That glass of wine or icy cold beer you've been sipping solo and feeling guilty about it — it's about to become a thing of the past if you're a pet owner. Our furry companions share life's ups and downs, and now critters of both the feline and canine variety can share a beverage too thanks to the invention that is animal-friendly wine. It's the tipple that'll make humans feel better without even drinking it, and one that cats and dogs will enjoy... we think. Actually, it might just be something two-legged folks like the idea of more than their four-legged friends — but who doesn't want to pour their kitty or pooch a hard-earned drink? Currently available in the US, pet wine doesn't actually involve alcohol. Don't give your mouser or pup real booze, folks. Instead, it's made from beets, herbs and catnip, and comes in cutely named varieties such as The Doggy Mary, The Meowmosa, Catbernet, Chardognay and Pinot Meow. They're just some of the products startup Apollo Peak has been selling for the last two years, alongside special cat wine glasses — and they now have competition thanks to Pet Winery and their Catinis and Dog Perignon. Like all great ideas, someone else got their first, with a Japanese company releasing Nyan Nyan (or meow meow) Nouveau for cats back in 2013. Still, your purrfect pal surely won't mind, even if felines are known for their discerning tastes. Plus, your barking buddy now gets to join in the fun too. Via Good Food.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, 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=HdF25b1tv1g THE NEST Before watching The Nest, you mightn't have imagined Jude Law playing Mad Men's Don Draper. He didn't, of course. But this new 80s-set psychological thriller about a corroding marriage brings that idea to mind, because it too follows a man who spends his days selling a dream, thinks he can talk and charm his way into anything, and may have unleashed his biggest spin upon himself. More often than not, Law's character here has used his charisma to get whatever he wants, and to evade whichever sticky personal and professional situations he's plunged himself into. Indeed, stock trader Rory O'Hara slides easily into Law's list of suave on-screen roles, alongside the likes of The Talented Mr Ripley and Alfie. But there's also a tinge of desperation to his arrogance, as the actor showcased well in miniseries The Third Day. A Brit who relocated to New York and married horse trainer Allison (Carrie Coon, Widows), Rory looks the picture of Reagan-era affluence but, when he suddenly wants to return to London to chase new work opportunities, the cracks in his facade start widening. As directed with a heightened sense of dread by Martha Marcy May Marlene filmmaker Sean Durkin, The Nest busts open those fractures, with Allison, her teenage daughter Sam (Oona Roche, Morning Wars) and her son Ben (Charlie Shotwell, The Nightingale) all weathering the repercussions. While it's obvious from the outset that trouble is afoot, Durkin isn't in any rush to unleash The Nest's full nightmare. He wants his viewers to linger in it, because his characters must. Allison is forced to live with the knowledge that little is right, but the way she chain-smokes hurriedly illustrates that she also knows how far her fortunes could fall. Every move Rory makes is driven by his need to paint a gleaming portrait of himself, and he knows that it's a reverse Dorian Gray situation: the shinier and flashier he makes everything seem to anyone who'll listen, the more he rots inside. Durkin doesn't just rely upon an exacting pace and a festering mood of gloom, though. Reuniting with cinematographer Mátyás Erdély (Son of Saul) after 2013 miniseries Southcliffe, he gives every second of The Nest an eerie look — whether staying a few beats longer than normal on its opening shot, lensing vast rooms to emphasise their emptiness, repeatedly peering at the film's characters through glass or breaking out the most gradual of zooms. All that tension and unease conveys not only Rory and Allison's domestic discontent, but also the false promises of chasing capitalism-driven fantasies. And, with Coon as essential as Law and Durkin, it drives an excellent thriller that knows how how gut-wrenching it feels to realise that the life you don't even love is a sham. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZg2iEf-fTA EARWIG AND THE WITCH If you wanted to use Studio Ghibli's name as an adjective, it could mean many things, including beautiful, playful, moving, heartwarming, thoughtful and bittersweet. Thanks to the delightful combination of these traits in the company's work to-date, everyone knows a Ghibli film when they see it, as has proven the case for almost four decades. But, seven years after When Marnie Was There — and five years since French co-production The Red Turtle — the Japanese animation house has released a movie that doesn't slide instantly into its gorgeous and affecting catalogue. The studio's first film made solely using computer-generated 3D animation, Earwig and the Witch immediately stands out thanks to its plastic-looking visuals. That smooth, glossy imagery is impossible not to notice. It feels generic, and that sensation lingers. Indeed, almost everything in this slight, bright, likeable but rarely memorable addition to Studio Ghibli's filmography also earns the same description. And, despite focusing on a determined young girl, featuring a witch, and even including a talking cat and other helpful tiny critters, Earwig and the Witch rarely works Ghibli's usual magic. A by-the-numbers movie from the company is still better than many other family-friendly features — and this is average rather than awful, too — but the animated effort makes its audience work to uncover its modest charms. In a thinly plotted picture that tries to tick off as many of the studio's known traits as possible — and also endeavours to squeeze Ghibli's sensibilities into the broader anime mould, all while appealing more firmly to children than adults — viewers first meet Earwig (Kokoro Hirasawa) as a baby. After trying to shake off the dozen other witches chasing them along a highway during the opening scene of this Gorō Miyazaki (Tales from Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill)-directed film, her mother (Sherina Munaf) leaves her on an orphanage's doorstep, promising to return after her never-explained troubles subside. Ten years later, Earwig still roams the facility's halls. She brags to her offsider Custard (Yusei Saito) that she knows how to get its staff and its residents to bend to her will, and to whip up shepherd's pie on demand. And, she actively doesn't want to be adopted by the couples who stop by looking to expand their families. But when Earwig is chosen by witch Bella Yaga (Shinobu Terajima) and sorcerer The Mandrake (Etsushi Toyokawa), she has no option but to relocate to their enchanted cottage. Bella Yaga doesn't want a daughter, however. Instead, as based on the novel by Howl's Moving Castle author Diana Wynne Jones, the witch is in need of an assistant to cook, clean and crush rat bones for her spells. Seeing a chance to learn magic herself, though, Earwig isn't willing to acquiesce easily. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8t4VuMb__E WILD MOUNTAIN THYME It doesn't happen every week, thankfully, but every now and then a movie proves so ridiculous that it's impossible to forget. Some films overtly strive for silliness from the start, while others become ludicrous slowly and/or unintentionally — and Wild Mountain Thyme falls into the latter category. For most of its duration, this rom-com is somehow both bland and over the top. It sticks to a formulaic setup that takes a few cues from Romeo and Juliet, brings in neighbouring Irish farmers instead, and demonstrates zero reason for its central couple to remain apart. It does all of the above while throwing in so many shots of green Irish fields, you'd be forgiven for expecting to spy a sea of four-leaf clovers. And, it tasks Christopher Walken with narrating the feature with a terrible accent, and uses his first line to tell us that his character is telling this tale from beyond the grave. Again and again, Wild Mountain Thyme makes you question why its cast are involved, and wonder what Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan and Jon Hamm could've been doing instead. All those observations keep applying as its minutes drag by, too. But then comes a reveal that's as absurd as everything that Cats managed to serve up, and as unnecessary as well. Writer/director John Patrick Shanley won an Oscar for penning the script for Nicolas Cage and Cher-starring romantic comedy Moonstruck, which wasn't afraid to march to its own beat; however, there's no precedent for his latest movie's big leap. Worlds away from A Quiet Place's horrors — but perhaps not far enough from the Fifty Shades franchise's messiness — Blunt and Dornan play Rosemary Muldoon and Anthony Reilly. The pair have lived side by side all of their lives, and she has always had a crush on him, but nothing more than awkward friendship has ever arisen. Soon, though, something else upsets their patch of turf. As made clear in the opening narration, Anthony's father Tony (Walken, still having a bad run after The War with Grandpa) might not be long for this world. In his waning days, he's not convinced that his son has what it takes to keep working the land, so he's contemplating giving everything to his American nephew (Hamm, Richard Jewell) instead. Cast Blunt, Dornan and Hamm in the same rom-com, and there's obviously going to be a love triangle. At least Hamm doesn't have to put on a bad accent. There's a lyrical feel to the way Wild Mountain Thyme regards life, love and the land, but that's one of the very rare bright spots in a movie that only seems capable of operating in the lowest or highest of gears. It also features perhaps the least believable day-trip from Ireland to New York and back, but, if nothing else, it showcases Shanley's versatility — because last time he wrote and directed a movie based on his own play, as he does here, it was vastly dissimilar, four-time Oscar-nominated drama Doubt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZqVPMNgwP8 WILD THINGS There's much that's confronting in Sally Ingleton's Wild Things, including everything that the activists in its frames are fighting for. As long as the response to global warming remains woefully inadequate, it should feel distressing whenever you're reminded how the planet is changing, how quickly, what's at stake and what could be in store — even in a documentary that champions everyone who is doing everything they can to try to bring about much-needed action. But it's the torrent of anger directed at protestors at Queensland's Adani mine site that makes an immediate impact from Wild Things' array of footage. While the expletives shouted barely register, the tone behind them certainly does. So too does the sight of the same screaming semi-trailer driver inching his bulky truck closer and closer towards the standing activists, and yelling that he's doing it because he's got a job to do. Comparing his ire and threats with the signs held peacefully by the crowd, and the calm explanations from attendees about why they've taken up the cause, certainly sends a message. The earth is burning, and many who work in industries that exacerbate the planet's precarious state are simply burning with rage at anyone attempting to make a difference, rather than doing something to help face the situation themselves. Joining TV docos Australia's Great Flood and Acid Ocean among the environmentally focused works on her resume, Ingleton's film also joins a growing list of features about climate change. And, specifically, it sits among a subset of the eco-conscious genre that's only going to keep adding to its numbers: movies about activists. Where 2020's I Am Greta showed the battle from Greta Thunberg's perspective, including the toll it can take, Wild Things splits its focus between several groups on our own home soil. School kids who help plan giant marches and demand meetings with politicians, doctors willing to camp in trees to try to stop logging, grandmothers hoping to leave the world intact for their families, communities who've sprung up around their shared cause — they all earn Ingleton's attention. Along the way, the documentary also weaves in a history of Australia's environmental protests, calls upon ample footage of both past and present activities in action, and pays careful attention to the country's scenic landscape. Indeed, in terms of style, Wild Things sticks to a familiar template, as its heavy use of talking-head interviews demonstrates. But the power of the stories it's telling and the movement they belong to don't need slick packaging; these tales, this topic and the passion of those striving to bring about real efforts to combat the planet's warming resonate more than enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx8l_Hhm2Oo WRONG TURN Horror films may routinely tally up a hefty body count, but franchises in the genre rarely stay dead for long. The latest to return after a hiatus: Wrong Turn. Like the most recent Halloween movie, it keeps things simple by taking the same name as the original film in its series. Unlike that excellent addition to an entertaining saga, however, Wrong Turn circa 2021 is a reboot. The same broad concept carries over, but it's given new faces and a slight twist. So, once again, a group that doesn't usually hail from rural Virginia heads that way, only for its members to find themselves at the mercy of the locals. This time, it's Jen Shaw (Charlotte Vega, Warrior Nun), her boyfriend Darius Clemens (Adain Bradley, Riverdale), and their pals Milla (Emma Dumont, The Gifted), Adam (Dylan McTee, Roswell, New Mexico), Gary (Vardaan Arora, Blindspot) and Luis (Adrian Favela, Booksmart) who've made the trip, with plans to spend a couple of days hiking the Appalachian Trail. They're warned to stick to the official track by everyone in town, but shrug off those cautions when Darius suggests a scenic detour. And, they're soon doing more than just walking, with a community of mountain-dwellers who call themselves The Foundation crossing their paths — and showing their displeasure about the outsiders encroaching on their home. It's a credit to screenwriter Alan McElroy, who also penned the original 2003 Wrong Turn, that the series' seventh instalment doesn't stick as faithfully to its predecessor as it could've. That said, his script can't manage to successfully balance its nods to the franchise's slasher formula and its eagerness to cut into creepy cult territory — supplementing one set of horror tropes with another, basically — or to supply its cast with anything other than boilerplate dialogue. The film also stays in obvious terrain by painting its enthusiastic young hikers as a snapshot of liberal America, exposing their prejudices against small-town folks, then pitting them against the skull-wearing, vengeance-happy Appalachian inhabitants. The situation is never as simplistic as hipsters versus hicks, thankfully, but the movie isn't interested in diving particularly deep either. Director Mike P Nelson (The Domestics) and his crew do relish each and every savage trap set in the woods, as well as the minutiae of The Foundation's insular base, though. Indeed, while the feature's physical horrors prove engaging-enough at best, it frequently seems as if the filmmaker — and the film overall, in fact — would much rather focus on bloody kills and creepy decor, instead of paying lip service to bigger ideas. Nonetheless, although seven years elapsed between 2014's Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort and this average-at-best flick, don't be surprised if more now follow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdppl5Fnmys THE FOOD CLUB Since 2011, whenever a film follows a mature-aged group of travellers while they go on vacation to forget their daily woes, it earns comparisons to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its 2015 sequel. But another movie also casts a shadow over The Food Club, with its tale of three women holidaying in Italy and endeavouring to confront their romantic struggles in the process often reminiscent of the cringe-worthy trip to Abu Dhabi in the awful Sex and the City 2. That resemblance doesn't do this new Danish comedy any favours. Thankfully, The Food Club also bears a likeness to every other movie that's charted the new lease on life gained during a getaway, because most features in this category routinely prove that generic. The long list spans everything from How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Under the Tuscan Sun to Eat, Pray, Love and Made in Italy, and the feeling that if you've seen one then you've seen them all doesn't subside here. In the hands of director Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg (One-Two-Three Now!) and screenwriter Anne-Marie Olesen (Scandinavian TV series Black Widows), the combination of amorous entanglements, existential malaise and a scenic setting plays out as it usually does. It's Christmas Eve when Marie (Kirsten Olesen, Wild Witch) learns that her life is about to fall apart, after her husband Henrik (Peter Hesse Overgaard, The Legacy) tells her that he's seeing another woman. Their children and grandchildren have just gifted them a week in Italy to learn to cook the country's delicious dishes, however, and she's not willing to see that go to waste even in her anger and pain. So, when she passes on the present to her lifelong best friends Berling (Stina Ekblad, Thicker Than Water) and Vanja (Kirsten Lehfeldt, Equinox), they're thrilled — but they insist that Marie still goes with them. At first, she's barely interested in her surroundings or the food, preferring to compose text messages to Henrik instead, but the change of scenery and facing a few hard truths alters her outlook, and Berling and Vanja's as well. The Food Club is as predictable as it sounds, and it's scripted with zero surprises and plenty of time for the genre's cliches, but the film's three leading ladies do everything they can with their stock-standard parts. It's always obvious that Olesen's Marie will reassess her willingness to be at Henrik's beck and call, that Ekblad's no-nonsense Berling is hiding her self-doubts behind her overly libidinous facade, and that Lehfeldt's bereaved Vanja will learn how to move on from her loss, of course, but the three actors bring texture to their roles that isn't abundant in the straightforward script. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World and High Ground.
Everyone should make the trip to Victoria's Grampians at least once, and here's as ace an excuse to do so as any: the return of much-loved camping festival Pitch Music & Arts. In 2024, it'll host its seventh edition, taking over Moyston again — and the fest's just-dropped lineup is worth getting excited about. The long-running celebration unleashes its fun across the Grampian Plains, with next years' festivities happening from Friday, March 8–Tuesday, March 12. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, you're in for a very big, very busy four days. On the lineup: Janson, Patrick Mason, I Hate Models, 999999999, Job Jobse, Marcel Dettmann and VTSS, for starters. X CLUB., CC:DISCO!, DJ BORING, Kia and Jennifer Loveless are also on the bill, plus everyone from Chaos in the CBD, Sally C, Gabrielle Kwarteng and SALOME to jamesjamesjames playing back to back with Willaris. K, Glass Beams, Sophie McAlister and Tangela. The tunes will be paired with a yet-to-be-announced arts program, but past years have seen street artist Adnate, installation king Clayton Blake (winner of Best Art at Burning Man 2018) and Gumbaynggirr woman Aretha Brown from KISS MY ART do the honours. In between all the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festivalgoers can again make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, which is where yoga classes, meditation and sound baths usually help patrons unwind. If that all sounds like your true calling, you'll have to enter the Pitch Music & Arts 2024 ballot where, just like in 2023, entrants will be required to make a 'Pitch Pledge' — a written commitment to positively contributing to the Pitch community, leaving no trace and behaving respectfully while onsite. PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2024 LINEUP: 999999999 Ahadadream Akua Anz Aroha Aurora Halal Bailey Ibbs Bambounou Bertie Bitter Babe Cakes Da Killa CC:DISCO! Chaos in the CBD Chippy Nonstop Chlär Clara Cuvé Cromby dameeeela b2b DJ PGZ Dan Shake Daniel Avery DJ BORING DJ Gigola Gabrielle Kwarteng Gerd Janson Glass Beams Hasvat Informant Horse Meat Disco I Hate Models jamesjamesjames b2b Willaris. K Jennifer Loveless JNETT Job Jobse Kessler Kia KiNK KSMBA LB aka LABAT Mac Declos Mama Snake Marcel Dettmann Mark Blair Matisa MC Yallah & Debmaster MCR-T Memphis LK Moopie Narciss Nene H Nite Fleit ØTTA Patrick Mason priya RONA. Sally C SALOME Sedef AdasÏ Shampain SHERELLE Sophie McAlister Special Request Spray Surusinghe Tangela THC TYGAPAW VTSS X-Coast X CLUB. Yikes Pitch Music & Arts will return to Moyston from Friday, March 8–Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 8. General tickets will go on sale from 6pm AEDT on Monday, November 13. Top Images: Duncographic, William Hamilton Coates and Ash Caygill.
Death and vengeance are the common threads in Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales, one of the most deliriously savage black comedies to hit cinemas in years. Argentina’s nomination to the most recent Foreign Language Oscar race, the film consists of six separate vignettes, following six everyday people driven to the point of no return. The ensuing mayhem resembles the spawn of the Coen Brothers, Almodovar, Tarantino and Bunuel; a wicked tour de force as sharp as a corkscrew and every bit as twisted. Whether it’s a wealthy couple trying to cover up their son’s indiscretions, a lowly waitress taking revenge on the man who ruined her family or just two drivers struck down by a serious case of road rage, every chapter in the film is propelled by a wonderful inevitability: eventually, everything will be thrown horribly, hysterically and often violently out of control. And believe it or not, there’s actually method to Szifron’s madness — an intelligence lurking beneath all that wonderful chaos. The cathartic pleasure we feel watching his characters rebel against what’s socially (and ethically) acceptable comes directly from our own frustrations with the everyday world. Wild Tales is in select cinemas (Sydney: Dendy Newtown and Palace Verona. Melbourne: Palace Brighton Bay and Cinema Nova) from May 21, and thanks to Sony Pictures, we have 15 double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Read our full Wild Tales review here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au
Every October, Sydney's world-class food scene is front and centre for Good Food Month. Taking over restaurants across the city, the annual food festival sees pop-up restaurants and dinners from some of the world's best chefs, as well as pasta parties, oysters aplenty and the return of the Night Noodle Markets. Despite the global pandemic, the 22nd edition of the celebration is going ahead in 2020, too, but, this time, the focus is a little more local, with some of the best Australian chefs in the spotlight. For one night, Elizabeth Hewson, of the soon-to-be released cookbook Saturday Night Pasta, will host a multi-course pasta feast in the grand surrounds of Eleven Bridge on Saturday, October 24. While you down bowls of carbs — paired with matched wine and beer — your ears will be treated to a playlist of soothing jazz featuring the likes of Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. [caption id="attachment_783505" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Icebergs Dining Room[/caption] The Italian theme continues with a one-off dinner at Icebergs Dining Room, which will see you (or at least your tastebuds) transported to the southern Italian coastal city of Naples. Expect lots of seafood, too, at a Hook, Wine & Drinker dinner, promising premium oysters, chardonnay aplenty and laughs courtesy of the three hosts: chef Neil Perry and seafood experts Stephen Hodges and John Susman. Loyal fans of The Good Weekend Quiz should prepare for the first-ever live rendition of the weekend ritual, which will, of course, be food and drink-themed. Round up your smartest mates for this, folks. And of course, Good Food Month's ever-popular Night Noodle Markets are back for another season. But, as announced last year, they will no longer be held at Hyde Park. Details are scarce for now, but we've been told they'll be "as you've never seen them before". We'll keep you updated on what exactly that means. An extended program of events in regional NSW and at smaller venues, dubbed Friends of Good Food Month, is set to be announced in the upcoming weeks, too. Tickets for Sydney Good Food Month go on sale at 9am on Thursday, September 17. Top image: Night Noodle Markets by Leticia Almeida
Sometimes, Zac Efron earns headlines because he's spending the pandemic in Australia. Sometimes, it's thanks to whichever film he has in cinemas. And, sometimes it's because he's been in the gym preparing for a movie, as has Jeremy Allen White. That flick getting the Gold and The Bear stars bulked up and bringing them together? The Iron Claw. In this wrestling drama, the Von Erich family is rumbling onto the big screen, with help from not just Efron and White but also Harris Dickinson (Scrapper), Maura Tierney (Your Honor), Holt McCallany (Mindhunter) and Lily James (What's Love Got to Do with It?). The IRL brood get the biopic treatment in this 80s-set effort from Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Nest director Sean Durkin — and if you're wondering why, then you've clearly never heard of the "Von Erich curse". As the just-dropped trailer for the A24 film shows, the Von Erich brothers are all keen wrestlers under the guidance of patriarch Fritz (McCallany), who is pushing his inseparable offspring to be the best. The line between encouraging and domineering is thin, however, in a tale that piles on more than its fair share of tragedies along with championships. "Ever since I was a child, people said my family was cursed," says Kevin (Efron) in the first sneak peek at The Iron Claw, which is named after a wrestling move associated with Fritz and the family. "Mom tried to protect us with god, pop tried to protect us with wrestling," he continues. "He said if we were the toughest, the strongest, nothing would ever hurt us. I believed him. We all did." What happens from there will hit picture palaces in the US on Friday, December 22, and then on Thursday, January 18 Down Under. From the first footage from the film — which comes set to Blue Öyster Cult's '(Don't Fear) the Reaper', cowbell and all — viewers can expect training scenes, pressure, plenty of skin, Fritz issuing his sons rankings regarding his favourites, complicated family bonds, trauma, in-the-ring action and James as Kevin's wife Pam. Check out the trailer for The Iron Claw below: The Iron Claw hits cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 18. Images: Brian Roede / Eric Chakeen.
Nine months after Randwick's Soul Burger ditched the meat products and embraced an all-vegan menu, the purveyors of plant-based goodness are heading west, this week launching a second store in Glebe . With this new addition to the family, Soul Burger continues in opposition of big agriculture, with owner and founder Amit Tewari keen to shake up the Aussie food culture and help inspire a shift towards plant-based eating. And it looks like he's firmly on the right track, given that Soul Burger's is the kind of menu that both carnivores and vegans will be beating down the door for. Think maximum feasting, for minimal artery clogging, with plant-based beef, snags and fish, egg-free sauces, and lighter, vegan cheese stealing the spotlight. The Glebe store will be rocking all the same treats as the original, including those addictive sweet potato fries, coconut shakes and the ever-popular Sumo burger, which teams plant-based beef and spicy sausage with roasted peppers, mushroom, cheese, salad, herbed mayo and tomato relish. Tomorrow's launch will kick things off in style, with burger lovers of all persuasions invited to check out the new Glebe Point Road digs, and spread the vegan love with a celebratory, meat-free feed. Plus, if you're one of the first 50 punters through the door, you'll even score yourself a burger on the house. Get there early. Soul Burger Glebe will open at 5pm tomorrow, Wednesday, September 28, at 111 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. For more info, visit soulburger.com.au.
Puppies underwater. That's all you really need to know. But if you're looking for some more context, photographer Seth Casteel is actually one of the world's biggest catches — the man teaches puppies to swim. Teaches. Puppies. To swim. According to Mashable, Casteel has taught over 1500 dogs to paddle their way to glorious swimming success, building up their doggy confidence so they can impress the canine babes in their teen years. Shooting the lessons for his just-released and made-for-everyone-ever's coffee table book Underwater Puppies. Casteel has been doing this for a while; his first book Underwater Dogs followed the same vein. Not since these outrageously excellent photographs of dogs captured mid-shakedown have we squealed with such unfettered delight. Just look at this dude: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4ZZNVrU9w34 So here you go, the ultimate scrollworthy medicine for an average Thursday. ACK. Ruger Corey Rolley Pringles and Pick Me Reason Popsicle Monty Ava Ginger Iggy Via Mashable. Images: Seth Casteel.
UPDATE: JULY 17, 2020 — All of the Hella Mega Tour dates for Australia and New Zealand have been cancelled due to COVID set backs. Tickets will be refunded but no new dates will be released. For more information, head to the event Instagram. We hope you'll have the time of your life with the latest retro tour announcement. We hope it makes you feel just like Buddy Holly, too. Bands who were big a couple of decades back just keep teaming up and heading to our shores for nostalgia-dripping gigs — and, in music to our greedy ears, Green Day, Weezer and and Fall Out Boy have revealed that they're all doing just that come November 2020. Hot on the heels of a similar announcement by The Offspring and Sum 41 just last week, the bands who gave us 'American Idiot', 'Undone — The Sweater Song' and 'This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race' will be hitting up Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, before heading over to NZ for shows in Auckland and Dunedin. It's the latest leg of the trio's Hella Mega Tour, which they first announced in September last year, and which sees them play across Europe, North America, and now Australia and New Zealand. Green Day, Weezer and and Fall Out Boy have all actually released new music lately, with Green Day's 13th album dropping today, February 7, and Weezer's 14th album expected in May. That means they'll all have new tunes to bust out as well. But, admit it — if you're excited about seeing this trio of American rock bands share a stage, then you're excited about hearing their respective back catalogues live. Given they've been doing their punk-styled thing since the late 80s, Green Day certainly have plenty of iconic tracks — whether you prefer early 90s hits 'Welcome to Paradise' and 'When I Come Around', the late 90s-era likes of 'Good Riddance' and 'Nice Guys Finish Last', or mid-00s songs like 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'. Weezer's discography is just as hefty — and if they don't play 'Island in the Sun' while they're touring these islands in the sun, you're allowed to be upset. As for Fall Out Boy, the tour comes just after they dropped their second best-of album last November, so you know they'll treating audiences to everything from 'Dance, Dance' to 'Uma Thurman'. Local support for all shows comes from New Zealand power-rock four-piece The Beths. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erG5rgNYSdk THE HELLA MEGA 2020 AUSTRALIAN and NZ TOUR DATES Perth — Sunday, November 8, HBF Park Melbourne — Wednesday, November 11, Marvel Stadium Sydney — Saturday, November 14, Bankwest Stadium Brisbane — Tuesday, November 17, Suncorp Stadium Dunedin — Friday, November 20, Forsyth Barr Stadium Auckland — Sunday, November 22, Mt Smart Stadium Fan pre-sale tickets for The Hella Mega Tour go on sale at 10am local time on Monday, February 10. Then, there will be a Live Nation pre-sale — that starts at 10am local time on Tuesday, February 11 in Australia, and 10am local time on Thursday, February 13 in New Zealand. Finally, general tickets on sale at 11am local time on Friday, February 14. Visit the tour website to sign up for pre-sale and for further details.
Ever since the ABC's War on Waste aired in May this year, we've seen a significant shift in the way people think about waste — from the bananas amount of bananas that are thrown away each day to the single-use coffee cups and plastic items we thoughtlessly use whenever we like. But it's that last item — plastic — that's seen some big companies spring to action. Last month grocery chains Coles, Woolworths, and NSW-based Harris Farm announced that they would ban single-use plastic bags by from 2018 — a huge (and influential) example of big business leading change. Now Hobart City Council is planning to take city-wide action by phasing out single-use plastic takeaway containers and cutlery completely. According to the ABC, the council voted 10-1 to amend draft environmental health bylaws which will see the items banned by 2020. They'll be replaced by compostable alternatives, which will be processed at a proposed new facility. If the changes are implemented, Hobart will be the first Australian city to completely ban single-use plastic containers — and it's quite possible others will follow suit. Last year France last year committed to phasing out single-use plastic plates, cups and cutlery across the entire country by 2020. Slowly, it seems the tide is finally changing — and hopefully we'll see a lot less plastic in it. Via ABC.
For all the logicality of urban planners and architects, we often end up with some pretty weird conglomerations of concrete and steel around town. Once in a while, we all end up staring at a nonsensical urban nook while waiting at the traffic lights and thinking, 'why?'. Austrian choreographer Willi Dorner and his company take that reverie one step further with Bodies in Urban Spaces. They see an odd little city space and think: human Tetris. So how does it work? Dorner enlists a group of movement artists (whose skills are not solely focused on dance — he also hires climbers, martial artists and circus performers) and choreographs a performance that sees these 20 human bodies, clad in bright colour-blocked clothes, gracefully shove themselves into any sort of architectural gap they can find, hold their positions for several minutes and then effortlessly wriggle out of the tight spot and move on to the next. What it means for the passer-by is that your eyes fall on brightly colour-blocked human staying perfectly, magically still in an otherwise dead space. "Bodies in Urban Spaces is an invitation to let go, to take the time for a new look at the city, an opportunity to think so that we can form opinions about what makes a city a liveable space, and eventually make changes to achieve that goal," says Dorner. Bodies in Urban Spaces premiered in 2007 and has been co-produced by festivals and venues across Europe and the US ever since. It will be appearing in Sydney for Art & About on Friday, October 11, and Saturday, October 12, from 12.30-2pm. Check out more of their cheeky and surreal appearances around the world in the images below.
Over the past few years, Gelatissimo has whipped up a number of creative flavours, including frosé sorbet, gelato for dogs, and ginger beer, Weet-Bix, fairy bread, hot cross bun, cinnamon scroll, chocolate fudge and bubble tea gelato. Most recently, it made Biscoff, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey's Kisses varieties, too. For its latest offering, the Australian dessert chain is taking inspiration from another beloved foodstuff — in case you can't choose between tracking down and devouring some Caramilk chocolate or licking your way through a few scoops of ice cream. Yes, that very combination is now on the menu, with Caramilk Hokey Pokey-inspired gelato earning the honours as Gelatissimo's January flavour of the month. Now on sale, it starts with caramelised white chocolate gelato — which is then topped with hazelnut and peanut toffee pieces. If you're only just learning about Caramilk Hokey Pokey bars, that's because they haven't been easy to come by in Australia — but now you can try the next best thing in ice cream form. At Gelatissimo, the new gelato flavour will only be available for the month of January at all stores Australia-wide, and only while stocks last. That includes via delivered take-home packs via services such as UberEats, Deliveroo and DoorDash. Gelatissimo's Caramilk Hokey Pokey gelato is available from all stores nationwide for the month of January.
If you're the one tasked with booking the office Christmas party, there's likely a whole mess of pressure on your shoulders. Trying to please everyone is no easy business, so the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel have put their hand up to take that stressed-out frown and turn it upside down. The famous waterside hotel, which has constant stunning views of the harbour, is a stellar place to celebrate the silly season with your workmates. In terms of catering, you can choose from a slew of different menu options, including platter, banquet or something called the Grand Feast which sounds exactly how you'd want to spend a staff party. Drinks are a breeze too, with the option of including a roving spirits bar with your own personal cocktail-slinging buddy. Marry the two with their Bells by the Bay package which includes a three-course feast and four hours of drinks for $152 per person. With only a few weeks to go until Christmas lands in our laps, now would be a great time to get the party squared away. With oodles of space around the hotel, and recommendations for sweet activities like paddle boarding, the Watto has your yuletide festivities under control.
You could say that humans and space got fairly chummy in 2012 as they reconnected in many new and exciting ways. It was a fantastic year for NASA. As many new discoveries and advancements were made with the planet Mars, we have extended our view of space and said goodbye to a space legend. Through highs and lows, Earth has become but a dot in our ever-increasing knowledge of the universe, and these moments have significantly increased potential for space exploration in the future. Perhaps the worlds of Futurama, Star Trek, or Total Recall are really not that far away after all. Here are 10 of the most remarkable space moments from BBC News that occurred in 2012. 10. The Supermoon Once a year, a cosmic event occurs in which the full moon appears 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than in other months. 2012's 'Supermoon' occurred in May and produced some truly spectacular photographs. 9. First Triathlon in Space NASA astronaut Sunita Williams became the first person to run, bike, and swim her way through a triathlon - in space. The US commander of the Expedition 33 crew on the space station 386km from Earth completed the Nautica Malibu Triathlon held in California along with her fellow athletes. She completed the course using exercise equipment: a stationary bike, a treadmill, and a strength-training machine specially formulated for weightlessness. 8. 26 New Alien Planets in 11 Solar Systems In January 2012, NASA announced that its Kepler telescope discovered 11 previously unknown solar systems, within which there were 26 alien planets, known as exoplanets. The size of these planets ranges from 1.5 times larger than Earth to even bigger than Jupiter, with their orbital periods ranging from 6 to 143 days and all of them located closer to their stars than Venus. This find almost doubled the quantity of planets discovered by Kepler in its two-year history and reinforces the exponential number of planets, particularly exoplanets, that exist in our universe. 7. The Earth Sings The Earth really gained a voice as NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission managed to capture radio waves emitted by energetic particles of the Van Allen belts in the magnetosphere and rendered them into an audio recording. This 'chorus' apparently sounds similar to a whale's song. 6. Space Shuttle Endeavour's LA Trek Endeavor was the fifth and final spaceworthy shuttle to be used in NASA's space shuttle program. The retired orbiter conducted 25 space missions during its 19-year career from 1992 to 2011. In October, the 155,000 pound Endeavor made its final mission, trekking the 12-mile journey from the Los Angeles International Airport to the Californian Science Centre, avoiding trees, utility poles, and the mass of stunned onlookers. 5. SpaceX Dragon attaches to the ISS The Dragon is a reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX, a private American space transportation company, that in May became the first commercial spacecraft to be successfully attached to the International Space Station. The Dragon delivered a series of cargo shipments, which brought 20 metric tons of supplies into space. This advancement brings the possibility of private space flight significantly closer to reality. 4. Space Jump Breaking the world record for not only the highest jump from a platform (128,100 feet), the longest distance freefall (119,846 feet), and the maximum vertical velocity (833.9 mph), stuntman Felix Baumgartner also broke the YouTube record for the most concurrent views ever on livestream (8 million viewers). This Austrian daredevil really took record-breaking to new heights. 3. Farthest Ever View into the Universe This view captured by the Hubble Space Telescope depicts thousands of galaxies within the constellation Formax, billion of light years away. The composite image from 10 years of telescopic views shows planets so far away that they don't even exist anymore. The title eXtreme Deep Field feels highly appropriate here. 2. Goodbye to a Space Pioneer and Legend The end of an era arrived when the world bid farewell to Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon in 1969. The world renowned astronaut passed away at 82 after complications from a heart bypass surgery but will forever be remembered for his incredible feat. 1. Curiosity Rover Makes History on Mars The most impressive advancement to occur in the space arena in 2012 was the Curiosity Rover's incredible experiences on the red planet. Since making her landing on August 5 — an event so tense it was deemed 'the seven minutes of terror' — the rover has discovered an ancient streambed where water once flowed, analysed soil, rock and atmospheric samples on the planet, been the first machine to 'check in' on Mars, and snapped an incredible self-portrait that would leave even MySpace users flabbergasted. And her trip has only just begun, with 20 more months to go before her return.
A quick word of warning: If you suffer from FOMO, the following images may send you on a path of unending regret. The first weekend of Coachella has come and gone and not only have you forfeited a chance to soak up the likes of Blur and Phoenix but you've also missed out on chilling with some of the coolest over-50s to ever grace the festival. (And, before you ask, the answer is yes. They've still got it.) 1. Clint Eastwood Pictured here with daughter Francesca, Clint may appear a little dazed and confused. Never fear though; once Benny Benassi dropped the bass on 'Satisfaction', no-one partied harder. 2. Pierce Brosnan Mr Bond is always keen for a mosh. If he looks apprehensive, it's because someone offered him a stirred martini while congratulating him on the success of Skyfall. 3. Danny DeVito Men of Danny DeVito's stature are in short supply at plebeian events such as the Coachella Valley Music Festival. It was no small matter to have Danny present. Because, really, who thinks little of him? Also: Melanie Griffith! 4. David Hasselhoff National hero or national embarrassment? Neither. He is a god. 5. Coachella Rave Dad While you might not recognise this gentleman right away, that doesn't mean that he wasn't born for fame. Say hello to 'Coachella Rave Dad'; the greatest discovery of the weekend. When you're ready, click on each Vine image to witness sweet, sweet moves.
He's responsible not just for a big Australian movie franchise, but for the big Australian movie franchise. He's also followed a pig in the city, made penguins dance, gotten witchy and granted wishes, too. He's Australian filmmaking icon George Miller, and he has just joined the Sydney Film Festival lineup for 2024 to talk about his career, and of course Mad Max and Furiosa. Mere weeks after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hit cinemas — starring Anya Taylor-Joy (The Super Mario Bros Movie) as Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Love and Thunder) as wasteland warlord Dementus — Miller now has a date with Sydney's annual cinema showcase to chat about on-screen storytelling. For company, he'll have someone else who knows a thing or two about action cinema, and just filmmaking in general: stuntman and filmmaker Nash Edgerton, brother of Joel (Dark Matter), and director of episodes of Bodkin, plus Mr Inbetween, Gringo and The Square. The Road to Furiosa — George Miller with Nash Edgerton will take place at 3pm on Saturday, June 15 in the Sydney Film Festival Hub at Town Hall, on the second-last day of the fest. SFF's full dates: Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16. Miller won't just be stepping through his work in a general sense, either. The director that started the Mad Max franchise 45 years ago and has helmed four more films in the saga — and has Babe: Pig in the City, The Witches of Eastwick, the two Happy Feet movies, Lorenzo's Oil and Three Thousand Years of Longing on his resume as well — will dig into a specific action sequence, if you want to find out how it was executed. After also adding a visit from Elvis star Austin Butler for his new picture The Bikeriders and straight-from-Cannes body-horror flick The Substance as closing night's flick since announcing its 2024 program, Sydney Film Festival has now popped something for Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon fans on the bill, too. Ahead of season two's arrival, the Iron Throne spend time at Martin Place from Wednesday, June 5–Friday, June 7. Yes, you can sit in it. Other talks and events on the program also include a queer cinema night, going all in on the 80s to tie in with opening night's Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, K-pop fun as part of a Korean cinema celebration and a session on the impact of AI. [caption id="attachment_959668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belinda Rolland © 2023/SFF[/caption] Sydney Film Festival 2024 takes place from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Read our interview with George Miller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and our review of the film. Top image: Sonna Studios.
As it speeds towards notching up two decades of superhero movies and TV shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has experienced both ups and downs — but in 2025, it's finally getting fantastic. This is the year that the Fantastic Four joins the franchise, stepping back to Mister Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Thing and The Human Torch's beginnings in the 1960s in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie hits cinemas in July; however, you can get your first sneak peek now courtesy of the just-dropped teaser trailer. Before there was a MCU, there were Fantastic Four movies. The initial two to earn a big-screen release arrived in 2005 and 2007, with the latter hitting the year before Iron Man kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Deadpool and Wolverine did 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine, the Stan Lee- and Jack Kirby-created superhero quartet now join the list of characters who are being brought into the MCU fold, as has been on the cards ever since Disney bought 20th Century Fox. Stepping into Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm's shoes this time, as first revealed for Valentine's Day 2024 in the US: Pedro Pascal, who adds the MCU to his resume alongside the Star Wars realm (thanks to The Mandalorian) and game-to-TV smash The Last of Us, as stretchy group leader Richards; Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), who is bending light as one of the Storm siblings; Joseph Quinn (Gladiator II) proving fiery as the other; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), who is no one's cousin here, instead getting huge, rocky and super strong. In The Fantastic Four: First Steps' debut sneak peek, the focus is on family: family dinners, as cooked by Grimm; family connections and quirks; and the strength of family helping the titular crew with existence's challenges. "Whatever life throws at us, we'll face it together — as a family," Sue notes in the trailer. Pascal and company are taking over from two batches of past movie takes on the superhero team. In the 2005 and 2007 movies, Ioan Gruffudd (Bad Boys: Ride or Die), Jessica Alba (Trigger Warning), a pre-Captain America Chris Evans (Red One) and Michael Chiklis (Accused) starred. Then, in 2015, Chronicle filmmaker Josh Trank gave the group a spin — still outside of the MCU — with Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick), Kate Mara (Friendship), a pre-Black Panther Michael B Jordan (Creed III) and Jamie Bell (All of Us Strangers). Directed by WandaVision, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Succession's Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps pits Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach against Ralph Ineson (Nosferatu) as space god Galactus and Julia Garner (Wolf Man) as the Silver Surfer. Also co-starring: Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai), John Malkovich (Ripley), Natasha Lyonne (Fantasmas) and Sarah Niles (Fallen). Check out the first teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below: The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Images: courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and 2025 MARVEL.
Squid Game is a "remember when" show. We all remember when we first saw the South Korean Netflix series, became obsessed, couldn't binge it fast enough, and talked about it and nothing else for days, weeks and more. If you watched it when it initially debuted, that was back in 2021 — and we've been waiting for more ever since. 2024 is finally set to deliver, with Netflix advising shareholders as part of its fourth-quarter earnings review that Squid Game will be back this year. There's no other new details so far, but the series is set to return before 2025 rolls around, alongside season three of Bridgerton and season two of The Diplomat. One of the best new TV programs of 2021, Squid Game was such a huge smash that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that a second season was on the way, and also dropped a teaser trailer for it the same year. And, it turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. After getting the world seeing marbles, hopscotch and tug of war as far more than ordinary, innocent activities that everyone enjoyed when they were kids, the streaming platform also revealed in 2023 exactly who'll be playing Squid Game season two. Lee Jung-jae (Deliver Us From Evil) returns as the show's protagonist Seong Gi-hun, while Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) will be back as the masked Front Man as well. They'll be joined by Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, plus Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two. Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) will all join the series. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Check out Netflix's Squid Game season two cast announcement video below: Squid Game's first season is available to stream via Netflix — we'll update you with an exact 2024 release date for season two when one is announced. Images: Netflix.
What does it mean to be you? The Art Gallery of New South Wales explores the ever-changing nature of identity in their new film series, Me, myself and I. The series, which will run alongside the 2016 Archibald Prize finalist exhibition, will showcase a new film each week from July 27 to October 16. They've got one killer lineup in store too. Many of the films in the series are old-school classics like The Shop Around the Corner — the 1940s film You've Got Mail was based on — and, one of our personal faves, Hitchcock's iconic 1959 film North By Northwest. But the series doesn't exclusively look to the past for answers to this age-old question of self. Also featured is the 2009 French film À l'origine — which follows the story of a professional conman — and the critically-acclaimed 2006 Iranian film Offside, a comic drama about a group of Iranian girls who disguise themselves as boys in an attempt to illegally attend a soccer match. Screenings will take place on Wednesdays and Sundays from July 27 to October 16. Tickets are free and issued at the Gallery's Domain Theatre an hour before each screening. For the full program, visit the AGNSW website.
The Australian bottleshop deserves a do-over. For too long we've purchased our grog at generic liquor stores that only really highlight the big, familiar names. Enter Native Drops. Bondi Beach's newest drinks retailer is putting a refreshing spin on the way we buy alcohol, turning the quick dash up to the bottle-o into an experience that features not only wine tasting, but also meet the maker sessions and workshops for customers. "Supermarkets can't showcase a lot of good wine in these places because they're being supported by big labels which have demand requirements to fill," co-founder Daniel Ferster explains about his venture, which aims to offer a sophisticated alternative to the model Aussies currently know. Ferster and his business partner Daniel Berman are the wine-obsessed brains behind the month-old space, which sells solely Australian wine, beer and spirits. It's a boutique business that emphasises the importance of buying local and provides a glimpse into just how vast, delicious and amazing the nation's industry is. Regions from Tasmania to the Margaret River are represented, with the selection hand-chosen and centred around small batch and often biodynamic producers. Featured wine producers include The Other Right, Arfion, Swinging Bridge, CRFT and Charlotte Dalton. Native Drops also plans to stock native cheeses, and will open a deli section in February. The interior design is earthy and rustic. Designer and architect Andy McDonnell has repurposed the site into a truly intimate space. It's low-lit and clean, with splashes of timber, copper and stone. Australian flora and fauna are celebrated with wildflower arrangements by local floral designer Selena Murray. "We've got a big tasting room attached and we're hosting a weekly wine-tasting series," says Ferster. "It's fashion-forward space and a cellar door-like experience." Native Drops is located at 7/19-23 O'Brien Street, Bondi Beach. Opening hours are 10am to 5pm every day, except Thursday (10am to 7pm) and Saturday (10am to 10pm). Visit their website for further details.
Time to brush up on your gin. The Rook is celebrating Gin & Tonic day with a week of celebrations, so expect lots of homages to the versatile spirit. It kicks off on Monday with the usual monthly meeting of gin lovers at the Rook, the Juniper Society (named after the plant gin is infused with). Anticipate an array of modern twists on the classic G&T from some of Sydney's best bartenders. Slated for the celebration on April 9 — the official International Gin & Tonic Day—includes lemon sorbet inspired by the spirit of the week and music by Sydney-based Rainbow Chan. $5 Tanqueray will be on tap all night, making sure everyone gets their Gin & Tonic fix. Friday promises to be a French-inspired gin day, with French pop being spun all night by So Frenchy So Chic and Daniel Clement. G&Ts with a sophisticated twist of G'Vine gin are not to be missed either.
They topped Triple J's Hottest 100 in 2002. They've featured Dave Grohl on drums. Their third studio album Songs for the Death is one of the all-time-great 00s records. They're Queens of the Stone Age, of course, and now they're bringing their latest tour Down Under in 2024, with the band heading our way for the first time in six years. The Josh Homme-fronted group's The End Is Nero tour will be their first trip to Australasia since 2018, and comes after their eighth album In Times New Roman... released in June this year. Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore are giving their latest shows an apocalyptic theme, which fans can look forward to seeing at 11 stops in February and March. [caption id="attachment_923130" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andreas Neumann[/caption] On the itinerary: kicking off the tour in Perth, then heading to Adelaide, Hobart, Torquay, Melbourne, Sydney, the Gold Coast and Brisbane — plus Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The Hobart gig will take place on the Mona Lawns, with the date coinciding with Mona Foma 2024 — and yes, they're the Tasmanian fest's first act, with the rest of the event's lineup yet to be revealed. Concertgoers can look forward to a setlist that steps through QOTSA's 27-year history, including their Hottest 100 winner 'No One Knows', plus everything from 'Go with the Flow' and 'Make It Wit Chu' to 'Emotion Sickness' and 'The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret'. In support: Pond and Gut Health on most Australia shows, with The Chats, Spiderbait and Lola Scott joining them in Torquay and on the Gold Coast. In NZ, Pond and Earth Tongue will do the honours. [caption id="attachment_923129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wünderbrot via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Queens of the Stone Age formed in Seattle in 1996 after Homme's prior band Kyuss split up, is linked to the Palm Desert music scene and have seven Grammy nominations to their name. Despite the long gap since their last trip Down Under, they're no strangers to playing Australia, including a joint tour with Nine Inch Nails back in 2014. See QOTSA in February after catching Foo Fighters on their November–December Australian and New Zealand tour and you'll have quite the 00s rock experience. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE 'THE END IS NERO' AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2024: Saturday, February 10 — Red Hill Auditorium, Perth Tuesday, February 13 — The Drive, Adelaide Friday, February 16 — Mona Lawns, Hobart Sunday, February 18 — Lookout, Torquay Common, Torquay Monday, February 19 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Wednesday, February 21 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Saturday, February 24 — Lookout, Broadwater Parklands, Gold Coast Sunday, February 25–Monday, February 26 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Thursday, February 29 — Spark Arena, Auckland Friday, March 1 — TSB Arena, Wellington Sunday, March 3 — Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch Queens of the Stone Age are touring Australia and New Zealand in February and March 2024, with presales from 11am local time on Wednesday, October 25 and general ticket sales from 1pm local time on Monday, October 30 — head to the band's and ticketing websites for more information. Top image: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.
April 14, 2018, will forever go down in history as the day Beyoncé took to the Coachella stage and made it her own. If you were lucky enough to be there, you'll no doubt remember it forever. If you watched the live stream — and it became the most-watched live-streamed performance of all time, so you probably did — then you'll never forget it either. Whichever category you fell into, you likely wish you were closer to the action — to the stage for the 105-minute performance, to the 100-plus dancers, to its powerful homage to America's historically black colleges and universities, and to the backstage antics as well. Enter Netflix's Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé, the concert documentary you definitely knew you needed, but didn't know existed until now. On Wednesday, April 17, the streaming platform will release the in-depth look at Beyoncé's epic show, revealing "the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement" according to the official synopsis. The film reportedly clocks in at 137 minutes, so expect a lengthy and intimate tour through the festival set everyone has been talking about for a year, including behind-the-scenes footage and candid chats that delve into the preparation process and Beyoncé's stunning vision. Even if Beyoncé hadn't put on such a fierce 32-song performance complete with a marching band, Beychella still would've made history. Her performance was a year in the making, with the music superstar originally scheduled to play in 2017, but dropping out due to pregnancy (with twins Rumi and Sir). And when she finally appeared before the California crowd, she became the first black woman to headline the fest — and only the third woman to do so in 20 years. News of the film comes just as one of Beyoncé's 2018 co-stars, her sister Solange, announced that she was pulling out of this year's Coachella due to "major production delays". Check out the trailer for Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB8qvx0HOlI Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé hits Netflix on Wednesday, April 17.
In Woody Allen's latest film, Cate Blanchett plays Jasmine, an unpleasant socialite who's fallen on hard times. Jasmine finds herself at odds with her adopted sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins), whom she plans to stay with until she is back on her feet. Jasmine had little time for Ginger when she was living high on the hog in Manhattan and finds herself appalled at Ginger's working-class lifestyle and new boyfriend, Chili (Bobby Cannavale), a mechanic. The story flashes back and forth between Jasmine's glamorous New York life of polo matches and Hamptons holidays and her later comeuppance in California. Along the way, Ginger and ex-boyfriend Augie (Andrew Dice Clay) make a rare visit to New York, where Jasmine suggests husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) can invest money for Ginger and Augie. The flashbacks find Jasmine in wilfully ignorant bliss, raising the question of whether she should have taken more of an interest in his staggering accumulation of wealth. The prickly figure of Jasmine, a character who is by turns contemptible and pitiful, washing Xanax down with vodka as she endlessly recounts stories from better times, is perfectly realised, and Blanchett's compelling work lights up one of Woody Allen's darkest films. Blue Jasmine is in cinemas on September 12, and thanks to Hopscotch Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BXnktqEWvGM
By the time the triple-headline Blind Date Tour comes to an end with final shows in Sydney and Brisbane, the bands will have visited seven cities across Australia, bringing the nation together for eight fantastic shows. Sydney's Jinja Safari were recently called "a bristling force of nature" by New York label Neon Gold. And before jetting off to the UK for a massive set at the Isle Of Wight Festival, they're eager to remind their fans exactly why they've been given that title. Auckland's Opossum deliver a sound drenched in groove-laden psychedelia, with homespun tales about love and drugs from the just-released Electric Hawaii that'll take the crowd on a hazy roller coaster. Playing a set labelled as "a cul-de-sac of orgasmic, sweet indie-synth psychedelic-pop" that'll blow minds, Los Angeles' White Arrows round off the triple bill. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hswn0ScuvG0
For those, like us, who like their festivals a little more niche and boutique, you can't go past St. Jerome's Laneway Festival. From its modest debut in a Melbourne back alley, the festival has grown to tour nationally and has consistently provided audiences with the newest and most innovative independent artists. After last year's successful international launch in Singapore, St. Jerome's Laneway Festival returns in 2012 with another instalment that is sure to please. French electronic project M83 is the festival's greatest drawcard, fresh off the release of his widely-praised album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. Combining a beautifully mellow sound with pop appeal, M83 will close the festival in spectacular fashion. A refreshing break from the brash sounds associated with the dubstep genre, British producer SBTRKT will perform his brand of deep bass music behind his trademark mask in February. SBTRKT has recently remixed the likes of Basement Jaxx and Franz Ferdinand, and labelmates Young Turks Sound System will also be in attendance. After a four-year hiatus, Feist returns to treat audiences at St. Jerome's Laneway Festival once again. With the recent release of her album Metals, audiences can expect a powerful performance from this Canadian songstress. Jonti will grace audiences with his diverse instrumentation and distinct arrangements, while he has collaborated with the likes of Santigold and Mark Ronson prior to even releasing an album. The renowned musician, deisgner and photographer Toro Y Moi will bring his live show to Australia, which has been described as "a flashy, sex-fueled 80s rooftop fiesta." Need I say more? Pitchfork and NME heroes Girls will also make an appearance. Begin ironing your vintage-print shirts in excitement, because St. Jerome's Laneway Festival is not to be missed. Want to win a double pass to St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in Sydney? To go in the running , just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au by 5pm on Wednesday, February 1.
It's a time-travelling romantic dramedy shot in the desert on the cheap, but what The Infinite Man lacks in size it makes up for in brains and heart. In that way, the film is a lot like its protagonist, the jumpy, obsessive, hopelessly romantic Dean (Josh McConville). A scientist of non-specific genius, Dean wants desperately to give his girlfriend, Lana (Hannah Marshall), the perfect anniversary weekend. Instead, his controlling behaviour ends up driving her back to her ex (Alex Dimitriades). Not to worry though. Dean can just casually invent a time machine and give the holiday another go. And another. And another. And another. Supported by the same South Australian funding initiative that helped pay for 52 Tuesdays, The Infinite Man is the rare sort of film that feels invigorated, rather than hamstrung, by its obvious financial constraints. Limited to just three cast members and a single, isolated location — an abandoned desert motel — first-time writer-director Hugh Sullivan has very few crutches to fall back on, and is instead forced to draw on a deep well of creativity to ensure his movie is a success. And what a success it is. Sullivan's script pulls from all manner of time-travel scenarios, including The Terminator, Back to the Future and a healthy dose of Primer. Each time our hero travels back in time, the situation grows steadily worse, as he finds himself interacting, and them competing, with different iterations of himself. It's not always easy to keep track of which Dean is which, but to be honest that's part of the fun. Sci-fi fans will delight in piecing the puzzle together — and after multiple viewings, we can confirm that the layers line up. Similarly sharp are the film's comedic sensibilities, riffing not just on the paradoxes of time travel but also sex, jealousy and love. McConville is brilliant as Dean, a perpetually insecure 'nice guy' who goes from endearing to pathetic to just plain creepy. At the opposite end of the alpha-male spectrum is Dimitriades, hilarious as Dean's dim-witted, javelin-throwing rival, who can't seem to acknowledge his relationship with Lana is over. Marshall is also great as the movies' perpetual straight-woman, although it's shame she's not given a bit more comedic stuff to do. But what really cements The Infinite Man as special is how it captures what it feels like as a relationship falls apart. To Dean in particular, the intricacies of time travel are nothing compared to the mysteries of the heart. His overwhelming need to recreate what has been lost is a compulsion that nearly everyone can understand. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-P7bQ9fUw7A
At two of the world's most-prestigious film festivals, prizes are awarded to the best queer movies on the lineup. Not all cinephiles can attend Cannes and Berlinale, so Australia's Mardi Gras Film Festival is bringing LGBTQIA+ flicks from both 2024 fests Down Under in 2025. Romania's Three Kilometres to the End of the World won the Queer Palm. The Istanbul-set Crossing took home the Teddy Jury Prize in Berlin. They're both highlights of the just-announced MGFF program, which has a date with Sydney cinemas in February — and boasts a roster of almost 150 flicks. The movie-loving component of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, MGFF wants audiences to enjoy its feast of LGBTQIA+ films on the big screen if they can. The bulk of the lineup will hit picture palaces across Thursday, February 13–Thursday, February 27, at venues including Event Cinemas George Street and Hurstville, Dendy Newtown, Ritz Cinemas Randwick, the State Library of NSW and The Rocks Laneway Cinema. For those who can't make it in-person, there's also a small-screen component, streaming a selection of titles on-demand nationwide from Friday, February 28–Monday, March 10. If you're hitting up movie theatres, award-winners aren't Mardi Gras Film Festival's only drawcards. On opening night, coming-of-age tale Young Hearts will start the proceedings with a story of romance in rural Belgium, while French standout Somewhere in Love is doing the honours to close out the physical event. In-between, viewers have 72 sessions to choose from, complete with the world premiere of In Ashes from Denmark-based filmmaker Ludvig C Poulsen; South Korea's Love in the Big City; the Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!)-starring Drive Back Home; and Ponyboi, which features Australian actor and The White Lotus favourite Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us). Or, catch Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which tells of its namesake's tale from her 50s Nashville success through to disappearing from the public for four decades; Aussie effort Heart of a Man, about a closeted Indigenous boxer; period drama Lilies Not for Me with Fionn O'Shea (Masters of the Air) and Robert Aramayo (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Duino, a semi-autobiographical effort about an Argentinian filmmaker working on a movie about his first love; and the Venus Xtravaganza-focused I'm Your Venus, which is a must for fans of Paris Is Burning. That's just a taste of the program, which spans Aussie festive slasher Carnage for Christmas, Nina Hoss (Tár) in Foreign Language, a documentary about Ani De Franco, Brazilian drama Streets of Gloria and more, too. Blasts from the past come courtesy of a free screening of The Birdcage, plus a 20th-anniversary session of Imagine Me & You (featuring Lena Headey long before Game of Thrones), with both showing under the stars. If you'd like to don a habit, croon tunes in a cinema or both, Sister Act is getting the sing-along treatment. And from the 70s, Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers — which is one of the first-ever trans-led feature films — is making its Sydney premiere. Cabaret is also on the bill, a fitting choice given that documentary Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story is on the lineup as well — gifting Liza Minnelli obsessives a double feature. Movie buffs eager to check out the online program from their couch can look forward to the aforementioned Drive Back Home and Heart of the Man; a doco about activist Sally Gearhart; Unusually Normal's factual portrait of a family that includes two lesbian grandmothers, four lesbian mothers and one lesbian granddaughter; and a blend of fiction and reality with 2024 Sundance Special Jury Award-winner Desire Lines, among other titles. A number of shorts programs will be available to stream, too, with packages devoted to Asia Pacific, transgender and gender diverse, queer horror, queer documentaries, sapphic and more. Black Doves' Ben Whishaw pops up in one of the gay shorts, while Hacks' Megan Stalter appears in one of the films in the comedy lineup. 2025's MGFF marks Festival Director Lisa Rose's last at the helm. "The film industry has changed dramatically throughout my time with Queer Screen. The volume of LGBTQIA+ content we see, as well as how and where we see it, continues to evolve," she notes. "Yet the sense of belonging that comes when the lights dim and a room full of queer people experience a queer story together remains a constant. Even when a film has the audience divided, the feeling of community that envelops us is unifying." Queer Screen's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival 2025 runs from Thursday, February 13–Thursday, February 27 at venues around Sydney — and online nationally from Friday, February 28–Monday, March 10. For more information, visit the festival's website.
Feeling a big dose of wanderlust and itching to get away? We don't blame you. But sometimes it can be hard to know where to go, and also what you should do when you get there — which is exactly where a trip on the high seas comes in handy. There are more than a few reasons that you should consider hitting the water for your next getaway. Think: taking the stress out of navigating, getting to explore multiple locations, having ample opportunities for 'me time' and finding yourself with an abundance of entertainment options. Need further details? We've partnered with P&O Cruises to run through a couple of things that make cruising a great holiday option. YOU ONLY NEED TO UNPACK YOUR BAGS ONCE One massive benefit of jumping onboard a cruise ship is only having to unpack and repack your bags once. Every seasoned jetsetter knows the pain of having to pack and repack over and over — but on an ocean vessel, you can organise your things in your room and make yourself at home. Your toothbrush can stay in the holder, your clothes can go in the drawers and your skincare will be ready for you in an easy-to-find (and use) arrangement. And you won't ever need to wake up early to try to jam your suitcase shut because you're carting all of your stuff around with you from destination to destination. THERE'S NO CHANCE OF GETTING LOST If you've never been lost while on an adventure, you deserve a round of applause. For most of us mere mortals, this is a problem we're well-acquainted with — along with arguing over directions and getting flustered when driving in new terrain. Cruise ships, however, take all of that stress away by sailing you to exactly where you need to go (no Google Maps required). Instead of getting Siri to help navigate or debating with your travel partner over which turn you were supposed to take, you can just put your feet up and enjoy the ride. YOU CAN EXPLORE MULTIPLE DESTINATIONS Not only do you get to hang out in the fresh ocean air, sip cocktails with a view and relax in the sun when you're on a cruise, but you also get ferried to some amazing locations, which you then get to explore. Think tropical beaches and oceanside towns, plus places where you can take a trip through limestone caves filled with glow worms, snorkel over coral hotspots and hang with wild dolphins. Plus, some cruises also provide shore tours, which take you to hand-picked sights with some stellar tour providers. You get to just hop onboard the ship and be taken straight to a heap of incredible spots. YOU'LL HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR 'ME TIME' There's nothing like a bit of time to rest, recoup and recharge — and the pampering on the side is a pretty great bonus, too. Accordingly, one huge positive of cruise getaways is the ample opportunities they provide for a more than a little stint of 'me time'. Enjoy some solo exercise with a bit of yoga or a run around the onboard jogging track. Ease into a deckchair and escape into a good book, or relax in a salon chair as a beautician pampers you or a hairdresser tends to your locks. As a bonus, there's always retail therapy to fill your solo time if that's more your cup of tea. THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE OF ENTERTAINMENT You'll never be bored on a cruise ship with all the entertainment options on offer. While riding the ocean waves, you'll find plenty of music in the evenings, ranging from acoustic to jazz and R&B. You can flit between heading to theme parties, watching movies and checking out screenings of major sporting events. Plus, hitting the pools and waterslides, feasting at a fancy dinner, and taking part in deck games, table tennis and golf putting. You can take special event cruises too, such as an Elvis-themed trip or an onboard comedy festival with The Big Laugh. With so much to watch, listen to, laugh at and participate in, the time onboard will surely fly. For more information about P&O Cruises, head to the company's website.
He might hail from the UK, but internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro is leaving quite the impression Down Under. He's the creative mind behind Uluru's stunning Field of Light installation – which has pulled over 450,000 visitors and been extended three times since launching in mid-2016 – and, more recently, he illuminated Albany's tree-lined Avenue of Honour for ANZAC-inspired work Field of Light: Avenue of Honour. Now, the artist has taken on the Top End for Bruce Munro: Tropical Light, his third Australian installation and first-ever city-wide exhibition, which opened in Darwin last week. Free to visit and running until April 2020, the Northern Territory installation features eight large-scale illuminated sculptural works, inspired by Munro's own travels across the region. Peppered through the CBD and Darwin's waterfront precincts, they make up a self-guided 2.5-kilometre sculpture trail audiences can enjoy at their leisure. Bruce Munro, Pukul Lima Expect to find plenty of pieces referencing the Top End's vivid sunsets and native creatures, along with many an ode to Mother Nature, all showcasing Munro's strong affinity for light. There's Light Shower, Wave Lagoon Canopies, which features 3000 drops of light; the spherical Green Flash in the Old Town Hall Ruins; and Time and Again, Palm Tree Grove — a waterfront piece made up of 37 radiant, stainless steel lilies. Munro's sculpture trail is accompanied by works from five local artists, including acclaimed aerial photographer Paul Arnold and a series of solar jellyfish lights by Bev Garside. Bruce Munro: Tropical Light runs until April 30, 2020, across Darwin. It's illuminate from 7–10.30pm every night.
Looking to bulk up your closet? Mark this date down in your diary. The Paddington Inn is hosting an exclusive fashion market that will feature clothing donated from some of Sydney's biggest fashion designers and bloggers. Some highlights include clothing from stylist Marina Afonina, designer Kym Ellery and Aje creative force Nadia Fairfax. Also on hand will be a floral pop-up stall with arrangements by the renowned My Violet. Whether you go with the intention of buying a whole new wardrobe or just to browse, you'll be entertained. The Paddington Inn's food and drink are available to shoppers, who can trawl the racks while listening to the tunes of DJs Valerie Yum and Lux Comms.
Nine days after Woolworths implemented its nationwide plastic bag ban, it has reneged on the ban — well, temporarily. After being inundated with complaints from customers in-store and on social media, the supermarket giant this morning posted to Facebook saying it will be giving out free reusable plastic bags until July 8. The reusable bags, which for the past nine days cost shoppers 15c, are thicker, more durable and are made from 80 percent recycled plastic — and were meant to encourage shoppers to bring them back, again and again, rather than buying a new one each time. The temporary, complimentary bag offer is only valid in certain states, NSW, Vic, WA and Qld, as the other states and territories have already had single-use plastic bag bans in place for several years (SA leading the pack, introducing it back in 2009). With Coles set to introduce its nationwide single-use plastic bag ban on Sunday, July 1, it will be interesting to see if the supermarket giant follows Woolworths' lead or, even, delays the start of the ban. Either way, the supermarkets will need to have their single-use bag bans running soon as Queensland will flat-out ban single-use plastic bags from July 1, and Victoria is set to do the same next year. NSW is yet to announce whether it will join suit.
The best documentaries have a way of transcending their subject matter, of using particular stories to explore significant human themes. Such is the case with All This Mayhem, the first theatrical effort from director Eddie Martin. Although ostensibly set in the world of professional skateboarding, the film is in fact a deeply personal portrait of brothers Tas and Ben Pappas — the Melbourne-born siblings who helped reinvigorate the sport, only to fall victims to the perils of their spectacular rise to fame. "This is the challenge, getting people [to] realise that it's not just a skate film," Martin told us. "For us, it's a story about brothers that just happens to be set in the world of skating. They're Greek boys, and it is like a Greek tragedy in a sense." The film begins with the siblings as teenagers, and chronicles their journey from a skate ramp in Prahran, Melbourne to becoming the two highest ranked skateboarders in the world. But with the success came money, and drugs, and soon the two brothers began throwing their good fortune away. Martin intercuts archival footage with a series of interviews with Tas, who speaks with devastating candour about the duo's fall from grace — one that culminated in his younger brother's tragic suicide in 2007 and his own incarceration for drug smuggling the following year. Now, after successful screenings at local film festivals, along with a recent UK premiere at the prestigious Sheffield Doc/Fest, All This Mayhem has hit Australian cinema screens. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8wDiszmA2o8 Just getting on camera was a huge act of trust "As a teenager I used to skate at Prahran Skate Park, and that's where I first met the boys," remembers Martin. "Then I stopped skating and we parted ways, but I still saw Ben around socially … then when he passed, that was obviously a huge shock for everyone. No one saw that coming." After Ben's death, the Pappas family was approached by a group of documentary filmmakers, but Tas wasn't happy with the direction they wanted to take the film. "They had approached Tas, who had said no, but they were still moving forward, and it just felt really exploitative," says Martin. "So we got ourselves motivated to go and talk to Tas, to try and do it properly." "Tas and Ben are incredible characters," Martin continues. "They've got a lot of heart and a lot of humour, and I knew Tas had the presence to carry the film. Obviously he had trust issues because of what had happened with that project … so it was just a process of making sure that everyone felt comfortable and that we were all on the same page and doing it for the right reasons." They don't shy away from rock bottom Since his release from prison, Pappas has slowly returned to skating, while steering clear of the temptations of his former life. As he tells it, part of his reason for wanting to do the documentary was as a way of reaching out to his estranged children in the United States. "I had to bear my soul, so my kids could see who I truly am … hopefully they'll see it one day and want to come find me," Pappas says. "Eddie's been a godsend. He's very understanding. He knows how sensitive the material is." Despite their friendship, Martin doesn't pull any punches when depicting the depths the brothers fell to. "We lived like pirates," says Pappas, looking back. "I didn't think about tomorrow. I didn't think about it [as a] career, or that my days were numbered … once I became number one, it was the best time in the world, but I remember thinking 'now what?' So then I really got right stuck into the drugs. I tried for years to get off them, but then I'd end up back on them even harder every time I relapsed." "It's like ripping open old wounds," he continues. "Sometimes I can watch the doco and it means nothing. And then other times I'll watch it and I'll find I'm depressed for days afterwards. Watching my little brother go all gaunt and then die … it wasn't really my brother, in the end." Mercy is the message "We've been blown away by people's response to the film," says Martin. "The response from the exhibitors has been so strong in the UK that they're going to bring it out on 30 screens, which is huge for an Australian film, let alone a doco." When asked about the positive response, Pappas says it feels "undeserved." At the same time, he's pleased by the prospect that his story might help others. "I've got a lot of regret, and I don't really esteem myself too highly with a lot of the stuff that I've done," he says. "But people seem to be forgiving. God is merciful, I've started learning that. If I've been shown this much mercy, I sort of have to try and help some kids who are going the wrong way." All This Mayhem opens on July 10 exclusive to Cinema Nova in Melbourne and Dendy Newtown in Sydney. Read our review here.
Pecans, pretzels, chocolate chip cookie crumbs, both chocolate and caramel syrups, whipped cream, cherries and rainbow sprinkles — and no less than 16 scoops of icecream. 'MUUUUURICA. Yours for a cheeky $100, the 'Kitchen Sink' sundae is the latest monstrosity from New York City joint Bubby's High Line. Apparently this mountainous beast's supposed to serve eight to ten hungry humans (but more likely to be ordered by groups of four max), this behemoth confection is next level indulgence and almost guaranteed cardiac arrest. But wait, no sparklers? If you're not feeling the whole 16-scooper, there's a $50 'Little Kitchen Sink' with half the scoops. That's still 50 nuggets for basically ice cream and a cute little flag. Seriously, if I'm going to throw down a pineapple for an out-of-the-punnet dessert, it'd better be scientifically-crafted into a freakin' Messina mushroom. Disney World's not going to be happy with Bubby's High Line, as the theme park's Beaches and Cream parlour has been churning out a colossal and literal 'Kitchen Sink' sundae since the '90s. These are the ingredients for Disney's WTF best-seller: ½ cup fudge topping, warmed ½ cup butterscotch topping, warmed ½ cup peanut butter topping, warmed 1 medium banana 1 cinnamon spice cupcake, quartered 1 angel food cupcake, quartered 2 scoops vanilla ice cream 2 scoops chocolate ice cream 2 scoops strawberry ice cream 1 scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream 1 scoop coffee ice cream 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup ¼ cup marshmallow crème ¼ cup strawberry topping ¼ cup pineapple topping 1 can dairy whipped topping 1 brownie, quartered 1 regular-sized chocolate bar, quartered 4 chocolate cookies with cream filling 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds 1 tablespoon dark and white chocolate shavings 1 tablespoon chocolate cookies with cream filling, crushed 1 tablespoon chopped jellied orange slices (approximately 2 large slices) 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chip morsels 1 tablespoon peanut butter chip morsels 1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles ½ cup drained maraschino cherries America aren't the only ones crafting gargantuan messes on the dessert menu. Max Brenner's recent menu change includes the 'Chocolate Mess to Share', a nostalgic party served in a nanna-like cake tin (that comes with a cooking spatula 'serving tool') in which devil's food cake, about five scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles and that MB chocolate sauce hang out waiting for you to make poor (read: top notch) life choices. Or if you're into the oversized, Big Ol' Mess dessert industry, order anything from Paddington's beloved Micky's Cafe. Their 'sundae cake' can be made to order for bookings of over six (just six people needed) for just $5 pp. Devour layer upon layer of meringue, ice cream, rocky road, strawberries, housemade honeycomb, their infamous chocolate fudge. Eh. Screw it. Via Grub Street.
You've probably noticed times are tough for hospo venues, especially those of the live music variety. However, until the end of June, you can do them a small favour with the help of purpose-driven, non-alc beer brewing legends, Heaps Normal. When the time comes to replenish your non-alcoholic beer stocks at home, online customers have the option to send a free case of Heaps Normal to their favourite venue. No strings attached — your local watering hole just gets a free case of beer to sell at their pleasure. "Aussie hospo venues – particularly live music venues – have been doing it tough lately and we're keen to give back. We figured the best way to do that was to let our community decide where the good karma should flow," says Heaps Normal's Chief Brand Officer Tim Snape. This good deed might just be the right move for you as well. Rather than waking up with a splitting headache after a big night out, the brand's tasty brews won't leave you with a hangover that stretches long into next week. "All you need to do is purchase a case of Heaps Normal for yourself and let us know which local watering hole you want to shower with a little good Karma (Case). We'll even throw a handwritten love letter from you in there, too," says Snape. When you're ready to bank that karma, you're welcome to gift any case from Heaps Normal's core range, from the down-to-earth Another Lager to the newly released Third IPA. Then, it's just a matter of your choice arriving at your go-to venue's door, ready to satiate thirsty customers keen to sidestep tomorrow's agony. Heaps Normal's Karma Cases campaign runs until the end of June. Head to the website for more information.
Andy Warhol. Jean-Michel Basquiat. Keith Haring. From the past century, they're three of the art world's biggest names, and they've all been the subjects of many an exhibition. But only one showcase will pair the three for a world-first 15-week celebration of pop art masters premiering right here in Australia — and featuring 40-plus works never before seen Down Under. That event: Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection, New York, which takes its name from the works it will survey and their origins. The exhibition is wholly drawn from the private collection of prominent art collector Jose Mugrabi, and is set to take over HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast from Saturday, February 18–Sunday, June 4, 2023. Unsurprisingly, Pop Masters' array of works by Warhol, Basquiat and Haring will form a survey of the 60s, 70s and 80s art scene, and of legends of the pop art and street art movements. There'll be more than ten pieces by Warhol, acting as the showcase's introduction, with 1964's Sixteen Jackies and 1982's Cross among them. As for Haring, one of his earliest-ever works from 1979 will feature alongside others such as Untitled (Dancing Dogs), while the range of Basquiat pieces includes 1981's New York, New York and — fittingly — a Warhol-Basquiat collaboration. [caption id="attachment_878235" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jean-Michel Basquiat 1985 © Lizzie Himmel. Artwork © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.[/caption] Although art by the three icons will provide Pop Masters with its huge drawcard, the exhibition also seeks to celebrate the ongoing legacy of pop art alongside its origins. That means including pieces by Katherine Bernhardt, Kwesi Botchway, George Condo, Damien Hirst, KAWS, Barbara Kruger, Joel Mesler, Richard Prince, Tom Sachs, Julian Schnabel, Mickalene Thomas and Tom Wesselmann — such as KAWS' 2.8-metre-tall 2018 sculpture What Party, plus Barbara Kruger's If it sees, blind it, from a section of her 2009 installation Between being born and dying in New York's Lever House. "Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection celebrates the history of pop art, whilst examining its influence on art and artists today. We wanted to explore the intersections in the lives, ideas and practices of this significant group of artists," explains Tracy Cooper-Lavery, HOTA's Director, Gallery and Visual Arts. "Many of them knew each other, collaborated or have been influenced by each other, and we have acknowledged this in the design of the exhibition, which will see these incredible artworks in dialogue with one another." [caption id="attachment_878234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Keith Haring by Joe McNally, Getty Images[/caption] Pop Masters has been in the making for longer than HOTA's new six-level, $60.5-million gallery has been open — the site launched in 2021 — and marks the most prestigious exhibition the venue has hosted yet. "Pop Masters has been six years in the making and HOTA is delivering a world exclusive exhibition right here on the Gold Coast," said HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke. "Over the years it has evolved into a bespoke exhibition that offers a completely unique experience. Having access to the Mugrabi family personal collection is a real privilege and the artworks rarely leave New York. We are thrilled to be bringing these iconic artists and celebrated artworks to Australia for the first time." 2023 is clearly a great year to be a Warhol fan, and to see blockbuster exhibitions beyond Australia's usual east coast capitals, with the Art Gallery of South Australia displaying Andy Warhol & Photography: A Social Media from Friday, March 3–Sunday, May 14. [caption id="attachment_804623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] default[/caption] Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection, New York will display at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast from Saturday, February 18–Sunday, June 4, 2023. Head to the gallery's website for further details, and tickets. Top image: Santi Visalli/Getty Images.
Kids have all the fun. Always covered in craft supplies, shimmering with the remains of runaway glitter, primary schoolers are treated to a pretty luxurious life. They spend all their day running around, making art and eating. It's the dream. Now, one element of your amazing childhood is becoming acceptable for adults — the colouring book. Inspired by the work of the art world greats, illustrator Marion Deuchars has created a colouring book for grown ups. Schooling you on the styles of Dada, pop art and surrealism to name a few, Draw Paint Print Like Great Artists runs through the life and work of artists such as Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, Jasper Johns and Joan Miro. Full to the brim with beautiful illustrations, interesting facts and surprisingly fun activities, the book effortlessly combines your long lost primary school craft time with some of the art history you missed in high school. Alternatively, if you're up to date on your modern art theory, you could use the book as a little creative kickstart. "Every artist learns by looking at the work created by others, and then picks up bits of that and makes their own art in their own way," Deuchars said. "It may be something as simple as using scissors rather than a pencil, or being fascinated by a new shape or a playful exercise to take your imagination somewhere unfamiliar." Once regarded as child's play, creative exercises like this have been gaining prominence recently. In a simlar style, MOMA's Art Lab app offers its users an opportunity to unwind and experiment with digital technologies. Keri Smith's Finish This Book was packed full of outlandish tasks and artsy activities to complete, and it was a bestseller! This is definitely a trend we can get behind. Now we just need to get some quality crayons and convince our boss that nap times are a valid way to spend the afternoon. Draw Paint Print Like Great Artists is available via Laurence King. It's approximately $23 plus shipping. Via Huffington Post.
There's nothing that says 'Australian' quite like being the first ever company to crowdfund booze. But one company has found a way to combine Sydneysiders' two favourite beverages in one delicious, stylishly packaged drink. Sydney-based distillery MR BLACK recently launched a $10,000 Pozible campaign, harnessing the power of crowds and their love of coffee and alcohol to help launch their flagship product, MR BLACK Cold Drip Coffee Liqueur. The rewards for pledges range from invites to their launch party to actual bottles of MR BLACK, varying in size depending on the donation. According to head distiller Philip Moore, "MR BLACK is not for everyone. It’s not some cloying, sickly-sweet kiddie drink that makes your teeth hurt. Using the cold-drip method we’ve created a rich, intense coffee liqueur that actually tastes like coffee." MR BLACK is the brainchild of Moore and designer Tom Baker, and it's already getting quite a bit of attention from overseas, especially after winning the gold medal at the 2012 International Wine & Spirits Competition in London. Co-founder Baker says that not only are MR BLACK "at the intersection of Sydney coffee and bar culture" but they're also big supporters of the arts and creative scene — their bottle artwork is designed by local artist Dale Bigeni.
On small screens all around the world, The Last of Us is currently showing everyone how video game-to-TV adaptations can and should be done. Can the new Dungeons & Dragons movie do the same for tabletop role-playing games? Cinemagoers are about to find out, when Honour Among Thieves rolls out its campaign on the silver screen with Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant among the cast. As seen in both Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves initial sneak peek back in 2022 and its new just-dropped full trailer, the film focuses on a motley crew of characters rolling the dice. "We're thieves," Pine (Don't Worry Darling) explains in both, if the title wasn't already obvious enough. This crew, which spans Page (The Gray Man), Rodriguez (Fast & Furious 9), Justice Smith (Jurassic World Dominion) and Sophie Lillis (IT and IT: Chapter Two), too, "helped the wrong person steal the wrong thing". Cue the greatest evil the world has ever known, unleashed unwittingly, which this band of pilferers now endeavours to stop. In the two sneak peeks so far, dragons pop up, of course. So do dungeons, to the astonishment of no one. Other fantastical animals, fights, flaming swords, fireballs, an army of the undead and quips: they're all included as well, as are Grant (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), fellow cast members Chloe Coleman (Avatar: The Way of Water) and Daisy Head (Wrong Turn), and Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love'. Behind the camera, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Game Night) are in the directors' chairs, and co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Gilio. The mood they're going for: lighthearted, comic, but also an action-adventure epic. And, like all movies these days, they're seemingly trying to start a new franchise as well. Another Dungeons & Dragons movie has long sat on the list of things that were bound to happen after the success of Stranger Things. The role-playing game has already sparked three movies, with the first dating back to 2000 — but none of them starred this bunch (or were well-received, whether they hit theatres or went straight to home entertainment). Actually, another D&D film has been in the works in some shape or form since before the world saw a bunch of kids in Hawkins, Indiana play the game. Thanks to the success of Game of Thrones, fantasy epics have become a huge Hollywood cash cow (see also: the return of The Lord of the Rings as a streaming series). And yes, films based on Hasbro properties don't have the best record — the Transformers series, the GI Joe flicks, Battleship, Power Rangers — but if you're a D&D devotee, you'll be hoping this one changes that. Check out the new Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves trailer below: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves opens in cinemas Down Under on March 30.
It takes just over 50 seconds for the Cat Person trailer to get Margot (Emilia Jones, CODA) uttering nine glaringly accurate words: "this is the worst life decision I've ever made". She's talking about dating Robert (Nicholas Braun, Succession), a regular at the cinema where the 20-year-old college student works — and she's speaking a line that everyone read in 2017, in the viral short story to end all viral short stories from the past decade. Six years back, when the December issue of The New Yorker arrived, Kristen Roupenian's tale of a nightmare relationship instantly went viral. That's where the world first met Margot and Robert, and stepped into this wild story. Cat Person was then printed as a book, and of course Hollywood came calling as well. The movie that's resulted debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in 2023, has locked in an October 26 release in Australia and also just dropped its trailer. There are bad dates, and then there's this bad date, as Jones and Braun bring to the screen in the film's first sneak peek. "Listen, concession stand girl, why don't you give me your number?" Robert asks while Margot is slinging popcorn. From there, a flurry of texts springs, then terrible kissing, then massive discrepancies that become evident the more time that the pair spend together IRL. And, when Margot decides to break things off, in comes a change in his behaviour. As Cat Person sinks its claws into modern dating, the role that technology now plays and the gender divide, Susanna Fogel (the director of The Spy Who Dumped Me and one of Booksmart's writers) helms, Michelle Ashford (Operation Mincemeat) and adapts Roupenian's text. Featuring on-screen alongside Jones and Braun: Geraldine Viswanathan (Miracle Workers), Isabella Rossellini (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), Hope Davis (Asteroid City), Fred Melamed (Barry), Liza Koshy (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Michael Gandolfini (Beau Is Afraid). "Like the short story that stirred so much controversy, Cat Person will call upon you to reflect on romantic encounters you've had in the past, and to question the role (or multiple roles) you may have played," said Fogel about the film. "We've all been the victim in some narratives and the villain in others, and I hope you'll walk out of this film with a strong opinion, ready to debate." Check out the trailer for Cat Person below: Cat Person will release on October 26, 2023 Down Under.
There are many ways to spend Halloween, from dressing up and eating too many lollies to partying and hitting up spooky events. But watching John Carpenter's Halloween on October 31 remains one of the greatest ways to spend the occasion for one simple reason: 43 years on, it's still an absolute masterpiece, as well as one of the best horror movies ever made. This year, you can also pair Jamie Lee Curtis-starring 70s classic with the latest entry in the franchise that it's spawned over the past four-plus decades. Obviously, you can match up the OG Halloween with any of the flicks in the saga each and every year — but in 2021, Halloween Kills is finally hitting cinemas. Since that first movie back in 1978, the Halloween series has been through quite a few ups and downs. Clocking up ten follow-ups and 11 movies in total until now, the slasher franchise 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. And, like its mask-wearing villain Michael Myers, it always finds a way to go on. Since 2018's Halloween, that's been especially great news, with the Jason Blum-produced 11th flick in the franchise proving a smart, thrilling horror delight, and ranking second only to the movie that started it all. Indeed, the film was such a success that two more sequels are headed our way from the same team (aka Blum, writer/director David Gordon Green and co-scribe Danny McBride): Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. Originally, Halloween Kills was due to hit screens last year, in October — when else? — but, as announced in 2020 by franchise creator John Carpenter, it moved back its release to October this year. That's now fast approaching, with fans soon able to make a return trip to Haddonfield. Yes, that means that Curtis' spirited Laurie Strode will have another altercation with her lifelong nemesis, too — because, when it's at its best, that's what this franchise is all about. Picking up where its immediate predecessor left off, Halloween Kills will also take a few cues from another movie in the series, as its initial trailer and just-dropped latest sneak peek shows. Not one but two teasers last year set the scene for the saga's 12th entry, but the latest clips dive deep into the storyline. Following the events of the most recent film, Laurie ends up in hospital with life-threatening injuries just as Michael starts stalking through Haddonfield again — which is the same storyline that Halloween II followed exactly 40 years ago. Thankfully, if the last flick is any guide, Halloween Kills shouldn't prove a needless remake. Green and McBride did a stellar job of nodding to the past while finding a new way forward with 2018's Halloween, after all — and leaving horror fans definitely wanting more. This time, too, Laurie and her daughter Karen (Judy Greer, Valley Girl) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak, Son) team up with other survivors of Michael's rampages and decide to hunt down their attacker. Check out the latest Halloween Kills trailer below: Halloween Kills will release in Australian cinemas on October 28, 2021. Top image: Ryan Green/Universal Pictures.
Some couples are content to stay engaged for years; others feel they are in limbo until the Big Day officially signals the start of the rest of their lives. Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) are in the latter camp, and they make some not-so-wise decisions while their attempts to set the right date stretch out to five years. They're initially waylaid when psych academic Violet lands a post-doc at an interstate university. Tom, a sous chef at a trendy San Francisco restaurant, contends he can do his job anywhere, but he doesn't count on the stunted restaurant scene in Ann Arbor, Michigan that means he can only get a job in a sandwich shop. Between that, the grey weather and his new friendships with downtrodden "faculty husbands", he's not happy. So when Violet's position gets extended beyond the initial two years, it puts even more pressure on the couple, and the constant prodding from their family and friends (including local hero Jackie Weaver as Violet's mother and Community and Mad Men's Alison Brie as her sister) to tie the knot isn't necessarily helping. Co-written by Segel (who also wrote The Muppets) and director Nicholas Stoller, The Five Year Engagement holds a lot of promise. It's a romantic comedy where the couple have a genuine, sweet, off-in-their-own-world connection, and both lead characters have complex lives that hinge on more than just their romantic relationship for satisfaction. Their obstacles are real ones, not the confected kinds usually used to keep apart a totally obvious pairing (she likes to knit, he runs an American Apparel, etc). Segel and Blunt each bring a sackload of charm, and they also seem to strive for gender equality in their comedic physical injury stakes (both admirably high). Unfortunately, for all the effort that went into making this feel real, their situation is riddled with inauthenticity. You feel it most keenly in the premise that Tom spends five years descending into disturbing levels of depression while Violet does almost nothing about it. This big chunk of the film is supposed to be funny but is actually horrifying. It's one of the areas where The Five-Year Engagement doesn't obey its own logic or quite find its comedy groove, chugging along at a tittering, offbeat level but trying to throw in hyperactive set-ups borrowed from an American frat movie. It's a shame, because although it's an enjoyable watch, with just a little more ruthlessness editing, this could have been a leader in the genre. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Us-5iN5aFqE
Over the past few years, the air travel industry has been flitting back and forth between two extremes. The desire for longer flights — especially non-stop from Australia to London and New York — keeps getting stronger. At the same time, the push to reduce the environmental toll of soaring through the sky has also been growing. Where the latter is concerned, Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly set itself a goal of becoming the world's first plastic-free carrier. Closer to home, Qantas pledged to phase out single-use plastics and boarding passes — and has been using mustard seed biofuel to power its planes. For Canadian seaplane outfit Harbour Air, however, the solution is electric. And, this month, it launched the first fully electric commercial aircraft. So far, the ePlane — a six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver magnified by a 750-horsepower (or 560 kilowatt) magni500 propulsion system — has only just completed its first test flight, which took place in Vancouver on December 10. Still, with Harbour Air aiming to build world's first completely electric commercial seaplane fleet for its 30,000 commercial annual flights across 12 routes around Vancouver and Seattle, it's the first step. The ePlane's magni500 propulsion system is the key to turning Harbour Air fully electric dream — and its desire to focus on clean, efficient, environmentally friendly power — into a reality. It's created by a company called magniX, which has its headquarters in the US but actually started in Australia — on the Gold Coast, where it still has an engineering centre. Before Harbour Air can bring its fleet to fruition, the two outfits will first need to get the magni500 propulsion system certified and approved — and then retrofit the airline's aircraft. For further information about Harbour Air, visit the company's website. Images: Harbour Air
For everyone who'll always love Dolly Parton, the icon herself has unveiled excellent news: she's turning her life story and unrivalled career into a musical, which will debut on Broadway in 2026. Parton is writing the new stage show's music and lyrics. She's also co-penning the book for the musical. Will she pop up during a performance? You'll have to head along to Hello, I'm Dolly to find out. If the production's name sounds familiar, then you truly are a Parton fan: it shares its moniker with her very first studio album, which was released in 1967. In the almost six decades since — a year short of it when Hello, I'm Dolly premieres, in fact — Parton has done everything from dominate country music and star on the big screen to read bedtime stories and donate money to COVID-19 research. Her music is also no stranger to Broadway thanks to 9 to 5: The Musical, as based on the 1980 film of the same name, which made its leap to theatre's most-famous district in 2009. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton) "Hello, I'm Dolly, and I lived my whole life to see this show on stage," said Parton in a statement about the musical. Dolly diehards, you now have this in common with the legend. "I've written many original songs for the show and included all your favourites in it as well. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll clap, you'll stomp, it truly is a Grand Ol' Opera. Pun and fun intended. Don't miss it!" Parton continued. As well as composing the score and new songs for the show, and co-writing the book with Maria S Schlatter, Dolly is producing Hello, I'm Dolly with Adam Speers for ATG Productions and Danny Nozell for CTK Enterprises. There's no word on an exact opening date as yet, or any casting details or touring plans after its Broadway run, but Parton just keeps pouring cups of ambition. And if you're now begging for the musical to please head Down Under, we understand. There's obviously no clips or imagery from Hello, I'm Dolly available yet, but check out the trailer for 9 to 5 — the film — below: Hello, I'm Dolly will premiere on Broadway in 2026. We'll update you with any details of a season Down Under if and when they're announced. Head to the musical's website for further details in the interim.
Even if you won’t be rolling in the Byron grass with Outkast and Lily Allen come July, you can still get a slice of Splendour action with Festival sideshows. At least 22 international acts will bring some love to Sydney and Melbourne, with a few going west-side for Perth-based fans. Tickets go on sale via Secret Sounds at 9am AEST on Friday, May 9. Here’s who’s going where. Melbournians will be able to catch up with London Grammar at the Festival Hall on Tuesday, July 22, and Sydneysiders at the Horden Pavilion, on Thursday, July 24. Their debut album, If You Wait, sauntered straight into the ARIA Charts at no.2 when released in September last year. The week following, Foster the People will make appearances at the Palais Theatre on Monday, July 28, and the Enmore Theatre on Tuesday, July 29. Since last visiting Antipodean shores for the Big Day Out 2012, they've been busy putting together new album Supermodel. English songwriter Ben Howard will be playing songs from his Mercury debut album Every Kingdom, as well as a few more recent creations at the Palais on Wednesday, July 30; the Enmore on Thursday, July 31; and the Astor (Perth) on Friday, July 25. And for a dose of Memphis soul and infectious Afro-beat, see Kelis in action at Melbourne's Prince Bandroom on Tuesday, July 22, and Sydney's HIFI on Wednesday, July 23. Meanwhile, London electro-pop darlings Metronomy will appear at Perth’s Astor Theatre on Wednesday, July 23, Melbourne’s Forum Theatre on Friday, July 25, and Sydney’s Metro on Wednesday, July 28. They’re hitting Australia hot on the heels of playing Glastonbury and Primavera Sounds. Expect fresh yet timeless tunes from their Mercury Prize-nominated The English Riviera and new album Love Letters. There’ll also be guest appearances from Liverpool-based indie poppers Circa Waves, who’ll then play their own headline show on Tuesday, July 29, at Sydney’s Newtown Social Club. If you’re under 18, The Strypes will have you covered. They’re four Irish lads whose birth certificates prove they’re not yet legal, but they sound more like old guys who’ve been hanging out in blues-rock clubs for eons. They’ll be at Sydney’s Newtown Social Club on Wednesday, July 23, and Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on Tuesday, July 22. Similarly bluesy and rock-driven are Nashville group The Wild Feathers. But they also throw a significant dash of folk into the mix. In fact, they recently played the ultimate in songwriter support gigs — Bob Dylan’s pre-show set. Catch them in Melbourne at the Northcote Social Club on Friday, July 25, and in Sydney at the Newtown Social Club on Saturday, July 26. Another folksy act is Seattle six-piece The Head and the Heart. One minute they were busking and playing open mics; the next, they were selling out San Francisco’s Fillmore and appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman. They’ll be bringing their intelligent songwriting, sweet harmonies and minimalist percuth. For a more punksy take on rootsy music, check out NYC four-piece Skaters, who’ll be at the OAF on Thursday, July 24, and Melbourne’s The Corner on Saturday, July 26. Triple J recently named their debut full-length, Manhattan, album of the week. At the other end of the groove spectrum is collective Jungle, who are all about floating melodies and ethereal electronica. They’re heading our way after accompanying Haim across Europe, impressing crowds at SXSW and playing Fuji Rock. Catch them at The Corner, Melbourne, on Tuesday, July 29, and the Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, on Wednesday, July 30. While we’re on the topic of the ethereal, Australian-turned-LA-resident Ry X will be travelling his homeland in two manifestations — as part of enigmatic trio The Acid and solo. See the former at Goodgod Small Club (Sydney) on Wednesday, July 23, and Northcote Social Club (Melbourne) on Thursday, July 24, and the latter at the Oxford Art Factory (Sydney) on Tuesday, July 29, and Howler (Melbourne) on Wednesday, July 30. Other sideshows to watch out for include Grouplove, The 1975, Sky Ferreira, Phantogram, Future Islands, Mikhael Paskalev, Asgeir, Darlia and Mas Ysa.
It seems Sydney street artist Scott Marsh didn't spend too much time celebrating his alleged $100k profit last week (or drinking it at The Glad, for that matter). After his seven-metre Chippendale mural of Kanye West kissing himself went viral last month — and garnered interest from Yeezy himself, who apparently paid $100,000 to have it painted over — Marsh has come back with a new piece that is arguably even more relevant than Kanye's narcissism: a mural of NSW Premier Mike Baird. Great photo of me finishing up last night by @colebennetts 📷 Caught @mikebairdmp out on a big Friday night he was happy to pose for a few reference flicks 👍🏻 #casinomike #keepsydneyopen A photo posted by Scott Marsh (@scottie.marsh) on Apr 17, 2016 at 3:52pm PDT The mural, which was painted last night, Sunday, April 17, has popped up on the side of the Lord Gladstone Hotel in Chippen Lane. Dubbed #casinomike by Marsh, it depicts the Premier on a "big Friday night" past lockout time at 1.31am, complete with casino chips, an illicit late night kebab and a bottle of Penfolds Grange that he assumedly bought before 10pm. It's smug as all hell. Not sure that Mike Baird will be able to shell out Marsh's high wall buffing fees to get the mural removed, but maybe he'll be willing to bargain with some policy. A photo posted by Danny Clayton (@dannyclayton) on Apr 17, 2016 at 4:09am PDT Top image: Danny Clayton via Instagram.
As long as current release dates hold, 2023 is a year of threes for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Viewers will see three MCU flicks. They'll also watch three new streaming series. And, among those movies is The Marvels, which teams up a trio of female superheroes. Those characters: Captain Marvel (Brie Larson, Fast X), Ms Marvel's Kamala Khan (debutant Iman Vellani) and WandaVision's Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris, Candyman). As seen in a debut sneak peek earlier this this year and now the just-dropped full trailer, they're joining forces and trading places. The film acts as a sequel to both Ms Marvel and Captain Marvel, also marks third entry in the MCU's Phase Five, and features Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton, The Handmaid's Tale) on a mission to destroy worlds. Apart from the whole universe-in-peril situation, this is clearly a dream come true for massive MCU superfan Khan, who has always been thrilled and surprised at everything happening to her. Loving the MCU, going to MCU fan conventions, obsessing over Captain Marvel, then learning that you have superpowers just like your heroes: that's enough to leave you perpetually astonished and overjoyed in tandem, an emotional state that's still in play in The Marvels. Ms Marvel was always leading up to this big-screen release, which is also the 33rd movie in the MCU, following fellow 2023 cinema releases Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It's due in cinemas in November, and is clearly making the most of having three caped crusaders in its frames in the trailers. If you're wondering, Carol has her identity back from the Kree and she's taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence; however, that has consequences, and the universe has become destabilised. So, The Marvels need to team up to do the usual MCU thing: save everyone and everything. Also returning: Secret Invasion's Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey) and a whole heap of Flerkens, including Goose. As well as Larson, Parris, Vellani, Jackson and Ashton, The Marvels features Park Seo-joon (Parasite). Behind the lens, Candyman's Nia DaCosta directs, and co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell (WandaVision), Elissa Karasik (Loki) and Zeb Wells (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law). And those three MCU shows this year? Secret Invasion, the return of Loki and newcomer Echo. Check out the full trailer for The Marvels below: The Marvels releases in cinemas Down Under on November 9, 2023. Images: Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
Ten years after the conclusion of the Irish Civil War, a local folk hero returns to his small country village, much to the chagrin of the conservative priests and landowners. Sounds like a typical set-up for a Ken Loach movie; the 78-year-old English director has made a career out of grim, socially conscious dramas about the injustices perpetrated against the working class. But while Jimmy's Hall certainly contains many characteristics typical of the veteran filmmaker, the film ultimately stands out as one of his lightest and most hopeful works. Not that that's saying a great deal. Indeed, while Jimmy's Hall is buoyed by its faith in the power of the people, the Loach film it most immediately recalls is actually one of his bleakest. 2006's Palme d'Or winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley chronicled the bloody Irish conflict of the early 1920s, and in some ways could be seen as a spiritual prequel to Jimmy's Hall — a film in which the personal and social fallout of the war is still being felt a decade latter. Dublin-born actor Barry Ward plays Jimmy Gralton, a real-world political activist and the hero of Loach's tale. After spending the '20s living in America, Jimmy returns to Ireland largely to care for his elderly mother but soon draws the ire of the community's ruling elite — led by the overzealous Father Sheridan (Jim Norton) — when he decides to reopen the dilapidated village dance hall. To the priest, it's only logical that where American jazz and pelvic thrusts holds sway, communist schemes soon follow. If it all sounds similar to the plot of Footloose, that's because it is. It's obvious why Loach, an ardent leftist, was attracted to Gralton's story. Jimmy is an easy hero to root for; a man of the people, fighting tooth and nail for the little guy against a stuffy, unfeeling villain. It's an appealing underdog story, rousing if rather simplistic. Screenwriter Paul Laverty's dialogue can be pretty on the nose in regards to the politics of the era, and let's face it, Loach has never been one to keep his ideological sympathies hidden. Thankfully, the film is rather more subtle when it comes to the dynamic between Jimmy and Oonagh (Simone Kirby), his onetime sweetheart who has since married somebody else. A scene in which the two of them dance silently in the moonlit hall is one of the most beautiful moments that Loach has ever put to film. Likewise, his portrayal of the villages' young people — determined not to make the same mistake as their parents — shows a more optimistic side of the filmmaker than audiences may have come to expect.
