Usually, when The Grounds of Alexandria decides to liven up its outdoor space, it gives itself a Disney-themed makeover. The Nutcracker, Mary Poppins Returns, Aladdin, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Frozen II and Cinderella — they've all influenced the site's garden decor in the past. But, reflecting the unique times we all know find ourselves in, the Sydney venue is currently taking inspiration from a completely different source. Until Sunday, April 18, a trip to The Grounds of Alexandria will involve feeling like you've been whisked away to Morocco. With Australia's international borders still closed, Sydneysiders can't head overseas — but you can pretend. Expect bright colours, lanterns and curtains galore, greenery lining the laneways and a heap of woven baskets, all as part of a Marrakesh-style temporary revamp. To match the surroundings, you can tuck into a menu of specials, including almond couscous, fire-roasted spatchcock, and an orange- and mandarin-flavoured Moroccan pavlova. If you're heading along with your mates, the terracotta tower — a pistachio, pomegranate and rosewater sponge cake with rosewater syrup, rosewater cream cheese frosting, pomegranate curd, fresh pomegranate and raspberries — is made for two–three people. Or, opt for the Moroccan dessert board, which'll see you share a selection of sweet treats. On Saturday, February 13–Sunday, February 14, couples can also book in for a Valentine's Day weekend feast for two. For $150 per person, it includes a multi-course set menu, drinks and live entertainment, all while you're sat beneath Welcome to Marrakesh's greenery and lanterns.
UPDATE, August 16, 2020: Cold War is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. "I knocked, I cried; she wouldn't open up," sing violin and bagpipe-playing musicians in Cold War's very first moments. What apt and evocative words they prove. Set in a decimated Europe as the Second World War gives way to the film's titular period, Pawel Pawlikowski's sweeping, melancholic romance is steeped in a place and a time where deeds, sobs and pleas for help go unnoticed. The writer-director's native Poland might sport a facade of recovery, and charge a folk ensemble with crooning appropriated music to set the requisite tone, but the nation remains an unforgiving master for those that walk its lands. When the movie spends much of its second half in the jazz-soaked bars of the Parisian music scene, it treads through just as complicated terrain. Meeting during an audition — she sings and confirms that she can dance; he decrees that she has "energy, spirit; she's original" — Cold War's star-crossed lovers navigate a rocky path that unfurls across the 50s and 60s. Music director Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) is soon desperate to leave the country, an action that's as simple as walking across the border while touring near East Berlin. As rumours about her background demonstrate, the youthful Zula (Joanna Kulig) is not one to comfortably submit to anyone or anything. Other than the strength of their feelings, nothing is easy about Zula and Wiktor's relationship. Nothing is easy, period. The movie jumps forward in fits and spurts, and yet three things stay constant: music that adds a haunting soundtrack to both hopeful and bleak days; unease that chips away at even the happiest of times; and Zula and Wiktor, who forever orbit around each other. Cold War may be a film where the yearnings of the many go unnoticed by the cruel, harsh world, but the same never applies to the deep-seeded bond between its protagonists. Wiktor notices every sentiment and sensation that courses through Zula's veins, and vice versa. Yet their love can't penetrate the fraught, uncaring environment they're living within. There's a resigned air to the movie, one mirrored by the changing tones and moods of the song that Zula's always singing. Pawlikowski may have based the picture's narrative on the most personal of stories — that of his parents, who share the characters' names and earn the film's dedication — but his gaze is clear. The winner of the Best Director award at this year's Cannes Film Festival is resolute in depicting the oppressive turbulence of the era, and in relaying the crushing vagaries of life in general. Making his first movie since the similarly exceptional Oscar-winner Ida, Pawlikowski retains his penchant for crisp, black-and-white visuals, all constrained within tight 4:3 frames. The boxed-in shape draws the eye just as Zula and Wiktor are repeatedly drawn together, and the smaller space makes every detail count. As sumptuously shot by cinematographer Łukasz Żal, the result is imagery so dense, luminous and intoxicating that it seems as if the filmmaker is painting every possible emotion across the screen. Visions of cavernous churches and busy clubs prove pregnant with feeling, and the expressions adorning Kulig and Kot's faces even more so. Where Cold War is at its aesthetic best, however, is when the camera floats and wanders and keeps pace with the picture's main players. A fluid late dance scene where Zula moves with abandon to 'Rock Around the Clock', the lens following along with her, is filmmaking at its most enthralling. It helps that Pawlikowski and his frames clearly adore Kulig and Kot. It helps, too, that the entrancing central pair don't so much invite but demand adoration. Whenever the camera shifts away from either, their absence is instantly felt, although this masterpiece never shifts away for very long. Zula and Wiktor's knocks and cries might largely remain silent, yelled with their eyes rather than their words, however Cold War's devastating lead performances convey the impact of every internalised ache and pain. Indeed, in a bittersweet finale that sears itself into memory like few celluloid moments ever manage, Kulig and Kot unburden a world of insights about simply trying to survive. And they do so while uttering the scantest — yet still most utterly perfect — of lines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSYHHLk12x8
In the global push for a healthier planet, we've seen some pretty creative recycling initiatives, with single-use plastic bottles transformed into Adidas kicks, discarded chewing gum used to make sneaker soles, and all sorts of other genius stuff being dreamt up in between. Now, a clever project happening closer to home will see a massive haul of soft plastics, glass bottles and printer cartridges recycled into 250 tonnes of asphalt and used to construct a road in Craigieburn, a suburb in Melbourne's north. The Aussie-first trial is the result of a collaboration between Hume City Council, infrastructure services company Downer, and local recycling organisations Red Group and Close the Loop, and it could be a game-changer for sustainability. As well as being cheaper to make and a whole lot easier on the environment, the asphalt is expected to be more durable, longer lasting and better suited to heavy traffic than its regular plastic-free counterparts. This particular stretch of road alone will save around 200,000 plastic bags, 4500 printer cartridges and the equivalent of 63,000 glass bottles from landfill. As Red Group Director Elizabeth Kasell explains, "it demonstrates a great step toward a circular system, where soft plastic packaging recovered through the REDcycle Program, and other materials previously destined for landfill, can be used as a resource for Australian roads". While the major supermarket chains will phase out plastic bags from next month, we still use a hell of a lot of plastic — so it would be great to see this being put into necessary infrastructure rather than adding to landfill.
He has serenaded Laura Dern with an Elvis song, swooned over Cher, swapped faces with John Travolta, voiced a version of Spider-Man and won an Oscar for playing an alcoholic. He's appeared on-screen as brothers, professed his love for milking alpacas and fought ninjas from outer space, too. We're talking about Nicolas Cage, of course, and the list of amazing inclusions on his resume just goes on. Indeed, he's about to step into Joe Exotic's shoes — and, via a new Netflix series, teach the world about the history of swear words as well. Nicolas Cage's History of Swear Words is a very real series that definitely exists, and will hit the streaming platform on Tuesday, January 5. So yes, if you were hoping that 2021 would be better than 2020, we can think of one very good reason why that's likely to prove the case. The concept behind the show is extremely self-explanatory. For that very reason, Netflix didn't release too many details when it first announced the show earlier in December. But, via a just-dropped new full trailer, it has given Cage-loving viewers more of a glimpse at what's in store. Prepare for Cage on hosting duties, plus experts and famous faces like Sarah Silverman and Nick Offerman popping up to talk through the origins, pop culture usage, science and cultural impact of oh-so-many expletives. Obviously, you don't get Cage involved in this kind of project without having fun with the concept. The first teaser trailer for the series made that plain — and nodded to Face/Off fans, too — and this new sneak peek does as well. Cage starts the latest trailer by screaming one word, then ends it by giving the audience quite the invitation. Clearly, it's glorious. Check out the latest trailer for Nicolas Cage's History of Swear Words below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XByiHpUvrj0 Nicolas Cage's History of Swear Words hits Netflix on Tuesday, January 5. Top image: Adam Rose/Netflix.
When Paul Kelly has taken his Making Gravy tours across Australia around Christmas in past years, the gigs have proven a hot ticket. That shouldn't come as a surprise given how beloved 'How to Make Gravy' is, so much so that there's a movie inspired by it heading to streaming this festive season. But only the songwriting legend's 2025 tour will see him reach a huge milestone, playing his biggest-ever live shows not only at home but in New Zealand as well. The August and September tour will also feature Kelly's only gigs for the year, so consider them a chance to get excited about Gravy Day 2025 — which falls on December 21 — early. He's heading to nine cities, starting in Perth before hitting Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne in Australia, and then crossing the ditch to play Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. The Aussie icon will be celebrating his new album Fever Longing Still, which releases on Friday, November 1, 2024, but he'll also be busting out beloved tracks from his 40-year-plus career. Accordingly, expect to hear everything from 'Dumb Things', 'To Her Door', 'Before Too Long' and 'From Little Things Big Things Grow' through to 'Leaps and Bounds', 'From St Kilda to King's Cross' and 'When I First Met Your Ma'. It was back in 1981 that Kelly's first studio album Talk hit record stores — and the ARIA- and APRA-winner has been a mainstay of the Australian music scene ever since, whether unpacking the nation in his tunes, giving everyone a Christmas tradition, singing about well-known figures or anything in-between. Kelly is hitting the road with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit on his Australian shows, as well as Fanny Lumsden as the opening act on home soil and Reb Fountain doing the same in Aotearoa. And, of course, Kelly's band will be performing with him, with Peter Luscombe on drums, Bill McDonald on bass, Dan Kelly and Ash Naylor on guitar, Cameron Bruce on the keys and Jess Hitchcock contributing vocals. Paul Kelly Australia and New Zealand Tour 2025 Tuesday, August 26 — RAC Arena, Perth Friday, August 29 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Saturday, August 30 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Tuesday, September 2 — MyState Bank Arena, Hobart Thursday, September 4 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Saturday, September 6 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, September 9 — Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch Wednesday, September 10 — Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Friday, September 12 — Auckland Town Hall, Auckland Paul Kelly is touring Australia and New Zealand in August and September 2025. Ticket presales start from 3pm local time on Monday, October 28, 2024, with general sales from 3pm local time on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 — head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Mona Foma, Moshcam.
Uber has become a worldwide phenomenon, expanding across the globe to more than 70 cities in its brief five-year history. The mobile app and car sharing service, bankrolled by investors including Google and Goldman Sachs, has caused waves with its recent valuation of a hefty US $18.2 billion. With growing business as smartphone ownership continues to spread, those in need of a post-gig ride home are viewing Uber as a more convenient — and often cheaper — alternative to a taxi. Now, the cabbies have finally had enough. Claiming that the mobile app is affecting their livelihoods, taxi drivers in London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Rio de Janeiro protested in the streets. Blockading access to major CBDs and shopping districts across these cities for hours on end, cabbies demanded tougher regulations to be imposed on Uber drivers. Taxi drivers in Europe often pay between $200,000 and $300,000 for their license, while Uber promotes their ‘No Sign Up Fee’ policy openly on their website. How could a cabbie compete with that? Taxi drivers in London slowed traffic to a crawl near Trafalgar Square, continuing on to Dowling Street where they honked their horns as they passed Parliament and the Prime Minister’s address. Home to the iconic black cabs, London saw the most monumental protests, with more than 10,000 taxis participating in the demonstration. Ironically, Uber reported an increase in downloads of the app by 850 percent in the past week. That's 850 percent. Similarly, cabbies from the other European cities cited severe damage to their income and loose, easily manipulated laws for those working under the Uber umbrella. In Rio de Janeiro, taxi drivers participated in the demonstrations ahead of the World Cup — seemingly apprehensive of the possible impact it will have on what should be their highest payday yet. The protests overseas come shortly after contention in Australia over the parameters of ride-sharing cars. The Victorian government was dishing up fines of $1,700 a pop to Uber drivers. The company’s response was to pledge that they would cover any and all of these penalties. Last month, the NSW government claimed Uber drivers could face a charge of up to $110,000 for being in breach of state law. It seems Australia has been imposing the regulations taxi drivers overseas so dearly wish to see in their own regions, yet Uber continues to be a viable — and profitable — business for drivers across the country. Cabbies in Uber-inhabited regions around the globe are feeling the brute force of an evolving world. It seems the tides of change are causing an insurmountable swell for the humble taxi driver, with no sign of an end. Via Reuters and Fast Company. Images via Mashable and Business Week.
If Tony Montana's "little friend" had instead been a BB gun, would that scene be quite so iconic? Hollywood fears not, it seems, because industry representatives have come out against the new gun control laws in New York, one of the few states to pass sweeping restrictions after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. No, this does not mean that the (in)famously left-leaning film industry has had a sudden change of heart. Rather, the Motion Picture Association of America's complaint is that the new ban on weapons holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition will prevent films and television programs from using modified assault weapons on their New York sets. This means that for the 27 film and TV productions currently being shot in New York state, the machine guns and uzis will have to be replaced by some pretty cool-looking toy guns or the production companies may face legal action when the new legislation kicks in next January. While Governor Andrew Cuomo has previously supported amending the legislation so that Hollywood isn't an accidental victim, the law is unlikely to be changed, due to fears that it may not pass through the legislature a second time around. As such, Democrats have taken a sudden U-turn, now claiming that the new law will have no impact on the film industry. But does it have to be all doom and gloom for Hollywood and their lifelong love of big-ass guns? This could be a perfect excuse for the film industry to get a bit creative with their choice of weapons. If you can't have an AK47, why not try a giant laser? Or if Rambo V can no longer feature Stallone's favourite brand of M60E3 machine gun, maybe he can invest in a lightsaber? Here are five awesomely bizarre movie-gun substitutes in film. You're welcome Weinsten and Spielberg, you are welcome. 1. Point-of-View-Gun - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Even if this space-age weapon didn't make its victims uncontrollably reveal their thoughts and even if it wasn't created by the "Intergalactic Consortium of Angry House Wives" as a means of ending marital arguments, this machine-gun-substitute would still be awesome. Mostly because Zooey Deschanel is wielding it. 2. Sick Stick - Minority Report The perfect weapon for any movie bad-ass who is hoping to incapacitate but not kill their foe. It does exactly what its name suggests: causes its victim to projectile vomit. We tip our hats to your subtle anti-gun weaponry, Mr Spielberg. 3. Zorg ZF-1 - The Fifth Element This gun-substitute, which vaguely resembles your childhood super-soaker, is a total sci-fi nerdgasm. I'm not sure what I like more about it: the fact that it includes a rocket launcher, poison arrow launcher, 3000-round machine gun, net launcher, flamethrower and freeze ray or the fact that it belongs to a terrifically hammy Gary Oldman, sporting perhaps the worst wig ever to grace the silver screen. 4. The AV Arc - Blade Trinity There are two surefire ways to splice up a disappointing threequel: put Jessica Biel in a bodice-hugging leather vest (check) and invent a weapon that uses a beam of UV light that is hotter than the sun to slice up those pesky vampire hordes (check). How this movie wasn't a hit befuddles me to this day. 5. The De-Evolution Gun - Super Mario Bros While video game-inspired films that tanked are not exactly a rarity, few films have done it quite so spectacularly as this shambles of a motion picture. Combined with the ridiculousness of Dennis Hopper playing a dinosaur (yeah, seriously) is the fantastical De-Evolution Gun. As the name suggests, the De-Evolution Gun turns back the evolutionary clock on its victims such that with one twitch of the finger you can turn your mortal enemy into a harmless, albeit quite pissed off, chimpanzee.
These days, having actual cash in your wallet is a real rarity. But it's probably not something you'll need to worry about when picking up your next copy of The Big Issue, with many of the charity magazine's street vendors accepting cashless payments from today. This move into the digital economy means customers can now purchase an edition of the magazine using a debit or credit card. Two cashless options are being rolled out by vendors across the country, including regular tap-and-go, and via mobile payment app Beem It, which can receive instant payments. The Big Issue street vendors are able to choose whether they'll offer one or both of the card options, or simply stick with the previous cash system. The fortnightly magazine, which provides work opportunities for homeless or disadvantaged people, without access to mainstream jobs, has been operating in Australia since 1996. It's hoped the new digital payment offering will boost sales of the magazine, reaching more customers and helping those selling it to increase their profits, putting more money back into the pockets of disadvantaged Aussies. As always, each of the fortnightly editions will sell for $7, with half of that kept by the vendor. The newest edition — aptly titled 'Cashless Revolution' — hits the streets today. Vendor images: Nicole Reed.
When Pantone's colour experts picked the shade they thought would define 2017, they went green. To be precise, they chose a hue called Greenery (PANTONE 15-0343) — a pick chosen to offer reassurance in trying times and symbolise the yearning to reconnect. Yep, we understand. Looking at it is one thing, however; setting foot in a house that brings the colour to life is quite another. Enter Airbnb and a London abode that's showering visitors in the "fresh and zesty yellow-green shade". Here, contrary to the advice Kermit the Frog has espoused for years, it is easy being green. Dubbed the 'Outside In' house, the Clerkenwell property casts aside traditional notions of internal and external spaces. How? Well, a plant-filled garden bedroom that even boasts a mown lawn and topiaries, herb garden kitchen, tropical lagoon bath, woodland reception area with a groundskeeper, and dining room that's actually an indoor greenhouse might just do the trick. It's designed to "provide an antidote to January blues and encourage all those who enter it to embrace 2017 with fresh optimism and excitement", and serves up more than just a unique, colour- and plant-centric place to stay. To promote Airbnb's new Experiences service, which endeavours to combine their accommodation offerings with ace things to see and do, guests can also take their pick from the house's greenery to build their own sustainable terrarium, learn the art of artisan printing using foliage, and pick tea leaves on-site for a tai chi and cuppa session. Sure, that all sounds good — but, if you like plant-based drinks, making your own gin is the definite highlight. Like the company's other attention-grabbing concepts — Dracula's castle, shark tanks, van Gogh's bedroom, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' secret lair , to name a few — the 'Outside In' house is only open for a small window of time: from January 27 to 30. For more information, visit the listing on Airbnb.
If things fall through with the whole politics schtick, President Obama has a future in stand-up. The lovable leader let the gags loose at the Annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner over the weekend, beginning his address with a video spoof in which Steven Spielberg announced plans for a follow-up to Lincoln titled Obama. The president then pretended to be Daniel Day-Lewis reflecting on the difficulties of personifying Obama, beginning with the challenges of affixing oversized fake ears — "I don't know how he walks around with these things." The lolocoaster continued as the ultimate Renaissance man cracked jokes about his past as a "strapping young Muslim socialist", suggested the opposition should funnel funds into bribing him to drop out of the presidential race rather than spend money on negative advertising ("Michelle would have taken it. You think I'm joking") and even busted a move to DJ Khaled's 'All I Do Is Win'. Why can't Julia spend more time wining and dining the likes of Psy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Kevin Spacey? Via BBC News.
Just seven months in, 2021 has already been a big year for Marvel. Not one, not two, but three streaming series have hit Disney+, and Black Widow is currently both streaming and in cinemas. More silver-screen releases are coming before the year is out, too, courtesy of both Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals. Also big news right now, although it won't actually come to fruition in 2021: a second season of Loki. The third of Marvel's Disney+ series for this year to focus on characters from the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe, this show about the franchise's favourite trickster instantly stood out from its sibling programs. Having Tom Hiddleston (Avengers: Endgame) step back into the God of Mischief's shoes will do that, of course. With WandaVision, Marvel gave the world a nodding, winking sitcom that morphed into an engaging but still quite standard entry in its ever-growing on-screen realm. With The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it opted for an odd couple action-thriller that hit every mark it needed to, but rarely more. But, across its six-episode first season — which just wrapped up yesterday, Wednesday, July 14 — Loki has proven far more willing to toy with its premise and have fun with its central character. It's now going to do exactly that during a second season as well. News of Loki's second batch of episodes was dropped in the credits for its latest episode, thanks to a stamp that says "Loki will return in season two". That's all the information that's been revealed so far — but if you're a fan of the figure, Hiddleston or both, it's a welcome development. Across its first season, Loki's charms didn't solely radiate from its leading man. He's as charismatically wily as ever (as he's always been in his scene-stealing big-screen appearances in the Thor and Avengers films), but this series has also been helped immensely by its aforementioned playfulness, and also by the great cast surrounding its star. Teaming up duos is obviously currently Marvel's thing, but Loki pairs its eponymous trickster with a time cop played by Owen Wilson (Bliss), gets them palling around in buddy cop-meets-science fiction territory, and also throws in Sophia Di Martino (Yesterday) as a character that's best discovered by watching. The setup: thanks to his previous actions with the Tesseract, Loki finds himself in a bit of trouble. The TVA — that'd be the Time Variance Authority — is on his case, which is where Wilson's Mobius M Mobius comes in. But, that's just where the show starts. Here, viewers came for the usual Hiddleston mischievousness, and stayed for everything this quickly involving series built around him — all while charting what happens when Loki is forced to face the consequences of his past actions. The new season of Loki, whenever it arrives, will join the long list of other upcoming shows that are in the works at Disney+. That includes Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion (about Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury), Iron Heart, Armour Wars, I Am Groot, a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and a series set in Wakanda. Check out the full trailer for Loki's first season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUwwdj6AlBA The first season of Loki is available to stream via Disney+ now. Exactly when the second season will arrive is yet to be announced — we'll update you with more details when they come to hand. Top image: ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Ever wished you could be spirited away into a Studio Ghibli film? Stop dreaming and start making travel plans. Turning movie magic into a real-life wonder, Japan's beloved animation house is opening its own My Neighbour Totoro theme park. Set to liven up the space known as Expo Park in Nagoya's Aichi Prefecture, the 200-hectare site will recreate the world of the 1988 film, building upon an existing attraction. Since 2005, the park has boasted a replica of Satsuki and Mei's house, the home of two characters from the movie. It'll stay, of course — and be joined by other, yet-to-be-revealed Totoro additions. Yes, we're all hoping for a cat bus, some susuwatari (those gorgeous little balls of floating soot), something umbrella shaped and tiny seeds sprouting into giant trees, in a place that'll basically transform that cute video of Ghibli characters out in the world into a reality. Here's hoping it'll nod to a few other Studio Ghibli greats too, although their current focus is understandable. Just try to go into a gift store in Japan without coming across a treasure trove of soft, cuddly Totoros that you can call your own — it's impossible. The park is scheduled to open in 2020, however, in the interim, Ghibli-loving visitors to Japan can still get their dose of animated joy at Tokyo's Ghibli Museum. Plus, back in 2015, it was announced that co-founder and all-round Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki was building his own park on Kume Island in the Okinawa Prefecture. Designed to preserve and celebrate nature, it's set to launch in 2018. Via Anime News Network.
It's pretty ironic that a YouTube clip criticising internet culture is going viral. Nonetheless this parody of The Wolf of Wall Street made by Half Day Today is pitch perfect. In a remake of the film's trailer, the hedonistic tale of American conman Jordan Belfort is transposed to the life of Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti. Hilarity ensues. Everyone knows Buzzfeed is a bit of a black hole. You stumble across something in a Facebook newsfeed and suddenly you're falling into an internet-shaped abyss that no longer houses your study or work but only thousands of lists about Harry Styles, '90s cartoons and what '90s cartoons would looks like if they were recast with Harry Styles. This is your life now. And, while no one's saying it's directly Jonah Peretti's fault... it sure is nice to blame someone. "With these lists you can create a stupid GIF, write a nonsensical blob of text, and it will get retweeted millions of times without ever using an even number in your title," says the video's Peretti. Much like Jordan Belfort's dubious pathway to success using penny stocks, there seems to be something vaguely criminal about the Buzzfeed marketing strategy and it's somewhat confronting to see it played out in front of your eye. Still. We can't help ourselves. This is still 100 percent our reaction whenever we find a relatable listicle or a new viral video to share *coughcough*.
When Netflix first revived The Addams Family via Wednesday back in 2022, it did so with help from a familiar face that knows more than a little about pop culture's creepiest, kookiest, most mysterious and spookiest family: Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets). She doesn't play the show's namesake, of course — enter: Jenna Ortega (Scream VI) with the black attire and bleak attitude — but her presence was both felt and welcome. And when season two hits, she won't be the only cast member from the 90s films that's been a part of this series. Wednesday was renewed for a second season in early 2023 — Netflix is so keen on the show that there's talk of an Uncle Fester-focused spinoff, too — and now, post-last year's strikes, production has commenced. Along with that development, the streaming platform has announced which actors will be joining the series this time around. One of them, as a guest star: Christopher Lloyd. [caption id="attachment_954276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Helen Sloan/Netflix © 2024[/caption] Adding to a recent resume that includes Hacks, Knuckles, Self Reliance and The Mandalorian, Lloyd won't be reprising his work as Uncle Fester from The Addams Family and Addams Family Values given that Fred Armisen (Fallout) is Wednesday's take on the character. Still, the Tim Burton (Dumbo)-executive produced series continues to throw love at past iterations of the residents of Cemetery Lane. Season two of Wednesday doesn't have a release date as yet, but it will also feature more of Catherine Zeta-Jones (National Treasure: Edge of History) as Morticia, Luis Guzmán (Justified: City Primeval) as Gomez, Isaac Ordonez (Color Box) as Pugsley and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (How to Date Billy Walsh) as Deputy Ritchie Santiago, all getting meatier parts than in season one. New to the cast are Steve Buscemi (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Billie Piper (Scoop), Evie Templeton (Criminal Record), Owen Painter (Tiny Beautiful Things) and Noah Taylor (Foundation), as well as Joanna Lumley (Fool Me Once), Thandiwe Newton (Big Mouth), Frances O'Connor (Erotic Stories), Haley Joel Osment (What We Do in the Shadows), Heather Matarazzo (Wish) and Joonas Suotamo (Willow) joining Lloyd as special guests. In season one, Wednesday's titular figure had been terrorising her way through various educational facilities, hopping through eight of them in five years. That's how she ended up at Nevermore Academy, where her mother introduced her with an apology: "please excuse Wednesday, she's allergic to colour". Morticia actually met Gomez at the school, and thought that their eldest would love it there as they did, but Wednesday's storyline was never going to be that straightforward. With Burton behind the scenes, and also sitting in the director's chair for the first four episodes — in the job the Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands filmmaker was clearly born to have — cue high-school chaos, a monstrous murder spree to stop and a supernatural mystery linked to Wednesday's parents a quarter-century ago to solve. Oh, and a killer goth wardrobe, naturally. Wednesday unsurprisingly proved a smash, breaking the Netflix record for most hours viewed in a single week, then doing so again — notching up 341.23-million hours viewed in its first week, then 411.29-million hours viewed in its second. All things Addams Family have always found an audience, with the Ricci-led 90s films beloved for decades for good reason, and the 1960s TV show and 1930s The New Yorker comics before that. Check out the season two cast announcement video for Wednesday below: Wednesday streams via Netflix, with season one available now and season two arriving at a yet-to-be-announced date. We'll update you with further details about season two when they're revealed. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Netflix.
Playing ice hockey isn't a regular part of growing up Down Under, but watching a ragtag team of underdogs try their best on the ice has been a childhood staple since the 90s. The reason: the Mighty Ducks franchise. The three Emilio Estevez and Joshua Jackson-starring films hit screens between 1992–6, and have remained nostalgic favourites ever since. The trio of movies also spanned an animated show back in 1996; however, that's not the franchise's only leap into television. Because everything old is new again — including making that observation, because it just keeps proving relevant — Disney+ is bringing Mighty Ducks back courtesy of new series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. If Karate Kid can live on via the small screen, then so can this other beloved sports-focused saga, it seems. And like Cobra Kai, Game Changers is bringing back a familiar face when it debuts its ten-episode first season on Friday, March 26. That'd be Estevez, who reprises his role as Coach Gordon Bombay. Sadly, Jackson isn't involved this time around — but Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham will feature as the mother of a hockey-loving boy who helps him create his own team. Aimed at all ages — so at kids just discovering Mighty Ducks for the first time, and adults with fond memories — the show looks set to follow the underdog formula established in the films, as both its first teaser trailer and its just-dropped full trailer illustrates. The series is set in Minnesota, where the Mighty Ducks are now a big deal, 12-year-old Evan Morrow (Brady Noon) gets cut from the team, and he and his mom (Graham) bring together their own crew in response — with the help of Bombay, of course. Check out the full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZTouNvgPCM&feature=youtu.be The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers starts airing on Disney+ from Friday, March 26. Top image: Disney+.
Even the most dedicated camping fans aren't that fond of packing. So much to bring, so little space, even when you're a seasoned outdoorsy type. Factor in not only shelter, bedding, food and other essentials, but anything fun you'd like to do while you're away from the big smoke, and you're carting quite the hefty stack of gear with you. Next time you're heading beyond the city limits for a stint under the stars, the Traft will help reduce your luggage, especially if a paddle along a waterway is also on your agenda. And, it'll open up your options when it comes to activities. As the name suggests, it's an inflatable tent-raft combo that you can splash about in by day and sleep in at night. Officially described as a line of "hybrid tent-packraft-sleep systems", the Traft can also be used to lounge around in both on land and water, with or without shade from the sun thanks to its removable tent. Should you fancy sleeping in something other than a raft, the latter can also be used as shelter independently from the base. Sparked by an idea for a floating boat hammock, and made from thermo plastic polyurethane, the Traft was first unveiled at a US outdoor retailer show back in July. It comes in 2.43-metre, 2.59-metre and 2.76-metre options, although only the first is available at present. The smaller size weighs less than four kilograms, making it a lightweight addition to your camping kit — but, unsurprisingly, it doesn't come cheap, selling for US$900. For more information, visit the Traft website. Via: Digital Trends. Image: Traft.
No more ten buck burgers, crinkly fries and arepas, Surry Hills' beloved pub The Carrington is closing its doors. The Drink N Dine team — of Norfolk crabtaculars and Forresters multi-leveledl sardinery — are set to clink their last glasses this Sunday, August 31 after three super successful years. The Drink N Dine team are yet to reveal their reason for closing the Bourke Street pub, a move that seems pretty sudden after their only recent success with new Australo-Americanised Latin American restaurant, Chica Linda. If you're a fan of those tasty, tasty arepas and messy-as-blazes King Crab Diablo out the back, Chica Linda is sadly shipping out too; a sadly short stint, having just opened in May this year. "So long farewell auf wiedersehen good night. It's with heavy hearts we say goodbye to The INFAMOUS Carrington this Sunday," said the team in their final mailout. "After three good years it's time for us to drink one last beer, so come say goodbye in our final week." Facebook erupted in a collective wave of comment sobs, with still no clues from the Drink N Dine crew. Home to epic jugs of Sangria, solid Sunday roasts and epic schnitzel-fuelled trivia, the Carrington has been a go-to for Surry Hills low-key hangs since 2011— even kindly cranking one of Sydney's best hair-of-the-dog pub brekkies. It shall be sorely missed and messily farewelled under a gush of local brews and cheap eats. Cheers for the crinkle-cut memories, Carrington. The Carrington raises its final toast on August 31. Bid the team adieu with crinkle cut fries at 538 Bourke Street, Surry Hills.
Packing is no one's favourite part of going on holidays. If you're the kind of traveller who needs to cater for every occasion, stuffing your baggage is a massive task. If you like going light, whittling your outfits down but still ensuring that you've got the basics isn't as easy as it sounds. But, why not ditch all of that, and your suitcase? That's Japan Airlines' new solution thanks to its just-launched clothing rental service. Instead of tourists agonising over what to take to Japan with you — or stressing over what not to take — the carrier is offering a clothing sharing service with Sumitomo Corporation called Any Wear, Anywhere. You reserve a range of clothes, including choosing according to the season, and whether you're after a casual or smarter look. Then, that attire gets delivered to your hotel. When you're heading home, the rental clothes will be collected from wherever you're staying, too. And no, you don't have to do any laundry before handing them back over. The aim: not only to make travelling easier for tourists, but to do the environment a solid as well. If you're hiring clothes, less luggage needs to transported internationally. Japan Airlines will be monitoring the change in checked-in baggage weight thanks to the service, to see how it reduces the carrier's carbon emissions. Also, heroing the circular economy, the outfits on offer will be sourced from pre-owned clothing and excess stock from fashion stores. And, the airline is promoting the service as a way for tourists to support local options — not just for accommodation and food, but also for clothing. At this stage, Japan Airlines is trialling Any Wear, Anywhere from Wednesday, July 5, 2023 to Saturday, August 31, 2024 — and the service is only available for customers travelling to Japan via Japan Airlines. Price-wise, costs start at AU$42 / NZ$45 (¥4000) for a set of summer threads, which covers three tops and two bottoms. The most you'll pay is AU$73 / NZ $79 (¥4000), which gets you a winter range of six tops and three bottoms. You can keep the threads for up to two weeks, and bookings are available from a month before you travel. Wouldn't dream of travelling without a suitcase? Coming home, you can now fill it with souvenirs instead of dirty clothes. Japan Airlines and and Sumitomo Corporation's Any Wear, Anywhere clothing sharing service is being trialled until Saturday, August 31, 2024 — head to the Any Wear, Anywhere website for further details and bookings. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Forget celebrating Christmas in July — when the middle of the year hits, it's time to start working yourself up to the best occasion of the year. If you like scary movies, candy and dressing up in costumes, then you know the occasion. And in 2022, Halloween is almost here in more than a few ways. In just a few months, the spooky celebration itself will indeed arrive. Also hitting in October: the latest film in the Halloween franchise. A sequel to last year's Halloween Kills, as well as the third film in the trilogy within the broader saga that started with 2018's Halloween, it's been dubbed Halloween Ends. To that, we have two questions: will it really, and do we want it to? The just-dropped trailer for the new film certainly wants audiences to believe that this will be the last time that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once) and mask-wearing villain Michael Myers do battle. If the movie is a box office blockbuster, though, that might prove otherwise. Nothing ever truly dies these days in the pop-culture realm, especially successful big-screen series — and, since debuting back in 1978 with John Carpenter's OG masterpiece, the Halloween franchise has come back 11 other times before now. Story-wise, Halloween Ends will pick up four years after Halloween Kills, and see Laurie still processing the fallout — and living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak, Foxhole) while writing her memoir. She wants to move on from Michael Myers, who hasn't been seen since the events of the last movie. Then, a young man (Rohan Campbell, The Hardy Boys) is accused of killing a boy he's babysitting. As well as Curtis and Matichak, Will Patton (Outer Range) will return as Officer Frank Hawkins, and Kyle Richards does the same as Lindsey Wallace — a part she also played back in the very first film. David Gordon Green (Stronger) is still in the director's chair for the third Jason Blum-produced Halloween entry in a row (and his third, too), and co-wrote the screenplay with Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones), Paul Brad Logan (Manglehorn) and Chris Bernier (The Driver). If the Halloween saga really does end here after 44 years, it'll wrap up one of horror's best franchises — albeit a series that also varies wildly from movie to movie. Again, the first flick is an absolute masterpiece, as well as one of the best horror films ever made. Since then, the slasher saga has delivered excellent and terrible sequels, veered into remake territory, both killed off and brought back its heroine, and completely erased parts of its own past several times. Check out the Halloween Ends trailer below: Halloween Kills will release in cinemas Down Under on October 13.
Injecting a little sparkle and shine into otherwise dull neighborhoods, these architectural designs celebrate all that glitters. Gilded in gold, sequins, crystals, and more, each structure looks fit to house a disco party, or perhaps a drag-queen. Peruse 10 of the world's most blinged-out buildings, and indulge in a little decadence, dahhhling. 1. Maison Martin Margiela @ Beverly Hills, US 2. Golden House @ Nuweiba, Egypt 3. 8 Woningen Kettingstraat @ The Hague, Netherlands 4. Zaha Hadid’s proposal for a new gold Lego-covered courtyard building at The Louvre @ Paris, France 5. Theresa Himmer's 'Glacier #01' @ Reykjavik, Iceland 6. Swarovski flagship store @ Tokyo, Japan 7. Copper sulphate crystal-covered abandoned housing estate @ London, England 8. Theresa Himmer's 'Volcano #01' @ Reykjavik, Iceland 9. Theresa Himmer's 'Waterfall #01' @ Reykjavik, Iceland 10. The Visionary Art Museum @ Baltimore, US [via Flavorwire]
Playing ice hockey isn't a regular part of growing up Down Under, but watching a ragtag team of underdogs try their best on the ice has been a childhood staple since the 90s. The reason: the Mighty Ducks franchise. The three Emilio Estevez and Joshua Jackson-starring films hit screens between 1992–6, and have remained nostalgic favourites ever since. The trio of movies also spanned an animated show back in 1996; however, that's not the franchise's only leap into television. Because everything old is new again — including making that observation, because it just keeps proving relevant — Disney+ is bringing Mighty Ducks back courtesy of new series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. If Karate Kid can live on via the small screen, then so can this other beloved sports-focused saga, it seems. And like Cobra Kai, Game Changers is bringing back a familiar face when it debuts its ten-episode first season on Friday, March 26. That'd be Estevez, who reprises his role as Coach Gordon Bombay. Sadly, Jackson isn't involved this time around — but Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham will feature as the mother of a hockey-loving boy who helps him create his own team. Aimed at all ages — so at kids just discovering Mighty Ducks for the first time, and adults with fond memories — the show looks set to follow the underdog formula established in the films, as the first teaser trailer illustrates. It's set in Minnesota, where the Mighty Ducks are now a big deal, 12-year-old Evan Morrow (Brady Noon) gets cut from the team, and he and his mom (Graham) bring together their own crew in response — with the help of Bombay, of course. Check out the teaser trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zryz5mHXtw&feature=youtu.be The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers starts airing on Disney+ from Friday, March 26. Top image: Disney+.
Biding your time until the next seasons of Stranger Things and Orange Is the New Black start, or just looking for a fun new procrastination technique? Netflix's new online video game helps you do both — and outrun the Demogorgon, avoid prison cafeteria trays, send Pablo Escobar speeding through the Colombian jungle or Marco Polo dashing along a Chinese street. Four of the streaming service's popular original shows have been turned into levels in the free side-scrolling game Netflix Infinite Runner, and yes, the title is a great indication of what players will be doing. They each involve pressing the spacebar to send a running Mike Wheeler, Piper Chapman and company jumping over obstacles like Hawkins National Laboratory works and collecting items such as chickens. That's really all there is to it, but we all know that the simplest things can be the most addictive. Basically, don't underestimate how much time you're likely to spend playing them (and yes, we're talking from experience). Plus, in keeping with the low-res vibe, you'll also hear a version of each program's theme while you play. https://twitter.com/NetflixAsia/status/817263342838370311 Via The Verge.
Visiting a new city can be hard. Not only because you have to learn how to use their unique version of public transport, but most importantly because you need to maximise on eating only the most delicious food in the city. Stumble once and you've lost a valuable meal opportunity — a hurdle that is hard for an epicurious tourist to overcome. But take heart, we've compiled a list of ten eateries to visit when you come to Auckland so your mind will be consistently blown and all your worries of eating a subpar meal can be left in the overpriced taxi from the airport. AMANO, BRITOMART Amano is Pinterest personified. Bouquets of dried flowers dangle from exposed rafters, with the space huge and rustic and beautiful. And the menu is packed with bouquets of flavours that are mostly sourced from local growers or handmade onsite, so you can rest assured that anything you choose will have been made with a hearty dose of TLC. Whether you're a carnivore, herbivore or bonkers for a bit of pasta, your needs will be met and your expectations exceeded. Amano is cloud nine made of flowers, handkerchief pasta and happy bellies. COCO'S CANTINA, KARANGAHAPE ROAD If you're looking for a restaurant with personality and pizzaz, then look no further; charisma is in Coco's bones and bland isn't a word recognised in its vocabulary. Where owner-operators are celebrated and where community isn't a quaint concept but a way of life, Coco's is a restaurant with integrity. Your orders will be taken by waitstaff who feel like friends, and your food, sourced locally and very intentionally, will make you feel whole and perfectly full at the same time. Whether you're in the mood for a cheeky happy hour pomodoro or a romantic Italian meal, Coco's is the ticket. Don't forget to order a bowl of the legendary polenta chips, you won't regret it. GEMMAYZE ST, KARANGAHAPE ROAD Nestled in the back corner of the curious St Kevin's Arcade, Gemmayze St is a dining opportunity like no other. With all the finest Lebanese trimmings and traditional artefacts, Chef Samir Allen and his family aim to give everyone an authentic Lebanese dining experience. Ordering is simple, either you choose from the bursting menu or you simply say "bring" (in Arabic "jeeb") and the chef will provide you with a feast. Either way, you won't be disappointed. ORPHANS KITCHEN, PONSONBY Exploring national flavour and identity through offerings from the bush, ocean, orchards and fjords, Orphans Kitchen's food philosophy is beautifully holistic (they even have a rooftop hive where they collect honey). Beautiful on the inside too, its interior is warm and inviting. High tables surrounded by tall, sheepskin-covered chairs fill the main dining room, which hums with chatter that is occasionally lulled by a mouthful of food. The seasonal menu is homely and unpretentious, the flavours unique and unexpected. Hearty without being predictable, it's a culinary experience, unique to New Zealand, that you don't want to miss. PREGO, PONSONBY Before Ponsonby became the buzzy hive of restaurants and bars it is today, Prego was there. Since 1986, Prego has been serving up consistently great Italian eats with excellent service to match — not to mention a certain elegance and sophistication that has stood the ultimate test of time. Known as 'Ponsonby's Kitchen', Prego is known for its oven-baked loaf, amazing pasta and pizza that will hook you from the minute you take a bite (the bianco is a thing of dreams). The restaurant is an institution for a reason and a must-try for anyone who sets foot in Auckland. HAN, PARNELL Although it's tucked away on Parnell Road, Han should be at the forefront of your mind. Slick fit-out, slick service, slick food — the experience is one slick ride. Designed by Patterson Architects, the interior is a haven of industrial-chic, each table decorated with extractor fans that are as pleasing to the eye as they are practical. The modern Korean cuisine swaps traditional ingredients with finer, more exciting ones and introduces you to unexpected combinations — pork belly and kimchi in a pie, anyone? Han's authentic charcoal barbecue is a DIY experience not to pass up — the meat is prepared so perfectly by the chef, it's pretty much impossible for anyone to stuff up the barbecuing process. KISS KISS, BALMORAL If you've been hurt by undercooked pork belly and soggy bao before, Kiss Kiss will restore your faith in Asian-fusion. Found just off Auckland's busy Dominion Road, among some of the best Chinese eateries, Kiss Kiss can definitely stand on its own two feet. Its kitsch interior — dominated by neon lights, viewfinders and loud floral tablecloths — sets the tone for a fun evening. The pork ribs are insanely tender, the sauce worth licking every last finger for. The free-range lemongrass fried chicken bao is also a must-try, and it's small enough to allow you to fit more of the menu in. This bang-for-your-buck means you won't leave Kiss Kiss broke, but you will leave wanting more — after the food coma wears off, that is. FEDERAL DELICATESSEN, AUCKLAND CBD If you've ever wanted to experience a Manhattan deli from the 1950s, Fed Deli is just the ticket. From the mint green uniforms to the jars of pickles, cartons of cheesecake that line the walls to the kept promise of bottomless coffee — it's the attention to detail that makes the experience so effortlessly authentic. Sit in a cosy booth or take a seat at the counter where you can stare at the chefs and order off a menu stacked with New York deli-style food. Do not look past the poutine, it will be among the best you've ever had. The chicken salad sandwich doesn't go amiss either. Visit the 50s and one of Auckland's best eateries all in one night. CASSIA, AUCKLAND CBD Cassia was Auckland's first restaurants to introduce modern Indian dining, and we're sure glad they did. Owned and operated by Sid Sahrawat, one of New Zealand's most exciting chefs, Sid takes traditional Indian dishes and reworks them with modern, local ingredients. Located in the heart of the city, you'll find this south Asian gem off Fort Lane, down a set of stairs. Proving to the country that there is more to Indian food than just curry, the menu boasts mouthwatering flavour pairings you won't find many other places. There are only two mistakes you could make when visiting Cassia. One would be not ordering off the ever-changing G&T menu with its local offering of gins, and the other would be not leaving room for dessert. The apple sorbet with walnut, raspberry and white chocolate will be a welcome addition to your Auckland bucket list. IMA CUISINE, AUCKLAND CBD Ima means 'mother' in Hebrew. And if that doesn't prepare you for the onslaught of delicious food you will experience while visiting Ima, you can't say you weren't warned. Yael Shohat — owner of Ima, Israeli native and purveyor of all things delicious — wanted Auckland to experience the joy of a Middle Eastern family-style banquet, where plates and plenty of memories are shared. The interior is colourful, as is the feast, with every table bursting with displays of vivid generosity. The flavours are just as intense and wonderful, whether you're biting into the falafel or free-range chicken mesachan, your tastebuds won't be disappointed. Besides trying as much as you can, our only other advice is to wear pants with an elasticated waistband. LET'S DO THIS, HOW DO I GET THERE? Flights to Auckland from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are super short — around three-and-a-half hours on average — and Air New Zealand flies direct from all three cities and offers accessible fares. Once you arrive in Auckland, jump in a hire car and let your gustatory adventure begin. https://youtu.be/4kRccnc0F20 Book your flights to Auckland with Air New Zealand and start planning your next long weekend away. Looking for more Auckland food recommendations? Check out our Auckland restaurant directory here.
Pakistani activist and history's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai is heading Down Under, for two exclusive talks in Sydney and Melbourne this December. She'll appear as part of The Growth Faculty's thought-provoking Women World Changers speaker series — the same event that brought Hillary Clinton to Australia and New Zealand in May this year. Yousafzai was just 11 when she first launched her campaign to promote education for girls, penning a blog from her home city in Pakistan's Swat Valley. At 15, she survived an attack by the Taliban, and in 2014, went on to become the youngest person ever awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. Her remarkable story continues, as she sticks with the fight for education rights for every girl in the world. The activist co-founded the Malala Fund and currently studies at the University of Oxford. Now, for the first time, the inspirational 21-year-old will share her experiences with Australian audiences, speaking at Sydney's International Convention Centre on Monday, December 10, and at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre the following night. Catch An Evening with Malala Yousafzai at the International Convention Centre, Sydney, on Monday, December 10, and at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, on Tuesday, December 11. Tickets are $99, available via The Growth Faculty's website.
When Eric Bana (Dirty John) stepped into Aaron Falk's shoes in The Dry, more was always bound to follow. On the screen, the film became a massive Australian box-office hit in 2021 thanks to its twisty mystery, determined detective, stunning Aussie scenery and spectacular cast. It was capitalising, of course, on the story's proven success on the page. And, to the delight of movie producers and audiences, the beloved novel by author Jane Harper was just Falk's first appearance. Accordingly, throw that formula together again and you now have Force of Nature: The Dry 2, the big-screen sequel that hits cinemas in Australia and New Zealand on August 24. This follow-up sees the core duo of Bana and writer/director Robert Connolly (Blueback) return, with the latter again investigating a case. This time, as both the movie's initial teaser and just-dropped full trailer explore, he's looking into the disappearance of a hiker from a corporate retreat attended by five women. Alongside fellow federal agent Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie, Ruby's Choice), Falk heads deep into Victoria's mountain ranges to try to find the missing traveller — who also happens to be a whistle-blowing informant — alive. Also featuring in Force of Nature, which has a powerhouse list of Aussie talent just like its predecessor: Anna Torv (The Last of Us) as missing hiker Alice Russell, plus Deborra-Lee Furness (Jindabyne), Robin McLeavy (Homeland), Sisi Stringer (Mortal Kombat) and Lucy Ansell (Utopia). Richard Roxburgh (Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe), Tony Briggs (Preppers) and Kenneth Radley (The Power of the Dog) pop up, too, while Jeremy Lindsay-Taylor (Heartbreak High) is back in the role of Erik Falk. Touting its connection to The Dry right there in its name, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 comes after its predecessor did massive ticket-selling business. Not only did it notch up more than $20 million in Australian ticket sales, but it sat in sixth at the annual Aussie box office two years back after Hollywood franchise titles Spider-Man: No Way Home, No Time to Die, Godzilla vs Kong, Peter Rabbit 2 and Fast and Furious 9. Yes, greenlighting this sequel must've been the easiest decision ever. Yes, you can probably expect Harper's Exiles to get the movie treatment next. Reteaming not just after The Dry, but also fellow 2023 release Blueback, Connolly and Bana make quite the pair when it comes to Aussie crime cinema — with Connolly the producer of one of the best local crime movies ever made, aka 1998's unnerving The Boys, and Bana famously the star of the similarly excellent Chopper. Check out the full trailer for Force of Nature: The Dry 2 below: Force of Nature: The Dry 2 releases in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on August 24, 2023. Read our full review of The Dry. Images: Narelle Portanier.
A group of Yale University professors and students may have discovered an unconventional solution to the earth's growing waste problem: fungi. Participating in the university's Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory educational program, students engaged in discovery-based research, searching for plants and culturing the micro-organisms within their tissue. It was through this process that they came across fungi which can degrade and utilise the common plastic polyurethane. The fungus can survive solely off of this plastic, without any use of oxygen. As polyurethane is a large contributor to our waste issue, the introduction of this fungi could have real potential. The results of the study have been published in the 'Applied and Environmental Microbiology' journal. [via PSFK]
Thirty years' worth of PCBs, as well as heavy metals, sewage and urban runoff, have made the Hudson River a hazard for would-be swimmers for nearly a century. Clean-ups, initiated in the 1960s by Pete Seeger's Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organisation, and enforced since the 1980s by the US Environmental Protection Agency, have improved conditions significantly. Now, a new Kickstarter project, titled + POOL, promises to create a swimming basin in the Hudson's brother, the East River, right on the liquid doorstep of New York City. Fitted with an enormous layered filtration system, the pool will purify as much as half a million gallons of water daily. Consequently, New Yorkers will be able to swim in that part of the river, enjoying a level of cleanliness similar to 19th-century standards. Plus, of course, they’ll have the benefit of a 21st-century view. According to the project's creators, "+ POOL started with a simple goal: instead of trying to clean the entire river, what if you started by just cleaning a small piece of it? And what if you could change how New Yorkers see their rivers, just by giving them a chance to swim in it?" With 17 days of campaigning left to go, + POOL has raised US$120,360 of its initial US$250,000 goal, which will enable the construction of a 35' x 35' ‘Float Lab’ in August 2013. The final project is set to be completed in summer 2016, just before the Olympic Games. Donors receive rewards in the form of pool tiles and, so far, 1,328 people have pledged support. For US$25, you’ll see your name alongside seven others on a 'group tile'. For US$2500, you’ll earn yourself a 'graphic tile', featuring your logo, signature or any single-colour image of your choice, as well as 20 tickets to 'First Dips'. This means that you and 19 friends will be among the first individuals to jump into the pool, in the week leading up to its public opening.
Saving your loved ones from medical emergencies, reuniting with school friends, using AI in filmmaking, revisiting memories: whether or not you've ever wondered how these situations could turn into technological nightmares, you're about to find out how Charlie Brooker thinks that they can. When the seventh season of Black Mirror arrives, all of the above scenarios will feature across its six episodes, which viewers can check out from Thursday, April 10, 2025. Also included: sequels to season four's Star Trek-riffing USS Callister and choose-your-own-adventure movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Grabbing everyone's attention with one shiny promise, then delivering something else as well: if you've ever watched the dystopian franchise, then you've seen that exact situation play out several times. Soon, you're about to again. And yes, that does apply to the fact that following up USS Callister has long been promised, but doing the same with Black Mirror: Bandersnatch only started being teased in March when the first glimpse at season seven dropped. Netflix has now unveiled another trailer, which also includes episode titles. If you need more information on what's ahead, the streaming platform has revealed more details about each chapter in the new season as well. 'Common People' with Rashida Jones (Sunny), Chris O'Dowd (The Big Door Prize) and Tracee Ellis Ross (Candy Cane Lane) is where that life-saving storyline comes in, for starters, while 'Bête Noire' features Siena Kelly (Domino Day) and Rosy McEwen (Apartment 7A) in a tale of an unnerving reunion. To dive into the impact of artificial intelligence of making movies, you'll be watching Issa Rae (American Fiction), Awkwafina (Jackpot!), Emma Corrin (Nosferatu) and Harriet Walter (Silo) in 'Hotel Reverie'. Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Patsy Ferran (Mickey 17) star in 'Eulogy', about a man looking back with photorealistic detail. Then there's 'Plaything', where Bandersnatch's Will Poulter (The Bear) and Asim Chaudhry (Industry) return — this time joined by Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record) and Michele Austin (Hard Truths). In USS Callister sequel USS Callister: Into Infinity, Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Jimmi Simpson (Pachinko), Billy Magnussen (The Franchise), Milanka Brooks (The Windsors), Osy Ikhile (All American) and Paul G Raymond (Deadpool & Wolverine) are all back and stuck dealing with another problem. The latest episodes in Brooker's can't-look-away take on how humanity's use of gadgets and innovations can go devastatingly awry are hitting two years after 2023's sixth season, which is a short gap in Black Mirror terms given that there was a four-year wait after season five. Season seven's batch of Black Mirror episodes is also bigger than the past two seasons, thanks to its six instalments — which only season three and four have done in the past. Check out the latest trailer for Black Mirror season seven below: Black Mirror season seven will stream via Netflix from Thursday, April 10, 2025. Read our review of season six, and our interview with Charlie Brooker.
For this year's Vivid Sydney Dinner on Saturday, June 3, the Ivy Ballroom will transform into nature's playhouse, with each of the evening's experiences revolving around the central theme of 'rewilding'. Food, art, light installations and live music will celebrate nature in all its glory with a focus on all things Australiana. Food will be the centre piece of this Vivid Sydney event — led by Merivale Executive Chef Ben Greeno and renowned chef and author Danielle Alvarez (formerly of Fred's). They've joined forces to create a one-off menu that champions NSW's local and seasonal produce, pairing each course with a fantastic local wine. And as this is Vivid Sydney, expect immersive light installations interacting throughout the space all night long, creating a proper feast for the senses. [caption id="attachment_897981" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Food and drink at the Vivid Sydney 2022 Dinner hosted at ivy Precinct, Sydney CBD.[/caption] Then comes the star-studded musical numbers. Eddie Perfect will play host (and perform a few tunes) throughout the Vivid Sydney Dinner, and be joined on stage by a series of performers. You'll see alt-pop singer Montaigne, African fusion artist Julian Belbachir and beloved vocal powerhouse Christine Anu belt out some of their most popular hits to a room of your fellow lovers of music, food and art. To keep the party going, Australia's 'First Lady of House' Kate Monroe will jump on the decks for a bespoke Vivid Sydney set. It's going to be a big night. And if last year's Vivid Sydney Dinner is anything to go by, it will likely sell out well in advance. To book an entire 10-person table or a just few seats on the shared tables, head to the Vivid Sydney website.
George RR Martin is joining forces with art collective Meow Wolf to produce the most insanely magic art complex imaginable. Attempting to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter, the installation artists and the Game of Thrones mastermind want to build one epic art space: The Meow Wolf Art Complex in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Built within the site of an old bowling alley Martin bought specifically for the project, the complex will house 19 affordable artist studios, two rotating gallery spaces, and The David Loughridge Learning Center with arts education programming by local non-profit ARTsmart. But the real jaw-dropper here is Meow Wolf's plan for unprecedented 20,000 sq. ft. complex to be constructed by over 75 artists — dubbed The House of Eternal Return. Celebrated for their large-scale, immersive installation experiences, the Sante Fe-based collective Meow Wolf have just the ideas Martin was looking for when he bought the bowling alley. Following Meow Wolf's wildly successful interdimensional ship installation The Due Return in 2011, the team will likely be using most of the Kickstarter funds toward Meow Wolf's first permanent exhibition, The House of Eternal Return. Visitors will be able to crawl, climb and be immersed within the 'rooms' of the house, from trailer parks to crazy tree houses to spaceship-like condos. "The House of Eternal Return will be a radical new form of storytelling, where audiences are immersed within a multimedia art experience that unfolds through an interactive and magical narrative," says the team on their Kickstarter page. Here's their artist renditions of what's planned for the House: 'Crazy Tree Houses' 'Cactus Trailer Dream' 'Portals Bermuda' Martin and Meow Wolf have so far raised $45,654 of their $100,000 goal with 13 days to go. Martin intends to fully renovate the space ahead of Meow Wolf's 10-year lease on the property. Whattaguy. Check out the Kickstarter campaign here.
A 129-year-old boot factory in Sydney's eastern suburbs is being given a huge revamp by the Waverley Council, creating a meeting place for the community and for innovators in the area. Initially built in 1892, the three-level factory will be restored and upgraded, turning it into a civic innovation hub. The transformed space is being created with the intention of supporting and encouraging collaboration between industry, universities, government and members of the community in Bondi Junction and the surrounding eastern suburbs. "Our restoration and upgrade project, which showcases our commitment to repurposing old buildings, will breathe new life into this important precinct in Bondi Junction and bring this heritage building into the 21st century to be used by generations to come," said Mayor of Waverley Paul Masselos. Located at 27–33 Spring Street, at the rear of Norman Lee Place, the factory was originally built for the shoe manufacturer William Sidaway and Son, who produced Sally Smart footwear for David Jones. After also serving as the base for the Inventors Association of Australia and other community organisations in the 60s and 70s, the building was acquired by Waverley Council in 1984 for its heritage value — it's one of the last remaining Victorian industrial buildings in the area. It's been vacant since 2007. [caption id="attachment_808183" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Boot Factory circa 1911[/caption] The restoration will include work on the factory's roof and masonry perimeter walls, new floors and an interior fitout. Following this, flexible community spaces will be created, as will a new cafe, and the Norman Lee Place courtyard will be beautified. As part of the restoration project, the adjacent Mill Hill Community Centre is also being renovated, with the two buildings set to be connected and share facilities such as lifts and accessible amenities. The council has enlisted construction company Lloyd Group to complete the restorations and renovations. Work on the factory has already begun, and the full restoration and upgrade is expected to be complete in March 2022. The Boot Factory is located at the rear of Norman Lee Place at 27–33 Spring Street, Bondi Junction. For further information about the site's revamp, head to the Waverley Council website. Top image: artist impression of the civic innovation hub.
To hear the latest new tunes by Flume, you'll need to make a date with the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Volume music series when it returns for 2024. The Australian talent won't be performing at the event. There's no word of him popping up with Tkay Maidza, who is already on the festival's bill, following their 2023 single 'Silent Assassin'. But he has composed the soundtrack for a world-premiere installation in AGNSW's old Second World War oil tank that's been turned into a performance and art space. Featuring sound, projections, lighting and lasers, Every dull moment (EDM) hails from Flume and multidisciplinary artist Jonathan Zawada, and shows its inspiration right there in its name — EDM festivals, specifically. It has been designed for the unique site in Naala Badu, AGNSW's $344-million extension that opened in late 2022. Comprised of sequences spanning between ten and 90 seconds, the piece goes on continuously and randomly without repeating, paired with Flume's new compositions. It's also on the free portion of Volume's lineup. Not just Zimbabwean Australian singer-songwriter Maidza, but also André 3000's Australian-exclusive shows with his experimental jazz project André 3000 New Blue Sun LIVE, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Ghanaian Australian talent Genesis Owusu were previously announced as the event's headliners — all at ticketed gigs. Now comes the rundown of events that won't cost you a cent to enjoy between Friday, July 5–Sunday, July 21. Every dull moment (EDM) has company from a heap of excuses to see live tunes for free, featuring more than 30 local and international artists in total. Another huge highlight: Blak Country, a celebration of Aboriginal country music which will take place during 2024's NAIDOC Week. On the bill: Roger Knox, Kyla-Belle Roberts, Loren Ryan, Frank Yamma, Jarrod Hickling and Kathryn Kelly, as well as a playlist from musical talents from incarcerated First Nations communities as part of the Songbirds project. [caption id="attachment_957075" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Day[/caption] Volume is devoting another night, dubbed Extasis, to experimental sounds curated by Lawrence English, with Jim O'Rourke, Eiko Ishibashi and Hand to Earth among the artists featured. And, at Future Tilt, it'll spend an afternoon getting creative with salllvage, Lydian Dunbar, DeepFaith and more in experimental pop and electronic drone. Fennesz, amby downs, Jules Reidy, Seaworthy and Matt Rösner will be world-premiering new compositions across both AGNSW buildings — the new north building Naala Badu and the OG south building Naala Nura — in a program called Threshold, while Play on, play again, play forever will see musicians from Asylum Seeker Centre play tunes in response to the site's artworks each weekend. Volume initially premiered in 2023 with Solange and Sampa The Great taking to its stages. As the above lineup shows, the fest is using its 2024 program to build upon its first-year successes — and to give everyone plenty of motivation to experience the blending of music and art this winter. [caption id="attachment_957076" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emma Luker[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jim O'Rourke [/caption] [caption id="attachment_957078" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Hadfield[/caption] Volume 2024 Lineup: Headliners: Friday, July 5–Saturday, July 6 — Genesis Owusu Saturday, July 13 — Tkay Maidza Thursday, July 18–Friday, July 19 — Kim Gordon Saturday, July 20–Sunday, July 21 — André 3000 New Blue Sun LIVE Free program: Saturday, July 6 — Future tilt Saturday, July 6—Sunday, July 21 — Threshold Sunday, July 7—Sunday, July 21 — Every dull moment (EDM) Wednesday, July 10 — Blak Country Wednesday, July 17 — Extasis Dates TBA — Play on, play again, play forever [caption id="attachment_954053" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Navy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_954055" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @trippydana[/caption] [caption id="attachment_954056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bec Parsons[/caption] Volume 2024 runs from Friday, July 5–Sunday, July 21 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, with general ticket sales from 11am on Wednesday, May 22 — head to the festival website for further details.
If you love a TV show, you usually want more of it. The entire history of television is based on that fact. But with some series, you can eagerly devour every single episode and then hope that there's never another one ever. One such program: Dr Death. When it hit streaming queues in mid-2021, it instantly gave viewers their latest true-crime fix — and what a true-crime tale it told. Its focus: Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson, Little Fires Everywhere), a surgeon who was full of charm when he was trying to encourage folks with spinal pain and neck injuries into his operating theatre — or when he was attempting to convince hospitals, particularly in Texas, to hire him. But again and again, those surgeries ended horrendously. Actually, that's an understatement. The result was pure nightmare fuel — and it's for that reason, and not anything else to do the gripping series, that you might've wished that Dr Death would end there. That isn't set to be the case, however, with a second season now on its way. Duntsch's story is done and dusted, but he was just the first medical professional that the OG Dr Death — aka the Wondery podcast that shares the TV show's name — has focused on. Since then, the audio series has released two further seasons, with its third batch of episodes now providing the basis for the second TV adaptation. The new doc in the spotlight: surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, who earned the nickname 'Miracle Man' for his innovative operations. But his charm starts to fade when investigative journalist Benita Alexander approaches him for a story — a tale that'll change her life forever, too. Once again, all the details are drawn from reality. Once again, Dr Death is bound to prove disturbing whether you already know the ins and outs or you're set to discover them for the first time — as horror medical stories always do. Casting details haven't yet been revealed, and neither has a release date. In Australia, the new season is headed to Stan when it does arrive. In New Zealand, TVNZ On Demand streams the series. A trailer for season two of Dr Death hasn't been released yet either, obviously, but you can check out the trailer for season one below: Dr Death streams via Stan in Australia and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand — we'll update you with a release date for season two when one is announced. Images: Scott McDermott/Peacock.
Halloween came to this country so late that it's not so much a brother to its American counterpart, but more of a distant cousin who rarely keeps in touch. We've taken most of the superstition and spookiness out of the day, and us adults have claimed it for our own. It's unsurprising then, that Halloween weekend marks the grown ups fancy dress occasion of the year — when else can you dress up as a cool ghost and blow the froth off a few cold ones? There is a huge amount of amazingly creepy events going on around town this weekend, but the question remains, who has the best beats? The slickest 'stumes? The best brews? In an attempt to provide you with the answers you so desperately deserve, we've put together our picks of where to get your ghostly groove on this weekend. Top image: Karina Nash.
Vulcan is a tiny planet that a French mathematician discovered in the 19th century, but was shortly after discovered to have not actually been discovered as it did not really exist. So what does Sophia Hewson see as being like that, but sad? There are three works in this show: downstairs, a life-sized Neanderthal Christ in a passionate pose and an oversized icon, Help Me Saint Teresa of Avila, are hand-carved from polyurethane and coated in hundreds-and-thousands and varnish. Upstairs, a photoreal Madonna (the Virgin Mary kind) with junk-shop symbolic accoutrements is rendered in oil and resin in a piece called I can feel myself forming (my borrowed rib), But like a slug I am to mighty men. These works don't come across as specifically religious, despite their subjects and Hewson's evident familiarity with various conventions of religious representation. Nor are they irreverent in any inflammatory sense — the reconfiguration of the traditional iconographic elements and media of the composition aren't satirical. Instead, the layering of knowledge and subversion, and the use and representation the mass-manufactured, combine into a contemplative aesthetic in which the 'longing' of the title references unknowability and the means by which it is almost impossible to fully accept or reject this as an element of one's thought.
From towering silos to inner-city suburban landmarks, Melbourne-based street artist Rone has always been pretty creative about where he paints his large-scale murals. But for the last 12 months, he's been hiding away in the lush community of Sherbrooke, in the Dandenong Ranges, transforming the dilapidated art deco mansion Burnham Beeches into an artsy dreamland. Famous for his massive portraits that combine elements of beauty and ruin, alongside concepts of new and old, Empire is Rone's most ambitious project to date. It's set in the 'decaying glory' of the 1930s estate, which has periodically acted as a family home, research facility, children's hospital and luxury hotel. The mansion is now owned by the Vue Group but has been vacant for over 20 years. Empire spans 12 (previously empty) rooms over multiple storeys and centres around a series of the artist's signature 'Jane Doe' monochrome portraits — the muse for which is actress Lily Sullivan (Mental, Picnic at Hanging Rock). Apart from the murals, the art deco-era furnishings are courtesy of interior stylist Carly Spooner (Fitzroy's The Establishment Studios), who also worked on Rone's The Omega Project. The rooms have been furnished with over 500 antique pieces, including a moss-covered grand piano — which was left exposed in the open garden for several weeks to attain an aged effect. The four seasons play a major role in Empire, and this varying atmosphere was accomplished by a team of specialists — flairs of art, vision, sound, light, virtual reality, scent and botanical design will take visitors on an immersive multi-sensory experience. Expect a hauntingly beautiful vibe of an era-gone-by, as Rone seeks to create an ambiguous storyline that can be felt by each guest individually. Rone takes personal inspiration for the space from the Mark Romanek-directed music video for the Johnny Cash cover of Hurt (originally by Nine Inch Nails) — which should give a sense of what you're in for. Empire will run from Wednesday, March 6 to Monday, April 22 at Burnham Beeches. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased here.
Have you ever felt in over your head? Sold your kidney for an iPad? Made a deal you regret? Years ago, Michael Gow's opus Away became part of an educational pact with the board of studies — selected as an HSC example of clear structure and character development. Now Gow is directing a new arrangement of the classic deal-with-the-devil play Faustus for the Bell Shakespeare Company, starring John Bell as the devil himself. There are lots of endings for Faustus. Some with damnation, some redemption. Faustus himself (Ben Winspear) — based on real life doctor (or quack) John Faustus — trades his afterlife and soul with a devil named Mephistopheles (John Bell) for 24 years of earthly knowledge and power. There is some Frankenstein here, with a fear of new kinds of learning, and of new kinds of sciences, as though these things touch the mind of God with the gloves off. Gow has adapted this version from Shakespeare's contemporary Kit Marlowe, but given that he's also worked in elements from Goethe's happier Urfaust, who's to say where this Faustus is going in the end.
Marking its 13th year of celebrating a plethora of the world's best photographers, Australia's Head On Photo Festival is back and ready to showcase new stunning images at two of Sydney's major outdoor venues. The festival has gathered the works of 500 photographers across 107 exhibitions and will spotlight them at the Bondi Pavilion and Paddington Reservoir Gardens. Best of all, it's free for all to attend and enjoy. This year's theme centres on global issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global conflict, refugees, feminism, motherhood, pop culture, the environment, youth homelessness and gentrification. More specifically, the presented photos will provide the public insight into Sahat Zia Hero's life as a refugee in Bangladesh and unveil the reality of Syria captured by 21-year-old Syrian photojournalist Mouneb Taim. To commemorate the upcoming event, the Head On Foundation will host an opening night on Friday, November 4 at the Bondi Pavilion. Judges include Azu Nwagbogu (Founder and Director, African Artists' Foundation) and Kaya Lee Berne (Photo Editor, National Geographic Magazine). Visitors will also be treated to food, drinks and music for a night of fun and entertainment. [caption id="attachment_876615" align="alignnone" width="1920"] © Orna Naor, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival[/caption] Top image: © Kristie Lee, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival
Freya and Elias Berkhout’s relatively new sibling collaboration is off to a good start. They won the recent Sydney Festival Soundtrack Competition, which saw their tune 'Picnic!' played as the 2013 Festival’s theme song, and they’re now about to release their debut EP, See In Walk. Freya might be known to some indie music lovers for her work as one-half of experimental pop duo kyü, which appeared at Homebake 2009 and won the Hopetoun Incentive. However, Gnome’s sound takes on a new dimension altogether. She and her brother combine a range of influences and interests, and their work fuses classical and world music with electronica. Live, they float deftly executed harmonies over loops, creating dynamics through percussion breaks and rhythmic changes. Freya has described it as “loosely a combination of Brian Eno, The Knife and Sufjan Stevens”.
The 2014 Big Day Out lineup has been revealed, and it... sort of lived up to all those weeks of hype. Organisers spoke of their excitement at landing three "white whales", and the top of the ticket is pretty monumental. Pearl Jam is a classic choice for BDO headliner, Arcade Fire a welcome return visitor to the main stage, Blur a seriously impressive 'get' — and Snoop's good-natured, laaiiiiidbaaack style will be a nice counterpoint to the snarling grunge and indie-rock mania. And lucky Regine and that chick from The Lumineers — they'll have the backstage ladies loos virtually all to themselves! Here's the line-up in full: Pearl Jam Arcade Fire Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion Major Lazer Steve Angello Flume The Lumineers Tame Impala Dillon Francis Mac Miller Ghost Grouplove Flosstradamus Portugal. The Man Toro Y Moi DIIV The Naked And Famous Big Gigantic PEZ Mudhoney Cosmic Psychos Northlane The 1975 Loon Lake Kingswood Bo Ningen The Algorithm DZ Deathrays Peking Duk Ben Morris Rüfüs Gold Coast tickets are on sale on August 7; Sydney August 8; Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide on August 9 and Auckland on August 12 from the Big Day Out website.
City of Sydney has beefed up its fight against single-use plastic. Last week it launched a campaign in support of phasing out single-use plastic straws, which Aussies currently go through at a rate of around 10 million each day. Spearheaded by Deputy Lord Mayor and Deputy Chair of the Environmental Committee Jess Miller, the #SydneyDoesntSuck initiative throws its support behind venues taking positive action. The campaign identifies local bars and pubs that are ditching plastic straws, with punters able to search like-minded venues using the hashtag on social. It's operating alongside another initiative dubbed The Last Straw, which has set out to end the use of plastic straws in Australia, through its own extensive venue list published online. As part of the campaign, a new #SydneyDoesntSuck ad has been launched, which shows a patron at a bar asking for a straw in his drink, causing the whole room to stop and stare in silence. The guy pretty quickly caves in to the pressure, finishing with "Actually, I don't need a straw". The light-hearted video features local DJ Joyride in the role of bartender, plus cameo appearances by a bunch of Sydney bartending legends. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFBwdugk8YA Cr Miller's main aim for the campaign is to raise consciousness about our plastic use, especially within the entertainment and nightlife industries. "It's about looking to reduce single-use plastic straws in particular, because they're kind of like a gateway recyclability drug," Cr Miller told Concrete Playground. "But it also encourages venues to look at their broader operations." "It's not a full ban, it's not about saying 'we're not doing this', because some people will continue to need straws," Cr Miller said. "It's about the fact that the proliferation of straws we have is just way too much." The Sydney Opera house — including all of its on-site restaurants, such as Solotel's Opera Bar and Fink Group's Bennelong — is the latest organisation to join the #SydneyDoesntSuck campaign, pledging to be plastic straw-free by August 1, 2018. Solotel co-owner Matt Moran said in a statement that the ban at Opera Bar alone will prevent 1.3 million straws a year appearing in landfill. The campaign comes as venues across the country phase out single-use plastic straws, with even fast food giant McDonald's announcing it'll trial a switch to paper straws from next month. The movement has scored plenty of support on environmental grounds, though as highlighted by the ABC recently, it also has potential to marginalise disabled members of the community. A number of Aussies with disabilities rely on straws to eat and drink, and reusable versions aren't always an alternative. To find out what venues in your area are plastic straw-free, search #SydneyDoesntSuck on social media or head to The Last Straw website. Top image: Matt Moran and Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller
What does it mean to see our world from a female perspective? This question is answered in myriad ways by the short films of both upcoming and established women filmmakers from all over the world, gathered together for the 19th WOW Film Festival. Taking place over 10 days, the event's line-up promises an array of narrative moods, from the confessional to the humorous, as well as discussions (one with Margaret Pomeranz and Gillian Armstrong has already sold out). It's presented by nonprofit Women in Film and Television NSW, which supports women working in the screen industries. The Festival opens with the Australian debut of Moeder, a documentary film by emerging director Roma Hope D'Arrietta. Splicing up original Super 8 scenes with contemporary footage, Moeder (Mother) recounts the vicissitudes of life as experienced by D'Arrietta's mother, Sacha de Vries, whose story spans post-war Europe to contemporary Australia. Sacha's own mother suicided, leaving Sacha at 14 to seek out a new life as an international model and stylist with a secret burden of grief. D'Arrietta's exploration of how this family history impacts on her own understanding of life makes for a poignant filmic experience. The festival's many other interesting films interpreting the world through a woman's eyes can be scoped out here.
True crime and Cluedo collide with the launch of CluedUpp in Australia. The interactive detective game is coming to Sydney on Saturday, November 23, and brings the classic board game to life on the streets of the city — with a slight twist. The outdoor adventure will take you back to 1960s London to solve the double murder of the famous Kray twins. While the Kray twins were very real, very notorious British gangsters, they were not murdered IRL, just in this murder mystery. Forget Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the study, this event will bring you and your friends closer to reality and out onto the streets to solve the case. The game will kick off at a secret Sydney location at 10am and, depending how good of a detective you are, will finish between midday and 2pm. The best news of all, however, is that the event is dog friendly — and there are prizes to be won by both human and canine detectives. All you need to play is some friends and your phone. Dressing up as 1960s gangsters is encouraged, so you can really get yourself into character. A ticket will set you back $65 per team of six, but you only need two humans to play. With only 100 teams available, get in quick for your chance to solve the mystery.
When Avengers: Endgame reached cinemas back in April 2019, it was the culmination of more than a decade of superhero movies — and the box office behemoth was designed to help end the third phase in the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe. It definitely wasn't intended to be one of the last MCU movies to hit the big screen for a few years, of course, but that's how things have played out during the pandemic. After a two-year hiatus from cinemas — following July 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home — Black Widow brought the huge blockbuster franchise back to picture palaces just last month. Before the year is out, there'll be more where that came from. In early September, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will introduce a new figure, before Eternals arrives in November with more than a few fresh faces — and a big glimpse at life in the aftermath of the Avengers' battle with Thanos. The MCU has plenty of fans for all of its films, and for the ongoing saga that seems likely to never leave the silver screen, but Eternals has something no other movie in the franchise has ever boasted: history-making Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao. And, in not one, not two, but now three sneak peeks at her contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it looks like the Nomadland will be giving Marvel's next crew of superheroes — ancient and immortal alien beings who've been working in the shadows for thousands of years after arriving on earth via an eye-catching spaceship — a far more vivid yet naturalistic appearance. Led by Ajak (Salma Hayek, Like a Boss), these heroes are now forced to band together again to save the world from an evil threat, and also grapple with the effects of their inaction during the events of Avengers: Endgame. Narrative-wise, it seems like standard MCU stuff, at least on paper; however, with Zhao the helm, the film doesn't look or feel like your average Marvel movie, including in the movie's just-dropped latest trailer. The Eternals have always been charged with battling an enemy called The Deviants, and that's what Ajak, Ikaris (Richard Madden, Game of Thrones), Sersi (Gemma Chan, Captain Marvel), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, Stuber), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong), Sprite (Lia McHugh, Songbird), Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), Druig (Barry Keoghan, Calm with Horses) and Thena (Angelina Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead) will be doing here. One GoT star is never enough for any movie, so Kit Harington also features. In the new trailer, he doesn't appear to know nothing. Check out the latest Eternals trailer below: Eternals opens in cinemas Down Under on November 4.
In sad news, Bourke Street Bakery is moving out of Potts Point. However, the space won't stay dormant for long, as the folks behind Redfern's Moon Park, which closed in September 2016, will be moving in from July. And their new venture, Paper Bird, will be bringing you all-day eats, from, not only Korea, but Japan and China, too. So, if you've been missing that fried chicken with soy and maple syrup sauce, you'll soon be scoffing it again. Also making a comeback will be rice cakes with peanuts and gochujang (a savoury, sweet and spicy chilli paste). Among new arrivals, you'll find rice, clams and nori served in a stoneware bowl and Xi'an cumin lamb sausage rolls with cumin and black vinegar — a slight heart pang for Bourke Street Bakery fans. Paper Bird will open from 7am till midnight, which means breakfast will be served. "The breakfast dishes will be familiar, but with an Asian twist," says Ned Brooks, who co-owns the eatery with head chefs Ben Sears and Eun Hee An. "Singapore barbecue bacon, smashed avo and eggs on toast with dried fish, toasted muesli and persimmon ... It's often about swapping one European ingredient with an Asian one." On the drinks menu, you'll find about 100 wines, with 20 or so available by the glass. Brooks, who'll be running the bar, says, "Around 50 percent are Australian and 50 percent international, from France, Italy, Spain and America." There's also a high-end sake list, a bunch of craft beers and cocktails. Single Origin will be taking care of the coffee. Going against Sydney's current obsession with guttings and renovations, the team won't be tearing the site apart. "The fitout is already lovely," Brooks says. "It was made by craftsmen and we don't want to touch it too much. We don't want to see a beautiful bar top and dark wooden banquettes get ripped out and turned into landfill ... Sydney is an expensive city, but people still want to go out to drink and eat. One way to reduce prices is to spend less money on renovations." So, the space won't be getting much more than a lick of paint, some sound attenuation and some lighting, designed in collaboration with Phillip Arnold. There'll be indoor seating for about 60, including 10 spots at the bar, plus 15 places outside. Paper Bird will open in July 2017 at 46A Macleay Street (enter via Crick Avenue). Opening hours will be Monday to Saturday 7am–midnight, Sunday 8am–3pm. Image: Nikki To.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from March's haul of newbies. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL RIGHT NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBUwi9eXtXM SLAXX Ask any style guru for their opinion on denim, and they'll all likely give the same answer. Everyone needs a pair of killer jeans, after all — the type that fit perfectly, flatter every inch of your lower half, and that you just don't want to ever take off. In Slaxx, CCC is the store aiming to make all of the above happen. Already priding itself on its eco-friendly, sustainable, sweatshop-free threads, the chain is set to launch a new range of denim that moulds to the wearer's body, with the company's buzzword-spouting CEO (Stephen Bogaert, IT: Chapter Two) certain that they'll change the fashion industry. On the night before the jeans hit the shelves, employees at one store are tasked with making sure everything goes smoothly; however, as new hire Libby (Romane Denis, My Salinger Year), apathetic veteran employee Shruti (Sehar Bhojani, Sex & Ethnicity) and their over-eager boss Craig (Brett Donahue, Private Eyes) soon learn, these are killer jeans in a very literal sense. Quickly, the ravenous pants start stalking and slaying their way through the store. It's a concept that'd do Rubber's Quentin Dupieux proud and, in the hands of Canadian filmmaker Elza Kephart (Go in the Wilderness), the results are highly entertaining. Slaxx wears its equally silly and savage attitude like a second skin, smartly skewers consumerism and retail trends, and possesses stellar special effects that bring its denim to life — and, although never subtle (including in its performances), it's exactly as fun as a film about killer jeans should be. Slaxx is available to stream via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf34qI1hjKU MOXIE When Amy Poehler made her feature directorial debut with 2019's Wine Country, movie magic wasn't splashed across the small screen. But thankfully Moxie is now here to wipe that underwhelming comedy out of viewers' minds — and to demonstrate Poehler's knack at helming a high school-set tale of blossoming feminist activism. Adapted from the 2015 novel of the same name, the film follows 16-year-old Vivian (Hadley Robinson, I'm Thinking of Ending Things). Quiet, studious and happy hanging out with her similarly introverted best friend Claudia (Lauren Tsai, Legion), she has always known that her male classmates have an attitude problem, and that their teachers and the general status quo both enable it. But, until newcomer Lucy (Alycia Pascual-Pena, Saved by the Bell) arrives, she's never been willing to rock the boat and fight for change. Inspired by her mother's (Poehler) crusading teen years, she starts a zine that calls out the toxic behaviour around her. That's where the film gets its title, and her school is scandalised by the homemade publication's pages. Story-wise, Moxie isn't big on surprises, especially if you've seen more than a couple of teen flicks in your time, as everyone has. Nonetheless, it's always as impassioned about its tale and as angry about the way the world treats anyone who isn't a white male as it is engaging and hopeful. And, as it follows the quest for equality being passed from one generation to another, it boasts a stellar soundtrack — including Bikini KIll's 'Rebel Girl', of course. Moxie is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfpzdSJlv6o CALLS Everyone has heard about the response that The War of the Worlds reportedly sparked back in 1938. That's when Orson Welles adapted HG Wells' novel into a radio play, and the result was so convincing that it reportedly incited panic among listeners. Watching Calls, it's easy to understand how. 'Watching' isn't exactly the right term for this mystery series, though. Like all those folks glued to their radios 83 years ago, Calls' audience is forced to listen intently. Indeed, in terms of visuals, the series only provides two types: words transcribing the conversations heard, and abstract visuals that move and shift with each sentence uttered and every suspenseful pause left lingering. Accordingly, focusing on the snippets of phone chats that tell the program's stories is what Calls is all about. Remaking the French show of the same name, and directed by Evil Dead and Don't Breathe's Fede Álvarez, something much more than a small-screen version of a story-fuelled podcast eventuates. A starry cast voices the chats — including everyone from Parks and Recreation duo Aubrey Plaza and Ben Schwartz to Wonder Woman 1984's Pedro Pascal and The Lodge's Riley Keough — but it's the tension and power of their words that leaves an impression. Each of the nine episodes tells a short story that eventually builds an overall picture, and getting caught up in them all is far easier than the underlying concept might initially make you think. Calls is available to stream via Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceXaKIhuyOA SOLAR OPPOSITES For a significant portion of the past few years, TV fans have had a Rick and Morty-shaped hole in their hearts. After the anarchic animated series' third season came to an end late in 2017, it took more than two years for its fourth season to reach screens — and that wrapped up in the first half of last year. More Rick and Morty is coming, and more schwiftiness with it. But, in the interim, Solar Opposites is here to fill the gap. It too is created by Justin Roiland, and also features his voice work. And, it's a chaotic, raucous and very funny sci-fi sitcom that unleashes all manner of strangeness upon a suburban family as well. The immediate difference: the family here are aliens. Korvo (Roiland), his partner Terry (Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley), and the younger Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone, The Goldbergs) and Jesse (stand-up comedian Mary Mack) have crash-landed on Earth and are trying to make the best of it, but they're well aware that their new home pales in comparison to their old one. From that basic setup, anything and everything can and does happen, as seasoned R&M fans will easily expect. Going in, you can be forgiven for thinking that this'll come off as a clone of a beloved show, and there's no missing their shared DNA; however, Solar Opposites flies its own immensely funny, often flat-out ridiculous and always astute path. The first season of Solar Opposites is available to stream via Disney+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYl1DVIgbAg SHIRLEY In 2020, Elisabeth Moss had a great year. While the Mad Men and The Handmaid's Tale star has enjoyed a fantastic past decade, she turned in two of her best performances over the past 12 months. First came The Invisible Man, which twisted the classic horror tale in modern directions, including exploring gaslighting and the lack of willingness to believe women. Then, in Shirley, she stepped into the shoes of horror and mystery novelist Shirley Jackson. This is a movie by Madeline's Madeline director Josephine Decker, though, so it as never going to be a standard biopic about the The Haunting of Hill House author. Indeed, Shirley is drawn from a fictional novel by Susan Scarf Merrell, focusing on Jackson's home life with her husband Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name) during a 1964 period when teaching aide Fred Nemser (Logan Lerman, Hunters) and his wife Rose (Australian The Daughter star Odessa Young) come to stay. An agoraphobic, Jackson's routine is unsettled by her new houseguests, although an unexpected connection springs with unlikely kindred spirit Rose. In telling this story, Decker is far more interested in capturing the essence of Jackson and her sensibilities than slavishly sticking to facts, and her film all the better for it. Indeed, this subjective and engaging character study is daring, disarming, dark and, unsurprisingly, anchored by a pitch-perfect lead performance. Shirley is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otu7hGMgmcQ VIOLATION The rape-revenge genre isn't new, but two of the most powerful films to reach Australian audiences this year step into it with unflinching confidence. They do more than that, though. They savagely dissect society's willingness to accept that sexual assault is part of our culture — and misogyny, too. They demand that their audience not only spend almost two hours thinking about a subject so many would rather avoid, but that they have a visceral reaction. The movies: Promising Young Woman and Violation. Both are the product of first-time feature directors. Both include women among their filmmakers, either solely or as half of a duo. Both are anchored by blistering lead performances as well, and neither fades quickly (or at all) from memory. They'd make a stellar double bill; however, tonally, they each march to their own beat. In Violation's case, co-writer and co-director Madeleine Sims-Fewer (Operation Avalanche) stars as Miriam. As she visits her sister Greta (Anna Maguire, The Hummingbird Project) and brother-in-law Dylan (Jesse LaVercombe, Murdoch Mysteries), it soon becomes obvious that more than just a happy reunion is on the cards. Playing a traumatised woman soon grappling the reality of vengeance in a primal and tangible way, Sims-Fewer puts in a performance that it's impossible to look away from, but that's just one of the savvy steps that the actor/filmmaker and her co-director Dusty Mancinelli take. Violation is available to stream via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFHj8e7mU_I OPERATION VARSITY BLUES: THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL 'Eat the rich' isn't a Netflix category. But with Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal joining Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened in the streamer's catalogue, perhaps it should be. The former certainly makes the case for it, covering a criminal conspiracy that smacks of the wealthy abusing their cash and status in an egregious manner. No one could've avoided the headlines and reports when news broke about affluent, influential and/or famous Americans, including actors Lori Loughlin (Full House) and Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), deciding that they needed to bribe college officials to send their already privileged children to prestigious schools. Operation Varsity Blues neither assumes any knowledge on the viewer's part nor needlessly repeats itself, but those acquainted with the details and folks with just a passing interest so far will both find themselves swept through the ups and downs. The film's dramatisations — starring Matthew Modine (Stranger Things, Wrong Turn) as Rick Singer, the scheme's central figure — can feel clunky at times, but director Chris Smith (Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond — Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton) knows how to step through this tale. It worked for him on Fyre, after all, which he also helmed, and it works again in a documentary that's as much about a broken system as it the people who cheated it. Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzqevBnUUZU THE ASSISTANT Charting an ordinary day in the life of a junior staff member at a film production office, The Assistant is as unsettling as anything else that has reached screens recently. Jane (Julia Garner, Ozark) has the titular position, working an entry-level job for a demanding head honcho who everyone in the office indulges — although viewers never get to meet him. She arrives at work before daylight, trudges through menial tasks and is treated poorly by her male colleagues. She's expect to anticipate everything that her boss could ever need or want, or face his wrath if she doesn't. And, as the day progresses, she realises just how toxic her workplace's culture is and how deep its inappropriate conduct burrows. Seeing how predatory the man she works for acts on a daily basis, and how his behaviour has a significant impact, she also learns how those who even try to speak out can still be powerless to effect change to stop it. If you've kept abreast of the #MeToo movement over the past few years, you'll know exactly what has inspired The Assistant, of course. However, Australian filmmaker Kitty Green wants her audience to experience this devastating scenario via Jane, rather than merely read about it. She doesn't just succeed; although she's working in fiction here, she directs a film as searing and perceptive as her last project, the excellent documentary Casting JonBenet. The Assistant is available to stream via Binge. NEW SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bfAVpuko5o INVINCIBLE If you've ever shopped for a specific item on Amazon and found multiple similar versions of the same thing, then you already know what it can be like to dive into Amazon Prime Video's streaming catalogue. Many of its new additions instantly bring other shows in its catalogue to mind by sharing and mimicking elements, and Invincible follows that trend. At first, it'll have you thinking about The Boys. Next, you'll start recalling Undone. Those two series mightn't seem like a natural fit, but the combination of superheroes and existential malaise works well here. Animated like the latter, but willing to get bleak and dark with caped crusaders as the former does repeatedly, Invincible focuses on Mark Grayson (voiced by newly minted Oscar nominee Steven Yeun, Minari). The 17-year-old son of the well-known Omni-Man (J Simmons, Palm Springs), he's been waiting for his own powers to kick in — and, when they do, he's forced to grapple with exactly what that means. Among the star-studded cast, Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and Mahershala Ali (Green Book) all lend their vocal tones. Off-screen, The Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman is responsible for not only doing the same with the Invincible comic book, but with the series. What lingers most here is the mood, though, with the show at its best when it's getting contemplative and introspective with its teen protagonist. The first three episodes of Invincible are available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, with new episodes dropping weekly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWBsDaFWyTE THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER First things first: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier isn't WandaVision. It's much more conventional, and it doesn't boast a fabulous performance by Parks and Recreation's Kathryn Hahn, either. But, it does explore the everyday existence of both Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, Synchronic) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan, The Devil All the Time), who team up in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame — and it gives both characters space to be more than just supporting figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As proved the case in its fellow 2021 Disney+ newcomer, that's a welcome change in a realm that usually pushes action to the fore. Seeing how these two function as people, and as folks who know they've never been the stars of the show, too, brings depth to a franchise that doesn't always have it. Wilson is recognised everywhere including when applying for a loan for his family business, for instance, but fame and getting by financially don't always go hand in hand. Barnes has his murky history to deal with, and it weighs upon him as he tries to get through every day. But, of course, pooling their talents to stop villainous forces is still the name of the game in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier — as is is weaving in the returning Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness) and Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp, The Resident), and introducing Captain America replacement John Walker (Wyatt Russell, The Good Lord Bird). The first two episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are available to stream via Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly. Top images: Slaxx, Bertrand Calmeau/Shudder; The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2020.
More than 80 years after it was first sung and heard, Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' still isn't easily forgotten. Drawn from a poem penned to protest lynchings, it's meant to shock and haunt. It's designed to galvanise and mobilise, too, as drawing attention to the extrajudicial killings of Black Americans should. Indeed, so vivid is the song in its language — "Black bodies swingin' in the southern breeze" describes the third line — US authorities demanded that Holiday stop performing it. She refused repeatedly, so there were repercussions. Concerned that the track would spark change, inspire Holiday's fans to fight for civil rights and justice, and perhaps motivate riots against against oppression and discrimination as well, the US Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics went after the musician for her drug use. If it couldn't get her to cease crooning the controversial tune via other means, such as overt warnings and a prominent police presence at her shows, it'd do whatever it could to keep her from reaching the stage night after night. So tells The United States vs Billie Holiday, the latest Oscar-nominated biopic to step through its namesake's life. Back in 1972, Lady Sings the Blues loosely adapted Holiday's autobiography of the same name, enlisting Diana Ross to play the singer — but, in taking inspiration instead from Johann Hari's non-fiction book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, this latest big-screen vision of the music icon's story adopts its own angle. Holiday's troubled childhood and youth has its part in this tale, which is scripted for the screen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Her addiction, and the personal woes that she tried to blot out, clearly don't escape filmmaker Lee Daniels' (The Butler) attention, either. But The United States vs Billie Holiday also falls in alongside Seberg, MLK/FBI and Judas and the Black Messiah in interrogating bleak truths about mid-20th century America. That includes the misplaced priorities of its government during multiple administrations, and the blatant determination shown by an array of agencies under various presidents to undermine, persecute and silence those considered a supposedly un-American threat to the status quo. Framed by a late 50s interview between Holiday (Andra Day, Marshall) and a gossip journalist (Leslie Jordan, Will & Grace), Daniels' film flits back and forth through the former's life. Her career heyday takes pride of place, but complexity seethes through every facet of her existence — whether she's ignoring commands not to sing 'Strange Fruit' in the 40s, being sentenced to prison for narcotics towards the decade's end, making a sold-out comeback at Carnegie Hall, cycling through relationships with several abusive men or peering back at memories of her unhappy upbringing. The narrative anchor: Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes, Moonlight). Tasked by crusading Federal Bureau of Narcotics head Harry Anslinger (Garrett Hedlund, Dreamland) to infiltrate Holiday's inner circle, he becomes a pal, a lover and also one of the key figures responsible for her incarceration. He's regarded warily by Holiday's dutiful entourage, which spans her best friend Roslyn (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Kajillionaire), stylist Miss Freddy (Miss Lawrence, Star) and saxophonist Lester Young (Tyler James Williams, Detroit). And yet, Holiday consistently warms to Fletcher, including both before and after he starts questioning his real purpose. Holiday's status as a legend will never be diminished. Despite the US Government's concerted efforts otherwise, 'Strange Fruit' has cemented its place in history, too. But even given The United States vs Billie Holiday's iconic point of focus, her vitally important song, and the crucial and committed approach taken to both, the film that results here often feels little more than standard. It adheres to the biographical drama playbook, and uses Anslinger as a cartoonish villain. Its arrival on-screen in such close proximity to the aforementioned Seberg and Judas and the Black Messiah also imparts an unshakeable air of familiarity. The United States vs Billie Holiday is often rousing and moving. It tells an essential story, and tracks the tragedies and the triumphs alike. But it remains forcefully wedded to convention, to the extent that almost every second of the narrative plays out as expected, and every filmmaking choice as well — regardless of whether viewers already know the minutiae of Holiday's life intimately or are learning it anew. That well-worn sensation applies to most areas of the movie, except one. Day took her stage name from Billie Holiday's nickname, with Young dubbing the icon Lady Day — and in her first lead role, the 'Rise Up' singer turns in an absolute powerhouse performance. A Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama has already come her way, along with a Best Actress Oscar nomination, because this is an intense, impassioned, career-defining portrayal. Even when the feature itself becomes unfocused, including through Daniels' erratic stylistic flourishes, Day is simply mesmerising. She sings Holiday's songs flawlessly, and she also conveys the lifetime of struggle that lingers behind every word. She mirrors the star's presence, too; when she's centre stage, or placed in the centre of cinematographer Andrew Dunn's (The Children Act) frame, everything else seems to fade away. Day's rendition of 'Strange Fruit' isn't easily forgotten, fittingly; however, neither is anything about her performance. The raspiness of her voice expresses Holiday's pain, even when just uttering a single word. The fixed gaze her character continually directs Fletcher's way manages to be equally withering and melting, and the complicated rapport she shares with the also-excellent Rhodes makes for many of the movie's best moments. But if Day constantly vividly and memorably honours the woman she's playing — and she does, especially when she's belting out her songs — The United States vs Billie Holiday can't always claim to do the same. No one's life story should feel like it's ticking boxes, and Holiday's certainly didn't, but Daniels seems to forget that more often than anyone should. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGLmTd8q3Ec Image: Takashi Seida.
It's times like these that you can add a big summer gig to your diary, with Foo Fighters coming to Sydney in December. The Dave Grohl-fronted rockers will embark on their first headline tour of Australia since 2018. It's also their first visit Down Under since drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away in March 2022. Foo Fighters were last in Australia that same month and year, playing a huge Geelong show to help launch Victoria's post-COVID-19 lockdowns live music program. The band unsurprisingly took a break from touring after Hawkins' death, only returning to live gigs in 2023. In Sydney, they're headed to Accor Stadium on Saturday, December 9 with The Chats and Hot Milk in support — and more tickets are going on sale at 3pm AEDT on Friday, October 13. [caption id="attachment_903613" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scarlet Page[/caption] Picking up the sticks: ex-The Vandals, Devo, Guns N' Roses and A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese, taking on the likely-daunting task of being the touring drummer in a band led by Nirvana drummer Grohl. Freese's stint with the band was announced in May, ahead of their first tour dates. When they hit our shores, the new-look Foo Fighters will weave in tunes from their new record But Here We Are, which released in June. Of course, all the hits from across their career will get a whirl, with their current setlist including everything from 'This Is a Call', 'Big Me' and 'Monkey Wrench' through to 'Learn to Fly', 'The Pretender' and 'Best of You'. And, yes, 'Everlong', because it wouldn't be a Foo Fighters show without it. 'I'll Stick Around', which is also on the list, isn't just a song title from the group's first album. Given that their new tour comes 28 years after that debut release in 1995, it perfectly sums up Foo Fighters' longevity. Over the years, they've made it Down Under a heap of times, released 11 studio albums including the just-dropped But Here We Are, and made 2022 horror movie Studio 666. [caption id="attachment_903619" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mr Rossi vi Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Top image: Jo via Wikimedia Commons.
Among the many challenges that Australians have faced over the past year, our love of travel has been hit hard. Domestic border restrictions keep changing with frequency in response to new cases and clusters in different states, meaning that planning a holiday beyond your own city has been more than a little tricky. This was particularly true over Christmas and NYE, when an outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches saw many states quickly shut their borders to NSW — including Victoria. On January 1, 2021, Victoria closed its borders to all of NSW. Since then, it has reopened to regional NSW and all but ten Greater Sydney LGAs. From 6pm tonight, Friday, January 22, it's reopening to a further nine Greater Sydney LGAs — which means, only Cumberland will remain a 'red zone'. As part of Victoria's traffic light-style system, travellers from an 'orange zone' — which, from tonight, will include all of Greater Sydney (but Cumberland), Wollongong and the Blue Mountains — can enter Victoria, but they'll need to isolate on arrival and get tested within 72 hours, then when they receive a negative result they're free to leave isolation. They also have to apply for a permit before entry, too — like all Australians. Last week, Victoria introduced compulsory permits for anyone who wants to enter the state. If you try and enter Victoria without a valid permit, you risk being fined $4957. You can apply for one over here. Travellers who have been in the Cumberland LGA in the past 14 days, which is still a 'red zone', cannot enter Victoria. Folks who've been in a 'red zone' can apply to receive an exemption or a specified worker permit. The former covers instances such as emergency relocations, funerals, essential medical care, and people needing to return home for health, wellbeing, care or compassionate reasons. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1348469170472509440 From 6pm tonight, the rest of regional NSW (apart from the aforementioned orange zones) and Greater Brisbane will also be redesignated as 'green zones'. Travellers entering Victoria from a 'green zone' still need to apply for a permit, but do not need to get tested or isolate on arrival, unless they develop symptoms. The loosened border restrictions come as Victoria records its 16th consecutive day of zero new cases of community transmission. Overnight, the state did record one new cases in hotel quarantine. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1352361271946059788 As result of this long run of doughnut days, Premier Daniel Andrews has also announced that from 11.59pm tonight, Friday, January 22, Victoria will revert back to pre-NYE gathering restrictions, which means you are allowed up to 30 visitors at your home, double the current limit of 15. For more information on Victoria's new permit system — or to apply for one — head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoCkWJGCG5c&feature=youtu.be UNHINGED When Russell Crowe was cast in Unhinged, more than a few folks must've had a giggle — including the actor himself. The New Zealand-born Oscar-winner was famously arrested back in 2005 for throwing a mobile phone, after all, so enlisting him to veer off the deep end while clutching onto a phone was surely done with some winking and nodding in mind. Unhinged isn't a comedy, however. Given its premise, narrative and tone, it really couldn't be. A predictable and pulpy road-rage thriller, this grimly generic, thematically questionable film by director Derrick Borte (The Joneses) and writer Carl Ellsworth (Red Eye, Disturbia) tasks a puffed-up, scowling, growling Rusty with chasing terrified single mother Rachel (Caren Pistorius) around an unnamed US city purely because his entitled, just-divorced psychopath character is unhappy about her lack of driving courtesy. Her supposed crime: beeping her horn after he doesn't move his giant 4WD when the traffic light turns green on a busy weekday morning. In terms of story, that's largely all there is to this flimsy B-movie-style film. Both main characters have relationship struggles in their recent past, and Rachel has a pre-teen son (Gabriel Bateman) and other loved ones to worry about, but Unhinged is more interested in a mood of menace than any real detail — although the fact that its relentless car chase and carnage scenes are all shot and edited in the same way, and therefore mostly look the same, hardly imparts any tension. Also firmly on the movie's agenda: trying to explain away its villain's homicidal behaviour with broad generalisations about the world being an angry place right now. Oh, and even suggesting that Rachel has a hand in causing the traumatic ordeal. Yes, really. Crowe flings everything he has into his one-note part, although his forceful portrayal was never going to patch over the feature's silly plotting, its murky and infuriating message, or the reality that this is a movie about a toxic middle-aged man terrorising a woman because he's certain the world owes him respect. He's memorable, undoubtedly, but Crowe is also nowhere near as impressive as he has been in the recent True History of the Kelly Gang and The Loudest Voice, either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2iwDbvN6qE LITIGANTE In the course of Litigante's 93-minute running time, its protagonist faces more than one person should in a single lifetime. The Colombian drama only charts a very small portion of public works lawyer and single mother Silvia's (Carolina Sanin) life — her young child doesn't age in the film's frames — but sources of stress are hardly absent. Her strong-willed mum Leticia (Leticia Goméz) has just found out that her previously treated cancer has returned and metastasised, but she doesn't want to undergo any further treatment. Her five-year-old son is being bullied at school because his father isn't in the picture, and he's acting out in response. At work, Silvia is embroiled in a wide-ranging scandal, with her role in awarding a lucrative recent tender under investigation. And, after a grating radio interview with a journalist who tries to milk her professional situation for ratings, she actually finds herself immersed in a tumultuous romance with the man on the other side of the microphone. Any of the above plot points could fuel a film by themselves, and easily. But it's to writer/director Franco Lolli's credit that he doesn't hold back, simplify Silvia's situation or smooth down the many rough edges rubbing up against her day in and day out. Aided by exceptional portrayals by its first-time lead actress Sanin, as well as by the filmmaker's own mother Goméz, this quiet, patiently paced, finely observed drama instead bears witness as its main character navigates an ongoing onslaught of pain and struggle — and tries to find a way to cope or, at the very least, to balance all the competing elements of her Bogotá-based life. Naturalistically shot and performed, this is a movie made of small moments that mean as much as big revelations, and one that doesn't try to pretend that all bouts of life-changing trouble end with a return to happy normality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJhOysXvW5g 23 WALKS In 2016, when Dave Johns starred in I, Daniel Blake, the then-59-year-old comedian took on his first feature film role. The Ken Loach-directed movie won the Palme d'Or at that year's Cannes Film Festival, and earned Johns considerable and deserved acclaim — with his efforts as the titular character, who is forced to navigate Britain's uncaring bureaucracy to obtain government benefits when he's unable to work, proving one of the standout performances of the year. Alas, Johns' big-screen career hasn't maintained those heights in the years since, as The Keeper, Fisherman's Friends and now 23 Walks all demonstrate. In the latter's case, Johns is stuck in soap opera-esque territory, even as he flirts with a predicament not that far removed from the film that brought him to cinematic fame. Indeed, when 23 Walks reveals that Johns' on-screen surrogate, Dave, is battling the powers that be in an attempt to stay in his own home, it feels like the movie is purposefully trying to copy the actor's time with Loach. As this romance-driven feature continues, however, viewers can be forgiven for wishing that a simple rip-off of a better director's work was actually on the cards. The bulk of 23 Walks instead focuses on Dave's courtship with Fern (Alison Steadman). The pair literally cross paths while they walk their respective dogs, strike up a tentative conversation and slowly become closer over successive strolls, although plenty of road blocks linger in their way. As straightforward as its title suggests — yes, Dave and Fern just keep moseying and meandering — this two-hander by writer/director Paul Morrison (Little Ashes) tries to spice up its saccharine love story with overly melodramatic developments and musings on life's complications, but it all plays as bland and routine. And then there's the stiff dialogue, which even talent such as Johns and Steadman can't improve. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16 and July 23 — and our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island and Babyteeth.
