. The music lineup was announced in early July, as chosen from more than 1300 applications. Among those making the bill: Brisbane's own Full Flower Moon Band, Zheani, Felivand and Baby Prince; Sydney's Moss and Little Green; Melbourne's PANIA, Moaning Lisa and The Slingers; Perth's DICE and Siobhan Cotchin; and Adelaide's Aleksiah and The Empty Threats. From New Zealand comes Reb Fountain and SWIDT, while Casey Mowry and MF Tomlinson are heading to Queensland from the UK. [caption id="attachment_907796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Kan[/caption] BIGSOUND 2023 SPEAKER LINEUP: First conference announcement: Ash Stahl (Flightless) Cabrea Casey (Downtown Music) Hazel Savage (Soundcloud) Michele Ronzon (Interscope) Omar Grant (ROC Nation) Scott Cohen (JKBX) Vanessa Palmer (Paramount) Second conference announcement: Chloe Pean (AEG Presents) Chris Brearley (Greyline Touring / School Night) Chris Duncan (The Orchard) Christiaan Kröner (FUGA / Downtown) Cora Chan (Clockenflap Festival) David Telfer (DMT Law Firm) Dev Sherlock (SXSW) Ed Lilo (Festival Republic) Eli Gelernter (Wasserman) Hallie Anderson (Rareform) Hannah Sklonick (Secretly Group) Jackie Palazzolo (Riot Games) Jaclyn Ulman (Grandstand Media) Jacob Daneman (Pitch Perfect PR) Jamie Shaughnessy (CAA) Jule Konrad (FMLY) Kate English (Parallel Lines) Louisa Robinson (Form Presents) Matt Hanner (Runaway Artists) Patrick Daniel (Reeperbahn) Seth Hubbard (Polyvinyl) Seth Kallen (This Faction) Silke Westera (FKP Scorpio) Simon Franglen (Composer/Producer) Simon Napier-Bell (Manager) Steve Zapp (ITB) Tony Kiewel (Sub Pop) BIGSOUND 2023 will take place between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information, visit bigsound.org.au. Check out BIGSOUND's 2023 artist lineup. Top image: courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios.
By now, you must've scanned the Sydney Festival program at least twenty times, working out how to best spend your hard-earned cash. You probably should just go to everything. But, just in case your wallet isn't bottomless, here's a cure for your option anxiety. Check out one — or all — of these ten and you'll score some major bang for your buck, from Mexican Morissey cover bands to Cambodian psychedelia, unlikely hip hop stars and Icelandic indie fun. And, by the way, there's also that FREE FLAMING LIPS CONCERT IN THE DOMAIN. Just quietly.
Somehow, entirely inexplicably, we're already into the second half of the year; soon we'll be thinking about Christmas. This year, skip the typical department stores and instead pick out unique gifts for your family and friends at The Big Design Market. Coming to Sydney for the second time this November, the three-day independent designer extravaganza features over 230 stallholders selling furniture, fashion, homewares, textiles, and much more. With such a wide range of products, you're sure to find something for even the pickiest people on your list. The Big Design Market also offers a series of creative workshops (learn about indoor plants with The Plant Society and how to do your own nails with Kester Black and Trophy Wife), a beautifully-designed outback-themed kids play area, and a smorgasbord of food options from local favourites like Fishbowl, Gelato Messina, Welcome Dose Specialty Coffee, Archie Rose, Mary's, Porteño, Shortstop and Smoking Gun Bagels. You'll also have the chance to catch a specially-commissioned floral installation of five-metre-high flowers in giant gold vases by designer and illustrator Pete Cromer. Each year the market also puts together a showbag of goodies from some of Melbourne and Sydney's best designers, including Georgia Perry, Champ Co., Leif, Kester Black, Kleins Perfumery and Little Veggie Patch Co. A limited number will be available to purchase for $15 ($95 value). So prepare your bank account, and get ready to have your Christmas shopping done earlier than you ever have before. The market will be open from 10am till 8pm on Friday, 10am till 7pm on Saturday and 10am till 5pm on Sunday.
When a music star drops news that they're heading Down Under on their very own podcast, believe them. Jessie Ware did just that back in May, advising that she'd be playing Australian music festival Summer Camp later this year — and now the fest has confirmed that she'll be headlining. Ware will play the event's two stops in December 2023, with Summer Camp kicking off on in Melbourne on Saturday, December 2, then heading north to Sydney on Sunday, December 3 — with inner-city venues for each city still to be revealed. [caption id="attachment_899478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] It's been a long time between Australian visits for the UK disco-pop queen. The last time she graced our shores was for Laneway Festival all the way back in 2013. In the period since, she's released four albums, including the immensely critically acclaimed What's You Pleasure in 2020 and its equally vibrant recent follow-up That! Feels Good!. But now Ware's drought of Aussie appearances is officially coming to an end. Ware initially let the news slip on an episode of her podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware, when the singer and her mother Lennie were joined by a fellow pop icon: Australia's very-own Dannii Minogue. While the episode traverses the dynamics of the Minogue family and the delights of panna cotta, one eagle-eared Twitter user noticed that Ware dropped the unannounced goss that she'd be heading Down Under. "I'm actually going to Australia in November for this festival called Summer Camp," Ware said while discussing travel plans, and the possibility of doing a Table Manners series here in Oz. [caption id="attachment_911167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jack Grange[/caption] Summer Camp hosted its inaugural festivals in Sydney and Melbourne in 2022, combining top-notch tunes and LGBTQIA+ pride through a stacked lineup featuring Years & Years, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Big Freedia, Cub Sport and The Veronicas. 2023's full plans haven't yet been revealed, other than Ware doing the honours. Who'll be joining her is among the details still to come. Ware has also just dropped her latest single, a new duet version of 'Freak Me Now' with Róisín Murphy, which you can check out below: SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2023 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Saturday, December 2 — Melbourne, venue TBC Sunday, December 3 — Sydney, venue TBC Summer Camp will play Sydney and Melbourne in December 2023. For further details or to nab tickets, head to the festival's website.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's phase four is so 2022, and earlier. In 2023, the comic book-based blockbuster screen saga is all about phase five. And, to begin with, it's 100-percent focused on the MCU's tiniest superhero: Ant-Man, as adorably played by Paul Rudd. Here, entertaining things come in small packages, as the character's two solo big-screen outings have shown. Yes, those past flicks have also wavered between charming and familiar, but whenever the ageless star himself pops up — and wherever, given that he hasn't just been confined to his own franchise within the franchise — he's always proven a treat. So, of course a third Ant-Man movie is on its way, because who doesn't want to give the world more Paul Rudd more often? The MCU clearly does, and that new film is Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which dropped its first trailer in 2022 and will buzz into cinemas this February. This time, the MCU's insect-sized superheroes — including both Scott Lang aka Ant-Man (Rudd, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Hope van Dyne aka The Wasp (Evangeline Lily, Crisis) — are thrust into a secret universe beneath the one they already know and inhabit, and also face a new enemy. The chaotic space? The quantum realm, hence the Quantumania part of the upcoming movie's title. The adversary? Kang the Conqueror, as played by Lovecraft Country and The Harder They Fall's Jonathan Majors. And yes, both pop up in just-released new trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, too, where the story gets dark quickly. Also part of the movie is the return of Hope's parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method), plus Scott's now-older daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton, Freaky). Viewers of 2015's Ant-Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp will know that Janet spent decades stuck in the quantum realm, so it's unsurprising that she's a key part of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. But, she hasn't told her family and friends everything about the place — as the film is set to explore. When it hits cinemas, the movie doesn't just spark Marvel's fifth phase — it also notches up the MCU's 31st film. Of course, if you're reading this, you know that, and you're ready for the company's latest silver-screen adventure after 2022's Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Check out the new Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer below: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits cinemas Down Under on February 16, 2023. Images: courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
Here at Concrete Playground, we love playgrounds. Even the non-concrete ones. Which is why we whooped with delight upon discovering The Digital Playground, the photography jungle gym at VIVID Sydney's festival of ideas. A space for camera-wielders to learn, share and be inspired, The Digital Playground will feature pop-up photography events and exhibitions at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay. With presentations by award-winning talents such as Chris Bray (Australian Geographic), Peter Eastway (Lonely Planet) and Rachel Devine (Sesame Ellis), the harbourside venue will be transformed into a giant darkroom designed to develop your creative potential. All the exhibitions will be free to the public, and they'll even be some free presentations and workshops thrown into the mix. If you're serious about your camera clickery, they'll be a handful of advanced talks which require a nominal fee and pre-registration. The Digital Playground is for everyone who loves a good snap, whether you're an aspiring acolyte or a seasoned professional. Don't forget to remove your lens cap.
If you've ever wished for your own personal sommelier, you're in some serious luck. The Wine Gallery is an Australian-based, online wine store that delivers wine curated by one of the best wine sommeliers in Australia right to your front door. And when The Wine Gallery say "one of the best wine sommeliers", they mean it — for this project, Australian entrepreneur Tom Walenkamp has teamed up with three-time Sommelier of the Year Banjo Harris Plane, whose resume also boasts former head sommelier at Attica and co-owner of Fitzroy's Bar Liberty. The idea originated when Walenkamp was studying abroad in France. "My European classmates already knew so much about wine from their culture and I thought the Australian market would really benefit from this type of knowledge," says Walenkamp. "I love drinking wine but always felt a bit on the outside — I call it playing wine roulette because you never know what you're going to get." Not so with The Wine Gallery. The deal is simple: subscribers take a palate quiz and receive three recommend bottles each month based on personal preferences. The bottles on offer are hand-selected by Plane's wine team and each bottle comes with tasting notes, detailed information on the grapes and stories behind the wine makers, along with recipes and food pairings. If you aren't happy with a bottle they'll replace it without a fuss and there's also no lock-in so you can pause, skip or cancel your membership whenever you like. "It's a fully interactive site, with ratings and feedback systems, so after two months no two people will have the same recommendations," says Walenkamp. "You don't have to go with our recommendations, either — you can always swap bottles, add more, or decide to go with all reds for colder months, for example." They've also just rolled out a new, 'state of the art' rewards program — thanks to third co-founder and expert coder Humberto Moreira — which keeps track of the different wine types, production methods and wine regions of each bottle you receive. This allows members to log in and track their wine journey in a visual way, with a few free bottles of plonk as you earn 'badges'. The three bottles are reasonably priced at a uniform $69 and The Wine Gallery will ship anywhere in Australia for a flat rate of $9 (they offer complimentary shipping for orders over $150). Morning orders will even be dispatched same day, so you don't have to wait long to crack one open. "The site is an access point for people that don't really know where to start exploring, and being an independent, online store mean can share our love and knowledge of wine with a much broader part of the Australian population," says Walenkamp. The Wine Gallery will ship anywhere in Australia. To sign up or for more info, visit thewinegallery.com.au.
A History of Everything: They mean it literally. This co-production between young Belgians Ontroerend Goed (The Smile Off Your Face, Once And For All We're Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen) and the STC's Residents takes you on a careening ride through the history of human society, organic life, tectonic shifts and the birth and expansion of the universe. EVERYTHING. It all starts today, whatever today is on the day you see the show. (Yes, A History of Everything is a bit rewritten each night. Naturally. That's what happens with history.) On our night in the world, the search continued for survivors from the Costa Concordia and Sydneysiders complained about the closure of the Harbour Bridge, among other things. These events are recounted by the seven-strong ensemble, well armed with props, as they move across a stage marked with a map of the Earth. As the counter behind them starts ticking backwards in allotments of days, then months, then years, then decades, centuries, millennia, a hundred millennia, so does their narration. It's somehow both more and less complex than it sounds. There's no real challenge here to the accepted narratives of history or highfalutin claims to a formal breakthrough in the performing arts. This is the theatre of the Wikipedia generation — but they've digested all those articles more thoroughly than most. It's fast, kinetic but incredibly thoughtful. It requires feats of precision and grace from the cast (as well as director Alexander Devriendt and scenographer Sophie De Somere) to not to get tangled up in their transcontinental web. There's some beautiful subtlety and wit to visual references that whizz by as props are used and reused without spotlight, and although the use of music can be unsubtly manipulative, you can't fault their tastes in fine indie instrumental pop. This is a team that's impressive, inventive and fuelled by the fire they find in each other, and what they have to share with the audience is above all a lot of fun. As it skips through time, A History of Everything creates an interesting conversation between the crusades of the past and those of the present, avoiding putting humanity on the path to infinite progress. And as 200,000 years go by and homo sapiens devolve into primates, an asteroid brings back the dinosaurs, and a fish loses its eyes and mouth to become plankton and then protozoa, you let go of the primacy of humankind. The big bang, when it comes, draws elemental clouds back into blackness. The effect is like standing on a rooftop looking up at the stars: You feel so small. You feel overwhelmed. You feel comforted.
Technology has changed the way we travel, and as the world gets smaller it's becoming an increasingly complex place to navigate. Where once we relied on the endorsements of friends and family to help shape our plans, we now treat the opinions of total strangers on TripAdvisor, Expedia and Stayz as gospel. As Lonely Planet roll out their trusty guide books in every digital format imaginable, niche publishers like Wallpaper and le cool are getting in on the act by creating city guides for people seeking experiences that complement their new Paul Smith socks. And what's more, social networking sites Facebook, Path and Google+, paired with photography apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic, let us share things as they happen and make us look like we actually know how to use our SLRs. But what generally lies at the heart of a traveller's wishlist is not the desire to micromanage every detail of their holiday, but to witness something truly beautiful. What these new technologies provide us with is rapid access to the places and people that capture the imagination. Here are 21 locations from around the world that do just that. Mount Roraima, Venezuela Wineglass Bay, Tasmania Multnomah Falls, Oregon, USA Preikestolen, Norway Paterswoldsemeer, Netherlands Blue Caves, Zakynthos, Greece Petra, Jordan Huangshan, China Skaftafell, Iceland Ebenalp, Switzerland Kawasan Falls, Philippines Anse Lazio, Seychelles Yi Peng Festival, Thailand Sagano Bamboo Forest, Japan Santorini, Greece Bora Bora, French Polynesia Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada Soufriere, St Lucia Capilano Suspension Bridge, British Columbia, Canada Siminopetra, Greece Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Iceland [Images via Coolhunter]
Already boasting zip rides, bridge climbs, tower walks and bungy experiences, there's an endless number of reasons why Queenstown is dubbed the 'adventure capital of New Zealand'. Now there's one more, with the introduction of a human catapult that reaches speeds of almost 100 kilometres per hour in 1.5 seconds. Launched by the leaders of adventure tourism in New Zealand, AJ Hackett Bungy, the world-first Nevis Catapult is found in the Nevis Valley. The attraction, which has been called the "biggest and most extreme catapult in the world", sees thrill seekers shoot 150 metres out across a ravine before dropping towards the valley floor and experiencing a series of vertical bounces. From release to recovery the experience takes between three to four minutes. Only accessible by 4WD bus and housed in a pod alongside the Nevis Swing, the catapult is a combination of height, flight and speed using a winch system developed over years of research. The technology for the multi-million-dollar catapult was developed with the company's research team before being built in a testing facility in Christchurch. Testing has been conducted over the past nine months — beginning with weighted barrels, before moving on to a test dummy phase and finally human testing. Co-founder Henry van Asch says he first came up with the idea when travelling around France during the 1980s with Bungy co-founder, AJ Hackett. "I played around with the idea by riding my mountain bike with a Bungy cord attached, off bridges." he says. Adult tickets for the Nevis Catapult ring up at NZD$255. For more information, visit bungy.co.nz. Image: James Morgan Photography.
Biding your time until the next season of Stranger Things drops, or just looking for a fun new procrastination technique? Thanks to Netflix's latest addition, you can now do both. The streaming platform has just jumped into the mobile games realm, adding five titles to its Android app — and two of them are Stranger Things-themed, because of course they are. If you have an Android device (and the Netflix app installed on it, obviously), you'll now be greeted with the option to play Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3: The Game — as well as the non Stranger Things-related Shooting Hoops, Card Blast and Teeter Up. Mashing buttons obviously isn't why you normally open up Netflix on your phone, but clearly the streaming behemoth is hoping that'll change. The company is aiming to leap into mobile gaming in a big way, in fact, offering the same kind of mix that it's launching with — so, titles linked to its streaming content, plus a range of others. While Netflix's gaming options are only available on Android for now, they'll be rolled out to iOs as well in the near future. If you now know how you're going to spend your public transport trips to and from work, you'll be able to access Netflix's new games as part of your existing subscription — and there's no in-app purchases, either. Netflix is offering its games in multiple languages, too, and on all devices linked to each account — but not via kids profiles. Here are the five games available to download and play, with a whole lot more coming! 🕹Stranger Things: 1984 🎮Stranger Things 3 🏀 Shooting Hoops 🃏 Card Blast 🎱 Teeter Up — Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) November 2, 2021 This isn't the first time that the streaming service has flirted with gaming, if it all sounds a little familiar. Back in 2017, it released a retro-style, side-scrolling online video game that also nodded to Stranger Things — and in its streaming content itself, it's given viewers choose-your-own-adventure style movie specials such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend. Also, we've all clearly just watched Squid Game. Yes, you can probably expect a mobile game linked to the hit Korean series to pop up at some point as well. Netflix's mobile games are now available via its Android app. For more details, head to the Netflix website.
Get ready rock fans, for the Arctic Monkeys will be returning to Australia and New Zealand next year. The British band will embark on their biggest down under tour to date this autumn for their latest album, AM. The album, which was released this past September, is the band's fifth consecutive number 1 in the UK and also debuted at the top spot in the ARIA Albums Chart. So, Aussie and Kiwi fans, get stoked because you'll soon have the chance to hear their awesome collection of new jams, including chart toppers such as 'R U Mine?' and 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' Original fans needn't worry, because the Monkeys never forget to pay tribute to their old school favourites. You'll probably still get your chance to belt out 'Fluorescent Adolescent's, "Oh the boy's a slag / The best you ever had / The best you ever had." Arctic Monkeys 2014 Tour Dates: Auckland: May 2, Vector Arena Wellington: TSB Arena Sydney: May 6, Entertainment Centre Brisbane: May, Entertainment Centre Melbourne: May 9, Rod Laver Arena Adelaide: May 10, AEC Theatre Perth: May 13, Perth Arena Tickets go on sale December 11 https://youtube.com/watch?v=6366dxFf-Os
Our city's nightlife may be doing it tough, but it's just been thrown a bit of a bone. The City of Sydney has just announced the latest recipients of its late-night grant program, and it looks like we've got a load of new after-dark cultural events and gigs to look forward to. Following a similar grant given to 18 small businesses earlier this year, the new funds will be used to help kick-start new nighttime programming, or to make improvements to acoustics, staging and equipment, at a diverse array of popular haunts including Pocket Bar, The Cliff Dive, Waterloo's Commune, The Cross Arts Projects Gallery and Leadbelly in Newtown. The latest financial injection to Sydney's nightlife scene follows more than $850,000 in previous funding through the City of Sydney's night-time diversification, and live music and performance grants. "Earlier this year, more than 10,000 Sydneysiders, visitors and city workers told us they wanted more and diverse options after dark," said Lord Mayor Clover Moore in a statement. "These grants support live music at a vintage clothes store, a vegan brewery, writers' talks at an art gallery and all-ages gigs at 107 Projects." Newtown's Marlborough Hotel and the Green Park Hotel in Darlinghurst will use their funding to upgrade sound equipment in an effort to improve audience experience, while at Kings Cross recycled and reused goods store Grand Days, the money will help launch a program of after-dark activities, including film screenings, live music and vintage fashion events. Grant funding will also help spawn a new series of monthly all-ages gigs at Redfern's 107 Projects, enable new sound and lighting equipment and staging, to create a live music venue at Yulli's Brews, and see Darlinghurst's Oxford Hotel and Club 77 launch a program of monthly events featuring international DJs on Saturday nights. Projects included in this latest round of funding will kick off from January 2019 and must be completed within 12 months — look out for the new events in our calendar. If you own a small business in the City of Sydney, you'll be able to apply for the next round of funding in early 2019. Image: Leadbelly by Steven Woodburn.
Winter weekends haven't looked this wonderfully packed for many a cold, cold week. There's plenty of cheese to be eaten, films to be snuggled into and live music to warm your hands on. With Bastille Day giving you all the reasons to load up on tasty, expensive wine, freshly baked bread and All The Camembert, doonas have never looked so unappealing. Get out there, put a dumb-looking animal beanie on and lap up that wintry goodness — there's plenty of time to worry about prepping for bikini season later. Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival In the spirit of the festivities that fill every town in France from Brittany to Bordeaux, the Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival held at Customs House square from July 11-13 is completely free. Expect all manner of live entertainment, including ten young artists performing over the three days, as well as DJs, a cabaret show and open-air cinema. Cooking demonstrations will give you the opportunity to channel your inner Manu Feildel, but if eating rather than cooking is your thing, you can take advantage of someone else's culinary skills by picking up a range of authentic French goodies at the market stalls. For more cheese, wine and Frenchness, check out our roundup of the seven best ways to celebrate Bastille Day in Sydney. When: Friday, 11 July - Sunday, 13 July Where: Customs House , 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay How much: FREE Caitlin Park Electronic whiz kids don't come more stylin' than Sydney's multitalented Caitlin Park. With her 2011 debut album Milk Annual applauded Australia-wide and the 2012 Qantas Spirit Of The Youth Award under her belt, Park inked a deal with Create/Control in February this year (home to fellow Aussies Oliver Tank, Feelings, Go Violets and internationals Parquet Courts and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros). Marking the team-up with the release of her second album The Sleeper, the smoky-voiced Sydneysider will bring her brand new tunes to The Vanguard on Friday, July 11. Disarmingly catchy singles like 'Lemonade' are sure to get table-sitters out of their cabaret seats. When: Friday, 11 July - 7:00pm Where: The Vanguard , 42 King St Newtown How much: 12 +BF Friday Night Fish & Chips Fish and chips used to be a frequent Friday night special in our house. Now, Surry Hills has introduced us to a new world of experiencing brain food with the Crown Street Fish Shop, which has taken the place of the dear departed Rainford Street Social. They've taken your basic fish and chips and turned them into a rather sophisticated night out, with the added bonus of keeping things fairly simple. Don't fear that all you'll be able to order in the jewel of Sydney's trendy crown that is Surry Hills will be some sort of deconstructed version of your Friday night favourite. You can still get a simple fish and chips; however, this time knowing what sort of sea creature went into the light and crisp batter when you order from the daily specials. Read our full review here. When: Seven days, noon - late Where: Crown Street Fish Shop, 500 Crown Street, Surry Hills How much: Up to $50, depending how hungry you are Scandinavian Film Festival Step into your local arthouse theatre these days and you'd be hard pressed not to find a regional film festival going on. In 2014, the line-up is getting that little bit more crowded, with the inaugural edition of a brand new festival highlighting the films from Europe's frozen north. Covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the first annual Scandinavian Film Festival is set to put the kvikmynd in kvikmyndahátíð. For more information about the Scandinavian Film Festival, visit their website. When: Wednesday, 9 July - Sunday, 27 JulyWhere: Palace Cinemas , 17 Oxford Street Paddington How much: TBC Reko Rennie: No Sleep Till Dreamtime If Taylor Square is involved in your daily commute, you’re probably familiar with the work of Reko Rennie. Now part of the urban texture of Darlinghurst, Always has been, always will be is the unmissable Flinders Street mural. In association with blackartsprojects, No Sleep Till Dreamtime is Rennie’s latest solo exhibition. Spread across Chalk Horse and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, it continues to interrogate how Aboriginality is framed in an urban context. Unlike the flat colours and neon lettering of his public projects, this exhibition shares a bigger vocabulary of symbols and explores more complex processes of art-making. When: Thursday, 26 June - Saturday, 12 July Where: Chalk Horse , 94 Cooper St Surry Hills How much: FREE The Jeans for Genes Denim Exhibition Suckers for good selvage will dig this one. Denim fans and jeans enthusiasts should squeeze into their skinnes and get to The Grounds of Alexandria on Saturday, July 12 for a one-off exhibition of jeans owned by famous peeps. Check out Anthony Kiedis' painted pants, the baggy straight-legs of Adam Sandler and the unfathomably tight pants of the now presumably pantsless James Franco. Strutting into The Grounds as part of Jeans for Genes Day (Friday, August 1), the exhibition will also include the denim favourites of Eric Bana, Gene Simmons, Maroon 5 and the previously paraded pants of those wonderfully abominable Kardashians.Keeping on the yearly tradition of donating a dollar and donning your denim, the Jeans for Genes Denim Exhibition is raising some sweet moolah for Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI). When: Saturday, 12 July - 9:00am Where: The Grounds of Alexandria , Building 7A 2 Huntley Street Alexandria 2015 How much: FREE Hedda Gabler at Belvoir Enticed into the part by Green Room Award-winning director Adena Jacobs, superlative drag performer and Sisters Grimm co-founder Ash Flanders is Hedda Gabler, one of the (let's face it, few) great female characters in 'the classics'. A creation of Norwegian drawing-room dramatist Henrik Ibsen, Hedda is a mass of contradictions: bored and bursting with energy, vindictive and victim, capricious and calculating, desirable and defective, feminine and masculine. The daughter of an esteemed military general, she's admired for her beauty and status, but she bristles against the social expectations of her sex. Reuniting with her Persona designer Dayna Morrissey, director Adena Jacobs has again gone for a set full of interesting spaces that frame the characters as playfully and meaningfully as a camera lens. In fact, the whole aesthetic here calls to mind one of the most stylistically influential films of the last few years, Drive. Read our full review here. When: Monday, 28 July - Sunday, 3 August Where: Belvoir St Theatre Upstairs , 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills How much: $35 - $68 The Winery Fashion Markets The Winery Fashion Markets are a bit like having several incredibly stylish friends who allow you to raid their wardrobes (which are enviably full of international and Australian designer labels) behind a Surry Hills wine bar. The Winery has taken to transforming the laneway behind their bar into that market place once a month. Some of Sydney's leading fashion identities — bloggers, stylists and fashion publicists — will be selling their own pre-loved clothes. Confirmed for the July 12 iteration of the markets are fashion blogger Carmen Hamilton from Chronicles of Her along with fashion publicists and stylists from top fashion publications. If you happen to get cold or hungry in between shopping, they've got you covered. You can pop inside and keep warm with coffee and veal and chorizo sausage rolls. A flower market put on by Wildes Lane completes the damn near picture perfect day. When: Saturday, 14 June - 10:00am; Saturday, 12 July - 10:00am Where: The Winery , 285A Crown Street, Surry Hills 2010 How much: FREE Olympic Ayres It may be freezing outside, but Olympic Ayres are pretty firmly committed to the sounds of warmer days. The Sydney producer/DJ duo make the kind of super synthy beats that will transport you to palm-tree'd beach parties of summers past. Rejecting the seasonal chill, they're playing a toasty live showcase of their upcoming EP Leisureplex at Goodgod next week. Leisureplex isn't actually due for release until September 18, so this gig is the first chance to hear what the band have been working on — perfect escapism for those in denial about the less-than-balmy weather conditions. When: Saturday, 12 July - 8:00pm Where: Good God Small Club , 53 - 55 Liverpool St Sydney How much: 10 +bf All This Mayhem A thrilling sports film, heartbreaking drama and eye-opening cautionary tale all rolled in to one, All This Mayhem will transcend your expectations of its subject matter. Ostensibly a documentary about the rise and fall of two former skateboarding champions, in execution the Australian-made production bears closer resemblance to (in the words of its director) a modern-day Greek tragedy, full of hubris, temptation and a reckless disregard for long-term consequences. In what is shaping up to be a banner year for Australian cinema, this wild and powerful doco has officially stolen the lead. When: Thursday, 10 July - Wednesday, 6 August Where: Dendy Newtown , 261-263 King Street, Newtown How much: $14 - $19
Planes are not the first mode of transportation you associate with relaxation. Sure, Qantas plaster their lounges with posters about gourmet dining at 30,000 feet and if you're in first class you can settle into the flight with a warm lavender scented towel on your face (I assume). But for most of us, flying is a literal rollercoaster of anxiety and frustration. On every trip, I have the same devastating thought: Is this how I die? "She went peacefully," the eulogy will read. "The air hostess plied her with a $10 plastic cup of wine and she seemed mildly entertained by the rerun of Modern Family." Anyway. Apparently, it's not all that bad. When planes are stationary, closer to the ground and filled with handcrafted luxury items, they're okay by me. Enter Costa Rica's Costa Verde resort — the world's premier destination for finery and fuselage. Crafted from the airframe of an abandoned 1965 Boeing 727, Costa Verde's Phoenix Suite is understandably the hotel's 'most exclusive' accommodation. The two-bedroom luxury suite is entirely fitted out with Costa Rican teak panelling and hand-crafted Indonesian furniture, and it also a large deck on what was once the plane's right wing. Nestled at the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park, this suite offers amazing access to the nation's wildlife too. Sloths, iguanas, birds and butterflies roam freely around the area, but most famously the grounds are home to a large variety of monkeys — squirrel, howler, and white-faced. As you might expect, it's somewhat exxy ($250-750 per night without taxes). Perhaps you could write it off as a medical expense — an entirely necessary measure to cure your fear of flying. Regardless, in the land where money is no object and all the animal kingdom are at one with us, we would like to be taken there immediately. Via Lost At E Minor.
UPDATE: September 24, 2020: The Dead Don't Die is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. What's left to say about zombies? We've had the genre-defining (Night of the Living Dead), the satirical (Dawn of the Dead), the comedic (Shaun of the Dead) and the fast (28 Days Later), plus the slow and romantic (Warm Bodies), the televised (The Walking Dead), and the animated and child-friendly (ParaNorman). We've even had undead Nazis (Dead Snow). In cinema alone, there's been 500-plus zombie films since Victor Halperin's White Zombie way back in 1932, so it's fair to say that genre's brains and heart have been sucked dry. It's almost as if, were the dead actually to rise in 2019, we'd be borderline blasé about it — which brings us to The Dead Don't Die. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, it's a predictably deadpan (ahem) take on zombie films from the opening scene to the last — a story so laconic that it consistently flirts with tedium (but only really lapses into that territory in its final stages). It also boasts a phenomenal cast of Jarmusch regulars, including Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny and Steve Buscemi. Joined by Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez and Tom Waits, they almost all play larger-than-life characters within the sleepy nowhere town of Centreville. Jarmusch has always given his characters both time and room to breathe, and The Dead Don't Die provides perhaps the best example. The slow, breezy and downright folksy interactions of his townspeople are a patient delight, often with pauses so long between replies it's like the entire cast of Fargo took sedatives. Be it Glover's kindly hardware store owner, Buscemi's racist farmer or Caleb Landry Jones's film-obsessed petrol attendant, they're a quirky yet homogenous community of oddballs and outsiders, around whom the story takes its time to form. The standouts are Murray and Driver as Cliff and Ronnie — two-thirds of Centreville's police force and the intermittent Greek chorus of the film. Driver puts in one of his best performances to date, at once shrewd enough to identify zombies as the likely culprits behind some recent killings, while still oblivious to most human sensitivities around him. Murray is in endearing grandfather-esque territory, even if he's not as funny as usual. Together, they hold the threadbare conceit in place when few others could've (polar fracking has knocked the earth off its axis, so... zombies). Where the film falters, however, is in its self-referential tone. Periodically shattering the fourth wall, Cliff and Ronnie reference The Dead Don't Die's theme song, screenplay and director without any clear reason as to why. The first time is amusing enough, with Murray wondering why the tune on the radio sounds so familiar (answer: it just played during the film's titles), but from that point onwards, the device offers little more than a distraction. The movie's deadpan approach also suffers because of its one clear exception — Chloe Sevigny's Mindy, the third cop in the trio. Oscillating between fear, horror and confusion, her reaction to the zombie uprising is far more appropriate, but cast against Murray and Driver's apathy, it feels hysterical and out of place. Then there's Tilda Swinton's character. We won't spoil it, but her arc is so bonkers, it's a wonder that it was allowed to occur at all. Overall, this is a tough one to reconcile. The comedy is great, as are the performances, but the story is obtuse at best — and only weakens the longer it goes on. As a genre piece, it's definitely a Jarmusch-directed zombie film, but it isn't distinctive enough in any one respect to stand out from the other hundreds of undead offerings. Mellow for some, underwhelming for others, The Dead Don't Die will split audiences like its ghouls split spleens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brxU_Qi1eOM
No one has been travelling far over the past year — for a holiday, at least — with the international travel industry changing dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If and when things start returning to normal, however, one airline has added another reason for you to book a ticket, get comfy on its seats and fly to somewhere other than the city you live in. That'd be Qantas. Since 2014, the Australian carrier has begun each year by being named the safest airline to travel on for that upcoming year — and, while little has turned out as anyone planned over the past 12 months, Qantas has once again picked up the highly sought-after accolade. By winning in 2021, the Aussie carrier has now topped AirlineRatings.com's list for eight years in a row. Entering its 101st year of operation, the airline emerged victorious from a pool of 385 carriers from around the world, with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand also making the site's top 20. In order, the other 17 airlines span Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, EVA Air, Etihad Airways, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, British Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, SAS, Finnair, Lufthansa, KLM and United Airlines. If you're a budget-conscious flyer, the website also outlined the ten safest low-cost airlines. Jetstar made the list — which it also did back in 2019, but missed out in 2020 — with Air Arabia, Allegiant, easyjet, Frontier, Jetblue, Ryanair, Vietjet, Westjet and Wizz also featuring. Factors that influence a carrier's placement on the two lists include crash and incident records, safety initiatives, fleet age, profitability, and audits by aviation governing bodies, industry bodies and governments. No one needs any extra encouragement to dream about overseas holidays at the moment — or even local ones in some places — but this just might be it. For the full AirlineRatings.com list, visit the airline safety and product rating review outfit's website.
Political cartoons capture the social atmosphere of a moment. Contained in a few drawings and perhaps a witty phrase or two is the overwhelming attitude of, if not a nation, at least a faction of it. Looking back at the best political cartoons of 2011 is to contextualize and review the thoughts and fears of Australians over the past year. Each cartoon is a snapshot, revealing the particular events and personalities which influenced the cartoonist. Behind the Lines: The Best Political Cartoons of 2011 allows attendees to review the year's political happenings while celebrating the art of political cartooning as a whole. Gathered from newspapers, journals, and websites, these cartoons allow Australians to contemplate the state of Australian politics as it stood in 2011, and as it stands today. The Riverside opens 9-5 Monday to Friday, 9.30-1 on Saturdays and an hour before performances. Image by Andrew Marlton
That's right, folks, Banksy's been at it again. The infamous camera-shy street artist sure knows how to draw a crowd, all without showing his face. Back in October 2013, Banksy took over the Big Apple for a month-long stint of pop-up installations and ol' fashioned street art. Now, you can watch the best bits in Chris Moukarbel's doco Banksy Does New York. From the Central Park stand where priceless originals were anonymously sold for $60 to the livestock delivery truck carrying bleating stuffed animals, Banksy's 'New York residency' was designed to shock, inspire and amuse. Eager fans followed Banksy's daily social media updates for hints to his location. What ensued can only be described as the best kind of adult art scavenger hunt across New York's city streets. Comprised of clips from fans plus footage recorded by Moukarbel and his team, Banksy Does New York looks at the audience, rather than the artist. Focusing on frenzied crowds of New Yorkers, iPhones at the ready, the film begs the question: who really is Banksy's subject? Banksy Does New York is in select cinemas (Dendy Newtown, Cinema Nova, Palace Centro, Palace Eastend, Luna Leederville and Palace Electric) on April 23. Thanks to Madman Films, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to our mailing list and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Shuffling through a prestige university in a single file isn't particularly rock, but the Sydney Rock 'n' Roll & Alternative Market wants you to do it anyway. Set over February 8 and 9, the markets are back in 2014 for their Big Weekender with more than 80 stallholders selling alternative and vintage clothing, jewellery, accessories, vinyl, posters, cult DVDs, comics, art, homewares, collectables and, could you believe it, more. But with The Rechords, Mojo Juju, The Milky Bar Kids and tonnes more scoring your day, it isn't just a market this time around. There'll even be retro hair and make-up stylists, a traditional barber, and vintage and classic vehicle displays from Reel Wheels and Sydney Cafe Racers & the Ardly Normal Scooter Crew. Spread over three levels and across two courtyards at the University of Sydney's Manning Bar, the Sydney Rock 'n' Roll & Alternative Market has grown since its humble beginnings in Tempe. With $5 entry, even those who've emptied their purses on a Buick LeSabre can afford to pay a visit.
It's a problem that everyone can relate to: your stomach is grumbling, but your tastebuds are craving two completely different types of food. You could make the hard choice and pick between them — or, if you happen to be hankering for mac 'n' cheese, pepperoni pizza and dumplings, you could make a beeline to Harajuku Gyoza. From Thursday, March 5, the Australian gyoza chain is serving up a new menu that turns the aforementioned dishes into gyoza. Come for the mac 'n' cheese variety, which stuffs deep-fried dumplings full of cheesy macaroni, then drizzles them with mayo — and stay for the pepperoni pizza version, which is "filled with all the flavours of a pepperoni pizza", and features pepperoni chips and oregano sprinkled on top. You can also tuck into a plate of buffalo chicken wing gyoza — another type that's "filled with all the flavours" of the relevant dish, and served with with blue cheese sauce and celery sticks. Harajuku Gyoza is also serving up two old favourites: cheeseburger gyoza, which is stuffed with burger pieces, aged cheddar, onion, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce; and mozzarella gyoza, which is filled with the obvious, then deep-fried and sprinkled with Twisties salt. Available for a limited time, the whole range has the cringe-worthy name of 'sumo dude food'. Of course, if you've always wondered what a dumpling-mac 'n' cheese combo would taste like — or if you're suddenly desperate to know now you've heard of this Frankenstein's monster-like food mashup — you won't care what it's called. Harajuku Gyoza's 'sumo dude food' range is currently available at all Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank, the CBD and Indooroopilly in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — for a limited time.
Sydneysiders will soon farewell some of its oldest commuter trains, with the NSW Government revealing it's set to fast-track the delivery of 17 additional air-conditioned models for use on our busy rail network. The Waratah Series 2 trains will beef up an existing order of 24 vehicles, some of which were rolled out onto the tracks last September. You might have spied them cruising around with their bright orange driver cabins. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the new haul of trains won't come cheap, clocking in at around $900 million, taking into account ongoing maintenance. Most of that money won't be headed to local pockets, either, with the vehicles being built over in China — though upkeep will take place in Auburn, NSW. Once rolled out, the full collection of Series 2 models should make for more pleasant journeys across Sydney's rail network, as they eventually replace the remaining S-Set trains — a group of 40-year-old carriages nicknamed 'sweat sets' for their lack of air-conditioning. By comparison, these newer counterparts boast double decker carriages, HD information screens, priority seating, wheelchair spaces, hearing aid loops and full air-conditioning with temperature control. [caption id="attachment_707370" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A 40-year-old S-Set train.[/caption] As well as the dire need to replace the old sweatboxes, the new trains are being fast tracked because of a boom in demand. Sydney's rail network has had a serious workout of late — it clocked 413 million journeys last year, a 38 percent increase from 2013. As to which lines the new trains will be landing on, Transport for NSW has said it will be prioritising T2 Inner West and Leppington, T3 Bankstown and T8 Airport and South Lines. The latest orders should hit the tracks from 2020, which is unfortunately a little too late to save you from this summer's sweaty commutes. But, when they do drop, the additional trains will also mean more trains on the tracks and — hopefully — less time waiting at the station. All 41 Waratah Series 2 trains are expected to hit the tracks by mid-2020.
If this skyscraper designed to house an entire Chinese city is anything to go by, our urban way of life could imminently leave the horizontal plane far behind. Cue edible green walls, a logical and aesthetically pleasing source of nomz. Check one out at the 16th Sydney Design festival this August, when the Powerhouse Museum Cafe hosts Edible Walls, an installation which will hopefully inspire many imitators. City farming is a worthy and growing trend. It's surprising the number of munchable fruit, flower, vegetable and herb varieties that can flourish while on the climb. Edible Walls is not only a space-saving and socially responsible design enterprise but a beautiful and stylish one, not unlike when your dad piles pasta skyward in the centre of your plate in an adorable attempt to be master chef. Could we see edible walls spring up as a common sight in cafes and homes across Sydney, as nature is increasingly integrated into city life? We reckon we will, and attending Sydney Design is a great way to get educated so you can mastermind your own high-rise harvest. This year Sydney Design's 75+ events seek to answer the question, 'Can clever design save the world?' Duh. This very interrogative will be debated by a panel of designers and business bigwigs facilitated by Nell Schofield. But there's plenty of other festival festures to excite the aspiring design maverick. The Australian International Design Awards gather wacky gadgetry and ingenious innovations, while a Powerhouse retrospective exhibition celebrates the influential work of US designer and furniture innovator George Nelson. It definitely doesn't stop there. Architects Eko Prawoto and David Sheppard will present keynote addresses on the topic of urban reconstruction and recovery from earthquake damage. Healthabitat's Paul Pholeros and Heleana Genaus illuminate the links between health and manmade environments. Among the festival's other exhibitions, tours, talks, workshops and just plain fun stuff: Stringram marries string design to Instagram, native biodiversity enjoys full reign in Parramatta's Vorsprugarten, and jewellery becomes artfully and deliberately biodegradable in Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes. Then there's Workshopped13, the 3x3x3 Design Challenge, Translocated Making, and more initiatives that could just save the world. Sydney Design runs citywide, 3-18 August, 2013.
In an Australian first, Queenslanders heading for a night out and to music festivals will be able to check their illicit substances for dangerous ingredients on an ongoing basis. The Sunshine State's government has announced that it is introducing pill testing for the first time — and not simply allowing it for one specific event, but permitting fixed and mobile sites in general. The move comes after trials in Canberra, which has included Groovin' the Moo in 2018 and 2019. The Australian Capital Territory also launched the country's first fixed testing site as part of a six-month trial. [caption id="attachment_760714" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Groovin the Moo, Mackenzie Sweetnam[/caption] While protocols for pill testing in Queensland are still being developed, and a provider to oversee the service is still being sought, sites will be established as a harm reduction strategy — aiming to minimise overdoses and other adverse effects resulting from party drugs. "Pill testing is all about harm minimisation; we don't want people ending up in our emergency departments or worse losing their life," said Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D'Ath, announcing the news. [caption id="attachment_809941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Byrne[/caption] "It is important to note that pill-testing services do not promote that drugs are safe; however, they are among a suite of options that can positively affect outcomes regarding illicit drug use. Pill-testing services will inform people what chemical substances are in their drugs. We know people make better decisions when they are equipped with unbiased information," the Minister continued. "Drug testers can also influence a drug taker's behaviour, making them more likely to dispose of substances, decrease the amount they take, tell their peers and be more likely to seek help if they or others are experiencing adverse effects. The other benefit to pill testing is it provides critical information to law enforcement and health services about high-risk substances in the community or drug trends." A timeline for rolling out pill testing in Queensland hasn't yet been announced either, and neither has where folks will be able to head to beyond music festivals. But the Sunshine State has been reforming its drugs policies in general, including also newly expanding the Queensland's Police Drug Diversion program — which takes a tiered approach to minor drug-possession offences — to all types of illicit substances. The first instance now receives a warning and police referral to a support service, while the second and third involve mandatory participation in a Drug Diversion Assessment Program, with the fourth bringing a notice to appear in court. Drug checking has been used overseas since the 90s, but remains a controversial topic in Australia. Indeed, when Groovin the Moo conducted its first trial in 2018, calls to offer pill testing had been circulating for the prior two years, after a 15-year-old collapsed from an overdose at the fest's Maitland event in 2016. For more information about pill testing in Queensland, head to the Queensland Government website.
Taylor Swift's Australian Eras tour month is finally here. Nabbed tickets in the frenzy, but want more than the memories to celebrate? Missed out, but still keen for a souvenir to remember the occasion? Here's your mantra for February: look what you made me buy. Concert tours and merchandise always go hand in hand, but Swift's involves an official merch pop-up, plus days of presales prior to her gigs at the MCG in Melbourne and Accor Stadium in Sydney. And in the case of the one-day-only pop-up, you even need to reserve your place. [caption id="attachment_939192" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paolo Villanueva via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] If you're in the Victorian capital, mark Tuesday, February 13 in your diary, then make a date with Crown Melbourne. From 9am–6pm, you'll be able to pick up everything from t-shirts and hoodies to totes and water bottles. Yes, bracelets are also on the merch list. Only folks with a reservation, which can be made from midday AEDT on Wednesday, February 7, can attend, however. The other must-know pieces of info for the official merch pop-up: reservations are being allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, are free and can cover two people per booking. Once you've got yours, which come in half-hour lots, it's non-transferrable. [caption id="attachment_939193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] For Sydneysiders, those heading to the Harbour City for their Eras fix or folks in Melbourne who can't hit up Crown on the day in question, merchandise presales will start on the Wednesdays before Swift's gigs in each location. So, the MCG will be up and running from 10am–6pm between Wednesday, February 14–Thursday, February 15, and also during the concert dates from 12pm on Friday, February 16–Sunday, February 18. Accor Stadium will do the same in advance from 10am–6pm between Wednesday, February 21–Thursday, February 22, then from 12pm during the show dates from Friday, February 23–Monday, February 26. There's no reservations needed to get merch from the MCG and Accor Stadium. [caption id="attachment_939194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] When Sydney and Melbourne stops for Swift's career-spanning showcase were announced back June 2023, it sparked a rush for seats. Before general sales even started, the 'We Are Never Getting Back Together', 'Shake It Off' and 'Bad Blood' musician had announced an extra gig in both cities. And, the Victorian Government even declared her Melbourne stint a major event so that anti-scalping legislation would apply to tickets. At all gigs, Swift will have Sabrina Carpenter in support before she breaks out a showcase that steps through her entire career so far, playing tracks from each of her studio albums in a three-hour, 44-song, ten-act spectacular. If you saw Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour as a movie, aka a concert film of her latest shows that hit cinemas Down Under last October, you'll know what you're in for. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Australian Merchandise Locations and Dates 2024: Tuesday, February 13 — Australia official merchandise pop-up, Crown Melbourne, Melbourne Wednesday, February 14–Thursday, February 15 — merchandise presale, MCG, Melbourne Friday, February 16–Sunday, February 18 — merchandise presale and show merchandise, MCG, Melbourne Wednesday, February 21–Thursday, February 22 — merchandise presale, Accor Stadium, Sydney Friday, February 23–Monday, February 26 — merchandise presale and show merchandise, Accor Stadium, Sydney Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Australian Dates 2024: Friday, February 16–Sunday, February 18 — Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Friday, February 23–Monday, February 26 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Taylor Swift is bringing The Eras Tour to Australia in February 2024. Head to the tour website for further details. Crown Melbourne's official Australian merchandise pop-up takes place on Tuesday, February 13 from 9am–6pm, with reservations required — and bookings open from 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 7. Head to the booking website for more information. Top image: Paolo Villanueva via Wikimedia Commons.
As you're probably aware, the night owls of Sydney are seriously unhappy with the NSW government for a few reasons — the most prominent being the citywide strict and stifling lockout laws. Imposed almost two years ago, the laws have had an unmistakably massive effect on the city's nightlife and its dependants alike. Needless to say, the tension is palpable. And this Saturday, December 12, activist group Reclaim The Streets are planning a multi-stage mobile protest festival in Newtown to take a stand against the restrictive laws that threaten the livelihood of young people, artists and many businesses. The protest project is named ‘A liveable city for all’. They say it's not fair to be locked out of your own city by excessive rents — it's no secret that Sydney is renowned for having insane rent prices — and suffocating curfew laws, which include a 1.30am lockout and 3am last drinks. In their words, the city is "not just an investment portfolio for the super-rich". Damn right. The lockout laws, in particular, have hit young people hard — and it's not just the closure of venues. After all, it's almost exclusively young adults who work tough shifts as bar staff, glassies and DJs. And while statistics say the incident rate of violence has dropped in hotspot areas like the CBD and Kings Cross since the laws were introduced, it seems the same kind of violence has risen in inner-city areas such as Newtown and Surry Hills. Reclaim the Streets says that the government has cost them a dancefloor, so, with a preliminary lineup of a buttload of quality local acts, they’ll be making one themselves. See you on Saturday gang, where we will literally fight for our right to party. The Reclaim The Streets protest will start from Camperdown Memorial Park on Saturday, December 12 at 2pm. For information, see their event page.
It's the main reason most of Sydney has made their way to Good Food Month over the last couple of years, and in 2018, the ever-popular Night Noodle Markets are back — and they're bigger than ever. Sure, every event says that these days — but the fact that 40 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 Mr Bao, Grump G's Kitchen, Hoi Pinoy, Chat Thai and Chur Burger. For dessert, Gelato Messina will predictably be back with a menu of pure wonder (can it top last year's deep-fried gelato katsu sandwich?) Black Star Pasty will return for another year and Donut Papi will make its first appearance. The markets will again take place in Hyde Park, which will also be — for the the second time — a festival hub for the month. It's inspired by California's Palm Springs, dubbed 'Hyde Park Palms', and will host a bunch of talks, parties and feasts, starting on October 4. An opening night party will celebrate the festival's 20th anniversary with a lineup of Sydney food legends, including Christine Manfield, Neil Perry and Ross Lusted. We're a couple of months from the start date, and Good Food has promised it has more surprises up its sleeve — including a pop-up Noodles Kitchen run by some of the city's best chefs. The markets will run from Thursday, October 4 until Sunday, October 21. 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. Image: Bec Taylor
Whether you're an old pro at visiting in Tasmania, a trip down south has always been on your to-do list or you're simply exploring your summer getaway options, the Apple Isle is about to welcome a lavish new spot that's tailor-made for Tassie holidays. Set to open in December, The Tasman marks the first Australian outpost for Marriott International's Luxury Collection hotels brand — so this is definitely a treat yo'self type of place to stay. Perched between Hobart's Salamanca Place and Parliament Square — complete with views out over the Sullivan's Cove waterfront — The Tasman will feature 152 rooms. Whichever one you're booked into, it won't be the same as any others on the property, because celebrating the character of the site is one of the hotel's main aims. Given that The Tasman features an original 1840s heritage building, a 1940s art deco building and a new glass-heavy pavilion, it's easy to see why that's such a focus. Some rooms nod in the heritage direction, others embrace art deco — and guests will enjoy original artworks by local creatives, island baths and fireplaces across the property. And, when you're not using the hotel as a base to explore the city, including not only Sullivan's Cove but also Salamanca Market and St David's Park, you can also pop into the onsite restaurant and bar. At Peppina, chef Massimo Mele will be serving up a Tassie take on Italian dishes, and pairing it with old-world hospitality. At Mary Mary, you'll sip cocktails by Proof & Company's Charlie Ainsbury — after finding the bar perched deep within The Tasman's sandstone walls. Price-wise, rooms start at around $400 per night. That said, you can expect to pay around $5000 a night for the Aurora Suite — the hotel's one-bedroom presidential suite, which comes with water views and its own rooftop terrace. The Tasman opens at 12 Murray Street, Hobart, in December 2021 — with bookings currently available from Tuesday, December 21 onwards. For further information, head to the hotel's website.
Movie lovers of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, take note: Moonlight Cinema is in its home stretch for its 2022–23 season, and it's going out with another round of impressive titles. This openair go-to for flicks under the stars drops its lineup monthly, and has just unveiled the films that'll be filtering through its projectors in March. On the bill: a heap of Oscar-nominees, plenty of big blockbuster hits, a few beloved franchises and a handful of retro classics. Picnic baskets at the ready for autumn movie outings with your date, mates or both, including seeing films that are likely to win shiny trophies at Hollywood's annual night of nights. Among the Oscar contenders, Moonlight Cinema will be screening Ruben Östlund's pitch-black satire Triangle of Sadness, Irish gem The Banshees of Inisherin, the multiverse antics of Everything Everywhere All at Once and decadent Hollywood caper Babylon. You can see the title that'll likely win Cate Blanchett her third Academy Award, too, plus the drama that's put Brendan Fraser in the running — aka Tár and The Whale. Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick, the latter of which will probably never stop playing cinemas, round out the Oscar lineup — and also cross over with the blockbuster part of the program, clearly. When it comes to recent titles, they're joined by Magic Mike's Last Dance, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and the just-released Cocaine Bear. Also at the big end of town, Moonlight Cinema will host preview screenings of both Scream VI and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. Take note of the former if you like scary movies, of course. And it wouldn't be a month at this outdoor favourite without the chance to get cosy watching older gems such as The Princess Bride, Easy A and The Proposal. Moonlight is also screening the Lindsay Lohan-starring Mean Girls and The Parent Trap, too — and, in Sydney only, Aussie treasure The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The exact lineup varies per city — and, for folks in Brisbane and Adelaide, Moonlight's current season in those two spots already ended in mid-February. As always, you can BYO movie snacks and drinks, including alcohol; however, each site also boasts a food truck slinging bites to eat, plus a VIP section for an extra-luxe openair movie experience. Also, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth, complete with special doggo bean beds and a canine-friendly snack menu. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2022–23 DATES Sydney: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, March 26 in Centennial Park Perth: Friday, November 25–Sunday, March 26 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Melbourne: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, March 26 in Royal Botanic Gardens (Moonlight Cinema's Brisbane and Adelaide seasons have already come to an end for 2022–23.) Moonlight Cinema runs through until Sunday, March 26 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website.
Gin lovers, the start of Christmas season has officially arrived. Four Pillars is releasing its limited edition 2017 Australian Christmas gin tomorrow, Saturday, November 4. The Healesville distillery first debuted this smash-hit creation last year, with a gangbusters response demanding it become an annual occurrence. Building on a family tradition of making Christmas puddings every Derby Day, co-owner Cameron McKenzie distills some of those homemade puddings, adding a base of cinnamon, juniper, star anise, coriander and angelica. The blend's finished with a touch of Rutherglen muscat to create a luscious, spiced gin akin to Christmas in a bottle. This time around, the recipe features muscat matured in aged sherry puncheons at the distillery, stepping up the richness and adding even more complexity. Also new for 2017's gin is the striking label artwork, created by Melbourne-based artist Darren Song and inspired by Australia's own little beacon of Yuletide cheer, the Christmas beetle. A limited amount of Four Pillars Australian Christmas Gin is available online and at selected retail stores for $100 from Saturday, November 4.
The Christmas decorations are up and All I Want For Christmas Is You has crawled its way back to the top of Mariah Carey's most popular songs on Spotify. That can only mean one thing – the most wonderful time of the year is almost here. And though it may be daunting to start thinking of the holiday already in November, the fact that you are thinking about it means you can be prepared this year. Every year you promise yourself you'll start your Chrissy shopping earlier, and this year the gift-giving gurus at hardtofind are going to help you finally follow through. Curated marketplace hardtofind offers genuinely different gifts, homewares and fashion online, but now they're bringing their market to the real world. Teaming up with EQ Moore Park, hardtofind is kicking off a new monthly market just in time for Christmas, bringing their wares for Sydneysiders to peruse in real life. Think artworks, jewellery, home and garden accessories, clothing, knick-knacks and do-dads — you name it, they've probably got it. And the best part is, heaps of the gifts can be personalised with a name, monogram, message or date for that extra-special touch. With two pre-Christmas markets and a return in early 2018, the hardtofind market will run on Sunday, November 26 and Sunday, December 17. So, whether you're a super-organised elf or a last-minute Scrooge, you have plenty of chances to get your Chrissy shopping wrapped up.
At a time when most IKEA furniture ends up deep in the Gumtree 'For Sale' ads or left on the side of the road, the Swedish retailer has come up with a pretty clever plan to give those unwanted flat-pack ensembles a second lease on life. In good news for those moving house and face with an accumulative collection of Malm blond wood pieces, IKEA has launched its furniture buy-back service at all of its Australian stores. From today, Australians will be able to bring in their retired IKEA pieces to be sold on to a new home — and score a voucher for their efforts. The program is being rolled out nationally after a year-long trial at Sydney's Tempe store which saw 1600 pieces bought back from customers. Now, you'll be able to do the same at the other two Sydney stores — in Rhodes and Marsden Park — as well as stores in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth. The initiative was initially spurred by findings from the company's latest People & Planet Positive Report, which suggested Aussies threw away up to 13.5 million pieces of furniture that could have been recycled, reused or repaired. So how does it work? If you've got some furniture you want to get out of your life, you'll need to get an estimated quote online. Then, you'll need to take it and your furniture — still fully assembled, mind you — to the nearest IKEA store. Once there, your furniture will be assessed by an IKEA staff member, and they'll decide on a value and give you a buy-back refund card to use in-store. The buy-back scheme is only for IKEA furniture, and not for other products like lighting, mattresses, textiles, kitchen components or appliances. That's because the bought-back pieces need to be in good enough condition to be sold on to other customers in the As-Is store. It does, however, have separate recycling schemes for mattresses, batteries and light bulbs. If your Malm bed frame or chest of drawers isn't in quite good enough condition for the As-Is store, you might need to consider donating it to charity or finding another way to recycle it. And if you are buying new furniture, consider buying something secondhand from the As-Is store, or at least investing in something that you plan to keep long-term. You can get a quote on your IKEA furniture here, and then you'll be able to take it to the Tempe, Marsden Park, Rhodes, Richmond, Springvale, Logan, North Lakes, Adelaide, Canberra or Perth stores to redeem a refund voucher.
This year, the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards will be held in Melbourne, and will see the globe's biggest culinary names descend on Australia to shed some light on what goes into creating the world's best dishes. But what about the food that gets left behind? Well, none other than the world's best chef Massimo Bottura will tackle the issue of food waste head-on when he teams up with a slew of local chefs and food waste charity OzHarvest for an exclusive degustation in Sydney on Sunday, April 2. Bottura — the super affable renowned chef behind Italy's Osteria Francescana, which was again named the number one restaurant in the world last year — will host the eye-opening event at OzHarvest's Alexandria headquarters. While he won't be cooking, he'll be joined by a hand-picked team of local chefs who will, including Rob Cockerill (Bennelong), Josh Niland (Saint Peter), Monty Koludrovic (Icebergs, The Dolphin), Clayton Wells (Automata) and James Viles (Biota). They'll plate up a fine dining feast made with food that's usually destined for the bin, matched to some top Aussie wines. The 130 lucky diners will enjoy sharp service led by Rockpool Dining Group's food and beverage director Jeremy Courmidas, the sommelier skills of Icebergs' James Hird, and a stunning setting designed by George Livissianis and decorated with works from some leading Australian artists. Plus, with everyone's time and all produce and products donated, all proceeds from the night will head straight to OzHarvest, as well as Bottura's Italian food waste non-profit Food for Soul. It's set to be a once-in-a-lifetime dining event, so, naturally, it comes with a once-in-a-lifetime price tag. Tickets will set you back a cool $1000. Tickets to Massimo Bottura's OzHarvest degustation dinner go on sale at 9am this Tuesday, March 14, and are available here.
Transforming the Cellblock Theatre into a lonely-hearts club, Theatre Kantanka's CLUBSINGULARITY is a contemporary cabaret with a scientific twist. Attempting to answer — through song and dance, of course — the complex question of "why (and if) we're alone in the universe," the long-standing Sydney troupe will be exploring speed of light dating, along with the the strange, wondrous workings of the cosmos. Their ideal audience? In their words, "anyone who has fallen back to Earth from a broken heart." Theatre Kantanka (Bargain Garden, Missing the Bus to David Jones) have been around since 1995, with a rotating roster of some pretty awesome experimental performers like Katia Molino (Belvoir Street's I'm Your Man) and Arky Michael, who you may have caught in Kate Gaul's Penelope last year. If you're already a devoted fan, you'll recall their fondness for using non-traditional spaces to their advantage. And if you haven't yet been introduced, this could be the start of a beautiful, if unusual, relationship. CLUBSINGULARITY takes place as part of Performance Space's PSpace Social along with Micro Parks and NightTime: Talent Quest. See the Performance Space website for more details. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8yIXjsK_s_o
Often the most memorable Oscar moments occur between awards. Like the sight of watching Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o jump out of her seat to dance with Pharrell during his live performance of his hit single 'Happy'. Not to mention 18-time nominee Meryl Streep doing her best nonchalant shimmy-shimmy in Mr Williams' face. After storming the stage (in yet another one of those hats) with the incredibly upbeat number and his huge team of dancers, Pharrell must have noticed that a lot of the seated Hollywood crowd seemed a tad, shall we say, reluctant to stand up and get involved at the risk of looking stupid. Thankfully, Meryl’s loved to boogie ever since her days of rolling around idyllic Greek holiday resorts for Mamma Mia! and wasn’t afraid to pull a discreet dance move. And Nyong’o is presumably one of the most genuinely happy people at the ceremony considering the critical adoration she’s received for 12 Years a Slave. She went on to win in her category, Best Supporting Actress.
It's official: after a dream of a first season, Rose Matafeo's delightful rom-com sitcom Starstruck is back to make you fall head over heels for its firmly 21st-century take on dating a famous actor all over again. It's also official for Matafeo's (Baby Done) on-screen alter ego Jessie and Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral), the celebrity she had a one-night stand with on New Year's Eve, then navigated an awkward will-they-won't-they dance around every time they ran into each other in London. Once the show's newly arrived second season gets a few episodes in — it's now streaming in full via ABC iView in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand — they're officially dating. Starstruck's debut run ended with a glorious jump in Jessie and Tom's relationship. She was set to leave the UK to return home to New Zealand, but he showed up at just the right moment to inspire her to stay. Indeed, when the season came to a close, they sat on the backseat of a bus, blissful smiles slowly slipping as they each internally grabbled with what'd just happened, like they were were Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross 55 years back. That nod to The Graduate couldn't have been more knowing, just like the show's entire narrative arc across its first season. Co-writing the series as well as starring — and playing a movie-loving cinema employee at that — Matafeo and co-scribes Alice Snedden and Nic Sampson recognise that the best way to create a smart, savvy, affectionate and heartfelt entry in such a well-populated, often schmaltzy and cheesy genre is to call out all of the conventions and tropes. And, to play with and twist them, then layer them with truth, wit and depth. Indeed, rom-com self-awareness has always been one of Starstruck's big assets — it basically takes Notting Hill's setup and fast-forward two-plus decades, after all — and that hasn't changed in season two. This next batch of six episodes has a key question in mind, however: once you've enjoyed the wild meet-cute, ridden the courtship rollercoaster and been bowled over by a grand romantic gesture, what comes next? It's the stuff that rom-com sequels might cover, except that for all of Hollywood's eagerness to rinse and repeat its most popular fare, the romantic-comedy genre is comparatively sparse in the follow-up department. It's easy to understand why everything from Pretty Woman to Amelie hasn't sparked on-screen continuations — or the likes of Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You and, yes Notting Hill, too. Getting to live happily ever after is always the point, as well as the end point. Thankfully, merely recharting that familiar path wasn't ever going to be enough for Starstruck, as wonderful a job as it did of doing just that in its first season. As a result, season two picks up exactly where its predecessor left off. Jessie and Tom's bus ride segues into a WTF realisation, as in "WTF do we do now?". That's a query that Jessie isn't ready to answer, even though she's made the big leap and missed her flight home. So, she avoids even tackling the situation, instead dragging Tom along to play tourist for the day. He's meant to be flying off to Ireland for a new film shoot and delays leaving for Jessie, so her decision to simply ignore what they've both just done affects them both in multiple ways. The mess of any and every relationship, which rom-coms don't typically show when they end with that happily-ever-after moment, fuels Starstruck's new episodes. Like everyone, Jessie and Tom have plenty. They both have pasts and exes, which shapes how they approach romance now. They know they want to be together, but Jessie isn't as committed to putting in the effort that an ordinary, everyday, long-term relationship requires. Tom has a judgemental brother Vinay (Parth Thakerar, Vigil), too, who doesn't make a great first impression. Plus, Jessie's last boyfriend Ben (Edward Easton, Porters) reappears in her life, much to her devoted best friend and roommate Kate's (Emma Sidi, Pls Like) dismay. Starstruck wades through all of this chaos, and through the inescapable fact that getting what we want can also spark a spiral of self-sabotage one throwaway comment, pointless disagreement and lie of omission at a time. The show's second season is light but also deep, the exact opposite of one of its key watery settings, and remains a rom-com that's as aware of what relationships in 2022 are really alike as it is about how romance is typically portrayed in its genre. Matafeo, Sneddon and Sampson (who also plays Jessie's fellow Kiwi-in-the-UK pal Steve) still keep the screwball vibe alive, and the dialogue sharp and relatable, of course. They keep the fellow rom-com references weaved in as well (Love Actually and Bridget Jones' Diary fans, prepare to feel seen). There's no morning-after stride of pride to the sounds of 'Return of the Mack' this time, but everything else that made Starstruck's first season such a gem is accounted for. Matafeo is still a multi-layered marvel as Jessie, especially as the series wades through more of her tumultuous choices. Patel keeps finding the ideal balance of charisma and earthiness while playing a well-known actor who knows the trappings of his work, what he values and what he wants out of a relationship. The supporting cast — the returning Minnie Driver (Cinderella) as Tom's Agent and Russell Tovey (Years and Years) as the director of his latest project included — remains top-notch, and the direction is breezy but never fluffy or frothy. Yes, Marry Me is now flirting with the same concept on the big screen, but Starstruck is the clever and charming rom-com to truly swoon over. Check out the trailer for Starstruck's second season below: Starstruck's second season is available to stream in Australia via ABC iView and in New Zealand via TVNZ OnDemand. Read our full review of Starstruck's first season.
UPDATE, September 17, 2021: Another Round is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Even the most joyous days and nights spent sipping your favourite drink can have their memory tainted by a hangover. Imbibe too much, and there's a kicker just waiting to pulsate through your brain and punish your body when all that alcohol inevitably starts to wear off. For much of Another Round, four Copenhagen school teachers try to avoid this feeling. The film they're in doesn't, though. It lays bare the ups and downs of knocking back boozy beverages, and it also serves up a finale that's a sight to behold. Without sashaying into spoiler territory, the feature's last moments are a thing of sublime beauty. Some movies end in a WTF, "what were they thinking?" kind of way — for a recent example, see Wild Mountain Thyme — but this Oscar-shortlisted Danish film comes to a conclusion with a big and bold showstopper that's also a piece of bittersweet perfection. The picture's highest-profile star, Mads Mikkelsen (Arctic), is involved. His pre-acting background as an acrobat and dancer comes in handy, too. Unsurprisingly, the substances that flow freely throughout the feature remain prominent. And, so does the canny and candid awareness that life's highs and lows just keep spilling, plus the just-as-shrewd understanding that the line between self-sabotage and self-release is as thin as a slice of lemon garnishing a cocktail. That's how Another Round wraps up, in one the many masterstrokes splashed onto the screen by writer/director Thomas Vinterberg (Kursk)) and his co-scribe Tobias Lindholm (A War). The film's unforgettable finale also expertly capitalises upon a minor plot detail that viewers haven't realised had such significance until then, and that couldn't typify this excellent effort's layered approach any better. But, ending with a bang isn't the movie's only achievement. In fact, it's full of them. The picture's savvy choices start with its premise, which sees the quiet and reserved Martin (Mikkelsen) and his fellow educators Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen, Veni Vidi Vici), Peter (Lars Ranthe, Warrior) and Nikolaj (Magnus Millang, The Commune) all decide to put an out-there theory to the test. Motivated by real-life Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skårderud, they conduct an experiment that involves being permanently sauced. Skårderud has hypothesised that humans are born with a blood alcohol deficit of 0.05 percent, so, with some cajoling needed on Martin's part, the quartet work that idea into their daily lives. Ground rules are established, and the shots, sneaky sips and all-hours drinking swiftly begins. Another Round's concept might initially seem like a gimmick. Contending that constantly being under the influence of alcohol is better for humans than sobriety sounds like something that an 18-year-old might mix up, after all. And yet, that premise is never treated as a goofy stunt by Vinterberg, Lindholm and their cast (even if it's easy to imagine how the sure-to-happen US remake will handle the situation). Instead, Another Round uses its underlying idea to uncork a wealth of sharp and raw insights into men, midlife malaise and group behaviour. It pours out more than a few observations on the weight of societal expectations, and the male tendency to internalise rather than express one's feelings as well. These notions are evident when Martin and his pals start drinking to commence their days and to get through them, but they only get more potent as the film goes on. As the four teachers commit to doing whatever they need to maintain their sloshed state, it doesn't take long for them to veer away from their own guidelines. Also quick and easy: straying away from the high-minded notion that they're getting drunk in the name of science and not just because they're each unhappy with their lives in their own ways. Whether you're a keen social drinker or you stay away from the hard stuff completely, Another Round doesn't trade in unrealistic revelations — because we all know that no amount of alcohol, or lack of it, can ever solve all of life's problems. But the film approaches its subject with equally clear, playful and melancholy eyes, especially where Martin is concerned. Before his friends suggest non-stop day-drinking, he's in a rut. When he asks his wife Anika (Maria Bonnevie, Becoming Astrid) if he's boring, it's obvious that she wants to say yes. At school, his students are so worried about his absence of enthusiasm that they tell him they think his bland teaching could cost them marks in their exams. Then, one drop at a time, he starts proving Skårderud's theory. He's creative, confident and courageous, and feels more like himself. It takes an immense amount of skill on Vinterberg's part to convey that change, ground it in reality and never lose sight of the grim repercussions of overindulging. As aided by the movie's naturalistic colour scheme and graceful framing, it takes just as much to ensure the entire film remains frank, unflinching and yet also warm and sometimes humorous. One of Denmark's best directors, Vinterberg was always going to rise to the challenge. Earning the same description in his own field, the always-excellent Mikkelsen was always going to do the same. They make an exceptional pair; when they last teamed up for 2012's The Hunt, the difficult drama about a teacher accused of acting inappropriately with one of his kindergarten students was one of the cinematic highlights of that year. As everything from Festen to Far From the Madding Crowd have also shown, Vinterberg consistently casts his films well, and Mikkelsen is in top-notch company here. Still, Another Round needs its leading man's versatility, and his ability to flit between stoicism, desperation, quiet despondency and charming swagger in particular. There's a reason that, thanks to the likes of Casino Royale, A Royal Affair, Hannibal, Doctor Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Mikkelsen has become one of film and television's most engaging performers — and Another Round will have you saying cheers to that, and to its astute tragicomic look at coping with mundane lives and the realities of getting older in an extreme fashion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5R46NgopPw
If spending your days indoors has you feeling nostalgic, that's understandable. As the world reacts to the COVID-19 pandemic, pining for happier times gone by is a completely natural response. So far, you've probably adjusted your viewing — lapping up plenty of retro animated favourites, such as Studio Ghibli's back catalogue. And, thanks to San Churro, you can now send your tastebuds back to a simpler, rosier era as well. The nationwide chain has just launched a new 'throwback edition' range of churro snack packs, which combine its eponymous dish — aka those long, thin, fried-dough pastries — with a number of retro dessert staples. Think churros with fairy bread, churros with chocolate crackles, and churros sprinkled with strawberry and grape Nerds. Each pack comes with mini churros, its chosen nostalgic dessert, your choice of drizzled white, dark or milk chocolate, and either ice cream or strawberries. The fairy bread pack features speckles and white chocolate ice cream, for example, while the chocolate crackle pack keeps the theme going with chocolate ice cream — and the Nerds pack drops its sugary lollies over the pinkest of fruits. If you're not already getting playground flashbacks, San Churro is also hosting 'throwback Thursdays' throughout May, with its snack packs on offer at 90s prices every Thursday from 4–8pm. That'll reduce a $17 snack pack down to $11, with packs available for takeaway, or for delivery via DoorDash, Menulog, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. And, for those who prefer going retro with a warm, milky beverage instead, 'throwback edition' hot chocolates are also on the menu. Yes, that means that you can sip a hot choccy topped with fairy bread, chocolate crackle pieces or Nerds — or choose honeycomb pieces instead. San Churro's 'throwback edition' range of snack packs are available in-store now, with 'throwback Thursday' pricing available every Thursday from 4–8pm until Thursday, May 28. For further information, visit the chain's website.
We've had rallies, we've had op-eds and we've even had a crowdfunded documentary made about Sydney's lockout laws. But now it seems as though the NSW Government is set to seriously take public opinion into consideration, launching an independent review into the impact of liquor law reforms. Now's the time to take to the keyboard and tell them how you really feel. It's super easy to do too. Just email the review at liquorlawreview@justice.nsw.gov.au with your feedback. If you're not a big writer, no worries — the submissions should be short and to the point, and outline how you are affected by the lockout laws. Including any links or references to relevant research, statistics and data is highly encouraged, but if you're just a punter unhappy with how things are going, that's worthy of submission too. Just remember, this is a formal submission so be sure to mention if you'd like it to remain confidential. If you'd like to brush up on the facts, this Background Paper outlines many of the issues put forward for stakeholder and public comment and is worth a gander. Though the review has made a formal request for submissions, the review has, not surprisingly, been kept pretty quiet. Luckily, you still have time to get nice and loud about it — submissions are due no later than April 4. That's this coming Monday, people. Get writing. Kudos to everyone that was part of the February Keep Sydney Open Rally which, in a big way, helped prompt this review. Keep Sydney Open has also been invited to take part in a series of roundtable discussions, where different organisations will have their say on Sydney's nightlife economy. Whether you're an affected business owner, a supporter of the Keep Sydney Open movement or just an interested community member — for or against the lockouts — it's important to have your opinion known. Let's make some noise. Image: Kimberley Low.
